Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 204 A Wisp of Elixir Qi

When Shen Wen'an arrived at Yinjian Peak of Qingluo Sword Pavilion on his sword, a green bamboo sword suddenly pierced through the air!

As the Green Bamboo Sword flew to him, it instantly transformed into a towering green bamboo, its leaves swaying and terrifying sword beams filling the surrounding space.

The refined and concentrated sword intent had firmly locked onto his body and the surrounding space, leaving no gap for escape!
Shen Wen'an sensed a strong killing intent from the sword intent, as if he would be instantly killed by the endless sword light if he made any move!

This strange scene made him frown, but before he could ask any questions, the sea of ​​clouds between Yin Sword Peak and Yang Sword Peak surged, and then three streams of light with terrifying aura rushed over from afar!
These three streaks of light exuded terrifying power. Even before they arrived, the sword intent, brimming with intense killing intent, had already locked onto his body!

Being locked onto by the killing intent of four sword immortals at the same time, Shen Wen'an was terrified, his body feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave that had stood for ten thousand years!

What happened?!
Forcing himself to think, Shen Wen'an had a question pop into his mind.

He could sense that neither Ling Shan Sword Immortal's Green Bamboo Sword Intent nor the three Green Vine Sword Pavilion Sword Immortals who arrived later were joking. Their auras carried pure killing intent, clearly aimed at their mortal enemies.

They really wanted to kill him!

With his sword suspended above the sea of ​​clouds, Shen Wen'an did not make any rash moves, but waited for the others to come closer.

The three streams of light from Yangjian Peak had already surrounded him.

One of them was Liu Qixuan, whom I had met once before. He rode a giant wine gourd and called himself the master of the Ling Shan Sword Immortal.

Liu Qixuan held a worn-out bronze longsword, less than three feet long, with nicks and chips all over its blade, but it exuded a hidden and terrifying aura!
To his left is a refined-looking man in a gray long robe with graying temples.

The refined man held a gentleman's sword that looked as if it were carved from crystal.

The sword is four feet three inches long, with a transparent blade that exudes a faint chill!
The man further to the left is an elderly man dressed in brown cloth, with loose hair, a rather tall stature, and a slightly arrogant and domineering aura.

The old man carried a huge sword box on his back.

The sword case was entirely black, and its material was not discernible.

After the three surrounded him, the old man carrying the huge sword box took it off his back. His aura was violent, and invisible sword energy condensed around him, indicating that he was about to make a move.

"Ninth Brother, don't rush."

Upon seeing this, Liu Qixuan said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the old man carrying the sword box stopped what he was doing, but his eyes remained fixed on Shen Wen'an.

"Senior Liu, did this... did I do something wrong?"

Shen Wen'an spoke.

He was somewhat puzzled as to why, in just over a month, the people of Qingluo Sword Pavilion, including the Sword Immortal Lingshan, suddenly harbored such a strong desire to kill him.
There were no signs whatsoever when Chu Yuanfeng and his group left recently.

Liu Qixuan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the direction of Yinjian Peak.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an also glanced at it slightly to the side.

From the location of the Thousand-Foot Cliff, a figure strode towards them.

After Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, stepped into the void and arrived in front of him, she first bowed slightly to Liu Qixuan and the others, and then quietly looked at Shen Wen'an with her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Meeting her gaze, Shen Wen'an was about to ask a question, but was interrupted by Liu Qixuan's voice.

“Ling Shan is acting strangely.”

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, gave Shen Wen'an a deep look, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "The three seniors should go back first. Ling Shan will handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, the three people beside her exchanged glances and all looked at her.

Liu Qixuan remained silent for a moment, then frowned and spoke:
“Lingshan, little girl…”

"Don't worry, senior, it's alright."

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, interrupted him with a faint smile.

The three of them didn't say anything more after seeing this. They bowed to Ling Shan Sword Immortal and left.

After the others left, Ling Shan Sword Immortal took a few steps forward, looked Shen Wen'an over, and then waved her hand to put away the Green Bamboo Sword that had transformed into a towering green bamboo.

"Come with me."

Shen Wen'an was filled with suspicion and quietly followed her to the bamboo forest at the Thousand-Foot Cliff.

"Have you fought against people from the underworld?"

Finally, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan asked a question.

Shen Wen'an nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "Is it because of this that Senior Sister and the other seniors want to kill me?"

Ling Shan, the sword immortal, turned around and shook her head slightly, saying, "It's because of the aura of the underworld on your body."

"sit down."

