My Descendants Are My Power

"Damn it! Damn it all!" Brody roared, rising to his feet. But instead of attacking the AI Bionic Robot, he stormed out of the hall.

The robot followed closely behind. Its unseen operator knew that Brody's restraint, his refusal to destroy the robot, signified another concession.

As the treasury doors swung open, the robot retrieved a sixth-grade psychic material. It turned to Brody, its metallic face contorted in a mocking grin.

"You and Austin... two sides of the same coin, yet so different. He never yields, while you, time and again, open your treasury to us Blackwoods, clinging desperately to life."

"You..." Brody choked back his rage, his pride wounded.

He knew that if he perished, his five hundred years of struggle, his hard-earned power, would become another avatar's inheritance.

He wanted to live. He had dreams, ambitions. He wanted to become the true vessel, the sole inheritor of the Heavenly Path's power. He had simply been born too late. If Austin had been born in his place, would he be content to tend his caged birds in Sunshine Mansion?

And now, those in Sunshine Mansion could rest easy, their positions secure. Over a hundred of their brethren in the imperial capital had become the Blackwoods' prisoners, caged birds awaiting their fate.

Yet, those in Sunshine Mansion did nothing but complain, blaming their imperial counterparts for falling into the Blackwoods' trap, for their current predicament. It wasn't their fault. It was the main consciousness that had been outsmarted.

...

[Congratulations! Your family has captured another avatar of the Heavenly Path Venerable. It has been imprisoned within the high-grade psychic weapon, the Soul Locking Diagram. A total of 136 Heavenly Path Venerable avatars are now in your custody.]

[Your family has received an offering from the Heavenly Path Venerable avatar 'Brody': one thousand pounds of the sixth-grade psychic ore 'Netherworld Equilibrium Psychic Iron,' imbued with spatial energy.]

Within the Forebearer space, Ethan beamed with satisfaction as he read the latest update.

They had found the Heavenly Path Venerable's weakness. They had captured over a hundred of his avatars, halting their growth and inflicting pain upon their shared consciousness.

The Blackwoods were no longer helpless against their tormentor.

This might not be enough to truly cripple the Heavenly Path Venerable, but it was a victory nonetheless. For the first time in years, they had tasted success against their seemingly invincible foe. This victory, however small, filled them with hope.

"This is just the beginning. We have time on our side," Ethan said, his voice calm yet resolute. He knew that true victory would require immense strength, a power capable of challenging the Heavenly Path Venerable himself.

He turned his attention to the progress of his other descendants.

[Your descendant, Lucas, has recovered another 5% of his strength.]

[Your descendant, Nathan, after losing the Death Coffin, has begun to realize his overreliance on external artifacts. Observing the Druid High Priest communing with the heavens to enhance his power, he has discovered that true strength lies within, not without. He has begun to explore the true meaning of death energy and necromancy.]

[Recognizing the wisdom of seeking guidance from those who have walked the path before him, your descendant, Nathan, with Mike's introduction, has humbled himself and sought instruction from Arnold, a nine-nine heavenly tribulation rising star who also wields death energy and commands corpses and spirits.

After years of study, he has developed his own understanding of the rules of death, combining his knowledge with Druidic magic to create an Earth-rank technique: the Soul Control Divine Movement Art.]

[This technique allows him to command the souls of the dead within a ten-mile radius, using them as his eyes and ears. He can also channel a portion of his power into any of these souls to attack his enemies.]

"Excellent! He's finally broken free from his dependence on the Death Coffin." Ethan smiled, his heart filled with pride.

Without the Death Coffin, Nathan was essentially a slightly stronger early-stage Competent Force expert. But losing the artifact had been a blessing in disguise.

Meanwhile, news, both good and bad, arrived from the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary.

[Your descendant, William, due to his prolonged confinement within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary, has been unable to fulfill his daily 'One Kill a Day' quota. He has attempted to satisfy his bloodlust by targeting the third-generation Blackwoods, but his thirst for violence has only grown. His inner darkness has reached 100%, granting him the trait: Utterly Dark.]

[He can no longer suppress the evil within him. Consumed by his dark desires, he has broken through to the Competent Force realm!]

[Years of accumulated carnage have incurred the wrath of the heavens. A nine-nine heavenly tribulation, far more potent than usual, is brewing.]

Fortunately, William was still within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary, where his kin had managed to restrain him with powerful techniques. The boy had become utterly consumed by darkness, ranting and raving about slaughtering everyone within the sanctuary. Who knew what havoc he might wreak if he were to escape?

"At least he won't harm his own family, even in his current state."

Ethan sighed with relief as he observed William, his eyes squeezed shut in pain, bound by psychic chains within the sanctuary.

The other Blackwoods within the sanctuary were doing their best to reason with him, to offer him comfort and guidance.

Meanwhile, on the vast expanse of the ocean, another breakthrough was taking place.

[Your descendant, Alexander, after two years of secluded cultivation among the pirates, has broken through to the early stage of the Emerging Ability realm. He has abandoned his other psychic constitutions, becoming a pure Earth element Psychic!]

The pirate father and son had risen through the ranks, becoming the leaders of their ragtag crew. They sailed the seas, their fleet growing from three dilapidated vessels to eight.

Adam, despite having two perfectly functional eyes, now sported an eyepatch. He stood at the helm, his body swaying with the rhythm of the waves, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Rest assured, Forebearer! Alexander and I are honing our skills on the high seas. Once we've carved out our own territory and amassed a fortune, we'll return to the clan, laden with treasures!"

"..."

Ethan's lips twitched. Did they think they were Jack Sparrow, playing pirates in the Caribbean?

A month later...

[Your descendants, Adam and Alexander, encountered a fierce storm at sea. Their entire crew perished. However, they stumbled upon an eighth-grade psychic artifact: the Undying Pirate Ship. Their deceased crewmates have become bound to the ship's soul, rendering them immortal as long as they remain on board.]

"..."

Ethan stared blankly as the father and son set sail once more, their crew now a motley band of undead pirates.