Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 187 Daying Immortal Mansion
When the two arrived at the foot of the mountain, Shen Yuan and Shen Wen'an also arrived.

"Father, Grandpa."

"Uncle San, Aunt San."

On the path at the foot of the mountain, Shen Chongming saw the group arrive and bowed respectfully.

The group nodded, their gazes all turning to the figures in cloaks who were slowly walking down the winding path from the foot of the mountain.

When the group arrived, the young man in the lead, who was handsome but slightly effeminate, slowly said, "I am Wei Chengyu of the Suihuo Sect. I have come uninvited today to ask for a cup of celebratory wine. I hope Patriarch Shen will not take offense."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing frowned slightly.

He had heard Jin Sheng and Wei Qiuling mention Wei Chengyu before.

He is said to be the chief of the Suihuo Sect, but he is very low-key. Many immortal sects in Danzhou only know that he has extremely high talent and has already reached the Nascent Soul Realm at a young age. Apart from that, they know almost nothing else.

Unlike other immortal sects, when the Suihuo Sect first descended upon Yangnao Land, its chief disciple, Wei Chengyu, did not accompany them.

Instead, they secretly arrived in Yingchuan County around the time of the great battle between the Fire Sect and Luoxia Mountain.

After receiving the news, Luoxia Mountain was initially on guard, but Wei Chengyu seemed to have no intention of retaliating and kept a low profile.

"Guests are welcome. Please come in, fellow Daoists."

Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

“Father, they…” Shen Chongming called out, but was pulled back by Shen Yuan who was standing to the side.

"Watch how your father handles it," Shen Yuan said in a low voice.

Shen Chongming nodded, swallowing back the words that were about to come out.

The group soon arrived at the Shen Family Manor.

Among the four Firefly Cult cultivators, one figure suddenly stopped and turned to look in the direction of Blackwater Pavilion.

The others had already entered the manor. Shen Wen'an walked at the back. Seeing that the man was still staring at the Blackwater Pavilion shrouded in the great formation, he couldn't help but grip the long sword in his hand.

The man seemed to notice Shen Wen'an's gaze, then smiled slightly, said nothing more, and walked directly towards the side room.
Inside the side room, Mu Changhe waited anxiously, fearing that this madman from the Suihuo Sect would ruin his granddaughter's wedding today.

As he saw a group of people walk in, he stood up somewhat nervously.

Shen Wenxing gave a brief introduction and then had tea brought over.

After the four members of the Suihuo Sect were seated, Wei Chengyu produced a red jade bottle with a flash of light in his hand.

"I came in a hurry and didn't prepare a decent gift."

"This is a bottle of Fire Radiance Pills, which is not bad for someone with a fire-attribute spiritual root."

"This gift is presented to Patriarch Shen as a congratulatory present. I hope Patriarch Shen will not find it offensive."

Shen Wenxing smiled faintly as he accepted the jade bottle, then turned and handed it to Shen Chongming, who was standing to the side, saying, "Why don't you thank Senior Wei?"

Shen Chongming cupped his hands slightly and said, "Thank you, Senior Wei."

Wei Chengyu smiled and waved his hand, then said directly, "To be honest, Patriarch Shen, besides bringing a congratulatory gift and asking for a cup of celebratory wine, I have another request."

Shen Wenxing turned to look at his father, Shen Yuan, but seeing that he didn't seem inclined to speak, he nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Wei, why don't you speak first?"

Because of He Zishi's affair, the Shen family and the Suihuo Sect have a considerable grudge.

Today is Shen Chongming's wedding day, and he doesn't want to break off relations on the spot and take action against the members of the Suihuo Sect.

Wei Chengyu cupped his hands and said, "I've heard that the alligator dragons in the Blackwater Pool of the Shen family taste quite good. I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Patriarch Shen, but I've always had a fondness for them. I've come here today to ask Patriarch Shen for an alligator dragon to take back with me. I hope Patriarch Shen can grant me this small wish."

Do you want a crocodile?
Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing felt a sense of suspicion.

In recent years, with the revival of spiritual energy, the alligator dragons in the Blackwater Pool have gradually transformed into demonic beasts.

On ordinary days, the Shen family would often catch one or two of them to eat as wild game.

But the alligator dragon isn't only found in Blackwater Pool.

The Yangnao region has many large rivers and lakes, so this alligator dragon is not a rare creature.

This person knows he has a grudge against the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain, yet he has risked coming here just to ask for a crocodile dragon.
“If Patriarch Shen is reluctant, I, Wei, can also purchase it with spirit crystals.”

Seeing his hesitation, Wei Chengyu suddenly smiled and took out a spirit crystal.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wenxing's suspicions deepened.

One spirit crystal is worth enough to buy a demon beast at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Would Wei Chengyu really be willing to spend a spirit crystal to buy a newly transformed crocodile dragon just to satisfy his cravings?
They're either rich or have something wrong with their brains.

Clearly, neither of these is true.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, please forgive me."

