Chapter 9:Spirit Sealing Bracelet
Arc 2 - Chapter 9: The Qin Family's Branches
The Qin Family was one of the Seven Super Families of the Yueying Continent, renowned for its fire cultivation techniques and powerful warriors. With a history spanning thousands of years, it had numerous branches, each contributing to its dominance.
Ruoyan's new family belonged to a small branch of the Qin lineage, far removed from the main family's authority and resources.
The Qin Family was divided into three levels of hierarchy:
1. The Main Family (Qin Clan's Core Lineage)
Resided in the Crimson Flame Palace, the heart of the Qin Family's power.
Direct descendants inherited the strongest fire-element bloodline, with some possessing divine fire.
Held the highest authority over all branch families.
Trained under top-tier cultivation techniques, with access to ancestral treasures and high-level elders.
The Clan Patriarch, Qin Tian, ruled over them, an Emperor Realm cultivator feared throughout the continent.
The future heirs of the Qin Family were selected from this group.
2. The Elite Branch Families (Noble Qin Houses)
Descended from powerful elders and warriors of past generations.
Controlled wealthy territories, with their own sect alliances and armies.
Often married into other super families, strengthening the Qin Family's political power.
Had access to the Qin Family's core techniques, but only at lower levels.
Their younger generation frequently competed to enter the main family's inner circle.
3. The Minor Branch Families (Outer Qin Lineage)
Distant relatives with diluted bloodlines, scattered across various regions.
Held limited authority, living in small cities or towns.
Lacked direct access to the main family's resources.
Trained in low-grade fire cultivation techniques, with few ever reaching high realms.
Many were unaware of the true depth of the Qin Family's power.
Ruoyan's Family: A Forgotten Branch
Ruoyan was born into one of these minor branch families. Her father, Qin Zhenhai, was a Gold Core cultivator overseeing a small territory under an elite branch's rule.
Their family had lived in the southern outskirts of the Qin territory, rarely interacting with the main family.
They had basic cultivation resources but lacked high-ranking elders to guide them.
Most of the family members were Foundation Establishment or Core Formation cultivators, with very few reaching the Nascent Soul realm.
Their techniques were weaker versions of the main family's Crimson Flame Arts.
They were often overlooked, receiving no invitations to the main family's events or competitions.
Ruoyan's birth would have gone unnoticed by the larger Qin Family…
If not for the chaos energy she absorbed.
The Hidden Threat
Even though Ruoyan was determined to stay low-key, she knew that sooner or later, the Qin Family's elite branches would take an interest in her.
If they discovered her true potential, she could be forced into the main family's control.
If they saw her as a threat, they could eliminate her before she grew stronger.
If she played her cards right, she could manipulate the situation to her advantage.
For now, she would pretend to be an ordinary girl, a child from a minor branch with two-element spiritual roots.
But deep inside, Ruoyan was already making plans.
---
A few days after Ruoyan's spiritual root testing, a letter stamped with the Qin Family's insignia arrived at their household.
Her father, Qin Zhenhai, received the message personally, his expression turning serious as he opened it. His wife, Madam Lin, sat beside him, a worried look on her face.
Ruoyan, though pretending to be an obedient and clueless child, sharpened her ears to listen.
"The Qin Family's Annual Gathering? Why are we being invited?" Qin Zhenhai frowned.
"It's rare for a minor branch like ours to be summoned," Madam Yue whispered. "Did something happen?"
Qin Zhenhai read further before sighing.
"All branch families, no matter how distant, are required to attend the upcoming gathering at the Qin Family's main estate. Attendance is mandatory."
Ruoyan's eyes flickered with understanding.
"So, they're calling every Qin descendant back?"
Something big was happening.
---
For years, their small branch had been left alone, surviving quietly at the fringes of the Qin Family's influence.
Now, they were being dragged back into the power struggles of the main family.
"Should we refuse?" Madam Lin hesitated.
"We can't," Qin Zhenhai said grimly. "Ignoring a direct summons would bring consequences."
Refusing an invitation from a super family's core estate could mean being cut off permanently—or worse, being marked as disloyal.
Ruoyan remained silent but thoughtful.
"If they're calling even minor branches, something major must be happening within the main Qin Family."
She had no choice but to attend.
"I must stay low-key, but I also need to gather as much information as possible."
---
By the next morning, the entire household was buzzing with speculations about the gathering.
