My Descendants Are My Power

Mary's cries echoed unanswered.

She continued to shout, her heart heavy with worry.

Her seven beloved children were trapped within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary.

At that moment, what did she care for the sanctity of this place?

Meanwhile, deep within Crystal Crest, an old man in peasant garb emerged from a humble cottage, smoke curling from its chimney.

He had heard the commotion at the foot of the mountain.

Stepping forward, he made a few quick calculations with his fingers, his face etched with concern.

"Alas, the Heavenly Path, the Heavenly Path... what a tragedy this is," he muttered, shaking his head.

Without another thought for the disturbance outside, he returned to his daily routine.

...

"What? Mary went to Crystal Crest?"

Julian was in the midst of forging a weapon in the Glory City smithy when his sister informed him of his wife's whereabouts.

He hadn't even noticed her absence.

Tossing aside his tools and wiping the sweat from his brow, he impulsively flung his Storage Ring to his sister and took off towards Crystal Crest, his bare torso gleaming in the sunlight.

"Brother, what's the rush?" Olivia called after him.

But Julian was already halfway there when he slammed headfirst into an invisible barrier conjured by Olivia.

If she hadn't used her psychic powers to cushion his fall, the massive blacksmith would have crashed into Glory City like a meteor.

Olivia, her features aged and wrinkled, scolded him, "Brother, why did you give me your Storage Ring? Mary may have gone to Crystal Crest, but she wouldn't cause a scene. By giving me this, you've made your intentions clear. You want to barge into Crystal Crest and cause havoc. At your age! Have you learned nothing?"

"How can I not be worried?!" Julian exclaimed, pounding his head in frustration.

"I swore an oath on Boar Monarch Pete's grave to protect Mary and the children. That damned Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary has trapped our kids, and neither the old tree nor you can figure out what's going on in there. It's clearly not as simple as it seems. "

"And Mary, she's a delicate woman. What if she's being mistreated at Crystal Crest? I don't care if it's a Basic Mastery or Advanced Mastery psychic, Elder Phil was Heavenly Path Venerable's master. I'll drag him out myself if I have to!"

"You fool!"

A furious roar shook the air.

Julian froze, his eyes widening in fear as he recognized the voice.

It was Luna, his mother, a woman known for her gentle nature.

To hear her roar like that sent shivers down his spine.

He dropped to his knees.

"Mother," he whimpered.

Luna strode towards him, her face a mask of anger.

She delivered a resounding slap to the back of his head.

"Are you truly this stupid? My daughter-in-law has been kneeling at Crystal Crest for half a month without incident. It means the situation isn't dire, and those at Crystal Crest are tolerant enough to allow it. Must you escalate things and create a problem where none exists?"

"Well..." Julian paused, a flicker of realization dawning on his face.

"You're right, Mother."

Luna sighed, shaking her head at her son's impulsiveness.

Turning to Olivia, she said, "Olivia, have the Heavenly Justice Hall spread the news about the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary. Let everyone in Sunshine Mansion know that Heavenly Path Venerable was Elder Phil's disciple."

"Especially those pompous scholars at Bright Light Institute. It took them countless years to produce a single Unquestioning Scholar. Let them deal with Crystal Crest."

"Yes, Mother." Olivia nodded, a plan already forming in her mind.

"And Julian," Luna continued, fixing her son with a stern gaze.

"Larry is struggling to hold the Azure Cloud army together. Daniel has his hands full with the war on all three fronts of Azure Cloud, especially the eastern border. The Druids have grown bolder with Jessica's absence. Julian, take Azure Dragon and Charlie Crackle and go. A real challenge will keep you from causing trouble at Crystal Crest."

Julian wanted to protest, but the sight of his mother's raised hand silenced him.

He reluctantly agreed.

With her children dispatched, Luna returned to the house.

Her husband awaited her, his face etched with worry.

"Luna, are you truly going north?"

Ethan had returned to the Blackwood stronghold, drawn back by a peculiar summons.

[Special Event - Invitation from the Northern Fox Clan]

[Myriad demon clans are scattered across the land. In the northern reaches of the Endless Forest dwells a vast fox demon clan. Their patriarch, a Fox Sage, faces an impending tribulation, a test he is destined to fail. ]

[With no worthy successor among his kin, he has learned of Luna of Azure Cloud, a half-demon who achieved the six-tailed form in a mere two hundred years. He extends an invitation for her to return to the fox clan, claim her birthright, and inherit the true teachings of their demon arts.]

This wasn't the first time the fox clan had extended this invitation.

After Luna's true form and power were revealed during the battle at the Azure Cloud border, the Fox Sage had sent word.

It seemed his time was running out.

The tone of his letters had shifted from one of offering a grand opportunity to something akin to pleading.

Luna chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Don't be silly. With everything in such disarray, the Druids at our borders, Sunshine Mansion lurking in the shadows, and our children trapped within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary, I have no time for fox clans."

"Of course, of course," Nathan said, relieved.

But he noticed the flicker of hesitation in his wife's eyes.

He knew her better than anyone.

She was devoted to their family, yet today, she seemed... different.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be involving herself in clan affairs, making arrangements for their children.

He feared the invitation had stirred something deep within her, unsettling her usually unwavering resolve.

As night fell and they lay together in their Death Coffin, Nathan wrapped his arms around Luna, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"Luna, after two hundred years of marriage, you can't hide from me. You're still considering going to the fox clan, aren't you?"

"..." Luna hesitated for a long moment before meeting his gaze, a wistful smile gracing her lips.

"You know me too well, my love."

Nathan sighed.

"Two hundred years... I've come to understand your heart."

Luna decided to confide in him.

"My love, we've fought so hard to build this life, to have a family, descendants who will carry on our legacy. I used to believe that once we claimed Pine Forest Town, we could live out our days in peace. But I underestimated the world, the way fate has a way of interfering with even the best-laid plans. "

"We may have won against Forest Town, but the world is a much bigger place. Our mortal lives are but a blink in the grand scheme of things. After Forest Town came Sky's battle with the Black Tortoise, a century of drought and strife. We defeated Tranquil, but then came Wesley Daoist, Azure Cloud, the Druids..."

"Now, our children are grown, and it's their turn to fight. But they're not like us. We were born in the wilds, content with simplicity. They were born into a legacy, hailed as the 'Prodigal Children of Blackwood.' They have ambitions, a thirst for greatness that can't be quenched with a simple life. They're destined to clash with the world."

"And we... we can't escape it."