Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 184 The True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms' Cycle of Heavenly Revolution

The fact that Lord He and his war beast, the Golden Flame Mountain Lord, risked their lives to come here proves that the thing must be nearby.

The four of them split up, and after searching for a while, Wei Qiuling discovered a place shrouded in an illusion array.

After beckoning the group over, Gong Cheng approached and examined them closely, his expression somewhat grave.

"This illusion array is easy to break, but there is a high-level array hidden within it. My meager array cultivation is no match for it."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao frowned and asked, "What kind of high-level formation is it?"

After carefully sensing it, Gong Cheng said with some uncertainty, "It seems to be an ancient Kui Shui Lei Sha Formation. If one accidentally enters it, even a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage will not escape death."

The group fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, Wei Qiuling said, "Beast Mountain must have a way to use the Sunflower Water Thunder Fiend Formation, otherwise Lord He would not have rushed here."

Gong Cheng nodded: "That's natural, but the problem right now is that we don't know how to open this formation. Entering rashly could be dangerous."

"No rush." ​​Luo Yao said with a faint smile, "Uncle Jiang should be coming out of seclusion soon. Back then, he was a master of array formations who was on par with Ji Yan of Qiyun Valley."

"Once he has finished examining the Shen family's child's physique in Yangnao, he will be asked to come here."

"Let's leave it here for now and go take over He County."

The group nodded and immediately returned to the location where the disciples of Luoxia Mountain were.

After counting the casualties, they flew directly towards He County.

Upon arriving in He County, the disciples of Luoxia Mountain conducted a brief headcount and then, with grim expressions, led a rogue cultivator from He County to Wei Qiuling and the others.

"Senior sister, the spirit rice harvested in He County this year has been stolen."

Wei Qiuling frowned upon hearing this.

No sooner had Hundred Beasts Mountain fallen than they arrived in Crane County.

Even if they knew that Hundred Beast Mountain had been defeated, the rogue cultivators of Crane County probably wouldn't dare to steal the spirit rice from Hundred Beast Mountain.

"Tell me everything you know!"

The disciple from Luoxia Mountain looked at the rogue cultivator in front of him, who was at the second level of Qi Refining, and scolded him.

The old man trembled with fright and immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Immortal Master, please forgive me. It was the immortals from Qiyun Valley who came and stole the spirit rice."

Qiyun Valley!?

Wei Qiuling's expression turned somewhat unpleasant upon hearing this.

"When did they steal the Spirit Rice?"

The old rogue cultivator recalled for a moment and said, "It has been about two hours."

"The group of seven killed the two immortals who were left behind at Hundred Beasts Mountain, looted the immortals' mansion, and then left."

Wei Qiuling said with a gloomy face, "Are you sure they are from Qiyun Valley?"

The old rogue cultivator cupped his hands again and said with great certainty, "I once followed the immortals of Hundred Beasts Mountain to Phoenix Immortal County to seize spiritual fields and spiritual rice, so I am familiar with the clothing of Qiyun Valley."

Upon hearing this, the disciple from Luoxia Mountain angrily exclaimed, "Senior Sister, Qiyun Valley is utterly despicable!"

"We were fighting to the death in front, but they took the opportunity to come and loot all the good stuff!"

Wei Qiuling did not speak.

There aren't many spirit fields in He County, and the amount of spirit rice produced in a season is estimated to be only about two thousand catties.

Although the amount of spirit rice was not much, Qiyun Valley's actions were somewhat disgusting.

The disciples of Luoxia Mountain are fighting for their lives in front of you, while your Qiyun Valley is quietly coming over and taking the spoils?

"Li Heshan... what exactly do you want?"

Wei Qiuling murmured something and waved for her disciple to take the rogue cultivator away.

"Qiu Ling, what happened?"

Luo Yao approached and, seeing Wei Qiuling's pale face, asked.

Wei Qiuling shook her head and did not reveal what Qiyun Valley had done.

She planned to ask Li Heshan about this matter herself.

Seeing this, Luo Yao didn't press further. Instead, she said, "There's nothing serious here. Your Uncle Gong and I will head back first. You and Wen An can handle the rest."

Wei Qiuling nodded and watched the two leave.

"Let's go to Fengxian County."

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Qiuling looked at Shen Wen'an and spoke.

Now that He County has fallen into the hands of Luoxia Mountain, going to Fengxian County is also necessary to inform Li Heshan and agree on the border issue to avoid future friction.

In addition, she also wanted to ask Li Heshan about stealing the spirit rice in person.

They found a Qi Refining Level 9 disciple from Luoxia Mountain and had him temporarily take charge of the takeover of He County. Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an then headed directly to Fengxian County.

