Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 229 The Second Great Harvest
As she watched the two figures gradually disappear into the mountain path, Liu Yiran could no longer hold back her tears.

“Miss, the master will not let the young master suffer any loss.”

"Someone, quickly close the courtyard gate, don't let anyone see us."

Seeing large tears streaming down Liu Yiran's face, the middle-aged woman quickly comforted her and helped her into the courtyard.

The two maids beside them hurriedly closed the courtyard gate, afraid that Shen Xiubai would hear or see them.

In the courtyard, Liu Yiran wiped away her tears, staggered to the pavilion, and sat down, her expression sorrowful.

The Liu family has now been wiped out, but the Shen family spared her brother Liu Qingfeng's life out of consideration for her and Shen Xiubai, and sent him to the southern city of Xihuang Town to serve as a centurion.

Liu Yiran suddenly realized that if she hadn't made a mistake back then and had obediently followed Shen Chongxu, she and her brother might not have ended up in such a miserable state.

……

The unusual phenomena that occurred when Shen Wen'an broke through attracted the attention of various forces in Yangnao Land.

He opened the Heavenly Gate, but did not see the extraordinary phenomenon of the Heavenly Gift of Gold. This led the six major Southern Frontier forces to mistakenly believe that he had failed in his breakthrough and was killed by the people of the Underworld.

While rumors were swirling around, Shen Wen'an was comfortably teaching his son, Shen Chongzhen, swordsmanship in his own courtyard.

Shen Chongzhen's talent in swordsmanship was no match for that of his monstrous father.

But with his passion and boundless love, he has achieved some skill in kendo at a young age.

During a break, Shen Chongzhen hung his sword on a pillar in the pavilion, wiped the sweat from his face, and came to Shen Wen'an with curiosity, saying, "Father, there's something about swordsmanship that I've never understood."

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly at him with a smile.

Shen Chongzhen thought for a moment and then continued, "Should sword cultivators enter the Dao through techniques or through internal energy?"

Upon hearing his son's words, a faint look of surprise appeared on Shen Wen'an's face.

He hadn't expected the little guy to be considering such profound questions at such a young age.

After thinking carefully for a moment, he answered in the simplest and most understandable way possible: "Most sword cultivators in the cultivation world today follow the path of Qi to enter the Dao."

"We sword cultivators mainly cultivate sword cultivation methods such as sword scriptures, transform the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into sword essence, condense a sword pellet in the body, and then transform it into a natal sword embryo to comprehend the sword intent."

"As for what you call using techniques to attain enlightenment, I have heard of that."

Shen Chongzhen listened attentively and then added, "I also saw it in some books in the Blackwater Pavilion."

"It is said that in ancient times, some swordsmen diligently studied sword techniques and eventually reached the realm of divine swordsmanship."

Shen Wen'an nodded with a smile.

"That's true, but you have to be clear that focusing only on technique is a wrong approach."

"Whether it's a sword cultivator or an immortal cultivator, the essence is still 'cultivating the true self' and improving the essence of life."

"Before the immortal path was revealed and the spiritual energy was restored, there were indeed many sword masters in Yangnao who could use secular swordsmanship to an extraordinary degree."

"With the help of the sword energy within their bodies, they might be able to rival some Qi Refining stage cultivators."

"But in the end, it still couldn't withstand the most basic fetal breathing..."

Shen Chongzhen muttered thoughtfully, "Does Father mean that even the most exquisite skills are futile when faced with overwhelming power?"

"Then... if one focuses on cultivating techniques while simultaneously 'cultivating one's true self,' wouldn't the outcome be different?"

He suddenly looked at Shen Wen'an with excitement and spoke his mind.

Meeting his gaze, Shen Wen'an wore a strange expression.

Over the years, he has also been able to see that his son is passionate about swordsmanship and has his own unique insights into the art.

The reason for this phenomenon is that he has been in seclusion for many years and has not had enough time to teach.

His mother, Wei Qiuling, was a Taoist immortal cultivator. In order not to mislead his cultivation, she only allowed him to practice the secular sword techniques collected by Shen Chongxuan in the clan first.

Over time, he became obsessed with this pursuit.

"Your idea is theoretically feasible."

"However, both techniques and cultivation require a lot of time, and it is by no means easy to do both at the same time."

Shen Wen'an did not stop his son from having this idea.

He had the same idea back then.

But later, it was because the Shen family was in dire straits and urgently needed a protector to step forward.

His only option was to improve his cultivation level and quickly increase his strength to protect his family.

The Shen family is different now than it was back then, so it's worth giving him a try.

"What are you two talking about?"

