Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 586 Cataclysm, Extermination, and Endless Gains
Jingzhou, a blood-stained forbidden land.

As Fu Yongqi and Fu Yongzhou, carrying the Golden Core stage skeleton vine, stepped into the massive dragon-mouth portal of the Blood Forbidden Land, they were stunned by the chaotic and insane scene before them, before they could even feel the filthy and oppressive atmosphere inside!
The once relatively orderly entrance area has now completely erupted into chaos!

Countless cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level, seemed gripped by an invisible fear, their faces contorted in terror as they desperately surged towards the exit like a tidal wave! Shouts, screams, and curses mingled together, creating a despairing cacophony. Many even fought each other to be the first to squeeze out of the dragon's mouth, flashes of spiritual light adding to the chaos.

"Run!"

"The thing inside is out!"

"It's unstoppable! It's impossible to stop it!"

Amidst the chaotic crowd, a familiar figure spotted Fu Yongqi and his companion. It was a mid-stage Purple Mansion elder from the Cui family's garrison in a nearby town. His robes were torn, his hair disheveled, and his face deathly pale. Upon seeing Fu Yongqi, he grasped at a lifeline, desperately shouting as he was swept away by the throng:

"Master Fu! Instructor Fu! Run! Don't go in! Turn back!!" His voice trembled with extreme fear. "I don't know which damned bastard has provoked something they shouldn't have! An extremely terrifying evil spirit has been disturbed deep within the forbidden area and is heading towards the exit! Its malevolent aura is soaring, and its oppressive power is terrifying beyond compare! Even a Golden Core cultivator! Even a Golden Core cultivator probably couldn't stop it! Run! Run now!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was swept away by the crowd, leaving only his desperate warning echoing in the air.

Upon hearing this, Fu Yongqi's expression changed drastically!
He subconsciously probed the depths of the forbidden area and indeed sensed a terrifying aura that was chilling, deathly still, yet incredibly violent, rapidly approaching. Wherever it passed, even the crimson color of that space seemed to become more intense and distorted!
Faced with the crisis, as the head of a prefecture, he made the most rational judgment in an instant!
"Go!" Fu Yongqi made a decisive move, grabbed the still somewhat dazed Fu Yongzhou, and retreated without hesitation, rushing out of the Dragon's Mouth Gate of the Blood Forbidden Land at top speed against the flow of people!

However, just as he escaped the chaotic exit, Fu Yongzhou suddenly broke free from Fu Yongqi's grasp, his eyes bloodshot, and tried to rush back inside: "No! Steward! Zhao'er is still inside! I failed to keep an eye on him! I have to go and find him! Otherwise, how can I explain to the head of the family! Let me go!"

Overwhelmed by guilt and a sense of responsibility, he insisted on returning, disregarding the terrifying evil spirit that threatened the Golden Core stage!

"Foolish! Going in now is suicide! You won't even be able to collect his body!" A cold glint flashed in Fu Yongqi's eyes. Without further hesitation, he changed the hand seals.
"Demon Vine! Bind him!"

The skeleton vine, which had been silently following behind, suddenly blazed with green ghostly flames in its eye sockets. Its body moved like lightning, and in an instant, several dark golden, tough vines shot out, binding Fu Yongzhou tightly like agile tentacles!

"Butler! Let me go! Zhao'er!!" Fu Yongzhou struggled desperately, but with his mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivation, he was powerless to break free from this specially crafted Golden Core puppet.

"You have no choice but to act recklessly! The lives of the Fu family members are equally precious! They cannot be sent to their deaths in vain!" Fu Yongqi's face was ashen, showing no mercy. He directly ordered the Skeleton Demon Vine to imprison all of Fu Yongzhou's abilities to move, forcibly dragging him away. He transformed into a streak of light and sped away from the entrance of the Crimson Forbidden Land at top speed, heading towards the Fu family's fiefdom in Yunshan County!

The Fu family's fiefdom of Yunshan County was adjacent to the Crimson Forbidden Land, and the distance between them was not far.

