Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 238 An Act of Deceiving Heaven
The soaring sword energy slammed fiercely into the golden heavenly gate that was about to close!

The cultivators of most of Yangnao Land held their breath and stared intently at the void, wanting to see what kind of consequences such a crazy act would have.

In Yunshui City, the Shen family members were so tense that they forgot to breathe.

The terrifying commotion I had imagined did not occur.

The sword beam that Shen Wen'an unleashed struck the closing Heavenly Gate, but it sank like a stone into the sea, without even a ripple.

The cultivators from the Southern Frontier were stunned at first upon seeing this scene, and then they all burst into laughter.

"Hahaha...that kid really overestimates himself!"

"Before you have even achieved the Golden Core stage and become a true Golden Core cultivator, you dare to raise your sword against the heavens. You are simply inviting humiliation upon yourself."

"In other words, the highest path doesn't bother with ants, yet that brat still dares to dream of plundering spiritual power from the Heavenly Gate..."

"The courage is commendable, but the ending is somewhat laughable."

Seeing that Shen Wen'an's terrifying sword light did not elicit any reaction from Tianmen, the cultivators from the Southern Frontier did not hold back their mockery.

"Failed?"

"Is Third Uncle aiming to achieve the Flawless Golden Elixir?"

In Yunshui City, Shen Chongming, who had just absorbed a large amount of lightning power from the void, looked up at the Heavenly Gate and murmured in disbelief.

He also guessed that the reason why his third uncle Shen Wen'an would take such a risky action must be because the inner core he had condensed was already close to the flawless golden core.

As for the other younger members of the Shen family and clansmen, they did not quite understand the significance of Shen Wen'an's actions.

This is because they are still some distance from the Golden Core realm and do not know the difference between ordinary Golden Cores and flawless Golden Cores.

It was said that Shen Wen'an wanted to obtain some more spiritual power from the Heavenly Gate to avoid wasting spirit crystals to make up for the defects of the Golden Core later.

On the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing solemnly at the Heavenly Gate in the void, which had become so illusory as to be almost invisible.

"Kid, you want to take a gamble?"

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Before he finished speaking, a dazzling white light slowly emanated from Shen Yuan's body!

The white light gathered behind his head, causing a faint look of pain to appear on his face.

However, Shen Yuan did not hesitate at all. He still stood with his hands behind his back, and his wide gray robe fluttered wildly without any wind.

As the dazzling white light grew brighter, a piece of pure white jade slowly emerged from the back of his head!
The thing that emerged was none other than a white jade tortoise shell!
Having possessed the white jade tortoise shell for over a hundred years, this was the first time Shen Yuan had used it.

As the white jade tortoise shell was slowly squeezed out of his skull, Shen Yuan's body began to tremble involuntarily, and his eyes slowly became bloodshot due to the pain.

Clearly, even though he had already refined part of the white jade tortoise shell, it was not as easy as he had imagined to unleash it.

hum!
The small section of the white jade tortoise shell that was exposed began to tremble violently.

A sense of resistance surged into Shen Yuan's soul.

"We must not be exposed!"

"Exposing ourselves now will cause huge trouble!"

"Do not impulse!"

On the spiritual platform in his sea of ​​consciousness, Shen Yuan's soul could clearly sense the information transmitted by the white jade tortoise shell.

This was a very peculiar emotional fluctuation, but Shen Yuan was able to clearly perceive its specific meaning.

"I can't manage all that. Either you help him, or I'll try it myself."

Shen Yuan narrowed his bloodshot eyes, and his soul conveyed his determination to the white jade tortoise shell.

The violently trembling white jade tortoise shell calmed down for a moment before transmitting another message.

“True perfection is a trap. Your son’s golden core is already considered perfect.”

Upon receiving this information, Shen Yuan frowned and immediately channeled his spiritual power, attempting once again to force the white jade tortoise shell out of his sea of ​​consciousness.

"help!"

"I can help him again!"

"However... just to be safe, I can only make a slight move. Don't be impulsive. If we are exposed, this whole world will be doomed!"

Forced into a corner, the white jade tortoise shell had no choice but to agree, and then suddenly shrank back into Shen Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness.

Returning to the center of his consciousness, a large amount of spiritual energy suddenly surged from the surface of the white jade tortoise shell.

"The power of the Great Evolution?"

Shen Yuan was suspicious when he sensed that the power emanating from the white jade tortoise shell was the power of the Great Evolution.

But before he could figure out what was going on...

The hazy power of the Great Evolution suddenly flew out from between his eyebrows and headed directly towards the place where Shen Wen'an was in seclusion!

