Chapter 12: The Birth of a Demon‑Genius, Seeking to Divine!

Inside the magnificent main hall of the Profound Sun Sect, a man in simple plain robes suddenly opened his eyes, and flames seemed to flicker within them, emitting sharp rays.

His figure vanished in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was already standing above the sky.

He stared at the ancient cauldron illusion that materialized in the void, and a huge surge rose in his heart.

"Divine Artifact manifesting? Could there be an ancient immortal relic in Canglan Yu about to appear? No… we must prepare in advance and start the excavation first."

"This is certainly a supreme treasure; even the great medicine shown in the illusion lets one vaguely sense the Dao's rules. If we can obtain it, it will greatly boost the Profound Sun Sect's strength, giving us a chance to leave Canglan Yu!"

He, the sect master of the Profound Sun Sect, felt his heart racing and immediately ordered many elders to go out searching.

At the same time, the other two major sects in Canglan Yu also took the same action.

Because the appearance of such a phenomenon usually means a Divine Artifact is about to manifest.

Whoever obtains it will have the chance to dominate Canglan Yu, even to enter the Eastern Divine Continent.

Just then, from the depths of the sky came a deafening sound of dragon roars and sword clangs.

"Clang—..."

An Azure Dragon illusion slowly materialized, its demeanor seemingly very excited, repeatedly raising its voice in celebration of something.

Countless profound ancient texts spread across heaven and earth, and teal light poured onto the ground as if bestowing blessings.

"Azure Dragon manifesting? Could another unparalleled genius have been born in Canglan Yu? No, this is also extremely important; we must not let the other two major sects find it."

"If we can recruit such a genius, after lying dormant for a thousand or hundred years, the Profound Sun Sect will produce a truly top‑tier powerhouse!"

The Profound Sun Sect master's emotions were hard to contain at this moment.

Because… an extraordinary genius, at birth, triggers resonance between heaven and earth, manifesting a phenomenon.

The more astonishing the phenomenon, the more terrifying the talent.

In ancient times, in the Western Divine Continent, there was a clan whose ancestors had produced an immortal; the clan chief's son possessed near‑full ancestral bloodline, which eventually attracted a White Marsh phenomenon that blessed him.

He became the contemporary child of fortune, a person of auspicious omen, and also the legendary innate holy body.

All opportunities seemed to approach him voluntarily, as if he were the beloved child of all spirits of heaven and earth.

He also established a sacred Dao lineage in a region, forming his own branch, overwhelmingly strong; if not for the restrictions of the major sacred lands, he would unify the entire Western Divine Continent.

And the Azure Dragon's rank… surpasses that of the White Marsh, being one of the four ancient divine beasts.

The Azure Dragon clan once existed like a hegemon; due to its powerful bloodline, it was extremely rare, and each appearance of an Azure Dragon would stir massive turmoil.

"No, we must ask the Elder Ancestor to divine this, and if we can locate this child's whereabouts, the rise of the Profound Sun Sect is hopeful!"

Clearly, this ancient cauldron manifested the phenomenon because an unparalleled genius was born, revealing the relic's existence.

The Profound Sun Sect master still cannot calm his emotions; the most crucial thing now is to find the person who caused the phenomenon.

His figure turned into several afterimages in the sky, flying straight toward the Profound Sun Sect's deep ancestral lands.

In an instant, he arrived atop a cliff, where spiritual energy solidified into a dense mist, resembling a fairyland.

The Profound Sun Sect master respectfully bowed and shouted, "Eighth‑generation sect master Yang Hao, requesting audience with the Supreme Elder Ancestor!"

"Canglan Yu is undergoing great upheaval, concerning the sect's survival; we implore the Elder Ancestor to intervene!"

His words were earnest, barely concealing his urgency.

After a brief moment, a slow response came from the cliff, "I have already sensed it—heaven and earth are changing, the Azure Dragon bestows blessings."

"Disciple, you expect this old bone of mine to divine for the sect once more?"

An elderly man with white hair clad in white robes strolled across the clouds, emerging slowly; his every movement was seamless, as if merged with heaven and earth, utterly awe‑inspiring.

If senior cultivators of Canglan Yu saw this person, they would be terrified.

Because… millennia ago, the Profound Sun Sect produced a Killing God, a legend of an era in Canglan Yu, who also battled the true‑lineage heavenly pride of the Immortal Cult.

He never fell.

Countless geniuses became his stepping stones.

Ultimately he comprehended the Great Dao of Fire and was titled Venerable Yang Tian.

He was the star of that era in Canglan Yu, dazzling beyond compare; countless people could not follow his steps, only gazing at his back.

Most importantly, a Venerable's typical lifespan is only three thousand years.

Yet he is still alive.

His aged appearance is dragon‑like, yet his vitality is abundant.

Of course, this is also why the Profound Sun Sect has long held a stable position among the top three in Canglan Yu.

