Ji Changkong was even more dangerous now; the situation was clear. He was shaping up to be the most likely 'Xuanyuan' in history. If they couldn't catch up to Li Hentian, then forget it. We need to return to the sect immediately and discuss our next move thoroughly. The Second Elder of the Guiyuan Sect said, his face grave.

Then, the two elders from the Guiyuan Sect didn't linger to speak more with Zhang Yueqin; they turned and departed together. Zhang Yueqin, filled with helplessness, chased after them for a while longer. Discovering she could sense no trace of Li Hentian, she finally had no choice but to return to the Du Family estate.

In a cavern, Li Hentian set down both Ji Changkong and Tuoba Lie. Tuoba Lie had sustained only superficial injuries; once they were bandaged, he was fine. Ji Changkong was facing the rock wall, attempting to pry open his eyelids.

A sharp stinging shot through his eyes, and the pain intensified the moment he managed to open them. For a brief period, he could see nothing at all. Just as a wave of panic began to grip him, he realized his vision was gradually returning.

Both Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie watched him with tense expressions, deeply worried that something might be wrong with him. Only when they saw the smile spread across his face did they finally relax.

"Why did you come to the Du Family estate?" Li Hentian asked indifferently, his tone flat.

"Old Luo, you kept so much from me..." Ji Changkong glared at Li Hentian, his teeth clenched, resentment etched onto his face.

Perhaps it was because he had spent so much time with Li Hentian, but even knowing now that this man was the ruthless Li Hentian, Ji Changkong felt no great shift in attitude. He still regarded him as the taciturn 'Luo Tian' who silently handled everything for him.

Li Hentian twitched the corner of his mouth. "Your cultivation wasn't sufficient. Knowing certain things too early would only have become a greater burden."

"Now you can tell me the whole story, can't you? Why do I have the Taixu Secret Record imprinted in my mind? Why is the blood in my body red when so many believe I should be the Purple-Blooded Xuanyuan? Furthermore, what is the true history behind the feud between the Ji Family and the Du Family? Is my father still alive? Who exactly is my mother? And why have you been watching over me all this time?..."

He fired off these string of questions like a barrage. These inquiries had weighed on him for years, and now, with the hope of knowing the answers finally in sight, he was genuinely impatient.

"The feud between the Du Family and the Ji Family stems from the Hidden Dragon Abyss. The Hidden Dragon Abyss is the ancestral land of the Ji Family. Six hundred years ago, after the previous generation's Xuanyuan departed, the Ji Family gradually declined, and the Du Family seized the opportunity to occupy the Abyss. Your father, Ji Haotian, after achieving his cultivation breakthrough, went to the Hidden Dragon Abyss, attempting to secure a blessed cultivation site near it for the Ji Family, which brought him into conflict with the Du Family."

"With the Old Matriarch of the Du Family present, your father naturally didn't gain any advantage. After several skirmishes, your father's fate became unknown. To this day, I still don't know if your father is alive or dead. The reason I repeatedly troubled Zhang Yueqin was precisely to ascertain if your father had passed away, and if not, where he might be now."

"Your mother's name was Liu Yueling; she was the daughter of an old friend of mine. After she became pregnant with you, she tried to stop your father from continuing the fight with the Du Family, but he wouldn't listen. While your mother was away, he sent you back to the Ji Family and went alone to the Du Family estate, after which he vanished without a trace."

"Your mother followed him to the Du Family estate after learning of his departure. Being alone and outnumbered, she was besieged by the Du Family forces near the Hidden Dragon Abyss and ultimately died. As for your father's whereabouts, it remains unknown. When I learned of this, I went to the Hidden Dragon Abyss. Although I killed many, it was to no avail. Later, people from the Guiyuan Sect intervened, and I was injured, forcing my retreat."

"After my injuries healed, I adopted the name Luo Tian and watched you grow up in Qingyan City."

"The Taixu Secret Record belonged to your mother. Your maternal grandfather incidentally obtained it and entrusted it to your mother for safekeeping. When your mother was carrying you, she sensed you were extraordinary, knowing you were the new generation's Xuanyuan. At that time, your father was consumed by revenge, and your mother feared that if your Xuanyuan identity was exposed, it would bring about a deadly calamity. So, she imprinted the Taixu Secret Record into your mind and left behind a restriction to prevent you from prematurely revealing your Xuanyuan identity in your youth."

"It was because of that restriction that you were always unable to harness Yuan Power during your youth. According to your mother's wishes, if you didn't possess the strong willpower needed to break that restriction, you were better off living as an ordinary person. If you could break through it, it proved you possessed exceptional cultivation talent, and at that point, the Taixu Secret Record would naturally manifest in your mind to aid your rapid growth."

"With that restriction in place, whenever you tried to activate your Yuan Power and cause your blood to boil, it would dissipate the energy, preventing your Xuanyuan bloodline from manifesting. Perhaps because the restriction was in place for so long, even after you broke free, your blood remained red. Why this is so, I cannot say for certain, but your Xuanyuan identity is confirmed; otherwise, you could never have displayed such terrifying power today."

