Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 193 True Dharma
Xiao Hongxiu took small, quick steps, jogging to catch up with Shen Chonghong before slowing down to follow behind.

"Where...are we going now?"

Seeing that he was just walking forward silently without saying a word, Xiao Hongxiu couldn't help but find a topic to talk about.

The figure in front of her suddenly stopped and turned around. Xiao Hongxiu was not paying attention and almost bumped into him.

After stopping, Xiao Hongxiu realized that the two of them were a little too close, so she quickly took two steps back, feeling a little shy and at a loss.

"You didn't bring any magical artifacts?"

Shen Chonghong glanced at her and spoke.

"Ok?"

"I brought the magical artifact!"

With a flash of light, Xiao Hongxiu took out two curved blades that gleamed with a cold light.

Shen Chonghong was somewhat surprised to see this.

He never expected that Hundred Refinement Valley, which was considered poor and destitute by outside cultivators, would actually provide a Qi Refining Level 6 disciple with a storage bag.

"Should we go directly to hunt monsters now?"

Xiao Hongxiu, holding her twin swords, spoke with a puzzled expression.

"No rush, we need to gather manpower first."

……

The Shen family currently has more than seventy cultivators, but some of them are scattered in the four cities to guard the area. This time, they can only send out a few cultivators to hunt demonic beasts, and they will need to use other forces.

Leading Xiao Hongxiu to the main courtyard of the clan, Shen Chonghong found Lu Zhiyuan and briefly explained the matter of the monster attack.

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and then looked at Mu Chang and Mu Yan beside him.

Both of them have now reached the late stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining. At their rate of improvement, they should reach the Perfection stage soon.

If they can find suitable innate spiritual energy, the Shen family will be able to add two more fetal cultivators.

"From now on, you two will be under the young master's command," Lu Zhiyuan said in a deep voice.

Mu Chang and Mu Yan bowed slightly to each other.

When the people arrived, Shen Chonghong did not delay and immediately ordered the two men to gather all the young and strong barbarians who had been captured during the attack on the Hundred Beasts Mountain Water and Smoke Stone Mine.

They captured a total of nine barbarian cultivators and more than two thousand barbarians at the Shuiyan Stone mine.

One thousand able-bodied men were kept at home, while the remaining thousand or so were distributed among several major affiliated clans.

Over the years, the thousand strong barbarians have been trained by the cultivator "Wu Yi" and a few others.

Mu Chang and Mu Yan are the nominal leaders of this barbarian army.

When the clan councilor needs to audit and inspect the various affiliated clans, he will send a group of people to accompany him.

After receiving their orders, the two bowed and left.

About fifteen minutes later, seven hundred barbarian soldiers, dressed in fine armor, wearing ferocious masks, and exuding a strong aura of malevolence, hurriedly arrived at the gate of the clan's main courtyard.

Upon their arrival, these barbarian soldiers quickly formed ranks and respectfully shouted:
"Greetings, sir!"

Upon suddenly seeing these warriors who resembled humanoid beasts, Shen Chonghong was somewhat surprised, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes!
These barbarian soldiers were much stronger than ordinary Yu people because of their bloodline.

Not long after arriving at the Shen family, Shen Wenxing, considering their special physical constitution, taught the first volume of his body-refining method, "Azure Dragon Strength," to these barbarian people.

Having obtained the body-refining method for many years, these barbarian people have greatly improved their strength.

"Son."

"You two commanders."

Wu Yijiu and his group stepped out from the ranks and respectfully bowed to Shen Chonghong and the others.

Shen Chonghong nodded and said, "I remember this team originally had a thousand people, how come there are only these left now?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yi, whose hair was braided, turned around and glanced at the soldiers, then cupped his hands and replied, "Reporting to the young master, after the patriarch passed down the body-refining method, we often led them into the mountains to fight wild beasts and monsters."

"If it weren't for facing monsters, in order to temper their will and unleash their potential, the young men would fight without armor or weapons, bare-handed."

"Over the years, those three hundred men either died in battle or were left with injuries."

"The remaining seven hundred warriors are all survivors of countless battles."

Shen Chonghong was slightly shaken and slowly walked towards the barbarian soldiers. Xiao Hongxiu followed with curiosity in her eyes.

She glanced at the armor on the barbarian warriors' bodies and the weapons in their hands, a strange light flashing in her eyes. She opened and closed her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she held back.

Shen Chonghong glanced at the seven hundred soldiers in front of him and found that a small number of them had already reached the second realm of physical cultivation, while most of them were still in the late stage or peak of the first realm.