On the returning streak of light, Fu Yongqi's expression was extremely grave. While flying at full speed, he unhesitatingly took out an emergency communication jade talisman engraved with the Fu family crest and rapidly entered information using his divine sense. He briefly explained that a shocking change had occurred in the Crimson Forbidden Land, with unknown and terrifying evil spirits approaching the exit, threatening the surrounding area, including the Fu family's territory! He also emphasized that Fu Yongzhao was suspected of being trapped inside, and his situation was extremely critical!
The next moment, he crushed the jade talisman!

hum!
An invisible, extremely rapid fluctuation instantly traversed space and directly returned to the core of the Fu family's territory in Jingzhou!
Almost at the same time—

Woo——! ! !
Woo——! ! !
Woo——! ! !
Heavy, desolate, and cautionary bell tolls suddenly emanated from the depths of the Fu family's territory in Jingzhou! The tolls were extremely rapid and continuous, instantly spreading throughout the entire clan territory and even reaching further into the Fu family's sphere of influence!

"Level One Warning Bell Rings!"

"This is a warning of the highest level!"

"what happened?!"

All the Fu family disciples who heard the bell, whether they were cultivating, on a mission, or resting, turned pale and looked up in shock in the direction from which the bell came.

According to clan rules, the ringing of this bell signifies that the family has encountered a huge threat that could jeopardize its very foundation!

No hesitation!

All the Fu family members within the territory of the state, regardless of what they were doing, immediately dropped everything as quickly as possible, turned around without hesitation, and transformed into streaks of light, frantically converging towards the direction of the family's most important fortress—the Demon-Controlling City, like rivers flowing into the sea!

Meanwhile, the majestic city standing on the border—Demon-Controlling City!

The runes on the city wall lit up instantly, and an enormous, thick, and heavy cyan light shield hummed and soared into the sky, like an inverted giant bowl, firmly enveloping the entire Demon-Controlling City!

The mountain-protecting formation is now fully activated!
The entire Fu family instantly entered a state of highest alert due to this sudden change in the blood-red forbidden area!
...

...

Fu Yongqi, carrying Fu Yongzhou who was still anxious and guilty despite being forcibly bound by the Golden Core Demon Vine, returned to the core of the Fu family's Yunshan County fiefdom—the Demon Control City—as quickly as possible.

Upon entering the city, he immediately headed straight for the forbidden area in the back mountain.

In front of a secluded cave on the back mountain, Fu Yongqi stood respectfully and quickly cast a communication spell.

A moment later, the stone door of the cave slid open silently, and a middle-aged Daoist couple with extraordinary bearing slowly emerged. The man, dressed in a green robe, had a refined face, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's; he was none other than Chen Feng, a guest elder at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. The woman, dressed in a plain white dress, had a beautiful face and a natural caution in her expression; she was his Daoist partner, Su Wan, who also possessed mid-stage Golden Core cultivation. The couple had long ago sworn an oath to the Heavenly Dao, acknowledging Fu Changsheng as their master and willing to serve the Fu family and guard this place.

"Yongqi greets Senior Chen and Senior Su!" Fu Yongqi bowed respectfully, his tone hurried yet respectful.

"What brings you in such a hurry, Master Fu?" Chen Feng nodded slightly, his tone calm and composed, exuding the steadiness of a Golden Core cultivator. Su Wan also cast an inquiring glance at him.

Fu Yongqi dared not delay and immediately gave a concise and detailed account of Fu Yongzhao's disappearance in the Blood Forbidden Land, as well as the riot they encountered at the entrance and the news that terrifying evil spirits were approaching when they went to search for him.

After listening to Fu Yongqi's account, Chen Feng stroked his beard and smiled, his expression showing a hint of disdain:

“I thought it was something serious, but it turns out it is.” He said in a relaxed tone, “Master Fu, there is no need to panic. Although the Crimson Forbidden Land is somewhat strange, it is ultimately a place inhabited by dead things. How much trouble can it cause? The so-called terrifying evil spirits are probably just exaggerated rumors.”

He paused, then said confidently:

"Furthermore, even if some foolish creature dares to invade our territory, with my wife and I here, plus the Golden Core Demon Vine Puppet in the city, that's three Golden Core warriors! The Demon-Controlling City has been well-managed by our family for many years, and its formations are solid and impregnable. How could ordinary evil spirits shake it? I doubt it can cause any trouble."

Su Wanxin, who was standing to the side, frowned slightly and said, "Brother Feng, that's true, but it's always better to be cautious. Anomalies in the forbidden area are, after all, unusual."

She turned to Fu Yongqi and instructed him:

"Master Fu, you need to do two things immediately:"
First, order the Spirit Beast Valley to dispatch all scout spirit beasts skilled in stealth and extreme speed, such as the 'Wind-Riding Falcon' and the 'Shadow Sable,' to take turns continuously monitoring the area leading to the exit of the Crimson Forbidden Zone. Report any unusual activity immediately, without fail!

