Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 232 Dragon Slayer Valley

When the Dharma Protector surnamed Yu followed Bai Xuanjiao's disciple to the backyard, Shen Chongxu was playing with a dark purple incense burner.

This dark purple incense burner was the [Netherworldly Karma Burner] that he had previously obtained from the leader of the Golden Pavilion Sect.

"sit down."

Slightly raising his eyelids, Shen Chongxu glanced at the young man and spoke calmly.

"I recall you've been a member of the White Propaganda Church for about six months now, haven't you?"

Seeing that he was seated, Shen Chongxu placed the Netherworld Furnace on the desk beside him and spoke with a faint smile on his face.

Meeting his gaze, the protector surnamed Yu seemed unaware of anything.

However, the disciple of the White Propaganda Sect who was guarding the door had already tactfully retreated and closed the door behind him.

"This……"

Upon seeing this, the protector surnamed Yu finally realized that something was amiss and tried to get up.

Don't worry.

Shen Chongxu pressed his hand down and smiled, "What does Protector Yu think of Bai Xuanjiao? What do you think of me as a person?"

Before the young man surnamed Yu could speak, Shen Chongxu muttered to himself, "No matter what Bai Xuanjiao and I are like, it's none of your business to gossip behind our backs!"

His voice suddenly turned cold when he was halfway through his sentence!
Upon hearing this, the young man surnamed Yu's expression changed drastically, and his spiritual power surged instantly. He immediately tried to break through the doors and windows to escape!
Unfortunately, he overestimated his own abilities.

Just as the thought of escaping arose in his mind, a thick, scarlet liquid began to churn inside the Netherworld Furnace on the desk beside Shen Chongxu.

The moment the spiritual energy within the young man surnamed Yu began to react, the Netherworld Furnace suddenly transformed into a stream of light and instantly enveloped his head!

A large amount of something resembling thick blood plasma poured down from the furnace, instantly soaking his head and face.

"what!"

The young man surnamed Yu wailed in pain, his hands instinctively trying to wipe the sticky blood from his face and head.

But the blood plasma was like a highly corrosive poison; as soon as his hands touched it, the flesh was quickly dissolved, revealing the stark white bones.

As more and more blood gushed out of the Netherworld Furnace, in just a few breaths, a cultivator who was still alive at the Nascent Soul Realm vanished before their eyes.

If it weren't for the clothes and scattered bones on the ground, it would seem as if this young man surnamed Yu had never been here at all.

"come in."

After the pool of thick blood plasma returned to the Netherworld Furnace, Shen Chongxu spoke slowly.

The door to the room was pushed open, and the disciple of the White Prophet Church came respectfully to the front.

"The leader."

Shen Chongxu, holding the Underworld Furnace, said, "Pack up, his belongings are yours."

Upon hearing this, the disciple's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Master."

After expressing his gratitude, he carefully cleaned up the clothes and bones left behind by the Protector surnamed Yu and took them out.

Inside the room, Shen Chongxu stared intently at the Netherworld Furnace and said, "At this rate, how long will it take me to reach the Great Perfection realm?"

A moment later, a seductive yet wicked voice emanated from the dark purple incense burner in her hand.

"Master, do not be too hasty."

"The faster your strength increases, the greater the pain you will suffer."

"If you are willing to wait another seven years, I will definitely be able to help you reach the flawless state of perfect embryonic breathing."

As soon as the alluring voice from within the Dark Furnace finished speaking, a faint chill emanated from Shen Chongxu's body.

"If I had enough time to wait, would I have chosen to wake you?"

"Two years."

"I will give you two years."

"The cultivator army from Yunzhou has already withdrawn. Now you can go on a hunting spree without restraint."

"Remember this: a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. Don't attack the forces surrounding Qingcheng City anymore."

The being within the Netherworld Furnace seemed somewhat confused and asked in bewilderment, "Why?"

Shen Chongxu sneered, "You think it's normal that you've wiped out all the forces around Qingding City, but Bai Xuanjiao is unharmed?"

After a brief silence within the Dark Void Karma Furnace, the alluring voice rang out again.

"Master, please forgive me. I just woke up and my mind isn't working very well yet."

After his expression softened slightly, Shen Chongxu continued, "Be careful in your actions, and don't give anyone a handle to use against you."

After saying this, he turned and walked towards the bedroom.

On the bed, Shen Chongxu, sitting cross-legged, took out a square piece of brocade from his bosom.

