Aside from Tantai Qiong Hua and Xiao Lan, the two highest-ranking ancestors, there were over ten silver-haired beauties whose powerful auras were equally daunting.
The colors of their clothes corresponded to the other eight branches, marking them as the ancestors of those respective lineages.
“Husband, if the ancestors call for you later, you must bow respectfully. Do not forget your manners,” Luo Yu whispered a reminder.
Su Chun nodded quickly, feeling an inexplicable wave of nervousness.
At that moment, Tantai Xuan’s voice rang out.
“Is everyone who should be here present?”
“Reporting to the Family Head, everyone has arrived. Not a single person is missing,” an Elder from the main branch, responsible for the family roster, replied immediately after a quick head count.
“Good! Mother, Mom, everyone is gathered. We may begin,” Tantai Xuan said solemnly to Tantai Qiong Hua and Xiao Lan beside her.
In the Tantai Family, the Family Head held the highest status and authority.
Although the Supreme Elders possessed higher cultivation, they could not override the Family Head.
It was much like the distinction between an Emperor and a Retired Emperor.
Tantai Qiong Hua, who had been resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them and scanned everyone in the hall.
“This Myriad Races Secret Realm concerns the rise and fall of our Tantai Family for the next thousand years. The family has decided that Xuan’er will lead the expedition. Each branch will select a total of 100 elite disciples to participate. We old women will serve as your Dao Protectors this time.”
Tantai Qiong Hua’s voice was icy.
She was clearly a cold beauty, her temperament even more frigid than Tantai Xuan’s.
Her voice carried clearly into everyone’s ears, infused with an unquestionable sense of authority.
Next, Tantai Qiong Hua began to explain the rules of the Myriad Races Secret Realm in detail, including things to watch out for, the family’s arrangements, and their trump cards.
Su Chun listened with extreme focus, as this involved her very life.
The Myriad Races Secret Realm was not just for human cultivators.
Many other races, such as the Yao Race, Mo Race, Elf Race, and Angel Race, could enter — hence the name.
Once the realm opened, entrants would be randomly teleported to different areas.
The ultimate goal was to compete for various opportunities, including the Chaos Spring that Su Chun desperately needed.
The Tantai Family’s objectives this time were clear.
First, obtain the water from the Chaos Spring at all costs to harmonize Su Chun’s bloodline.
Second, acquire as many heavenly treasures and opportunities as possible to enhance the strength of the family’s disciples.
Once the explanation concluded, Tantai Xuan scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on Su Chun.
“Chun’er, why are you standing back there? Come to the front. Let your grandmother, your maternal grandmother, and your other elders have a look at you.”
Su Chun was startled for a moment before nervously stepping out from the crowd.
She walked to the center of the hall and bowed to everyone.
“Chun’er greets her grandmothers.”
The moment Xiao Lan, sitting next to Tantai Xuan, saw Su Chun, her interest was instantly piqued.
Her eyes were filled with curiosity.
Even Tantai Qiong Hua, who usually kept her eyes half-closed, fixed her gaze on Su Chun.
“Xuan’er, are you sure this girl isn’t a clone of yours but your actual daughter? Why does she look exactly like you did when you were little?”
Tantai Qiong Hua asked.
The two of them had been in secluded cultivation for far too long and had no idea that Tantai Xuan had conceived a child on her own.
A helpless smile appeared on Tantai Xuan’s face.
“Reporting to Mother, Chun’er is indeed my biological daughter. During my cultivation, I accidentally activated the Yin-Yang Bloodline and conceived her myself. She is the one with the Ancestral Bloodline we mentioned earlier — your direct granddaughter.”
“So it’s this little girl, then?”
A sharp glint flashed in Ancestor Tantai Qiong Hua’s eyes.
“Good, good, good! An Ancestral Bloodline… our Tantai Family has hope of birthing another powerhouse comparable to the First and Second Ancestors.”
The more she looked, the more satisfied she became.
A rare smile appeared on her frozen face as she beckoned to Su Chun.
“Child, come here. Let Grandma have a look at you.”
Su Chun’s heart tightened, but she braced herself and walked forward.
Thinking that these were her actual grandmothers made her feel less afraid.
She stopped before Tantai Qiong Hua and Xiao Lan, nervously lowering her head, not daring to look them in the eye.
Tantai Qiong Hua reached out and gently lifted Su Chun’s chin, inspecting her closely.
“Tsk tsk! Wife, she really is identical.”
Tantai Qiong Hua’s affection was palpable.
“Chun’er, don’t be afraid. The two of us are your closest kin. Come, sit in Grandma’s lap and let me get a good look at you.”
Seeing Su Chun, who looked exactly like her own daughter, Xiao Lan’s maternal instincts flared.
She pulled Su Chun into her arms.
“Not bad, not bad at all. A fine seedling, though her constitution is a bit weak. We truly must resolve that bloodline conflict soon.”
Xiao Lan treated Su Chun like a doll, pinching and poking her here and there.
Doing this in front of so many people made Su Chun’s face flush bright red.
“This shy look is so precious. Much cuter than your mother was when she was young.”
The more Xiao Lan looked, the more she liked her, even nuzzling her cheek against Su Chun’s.
“The bloodline conflict is indeed severe. No wonder she cannot cultivate. Xuan’er, for this trip to the Myriad Races Secret Realm, nothing else matters. The water from the Chaos Spring must be obtained. Have you spoken with the in-laws?”
Tantai Qiong Hua looked toward Tantai Xuan.
“Yes, I’ve already sent word. The allied families will assist us with all their strength.”
