Chapter 249: Killing Geniuses to

Chen Fei finally regained his composure and, with a casual wave of his hand, dismissed the oppressive presence of the Ziqing Palace.

“I just brewed a pot of tea. Chen Fei, would you like to try it?” Chen Wang said with a smile, his attitude now completely different from the cold disregard he’d shown during their last meeting.

Though this was technically his family, Chen Fei felt no real sense of belonging here. To him, Chen Wang’s change of demeanor felt more like opportunistic flattery—”If someone is being overly friendly without reason, they probably have a motive.”

Thankfully, there was still Chen Wansheng.

At this moment, countless questions churned in Chen Fei’s heart.

“Chen Wang, bring Chen Yang to see me,” Chen Wansheng’s voice called out.

Chen Wang didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Yes, Ancestor!”

Inside the ancestral domain of the Chen family, Chen Wansheng looked toward Chen Fei with a solemn expression.

“I didn’t expect people from Tian Mi to find you so quickly.”

“Tian Mi?” Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.

Chen Wansheng nodded. “Though I haven’t left the ancestral grounds in many years, that person—Xuan Ming—should be Elder Ming of Tian Mi. I never imagined he was hiding within our Chen family!”

“As for Tian Mi itself—it’s an ancient, secretive organization. They target promising young geniuses, kill them, and harvest their innate talents and physiques,” Chen Wansheng said grimly.

“Killing geniuses?”

Chen Fei was no longer some clueless youth. After learning from the Heaven-Smiting Ancestor, he had a basic understanding of this world.

Hearing Chen Wansheng’s words, the first thing he thought of was—ascension.

If all the geniuses were slaughtered, who would remain to ascend?

Chen Wansheng turned to look at Chen Fei. “Being targeted by them is dangerous. But you don’t need to worry too much. As long as you’re in the ancestral grounds, they can’t touch you.”

Chen Fei, however, shook his head.

“Flowers raised in greenhouses never bloom brilliantly.”

Chen Wansheng looked at him with admiration. “Tian Mi may be a danger—but also an opportunity. These people are the embodiment of greed, having fused with many rare physiques. If you can survive their hunt and even kill them in turn, you can seize their constitutions and grow stronger faster.”

Chen Fei understood this perfectly.

Crisis is also opportunity.

But Tian Mi had been around for countless ages. They knew no boundaries or limits. A single mistake could lead to absolute death.

But so what?

Was he supposed to hide in the Chen ancestral land forever out of fear?

Ridiculous!

If he did that, he would never reach the Human Sovereign Realm!

Without clarity of heart and courage of will, how could one pursue the path to the peak?

Chen Fei hadn’t forgotten Su Ran. If he wanted to walk alongside her again, he couldn’t allow anything to block his path forward.

“Chen Wang,” Chen Wansheng ordered, “take Chen Fei to the family’s treasure vault. He may choose anything he wishes.”

He didn’t try to hold Chen Fei back.

Though he understood Chen Fei’s importance, the path of cultivation was unique to each person. Interfering too much would hinder Chen Fei’s growth. The best he could do was provide him with all the resources he needed.

Chen Wang immediately nodded. “As you command, Ancestor!”

Chen Fei hesitated for a moment, then pulled out the token Chen Wansheng had given him.

“Ancestor, I feel like it’s not really appropriate for me to keep holding onto this.”

“Why not?” Chen Wansheng smiled, shaking his head. “It’s just a symbol of identity. I’ve walked the world with it for many years. It may help you in the future.”

Chen Fei chuckled awkwardly, then suddenly asked,

“Ancestor, do you have any special enemies—like, the ‘kill-on-sight’ type?”

Chen Wansheng stared at him deeply.

A sharp and unconventional thinker—clear-headed too. Good.

Still, the question made him a little annoyed.

“If you ever meet people from Luoshui Sect, best not to mention you’re from the Chen clan,” he finally muttered.

Chen Wang stared at the ground, terrified that if he looked up he’d burst out laughing.

Was there anyone else in the whole family bold enough to ask Wansheng something like that?

Only Chen Fei!

Chen Fei wisely held back from asking for more details about Luoshui Sect.

Though Chen Wansheng seemed kind, pushing too far might still earn him a beating—not worth it!

As they left the ancestral ground, Chen Fei couldn’t resist and asked,

“Family Head, what exactly is the Luoshui Sect?”

Cough cough!

Chen Wang nearly choked, giving Chen Fei a speechless look.

Do you think the Ancestor can’t eavesdrop? Keep your dangerous curiosity to yourself! I’m old now—if I get smacked around by the Ancestor at my age, how humiliating would that be?

“Chen Fei,” he quickly changed the topic, “since you’ve awakened the Ancestral Bloodline, you’re technically the rightful family head according to our clan laws!”

He didn’t want to risk Chen Fei blurting out anything else that would get him dragged into trouble.

“I’ll now take you to the family’s treasure vault. Everything in there—if you see something you like, it’s yours.”

Then, as if remembering something awkward, he added,

“Based on generation… you’d technically call me grandfather.”

“Of course, I know you bear resentment in your heart. As for your father… sigh, after all these years, some things you deserve to know.”

Chen Fei looked at him, curiosity sparking.

“Back then, your father stole the Ancient Coiling Dragon Pendant to give to the young lady of the Li family. That pendant was the key to entering the Ancient Forbidden Ground: Xuan Yi Sect.”

A trace of sorrow flashed through Chen Wang’s eyes.

“It’s laughable, really. He was my son—if he had just asked, there’d be no need to steal.”

Chen Fei examined him carefully.

His expression didn’t seem to be lying.

“As for your mother—we truly had no idea. After your father left, he vanished. All we knew was that he entered the forbidden land. There’s been no news since. That’s why you ended up lost to the outside world for so many years.”

He sighed heavily.

Chen Fei nodded. “I’ll believe you for now.”

Chen Wang’s words lined up with what Li Zhong had told him. Of course, Chen Fei still trusted Li Zhong more than he did Chen Wang.

“And then there’s Chen Tian,” Chen Wang added, his face suddenly lined with even more weariness.

“I’ve been negligent all these years. That thing impersonating Xingyu… I never noticed. As a father, how could I not know my own son had been replaced?”

Grief overwhelmed his expression.

Cultivators may often seem emotionally detached, but bloodlines and family still meant something.

Chen Wang had never revealed this vulnerable side of himself—not as the proud family head.

What happened with Chen Xingjia had deeply damaged his authority.

Chen Fei wasn’t interested in the grudges of the older generation. He simply looked up and said,

“I won’t pursue Chen Tian’s matter. As for the Chen family—I won’t be staying here long.”

“That’s your choice,” Chen Wang nodded.

“Now that you’ve awakened the Ancestral Bloodline, the stronger you become, the more the entire Chen clan benefits. And…”

Chen Fei paused, curious at his hesitation.

Chen Wang suddenly grinned.

“Thanks to your presence, I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more newborns in the clan soon!”

Chen Fei: “…???”