After the layers of brocade were unfolded, the white jade seal inside was revealed.

This seal represents the identity of a direct descendant of the Shen family.

Gently stroking the seal, Shen Chongxu slowly closed his eyes.

"Judging by the time... Xiu Bai should be over six years old now."

"Heh...it might not be Xiu Bai, maybe it's a girl..."

"I wonder if my elder brother is married or not..."

……

Yunshui City.

On this day, the vast city was adorned with red decorations, and the city was filled with a joyous and lively atmosphere.

With the great harvest over, the Shen family's battle against the Fushan Kingdom had truly made them famous.

For a short period of time, the borders of the cities under its jurisdiction were unusually quiet, and no cross-border raids occurred.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shen Wenxing consulted his father, Shen Yuan, and decided to proceed with the marriage between Shen Chongxuan and Zhan Taiyujing.

As a direct descendant of the Shen family, if Shen Chongxuan were to get married before the invasion of the Southern Frontier, most of the forces in Yangnao Land would come to offer their congratulations with utmost respect.

But now, apart from Luoxia Mountain, the Yangnao region is surrounded by enemies who are always looking to annex the Shen family.

This wedding was naturally not as grand and lively as it used to be.

Apart from the major affiliated families under his rule, as well as the people from Luoxia Mountain and the He family, there were no outside guests.

As noon approached and the auspicious time drew near, everyone had taken their seats.

Suddenly, a guardian cultivator rushed in and found Shen Wenxing and his son, who were chatting with Luo Yao and other high-ranking members of Luoxia Mountain.

"Patriarch, old patriarch, a few demon cultivators have come from outside the formation, saying they want to drink a cup of wedding wine."

Demonic cultivator?

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing and his son, along with a group of high-ranking officials from Luoxia Mountain, all frowned.

"Father, you stay with the elders first, I'll go and take a look."

After a moment's thought, Shen Chongming cupped his hands in greeting and followed the guardian cultivator toward the outside of the Renshui Concealing Spirit Array.

Outside the formation, in the void, a small old man dressed in a gray robe and wearing a tattered felt hat stroked a thin wisp of his beard and curiously looked at Yunshui City, which was shrouded by the Renshui Concealing Spirit Formation.

Behind him followed a graceful middle-aged woman in a long red dress.

Beside the middle-aged woman was a child of about seven or eight years old, wearing black cloth shorts and a brown bib around his chest.

All three of them exuded a very obvious aura of the perfected embryonic breathing realm.

Shen Chongming stepped out of the great formation. Upon seeing the three people, he felt a hint of suspicion, but still smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "So you are fellow Daoists from Tian Tan Mountain."

The three who suddenly appeared outside the Renshui Hidden Spirit Formation were rat demons from another demon clan force in the Southern Frontier, the Tian Tan Mountain Demon Cave. Shen Chongming vaguely remembered that the rat demon's surname was Jin, but he really didn't know his specific name.

"It is rather presumptuous of us to come here so abruptly."

When the skinny old man saw Shen Chongming, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Guests are always welcome. Today is the wedding day of one of my cousins. If you three have come to celebrate, the Shen family will naturally welcome you."

Shen Chongming glanced at the three demons and spoke with a faint smile.

"Don't worry, Patriarch Shen, Rat Lord will not cause any trouble on this occasion."

"Look, the congratulatory gift is already prepared."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out a longsword that exuded a strong magical aura.

The longsword was unsheathed, its entire body a deep blue, with a faint chill emanating from its blade, as if it were carved from millennia-old ice.

"Middle-grade magical weapon?"

"Fellow Daoist is indeed very generous."

Shen Chongming glanced at the magical longsword and was slightly surprised, but he did not reach out to take it.

On this day, the rat demon from Tanshan came uninvited and presented a valuable mid-grade magic weapon longsword, which was definitely not just for congratulations.

"Tian Tanshan has some matters to discuss with the Shen family."

"However, this matter will not cause any loss to the Shen family, nor will it pose a significant risk."

"Patriarch Shen need not worry. If you find it difficult at the time, you are free to refuse."

"I, Rat Lord, will absolutely not take this magical artifact back."

The old rat demon, Jin, held the long sword and spoke with a smile.

After a moment's thought, Shen Chongming smiled and accepted the longsword. After examining it closely, he found that the quality of the longsword was truly excellent.

If it were spirit crystals instead, it would conservatively cost several thousand dollars.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. Please come in, all three of you."

