A full month had passed since the clan's internal competition — and as expected, Shen Xuan had finished in fifth place. Of course, it wasn't because he lacked strength; he had held back intentionally.
The higher his ranking, the more attention he would attract from the elders — something he didn't want, not yet.
Still, even at fifth place, he couldn't escape notice completely. A new rising genius was always bound to draw eyes.
Two days later, all the top disciples from the eight King Clans were to gather in a grand meeting, where the top five participants from each clan would be chosen to enter the Ancient Battlefield Planet — a ruined yet mysterious world filled with endless opportunities.
From the Lan Clan, the top five were:
Lan Xu, the clan's top genius, age twenty-five, at the mid Qi Condensation stage. Lan Lan, the clan's second prodigy and Lan Xu's cousin, equally talented though slightly weaker. She is also knoen for her beauty. Jiang Wu from the Jiang family, also at mid Qi Condensation. Xiao Chen from the Xiao family. And finally, Shen Xuan, the only one at the early Qi Condensation stage — which made his placement all the more shocking.
The day before the grand clan meeting, the top five disciples were summoned to the Elders' Hall.
The massive hall was built from white jade, glowing faintly under the morning light. Dozens of elders sat in two rows, their expressions calm yet sharp. At the far end stood two seats — one slightly higher, belonging to the Clan Head, currently empty.The other seat, placed beside it, was occupied.
A woman sat there, her posture flawless, her gaze cold and deep like an icy lake. Her long blue hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes shimmered with the same hue — cold, distant, and commanding. Her robe of white and light blue radiated both nobility and power, making it impossible to look away.
She was Lan Xueyao, the sister of the Lan Clan's Patriarch, and the woman who managed the clan whenever the Patriarch was away.
Even among the elders, few dared to meet her eyes directly.
The five young disciples entered the hall and bowed deeply.
Shen Xuan's eyes swept over her calmly. He did not lose composure, nor was he captivated afterall he had seen a beauty far beyond mortal comprehension long xinyue, But to the others, Lan Xueyao was like an untouchable goddess.
The five selected disciples stood quietly before the Elders' Hall.
Lan Xueyao's gaze swept across them — calm, sharp, assessing.
When her eyes finally landed on Shen Xuan, she paused for a moment.
The boy was only fifteen, yet his appearance was striking — sharp features, calm eyes that carried depth far beyond his age. His quiet composure and faintly cold aura gave him a presence that outshone even those stronger than him.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
It was unintentional — pure coincidence — but neither looked away immediately.
Lan Xueyao felt a strange flicker of surprise within herself.
Fifteen years old… and yet, this boy's temperament—
She quickly masked the thought, her face regaining its usual serenity.
An elder broke the silence.
"Great elder, with respect — are you sure these children are ready? They're all only in the Qi Condensation realm. The Ancient Battlefield Planet… it's far too dangerous."
Lan Xueyao's expression didn't change. Her tone was cold but reassuring, like ice over steel.
"There's no need for concern. I will personally lead our group. The representatives from all King Clans will accompany their disciples as well. No one will be left unguarded."
A wave of relief spread among the elders.
Lan Xueyao turned back to the five.
"You've all performed well so far," she said evenly. "But the Ancient Battlefield is no place for arrogance. Whatever opportunity appears there — seize it. What you achieve there will decide your standing in the continental gathering next year."
The five disciples bowed deeply.
"Yes, Great elder!"
After the meeting, they returned to their quarters.
Morning arrived.
The five gathered before the clan's grand gates, ready for departure. Moments later, Lan Xueyao appeared, dressed in a flowing blue robe that shimmered faintly beneath the morning light. A few elders escorted her, offering parting bows before she and the disciples boarded the Lan Clan's flying boat — a massive vessel shaped like a silver phoenix gliding through clouds.
As the ship lifted into the sky, Lan Xueyao stood at the bow, her long hair rippling in the wind, quietly observing the disciples.
She noticed that Shen Xuan kept mostly to himself — distant, calm, standing alone near the edge, his eyes fixed on the endless clouds below.
Even when Lan Lan, the clan's proud beauty, tried to strike up conversation, he replied politely and then returned to silence.
Lan Lan, unused to being ignored, found herself oddly intrigued.
Few men could remain unaffected by her presence, yet Shen Xuan seemed to exist in a world of his own.
Lan Xueyao continued to observe silently. There was something about the boy that unsettled her not danger, but mystery.
Shen Xuan, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts.
He wasn't interested in admiration or attention.