Wei Qiuling walked in from outside the courtyard and saw the father and son chatting in the pavilion. She smiled and spoke.

"mother."

Shen Chongzhen stood up and bowed, then picked up the teapot on the stone table and poured him a cup of tea.

Wei Qiuling took the teacup, took a small sip, and looked at Shen Wen'an, saying, "I just came back from my mother's."

"Is there something wrong?" Shen Wen'an asked in a deep voice.

“Good news.” Wei Qiuling smiled and said, “Chongxuan made a special trip to Lincang County before and luckily found that girl from the Zhantai family.”

"The two of them have gotten along quite well these past two years. Mother and Sister-in-law Lingxiu mean that Chongxuan is not young anymore, so let's set a date to finalize their marriage."

Shen Wen'an nodded after hearing this.

"You can let your older brother handle this; I have no experience with this."

He's good at fighting and killing, but he doesn't want to get involved in these kinds of family matters.

After hearing this, Wei Qiuling glared at him reproachfully and said, "I know you don't want to worry about it. If I didn't need your help, I certainly wouldn't have mentioned this to you."

"When Chongxuan returned from Lincang, he not only brought back Zhantai Yujing, but also several direct descendants of the Zhantai family and more than a hundred branch family members."

"That girl means she wants the direct descendants of the Zhan Tai family to follow you in cultivating the sword path."

"What do you think?"

The direct descendants of the Zhan Tai family followed him to cultivate the way of the sword?
Shen Wen'an frowned slightly before suddenly speaking, "I seem to remember you mentioned a fragmented technique called the Great Dream Sword Scripture the other day. Is it from the Zhan Tai family?"

Wei Qiuling nodded and stood up, saying, "Wait here, I'll go get it."

Soon, she brought out an ancient stone slab from the room.

The stone slab is over four feet long and wide, and is made of the most common granite.

After placing the stone slab next to the stone table in the pavilion, Wei Qiuling said, "I've examined this thing closely, and it's very strange."

"It resembles a cultivation method, but lacks the practice of cultivating the dantian and meridians."

Shen Wen'an gently stroked the powerful characters on the stone slab and closed his eyes slightly.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, a faint look of surprise flashing in them.

"The Zhan family produced a remarkable swordsman back then."

"To be able to comprehend the rudiments of the Dao in an era where spiritual energy is scarce, using the purest techniques, such a person would undoubtedly be considered an unparalleled sword immortal in today's world."

Hearing Shen Wen'an's high praise, Wei Qiuling and Shen Chongzhen, who was standing next to her, were both somewhat surprised.

"Father, are you saying that the senior who carved the words on the stone slab cultivated the rudiments of sword intent using only swordsmanship?"

Shen Wen'an nodded and looked again at the "Great Dream Sword Scripture" engraved on the stone slab.

The creator of this sword manual is named "Zhantai Wujiu". Although the text carved on the stone slab is called "Da Meng Sword Manual", it can only be considered a good work of calligraphy. The content has nothing to do with sword practice.

The biggest secret is hidden in every word on the stone slab.

Shen Wen'an could roughly guess that when Zhan Tai Wujiu carved these words, he had poured all his life's sword intent into them.

The power of this nascent conception is difficult for ordinary people to perceive.

Unfortunately, back then, Zhan Tai Wujiu's power level was probably only at the Qi Refining stage at most, and the rudimentary form of his artistic conception had become very blurry due to the erosion of time.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Wen'an said, "I can agree to this."

"Consider this a congratulatory gift from me, as Chongxuan's uncle."

"Put the stone slab here for now, I'll think about it some more. Go and tell my elder brother."

Wei Qiuling nodded and then left.

……

Mountain-side Academy.

Inside the octagonal pavilion, a gentle breeze rustled the copper bells on the eaves, causing them to chime crisply.

Shen Chongxuan held a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand and studied it carefully.

In the distance, a beautiful woman dressed in a long, ink-wash style dress, with her hair tied up in a bun, walked briskly towards them.

This woman was none other than Zhan Tai Yujing, from the Zhan Tai family in Lincang.

A debate involving a woman dressed as a man years ago captivated Shen Chongxuan at first sight.

Holding a long, elegant sword, Zhan Taiyujing quickly approached the octagonal pavilion. Upon seeing Shen Chongxuan's gentle and refined appearance, a faint smile appeared on her face. She then slowed her pace and tiptoed behind him.

"What are you up to, sneaking around like that?"

Shen Chongxuan had his back to her, his voice indifferent.

