Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 176 Taoist Companion
Both the Dragon Slayer Sword and the Dragon Soul Sword were the swords used by their respective wielders in the past.

He refined the Dragon Soul Sword into a sword embryo and his natal flying sword, and this Dragon Slayer Sword became his true weapon.

As the crimson Dragon-Slaying Sword was drawn, Shen Wen'an immediately transformed into a sword beam, merging with the Dragon-Slaying Sword. Using the terrifying suction of the vortex, he instantly rushed forward!
The pig demon leader saw a terrifying sword beam rushing straight towards its mouth and immediately tried to stop the vortex, but it was obviously too late!

puff!
Shen Wen'an, who was one with the Dragon-Slaying Sword, was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he instantly passed through the vortex and flew out from behind the pig demon leader's head, which had swelled dozens of times!

The sword light dissipated, and Shen Wen'an appeared on the roof of the stone roof behind the pig demon leader, sword in hand.

The surging demonic energy within the pig demon leader gradually became chaotic and disordered, and its enormous head returned to its original shape.

There was a huge bloody hole on the back of his head.

It staggered and turned around, looking at Shen Wen'an with a hint of resentment in its eyes, before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Sensing that the life force on his body had completely dissipated, Shen Wen'an flashed from the top of the stone roof to his side, precisely slashed a gash in his abdomen with the Dragon-Slaying Sword, and with a suck, extracted a fist-sized purple demon essence.

"Ok?"

After the Demon Essence Pill was removed, he suddenly sensed that there was something emitting spiritual energy fluctuations inside the pig demon leader's body.

Sensing the location of that thing, the Dragon Slayer Sword instantly pierced out, directly picking out a bloodstained object from the pig demon leader's body.

"This is……"

Upon seeing that thing, Shen Wen'an's eyes widened slightly.

Bronze fragments!

The thing inside the pig demon's body was actually a fragment of bronze!
It was twice the size of the one that had been obtained from the disciples of Hundred Beasts Mountain, and it had a distinct curve, resembling the neck of some kind of bottle.

Picking up the bronze fragment, Shen Wen'an tore off the tattered cloth from the pig demon's waist and wiped the blood off it. After examining it closely, he discovered that the patterns on this bronze fragment were indeed very similar to those on the one he had obtained before.

He guessed that the two bronze fragments were from the same ritual artifact.

After storing the bronze fragments and the demon essence pill in his storage bag, Shen Wen'an began to carefully examine his surroundings.

One of the things the pig demon leader said should be true.

This is truly an abandoned spirit mine. The stone houses and numerous collapsed buildings around here must have been left behind by the humans who mined the spirit mine back then.

It's just unknown whether the spirit mine was exhausted and the place was abandoned.

Or perhaps other unforeseen circumstances forced them to give up.

He slowly released his divine sense, preparing to search carefully first.

The power of divine sense slowly extended outwards, and suddenly an extremely dense fluctuation of spiritual energy came from under the stone slab where the pig demon had been lying!

Shen Wen'an was stunned for a moment, then immediately went to the stone slab, swung his sword and unleashed a sword beam that split the stone slab open!

After the smoke and dust settled, crystal-clear stones radiating rich spiritual energy appeared in the hidden grooves beneath the stone slab!

Spirit Crystal!

Inside the stone trough in front of us, which is about ten feet long and a little over a foot wide, there are more than a hundred complete spirit crystals!
Furthermore, these intact spirit crystals also contain some half-eaten spirit crystal fragments and some fine spirit sand of varying sizes!
Clearly, this was all the work of that pig demon leader!
What a waste!

Upon seeing this scene, a thought instantly popped into Shen Wen'an's mind!
The spirit crystals in this hidden slot must have been wasted by that pig demon leader countless times before he reached the mid-stage of the embryonic breathing realm.

Suppressing his thoughts, he quickly put all the spirit crystals, along with the spirit crystal fragments and spirit sand from the hidden slot into his storage bag.

The search continued for a short while, and then two more jade slips were found.

With his divine sense probing into them, Shen Wen'an finally understood why those pig demons and their leader possessed some strange magic.

That's all because of the two jade slips in my hands.

One of the two jade slips contained the "Mist Dragon Nourishing Meridian Technique".

From this, it can be inferred that this spirit mine must have belonged to the Dragon-Raising Clan.

This jade slip containing the "Mist Dragon Nourishing Vein Technique" was likely brought along by a member of a dragon-taming clan while guarding the spiritual veins for cultivation.

The other jade slip contained some techniques and cultivation insights.

Shen Wen'an didn't study it carefully, planning to take it back to Blackwater Pavilion later and hand it over to his father, Shen Yuan.