A Body Refinement cultivator in the late stage of the first realm can already rival a cultivator who has just entered the Qi Refining stage.

A physical cultivator who has reached the early stage of the second realm is roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the fourth realm of Qi Refining under normal circumstances.

Although the general cultivation level of these seven hundred soldiers is not high, their strength should not be too weak.

After all, Wu Yifang had just said that these seven hundred people had survived countless battles with wild beasts and monsters.

Looking at the soldiers before him, Shen Chonghong suddenly understood why his father had not assigned them to various towns and cities to defend all these years.

These seven hundred soldiers, when they grow up, will be enough to become a foundation for the Shen family.

"Commanders, let them depart," Shen Chonghong said, his eyes slightly narrowed.

……

The Secret Realm of Qixian Mountain.

In the vast emptiness of the clouds, surrounded by surging seas of clouds, Shen Chongming was surrounded by electric sparks and rumbling thunder!
This time, upon entering the strange space of the mural, he did not stand still as he had last time, not daring to take a single step.

After entering, he traveled for a long time through the hazy void filled with thunder, and the strange pool that had been hidden in the clouds and mist finally revealed part of its true form.

Shen Chongming stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the strange pool. Terrifying bolts of lightning flashed across the surface, leaving afterimages in his eyes.
Through his eyes, the bolts of lightning seemed to pierce through his body, exploding and manifesting directly in his sea of ​​consciousness and heart.

At this moment, Shen Chongming was in a strange state!
He felt his physical body disappear, and everything around him vanish as well, his soul seemingly adrift in a dark and chaotic void.

Every bolt of lightning that flashed across his body seemed to carry the power to create the world!

The thunderous roar signifies the mighty power of Heaven.

Occasionally, lightning would spread through the void, striking towards his direction. Shen Chongming instinctively tried to dodge, but found that his body was completely immobile. He could only watch as the earth-shattering power passed through his body and scattered into the distance.

Each time the lightning passed through his body, his flesh and soul felt a tingling, numb sensation, which was very comfortable.

Consciousness gradually faded into this blissful state.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Shen Chongming suddenly came to his senses, he found that the clouds, void, and thunder around him had disappeared.

He was still inside the cave, and the strange mural was still in front of him.

Standing in front of the mural, a faint aura of thunderous fury emanated from his body, and his eyes flickered with flashes of lightning.

call--

Shen Chongming let out a long sigh and slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the strange phenomenon in his eyes had completely disappeared, and the violent lightning power on his body had gradually dissipated.

"It really is the 'Secret Record of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace'..."

After sensing the obscure information that had appeared in his mind, Shen Chongming murmured something, a look of great joy appearing in his eyes.

This time, he could clearly feel that the "Cloud Script Jade Pivot Lightning Technique" he had been practicing before had finally been completed and completely transformed into the "Divine Firmament Jade Palace Five Thunder True Method Secret Record" that the thunder creature had mentioned.

Upon receiving this cultivation method, he suddenly had a moment of enlightenment.

There seem to be many different ways to cultivate oneself in this world.

For example, the "Secret Record of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace" contains the complete Nascent Soul Transformation Method, which is a method that allows cultivators to cultivate all the way to the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm and is called the "True Method".

The "Mist Dragon Nourishing Pulse Technique" and "Moonlit Pine Mountain Technique" possessed by the Shen family only contain Golden Core methods. The methods that enable cultivators to achieve the Golden Core Great Dao are called "orthodox methods".

Under the true Dharma, the practice of only the embryonic breathing method is collectively referred to as "scattered methods".

If a simplified method doesn't even include the subsequent embryonic breathing technique, it can probably only be considered second-rate.

"The 'Secret Record of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace' that I obtained today is a complete true method. It's just a pity that this method is too demanding. Those who do not possess the spiritual root of thunder attribute cannot cultivate it at all."

"If not for this, with the complete true method, my Shen family's foundation in cultivation methods would already be no weaker than the three major sects of Danzhou."

Shen Chongming sighed inwardly and shook his head.

This "Secret Record of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace" is a good thing, but now he is the only one in the entire Shen family who can cultivate it.

In terms of value alone, it is far inferior to the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals".

In the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals", each jade carving of a solar term seems to contain the method of transforming into an infant. In this light, the complete "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals" is very likely to be an existence even higher than the true method.

"I wonder how long it took to comprehend the true method this time. You Ran must be getting anxious waiting outside."