“That is good, then.”
After saying that, Tantai Qiong Hua took a delicate Purple Jade Pendant from her storage ring and handed it to Su Chun.
“Chun’er, take this. It contains one of my Divine Soul Marks. If you encounter a problem you cannot solve, crush it immediately. It will save your life.”
Su Chun’s eyes lit up, and she immediately thanked Tantai Qiong Hua.
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
“Silly girl, why are you being so polite with your grandmother?”
Tantai Qiong Hua was amused by Su Chun’s reaction and rubbed her hair affectionately.
Following that, Xiao Lan and the other ancestors of the Nine Branches also presented their meeting gifts, most of which were life-saving treasures.
With these items, Su Chun’s safety in the Myriad Races Secret Realm was significantly bolstered.
The tension in Su Chun’s heart vanished, replaced by a profound sense of warmth.
Although this family had some very strange customs, the bond of blood was genuine.
Not only Su Chun, but Luo Li and Luo Yu, as her secondary wives, also received gifts from the elders.
This caused Su Chun’s older sisters outside the hall to seethe with another wave of envy and jealousy.
Tantai Xuan then introduced Su Chun to the important figures of the other eight branches, such as the branch heads and the direct daughters.
However, there were so many people that Su Chun’s mind couldn’t keep up.
Most women in the Tantai Family looked very similar, as if they were all based on a single mold with only minor adjustments to create a new face.
But it was actually quite simple: elders from her mother’s generation were all called Aunts, the older generation were all Grandmothers, and those of her own generation were all Sisters.
Regardless, there weren’t many in the entire Tantai Family younger than her.
Once the introductions were over, the family assembly came to an end.
The cultivators of the other eight branches returned to their respective bases to begin preparations.
Tantai Qiong Hua and Xiao Lan then had Tantai Xuan gather their immediate family in Zichen Hall for a private meeting of the Purple Branch.
Upon arriving, Su Chun saw several more beautiful women she hadn’t met before.
These were Tantai Qiong Hua’s concubines, three in total.
Originally, there had been eight, but five had already passed away.
The world of cultivation was like that — not many partners could truly grow old together.
There would always be someone who couldn’t keep up with the pace and would vanish into the long river of time.
“Eh? To think that after one session of secluded cultivation, I have so many more descendants. It warms my heart. I wonder if we will still be able to sit together and chat like this next time.”
Tantai Qiong Hua glanced at the empty seats beside her, feeling a sudden sense of sorrow.
Her words caused several Elders present to fall into a quiet grief as well.
Su Chun looked at the empty seats and understood exactly what her grandmother meant.
For some reason, she felt a sudden impulse.
“Grandmothers, Mother, Mom… Chun’er’s painting skills have improved over the past few months. Could I draw a Family Portrait for all the elders and sisters?”
Tantai Xuan was stunned.
“Can you already paint people?”
Su Chun nodded.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without a reference, but with all of you here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Tantai Xuan immediately sought the opinion of her mother and mom.
“Oh, so the Wang Family’s Divine Pen of Creation is in this little girl’s hands? Fine then, let’s have Chun’er paint one. It’s a good chance for her to practice. Painting people is the most difficult part of the Path of Painting.”
Su Chun smiled.
“Grandmothers, Mother, please allow Chun’er to go back and change into casual clothes. This formal outfit is too heavy and makes it hard to move.”
The crowd laughed.
“Go on.”
Luo Li and Luo Yu naturally hurried out after her.
“Husband, are you really going to paint a Family Portrait? You’ve never painted a person before, and people are the hardest. Besides, with so many people, it won’t be finished anytime soon,” Luo Yu said, feeling a bit worried.
“Didn’t you hear Grandmother’s sigh just now? We’re all together this time, but who knows if someone will be missing next time?”
Su Chun gave a bitter smile.
The two women said no more.
They quickly helped Su Chun change clothes and then prepared the painting paper.
Once everything was ready, Su Chun returned to Zichen Hall, where everyone was waiting.
After a quick greeting, she sat down in the center of the hall and began observing the facial features of everyone around her.
Fortunately, the people of the Purple Branch were mostly similar; she only needed to draw one mold and then make adjustments for each person.
“Wait, Chun’er. Include the people in these portraits as well. Remember, have them stand by my side.”
Tantai Qiong Hua tossed out five scrolls.
The scrolls floated over the five empty chairs, revealing five beautiful women of varying temperaments.
“Yes, Grandmother.”
Su Chun agreed.
People of the Tantai Family were actually easy to draw; it was the women who had married into the family that were more difficult.
If this had been two months ago, with Su Chun’s limited mental energy, it wouldn’t have been enough.
But now, her energy was more than ten times what it used to be.
This painting might be the most important one Su Chun had made since coming to this world.
She didn’t dare to be distracted for a single moment.
Time passed slowly. On the day before the Ten Thousand Races Assembly began, Su Chun finally completed the Family Portrait.
In this portrait, aside from the five deceased concubines, the others did not have their pupils dotted.
There was no helping it; Su Chun didn’t know what would happen if she dotted the eyes of living people.
However, every figure was incredibly lifelike.
“Haha! Good, good, good! This painting will be our family heirloom from now on. We shall hang it in Zichen Hall. In the future, if anyone in the painting passes away, have Chun’er dot their eyes. Let us be reunited within the painting.”
Tantai Qiong Hua looked at it, thoroughly satisfied.
With a wave of her hand, the painting expanded several times in size and was hung on the wall at the very front of Zichen Hall.
That was enough.