"Secondly, in the name of the Demon-Controlling City, immediately send a message to all the vassal families under the Fu family, informing them that there may be unusual activity in the Blood Forbidden Land, and instructing them to be vigilant, strengthen their defenses, and make preparations for defense, but not to panic excessively, and to await orders from the master family."

Fu Yongqi quickly bowed and replied:
"Yes! This junior will obey Senior Su's orders and will make the arrangements immediately!"

...

...

The Gan family, an eighth-rank noble family closest to the Bloodstained Forbidden Land, received an urgent message from their patriarch, Fu Yongqi.

The head of the Gan family dared not delay and immediately dispatched several groups of capable spies to the direction of the Crimson Forbidden Land to gather information and confirm the situation.

However, something strange happened.

All the spies sent out disappeared without a trace once they left the Gan family's protective formation and entered the path leading to the Crimson Forbidden Land. Even more chilling was that the soul lamps representing the lives of those spies inside the ancestral hall went out one by one rapidly over time, without warning, as if their life force had been instantly extinguished by an invisible force.

The Gan family rose to prominence through cultivating spiritual plants and refining elixirs. Most of the family's disciples are gentle and skilled in wood-based magic and nurturing techniques; combat is not their forte. The successive losses have instilled a sense of unease throughout the entire family.

The Gan family patriarch immediately summoned all the family elders for an emergency meeting.

The atmosphere inside the council chamber was heavy.

A relatively young elder spoke first, his face showing some disapproval:

"Clan leader, elders, in my opinion, isn't the Fu family being a bit alarmist this time? It's true that the Crimson Forbidden Land is eerie, but every ten or eight years, various strange rumors always circulate, and in the end, they all amount to more bark than bite and eventually subside on their own. I've never heard of any evil spirits from there actually managing to escape and wreak havoc. To panic over such unfounded rumors is being far too cautious. Tomorrow is our Gan family's once-a-decade clan competition; let it proceed as scheduled to reassure the clan members."

Another elderly elder, his hair and beard completely white and deeply wrinkled, slowly shook his head, his cloudy eyes gleaming with the wisdom of someone who had weathered many storms:
"No. I have lived for over two hundred years and know one thing well: it's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't. What kind of power does the Fu family's main branch possess? They have more than a dozen Golden Core cultivators. Even they take this matter so seriously, even closing their mountain gates and activating a grand formation. This is enough to show that this anomaly is far from ordinary! For the sake of the family's safety, I believe that even if it costs half of the family's savings, we should immediately request the Fu family to invite a Golden Core cultivator to come and oversee our clan for a period of time, just in case!"

The young elder immediately retorted:
"Half of our savings? Just for a possibility? That's too high a price to pay! Those spirit crystals are the foundation for us to cultivate new species and purchase pill formulas!"

"Alright!" The Gan family patriarch interrupted the argument in a deep voice, his face solemn. "I have tried to contact the Fu family and request Golden Core cultivators to provide support. However, the Fu family replied that they are currently in seclusion and all their forces are needed to protect the main city. They made it clear that they will not send Golden Core cultivators to our vassal families to oversee things on their own."

He paused, his voice low: "However, the Fu family also made it clear that if my Gan family feels threatened, we can immediately move the entire clan to the Demon-Controlling City for protection."

Upon hearing this, the young elder's face revealed a hint of sarcasm: "Move the entire clan? Just because of this unfounded threat? Are we just going to throw away the thousands of acres of spiritual fields and the foundation built up over hundreds of years? Those spiritual plants are our lifeblood! I think the Fu family is just..."

Before he could finish speaking!

Bang! The council chamber door was violently flung open, and a tribesman, pale-faced and scrambling in, stumbled in, his voice shrill and distorted with extreme fear:
"Chief! Elders! Something terrible has happened! Come out and see! Blood...blood mist! Blood mist is spreading over!!"

Everyone in the hall was shocked and immediately rushed out of the council chamber, leaping to a high place to look out.

In the distance, the dark red mist that had once shrouded the Blood-Red Forbidden Land with its distinct boundaries now seemed to be alive, slowly yet resolutely spreading and advancing towards the Gan Family Manor! Wherever it passed, the vegetation withered and died at a visible speed, stained with an ominous dark red!

The young elder's sarcastic smile froze instantly, turning into incredulous horror.