Inside the secret chamber of the courtyard, Shen Wen'an was gazing with some disappointment at the Heavenly Gate that was about to disappear completely, lamenting that he had missed his chance at the Flawless Golden Elixir, when a mysterious and profound mist suddenly drifted in from outside.

Immediately afterwards, the mist enveloped his body.

Shen Wen'an was horrified. Just as he was about to dispel the strange thing, his divine sense suddenly discovered that the Heavenly Gate in the void, which was about to disappear, was once again shining with dazzling golden light!

The once illusory portal has solidified once more!

"This... how come the Heavenly Gate has opened again!?"

"Could it be that the kid's sword strike just now had an effect?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"When did the Great Dao become so good-tempered?"

"Do we really want him to condense a flawless golden core?!"

The unusual reaction of the Heavenly Gate instantly shocked the cultivators in Yangnao Land into disbelief!
Shen Wen'an himself was completely baffled.

When he risked raising his sword to the sky, he could clearly feel how insignificant his power was at the moment it struck the Heavenly Gate.

It's not even a case of an ant trying to shake a tree.

But why has the Heavenly Gate inexplicably opened again?
Could it be...

Looking at the eerie mist surrounding him, Shen Wen'an suddenly realized that the mist had a familiar aura.

"It's Father's Great Evolution Power!"

As they were filled with horror, the Heavenly Gate in the void opened wide once more, and strands of golden light slowly flowed out from it, falling towards the direction of Yunshui City.

Shen Wen'an disregarded everything else and immediately used his divine sense to connect with the void gate, directly plundering a large mass of pure spiritual energy from it.

But at that moment, the thin mist on his body began to dissipate rapidly.

A terrifying sense of crisis instantly surged into my heart!

Shen Wen'an felt that some terrifying being was awakening from the distant Heavenly Gate. This terrifying being, carrying endless rage, was rapidly attacking across time and space!
This chilling sense of crisis instantly dispelled his greed for the flawless golden elixir. He quickly withdrew his divine sense and forcibly dispersed the Great Evolution Power surrounding his body!

The moment the power of the Great Evolution disappeared, the Heavenly Gate, which had been wide open in the void, suddenly closed and disappeared into the void.

boom!
A sound like a muffled thunderclap suddenly rang out from the void, spreading throughout the entire Yangnao Land. Even all the cultivators in the distant Southern Frontier heard this terrifying sound and looked up at the sky in astonishment.

After that one sound, no other strange phenomena appeared in the sky.

In Yunshui City, Shen Wen'an refined the last large mass of pure spiritual energy he had plundered from the Heavenly Gate into his inner core, only to discover with regret that his inner core was still not flawless.

Suppressing his disappointment, he immediately took out thousands of spirit crystals from his storage bag, shattered them completely, and then devoured all the spiritual energy within them like a whale.

With the supply of these thousands of spirit crystals, the golden core in his dantian finally reached a state of perfect unity.

Above Yunshui City, the rosy clouds and auspicious energy slowly gathered, transforming together with the golden lotuses in the sky into a wisp of energy filled with divine and immortal aura, which gently descended towards the small courtyard.

The energy easily penetrated the ceiling of the secret room, passed through Shen Wen'an's body, and landed in his dantian.

At this moment, Shen Wen'an's body was illuminated by this wisp of golden energy, and every inch of his flesh and blood, every cell in his body, showed a joyful and jubilant emotion under the illumination of the golden energy.

Immortal Gold is in hand.

The next step is to find a time to integrate the metal element into the inner core, and then one can be considered a true Golden Core Sword Immortal.

However, before that, Shen Wen'an still wanted to go to Flame Lake City again.

Using the golden essence from the lava lake in Flame Lake City, he further refined his natal flying sword.

In this way, when alloyed, one can also make their natal flying sword stronger.

Inside the Shen Family Manor.

As the strange phenomena disappeared, everything returned to calm.

The younger generation of the Shen family and their clansmen were all still reluctant to leave.

"Ming-ge, Father... he's successfully broken through?"

Shen Chongzhen looked at Shen Chongming beside him and asked in a low voice.

The other younger members of the group around him also looked at Shen Chongming with curiosity.

Shen Chongming nodded with a smile: "We've succeeded. From now on, our Shen family will finally have a Golden Core Sword Immortal."

Upon hearing his words, everyone cheered with joy.

The cheers quickly spread throughout the entire city of Yunshui.

In no time, the common people and cultivators in the city also received the news, and they all came out of their hiding houses and came to the streets and alleys to celebrate Shen Wen'an's breakthrough.

For the common people of Yunshui City, they may not understand what a Golden Core is, but they know that the more powerful the immortals of the Shen family are, the safer they are.