After gesturing for Shen Wen'an to sit down, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan continued, "As soon as you stepped into the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion, we sensed the aura of the Underworld, and thought that someone from the Underworld had infiltrated."

The aura of the underworld?
Shen Wen'an was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that this aura must have been generated by the strange black energy rooted in his sword embryo.

“After Junior Brother Yuanfeng returned, he told me everything that happened to you.”

"Tell me the details of what happened."

Shen Wen'an nodded and immediately recounted in detail how he had used his divine sense to discover the person from the underworld and how he had been attacked by that person.

"Senior sister, I don't know exactly what happened back then either."

"The sword embryo within my body attacks entirely autonomously..."

A hint of sadness flashed in Ling Shan's eyes. She gave a soft "hmm" and then fell silent.

After a long while, he looked at Shen Wen'an and said, "Luoxia Mountain owes you a huge favor this time."

She didn't know exactly what had happened.

But one thing is certain: since the people from the underworld appeared near Luoxia Mountain, they must have their eyes on Jiang Xiuqi's Golden Core and Golden Nature.

If it weren't for this unexpected event, it would have been impossible for Jiang Xiuqi to successfully condense his golden core, combine his metal elements, and achieve enlightenment.

"Does Senior Sister mean that the person from the Underworld was also injured because of the collision with my sword embryo?"

"Have we had to give up on seizing Elder Jiang's gold?"

Shen Wen'an was quite surprised.

Some couldn't believe that they had actually managed to defeat someone who was feared by all Golden Core Realm experts.

Is it...

In an instant, an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

The incomplete sword spirit of the swordsman!

He learned about the Swordholder from his father years ago.

He knew that there was a fragment of the swordsman's soul within him.

His swordsmanship talent and personality were greatly influenced by the incomplete sword soul of the sword wielder. Even the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand and the Dragon Soul Magic Sword, which was refined into his natal sword embryo, were the swords used by the sword wielder back then.

My father said that after the fragmented sword spirit of the swordsman who wielded the sword gave birth to a will, it had completely dissipated.

This time...

In the years since he achieved the fetal breathing technique, he has cultivated the sword embryo every day. He has absolute control over his sword embryo and body, and has not discovered the existence of the sword wielder's consciousness.

If it was truly the incomplete sword spirit of the swordsman who came to the rescue this time, it was probably just a trace of the indomitable will within the Dragon Soul Sword.

"What exactly is this aura of the underworld emanating from you?"

Ling Shan, the Sword Immortal, frowned and spoke.

The aura of the underworld can instill the most instinctive fear in a Golden Core cultivator, and she has been enduring it all along.

According to her understanding, Shen Wen'an only had a brief encounter with the people of the underworld, so how could he still have the aura of the people of the underworld on his body?
"I don't know either." Shen Wen'an shook his head with a wry smile, not mentioning the strange black aura on the sword embryo.

On the one hand, he didn't want Ling Shan Sword Immortal to worry; on the other hand, he didn't know if revealing this matter would cause any unnecessary trouble.

After all, Golden Core cultivators in the cultivation world fear the people of the Underworld. If you get involved with them, you will eventually be feared and shunned by other cultivators.

"I wonder if Senior Sister has any way to help me conceal this Yin-Yang aura?"

Shen Wen'an spoke with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.

That eerie black aura was like a persistent carbuncle, and there was nothing that could be done about it for the time being.

If one cannot conceal their aura, it will be a troublesome matter when traveling outside in the future.

After a moment of contemplation, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan said, "You don't need to worry too much about this matter."

"Only those with the metal element can sense the aura of the underworld; ordinary cultivators will not feel it at all."

"However, it is indeed necessary to hide it for a while, so as not to cause big trouble when traveling outside in the future."

As she spoke, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and she directly took out an ancient jade pendant.

The jade pendant exuded an extremely mysterious aura, and it appeared to be an old artifact.

"This Mirage Dragon Pendant is a mid-grade magic artifact. Its greatest function is to conceal one's aura."

"Even a Golden Core Realm expert cannot see through the Mirage Dragon Jade Pendant unless they observe it carefully."

"I will give it to you today."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Over the years, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan has provided him and the Shen family with much help, yet this time he has concealed the matter of the sword embryo phenomenon from her.

"This item is precious. Senior Sister, you have shown me great kindness. Wen'an..."

His guilt made him hesitant to reach out and take the mirage dragon pendant.

"Take it, it's not of much use to me."

