Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 774 Return to Shenmu Island

To facilitate the use of the grotto-heaven portal, Yang Zhengshan specially ordered the construction of a reception hall outside Changshou City.

The Reception Hall is responsible for receiving people and supplies from outside the Spirit Source Land. It is guarded by the Dharma Protectors and coordinated by the External Affairs Hall.

Yang Zhengshan had also decided on the locations of the two entrances to the grotto-heavens.

A bridge was placed on Shenmu Island to serve as a communication channel between the spiritual source land and the vast sea and the Da'an Dynasty.

One of them was temporarily placed in the backyard of Yang Family Winery, mainly to facilitate the delivery of Lingyuan Land to other places for sale.

The reason for establishing a grotto-heaven portal on Shenmu Island was not because Yang Zhengshan was reluctant to give up the Yang family's foundation there, but because he wanted to gather geniuses from there in the future, especially those with spiritual apertures who could cultivate immortality.

Although the Great An Dynasty and the vast sea area are barren lands with thin spiritual energy and few spiritual objects, they have a large population. Even if only one in a million people possess spiritual apertures, there are still thousands of people there.

Yang Zhengshan felt it was better to search for geniuses with spiritual abilities from over there than to search for them here.

The people here might be involved with many forces and could cause trouble for the Spirit Origin Land. The people there have no future here, and their path of martial arts has been cut off. Once they come to the Spirit Origin Land, they should all follow the Spirit Origin Land to the end, with fewer factors and a lower chance of betrayal.

From all perspectives, it's still worthwhile to attract geniuses from there.

Especially after learning about the existence of the spiritual aperture, Yang Zhengshan felt that he should recruit talents from there.

People with spiritual abilities are extremely rare, perhaps one in 100,000. However, if a couple has spiritual abilities, their children have a high chance of also having spiritual abilities.

The chances are even higher if both the couple cultivate immortality.

If their cultivation levels are all above Foundation Establishment, then it is almost guaranteed that their children will all possess spiritual apertures.

However, regardless of whether one is a martial artist or a cultivator, the higher their cultivation level, the lower their chances of getting pregnant.

This was actually evident in the Yang family long ago. The children of the Yang family were basically born before their parents reached the Innate Realm. After they became Innate Realm martial artists, it became almost impossible for them to conceive again.

Yang Zhengshan and Yu Qingyi are both in good health, but over the years, they have only had one son, Yang Mingzhao.

Therefore, Yang Zhengshan hoped that the Yang family could recruit people with spiritual abilities. He sought out such people from the west of the Stormy Sea, brought them to the Spiritual Source Land, and arranged for them to marry and have children with the Yang family, thereby increasing the probability that the Yang family's descendants would possess spiritual abilities.

There might not be much difference in one or two generations, but after a dozen or so generations, a large number of immortal cultivators will emerge among the descendants of the Yang family, thus turning the Yang family into a major clan of immortal cultivators.

Yang Zhengshan's thinking was a bit far-fetched, but he had to consider the long-term implications.

Firstly, his soul has already merged with the core of the Spirit Source Land. As long as the Spirit Source Land is not destroyed, his soul will not perish. This can be considered a form of immortality.

Secondly, Yu Qingyi will inevitably become a Martial Immortal level expert in the future, with a lifespan of at least five hundred years. If possible, Yang Zhengshan will further extend Yu Qingyi's lifespan, and ideally, make Yu Qingyi immortal.

The couple's future is undoubtedly long, and the Yang family's future will surely reach new heights.

Therefore, it's never too much to consider things from a long-term perspective.

Even a dozen or so generations would only amount to a few hundred years.

Yang Zhengshan felt that it was not too early for him to be thinking about these things now.

After arranging the affairs of the cave entrance, Yang Zhengshan continued to devote himself to cultivation.

Time flies, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

After a period of painstaking cultivation, Yang Zhengshan finally nurtured his first Qinghua Thunder Pearl. The Qinghua Thunder Pearl was formed from the condensation of green qi in the liver palace, connecting the Niwan point above and the Yongquan point below. Driven by the divine soul, it can release "Yi Wood Divine Thunder", which combines the vitality of wood with the violence of thunder. It can both dispel evil and cure diseases, and also promote the growth of all things.

This is a one-time use spell. The longer it is nurtured, the greater its power. Once used, it needs to be nurtured for a long time before it can be used again.

For Yang Zhengshan, this was a trump card, a trump card that could save his life in a critical moment.

Therefore, Yang Zhengshan was willing to devote a great deal of time and energy to practicing this technique.

With his current cultivation level, this is the only technique in the "Azure Thunder Technique" that he can cultivate.

Yang Zhengshan's cultivation was busy and tedious; he was currently digesting the various benefits he had gained from the ancient remnant array.

Nurturing the Azure Thunder Pearl was just the beginning. As time went on, Yang Zhengshan continuously transformed the benefits he received from the ancient array into his own strength.

