Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 585 Fifth-Rank Celebration, Crimson Change, Successive Evolutions
The celebration of the Luo family's promotion to a fifth-rank family was held in a grand manner at the Eastern Wilderness stronghold. Guests gathered in large numbers, and the atmosphere was festive and joyous. As a close ally of the Luo family, the Fu family sent Ouyang Fei, known for his composure and competence, as their representative.

The celebration lasted for several days before gradually dissipating.

Just as Ouyang Fei was preparing to bid farewell to the Luo family and return to the Fu family to report back,

"Grandpa Fei, please wait." Fu Yongxuan called out to him.

"Yongxuan, what is it?" Ouyang Fei looked at Fu Yongxuan with a kind expression.

Fu Yongxuan smiled slightly and gestured for her to proceed: "Godmother, please move to the council hall for a discussion."

Ouyang Fei's heart stirred slightly, knowing that Luo Haitang must have something important to discuss with him at this time, so he nodded and said, "Lead the way."

Following Fu Yongxuan through layers of guards, they arrived at the heavily guarded council hall of the Luo family. Inside, Luo Haitang was already seated in the main seat, and a smile appeared on her face when she saw Ouyang Fei enter.

"Elder Ouyang, I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality at this celebration," Luo Haitang said in a friendly greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, you flatter me. The celebration is truly magnificent, and Ouyang Fei is deeply grateful for the Luo family's hospitality," Ouyang Fei replied respectfully.

The two sides exchanged a few more words, discussing the situation in Donghuang and matters related to cooperation between the two companies.

Suddenly, Luo Haitang changed the subject, her expression becoming serious: "Elder Ouyang, I have invited you here today to discuss an important matter."

"Fellow Daoist Luo, please speak." Ouyang Fei's expression sharpened, knowing that the main topic had arrived.

Luo Haitang's sharp gaze revealed his intentions directly: "My Luo family intends to join forces with the Fu family to concentrate our strength and take down the Tianyin tribe in one fell swoop! I wonder what the Fu family thinks?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Fei was startled. The Tianyin Tribe was a Golden Core tribe with a long history and considerable strength in the Eastern Wilderness. They occupied a region and were known for their strange cultivation techniques and sturdy mountain-protecting formations. They were a tough nut to crack.

Before Ouyang Fei could answer, Luo Haitang continued her analysis:
"Elder Ouyang, as far as I know, the Fu family is only missing two conditions to advance to the fifth-rank aristocratic family: first, sufficient merit recognized by the imperial court; and second, at least ten fourth-rank craft masters. If we can take down the Tianyin tribe, its accumulated wealth and resources over the years, as well as the merit gained from annihilating the tribe, will be enough to almost fulfill the merit requirement for the Fu family! This is a golden opportunity!"

Ouyang Fei took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and pondered:

"Fellow Daoist Luo is quite right. The Tianyin Tribe is indeed a tempting target. However... please forgive my bluntness, but the Tianyin Tribe's protective array is notorious. It is said that it is extremely difficult to break through without the help of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Although our two families have many Golden Core cultivators, we lack top-notch array-breaking techniques. I'm afraid we will be unable to shake that tortoise shell. If we force an attack, we may suffer heavy losses."

This is also the main reason why the Fu family has always been wary of the Tianyin tribe.

Luo Haitang seemed to have anticipated his question, and a confident smile appeared on her face:

"Elder Ouyang's concerns are indeed crucial. I wouldn't have proposed this without certainty. Regarding methods to break the formation, my Luo family does possess some expertise, but..."

She paused slightly, lowering her voice:
"This matter is of great importance. The specific details, how the two families should cooperate, and how the benefits should be distributed still need to be discussed in detail with the person in charge of the Fu family. I would like to ask Elder Ouyang to personally convey my message to the head of the Changsheng family after he returns. If he has time, please ask him to come to my Luo family so that I can discuss it with him in person."

Seeing how certain Luo Haitang was, Ouyang Fei was about 70-80% convinced. He knew Luo Haitang wasn't one to speak without reason; since he dared to propose a partnership, he must have something to rely on.

He immediately and solemnly agreed:
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Luo, Ouyang Fei will definitely convey the message. I will immediately send a message back to my family to report this matter. I will reply to the Luo family as soon as I have any news."

"Alright! Then I'll await good news from the Changsheng family head." Luo Haitang nodded in satisfaction.

...

