Up until now, Elder You Bitong and the others' reverence for Jiang Chen was purely due to the ancestral teachings, because Jiang Chen is the direct descendant of the first Lord Xue.

However, they were very aware that inside their clan, some of the young people and even some middle-aged people were not quite convinced, only holding back due to the ancestral teachings.

But now, if Jiang Chen's leap—an attempt that seemed like showing off—failed to achieve success, it would significantly affect his prestige in the hearts of the Shadow Clan members!

"Oh no, Mr. Jiang's leap is about to lose its strength!"

You Ye's complexion changed as she cried out in alarm.

Everyone stared unblinkingly at Jiang Chen, who had leapt into the distance.

When Jiang Chen reached about a hundred meters, his momentum had greatly weakened. Upon reaching one hundred and twenty meters, the impact was almost gone; his body paused slightly in mid-air and was about to fall.

The complexion of You Zhengqian on the ground changed, and he prepared to channel his Inner Qi to rush up and catch Jiang Chen.

"Dragon-Tyrant Technique's second form, Qi Tun Shan He!"

A loud shout rang out, stunning You Zhengqian, who stared dumbfounded at Jiang Chen above.

All members of the Shadow Clan held their breath, staring fixedly at the figure of Jiang Chen in the sky.

Hum hum hum!

A domineering aura surged to the heavens, a faint golden light emerging from Jiang Chen's body.

"Ao!"

A resonant dragon roar emanated from within Jiang Chen's body, as his hands suddenly shone with a golden radiance.

Hum hum!

The domineering aura surged instantly but did not spread out; instead, it shot straight up the rock wall, surpassing the two-hundred-meter mark in an instant.

"Slash!"

Jiang Chen shouted loudly once more.

Swoosh!

Jiang Chen's figure vanished instantly, and in the next moment, he appeared at the entrance of the two-hundred-meter-high cave, successfully climbing up.

Dragon Swallows Rivers and Mountains!

Wherever the aura reached, an image of a Divine Dragon flashed for an instant!

However, Jiang Chen did not release his force outward but spread the Dragon Qi throughout his body, covering himself in golden light, transforming into a swimming dragon. He turned himself into the form of a Secret Technique, directly leveraging the attack property of Dragon Swallows Rivers and Mountains to carry himself into the cave.

"My god! He, he… he made it up!"

"Awesome! Lord Xue is really awesome!"

"A peak of Semi Venerable Venerable Realm's strength, yet able to leap up two hundred meters from the ground... this is a height that only someone at the peak of the Venerable Realm could reach!"

"What Secret Technique did Lord Xue use just now? How come it's so tyrannical?!"

"Incredible, it's like teleportation!"

The young members of the Shadow Clan all exclaimed in awe.

The others also showed faces full of excitement; the stronger Jiang Chen was, the happier they were, as everyone wanted to follow a powerful leader.

Though Jiang Chen's current strength was not considered high, after this leap, people began to look forward to Jiang Chen's future!

"Ancestral Dragon's Tyrannical Aura! This is Ancestral Dragon's Tyrannical Aura! Is he, he, he a shared descendant of the Dragon Guardian Clan and the first Lord Xue?! To think that we finally awaited this day!"

Tears of excitement welled up in the eyes of the elderly You Zhengqian, his face full of agitation.

"Elder You, I'm going to enter closed-door cultivation. Do you want to come up here? Perhaps I can assist you when I have my breakthrough!" Jiang Chen called out from the cave entrance to those below.

Whoosh!

You Zhengqian's figure flashed upon hearing the words, as he leaped directly onto the secret chamber and greeted Jiang Chen with a fist held in the other hand, respectfully saying: "Lord Xue, I am here to act as your protector."

"This... Alright then, thank you for your troubles!"

Jiang Chen initially wanted to say that there was no need for a protector, but considering he might be able to assist You Zhengqian during his own breakthrough, he did not decline the offer.

Turning around and entering the secret chamber, Jiang Chen suddenly stood frozen in place.