After Li Hentian finished speaking, Ji Changkong remained silent, his expression bewildered.

"Old... Old Li, my mother, is she truly gone?"

After a long moment, Ji Changkong finally looked up, asking with profound sorrow.

Li Hentian nodded gently. "Indeed. Besides the Du Family, the three major sects and two great families near the Hidden Dragon Abyss were also responsible for your mother's death. The Du Family was the primary force; the other five factions were accomplices. Now that two elders from the Guiyuan Sect have arrived at the Du Family estate, we likely won't gain any advantage over them for the time being. Changkong, your potential is limitless. When you are strong enough one day, you must seek vengeance for all these losses!"

Ji Changkong’s face darkened as he nodded heavily. He gazed toward the direction of the Du Family estate from the mouth of the cave. He marked the Du Family and the three sects and two families near the Hidden Dragon Abyss as his mortal enemies.

"Old Li, at the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, one can predict their own fortune and misfortune. Before you ventured to the Du Family estate, you should have known there was mortal danger. Why did you take the risk?" Tuoba Lie, who had remained silent beside them, couldn't help but ask.

Li Hentian glanced at Tuoba Lie and replied coldly, "Am I not unharmed? As you said, I was aware before going to the Du Family that the mission was highly perilous. However, I also calculated that a variable might appear midway. I wanted to see where this variable would originate. When you appeared, I assumed it was you; I never expected it would be Changkong."

At this, Tuoba Lie looked slightly awkward, rubbing his bald head with a forced laugh. "There were about a dozen Seven Star Heavenly Scholars there. I planned to charge in, risking death, but looking back, if Changkong hadn't shown up, I likely would have died alongside you inside. In these times, people are truly worlds apart. This kid has only just debuted, yet he could actually repel two Manifestation Star Heavenly Scholars."

"Changkong, how did the Tianyuan Pearl end up with you?" Tuoba Lie’s words seemed to jolt Li Hentian awake. He became grave and asked hurriedly, "How did the Tianyuan Pearl come into your possession?"

Toward Li Hentian, Ji Changkong harbored no secrets, recounting his entire experience at the Spirit Treasure Assembly. After finishing, he managed a wry smile. "I truly don't know why my luck is so incredibly good. With so many Heavenly Scholars present, the Tianyuan Pearl happened to choose me, coincidentally entering my body. This Tianyuan Pearl is truly bizarre; it seems to be constantly absorbing the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth. If it weren't for the massive power the Tianyuan Pearl released just now, I never could have forced back the two Manifestation Star Heavenly Scholars!"

"This might not be a coincidence!" Li Hentian shook his head, his expression solemn. "After the Chen Family acquired the Tianyuan Pearl, their two Old Ancestors sent for me to examine its origins. At that time, I used my divine soul to probe the pearl, and the moment my soul entered, I was pulled inward by a strong suction force; my spirit was nearly trapped inside. "

"This thing originated from beyond the heavens; it is indeed incredibly strange. The Chen Family spent enormous effort but failed to fully understand its true function, which is why they displayed it at the Spirit Treasure Assembly. And the Dark King of the Manichaeism sect and others risked coming to the assembly to cause trouble, seemingly for the Tianyuan Pearl—perhaps the Manichaeism people know what it does."

Taking a deep breath, Li Hentian stated gravely, "The Tianyuan Pearl entering your body might not be chance. It could be related to the bloodline within you. Changkong, now that the Tianyuan Pearl is inside you, do you feel any discomfort? I have a nagging feeling this pearl isn't entirely benign. See if you can force it out."

Hearing Li Hentian’s words, Ji Changkong tensed up. He immediately sat down cross-legged on the spot and attempted to circulate the Yuan Power within his body.

A strange fluctuation emanated from the Tianyuan Pearl. It acted like a source of boundless energy, continuously releasing the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth to fill Ji Changkong's limbs and bones. However, when Ji Changkong tried to use his divine soul and Yuan Power to push it out, a sharp, knife-like pain suddenly struck his lower abdomen.

As he had fled, the soul imprint of the Fire Phoenix that had merged with the Tianyuan Pearl faintly appeared as a red dot inside it, moving about agitatedly, seemingly chiding him for his reckless actions.

Inside the Tianyuan Pearl, numerous small, multicolored dots spun around as if possessed of life. When Ji Changkong tried to sense them, he found that these dots all seemed to carry a life fluctuation—they were like soul forms, similar to the Fire Phoenix, residing within the pearl.

The moment the thought of expelling the Tianyuan Pearl arose in his mind, those multicolored dots manifested and moved continuously inside the pearl, as if protesting his intention through this display of anger and resistance.

After several attempts, the pain in his lower abdomen grew worse. The Tianyuan Pearl seemed to have become an intrinsic part of his body, embedded firmly in his meridians and flesh, refusing to shift even an inch.

"It's no use; it feels like it's become part of me. I can't drive it out!" Ji Changkong said with utter helplessness.

"We will take a trip to the Western Regions. Since the Manichaeism people want the Tianyuan Pearl, they should know its purpose," Li Hentian frowned, pondering for a moment before suddenly declaring.