Glancing at the sunlight streaming through the cave's skylight, Shen Chongming suppressed his thoughts and walked out of the cave.

At the foot of the mountain, to avoid attracting attention by riding the wind down as before,

Shen Chongming's figure was like a flash of lightning. He moved from the top of the mountain, close to the rocks, and after several leaps and bounds, he landed directly in front of Chen Youran, who was meditating cross-legged.

"Husband!?"

The sudden appearance of the figure startled Chen Youran. When she saw that it was Shen Chongming, she hurriedly got up to greet him.

"Is my husband alright?"

After carefully examining him, Chen Youran spoke with concern.

Shen Chongming smiled faintly and shook his head, then looked around in confusion and asked:

How long did I stay up there this time?

"Where's that senior?"

Chen Youran replied, "My husband has been cultivating for nearly a hundred days this time."

"That senior..."

Chen Youran looked at the sky not far away and realized that the thunderous creature had disappeared.

Before she began cultivating, she clearly saw the other person lying leisurely in the void.

I didn't hear anything during that time, so how did that thing suddenly disappear?

As the two were searching, a bolt of lightning suddenly shot out from a distance.

The lightning bolt arrived in front of the two, transforming into the form of a thunderous creature.

"what?"

"I went to kill a few ants and you've already come back?"

"Well, have you grasped the secrets of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace?"

Thunder Creatures approached with great anticipation and asked.

Seeing its anxious appearance, Shen Chongming suspected that if he hadn't comprehended the "Secret Record of the Five Thunder True Method of the Divine Firmament Jade Palace," this guy would have casually unleashed a destructive bolt of lightning, instantly killing him and Chen Youran on the spot.

This thunderous creature has a strange personality; he wouldn't dare joke with it.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I have not failed in my mission."

Upon hearing this, Thunder Creature was taken aback for a moment, and then it shot into the sky in a flash!
His body suddenly transformed into a hundred-foot-tall giant, laughing wildly in the void!
"Ha ha……"

Countless terrifying black lightning bolts emanated from its body, rapidly spreading across the sky of the entire secret realm!
As the black lightning spread, streaks of electricity randomly fell from the sky!
The surrounding rocks and trees, as well as some unlucky cultivators, were struck by the lightning and instantly turned to ashes!

In an instant, the entire secret realm seemed to have fallen into the apocalypse!
This sight terrified the clueless cultivators in the secret realm, who immediately abandoned their resistance and allowed the repulsive force of the secret realm to kick them out.

Below the Thunder Creature, Shen Chongming could only pull Chen Youran to hide in a crevice in the mountain, circulating his spiritual power to summon a spiritual energy shield to protect himself and Chen Youran.

Fortunately, the thunderous creature did not go completely mad, and the area where the nearby mountain peak was located was not affected.

The violent lightning around them continued for a while before slowly dissipating.

The lightning creature, exuding an aura of destruction, vanished instantly after venting its fury in the void.

When it reappeared, it returned to the foot of that mountain.

"Ok?"

What are you two doing crawling into that crevice in the rocks?

Seeing Shen Chongming and Chen Youran hiding in the rock crevice, Thunder Creatures looked on with suspicion.

Shen Chongming emerged from the crevice with a wry smile, before he could even speak.

The thunderous creature then approached again and said, "Kid, what did you say you wanted again?"

"Innate spiritual energy, right?"

"Besides innate spiritual energy, is there anything else you'd like?"

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you one more thing. Just ask if it's found in these ruins!"

Thunder Creature patted its chest, producing a dull metallic clang.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming was overjoyed and immediately cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, senior!"

Thunder Creatures waved his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense and get to the point."

"After I find your things, I'll go have a good sleep. Maybe when I wake up again, you'll have mastered the Jade True Thunder Palace."

"Don't forget to come and find me when the time comes."

Shen Chongming frowned slightly, cupped his hands, and asked, "Senior, what is the Jade True Thunder Palace?"

The thunderous creature paused for a moment and said:

"The Jade True Thunder Palace is naturally the cultivator's Purple Palace, and it will also be the residence of your Nascent Soul in your body in the future."

"Forget it, I can't explain it to you now. You'll understand everything once you've cultivated your Golden Core."

This thunderous creature is impatient and seems to have very little patience.

He then changed the subject and urged, "Have you decided what you want?"

"If you don't tell me, I'll go find you some innate spiritual energy right now."

After pondering for a moment, Shen Chongming immediately cupped his hands and explained the situation of his grandmother, Hu Yufen.

