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Chapter 199 One Year (Please Subscribe)
The Ruan family is very powerful in Hundred Refinement Valley, and Xiao Hongxiu doesn't want the Xiao family and the Ruan family to completely break off relations over such a small matter.

After some thought, she slowly lifted the sedan curtain and looked at the girl who had answered earlier, saying, "Xiao Ai, you should immediately go to Yunshui City along the road and take a look."

"If you encounter members of the Shen family on the road, tell them about this situation..."

The girl, Sun Xiaoai, nodded and then flew forward on the wind.

Upon seeing this, the young man surnamed Ruan in the wedding procession did not stop it.

His only goal was to have the Shen family's wedding procession travel fifty miles to greet them, thus giving Hundred Refinement Valley a lot of face.

In that case, we can go back to the sect and publicize it extensively, taking the opportunity to suppress Xiao Yin's power.

A small grove of trees ten miles outside Yunshui City.

Shen Chonghong sat quietly on his horse, gazing at the end of the official road ahead.

Suddenly, he saw a figure coming from afar, riding the wind, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The figure riding the wind seemed to have seen them, and gracefully landed not far in front of them.

"Could they be from the Shen family?"

Sun Xiaoai, who was only seven or eight years old, looked at Shen Chonghong and the others and asked curiously.

"Who are you?"

A Shen family cultivator accompanying Shen Chonghong stepped forward to inquire.

Sun Xiaoai came up to him and looked at Shen Chonghong on horseback. Her eyes lit up and she thought to herself, "What a handsome young man."

"No wonder my senior sister was in such a hurry to marry into this family."

Shen Chonghong also sized up the young girl in front of him, and with a slight thought, he roughly guessed her identity.

"My name is Sun Xiaoai. Senior Sister Hongxiu sent me here."

Sun Xiaoai looked up and spoke.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong's lips curled up slightly: "What did she want you to come here for?"

Without hesitation, Sun Xiaoai immediately recounted the whole story.

Upon hearing her words, Shen Chonghong frowned deeply, and the Shen family cultivators accompanying him also looked grim.

There is such a rule in Yangnao, but welcoming someone ten miles away is already enough respect.

The other party actually demanded that they come out fifty miles to greet them. Did they really think they were goddesses of the three great sects?
"Son..."

Beside him, a cultivator from the Shen family turned to look.

Shen Chonghong glanced at Sun Xiaoai, then looked towards the end of the official road. After a moment's thought, he said, "You all wait here. I'll go take a look myself."

With that, he gently tugged at the reins and rode his horse forward.

Fifty miles outside Yunshui City, when the wedding procession from Bailian Valley slowly arrived, they found a handsome young man dressed in a bright red wedding robe with gold patterns, riding a tall horse, waiting on the official road.

Upon seeing this, the young man surnamed Ruan in the wedding procession revealed a triumphant smile.

But then he suddenly frowned slightly.

Because he only saw Shen Chonghong riding a horse, and did not see the other members of the Shen family's wedding procession.

What does it mean?
The young man surnamed Ruan thought to himself, then shook the reins and arrived in front of Shen Chonghong ahead of the wedding procession.

They looked at each other, but neither of them spoke.

"At such a young age... Qi Refining Level 7!?"

"Why?"

Having seen through Shen Chonghong's cultivation level, the young man surnamed Ruan secretly felt a sense of displeasure.

As a cultivator from the Immortal Sect in Danzhou, this young man surnamed Ruan seemed to have a sense of superiority, like a city dweller visiting the countryside, when he came to Yangnao.

In terms of cultivation, he was nearly two minor realms higher than him, but he was also nearly twice as old.

The young man surnamed Ruan would certainly not admit that he was inferior to Shen Chonghong in terms of cultivation talent.

But they didn't think the small Shen family was stronger than the Ruan family.

It was said that Shen Chonghong had gotten incredibly lucky and obtained some rare and precious material that could improve his cultivation level.

"His aura suggests he's at the eighth level of Qi Refining, but his true essence and spiritual power... are utterly worthless!"

After sizing up the young man surnamed Ruan, Shen Chonghong felt a sense of disdain.

Judging from his aura, the person in front of him was indeed slightly stronger than him, but his true essence and spiritual power were as weak as cotton wool, which proved an old saying.

A donkey's dung ball is shiny on the outside, but it's all show and no substance.

While the two were lost in their own thoughts, the wedding procession arrived.

Inside the sedan chair, Xiao Hongxiu slightly lifted the curtain and looked at Shen Chonghong riding a tall horse not far away. Suddenly, a strange sense of joy and emotion welled up in her heart.

She was not as ignorant as this young man surnamed Ruan, but seeing that Shen Chonghong came alone and did not bring the Shen family's wedding procession, she understood his intention.

