"A senior in my clan was an old acquaintance of Ancestor Ao Xiao. So, I happened to see him from afar a couple of times back then." A flicker of something odd passed over the face of the man surnamed Xu, and he replied evasively.
"Oh? Then does Fellow Daoist know what matter Ancestor Ao Xiao wanted to see you about this time?" The middle-aged woman's eyes darted around for a moment before she asked tentatively.
"How could I possibly know? I'm as much in the dark as you are. Besides, Ancestor Ao Xiao didn't just summon me alone, did he? He called Brother Luo too. There's probably something he wants to say to us two privately." The man surnamed Xu shook his head vigorously, like a clapper drum.
Seeing this, the middle-aged woman gave a faint smile and chose not to press further.
At this moment, after Ancestor Ao Xiao had departed the great hall, the others gathered there showed no immediate desire to continue their discussion. After exchanging whispers among themselves for a while, the white-haired elder announced the end of this gathering.
With varying thoughts on their minds, everyone departed the great hall, heading back to their respective dwellings.
At the same time, the feathered man had already led Ancestor Ao Xiao and Silver Moon to a secluded location on the island.
This was not only the place on the island with the densest spiritual energy, but it also boasted seven or eight isolated pavilions spaced far apart.
These pavilions were not only exquisitely designed, but each also came with dedicated rooms for artifact refinement and pill concoction, along with fully equipped cultivation chambers.
The feathered man invited Ancestor Ao Xiao here, allowing him to choose one himself.
Without ceremony, the long-haired man simply pointed at a pavilion at random and strode inside.
The feathered man naturally dared not show the slightest objection. After arranging for a number of handmaidens and other personnel, he took his leave discreetly.
Ancestor Ao Xiao sat in the seat of honor in the pavilion's main hall. With a casual wave of his hand, he dismissed the several handmaidens with an expressionless face.
In the blink of an eye, only Ancestor Ao Xiao and Silver Moon remained in the pavilion's ground floor.
The long-haired man sat in his chair without a word, his eyes slightly narrowed as if lost in thought.
Silver Moon remained standing quietly to the side, showing no intention of speaking either.
"Given your current cultivation level, and with the pills I've prepared for you, you absolutely have the potential to become an Integration Stage cultivator. Yet over the past century, you've failed your breakthrough three times in a row. It seems the problem isn't a lack of external conditions, but rather your inability to overcome the Heart's Devil within you. If your next attempt also ends in failure, I'm afraid it will only become harder to break through in the future." Ancestor Ao Xiao glanced at Silver Moon, and suddenly spoke in a flat, indifferent tone.
"This granddaughter is useless and has disappointed Grandfather." Silver Moon lowered her head slightly and said softly.
"A trace of obsession in your heart seems very difficult to untie. Ever since you returned from the lower realm, you've paid no further attention to Tiankui, and even left the clan to come live here with me. I never asked the reason, nor did I force you to reconcile with Tiankui, hoping you would resolve this knot in your heart yourself. But I never expected that after so many years, not only has the knot remained, it has been buried even deeper." Ao Xiao shook his head. Though his tone was gentle, a hint of disappointment could still be detected in his words.
"Grandfather, back then between me and Tiankui..." Silver Moon raised her head, wanting to explain.
But Ancestor Ao Xiao waved his hand, cutting her off.
"You don't need to explain anything. I know what you want to say. While I was in seclusion, that brat Tiankui broke his promise to me. Before you had even advanced to the Integration Stage, he intended to harvest your Primordial Yin Body. When that failed, he secretly tampered with you, splitting your Primordial Spirit in two and condemning you to the agony of a divided soul for over a thousand years. As for later, when your soul projection traveled to the lower realm, he tampered with the Astral Star Disc again, preventing your timely return to the Spirit Realm. Do I need to spell out every single one of these incidents?!"
As he spoke, a fierce, grim look suddenly crossed Ancestor Ao Xiao's handsome, scholarly face. He slapped the bronze armrest beside his chair.
With a flash of white light and a silent whoosh, the armrest vanished into thin air without leaving the slightest trace.