Chapter 3423 – The Gate of Heaven’s Will
Wind God Valley, where the wind fell like a curtain and the scenery was beautiful beyond compare, was the headquarters of the Helian Family. It held enormous influence across the Eastern Victorious Divine Land. Its standing was in no way weaker than that of the Drawing Sword Sect in the Central Region Divine Land. As one of the ten great sects of the Eastern Victorious Divine Land, the Helian Family had been passed down for hundreds of millions of years. It was one of the most ancient families, the living fossil of the Eastern Victorious Divine Land, standing tall and towering in the eastern region, so high that none could climb to it.
In Wind God Valley, a hundred birds paid homage to the phoenix. The great hall stood above Wind God Valley, raised up by pillar after pillar that held up the sky. It stood in the belly of the mountain, hidden among the clouds. Only by climbing layer upon layer of cloud ladders through the air could one reach the Helian Family’s Heaven-Praying Hall!
The Heaven-Praying Hall was the Helian Family’s highest-ranking hall. Anyone below the Hierarch Realm was not allowed to set foot in the Heaven-Praying Hall. They were not even qualified to step onto the clouds of Wind God Valley.
In the Helian Family, ranks were strict, and the family had an enormous number of disciples, in no way fewer than a sect. Moreover, this ancient family, passed down since the ancient era, placed great importance on its ancient precepts. That they had been passed down to this day had its own reasons and meaning. Countless sects had gradually declined over generations of succession, but the Helian Family had been a super great power of the Divine World from ancient times until now. On this point alone, many ancient sects and families could not hope to match it. Even an ancient great sect like the Eastern Emperor Sect had gradually declined. From this, one could see that the Helian Family’s might was extraordinary.
In the great hall, five elders with imposing auras were arguing, their faces all extremely grave, quarreling without end. These five usually did not meet even once in a hundred or even a thousand years, but the moment they met, they started arguing nonstop, each airing his own views in the Heaven-Praying Hall.
“I say this girl won’t shed a tear until she sees the coffin. As a member of the Helian Family, she should be ready at all times to give her life for the Helian Family. Yet she’s being so stubborn and obstinate. Isn’t that openly going against our Helian Family? What use is keeping a descendant like this?”
A long-bearded old man snorted coldly, extremely domineering.
“You can’t say that, Third Brother. For years now, our Helian Family hasn’t produced a disciple as matchlessly talented as Yue Er. Even Zhangyang and Fengchao, those two, can only barely match one Yue Er. If we did as you say, wouldn’t we be cutting off one of our own arms? Although Yue Er is unwilling right now, we can slowly train her, slowly teach her.”
A black-robed old man said with a smile. He was more formidable than the long-bearded old man: the Second Elder of the Helian Family, Helian Changyu.
“Second Brother, what you’re saying doesn’t quite fit our Helian Family’s rules. As the saying goes, without rules, nothing can be made square or round. How has our Helian Family stood between heaven and earth, at the peak of the Divine World, for hundreds of millions of years? Isn’t it by those impartial, perfectly fair ancient precepts? What our Helian Family wants is to be meticulous, not tolerating even a single grain of sand in our eyes. Yet you keep saying we should indulge that little girl again and again. Do you want to abolish the ancient precepts we’ve passed down for hundreds of millions of years? To uphold the ancient precepts, she must be severely punished without mercy. She does whatever she wants. Does she think we elders don’t exist? Hmph.”
The Fourth, Helian Changhe, sneered, a contemptuous look in his eyes. He could not agree at all with what Helian Changyu had said. The moment these words came out, the black-robed old man Helian Changyu and Helian Changhe locked eyes, at daggers drawn. The two seemed to have completely forgotten their own positions.
“Harmony brings prosperity, harmony brings prosperity, hahaha. The reason our Helian Family has stayed prosperous without decline is that we’re united enough, and we’ve never had parasites in the family. Everyone has always worked wholeheartedly for the family. If we truly want to take our Helian Family a step higher, we must be united and face outsiders as one. Yue Er’s situation is quite special. We absolutely can’t act rashly. Everything needs long-term consideration. All of us want to resolve this perfectly, but please calm your anger, my two elder brothers. Extraordinary matters must be handled by extraordinary means. Whether severe punishment or leniency, everything must put the interests of the clan first. We’ve lived for so many years. Are we really going to be led around by a child and come to blows?”
The Fifth, Helian Changsheng, smiled calmly. His words were neither humble nor overbearing, and he was composed and at ease. Although as Fifth Elder he was the most junior, his strength was enough to rival the Great Elder.
“Fifth Brother is right. This matter needs long-term consideration. It concerns whether our Helian Family can become the foremost super family of the Eastern Victorious Divine Land, and even stabilizing the Central Region Divine Land is not out of the question. We cannot treat it as child’s play. Although Yue Er is a bit willful, she is a member of our Helian Family after all. We cannot give up on her lightly.”
The Great Elder, Helian Changtian, said in a deep voice. Although it could not be called the final word, it at least made everyone fall silent and stop talking.
“At this time the Family Head is at a critical point in his breakthrough, so we absolutely must not disturb him. He dotes on Yue Er the most. Let’s wait until he comes out of seclusion before deciding anything.”
As soon as the Great Elder’s words fell, the Third Elder said in a low voice,
“Big Brother, this damned girl just has a stubborn mouth and runs wild relying on the Family Head’s favor. Now that she’s been confined to Wuyi Mountain to come to her senses, that counts as a kind of good fortune for her. But the Gate of Heaven’s Will has already opened wide. I’m afraid we can’t wait until the Family Head comes out of seclusion. If we miss the Gate of Heaven’s Will, who knows how long it will be before it opens again.”
The Great Elder also sighed. The Gate of Heaven’s Will was a bronze gate in the Helian Family’s ancestral land that had been sealed for countless ages. According to ancient legend, whenever the Gate of Heaven’s Will opened, members of the Helian Family could enter it. Only those who had entered the Gate of Heaven’s Will could truly comprehend the mysteries of the profound workings of heaven, that is, the mysteries of the Great Divination Art.
The last descendant of the Helian Family to comprehend these mysteries had lived hundreds of millions of years ago. So this opening of the Gate of Heaven’s Will was a matter of the highest importance for the whole Helian Family. But at precisely this time, the Family Head of the Helian Family had entered closed-door cultivation. This time the Family Head meant to complete his breakthrough in one stroke, which was also of the utmost importance, and no one dared to disturb him. That was why Yue Er’s situation had fallen into danger.
“Three months. We’ll wait three more months. If the Family Head still hasn’t come out of seclusion by then, we will carry out the ancient precept.”
The Great Elder sighed again. On one hand he had no choice; on the other, it was for the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of the entire Helian Family. As Great Elder, it was his bounden duty.
On Wuyi Mountain, Helian Yue Er had by now grown into a lively, lovely girl who stirred people’s pity, looking like a young maiden of sixteen or seventeen, no longer comparable to the little girl of many years ago.