Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1012 Sudden Attack

"Hehe, this sword spirit has a stubborn temper. Back then, it wouldn't even let me touch it," True Monarch Chihua said with a gentle smile.

Jian Changhe looked slightly surprised. "Senior has been in contact with the Azure Gold Sword?"

"Didn't Que Lingyu tell you what my relationship with Heavenly Sword True Monarch is?" Crimson Flower True Monarch asked with a smile.

"no!"

"Heavenly Sword True Monarch is my protector!"

Jian Changhe was taken aback; this was truly beyond his expectations.

A guardian is someone who plays a crucial role in a person's development, preventing them from encountering accidents before they are fully developed.

Or perhaps someone who guided him on his path of cultivation, or taught him techniques, or someone who protected him when his personal strength was weak.

The most common protectors are masters, elder relatives, etc.

However, neither masters nor elder relatives would address someone as a protector; the term "protector" is only used when there is no master-disciple relationship or kinship.

Ordinary protectors are those who protect the practitioner during the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stages.

For example, Yang Zhengshan was Liu Yue's protector. When Liu Yue was building her foundation, Yang Zhengshan personally protected her.

For example, Que Lingyu was Jian Changhe's protector. When Jian Changhe formed his core, Que Lingyu personally guarded Cangjian Mountain to protect him.

The relationship between a protector and a patron is extremely close, because only absolute trust can qualify someone to serve as a protector.

"When I formed my core, True Monarch Tianjian not only gifted me with a spiritual item for core formation, but also personally protected me during the process. Furthermore, he gave me a lot of guidance after I formed my core!"

"If I hadn't joined the Huaxian Sect long ago, I might have joined your Hidden Sword Mountain back then!"

As True Monarch Chihua spoke, he took out a sword-shaped token.

Yang Zhengshan was slightly taken aback when he saw the sword-shaped token, because he also had a token like that; it was the guest token of Hidden Sword Mountain.

So True Monarch Chihua was actually a guest elder of Hidden Sword Mountain!
With this token, the relationship between the two parties instantly improved considerably.

After putting away the token, True Monarch Chihua asked, "What do you want with me?"

"This junior is here on behalf of the Tianyun Sword Sect, and would like to invite you, senior, to join me in vying for a council seat in Zhenyang Immortal City!" Jian Changhe said.

"The Heavenly Cloud Sword Sect?" True Monarch Chihua looked puzzled.

"The Heavenly Cloud Sword Sect is a sect jointly established by Hidden Sword Mountain, Azure Feather Mountain, White Cloud Immortal City, and the Lingxiu Yang Family. The sect's founding ceremony was just completed yesterday!" Jian Changhe explained.

True Monarch Chihua looked at him in surprise, "A new sect? How come I haven't received any news about it!"

"Well, I don't really pay much attention to outside affairs, but it's quite interesting that you guys were able to jointly establish a sect!"

It is not an easy thing for several forces to unite and establish a sect.

Few Golden Core cultivators are willing to be subordinate to others, especially when there are several Golden Core cultivators involved, making it even more difficult to maintain a balance.

There are two main reasons why the Tianyun Sword Sect was able to be established so quickly.

One is the council seat of Zhenyang Immortal City, which gives everyone a common interest and allows them to reach an agreement on the alliance in a short time.

The second reason is that the forces surrounding the Yunxiao Mountains do not have deep foundations, and there is no so-called struggle for lineage.

Yang Zhengshan goes without saying; he himself lacks any moral principles. As long as it doesn't harm his own interests, he's willing to cooperate with others for mutual benefit.

Although Hidden Sword Mountain has some heritage, it is only the heritage left by True Lord Heavenly Sword. Its lineage is only passed down from True Lord Heavenly Sword, and there is no inviolable faith.

Baiyun Zhenjun also came from a humble background, and the Baiyun lineage he established was naturally under his own control.

