Chapter 2476: The End Of A Grudge
No one could truly understand Xia Qin's pain. She had suffered no less than Xia Shang himself.
Xia Qin had been born into one of the Xia family’s branch families and had also demonstrated incredible talent from a young age. She had quickly caught the attention of Shenwu's Sky. However, due to everything that had happened with Progenitor Chen, the Xia family was extremely wary of talented individuals from branch families. For this reason, Xia Qin had been constantly suppressed. This had continued until the day Progenitor Chen personally appeared and exposed her full potential. He had then accepted her as his own disciple and showcased her talent to everyone.
From that point forward, the Xia family’s direct line was no longer able to suppress her without decisively killing her. This was the choice that Progenitor Chen had forced upon the Xia family: either kill Xia Qing or allow her to grow up and become the next Progenitor Chen.
The Xia family had not had the courage to kill Xia Qin, as she had been regarded as Progenitor Chen's disciple, and they had feared his retaliation. However, if they did not kill Xia Qin, then another talented descendant of a branch family would rise to power, which terrified the Xia family’s direct line.
Ultimately, Shenwu's Sky had invested all its resources into nurturing the woman and had then given her the choice of either them or Progenitor Chen. She had chosen Shenwu's Sky, as she had family and loved ones in the sect. In comparison, Progenitor Chen had instead chosen to leave Shenwu's Sky without any hesitation because his family had been killed by the Xia family’s direct line. Their circumstances had been completely different.
That seemingly simple choice had been unbearably cruel to a young girl. Her parents’ lives had become a burden for her to carry, and she had also been forced to sever ties with the person that she had respected most. On top of that, she had been forced to endure the direct line’s constant indoctrination of their own ideals and values, while listening to threats from various direct descendants, and she had even been forced to marry into the direct family line. She had suffered from all of these things.
Progenitor Chen had gone through the pain of losing his loved ones, but that meant that nothing had held him back, and he had been able to take revenge without any worries. With the support of the Lu family, he had grown and developed until he became an invincible powerhouse in Fifth Mainland.
On the other hand, Xia Qin had been suppressed by Shenwu's Sky from the very beginning, and her pain had become ingrained deep within her heart.
There were countless times when she wished that Progenitor Chen had never noticed her at all. That had been the start of all her suffering. Progenitor Chen had nurtured her as a means of forcing Shenwu's Sky to make a choice, but in doing so, the man had caused Xia Qin to suffer unbearable pain.
She hated both Shenwu's Sky and Progenitor Chen, but at the same time, she owed Shenwu's Sky a debt for the resources they had provided her, and she also owed a debt to Progenitor Chen for discovering her potential.
Every day, she dreamed of exacting revenge on Shenwu's Sky and Progenitor Chen.
At this moment, Lu Yin was forcing the Xia family to make the same choice that Progenitor Chen had forced upon them so many years ago. No, this time they were not being given a choice, but rather forced to make a single decision.
When Progenitor Chen had forced the choice upon them, the Xia family could have chosen to kill Xia Qin or spare her. At present, Shenwu's Sky had no choice but to accept a shared leadership between the direct and branch descendants of the Xia family. Only Xia Qin could make the decision to agree or not, and the main family had no way to stop her.
Xia Shenfei's face grew pale, and his usual charisma was completely gone.
The more panicked the young man appeared, the more Xia Qin wanted to go through with things.
Finally, she said, "Very well, it shall be done."
Xia Shenfei’s head snapped up, and he was ready to object, but Xia Qin did not give him the chance. He might be a direct descendant of the Xia family, but as a mere junior, he barely qualified to even speak to her.
"Truthfully, with Xia Shenji gone, the current main line of the Xia family can disappear entirely," Lu Yin suggested.
Xia Shenfei restrained himself from saying what he wished to say.
At this point in time, Shenwu's Sky only had a single powerful Progenitor: Xia Qin. Thus, her word was law. If she decided to abolish the direct family line, then no one could stop her.
"I'll allow Xia Shang's descendant to take charge of Shenwu's Sky. With this, I've repaid his favor," Xia Qin stated.
Lu Yin added, "The favor has been repaid, so now it's time for revenge. Shenwu's Sky wants you to save Xia Shenji, but you can choose not to. Consider it retaliation for everything that Shenwu's Sky has forced upon you over the years."
Xia Qin remained calm.
