Young Master System: My Mother Is the Matriarch-Chapter 185: Long Road

A hum vibrated through the air interrupting the two combatants, it was soft and rather melodic. Emerald and gold qi forces flickered and grew dimmer as an ancient force awoke from deep below, causing the nearby airspace to crack.

From somewhere beneath the plaza far beneath the bustling metropolitan, the leyline pulsed suddenly. It had only shook the earth once, but this was enough to warp the trajectory of the golden curtain of qi descending from above.

Yun’s technique had been steered just half a finger-width off course. The martial imprint of the move crashed into the plaza, not onto Li Wei. The young master turned towards the central fountain beyond him. the explosion obliterated the structure, sending columns of shattered jade flying.

Li Wei’s eyes widened. "The leyline...?"

Yun staggered, stunned. "W-what was that interference?!"

Li Wei didn’t know, but this would likely be his last opening. He strode forward, as his war rod cracked air. Martial qi sputtered as his chest burned, Yet he moved fluidly.

Yun raised his arms, crossing them defensively. This proved insufficent as Li Wei had already reached him with a clear intent.

[Compass of the Verdant Abyss: Second Stroke]

Yun’s eyes widened. "This will not stand—!!"

Li Wei slammed the fractured war rod straight into Yun’s diaphragm, as a burst of emerald rod energy tore through Yun’s golden qi armor. Blood sprayed freely from the magistrate’s torso as Yun stumbled back wounded for a brief moment in contemplation.

He hit the ground hard and silence fell across the entire plaza, while no soldier staioned in the area moved closer and every single child still present were silently watching the two Daoists clash.

Even the sigils overhead fizzled in a static manner. Li Wei fell to one knee, gasping for breath, vision fading around the edges. His meridians screamed. His bones felt hollow. His consciousness flickered like a candle against a blizzard.

But he stayed upright and looked at the fallen magistrate.

And whispered ominously "...your foundation... has finally cracked."

The silence shattered and a Low laugh echoed through the plaza. Magistrate Yun rose slowly from the rubble, blood dripping from his mouth, golden hair undone, robes tattered though his aura had grown even darker.

"You..." he whispered in a vile and unstable tone. "You dare wound me with your impure... filthy... heretic qi?"

Li Wei tried to stand up, but failed to do so. Tang Li reached him, skidding to her knees beside him. "Senior Wei—!"

He forced a smile. "You... shouldn’t be here..."

She shook her head violently. "I won’t leave you again! I won’t—!"

The magistrate’s laughter rose. "What is this? You have even brought the harlot that had betrayed the imperial empire?"

Golden flames ignited around him. "I will show you the consequences of your foolish campaign" Something cracked from high above, it was neither sky nor stone. A persistent rumble echoed beneath the earth as a wind swept across the plaza.

Cold and sentient, Li Wei’s eyes widened. "...the mountain has come alive."

Yun stumbled backward, suddenly pale.

"No... impossible... The power shift cannot be this drastic...." Emerald cracks spread across the plaza like living veins, forming unfamiliar symbols beneath Li Wei’s feet.

Tang Li grabbed his arm. "What’s happening?!"

Li Wei stared ahead, eyes widening. Magistrate Yun cursed and backed away, while hordes of citizens fled and soldiers retreated from the scene. The fissure beneath the jade platform glowed brighter, while Li Wei closed his eyes.

A single thought echoed through him. ’If the mountain awakens... then the path outside... the subspace... the Liu clan...’

His heart trembled.

Meanwhile, wind inside the subspace was rather restless. It hummed with dormant power, watchful of danger like a slumbering beast beneath the stone canopy of the valley.

Tonight Leng Yue stood at the altar grounds, her snow-white robes swaying gently in the cold breeze. A thin trail of moonlight filtered through the great fissure overhead, bathing her in a pale glow. The half-completed altar before her pulsed with a faint, irratic rhythm.

Almost like a frantic heartbeat. She pressed two fingers together and slid them across a small jade tablet. The tablet hissed, rejecting her input. Leng Yue frowned slightly"... this again."

Another tremor rumbled beneath her feet with greater intensity, the stones trembling as if shifting under unseen weight. Acolytes staggered and warriors turned about feeling confused.

Senior disciples sensed something rather unnatural in the air.

Jia Lin was the first to reach her. "Senior Sister!" he said tightly. "The warriors are hesitating in a almost all their drills. They swear the general atmosphere of the valley has become less serene."

"It has," Leng Yue replied without turning. She placed a hand on the ebony altar frame, feeling its vibrations travel up her arm. "The mountain is restless."