Another six months passed, and Yang Zhengshan had mastered the "Dongxu Refining Nerve" technique to the basic level.

Using the spiritual source as his grotto-heaven, Yang Zhengshan used the power of the grotto-heaven to hone his divine soul power. As he cultivated, he clearly felt his divine soul becoming stronger.

The most obvious manifestation of this is that the range of his spiritual consciousness is constantly expanding, from only a few dozen feet at the beginning to hundreds of feet.

After entering the path, Yang Zhengshan needs to comprehend the way of heaven and earth and nature.

This natural way of heaven and earth is not the true Great Way, but only refers to the incomplete rules of heaven and earth within the cave heaven that have not yet attained the Dao.

What Yang Zhengshan needs to do is not to truly comprehend these Dao principles. With his current cultivation and understanding, he is not capable of truly comprehending them. He only needs to gain some insight from them, that is, to know what it is but not why it is.

Simply put, he only needs to know how to use those natural principles; he doesn't need to understand the true principles of heaven and earth.

This was not a difficult task for Yang Zhengshan, because he possessed the Daoist Sacred Lotus.

The existence of the Dao Intent Sacred Lotus should be to help him better master this ability.

Of course, the so-called ease is only relative. Yang Zhengshan still needs to constantly comprehend and understand in order to master this ability. It may take decades or even hundreds of years, or he may only be able to do so after his cultivation level improves.

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was already the thirty-eighth year of Lingyuan.

If you count the days, Yang Zhengshan has been away from Shenmu Island for ten years.

Today, Shenmu Island is one of the most powerful forces in the vast sea area.

Although Yang Zhengshan took almost all the forces on Shenmu Island with him before leaving, a considerable amount of power was still preserved on the island.

With Yang Mingzhi and Jiang He personally overseeing the operation, along with the manpower left behind by numerous affiliated families, Shenmu Island still boasts over ten innate martial artists.

In recent years, Shenmu Island has also become a sacred place for cultivation for the Da'an Dynasty and the Dajing Dynasty. Many martial artists from Da'an and Dajing have come here to learn cultivation methods or to stay on Shenmu Island to cultivate.

Although Yang Zhengshan has left, Shenmu Island still possesses many advantages, the biggest of which is that Yang Zhengshan left behind a large amount of spiritual spring water on this island, turning it into a blessed land.

Perhaps this blessed land is just the most barren, lower-grade spiritual field, with a spiritual energy concentration even lower than that of Lingxi Mountain, but for the Great An Dynasty and the vast sea area, it is already an extremely rare blessed land.

Therefore, many innate martial artists have emerged on Shenmu Island in the past ten years.

With the development over the past decade, Shenmu Island has become increasingly prosperous, with a population of 300,000, making it one of the most prosperous sea areas and islands in the vast ocean.

Yang Mingzhi felt very unhappy about all of this.

On the shore of Wannian Lake, Yang Mingzhi lay in a rocking chair, holding a fishing rod and gazing at the shimmering lake surface.

It's been ten years!
Dad hasn't come back yet!
The eldest brother, the third brother, and the fourth brother have not returned either!
He felt like an abandoned left-behind child, spending his days in loneliness.

As he grew older, he lost his former drive, stopped wandering around, and stopped causing trouble. All he could do now was stay on Shenmu Island and wait for Yang Zhengshan's return.

Although he has now reached the peak of the Innate Realm and comprehended the Dao Intent of Wood, he still feels unhappy.

His peak in the Innate Realm is actually the peak in the Qi Sea stage. His wood-attribute Dao intent is the same as Yu Qingyi's before; it's simply about controlling plant growth.

But in this vast ocean, he is already the most outstanding being.

When Yang Zhengshan left, he said he would be back in seven or eight years, but ten years have passed now. "I wonder where they've gone. If they don't come back soon, I'm going to venture into the Stormy Seas too!"

Yang Mingzhi thought to himself.

Just then, Jiang He slowly walked over. At this moment, Jiang He was no longer the easily overlooked person he used to be.

His black hair was streaked with silver, and the deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes did not diminish his imposing presence. His face was rugged, his thin lips were tightly pressed together, and his eyes were deep and sharp, as if they could see through everything.

He wore a well-tailored robe, and his every move exuded the composure and authority of a superior.

Stay in your position and nourish your energy.

He has been in charge of Shenmu Island for more than 20 years and his cultivation has reached the peak of the Innate Realm. Although his strength is far inferior to Yang Mingzhi, he is still a well-known expert in the vast sea area.

You can no longer find that simple-minded look in him.

"Second brother!"

Jiang He sat down next to Yang Mingzhi and tossed him a pot of wine, saying, "This is the best pot of Drunken Immortal Brew!"

Yang Mingzhi took the wine jug, straightened up and swayed, "Alas, with Dad not here, we can't even have wine to drink!"

