Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 128 May peace prevail year after year, and may curses fade and fortune grow ever stronger.
Qingzhou, Qinglan Sect.

Inside the mountain gate, clouds and mist swirl, cranes cry softly, creating an atmosphere of celestial beings.

Inside the council hall, however, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost palpable.

Elder Sun, who had originally proposed setting up the scheme, was now clutching an invitation card with a livid face, his hands trembling like a candle in the wind.

"It doesn't make sense! It doesn't make sense!"

He slammed the invitation on the table and roared, "Arrogant fools! A cowardly, lowly sect dares to turn the tables and openly challenge the prestige of my Qinglan Sect! They're courting death!"

Seated on the throne, the sect leader of Qinglan Sect, a man dressed in a dark robe, slowly opened his eyes.

The long robe was of extraordinary quality, moving even without wind. Several scrolls of flowing clouds were embroidered in silver thread at the hem, understated yet revealing its remarkable nature.

His eyes were calm and still, like an ancient well, revealing no trace of joy or anger.

When his fingertips touched the end of the invitation and felt that faint yet pure aura of righteousness, a very faint ripple flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"A scholar of literature? Haoran Academy?" He frowned slightly.

"Sect Master, who cares about any academy!" Elder Sun said urgently. "The entire Qingzhou is laughing at us!"
If we don't go, it will seem like we're cowardly and weak; how will we maintain our standing in Qingzhou then? If we do go, wouldn't we be playing right into their hands, being led by the nose?

"Hehe..." The Qinglan Sect Master suddenly chuckled softly. His laughter was gentle, but it lowered the temperature in the hall by a few degrees, making Elder Sun feel a pang of fear.

"Leading me by the nose? Elder Sun, you underestimate me too much, and you overestimate this ant that has just crawled out of the mud. Since he won't take the opportunity given to him, don't blame me."

He casually tossed the invitation aside, and the piece of paper, imbued with a sense of righteous indignation, spontaneously combusted in mid-air, turning into ashes.

"He wants to discuss the Dao? Fine. He wants to use the opinions of the world to promote his twisted and heretical doctrine of 'mortals defying the heavens'? Even better!"

The sect leader stood up, walked to the front of the hall, and looked down at the churning sea of ​​clouds.

"But he's underestimated the scale of the game. A mere southern Qingzhou, a few rogue cultivators, a group of mortals—does he even deserve to call himself 'the world'?"

A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes: "Issue my decree."

"First, in the name of my Qinglan Sect, I will issue invitations to all sects and families of the third rank or above within Qingzhou, inviting them to the Yunmeng Great Swamp to 'observe' the Tianyan Sect's Dao Discussion Ceremony!"

"Second, prepare generous gifts and send someone to Qingzhou Prefecture to report this matter to the governor. Tell him that there are lawbreakers who want to overturn the distinction between immortals and mortals and shake the foundation of our Great Li Dynasty for ten thousand generations."

We beseech Your Excellency, the Prefect, to come in person and bear witness for our righteous path of Taoism and for all the people of this world!

Elder Sun was stunned, and then gasped.

Sects of Rank Three or above!

The sects and aristocratic families of the Great Li Dynasty are assessed by the Imperial Immortal Master's Office and are divided into nine ranks.

Those at the seventh to ninth rank are merely those who occupy a village or town, and have a few Qi Refining cultivators who can establish their own stronghold. For example, the Chiyang Sect could barely be considered a ninth rank, and was not even considered a proper cultivator in the real world of cultivation.

Only those of the fourth to sixth rank can be considered pillars of the sect. Each sect must have a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge, controlling a minor spiritual vein and dominating a county.

As for grades one to three, those are truly top-tier items!

The sect must have a Golden Core expert in charge, who controls a large spiritual vein, and whose influence can radiate to several counties and even the entire Qingzhou!
Such forces are the true giants that determine the landscape of Qingzhou! His Qinglan Sect is a solid third-grade sect.

The sect leader's move was hardly a response to a challenge; it was clearly a trap set by the sect leader, dragging all the official forces of Qingzhou and the top powers of the cultivation world into the mess!

At that time, the Tianyan Sect will face the entire order of Qingzhou!

Elder Sun's heart pounded wildly, and his face showed a mixture of ecstasy and awe.

The sect leader of Qinglan Sect stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Didn't he want to be a chess player?"

"I will now transform this entire Qingzhou into a chessboard. Please take your seats."

I want to see how this mere chess piece will struggle to survive in this game!

Late at night.

The commotion at Tianyan Sect gradually subsided, leaving only the flickering light of lanterns held by the patrolling disciples.

