Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 239 Golden Elixir Ceremony
Shen Wen'an quickly appeared next to the stone egg.

The inner core condenses within the body, and the stored sword energy is far superior to what the previous perfected embryonic breathing realm could provide, so there's no need to worry about the depletion of the protective sword energy.

This time, he didn't immediately intend to cut open the stone egg, but instead planned to examine its exterior first.

Standing before the dark stone pebbles, Shen Wen'an extended his sword finger, a sharp sword light emanating from its tip, and slowly thrust it forward.

The sword's edge flickered, constantly sparking numerous sparks on the surface of the stone egg, yet it could not damage it in the slightest.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an frowned slightly.

To this day, he still can't tell whether the layer on the surface of the pebble is metal or stone.

After several unsuccessful attempts, he pondered for a moment and then summoned his newly repaired natal magic sword.

The Dragon Soul Sword emitted a dazzling sharpness as it slowly pierced the surface of the stone egg.

Sparks continued to fly everywhere, but the Dragon Soul Sword could not advance an inch.

"Such a hard object, if used for weapon forging, could probably withstand the attacks of a Golden Core cultivator."

As he pondered this, Shen Wen'an slowly poured more sword energy into the Dragon Soul Sword. At the same time, with a slight thought, he also manipulated the Dragon Soul Sword to begin rotating.

The silent bottom of the lava lake was filled with the crisp sound of metal colliding.

Half an hour passed quickly. Just as Shen Wen'an was feeling dejected and about to give up, the flames of the Li Huo that he had fixed in the magma with his sword essence broke free from his sword essence power and flew over with the bronze lamp.

Under Shen Wen'an's questioning gaze, the flame in the bronze lamp suddenly transformed into a palm-sized fiery bird, which landed directly on the stone egg.

dong dong!

Boom boom boom!
After landing on the surface of the stone egg, the firebird began to peck at the hard shell that had left Shen Wen'an helpless!
In no time at all, it had pebbled a tiny pit the size of a grain of rice into the surface of the pebble!
Seeing this, Shen Wen'an approached in surprise.

But then he saw the fiery bird formed from the flames of the fire raise its head and look at him with a rather arrogant air.

It seems to be saying, "Now you know how powerful I am, right?"

"You can break this thing?"

"What's inside?"

Shen Wen'an first looked at the stone egg, then looked at the little firebird perched on the stone egg and asked.

The little firebird didn't seem to understand his words either. It just turned its head, stared at the white flames that were wandering wildly in the distance, and then rushed up in a flash!

The wisp of white flame couldn't dodge in time and was instantly caught by the firebird. The white flame on the outside, along with the innate spiritual energy inside, was directly sucked into the firebird's belly!

After devouring a wisp of white flame, the firebird returned to the surface of the stone egg, frantically pecking at it for a while, leaving a hole the size of a peanut, before looking up at Shen Wen'an.

Now Shen Wen'an roughly understood what it meant.

"You let me devour that white flame, and I'll help you open this stone egg."

Having grasped the meaning of the Flamebird, Shen Wen'an was caught in a dilemma.

The stone pebbles were strange and hard, able to stand in such terrifying magma for countless years, they were destined to be extraordinary.

However, those white flames also contained innate spiritual energy, and every wisp of it was very important to the Shen family.

If we allow the firebird formed from the flames of the Li Huo to devour everything indiscriminately, where will the Shen family's fire-attribute spiritual root cultivators find so much innate fire-attribute spiritual energy if they want to break through to the embryonic breathing stage?

Compared to the other two, this stone egg is just a blind box.

Shen Wen'an was even worried that if the stone egg were actually opened, there might be something dangerous inside, and he would lose both his wife and his army.

Seeing that he still wouldn't agree, the firebird seemed to be getting a little anxious.

A faint fluctuation of divine soul energy was transmitted over, but Shen Wen'an had no idea what it was trying to express.

After a brief standoff, Shen Wen'an glanced at the white flames in the surrounding lava, then turned to the firebird and said, "Fifty white flames. Help me open the stone egg."

"Nod if you agree."

Fifty strands of innate spiritual energy were his bottom line; if this guy didn't agree, then forget it.

He couldn't possibly allow the little bird formed from the flames of the Li Huo to devour all the innate spiritual energy in the entire lava lake just for an unknown stone egg.

The little firebird perched on the surface of the pebble seemed very agitated after hearing this, flapping its wings and fluttering up and down in front of him.

Shen Wen'an felt that if this guy could talk, he would definitely be cursing right now.

"Isn't that too little?"

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an stroked his chin.

This stone egg is quite large. If the Flamebird were to rely solely on its beak to peck at it, it would probably take several years to break it open.

