Urban Martial Saint

”What’s so strange about this?” Old Wang Ba scoffed, ”Such occurrences are quite common, otherwise why did ancient people place so much importance on bloodline inheritance?”

Ye Qing did not inquire further; in fact, such incidents had become so frequent that he was desensitized to them. The existence of things like the Heaven Earth Man Three Gates indicated that many matters could not be explained by science. The wisdom of the ancients was surely beyond the conjecture of modern man.

The old man continued, ”Fortunately, the Yelu family still has a few female members alive; otherwise, the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb would be impossible to open. To open the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb, you must find someone from the Yelu family and try using their blood.”

”Oh.” Ye Qing nodded, suddenly asking, ”Since the ancestral tomb can be opened with blood, why didn’t the Yelu family members open it earlier? If they had opened it before, the Yelu family wouldn’t have fallen to its current state!”

”That’s the crucial point…” The old man looked at Ye Qing, saying, ”Although the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb can be opened using family blood, there’s one key issue: since the day it was sealed, it has never been opened!”

”What does that mean?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

”Members of the Yelu family in each generation have attempted, yet over thousands of years, across dozens of generations, no one has managed to open the tomb.” The old man paused, then said, ”According to ancestral teachings, the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb will only open at a certain time. Perhaps, over those thousands of years, the time simply wasn’t right!”

”My goodness, if this time isn’t the right one either, doesn’t that mean the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb will forever remain closed?” Old Wang Ba wondered.

”That’s exactly the problem.” The old man chuckled bitterly, ”If this generation of the Yelu family still cannot open the tomb, it will remain sealed forever.”

”Surely not?” Ye Qing said, ”Isn’t there still some female members in the Yelu family? Their descendants are also Yelu’s bloodline!”

”That’s your assumption, but it’s not the reality.” The old man shook his head, looking intently at Wu Changming, ”To ensure the purity of the family bloodline, the direct line of the Yelu family does not marry outside.”

”What do you mean?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

”It means close kin marriage!” Old Wang Ba explained from the side.

”What?” Ye Qing paused, astonished that such a thing existed. Isn’t it said that close kin marriage is bad for the offspring? No wonder the Yelu family has declined.

”It’s not exactly close kin marriage. The Yelu family is actually divided into several branches, primarily intermarried among these branches.” The old man paused, ”However, they all bear the Yelu name and never marry outsiders; thus, the bloodline is preserved. But now it’s different. Only a few female members remain, so the Yelu bloodline cannot continue.”

Ye Qing nodded, realizing that with only these girls left, they must marry outsiders. Consequently, their children cannot preserve the Yelu bloodline, much less open the ancestral tomb. If this generation cannot open it, the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb will remain sealed forever!

”Now that you know how to open the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb, I will tell you about the transfer of the tomb’s ownership.” The old man paused, ”After my explanation, you’ll understand why the family’s inheritance must be handed to outsiders.”

Ye Qing nodded, listening intently to the old man, as the mysterious Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb had piqued his interest.

”Once the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb is opened, it can be manipulated from within to alter the sealing method, allowing a different bloodline to seal the tomb. However, to change the bloodline, a man’s blood is required, which cannot be substituted with a woman’s blood!” The old man looked at Ye Qing, saying, ”Thus, even if the tomb is opened, female members of the Yelu family cannot change the tomb’s seal or inherit it completely. If women cannot change the seal, the tomb will eventually lock forever. Hence, if the Yelu family ceases, their ancestral tomb will pass to outsiders.”

Ye Qing suddenly understood, realizing that was why the ancestral tomb couldn’t be inherited by females.

”Hold on!” Ye Qing suddenly remembered something urgent, ”According to what you’ve said, after I inherit the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb, I can’t return the inheritance to Miss Yelu?”

”Theoretically, that’s correct.” The old man replied.

”Then why did you say it was possible earlier?” Ye Qing exclaimed.

The old man said, ”I never said it was possible. I merely mentioned that if you inherit the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb, you become its owner. Whatever you choose to do is your decision, and no one can interfere!”

Ye Qing was speechless; he hadn’t paid attention to these details earlier, unaware of such cunning traps.