……

"As expected, Junior Sister Wei is as decisive and efficient as ever."

In the courtyard, the three sat around the pavilion.

When Li Heshan heard Wei Qiuling say that Luoxia Mountain had taken over He County, he smiled and spoke.

Wei Qiuling glanced at him, a hint of suspicion rising in her heart, before she smiled faintly and said, "Qiyun Valley has also reaped a great harvest this time."

Li Heshan had just picked up his teacup when he heard this and paused slightly, asking, "What do you mean by that, Junior Sister Wei?"

Wei Qiuling continued, "The spirit fields in He County can produce about two thousand catties of spirit rice per season. Although it is not much, it is equivalent to the cultivation resources of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator for two years."

"Senior Brother Heshan, is Qiuling right?"

Li Heshan frowned and put the teacup back down.

He had already realized something, and immediately looked at a Qiyun Valley disciple not far away and said, "Go and ask which disciples left the county city today, and have them come to see me."

The disciple cupped his hands in greeting and left.

Li Heshan glanced at Shen Wen'an, then at Wei Qiuling, and said, "Junior Sister Wei and Junior Brother Wen'an should know my character."

"There must be some misunderstanding. Please wait a moment while I investigate and give you an explanation."

Wei Qiuling nodded.

She also felt that Li Heshan wouldn't do such a thing, which is why she didn't tell Luo Yao, but instead chose to bring Shen Wen'an over to ask him in person.

A moment later, seven disciples from Qiyun Valley arrived in the courtyard.

Upon seeing Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an, a hint of panic flashed in the eyes of the seven people.

"Big brother."

The seven men stood in a row and bowed to Li Heshan.

Li Heshan looked at them calmly and asked, "Did the seven of you go to He County today?"

Seeing that he asked this question right away, the seven people felt a little guilty and dared not answer.

After a moment, the lean Qiyun Valley disciple looked up and smiled, "Senior Brother, we..."

"Think it through before you speak. Now that Fairy Wei from Luoxia Mountain has arrived, you should know why."

Li Heshan interrupted him.

Some things, once done, are done; if you dare to do them, you must dare to admit them.

If you do something but don't dare to admit it and even try to argue your way out of it, that's even more shameful.

The group looked grim and secretly glanced at Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an.

Seeing this, Li Heshan was certain of the seven people's actions, and he sighed slightly before speaking:

"You seven, bring out everything you stole."

"Then immediately return to the sect and go to the Enforcement Hall to receive your punishment."

As soon as he finished speaking, the skinny man from before immediately became unhappy.

"Why?"

"Those things were all stolen from Hundred Beast Mountain!"

"that is……"

"We also took a huge risk; even Junior Brother Qu was injured..."

Beside the lean man, the others whispered amongst themselves, clearly unwilling to part with what they had already obtained.

That's over two thousand catties of spirit rice, plus some spirit crystal fragments, spirit herbs, and spirit ores, etc.

After the seven people divided the money equally, each person received a considerable amount, enough to cover their cultivation expenses for ten years or so.

A flash of anger crossed Li Heshan's face, and he was about to speak.

The lean man added, "Senior Brother, if we're going to hand over anything, we'll only do so to the sect!"

"We'll accept any punishment the Enforcement Hall imposes!"

"That's right! If we violate the sect rules, the Enforcement Hall can punish us however they wish!"

"Senior Brother's actions are far too humble. Qiyun Valley is not an affiliated sect of Luoxia Mountain..."

As the group chatted back and forth, Li Heshan's face turned green with anger.

He stood up angrily, exuding a sharp aura.

"Brother Heshan."

Seeing this, Wei Qiuling sighed inwardly and stood up, saying, "Never mind."

Li Heshan turned to look at the two of them, his eyes filled with apology, while a sense of helplessness rose in his heart.

"Junior Sister Wei, Junior Brother Wen'an, He Shan will investigate the extent of the losses later and compensate you both."

"Please excuse my poor appearance."

Wei Qiuling waved her hand: "It's alright, Senior Brother Heshan, please go ahead with your business. We'll take our leave."

After bowing, the two left the courtyard.

As Li Heshan turned around, watching their retreating figures, he caught a glimpse of the smug looks that flashed across the faces of his fellow disciples, and felt a sudden sense of powerlessness.

He chuckled and shook his head, saying nothing more, before turning and walking towards the room behind him.

Seeing him leave, the group no longer concealed their surprise and delight.

They happily left the courtyard to divide the spoils.

……

The minor incident did not affect Luoxia Mountain's acceptance of He County.

The He family in Yunzhong suffered heavy losses due to the previous attack by the Suihuo Sect and has yet to recover.

Naturally, they couldn't spare many people to manage Crane County for Luoxia Mountain.

