Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 233 Return of the Soul
On his way back to Cloudwater City from Flame Lake City, Shen Wen'an silently tried many methods to see what exactly his erased memories were.

However, no matter how he reflected it with his clear sword heart or bathed his soul in the radiance of the three divine flowers, he could not find any clues at all!

The other party's methods were very clean; they neither harmed his soul nor left any trace.

This tactic once again made Shen Wen'an realize the terror of the person who made the move.

"Third uncle?"

Shen Chongming, who was standing next to him, sensed that something was wrong with his mood and spoke with concern.

With Shen Wen'an's strength at the half-step Golden Core stage, he suffered such a bizarre attack, and it seemed that part of his memory had been erased. He was very worried that the other party might have left some tricks on his third uncle, Shen Wen'an.

"It's okay, let's go."

Shen Wen'an snapped out of his daze, forced a smile, and then suddenly accelerated towards Yunshui City.

……

Blackwater Pavilion.

After the uncle and nephew returned, Shen Chongming went to deal with the management of the cities they had just acquired during the great harvest, while Shen Wen'an came to see Shen Yuan alone.

On the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion, the father and son sat facing each other.

Shen Yuan straightened his wide sleeves and slowly stretched out his hand.

Shen Wen'an, who was opposite him, was stunned for a moment, and then directly extended his right hand.

Shen Yuan placed his palm on his wrist and first used his divine sense to examine his body, but found nothing unusual.

Then, it enveloped his soul with the power of the Great Evolution.

Sensing this, Shen Wen'an was somewhat curious, but didn't ask any further questions.

After a long silence, Shen Yuan withdrew his hand and said in a deep voice, "That person did not leave any other backup plans."

"It's just that your memories of this journey to the west have all been erased by the other party."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment before saying, "It seems that you must have discovered something on this trip."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out a stack of messy papers.

“Chongyi said that this was found on her son.”

"Ke'er doesn't remember anything, let alone what's drawn on it."

Shen Yuan took the stack of papers, glanced through them briefly, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"Water and fire working together... Yin and Yang coexisting... What a grand gesture..."

“These things will be of great use to me as your father.”

"You should go back and rest first. I will think about it and then explain it to you in detail."

Shen Wen'an nodded and then got up and left Blackwater Pavilion.

In a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Shen Chongzhen, now a handsome young man, was practicing his swordplay.

As he had previously told Shen Wen'an, his understanding of swordsmanship emphasizes the parallel application of "technique" and "principle".

In the past two years, in addition to studying the sword manual diligently, Shen Chongzhen has also spent a lot of time researching sword techniques.

In order to improve the strength of the literary cultivators, Shen Chongxuan had a large number of secular sword techniques and sword skills collected in Yangnao Land.

They even asked Wei Qiuling to have Luoxia Mountain collect a lot of related secret manuals in Danzhou.

Therefore, the Shen family's library contains a very large collection of sword techniques and swordplay related to the basics of swordsmanship.

Having consulted numerous sword manuals, Shen Chongzhen's swordsmanship has now reached a level of consummate skill.

squeak-

The wooden door to the courtyard was pushed open.

Shen Wen'an walked in slowly. Hearing the sound of swords whistling from inside the training ground, he put aside his worries and walked slowly toward the training ground.

Standing outside the training ground, watching Shen Chongzhen finish a set of Falling Leaf Sword techniques, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Back then, the sword prodigy of the Zhantai family, "Zhantai Wujiu," was able to enter the Dao through technique and comprehend the rudimentary form of sword intent in the Dharma-ending Age when spiritual energy had not yet recovered. He left behind the stone tablet "Great Dream Sword Scripture," which was quite amazing in Shen Wen'an's eyes.

But now, seeing his son's Falling Leaf Sword Technique, so graceful and free as a falling leaf, with its three parts concentration and seven parts ease, he felt a strange charm.

Is using techniques to attain enlightenment a shortcut for sword cultivators?
In an instant, this thought suddenly popped into Shen Wen'an's mind.

But he immediately rejected that idea.

After clearing the thought from his mind, Shen Wen'an realized that his experiences on this journey to the west had still had some impact on him.

Although this influence was not substantial, it nearly destroyed his invincible spirit.

Having cultivated for nearly a hundred years, whether he was initially weak or later reached the half-step Golden Core stage, he has always had absolute confidence in his understanding of the sword path and has never doubted himself.

