Ludwig put his violin away and bowed towards clan head "Junior thanks the clan head for his great gift!" Naturally just because the clan head said this, it didn't mean that the Violin was a Great Instrument, it was just the approval and call of support from the clan head.
The clan head waved his head, Ludwig understood, bowed and left to the grand elder's side. Some eyes followed him but when he stopped behind the grand elder, no one cared anymore, and they continued. His work and play were truly great and new, but it wasn't groundbreaking. After all, cultivation was still the corepoint in this world, and side-acts are only for enjoyment.
If Ludwig was more proficient and included his cultivation into the play deeper than he did, then it would have been a whole different experience. After all, music cultivators do exist, but the leap from normal musician to music cultivator was quite large.
The banquet kept on going at one point the clan head brought everyone outside to enjoy the gardens. Ludwig was also brought out and he was told to go along a certain path in the garden. It didn't take long for him to arrive at a certain spot, it was where a statue stood. He looked at the statue but didn't remember any anecdotes about someone who looked like that.
A young man came from behind the statue, he looked at Ludwig for second, but before he could even see the face of Ludwig clearly, he heard his voice "I wonder whether the young clan head knows this senior?"
The presence of people ranked higher than Ludwig is clear to him, how could the presence of a youngling be any better? It was just wishful thinking. The young man instead didn't know the specifics of Ludwig, but he still smiled "This is our Ancestor."
He didn't try to be dramatic and instantly explained "It is said that this ancestor is the only one that has transcended this world. We don't know what happened to him there, but there are rumors that he managed to reclaim his cultivation and regain his memories with that, he used the many inheritances he got from the clan and opened a branch there… to say it's a branch is somewhat embarrassing, if it is true then we are the branch and their family is the main family, but it could also be argued that we are the ancestral family."
Ludwig didn't focus on the later things the young man said "Transcended? I thought we already are in the large world?"
The young man seemed very humble but knowledgeable, he answered "Indeed, from the three types of worlds of small, medium and large, we are in the large world. But even our world has a lacking aspect, that is, our highest cultivation rank is still not the highest achievable. Naturally there has to be a higher world! It is said that this is the only higher world among them all, hundreds of larger worlds can't be compared to the single Upper World, because it is the one closest to the Immortal Realm and also the world where one can achieve Immortality."
Ludwig became more and more curious "How do we get there?"
"Well, once you reach the highest cultivation stage, you only need to perfect your foundation and reach the peak of this stage, when you truly touch upon the next realm which the laws of our large world can't allow, it will give you the possibility to ascend righteously, which is to send you through the river of reincarnation into the immortal realm."
"River of reincarnation? So, you will die?"
"Indeed, even your memories will be taken away, but as long as you reach the realm you reached before your ascension to the Upper World, you will gain them back.
It is also said that you gain inexplicable rewards after your ascension, some gained a unique body, higher spiritual root or other rewards, what you gain in the end is unknown, but it is said that those that ascended normally reach a higher realm in the Upper World"
Ludwig shook his head "Taking the journey of cultivation from the beginning once again, and only regaining the memories which would have helped throughout the journey when they help you the least, all this only for a small reward of having better cultivation qualifications? If you make a mistake, you would have never made before your reincarnation, doesn't that mean that all your effort is wasted? The only true reward would be to keep the memories."
The young man laughed out loud "That is what my father said too! This ancestor was the first to rise and establish the clan anew in the Upper World. We don't truly know this, but my father said that the Clan Fortune seemed to have taken a turn for the better at one point, the diviners of the family calculated it, and it seemed that our foundation rose, at least the existence of the Upper World is the best possibility.
We can call ourselves lucky, how many clans tried the same and perished? This is the reason why, although we are only a middle-ranked clan, we can behave and act like a higher ranked clan! As for supreme factions…" the young man shook his head "we'd need to have a direct connection to the Upper World to become one."
Ludwig was shocked once again, but he was suspicious "Why does your highness tell me so much?"
"Why are you formal all of a sudden?" The young clan leader smiled "I was told that you would be my future Steward, my trustee so to say. How could I not tell my Steward everything I possibly know? Anyways, this information might be new to you, but in the higher circles, these are the basics. The only reason why no one tells others is because it doesn't matter. In the end, it can only instil either fear or awe into the minds of people."
This was Ludwigs turn to smile "Then why don't I try and reach the Upper World? If I reach it…" he looked at the young clan leader and smiled even deeper as he put his hand on his head "I, Ludovicus de Anima Occulta, swear hereby by the heavens, shall they punish me with heart demons if I fail to fulfil, that I will bring you, Xing Cheng Ye, to the Upper World!"
Ludwig's heart seemed to shine for a second before he smiled while Ye's smiled faded, and he looked serious at Ludwig. He thought for a second before he returned his smile "I am honoured." One could say this was a swear of loyalty, but one could also say that Ludwig avoided swearing to the clan leader with this.
This is because no amount of loyalty can be compared to a trip the Upper World if that is possible, since ascending means that all prior loyalties are worn off, while a promise as high as taking the other person to the upper world if one has the means is vastly different. It is said that one can refuse all the rewards of heaven and take an additional person with them, but who would do that? If one did that, then even the small reward would be lost, while one would have an additional person with them – who knew what would happen in the new world?
It didn't seem as if Ludwig cared. Ascending? This was never his intention. Such a thing would bring direct attention of the heavens on him, no matter what, this isn't something he, who called himself Hidden Soul, could accept!
Ludwig thought for a second before he smiled too "Young Master Ye, have you thought about the future of yours? For me to become your steward, is it your intention to open a branch?"
Ye nodded "It is indeed so."
"Have you thought of all the details for the future branch? I know no deeper than the young clan head, but one thing I know is that for a successful establishment of a branch, a foundation is needed, and the main clan can't be counted as part of the branch's foundation."
"It is indeed so, I am learning the clan's mastery, the Starfire formations."
Ludwig was surprised, this was a core inheritance, he didn't think that he would have inherited it and was even talented in this, and even then, the clan was actually willing to let him open a branch! Nonetheless, he shook his head "This might indeed help the clan flourish in the beginning, but after all, this would also stop the growth.
Although formation are very rare and the Starfire formation is one based on the stars, not the earth, making it more unique and widely useable, it is still a core inheritance of the main clan, and the branch would never be able to shake of the title of a branch."
Ye was a bit confused here, although he was knowledgeable, he was a child after all "Why would that be bad?"
Ludwig smiled "How many of the clans out there have a relation to the Stardust Clan? These hidden forced might not be weaker in lower power than the clan itself, they are the hidden safety measures of the clan, the reason for its prosperity…" he looked at the statue then continued "Fortune is such an illusory thing, how could it truly ensure the safety of a clan? At most it will ensure that the clan lineage in this Myriad Earth Mountain World, but who is to say that the clan won't drop in rank and strength during difficult times?"