Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 178 Shen Li
Shen Family Manor.

After returning from Yunzhong County, Wei Qiuling naturally brought the news of Qixian Mountain to the Shen family.

“Brother, if what that rogue cultivator said is true, then the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm must be a true residence of immortal cultivators.”

"The Shen family must not miss this opportunity."

Inside the side room, Shen Wenxing and his son sat facing Wei Qiuling.

“A true immortal cultivator’s residence…” Shen Wenxing stroked his beard, somewhat hesitant.

The Shen family's foundation is too weak now, so he also wants to send someone to Qixian Mountain to try his luck.

However, the secret realm restricted entry to cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage, and the Shen family's cultivation level was severely lacking.

Besides Shen Wen'an, the one with the highest cultivation level right now is his father, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, followed by Shen Chongming, who is at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The disciples sent by other immortal sects and forces are estimated to be at the ninth level of Qi Refining or even the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

Compared to them, the Shen family is at a complete disadvantage.

Moreover, there will inevitably be disciples from Hundred Beast Mountain and the Flintfire Sect among them. If the two sides meet in the secret realm, it will be very disadvantageous for the Shen family.

"Father, why don't you let me go and take a look?"

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Chongming spoke, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes.

"you?"

Shen Wenxing turned and glanced at him, but did not speak immediately.

Shen Chongming continued, "My son's current cultivation level is the sixth level of Qi Refining. He has been cultivating at home for many years before going to the front line in the mountains."

“None of the cultivators from other immortal sects or independent cultivators from aristocratic families know his identity or appearance. Even if they encounter him, they will only regard him as some independent cultivator.”

While Shen Wenxing was pondering to himself, Wei Qiuling, who was standing to the side, thought that sending Shen Chongming was a good idea.

"Over the years, Chongming has fought against the Western Wilderness Barbarians and those monsters in the mountains, so his strength is not bad."

"I also have a secret technique here that uses spiritual power to alter facial bones and muscles. After mastering it, no one will be able to recognize his identity."

As Wei Qiuling spoke, a flash of light appeared in her hand, revealing a jade slip.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing no longer hesitated and immediately said, "You can go."

"However, there are a few points to note."

"Firstly, bring You Ran along. She works well with you and is at the fifth level of Qi Refining. You can look out for each other."

"Secondly, you need to change your magic weapon; you can stop using the Silent Guest Great Bow."

Few cultivators use bows and arrows as magical artifacts.

Over the years, Shen Chongming fought against the Western Wilderness barbarian cultivators and the disciples of Hundred Beasts Mountain on the front lines in the mountains, and that large bow was still too conspicuous.

If he continues to use it, once he is discovered, even if he disguises himself, someone with ulterior motives will inevitably guess that it is him.

"Third... take our Shen family's seal with you. I will send someone to secretly inform the Vajra Sect and several other immortal sects that are on good terms with my Shen family, such as the Heavenly Talisman Sect."

“If you encounter danger in the secret realm, you can ask them for help.”

Shen Chongming nodded upon hearing this, keeping his father's instructions firmly in mind.

Wei Qiuling added, "Immortal realms are fraught with danger; once inside, one must avoid greed."

"Remember this: the more mysterious a treasure looks, the more likely it is to be a trap. On the contrary, some inconspicuous things may be more valuable."

"It depends on the temperament of the owner of the mansion."

"In short, use your brain more and take fewer risks."

"Opportunities are something you get when you can, and you should never force them if you can't."

Shen Chongming nodded again: "Thank you for the reminder, Third Aunt."

Wei Qiuling nodded, and then took out some pills and talismans from her storage bag and handed them over.

"Since that secret realm can restrict cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage, it should also restrict talismans in the Nascent Soul stage. Third Aunt has some talismans for the Qi Refining Perfection stage here. They were drawn in my spare time back then. You can take them with you."

"These pills each have their own unique uses..."

Hearing her introduction, Shen Wenxing smiled.

In the past, Wei Qiuling had been very good to the Shen family, but only a family member could think of such a thoughtful way of considering the younger generation of the Shen family.

After Wei Qiuling finished giving her instructions, Shen Wenxing pulled off the storage bag from his waist, took out all the contents, and handed it to Shen Chongming.

"Take this storage bag with you, but try not to let anyone see it."

His purpose in going to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm was to disguise himself as a rogue cultivator with no background.

Storage bags are extremely precious. Among the younger generation in the entire Yangnao Land, apart from the chief disciples of immortal sects or some disciples of immortal sects with powerful backgrounds, very few people from aristocratic families possess them.