...

Jingzhou, Yunshan County, Fu family.

Inside the quiet room, an invisible fluctuation of spiritual energy slowly subsided. Fu Yongzhao opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them, and an uncontrollable upward turn of his lips.

The Niwan Palace has opened!
Half-step into the Purple Mansion!

He sprang up from the prayer mat almost immediately, and in a flash appeared in the courtyard, excitedly finding Fu Yongzhou sitting quietly under a tree, sipping tea.

"Master! I did it!" Fu Yongzhao's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "You promised that if I could successfully open the Niwan Palace within ten years and abide by the rules, you would take me to that place!"

Fu Yongzhou put down his teacup, looked at his disciple who had grown into a handsome young man, but whose eyes still held a strange glint that hadn't been completely extinguished, and slowly nodded. Over the past few decades, he had personally witnessed how this child suppressed his true nature, how he followed those tedious precepts, and how his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. As his master, he naturally kept his word.

"Yes, I promised you." Fu Yongzhou's voice was steady. "Make preparations. We'll depart in three days for the outer perimeter of the Crimson Forbidden Land."

Fu Yongzhao's face instantly lit up with a bright smile, a smile so pure that it almost made people forget his mischievous childhood.

Fu Yongzhou looked at him, his tone becoming serious: "But Zhao'er, you must remember that in recent decades, the Blood Forbidden Land has undergone increasingly severe changes, evil spirits have proliferated, and spatial rifts have appeared from time to time, making it far more dangerous and bizarre than recorded in the classics. On this trip, we will only operate in the outermost edge area and must not go deeper. Furthermore, regardless of whether we gain anything or not, we must leave within seven days."

"Don't worry, Master, I understand! I won't run around, I'll listen to everything you say!" Fu Yongzhao agreed readily, his eyes clear, looking every bit the obedient disciple.

He was already very familiar with the legends of the Crimson Forbidden Land—heavenly treasures, ancient cultivators' remains, and heaven-defying opportunities… but these were not what interested him the most.

What he truly yearned for were those bizarre and terrifying legends that devoured life, those strangely shaped "ghosts" and "monsters" that fed on people's fears.

...

...

Three days later, a sword light carried the master and disciple away from the Fu family in Yunshan County, speeding towards that forbidden zone of life that everyone feared.

The closer one gets to the Crimson Forbidden Land, the more desolate and lifeless the surroundings become. The sky seems to be shrouded in a thin layer of blood mist, and a faint smell of rust and decay begins to permeate the air, making one feel uneasy.

Fu Yongzhao took a deep breath, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

Finally, a vast, dark red mountain range, shrouded in a distorted halo, appeared on the horizon. Above the mountain range, blood-red clouds hung low, and occasionally, eerie lightning would silently flash across the sky, tearing it apart to reveal an even darker void beyond.

Fu Yongzhou maneuvered his flying sword to land on a relatively stable cliff.

Ahead, a distorted light curtain, like a giant bowl overturned on the earth, revealed a blurry scene within. Jagged rocks and withered, twisted plants were vaguely visible, marking the boundary of the Crimson Forbidden Land.

"Stay close to me, conceal your aura, and remain vigilant at all times." Fu Yongzhou summoned an ancient bronze mirror, its light casting a glow that enveloped the two of them, effectively isolating them from the pervasive, foul aura.

He was the first to step into that distorted light curtain.

Fu Yongzhao followed without hesitation.

Step into the light curtain.

In a flash, it was as if I had entered another world.

"Is this the entrance to the Crimson Forbidden Land?"

Fu Yongzhao was vaguely excited.

Before them stood a colossal stone dragon head, seemingly formed from some unknown creature, its mouth gaping open, forming a gateway to that ominous place. The crimson light accumulated in its eyes was almost dripping, so thick it seemed impossible to disperse, radiating a chilling and eerie aura, as if scrutinizing every living being that dared to step into it.

At this moment, a rather long queue had formed at the entrance.

Although the Crimson Forbidden Land is infamous for its horrific incursions and strange occurrences, there are always plenty of people willing to take the risk.

The cultivators in the group were dressed in various styles, and their cultivation levels ranged from Purple Mansion to Golden Core. Each of them had a solemn expression, and their eyes held either madness born of despair or resolute determination in a desperate gamble. Clearly, many of them were either desperate criminals or cultivators from other states who had been driven to the brink of despair and had come here seeking a sliver of hope or a tremendous opportunity.

