?

"To sway the Providence of our entire Ye clan with the power of a single person!"

Ye Lingyue wiped the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Staring up at the shattered Bagua diagram fading above the Ye clan estate, she muttered in absolute disbelief:

"This... this is impossible! Absolutely impossible!!"

"When has this world ever seen someone with such heaven-defying Providence? My Ye clan is an immortal lineage of the Desolate Ancient Continent. We control ninety-nine spiritual veins. Our Providence is boundless, our blessings endless."

"Even a legendary favored child of heaven could never alter the fate of an entire clan alone!"

Though she desperately wanted to deny it, the truth was laid bare before her eyes. As a disciple of the Divine Calculator, she had dedicated her life to the Bagua and the Dao of Divination, peering into the very secrets of the Heavenly Dao.

"Wait! A favored child of heaven cannot sway a clan's Providence, but a legendary Child of Providence can!!"

Ye Lingyue suddenly recalled the ancient myths her master had spoken of. Yet, the Desolate Ancient Continent had not seen a true Child of Providence in thousands of years.

A Child of Providence was born cradled by the heavens, possessing boundless Providence.

Breaking through cultivation realms was as effortless as breathing. For them, a Bottleneck simply did not exist.

A casual stroll could unearth priceless Dharma Treasures or heaven-defying spiritual herbs.

No matter the peril, they would always turn misfortune into a karmic blessing.

A true protagonist's Fate Pattern.

More terrifyingly, a single Child of Providence could anchor and elevate the Providence of their entire bloodline.

But Providence was ethereal and elusive. Aside from terrifying Emperor-level experts, cultivators who did not study the Bagua or divination could never comprehend it, let alone perceive its unseen currents.

"Wonderful! My Ye clan has actually birthed a Child of Providence, a miracle unseen in millennia!"

"Given time, my Ye clan will inevitably soar! We will become the absolute zenith of the Desolate Ancient Continent!!"

Recovering from her shock, Ye Lingyue swallowed a Pill to restore her spiritual power, her delicate brows furrowing in thought.

"This person's Providence is intertwined with my Ye clan. He must be one of our disciples!"

She gazed at the dissipating starlight above, recalling the illusory silhouette of the youth whose face had been obscured by chaotic mist.

"Who exactly is this Child of Providence? What a pity my cultivation is lacking. My mastery of the Bagua and divination is not even one-tenth of my master's."

"Otherwise, I could pierce the veil to see his true face, seek him out, and enshrine him as the highest honored guest of my Ye clan!"

Even after burning a hundred years of her lifespan to perform a forbidden divination art, Ye Lingyue's cultivation was simply too weak to glimpse Chu Chen's true visage.

This was because Chu Chen had already taken his first steps in refining the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar.

Protected by an Extreme Emperor Weapon, his heavenly secrets were entirely obscured.

Let alone Ye Lingyue, even if her master-the Divine Calculator, the greatest diviner on the Desolate Ancient Continent-were to descend personally, he still would not be able to peer into Chu Chen's true identity!!

"I must find this person immediately. Even if my Ye clan must exhaust its entire foundation, we must retain this Child of Providence! He is the key to ensuring our lineage thrives for ten thousand generations, our Providence flourishing without end!!"

Ye Lingyue took a deep breath. With a flicker of her silhouette, she tore through the air toward the Ye clan's main hall:

"This matter is of paramount importance. It concerns the very survival of my Ye clan. I must inform Father at once!"

......

Swoosh!!

When Ye Lingyue materialized inside the grand hall, she found her father, Ye Ding, and several of her younger sisters gathered together, chattering away in a lively atmosphere.

"Big Sister, when did you exit Secluded Cultivation?"

"Wonderful! Big Sister, did you successfully break through to the Saint realm and master the Dao of Space?"

"First, Little Xuan broke through to the Sea Expansion Secret Realm, and now Big Sister has reached the Saint realm. Without that annoying waste dragging us down, good fortune just keeps pouring into our Ye clan one event after another."

......