"Eighty ways?"

After a moment's thought, he added thirty more dishes.

The reason he was so generous was because he felt that the flames of the Li Huo Fire, which devoured these white flames containing innate spiritual energy, seemed to be able to continuously evolve.

If it can truly transform into a Seed of Blazing Fire, then the innate spiritual energy consumed might not be too much of a loss.

After all, He Chongyi and the others will need the help of this Li Huo flame when they refine mid-grade or high-grade magic weapons.

Upon hearing this, the Flamebird tilted its head in thought for a moment, then shook its head.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an immediately grabbed the bronze lamp beside him.

"Eighty dishes is the most we can offer."

"If you don't agree, then stay here obediently and don't even think about devouring any more white flames."

Seeing this, the little firebird flew up and down excitedly again, but eventually landed back on the surface of the stone egg, dejected, nodding its head unwillingly.

Seeing that it agreed, Shen Wen'an smiled.

Unexpectedly, the little firebird made a series of gestures and flew around haphazardly in front of him.

Shen Wen'an had to guess and communicate with him for a long time before he finally understood what he meant.

Pay first, then do the work.

The firebird meant for him to help it catch eighty white flames first, and then it would start working after it devoured them.

After understanding what this guy meant, Shen Wen'an's expression became somewhat serious.

"You didn't just devour eighty white flames and run away, did you?"

Hearing his suspicious voice, the firebird seemed to be humiliated and immediately flew up and down, even rushing directly to Shen Wen'an and pointing at the bottom of the bronze lamp in his hand.

Shen Wen'an then noticed a strange flame mark on the bottom of the bronze lamp that Zhang Qingjing had given him.

The shape of the mark was strikingly similar to the small bird that had been transformed from the flames of the Li Huo.

"You mean, this mark is your true form?"

The firebird nodded and gestured again.

The gist is that the bronze lamp is here; it won't run away.

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an nodded in agreement, saying, "In that case, I'll trust you this once."

"Let's go, let's catch the white flame."

Upon hearing this, the firebird fluttered joyfully among the surrounding lava.

Shen Wen'an, carrying a bronze lamp, began to dive deeper into the lava lake, but the firebird did not follow.

It doesn't seem to be able to withstand the temperatures of the magma deeper inside.

Beyond the location of the pebble, the color of the surrounding magma had deepened from pale gold, and the temperature had become even more terrifying.

If it weren't for the fact that the sword energy of a Core Formation cultivator far surpasses that of a Fetal Breath cultivator, Shen Wen'an would never have dared to come to such a deep place.

The situation was roughly as he had anticipated.

The white flames that were originally floating in the lava lake above were mostly frightened away and hid in the deeper parts of the lava lake because of the firebirds' predation.

Seeing the numerous white flames around him, Shen Wen'an hesitated for a moment before unleashing a burst of sword energy, forming a huge spiritual energy bubble that instantly trapped more than a dozen white flames.

Suddenly captured, the white flames struggled violently, rampaging within his sword essence bubble, the terrifying flames constantly consuming his sword essence spiritual power.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an immediately manipulated the sword-element bubble to float towards the upper layer of magma.

Meanwhile, the fiery bird that had been waiting in the upper magma instantly pounced on it, and after entering the sword energy bubble, it was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, starting its hunting mode.

This little creature seems to be the nemesis of those white flames. Originally fierce, they turned into mice in the face of the firebird, only thinking of running away and not daring to fight back at all.

Within a few breaths, the white flames inside the bubble were completely consumed.

Shen Wen'an didn't waste any time and followed the same method, quickly capturing eighty white flames for him.

Seeing that the remaining white flames had all disappeared into the deeper magma, Shen Wen'an did not intend to disturb them any further, for fear that they would be too scared to come up, which would be troublesome when he needed to use innate spiritual energy.

"I've caught enough for you, now it's time to get down to business."

As the firebird devoured eighty white flames, its body grew larger, and its shape gradually transformed from a blurry flame into a true bird, Shen Wen'an spoke in a deep voice.

The firebird let out a satisfied burp, then lay down on the pebble and fell fast asleep.

"Don't worry, I'll help you open this thing once I've digested it."

A faint fluctuation of divine soul energy entered Shen Wen'an's sea of ​​consciousness.

After consuming a large amount of white flames, the little creature seemed to have become more intelligent.

Sensing this slight fluctuation in his soul, Shen Wen'an asked curiously, "Are you about to evolve into a Seed of Blazing Fire?"

Upon hearing this, the firebird lazily glanced up at him and said, "It's still early. If you can catch another two hundred... no, three hundred for me!"