Fu Yongzhao stood quietly behind his master.

Just then, an undisguised pressure from a late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator came from the side, and a male and a female cultivator directly stepped in front of Fu Yongzhao and his disciple. The male cultivator was dressed in a brocade robe and had an arrogant face, while the female cultivator had a seductive figure and a mean look in her eyes.

A few low murmurs of dissatisfaction rose from the group, but they quickly fell silent after sensing the powerful cultivation levels of the two individuals.

After cutting in line, the male cultivator even turned back and glanced contemptuously at Fu Yongzhao, whom he had pushed aside, letting out a barely audible snort. The female cultivator was even more direct, scanning Fu Yongzhao up and down, noticing his mere half-step Purple Mansion cultivation level, her red lips curling into a low, unreserved sneer:
"A half-step Purple Mansion dares to trespass into the Crimson Forbidden Zone? He's really tired of living, a piece of trash."

Fu Yongzhao's facial muscles seemed to twitch very slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Fu Yongzhou took in all of this. Seeing how "calm and composed" Fu Yongzhao was, able to endure such humiliation without retaliating, he felt not resentment but rather a sense of relief.

It seems that decades of teaching have not been in vain; Zhao'er has truly learned to temper her brilliance.

...

...

Less than half an hour later.

The group stepped into the enormous dragon's mouth.

As if passing through a layer of cold, viscous water, the surrounding scenery suddenly distorted and changed.

The male and female cultivators who cut in line were clearly quite familiar with this area, or at least had a clear destination. They showed no intention of lingering on the outskirts; after identifying their direction, they used their movement techniques to quickly head towards the deeper part of the forbidden area—the dangerous zone known as the "inner perimeter."

The forbidden area is protected by powerful anti-flight laws, making flight impossible. Therefore, despite their late-stage Purple Mansion cultivation, they were not fast.

Fu Yongzhao flicked his fingertips twice in an extremely subtle way, and two wisps of gray energy, finer than a strand of hair and almost blending into the surrounding yin and filth, silently adhered to the inside of the hem of the robes of the departing male and female cultivators—the tracking mark passed down in the secret tradition of the Dark Hall.

After doing all this, he still had that slightly nervous and curious expression on his face.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when they passed a stone forest covered with eerie blood-red moss, Fu Yongzhao suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and staggered as if he had tripped over something. His hand "instinctively" pressed down on a piece of blood moss that was exceptionally bright in color.

"Zhao'er!" Fu Yongzhou immediately turned around, his expression tightening.

The hand that Fu Yongzhao had pressed against the blood-stained area instantly became red and swollen, and the swelling quickly spread upwards, with a chilling aura rising up along the meridians of his arm!

"Master! This moss is poisonous!" Fu Yongzhao's face showed pain, and his voice was filled with panic.

Fu Yongzhou immediately stepped forward, grabbed his wrist, and poured in his pure spiritual energy to probe and suppress the cold poison. His brows furrowed: "This is 'Corroding Blood Moss,' and its toxicity is quite severe. It needs to be forced out immediately! How could you be so careless!"

His tone was reproachful, but more so concerned. He immediately helped Fu Yongzhao sit down on a relatively clean rock and used all his internal energy to help him expel the poison.

Fu Yongzhao bit his lip, cold sweat beading on his forehead, looking like he was enduring pain and deep regret: "Disciple... Disciple only saw that the moss had an unusual color and wanted to take a closer look, but I didn't expect..."

"Hold your breath and concentrate, guide my spiritual power!" Fu Yongzhou shouted, fully immersing himself in the process of expelling the poison from his disciple.

About half a cup of tea later.

Fu Yongzhao's arm swelling gradually subsided. He exhaled and said weakly, "Thank you, Master. I feel much better."

Fu Yongzhou also breathed a sigh of relief, withdrew his spiritual power, and said solemnly, "This place is fraught with danger; every blade of grass and every tree could be fatal. We must not have any more curiosity! We need to be more..."

His words came to an abrupt halt, for at that moment, a strange rustling sound suddenly came from the depths of the stone forest beside them. Immediately afterward, several skeletons, still wearing tattered clothes, moving stiffly, and with red glowing eyes, staggered out of the forest. Upon discovering them, they immediately roared and pounced on them!