Seeing that she had been discovered, Zhan Taiyu pursed her lips, put the long sword in her hand on the stone table, poured herself a cup of tea, took a couple of sips, and said, "A message came from the mountain saying that the Sword Immortal Senior has agreed to teach several members of my Zhan Tai family the way of sword cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxuan immediately turned around, a look of joy flashing in his eyes as he looked at her.

"You've gone stupid from reading too much. Senior Sword Immortal is your own uncle. You were asked to ask him for help back then, but you refused."

"They have to be the ones to shamelessly make the demands."

Zhan Taiyu pouted and took another cup from the tea tray next to her, pouring him a cup of tea.

Shen Chongxuan closed the bamboo scroll in his hand, walked slowly to the stone table and sat down, saying, "Third Uncle likes quiet. In recent years, few disciples in the clan have bothered him."

"When you return, you should tell the Zhan family members that they must cherish this opportunity."

Zhan Taiyu nodded quietly: "That's for sure."

"And one more thing……"

Zhan Taiyu handed him the poured tea, glanced at him cautiously, and said, "The Liu family in Xingyang City, which was under the Shen family's control, has been wiped out, and Xingyang City is now vacant."

"And Zhennan City and Yanhu City still don't have anyone in charge..."

Shen Chongxuan frowned slightly upon hearing this, and looked at her meaningfully, saying, "What are you trying to say?"

Meeting his gaze, Zhan Taiyu suddenly mustered her courage and said bluntly, "I just want to fight for an opportunity for the Zhan Tai family."

The two men locked eyes for a moment, then Shen Chongxuan sighed heavily and said, "Let's not bring this up again."

"If the Zhan family is truly capable, the Shen family will certainly not mistreat them."

"If they don't have the ability to push them into that position, they will inevitably become the next Liu family in the end."

"besides……"

Shen Chongxuan glanced at her, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The women of my Shen family, from Grandma to my sister-in-law, dare not interfere in important clan affairs. You'd better keep your little schemes to yourself."

Zhan Taiyu nodded somewhat aggrievedly and said, "You know me. I didn't intend to overstep my bounds. I just wanted to fight for an opportunity to contribute to the Zhan Tai family, rather than end up becoming a parasite sucking blood from the Shen family."

"If they really aren't cut out for it, then so be it."

Shen Chongxuan sighed inwardly.

After spending several years together, he indeed discovered that Zhan Taiyu was intelligent, straightforward, and someone who couldn't keep things to herself.

Of course, she would only say such things to herself; she wouldn't speak so freely in front of outsiders.

"Alright, don't worry too much about these things. Focus more on your cultivation. The Shen family won't stop here, and the Zhan family will have plenty of opportunities to make contributions in the future."

Picking up the teacup in front of him, Shen Chongxuan took a sip and said, "In the meantime, visit your aunt and grandmother more often and learn some manners."

"We should also pay a visit to Aunt Hu in the backyard, and be mindful of etiquette."

Her parents had passed away many years ago. Hu Meier was, after all, her father's concubine, and having gained the Shen family's approval, she was his aunt.

Unlike his younger brother Shen Chongxu, he has always respected Hu Meier over the years.

Now that Zhan Taiyujing is about to marry into the Shen family and become his wife, she naturally needs to pay a visit to Hu Meier in advance.

"Don't worry, I will visit Aunt Hu tomorrow."

Zhan Taiyu had a good temperament and was not upset by Shen Chongxuan's slightly reprimanding words.

"I've recently gained some new insights into the 'Autumn Water Sword Technique.' Want to spar with me for a couple of moves?"

He abruptly changed the subject and grabbed the longsword beside him.

Shen Chongxuan glanced at her and shook his head inwardly.

Since deciding to have scholars supplement their studies with swordsmanship, his skill in swordsmanship has become first-rate.

As for Zhan Taiyujing's swordsmanship... it was barely at a third-rate level.

Shen Chongxuan truly had no interest in fighting her.

However, not wanting to spoil the fun, he slowly stood up and took his sword from the pillar of the octagonal pavilion.

Upon seeing this, Zhan Taiyu smiled slightly, then her beautiful eyes flashed as she drew her sword to attack.

……

Southern Xinjiang, Qingting City.

Dressed in a long animal skin robe with his hair disheveled, Shen Chongxu wielded a long staff and smashed a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator from the Jin Xuan Sect into a bloody pulp on the spot. He then turned and charged toward the Jin Xuan Sect Master, who was slaughtering his subordinates.

The sect leader of Jinxuan Sect was an elderly man in his sixties who had reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He wore a brocade robe and had a plump figure.

With every gesture, metallic spells relentlessly reaped the lives of the surrounding rogue cultivators.