Coming alone reflects his attitude towards himself.

The wedding procession did not arrive; that was the bottom line for the Shen family.

Shen Chonghong's gaze passed over the young man surnamed Ruan in front of him and fell on the bridal sedan chair in the wedding procession.

Through the slightly lifted sedan curtain, one could see Xiao Hongxiu dressed in a bright red wedding gown and wearing a phoenix crown. Compared to her usual dashing appearance, she exuded a touch of charm and shyness.

Shen Chonghong's lips curled up slightly as he dismounted and walked over slowly.

But before he could take two steps, a long, black spear suddenly blocked his way.

"Uncle-Master Xiao and Junior Sister have repeatedly praised the Shen family as the most courteous family in this Yangnao land, but after seeing them today, it seems that their praise is somewhat exaggerated."

"The two families are getting married, and the Shen family is coming to fetch the bride, but they don't even have a proper ceremony. Isn't that a bit too shabby?"

The young man surnamed Ruan, riding on horseback, looked down at the young man and launched into a sarcastic remark.

Shen Chonghong glanced at the spear in front of him, then suddenly stretched out his palm and flicked his finger!
Boom!
A powerful surge of spiritual energy struck the spear, causing the magical weapon to tremble violently!
The young man surnamed Ruan suddenly felt a slight numbness in his hand holding the gun, and almost let the gun fly out of his hand.

Shen Chonghong flicked the spear away with a finger and continued walking towards the bridal sedan chair.

The young man surnamed Ruan regained his senses, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He secretly tightened his grip on the gun, and a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy appeared on his body.

Sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy behind him, Shen Chonghong slowly turned his head and glanced at him, saying, "Today is my wedding day with Hongxiu, and I naturally do not wish to resort to violence and spoil the joy."

"But if you dare to make another move, this blood-stained wedding dress and gown will also be a kind of romance."

The young man surnamed Ruan felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the murderous intent in Ruan's eyes.

Compared to Shen Chonghong, he was a true spoiled second-generation rich kid who had been nurtured and raised by his family since childhood.

Even when they occasionally went out to train, they were always accompanied and protected by elders of the clan, and they would choose some demonic beasts that were far below their own level to practice on. They had never experienced a real life-or-death battle.

Shen Chonghong is different.

At the age of eleven or twelve, he was sent to the mountain defense line for training, leading the Shen family soldiers to fight against monsters year after year.

In terms of cultivation, although Shen Chonghong is the son of the head of the Shen family, his cultivation resources are only equivalent to those of a normal immortal sect disciple, without any special treatment.

All his true essence and spiritual power were earned through his own hard work and cultivation.

Although his cultivation level was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, Shen Chonghong was confident that he could kill the young man from Hundred Refinement Valley within ten moves if they really started fighting.

He just doesn't want to take action right now.

The young man surnamed Ruan gripped his spear tightly, his eyes fixed on Shen Chonghong. After struggling internally for a long time, he ultimately lacked the courage to continue his attack.

When Shen Chonghong flicked away his spear with a finger, he felt the opponent's powerful true energy.

Furthermore, Shen Chonghong's look just now reminded him of the fear he felt when he went out to train with his grandfather and was targeted by a wolf demon at the Nascent Soul stage.

The young man surnamed Ruan, riding on horseback, looked at the despicable fellow with an ugly expression and slowly walked to the sedan chair.

The sedan curtain was lifted, and Shen Chonghong leaned down to look at Xiao Hongxiu inside.

Meeting his gaze, Xiao Hongxiu lowered her head shyly, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Chonghong had already extended his palm.

Xiao Hongxiu was slightly taken aback, then shyly placed her soft hand in his palm, intending to step out of the sedan chair.

However, Shen Chonghong gently pulled him and instead hugged him directly.

“You…” Xiao Hongxiu’s beautiful eyes widened, and her pretty face turned bright red.

“In Yangnao, there is another rule: it is unlucky for the bride's feet to touch the ground while she is on the road.”

Shen Chonghong smiled faintly and then carried the person in his arms toward the tall horse not far away.

Reaching the horse, he placed Xiao Hongxiu on its back, then mounted himself, pulling Xiao Hongxiu into his arms. Looking at the wedding procession from Hundred Refinement Valley, he said:

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Please come with me to my residence for a cup of celebratory wine and a rest."

Upon hearing this, the people accompanying the bride exchanged glances, and then all looked at the young man surnamed Ruan.

The young man surnamed Ruan glared at the two of them resentfully, feeling too ashamed to go to the Shen family for the wedding banquet. He immediately shouted coldly, "Let's go!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Chonghong narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not say anything more.