After careful consideration, Wei Qiuling found a family in He County, the Mu family, who were considered to be of decent strength, to temporarily manage the affairs of the family.

The Mu family is said to be descendants of the Great Witch of the Western Wilderness. Although the family population is not large, the number of cultivators is no less than that of the Shen family.

The patriarch Mu Changhe, whose cultivation level is the highest, has already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. He has always worked diligently for Hundred Beasts Mountain.

However, Hundred Beasts Mountain did not grant the Mu family a formal title, and the Mu family did not receive much better treatment than other aristocratic families.

Now that Luoxia Mountain has occupied He County, the Mu family has come to offer their services and express their loyalty.

After having someone secretly investigate, Wei Qiuling found that the Mu family was of decent character and reputation, so she temporarily handed over He County to them.

Not long after the two returned to the Shen family from He County, a flying shuttle appeared in the sky above the Shen family.

The Shen family members had received advance notice and came out of their residence to greet him at the gate.

The shuttle dimmed its light, and an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a white linen robe, appeared smiling in front of the Shen family manor.

Upon seeing this, Wei Qiuling immediately went forward and bowed respectfully.

"Qiuling pays respects to Master Jiang."

Jiang Xiuqi nodded with a smile and said, "Girl, it's been years since we last met, you've even started to breathe?"

Wei Qiuling nodded.

Shen Yuan and the others also came up behind them.

Wei Qiuling quickly introduced the two parties.

When he introduced Shen Wen'an, Jiang Xiuqi glanced at him a couple more times with his bright eyes.

"Not bad, she's a good match for Qiu Ling."

After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Yuan personally led Jiang Xiuqi to a private room for tea.

Where is that little baby you were talking about?

After taking a sip of tea, Jiang Xiuqi spoke directly.

Shen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting: "Please wait a moment, senior."

As he spoke, he gestured for Shen Wenxing to bring the little girl Shen Li to the side room.

Shen Wenxing bowed and left, and a moment later he carried a pink-cheeked little girl into the room.

Jiang Xiuqi glanced at Shen Li, his eyes suddenly widening in surprise. He then disregarded his composure, stood up, and came over to examine her closely.

Shen Li looked at the strange old man in front of her with her big eyes full of curiosity, and then timidly hid behind Shen Wenxing's neck.

"Good girl, let Grandpa take a look at you," Shen Wenxing said with a smile, trying to comfort her.

After looking him over, Jiang Xiuqi frowned and muttered something under his breath.

"Little brat, let this old man see your hands..."

Shen Li glanced at Shen Wenxing timidly, hesitated for a moment, and then stretched out her chubby little hand.

Jiang Xiuqi grasped her hand and slowly channeled spiritual energy into her body. Before long, the expression on her face suddenly changed.

"It really is an innate spiritual body!"

Slowly releasing Shen Li's small hand, Jiang Xiuqi murmured in disbelief.

Behind her, Wei Qiuling was also somewhat surprised when she heard these words.

"Master, you're saying that Li'er has an innate spiritual body!?"

She asked, somewhat incredulously.

Jiang Xiuqi glanced at Shen Li again, then stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Among all living things, there are always some that are favored by Heaven."

"The innate spiritual body is also a type of special constitution, and the innate Dao body is another type of special constitution."

"Whether it is an innate spiritual body or an innate Dao body, they are all the darlings of the heavens, born to be seedlings of cultivation."

"but……"

As Jiang Xiuqi spoke, he suddenly shook his head with a hint of regret.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wenxing hurriedly asked, "Senior, is there something wrong with Li'er's health?"

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head slightly: "Don't be nervous. There's nothing wrong with this child's innate spiritual body. What I regret is that there probably isn't a suitable cultivation method for this child in the entire Danzhou."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wei Qiuling pondered for a moment and then asked, "Does Master know what kind of cultivation method Li'er needs?"

Jiang Xiuqi didn't speak, but slowly extended his finger and touched Shen Li's brow.

As its spiritual power spread out, an ancient and boundless aura suddenly emanated from Shen Li's fair and delicate brow!

Then, a strange rune flashed and disappeared between his eyebrows!
This scene came quickly and disappeared just as fast.

Wei Qiuling looked at Shen Li in astonishment and murmured, "That was just now..."

“It’s the aura of a witch.” Jiang Xiuqi sighed and said, “Most cultivators in Danzhou’s cultivation world focus on immortality and physical cultivation.”

"I once had the good fortune to meet a sorcerer who traveled all the way to Danzhou. He said he came from the land of Dawan, west of Danzhou."

"The cultivation system in that land of Dawan is incredibly diverse, and witch cultivation is one of them."