"Perhaps I can completely transform into the Seed of Departing Fire."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an scoffed, "Then you should keep dreaming."

"I'll be back in two years. If this stone egg still hasn't been opened by then, you can expect to be left to starve on the summit of the eternal snow mountain."

With that, he picked up the bronze lamp and flew towards the edge of the lava lake.

……

Yunzhong County City.

Shen Chongming took Shen Xiubai to pay their respects to Jiang Xiuqi.

On the top floor of the attic, after the two were seated, Shen Chongming pointed to Shen Xiubai beside him and introduced him: "Senior Jiang, this is a junior of my Shen family. Because he is obsessed with the Dao of Arrays, he insisted on coming along to admire your demeanor when he heard that I was coming to visit you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi looked at Shen Xiubai with some curiosity.

Seeing his clear, bright eyes, Jiang Xiuqi said with some surprise, "I see that this young man has already entered the realm of array formations. I'm afraid he's not just 'obsessed' with it, is he?"

Shen Chongming smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior, you have keen insight."

After a moment's thought, he revealed a little about Fu Yang's matter.

However, he did not tell him that Shen Xiubai had actually inherited the complete legacy of Fu Yang.

"I see."

"Fellow Daoist Fu Yang was indeed a renowned master of array formations in Danzhou back then."

"Speaking of which, he has some connection with your Shen family."

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "I heard about this from my third uncle."

"Senior Fu Yang was once a disciple of Qiyun Valley, and he was a fellow disciple of Senior Pei Zhao, the master of Third Uncle."

Jiang Xiuqi chuckled: "Since you already know, I won't mention it again."

"After all, this matter involves the reputation of Qiyun Valley, so I shouldn't say too much."

"By the way, are you aware of what happened in Qiyun Valley?" Jiang Xiuqi's expression suddenly turned serious as he changed the subject.

Qiyun Valley?
Shen Chongming was slightly taken aback and asked, "What happened to Qiyun Valley?"

Jiang Xiuqi sighed and shook his head, saying, "News came from Danzhou that the mysterious force that destroyed many immortal sects and aristocratic families recently made a move against Qiyun Valley."

"Fortunately, Qiyun Valley was once a Golden Core Immortal Sect. Although it has declined in recent years, its foundation is still quite good."

"With the mountain-protecting formation, we blocked the enemy's first wave of attacks."

"After that, Yun Zhongzi, the sect leader of Qiyun Valley, personally visited various immortal sects and aristocratic families, wanting to invite them to join forces to resist that mysterious force."

"Unexpectedly, they were ambushed on their way back, and their fate is unknown."

Shen Chongming was stunned after hearing this.

"Such a thing is true..."

Since arriving in the Southern Frontier, the Shen family has lost contact with Danzhou.

He was no longer able to get news of what was happening in Danzhou immediately.

"May I ask, Senior Jiang, what about Senior Pei Zhao of Qiyun Valley...?"

Pei Zhao is the master of Shen Wen'an, the third uncle. The Shen family and Qiyun Valley are not on good terms, but Pei Zhao is a good person.

Even Li Heshan, the former chief of Qiyun Valley, had done the Shen family a favor.

"Since the mountain-protecting formation has not been broken, Pei Zhao should be safe."

"But now Qiyun Valley is leaderless, and that kid Li Heshan probably can't keep those old stubborn people in Qiyun Valley in check."

"Ugh!"

Jiang Xiuqi sighed heavily and said, "It was once a renowned Golden Core Immortal Sect, but who would have thought that in just a hundred years it would have fallen to such a state..."

“Chongming, you should not tell Fellow Daoist Wen’an about this matter later.”

“I know that Pei Zhao has been kind to your Shen family, but Danzhou is now in chaos. He has finally broken through to the Golden Core stage. We must not risk his life because of recklessness.”

"Otherwise, wouldn't the Shen family become another Qiyun Valley?"

Shen Chongming nodded and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, senior."

"Xiu Bai, go and learn from your seniors. Your uncle will go and discuss the market with Senior Luo."

"Don't make your seniors angry, okay?"

Shen Xiubai nodded obediently: "Yes, Uncle."

The guidance he received on the way had little effect; Shen Xiubai remained as reserved and respectful as ever.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming could only sigh inwardly.

"Senior Jiang, I'll leave this child to you."

Jiang Xiuqi smiled and nodded, saying, "It's alright, go ahead."

……

Inside the main hall, Luo Yao was talking with Old Man Jin, the rat demon from Tian Tan Mountain. After Shen Chongming entered the hall, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I apologize for being late."