On this day, the three demons of Tanshan were extremely polite and presented such a valuable gift, so they had to be invited in for a celebratory drink.

The three demons followed Shen Chongming into the Renshui Concealing Spirit Formation and appeared inside the manor gate.

"It's you?"

Upon suddenly seeing the three demons, Old Man Jin, Luo Yao and the others from Luoxia Mountain frowned instantly.

The alluring woman and the child following behind Old Man Jin also had strange expressions.

Clearly, the cities under the jurisdiction of Luoxia Mountain bordered the demon cave of Tiantan Mountain, and there must have been some friction between the two sides.

However, the three parties did not encounter each other during the two major harvests, so the animosity between them should not be too deep.

"Fellow Daoists, the previous minor squabbles were just due to the ignorance of those fools under my command. Please don't take them to heart."

"Lord Rat isn't here to cause trouble today. How about we sit down and discuss some things later?"

Luo Yao and the others remained silent upon hearing this, their gazes all turning to Shen Chongming.

Shen Chongming cupped his hands slightly and said, "Esteemed seniors, please give the Shen family some face. After my younger brother's wedding, we can sit down and have a proper talk."

"We'll do whatever we need to do when the time comes."

Luo Yao and the others nodded slightly.

The three demons from Tian Tan Mountain came under the guise of attending a wedding banquet, and they certainly couldn't spoil the Shen family's joyous occasion.

"The banquet is about to begin. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats."

Shen Wenxing then smiled and gestured for everyone to walk toward the banquet.

The lively wedding lasted until evening before it ended. Shen Wenxing, the father, and his younger brother, Shen Chonghong, helped see off many guests. Shen Chongming, along with Luo Yao from Luoxia Mountain and the three demons from Tiantan Mountain, went to a side room to drink tea.

"call--"

"Human cuisine is as irresistible as ever."

"Grandpa Rat's belly is about to burst."

Old Jin reclined in his chair, stroking his slightly protruding belly, and burped contentedly.

The middle-aged woman and the child beside him were also eating with greasy faces, looking very content.

After the servants brought tea, Shen Chongming looked at the three demons and said, "Fellow Daoist Jin, now you can tell me about the other matter that brought you here."

"Hehe... Before getting down to business, let me first introduce you fellow Daoists."

He sat up straight and pointed to the woman in the red dress beside him, saying, "This is Hua Qing, whose true form is a Jade Xuan Yang Flower."

Jadeite Sunflower?
Plant-type monsters?
Shen Chongming curiously examined the woman and indeed found that she did not have the same intense bloodthirsty aura as most demonic beasts.

Meeting Shen Chongming's gaze, the plant demon named Hua Qing smiled faintly and nodded.

"This is a relative of Lord Rat, and his bloodline contains a trace of the ancient treasure-hunting rat. His name is Luan Jie."

Old Man Jin spoke again, introducing the great demon who looked like a child.

The others looked over and saw that the child was holding a purple star fruit that he had taken from the banquet and eating it with great relish.

Old Man Jin smiled somewhat awkwardly and then cupped his hands, saying, "Patriarch Shen, fellow Daoist from Luoxia Mountain."

"Lord Rat has come here today to discuss something with both of you."

Shen Chongming nodded, but Luo Yao and the others remained silent.

Upon seeing this, Old Man Jin hesitated for a moment, then a resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he continued, "To be honest, our ancestor said that he has obtained some secret information. The major forces in our Southern Frontier will be able to gain more benefits as long as they can survive longer in Yangnao Land."

"After much deliberation, Rat Lord decided to make peace and form an alliance with the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain."

"I wonder what the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain think?"

After he finished speaking, Shen Chongming looked at Luo Yao with some confusion.

But the group from Luoxia Mountain also looked puzzled.

"What specific information did that senior from Tian Tan Mountain receive?"

Shen Chongming couldn't help but ask.

More than twenty years have passed since the invasion of the Southern Frontier. All people know is that this land has become a giant chessboard, with a mastermind secretly orchestrating the game.

The major forces in the southern border region were all passively drawn into the game, unaware of who would emerge as the ultimate winner in this grand game of chess.

They had no idea what those old monsters in the Nascent Soul stage were plotting.

Old Man Jin's words just now seemed to reveal that their Golden Core Ancestor of Tian Tan Mountain had obtained some unknown information.

Can cultivators from the Southern Frontier reap significant benefits by surviving long enough in the Yangnao Land?

"Please forgive me, Patriarch Shen. It's not that Master Rat is unwilling to tell the truth."