When Yang Zhengshan left, he left behind a lot of spirit wine, but ten years have passed and the wine he left behind has been completely consumed, with only a little left, which Jiang He hid away.

The two sat by the lake and soon finished the last pot of Drunken Immortal Wine.

“Qin Yuan has already broken through and is now consolidating his cultivation. In a few days, I will need you to give him some pointers!” Jiang He said.

Yang Qinyuan was the eldest grandson of the Yang family, that is, Yang Chengye's eldest son.

Yang Chengye reigned as Emperor Da'an for ten years before passing the throne to Yang Qinyuan. Yang Qinyuan, however, only reigned for seven years before using a breakthrough as an excuse to pass the throne to his eldest son, Yang Jijue.

However, considering his age, Yang Qinyuan is already forty-three years old. He has only just broken through to the Innate Realm, which is considered late in the Yang family.

Being an emperor does indeed interfere with one's cultivation.

"I understand. Just have him come find me then!"

Yang Mingzhi said nonchalantly.

Jiang He then said, "The Martial God Temple seems to be very dissatisfied with our control over maritime trade in the Gara Sea. They have been blocking our merchant ships for some time now. Should we deal with this?"

The Yang Family Trading Company is now one of the top trading companies in the Wanli Sea and the Jialuo Sea. Thanks to the convenience brought by the Da'an Dynasty, the Yang Family Trading Company's merchant ships now span almost the entire Wanli Sea and the Jialuo Sea, and even extend to the Canglan Sea in the south.

"Is Chai Wujie still in charge of the Martial God Temple?"

"Ok!"

"Has this old man gone senile? He actually dares to go against us?"

“I guess he was forced into a corner. Over the years, the Martial God Temple and the Great Yue Dynasty have been fighting each other, and the Martial God Temple is under a lot of pressure. Now that we control their maritime trade lifeline, they need more money to wage war against the Great Yue Dynasty, so naturally they hope that we will back down!” Jiang He explained.

Yang Mingzhi stroked his beard, frowned, and said, "What a nuisance!"

In fact, he didn't care much about the business of the Yang family's trading company. After all, Shenmu Island was not short of money at all. The amount of money on Shenmu Island had reached a terrifying number.

However, the Yang family's business supported hundreds of thousands of people, and Yang Mingzhi couldn't just ignore it.

"Let's see. If it really doesn't work, I'll go there myself!"

The Martial God Temple is no small force; if Shenmu Island wants to suppress it, Yang Mingzhi will need to take action personally.

Just as the two were talking, a small boat sped across the lake.

Yang Mingzhi and Jiang He both saw the small boat, and their eyes showed surprise.

This is where they rest. Generally, no one would dare to come here and disturb them. And even if someone needed to find them, they should come from Shenmu City behind them. Why did they rashly row over by boat?
Before the ship even got close, a joyful voice rang out.

"My lord, Third Master is back!"

Yang Mingzhi suddenly stood up, his figure flashing across the lake like a startled swan, and landed on the small boat.

"Who's back?"

He asked the soldier who came to deliver the message.

"Third Master is back, and so is Commander Luo! The ship is already docked in the harbor!" the soldier exclaimed excitedly.

Yang Mingzhi burst into laughter, incredibly excited, "Damn it, we're finally back!"

……

Soon, news of Yang Minghao's return spread throughout the entire Shenmu City.

Figures swept across the lake like birds in flight, while boats paddled swiftly as if powered by engines.

At the port, Yang Mingzhi looked at the burly Yang Minghao and punched him directly.

"Damn it, you guys actually know how to come back!"

Yang Minghao laughed heartily, "Second Brother, I've missed you so much!"

As he spoke, he gave Yang Mingzhi a bear hug.

A strange light flashed in Yang Mingzhi's eyes.

Although he didn't use his full strength in that punch, he still put in a lot of effort, yet it didn't even budge Yang Minghao.

"What level of cultivation have you reached?"

"Hehe, I'll tell you later! I guarantee you'll be very surprised!" Yang Minghao grinned.

"Brother-in-law!"

Then he gave Jiang He a bear hug.

Jiang He smiled gently and asked, "How are Father and Mother?"

"Everything is fine, everything is fine!"

Subsequently, Yang Chengye, Yang Chengyou, Yang Qinyuan and others arrived one after another. The family reunion naturally brought a lively atmosphere.

Yang Minghao felt that the pleasantries had been exchanged enough, and said, "Let the bystanders step back first, I'll go and fetch Father!"

"Dad's back too? Why didn't I see him come out?" Yang Mingzhi asked in surprise.

"Let them leave first!"

Yang Minghao did not explain, and Yang Mingzhi did not ask any more questions. He ordered his men to clear the port of all irrelevant people. In a short while, only the Yang family remained in the port.

(End of this chapter)