As for Que Lingyu, her situation is similar to that of Baiyun Zhenjun; she is in charge of her own affairs and can do whatever she wants as long as she is willing.

Therefore, when the four parties united to establish a sect, there were no disputes over the lineage of doctrines.

In contrast, many forces in the Wanhua Mountains find it difficult to unite. The Xiaxian Sect, Huaxian Sect, and Nanhua Sect each have their own principles, and the three patriarchs themselves have many conflicts, so they naturally cannot unite.

"I wonder if you would be willing to join forces with my Tianyun Sword Sect?"

"Currently, True Yang Immortal City still has three council seats. Senior, you occupy one seat, and my Heavenly Cloud Sword Sect occupies two seats!"

"That's what Jian Changhe said."

True Monarch Chihua picked up the celadon bowl and took a sip. “Originally, I had no intention of interfering in True Yang Immortal City, but what you said has piqued my interest.”

Although the Huaxian Sect has a long history, it is not a large sect, with fewer than two hundred cultivators in total.

It can be said that the Huaxian Sect is somewhat weak and isolated, which is why True Monarch Chihua rarely participates in the struggles between various forces.

He didn't even show up when the Sun Cave Heaven fell, let alone go to compete for the benefits of the Sun Giant Mountain.

"With Fairy Lingyu and Fellow Daoist Baiyun here, it's not unreasonable for us to compete for this seat!"

True Lord Chihua put down the celadon bowl in his hand and said, "I agree to this!"

Without hesitation, he readily agreed.

Not competing isn't because I don't want it, it's just because I'm not confident.

Now that the Tianyun Sword Sect has taken the initiative to form an alliance, he doesn't mind giving it a shot.

Of course, he was also doing it out of respect for Jian Changhe.

The three then discussed the matter of vying for a council seat. In reality, they didn't discuss anything in particular, but agreed to go to Zhenyang Immortal City together five days later to negotiate with Wanhua Demon Court.

Whether this matter can be accomplished depends on the attitude of the Wanhua Demon Court, since the True Yang Immortal City is led by the Wanhua Demon Court.

An hour later, Jian Changhe took his leave and left the Huaxian Sect with Yang Zhengshan.

True Lord Chihua personally escorted them out of the mountain gate and watched them enter the Great Void.

In the vast emptiness, the two walked side by side.

Yang Zhengshan laughed and said, "This True Lord Chihua is quite a remarkable person!"

Jian Changhe said, "He's a genius, just like you!"

"A genius?" Yang Zhengshan asked in surprise.

"Ok!"

"Am I a genius?"

"I reached the Core Formation age of 240, you reached it at 150. Would you call yourself a genius?"

"Okay, I didn't expect you to think I'm a genius!" Yang Zhengshan felt that he should be considered a blessed and chosen one, but he certainly wouldn't say that out loud.

Jian Changhe continued, "Do you know how old True Monarch Chihua was when he formed his core?"

"How old?"

"Ninety-nine years old!"

Yang Zhengshan was utterly astonished, "Ninety-nine years old?"

“That’s right. True Monarch Chihua started cultivating at the age of ten, reached the Foundation Establishment stage at thirty-six, and formed the Core at ninety-nine. Although his cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core stage, his understanding of the divine arts has reached the great perfection!” Jian Changhe said.

Yang Zhengshan silently calculated that Yang Jizhen, Ma Qiuyan, Cui Yang, Ning Yun, and others all seemed to have reached the Foundation Establishment stage around the age of sixty.

Li Jianing and Li Jianan were both quite talented, but they didn't complete their Foundation Establishment until they were over sixty years old.

Yang Zongyuan has the greatest talent, but he is now fifty-five years old and is preparing to establish his foundation.

The difference is enormous.

As for achieving Core Formation at ninety-nine, forget about it. Yang Zhengshan would be quite satisfied if they could cultivate to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before the age of one hundred.

"He truly is a chosen one!" Yang Zhengshan thought to himself.

