Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 866 Aren't you envious of me having a grotto-heaven?
In the cave.

Xuanzhen gazed at the surging pool of blood, his eyes filled with trepidation and worry.

At this moment, the blood pool was like a ferocious beast going mad, stirring up waves of blood that spread in all directions. The eerie aura filled the wide cave as if it were a tangible substance, and even the giant white bone pillar in the middle creaked, as if something was about to come to life.

Xuanzhen could not sense the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade, so he was unaware of the situation inside the blood pool. He could only see the surging scene before him, which made him extremely worried.

Just then, Yang Zhengshan suddenly appeared beside him, startling him.

"Who?"

“It’s me!” Yang Zhengshan said in a deep voice.

Xuanzhen looked Yang Zhengshan up and down; this was the first time he had seen Yang Zhengshan since they had made contact.

Although he had seen Yang Zhengshan in Yunyuan Valley last time, Yang Zhengshan was wearing a black robe and his face was covered, so he did not see Yang Zhengshan's appearance.

At this moment, Yang Zhengshan was dressed in a green pine robe and wore a jade crown. His face was square and ruddy, and he had a somewhat otherworldly and dignified air about him.

"You look more like a Taoist priest than I do!" Xuanzhen retorted.

"Hehe, I am now a real person too!" Yang Zhengshan chuckled.

"True Person" is undoubtedly a Taoist title, but in the cultivation world, anyone who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage can be called a True Person, regardless of whether they believe in Taoism or not.

"Let's go, this is not a place to stay for long!" Yang Zhengshan said.

"Wait, go deal with those small fry, I'll go get some things!" When Xuanzhen saw Yang Zhengshan appear, he knew that Yang Zhengshan had succeeded. He was not in a hurry and darted into the cave not far away like a fish.

Yang Zhengshan naturally wouldn't hold back. He unleashed his spiritual sense and, with a flash of movement, reaped these lives one by one.

There are many blood puppets here, but their strength is not yet at the Golden Body Realm. They must have been brought in by Mo Xuanyu to do odd jobs.

Yang Zhengshan dealt with them as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, killing most of the blood puppets in just a few breaths.

Whether these blood puppets are innocent or not is no longer relevant.

Because the blood puppets are no longer living people, they have been refined into blood corpse puppets by Mo Xuanyu, only retaining their consciousness and intelligence from their previous lives.

A moment later, Yang Zhengshan returned to the blood pool. The blood pool was still surging with blood waves and filled with vengeful spirits, as if countless ghosts were trapped in the blood pool, trying to break free.

Upon seeing this, Yang Zhengshan frowned slightly.

Xuanzhen also returned. He ignored Yang Zhengshan and flew forward, heading straight for the charred ancient scroll.

"What are you going to do?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

"Take these things with you, so that Mo Xuanyu won't use them to harm people again!" Xuanzhen explained, and directly put the ancient scroll into his storage bag.

But he still didn't stop. He actually ran to the three giant white bone pillars and wanted to put them into his storage bag as well.

"Come here, my storage bag can't hold it all!"

Xuanzhen tried it out and found that the storage bag couldn't hold the thing at all, so he could only say to Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment, then flew forward and with a wave of his hand, threw the giant white bone pillar directly into the northern region of the Spirit Source Land.

This thing is really evil. He didn't really want to touch it, but Xuanzhen was right. Leaving it here would only allow Mo Xuanyu to continue using it to harm people. It would be better to throw it into the Spirit Source Land first and deal with these things later.

The three giant white bone pillars disappeared, and a muffled rumbling sound suddenly echoed in the cave.

"This cave is about to collapse!" Yang Zhengshan arrived beside Xuanzhen, grabbed Xuanzhen, and disappeared.

The next instant, they appeared on the desolate mountain peaks in the northern part of the Spirit Source Land.

Xuanzhen was somewhat confused by this sudden change of location.

"This is where!"

He looked at the surrounding mountains and forests, and then at the alchemy furnace burning with golden flames not far away.

"My territory, the Land of Spiritual Origin!" Yang Zhengshan said with a faint smile.

"The Land of Spiritual Origin?" Xuanzhen seemed to ponder. "Is this the secret you've been hiding all this time?"

He had made some guesses about Yang Zhengshan's secrets, and these guesses came a long time ago.

At that time, Yang Zhengshan was still the Marquis of Jing'an of Darong, and he had suspected that Yang Zhengshan had some kind of treasure.

Because at that time, Yang Zhengshan brought out a lot of good things, such as wine, tea, royal jelly, etc.

However, he didn't have the intention to investigate further at that time, because there was no need. After all, he was already one of the strongest people in Da Rong at that time, and the good things in Yang Zhengshan's hands were at most rare to him, not things he desired.

“Well, the Spirit Source Land, you can think of it as a grotto-heaven. You know what a grotto-heaven is, right?” Yang Zhengshan said casually.

"I've heard of it; it's said that a grotto-heaven is a small world!"

"Pretty much, this grotto is mine!" Yang Zhengshan carefully observed Xuanzhen's expression.