Amidst her sisters' cheerful celebrations, Ye Lingyue clasped her hands and bowed to her father, Ye Ding, who sat upon the Patriarch's throne. Only then did she speak, her expression unprecedentedly grave:

"I ended my Secluded Cultivation early not because... not because I broke through to the Saint realm. It was because I sensed that our Ye clan's Providence has... has dissipated by more than half. The resulting backlash caused my breakthrough to fail, forcing me out early."

The joyous laughter in the hall was instantly extinguished.

Even Ye Ding could no longer sit still upon his throne. He leaned forward, staring at his daughter with a tense expression:

"Lingyue, what are you saying? Why would our Ye clan's Providence suddenly dissipate by more than half?"

Ye Ding was merely a Saint realm cultivator. He did not practice the Bagua or divination, so he naturally could not perceive the ethereal flow of Providence.

Furthermore, Chu Chen had been residing within the Ye clan this entire time, his personal Providence seamlessly woven into the clan's foundation. Given Ye Lingyue's limited mastery, she had been unable to detect his terrifying fate before.

That was, until...

Until Chu Chen was expelled from the Ye clan, his name struck from the ancestral registry, and his blood ties severed. The moment the Ye clan's Providence hemorrhaged by more than half, Ye Lingyue finally sensed the catastrophic loss.

Ye Lingyue did not answer her father directly. For one, the concept of Providence was far too profound; even if she explained it, they would not comprehend. Secondly, the existence of a Child of Providence carried world-shaking implications. She dared not speak of it recklessly.

"Where is the Holy Son?"

Sweeping her gaze across the grand hall, Ye Lingyue failed to spot Chu Chen. A sudden, chilling unease gripped her heart.

Ye Lingyue was no fool. If the Ye clan truly harbored a Child of Providence, then... it was almost certainly her own blood brother, Chu Chen.

But Chu Chen's Meridians had been crippled, his cultivation entirely destroyed. Could such a person truly be a Child of Providence???

"Big Sister, Little Xuan went with the Third Elder to capture that waste."

Ye Ling'er blinked her large, innocent eyes. Though puzzled by the question, she still clasped her hands and answered.

Little Xuan?

Ye Xuan??

"Ling'er, I am not asking about Little Xuan. I am asking about Chu Chen!"

Having been in Secluded Cultivation, Ye Lingyue was completely ignorant of the recent upheaval:

"Besides, the Holy Son of our Ye clan has always been Chu Chen. Why are you..."

Before Ye Lingyue could finish, Ye Qingqing and Ye Han quickly interjected:

"Big Sister, you don't know! That waste secretly devoured Little Xuan's thousand-year fire lingzhi. When Father ordered him to apologize, not only did he refuse, but he even threatened to sever ties with Father and betray the Ye clan!"

"Our Ye clan is a dignified immortal lineage. How could we allow ourselves to be threatened by a crippled waste?"

"Father reported the matter to the Ancestor, struck that waste's name from the ancestral registry, and expelled him from the Ye clan!!"

Buzz-

Ye Lingyue staggered violently. Had Ye Ling'er not reacted quickly to support her, she would have collapsed onto the cold stone floor.

"Lingyue, we indulged that waste far too much in the past. It inflated his ego to the point where he actually dared to threaten me."

Ye Ding frowned as he looked at his eldest daughter's pale face and trembling form. His oppressive Saint Pressure subtly filled the hall, a heavy weight of absolute family authority, as he justified his actions:

"I have already dispatched Little Xuan and the Third Elder to hunt him down. Once they drag him back to the Ye clan, I will personally sever his hand and foot tendons. Let us see if he dares to act so insolently then!"

Expelled from the Ye clan!

Dragged back only to have his tendons severed?!

Ye Lingyue shoved Ye Ling'er away. She stared at her father seated high upon the Patriarch's throne, her eyes wide with utter disbelief. For the first time in her life, the man before her felt like a complete stranger.

"Father, what are you saying?"

"Chu Chen is your own flesh and blood! His cultivation was crippled for the sake of our Ye clan!"

