Chapter 67

The sudden news caused the Cold Moon Sect Master's brain to crash instantly.

It felt as if ten thousand needles pierced the heart, a heart‑rending pain that made breathing impossible.

She clutched her chest, a pair of full breasts rising and falling, gasping heavily.

In her later years she bore a son, doted on him endlessly, lavishing countless resources, pills, and spiritual treasures, hoping he would become a dragon among men.

Yet the son she had high hopes for died just because his meridians were blocked and damaged.

How could she possibly accept this!

Her vision blurred, then went dark; her body lurched forward, as if all her strength were drained, and her ninth‑layer Martial Emperor cultivation instantly released.

The Cold Moon Sect Master flashed into the guard disciple's sight, seized his collar, trembling as she asked: "My son, how could this happen, how could he be gone?"

"Just a few days ago, Master Xu Dan said… if the meridians are properly repaired, there would be improvement, right? The meridians ruptured—how did you guard my son? Could it be… he cultivated again?"

"Ah! Thieving Heaven, you aren't jealous of my son's talent; he's still so young—why won't you open your eyes!"

The Cold Moon Sect Master wailed to the heavens, blood tears streaming from her eyes—this is the depth of despair; only such grief could produce this.

She was unwilling, truly unwilling…

At her level of cultivation, it should have been impossible for her to conceive again, yet she bore a son—and he possessed extraordinary talent, a contender to top the Eastern Wasteland's Blue Cloud Rankings.

Simply because his meridians were damaged, he couldn't pull through.

Seeing the Cold Moon Sect Master appear mad, the guard disciple felt both shock and fear, hastily supporting the swaying sect leader: "Sect Master, please take care—the young master didn't make it; upon hearing the news, the saintess was overcome with grief and fainted on the spot."

"Sect Master, return to the sect quickly; the entire sect is now in utter chaos."

The Cold Moon Sect Master followed the guard, turning into a rainbow as they departed.

That burning cultivation, with vital energy leaking from her back, made anyone see how urgent her heart was.

In an instant, that female sect master who once dominated the Eastern Wasteland.

It seemed as if her visage had been instantly drained of vitality, aging her by decades.

"That child of Sect Master Li is a heaven‑defying prodigy; I even went to present a congratulatory gift at his full‑month celebration."

"Later I heard he began cultivating at three, and by nine he was a Grand Martial Warrior, using the resources of a Martial Emperor!"

"Sect Master Li valued that child so highly; now that he's learned his son died from meridian damage, how heartbroken he must be!"

……

Old Master Cheng's body stiffened instantly; he stood frozen, unable to regain his senses for a moment.

After a while longer.

He rubbed his forehead, feeling a surge of dread, and asked: "I heard through back channels that it was due to over‑cultivation exceeding the meridians' capacity, causing the blockage."

"That's right," the Grand Sect Master Su replied: "Spirit‑explosion phenomena are frequent now; even with a Spirit‑Gathering Array maintaining operation, children's unextracted meridians are still prone to blockage, and without slight supervision it could lead to damaged or ruptured meridians."

"In our Eastern Wasteland there is no alchemist capable of refining a seventh‑rank Vein‑Casting Pill; once the meridians are damaged, unless nourished by heavenly treasures, the effect is negligible, and damaged meridians would likely render one a cripple unable to cultivate for life,

"If in this situation one forcibly refines spiritual energy, it will only hasten meridian damage; after losing all cultivation, the accumulated spiritual energy within the body cannot be refined, eventually leading to a bodily explosion as the final outcome."

"Sect Master Li should have prepared for the worst; to repair damaged meridians, not a single Vein‑Casting Pill can be found in the entire Eastern Wasteland."

"How could it be so easy to repair…"

"Repairing the meridians…"

But, but his granddaughter's meridians, harmed by overly hasty cultivation, have already been restored to their original state—and indeed are now thicker and tougher than before.

Old Master Cheng's heart surged with tumultuous waves, an indescribable panic sweeping through him, leaving him with an utterly unreal feeling.

Ultimately, the feeling of loss regained, sudden realization, post‑calamity relief, sourness and bewilderment filled Old Master Cheng's heart.

He said: "So, on the day Su Chen visited the Yang Heaven Sect to pay his respects, did the Sect Master Su not see him?"

"That's natural; who would at this time involve themselves with the Heaven Mystery Dao Sect, and besides, Old Master Cheng should understand my relationship with Su Chen." Grand Sect Master Su said matter‑of‑factly.

Then he turned, gave Old Master Cheng a strange look, and said: "Why does your complexion look so odd?"

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"As it turns out…"

The Cold Moon Sect and the Yang Heaven Sect never met.

Only he, having listened to his beloved little granddaughter's words, did meet.

If not for the Vein‑Casting Pill given by Su Chen, his granddaughter would also have exploded and died.

It would be just like today, when bad news arrived, forcing him, an old man, to bury his black‑haired child, able only to weep bitterly with his wife.

At first, when his little granddaughter's meridians were cleared and the tiny ruptures repaired, Old Master Cheng's face showed joy; back then he merely felt private relief, unlike now when he witnesses it himself.

These are two completely different concepts.

Now he truly understands that he owes the Heaven Mystery Dao Sect an immense debt of gratitude!

"No wonder!" Old Master Cheng seemed to suddenly grasp something; he lifted his head to gaze at the night sky, saying nothing more.

Afterward, he remained under the puzzled gaze of Grand Sect Master Su.

He leapt onto his sword and flew away; then, in a distant place, he suddenly gazed afar—that glance left Grand Sect Master Su unable to read him, feeling that the person before him had become utterly strange.

"Haha! Cause and effect cycle, retribution never fails."

"To reap good results, one must sow good causes."

"My granddaughter may be young, but she is born with a discerning eye; with such talent, our Cheng clan shall endure for a hundred generations!"

Until Old Master Cheng departed, Grand Sect Master Su also understood that strange behavior, yet he could see the distance in the other's eyes.

He believed that these two sects should not have deep ties.

This left Grand Sect Master Su baffled—why! Although Old Master Cheng is Su Chen's maternal grandfather, the two families are like fire and water, even having severed ties with Su Chen's mother.

He didn't understand what could be done to ease the relationship between the two families.

He decided to return to the sect first, then have his subordinates investigate what had recently happened at the Cheng Manor, and what Su Chen had actually given the Cheng family when he visited that day.

Old Master Cheng, having flown on his sword to the Cheng Manor, learned from a servant.

A disciple named Black Dragon came looking for himself.

After some inquiries, they learned of Liu Liyan's matter.

"Cheng Elder, originally we shouldn't have disturbed the Cheng family, but the Young Sect Master is genuinely worried about the safety of Holy Maiden Liu, and I have no connections here in Gan Yuan City, so I can only trouble you to act on your own initiative, thank you." Black Dragon's expression was solemn.

"Good." Cheng Elder said nothing and directly agreed.

Afterwards he stared at Black Dragon with a different gaze and asked a question he had kept hidden for a long time: "Black Dragon, you are the guard of my grandson; you should quickly tell me whether what happened last night is true."

"Yes, it is true, as reported."

"Then could the thunder‑fire talisman capable of killing a Martial Sect expert also be my grandson's?"

"Yes!"

"Then… can the five hundred elite disciples of the Qing Ming Sect sent out by Ye Xuan be resisted by the tenth person beside my grandson?"