Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 524 Bestowing the Law, The Changes at the Void Heaven Tower, Killing Two Birds with One Stone

Within the Five Elements space.

Fu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the futon, his right palm facing upwards, a short spear crackling with purple lightning slowly rotating, emitting a faint crackling sound.

"receive."

Fu Changsheng uttered a single word, and the [Heavenly Punishment Thunder Spear] transformed into a stream of light and entered his dantian. Upon internal inspection, the thunder spear hovered above his golden core, enveloped and nurtured by pale blue spiritual energy.

"With this treasure, we will have an extra layer of protection when we head to the Northern Frontier to find the entrance to the Xuanming Secret Realm!"

"This is next."

Fu Changsheng took out a jade slip that glowed with a blue light from his storage bag. The four ancient seal characters "Taiyi Qingling Jue" on the surface of the jade slip seemed to flow like a living thing.

This was the manifestation of three treasures gathered in the Misty Swamp of the Northern Border of Yulin Prefecture. A cool sensation flowed into his body through the meridians of his arm as his fingertips lightly touched the jade slip. Fu Changsheng closed his eyes and concentrated, his consciousness sinking into the ocean of information recorded on the jade slip.

The Taiyi Qingling Technique is a Heavenly Rank cultivation method passed down from the ancient Taiyi Sword Sect.

The opening text states that this technique is a required course for beginners of the Taiyi Sword Sect, consisting of nine levels corresponding to the various stages from Qi Refining to Mahayana. The jade slip only records the first four levels, which coincide with the completion of the Golden Core stage.

"Just as the jade key image described earlier." Fu Changsheng opened his eyes, lightly tapping a spot on the jade slip with his fingertip, revealing a hidden text: "With the five elements cultivating together, the Golden Core will be formed, and the Sword Gate will open naturally."

Presented in the photo.

The ruins of Taiyi Sword Sect contain the legacy of ancient sword cultivators, and the condition for opening the entrance is that five people simultaneously cultivate the "Taiyi Qingling Technique" to the Golden Core stage.

Fu Changsheng closed his eyes again and began to study the key points of the cultivation technique. The first layer of the mantra flowed through his mind:
"Green wood contains spirit, endlessly regenerating, drawing energy back to its origin, circulating throughout the heavens."

As he silently recited the incantation, the spiritual energy within his body began to circulate along a specific route. Unlike ordinary cultivation methods that directly connect to the twelve regular meridians, the "Taiyi Qingling Technique" prioritizes the Dai Meridian and Yangwei Meridian among the eight extraordinary meridians. The spiritual energy, like vines, coils and spirals forward within the meridians.

"Well"

Fu Changsheng suddenly groaned, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. His spiritual energy suddenly stagnated at a certain point in his Yangwei Meridian, as if encountering an invisible barrier. He immediately followed the warning on the jade slip, stopped circulating his energy, and took out a section of lush green bamboo—a three-hundred-year-old Green Spirit Bamboo.

The bamboo joint turned into powder in his palm, and a wisp of pure wood spirit energy was absorbed into his body.

Fu Changsheng guided the wisp of spiritual energy directly to the obstructed spot, and like spring water thawing, the stagnation vanished instantly. After the spiritual energy completed a full cycle, he clearly felt a vibrant cyan color appear in his dantian.

"No wonder they need auxiliary spirits."

According to the jade slip.

Green Spirit Bamboo, Sunflower Grass, Heavenly Eye Stone, Cloud Fragrance Flower, and Netherworld Grass. These are all essential materials for cultivating the "Taiyi Green Spirit Technique." The domineering nature of this technique lies in its forceful expansion of obscure meridians. Without the nourishment of wood-type spiritual objects, the meridians may be damaged at best, and at worst, spiritual energy may backfire.

"The rest is fine, but this Netherworld Grass is said to grow in the land of witchcraft in the northern frontier, but it became extinct ten thousand years ago. It seems I need to exchange for information to find out."

He was about to head to the Northern Frontier to find the entrance to the Xuanming Secret Realm.

My thoughts landed on the panel in my mind's sea of ​​consciousness, and immediately a thought arose:
"Exchange Information"

In the northern border of Yulin Prefecture, the Black Mist Swamp is shrouded in miasma year-round. The gray mist writhes like living creatures, obscuring the sun, and beyond ten feet lies only chaos. Fu Yongjing stands on the watchtower, his body covered in black armor, a bronze compass hanging at his waist, its needle trembling slightly as it monitors the flow of the poisonous miasma.

It was late at night, when the poisonous miasma in the swamp was at its densest.

Fu Yongjing quietly set up the "Spirit Concealing Array," its patterns spreading like a spiderweb to block outside observation. He sat cross-legged in the array, flicked his sleeve, and the Void Tower floated in his palm. The tower's body shimmered with a ghostly light, and the Taotie patterns writhed like living creatures, beginning to devour the surrounding poisonous gas.