"Senior, do you know if there are any suitable rare and precious herbs in this secret realm that could help our elders?"

Upon hearing this, Thunder Creature tilted its head and thought for a moment before saying:

"You're lucky, kid. There might actually be one!"

"Wait."

His figure vanished from the spot in a flash.

A moment later, the thunderous creature returned.

When it reappeared, it was holding a strange fruit the size of an egg in its right hand.

The fruit was pure white, like jade, with a faint blue aura flowing inside.

The azure aura within the white jade fruit sometimes transformed into a lifelike fish swimming freely, and sometimes into a vibrant sapling... It was quite peculiar.

"Na!"

"This thing should be able to extend the lifespan of your clan's elders by a hundred years."

After tossing the white jade fruit to Shen Chongming, Thunder Creature muttered, "If that old fellow Zhenyi were still alive, he could definitely refine this thing into pills. He could make just two or three pills, and this treasure wouldn't have been wasted..."

A hint of sadness flashed in its eyes when it mentioned the deceased.

Shen Chongming, on the other hand, secretly memorized the name "Shinichi".

As the thunderous creature said, the cultivator named "Zhenyi" must be a master of alchemy.

The Shen family urgently needs the inheritance of the various arts of immortal cultivation.

If the Shen family members can find the "True One" inheritance in the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm in the future, they will have no worries about alchemy.

Thunder Creature did not notice his thoughts. After suppressing his sorrow, he slowly extended his other hand.

In his palm, a sphere formed of electric sparks contained a streak of azure lightning bolt raging wildly.

"I don't know where Old Zhang got this innate spiritual energy back then. The quality is so-so, but you'll have to make do with it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming carefully sensed it, and his eyes widened instantly!

The lightning bolt, which Thunder Creature described as "so-so in quality," actually appears to be a top-grade innate spiritual energy!
At this moment, he suddenly understood why the thunderous creature was so angry when it was mistaken for being formed from innate spiritual energy.

Even the highest-grade innate spiritual energy is just "so-so" in its eyes.

Suppressing his overwhelming joy, Shen Chongming hurriedly put the white jade fruit in his hand into his storage bag, then took out an exquisite jade bottle, made a hand seal, and began to circulate the Spirit Gathering Technique.

Upon seeing this, Thunder Creature immediately opened a hole in the sphere of electric light.

The azure lightning bolt trapped inside tried to escape, but it was captured by Shen Chongming's spirit-gathering technique the moment it burst out!
The lightning emitted a strange cry, and crackled with tiny sparks of electricity, resisting the capture of the spirit-gathering technique.

"be honest!"

Upon seeing this, Thunder Creature let out a cold shout.

The lightning bolt was startled and let out a pitiful cry before reluctantly disappearing into the jade bottle.

Shen Chongming quickly tightened the stopper and, after confirming that everything was in order, put the jade bottle into his storage bag.

After everything was done, the thunderous creature gave a few more instructions, telling Shen Chongming that as soon as he completed the Jade True Thunder Palace, he must come to find it immediately.

After receiving Shen Chongming's assurance, its figure quickly disappeared from the spot.

-

Entrance to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm.

The cultivators who had fled in panic in fear of the thunderous creature were now gathered at the entrance of the secret realm, discussing the reason why the thunderous monster had suddenly gone berserk.

Some people think that a foolish cultivator who entered the secret realm angered the thunderous monster.

Some say that the thunderous monster seemed to be laughing when it went berserk, suggesting that someone must have received some kind of inheritance or obtained some great treasure.

Some people think that the thunder monster is just a madman, and there is no reason for his madness.

Amidst the various speculations, the middle-aged man, who appeared to be a disciple of Listening Wind Valley, discreetly moved among the many cultivators, searching for traces of Shen Chongming and Chen Youran.

He thought he had disguised himself well, but little did he know that Shen Chongming had already guessed his identity before entering the secret realm.

Before leaving the secret realm, he changed his appearance again and took advantage of the chaos to leave Seven Sages Mountain.

On the official road, Shen Chongming disguised himself as a hunched old man leading a donkey.

Chen Youran, on the other hand, transformed into a thin, sallow-faced old woman, sitting on the back of a donkey.

As they traveled, the two cautiously released their divine senses to investigate.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual within the area covered by his divine sense, Shen Chongming spoke in a low voice:

"After we pass the city ahead, we'll change our appearance once more, and then return directly to Blackwater Pool."