These common people are mostly descendants of the villagers of Jinliu Village, and they have heard the legends of the Shen family since they were young.

They also always believed that the Shen family could protect them.

For the cultivators under Shen Wen'an's rule, Shen Wen'an's breakthrough was more like suddenly having a pillar of support and a reassuring pill.

From then on, when they traveled outside, they could confidently say, "I am from the Shen family of the Golden Core stage."

The reputation of a Golden Core faction is not something to be taken lightly.

Seeing the joy of his people, Shen Chongming's face also lit up with happiness.

“Repair and cleanse.”

Slowly fading his smile, Shen Chongming turned to look at his eldest son, Shen Xiuzhuo, beside him.

"father."

Shen Xiuzhuo, who was already twenty years old, bowed slightly.

"Immediately send people to prepare for the Dharma assembly, and prepare more spiritual fruits, spiritual wine, and the finest ingredients."

"In addition, have people build a welcoming platform on the west side of the manor to receive some distinguished guests during the Dharma assembly."

Breaking through to the Golden Core stage is a momentous occasion, and the Golden Core Ceremony will definitely be held.

On the one hand, it was to invite some forces and cultivators with whom we had good relations to come and celebrate; on the other hand, it was also intended to demonstrate our strength and warn those who were not worthy.

Shen Xiuzhuo nodded: "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

"Everyone else, disperse. While there is still some auspicious energy left in Yunshui City, seize the time to cultivate and absorb it. The auspicious energy that has fallen from the sky is a rare and precious thing, so don't waste it."

Shen Chongming waved the crowd away and then looked at Wei Qiuling and her son.

"Third Aunt, Zhen Di, let's go see Third Uncle."

Wei Qiuling nodded, and the three of them walked down the mountain together.

……

Hidden Dragon Mountain, the residence of the dragon tamer.

The two sides inside the stone hall were still locked in a standoff.

On the boulder outside the valley, Shen Wen'an's breakthrough and the commotion naturally did not escape the notice of Shen Li and the Snow Wolf King.

"Miss, Master has definitely succeeded in breaking through!"

But as the strange phenomena and commotion above Yunshui City disappeared, the Snow Wolf King excitedly approached Shen Li and said...

Shen Li closed the book in her hands and nodded with a smile.

“My third uncle has indeed reached the Golden Core stage. After more than a hundred years, my Shen family has finally produced a Golden Core cultivator.”

Upon hearing this, the Snow Wolf King was slightly taken aback.

Then, as if realizing something, she looked at Shen Li with some surprise and said, "Does Miss mean that the Shen family has only been passed down for a hundred years?"

"Is the master the first Golden Core cultivator in the Shen family?"

"Then, before that, Aunt... before those Golden Core cultivators from the Southern Frontier, the Golden Core cultivators they saw were..."

As the former leader of Mount Wu, the Snow Wolf King always believed that the Shen family was hiding two Golden Core cultivators.

In his view, Shen Wen'an's breakthrough means that the Shen family has produced its third Golden Core expert.

A force with three Golden Core experts is considered top-tier among Golden Core forces.

Shen Li glanced at him sideways and nodded with a faint smile.

My third uncle, Shen Wen'an, has already broken through to the Golden Core stage, so there's no need to keep this a secret any longer.

Besides, the Snow Wolf King has already pledged allegiance to the Shen family, so it wouldn't hurt for him to know.

When Shen Li admitted it, the Snow Wolf King was stunned.

He never expected that the six major Golden Core forces in the Southern Frontier would be completely outmaneuvered by a mere Nascent Soul family.

Even more tragically, both the Demon Cave of Mount Wu and the Kingdom of Fushan suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Shen family.

How much courage and wisdom does a family specializing in the embryonic breathing technique need to navigate among numerous Golden Core forces?
At this moment, the Snow Wolf King was completely convinced.

"Now that my third uncle has broken through, I can finally put my worries to rest."

Looking towards the stone palace in the valley, Shen Li said with a sigh of relief.

During this time, with the help of the puppet centipede, she obtained a lot of secrets from the two people in the stone hall.

They also knew that the two people in the stone hall, including the Suihuo Sect and the Yinhe Sect, came from a force in Zhongzhou called the Jiehuo Sect.

According to the two, the Tribulation Fire Sect has more than five True Monarchs at the Nascent Soul stage, and more than ten Purple Mansion Elders below them.

As for the number of Golden Core Realm protectors, there are probably dozens.

Although the two people in the hall had both reached the Perfected Nascent Soul Realm, they were still only disciples within the Calamity Fire Sect.

Ye Minghuang, who possessed the Douling Xuanti (a type of martial arts body), was the true disciple, while the other, Zhou Ji, was merely an inner disciple.

