Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 537 The True Dragon Appears, Advancement, Family Split

Deep within the Soul Palace of the Tianyin Tribe.

Hundreds of bronze lamps burned silently, each corresponding to an important member of the tribe. The seven golden lamps at the top were particularly striking, representing the tribe's elite fighting force.

The temple's elder, Wu Xian, was dozing off when suddenly a gust of cold wind swept by, causing the golden lamp in the very center to sway violently.

"Hmm?" Wu Xian rubbed his dim old eyes, thinking it was his imagination. That lamp belonged to Tianyang Zhenren, a powerful cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. How could it be swaying for no reason?

However, the next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted—

The flame on the golden lamp suddenly shot up three feet, then rapidly shrank, until in the blink of an eye only a tiny, eerie glow remained. The wick crackled and popped, as if struggling.

"No, impossible!" Wu Xian staggered to the lamp, his withered fingers trembling as he formed hand seals, trying to stabilize the soul fire. However, all his efforts were in vain, and the faint light eventually went out.

With a soft "poof," a wisp of green smoke rose above the lamp, twisting in the air into the face of the Heavenly Sun Immortal before vanishing in an instant.

Wu Xian was struck dumb, staggering back several steps and knocking over the lamp stand behind him. Dozens of bronze lamps crashed to the ground, their flames going out, but he had no time to care.

"Lord Tianyang...has fallen?" The old man's voice was hoarse, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. A Nascent Soul cultivator! That was second only to the Supreme Elder!

He scrambled out of the Soul Palace, not even having time to straighten his disheveled clothes. This news had to be reported to the chieftain immediately—the Tianyin tribe was about to change!

Inside the chieftain's stone temple, Wu Xian lay prostrate on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold earth, not daring to raise his head. He could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from above, the spiritual power unconsciously released by the chieftain in his rage.

"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?" Chief Tianyin's voice was as cold as ice.

"Absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes, Lord Tianyang's life-soul lamp—" Wu Xian's voice trembled, "went out."

Chief Tianyin, seated on the stone throne, was deathly pale. He was just over two hundred years old, considered young and promising among Golden Core cultivators. He had hoped to lead his tribe to even greater heights under the protection of True Person Tianyang and the Supreme Elder, but who knew…
"Issue the order: close the mountain gates immediately and recall all disciples currently outside!"

"Chief, what about Lord Tianyang's grudge?" a trusted aide asked cautiously.

"Revenge?" Chief Tianyin sneered. "Anyone capable of killing a fake Nascent Soul cultivator must be at least a Nascent Soul level expert! Do you want the entire tribe wiped out?"

The people inside the hall fell silent, trembling with fear. Indeed, apart from the Supreme Elder who was in seclusion attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, the tribe now only had the Chieftain and two newly promoted Golden Core cultivators left, resulting in a significant loss of strength.

"I'm going to the forbidden area behind the mountain to request an audience with the Supreme Elder." Chief Tianyin took a deep breath. "You all go and arrange for the mountain to be sealed off immediately."

The forbidden area behind the mountain was shrouded in mist.

Chief Tianyin had been kneeling outside the cave for three hours, his knees long since numb, but he dared not utter a single complaint. The one inside the cave was the last pillar of the Tianyin tribe.

"come in."

A hoarse voice came from inside the cave. Chief Tianyin felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly got up, but almost fell because his legs were numb. He endured the discomfort and limped into the cave.

Deep within the cave, an old man, withered and emaciated, sat cross-legged on a futon. His skin was an unnatural grayish-white, like a stone sculpture, except for his bright, star-like eyes, which displayed a powerful vitality.

"Elder," Chief Tianyin knelt down again and recounted the story of the fall of True Person Tianyang in detail.

The Supreme Elder remained silent for a long time after listening. The cave was eerily quiet; Chief Tianyin could even hear his own rapid heartbeat.

"Let's seal the mountain." After a long silence, the Supreme Elder finally spoke, his voice eerily calm. "I am at a crucial moment in my attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and cannot afford to be distracted. Once I achieve this, all grudges will be settled."

"But Elder, what if the enemy attacks our door?"

"It's alright." The Supreme Elder raised his withered hand, and a beam of gray light entered the Heavenly Yin Chieftain's brow. "This is the control incantation for the 'Nine Nether Profound Yin Grand Array.' With this array, you can withstand a Nascent Soul stage cultivator for three months. If anything unexpected happens, crush this jade talisman."

Chief Tianyin took the jade talisman and felt its icy coldness as if he were holding a piece of ancient ice. He knew that this was the Supreme Elder's natal talisman. Once it was crushed, the other party would definitely come out of seclusion, but the price would be the loss of all previous efforts, and even a regression in cultivation.

"Disciple understands." Chief Tianyin kowtowed heavily and left the stone cave.

