Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1120 The Way of Life and Death, Halfway to the Dao

His often-absent eyes were like an abyss, dark and unfathomable.

He looked at Zhong Mingshou and asked in a distant voice, "Has there been a conclusion regarding Xiang Yuan's death?"

Zhong Mingshou's voice was somewhat hoarse, "Reporting to the Island Lord, we have confirmed that the force that attacked the Yellow Springs Palace is the Yang family of Yunxiao."

Knowing that Chang Zaibu probably didn't know what kind of power the Yunxiao Yang family was, he continued to explain: "Yang Zhengshan, the head of the Yunxiao Yang family, obtained an opportunity in the Sun Cave Heaven a hundred years ago, successfully formed his core, and embarked on the path of the Golden Core. Afterwards, Yang Zhengshan, together with True Monarch Baiyun, Jian Changhe, the master of Cangjian Mountain, and Que Lingyu, the demon king of Cangyu Mountain, established the Tianyun Sword Sect!"

"In the battle of Zhenyang Immortal City, the Tianyun Sword Sect suffered a crushing defeat. Baiyun Zhenjun was killed by An Wusheng, and the Tianyun Sword Sect was disbanded as a result."

"However, when the Soul Control Hall attacked the Cloud Mountain Range, Huang Quan led his army to attack the Yang Family's blessed land, but was met with a counterattack from the Yang Family. Huang Quan disappeared, and the Yin Ghost Army of the Huang Quan Hall was routed!"

"It seems that the Yang family's attack on the Yellow Springs Palace was their revenge!"

Zhong Mingshou briefly recounted the rise of the Yang family and the grudges and entanglements between the Yang family and the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

After listening, Chang remained calm and asked in a flat tone, "So how strong is the Yunxiao Yang family now?"

Zhong Mingshou glanced at the Soul Maiden beside him and said in a deep voice, "According to the investigation, there were a total of three Golden Core cultivators who attacked the Yellow Springs Palace. One of them had also joined the Heavenly Cloud Sword Sect and was a sword cultivator named Yunxiao."

"The other two are relatively unfamiliar. One of them once defeated the army of Yin ghosts from the Yellow Springs Palace outside the Yang Family Blessed Land, but we did not find much information about him."

"As for the last one, he should have just recently formed his core. His specific identity still needs to be investigated in detail."

"Furthermore, the Yang family has mobilized over a thousand divine generals this time. These divine generals are all Yin spirits, possessing strength comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators and ghost generals. However, unlike ghost cultivators, their auras are extremely peaceful!"

Chang Buzai's expression shifted slightly. "A divine general, a golden-armored divine general?"

"Yes!"

"That's the Yang God Technique! I never imagined there was such a thing as the Yang God Technique in this world!" Chang Buzai exclaimed.

"The Yang God Method, what is that?" Zhong Mingshou asked, puzzled.

Chang Buzai explained, "What you cultivate is the Yin Spirit Method, which leans towards the Yin attribute. The corresponding method is the Yang Spirit Method."

"Both of these methods of cultivating the soul originated in the ancient times 100,000 years ago and were created by the Soul Dao Master."

"The two are only different in attributes; there is no significant difference in their essence."

Whether it's the Eight Great Divine Incantations or the Divine General Chessboard, they were actually passed down from the Divine Soul Dao Master 100,000 years ago. It could even be said that the path of ghost cultivation was created by the Divine Soul Dao Master.

Of course, the current Eight Great Divine Incantations and Divine General Chessboard are quite different from the Yang God Method created by the Divine Soul Dao Master. They are cultivation methods that have been improved by countless predecessors over 100,000 years.

The Wanhua Domain is a realm with a long history, so there are many magical cultivation techniques in this world. Although these techniques are not well-known, they all have a very deep foundation.

Once someone cultivates these techniques to the Golden Core stage, they will shine brightly.

The Eight Great Divine Incantations have a very long history and were not created by the Divine Soul Dao Master. The original Divine Soul Dao Master merely created his own path based on the foundation laid by his predecessors.

Chang did not elaborate on these points because they were not important.

What limits the development of a faction is never its cultivation techniques, but its resources.

There are no supernatural techniques or secret methods in this world that can suppress everything; there are only powerful people and forces built up from countless resources.

"Since this Yang family is so fond of causing trouble, then find them and wipe them out!" Chang Buzai calmly ordered.

The Yang family is just a small family; they're not worth his attention.

Despite the losses suffered by the Impermanent Ghost Sect in the Wanhua and Yunxiao Mountains over the years, these losses have not yet crippled the sect.

The true strength of the Impermanent Ghost Sect lies not in a few Golden Core cultivators, but in its endless sea of ​​corpses and mysterious Ghost Island.

Even the sect leader, Chang Buzai, wasn't entirely sure how many ghost soldiers were in the Sea of ​​Corpses, nor how many unknown old ghosts were hidden on Ghost Island.

It's not that he doesn't pay attention to these things because he's not around, but rather that some things have existed for much longer than him, having not appeared in the world for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

"Yes!" Soul Princess replied.

