Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

In the previous battle against the Sea Yaksha clan, although the Twin Islands successfully repelled the invading enemy, they also suffered considerable losses, with six ocean-going warships sunk and an entire fleet almost crippled.

With the impenetrable defenses built by the warships, the cultivators' losses weren't particularly great. However, the consumption of resources was staggering. If it weren't for the support of the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce, they really wouldn't have been able to withstand their consumption.

The battle was won, but a huge debt was incurred. Fortunately, Song Changsheng made a great harvest from the treasure trove of the Sea Yaksha clan. After Song Qingxi auctioned off a portion of it, he used it, along with the money owed to Li Chengming for setting up a fourth-tier superior protective array, to pay off the vast majority of the debt.

The remaining amount can be gradually repaid through the normal output of the Song family's industries in the Twin Islands.

"You've finally arrived! If you hadn't come, I was planning to go into seclusion." At the dock, Song Youfu greeted Song Qingxia with a smile.

"Is he preparing to go into seclusion to break through to the Purple Mansion stage?" Song Qingxia looked him up and down, a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

Song Youfu chuckled but didn't say anything.

Indeed, as Song Qingxia said, he was preparing to go into seclusion to break through to the Purple Mansion stage.

In the last battle, he charged in and out of the battlefield three times, single-handedly killing the sea monsters with only his bow. Under the sharpness of his arrows, they were either killed or wounded, killing and injuring hundreds of sea monsters, including many second-tier sea monsters.

The casualties were secondary; the most important thing was that over a hundred alliance cultivators were rescued from the demon's jaws.

After that battle, he was unanimously selected by the East Sea Alliance Elders as the person with the greatest merit below the Purple Mansion stage. In addition to the generous rewards from the alliance, the Song family also gave him an extra piece of [Amethyst Jade] for his breakthrough.

After this battle, the Song family rewarded him with many Breakthrough Pills, but only one piece of Amethyst Jadeite, as a sign of recognition for his achievements.

Although he had only broken through to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment less than ten years ago, his foundation had long been solidified through constant tempering in blood and war.

"How many people did Aunt bring this time?" Song Youfu asked expectantly, looking past Song Qingxia at the massive fleet floating in the air behind them.

The Twin Islands recently evacuated a group of wounded soldiers, which has made their already limited manpower even worse. Now, they wish they could split one person in two.

This is why Song Youfu has not gone into seclusion even though he has reached the right time for a breakthrough. There is no other way. The Foreign Affairs Department of the Twin Islands is now relying on him alone. There is no suitable candidate to take over. If he goes into seclusion, the entire department will be paralyzed.

He wasn't the only one doing this; many others in the Song family were also suppressing their cultivation levels and choosing not to go into seclusion.

War is the best catalyst. After a great battle, most cultivators who survived the direct confrontation with the sea monsters would experience some degree of relaxation in their cultivation levels, from the Purple Mansion stage to the Qi Refining stage.

This includes Song Changxuan, Xu Yunhe, and others.

Each position is filled by a specific person, and everyone is waiting for someone to take over before they can go into seclusion with peace of mind.

Fortunately, Song Qingxia and her group arrived in time, almost a month earlier than expected.

Song Qingxia shook her head slightly and said, "We still need to prepare for the battle against the Demon Realm. The number of people the family can spare is very limited, so don't have too high expectations."

"Well, it's better than nothing. We've survived the toughest times, and things will only get better from now on. By the way, I heard the President's daughter is also on the fleet?"

"That's right. Besides her, there's also Chi Li, a disciple under the clan leader, Jing Xiao, the clan's only cultivator with the lightning spirit root, and many other cultivators of the Jing generation."

"Wow, it seems the family has really gone all out this time. Perfect timing, what we need right now are young people. The Supreme Elder and all the family elders and managers are already waiting in the General Affairs Hall. Please, Aunt."

Song Youfu was already eager to begin the handover.

Song Youlin broke through to the Purple Mansion stage before him, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't anxious. Right now, he just wanted to unload this burden on his shoulders as soon as possible and go into seclusion...