As the auspicious time approached, the two rode their horses to the grove.

"Senior sister!"

Upon seeing the two, Sun Xiaoai greeted them with a joyful expression, then looked behind them and asked curiously, "Where are Senior Brother Ruan and the others?"

Xiao Hongxiu looked somewhat saddened: "They went back."

"Xiao Ai, let's talk about this later. The auspicious time is approaching, so we should hurry to the Shen family first."

Shen Chonghong dismounted, picked her up again, and placed her in the prepared bridal sedan chair.

"Get up the sedan!"

The old servant accompanying the bride shouted at the top of his lungs, and the wedding procession slowly turned around, with the sounds of sheng, xiao and suona playing in unison, heading towards Yunshui City in a lively and bustling manner.

The entrance to the manor.

Shen Chongming was pacing anxiously when he saw the large procession approaching from the foot of the mountain, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You brat, at least you didn't miss the time."

The wedding procession arrived at the manor gate. Shen Chonghong dismounted, smiled, and bowed.

"Big brother."

Shen Chongming nodded, his brows furrowing slightly: "Why did it take so long?"

The two families had already discussed and agreed on the details of the wedding, including the specific time.

Now, however, they almost missed the auspicious time.

Shen Chonghong turned to look at Xiao Hongxiu, who was being helped into the courtyard by several maids, and said with a faint smile, "There was a slight accident, but I have taken care of it."

Shen Chongming nodded, but did not ask any further questions.

"Alright, hurry up and go in, the auspicious time has arrived."

……

As evening fell, the Shen Family Manor, which had been bustling and noisy all day, gradually returned to quiet.

In the main hall of the backyard, Shen Yuan and his wife sat in the head seats, with Shen Wenxing and Huang Lingxiu sitting beside them.

The remaining members of the Shen family stood on either side.

Shen Chonghong and Xiao Hongxiu walked side by side, and respectfully knelt down to offer them tea and change their address.

After Hu Yufen personally introduced the newlyweds to her brothers, sisters-in-law, and other relatives, the two returned to their new home.

Before the bed draped in red gauze, Xiao Hongxiu shyly and nervously took off her embroidered shoes and gently placed them on top of Shen Chonghong's shoes.

"What is this doing?"

Shen Chonghong hung his bright red wedding robe with gold patterns aside and saw this scene when he turned around.

Xiao Hongxiu lowered her head and said, "I heard that there's another rule in Yangnao Land, that doing this means you can't bully me anymore..."

Shen Chonghong was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled and shook his head, blew out the pair of red candles on the desk, and slowly walked towards the bed.

……

Early the next morning.

In the backyard of the manor, Shen Wenxing looked at his father and son in front of him, and then at Shen Wen'an beside him. Seeing that they all looked solemn, he smiled and said, "Father, I'm just going into seclusion to cultivate, not to die. There's no need to be like this."

After saying this, he looked at Shen Chongming and said:
"After I go into seclusion, I will entrust the affairs of this family to you."

"When you are unsure about something, you should consult with your grandfather and your third uncle."

Shen Chongming nodded without saying anything.

"Wen'an, I'm entrusting the family matters to you." Turning to Shen Wen'an, Shen Wenxing said this before heading straight towards the back mountain of the manor, with Shen Chongming following closely behind.

In his early years, he had already had several secret rooms built in the back mountain for his family to use in seclusion.

The father and son arrived at the back mountain. Shen Wenxing glanced at the cave and secret chamber in front of him and said in a deep voice, "After I go in, you should use your spiritual power to seal the array at the entrance of this cave."

"If I am still unable to break through the barrier two years from now, then you should break the formation and collect my remains for burial."

Shen Chongming nodded solemnly.

"I'm off." Gently patting his shoulder, Shen Wenxing walked directly into the cave.

The stone door of the cave slowly closed. Shen Chongming, with a look of reluctance on his face, clenched his fist slightly and then waved his hand to release a burst of spiritual energy, activating the protective array of the cave.

"Father, you must come out alive..."

He murmured something to himself and then resolutely walked down the mountain to the manor.

……

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past year, Fu Yang, accompanied by Shen Yuan, spent several months finally completing the grand formation of Yunshui City.

The three great formations, two defensive and one offensive, all rely on a small amount of spirit crystals to maintain their operation. When activated, they can directly draw upon the earth vein power around Yunshui City, unleashing considerable power.

According to Fu Yang, as long as the enemy is not proficient in the secret technique of destroying the earth's veins, the two protective formations can withstand the strong attack of dozens of cultivators at the peak of the embryonic breathing realm for half an hour.

As for the attack formation, if a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage is in charge of it, it also has the ability to kill a cultivator at the Perfect Nascent Soul stage.