"But the old ancestor didn't say much."

"As you all should know, the grand scheme behind Yangnao Land involves an old monster at the Nascent Soul Realm, and is even related to the Great Ying Immortal Mansion of yesteryear."

"What are these extraordinary cultivators planning? Let alone us, even those at the Golden Core stage would find it difficult to get a glimpse of it."

"My ancestor paid a great price to obtain even a few words of information."

Old Man Jin spoke with a sincere expression.

Clearly, he might not know much.

How does Tian Tan Mountain plan to form an alliance?

Luo Yao pondered for a moment before speaking.

The second major harvest resulted in significant losses for Luoxia Mountain and Canaan Temple.

If we can truly form an alliance with Tian Tan Mountain, the border will be relieved of some of the pressure.

Seeing that he was interested, Old Man Jin quickly said, "This is what Rat Master plans for this alliance."

"Firstly, under normal circumstances, the three of us will not interfere with each other, but of course we can also exchange things, such as cultivation resources and blood offerings..."

"Forget about blood offerings."

Luo Yao said in a deep voice, "You can use Li Shu to refine pills, but Luoxia Mountain and the Shen family cannot do that."

"Some cultivation resources or rare and precious materials would be acceptable."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Old Man Jin's eyes.

Clearly, he also knew that his plan to exchange rare and precious materials or cultivation resources for blood food from the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain was unlikely to work.

This is a bottom-line issue.

"Hehe...then we won't change the blood food, we won't change the blood food."

Seeing that Shen Chongming had the same expression, Old Man Jin chuckled and said, "The second thing."

"After our three families form an alliance, if we happen to meet during the next major harvest, we can each remain inactive and avoid wasting each other's resources. What do you say?"

Shen Chongming and Luo Yao both nodded upon hearing this.

Neither of them intended to compete for the blood offerings; their so-called "great harvest" was something they were forced to participate in.

If we can avoid taking action and focus on steady development, that would be the best outcome.

"The third thing, and the most important one..."

A glint of light flashed in Old Man Jin's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "After our three families form an alliance, we can find an opportunity to weaken the other families, or even better, eliminate one of them directly."

"The blood offerings from those territories will belong to my Tian Tan Mountain, while the cultivation resources and other things will belong to you two. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, both Shen Chongming and Luo Yao fell silent.

Actually, Luo Yao really wanted to agree to this suggestion.

Seeing Shen Chongming's slightly furrowed brows, she didn't speak directly.

"Does Patriarch Shen have any objections to this distribution method?"

Old Man Jin also noticed Shen Chongming's expression and asked in confusion.

"Let's put the allocation method aside for now..."

After pondering for a moment, Shen Chongming looked at him and said, "Fellow Daoist Jin, do you think the mastermind behind this grand scheme would allow us to do this?"

"Or rather, what kind of rules did Tian Tan Mountain set?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Jin was stunned.

As a rat demon who had lived for hundreds of years, he naturally understood Shen Chongming's meaning in an instant.

"Does Patriarch Shen mean that if we completely annihilate a force, it will provoke those powerful Nascent Soul Realm experts behind it to punish us?"

Shen Chongming shook his head slightly, clapped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Punishment may not be necessary, but I have always had a question."

"After the Void Harmony Corridor Formation was destroyed, there were so many forces of all sizes in the Southern Border. Why were your six families the first Golden Core cultivators to know that the Void Harmony Corridor Formation had been broken?"

Upon hearing this, the three demons from Tian Tan Mountain immediately became serious.

Indeed, it was clearly only the Yin Corpse Sect, the Fushan Kingdom, and the Great Wushan Demon Cave that jointly opened the Void Harmony Corridor Formation.

It seems that the Tian Tan Mountain Demon Cave, Huang Shengzong, and Canaan Temple all received the news inexplicably.

After they received the message and entered Yangnao Land, the other Golden Core forces in the surrounding area seemed to have become blind and deaf, and made no move.

"So... those old monsters planned this all along, intending for our eight factions to exist in the Yangnao Land?"

"If the three of us join forces and destroy one of them, will they still let another Golden Core cultivator in?"

After understanding Shen Chongming's meaning, Old Man Jin murmured in a deep voice.

Luo Yao and the others also had solemn expressions.

"Actually, during the second great harvest, the Shen family should have had the strength to directly destroy the Fushan Kingdom. The reason they didn't do so is probably because of this, right?"

Luo Yao looked at Shen Chongming and spoke.