However, Xuanzhen's performance surprised him.

Xuanzhen showed no envy or jealousy upon learning that Yang Zhengshan possessed a grotto-heaven. His reaction was very calm, as if what Yang Zhengshan had was not a grotto-heaven, but something very ordinary.

"Aren't you envious of me having a grotto-heaven?" Yang Zhengshan was made a little insecure by his reaction.

Xuanzhen rolled his eyes. "What's there to envy!"

"Isn't it something to envy?"

Is it something to envy?

The two stared at each other, and Xuanzhen stroked his beard, asking, "Can a grotto-heaven improve one's cultivation?"

Yang Zhengshan was slightly taken aback. "It can't be directly upgraded, but it can cultivate many spiritual creatures!"

"Can that make you an immortal or a god?"

"Of course not."

"Would that grant you immortality?"

"also can not!"

His soul merged with the core of the Spirit Source Land, which ensured that his soul could live and die together with the Spirit Source Land. As long as the Spirit Source Land was not destroyed, his soul would not perish.

However, immortality and eternal life are not the same. Eternal life means that both the soul and the body exist, while immortality means that only the soul remains. There is a big difference between the two.

"Then what do I envy? Do I envy that you have a vast expanse of spiritual fields? Or do I envy that you have many spiritual herbs and fruits?" Xuanzhen said.

Yang Zhengshan thought about it and realized that Xuanzhen's idea seemed to be completely correct.

The cave brought him many benefits, allowing him to more easily obtain more resources and providing him with a safe place to rest.

However, it wouldn't be accurate to say that the grotto heaven is incredibly powerful, because the grotto heaven itself doesn't have a direct effect on cultivation.

Of course, this is not to say that the grotto is bad. On the contrary, Yang Zhengshan's current achievements are entirely due to the benefits brought by the grotto.

"I'm afraid you'll be envious of my grotto!" Yang Zhengshan said with a smile.

"What are you envious of? All I want right now is to kill Mo Xuanyu. As for the rest, hmph, I'll have my own opportunities too!" Xuanzhen said.

Yang Zhengshan became interested. "What opportunity did you have?"

"What about the Blood Jade of Ten Thousand Ghosts?" Xuanzhen didn't answer, but asked instead.

"Hey, I've told you my secret, so you can't keep it from me!" Yang Zhengshan protested.

Xuanzhen rolled his eyes and said, "My fortune lies in the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade and this incomplete scroll!" "Ah~ I see!" Yang Zhengshan looked at the incomplete scroll in his hand.

There was a layer of dark mist on the scroll, which looked somewhat eerie, but considering that it belonged to Mo Xuanyu, it was normal for it to be eerie.

In fact, many things do not inherently possess evil or malevolent attributes.

The Devouring Spirit Blood Jade is a rare spiritual material, but in the hands of the Yin Ghost Division, it becomes the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade. If the Devouring Spirit Blood Jade were in the hands of a cultivator who practices orthodox techniques, it would likely become a normal magic weapon.

Similarly, this incomplete scroll might have originally been a very proper thing, but Mo Xuanyu made it improper.

"The true form of the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade is the Spirit Devouring Blood Jade. I want to refine the blood and evil energy on it and restore it to its original form!" Yang Zhengshan pointed to the alchemy furnace not far away.

Xuanzhen panicked and quickly said, "Don't refine it! I need the Yin energy inside!"

"Uh!" Yang Zhengshan looked at him. "You don't actually want to practice those evil techniques, do you?"

"What are you thinking? I cultivate the authentic Daoist lineage! Put out the fire first, don't ruin the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade!" Xuanzhen said anxiously.

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Yang Zhengshan had Jinwu put away the True Fire of the Sun and took out the Blood Jade of Ten Thousand Ghosts from the alchemy furnace.

As soon as the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade appeared, it once again unleashed a dense aura of bloodlust.

"Stay away from me!" Xuanzhen's soul is still bound by the restriction of the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade, so he cannot get too close to it.

After Yang Zhengshan used the Pure Heart Hand technique to fly over a hundred feet with the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade, he asked, "What do we need to do now?"

"Refine it, then release the seal on my soul!"

"I don't want to!" Yang Zhengshan quickly shook his head.

He has never been interested in things tainted by Yin energy or bloodlust, and anything that falls into his hands and is associated with Yin energy or bloodlust is destroyed by him.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. This Myriad Ghost Blood Jade is a magic treasure, and you can refine it. Once you break my soul restriction, you can remove the soul power from the Blood Jade. I will take care of it then!" Xuanzhen said.

Looking at the blood jade beside him, Yang Zhengshan could only nod in the end and do as Xuanzhen said.

This Myriad Ghost Blood Jade belongs to Mo Xuanyu and contains his divine soul power. If Yang Zhengshan wants to refine the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade, he must first erase Mo Xuanyu's divine soul power.

Even if Yang Zhengshan's soul is relatively strong, it will still take some time for him to refine the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade.

So Yang Zhengshan and Xuanzhen decided to settle down on the desolate mountain.