These rogue cultivators were all cannon fodder recruited by Shen Chongxu at Yimeng Lake.

He simply told these people that he intended to occupy Qingcheng City, and that anyone who was willing to follow him would be rewarded according to their merits after the city was captured, and everyone would receive a share of the cultivation resources they had seized.

Such tempting conditions directly attracted a large number of rogue cultivators who frequented brothels and taverns.

These cultivators were not highly skilled; most were only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining. Only one pair of brothers had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, which wasted the money he had spent on a table of food and wine.

After recruiting enough men, Shen Chongxu led this rabble into Qingding City and headed straight for Jinxuan Gate, which had just occupied Qingding City not long ago.

After the two sides clashed, the leader of the Jinxuan Sect deliberately bypassed Shen Chongxu and chose to slaughter the Qi Refining cultivators he had recruited.

Moreover, after killing each person, he would use a strange magical artifact to absorb all the essence and blood from the dead cultivators.

Although Shen Chongxu was curious about this, he didn't care at all.

These people were just cannon fodder he had found, a bunch of scoundrels who liked to frequent brothels. What great things could he expect them to do?
The sect leader of Jinxuan Sect slaughtered his cannon fodder, so he naturally didn't hold back and specifically targeted the Qi Refining Realm disciples of Jinxuan Sect to kill.

The two of them were like tigers among sheep, quickly reaping the low-level cultivators under each other's command.

After a brief battle, only the old sect leader remained from the Jin Xuan Sect. Shen Chongxu didn't want to waste any more time and rushed over directly.

Seeing Shen Chongxu covered in blood, holding a long iron staff stained with blood, the old sect leader of Jinxuan Sect actually showed a hint of fear in his eyes. He hurriedly used the strange magic weapon in his hand to collect the essence of blood and flesh from the body of a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator, and then turned to run away.

"Stop him!"

Shen Chongxu shouted loudly!
Upon hearing this, the two brothers who had just finished off their opponent gritted their teeth, immediately took out a talisman from their pockets, chanted incantations, infused it with spiritual power, and threw it at the old man!

boom!
The two talismans exploded in the void, instantly transforming into several bolts of lightning that struck towards the sect master of the Golden Pavilion!
Although the lightning seemed to have only average power, the main cultivator of the Jin Xuan Sect only practiced the Scattered Technique. Despite having the cultivation level of the mid-stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm, his spiritual energy and true essence had already been almost entirely consumed in the massacre just now.

This sudden attack by the talisman, with several inconspicuous bolts of lightning striking his body, did not cause much damage, but it paralyzed his body and caused his spiritual energy to stagnate, delaying his best chance to escape.

At that moment, Shen Chongxu had already flashed in and attacked.

Taking advantage of the moment when his body was paralyzed by the lightning, the long iron staff, imbued with heavy earth-attribute spiritual power, slammed down!
Click!

The blow struck the Jin Xuan Sect Master's right shoulder, producing a sickening cracking sound. A section of the Jin Xuan Sect Master's shoulder was smashed off on the spot.

With another sweep of the iron staff, the Jin Xuan Sect Master's legs were broken.

Shen Chongxu approached and pressed his long stick against the man's chest.

On the other side, the fellow cultivators also rode the wind to arrive.

"Senior Bai."

When the two men clasped their hands in greeting, their faces were filled with undisguised joy.

Once the Jin Xuan Sect is dealt with, it means they will be able to control Qingting City.

Although this city is not large, it can still collect a lot of good things every year, which can be exchanged for cultivation resources, enough to meet the needs of daily cultivation.

"You two go and clean up the battlefield. Don't even think about keeping any of the spoils for yourself. I won't treat you badly after I've seen them."

Shen Chongxu spoke in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the two brothers excitedly cupped their hands in greeting and then hurried off to plunder the spoils.

After they left, Shen Chongxu slowly squatted down and snatched the strange magical artifact that the Jin Xuan Sect Master was holding in his arms.

Despite having both legs broken and one shoulder smashed into a bloody mess, the Jin Xuan Sect Master struggled to reach out his left hand to snatch the magic weapon when it was taken away.

Seeing this, Shen Chongxu curiously examined the magical artifact in his hand.

This thing looks like a wooden incense burner, with a hollowed-out lid carved with the head of some kind of slightly evil monster. It is dark purple all over, has three legs and two ears, and its surface is covered with strange inscriptions.

Aside from the faint fluctuations of the magical artifact, the incense burner also exuded a strong bloody aura.

What is this thing called?

