Having secured the privilege directly from Mo Yunyi's lips, Ji Changkong was overjoyed, only then realizing that his inherently frail body had already reached its limit after two days of relentless torment.

Unlike the other young men of the Ji family, he did not possess their robust physiques. Ji Changkong, weak and sickly since childhood, had a tenacious will, but regrettably, it was not matched by an equal body.

The instant Mo Yunyi gave her promise, Ji Changkong finally let out a true breath of relief, and exhaustion flooded in, unstoppable. He ultimately decided to temporarily leave the Scripture Pavilion, prioritizing tending to his health first.

With scattered starlight adorning the night sky, Ji Changkong made his way to the familiar kitchen, prepared a meal for himself, and then enjoyed a deep, restorative sleep.

The next day, Ji Changkong arrived at the Scripture Pavilion early once more.

Unlike the previous two days, this time Ji Changkong no longer furtively observed the coveted eastern corner guarded by Ji Yueqing, Ji Xiaolian, and their small clique. Instead, he diligently applied himself to reading the foundational texts on Heaven Master cultivation—scriptures the other Ji young men wouldn't waste a moment on.

To hone one's craft, one must first sharpen the tool.

Ji Changkong had long understood the immense importance of these basic Heaven Master texts. Without grasping these fundamentals, deciphering the obscure and cryptic inscriptions within the Heaven Master secrets and advanced techniques would be extremely difficult. He had spent time on them during the previous two days, but because he knew the secrets were of higher immediate importance, he had temporarily set this area aside.

Now that he had Mo Yunyi’s explicit permission to access the Heaven Master secrets and techniques in the Scripture Pavilion without worry, he returned to this crucial phase, one most easily overlooked by others yet utterly vital, and began seriously poring over the foundational manuals.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, several loud thuds against wood echoed from the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion. In the profound silence of the Pavilion, those few sharp "bangs" clearly startled many occupants.

Ji Changkong was no exception. He set down a scroll titled Overview of Heaven Masters, lifting his gaze toward the third floor.

The third floor was occupied by Ji Changxiao, the supposed protagonist of this recent trial. Since stepping onto that third level on the first day, no one had seen him come down. Ji Changxiao was powerfully built and a Two-Element Heaven Master; he could easily remain upstairs for six or seven days without food or water, so his continuous presence caused no alarm.

Creeeeak!

The door to the small, perpetually closed room on the fourth floor gently slid open. Mo Yunyi, stooping slightly, emerged with a furrowed brow. She stood at the entrance to the stairs leading to the third floor and sharply addressed the corridor above: "Boy, what in the world are you doing? Noise and commotion are forbidden in the Scripture Pavilion! Didn't your elders remind you when you arrived? You have no sense of propriety!"

"Why is there not... why is there nothing... why is there nothing at all?" Ji Changxiao shuffled into the passageway, his hair a wild mess, eyes bloodshot, murmuring incoherently. As he spoke, he violently kicked a round stool blocking his path, sending it rocketing toward the roof of the Pavilion.

Mo Yunyi extended her hand and pressed down into the empty air. The flying stool instantly froze mid-flight, then slowly drifted back to its original spot.

"Insolence!" After settling the stool back in place, Mo Yunyi roared, her heavily wrinkled left hand pointing at Ji Changxiao. A visible, water-ripple-like fluctuation surged toward him.

Thud!

Ji Changxiao’s sturdy frame collapsed instantly, as if bound by an invisible net, leaving him pinned to the floor, unable to move.

"Three years ago, you were lucky enough to find a disorganized manual matching your bottleneck right here, allowing you to break through to the Two-Element Heaven realm. This year, you pinned your hopes here again, thinking you’d be as fortunate as three years ago, and when you didn’t find a manual, you took it out on the Scripture Pavilion. Is that all you amount to, Ji Changxiao?" Mo Yunyi was furious.