Even when he later encountered the Nascent Soul True Lord, the old man in the bamboo hat, at the boundary between Danzhou and Yangnao, he did not act like this.

However, this time, a piece of his memory was inexplicably erased, which he could not let go of, and it seemed to be a sign that it was going to destroy his Dao heart.

"Father!"

"you are back?"

Seeing Shen Wen'an standing in the corridor, Shen Chongzhen sheathed his sword and excitedly came over.

Interrupted from his thoughts, Shen Wen'an nodded gently.

"Where's your mother?"

Shen Chongzhen wiped the fine beads of sweat from her face, looked around, and said, "If they're not in the courtyard, they should be at Grandma's."

"Father, what's wrong?"

Looking at his father in front of him, Shen Chongzhen suddenly spoke with some suspicion.

Shen Wen'an looked at himself, puzzled, then smiled faintly and said, "What? Is there anything different about your father?"

Shen Chongzhen's confusion deepened. He looked him up and down and shook his head, saying, "I don't know how to explain it either."

"It's like...like this sword."

Holding the longsword sheathed in his hand in front of his father, Shen Chongzhen continued, "In the past, even when my father's sword was sheathed, people could still feel the sharpness of the sword, giving them the feeling that 'when the sword is drawn, all laws will retreat.'"

"Oh?" Shen Wen'an smiled slightly. "And now?"

Shen Chongzhen gazed intently at him.

"Now……"

He drew his longsword halfway out of its sheath, revealing a blade with a gleaming seven inches of cold light, and said, "Now, even though it's only seven inches out of its sheath, it gives people a feeling of hesitation and lack of sharpness."

Hearing his son's words, Shen Wen'an was slightly surprised, then sighed softly and said, "Your perception is very sharp."

"However... Father is alright, he just needs to rest and recuperate."

"When your mother comes back, tell her."

Gently patting his son's shoulder, Shen Wen'an said in a deep voice, "You must cultivate your skills and principles, but you can't neglect your own level of cultivation either."

"Sword cultivators need to convert their spiritual power into sword essence, and it takes them more time to improve their realm than immortal cultivators."

"You need to weigh the pros and cons yourself, and don't lose sight of the bigger picture."

Shen Chongzhen respectfully cupped his hands and said, "I will remember Father's teachings."

……

Before the second major harvest, Shen Chongming had already calculated that the next ten years would inevitably be a period of rapid development for the Shen family.

However, he was still unsure about some of the related decisions.

His previous style of doing things was always radical, even somewhat unscrupulous. Now, as he has grown older and become more composed, he has naturally become aware of these things.

In the height of summer, a torrential rain came swiftly, like a celestial river overflowing its banks, and left without a trace of lingering sorrow. After the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, the setting sun appeared in the west.

In the backyard of the manor, Shen Wenxing lay on a bamboo recliner in the pavilion, leisurely closing his eyes.

The heavy rain reminded him of that afternoon a hundred years ago.

I was only seven or eight years old at the time, and my younger brother Shen Wenyan was probably only three or four years old...

The two brothers had just finished lunch when their father dragged them to the threshing ground at the edge of the village to harvest rice.

He still can't understand how his father, who was just an ordinary man at the time, could so accurately predict that "it will rain at Shen time" when the sky was clear.

"Big Brother, once the rain stops, take Anu to the pond to catch frogs..."

Shen Wenyan's childish voice echoed in his mind, and that distant feeling came over him, making Shen Wenxing feel inexplicably choked up.

"What's wrong with me?"

Slowly opening his eyes, Shen Wenxing gazed at the water droplets dripping from the eaves with a "plop, plop" sound.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure walking slowly towards him.

After arriving at the pavilion, Shen Chongming bowed slightly and said, "Father."

"Well, sit down."

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Shen Wenxing sat up straight and asked, "Have the matters in the four cities of Yingchuan been arranged?"

Shen Chongming did not answer, but poured himself a cup of spiritual tea and refilled his father's teacup.

"I ran into Yujing and her sister-in-law a few days ago, and she talked to my son for a while."

Shen Wenxing paused slightly as he picked up the teacup and asked, "Zhan Tai Yujing from the Chongxuan family?"

"What did they say?"

Shen Chongming chuckled and shook his head, picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip, saying, "Of course, I want to seek some benefits for the Zhan Tai family."

"She is a smart person, and Chongxuan must have warned her not to interfere in important family affairs."

"His words were very tactful, and he even begged his son not to tell Chongxuan."

