Chapter 68

Shen Qingli's face turned deathly pale, and in an instant her bloodless lips were trembling.

"What's wrong?" Shen Duo asked anxiously, "Ancestor, don't frighten the junior."

The Fifth Generation Ancestor stared fixedly at Shen Qingli, his eyes full of wisdom, "But what did you see?"

Shen Qingli's eyes were slightly moist, "It could be that I misread, or it could be the fate you were originally about to face."

"Tell me." The Fifth Generation Ancestor didn't echo, he had his own judgment.

Shen Qingli nodded and gave a detailed account.

After hearing it, Shen Duo's complexion was worse than Shen Qingli's just now.

"Black silk threads—could it be the Demonic Sect?"

"Not necessarily." The Fifth Generation Ancestor already had a conclusion in his heart.

"I think it would be like this: if the ancestor cannot become a god, he will face this scene; if he becomes a god, then it'll be fine." Shen Qingli speculated, "Before, wasn't there a possibility of becoming a god? Now I will definitely ask my master."

"Good." The Fifth Generation Ancestor smiled and nodded, but his skin was too rotten and loose, making his smile rather creepy.

"You'd better not smile; it gives people the creeps." Shen Duo mainly feared frightening the juniors, so he had to summon his courage to speak up.

"Heh." The Fifth Generation Ancestor laughed, "Little girl, you're good; I'll be waiting for your answer."

"Certainly!" Shen Qingli promised, if she could still "see" him next time, she would definitely ask!

"By the way, the azure phoenix you transformed into is truly beautiful." Shen Qingli exclaimed, "It's huge and stunning, capable of covering our entire Shen residence."

The estate of the Changshui Shen clan covers nearly a thousand mu; that the Fifth Generation Ancestor's phoenix form can expand to that extent shows how formidable his strength is.

But such a formidable existence, actually…

While Shen Qingli felt shocked, she also felt uneasy; she must find out soon how to become a god now.

"Ancestor, you've reached this level, yet you still can't become a god?" Shen Duo was almost desperate.

"It's not a cultivation issue; I can sense that something is missing." The Fifth Generation Ancestor slowly closed his eyes, "I'm tired, you may go."

Elders tire easily; no matter how strong their cultivation, their vitality is limited—this is unavoidable.

Shen Duo and Shen Qingli immediately bowed silently and withdrew; only after leaving the Fifth Generation Ancestor's seclusion area did they begin to speak.

"A Li, you must definitely ask." Shen Duo sighed, "The Fifth Generation Ancestor back then was also a figure who commanded the winds and clouds; the clan records say he became famous in his youth, his talent astonished the world, full of vigor."

Given his talent, he should have become a god and departed long ago; who would have thought that a love calamity would be fatal—when he had just entered the sage stage, his entire cultivation was abolished, his meridians severed.

After thousands of years, no one knows how he underwent nirvana and resumed cultivation, but when he had just reclaimed the peak of the Profound Sage realm, the divine realm encountered trouble. From him onward, there have been no more gods.

Truly tragic.

Shen Qingli no longer knew how to describe it.

"Although the details differ, your experiences are quite similar."

Shen Duo had already learned from Shen Kuo all about Shen Qingli's past.

His first reaction at the time was— it resembles the Fifth Generation Ancestor's experience.

"I, however, am fortunate." Shen Qingli no longer felt herself to be bitter or suffering.

Although her previous life was miserable, she fortunately reincarnated; even more fortunate, she had obtained the Immortal-Demon Transformation before her rebirth, so she could use it right after being reborn, and she could also take advantage of having her phoenix bone extracted and severing ties with the sect, thus no longer needing to endure or seek another opportunity.

"You're surprisingly open-minded." Shen Duo asked himself, if he had encountered such injustice, such fate, he couldn't let it go.

How could a mother do such a thing to her own daughter?

Just thinking of the little girl before him having her bones pulled out piece by piece by her birth mother makes his heart ache.

