There were twelve tombs in total.
Before the first grave stood a wooden tombstone.
Its inscriptions told the life of Su Tiansheng—the Su family’s Twelfth Ancestor—in grand, powerful characters, worn by time.
I am the Su family’s Twelfth Ancestor—Su Tiansheng.
A prodigy, breaking into the Wuwang Realm at twelve.
At twenty-three, fused seven streams of true blood.
At thirty-four, reached the Unified Realm and became king, slaying the Qing Snake, famed across the world.
At forty-one, achieved the Benwo Realm, snapping the Evil Jiao with a finger’s snap; who in the world did not know my unparalleled name?
At fifty-two, fought seven great Unified Realm masters.
Unbeatable!
From then on, immortalized in history.
At one hundred fifty, advanced cultivation again and succeeded the Su family’s Twelfth Ancestor, guarding the Tianyan boundary monument for two centuries.
At three hundred fifty, old injuries relapsed, passing away on a green stone in the Su family’s back mountains.
Three hundred fifty years old?
Su Liumeng’s pupils shrank again.
Everyone knew the two-hundred-year lifespan limit; could it really be doubled after advancing a half-step?
She looked at the other tombs.
Except for the Twelfth Ancestor’s tombstone, all others were wooden and mostly illegible.
She approached the first grave.
This tombstone was different, its inscription imbued with a strong sword qi that resisted erosion, preserving most of its words clearly.
The Su family’s progenitor, tribal person, Su Xiao…
The full name was illegible.
At three years old, broke into the Wuwang Realm; at seven, the Unified Realm; at nine, the Benwo Realm; at thirteen, broke the realm wall with one punch, forcibly sealing the Dragon Fallen Land into a secret realm.
In the depths of the Dragon Fallen Land, found an invincible skill—the Tianyan Nine-Dragon Art—and founded the Su family.
The rest was lost.
Su Liumeng stared at the blurred marks behind; it seemed someone erased them—not natural weathering.
*****
Ahead was a dilapidated wooden hut.
Su Liumeng knocked, no answer, so she pushed open the door.
Inside, a withered old man sat cross-legged on the floor.
His eyes were nothing but two hollow sockets, no eyeballs—just terrifying pits.
On the verge of death—that was Su Liumeng’s first thought.
The old man had only one arm left, his whole body seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
“Young lady.”
“Come closer. Old bones cannot walk anymore.”
The Thirteenth Ancestor’s voice suddenly echoed in Su Liumeng’s mind, startling her.
“Thousand-mile telepathy—a little trick.”
“Young lady, you’re probably scared. I have no tongue, so this is how I communicate.”
Su Liumeng stayed wary, fearing some possession trope from novels, stepping only two steps forward.
The Thirteenth Ancestor used his divine sense to sketch countless lines, which transformed into a gray book.
“A shabby book, take it. Inside are my lifelong insights.”
“The token is at your feet. Remember to close the door when you leave.”
Su Liumeng caught the book descending from the sky and looked down to see a small plaque on the ground, inscribed with the ancient character “Su.”
She waited a moment, seeing no further communication from the Thirteenth Ancestor and feeling safe, then bowed and said, “Thank you, senior, for your grace.”
Leaving, she closed the door behind her, still digesting all she’d seen and heard.
The path back was not difficult, and in ten minutes, she returned to the Grand Elder’s residence.
Seeing the girl, the Grand Elder asked eagerly, “Well? Did you get it?”
Su Liumeng pulled out the plaque. The Grand Elder kept praising it as good and excellent.
Blinking, she asked, “Holding this plaque, am I now the Su family’s Fourteenth Ancestor?”
The Grand Elder puffed his beard. “What nonsense! Theories are theories. Your cultivation and position matter, not a plaque. When I retire, you’ll start as Grand Elder, and when you retire, you’ll qualify to inherit the Fourteenth Ancestor’s duties.”
Su Liumeng wasn’t keen on being the Fourteenth Ancestor.
No benefit, only extra responsibility—who wanted that?