Shen Wenxing nodded slightly, then stroked the teacup in his hand, his eyes deep as he said, "That girl is straightforward. Although she has selfish motives, she can still distinguish right from wrong."

"The Zhan family are related to the maternal relatives, so you can make the arrangements yourself."

After listening to his father's words, Shen Chongming pondered for a moment and then said, "Then we will hand over Gaocheng to the Zhan family to manage."

"However, I still want to inform Chongxuan and his sister-in-law Yujing about this matter in advance. If the Zhantai family does not have the strength, or if they violate the clan rules in the future, we cannot show them any leniency."

Strict clan rules are the foundation of the Shen family's existence.

For over a century, the Shen family's clan rules have never been applied in favoritism due to kinship or merit.

Shen Wenxing did not speak.

After a moment of silence, Shen Chongming asked, "When does Father plan to go into seclusion to break through to the next level?"

"The day after tomorrow, tomorrow is your grandmother's birthday. Your mother told your father about it a few days ago."

"After her birthday, I can go into seclusion in peace."

“The burden of the family cannot always fall on your third uncle’s shoulders.”

"If this seclusion goes smoothly, then next time we reap the rewards, I will be able to share some of the burden with your third uncle."

Before the second major harvest, Shen Wen'an forcibly kept his cultivation level at the half-step Golden Core realm.

Now that the great harvest is over, he has yet to break through to the Golden Core stage. Shen Wenxing understands that he is worried that if he breaks through to the Golden Core stage, there will be a gap in the Shen family's top combat power in the Fetal Breathing Realm.

They'll suffer a huge loss next time they harvest.

"My third uncle has worked so hard all these years."

Mentioning Shen Wen'an, Shen Chongming clenched his fist slightly.

He and his father are now comparable to the late stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm, but they are still somewhat inferior to the Fetal Breathing Perfection Realm among the major Golden Core forces in the Southern Border.

The great harvest depends on the strength of cultivators at the Perfected Nascent Soul stage from all sides.

The lower-level cultivators are only at the basic level.

"Father, I have come here with two things I would like to ask you."

After some thought, Shen Chongming finally spoke.

Shen Wenxing took a sip of tea and looked at him, guessing that there must be some thorny issue that he couldn't decide.

"Tell me."

Seeing that his father did not refuse his question, Shen Chongming was a little surprised, but he did not say much and spoke directly.

"Xiu Zhuo and his brothers have all improved their cultivation levels."

"After the previous great harvest, our Shen family made a deal with the Fushan Kingdom and took back the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm."

"Now that almost a year has passed, I want to send these little guys and some talented Qi Refining cultivators from the clan to try their luck in the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm."

"What do you think?"

This matter concerns the safety of all the direct descendants of the Shen family. If it were up to him, he would be able to harden his heart and let them have a good experience.

But he knew he wouldn't be able to face his elders if something happened to any of those brats.

"I have never been to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm, nor do I know the dangers within."

"However, Xiu Zhuo and the others do need experience. They have always grown up under the protection of their families. How can we entrust the Shen family to them in the future?"

After a slight pause, Shen Wenxing said, "How about this?"

"Split them into groups of two, and take some other Qi Refining cultivators with you to go in batches."

"Go and tell your third uncle to have the White Wolf King escort them."

Qixian Mountain lies between Yingchuan and Jinghe counties.

The last major plunder by the Fushan Kingdom has instilled fear in the Shen family, so they probably won't dare to attack the Shen family anytime soon.

But the situation is less certain for the Yin Corpse Sect, which occupies Jinghe County.

Having the White Wolf King, who is at the peak of the Fetal Breathing Realm, as everyone's protector would be safer.

Shen Chongming nodded after hearing this.

"I understand."

"One more thing."

After a slight pause, Shen Chongming continued, "I'm planning to reopen the market. Do you think this is a feasible move, Father?"

The second major harvest brought the Shen family a great deal of profit.

However, the passage to Danzhou has now been blocked by the old man in the straw hat, and people from Yangnao Land are unable to travel to Danzhou.

The Shen family has accumulated more and more unused spiritual materials and ores, which cannot be transformed into cultivation resources to enhance the family's strength, severely hindering the family's development.

He wanted to reopen the market and trade with the six major powers in the Southern Frontier, exchanging some of his unused items for spirit crystals and spirit rice, so as to quickly improve the strength of the cultivators in his clan.

However, the six major Golden Core forces in the Southern Frontier are not so easy to deal with. If things don't go well in this market, trouble could easily arise.

