"I am a man!"
"I am a man!"
"I am a man!"
"..."
The four words echoed above the Tomb of the Heavenly Venerate, stirring the souls of everyone present.
"I, Shangguan Qinghua, swear that if such a day truly comes, I shall never retreat, lest I be struck by heavenly punishment and die beneath the might of heaven!"
"I, Shangguan Youran, swear that if such a day truly comes, I shall never retreat, lest I be struck by heavenly punishment and die beneath the might of heaven!"
"I, Shangguan Guhong, swear that if... die beneath the might of heaven!"
"I, Shangguan Leibao, swear..."
"I, Shangguan..."
"I..."
The Shangguan family members, spurred by the words "I am a man," began to make vows.
Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan exchanged another look, a hint of relief in their eyes.
This was how guardians and guardian families should be.
If everyone on Azure Star were like this, what need would there be to fear the calamity of world destruction?
Of course, every family had its share of rot, and the Shangguan family was no exception.
In the end, the ten individuals who refused to swear were immediately expelled from the family by Shangguan Lincang and their names were erased from the family registry.
This meant that from this day forward, these ten individuals and their descendants were no longer part of the Shangguan family, were not protected by it, and were forbidden from using any of the Shangguan family's resources.
Zi Linling said with satisfaction, "Sons of the Shangguan family, I retract my earlier underestimation of you! In the face of great right and wrong, you truly stand tall."
She paused here and nodded at Ye Lingyuan.
Ye Lingyuan understood, retrieved the remains of Heavenly Venerate Xi Zhihe from his Nine Dragon Ring, and said, "Shangguan Yulin, this is yours!"
Upon seeing such an "opportunity," the Shangguan family members felt as though they had been toyed with. Their expressions turned grim, with the exception of three individuals.
These three, naturally, were Shangguan Lincang, Shangguan Yulin, and Shangguan Yulong.
The moment Shangguan Yulin saw the remains, he felt a connection of blood.
A silent summons caused his feet to move involuntarily.
Closer! Closer!
His trembling hand gently caressed the remains of Xi Zhihe, feeling the joy of reunion from the bones, and his eyes gradually became moist.
And with father and son connected by heart, Shangguan Lincang immediately sensed Shangguan Yulin's excited emotions.
Therefore, he was certain that this was the opportunity his ancestor had spoken of for Shangguan Yulin.
As a result, he not only felt no sense of being tricked but even had the urge to roar to the heavens with joy for his son.
Although Shangguan Yulong was young, he shared the same roots as Shangguan Yulin and could feel his brother's emotions. Thus, he was genuinely happy for his elder brother.
"Miss Zi, Your Highness Prince Ye! Thank you! Thank you for allowing me to reunite with him after the sands of time have shifted! Thank you for giving me the chance to fight alongside him once more!" Shangguan Yulin said sincerely.
The moment he first saw the remains of Xi Zhihe, the memories buried deep within his soul, experienced through countless reincarnations, all awakened.
He understood his mission and the purpose behind Miss Zi's two earlier questions.
Zi Linling smiled and said, "You have me to thank, not!"
She then looked at Ye Lingyuan and added, "Nor him!"
Her gaze then returned to Shangguan Yulin, and she continued, "You have yourself to thank! If not for those two questions, and if you had not given the perfect answer, I would not have given you the remains of the Heavenly Venerate!"
Shangguan Yulin blinked and instinctively asked, "Why?"
Zi Linling smiled and said, "What I desire is for the world to have more guardians who are loyal and righteous, with a broad perspective, rather than more selfish, ungrateful individuals who only think of themselves!"
"Now that you know everything, it is time for us to leave. Once you have perfectly merged with him, come and find us!"
She finished speaking, then gave Ye Lingyuan a gentle smile and said, "Let's go!"
Ye Lingyuan nodded, took Zi Linling's delicate hand, and prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Shangguan Yulin stopped them.
Zi Linling smiled and asked, "Is there something else?"
Shangguan Yulin cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Miss Zi, Your Highness Prince Ye, please accompany me back to the Shangguan family for a visit, so that I may express my gratitude!"
Zi Linling looked at Ye Lingyuan, smiled sweetly, and said, "There is no need! I only hope you will remember your mission, guide the Shangguan family, and shoulder the responsibility of protecting the family! Farewell!"
With that, she and Ye Lingyuan vanished from sight.
"Hey, how will I find you?"
Shangguan Yulin shouted towards the direction where they had disappeared.
"The calamity of world destruction is imminent. You should quickly merge with the remains of your past life. Once the fusion is complete, you will naturally know how to find us!"
Zi Linling's voice drifted from afar, reaching Shangguan Yulin's ears.
He looked at the spot where they had vanished, a new determination in his eyes, and murmured to himself, "The calamity of world destruction, is it? Wait for me!"
Shangguan Lincang walked to his side and patted his shoulder, saying, "They are long gone. Let's go back!"
Shangguan Yulin retracted his gaze, turned to the other members of the Shangguan family, and said, "You... alas, forget it. Everyone go back! However, you must remember the vows you made today, or I will be the first to not let you off!"
With that, under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, he took Shangguan Yulong's hand and said to Shangguan Lincang, "Father, Long'er, let's go back!"
He did not offer further explanations about the calamity of world destruction or the matter of protecting the family.
While the Shangguan family returned to their mansion in a grand procession, Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan spent a passionate night in the courtyard they had purchased before heading to Central City.
By the time they arrived in Central City, only three days remained until the Pill Dao Convention.
At this moment, Central City was thriving like never before. The city was prosperous, and a festive atmosphere permeated every corner.
After all, the Pill Dao Convention was an unprecedented grand event, and the organizers naturally leveraged it to boost the economy of Central City.
Originally, with Zi Linling's status as an Emperor-level alchemist and Ye Lingyuan's status as a quasi-divine king, they were entitled to reside in the VIP area arranged by the Alchemist Guild.
However, both Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan tacitly chose to stay outside.
Firstly, since they met, they had spent most of their time in arduous journeys, with little time spent together. Therefore, they decided to seize this opportunity to spend quality time together and deepen their bond.
Secondly, the VIP area was bound to have individuals who looked down on others. With their temperaments, it was inevitable that unnecessary conflicts would arise, affecting their moods.
Therefore, it was better to stay outside and enjoy their freedom.
Yet, as it turned out, even if they didn't seek trouble, trouble would still find them.