Chief Gan's pupils contracted sharply, but as the head of the clan, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and forced himself to calm down.

He abruptly turned his head, looked at the young elder who had just been advocating for holding the clan competition as scheduled, and said sternly:
"Gan Yunlin! In the name of the clan chief, I order you to immediately organize all the elite members of the clan, taking with you all the important inheritances, elixirs, spirit seeds, and ancient texts from the clan's treasury! Immediately proceed to the Fu family's Demon-Controlling City via the secret teleportation array! Do not fail!"

The young elder, Gan Yunlin, gazed at the ever-approaching crimson mist, then at the thriving, spirit-filled fields in the distance, his eyes filled with heartache and reluctance: "Clan leader! Those spirit fields! Our centuries of hard work..."

"Foolish!" Chief Gan shouted sternly. "Talent and heritage are the foundation of the family! As long as people live and the family line continues, the spiritual fields can be developed again in the future! Execute the order!"

At this moment, the elderly elder stepped forward and bowed deeply to Chief Gan: "Chief, please come along too."

Chief Gan was taken aback: "Third Uncle, how could I..."

The elder interrupted him, his tone somber yet resolute:

“Clan leader, you must leave! You are not only our clan leader, but also the maternal uncle of the matriarch of the Fu family! As long as you live, the Fu family’s feelings for the Gan family will be different. If anything happens in the future, the hope of restoring the clan and reviving the family will all depend on you! We old folks will guard this place! If we can preserve the family’s lineage and buy some time for our Gan family, it will be worth it for our old bones!”

The other senior elders also stepped forward, their eyes resolute:
"Please, clan leader, consider the family's well-being and leave immediately!"

Chief Gan looked at the elders before him, who had dedicated their lives to the family, and his eyes instantly reddened. He knew this was not the time for sentimentality, so he stamped his foot sharply, clasped his hands in a fist salute with tears in his eyes, and said, "My uncles... take care! The Gan family will never perish!"

Without further hesitation, he grabbed the still-dazed Gan Yunlin and roared, "Let's go!"

...

...

Shortly after Chief Gan left with the clan's elites and core inheritors through a secret teleportation array, several white-haired elders, led by the Grand Elder, along with a few who voluntarily stayed behind or were elderly, weak, sick, or disabled, silently gathered in the square in front of the clan's ancestral hall.

Gazing at the mist surging like a blood-red tide on the horizon, a resolute glint flashed in the First Elder's cloudy eyes. He took a deep breath, and his withered hand slammed down on the stone pillar in front of the ancestral hall, the one that represented the core of the mountain-protecting formation!

"Activate the formation!!"

Om-!
A pale blue light screen instantly rose from around the Gan family manor, shimmering with light and condensing the essence of plants painstakingly cultivated by generations of the Gan family. The screen was entwined with illusory vines, appearing both vibrant and resilient. While this formation wasn't as powerful as the Fu family's Demon-Controlling City formation, its unique foundation as a family of spiritual plant experts was enough to withstand a full-force attack from an early-stage Golden Core cultivator for a short time.

however.

When the boundless, blood-red mist truly enveloped them, everyone realized just how terrifying the existence they were facing was.

The moment the mist touched the cyan light barrier, there was no earth-shattering collision. The light barrier, strong enough to withstand the attack of a Golden Core cultivator, was like ice and snow under the scorching sun, or like silk corroded by strong acid, emitting a teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound, quickly becoming dim and thin, and then silently dissipating and disintegrating!
They were completely powerless to resist!

Thick blood mist instantly engulfed the entire Gan family manor.

Within the mist, a colossal, twisted shadow, its form indescribable, could be vaguely discerned writhing. It seemed to be formed from countless tormented faces, contorted limbs, and pure malice, emanating a suffocating and maddening aura of evil. It uttered no sound, yet its very existence was the greatest terror!
"Form ranks! Protect the ancestral hall!"

The elder's hair and beard bristled as he roared in fury. Although he knew it was futile, the Gan family had no cowards who would die on their knees!

The remaining members of the Gan family, whether they were elderly with white hair or injured people leaning on canes, all had a final glimmer of light in their eyes.

They poured their meager, mostly wood-attribute spiritual power into the earth beneath their feet, activating the last remaining restrictions of their clan, attempting to condense fragile barriers of spiritual light.

There was also an old man who was skilled in wood-based magic, who desperately urged the withered grass and trees around him to grow wildly and form fences, even though the grass and trees were completely eroded and corrupted by the blood mist the next moment.

