Chapter 32 The Great Ancestor of Xia Family 

At the Meditation Garden

After the commotion caused by the Core Formation Cultivator's Divine Sense ended, no one was in the mood to continue the meeting. One by one, they left, following the Patriarch and the Great Elder towards the source of the Divine Sense they had felt. Great Elder Xia Kun was expectant. Given his current status, he knew that the previous Patriarch hadn't passed away but had entered seclusion. He guessed it might be the previous Patriarch who had broken through. In contrast, Xia Feng was calmer, as he knew who was living in the Meditation Garden now.

It didn't take long before all 50 of them arrived at the Meditation Garden. What they didn't expect was to see two old men and a young lady who had arrived before them.

In a pavilion, two old men stood respectfully in front of a young man. The young lady stood beside the young man, who sat there calmly.

"Young Lady Wushuang!" Almost all of them recognized the young woman who stood by the side of the young man immediately.

"Uncle Fu!" Xia Kun exclaimed, his expectations shattered as he didn't anticipate that the man he thought to be a Core Formation Cultivator would stand respectfully in front of a young man.

"Previous Patriarch!" Some of the older elders like Xia Cao and Xia Kui exclaimed simultaneously.

"Patriarch is still alive? What good news!" 

All of them only knew that after passing on his position, the previous Patriarch, Xia Fu, had disappeared. Some said he was alive, while others said he had died. As time passed, many began to believe he was dead. However, at this moment, seeing him well made all of them excited, and they also began to guess about the identity of the young man who sat there.

"First Ancestor!" Xia Feng quickly came forward and greeted the white-haired old man who stood beside the previous Patriarch.

"What? The First Ancestor?" Everyone, including Xia Kun, was shocked to hear this news. Even the First Ancestor was alive!

The First Ancestor was the first Patriarch of the Xia Family. He had started as a servant and, after years of hard work, was rewarded with a cultivation technique that set him on the path of cultivation. Through years of effort and cultivation, he founded the Xia Family and elevated it from a low-grade to a mid-grade family. It was rumored that he had died due to a failed attempt to break through to the Core Formation Realm.

However, at this moment, even their First Ancestor stood respectfully in front of the young man.

Xia Kong looked at Shuang'er dazedly before his gaze fell on the young man who sat there.

The First Ancestor Xia Zu and the previous Patriarch Xia Fu turned their heads back simultaneously to the current members of the Xia Family and nodded, seeing that the family had developed much more than in their era. Finally, their gazes stopped on Xia Feng.

"Xia Feng, Young Master Shangguan has honored us with his visit to our family. Why didn't you inform us?" they questioned him with displeased expressions.

Xia Feng lowered his head, realizing that he had not anticipated the young man would turn out to be a Core Formation Cultivator. Otherwise, he would have informed everyone to come and greet Shangguan Yi long ago.

In fact, this matter couldn't be blamed on him. Even his daughter, Shuang'er, didn't know about it. Otherwise, she would have informed her father long ago to avoid showing any disrespect.

"First Ancestor, Uncle Fu, I was wrong. Please punish me!" Xia Feng said with his head lowered.

"En, you should ask Young Master Shangguan for forgiveness, not us," Xia Zu replied.

Xia Feng looked at Shangguan Yi with an apologetic expression. He was about to speak, but Shangguan Yi waved his hand slightly.

"Since everyone is here, I'll inform you of something," Shangguan Yi spoke while his gaze swept through everyone.

All of the elders held their breath, listening attentively. No one dared to make a sound.

"I trust you've heard about the chaos time, Patriarch Xia," Shangguan Yi's gaze fell on Xia Feng.

Hearing this, Xia Feng's expression turned solemn. Shuang'er had informed him about it through the information pearl two years ago. At first, he didn't understand it, but after researching a bit, he realized the grave situation. He had sought out the previous Patriarch and the First Ancestor to discuss it, but they were helpless.

"Indeed, Shuang'er informed me two years ago, but we are helpless in this matter. I wonder what Young Master Shangguan's intention is in mentioning it?" Xia Feng said in expectation.

The elders in the garden were confused about what the chaos time is, but none of them dared to utter a sound to interrupt.

Shangguan Yi didn't speak immediately. He looked at Xia Feng and the elders behind him.

Xia Feng quickly understood his intention. He took out the information about the chaos time he had prepared long ago and handed it to them.

All of them accepted and absorbed the information quickly. When they learned about the chaos time, their expressions turned solemn. When they realized that the chaos time will arrive in two years at most, their expressions became grim.

"Since you now understand the gravity of the situation, I won't elaborate further," Shangguan Yi said. His words calmed many, as having a Core Formation Cultivator in the family made them feel safer.

"From now onward, I'll take the position of Great Ancestor," Shangguan Yi declared simply, as if this matter was normal and natural to happen.

However, although Shangguan Yi spoke simply, his words shocked everyone present, including Xia Zu and Xia Fu. Having a Core Formation Cultivator stay in the family was one thing, but taking over the family was entirely different. Even though they were just a mid-grade family, they had their dignity. The family had been built with hard efforts and the blood of countless members. How could they hand over their family to an outsider, despite that person being a Core Formation Cultivator?

Thus, at this moment, all the elders couldn't hide their indignant expressions. Xia Feng, Xia Kun, Xia Fu, and Xia Zu had particularly grim faces. They knew the consequences of offending a Core Formation Cultivator. Even if the four of them joined forces, they couldn't harm such a powerful individual. In fact, even if all more than 50 of them combined forces, it would be suicidal and bring destruction to the family.

Shangguan Yi wasn't surprised by their reactions. If a Core Evolution Cultivator commanded him to hand over all his pills and techniques, he would feel the same way the Xia Family felt now.

