Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 725 Ghostly Shadows in the Night
"Should we send someone to Lingxi Mountain to scout ahead first?"

Seeing that Xiang Feiying had been silent for a long time, Xiang Feihong couldn't help but make a suggestion.

Xiang Feiying pondered for a moment and said, "Then let Fei Ye go! Also, send someone to investigate the origins of these people."

"Yes!" Xiang Feihong replied.

Xiang Feiying gripped the jade pendant in his hand and continued, "The matter of Lingxi Mountain is not urgent. It doesn't matter if it takes a while. But Lin'er's matter cannot be delayed any longer. Tomorrow, take the pills to Xuanqing Sect to help him break through as soon as possible!"

Hearing this, Xiang Feihong smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother, I'll make the arrangements right away. I'll go to Xuanqing Sect tomorrow."

Xiang Feiying's expression also relaxed. "If Lin'er can break through before next year, he will be an inner disciple of the Xuanqing Sect. In another twenty or thirty years, he will be an inner deacon of the Xuanqing Sect, which can guarantee the prosperity of our Xiang family for a hundred years!"

"This matter is of utmost importance to the Xiang family, so you must give Lin'er a good talking-to."

The Xuanqing Sect is divided into inner and outer sects. Outer sect disciples who break through to the Innate Realm before the age of thirty can enter the inner sect. Those who do not break through to the Innate Realm before the age of forty will be expelled from the sect. If they break through between the ages of thirty and forty, they can become outer sect stewards and manage the sect's external affairs.

In the Xuanqing Sect, there is a world of difference between inner and outer disciples. If an outer disciple cannot enter the inner sect, he will eventually become nothing more than a steward doing odd jobs, while even the worst inner disciple will still be a steward with authority.

An inner sect steward of the Xuanqing Sect can protect a family for a hundred years and also bring countless benefits to the family.

For the Xiang family, having an inner disciple of the Xuanqing Sect was an immense blessing; compared to that, Lingxi Mountain was merely a minor matter.

……

The mountain wind at midnight carried the smell of rust, causing the bronze horses and iron beasts on the eaves to clang and rattle. The upturned eaves were bathed in moonlight, turning them bluish-gray. The gnarled branches of the old plum tree in the courtyard pierced the moon, and the cold moonlight shone through the thin window paper onto the bluestone floor inside the room.

Li Chang, who was meditating with his eyes closed on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes, held his breath, and listened carefully to the sounds outside the window.

The night was deep, and the mountain wind wandered through the mountains like a ghost, rustling through the treetops.

Li Chang reached out and placed his hand on the hilt of the knife beside him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, his figure silently floated from the bed to the front of the house.

Outside the window, the cool moonlight, like a thin veil, gently spread across the courtyard, casting a hazy and cool hue over everything in the world.

In the moonlight, as clear as water, a blurry, indistinct shadow quietly emerged, as if it had drifted out from the depths of the night.

He wandered around the windows of each house, without entering the rooms, but simply stood outside, listening to the sounds coming from inside.

His movements were so light that they made no sound at all; if you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even be able to see the extremely blurry shadow.

The reason Li Chang was able to discover his presence was not because he made any noise, but because there was an extra heartbeat in the courtyard.

The newcomer could cover up all other sounds, but he could not cover up the sound of his heartbeat.

Even though his heartbeat was very steady, it still didn't escape Li Chang's ears.

The shadow had already reached the opposite room, and Li Chang observed its every move through the crack in the door.

Suddenly, just as the shadow swept past the door of the opposite room, a pale blade pierced through the door with a bang, and the door shattered as the blade transformed into a solid beam of light that slashed down.

The shadow reacted swiftly; the instant the blade appeared, he retreated more than ten feet like an invisible mountain breeze, dodging the pale blade.

With another bang, Li Chang burst through the door and rushed out, his blade flashing like a bolt of lightning.

However, the blurry, indistinct shadow reacted even more astonishingly. Almost at the same instant the blade flashed, it seemed to be suddenly lifted up by an invisible yet powerful force, so fast that it was almost impossible for the eye to catch it.

His movements were so light and graceful, like a true ghost from legend, that he floated into the air without warning. His feet didn't even touch the ground before he was already in mid-air. His movements were fluid and unpredictable, without the slightest hesitation, and he exuded an aura of mystery.