"Om-"

Black mist surged into the base of the tower like a tide, and a low hum came from inside, like a giant beast swallowing.

The miasma was refined layer by layer, transforming into pure spiritual energy, which flowed into Fu Yongjing's dantian along his meridians. He slightly closed his eyes, and true essence surged within his dantian. His natal magical artifact, the "Thousand Machine Cauldron," floated within it, its runes flashing as it continuously compressed and purified the spiritual energy transformed from the poisonous gas.

"Click——"

It felt as if shackles within his body had broken, and the bottleneck of the eighth level of the Purple Mansion Realm shattered in response!

His aura suddenly surged, and his spiritual power flowed like a raging river, carving out wider paths through his meridians. The Void Tower trembled slightly, as if in response to his breakthrough; a flash of purple light appeared at its tip before fading into silence.

Once his cultivation was stable, Fu Yongjing gazed at the Void Tower.

A dark purple bead, about the size of a longan, slowly condensed at the bottom of the tower. Its surface was covered with strange patterns, and it felt cool to the touch, yet it also faintly exuded a burning heat.

"This is……"

He frowned slightly, lightly touching the bead with his fingertip, but couldn't discern its purpose. This object was neither gold nor jade, seemingly real yet ethereal; it could neither be used to refine weapons nor consumed directly. After a moment's thought, he flipped his hand and put it into a jade box, affixing a sealing talisman.

"After we return to Huizhou Prefecture, we can ask Father about it."

The spirit pearl mentioned earlier was taken by a pregnant woman during the first three months of her pregnancy; the child born from such a person would surely possess spiritual roots.
"What are the effects of this?"

A rainbow light appeared in the distance. Fu Yongjing rolled up his sleeves, and the Void Tower disappeared into his body. The formation dissipated as if nothing had happened.

The rainbow light landed and transformed into two figures.

The leader was tall and handsome, with a broad-minded smile in his eyes; he was none other than his elder brother, Fu Yongshou. Beside him stood a beautiful woman in a plain Taoist robe, her eyes as gentle as water, her demeanor both gentle and sharp; she was his Taoist partner, Yu Qingxiu.

“Yongjing, Father sent us to guard this place for you.” Fu Yongshou strode forward, patted his younger brother on the shoulder, and laughed, “What, reluctant to leave this wretched place?”

The Black Mist Swamp is extremely toxic, a deadly danger for others, but for him, who possesses the Void Tower, it is a rare sacred place for cultivation.

He possesses the five spiritual roots.

Without the assistance of the Void Tower, his cultivation speed would be greatly slowed down, and the poisonous gas here is enough to support his cultivation to the peak of the Purple Mansion.

of course.

He would naturally not say these things.

Fu Yongjing smiled slightly and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother is joking. However, this place is fraught with poisonous miasma and we must be careful."

Yu Qingxiu said softly, "Yongjing, don't worry. My husband and I have been dealing with corpse puppets for many years and are best at dealing with Yin energy. This place is actually suitable for us."

Fu Yongshou laughed heartily, flipped his hand and took out a black jade token, tossing it gently. The token floated in mid-air, emitting a faint dark light. Instantly, several stiff figures slowly emerged from the shadows at the edge of the swamp—all were refined corpses clad in iron armor and shrouded in malevolent energy.

“With them around, ordinary barbarians dare not approach,” Fu Yongshou said confidently.

Fu Yongjing nodded. His elder brother and his wife were highly skilled in corpse refining, so they were certainly capable of guarding this place.

"Did Father say why he suddenly summoned me back?" Fu Yongjing asked.

Fu Yongshou shook his head: "He only said that the matter is of great importance and needs to be discussed with you in person."

Fu Yongjing seemed to be deep in thought, then took out a jade slip from his storage bag and handed it to his elder brother: "This is a record of the changes in miasma in the northern border over the past six months, as well as the patterns of barbarian activities. You can use it as a reference, brother."

Fu Yongshou took it and smiled, "You're so meticulous."

Yu Qingxiu said gently, "Be careful on the road."

Fu Yongjing bowed and said, "I'll leave this place in your care, brother and sister-in-law."

Having said that, he didn't delay any longer, summoned his flying artifact, and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance.

After flying away from the Black Mist Swamp, Fu Yongjing glanced back at the churning poisonous mist, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.

"The Void Tower is extremely efficient at absorbing poisonous gas here. If I have another three years, I will definitely be able to break through to the peak of the Purple Mansion Realm..."

He touched the jade box in his sleeve, inside which lay the dark purple bead.

"Perhaps my father's summons to return is related to this?"

