Chapter 71 The Founder Descends

Just as the suffocating pressure continued to weigh upon the plaza, Zan Wei calmly spoke.

"Enough, Shenyuu."

His voice was neither loud nor harsh, yet it carried unquestionable authority.

Hearing the order, Shenyuu immediately cupped her fists.

"Yes, Acting Patriarch."

The immense pressure instantly disappeared.

The young man collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as though he had just escaped death itself. His robes were soaked with cold sweat, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Only after experiencing that terrifying pressure did he truly realize how insignificant he was before an immortal cultivator.

He no longer dared to utter another word.

Zan Wei looked at him calmly.

"Remember this."

"The Founder is the ancestor of every member of the Zan Clan."

"You may question many things..."

"But never disrespect your own ancestors."

The young man immediately knelt properly and repeatedly kowtowed.

"This junior understands!"

"I was wrong!"

"I ask the Patriarch and Ancestor Shenyuu for forgiveness!"

Zan Wei gave a slight nod.

"Since you've admitted your mistake, this matter ends here."

Just as he spoke again, Zan Wei suddenly lifted his head toward the Cloud Ascension Peak.

A familiar aura entered the range of his spiritual sense.

Then another.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"They're here..."

He stepped forward and looked at the hundreds of descendants gathered in the plaza.

His voice echoed throughout the entire square.

"Everyone."

"The Founder has arrived."

Upon hearing those words, the crowd instinctively looked toward Cloud Ascension Peak.

Although they couldn't see anything yet, excitement immediately filled their hearts.

Zan Wei raised his hand.

"Stand properly."

"Straighten your robes."

"Fix your manners."

"Do not disgrace the Zan Clan before our Founder."

The descendants hurriedly adjusted their clothes and stood in orderly rows.

The children stopped whispering.

The adults straightened their backs.

Even the elderly members stood with solemn expressions.

The entire plaza, which had been noisy only moments ago, became completely silent.

All eyes were fixed upon the sky above Cloud Ascension Peak.

Waiting...

For the legendary Founder of the Zan Clan to make his appearance.

Meanwhile, among the neatly assembled descendants, Yuhan quietly tugged on her brother Haoyu's sleeve.

She lowered her voice into a whisper, though her excitement was impossible to hide.

"Brother Haoyu... what do you think the Founder looks like?"

Haoyu glanced toward Cloud Ascension Peak before shrugging helplessly.

"I don't know."

"Maybe he's an old man with a long white beard."

Yuhan tilted her head thoughtfully.

"What if he's bald?"

Haoyu chuckled.

"That's... possible."

"What if he's really muscular?"

Yuhan continued asking one question after another, her imagination running wild.

"What if he's ten feet tall?"

"What if he has a beard reaching the ground?"

"What if he looks really scary?"

Haoyu could only smile helplessly as he listened to his younger sister's endless guesses.

Just then, the handsome young man, who had been mocking the other man for insulting the Founder, stepped forward from where he stood beside them and frowned slightly before speaking in a low voice.

"Hey."

"You should keep your sister under control."

"If Ancestor Shenyuu hears her talking this loudly, it won't end well."

Yuhan immediately puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Hey!"

"My voice is pretty, mister."

The handsome young man's expression twitched.

The word mister clearly struck a nerve.

He straightened his robes and coughed awkwardly before introducing himself.

"My name is Junhao."

"I am not some random mister."

"There isn't that much of an age difference between us."

Yuhan blinked innocently.

"Oh..."

"Nice to meet you, Brother Junhao."

Only then did Junhao's expression soften.

Feeling somewhat satisfied, he folded his arms before saying,

"I've already told you my name."

"It would be rather rude if you didn't introduce yourselves as well."

Haoyu immediately cupped his fists politely.

"My name is Haoyu."

Yuhan followed with a bright smile.

"And I'm Yuhan."

Junhao nodded after hearing their introductions.

"So you're Haoyu and Yuhan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Seeing Junhao's satisfied smile, Yuhan couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion.

She looked at him for a moment before whispering to her brother, though her voice was still loud enough for Junhao to hear.

"Brother Haoyu..."

"Don't you think Brother Junhao is a little... weird?"

Haoyu blinked.

"Weird?"

Yuhan nodded seriously.

"Yeah."

"A while ago, he looked like he wanted everyone's attention."

"First, he answered the Patriarch's question before anyone else."

"Then he mocked that guy who insulted the Founder after Ancestor Shenyuu forced him to the ground."

She rested a finger on her chin as if trying to solve a difficult mystery.

"It feels like he likes showing off."

Junhao, who heard every single word, nearly stumbled.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"That's not—"

He instinctively wanted to explain himself.

However, the words stopped at his lips.

In reality, his motives were far less noble than they appeared. He had answered first simply because he wanted everyone attention. And after watching that fool get pinned to the ground, he couldn't resist mocking him, believing it made him look much cooler in the eyes of the crowd.

After thinking it over for a moment, Junhao suddenly realized...

Yuhan wasn't entirely wrong.

He awkwardly coughed twice before deciding not to explain anything.

Instead, he simply looked away and pretended not to hear her.

Seeing his silence, Yuhan blinked innocently.

