Responsibility of the Sacred Cloud Seal

Liu Ming and Liu Changsheng.

Two faces, once deeply familiar, now reunited.

Liu Ming had matured into a young man, while Liu Changsheng remained a revered memory, the hero figure from Liu Ming's past.

"I'm glad you're here," Liu Changsheng told his grandson. "After what I did to you, I thought you would never want to speak to me again." There was a solemn expression on the old man's face, yet it didn't diminish the aura of perfection that surrounded him.

Liu Ming clenched his fists tightly around the secret scroll and jade pendant.

"Honestly, I didn't want to come here. I only did it to ease my conscience. You were the one who forbade me from cultivating, the one who sent me to the remote regions of the Eastern Reaches and then abandoned me. I have no desire to be involved with you."

Liu Changsheng looked away and sighed.

"Ming Ming, do you truly not understand this world?"

With a sweep of his hand, he distorted the world around them. Before Liu Ming stretched an endless expanse of clouds, pierced by a mighty beam of light that soared into the unreachable heavens.

"Do you know what this is?" Liu Changsheng asked his grandson.

Naturally, the young man was left speechless.

In all his eighteen years of life, he had never seen such a magnificent sight. It felt like nothing else could ever compare after this. This wasn't just nature's doing—it was the craftsmanship of a divine being, a transcendent immortal!

"What… is this?" Liu Ming asked in shock.

Liu Changsheng nodded, expecting such a question.

"This is the edge of the Yuande Continent. It's said to be one of the five largest cultivation worlds in the Profound Sky Domain.

"Here on Yuande, there's not a drop of spiritual energy naturally present. Instead, we have the Mountains of Eternal Qi, a massive range cutting through the continent and dividing it into three parts: the Eastern Reaches, Central Heartland, and Western Expanse.

"These mountains were crafted by Sky-Emperor, a mighty expert who refined the universe's original essence, infusing them with an eternal flow of spiritual energy vital for cultivation."

Liu Changsheng gestured upwards, directing Liu Ming's gaze through the endless clouds.

"Use your divine senses and peer through the clouds."

Liu Ming closed his eyes and extended his divine senses, probing ahead until his vision pierced through the sea of white clouds.

There, he beheld a magnificent silver castle floating high above.

Though it blended with the clouds, its majestic presence was unmistakable.

The old man hummed contemplatively.

"That is the Sky Palace, the origin of everything in the Profound Sky Domain. Every sect aims to reach it because it marks the beginning of ascending to the Middle Regions.

"Among them are the five ancient sects of Yuande… Forefather God Awakening Sect, Sword God School, Celestial Devil Sect, Vast Sky School, and our Sacred Cloud School.

"Decades ago, a jade slip fell from the Sky Palace to our continent like a meteor, causing a stir among all the ancient sects. After months of conflict, we agreed to share its contents──it revealed that the Mountains of Eternal Qi is a dormant living entity.

"If one reaches 3rd-Order cultivation or a comparable level of power, they can awaken this ancestral mountain and potentially become the next Emperor of the Profound Sky Domain."

Every word Liu Changsheng spoke, Liu Ming committed to memory. He sensed the spiritual energy of the jade slip dwindling and knew that in a few moments, this might be the last time he saw him until who knew when.

"The ancient sects in the Yuande Continent have an edge over other worlds in the Profound Sky Domain because of that jade slip. This means every sect is prepared to spill blood to advance to the Sky Palace, right?"

Proud that his grandson was following, Liu Changsheng simply nodded. "Yes."

"But Grandfather, why are you telling me all this? You said I wasn't supposed to practice cultivation, yet now you're sharing the secret to advancement. I don't understand."

The old man opened his mouth and replied…

"Because you are a child chosen by the heavens, a child of providence, the will of the world. You are the living prophecy our sect has awaited for ages. I had to protect you to keep our rival sects from discovering your cultivation talent. I trusted no one, not even my fellow patriarchs, with this secret. Now, I am entrusting everything to you—my sect, my cultivation techniques, and all seven of my cherished disciples. Please, take care of them and everything else."

Liu Changsheng manifested a jade pendant in his hand, then floated it over to Liu Ming. When the young man held onto it, he felt the spiritual imprint of the artifact resonate powerfully with his soul.

"That jade pendant is the Sacred Cloud Seal, a crucial inheritance of our Sacred Cloud School. It's the ultimate legacy I entrust to you. Possession of this artifact signifies one as the supreme Patriarch of our sect."

The elderly figure saw the way his grandson stared at the jade pendant.

There was uncertainty in his eyes.

"I will pass it to you... but tell me, Liu Ming, are you prepared for such a responsibility?"

Now, nothing held Liu Ming back from wholeheartedly pursuing the Dao and nurturing his cultivation to its zenith.

He finally understood why his grandfather had coldly cast him aside and sealed his cultivation base──it was all to safeguard him until he was capable of standing on his own.

He didn't need to inquire about his grandfather's current whereabouts; the memory fragment of Liu Changsheng surely didn't contain that information.

"Thank you, Grandfather…"

After these words were spoken, the world of clouds before Liu Ming vanished, returning him to the Sect Master Hall.

Time resumed its flow.

Unaware of what had just transpired, Maomao asked, "So, what information was stored in the jade slip? Was it anything useful?"

Liu Ming looked at the Sacred Cloud Seal in his hand, then back at Maomao and Su Yan.

He remained silent, simply smiling.

Su Yan leaned forward slightly. "So, is that a yes?" she asked.

"Ye──!"

Just as Liu Ming was about to respond, everything started spinning, and his body lost all its stamina. He collapsed to the ground.

THUD!

This alarmed both Su Yan and Maomao.

"L-, Lord Liu?!" Su Yan exclaimed, dropping to one knee to check on him.

She placed a hand on his neck but felt no warmth.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

A week passed…

Liu Ming remained unconscious.

At first, his body seemed to be in constant pain. There were times when he felt unbearably hot, as if being cooked in a cauldron, and other times when his bones ached terribly.

However, as time went on, things began to improve. His head felt like it was resting on a bed of roses, and a sweet orange scent filled his nose, adding to his comfort.

He always felt the soft but noticeable weight of two big, perfectly spherical pieces of meat gently resting on his face. They were warm and wrapped his face in a cozy feeling.

The meat was flexible, giving a bit under pressure but still feeling firm and full. The skin was smooth and had a slight give, perfectly balancing softness and firmness.

Hmm~ Aah~~

Mmmn~

Sometimes, he would even feel a gentle touch on his chest, like he was being lovingly brushed by feathers.

"Hey, Elder Sister Lan! I think it's my turn to take care of Lord Liu. You've had him in your lap for long enough!"

"Tee-hee! Oh, Junior Sister Meixiang, you know that's not how it works. Our patriarch needs the best care, and my breasts are clearly more capable of providing that comfort."

"That's not fair! Just because your breasts are bigger doesn't mean you're better at taking care of him. I have a gentle touch too!"

"Hmph, but can your 'gentle touch' compare to the softness and support of my assets? Just look at him. He's resting so peacefully."

It seemed like there was an argument going on, but Liu Ming didn't believe two women would be bickering over him.

One voice sounded a bit more childlike, while the other was relaxed and casual. He was certain the second voice belonged to the woman with the supposedly larger breasts.

Liu Ming cracked open one eye, and the first thing he saw were two large sacks of meat right above his face. He quickly shut his eyes again, feeling his face flush red.

'Where in the world am I…?' he thought.