Shen Chongming took the storage bag and put all the things Wei Qiuling had given him into it, along with his own magic weapon, the great bow. He then tucked the storage bag into his robes.

"Father, your son is leaving."

Shen Chongming patted the storage bag in his arms, stood up and bowed.

"Before you go, go to Blackwater Pavilion to see your grandfather."

Exploring the secret realm is a major event, and sending him there was also to see if his father had anything else to say.

Shen Chongming nodded and got up to walk towards the Blackwater Pool.

On the pontoon bridge, Shen Wen'an stood with his sword in his arms, quietly gazing at the lake.

"Uncle Three."

When Shen Chongming arrived, he bowed slightly to him.

Shen Wen'an turned around and handed over the Dragon-Slaying Sword and a letter.

“Your grandfather said you are going on a long journey and asked me to give you this letter.”

"Take this sword with you. It contains three of my sword energies, which can sever a fetal breath."

Be careful on your journey.

Shen Wen'an shoved the sword and the letter into his hands, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned and went into the Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Chongming was left alone, looking completely bewildered.

Going to Qixian Mountain was a last-minute decision. He didn't understand how his grandfather knew about it and even left him a letter in advance.

Suppressing his doubts, he opened the letter in his hand.

This journey will be fraught with difficulties. Remember this: a three-zhang (approximately 10 meters) stretch of water with a green mountain behind it can turn misfortune into good fortune.

What do you mean?
He couldn't quite understand the few words on the letter.

However… glancing at the Dragon-Slaying Sword in his hand, a smile appeared on Shen Chongming’s face.

Although he did not practice swordsmanship, he was quite fond of this Dragon-Slaying Sword. After playing with it for a while, he put the sword into his storage bag and headed towards the manor.

After returning from Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Chongming packed a few things and prepared to leave when he saw Wei Qiuling walking out from the backyard.

During the time Shen Yuan was in seclusion, she was the one who taught the children in the clan how to cultivate.

"Third aunt."

Shen Chongming cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Wei Qiuling nodded and then asked, "Did your grandfather give any instructions?"

Shen Chongming shook his head with a wry smile: "Grandpa is cultivating, but he seems to know I'm going and left me a letter in advance."

As he spoke, he handed over the letter.

Wei Qiuling took the letter with some suspicion, opened it, and glanced at it.

"Third Aunt, what does the second half of that sentence mean?"

Wei Qiuling smiled and shook her head: "Your grandfather must have gained some insights into the Dao of Great Evolution. This is a kind of divination and prophecy, which is difficult to interpret without encountering a real event."

"Just remember this, and you'll understand instantly when you actually encounter it."

Shen Chongming nodded and put the letter into his storage bag.

"Third Aunt, I'm leaving now."

……

Outside Yunshui Town, two fast horses galloped swiftly along the official road.

Shen Chongming, dressed in animal skins, with his hair tied in braids and a short bow on his back, was riding on horseback. His ruddy skin and face made him look exactly like a barbarian from the Western Wilderness.

Chen Youran, standing next to her, was also dressed as a barbarian woman, wearing a half-leather undergarment that revealed her flat stomach, a short skirt made of animal skin, and animal skin boots that protected her calves, making her look very wild.

"Young clan leader...brother."

When Chen Youran spoke, he realized that the two of them were now a brother and sister from the Western Wilderness Barbarian Tribe, and immediately changed his address.

"Should we take a detour?"

Shen Chongming looked around and nodded slightly.

Yunshui Town is the territory of the Shen family. The Shen family has a deep-seated feud with the Western Wilderness Barbarians, which is known to many.

The two of them, dressed in barbarian attire, appearing from the direction of Yunshui Town, looked rather strange.

"Go north for about a hundred miles, and then head east from Anyang City to enter Jinghe County. That should be fine."

Chen Youran nodded, and the two immediately changed direction, heading straight for Anyang City at a three-way intersection.

……

A teahouse on a forest road in Jinghe County.

Two fast horses came galloping from afar.

"Gesang, let's rest for a bit, have some tea, and then continue our journey."

Shen Chongming spoke.

Chen Youran's current name is "Gesang", while his name is "Gech".

These two people are not fictional, but a brother and sister, barbarian cultivators from the Western Wilderness, whom they killed on the front lines in the mountains.

The two of them were also disguised based on the Gechi siblings.

Chen Youran slowly reined in his horse, and the two of them dismounted and headed towards the tea shop.

The tables in front of the shop were already filled with small groups of customers.

Shen Chongming glanced at them and found that almost all of them were cultivators.

Clearly, these people are also heading to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm.

They tied the horse to a tree nearby, found an empty desk to sit down, ordered a pot of cold tea and some food, and ate in silence.