Thinking of this, his eyes flickered slightly, and he urged his magical artifact to accelerate, speeding towards Huizhou Prefecture.

Fu Yongjing flew to within a hundred miles of Huizhou Prefecture on his escape light, where he could see the mountain-protecting formation already fully activated—nine azure pillars of light shot into the sky, intertwining in mid-air to form a massive Bagua (Eight Trigrams) array, the array patterns swirling with the power of thunder. At the mountain gate, dozens of Fu family cultivators clad in crimson armor stood ready, led by Fu Yongqi, the Hall Master of the Conquest Hall.

"Yongjing is back?"

Fu Yongqi's gaze was sharp as lightning. After confirming the identity of the newcomer, he raised his hand to signal the guards to remove the restrictions. He was dressed in a dark red battle robe, with a blood-red longsword hanging at his waist, the scabbard engraved with evil-suppressing runes.

"Brother Yongqi, why is the mountain gate so heavily guarded?"

Fu Yongjing put away his flying artifact and calmly surveyed his surroundings. He discovered that not only was the mountain-protecting array fully activated, but thirty-six new warning arrays had also been set up on both sides of the mountain path.

Fu Yongqi's lips curled slightly as he lowered his voice and said:
"The Mistress and Elder Fei obtained Core Formation spiritual treasures three days ago and are currently in seclusion in the forbidden area behind the mountain."

As he spoke, he patted Fu Yongjing on the shoulder:

"You've come back just in time. If you had been a few days later, even I wouldn't have been able to let you in and out of the mountain gate so easily."

Passing through the triple barriers, Fu Yongjing keenly noticed that all the defensive formations along the way had been reinforced with anti-spying barriers. Fu Yongqi explained as they walked, "Now the clan has four Golden Core cultivators. If the matriarch and Elder Fei successfully break through this time..."

“My Fu family has six Golden Core cultivators,” Fu Yongjing continued, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.

“Exactly!” Fu Yongqi’s eyes gleamed. “We’re one step closer to the ten Golden Core cultivators needed to advance to a fifth-grade aristocratic family.” He then suddenly lowered his voice, “However, some petty scoundrels have been gathering information lately. Did you notice anything unusual on your way back?”

Fu Yongjing shook his head.

With the Fu family's rise to power, some forces and enemies are probably starting to get restless.

"Where is Father now?" Fu Yongjing asked casually.

"The patriarch is waiting for you in the Scripture Pavilion." Fu Yongqi suddenly stopped and gave him a meaningful look. "Yongjing, did you gain anything special from your trip to the Northern Border?"

Fu Yongjing remained composed as he took out a jade slip from his storage bag: "This is a diagram of the changes in the poisonous miasma of the Black Mist Swamp. It might be helpful for the family's weapon forging."

Fu Yongqi took the jade slip, lightly tracing its surface with his fingertip; a crimson rune flashed across it. Confirming it was correct, he nodded in satisfaction: "You, the weapon refiner, are indeed meticulous. Go, don't keep the patriarch waiting."

After bidding farewell to Fu Yongqi, Fu Yongjing walked slowly along the bluestone path.

After passing a screen wall carved with a guardian beast, the eaves of the Sutra Repository came into view. In the square in front of the pavilion, twelve bronze puppets with red eyes slowly disappeared into the shadows after seeing the identity jade pendant on Fu Yongjing's waist.

"come in."

Before Fu Yongjing could knock, Fu Changsheng's steady voice came from inside the Sutra Repository. The door opened by itself without wind, revealing a vast collection of books as numerous as the stars in the sky. Fu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back before the central jade platform, with three star charts constantly shifting their positions floating in front of him.

“Father.” Fu Yongjing bowed respectfully, his eyes glancing at the flashing northern border directional markers on the star chart.

Fu Changsheng raised his hand and cast a spell, instantly concealing the star chart. He turned to examine his young son, his gaze lingering for a moment on Fu Yongjing's sleeve: "Eighth level of the Purple Mansion Realm? It seems the Black Mist Swamp is indeed suitable for your cultivation."

"It's all thanks to the Void Heaven Tower," Fu Yongjing said frankly, then took out a jade box from his sleeve. "In addition, this item was also condensed within the tower."

The moment the jade box was opened, the array within the pavilion automatically activated, firmly sealing off the strange aura of intertwined ice and fire. Fu Changsheng's pupils contracted slightly, and a wisp of azure light condensed at his fingertip as he probed towards the bead, only to be repelled the moment it made contact.

really
The intelligence system's statement is correct.

Fu Changsheng cast a spell to set up a triple soundproof barrier:

"Yongjing, do you know what this is?"

Fu Yongjing shook his head, about to ask for details, when his father raised his hand to stop him: "The specific effects still need to be studied. I will keep this for now." With that, he rolled up his sleeve and put the jade box into his pouch.