How long the three formations can hold out depends mainly on the energy contained in the earth veins beneath Yunshui City.

With the protection of the grand formation, the Shen family's safety was somewhat guaranteed.

In the southern border region, since Shen Wen'an and Luo Yao of Luoxia Mountain joined forces to kill several demon generals, the demon beasts have been quiet for a while.

For more than a year, although small groups of monsters have attacked from time to time, they have all been within a controllable range.

Shen You and He Chongyi, who were at home, had also reached the third level of Qi Refining and were sent to the front line in the mountains for training.

According to reports from the front lines, both little ones performed exceptionally well.

The opening of Wendao School and its teaching activities are also progressing smoothly.

After the various immortal sects established academies in the cities under their jurisdiction, Shen Chongxuan immediately ordered the scholars in the academies to take the books they had prepared in advance and head to various places.

In just one year, the cultural atmosphere of this Yangnao land has seen a significant increase.

At the west gate of Yunshui City, two figures emerged from Hidden Dragon Mountain, riding the wind.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the Shen family soldiers guarding the city gate bowed and greeted them, saying, "Greetings, young master! Greetings, madam!"

Shen Chonghong nodded, helped Xiao Hongxiu up, and then looked at a cultivator beside him: "Have someone prepare a carriage."

Upon hearing this, the cultivator immediately bowed and ran into the city.

Seeing this, Xiao Hongxiu smiled helplessly and said, "Husband, there's no need to be so careful. I am a cultivator, after all, and I am not as fragile as a pregnant woman in the mortal world."

"Besides, she's only two months pregnant, there's no need to make a fuss..."

Shen Chonghong seemed not to hear her words, and continued to support her, waiting quietly for the servants to bring the carriage.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove up to the entrance of Blackwater Pool Manor.

Once the carriage came to a stop, Shen Chonghong carefully helped Xiao Hongxiu down and led her into the courtyard.

In the front yard, a little guy, about three years old with a chubby face, was grabbing the tail of a big black dog, trying to drag it outside.

The big black dog looked utterly dejected, but when it saw Shen Chonghong and the other man approaching, it immediately used a little force to break free from the little guy's grasp, took a step and ran to Shen Chonghong, nuzzling him affectionately.

The little one behind him was startled and fell with a cry of "Ouch!" but didn't cry. He got up, dusted himself off, and when he saw Shen Chonghong, he ran up to him with a smile and looked up, saying, "Uncle, Aunt, why are you back?"

A few days after their marriage, the two went to the front lines in the mountains together, and this is the first time they have returned from the mountains.

Shen Chonghong smiled and ruffled his hair: "Where's your dad?"

Shen Xiuzhuo looked around and shook his head slightly, saying, "Xiuzhuo doesn't know, you must have gone to the academy again."

“My father has been going to the academy a lot lately when he has nothing to do.”

Academy?

After a moment's thought, Shen Chonghong understood that his elder brother, Shen Chongming, had recently been paying particular attention to cultivators of the literary path.

Several months ago, the clan also sent four scholars from the academy to the front lines for trials.

Those seemingly weak and dull guys, aside from almost wetting their pants when they first encountered the monsters, actually got used to it and were quite good.

He excels in close combat with swordsmanship and can also use Qi for ranged attacks. His overall strength is no weaker than that of a cultivator at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining in the Immortal Path.

Is Auntie pregnant?

Seeing Xiao Hongxiu's hand unconsciously touching her lower abdomen, Shen Xiuzhuo suddenly asked curiously.

His words interrupted Shen Chonghong's thoughts. The couple exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

How can a three-year-old child know about being pregnant?

Xiao Hongxiu bowed slightly and pinched his little face, saying, "How did Xiu Zhuo know that his aunt was pregnant?"

Shen Xiuzhuo tilted his head and replied, "My mother used to touch her belly just like my aunt did, and then her belly gradually got bigger."

“My mother said that if my belly gets bigger, it means I’m pregnant, and that she’ll give me a little brother or sister in a few months.”

Upon hearing this, both Shen Chonghong and Xiao Hongxiu showed surprise and delight.

"Is your sister-in-law pregnant too?"

"Perfect, my wife can ask her sister-in-law for advice later."

Xiao Hongxiu nodded slightly.

“Mother is in the backyard with Grandma, Auntie, go find her.”

Shen Xiuzhuo looked up as he spoke, his gaze then fixed on the big black dog hiding behind Shen Chonghong.

"Woo——"

The big black dog looked up with a pitiful expression, as if begging the two of them to help it escape the clutches of this little devil.

Seeing this, Shen Chonghong gently patted Shen Xiuzhuo's head and said, "Dahei is older than your uncle and your father. You can play with it, but don't bully it."