Just as he finished his bowl of tea, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the distant official road.

Gradually, a group of about thirty people, trailing dust, approached from afar.

The people in the teahouse looked over upon hearing the sound, and someone whispered, "It's Qiyun Valley and the Liu family of Fengxian County under its jurisdiction."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming glanced at the crowd and indeed saw that the front of the group consisted of more than ten disciples of the Immortal Sect dressed in Qiyun Valley attire.

Behind the group of Qiyun Valley disciples followed a group of cultivators wearing the Liu family emblem on their chests.

When the twenty or thirty men arrived, they all dismounted.

Several Liu family cultivators glanced at the teahouse's desks and found that only a few were empty, not enough for all of them to sit on, so they frowned slightly.

A moment later, two of the rogue cultivators on the desks seemed to be somewhat wary of Qiyun Valley and the Liu family. They hurriedly got up, took out some copper coins from their pockets, threw them on the desks, and left in a hurry.

With one person taking the lead, other monks on the desks also paid their fees and left one after another.

Shen Chongming finished his cold tea in one gulp, took out a few copper coins from his pocket and placed them under the bowl, saying, "Gesang, let's go."

Chen Youran nodded, and the two were about to get up and leave when they found that two members of the Liu family had blocked their way.

"Cultivators from the Western Wilderness?"

One of the Liu family disciples, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, looked at Shen Chongming and the other with an unfriendly expression and asked.

Shen Chongming reached out and shielded Chen Youran behind him, smiled slightly and cupped his hands, saying, "Esteemed Immortal Masters, my sister and I are merely rogue cultivators from the Western Wilderness."

The Liu family disciple looked at the two suspiciously and asked, "Not from Hundred Beasts Mountain?"

Shen Chongming shook his head repeatedly: "Immortal Master, you are wise. My brother and I are not under the jurisdiction of Hundred Beasts Mountain."

"Liu Kun, let's forget about it."

As soon as Shen Chongming finished speaking, a woman from Qiyun Valley frowned and said, "The cultivators under the jurisdiction of Hundred Beasts Mountain will definitely act together with the disciples of Hundred Beasts Mountain."

"These two came alone, so they shouldn't be under the jurisdiction of Hundred Beasts Mountain."

"The Western Wilderness is vast, and not all cultivators in the Western Wilderness are from the Hundred Beasts Mountain."

Upon hearing this, the Liu family disciple hurriedly bowed to the woman, saying, "What the immortal master says is true."

After saying this, he impatiently waved his hand at Shen Chongming and the other man: "Let's go, let's go."

Shen Chongming bowed slightly and left silently with Chen Youran.

"That was close, we almost got into a fight with them." Chen Youran said in a deep voice from horseback.

Shen Chongming smiled helplessly: "I didn't expect to run into people from Qiyun Valley and the Liu family here."

In the entire Yangnao region, only the Shen family and the Liu family under the jurisdiction of Qiyun Valley have a deep-seated grudge against the Western Wilderness.

While other forces are also not very friendly towards cultivators from the Western Wilderness, they are not so quick to threaten violence from the outset.

The two of them had not originally intended to disguise themselves as cultivators from the Western Wilderness.

However, the independent cultivators in various counties of Yu Kingdom mostly have certain circles, and it is difficult to hide the identities of two unknown young independent cultivators who suddenly appeared.

Comparatively speaking, the independent cultivators in the Western Wilderness are not well-known to the independent cultivators in the various prefectures of Yu State, so they are safer.

"Let's go, we need to get to Sanshan County before dark."

Shen Chongming patted the horse's back, and the two hurried forward.

……

Danzhou, deep in the Qishan Mountains.

A loud cry of a baby came from the cave.

Shen Wenyan, his hands stained with blood, held the crumpled newborn baby with a joyful expression.

Beside her, Hu Meier, covered in sweat and looking somewhat weak, looked at the child in Shen Wenyan's arms and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Brother Wenyan, boy or girl?"

Shen Wenyan carefully placed the child in front of her and said softly, "It's a girl."

Hu Meier looked tenderly at the little one in front of her, gently teased her a few times, and then said, "Husband, give her a name."

Shen Wenyan shook his head slightly: "You should come up with this name."

"Me?" Hu Meier was somewhat surprised, then shook her head slightly: "Meier is not very knowledgeable, how could I come up with a good name?"

Shen Wenyan insisted, "This is the child you carried for ten months and gave birth to, so it's only right that you name it."

Hu Meier smiled and nodded as she heard this.

"How about we call her Tanuki... Tanuki from the mountain raccoon cat? What do you think, my husband?"

