Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 963 The Supreme Path of Life and Death

The Yellow Springs Palace is a ghost cultivation force founded by the Ghost King Ancestor Yellow Springs. It is located at the southernmost tip of the Western Regions, more than 20,000 miles away from the Cloud Sky Mountains.

The Yellow Springs Palace is so far away from White Cloud Immortal City, so logically the Yellow Springs Palace shouldn't be coming here to cause trouble, but Luo Cheng is certain that this is a unique method of the Yellow Springs Palace.

Corpse Demon Arts are actually a type of magic used by ghost cultivators to control corpses, including Corpse Puppet Arts and Corpse Resurrection Arts.

Luo Cheng handed Luo Fengya's corpse to Luo Fengxia, saying, "He's dead. What happened just now was merely a ghost cultivator's corpse puppet technique!"

Thinking about the Corpse Puppet Technique, he finally understood why everyone misunderstood and attacked each other.

He had just noticed these familiar figures, and their auras hadn't changed much. If he weren't very familiar with them, he wouldn't even be able to tell that they were different.

With such methods, those ghost cultivators could easily sow discord among various forces.

Thinking of the Corpse Demon Technique, Luo Cheng suddenly thought of the Resurrection Technique.

Reincarnation through a corpse is not possession, but a technique used by ghost cultivators to disguise themselves as living people by using corpses.

It allows ghost cultivators to roam freely in areas inhabited by immortal cultivators as living people, and ordinary cultivators find it difficult to see through this disguise.

"Zhao Tianhai! So that's how it is?" Luo Cheng thought of Zhao Tianhai.

Zhao Tianhai's death was full of mystery, but no one could figure out what was so strange about it.

Thinking about it now, Zhao Tianhai was very likely a ghost cultivator who was reborn through possession of another's body.

Why was Zhao Tianhai so arrogant and domineering at Wanbaohang? Because he wanted to be ostracized by others to avoid having too much contact with people and exposing his abnormality.

The reason why Zhao Tianhai had to die at Yun Ge's hands was naturally to create a rift between Wanbaohang and Baiyun Daotong, making it difficult for Baiyun Daotong to seek help from Wanbaohang when it encountered trouble.

He did achieve his goal. When the demon beasts attacked the city, Yunhai never asked Wanbaoxing for help. It wasn't that Yunhai didn't know that Wanbaoxing had the power to restrain the demon king, but that Yunhai knew that Wanbaoxing would refuse his request because of Zhao Tianhai's matter.

Wanbaohang has its own rules. If a seventh-rank guest is killed unjustly, Wanbaohang must seek justice for him.

If True Lord Baiyun hadn't also been a guest of Wanbaoxing, Wanbaoxing would have already taken action against the Baiyun lineage.

It was understandable that Wanbaohang refused Baiyun Daotong's request for help at that time.

After thinking it through, Luo Cheng felt even heavier. He looked around at the surrounding mountains and forests and finally let out a helpless sigh.

"Let's go!"

"What should we do next?" Wen Yu asked.

"Let's go to Wanbaohang first!"

Luo Cheng said in a deep voice.

Although Wanbaoxing suffered no losses this time, Huangquandian's scheme was tantamount to slapping Wanbaoxing in the face. Wanbaoxing might be angered by this and target Huangquandian.

Luo Cheng placed his hopes on Wanbaohang, mainly because he had no other options at the moment.

The Yellow Springs Palace is no ordinary force; it is not something that a few immortal cultivation families can handle.

Moreover, some forces within the city have already secretly pledged allegiance to the Yellow Springs Palace, making it even more difficult for them to launch a powerful counterattack against the Yellow Springs Palace under such circumstances.

Therefore, Luo Cheng could only rely on other forces, and Wanbaohang was undoubtedly the best choice at the moment.

However, Luo Cheng was ultimately disappointed, as Wanbaoxing did not take any action against the Yellow Springs Palace.

