Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 191 Re-entering the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm

Back then, when I went to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm with Chen Youran, we encountered that thunderous monster by chance.

With the help of the thunderous creature, he obtained the inheritance of the "Cloud Jade Pivot Lightning Technique".

Initially, Shen Chongming did not know what the thunder monster was, but over the years, as his experience grew, he vaguely guessed that the thunder monster was likely formed from a wisp of innate spiritual energy of the thunder attribute.

Possessing the divine lightning spiritual root of Yi Wood, and cultivating the "Cloud Seal Jade Pivot Lightning Technique," the thunder monster was undoubtedly the most suitable innate spiritual root for him.

If he were to go to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm again, besides the thunder monster, he would also like to visit the cave on the mountaintop to try to complete the inheritance of the "Cloud Script Jade Pivot Lightning Technique".

Only in this way can one rest easy in future spiritual practice.

After some thought, Shen Chongming suppressed his thoughts, turned around and said, "I'll leave that little girl from Hundred Refinement Valley to you."

"Remember, personal preferences are worthless in the face of family interests."

"Grandpa and Father lived a life of 'humility and shame' for decades, accumulating the family fortune we have today. If you and I, brothers, only think about maintaining what we have, we will still have to 'live a life of humility and shame' in the future."

Meeting his brother's resolute gaze, Shen Chonghong nodded slightly.

At that moment, he seemed to understand that his life was not only for himself, but also for the continuation of his family.

……

"Third aunt."

The next morning, Shen Chongming encountered Wei Qiuling in the manor, which reminded him of the incident involving Xiao Yin and his daughter from Hundred Refinement Valley the day before.

He only knew that Hundred Refinement Valley and Vajra Sect had some kinship ties. Now that he had made a plan, he naturally wanted to learn more about the details of Hundred Refinement Valley so that his plan would be more secure.

"There are some things I'd like to ask my third aunt for advice on."

Shen Chongming cupped his hands and spoke.

Wei Qiuling seemed to have nothing else to do, so she smiled and nodded, and the two sat down in the pavilion in the courtyard.

"How much does Third Aunt know about Hundred Refinement Valley?"

"Hundred Refining Valley?"

Upon hearing Shen Chongming's words, Wei Qiuling thought for a moment and then smiled faintly, "Why are you interested in them?"

Shen Chongming smiled slightly and simply recounted how Xiao Yin and his daughter had come to apologize the day before, without mentioning his own plans.

After hearing this, Wei Qiuling smiled and shook her head: "I was wondering why Chonghong suddenly changed his ways and started cultivating seriously."

After chuckling, she gathered her thoughts and said, "Hundred Refinement Valley is actually an ancient and powerful immortal sect."

"Its lineage can be traced back to the Immortal Dynasty era in Danzhou. It is said that Mo Chu, the founder of the Hundred Refinements Valley, was once the imperial swordsmith of the Immortal Dynasty."

"Later, the Immortal Dynasty collapsed, and various Immortal Sects and Families rose to power. Many of the Immortal Dynasty's inheritances were divided up, and Mo Chu fled to Qishan with some of the weapon-refining inheritances."

"Later, several of Mo Chu's colleagues followed him to the depths of Qishan, and together they created the Hundred Refinement Valley."

At this point, Wei Qiuling suddenly smiled and said, "Then Mo Chu and the others naturally do not know that the inheritance taught to them by the Immortal Dynasty is only a simplified version of the crafting of standardized magic weapons."

"The true core heritage has long been divided up by the powerful and influential figures of the Immortal Dynasty."

"Therefore, Hundred Refinement Valley has been clinging to its meager resources and has survived for so many years in the most desolate place in Qishan, yet it still cannot be brought to the forefront."

Shen Chongming nodded, then added, "I've heard that Hundred Refinement Valley and Vajra Sect have some kind of kinship?"

Wei Qiuling nodded and said, "It's just that the sister of the former Hundred Refinement Valley Sect Master married a fourth-realm elder of the Vajra Sect."

"Now that the old sect leader has passed away, the relationship is naturally not as good as before."

"The reason why Hundred Refinement Valley was able to occupy a prefecture in Yangnao Land is because Xiang Prefecture is located in a remote and relatively barren area. Many immortal sects know about its relationship with Vajra Sect and have not deliberately made things difficult for it."

At this point, Wei Qiuling suddenly spoke up leisurely: "In terms of strength, even the Hundred Refinements Valley is inferior to the Shen family."

"Therefore, it was right for Xiao Yin to visit and apologize."

