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In Glory City, the saying goes that the architecture of a family's estate reveals much about their deepest values. 

This was evident in the way the noble families chose to build and structure their homes.

Take, for example, the Heavenly Marks Family. 

Their estate was a sprawling castle, grandiose in its design, featuring eight distinct gates. 

Each gate led to a different road, which, in turn, connected the branch families directly to the heart of the main family's domain. This architectural choice was not just for show; it symbolized the core value of unity and interconnectedness that the Heavenly Marks Family purportedly upheld. 

Even with the current corrupt state of the family, the physical structure of their estate told a clear story of a family that, at least on the surface, valued the strength and support system provided by its many branches coming together as one.

Contrastingly, the Sacred Family, a relative newcomer to the echelons of power within Glory City, had chosen a very different architectural path to symbolize their core values. 

Rising to prominence as one of the top three noble families in just 200 years, the Sacred Family's estate was designed as concentric circles, each representing a distinct layer of the family's hierarchy.

At the outermost ring, the estate housed servants, vassals, and other affiliates who served the Sacred Family in various capacities. 

This outer ring was a bustling area where the day-to-day operations supporting the family's needs and ambitions took place.

As one moved closer to the center, the rings grew increasingly exclusive, housing the members of the Sacred Family. 

Unlike traditional noble houses, the Sacred Family eschewed the usual distinctions between branch and main family members. In this family, merit and contribution to the family's success were the only criteria that mattered. 

This was a clear architectural manifestation of their core value: meritocracy. 

The design encouraged competition and achievement, as every member knew that their place within the rings—and, by extension, their proximity to the family's heart—was earned through merit.

.....

As Shen Xiu stepped out of her carriage, she was immediately surrounded by a flurry of servants, their voices blending into a chorus of welcomes and curious inquiries.

"Welcome back, Miss Shen Xiu!" one servant called out cheerfully.

"Is there a special occasion for your visit today?" another asked, their tone laced with genuine curiosity.

Shen Xiu barely registered their questions, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and strategies.

The pressing issue at hand left no room for pleasantries. 

She couldn't simply march into the Sacred Family's estate and reveal the plagiarism of the Scarlet Sunburst Array. 

She knew all too well that elders like Shen Ming would not hesitate to claim her hard work as their own, especially with the Patriarch away in isolated training and the council wielding unchecked power.

With a click of her tongue, Shen Xiu pulled out a map of the Sacred Family's estate, her eyes scanning its layout with a mixture of determination and apprehension. 

Nie Li's audacious plan echoed in her mind: "You have to sneak into the center and tell the truth to the Patriarch. Otherwise, your accomplishments will be stolen."

The very thought of disturbing the Patriarch during his secluded training was enough to make Shen Xiu want to scream in frustration. 

Yet, Nie Li's persistence left her with little choice. 

His alternative plan—to reveal the truth about the Scarlet Sunburst Array publicly and allow Shen Xiu to step in as the hero—was even less appealing. It would tarnish her family's honor just to elevate her own status, a price she was unwilling to pay. 

Reluctantly, Shen Xiu agreed to Nie Li's first suggestion.

However, a daunting challenge stood in her way: how could she possibly sneak into the most heavily guarded area of the Sacred Family? The solution, though risky, was straightforward—create a distraction and slip into the shadows unnoticed

Shen Xiu made her way to the Sacred Family's armory. 

As she entered, the armorer, tasked with the care of the family's weapons, looked up in surprise. 

"Miss, what brings you here?" the armorer, a middle-aged man with a gaze that held years of dedication to his craft, inquired with a mix of respect and curiosity.

Shen Xiu gave him a disdainful look, her nose raised in an air of superiority. 

"Since when did I need to justify anything to you?!" she snapped, her patience thin.

The armorer immediately bowed. 

"My apologies, miss. What can this lowly servant do for you?" he asked, his voice laced with a nervous eagerness to please.

"Get out," Shen Xiu commanded sharply.

"Pardon?" The man was taken aback, his eyebrows lifting in a mix of confusion and fear.

"Either get out so I can select something, or face my wrath," Shen Xiu threatened, her voice growing colder as she began to manifest her demon spirit form. The transformation was enough to drain the color from the man's face, and he hurried out of the armory, not daring to look back.

Once alone, Shen Xiu wasted no time. 

She took out two spatial rings; one held her giant inscription array, while the other was filled with hundreds of soul crystals. 

With a swift movement, she activated the array. 

As she did, an illusion of a massive demon beast began to materialize above the armory, its form both terrifying and majestic.

The air around the armory shimmered as the illusion took shape, casting a shadow that seemed to pulse with an ominous energy. The array, fueled by the soul crystals, projected the beast's image with such vividness that it was almost indistinguishable from reality.

Panic ensued almost immediately. 

Shen Xiu could hear the screams and shouts of servants as they scrambled to safety. 

The guards and family members, drawn by the commotion, rushed towards the illusion.

"What in the heavens is that?!" someone yelled in the distance, fear lacing their voice.

"Protect the family! To arms!" another voice commanded, trying to marshal the panicked defenders into action.

Shen Xiu knew this chaos would afford her about 15 minutes—the time it would take for the illusion to begin flickering and the ruse to be potentially discovered. 

Fifteen minutes was all she needed. 

She swiftly took out an Invisibility Seal, activating it to cloak herself from view. 

With the seal's magic wrapping around her, rendering her unseen, she opened the window and slipped into the deeper circles of the family's estate.

Her heart pounded with adrenaline as she moved with silent haste, the illusion above serving as the perfect distraction. 

Shen Xiu, now invisible, darted through the inner circles of the Sacred Family's estate, her steps quick and silent. 

Each circle she passed through was more opulent than the last, with grand houses that housed the family's elite. 

As she moved, she noticed elders and cultivators rushing past her, their faces marked by fear and urgency. 

They were mobilizing to confront the illusion, which, to Shen Xiu's growing concern, seemed to be expanding beyond its intended scope. 

The once-manageable distraction was turning into a spectacle that drew the attention of nearly everyone in the estate.

Sweat formed on Shen Xiu's brow, not just from the physical exertion but from the realization of the item's potency that Nie Li had given her. "Nie Li, what kind of items did you give me?" she muttered under her breath, both amazed and slightly alarmed at the illusion's effectiveness.

As she navigated through the chaos, Shen Xiu eventually found herself at the edge of a vast forest that marked the transition to the estate's most sacred and protected area. 

Just one more step, Shen Xiu thought, her heart pounding with anticipation and anxiety as she neared the Holy Grounds. But just as she thought she was safe, the Invisibility Seal given to her by Nie Li began to fizzle out, leaving her exposed. 

Unknown to Shen Xiu, Nie Li had intentionally made the seal faulty, suspecting that both Shen Xiu and the Sacred Family would seek to possess such a powerful tool for themselves.

Stepping through the dense forest, Shen Xiu finally emerged into the Holy Grounds. Before her lay a breathtaking sight: a vast crystal lake shimmered under the sunlight, its clear waters encircling a small island. On that island stood a modest house, its simplicity belying the significance of its occupant.

Suddenly, a stern voice boomed across the lake, "Who dares disturb me?!" 

The voice carried a power so immense that Shen Xiu found herself forced to her knees, overwhelmed by the aura emanating from the house. 

The ground beneath her cracked as she felt the oppressive weight of the presence of one of the most formidable men in all of Glory City—the Patriarch of the Sacred Family, Shen Hong.