Chapter 70 The Gathering of the Zan Bloodline

After chatting with Xueyun and Jin Feixue for several hours, the sun had already begun to descend toward the horizon.

Just as Zan Yunxiao was about to return to his cultivation chamber, Xueyun suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

"Husband."

"You'll have to stay here for a little longer."

Zan Yunxiao looked at her in confusion.

"Why?"

Jin Feixue smiled mysteriously.

"We're going down the mountain first."

"We want to announce that you've emerged from seclusion."

Zan Yunxiao shook his head with a helpless smile.

"There's no need for such a thing."

"I've only finished cultivating."

However, the two women refused to listen.

"No."

"This time, you have to."

Xueyun crossed her arms with a playful smile.

"We've been waiting a hundred years for you to come out."

"We want to give everyone a surprise."

Zan Yunxiao raised an eyebrow.

"A surprise?"

His gaze shifted between the two women.

"Who exactly are you trying to surprise?"

Both Xueyun and Jin Feixue exchanged knowing smiles.

"That's a secret."

Zan Yunxiao looked even more puzzled.

He wanted to ask another question, but Xueyun suddenly stepped closer and pointed a finger at him.

"Listen carefully."

"Don't come down for thirty minutes."

"And..."

She puffed out her cheeks slightly, pretending to look angry.

"Don't use your divine sense to peek."

"If you do..."

"I'll be angry."

Seeing her adorable expression, Zan Yunxiao couldn't help but laugh.

"Very well."

"I won't peek."

"Is that satisfactory?"

Only then did Xueyun smile brightly.

"It is."

Jin Feixue nodded with satisfaction as well.

"Then we'll see you in thirty minutes."

The two women waved at him before turning around and descending the stone path leading down Cloud Ascension Peak.

Soon, their figures disappeared into the drifting clouds.

Left alone atop the mountain, Zan Yunxiao stood with his hands behind his back.

He looked toward the Zan Clan below, curiosity slowly growing in his heart.

"Just what are those two planning?"

Although he could easily uncover the answer with a single sweep of his divine sense...

He kept his promise.

Instead, he quietly waited atop Cloud Ascension Peak, patiently counting down the thirty minutes while wondering what kind of surprise awaited him below.

Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

As promised, footsteps echoed from the stone path leading up the mountain.

Xueyun and Jin Feixue soon returned to the summit.

Seeing Zan Yunxiao still waiting where they had left him, both women smiled in satisfaction.

"You kept your promise."

Xueyun nodded approvingly.

"I said I would."

Zan Yunxiao smiled helplessly.

"So..."

"Can you tell me what's going on now?"

Jin Feixue merely chuckled.

"You'll find out soon."

She exchanged a glance with Xueyun, who immediately understood.

The next moment, Xueyun gently released her spiritual energy.

Wisps of white mist gathered around the summit of Cloud Ascension Peak.

Within moments, dense spiritual fog enveloped the mountain, making the surroundings appear ethereal, as though the peak itself had become an immortal realm hidden among the clouds.

Zan Yunxiao looked around in confusion.

He was just about to ask,

"What is this fo—"

Before he could finish, Xueyun interrupted him with a bright smile.

"Husband."

"We're going to the clan plaza."

"Just come with us."

Zan Yunxiao looked at the two women before letting out a helpless chuckle.

"You two certainly know how to keep a secret."

Neither Xueyun nor Jin Feixue answered.

Instead, they simply smiled mysteriously.

Seeing that they had no intention of revealing anything, Zan Yunxiao shook his head.

"Very well."

"I'll play along."

The three of them rose into the air simultaneously.

Spiritual energy surged beneath their feet as they slowly descended from Cloud Ascension Peak, flying gracefully through the sea of clouds.

The dense spiritual mist concealed most of their figures, revealing only faint silhouettes drifting downward.

From the perspective of those below, it looked as if three immortals were descending from the heavens, emerging from the clouds above the sacred mountain.

. . .

Meanwhile, the central plaza of the Zan Clan was unusually lively.

Hundreds of clan members had gathered there.

Children ran around curiously, adults chatted among themselves, while many elderly members sat quietly, wondering why everyone had suddenly been summoned.

The entire plaza buzzed with discussion.

Just then, a sweet, youthful voice broke through the noise.

"Brother Haoyu..."

"What's going on?"

The speaker was a beautiful teenage girl with bright, curious eyes.

She looked around the crowded plaza before turning toward the young man standing beside her.

Haoyu scratched his head helplessly.

"I don't know either, Yuhan."

"We were simply told to gather here."

Before Yuhan could respond, another teenage boy standing nearby folded his arms and smirked.

"You country bumpkin."

"You don't even know what's happening?"

Haoyu raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"So you know what's going on?"

