As the days passed one by one.


    As the Forebearer''s Psychic Position lit up, a glimmer of hope sparked in the eyes of the scattered ckwood descendants.


    All except Edward, trapped in the Sunshine Mansion like a bird in a gilded cage.


    Ethan, while shielding young Benjamin, the sole surviving descendant in Cloudview County, surveyed their situations.


    Most were far from ideal.


    ["Your descendant, Nathan, was rescued by Mike and two elder Druids. However, his Death Coffin was seized by Shane and Lester. In an attempt to sever his ties to his faith, the Druids have arranged for him to marry nine of their women, hoping to fully assimte him into their culture."]


    ["Your descendant-inw, Luna, was rescued by Aiden Daoist, an emissary from the demon realm. She was taken to the Fox n and received teachings on ''Ice Maniption'' from the Fox Sage.


    Upon learning of Nathan''s forced marriages, she was consumed by anger, but found a sliver of sce upon discovering from demon realm intelligence that the nine Druid women were all, shall we say, ''full-figured''."]


    ["In the face of danger, your descendant Jeffrey revealed his true strength for the first time, shielding Amelia with his own body, sacrificing himself to give her a chance at survival. Amelia, pursued relentlessly by the Heavenly Path Venerable''s avatar and Druid masters, has walked a perilous path, eventually reaching the grasnds of the Golden Empire."]


    ["Your descendant Olivia, amidst the family''s turmoil, finally overcame her literary thunder tribtion. She shattered a hundred of the Heavenly Path Venerable''s avatars with the power of the ny-nine thunder tribtions, but in doing so, drew his full attention.


    To evade his divine calctions and shield the n''s location, she merged with the ''Scripture of All Under Heaven'', bing one with the sky, her physical form dissolving."]


    ["Your descendant Donna, heeding Olivia''smand, fled the family estate. Her master, Chuck, came to her aid, unleashing power surpassing even the Pinnacle Apprentice rankings. With the Azure Dragon''s self-destruction and the Exploding Sky Serpent''s intervention, she escaped to the open sea.


    There, seeking resources to ovee her own ny-nine thunder tribtions, she wages a constant war against the Crab n of the Sea Demons."]


    ["Your thirteen descendants within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary, though informed of the family''s plight, remain powerless to help. Their lives continue as before, vying for power with other factions within the Sanctuary, oblivious to the chaos outside..."]


    Even scattered across the world, the Heavenly Path Venerable''s pursuit never ceased.


    ...


    High above, Ethan floated beside Olivia.


    Having re-cultivated her Competent Force, she had regained the appearance of her younger self, a vision in white, as pure and ethereal as the clouds beneath her.


    The Forebearer Psychic Position hovered above, surrounded by a ring of Cards, each inscribed with a name: Nathan, Lucas, Amelia...


    asionally, wisps of ck mist would surge towards the Cards, only to be dispersed by the faint white aura emanating from Olivia.


    [Olivia]


    [Cultivation Level: Early Stage Competent Force]


    [Status: Ephemeral]


    [Years of borrowed life, Druid fortune, and the power of the ny-nine thunder tribtions have been used to shatter her physical form, leaving only her Competent Force.]


    "Olivia..." Ethan murmured, his voice thick with sorrow.


    Her current state was akin to a lingering soul, or perhaps a sentient artifact.


    It exined why the Heavenly Path Venerable, despite his relentless pursuit, had failed to locate the scattered ckwoods.


    Olivia had taken it upon herself to be the focal point of all divination attempts, her ethereal form carrying the weight of their destinies.


    And those Cards...


    [Destiny Tablets]


    [Infused with the blood essence of every ckwood, they act as beacons, drawing all divination attempts towards themselves, masking the true locations of the n members.]


    The Heavenly Path Venerable''s arrival at the ckwood estate had caught even Primordial Blood Tree and Olivia off guard, a testament to his formidable psychic powers.


    Olivia''s solution was as brilliant as it was heartbreaking, sacrificing her physical form to be a wandering shield for her family.


    "Forebearer... you''vee to see me again?" Olivia murmured, her eyelids fluttering as if sensing the glow of the Psychic Position.


    [Yes]


    A thousand words crowded Ethan''s thoughts, but only a single one escaped his lips.


    The past five years had been a period of silent mourning, a wound too raw to touch for both him and the surviving members of the n.


    "Forebearer, I''ve yearned for this day for so long. I wish to use your power, to arrange a meeting for our family."


    "A meeting?" Ethan echoed, taken aback.


    Sensing his hesitation, Olivia continued, "Forebearer, through my cultivation of the literary path, with the world as my scripture, I''ve glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of your power. Using the residual energy of the thunder tribtion, I can tug at the threads of fate, gathering our souls in one ce. I''m afraid this is the best I can do."


    "This..." Ethan stared at her, awestruck.


    Olivia, despite her ethereal form, had clearly not been idle.


    Though the depths of her cultivation remained a mystery, he didn''t hesitate.


    In an instant, he activated his skill.


    [You are using the skill: Forebearer''s Divine Punishment!]


    The Psychic Position pulsed with power, and Ethan found himself whisked away to an ethereal ne, a realm of swirling stars not unlike Marcus'' Sky Hall.


    One by one, the ckwood descendants materialized within this space, their expressions a mixture of confusion and relief.


    "This is... My children! You''re all alive! Hahaha!"


    "Father, what happened to you? Why the beard?"


    "Why is Marcus the only one here from the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary? Did something happen...?"


    "Where are we...?"


    Joyous reunions filled the void as the surviving ckwoods embraced, sharing tales of their harrowing experiences and narrow escapes.


    Only Benjamin, along with Adam and Alexander from the fishing vige, remained bewildered, struggling toprehend the situation.


    They stared at the powerful figures before them, their minds reeling.


    Alexander, his face a mask of disbelief, whispered to his father, "Dad, where are we? Did you make some powerful enemies? Are we trapped in an illusion? Why did everything go haywire when I touched the Forebearer Psychic Position?"


    "Nonsense!" Adam snapped, kicking his son lightly.


    "Your old man is a simple fisherman. I''ve lived a peaceful life, made no enemies. You, on the other hand, with your lessons from that beggar at the vige entrance... Did you go and stir up trouble?"


    Alexander rolled his eyes.


    "Nice try, Dad. me it on me."