The shadows in the blood mist seemed indifferent to the resistance of these tiny creatures, advancing slowly and irresistibly.

An elderly clansman, having just exhausted his spiritual power, was touched by a wisp of overflowing blood mist. He didn't even have time to scream before his entire body collapsed instantly like a dried-up sand sculpture, his flesh dissolving into a pale skeleton scattered on the ground.

"Fight it!" Another old man, his eyes red, ignited his life force, transforming into a streak of azure light that rushed toward the shadow in the mist. But the moment they made contact, the light went out, the figure vanished, and only white bones fell to the ground.

Resistance was brutal and futile.

Where the blood mist passed, life was erased as if wiped away by an eraser. The fragile barriers of spiritual light crumbled at the slightest touch, and the wildly growing vegetation withered and turned to ash in an instant. One by one, the tribesmen fell, their flesh and blood seemingly drained and annihilated by an invisible force, leaving only skeletons in various poses. Some remained in the posture of casting spells, while others supported each other, never separating until death.

As the elder watched his clansmen turn into skeletons one by one, tears streamed down his face, yet he still straightened his spine and poured his last bit of life force into the foundation stone of the ancestral hall.

"The Gan family...will never perish..."

These were his last thoughts.

The next moment, the blood mist completely engulfed him. His aged body rapidly withered and weathered away, eventually turning into a proud skeleton leaning on a cane.

In just a dozen or so breaths.

The once lush and vibrant Gan Family Manor is now completely desolate.

The blood mist slowly swept by, leaving behind only a ground littered with pale bones, and buildings and land riddled with holes and devoid of any spirit. All traces of life were wiped clean, as if no one had ever lived here.

The enormous shadow in the fog twitched slightly, seemingly "satisfied" with the "cleaning" of this area, and continued to slowly spread further away, towards the direction of Fu Family's Demon-Controlling City.

...

...

Shuiyun Cave Heaven.

Fu Changsheng shifted his gaze from the towering stone tablet to the ancient dragon-carved pillars surrounding the temple grounds, which, despite the ravages of time, still stood firm. These pillars, with their simple, ancient carvings and coiled dragons, their heads pointing towards the sky, seemed to silently recount their past glory.

Suddenly, one of the pieces of information he had previously obtained through trading flashed through his mind:
Hidden within the dragon's mouth at the top of the third coiled dragon stone pillar in the Shuiyun Cave Heaven cultivation grounds is a concealed [Sumeru Ring].

"The third one..."

Fu Changsheng spread his divine sense and instantly locked onto the stone pillar located in the southeast corner of the dojo. Compared to the other stone pillars, it seemed to have nothing special about it. Its dragon mouth was slightly open, and its interior was deep and dark, filled with the dust of time.

With a swift movement, he soared into the air like a wisp of smoke, hovering before the dragon's head.

Reaching in, his fingertips touched an extremely hidden isolation barrier. If not for prior intelligence, even with his current level of spiritual awareness, he would have easily overlooked it.

Fu Changsheng circulated his Chaos Pill Power, carefully dissolving the restriction that was almost fused with the stone. When his fingertip probed again, he indeed touched a cold, hard ring-shaped object.

Upon taking it out, it was revealed to be an extremely antique-style ring, dark gray in color, made of neither gold nor jade, with no decorations on the surface, only a few naturally formed patterns resembling clouds and water. When divine sense probed into it, it was blocked by an incredibly tough and strange restriction.

He tried several conventional refining methods, but all of them failed.

"Such a brilliant method of concealment and sealing." Fu Changsheng frowned slightly, then his mind raced. "Since the old ghost's remnant soul mentioned that it was his, the method to open it must also be in his memory fragments."

His consciousness sank into the Netherworld space, and he directly ordered his ghost servant Qiu Chan: "Search for the remnant soul's memories about activating a special Sumeru Ring."

"Yes, Master." Qiu Chan placed her hand on the sixteenth pained face again, searching carefully. After a moment, she raised her head. "Found it, Master. It's a unique soul power vibration frequency and several corresponding unlocking hand seals."

A message entered Fu Changsheng's mind.

Fu Changsheng's consciousness withdrew from the Netherworld. Following the method he had learned, he condensed a wisp of pure soul power at his fingertips, which vibrated gently with a peculiar rhythm. At the same time, his other hand formed several complex and strange hand seals and pointed them at the Sumeru Ring.

hum!
The cloud-like patterns on the ring's surface suddenly lit up, and the tough barrier quickly faded away like melting snow.