Its rising posture was like a wisp of smoke swept up by a gale, ethereal and illusory.

This caused Li Chang's fierce attack to miss its mark instantly; the blade merely grazed the spot where the shadow had just been, leaving only a whistling sound as it passed by.

Li Chang's eyes narrowed sharply, his heart filled with astonishment. This person's movement technique was truly bizarre.

However, his surprise was only momentary. The next moment, he and Wang Lei seemed to be of one mind, responding to each other and cooperating tacitly.

They moved, shifted, and slashed around that shadow.

However, the figure appeared and disappeared in the night, and no matter how fierce their attacks were, they all landed on empty air.

Li Chang and Wang Lei's strength goes without saying. They have been at the Innate Realm for over a decade, and their martial arts skills are the result of countless battles, making them incredibly powerful.

However, in the face of this mysterious figure, they seemed to have instantly lost their former sharpness. Every move they made seemed to have been predicted in the eyes of the opponent, and could be easily dodged.

The two grew increasingly alarmed as they fought, some even wondering if they were battling a ghost.

This person is so strange; every move he makes is eerie, as if they are facing not a person, but a wisp of smoke or a gust of cold wind.

As his fighting intensified, the noise he generated also increased.

Lu Hua was also awakened, but he did not make a move; he simply stood under the eaves and watched quietly.

His long, narrow eyes revealed a solemn expression.

The difference is too obvious!

The man seemed to be toying with Li Chang and Wang Lei from beginning to end, constantly dodging their attacks without making a move.

Lu Hua glanced at the direction of the main house, which remained quiet and still, without any movement, so he gave up his plan to go and intervene.

His strength is not as good as Wang Lei and Li Chang, and he has no tacit understanding with Wang Lei and Li Chang. If he makes a rash move, he may get in the way.

Inside the main room, Yang Zhengshan was actually standing by the window, coldly watching the battle outside.

When Wang Lei burst out of the door, he had already returned from the Spirit Source Land. He had witnessed every move the two made in their attack on the blurry figure.

He knew Wang Lei and Li Chang's strength all too well, and he also discerned something about this unexpected stranger.

The opponent's figure was very blurry. Under the siege of Wang Lei and Li Chang, the opponent's figure was still a dark blur. His face, his figure, and even his clothes could not be seen. Only a blurry figure could be seen.

Clearly, this is a primordial martial artist who has cultivated spiritual techniques.

His cultivation level should also be at the Qi Sea Realm, but because he cultivated spirituality, his fighting style looks particularly strange.

What kind of spiritual power can have such an effect?

Yang Zhengshan lowered his eyes slightly, thinking about the cultivation techniques he had seen in the Wanfa Pavilion.

People are like ghosts, always following you like a shadow!
For a moment, he really couldn't figure out what kind of cultivation technique it was, mainly because he hadn't seen many cultivation techniques before, and he had only seen the name and a simple introduction in the Myriad Laws Pavilion.

Time ticked by, and the figure moved like a ghost between Li Chang and Wang Lei's attacks, playfully dodging one fatal blow after another.

After about fifteen minutes, the man seemed to have had enough fun. He gracefully leaped onto the roof and instantly drifted away into the distance, leaving only a blurry silhouette that gradually faded into the distance.

Wang Lei and Li Chang were filled with anger, their eyes burning with resentment, yet also filled with helplessness, as they watched helplessly as the figure gradually disappeared under the cold moonlight, until it was completely hidden in the thick darkness of the night.

The two were filled with resentment, yet they had no choice but to accept this powerless reality. A moment later, they dragged their slightly weary bodies back to the front of the main house, stood in neat rows, their faces filled with guilt and self-reproach, and pleaded in unison, "Your subordinates are incompetent; please punish us, Master!"

The voice carried a hint of frustration and annoyance, sounding particularly clear in the quiet night.

Inside, Yang Zhengshan heard the sound and slowly opened the door. The cool moonlight poured into the room, illuminating his composed face. He looked calmly at the two of them and asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

Li Chang frowned slightly, a hint of frustration in his voice, and answered truthfully, "I feel a bit helpless!"

Wang Lei quickly chimed in, his face full of resentment: "Yeah, that person's movements were extremely strange. I almost struck him several times, but each time I missed."

