Chapter 242 | The Forgotten Daughter

Chapter 242: 242 | The Forgotten Daughter

Inside the cold, the name Bamboo-Mist Peak hung heavy in the quiet air.

Since entering the Crimson Nimbus Sect, Lin Tian had visited nearly every major division of the mountain range—from the Artifact Pavilion and Alchemy Peak to the Life-and-Death Martial Arena and the Main Peak.

Yet he had only ever seen Bamboo-Mist Peak from a distance: a solitary, mist-shrouded spire rising behind the rear cliff of the Main Peak, permanently sealed beneath a dense, cyan-colored ancestral formation that no disciple or deacon was permitted to approach.

Hearing Lin Tian’s question, Elder Liu and Elder Bai exchanged a heavy, solemn glance.

"You entered the sect less than a year ago, so it is natural you have never seen the person inside that barrier," Elder Liu said quietly, her dark eyes filled with a mixture of lingering respect and sudden dread. "Bamboo-Mist Peak is the ancestral residence of our Previous Sect Master, Chu Canglan—and the only person living inside that barrier for the past ten years is his sole daughter, Senior Sister Chu Qingyi."

"The Previous Sect Master’s daughter?" Lin Tian’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Ten years ago, before the tragedy occurred, Senior Sister Chu Qingyi was the brightest jewel of our Crimson Nimbus Sect," Elder Liu explained, her fingers resting on the cold black-jade ledger. "She possesses a rare Ice Spirit Root and reached the Late Stage Core Formation Realm. Back then, everyone in the sect knew that once the Previous Sect Master broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Senior Sister Chu would eventually succeed him—or rule alongside his eldest personal disciple, Hong Xuan."

"Then ten years ago, in the seventh month, the Previous Sect Master suffered a sudden, fatal meridian rupture during his closed-door seclusion," Elder Bai picked up the account in her cool, measured voice. "With the sect thrown into panic and external enemies watching our borders, Hong Xuan stepped forward with the Previous Sect Master’s final edict. That edict named Hong Xuan as the new Sect Master—and decreed a political betrothal between him and Chu Qingyi to unite the old and new factions of the Main Peak."

Lin Tian’s eyes narrowed sharply. "She married Hong Xuan?"

"No—only in name on that piece of paper," Elder Liu shook her head firmly. "On the night of her father’s funeral, Senior Sister Chu Qingyi refused to step into the Main Peak’s wedding hall. She carried her father’s spirit tablet back to Bamboo-Mist Peak, activated the peak’s Tier-4 Peak Ancestral Locking Array from the inside, and swore an oath in front of the Grand Elders that she would not open the mountain gate or allow any man—including Hong Xuan—within ten paces of her until she reached the Peak Core Formation Realm and uncovered the truth of her father’s unfinished cultivation!"

Beside them, Elder Qing drew in a sharp breath as the pieces clicked together.

"Wait... if Hong Xuan murdered the Previous Sect Master with the Blood-Bone Demonic Cult’s poison, why did he let Senior Sister Chu lock herself inside Bamboo-Mist Peak for ten years?" Qing asked urgently. "And why pretend to be a devoted fiancé sending her Nine-Petal Core Elixirs every three months?"

"Because of what the Previous Sect Master left in her hands before he died," Elder Bai said, her analytical gaze gleaming like cold frost. "As the master of Array Peak, I maintain the array of the mountain, so I know what is missing from the Main Peak’s throne. Although Hong Xuan holds the administrative Sect Master token, the true Crimson Nimbus Ancestral Seal—which commands the core of our sect’s grand mountain-protecting array—was passed directly to Chu Qingyi’s bloodline!"

Lin Tian’s golden pupils contracted slightly.

Everything suddenly made complete, chilling sense.

"If Hong Xuan tried to break into Bamboo-Mist Peak by force to take the Ancestral Seal," Lin Tian said slowly, "Chu Qingyi could use that seal inside her ancestral barrier to detonate the mountain’s grand formation and drag him down with her—or expose him to the entire sect."

"Exactly," Elder Liu whispered, her face pale as she looked down at the forty entries in the black-jade ledger. "Even a Peak Core Formation cultivator cannot easily force open a Tier-4 Peak Ancestral Array guarded by a Late Stage Core Formation swordswoman holding the Ancestral Seal. So instead of attacking her, Hong Xuan wore the mask of a patient, caring Senior Brother for ten full years!"

"Every three months, he delivered Nine-Petal Yin-Nourishing Core Elixir through the array’s supply slot," Lin Tian finished coldly, his finger tapping the final line written only three days ago. "Just like the Corpse-Marrow Stagnation Ash in my herbs, those elixirs must have made her Qi feel smooth and peaceful during normal meditation—while quietly piling ten years of demonic silt around her Core pathways!"

Elder Liu’s hand flew to her mouth, her dark eyes widening in horror.

