Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 215 Golden Core Dragon Corpse
Inside the small courtyard corridor, a father, sons, grandfather, and grandson sat together.

In Wei Qiuling's arms, three-year-old Shen Chongzhen curiously looked at his father, who was dressed in a light brown robe, as if he were looking at a stranger.

Shen Wen'an looked at the little guy, forced a smile, and slowly opened his arms.

The little guy looked up at his mother, Wei Qiuling, then at Shen Wenan, and shook his head slightly.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming smiled faintly and said, "Third Uncle has been in seclusion for too long, and I don't recognize you anymore."

Wei Qiuling smiled and cupped her son's face in her hands, then turned to Shen Yuan and said, "Father, you talk to Chongming and Wen'an. Your daughter-in-law will take Chongzhen to see Mother."

Shen Yuan nodded.

Wei Qiuling then picked up Shen Chongzhen and walked out of the courtyard.

"How did Third Uncle fare in his seclusion this time?"

Inside the corridor, Shen Chongming spoke up out of curiosity.

Shen Wen'an had been in seclusion for three years, and now that he had emerged, his aura had not increased much, which was quite puzzling.

"I have grasped a secret technique, but it is not yet perfected."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned slightly.

imperfect?
As previously mentioned by the White Jade Tortoise Shell, only flawless innate divine abilities can be imprinted into one's bloodline.

The [Guardian Sword Bone] has already been imprinted in one's bloodline, so it's impossible for it to have any flaws.

"Wen'an, tell me what you've learned, and what aspects are still imperfect?"

After a moment's hesitation, Shen Yuan asked.

Shen Wen'an looked at his father with a slightly startled expression.

It wasn't that he was wary of his own father and nephew.

He just felt that the secret technique he had comprehended in seclusion was clearly only suitable for himself, and he was afraid that it would be useless to tell others about it.

Now that his father had asked, he gathered his thoughts slightly and said:

"The secret technique that my son comprehended is called 'Guardian Sword Bone,' which can absorb the essence of gold and some special things, and fuse them with the sword bones in his body to create a sword bone magic sword."

"As for the specific effects, I haven't tried it yet, so I can't say for sure."

After a moment's thought, he continued, "I have a feeling that once the Sword Bone Technique is fully forged, I might have the strength to fight against a Golden Core cultivator."

The 【Guardian Sword Bone】is derived from his swordsmanship aptitude and the underworld aura on his magic sword.

Prior to this, he had planned to use his own sword embryo as a vessel to forcibly condense his intent onto the Dragon Soul Sword.

However, this idea clearly wouldn't work, and as the practice progressed, the situation gradually spiraled out of control.

Just as he was about to suffer the backlash from the artistic conception, he suddenly felt a supreme and profound information surging into his sea of ​​consciousness.

With the help of that supreme and profound information, he had a sudden inspiration and comprehended the secret technique of [Guardian Sword Bone].

That eerie aura of the underworld is a power capable of suppressing even a Golden Core cultivator.

The [Guardian Sword Bone] was comprehended by combining the aura of the underworld. Once the sword bone magic sword is forged, it will naturally have the ability to restrain Golden Core cultivators.

However, the gap between embryonic breathing and the Golden Core is not so easy to bridge. He could only guess that he might be able to exchange blows with a Golden Core cultivator at that time.

If it comes to surviving at the hands of a Golden Core cultivator, the chances are probably slim.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly after hearing this.

He already had some understanding of the power of the [Guardian Sword Bone] divine ability.

After chatting for a while, Shen Wen'an looked at Shen Chongming and said, "I urgently need gold essence and some rare and precious materials to cultivate the Sword Bone Technique."

"Previously, Chongyi and Muchang discovered a lava lake containing a large amount of gold essence and fire energy near the settlement of the Muhe tribe in the Western Wilderness."

"There's nothing else major happening at home lately, so I'm planning to go check out that lava lake."

Shen Chongming didn't speak, but turned to look at Shen Yuan beside him.

After a moment's thought, Shen Yuan said, "Go, be careful."

"Nowadays, the entire Western Wilderness is under the control of those demon cultivators from Mount Dawu."

"Don't worry, Father." Shen Wen'an nodded, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes.

With his current strength, unless he is surrounded by several cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage or powerful demons, he should have no problem escaping unscathed.

After bowing to the two, Shen Wen'an took a step forward, transforming into a sword light and leaving Yunshui City.

……

Western wilderness.