Ghost Island doesn't have many channels to the outside world, and the Soul-Hooking Hall is considered the intelligence agency of the Impermanent Ghost Sect. A lot of intelligence information is collected by the Soul-Hooking Hall.

This search for the Yang family's location became the mission of the Soul-Hooking Hall.

……

At this time, Yang Zhengshan was unaware that the Yang family had already attracted the attention of the Wuchang Ghost Sect. Previously, the Wuchang Ghost Sect had not taken the Yang family seriously. Whether it was Yang Zhengshan in the Tianyun Sword Sect or Yang Zhengshan killing Huangquan Old Ancestor, the higher-ups of the Wuchang Ghost Sect did not take the Yang family seriously.

But things are different now. Chang has taken notice of the Yang family and has even ordered their annihilation.

It wouldn't be difficult for the Impermanent Ghost Sect to find the Yang family. Although Yang Zhengshan placed the entrance to his grotto in Chunyang Valley, the Spirit Source Land still left many traces outside.

For example, in trade with the Hengshan Sect, as long as someone pays attention to this, it is still easy to find Chunyang Valley by following the trade fleet.

Bai Yujing was unaware of these things at the time, so they did not take any precautions.

Yang Zhengshan is still in seclusion. He has been in seclusion for ten years and shows no sign of waking up from his enlightenment.

In the quiet room, Yang Zhengshan remained seated cross-legged on the cushion, his eyes closed, his face calm, and his breathing even without any fluctuation.

If people didn't know he was there, they might have ignored his presence when they entered the quiet room.

He sat there for ten years, his mind completely immersed in the Dao, unable to extricate himself.

Time passed slowly, leaving no trace on him.

Three more years have passed.

A subtle fluctuation finally appeared in his aura.

"Be neither arrogant in times of glory nor sad in times of decline; this is the natural course of life and death."

"Observing the plants wither and die each year, one can understand that life and death are not an endless cycle, but rather a cycle."

"I do not seek immortality, but rather the absence of birth and death; I do not avoid death and annihilation, but rather the obsession with delusion. The Way is within life and death, not outside of life and death."

"To forget life and death, and to roam with the Dao, is to achieve immortality."

Yang Zhengshan's mind was filled with profound and mysterious Daoist principles. He gradually came to understand and comprehend these principles.

He had long ago developed his own insights into the Dao and found some patterns that suited him.

At this moment, he comprehended the control of life force, but the essence of the control of life force is still the way of life and death.

He comprehended the way of life and death that life force controls, and sought to find a point of convergence with the way of flourishing and decay.

He pondered his understanding of the way of life and death, and recalled his previous understanding of the way of flourishing and decay, verifying each other.

"The Tao has no beginning or end, but things have life and death. Life is not the beginning, death is not the end, like a ring without end, like the changing of the four seasons. He who knows the beginning and the end does not delight in life, nor does he fear death, but follows the natural order and travels with the Tao. Even heaven and earth cannot last long, how much less can man? Only by being with the Tao can one attain eternity."

"Whether it's the way of flourishing and decay or the control of life force, their essence is the way of life and death!"

"Life and death are the traces of the Dao; the Dao is the root of life and death. Guard the One and forget the Two, see the Dao and forget life and death. Unite your heart with the Dao, and let the Dao govern life and death. Even if you are in the midst of life and death, it is as if you are in a land of nothingness. This is the Dao of life and death, and also the Dao of longevity." In an instant, Yang Zhengshan seemed to have grasped something, and countless flashes of inspiration appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

In an instant, the Tai Chi diagram of withering and flourishing reappeared behind him, with the cyan and gray yin-yang fish slowly rotating, emanating the aura of withering and flourishing.

However, not long after, the Tai Chi diagram underwent some changes.

The cyan radiance slowly faded, and pure white light continued to spread, gradually engulfing the cyan radiance—no, not engulfing, but more accurately assimilating it.

The gray color deepened, turning from grayish-white to jet black, and the aura of the Tai Chi symbol became more subtle, mysterious, and unfathomable.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Zhengshan's aura also changed, from calm and still to emanating a slight fluctuation. The fluctuation was not strong, but it contained a terrifying quality that made people afraid to look directly at him.

A faint ripple echoed within the quiet room. After a moment, this ripple broke through the array within the room and spread outwards.

The array could not stop the fluctuations emanating from him, spreading from the meditation room to the entire Hall of Longevity, then to the entire Immortal Palace, and even to every corner of the Immortal Palace of Life.

These fluctuations were not strong, but rather subtle. Most people did not perceive these inexplicable fluctuations, but some did sense something was amiss.

Inside the Spirit Deer Palace, Yueyao looked up in surprise, sensing the unusual fluctuations with some confusion.

"what is this?"

"strangeness!"

She reached out as if to grab something, but wisps of spiritual energy brushed past her fingertips, and she grasped nothing.