"Otherwise, why do you think Heavenly Sword True Monarch would be willing to be his protector?" Jian Changhe chuckled.

Yang Zhengshan was taken aback. "You know that Heavenly Sword True Monarch is his protector?"

Jian Changhe said, "Yes, Senior Que Lingyu told me about it before I came."

Yang Zhengshan said somewhat strangely, "Then what did you just do?"

However, before he could finish speaking, he understood why Jian Changhe was pretending not to know.

The kindness of protecting one's path is no less than the kindness of passing on one's teachings. Such kindness should not be easily mentioned, especially for a powerful Golden Core cultivator.

Besides, it was Heavenly Sword True Lord who bestowed the favor back then, and Heavenly Sword True Lord has long since ascended to immortality.

This favor can now only be considered a personal debt.

Even if True Lord Chihua doesn't acknowledge it, there's nothing wrong with that, since he owes True Lord Tianjian a debt of gratitude, not Hidden Sword Mountain.

Just as Yang Zhengshan was thinking about all this nonsense, Jian Changhe suddenly transmitted his voice and said, "Is someone following us?"

Yang Zhengshan's heart tightened, and his spiritual sense immediately spread out.

They were in the Great Void, and in a Great Void far from the void itself. Under such circumstances, no one should have been able to discover them.

As Yang Zhengshan spread his spiritual senses, he indeed discovered a trace of energy fluctuation behind him. Although this trace of energy was well hidden, he could still sense it.

“It wasn’t a chance encounter; he’s been following us!” Jian Changhe said again.

Golden Core cultivators are not as common as cabbages, and the Void Realm is not a single path that you can just stumble upon whenever you want.

The probability of two Golden Core cultivators accidentally meeting in the Great Void is lower than the probability of two snowflakes being exactly the same.

It's not that it's absolutely impossible, but it's almost impossible.

Yang Zhengshan sensed it carefully and said, "It has been following us since we entered the Great Void!"

Since the other party was able to follow them, they must have been following them from the beginning; it was impossible for them to catch up with them halfway through.

It's likely that the other party was already waiting in the Void, and they were followed as soon as they entered the Void.

"What should we do? Run or stop and ask?" Jian Changhe asked.

Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment and said, "Let's just pretend we didn't notice!"

The other party probably wasn't after them, but rather had their eyes on the Huaxian Sect.

Because they came without anyone with them.

Since the other party's target is the Huaxian Sect, there's no need for them to cause trouble. They should wait until they return to Baiyun Immortal City before making any decisions.

The two continued to communicate using their spiritual senses while continuing their journey.

They originally thought this person wouldn't show up, but they didn't expect him to make a move without any warning.

A bird-like beast covered in scales suddenly appeared, its golden claws striking directly at Yang Zhengshan and Jian Changhe.

"Monster clan?"

Yang Zhengshan was shocked and quickly dodged.

"wrong!"

As soon as he broke free from the sharp claws of the birds and beasts, he felt a strong sense of urgency rising in his heart.

Without any hesitation, his figure transformed into a streak of light, swiftly traversing the empty void.

Just as he dodged, a square seal crashed down.

A deafening boom echoed through the void, unleashing a powerful and overwhelming pressure that caused Yang Zhengshan to feel a sudden heaviness in his body and a sharp pain coursing through his flesh.

Yang Zhengshan turned his attention to check his body and was shocked to find that his physical body was showing signs of collapse.

The Golden Core Dao Body has long since transcended the limitations of the mortal body; it is a primordial body formed by the tempering and fusion of spiritual power and physical form.

The skin was not ordinary flesh and blood, but rather like solidified jade wrapped in a layer of pale golden spiritual light, warm to the touch yet as hard as refined steel. There were no distinct veins or lines beneath the skin, but spiritual energy flowed through the muscles like a stream, and it appeared as if pale blue light patterns were slowly flowing beneath the skin, which were the marks of the fusion of flesh and blood with spiritual energy.