Fu Changsheng's divine sense successfully probed into it.

The space inside this Sumeru Ring was far larger than any storage magic item he was currently using; it was practically a small plaza.

however.

Most of the items inside seemed frozen in time, covered with a thick layer of gray dust, devoid of any spiritual energy. Touching them with even the slightest divine sense would turn them to dust. Pills, jade slips, materials... almost all of them were decayed.

Only three jade boxes in the corner, made of special materials and covered with golden talismans, still emitted a faint spiritual light, protected by a powerful seal, and thus survived.

Fu Changsheng's heart stirred, and he took out the three jade boxes.

He chose one of the jade boxes with a relatively weak seal and carefully peeled away the layers of golden talismans by once again using the unsealing technique he had obtained from the remnant soul's memories.

The moment the box lid was opened, an indescribable, exotic fruit fragrance instantly filled the air, refreshing and invigorating, clearing the mind and sharpening the senses. Inside the box was a soft, spiritual brocade, upon which lay four fruits the size of longans, crystal clear, their interiors seemingly shimmering with iridescent light!
“This is…” Fu Changsheng felt that this fruit was extraordinary, but he couldn’t remember its name for a moment.

Just then, within his dantian's five elements space, the seven-colored glass beast, which usually lay lazily and ignored all elixirs and medicines, suddenly stood up! Its glassy eyes widened, staring intently at the outside world, emitting urgent and excited "gurgling" sounds, its little tail wagging wildly, conveying an unprecedented desire!
Fu Changsheng was taken aback at first, then suddenly remembered another key piece of information he had exchanged earlier:
Your spirit pet, the Seven-Colored Glazed Beast, can awaken another innate divine ability if activated with three "Clarity Fruits"!

"The Clarity Fruit! It really is this!" Fu Changsheng's eyes gleamed with delight. For this picky ancient beast to be so excited, this fruit must undoubtedly be the Clarity Fruit mentioned in the intelligence!
Without further hesitation, he took out three radiant fruits from the jade box and sent them directly into the Five Elements Space.

"Goo!"

The Seven-Colored Glazed Beast let out a cheerful chirp, opened its small mouth, and with a suction force, swallowed the three spiritual fruits containing strange power directly into its belly. Immediately, its body erupted with dazzling seven-colored light, like a colorful cocoon of light enveloping it, and a powerful energy fluctuation emanated from it. It lay down, closed its eyes, and began to fully refine and absorb the power of the Clarity Fruit.

Fu Changsheng looked at the little beast in the cocoon of light with great anticipation.

The Seven-Colored Glazed Beast is an ancient, savage beast with boundless potential, far surpassing ordinary rare beasts. Its currently awakened divine ability, [Glazed Blessing], is already considered heaven-defying, capable of temporarily raising its cultivation level by a small amount. Just how astonishing will its soon-to-awaken second innate divine ability be?
...

...

at the same time.

While exploring other areas of the temple, Liu Meizhen, relying on her alchemist's special sensitivity to fire and medicinal vapors, discovered a partially buried palace.

The palace gates are made of a special jade that is warm and translucent and exudes a faint coolness. The lintel is engraved with three simple and ancient characters: "Danming Palace".

“Jade Dusk Stone!” Liu Meizhen recognized the rare material at a glance. “This stone can calm the mind and refresh the spirit, and it has a miraculous effect on resisting mental demons and fatigue during alchemy. To build an alchemy room with this stone is truly a grand gesture!”

Pushing open the heavy palace doors, one finds a spacious interior, yet the furnishings are remarkably simple.

The entire alchemy room was made of jadeite, and upon entering, one felt an unprecedented clarity and tranquility of mind. The floor and walls of the alchemy room were engraved with countless complex and profound array patterns, forming a massive array that enveloped the entire room.

Fu Yongyao, who was right behind him, only glanced at it before exclaiming in surprise:
"Mother! This is... the 'Spirit-Nourishing and Tempering Array'! I've seen a few fragments of records about it in the incomplete inheritance of Qingqiu! This array can not only constantly nourish and enhance the spiritual consciousness of those within it, but it is also a supreme array used by ancient alchemists to assist in alchemy! It is said to greatly improve the precision of fire control, the fusion of medicinal power, and even draw upon a trace of the Dao of Heaven and Earth to enhance the alchemy furnace!"

