Chapter 1912: Recognizing Ancestry and Returning to the Clan

As the incredibly sharp sword shot forth, the Tai Chi totem beneath the old man's feet began to be suffused with a blood-red hue. All these changes indicated one thing: the old man, just like the previous individuals, had been completely controlled by the disciples hidden in the shadows.

"This sword is the judgment that will determine your destiny. No matter how formidable your power, you cannot break it. Unless you choose to follow my instructions, you will avoid this fatal predicament today."

Xu Yang sneered, yet remained perfectly still, his expression calm. The instant the blood-red sword energy lunged towards him, he deftly extended two fingers of his right hand and clamped the blood-red blade with incredible precision.

"What! How can this guy be so confident? I can sense his immense power, but surely not to this degree. Could my previous assessment of his strength have been mistaken?"

Only then did the old man realize that the so-called peak Mahayana realm was merely a deception intentionally created by Xu Yang.

Xu Yang's smile deepened as he proudly gazed at the old man before him. "Well? I was waiting for this exact moment to personally shatter your boasts of divination and make you understand a fundamental truth: not everything in this world can be predicted by a mere mortal like yourself. Even those who can perceive the secrets of all universal paths are never qualified to judge the fate of others. Your current actions are fundamentally defying the heavens, and you must face a calamitous sanction to atone for your many past transgressions."

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he lightly shook his hands, and the blood-red sword energy, held between his fingers, instantly shattered. With the complete shattering of the sword energy, all the pronouncements of judgment uttered by the old man vanished. In doing so, Xu Yang effectively destroyed the old man's means of livelihood. From that moment on, he would likely no longer be qualified to deceive or swindle anyone.

Xu Yang's actions completely shattered the old man's beliefs, sending him into a furious rage. He furiously shook the whisk in his hand, conjuring a massive Tai Chi totem that began to press down forcefully upon Xu Yang's body.

"Allow me to show you my true power!"

The old man now harbored a genuine intent to kill Xu Yang. The power within that Tai Chi totem was sufficient to utterly shatter the physical bodies of any martial artist below the initial stage of a Martial God. However, the old man never anticipated that Xu Yang's next action would utterly astound everyone present.

He had, almost flawlessly, replicated the exact same technique! An even more resplendent Tai Chi totem was perfectly replicated from behind Xu Yang. The energies of the two Tai Chi totems collided in the void, and surprisingly, the old man's Tai Chi totem, which had been cast first, instantly shattered.

Whether compared by raw power or the meticulousness of the Dao technique, the old man was thoroughly defeated. Even now, he still couldn't comprehend in what way he had been defeated by Xu Yang.

"Impossible! How did you manage to replicate the power of my cultivation technique? The Tai Chi tradition of my lineage is a secret practice passed down by my ancestors for countless years. How can you also be proficient in this very method?"

Xu Yang chuckled, "To be frank, if I'm not mistaken, I was actually the master of your lineage's very first ancestor. The Way of Tai Chi, along with its cultivation methods and lineage, was created by me, Xu Yang. And I myself traveled to this era from a continental epoch hundreds of thousands of years ago."

This was the first time in hundreds of thousands of years that Xu Yang had revealed one of his most profound secrets within the domain of the ancient martial gods. Everyone nearby was left utterly dumbfounded.

"How is that possible? No one in this world could ever traverse hundreds of thousands of years through the river of time to reach the present era." Xu Yang shook his head with a faint smile, addressing the old man whose worldview had just been completely shattered. "Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It simply means your power isn't strong enough, and you haven't reached a level capable of touching such heights; thus, you naturally lack the vision of a higher plane. This matter ends here; I have no intention of making you acknowledge me as your ancestor. Just remember one thing: in my presence, you will never have the right to be arrogant."

As Xu Yang concluded his words, he gently waved his hand, and all the martial aura on the old man instantly disintegrated. The old man was now utterly incapable of resistance. When Xu Yang's true form reappeared before the old Daoist, the man couldn't even grip the whisk in his hand. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees before Xu Yang with a thud.

"Could it be that you are truly the progenitor of our Tai Chi lineage, from hundreds of thousands of years ago?"

Xu Yang hadn't anticipated such devotion from the old Daoist. Seeing his earnest expression and wanting to hear him out, Xu Yang proceeded to publicly demonstrate the complete cultivation methods of the Tai Chi totem right there before everyone present. The brilliance radiating from the Tai Chi totem behind Xu Yang was astonishingly powerful, far beyond anything the old man, a mere descendant, could hope to rival.

The old Daoist was utterly convinced by Xu Yang's display. "Ancestor above, please accept this humble bow from your descendant."

Witnessing the oldest and most senior among the seven elders of the Elder Council now kneeling before Xu Yang, frantically kowtowing and shouting "Ancestor!" Nangong Xuan Guang and the red-robed woman, among others, found their worldviews utterly shattered.

However, everyone quickly began to adapt to the bizarre situation. Regardless, Xu Yang still appeared as a young man. His thoughts, abilities, and other attributes did not betray him as an ancient monster from hundreds of thousands of years ago. Especially for the red-robed woman, who was entirely focused on appearance, even if Xu Yang was hundreds of thousands of years old, in her eyes, he remained a charming young man in his prime.

"Ah Yang, little brother, no matter how old you are, this big sister will always support you and always be your number one fan!" The moment the red-robed woman finished speaking, those around her began wiping sweat from their brows.

This time, even Xu Yang found it challenging to maintain his composure, barely managing to take a shallow breath to appear as calm as possible. He then refocused his attention on the old Daoist before him.

"There's one thing I haven't clarified. Were you truly controlled by the mental power of the Dark Sight disciples?"

Upon hearing Xu Yang's question, the old Daoist immediately stood up, a fawning smile spreading across his face as he began to speak. "As for that question, I must first thank the Ancestor for contributing to creation and forging this magnificent Way of Tai Chi. Because the Tai Chi cultivation method our ancestors received was incomplete, several generations of gifted ancestors from the 'Essence Academy' later transformed a portion of the Way of Tai Chi into a method of spiritual cultivation. This is how we awakened the innate ability to predict the destinies of mortals.

"Over time, the spiritual power wielded by cultivators of our lineage became significantly stronger than that of ordinary Martial God-level experts. Earlier, when I was captured by that individual, I secretly sealed the power of a Tai Chi totem within my soul realm. I was controlled by two individuals in golden Daoist robes who collectively planted an evil thought within my soul realm. I merely feigned being controlled, which is why they placed me here to await your arrival. Now that I have seen the Ancestor and my sect's friends, there's naturally no need to continue the charade."