"Your cultivation has improved considerably this time." Fu Changsheng changed the subject, taking out a jade slip emanating a chaotic aura from his robes. "This 'Primordial Chaos Technique Scripture' is perfectly suited for your five-elemental-root aptitude."

Fu Yongjing accepted the jade slip with both hands, and his entire body trembled as soon as he probed it with his divine sense. The opening of the cultivation method clearly stated that this scripture directly pointed to the path of Nascent Soul, and was especially suitable for those who possessed all five elements. When he saw the annotation at the end, his heart pounded wildly—

"Those with five spiritual roots, if they reach the Nascent Soul stage, can cultivate ten times faster than those with heavenly spiritual roots."

"This...this is a Heaven-Rank cultivation technique?" Fu Yongjing's voice trembled slightly. As a scion of a sixth-rank aristocratic family, he naturally understood the preciousness of such a technique. Even within the Great Zhou royal family, there were probably few inheritances that could rival it.

Seeing Fu Yongjing's astonishment at the profoundness of the technique and his distant gaze, Fu Changsheng slowly said:

"This 'Hun Yuan Gong Jing' was not created by anyone of this era, but was left behind by the 'Hun Yuan Dao Jun' from ancient times."

“The Primordial Dao Lord?” Fu Yongjing repeated in a low voice, a name he had never heard of before.

Fu Changsheng nodded, and with a flick of his finger across the jade slip, a phantom image appeared—a cultivator in a gray robe with a blurred face stood in the chaos, the power of the five elements flowing around him, seemingly about to evolve the world.

"The Primordial Dao Lord was a figure from before the Great Calamity of Antiquity. It is said that he came from humble origins and possessed only mediocre talent with five spiritual roots. Yet, he forcefully used the method of mutual generation of the five elements to reverse the Great Dao of Chaos, ultimately reaching the Tribulation Transcending Realm, and even having the potential to ascend to the Immortal Realm."

Fu Yongjing was shocked. Five spiritual roots could actually cultivate to the point of transcending tribulation? In today's cultivation world, this was simply a fantasy!

Fu Changsheng continued, "Unfortunately, when the ancient calamity descended, the Primordial Dao Lord failed to take the final step and perished in the calamity. This scripture was originally a glimmer of hope he left for future generations of cultivators with five spiritual roots, but later, the cultivation world gradually promoted single spiritual roots and heavenly spiritual roots, and the method of cultivating the five elements simultaneously was regarded as a helpless choice for 'mixed spiritual roots,' and gradually it was lost."

"Then how did this scripture... come to be passed down?" Fu Yongjing couldn't help but ask.

Fu Changsheng's gaze was distant. His fingertip lightly traced a line on the jade slip, and a new image appeared in the void: "After the fall of the Primordial Dao Lord, his legacy, the 'Chaos Stele,' shattered and scattered. Until three thousand years ago, a rogue cultivator named 'Xuanjizi'..."

The image shows a disheveled old man rummaging through a pile of rubble in a desolate mountain wilderness.

"Although this person possesses all five spiritual roots, he is naturally gifted in the art of 'Heavenly Calculation'," Fu Changsheng said with a hint of admiration. "He spent two hundred years collecting three fragments of the Chaos Stele, and actually managed to advance his cultivation technique to the Nascent Soul stage."

Fu Yongjing held his breath and stared intently. He saw the old man in the phantom suddenly laugh loudly, his body surrounded by five-colored light, which actually caused a strange phenomenon in the desolate mountains.

"What a pity." Fu Changsheng suddenly made a hand seal, and the scene abruptly changed. "When Xuanjizi ascended to the Spirit Realm, his cave was breached by the combined forces of the seven major sects. This unparalleled scripture was then fought over."

A brutal battle scene appeared in the void, and the jade slip shattered into pieces under the bombardment of countless spells. In the end, only a fragment of the scroll, shimmering with a faint light, remained, which was snatched away by a masked cultivator.

"Now, only a fragment of the Purple Mansion Chapter remains in the world." Fu Changsheng withdrew his magic, and the light on the jade slip dimmed. "Back then, I survived countless near-death experiences in the Northern Frontier Secret Realm before finally obtaining this item from the remains of an ancient cultivator."

Fu Yongjing suddenly noticed a scorch mark on the edge of the jade slip, through which the words "Mystery" were faintly visible. His heart skipped a beat: "Could this be..."

“Indeed.” Fu Changsheng nodded slightly. “This is precisely the original copy personally inscribed by Xuanjizi back then.”

Suddenly, thunder roared outside the window, and raindrops pattered against the glazed tiles of the Sutra Repository. Fu Changsheng waved his sleeve, creating a soundproof barrier amidst the rain.