Shen Xiuzhuo pursed his lips after hearing this and softly said "Oh".

When the couple arrived at the backyard, they saw three figures sitting together in the pavilion, chatting and laughing.

The most eye-catching among them was Hu Meier, who wore a plain gauze dress and had two fluffy ears.

Over the years, Hu Meier devoted herself to studying the three jade carvings of the solar terms in the "True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of Heaven and Earth". She gradually repaired her injuries and stabilized her realm at the early stage of fetal breathing.

Although it still cannot fight with people, it has managed to maintain its human form. However, it will take a long time for its ears and tail to retract.

"Mom, Aunt Hu."

Shen Chonghong first bowed to Huang Lingxiu and Hu Meier, then bowed to Chen Youran beside him, saying, "Sister-in-law."

The three nodded. Xiao Hongxiu, standing to the side, secretly observed Hu Meier with great curiosity.

Having been married into the Shen family for over a year, this was the first time she had met Hu Meier.

I never imagined that the Shen family would have a female demon cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage.

"Aunt..."

Xiao Hongxiu pondered to herself, and suddenly a major event that had been circulating in Danzhou back then came to mind, and she vaguely guessed Hu Meier's identity.

After she bowed in greeting, Chen Youran pulled her to sit down next to her.

"Sister-in-law... could she be pregnant?"

As a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining, Chen Youran could vaguely sense another faint life force within Xiao Hongxiu's body when he touched her arm.

Xiao Hongxiu nodded shyly.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingxiu and Hu Meier, who were standing nearby, both looked delighted.

"Congratulations sister."

Hu Meier looked at Huang Lingxiu and offered her congratulations softly.

Shen Chonghong then spoke up, "Mother, Hongxiu is pregnant and it is not suitable for her to stay in the mountains anymore. I came here specifically to bring her back."

Huang Lingxiu nodded and asked, "How is the situation in the mountains?"

"Are You'er and Chongyi both being obedient?"

Shen Chonghong cupped his hands and replied, "The situation in the mountains is not very good, but with my son here, nothing will happen."

"Chongyi and You'er have both reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. Apart from competing with each other every day, they are doing quite well."

Shen You is only a year older than He Chongyi, but the quality of her spiritual root is inferior to that of He Chongyi.

In terms of cultivation, He Chongyi is also slightly better.

The little girl is very competitive, and as her older sister, she naturally doesn't want to always be overshadowed by her younger brother.

Therefore, whether it was cultivation or demon slaying, she was determined to compete with He Chongyi.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingxiu smiled and shook her head: "This girl is really a worry."

"Mother, I'm entrusting Hongxiu to your care. I need to hurry back to the mountains," Shen Chonghong said, bowing slightly.

Southern Xinjiang has been quiet for almost two years.

In the past two years, although there have been no major intrusions, small-scale harassment has never stopped.

During this period, he had a vague feeling.

After two years of recuperation, southern Xinjiang is likely to launch a large-scale attack soon.

"So urgent?"

"Aren't you going to stay for a meal before you leave?"

Huang Lingxiu frowned and spoke.

"Yes, your eldest brother went to the academy. You brothers can meet up before you leave when he comes back."

Chen Youran followed up with words of advice.

Shen Chonghong shook his head slightly: "I'll go to the academy later to see my elder brother. I'm worried about things in the mountains."

"Mother, Aunt Hu, sister-in-law, I'm leaving now."

"My wife, please take good care of your health and try to give birth to a big, healthy boy."

Shen Chonghong looked at Xiao Hongxiu with a smile.

Xiao Hongxiu nodded and stood up with a worried expression, saying, "Husband, please be careful."

……

Mountain-side Academy.

The two brothers walked side by side in the corridor of the academy.

“Father has been in seclusion for over a year, and I have been feeling uneasy these days, though I don’t know why.”

Shen Chongming walked slowly with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn.

Having taken over the Shen family for over a year, he has become more composed.

His prestige in the eyes of the clan was even greater than that of Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing.

This is because, compared to Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing, Shen Chongming is more radical in handling matters and rarely shows consideration for personal feelings.

The tribespeople were somewhat afraid of him.

"Has eldest brother visited the place where Father is in seclusion?"

Shen Chonghong pondered for a moment before asking.

Shen Chongming shook his head slightly and said, "Father said he will break through the cultivation barrier within two years, let's wait a little longer."

"By the way, how are the four literary cultivators we sent to the mountains doing?"

"I plan to summon them all back on a chosen day so that they can have a proper exchange with the other scholars and cultivators in the academy."

As the academies under the jurisdiction of various immortal sects were established, more than ten scholars and cultivators were born in the academies.