”I can’t accept this inheritance.” Ye Qing said, ”After all, this belongs to the Yelu family, how can I…”

The old man furrowed his brow slightly, ”Mr. Ye, you agreed to inherit earlier, which is why I shared so many secrets. Now that you’re aware of these secrets and wish to refuse, that wouldn’t be appropriate, right?”

”This…” Ye Qing was at a loss. The secrets had already been disclosed to him; now he couldn’t go back on his word.

The old man observed Ye Qing, saying, ”If there’s no issue, I’ll continue.”

Ye Qing nodded helplessly, having no choice but to listen further.

From ancient times, over thousands of years, many have searched for the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb. But do you know why they wanted to find it?

”Why?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

”The Yelu family was once an Imperial Family, and the tomb is filled with invaluable burial items, which goes without saying. Moreover, there’s one crucial thing inside…” The old man said, ”Do you know what it is?”

”What is it?” Ye Qing’s curiosity intensified; he knew that what many pursued was often not mere wealth but something far more significant. Just like the Heaven Earth Man Three Gates, or the Great Demon King’s remains in Beimang Mountain, not simply wealth.

”It’s said that Yelu Tianji’s ancestors discovered a clue concerning the Xuanyuan Sword.” The old man gave Ye Qing a deep look, ”And this clue is hidden in the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb!”

”What?” Ye Qing was greatly shocked, never dreaming of finding a clue about the Xuanyuan Sword.

Many believed the Xuanyuan Sword was a myth and did not exist. Even if it did, this famed instrument, the world’s most renowned, had vanished for millennia; no one had seen it or attempted to find it. Previously, rumors suggested the Yan Family’s Dragon Blood Wood was carved with either the Xuanyuan Sword or the Minghong Knife, prompting a scramble for the wood, illustrating the sword’s allure.

Who would have expected the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb to genuinely hold a clue to the Xuanyuan Sword? Could this remarkable famed instrument truly exist and be found?

Ye Qing’s mind was filled with awe, though he did not know the exact might of the Xuanyuan Sword, he knew full well that once it surfaced, it would cause massive upheaval and pursuit.

Glancing at the adjacent Old Wang Ba and Wu Changming, they seemed unfazed, as if they were already aware of the matter.

”A clue to the Xuanyuan Sword?” Ye Qing inhaled deeply, asking, ”Is it real? Does the Xuanyuan Sword truly exist?”

Old Wang Ba questioned, ”Of course it’s real; why can’t the Xuanyuan Sword exist?”

”Wasn’t… wasn’t this famed instrument supposed to be a treasure from myth and legend?” Ye Qing asked, astonished, ”Does it really exist?”

”Of course it exists; Emperor slayed Chi You with this famed instrument.” Old Wang Ba said, ”Not only does the Xuanyuan Sword exist, but the Minghong Knife does too.”

Ye Qing was even more surprised; though Old Wang Ba’s words were unreliable at times, he knew quite a lot. With him saying so, it seemed the Xuanyuan Sword was real.

”If Yelu Tianji’s ancestors found a clue to the Xuanyuan Sword, why didn’t they find it directly?” Ye Qing asked puzzlingly, ”Why would they seal this clue within the ancestral tomb?”

”We don’t know.” The two elders replied, ”Our ancestors were merely caretakers of the tomb, but matters concerning Yelu’s ancestors aren’t our concern.”

”Ah, that’s simple.” Old Wang Ba said, ”They found the clue back then, but a clue isn’t a guarantee of finding the sword. Such famed instruments aren’t ordinary; they won’t appear unless at a specific time. Yelu Tianji was quite the talent and likely understood this, thus sealing the clue in the tomb for future generations to seek out the Xuanyuan Sword.”

The old man looked at Ye Qing, ”Now that you’ve inherited the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb, everything within, including the Xuanyuan Sword’s whereabouts, is yours.”

Ye Qing felt a surge of excitement; the reputation of the Xuanyuan Sword was truly compelling. He couldn’t fathom its power, but one thing was certain: the Xuanyuan Sword could certainly break through the Devouring Demon Flower in Beimang Mountain. If he had it, rescuing Ding Lianshun and Yin Xianzi wouldn’t be difficult!