When he returned to the tribe, the protective array had already been activated. A gray mist shrouded the entire Tianyin Mountain Range, and all entrances and exits were sealed off. The tribe's disciples looked terrified, as if the end of the world was nigh.

Chief Tianyin stood atop the mountain, gazing at his homeland shrouded in mist, a bitter feeling welling up inside him. Decades of development had vanished in an instant. And all of this stemmed from that mysterious enemy—who was this being capable of slaying True Man Tianyang?

Ten thousand miles away, at the bottom of the Ten Thousand Dragon Abyss.

There was no light here, only eternal darkness and silence. Suddenly, a pair of enormous golden eyes opened in the abyss, their vertical pupils like knives, illuminating an area of ​​hundreds of feet in radius.

That's a real dragon!
Its massive body was pierced by nine chains engraved with runes, firmly securing it to the bottom of the abyss. The chains, made of an unknown material, had managed to imprison this celestial creature for tens of thousands of years.

"Tianyang...is he dead?" The true dragon spoke in human language, its voice like thunder, causing pebbles to fall from the bottom of the abyss. It sensed that the wisp of dragon energy it had bestowed upon Tianyang had dissipated, which meant that its loyal servant had perished.

An angry dragon's roar echoed through the abyss, chains rattled, and runes glowed with blinding blood light, scorching the dragon's body. The true dragon howled in agony, yet could not break free.

"The Fu family. True dragon bloodline." After venting its anger, the true dragon calmed down, its golden eyes gleaming with greed. The message Tianyang sent back before his death was correct; that cultivation family called the Fu family did indeed possess the bloodline of a true dragon!
If it could devour that young dragon, it might be able to break free of these damned chains! It had had enough of being imprisoned for millennia!

“Yunyi,” the true dragon whispered.

From the shadows at the bottom of the abyss, a graceful figure slowly emerged. It was a woman dressed in black gauze, her face charming yet cold as ice, with a striking silver crescent mark between her brows.

"Master." The woman knelt on one knee, her voice ethereal.

"Go to Huizhou Prefecture and investigate Tianyang's death thoroughly." The dragon spat out a dragon pearl, which hovered in front of the woman. "If the Fu family truly possesses dragon blood, bring them back at all costs!"

"Yes, ma'am." The woman took the dragon pearl, and her figure gradually faded away, disappearing like smoke.

The dragon closed its eyes again, and darkness once more enveloped the abyss. Only the soft clanking of chains testified to the terrifying being imprisoned within.

"Soon. Almost there." A deep dragon's roar echoed through the abyss. "Once I am freed, I will make this world pay for its blood debts!"

...

...

Inside the Lei family's council hall, wisps of smoke curled from the bronze incense burner, yet they could not dispel the heavy atmosphere that filled the room.

"Is the news confirmed?" The Third Elder's fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of the sandalwood chair, his knuckles turning white.

The scout kneeling in the hall pressed his forehead to the ground: "It's absolutely true! The news has spread throughout all the major families of Huizhou Prefecture. Fu Changsheng slew Tianyang with a single sword strike; the Fenji Sword was drawn, and the heavens and earth changed color! The entire Fu family witnessed it firsthand; the fake Nascent Soul cultivator, True Person Tianyang, perished on the spot!"

With a snap, the Second Elder crushed the teacup in his hand, scalding tea dripping through his fingers without him noticing. His usually dignified face was now deathly pale, his lips trembling slightly: "A fake infant...that's a fake infant!"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; only heavy breathing could be heard. The dozen or so powerful elders of the Lei family exchanged bewildered glances, each seeing deep fear in the other's eyes.

The Fifth Elder suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his voice booming like thunder: "What's the panic! No matter how strong Fu Changsheng is, he's only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. He must have used some kind of trickery!"

"Fifth Elder, you are mistaken." The Seventh Elder stroked his goatee, his voice low. "What kind of person is True Person Tianyang? A thousand-year-old fox, what conspiracy hasn't he seen? To be able to kill a fake Infant with a single sword strike means that Fu Changsheng is at least in the late Golden Core stage, and may even be hiding his cultivation!"

"Impossible!" The Fifth Elder's forehead veins bulged. "He's only been at the Core Formation stage for less than sixty years!"

"Sixty years?" The Seventh Elder interrupted with a sneer, "A cultivator, if he has a special opportunity, can be reborn in a matter of days!"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

"Enough!" Elder Lei Wanjun finally spoke, his voice not loud, but enough to silence everyone. The white-haired old man slowly rose, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy eyes: "The most urgent matter is to decide how my Lei family should respond."

His gaze swept over the crowd, pausing for a moment in a corner—the newly appointed clan leader, Lei Tianxing, sat there quietly, like an insignificant bystander. Decades ago, the old clan leader passed away, and this young man succeeded him, but he had always been sidelined by the elders' council, practically a figurehead.

