Chapter 2

  Tianquan Star Island, in the inner hall of the secret room, the face of the patriarch Shi Ren showed a worried expression, which was extremely rare for him. He hesitated and said to Shi Yi:

  "That treasure is as big as a boat, slightly curved at the front and back, with a bulging middle and two ends that taper off like a blunt cone. It shines with golden light all around, and is firmly secured on all sides. Second brother......"

  "Big brother, could it be the Ark of the Covenant?! No, no way! How can that thing be in the mortal realm?!" Shi Yi exclaimed in shock.

  "What is it then?"

  "But, however..."

  Shi Yi said half a sentence but stopped again, after thinking for a while, he said with a worried heart:

  "Big brother, I'm afraid this time it's really a disaster."

  "Is it? How can this be good?"

  "Alas! Whether it's good fortune or bad, bad luck can't be avoided. Big brother, don't worry, we absolutely cannot panic!"

  "This is known to my brother, but it's just an external calamity that is about to arrive, and the estrangement of my brothers has weakened us even more!"

  "Big brother shouldn't worry too much either, I believe under great calamity, brothers can still distinguish between what's important and what's not."

  "It's all over now!"

  Shi Yi gazed at his elder brother, who had always been calm and unruffled, but in reality, he was shocked like a stormy sea. However, fearing that it would affect his brother's decision, he forced himself to remain calm. Shi Ren had been the head of the household for four or five hundred years, during which time countless major and minor events had occurred. After pondering for a moment, he returned to his usual tranquil state.

  "Second brother, I'm afraid you should make some preparations early."

  "Yes, big brother!"

  "Summon them to the council chamber!"

  "Yes, big brother!"

  Shi Yichang took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, calming his nerves as he walked out of the hall. The clan leader, Shi Ren, lowered his head in contemplation.

  Yu Heng Xing Island, in a secret room, Old Three Shi sat upright on the Taishi chair in the middle, his two sons stood with their heads bowed below.

  "Alright, prepare the secret treasure and select a few outstanding younger ones to follow my orders at all times. As for you, Kun, you are the eldest, lead the disciples of Yu Heng Xing Island well and make preparations for the great war."

  "Father, what's wrong? Isn't it just Qing'er running away from the valley? Such things have happened before."

  "You know nothing! Listening to your elder's words, it's as if the great Yu is descending upon the world!"

  Shi Li angrily interrupted his son Shi Yihao's words, "In short, don't ask too much, be prepared for a big battle and evacuation at any time."

  "Yes, Father!"

  The two brothers both responded with a bow and backed out. Shi Li stood up and paced back and forth in the secret room.

  Shi Zhi sat in the grand hall of the Tianxu Temple and ordered the two boys standing below the hall:

  "It seems that the traitor had been planning to escape for a long time, and this time he was led out by someone unknown. Even your great uncle couldn't recognize what he was riding on."

  "Father, it seems like there's some movement on Tianguan Temple's Eldest Brother's side as well."

  "Oh! Alright, alright, you guys should also get ready early, who knows what big things might happen!"

  Shi Xin stood on the attic of one of the pavilions on Tianji Star Island, carefully examining the clean and tidy Wenjun Pavilion. This was where his wife Xiao Jun had once lived, but now the people were gone and the building was empty, and their only son had also betrayed him and left the valley.

  "I don't know who I've befriended, but his magical powers are even stronger than Second Brother's. Even Big Brother's swift and mysterious movements can't catch up to him. What is that thing? Why do I have a faint feeling that something is off?"

  "Alas! One Qing didn't die, it's worth it for Xiao Jun too!"

  Half a time later, Shi Jia's five elders, together with the eldest son of the clan chief, Shi Yisheng, who was sitting on Tianxuan Star Island, and the second son, Shi Yisheng, who was sitting on Kaiyang Star Island, gathered in the secret hall of Tianguan Star Island.

  "I won't say much either, now that the Three Realms Coffin has been lost, we need to investigate its whereabouts and see who brought people out of the valley?"

  The clan's patriarch, Shi Ren, asked in a deep voice that was neither warm nor fiery. The third son, Shi Li, opened his mouth to speak but then looked at the second son and found him speechless.