Sending those four people to the mountains for training was a decision he made after discussing it with Lu Zhiyuan many times. The purpose was to see how much strength literary cultivators could demonstrate in real combat.

Shen Chonghong nodded and replied, "All four are quite good. Their strength is roughly equivalent to that of cultivators at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, but their stamina is not as long as that of immortal cultivators."

When a cultivator of literature fights with others, he consumes his spiritual power and uses his spiritual power to mobilize literary energy.

Once the spiritual power is excessively depleted, it is impossible to recover using spirit crystals and pills like immortal cultivators.

At least for now, the Shen family does not have any pills that can quickly replenish their spiritual power.

"Well then, when you go back this time, you should have the four of them return first."

Shen Chongming pondered for a moment before speaking, "Also, I asked you to send people to the Western Wilderness to investigate the situation. Have you heard anything from them yet?"

Shen Chonghong shook his head: "There have been some rumors coming in before, but most of them were of little value."

"Before I came here, there had been no news for more than a month."

"Brother, are you still worried about the Western Wilderness?"

A year ago, when he and Xiao Hongxiu went to the mountain camp, Shen Chongming instructed him to send someone to the Western Wilderness as soon as possible after arriving in the mountains. The implication was that he was worried that the Southern Frontier had changed its strategy during the two years of silence.

After arriving in the mountains, he sent Wu Yi with a small team of a hundred men to venture deep into the Western Wilderness.

For more than a year, the news that Wu Yi sent back has not been anything unusual.

He felt that his older brother was being overly cautious.

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Chongming said, "Grandpa learned a lot about the Southern Frontier from the golden toad."

"I handed them all over to you after I sorted them out a while ago."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out a thick book from his storage bag, saying, "Take this with you and study it more often when you have free time."

"Once a demon beast's cultivation reaches the embryonic breathing stage, its intelligence is no less than that of a human."

"Moreover, they live long enough and have experienced far more cruelty, making them far more cunning and treacherous than humans. Do not underestimate them."

Shen Chonghong took the book and nodded.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me, brother?"

After pondering for a long time, Shen Chongming looked at him solemnly and said, "If there is any danger, the first thing to do is to protect yourself. Don't let your brother be unable to face Father and Hongxiu."

Shen Chonghong stared blankly at his elder brother, then suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother, I'm in good health!"

"gone."

He waved his hand, then made a hand seal to summon a gentle breeze, and rode the wind to fly out of the city.

Shen Chongming watched his retreating figure disappear with his hands behind his back, pondered for a moment, and then hurriedly headed towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

……

On the pier, a girl in a pink dress sat barefoot, her hands supporting her on the ground, her fair feet swinging comfortably in the clear pool water.

A cool breeze blew from afar. The girl tilted her head back, closed her eyes slightly, and let the wind tousle the hair at her temples and forehead.

Beside it, a hideous centipede with a jet-black body and silver lines on its back was coiled up.

As Shen Chongming approached, the silver-threaded centipede slowly raised its head, glanced at him, and then lowered its head again.

Suddenly, a golden light shot out from the distant water, and a giant golden toad burst out of the water and landed directly beside the girl.

Shen Li turned around and, upon seeing Shen Chongming, smiled and called out, "Big Brother."

Shen Chongming nodded with a smile.

"You haven't cultivated?"

Shen Li turned around and looked at the Blackwater Pavilion behind her.

"Grandpa is divination, and he asked Li'er to stay here and not let anyone disturb him."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming stopped in his tracks, turned around, and leaned against the railing beside him.

His gaze fell upon the silver centipede, and he asked in surprise, "Little Silver has already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining?"

Hearing someone call its name, the silver-threaded centipede raised its head and squeaked twice.

Shen Li looked down at it and reached out to touch the silver thread on its back.

"Little Silver's talent is still not as good as Little Gold's."

Upon hearing this, the golden toad said rather arrogantly, "Of course, I possess the bloodline of an ancient mythical beast, making me far superior to this little reptile."

Upon hearing this, the silver-threaded centipede let out a couple of strange cries, seemingly somewhat unconvinced, but ultimately lacked confidence.

Upon seeing this, Shen Chongming smiled slightly.

He couldn't understand Shen Li's current level of cultivation either.

In terms of strength, it possesses a golden toad at the early stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm and a silver-threaded centipede at the eighth level of Qi Refining, so dealing with a cultivator at the Fetal Breathing Realm should not be a problem.

However, in terms of strength alone, he is currently only at the third level of Qi Refining.

However, her Qi Refining Level 3 gave people a strange feeling, especially when they looked into each other's eyes. Shen Chongming always felt that her big, dark, and bright eyes seemed to have the ability to see through people's hearts.