Ling Shan Sword Immortal didn't think much of it, only that he felt the value of a mid-grade magic weapon was too great and he couldn't afford it.

"By the way, I heard you say last time that Chongming is about to reach the peak of Qi Refining. Has the matter of innate spiritual energy been settled?"

Shen Wen'an took the Mirage Dragon Jade Pendant, paused slightly, and smiled:
“Chongming has a great opportunity. Not only did he obtain a thunder magic inheritance that suits him in the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm, but he also obtained a wisp of innate spiritual energy that is suspected to be of high grade.”

He couldn't talk about the eerie black aura related to the underworld, but he no longer concealed the fact that Shen Chongming had obtained the inheritance.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan's face lit up with joy, and she said, "That's good then."

“Once Chongming breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, Junior Brother, please bring him to the Green Vine Sword Pavilion.”

Ling Shan Sword Immortal's tone carried a strange tenderness, which Shen Wen'an found very odd.

But then he felt it wasn't a big deal, so he agreed without much thought.

Under the guidance of the Sword Immortal Ling Shan, Shen Wen'an refined the Mirage Dragon Pendant and stored it in his dantian. After confirming that it could conceal the aura of the underworld, he got up to take his leave.

"Junior Brother, have you figured out how to explain this to Fellow Daoist Jiang from Luoxia Mountain?"

Before leaving, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan suddenly asked.

Explain to Jiang Xiuqi?

Shen Wen'an was somewhat puzzled.

Ling Shan Sword Immortal said, "After the strange phenomenon appeared, Fellow Daoist Jiang was naturally able to sense that he was being targeted by the people of the Underworld."

"Your sword embryo's battle with the underworld figures can't be kept secret from him, so we need to come up with a reasonable explanation."

"Just because I won't covet your sword embryo secret doesn't mean others won't."

Upon seeing the enigmatic smile on Ling Shan's face, Shen Wen'an was suddenly shaken.

After pondering for a long time, she respectfully bowed and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister."

Sword Immortal Ling Shan waved her hand: "If Fellow Daoist Jiang asks, just say that it is the original sword intent that your senior sister bestowed upon you."

“He wouldn’t come to me to verify this matter.”

After nodding, Shen Wen'an bowed again and left Qianzhang Cliff.

As he disappeared, the Sword Immortal Ling Shan stood quietly at the edge of the Thousand-Foot Cliff, gazing at the distant sunset and sea of ​​clouds, a hint of reminiscence appearing in her eyes.

A faint divine power flew out from between his brows, and the distant sea of ​​clouds suddenly surged, revealing a warm and tender scene.

In the peaceful courtyard, a little girl of about three or four years old, with two pigtails on her head, rode a rocking horse and happily shouted:

"Sister, don't just focus on cultivation all day, come and play with me for a while..."

"Father made a new rocking horse, sister, come and see..."

"Sister, the candy Mother brought back from the market is so sweet, would you like some?"

The little girl's sweet, childlike voice echoed in his mind, and the corners of Ling Shan Sword Immortal's mouth couldn't help but turn up.

A moment later, she gently waved her hand, and the sea of ​​clouds in front of her surged, and the scene slowly disappeared.

……

Western wilderness.

He Chongyi and Mu Chang had been tracking the group of mysterious cultivators for several days, and both sides had arrived at the foot of Flame Lake Ridge.

The two hid in a rocky forest in the distance, quietly watching the huge lava lake in the distance.

"These beasts!"

As he watched the edge of the lava lake, several black-robed cultivators manipulated members of the Muhe tribe to jump into the scalding lava. Mu Chang gritted his teeth and said.

The Muhe tribe holds the corpse in high esteem and is not afraid of death, believing that death is merely a transition in life.

Now, witnessing his clansmen's corpses being manipulated by the group of black-robed figures and thrown into the scalding lava, Mu Chang's anger had reached its peak.

If it weren't for the safety of He Chongyi beside him, he would have already rushed out and fought those black-robed figures to the death.

"Old Mu..."

He Chongyi could sense the anger in his heart and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know how to start.

"Don't worry, young master, I'm fine."

Mu Changqiang suppressed his anger and quietly watched the men in black robes, wanting to see what they were up to.

But then they saw the members of the Muhe tribe being manipulated, jumping one by one into the lava lake and disappearing.

Occasionally, one or two people who jump into a lava lake manage to withstand the high temperature of the lava, getting burned black all over, yet still manage to stumble and crawl out of the lava lake.

After the figure crawled out of the lake, it shook off its charred body, and its surface emitted a ghostly light as if it were cast from pig iron. A thick and condensed aura of malevolence slowly emerged from its body.

