Chapter 97: The Jade Scroll

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Boom!
The patriarch of the Yang family slammed fiercely onto the earth, the immense force causing terrifying cracks to spiderweb across the ground beneath him.

A spray of blood burst forth, his expression filled with shock. His cultivation had reached the mid Nascent Soul realm, yet facing the sudden appearance of this stranger, he was utterly powerless to retaliate. The other’s cultivation was terrifyingly formidable. Even a Nascent Soul realm expert at their peak could not have so easily inflicted such grievous wounds upon him. From beginning to end, he hadn’t even a moment to resist.

Forcing a thread of true energy to coalesce, the Yang patriarch leapt away, transforming into a streak of light as he frantically sped toward the distance. He did not wish to face such a fearsome existence for even an instant longer.

Yin Tianfang watched the sudden figure before him, especially the words just spoken—they exploded in his mind like thunder.

“You...”

“You heard correctly. I am indeed your father.” Turning around, Daochenzi smiled gently as he spoke. Standing before Yin Tianfang, he reached out as if to stroke the boy’s head.

Yin Tianfang tilted his head slightly, a trace of awkwardness flashing across his features. Since childhood, he had longed to see his parents. Now his father stood right before him, yet he was at a loss for words.

He had once thought that if he ever met them, he would ask plainly: why did you abandon me back then?

But now, facing this familiar yet strange man, he could not utter a single question. Familiar because they had met before; strange because this man was his biological father.

Daochenzi’s hand stiffened mid-air, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes before he slowly withdrew it.

“I’m just a little unaccustomed,” Yin Tianfang finally spoke after a long pause. At his words, Daochenzi’s previously gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a smile.

“When your mother and I left, it was out of necessity. My enemies were far too powerful at the time. If I had brought you along, it would have been far too dangerous, so I left you with the Ye family. I never imagined you would suffer so much.”

“And my mother?” Yin Tianfang asked urgently. Since his father was still alive, surely his mother was too.

Yet upon hearing this, Daochenzi’s expression darkened somewhat. After a long sigh, he said, “Your mother is indeed still alive, but her condition is not optimistic. Over the years, I have traveled far and wide, trying to revive her—but all attempts have failed.”

“How could that be?”

“Don’t overthink it. I will revive your mother. Once our enemies are extinguished, I will bring her to you. The little spiritual power I have left won’t last much longer; from now on, you must rely on yourself.”

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“I only hope that no matter what happens in the future, you will stay true to your heart. Whether walking the path of demons or immortals, the ultimate goal is the same—the pinnacle of the Great Way. Never mind the judgment of others. As long as you walk upright and sit straight, no matter how many cast stones or point fingers, if your conscience is clear, what does it matter?”

Daochenzi’s voice echoed softly in Yin Tianfang’s ear, leaving an indelible mark upon his heart. His figure gradually faded; he raised his hand once more as if to caress Yin Tianfang’s head, but before his hand could touch him, his form vanished from sight.

“Child, the one you love is still alive. I have left her a sliver of life, waiting for her to be reborn from the flames. You will meet again. The road ahead will be full of trials, but only by growing ever stronger can you protect those you hold dear. Strive on.”

Yin Tianfang swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the spot where Daochenzi had just been.

“Father!” At last, he called out the title after a long moment, but Daochenzi had already disappeared long ago. Staring at the empty space before him, a hollow feeling surged in his heart.

He stood there for a long while before gathering his resolve. Taking a deep breath, he vanished in a flash, heading toward the place where he had previously secluded himself.

Several hours later, Yin Tianfang returned to the waterfall. Just as he was about to enter the cave behind it, his steps faltered slightly. Scanning the surroundings with sharp focus, his gaze settled on a nearby dense forest.

Whoosh! A streak of purple light shot forth, heading straight for the forest.

“Senior Brother Yin, don’t attack! It’s us!” a hurried voice called out from within the trees. The purple shard hovered barely an inch from the speaker's forehead.