"Although I have only known her for a little over a month, we get along very well. The witch doctor showed me some witch techniques, which were quite bizarre and unpredictable."

A trace of recollection appeared on Jiang Xiuqi's face as he continued to murmur:
"Witchcraft possesses all sorts of mysterious and unpredictable spells, which can silently steal a person's luck, or curse and kill a person from thousands of miles away."

"Besides incantations, they are also proficient in many other techniques such as divination, poison, and blessing."

Gu magic?

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling's expression changed slightly, and she said, "So, those evil cultivators of Blood Gu Mountain in the Western Regions of Danzhou also belong to the category of witchcraft cultivators?!"

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head slightly: "I also have this doubt, but that fellow Daoist said that witch cultivators are the cultivators closest to the gods. Those evil cultivators in Blood Gu Mountain only cultivate techniques and not the soul, so they cannot be considered witch cultivators."

At this point, Jiang Xiuqi sighed and gently teased Shen Li, saying, "That fellow Daoist said that some rogue cultivators among the witch cultivators came to Danzhou back then, but at that time, the powerful immortal sects in Danzhou, whether out of fear or for some other reason, labeled those witch cultivators as evil cultivators."

"Many powerful immortal sects united to besiege and kill those witch cultivators from the land of Dawan."

"The reason she traveled all the way here was not only to find the remains and relics of her ancestors, but also because she sensed the bloodline of her clan in Danzhou."

"More than a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I wonder if she has left Danzhou now."

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head with a sigh, clearly reminiscing about that old friend.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Shen Li struggled to get down from Shen Wenxing's arms, ran all the way to Shen Yuan, pried his hands off, and looked up, saying, "Grandpa, hug me."

Shen Yuan picked her up and pinched her cheek before looking at Jiang Xiuqi and saying, "Senior, does this mean that Li'er can't cultivate other immortal cultivation methods?"

Jiang Xiuqi snapped out of his daze for a moment and then chuckled, "I never said this child couldn't cultivate the path of immortality."

"As a naturally born spiritual body, she is close to the Dao of Heaven. Even if she cultivates the immortal cultivation method, she will not be weaker than some high-quality spiritual root possessors."

"But compared to the immortal cultivation method, the witch cultivation method is the most suitable for her."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Qiuling looked at him reproachfully and said, "Master, you almost scared us to death..."

"Qiu Ling thought that Li'er had a congenital spiritual body but couldn't even cultivate."

Jiang Xiuqi laughed heartily: "It's my fault, you've misunderstood."

"This child can first cultivate the immortal cultivation method. If there is an opportunity to obtain the witch cultivation method in the future, or if he goes to the Great Wan Land, he can try it again."

"alright."

"You've seen the person, and I heard from Luo Yao that you also discovered a Sunflower Water Thunder Array?"

Jiang Xiuqi had a very good temper and looked at Wei Qiuling with a smile.

"Yes, in He County."

"Can Master break that formation?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi immediately glared and smiled, "You little girl really thinks highly of me."

"The Sunflower Water Thunder Fiend Array can only be set up by a Golden Core Realm array master."

"Although my array formation skills are not weak, my cultivation level is not even at the pseudo-core stage. How can I break the Kui Water Thunder Fiend Array?"

Wei Qiuling pouted in disappointment after hearing this.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiuqi chuckled and said, "It's definitely impossible to break through, but letting you in shouldn't be a problem."

"Let's go, take me to have a look."

Wei Qiuling nodded and then cupped her hands towards Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing: "Father, elder brother, Wen'an and I will go to He County with Master."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and smiled, "Go ahead."

After watching the three leave, Shen Yuan handed Shen Li to Shen Wenxing and returned to Blackwater Pavilion alone.

After hesitating for a moment on the first floor, he went directly to the third floor and found an ancient book made of animal hide among the many antique shelves.

That was a gift from Xu Xiu when he returned from Danzhou to visit them.

It was said to be a gift from an outer disciple of Qiyun Valley, and he kept it for himself because he didn't find it useful.

The book records a large number of Gu techniques, talismanic arts, and strange things.

The contents of the ancient book were once identified by Shen Wenxing as heretical cultivation techniques.

He believed at the time that "there is no right or wrong in art," and he did some research on it in his spare time, but he couldn't figure it out.

For many years, this ancient book has been kept on a shelf.

Today, when he heard Jiang Xiuqi say that Shen Li's constitution was a kind of innate spiritual body related to witchcraft, he thought of this book.

Gently blowing away the dust from the book, Shen Yuan flipped through a few pages before taking it to the backyard of the manor.

In the newly built courtyard, Hu Meier was meditating cross-legged. Having lived with the Shen family for some time and watched Shen Li grow up day by day, the pain in her heart had gradually subsided.

