"What?" Di Jie nearly collapsed.

Detonate... detonate... detonate the Mother River?

Are you kidding me?

To put it simply.

Now, without the Emperor’s Treasure Abyss, and without more than ninety percent of the Human Lord Realm Martial Cultivators, the Di Family is doomed. If the Di Family wants to rise again, their only remaining hope is the Mother River.

Without the Mother River, how will the Di Family cultivate a new generation of powerful martial cultivators?

Without the Mother River, the Hu Family might not even be willing to marry into the Di Family!

The Mother River is now the Di Family’s last remaining Fire Seed.

"A detonation in the Mother River would mean certain death for the child within," the old man said lightly.

"But..." Di Jie gritted his teeth, his face pale with cold sweat from fright: "If the Mother River is detonated, that little bastard dies, and the Di Family is finished, completely finished!!!"

The old man was silent, merely staring deeply at Di Jie.

Di Jie’s scalp tingled under the old man’s gaze. After considering for a moment, he rasped, "Old Ancestors, if... if we must detonate the Mother River, then... then... then let’s detonate the front segment. That little bastard is in the front segment."

As he spoke, Di Jie became somewhat excited: "Now, because of the Di Family’s relentless pursuit of that little bastard, the front segment of the Mother River has already been fundamentally damaged. If detonated, although the Di Family will suffer immense losses in the short term, nearly severing our martial cultivation resources from the past million years, as long as the middle and rear segments remain, within a million years, the Mother River will grow a new front segment."

The relationship between the rear, middle, and front segments of the Mother River is like that of a tree’s roots, trunk, and branches. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

If only the front segment is detonated, it’s equivalent to chopping off a tree’s branch. At least, the tree won’t die, and next spring, new branches can grow.

This is a good method; it can kill Su Chen while maintaining the Mother River’s essence.

"You are the house master. If you believe this ensures the child’s death, then do it," the old man hesitated before finally sighing and speaking.

The old man’s inner thoughts were that the roots must be eradicated to remove the weeds.

If only the front segment is detonated, what if the child has moved to the middle or rear segment?

Of course, the old man ultimately did not voice this thought because, first, he too believed Su Chen couldn’t reach the middle segment. The middle segment would exact a tremendous cost even if he tried, leading to unknown life or death, so the chances were slim. Second, as Di Jie said, if the entire Mother River were detonated, the Di Family would indeed have no chance to recover, and even marrying into the Hu Family might be impossible, with too high a price to pay.

Of course, most importantly, the old man knew his position.

He was indeed one of the Old Ancestors.

Though Di Jie had to kneel and bow at his presence.

In the crucial decision concerning the Di Family’s survival, it’s Di Jie who must decide.

Di Jie is the house master.

Di Jie clearly will not agree to abandon the Mother River entirely.

"Yes, Old Ancestors, Di Jie shall retreat now. Thank you for enlightening me." Di Jie bowed again and then stood respectfully, retreating.

Once outside.

"All Imperial Family Members above the Realm of Returning to Truth of the Di Family, proceed to the Mother River!!!" Di Jie’s voice echoed throughout the Imperial Realm.

One Shichen later.

Above the Mother River, there were a full seven million Imperial Family Members.

Indeed, the Di Family had quite a few Martial Cultivators above the Realm of Returning to Truth.

Almost all direct lineages of the Di Family, and a large portion of branch and outer branches, are Martial Cultivators above the Realm of Returning to Truth.

The entire Di Family consists of ten million martial cultivators, seventy percent of whom are above the Realm of Returning to Truth, which is terrifying.

Now, these seven million Imperial Family Members follow behind Di Jie.

Di Jie suddenly raised his hand, pointing at the front segment of the Mother River below, and shouted: "Hear my command, inject the Mysterious Qi into the Mother River’s front segment! I will detonate the front segment of the Mother River!"

When Di Jie said this, all seven million martial cultivators above the Realm of Returning to Truth of the Di Family were confused, chaotic, and dumbfounded.

Each one stared at Di Jie, eyes nearly popping out.

Wha... wha... what did the house master say?

Detonate the front segment of the Mother River?

Is he crazy?

The Mother River’s front segment’s primeval river storm is far less severe than the middle and rear segments, so each time the storm passes, the Di Family members enter the front segment to seek the Crystal of the Mother River—the core of the Di Family’s cultivation.

And now you want to detonate the front segment?

What will happen to the Di Family afterward?

Go to the middle or rear segment to find the Crystal of the Mother River? Is that possible? Even the house master might struggle to enter the middle segment!

Detonating the front segment is akin to severing one’s own limbs, what’s the difference?

"This is my command! Execute it!" Di Jie had anticipated this reaction; his face became suddenly stern, serious, and forceful, directly commanding.

"Yes!" Immediately, those seven million Realm of Returning to Truth martial cultivators trembled in awe.

"Begin." Di Jie nodded, leading by example, sending forth a dense and thick Mysterious Qi pillar toward the front segment of the Mother River.

Once Di Jie acted, those seven million Realm of Returning to Truth martial cultivators behind him hesitated no longer, unleashing their Mysterious Qi toward the front segment of the Mother River.

For a moment, it was a truly spectacular scene.

Over seven hundred thousand Mysterious Qi pillars, resembling a celestial curtain, descended in a colorful array, entering the front segment of the Mother River.

This infusion of massive Mysterious Qi Flow disrupts the storm balance within the front segment of the Mother River, the best way to detonate it.

Indeed.

Dozens of breaths later, the front segment of the Mother River became visibly agitated, like an inflating balloon full of Qi, swelling, while exuding hints of destructive, frenzied energy.

Di Jie breathed a sigh of relief as Su Chen did not emerge from the front segment of the Mother River.

He had been concerned that upon initiating the detonation, Su Chen might sense imminent danger and exit the front segment, thereby foiling the plan to kill Su Chen with the explosion.

Thankfully.

Luck was on the Di Family’s side, and his own.

"Looks like that little bastard isn’t invincible. The sudden fury of the front segment of the Mother River, with the storm raging ten times or more, he’s lost his way, even losing control of himself, unable to find the path out of the front segment. Little bastard, you aren’t coming out." Di Jie murmured, his heart filled with cruel satisfaction, yearning to witness Su Chen’s despair firsthand.

A few breaths later.

"Listen closely, ascend another ten kilometers," Di Jie commanded, directed at the front segment of the Mother River.

Once the front segment of the Mother River is detonated.

The explosive force will be quite terrifying.

If they aren’t positioned far enough, it might wipe out all seven million Realm of Returning to Truth martial cultivators, so initially, Di Jie had positioned them at thirty kilometers above the Mother River. But now it seems it’s still not far enough.

After issuing the command, those seven million Realm of Returning to Truth martial cultivators ascended, swiftly increasing the distance by another ten kilometers.

"Continue to inject Mysterious Qi!" De Jie shouted.