Chapter 8: The Shadow from the Capital, The Ancestral Hall's Secret
The news of Ye Kun's death and Ye Chen's miraculous rise rippled through Blue Cloud City like a sudden storm, but within the walls of the Ye Clan, the atmosphere was one of profound, suffocating stillness. The disciples who had once spat at the ground Ye Chen walked on now kept their heads bowed, their eyes fixed on the stone floor whenever his shadow passed.
Ye Chen didn't relish in the fear. To him, the Ye Clan was merely the starting point—the small pond that held his father's legacy. He stood at the entrance of the Ye Clan Ancestral Hall, an ancient structure of black basalt and ironwood that stood at the highest point of the estate. This was where the tablets of the ancestors were kept, and where the core of the clan's spiritual energy was anchored.
"Patriarch," a voice whispered from behind.
Ye Chen turned to see Ye Ling. She had fully integrated the Dragon-Blood Marrow; her skin had a healthy glow, and her aura was stable at the 5th stage of Body Refinement. More importantly, her eyes held a spark of intelligence and unwavering loyalty.
"The City Lord has departed," she reported softly. "But before he left, he warned that the 'Imperial Censors' were already on their way from the Capital. He suspects the Second Elder wasn't working with a rival clan, but with someone inside the Imperial Court."
Ye Chen nodded, his eyes fixed on the heavy iron doors of the hall. "The court wants the North. My father was the only thing standing in their way. Now that they think he's dead, they want to ensure the Ye Clan becomes a compliant dog. They won't like that a new wolf has taken the seat."
"What will you do?"
"I will do what any homeowner does when pests arrive," Ye Chen said, pushing open the massive doors. "I will strengthen the foundations."
As the doors closed behind him, the smell of ancient incense and cold stone enveloped him. Thousands of spirit tablets were arranged in tiers, each representing a warrior of the Ye line. At the very back, beneath a massive carving of a dragon coiling around a sword, was the tablet of the First Ancestor.
[Ding! Detection: Host has arrived at 'The Ye Clan Ancestral Hall'.]
[Status: Grade 3 Ancient Location.]
[Would the host like to Sign-In?]
Sign-in.
[Ding! Congratulations! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: The 'Ancestral Dragon-Soul Sutra' (Divine Soul Technique)!]
[Reward: 'Chaos Origin Qi' (One Year of Pure Cultivation)!]
[Reward: Breakthrough to 'Spirit-Sea Realm - 1st Stage'!]
The "One Year of Pure Cultivation" didn't enter his body as a pill or a liquid; it manifested as a roaring torrent of gray energy that descended from the ceiling of the hall. Ye Chen sat cross-legged, his Chaos Physique acting as a lightning rod.
The transition from Body Refinement to the Spirit-Sea Realm was the first true hurdle for any cultivator. It required the physical body to be strong enough to contain a literal "sea" of spiritual energy within the dantian. For most, this process took years of careful tempering. For Ye Chen, it was an instantaneous reconstruction.
His dantian expanded, the gray mist liquefying into a vast, swirling ocean of Chaos energy. As the Spirit-Sea formed, his senses exploded outward. He could feel every ant crawling on the hall's outer walls; he could hear the heartbeat of the guards a mile away.
More importantly, the Ancestral Dragon-Soul Sutra began to etch itself into his mind. Unlike physical techniques, this was a Soul Art. It allowed him to project his will as a physical pressure and, eventually, to manifest a "Soul Avatar."
BOOM.
The Ancestral Hall trembled. A phantom image of a silver-gray dragon momentarily coiled around the building before vanishing into Ye Chen's back.
Outside, the sky suddenly darkened. A fleet of three majestic Flying Spirit-Boats, draped in the gold-and-purple banners of the Azure Dragon Empire, descended toward the city.
A high-pitched, arrogant voice echoed through the air, amplified by spiritual power. "By the decree of the Emperor! Ye Chen of the Ye Clan is summoned to receive the Imperial Audit! Any resistance will be treated as rebellion!"
Inside the hall, Ye Chen opened his eyes. They were no longer just silver; they held the depth of a bottomless abyss. He stood up, his new Spirit-Sea realm aura making the very air around him hum with power.
"Summoned?" Ye Chen whispered, a cold, predatory smile touching his lips. "I haven't even finished cleaning my house, and the tax collectors are already at the door."
He walked toward the exit, the Great Seal of the Azure Dragon on his arm pulsing in rhythm with his new Spirit-Sea. The "Audit" was about to become an "Execution."