"There are never shortcuts on the cultivation path. If you continue to rely on the insights of others for every hurdle, you will never achieve true breakthroughs!"

Mo Yunyi snorted, casting a condescending glance down at the Ji family youths gathered on the second and first floors. With a stern face, she lectured, "Listen closely, all of you. The advanced techniques, the secrets, and the predecessors' cultivation insights kept here in the Scripture Pavilion are merely methods. Whether you can successfully cultivate using these methods ultimately depends on yourselves! Do not place all your hopes on these cultivation secrets and techniques; you yourselves are the most critical link in unlocking the treasures within your bodies! Stop abandoning the root for the branches!"

To all the disciples of the Ji family, Mo Yunyi, hidden within the Scripture Pavilion, was an enigmatic figure. Before arriving, their elders had repeatedly cautioned them to be careful, strictly forbidding them from angering Mo Yunyi, instructing them only to diligently study the Heaven Master secrets and avoid trouble.

All signs indicated that Mo Yunyi, sequestered deep within the Pavilion, held a peculiar status within the Ji family. Her anger made every youth realize the gravity of the situation. They silently cursed Ji Changxiao for causing unnecessary trouble; if she was displeased, no one else would be happy either.

Bound by the strange power, Ji Changxiao gradually regained his composure amidst the fierce tirade. With a crestfallen face, he lay on the floor admitting his fault: "Granny Mo, I was wrong. I was indeed acting out just now. I apologize; I will never do it again."

"Hmph." Mo Yunyi nodded, not sparing another glance at Ji Changxiao. She swept her gaze across all the disciples on the second and first floors, then let out a soft sigh, her tone softening. "Since you are all here today, I will say a few more things, so you may learn some of the Ji family’s past."

At these words, every single Ji disciple, including Ji Changkong, grew instantly solemn, focusing intently on Mo Yunyi.

For generations, the elders of the Ji family rarely spoke of their past. Occasionally, however, snippets of information would slip out during private discussions.

For instance, the current family head, Ji Yuxing, once drunkenly boasted about the glory of the Ji family in its prime. Ji Haoguang, Ji Haohong, and others had privately lamented that if the family could reclaim even half of that former splendor, they wouldn't have to cling to existence in a small place like Azure Rock Mountain.

Conversely, when addressing the family’s younger generations, these elders were uniformly tight-lipped, never dwelling on the Ji family's history. If anyone dared to inquire, they would be scolded and forbidden to ask further, as if the family's past were some profound taboo.

"Today's Ji family is hardly worth mentioning, clinging to Azure Rock Mountain, its population dwindling, and possessing no powerful Heaven Masters to speak of. Even the family head is merely a Six Harmonies Heaven Master—and one who hasn't yet unified Essence, Qi, and Spirit!" Mo Yunyi's expression held a hint of disdain.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Yunyi's face turned serious, and she boomed with rising emotion, "However, over three thousand years ago, one of the Ji ancestors was born with purple blood. On the path of Heaven Master cultivation, he advanced with astonishing speed, reaching the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven realm—where one understands the true nature of the sun and moon’s evolution—in merely a few decades. Furthermore, he forged the 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon,' a supreme offensive technique. For many years, he waged war across the land. Relying on his inner purple blood and his self-created 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon,' he reigned supreme without equal, ultimately unifying the entire realm."

"In his era, the Ji family was the most revered lineage in the world, respected by all common people and Heaven Masters alike! Because he originated from Xuanyuan Hill, he was known as 'Xuanyuan' after unifying the realm. During his reign, the Ji family was perpetually the foremost family in the world—the Imperial House! Yet, shortly after achieving unification, he abdicated the throne to his son, pursuing the ultimate peak of the Heaven Master path, and mysteriously vanished. A century later, the Ji family underwent immense upheaval, and the kingdom fell."