The words are divided into two parts.

Meanwhile, in her search for the missing artifact spirit, Zhuang Yuechan followed the guidance of the Jade Sword and strayed from the original route in the Suzhou cultivation world, ending up in the Lu Kingdom cultivation world.

The cultivation world in Lu Kingdom at that time could only be described with one word: "chaos".

Zhuang Yuechan had traveled through several cultivation worlds, but this was the first time she had ever seen such a chaotic place. The established rules and principles among the righteous sects were utterly meaningless here.

Here, you can act entirely according to your own will. As long as you don't massacre ordinary people, basically no one will jump out to stop you. The only possibility is that the other party has a grudge against you or simply doesn't like you.

The Rakshasa Hall and the Five Poisons Sect, as the overlords of the Golden Core realm, showed no signs of being righteous leaders, completely letting the chaos run its course.

It's no wonder that such behavior is disliked by the righteous forces in other realms. If they didn't still have a shred of decency, these two families could sit on the same level as the evil and heretical sects.

Zhuang Yuechan's noble air was undeniable, and her beauty was unparalleled in the world. After entering the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom, quite a few fools jumped out to rob her.

The result was obvious: they all became victims of her sword, including some cultivators of the Purple Mansion realm, something almost impossible in the Great Qi cultivation world.

"Has the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom become so chaotic?" Zhuang Yuechan frowned slightly. If it weren't for her search for the artifact spirit, she really wouldn't want to stay here. She felt that the air here was filled with the smell of blood.

"We're very close. The spirit of the Jade Sword should be nearby."

Following the guidance, Zhuang Yuechan finally arrived at the foot of a towering spiritual peak. On the front of the peak was a smooth cliff with the three characters "Ghost Hand Sect" clearly written on it.

"It's actually the Ghost Hand Sect. This is in trouble."

The Ghost Hand Sect is one of the few humanistic sects in the cultivation world of Lu State that has been completely passed down for more than ten generations. It has several Purple Mansion cultivators in its sect all year round, and in the current era, it even has a Purple Mansion Great Perfection cultivator.

Such strength would place them among the top in the entire cultivation world of Lu.

For some reason, the spirit of the Jade Sword ended up in their hands, making things a bit tricky.

The Ghost Hand Sect is known for its ruthless and cruel methods. They are unreasonable yet generous, and expecting them to reciprocate is nothing short of a pipe dream.

However, she did not want to resort to force to solve the problem unless absolutely necessary.

Firstly, the Ghost Hand Sect is quite powerful. If the opponent is determined to stay hidden and not come out, it will be difficult to determine the winner in a short period of time.

Secondly, she didn't want to make enemies for the Song family because of this, even though the Song family didn't care at the moment.

"Zhuang Yuechan from the Great Qi Cultivation Realm has come to visit. We request that the Sect Master of the Ghost Hand Sect appear to meet her." The clear voice echoed through the mountains, but there was no response for a long time.

Unbeknownst to her, the Ghost Hand Sect Master was currently receiving a guest of extraordinary status...

"Sect Leader Li, my lord's patience has its limits. Whether he agrees or not, he must give me a definite answer today so that I can go back and report."

Inside the main hall of the Ghost Hand Sect, a refined cultivator holding an iron fan sat at the lower end, calmly looking at Li Guixiong, who sat in the main seat.

"It's not that I'm trying to fob you off, but this is such a big matter that it's really difficult to make a decision without the approval of our sect's Supreme Elder."

"Please convey a message to the True Person on behalf of my sect: please grant us a few more days of leniency. As soon as our Supreme Elder emerges from seclusion, we will certainly give your sect a reply immediately."

Although he was the head of a sect and his cultivation was not low, he kept a very humble position and attitude, which clearly showed that the refined man's identity was very unusual.

However, what he said and what he showed were completely different things; it was a standard delaying tactic.