The three demons of Tian Tan Mountain also realized what was happening.

With Shen Wen'an's strength, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to directly storm into Yingchuan County and wipe out all the cultivators from Wu Shi Ao and Fushan Kingdom during the recent great plunder.

"Not entirely." Shen Chongming smiled faintly and changed the subject, "Therefore, wiping out a force is still not advisable."

"Whether those old monsters behind us punish us or let a new Golden Core force in, it won't benefit us."

After thinking it over, Old Man Jin could only helplessly give up the idea.

"Then let's do as Patriarch Shen says and keep a low profile."

After a brief discussion among the three parties, the alliance was finalized, and Luo Yao left with several high-ranking members of Luoxia Mountain.

After they left, the old man Jin looked at Shen Chongming and said again, "Patriarch Shen, now that we've finished discussing the important matters, I have two more private matters to attend to."

"Please speak, fellow Daoist." Shen Chongming nodded.

The old man Jin glanced at Hua Qing beside him, then turned to Shen Chongming and said, "This girl of Rat Master's is a plant demon, and she needs to devour some spiritual roots of heaven and earth to complete her evolution."

"Luan Jie sensed a Moon-Reflecting Pine Tree of the Yi Wood within the Shen family's territory, but I wonder..."

Yi Wood Reflecting the Moon Pine?
Shen Chongming frowned slightly, and after a moment of thought, he suddenly guessed what the "Yi Mu Ying Yue Song" that Old Man Jin mentioned was.

"Fellow Daoist Jin's request is a bit excessive."

“That spiritual root of heaven and earth absorbs the essence of the moon and can condense a wisp of mid-grade innate Yi wood essence every few decades.”

"It will be of great use to my Shen family."

That Yimu Reflecting Moon Pine was the strange little pine tree that Shen Wen'an discovered when he killed a coiled mountain python in Hidden Dragon Mountain.

Over the past century, the little pine tree has contributed three streams of innate Yi wood essence to the Shen family. If nothing unexpected happens, it will continuously produce innate Yi wood essence every thirty years or so, making it practically a goose that can lay golden eggs.

"I know, I know."

"Phoenix blue".

After bowing, Old Man Jin turned to look at the woman named Hua Qing.

Hua Qing nodded, and with a gentle wave of her hand, more than a dozen jade bottles of various shapes and sizes appeared before her.

She then divided the jade bottle into three parts.

"Patriarch Shen." A slightly soft and gentle voice came from her mouth.

"Here are two high-grade innate spiritual energies, five mid-grade innate spiritual energies, and seven low-grade innate spiritual energies, but none of them are wood-attribute."

"How about I exchange these for you?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming stared in astonishment at the pile of jade bottles in front of him.

The preciousness of innate spiritual energy goes without saying, but how come it's like roadside stones in Hua Qing's hands, with so much of it appearing all at once?
Old Man Jin seemed to see his confusion and said with a smile, "Patriarch Shen should know that we demon cultivators do not need this innate spiritual energy to break through."

“These things in your hands, young lady, were all obtained by my brothers and sisters from Tian Tan Mountain by chance, and they are all being brought out today.”

Shen Chongming suddenly realized.

He had thought that Hua Qing had collected all of this innate spiritual energy, which was actually the foundation of a Golden Core cultivation group.

"Since you are so sincere, it would be rather unreasonable of me to refuse."

Although the Yi Wood Moon-Reflecting Pine can continuously generate innate Yi Wood essence, it would take more than a hundred years just to obtain the five mid-grade innate spiritual energies in front of it.

Including the two superior-grade and seven inferior-grade items, it would take at least several hundred years for the Yi Wood Moon Reflecting Pine to produce an equivalent value.

This is the golden age for the Shen family's development, and these innate spiritual energies are especially important to them.

Over several hundred years, the Shen family might even be able to produce Nascent Soul Realm experts, and they wouldn't need to rely too much on a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root that can only produce mid-grade innate spiritual energy.

"Thank you, Patriarch Shen."

Upon hearing that he had agreed, Hua Qing immediately bowed and greeted him with undisguised joy on her face.

Shen Chongming waved his hand to collect all the jade bottles containing innate spiritual energy, then turned to look at the seven or eight-year-old child beside him.

"Could it be that this fellow Daoist is also eyeing one of my Shen family's treasures?"

Luan Jie chuckled and said, "Patriarch Shen has keen insight. When I discovered the Yimu Moon-Reflecting Pine, I also sensed a ruin in the mountains not far away."