Lei Wanjun withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, what do you say? Should we seek peace with the Fu family or maintain the status quo?"

"Of course, we should maintain the status quo!" The Fifth Elder was the first to jump up, his fleshy face trembling. "Our Lei family has the backing of the Seventh Prince's Mansion, do you think we're afraid of the Fu family?"

"Foolish!" the Second Elder rebuked sharply. "The Seventh Prince's Mansion is far away in Jingzhou. If the Fu family harbors murderous intentions, they will have already wiped us out by the time reinforcements arrive! In my opinion, we should immediately send someone to sue for peace with the Fu family!"

"Sue for peace?" the Fifth Elder sneered. "Does the Second Elder intend to betray the Seventh Prince's Mansion? How much resources have we taken from the Mansion over the years? Now we turn around and sue for peace, do you think the Seventh Prince will let us go?"

The Seventh Elder pondered for a moment and said, "Although there have been frictions between the Lei family and the Fu family, no irreparable damage has been caused. If we sincerely apologize and compensate for the losses, it may not be impossible to resolve the feud."

"Seventh Elder makes it sound so easy," a middle-aged elder said sinisterly. "Fu Changsheng is extremely protective of his own. His daughter, Fu Yongning, almost died in the Prince's mansion. How can he swallow this insult? He'll settle accounts with her sooner or later."

The crowd argued endlessly, the hall as noisy as a marketplace. No one noticed the sinister smile that flashed in Lei Tianxing's eyes from the corner.

"Silence!" Elder Lei Wanjun shouted sharply, releasing the pressure of his illusory core, causing dust to fall from the beams. Once everyone quieted down, he slowly said, "In my opinion..."

"Elder," Lei Tianxing suddenly spoke, his voice not loud but exceptionally clear, "May I have a word to say?"

A hush fell over the hall as everyone stared in astonishment at the clan patriarch, whose presence was usually barely noticeable. For over twenty years, Lei Tianxing had rarely spoken at clan meetings; how dare he interrupt the patriarch today?
Lei Wanjun narrowed his eyes, then nodded slightly after a moment: "Please speak, clan leader."

Lei Tianxing straightened his clothes and walked slowly to the center of the hall. He was thin, and his dark blue robe looked loose, but at this moment, his back was straight, and he had a kind of imposing presence.

"Gentlemen," he said, surveying the crowd, his voice calm, "my Lei family and the Seventh Prince's Mansion have been interdependent for centuries, sharing both prosperity and adversity. If we bow to the Fu family today, who will bear the consequences when the Seventh Prince holds us accountable tomorrow?"

The Second Elder frowned: "Clan leader, you are mistaken. When the clan's survival is at stake, preserving the bloodline should be the top priority."

"Second Elder!" Lei Tianxing suddenly raised his voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Are you betraying the Seventh Prince's Mansion?"

The Second Elder was speechless at the sudden question, his face turning pale and then red. The other peace-loving elders also looked surprised, not expecting this puppet clan leader to be so tough today.

Lei Wanjun gave Lei Tianxing a deep look, seemingly lost in thought.

"Alright." The Grand Elder raised his hand to stop the argument. "This matter is of great importance; we'll discuss it later. Today, let's strengthen our defenses to prevent a surprise attack from the Fu family. Meeting adjourned!"

Everyone stood up, and the pro-war and pro-peace factions left in clear distinction. No one gave Lei Tianxing a second glance, as if he were still that insignificant figurehead.

Lei Tianxing stood still, a cold smile playing on his lips. He silently memorized the names of every elder who advocated for peace, his eyes growing increasingly murderous.

……

In the stillness of the night, Lei Tianxing activated a bronze mirror alone in a secret chamber. Ripples spread across the mirror's surface, and gradually, a majestic face emerged—the Seventh Prince, Zhou Xuanming.

“Cousin,” Lei Tianxing bowed respectfully, his voice trembling with suppressed excitement, “the time has come.”

Zhou Xuanming, reflected in the mirror, raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

"News of Fu Changsheng killing the fake infant has arrived today, causing a split within the family, with nearly half of the elders advocating for peace," Lei Tianxing said rapidly. "The Grand Elder's attitude is ambiguous, clearly indicating disloyalty."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Xuanming's eyes: "The list."

Lei Tianxing was prepared; he took out a jade slip and placed it on the mirror. Ripples appeared on the mirror, transmitting the information.

“Very good.” After a moment, Zhou Xuanming nodded in satisfaction. “Jin Lin will arrive tomorrow at noon. You know what to do.”

"Tianxing understands." Lei Tianxing bowed deeply. "I will certainly not fail my cousin's trust."

