This name manifested, and in Lu Yungge's heart, there was an immediate tremor; the railing before him shattered under his grip. The Second Heir Apparent—how could it be her? That vile woman—shouldn't she be suffering torment in the Nether Prison right now? How could this Stone Stele have chosen her as an Heir Apparent? Even if this incident hadn't occurred twenty years ago, before she was imprisoned, her ranking was only fourth. A year in the Nether Prison consumes ten years of lifespan. That woman should have, at most, only a few decades left to live! How then did she become the esteemed Second Heir Apparent of the Sky-Burning Sacred Court? What exactly is the Nine-Extremes Death Prison doing? And that old ghost Lu Tianqing—why hasn't he sent a single word of notification?

Below in the plaza, there was also an explosive uproar. Everyone could no longer restrain themselves, glancing at one another, murmuring incessantly. "Lu Hanyan—which Lu Hanyan is this?" "Who else could it be? Most likely the current Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor's legitimate granddaughter, the former Sacred Court Princess." "But didn't she, after that incident twenty years ago, get judged by the Punishment Hall, expelled from the Sky-Burning Lu Family, stripped of her Crown Prince qualifications, and imprisoned in the Nine-Extremes Death Prison?" "Who knows what happened? Could it be that some new change has occurred?" "Did everyone notice that this time, the lineage of the Blazing Origin Sacred Venerable actually occupies a massive three-tenths of these one hundred and eight Heirs Apparent?" "It really is so! Meaning, in this Bloodline Reversal, the descendants of Blazing Origin gained the most benefits this time?" "Doesn't it feel like a storm is brewing, a great change is imminent?"

Those discussions were precisely what Lu Yungge was contemplating at that moment. He listened quietly, his expression shifting from ashen to one of uncertain gloom.

Lu Daoyan was equally astonished, muttering to himself, "Hanyan? How could it be Hanyan? She's back, ranked as the Second Heir Apparent—" Then, as if realizing something, Lu Daoyan couldn't help but burst into loud laughter: "It's good that she's back! Excellent! I am greatly relieved! Let us drink a large cup. Cousin Yungge, this is joyous news. What are your thoughts?"

Although he still didn't know the reason for the change in the Heir Apparent rankings, or why Lu Hanyan's name appeared on the Sacred Stele, he deeply understood that the situation within the Sacred Court was bound to undergo dramatic shifts! Lu Hanyan's re-entry into the selection of Heirs Apparent meant that his cousin's alleged crime had likely been entirely exonerated, and she was no longer a sinner of the Lu Family. The events of that year would be revisited! Otherwise, how could she have received the acknowledgment of the Lu Family Ancestral Court and the Sacred Stele? But if that were the case, without the support of one or two powerful figures within the clan, how could Hanyan have been absolved of guilt? And the Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor might no longer need to endure restraint on account of Lu Hanyan. Within the Sky-Burning Sacred Court, even if their influence couldn't fully return to its former glory, the descendants of their lineage would never again be subjected to bullying. The joy in his heart was almost indescribable. "I know Cousin Yungge always had one particular desire. But alas, I fear Cousin will find it impossible to achieve now!"

As for what Lu Yungge's desire was, it was none other than, after ascending to the position of the Sovereign Sacred Emperor, to continue suppressing those close to Lu Hanyan, ensuring this faction would never rise again. Over twenty years, Lu Daoyan had accumulated countless resentments. Now that he had an opportunity to vent, he naturally ceased holding back.

Lu Yungge let out a muffled grunt from his throat. At that moment, he truly wished he could swat this noisy, irritating fly dead with one slap! The Sovereign of Xuanhua had allowed this individual to remain, granting him a seat among the Nine Heirs Apparent. This was done to satisfy the consensus of the clan and to save face for the Blazing Origin Sacred Venerable, lest that Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor Lu Beiwu be driven to desperate measures. The Blazing Origin faction only possessed this one, utterly incompetent individual! Yet now, for the first time, Lu Yungge found this person intensely hateful! If he ever got the chance, he would ensure this person met a fate with no burial place!

A flash of vicious intent crossed Lu Yungge's eyes before his expression returned to calm. He could only force himself to endure; the time for an outburst was not yet right, until everything was made clear. Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Yungge waited silently for the final name to appear.

However, the Sacred Stele paused for a moment. Only then did the crimson blood-light begin to coalesce again. It started with the character 'Lu' (), drawing everyone’s expectant gaze, but then a single character name appeared: 'Shou' (). "Lu Shou? Who is Lu Shou?" Lu Daoyan was momentarily bewildered, utterly clueless. The name Lu Shou was utterly unfamiliar; he didn't recall anyone by that name in the Sacred Court. Yet, he vaguely remembered hearing this name before, and quite recently at that. But his mind was momentarily distracted, and he couldn't recall who this person was or where he had heard the name.

Lu Yungge’s body shook violently, and the last trace of color fled from his face. As if his soul had been struck, he staggered back several steps. —Lu Shou, he was Lu Hanyan's son! That half-breed wretch they had deemed to possess dual meridians and a remnant soul, incapable of cultivation! And yet, the pure-blooded descendant of the Saintly Jin Lu Family—it was him! So that was it! That explained everything! No wonder Lu Hanyan could be ranked as the Second Heir Apparent! Was it that status derived from the son? In this Bloodline Reversal, that vile woman naturally gained the greatest advantage. Having given birth to a pure-blooded descendant of the Lu Family, she was naturally credited with merit rather than fault. But how could that wretch—whom they should call 'Lu Shou' or perhaps 'Zong Shou'—possess the World-Burning Bloodline? Wasn't it said that only unions between close clan members could further purify the bloodline? Truly, the heavens were blind!