The refined man wasn't buying it at all. Upon hearing this, he snapped his iron fan shut and said coldly, "How long are you going to use this rhetoric to fob me off, Sect Leader Li?"
"To tell you the truth, our lord's patience with you has reached its limit. Today is the final deadline. When the time comes, the day I, Zhang, walk out of the gates of your Ghost Hand Sect will be the enemy of my sect!"

This was no longer a request for opinions, but a blatant threat. Li Guixiong's face turned rather ugly, but he had no way to deal with the other party.

Just as he was pondering how to respond, an elderly man with white hair and beard walked in from outside the main hall and laughed heartily, saying, "The envoy has come from afar, and I, Ju, was unable to greet him properly due to my seclusion. I am truly sorry."

"Fellow Daoist Ju has finally emerged from seclusion." The refined cultivator's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

Ju Jinchou, however, seemed oblivious to what was happening. He looked at Li Guixiong and feigned reproach, saying, "Since Fellow Daoist Zhang has arrived, why didn't you inform me to come out of seclusion?"

Li Guixiong nodded and listened attentively with his head bowed.

"Alright, there's no need for you to play these games in front of me, Fellow Daoist Ju. State your choice." The refined cultivator interrupted them directly.

“Fellow Daoist Zhang, is it truly a choice you have to make? My Ghost Hand Sect has no desire to get involved in the conflict between your sect and the Bone-Eating Sect,” Ju Jinqiu said with a helpless expression.

The refined cultivator scoffed, "You're only now thinking of staying out of it? Don't you think it's a little too late, fellow Daoist?"

"Either pledge allegiance to my lord, or become an enemy of my sect; there is no other way."

Ju Jinchou's expression kept changing, and he couldn't make a decision for a long time.

At this moment, the refined cultivator added fuel to the fire, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you must know a little about the background of the Bone-Eating Sect. You may not be able to accept the conditions they have offered."

"By joining my lord's embrace, you will at least have one chance to condense your Golden Core, and I guarantee there will be no side effects. The opportunity is right before you; it's up to you, fellow Daoist, to seize it."

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Ju Jinchou's eyes. He swept away his previous struggle and hesitation, and bowed to the refined cultivator, saying, "As long as the promise can be fulfilled, the entire Ghost Hand Sect is willing to serve you, True Person."

Li Guixiong, who was behind him, was stunned for a moment. He did not expect Ju Jinchou to be so decisive.

Just then, Zhuang Yuechan's clear voice reached their ears from outside the mountain.

"Zhuang Yuechan? The cultivation world of the Great Qi?"

The expressions of everyone present changed slightly.

"I didn't realize you had any connection with the Song family of Wangyue," the refined man said in a low voice, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as he speculated about Zhuang Yuechan's purpose in coming and whether the Ghost Hand Sect was involved.

They knew very well who Zhuang Yuechan represented, and her sudden visit at this critical juncture was definitely not a good thing.

"Fellow Daoist is joking. How could our Ghost Hand Sect possibly be worthy of being associated with True Person Zixu?" Ju Jinchou quickly distanced himself from the matter, while secretly harboring some doubts.

They didn't send anyone to Song Changsheng's wedding. They only went to join in the fun when he was forming his Golden Core. But the Golden Core Ceremony was too grand, and they couldn't even go up to the mountaintop. They could only wander around the mountainside.

It's uncertain whether Song even remembers them, so there's no basis for any connection, even though he really wants to build some rapport.

"So, Fellow Daoist Ju, you mean it's a coincidence?" the refined man asked calmly.

"Coincidence, absolutely coincidence."

“Alright, let’s go out together to greet this Madam Song.” The refined man snapped open the iron fan in his hand and said calmly.

The group walked out of the main hall together and found that only Zhuang Yuechan was at the foot of the mountain. They couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as long as that person hadn't come. Ju Jinchou gave Li Guixiong a wink, and the latter immediately understood, cupping his hands in response, "What wind blew Fellow Daoist Zhuang here? May I ask what brings you from afar?"

"I apologize for disturbing you, Sect Leader Li. I have come to exchange something with you." Zhuang Yuechan's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on the refined man. He seemed out of place standing there.