After the mirror returned to its calm state, Lei Tianxing took out a set of blood-red armor from a hidden compartment and gently stroked the cold metal surface. This was the "Blood Dragon Armor" he had secretly prepared for twenty years, and today it would finally come in handy.

The next day at noon, the sun was blazing.

The elders of the Lei family gathered once again in the council hall, but sensed an unusual atmosphere. The guards outside the hall were all unfamiliar faces, each with a gloomy aura and a uniform curved sword at their waist.

"What does this mean?" The Second Elder looked at the First Elder with a sharp and alert expression.

Lei Wanjun frowned, about to speak, when the palace doors suddenly swung open. Lei Tianxing, clad in blood-red dragon armor, strode in with the imposing presence of a dragon. Behind him followed an old man in golden robes, his face sinister, radiating the terrifying pressure of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Clan leader, who is this?" The Third Elder stood up to greet him.

Lei Tianxing sneered and raised his hand in a gesture. The old man in the golden robe suddenly attacked, a golden light flashed, and a bloody hole appeared between Lei Zhenshan's eyebrows. His eyes widened and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Third Elder!" everyone exclaimed.

"Quiet." Lei Tianxing's voice wasn't loud, but it froze everyone in place. He slowly walked towards the main seat, the golden-robed elder following closely behind. "Yesterday, someone proposed betraying the Seventh Prince's Mansion. Today, I, the clan head, will cleanse the house."

The Second Elder was furious: "Lei Tianxing! How dare you!"

"puff!"

Another golden light flashed, and a bloody hole the size of a bowl exploded in Lei Li's chest. The old man in the golden robe withdrew his finger, his face expressionless.

The hall was deathly silent, save for the sound of dripping blood. The peace-loving elders were ashen-faced, while the war-loving elders were trembling with fear. No one had expected this puppet clan leader to be so ruthless.

"Fifth Elder," Lei Tianxing said, looking at Lei Hong, whose face was full of scars, "you performed well yesterday."

Lei Hong, as if waking from a dream, immediately knelt down: "Your subordinate is willing to pledge allegiance to the clan chief!"

Lei Tianxing nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the others: "Who else wants to pledge allegiance?"

"I am willing to pledge my loyalty!"

"The clan leader is wise!"

"."

In the blink of an eye, most of the elders knelt on the ground. Only the Seventh Elder and a few other senior elders remained standing, their faces deathly pale.

The Seventh Elder gave a bitter laugh: "What a shrewd Lei Tianxing! He's been hiding his true intentions well. But your collusion with outsiders to slaughter your clansmen will surely incur divine retribution!"

"Divine retribution?" Lei Tianxing seemed to have heard a joke. "In this cultivation world, strength is the only law! Senior Jinlin, send them on their way."

The old man in the golden robe flicked his hands, sending out several beams of golden light. Lei Mingjing and the others fought desperately, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; in the blink of an eye, blood splattered five steps away.

In just a quarter of an hour, the council hall had become a scene of carnage. Thirteen corpses lay strewn about, and blood flowed in streams down the cracks in the ground.

Lei Wanjun stood rooted to the spot, watching everything unfold expressionlessly. When Lei Tianxing looked at him, the elder slowly bowed: "This old man is willing to relinquish all power and pledge allegiance to the clan leader."

Lei Tianxing narrowed his eyes, seemingly weighing something. Finally, he smiled slightly: "The Grand Elder is truly wise and righteous, which I greatly admire. From this day forward, please hand over the family seal and the keys to the treasury, and retire in peace."

……

The Lei Family Treasury.

"Damn it!" Lei Tianxing kicked over the empty jade shelf, his face contorted in anger. "Where are the spirit stones? Where are the magic weapons? Where are the pills?!"

Jin Lin frowned and scanned his surroundings. The treasure vault was vast, yet almost empty. The few remaining resources were all worthless.

"It seems that the Grand Elder was prepared all along," Jin Lin said coldly.

Lei Tianxing's forehead veins bulged: "Guards! Bring that old bastard Lei Wanjun here!"

A moment later, the guard reported in a panic: "Clan leader, the Grand Elder is gone! He left only this letter in his courtyard."

Lei Tianxing grabbed the letter; it contained only a few words:

"Here's an empty shell for you. Take care of yourself." — Lei Wanjun

"Ah!!!" Lei Tianxing roared, his spiritual power erupting out of control, shaking the entire treasure vault violently.

Jin Lin suddenly sensed something, flashed to a wall, and lightly stroked the bricks with his fingers: "There's a hidden compartment here." He exerted his energy, and the bricks fell away, revealing a small teleportation array. A line of small characters was engraved beside the array:
"Lei Yunfeng has been waiting for the Grand Elder for a long time."

"Lei Yunfeng?!" Lei Tianxing was struck dumb. "Didn't he spend fifty years in seclusion?"