"She shouldn't be allowed to leave."

Shen Duo wished he could lock that person in Avīci hell, making them suffer daily from the fires of purgatory.

Death would be too cheap for such a venomous woman; how could there be such a mother?

"It's all in the past; I've also taken revenge on her, and I feel her returning to the Holy Mother Sect might not be a good thing."

Thinking of Bai Ren Shan's words, Shen Qingli decided that after entering the Ten Directions Forest, she would seek out someone from the Holy Mother Sect to inquire.

Could Zhao Yue really have a twin sister?

Moreover, Zhao Yue constantly calls her a bastard; is it due to Zhong Wuqi's influence?

Since she is also an elder sister, and Su Chacha is the younger sister, does Zhao Yue regard her as the twin sister favored by Zhong Wuqi, and thus hate her?

After all, she too is extraordinarily talented, matching Zhao Yue's twin sister in every way; Zhao Yue likely sees in her the shadow of that twin sister, and vents all the accumulated hatred and resentment from childhood, adolescence, and youth onto her.

She still remembers Zhong Wuqi's words "useless bastard," the tone exactly the same.

"What are you thinking about?"

Shen Duo said a few sentences, but seeing Shen Qingli gave no response, he couldn't help but ask.

"Thinking about how the Holy Mother Detests Zhao Yue so much, why did she still take her back?"

"Or perhaps she still feels that blood-tie affection."

"Not necessarily."

Shen Qingli had a clear idea in her heart.

The two just happened to return to the courtyard.

Shen Kuo shouted upon seeing them, "Wash up, it's time to eat."

"Okay." The two replied in unison and hurried to wash their hands.

Fortunately, Shen Kuo had made a large amount; even though there were many people, there was still enough to eat.

"Uncle Qi, your cooking keeps getting better!" Shen Qinci rubbed his round belly, full of envy, "Why am I not your son?"

"You want to change fathers, huh?" Shen Yue asked leisurely.

"No! No! Don't kick! Ow—"

Still, Shen Qinci's pleas for mercy were in vain as his own father kicked him flying.

That was a real kick! Shen Qinci even vomited blood.

Shen Qingli, however, had already grown accustomed; this father‑son pair was just that rough.

"Kicked so many times and you still can't dodge, trash." Shen Yue commented.

"You're getting old! I'm getting strong! You wait for me, old man!"

"Who are you calling old man?" Shen Yue flared up.

Shen Qinci hurriedly rolled and flung himself to dodge, ending up beside Shen Qingli's leg, "Sister, save me!"

"Is this a new post‑meal digestion activity you two added?" Shen Qingli asked with a smile.

Shen Qinci shook his head repeatedly, howling in pain, until Shen Yuan slapped the chopsticks, quieting everyone, and only then did he honestly sit back down.

Shen Qingli watched, amused; this little cousin of hers was the youngest, yet the most mischievous, and also the most troublesome.

"The day after tomorrow we'll enter the Ten Directions Realm; you two had better prepare well these two days, don't bring shame on the old Shen family."

"Got it." Including Shen Qinci and Shen Qingli, the Shen clan juniors who will enter the Ten Directions Forest this time number nine.

Besides Shen Qingli's eldest elder brother who is in closed‑door cultivation and the second elder brother who is out on a family mission, the other eight cousins will go.

Shen Qingli's group numbered a full twelve; compared to other major powers, that's not many, indeed it's rather few.

So as soon as they arrived, someone provoked them!

"Who is Shen Qingli?" someone shouted.

Shen Qingli's party followed the sound and saw a vast troupe; at its head was a youth in blue robes with a plain sword, his features stern and cold.

And beside him stood Liu Xiaoxiao?

"You are Shen Qingli?"

The speaker was the youth standing beside Liu Xiaoxiao.

"Get over here and kneel! Or else—"

Before he could finish the rest of the sentence, he himself fell to his knees with a "plop."