"I am Xuanyuan Wuyang!" the man grinned. "Young man, this is no place for you. Leave at once!"

"Uncle Wuyang!" Xuanyuan Tianming exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Hm? You recognize me?" Xuanyuan Wuyang raised an eyebrow, his gaze casually sweeping the area before landing on the stele. His brow furrowed. My memory seems flawed... I've been here before, so why don't I have the slightest recollection of it?

BOOM!

As he spoke, Xuanyuan Wuyang raised a hand and unleashed a palm strike that exploded in the sky above the ancient town.

"You... how could you be so rude?!" Qin Yao's delicate body trembled, her pretty face flushed with anger. This man was too barbaric, destroying the ancient town without any provocation and turning it into ruins! However, when she got a clear look at his face, her body trembled again. She found the bearded man's appearance somehow familiar.

"Ha!" The man chuckled heartily, seemingly unconcerned about his previous actions. He withdrew his palm and looked at Qin Yao. "Little girl, what brings you to such a backwater? Then again, it makes sense. You female cultivators from the major sects are usually so vain. The spiritual energy is thin and resources are scarce here. This is no place for you. In any case, consider yourself lucky to be leaving with your life today."

"Are you from the Qin Family?" Qin Yao asked after a moment of silence.

"The Qin Family? How do you know of the Qin Family?" Xuanyuan Wuyang was astonished.

"A lucky guess," Qin Yao said indifferently.

"..." Xuanyuan Wuyang paused, a trace of wariness in his gaze. He shook his head. "I am not from the Qin Family, but I am deeply connected to them, which is why I came to help you. As for you, friend," he said, turning to Xuanyuan Tianming, "you may have killed my incarnation, but considering the hardships of cultivation, I'll let you leave."

Before he could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Wuyang turned to go.

"Stop!" Xuanyuan Tianming roared, thrusting his arms forward. The Xuanyuan Imperial Seal shot out, emanating a heaven-surging draconian might!

"Hmm?" Xuanyuan Wuyang stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned, his gaze fixed on the Xuanyuan Imperial Seal. "You... You're actually a descendant of the Xuanyuan Clan! Incredible! The Xuanyuan Imperial Seal still exists... No wonder... No wonder I found the aura in your body so familiar. We share the same bloodline! However... this Xuanyuan Imperial Seal appears to be incomplete."

WHOOSH!

As the words left his lips, Xuanyuan Wuyang raised a hand and cast a spell. The Xuanyuan Imperial Seal hummed and trembled as if it were about to tear through the sky and flee!

"Trying to leave?" Xuanyuan Tianming snorted coldly.

WHOOSH!

A burst of flames flew out, enveloping the Xuanyuan Imperial Seal.

"The Netherworld Nine-Yin Flame! You truly are a descendant of the Xuanyuan Clan!" Seeing this, Xuanyuan Wuyang's expression changed drastically. He exclaimed again, "No, that's not right! This isn't an ordinary Netherworld Nine-Yin Flame! You... have you devoured the Netherworld Nine-Yin Flame? Impossible! You're merely at the Nascent Soul Stage; how could you possibly devour it? Your bloodline... it's not simple. Your bloodline is very special! You..."

"Who exactly are you?!" Xuanyuan Tianming's brow furrowed deeply. This man gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.

He was certain this bearded man was no ordinary individual. At least at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage! And not the early stage, either!

"I am Xuanyuan Wuyang, one of the three ancestors of the Xuanyuan Clan," Xuanyuan Wuyang said after a slight hesitation, sighing as he glanced at Qin Yao. "I have a history with this little girl. I once intended to take her as my disciple, but alas, she refused to join my sect. I had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and bring her to Nanling City, sending her to this small village for tempering.

"Sigh... It was all a matter of fate... I will never forget that night when an evil demon pursued us... That demon was at the late stage of the Transcendance Tribulation. I gave it my all and only managed to block a single strike! I protected her with my life so she could escape, but... I still perished... Before I died, I entrusted her to the care of Village Chief Li Bo."