The Grand Elder seemed to see through her thoughts. “You’re thinking, ‘No benefits, so I won’t do it,’ right? The benefits I promised are already known to you. Let me put it this way: no dragon marrow in the world can be absorbed by you. Others have tried this path; none succeeded.”
“Without the Thirteenth Ancestor’s help, forget becoming a true divine dragon in this life. This is a huge opportunity.”
Talking about dragon marrow, the Grand Elder paused. “You’re a strange girl.”
“Normally, only true dragon descendants can absorb dragon marrow.”
“Strange, truly strange.”
“Well, the world is full of wonders. I’m an old man about to be buried. Not understanding is normal.”
He comforted himself with Su Liumeng’s half-hearted words from yesterday.
Seeing Su Liumeng hesitate to leave, the Grand Elder puffed his beard and said impatiently, “Enough, enough! Hurry up and go! You haven’t even started, and you’re already thinking of benefits.”
“Don’t worry. The benefits won’t be missed. Another huge opportunity awaits you.”
Su Liumeng blinked innocently. After getting the answers she wanted, she began to lie seriously. “I’m not asking for benefits, just wondering: after the Thirteenth Ancestor passes, and before I take office, who will cover his responsibilities?”
She suspected this “Guardian” role was no easy job.
As for whether she could handle it, she hadn’t really thought about it.
Her pride as a prodigy never allowed her to believe she’d be stuck for years at one realm.
Once she broke through, all responsibilities and enemies would be mere ants to crush.
“That’s none of your concern. Someone will temporarily take over.”
The Grand Elder waved his hand to shoo her away. “You’re always asking questions. I’ve told you everything. Do whatever you want.”
As Su Liumeng took her leave, the Grand Elder suddenly called out, “The Fourth Elder will return to the Su family the day after tomorrow to set your wedding date.”
“Another warning: since you’re preparing to marry, don’t disappoint that young lady. I think she’s quite good. Her eyes have been on you constantly, not once leaving your side at last night’s banquet. But she’s a bit introverted, less expressive. You must be more understanding.”
“You’re confident you can become soulmates?”
“Well, husband and wife are easy, soulmates hard. It takes three lifetimes of fate. Betrayal will be punished by heaven’s thunder.”
“Yuxi understands.”
“I know her personality well. She tends to overthink and be sensitive, prone to insecurity. I’ve thought about all this. I often talk to her, guiding her to open up. Hopefully, no conflicts will arise.”
“Just know this.”
Behind her, the Grand Elder added, “This is your decision. As for the soulmate ceremony—if it fails that day, and you…”
For the first time, Su Liumeng interrupted him impolitely, breaking his serious demeanor, “It won’t fail.”
A minute later.
As she stepped out of the Grand Elder’s courtyard, a young maid nervously paced at the gate.
She looked anxious yet dared not enter, waiting until Su Liumeng appeared, then hurried over.
“Eldest young lady, you should come quickly.”
“Your mother and… and Miss Si are fighting.”
“Many are waiting to see you fail.”
Su Liumeng’s heart sank; her expression darkened instantly.
She realized she had been too gentle.
When dealing with something that can’t understand human speech, kindness cannot be expected.
Su Liumeng used a Dao method and vanished from the spot.
*****
Five minutes earlier.
On the way to the Grand Elder’s residence, I was suddenly blocked by a man in a suit.
Behind him stood Su Mother.
“Look carefully. Is this woman?”
“If it’s really her, it’s fraud. The Su family will never forgive her. We’ll seek justice for you.”
The middle-aged man rubbed his eyes, scrutinizing my face for a long time.
I hated people staring at me, instinctively stepping back.
Spring Qiao sensed trouble and quickly placed herself in front of me. “What do you want? What are you trying to do?”
“She’s the one, this woman! Even if she turns to dust, I’ll never forget.”
“A year ago, she married me in Haicheng. But after six months, she ran off with a better man and their child.”
More people gathered, hearing his seemingly truthful story.
He pulled out a red booklet—the marriage certificate—with our names and photos on the cover.
Flipping it open, it was indeed my picture.
Almost identical to my ID photo, next to his own suited photo.
