Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1009 Concealment Technique

"Sword out!"

Jian Changhe brought his fingers together until they touched the surging Yellow Springs River.

In an instant, a terrifying sword intent suddenly erupted from his body, and a buzzing sword sound rang out, echoing in the void.

Indeed, even in the void, the sound of the sword was sharp and piercing.

As the old ghost of the Yellow Springs looked at the flying sword, his turbid eyes narrowed.

"The Azure Sword! That makes sense, how could the disciples of Hidden Sword Mountain not have the Azure Sword!"

"However, a single spirit sword is not enough to stop me!"

His aura surged, and the Yellow Springs Diagram that he unfurled suddenly shone brightly.

Just as he was about to test the power of the Azure Gold Sword, he suddenly sensed a strange aura.

The sharp sword energy collided with the surging Yellow Spring water, but both stopped at the same time and looked to the side.

As for Yunxiao, he had already hidden in the distance; he was just there to make up the numbers.

Others rely on magical artifacts and supernatural powers, but he has neither, which is truly pitiful.

In fact, Yang Zhengshan gave him a magical flying sword, but this magical flying sword seemed to dislike him because he was a fake Core Formation cultivator, and always wanted to recognize him as its master.

With the great battle imminent, Yunxiao was filled with bitterness at the thought that he could only play a half-hearted role.

Just as he was looking for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack, he also sensed a familiar aura, and his spiritual sense immediately probed in the direction of Yang Zhengshan.

This discovery almost scared the life out of him.

Just a breath ago, the Earthshaking Tiger King was so fierce that it was now as weak as a kitten, almost imperceptible.

The Earthshaking Tiger King became the first demon king to fall victim to the power of decay and prosperity.

In the short span of a single breath, his lifespan came to an end.

With his lifespan exhausted, his body aged, and his spirit diminished, the once mighty demon king instantly became insignificant.

Yang Zhengshan stared indifferently at the faint glimmer of life, then turned to look at the Old Ghost of the Underworld.

The old ghost of the underworld met his gaze, and his expression changed drastically.

"The Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing!"

"Damn it, how could such a domineering divine power have appeared in the world?"

There are three thousand great paths, each with its own hierarchy.

If you ask what the strongest Dao intent is, without a doubt, it is the manipulation of creation.

What is meant by "manipulating fate"?

To create something from nothing, to turn death into life.

Whoever can master the power of creation is the master of creation.

The powerful supernatural abilities also include reversing yin and yang, shifting stars and changing constellations, imitating the heavens and the earth, mending the sky and bathing the sun, reversing the five elements, and bestowing blessings by heaven.

However, these powerful supernatural abilities rarely appear, for a simple reason: they are difficult to comprehend.

Sword techniques, while powerful, are not considered magical and are relatively easy to comprehend. Therefore, there are many sword cultivators among immortal cultivators.

Another example is the Nine Heavens Thunder of True Lord White Cloud, which is a thunder magic power and is relatively easy to comprehend.

The Daoist intent can be divided into manifest and hidden forms. The manifest form refers to the Daoist intent that can be seen between heaven and earth, such as the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth), the operation of the five elements, the rising and setting of the sun, and so on.

The so-called hidden image refers to the Daoist meaning that cannot be directly perceived, such as the reversal of Yin and Yang and the reversal of the Five Elements.

The mutual generation and restraint of the five elements are the manifest phenomena, but the reversal of the five elements is the hidden phenomena.

Sunrise and sunset are manifest phenomena; reversing the course of events is a hidden phenomenon.

The orderly sequence of life and death is the manifest phenomenon, while the disorderly sequence of life and death is the hidden phenomenon.

The Way of Withering and Flourishing may appear to be a manifestation, but in reality, it represents the disorder of life and death.

From the perspective of Yin and Yang, the cycle of decay and prosperity is the manifest phenomenon, but from the perspective of life and death, the cycle of decay and prosperity is the hidden phenomenon.

