Even if it was a small sect she hadn’t heard of, surely someone else would know about it.
Tian Yuxue shook her head. “It can’t be found anymore. The Weisheng family passed down their lineage through single descendants in each generation. Their numbers were always small, only a few dozen people in total. They were all killed over a century ago.”
Sang Dai felt her throat go dry. “…What?”
“One hundred and thirty-two years ago, the Weisheng family was annihilated.”
It was a sect she had never even heard of, yet upon hearing the words “annihilated,” an indescribable sadness welled up in her heart.
Sang Dai couldn’t explain this feeling. She could only grip her sword tighter, trying to distract herself.
Tian Yuxue’s expression was cold. “The last head of the Weisheng family was named Weisheng Xuan. She and her husband, Bai Yu Immortal Lord, perished together one hundred and thirty-two years ago.”
Weisheng Xuan and Bai Yu.
Among these two, Sang Dai had only ever heard of Bai Yu.
He was the previous abbot of the Cangwu Daoist Temple.
Sang Dai remained silent, listening as Tian Yuxue continued speaking.
“I’ve been searching for the Weisheng family for thousands of years, but I can’t control my innate ability. Every time I awaken, great cold descends upon the world. Because of this, the Four Realms suppressed me over the millennia. Every time I woke up, I could only search for a short while before being suppressed again. Each time I awoke, I resumed the search.”
“I finally found some clues, but by the time I arrived, the Weisheng family was already gone. When I gathered their remains, I discovered that Weisheng Xuan had just given birth not long before. She hadn’t even finished her postpartum confinement, but among the dozens of corpses, there was no child. So, I’ve been searching for that child ever since.”
Sang Dai spoke, her voice slightly hoarse: “Why do you suspect me?”
Tian Yuxue countered, “When the Sword Sect found you, did you have a jade token on you?”
Sang Dai remained silent.
“That means you did. The Weisheng family only bore one child per generation. This generation’s Weisheng descendants had the surname ‘Sang.’ Was there a ‘Sang’ character on that jade token?”
Sang Dai’s long lashes trembled, and her breathing grew unsteady.
Tian Yuxue continued, “Judging by your reaction, I’m not wrong.”
Sang Dai took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Why is the Snow Owl searching for the Weisheng family?”
“Because…” Tian Yuxue stepped closer, extending her pale hand to touch Sang Dai’s forehead. “In the Great Wild era, the Snow Owl was the contract spirit beast of the Weisheng family head. It was born to protect the Weisheng bloodline.”
The icy touch brought clarity to Sang Dai’s thoughts.
The Great Wild era.
That was ten thousand years ago—a time when the Four Realms coexisted in peace and harmony. Humans, demons, beasts, and ghosts lived in tranquility. The Guixu’s spiritual energy was abundant and pure, untainted by toxins. Tribulation-transcending cultivators frequently appeared, and there were over twenty Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root awakeners in that era. Divine beasts were far more numerous than now.
Azure Luan, Phoenix, Bai Ze, Taotie, Yinglong, Biyi, Nine-Tailed Fox…
Countless divine beasts, countless great powers.
After the Great Wild, the Four Realms plunged into war. The flames of battle burned for a thousand years. Spiritual veins were seized, and many divine beasts perished alongside their families.
Later, the spiritual veins of the Guixu became tainted with toxins, and the spiritual energy used for cultivation across the Four Realms turned poisonous, making the path of cultivation increasingly treacherous.
“The Weisheng family existed during the Great Wild era, though it wasn’t considered a major sect. They specialized in beast taming, somewhat similar to the current Nine Cauldron Sect.”
Tian Yuxue withdrew her hand and let out a small laugh. “Also, haven’t you noticed that spirit beasts are very fond of you?”
Sang Dai had always been good with spirit beasts. Many would approach her willingly, even without any effort on her part. Earlier, outside the abyss, she had merely smiled at the Snow Qilin, and it immediately dropped all its defenses and trusted her. She had never questioned this.
Could there really be a reason behind it?
“Back then, the Snow Owl perished to protect the Weisheng family as they escaped. The flames of war during the Great Wild era had reduced the Weisheng family to just a few members. No one knows where they fled, but the Snow Owl’s lingering obsession remained, which is why I was born.”
Tian Yuxue raised her head to gaze at the towering skeletal structures, her voice lowering. “The Snow Owl was raised by the first head of the Weisheng family. Even after the family head fell, it continued to protect the Weisheng family for so many years…”
But ten thousand years after its death, the entire Weisheng family was wiped out.
Sang Dai suddenly covered her eyes, her nose tingling with sorrow.
If Weisheng Xuan was her mother, and Bai Yu her father…
Then both the Weisheng family and Cangwu Daoist Temple had already been wiped out.
In the end, she was still alone. (TL: Girl stop, you are not)
She had nothing.
Sang Dai suddenly turned her head and began to walk away. “I don’t want to hear any of this. I don’t want the truth.”
She couldn’t face it—the reality was too cruel.
But just as she took her first step, Tian Yuxue’s voice rang out again: “If you really are of the Weisheng bloodline, don’t you want to avenge your parents?”
Sang Dai froze in place.
“Weisheng Xuan hadn’t even finished her postpartum confinement when she died, her meridians completely severed. Bai Yu Immortal Lord’s body bore ninety-seven knife wounds. He must have been protecting her… and their child.”
Sang Dai lowered her head. Changmang and Qingwu, sensing her emotions, became frantic and restless.