With one foot planted on the chest of the Jin Xuan Sect Master, Shen Chongxu asked in a deep voice.

The Jin Xuan Sect Master's face was contorted with pain, but his eyes were burning with intensity as he stared at the strange incense burner in his hand.

It seemed that this thing was more important than his life.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Chongxu frowned deeply.

Tell me what this thing is, and I'll give you a quick death.

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, and a stream of earth-yellow spiritual energy instantly entered the ground beneath his feet.

As a result, the earth beneath the Jin Xuan Sect Master churned, and countless sharp, inch-long spikes emerged from the soil, piercing his body and leaving bloody holes.

The old man from Jinxuan Sect was a tough nut to crack; despite being tortured and wincing, he remained completely silent.

Upon seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Shen Chongxu's eyes, and he immediately slammed the long iron staff in his hand toward the man's head!
puff!
The old man's head was pierced instantly, his body twitched a few times, and then he slowly lost consciousness.

After killing the man, Shen Chongxu's gaze suddenly fell on the brocade pouch at his waist, and a look of joy flashed in his eyes.

"As expected of the Southern Frontier, where traditions have never been broken."

"Even the leader of a minor, insignificant sect has something like a storage bag."

Shen Chongxu ripped the storage bag off the waist of the Jin Xuan Sect Master without even looking at it, and stuffed it directly into his pocket.

A moment later, more than ten of the hundred cultivators who had been recruited were still alive and gathered behind him.

"Senior Bai, we've looted everything!"

The two cultivator brothers, each carrying a package, approached with delighted expressions. Clearly, they were very satisfied with their haul.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxu randomly selected two cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Refining and calmly said, "You two clean up these corpses."

"The rest of you, go and tell the families and forces in the city that from this day forward, Qingting City belongs to Bai Xuanjiao."

The name "Bai Xuan" is taken from the two people he cared about most.

Son Shen Xiubai and mother Zhao Xuan.

In front of this group of recruited cultivators, he also referred to himself as Bai Xuan.

After seeing everyone off, Shen Chongxu arrived at the city lord's mansion in Qingting City.

The local officials were already prepared to welcome the new master of Aomachi Castle.

After Shen Chongxu arrived, he only said that everything would remain the same, and then went to the backyard of the city lord's mansion alone. He found a room and began to study the strange magical artifact left by the Jin Xuan Sect Master and his storage bag.

"So this thing is called the Underworld Defilement Furnace!"

"It seems to be a damaged ancient magical artifact..."

Shen Chongxu found a tattered piece of animal skin paper in the storage bag of the Jin Xuan Sect Master.

The tattered parchment depicted an incense burner identical to the strange magical artifact, accompanied by a detailed description of the artifact.

After careful examination, Shen Chongxu discovered that the Netherworld Furnace in his hand was probably just a replica, and that it had suffered some kind of mishap, which was why the magical aura emanating from the surface of the furnace was very weak.

As he continued to look at the other side of the parchment, a glint of light suddenly flashed in Shen Chongxu's eyes!
After seeing the instructions and specific effects of the Netherworld Furnace on the back of the animal skin paper, he finally understood why the Golden Pavilion Sect Master was still staring at the furnace even on his deathbed!
Snapped!
Shen Chongxu slammed the animal skin paper shut, his heart pounding uncontrollably for a few moments before he slowly stood up.

"This method... is far too evil..."

Muttering to himself, Shen Chongxu's mind was still filled with the words described on the parchment.

"Using the soul seed as a foundation, the blood puppet clone is nourished with the flesh and blood of all spirits..."

"Once the blood puppet is formed, it can hunt living beings on its own to increase its strength and nourish its master."

"The Great Completion Blood Puppet can reach the Nine Heavens and descend to the Nine Netherworlds, flying through the sky and escaping into the earth. When the Blood Puppet merges with its master body, it can transform into a blood pool spanning ten thousand miles. As long as the blood pool never dries up, the master body will never die or perish..."

This passage was as if it were branded into Shen Chongxu's mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not forget it.

After struggling for a long time, he turned around and looked at the dark purple incense burner on the desk. As if possessed, he slowly walked up to it and slowly opened the lid of the incense burner.

The small incense burner was already half-filled with viscous blood essence, emitting a strong, bloody odor.

Snapped!
Shen Chongxu quickly put the lid on top.

"Dong dong!"

Just as his breathing became heavy and he was struggling internally, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Shen Chongxu waved his hand and put the Netherworld Furnace, along with the other items he had just taken out of the storage bag, back into the storage bag.

"Come in."

Having done all this, Shen Chongxu suppressed his thoughts and spoke in a deep voice.

