C1511 A Complicated Relationship

"What's his name?"

Yu Yuan's interest piqued in the returnees from the Moonfall Sanctuary after Yan Qiling's detailed account. He couldn't help but find amusement in the situation.

The individual born in the Star River, who had first ventured into the Everlands, sought to refine the Dragon Slaying Stage and claim the divine position that was rightfully his.

In his first life, only Taishi and Tian Zang within the Boulderdawn were privy to his true identity.

The three God-Kings, Tianqi, Soul-Capturing, and Gui Xu, were likely kept in the dark by Taishi's intentional concealment.

So when Tianqi arrived at the Moonfall Sanctuary and noticed another Dragon Slaying Stage, he suggested that the God-King attempt to comprehend and possibly refine it.

Yan Qiling indicated that the Spirit Magic the individual was studying was the very same that Yu Yuan had passed on in his first life.

This meant that the one vying for his divine position would ultimately have to submit to him.

"Hua Xin! His name is Hua Xin!"

Hu Caiyun, not bothering to mask her fury, said through clenched teeth, "That arrogant kid claimed that even you would have to call him 'Grandpa' after I mentioned your name!"

"Call him 'Grandpa'?" Yu Yuan's expression turned stern.

It was one thing for a fellow Boulderdawn member to fairly compete for the God-King's throne without full knowledge of the circumstances.

Being unaware of his true identity and displacing his frustration on Hu Caiyun due to the disappearance of the Dragon Slaying Stage was somewhat overstepping, but it could be excused.

However, the demand to be called 'Grandpa' crossed a line.

Yu Yuan was immediately irked.

"Cough, cough, well..."

Seeing Yu Yuan's irritation, Yan Qiling chuckled awkwardly, quickly trying to clarify, "Peach Madam isn't wrong; Hua Xin did say that. But there's more to the story, let me explain."

Yu Yuan, with a stern face, commanded, "Go on."

"Those who were forced to leave the Everlands and make their way in the extraterrestrial realm had it tough!" Yan Qiling began with a sigh, then continued, "They spent tens of thousands of years and, without the support of the Everlands, they managed to raise three God-Kings! When I first learned of this, I was profoundly moved and couldn't help but respect their achievement."

Yu Yuan's complexion improved slightly as he remarked, "Indeed, they deserve our admiration."

"I learned through Taishi that their journey to survive at the fringes of the Star River was extraordinarily difficult. Their numbers were few, and the losses they suffered were devastating. At their bleakest, their count dwindled to a mere dozen or so, teetering on the brink of extinction."

Yan Qiling spoke with a grave demeanor, continuing his narrative.

"Given their scant numbers, the Boulderdawn made a pivotal decision after discovering a method for those of higher cultivation to conceive offspring, ensuring the sect's survival."

"They resolved to secretly reach out to human race powerhouses who had also broken free from the Everlands and were at odds with the Five Supreme Powers."

"Some were deemed heretics by the Everlands and thus came under their radar. These individuals were discreetly assimilated, and their union with the Boulderdawn survivors gave rise to a new generation."

"Those who had the credentials to depart the Everlands and were selected to foster new life were all exceptional characters."

"As you're aware, the majority of Solar Spirit experts are incapable of transporting their real bodies to extraterrestrial realms."

"To become a partner with someone from the Boulderdawn, one must be present in their real body. Under such stringent conditions, only cultivators of the Unbound Realm were eligible."

"And yet, there are so few Unbound Realm cultivators in any given era, with the majority already aligned with the five supreme factions."

"Finding such beings, who also stand in opposition to the Everlands' supreme powers, narrows the field even further."

"Only after the Boulderdawn welcomed three God-Kings did the criteria begin to relax."

"Your great-aunt, Yu Ying, was favored by Ruan Lengling of the Forgeroses, who imparted some cultivation techniques to her. Due to the pressing battles in extraterrestrial territories, she swiftly departed to the stars to join the conflict."

"She had only recently ascended to the Unbound Realm when she left the Everlands for extraterrestrial space, in her real body."

Yan Qiling paused, a smile playing on his lips.

Yu Yuan's expression instantly turned rigid. "And what of Hua Xin?"

"That's correct," Yan Qiling nodded. "Rumors had it that Ruan Lengling perished shortly after she went off to war in the extraterrestrial realms. But in truth, she was rescued by a powerful Hua from the Boulderdawn."

"Hua Xin, that's the one, along with her child."

"Since she was your great-aunt Yu Ying's mentor, by the Forgeroses' hierarchy, Hua Xin and Yu Ying are peers."