He put away the two jade slips and continued on his way. Before long, he discovered a cave sealed off by boulders and formations.

The rocks next to the cave clearly showed signs of being damaged by a blunt object, indicating that the boar demon leader wanted to open the cave but did not understand formations, so he thought of using brute force to break it open.

Shen Wen'an stood at the cave entrance for a moment, sensing that there were still spirit crystals inside the vein. He finally gave up the idea of ​​breaking the formation by force and turned around to fly to the outside of the Black Pine Forest on his sword.

"Third uncle?"

Thirty miles outside the Black Pine Forest, in the jungle, Shen Chongming and his three companions, along with a hundred Shen family soldiers, waited quietly.

Suddenly seeing Shen Wen'an flying over on his sword, he stood up and shouted.

"Third Uncle, what's the situation inside?"

"Was that pig demon killed?"

Looking at Shen Wen'an in front of him, Shen Chongming asked repeatedly.

Shen Wen'an nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"Come with me."

After leading Shen Chongming to a spot away from the others, Shen Wen'an whispered:

"Let Shi Miao lead the men away first. You and Zhao Tuan will guard the outer perimeter."

"If anyone approaches, show no mercy and kill them without hesitation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming paused slightly, glanced cautiously behind him, and lowered his voice to ask, "Third Uncle, what's inside that black pine forest?"

Shen Wen'an glanced at him and said, "Spirit Crystal Mine."

These four simple words left Shen Chongming stunned on the spot.

If a spirit mine can make a celestial sect covet it, then a spirit crystal vein is enough to make celestial sects gamble their fates on each other, fighting to the death!

"Remember what your third uncle said."

Shen Wen'an said something, and then flew away on his sword, heading towards the Blackwater Pool.

When he returned home, Shen Wenxing, Wei Qiuling, and Yu Jin were sitting in the side room drinking tea.

Upon seeing Shen Wen'an, the three of them had somewhat strange expressions, especially Wei Qiuling.

Shen Wen'an didn't notice any of this. Sensing the aura of the Fetal Breathing Realm emanating from Wei Qiuling, he forced a smile and cupped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, Senior Sister Wei, on achieving the Fetal Breathing Realm."

Wei Qiuling smiled slightly and said, "This matter is all thanks to Junior Brother Wen'an."

"If it weren't for my junior brother's timely rescue, I would probably have died in that Jinghe Swamp."

"And the innate Yi wood essence given to me by my junior brother allowed me to clear away the fire poison as quickly as possible after breaking through to the embryonic breathing stage."

Shen Wen'an looked somewhat stunned, feeling that Wei Qiuling in front of him seemed to have changed, and was a little different from usual.

His gaze turned to his elder brother, Shen Wenxing, who was standing to the side, but he saw Shen Wenxing smiling without saying a word, which was very strange.

"Has the matter in the mountains been resolved?" Shen Wenxing deliberately changed the subject.

Shen Wen'an glanced at Yu Jin and Wei Qiuling beside him, still hesitating whether or not to reveal the matter of the spirit crystal mine.

Then he realized that his elder brother was now the head of the Shen family, and since he had asked about this matter in front of the two of them, he must have his own reasons.

He didn't bother with how to manage the family affairs; he would only step in when necessary.

"solved."

"It consists of a pig demon leader at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and hundreds of ordinary pig demons that have reached the level of demon beasts."

Upon hearing this, all three were somewhat astonished!

"A demonic beast at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm!?"

Wei Qiuling looked at him with some concern and asked, "Junior Brother Wen'an, are you injured?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head slightly.

Yu Jin frowned and said, "That's not right. Yangnao Land has always been lacking in spiritual energy, and it has only been more than ten years since it was revived."

"Those mid-stage Nascent Soul demons in Qishan, without any fortuitous encounters, each of them would have cultivated for over a hundred years... Junior Brother Wen'an, is there any extraordinary rare treasure in that pig demon's territory?!"

Yun Jin suddenly asked excitedly.

"Junior sister!" Wei Qiuling glared at her.

Whether or not there are rare and precious materials, that's up to the Shen family. If the Shen family is willing to tell, they will. If they are unwilling to tell, there's no reason to keep asking.

Yu Jin pursed her lips and muttered, "It seems that Senior Sister has really changed..."

Shen Wen'an didn't pay attention to their conversation and looked at Shen Wenxing with a questioning gaze.

Seeing that Shen Wenxing did not object, he said, "There are indeed good things here. It is an abandoned spirit crystal mine."

"It must have been discovered and mined by the original owner of that ruin."

"It's just that the erosion of time has created a loophole in the formation protecting the mine, which the pig demon discovered and took advantage of."