Most Golden Core cultivators comprehend the Manifestation Divine Power, while a small number comprehend the Concealment Divine Power.

Of course, it is not true that comprehending the power of concealment is better than comprehending the power of manifestation. In fact, quite the opposite is true: comprehending the power of manifestation is better than comprehending the power of concealment.

Because it is easier to comprehend the supernatural power of manifestation, it is much easier to improve one's realm.

In comparison, comprehending the power of concealment is extremely difficult.

Many Golden Core cultivators who have mastered the power of concealment may not make any progress even after cultivating for thousands of years.

The power of invisibility is more powerful and more magical, but if it comes at the cost of ruining one's future, probably very few people would be willing to master it.

Huang Quan Lao Gui had heard of many powerful invisibility techniques, but this was the first time he had ever truly seen one, especially the domineering Withering and Flourishing Technique.

Seeing Yang Zhengshan looking at him, Huang Quan Lao Gui's first thought was to run.

Without any hesitation, he transformed into a wisp of smoke and drifted away into the distance.

"Want to run!"

Yang Zhengshan's eyes shone with a bright blue-gray light.

The condensed Tai Chi diagram of withering and flourishing spread rapidly.

The interplay of Yin and Yang resulted in Yang Zhengshan being shrouded in deathly aura, while the Old Ghost of the Underworld was enveloped in azure light.

His lifespan in the underworld is 2,873 years!

The consumption ratio is seven to one.

"That old ghost really has a long life!"

Yang Zhengshan thought to himself.

Ghost cultivators' lifespan in the underworld is longer than that of immortal cultivators in the mortal world.

But even if the old ghost of the underworld has a long lifespan, so what?
Yin and Yang are two separate entities, and humans and ghosts are different.

Yang Zhengshan just consumed more than two thousand years of his Yang lifespan, which also means he gained more than two thousand years of Yin lifespan.

"When the sun rises, all trees awaken; my word signifies spring, and all things come to life!"

As the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power was activated, Yang Zhengshan's hair, which had just turned white, instantly turned jet black.

"No, how dare you steal my lifespan!"

The old ghost of the Yellow Springs roared, but dared not linger for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he flew out of the withered and flourishing Taiji Fish and disappeared into the void.

If he hadn't run, Yang Zhengshan would have had no choice but to fight him to the death.

Yang Zhengshan could only erase more than three hundred years of his lifespan, and had no way to control him.

The old ghost of the underworld came quickly and ran away quickly, but the most unlucky one was the Earth-Shaking Tiger King. This guy originally wanted to take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack and catch Yang Zhengshan off guard, but he did not expect to lose his life here.

Seeing that the Yellow Spring Old Ghost had disappeared, Yang Zhengshan came to the side of the Earth-Shaking Tiger King. The Earth-Shaking Tiger King was already barely breathing and looked like he could die at any moment.

"Is this your supernatural power?" Jian Changhe asked telepathically as he approached.

Yang Zhengshan threw the Earthshaking Tiger King into the Spirit Source Land. Every part of a monster's corpse is a treasure, let alone a third-tier monster.

A single demon core is worth a fortune, and the other flesh, bones, and fur are also rare materials.

"Yes, the way of flourishing and decay!"

Yang Zhengshan replied indifferently.

Once supernatural powers and spells are used, they cannot be hidden, and others will definitely be able to see through them.

Of course, seeing some of the tricks doesn't mean you can fully understand them. Everyone's supernatural abilities are different, and even supernatural abilities of the same attribute will have subtle differences. The only way to truly understand them is to have actually experienced them.

"Withering and flourishing, withering and flourishing~"

Jian Changhe's knowledge was clearly not as extensive as that of Huang Quan Laogui. Huang Quan Laogui saw through the withering and flourishing divine power at a glance, but Jian Changhe did not understand what the Dao of withering and flourishing represented.

Not only did Huang Quan Lao Gui see through the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power, but Xuan Ling also jumped up directly in the guest seats of Baiyun Immortal City when Yang Zhengshan used the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power.