The bones were no longer ordinary calcium bones, but had transformed into "Daoist bones," milky white in color with a subtle jade-like luster. The cross-section did not reveal bone marrow, but instead showed intricate spiritual energy runes flowing within. Every inch of the bones had become a vessel for nurturing spiritual energy.

The five viscera and six bowels are not physical organs, but rather five "spiritual palaces": the heart palace is like a hanging pearl, shining brightly, housing the spirit; the liver palace is like jade, containing the spiritual power of wood; the lung palace is like white glass, drawing in the pure energy of heaven and earth with each breath; the kidney palace is dark in color, deep and still, storing the primordial true energy; the spleen palace is like a yellow jade plate, circulating the spiritual energy throughout the body. There are no channels connecting the five palaces; they rely entirely on the invisible flow of spiritual energy, forming a unified whole, with no visible boundaries between the organs.

The twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians of the mortal body have long since disappeared, transforming into three hundred and sixty "spiritual meridians" that flow like a starry river within the body cavity. They have no fixed direction and adjust themselves according to the circulation of spiritual energy.

This kind of Dao body is not only a physical body, but also a reservoir of spiritual energy, and a manifestation of the Dao principles. Without the need for deliberate cultivation, a faint Dao aura surrounds the body. When injured, it does not bleed, but only releases a few wisps of spiritual energy; when fasting, it does not feel hungry, relying entirely on the spiritual reservoir to transform the essence of heaven and earth.

The attack just now did not directly hit Yang Zhengshan, but it still caused considerable damage to Yang Zhengshan's Dao body, causing many cracks to appear in his body and leaking wisps of spiritual energy.

Yang Zhengshan felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that he had encountered a powerful opponent.

His eyes flashed with a bluish-gray spiritual light, and a Tai Chi diagram of withering and flourishing emerged from behind him.

In an instant, a powerful aura appeared in his heart.

With a lifespan of 932 years, the consumption ratio is nearly seven to one.

It is only slightly weaker than the Old Ghost of the Underworld.

This person's aura is very special, possessing a powerful and substantial force.

"Who are you? Why did you ambush us?"

Yang Zhengshan spread his divine sense and said.

The man didn't attack immediately. Instead, he watched Yang Zhengshan from a distance and asked, "Who are you?"

"Yang Zhengshan of the Tianyun Sword Sect! Do you dare not state your name?" Yang Zhengshan provoked.

"Yang Zhengshan of the Tianyun Sword Sect? He's just an unknown nobody!"

The man let out a cold laugh, "Tell me, what are you doing at the Huaxian Sect?"

Yang Zhengshan's heart skipped a beat. Clearly, the other party was targeting the Huaxian Sect, and they had suffered an undeserved disaster.

Just then, a terrifying surge of sword intent suddenly erupted from afar; it was Jian Changhe fighting against that demonic beast.

The other party was not a single person, but a human and a demon.

A human and a demon duo?

Yang Zhengshan really didn't know who the other party was.

The opponent has a lifespan of over nine hundred years, while he has a lifespan of nearly three thousand years. Based on a seven-to-one consumption ratio, he can only consume over four hundred years of the opponent's lifespan.

It's obvious that supernatural powers alone won't be enough to kill the opponent, so we'll have to take a gamble!

Yang Zhengshan formed a hand seal, summoning the Divine Wood Cauldron and the Azure Wood Purple Lightning Sword.

"Those who hide their true colors are asking for death!"

Holding the Azure Wood Purple Lightning Sword, his inner power surged, and in an instant, thousands of thunderbolts rolled, the azure-purple lightning transforming into a rolling river that swept out.

Boom~~
The terrifying fluctuations of magical power stirred up vast waves in the void.

However, as the purplish-blue lightning approached the man, a square seal appeared before him, emanating a faint Daoist aura that actually blocked the river of lightning.

(End of this chapter)