And from the very beginning, the other party had been sizing her up.

"Something?" Li Guixiong narrowed his eyes and cupped his hands, saying, "I never thought that my sect would have something that would catch your eye. Please, fellow Daoist, speak."

He just wanted to get rid of Zhuang Yuechan as soon as possible. If it wasn't something particularly important, he would have given it away as a favor to Wangyue Songshi.

"It is a piece of jade from the Jinxuan Grottoes in the cultivation world of Gusu. It was left behind by one of my elders and has a special meaning to me."

"If you are willing to part with it, I am willing to exchange my supernatural powers or inheritance for it." Zhuang Yuechan used her magic to conjure up the image of the jade.

"jade?"

Li Guixiong clearly had no recollection of this, but Ju Jinchou's expression changed slightly the moment he saw the jade.

"I don't recognize this jade. Fellow Daoist, why don't you go up the mountain and wait a moment while I send someone to the storeroom to check it?"

"There's no need to go up the mountain. I'll trouble Sect Leader Li to go and take stock. Yuechan will be here to await good news."

Even if she hadn't noticed the refined man's presence, let alone discovered the anomaly, she would never have gone up the mountain with them. After all, one can never be too careful. Even righteous sects cannot be trusted, let alone forces that have already deviated from the righteous path.

The group returned to the main hall, and the refined man looked at Ju Jinchou and asked, "Fellow Daoist Ju, what is that jade that made her come to find it herself?"

Ju Jinchou remained silent, but took out a fist-sized piece of cyan jade from his storage bag. It looked ordinary, but the restrictions on it were undeniable.

"It was actually on you? Then what were you doing just now..." Li Guixiong was puzzled.

"Hmph, what do you know? This item was left behind by our ancestor and passed down through generations. Even after hundreds of years, the seal has still not been broken. This item is no ordinary thing!" Ju Jinchou sneered.

Upon hearing this, the refined man couldn't help but sneer inwardly. His words, seemingly meant to educate Li Guixiong, were actually directed at him, indicating that he was preparing to sell himself to a higher bidder.

However, he was indeed quite curious about the jade.

He reached out and took it from Ju Jinchou's hand, but after looking at it for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out. The restrictions on it were too complicated, and it must have been made by a Golden Core cultivator. It was something that their cultivation level was simply not enough to break.

“Perhaps the Lord can break this.” The refined man thought for a moment, then looked at Ju Jinchou and said meaningfully, “Fellow Daoists, now is the time for you to show your sincerity.”

"What do you mean by this, envoy?" Ju Jinchou's heart sank. He sensed something strange in the other party's words.

"The Song family of Wangyue and Luoxia City are both targets that our lord wants to eliminate as soon as possible. Zhuang Yuechan has a special identity. If we can capture her, it will be a great achievement. The reward our lord will give will definitely satisfy you."

"Is the envoy joking? Are the swords of Master Zixu and the Great City Lord just for show?"

Even Ju Jinchou, with his great courage, was somewhat frightened at this moment.

On the banks of the Canglan River, Song Changsheng's fame, having slain a golden eagle with his sword, had already spread throughout the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom.

Mu Guibai's reputation goes without saying. Before breaking through to the Golden Core stage, he was already a prominent figure in the Four Realms. After breaking through to the Golden Core stage, countless demon kings fell to his hands. Offending just one of them would be enough to kill their little Ghost Hand Sect ten thousand times over, let alone offending two at the same time.
What's the difference between attacking Zhuang Yuechan and an old man hanging himself?
"Even the Five Poisons Sect couldn't get any benefit from my lord's hands. With hostages in our hands, what are you afraid of?" The refined man said with a completely dismissive expression.

He said in a sinister tone, "Fellow Daoist Ju, you just pledged your loyalty to my lord. You wouldn't want to go back on your word now, would you? A mere Wangyue Song Clan and Luoxia City, thousands of miles away, have scared you into this state."

When our sect clashes with the Five Poisons Sect in the future, will you still switch sides on the spot?
Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty. My lord, what I hate most is betrayal!