“In the cultivation world, strength is paramount. If he hadn’t been sincere, the Shen family would have come knocking on their door without the Vajra Sect saying a word.”

"This is the benefit that strength brings."

"In the eyes of the Vajra Sect, the value of the Shen family far exceeds that of the Hundred Refinement Valley."

Shen Chongming nodded thoughtfully.

Having obtained these secrets, he now had a clear understanding of the situation.

The inheritance of Hundred Refinement Valley may be looked down upon by the major immortal sects, but the Shen family will not despise it.

With careful planning, it will take at least a few years, or at most a decade or two, to finally obtain the inheritance of the Hundred Refinement Valley.

"I observe that your cultivation has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining for some time now. Have you made any progress regarding the innate spiritual energy?"

Wei Qiuling looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

People say that the Shen family was incredibly lucky to have produced such a sword genius as Shen Wen'an in five generations, who was also fortunate enough to gain the favor of the Sword Immortal Ling Shan.

However, no one noticed that Shen Chongming, the leader of the sixth generation, was no less talented than Shen Wen'an.

He possessed a mutated lightning-attribute spiritual root and had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining before the age of thirty.

This speed of cultivation is already comparable to that of the chief disciples of many immortal sects.

If he is lucky enough to obtain suitable innate spiritual energy, Shen Chongming will rise to become a figure comparable to the chief disciples of immortal sects in just a few years.

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "We have made some progress, but we still need to verify the details."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling was quite surprised.

It should be noted that she and Li Heshan, as the chief disciples of the Immortal Sect, had waited for several years, or even more than ten years, for a suitable source of innate spiritual energy after their cultivation reached the Qi Refining Perfection Realm.

Shen Chongming has only recently entered the ninth level of Qi Refining, yet he already shows signs of having innate spiritual energy.

It has to be said, her luck is truly enviable.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Shen Chongming thought for a moment and said, "Grandpa is now at the ninth level of Qi Refining, but he has no spiritual roots. It might not be easy for him to break through to the Fetal Breathing Realm this time."

When this matter was mentioned, Wei Qiuling frowned.

Without spiritual roots, embarking on cultivation is by no means a simple matter.

The vast majority of people without spiritual roots rely on great perseverance to slowly advance on the path of immortality, but in the end they only stop at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.

Only a few can reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, and breaking through to the Fetal Breathing stage is even more difficult.

Because cultivators with spiritual roots only need to find a wisp of innate spiritual energy that matches them to break through to the embryonic stage, they can break through in one fell swoop by forming a foundation for immortality and building an immortal embryo.

For cultivators without spiritual roots, the only way to break through to the next level is to find five types of innate spiritual energy of the same quality and maintain the balance of the five elements within their bodies.

Innate spiritual energy isn't like roadside stones; you can't just pick out five at random.

In the cultivation world, even if the five elements of innate spiritual energy are all of low grade, each one is extremely expensive.

To gather all five, one needs not only extraordinary luck, but also a staggering amount of spirit crystals that ordinary immortal sects cannot afford.

It is a paradox to spend a huge amount of money to cultivate a cultivator without spiritual roots.

Therefore, to this day, there has been no known case in Danzhou of any cultivator without spiritual roots achieving the fetal breathing stage.

"This matter cannot be rushed; let's take it slowly."

Wei Qiuling sighed and spoke.

"If you are going to obtain the innate spiritual energy that is compatible with you, you should be careful."

“Innate spiritual energy is a natural treasure of heaven and earth, and it is usually protected by powerful demonic beasts. If all else fails, you can ask your third uncle to accompany you.”

Shen Chongming nodded, but did not explicitly say that the thing was actually in the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm, which his third uncle, Shen Wen'an, could not enter at all.

……

The second floor of Blackwater Pavilion.

The young girl, Shen Li, carried a thick, ancient book made of animal hide as she walked up the stairs.

Hearing the noise, Shen Wen'an slowly opened his eyes.

But when he saw it was her, a rare smile appeared on his face.

Shen Li approached gracefully and said softly, "Third Uncle, could you accompany Li'er to find something?"

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly: "What is Li'er looking for?"

Shen Li came up to him, spread out the ancient book in animal hide, and pointed to several kinds of insects on it, saying, "Find some insects."

Shen Wen'an glanced at the ancient book made of animal hide and frowned when he saw that the page was decorated with various poisonous insects such as centipedes, scorpions, and toads.

He didn't quite understand why a lively and adorable little girl would like these things.

"Third Uncle, is it okay?"