On the vast grassland, in a grand courtyard, several energetic figures were gathered together, arguing fiercely.

This courtyard was originally built when Hundred Beasts Mountain controlled the Western Wilderness.

After the destruction of Hundred Beast Mountain and the occupation of most of the Western Wilderness by Qiyun Valley, this place became one of their strongholds in the Western Wilderness grasslands.

With the invasion from the south, Qiyun Valley withdrew from Yangnao Land, which once again became a paradise for the great demons of Dawu Mountain.

Among the many powerful demons who came from Mount Wu, those qualified to live in this courtyard are at least at the late stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm.

Now, these figures gathered together arguing are all transformed great demons at the perfected stage of embryonic breathing.

"The Kingdom of Fushan has finally decided to make its move!"

"Of the five cities owned by the Shen family, Yunshui City is definitely the toughest nut to crack. We'd better avoid it."

"Avoid what? You all actually believed that old man from Fushan Kingdom?"

Among the group, a middle-aged man with neatly dressed clothes and meticulously combed hair sneered.

Upon hearing this, the rest of the group were stunned.

"What does Commander Lan mean by that?"

"We accepted all the gifts the old man brought, and we also personally agreed to this. Are we going to go back on our word?"

"We demon cultivators also need a reputation; it wouldn't sound good if word got out..."

After a moment of silence, an exceptionally robust old man with gray hair spoke in a deep voice.

"That's right, that's right. No matter how powerful the Shen family is, they can't possibly stand against the two major Golden Core forces of our Great Wushan and Fushan Kingdom, can they?"

"I never said I wouldn't intervene." Commander Lan glanced at the group and continued, "It's just a show..."

Meeting the gazes of the group, he bowed to the old man who had spoken earlier and said, "I would like to trouble Lord Baishan to make a trip back to those desolate mountains in the Southern Frontier and personally drive over some of the Qi Refining Realm demons who have not yet reached their full potential."

"When the appointed time arrives, those lesser demons will rush across Hidden Dragon Mountain to harass the Shen family's city."

"This move not only fulfills the wishes of the Fushan Kingdom, but also tests the Shen family's apparent strength."

"More importantly, you don't have to feel sorry for the deaths of some independent cultivators in the mountains and wilderness."

Na Wushi Ao regarded these demon cultivators from Mount Dawu as fools, wanting them to deplete the Shen family's power and test the Shen family's methods.

These demon cultivators weren't fools; they certainly wouldn't be so stupid as to rush up and fight the Shen family for such a small gift.

Demon cultivators may not be very bright, but the people in this courtyard, especially "Commander Blue," have cultivated for hundreds of years and reached the perfect state of embryonic breathing. Their wisdom and strategy are far beyond what ordinary, muddle-headed little demons can match.

"Brother Lan, aren't you afraid that the Fushan Kingdom will take all the benefits?"

After a moment of contemplation, a thin, dark-skinned old man wearing a tattered felt hat suddenly spoke.

Commander Lan's gaze was deep as he looked in the direction of the Shen family and smiled faintly: "If they want to occupy it, let them. Let's see if the Fushan Kingdom dares to do it."

"Should we ask my great-aunt for permission?"

The dignified old man hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

The "great-aunt" he mentioned was none other than the Heavenly Fox Demon King.

"No need, my aunt has already instructed us to be careful and not to act rashly."

"Let's leave it at that for now. Afterwards, I will personally visit the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain to discuss some matters with them."

The dignified old man didn't say anything more, and slowly stood up, saying, "Then I will go back now. Farewell, everyone."

Before he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a gust of demonic wind and vanished from the courtyard.

……

From the direction of Hidden Dragon Mountain, Shen Wen'an flew through the air on his sword. When his eyes glanced down, his mind suddenly stirred, and he immediately swooped down.

Below, in the jungle, poisonous miasma permeates the air.

A group of semi-transformed demonic beasts, dressed in tattered armor and cloth, and wielding swords, spears, halberds, and forks, were patrolling aimlessly around the poisonous miasma.

A figure suddenly appeared before them, startling the lazy monsters, who then shouted and rushed forward.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an slowly raised his sword finger.

The next moment, a large amount of cyan sword energy quickly appeared behind him!
These sword energies condensed directly into the shape of longswords. With a flick of the sword finger, the longswords flew out and charged towards the many demonic beasts that were rushing towards them!

