Before long, Ye Xuan and Nanman’er arrived at an ancient city. The giant halted outside the city. It was undeniably massive, making even the city appear minuscule in comparison.
Nanman’er led Ye Xuan to the city gate, and they walked inside.
At the gate, two stone giant guards stood watch. Seeing Nanman’er, they quickly gave a slight bow.
Inside the city, Ye Xuan noticed it was eerily quiet, with barely anyone on the streets.
He turned to Nanman’er. “Why are there so few people?”
Nanman’er smiled. “They’ve gone hunting in the Barren Ancient Mountains! There are Barren Ancient Beasts there!”
Barren Ancient Beasts!
She added, “The Barren Ancient Beasts also rebelled against the Great Dao Pen’s master and were sealed here.”
Ye Xuan asked, “Do you hate the Great Dao Pen’s master?”
Nanman’er blinked. “No!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled. “Why not?”
She smiled. “He could have wiped us out, but he didn’t!”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly, about to speak, when Nanman’er continued, “Why hate? Even if I did, I couldn’t beat him. So, I don’t hate him. Though we’re trapped here, compared to others, I think I’m doing well! At least I’m alive!”
Ye Xuan glanced at her, shocked.
This girl’s mindset was almost invincible!
Nanman’er went on, “But my grandpa can’t let it go! His whole life, he’s wanted to lead our clan out and restore our past glory!”
She sighed softly. “Our ancestors were so strong, yet they couldn’t defeat the Great Dao Pen’s master. How could we possibly win now?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then asked, “If you were the clan leader, what would you do?”
Nanman’er glanced around warily, then whispered, “If I were the leader, I’d keep a low profile, apologise to the Great Dao Pen’s master, and develop quietly while admitting fault! Because no matter how we grow, we absolutely can’t beat him! Holding onto vengeance in this situation could bring annihilation to our clan. Failure isn’t scary, but failing to adjust your mindset after failure is. My grandpa thinks our clan will definitely overthrow the Great Dao Pen’s master in the future…”
She shook her head with a sigh. “We can’t forget the previous generation’s grudges! Forgetting would disrespect our ancestors! But personally, I think until someone in our clan can surpass the Great Dao Pen’s master, we should stay low and realistic. Otherwise, this hatred will only bring disaster to our clan!”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “You’re absolutely right!”
Nanman’er smiled. “But hatred can make people lose reason! For example, my grandpa wants to use you. I think that’s a mistake!”
Ye Xuan glanced at her, smiling. “Why?”
Nanman’er said, “First, you don’t seem like a fool. You won’t be used by my grandpa. Plus, his scheming will make you dislike him and our clan. Once you resent us, we can’t be friends and might even become enemies! Most importantly, my grandpa never took you seriously from the start. He looks down on you because he’s in the Earth Knowledge Realm, while you’re in the Order Realm. He feels superior, which will definitely leave a bad impression. With that superiority, you two can’t possibly reach an agreement!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Nanman’er continued, “So, when you meet my grandpa, you’ll definitely clash!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I came here to find Miss Qin Guan!”
Nanman’er said, “That girl isn’t with our clan!”
Ye Xuan froze.
Nanman’er looked at him. “She went to the Barren Ancient Mountains!”
Ye Xuan stopped walking.
Nanman’er continued, “But to reach the Barren Ancient Mountains, you need our clan’s help. The only way there is through our ancestral shrine.”
She grinned. “That’s my grandpa’s bargaining chip for negotiating with you! He’ll scare you, saying the girl’s in danger and if you don’t hurry, she might die, then ask you to agree to his terms—to help our clan break the seal here!”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “How does he know I can break the seal?”
Nanman’er replied, “Because you got in here. Normally, no one can reach this place. You and that girl got in, proving you can get out! He talked to her, but failed, because she snuck in. You, however, came openly. You can take us out! Simply put, if we sneak out, it’s dangerous because the Heavenly Dao won’t tolerate us. The only way out is to leave openly!”
She looked at Ye Xuan. “You can take us out openly, right?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Probably!”
Nanman’er smiled. “My grandpa’s goal is to have you take us out openly! He has two options: negotiate with you, using the girl to threaten you, or use force to intimidate you!”
Ye Xuan looked at her, intrigued. “If he does that, what should I do?”
Nanman’er thought, then said, “It’s not about what you should do, but what happens if he does! Our clan will become your enemy! Then, we might face annihilation without the Great Dao Pen’s master even acting!”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Why do you think I’d threaten your clan? I’m only in the Order Realm!”
