Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1687: Chapter 1031: The Beginning of Upheaval (Part 2)

Huagai’s heart trembled, and his tense emotions instantaneously relaxed, as if his very heart was about to float away, staring unblinkingly at the Qingyuan Fox Venerable.

That face, creamy and jade-like, bore an infinite allure that made him impossible to extricate himself from.

At that very moment, the entire Fox Clan’s dwelling became tense, as one charming fox demon after another burst from their caves, casting sultry gazes as soft as silk towards the nervous cultivators of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.

Yet, within their enchanting eyes, there was a biting coldness.

The Qingyuan Fox Clan was famous throughout the world for their Bewitching Technique, with every Fox Clan woman possessing bewitching bones and naturally seductive aura, best skilled at seducing a cultivator’s Divine Soul.

Of course, the Qingyuan Fox Clan also had men, but the men of the Qingyuan Fox Clan did not know the Bewitching Technique and cultivated less swiftly than the women, thus the Qingyuan Fox Clan was a matriarchal society.

Do not assume that because they are beautiful, they are weak women.

They are of the Demon Clan, inherently wild at heart. While they are not the cruel and bloodthirsty type of demons, they are nonetheless wild and untamable.

"Have you completed your search?"

A fox demon clad in gauzy garments, with glowing white hair and slightly pointed, furry ears stepped forward, staring at the white-haired old man opposite her.

Su Jiangxue was the youngest Demon King of the Qingyuan Fox Clan, having become a Demon King before reaching five hundred years old.

The Qingyuan Fox Clan primarily consists of Red Foxes, but also includes other fox types, such as White Foxes, Green Foxes, Three-tailed Spirit Foxes, and Golden-eared Silver Foxes; thus, the Qingyuan Fox Clan is not a singular fox clan but a noble conglomeration of various fox clans.

Su Jiangxue was a White Fox, her skin fairer than snow, and her smooth long hair was also as frosty white without a touch of color.

The white-haired old man opposite her was True Monarch Dingchen of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and standing beside him was a tall, thin, middle-aged man, True Monarch Jiechen of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.

Around them were more than twenty cultivators from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, all casting furtive glances at the surrounding fox girls.

This was surely a den of enchantresses!

And a den of fox enchantresses at that.

True Monarch Dingchen and True Monarch Jiechen could resist the charm of the fox enchantresses, but the Foundation Establishment cultivators struggled, easily ensnared by the allure of a fox enchantress.

Moments ago, one Foundation Establishment cultivator lost his composure, becoming infatuated and rushing to embrace a fox girl.

True Monarch Dingchen felt utterly ashamed at this moment.

Cultivators of the dignified Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, yet they failed to withstand the charm of fox girls, it was utterly disgraceful.

The key was, that they hadn’t even used the Bewitching Technique, just idly standing by, causing their cultivators to fail to maintain their stance.

"Alas, we were discourteous, may Fairy Jiang Xue forgive us!" True Monarch Dingchen cupped his hands in apology and said.

"I asked if you have completed the search?" Su Jiangxue asked again with icy demeanor and voice as cold as frost.

A search!

It was the first time in millennia that the Qingyuan Cave Heaven had been searched.

If it weren’t for the imposing power of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, how could the Qingyuan Fox Clan endure such humiliation?

True Monarch Dingchen was silent for a moment, "We have completed the search!"

"Then get lost!"

Dingchen glanced at the person who lost his composure earlier, flicked his sleeves, and flew towards the Fox Venerable’s cave.

Moments later, they reunited with Huagai, a group of them were escorted out of the Qingyuan Cave Heaven by the fox girls.

"Master, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is excessively bullying!"

Su Jiangxue approached behind the Qingyuan Fox Venerable and said softly.

The Qingyuan Fox Venerable, at this moment, instead regained calm, with not a trace of anger on her face.

"The Longevity True Monarch is not an ordinary person; what he cultivates is the Dao of Heavenly Destiny, blessed by destiny, and of immense fortune. Yet he has gone missing, so it’s understandable for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be concerned."

"But they can’t behave like this!" Su Jiangxue, of a less than good temper, was still indignant in her heart.

The Qingyuan Fox Venerable gazed into the direction of the Holy Tree with deep eyes, "Blessed by destiny, and of immense fortune, yet such a Golden Core cultivator has gone missing. Haha, what do you think is hidden behind this matter?"

Su Jiangxue was taken aback and quickly fell into deep thought.

Blessed by destiny, and of immense fortune, theoretically, such a person is often able to turn misfortune into fortune, and their path is smooth.

"Either encountered a calamity or purposely done so!"

"If it is a calamity, that person’s cultivation must have reached a terrifying level."

"If it is purposely done, then the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must have an ulterior motive!"

