Zhou Tong immediately circulated his elemental power and threw a punch forward. He felt that this casual punch was stronger than the one he had exerted with all his might in the martial arena before.
"Now my strength should have reached the level of the Small Elemental Dan realm, but this power is a bit uncontrollable," Zhou Tong rejoiced. He bowed toward the direction where the ancestor's phantom disappeared and then walked towards the exit.
As Zhou Tong's figure disappeared from view, the phantom of Zhou Zongxiao reappeared. He looked in the direction where Zhou Tong had vanished and said, "The future of the entire world needs your protection. My consciousness should also dissipate in this world." As he finished speaking, the phantom slowly dispersed, as if no one had ever been in this space.
...
Zhou Family's back mountain
At this moment, Zhou Yan anxiously waited at the entrance, while beside him, the patriarch Zhou Cang had his eyes closed, contemplating something.
"Dad, why hasn't Tong'er come out yet?" Zhou Yan anxiously asked Zhou Cang.
"It's only been a few days. Why are you in such a hurry? This matter won't be resolved in a short time," Zhou Cang slowly said as he opened his eyes.
Just as he finished speaking, ripples appeared in the prohibition at the entrance, and a thin and weak young man walked out.
"Dad!" Zhou Tong called out.
Zhou Yan hurriedly asked, "How is it?"
"Fortunately, I didn't disappoint," Zhou Tong said calmly.
"Great! Hahaha, you really give face to our Zhou family," Zhou Yan excitedly laughed.
"Haha, the descendants of my Zhou family finally have someone who can inherit the will of our ancestors!" At this moment, Zhou Cang's voice came, and he also laughed loudly.
"Grandpa."
Zhou Tong came to Zhou Cang's side, bowing and saluting.
"Hmm," Zhou Cang smiled.
"Tong'er, now that you have obtained the spatial ancestral symbol, you need to take on responsibilities. You should have reached the Small Elemental Dan realm now, right?" Zhou Cang continued to speak.
"Yes, Grandpa. What should be my next step?" Zhou Tong nodded and asked.
"Now there are two paths for you. One is to go to the imperial city, where there are higher levels that can help you improve quickly. The other is to go out and experience, engaging in life-and-death struggles, honing yourself. Only through bloody trials can you quickly enhance your strength," Zhou Cang said solemnly.
Before Zhou Tong could respond, Zhou Cang continued, "Although the second path is good, it's extremely dangerous. Among the disciples of the Zhou family, only two or three out of ten choose this path. With the spatial ancestral symbol in your possession, the risks of going out are even greater. You've experienced the trial, and you should be aware of the existence of the foreign demons. While Lord Fu Zun has expelled most demons, some still linger in the world. Ancestor Zhou Zongxiao fell due to this reason. So, you must consider this carefully."
"I choose the second path," Zhou Tong said decisively after a moment of contemplation.
"Good. Since you've made a decision, you must adhere to some rules. Absolutely do not violate them. Otherwise, I won't allow you to go out for training!" Zhou Cang warned sternly.
"Firstly, once you leave the Zhou family, you must erase all traces of the Zhou family. You cannot reveal that you are from the Zhou family. Everything must be done by relying on yourself. Secondly, try to use the spatial ancestral symbol as little as possible. If you use it and the enemy sees it, you must eliminate them without mercy. Thirdly, four years later is the clan meeting, and all members of the Zhou family, including those from the branch families, must participate. In recent years, there have been quite a few geniuses among the branch families. So, no matter what, you must return after the trial is over."
Zhou Cang paused and continued, "And most importantly, I don't know if you can break through to the Nirvana Realm during these four years of training, but if you do, you must suppress it. Do not break through."
"Why? Is breaking through Nirvana Realm very dangerous?" Zhou Tong asked in confusion.
"This is not only about the danger of breaking through but also about the spatial ancestral symbol. Once you break through Nirvana, you won't be able to perfectly control your aura at the moment of breakthrough. If the spatial ancestral symbol is exposed, it will attract a swarm of foreign demons. That is the main reason. So, you must promise me these things for me to allow you to go out." Zhou Cang said with a serious expression.