Most of the lesser demons surrounding the edge of the poisonous miasma were at the Qi Refining stage, with only a dozen or so barely reaching the early stage of Fetal Breathing.

Faced with Shen Wen'an now, there is only slaughter to be had!

In the first exchange, dozens of demonic beasts were instantly killed. Those that hadn't yet reached them were also terrified, hastily stopping themselves before fleeing in horror.

Having dealt with the demonic beasts, Shen Wen'an gazed at the poisonous miasma, concentrated his energy into a voice, and spoke calmly.

"Is the giant centipede still alive?"

Its sound pierced through the thick poisonous miasma and flew deep into the miasma-filled forest.

A moment later, a rustling sound came from the poisonous miasma in front of them.

The centipede leader's enormous head slowly emerged from the poisonous miasma.

"Really you?"

Upon seeing Shen Wen'an, the centipede leader was clearly surprised, but also very pleased.

Back then, due to Shen Wen'an's power, it was forced to agree to pledge allegiance to the Shen family.

Before the invasion from the Southern Frontier, the Shen family withdrew all the cultivators and clan soldiers from the mountains back to Yunshui City. They also sent people to find it, wanting it to evacuate with them.

It refused because the last poisonous leaf of its treasure, which it had guarded for hundreds of years, was not yet ripe.

Shen Wen'an examined it and, noticing its somewhat weak aura, frowned slightly and asked, "Why didn't you go with the Shen family cultivators when they withdrew?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed in the centipede leader's compound eyes. He twisted his body but didn't say anything.

"injured?"

"Come out and let me see."

Shen Wen'an spoke again.

This creature only extended a small portion of its body out of the poisonous miasma; its hard skull still bore several wounds that had not fully healed, making it look quite pitiful.

Upon hearing this, the centipede leader awkwardly crawled out of the poisonous miasma.

Its body, several meters long, was covered with scars left by various spells. Its hard shell had several large holes from which dark green blood was constantly seeping out.

Several of the legs on either side of the body were severed, making it look quite comical.

"It was done by a boar demon at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and a giant spider at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm..."

"I...I also bit off one of that giant spider's legs!"

Seemingly in an attempt to save face, the centipede leader quickly recounted his battle record.

Whether this is actually the case can be seen simply from their evasive gaze.

"Would you risk your life for just one poisonous leaf?"

Shen Wen'an frowned.

He knew that the centipede leader was unwilling to leave because of the poisonous herb in the poisonous miasma.

"I've guarded that treasure for two hundred years, and now only the last leaf remains."

"I...I can feel that when that last leaf matures and I consume the complete treasure, I will reap enormous benefits!"

The centipede leader hurriedly spoke.

It could also sense a hint of concern in Shen Wen'an's words.

After all, the two sides had known each other for decades, and the Shen family, especially Shen Chongming back then, had treated it very well.

Looking at the horrific wounds on his body, Shen Wen'an shook his head and sighed. With a flash of light in his hand, he took out a bottle of healing pills.

"Let's eat first."

He tossed the porcelain bottle over.

The giant centipede immediately opened its mouth and sucked in the porcelain bottle, then began to silently refine the medicinal power.

"Where are your insect offspring?"

While he was refining healing pills, Shen Wen'an casually said, "Let them come out and eat the corpses of these demonic beasts."

He just killed dozens of monsters that were blocking the edge of the poisonous miasma with a single move.

Several of them have already reached the embryonic breathing stage.

He was on his way to the settlement of the Western Wilderness Muhe tribe to search for the essence of gold, so it was inconvenient for him to bring along these monster corpses.

"They're all...they're all dead..."

When the centipede leader mentioned his insect offspring, a faint trace of sadness suddenly appeared on his face.

During this period, it clashed with the monsters of Mount Dawu several times, and almost all of its poisonous centipedes, which had already cultivated into demons, were killed in battle.

Now, apart from those ordinary centipedes, he is practically all alone.

Shen Wen'an sighed again, turned around and went to the corpses of the demon beasts, took out all the demon essence pills from their bodies, and then waved his hand to roll the corpses of the demon beasts in front of the centipede leader.

"Eat it, it will replenish your energy and blood."

The centipede leader nodded obediently, opened its mouth, and spat out a jet of pitch-black venom that covered all the corpses of the monsters.

A moment later, the pitch-black venom was absorbed back into its stomach, leaving only scattered white bones on the ground.

"Take me to see that poisonous plant."

Shen Wen'an spoke.