  "Big brother, I'd like to take someone with me to investigate this matter and bring that little beast back at the same time."

  At the sight of no one speaking, Lao Si's face appeared dissatisfied and he said loudly.

  "Hmm, Fourth Brother, let the younger ones handle such trivial matters. You're also approaching a thousand years of age."

  Lao Er slowly opened his mouth and said.

  Everyone looked at Shi Ren, waiting for him to speak.

  "It's a big deal, so let's split up and investigate in several directions. Let the second brother be in charge of arranging this matter. Everyone on the seven islands will return to their respective islands. Starting today, the grand formation will be fully activated, the valley will be sealed off, and the disciples of each formation will practice their formations."

  Shi Ren finished speaking and closed his eyes slightly. Then everyone got up and walked out.

  "Third brother, wait a moment."

  Lao San Shi Li Yi was taken aback and immediately returned to his seat, while the others all retreated.

  "Third brother, I don't need to say it, you also understand, how should we handle today's matter?"

  "Is it really Big Brother's intention to preserve our family lineage? But then, Big Brother, has it really come to this?"

  "Third brother, what is that huge ark!"

  Although Shi Lei had long been suspicious, he was still startled by Da Ge's affirmation.

  "Big brother, in that case, the protection of the Ghost Valley is secondary! What's important is to carefully select a direct descendant and also carefully design an escape route. The escape point for the young one must be safe and reliable, and also..."

  "Third brother, since your second brother has chosen the right person, you and the others will be responsible for helping him escape. This is a serious matter, so I'll only give you two instructions: first, investigate openly but help him escape secretly; second, only you need to know about it, there's no need to tell even us."

  "Yes, big brother!"

  "You go and handle it."

  Lao San Shi Li hurriedly left.

  The great hall was silent and still. Only Shi Ren sat motionless in his chair, his eyes tightly closed like a statue.

  "What else is there to prepare? Alas!"

  Shi Ren suddenly let out a light sigh, his eyes opened wide, and his gaze sparkled.

  "When the fish dies, the net breaks, what choice is there?"

  He suddenly stood up and walked out, and in just a few steps he had already left the main hall. It was exactly at sunset, when the sky was painted with late clouds and the golden peaks of the surrounding mountains were reflected in the Moon Lake, which flowed gently and trembled slightly, reflecting the golden light of the sky and mountains. The seven-star island's pavilions and buildings were also reflected in the water, and the color of the water and sky was dyed with golden light, making the Ghost Valley look extremely beautiful. Shi Ren stood quietly in the Moon Watching Pavilion, gazing at everything in the valley, this ancestral home that had been passed down for generations, would it really be destroyed by his own generation?

  "Alas, the world is cyclical, it seems there's no such thing as forever!"

  He shook his hand and a jade sword turned into a green bird flying away into the sky.

  In the depths of a mountain, within a cave, a white jade coffin was placed in the center of a spring emitting white mist. A nine-petaled lotus flower bloomed above it, and on top of that, the coffin floated in mid-air. A blue bird landed on it and chirped, but the coffin lid didn't open or close; instead, a large green hand suddenly emerged from within the coffin, grasped the bird, and vanished in an instant. After a brief moment, the blue bird suddenly flew out of the cave and away.

  In the Moon-Waiting Pavilion, Shi Ren and his second brother Shi Yi sat on a white jade chair.

  "Big brother, all the men have been arranged and handed over to Third Brother. But big brother, isn't it a bit too much that you won't let one person off? You should know that life is... "

  "Alright, second brother, your good intentions are clear to me. I think our family has been around for hundreds of years, if we can pass it down peacefully then I will naturally cultivate the great way, but if our family's legacy is cut off at the fifth generation, I will apologize with my death, and my lineage should also offer sacrifices to our ancestors together, how can there be two ways?"

  Shi Ren said resolutely.

  "Big brother, in our clan, the eldest son has a son named Dazhu who is extremely intelligent and was born with a celestial body. This child will surely carry on the family lineage without any mistakes..."