"And the latest was delivered three days ago because... because last month, Senior Sister Chu sent a message talisman to the Council saying she was finally ready to attempt her breakthrough from Late Stage to the Peak Core Formation Realm this week!"

"If she attempts to condense a Peak Core while ten years of dormant demonic toxin is coiled inside her meridians," Elder Bai said gravely, "the moment her spiritual sea surges at full force, the toxin will detonate from within. She won’t just fail the breakthrough—her Golden Core will crack, leaving her crippled and helpless inside Bamboo-Mist Peak while Hong Xuan walks in under the excuse of ’saving’ her to take the Ancestral Seal!"

"Can we send a warning talisman through the barrier of Bamboo-Mist Peak right now?" Elder Qing asked immediately.

"When a cultivator closes the inner gate of Bamboo-Mist Peak for a major realm impact, the ancestral array blocks all external sound and message talismans to prevent heart-demon interference," Elder Bai shook her head, checking the spiritual compass in her palm. "Unless someone breaks through from the inside—or a backlash forces the outer array to vent excess spiritual pressure.

Lin Tian closed the Black-Jade Ledger with a calm, decisive motion and handed it back to Madam Shen to lock inside the obsidian pedestal.

Dusk was settling over when Lin Tian and Madam Shen returned quietly to the Cloud-Sea Pavilion.

While Elder Liu, Elder Bai, and Elder Qing remained on high alert on their respective peaks watching the spiritual fluctuations around the mountain.

Inside the warm main hall, illuminated by softly glowing moon-pearls, Aunt Lin stood beside the spirit-wood table polishing a newly engraved array plate.

The moment the doors opened and she saw Lin Tian walk in wearing the regal dark-crimson and gold Elder Robes, the array plate in Aunt Lin’s hands nearly slipped.

Her dark eyes lit up with joy as she across the room, catching him by both shoulders and looking him up and down from his golden collar to the heavy Elder Seal hanging at his waist.

"Look at you... Elder Lin of the Artifact Pavilion!" Aunt Lin laughed softly, her voice brimming with pride and emotion. "When the deacon announced that you had broken through to the Core Formation Realm and been named our Pavilion’s new ruling Elder, old Master Gu’s face nearly hit the anvil!"

Lin Tian smiled warmly, sliding his arm around Aunt Lin’s lush waist and pulling her against his chest while Madam Shen locked the inner doors behind them.

"From today on, no deacon in the Artifact Pavilion can ever give my Forge Queen an order again," Lin Tian murmured, lowering his head to capture Aunt Lin’s warm lips in a deep kiss before turning to draw Madam Shen into his other arm.

Sitting down on the wide beast-fur rug inside the inner meditation chamber, Lin Tian raised his right palm between the two women and flicked his fingers.

Fwoosh!

A condensed, dark-gold lotus of Core Origin Fire bloomed effortlessly above his hand, radiating a pure, scorching refining heat that made Aunt Lin’s Earth-Fire Dual Affinity Root hum with instant excitement!

"True Core Origin Fire!" Aunt Lin gasped, her eyes shining as she felt the gentle warmth of the dark-gold flame. "You’ve officially stepped into the ranks of a Tier-4 Low-Grade Artifact Refiner, Tian-er! With this flame, even Deep-Sea Profound iron and Tier-4 spirit ores will melt in your hands!"

"Wait until we have a quiet night in the subterranean forge," Lin Tian said softly, extinguishing the flame as Aunt Lin’s eager kisses.

Lin Tian let the two devoted women celebrate his ascension with all the tender passion sitting in their hearts—holding Madam Shen and Aunt Lin close against his chest on the bed while he quietly told them what they had uncovered in the Restricted Vault and instructed them to keep silent.

Midnight had just fallen over the Crimson Nimbus Mountains.

He stood near the window in his inner robe, looking out toward the dark, mist-covered silhouette of the mountains.

Suddenly—

BOOOOOOOM!!

Three li behind the Main Peak, the silent midnight sky above Bamboo-Mist Peak tore open!

A violent, chaotic pillar of frost-white and blood-crimson spiritual light erupted straight through the cyan ancestral barrier, shattering the mountain clouds into a turbulent vortex that shook the roof of every pavilion in the Inner Sect!

Lin Tian’s Core Formation spiritual sense felt a sharp, agonizing wave of Late Stage Core Formation Qi.

Inside the bedroom, Madam Shen and Aunt Lin both sat up sharply on the bed.

Lin Tian’s eyes flashed cold and sharp in the moonlight as he swept his crimson-gold Elder Robe over his shoulders and fastened his Purple-Gold Elder Seal to his belt in one fluid motion.

"It’s time to go meet the Previous Sect Master’s daughter." Lin Tian said calmly, turning toward the door as Elder Liu’s urgent signal pulsed through his token.

***

A broken Core and a trapped beauty. Guess how Chu Qingyi will react when Lin Tian saves her from the demonic ash. Drop your Power Stones and Golden Tickets.