Although it was unlikely that the people from Listening Valley would directly attack the two of them, it was still very unpleasant to have their every move monitored.

He had already secretly decided that once he returned home, he would have to investigate this matter thoroughly.

Even if we can't eliminate all the spies from all other forces under the Shen family's control, we must at least ensure that there are no enemy eyes within the Blackwater Pool area.

……

Hidden Dragon Mountain.

In the dense jungle, a fierce battle had just ended.

Holding a silver spear, covered in blood, Shen Chonghong surveyed his surroundings with a grave expression.

"Young master, we've found it!"

A cultivator from the Shen family hurriedly arrived and bowed. Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong quickly followed him to the other side of the battlefield.

But when he saw Xiao Hongxiu in a red dress in the distance helping to treat the wounded barbarian warriors, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly settled back into his stomach.

Why are you running around like that!?

He slowly approached her from behind and spoke with a cold face.

Xiao Hongxiu stood up abruptly, meeting his gaze, and stammered, "Just now... just now we couldn't hold this position, and two gray-scaled hyenas at the seventh level of Qi Refining charged over..."

Seeing the aggrieved and frightened look on her face, Shen Chonghong's heart softened, but he still said coldly, "There are disciplines on the battlefield. If this side is breached, others will fill the gap."

“If everyone were to run around like you, disobeying the rules, the defenses would collapse completely, and even more people would die.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongxiu lowered her head, tears of grievance welling up in her eyes.

Before this, she had never participated in such a large-scale battle, and naturally did not know any battlefield rules.

In the first two months after arriving in the mountains, there weren't many monsters attacking, so everyone basically split into small teams to patrol and hunt them down.

This was the first time she had encountered such a large number of demonic beasts. In the midst of the battle, she saw that the left side of the defensive line had been breached by two ferocious hyena demons, and many Shen family soldiers and barbarian warriors were being slaughtered. Without thinking twice, she charged straight over.

"Ugh!"

With a slight sigh, Shen Chonghong finally refrained from continuing the harsh reprimand and said in a slightly gentler voice, "Let's go back to the camp and rest first. Leave things here to others."

Xiao Hongxiu nodded obediently and walked towards the distant camp, carrying her curved sword.

Shen Chonghong stared blankly at her slightly forlorn figure.

"That girl is kind-hearted, can't you be a little gentler?"

"Just say you're worried, don't make this up every day."

Huang Qi, his face covered in blood, walked over with a smile, carrying a long spear.

Shen Chonghong turned around and said calmly, "Uncle has misunderstood."

“My father instructed me that if she loses even a single hair, he would break my legs. I just don’t want to be implicated by her ignorance…”

Upon hearing this, Huang Qi smiled faintly.

"You brat, still being stubborn..."

"Young master, the casualty statistics are in."

Mu Chang then approached with a solemn expression, cupped his hands, and spoke.

Shen Chonghong didn't bother explaining to his uncle and immediately said:

"how?"

Mu Chang shook his head slightly and sighed, "Seven cultivators died, and more than ten were seriously injured."

"More than two hundred of our tribe's soldiers were killed or wounded, and nearly one hundred of the seven hundred warriors of the Western Wilderness also died."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong's face instantly turned ugly!
Even though he was mentally prepared, he still felt a slight pang in his heart when he heard about the casualties in this battle!
Several decades have passed since the Immortal Sect descended, and today's battle is the most devastating loss the Shen family has ever suffered.

Huang Qi gently patted his shoulder and said:
"Now is not the time for sadness."

"Judging from the current situation, if another attack like this were to occur, we would absolutely not be able to withstand it!"

During the battle just now, the Shen family cultivators used a large number of talismans, and the clan soldiers also set up many mechanisms and traps in advance.

Otherwise, the casualties would likely have been even greater.

Now that the talismans are almost used up, it will take time to set up the traps and mechanisms again.

If that monster launches another attack, something terrible will happen.

Shen Chonghong nodded solemnly.

"Tell your family about the situation here first."

"My eldest brother has gone to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm. I don't know if he has returned yet. My third uncle is in seclusion. I need to ask my father to find some reinforcements."

"In addition, take away the demon cores and some of the best flesh and blood of these demonic beasts."

"We can't waste the rest either. Let the centipede's insect offspring clean it up, and while they're at it, set up poison defenses here. We'll hold them off for as long as we can!"

After arranging everything, Shen Chonghong hurriedly went to the camp to prepare to recover his spiritual power as soon as possible.

When Xiao Hongxiu saw him approaching, she hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "There's something I want to discuss with you."