After listening, Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment and said, "I believe you have thought through the pros and cons of this matter, so I won't say anything more."

"Regarding your concerns, I have come up with a good solution."

"Do you know what those unruly cultivators from the Southern Frontier fear most?"

Meeting his father's ambiguous gaze, Shen Chongming was slightly taken aback.

Shen Wenxing didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly, "They're afraid of dying."

"For those cultivators at the peak of the embryonic breathing realm, the only people they can fear in the entire Yangnao Land right now are your third uncle and Senior Jiang."

"Of course, there's also the Golden Core Ancestor they mistakenly believe exists in our Shen family."

"Your third uncle is in seclusion and can't worry about this matter."

"I suggest you discuss with Luoxia Mountain about opening this market near Yunzhong County City."

"In that case, if we have Elder Jiang issue the Golden Elixir Decree, the safety of the market will surely be guaranteed."

The major powers have an agreement that Golden Core cultivators cannot interfere in matters concerning Yangnao Land.

However, if someone is foolish enough to provoke a Golden Core cultivator, then that's a different story.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's eyes lit up.

"Dad's method is better."

"The people at Luoxia Mountain should also need to exchange some of their unused resources for cultivation supplies such as spirit crystals. I believe they will definitely agree to this."

"I will now go to Yunzhong County to pay my respects to Elder Jiang."

After hastily finishing his words, he stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and walked out of the courtyard.

These past few days, he has racked his brains over the affairs of this market, but he still can't come up with a perfect solution.

"He's in his fifties, yet he's still so impulsive."

Seeing Shen Chongming leave in a hurry, Shen Wenxing smiled and shook his head.

……

As night fell, a figure stepped from the distant night sky and slowly descended outside the Renshui Concealing Spirit Formation.

"Stop whoever comes!"

"After nightfall, the gates of Yunshui City will not be opened!"

"If you are coming to visit, please come again early tomorrow morning."

The young cultivators patrolling the city wall saw someone arrive outside the town without revealing their identity and spoke sternly.

However, the figure dressed in a moon-white robe, with hair and beard as white as snow, did not leave.

"Zhang Hu, what are you shouting about?"

Hearing the commotion, a middle-aged cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining came out from the city tower behind him.

"My lord, there is a strange old man lingering outside the formation, neither speaking nor moving."

An old man?
Upon hearing this, the cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining looked in the direction he pointed.

"That's...Master Lu!?"

Upon recognizing the figure outside the town as Lu Zhiyuan, who had left Yunshui City several years ago, he immediately cursed angrily, "Are you blind? That's Master Lu!"

"The first clan head of the clan council!"

"Quickly activate the formation and open the city gates!"

The north gate of Yunshui City instantly descended into chaos.

Although many elderly cultivators were curious as to why Lu Zhiyuan hadn't opened the formation himself upon his return, but instead had only lingered outside, they dared not delay once they confirmed it was indeed Lu Zhiyuan.

The formation was immediately activated, and the city gates were slowly opened.

The commotion caused by the opening of the Renshui Concealing Spirit Array late at night naturally alerted Shen Li in the clan's main courtyard.

Waking up from her cultivation, Shen Li looked towards the north gate, her delicate brows furrowing slightly before she called out, "Little Jin, come with me to take a look."

Upon hearing this, the golden toad lying lazily on the ground suddenly opened its eyes, transformed into a streak of light, and chased after Shen Li toward the north gate.

By the time she arrived, many cultivators had already opened the city gates.

Lu Zhiyuan, who had been lingering outside the city, slowly walked in.

The Shen family cultivators only saw that his body was radiating a milky white aura, and that he walked very lightly, without making a sound when he stepped.

Just as Lu Zhiyuan's figure passed through the city gate, Shen Li, dressed in a plain gauze dress, flew in from the city.

"Miss."

When the cultivators saw her, they all bowed respectfully.

After nodding, Shen Li looked at Lu Zhiyuan, who was walking slowly towards her. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she immediately went to meet him.

"Sir, you..."

Lu Zhiyuan simply smiled at her without reacting.

Shen Li's expression was solemn. After a slight hesitation, she took out a high-quality jade slip from her storage bag.

Then, a faint blue light flashed in his hand, and he quickly inscribed several complex talismans on the jade slip.

Once the talismans were inscribed, the entire jade slip emitted a captivating and mesmerizing light.

"go with!"