Shen Li raised her head, her large, blinking eyes filled with a hint of pleading.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an reached out and patted her little head, saying, "Okay."

He slowly stood up, held Shen Li in his arms, then pointed and flew away from Blackwater Pavilion on his sword.

Above the vast Hidden Dragon Mountain, Shen Li looked at the rapidly receding clouds around her and the undulating jungle below, feeling extremely excited.

"Third Uncle, when will I be able to fly on my own?"

The little girl turned her head and shouted.

Shen Wen'an smiled faintly and said, "Once you've mastered Qi cultivation, you'll be able to fly on the wind."

"Can I fly that fast?"

Shen Wen'an smiled but remained silent.

Let alone cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm, even those in the same realm of Immortal Breathing Realm cannot match the flying speed of sword cultivators.

But now is not the time to dampen this girl's enthusiasm.

"Practice diligently, and one day you might be able to fly faster than your third uncle."

As the uncle and nephew talked, they soon arrived at the poisonous miasma forest deep in Hidden Dragon Mountain.

Before the flying sword even landed, Shen Li seemed to sense something. Her beautiful eyes widened suddenly as she looked down at the poisonous jungle below with surprise.

"Let's go down."

With a thought, Shen Wen'an launched his flying sword directly into the jungle below.

As soon as the two landed, the centipede leader in the poisonous forest emerged and waited quietly outside the miasma.

"Two-legged creature, the little two-legged creature next to you is very strange..."

Before Shen Wen'an could speak, the centipede leader tilted its large head curiously and looked at Shen Li.

Seeing that it seemed to want to move closer, a sword light suddenly appeared in front of Shen Wen'an.

“If you frighten her, I will cut off your legs one by one.”

Shen Wen'an spoke in a cold voice.

The centipede leader's massive body paused slightly, then obediently took a few steps back.

"Third Uncle, I'm not afraid of it."

Shen Li peeked out from behind him and waved to the centipede leader: "Big guy, can you help me find some insects?"

The centipede leader twisted its body excitedly, then noticed Shen Wenan. It didn't dare to take a step forward and tried to soften its voice as much as possible, saying in a fawning tone, "Little one, what kind of insect do you want?"

Shen Li opened the ancient book in animal hide in her arms, intending to show it to the centipede leader.

However, when the centipede leader saw the ancient book made of animal hide in his hand, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

He twisted his body a few times, took a few steps back, and his eyes showed a hint of inexplicable fear.

Shen Wen'an noticed its movements, carefully examined the ancient book in Shen Li's hand, but found nothing of interest, and then asked, "Can these things be found?"

The insects on the ancient book made of animal hide were not ordinary scorpions or centipedes. Shen Wen'an had no choice but to bring her here to find the centipede leader.

The centipede leader suppressed the discomfort that came from the depths of his soul, cautiously approached, and examined the illustrations in the ancient book, pondering for a long time.

"These are Gu worms."

Shen Wen'an asked in confusion, "The centipede on this is different from yours?"

The giant centipede quickly shook its head and said, "Gu worms are very special, just like some of you two-legged beasts who can cultivate and some who cannot."

"In theory, all of us demon beasts have the opportunity to cultivate into demons as long as we have the chance, but there are still some special cases among us."

"Gu worms are a rather special kind of existence."

As the centipede leader spoke, he let out a strange "squeak".

A moment later, the poisonous miasma behind it surged, and a huge poisonous centipede with silver lines on its back slowly crawled out.

This silver-threaded centipede was the very one that Shen Wen'an had almost cleaved in two with a single sword strike.

After a long time, the wounds on his body had completely healed, but a very obvious scar remained on his metal-like body.

The centipede leader tilted its head and looked at it, a hint of doting in its eyes.

"This is my most talented child."

"Unfortunately, it's still not as good as those Gu worms; they're incredibly powerful."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li took two steps forward slowly.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an immediately pulled her back.

"Be careful, little fox, it's dangerous."

Both the centipede leader and the silver-threaded centipede in front of them were Qi Refining Realm demonic beasts, and the venom they carried was particularly terrifying.

Shen Li has not yet reached the Qi Refining Realm, so even the slightest contact with poison would cause a lot of trouble.

"Third Uncle, it's alright."

Shen Li raised her head, her big eyes curving slightly as she smiled.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment before setting up a sword energy shield in front of him before allowing him to approach.

"Squeak..."

As it approached, the silver-threaded centipede twisted its body and let out two strange cries, appearing quite obsequious.

