Chapter 65: So, ancestor... what would you do if a worthless person damaged your property?
Hu Sijin stood at the center of the domain, her vacant gaze fixed on the underwater palaces. Her eyes, though calm, seemed to pierce through the layers of water, as if she could see beyond this world. Her stillness and the absence of emotion on her face heightened the oppressive atmosphere that hung over the place.
Despite being underwater, her clothes remained perfectly dry. Her black robe possessed a unique property, creating a void around her, as if she floated between the sky and the sea. Not a single drop touched the fabric, and she seemed to move in a world of her own, detached from natural laws.
Around her, a military formation had deployed. Dozens of Holy Sage-ranked guards encircled the Matriarch, all ready to sacrifice themselves at the slightest threat. The alarm had been raised the moment she appeared. An Immortal had moved in person, and it was certainly not for a courtesy visit.
Patriarch Guan Heng, the current head of the Kraken family, stood before her, on guard. His aquatic Qi fluctuated slightly, proof that he was ready to retaliate at any suspicious movement.
"I won’t repeat myself, Patriarch."
Her voice was calm, but every syllable carried a crushing weight, as if merely hearing her words increased the water pressure around him.
Guan Heng crossed his arms and replied with an annoyed sigh.
"Since I’ve told you my son is absent."
Sijin tilted her head slightly, as if considering his response. Then, she spoke again, with a cutting coldness.
"Well, since you won’t hand over your son, I hope I can find him once this place is reduced to ruins."
An invisible shockwave swept through the area. The guards shuddered, some unconsciously tightening their grip on their weapons.
Guan Heng tensed.
"Hu Sijin, don’t go too far!"
She blinked, her gaze still devoid of emotion.
"Are you giving me orders?"
Silence fell over the domain.
Guan Heng sighed, but before he could respond, a portal suddenly opened, tearing through space like a flash of light slicing through the abyssal darkness.
A flaming figure plummeted violently from the portal, crashing heavily onto the coral floor.
The young man’s body was engulfed in crimson flames, voracious blazes that seemed to devour his flesh. He screamed, his voice resonating through the water, writhing in pain as his Qi desperately fought against the consuming element.
Hu Sijin narrowed her eyes slightly, observing the scene.
’This flame...’
Her gaze darkened as a thought crossed her mind.
’ The Azure Dragon, the Black Tortoise... And now this woman has also reincarnated...?’
Meanwhile, Guan Heng rushed to his son’s side. His impassive expression had shattered, giving way to genuine anxiety.
He unleashed a powerful aquatic Qi, enveloping his son in a tide of pure water that attempted to extinguish the flames. The water hissed and boiled, struggling to counter the intensity of the fire consuming him.
But Guan Heng was a Celestial Emperor. He could not lose to a flame fueled by such mediocre Qi, no matter how special. With an expert gesture, he projected a denser wave of energy and managed to extinguish the blaze.
Without hesitation, he lifted Yushen and forced him to swallow an elixir with extreme healing properties. The young man coughed, slowly regaining his breath, his pale face marked by pain.
Sijin, who had observed the entire scene with unwavering patience, finally spoke.
"Since your son is here, you can hand him over now."
Guan Heng snapped his head up, incredulous.
"What? Wait. You see what state he’s in... He was seriously injured. It was a fight between youths, there’s no need to take it to heart."
"I simply asked for your son. Not to digress."
The Patriarch clenched his teeth, feeling the noose tighten around him.
He knew this woman was powerful. He also knew that if a war broke out in his domain, she might not survive, but the survival of his people remained uncertain. And then, no one had ever fought this woman at her peak. There were plenty of myths about her.
"Let’s find a compromise, Matriarch. Will you?"
"No."
Without waiting for a further response, she drew her spear, its tip seeming to absorb the surrounding light.
The atmosphere instantly electrified. The entire domain shuddered, the warriors tightened their grip on their weapons, and Guan Heng took a step back, aware she was truly about to attack.
But before she could strike with her spear, a voice resonated through the water, like a distant echo from a far-off space.
"The current Matriarch is so impulsive."
The sound seemed to freeze the moment.
Sijin stopped abruptly, slowly raising her head toward the source of the voice.
Guan Heng, though relieved the conflict had been interrupted, felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.
A silence fell over the scene, even breaking the tension that had reigned.
’This intruder wasn’t here to help him,’Guan Heng thought.
Sijin needed only an instant to understand. The voice undoubtedly belonged to a Hu. And given their level, they could only be an ancestor.
Her expression remained neutral, but her Qi intensified slightly.
"What’s this old fossil doing here?"
From a portal emerged a figure. Hu Minshen, an elder whose reputation was tinged with mystery and legend, stepped forward calmly. A mocking smile stretched his lips as he crossed his arms.
"Ah... now I understand where BaiShe learned his filial piety."
The Kraken Patriarch didn’t feel any better seeing the scene. Only one question haunted him: what was a Hu ancestor doing here?
Should he alert his own elders that the family was in danger?
Sijin continued to observe Minshen, without apparent emotion.
"Are you an enemy or an ally?"
The ancestor let out a slight chuckle.
"Let’s just say your son asked me to drop by... apparently, the Matriarch of our clan intends to create unnecessary tensions."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"An enemy, then."
Her grip on her spear tightened.
"You could say I intend to stop you."
Silence settled.
Sijin knew fighting an ancestor in front of her enemies would be utterly ridiculous. True, she wished to annihilate the Krakens, but she wasn’t foolish enough to expose her clan’s internal flaws before them.
She finally sighed, slowly lowering her spear before sheathing it.
But her gaze shifted to Guan Heng.
"So, ancestor... what would you do if a worthless person damaged your property?"
Minshen raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Property? What do you mean?"
She didn’t respond immediately.
"It’s the least I can do..."
With a single step, she vanished.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, she appeared before Guan Heng.
*Boom!*