After receiving the information and evidence provided by Luo Cheng, Mo Hai and Madam Zi Teng took it very seriously. However, since the matter involved the Yellow Springs Palace, it was not something they could decide on their own, so they sent the message back to Tao Yuan Mountain.

However, the reply from Taoyuan Mountain was to mind one's own business.

Clearly, this was because Tianbao Zhenjun didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Of course, Luo Cheng's actions were not without significance; at the very least, he found the mastermind behind it all and exposed him to the world.

After confirming that the mastermind was the Yellow Springs Palace, the various forces in White Cloud Immortal City were initially panicked, but they quickly put aside their previous grudges and united.

Strong external pressure prompted the forces within the Immortal City to band together for mutual support.

With the Baiyun Dao lineage gone, a management structure was formed within Baiyun Immortal City, with the Yunye Alliance as the main body and the Qianzhen Alliance as the auxiliary body.

Although Baiyun Immortal City has not returned to its former prosperity and stability, at least the city is no longer so chaotic.

In addition, with everyone taking precautions against the Yellow Springs Palace, the fighting outside the city has decreased significantly.

……

Another few months passed.

In the quiet room of the spiritual source.

Yang Zhengshan sat cross-legged, his aura constantly shifting between vitality and decay. Sometimes it flashed with azure light, full of life, and sometimes it rose with gray mist, filled with death.

His eyes were closed, his mind completely immersed in the Dao of Smashing Life and Death.

"The Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols. Spring flourishes in the green Yang, and autumn withers in the Taiyin. The virtue of wood pervades the four seasons and undergoes metabolism, and the soul and energy ride on Yin and Yang to see the cycle of reincarnation. Thus, the autumn of plants and trees reveals the mechanism of life and death; the morning mushroom hides the secrets of flourishing and withering."

"Life is the beginning of glory, but not eternal prosperity; death is the extreme of decay, but not eternal silence."

"The Way of Heaven has its balance, and the cycle of reincarnation is without error. If one sees two trees withered and flourishing, yet neither withered nor flourishing, neither born nor dying, this is called the supreme Way of Withering and Flourishing."

"Neither rejoice in glory nor grieve in decline. Forget both glory and decline, and let life and death flow together."

He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly opened his eyes. His left eye had three inches of blue light, and his right eye had three inches of gray mist, making him look extremely strange.

However, the bluish light and gray mist were fleeting, and a pair of clear eyes appeared.

"The Way of Withering and Flourishing!"

Yang Zhengshan seemed to be deep in thought.

He didn't expect that he would suddenly enter a state of enlightenment, and that this enlightenment would be even more rewarding than the last one.

Last time, he touched the threshold of the Dao of Withering and Flourishing with the help of the lotus seeds of the Dao Intent Sacred Lotus. This time, he stepped into the threshold of the Dao of Withering and Flourishing simply through his own serendipitous enlightenment.

"Life and death, decay and prosperity, are neither decay nor prosperity nor birth and death; this is called the supreme path of decay and prosperity, the great path to immortality!"

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He seemed to have found a path to immortality, true immortality.

Moreover, he seemed to have mastered an extraordinary ability, or more accurately, a supernatural power.

Yang Zhengshan slowly stood up, carrying a disc of magical power on his back.

The six-foot-long disc is blue and gray in color, and rotates slowly like a yin-yang symbol.

"Life, death, prosperity, and decline, hahaha~~"

Feeling the magical disc behind him, Yang Zhengshan couldn't help but burst into excited laughter.

To comprehend supernatural abilities at the Foundation Establishment stage is an absolutely extraordinary achievement among immortal cultivators, because supernatural abilities are exclusive to Golden Core cultivators, and Yang Zhengshan had never heard of anyone being able to comprehend supernatural abilities at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He not only comprehended supernatural powers, but also the power of withering and flourishing.