"As for Progenitor Chen-" Arch-Elder Zen, Xia Shenfei, Xia Luo, and Xia Qin all turned to stare at Lu Yin. He was the one who had received the greatest benefits from Progenitor Chen, so how could he help Xia Qin get revenge against Progenitor Chen?
Lu Yin brought out another person from Zenith Mountain: Xia Ji.
Xia Ji fell to the ground. His hair was disheveled, and his face was covered with dust.
Everyone just stared at the man.
"Xia Ji?" Arch-Elder Zen was taken aback.
As soon as he heard Arch-Elder Zen's voice, Xia Ji struggled to lift his head. Upon seeing Arch-Elder Zen, Xia Ji’s expression changed drastically. "You- have you changed?"
"Arch-Elder Zen has become a Progenitor. He’s the first person from the Fifth Mainland to do so in many years," Lu Yin explained.
Xia Ji's pupils fluctuated, and unwillingness, regret, anger, and various other emotions flitted across his face. The tangled mess of feelings left him grinding his teeth.
He should have been the first in the Fifth Mainland to become a Progenitor! If his plan had succeeded and he had obtained the Cosmic Art and inherited Progenitor Chen's power, then he could have broken through. All had been lost because of Lu Yin, that bastard.
Xia Ji dropped his head to hide the resentment in his eyes. He did not dare to let Lu Yin see his hatred.
Arch-Elder Zen sighed, never expecting to see a once-powerful Semi-Progenitor end up in such a state. However, who could be blamed but Xia Ji himself? The Semi-Progenitor had plotted against the Cosmic Sect, Leon's Armada, and Eversky Island, leading to countless deaths. He had even attacked Lu Yin directly, and then later betrayed the Fifth Mainland, defecting to Shenwu's Sky. All of these choices had led to his current situation.
"You knew that there would be consequences. You shouldn't have taken those actions to begin with," Arch-Elder Zen said with another sigh.
Xia Ji clenched his right hand into a fist as he replied in a hoarse voice, "Lu Yin, I'll teach you the Nine Clones Secret Technique and the Xia family's other secret technique, Blade Intent. All that I ask is that you spare my life."
As long as Xia Ji could continue to live, he would still have a chance to become a Progenitor. Arch-Elder Zen, his former rival, was suddenly looking down on him and saying such condescending things. This was worse than death, and Xia Ji refused to accept this outcome.
However, Xia Ji’s words caused Xia Shenfei to explode. "Xia Ji, how dare you offer to teach an outsider the Nine Clones Secret Technique! Saying such things in front of Senior Progenitor, you're courting death!"
Xia Ji was startled; Senior Progenitor?
"Senior Progenitor Shenji?" Xia Ji gasped, craning his neck with great difficulty to look about.
Lu Yin stood with his hands clasped behind his back and a small smile on his lips. "Don't worry, I have no interest in the Nine Clones Secret Technique."
He turned to Xia Qin. "This man is Xia Ji, another one of Progenitor Chen’s descendants. I'll leave him to you. Please feel free to decide his fate as you see fit."
Xia Qin looked at Xia Ji and asked, "Xia Shang's descendant?"
Finally, after a great deal of strenuous effort, Xia Ji managed to turn his head. He saw Xia Shenfei glaring at him, Xia Luo with a faint smile on his face, and also Xia Qin.
Upon seeing Xia Qin, Xia Ji noticed that she was another Progenitor. Xia Shenji was not present, but there was another powerful Progenitor who belonged to Shenwu's Sky.
The Semi-Progenitor immediately started to beg Xia Qin. "Senior Progenitor, please save this junior!"
Xia Qin stared at Xia Ji and asked, "Are you truly Xia Shang's descendant?"
"Yes, I am a descendant of Progenitor Chen."
Xia Qin frowned. "Xia Shang had no children with Wang Xiaoyu, so where did you descendants come from?"
Lu Yin suddenly realized that he had completely overlooked this detail. If Progenitor Chen had been betrayed by Wang Xiaoyu, then where had all of his descendants come from? Had he just found some random woman?
Xia Ji replied, "All of the members of the Xia family in the Fifth Mainland are descendants of Progenitor Chen. We are able to prove that we are related by blood, but we don't know our origins. That is not recorded in our family history."
Xia Qin started to ponder.
Xia Ji continued to beg. "Senior Progenitor, this junior is Progenitor Chen’s descendant, and I have also joined Shenwu's Sky. Please, help me. I am a member of the Xia family. Please, help me!"
Xia Qin indifferently replied, "You're giving him to me, and I can deal with him as I see fit?"