Now he realizes that if his injuries continue to worsen, not only will he lose his human form, but he may also lose the immortal embryo within him, thus completely transforming into a mortal beast.

There was a knock on the courtyard gate. Hu Meier woke up from her cultivation and slowly walked to the gate to open it.

Seeing that it was Shen Yuan standing outside the door, she bowed slightly in greeting.

"father."

Shen Yuan put his hands behind his back, smiled and nodded, saying, "Just now, an elder from Luoxia Mountain examined Li'er's body."

"They say it's an innate spiritual body."

Upon hearing this, Hu Meier's face lit up with joy, and she said, "That's wonderful."

Shen Yuan handed over the ancient book in animal hide and said, "That senior said that Li'er's spirit is related to witchcraft, and there is no cultivation method in the entire Danzhou that matches her."

"I have an old book here that I came across by chance years ago. The contents of the book seem to be related to witchcraft."

Witchcraft?

Hu Meier frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Meier seems to have met Wu Xiu back then."

"However, that sorcerer wanted to capture Mei'er, but Grandpa Bai Ze chased him away."

"Oh?" Shen Yuan asked with some doubt, "So, there are witch doctors in Danzhou?"

Hu Meier shook her head slightly: "Meier doesn't know, the fact that the cultivator back then was a witch cultivator was only told to me later by Grandpa Bai Ze."

"Father wants Li'er to learn the things in this ancient book?"

When Hu Meier took the ancient book made of animal hide, she felt an unexpected sense of resistance.

It's unclear whether the animal hides used to make the ancient book made her uncomfortable, or if the ancient book contained some strange power.

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "Li'er is capable of cultivating immortal cultivation methods, but I think that since she is a spirit body of a witch cultivator, she should be able to learn about some things related to witch cultivation in advance."

"Otherwise, it would be a waste of this talent."

Hu Meier also thought this made sense, and immediately nodded and said, "Okay, then in two years, when Li'er is a little older, we'll let her try it."

"By the way, Father, I heard that Sister Xuan's health has almost recovered..."

Hu Meier looked over, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

During the years she spent with Shen Wenyan, she heard a lot about Zhao Xuan and her son.

This includes their meeting, marriage, and everything that followed.

Deep down, Hu Meier actually felt sorry for Zhao Xuan.

Although Shen Wenyan is no longer here, the two of them were still Shen Wenyan's people, like sisters, and she wanted to go see Zhao Xuan.

After pondering for a long time, Shen Yuan said, "Zhao Xuan's health has recovered somewhat, but whether she can withstand the blow of Anu's death is still unknown."

"However, now that she can get out of bed and walk, this matter probably can't be kept secret for long."

"You could go see her and talk things out; maybe that will help resolve her inner conflict."

Hu Meier nodded.

As Shen Yuan was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and said, "The rare and precious materials you brought back are still on the third floor of the Blackwater Pavilion."

"When you go back, pick some to take with you, just in case something unexpected happens, so you'll be prepared."

After passing on the Blackwater Pavilion's formation to Hu Meier, Shen Yuan left the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Unlike Hu Meier, Zhao Xuan did not have the support of powerful cultivation.

Although his body has recovered, he is still just a mortal, and his body is much weaker than that of an ordinary mortal.

What would happen if I heard later that the husband I had been longing for for eight or nine years was no longer here?

……

Crane County is located in the Hidden Dragon Mountain.

Three streaks of light suddenly flew rapidly from the distant horizon.

After the light landed, Wei Qiuling looked around and found the illusion array that had previously concealed the Kui Shui Lei Sha Grand Array.

"Master Jiang, this is it."

Jiang Xiuqi nodded, glanced at the illusion array, and then waved his hand to break it directly.

After the illusion array dissipated, the scene before us immediately changed.

"Huh!?"

Is it a cave dwelling?

As the jungle in front of her slowly disappeared, replaced by a partially collapsed, hidden cave, Wei Qiuling spoke.

Jiang Xiuqi glanced at the stone benches and table that were clearly carved by human hands at the entrance of the cave and said, "This must be the cave dwelling of a senior cultivator."

"As you said, He Yanhu risked his life to come here, which proves that there must be some good things in this cave that cannot be taken away."

At this point, a hint of expectation appeared in Jiang Xiuqi's eyes.

For over a hundred years, Hundred Beasts Mountain has plotted to take what's inside but failed. Now, they're risking their lives to destroy it.

He was very curious to see what would be inside the cave.

"You two step back a bit, let me take a look at this formation."

After getting Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an away from the area covered by the Kui Shui Lei Sha Formation, Jiang Xiuqi slowly began to emanate a large amount of spiritual energy.