Shen Li leaned closer, carefully examined the silver threads on its body, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "It would be great if you could shrink a little."

Whether the silver-threaded centipede didn't understand her words or something else, it was unclear.

They raised their heads and looked at the centipede leader with a puzzled expression.

The centipede leader looked at Shen Li, then at the silver-threaded centipede, and then seemed to have made up his mind.

"Two-legged creature, take the little one and step back a bit."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an immediately took Shen Li to a distance.

Seeing that the two had retreated far enough, the centipede leader stirred up its demonic energy and suddenly spat out a burst of purplish-black flames at the silver-threaded centipede!
The purplish-black flames were extremely domineering; once they touched the silver-threaded centipede's body, they burst into flames!
"squeak!"

The silver-threaded centipede let out a painful howl and struggled violently.

However, the centipede leader then made a strange noise and said something to it.

Upon hearing this, the silver-threaded centipede gradually weakened its struggles, enduring the excruciating pain as it allowed the purple flames to scorch it.

In the distance, Shen Wen'an and Shen Li witnessed all of this.

The purplish-black flames completely enveloped the silver-threaded centipede's body, making it impossible to see anything.

"Third Uncle, it won't get burned to death, will it?"

Shen Li looked up with some concern.

Shen Wen'an stared intently at the purplish-black flames.

He could sense that the flames seemed to be mixed with the centipede leader's life essence fire, plus some kind of pure poison.

Although the specific situation of the silver-threaded centipede enduring the scorching purple-black flames cannot be seen, its life force is gradually becoming stronger.

Time passed bit by bit.

The purplish-black flames burned fiercely, and the surrounding shrubs and ancient trees slowly withered under their scorching heat.

The centipede leader's raised body, seemingly due to excessive exertion, began to sway slowly.

Finally, the purplish-black flames that spewed from its mouth gradually weakened until they disappeared completely.

Without reinforcements, the purplish-black flames on the silver-threaded centipede's body slowly died out.

However, its original enormous body, which was two zhang long, was gone.

"It's over!"

"It was burned to ashes!"

But as the purplish-black flames gradually shrank until they were only three feet in size, the silver-threaded centipede was nowhere to be seen. Shen Li cried out sadly.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

Shen Wen'an gently comforted her, his eyes also filled with curiosity as he looked at the three-foot-long purplish-black flame.

"hiss--"

The centipede leader opened its mouth and inhaled, sucking the last bit of flame into its belly. Its voice was very weak as it said, "This is all I can do."

As the flames completely disappeared, the silver-threaded centipede, which was originally over two zhang long, had now shrunk to a miniature size of less than three chi.

After its size was reduced, its shell looked as if it were cast from pig iron, and it shone with a bluish-gray metallic luster when the sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves.

As for the silver line running from head to tail on its back, it now appeared to be made of pure silver, radiating a faint glow under the sunlight.

"what?"

"It really has shrunk!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Li hurriedly ran over.

Shen Wen'an followed closely behind, fearing an accident.

The two approached the silver-threaded centipede. Shen Wen'an released his divine sense to carefully sense it and was surprised to find that although the silver-threaded centipede's cultivation level was still at the seventh level of Qi Refining, its life force had become much stronger.

In contrast, the centipede leader appeared weak and listless, as if it had suffered considerable losses.

"Little one, you can take it with you."

The centipede leader spoke.

Shen Li nodded slightly, then closed her eyes, mustered her courage, bit her finger, and dripped a drop of blood into the mouth of the silver centipede.

Shen Wen'an wanted to stop her, but Shen Li smiled and said, "This is the blood feeding recorded in the book. In addition, there is spirit feeding, soul feeding, etc., which are all ways to establish a connection with them."

"Since I have no spiritual power in my body now, I can only feed with blood."

The silver-threaded centipede swallowed a drop of her blood, and seemed to undergo some changes. It struggled to crawl to Shen Li's leg and gently rubbed against her calf.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an did not stop him further.

Although he didn't understand Shen Li's cultivation method, he figured it was probably similar to the way Hundred Beasts Mountain tamed its battle beasts.

With a poisonous insect-like demon beast at the seventh level of Qi Refining by his side, he was quite a formidable combat force.

"Two-legged beast, I'm afraid I'll be weak for a while. Your Shen family should be careful with the defenses in these mountains."

"It would be best to send someone to help my children."

After the centipede leader spoke weakly, it retreated back into the poisonous miasma.

Shen Wen'an glanced at the silver-threaded centipede, then mounted his sword and took it and Shen Li towards the Shen family's camp in the mountains.