"Senior Brother Miao is indeed more knowledgeable."

“We had just crossed the Void Corridor Formation and came across this place. Senior Brother was able to think of using this place with its rich metal essence and fire energy to refine the corpse.”

"With over a thousand people, we were able to forge twelve iron corpses. We've really struck gold."

More than a thousand members of the Muhe tribe plunged into the lava lake, but only twelve managed to get ashore.

A sinister voice suddenly rang out from among the several figures in black robes.

"Junior Brother Gong, don't be too happy yet. There are still a few excellent talents here."

When another voice rang out, the eyes of the black-robed men all turned to Wu Yi and his group.

The black-robed leader seemed to value Wu Yi and his companions quite a bit, taking out several pills and stuffing them into their mouths. After a moment, he then controlled them to jump into the lava lake.

The scalding lava surged and churned, and Wu Yi and several Western Wilderness soldiers struggled and rose within it.

About fifteen minutes later, the Western Wilderness warriors, just like the people of the Muhe tribe before them, stiffly climbed out of the lava lake.

After shaking off the charred remains, they all transformed into bodies cast from cast iron.

However, the baleful aura emanating from him was more intense than that of the iron corpses transformed from the Muhe tribe members.

"What a pity."

"Not a single one could reach the level of a bronze corpse."

"There's only one left."

The eyes of several black-robed cultivators were all focused on Wu Yi in the lava lake.

But the burly Wu Yi's clothes and hair had been completely burned away by the lava.

His whole being resembled a red-hot bronze figure, constantly drawing some kind of energy from the scalding magma.

"This breath!"

"We're about to reach the Bronze Corpse stage!"

But then, the color on Wu Yi's body changed, and one of the black-robed cultivators exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't be too happy yet, there are still differences between bronze corpses."

“A powerful bronze corpse can possess strength comparable to the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, while a weak bronze corpse is not even as strong as a cultivator at the Perfect Qi Refining Realm.”

"Let's see how things turn out."

The group waited excitedly in front of the lava lake.

A moment later, Wu Yi, who was constantly rising and falling in the lava lake, suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with blood-red murderous aura, and shot out directly from the scalding lava!
boom!
Its body, covered in fiery magma, crashed to the ground like a meteor, leaving two deep footprints in the hard, iron-like rock beneath its feet.

The charred outer skin on his body was shaken off, and Wu Yi's body emitted a faint bronze color.

"Alas, it's still a bit lacking. This time, it can only be considered comparable to the perfected stage of embryonic breathing cultivation."

The black-robed cultivator who was controlling Wu Yi carefully examined the situation and then shook his head slightly.

"Senior Brother Miao is still not satisfied. In the past, it would have taken countless rare and precious materials to refine such a bronze corpse."

"Now, with just a little effort, I have obtained a bronze corpse and eighteen iron corpses."

"With these corpse puppets, we can slowly search for talent in this land and gradually accumulate strength using this lava lake."

"When we brothers have thousands upon thousands of iron and bronze corpse puppets in our hands, we can finally live a carefree and joyful life."

"Yes, yes!"

"With this army of corpse puppets, we brothers can build a celestial kingdom and enjoy ourselves to the fullest in this mortal realm. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Ha ha……"

Their laughter echoed over Flame Lake Hill, completely unaware that their beautiful dream was being watched by someone.

"Elder Mu, these people and those corpse puppets are not something the two of us can handle."

"Right now, we must report everything about these people to the family so that they can make preparations."

He Chongyi spoke in a deep voice.

The methods these individuals used to create corpse puppets by drawing upon the skills of ordinary mortals and cultivators were truly terrifying.

The western wilderness is vast and home to countless tribes, large and small.

Judging from the current situation of the Muhe tribe, more than ten of those iron corpses can be refined for every thousand people.

If we let them run rampant, it won't be long before they actually create an army of corpse puppets, and the counties of Yunzhong that border the Western Wilderness will definitely suffer.

Mu Changyi nodded solemnly and said, "If we want to deal with these people, the only safest option is for Third Master to take action."

"Let's go back now."

The two carefully concealed their presence and quietly withdrew from the rocky forest.

……

Blackwater Pond.

As autumn deepens, the water in the pool flows gently.

The girl, dressed in a plain gauze dress and barefoot, sat on a smooth boulder with her knees drawn up to her chest, gazing blankly at the distant water.

Not far from him, a five-foot-long silver centipede and a golden toad were feasting on a giant alligator dragon.

