Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 241 Simplified Spirit Gathering Array
Shen Wen'an had some impression of Wei Chengyu.

Back when Shen Chongming took Mu Lingxun of the Mu family as a concubine, Wei Chengyu and several cultivators from the Suihuo Sect came to the Shen family, wanting to obtain a crocodile dragon from the Blackwater Pool.

However, at that time, Wei Chengyu was only at the mid-stage of the Fetal Breathing realm.

Unexpectedly, when they met again, this guy's cultivation had already reached the Golden Core stage.

"It's you?"

Upon meeting, both showed a hint of surprise on their faces.

"I misjudged you back then; I never imagined that Fellow Daoist Shen would also have such a special opportunity."

Shen Wen'an gazed at Wei Chengyu and the group of mysterious cultivators behind him on the ship's railing, and said in a deep voice, "You are a person who has been reincarnated three times, aren't you?"

Having reached the Golden Core Sword Immortal realm, he now understood that for a Golden Core cultivator to perfectly integrate their Golden Nature reincarnation with their new physical body, they needed to undergo three lifetimes of reincarnation.

Each time a person is reborn with the metal element, they must carefully evade the pursuit of those in the underworld.

Thus, after successfully reincarnating in the third life, one can not only perfectly inherit that wisp of immortal golden nature and awaken innate wisdom, but also easily reach one's strongest state.

If I make further breakthroughs in the future, surpassing my previous peak will be within my reach.

The Wei Chengyu before them was probably a Golden Core old monster before, and now, after three reincarnations, he has become the Wei Chengyu he is today.

"Ha ha……"

Wei Chengyu simply smiled faintly, which was taken as tacit agreement with his guess.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you appeared here to wait for me?"

Looking at Shen Wen'an and the Snow Wolf King beside him, Wei Chengyu smiled and changed the subject.

"To be honest, those trapped in the ruins are the pride of our sect, one of whom is even a disciple of a True Monarch."

"I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Shen to do me the honor of letting me take the person away, how about that?"

Although both were at the Golden Core stage, Wei Chengyu clearly did not want to fight Shen Wen'an, hence his words.

"face?"

Shen Wen'an smiled faintly and said, "I have no prior relationship with you, so why should I talk about face?"

“The people of your sect have trespassed into my Shen family’s territory. I, Shen, have already shown them mercy by not killing them outright.”

"You think you can take them away with just a few words? You're really underestimating the Shen family."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure wearing a bronze mask behind Wei Chengyu spoke up angrily.

"A mere Golden Core family is nothing but an ant in the eyes of my Tribulation Fire Sect!"

"You think we're afraid of you?! We've tried to reason with you today!"

"Offending my Fire-Slaying Sect, what kind of bullshit is the Shen family? They're nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes slightly, and his aura slowly emerged like a long sword being drawn from its sheath.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, please wait."

Seeing this, Wei Chengyu turned around and glanced coldly at the half-step Golden Core cultivator who had just spoken, then turned to Shen Wen'an and said, "My subordinates are ignorant, Fellow Daoist Shen, please don't be angry."

"Since you've put it that way, fellow Daoist, what price must I, Wei, pay to take this person away?"

Someone is already making plans in Yangnao Land, and Wei Chengyu and the Jiehuo Sect behind him clearly do not want to attract attention.

If a major battle breaks out between the two sides here today, regardless of the outcome, their whereabouts will certainly be exposed.

This is extremely detrimental to their subsequent plans.

If Ye Minghuang hadn't been a disciple of a True Monarch, he would never have risked being exposed to come and rescue the two people currently trapped in the stone hall.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an slowly concealed his aura, and after a moment's thought, he said, "I need all the secrets related to the Three Immortals Mountain that you have investigated over the years."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chengyu's brows furrowed instantly.

Behind him, the cultivators at the peak of the embryonic breathing stage and those at the half-step Golden Core stage all stirred their auras, clearly preparing to make a move.

"Does Fellow Daoist Shen know what the Three Immortal Mountains are?"

Wei Chengyu spoke with a strange expression.

Shen Wen'an did not answer, but simply stared into his eyes without showing any intention of backing down.

After pondering for a moment, Wei Chengyu said, "Since you know about the Three Immortals Mountain, you must also know that it is not something your Shen family can currently covet."

"Let's change the terms."

"Spirit crystals, magic treasures, cultivation techniques and secret arts—we can discuss anything as long as you ask."

His words made Shen Wen'an realize that this group of people must have a lot of information related to the Three Immortals Mountain.

Whether the Shen family is qualified to plot or not is none of your concern.

"You only need to take out the items, and you can take the person away."

"If not, then let's see who's the real deal."

Before he finished speaking, the Dragon-Slaying Sword in his hand was already drawn, and surging sword energy surged in the void.

On the ancient bronze ship, the figures draped in scarlet cloaks and wearing bronze masks all swiftly darted into the void, preparing to face the great battle.