"Li?" Shen Wenyan muttered, "Shen Li..."

"Okay, let's call it that."

He had originally intended to change one character for her name, such as "Li," "Li," or even "Li," but since he had promised Hu Meier to name her, he went along with it.

Gently pulling Shen Li into her arms, Hu Meier whispered, "How is the refinement of the Female Essence Wisdom Pearl going, my husband?"

Shen Wenyan shook his head slightly and sighed, "Back then, that strange power disrupted the balance of the Female Yuan Hui Pearl, so there was something wrong with refining it."

"Although it has been refined more than halfway, it is still unable to completely conceal the aura of the Female Yuan Hui Pearl."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Hu Meier's eyes.

Bai Ze once said that the Female Primordial Wisdom Pearl becomes increasingly difficult to refine over time.

It took several years to refine only half of it, and who knows when it will be completely refined.

Now her daughter has been born. This is her and Shen Wenyan's child, a human with demon blood.

She didn't want her daughter to grow up in the mountains like a wild animal; she wanted her to grow up among humans and have a complete childhood.

Shen Wenyan seemed to realize this as well, and looked at the cave where he was staying with a face full of apology.

"Please wait a little longer, my wife. I will try to modify the refining method left by Grandpa Bai Ze, which may be able to conceal the aura of the Female Yuan Hui Pearl."

Hu Meier nodded slightly, then gently took Shen Wenyan's hand.

……

Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Yuanzheng was refining the white jade tortoise shell little by little.

Suddenly, he noticed a trace of spiritual energy emanating from the white jade tortoise shell.

Although this wisp of spiritual energy did not condense into a hexagram, it gave him a relatively clear message.

The Shen family's prodigy has been born!
Sensing this information, he was certain that the prodigy of the Shen family was definitely the child of the second son, Shen Wenyan, in Danzhou.

After more than half a year of refining, Shen Yuan now has some basic control over the white jade tortoise shell.

The biggest change is the ability to control the display of divination symbols on the white jade tortoise shell.

In the past, the white jade tortoise shell would reveal a new hexagram every day after midnight, and most of these hexagrams contained useless information and were quite worthless.

However, as he gradually refined it using the Great Evolution Dao, he was able to stop the white jade tortoise shell from displaying divination symbols every day.

Instead, it transforms the ability to refresh the hexagram into a kind of spiritual essence stored in the tortoise shell. When divination is needed, the stored spiritual essence is consumed to obtain a slightly more accurate hexagram.

For example, the prophecy he left for Shen Chongming a few days ago was deduced by him after consuming nearly two months' worth of stored spiritual energy.

Although the prophecy is rather vague, it is at least a hexagram related to Qixian Mountain.

Before refining tortoise shells, obtaining such a prophecy would have required sacrificing countless years of one's lifespan to deduce it.

Suppressing his joy, Shen Yuan's mind stirred slightly, and the white jade tortoise shell in his sea of ​​consciousness instantly emitted a faint spiritual light, which then quickly dimmed.

A moment later, the character "女" (woman) appeared above the tortoise shell.

Upon seeing this word, Shen Yuan smiled slightly.

"It's a granddaughter..."

He originally had four grandsons, one grandson-in-law, and one granddaughter. Now, Shen Wenyan's branch has added a girl, making him two granddaughters.

"My granddaughter is wonderful, my granddaughter is wonderful too."

With a smile, Shen Yuan stood up and strolled from the Blackwater Pavilion to the floating bridge outside.

Gazing at the shimmering water, he pondered for a moment, then walked towards the manor with his hands behind his back.

……

"You mean, that brat Anu took a concubine in Danzhou?" Hu Yufen asked, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She knew her son well; he had never intended to get married.

He only agreed to marry Zhao Xuan because his mother forced him to.

He thought that getting married and having children would make him more restrained, but in the end, he still hurt Zhao Xuan.

Now that Shen Yuan says he has taken a concubine in Danzhou, Hu Yufen doesn't believe it at all.

"That's the world of immortals. He's all alone, with no relatives or friends. It's not easy for him to even survive. How could he possibly have the ability to take a concubine?"

A hint of worry rose in Hu Yufen's eyes, and her voice choked with emotion, as if her husband was comforting her.

Shen Yuan gently pulled her into his arms and said, "I didn't lie to you this time. I even calculated that he already has a daughter."

"You've gained another granddaughter." Upon hearing this, Hu Yufen struggled free from his embrace, wiped away her tears, and glared at him, saying, "You're getting more and more outrageous."

"Since you're so capable, why don't you calculate when that little bastard will be back?"