Shen Li didn't dare to delay. The moment the jade slip was finished being inscribed, she threw it directly onto Lu Zhiyuan's head.

As she channeled her spiritual power, the jade slip emitted a large patch of dark blue light.

After the halo flashed and disappeared, Lu Zhiyuan vanished from everyone's sight.

Shen Li drew the jade slip into her hand from a distance and then turned to head towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

The remaining Shen family cultivators were still baffled as to what had happened, even after her figure had completely vanished. What methods had their young lady used?
How can a perfectly healthy person just disappear out of thin air?
Among the many cultivators, only a few who had reached the Qi Refining Perfection Realm seemed to realize something, and a trace of sadness suddenly flashed in their eyes.

Their parents or they themselves had all received their early education at the academy and had been taught by Lu Zhiyuan to varying degrees.

Having formed a general guess in my mind, I was naturally somewhat saddened.

……

Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Li didn't go through the main entrance; instead, she flew in through the second-floor window.

Shen Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. Seeing her solemn expression, he frowned and asked, "Girl, what's wrong?"

Shen Li remained silent, slowly raising the jade slip in her hand and channeling her spiritual power.

The next moment, a white light suddenly flew out from the jade slip and transformed into Lu Zhiyuan's figure.

Upon seeing this, Shen Yuan suddenly stood up.

"gentlemen!?"

"The master's soul has been separated from his body for too long, and he returned to Yunshui City entirely on instinct." Shen Li's words were tinged with regret and a touch of sadness.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's body stiffened slightly.

When Lu Zhiyuan left Yunshui City, his physical body was already old and frail. Now that he has returned, only his soul remains.

It appears that his physical body has completely decayed.

"Li'er, the shaman has some knowledge of the soul. Do you have any solutions?"

Shen Yuan's voice trembled.

He and Lu Zhiyuan had known each other for a century. Their century-long friendship made him unable to bear watching his old friend's soul slowly dissipate.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Li said, "Li'er does have a way to try."

"However... after the master's soul returned to Yunshui City, there were still some last words he needed to say."

"Li'er has already sent someone to inform Brother Chongxuan."

“Brother Chongxuan is a man of letters and possesses a righteous spirit. His soul resonates with that of the Master, so he should be able to temporarily borrow the body to deliver some last words.”

As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps came from the first floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Chongxuan appeared on the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion. Upon seeing Lu Zhiyuan, he instinctively came forward and tried to take his hand.

"Master."

However, when his palm touched Lu Zhiyuan's body, it passed right through him.

“Chongxuan, this is the master’s spirit…”

Shen Yuan said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxuan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Grandmaster, he..."

"Brother Chongxuan, don't be anxious."

"Li'er asked you to come so that the master's soul could borrow your body for a while."

"Let's see if he has any last words."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxuan nodded in agreement without any hesitation.

Shen Li and Lu Zhiyuan were the people he trusted most, so he naturally had no worries.

"Brother Chongxuan, calm your mind and do not resist. Li'er is about to begin."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxuan nodded, then suppressed his grief and slowly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Shen Li immediately took action.

Her fair palms etched eerie, dark blue rays of light into the void.

These eerie blue rays formed a massive talismanic phantom between Lu Zhiyuan's soul and Shen Chongxuan's body.

As Shen Li poured in her spiritual power, the talisman guided Lu Zhiyuan's soul to slowly enter Shen Chongxuan's body.

Shen Chongxuan's body trembled slightly, his eyelids twitched a few times, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

"Young Master Shen?"

Upon suddenly seeing Shen Yuan's figure, Lu Zhiyuan spoke through Shen Chongxuan's body.

His eyes revealed surprise and delight.

Shen Yuan nodded emphatically.

"Sir, where has your physical body been left behind?"

"I will arrange for someone to retrieve it immediately, so that you may be laid to rest in peace."

Lu Zhiyuan smiled faintly and shook his head: "This old man can't remember either..."

"But as he walked, his aged body simply couldn't take it anymore."

"My soul left my body and wandered around until it gradually fell into endless darkness."

He looked down at himself, then said in surprise, "This is Chongxuan's body?"

Shen Li nodded and said, "Sir's soul has been separated from his body for too long and has fallen into a state of confusion."

"I have only recovered temporarily thanks to the nourishment from Brother Chongxuan's body."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Young Brother Shen, quickly prepare paper and pen for this old man."

"When I left back then, I promised Stone that when I returned, I would give him a supplementary cultivation method to resolve the aftereffects of the Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique."