That day, the rat demon Jin Laotou of Tanshan seemed to be grateful for the Yimu Yingyue Pine that the Shen family had promised to trade last time, and also because the three families were now in an alliance, so he very politely got up and bowed in return.

"It's not late, it's not late either. I just arrived."

"Fellow Daoist Shen, please have a seat."

After the three of them sat down, a disciple from Luoxia Mountain served tea to Shen Chongming.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, has the Golden Core Ceremony for the noble sword immortal senior been finalized?"

Old Man Jin asked with a smile.

Luo Yao, who was standing to the side, also looked over curiously.

Shen Wen'an has broken through to the Golden Core stage for two months now, so why is there still no news about the Golden Core Ceremony?
Meeting their gazes, Shen Chongming smiled faintly and said, "Third Uncle means that we need to improve the quality of our natal magic sword before combining it with the alloy to achieve the Immortal Golden Core."

"However, judging by the timeline, it should be soon."

"Rest assured, both of you. Before I came here, I had already instructed my son Xiuzhuo to prepare for the Dharma assembly."

"Once Uncle San's side reaches an agreement and the date is set, I, Shen, will definitely send someone to deliver invitations to Tian Tan Mountain and Luo Xia Mountain."

"Fellow Daoist Jin, I hope that the Golden Core Ancestor of your esteemed Immortal Mountain will grace us with his presence at that time."

Regarding the Golden Elixir Ceremony, Shen Yuan had instructed that there was no need to insist that the Golden Elixir Ancestor of Tianjing Mountain come.

But Shen Chongming still tried to bring it up, and if the old man Jin declined, he wouldn't insist.

Upon hearing this, Old Man Jin pondered for a moment before cupping his hands and saying, "Fellow Daoist Shen, rest assured, I will personally inform the Ancestor at that time. As for whether the Ancestor will have time to come, I cannot guarantee that."

Shen Chongming nodded with a smile: "Of course, of course."

"Now, let's get down to business?"

Luo Yao nodded and said, "The market is almost finished now, and my uncle is also preparing for the grand formation."

"The reason I invited you two here today is to discuss issues related to the management of the market area."

"My idea is that the market should be jointly managed by the three of us, and the shops inside should only be sold, not rented. What do you two think?"

For sale only, not for rent?

Upon hearing this, Old Man Jin frowned slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Luo, do you intend to use this to make other forces more wary?"

Luo Yao nodded and said, "In the Yangnao Land today, it's not just the three of us who need a market."

“The other major forces also have things to trade. This shop is for sale only, not for rent. If they spend spirit crystals to buy the shop in the market, they will be considered part of the market and will not dare to cause trouble in the market easily.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming nodded and said, "This approach is indeed feasible."

"Although this market is near Yunzhong County, Elder Jiang cannot keep an eye on it all the time."

"We still need to find a way to restrain them."

Luo Yao picked up the conversation and said, "Besides that, I have another request, and I hope Fellow Daoist Jin will be lenient with me."

Old Man Jin paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Please speak, fellow Daoist."

Luo Yao said calmly, "My request is that the trade of blood food be prohibited in the market."

Danzhou is now in chaos. Le Zhiyi, the sect leader of Luoxia Mountain, has repeatedly indicated through telepathy that the mysterious force that massacred various immortal sects and aristocratic families has been frequently appearing near the gate of Luoxia Mountain recently.

Under such circumstances, it may not be long before the gate of Luoxia Mountain in Danzhou is attacked.

At that time, the mountain gate of Danzhou was destroyed, and Yangnao became the only place for Luoxia Mountain to stay.

They want to develop here and recruit disciples from among the common people.

If word gets out that the blood food trade is involved, it will seriously damage the image of Luoxia Mountain in the eyes of the common people.

Old Man Jin had also guessed Luo Yao's request.

He immediately smiled and said that Tian Tanshan supported her decision.

After agreeing on the bottom line, the three parties discussed the items sold by each party and the planning of various areas within the market.

It wasn't until nightfall that the matter was finally settled.

"In that case, I will go back and make preparations."

"Fellow Daoist Shen, Fellow Daoist Luo, farewell."

After Jin Laotou stood up and bowed to the two men, he hurriedly left Yunzhong County.

"Senior Luo, I will take my leave now."

"The younger generation of the clan has been troubling Elder Jiang for a day, and I must go and visit them."

After Luo Yao nodded, Shen Chongming hurriedly headed towards the seven-story tower where Jiang Xiuqi was.

Before he even reached the top floor, he heard an argument between an old man and a young man.

"The way of formations is not something to be taken for granted!"

"The so-called formation means that we formation masters must use the power of heaven and earth to set up the formation in order to maximize its effect."