Shen Chonghong nodded.

Xiao Hongxiu clutched the hem of her clothes and whispered, "I want to go back to Hundred Refinement Valley."

"Are you angry?" Shen Chonghong frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment seeming to surface in his heart.

Xiao Hongxiu shook her head repeatedly and explained:

"Hundred Refinement Valley is skilled at forging an ancient type of equipment."

"I want to go back and ask my father to help those soldiers in the Western Wilderness forge some armor and weapons."

"With those armors and weapons, their strength and ability to survive will be greatly enhanced..."

During the Immortal Dynasty era in Danzhou, the founders of Hundred Refinement Valley were specifically tasked with crafting equipment for the soldiers of the Immortal Dynasty.

However, the things they create are slightly different from the magical artifacts crafted by immortal cultivators.

The biggest difference is that it cannot be activated with spiritual power.

Over the long years, generations of cultivators in Hundred Refinement Valley have been studying the crafting of magical artifacts, but they are not as skilled as immortal sects like Luoxia Mountain, which have relatively complete artifact crafting traditions.

Shen Chonghong remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"Are you... accurate or not?"

Seeing that he did not answer, Xiao Hongxiu raised her head and asked again.

After spending several months together, she didn't even realize that she had become obedient and compliant, and was used to seeking Shen Chonghong's opinion on everything.

Meeting her gaze, Shen Chonghong smiled faintly and said, "My Shen family doesn't have that many spirit crystals to buy things from Hundred Refinement Valley."

Xiao Hongxiu seemed to have guessed he would say that, and quickly spoke up:

“I can give the items to the Shen family at my discretion, but you have to promise me one thing.”

Free gift?
After a moment's thought, Shen Chonghong had roughly guessed what the girl was thinking.

"Let's talk about it first."

Xiao Hongxiu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Hundred Refinement Valley wants to form an alliance with the Shen family."

After saying this, she looked at Shen Chonghong with a somewhat nervous expression.

For months, she had been able to detect a clue among the attacking monsters.

The monsters that attacked the Shen family and those that appeared in Xiang County, under the jurisdiction of Hundred Refinement Valley, should come from the same place.

However, Xiangjun only encountered a small and scattered group of people at that time.

If things continue as they are today, even if Hundred Refinement Valley sends out experts at the Nascent Soul stage, they will likely suffer heavy losses!

The outside world believed that Hundred Refinement Valley and Vajra Sect were related by blood.

Xiao Hongxiu herself understood that the relationship between the two families had become increasingly distant since the passing of the old sect master of Hundred Refinement Valley.

Whether the Vajra Sect will lend a hand if something really happens in Xiang County depends entirely on their mood.

She just happened to discover that the standard equipment that Hundred Refinement Valley was good at making was useful to the Shen family, so she wanted to use this opportunity to form an alliance between Hundred Refinement Valley and the Shen family.

Xiao Hongxiu also knew that this alliance was of little significance to the Shen family; a few standard-issue equipment were not worth much spirit crystals.

Shen Chonghong looked at her quietly, and he could see the guilt in her nervous expression.

The reason I didn't immediately refuse was because I remembered what my older brother had told me.

The weapon-refining tradition of Hundred Refinement Valley is not as good as that of other immortal sects, but it is still better than that of the Shen family.

If we can seize this opportunity to marry this girl, there will be fewer unexpected events and troubles.

He doesn't have a particularly good impression of Xiao Hongxiu, but he doesn't dislike her either.

After spending several months together, the resentment he felt from the humiliation he had once harbored truly dissipated.

"I can't make that decision." Having made up his mind, Shen Chonghong said calmly, "Besides, I don't think my elder brother and father would agree to it."

Upon hearing this, a deep sense of disappointment flashed across Xiao Hongxiu's face, and she thought to herself:
"As expected, none of the Shen family members are easy to fool..."

"However, I do have a solution."

Taking in her expression, Shen Chonghong suddenly said something.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongxiu asked urgently, "What method?"

Shen Chonghong looked at her and smiled faintly, saying, "If you marry into the Shen family... then the Shen family and Hundred Refinement Valley will be in-laws, which is more reliable than forming an alliance."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongxiu's beautiful eyes were filled with astonishment, followed by a flash of anger as she said, "If you don't agree, just say so. Why humiliate me like this?"

As she said this, her eyes were already misty with tears, and she looked at Shen Chonghong with a very aggrieved expression.

"I thought this guy was broad-minded and magnanimous, but I never expected him to be such a petty and narrow-minded person!"