"Yin Skeletons!" Fu Yongzhou's expression hardened, and he instantly shielded Fu Yongzhao behind him. "I'll use them for you to practice and consolidate your cultivation! Be careful!"

After saying that, he summoned his magic weapon to meet the two strongest skeletons, deliberately leaving the three weaker ones for Fu Yongzhao.

A barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed in Fu Yongzhao's eyes, but his face showed a tense and serious expression: "Yes, Master!" He drew his long sword and "struggled" to deal with the three skeletons. His moves looked methodical, but he always "almost" hit the vital points at the critical moment, which made it look quite "thrilling".

While dealing with the Yin Skeleton in front of him, Fu Yongzhou also kept an eye on his disciple. Seeing that he was "frantic" and "in danger," he had to frequently give him pointers and even occasionally send out a burst of energy to help him out of trouble.

Just as Fu Yongzhou's attention was completely drawn to Fu Yongzhao's "clumsy" performance and the other few Yin skeletons, a glint flashed in Fu Yongzhao's eyes!
His footwork suddenly became extremely strange, and his figure twisted like a ghost. It seemed that he was being forced to dodge in a sorry state by the bone claws of a Yin Skull, but in fact he cleverly used a tall phantom stone pillar to block Fu Yongzhou's view!
The instant his body was concealed by the phantom pillar, the earthen-yellow talisman he had been holding in his hand was instantly activated!
Earth Release: Shadow Shift!

puff!
With a very faint thud, his figure instantly disappeared into the ground, vanishing without a trace. Only a faint fluctuation of earth-elemental spiritual energy remained in his place, which was quickly dispersed by the death aura of the Yin Skull and the aftershocks of the battle.

The three grotesque skeletons that were attacking him suddenly lost their target and stood frozen in place.

Almost simultaneously, Fu Yongzhou swung his sword, shattering the last two Yin Skeletons, and turned back to call out, "Zhao'er, are you alright? These Yin Skeletons' weakness is..."

His words caught in his throat. Looking at the three blankly staring skeletons and the empty space, his expression suddenly changed!
"Zhao'er?!" Fu Yongzhou's divine sense spread out instantly, but he only caught a faint, extremely subtle earth escape fluctuation that was rapidly receding into the distance. The direction was clearly the path that the male and female cultivators had taken!
He immediately understood! The poisoning, the panic when encountering the enemy—it was all an act by this kid! His purpose was to exhaust his spiritual energy, thereby shaking him off and making it impossible for him to catch up!
"Nonsense!!" Fu Yongzhou was both shocked and furious, his face turning pale with anger, and he immediately chased after them.

...

...

Night swallowed the already dim light of the Crimson Forbidden Land, and all sorts of indescribable rustling sounds and whispers rose from all directions, sending chills down one's spine.

The male and female cultivators' expressions grew increasingly grim. In their desperate attempt to reach a certain spot within the inner perimeter, they had rushed at full speed, ultimately missing the last dilapidated temple where they could rest. In the Blood Forbidden Land at night, without the protection of a temple, exposed to the wilderness was practically tantamount to suicide.

"Quick! Find a relatively hidden place to set up an array and withstand the attack!" the male cultivator roared anxiously, his voice trembling slightly.

at this time.

A clear, ethereal, yet chilling chant suddenly echoed through the deathly silent night. The sound seemed to act directly on the soul, sending shivers down the spines of both the male and female cultivators!

They looked ahead in horror, only to see the scene on the once empty wasteland twist and turn, and a turbid river with dark waters appeared out of nowhere. The river was dead still and undisturbed, but it exuded a chilling aura that was deadly to the soul—it was the legendary projection of the River Styx!
On the riverbank, an old woman with a hunched back, dressed in ancient funeral clothes, stood with her back to them, mechanically folding pale paper boats over and over again.

Each folded piece was gently placed into the River Styx.

The moment the paper boat hit the water, a flash of light appeared, and it transformed into a worn-out little boat that could only hold one person.

On each small boat, a ghostly figure with a blank stare and a yellow talisman on its forehead would silently appear, drifting quietly into the depths of the River Styx and disappearing into the dense darkness. "The... River Styx ferry!" The female cultivator nearly collapsed to the ground in terror, her voice trembling with sobs, "It's over... we're finished..."

The male cultivator was also deathly pale. He suppressed his fear and tightly covered the female cultivator's mouth, his voice barely audible: "Don't make a sound! Slowly back away! Don't alert her! Go around her!"