Ning Xue and Mei Yu approached one after the other. "The incense has been bending east rather frequently," Ning Xue whispered, eyes wide. "Three times in one hour. I have never seen such a sign."

Mei Yu clutched her scrolls to her chest. "The manuscripts refuse to bind themselves properly. The formation plates are heating and cooling by their own volition. I fear the altar may be reacting to... an external disturbance." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Leng Yue exhaled and slowly said. "It is listening."

Jia Lin blinked. "Listening... to what?"

Leng Yue’s fingers tightened around the altar edge.

"...To us ." The trio fell silent. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mei Yu’s throat tighten. Ning Xue’s hands trembled. Jia Lin’s jaw clenched hard enough to draw blood. For the last several hours, faint ripples had pulsed through the subspace.

Not the calm, resonant flow of pure qi. A series of leyline waves and ripples were violent and erratic. Full of lethal intent, explosions of qi and the unmistakable clashing of profound Martial laws

Leng Yue recognized each ripple for what it was ’The echo of Li Wei’s battle bleeding through the veil between realms.

She felt the latest vibration, like a jagged contraction of air. It was as though two forces had collided so fiercely that even the subspace recoiled, Leng Yue’s hand trembled.

But this only lasted for a few moments. she steadied herself and stepped away from the altar."Summon every captain on duty," she said calmly. "We proceed with the trials immediately."

Mei Yu hesitated. "Senior Sister.... About the altar...."

"If the mountain insists on monitoring us," Leng Yue said, turning slowly toward her, "then we have to provide a spectacle worth watching. Our strength cannot diminish before Li Wei’s return." Her voice grew sharp. "Nor can we collapse under our own roof."

The trio were not by startled her words, the truth was clear and simple . The expression on her face was confidence, within Leng Yue’s eyes held the unyielding drive of a woman who had already accepted the worst.

A leader who had accepted that the burden of the Liu clan might soon rest solely upon her shoulders, under some duress Jia Lin swallowed and responded. "Yes, Senior Sister."

They scattered to obey, leaving Leng Yue alone with the trembling altar.

She shut her eyes.

A faint tremor passed through the subspace—this one deeper, darker, like the bellow of some ancient being from the roots of the mountain.

Leng Yue inhaled sharply.

Then whispered:

"Li Wei... what are you doing out there?"

The sky within the subspace dimmed as the mountain’s runic veins flickered across the valley walls. The emerald glow of the shrine windows pulsed erratically, like the blinking of a giant eye.

Disciples gathered at the training grounds, murmuring in unease. The air itself felt unstable, as though vibrating with pulses they could not identify. Leng Yue walked just behind them, her presence steadying the atmosphere in the midst of a swirling storm.

"Line up," she commanded and the Liu clansmen obeyed instantly, forming ranks across the terraced grounds. She paced before them. "Today marks one of the first trials of those who seek to rise in the Liu clan," she said. "Your hands may tremble, while your breath may quicken......"

Her voice dropped. "That is acceptable, but your hearts must remain steady." Some disciples lowered their heads, ashamed and reluctant to eye her directly. She continued , "The mountain is watching our movements closely and the outside world is in turmoil."

A wave of grief spread across the ranks. The disciples exchanged troubled glances.

"Thus," Leng Yue said, "there is only one answer at hand" Her sword flashed into her hand, thin and silver." We must grow strong enough that even the mountain trembles at our step."

A murmur rippled through the clan, while she raised her voice. "Prepare your spirits. Jia Lin, Mei Yu, and Ning Xue will each oversee their segments. Let all who wish to remain weak stand aside."

Her eyes hardened. "Let all who choose to rise, step forward."

Over a hundred disciples stepped forward, while few remained behind. Leng Yue had nothing to say. She knew that weak hearts could be strengthened and cowardice could be mended, hesitation during battle meant an awful death.

Instead, she nodded once and gestured to Jia Lin. "Begin as planned...."

Jia Lin stepped forward, blade humming with qi. Her voice was sharp. "The first test will be an Endurance of the Inner Current." she slid his foot across the ground, causing the clouds above to flicker.

A blast of wind surged. "Hold your stance against my killing intent," she announced.

The first wave crashed over the disciples as half staggered back, while a few dozen fell to their knees. Leng Yue watched with an unreadable expression, paying particular attention to those who remained standing

Barely over fifty remained and were drenched in sweat, breaths forced through clenched teeth. Jia Lin nodded in approval and smiled towards Mei Yu, as the next trail would be under supervision.