After Jiang Xiuqi's voice rang out, Shen Xiubai was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "What the senior said is correct, but relying solely on external forces in formations is ultimately a bit rigid."

"I believe that only by being flexible and adaptable can a formation achieve the effect of catching the enemy off guard."

"Like a sect's protective array, it's just sitting there, exposed to the enemy's gaze, allowing them to attack at will, until one day it will be breached."

"If we could be more flexible, we could mix killing formations and trapping formations into the defensive formation."

"By luring the enemy deep into our territory, we can turn the tables and take the initiative..."

"You..." Jiang Xiuqi was speechless for a moment, stammering "you" for a while, but not knowing how to refute it. Shen Chongming, who had heard everything downstairs, quickly came up to the two of them, his face stern, and said, "Xiubai!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Xiubai quickly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Uncle."

"Didn't your uncle warn you before not to anger the elders? Why didn't you listen?!"

Shen Xiubai lowered his head and remained silent.

Shen Chongming quickly cupped his hands to Jiang Xiuqi and said, "Senior Jiang, please forgive him. The juniors in the clan are ignorant. Please don't take it to heart."

"Xiu Bai, quickly apologize to the senior!"

Shen Xiubai turned around and was about to cup his hands in greeting when Jiang Xiuqi laughed and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, it's alright."

"When we cultivators discuss the Dao, arguments are inevitable."

"This young man's understanding of array formations is quite unique. I have benefited greatly from sitting and discussing with him for a whole day today."

"Chongming, does this young man hold any position in your Shen family?"

Meeting Jiang Xiuqi's gaze, Shen Chongming paused for a moment before shaking his head: "Xiubai is still young. Apart from cultivation, the clan has not assigned him any tasks."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Xiuqi nodded and said, "In that case, let him stay at my Luoxia Mountain to cultivate for the time being."

"This is a good opportunity to discuss the cultivation of array formations with this old man."

Hearing this, Shen Chongming was somewhat surprised.

He noticed Jiang Xiuqi's choice of words.

The phrases "cultivators discussing the Dao" and "exploring the cultivation of array formations" all seem to place Shen Xiubai in a very high position.

"Senior, do you intend to... take Xiu Bai as your disciple?"

Shen Chongming asked somewhat uncertainly.

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head slightly: "Since this boy has already received Fellow Daoist Fu Yang's inheritance, I will naturally not break the rules."

"Moreover, although this boy's cultivation is only at the second level of Qi Refining, his understanding and comprehension of the Dao of Formations is not much worse than mine."

"If you're talking about taking him as a disciple in cultivation, I think I'm qualified, but as for being his master in array formations... I'd better forget about it."

Shen Chongming was unaware that Shen Xiubai had already almost completely digested the contents of Fu Yang's inheritance crystal.

If it weren't for the limitations of his cultivation level, which prevented him from personally verifying certain formations, he could be considered to have achieved minor success in the art of formations.

"Xiu Bai, what do you think?"

Suppressing his surprise, Shen Chongming turned to Shen Xiubai and said softly.

My nephew is not even ten years old yet, and he has some personality flaws. I don't know if it's good or bad for him to stay with Jiang Xiuqi.

"Nephew will listen to his uncle."

Shen Xiubai bowed slightly, but Shen Chongming still caught the expectation flashing in his eyes.

After a moment's thought, he turned around and bowed slightly to Jiang Xiuqi: "In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take care of Xiubai, senior."

"If this child does anything wrong, senior, please do not hold back and punish him as you see fit."

Seeing that he agreed, Jiang Xiuqi immediately smiled and said, "The little guy has a bit of a temper, but he's not at the point where he needs to be punished."

"Don't worry, I will teach him well."

Shen Chongming nodded, then pulled Shen Xiubai aside and carefully gave him some instructions before leaving Yunzhong County City with some lingering worry.

……

Yunshui City.

After returning from Flame Lake City, Shen Wen'an immediately went into seclusion to prepare for alloying.

With the inner core perfectly integrated and the natal magic sword fully repaired and possessing alloy properties, achieving a true immortal golden core is a natural outcome.

Inside the secret chamber, Shen Wen'an's consciousness sank into his dantian.

That wisp of golden substance, exuding a mysterious and immortal aura, was quietly suspended next to the inner core sword pellet.

Shen Wen'an examined the golden essence with his divine sense, checked his inner core sword pill again, and after confirming that everything was ready, he guided the wisp of golden essence toward the inner core sword pill with his divine sense.

As the metallic substance slowly merged into the inner core sword pill, Shen Wen'an suddenly felt some wondrous changes occurring in his physical body and soul.