The two held their breath, their magical power almost frozen, and slowly moved backward, trying to get away from this terrifying scene.

Fu Yongzhao, who had been lurking in the shadows like a venomous snake waiting for his chance, saw this scene and a cold and cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

The opportunity is here.

With a flick of his fingertips, two extremely subtle streams of spiritual energy shot out precisely, not to attack the couple, but to strike several severely weathered piles of bones beside them.

Crack! Crash! The pile of bones suddenly collapsed and shattered, the sound as piercing as thunder in the dead of night!
The old woman who was folding paper boats suddenly stopped!
Her stiff neck made a sickeningly loud "crackling" sound as she slowly, bit by bit, turned her head—it was a face covered in deep wrinkles, lifeless, with only the whites of her eyes showing, "looking" at the male and female cultivators who were terrified!
"No!!!" the male cultivator roared in despair, grabbing the female cultivator and trying to run away.

But it's too late!

call out!call out!
In the void, two jet-black chains, exuding an aura of absolute coldness and death, shot out silently, their speed exceeding even the reaction of divine sense! Without any chance of resistance, they instantly and precisely ensnared the necks of the male and female cultivators!
The weird thing is.

The chains did not harm their physical bodies in the slightest, but they forcefully ripped two translucent souls, filled with terror and despair, out of their skulls!
The two bodies immediately collapsed to the ground, their life force extinguished in an instant.

The souls that were pulled out automatically had yellow talismans that were exactly the same as those of the ghosts on the boat appear on their foreheads. All their emotions were instantly smoothed out, their eyes became empty and blank, and they drifted towards the River Styx in a daze, each boarding a newly appeared small boat.

Fu Yongzhao, hidden in the shadows, watched intently, his eyes gleaming with extreme excitement and satisfaction. He even unconsciously licked his lips, as if he were appreciating a wonderful drama, without the slightest fear.

However, extreme joy brings sorrow.

Just as he was focused on what was ahead, a cold, whistling sound suddenly rang out behind him!

Another identical jet-black chain appeared silently, carrying the power of a captivating law, and coiled straight toward his neck!

Any other cultivator would have been terrified by now, either fleeing in panic or fighting desperately.

But Fu Yongzhao's reaction was completely different!

Far from panicking, a strange light, a mixture of madness and composure, flashed in his eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his footwork shifting unpredictably as he unleashed the secret technique of the Dark Hall, the [Shadow Step]. He didn't flee backward, but instead charged forward—heading towards the terrifying old woman!

Just as the cold chains were about to touch his skin.

With a flick of his wrist, Fu Yongzhao tossed two pieces of paper money—ghost money—with its edges damaged, gleaming with an ancient, eerie light, and radiating pure yin energy, precisely at the old woman's feet with a strange sense of reverence.

Strange to say.

The menacing, soul-snatching black chains seemed to encounter some insurmountable rule the moment the ghost money hit the ground, abruptly halting before dissipating into the air like wisps of smoke, as if they had never existed.

The old woman, who had been expressionless the whole time, seemed to twitch her empty white eyes slightly as she glanced at the two pieces of ghost money.

Wow.

The Styx River murmured softly as an empty, old boat glided silently to Fu Yongzhao's feet, its bow rocking slightly as if waiting for him.

Fu Yongzhao showed no hesitation, but instead wore a strange smile of satisfaction. He took a step forward and stood steadily on the small boat.

The small boat swayed gently, carrying him slowly towards the misty, unknown, and eerie depths of the River Styx, disappearing into the thick darkness.

...

...

the other side.

Fu Yongzhou followed the faint earth-escape fluctuation for dozens of miles, but ultimately lost all trace of Fu Yongzhao in a chaotic energy field. The hidden tracking mark he had placed on Fu Yongzhao also vanished instantly, as if forcibly erased by some force!

"Zhao'er!" Fu Yongzhou's face turned pale, his heart skipped a beat, and he completely panicked.

Fu Yongzhao was not only his apprentice, but also the youngest legitimate son of the family head Fu Changsheng and the matriarch Liu Meizhen! His status was extremely noble! If anything were to happen to him in this infamous Blood Forbidden Land, he would be guilty of a thousand deaths!
Intense anxiety and fear overwhelmed him instantly. But being experienced, he forced himself to calm down quickly.