The centipede leader hesitated for a moment, then twisted his body and led him deeper into the poisonous miasma.

Arriving at the raised mound once more, Shen Wen'an gazed at the colorful poisonous plants on it, his brows suddenly furrowing.

When he first arrived here, his cultivation level was only at the early stage of the embryonic breathing stage, and he did not notice anything unusual about the depths of this poisonous miasma.

Now, standing before the mound once more, he finally noticed something amiss.

What is this supposed to be a mound?
It's clearly a huge tomb!

The treasure that the centipede leader had guarded for two hundred years was actually just grass growing on someone else's grave!

Having mastered the [Guardian Sword Bone] through seclusion, he possessed a unique artistic conception.

Standing before this massive mound, one can clearly sense a faint power of spiritual energy emanating from beneath it!

This is enough to prove that the being buried in the mound is either like himself, who, without having attained the Golden Core stage, has already comprehended his own realm of understanding.

Or he is a true Golden Core cultivator!
Do you know this is a grave?

Turning to look at the centipede leader, Shen Wen'an asked in a deep voice.

The centipede leader shook his head, looking bewildered.

“I… I found this place on instinct, but…”

It seemed to have thought of something, and shifted its body uneasily, saying, "With each time I absorb and refine this precious leaf, some inexplicable information appears in my mind..."

"Hey you with the sword, do you think I've been possessed?!"

The centipede leader suddenly cried out in alarm, his voice somewhat high-pitched.

Shen Wen'an glanced at it and said, "If you've been possessed, how would you know?"

As he spoke, he slowly drew his Dragon-Slaying Sword.

"Step back a bit."

"Be careful, don't hurt my baby!"

The centipede leader retreated quickly, giving instructions as he did so.

Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes slightly, and as he swung the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand, several sharp sword beams were unleashed!

Several sword beams swelled in the wind and instantly slashed at the huge mound!

boom!
boom!
A muffled explosion rang out, alerting Shen Wen'an that something was wrong.

The mound in front of us is not some magical object, but just the most ordinary rocks and soil in Hidden Dragon Mountain.

However, his sword light had just pierced through the surface soil and rocks, clearly indicating that he had struck something hard!

It was no ordinary rock that could withstand his sword strikes.

In order to protect the poisonous grass on the top of the mound, he could not use any powerful moves.

With a slight thought, a three-inch-long golden sword appeared before him.

The next moment, the golden sword split into two, then into four...

In the blink of an eye, more than two hundred blades were separated.

As his divine sense shifted, the two hundred-plus golden swords transformed into a giant drill, spinning rapidly as it hurtled toward the front of the mound.

A large amount of soil and rocks were crushed, and within a few breaths, the Dragon Soul Sword clearly encountered an obstacle.

Shen Wen'an waved his hand to retrieve the magic sword, and with a flash, he followed the tunnel that had emerged into the mound.

What appeared before him were several huge black and red scales.

"This is... a giant python?"

Shen Wen'an slowly reached out and stroked the huge scale in front of him, vaguely sensing that it contained a faint spirituality.

Those who cultivate in the embryonic breathing stage are already able to ensure that their physical bodies do not decay for a hundred years after death.

The scales of this creature, suspected to be a giant python, still retain a spiritual quality, suggesting that it may have surpassed the embryonic breathing stage and achieved the Golden Core Dao during its lifetime.

However, Shen Wen'an did not sense any metal element.

Clearly, all that remains here is a corpse.

Shen Wen'an's divine sense penetrated the spiritual scales and infiltrated their interior. After carefully sensing them, a large amount of sword energy instantly surged from his body!
These sharp sword energies danced around him, and in an instant, they completely blasted the entire mound apart!

"my darling!"

In the distance, the centipede leader was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that he fled in panic, shouting all the while.

The surrounding poisonous miasma was stirred up by the sword energy, spreading out along with smoke and dust.

Once everything had subsided, the centipede leader rushed over, but was instantly stunned by what he saw before him!

All it saw was the disappearance of the mound it had guarded for nearly two hundred years, replaced by a terrifying giant python with its body coiled together!
The python's scales were black and red, and all its flesh had disappeared, leaving only a python skin covering its skeleton.

The centipede leader raised its head and scanned the giant python's body several times, but still couldn't find its head.

It only saw its beloved treasure standing in the void, its long roots embedded in the giant python's body.

Shen Wen'an hovered in mid-air, his body enveloped by a sword energy shield.