The newcomer pushed open the door; it was the eldest of the cultivator brothers, named Dong Yunhu.

"Senior Bai..."

"From this day forward, I am the leader of the White Propaganda Sect, and you two brothers will be the deputy leaders."

Shen Chongxu suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Dong Yunhu was taken aback at first, then overjoyed and exclaimed, "Thank you, Master!"

Shen Chongxu nodded and asked, "What is it?"

"Reporting to the Master, I have sent people to inform the families in the city. They have all been quite obedient and have indicated that they will pay their offerings on time in the future."

"When I arrived, I ran into the city lord of Qingting City again. The old man said that after Jinxuanmen defeated Changhe Gang, he prepared a banquet to entertain all the families in the city. However, we acted too quickly, and the banquet was not ready yet."

"What the old man means is, should we still prepare for the banquet, Master?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxu pondered for a moment before replying, "We can continue preparing."

"In addition, take some more cultivation resources and recruit some independent cultivators."

"Remember, don't go to that wretched place, Dream Lake. Try to recruit some reliable independent cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Dong Yunhu quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes!"

"Go ahead."

With a wave of his hand, Shen Chongxu chased Dong Yunhu away, clenched his fist, and then waved his hand again to take out the Netherworld Furnace.

……

Yunshui City.

Shen Wenxing looked at Xu Zhan, who was standing respectfully in front of him, with a very complicated expression.

The Three Realms of Body Cultivation...

How could he break through so easily?
I still remember that I was stuck at the peak of the second realm of body cultivation for more than ten years and never dared to try to break through to the third realm.

In the end, it was only with the help of the Winter Sheep Deer Demon Essence Pill brought by Shen Wen'an from Danzhou that he was able to successfully break through to the third realm of body cultivation after a year of seclusion.

The perilous breakthroughs in physical cultivation seemed to be nonexistent for Xu Zhan.

The incident back then caused him to reach the peak of the second realm of body cultivation in one fell swoop. Now, in just over four years, he has directly broken through to the third realm. Moreover, the breakthrough seems to be very easy, and he has not encountered any dangers at all.

"Xu Zhan, I remember you are not yet of legal age, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Master, I am still one year away from reaching adulthood."

One year too late...

That means he's only nineteen years old this year!
Thinking of this, Shen Wenxing smiled bitterly to himself.

Compared to such a prodigy who possesses a lineage, ordinary cultivators are truly no match.

He himself is only at the peak of the third realm, and he is about to be overtaken by his disciple. It would be a lie to say that he is not ashamed.

"Now that you have reached the third realm, I don't have much more to teach you about the path of body cultivation."

"I'm not too worried about your cultivation level."

"However, you still lack in practical combat skills."

After a moment's thought, Shen Wenxing said, "Go find Chongming later and have him arrange for you to go to Zhennan City."

"After arriving in Zhennan City, lead your clan's soldiers with your senior sister and fight against the monsters of Dawu Mountain to hone your combat skills."

"Remember not to act rashly."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan cupped his hands again and said, "Disciple will obey Master's orders!"

Shen Wenxing nodded and then said, "I remember you are skilled in spear fighting. You can use this white bone spear for now."

"If a better spear magic weapon is forged in Flame Lake City in two years, I will ask you for one."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out a long white bone spear from his storage bag.

This white bone spear was forged by Zhang Qingjing of Tianjun Mountain using the bones of a golden dragon that had lost its spirituality.

There are a total of one hundred of them. Overall, they are weaker than normal low-grade magic weapons, but they are hard enough.

Body cultivators are not immortal cultivators, and the weapons they use are more focused on hardness.

Xu Zhan respectfully extended both hands, accepted the spear, and said, "Master, I will take my leave."

Shen Wenxing nodded: "Go ahead."

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

The main hall of the imperial palace in Zhili.

Several streaks of light pierced the sky, rushing from all directions of Yangnao Land.

After these streams of light entered the main hall, they each found a place to sit down.

"Everyone was quite punctual this time."

Seeing that the leaders of the eight forces had all arrived, Lan Jue smiled and spoke, then waved his hand and took out eight jade balls of different colors.

He then tossed the jade ball into the air, completely concealing it with a blood-red mist.

"The rules are the same as last time..."

"Wait a moment."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man in the gray robe, exuding a strong aura of death, interrupted him.

"Does the Yin Corpse Sect have anything to add?"

Upon seeing this, Lan Jue frowned and spoke.

The old man from the Yin Corpse Sect glanced at Shen Chongming and Luo Yao with his grayish-white eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I think this great harvest should have one more condition."