"No! We can't panic! The Crimson Forbidden Land is so vast and unpredictable. If I search blindly alone, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack! The longer we delay, the more dangerous it will be for Zhao'er! He's only at the half-step Purple Mansion cultivation level..." Fu Yongzhou was extremely anxious, knowing that every moment of delay would make Fu Yongzhao's chances of survival increasingly slim.

He stomped his foot sharply and made a snap decision: "We must call for help!"

No longer caring about anything else, Fu Yongzhou turned around and accelerated to the maximum speed, desperately rushing towards the exit of the Crimson Forbidden Land. He could only hope that Fu Yongzhao was lucky enough to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Without a word, he rushed through the blood-red forbidden area at top speed, and before he could even catch his breath, he transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the Fu family's fiefdom in Yunshan County, Jingzhou.

"Head Steward! Something terrible has happened!" Fu Yongzhou rushed into the prefectural governor's mansion and found Fu Yongqi, the current head of Yunshan County and a pseudo-core cultivator. He disregarded etiquette and hurriedly explained the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Fu Yongqi's brows furrowed instantly, and his expression became extremely grave: "Yongzhao is acting so recklessly! He trespassed into the inner perimeter and even shook you off? This is troublesome!"

He paced back and forth, his tone heavy: "The patriarch issued a strict order decades ago that no member of the Fu clan should set foot in the Blood Forbidden Land unless absolutely necessary, and especially forbidden to go deep inside! The waters there are too deep, and there are too many variables!"

"I know!" Fu Yongzhou said anxiously, "But Zhao'er is trapped inside, her life hanging in the balance, we must go to rescue her! The head of the family and the mistress are far away in Wuzhou dealing with important matters, and they sent word before that they would not be returning in the short term. A distant water cannot quench a nearby fire!"

Fu Yongqi stopped in his tracks, a look of struggle on his face. On one side was the patriarch's strict orders and the immense risk of the forbidden area; on the other was the life and safety of the family's direct descendants.

A moment later, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "So be it! Rules are rules, but people are flexible! Yongzhao must not be harmed!"

He looked at Fu Yongzhou and said in a deep voice, "You should immediately adjust your breathing and recover. We'll set off in an incense stick's time! I'll go and ask 'Senior Kuteng' for help!"

The "Senior withered vine" that Fu Yongqi mentioned is not human, but a skeleton vine that has lived for countless years and has reached the Golden Core stage! This vine has developed intelligence, is extremely powerful, and is quite sensitive to certain auras within the Crimson Forbidden Land. It is a major trump card for the Fu family in guarding Yunshan County.

Fortunately, since last year, the rules of the Crimson Forbidden Land seem to have loosened somewhat, allowing Golden Core cultivators to enter, although Nascent Soul cultivators are still excluded. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have the qualification to enter and search.

After a stick of incense had burned, Fu Yongzhou, who had recovered somewhat, along with Fu Yongqi, who had a solemn expression, and a shrunken demon vine that was wrapped around Fu Yongqi's arm, with a pale skeleton as its body and a small skull-shaped flower bud at the top, once again arrived at the entrance to the blood-red forbidden land that inspired fear.

"Go! We must find Yongzhao as soon as possible!" Fu Yongqi shouted, and the three of them transformed into three streaks of light, resolutely rushing into the dragon-mouth-like portal and once again plunging into that perilous, blood-red world.

...

...

Shuiyun Cave Heaven.

The barrier has been broken.

What lay before them was not yet another palace as they had imagined, but an extremely vast space that was its own world!

The sky was a soft, bright yellow, devoid of sun and moon, yet radiating a uniform and luminous glow. On the ground, mountains, rivers, forests, and medicinal gardens were scattered in a harmonious arrangement; although many areas appeared barren, traces of careful planning were still visible. Most striking of all were dozens of cave dwellings of varying sizes and ancient styles, nestled along the mountainside and beside the water!

These cave dwellings were clearly extremely ancient, with most of their doors tightly shut. In front of the caves, there were remnants of stone tables, stone benches, refining furnaces, and alchemy furnaces, and in some places, fragments of magical artifacts that had long since lost their spiritual light were scattered. The air was filled with an ancient, silent, yet faintly spiritual atmosphere.

"This place... is like a huge cultivation ground!" Liu Meizhen's beautiful eyes shone with wonder. "And it's a ground that can be used by many people at the same time!"

