Chapter 476: The Dark Clan

Still effortlessly fighting two realms above his own.

Strong?

Yes!

Paid for in resources!

The resources Lu Ye used could allow someone with above-average talent to cultivate all the way to the Great Dao Realm or even the Imperial Realm without ever worrying about insufficient resources.

For example, now, the Nine Extremes Realm—all concentrated into his fist.

This hand, this arm, would be strengthened to a ridiculously overpowered level.

It could even trigger the enhancement of his entire body's strength in sync.

By then, whether Lu Ye swings his sword or throws a punch, the force would multiply exponentially.

I'll damn well cultivate, cultivate, cultivate!

I'll damn well refine, refine, refine!

Cycle of Six Paths.

At this moment, An Li reincarnated once more, her gaze strangely blank.

Why?

Why was the Dark Origin acting so crazy?

Hadn't it already failed? Hadn't it already realized that without her, it was no match for Lu Ye?

Under such circumstances, how could it still mess with her like this?

And it had even left—up until now, it hadn't returned.

Such completely irrational actions left An Li profoundly disturbed.

Yet, she couldn’t figure out the reason.

No matter how hard she racked her mind, she’d never guess that the Dark Origin had switched sides.

Admittedly, she now felt some regret.

She already knew the Dark Origin wasn't Lu Ye, yet she still treated it the same way she treated Lu Ye—that was completely misguided.

If only the Dark Origin had been Lu Ye…

Now what?

Would the Dark Origin return for her?

An Li couldn't just wait around anymore. She had already squandered enough time here.

If she stayed here much longer, by the time she returned to the world, she might emerge and find Lu Ye had ascended to Emperor!

Then it'd all be over.

Originally, An Li hadn't wanted to contact her mother's clan so soon, but now… she remained torn.

"Why isn't this child crying or fussing? Is it... dumb?"

The midwife scowled, her brow furrowed.

"Let me see the baby..."

A frail voice murmured.

An Li felt herself being carried over and saw her birth mother in this life.

At first, her mother’s gaze brimmed with hope, but the moment she saw An Li, all that expectation turned into disgust—a deep, visceral loathing.

"So ugly, disgusting... revolting..."

Ugliness wasn’t the issue; it was simply because An Li carried the aura of the Dark Origin, which was anathema to Providence, and thus to all creation.

Mortals recoiled from her on sight.

That hateful glare was something An Li had experienced countless times before.

Yet each time, it felt like her heart was being slashed open anew.

Whatever doubt remained in An Li’s mind vanished in that moment. In that instant, she acted, reaching out to her maternal clan.

A bizarre pulse tore through the void, piercing the Six Paths of Reincarnation, reaching a most peculiar place.

The Reincarnation Celestial Worthy’s eyes snapped open at the ripple. His brow twitched.

This ripple...

"The *Dark Clan*?"

Reincarnation Celestial Worthy knew of this race—not human, not fiend, not spirit—something *other*.

They were a reclusive folk, usually keeping to themselves, seemingly capable of speaking to things beyond.

Though residing in the Seventh Heaven, their collective strength was formidable.

Not even an Emperor dared cross them.

And they, in turn, did not provoke others.

Who *was* she? First, the Dark Origin sought her out, and now she could contact the Dark Clan.

He’d bide his time.

In the Seventh Heaven, Yin Qingcheng tended her fractured Dao heart, steadily recovering.

Lu Ye—she’d *never* let him go.

Even if he had Shen Xitong, even if he had a daughter, she would not relent.

If she could just kill Shen Xitong, she’d *take* the child as her own!

He’d be *hers*, no matter what.

As for the rest—Shangguan Huanling, Yue Hongling, and Vermilion Bird—they remained in the Fifth Heaven, still deep in their training.

Their cultivation speed was actually considered fast, but it was still not enough, far from enough!

With Lu Ye's cultivation speed, if they wanted to catch up to him, they would truly have to risk their lives to train—sometimes even that might not be enough.

Shangguan Huanling was progressing relatively faster.

But Yue Hongling's cultivation speed was very slow. Even now, she was still struggling in the Cosmic Realm. Reaching the Immortal Realm would take forever.

Time ticked away.

Within the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

A figure appeared abruptly.

It was a tall man dressed in black robes. Though he appeared in human form, his heart pulsed with a dark glow, pulsating with each beat.

"Darkstar greets the Reincarnation Celestial Worthy!"

Darkstar cupped his hands and spoke.

No one answered him.

Darkstar didn't mind and continued, "I have come this time to retrieve our clan's saintess. The trouble the saintess has caused the Celestial Worthy is deeply regretted by our Dark Clan."

Yet, no response came.

"Thank you, Reincarnation Celestial Worthy, for your mercy!"

After these three statements, Darkstar boldly proceeded to retrieve An Li.

Once An Li's true spirit was recovered, Darkstar bowed respectfully before vanishing.

Deep within the Seventh Heaven, nearly at its farthest edge.

An eternal black mist enveloped this place, though it was not the Dark Origin.

The Dark Clan!

This was an extremely ancient race.

No one even knew when it first appeared—appearing without a sound, its purpose a mystery.

An Li's true spirit was brought into a great hall.

At the highest point of the hall stood an imposing statue, its eyes veiled by black cloth, hiding its true visage.

Every elite of the Dark Clan had dark light pulsating from their hearts.

"Oh Divine One, grant us your sacred power and save the lost one!"

All the elites knelt on the ground, begging in solemn reverence.

The statue stirred.

From its heart, a surge of dark light erupted, bathing An Li's true spirit.

Under the dark light's radiance, An Li's true spirit quickly coalesced into a soul.

"Thank the Divine!"

Everyone thanked the deity again.

The eerie glow dissipated.

The leader of the Dark Clan, named An Ri, now stood before An Li.

"Saintess, do you admit your wrongdoing?" An Ri's gaze was terrifying.

For the first time in generations, a Saintess had dared to flee the clan instead of embracing the honor of being offered to the Divine.

Countless clan members had dreamed of becoming Saintess, yet had no chance. Sacrifice to the Divine was considered the highest honor.

Yet, at this moment, An Li proudly raised her head.

"I admit no wrongdoing!"

As these words left her lips, the faces of everyone in the hall twisted in shock. They cast fearful glances at the statue, and they itched to strangle An Li right then and there.

If the Divine were to grow wrathful, they would all be forced to kill themselves in penance!

"How dare you!"

An Ri erupted in fury.

"Clan Leader, I know you're furious, but hear me out first!"

An Li stood her ground, completely unfazed, for she had long prepared her ace up her sleeve.

"Isn't your wish for the Divine to return to this world? My time outside the clan has already fulfilled your goal—I am the Dark Clan's greatest benefactor!" she declared with absolute conviction.