Shen Yuan's expression stiffened upon hearing this.

He had indeed tried to calculate this matter, but unfortunately, he didn't get an answer.

"Don't worry, that little bastard is lucky and will be back."

Shen Yuan pulled his wife into his arms again and said in a deep voice.

The scene of Shen Wenyan and a woman being carried away by the female Yuan Huizhu and flying towards the depths of Qishan that night flashed before his eyes.

Elder Luo of Luoxia Mountain once said that the Female Yuan Hui Pearl is formed from the combined cultivation of the Bai Ze auspicious beast and can bring great fortune to cultivators.

Since their son and the woman were taken away by Yin Yuan Huizhu, they should be able to absorb some of Yin Yuan Huizhu's good fortune, turn danger into safety, and return safely to Yangnao Land.

"I wonder what name that brat gave his precious granddaughter..."

Shen Yuan thought to himself.

……

Sanshan County, Qixian Mountain.

The name Sanshan County comes from the three huge mountain ranges that run through the county.

Qixian Mountain is one of the "Three Mountains". It stretches for more than a thousand miles and is full of strange rocks and peaks with beautiful scenery.

The reason for the name "Seven Sages" is because there is a legend that long ago, seven sages lived in seclusion in the mountains, hence the name.

Now that a secret realm has appeared on Seven Sages Mountain, some people have linked the secret realm to the seven sages.

However, those who were interested searched through the county annals but could not find out which period these so-called "Seven Sages" came from.

It seems that the seven people only exist in legends, or perhaps the legends about the Seven Sages are so ancient that they are not recorded in the county annals.

The mountains and forests, once secluded and rarely visited by people, are now crowded with people.

"Everyone, if you want to go, prepare spirit crystals or spirit rice in advance!"

"Don't even think about getting away with it. If you're discovered, don't blame the One Qi Sect for being ruthless!"

Between the two towering cliffs, all the cultivators who had come from all over Yangnao Land were stuck on the winding mountain road.

Ahead were numerous disciples of the Qi Sect, who were on high alert.

To make this toll-collecting business possible, the Yi Qi Sect went to great lengths, hastily setting up formations on all roads leading to the secret realm and dispatching disciples to patrol and defend them, leaving only this one passage untouched and setting up a checkpoint to collect fees.

Those cultivators who have come from afar who want to enter this place can only obediently offer spirit crystals or spirit rice.

If anyone tries to force their way in, they'll have to ask the elder of the Qi Cultivation stage of the One Qi Sect who's sitting cross-legged on the left cliff if he'll agree.

The aristocratic families and independent cultivators naturally dared not disobey the immortal sect's wishes.

Although other immortal sects could continue to join forces to coerce them, the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm was, after all, located in the Three Mountains Prefecture controlled by the One Qi Sect. They had already forced the One Qi Sect to open the secret realm.

Now that they're only charging a reasonable entrance fee, the major immortal sects can't continue to pressure them, because if things escalate to a point of mutual destruction, it won't be good for anyone.

In any case, for the disciples of the Immortal Sect, the ticket price of this spirit crystal fragment is still acceptable.

Unless you're extremely unlucky, you can earn back your ticket price by making some progress in the secret realm.

"Brother, it's our turn."

In the winding queue, Chen Youran and Shen Chongming followed the queue slowly, and soon it was their turn.

The disciple from the One Qi Sect in front of them glanced at the two of them and slowly reached out his hand.

Shen Chongming hurriedly took out a spirit crystal fragment from his pocket, and then reluctantly handed over a small cloth bag.

The disciple of the One Qi Sect took the spirit crystal fragment, weighed the spirit rice in the bag, and then let the two pass without saying anything more.

After passing the toll gate, the two continued forward with the main group and soon arrived at the so-called entrance to the secret realm.

"It's actually a cliff?"

Shen Chongming was quite surprised to see that the so-called entrance to the secret realm was actually a bottomless cliff.

"Tch, country bumpkin..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a mocking voice came from the side.

Shen Chongming turned around and saw that the speaker was a fair-skinned young man dressed in moon-white brocade robes and holding a long sword.

The young man's gold-embroidered belt had a white jade pendant hanging from the left side, and an exquisite brocade pouch on the right, emanating a faint spiritual energy fluctuation.

Storage bags?
Shen Chongming was slightly taken aback, then his expression turned strange.

He could sense that the young man in front of him was only slightly stronger than himself, probably around the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.

However, his spiritual energy was weak and his aura was not as solid and heavy as that of a normal cultivator at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining. It was obvious that he had relied on pills and spirit crystals to achieve his level.