“Judging from the distribution and layout of these cave dwellings, they seem to be clearly hierarchical,” Fu Molan calmly analyzed. “The cave dwellings closer to the central area are obviously larger, and the fluctuations of the remaining protective restrictions are also stronger.”

Everyone's gaze involuntarily followed her pointing finger and fell upon the center of the dojo.

There, instead of a building, stood an extremely majestic and towering stone monument!

The stone tablet was dark blue-green in color, made of neither gold nor stone, and covered with traces of wind and rain erosion, yet it still exuded an aura of timelessness and overwhelming power. The surface of the tablet seemed to be covered with densely packed ancient characters and mysterious patterns, but due to the distance and height, they were not clearly visible.

An aura of desolation and vastness, as if carrying endless years and the mysteries of the Great Dao, emanated from the stone tablet, enveloping the entire Daoist temple and inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

Fu Changsheng's gaze was fixed on the towering, massive stone tablet in the center of the arena. The closer he got, the more intense the desolate, vast aura, seemingly originating from the primordial chaos, became, almost suffocating him. An indescribable Daoist charm permeated the air, ancient and obscure.

Just when he was still a hundred feet away from the stone tablet, a strange thing happened!
Deep within his dantian, the Nine-Leaf Sword Mushroom, which had been quietly rooted there, suddenly began to tremble violently without warning! An incomparably scorching, incomparably eager, almost greedy thought surged up along his meridians, heading straight for Fu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness!
[Swallow...devour...it!]

The thought was vague yet incredibly intense, filled with a primal possessiveness towards the stone tablet in front of it! It was as if the stone tablet was a part of it that had been lost for countless ages, an indispensable treasure for its advancement and transformation!

Fu Changsheng was deeply shaken.

The Nine-Leaf Sword Fungus is a rare and precious object of heaven and earth, with extremely high spirituality, but this is the first time it has so actively and strongly expressed its desire to devour!
What is the origin of this stone tablet?
"Meizhen, Molan, Yaoyao, Third Brother, Fourth Sister, you all go ahead and explore the other caves. I'll study this stone tablet first."

"Yes"

After the five people left.

Fu Changsheng suppressed the agitation emanating from the sword fungus and continued to approach step by step with steady steps. The closer he got, the clearer the blurry ancient characters and patterns on the stone tablet became. They were not static, but slowly flowing, containing unimaginable power of laws.

Finally, Fu Changsheng arrived at the foot of the stone tablet.

Looking up at this colossal structure, he felt even more insignificant. He took a deep breath, following the almost bursting desire of the Nine-Leaf Sword Mushroom within him, and slowly reached out, his palm touching the cold, rough surface of the monument.

The instant his fingertips touched the stone tablet—

boom! ! !
A powerful, cold, domineering, and decaying aura filled with the energy of death surged through his arm and into his sea of ​​consciousness like a raging beast bursting its banks!
"Hahaha! Endless years! Finally... finally, I've obtained a perfect physical body! The Chaos Dao Foundation! Heaven is helping me!"

A sharp, manic voice, filled with endless greed and resentment, exploded in Fu Changsheng's mind! The invading spiritual power condensed into a blurry, ferocious old man phantom, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at Fu Changsheng's spiritual origin, attempting to seize his body!

This change came too fast and too suddenly!
This remnant soul managed to deceive everyone's senses, remaining hidden within the stone tablet, waiting for a sufficiently powerful body to walk into its trap!

However, Fu Changsheng remained calm despite his shock. The instant the illusory remnant soul lunged at him, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he silently chanted, "Netherworld, open!"

hum!
A divine power, far more ancient and majestic than that remnant soul, seemingly controlling the cycle of life and death of all things, erupted from the depths of Fu Changsheng's body! In the dim light, the phantom of a magnificent temple seemed to flash behind him.

The supreme divine power from the Heavenly Dragon Temple of the Underworld transformed into countless gray-black chains of law, instantly filling Fu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness. Like capturing prey, they precisely wrapped around it, binding the remnant soul of the old man who was laughing maniacally tightly!

"What?! This is... divine power?! No! Impossible! How could a mere Golden Core cultivator possess such divine power?!" The old man's maniacal laughter froze instantly, replaced by boundless shock and fear! He struggled frantically, but the gray-black chains were indestructible, firmly restraining all souls. No matter how he attacked, they wouldn't budge; instead, they tightened, causing his soul to hiss and become increasingly transparent!

