Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 525

In an instant, the entire place fell silent.

Everyone was stunned, their expressions a mix of disbelief.

The Eternal Ancestor struggled to swallow, murmuring, “Even the old servant by Ye’s side dares to take advantage of an Immortal Emperor?”

Clearly, Canglang Jun’s words made everyone assume he was trying to take advantage of Li Ruotong.

This wasn’t just anyone challenging an Immortal Emperor; this was outright humiliation!

You see, for a mere Immortal King to shout “I’m your grandpa!” at an Immortal Emperor feels like a little earthworm declaring itself the ancestor of a true dragon—no difference at all!

Ye Junlin looked at Canglang Jun with a strange expression. Wow, this old guy is bold!

Just jumping in to take advantage of someone, who does he think he is?

But oddly enough, Li Ruotong didn’t explode with rage like everyone anticipated. Instead, she stood there as if frozen, staring blankly at Canglang Jun.

For a moment, the scene was filled with an eerie silence.

At that moment, Li Ruotong gazed intently at the elegant old man in front of her, her heart storming with emotions. Memories from long ago began to resurface, flash after flash of her childhood.

She wasn’t originally from the Immortal Realm but came from the distant ancient Kunlun Realm. Back then, the Li family produced numerous Immortal Kings, holding a respected position in their territory. Her parents were exceptionally gifted and reached the Immortal King level at a young age, occupying a high status in the clan. However, during a family war, both fell tragically, leaving her an orphan shortly after birth.

That battle heavily weakened the main branch of the Li family, the clan’s resources heavily misallocated, and young Li Ruotong could only rely on her grandfather.

She remembered him as a courteous and approachable man who loved to pick her up and play, often making funny faces to make her laugh, providing her with what could be considered a warm childhood.

What amazed Li Ruotong the most was that her grandfather was secretly very wealthy, often pulling out a huge pile of Immortal Crystals for her cultivation, as if he had an endless supply.

She still remembered the tender expression on her grandfather’s face as he confidently stroked her head, saying, “Don’t worry, Tongtong, Grandpa will earn a lot of money so you won’t have to worry about cultivation resources!”

“With Grandpa’s support, focus on your cultivation, and if you lack anything, just ask Grandpa! He’ll get it for you!”

So, even without the clan’s strong backing, her cultivation didn’t fall behind; she advanced way ahead of her peers.

Gradually, the time spent with Grandpa grew less and less. Every meeting became tense and cautious, as if he feared being discovered and retaliated against.

Until eventually, the Immortal Realm was established, and beings from Kunlun Realm began a mass migration to a new land.

Countless Kunlun cultivators felt reluctant, but they had no choice.

After all, Kunlun Realm was their home, but its cultivation environment had completely deteriorated, unsuitable for Immortals to live, so they had to move to the Immortal Realm.

The Li family, too, was preparing to migrate in full force.

For young Li Ruotong, leaving Kunlun Realm didn’t feel significant; it was just changing her residence.

What mattered most to her was being with her grandfather, the only person who truly cared for her in this world.

If Grandpa wasn’t going to the Immortal Realm, she wouldn’t want to go either; she’d rather stay in the dwindling resources of Kunlun Realm.

Until Grandpa appeared, promising her they would reunite in the Immortal Realm.

Li Ruotong believed him because she knew her grandfather had never lied to her.

However, after arriving in the Immortal Realm, she kept waiting for news from Grandpa, until one day she unexpectedly discovered a pouch that contained a high-grade storage ring and a note.

Inside the storage ring were massive amounts of premium Immortal Crystals, a quantity far exceeding all the family’s wealth combined!

The note bore her grandfather’s handwriting, revealing it was a final farewell.

“Tongtong, I’m sorry for deceiving you. Due to personal reasons, I can’t go with you to the Immortal Realm. The storage ring contains the money I’ve saved for you, meant just for you. Remember to never flaunt your wealth, and keep your true abilities hidden until you can control the fate of the clan, to avoid attracting suspicion.”

“Remember, the most terrifying thing in this world is the human heart, even among your own kin. From now on, you will walk your own path without me. If you miss me, just sing the lullaby I taught you, and you’ll find I’m always with you…”

His heartfelt reminders were imbued with deep emotion, reflecting a grandfather’s love and reluctance for his granddaughter.

Li Ruotong’s eyes glimmered with tears, dropping onto the note, leaving spots of sadness, her heart filled with endless sorrow.

At that moment, she felt she had lost the most important person in her life, faced with an overwhelming sense of loneliness and confusion that caused her deep grief.

From then on, Li Ruotong’s demeanor changed utterly, keeping everyone at arm’s length and often isolating herself, becoming reticent and friendless in the clan.

Though she had long surpassed many of her peers in strength and cultivation, even able to compete with some elders, she chose to remain low-key and became a supporting character for others.