"The number of alligators in this black pool was not large to begin with, and my Shen family has not paid much attention to it in recent years. Overfishing has caused a sharp decline in their numbers."

"If Fellow Daoist Wei had come a few years ago, I wouldn't mind giving you a few, let alone selling them."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Wei Chengyu's face. He put the spirit crystal back into his storage bag and said, "In that case, I, Wei, am not fortunate enough to have such a treat."

Shen Wenxing apologized again, then said, "Fellow Daoist Wei, you might as well wait a little longer. After these alligator dragons have multiplied and their numbers have recovered somewhat in a few years, I will immediately send someone to deliver one to you."

At the moment, although he didn't know what Wei Chengyu was plotting, the alligator dragon of the Blackwater Pool had no intention of letting him have it.

Wei Chengyu thanked him, then stood up and said, "In that case, I will wait for good news from Patriarch Shen."

"Wei and several fellow disciples have other matters to attend to and should not linger."

"Master Shen, please remember that the Shen family owes me a cup of wedding wine."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd and led the other three people outside.

"Haha... I will save this cup of wedding wine for Fellow Daoist Wei, so that Fellow Daoist Wei can come and drink it whenever he has time in the future."

After exchanging pleasantries, the group saw Wei Chengyu and his companions off from the manor. Only after watching them walk away along the winding path did they return to their room.

"Father..." As Shen Wenxing was about to speak upon entering the room, Shen Yuan chuckled and said, "The auspicious time is approaching, don't delay the important matter."

"We'll talk about the rest later."

Shen Wenxing glanced out the window and realized that the auspicious time was almost here. He then bowed slightly and led Shen Chongming out first.

……

Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Yuan, Shen Wen'an, and Wei Qiuling sat together.

“Father, the Fire Sect must have a conspiracy here,” Wei Qiuling said.

She thought of the message her master, who was far away in Danzhou, had sent her some time ago.

After the conflict between Luoxia Mountain and the Suihuo Sect, Yue Zhiyi of Luoxia Mountain secretly had people investigate the Suihuo Sect.

However, the Suihuo Sect has always kept a low profile in the Qishan Mountains and has basically not interacted with other sects or forces.

Therefore, Yue Zhiyi secretly asked someone to inquire about Tingfeng Valley, hoping to buy some information about the Suihuo Sect from them.

Whether out of some apprehension or genuine lack of information, Tingfeng Valley directly declined Luoxia Mountain's request.

Left with no other option, Luoxia Mountain could only rely on his connections and influence to gradually gather information.

Over the years, although very little information has been obtained, intelligence indicates that the Fireball Cult has maintained contact with a major sect in Central China.

Furthermore, Yue Zhiyi also speculated that the Suihuo Sect and the Yinhe Sect, one of the three sects in Danzhou, seemed to have some kind of relationship!

Because the wisp of top-grade innate spiritual energy that Wei Chengyu used to forge the immortal embryo was a treasure of the Yinhe Sect—the essence of the Sunfire.

"To show hospitality for nothing is to be either an adulterer or a thief."

Shen Yuan chuckled.

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly and added a sentence.

"One of those four people seemed particularly interested in this black pool."

"We must be wary of this."

They had already witnessed the madness of the Flint Cult.

They sent their disciples to ambush He Zishi and He Yan on their way, launching a surprise attack on Yunzhong County without warning.

This strange immortal sect seems to be full of lunatics who don't play by the rules at all.

Wei Qiuling nodded and said, "Then Junior Brother should try not to leave Blackwater Pavilion during this period. In case the Firefly Sect has any ideas about Blackwater Pool, we will have a way to deal with it."

At this point, she suddenly frowned again.

It hadn't been long since Shen Wen'an and the Sword Immortal Ling Shan appeared together in Qishan and forcefully wiped out Hundred Beast Mountain.

Nowadays, no force in Danzhou doubts Ling Shan Sword Immortal's regard for the Shen family.

At this critical juncture, would the Flintfire Cult really dare to attack the Shen family?

If that's the case, does it mean that Master's suspicion that there's a connection between the Fire Sect and the Yinhe Sect is true?
After all, Zhongzhou is too far from Danzhou. Even if the Suihuo Sect has connections with a major sect in Zhongzhou, it would never dare to provoke the Qingluo Sword Pavilion easily.

It seems I should tell my master about what happened today.

Although there were some minor hiccups during this concubine-taking ceremony, it went very smoothly overall.

As night fell, after helping his father see off the guests who had come to offer their congratulations, Shen Chongming entered the courtyard and habitually returned to his room.

On the bed, Chen Youran, who was meditating cross-legged, saw him and asked with some suspicion, "Why is my husband back?"

Shen Chongming paused for a moment and said, "Once I've finished my business, I naturally have to come back to be with you."

Chen Youran got off the bed, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Does my husband remember what he was busy with today?"

"today……"

"broken!"

Shen Chongming suddenly realized that Mu Lingxun from the Mu family was still in the side room!