The Qingyuan Fox Venerable slightly nodded, "Indeed, no matter which possibility, great danger is hidden behind."

At the mention, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

"Great danger? What does the Master mean?" Su Jiangxue was somewhat puzzled about the great danger the Qingyuan Fox Venerable referred to.

"Thirty years constitute an era, twelve eras constitute a cycle, thirty cycles constitute a great epoch, and a great epoch is ten thousand and eight hundred years. The fall of the Sun True Sect has been for ten millennia!" the Qingyuan Fox Venerable said.

Hearing this, Su Jiangxue initially failed to comprehend, but soon a shiver ran through her body.

"Master, is it the struggle for power you mean?"

The Qingyuan Fox Venerable slightly shook her head, "I do not know; maybe, maybe not!"

Millennia of years have indeed been too long.

Even for Golden Core cultivators and Demon Kings with lifespans of thousands of years, it is hard to accurately understand what happened ten millennia ago.

The Qingyuan Fox Venerable looked over the prairie, a sea of blue, her amber eyes descending into loss of focus.

...

After Huagai and his group left the Qingyuan Cave Heaven, they headed for the Heaven-Burning Palace of the Chi Huang Clan.

The Heaven-Burning Palace was located within Separation Fire Mountain in the southern Wanhua Mountain Range, where the Separation Fire Mountain range extended for hundreds of miles, peaks like red-hot beast spines, amid scorched earth and rocks split with thousands of fire cracks.

The magma roared through the valley like golden rivers, the splashing fire beads clinging to the black stones, shaping into clusters of flame flowers. The wind blew, sweeping the embers across the towering volcanic cones, making the dark red rock walls glow.

From afar, the entire mountain range seemed to float within a sea of fire mist, and up close, you could hear the rumbling of subterranean lava. The hot air steamed, creating a pale red mist that even tinged the daylight with molten gold.

At the highest peak, the Heaven-Burning Palace sat like a burning jade crown embedded within the volcanic mouth. The obsidian walls reflected the flickering firelight, red copper columns entwined with dragon motifs formed of living fire, and the hanging Glaze wind chimes were in fact crystal cores that sealed the Ancient Divine Beast flame, ringing without wind, making the fire waves across the hundred-mile volcano rise and fall with them.

The golden tiles covering the palace roof flowed like molten gold under the blazing sun yet remained cool year-round, rumored to be tempered by the Spiritual Fire from the tail feathers of the first generation Chi Huang, endorsing both the solar and terrestrial fires.

The Heaven-Burning Palace was the territory of the Chi Huang Clan but not the core territory of the Chi Huang Clan.

The core territory of the Chi Huang Clan was Hearthfire Grotto Heaven; this Heaven-Burning Palace merely served as an external territory for the Chi Huang Clan, primarily home to Fire Attribute demon birds for cultivation.

Like the Qingyuan Fox Clan, the Chi Huang Clan was not a singular tribe but rather consisted of all demon birds with the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Beast Chi Huang.

Of course, only those demon birds with relatively pure Chi Huang bloodline were acknowledged as part of the Chi Huang Clan; others with Fire Attribute were merely vassals.

Huagai and his group were intercepted shortly after arriving at Separation Fire Mountain.

"The Chi Huang Holy Land does not permit outsiders!"

A woman in red blocked Huagai and the others, her voice sharp.

Her hair adorned with three gold feathers, a flame mark on her forehead, and when she raised her hand, her fingertips sparkled with crimson sparks.

Upon seeing her, Huagai spoke loudly, "It is Array Master Li Yan, the old man is here by order of the Heavenly Mechanism Master to investigate the disappearance of the True Monarch of Heavenly Destiny. Please extend your permission, Chi Huang Clan!"

Li Yan gazed at Huagai with glowing red eyes, "The Master has said, if you wish to investigate my Chi Huang Clan, request the Heavenly Mechanism Master come in person, you do not have the qualifications to enter my Hearthfire Grotto Heaven!"

Compared to the Qingyuan Fox Clan, the Chi Huang Clan was more forceful.

The reason was simple: the ancestors of the Chi Huang Clan were formidable.

The Chi Huang Clan, alternatively called the Chi Huang Phoenix Clan, revered not the Ancient Divine Beast Chi Huang but the Ancient Divine Phoenix Clan.

The Chi Huang Clan always proclaimed themselves as descendants of the Phoenix.

As to whether they were truly descendants of the Phoenix, they surely possessed a trace of bloodline inheritance.

Hence, the Chi Huang Clan possessed some legitimate pride.

Moreover, the Chi Huang Clan was powerful, with the strength of the Chi Huang Phoenix Venerable surpassing that of the Qingyuan Fox Venerable.