Shen Changsheng’s voice was ethereal, drifting like the winds of the highest heavens, yet every word struck with the weight of rolling thunder.

Before Shen Xian could recover from the shock, the voice spoke again.

“The Primordial Eight Trigrams—from the Dao, the Four Symbols arise.”

Shen Changsheng’s voice seemed to echo from the depths of antiquity. The star chart on the dome above suddenly began to spin violently, and four dazzling, brilliant trigram images descended from the nine heavens.

The Qian trigram was like the sky, carrying majestic heavenly might. The Kun trigram resembled the earth, containing profound and heavy Dao essence. The Zhen trigram was akin to thunder, harboring destructive power. The Xun trigram matched the wind, concealing an elusive intent.

The four trigrams intertwined to form a mysterious pillar of light that shot directly into the center of Shen Xian’s brow.

In that instant, his sea of consciousness churned violently. A golden, ancient-looking Dao scripture slowly unfurled within his spiritual sense…

It was the fragmented scroll of the Eight Trigrams Primordial Dao Scripture!

The moment the Dao scripture unfurled, brilliant spiritual light erupted from every pore on Shen Xian’s body. Within each strand of light flowed trigram symbols and runes, condensing into mysterious Dao patterns on the surface of his skin.

A complete, illusory image of the Eight Trigrams appeared on his forehead, shifting unpredictably—sometimes transforming into the heavenly patterns of the Qian trigram, other times shifting into the earthly disposition of the Kun trigram. It was profound beyond measure.

“Master this scripture, and you shall command the Ancestral Shrine!”

The voice of the founding family head exploded like a thunderclap, shaking Shen Xian’s very soul.

He clearly felt a mysterious connection forming between himself and this Ancestral Shrine that had stood for tens of thousands of years. Every brick and tile, every formation pattern, seemed to become an extension of his own body.

The seventh-tier formation of the Ancestral Land was comprised of four major zones. By fully mastering this technique, he could gain control over the Ancestral Shrine zone. Coupled with his prior authority over the Ten Thousand Arts Pavilion…

Shen Xian essentially controlled half of the entire seventh-tier formation.

“My thanks to the Ancestor!” Shen Xian clasped his hands in a solemn salute.

The spiritual light enveloping Shen Changsheng suddenly solidified, transforming into countless chains that encircled him. He slowly shook his head, his voice carrying the vicissitudes of eternity.

“I… am not an ancestor of the Shen Family.”

Shen Xian’s heart jolted. He raised his head, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

Shen Changsheng’s gaze grew distant, as if piercing through the barriers of time and space. With a light wave of his sleeve, the flames of the eternal lamps within the Ancestral Shrine suddenly twisted and transformed, projecting a series of ancient scenes…

“Did you know… that the Shen Family was once a towering pillar supporting this continent?” His voice was as deep as an abyss. “In the Thirteen Provinces of the Northern Region, ten thousand clans paid homage. A single decree from our Shen Family could determine the life or death of hundreds of millions of living beings.”

Shen Xian’s breath hitched.

The magnificent scenes reflected in the lamp flames shook him to his core.

Majestic immortal palaces stretched for tens of thousands of miles; battle vessels that blotted out the sun were arrayed across the firmament. Each scene far surpassed anything he had ever known or imagined about the world of cultivation.

“Until that battle at the Fallen Immortal Great Wall…” Shen Changsheng’s tone shifted abruptly.

The scenes in the lamp flames were instantly stained with blood.

“Eight Patriarchs at the Tribulation Transcension stage sacrificed their blood to appease the Heavenly Dao; tens of thousands of direct lineage disciples were buried in foreign lands. Those who survived… were merely us—remnants and defeated soldiers…”

Shen Xian’s eyes widened, his mind trembling.

He never imagined his own family possessed such a history.

“This Dao Scripture is the Shen Family’s ancestral method. It is a pity only this fragmented scroll remains. If, in the future… you can journey to the Northern Region, perhaps you can complete it,” Shen Changsheng said meaningfully.

His reason for passing down this Dao Scripture was precisely because he placed the hope of revitalizing the family in this young man’s hands.

Of course, his choice was not limited to Shen Xian alone.

Only now did Shen Xian realize the immense pressure brought by the Dao Scripture hovering within his sea of consciousness. But he felt no anxiety.

He knew that one day he would ascend to immortality; this bit of pressure was insignificant. It was just a pity… that the Dao Scripture was incomplete.

“This junior will certainly exhaust all efforts!” Shen Xian responded loudly.

Shen Changsheng gave a slight nod, a look of anticipation appearing in his eyes. “Although your innate talent and aptitude are ordinary, your fortune is unusual. Moreover, you possess many opportunities by your side. In the future, it is not impossible for you to forge a new path.”