"My wife, I..."

Chen Youran gave him a reproachful look and said, "Hurry up and go, don't keep Lingxun waiting."

Shen Chongming gently took her hand, kissed her forehead, and then left the room and walked towards the side room.

In the side room, Mu Lingxun sat quietly on the bed, her head covered by a red veil.

"The Shen family is more powerful than I imagined..."

Recalling the immortal sects and aristocratic families who came to offer their congratulations during the day, Mu Lingxun sighed inwardly.

In their early years, the Mu family worked for Hundred Beasts Mountain. Although they were nominally a powerful family under the rule of the Immortal Sect, Hundred Beasts Mountain did not grant them any official status, let alone any special treatment.

Nowadays, other aristocratic families under the rule of immortal sects have been rapidly rising to prominence with the support of the sects, and the number of cultivators within these families is increasing day by day.

The Mu family, however, is far inferior.

At that moment, she suddenly understood why her grandfather had so humbly sent her to the Shen family to be Shen Chongming's concubine.

"However, Shen Chongming does have a handsome face, and at such a young age, his cultivation has already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. Spending one's life with someone like that wouldn't be too bad..."

Beneath the red veil, Mu Lingxun blinked her beautiful eyes. When this thought arose in her mind, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Tap! Tap! Tap...

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Upon hearing this, Mu Lingxun couldn't help but clutch her wedding dress tightly, thinking to herself:
With such an impatient nature, perhaps his wife is pregnant and he's been itching to get back to work.

I don't know if my body can withstand his torment...

He's a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining, so he should be fine...

As Mu Lingxun's mind was filled with mixed thoughts and she felt uneasy, the door was slowly pushed open.

……

It lies in the mountains hundreds of miles south of Blackwater Pool.

Four figures clad in Flintfire Cult cloaks stood silently on a mountain cliff. The surrounding night sky and everything else presented an eerie overlap and distortion, as if separated from the distant mountains by several layers of hazy water curtains.

Wei Chengyu's eyes were deep as he spoke leisurely:
"News has come from within the sect that since arriving in Zhongzhou, that person has been secretly investigating what happened back then."

"Although the two surviving members of the Seven Sons of Yangnao have been imprisoned, the master of the Great Ying Immortal Mansion has been missing without a trace."

"Of the four people—Zhenyi, Huanlong, Guyuan, and the Swordholder—the only certainty is that the Swordholder has completely perished and his golden nature has vanished."

The situation of the remaining three remains a mystery.

"Gold is immortal. Once it enters the cycle of reincarnation, there is a certain possibility that it will be reborn, awaken the mystery within its womb, and return once more."

"With a demonic dragon at the Nascent Soul stage eyeing them, the elders in the sect are having a real headache..."

The three people behind him exchanged glances, and the young man who had been staring at the direction of the Blackwater Pavilion outside the Shen family manor spoke up: "Senior brother, the Shen family has set up several layers of formations in that Blackwater Pool, and we still can't be sure whether the Golden Core of the Dragon-Taming True Man is in the Blackwater Pool back then."

"Should we ask those guys to wipe out the Shen family now and then investigate properly?"

Wei Chengyu shook his head slightly.

"They have their mission, and we have ours."

"It's best not to expose it unless absolutely necessary."

"The last time Sword Immortal Ling Shan made a bold move to wipe out Hundred Beast Mountain, it is still unclear whether it was done by her alone or with the instruction of Qingluo Sword Pavilion."

"Ah……"

Wei Chengyu suddenly chuckled and said, "That Shen Wenxing is indeed quite cautious..."

"Perhaps I was too eager, which aroused his suspicion."

After saying this, the four of them fell silent.

a long time--

"How's the situation at Seven Sages Mountain?"

Wei Chengyu suddenly spoke up, and another person behind him cupped his hands and said, "It has been investigated and found out."

"The Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm is indeed the place of inheritance left by the Seven Sages of Yangnao back then."

"The legacy left by Master Zhenyi at Yixianting has been secretly tampered with by our people."

"Contact with the inheritor is certain death!"

"The remaining few are not so easy to deal with."

"However, we have already tampered with some of the formations in that secret realm. Once someone obtains the inheritance of the Seven Sons of Yangnao, we will immediately know their identity."

"At that time, we will only need to use some methods to kill them."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chengyu nodded with a satisfied expression, turned to look at the distant, undulating mountains, and murmured:
“Back then, True Lord Daying used this Void Harmony Corridor Formation to seal off the entire Southern Frontier. However, the people in the sect could not see through his plan and only thought that he was kind-hearted and could not bear to commit such a great massacre.”

"I don't think so."

The people behind him were puzzled when they heard this.

With a flash of light, Wei Chengyu took out a scarlet jade plate that exuded an eerie aura and said, "Whether it is or not, this Void Harmony Corridor Formation must be broken."

"That demonic dragon originated from here, after all. If those things from the Southern Frontier were to come out..."