I felt nauseated.
Su Mother sneered. “The evidence is right here. What’s left to say? A faded flower, still daring to covet our Su family’s pride.”
“Seize her!”
“I said, not even the Heavenly King can save you today.”
More people closed in.
At the center was a thin girl’s figure, seeming about to perish any moment.
Suddenly, the sky blackened; ominous clouds mixed with crimson lightning pressed down.
The sky itself seemed to lower, as if crushing the manor into dust.
Eerie black winds swirled near the ground.
Sharp, ghostly wails echoed from all directions, forcing many to cover their ears and beg on their knees.
The once arrogant crowd now trembled like drowning dumplings, unable to think, trembling on instinct.
Some weaklings even bled yellow and white fluids.
Was this heavenly punishment?
Su Mother shuddered.
Boom—
But the anomaly hadn’t ended.
Si Zhiruo wasn’t just trying to kill one person—she intended to slaughter the entire Su family.
The vast manor and surrounding sky twisted continuously.
It was as if reality faded away, replaced by a horrific ghost realm.
Countless twisted souls tangled in the sky, gradually forming a silhouette.
Si Zhiruo stood as a ghostly figure mid-air, hands lightly folded behind her back, regal as a true sovereign, with endless laws sinking beneath her feet.
The sun vanished.
At this moment, she was the only color in the world.
The sole ruler of this instant.
“Those who insult my mother—”
“Die!!”
A pitch-black palm descended, gathering boundless power.
No doubt—if it struck, the entire Su family below would become rubble.
No one would survive.
As space warped, I saw the world shift to black and white.
Everyone seemed frozen in place; time lost all meaning.
Only I remained, surrounded by endless paintings.
At that moment, a deafening dragon roar echoed from the back mountains.
The sky over the frozen manor twisted again, as if another immensely powerful creature sought to restore the world.
“Foolish!”
“A mere insect dares obstruct me?”
A nearly thousand-meter-long Azure Dragon appeared in the sky.
The true battle seemed imminent.
“Zhizhi, wait.”
“I didn’t tell you to kill the whole Su family.”
“There are still people among them who treat me well. If you kill them all, who will witness Su Liumeng and my wedding? We can’t hold a ceremony only the two of us know about.”
The tiny figure in the sky tilted her head, seemingly confused.
“Mom, didn’t you say kill them all?!”
She might have misunderstood.
If it were just those small pests below, she wouldn’t need to intervene.
Si Zhiruo glared at the distant Azure Dragon.
Forget it.
Mom is unhappy and we’re at odds. She needs a chance to open up.
So she wouldn’t steal the credit.
With that thought, Si Zhiruo snorted coldly at the dragon and made a taunting face.
The surrounding anomalies slowly dissipated, and the empty sky seemed as if the figure never appeared.
This was beyond human comprehension of terrifying divine power.
I was filled with shock.
Si Zhiruo had indeed become even stronger.
The people around hadn’t even realized what had just happened.
Frozen in time, minds paused.
Su Mother’s head was muddled, nearly forgetting the scene.
She kept hypnotizing herself—such absurd events couldn’t be real.
They must be false.
She looked at the scattered figures on the ground, her eyes briefly confused, then said coldly, “Pathetic fools, get up and capture her.”
“I said, even the Heavenly King can’t save you today.”
A figure like lightning struck, kicking one person about to grab the girl into a wall—impossible to pull free.
Su Liumeng coldly stared at the woman, no longer caring about mother-daughter ties, twisting her neck like a chick.
“Heh, you say not even the Heavenly King can help? You’re just ignorant.”
Su Liumeng knew that even if she didn’t show, Si Xinyan wouldn’t be harmed.
She sensed the strong presence lurking in the shadows, ready to aid Si Xinyan.
But she came anyway.
If she didn’t protect her wife, who else could she rely on?
Even with nothing and no status, she vowed that anyone wanting to harm Si Xinyan would have to trample over her corpse first.
Su Liumeng’s chilling voice echoed through the alley.
“Jiang Yue, this time, I won’t hold back.”