"Waaaaah~~"

"How can this be?"

"He actually comprehended the Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing!"

Xuanling could no longer speak fluently.

Que Lingyu's expression also turned solemn, his deep eyes fixed on everything happening in the void. They watched as the Earth-Shaking Tiger King's lifespan was exhausted, and as the Yellow Spring Old Ghost fled in a sorry state.

It sounds like a long story, but the whole process only takes a few breaths.

After the old ghost of the Yellow Springs fled, the previously stagnant light of the sky suddenly poured down, transforming into colorful celestial flowers that filled the entire White Cloud Immortal City.

Purple clouds rose from the east, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and the bright sunlight fell on the sect-protecting seal in the hands of True Lord White Cloud.

This is done by the mandate of Heaven to establish a sect and spread the Way.

From then on, the Tianyun Sword Sect was recognized by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, becoming a true Hunyuan lineage in the world.

The so-called Hunyuan Daotong is the root of the path of immortal cultivation. It means the origin of the Great Dao when "heaven and earth were not separated and all things returned to one". It refers to the natural laws that trace back to the beginning of chaos. It is the ultimate principle of cultivation summarized by seekers of the Dao from the operation of heaven and earth.

This can be considered a kind of faith, a faith belonging to immortal cultivators, and also a faith of many major sects.

Baiyun Zhenjun was unaware of what was happening in the Great Void; he continued to preside over the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.

Xuanling, however, could no longer sit still.

"Who, who is that person?" he asked nervously.

"Yang Zhengshan!" Que Lingyu glanced at him and sneered, "What are you afraid of?"

"..."

Xuanling's lips twitched slightly.

What am I afraid of?
I'm afraid he'll hurt me!
That's the power of life and death, how could I not be afraid?

There's a saying that perfectly describes the phenomenon of life and death: the older a person gets, the more they fear it.

Xuanling's hair and beard were all white, and he had a youthful face despite his white hair. Just by looking at his appearance, you could tell that he was very old. In fact, Xuanling was now over two thousand years old. Even though the lifespan of a demon beast was longer than that of an immortal cultivator, he only had less than two thousand years left to live.

The statement that he had less than two thousand years of lifespan left seemed inappropriate, but it did not prevent Xuanling from fearing the power of decay and prosperity.

The most terrifying aspect of the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power is not that it can exhaust a person's lifespan, but that it can deplete a person's lifespan.

When your lifespan runs out, you die, which is terrible. But what's even more terrible is suddenly losing hundreds or thousands of years of your lifespan.

At this moment, Xuanling even had the urge to run away.

He now feels that Yang Zhengshan is a terrifying demon king.

"Ahem, I have some matters to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave now!"

Xuanling hesitated for a moment, then decided it would be best to leave first.

He didn't give Que Lingyu a chance to speak, and after saying a few words, he flew towards the southeast at a speed that surprised Que Lingyu.

However, he did not enter the Great Void, but simply flew away, because Yang Zhengshan was still in the Great Void.

Seeing him leave, Que Lingyu revealed a mocking expression, then calmly sat down and continued watching the founding ceremony.

The inaugural ceremony lasted for more than two hours, ending only when the sun began to set.

That night, the Tianyun Sword Sect also held a banquet to entertain the guests who came to witness the ceremony.

……

Xuanling missed the banquet and hurriedly returned to Zhenyang Immortal City.

The rear hall of Zhenyang Hall.

Xuanling's hurried return surprised Xiaoshan.

"What's wrong? Has something happened to the Tianyun Sword Sect?" Xiaoshan asked.

Xuanling's face was somewhat grim. "Something has happened, something terrible has happened! Yang Zhengshan of the Tianyun Sword Sect has actually comprehended the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power!"

"The Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing!" Xiaoshan was stunned. He thought someone had disrupted the founding ceremony of the Tianyun Sword Sect, but he didn't expect Xuanling to mention the Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing. He was momentarily speechless.

“That’s right, the way of flourishing and decay, reversing life and death.” Xuanling held the jade flute and exhaled heavily.