"If it weren't for Chu Chen, our Ye clan would never have ascended to become an immortal lineage so quickly, let alone seize control of ninety-nine spiritual veins!!"

She had assumed that her words would remind her father and sisters of Chu Chen's bloody sacrifices, perhaps stirring some shred of guilt in their hearts.

But the callous responses from Ye Ling'er, Ye Qingqing, and Ye Han completely shattered Ye Lingyue's worldview.

"So what if he contributed to our Ye clan? Even if that is true, shouldn't you consider the bigger picture? Does past merit give him the right to steal Little Xuan's thousand-year fire lingzhi?"

"Merit is merit, and a crime is a crime! I, Ye Qingqing, absolutely despise people who rely on past favors to act arrogantly!"

"Exactly. That waste's divine body is shattered, and his Meridians are entirely broken. He's completely useless now. What's the point of bringing up the past?"

......

Just as Ye Lingyue opened her mouth to argue, the space within the hall distorted, and two figures materialized out of thin air.

"Father!"

"Big Sister, you've exited Secluded Cultivation! This is wonderful!!"

The newcomers were Ye Xuan and the Third Elder. Ye Xuan blinked his large, innocent eyes. He bowed politely to everyone present before speaking, his tone cloying and gentle:

"The Third Elder and I searched every corner of Qingshui Town, but we... we couldn't find Brother Chu Chen anywhere. I only thought to bring him back safely so he wouldn't get hurt, but..."

Ye Xuan's voice trembled with self-blame and worry, instantly drawing pangs of sympathy from Ye Ding, Ye Ling'er, and the others.

"Greetings, Patriarch! Eldest Miss!"

The Third Elder clasped his hands in a respectful bow, adding in a raspy voice:

"After leaving the Ye clan estate, there are only two paths. One is the official road passing through Qingshui Town, and the other cuts straight through Sky Demon Gorge."

"Since that... since Chu Chen is not in Qingshui Town, he must have wandered into Sky Demon Gorge. Worried for the Holy Son's safety, I escorted him back first."

Hearing this, Ye Ding stroked his beard and nodded in approval:

"Sky Demon Gorge is teeming with vicious Demon Beasts. Let alone Saint realm experts, even Saint King realm experts would not dare trespass lightly. Xuan'er is the future hope of our Ye clan; I cannot allow him to take such risks. Bringing him back was a wise decision."

"As for that waste, daring to wander into Sky Demon Gorge without a shred of cultivation... he has likely already been devoured by Demon Beasts. Good riddance! There is no need to search for him anymore!"

Swoosh!!

The moment Ye Ding's words fell, Ye Lingyue's body erupted into a streak of blinding light. She tore out of the grand hall, shooting straight toward Sky Demon Gorge.

Chu Chen's Meridians were completely destroyed, his cultivation entirely crippled. For an ordinary mortal to cross Sky Demon Gorge meant certain death!!

"You... all of you!!"

"Chu Chen is your brother! He is a blood member of our Ye clan!"

"Father, how can you speak such heartless words? If you refuse to search for him, I will!!"

Hearing that Chu Chen was in mortal peril, Ye Lingyue could no longer care about anything else. She didn't even have time to warn them that the clan's Providence had largely dissipated, leaving them vulnerable to brewing misfortune.

She had to retrieve the Child of Providence for the Ye clan!

She had to retrieve her own younger brother!!

......

Back in the Ye clan's main hall.

Ye Ding, Ye Xuan, Ye Ling'er, and the others stared at the empty doorway, exchanging bewildered glances.

They simply could not fathom why the usually composed Ye Lingyue had suddenly lost her temper over nothing.

Everyone knew that Ye Lingyue possessed the mildest and most forgiving temperament in the entire Ye clan.

After their mother passed away, the eldest sister had acted as a mother to them all.

How many years had it been since they last saw her erupt in such fury?

"Didn't Chu Chen propose to sever ties with Father and betray the Ye clan himself? Why is Big Sister turning around and blaming us?"

Ye Ling'er blinked her large eyes, staring innocently in the direction Ye Lingyue had vanished:

"Really, what has gotten into Big Sister's head?"