When Lin Lei heard the middle-aged man mention the "Baruch Family," a weight lifted from his heart. The ancestors of his Baruch family had indeed come to the Underworld, and they truly were here. In that moment, a flood of emotions washed over Lin Lei.
"Yes, yes, the Baruch Family," Bei Bei said gleefully. "Boss, we finally found them."
"Lin Lei." Dilia was happy for him too.
Standing nearby, Olivia, O'Brien, Tarosha, Dillian, and the others all wore smiles. The Baruch Family had been so famous on the Yulan Continent. And yet, here in the Underworld, this was the first time they had heard anyone else speak of them.
"Lin Lei, congratulations," Dillian said with a smile.
"There's no mistaking it now," Hisei and the others added, grinning.
Joy swelled in Lin Lei's chest. He had been raised on the family's teachings since childhood, and he knew every story about the ancestors of the Baruch clan. Now he would finally be able to meet them.
"My lord, I am a member of the Baruch Family. Please, take me to see my ancestors at once," Lin Lei couldn't help but say.
"Insolent." Captain Isole snorted coldly.
Lin Lei froze.
"What status does the lord have, to escort you personally?" Isole said, displeased at the newcomer's lack of propriety. "As for whether you truly belong to the Yulan branch, that still needs to be confirmed. Don't celebrate too early."
The middle-aged man chuckled. "Isole, make the trip yourself." With that, he turned and flew away.
Isole fixed Lin Lei and his group with a cold stare. "Listen up, all of you. Once we enter the interior of the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range, don't fly around recklessly — follow me. If you offend any high-ranking members of the family and they lay the blame on me, I won't be able to protect you."
"Understood," Lin Lei answered.
But he could already sense that within these Four Divine Beast families, the hierarchy was rigidly enforced.
"Follow me." Isole took off first, and Lin Lei's group quickly followed. The Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range was vast, and its eastern region was entirely occupied by the Blue Dragon clan.
Lin Lei's group ascended onto the Dragon Path.
The Dragon Path was a full fifty meters wide, and along its edges lay rows of dragon scales. Winding for tens of thousands of li through the rolling mountain landscape, the path was flanked by countless mansions and castles, each with figures visible inside.
"Boss, there are really a lot of people here," Bei Bei said, his eyes darting about. "I'd say the Blue Dragon clan has at least a million members. Boss, I remember your family used to have very few children."
Lin Lei smiled.
Indeed, the more powerful a race, the fewer its numbers.
"Maybe after so much time, the cumulative population has grown," Lin Lei said casually.
If each generation reproduced once every hundred years, and each family member had either one or two children, then after hundreds of millions of years, how many members would there be? After all, anyone who reached the Saint Realm would no longer age or die — unless they were killed.
"Born, yes, but they also have to survive," Captain Isole said from up ahead. "In the past, our Four Divine Beast families were powerful enough to shelter all our members, so naturally the population kept growing. But now, things aren't so simple anymore."
Lin Lei couldn't help but wonder. What had caused the decline of the Four Divine Beast families?
"That castle over there is quite beautiful," Dilia whispered softly in Lin Lei's ear. He turned to look. A castle of pure blue, its effect achieved through varying shades of the color to create a dazzling and unique spectacle, was indeed eye-catching.
"Remember, stay on the Dragon Path and don't fly off elsewhere," Isole reminded them.
Bei Bei let out a low hum. Lin Lei glanced at him with a smile. "Bei Bei, the family management is a bit strict. It'll be better once we're back where we're staying." His mood was quite good right now.
"I know," Bei Bei replied through divine sense.
As they spoke, Isole led them along the Dragon Path to an unassuming two-story building nestled into the mountainside. In front of its entrance, a white-haired elder sat squinting comfortably in a chair, looking perfectly content.
"Hanuman," Isole called out with a smile.
The white-haired elder opened his eyes and stood up, smiling. "Oh, it's you, Isole. What brings you here today?"
"We've just encountered a member who carries our family's bloodline. I was hoping you could help verify and record it," Isole explained.
"Which one?" The white-haired elder turned to look at Lin Lei and his group.
"This one!" Isole pointed at Lin Lei, who smiled at the old man and said, "My name is Lin Lei, sir. I'm from the Baruch Family of the Yulan Continent material plane!"
"Oh, the Baruch Family? The branch from the Yulan Continent — I know of it," Hanuman said, raising a white eyebrow. "Our Blue Dragon clan is also the Redding Family. Almost every branch considers itself part of the 'Redding Family.' There are only a few branches that don't even know their own family name. They just made up names — your Baruch Family is one of them."
Lin Lei could only smile.
The founder of his family, Baruch himself, had never known about the Blue Dragon clan, nor had he known they were members of the Redding Family. That was why he had established the Baruch Family.
"You can name the Baruch Family, so I believe you're most likely one of us," Hanuman said, shaking his head with a helpless smile. "However, family rules require strict verification, so I will need to accompany you to meet your branch's elders."
"Meet the family elders?" Lin Lei felt a surge of excitement.
"Yes. They're the ones who can fully confirm your origins." Hanuman then turned to Isole. "Isole, you're done here. Go ahead and attend to your duties. I'll escort them myself."
Isole nodded and immediately departed.
"Once in a thousand years, we're lucky to encounter even a single lost family member returning," Hanuman remarked with a sigh. "Come, follow me to see the elders of your branch."
Lin Lei hurried after him. Behind him, the rest of the group began to talk among themselves.
"Back then, the four ultimate warriors — the Dragon Blood Warrior 'Baruch.' It's been almost six thousand years," Hisei said, a rare smile crossing his face. "I wonder how those old fellows are doing now?"
O'Brien nodded in agreement.
"Old fellows?" Hanuman turned back from the lead, frowning. "The oldest member of the Yulan branch is barely over six thousand years old. You call that old? In our family, there are countless members who've cultivated for hundreds of millions of years. The Yulan branch is the youngest in the entire Redding Family."