The bloody scene and the girl's tranquility created a stark contrast.

"squeak……"

The silver-threaded centipede suddenly raised its head and looked at Shen Li.

The golden toad poked its head out of the alligator dragon's body, swallowed a piece of tender flesh from its mouth, and whispered, "Master is thinking about that old man." "Never mind, eat quickly!"

"I have long coveted these big guys, and today I have finally been granted permission."

As the golden toad spoke, it once again burrowed its entire body into the giant alligator dragon's body, devouring its tenderest flesh.

Not far from the smooth boulder, Shen Yuan, his body slightly hunched, walked slowly with his hands behind his back.

Hearing the noise, Shen Li snapped out of her daze and turned to look.

"grandfather."

She called out softly.

Shen Yuan nodded and approached, his gaze falling on the two demons who were wolfing down their food, his brows furrowing slightly.

The silver-threaded centipede, sensing his gaze, paused, slowly ceasing its biting, and its compound eyes looked at Shen Yuan with fawning eyes.

Inside the alligator's belly, the golden toad kept kicking and trying to burrow deeper, searching for the most delicious part of the alligator.

Upon seeing this, the silver-threaded centipede quickly stabbed the golden toad with one of its legs.

"Crawler, you stepped on my foot!"

From inside the alligator dragon's belly, the golden toad's deep voice resounded.

The silver-threaded centipede ignored all of that and immediately stabbed several more times.

bass!
The golden toad suddenly burst out of the alligator dragon's belly, puffing out its cheeks angrily, "You reptile, are you looking for...?"

Before it could finish speaking, its bulging eyes caught sight of Shen Yuan staring at them out of the corner of its eye.

"Ha...haha...the old man is here."

Shen Yuan frowned and remained silent.

Upon seeing this, Shen Li quickly explained, "Grandpa, please don't blame them. It was Li'er who asked them to catch it for food."

"Little Silver is about to undergo a transformation and needs some energy replenishment."

Upon hearing this, the silver-threaded centipede immediately nodded its large head in a fawning manner.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Eating is fine, but let them find a secluded cave themselves, and don't make it so bloody."

He was cultivating in the Blackwater Pavilion when he smelled a strong stench of blood and came out to investigate.

Shen Li nodded, then turned to the two demons and asked, "Did you hear that?"

The silver-threaded centipede and the golden toad were slightly taken aback, then joined forces to drag the huge alligator dragon and raced wildly into the mountains far away from the Blackwater Pool.

After they had gone far away, Shen Yuan waved his hand and cast a water-based spell to wash away the bloody place, finally fading the smell of blood in the air.

"How long has Elder Xu been gone?"

After a moment's thought, he looked at Shen Li and asked.

"Three years and one month."

Shen Li blurted out, then changed the subject, saying, "Li'er is just worried that he might encounter some accident."

"Back then, I promised him that I would be there for him when he passed away..."

Shen Yuan sighed upon hearing this.

My granddaughter's personality has changed a lot since she started cultivating, and she has almost no contact with her brothers and sisters in the clan.

He spends all his time holed up in the Blackwater Pavilion.

During the years Xu Xiu was there, the two became close friends despite their age difference, acting as both teacher and student.

Later, Xu Xiu left without saying goodbye, which meant that the girl lost her only playmate.

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Old man! You left without a word, you've really caused a lot of harm.

"Grandpa, I want to go to the front line of Yinlong Mountain."

A gentle breeze stirred the girl's hair. Shen Li slowly put on her shoes, jumped down from the boulder, and spoke.

"Go into the mountains?"

Shen Yuan looked her over, somewhat hesitant.

Shen Li is now eleven years old. Although her cultivation level is only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, this is only her apparent strength.

If we include the golden toad and the silver-threaded centipede, their true strength must be at least at the early stage of the embryonic breathing realm.

Seeing that Shen Yuan seemed a little worried, the little girl then said in a coquettish tone, "Grandpa, Xiao Yin and Xiao Jin are demon beasts, they need to fight."

"Staying cooped up in Yunshui City all day isn't a long-term solution. Li'er wants to take them to the mountains to hunt some other monsters, which will also help them improve their strength quickly."

With a quick glance, she added, "With Sister You and Uncle here, Li'er will be fine."

Seeing her pleading expression, Shen Yuan smiled helplessly and nodded, saying, "Grandpa has no objections, but..."

"You should go and ask your mother if she agrees."

Upon hearing this, the joy that had just appeared on Shen Li's face instantly vanished.