"I sensed it briefly, and the mineral vein has a large reserve. Although it is abandoned, a lot of spirit crystals can still be mined."

Spirit Crystal Vein!

The room suddenly fell silent!
All three of them looked at Shen Wen'an in astonishment.

for a long time--

Wei Qiuling stood up, smiled faintly, and cupped her hands in greeting: "Brother Shen and Junior Brother Wen'an must have important matters to discuss. Junior Sister, let's go back first."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing snapped out of his reverie and, after a few moments of contemplation, said, "Fairy Wei, there's no need to be so formal."

"I know the Shen family's strength well. They can't take over this spirit crystal mine by themselves."

After a slight hesitation, Wei Qiuling nodded and sat down.

"So, what are Brother Shen's plans for dealing with this spirit crystal mine?"

Shen Wenxing stood up, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, frowning in deep thought.

After a moment, he spoke: "With the disappearance of Sword Immortal Ling Shan, the Shen family has lost its only force capable of intimidating Hundred Beast Mountain."

"That old ape from Hundred Beasts Mountain could return at any time. If it decides to attack the Shen family, even with the help of Sunset Glow Mountain, it will be difficult to resist, right?"

Wei Qiuling nodded.

While Luoxia Mountain has improved its strength in recent years, it ultimately rose to prominence too late to compare with a long-established immortal sect like Hundred Beasts Mountain.

Furthermore, with a pseudo-Core Formation Realm ancestor existing at Hundred Beasts Mountain, if a war were to break out, the combined strength of the two sides would indeed be no match for Hundred Beasts Mountain.

"Does Brother Shen mean... to use this spirit crystal mine to gain some more allies?"

Shen Wenxing nodded and said, "I was worried before that some ordinary spirit mines might not be enough to convince other immortal sects to fight against Hundred Beast Mountain."

"Now that a spirit crystal vein has been found, things have taken a turn for the better."

Spirit crystals are the most important resources for cultivation. No matter how powerful the immortal sect or how skilled the cultivator, no one would complain about having too many spirit crystals.

“This matter has more than just taken a turn for the better,” Wei Qiuling said with a smile. “A spirit crystal mine is enough to perfectly resolve this matter.”

"Brother Shen may not know this, but right now in Qishan, apart from Hundred Beast Mountain which has a single spirit crystal vein, no other spirit crystal vein can be monopolized by a single immortal sect."

"The spirit crystal mines that my Luoxia Mountain controls are protected and shared with other immortal sects."

"Immortal sects also form alliances with each other by relying on spirit crystal mines, which is how they survive in the chaotic Qishan Mountains."

Shen Wenxing nodded.

That was his initial guess.

"So, which immortal sects is Brother Shen planning to team up with to mine that spirit crystal vein?"

Wei Qiuling asked.

Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly.

"I know very little about the immortal sects. Besides Luoxia Mountain and Vajra Sect, does Fairy Wei have any other candidates?"

He no longer intends to bring Qiyun Valley in.

All the previous events have shown that Qiyun Valley's chronic problems are difficult to cure, and it's impossible to say when problems might arise.

Besides, the Flint Sect and Hundred Beast Mountain are obvious enemies, so they don't need to be considered either.

Of the remaining immortal sects, he only knew of the One Qi Sect and the Profound Water Sect.

However, he was very dissatisfied with the performance of the Yi Qi Sect when they met with the Hundred Beasts Mountain in Anyang City last time, and the strength of the Xuan Shui Sect seemed to be too weak.

"The Heavenly Talisman Sect is a good choice."

Wei Qiuling thought for a moment and then named a celestial sect.

Tianfu Sect?
Shen Wenxing was stunned for a moment.

He did have some impression of this immortal sect, because it was a disciple of the Tianfu Sect who saved Shen Wenyan in the snowy plains of the Northern Territory and later brought Shen Wenyan to Danzhou.

"The Heavenly Talisman Sect is an ancient immortal sect in Danzhou."

"Its main focus is on the art of talismans. The sect has a profound foundation. Although its disciples are mediocre, few dare to provoke them when they are out in the world."

Wei Qiuling smiled faintly and spoke.

Shen Wenxing was somewhat puzzled upon hearing this.

Yu Jin, standing to the side, said with a strange expression, "Back then, I encountered a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining from the Tianfu Sect and three cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining fighting over a Xuanhe Grass."

"This should have been a battle with no suspense, but who would have thought that the disciples of the Fu Sect would use dozens of talismans at once, causing the three Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivators to flee in terror."

"If the three of them hadn't escaped quickly, they would have been blown to pieces on the spot."