"Remember, this scripture involves two ancient secrets. One is the Chaos Stele of the Primordial Dao Lord, and the other is the Heavenly Secrets Technique of Xuanjizi. You must never reveal the characteristics of this technique."

Fu Yongjing nodded solemnly and carefully put the jade slip away from his body. Suddenly remembering something, he hesitated and asked, "Father, what about the subsequent cultivation method..."

"You don't need to worry about that for now; I already have a lead."

Just now.

A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Fu Changsheng's mind:
"Ding"

"You have bestowed upon your offspring a fragment of the Heavenly Rank cultivation technique, the 'Primordial Chaos Cultivation Scripture,' and have gained three thousand family contribution points."

Inside the Sutra Repository, after Fu Yongjing left, Fu Changsheng lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, and a communication talisman transformed into a stream of light and flew out the window. Less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, a clear sword's cry rang out from outside the door.

"Father?" Fu Yongxuan pushed open the door and entered, the azure longsword at her waist still humming. Her sword aura was still present, clearly she had just come from the sword training ground. Fu Changsheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he could tell at a glance that his daughter's cultivation level was the second level of the Golden Core stage, the same as his.

"Not bad, your cultivation has improved again," Fu Changsheng said with satisfaction.

Fu Yongxuan shook her head: "Father, you jest. You formed your core more than ten years later than me, yet you broke through to the second level of the Golden Core stage before me." Her eyes shone with admiration. "In terms of talent, I am far inferior to you."

Fu Changsheng chuckled and took out a jade slip gleaming with a bluish light from his sleeve: "Take a look at this."

The jade slip felt icy cold to the touch. Fu Yongxuan scanned it with her divine sense, and her pupils immediately contracted. "The *Taiyi Qingling Technique*? This is…" She looked up abruptly, "A Heaven-rank cultivation technique?"

"Good eye." Fu Changsheng nodded. "Although this technique belongs to the wood element, it complements your water elemental root, perfectly compensating for the deficiency in your swordsmanship—it's more about power than endurance."

Fu Yongxuan eagerly began to comprehend it. She would sometimes frown, sometimes seem to understand, and finally, she couldn't resist forming a sword with her fingers, drawing a blue trajectory in the air. The sword energy lingered, even sprouting wispy buds within the pavilion.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed in astonishment as she finished her practice. "This technique actually allows my sword energy to be inexhaustible, as if it were merging with my 'Frost Sword Technique'!"

Fu Changsheng smiled without speaking. He had long anticipated that with his daughter's talent in swordsmanship, she would surely discover its mysteries. However, when Fu Yongxuan turned to the end of the jade slip, she suddenly stopped: "Father, this technique is incomplete; is only the Golden Core stage complete?"

"You should focus on your cultivation first; I'll figure out the rest of the techniques," Fu Changsheng said casually, then asked, "Among the Golden Core sword cultivators you know, are there any with exceptional talent?"

Fu Yongxuan pondered for a moment: "Godmother, Lei Yunfeng, the innate swordsman of the Lei family, and Ye Han, the rogue cultivator, are both skilled swordsmen. However..." She looked at her father suspiciously, "You want to spar with them?"

"Just a casual question." Fu Changsheng stood up, his sleeves fluttering even without wind. "Pack your belongings, come with me to the Northern Frontier."

"Now?" Fu Yongxuan asked in surprise, "But Mother is about to break through to the Golden Core stage and needs someone to protect her."

“I have my own arrangements for your mother.” A glint flashed in Fu Changsheng’s eyes.

Fu Yongxuan nodded: "I'll go prepare it right away."

at the same time.

A familiar mechanical voice echoed in Fu Changsheng's mind:
"Ding"

"You have gifted your daughter, Fu Yongxuan, a Heavenly Rank Golden Core cultivation technique, and have gained 8,000 family contribution points."

Outside Huizhou Prefecture, the night was deep.

Two figures silently swept past the edge of the mountain-protecting array without alerting any guards. Fu Changsheng wore a green robe, his aura as restrained as an ordinary person, while Fu Yongxuan wore a plain white sword shirt, with a deep blue longsword hanging at his waist, its scabbard shimmering with frost.

"Father, why do we have to keep this so secret?" Fu Yongxuan asked in a low voice, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Fu Changsheng smiled slightly: "There may be spies from other forces within Huizhou Prefecture." With a flick of his sleeve, a concealment talisman silently burned, completely masking their presence. "This trip is of great importance; it's best not to make a scene."

Fu Yongxuan nodded and said no more.

The sky over northern Xinjiang is shrouded in a gray mist year-round, and the air is filled with a faint, sweet, and fishy smell—the scent of poisonous insects and miasma.

Fu Changsheng and Fu Yongxuan concealed their auras and stood on a low hill, gazing into the distance at the canyon shrouded in black mist—the Xuanwu Dead Domain.