The boy's grin widened.

"No idea."

"I just wanted to call you a country bumpkin."

"Hahaha!"

He burst into laughter, clearly amused by his own joke.

For a moment...

The plaza became strangely quiet around them.

Haoyu and Yuhan simply stared at him with blank expressions.

The two siblings exchanged a glance.

At the same time, the exact same thought crossed their minds.

"I didn't expect this fool would be our distant relative."

Neither of them bothered replying.

Watching the boy laugh alone was already embarrassing enough.

As the discussions continued, several figures walked toward the front of the plaza.

Leading them was an elderly man with an imposing yet approachable presence.

It was Zan Wei.

Beside him were the clan's elders, including Shenyuu, Elder Dan, and several core members of the Zan Clan.

The moment the gathered clansmen saw them, the bustling plaza instantly fell silent.

Everyone respectfully cupped their fists and bowed.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

Their voices echoed throughout the plaza.

Although Zan Wei only held the title of Acting Patriarch, no one addressed him as such.

To the members of the Zan Clan, he had faithfully led the clan for more than a century during Zan Yunxiao's seclusion. His contributions and leadership had long earned everyone's respect, so calling him "Patriarch" came naturally.

Zan Wei merely nodded with a gentle smile before raising his hand.

"You may all rise."

"Thank you, Patriarch."

The crowd straightened in unison.

Standing quietly behind Zan Wei was Zan Tianming.

As the eldest son of Zan Yunxiao, many outsiders would have assumed he should have become the Acting Patriarch instead.

However, Zan Tianming had never objected to Zan Wei taking the position.

In fact...

He was more than happy to let his younger brother handle the clan's affairs.

Throughout his younger years, he had already experienced enough political struggles, negotiations, and endless schemes among kingdoms and noble families.

Just recalling those exhausting days was enough to give him a headache.

Compared to dealing with endless documents and complicated politics...

He much preferred spending his days cultivating peacefully atop Cloud Ascension Peak.

To him, cultivation was far less troublesome than governing a flourishing clan.

Because of that, he wholeheartedly supported Zan Wei's leadership, leaving the management of the Zan Clan in capable hands while he focused entirely on pursuing the immortal path.

Zan Wei stepped forward and swept his gaze across the crowded plaza.

A faint smile appeared on his aged face.

"Tell me..."

"Do you know why all of you have been gathered here today?"

The crowd looked at one another.

Some shook their heads, while others whispered among themselves.

Before anyone else could answer, a handsome young man stepped forward confidently.

He carried himself with the air of someone eager to stand out.

Cupping his fists, he answered loudly,

"Patriarch, it's because everyone gathered here is a descendant of the Zan Clan and you have a news for us."

After saying that, he slightly raised his chin, a confident smirk appearing on his face as though he had given the perfect answer.

Zan Wei nodded approvingly.

"Correct."

"Every one of you standing here carries the bloodline of the Zan Clan."

He paused for a moment before his smile deepened.

"And today..."

"I have gathered all of you for one reason."

"You will meet the Founder of the Zan Clan."

The plaza instantly erupted into whispers.

"The Founder?"

"I've heard about him since I was a child."

"I wonder what he looks like."

"Do you think he's an old man with a long white beard?"

"What if he's bald?"

Another descendant chuckled.

"Maybe he looks ancient. After all, hasn't he lived for centuries?"

Just then, a skeptical voice came from the crowd.

"Isn't the Founder already dead?"

"It's impossible for someone to live for so long."

The moment those words were spoken...

The handsome young man who had answered earlier immediately glared at the speaker.

"You'd better watch your words."

"This is the Founder of our clan you're talking about."

"If I were you, I'd kneel and kowtow immediately."

"Otherwise..."

"You'll bear the consequences yourself."

The young man who had spoken dismissively snorted.

"As if I'd—"

Before he could finish...

A terrifying pressure suddenly descended from above.

Boom!

The young man was instantly forced to the ground.

His knees shattered the stone floor beneath him as his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He couldn't even lift his head.

Cold sweat poured down his face.

At the same time, an icy voice echoed throughout the plaza.

"Would you repeat..."

"...what you just said, child?"

Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the voice.

At the front of the plaza stood Shenyuu.

Her usually gentle expression had completely vanished, replaced by an icy calm that sent chills down everyone's spine.

The immense pressure filling the plaza was emanating from her alone.

The descendants immediately lowered their heads, not daring to utter a single word.

Meanwhile, the handsome young man folded his arms and looked at the kneeling descendant with a mocking smile.

"You deserved that."

He clicked his tongue.

"You forgot one thing."

"This is an immortal clan."

"If even our ancestors are cultivators..."

"How could the Founder possibly die so easily?"