Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1011 True Monarch of Crimson Radiance
"Perhaps, I don't know if my supernatural power is the same as the withering and flourishing supernatural power you know!" Yang Zhengshan said calmly as he sat down.

He knew that supernatural powers were divided into manifest supernatural powers and hidden supernatural powers, but his understanding of them was not very deep.

However, he knew the power of the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power, which was at least much more powerful than the other divine powers he had seen.

"Can you really steal someone's lifespan?" True Monarch Baiyun asked, rising to his feet.

"Well, it can't be considered a takeover; it only depletes the enemy's lifespan!" Yang Zhengshan said.

The power of withering and flourishing is not about seizing, but about transformation, similar to the transformation of Yin and Yang. When Yang is dominant, Yin declines, and vice versa.

Yang Zhengshan was a living person, so his lifespan in the mortal realm was relatively long, while his lifespan in the afterlife was relatively short.

In yesterday's battle, he used his own lifespan to consume the lifespan of the Earth-Shaking Tiger King, which increased his own lifespan. However, he then used his own lifespan to consume the lifespan of the Yellow Spring Old Ghost, which restored his lifespan.

"Then can you increase other people's lifespan?" Baiyun Zhenjun's eyes shone with an alarming light.

Yang Zhengshan looked at him with a strange gaze and chuckled, "Senior, you really have a dream!"

Can he extend the lifespan of others?

Yang Zhengshan previously thought he could do it.

But now he understands that he can't.

Yang Zhengshan can switch between Yin and Yang because he has mastered the Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing. However, others who have not mastered the Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing cannot switch between Yin and Yang.

He can enhance the vitality of others, but vitality is just vitality, not lifespan.

Within him, the life force is lifespan, but in others, the life force is just life force; it can heal injuries, restore vitality, repair hidden wounds, etc., but it cannot increase lifespan.

Baiyun Zhenjun chuckled awkwardly, "I thought you could."

“Heaven and earth are constant, and the great way is orderly. Senior should understand the meaning of this even more!” Yang Zhengshan said.

True Lord Baiyun sat down again. "Alas, I was just indulging in wishful thinking!"

"Alright, stop making a fool of yourself! Let's get down to business!" said Que Lingyu.

When it came to serious matters, everyone's expressions became serious. As the leader of the Tianyun Sword Sect, True Monarch Baiyun spoke first: "Now that the sect has been established, the next step is to compete for the council seats in Zhenyang Immortal City. I plan to go and talk to the Crimson-browed White Tiger King tomorrow!"

The Tianyun Sword Sect is newly established and there are still many things to do, but these Golden Core experts don't need to worry about them; the Seven Halls below will handle them.

The framework has been established; all that remains is to assign positions, recruit disciples, and gradually develop the business.

The development of a sect cannot be achieved simply by having a few Golden Core cultivators in charge; to grow and expand, it also needs to cultivate more disciples with potential.

The current Tianyun Sword Sect is built on the foundation of the Baiyun Daoist lineage, so the future Tianyun Sword Sect will also develop based on the Baiyun Daoist lineage.

"How many seats should we try to secure this time?" Que Lingyu asked.

After thinking for a moment, True Monarch Baiyun said, "At most three, at least two!"

One seat means one share of the profits of Zhenyang Immortal City; seven seats mean that the profits of Zhenyang Immortal City are divided into seven parts.

“Three seats will be difficult; even the Wanhua Demon Court only has three seats,” said Que Lingyu.

True Monarch Baiyun nodded slightly, "That's right, we'll try our best to secure two seats! We also have our advantages. The Sun Giant Mountain is located south of the Cloud Sky Mountain Range, even closer to our Baiyun Immortal City than to the Myriad Flower Demon Court. We have every reason to occupy two seats!"

If it were just Baiyun Zhenjun on his own, he would have a hard time even securing a seat. But now that they have established the Tianyun Sword Sect and have five Golden Core cultivators, they naturally have the strength to fight for more seats.

Yang Zhengshan seemed to understand something, and said, "Actually, I think we can lower our expectations a bit. Let's not be greedy for three; two will suffice!"

Baiyun Zhenjun looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

Yang Zhengshan laughed and said, "This way we can win over another ally."

"Whom do you want to win over?" asked True Lord Baiyun.

"Among these three, Chixia, Chihua, and Chiyuan, does Senior Baiyun know anything about them?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Baiyun Zhenjun leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, and said thoughtfully, "Chiyuan is definitely out of the question. That old bastard is extremely cunning and not suitable to be a friend!"

"As for Chi Hua, he's a very mysterious person, and I don't know much about him!"

As he spoke, he looked at Que Lingyu, who replied, "If you want to find an ally, I suggest Chihua."

Jian Changhe interrupted, asking, "Why?"

Que Lingyu explained, "Chixia is now over 2,800 years old. Although he is very strong, his lifespan is not long."

"Chihua is only 1,300 years old this year, and the supernatural power he has comprehended is Harmony with Light and Dust, making him extremely powerful!"

Wind is formless; when it merges with light, it disappears without a trace, and when it mixes with dust, it becomes invisible.