"Father, do we have any clues about the entrance to the Xuanming Secret Realm?" Fu Yongxuan asked in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously pressing on the hilt of his sword.

Fu Changsheng's gaze was deep as he slowly said, "According to intelligence from the clan's secret hall, Tuoba Xiong from Qingzhou and Yu Xiaozi from Yunzhou have both entered the Xuanwu Death Domain near Baiwu Village."

"The Xuanwu Death Domain?" Fu Yongxuan frowned slightly. "It is said that this place is extremely dangerous. Anyone who enters will be devoured by ten thousand Gu poisons."

“That’s right.” Fu Changsheng nodded. “But precisely because of this, it might be the entrance to the Xuanming Secret Realm.”

He raised his hand and waved, and five jet-black, beetle-shaped spirit insects flew out from his sleeve and silently flew towards the canyon.

"A near-fourth-tier Soul-Devouring Insect?" Fu Yongxuan asked in surprise. "When did Father cultivate two more near-fourth-tier Soul-Devouring Insects?"

"Not long ago." Fu Changsheng smiled faintly, without saying anything more.

The Soul-Devouring Insects quickly flew into the canyon, while Fu Changsheng closed his eyes and focused his mind, using the insects' vision to survey the situation ahead.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, his brows furrowed: "Something's not right."

"What's wrong?" Fu Yongxuan became alert.

“The Xuanwu Death Domain should be uninhabited, but now…” Fu Changsheng’s voice was low, “The people of Baiwu Village have set up an illusion array here. Behind the illusion array, there are nine late-stage Golden Core cultivators guarding it. The array is heavily restricted, and not even a fly can get in.”

Fu Yongxuan's pupils contracted slightly: "Why is Baiwu Village sealing off this place?"

“I’m afraid…” Fu Changsheng’s gaze turned cold, “the entrance to the Xuanming Secret Realm really is in this Xuanwu Dead Domain.”

Previous intelligence indicated that the clues to the Netherworld Grass needed to cultivate the "Taiyi Qingling Technique" were located here.

Therefore.

He went straight here after entering the northern border region.

"Father, what should we do?" Fu Yongxuan asked in a deep voice, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Fu Changsheng shook his head: "We cannot force our way in. The White Witch Village has a huge influence in the Northern Frontier. If we act rashly and attract the siege of the entire Witchcraft Land, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch may not be able to escape unscathed."

"Then are we just going to give up?" Fu Yongxuan asked unwillingly.

Fu Changsheng's lips curled slightly, a calculating glint in his eyes: "Baiwu Village operates in secrecy, and other villages may not know that they have set up an ambush here. We might as well... use someone else to do our dirty work."

"Using someone else to do the dirty work?" Fu Yongxuan was taken aback.

“The land of witchcraft and sorcery in the Northern Frontier is not a monolithic entity,” Fu Changsheng said in a low voice. “The White Witch Village and the Black Witch Village have a long-standing feud, and they even fought a battle a few years ago for the Gu King. If the Black Witch Village learns that the White Witch Village is secretly operating here…”

Fu Yongxuan's eyes lit up: "They will definitely send troops to attack!"

“Good.” Fu Changsheng nodded. “At that time, we can take advantage of the chaos to sneak in.”

Fu Changsheng took out a communication jade talisman from his storage bag, tapped it lightly with his fingertip, and a line of blood-red characters appeared on the talisman:
"An ancient witchcraft tradition was discovered in Baiwu Village within the Xuanwu Dead Zone."

Immediately, he made a hand seal, and the jade talisman transformed into a stream of light, speeding towards the Black Witch Village.

“Father, this news…” Fu Yongxuan hesitated.

"Half true, half false," Fu Changsheng said calmly. "The White Witch Village did indeed set up an ambush here, as for the ancient witchcraft heritage... heh, the Black Witch Village people will fill in the blanks themselves."

Fu Yongxuan couldn't help but laugh: "Father is quite the schemer."

Fu Changsheng's gaze was profound: "The cultivation world is fraught with danger at every turn. If you don't know how to leverage power, you'll find it difficult to move forward."

Black Witch Village - Intelligence Hall
The stone chamber of the Intelligence Hall was perpetually shrouded in darkness, save for the eerie green glow of seventy-two bronze lamps. Wu Qi rubbed his sore eyes, his ink brush leaving its final mark on the animal-hide scroll:
"At three-quarters past Xu hour, the southeast outpost of Baiwu Village will be rotated, with two new early-stage Golden Core cultivators added."

He carefully rolled up the scroll and placed it into a bamboo tube engraved with "Class B, Number Seventeen". The moment the bamboo tube fell into the teleportation array, a slight tremor suddenly came from the ground - this was the centipede dragons raised underground turning over. These behemoths were both the guardian beasts of the Intelligence Hall and communication tools in times of emergency.

