Boom— Before he could even make a move, the power of a Seventh Grade True God pinned Zhao Cangjin in place.
It was Zhao Tingxue.
Three layers of sacred golden flames wreathed her body — the power of the Zhao Immortal Clan's bloodline. It was the same method Zhao Cangjin had used earlier to elevate his cultivation to the Seventh Grade True God.
"Tingxue, he tricked us!" Zhao Cangjin said through gritted teeth.
"He tricked you, not us."
"Besides, the fact that you fell for it is your own stupidity. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."
"Sit down quietly and stop embarrassing yourself."
As soon as Zhao Tingxue finished speaking, her palm pressed downward slightly, and Zhao Cangjin was forced back into his seat.
Seeing that Zhao Tingxue wasn't on his side, he could only sit there stewing in his frustration, giving up the idea of making a move.
Zhao Tingxue then turned her gaze toward Chu Feng and the others. "You must all be modern-era martial cultivators, correct?"
"Mm," Chu Feng replied.
Little Fisher spoke up right after. "You were born in this era too. I've never understood — why do you insist on calling yourselves from the ancient era? That era has long since passed."
Hearing this, Zhao Tingxue smiled faintly. "It's a matter of heritage. One shouldn't forget one's roots."
"If there hadn't been ancestors in the ancient era, we wouldn't have been passed down to today. Modern-era cultivators didn't exactly spring from a crack in a rock, did they?" Little Fisher pressed.
To this, Zhao Tingxue smiled meaningfully, though she chose not to elaborate further.
Chu Feng, however, was well aware of the perspective at play.
Whether modern-era cultivators or ancient-era cultivators, all of them ultimately traced their lineage back to the ancient era. It wasn't as though modern cultivators were lifeforms that had only come into existence in this age.
What had actually happened was that all life had fallen into slumber. By the time they awakened, countless ages had already passed, and a gap had appeared in the history. That was how the distinction between "modern" and "ancient" came to be.
Those who were born in this era naturally preferred to identify with it.
As for why so many still called themselves ancient-era cultivators, it was mostly because the families or powers they belonged to had been prosperous and mighty in the ancient era.
The ancestors of modern-era cultivators, on the other hand, had largely been mediocre and weak during the ancient period — ordinary people at best, the kind of lowly figures that forces like the Zhao Immortal Clan looked down upon. They weren't even fit to serve as servants; they were nothing more than ants.
Yet for certain reasons, powerful families like the Zhao Immortal Clan had been trapped in this era as well, only having their seals gradually lifted over the past few years. During the early period, even when their ancestors awoke, they could only reproduce and grow within the confines of their sealed formations.
Meanwhile, those cultivators who had been weaker in the ancient era were not trapped upon awakening. They had the opportunity to receive vast amounts of inheritance, allowing them to rise rapidly.
Even so, despite the rise of modern-era cultivators, forces like the Zhao Immortal Clan continued to look down on them, always viewing modern cultivators as nothing more than opportunists who had stumbled into power — monkeys claiming dominion in a mountain with no tiger. Their contempt for modern-era cultivators ran deep, and had even given rise to outright hostility.
That was why, even though they too were people of this modern age, they still claimed the ancient era as their identity — believing they were the true orthodox lineage of the martial cultivation world.
"There's no need to worry, I harbor no hostility toward any of you."
"Since you are modern-era cultivators, I imagine you don't know all that much about this Bloodline Opportunity Mountain."
"As a matter of fact, I feel a certain kinship with all of you and would like to get to know you better. And as it happens, my Zhao Immortal Clan happens to know a thing or two about the Bloodline Opportunity Mountain. If you need it, I can share some information."
The moment Zhao Tingxue said this, Wang Qiang hurriedly spoke up. "M-M-Miss Zhao, I told you — you're as kind-hearted as you are beautiful! But let me say upfront, I've already taken all those resources, so even if you're being generous, you can't take them back!"
"Relax. Those were a meeting gift — why would I ask for them back?" Zhao Tingxue smiled lightly. Then she continued, "After the Bloodline Opportunity Mountain opens, there will be many peaks. Each peak has a formation, and activating that formation requires resources."
"Resources are like keys — they need to be matched precisely. Some peaks require a great deal of resources, while others require less. But once activation begins, it cannot be stopped. It must succeed. If activation fails because there aren't enough resources, you'll be eliminated."
"However, how many resources a given peak needs can actually be determined through observation."