Ningville.
Since fiend beasts began to rampage across Earth, Ningville has developed rapidly and is now one of the top ten cities on the planet.
Many powerful families reside in Ningville, and naturally, the Shan Family is among them.
At this moment, the Shan Family's council hall was filled with twenty to thirty people. Not only were there more than a dozen seated at the main table, but an equal number occupied the guest seats as well.
Everyone seated here had a cultivation level of at least Earth Stage.
At the head of the main table sat a slightly overweight middle-aged man, Don Shan, the patriarch of the Shan Family.
By rights, Don Shan, as the host, should be chatting and drinking tea with the guests. However, his face was anxious, and he kept glancing toward the door, as if waiting for someone.
The rest of those in the council hall remained silent; no one spoke at this moment. The vast hall was filled with a stifling silence.
After more than half an hour, footsteps finally sounded at the door.
Don Shan immediately stood up, his gaze filled with urgency as he looked toward the entrance.
A lean, elderly man with jet-black hair stepped through the doorway. It seemed as though with a single stride, he crossed from the entrance directly to the center of the spacious hall.
At that moment, everyone in the hall stood up, each one bowing respectfully.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
"Senior Maximus..."
Everyone in the hall greeted him with utmost care and respect, for they all knew exactly who had entered.
"Ancestor..." Don Shan stepped out from his seat, his voice trembling with emotion. Though his cultivation had been forcibly elevated to Sky Stage, his discernment remained sharp.
He could clearly sense the Ancestor's power—deeper and more profound than before his seclusion. It was likely that the Ancestor had made a breakthrough during his years of isolation, and the outcome was the best possible.
"You've done well. Sit down." The lean elder nodded to Don Shan.
Don Shan quickly replied, "I can sit to the side."
The lean elder waved his hand. "Without rules, there can be no order. The Shan Family has come this far because we abide by rules and never act recklessly. You are the patriarch; you will preside over this matter."
"Yes." Don Shan quickly bowed.
After speaking, the lean elder took the first seat to the side and cupped his fists to the crowd. "Today, Maximus Shan thanks all of you for making the effort to come and assist the Shan Family. In the future, the Shan Family will surely repay your kindness."
Everyone responded at once, "It's only right. The Shan Family has made great contributions over the years in driving out the fiend beasts."
Maximus Shan cupped his fists once more. "Please, everyone, be seated."
Once everyone was seated, Maximus Shan sat down as well and spoke slowly, "The Shan Family has always been benevolent and never bullied others by relying on our strength. Yet today, someone has dared to provoke us. Twenty-seven disciples of the Shan Family were killed in Dai City, including Quentin Shan, a Sky Stage cultivator, and seven disciples of Earth Stage. Clearly, the culprit must have relied on his own breakthrough to the Innate Stage to act so arrogantly.
I, Maximus Shan, have been in seclusion for years, and have finally broken through to the Half-Pill Realm..."
Upon hearing that Maximus Shan had entered the Half-Pill Realm, all the Shan Family disciples rose in excitement. It was said that in martial cultivation, the true divide between mortal and immortal lay between the Innate and the Half-Pill Realm.
As long as one stepped into the Half-Pill Realm, one could be considered half an immortal.
"Congratulations, Senior Maximus..." Every guest present rose to offer their congratulations to Maximus Shan.
Their greatest reason for helping the Shan Family was Maximus Shan himself. Before his seclusion, he had already reached the peak of the Innate Stage, even surpassing it. Now, hearing firsthand that Maximus Shan had entered the Half-Pill Realm, everyone naturally showed the utmost respect.
Maximus Shan nodded. "After learning of the Shan Family's troubles, Daoist Zoe Shen has come especially to lend a hand. In addition to Daoist Shen, Simon Qi of Ninth Holdings will also be joining us..."
Upon hearing Maximus Shan's words, everyone in the hall gasped in astonishment. Zoe Shen was renowned as the strongest in Huaxia, and whenever top-tier fiend beasts appeared, it was always Senior Shen who took the lead in battle.