Jin Lin's face darkened: "It seems your Lei family's Grand Elder began planning this decades ago."

Meanwhile, in a valley three thousand miles away.

The newly built Lei family manor was magnificent, in no way inferior to the main family manor. Elder Lei Wanjun stood on the high platform, looking down at the busy clansmen below, and a relieved smile finally appeared on his face.

"Elder." A stern-faced middle-aged man appeared quietly; it was Lei Yunfeng, a Golden Core cultivator from the Lei family who had been in seclusion for many years. "All core disciples and resources have been safely transferred."

Lei Wanjun nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. I started planning this move when the old patriarch was in power, and today it has finally come to fruition."

Lei Yunfeng looked into the distance, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "With the support of the Seven Princes, Lei Tianxing probably won't let this go easily."

"It doesn't matter," Lei Wanjun sneered. "What he inherited was just an empty shell. Without resources, how can he train disciples? Besides..."

He turned and pointed to a cave deep in the valley, where faint lightning flickered: "Your disciple should be emerging from seclusion by now, shouldn't he?"

Lei Yunfeng rarely showed a smile: "Jing Lei is an exceptionally talented child. He's almost certain to succeed in breaking through to the Golden Core stage during his seclusion."

"With two Golden Core cultivators at the helm, plus the resources secretly transferred over the years," Lei Wanjun stroked his beard and smiled, "in less than thirty years, our lineage will surpass the main family. At that time, Lei Tianxing will be nothing but a joke!"

...

...

Huizhou Prefecture

Fu Changsheng gathered a wisp of blue light at his fingertips and gently traced it across the opening of the bag.

"open."

With a soft shout, the storage bag emitted a burst of golden light, and countless rare items poured out like a galaxy, automatically categorizing and arranging themselves under the special laws of the Five Elements space.

Even with his vast experience and knowledge, Fu Changsheng couldn't help but shrink his pupils slightly at this moment.

"No wonder he's an old monster who's lived for a thousand years."

The first thing that catches the eye is a mountain of spirit stones, roughly estimated to be a staggering 100,000, including dozens of high-grade spirit stones that radiate pure spiritual energy. These spirit stones automatically gathered in a corner, forming a small mountain.

Next came various jade boxes, their lids as clear as crystal, revealing the spiritual herbs sealed within. Fu Changsheng's gaze swept over them, and his breathing quickened—

"Four-leaf Scrophularia!"

"A thousand-year-old snow-covered Ganoderma lucidum!"

"Nine Netherworld Orchid!"

Each and every one of them is a rare and highly sought-after fourth-tier spiritual herb, enough to spark fierce competition among Golden Core cultivators in the outside world. In particular, the thousand-year-old Snow Spirit Mushroom, its entire body as black as ink, has naturally formed runes on its petals indicating that it has grown for over three thousand years, making it the main ingredient for refining a pill that helps one break through the bottleneck of the mid-stage Golden Core realm.

More than ten porcelain bottles floated beside the jade box. Fu Changsheng took a green jade bottle from a distance and broke the seal.

As soon as the bottle was opened, a refreshing fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the entire wooden house. Fu Changsheng poured out a pill the size of a longan. The pill was amber in color, with nine natural lines on its surface. It pulsated slightly in his palm, as if it were alive.

"Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill!"

Fu Changsheng clenched his fist tightly, afraid that the precious pill would fly away. This pill was a high-grade fourth-rank pill, specifically for treating damage to the soul, and its refining method had long been lost. He probed the bottle with his divine sense, but his expression gradually darkened.

Only one.

Three figures immediately flashed through his mind—Ningning's soul was incomplete and needed this pill to repair it; his second daughter, Yongxuan, had her soul injured in the Lawless Land and had not yet awakened; and his cousin, Molan, also had her soul damaged because of Granny Yinhua's possession.
“Only one.” Fu Changsheng’s knuckles turned white, and a look of pain flashed in his eyes. As the head of the family, he had to make a choice, and that choice was incredibly difficult.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed the pill back into the bottle and then turned to examine the other items.

A pile of refining materials caught his attention. Among them, a fist-sized piece of cyan jade stood out the most, with thirty-six naturally formed patterns on its surface, vaguely forming a lotus flower design.

"Heavenly Jade!"

Fu Changsheng grabbed the jade stone; it was warm and smooth to the touch. The Lotus Lantern within his body resonated spontaneously, trembling gently in his dantian. This was an excellent material for refining the Heavenly Gang Restriction. If it could be integrated into the Lotus Lantern, at least one more restriction could be refined, greatly increasing the power of the magic weapon.

To his even greater surprise, there was a jade slip next to him containing the "Heavenly Gang Restriction Refining Method," which was exactly the knowledge he desperately needed.