"Mother, she..."

"Why don't you go and speak on Li'er's behalf, Grandpa?"

Although Hu Meier was a demon cultivator, she learned a lot of human rules, whether she was cultivating with Bai Ze or later meeting Shen Wenyan.

After Shen Wenyan passed away, she became very strict with her only daughter.

So much so that even Shen Li was somewhat afraid of her.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan shook his head and refused, saying, "You know, Grandpa never interferes with your parents' discipline of you."

"This matter... is out of the question."

"Alright, it's getting late, let's go back."

After saying this, he slowly walked towards the manor.

"grandfather!"

Shen Li followed behind, pleading, but Shen Yuan remained resolute.

……

Luoxia Mountain.

Late at night, on the edge of the bed, Shen Wen'an sat quietly, shirtless.

He turned around and looked at Wei Qiuling, who had fallen into a deep sleep beside him. His expression was complicated, and he sighed inwardly.

The two had been Daoist partners for over ten years, and had always cultivated together like any other Daoist couple, their souls intertwined.

Upon returning to Luoxia Mountain from Qingluo Sword Pavilion, Wei Qiuling came to him late at night, which he assumed was due to needing to cultivate as usual.

Who would have thought…

The moonlight outside the window was like water. Shen Wen'an carefully left the bed, came to the window, and looked at the night sky.

He spent half his life pursuing the way of the sword, and besides the way of the sword, his heart was only for his family.

He initially agreed to become Daoist partners with Wei Qiuling because he valued her status as the chief disciple of Luoxia Mountain and believed that their union would be of great help to the Shen family.

After their souls merged and they cultivated together, he could clearly sense that Wei Qiuling wanted to become his Daoist partner partly to repay the innate Yi Wood essence given to her by the Shen family.

On the other hand, it was also because he valued his own talent and potential, and felt that the path to enlightenment was long, so it would be better to have a companion.

In other words, at the very beginning, neither of them had any romantic feelings for each other.

At most, it's about mutual appreciation, mutual exploitation, and mutual trust.

But now... everything has changed.

Wei Qiuling slowly woke up on the bed behind her, and when she looked up, she saw a figure standing by the window.

A gentle smile appeared on her face. She found a light gauze to wrap her graceful figure and slowly walked to Shen Wen'an's side.

The moonlight streaming through the window shone through the pink gauze curtains onto her fair shoulders, her long, black hair cascading down, creating a striking visual impact.

Shen Wen'an turned his head slightly and saw the charming woman beside him. His calm and deep heart was suddenly stirred by a ripple.

Wei Qiuling tilted her head slightly and looked at him, asking, "Do you regret it?"

Shen Wen'an looked puzzled.

Wei Qiuling smoothed her slightly disheveled hair and said softly, "We agreed back then that we would only be Daoist partners, but now we are like a couple in the mortal world, with love between us."

Do you regret it now?

She understood how persistent Shen Wen'an was in his pursuit of the Tao.

I wonder if tonight's events will affect his mood.

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an smiled faintly and said, "It's not that I regret it, it's just that I've never thought about it this way before."

Why would Senior Sister suddenly have this idea?

She recalled Wei Qiuling whispering in her ear when she was deeply moved, saying that she also wanted to become a real wife and a mother.

Shen Wen'an was somewhat curious.

A hint of shyness flashed across Wei Qiuling's face, followed by a soft sigh. "My master once said that of the five vermin and seven emotions, the word 'emotion' is the most terrifying."

"Once we cultivators are aroused by lust, there is no way to escape it."

"I entered the path of immortality at a young age, and I naturally believed that I would never be tainted by the word 'love' in this life."

"Who would have thought..."

She looked up at Shen Wen'an, gently rested her head on his strong shoulder, and continued, "Since we can't avoid it, there's no need to keep trying."

"Sometimes, isn't living in harmony with nature and in accordance with human nature a form of spiritual practice?"

Follow the will of Heaven, adapt to human needs, and live in harmony with nature...

Shen Wen'an muttered to himself for a moment, and suddenly realized that the sentence seemed to contain some kind of profound and mysterious truth.

“I still remember when I first returned home from Qiyun Valley, my father said that people cultivate in order to become stronger and protect themselves and what they want to protect.”

"Instead of losing your humanity and becoming another species."

"Upon closer reflection, Father's words are quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling smiled and said, "Do you know what kind of feeling Father gives me?"

