Chapter 525: Chapter 486: Celestial Feather Ancestor

"I know of you, young man." The elder guarding the temple drank a cup of wine on his own, then looked at Li Qian and spoke in a calm, measured tone.

"You know of me?" A surprised expression crossed Li Qian’s face.

He truly hadn’t expected that the old man, who lived in seclusion in this temple, would actually know who he was.

"I’m just the temple guardian; I’m not completely cut off from the world."

"The internet signal on this Lake Heart Island isn’t bad. I can get online, so naturally, I was able to watch this year’s Freshman Challenge."

"Oh, so that’s how it is!" Li Qian gave an awkward smile after hearing the elder’s explanation.

He had been a little presumptuous.

"You’re Li Qian from Jiangnan Province. Of all the new students in the Cultivation College at Shazhou Beast Taming University this year, your Talent is the highest—bar none." The elder continued, "In fact, that’s precisely why we agreed to let you form a contract with a direct descendant of the Celestial Feather Ancestor."

He glanced at Li Qian before adding meaningfully, "If we hadn’t agreed, we have ways to break the contract, even if you had already formed it with her."

A shiver went through Li Qian’s heart when he heard this.

He had never imagined that a contract, once formed, could actually be broken.

It seemed these ancient, Extraordinary races truly possessed some special, forbidden techniques.

He could also detect a faint threat in the elder’s words.

But the threat was entirely unnecessary. With his mother, Han Yuqing, in the picture, forget bullying—if Li Qian caused Wu You even the slightest grievance, he’d likely face "frenzied retaliation."

"The Celestial Feather Ancestor?" Once the initial shock subsided, Li Qian immediately latched onto the key piece of information from the elder’s words and asked his question.

"Yes, the Celestial Feather Ancestor!"

The elder’s eyes filled with reverence as he said, "He is the founder of our Celestial Feather City, and he was the Contractor of the former principal of Snow City Beast Taming University."

"In fact, at this very moment, he is in a place extremely close to us."

The elder’s words only deepened the stunned expression on Li Qian’s face.

He was extremely curious. ’Why would the Celestial Feather Ancestor of the Wing Race be staying here?’

’Logically, a powerful being like him should be in a Dimension Plane, guarding some important city.’

Of course, he was even more curious about why the elder was telling him this information.

Seeing the bewildered look on Li Qian’s face, the elder chuckled. "You see this Ancestral Temple? Beneath it, deep within Qin Lake, there is actually a Dimensional Rift."

"This Dimensional Rift is special. It doesn’t lead to a Shallow Elemental Plane, but to a Fourth-Layer Elemental Plane, and the interior is fraught with danger."

At these words, a look of dawning realization flashed in Li Qian’s eyes.

The elder wasn’t being cryptic. He continued, "It’s just as you’ve guessed. The Celestial Feather Ancestor, along with some of the other powerhouses of our Wing Race, are stationed inside that Dimensional Rift, guarding it."

"Senior, why are you telling me all this?" Li Qian didn’t believe the elder was speaking without purpose, so he asked him directly.

The elder stroked his salt-and-pepper beard and took another sip of wine. "You’re a clever young man. In that case, this old man won’t speak in riddles any longer."

"The reason we agreed to the request from You Xingkai and his wife this time, allowing you to enter and view the Evolution Stone Carvings that are so incredibly precious to our Wing Race..."

He paused before continuing, "...was not only because she is a direct descendant of the Celestial Feather Ancestor with astonishing Talent, but more importantly... because the Wing Race needs a powerful guardian force!"

"I have high hopes for Wu You. She is a junior with limitless Potential."

Li Qian simply watched the elder, not interjecting, maintaining his posture of listening with rapt attention.

Seeing Li Qian’s reaction, the elder couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "It’s rather shameful to admit, but it’s all because our generation has failed. We haven’t been able to cultivate any powerful experts, forcing our elders to stand guard in that dangerous land year after year."

"Of course, according to our ancestors, this is also a form of training."

"However, you must know that the merging of our world and the Dimension Planes is already irreversible!"

"No one can stop the great tide of what’s to come," the elder said with a sigh. "If we were to face a true crisis of survival, the old principal of Snow City Beast Taming University would certainly summon the Celestial Feather Ancestor to return. When that happens, we would have no choice but to abandon all of Celestial Feather City!"

"We do not want to abandon our home. That is why the Wing Race is in dire need of a second Guardian God."

A look of surprise and doubt crossed Li Qian’s face. "Aren’t you worried that, when the time comes, I’ll just summon Wu You away as well?"

The elder shook his head. "We have faith in Wu You’s character, and even more faith in the Bondsman she chose."

"Besides, if the cause is truly lost, we would not let the warriors of the Wing Race sacrifice themselves in vain."

At this, a look of understanding finally dawned on Li Qian’s face.

He finally understood.

’The elder before me—or rather, the entire Wing Race—is investing in me.’

Li Qian grasped the deeper meaning. He felt that if he had the power to do so in the future, he would certainly help protect Celestial Feather City.

And if the situation became hopeless, he could lead the Wing Race People away to find a new home.

After that, the elder rambled on for quite a while.

The meal lasted about half an hour. Li Qian drained the last of the wine in his cup, then cupped his fists in a salute. "Senior, I haven’t learned much of the Wing Race’s script. I can only barely make out the murals, so it’s a slow process. I have to get back to studying them, so please excuse me."

With that said, he rose without hesitation, left the side room, and walked straight back into the rear hall to resume his viewing.

The elder watched Li Qian’s retreating figure, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Will you be the savior of our Wing Race?" the elder muttered to himself, watching Li Qian’s back. Then, his gaze shifted, focusing on a certain direction.

’Celestial Feather Ancestor, I hope your judgment is correct...’

Meanwhile, outside the Ancestral Temple, Wu You’s family of five was waiting anxiously.

Seeing the anxious looks on her parents’ faces, Wu You herself remained calm. "Don’t worry," she said, trying to comfort them. "You have to trust my judgment. Trust Li Qian. He’ll definitely achieve something inside the Ancestral Temple."

"Sigh... I hope so."

"If it really comes to it, our only choice will be to ask Great-Grandma to step in."

Wu You shook her head. "That won’t be necessary. I’m certain Li Qian can help me evolve."

"And if I fail to evolve, then that is my fate. Great-Grandma can help me this one time, but she can’t help me for the rest of my life."

Wu You had a surprisingly philosophical outlook. "It is what it is," she said nonchalantly.

Her older sister, Wu Tingting, immediately cut in. "Hey, knock on wood! Don’t say such things. Our Little Youyou has fortune on her side. Of course you’ll evolve successfully."

They truly had no other choice but to pin all their hopes on Li Qian.

At Wu You’s age, if she couldn’t evolve within the next year, at most, her life would be in genuine danger.

Of course, if she managed to break through to the Dominator Level, she could extend her life for a few more years.

But because of her genetic defect, even reaching the Dominator Level would only be a stopgap measure, not a true cure. It wouldn’t buy her much more time.

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