Xiaoshan finally remembered what the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power was.

"The Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing, from the Dao Lord of Withering and Flourishing in ancient times!"

His expression turned extremely serious.

The history of Wanhua Domain is very long, spanning hundreds of thousands of years from ancient times to the prehistoric era, and from the prehistoric era to the present.

There have been many Dao Lords throughout such a long history, but very few Dao Lords have truly been passed down through the ages.

The main problem is that much of the history is unverifiable, and many lineages have been broken. Therefore, the only Daoist masters who have survived are those from the last tens of thousands of years.

Such as the Lord of Wanhua Dao, the Lord of Zhenyang Dao, and the Lord of Kurong Dao.

The True Yang Dao Master, also known as the Dao Master of the Sun True Sect, is a figure from over ten thousand years ago.

Daoist Wanhua lived a little earlier than Daoist Zhenyang, but no more than 20,000 years earlier.

However, the Lord of the Withered Glory Dao existed seventy or eighty thousand years ago.

"He has only just advanced to the Golden Core Realm, we have no need to fear him!" Xiaoshan thought for a moment and felt that there was no need to be too wary of the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power.

Xuanling glanced at him and said softly, "Alright, in the future, if you need to deal with him, you should step in!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoshan's face immediately darkened.

In terms of strength, they naturally have no need to fear a Golden Core cultivator who has just advanced.

With Yang Zhengshan's current strength, Xiaoshan and Xuanling are far superior to him.

However, the withering and flourishing divine power was too domineering. Even if Yang Zhengshan could not kill Xiaoshan and Xuanling, he could still make these two lose several hundred years of lifespan.

"Ahem, I've made some progress in my cultivation recently, so I'll go into seclusion for a while!" Xuanling coughed lightly and ran back to his cave in a flash.

Xiaoshan's red hair on his forehead trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was quite angry.

……

Compared to Xuanling's apprehension and Xiaoshan's frustration, Huangquan Laozu was filled with utter hatred at this moment.

In the endless void, the Yellow Spring Ancestor let out a series of angry roars.

"Ah~~"

"Damn bastard! He actually stole three hundred years of my lifespan!"

He still had over two thousand years left in his lifespan, but he was unwilling to waste three hundred years of it.

Three hundred years, three hundred years! Just thinking about it gives Huangquan Laozu the urge to go back and kill Yang Zhengshan.

However, he suppressed this impulse, because he was afraid that if he went back, he would lose another three hundred years of his lifespan.

"Yang Zhengshan! I will surely annihilate your soul and spirit!"

In the end, the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs could only let out a roar of unwillingness.

……

Tianyun Sword Sect.

The banquet ended, the festivities subsided, and everyone went about their own business.

Yang Zhengshan invited Zhong Lixia to his courtyard.

This courtyard was the cultivation place given to him by the Tianyun Sword Sect; it was a very exquisite and quiet courtyard.

The crescent moon, like a hook, hung obliquely in a corner of the inky sky, its pale light falling like crumpled silver foil, scattered across the eaves. When the wind rustled through the treetops, the shadow of the old locust tree swayed like a ghostly shadow on the blue brick ground, and the copper bells under the eaves jingled softly, only to be quickly swallowed by the deeper silence.

Yang Zhengshan and Zhong Lixia sat in the courtyard, lit a spirit lamp, and brewed a pot of tea.

Zhong Lixia stared at Yang Zhengshan's profile, momentarily lost in thought.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Xia Yi, do you not recognize me?"

Yang Zhengshan made a small joke and handed a bowl of tea to Zhong Lixia.

“Yes, I really can’t recognize her!” Zhong Lixia sighed. “It hasn’t been that long, but I feel like time has passed.”

As time goes by, not only things change, but also people.

The biggest change is in people.

She truly hadn't expected Yang Zhengshan to have actually reached the Core Formation stage.

This was not just beyond her expectations, but beyond her imagination.

(End of this chapter)