Zhou Tong nodded solemnly and said, "Grandpa, rest assured, I will definitely abide by the agreement."
Hearing this, Zhou Cang finally relaxed and said, "Since you've made up your mind, you need to improve your strength as much as possible before going out. Going out for training is extremely dangerous. With your Small Elemental Dan realm strength, you cannot guarantee safety. Therefore, you need some other things to enhance your self-protection."
"Grandpa, are you saying..." Zhou Tong wondered.
"Martial arts manuals. If I'm not mistaken, you now have two seventh-grade martial arts manuals, the Empty Dark Body Art and the Refining Void Fist. These are quite good among the younger generation. However, in a life-and-death battle outside, they may be insufficient."
After saying this, Zhou Cang fell silent for a moment and said, "Follow me." Zhou Cang finished speaking, placed his hand on Zhou Tong's shoulder, activated his elemental power, and Zhou Tong felt the world spinning. After a few breaths, when Zhou Tong felt the surroundings calm down, he opened his eyes and found himself in a room that resembled a scripture pavilion but felt somewhat strange.
"Grandpa, where is this?" Zhou Tong asked in confusion.
"This is the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion," Zhou Cang handed a jade card to Zhou Tong.
Taking the jade card, Zhou Tong carefully examined it. The jade card was silver-colored, palm-sized, with intricate carvings on its surface, and on the back were engraved three large characters: Scripture Pavilion.
"Grandpa, is this a token of the Scripture Pavilion?" Zhou Tong asked curiously.
"Yes." Zhou Cang nodded, stroked his beard, and said, "The Scripture Pavilion has a total of five floors, and each floor contains various manuals and records, including the inheritance insights left by the ancestors of the Zhou family. Only with the permission of the elders can you enter the third floor or above. As the master recognized by the spatial ancestral symbol, according to the rules left by the ancestors, the holder of the ancestral symbol has powers above the elders, second only to the patriarch in the clan."
Zhou Cang paused and continued, "But your current cultivation is still too low. I can't give you too much authority. This jade card allows you to read all martial arts below the ninth grade in the Scripture Pavilion. This is your opportunity, and you must take it seriously. Do not let down the expectations of the ancestors."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong respectfully accepted it. He then bowed to Zhou Cang and said, "Thank you, Grandpa. I won't let the Zhou family down."
"However, I feel a hot breath on you. What is it?" Zhou Cang frowned, staring at Zhou Tong.
"Hot breath?" Zhou Tong was puzzled, but he soon remembered something. He took out a fiery red bead from the Qiankun bag, the Sunfire Bead that he obtained from the Zhou family mine.
"What is this... the Sunfire Bead? How did you get it here?" Zhou Cang was astonished, asking in surprise.
"Sunfire Bead? What is that?" Zhou Tong asked in confusion.
"This object was born in the Yang Yuan stone vein, a rare celestial treasure, containing a vast amount of Yang Yuan energy. It is extremely rare and an excellent spiritual material for tempering the flesh during the breakthrough to Nirvana. In the history of the Zhou family, it has only appeared once," Zhou Cang exclaimed in surprise.
"Nirvana! This..." Zhou Tong was astonished. He hadn't expected that the strange bead he obtained in a mine could be related to the Nirvana Realm.
Zhou Cang continued, "Obtaining this item is also your chance. However, if you are going to go out for training, it's better to leave it in the family and hand it over to your father. If you reveal this item outside, the consequences would be unimaginable." Zhou Cang advised.
"I will remember, Grandpa," Zhou Tong said solemnly. After bowing, he turned and left, his figure slowly dissolving into the Scripture Pavilion.
Zhou Cang watched Zhou Tong's departing figure, sighed lightly, and murmured, "I hope you can fulfill the wishes of our ancestors, bring the Zhou family back to its former glory, and protect all living beings in this world!"
With these words, Zhou Cang's figure flickered and disappeared into the Scripture Pavilion, leaving behind the empty hall of the Scripture Pavilion.