"Spare me! God, spare me! I was blind and offended you! Please forgive me this time, God, for my hard-won survival! I am willing to offer up all my inheritance and become your slave..." Sensing the restraint and threat of destruction that came from the essence of his being, the old man's remnant soul lost all its arrogance and was left only with the most utter fear and pleading.

Fu Changsheng's expression was cold and stern; he was too lazy to waste words with him. He had no pity for such a vicious person who wanted to possess and destroy souls upon first meeting them.

"Suppress!" he thought to himself.

The chains formed by the divine power of the underworld were suddenly pulled, forcibly dragging the struggling and wailing remnant soul out of its own sea of ​​consciousness, and then directly into the mysterious underworld space deep in the dantian.

In the underworld, beside the Temple of the Heavenly Dragon, on the cold stone wall specifically used to seal prisoners, a flash of gray light appeared, and the sixteenth face, contorted in pain, emerged, joining the other fifteen sealed souls in eternal silence and imprisonment.

Having dealt with this sudden crisis of possession, Fu Changsheng's thoughts sank into the underworld.

"Autumn Cicada".

"This servant is here." The figure of the ghost servant Qiu Chan quietly appeared and bowed respectfully.

"Extract the memories of that wisp of remnant soul and see if there is any useful information."

"Yes, Master." Qiu Chan floated to the newly sealed sixteenth face, stretched out her pale finger, gently touched its brow, and closed her eyes to sense it.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and reported: "Master, this remnant soul has suffered severe memory loss, most of which are fragmented. Only one section on how to refine and control the 'Zhenfu Daobei' is relatively complete. In addition, it only mentions that this place is called 'Shuiyun Biefu' and once belonged to an extremely ancient sect that seems to have suffered a great calamity... The rest is vague and difficult to discern."

"The Town Stele? The Refining Method?" Fu Changsheng's eyes lit up. "Pass it on to me."

"Yes." A wisp of gray light flew from Qiu Chan's fingertip and disappeared into Fu Changsheng's thoughts.

In an instant, a profound and complex refining technique flooded into Fu Changsheng's mind. He quickly understood and digested it, and the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"So that's how it is! This stele is actually the core hub controlling this Daoist temple area! Moreover... it is formed from a rare 'Golden Ancestral Qi'! No wonder Jianzhi is so eager for it!"

Without further hesitation, he immediately followed the method he had just learned, forming hand seals with both hands. The chaotic pill power within his body, mixed with a trace of Netherworld divine power, transformed into countless profound runes, which were continuously injected into the huge stone tablet.

Buzz—rumble—

The entire stone tablet began to tremble violently, and the ancient characters and patterns on its surface burst forth with dazzling light, as if awakening from an ancient slumber! Streams of incomparably pure and sharp innate golden energy were extracted from the depths of the tablet and, like rivers flowing into the sea, surged into Fu Changsheng's body!

Within its dantian, the Nine-Leaf Sword Fungus swayed wildly with excitement, its leaves trembling and emitting a clear, melodious sword-like sound! Like a seedling parched by rain, it greedily absorbed the inexhaustible primordial golden energy!

Click...

With a soft yet seemingly primordial sound, a new bud, as brilliant as gold and with unparalleled sharpness, emerged from beside the three already extraordinary leaves of the Nine-Leaf Sword Ganoderma at a speed visible to the naked eye, stretching, growing, and eventually transforming into a fourth leaf!

The fourth leaf was as if it were made of gold from the Dao Tribulation, with its veins naturally forming mysterious sword patterns. With a gentle sway, it cut through the void, and the sword intent it emitted was several times more terrifying than the previous three leaves combined!
At the same time, Fu Changsheng clearly felt that he had formed an extremely close connection with this fourth leaf. Through it, the summoning channel between him and the ancient famous sword became smoother and the cost was drastically reduced!

Previously, summoning a single breath required burning one year of one's lifespan.

Now, with a slight thought, he sensed that it would take five full breaths to consume a year's lifespan!
Efficiency increased fivefold!
This means that at crucial moments, the time he can use the ancient sword will be greatly extended, resulting in a qualitative leap in strategic significance!
Fu Changsheng slowly withdrew his palm, refined the town-guarding stele, and with a slight thought, established a mysterious connection with this ancient Daoist site. Although he could not yet fully control all the changes in its restrictions, he could already roughly sense the situation of each cave and activate some basic defenses.

(End of this chapter)