Shen Wenxing couldn't help but gasp in astonishment upon hearing this.

Such an aggressive style of play is something that not everyone can withstand.

Wei Qiuling added with a smile, "The reason why the disciples of the Heavenly Talisman Sect are feared is because you have no idea how many Nascent Breath Realm talismans a seemingly insignificant Qi Refining Realm disciple carries."

"Once we engage in combat, the outcome can truly be unpredictable, whether we live or die."

Shen Wenxing nodded; that was indeed true.

He was just a little curious: was the Heavenly Talisman Sect really that wealthy, able to equip each of its disciples with a large number of talismans?
"Alright, then let's bring the Heavenly Talisman Sect along."

"Besides that, the Xuan Shui Sect is also acceptable."

Wei Qiuling spoke again: "Although the Xuan Shui Sect is not the strongest among the major immortal sects in Qishan, it has a very good reputation."

“Disciples of the Xuan Shui Sect rarely make enemies or fight with others when they travel outside.”

At this point, Wei Qiuling smiled faintly and said, "If other immortal sects rely on forming alliances and sticking together to survive, then the Xuan Shui Sect is able to establish itself in Qishan because its disciples have earned a good reputation for being kind to others."

"Under normal circumstances, it is rare for a cultivator to kill a disciple of the Xuan Shui Sect."

Shen Wenxing's expression turned strange after hearing this.

There's actually such a sect in Danzhou?
"Alright, then let's include the Xuan Shui Sect."

"Are there any others?"

Wei Qiuling shook her head slightly: "Five families are enough for us."

“A spirit crystal vein, split equally among five companies, each receiving 20% ​​is just right.”

Shen Wenxing nodded and said, "Then I will trouble Fairy Wei to come forward and summon the disciples of the Xuan Shui Sect and the Tian Fu Sect. Let us settle this matter first, and then we can consider the mining."

Wei Qiuling stood up and returned the greeting: "This matter will be handled by Qiuling."

"Brother Shen... why don't you ask Junior Brother Wen'an about what we talked about before?"

After watching the two leave the Shen family manor, Shen Wen'an looked curiously at his elder brother Shen Wenxing and asked, "What did Senior Sister Wei mention?"

Shen Wenxing recovered his senses and said with a faint smile, "Good thing."

"Fairy Wei wishes to become your Daoist partner."

"What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an was stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Wenxing smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Fairy Wei said that Daoist couples are not like ordinary couples, but their relationship is purer than that of ordinary couples."

"Once you become Daoist partners, you are bound by a vow of life and death. If one of you dies, the other will never have another Daoist partner for the rest of their life."

"You can decide for yourself."

Shen Wen'an remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "What did Father say?"

Shen Wenxing smiled faintly: "Father will naturally respect your own opinion."

“Wen’an, I think Fairy Wei is a good person. Although she is a bit older than you, as a cultivator, she has a lifespan of several hundred years. A difference of ten or twenty years is not a big deal.”

“It’s not that I care about age…” Shen Wen’an said calmly, “I’m thinking… whether becoming her Daoist partner could bring more benefits to the Shen family.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing's expression froze.

"you……"

"Brother," Shen Wen'an forced a smile, "I agree to this."

After saying this, he walked straight towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

Watching his younger brother's retreating figure, Shen Wenxing sighed softly.

When the father was in charge of the family, he chose to be tolerant in every way in order to survive and develop, and his principle was to "leverage power".

Now, having managed the family for so many years, and with the help of his father's accumulated experience, he has gradually changed his style of doing things, but he can only choose to "form alliances".

Whether it's leveraging existing resources or forming alliances, it's all good.

In the end, someone in the family will sacrifice, and in the end, we will have to rely on others.

What about the next generation?

When will the Shen family be able to take control of their own destiny?

……

Wei Qiuling has always been a person who doesn't like to procrastinate. On the third day after leaving the Shen family, she brought Jin Sheng of the Vajra Sect, Xuan Yi Dao Nu of the Xuan Shui Sect, and a refined middle-aged man to the Shen family manor.

"Brother Shen, please introduce yourself."

Inside the room, Wei Qiuling introduced, "This is Zhang Shen, the chief disciple of the Tianfu Sect."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhang."

Zhang Shen smiled slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Patriarch Shen, the Heavenly Talisman Sect is truly sorry about your brother's matter."

“My junior brother acted without thinking, which has led to your brother being in danger.”

Shen Wenxing waved his hand: "This matter is not the fault of Tianfu Sect. My younger brother Anu was eager to go out and make his way in the world. I have not yet thanked your sect. If it were not for the rescue by your disciples, my younger brother might have died in the snowy plains of the Northern Territory several years ago."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the impatient Jin Sheng spoke up: "Brother Shen, what good news has brought you here?"