Seeing that Shen Chongming had spotted his storage bag, the young man straightened his posture even more arrogantly.

Little did he know that his actions had already attracted several discreet glances from the side.

Shen Chongming turned around and ignored the man.

With a Qi Refining level of seven or eight, a weak and unstable aura, and carrying a storage bag, this person is most likely a descendant of a powerful figure from some immortal sect.

However, the person's clothing was clearly not the standard attire of a disciple of an immortal sect, and he couldn't tell which immortal sect the person belonged to.

"Brother, shall we go in?"

Chen Youran spoke in a low voice.

Shen Chongming looked around and shook his head slightly: "Wait a little longer."

Before coming here, Shen Wenxing, the father, had secretly notified several immortal sects that were on good terms with the Shen family, such as the Vajra Sect and the Heavenly Talisman Sect, and told them to do their best to help if they encountered the two of them asking for help in the secret realm.

Shen Chongming was not so arrogant as to think he didn't need anyone else's help.

He is now waiting to see if any disciples from the immortal sects will arrive.

This time, it's not about revealing your identity to the disciples of the Immortal Sect before entering the secret realm and going in with them.

They were just thinking that once a few disciples from the immortal sects went in, the two of them could go in without worry, so that if they encountered any danger, they would have someone to ask for help.

"Get out of the way!"

"If you're going to come in, then come in quickly; if you're not going in, then don't block the way!"

The two were standing at the edge of the cliff waiting when a shout came from not far behind them.

The many independent cultivators standing at the edge of the cliff suddenly became somewhat agitated and quickly made way for each other.

"It's cultivators from Qiyun Valley and the Liu family again..."

Upon seeing the group of people rushing over, Chen Youran frowned slightly and murmured.

Shen Chongming also felt that the Liu family's behavior of abusing their power was going too far.

However, the dozen or so disciples from Qiyun Valley did not seem to intend to stop them.

Although immortal sects should maintain their dignity, Qiyun Valley's indulgence of the Liu family cultivators will inevitably cause some rogue cultivators to harbor resentment.

"Let's step back a bit."

Shen Chongming said something in a low voice, and immediately pulled Chen Youran back a few steps to make way for her.

A group of disciples from Qiyun Valley and cultivators from the Liu family arrived at the edge of the cliff. Among them, the female disciple who had stopped the Liu family cultivators from making things difficult for Shen Chongming at the teahouse glanced at the churning clouds in front of her, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

But after only a few breaths, a trace of pain appeared on the female cultivator's face, and then her spiritual energy became restless, and her body trembled.

Bang!
In a flash, a thin young man beside him flicked his finger!
A burst of spiritual energy exploded in the void in front of him, creating ripples of spiritual energy.

Wow!
The female cultivator immediately blushed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and her aura weakened considerably.

"Junior Sister Wang was reckless."

"This formation can suppress the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul Realm. It is set up with great ingenuity. How could our meager cultivation be possibly glimpsed?"

The female cultivator hurriedly wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, took out a pill from her bosom and swallowed it, then cupped her hands towards the thin young man: "Senior Brother Huang Ting is right, Junior Sister was careless."

The young man nodded slightly, smiled gently, and looked at everyone, saying, "This secret realm is far more complex than we imagine. Fellow junior brothers and sisters, you must put away your contempt, lest you end up losing your life instead of gaining any opportunities."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples of Qiyun Valley nodded in agreement with serious expressions.

"Let's go in."

Led by the thin young man Huang Ting, the disciples of Qiyun Valley and the Liu family cultivators headed towards the sea of ​​clouds at the cliff.

In an instant, the thirty-odd people vanished from everyone's sight.

“Huang Ting…” Shen Chongming murmured softly, then realized why the name sounded so familiar.

He had heard his third uncle, Shen Wen'an, mention the chief disciple of Yinyun Academy in Qiyun Valley.

Not long after the disciples of Qiyun Valley entered, another group of cultivators came from the foot of the mountain in the distance.

"It's someone from the Vajra Sect!"

Some rogue cultivators saw the group of cultivators with overflowing qi and emanating a faint aura of killing intent approaching and immediately gasped in surprise!

"coming……"

Upon noticing the arrival of the Vajra Sect disciples, Shen Chongming's face lit up with a hint of joy.

Of the major immortal sects that are on good terms with the Shen family, he most hopes to encounter the Vajra Sect and the Heavenly Talisman Sect.

This is because the disciples of these two great immortal sects have a significant advantage once they enter the secret realm.

He had experienced firsthand how powerful a body cultivator at the Qi Refining Realm was through his father.

The abnormality of the disciples of the Heavenly Talisman Sect goes without saying.

