Ascension of The Unholy Immortal

"The old patriarch wants to see me?" Liang's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of curiosity dancing in his eyes. Why would that old fox want to see me alone?

After a moment of contemplation, a faint trace of interest surfaced.

He was on the verge of officially becoming the Dong Clan's son-in-law—but not yet. The rites had yet to be completed. The bond, though publicly acknowledged, was not sealed.

So why the summons now?

Testing me?

Clearing his thoughts, Liang rose from his seat and departed his palace, heading to meet the patriarch.

At the heart of the ancestral region lay a quiet garden surrounded by concentric formations , It was here that the patriarch, resided during his contemplative periods. No outer guards, no servants. Only stillness.

Liang stepped through the final archway and halted at the threshold. Within, beneath an ancient pine whose roots twisted around a hill of spirit-stone ore, sat the old patriarch. A zither rested on his lap, untouched, its strings shimmering faintly.

Dong Tianlong did not rise, nor did he speak immediately.

Liang clasped his hands and bowed slightly. "Liang Yifei greets Patriarch Dong."

The old man opened his eyes—clouded, yet impossibly sharp. "Sit."

Liang complied, lowering himself to the mossy stone opposite the elder.

For a time, nothing passed between them but silence.

Finally, Dong Tianlong voice emerged, slow and measured. "Do you know how many heirs I've buried, Liang?"

Liang's brows shifted slightly. He said nothing.

"Four." The old man's fingers drifted along the zither strings, producing a low, humming note. "Three sons. One daughter. Each of them brilliant. Gifted. Respected across the realms. They reached heights most only dream of. Yet in cultivation, as in life, talent is no shield. Time humbles all."

He turned his eyes fully to Liang. "You stand at the brink of joining our bloodline. But you are no heir, are you? You come from no great sect, no divine lineage. A wandering cultivator, of unknown origin, who has only recently risen to prominence—and even managed to join a fortress as sealed as the Divine Spirit Palace.

Such men are the most dangerous."

Liang met the gaze without flinching. "You are not wrong."

Dong Tianlong chuckled. "I often am. That's how I've lived this long."

The zither thrummed once more with a note resonating strangely with the runes carved into the stone around him.

"I watched you since the Frostfall conflict. A man who moves without emotion. Calculates every move. Sacrifices what must be sacrificed. That is a rare quality."

Liang did not respond. There was no need.

The old man's tone cooled. "But such men are not fit for family. Not unless they learn restraint."

He leaned forward, the cloudiness in his eyes parting just enough to reveal an overwhelming pressure.

"I have one question for you, Liang Yifei. A single answer determines whether you remain welcome here—or whether I scatter your soul across the void myself."

Liang's eyes narrowed.

"Tell me," Dong Tianlong said softly, " What was your true purpose in coming to my Dong Clan?"

Silence.

Even the insects seemed to halt their hum. The entire garden held its breath.

Liang remained silent for a breath longer.

Then, slowly, he reached into his robe and withdrew a bronze compass—aged, unpolished. At first glance, it looked like an antique, the kind a mortal collector might keep for sentiment.

But the moment Dong Tianlong laid eyes on it, his brows arched ever so slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted in quiet amusement. Not surprise. Not confusion. Amusement.

Still, he said nothing.

Liang placed the compass gently on the moss between them. "Indeed," he said quietly. "I had an ulterior motive in coming to the Dong Clan."

Silence followed.

"I heard rumor that the All Things Chamber once obtained this compass," Liang continued, "and that it eventually came into the possession of the Dong Clan through one of their acquisitions."

He lifted his gaze and met the patriarch's eyes. "That's why I came."

Dong Tianlong did not speak. His expression gave nothing away. But his fingers stilled on the zither.

Still, he did not reach for the compass. He allowed it to rest where Liang had placed it, untouched.

"Very well," the old man murmured. "I'll not question your reason. Every man has his pursuits."

Then, after a brief pause, Dong Tianlong's eyes narrowed slightly. " What of the favor you asked from the old chess ?"

Liang's thoughts raced, but not a flicker of it showed on his face. His expression remained calm, even indifferent.

The old patriarch had laid his pieces out carefully. This was no idle interrogation—it was a probe into motive, a hunt for deeper truths.

"You used that favor to gain access to the secret realm. That much is known."

"Yes," he replied. "At the time, I had no pressing use for the favor. The opportunity presented itself. It was convenient."

Dong Tianlong's eyes lingered on him, searching for any cracks in his expression.

Unfortunately none appeared.

"Convenient…" the patriarch echoed softly. "A man like you does nothing without layers."

Liang offered a faint smile. "True. But sometimes… even layers serve no deeper purpose. The realm was there. The favor was idle. I made a move."

Dong Tianlong leaned back slightly, resting one hand atop the zither. "And what did you find within, What was the opportunity that you have acquired there?"

Liang tilted his head slightly. " Just some casual heaven and earth treasures enough for my breakthrough."

Dong Tianlong's fingers paused mid-stroke on the zither string.

"You were the last one to emerge from the secret realm," he said quietly. "And not a breath after you stepped through, the entrance collapsed. All formations failed. That pocket dimension is now sealed, untouchable."

"What did you see in there, Liang Yifei?"

Liang met the patriarch's gaze with calm composure, eyes steady as still water.

"That's not entirely true."

Dong Tianlong's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"I was already beyond the gate when it happened, Whatever occurred, did so after I left. I did not trigger it. I couldn't have."

A faint breeze stirred the pine needles above, carrying a ghostly note from the zither.

"You expect me to believe that?" Dong Tianlong snorted coldly.

Liang didn't flinch. "I have no reason to lie. If I had caused the collapse, would I be here presenting you the compass openly?"