In the center of the alchemy room.

On a futon made from a single piece of warm black jade.

A crystal-clear, jade-like skeleton remained seated cross-legged, its bones intact, as if it had simply passed away peacefully.

In front of the skeleton was a rather antique-looking storage bag.

With a solemn expression, Liu Meizhen stepped forward and respectfully performed the disciple's salute to the skeleton.
"I am Liu Meizhen, a junior practitioner of alchemy. I have mistakenly entered your secluded place of cultivation. Please forgive me if I have offended you."

After the ceremony, she carefully picked up the storage bag.

The restrictions on the storage bag had long since worn off over time. She probed it with her divine sense, and the next moment, her breathing quickened, and an unbelievable, dazzling light shone in her beautiful eyes!
The first thing that caught her eye was a small bronze cauldron with three legs and two handles, its design simple yet imposing. One side of the cauldron was engraved with a coiled dragon, and the other with a soaring phoenix; the dragon scales and phoenix feathers were exquisitely detailed, exuding an aura of primordial vastness and overwhelming power! Even with just a spiritual sense, its quality far surpassed that of the alchemy furnace she currently used!
"The Primordial Dragon and Phoenix Divine Cauldron! It's the genuine article!" Liu Meizhen's voice trembled slightly. The one in her hand was merely a replica made from incomplete diagrams, its power less than eleventh that of the genuine article!

Besides the divine cauldron, there were several jade slips in the storage bag. She took out one of them and immersed her divine sense into it—

The Seven Apertures Elixir Classic, Part Two!
The subsequent cultivation method she had been searching for and dreaming of was right here! Continuing to examine the other jade slips, she found a large number of ancient pill formulas, many of which were rare formulas that had long been lost to the outside world and were even unheard of!

This is simply a complete legacy left by an ancient master of alchemy!

Overwhelmed with emotion, Liu Meizhen bowed deeply to the skeleton once more: "This junior, Liu Meizhen, is deeply grateful to the senior for bestowing upon me his teachings today, a kindness akin to being reborn! Please accept my three bows!"

She solemnly performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, regarding this ancient alchemist who had passed away as her master.

Afterwards, she, along with Fu Changsheng and others, found a place with excellent feng shui next to Danming Palace, and carefully buried her remains and erected a monument to show respect.

After settling her affairs, Liu Meizhen eagerly returned to Danming Palace. She first took out her replica of the Taixu Dragon and Phoenix Divine Cauldron, and then took out the genuine cauldron she had obtained from her storage bag.

The moment the two cauldrons appeared, they seemed to sense each other! The imitation emitted a buzzing sound, as if a wanderer returning home, and transformed into a stream of light, actively heading towards the genuine article. The lid of the genuine divine cauldron opened, and it took the imitation into its belly.

Instantly, the divine cauldron blazed with a brilliant blue light, and the sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes singing resounded throughout the alchemy room! A pure, vast, and unimaginable energy surged back from the merged divine cauldron and flowed into Liu Meizhen's body!

Her cultivation technique, the Seven Aperture Elixir Scripture, was rapidly activated on its own. The bottleneck of the second level of the Golden Core stage was easily pierced like paper under the impact of this energy, which was of the same origin but of a higher level!
The water flows naturally into the channel, and the golden elixir is formed in three layers!
Liu Meizhen's aura surged, her body exuded the fragrance of pills, and her eyes shone brightly, her understanding of the Dao of Alchemy deepened once again.

……

With her cultivation breakthrough, the divine cauldron in hand, and the ancient Spirit-Nourishing and Tempering Array further enhancing her power, Liu Meizhen reached an unprecedented peak. Without further hesitation, she decided to immediately begin refining the Solidifying Cloud Pill, which could elevate her Golden Core cultivation!

She took out a fourth-tier demon core obtained from the Moonlight Jellyfish, along with other pre-prepared auxiliary spiritual medicines. With practiced ease, she placed the materials into the Void Dragon-Phoenix Divine Cauldron.

The lid of the cauldron was closed.

Liu Meizhen sat cross-legged on the jade futon, her hands forming a hand seal to ignite the earth fire, while simultaneously activating the "Spirit-Nourishing and Fire-Tempering Array" with all her might!
hum!
The array patterns throughout the Danming Palace instantly lit up, a soft light enveloping the alchemy furnace and amplifying and refining Liu Meizhen's divine sense to an extreme degree. She was fully aware of every change in the medicinal liquid inside the furnace and could control the flames with ease.