The help the two had contacted via the communication stone some time ago was a secret force that the Suihuo Sect had secretly sent to the East Sea to search for the three immortal mountains.

Shen Li also vaguely heard some secrets about "Dao Yuan" from their conversation.

However, neither of them seemed to know much, and the guy named Zhou Ji was very cautious, always dissuading Ye Minghuang from mentioning it.

Through these things, Shen Li vaguely guessed that the Tribulation Fire Sect had a very high probability of having Golden Core cultivators among the forces searching for the Three Immortal Mountains in the East Sea.

Once the other side receives the news and arrives, it will likely be difficult for the Shen family to defend the Dragon Tamer's residence.

Shen Li didn't know what the mastermind behind this grand scheme in Yangnao Land was thinking. The agreement between the Shen family and Luoxia Mountain and the six major Golden Core forces in the Southern Frontier couldn't bind the Golden Core cultivators of the Calamity Fire Sect.

She worried that in the end, the Shen family would have to face it alone.

Once the Golden Core cultivators of the Calamity Fire Sect arrive, and the Shen family's "Golden Core experts" fail to appear, the Shen family's lie about having two Golden Core ancestors will be instantly exposed.

Shen Li dared not even think about the impact this series of chain reactions would have on the Shen family.

Fortunately, Uncle Shen Wen'an has now successfully broken through, and these problems have all been solved.

"Xiao Jin."

Suppressing her thoughts, Shen Li called out softly.

"Owner."

Not far behind, the golden toad, which had been dozing off out of boredom, suddenly leaped onto the boulder.

“Go back to Yunshui City and give this to your grandfather.”

Shen Li handed over the book she was holding.

This book contains the secrets that the two people in the stone hall recently mentioned. Although they are only fragments, many of the things in it should be of great use.

Grandpa Shen Yuan had been studying these things, and Shen Li wrote them all down.

Upon hearing this, the golden toad opened its mouth and swallowed the book, then respectfully said, "Master, rest assured, this little demon is off."

"White Fur, you must protect my master."

Upon hearing this, the Snow Wolf King was so angry that he bared his teeth!
Both demons were once demon cultivators from Mount Wu, so they must have known each other before.

"You toad..."

Just as the Snow Wolf King was about to speak, the Golden Toad had already transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the forest.

Yunshui City.

When Shen Chongming and the other two arrived at the courtyard, Shen Wen'an had already come out of the secret room.

At this moment, he was dressed in a blue robe, and his appearance had changed drastically compared to before his breakthrough.

First, there's his aura. Before his breakthrough, Shen Wen'an gave off the feeling of a sword with its sharp edge fully revealed.

Even when he doesn't fight with others, he exudes a sharp and intimidating aura.

In other words, they often met with him and had a close relationship. If it were any of the cultivators in Yunshui City, they would become reserved and fearful when they saw Shen Wen'an from afar.

But Shen Wen'an is clearly different now.

The sharpness in his body had largely disappeared, replaced by an aura of superiority.

This aura is precisely what a Golden Core cultivator experiences when their life level rises after a breakthrough.

"Congratulations, Third Uncle, on achieving the path of the Golden Core Sword Immortal."

Shen Chongming bowed and thanked him, while Shen Chongzhen, standing beside him, also bowed with a grin: "Congratulations, Father, on becoming a sword immortal!"

Seeing the two of them like this, Shen Wen'an finally showed a rare smile.

"You two brats!"

Wei Qiuling, standing to the side, looked at the three of them, especially at Shen Wen'an's genuine smile, and felt very gratified.

She and Shen Wen'an have known each other for almost sixty years, from initial curiosity to later appreciation, and then to the decision to become Daoist partners.

Until they became a real couple and had Shen Chongzhen...

In the span of sixty years, Wei Qiuling felt she had never seen Shen Wen'an smile like that before.

She knew it was because Shen Wen'an was under too much pressure.

The Shen family faced wave after wave of enemies, each one overwhelming them.

It was only today's successful breakthrough to the Golden Core stage that gave him a boost of confidence.

"Third Uncle, I have already arranged for people to prepare for the Golden Elixir Ceremony for you. When would you like to know when the ceremony will be held?"

After the joke, Shen Chongming said seriously.

The group sat down in the pavilion in the courtyard, and Shen Chongzhen busied herself preparing tea for her parents and brother.

"There's no rush for the Dharma assembly."

Shen Wen'an took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "I plan to go to Flame Lake City in the next couple of days."

"What is Father going to Flame Lake City for?" Shen Chongzhen asked curiously.