In an instant, the sound of the Great Dao resounded in my mind, and every inch of my flesh and blood also cheered and jumped for joy.

A wondrous feeling, derived from the sublimation of the essence of life, clearly came over him, making him feel as if every inch of his flesh and blood, every drop of his blood, had come to life.

Is this the power of "immortality"?
Shen Wen'an was horrified.

At this moment, he finally understood why the golden nature of Golden Core cultivators was called "immortal golden nature".

After the inner elixir sword pills were made of alloy, a sudden illusion arose in his mind.

Even if the body is destroyed and only a piece of flesh and a drop of blood remain, as long as the soul is not destroyed and there is sufficient spiritual power, a Golden Core cultivator can use this drop of blood to slowly regenerate a piece of flesh and blood!
This extraordinary ability comes from the element of metal.

Even if the body is completely obliterated, as long as the soul escapes with the metal element, it can easily possess a physical body and live a second life.

In that instant, he suddenly understood why Golden Core cultivators were so afraid of the people of the Underworld.

It's because those strange fellows possess secret techniques targeting the soul and the metal element, techniques that can truly kill Golden Core cultivators.

Suppressing the many thoughts in his mind, Shen Wen'an continued to concentrate and slowly integrate the metal element into the inner core sword pill.

Just as the alloying process was nearing its end, and all the metallic substances within the dantian were completely integrated into the inner core sword pill, the talisman mark formed by the power of the underworld on the natal sword at the core of the inner core suddenly emitted a faint, eerie light.

The next moment, the dim light suddenly intensified, directly penetrating the inner core sword pill and illuminating the entire dantian!

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an's heart sank!
Is this thing going to devour its own metal element?!

Under his anxious gaze, the eerie light lingered for a moment, then intricate patterns appeared on his inner core sword pellet.

Once those intricate patterns completely covered the entire golden core, the eerie light slowly disappeared.

After the eerie light dissipated, the golden core radiating divine light within the dantian slowly rotated, but this divinity was disrupted by the strange runes on the surface of the golden core, making it look somewhat incongruous.

Staring at his golden core sword pellet, Shen Wen'an didn't know what to do.

He tried to activate it with his divine sense and found that the operation of the golden core was not affected in any way.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now."

After studying them for a long time, Shen Wen'an still didn't know what the runes were for, so he stopped wasting time.

He withdrew his divine sense and got up to leave the secret room.

Wei Qiuling and Shen Chongzhen, who were in the courtyard, came to greet him when he came out of seclusion.

"how?"

Meeting his wife's gaze, Shen Wen'an smiled faintly and said, "There's nothing inherently dangerous about alloy properties."

"You and Chongzhen continue your cultivation. I'll go find Chongming and have him finalize the arrangements for the Dharma Assembly."

After leaving the small courtyard, Shen Wen'an arrived at the manor.

"In that case, how about we set the Dharma assembly for ten days from now?"

Shen Chongming spoke.

All preparations for the Dharma assembly have been completed, and it is scheduled for ten days from now, which also allows the invited people some time to prepare.

Since it was the Golden Elixir Ceremony, those who came to offer their congratulations naturally couldn't come empty-handed.

"Well, you decide."

Shen Wen'an didn't care about this.

……

Southern Xinjiang, Yangquan Mountain.

Shen Chongxu leaned against the throne in the main hall.

"Master, I've sent people to inquire, and there has indeed been some big activity in the Fushan Kingdom recently."

Below, Ming Zhengchu, dressed as a scholar, slightly bowed.

"But...it seems their target isn't us."

Ming Zhengchu frowned slightly.

They had captured Princess Wu Qianrou of Fushan Kingdom in Qingcheng City.

To escape the retaliation of the Fushan Kingdom, the group, led by Shen Chongxu, fled to Yangquan Mountain.

Although Yangquan Mountain was not within the territory of Fushan Kingdom, Shen Chongxu did not take it lightly.

The movements of the Fushan Kingdom have been closely watched.

What is their goal?

Shen Chongxu asked slowly.

Fushan Kingdom is one of the six major Golden Core forces in Yangnao Land, and it happens to be adjacent to the Shen family. The reason why Shen Chongxu set his sights on Fushan Kingdom is to reduce the pressure on the Shen family as much as possible.

Ming Zhengchu shook his head slightly: "I am not very clear about the specific movements either."

"But I have heard that the Fushan Kingdom has recently had a conflict with a Golden Core force called Tianjian City to its southwest."

"It seems to be said that a rare treasure appeared at the border between the two forces."

Rare treasure...

Shen Chongxu gently tapped the armrest of the throne, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Send someone to investigate again. If the forces of the Fushan Kingdom are all leaning towards the southwest, then you should prepare your men and go plunder again."