Yet secretly, she worked tirelessly on her cultivation, thanks to the precious wealth Grandpa left her, sparing her from resource shortages. She paid no mind to her clan’s bias.

After all, compared to the ocean of premium Immortal Crystals, the clan’s rewards seemed trivial!

As time passed, Li Ruotong’s cultivation deepened, and she was now capable of challenging the Family Master. However, recalling her grandfather’s words, she chose to hide her true abilities further.

Later, due to conflicts of interest, their clan was attacked by the other three major families in the city. Under meticulous planning, the clan’s top experts suffered heavy casualties, and even the Family Master was gravely injured.

On that day, powerful members from the three families surrounded them, preparing to crush the Li family, pushing the clan to the brink of annihilation.

Just then, with an emotionless face, Li Ruotong stepped forward, and in the astonished gazes of her family, she single-handedly defeated numerous enemies and turned the tide!

Seeing this scene, the Family Master was both shocked and saddened, realizing the glory of his lineage was coming to an end.

Immediately afterward, the clan’s power was seized by Li Ruotong, who won the loyalty of her kin through her strength.

The three major families, sensing danger, joined forces to eliminate this threat.

Li Ruotong decisively devised a plan and led the higher-ups in a counterattack.

During this time, fierce battles erupted, but with Li Ruotong as their strongest combatant, the Li family could face off against the other three clans, continuously gaining the upper hand.

Before long, the three families were defeated, and the Li family emerged victorious!

Under Li Ruotong’s leadership, the Li clan thrived, sweeping through their surroundings as if they were autumn winds blowing away leaves, with many families and sects submitting to them.

As time went by, Li Ruotong grew disinterested in clan affairs, directly relinquishing her title as Family Master and retreating to focus on personal cultivation.

Many years later, having developed significantly, the Li family became a major power in the Great Creation Domain, renowned across the North Cold Immortal Domain.

And Li Ruotong was celebrated as the revitalizer of the Li family, a legendary figure who led them to rise violently and dominate the North Cold Immortal Domain.

Even so, she could never forget that once in her life, there had been a family member who supported her unconditionally, allowing her to feel the warmth and happiness of familial love.

Without his immense help, she could have never achieved her current success!

Originally, she thought this memory would remain sealed forever, becoming her greatest regret.

But unexpectedly, Canglang Jun’s appearance stirred her memories, recalling many past events.

At that moment, the elderly, white-haired man in front of her began to merge with the image of the closest person she once knew…

Li Ruotong’s heart trembled, unable to believe this was real. She quickly used her Immortal Emperor’s sense to feel the bloodline within him, discovering an astonishing resonance with her own!

This was a level that even the current younger generations of the Li family couldn’t compare to!

After all, only someone like the old man in her memories could have such a similar bloodline.

Suddenly.

Confirming his identity, Li Ruotong’s eyes turned red like a little rabbit’s, tears slipping down her cheeks as she choked out, “Grandpa, it really is you…”

After countless ages, to see her most cherished family member again, especially in such a way, filled her heart with overwhelming emotions about the wonders of fate.

Hearing that familiar title, Canglang Jun was overwhelmed with tears, rushing forward, “Tongtong…”

“Grandpa, Tongtong finally sees you again!” Li Ruotong could no longer restrain her emotions and dashed into his embrace, crying uncontrollably.

At that moment, she was not the revered elder of the Li clan or the powerful Celestial Moon Emperor; she was simply her grandfather’s most beloved granddaughter…

Watching this grandfather-granddaughter reunion, everyone’s eyes widened more than copper bells, their heads ringing in disbelief.

The Eternal Ancestor was dumbfounded, his mind racing.

He never expected that the old servant who usually served Ye Junlin tea was such a big deal, indeed the current Celestial Moon Emperor’s real grandfather!!

With this background, he could walk about freely in the North Cold Immortal Domain!!

“???” Ye Junlin was utterly perplexed.

Wait, this old geezer really is her grandpa!

Ye Junlin knew a bit about Canglang Jun’s past; he was originally named Li Youde, but was notorious for engaging in dubious activities, a master of deception who was a genius in trickery.

He remembered that during their time in the Central Region of Kunlun Realm, the Green Lotus Sword Immortal had caught him red-handed, and Canglang Jun revealed he had sent nearly all his ill-gotten gains to his granddaughter.

And his granddaughter had migrated to the Immortal Realm with the Li family back then.

This time, he ascended to the Immortal Realm mainly to fulfill a desire—to see if his granddaughter was still alive.

Though everyone thought it was a long shot, no one spoke against it.

But it turned out, not only was his granddaughter alive, but she was the current first Immortal Emperor of the North Cold Immortal Domain!

This was truly beyond imagination!