Chapter 74 Bloodline Verification

A few days passed after the meeting in the Patriarch's Hall.

The newly established clan law was quickly announced throughout the Zan Clan, and every descendant was informed of the severe punishment awaiting anyone who committed unforgivable crimes. No one objected, for after learning the full truth behind the disgraceful descendant's actions, everyone agreed that such people had no place within the clan.

At the same time, the clan thoroughly investigated the so-called "descendants" who had gathered in the plaza.

The results soon became clear.

Most of them were not impostors who had deliberately infiltrated the Zan Clan.

Instead...

They were victims.

The investigation revealed that the banished descendant had forged countless Zan Clan tokens during his years outside the clan. Wherever he went, he flaunted his identity as a descendant of an immortal clan, using those counterfeit tokens to gain trust, deceive others, and seduce countless women.

Many of those women genuinely believed they had become connected to the Zan Clan.

After giving birth, they carefully preserved those forged tokens as treasured family heirlooms, passing them down from one generation to the next.

Over the decades, their children and grandchildren sincerely believed they were descendants of the Zan Clan.

None of them knew...

The tokens they had inherited were nothing more than elaborate forgeries.

After learning the truth, the Zan Clan did not blame those innocent families. They had merely been deceived by the lies of a shameless man and had unknowingly lived under that false belief for generations.

Nevertheless, the incident exposed a serious flaw in the clan's security.

To ensure such deception could never happen again, the core members immediately strengthened the clan's identification system.

After several discussions, Elder Dan proposed a solution that everyone unanimously approved.

From that day onward, every Zan Clan token would require bloodline verification.

Whenever someone claimed to be a descendant of the Zan Clan, they would first drip a drop of blood onto the token.

If the token emitted a brilliant glow, it would recognize the person's bloodline and prove they were a genuine descendant.

If it remained dull and lifeless...

Then the claimant possessed no blood relation to the Zan Clan.

It was, in essence, a second layer of authentication.

With this new safeguard in place, even the most convincing forged token would become nothing more than an ordinary piece of metal, ensuring that no outsider could ever again falsely claim the Zan Clan's bloodline.

After completing the investigation, the Zan Clan finally sorted everyone according to their bloodline.

Out of the hundreds who had gathered in the plaza, only a little over fifty possessed a genuine blood connection to the Zan Clan. They were the true descendants, and together with their parents, they remained within the Zan Clan grounds without any changes to their status.

As for the remaining two hundred or so, none of them carried the Zan Clan's bloodline.

However, they were not treated as criminals.

Most of them had simply descended from families whose ancestors had unknowingly married into the lineage created by the forged tokens. For generations, they had sincerely believed they belonged to the Zan Clan and had never questioned their origins.

After careful discussion, the core members unanimously agreed that expelling them outright would only damage the Zan Clan's reputation. If word spread that hundreds of families had suddenly been disowned overnight, outsiders would inevitably mock the clan and question its management.

To preserve both justice and the clan's prestige, a compromise was reached.

The two hundred or so families were relocated from the Zan Clan grounds to Solhaven City, where they would live under the jurisdiction of the City Lord, Zan Yin.

From that day onward, they were recognized as the Branch Family of the Zan Clan.

Although they no longer possessed the status of direct descendants, they were still permitted to bear the Zan surname and receive the clan's protection.

Their status, however, existed only in name.

If future generations wished to become a true branch of the Zan Clan, they would have to earn that recognition through merit. Whether by rendering great service to the clan, producing outstanding talents, or marrying into the genuine bloodline with the clan's approval, only then could they gradually be accepted as an official branch family.

Inside the Zan Clan's training grounds, Junhao, Haoyu, and Yuhan stood quietly at the edge of the arena, watching the disciples train.

One disciple after another exchanged techniques across the spacious field. Brilliant flashes of spiritual energy erupted continuously as Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators sparred with one another, while several Golden Core Realm experts stood nearby, casually demonstrating techniques that shook the surrounding air.

The three teenagers stared with wide eyes.

Their faces were filled with awe...

And envy.

"So cool..."

Junhao muttered unconsciously, his eyes sparkling as he watched a Golden Core cultivator split a massive boulder with a single slash of his sword.

He let out a long sigh.

"I'm so jealous..."

"When will it be our turn to cultivate?"

Beside him, Haoyu clenched his fists tightly, his gaze never leaving the training field.

"I want to become that strong too."

Yuhan nodded repeatedly, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.

"Me too!"

"I want to fly through the sky and use immortal techniques!"

Just then, a burly man walked onto the training grounds.