Shen Wen'an looked at him and smiled faintly: "Immortal cultivators cultivate the Golden Core, while we sword cultivators, when we reach the Golden Core realm, cultivate a sword pellet."

"The core of this sword pellet is my own natal magic sword."

"When I went to Flame Lake City, I wanted to use the golden essence in that lava lake to refine the Dragon Soul Sword."

"Then, alloying properties are added to create the true golden elixir."

Shen Chongzhen suddenly realized.

After chatting for a while, Shen Wen'an changed the subject and asked, "Is your grandfather still at Blackwater Pavilion?"

grandfather?

Shen Chongming was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized that something was wrong.

With such a significant commotion as breaking through to the Golden Core stage, it's impossible that Grandpa Shen Yuan wouldn't know.

Now that the strange phenomenon has disappeared and everything has returned to calm, it's clear something is wrong that he hasn't come out.

Noticing the expression on Shen Chongming's face, Shen Wen'an's heart sank. Without saying a word, he disappeared from the courtyard.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming, Wei Qiuling, and the other two hurriedly headed towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

The second floor of Blackwater Pavilion.

After Shen Wen'an appeared, he saw Shen Yuan lying unconscious in front of the second-floor window.

"father!"

He rushed forward and helped Shen Yuan up from the ground.

"father?"

Downstairs, Shen Chongming and the other two had also arrived. Hearing the commotion, they went up to the second floor. "Father?"

"grandfather!"

Several people surrounded Shen Yuan.

"Third Uncle, what's wrong with Grandpa?"

Shen Chongming asked anxiously.

Shen Wen'an remained silent.

He recalled the final moment of his breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. In his desire to achieve a flawless Golden Core, he chose to bombard the Heavenly Gate once more, but ultimately failed.

But then a thin mist formed from the power of the Great Evolution drifted over and enveloped his body.

It seems that the Great Evolutionary Power, which once resembled a thin mist, must have originated from the father.

His current situation is very likely due to some kind of backlash.

“Step back a bit.”

Wei Qiuling spoke in a deep voice.

"Husband, help Father up."

Wei Qiuling had Shen Yuan sit cross-legged, and immediately channeled her spiritual power into Shen Yuan's body.

Wood-attribute spiritual energy contains a certain amount of life force, making it a good thing for healing.

Nourished by a large amount of pure wood-attribute spiritual energy, Shen Yuan, who had been unconscious, slowly awoke.

"father."

"grandfather."

Upon seeing him open his eyes, Shen Wen'an and Shen Chongming quickly came to his side.

Wei Qiuling stopped what she was doing and asked with concern, "Father, are you alright?"

Shen Yuan shook his head slightly, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a while, and then exhaled a breath of stale air.

"It's nothing, I just suffered some backlash."

Shen Chongzhen and Shen Chongming helped him up and sat him down on the prayer mat next to him.

"Father, at the final stage of my breakthrough, a small amount of Great Evolution Power appeared..."

Shen Wen'an asked in a deep voice.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said, "It was done by your father."

"Have you now achieved the Flawless Golden Elixir?"

Looking into his father's expectant eyes, Shen Wen'an shook his head somewhat disappointedly: "It's still just a little bit short."

He recounted the fear he felt when he finally plundered spiritual energy from the Heavenly Gate.

"I feel that if we delay even for a moment longer, we will be killed instantly."

"The deafening roar that resounded through the heavens and earth after the Heavenly Gate closed was probably the angry attack of the being above the Heavenly Gate."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "It must be that I used the power of the Great Evolution to deceive the Heavenly Gate and angered that unknown being."

"So be it if you're not quite flawless. After absorbing so much pure spiritual energy from the Heavenly Gate, the quality of your Golden Core shouldn't be low."

"There is still hope for the future transformation of the Purple Mansion into an Infant."

This act of deceiving the heavens almost caused a great disaster, and it also failed to allow Shen Wen'an to condense a flawless golden core, leaving Shen Yuan somewhat disappointed.

But that's just how fate is; it's not so easy to change someone else's destiny.

This time, by using the white jade tortoise shell to perform a deceitful act under the Great Evolution Dao, he not only consumed one of the life talismans on the white jade tortoise shell, but also suffered a severe backlash.

"Grandpa, I'm having Xiu Zhuo prepare a Golden Core Ceremony for my third uncle. Do you think we should invite those Golden Core cultivators from the Southern Frontier?"

If no other Golden Core cultivators came to offer their congratulations, the Golden Core Dharma Assembly would seem somewhat lackluster.

No one from Danzhou can come here, and apart from Jiang Xiuqi, there are no other Golden Core cultivators in Yangnao Land.

Shen Chongming was thinking of inviting some Golden Core cultivators from the Southern Frontier.