Before Shen Wen'an could answer, she muttered to herself, "Father is like a wise and insightful man. If we hadn't known each other for so many years, I would have suspected that he might be the reincarnation of some ancient monster who has lived for countless years."

Shen Wen'an was somewhat surprised to hear this.

He hadn't thought about those things.

Now, after hearing what Wei Qiuling said, I do feel that my father's words and actions sometimes do not match our family's early background.

However, when I think about how I was so focused on cultivation when I was a child that I never really understood how much effort my father had secretly put in to support the family.

The two leaned against each other by the window until the moon slowly climbed up the roof and disappeared from sight.

Wei Qiuling slowly raised her head and said, "Before you came back, Master went to the back mountain to visit Master Jiang."

"He has woken up and wants to see you tomorrow."

Jiang Xiuqi's breakthrough was very smooth. After absorbing the spiritual veins and vitality of plants and trees in the surrounding hundreds of miles, he successfully formed his inner core. He then combined a wisp of immortal golden essence obtained from heaven and earth into his inner core, thus successfully forging the Golden Core Dao.

"Senior wants to see me?"

Shen Wen'an murmured to himself, then thought of the instructions given to him by the Sword Immortal Ling Shan at Thousand-Foot Cliff.

"Then you should rest early and pay your respects to the senior first thing tomorrow morning."

Wei Qiuling nodded obediently, and the two returned to the bed together.

……

The next morning, the two of them went to the back of Luoxia Mountain together.

After giving their permission, the two followed the winding path to Jiang Xiuqi's cave.

This place must have originally been a comfortable secluded retreat, with ancient trees growing in abundance, a deep and secluded forest.

However, since Jiang Xiuqi broke through, he absorbed the earth's vein power and the vitality of plants, and the surrounding ancient trees have withered and become bare trunks.

When the two arrived, Jiang Xiuqi was sitting cross-legged in the pavilion, meditating.

"Master."

With a radiant smile, Wei Qiuling cupped her hands in greeting: "Congratulations, Master, on achieving the Golden Core Dao."

Shen Wen'an also bowed slightly: "Congratulations, senior."

Jiang Xiuqi slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the two of them with a strange expression, and then chuckled:
"sit down."

The two sat down in the pavilion, and Jiang Xiuqi looked at Wei Qiuling again, sighing inwardly.

He then looked at Shen Wen'an and bowed slightly, saying, "Wen'an, I am able to break through to the Golden Core realm this time thanks to you."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling was somewhat puzzled.

However, upon further reflection, he realized that the reason he was grateful to Shen Wen'an was because of the "True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle".

After all, if Shen Wen'an hadn't sought help from Qingluo Sword Pavilion, allowing Ling Shan Sword Immortal to forcefully annihilate the entire Hundred Beasts Mountain, it would have been different.

If the news leaks out, Luoxia Mountain will definitely not be able to protect the two seasonal jade carvings.

The allure of the seasonal jade carvings containing the secrets of the Nascent Soul Realm is evident from the current state of the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion.

To help Luoxia Mountain out of its predicament, Qingluo Sword Pavilion produced a jade carving of "White Dew" from the "True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle," which caused a sensation throughout Danzhou.

When Shen Wen'an heard this, he naturally understood the meaning behind Jiang Xiuqi's words.

He immediately returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "Senior, you're too kind. I just stumbled upon this by accident..."

"If we really have to thank someone for this, we have to thank Senior Sister Lingshan."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling frowned slightly.

She believed her analysis was correct, but no matter how she listened, she felt there was something more to their conversation.

"Master, what kind of riddle are you two playing?"

Wei Qiuling frowned and spoke.

Jiang Xiuqi and Shen Wen'an exchanged a glance and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Qiu Ling, this matter is of great importance, it’s better if you don’t know.”

After hearing this, Wei Qiuling turned to look at Shen Wen'an.

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly and smiled, "I'll listen to you, senior. It's for your own good not to tell you this."

The existence of the underworld is too bizarre and too terrifying.

Wei Qiuling's immortal embryo, forged from the innate essence of Yi Wood, has the potential to achieve the Golden Core Dao in the future.

If they were to learn of the existence of the underworld beforehand, it would affect their resolve in the path of cultivation.

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling didn't ask any further questions, after all, she wasn't the kind of person who would make trouble unreasonably.

"Then Master and Wen'an can chat for now, I'll go take a look around."

Wei Qiuling stood up, cupped her hands in greeting, and then tactfully left the pavilion.