Chi Hua's Harmony with the World leans towards the wind attribute, with "fusion" as its core, allowing its own wind element to assimilate with the light, dust, air, and dew in the world, without revealing itself, but able to borrow the power of all things.

This assimilation is not passive concealment. When the wind element merges with heaven and earth, the surrounding light becomes its eyes, allowing it to see hundreds of miles away; the dust on the ground becomes its ears, allowing it to hear whispers; even the breath exhaled by its opponent and the spiritual power it circulates will be gently drawn by this "wind of merging with the dust," revealing flaws without its knowledge.

Seemingly not competing or vying, it has already used everything for its own benefit. When the time is right, with just a thought, the blended wind can suddenly transform into a sharp blade, erupting from the most unexpected corner of the opponent. This is the true meaning of "blending with the world": hidden in all things, yet able to control all things.

There are three thousand great paths and countless supernatural powers. Although supernatural powers vary in level, the strength of a Golden Core cultivator depends on their comprehension of the meaning of supernatural powers.

Although Yang Zhengshan's withering and flourishing supernatural power is strong, he has only just entered the realm and is far inferior to those Golden Core masters who have reached the perfection of Dao intent.

Simply put, the withering and flourishing divine power has a strong deterrent effect. Under normal circumstances, no one would be willing to risk shortening their lifespan to fight Yang Zhengshan to the death, but if they really fought to the death, Yang Zhengshan would probably be no match for him.

For example, Yang Zhengshan was no match for Baiyun Zhenjun and Que Lingyu. As for Huangquan Laozu, if Huangquan Laozu hadn't been scared away, Yang Zhengshan would have been no match for him at all.

Ancestor Chihua is only a little over a thousand years old and has nearly two thousand years of lifespan left. His cultivation level is at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, and he has already reached the pinnacle of supernatural powers. Yang Zhengshan is no match for such a person.

“In that case, cooperating with him would be perfect. However, this person is quite mysterious. I don’t know if he is willing to cooperate with us,” said True Monarch Baiyun.

Que Lingyu looked at Jian Changhe and said, "He owes Tianjian Zhenjun a favor. You can take the Qingjin Sword to invite him!"

This is the foundation of established powers, possessing many intangible personal connections.

These personal connections may not be able to save lives in critical moments, but they can become a boost to the resurgence of established forces.

Tianjian Zhenjun was once a prominent figure in the Wanhua Domain, with connections throughout the entire domain. Everyone knew how many favors he had made. Jian Changhe was Tianjian Zhenjun's successor, wielding the Azure Gold Sword. The connections left by Tianjian Zhenjun were the foundation he could rely on.

"Is that so? Then I'll give it a try!" Jian Changhe agreed without hesitation.

Baiyun Zhenjun nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Perfect timing. I'll go talk to the Red-browed White Tiger King first, and Changhe and Zhengshan will visit Chihua."

Once the five had agreed, they all set to work.

Que Lingyu and Yunxiao stayed in charge of the sect, Baiyun Zhenjun went to Zhenyang Immortal City, and Jian Changhe and Yang Zhengshan entered the depths of Wanhua Mountain Range.

The Wanhua Immortal Sect was a major sect in ancient times. What exactly this major sect looked like in the past is now impossible to verify. We can only deduce a little information from some ancient texts.

There's really nothing to deduce. The river of time is enough to erase all traces. The past is the past, and it has little to do with the present.

The Xiaxian Sect, Huaxian Sect, and Nanhua Sect all claim to have the lineage of the Wanhua Immortal Sect, but whether they truly possess it, no one knows, and probably not even they themselves.

Ultimately, all they're fighting for is the title; their goal is simply to outdo the other two.

The Huaxian Sect is located deep in the Wanhua Mountains, a full eight thousand miles away from Baiyun Immortal City. Starting from Baiyun Immortal City and heading southeast into the Wanhua Mountains, you can find the Huaxian Sect at roughly the deepest part of the Wanhua Mountains.

Of course, this statement is made for Golden Core cultivators. When traveling through the void, a Golden Core cultivator can traverse tens of thousands of miles in just over half an hour.

If this were a Golden Core cultivator traveling by flying boat, it would probably take a day and a night, but that's assuming no unforeseen circumstances.

The depths of the Wanhua Mountains are not a good place. All sorts of monsters are everywhere. You might accidentally wander into the territory of a second-tier monster. A lazy monster might ignore you and fly over your head, but if you encounter a more aggressive monster, it might jump out and fight you.

Yang Zhengshan and Jian Changhe traveled through the void together. They did not approach the void of the world barrier, because it would be easy for them to be discovered by other Golden Core cultivators or demon kings if they approached the void.

Last time, Yang Zhengshan lacked experience and tried to travel through the void, which resulted in him being discovered by Zhongli Yue.

Now, far from the void, they travel through the vast emptiness, and the chances of encountering people are very low.

Following the information provided by Que Lingyu, the two wandered around for a long time before finally finding the location of the Huaxian Sect's mountain gate.