His gaze was fixed on the enormous skeleton below, and he murmured in a deep voice, "This is a poisonous dragon at the Golden Core stage."

"His head must have been cut off, and his soul destroyed..."

"It is unknown whether Jin Xing was reincarnated or abducted by the underworld."

With a slight thought, Shen Wen'an stretched out his palm and grabbed at the air. The condensed sword energy instantly tore out the roots of the poisonous plant and a ball of light radiating multicolored light!
The colorful light on the surface of the ball of light had dimmed considerably, but it still exuded a mysterious aura.

At this moment, Shen Wen'an also understood.

The treasure that the centipede leader had guarded for nearly two hundred years was actually a spiritual object of heaven and earth that grew from the incomplete golden core within the venomous dragon's body.

As for what it said, every time it refined and devoured the leaves of the poisonous herb, some inexplicable information would appear in its mind.

These are probably the memories of the venomous dragon before its death.

A poisonous dragon at the Golden Core stage was beheaded, and its body was hastily buried here...

Shen Wen'an vaguely felt that this poisonous dragon should have some connection with the Dragon-Raising Clan of yesteryear.

After a brief moment of thought, he unleashed a burst of sword energy, enveloping the roots of the poisonous herb along with the last bit of the poisonous dragon's golden core energy.

"You don't need to guard this treasure anymore."

"Later, I will refine and absorb all of these directly, which can be considered a good inheritance."

This venomous dragon must have experienced a fierce battle before its death, as its golden core was shattered.

The poisonous herb did not originate from its complete golden core; otherwise, the centipede leader, having nearly refined the entire poisonous herb, would not have only reached the early stage of the embryonic breathing realm.

The Golden Core is incomplete, and the Poisonous Flood Dragon's lifelong legacy is clearly also incomplete; it all depends on how much the Centipede Leader can comprehend.

Upon hearing this, the centipede leader excitedly stepped forward, opening its mouth as if to swallow the poisonous herb and the remaining power of the golden elixir.

"Don't rush."

Shen Wen'an's mind stirred slightly, and he manipulated the ball of light to dodge.

“I have other things to do and cannot stay here to protect you.”

"Take this to Yunshui City later and have Chongming protect you so you can refine it further."

He could sense that once the centipede leader finished refining these, he would at least be able to break through to the middle stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm, and might even have a chance to reach the late stage.

This will inevitably be a long process, and I don't have time to stay here.

The centipede leader nodded sharply, then immediately spat out a ball of venom, which enveloped the ball of light and was absorbed into its stomach.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an glanced once more at the poisonous dragon's corpse and skin on the ground.

This is a demonic beast at the Golden Core stage, its entire body is a treasure.

Although his flesh and blood have decayed, his bones and scales are still valuable and should not be wasted.

He patted the storage bag at his waist and directly put the headless poisonous dragon's corpse into it.

The centipede leader twisted its body to the bottom of the pit, wanting to see if there were any other good things left behind.

After searching for a while, its sharp forelimbs seemed to touch something, and it immediately buried its large head into the soil in front of it.

"Hey you with the sword, watch me find... ptooey!"

"What kind of junk is this?"

The centipede leader emerged from the soil with its head out, and as it prepared to show off, it realized that what it had painstakingly found was what appeared to be a fragment of bronze.

It looks like the bottom of a bronze bottle.

Shen Wen'an glanced at the centipede leader and instantly appeared in front of him, picking up the bronze fragment that the leader had spat out onto the ground.

Is it a treasure?

Seeing his reaction, the centipede leader asked curiously.

It sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from this bronze fragment.

But over the years, its insect offspring have found countless fragments of magical artifacts in the mountains and presented them to it.

It had long since lost interest in this thing.

Shen Wen'an held the bronze fragment and examined it repeatedly, gently wiping away the dirt on it, and sure enough, he found familiar inscriptions.

They're from the same magical artifact!
Over the decades, he had seen a total of three bronze fragments with the same pattern.

The first one was seized from a Qi Refining Level 9 disciple of Hundred Beasts Mountain.

The second one was obtained by killing a boar demon at the Nascent Soul stage in the Black Pine Forest Spirit Crystal Mine.

The last time was when three members of the Suihuo Sect came to intercept and kill Shen Chongming, but he ultimately killed them in return.

At that time, the old man of the Suihuo Sect who was in the late stage of the embryonic breathing stage had used a pair of copper rings.

Now I have obtained the bottom of this magical artifact.