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

Lan Jue vaguely guessed what the old man from the Yin Corpse Sect was referring to, and her heart was immediately tempted.

"Fellow Daoist Di, please speak first."

"As for whether the conditions are ultimately feasible, that will be decided by a vote of everyone present. If more than half the votes are received, it will be considered passed, shall we?"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Hurry up and say it, don't waste time!"

To Shen Chongming's right, the rat demon from Tian Tan Mountain urged him on in a shrill voice.

The old man from the Yin Corpse Sect slowly spoke: "I propose that cultivators from all factions must not use formations, talismans, or any other means to help those blood sacrifices hide during the great harvest."

"Furthermore, we cannot concentrate all the blood sacrifices in one or a few cities..."

“Fellow Daoist Di can directly name my Luoxia Mountain and the Shen family, without beating around the bush.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Yao from Luoxia Mountain let out a soft snort and spoke.

A faint smile appeared on Shen Chongming's lips as he looked at the old man from the Yin Corpse Sect.

"A great harvest is all about individual ability."

"If your Yin Corpse Sect manages to draw my Shen family this time, and has the ability to invade Yunshui City, you can plunder the people in the city at will."

"I hereby guarantee that my ancestor will never interfere."

Upon hearing this, the old man from the Yin Corpse Sect turned grim. Before he could say anything more, Luo Yao spoke up:

"Luoxia Mountain shares the same attitude as the Shen family."

"The common people are in those few cities. If you can capture them, the eighteen cities under the jurisdiction of Luoxia Mountain will be yours to plunder."

The two stated their positions directly.

As for Lan Jue's so-called vote, they didn't care at all.

The conditions offered by the Yin Corpse Sect were clearly aimed at those two families, and the outcome of the vote was predictable.

Upon seeing this, Lan Jue frowned slightly, and the leaders of the other major forces also had different expressions.

"Alright, alright, let's just do it the way we did before."

"Patriarch Shen's words make sense; the big harvest depends on everyone's ability."

"If you can't get the blood food, you can only blame yourself for being too weak. Don't make other excuses."

After a moment of silence, the monk Huiyuan from Canaan Temple chuckled and tried to smooth things over.

"Exactly, if you can't get it, it's because you're not capable!"

The rat demon from Tian Tan Mountain also chimed in with a sarcastic remark.

These words made the elder of the Yin Corpse Sect and Lan Jue of the Great Wu Mountain look rather ugly.

The two sides were the same two families that had collided with Luoxia Mountain and the Shen family during the last major harvest.

The result was that the great harvest ended, and the Yin Corpse Sect only managed to plunder a little over 100,000 commoners, and also had a considerable conflict with the Canaan Temple.

The situation at Mount Dawu was even worse. Apart from a few hundred scattered commoners, they gained almost nothing and lost two Great Demons at the Perfected Nascent Soul Realm and a large number of demon cultivators.

"Alright, I'll go first."

Opposite Shen Chongming, the taciturn middle-aged man from Huangsheng Sect said coldly and reached out to grab the blood-red mist.

He opened his palm, revealing a black jade ball in his palm.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, why don't you go first?"

After Huang Shengzong made his move, everyone hesitated briefly. The rat demon from Tian Tan Mountain looked at Luo Yao with a cunning smile and spoke.

Luo Yao glanced at him, smiled faintly, and said, "What harm is there in me going first?"

As she spoke, she raised her hand and unleashed a stream of spiritual energy, drawing out a red jade ball from the crimson mist.

Seeing this, the expressions of the people present varied.

Having already experienced the strength of Luoxia Mountain, the Yin Corpse Sect naturally did not want to run into them again.

Da Wushan had also experienced the disgusting feeling of rushing in only to find no sign of human habitation for miles around, and this time they were praying that they would not encounter the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain again.

After all, when facing other forces, it's a back-and-forth battle.

The Great Wushan can rely on its large number of lesser demons to plunder more blood and food.

But against a family like the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain, it's a decisive battle right from the start!
Winning would certainly bring a great harvest.

If we can't win, we'll get nothing.

"Come, little monk."

Upon seeing Luo Yao touch a red jade ball, the monk Huiyuan of Canaan Temple immediately chuckled and reached out his palm, stirring it a few times in the blood-red mist before clenching his fist and withdrawing it.

The monk Huiyuan slowly opened his palm, revealing a red jade ball.

"Fortunately, I must ask the fellow Daoists of Luoxia Mountain for guidance this time."

"Great monk, you're cheating!"

Upon seeing this, the rat demon of Tian Tan Mountain screamed angrily.

