The Capital, Ye Family Ancient Estate Underground.
Shan Hu walked through the rubble shaken open by his sword energy, arriving before the ancient stone door located beneath the rockery in the courtyard.
The stone door was massive, covered in old and complex runes, radiating a faint spiritual energy fluctuation—clearly a restrictive array.
Inside Ancestor Blood Corpse's spatial storage pouch, Shan Hu had already found the key to the stone door: a jade pendant carved with an Azure Dragon totem.
He gently placed the pendant into the central groove of the stone door.
Click—Rumble!
With a series of dull, heavy sounds, the runes on the stone door lit up sequentially, then receded like a tide. The heavy stone door slowly opened inward, revealing a dark entrance leading to the deep underground.
Shan Hu didn't hesitate, stepping directly into the entrance.
Inside was a long, descending stone staircase passage. The air was humid and heavy, permeated with spiritual energy so dense it was almost viscous.
"The concentration of this spiritual energy... it exceeds any known spiritual energy gathering point on Earth." A look of delight flashed in Shan Hu's eyes.
The spiritual energy on Earth was thin, and cultivators progressed slowly, but this underground spiritual vein was clearly a special existence, isolated from the outside world.
At the end of the passage was a magnificent underground palace.
In the center of the palace, a huge natural crystal stone platform emitted a soft light. The source of the light was a constantly gushing, milky-white spiritual power—it was the core of the spiritual vein that the Ye family had guarded for centuries.
The core of the spiritual vein was enveloped by a transparent barrier. Within the barrier, a pale, middle-aged man with graying hair sat cross-legged. This was the Ye Family Patriarch, Ye Qingcheng's father, Ye Chengye.
He was trapped inside the barrier, his aura weak. He was evidently confined by the barrier while simultaneously guarding the spiritual vein.
Shan Hu slowly walked into the palace, his footsteps making a slight sound.
The confined Ye Chengye suddenly opened his eyes. He had initially feared that Ancestor Blood Corpse had broken in, but when he saw an unfamiliar young man in black, his eyes filled with confusion and vigilance.
"Who are you? This is the Ye family forbidden ground. Leave immediately!" Ye Chengye's voice was hoarse and weak.
Shan Hu ignored his reprimand and walked straight towards the crystal platform.
"The Blood Corpses outside have been eliminated, and Ancestor Blood Corpse is dead. The Ye family's crisis is resolved," Shan Hu stated concisely, his voice flat yet carrying a powerful self-assurance.
Upon hearing this, Ye Chengye's body shook violently, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"What?! A-Ancestor Blood Corpse is dead? That's impossible! He is a Mid-Foundation Establishment great cultivator, and you are just a…"
Ye Chengye couldn't believe it. Although the intense True Essence fluctuations from outside had quickly subsided, the commotion was certainly not something an ordinary person could cause.
Shan Hu raised his hand and tossed the Azure Dragon jade pendant towards Ye Chengye. The pendant passed through the barrier and landed steadily in Ye Chengye's hand.
"This is the key to open the stone door," Shan Hu said lightly. "Now, fulfill your promise and hand over the spiritual vein to me."
Ye Chengye looked at the jade pendant in his hand, then at Shan Hu's calm yet powerful eyes. His shock was immense.
He knew clearly that the Azure Dragon jade pendant was the Ye family Patriarch's token and the core key to opening this underground spiritual vein barrier. Possessing it meant this person was either the Ye family's recognized successor, or… a strong individual capable of absolutely crushing the Ye family's strength.
Combining Shan Hu's understated remarks just now, and the hidden power he exuded, Ye Chengye understood instantly.
The young man before him was the "Immortal" Ye Qingcheng had spoken of, the savior who could rescue the Ye family from doom!
Ye Chengye took a deep breath, his face becoming solemn and respectful.
"It is Senior Shan Hu in person. Chengye was blind; please forgive me, Senior!"
He no longer struggled, biting his tongue until it bled, spitting a mouthful of his heart's blood onto the Azure Dragon jade pendant.
Buzz—!
The Azure Dragon jade pendant instantly erupted into a dazzling azure light, which spread along the barrier.
Ye Chengye spoke in a deep voice: "Senior Shan, the core barrier of this spiritual vein is connected to the vein using the vital blood of generations of Ye family Patriarchs as a guide. I now use my vital blood as a covenant to dissolve the suppression seal and transfer control of the spiritual vein to the Senior!"
He clasped his hands together and began chanting an ancient spell.
As the spell progressed, Ye Chengye's face grew paler, and his aura became weaker. This was the process of forcefully stripping away the control over the spiritual vein accumulated by generations of the Ye family, which was extremely taxing on his own body.
Shan Hu watched everything silently.
This spiritual vein was the ancestral foundation for the Ye family, but for him, an Immortal Emperor reborn, it was merely the necessary resource to rebuild his foundation. Ye Chengye's choice determined the Ye family's future destiny.
After more than ten minutes, Ye Chengye completed the spell. He was almost completely exhausted, but his eyes held a trace of relief.
"Senior Shan, the spiritual vein transfer is complete. From this day forward, this Ye family spiritual vein will obey your command."
As his words fell, the transparent barrier enveloping the spiritual vein completely dissipated. The milky-white spiritual energy, freed from restraint, happily traversed the palace like a living entity.
Shan Hu stepped forward, extended his hand, and gently touched the spiritual power.
The vast and pure spiritual energy, like a river flowing into the sea, instantly surged into Shan Hu's body.
"Very good." Shan Hu felt the True Essence in his body beginning to increase at ten times its usual speed, and a look of satisfaction finally appeared on his lips.
He turned to the exhausted Ye Chengye, casually taking out a pill radiating a faint medicinal fragrance from his spatial storage pouch.
"This pill can help you restore your vitality and increase your cultivation by ten years. Keep it safe."