"This humiliation is probably revenge for the loss of Seven Sages Mountain."

"But I can't blame anyone else, I delivered myself into this mess..."

The more Xiao Hongxiu thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and tears were about to fall from her eyes.

"I'm serious. Marry me and the Shen family and Hundred Refinement Valley will be one family."

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Shen Chonghong suddenly felt a pang of pity and met her gaze in a deep voice.

Xiao Hongxiu was stunned.

The grievances and anger in her heart instantly dissipated under Shen Chonghong's gaze.

A hint of shyness finally appeared on her raised pretty face, and she slowly lowered her head.

A wave of panic washed over her, and just as she was about to smile, Xiao Hongxiu suddenly reminded herself.

"This guy is definitely still trying to humiliate me. I can't let him succeed!"

"Xiao Hongxiu, you'd better stand up for yourself!"

Having secretly mustered her courage, she suddenly raised her head, intending to refuse directly, but her eyes met Shen Chonghong's gaze.

"I...I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Having finally mustered the courage, Xiao Hongxiu could only utter a reproachful remark before fleeing in disarray.

Looking at the closed wooden door, Shen Chonghong chuckled and shook his head.

……

In the backyard pavilion, Shen Yuan and Hu Yufen sat facing each other, with a basket of fresh shepherd's purse on the stone table in front of them.

"There are so many servants in the mansion, if you want to eat, just have them prepare it for you, why do you have to do it yourself..."

"Eh!"

"I told you, if you don't want to help me choose, just go lie down on your recliner. Why are you talking so much?"

"Really..."

Before Shen Yuan could finish speaking, Hu Yufen snatched the shepherd's purse from his hand and glared at him.

Shen Yuan paused for a moment, then chuckled and snatched the shepherd's purse back: "Pick! Just pick the vegetables, and don't say anything, okay?"

Hu Yufen rolled her eyes at him, a slight smile appearing on her face before she said wistfully:
"Dad, what do you think our lives would be like now if this immortal hadn't come?"

Shen Yuan plucked a withered yellow leaf from the vegetable and said with a faint smile, "It's hard to say what life will be like..."

"But this shepherd's purse... I'm afraid it can only grow on our graves."

Hu Yufen was slightly taken aback, then threw a shepherd's purse at him, laughing and scolding:
"Go!"

"You old lecher..."

The elderly couple were chatting and laughing when a figure hurriedly walked in from the courtyard gate.

"Grandpa, Grandma, your grandson is back!"

Shen Chongming approached with a smile and bowed to the two of them.

The two of them looked at him with smiles.

Shen Yuan pointed to the stone bench beside him, and after he sat down, he asked, "Was the trip smooth?"

Shen Chongming nodded slightly and said, "A good harvest."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out the white jade fruit and handed it to Hu Yufen.

"Grandma, this fruit is for you."

Hu Yufen was slightly taken aback, and looked at the white jade fruit with a puzzled expression, asking, "What kind of fruit is this?"

"He is indeed very handsome, like he was carved from white jade..."

Shen Chongming laughed and said, "Never mind what it is, Grandma, eat first."

"Would your grandson harm you?"

Hu Yufen shook her head and said, "No, I won't eat it if you don't tell me..."

Over the years, her children and grandchildren have tricked her into eating these things many times.

Although she didn't recognize them, she knew they were all good things and very expensive!
"Grandpa, look..."

Seeing that she refused, Shen Chongming could only look to Shen Yuan for help.

Shen Yuan briefly sensed the rich vitality emanating from the white jade fruit, and was slightly startled, but remained calm as he said:

"It's just a fruit. Your child is so filial; they brought it all the way here for you. Eat it."

Shen Chongming echoed his sentiments from the side.

Unable to dissuade the two, Hu Yufen could only accept the white jade fruit and take a small bite.

The moment the fruit is bitten open, a rich sense of vitality emanates from it.

Upon seeing this, Shen Yuan immediately waved his hand and released a burst of spiritual energy to intercept all the life force, slowly sending it into Hu Yufen's body.

At the same time, Hu Yufen felt as if she hadn't made any movement at all, and all the juice from the white jade fruit rushed into her mouth!

The sweet and fragrant juice instantly dissolved within his body, and a rich vitality flowed through his meridians to his limbs and bones.

"Calm your mind and refine it properly."

"Don't let Chongming's filial piety go to waste."

Upon seeing this, Shen Yuan condensed his voice into a line and transmitted it directly into Hu Yufen's sea of ​​consciousness.