Ju Jinchou's expression changed drastically. He had only intended to feign compliance with the Righteous Qi Sect and then find an opportunity to break free from their control after breaking through to the Golden Core stage. However, he did not expect that Zhuang Yuechan's sudden visit would arouse their malicious intent and directly corner them.

"Don't overthink it. As long as you help me capture Zhuang Yuechan, Song Changsheng and Mu Guibai will be eliminated by my master, leaving no hidden dangers for you," the refined man said confidently.

If they attack Zhuang Yuechan, they might not necessarily die with the protection of the Righteous Qi Sect, but if they don't attack Zhuang Yuechan, the Righteous Qi Sect will definitely kill them!
“Zhuang Yuechan’s cultivation is quite impressive, and she comes from a prestigious family. It will probably be difficult for us to capture her,” Ju Jinchou said with a furrowed brow.

He wasn't shirking responsibility; rather, he was stating a real problem he was facing.

Zhuang Yuechan was clearly wary of them, waiting at the foot of the mountain instead of going up. If she had gone up, she could have done whatever she wanted with them, but that wouldn't have worked now; she had to resort to force.

The Ghost Hand Sect currently has four Purple Mansion cultivators. One of them is still traveling abroad. Of the three who remain in the sect, Ju Jinqiu is a Purple Mansion Great Perfection cultivator, comparable to Zhuang Yuechan, while Li Guixiong is only a Purple Mansion late stage cultivator.

The other person was at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm. Normally, he wouldn't even be qualified to participate in this great battle. However, he was a third-tier formation master who could assist with the mountain-protecting formation.

The envoy of the Righteous Qi Sect was also at the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

With such strength, they might be able to encircle and kill, but capturing them alive would be far too difficult. Zhuang Yuechan is no pushover, and no one knows what kind of trump cards she holds.

The refined man looked at the jade in his hand and said, "I have a bottle of strange poison in my hand. It is colorless and odorless. As long as it touches your hands, it will invade your internal organs. In less than a quarter of an hour, the poisoned person will feel weak in the limbs and have insufficient spiritual power. Even cultivators of the Purple Mansion level will not be spared."

Even if it doesn't get on your hands, as long as you're within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of them, you'll still be poisoned, just a little slower.

"I'll sprinkle this poison onto this jade in a moment. You take the antidote beforehand and personally hand it to Zhuang Yuechan. As soon as she takes it, launch a surprise attack on her. With our combined efforts, we'll definitely be able to capture her!"

Hearing his resolute words, Ju Jinchou also made up his mind and gritted his teeth, saying, "Alright, then let's do as Fellow Daoist Zhang says."

"Gui Chou, have Xiu Ming prepare. As soon as we make our move, activate the mountain-protecting formation to assist us. Make sure everything goes perfectly!"

The task at hand is a matter of life and death. Since we've decided to take action, we must go all out. Only by capturing Zhuang Yuechan will they have any chance of survival!

Zhuang Yuechan, who was at the foot of the mountain, naturally had no idea what they were plotting, but she instinctively felt that something was wrong with the Ghost Hand Sect.

"I hope it's just my imagination. I'll get on my way as soon as I get the stuff."

She had seen all sorts of chaos along the way, so she didn't think it would happen to her.

A short while later, the three people who had just disappeared reappeared. Ju Jinchou held the jade stone in her hand, and she could clearly feel that the spirit of the Jade Beauty Sword was sealed inside.

Seeing the Ghost Hand Sect's cooperation, Zhuang Yuechan immediately put aside her doubts and stepped forward, saying, "Thank you all for your help. I heard that your sect's Fellow Daoist Wang Xiuming is proficient in array formations. This is a scroll of third-tier top-grade array formation inheritance. Would you be willing to exchange it for it?"

"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. This was originally left behind by your elder before his death. We are just keeping it safe for a while." Ju Jinchou said with a warm but fake smile, handing over the jade in his hand.