Upon hearing this, the monk Huiyuan still wore a kind and benevolent smile, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Whether this humble monk cheated or not, all of you fellow Daoists here have witnessed it."

"If Tian Tan Mountain has slandered this humble monk, then after this great harvest, my Canaan Temple will have a good talk with Tian Tan Mountain."

"Speak your own damn leg, you old bald donkey, do you really think I'm afraid of you!"

Everyone says that a person is as timid as a mouse, but the rat demon of Tiantan Mountain was clearly quite bold.

Canaan Temple is one of the more troublesome of the eight major forces in Yangnao Land, but the rat demon from Tiantan Mountain is not afraid at all and directly curses in front of so many people.

"Good good..."

The monk Huiyuan's smile deepened, and he said "good" several times before falling silent.

The rat demon glanced at him and immediately swung its rear end.

A golden light flashed by, followed by a black jade sphere flying out from the crimson mist.

Upon seeing the black jade sphere, the rat demon's face instantly fell. He then turned to the middle-aged man from the Huangsheng Sect and said, "Fellow Daoist Gong, how about I make a deal with you?"

The middle-aged man from Huang Shengzong simply nodded without saying a word.

The rat demon's eyes darted around a few times before it continued, "My ancestor has a big appetite. How about we exchange two spirit mines for two million units of blood food from your Huangsheng Sect?"

The middle-aged man from Huang Shengzong hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

"But I will choose that spirit vein myself."

"Of course, of course..." the rat demon said with a smile, "Apart from spirit gold mines and spirit crystal mines, you may choose anything else, Fellow Daoist Gong."

The middle-aged man from Huang Shengzong nodded and didn't say anything more.

"It's my turn."

After the brief interlude, Wu Shi Ao from Fushan Kingdom slowly spoke, and at the same time, he directly reached out his palm and grabbed a blue jade ball from the blood-red mist.

The moment the blue jade ball was pulled out, the elder from the Yin Corpse Sect silently made his move.

This time, he would rather encounter the Kingdom of Fushan.

A giant hand formed from condensed dark gray death energy reached into the blood-red mist.

A blue jade ball was pulled out.

Upon seeing this, the old man from the Yin Corpse Sect looked rather grim.

Wu Shi Ao received the blue jade ball, while he received the cyan one.

The two remaining forces that did not obtain the jade ball were the Shen family and Dawu Mountain.

Two years ago, the Shen family seized a significant portion of the territory of the Great Wushan Mountains. Of the remaining territory, half is still the Western Wilderness, where blood and food resources are scarce.

Moreover, the Yin Corpse Sect is quite wary of demonic cultivator forces like the Great Wu Mountain and the Heavenly Sandalwood Mountain, as a large number of low-level demonic beasts can easily offset the Yin Corpse Sect's advantage of corpse puppets.

Needless to say, the Shen family was even more so.

Compared to the displeasure felt by the elder of the Yin Corpse Sect, Wu Shi'ao of Fushan Kingdom was in a better mood.

They were not afraid of Mount Wu, and even had a faint hope of encountering the demon cave of Mount Wu.

After all, the Great Wushan Demon Cave had just been brutally beaten by the Shen family, and it was said that many powerful demons who had reached the peak of their embryonic breathing stage had been lost.

If we manage to encounter them this time, we can plunder them thoroughly, including their blood food and demon cultivators.

"Patriarch Shen, it's your turn."

Two jade spheres remained in the blood-red mist. Lan Jue glanced at Shen Chongming with a strange expression and spoke.

Shen Chongming slowly sat up straight, a flash of lightning piercing through the blood-red mist in his hand.

A bright blue electric spark wrapped around a jade ball and then instantly pulled it out.

"blue……"

Upon seeing the color of the jade ball, Shen Chongming smiled faintly and spoke, his gaze also turning to Wu Shi'ao.

The territory controlled by the Fushan Kingdom was Yingchuan Commandery, which bordered Anyang City.

Third Uncle Shen Wen'an forcibly resisted breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, precisely because he wanted to take advantage of this great harvest opportunity to take the initiative and secure even greater benefits for the Shen family.

"Alas! It seems my luck isn't so good either."

Upon seeing this, Wu Shi Ao sighed slightly.

However, there wasn't much frustration on his face.

After all, in the previous ten years, he had already instructed his subordinates to manage the territory well, giving the common people a better chance to multiply and thrive, and greatly increasing the number of people to be fed.

If the Shen family adopts the same approach as before, the Fushan Kingdom can simply pretend that this great harvest never happened, and both sides can live in peace.

(End of this chapter)