"Remember, be sure to scout the location beforehand, lest you fall into an ambush."

The concentration of spiritual energy in Yangquan Mountain is average, and there are no mineral veins or spiritual fields in the surrounding area.

The White Preachers settled here, and most of the supplies needed for their daily practice were obtained by robbing others.

If the cultivators of Fushan Kingdom are all attracted by the strange treasure that appeared in the southwest, they can take the opportunity to sneak into Fushan Kingdom and plunder it.

"Master, are you going to plunder some low-level cultivators this time as well?"

After a moment's hesitation, the East Cloud Leopard below spoke.

When Bai Xuanjiao withdrew from Qingding City last time, he only took a few core members with him. Now, within the vast sect, there are only a handful of people.

"Need not."

Shen Chongxu waved his hand, sat up straight, and said, "My Bai Xuanjiao sect doesn't need those ants. If you can improve your strength, it will be more convenient for you to carry out your mission in the future."

"By the way, send someone to the southwest to see if we can find out what that strange treasure is."

Upon hearing this, Ming Zhengchu frowned slightly and said, "Master, forgive my bluntness, but with our current strength, it would be suicidal to covet a rare treasure that both Golden Core forces are vying for."

Shen Chongxu glanced at him and said in a slightly cold voice, "When did this sect leader say that he wanted to covet rare treasures?"

"I just want you to find out what the extraordinary treasure is."

"Okay, let's all disperse."

Rising from his throne, Shen Chongxu flicked his dark purple robe and slowly walked toward the back of the main hall.

As he entered the room, a streak of blood-red light suddenly flew out from the incense burner beside him, landing and transforming into the figure of Wu Shi Qianrou.

“Master, Ming Zhengchu has been getting a bit too presumptuous lately.”

"Should I...?"

Shen Chongxu slightly raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "I am currently in need of manpower."

"His strength is not a threat; we should not act rashly."

Changing the subject, Shen Chongxu turned to Wu Qianrou and asked, "How much longer will it take for me to break through to the late stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm?"

After a slight hesitation, Wu Qianrou bowed and replied, "If I refine more than ten more Nascent Soul cultivators, I should be able to help Master break through to the late Nascent Soul stage."

The Netherworld Furnace can create Blood Puppet clones from the flesh and blood of countless spirits. While refining the flesh and blood of countless spirits, it can also nourish the main body.

Over the years, Shen Chongxu has saved all the spirit crystals and rare treasures he has obtained, and his cultivation has been able to improve rapidly, all thanks to the feedback from the Netherworld Furnace.

"What about perfect embryonic breathing?"

"When can we expect to reach that point at the earliest?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianrou's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Master, this servant...this servant doesn't know either."

"but……"

Stealing a glance at Shen Chongxu, Wu Qianrou stammered as if she dared not speak.

"explain."

Shen Chongxu glanced at her and said.

Wu Qianrou bowed again, mustering her courage.

“Master, the primordial yin of this body is still intact. If you… if you absorb this primordial yin, it will greatly help your cultivation…”

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.

Shen Chongxu slowly turned around, his slightly bloodshot eyes fixed on her.

"Master, please forgive me, I..."

"Is this true?"

Shen Chongxu suddenly spoke.

Wu Qianrou was taken aback for a moment, then nodded repeatedly and said, "This servant would not dare to deceive my master!"

"The balance of Yin and Yang, the virgin's primordial Yin is itself a great tonic, and this body was originally a cultivator in the late stage of fetal breathing. The primordial Yin is truly of great use to its master."

Shen Chongxu nodded slightly and said, "I understand."

"You may leave now. I will break through to the late stage of the embryonic breathing stage tonight, and then we will consider the matter of the primordial yin."

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianrou was secretly delighted, but dared not show it on her face. She quickly bowed and returned to the Underworld Furnace.

……

Yunshui City.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the Golden Elixir Ceremony soon arrived. The heads of the various affiliated families under the Shen family arrived in Yunshui City early, presenting the precious gifts they had painstakingly found.

Inside the side room of the mansion, Shen Chongming looked at Zhao Tuan in front of him and Zhao Tianqiu beside him, and sighed inwardly.

"Tuan Ge has aged considerably in the past two years."

Wearing a long, flowing robe and with white hair and beard, Zhao Tuan smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subordinate is now over eighty years old and is naturally not the same as before."

In his eighties...

Shen Chongming suddenly felt a pang of emotion; for cultivators, time indeed passed very quickly.

A period of cultivation may take several days, while a single retreat can last for several years.

