Chapter 369: The Three Talents Were Originally the Three Treasures of the Three Clans

Why?

To tell the truth, Tumi Xianzi cannot explain it clearly either; she truly does not understand the mindset of such great clans.

The Long, Lu, and Qiao families have held the Qiao family in high esteem for thousands of years, fulfilling their duties with diligence and never slacking.

Yet, it is precisely these thousand years that have led to the catastrophic destruction of the three clans.

The mission of the Long, Lu, and Qiao families was originally to suppress ancient fierce beasts, and only by banding together could they form a force; however, they were scattered after the great undertaking of the Conferment of the Gods.

Not to mention what the purpose of the so-called Conferment of the Gods actually was, Tumi Xianzi simply cannot agree with separating what should have been done together.

Moreover, the so-called Conferment of the Gods is not as simple as the legends say.

People often say "fallen leaves return to their roots." According to Qiao Shiye, the head of the Qiao family, the three families have lived in their respective three locations for too long, and their roots are already deep. If they were to migrate now, it would inevitably weaken their power to suppress demons and give the ancient fierce beasts an opportunity to exploit, which would truly be a loss outweighing the gain.

During the migration a thousand years ago, the three families set the three great divine artifacts for suppressing demons and subduing monsters in the three locations of Gaoling, Youlu, and Nanhua. Unless there is a change in the land where the demons are suppressed, they must not be easily moved, or else a single hair pulled will affect the whole body.

Furthermore, these three great divine artifacts are also the objects that form the Three Talents Array, and the Three Talents Array is the Fengmo Great Array. If they are moved recklessly, it will inevitably allow the Demon Race to take advantage of the void and disturb the human world.

Qiao Shiye, the head of the Qiao family, does not agree with the three families merging into one, but if they do not, I fear that the suppression of demons and monsters will have loopholes.

Long Feiyu is quite clear-headed about this. In his view, since the old tree has already taken root but is now suffering from an infestation, if it is to continue to flourish, it must have its branches pruned and replanted elsewhere. If they persist stubbornly, they will only end up losing everything.

Lu Wuhuang thinks this makes sense, but the words of the old Qiao family head are not without reason either; the three of them fell into a stalemate for a time.

Seeing this, Tumi Xianzi asked a question.

"In the past, have the things Qiao Miss foresaw all come true?"

The old Qiao family head did not know why Tumi Xianzi asked this, but looking at the past, as long as it was something his granddaughter foresaw, no matter how they tried to remedy it, it would always come true.

Hearing this, Tumi Xianzi remained silent for a long time, then wore a grave expression.

Tumi Xianzi did not reveal everything she saw in the dream of the Qiao family woman, only mentioning some insignificant matters. But if it were truly as the old Qiao family head said, then it would be somewhat troublesome.

Since the things foreseen would all come true, then the havoc of the Demon Race and the destruction of the three families that Tumi Xianzi saw in her dream were unavoidable.

Previously, she had suggested that the three families merge into one, hoping to help them avoid this calamity; now it seems she must find another way.

But what other way could there be?

With ancient fierce beasts waiting for an opportunity in front and the Netherworld Demon Race eyeing them covetously from behind, neither side is easy to deal with.

Could it be that they can only watch helplessly as hundreds of lives perish in the Yellow Springs?

Although Tumi Xianzi has already retired from the world, she absolutely cannot stand by and watch the lives of so many people be lost.

One side is responsibility, the other is life; the old Qiao family head fell into a dilemma for a moment.

"People must die eventually; dying for a worthy cause is the best way! Old Qiao!"

Long Feiyu hit the nail on the head, not only persuading Qiao Shiye but also awakening Tumi Xianzi.

That's right!

Dying for a worthy cause!

Isn't this exactly what she taught Chiyanzi? Why has she forgotten it now?

What is there to be happy about in life? What is there to fear in death?

"So you would just let the Demon Race slaughter the three clans?! Do those people deserve to die?"

After hearing Tumi Xianzi's account, Long Qi was very angry. He truly did not understand why they had to be so resolute. Was there really no other way?

"If we don't do this, the entire human world will be overturned," Tumi Xianzi said indifferently, with no expression on her face.

"The human world overturned?"

Long Qi laughed, laughing somewhat maniacally.

Just to protect this treacherous and dilapidated human world?