Before the brother and sister could exchange more than a few words, Shen Yuan's voice came from inside the attic.

"You two, come in."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li took her pair of fair, jade-like feet out of the water, stood up, and followed them into the Blackwater Pavilion.

"grandfather."

Shen Chongming bowed and knelt on the prayer mat opposite Shen Yuan.

The young maid Shen Li brought tea to the two of them, then returned to her corner alone to begin her cultivation.

"Grandpa, I've been feeling rather uneasy these past few days, and I'm worried about Father..."

Shen Yuan waved his hand with a faint smile.

"I was just trying to predict the outcome of your father's seclusion."

"Although there was no explicit prophecy, I think he will be fine this time."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming breathed a sigh of relief.

"but……"

Shen Yuan picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and said in a deep voice, "I also sensed a sense of unease in the depths of my being."

"However, after many deductions, a clear hexagram could not be obtained."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming immediately fell into deep thought.

At present, the Shen family has only two main enemies.

The Fire-based religion and the southern border regions.

These two enemies are deeply hidden by the Flintfire Sect, which is involved with the Yinhe Sect of the three upper sects of Danzhou, and even the so-called Great Sect of Zhongzhou.

The southern border region should not be underestimated either.

According to the information revealed by the golden toad, the side of the Southern Frontier closest to the Void Harmony Corridor Formation is known as the "Northern Underworld Ten Thousand Demon Cave".

Even the Golden Toad couldn't say exactly how big the Ten Thousand Demon Cave was, but he had vaguely heard the Demon King say that the Northern Underworld Ten Thousand Demon Cave had three thousand three hundred mountains of varying sizes.

Among them, the Great Wushan Demon Cave, where the Golden Toad originally lived, was guarded by an elderly demon king. The king was not weak, but he only occupied twenty-two mountain peaks.

There are several other demon cultivator forces around the Demon Cave of Mount Wu that are no weaker than them.

Further east beyond these forces, there seem to be other forces composed of human cultivators.

The one that has crossed the Void Harmony Corridor Formation several times to attack is just one of the twenty-two mountain peaks under the jurisdiction of the Great Wushan Demon Cave.

Jin Chan mentioned that the mountain they were on was called Xiaotangshan, which had eighteen demon generals and thousands of demon soldiers. There were also many other rogue cultivators and demon beasts. The strongest among them was a golden-winged roc, who was their eldest brother and had reached the perfected stage of fetal breathing.

However, a few years ago, the Golden-Winged Roc was forcibly abducted by a Golden Core cultivator who called himself the "King of Fushan Kingdom" and used as his mount.

The Golden Toad demons reported this matter to the Demon King of Mount Wu, but for some reason, the Demon King chose to remain silent and showed no intention of going to Fushan Kingdom to demand an explanation.

This incident also made the demon generals of Xiaotangshan realize something.

The old demon king of Mount Wu only used them as food and offerings, and as tools to collect tributes.

If something really happens, especially if the other party is powerful enough, that old demon king won't stand up for them at all.

Shen Yuan once inquired about the golden toad.

Until their last attack, the demons of Xiaotangshan had not informed the demon king of Dawushan about the cracks appearing in the Xuhe Corridor Formation.

Shen Chongming was worried that the sense of danger he and his grandfather had sensed might be related to southern Xinjiang.

If the demon king of Mount Wu receives news that the Void Harmony Corridor Formation has cracked, then the Shen family will be in danger.

Let alone whether a demon king at the Golden Core Realm can pass through the Void Harmony Corridor Formation, the Shen family would have no power to resist even if all the demon generals from the Great Wushan Demon Cave came.

After all, last time, only seven demon generals came to Xiaotangshan, and they almost wore Shen Wen'an down.

"Grandpa, I have already asked Chongxuan to send people to the Western Wilderness to gather information."

"At Hidden Dragon Mountain, Senior Fu Yang is nearby studying the Void Harmony Corridor Formation. If there are any developments, he will know in advance."

Shen Chongming thought for a moment and then spoke.

Shen Yuan nodded approvingly and said, "You did a good job."

"These are turbulent times, and we must plan ahead in all matters to ensure that we are not helpless when danger strikes."

He slowly stood up, went to the window, looked at the scenery outside and pondered for a long time before saying, "I heard that Mu Yan and Mu Chang from the Western Wilderness have now reached the peak of Qi Refining."

"What are your plans regarding innate spiritual energy?"

Mentioning Mu Yan and Mu Chang gave Shen Chongming a headache.

The two had been subservient to the Shen family for over twenty years, and their cultivation levels soared, directly advancing from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the Qi Refining Perfection realm.

His terrifyingly fast cultivation speed even made him somewhat envious.