"The ruins are rich in precious energy. I want to go in and absorb some of it to make the bloodline of the treasure-hunting rat in my body even purer."

remains?

Shen Chongming smiled and shook his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot agree to this, fellow Daoist."

He knew that the ruins Luan Jie mentioned were the mansion of the dragon tamer.

There was a time when he had wanted to send someone to search the Dragon Tamer's mansion again, but his grandfather Shen Yuan stopped him.

Shen Yuan mentioned that there was a great secret deep within the dragon tamer's mansion, and it was not advisable to explore it too much at the moment.

Therefore, the ruins have been guarded by cultivators from the Shen family for many years, prohibiting anyone from approaching.

"I can exchange my magical treasures for yours."

"Of these things, Patriarch Shen, you may pick ten pieces that you like."

Upon hearing Shen Chongming's refusal, Luan Jie became somewhat anxious. He suddenly waved his hand, and a pile of magical artifacts, including swords, spears, halberds, armor, bottles, and jars, appeared before him, gleaming with precious light.

The dazzling array of magical artifacts, treasures, and robes made Shen Chongming's heart skip a beat.

So rich!
This guy is so rich it makes you want to do bad things.

He now wants to immediately summon his third uncle, Shen Wen'an, to kill the three demons of Tian Tan Mountain in front of him and devour them.

But he quickly suppressed this thought.

He didn't know much about the strength of Tian Tan Mountain.

But during the second major harvest meeting in the capital of Zhili, this old man Jin dared to insult the monk Huiyuan of Canaan Temple in front of everyone.

This alone is enough to prove that Tian Tan Mountain's strength should not be underestimated.

More importantly, the demon cultivators of Tian Tan Mountain are different from those of Da Wu Mountain. They seem to be very united and address each other as brothers and sisters.

If he were to kill the three of them for these things, Shen Chongming feared that the patriarch of Tanshan would break the agreement and come directly from the Southern Frontier.

Forget it.

Suppressing his greed, Shen Chongming shook his head slightly and said, "These things from you are indeed tempting."

“But my ancestor gave me instructions that the mansion is involved in too many secrets, and if things go wrong, it could even trigger an even bigger crisis.”

"At that time, not only Yangnao Land, but even the Southern Frontier will be in danger."

"Fellow Daoist, you should stop thinking about it."

To dispel Luan Jie's thoughts and to prevent him from acting rashly and forcing his way in, Shen Chongming had no choice but to fabricate a lie.

After all, the Golden Core Ancestor of Tian Tan Mountain had told them to lead their many demon cultivators to live well in Yangnao Land. This reason should make them somewhat wary.

As expected, upon hearing this, the three demons, including Old Man Jin, all had solemn expressions.

In their minds, the "ancestor" that Shen Chongming mentioned was the old monster of the Shen family who had never shown his face.

They had heard from their ancestor that the old monster in the Golden Core stage of the Shen family was extremely ferocious and very powerful.

It is an entity that has devoured the golden essence of other Golden Core cultivators.

Since the head of the Shen family has said this, it proves that the ruins may indeed hold a great secret.

"Kid, you'd better give up on that idea."

"We can look for treasures elsewhere; let's not get our hands on those ruins."

After a moment of contemplation, Old Man Jin looked at Luan Jie with a solemn expression and warned him.

Luan Jie nodded somewhat reluctantly.

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

"We would like to trouble Patriarch Shen to come with us to retrieve the Moon-Reflecting Pine. We will then return to Beidi County."

Shen Chongming nodded and personally led the three demons into the mountains. After watching Hua Qing devour the strange little pine tree, he returned to Yunshui City and headed towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

……

Western Wilderness, Flame Lake City.

After briefly inspecting the city's construction and the progress of He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun's cultivation of the "Li Gong Bing Huo Lian Xing Jue" (a martial arts technique), Shen Wen'an flew westward on his sword towards Flame Lake City.

He was entrusted by his father to come and investigate the situation further west of Flame Lake City.

Along the way, Shen Wen'an walked and stopped frequently, and his pace was not particularly fast.

Because his father, Shen Yuan, had instructed him to understand the geomantic veins of this area and record its topography.

He was not a cultivator of array formations and could not determine the direction of the earth veins hidden beneath the earth based on the power of heaven and earth.

The only way is to use the most basic method, to be down-to-earth, and to explore little by little using the pulse-finding technique.