Lu Yin replied, "That’s right. As a descendant of Progenitor Chen, he should be dealt with however you see fit, as that should resolve any of your grievances."
Xia Qin turned back to Lu Yin and asked, "You’ve received Xia Shang's power, and yet you act to harm his descendants?"
Lu Yin explained, "When I had only just started cultivating, he, already a Semi-Progenitor, attacked me. If not for some tricks that I had up my sleeve, I would have died long ago. He also acted against my family and friends, which led to the deaths of seventy two people. During the Fifth Mainland’s recent crisis, he joined hands with our enemy and betrayed us. He already knew about Progenitor Chen's history, yet he still sought to take refuge with Shenwu's Sky, acting as though he was qualified to make decisions on behalf of Progenitor Chen. He isn’t worthy of the Xia surname, nor can he be considered a true descendant of Progenitor Chen."
Xia Ji shouted, "Lu Yin, you're spouting nonsense! I plotted against the Cosmic Sect to take the Cosmic Art! That is Progenitor Chen's inheritance and so it should belong to me! Those seventy two deaths were merely an accident. I also attacked you because you plotted against the Seven Courts. The power that you’ve seized does not belong to you! Progenitor Chen's power should belong to me and the members of the Xia family, not you!"
Xia Qin addressed Xia Ji. "Why did you join Shenwu's Sky?"
Xia Ji lowered his head. "We both carry the Xia surname. If Progenitor Chen were still alive, he would have understood this by now and would be willing to return to Shenwu's Sky."
Xia Luo shook his head. Xia Ji had just sealed his fate with his own words. The grudge between Progenitor Chen and Shenwu's Sky ran too deep, and Xia Qin was even a victim of that grudge. Claiming that Progenitor Chen would have chosen to return to Shenwu's Sky was like saying that all of the grudges of the past should simply be erased, which was no different from denying Xia Qin's past.
"Goodbye, old man. Thank you for allowing me to replace Xia Jiuyou."
"I'll settle my grudges with Xia Shang myself. There's no need to take things out on his descendants," Xia Qin stated indifferently.
Lu Yin arched a brow. "Good."
Xia Ji could tell that this Xia family Progenitor held some sort of grudge against Progenitor Chen, but she also seemed to hold one against Shenwu's Sky as well. What was her story? Xia Ji instinctively glanced at Xia Luo, the person whom he had tacitly allowed to replace Xia Jiuyou as the heir of the Fifth Mainland’s Xia family. Maybe this youth knew something…
Just as Xia Ji lifted his head, a foot fell, crushing him underground with a thunderous boom. The earth cracked, and a tremendous force pierced through the Shenwu Continent.
Lu Yin looked down from above as he smashed Xia Ji with a foot, just like what he had done to Nightking Zhenwu. Yet another grudge had come to a conclusion.
Even at his moment of death, Xia Ji failed to understand why Xia Qin had not saved him and had allowed him to be crushed to death. Everything that he had said had been absolutely correct. They both carried the Xia surname, and many, many years had passed. Progenitor Chen should have returned to Shenwu's Sky after so long. Everything that Xia Ji had done throughout his life had been to regain Xia Shang’s power. Where had he gone wrong?
Moreover, why had Lu Yin been so decisive in killing him? Did he not want the Nine Clones Secret Technique? It was Shenwu's Sky’s greatest technique, so why would Lu Yin not hesitate to give it up? Xia Ji simply could not understand this.
Lu Yin let out a breath. Xia Ji was finally dead. The seventy two lives had been avenged. Did Lu Yin feel any comfort? Not really. Even though the enmity had been resolved and lives had been avenged, the dead would never return to life.
The Champions' Stage appeared, and Lu Yin immediately anointed Xia Ji. After all, the man had been a Semi-Progenitor.
This was the first time that Lu Yin had anointed a true Semi-Progenitor. Before this, his most powerful champion had been Tian Dou, who had only been a peak Envoy.
Given Lu Yin’s current strength, anointing a Semi-Progenitor as a champion posed no problems at all.
Xia Shenfei watched as Xia Ji was anointed, and then when he glanced at Lu Yin, there was a hint of fear in his eyes. This was an emotion that Xia Shenfei had never thought he would feel, but it appeared at this moment.
There was nothing more cruel than anointing a champion after a person’s death.
It was possible that this ability was why the Lu family had been exiled. Their innate gift was simply too terrifying.
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