Chapter 157: Xiao family

[Heart Sink Lake]

It was a vast lake shimmering with glistening waves. But strangely, at the center of the lake, the water was eerily still, despite appearing the same as the rest. A bird flying over it suddenly plummeted, as if weighed down by an invisible force, sinking rapidly into the depths.

This was the true nature of Heart Sink Lake.

And as Heart Sink Lake remained eerily calm,

"Splash!"

Suddenly, a man leaped out from the lake's surface with great effort. Naked, he controlled his flying sword to levitate, his body bent as if carrying a heavy burden. Water dripped from his body, mixed with beads of sweat.

The ancestral tablet emerged from his storage ring and floated beside him. He forced a smile towards the tablet.

"Ancestor, I saw it! There's a treasure in the Lake of Sinking Hearts!"

"It's a turtle shell covered in runes. The Divine Tree was right; the oppressive weight in Heart Sink Lake is caused by that turtle shell."

"It has noticed me! It seems to be telling me that if I can carry it out of the lake, it will acknowledge me as its master!"

"..."

Looking at the excited young man in the image, Li Wei couldn't muster any excitement himself. Each use of "Ancestor's Embrace" costs 100 incense, and it could only heal serious injuries of a Qi Refinement cultivator.

He had already saved this grandson from the brink of death nearly fifty times.

It seemed Li Tianqi had inherited the Li family's most common trait: stubbornness. Once he set his mind on something, he wouldn't give up until he achieved it.

But it wasn't without its rewards.

[Your descendant, Li Tianqi, after nearly fifty near-death experiences, has gained the trait: Death's Apathy.]

[His chances of escaping death have greatly increased. Each near-death experience grants him a small amount of power, and the probability of obtaining new traits slightly increases.]

[Your descendant has repeatedly escaped death and broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement.]

[Gained trait: Walking with Death]

[He has gradually developed a fondness for the feeling of being on the verge of death. When courting death, his luck increases.]

"..."

Li Wei rubbed his temples.

Fortunately, this young man had accumulated various traits, so it seemed he wouldn't need to be rescued so frequently anymore.

Sure enough, two days later, Li Wei saw Li Tianqi, a young man of 1.7 meters tall, emerge from the lake carrying a 1.5-meter turtle shell on his back.

[Your descendant has obtained the spirit object - Heavenly Weight Turtle Shell]

[Synergizes with the turtle shell; he can release pressure several times greater than his physical strength and withstand attacks many times stronger than his body could normally endure.]

Li Wei was relieved. With this spirit object, this boy's chances of survival, even when courting death, had increased again.

...

During this year, the fourth generation of the Li family, the children who had always been protected by Li Tianyi, were like eaglets finally leaving the nest, gradually making their mark throughout the Azure Cloud region, adapting to loneliness and embracing growth.

The Primordial Blood Tree truly lived up to its reputation as a divine tree among the Li family.

However, the Li family's descendants did face numerous dangers in the places indicated by the omens. The skill Li Wei used most frequently was "Ancestor's Embrace."

The only one who never required Li Wei to use this skill, the one who gave him peace of mind, was...

[Azure Cloud Region - Liu Family]

Atop a high mountain, magnificent buildings stretched out, enveloped in a dense aura of spiritual energy.

Li Wei had a particularly vivid memory of this place. It was here that Li Tianming became the live-in son-in-law of the Liu family, killed his wife, and fled to the Thunderfire Demonic Cave to seek refuge with Li Yaoqing.

It seemed fate had intertwined the Liu family and the Li family once again.

At this moment, in a courtyard, a stunningly beautiful woman with an alluring charm reminiscent of a fox spirit was pouring tea, dressed in somewhat revealing attire.

Beside her stood a very honest and simple young man.

[Your descendant, Li Tianyue, entered the Liu family as a servant girl under an assumed identity. She was puzzled by the divine tree's prophecy that she would kill her husband. One day, an elder of the Liu family's main lineage noticed Li Tianyue's beauty and decided to betroth her to his son, Liu Yifeng.]

[She discovered her father-in-law's malicious intentions and hired experts from Dawn to kill him. Afterward, she married Liu Yifeng. Amidst the schemes and struggles within the prominent family and the various troubles caused by her beauty, she gained the trait: Femme Fatale.]

[Her beauty is her most dangerous weapon. She can always use her beauty and growing wisdom to kill her enemies through means other than brute force. Increased chance of romantic encounters.]

"Yue'er, I... I want to..."

Facing his wife, Liu Yifeng's face flushed red. He hesitated, not daring to speak his mind.

But just from Liu Yifeng's eyes, filled with desire, Li Tianyue understood what her husband wanted. She covered her mouth and giggled, her voice soft. "Didn't we agree that once you become the head of the family, I would give you whatever you desire?"

"Yue'er, how... how can I become the head of the family? My father is gone. I... I'm simply not qualified."

Li Tianyue's expression turned serious. "I want my husband to be the most capable and respected man in the entire city. They all say you're not worthy, but I can see that my husband has the potential."

"I will help you!"

As she spoke, a hundred-mile pigeon arrived from afar. Li Tianyue accepted it under her husband's gaze. Judging by Liu Yifeng's indifferent attitude, he must have witnessed such scenes many times.

Looking at the messy, almost nonsensical words in the letter, Li Tianyue's red lips parted slightly.

[Begin the operation. Take your husband and the Liu family's retainers to kill the descendants of Xiao Huang'er's branch family.]

[Location: Skyhaven region, Azurewind Town, Xiao family.]

"I want to go to Azurewind Town in Skyhaven region. I hear the scenery there is beautiful."

Li Tianyue didn't even look at her husband, instead stroking the ancestral tablet in her inner robe.

Having received her husband's affirmation, she gazed into the distance.

"Liu Yifeng, what color do you think this year's snow will be?"

Liu Yifeng was taken aback. "Isn't snow always white?"

Li Tianyue shook her head. She had seen red snow, and she never wanted to see it again. But she wanted to go to Azurewind Town and witness the blood-soaked earth. It would surely be even more beautiful than the red snow, especially if she could hear Xiao Huang'er's enraged wails from the Azure Cloud Pavilion in the distance.

.....

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