Although this method is slow, it allows for a clear perception of the specific conditions of the earth's veins.

Like an ascetic monk, Shen Wen'an traveled alone westward. Once he left the Gobi Desert where Flame Lake City was located, the scenery before him was even more desolate.

Gale-force winds, scorching heat, and blazing sunlight baked the earth.

The gravel beneath my feet in the Gobi Desert has been rotten inside after countless years of wind and sun exposure.

As Shen Wen'an stepped down, the hard rocks instantly turned into fine sand and dust, which were then scattered by the strong wind.

"The element of water...water is in the north..."

"The five elements and five directions here are still reversed."

"Moreover, the earth here is rich in moisture, yet the ground is so desolate, without even a single wild grass. It's really strange."

Amidst the vast sandstorm, Shen Wen'an, relying on his pulse-finding technique, sensed a rich water-attribute aura emanating from the earth's veins deep beneath his feet.

Under normal circumstances, nourished by such ley lines, this vast area in front of us should be either a lake or a swamp, or a lush and verdant forest or grassland.

It is absolutely impossible for it to be like this.

After traveling west for several more days, the surrounding area had long since turned into an endless desert.

Standing atop a towering sand dune, Shen Wen'an had no choice but to erect a sword energy shield around his body.

There was no way around it; the gale-force winds of this desert contained extremely rich metallic spiritual energy. Whether it was influenced by the general trend of heaven and earth or by a formation set up by someone, this metallic spiritual energy had cleverly blended into the gale-force winds.

Every now and then, a cold-gleaming wind blade would suddenly appear and fly rapidly from the surroundings.

Shen Wen'an had tried it; these wind blade attacks were already capable of easily killing cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm.

"vitality……"

Where has all the life gone?

After spending several months exploring this area, he finally discovered the most fundamental problem.

Even setting aside the fact that the five elements and five directions are reversed here, the mere fact that the five elements converge should give this place a rich vitality.

However, no matter how he observed with his divine sense, he could not find any signs of life within a radius of thousands of miles.

This so-called vitality is not vegetation and living things, but the most basic "life force" between heaven and earth.

This situation has seriously violated his understanding.

After quietly standing on the sand dune and memorizing the terrain, Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes, put the paper and pen into his pocket, and continued forward according to the direction of the earth's veins deep within the earth.

The wind blades around us are getting stronger and stronger.

Shen Wen'an traveled for several more days when a wind blade suddenly appeared in the void in front of him and slashed fiercely at the sword energy shield on his body.

The terrifying power caused ripples to appear instantly in his sword energy shield.

Shen Wen'an's expression was solemn.

He could sense that the wind blade strike just now would have been difficult for even an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to withstand.

Moreover, there seemed to be a strange force in the surrounding world influencing his judgment of the earth's veins.

By this time, he understood that this strange area was not formed by heaven and earth, and that a more powerful cultivator must have tampered with it.

"Could the secrets of those who play the game be hidden here?"

After pondering to himself, Shen Wen'an was about to lift his foot when the surrounding light suddenly dimmed.

Then, in a flash of light, everything around them changed.

The endless golden desert is gone, and so is the scorching air that could burn your throat with just one breath.

Instead, there was an endless swamp and crumbling, collapsed mountains under a gloomy sky.

These mountains and swamps are also devoid of vegetation, and the soil and rocks are a dark purple color.

This color was all too familiar to Shen Wen'an.

That's the color of blood that has soaked into the soil and dried up over time.

But all the soil in this boundless swamp and mountain landscape is this color.

If it's true, how many lives have died in this area?
Shen Wen'an carefully made his way forward for a short while before arriving at a huge canyon. As soon as he reached the top of the mountain, he witnessed an extremely shocking scene!
Flood dragon!

No! It should be called the corpse of a dragon!

The enormous canyon was littered with the horrifying corpses of dragons!

Each one was bigger than the ones he had dug out in the poisonous miasma forest!

Some of these dragons had their heads cut off, while others had their intestines ripped open, their deaths extremely gruesome!

At this moment, Shen Wen'an's mind went blank, and he had no idea whether what he was seeing was real or not.

"Luckily we arrived in time."

"If you, little rascal, accidentally discover the secret of Dragon Slayer Valley, that old man will start nagging again."

Just as Shen Wen'an was wondering whether he was in an illusion or some secret realm, a voice suddenly rang out in front of him.

The next moment, the void in front of them distorted, and a figure appeared wearing a dark gold robe, a gilded crown on his head, and a jade hairpin.