Recalling the shapes of the bronze fragments he had obtained earlier, he already had a general idea of ​​what this magical artifact would look like.

The shape of this ritual implement should resemble a handleless, narrow-necked wine pot, with ears on both sides and a bronze ring on each ear.

Based on this guess, and combined with the bottom of the bottle in his hand, Shen Wen'an realized that he probably only obtained one-fifth, or even less, of the entire magical artifact.

"I want this thing."

Suppressing his thoughts, he directly put the bronze fragment into his storage bag.

The centipede leader didn't care at all.

Shen Wen'an has done it a great favor this time, so let's give him a broken fragment of a magical artifact as a token of our gratitude.

"You must go to Yunshui City immediately."

"I didn't kill all the monsters outside the poisonous miasma before. Those that escaped will probably need to bring reinforcements when they go back."

"It's not suitable to stay here for long."

The centipede leader raised its head, looked somewhat reluctantly at the place where it had lived for two hundred years, and nodded slightly.

"I'm leaving now, take care of yourself..."

After saying this, it stirred up a cloud of poisonous mist and flew towards Yunshui City.

Shen Wen'an glanced at its figure disappearing into the horizon, then did not linger and flew directly towards the Western Wilderness on his sword.

……

Inside the ancestral hall in Yunshui City.

Shen Chongming held his teacup, his gaze sweeping over the group of stewards from the affiliated families below him.

Beside her, Shen Li, dressed in a moon-white long dress with her hair casually tied back, sat quietly, occasionally kicking the snoring golden toad next to her with her toes.

The scene was silent, and the atmosphere was very oppressive.

However, most of the family stewards present did not have much concern.

Since the last time two major clans were annihilated by the Iron Blood, they have strictly disciplined their clansmen.

In addition, these companies have been busy expanding their territory and managing those spirit fields and mines in the past two years, so there have been few illegal or disorderly activities.

But this does not include Liu Jing, the head of the Liu family in Xingyang.

When Liu Jing learned that one of his neglected daughters was pregnant with the Shen family's bloodline, he was genuinely excited for several days. He began to plan how to compensate Liu Qingfeng and his sister, and secretly sent people to inquire when the master of the house planned to come to Xingyang City to propose marriage.

But before he could even enjoy his happiness for a few days, news arrived.

It is said that Liu Yiran was able to gain the favor of Prince Chongxu because she took advantage of his drunkenness and climbed into his bed.

Prince Chongxu had no intention of marrying her.

Upon hearing this news, Liu Jing was filled with shame, anger, and fear!
He knew very well that Liu Yiran's actions would inevitably arouse suspicion from the head of the Liu family, who would suspect that he, the head of the Liu family, was plotting something behind the scenes.

The siblings' identities were already shady, and even if the master's family found out after their investigation that they hadn't been instructed to do this, they would inevitably find out about what happened back then.

What worries Liu Jing even more is whether the master's investigation will uncover more information.

Feeling uneasy and anxious, Liu Jing was on pins and needles.

"Please forgive me, Master."

"Your subordinate is late."

A figure hurried over from outside the ancestral hall. After Zhao Tuan entered the ancestral hall, he immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Chongming glanced at him, his face showing no blame, and calmly said:

"Sit down first."

Has something happened in Anyang City?

After Zhao Tuan sat down, he cupped his hands and said, "The cultivators from Fushan Kingdom have recently been frequently raiding the border villages and towns of my Shen family."

"After discussing with Miss Shen You, I have already relocated the common people from various villages and towns along the border to the heart of Anyang."

"As instructed by the patriarch, the cultivators under his jurisdiction are merely guarding the border and have not crossed the boundary."

"It's just a pity that the land and several spirit fields there are probably no longer arable."

Shen Chongming nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He put down his teacup, slowly sat up straight, and looked at everyone, saying, "I have invited you all here today because I have an important announcement to make."

Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath and focused their attention.

Shen Chongming continued, "Master Lu, the head of the clan, is getting old and has now resigned from his position as clan head."

“Next, Shen Li will temporarily serve as the head of the main branch of the Shen family.”

Upon hearing this, the stewards of the affiliated families present all looked at the quiet girl beside him in astonishment.

Shen Li's existence is considered a secret within the Shen family.

Of the people present, apart from Zhao Tuan who might have heard of Shen Li, the rest probably had never even heard of her name, let alone knew that she was actually Shen Wenyan's daughter.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Shen Li slowly stood up and said in a gentle voice:
"Li'er is still young, and she will need the guidance of the seniors in the future as she takes charge of the clan's main courtyard."