  "I am not unaware of it, but can only blame its unfortunate fate."

  "Big brother, ...... "

  "The person in the coffin has news too."

  Shi Ren said as he reached out to the empty air above, and a green bird suddenly transformed into a jade sword that fell onto his palm. Shi Ren focused his mind and gazed at the sword, then let out a light sigh and spoke to Shi Yi:

  "The Ark appears, and the Ghost Valley is gone. This is the fate of our family's history! Second brother, there is something that you need to go and do."

  "Big brother, what's going on? Just say it, no need to hold back. My brothers and I are willing to risk our lives for this cause, together with the Wu family, we'll face this difficulty as one."

  "Isn't it you who also sent the child out of the valley?"

  "Yes, most of my lineage are foolish and ignorant, leaving some people behind, also can let the escaped children have a little more chance."

  "Second brother, how foolish you are! Your youngest son had a grand wedding not long ago, how can you bear to... Alas. The matter has come to this, let it be. Now the most important thing is..."

  Shi Ren was silent, but he had actually used the divine transmission method to communicate with Shi Yi. Shi Yi stood quietly beside his older brother without saying a word. Before long, all three brothers of the Shi family arrived together.

  "Elder brother, all matters have been arranged and everything is being handled according to your wishes."

  Lao San glanced at Lao Er and said.

  "Ah, is there anything else overlooked? You all discuss it as well."

  "Are you going to let out the three beasts of Hu Valley too? Big brother."

  Lao Wu said hesitantly. Because his son had betrayed him, he hadn't dared to utter a word recently. However, since it concerned the survival of their family, he couldn't keep it private anymore. Those three beasts were raised by this lineage and possessed extraordinary power, comparable to that of his brothers, and even had the cultivation of a minor Round Fulfillment cultivator.

  "Little brother, you look haggard. Is it because of too much pressure? Let's put our hearts at ease and overcome the difficulties together."

  Lao Da Shi Ren looked at his youngest brother with a somewhat emotional expression.

  "When the three beasts are used at the most critical moment, it's also a great help. Big brother, isn't that...?" Lao San said with a glance at Lao Wu, then spoke to Lao Da.

  "Alright then, let's leave it up to Fifth Brother to handle."

  "Fourth brother, is there no problem with your great array of valleys?"

  "Don't worry, big brother, I'll set up another formation outside the valley and let the enemy break through one by one."

  Lao Si's wisdom was sharp despite his hot temper, and he excelled at array tactics, so he took charge of defending the outer array.

  "However, big brother, I have something unclear, and I don't know if I should ask or not?"

  The old three slowly said.

  Speak.

  "Who is this enemy after all? Could it be that we don't even know who the enemy is and yet we're already in disarray?"

  "Let Second Brother tell you about this."

  Then big brother suddenly frowned and flew away without saying a word.

  "Second brother, how is this possible?"

  "According to the family's ancient records, ten thousand years ago our ancestors defeated the old demon in a battle and obtained the Great Ark by designing the destruction of its owner's clan. Later, when fighting against the old demon again, the ark was used greatly and achieved success. However, after the war, the Great Ark was lost. Before ascending to heaven, our ancestor left behind a saying: 'When the ark appears, the Ghost Valley will perish.'"

  "Even after ten thousand years, even a true immortal would find it hard to predict. Or perhaps our actions are too big, and we're scaring ourselves with the shadow of a bow on a cup, and instead of being afraid of the well rope, we'll become a laughing stock!"

  Rumble, rumble

  Old Three's words had barely fallen when a deafening, earth-shattering crash echoed from outside the valley. The sound was so enormous that it seemed like ten thousand thunderbolts striking at once, causing the mountains to shake and the valleys to tremble. Another massive crash, as if the earth were splitting apart and the sky were collapsing. Old Fourth was shocked.

  "Oh no! The Great Array outside the Valley has been broken! Impossible! This array's defense is so solid, ........"

  "Hurry, hurry, everyone return to their positions and guard the inner formation. Third brother, open all three arrays of the Forbidden Sky. Go!"

  The four brothers quickly left and rushed into the Seven Star Island Array Eye.