"This is the seventh batch." Wu Qi stretched his stiff neck.

Since the battle with White Witch Village, the village chief had ordered increased surveillance, and the twelve disciples of the Intelligence Hall had already rotated three times. He reached into a hidden compartment in the corner and took out a blood-red pill, placing it under his tongue. The bitter taste instantly cleared his drowsy mind.

Just as he was about to continue transcribing.

The copper bell on the window frame suddenly started moving even without wind.

That wasn't an ordinary wind chime, but a "Warning Bell" made from the skull of a traitor, which would only ring when receiving top-level intelligence.

Wu Qi instantly regained consciousness.

He silently slid behind the mechanism wall and saw through the peephole a blood-red jade talisman hanging in front of the window—the talisman was covered with spiderweb-like cracks and constantly oozing viscous blood droplets.

"A message delivered by a blood curse?!"

This was the highest-level secret communication method in Black Witch Village, requiring the use of a natal Gu (a type of magical insect) as a medium. Wu Qi suppressed his trembling and cast a verification seal. The blood-red patterns on the jade talisman immediately lit up, matching the token bestowed by the hall master.

“Verification confirmed.” He took a deep breath and lightly touched the jade talisman with his fingertips.

"boom!"

The moment the jade talisman shattered, a thick stench of blood filled the stone chamber. Blood mist condensed in the air, forming grotesque characters:
[The White Witch Village obtained the ancient witchcraft inheritance from the Xuanwu Dead Zone; nine layers of restrictions have been set up. Report immediately!]

Wu Qi's pupils contracted violently.

As a senior leader of the Intelligence Hall, he knew all too well what this meant—three hundred years ago, the high priest of White Witch Village found half a page of a fragmented scripture in the Tomb of the Witch, which gave them three more peak Golden Core cultivators.

If it's a complete inheritance.
The inkstone on the table was knocked over, and the thick black ink spread across the bluestone floor, resembling the "Blood Pool of the Witch God" recorded in the intelligence archives. Wu Qi didn't bother to clean it up and directly smashed the emergency communication jade under the table.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

Three muffled drumbeats echoed from underground, signaling the highest level of warning. Suddenly, countless Gu worm patterns appeared on the walls of the stone chamber, all the secret reports being processed were automatically sealed, and twelve hidden doors opened simultaneously.

"What happened?" Wu Shisan from next door poked his head in, his face still showing the bruises from staying up all night.

Wu Qi directly tossed the blood-pattern imprint over: "Immediately activate the Heavenly-level contingency plan! Notify the Hall Master, the Holy Maiden, and the Elders of the three lineages!"
-
Black Witch Village - Council Hall

Wu Jiuyin sat high in the main seat, his black robe as dark as ink, the blood-red mark between his brows faintly glowing. He lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, his cold gaze sweeping over the kneeling disciples of the Intelligence Hall.

"Source of the information?"

"Reporting to the chieftain, the communication talisman appeared out of thin air; I cannot trace its origin." The disciple's forehead pressed to the ground, his voice trembling, "But the Xuanwu Dead Zone is a forbidden area bordering our Black Witch Village and White Witch Village. White Witch Village would never rashly station heavy troops there without a major discovery!"

Wu Jiuyin remained silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "Seventh Elder."

From the shadows, a thin, elderly man slowly emerged, bowing respectfully: "Your subordinate is here."

"You will personally and secretly go to the Xuanwu Dead Zone to investigate the truth," Wu Jiuyin said calmly. "If there truly is an ancient inheritance..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"We must not let Baiwu Village monopolize this."

The mass grave behind Black Witch Village.

The hunched figure of the Seventh Elder slowly crawled out of a decaying coffin, his black robe stained with corpse oil and rotten soil. This was the route he had carefully chosen—taking advantage of the monthly "corpse-raising night," he would leave the village unnoticed through the underground corpse passage.

"rustle."

The snake tattoo on his neck suddenly wriggled, transforming into a small black-scaled snake that slithered into his ear. This was the "Wind-Listening Snake Gu," capable of sensing spiritual energy fluctuations within a ten-mile radius. After confirming that no one was following him, the Seventh Elder took out a human skin mask from his robes and gently placed it over his face.

With a few soft "clicks," his body began to twist and change, eventually transforming into the appearance of a herb gatherer with a face full of pustules. This was a disguise technique using the "Thousand Faces Gu," which even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find difficult to detect.

a few days later.

The Seventh Elder concealed himself and quietly approached the outer edge of the Xuanwu Dead Zone. He made a hand seal, and a jet-black Gu worm emerged from his palm—his natal Gu, "Shadow Gu," which could enter the shadows and spy on the truth.