Zhuang Yuechan did not reach out to take it. With a flick of her sleeve, spatial power appeared, and the jade stone disappeared instantly.

Ju Jinchou's smile froze, and he forced a dry laugh, "Fellow Daoist, was what you just used the legendary [Sleeve Universe]?"

"Yuechan has only learned a little bit of her husband's skills, please forgive her, fellow Daoist."

Although Zhuang Yuechan didn't know there was something wrong with the jade, she knew that one should always be wary when traveling. Yu Shu Zhenjun had experienced too many dangers and betrayals in her life, and vigilance had long become instinctive. She was no longer the simple-minded little girl she once was.

Seeing that Zhuang Yuechan was not fooled, Ju Jinchou's face hardened, and he curled his palm into a claw, grabbing at Zhuang Yuechan's neck with lightning speed. To prevent this from happening, he had also applied the poison to his palm after taking the antidote.

"presumptuous!"

Zhuang Yuechan's phoenix eyes were filled with anger. She had never let her guard down. The moment the other party made a move, she suddenly retreated, and the Jade Beauty Sword in her hand transformed into a streak of light and slashed towards Ju Jinchou.

The Jade Sword, now imbued with additional spiritual energy, was far more powerful than before. Ju Jinchou's protective spiritual energy shattered like bubbles, and one of his "ghost hands," honed through countless trials, was severed.

"what--"

Ju Jinchou's shrill screams soared into the sky. Li Guixiong and the others felt their scalps tingle. With just one sword strike, he had severed the hand of a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm.

"No, it's the sword in her hand that's strange. Don't be careless. If you want to live, do everything you can to take her down!" The refined man was the first to discover the power of the Jade Sword and quickly called on the others to join him.

Despite being surrounded by several people, and with Wang Xiuming manipulating the mountain-protecting formation watching her intently, Zhuang Yuechan remained calm. While using the Jade Sword to deal with the situation, she looked at the refined man holding the iron fan and said, "A hundred years ago, when the Blazing Sun Sect besieged Cangmang Peak, there was also someone in the group who was skilled in using such an iron fan. You are Zhang Yu!"

At first, she was puzzled as to where the Ghost Hand Sect got the audacity to ambush her, but the moment she saw the iron fan, she understood everything. It was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road!
"So what if it is? Today is your death day!" Zhang Yu shouted fiercely.

"My husband has been searching for you for over a hundred years. I never expected you to come to me on your own. The remnants of Haoran are all hiding in the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom."

Since the Ghost Hand Sect dared to aid and abet evil, today we will send you all to the underworld to join them!

Zhuang Yuechan was agile and her swordsmanship was elegant. She was able to fight three opponents at once without being at a disadvantage. With the Jade Fairy Sword in hand, she even had murderous intent.

At this moment, Wang Xiuming had already activated the formation, and a special domain spread out, enveloping all of them.

"You lowly servant, prepare to die!"

Ju Jinchou was furious. Zhuang Yuechan had severed his right hand, which was almost equivalent to severing his path to immortality. At this moment, he only wanted to tear it to pieces!

"This formation is restricting my movements." Zhuang Yuechan quickly realized their intentions.

The current situation is very unfavorable to her. The surrounding space has been completely sealed off by the domain of the great formation. The opponent wants to use their numerical advantage and home-field advantage to wear her down.

But since she didn't run away immediately, how could she not have something to rely on? She tossed the jade stone with a flick of her sleeve and, amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, shattered it with a single sword strike.

"Wow"

"I am finally...free!"

A triumphant roar resounded through the sky, and a blurry figure burst out from the jade stone. It was the spirit of the Jade Sword—Nameless!
"May your spirit return!"

Before it could even rejoice at its newfound freedom, Zhuang Yuechan let out a sharp cry, and its body was uncontrollably pulled into the Jade Sword.

"Chong-"

When the two are combined, the Jade Sword immediately bursts forth with a dazzling sword light, its sharpness overwhelming.

Now it has everything it needs!
……

(Still a long chapter of 7,000 words, 6,000 words still needed.) (End of Chapter)