At least for now, the Shen family is cooperating with Luoxia Mountain and Tiantan Mountain. Taking this opportunity, it is still possible to invite the Golden Core Ancestor of Tiantan Mountain to participate in the Dharma Assembly.

Even if you invite them, they might not come.

"The landscape of Yangnao is changing again. I have a feeling that something unexpected may happen next."

"Let's keep this Golden Elixir Ceremony low-key."

"Send an invitation to Tian Tan Mountain. As for whether their Golden Core Ancestor is willing to come, don't force it."

Shen Chongming nodded.

Just as he was about to say something, a golden streak of light suddenly shot in from outside the window.

The golden light landed and transformed into the shape of a golden toad.

"They're all...all here?"

"This little demon greets the Ancestor, Third Master, and Patriarch."

Jin Chan was taken aback when he suddenly saw so many people on the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

"Why did you come back by yourself? Where is Li'er?"

"How's the situation at the Dragon Tamer's residence?"

Shen Chongming asked in confusion.

The golden toad quickly opened its mouth and spat out the book, respectfully replying, "The situation in the mountains is fine, and the master is alright."

"Ancestor, this is something that Master sent me to deliver to you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan took the book and flipped through a few pages, only to find that it contained scattered text.

"This is……"

Jin Chan briefly recounted what had happened at the dragon tamer's residence.

"The contents of the book are all from conversations that the master overheard between the two people."

"Ancestor, please continue your research. This little demon must return to protect its master."

The golden toad spoke respectfully, then transformed into golden light and flew out of the window.

No sooner had his figure disappeared than a strange fluctuation came from the foot of the mountain not far away!
The group quickly got up and went to the window, where they saw large swaths of golden light spreading across the sky above the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, and the deep, ancient chanting sound seemed to travel across distant time and space.

As the recitation grew closer, blurry figures suddenly appeared in the golden glow above the courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

Those figures, exuding an ancient aura and dressed in strange attire, floated silently in the golden glow, bowing respectfully to the courtyard below.

"Such a strong sense of righteousness..."

"Are those phantom figures all ancient sages?"

Shen Chongming murmured in astonishment.

"If I remember correctly, that was Chongxuan's courtyard, wasn't it?"

When Shen Yuan spoke in a deep voice, his consciousness had already sunk into his sea of ​​consciousness.

He had intended to use the white jade tortoise shell to deduce something, but unfortunately, the white jade tortoise shell had lost all its spiritual energy and was now lifeless.

Using only the Great Evolution Dao, he could only vaguely sense that the Shen family would have new descendants.

"It must be that Chongxuan's wife is about to give birth."

"A strange phenomenon has appeared in the sky. It means that Chongxuan's wife is going to give birth to an extraordinary person for our Shen family."

Wei Qiuling spoke with a smile.

Shen Yuan nodded: "Let's go take a look."

When the group left Blackwater Pavilion and arrived at Shen Chongxuan's courtyard, Hu Yufen and other female relatives had already arrived.

Shen Chongxuan paced anxiously outside the room.

"Grandpa, Ming-ge."

Upon seeing Shen Yuan and the others, Shen Chongxuan immediately came forward and bowed.

Seeing the anxious look on his face, Shen Chongming smiled and said, "Brother Xuan, don't be nervous. The sky is filled with rosy clouds, indicating that ancient sages have come to offer their congratulations."

"This child is likely to be a great talent who can revitalize literature and art in the future."

Shen Yuan also had a faint smile on his face.

The unusual celestial phenomenon is enough to prove that the Shen family is about to give birth to a "prodigy".

When Shen Li was born, she was also given the title of "Qilin Child" by the white jade tortoise shell.

The fact that the Shen family had produced "prodigies" in the third and fourth generations truly made him gratified.

As everyone was discussing in the courtyard, the strange phenomenon above the courtyard suddenly transformed into a golden light that fell onto the roof, followed by a loud cry coming from inside the house.

"gave birth!"

"Judging from that voice, it's definitely a boy!"

"Chongxuan, hurry up and go in and take a look."

The women, all smiles, urged him on.

Shen Chongxuan could not hide his joy and excitement. He hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Yuan and the others before rushing to his room.

"Congratulations, Young Master Chongxuan, you are a young master."

Inside the room, the midwife held the newborn baby and smiled broadly.

Shen Chongxuan moved closer, wanting to reach out and take it, but he was clearly unfamiliar with the task and didn't know where to start.

"give it to me."

Seeing his clumsy movements, Zhan Taiyu, who was somewhat weak on the bed, smiled and spoke.

The midwife carefully placed the baby beside her.