These thoughts flashed through Lu Yungge's mind. Meanwhile, before the Sacred Stele, the clamor rose to a tidal wave. "Lu Shou, who is this Lu Shou?" "It’s one thing that Lu Hanyan is cleared of guilt and becomes the Second Heir Apparent, but who is this Lu Shou?" "Never heard of him!" "There should be no one by that name in the Sky-Burning Sacred Court—" "Wait! Doesn't anyone remember that not long ago, a new addition appeared on the register of the legitimate lineage, ranked seventeenth?" "Is that so? I haven't been back for ages, so I didn't know about such a change." "You are simply ill-informed! It caused quite a stir in our Lu Family these last two years. But this person was always known by name only, never seen, and the ranking wasn't high, so nobody paid much attention." "How strange! I wonder which faction cultivated this person to keep him hidden for so long! This time, truly, he remained silent until now, only to astound everyone with one stunning appearance!" "I did hear a rumor that this 'Lu Shou' is the son born from Lu Hanyan’s illicit affair with an outsider—" "Are you joking? Back then, Lu Hanyan willingly debased herself by coupling with a native possessing the bloodline of a Seven-Tailed Mystic Fox from the Cloud Realm. It would be a miracle if her son hadn't perished early due to the conflict of bloodlines!"

Up in the pavilion, Lu Daoyan had snapped back to awareness. He could no longer suppress his emotions and began to laugh wildly, almost to the point of madness. The sound waves spread out, shaking the space for tens of miles before the Ancestral Temple. "Lu Shou, Lu Shou! Isn't that Zong Shou? He is my cousin's son! If he can clear Hanyan's name and rank her as the Second Heir Apparent, who else could it be? The cripple you all scorn is now the only pure-blooded person of the Lu Family, possessing the World-Burning Blood Eye! When you schemed against the Sacred Emperor back then, did you ever imagine such a day would come?"

Lu Yungge, standing nearby, nearly ground his teeth to dust! The entire plaza fell into a dead silence once more. Everyone stood still, only exchanging glances. The Lu Clan disciples present were generally calculating. They understood that if what Lu Daoyan claimed was true, a massive upheaval was about to occur in the Lu Family, the storm was truly imminent. The major powers within the Sacred Court would certainly shift again. At this moment, every word needed to be uttered with extreme caution. No matter the internal struggle, these were matters of the higher echelon. If they rashly involved themselves, they risked being utterly crushed. Yet, some among them showed a change in their gaze. Possessing the sole pure bloodline, the First Heir Apparent of the Sacred Court—this position seemed impregnable! Thus, in the vast area before the Ancestral Temple, only Lu Daoyan's hysterical laughter echoed.

Until a cold shout descended from the void: "Silence!" A formidable divine sense pierced through the air, and a majestic figure materialized above the Sacred Stele. Lu Daoyan’s arrogance was instantly stifled. He felt his very soul on the verge of being crushed by this person’s will, rendering him incapable of speech. Lu Yungge, however, felt a wave of relief. The arrival was the Sovereign of Xuanhua! Twenty years ago, in that extremely difficult situation, just as Lu Beiwu was about to secure victory, this very person had managed to reverse the tide, forcing Lu Beiwu into seclusion. Furthermore, the current situation was far more favorable than it was back then!

But just then, another figure appeared above the Sacred Temple. He was equally handsome and peerlessly refined, possessing a weighty and imposing aura, commanding respect without anger. The moment this person arrived, the oppressive intent that had been bearing down on Lu Daoyan was forced away. But he too issued a cold reprimand: "Making a disturbance before our Lu Family Ancestral Temple Sacred Stele—what sort of decorum is that? You may collect your penalty from the Punishment Hall later!"

Lu Daoyan, however, was neither startled nor angry. Instead, he gazed fixedly at this person for a moment. The Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor Lu Beiwu! He had actually emerged from his closed-door cultivation; this was the first time he had appeared before the public in two decades. A wave of emotion surged within Lu Daoyan's chest, which he forcefully suppressed, bowing respectfully: "Your servant accepts his guilt and obeys the Emperor's command!"

Lu Beiwu paid him no mind, focusing his steady gaze on the two names at the very top of the Sacred Stele: Lu Hanyan and Lu Shou. His expression remained unchanged, yet deep ripples formed in his eyes. As these two arrived, dozens of other figures successively appeared in the sky above the plaza. This made the area even more silent, devoid of even the slightest sound. These figures hovering in the air were either Sovereigns of various regions, leaders of the Five Halls, or venerable elders of the Sacred Court. All possessed supremely high status, formidable strength, and cultivation levels no lower than the Saint Realm. This caused the hundreds of thousands of Lu Clan disciples below to feel as if breathing itself had become exceedingly difficult. Yet, they quietly raised their heads, observing the expressions of these powerful figures to infer the current situation.

The majority showed no joy or anger. However, some displayed happiness, anger, or worry. At that moment, a voice suddenly rose from within the crowd: "May I ask the Sacred Maiden to offer an explanation for us? Who is this Lu Shou? This person has done nothing meritorious for our Lu Family. How can he possibly usurp the position of the First Heir Apparent?"