The Huaxian Sect is hidden deep within the twelve peaks of Qingzhang Mountain, where the mountains resemble a sleeping tortoise, carrying clouds that have lingered for millennia.

Looking from the outer peak, one can only vaguely see a stone staircase hanging down from the clouds and mist, like a jade ribbon crushed by the mountain wind. The ancient pines on both sides of the stone staircase are growing strangely, with their branches leaning towards the void. The dewdrops condensed on the pine needles seem to be fixed in mid-air by the Taoist charm of the mountains.

The protective array enveloped the twelve peaks, placing them in the void, making it almost impossible to sense any energy here.

If one doesn't specifically keep an eye on this place, it's easy for a Golden Core cultivator to miss it in the vast void.

Jian Changhe and Yang Zhengshan appeared outside the mountain-protecting formation.

They had just appeared and hadn't even stepped forward to present their visiting cards when a middle-aged man in a gray Taoist robe appeared before them.

"Who are you?" True Monarch Chihua looked at Yang Zhengshan and Jian Changhe with a puzzled expression.

True Monarch Chihua's face was square and chiseled, with a full forehead and a clean, angular jawline. His thick eyebrows swept diagonally, their tips slightly raised, revealing a sharp edge, while his lowered gaze conveyed a sense of composure. His eyes were like cold stars, with deep black pupils, and when he looked at someone, a spiritual light seemed to flow through them, concealing the restrained pressure unique to Golden Core cultivators.

He wore a gray cloth Taoist robe with a neat collar and cuffs, and a black silk sash tied around his waist with a small black jade seal hanging at the end, engraved with fine cloud patterns.

He was tall and straight, standing like a pine tree on a cliff. Although he did not deliberately display his imposing presence, a faint spiritual energy emanated from him. He possessed a simple and refined demeanor, as if "clothing himself with the Dao and not enslaved by material things."

"Sword River of Hidden Sword Mountain pays respects to Senior Chi Hua!"

"Yang Zhengshan greets senior!"

The two bowed with their hands clasped in greeting.

"Hidden Sword Mountain!" Chi Hua looked at the sword at Jian Changhe's waist and nodded slightly. "So it's you! Then come with me!"

After saying that, he led the two into the mountain-protecting formation and arrived at the Huaxian Sect deep within the twelve peaks.

After rounding the mountain peak, Yang Zhengshan saw a cluster of buildings that stretched along the mountainside without any trace of deliberate embellishment. The palaces covered with green tiles lay low on the mountainside, and the wooden pillars and beams were covered with dark brown cracks, but they had been polished by time to a warm and gentle state. At a glance, one could see a faint flow of spiritual energy.

The Huaxian Sect didn't seem to have many disciples. Yang Zhengshan only sensed about a hundred auras, but these auras all seemed very calm and composed, without the slightest hint of agitation.

As True Monarch Chihua landed in front of a grand hall, the hall looked quite ordinary. The eaves were not gilded, but only a few strings of peach wood bells hung there. Everywhere, there was an ancient and simple Taoist charm. The wood leaned against the stone, the stone leaned against the mountain, the mountain connected to the clouds, and the clouds reached the sky. Even people walking among them felt as if they had become part of the mountain, and their breaths were in harmony with the grass, trees and Taoist charm.

The interior decoration of the main hall is also very simple, without any trace of glitter or jewels.

"Please sit down! I don't have much to offer you, so please have a bowl of spring water from the mountains!"

With a casual wave of his hand, True Lord Chihua actually presented the two of them with a bowl of clear spring water.

Yang Zhengshan took the celadon bowl, looked at the spring water in it, and felt both amused and exasperated.

This is real spring water, and it's just ordinary spring water, not a sacred spring.

Not only was there no spiritual tea, but there wasn't even a bowl of spiritual spring water.

In fact, Golden Core cultivators can already live on air and dew, relying solely on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to sustain their bodies' needs. They do not need to eat or take fasting pills.

However, Golden Core cultivators eat spiritual wind and drink spiritual dew, not ordinary spring water.

Such spring water meant nothing to them.

Not right either.

Yang Zhengshan took a small sip of the spring water. Hmm, it was clear, sweet, and quite rare.

The spring water was neither beneficial nor harmful to drink, but it gave Yang Zhengshan a peculiar feeling.

"It seems you have already refined the Azure Gold Sword!"

True Monarch Chihua picked up the spring water and took a small sip. His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles. When he picked up the celadon bowl, his fingertips lightly touched the bottom of the bowl, and his movements were characterized by the composure unique to cultivators.

Jian Changhe said respectfully, "This junior is honored to have gained the recognition of the Azure Gold Sword!"

The Azure Gold Sword is no ordinary spiritual weapon; it is a sword that is close to a spiritual treasure. Its sword spirit is bound to be full of arrogance, and it is difficult for ordinary Golden Core cultivators to gain its approval.

However, Jian Changhe is an exception. He is a true descendant of the Heavenly Sword and possesses an innate affinity with the Azure Gold Sword.

Before he formed his core, he could draw the Azure Gold Sword. After he formed his core, it would be easy for him to gain the Azure Gold Sword's approval.

(End of this chapter)