Seeing her graceful and gentle demeanor, the family stewards breathed a sigh of relief.

This seemingly harmless girl should be easier to get along with than that old-fashioned and serious Lu Zhiyuan, right?

"sure!"

"We have met the new clan leader."

The group smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Since the patriarch has appointed Li'er as the clan leader, there are some rules that need to be explained to everyone in advance."

Before the group could celebrate for long, Shen Li spoke in a deep voice.

Everyone quickly wiped the smiles off their faces, exchanged glances, and then held their breath as they stared intently at her.

"It has been more than eighty years since the Immortal Sect descended. You and your families have been supported and sponsored by my Shen family, and you have all developed considerable strength."

"In the past two years, the situation has changed drastically due to the invasion from the southern border. I have heard that you are all stepping up your expansion efforts to seize and manage the surrounding spiritual fields and mineral veins."

Upon hearing her mention this matter, some of the people present showed slight changes in their expressions.

Before they could think further, Shen Li continued:

"This is a good thing."

"Li'er has discussed with the head of the family and made the following changes. Please listen carefully."

Everyone quickly suppressed their thoughts and listened attentively, afraid of missing anything crucial.

“Starting from this year’s annual ancestral rites, the Shen family will no longer provide stipends to you and your families behind you.”

"Of course, each family does not have to hand over all the spiritual items, spiritual rice, and other things they harvest. They only need to take out a portion as offerings, and the rest can be distributed among themselves."

“The clan council will send someone every year to notify everyone of the offerings that need to be paid, and no family may delay payment under any pretext.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present varied.

This method is actually the same way that the major immortal sects in Danzhou used to manage the families under their jurisdiction.

Each family pays a fixed amount of offerings annually, and if they are capable enough, the host family will not interfere with any surplus of funds for spiritual practice.

This move has both advantages and disadvantages for them.

The advantage is that they have a certain degree of autonomy over the territory under their rule, and if they are lucky, they can also accumulate more resources.

However, the downsides are also obvious.

If an unexpected event occurs within the territory under one's rule, resulting in a significant reduction in harvest, the due tribute must still be paid.

If you can't provide offerings, the host won't forgive you easily.

"The second thing."

Shen Li didn't give them much time to think and continued, "Each family can recommend promising talents to my Shen family, or present rare treasures and exotic items. My Shen family will reward them accordingly."

"Many of the remaining clan rules still need to be changed. The clan council will send the revised clan rules to each family later."

"So that everyone may know."

"Finally, let me say something to you all."

Shen Li glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice, "The Shen family will not interfere with the expansion of any family, but please act according to your ability and do not provoke trouble that you cannot handle."

"If the Shen family is unable to provide timely assistance by then, it would be a great pity if your entire clan were wiped out."

The expressions of the people below changed upon hearing this.

Over the years, the major affiliated families have accumulated considerable strength, with a large number of cultivators under their rule. Although they lack the ability to cultivate at the embryonic stage, there are already quite a few at the Qi Refining Perfection stage.

As strength increases, so does ambition.

Especially with the invasion from the southern border, all the major immortal sects withdrew from Yangnao Land.

Vast swathes of the surrounding territory are now vacant.

The major Golden Core forces in the Southern Frontier are different from the Immortal Sects in Danzhou. They only care about reaping blood and food, and don't care about governing the territories under their jurisdiction.

This gave them many opportunities.

"Have you all remembered what the clan leader said?"

"If there's nothing else, let's all disperse."

Shen Chongming slowly raised his head and looked at everyone.

Everyone present rose, bowed respectfully, and then withdrew.

Inside the ancestral hall, the brother and sister stood side by side, watching as everyone had already left. Shen Chongming said with a solemn expression, "I made this decision on my own without consulting Grandfather. I wonder if it will sow the seeds of disaster."

With no outsiders around, Shen Li slightly reverted to her girlish demeanor and said with a smile, "Brother Chongming, there's no need to worry. Some things you have to try to know if they're feasible."

"Grandpa often tells Li'er that he also made some wrong decisions back then, but hasn't our Shen family still ended up like this?"

“Brother Chongming is only a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, not a deity. How can he not make mistakes?”

"Right now, the Shen family still has enough strength to bear the consequences of mistakes. At worst, we can correct them later."

Hearing this, Shen Chongming turned to her and smiled, "You have a very good attitude, girl."