"If that demonic dragon still harbors even a shred of nostalgia, it will inevitably be distracted by dealing with this..."

Holding the jade plate, Wei Chengyu narrowed his eyes slightly before leaping towards the distant, vast mountains.

The people behind him also waved their cloaks and disappeared into the night sky.

……

As autumn arrives, the weather gradually turns cooler.

Inside the Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Yuan sat cross-legged, a thick surge of spiritual energy suddenly erupting from his body.

As the spiritual energy fluctuations slowly dissipated, his cultivation level reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

"After thirty-one years of cultivation, my cultivation level has finally reached the ninth level of Qi Refining..."

Shen Yuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, and just as he was about to get up, he suddenly felt something and curiously sank his divine sense into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Suddenly, the usually silent white jade tortoise shell emitted a faint glow, as if it were about to reveal something.

Shen Yuan felt a sense of suspicion.

Since he began refining the white jade tortoise shell, he has been able to control it so that it no longer displays divination symbols on its own.

What's going on today?

On the white jade tortoise shell, the red and white vortexes spun continuously, and wisps of spiritual energy emerged from the vortexes, slowly gathering into the character "文" (wen) above the tortoise shell.

Subsequently, under Shen Yuan's divine sense, the spiritual energy formed the character "崇".

"Is this a generational name used in my Shen family?"

Looking at the words "Wen Chong," Shen Yuan was filled with suspicion.

But the third character then changed.

That was the character "修" (xiū, meaning "to repair" or "to cultivate").

Then the fourth character appeared.

"Wen Chongxiu's affinity..."

Shen Yuan muttered to himself, but then noticed that the generational names that followed were the same as the ones he had previously set.

What does this mean?

With a slight thought, he immediately began to try to deduce the possibilities.

However, despite consuming a large amount of spiritual energy, they only received a vague answer.

The divination seems to imply that the Shen family will suffer misfortune for the two generations after the "Chong" generation. The white jade tortoise shell changing the two characters "Dehou" to "Xiuyuan" is a reminder to him to let the next two generations cultivate good relationships with others.

As his consciousness withdrew from his sea of ​​consciousness, Shen Yuan suddenly smiled.

The Shen family has been cultivating good karma over the years, and many of the things they have encountered have indeed been resolved through the good karma they have cultivated.

Let's just say we're "cultivating relationships".

As Shen Yuan left Blackwater Pavilion with his hands behind his back, he saw Shen Wenxing running over excitedly.

"Dad, it's born!"

Shen Yuan glared at him and said, "How old are you? Still so impetuous!"

Shen Wenxing chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Father, Youran gave birth to a big, healthy boy!"

"Oh?" Shen Yuan smiled upon hearing this.

No wonder the white jade tortoise shell suddenly appeared and changed the generational names of the Shen family.

“Great! From my great-grandfather to now, the seventh generation has finally produced its first one.”

That's how people are; when tracing their ancestors, they usually start from the most glorious generation.

When you tell this to others, you can proudly say: Your ancestor was such and such an official, and reached such and such a level.

The Shen family's illustrious past was largely due to his great-grandfather, "Juezan Niao".

This is also the only ancestor whose name Shen Yuan still knows.

"Let's go and have a look."

The father and son walked toward Shen Chongming's residence.

After arriving in the courtyard, Hu Yufen, Huang Lingxiu, and the others had already come out of their rooms.

"His father was a big, fat boy."

Hu Yufen spoke excitedly.

Huang Lingxiu, who was standing to the side, couldn't stop smiling.

"Father, please name the child," Huang Lingxiu said.

Shen Yuan nodded, paced back and forth for a moment, and then said, "Wash... Shen Xiu wash."

"The meaning of 'washing' is that one's mind is pure and untainted by dust, becoming clearer and clearer after being cleansed."

Upon hearing this, Hu Yufen asked curiously, "Father, I remember you set the generation name as 'Wen Chong De Hou'. Shouldn't the generation name for Chongming's child be 'De'?"

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "I had some thoughts about it a few days ago, so I changed the two characters '德厚' to '修缘'."

Hu Yufen muttered to herself for a while, and thought it was pretty good, so she didn't ask any further questions.

The door opened, and Shen Chongming walked out of the room with a grin.

"grandfather……"

He called out, and Shen Wenxing, who was standing next to him, said, "Your grandfather named the child Shen Xiuzhuo."

Shen Chongming muttered the name to himself, making it a part of his memory. "Now that you're a father yourself, you'll need to help me with things at home from now on," Shen Wenxing suddenly said, changing the subject abruptly.

Shen Chongming simply nodded slightly, seemingly unaware of anything.

However, Shen Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at his son.

Shen Wenxing turned to look at him, a faint smile on his face, but didn't say anything more.

……

Chu Yuanfeng flew through the barrier between Danzhou and Yangnao on his sword, looking at the vast snowfield around him with curiosity and excitement on his face.

"Such scenery is rarely seen in Danzhou..."

