Chapter 1453 — The Trials of the Ice Palace, Part Two
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"You need not worry about that. Without receiving the legacy, no one can see through Yu Ning however brilliant her talent may be." The Yu family ancestor waved a hand and said indifferently, "All you must do is meet this glory with everything you have. Once our Yu family boasts four Heaven Tier masters, and you yourself break through to Heaven Tier as well, that makes five. Even among the ancient sects we would be a formidable presence, and by then our Yu family would no longer be a Hidden Aristocratic Family, but an Ancient Aristocratic Family!"
At this, Old Master Yu could not help but break into hearty laughter. He had waited for this day for a very long time indeed, and he longed for nothing so much as the moment the Yu family would rise to glory.
"Yes, Father, I understand!" Yu Xiaochen nodded and said solemnly.
"Yu Bing's aptitude is good enough in its way, but to break through to Heaven Tier he will need a fortuitous opportunity, just as you and I did. Xiao Ning and she, however, are without question people who can break through to Heaven Tier. The core of the Yu family must still remain in the hands of Heaven Tier masters; those routine family affairs can be left for Yu Bing to manage." The Yu family ancestor said, "By the way, what became of the Qi Gathering Pill?"
"To answer you, Father, it failed..." A flicker of disappointment crossed Yu Xiaochen's face, and he spoke with some helplessness.
"If it failed, so be it. We can try again when the chance comes," the Yu family ancestor said. "Do not set too much store by such things; they will disturb the state of mind your cultivation requires!"
"Yes, Father!" Yu Xiaochen nodded hastily.
"One more thing. You must understand that the trials carry real danger. Yu Bing and Yu Shan might well lose their lives over them!" The Yu family ancestor sighed, as though calling those years to mind. "For the sake of the final score, there has never been any shortage of people who turned on friends and teammates alike. Everyone knows how rare such a chance is, so... you must be prepared in your heart."
"Ah!" Yu Xiaochen started. He had only known that passing the trial would bring benefits of enormous value; he had never known the trial itself might prove dangerous. So he asked hastily, "In that case, if Yu Bing goes, might he be in danger? Then..."
"Xiaochen, your mind is not steady enough. A family head must look to the future and the interests of the whole clan. Selfishness has no place in a family head!" The Yu family ancestor said, "Yu Bing is my descendant, and so is Yu Shan; Yu Ning and the others are more so still! Yet in your eyes there is only Yu Bing, and no Yu Shan at all!"
"Please forgive me, Father!" Yu Xiaochen's heart gave a lurch, for only now did he realize he had committed the gravest taboo of a family head. For a clan to flourish, its head could not harbor private interests; only by placing the capable in charge could a family's prosperity be guaranteed. Once a family head succumbed to selfishness, the whole clan stood in peril!
"Both Yu Bing and Yu Shan have fine aptitudes. Let them go and face the trial this time. If they pass, cultivation within the Ice Palace will benefit them beyond measure. If they fail, they have only their own lack of strength to blame, and if they cannot stand out among all the other trial-takers, on what grounds would they deserve to manage the whole Yu family?" The Yu family ancestor was far more clear-eyed about it. "For the sake of the family's interests, whatever must be sacrificed must be sacrificed!"
"Yes, Father, I understand!" Yu Xiaochen nodded firmly. "Yu Bing and Yu Shan... this time, it rests on you!"
The Yu family was by no means the only one to receive an invitation to the trial. The Hidden Zhao family, the Hidden Pi family and others received them as well, together with various sects and gangs. Anyone who qualified would be sent an invitation.