"After traveling for several years, I have finally come to understand a method."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li, who was standing nearby, quickly fetched paper and pen.

After laying out the paper, Lu Zhiyuan picked up his pen and wrote four large characters.

The Book of Self-Examination

“As the sages said, ‘I examine myself three times a day.’ My ‘Book of Self-Examination’ is based on the righteous spirit of the sages’ words and literature, to cleanse the filth left on my mind by the evil energy of the ‘Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique’.”

"To enable body cultivators practicing the Nine Fiends Body Gathering Technique to maintain a clear mind at all times."

As Lu Zhiyuan spoke, he wrote out the "Sheng Shen Tong Shu" (a book on self-examination) in a long and fluent style.

After he finished writing, he thought for a moment and then changed to a different sheet of paper.

"Let me leave a letter for Chongxuan."

Beside them, Shen Li and Shen Yuan simply watched quietly without disturbing them.

After Lu Zhiyuan finished writing the letter, he looked at Shen Li and said, "Get my soul out. If it stays too long, it will harm Chongxuan."

Upon seeing this, Shen Li glanced at Shen Yuan.

Upon seeing him nod, he used magic to separate Lu Zhiyuan's soul from Shen Chongxuan's body.

Inside the attic, Lu Zhiyuan's soul still emitted a faint halo, returning to that dazed and confused state once again.

After Shen Chongxuan's soul regained control of his body, his face was somewhat pale.

But she immediately looked at Shen Yuan and cupped her hands in greeting: "Grandpa, what did Grandmaster... say?"

Shen Yuan handed over the letter left by Lu Zhiyuan.

"This was left to you by your master. Take a look."

Shen Chongxuan took the letter, read it carefully, and then his eyes glistened with tears.

She carefully tucked the letter into her bosom, her gaze fixed on Lu Zhiyuan, who stood quietly before her.

We can't just let our master's spirit dissipate like this; we have to think of a way!

Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan's spirit had dimmed considerably, Shen Chongxuan felt anxious, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Feed the spirit!"

"Grandpa, do you still remember the book 'Feeding the Spirits' that Father liked back then?"

Feeding spirits?

Shen Yuan frowned and pondered for a long time before finally figuring out what Shen Chongxuan meant by "feeding spirits."

When the Immortal Sect first arrived, he obtained a map of the ruins from Xu Xiu, and later, guided by the white jade tortoise shell, he found the residence of the Dragon Tamer.

"The Spirit Feeder" was a strange ancient book that he had obtained from the mansion of the dragon tamer.

Also discovered at the same time were "Cloud Dragon Technique" and "Azure Dragon Strength".

Shen Wenyan deciphered several ancient books back then, but Shen Yuan regarded "Feeding Spirits" as just a supernatural tale and didn't take it seriously.

“Grandpa, I studied that ancient book carefully in my younger days and discovered that it contained a ‘soul-nourishing method’ that can collect the soul of a living being into the body and nurture it. When necessary, the soul can also be summoned to help in battle.”

"As long as the body is alive, the soul will never perish."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned deeply.

He didn't know much about the soul and couldn't figure out if this was feasible.

"Li'er, what do you think?"

Shen Li is well-versed in witchcraft and has a deep understanding of the soul.

Having guessed Shen Chongxuan's plan, he wanted to hear Shen Li's opinion.

If it's feasible, that would be best.

After a moment's thought, Shen Li said, "This method is theoretically feasible. There are indeed records of 'souls' in ancient books made of animal hide."

"However, I haven't read the 'Spirit Feeding' that Brother Chongxuan mentioned, so I can't guarantee that the 'Soul Nourishing Method' will definitely work."

“The soul is complex and fragile. If anything goes wrong, it could not only cause the master’s soul to completely dissipate, but it could also harm the person who performed the spell.”

After hearing this, Shen Chongxuan hesitated for a moment and looked at her, saying, "Li'er, how much longer can Master's soul hold on?"

Shen Li smiled faintly and replied, "If I were to use magic, I could preserve your soul for a hundred days."

"If Brother Chongxuan really intends to use the Soul Nourishing Method, then let Li'er take a look at the 'Spirit Feeding' manual first."

"Alright." Shen Chongxuan agreed, cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Yuan, and then left Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Li then took out the jade slip again and put Lu Zhiyuan's soul into it.

……

Yunzhong County City.

Shen Chongming, Luo Yao, and Jiang Xiuqi sat quietly on the top floor of the seven-story tower.