After the Long family suffered, Long Qi drifted in the wilderness and finally found his way to the city, but the people in the city thought he was a little madman and a little beggar, all avoiding him like a snake or scorpion, fearing he would dirty their clothes or bring bad luck.

For those few years, Long Qi lived as hard as one could live, fighting with dogs for food and with chickens for a nest, never feeling a shred of warmth from the human world.

When he finally met a few people with pleasant countenances, they actually wanted to sell him into those kinds of wretched places.

Just for such a human world?

"Why? Why me?" Long Qi's eyes were bloodshot as he questioned Tumi Xianzi.

Why did he have to live? Why not let him go to the Yellow Springs with his father, mother, brothers, and sisters?

Tumi Xianzi did not answer. It was only after Long Qi, in great pain, had growled and asked "why" several times that she spoke slowly.

"Because I saw you, I saw all of you."

Hearing this, Long Qi's aura gradually calmed, and his expression returned to normal. He stared fixedly at Tumi Xianzi, his thoughts too chaotic to know where to begin sorting them out.

"If it weren't for you, how could you have been met by my child Lingxiang? If it weren't for you, who else could have saved her?"

Hearing the name Lingxiang, Long Qi's dull gaze finally became clear. He calmed down slightly, pondering what Tumi Xianzi had just said.

"Fairy, you just said there are three divine artifacts. Which three are they?"

Beside them, Sutong rolled her eyes—this brute has finally asked the right question.

The Qiao family has an ancient supreme treasure called the Eternal Firmament. It is said that ordinary people cannot see its form at all, unless they are of the Qiao family and are recognized by its Spirit Artifact, only then can they communicate with it.

The Lu family's divine artifact, the Deer Horn Twin Blades, was refined from the horns of the divine beast Fuzhu. It has its own spirit; holding it allows one to hide in mountains, forests, and bushes. It can absorb the aura of demons and evil, and during the full moon, it bathes in the clear moonlight to purify evil spirits.

The Long family's secret treasure is an ancient sword. Its predecessor was a section of an ancient dragon's spine, which was later handed over to the two great sword masters, Ouyezi and Ganjiang, who worked together to forge it into a precious sword. This sword can slay demons and eliminate monsters; it is extremely sharp and powerful. Although there have been Longyuan swords in later generations, they are all Mortal Grade and cannot compare to even one ten-thousandth of this sword.

The three families were commanded by Heaven's mandate to suppress the Demon Race with the Three Talents Array, so they took the Three Treasures as the eyes of the array to guard the three directions.

Back then, the three family heads planned everything. The Qiao family gave the Eternal Firmament to Tumi Xianzi, and later sealed the Seven-Star Longyuan into the dowry chest of the Qiao family woman, taking it to Guyang City.

As for the Deer Horn Twin Blades, because no one in the Lu family could inherit them, they were temporarily placed in the Lu family ancestral hall.

From then on, the Three Talents Array was broken, and the Zhenyao Pool on Jiuque Mountain was also temporarily stabilized.

"Seven-Star Longyuan..." Long Qi took down the long sword from his back and stroked the dark patterns on the blade. "So that's how it is. No wonder this sword was in the City Lord Mansion, and no wonder the City Lord's wife could easily bestow it upon Lingxiang. It was like this all along."

Tumi Xianzi glanced at the Longyuan Sword and then gave Sutong a look. Sutong understood immediately, flashed over, and snatched the Longyuan from Long Qi's hand.

Long Qi saw this and was very puzzled: "Fairy, what is the reason for this? Why must you seize the supreme treasure of my Long Family?"

Tumi Xianzi did not answer him, but Sutong sneered and spoke up.

"It seems you have yet to see the true form of this sword; with just your ability, you still want to go save the little junior sister?"

Sutong was a disciple of Tumi Xianzi, so Lingxiang was naturally her junior sister. As for why she would say such a thing, it was thanks to her Demon Body.

Although a viper has yet to become a dragon, in essence, it is of the same lineage as a dragon; since Longyuan was created from dragon bones, Sutong could naturally perceive a thing or two about it.

The true form of Longyuan?

Hearing Sutong's words, Long Qi immediately remembered that when he was at Ding'anju, the ancestor had also said something similar.

But...

What exactly is the true form of Longyuan?