"Xi Hong." Bai Muyun's voice sounded from behind.

Meng Xihong turned around and saw his wife walking over with a cup of hot tea.

"What are you thinking about?" Bai Muyun handed him the teacup and asked softly.

He turned his head and looked at his wife's beautiful face, his eyes churning with intense emotions.

"I'm wondering if this is too risky?" he said in a hoarse voice. "I'm not afraid of death... I'm afraid that we'll lose."

What will happen to An'er if we lose? What will happen to the Meng family? What will happen to the Tianyan Sect?
What about those... those whose hopes were ignited by the "Furnace Sutra"? He chuckled self-deprecatingly and loosened his clenched fist.

"It's laughable, but at first, I never thought about the ordinary people of the world, let alone about paving a path for anyone to carry on the past and open up the future. All I thought about was our An'er."

His gaze softened, as if it could penetrate the walls and see the small, heartbreakingly quiet figure in the quiet room.

"I just want him to be a normal child, to be able to chase butterflies in the sun, to cry and fuss, to be able to act spoiled, instead of being like this now, where even opening his eyes to see the world is a luxury."

“But, my wife…” Meng Xihong’s tone changed, becoming more confused and more passionate.

“I saw it. I saw those old farmers who, after receiving the cultivation techniques, kowtowed in the mud towards our sect, weeping uncontrollably;

I saw those veterans who had lost their hands and feet and thought they had no hope for the rest of their lives, yet they were trembling as they assumed a horse stance in the courtyard;

I saw those young people who were deemed 'useless' by the immortal sects, yet they stood tall again...

"Their eyes made me waver."

He paced slowly, as if asking Bai Muyun, or perhaps asking himself.

"My path is to protect, to create, and to pass on. I didn't understand it before, but now I think I understand a little bit."

Perhaps it's because of you, perhaps it's because of Qing'er and the others, or perhaps... this is fate.

"My path is very small, so small that I only want to protect the Meng family and the Tianyan Sect."

But now, it is vast, so vast that it bears the struggles and roars of countless mortals throughout the world.

Two flames ignited in Meng Xihong's eyes.

"The body refinement starlight shines again, but look at this Great Li Dynasty, among all the immortals and Buddhas, is there even one who is willing to pass down the true path to heaven?"

No!

Because this would shake the foundations they've built over millennia!

"Since no one is willing to be the one to stick their neck out, no one is willing to be the villain who shakes the barrier between immortals and mortals, then I will be the one!"

He turned around abruptly, grabbed Bai Muyun's shoulders, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"For An'er, and for them. This time, we must win, and we can only win!"

Bai Muyun listened quietly without interrupting him.

Only after he finished speaking did she reach out and gently smooth his furrowed brow.

"Xihong, have you forgotten the days we spent in Wufeng County?"

She gazed into his eyes, her eyes clear as water.

"Have you forgotten a single sentence from the Lin family, leaving us like stray dogs, forced to leave our homes? Have you forgotten how powerless and desperate we felt when An'er was born, facing that all-encompassing curse?"

“We never intended to destroy anyone’s foundation. We just wanted to stand up, to let our children, and to let ordinary people like us stand with dignity, without being bullied or having their lives taken by anyone.”

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word struck a chord in Meng Xihong's heart.

"We didn't want to light this fire; they forced us to."

Now that it's already started, let it burn even brighter, burning into a bright and clear world, burning into a world that we both acknowledge.

“Even if there is real danger, even if the road ahead is a bottomless abyss…” A faint but incredibly resilient smile bloomed on Bai Muyun’s lips, “Our family will jump with you.”

Meng Xihong held his wife's hand tightly in return. The soft touch felt like a warm current, instantly dispelling all the gloom and heaviness in his heart.

Yes.

He is not fighting alone.

He entered the quiet room and looked at Meng Yan'an on the bed, whose face was gradually regaining its color. The emotions that had been surging before had completely settled and turned into a cold determination.

Bai Muyun walked to his side and followed his gaze to An'er. She could feel that the confusion and anxiety in her husband had dissipated.

She looked at Meng Xihong, who was deep in thought, without saying a word. She simply rested her head gently on his shoulder, her gaze falling on her son's peaceful sleeping face. A tear silently slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, replacing it with the same resilience as her husband.

Then she bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her son's forehead, whispering her most heartfelt wish in a voice only she could hear.

"Our little Yan'an..."

"May you break the curse every year, and be safe and sound every year. May you be safe and sound every year, and may the curse disappear and your good fortune grow."

　Dear readers, Happy National Day! This is the last chapter for today.

　　The red envelope at 6 PM will be sent below this chapter. Thank you for your support.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)