Senior Shen had already entered the Half-Pill Realm years ago, and her cultivation was now even more unfathomable.
No matter who had dared to attack the Shan Family, with Senior Shen present, the enemy could only resign themselves to their fate.
As for Simon Qi, he was an even more enigmatic figure. The global powerhouse Ninth Holdings was the Qi Family's enterprise.
Ninth Holdings was founded by Echo Young, and what started as a small adventurer squad had grown into a world-class conglomerate. Yet the Qi Family remained shrouded in mystery, and their cultivation seemed to differ from ancient martial arts—some even rumored it to be true immortal cultivation.
No one truly knew whether it was immortal cultivation, but anyone who dared target the Qi Family or Ninth Holdings would simply disappear.
"Brother Shan, I hope I'm not too late." A clear voice rang out, and a woman in plain clothes appeared in the council hall.
Though the woman appeared to be middle-aged, her bearing was even more upright than the young maids standing nearby.
"Haha, you're not late at all, Daoist Shen." Maximus Shan laughed heartily and rose to greet her.
"Looks like I'm not late either." Another youthful voice rang out, and a slightly frail-looking young man entered.
"Thank you, Chairman Qi, for coming all this way. Maximus Shan is truly grateful." Maximus Shan quickly cupped his fists in greeting.
The young man's gaze swept over Maximus Shan, and he immediately cupped his fists in return. "Congratulations, Senior Shan, on entering the Half-Pill Realm and reaching new heights."
"Brother Shan, you've entered the Half-Pill Realm? Congratulations!" The woman in plain clothes exclaimed in delight, then looked at the young man in surprise. Though she herself was in the Half-Pill Realm, she hadn't immediately noticed Maximus Shan's breakthrough, but this young man had discerned it at a glance.
The Qi Family's Ninth Holdings was indeed shrouded in mystery.
After greeting the two, Maximus Shan invited them to take their seats, then cupped his fists to the crowd and introduced, "I believe everyone here knows these two. One is the pride of Huaxia, Daoist Zoe Shen. The other is the global leader, Chairman Simon Qi of Ninth Holdings. On behalf of the Shan Family, I thank you both for coming. With Daoist Shen and Chairman Qi, I believe we can proceed to Lethe Temple in the Lethe Mountains."
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"Lethe Temple?" Zoe Shen repeated in surprise.
Maximus Shan nodded. "I believe the culprit is relying on his incredible strength to attempt to wipe out the Shan Family at Lethe Temple. Otherwise, he wouldn't have revealed his location there."
......
In a private courtyard at Lethe Temple, Joe Di had just finished listening to Shana Shan recount everything about herself and the Shan Family.
Her mother was named Nora Xiu, and her father was Howard Shan. When her father brought her mother back to the Shan Family, he was already gravely injured. Just over three months later, her father passed away.
After her father's death, her mother struggled to survive in the Shan Family while pregnant with her. Many times, her mother considered leaving, but with the increasing number of dire beasts on Earth, staying with the Shan Family offered a slim chance to become a martial artist. If they left, life would be even harder for mother and daughter.
When she was fourteen, her mother suddenly died in the Shan Family. The doctor said it was from frailty and overwhelming grief.
After her mother's death, rumors spread that she was an illegitimate child. But she followed her mother's advice and remained with the Shan Family, training diligently in ancient martial arts. At sixteen, with no help, she reached the initial Huang Stage; at seventeen, the middle Huang Stage; and by eighteen, the late Huang Stage.
Later, she overheard that Bill Bowman of the Bowman Family had taken an interest in her and had already sent a marriage proposal to the Shan Family.
Afraid, she immediately fled the Shan Family and spent two years hiding outside, until she met Joe Di in Dai City.
Joe Di listened to Shana Shan in silence for a long time before suddenly asking, "Your mother gave birth to you several months after your father's death?"
"It should have been a little over six months..." Shana Shan thought for a moment before answering.
Joe Di asked again, "Do you know how your father was injured?"