The kind of death where one is overwhelmed by talismans and can't even fight back must be incredibly frustrating.

Without anyone shouting, all the independent cultivators spontaneously made way for them.

When the Vajra Sect members arrived at the cliff, someone suspiciously reached out and extended their hand over the edge, only to find that their hand passed through an invisible barrier and mysteriously disappeared.

Then I pulled my hand back, and my palm reappeared, which I found quite amusing.

Two of the young men, both as strong as oxen, were having a great time.

Bang!
Bang!
A stern-looking young man arrived shortly after. Upon seeing the two men's actions, he immediately turned grim and kicked them both in the buttocks twice!
The two were kicked inside.

"Disgraceful thing..."

The aloof young man muttered something to himself, then waved his hand and said, "Go inside, all of you."

The disciples of the Vajra Sect followed him toward the sea of ​​clouds.

After all the Vajra Sect disciples disappeared, the group of rogue cultivators looked at each other, clearly none of them intending to follow them in now.

Not long ago, I entered Qiyun Valley.

Now, the Vajra Gate has been entered again.

They didn't want to go in now. What if they found something good inside and encountered disciples from the two great immortal sects? Wouldn't that be a disaster?
While the group of independent cultivators were watching, Shen Chongming and Chen Youran slowly walked out from the crowd.

Under the watchful eyes of the group of independent cultivators, the two figures walked towards the cliffside sea of ​​clouds and disappeared from sight in an instant.

"so amazing!"

Their bodies passed through an invisible barrier, and the scenery before them changed drastically, as if they had entered another space.

Before me lay a valley, with distant mountains rising one after another, adorned with auspicious clouds. Several peaks soared into the clouds, their height unknown, while a few cranes soared freely over the mountains, flying among the clouds and mountains.

A waterfall hangs on a distant mountain peak, and at first glance, it looks like the waters of the Milky Way flowing down.

Amidst the misty air, one can vaguely see pavilions and towers built against the mountainside.

With its carved beams and painted rafters, and upturned eaves, it blends seamlessly into the landscape without appearing out of place.

A gentle breeze carries the clear, melodious sound of a copper bell from somewhere; listening to it for a moment can calm the mind.

Chen Youran slowly closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze caress her cheeks with a look of enjoyment.

"Brother, I'd be willing to die here."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming chuckled and tapped her head: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Let's go for a walk."

The two left the grassy area in front of them and headed towards the distant mountain peaks.

This secret realm is vast. If there are any real benefits, they will likely be found within those buildings. Aside from that, the outer areas will probably only offer some rare spiritual herbs and fruits.

"Brother, where have all the disciples from the immortal sects gone?"

The two walked for a long time, but did not see the disciples of Qiyun Valley and Vajra Sect who had entered earlier.

It's really strange that we couldn't even find any traces of their footsteps.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Chongming said, "The array at the entrance to the secret realm probably also possesses a random teleportation ability."

"We and the Vajra Sect seem to have entered one after the other, not long apart, but we shouldn't be in the same direction of the secret realm."

Chen Youran asked in surprise, "There are such magical formations?"

Shen Chongming nodded: "The Dao of Formations is full of wonders. After you go back, you should learn more about some of the various arts of cultivation."

"At least if I encounter this situation in the future, I won't be completely clueless."

Chen Youran nodded, then looked at the pavilions and towers in the distant mountains and said, "Do you think those immortals might just fly there on the wind?"

fly?
Shen Chongming smiled and shook his head, saying, "Although I don't understand formations, I can guess that if someone tries to fly over there, something bad will definitely happen."

"Let's just go honestly."

The two had not gone far when a flash of light appeared where they had been before, revealing several figures.

After several figures appeared, one of them, a thin, elderly man in his sixties, immediately said, "Don't move."

Upon hearing this, the remaining four people obediently stood still in place.

The elderly man looked down and glanced around. He then noticed that some wild grass on the grass not far ahead had been trampled. His expression changed slightly, and he cursed angrily.

"Damn!"

"I was unlucky this time; I ran into someone else."

Upon hearing this, the remaining four were somewhat suspicious.

One of the middle-aged women frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that, Brother Chen?"

"So many people have just entered this secret realm, isn't it normal to encounter other people?"

The elderly man, with a stern face, said, "I've been here three times already, so I've figured out some of the patterns of this secret realm."

"The array at the entrance will randomly place those who enter into different locations within the secret realm."

"The last time I came in, I was thrown to the foot of that mountain by the formation. I thought I was going to have a great stroke of luck, but who would have thought that there were deadly moves at every step of that mountain? The two defensive magic artifacts that I managed to get the first time I came in were destroyed there."