"When the sun rises, all trees awaken; I say it is spring, and all things are born! When the moon sets, all grasses wither; I say it is autumn, and all things die! Glory is not the beginning of life, nor is death the end; the two are like an endless ring, like two sides of light. Life and death are one, and glory and decay are forged like a wheel."

Yang Zhengshan murmured, his spiritual sense sweeping over the Tai Chi diagram of decay and prosperity behind him.

This time he gained a lot, and the biggest gain was the Tai Chi diagram of prosperity and decline behind him.

The Tai Chi Withering and Flourishing Diagram is the result of Yang Zhengshan's enlightenment. It is the external manifestation of his understanding of the Way of Withering and Flourishing, and also the source of his ability to perform the Divine Power of Withering and Flourishing.

"Unfortunately, it's still a bit weak. If it were stronger, I would dare to challenge even a Golden Core cultivator!"

Yang Zhengshan said with a hint of regret.

The greatest power of the Withering and Flourishing Divine Power is the rotation of life and death energy, that is, to deprive or inject life energy, and to deprive or inject death energy.

These two are interconnected; life and death cycle, flourishing and decay transform. Depriving someone of life is like injecting death energy, and injecting life energy is like depriving someone of death energy. To put it simply, it's about depriving someone of lifespan and injecting someone with lifespan.

Previously, whether Yang Zhengshan was stripping away lifespan or injecting lifespan, he had to follow a ten-to-one ratio and could only do it slowly, making it impossible to use against enemies.

Although it still follows the 10 to 1 ratio, it can be used instantly.

In battle, Yang Zhengshan could instantly reduce his opponent's lifespan by ten years, but the price would be that he would have to consume a hundred years of his own lifespan.

It comes at a high price, but it's a terrifying ability.

The key is that Yang Zhengshan can replenish his lifespan.

They replenish their lifespan with the vitality of plants.

With a thought, Yang Zhengshan appeared in a dense forest in the northern part of the Spirit Source Land.

The forest was teeming with life, with tall trees reaching over ten zhang in height, including many kinds of spiritual herbs, medicines, and trees.

"When the moon sets, all grasses wither; when I speak, autumn arrives and all things wither!"

Yang Zhengshan stood suspended in mid-air, muttering to himself.

As his voice faded, wisps of green vitality slowly drifted from the surrounding vegetation and gathered towards him.

Within a hundred feet around him, the saplings that were full of life withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, while Yang Zhengshan was enveloped in a rich vitality, and the Yin-Yang diagram of prosperity and decline behind him slowly rotated.

About fifteen minutes later, Yang Zhengshan finally absorbed and felt the rich vitality and spiritual energy, but the forest was left with only a withered yellow.

In that short period of time, his lifespan increased by a year.

"Come again!"

With a flash, Yang Zhengshan reappeared in the valley beside him, continuing to plunder the life force of the plants. Once, twice, three times, Yang Zhengshan was completely immersed in the joy of his increased lifespan and could not extricate himself.

In just half a day, he had ravaged the mountains and forests within a radius of more than ten miles.

Here, everything is withered and yellow; there, everything is withered and yellow; in between, there is a small patch of grass and trees that is incredibly lush. The once green hills look as if they have been treated with dozens of cupping jars.

Yang Zhengshan stopped abruptly when he felt his soul tremble.

"what happened?"

He stared intently at his arm and slowly lifted his sleeve.

When he saw his arm clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Previously, a vibrant green leaf had sprouted on his arm.

That's right, it grew out of his body.

"This is it!" Yang Zhengshan looked at the leaves, as if a sudden realization had dawned on him. "Everything has its number, and its gains and losses are balanced. To take the full vitality of plants, one must lose three parts of one's own soul and steal the thousand-year-old spiritual essence of heaven and earth. One must be tempered by thunder and fire for a hundred days."

"The way of Heaven is balanced, and the cycle of reincarnation is inescapable. By seizing the life force of plants in this way, I am going against the will of Heaven!"