"Brother Haoyu..."

"Why isn't he talking anymore?"

Haoyu glanced at Junhao before letting out a helpless smile.

"I think..."

"He doesn't know how to answer that."

As the crowd quietly waited, Haoyu's gaze wandered across the countless descendants gathered in the plaza.

Only now did he truly realize...

Just how enormous the Zan Clan had become.

He still found it difficult to believe that he and his younger sister were descendants of such a family.

After all...

He had been born on the remote frontier of the Crimson Empire, far from the prosperity of the Zan Clan.

He had never known any relatives.

His parents had passed away from illness when he was still very young, leaving only him and Yuhan to rely on each other.

Life had been cruel.

To survive, the siblings often scavenged leftover food discarded behind inns. When they couldn't find any, Haoyu had no choice but to steal just enough food to keep the two of them alive.

Every day was a struggle.

Then disaster struck once again.

Yuhan fell seriously ill.

Watching his little sister's condition worsen day by day, Haoyu desperately carried her to every herbalist he could find.

He knelt.

He begged.

He even offered to work as a servant for the rest of his life.

But every answer was the same.

"No money."

"No medicine."

No one was willing to help two homeless children.

With no hope left, Haoyu carried Yuhan into a quiet alley.

Holding his unconscious sister in his arms, he silently waited for fate to take them.

Just then...

A young man dressed in the robes of the Zan Clan happened to pass by.

Seeing the two pitiful children, he stopped without hesitation.

Without asking for anything in return, the disciple used his spiritual energy and medicinal techniques to cure Yuhan's illness.

By the time Yuhan opened her eyes again...

Haoyu felt as though he had been given a second chance at life.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, he repeatedly thanked the young man.

As payment, he took out the only valuable thing his parents had left behind.

A worn bronze token.

It was their family's heirloom.

The disciple immediately shook his head.

"I didn't save her for a reward."

"It was simply the right thing to do."

However, Haoyu insisted.

"If you don't accept it..."

"I'll never be able to repay your kindness."

Unable to refuse the determined boy, the disciple reluctantly accepted the token.

Yet the moment he examined it...

His expression changed.

"This..."

"Where did you get this?"

Haoyu honestly explained that it had been passed down by his parents.

After carefully inspecting the token, the disciple discovered an ancient emblem engraved upon it.

It belonged...

To the Zan Clan.

From that day onward, Haoyu and Yuhan were brought back to the Zan Clan to verify their bloodline.

Only then did the siblings learn the truth.

The family they had unknowingly descended from...

Was not an ordinary clan.

It was an immortal clan.

Thinking back on those events, Haoyu unconsciously clenched his fists.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"If that senior hadn't stopped to save Yuhan..."

"Neither of us would be standing here today."

He truly felt that fate had finally smiled upon the two siblings.

Just then...

The sky above the plaza suddenly became shrouded in dense spiritual mist.

Clouds slowly descended from Cloud Ascension Peak, drifting toward the plaza like a heavenly curtain.

Every descendant instinctively raised their heads.

The lively discussions came to an abrupt stop.

The entire plaza fell into absolute silence.

Within the sea of clouds...

Three figures gradually emerged.

They did not walk.

Instead, they slowly descended through the air as though immortals had descended from the heavens.

At the center stood a young man dressed in a flowing black robe embroidered with subtle golden patterns. His long black hair swayed gently in the wind, while his calm, handsome face carried an indescribable dignity. His mere presence seemed to harmonize with heaven and earth, making everyone unconsciously lower their heads in reverence.

On either side of him were two breathtaking women.

Xueyun, graceful as a celestial fairy, held Zan Yunxiao's left arm with a gentle smile.

On his right, Jin Feixue elegantly held his other arm, her crimson robes fluttering amidst the drifting clouds.

The three of them slowly descended together, surrounded by mist and spiritual light.

For a brief moment...

It was as though immortals had descended from the heavenly realm.

The descendants stared blankly at the scene.

Many of the younger generation widened their eyes in disbelief.

"So... beautiful..."

"Are they really immortals?"

"I... I can't even look away..."

Even the handsome Junhao was momentarily stunned.

As for Haoyu and Yuhan, they stood frozen in place, completely captivated by the scene unfolding before them.

However.

A cold voice suddenly echoed across the silent plaza.

"What are all of you doing?"

It was Shenyuu.

Her sharp gaze swept across the crowd.

"Kneel before the Founder."

"Kneel before your true ancestor!"

Only then did everyone snap back to reality.

The descendants' expressions changed drastically.

"W-What?"

"That young man..."

"He's the Founder?"

"I thought he'd be an old man!"

"I... I guessed he had a long beard..."

Panic spread through the crowd.

Without another moment of hesitation, everyone hurriedly knelt.

Thud!

Hundreds of descendants bowed respectfully toward the descending figure.

"Greetings, Founder!"

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

Their voices merged into one, resounding throughout the entire Zan Clan.

Meanwhile, many descendants still couldn't hide the shock in their hearts.

None of them had expected...

The legendary Founder of the Zan Clan, who had lived for centuries...

To possess the appearance of a young man in his twenties, dressed in an elegant black robe, as though time itself had never touched him.