The four of them suddenly understood and were filled with emotion, marveling at the wonder of the array formation.

"Senior Chen, are we unlucky enough to run into disciples of a celestial sect?"

Of the remaining four, a chubby young man spoke with a mournful face.

The elderly man walked slowly to the trampled grass and carefully looked around, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"It's really hard to say whether this was good luck or bad luck."

"We ran into a two-person squad."

Upon hearing that there were only two people on the other side, the remaining four people immediately showed joy on their faces.

"Don't be too happy yet. Since the other party dared to come in with two people, they must be quite strong."

"We need to figure out their strength first, so we don't run into a tough opponent."

The elderly man, in his sixties, spoke in a deep voice.

"Should we catch up with them first and find out their background, or go elsewhere to look for opportunities?"

The nun who had spoken earlier spoke up.

The elderly man surnamed Chen frowned and hesitated for a long time before saying, "We should first figure out the danger, so that the opportunity we have painstakingly gathered will not be handed over to others."

The four of them agreed that it made sense, and immediately followed the old man surnamed Chen, groping their way into the distance along the tracks on the grass.

More than ten miles away, Chen Youran was forming hand seals and casting streams of cyan energy at the trees and vegetation around her.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming, who was standing beside him, smiled slightly and said, "It's not worth wasting spiritual energy like this."

Chen Youran shook his head and said, "The wood-attribute spiritual energy here is very rich. In just one breath, it is no less than when I meditate outside."

"The 'Rejuvenation of Dead Trees' technique allows me to briefly establish a connection with these plants, so if there's any disturbance around, I can anticipate it... um?"

Before Chen Youran could finish speaking, she suddenly turned around and looked back at the jungle behind her.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming also composed himself and quietly looked over.

"Brother, someone has caught up with us by following the way we came."

Chen Youran spoke in a deep voice.

Her vision and spiritual sense did not see or sense anyone else arriving. The reason she discovered someone was following her was because she would casually cast a "Rejuvenation of Withered Trees" spell along the way.

This time, she sensed that someone behind her had activated her magic and followed her.

Shen Chongming squinted and pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't show it yet. Try to figure out what the other party is planning to do."

The main purpose of coming to this secret realm is to seek opportunities, and it would be best to avoid conflict with others.

He looked around and suddenly noticed a huge ancient tree beside the stream ahead. He immediately winked at Chen Youran.

Chen Youran understood immediately, reached out and summoned a gentle breeze to envelop her body, then flew close to the ground towards the canopy of the ancient tree.

Shen Chongming walked a distance towards the stream until he reached its edge, then summoned a gentle breeze that flew into the grove of ancient trees.

Then, he grabbed Chen Youran's hand, took out an invisibility talisman from his storage bag, and slapped it on his body, instantly making their figures appear illusory.

About fifteen minutes later, five figures crept furtively into the distance from the jungle.

These people were unaware that they had been exposed, and were only focused on looking down for traces left by Shen Chongming and his group, tracking them all the way.

"Strange, where did it go?"

The five chased after the stream. The old man surnamed Chen muttered something as he looked at the disappearing traces and then cautiously glanced around.

"Brother Chen, maybe we should just forget about it."

"Since these two are acting alone, they are most likely not disciples of the Immortal Sect or disciples of a major family under the Immortal Sect's jurisdiction."

"Otherwise, they would definitely have followed the disciples of the Immortal Sect."

"There's no need for us to waste time searching now. We can deal with it when we encounter it. If its strength is inferior to ours, we can simply accept this gift from heaven."

"If you are no match for them, just stay far away," the middle-aged female cultivator said.

The remaining three nodded in agreement.

The elderly man surnamed Chen stood at the edge of the stream, pondered for a moment, and nodded slightly: "Alright, let's go."

The group of five did not cross the stream to continue the pursuit, but instead followed the stream upstream.

Once she was sure the group had gone far away, Chen Youran asked in a low voice, "Brother, what are their cultivation levels?"

Shen Chongming narrowed his eyes and said, "Two of them are at the fifth level of Qi Refining, two are at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and the old man should be at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining."

"That old man's qi and blood were clearly stronger than those of a normal immortal cultivator, and he was very likely a pre-celestial martial artist before the descent of an immortal."

"They went upstream, we're going downstream."

After jumping down from the ancient tree, Shen Chongming spoke in a deep voice.

The five-person team from earlier was not so easy to deal with, and judging from the fact that they followed the trail left by the two, they were clearly not to be trifled with.

It's best to avoid it.

(End of this chapter)