The figure was somewhat ethereal, with a fair and handsome face, making it difficult for Shen Wen'an to tell whether it was a man or a woman.

"Little one, go back to where you came from. Nothing here is for you to touch."

"senior……"

Shen Wen'an was slightly taken aback and was about to bow in greeting.

The figure in the void raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Don't try to get close to me. I don't have that much time to waste on your nonsense."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Wen'an felt his body being restrained by an unparalleled power!
The next moment, he felt dizzy and his consciousness gradually blurred.

……

Flame Lake City.

Shen Chongming, He Chongyi, and Shen Xiuyun stood solemnly in front of the bed.

Where was Third Uncle discovered?

Looking at Shen Wen'an, who was lying unconscious on the bed, Shen Chongming spoke in a deep voice.

“Three days ago, the cultivators who went out of the city on patrol were on the hills a hundred miles west of the city,” He Chongyi replied.

"Uncle, is Third Grandfather... alright?"

Shen Xiuyun looked at Shen Wen'an with a worried expression.

Shen Chongming shook his head slightly: "Judging from the aura, it shouldn't be anything serious, but..."

He Chongyi took over the conversation.

"I went to check it myself, and there were no signs of a fight around the area, not even footprints."

"It's as if my third uncle appeared out of thin air on that hill."

On the bed, Shen Wen'an, in a hazy state, seemed to hear someone speaking beside him.

He tried hard to open his eyes, but found that his body was bound by a strange force that made it difficult for his soul to control his body and make any movements.

"What's wrong with me?"

On the spiritual platform in his sea of ​​consciousness, his brows furrowed as he looked around, but found nothing unusual.

But beneath this apparent normalcy, he always felt that something was amiss.

"Wen'an, your father is here to lend you a hand."

Just as he was wondering what was going on, he suddenly heard his father Shen Yuan's voice in his mind.

"father?"

Shen Wen'an called out in surprise, but received no response.

However, under his divine gaze, a red and white vortex appeared strangely!

After the red and white vortex appeared, strange forces were slowly drawn away by the vortex. In no time, Shen Wen'an suddenly found that he had regained control of his physical body.

"Is this... Flame Lake City?"

As he sat up from the bed, Shen Wen'an immediately released his divine sense and frowned upon discovering that he was in Flame Lake City.

"Why am I here?"

The three people, including Shen Chongming, were initially very excited to see him wake up at the bedside.

But when they heard those words, their hearts sank.

"Third Uncle...do you still recognize us?"

Shen Chongming spoke cautiously.

Shen Wen'an glanced at the three of them and got off the bed.

"What brings you to Flame Lake City?"

After pouring himself a cup of tea and drinking it, Shen Wen'an spoke.

Seeing that there was no unfamiliarity in his eyes, Shen Chongming secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle doesn't remember coming to Flame Lake City?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an carefully searched his memory, but he still couldn't recall why he was in Flame Lake City, nor did he know the purpose of his visit.

"Third Grandfather, this!"

"And these!"

Of the three men with grave expressions, Shen Xiuyun was the first to react and immediately brought a stack of papers to him.

Shen Wen'an took the stack of papers with a puzzled look. He saw that they contained complex terrain and lines, as well as a lot of text.

And those words were all in his handwriting.

After flipping through the pages, he couldn't recall where he had written these things.

However, from various signs, he vaguely guessed that someone had silently erased some very important memories of him!

Thinking of this, Shen Wen'an's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

You should know that his current realm is half-step Golden Core, and his essence, energy and spirit have been condensed into the "Three Flowers of Divine Nature".

What kind of being could silently erase one's memories?
If I had really discovered something extraordinary, why didn't the other party kill me directly, instead of just erasing my memories and sending me to the edge of Flame Lake City?
Noticing his expression, Shen Chongming pondered for a moment and asked, "Does Third Uncle have any other health problems right now?"

Shen Wen'an secretly checked his internal condition and shook his head slightly.

"If that's the case, let's go back to Yunshui City first and see what Grandpa has to say."

Mentioning Shen Yuan, Shen Wen'an suddenly recalled that when his soul was unable to control his body, his father Shen Yuan's voice could travel thousands of miles and reach his sea of ​​consciousness.

And then there were those red and white vortexes that absorbed the strange power within the body…

"Let's go back to Yunshui City first."

Shen Wen'an put the stack of papers in his hand into his storage bag and spoke in a deep voice.

(End of this chapter)