7 Purple Cloud Dreamland (1/2)
”The Patriarch… died!” Ming Ren wept in sorrow. Some cultivators, as they grew old and weary, lost all ties to mundane problems and relations and only used their Clan to gather resources and cultivate.
What if a few juniors died? What if the Clan disappeared? As long as the Old cultivator lived it could all be created again.
Yet the Bright Clan's Patriarch was different. When his son died, his grandson led in his stead. When his grandson died, none of his great-grandsons were ready to lead. He assumed responsibility again and bet everything on Ming Ren's generation.
The Patriarch was the only reason the Bright Clan survived for so long. He had an upright moral character and cared about tradition and family.
Yun Lin Xue knew neither the White Clan nor the Cloud Clan took in part in the ambush. They wanted to acquire the Scripture but were not willing to go as far as to ambush the juniors and the Bright Clan's Patriarch.
Both Yun Jie and the White Clan's Patriarch respected the Bright Patriarch and the history of its clan. Distancing themselves from him was one thing, taking his life was another matter. The Bright Clan was already done for. The other clans could simply take what they wanted with little cost.
Yun Jie at that time mentioned to Yun Lin Xue that at least three Spirit Gate Cultivators participated in the ambush.
”Two of them should be from the Silver Clan. The last one… either the Sunflower Pavilion or…” Ming Ren burned with anger. This enmity won't be forgotten.
After the Patriarch's death, the Silver Clan moved to attack the Bright Clan's directly under the pretext of rebellion. During the attack, Yun Shufen came back from the Royal Academy.
Lin Xue didn't know how his sister came to know about it in advance and even made her way back in time. His father was furious. As soon as he heard Shufen went to the Bright Clan he mustered their forces and followed. Even their two Spirit Gate Cultivators were called to help.
Shufen straight away made trouble. She killed Silver Clan members left and right. In the junior generation and even some seniors, who could be her match? By that time she was already at the 3rd layer of the Spirit Realm and could contend with anyone below Spirit Gate Realm as long as they weren't top talents.
Besides, she was not alone. There's no way the Royal Academy would leave such talent unprotected. Even the Spirit Gate Cultivators from the Silver Clan didn't dare interfere too much with her for fear of drawing a sect destroying disaster.
Just as Yun Shuqing told him before, Shufen saved him at that time. Not only him but everyone remaining in the Bright Clan. If not for her, the fact that the Clan was expelled would turn out to be ”wiped out” instead. Of course, the conflict didn't simply end there, as people from the Sunflower Pavilion meddled and wanted to continue the fight.
At that time, Bai Xun also returned and brought the White Clan with him, so there was no way the fight could go on without all-out hostilities. The remaining members of the Bright Clan all fled. Without most of the Elders and the Patriarch, could it even be called a Clan anymore?
The Bright Scripture was never found but that was not surprising. It was almost impossible to discern in from a common scripture. Only the Patriarch knew how to activate and some of its secrets. A few fakes would seem just as real as the real one.
Ming Ren also sighed in relief. His mother was not there at that time, although he didn't know why. There was no news about his father. The rest of the story he already knew. The Elders objected to bringing him here but Shufen didn't care, and they didn't exactly have the power to change her mind.
”Did the Cloud Clan find anything about the surviving members of the Bright Clan?” Ming Ren knew they wouldn't have given up on the scripture and there was a high chance that someone from the clan had it. Honestly, Shufen's appearance screwed even the plans from the Cloud and White Clans. If the Bright Clan was destroyed it'd be much easier to find what they were looking for.
Yun Lin Xue hesitated, ”It seems someone put a bounty on them…”
The reason Lin Xue hesitated was that the Cloud Clan also put a bounty. He knew he couldn't lie to Ming Ren in the Mind Breaking Purple Could Art. They were inside his mind after all.
”You bastards… Good, good!” Ming Ren's fury reached the peak. Expelling my Clan from the Country? Trying to wipe them out? Hunting my family members? How brave of you all!
”Wait, wait, we didn't kill anyone… we only wanted information on the Scripture!” Lin Xue saw Ming Ren's expression and instantly feared for his mind.
As soon as he finished, Lin Xue's mouth stitched together. The same happened to his eyes. There was no pain but it was very frightening.
'I need to search for them, protect anyone that survived. Brother Ming Qiu, Little Lan, Elders, Mother… I need power! To find them, to kill all those bastards of the Silver Clan!' Suddenly Ming Ren thought about the demon in his dreams, and his anger subsided a bit.
There was something telling him not to lose himself at all costs.
'Father didn't come back. Did something happen to him? Is that why mother left? ...Wait, Mother could be at the Jade Clan!' His mother was a descendant of the Jade Clan in the River Province, and although he didn't know her status or life experiences and how she came to marry into the Bright Clan, he always thought it wouldn't be low. Even the Patriarch treated her respectfully.
Without other clues, that was the best place to start. He didn't remember much of the Jade Clan. He went there once but he was only four years old and they weren't especially well received. The River Province was very far from the Cloud Province and the journey full of perils.
For now, Ming Ren needed to escape from the Cloud Clan. His right hand landed in his chin and he thought about the possibilities.
His real body was still bound. With his current strength and activating the [Dragon Light Divine Body] physique he could get out, but not without making a lot of noise and possibly alerting his captors.
With his Spirit Sense, unless he was unlucky enough to meet one of the two Spirit Gate Cultivators, he should be able to avoid everyone and make it out of the Clan.
Brute force was not an option. The other option…
When Shufen taught him the [Mind Breaking Purple Cloud Art], he also learned the [Mind Controlling Purple Cloud Art]. Ming Ren should be able to use to temporarily take control of Lin Xue's body. But what about afterward?
Suddenly, a thought hit his mind, the Mind Enhancing Formation in the room. Ming Ren smile opened wide.
Although Lin Xue needed hand seals to activate his Mind Techniques, Ming Ren only needed to think about it inside this illusory space. Lin Xue's mind was already open so all he needed to do was to forcefully take control. Lin Xue couldn't even resist.
Back to reality, Ming Ren's shackles were taken down by a dazed Lin Xue. His eyes were pure white as if clouded. After he was down in the ground, Ming Ren extended his Spirit Sense and quickly analyzed the Mind Enhancing Formation.
As a middle-grade human formation, it was not difficult for Ming Ren to discover its mysteries. This somewhat simple formation was connected and drew strength from the main formation in the Cloud Clan, the [Purple Clouds Defensive Array].
What surprised him the most was that the defensive array was initial stage Earth-grade!