Shangguan Yi snorted coldly, "Hmph! What is so wonderful about your Xia Family? If not for Shuang'er, I wouldn't even take a step here."

As his words ended, his core essence burst out, and the aura of a Core Formation Cultivator spread throughout the garden. Just moments ago, his Divine Sense alone had been enough to scare the 1st to 3rd level Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Now, with his core essence released, it terrified most of them immediately. Except for around ten people, everyone knelt under this pressure. Moreover, Shangguan Yi's core was a flame core, making them feel not only the pressure of a mountain but also the searing heat of fire. Even Xia Zu, a false Core Formation Cultivator, felt the heat burning his essence from the inside.

This pressure indicated that Shangguan Yi's flame core was much purer than normal. Xia Zu had felt the pressure of Core Formation Cultivators before, but this was the first time he encountered someone with such a pure core. If Shangguan Yi activated his technique just once, Xia Zu believed it would be enough to burn several elders to death, and even he might not survive more than ten moves.

In fact, Shangguan Yi had melded ten pillars in one go to form his core, making it no surprise that his core was the purest.

"Now, listen carefully," Shangguan Yi continued, his voice calm but firm. "I am not here to take over your family. I am here because of Shuang'er. My presence will ensure the safety and future of the Xia Family during this chaos time. I will take the position of Great Ancestor, but your family will still be run by your Patriarch and elders. My role is to guide and protect, not to dominate."

His words, though firm, offered a glimmer of hope and relief. The Xia Family members, while still overwhelmed by his power, began to understand that this arrangement might indeed be beneficial for their survival and growth.

"Young Master Shangguan, please calm down. We are honored to have you as our Great Ancestor. With you around, our Xia Family will rise to the high-grade, perhaps even become a great family. In fact, we can change our family name to Shangguan." Xia Zu spoke with a solemn face.

Xia Zu, once a servant, had built the family from nothing. His mindset was that as long as people lived, the family lived, so he could quickly accept abandoning the family name if it meant survival.

Hearing the First Ancestor's words, everyone felt relieved and began to shout in unison:

"It is an honor that Young Master takes the position of Great Ancestor in our family."

"It is an honor that Young Master takes the position of Great Ancestor in our family."

"It is an honor that Young Master takes the position of Great Ancestor in our family."

Shangguan Yi's mood softened as he retracted his core essence. He looked at Xia Zu meaningfully and sighed deeply, regretting that this person had failed to break through to the Core Formation Realm and ended up as a false Core Formation Cultivator.

"Alright, everyone, since you know what is good for you, I won't treat you badly. After all, Shuang'er is my woman; how could I harm her family?" Shangguan Yi spoke.

His words stunned most of them. Some had guessed it at first glance, but others were truly surprised by this news as they looked at Shuang'er, who stood beside him. It was at this moment that they felt her cultivation level.

"Level 6 Foundation Establishment!" one elder exclaimed, unable to hide his shock.

"How is this possible?" another murmured. "She's only been gone for seven years…"

The elders, including Xia Fu, Xia Kun, and the others, were taken aback. They knew Shuang'er was talented, but reaching such a high level at her age was beyond their expectations.

"Level 6!"

"Young Lady is really at level 6!"

"Only Young Master Shangguan deserves her."

"That's right, they are the perfect couple."

"What's Young Master Shangguan? He's the Great Ancestor!"

"Yes, yes. You are right, from now on, there is no Young Lady Wushuang, we should call her Ancestor Wushuang."

All kinds of praise were spoken by the elders.

Xia Kong clenched his fists tightly, his earlier hopes and dreams now shattered by the reality of Shuang'er's impressive cultivation and her bond with Shangguan Yi.

Xia Feng was speechless. From now on, must he call his daughter Ancestor?

Shuang'er blushed at their words, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassment at the high praise and the sudden elevation of her status within the family.

Still she looked at the elders and then addressed the assembly, "It is true. I have cultivated diligently under Young Master Shangguan's guidance and have reached this level. With his support, our family will be stronger and more secure."

Shangguan Yi added, "The times ahead are turbulent. With your cooperation, I will ensure the Xia Family not only survives but prospers. Our united strength will be our greatest asset."

The elders, now understanding the full scope of the situation, nodded in agreement. Their initial fear and resistance had transformed into a cautious optimism. They knew that with Shangguan Yi's power and Shuang'er's talent, the Xia Family had a chance to rise above its current status and face the forthcoming chaos with confidence. Many praised Shangguan Yi again and again.

 Shangguan Yi lifted his hand to stop them, saying, "Alright, everyone, as the Great Ancestor, my first job is to strengthen our family. I plan to build a level 3 protection array in our territory. However, I lack some materials, so we will procure them from the other families. Tell me, which are the nearest families around here?"

When they heard about the level 3 protection array, they couldn't hide their excitement. The prospect of such a powerful defense system was thrilling. When Shangguan Yi asked about the nearest families, their excitement grew even more.

Xia Feng answered, "Great Ancestor, the Guan and Zhang Families are the nearest to us. In terms of strength, we are the same, but they have longer histories than us. They have tried to suppress us in every way, making transactions with them quite difficult."

Shangguan Yi nodded slightly and said calmly, "Who said we will have transactions with them? We will destroy them tonight."

The elders were stunned, their initial excitement mixed with disbelief and fear.

——

Cultivation Realm: 

-Body Refining Realm (mortals / practitioners)

-Foundation Establishment Realm ( genuine Cultivators)

-Core Formation Realm 

Technique/Pill/Artifact/Array/Beast/Herb/Talisman Level

-Warrior (level 1)

-Elite (level 2)

-Master (level 3)

Each level divided to 4 grades: low, mid, high and supreme.