Two figures appeared within Yin Tianfang’s sight—Ge Bin and Qing Luo. Ge Bin stood still, the purple shard radiating a violet glow just before his brow. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

With a wave of his hand, the purple shard flew back, landing in Yin Tianfang’s palm.

“Why are you still here?”

“We were worried about you, so we didn’t go far,” Ge Bin replied, leading Qing Luo toward Yin Tianfang.

Qing Luo’s expression was icy as she looked at Yin Tianfang, a trace of resentment lingering in her gaze.

Yin Tianfang understood why Qing Luo felt this way, so he could only accept her attitude. After all, Nuo Lan had suffered misfortune because of him. Yet Daochenzi’s words had rekindled warmth in Yin Tianfang’s cold heart.

“Nuo Lan isn’t dead,” Yin Tianfang said. “I don’t know where he is right now, but I have a friend searching for him.”

“Really?” Qing Luo’s eyes lit up at his words.

“Mm.” Yin Tianfang nodded but said no more.

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“You two should find a safe place to hide until the time is right. When that moment comes, I will come for you. I promise, one day we will return to the Xuandao Sect.” Yin Tianfang said to them, tapping his storage pouch and pressing it to his forehead. He left a spiritual imprint within the jade slip and handed it to them. “Keep this jade slip. It will make it easier for me to find you later.”

“Senior Brother Yin, why do you want us to leave? Have you encountered a powerful enemy? Though our cultivation is low, we can still help a little,” Ge Bin said anxiously. They had been apart for two years. Meeting again, former disciples of the sect, only a few still loyal to Xuandao Sect remained.

“My enemies are very strong, and there are many of them. If you stayed, it would only bring danger. Besides, I’m not strong enough yet to protect you properly.”

“I hope you both will train diligently, so in the future you can help me reclaim the Xuandao Sect,” Yin Tianfang said.

Hearing this, Ge Bin and Qing Luo exchanged glances and said no more. They accepted the jade slip, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.

After they departed, Yin Tianfang passed through the waterfall and entered the cave. Stones rose around him, sealing the entrance. He set up a protective barrier, then sat cross-legged.

Pfft! Once his mind relaxed, Yin Tianfang coughed up a mouthful of blood. He exhaled heavily, formed hand seals, and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to heal his wounds.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Yin Tianfang’s injuries had mostly healed. Inside the cave, he opened his eyes, lightly waved his sleeve, and the cave entrance reopened, sunlight streaming in. He took out a storage pouch and began removing its contents.

This pouch belonged to Yang Bo. Once opened, its contents piled up in the cave like a small mountain, the majority being spirit stones. Among them were exceptionally fast spirit stones, shining like polished jade, emanating a milky-white radiance without a trace of impurity—undeniably top-grade spirit stones.

As he counted the items before him, a gleam sparked in Yin Tianfang’s eyes.

“Being from a great family really is different—so many valuable treasures.”

Among the items, he pulled out a small golden sword. Yin Tianfang was familiar with its power—the fierce demon ape had been wounded under this sword’s sharp edge, a testament to its lethality.

Moreover, it was a treasure refined through Yang Bo’s spiritual cultivation. The Yang patriarch had highly valued Yang Bo, and such a treasure was crafted from superior materials. Most remarkably, this golden sword housed a sword spirit.

Yin Tianfang carefully stored the golden sword away, choosing not to refine it immediately. The sword spirit was exceedingly powerful, and with his current cultivation, he was not a match for it.

Besides the golden sword, the other treasures were mostly defensive artifacts of high quality, likely forged by the Yang patriarch for Yang Bo’s protection. Yet Yang Bo had perished before he could wield them against Yin Tianfang.

Had Yang Bo used these treasures, it would have been far more difficult for Yin Tianfang to kill him.

Yin Tianfang sorted the items back into the storage pouch, then his gaze fixed on a particular jade slip. It was pitch-black as ink, exuding faint energies that did not belong to immortal spiritual power.