Chapter 23: Awakening

The Qi emanating from the bodies of these elders was completely unruly. Lian knew it would take some time for them to adjust to this new power. He reached out his hand once again, and all the violent Qi circulating in the hall quickly returned to the core of these old cultivators, which caused them all to fall unconscious.

Lemir and Riria acted swiftly, moving them to another hall. They would become the impenetrable defense that the Albedo clan needed. For a period of approximately ten years, even if the continent's largest power attacked with all its might, these fifty elders would be able to fight on equal footing and protect the young cultivators without major issues.

These ten years would be the necessary time for the Albedo clan to undergo the greatest transformation in its history as a mortal clan.

"Everyone has been gathered here for another purpose," Lian calmly said as he took out a golden inscription from his ring. The Albedo clan began to tremble violently. Suddenly, an extremely dense and pure earthly Qi emerged everywhere, causing some cultivators to look out through the windows.

A large circular barrier appeared around the entire clan. It was an illusory and mesmerizing barrier. Quickly, it became translucent and disappeared as if it had never existed.

"Everyone gathered here will be in seclusion for a period of ten years. No one from the outside will be able to see or sense anything out of the ordinary coming from within," explained Lian. His eyes shone like stars in the sky. A Qi, hundreds of times more powerful than the one emitted by the old cultivators, was felt by everyone.

A gigantic formation, whose outlines stretched for hundreds of miles within the Albedo clan, began to manifest. Its magnitude was impressive, occupying half of the clan's inner lands. It was as if an intricate web of mystical symbols and divine energy had been woven in the air.

The formation consisted of intertwined lines of Qi, shining in radiant shades of gold and blue. The engraved symbols gleamed with a flickering and pulsating light, transmitting a sense of unimaginable power.

As the formation expanded, it covered mountains, rivers, and forests, enveloping everything within its reach. Waves of energy spread from the center of the formation, creating a dense and electrifying atmosphere.

"The formation was designed to enhance your bodies and minds to the limits of your cultivation. The less resilient ones will have to confront their greatest fears and traumas, while others will be faced with demonic beasts and bloodthirsty demons seeking their lives."

"Although these entities may appear illusory, they have the power to harm your minds and souls and swiftly take your lives. Only a small fraction of you will be able to advance through all stages of the formation, but those who persevere will have the chance to reach the pinnacle of cultivation. You will not be at a disadvantage compared to the natives of the capital."

The formation is known as the "Blood Slaughter Steppes Formation" and was created using all the resources accumulated by the clan throughout its history. After ten years of training, the clan will be able to produce true cultivators, ready to face any challenge.

"Lemir will be responsible for taking care of everything within the clan. My stay here will be brief. The opportunity granted to you must be seized by yourselves. In ten years, the old cultivators will no longer be present. The clan's protection will depend solely on you."

For a few moments, everyone remained silent, still impacted by the events that had taken place. Then, a young cultivator raised her head and, with trembling eyes, addressed Lian.

"Young Master, will you leave us in the future? Will we never see each other again?"

Lian was briefly taken aback by those emotion-laden words. The gaze of the young cultivators who had survived and witnessed his battle was fixed on him, anxious for an answer.

Riria was also surprised but soon calmed down as if understanding the feelings of those young ones. They represented almost all the young cultivators of the clan. In the near future, Lian would depart for the Divine Plane, never to return to the clan.

Lian spoke calmly, "Yes, soon I will go to the capital, and within a few years, I will leave this continent."

As he finished the sentence, he saw tears streaming down the eyes of most of the young cultivators. He couldn't allow the future of the clan to be completely demotivated in this way. Lian quickly thought and then took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I will make some exceptions if necessary. I may take with me those who demonstrate noteworthy talent. Those who excel in cultivation may accompany me in the future."

Quickly, everyone calmed down as Lian sensed a drastic change in their aura. Great motivation and desire for cultivation were ignited in their hearts. Lian was pleased with their burning motivation but also concerned about this incomprehensible passion. It wasn't like he had such a close relationship with them all, so it was a little weird. He felt that he would have many problems to deal with in the future.

After saying everything, Lian stood up and left with Riria. He had already left all the preparations to Lemir, who would now assume command. Lian knew that, at best, the clan's cultivators would achieve stabilization in their realms and make some limited advancements. Only a small minority would be able to reach a power comparable to the ancient advisors, but that would be enough in the short term.

However, his greatest hope was placed in the young cultivators. They could progress from the beginning of their cultivation with the best possible conditions. Their future would be bright within the mortal world. The Blood Slaughter Steppes Formation was not intended to elevate someone's cultivation but rather to be a great test of a cultivator's spirit and will.

When willpower reaches a certain point, it can transform into a genuine physical attack. That was the greatest weapon that Lian used to completely dominate everyone in the Mortal Plane. Upon ascending to the Divine Plane, he understood this power, known as the Dao Heart. Everyone born in the Divine Plane cultivated this force with priority above their own cultivation.

Each cultivator developed a unique manifestation originating from their dao heart, with always different forms and styles. Sometimes, these manifestations complement each individual's battle techniques, elevating their strengths to another level.

For those who came from the Mortal Plane and awakened their dao heart at an advanced stage of cultivation, like Zeke, they were considered mere trash by divine cultivators.

Now, these young cultivators have received a real opportunity to build stable cultivation and strength for the future. Lian didn't have high expectations; if at least someone could develop an embryonic form of a dao heart, it would already be a miracle. At the very least, the willpower cultivated by the formation would remove any mental bottleneck they had.

The majority of these young cultivators were women. Lian personally created this formation, utilizing all the divine crystals stored in the clan's vaults. Along with that, thousands of inscriptions made with demon beast blood were used. To enhance their cultivation, he used only inscriptions of pure Yin.

This choice would have long-term consequences for the clan. In the future, almost all the powerful cultivators of the Albedo clan would be women. Lian, when he was still Zeke, realized that greed for power and envy were much stronger in men.

Although Lian encountered some women along the way and was forced to fight against them, the numerical difference between the genders was ridiculous. Observing that practically only the young women survived the battle, Lian confirmed his perception that the future of the clan would be in good hands with them.

Naturally, men cultivating in a Yin environment would be significantly affected by their Qi. That wasn't a problem, though. Lian prepared pure Yang pills to balance their bodies exactly because of that. Everyone would have equal opportunities.

---

Six months had passed since Lian took command of the Albedo clan. He was in his mother's room, with Riria in the background, anxiously observing.

It was the day of the final healing session. All the poison had been removed from her meridians, and all her vitality had been restored. Lianna, lying on the bed, had a completely rejuvenated appearance. She looked like she was under 20 and could be mistaken for Lian's sister, not his mother.

Lian calmly opened his eyes and smiled to reassure Riria. A few seconds later, Lianna's consciousness began to slowly awaken.

She then opened her blue eyes, looking like a starry night sky, illuminating her mind and soothing her soul. Riria couldn't hold back the tears, which flowed incessantly.

A great change in the laws was felt only by Lian. A subtle sense of joy permeated the world's Dao. The will of the heavens seemed to resonate with the awakening of its daughter.

Lian looked out the window to the skies and was shocked by what he saw. Manifestations in the Celestial Dao arose, and all the laws seemed to converge toward his mother.

At the same time, a familiar and friendly feeling welled up in his chest. He had already witnessed something similar in the Divine Plane, which caused old memories to resurface.