Shen Chongxuan then came to the bedside, gently stroked Zhan Taiyu's face, and said softly, "My wife has worked hard."

Zhan Taiyu looked at the little one in her arms with a quiet smile.

“So ugly…”

The midwife beside her quickly explained, "Madam, please don't be offended. All newborns are like this."

"The young master has well-proportioned features; he'll be quite handsome once he grows up."

Shen Chongxuan chimed in, "Did you hear that? It'll look better when it grows longer."

Zhan Taiyu nodded slightly and said, "Alright, go and tell Grandpa and the others the good news, and ask Grandpa to give the child a name."

"Let them help tidy up here. Grandma and Auntie will come in to take a look later."

Shen Chongxuan got up, nodded, and then hurriedly went outside.

"Please, Grandpa, give the child a name."

Shen Yuan pondered for a moment with his hands behind his back and said, "This child has received congratulations from ancient sages, so he will probably follow the path of literature in the future."

"How about we name it 'Yan'?"

The Shen family has had four generations of members with the character "Xiu" in their names, and each member has the single character "Yan" in their name. Together they form the name Shen Xiuyan.

That aligns with the path he will take in the future.

"Alright, you all continue with your business. I'm heading back now."

He rarely showed up to see the births of his four generations of children.

This strange phenomenon was also caused by Shen Xiuyan's birth.

After leaving the courtyard and returning to the Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Yuan began to heal his injuries while slowly digesting the insights he had gained from Shen Wen'an's breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.

……

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

After Shen Xiuyan's full moon celebration, news came from Luoxia Mountain in Yunzhong County.

They said the new market town was almost finished and asked Shen Chongming to come over.

Just before he was about to leave, Shen Xiubai, who had just received the inheritance of the Fuyang Formation, suddenly came to find him.

The little guy timidly bowed to Shen Chongming, his face full of expectation:

“Uncle, I have heard that Elder Jiang of Luoxia Mountain is also proficient in the art of formations. I humbly request that you take me with you on your trip to Yunzhong County.”

Looking at Shen Xiubai in front of him, Shen Chongming suddenly thought of Shen Chongxu, who had sent people to deliver things from the southern border.

A deep sense of tenderness welled up in my heart.

Patting his head, Shen Chongming nodded and said, "Alright, your uncle will take you to meet Senior Jiang."

"However, Senior Jiang is a Golden Core expert and an elder, so you should be careful with your words."

Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed across Shen Xiubai's face, but he quickly suppressed it and respectfully cupped his hands, saying:

"I will keep my uncle's teachings in mind."

Seeing his serious yet cautious demeanor, Shen Chongming couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

As a member of the Shen family, Shen Xiubai was no different from other members of the same generation in terms of clothing, food, housing, transportation, and education.

But ultimately, the absence of parents by the child's side greatly affected the child's character.

When facing him and other members of the Shen family, he always appeared somewhat timid and cautious.

This situation is not a good thing in the long run.

On this journey to the clouds, I will still need to give you some proper instruction along the way.

……

Western Wilderness, Flame Lake City.

When Shen Wen'an arrived, he was somewhat taken aback by the sight of the city.

In front of the lava lake, many cultivators from the Shen family were shirtless, enthusiastically hammering red-hot metal.

The same applies to Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi.

These are all noble monks, the immortals that ordinary people talk about.

Now, however… looking at those sweating cultivators, Shen Wen’an shook his head with a wry smile.

No wonder the ancient weapon-refining method has gradually declined. Just the way it's done would probably make even those cultivators who are used to being high and mighty feel uncomfortable coming here.

Not long after they stood by the lava lake, He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun, having received the news, rushed over.

"Third Uncle (Third Grandfather)!"

The two bowed respectfully.

Shen Wen'an looked at the two of them and nodded slightly.

Unlike the monks, the two of them were shirtless.

But his appearance—wearing a coarse cloth shirt, with his sleeves rolled up and legs undone—was no different from that of a farmer before the arrival of the immortal sect.

"Third Uncle, was the strange phenomenon that appeared in the east more than a month ago when you were breaking through to the Golden Core stage?"

He Chongyi asked with anticipation.

Shen Xiuyun, who was standing to the side, also looked at him nervously.

When the strange phenomenon occurred in Yunshui City, everyone in Yanhu City guessed that he was breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Shen Wen'an nodded.

Upon seeing this, the two exchanged a glance and both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Then... is Third Uncle now at the Sword Immortal realm?"

Shen Wen'an nodded again.

"Alright, we'll talk about this later. You two, get those cultivators to stop first."

"I will be going into seclusion in the lava lake for a while, so I will have to put the weapon forging on hold."