“Do you truly have no desire to find the ones who killed them?”
Tian Yuxue moved closer, her voice now right behind Sang Dai.
“Sang Dai, I can let you go. Right now, I can command the Snow Owl to withdraw the power of Bewilderment. If you want to leave, you can. Will you go?”
Would she leave?
Tian Yuxue was offering to dispel the power of Bewilderment and let her go.
From then on, she could remain Sang Dai, the Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root awakener. She could continue resolutely investigating the destruction of the Guixu’s spiritual veins.
A Weisheng family that had suddenly appeared in her life had nothing to do with her. She was merely abandoned by her parents. She could deceive herself, tell herself she was just discarded.
In a place no one knew, her parents could still be alive and well.
Sang Dai always liked to cover her eyes, whether laughing or crying. She liked to hide her emotions, believing that as long as her eyes were concealed, no one could see through her.
Silence fell around them. The sword cultivator covered her eyes, her back to Tian Yuxue. There was no sound of crying, and even her body didn’t tremble.
Qingwu and Changmang didn’t dare to make a single move.
Time passed slowly. Tian Yuxue was patient, her silver eyes fixed on Sang Dai’s back. She offered neither comfort nor persuasion.
No matter what decision Sang Dai made, it seemed Tian Yuxue wouldn’t react.
After a long while, the sword cultivator finally moved.
A hoarse voice broke the silence. “…Alright.”
Sang Dai lowered her hands, raised her head, and turned around.
Tian Yuxue saw her bloodshot eyes, but there wasn’t a hint of fragility in her expression. Her gaze was resolute.
“Fine. I won’t leave. Tell me—what do you want me to do?”
No matter the outcome, she would accept it.
Tian Yuxue suddenly laughed and raised an eyebrow.
“Sang Dai, what the Snow Owl wants to do is offer its heart to you.”
“And the questions you want to ask me—it will answer them for you.”
As the words fell, Tian Yuxue’s figure vanished.
In the midst of the illusionary void, a faint white light appeared in the distance.
The light grew larger and larger, and within the glow…
Sang Dai saw a pair of unfolded wings. Each feather seemed alive, trembling and covered in frost. As the wings moved, they sent snow cascading down.
Next came the massive body, entirely silver-white, with long tail feathers trailing behind it.
Its eyes were also silver-white, its appearance fierce, but its gaze gentle.
It dove down from above, its bird call crisp and melodious.
It stopped a few steps away from Sang Dai.
Although its towering size exuded an oppressive aura, its gaze as it looked at her was tender.
It was a divine beast—one that appeared both fearsome and gentle.
Sang Dai said nothing, silently tilting her head up to meet its gaze.
The Snow Owl bent down, its avian pupils locking with hers.
It spoke in human tongue: “Your spiritual sea holds the contract seal of the Weisheng family. Tian Yuxue sensed it earlier.”
It referred to the moment Tian Yuxue had touched her forehead.
Sang Dai had already guessed this outcome, but hearing it confirmed by the Snow Owl still made her feel…
…difficult to accept.
The Snow Owl spoke again: “Before my master fell, I swore a blood oath to him to remain loyal to the Weisheng family for the rest of my existence. Though my divine consciousness has endured all these years, it was for this day. Now, you are the last of the Weisheng bloodline.”
Sang Dai’s voice was hoarse as she said, “I… will uncover the truth of what happened back then.”
The Snow Owl’s voice carried a smile. “I know you will. But I am not here to force you to pursue the truth. I made a promise to my master, and even in death, I must fulfill it. You are the final descendant of the Weisheng family.”
Its ethereal form began to fade, fragments spreading from its feet upward.
“I will offer my heart to you. My heart contains the Guixu’s spiritual power from the Great Wild era. The Weisheng family’s contract seal will strengthen you. Many things will become clear to you in time. The matters you wish to investigate now—I will reveal them to you.”
“You will grow into the most powerful cultivator of the Four Realms.”
“Fate may decree your death, but I choose to help you live.”
The Snow Owl’s spirit fully dissipated, replaced by a spiritual stone that hovered in the void, radiating powerful golden spiritual energy.
As she sensed the purest Guixu’s spiritual energy, Sang Dai’s Qingwu and Changmang trembled uncontrollably in excitement.
The spiritual stone shone brightly before vanishing into the void, surging directly into Sang Dai’s chest.
Warm Guixu’s spiritual energy coursed through her heart and began to flow throughout her body, dispelling all traces of cold.
The energy traveled into her spiritual sea. Sang Dai closed her eyes, and within her spiritual sea, Changmang’s artifact spirit, overwhelmed with joy, clung to the Guixu’s spiritual energy and began devouring it.
Another stream of energy flowed toward a faintly glowing spot beside the artifact spirit, bringing light and strength to the dim source.
As the Guixu’s spiritual energy made contact, the once-dim light flickered briefly and then…
The light suddenly intensified, bursting forth with a powerful radiance.
A broken sword appeared, suspended within Sang Dai’s spiritual sea. The Guixu’s spiritual energy coiled around the blade, flowing into the fractured sections. Slowly, the cracks began to mend, until not a single flaw remained.
The remaining Guixu’s energy surged toward the hilt, where a Tianyu Stone was embedded. Once depleted of spiritual energy and reduced to an ordinary spiritual stone, the Tianyu Stone now regained vitality as the endless Guixu’s energy filled it.
When the sword was fully restored, Sang Dai heard a familiar voice call out to her.
“Master.”