"Five centuries after that, another member of the diminished Ji family was born with purple blood. Likewise, relying on his purple blood and the ancestral 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon,' he propelled the declining Ji family back to the heavens. However, because his ambition lay not in statecraft, the Ji family did not manage to unify the realm again. Nevertheless, because of his existence, the Ji family became the most powerful clan in the eyes of all Heaven Masters. He amassed countless Heaven Master scriptures and secrets for the family, ensuring generations of prodigious talent and making the Ji family the strongest faction among Heaven Masters."

"But the good times were short-lived. Following the path of his predecessor, he too soon left the Ji family in pursuit of the Heaven Master pinnacle. Without him, the Ji family became a fat target for the Heaven Masters of the realm. Coveting the Heaven Master manuals they possessed, the others united and nearly exterminated the clan, shattering the Ji family’s glory once more."

"After that, every five to six hundred years, the Ji family would produce one individual born with purple blood, possessing innate talent in Heaven Master cultivation unmatched by ordinary people. Relying on the Ji family's ancestral supreme technique, the 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon,' they would dominate the world, causing the Ji family to rise again. Yet, every time the Ji family reached the zenith of its glory, they would, driven by their inner pursuits, depart once more, causing the Ji family to subside repeatedly."

"Because a terrifying family member born with purple blood capable of reaching the Nine Palaces Heaven peak appeared every five or six centuries, Heaven Masters throughout the ages bestowed upon these cultivators the title of the first generation's name—'Xuanyuan.' The purple blood at birth was consequently named the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline.' Every generation of the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline,' upon reaching the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven, was formally titled 'Xuanyuan'! Thus, the designation 'Xuanyuan' once became synonymous with invincibility—the Ji family's highest honor!"

"Six hundred years ago, the last 'Xuanyuan' of the Ji family departed during his peak period, causing the Ji family to decline once more. History then repeated itself: Heaven Masters, coveting the Ji family's collected secrets, manuals, divine weapons, and vast wealth, once again joined forces to strike a fatal blow."

"This attack was devastating for the Ji family. The cultivation manuals, advanced techniques, divine weapons, and all manner of vital spirit herbs and stones for Heaven Master cultivation were completely plundered. To prevent the Ji family from rising again on the strength of the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline,' even the supreme offensive technique left by their ancestor, the 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon,' was stolen and its whereabouts are still unknown."

"From that moment on, the Ji family never recovered and remains thus to this day."

Having reached this point, Mo Yunyi fell silent for a long while, allowing them time to absorb this history-shattering account.

After a pause, Mo Yunyi sighed softly, tinged with weariness. "According to the timeline, a new 'Xuanyuan' should have been born by now, but we carefully examined all of you when you were born. Not a single person in the generation above you, nor in your own, was born with purple blood!"

"Six hundred years have passed, and the new 'Xuanyuan' has still not appeared. These legends from the distant past—after so many years—even your fathers and grandfathers have likely accepted that the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline' will never reappear. With the 'Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon' gone and no 'Xuanyuan Bloodline' carrier emerging, they have resigned themselves to fate. That is why this segment of former glory was never mentioned to you again, intending for you, from this generation onward, to permanently forget the legend of the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline'!"

"I tell you this: even without the 'Xuanyuan Bloodline,' as long as you strive hard, you can still become powerful Heaven Masters and restore the Ji family’s glory! The legend has passed, but you can rewrite the legend!" Mo Yunyi finished with a sudden, sharp cry, her voice slightly piercing.

All the Ji disciples were stunned by Mo Yunyi’s speech. Some felt a surge of passion, while others remained lost in contemplation of the Ji family's past splendor...

Only Ji Changkong felt a deep sorrow, finding the situation deeply ironic. Calculating the timing, he was born right at the very end of that six-hundred-year cycle. Yet, not only did he lack the "Xuanyuan Bloodline," but he was incapable of gathering elemental energy from heaven and earth from the moment of his birth.

Could it be that from this point forward, the Ji family would no longer produce a "Xuanyuan" every five or six hundred years, but instead, a "waste"?