The chamber was piled with jade boxes almost half a person's height; due to the densely stacked arrangement, faint traces of Blood Fiend Aura began to seep out from the pile of boxes.

"Is... are these all Blood Crystals? The aura I felt wasn't from all the Blood Crystals, just the leaking aura?!" Jiang Chen exclaimed in shock, his face filled with astonishment.

"Yes, these are the remaining Blood Crystals from the very first Lord Xue's cultivation, having been in the custody of our clan all this time. Now, it can be considered returned to its rightful owner!"

You Zhengqian softly spoke, his gaze towards the pile of jade boxes filled with a look of reminiscence.

All of a sudden, Jiang Chen felt an unreal sensation. Recalling how ecstatic he had been when he initially acquired a single Blood Crystal, he now felt like a beggar who had stumbled into a treasury!

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen steadied his mind, walked forward to open a jade box, took out a Blood Crystal, and sat down cross-legged in front of the pile of boxes to start meditating.

Seeing this, You Zhengqian's body trembled violently.

Hum!

An ethereal and vast aura appeared, directly sealing off the entire secret chamber.

Sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the chamber, You Zhengqian closed his eyes with a solemn expression, fully dedicated to protecting Jiang Chen.

Feeling the aura emanating from the secret chamber high above, You Bitong and others' expressions slightly changed as they all looked up towards the chamber.

"Elder Brother, with the old ancestor doing this... could it harm his body..." You Biguo said with concern.

Worry also appeared in You Bitong's eyes as he lightly spoke: "Let's hope Lord Xue can breakthrough, and that he can indeed assist the old ancestor. The old ancestor's emergence from seclusion, combined with acting as Lord Xue's protector, is akin to reducing his own lifespan... Sigh! Fortunately, all the direct clan members above the Venerable Realm have returned. Let's prepare for the sacrifice!"

"Yes!"

You Biguo's heart jolted, and he responded in a heavy voice.

...

At five in the afternoon, members of the Shadow Clan gathered one after another behind the wooden buildings, beneath the rocky wall, waiting solemnly.

"With Lord Xue's arrival this time, it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse!"

A young member of the Shadow Clan said with a pained expression.

"Shut up!"

You Bitong, seated at the forefront, rose to his feet and scolded angrily upon hearing this.

"Great Grandfather, I don't understand. For the sake of the old ancestor's life extension, our Shadow Clan has sacrificed hundreds of clan members over a thousand years. To this day, our Shadow Clan does not have a single Saint Realm elder, and now, over fifty Venerable clan members are preparing for sacrifice. Yet this sacrifice is due to the old ancestor protecting that boy; is it really worth it?"

The young man stood up and roared, his face full of sorrow and reluctance.

The various younger members of the clan looked at You Bitong with pained expressions, intense resentment bubbling in the depths of their eyes. This resentment was not directed at You Bitong but at Jiang Chen, who was still within the secret chamber two hundred meters up in the sky.

The ancestral teachings of the Shadow Clan, they dared not defy.

Since a thousand years ago, they have been sacrificing Essence Blood using Secret Methods for the sake of their old ancestor's longevity, an act that, while against moral principles, is known by all members of the Shadow Clan as necessary for the continuation of the family, a path they must take.

Moreover, it was clearly recorded in the family annals about the strength of the Martial Dao World during the era of the first Lord Xue, with explicit documentation that the peak period of the Martial Dao could very well arrive again in the future. The existence of the old ancestor is for the sake of protecting the Shadow Clan from destruction when that day comes.

For the clan, they are willing to make sacrifices!

However, now it is simply because of Jiang Chen's breakthrough which caused the old ancestor to break his seclusion and act as his full protector, leading to a fountain-like consumption of the old ancestor's already limited lifespan.

The old ancestor's time had long arrived, and it is only through the continuous Essence Blood sacrifices of the family that he has been maintained until now. Such current consumption fills the hearts of the Shadow Clan members with frustration and unwillingness!

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