"Moreover, the spiritual energy in this Yangnao land is not much worse than that in ordinary places in Danzhou, which is really strange."

The azure sword energy shield covering his body blocked the oncoming wind and snow. After wandering around the snowfield, Chu Yuanfeng glanced in the direction of Yunzhong County and suddenly accelerated and rushed over.

Above the Blackwater Pool, Chu Yuanfeng arrived on his sword. Seeing that the entire Blackwater Pool was enveloped by a large formation, he stopped outside the formation and waited for a moment.

A moment later, a disciple of the Shen family arrived on the wind. Seeing Chu Yuanfeng riding a flying sword with an extraordinary air, the Shen family Qi Refining cultivator respectfully cupped his hands and said:
"May I ask who the immortal master is...?"

Chu Yuanfeng smiled slightly: "Please trouble you to report that Chu Yuanfeng, a disciple of the Qingluo Sword Pavilion in Danzhou, has come to visit."

Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining disciple of the Shen family felt a chill run down his spine. His Wind Control Technique abruptly stopped, and he swayed, about to fall from the sky.

Just as the breeze beneath him was about to dissipate, a long sword suddenly flew from afar and caught his swaying figure precisely.

Shen Wen'an stepped into the void, and with each step, a long sword of sword energy appeared in the void beneath his feet.

When he arrived, the Qi Refining Realm disciple of the Shen family nervously cupped his hands and said, "Third Master."

Shen Wen'an nodded and then waved his hand gently: "You can go now."

He let the longsword carry the disciple down to the manor below, then turned to Chu Yuanfeng and cupped his hands in greeting: "Fellow Daoist Chu."

Chu Yuanfeng returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then looked at the long sword phantom formed by sword energy beneath Shen Wen'an's feet and said with some surprise, "Brother Shen's strength has increased quite a bit again."

As a sword cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm, controlling sword energy is fundamental, and Chu Yuanfeng is naturally able to condense sword energy into a longsword.

But he couldn't use sword energy as skillfully as Shen Wen'an.

Shen Wen'an forced a smile and spoke.

"I received guidance from Senior Sister Lingshan before, and I have recently gained some insights."

"Fellow Daoist Chu, please come to my residence for tea."

Shen Wen'an waved his hand to open the grand formation on the Shen family manor and invited Chu Yuanfeng inside.

Below, the Shen family disciple who was at the Qi Refining Realm had already notified the family head, Shen Wenxing, and Wei Qiuling.

Inside the side room, Shen Chongming had gradually begun to help his father, Shen Wenxing, with household affairs, and naturally, he would accompany him in receiving distinguished guests.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, please introduce yourself."

"This is my elder brother, Shen Wenxing, and my nephew, Shen Chongming."

"This is my Daoist partner, Wei Qiuling from Luoxia Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yuanfeng cupped his hands slightly and said, "Chu Yuanfeng of Qingluo Sword Lodge greets fellow Daoists."

After exchanging pleasantries, the group sat down.

With a flash of light, Chu Yuanfeng took out three jade slips.

"I have come here on the orders of my sect to deliver these three jade slips to the Shen family."

Upon hearing this, a look of joy instantly appeared on Wei Qiuling's face.

Several months ago, during the Cold Dew season, a sword immortal came to the Green Vine Sword Pavilion and personally took away the two Daoist jade carvings from the cave.

After a long wait, the inscription on the jade tablet has finally arrived.

After taking out the jade slip, Chu Yuanfeng continued, "My senior sister Ling Shan specifically instructed me that the contents of this jade slip are of great importance, and even the direct descendants of the Shen family and the core members of Luoxia Mountain should not divulge them to outsiders as much as possible."

"Once the news leaks, not only will Qingluo Sword Pavilion be in trouble, but the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain will also likely face annihilation."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling and Shen Wenxing both straightened up and nodded slightly.

Shen Wen'an had previously told the two that the secret of Nascent Soul cultivation held by the three sects in Danzhou was actually this "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals," and each sect only controlled one jade carving of a solar term.

Now that Qingluo Sword Pavilion, the Shen family, and Luoxia Mountain all control three seasonal jade carvings, once the news gets out, Yinhe Sect and Tianjun Mountain will certainly not remain indifferent.

Fortunately, the Hundred Beasts Mountain, which knew the news, has now been destroyed. As long as the three families don't tell anyone, no one will know about this.

"Chongming, immediately send these three jade slips to the Blackwater Pavilion and give them to your grandfather."

Shen Wenxing spoke.

Shen Chongming, who was standing nearby, quickly and carefully put away the three jade slips and sent them to the Blackwater Pavilion.

At this moment, Chu Yuanfeng's hand flashed again as he took out two more Demon Essence Pills containing a rich aura of demonic energy.

He handed the Demon Essence Pill to Shen Wenxing, his expression strange, and said:

"When my senior sister learned that the head of the Shen family was a body cultivator, she made a special trip to the depths of Qishan a few days ago to search for the two winter sheep deer demon beasts that she had hunted for several months to reach the peak of the Fetal Breathing Realm."