His physique was broad and sturdy, and his sun-bronzed skin bore countless scars that silently spoke of countless battles. A large sword rested across his back, and although he wore ordinary training robes, the oppressive aura surrounding him made the nearby disciples instinctively straighten their backs.

Haoyu's eyes lit up.

"Who is that?"

"He looks incredibly strong."

Junhao followed Haoyu's gaze before smiling.

"That's Sun Lei."

"Sun Lei..."

Yuhan and Haoyu quietly repeated the name, committing it to memory.

Junhao crossed his arms and continued explaining.

"He's considered a hero of the Zan Clan."

"During the Great War against the Northern Alliance, he became famous for defeating cultivators whose cultivation was higher than his own."

"They say he relied on nothing but his swordsmanship and talismans."

"He fought above his own realm time and time again, killing numerous enemy cultivators despite being at a disadvantage."

Hearing those stories, Haoyu looked at Sun Lei with newfound admiration.

"So... that's a real cultivator."

Yuhan's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"He's so cool."

Meanwhile, Sun Lei remained completely unaware of the three teenagers watching him. He simply walked to the center of the training grounds, where the surrounding disciples immediately stepped aside with expressions of respect, making it clear that his reputation within the Zan Clan had been earned through genuine strength rather than empty titles.

As Sun Lei walked across the training grounds, he suddenly felt several gazes fixed on him.

He stopped for a brief moment before turning his head.

Not far away stood three teenagers.

Haoyu.

Yuhan.

And Junhao.

Seeing that they were merely watching from the sidelines, Sun Lei didn't think much of it and casually walked toward them.

Completely unaware of what was about to happen, Junhao continued speaking enthusiastically.

"They say Senior Sun Lei is incredibly strong."

"But..."

He lowered his voice and grinned mischievously.

"I heard the Moonveil Severing Sword Art doesn't suit his physique at all."

Yuhan blinked curiously.

"Why?"

Junhao tried his best to suppress a laugh.

"Some people said that whenever Senior Sun Lei uses the Moonveil Severing Sword Art..."

"...it looks like a cute burly man dancing across the battlefield."

Haoyu nearly burst into laughter.

Before he could say anything—

The sunlight above Junhao suddenly disappeared.

A massive shadow loomed over him.

Junhao frowned.

"Who dares block my sunlight?"

At the same time...

A large hand gently landed on his shoulder.

Junhao slowly turned around.

Standing directly behind him...

Was Sun Lei.

His broad smile looked surprisingly friendly.

Unfortunately...

To Junhao, it was more terrifying than any demon beast.

"Really?"

Sun Lei asked with a gentle smile.

"So that's how I look when using my sword art?"

Junhao's face instantly turned pale.

"S-Senior Sun Lei..."

His voice trembled.

Sun Lei's hand remained resting on his shoulder.

It wasn't even applying much force...

Yet Junhao felt as though an entire mountain had been placed upon him.

Unable to move, he desperately shifted his eyes toward Haoyu and Yuhan.

His gaze screamed only one message.

"Why didn't you warn me?!"

The siblings immediately looked away.

Yuhan suddenly found the clouds in the sky incredibly interesting.

Haoyu whistled quietly while pretending to admire the scenery.

The two acted as though they had never met Junhao before.

Seeing the siblings instantly betray him, Junhao nearly cried on the spot.

"We're relatives!"

"How could you abandon me this quickly?!"

Sun Lei's smile grew even wider.

He gave Junhao's shoulder a light pat before speaking in an unusually gentle tone.

"Young Master Junhao..."

"Would you honor me by accompanying me to the training grounds?"

Junhao forced out a stiff smile.

"S-Senior Sun Lei..."

"I just remembered..."

"I still have to study in my room."

"I'll take my leave first."

He had barely taken half a step when Sun Lei interrupted him.

"Don't worry."

His smile remained as warm as ever.

"It'll only take a moment."

Before Junhao could react, Sun Lei grabbed him by the collar and began dragging him toward the center of the training grounds.

"No! Senior Sun Lei!"

"I was wrong!"

"It wasn't me!"

"It was just a rumor!"

"My mouth slipped!"

His cries echoed throughout the training grounds as he struggled helplessly.

Meanwhile, Junhao desperately turned his head toward Haoyu and Yuhan.

His eyes were filled with despair, as if pleading for someone to save him.

The siblings looked at one another.

Then, without saying a word...

Both of them raised a thumbs-up.

Their expressions clearly said,

"Good luck."

Seeing their encouragement, Junhao's face turned completely pale.

"You two traitors!"

His indignant scream echoed across the training grounds as Sun Lei continued dragging him away with a cheerful smile, much to the amusement of the surrounding disciples, who silently offered Junhao a moment of pity before pretending they hadn't seen anything at all.