These spiritual energies swirled around it, slowly combining into strange array runes.

Subsequently, these runes slowly infiltrated the Sunflower Water Thunder Array.

In the area shrouded by the Kui Shui Lei Sha Grand Array, wisps of dark lightning slowly appeared in the void, each lightning bolt carrying terrifying destructive power!

Jiang Xiuqi's expression was somewhat solemn as he focused all his attention on manipulating the array runes to navigate through the Kui Shui Lei Sha Grand Array.

"The art of formations is truly wondrous."

Not far away, Wei Qiuling couldn't help but speak up as she watched the scene unfold before her.

Shen Wen'an nodded: "My master once told me in his spare time that sword cultivators can also cultivate the way of formations. By combining the way of swordsmanship with the way of formations, one can achieve good results."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling's eyes brightened slightly, and she turned to look at him, saying, "Uncle Pei's idea seems quite good."

"A sword cultivator's flying sword is an excellent foundation for formations. If you can truly integrate formations into your swordsmanship and form a sword formation to fight, your strength will be able to improve even further."

Shen Wen'an nodded with a smile.

Wei Qiuling's statement has some basis, but he doesn't intend to focus on array formations at the moment.

At least not for now.

If I reach a bottleneck in my swordsmanship and find it difficult to advance further, I might choose to study array formations to gain insights and find new avenues for my swordsmanship.

"It's a pity that there aren't many secret manuals on array formations in Luoxia Mountain."

"In the entire Danzhou, Qiyun Valley has the most complete inheritance of formation techniques and the best mastery of formation techniques."

“I heard my master say that when Qiyun Valley was at its peak, its alchemy and array techniques were famous throughout Danzhou. The top-tier immortal sects and forces in Danzhou would often visit us politely, asking the cultivators of Qiyun Valley to help them refine pills and set up arrays.”

Shen Wen'an did not answer.

He had heard his senior brothers and sisters mention these things more than once when he was in Yinyun Academy.

Throughout Qiyun Valley, most people frequently reminisce about its past glories.

Many people also hope that Qiyun Valley can regain its former glory.

Unfortunately, most of the disciples of Qiyun Valley only thought that way in their hearts, but were unwilling to make any effort or sacrifice.

As the two chatted, Jiang Xiuqi had already mastered the Sunflower Water Thunder Array.

"You two come here."

Jiang Xiuqi called out, and the two of them immediately arrived at the edge of the formation.

"Master, can we go in now?" Wei Qiuling asked.

Jiang Xiuqi nodded and said, "It should be safe to go in, but I can't be sure."

"You two will follow behind me and pay close attention to my footsteps and movements."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling said, "Grandmaster, let me go first. You are the foundation of Luoxia Mountain. If anything happens to you, Qiuling will become a sinner of Luoxia Mountain."

The core spirit of Luoxia Mountain is that each generation of elders leaves only one person to guard the sect, while others leave the sect to explore the world once they have no hope of breaking through.

On one hand, it's about finding an opportunity for a breakthrough; on the other hand, it's about seeking benefits for the sect or eliminating potential enemies.

Of the disciples of Luoxia Mountain of Jiang Xiuqi's generation, he is now the only one left, and he is also the most powerful and influential figure in Luoxia Mountain.

Wei Qiuling dared not let him take the risk.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"If I were to send a junior to the front to explore dangers, all these years of my life would have been wasted."

"Alright, enough talk, stick close."

Jiang Xiuqi put away his smile, suddenly summoned a spiritual energy shield, and slowly walked towards the Kui Shui Lei Sha Formation.

The principles of formations conform to the rules of the Great Dao.

The Kui Water Thunder Fiend is a killing formation, and within a killing formation, there must be a gate of life.

Jiang Xiuqi had already located the approximate position of the Gate of Life, and was now proceeding along the route leading to it.

Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an also followed behind him, each supporting their own spiritual energy shield. Every step they took perfectly matched Jiang Xiuqi's steps, trying their best not to make any mistakes.

The three of them proceeded cautiously for about half an hour.

Jiang Xiuqi, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

With a slight smile on his face, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My skills in array formations have indeed improved considerably."

"Girl, no need to be careful, let's go."

Jiang Xiuqi turned around and glanced at Wei Qiuling, then spoke with a smile.

"Is it safe?"

Wei Qiuling asked with a question in her mind.

Jiang Xiuqi nodded, took a couple of steps to the left and right, but did not trigger the Kui Shui Lei Sha Formation.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an and Wei Qiuling behind them finally breathed a sigh of relief, and all three of them turned their gaze to the collapsed cave not far away.