"Brother Tuan's cultivation level... is still at the ninth level of Qi Refining. Has he failed to break through to the Perfection Realm all these years?"

Shen Chongming frowned and asked in confusion.

Zhao Tuan chuckled and shook his head, seemingly in a good mood.

"In the end, it was my recklessness back then that led me to disobey the old master's advice."

"I believe that with perseverance, I won't fall too far behind."

As Zhao Tuan spoke, the image of him accompanying his father, Zhao Jinhu, to see Shen Yuan resurfaced in his mind.

Shen Yuan gave him two choices back then.

One is physical cultivation, the other is the path of immortality.

Despite lacking spiritual roots, he ultimately chose the path of immortality.

"After the Golden Elixir Ceremony, Brother Tuan should go and visit Grandpa."

After a moment's thought, Shen Chongming spoke.

Since both of them lacked spiritual roots, and his grandfather Shen Yuan was able to break through to the embryonic breathing stage, he also wanted Zhao Tuan to give it a try.

After all, both for public and private reasons, he didn't want to see Zhao Tuan die in despair because his lifespan had run out.

"This……"

Zhao Tuan hesitated for a moment.

Rationally speaking, he didn't want to bother Shen Yuan.

But after so many years of cultivation, it would be a lie to say that he had no desire to take it a step further.

"Brother Tuan, don't overthink it. Just go and meet him as a junior."

Seeing Zhao Tuan's concerns, Shen Chongming smiled and spoke.

Zhao Tianqiu, standing to the side, also looked at him expectantly and whispered, "Father..."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Tuan smiled and said, "Thank you, Patriarch."

He knew Shen Chongming's intentions and was very grateful.

The two brothers chatted for a while longer when a cultivator from the Shen family rushed over.

"Master, Elder Jiang from Luoxia Mountain has arrived, and Third Master has gone to greet him."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tuan quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "The patriarch has distinguished guests, so my son and I will go ahead first."

Shen Chongming nodded and then hurriedly left the room.

Jiang Xiuqi and Luo Yao arrived by flying boat, and Shen Chongming and Shen Wen'an welcomed them to the newly built Welcoming Immortal Platform.

This Golden Core Ceremony of Shen Wen'an was not as grand as the Golden Core Ceremony of Jiang Xiuqi in the past, which attracted a large number of Golden Core cultivators to offer their congratulations.

The requirements for ascending the Welcoming Immortal Platform are not so high.

All cultivators at the late stage of the embryonic breathing stage are welcome to go.

With Jiang Xiuqi's arrival, the guardian cultivators rushed over to report that the demon cultivators from Tian Tan Mountain had also arrived outside the formation.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming asked his third uncle, Shen Wen'an, to stay with Jiang Xiuqi and the others while he hurriedly went to greet them.

As soon as he arrived outside the Renshui Concealing Spirit Formation, he saw Old Man Jin from Tiantan Mountain and Hua Qing, the plant demon who had come to the Shen family last time to trade Yimu Reflecting Moon Pine.

However, in front of the two demons, there was a handsome young man dressed in a magnificent robe with moon-colored gold patterns.

Shen Chongming glanced at the young man and suddenly understood!

Golden Core Demon King!

This young man must be a demon king at the Golden Core stage!
Guessing the other person's identity, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Shen Chongming, head of the Shen family, pays his respects to senior."

The handsome young man smiled gently and said in a slightly deep voice, "Patriarch Shen, you are too kind. I have come here not only to congratulate you on achieving the Golden Core Sword Immortal path, but also to thank you for your generosity in giving the Yi Wood Moon-Reflecting Pine to Qing'er."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming cupped his hands again and said, "Senior, you are too kind. It was all a fair trade."

"Please come in, senior."

The handsome young man nodded slightly and, led by Shen Chongming, headed towards the Yingxiantai outside the manor.

As soon as the group passed through the formation, Jiang Xiuqi and Shen Wen'an turned around at the same time.

"It must be a Golden Core cultivator from Tian Tan Mountain."

The two slowly stood up and came to the edge of the Welcoming Immortal Platform, looking at the handsome young man who was walking through the air in the distance.

Just as Shen Chongming was about to introduce himself to everyone, a cultivator from the Shen family rushed over.

"Master, Third Master, another strange old man has arrived outside the formation. He says... he's from Danzhou."

Danzhou?

Upon hearing this, not only Shen Chongming and Shen Wen'an were puzzled, but Jiang Xiuqi and the others standing nearby were also filled with confusion.

How could someone from Danzhou possibly come to Yangnao?
Could it be that the Nascent Soul True Monarch who was guarding the barrier has left?
(End of this chapter)