The Gu worms silently infiltrated the edge of the dead zone and returned a moment later.

The Seventh Elder withdrew the Gu worms, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"As expected. The White Witch Village has indeed set up nine layers of restrictions here, and there are nine late-stage Golden Core cultivators guarding it!" he murmured to himself. "If it weren't for an ancient inheritance, why would they go to such lengths?"

Suddenly, his ears twitched—footsteps approached from the southeast. The Seventh Elder immediately held his breath and saw three white-robed cultivators escorting over a hundred ragged prisoners. The prisoners had vacant eyes and blood lines on their necks, clearly infected with the "Puppet Gu."

"Hurry up!" the leading white-robed cultivator shouted sternly. "Send another 130 people in today; the High Priest needs them!"

A glint flashed in the Seventh Elder's eyes. He secretly released a "Shape-Mimicking Gu," which transformed into a gray-furred rat upon landing and blended into the ranks of prisoners.

Through the mimicry Gu's vision, the Seventh Elder witnessed a horrifying sight:
In the center of the dead zone stood an altar of white bones, beneath which lay piles of fresh corpses. The chests of these corpses had been ripped open, their hearts missing. On the altar, an old man wearing a bronze mask was casting still-beating hearts into a pool of blood.

"The 1108th one," the old man's hoarse voice came, "once we collect 999 more, we can open the entrance to the secret realm again."

The Seventh Elder, suppressing his heart pounding, manipulated the rat to hide in the shadows. Beside a corpse, he found a waist tag—it belonged to a Black Witch Village patrolman who had disappeared three months prior!

At dawn, the Seventh Elder disguised himself as a wounded White Witch Village cultivator and infiltrated the retreating group.

"Which branch are you from, brother?" a bearded monk asked, helping him up.

"Caicai Pharmacy," the Seventh Elder said, feigning weakness, "was injured by the poisonous miasma last night."

The cultivator, unsuspecting, began to ramble on about the strange things that had happened recently: "I heard that the High Priest dug out the finger bone of the Witch God from the Dead Zone. I don't know if it's true or not, but nearly two thousand death row inmates have been sent there in the last few months."

The Seventh Elder echoed his agreement while secretly flicking the "Forget-Me-Not Gu" into the back of the other man's neck. When they reached the fork in the road, the cultivator suddenly froze: "Huh? Where am I going again?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Seventh Elder slipped into the poisonous weeds by the roadside. He removed his disguise, his face ashen: "White Witch Village, what a grand scheme!"

After a moment's thought, he did not immediately return to the village to report, but instead turned and sneaked towards the Holy Maiden's residence.
-
The gauze curtains hung lightly, and the candlelight was dim.

The Seventh Elder knelt on the ground and respectfully said, "Holy Maiden, I have ascertained that the White Witch Village has indeed deployed a large force in the Xuanwu Dead Zone."

Behind the gauze curtain, the figure of the Holy Maiden Xuan Yue was faintly visible. Her voice was ethereal, yet tinged with weakness: "Wu Jiuyin sent you?"

“Yes,” the Seventh Elder said in a low voice, “This subordinate suspects that the blood-red message might be genuine. If White Witch Village truly obtained the ancient inheritance, I fear…”

“My Black Witch Village is in grave danger,” Xuan Yue sighed softly.

She slowly raised her hand, her pale fingers lifting a corner of the gauze curtain to reveal a stunningly beautiful yet bloodless face. Her eyes had no pupils, only a deathly white, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.

“Wu Jiuyin won’t believe it easily,” she said calmly. “He will definitely make me perform a sacrifice and pray for divine guidance.”

The Seventh Elder looked up, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes: "The Holy Maiden just performed a ritual not long ago; if we force her to use the spell again, I'm afraid..."

Xuan Yue's lips curled into a cold smile: "I know what I'm doing."

She gently closed the gauze curtain: "Go, proceed according to plan."
-
On the altar, Xuan Yue, dressed in a plain white sacrificial robe, stood barefoot in the center of the blood-red runes. She formed hand seals and chanted ancient incantations, her body gradually radiating a pale white light.

Wu Jiuyin sat high on the viewing platform, coldly observing everything.

As the incantation grew more urgent, Xuan Yue's face grew increasingly pale, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her lips. Finally, she abruptly opened her eyes, a phantom image reflected in her deathly pale pupils—

"A divine decree has been issued," her voice ethereal, "The Mystic Witch Death Domain truly possesses ancient legacies."

Before she could finish speaking, she swayed and fainted.

Wu Jiuyin's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he abruptly stood up: "Just as I thought!"

He didn't even glance at the unconscious Xuan Yue, and simply waved his hand: "Summon all elders for an immediate meeting!"

(End of this chapter)