“Wei Daoyou was still hiding it and refused to tell us on the way.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Shen and the Taoist nun in black robes looked over curiously.

Shen Wenxing smiled faintly: "This matter is of great importance, and Fairy Wei is only acting as a precaution."

"Now that you are all here, I will speak frankly."

"Brother Shen, wait a moment." Wei Qiuling suddenly interrupted him, cupped her hands to the four of them and said, "Fellow Daoists, please forgive me. If you want to know about this matter, you must make a solemn vow to ensure that even if you do not agree, you will never tell anyone about what happened today." "This..." Zhang Shen hesitated.

Jin Sheng, standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Of course, but there's nothing to worry about regarding today's events."

After hearing what he said, Zhang Shen thought about it and realized it made sense.

The three then made a solemn vow, promising that if they did not participate in today's events, they would never reveal a single word to anyone afterward.

After making the vow, Jin Sheng urged, "Since you're being so cautious, Brother Shen must have some great benefits to share with us, right?"

The Vajra Sect has already tasted the benefits of the last incident involving the water smoke stone mine.

This time, everyone is eager to see what surprises the Shen family will bring him next.

Shen Wenxing didn't mince words and said directly, "The reason I've troubled you all to come here is because of a spirit crystal mine."

A spirit crystal vein!?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shen and the other two in the room couldn't help but feel a tremor in their hearts!
"Brother Shen, are you sure it's a spirit crystal vein, and not... a spirit ore?"

Zhang Shen looked at Shen Wenxing in disbelief.

The Taoist nun in black robes beside her also slightly opened her mouth, holding her breath, afraid that she might have misheard.

Shen Wenxing smiled slightly: "It's a spirit crystal vein."

Upon receiving his confirmation, the three exchanged glances and all saw the ecstasy in each other's eyes!

Spirit Crystal Vein!

It's actually a spirit crystal mine!

Of the three, the most excited was the Taoist nun in black.

The Xuan Shui Sect's strength in Qishan is in the middle to lower range. To date, the sect only has one spirit crystal mine, which it mines together with three other sects.

How come another spirit crystal mine has suddenly appeared on our doorstep?!
At this moment, she had made up her mind that, no matter what, the Xuan Shui Sect would get involved in this spirit crystal mine.

Jin Sheng and Zhang Shen shared the same thought at this time.

"Please calm down, gentlemen, and let me finish speaking."

Shen Wenxing explained the matter of the spirit crystal mine, and also clarified the grudges between the Shen family and Hundred Beasts Mountain, informing the three of their intention to form an alliance.

Upon hearing this, Jin Sheng immediately laughed and said, "What is Hundred Beasts Mountain? After that incident, the Vajra Sect has no intention of getting along with them properly."

"Brother Shen, rest assured, our Vajra Sect agrees to this!"

Zhang Shen and the Taoist nun in black exchanged a glance and then expressed their opinions.

They expressed that they were not afraid of Hundred Beasts Mountain, and that if Hundred Beasts Mountain dared to make a move in the future, their families were willing to stand with the Shen family through thick and thin.

"In that case, let's discuss the distribution."

Shen Wenxing spoke up, "I propose that we five families divide it equally, which would save us a lot of trouble."

"Furthermore..." He smiled awkwardly and looked at the four people, "If the sects behind you fellow Daoists could send a Nascent Soul Realm expert to oversee things, that would be the best."

"The Shen family lacks resources; with only my younger brother, they really can't offer anyone of any worthwhile standing..."

"Haha... Brother Shen, don't worry, it's only natural." Zhang Shen laughed, "When we were mining the spirit crystal veins in Qishan, we always had at least a few experts at the Nascent Soul Realm on hand, just in case someone tried to steal it."

"That mine is now located in Hidden Dragon Mountain, so we really need to be wary of Hundred Beasts Mountain making a move."

After determining the division of profits and finalizing the mining arrangements, the group swore an oath of alliance and then hurriedly returned to report the matter to their sect.

……

Danzhou, Qishan.

Above the vast mountains, a figure was fleeing in panic, riding the wind.

Suddenly, a sword light pierced the sky behind him and rushed towards him at high speed!
The sword light was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, it blocked the path of the old figure.

Yu Feng paused in mid-air, looking at the figure in front of him wearing a pale yellow dress and with her hair casually tied back, her eyes filled with apprehension!
Why are you pressing me so relentlessly, fellow Daoist?

"I didn't mean to attack at the time, it's just... it's just..."

The old ape from Hundred Beasts Mountain stammered, trying to explain, but couldn't think of a good reason for a while.