"The winter sheep and deer demon beasts feed on the morning dew and drink the evening mist. They are gentle in nature, and the energy in their demon essence pills is pure and mild, unlike the demon essence pills of other demon beasts which have mixed evil energy. For body cultivators, it is a rare and good thing."

Shen Wenxing was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

When Shen Wen'an returned from Danzhou last time, he brought with him an exceptionally precious Chongxu Xuan Fruit and dozens of Xuan Yin Pills.

Those items were all gifts from the Sword Immortal Ling Shan.

This time, he went to the depths of Qishan Mountain specifically for himself, staking out for several months, hunting down two demonic beasts at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, and taking their demon cores to have someone bring them back.

This inevitably puzzled him.

If Ling Shan Sword Immortal only valued her younger brother Shen Wen'an's swordsmanship talent, there would be no reason for her to care so much about herself and the rest of the Shen family.

It's truly perplexing that the Sword Immortal Ling Shan goes to such lengths to consider the well-being of the Shen family.

Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment, but still couldn't figure it out, so he could only suppress these doubts in his heart for now, and slightly cupped his hands and said:
"The Shen family is deeply grateful for the repeated favors and generous gifts bestowed by the Sword Immortal Ling Shan!"

"I would be grateful if Fellow Daoist Chu would be able to express his sincere gratitude to Sword Immortal Ling Shan on behalf of the Shen family upon his return."

I am extremely grateful, but I can only express my gratitude in a few words.

After all, with the Shen family's current resources, everything they have combined probably can't compare to the value of that one Primordial Profound Fruit.

They really couldn't offer a worthwhile return gift.

Chu Yuanfeng smiled and nodded, saying, "I will certainly pass on the message."

After exchanging pleasantries, Chu Yuanfeng rose to take his leave and departed from the Shen family.

After he left, Wei Qiuling asked with a strange expression, "Does elder brother know that Ling Shan Sword Immortal?"

Shen Wen'an also looked at his elder brother with curiosity.

Back when we were at the Thousand-Foot Cliff of Yin Sword Peak, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan seemed to be very concerned about her elder brother's family affairs.

This time, Chu Yuanfeng even specially brought him two Demon Essence Pills for the Perfected Nascent Soul Realm.

It's really strange.

Shen Wenxing shook his head with a wry smile.

"I have never been to Danzhou, how could I have met someone like the Sword Immortal Ling Shan?"

Wei Qiuling frowned.

"That's strange... Brother, do you know what Fellow Daoist Jin Sheng would do if he knew that you possessed two Winter Sheep Deer Demon Yuan Pills at the Perfected Nascent Soul Realm?"

Seeing Wei Qiuling's strange expression, Shen Wenxing shook his head slightly and said, "Is this Winter Sheep Deer Demon Essence Pill... very valuable?"

Wei Qiuling smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's not that it's particularly valuable, it's just that the demon core of this winter sheep deer is somewhat special for body cultivators."

"The winter sheep deer is a herbivorous monster with an extremely docile temperament. Moreover, in the eyes of ordinary people, deer and wild animals are highly nutritious."

"These beasts, before they transform into demons, are hunted by ordinary hunters and some carnivorous animals."

"After becoming a demon beast, it was often hunted by cultivators and other ferocious demons."

"It can be said that it is countless times more difficult for a winter sheep deer to grow to the perfect state of fetal breathing than for a human cultivator."

Wei Qiuling paused for a moment and continued, "For body cultivators, cultivating their own qi and blood is extremely dangerous. If the demon essence pills they absorb contain a large amount of baleful energy, they are very likely to be affected by the baleful energy during cultivation, causing their qi and blood to run wildly and reverse, thus leading to their death."

"Comparatively speaking, the demon essence pills of the winter sheep and deer, which contain almost no evil energy, are rare treasures for body cultivators."

"If Jin Sheng knew that his elder brother had two Winter Sheep Deer Demon Yuan Pills at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, he would probably empty his own coffers and pester you every day."

"Has Big Brother been stuck at the peak of the second realm for many years now?"

Shen Wenxing nodded.

He had reached the peak of the second realm of body cultivation seven or eight years ago, but he had never dared to break through before because Shen Wenyan had left the Shen family and Shen Chongming was still young.

Fearing that something unexpected might happen during his breakthrough, many matters concerning the Shen family were once again placed on his father's shoulders.

Now, Shen Chongming has become a father, and the Shen Chonghong brothers in the family are also gradually growing up.

He had already made a plan in mind: to let Shen Chongming familiarize himself with the affairs of the clan, so that when Shen Chongming was able to stand on his own, he could then focus on trying to break through his limitations.

"These two demon cores from the Winter Sheep Deer should give my elder brother a better chance of breaking through."

Wei Qiuling spoke up.

After chatting for a while, Wei Qiuling and Shen Wen'an went to the Blackwater Pavilion, found three jade slips, and made copies of the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals" for each of them before hurriedly leaving the Shen family.

