Chapter 1157: An Alternative Heavenly Profound Artifact
Wu Ninglu was unaware of the true name of the Sun family's ultimate treasure, nor did she know what form it took.
Yet, piecing together the history of the Sun family's ascent, she surmised that the treasure's power was almost certainly related to deduction, perhaps even prophecy.
Roughly a thousand years ago, the Sun family was nothing more than an unremarkable, minor cultivation clan.
The most powerful member of their clan had only reached the Nascent Soul stage.
But then, one day, their fortunes seemed to turn on a dime. Not only did several members break through to the Soul Transformation stage in quick succession, but by a stroke of sheer luck, they also rescued a gravely wounded Dao Integration cultivator.
Under the patronage of this mighty Dao Integration expert, the Sun family's influence skyrocketed.
The Sun family's sudden ascent naturally drew the attention of many influential powers. On the surface, their success appeared to be a simple matter of good fortune.
But not everyone was convinced.
This was especially true for the faction that had orchestrated the assassination attempt on the very Dao Integration cultivator the Sun family had rescued.
The Chen family, one of the most powerful clans in Tianquan Province. Its members were renowned for their mastery of alchemy, and many held key positions within the Dan Hall of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Back then, driven by an old grudge, they had plotted to ensure the Dao Integration cultivator's demise. Yet their supposedly foolproof scheme had been thwarted by a mere Nascent Soul cultivator!
A thorough investigation confirmed there had been no leak. What's more, on the very day of the incident, the Sun family's Nascent Soul cultivator had abruptly used a teleportation array to cross several provinces, positioning himself directly on the wounded cultivator's escape path.
It was as if he had known exactly what was going to happen!
None of it made any sense. From that day forward, the Chen family kept a close watch on the Suns.
Under the laws of the Immortal Alliance, despite the vast disparity in power between the two families, the Chens dared not simply murder them and seize the treasure. This was especially true after the injured Dao Integration cultivator recovered and began to harbor suspicions that the Chen family was behind the attack.
By the time the Chen family had dealt with their own troubles and turned their attention back to the matter...
...the Sun family had already forged connections with influential figures at the Immortal Alliance headquarters. They had relocated from an outer province to Tianquan Province, and, to top it all off, had produced a Dao Integration cultivator of their own.
The Sun family's rise had been astonishingly swift. The string of coincidences that marked their path to prominence only strengthened the Chen family's conviction that they were hiding an extraordinary treasure.
But the Sun family acted with extreme caution. Once their foundation was secure, they seldom seemed to use the treasure at all.
Though the Chen family coveted it, they could never find a suitable opportunity to make their move.
Eventually, the matter was all but forgotten within the Chen clan.
That is, until just over fifty years ago, when the Sun family once again made a spectacular splash within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, dredging up long-buried memories for the Chens.
At the Alliance headquarters, on the path to the Law Enforcement Hall, the Sun family patriarch identified an undercover spy from the Five Elders Council merely by brushing past him.
He launched an attack on the spot, engaging the man in a fierce struggle.
The commotion naturally alerted the Alliance's high command. Both men were taken into custody, and after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the Sun patriarch's accusation was, astoundingly, true.
The spy from the Five Elders Council had been carrying an Audience Jade Token, under orders to use a malevolent curse to attack the Deduction Jade.
His timely exposure averted a potential catastrophe.
In the wake of this incident, the Sun family's prestige grew even further, allowing them to expand their influence within the Law Enforcement Hall.
As for the Chen family, their focus once again fell squarely upon the Suns.
Investigations into the spy's past revealed he had maintained his cover flawlessly. Not even his closest friends or family had ever suspected his true identity.
And yet, this nearly perfect spy had been identified by the Sun patriarch in a single glance.
During the subsequent interrogation, the Sun patriarch insisted it was merely intuition. And while the Alliance conducted an exhaustive investigation that ruled out the possibility of the Five Elders Council staging the event, many still found the entire affair baffling.
Ultimately, they were forced to attribute it to the Sun family's incredible "good luck."
But for the few Chen family elders who still remembered the events of long ago, it immediately brought their old suspicions flooding back.
From then on, a conspiracy centered on the Sun family's ultimate treasure began to slowly unfold.
After decades of careful probing, the Chen family had uncovered several vital clues.
First, the treasure might be incomplete; for years, the Sun family had been secretly searching for something.
Second, each use of the treasure's power seemed to require some form of replenishment. After every one of the Sun family's astonishing feats, their patriarch would mysteriously vanish for a time.
Third, activating the treasure appeared to demand a sacrifice from the Sun family's own bloodline. Over the years, several of their descendants had vanished without a trace—no sign of them living, no corpse to be found.
Despite gathering a wealth of information, the Chen family still hesitated to make a move. The reason was obvious: the treasure's suspected ability of "foresight."
If they failed, they would not only expose their intentions but also risk losing any chance of ever obtaining the treasure.
Until recently. After years of painstaking patience, the Chen family finally saw their perfect opportunity.
Their spies had located the Sun family patriarch. He appeared to have sustained a minor injury while replenishing the treasure. To avoid any further mishaps, he would almost certainly suspend his travels and return home to recuperate.
The treasure was still in its recovery period, and the Sun family's most powerful member, the patriarch, was injured.
It was an opportunity heaven-sent!
Therefore, risking exposure, the Chen family commanded Wu Ninglu to maintain constant surveillance on the patriarch's movements.
...
"To think the enmity between these two families has endured for nearly a millennium," Li Fan mused, having pieced together the entire story. The revelation only deepened his interest in the Sun family's so-called ultimate treasure.
The reason was simple: the Sun patriarch's actions on several occasions bore an uncanny resemblance to his own past deeds.
Li Fan achieved his prescience by using [Truth] to reverse outcomes.
So what power did the Sun family's treasure possess?
Li Fan did not have to wait long to find out.
A little over ten days later, Li Fan's detached consciousness keenly sensed a somewhat chaotic Dao Integration aura returning to the Sun estate.
Withdrawing from Wu Ninglu's body, his consciousness locked onto the man's position and silently closed in.
The Sun patriarch was exceedingly cautious, but the formations and restrictive spells he had laid out were utterly useless against Li Fan.
He remained completely oblivious as a sliver of consciousness followed him into his secret chamber.
Cough, cough.
Sun Luyuan, patriarch of the Sun family and a Dao Integration cultivator, actually coughed up a few specks of blood.
He paid no mind to his injuries, however. With an expression of profound tenderness, he took out an object and carefully returned it to its proper place.
He then sliced open his wrist, offering his blood to the object in a ritual of refinement.
When Li Fan saw the object, his true self and all his clones, thousands of miles away, jolted in unison.
"This is..."
"The Heavenly Profound Mirror?"
The object Sun Luyuan was feeding with his blood bore a striking resemblance to the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
However, in all his previous encounters, the light representing the Mirror's power had always been predominantly green.
Yet the small mirror in the secret chamber now radiated an eerie black glow.
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