"They are also very good at comforting people."

"Well, since we've already taken this step, let's see how it goes."

"This move can be considered a permanent solution to the issue of salaries for each company."

"Now my Shen family can focus on developing Yunshui City in peace."

He has always advocated for a distinction between immortals and mortals, and that cultivators should not be troubled by worldly affairs.

He had felt this deeply when he was acting as the head of the family. Now that he has officially taken over as the head of the family, dealing with family affairs every day has given him a headache, and he has very little time to focus on his cultivation.

Instead of adopting Lu Zhiyuan's original suggestion, we have chosen to boldly reform the way the Immortal Sect used to manage its subordinate clans, allowing each affiliated clan to develop on its own. This can be considered an experiment.

Once this move succeeds, the Shen family will only need to ensure they have absolute power to suppress other families, and they can leave the many complicated mundane matters to the other families to handle themselves.

"If you are not in the mood to manage the clan's main courtyard, you can rest assured to leave it to Mu Chang and Mu Yan."

“They have followed the Master in managing the clan's main courtyard for many years and are now able to handle most matters.”

Shen Chongming changed the subject and spoke.

Shen Li smiled and nodded: "Brother Chongming, there's no need to worry."

“Cultivating all day long is also very boring. Grandpa said that cultivation should be balanced with rest, so I guess I’m just using this as a way to relax.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming asked with some curiosity, "Over the years, I have neglected you and have not paid attention to your cultivation. What level have you reached in your cultivation now?"

Looking at Shen Li, he could only vaguely sense that her aura was around the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

However, upon closer examination, it seemed as if Shen Li was shrouded in a thick fog, giving off an eerie and unreal feeling.

Meeting his gaze, Shen Li smiled slightly and said, "My realm is different from that of the Immortal Path, so it's not easy to explain."

"Brother Chongming only needs to know that with Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin around, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is no match for Li'er."

Shen Chongming looked at her with some surprise upon hearing this.

The Silver Thread Centipede is currently only at the Perfect Qi Refining stage, while the Golden Toad, after its realm fell, has just stabilized at the early stage of Fetal Breathing.

Shen Li said that with their help, they could defeat someone in the mid-stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm...

Does this mean she also has strength equivalent to the Fetal Breathing Realm?

"Alright, I won't ask any more questions. Anyway, Grandpa once said that you just need to focus on your cultivation, and you will surely become a pillar of the Shen family in the future, just like Third Uncle."

"Let's go."

The brother and sister left the ancestral hall side by side.

……

Western wilderness.

Shen Wen'an traveled on his sword, and along the way he killed quite a few foolish demon cultivators from Mount Wu.

However, all the demons he encountered were minor demons, the highest level of which was only the initial stage of fetal breathing.

It seems that those powerful demon cultivators are all hiding somewhere cultivating, and have never thought about properly governing the territory.

As they got closer to the old settlement of the Muhe tribe, Shen Wen'an suddenly realized something was wrong.

He sensed a very faint "force" in this area!
Back in Qiyun Valley, his master Pei Zhao would occasionally explain things related to "momentum" to him during casual conversations.

The momentum and formation are closely related.

Some cultivators who have a high level of expertise in array formations often make use of the power of heaven and earth when setting up arrays.

When the formation is aligned with the terrain, its power can be significantly enhanced.

Furthermore, in places where the natural forces of heaven and earth are particularly evident, if the formation can be perfectly integrated into the "force," it can produce unimaginable effects.

However, if the formation is set up "against the trend", the effect will be greatly reduced at best, and at worst it will be impossible to set up at all.

Although Shen Wen'an did not understand formations, he could sense a strange aura in the world before him.

Although this momentum is weak, it is quite evident.

With a slight shift in his mind, he stood on his sword in the void, slowly closed his eyes, and carefully observed the changes in the surrounding world with his divine sense.

A few breaths later, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at a small, craggy mountain to his left!

"Innate spiritual energy?"

He muttered something under his breath, and then suddenly rushed forward.

A flash of sword light pierced through the air, severing numerous stone pillars on the rugged little mountain.

Amidst the flying pebbles, a wisp of earthy-yellow energy suddenly shot out and fled rapidly into the distance.

"Want to run?"

Shen Wen'an took out a jade bottle with his other hand, made a hand seal, and a surge of sword energy emerged, directly transforming into a huge spiritual energy net that covered the fleeing earth-yellow energy!

(End of this chapter)