……

In the city of Fengxian County, Shen Wenxing and Wei Qiuling looked at Li Heshan across from them with grim expressions.

Li Heshan said with a bitter and helpless expression, "Junior Sister Wei, Brother Shen, I... am truly sorry."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing waved his hand and said, "This matter is not entirely Master Li's fault."

Wei Qiuling pondered for a moment and said, "Can't we ask Uncle Pei for help with this?"

"With his mastery of array formations, he should be able to refine some array plates for Yunshui Town for defense."

Li Heshan shook his head slightly and said, "Junior Sister Pei sent word from the sect that our Martial Uncle is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Perfected State of Fetal Breathing."

"It will probably be a year or two before he comes out of seclusion."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling and Shen Wenxing exchanged a glance.

"In that case, let's think of another way." The two stood up, cupped their hands in farewell, and prepared to take their leave.

Seeing this, Li Heshan clenched his fist slightly and said, "Brother Shen, please wait."

“Brother Shen, although my expertise in array formations is not as great as that of the sect elders and Uncle Pei, I am willing to do my part if the Shen family needs my help.”

Meeting the sincerity in his eyes, Shen Wenxing suddenly smiled.

"Thank you."

After bowing to each other, the two left Li Heshan's courtyard.

"It must have been really tough on Li Heshan."

On the way, Wei Qiuling sighed deeply and spoke.

In her view, a person like Li Heshan would have had the opportunity to achieve great things if he were in any other immortal sect.

While I wouldn't say he could become a great leader, he certainly has no problem leading the sect to develop well.

But Qiyun Valley is just that peculiar.

The sect elders and academy leaders were constantly fighting amongst themselves, neither willing to relinquish their power.

The sect leader, Yun Zhongzi, is a kind-hearted and sentimental person who always tries to maintain the sect's superficial harmony by mediating disputes.

Little did they know that beneath the surface of their apparent harmony, those elders and academy heads were already deeply divided and disloyal.

Wei Qiuling even suspected that if Yun Zhongzi suddenly passed away, the entire Qiyun Valley would very likely fall apart immediately.

Shen Wenxing nodded and said, "Father said that governing a family and governing a country are based on the same principle."

"When a family is poor, one longs for a good wife; when a country is in chaos, one longs for a good prime minister; when the ruler is strong, the ministers are weak; when the ruler is weak, the ministers will surely deceive the ruler."

"The reason why Qiyun Valley has fallen to such a state is not solely due to Yun Zhongzi's fault; it must be the result of long-standing problems."

"A long-term illness requires a person with great courage to cut out the flesh and remove the bones."

"Qiyun Valley is just unlucky. It just so happens that it has encountered a leader like Yun Zhongzi who is good at smoothing things over."

Wei Qiuling chuckled and shook her head: "Isn't Li Heshan the same?"

Thinking back to those days when the disciples of Qiyun Valley Cliff Mountain Academy openly attacked and killed the families of their fellow disciples for a few blood toads, wiping out their entire families.

When Li Heshan found out, he chose to keep it a secret in order to maintain the sect's reputation and outward harmony.

"Never mind, let's not talk about them."

Shen Wenxing shook his head slightly, too lazy to care about the affairs of Qiyun Valley.

"Does your sister-in-law know who else besides Qiyun Valley could set up a decent array for Yunshui City?"

The city wall on the south side of Yunshui City, adjacent to the Laishui River, has recently been completed.

He and Wei Qiuling came here hoping to get Li Heshan's help to invite the elders of Qiyun Valley to set up an array on the city walls of Yunshui City.

The Shen family had prepared plenty of spirit stones and materials, and did not skimp on the supplies despite their friendship.

But for some reason, Qiyun Valley took the opportunity to ask for an exorbitant price. They demanded 500 spirit crystals for just a section of the city wall's array, which was several times the original price!
Let alone the fact that the Shen family simply cannot produce that many spirit crystals right now, even if they could, they wouldn't be willing to be taken advantage of.

"If only my master were here."

Wei Qiuling sighed softly and spoke.

After obtaining the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cyclic Revolving True Seal" from Luoxia Mountain, Jiang Xiuqi hastily went into seclusion, hoping to rely on this supreme method to further advance to the half-step Golden Core realm.

Among the various immortal sects and forces in Danzhou, besides him, there are others who can rival Qiyun Valley in the art of formations, but finding one is not so easy.

"Let's put this matter aside for now. I'll ask other immortal sects to keep an eye out for news about renowned array masters. We can visit them then."