Upon hearing this, Hu Yufen's somewhat flustered mind gradually calmed down, and she began to refine the life force within her body.

Once the situation stabilized, Shen Yuan waved his hand and set up a spiritual energy shield in the pavilion, then retreated outside the pavilion with Shen Chongming.

"Where was this item obtained from that secret realm?"

In the courtyard, Shen Yuan glanced at Hu Yufen in the pavilion and asked with a smile.

Shen Chongming nodded and briefly recounted his trip to Qixian Mountain.

"Grandpa, what do you think is the purpose of Listening Wind Valley's actions?"

Shen Yuan's expression was serious. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly smiled and said, "Yangnao Land is too quiet."

"Right now, Tingfeng Valley is both envious of the large amount of spirit crystals that Yiqi Sect can obtain every year, and also feels that the current situation in Yangnao Land is not conducive to their business."

"They obviously want to muddy the waters."

"Their business is better off when things get chaotic."

Shen Chongming suddenly realized, and then asked, "Grandpa, what do you think should be done about the Yi Qi Sect's blatant violation of the agreement and the unauthorized opening of a market at Qi Xian Mountain?"

Shen Yuan smiled and looked at him, saying, "Each generation has its own way of managing a household. Grandpa is getting old, so you can discuss this matter with your father."

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "Grandson understands."

"Go ahead and get busy, I'll stay here," Shen Yuan said, waving his hand.

……

After leaving the backyard, Shen Chongming hesitated for a moment before heading towards the main courtyard of the clan, intending to discuss with Lu Zhiyuan how to deal with the matter of the people in Yunshui City.

"Master, are you saying that there are demons causing trouble in the mountains?"

In the main hall of the clan's main courtyard, Shen Chongming frowned and spoke.

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and said, "This time the demon scourge is quite serious. Most of the clan's available forces have been transferred to the mountains by your father to hunt demons."

Shen Chongming's expression was solemn.

He hadn't expected that such a big thing would happen in the mountains while he was away for several months.

This demonic disturbance must be related to the southern border region.

It has been two years since my third uncle last defeated four cultivators from the Southern Frontier in the mountains.

For the past two years, no cultivators or demons related to the Southern Frontier have appeared within the Shen family's territory, to the point that he had almost forgotten the existence of the Southern Frontier.

The demonic threat is imminent; other matters can be addressed later.

"Sir, let's discuss clearing out the enemy's spies another day. I'll head into the mountains now to exorcise the demon."

……

More than a thousand miles south of Yinlong Mountain, in the vast mountains, the sky presents a strange, fragmented phenomenon.

The sky was like a vast curtain, with a huge hole torn open from below.

Through this eerie crack, one can vaguely see that behind the curtain lies a vast and desolate world.

On this side of the curtain, in a desolate valley, many terrifying monsters dwell.

On a platform above the valley, on a huge blue stone, more than a dozen monsters with beast heads and human bodies, wearing tattered armor, were sitting together.

"Second Sister, in my opinion, there's no need to wait any longer. Let's brothers lead the younger ones and charge straight over there, slaughtering all those human cultivators!"

"At that time, won't we be able to enjoy billions of blood sacrifices at our disposal?"

Among the demons, a snake demon with a face covered in blue scales and vertical pupils roared, its eyes filled with ferocity and greed.

"Yes, yes! Let's charge in, forget all the chaos, let's plunder a few cities and bring back some blood and gourds to enjoy, lest other demon caves get there first!"

Another one-eyed wolf demon started shouting.

"Second sister, this is an opportunity from the demon cave of Mount Wu. With a large amount of blood food, our cultivation will be able to advance further. When we become Golden Core demons, we can also kill our way to Fushan Kingdom and rescue our eldest brother!"

"Second sister, don't wait anymore!"

"Let's charge in!"

The group of demons shouted angrily.

The woman in the lead, who only had a few speckled scales on her forehead, lowered her eyes and said coldly, "That's enough!"

"The world on this side of the curtain is not as simple as you fools think!"

"Besides, how can ordinary blood food compare to the fragrance of a cultivator's immortal embryo?"

Upon hearing this, the group of demons immediately revealed a greedy look in their eyes!
The woman gently stroked the scale between her eyebrows and said, "You few, go back later and drive away some lesser demons."

"Let's try to lure out one or two cultivators who have formed immortal embryos this time..."

The woman slowly raised her head, her golden vertical pupils radiating a terrifying light!

(End of this chapter)