Upon arriving at the cave entrance, Shen Wen'an was about to wave his hand to remove the pile of rocks when Jiang Xiuqi stopped him, saying, "Don't move rashly."

"These rocks are connected to the Sunflower Water Thunder Formation."

"If they hadn't suppressed some of the array's cores, this Sunflower Water Thunder Array wouldn't be so rigid."

Shen Wen'an was puzzled.

Jiang Xiuqi explained, "The life gates of high-level formations are generally alive and can change constantly with time and other factors."

"Some powerful cultivators can even confuse and hide the Gate of Life and Death, making it impossible for others to understand the specific situation."

"This is the terror of the Dao of Formations."

"The reason why the life gate of this Sunflower Water Thunder Fiend Formation is fixed is because its foundation is damaged; otherwise, the Hundred Beasts Mountain would not have been able to sneak in."

Shen Wen'an nodded and didn't dare to continue. The three of them squeezed into the cave through the gap next to the pile of rubble.

As the three entered the wide, dimly lit cave passage, a cracking sound came from beneath their feet.

Wei Qiuling glanced down and her brows furrowed instantly.

Why are there so many human bones here?

Upon hearing her words, Shen Wen'an and Jiang Xiuqi both looked down and glanced around.

But what they saw on the ground ahead were countless white bones scattered everywhere!
The sheer number of them has created a thick layer on the ground.

Jiang Xiuqi reached out and picked up a skull at his feet, examined it for a moment, and said, "These skeletons must have belonged to children who were less than ten years old when they were alive."

"And the time of death must have been only a few decades..."

Wei Qiuling pondered for a moment and said, "So, all these people were killed by Hundred Beasts Mountain?"

Why did they kill so many ordinary people?

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head slightly, glanced solemnly at the depths of the cave ahead, and said, "Be careful, everyone."

Although he didn't know why Hundred Beasts Mountain had slaughtered so many mortal children in this cave, he could tell that this act was somewhat sinister.

Jiang Xiuqi guessed that the things in this cave were probably not so simple.

The three continued onward, and inside the cave, they found some strange statues as well as some stone tables, stone benches, and other household items.

Upon seeing these things, none of the three had any intention of going forward to examine them.

The Hundred Beasts Mountain has been around for over a hundred years. They must have already looted everything of value. What good things could possibly be left for them?
The main purpose of the three's trip was to find the things that Hundred Beasts Mountain had not taken.

"Strange, this cave is only so big, and there doesn't seem to be anything special about it..."

The three of them circled the cave twice, but found nothing special except for some old earthenware pots and a few stone benches and tables.

Wei Qiuling asked with some confusion.

Jiang Xiuqi carefully examined every wall inside the cave but found no trace.

"Could it be that we guessed wrong?"

Shen Wen'an spoke.

This cave is only so big, and there's nothing special about it; it doesn't seem like there are any treasures or opportunities hidden inside.

"It shouldn't be like this..." Wei Qiuling continued her search, somewhat skeptical.

Lord He knew he was no match for the four, yet he rushed here desperately. She wouldn't believe it if you said there was nothing there.

The three continued to inspect the cave dwelling.

……

The Shen family of Heishuitan.

As Shen Yuan sat cross-legged on the first floor of the Blackwater Pavilion refining the white jade tortoise shell, a strange thought suddenly popped into his mind.

He slowly opened his eyes, carefully considering the thought that had just popped into his head, and then his mind stirred slightly.

A faint spiritual aura immediately emanated from the surface of the white jade tortoise shell in the sea of ​​consciousness.

These spiritual energies were quickly absorbed by the white jade tortoise shell after they appeared.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan felt a pang of heartache.

He had been saving these spiritual essences for almost half a year, and hadn't been willing to use them.

Now, just by trying to deduce a vague feeling from earlier, it has all been used up in an instant.

I hope I get something good.

The white jade tortoise shell absorbed the spiritual energy, and a line of divination symbols and prophecies slowly appeared on its surface.

[May the three sons be safe and sound, and may good fortune arrive during the Cold Dew season.]

Upon seeing this prophecy, Shen Yuan frowned deeply.

This seems to be a prophecy from a divination concerning Shen Wen'an, indicating good fortune during the Cold Dew season...

Does it refer to "Cold Dew" in the twenty-four solar terms?
Shen Yuan calculated the solar terms and found that there were only three days left until Cold Dew.

Shen Wen'an and Wei Qiuling had just followed Jiang Xiuqi from Luoxia Mountain to He County to see the Kui Shui Lei Sha Grand Array.

Could this auspicious divination be related to the Kui Water Thunder Formation?

After some hesitation, he picked up his pen and wrote down the prophecy, then had it sent to He County.

