Jing Xiang could clearly sense that his parents were hiding something from him.
Connecting this with the voice he had been hearing recently, which had told him certain things, it was inevitable that Jing Xiang would grow suspicious.
The fact that he could not cultivate had always been a knot in his throat. Every time he thought about it, he found it hard to accept, hard to let go, and impossible to resign himself to it.
Why could others cultivate? Why could his younger sister cultivate, but he alone could not?
If this was a curse passed down through the clan, why did it not afflict others but instead fall upon him?
Why did the clan's ancestors, who had the ability to resolve the curse, not help him?
Even his parents were hiding things from him, not telling him the truth.
There were clearly many secrets they could not reveal to him.
In the capital of the Jing Kingdom, within the Scripture Pavilion.
Jing Xiang closed the slightly heavy ancient book in his hands and then, as if exhausted, closed his eyes.
He walked out of the Scripture Pavilion. Outside, the sun hung high in the sky, its blinding and scorching rays pouring down from above.
It was almost noon. Today, I must ask that voice how to resolve the curse he mentioned.
What exactly is this curse?
Jing Xiang looked up at the clear, azure sky, muttering to himself.
Since even his parents wouldn't tell him the truth, he would have to seek it out himself.
At the same time, beyond the starry sky of the Western Yan Province in the Sheng Yang Ancient Domain, a spatial rift spanning tens of thousands of miles opened. One after another, ancient warships slowly emerged from this spatial rift.
In the surrounding void, multicolored rays of light intertwined and appeared, almost submerging half of the ships' hulls, rising and falling like misty clouds.
Chaos energy flowed like a waterfall over their surfaces, exuding an ancient, primordial aura.
These ancient warships were adorned with various Dao runes, obscuring all heavenly secrets. Chaos energy flowed around them, and the surrounding time and space became blurred and indistinct, impossible to discern clearly.
Even if a cultivator were to pass through this star domain at this moment, they would find it difficult to detect these ancient warships.
These warships had departed from the Imperial Immortal Palace and traversed multiple universes and timelines before finally arriving here.
The Imperial Immortal Palace's mission to rescue their founder was being carried out in secret, with no leaks or rumors.
The ancient warships, carrying numerous elders and disciples, had also concealed all heavenly secrets to prevent detection by other entities.
To ensure success, the Imperial Immortal Palace had made extensive preparations.
On one of the ancient warships, Ling Yuxian frowned as she gazed at the vast starry expanse below, seemingly deep in thought.
The Jing Clan had lived in seclusion here for generations. Their ancestral land, hidden within the endless void, was almost impossible for outsiders to find.
To reach the Jing Clan's ancestral land, one needed a guide from the Jing Clan. Fortunately, Ling Qiuchang had already made contact with the Jing Clan's ancestors, or else this would have been quite troublesome.
Ling Yuxian sighed softly.
She wasn't entirely sure where the Jing Clan's ancestors had sealed the Gate of Eternal Life after her sister had entrusted it to them.
So many epochs had passed. The Jing Clan's ancestors had likely long since passed away, unable to live that long unless they had broken through their lifespan limits.
But that possibility was extremely slim.
This matter was likely a closely guarded secret of the Jing Clan, not something they would casually reveal to outsiders.
When the time came, Ling Yuxian couldn't reveal her true identity either.
After all, it would sound too absurd. Even the elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace might not believe her. The Jing Clan's members would probably find it strange as well. To them, the Imperial Immortal Palace's founder might very well be their own ancestor.
And now, with the Imperial Immortal Palace mobilizing so many forces to rescue their trapped founder, wouldn't that mean they were rescuing the Jing Clan's ancestor?
According to the Jing Clan's records, their ancestor should have long since passed away. How could there suddenly be news of them being trapped?
Where did the Imperial Immortal Palace even learn of this?
Ling Yuxian felt that explaining this to the Jing Clan would require a lot of effort, and it was likely that few would believe her.
"This does sound rather troublesome, but since Senior Sister Yuxian can command the entire Imperial Immortal Palace, it shouldn't be a big problem for you."
Beside Ling Yuxian, Gu Changge smiled faintly as he listened to her somewhat exasperated words.
Ling Yuxian glanced at him and shook her head. "I just hope no unexpected issues arise."
In recent days, the two had grown closer—or at least, that's how it appeared to the elders and disciples of the Imperial Immortal Palace.
Many disciples speculated whether this was the palace lord's intention, to bring the two together, as they seemed quite well-matched.
Although Gu Changge had never displayed his cultivation strength in public, those with a discerning eye could tell he was extraordinary.
Moreover, even Palace Lord Ling Qiuchang seemed to hold Gu Changge in high regard.
This had led to numerous rumors spreading among the younger disciples about Gu Changge and Ling Yuxian.
Not long ago, it seemed that Jing Xiao and Gu Changge had been quite close. But now, after just a few days, it appeared that Ling Yuxian and Gu Changge had grown much closer.
This had ignited the gossip among the disciples.
For a time, all sorts of speculations arose, and even some elders couldn't help but join in.
Ling Yuxian was aware of the rumors and speculations, but she neither confirmed nor denied them, as if letting things take their natural course.
Of course, this was also the outcome she desired. Only by doing so could she ensure that Jing Xiao was kept out of danger.
Gu Changge had also kept his promise from a few days ago, maintaining a certain distance from Jing Xiao and not getting too close.
This put Ling Yuxian's mind at ease.
As for whether Jing Xiao might misunderstand, Ling Yuxian didn't care. Once the current matters were resolved, she would find an appropriate time to explain everything to her.
"It seems we just need to wait here for the Jing Clan's members to arrive and guide us?"
Gu Changge, as if indifferent to the surrounding gazes and speculations, asked with his usual smile.
"Not necessarily here."
Ling Yuxian was momentarily stunned, then shook her head, her expression somewhat complicated. She didn't want to waste too much time here.
But if they didn't wait here for the Jing Clan's members to guide them, there was only one other option.
However, she didn't want to trouble Jing Xiao's parents by going to the Jing Kingdom, and doing so would inevitably involve interacting with Jing Xiao.