As Xuanyuan Wuyang spoke, a look of sorrow washed over his face.

"Uncle Wuyang! *Sob*... Where's my mother?! Why didn't she come?! *Wail*! Why didn't my mother come?!" Upon hearing this story, Xuanyuan Tianming burst into sobs and threw himself into Xuanyuan Wuyang's arms.

"My child, don't be saddened. Your father is already dead, and as for your mother..." Xuanyuan Wuyang's tone softened considerably as he held Xuanyuan Tianming.

Just then, a piercing shriek tore through the sky as a lotus suddenly bloomed!

"Monstrous beast!" an angry voice roared. A white-bearded elder in a green robe soared into the sky, blasting a palm strike directly toward the blooming lotus!

However, the lotus was unbelievably strange. The elder's palm strike disintegrated in an instant!

"Ahhh—"

A scream echoed as the elder vomited blood. He was thrown backward, plummeting into the lake below.

"Grandfather!" Xuanyuan Tianming's eyes widened. Seeing his grandfather fall into the lake, he frantically dove into the water to find him.

"Vile creature! You dare launch a sneak attack?!" another furious shout erupted. A figure enveloped in golden light soared into the air. He wielded a battle saber, slashing it down toward the blossoming lotus!

CLANG!

With a sharp ring, the golden light shattered. The elder, at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, was sent flying hundreds of meters, smashing through a cluster of houses! Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crashed.

"So strong!"

"So formidable!"

"Who is that?"

The surrounding villagers were dumbfounded. The scene was too shocking. These were their village chief and deputy chief! The two of them together were no match for that bewitching lotus flower.

"Little lad, that lotus flower is a Spiritual Artifact! Your parents are in grave danger!" Xuanyuan Wuyang said, looking gravely at the lotus and then at Xuanyuan Tianming. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "You have an excellent constitution. Your cultivation should proceed much more smoothly."

WHOOSH!

With that, his figure flickered and vanished. His voice lingered in the air, "Little lad, that girl... she is my grandniece. Her name is Qin Yao."

Qin Yao was also stunned. Snapping back to her senses, she hurried over to Xuanyuan Tianming.

"Sister Qin Yao, who is that man? And who are the parents he mentioned?" Qin Ya asked curiously, wiping away her tears.

"He... he said his surname is Xuanyuan," Qin Yao said after a moment's thought, glancing at Xuanyuan Tianming. She spoke softly, "He is an old friend of my father's. My father's death was related to him, but... he must have been framed by his enemies! He said he sent your mother to a secret realm for training. My father was in the late Golden Core Stage back then; his cultivation must have surpassed that by now. He must have entered that secret realm, which is why he said... he was the one who arranged it!"

Xuanyuan Tianming blinked. "Do you believe him?"

"I don't," Qin Yao replied without a second's hesitation. "I've explored that secret realm with my father. It's a deathly swamp filled with nothing but corpses. There wasn't a single herb to be found, let alone any treasure."

"Oh." Xuanyuan Tianming nodded, making a mental note of it. He had never visited his father's grave and didn't know the specifics. But it seems such a place really does exist in this world!

"Hey! You show some respect for your elders!"

Suddenly, a voice called out. Xuanyuan Wuyang reappeared in a single step, standing before Xuanyuan Tianming with a kindly smile. "Since you've acknowledged me as your uncle, why don't you go ahead and call me that?"

"Un... cle?" Xuanyuan Tianming's mouth twitched.

"Haha! The boy is shy!" Xuanyuan Wuyang chuckled, taken aback for a moment. He then burst into hearty laughter and, with a wave of his sleeve, sent a streak of light into Xuanyuan Tianming's forehead. "This is the second volume of the *Eternal Sword Tome*. Once you've successfully cultivated it, come find me at my residence, and I'll guide your practice! By the way, kiddo, thanks for your help just now. If you hadn't arrived in time, your uncle here would have been a goner. You saved my life."

SWISH!

And with that, he vanished in a flash.

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