Nanman’er smiled. “Because you’re in the Order Realm, you’re terrifying! You cultivate External Order, yet you bypassed the Great Dao Pen’s master’s seal. What does that mean? It means you don’t fear him! Back then, our clan nearly perished because our ancestors tried cultivating External Order, bringing disaster. You’re External Order, yet you’re alive and well. That says a lot!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Nanman’er continued, “My grandpa’s been in power too long and rarely deals with the outside. He has a superior mindset, thinking negotiating with someone of a lower realm is doing them a favour. Since no one in the clan dares defy him, your meeting with him won’t end well!”
She suddenly stopped walking.
Ye Xuan looked ahead. Not far off was a grand hall with two large characters above: Ancestral Shrine!
Nanman’er smiled. “So, I won’t take you to see him! Enter the shrine. There’s a teleportation array inside that goes straight to the Barren Ancient Mountains.”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Will you be punished?”
Nanman’er blinked. “No!”
Ye Xuan frowned.
She smiled. “Really, I won’t! I’m the most talented in the Nanman Clan. I’ll be the leader someday, so even if Grandpa’s angry, he can’t do anything to me!”
Ye Xuan remained silent.
Nanman’er continued, “The strongest in the Barren Ancient Mountains is the Barren Ancient Demon King, who’s reached Half-Step Heaven Knowledge Realm! Be careful if you meet it! The girl you’re looking for went there to seek the legacy of the Barren Ancient Demon God. The demon clan won’t let her have it, so she might be in danger!”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “I understand!”
He walked toward the shrine.
Nanman’er suddenly called, “If you can’t win, retreat here. With our clan here, the demon clan won’t dare enter!”
Ye Xuan turned, smiling. “Thanks!”
He paused, then added, “My promise earlier still stands! Once I find my friend, I’ll come for you.”
He entered the shrine.
Nanman’er smiled faintly, saying nothing.
Soon, the array in the shrine activated, and Ye Xuan vanished.
The moment he disappeared, an old man appeared beside Nanman’er.
He glanced at the shrine, then at her. “You don’t trust Grandpa that much?”
Nanman’er said softly, “I’d follow you in other matters, but not this! If we handle this your way, it’ll bring disaster to our clan!”
The old man stared at her. “Disaster? You think I’d bring disaster to the Nanman Clan?”
Nanman’er nodded. “Yes!”
The old man sneered. “Girl, don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”
Nanman’er looked at the shrine. “Grandpa, our clan has only just recovered. One misstep could bring annihilation!”
The old man said coldly, “You know he got in here openly. He must have some extraordinary ability…”
Nanman’er turned to him. “It’s not an ability. He came openly and practices External Order. Such a person is either supremely powerful or has a supremely powerful family. Either way, our clan can’t afford to provoke him!”
The old man wanted to speak, but Nanman’er turned to him. “Grandpa, you should retire!”
The old man froze, then exploded in anger. “Girl, you…”
Nanman’er raised her right hand, pressing down.
Boom!
An invisible pressure enveloped the old man, so intense he could barely breathe!
He stared at her in shock. “Heaven Knowledge Realm… You’ve reached the Heaven Knowledge Realm!”
Nanman’er nodded slightly, retracting her hand. The old man felt a weight lift, his body relaxing.
She said calmly, “Grandpa, I wanted to talk as your granddaughter, but it’s clear that won’t work! So, I’ll speak with strength!”
She glanced at him. “From now on, I’m your grandpa—oh, I mean, I’m taking over the Nanman Clan!”
The old man: “…”
Nanman’er added, “All Knowing Realm warriors of our clan, come to the shrine!”
Her voice thundered through the clan. Soon, over a dozen powerful auras surged from the city, rushing toward the shrine.
The old man looked at her. “What are you planning?”
Nanman’er gazed at the shrine, saying softly, “Waiting. Waiting for him to clash with the Barren Ancient Demon Clan!”
The old man asked, “And then?”
She said calmly, “We’ll send out all our clan’s warriors to fully support Young Master Ye.”
The old man stared, puzzled.
Nanman’er sighed softly, explaining, “Grandpa, we can’t beat the Great Dao Pen’s master. Even if I surpass our ancestors, we can’t win. We must borrow strength! Young Master Ye is soft-hearted, not hard-headed. That’s his weakness. If we’re kind to him, we’ll reap kindness. If he’s in trouble, our clan helps. With his character, he’ll aid our clan in the future. Just a little help, and our clan can break free!”
She shook her head with a sigh. “Our ancestors were too stubborn! In this world, you must understand: if you can’t win, join! Follow the strong! They were defiant, sure! But damn it, we descendants bear the suffering! Who screws over their kin like that?”
