Chapter 340

Or earlier.

"Yeah, among all the women I've ever seen, your aunt ranks in the top three."

Meng Zhangqing said seriously.

"What? Top three? Are you that lucky with women?"

Gu Hongyu immediately frowned, "Back in my day, I was..."

The words cut off abruptly.

The atmosphere grew heavier.

"Aunt, now that we're this far, can you tell me about Mother?"

Meng Zhangqing thought for a moment and said.

"It's not as complicated as you imagine, nor full of love, hate, and emotion,"

Gu Hongyu sighed lightly, knowing she could no longer hide it, "It's merely the story of earthly beings who tried to defy Heaven's wrath—and failed, perishing in the attempt."

"Have you heard of the Zhengyi Sacred Land?"

Sacred Land?

Meng Zhangqing's pupils shrank slightly.

In the Cultivation World, Sacred Lands were supreme entities, establishing all rules and norms.

Take today's Zong Sect promotion, for instance.

Its system was set by the Supreme Sacred Land.

But as for Sacred Lands, he knew very, very little.

He only knew such an transcendent entity existed.

Beyond that, he was unclear.

After all, Lingzhou was merely a remote prefecture in the Southern Region, and he came from a minor family—there was no way for him to gain deeper knowledge.

"Zhengyi Sacred Land is the foremost of the Four Sacred Lands."

"How tyrannical they are."

"They claim to be Heaven's true lineage, capable of defining all cosmic order."

"Everything must operate under their rules; any violation is rebellion against Heaven's Dao—death without mercy!"

At this, Gu Hongyu's face showed anger for the first time.

"Your mother was born into an ancient clan and was the most outstanding true disciple of Lingzhou Sacred Land at the time."

"Yet she was sentenced by Zhengyi Sacred Land simply for healing a demonic cultivator!"

"They accused her of colluding with demons and corrupting herself!"

"They forced her to sever her root bones, expelled her from her sect, and even erased her name from the ancestral register of her ancient clan!"

"I fled with my sister to Lingzhou, where we later met your father..."

Gu Hongyu began to recount the tale.

And thus Meng Zhangqing gained a clear understanding of that past.

"Though we escaped numerous assassinations, after giving birth to you, both your mother and father succumbed to their grievous injuries and passed away."

"Perhaps it was precisely because of my sister's death that this endless journey of flight finally came to a halt."

"That's all you wanted to know."

Gu Hongyu raised her hand and gently patted Meng Zhangqing's shoulder.

"If both are Sacred Lands, why didn't the so-called Lingzhou Sacred Land protect their own disciple from being crippled?"

Meng Zhangqing appeared extremely calm.

He showed no strong emotional reaction.

"Zhengyi Sacred Land is the strongest in this age—no one can match it."

"Even among Sacred Lands, there are differences."

"Moreover, the Sacred Lands suffered great upheavals back then and had even less capacity to act."

"As for the ancient clan your mother came from, how could they dare challenge Zhengyi Sacred Land?"

Gu Hongyu shook her head, "So I don't advise you to harbor hatred. Better to forget this, cultivate diligently, and live a carefree life."

"Alright, there are urgent matters back at the family. I'm leaving now."

Gu Hongyu patted Meng Zhangqing's shoulder again.

But before leaving, she slipped him a token.

"This is my sister's token. If you ever face trouble in the future, it might come in handy."

With that said,

she departed.

Only Meng Zhangqing remained standing in place.

He exhaled a long breath.

Meng Zhangqing rubbed his face.

He had imagined something high, but never imagined it was even higher!

Sacred Land.

That was a place from legend.

He never expected his mother and aunt were disciples of a Sacred Land!

Yet... though his aunt's tone brimmed with fury, he found it hard to truly empathize.

After all, he had never met his biological parents.

Any emotion requires having spent time together to exist.

How could it be born out of thin air?

Yet, by bloodline instinct, a trace of ineffable emotion remains.

"It's just, Aunt, some things cannot be avoided simply because I deliberately forget them."

Meng Zhangqing naturally did not wish to create a conflict with a prestigious Holy Land.

But is this something one can avoid if one wishes to?

I do not walk toward the mountain.

Yet sometimes, the mountain comes walking toward me.

"I must continue cultivating."

Meng Zhangqing's gaze tightened slightly, and the sense of ease on his person vanished.

He did not want to entrust his life to an unknowable future.

No matter what, at the very least, one must become strong enough to protect oneself.