Just as Yang Zhengshan was refining the Myriad Ghost Blood Jade, Mo Xuanyu arrived at the foot of the mountain where the Blood Pool Cave was located, looking panicked.

The collapse of the Blood Pool Cave caused quite a commotion, and the nearby Lotus Heart Valley had already noticed the anomaly and sent many people to investigate.

Mo Xuanyu hid in the mountains and forests, staring at the collapsed hillside, his face extremely pale.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

His face was pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he murmured softly.

At this moment, he could not sense the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade, the incomplete scroll, or the Yin Sha Blood Sha Great Array he had set up. He could only sense the dense Yin Sha Qi and Blood Sha Qi.

Without a doubt, his stronghold, which he had spent ten years building, was wiped out in one fell swoop.

This person not only destroyed his lair, but also took away all the magical treasures and formations that sustained him, completely severing his connection with them.

"Who is it? Who is it?" His eyes were red-rimmed, filled with resentment and anger.

Neither the Myriad Ghosts Blood Jade, nor the tattered scroll, nor the three giant white bone pillars were ordinary magical treasures. They were the foundation for the Yin Ghost Division to set up the Yin Sha Blood Sha Grand Array and the Blood Pool for him.

Without these three things, he could no longer set up the Yin Sha Blood Sha Grand Array, nor could he rearrange the Blood Pool.

Everything he had in the Underworld was over; no one could save him!

This is no joke. The punishment from the Underworld Bureau is absolutely unbearable for him. If he were to return to the Underworld Bureau now, the best outcome would be to be turned into an Underworld Soldier.

……

Meanwhile, outside the collapsed Blood Pool Cave, Liu Zaixian, the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Qingli Liu Family, frowned as he sensed the Yin and Blood Qi seeping from the depths of the mountain.

The Liu family is one of the six great immortal cultivation families of the Qingli Dynasty, and Lotus Heart Valley was jointly established by the six great families of Qingli. The six great families take turns sending Foundation Establishment cultivators to be stationed in the market.

For the past ten years, Liu Zaixian has been in charge of overseeing the Lianxin Valley Market.

The situation before him made Liu Zaixian feel extremely uncomfortable, as if a wicked ghost was buried at the foot of the mountain, the malevolent energy of which was more intense than he had ever seen before.

Why is there such a dense aura of yin and bloodlust around Lotus Heart Valley?

Liu Zaixian still had doubts.

The reason why the six families of Qingli chose to build a market in Lianxin Valley is twofold: first, because it is close to the Yunxiao Mountain Range, from which they can obtain various resources; and second, because Lianxin Valley has a second-grade low-level spiritual vein, which can provide a place for many cultivators to cultivate.

Logically speaking, places with spiritual veins should not have Yin energy, let alone blood energy.

But now, such a powerful Yin energy has appeared near Lotus Heart Valley, which is obviously illogical.

After thinking about it, Liu Zaixian decided to dig up the collapsed hillside first and see what happened.

"Men, dig this place up completely!"

he ordered.

The group of cultivators then began digging out the collapsed rocks.

Unlike ordinary people, cultivators don't need to use tools to break and move rocks when excavating them. Several earth-attribute cultivators simply stepped forward and used their mountain-moving techniques to move large swathes of rocks to a distance.

Soon, thick blood plasma appeared before everyone, and an eerie aura permeated the air.

Many people present showed expressions of horror upon seeing this and retreated, as if the blood plasma was something terrifying.

In fact, this blood plasma is indeed quite terrifying.

If an ordinary person gets infected, they will immediately turn into a mindless blood corpse. If a Qi Refining cultivator gets infected, it depends on their cultivation level and whether they have a protective magic barrier. If they can maintain a magic barrier to protect themselves, they will not have any problems in a short time. But if they don't, they will also turn into a blood corpse.

Liu Zaixian's expression changed repeatedly as he looked at the thick blood plasma.

If it were only yin energy, then there might be a slight possibility that it was a problem with the natural environment. However, this blood plasma is clearly man-made.

Moreover, it was a recent man-made structure, not some ancient relic or something similar.

He carefully observed the situation beneath the rocks, released the spirit stone to sense the changes in the surrounding energy, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

"A formation, a blood pool?"

"Who did this?"

He couldn't see the details, but he could sense the array runes carved under the rocks and the large patch of thick blood.

It's obvious someone did something here, but for some reason, it's been vandalized again.

Thinking of this, Liu Zaixian became more vigilant. He scanned his surroundings and released his spiritual sense to examine everything around him.

However, he did not find anything unusual. After thinking for a moment, he took out a few communication talismans to activate.

This is a second-order communication symbol, capable of transmitting messages over distances of up to a thousand miles.

Lotus Heart Valley is a market town built jointly by the six families of Qingli. If any problems arise, they will naturally be handled by all six families together.

Liu Zaixian didn't know what the formation and blood pool represented, but he felt that this was definitely not a small matter and that there might be unknown dangers involved, so he chose to ask for help.

(End of this chapter)