Wei Qiuling spoke up.

Shen Wenxing nodded slightly; for now, this was the only option.

……

In the elegant courtyard, as Shen Chongming walked in from outside, Shen Xiuzhuo, who was learning to walk, came running over, stumbling and falling.

"Daddy, hug me..."

"Xiu Zhuo, slow down, don't fall!"

In the pavilion in the courtyard, Mu Lingxun hugged Shen Xiuchan and called out with a smile.

Shen Chongming looked at his son, who was staggering and looked like he might fall at any moment, and did not go to meet him.

Once Shen Xiuzhuo ran up to him, he reached out and picked him up, then slowly walked to the pavilion.

"Husband."

Mu Lingxun stood up and bowed.

Shen Chongming nodded and asked, "Where is You Ran?"

Mu Lingxun looked somewhat saddened, but then smiled and replied, "Sister went to the old courtyard."

"Mother is not feeling well."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming immediately frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Mother?"

"I was unaware, that..."

Just as she was about to speak, Chen Youran returned from outside.

"Husband."

Shen Chongming turned to look at her and asked, "What's wrong, Mother?"

Chen Youran shook her head slightly: "She must have encountered some problems during her cultivation. After my third aunt came back, she took care of her and she's fine now."

After hearing this, Shen Chongming breathed a sigh of relief. He put Shen Xiuzhuo down from his arms, then took Shen Xiuchan from Mu Lingxun's arms, teased him gently for a while, and looked at Chen Youran, saying, "I plan to be less busy these next few days and go to Qixian Mountain again."

Upon hearing this, Chen Youran paused for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Shen Chongming shook his head: "I can go alone this time. You stay home and take good care of the children and cultivate diligently."

"Lingxun is one of them."

Shen Chongming returned Shen Xiuchan to Mu Lingxun and looked at her.

"Don't worry, my husband, I will cultivate diligently."

"Sister and husband, please chat first. I'll go and put Chan'er to sleep for a while."

Knowing that she was weak and had no say in the conversation, Mu Lingxun consciously took the child and left.

After the couple sat down in the pavilion, Chen Youran hesitated for a moment before saying, "I ran into Grandma at the old courtyard just now."

Shen Chongming gave a soft "hmm" and asked, "Is Grandma alright?"

He's been busy with family matters lately and hasn't been able to visit his grandmother, Hu Yufen, for a while.

Chen Youran shook his head slightly: "He has not yet broken through to the Qi Refining stage and is already showing signs of aging."

“Grandpa hasn’t been going to Blackwater Pavilion to cultivate much lately. When he has nothing to do, he just stays with Grandma in the backyard.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's expression turned somewhat solemn.

Ordinary people rarely live past a hundred years.

Although Grandma Hu Yufen had already reached the Body Tempering Realm, she still had four children, which severely depleted her Qi and blood, so her lifespan could not reach the limit of 150 years for the Body Tempering Realm.

Now that he is over eighty years old, it is almost impossible for him to break through to the Qi Refining stage without a good opportunity.

"Grandpa wanted to spend more time with her..."

Shen Chongming spoke slowly.

Chen Youran pondered for a moment and said, "Husband, Grandpa must also want Grandma to break through to the Qi Refining stage and extend her lifespan."

"They just didn't say it out loud because they didn't want to trouble us younger generation."

"But since he won't say, we can't pretend we don't know."

As the matriarch of the Shen family, Hu Yufen held an extremely high position in the hearts of the younger generation.

"What are you going to do?"

Shen Chongming pulled the mischievous Shen Xiuzhuo into his arms and slapped his bottom to make him behave for a while.

Chen Youran thought for a moment and said, "I want to go to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm with you."

"During this period, I asked my grandfather for some books related to the spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, and I focused on reading some rare and precious materials that could help prolong life and break through realms."

"This time I want to go to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm to see if I can find some for my grandmother to take, which can be considered as a filial piety from the younger generation."

Shen Chongming nodded after hearing this.

"Alright, then we'll leave Xiuzhuo with Mother for a while, and then we'll go to Qixian Mountain together."

……

Jinghefang Market.

Shen Wenping is counting a new batch of talismans sent by the Tianfu Sect.

A dull disciple from the Tianfu Sect followed beside him.

After Shen Wenping finished counting the talismans, she smiled and cupped her hands, saying, "Sister Ping, this time it's correct, isn't it?"

Shen Wenping nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "When we get back, please tell Master Zhang to have his disciples make fewer defensive talismans."