"Excessive vitality and the proliferation of vegetation are only one aspect; if this continues, there is also the terrifying tribulation of divine soul lightning and fire!"

After figuring this out, Yang Zhengshan felt somewhat disappointed. He had thought he could extend his lifespan to thousands or even tens of thousands of years by seizing the life force of plants.

It didn't work!

He can deprive living beings of their life force, but he cannot wantonly seize it.

He checked his lifespan again and found that it had reached five hundred years.

So, is 500 the limit?

wrong!

Lifespan can continue to increase, but it needs to be done gradually and naturally.

What does it mean to go with the flow?

It involves slowly absorbing the power of life, continuously enhancing the vitality within the body, thereby increasing lifespan.

This is what one gains through cultivation, not from plunder, and therefore does not obstruct the balance of the Heavenly Way.

"That's true. If I could plunder life force indefinitely, wouldn't I be able to live forever right now? Is there really such a good thing in this world?"

"Taking things step by step is the only way to go; being impatient for quick results will only lead you into delusion."

Yang Zhengshan became alert, suppressed his impulse, and turned to continue studying the Dao of Life and Death.

Since there is an abundance of vitality, let's give back a little.

He scattered the extra vitality and spirit into the withered mountains and forests, and in an instant, the withered trees came back to life, the fallen leaves regained their vitality, and tender yellow buds emerged from the withered yellow.

The leaves on his arm vanished instantly, revealing smooth skin.

"Too much is as bad as too little; this is just right!"

As Yang Zhengshan's turbulent emotions calmed down, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he reflected on the gains he had made during this retreat.

After familiarizing himself with the cycle of growth and decay once more, Yang Zhengshan returned to Lingquan Mountain Plain.

In his study, he slowly and deliberately flipped through the accumulated documents and letters.

"Why did you suddenly go into seclusion?" Yu Qingyi asked, bringing over tea.

Yang Zhengshan chuckled, took her hand, and said, "It was a matter of chance that I gained some insights, so I didn't tell you beforehand!"

"Has anything happened at home recently?"

"No, everything is fine at home. Everyone is either busy cultivating or building Changqing City!" Yu Qingyi said softly, sitting in his lap.

"How is the construction of Changqing City progressing?"

"The basic infrastructure is complete, and we are now relocating the population!"

The construction of Changqing City has been underway for several years, and the basic buildings have now been completed. These basic buildings include government offices, academies, martial arts training grounds, animal training grounds, streets, and so on. Once these basic buildings are completed, residential buildings can be constructed and the population can be relocated.

The population of the Land of Spiritual Origin is approaching one million, enough to build a new city.

A city has not only residents within its walls, but also residents of villages and towns outside the city.

Building a new city means developing a large area, at least a hundred miles in radius, and establishing many villages and towns.

The reason why Evergreen City was built in the Land of Spiritual Origin was not because the population was too dense, but because they wanted to open up a new resource production area.

Currently, the radius of Lingyuan Land has exceeded 1,100 li, but the developed area is still only within a hundred li around Lingquan Mountain.

The entire Lingyuan Land still has vast stretches of uninhabited mountains and forests, and many blessed lands that have not yet been developed.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to build a new city.

"By the way, this is the request that Ziwei Tower submitted a couple of days ago!" Yu Qingyi took out a document from among the many documents and handed it to Yang Zhengshan.

"what's up?"

"The council intends to relocate people from the outside world into the land of spiritual origin!" Yu Qingyi said.

Yang Zhengshan opened the document, glanced at it, and said, "Then let's relocate some people from the Shenmu Sect!"

The population growth in the Land of Spiritual Origin is still rather slow; it has taken seventy or eighty years to reach a million.

At this rate, it would probably take four or five hundred years to complete the layout of the five cities.

It's time to relocate some people from outside again.

The Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty is a bit tricky to navigate, but there's not much to worry about in the Vast Ocean.

(End of this chapter)