Continuing his search, Fu Changsheng discovered a stack of pill formulas in a hidden compartment. He quickly flipped through them, then suddenly stopped at a yellowed animal hide.

Detailed Explanation of the Refining of the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill!
"Good!" Fu Changsheng couldn't help but exclaim softly, hurriedly checking the required materials. The main ingredients were Soul-Nourishing Flower, Three-Life Grass, and Nine Netherworld Orchid, with twenty-eight auxiliary ingredients.
Fu Changsheng's eyes lit up at the mention of the "Soul-Nourishing Flower." "There are exactly three of them cultivated in the family's medicinal garden!"

The heavy weight on his heart finally lifted. Although the Three-Life Grass was extremely rare, knowing the formula was better than having no clue at all. He carefully put away the formula and continued to check.

Next were several magical artifacts. A small, blood-red sword, its blade engraved with strange runes; an ancient bronze mirror, its surface riddled with cracks; and the small, blood-red seal once used by True Immortal Tianyang. These were all fourth-tier magical artifacts, somewhat damaged, but priceless.

What caught Fu Changsheng's attention most was a jet-black token with the words "Ten Thousand Dragons" engraved on its front. The token felt cold to the touch, and a faint dragon's roar could be heard entering his mind; it was a rare soul-attack type magic weapon.

After taking inventory, Fu Changsheng carefully put all the items away, leaving only the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, the pill formula, and the Heavenly Jade.

He stared at the elixir, lost in thought.

"Never mind." Fu Changsheng sighed, putting the pills into his robes. "Treat the most critical cases first."

As for the Heavenly Jade, he planned to start refining it immediately.

Within the Five Elements Space, Fu Changsheng sat cross-legged in the void, with the Lotus Lantern and Heavenly Jade floating in front of him. Around him floated thirty-six kinds of auxiliary materials—Star Sand, Void Crystal, and Millennium Cold Iron. Each of them was a precious item for refining the Heavenly Gang Restriction.

"rise!"

Fu Changsheng pointed his fingers like a sword, and a beam of azure light shot into the Lotus Lantern. The lantern trembled slightly, emitting a soft glow, and the lotus-petal-shaped lamp slowly rotated, releasing a faint fragrance.

Immediately afterwards, he made a grasping motion with his right hand, and the Heavenly Jade flew into the air. Fu Changsheng opened his mouth and spat out a wisp of his natal true fire, the azure flames enveloping the jade, and began to smelt it.

This training lasted for several months.

Under the tempering of true fire, the Heavenly Jade gradually softened, and the thirty-six natural patterns on its surface became increasingly clear, eventually transforming into flowing golden lines. Sweat beaded on Fu Changsheng's forehead, but he dared not relax in the slightest—the refinement of the Heavenly Jade restriction was so precise that even the slightest error would render all previous efforts futile.

"melt!"

With a soft shout, the softened Heavenly Jade enveloped the Lotus Lantern like flowing water. The moment the two touched, the entire Five Elements Space trembled, and countless golden runes burst forth from the point of contact, weaving into complex patterns in the air.

Fu Changsheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his ten fingers danced like butterflies among flowers, infusing each auxiliary material into the rune array. With each material added, the runes brightened, eventually forming a complete ring-shaped restriction that slowly rotated around the Lotus Lantern.

"Fifth forbidden technique, complete!"

Fu Changsheng bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the restriction. The blood mist mingled with the golden light, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance. As the light dissipated, the fifth Heavenly Gang Restriction was perfectly imprinted on the Lotus Lantern, forming a profound resonance with the other four restrictions.

"Buzz——"

The Lotus Lantern suddenly trembled on its own, and the wick spontaneously combusted. From the blue flames, a blurry figure gradually took shape—it was the phantom of a child of about three or four years old, dressed in a lotus leaf robe, with a vermilion dot between his brows.

“Master.” The boy’s voice was childish, yet it carried an ancient and weathered charm.

Fu Changsheng's heart skipped a beat: "A spirit within an artifact?!"

In the cultivation world, only spirit-grade magical artifacts can nurture artifact spirits. Although his Lotus Lantern was no ordinary item, it was still a step away from becoming a spirit-grade artifact. Unexpectedly, the fifth Heavenly Gang Restriction awakened the nascent artifact spirit ahead of schedule.

The boy tilted his head, seemingly trying to recall something: "I think I slept for a long time."

"Do you have a name?" Fu Changsheng asked softly, afraid of disturbing the fragile spirit.

After uttering the words "Qingqingxuan," the boy's figure began to blur. "So tired. I need to sleep more."

Before the words were finished, the illusory figure merged back into the lamp wick. The light of the Lotus Lamp dimmed and returned to calm, but Fu Changsheng could clearly sense that a wisp of spirituality had appeared within the lamp.