“Besides this Dao Scripture, this True Venerable bestows upon you another ancestral treasure.”

He raised a hand and beckoned. A streak of silver light suddenly flew out from deep within the ancestral hall.

It was a rope, three zhang long. Its entire body seemed condensed from moonlight, and its surface floated with chaotic energy akin to that emanating from Shen Xing’s jade pendant.

The rope coiled around Shen Xian’s left arm like a spiritual serpent, its head and tail joining to form a silver tattoo-like pattern.

Shen Xian stared in shock at the pattern on his arm. Information about this treasure immediately surfaced in his mind.

This object was named the Void Rope—an ancestral treasure sharing its origin with his Eldest Brother’s jade pendant!

“This object was forged by me based on a fragment of our Shen Family’s supreme ancestral treasure, the Void Measuring Ruler. There are three such items; this is the last one… I entrust it to you…” Shen Changsheng explained.

During the battle at the Fallen Immortal Great Wall, the Shen Family’s Immortal Venerable was ambushed, and the ancestral treasure was shattered.

The first broken segment fell into a demonic abyss. The second broken segment was seized by traitors. And the last segment… landed with him, the founding family head.

After arriving in the Southern Region, he used that fragment of the Void Measuring Ruler to refine three supreme treasures: the Void Guiding Jade Pendant, the Void Rope, and the Void Essence Spirit.

Now, all three had been bestowed upon those within the Shen Family who showed promise for restoring the Void Measuring Ruler.

Shen Xian gazed thoughtfully at the mark on the skin of his left arm.

If I gift the Void Rope to Ye Qingxian, would the system return the complete Void Measuring Ruler?

But… even if, by chance, it did return the complete version, it would probably require a higher multiplier, right? At least a hundredfold or more?

He pondered inwardly.

“Go now! The future of the Shen Family rests upon your shoulders!”

At this moment, Shen Changsheng’s voice suddenly became ethereal again; his illusory form also began to fade.

The blessing had ended.

“Respectfully sending off the Patriarch!” Shen Xian bowed solemnly.

Boom—

At that moment, the entire Ancestral Shrine shook violently.

The ground beneath Shen Xian’s feet cracked open with countless fissures. Dazzling starlight gushed forth from the cracks, forming a towering pillar of light around him.

“This is…” Shen Xian looked down at his left arm, where the Void Rope tattoo emitted a scorching heat.

He could clearly feel the newly born second-grade spiritual root within him resonating wondrously with the Ancestral Shrine. With each pulse, the surrounding gilded formation patterns flickered in unison.

The most astonishing change occurred deep within his sea of consciousness. The four trigrams from the Eight Trigrams Primordial Dao Scripture suddenly began operating autonomously, projecting an incomplete star chart within his spiritual sense.

Inspired by a sudden insight, Shen Xian bit his fingertip, letting a drop of blood fall onto the Void Rope.

Zheng—

A clear, melodious sound reverberated through the nine heavens. Star patterns lit up on the rope’s surface, their shape perfectly matching the patterns on Shen Xing’s jade pendant!

“When three stars gather, the day comes for the Void’s renewal…”

Within the vast, lingering echo, Shen Xian’s figure was swallowed by the dazzling white light.

A blinding pillar of light shot straight into the sky, startling the crowd in the square and causing them to retreat hastily.

When the light dispersed, Shen Xian’s figure already stood before the giant bronze cauldron. On his left arm, the Void Rope glimmered faintly before fading from view.

” The Third Young Master truly passed the fourth trial!” a steward exclaimed involuntarily.

The crowd erupted into commotion.

Above the giant cauldron, within the golden light screen behind the name “Shen Xian,” two large gilded characters radiated dazzling brilliance: “Blessing.”

Even more astonishingly, the surface of the cauldron manifested four trigram pattern lines—a symbol recognized by successive family heads!

The Fifth Elder staggered backward. “Impossible…”

Shen Li’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot. “How could trash possibly…”

He stared fixedly at the faintly visible silver tattoo pattern on Shen Xian’s left arm and suddenly shouted sharply, “You stole the ancestral treasure?!”

He raved hysterically, no longer maintaining his previously calm and composed demeanor.

Why?! Clearly, I am the successor to the family head!

Spiritual power erupted within him as he prepared to take action.

“Second Brother!” Shen Xing shouted coldly, stopping him. He raised a hand, releasing a stream of spiritual power to soothe the other’s mental state and prevent him from falling into qi deviation madness.

Then, this future Immortal Venerable with the Innate Dao Body revealed a grave expression for the first time. His clear, bright eyes locked tightly onto Shen Xian’s left arm, deep thought apparent in his gaze.