……

In the city of He County, Shen Wen'an and his two companions searched the cave for a long time but still found nothing. Helpless, they had no choice but to return to the city and have someone bring out everything left behind by Hundred Beast Mountain over the years for inspection.

Hopefully, we can find some clues from this.

Just as the three were busy, a disciple of the Shen family rushed to the county town.

Upon receiving the divination and prophecy written in Shen Yuan's own hand, the three were somewhat puzzled.

"Is Patriarch Shen well-versed in the Dao of Great Evolution?" Jiang Xiuqi asked, glancing at the prophecy.

Wei Qiuling nodded and said, "Father has some talent in the Great Evolution Path, but this prophecy..."

Jiang Xiuqi pondered for a moment and then said, "I guess this Cold Dew is the 'Cold Dew' in the twenty-four solar terms. Judging by the date, tomorrow is Cold Dew."

"Master means... that the treasures in the cave are related to the solar terms?"

"This seems rather absurd."

Jiang Xiuqi smiled faintly: "I don't know either, but since Patriarch Shen was able to give this divination and prophecy, it's worth a try."

"Let's go, let's head to that cave now."

After tidying up briefly, the three returned to their previous cave dwelling.

It was midnight, just past midnight.

The three people who were meditating cross-legged inside the cave were suddenly awakened by a strange fluctuation.

When the three opened their eyes, they discovered that a jade tablet emitting a faint glow had appeared in the center of the cave!
The jade tablet was less than ten feet tall, and its entire body was surrounded by a faint halo of light, as if it had grown out of the rocks on the ground!
The three approached, exchanged glances, and looked at the jade tablet that exuded a faint chill.

There's blood on it!

Wei Qiuling suddenly noticed a large amount of dried blood on the base of the jade tablet in front of her!
The bloodstains appeared to be corrosive, having eroded the portion of the jade tablet between it and the ground down to about one-tenth of its original size.

Jiang Xiuqi looked him over, and seemed to have thought of something.

"really……"

After pondering for a moment, he looked at Shen Wen'an and Wei Qiuling and said, "I now understand the general outline of the matter."

"The Hundred Beasts Mountain must have discovered this jade tablet more than a hundred years ago, but they had no way to take it away."

"Later, they somehow learned of the method of corroding the jade tablet with the blood of ordinary children."

"For over a hundred years, they have been secretly using the blood of ordinary children to slowly erode the jade tablet. The skeletons at the entrance of the cave are very likely the ordinary children killed by Hundred Beast Mountain over the years."

After listening to Jiang Xiuqi's analysis, Wei Qiuling suddenly realized that everything seemed to make sense.

This jade tablet is clearly no ordinary object. Hundred Beasts Mountain has been trying to take it for over a hundred years without success, and now they certainly don't want Falling Clouds Mountain to get it for nothing.

"Master, can you tell what this jade tablet is?"

Wei Qiuling asked.

Jiang Xiuqi didn't speak, but carefully released his divine sense and touched the jade tablet in front of him.

Suddenly, his body trembled violently, and a faint halo appeared on his body.

These strange phenomena only lasted for about two breaths before suddenly disappearing!

"Nascent Soul Transformation..."

"This jade tablet contains the secret of Nascent Soul Transformation!"

Jiang Xiuqi's face was filled with horror, and then he stared at the jade tablet in front of him with disbelief!
His divine sense was absorbed by the jade tablet just now. Although he couldn't figure out what was inside the jade tablet, he clearly sensed some fragmented information and knew that the contents of the jade tablet were related to the secrets of the Nascent Soul Realm!

At present, the strongest forces in Danzhou are Qingluo Sword Pavilion, Yinhe Sect and Tianjun Mountain. These three forces are known as the Three Upper Sects.

It is said that in the entire Danzhou, only these three sects have mastered the secret of the Nascent Soul Realm.

The fact that this jade tablet contains the secret of Nascent Soul is truly unreal to Jiang Xiuqi.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an curiously probed the jade tablet with his divine sense.

The next moment, a strange information containing a faint chill suddenly surged into his sea of ​​consciousness through his divine sense!

This overwhelming and obscure information made Shen Wen'an feel dizzy and disoriented. He immediately swung his sword to sever the connection between that wisp of divine consciousness and his body.

The sudden loss of a wisp of his divine consciousness caused his face to turn slightly pale.

"Wen'an, are you alright?"

Wei Qiuling came up to her and asked with concern.

Shen Wen'an shook his head, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the jade tablet, and slowly said:

"The inscription inside this jade tablet is called 'The True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle'."

"This piece in front of us... should be the 'Cold Dew' painting."

Upon hearing his words, Wei Qiuling and Jiang Xiuqi were both stunned.

(End of this chapter)