"Low-grade defensive talismans simply won't sell."

Upon hearing this, the dull-witted young man scratched his head somewhat awkwardly and said, "Sister Ping, you don't know, but for us disciples with lower cultivation levels, the first thing we think of is saving our lives."

"So... most of the senior and junior brothers like to draw defensive talismans."

"I don't feel safe unless I have three or five defensive talismans on me when I'm fighting someone."

Shen Wenping glanced at him and said indifferently, "If everyone thinks like this, then why not make money from spirit crystals?"

"Your senior brother will come to distribute the spirit crystals at the end of the month and find that so many are missing. He'll still have to settle accounts with you when he gets back."

"These defensive talismans are just sitting here, their spiritual power slowly dissipating, and they'll all be a waste in the end."

The taciturn young man repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Sister Ping, don't worry, I will definitely ask my fellow disciples to refine more other types of talismans when I get back."

Shen Wenping nodded.

That day, the cultivator from the Fu Sect bowed slightly and then left the shop.

Nearby, a cultivator from the Shen family at the second level of Qi Refining came over and said with a smile, "Miss is really amazing. You have tamed all these immortal masters from the immortal sects."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenping paused slightly with her pen and sneered, "Immortal Masters are also human. They need spirit crystals to cultivate, and since I can earn spirit crystals for them, they should be more polite to me."

"Of course, this is also because of the families behind us."

The cultivator from the Shen family nodded.

"By the way, how's the matter I asked you to inquire about going?"

Shen Wenping suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, the Shen family cultivator looked bitter and said, "The things that Miss is looking for are all good treasures. Not only are people from four other immortal sects eyeing this market, but seniors from other immortal sects and aristocratic family cultivators are also waiting to snag a bargain."

"My subordinates have been taking turns keeping an eye on those independent cultivators' stalls during this period, but we haven't found any clues."

Shen Wenping sighed upon hearing this.

In the years since she took over the market shop, her cultivation level has unknowingly reached the first level of Qi Refining.

The last time she went home, she noticed that her mother was aging faster and that her father, Shen Yuan, rarely went to the Blackwater Pavilion to cultivate anymore.

Most of the time, he would sit in the courtyard with some books, quietly keeping his mother company.

She happened to see the book her father was studying and discovered that it was full of records about things that could prolong life.

He secretly kept a watchful eye on things.

Upon returning to Jinghe Market, he immediately dispatched all the cultivators from the shops to take turns searching the market for rare and precious herbs that could prolong life.

Unfortunately, we haven't gained anything after all this time.

Turning around and glancing at the pile of defensive talismans behind her, Shen Wenping narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and an idea suddenly came to mind.

"Shi Yang, go and fetch a blank plaque."

The cultivator named Shi Yang was slightly taken aback, then hurriedly retrieved a plaque from the backyard of the shop.

"Help me hold on tight."

As Shen Wenping spoke, she picked up a pen and began to write furiously on the blank plaque.

Anyone who brings rare and precious materials or various spiritual items to my Shen family shop for appraisal and passes the screening will receive a low-grade Qi Refining Realm defensive talisman free of charge, regardless of whether they make a sale or not.

[If you are willing to sell the treasure to my Shen family shop, you will also receive two low-grade Qi Refining Realm talismans as a bonus, in addition to the agreed price.]

After writing down these two lines, Shen Wenping carefully studied them and, finding no problems, said, "Place this plaque in the most conspicuous place."

Seeing this, Shi Yang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. "Miss, isn't this inappropriate?"

"Half of these talismans still belong to the Heavenly Talisman Sect. If we give them away for free, how will we explain it to them?"

Shen Wenping said calmly, "You don't need to worry about this. Just do as instructed."

The low-grade defensive talismans for Qi Refining Realm cultivators in the shop sell very poorly. Usually, if someone comes to buy other talismans and their spending is high enough, she will have them given away as free gifts.

Even so, every month some items are still scrapped because their spiritual energy dissipates and their power is insufficient.

She was simply making use of those low-level talismans that were about to be scrapped.

After some thought, she returned to the shop and wrote a letter by hand.

When Shi Yang returned from outside after hanging up the plaque, Shen Wenping handed him the letter and said, "Deliver it to Master Zhang of Tianfu Sect immediately."

"Yes!" Shi Yang accepted the letter and left the shop.

……

"Strange woman!"

"What an extraordinary woman!"

In Wushan County, Zhang Shen, the chief of the Tianfu Sect, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration after seeing the letter sent by Shen Wenping.