"They say the main family is searching for geniuses to train!"
"I heard a major conflict is brewing between the elite branch families!"
"Maybe they need reinforcements for an upcoming war?"
Ruoyan listened quietly, absorbing every piece of gossip.
"Whatever their reason, this gathering is an opportunity."
She needed to assess the main Qin Family's strength, learn about power struggles, and avoid drawing unwanted attention.
---
Qin Zhenhai ordered the household to prepare for the trip.
"We leave in three days."
The Qin Family's main estate was located in Crimson Flame City, one of the largest cities on the Yueying Continent.
It would take several weeks of travel to reach it.
"That's enough time to refine my abilities and strengthen my disguise," Ruoyan thought.
Before they left, she would secretly:
Strengthen her spiritual energy concealment technique.
Refine her Qi to stabilize her growing power.
Learn more about the Qin Family's key figures.
As the departure day approached, Ruoyan couldn't shake the feeling…
Something dangerous awaited at the Qin Family's main estate.
But she was no longer the weak Ruoyan of her past life.
This time, she would enter as a pawn—and leave as a player.
On the night before their departure to the Qin Family's main estate, Ruoyan sat in her room, meditating. She had spent the entire day strengthening her spiritual concealment technique, ensuring that even high-level cultivators wouldn't detect her true power.
As she stabilized her Qi, the soft voices of the servants outside caught her attention.
"Have you heard? The Qin Family elders are searching for an All-Element genius!"
"Isn't that just an old legend?"
"No, this time it's serious! They say the prophecy foretells that someone with all elemental affinities can open the Path of Heaven!"
Ruoyan's eyes snapped open.
"The Path of Heaven…?"
A long-buried memory surfaced in her mind.
The Legend of the Path of Heaven
It was an ancient prophecy that had existed since the founding of the Yueying Continent.
"In an era of turmoil, when the heavens are restless and the earth trembles… a child blessed with all elements shall be born."
"Their existence will open the hidden gate to the Divine Realm, breaking the mortal world's limitations."
"They will either bring salvation—or destruction."
The prophecy had been dismissed as a myth for centuries. After all, no cultivator in history had ever possessed all elemental spiritual roots—until Ruoyan.
"If the Qin Family believes in the prophecy, then they must be searching for me."
Ruoyan's heart turned cold.
She had ten elements—far beyond what even the prophecy described. If anyone discovered her secret, the entire cultivation world would either:
Worship her as a divine being or
Hunt her down to control her power.
"I can't let anyone find out."
Ruoyan's father, Qin Zhenhai, called a family meeting that night.
"At the Qin Gathering, the elders will be testing for elemental geniuses," he said. "Stay cautious."
Madam Yue frowned. "But why now? What changed?"
One of the elder cousins spoke up. "There are rumors… that a great upheaval is coming in the cultivation world."
"Some claim that the Celestial Clans have detected a change in fate," he continued. "They believe the one who can open the Path of Heaven has already been born."
Ruoyan kept her expression calm, but her heart pounded.
"If they find me, I won't be able to stay low-key anymore."
She had to take precautions immediately.
Ruoyan's Plan: Hiding in Plain Sight
As soon as the meeting ended, Ruoyan returned to her room and activated her Chaos Energy Space.
Within the vast void of swirling energy, she formulated a plan:
First, she would modify her spiritual presence.
She used a rare Sealing Technique she had learned from the ancient inheritance in her Chaos Space. It would suppress her elements, making it appear as if she had only two spiritual roots—Fire and Water.
Second, she would refine a concealment artifact.
Using Chaos Energy, she would craft a Spirit-Sealing Bracelet, making it impossible for even Nascent Soul experts to sense her true power.
Third, she would avoid all unnecessary attention.
No grand displays of power. No reckless fights. She would play the role of a mediocre branch family member until she was strong enough to protect herself.
"They will search for the genius of all elements… but they will never suspect it's me.
By dawn, the Qin Family's minor branch set off toward the main estate.
As they traveled, Ruoyan overheard more whispers about the prophecy.
"What if the Qin Family finds the Heaven's Path genius among us?"
"That person would become the strongest cultivator in history!"
Ruoyan lowered her gaze, a slight smirk on her lips.
"Let them keep searching."
"By the time they realize who I really am…"
"It will already be too late."
To be continued.....