The Ancient Battlefield Planet was his real focus — a place rumored to hold endless opportunities… and perhaps, the key to awakening the hidden roots within his body.
But one thing annoyed him deeply — each group would be led by high-ranking elders or clan heads.
He had hoped to move freely once they arrived, yet that now seemed unlikely.
Still, his mind was set. After this expedition, he would return to the Lu Clan, as his master had ordered.
He was, after all, the personal disciple of the Clan Head.
After six hours of travel, the flying boat finally descended toward the vast expanse below — a barren land covered in ancient ruins and broken mountains glowing faintly under a red sky.
The other King Clans were already there.
The Lan Clan's vessel was the last to arrive.
The Lan Clan's flying boat descended gracefully, its light wings folding as it touched the ground. The air around the ancient valley buzzed with spiritual energy — every King Clan had already arrived.
The moment Lan Xueyao and her group stepped down, dozens of eyes turned toward her.
Her presence was impossible to ignore — even with the white veil covering her face, the faint outline of her features and the noble curve of her figure made her appear ethereal, like a goddess wrapped in mortal light.
Clan heads and elders greeted her warmly.
"Lady Xueyao, it is an honor," one said.
Another smiled, "We were wondering why the Lan Clan's head wasn't here today."
Lan Xueyao's cold voice carried easily across the crowd.
"My brother had urgent matters outside the clan. I will lead our group this time."
Her tone was calm, polite, yet distant — a voice that invited no further questions. Still, more than one clan head couldn't help admiring the icy goddess standing before them. Every single one of them had once tried — and failed — to win her favor. Even some Emperor Clan envoys had been turned away by her calm rejection.
As the greetings ended, the atmosphere turned solemn.
The disciples from all seven King Clans gathered, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and excitement.
Among them stood Shen Xuan — silent, composed, he wore mask so no one was able to see his handsome face but lanlan was only focusing him He had noticed something the moment they landed.
Not far away, he saw two familiar figures among the clan heads.
One was a tall, broad man with dark golden robes — the Head of the Shen Clan, his father.
The other was a in black robes radiating oppressive might — the Patriarch of the Feng Clan, the brother of shen xuan mother and his uncle.
For a moment, the world around Shen Xuan seemed to fall silent.
His fists clenched unconsciously, his jaw tightening.
Inside him, something dark and violent stirred — years of buried resentment clawing its way up.
That man... the one who called himself my father.
And the otherone was his mother's brother his so called uncle.
Lan Xueyao, standing not far from him, suddenly felt it — a faint, chaotic ripple in the spiritual field around Shen Xuan. Her gaze shifted toward him, her brows narrowing slightly behind the veil.
The boy's calm exterior cracked for a moment — his aura unstable, emotions bleeding through.
When she followed his line of sight, she froze.
He was staring directly at the Shen and Feng Clan heads and in his eyes, there was no fear, no reverence... only burning hatred.
Lan Xueyao's heartbeat quickened imperceptibly.
Why… would a fifteen-year-old boy look at them like that?
She said nothing, but the question stayed with her.
Meanwhile, the seven clan heads stepped forward, forming a wide circle. They began to chant ancient incantations, each producing a glowing key — forged from condensed star and space energy.
Together, they placed their keys into the empty grooves of a massive stone gate that floated in midair. As the last key clicked into place, the valley trembled.
A terrifying aura burst forth — the power of space itself. The formation carved into the ground beneath them ignited, forming an enormous pattern shaped like a constellation.
The Star Formation.
Winds roared. Spiritual pressure flooded the area, forcing the weaker disciples to their knees. Even the air seemed to bend under the immense force.
And then — with a deafening hum — the gate opened.
A tunnel of shimmering light appeared, swirling endlessly, leading into the unknown.
"This is it," Lan Xueyao said softly, her voice steady despite the chaos. "Once we enter, we'll arrive at the Ancient Battlefield Planet. Everyone, stay alert and do not wander apart."
The disciples nodded, though everyone knew — if true opportunity appeared, loyalty would shatter in an instant.
As they began to step into the tunnel, Shen Xuan cast one last look toward the two men who had defined his pain. His aura trembled again — quiet but sharp, like a blade pressed against his own heart.
If looks could kill, both the Shen and Feng clan heads would have fallen that very moment.
Lan Xueyao, walking just ahead of him, caught that faint flicker once more — the look of someone who had suffered, yet endured.
She didn't know who the boy truly was.
But she knew one thing for certain —
whatever burned inside Shen Xuan was not ordinary hatred. It was something deeper. Something dangerous. She decided that after return she would aquire about shen xuan background.
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