"Hua Xin took advantage of you, suggesting that you might have to call him 'Grandpa' upon meeting him. That's the gist of it."

Yan Qiling clarified the hidden details.

"Zhongli Dapan and Han Yue's junior sister, Ruan Lengling, whom everyone thought dead, had a child in the extraterrestrial?"

Even Peach Madam Hu Caiyun was taken aback by this revelation.

If we consider Yu Yuan's current identity, in light of the relationship between Ruan Lengling and Yu Ying, wouldn't Hua Xin be his grandfather?

"Where is Elder Ruan?" Yu Yuan was filled with frustration.

"She's gone..."

Yan Qiling let out a soft sigh, "Ruan Lengling has passed away, and so has Hua Xin's father, during an expedition to a forbidden area where no one had ever ventured before."

He paused before adding, "Taishi once said that Soul-Capturing, Tianqi, and Gui Xu, in their quest to ascend to God-King status without the support of the Everlands, paid a price too steep to fathom."

"In the beginning, there were hundreds of them. But at their lowest point, only a handful remained. They were driven to the edge of extinction and had no choice but to assimilate the so-called Evil Demon Giants of the Everlands."

"They had to abandon all their plans and concentrate solely on seeking higher realm experts to procreate with."

"Compared to them, the humans and evilkinds of the Everlands live in luxury."

"Their path to divinity was far more arduous than that of those who ascended later in the Everlands."

"Take the new deities like Lee Tianxin, Gu Xingkui, and Zhu Zhenlin. After the supreme beings perished in battle and vacancies arose, these individuals, with the right talent and sect support, could strive for the Divine Throne."

"Soul-Capturing, Tianqi, and Gui Xu seem to have ascended to their divine thrones at the cost of countless lives."

"Yet, what they're truly lacking is people."

Yan Qiling, a follower of Taishi, had been at his side for some time, privy to many secrets.

Deep down, he held a certain admiration for figures like Soul-Capturing, Tianqi, and Gui Xu.

Against all odds, in a Mysterious Realm where all extraterrestrial beings had halted, the Boulderdawn survivors from the Everlands, after tens of thousands of years in darkness, had achieved such splendor!

They had even unraveled numerous enigmas that had long vexed the inhabitants of the Everlands.

For instance, the issue of high-ranking cultivators struggling to bear offspring.

Or how the Otherkin from beyond could harness the arcane and Spirit Magic of Boulderdawn to cultivate the human race's spiritual energy system.

And the challenge of attaining divinity without relying on the Everlands.

They were the illustrious trailblazers of this era in the Everlands, the brilliant minds who forged new frontiers.

"Speaking of which..."

Yan Qiling shifted his tone, his gaze darting, "The five highest powers have formally invited our Boulderdawn Sect, hoping we can nominate you as our envoy."

"Because you control the Dragon Slaying Stage, and you hold the Wintermaw."

"God-King Tianqi personally visited the Moonfall Sanctuary, intending to partake in the trade summit and encounter the so-called mightiest of the Everlands. God-King Gui Xu shares a similar curiosity about the Everlands' elite and likely harbors similar intentions."

"Yet, ironically, you were chosen as Boulderdawn's representative because of your command over the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Wintermaw."

"And Taishi is conveniently in seclusion."

Yan Qiling's brow was furrowed with concern.

"With that said, I'm in no rush to head to the Moonfall Sanctuary."

Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes, gazing toward the Aetherius Continent, "With the Dragon Slaying Stage at my disposal, reaching the Moonfall Sanctuary would be instantaneous. But I choose not to go just yet. If Tianqi and Gui Xu, the two God-Kings, have any misunderstandings or grievances, they can come to me directly."

He turned to Hu Caiyun, "You're not worried, are you?"

"Why should I be? If it comes to it, I'll just make my home in the Rainbow Ocean. I belong here, after all," Hu Caiyun said with a smile, her demeanor seemingly carefree.

"There's something I have to tell you. Beneath us lies a Terra Fiend Ancestor named Huangyin," Yu Yuan revealed.

The vessel that Huangyin had refined belonged to Hu Caiyun's partner. Yu Yuan had uncovered the truth before Tan Junshan, Chen Liangquan, and Loong Jie had descended, and Youyu simply couldn't be bothered to explain.

Hu Caiyun might still be unaware of the circumstances surrounding her partner's death.

She didn't realize that the dark arts she had mastered to purify the miasma were, in fact, bestowed upon her by Huangyin.

"Judging by your expression, you're truly clueless about what transpired. Allow me to enlighten you."

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