Yang Hao bowed and said, "Elder Ancestor, your insight is clear; I, your disciple, have come for this purpose."

"Now the sect shows signs of decline, the younger generation lacks any pillar figures, but… in recent years heaven and earth have been gradually restoring the rules; a great era is imminent."

"Our sect needs a top‑tier genius, otherwise progress is arduous."

"Today the Azure Dragon's manifestation, blessing a person and startling heaven and earth, surely signals the birth of an unparalleled demon‑genius; I hope the Elder Ancestor can divine its approximate scope."

"Save the sect from deep water and blazing fire."

Venerable Yang Tian nodded slightly; he had already divined this matter.

"Divining the birth of a generation's demon‑genius requires at least a hundred years of lifespan yuan."

"I still have a thousand‑year lifespan yuan; this time is short, I hope you can quickly break through to the Venerable's realm and entrust these tedious matters to me."

Venerable Yang Tian sighed and spoke, having glimpsed the Great Dao's mystery, his lifespan yuan increased; had it not been so… the Profound Sun Sect would have long been desolate.

One should know that in his era, the Profound Sun Sect was extremely prosperous, with several Venerables stationed, enough to dominate the entire Canglan Yu.

No sacred lands emerged, and no one contested.

But now… one Elder Ancestor after another has fallen, leaving only him.

And the Profound Sun Sect, once a hegemon, has slipped to a top‑three position.

It even teeters on the brink of collapse.

This makes his heart uneasy, feeling guilty for betraying his master's instructions.

"I will strictly follow the old ancestor's teachings."

Yang Hao responded in a deep voice.

Seeing this, the Venerable Sun Celestial formed seals with both hands, ancient runes floated out, and the surrounding void became distorted, continuously rippling.

His figure, faintly, was about to be devoured, sinking into the void.

But clusters of flames blossomed nearby, illuminating all directions, never sinking.

The Venerable Sun Celestial began his deduction; his divine consciousness seemed to pierce reality and enter a mysterious space.

Thick black mist enveloped the surroundings, and as far as the eye could see were only a few vague silhouettes standing silently in the distance.

He slightly furrowed his brows, began to mobilize the Dao essence within his body, causing the surrounding flames to blaze hotter, gradually coalescing into dazzling great suns.

Even though his sight was obstructed, he still tried to step forward, unveiling the veil of black mist.

He wished to glimpse the truth hidden in the black mist, which seemed to be a cauldron…

But at that moment.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar, like thunder exploding.

The Venerable Sun Celestial's senses seemed sealed, yet he could clearly feel his life force wildly draining.

His divine consciousness at that instant appeared completely shattered.

The Venerable Sun Celestial abruptly returned to his mortal body.

At that moment, his face was aged, blood dripped from his mouth corner, vitality vanished, surrounded by the breath of death.

"Old ancestor!"

Yang Hao hurried forward, his complexion turning pale.

Fear flashed in the Venerable Sun Celestial's eyes.

"Just by glimpsing a corner, I lost eight hundred years of lifespan… If I were to take another step, today you could prepare my funeral for me."

"Do not ask, do not seek; that is not something we can force."

He tried his best to stay calm, turned and left.

His heart was filled with lingering fear…

Had I known, I wouldn't have been so reckless… I originally thought a hundred years of lifespan would suffice, but just taking a step, seeing half a shadow, almost cost me my life.

That black mist was beyond the level he could probe.

Being able to return alive was already a tremendous fortune.

Yang Hao saw the old ancestor depart, his heart filled with fear; the old ancestor had lost eight hundred years of lifespan this time… meaning that within the next two hundred years, if no new Venerable emerges, the Xuan Yang Sect will decline because of this.

"It's all my fault, insisting that the old ancestor intervene…"

"Now we can only find ancient ruins to restore the old ancestor's lifespan."

"But the most important thing is to invest all resources into the younger generation and the elders who might break through to become Venerables!"

Yang Hao made up his mind and hurried away from the ancestral lands of the Xuan Yang Sect.

Now he wished he could slap himself twice for the deduction… This deduction almost led the entire Xuan Yang Sect to ruin!

That night, many strong cultivators shared this thought, seeking that unparalleled demonic genius.

The loss of lifespan was not limited to the Venerable Sun Celestial alone.

At this moment, Canglan Yu, and even the whole Eastern Divine Continent, were stirred by massive upheavals.

Azure Dragon's blessing… never recorded in ancient texts; what kind of talent could trigger such a phenomenon?

The gazes of many sects and Dao lineages focused on Canglan Yu, searching in secret.

They not only sought the newly born unparalleled prodigy… but also the phantom of that ancient cauldron, clearly not a mundane object but a relic from antiquity; in many Dao lineages' view, Canglan Yu likely hides a terrifying ancient ruin.

If any Dao lineage can locate it, perhaps they could advance further because of it!

Meanwhile, Qin Yu was immersed in the joy of his breakthrough, unaware how much his sword and cauldron had caused misunderstanding…