Upon hearing this, He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun immediately cupped their hands in greeting.

Upon hearing that he was going into seclusion in the lava lake, none of the Shen family cultivators around it dared to disturb him.

After all the cultivators had left, the two returned to the scene.

"Third Grandfather, would you like your grandson to protect you?"

Shen Xiuyun has a lively personality, much like his father Shen Chonghong when he was young.

He didn't have much fear of Shen Wen'an, his elder.

"Okay, you stay here by the lava lake and keep watch, don't let anyone get close."

Shen Wen'an looked at him with a faint smile.

As an elder, he didn't want the younger generation to be afraid of him. People like Shen Xiuyun were quite likable.

Seeing the excitement on Shen Xiuyun's face, He Chongyi said seriously, "You brat, don't be careless. If you ruin your third grandfather's seclusion, your father will skin you alive when we get back."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiuyun said somewhat unhappily, "Uncle Chongyi, do you really think I'm that unreliable?"

"Do not worry!"

He Chongyi looked at him with some unease, but ultimately didn't say anything more. Instead, he cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Wen'an and left the lava lake.

Shen Wen'an turned around and glanced at the lava lake. In a flash, he disappeared from the spot.

The sword energy shield on his body rose up, and the surrounding fiery red magma was pushed apart.

This was his third time diving to the bottom of the lava lake.

The first time was to forge a sword-bone magical artifact, and the second time was to send away the flames of the departing fire.

Thinking of the flame of the Li Huo, Shen Wen'an immediately decided to go and check on the small flame's current condition.

With a slight thought, he immediately walked towards the location of the flames.

As the surrounding lava changed from orange-red to pale gold, Shen Wen'an arrived at the place where the bronze lamp had been placed.

But after searching around, he found no trace of the bronze lamp.

Shen Wen'an's heart sank, and his face turned grim.

Could it be that the last wisp of flame has gone out?
That was something we finally managed to get from Zhang Qingjing of Tianjun Mountain.

That’s not right either!

Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi both knew about the fire flame, and if there were any problems with the flame, the two of them would definitely have noticed.

With suspicion in his heart, Shen Wen'an searched carefully again and finally found the trace of the bronze lamp.

However, this discovery made him feel quite distressed!
The flames of the Li Fire, after years of growth, now seem to have developed sentience, dragging their bronze lamps as they chase after the white flames in the golden lava!
Shen Wen'an felt heartbroken because those white flames were filled with innate spiritual energy!
At the very least, it's all mid-grade innate spiritual energy!

A wisp of mid-grade innate spiritual energy is quite expensive. He initially placed it in this lava lake to absorb the earth's fiery energy to nurture it because he felt it was too terrifying to consume spirit crystals.

Who would have thought that it would stop eating spirit crystals and start hunting innate spiritual power directly?

No wonder I didn't see any white flames as I descended to this location.

It seems the white flames here were either eaten by it or scared away.

Shen Wen'an grew angrier the more he thought about it, and immediately darted forward and grabbed the bronze lamp in his hand.

The flame inside the lamp seemed somewhat unconvinced, flickering violently a few times, vaguely resembling a miniature flying bird.

Shen Wen'an picked up the bronze lamp, examined it carefully, and then said in a deep voice, "Whether you understand or not, you are not allowed to secretly devour the innate spiritual energy here anymore!"

"Otherwise, next time I will throw you into the eternal snow mountain!"

After saying this, he immediately unleashed a sword energy, fixing the lamp in the lava in front of him. Then, he began to summon his Dragon Soul Sword, slowly absorbing the surrounding golden essence.

As the swordsman's former weapon, Shen Wen'an initially did not notice anything wrong with the Dragon Soul Sword.

This time, after breaking through to the Golden Core stage and condensing a sword pellet with the magic sword as its core, he realized that there were several cracks inside the magic sword.

It must be a hidden wound left over from the great battle back then.

Shen Wen'an came here to use the essence of gold to repair the internal injuries and to see if he could further improve the quality of the magic sword.

The Dragon Soul Sword continuously absorbed a large amount of golden essence from the surrounding magma.

In my perception, the tiny cracks inside the magic sword were gradually shrinking and disappearing as the golden essence replenished them.

More than a month later, the Dragon Soul Sword in the magma suddenly emitted a light sword cry, and the golden light emanating from its surface became noticeably more dazzling.

Shen Wen'an slowly opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction on his face.

With a wave of his hand, Shen Wen'an returned the magic sword to his inner core in his dantian. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the dark stone egg below out of the corner of his eye.

He couldn't get his hands on that thing last time, but now that his cultivation has reached the Golden Core Realm, he wants to see what that stone egg really is.

(End of this chapter)