"I just feel that I will fight that beast to the death."

"You think you can kill me and then reap the benefits?"

The girl in the pale yellow dress spoke calmly, revealing no emotion.

The old ape's expression changed, and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

A few days ago, it was aimlessly searching for the trace of the Female Yuanhui Pearl in the mountains. When it came to a valley, it happened to encounter the woman in front of it and a giant python in the Golden Core Realm fighting for a small tree with a three-colored exotic fruit!

He instantly recognized the three-colored exotic fruit as the Chongxu Xuan Fruit.

When the Chongxu Xuanguo matures, it will randomly produce three of the five elements. If a cultivator at the Qi Refining Perfection Realm consumes it, he will definitely obtain a wisp of superior innate spiritual energy that best suits his spiritual root and cultivation method from the three elements!

Although this item is of little use to cultivators like them who have already formed immortal embryos, it is extremely valuable.

Some immortal sects and aristocratic families are often willing to pay a great price to purchase this fruit in order to cultivate talented descendants.

Without hesitation, the value of a single Chongxu Xuan Fruit far exceeds that of a wisp of top-grade innate spiritual energy.

When he discovered the two sides were fighting, the old ape secretly hid in the distance to observe.

It discovered that the woman in front of it was only at the peak of the early Golden Core stage. Although she was a sword immortal, the giant python was a great demon at the late Golden Core stage.

There is a certain disparity in strength between the two sides.

It stood guard by and watched the two sides fight for several days, and the giant python, which was at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, actually showed signs of being suppressed.

Money moves people's hearts.

A crazy idea popped into the old ape's mind.

He ambushed the woman in front of him, causing her to lose her advantage.

After both sides are severely injured, it will then strike with overwhelming force and kill both of them.

At that time, you will not only get a Chongxu Spirit Fruit, but also all the treasures of a sword immortal and all the treasures of a late-stage Golden Core demon!
With the help of these things, it felt that it was highly likely that it could, in its lifetime, distinguish truth from falsehood and attain the true Golden Elixir Dao!

Unfortunately, it still underestimated the strength of a sword immortal!

The moment it made its move, the woman in front of her felt its attack. Not only did she fail to get her way, but she also cleverly used its attack to restrain the giant python. She transformed into a sword light and snatched the Chongxu Xuan Fruit directly into her hand.

Upon seeing this, the old ape immediately fled in panic.

But in the end, he was still caught by the other party.

"Fellow Daoist, I've lost my mind. I beg you to show mercy."

Knowing he was no match for the man before him, the old ape did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately reached out and pulled off his storage bag, saying, "I am willing to offer up my life's treasures. Please forgive me, fellow Daoist."

The pale yellow figure glanced at its storage bag and smiled faintly: "You're from Hundred Beasts Mountain, aren't you?"

"I've heard that your Hundred Beasts Mountain believes I won't stand up for that brat?"

Um! ?

Upon hearing this, the old ape was first stunned, then his face was filled with horror!

"You are...Sword Immortal Ling Shan!?"

Upon realizing the woman's identity, it couldn't help but take two steps back, already conjuring up thoughts of how to escape.

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, is very famous in Danzhou, but not many people actually know her.

It's simply because most of those who witnessed the Sword Immortal Ling Shan's skills are no longer around.

Normally, even if they encountered her, few people would associate this ordinary female cultivator with that peerless sword immortal.

"If it were a battle between people of the same realm, and you, Hundred Beasts Mountain, killed him, I would not say anything more."

"Even if someone is a genius, if they die at the hands of someone of the same level, they deserve it. They weren't strong enough... They have no regrets about dying."

"But now..." A faint sword intent suddenly burst forth from Ling Shan Sword Immortal's body.

The next moment, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him surged suddenly, and a towering green bamboo slowly formed behind him!
After the green bamboo appeared, sharp sword energies intertwined and shot straight into the sky, stirring up the clouds thousands of feet high!
In the distance, the old ape's eyes twitched wildly, filled with horror!
It could sense that ever since the green bamboo appeared, its body had been locked by an extremely pure sword intent, and it was unable to move at all!

So strong!

Is this the power of a sword immortal?!

The old ape roared madly in its heart!

As a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator, it knew that there was a gap between it and a true Core Formation cultivator.

But no one expected that a sword immortal who was also at the Golden Core stage would be so much stronger than a real Golden Core cultivator.

"My life is at an end..."

Feeling that he was locked in by the aura of the Sword Immortal Ling Shan and unable to resist, the old ape felt utterly hopeless.

Click!

The aura of the towering green bamboo surged, sword energy ran rampant, and one by one, the verdant bamboo leaves slowly unfurled.