“Re-establishing the market town is indeed feasible.”

"Luo Yao, I'll leave this matter to you."

Luo Yao bowed slightly and said, "Yes, Martial Aunt."

Having finalized the matter of the market, Jiang Xiuqi pondered for a moment before asking, "I've heard that Wen'an was attacked by a mysterious powerful figure. What are the specifics of his injuries?"

Shen Chongming smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Third Uncle's health is fine, but..."

"It seems that part of his memory was erased by that mysterious powerful figure."

There was nothing to hide from Jiang Xiuqi, so Shen Chongming told him directly.

"Wen An's cultivation level is half-step Golden Core. To erase his memories silently without leaving a trace or harming his soul, the person who made the move must be a Nascent Soul True Monarch."

"Furthermore, I suspect that person is an extremely powerful being even at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level."

Jiang Xiuqi spoke with a solemn expression, then changed the subject: "News also came from Danzhou some time ago."

"At the boundary connecting Yangnao and Danzhou, a great battle seems to have broken out."

"Due to the impact of the great war, more than a thousand miles of the Qishan mountain range were destroyed, and countless immortal sects and ordinary people were killed or injured."

At the barrier?
Shen Chongming asked with some surprise, "I heard from my third uncle that there's an old monster at the Nascent Soul Realm guarding that place, isn't there?"

Jiang Xiuqi nodded slightly and said, "It was that True Monarch who made the move."

"There is a rumor in Danzhou that the one who attacked that True Monarch was also a mysterious being in the Nascent Soul Realm."

"The reason for the outbreak of the war between the two sides was that the mysterious Nascent Soul Realm cultivator wanted to send some people to the Yangnao Land."

"As for whether anyone will eventually come to Yangnao, there is no concrete information yet."

With a heavy sigh, Jiang Xiuqi continued, "I noticed earlier that this place was slowly undergoing changes."

"Now I can even feel the chaos of the heavens, as if someone is constantly manipulating the power of this world."

"Go back and tell your third uncle that if he can break through to the Golden Core stage, he should do so as soon as possible and not delay any longer."

After hearing this, Shen Chongming nodded with a serious expression.

"I will certainly convey your words, senior."

"If there's anything about the market that can be done with the Shen family's help, please let me know, Senior Luo."

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Both of them nodded.

……

Yunshui City.

After Shen Chongming returned, he told his grandfather Shen Yuan all of Jiang Xiuqi's instructions.

But Shen Yuan didn't show much surprise when he heard these words.

"Someone has appeared to cause trouble..."

He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazed at the shimmering water, and said in a deep voice, "But it's fine this way too."

"Only when this grand scheme becomes chaotic will the plans of those behind it be more likely to be exposed."

Shen Chongming followed behind him, pondered for a moment, and said, "Grandpa, do you think this troublemaker might be related to the Fire Sect?"

Shen Yuan shook his head slightly and said, "It's hard to say."

"But one thing is certain: these things are definitely related to the Great Ying Immortal Mansion of that year."

"Starting today, you need to allocate some manpower to strictly guard the Dragon Tamer's residence in the mountains. The mysterious forces in Danzhou are willing to send an old monster at the Nascent Soul Realm to deliver people to Yangnao Land."

"This is enough to prove that their ambitions are not small."

After a slight pause, Shen Yuan turned around, picked up a piece of paper from the desk beside him, and handed it over.

Shen Chongming took the paper, opened it, glanced at it, and exclaimed in astonishment, "This is... Master's notes!?"

"He is back?"

Shen Yuan sighed softly, "Only a wisp of my soul has returned to Yunshui City."

"His physical body has decayed somewhere, I don't know."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's expression froze, and he clenched his fist.

"The Self-Examination Manual is a supplementary method compiled by the Master for the Nine Killings Body-Gathering Technique."

"You should go find that kid Xu Zhan and give it a try."

"But before that, we should hold a funeral for Master Lu."

"My old friend has worked so hard for the Shen family for so many years, we can't let the descendants of the Shen family forget him."

Shen Chongming nodded respectfully.

"Regarding the formalities and etiquette... does Grandpa have any special requirements?"

Shen Yuan sighed and said, "Go find Chongxuan. Let him handle the matters of etiquette, and also let him observe mourning."

Lu Zhiyuan never married and had no children.

In his early years, Shen Wenyan had become his disciple, and later, Shen Chongxuan also followed him in cultivating literature and Taoism, and was treated by him like a grandson.