Beside him, a girl in purple couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why is Senior Brother so agitated?"

Zhang Shen handed over the letter and smiled, "Junior Sister, weren't you just thinking about how to further reduce the wear and tear on this talisman?"

"Let's see what Miss Shen's method is."

The woman in purple took the letter, read it for a moment, and her eyes lit up slightly.

"This method is quite interesting."

"Our Tianfu Sect cannot intervene in the Jinghe Market. Many of the rare treasures that flow into the market have been intercepted by the other major immortal sects."

"If we really follow Miss Shen's method, using some low-level talismans that could be destroyed at any time, we can make all the good things flowing into Jinghe Market pass through our hands beforehand."

"You never know when you might find a great bargain."

"The cost of a few low-level talismans can be earned back immediately if you find a good item."

Zhang Shen nodded and exclaimed sincerely, "The people of the Shen family are all outstanding individuals."

"It's a pity that Miss Shen has no spiritual roots; otherwise, she would be another female cultivator as beautiful and talented as Wei Qiuling..."

Upon hearing this, the woman in purple chuckled and said, "Senior brother, don't forget that Wei Qiuling is already Shen Wen'an's Daoist partner. Although this Miss Shen is a widow, she also has a son."

"Cough cough..."

Seeing the strange expression on the woman in purple's face, Zhang Shen quickly coughed twice and said, "Junior sister, please don't misunderstand. I only admire and respect her, and I have no other intentions."

"And my junior sister is no worse than the two of them."

The woman in purple spoke softly, "Is it just not bad?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shen was taken aback.

Seeing his expression, the woman in purple covered her mouth and chuckled, "Alright, I won't joke with you anymore."

"Miss Shen has invited a knowledgeable person from my Tianfu Sect to take charge of Jinghe Market..."

Zhang Shen looked at her and smiled faintly, "Besides my junior sister, no one else is capable of handling this matter."

The woman in purple smiled and nodded.

"This is a good opportunity to meet Miss Shen, who has received such high praise from my senior brother."

……

Sanshan County.

Since the appearance of the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm, Sanshan County has become the place with the most cultivators, second only to Jinghe County.

Rumors circulate from time to time that cultivators have obtained some rare and precious materials, or cultivation techniques and spells, in the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm.

This attracted a steady stream of aristocratic cultivators with gambler's mentality to flock into the secret realm.

Although many cultivators unfortunately lost their lives in the secret realm.

But all the later arrivals felt that they were definitely not unlucky. They all believed that they would be the chosen ones favored by the heavens, able to obtain heaven-defying treasures and inheritances from the secret realm, and thus soar to great heights!
On the mountain path, Shen Chongming and Chen Youran disguised themselves as an ordinary farming couple.

Even his cultivation level was suppressed to around the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining using the Breath Concealment Technique.

After paying for their tickets with two spirit crystal fragments, the two followed the main group up the mountain.

Looking at the endless stream of cultivators in front of and behind him, Chen Youran sighed, "Ming-ge'er, how many spirit crystals does the Qi Sect earn every day relying on the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm?"

Before Shen Chongming could speak, a middle-aged man in front of the two said with a smile, "The spirit crystals earned by the One Qi Sect are beyond the imagination of us rogue cultivators."

"It is said that someone learned from Listening Wind Valley that since the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm appeared, the One Qi Sect can obtain nearly a thousand spirit crystals of cultivation resources every year just from this one place."

"This does not include the occasional occurrence of some rogue cultivators bringing out other spiritual items that far exceed the ticket price, allowing the Qi Sect to snag a bargain."

Upon hearing this, all the other cultivators around were stunned.

Shen Chongming and Chen Youran were equally shocked.

You should know that the Shen family now controls four cities, and even if you include everything, their annual income is only about two hundred spirit crystals.

The One Qi Sect is just one secret realm, yet it earns over a thousand spirit crystals every year, which is truly enviable.

But then, a hint of suspicion arose in Shen Chongming's heart.

The Yangnao Land has already been divided up. Although other immortal sects have not disclosed their income from the Yangnao Land, it is likely that it is difficult for them to reach more than a thousand spirit crystals.

The One Qi Sect occupies the Three Mountains Prefecture, and the income from just the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm is so substantial. If other sources are included, it would probably far surpass that of other immortal sects.

Given this situation, do other immortal sects really have no ideas?
Thinking of this, he narrowed his eyes and a somewhat immature idea popped into his mind.

As for how to proceed at this time, we will have to wait until we return to make a decision.

(End of this chapter)