One of the bamboo leaves on the green bamboo made a crisp, green sound and suddenly fell off the bamboo.

With a flick of her finger, the bamboo leaf, trailing a stream of green light, flew toward the old ape's head!
Boo!
Just as the bamboo leaf was about to pierce the old ape's skull, a terrifying eagle's cry, as sharp as shattering gold and jade, suddenly rang out from the distant, vast mountains!
Before the words were even finished, a golden light slammed into the verdant bamboo leaves!
At the same time, the old ape also felt that his body, which had been locked by the sword intent, had finally regained some mobility.

He immediately disregarded everything else and his illusory golden core surged wildly within his body!

Roar!
With a roar, he risked injury to finally break free from the lock of the sword intent and aura, and suddenly fled towards the direction of the terrifying flying bird!

"Senior, help!"

"senior……"

The old ape shouted loudly as it fled!
In the blink of an eye, a terrifying bird of prey arrived above the mountain range.

Ignoring the blood at the corner of his mouth, the old ape flashed to the bird's side, knelt prostrate in mid-air, and fawned, "This junior is a descendant of the Mountain-Moving Ape, please save my life, senior!"

The bird's body shrank slightly, and its cold eyes swept over the old ape in front of it.

"The descendants of that idiot Mountain-Moving Ape?"

"Get lost, I have no connection with it whatsoever!"

With a gentle flap of its wings, which were over ten feet long, a golden light swept over the old ape's body and flew into the distance!

In mid-air, the old ape's scream rang out, followed by a loud shout.

"Thank you very much, senior!"

After driving the old ape away, only the ape and the Sword Immortal Ling Shan remained in the sky.

Looking at the terrifying bird of prey before her, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan frowned slightly and said, "Old man, why are you staring at me like that?"

The bird sneered, "Your master killed my brother, so I will naturally kill his disciple to avenge him."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan smiled faintly.

"So that's why. It turns out they couldn't beat my master, so they've set their sights on me."

"As expected of a demon king who has lived for a thousand years, he knows how to adapt."

A hint of embarrassment flashed in the bird's eyes, but it was too lazy to waste any more words. It immediately shouted coldly, "Enough with this useless talk. Today, I will leave you here in Qishan!"

The battle between the two sides once again stirred up an area spanning thousands of miles. Many cultivators and some mountain monsters fled in panic after sensing the terrifying sword intent and ferocious aura.

The old ape was sent flying a hundred miles by a single wing of a flying bird. Although he was seriously injured, he was lucky enough to escape with his life.

Sensing the fierce battle approaching from behind, his eyes were filled with hesitation.

a long time--

"That's all!"

"Given that senior's strength, there's no way he can get away with this."

"There is still no trace of that female Yuan Huizhu, and there are too many powerful people in the mountains. It is more important for me, the old ape, to save my life."

Severely injured and repeatedly thwarted by powerful opponents, the old ape had come to a complete realization: the opportunity of the Female Yuan Hui Pearl was beyond its capabilities to contend for.

After briefly regulating its demonic energy and assessing its own condition, it eagerly rode the wind towards Hundred Beast Mountain.

……

The Shen family of Heishuitan.

As night fell, Shen Yuan and his two sons sat together in the Blackwater Pavilion.

A flash of light appeared in Shen Wen'an's hand, and a pile of spirit crystals radiating rich spiritual energy appeared on the desk in front of him.

Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing both showed surprise upon seeing this.

"Where did all these spirit crystals come from?" Shen Wenxing asked curiously.

"I found it in the Black Pine Forest," Shen Wen'an said with a smile. "The owner of that spirit crystal mine must have left in a hurry back then, or perhaps he encountered some unexpected event."

"So much so that they didn't even have time to take the spirit crystals they mined with them."

"and this."

A flash of light appeared in his hand again as he took out two jade slips and a bronze fragment from his storage bag.

Shen Yuan picked up one of the jade slips and probed it with his divine sense.

"The Mist Dragon Nourishing Meridian Technique?"

Shen Wen'an nodded: "It was based on this that I concluded that the owner of that spirit crystal mine should be the Dragon-Hunting Clan."

"There are some spells in this jade slip. Father can study them when he has time."

As Shen Wen'an spoke, he handed another jade slip to Shen Yuan.

Shen Wenxing, who was standing next to him, picked up the bronze fragment and examined it repeatedly, asking, "What is this?"

Shen Yuan glanced at it, and the image of another identical bronze fragment that Shen Wen'an had brought back years ago suddenly flashed into his mind.

"You guys wait a minute."

He carried the two jade slips to the third floor, and also took down the bronze fragment from before.