Inside the Green Ox Palace, the Green Ox Demon King awoke from his slumber, his face filled with bewilderment.

"What happened?"

He looked at the fertilized plant in his arms, then at his surroundings, still looking completely bewildered.

Inside the Wuzhen Dao Palace, Xuanzhen, who was transforming into a divine general, also looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression. He seemed to sense an unusual fluctuation of energy, but this fluctuation was very subtle, which made him wonder if he had sensed something wrong.

Several Golden Core cultivators noticed it, but none of them could determine what the fluctuation was or where it came from. So they were only puzzled for a moment before putting the matter aside, since the fluctuation did not cause any problems.

But they didn't know that their every move was being observed by Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan's soul had already connected with the Twelve Golden Crystal Lotuses. The invisible and mysterious Dao intent infected the Twelve Golden Crystal Lotuses, allowing Yang Zhengshan to perceive the entire Immortal Palace of Life.

It was as if he were looking down on the entire Celestial Realm from God's perspective.

All life and spirits of the Celestial Realm were manifested in his mind.

"Is this the path to enlightenment?"

Yang Zhengshan found this experience quite novel.

"To unite one's heart with the Dao, to let the Dao govern life and death, and to roam with the Dao—this is called immortality. So that's how it is!"

His heart trembled with excitement, and his soul leaped with joy.

The twelve golden lotuses seemed to be cheering and trembling as well.

The Celestial Palace of the Living Beings seemed to be cheering and trembling as well.

A faint halo of light was embedded in the sky, intertwining with the sunlight, a joyful sound emanating from the celestial palace of the living world.

"It's a pity you've only taken a half-step into the Dao!"

Yang Zhengshan's lips unconsciously curled up.

Even taking a half-step into the Dao is still entering the Dao!

He actually stepped from the minor achievement of Daoist understanding to the level of entering the Dao, touching the threshold of entering the Dao.

This step transcended the transition from the Great Completion of Dao Intent to the Perfection of Dao Intent, far exceeding his expectations.

And what caused all of this was the evergreen bamboo staff, the instrument of power.

The evergreen bamboo staff contains the divine power of controlling life force, and its essence is still the way of life and death. This way of life and death is exactly in line with Yang Zhengshan's Dao of withering and flourishing.

Originally, Yang Zhengshan was more skilled in the Dao of the Great Void, but now he has surpassed Yang Zhengshan in the Dao of Life and Death, which greatly surprised Yang Zhengshan and far exceeded his expectations.

In the quiet room, Yang Zhengshan let out a heavy breath and slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were one black and one white, the white bright and the black dark, but they didn't give people a strange feeling; instead, they were filled with a kind of harmony.

That is life and death, yin and yang, and of course, the cycle of flourishing and decay.

The Dao of Withering and Flourishing has been elevated to the Dao of Life and Death, and Yang Zhengshan has reached the level of half-stepping into the Dao through the Dao of Life and Death.

His cultivation level is still at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, but his soul realm has reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. He may not be as good as those veteran half-step Dao experts now, but most peak Golden Core beings should not be his match.

The way of life and death is to control life and death, not only one's own life and death, but also the life and death of others.

Its ability is actually not much different from the previous Withering and Flourishing Divine Power, except that when Yang Zhengshan uses the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power, the lifespan he consumes will be greatly reduced.

At the same time, Yang Zhengshan's understanding of life and death made him more sensitive to vitality, life, the dead, and the spirits.

Everything related to life and death will be subject to his perception.

Yang Zhengshan gently stroked the evergreen bamboo staff in front of him, and said with a smile, "This is an artifact for longevity!"

He entered the path through the evergreen bamboo staff, and the evergreen bamboo staff will also be elevated because of him.

It has been elevated from a tool of authority to a sacred treasure.

The weapon of authority is a special existence, existing between a spiritual weapon and a spiritual treasure. Because it lacks a spirit, it is inferior to a spiritual treasure, but it is formed from the will of heaven and earth, and therefore possesses great power.

Outsiders who want to control it must pay a huge price, namely, their lifespan.

Yang Zhengshan used the Evergreen Bamboo Staff to enter the Dao and comprehend the Dao of Life and Death. At the same time, the Evergreen Bamboo Staff also obtained the resources of the Dao of Life and Death, broke free from the shackles of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and was promoted to a spiritual treasure.

Although this would diminish the power of the Evergreen Bamboo Staff, it would allow Yang Zhengshan to wield it at will.

"But isn't a cane inappropriate? I'm still very young and don't need a cane yet!"

Yang Zhengshan raised his bamboo cane, smiled, grasped the end of the cane, and flicked it gently.

In an instant, the bamboo staff shortened considerably, becoming only about two feet long. A tuft of silk thread emerged from the dragon's mouth at the head of the staff, transforming it into a whisk.

Yang Zhengshan draped the whisk over his arm, the snow-white silk threads hanging down to his knees.

"You are smart!"

The newly formed artifact spirit is still very immature, but it is uniquely blessed.

(End of this chapter)