……

The heavy snow of winter has fallen, covering everything in a silvery white, sparkling everywhere.

On the west side of Blackwater Pool, in a courtyard with gray walls and green tiles, a boy, shirtless, wields a long white ash wood spear, whistling as he practices in the courtyard's martial arts arena.

The spear swept across, and a beam of light swept up the snow that had just been swept into a pile not far away!

As snowflakes danced in the air, the boy suddenly lunged forward!
Suddenly, a fiery red spiritual energy surged from the shaft of the spear!
In an instant, the swirling snowflakes turned into countless water droplets, splashing everywhere!

The boy's lips curled up, as if he was quite satisfied with his attack.

Before he could put away his gun, the void behind him suddenly churned, and a huge phantom of a ruler appeared, striking him in the back!
Snapped!
The boy winced as he was slapped, then hurriedly turned around and bowed, saying, "Master!"

Lu Zhiyuan stood under the long corridor in the distance, his face stern, and said, "The courtyard that the disciples of the Clan Head Academy had worked so hard to clean has now been ruined by you."

Shen Chonghong turned around and looked at the messy courtyard. He scratched his head awkwardly and cupped his hands, saying, "Master, please don't be angry, please don't be angry. I'll clean it up right away!"

As he spoke, he threw the spear aside and ran to find a broom.

"That's all."

Lu Zhiyuan looked at him and shook his head, saying, "Come with me."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong's face immediately fell.

He knew that he would be punished again by copying the clan rules.

I don't know if it's twenty times or how many.

Ever since he returned home from the front lines in the mountains, his father had detained him and thrown him into the clan's main courtyard.

For nearly a year, Master Lu forbade him from practicing martial arts. Apart from his daily training, he was only allowed to read, play chess, and practice calligraphy, saying that he needed to temper his character.

But he was used to being wild in the mountains, and he was not the kind of person who could sit still.

It's true that as soon as my butt touches the bench, I feel itchy all over, and as soon as I see a book, I feel sleepy.

Today, taking advantage of Lu Zhiyuan's absence, I thought I'd sneak in some shooting practice to have some fun.

But then they got caught red-handed again.

"Master, please spare this boy."

After catching up with Lu Zhiyuan, Shen Chonghong pleaded with him.

However, Lu Zhiyuan ignored him and led him to the Discipline Hall in the main courtyard of the clan, pointing to the documents in front of him.

Shen Chonghong sat down on the stool with a bitter face, extremely unwilling.

Lu Zhiyuan casually waved his hand, and a long robe flew over on its own.

"As a direct descendant of the Shen family, how can you be so unseemly as to expose your chest and breasts like this?"

Shen Chonghong pursed his lips and obediently put the robe on.

“Clan rules, repeat thirty times.”

"If you don't finish copying today, you'll be punished with fifty more repetitions tomorrow."

As Lu Zhiyuan spoke, he waved his hand and wrote the character "困" (trapped) in front of him. The character "困" then transformed into a cage, trapping him on the bench at his desk.

"Master, I need to pee!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Chonghong immediately shouted.

"Hold it in."

Lu Zhiyuan walked slowly out of the room.

"I can't hold it in any longer!" Shen Chonghong shouted, but Lu Zhiyuan had already walked far away.

He tried to circulate his spiritual power, hoping to break free of the cage that confined him.

However, it was clear that he was not strong enough. The cage formed by his spiritual energy was exceptionally sturdy, and no matter how he attacked, it did not budge.

After wasting his energy, Shen Chonghong became dejected, listlessly holding the brush in front of him and scribbling on the paper.

……

On the annual festival day, on the official road outside Yunshui Town, a young man with a silver spear on his back rode a chestnut horse galloping into the distance.

"I'm free!"

Looking at the winding road ahead and feeling the breeze that symbolizes freedom, Shen Chonghong couldn't help but shout loudly, attracting the attention of some passersby.

Among these passersby were many members of the Shen family.

But no one recognized his identity.

It was only because in his early years, he and several direct descendants of the Shen family had been cultivating in the manor, and later they went directly to the front line in the mountains.

If you mention his name, these people from other clans might know that he is the young master of the Shen family, but if you only look at his appearance, not many people can recognize him.

"It won't be long before my father and older brother find out I'm away from home. I need to take this opportunity to find a place they can't find me..."

Galloping along the official road, Shen Chonghong secretly thought about taking advantage of this rare opportunity to find a place to have some fun.

"Have it!"

After a moment's thought, a smile instantly appeared on his face.

He had already thought of a very interesting place that would be difficult for his family to find.

Sanshan County, the Secret Realm of Qixian Mountain!
He had heard his elder brother Shen Chongming talk about the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm before, and he had always been very curious about what was inside.

This time, he managed to escape by lying to his teacher that he needed to go home and spend time with his family, taking advantage of the approaching annual festival.

So I thought I'd go and explore the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm.