Their cultivation talents are so terrifying that it would be a pity if they only used low-grade innate spiritual energy to forge immortal embryos after breaking through to the embryonic breathing stage.

However, if one wants to forge a celestial embryo with innate spiritual energy of medium grade or higher, let alone whether the Shen family can afford to purchase two strands of innate spiritual energy with so many spirit crystals, even if they could, it is not certain that they could actually buy them.

After all, many of the top masters of the major immortal sects in the past spent years, or even more than ten years, stuck at the Qi Refining Perfection Realm in order to find a wisp of innate spiritual energy of medium or higher quality!

Compared to them, the Shen family is naturally far inferior in terms of both connections and financial resources.

The small pine tree on Longpan Mountain did give birth to a wisp of innate Yi wood essence, but the key is that both Mu Chang and Mu Yan have earth-attribute spiritual roots, so the innate Yi wood essence is not compatible with their cultivation methods and spiritual roots.

"My grandson hasn't decided yet, so we'll have to ask them to wait."

"Third Aunt has already asked Luoxia Mountain to help gather some information about innate spiritual energy in Danzhou. If there is any news, we'll see if our Shen family can afford it."

"Moreover... compared to them, I think Grandpa should think of himself first."

Shen Chongming then changed the subject.

"I?"

Shen Yuan turned around in confusion, then smiled faintly: "You mean the matter of breaking through to the embryonic breathing stage?"

Shen Chongming nodded: "A cultivator without spiritual roots needs five innate five elements of the same quality to break through to the embryonic breathing stage."

"Grandpa's current cultivation level has reached the late stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining, so we should prepare in advance."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan sighed softly and chuckled.

Finding five identical innate Five Elements essences is incredibly difficult.

There was a wisp of mid-grade innate Yi wood essence on the small pine tree on Longpan Mountain, but if the remaining four innate spiritual energies were all mid-grade, let alone the Shen family, even a powerful immortal sect like Luoxia Mountain would probably hesitate.

"You don't need to worry about my affairs. Let's take care of the Shen family first."

"You yourself should be close to reaching the perfect state. If your father can come out of seclusion then, you can focus on your own seclusion to break through."

"If you haven't finished your seclusion yet, then your grandfather will keep an eye on the Shen family for you. The most important thing is to improve your own strength."

Shen Chongming nodded slightly.

……

Hidden Dragon Mountain, campsite in the mountains.

When Shen Chonghong returned home, he found that Mu Chang and Mu Yan had been waiting outside his wooden house for a long time.

Upon seeing Shen Chonghong, the two immediately cupped their hands and said, "Young Master."

Shen Chonghong nodded and invited the two into the house.

"Do the two commanders have something urgent to attend to?"

Mu Chang and Mu Yan exchanged a glance and cupped their hands, saying, "Reporting to Young Master, there has been no news from Wu Yi and the others for over a month. We are worried that something might have happened to them and wish to go to the Western Wilderness to check on them."

Mu Yan picked up the conversation and continued, "Over the years, I have learned a lot from the Shen family. Now that my cultivation has reached the Qi Refining Perfection Realm, my brother and I suddenly realized that the place where we lived with our clansmen before was not as simple as we imagined."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong asked in surprise, "Are you two commanders referring to the Muhe tribe of the Western Wilderness?"

Mu Chang nodded, his face filled with reminiscence, and said, "Although the place where the Muhe tribe has lived for generations is somewhat barren and desolate, it has many wonders."

“In the past, my subordinates and clansmen only thought it was the wonder of creation, but now I think that there may be some spiritual objects in those wonders.”

"And the people of the Muhe tribe!" Mu Yan took over the conversation, smiling somewhat embarrassedly, "I think there might be some immortal seedlings with spiritual roots among the people of the Muhe tribe."

"This time, I just wanted to go back and take a look, and bring back all of our people."

After they finished speaking, their eyes were full of expectation.

Shen Chonghong pondered for a moment and said, "Both of you commanders are well aware of the situation in the mountains. If you two were to go to the Western Wilderness..."

"Young master, you misunderstand. Only my elder brother is going back this time. I will stay here and fight alongside you against the enemy," Mu Yan quickly said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Shen Chonghong pondered for a moment, then nodded and looked at Mu Chang.

"That would be acceptable..."

"How about this, let Chongyi accompany you, so you can look after each other on the way."

"It'll also be a good opportunity for that kid to get some experience."

Judging from the news that Wu Yi sent back some time ago, there is no major danger in the Western Wilderness at the moment.

Furthermore, given that Mu Chang's cultivation level is already at the peak of Qi Refining, there shouldn't be any problem letting He Chongyi go with him for training.

After some thought, Mu Chang clasped his hands in agreement.

(End of this chapter)