At this moment, Lü Hua strolled over thoughtfully, his brows furrowed as if he were sorting through the details of what had just happened. He muttered to himself, "Such a technique must have limitations! Such a miraculous movement technique, if it were without any flaws, would be truly illogical."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard lightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, and said unhurriedly, "Did you notice his shadow?"

"Shadow?" Upon hearing this, Wang Lei and Li Chang exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with doubt, before simultaneously shaking their heads.

Their attention was completely drawn to the ghostly movements of that figure, and they hadn't noticed anything unusual about the other person's shadow.

"His shadow is more complete than his body; this must be a technique related to shadows!"

Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment and continued, "Perhaps you've been fighting against his shadow all along!"

This was just his guess, but he felt that the guess might be true.

“Possibly!” Lu Hua nodded. “Patriarch, is that person's cultivation level at the Qi Sea stage?”

"Hmm!" Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

Lu Hua looked at Yang Zhengshan and said in a low voice, "Can the patriarch catch him?"

Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "I don't know. I haven't figured out how to break his technique yet!"

Lu Hua took a deep breath. "It seems we need to be more cautious in our actions from now on!"

These days he has gained a deep understanding of many things about the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, but he still feels very ignorant.

"Yes, caution is good, but there's no need to be so hesitant!"

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand and said.

Although the person was strange, he wasn't so strange that the man felt helpless.

Ultimately, that person's cultivation level was only at the Qi Sea stage, while he had already entered the Earthly Fiend stage.

Even a difference of one minor realm is enough for him to suppress his opponent.

"Go to sleep, everyone. We can talk about it tomorrow!"

After saying that, Yang Zhengshan closed the door.

They did not discuss the man's identity or background, because there was no need to.

They were new to this place and had no connection with the local people or forces, so the other party was definitely not targeting them.

The other party was probably targeting the Yang family of Lingxi. The Yang family of Lingxi didn't have many enemies, and probably only the Xiang family of Nanqing would have the mind to come and investigate.

Back at Lingquan Mountain, Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.

The Xiang family of Nanqing is a problem; we need to find a way to resolve it!

But they really have a hard time dealing with the Xiang family in Nanqing right now.

Although the Xiang family of Nanqing is only a small family in the Lingxiu Sea, they are considered a formidable enemy in their eyes.

This can only be done slowly; we can't rush it.

Fortunately, the Xiang family of Nanqing only sent people to investigate the situation this time, and did not take direct action.

"They're also wary of me? That makes sense. We're just a small family. We have to be careful in the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty. We can't just attack a group of strangers!"

"This matter can probably be delayed for a few more days!"

Thinking of this, Yang Zhengshan went to the courtyard, sat down next to Yu Qingyi, and began to cultivate.

the next morning.

Yang Zhengshan took Lü Hua away from Lingxi Mountain. The two did not go anywhere else, but came to the forest north of Lingxi Mountain.

"Meet the master!"

In the mountains and forests, Chen Zhongshu and his three guards had been waiting for a long time.

The thirty-odd sailors and guards he brought with him have now become spies in Chen Zhongshu's hands, and they have been gathering information from all sides these days.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work!" Yang Zhengshan said with a smile.

Chen Zhongshu smiled and said, "What's so hard about this? Hehe, only after coming here did I realize that we were just frogs in a well before!"

After arriving at the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, Chen Zhongshu changed a lot, becoming more cheerful and no longer as depressed as before.

Perhaps because he witnessed the prosperity and wonder of the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty, he let go of his past attachment to Darong and began to pursue new goals.

Yang Zhengshan laughed and said, "I'm glad you don't mind the extra work!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and three figures immediately appeared beside him.

It was none other than Zhou Tianci, An Yuxing, and Liang Shengze.

As soon as the three appeared, they began to look around at their surroundings.

"Is this the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty? Where is the sea?" An Yuxing shook his head, looking around.

Yang Zhengshan had told them about the situation here, and of course, he had given them prior instructions before asking them to come over today.

"The sea is over there, and it's not a place we can go right now!" Yang Zhengshan pointed to the southeast and laughed.

“I see. It doesn’t look special at all!” An Yuxing said.

"There are so many special things about it, you'll find out later!"

Yang Zhengshan said, "Let's get down to business first. This matter concerns whether we can obtain more cultivation techniques, so you can't let me down!"

Zhou Tianci smiled and said, "Don't worry, we know how important this is!"

(End of this chapter)