Having made up his mind, Shen Chonghong immediately spurred his horse and galloped off towards Sanshan County.

……

evening.

At the Shen family manor, a disciple from the main branch of the clan rushed over and greeted Shen Chongming with a cupped hand, saying, "Young clan leader, has Young Master Chonghong returned?"

Shen Chongming was taken aback upon hearing this, and then looked at the two cultivators guarding the door.

The two men exchanged a glance and shook their heads, saying, "We have been guarding this place and have not seen the young master return."

"broken!"

The disciple from the main courtyard of the clan changed his expression and said, "During the day, the young master asked the master for leave, saying that the annual sacrifice was approaching and he wanted to come back to spend time with his family."

"The gentleman didn't think much of it and let the young master leave."

"Now, fearing that the young master might wander off, I specifically sent my subordinate to check on him, but I never expected..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming frowned deeply.

My younger brother was used to being wild in the mountains, so the reason my father sent him to the main courtyard of the clan was to let Master Lu teach him a lesson and temper his character.

I never imagined that after a year, this kid would still be so incorrigible!
“I am aware of this matter. Go back and tell the Master not to worry.”

After dismissing the disciple from the main academy, Shen Chongming pondered for a moment and looked at a cultivator in front of him, saying, "Take some people with you and ask the other clansmen in the surrounding area if they have seen the young master."

The cultivator cupped his hands in greeting and hurriedly left.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Chongming headed straight for the Blackwater Pavilion.

His father, Shen Wenxing, had gone to inspect the cities under his jurisdiction, so he could only consult with his grandfather, Shen Yuan.

The first floor of Blackwater Pavilion.

Upon learning that Shen Chonghong had secretly left home, Shen Yuan scoffed, "Another one who's always causing trouble."

"I've already sent people down the mountain to search... I hope that kid is just playing around and hasn't gone far."

Shen Chongming spoke up.

Shen Yuan shook his head slightly after hearing this: "A caged eagle, a penned wild horse, once freed, how can it be content to just wander around?"

His mind stirred slightly, and he immediately used the white jade tortoise shell to perform a deduction.

After consuming some spiritual energy, the white jade tortoise shell gave a divination and prophecy.

Shen Yuan glanced at the prophecy, but seeing that the divination result was unremarkable and without any danger, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry too much, he should be fine this time."

"Don't make a big fuss about searching for him. Once that kid comes back, you, as his older brother, can teach him a lesson."

Shen Chongming nodded, cupped his hands in greeting, and left.

A few days later, Shen Wenxing returned from his patrol and learned that Shen Chonghong had managed to sneak out. He was furious.

"Father, calm down. Grandpa said Chonghong will be fine this time. When he returns, I will give him a good talking to."

Shen Chongming comforted her from the side.

Shen Wenxing nodded, suppressing his anger, and said, "Where is your grandfather now? I have something to discuss with him."

“It must be in the backyard,” Shen Chongming said.

The annual memorial service is approaching, and the elders like to spend this time with the younger generation.

Shen Wenxing didn't say anything, turned around and hurriedly went to the backyard.

The winter sun was shining brightly on the deck chairs in the courtyard, making people feel warm and cozy.

Shen Yuan lay on the recliner, gently stroking the shiny fur of the big black dog beside him, watching He Chongyi playing with Shen Li not far away.

In recent years, Shen You and Shen Chongxu have grown up and, in their spare time from cultivation, they no longer want to play with He Chongyi and Shen Li.

The two little ones, initially disliked by their older siblings, gradually became close playmates.

Shen Wenxing walked in, and the two little ones bowed respectfully before going off to play in the distance.

Upon seeing this, the big black dog looked up at Shen Yuan.

Seeing Shen Yuan nod, he got up from the ground and walked towards the two little ones.

"father."

Shen Wenxing cupped his hands in greeting and then pulled over a stool to sit down.

Seeing his distressed expression, Shen Yuan chuckled and sat up straight, asking, "What's troubling you?"

Shen Wenxing shook his head with a wry smile: "Usually, we can't find any immortal seedlings with spiritual roots in the clan, and I worry so much that I can't sleep."

"Now things are really messed up, there are too many immortal seedlings, and I'm worried again."

"Including last year and this year, a total of more than seventy immortal seedlings with spiritual roots have been selected from the four cities."

"Including those from the clan before, the number of immortal seedlings with spiritual roots now exceeds one hundred."

"And those cultivators who have already reached the Qi Refining Realm, the amount of cultivation resources they need is truly not small."

Shen Yuan sighed slightly after hearing this.

The Shen family has indeed developed rapidly in the past two years, and correspondingly, some problems have gradually emerged.

He had already thought about the matter of resources for cultivation.

In the years since he retired to the Blackwater Pavilion, apart from cultivation, he has spent most of his time reading the cultivation notes that Pei Zhao gave him. Occasionally, he would ask Wei Qiuling to bring back some ancient books related to the cultivation world from Danzhou, just to find some better methods from them.

(End of this chapter)