Seeing him walk away, Jiang Xiuqi slowly put away the smile on his face, and murmured with lingering fear, "When I first formed my inner core and felt that wisp of golden energy descend upon the world, I was extremely excited."

"But as soon as that immortal golden nature appeared, I felt myself being watched by an extremely strange aura!"

With a hint of horror in his eyes, he continued, "When I projected my divine sense, I saw that strange figure. For some reason, I felt an instinctive fear in my heart..."

"Later, I saw that figure suddenly attack you again."

At this point, Jiang Xiuqi asked with some doubt, "Wen'an, how did you defeat that person back then?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an answered according to what the Sword Immortal Ling Shan had told him: "Back then, in order to protect me, Senior Sister Ling Shan left a trace of original sword intent in my sword embryo."

"Actually, when I unintentionally saw that person with my divine sense, I was also imprisoned by a strange force for a moment."

"What was used was the sword intent that Senior Sister Ling Shan had hidden within my sword embryo."

Jiang Xiuqi suddenly realized.

"Fellow Daoist Ling Shan truly lives up to her reputation as a sword immortal with exceptional talent."

"That person from the underworld seems to be a natural counter to us Golden Core cultivators. It's truly remarkable that even a single sword intent from the Sword Immortal Ling Shan could injure him."

Shen Wen'an nodded.

He had a vague feeling that even if the Sword Immortal Ling Shan were to face that person from the underworld, she probably wouldn't be a match for him.

After a moment of reflection, Jiang Xiuqi sighed softly and said, "I thought that achieving the Golden Core Dao was the true realm of freedom, but who would have thought that there would be a Netherworld."

"I wonder why the Underworld would covet this wisp of golden essence within us Golden Core cultivators..."

"Wen'an, it was you and the Sword Immortal Ling Shan who saved my life. I will always remember this kindness."

Suppressing his thoughts, Jiang Xiuqi smiled faintly and cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Wen'an quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said, "Senior, you are too kind. Qiu Ling and I are husband and wife, and you are Qiu Ling's grandmaster. We are family."

Jiang Xiuqi nodded with a smile, then changed the subject and said, "When I achieved the Golden Core, I received the creation of heaven and earth within my body, generating a wisp of immortal destiny pill energy."

"This elixir can give ordinary people or cultivators at the embryonic breathing stage a chance to reshape their spiritual roots."

"Is there anyone in your tribe who needs help?"

The elixir energy that can reshape one's spiritual root!?
Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an was overjoyed and immediately asked, "May I ask, senior, can this elixir energy help someone without spiritual roots to develop them?"

Jiang Xiuqi nodded with a smile and said, "If it can reshape spiritual roots, it can naturally enable those without spiritual roots to obtain them."

"However, I'm afraid I can't control which of the five elements I can obtain."

Shen Wen'an nodded repeatedly and said, "That's enough, that's enough."

"As long as I can obtain a spiritual root, that's enough."

Currently, none of the Shen family members—the parents, the older sister, and the sister-in-law—have spiritual roots.

Among the younger generation, Shen Chongxuan, although he also lacks spiritual roots, has already made achievements in the literary path and has successfully condensed his literary heart, so there is no need to worry about him.

After some thought, Shen Wen'an suddenly found himself in a dilemma again.

Logically speaking, this wisp of elixir energy should be given priority to the father.

After all, his cultivation level had reached the late stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and he was about to break through to the embryonic breathing stage.

Without spiritual roots, he needs five kinds of innate spiritual energy of the same quality to break through to the embryonic breathing stage.

But it seems that my mother, Hu Yufen, needs this elixir more.

Having no spiritual roots, he hasn't even reached the Qi Refining Realm yet. If it weren't for Shen Chongming obtaining a miraculous fruit that could prolong life from the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm...

My mother is probably very old now.

Now, he was in a dilemma about who to give this elixir energy that could grant spiritual roots to.

Noticing his expression, Jiang Xiuqi, who had lived for hundreds of years, could hardly not understand what he was thinking.

It's just that everyone has their own destiny. Some cultivators in the cultivation world deliberately avoid the world and sever ties with worldly love and affection, while others are able to harden their hearts and sever all feelings of love and affection in order to prove their Dao.

Others, like Wei Qiuling, actively engage with the world...

There are countless paths to enlightenment, none of which are right or wrong; it all depends on the cultivator themselves.

"Wen'an, you should go back and think it over carefully. When I hold the Dharma assembly, just bring the clansmen who need to be granted the pill energy to see me."

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly, intending to discuss the matter with his father when he returned.

(End of this chapter)