This time, let him lead the mourning ceremony and carry the banner for Lu Zhiyuan.

"Grandson understands."

After bowing, Shen Chongming left Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Yuan stood alone by the window for a long time, gazing up at the distant sky.

His eyes flashed with a mysterious light, as if they had directly pierced through the Renshui Concealing Spirit Array that shrouded Yunshui City, looking towards the higher reaches of the sky.

After a long while, Shen Yuan turned around and came to the chessboard with black and white pieces intertwined. He stared at the chessboard for a moment and then picked up a white piece and placed it in a place far away from where the two pieces were stuck together.

……

Western Wilderness, Flame Lake City.

Compared to Zhennan City, Yanhu City can be described as sparsely populated.

In the vast city, there were only a few hundred cultivators and a few hundred ordinary people, most of whom were servants responsible for taking care of the cultivators' daily lives.

When Flame Lake City was first established, there was no intention to allow more mortals to live in the city.

With the presence of that terrifying magma that occupied half the city, coupled with Jiang Xiuqi's subsequent intervention, who set up three large formations in the city to lock in the gold and fire energy constantly emerging from the magma lake, the city's gold and fire spiritual energies far surpassed those of other places.

In such circumstances, ordinary people would be unable to live in the city without some means of protection.

Cultivators who do not possess either the metal or fire spiritual roots will also find life in the city extremely difficult.

At the blacksmith's shop on the edge of the lava lake, He Chongyi was leading a group of cultivators in a busy work.

"Young Master Chongyi, please take a look."

A burly man, shirtless and carrying a dark spear, hurriedly approached.

He Chongyi took the spear and examined it carefully before nodding in satisfaction.

"Not bad, it has caught up with the quality of the weapon blanks forged in Hundred Refinement Valley back then."

After practicing the "Li Gong Bing Huo Refining Form Technique", He Chongyi realized that the so-called standard weapons and armor that the Hundred Refinement Valley had refined back then were actually "weapon embryos".

Simply put, it's the prototype of an ancient magical artifact.

As for refining the "artifact blank" into a real magic weapon, it is necessary to inscribe "artifact patterns" inside.

There was no method of inscribing formations on magical artifacts in ancient weapon-making techniques.

The power of a ritual implement depends entirely on the combination and quantity of its patterns.

Having broken through to the embryonic breathing stage, He Chongyi had already comprehended several first-order "artifact patterns" from the "Li Gong Bing Huo Refining Form Technique".

This time, the plan is for everyone to try to create some artifact prototypes first, and then he will inscribe them on them to see if they can use the ancient artifact-making method to forge real magical artifacts.

"Young Master Chongyi".

"Son."

Just after the burly man handed over the spear he had forged, several more people rushed over and handed him the weapon prototypes they had forged.

After checking each item, He Chongyi gave his evaluation.

"That's all for today, you few. If you still wish to cultivate, you can go to the lotus platform on the lake to cultivate for an hour."

"Remember not to be greedy for quick success or act rashly, otherwise the fire poison will enter your body, and you will suffer the consequences."

When Jiang Xiuqi came to Flame Lake City to set up the formation, he saw the extraordinary nature of this lava lake. At his suggestion, the Shen family built thirty-six lotus platforms on some reefs in the lava lake.

Jiang Xiuqi, on the other hand, used more methods to connect the thirty-six lotus platforms with the earth veins of the lava lake, and added miniature arrays to filter the lava fire poison, forming one cultivation treasure land after another.

The cultivators in the city, including He Chongyi and Shen Xiubai, would go to the lotus platform to cultivate every day.

Although the lotus platform had an array set up by Jiang Xiuqi that could filter out 90% of the magma fire poison, the remaining 10% was still terrifying.

If a Qi Refining cultivator cultivates on it for an hour, the magma fire poison in their body will slowly accumulate and require some time to refine and remove.

If the delay is too long, the dense fire energy that cannot be refined and absorbed in time will accumulate in the meridians of the body, tormenting the cultivator to the point of death.

"Thank you, sir!"

After receiving their orders, the group excitedly ran towards the lotus platform from the platform.

He Chongyi smiled faintly at them, then led the artifact blanks that everyone had handed over towards the stone house not far away.

He had tried to inscribe patterns on the vessel blank several times, and although he failed each time, each failure also allowed him to accumulate valuable experience.

If he succeeds this time, he will have gained a basic grasp of the ancient weapon-refining method.

(End of this chapter)