He reached out and grasped the Lotus Lantern, a feeling of blood connection welling up within him. With a slight thought, the Lotus Lantern transformed into a beam of azure light and entered his dantian, swirling around his golden core and absorbing spiritual energy.

"Try the power."

Fu Changsheng's idea stirred again, and the Lotus Lantern appeared in response.

"Azure Lotus Protection!"

With a soft shout, the Lotus Lantern burst forth with light several times brighter than before. A twelve-petaled azure lotus appeared out of thin air, each petal seemingly solidified, its surface shimmering with golden runes. In the center of the lotus platform, the Daoist characters "Qingxuan" were faintly visible.

Fu Changsheng flicked his finger, and a sword aura powerful enough to pierce mountains struck the lotus petals, yet it only caused faint ripples. This defensive power was at least three times stronger than before!
"Qingfeng has appeared!"

The Lotus Lantern instantly elongated and deformed, transforming into a three-foot-long green sword. Unlike before, the sword was wrapped with strands of gold thread, and the space at the blade was more distorted, with faint black cracks appearing. Fu Changsheng casually swung his hand, and wherever the sword energy passed, a small crack was ripped open in the Five Elements Space. Although it healed in an instant, it had already revealed terrifying destructive power.

"Clear light heals wounds!"

With a sudden shift in swordplay, a clear light cascaded down. This time, the light was interspersed with specks of gold, landing on Fu Changsheng's deliberately slashed arm. The wound healed at a visible speed, leaving no scar. Even more miraculously, he felt that even the hidden injuries accumulated over years of cultivation had been somewhat soothed.

"Star Imprisonment!"

With the final transformation, the Lotus Lantern vanished, scattering countless starlight beams. These starlight beams were no longer scattered randomly, but arranged according to the celestial constellations, forming a mysterious array. Fu Changsheng could sense that the enemies trapped within were even unable to escape into the void.

Four transformations, all increasing in power!
Just as Fu Changsheng was overjoyed, the Lotus Lantern suddenly took flight on its own, its wick's blue flame surging. A stream of information flowed into his mind through the connection of his divine sense—

Fragments of the "Qinglian Creation Scripture"!
"This is..." Fu Changsheng was shocked. The text recorded the true origin and complete method of refining the Lotus Lantern. Although it was only a fragment, it clearly stated that the complete Lotus Lantern should have nine Heavenly Gang Restrictions, and if all of them could be refined, it could transform into a Primordial Spiritual Treasure!
What shocked him even more was that the scripture mentioned that the Lotus Lantern was made by the ancient great power "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" in imitation of the innate spiritual treasure "Creation Azure Lotus". If all nine lanterns could be collected, one ten-thousandth of the power of Creation Azure Lotus could be reproduced.

"No wonder there was a Heavenly Jade in True Immortal Tianyang's storage bag," Fu Changsheng mused. "Could it be that he also knows the origin of the Lotus Lantern?"

Suppressing his doubts, Fu Changsheng continued to comprehend the changes brought about by the fifth restriction. The most obvious change was the significant reduction in spiritual energy consumption, while the power increased exponentially. In the past, his spiritual energy would be depleted after using the fourth transformation, but now he could use it with ease.

Furthermore, the connection between the Lotus Lantern and the Golden Core has become even stronger. Although the spirit within the lantern is in a deep slumber, Fu Changsheng can sense that it is slowly absorbing his spiritual energy to grow. Given time, it will surely achieve great things.

"call--"

With a long sigh, Fu Changsheng put away the Lotus Lantern. This tempering not only greatly enhanced the power of his natal magic weapon but also revealed its astonishing origins. However… who is the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal? And where are the other eight Lotus Lanterns?

These questions may only be answered when the spirit Qingxuan awakens again.

Before leaving the Five Elements Space, Fu Changsheng glanced at the mountain of spirit stones and various treasures in the corner. The millennia of accumulation by True Person Tianyang had indeed greatly enriched the Fu family's foundation. But compared to these, the fifth Heavenly Gang Restriction was the greatest gain.

"It's time to head to Tianlang Mountain."

The intelligence report mentioned this.

Yongxing is able to open one of the boxes in the treasure trove in the back mountain of the Tianlang tribe. In addition, he also needs to make a trip to the Luo family. Yongxuan was taken away by Luo Haitang and is now recuperating at the Luo family.

He has now obtained the healing elixir and needs to send it over as soon as possible.

...

...

Yulin Prefecture.

After the city's defensive formation was completed, the development of Beilin County proceeded in full swing.

Fu Yongwei and Wu Qing, the couple from Lingzhitang, rushed over from Yunshan County in Jingzhou. Standing on the wasteland, they gazed at the land that had once been shrouded in miasma. Fu Yongwei gently raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with a faint green light. A wisp of verdant life flowed from her palm, seeping into the parched soil like a stream.