The two bronze fragments were placed together, and after careful examination, the father and his two sons were able to determine that the two fragments were made of the same material and had the same inscription.

However, the two fragments are not connected and cannot be pieced together.

For now, we can only put them away and wait for the opportunity to find other fragments in the future.

"I heard from your elder brother that you agreed to become Daoist partners with Fairy Wei?"

After tidying up the spirit crystal and the bronze fragment in front of him, Shen Yuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said...

Shen Wen'an nodded.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Yuan said, "A cultivator's partner is the same as a mortal's spouse. I don't want you to repeat the same mistakes your second brother made back then."

"Would you like to reconsider?"

Back then, Shen Wenyan played the role of "fulfilling filial piety with his body and dedicating himself to literature" by marrying Zhao Xuan.

It has finally come to this point.

He wronged himself and also caused great suffering to Zhao Xuan and Shen Chongxuan.

He didn't want Shen Wen'an to end up like that.

"Don't worry, Father." Shen Wen'an forced a smile and said, "A Daoist partner is just a fellow traveler on the path to immortality. Senior Sister Wei is not my second sister-in-law, so she naturally wouldn't do that."

Shen Yuan nodded and looked at Shen Wenxing, asking, "Have you told Fairy Wei about this?"

Shen Wenxing cupped his hands in greeting: "Once Father has made his decision, I will prepare to formally inform Fairy Wei."

"As the chief disciple of Luoxia Mountain, Fairy Wei must not be careless in this matter of becoming a Daoist couple with Wen An."

"We should clarify the etiquette and rules before discussing them further."

Shen Yuan nodded: "Alright, you go and handle this matter first. Leave the household affairs to your father for now."

He slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the Blackwater Pavilion.

The bright moonlight shone on the pool, and with a gentle breeze, ripples spread across the surface.

Shen Yuan paused, gazing at the distant black pool, and sighed softly.

He had three sons and one daughter in his life, and his second son, Shen Wenyan, had a terrible marriage.

The third daughter, Shen Wenping, finally found someone she liked, but unexpectedly, her son-in-law died in an accident, leaving her and her child as orphans and widows.

Hopefully, this time, nothing else will happen to the youngest son.

Most parents are like this: they hope their children will be well, and even more so, they hope their children will be happy...

The next day, Shen Wenxing arrived at Yunzhong County City early.

In the elegant courtyard, Wei Qiuling sat cross-legged facing the rising sun, consolidating her spiritual realm.

"Senior sister, Patriarch Shen has arrived."

A disciple from Luoxia Mountain approached and spoke softly.

Wei Qiuling slowly opened her eyes and saw Shen Wenxing in the distance, so she got up and went to greet him.

"Brother Shen."

Shen Wenxing returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then smiled and said, "Fairy Wei, yesterday I asked my father about my younger brother Wen'an, and he agreed to become your Daoist partner."

"I have come here to ask Fairy Wei what the etiquette and rules are for cultivators to form a Daoist couple."

"Don't let Fairy Wei suffer then."

Wei Qiuling was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "The marriage between cultivators is not as complicated as marriage between mortals."

"There's no need for too much preparation this time."

"All you need to do is choose an auspicious day and invite some familiar fellow Daoists to be witnesses."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing pondered briefly before saying, "Since we are asking a cultivator to be a witness, we should prepare some spiritual fruits and spiritual wine."

"My Shen family has some Purple Star Fruit. I'll go to the market later to see if there are any other spiritual fruits for sale, and I'll also buy some spiritual wine while I'm at it."

Wei Qiuling nodded, then smiled and said, "Since Junior Brother Wen'an has agreed, then from now on Qiuling will call you Big Brother."

"Brother, please stop calling her 'Fairy Wei' all the time."

Shen Wenxing smiled and nodded.

"Brother, go and make preparations first. Qiu Ling has no parents, so we need our master to come in person to discuss this matter with Uncle Shen."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing bowed and left the courtyard.

After he left, a hint of jealousy flashed in the eyes of the young disciple from Luoxia Mountain standing next to Wei Qiuling as he cupped his hands and asked, "Senior Sister, are you really determined to become Daoist partners with that boy?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling glanced at him slightly and said, "Junior Brother Zhuo has a problem with Senior Sister's chosen Daoist partner?"

The young man quickly cupped his hands and smiled, "Junior brother wouldn't dare, it's just that Senior Brother Zhao..."

“Zhao Yan?” Wei Qiuling smiled faintly and said, “If he has any ideas, he can go and talk to Junior Brother Wen’an.”

After saying this, Wei Qiuling returned to her room and took out a sound transmission stone.

(End of this chapter)