Ancient alchemy methods flowed through her mind, corroborating her skills. She abandoned many cumbersome steps, extracting and fusing medicinal power in a more direct and efficient way.

The time required to refine the Solid Cloud Pill, which originally took forty-nine days, was greatly shortened with the help of the great formation and the divine cauldron!
In just seven days.

The alchemy furnace trembled violently, and the sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes singing rang out once more. Brilliant rays of light shone through the gaps in the lid, and a strange fragrance of elixir that made one's golden core tremble spread out!
The pill is ready!
And there's more than one!
The instant the pill was completed, a small patch of dark tribulation cloud suddenly gathered in the previously peaceful space above the Danming Palace! Lightning snakes darted within the cloud, locking onto the spiritual pill in the furnace below!

"A calamity of pills!" Liu Meizhen was not surprised but delighted!

Without hesitation, she activated the "Chaos Devouring Heaven Technique" passed down by Fu Changsheng, flew out, and met the first bolt of tribulation lightning that struck down!
The power of thunder surged into her body, but the Devouring Heaven Technique quickly transformed it into pure energy, nourishing her golden core and her newly broken-through cultivation. She easily neutralized the subsequent bolts of lightning using the same method.

The clouds of disaster dispersed, and sweet rain fell from the sky.

Liu Meizhen raised her hand and opened the lid of the cauldron.

Four Gu Yun Dan pills, each the size of a longan, perfectly round, shimmering with cloud patterns, and radiating immense medicinal power, lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace. Each one was of the highest quality!
Having successfully harvested a batch of top-grade elixirs, Liu Meizhen's confidence soared.

After a short period of rest and recovery to her optimal state, she took out the second jellyfish demon core and the accompanying materials without hesitation.

The second batch of Solid Cloud Pills is being refined!
...

...

the other side.

After arranging for the Seven-Colored Glazed Beast to refine the Clear Fruit, Fu Changsheng had another thought.

A beam of azure light flew out from the spirit beast pouch at his waist, landed on the ground, and transformed into a white fox with smooth, satin-like fur, azure markings on its face, and lively, cunning eyes. It was the Azure-Faced White Fox, skilled at finding spiritual treasures of heaven and earth.

"Go and see if there are any hidden spiritual objects in this training ground," Fu Changsheng instructed.

The blue-faced white fox affectionately rubbed against Fu Changsheng's trouser leg, then raised its head, a faint, water-like spiritual light shimmering in its heterochromatic pupils, as it began to carefully scan its surroundings. Its nostrils twitched slightly, capturing the most subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air.

It walked slowly around the central stone tablet, sometimes pausing, sometimes speeding up, and finally stopped in an open area about a hundred feet north of the tablet. The ground here was flat, no different from other places, with some long-dead spiritual plant roots growing, showing nothing special.

The blue-faced white fox paced back and forth, emitting low, confirming whimpers and gently scratching the ground with its paws, indicating that the spirit was below.

Fu Changsheng stepped forward, his powerful divine sense scanning the area meticulously like mercury spilling across the ground. Soil, gravel, withered roots... everything was normal, with no signs of abnormal spiritual energy or hidden space whatsoever.

"Hmm?" Fu Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly, not doubting the Green-Faced White Fox's talent, but immediately activated his divine ability [Clear Mind and Bright Eyes].

A clear light flowed in his eyes, and the appearance of the world before him instantly faded away, revealing the clear patterns of laws and energy.

really!

Under the clear vision, the "open" area in front was shrouded by an extremely complex, almost completely integrated invisible magic array! The array's patterns were dark and deep, not only perfectly concealing itself but also forming a powerful barrier that completely sealed off all internal aura and spiritual energy fluctuations, preventing any leakage!

"A spirit-suppressing invisibility formation!" Fu Changsheng recognized the ancient formation, his expression turning serious. "And its grade is extremely high!"

This type of formation was extremely rare even in ancient times, and its purpose was far from that of ordinary treasure hiding. Its primary function was to perfectly seal off the internal spiritual energy from leaking out. It was usually used to imprison extremely powerful beings to prevent their aura from leaking out and causing trouble; or, it was used to cultivate certain heaven-defying spiritual plants that required absolute stability and where no spiritual energy could be wasted!
Regardless of the type, anything sealed beneath such a massive formation is no ordinary being!
(End of this chapter)