“This land,” she closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows in the morning light, “though the miasma has deeply eroded it, the underground spiritual veins remain undamaged. On the contrary, because no one has mined it for many years, it has accumulated abundant spiritual energy.”

She was born with a plant spirit, capable of resonating with plants. At this moment, she seemed to hear a faint pulse coming from the depths of the earth—the struggle of spirits suppressed by miasma.

Wu Qing stood beside her, unfastened the jade pot from his waist, took a sip of the spiritual spring water, and then bent down to pour the remaining water onto the ground.

"The Green Wood Sect's 'Nourishing Technique'?" Fu Yongwei opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

Wu Qing smiled and nodded, his slender fingers tracing ancient green wood runes in the air: "The effect will be even better when combined with your spirit."

As the runes fell, the water droplets did not seep into the soil, but instead hovered in mid-air, gradually turning into a pale green mist. Fu Yongwei understood, formed hand seals, and activated her plant spirit body to its fullest extent, causing countless tiny points of light to appear around her—that was her innate "spiritual plant affinity".

The mist and specks of light mingled, transforming into a gentle, drizzling rain. The parched earth hissed and crackled, greedily absorbing this precious nourishment as if it were parched land receiving timely rain.

“Not enough.” Fu Yongwei bit her lower lip and took a wooden hairpin from her hair. This was a spiritual artifact that her father had personally carved for her from thousand-year-old spirit peach wood when she was in the Purple Mansion. She inserted the hairpin into the ground and softly chanted the family’s “All Things Grow” incantation.

Wu Qing tacitly took out three jade seeds—these were the "Purifying Spirit Vine" seeds, a secret of the Qingmu Sect, collected by the clan from the Blood Forbidden Land. He buried the seeds in the soil according to the Three Powers orientation, while simultaneously circulating his Qingmu True Essence, a faint blue light emanating from his fingertips.

"rise!"

The couple took a sip at the same time.

In an instant, ripples of green light spread across the ground centered on the wooden hairpin. Three seeds sprouted from the soil, and the vines grew and spread at a visible speed, covering an area of ​​hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye. These vines were unlike ordinary plants; they were crystal clear like jade, with naturally formed mysterious patterns on their leaves, and their pale purple flowers emitted a refreshing fragrance. Wherever they passed, the lingering miasma melted away like ice and snow.

in the coming days.

The couple led hundreds of spiritual plant farmers to reclaim wasteland.

Fu Yongwei unleashed her full power as a plant spirit. Wherever she went, withered grasses were revitalized, twisted shrubs stretched out their branches, and even ancient trees that had been eroded by miasma for many years gradually lost their black spots and sprouted new buds.

Wu Qing was responsible for setting up the Spirit Field Array.

He took out a set of seventy-two green wood array flags and arranged them according to the "Zhou Tian Ling Zhi Array" secret of the Green Wood Sect. Each array flag inserted into the soil would cause a slight tremor in the earth's veins, guiding the spiritual energy buried deep underground to the surface.

"Here, we'll grow 'Frost Marrow Rice'," Fu Yongwei said, pointing to a spirit field shimmering with blue light. "There's a cold vein running through the ground, making it perfect for this kind of spiritual plant."

"Set up the 'Five Elements Rotation Array' over there," Wu Qing instructed his disciples. "Fire-attribute spiritual herbs require a special environment."

In less than three years, thousands of acres of fertile land have been transformed from the once barren plains. The ears of spirit rice gleam with a faint blue light; the fire spirit mushrooms emit red glows within a specially crafted array; and seedlings thrive in the spiritual rain, foreshadowing a bountiful harvest in the future.

Most astonishingly, in the central experimental field, Fu Yongwei had dripped a drop of her own blood essence into the spiritual liquid prepared by Wu Qing, cultivating three golden-yellow spirit wheat stalks. The naturally formed patterns on the wheat ears even vaguely formed a small spirit-gathering array.

The "Spirit Plant Symbiosis" Wu Qing gently touched the wheat ear, sensing the strange spiritual energy flowing within it. "Given time, perhaps it can cultivate a spirit plant capable of independent cultivation."

……

at the same time.

Beilin County, Mineral Vein Detection Hall.

Fu Yongyi stood with his hands behind his back in front of the sand table. With a light tap of his fingertips, dozens of golden light spots flew out from his sleeves and landed in various places on the sand table—this was the exploration route for the disciples of the Mineral Vein Detection Hall today.

"Using the city as the center, we will advance outwards in three routes." His voice was steady as his gaze swept over the twenty-odd disciples below. "The eastern route will be led by Zhao Han to explore the branches of the Qingming Mountains; the western route will be under Zhou Yan's responsibility, searching along the ancient Kuhe Road; and I will personally lead a team northwards, approaching the border of the Black Witch Village."

(End of this chapter)