The atmosphere was tense, but Wei Chengyu, sitting on the ship's side, remained unmoved.

Looking at Shen Wen'an in the void and the Snow Wolf King beside him, Wei Chengyu's expression changed several times before he suddenly laughed.

"I truly admire you, fellow Daoist, and I also admire your courage, nobleman."

"What lies behind the Three Immortals Mountain is a hot potato. If you are not afraid of bringing annihilation upon your noble family because of it, I, Wei, can give it to you."

"Uncle Master!"

"Uncle-Master Wei!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the cultivators behind him changed.

Wei Chengyu slightly raised his hand to stop them, then turned to Shen Wen'an with a smile and asked, "Fellow Daoist Shen, are you sure?"

Shen Wen'an frowned slightly as he met his strange smile.

What tricks is this guy up to?
The Three Immortal Mountains are related to the secrets of the Dao Source. Would he agree to take them out so easily?

"Wouldn't you try to fool me with some false information?"

Meeting his gaze, Shen Wen'an asked in a deep voice.

Under his gaze, Wei Chengyu did not utter a word of defense, but instead made a hand seal and swore an oath, indicating that everything he had brought out was absolutely genuine.

Sensing the fluctuations of the vow, Shen Wen'an's doubts deepened.

Wei Chengyu didn't waste any more words. With a flash of light in his hand, he took out a jade slip and copied many things from his memories into it in front of him. Then he waved his hand and presented the jade slip to him.

Looking at the jade slip floating in front of him, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment before reaching out to take it.

When divine sense tried to penetrate and observe it, it discovered that there was a restriction on the jade slip.

"Don't misunderstand, fellow Daoist."

"After I rescue the person, I will tell you how to lift the restriction."

"Otherwise, if you want to forcefully break through the restriction, you will destroy that jade slip directly."

After speaking, Wei Chengyu turned to his many subordinates behind him and said calmly, "Go and rescue them."

After the crowd behind him respectfully bowed, they jumped off the bronze ship and headed towards the stone hall.

A brief battle broke out in the stone hall below, and after all the commotion subsided, the group returned to the bronze ship.

Zhou Ji hurriedly approached Wei Chengyu from the crowd, respectfully cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your help, Uncle Wei!"

Wei Chengyu glanced at him coldly, then looked at Ye Minghuang beside him. Seeing that Ye Minghuang had no intention of stepping forward, Wei Chengyu could only sigh inwardly.

He then took out another jade slip and threw it at Shen Wen'an.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, this is the method to lift the restriction."

Shen Wen'an reached out and caught the jade slip. Following the instructions inside, he removed the restriction on the previous jade slip and indeed saw a large amount of information.

"Let's go."

Upon seeing this, Wei Chengyu immediately waved his hand, ordering his men to maneuver the bronze ship away from the area.

"Uncle Wei, that 'Dragon-Suppressing Heaven-Reaching Mantra'..."

Seeing this, Zhou Ji cautiously approached.

Wei Chengyu glanced at him and said, "What time is it? You're still thinking about that stuff?"

"Let's talk about it after we go back first."

The bronze ship concealed its presence and quickly disappeared into the night sky.

Once they had completely disappeared, the Snow Wolf King looked at Shen Wen'an beside him and said, "Master, are you just going to let them go like this?"

Shen Wen'an played with the jade slip in his hand, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"The Yangnao Land needs a troublemaker; offending them too much would not be a good thing."

The Snow Wolf King nodded slightly, then looked curiously at the jade slip in his hand and asked:
"Judging from that guy's tone just now, this Three Immortals Mountain seems to be very important."

"Such an important item, and they took it out so easily, could it be a trap?"

The Snow Wolf King was unaware of the relationship between the Three Immortal Mountains and the Dao Source.

Based on Wei Chengyu's words, it can be deduced that there must be a big secret hidden behind the Three Immortals Mountain.

Shen Wen'an sneered, "There's definitely a trap, but it won't be so easy for him to lure my Shen family into it."

"Let's go back first."

After putting the jade slip into their storage bag, the human and the demon left the Dragon Tamer's residence and headed towards Yunshui City.

……

Blackwater Pavilion.

After reading through all the contents of the jade slip, Shen Yuan's expression became somewhat strange.

"These three immortal mountains were originally three separate grotto-heavens independent of this world..."

"Moreover, each Dao Source Treasure also contains several different spiritual entities."

After putting down the jade slip in his hand, Shen Yuan paced back and forth, pondering for a long time before saying, "The information in the jade slip is mixed up, and I still need to carefully discern it."

"You just said that the people from the Calamity Fire Sect risked coming to the Dragon Tamer's residence to find the 'Dragon Suppression and Heaven-Reaching Mantra'?"

Changing the subject, Shen Yuan frowned and asked.

Shen Wen'an nodded and said, "That should be true."

"This 'Dragon Suppressing and Heaven-Reaching Mantra' sounds like a secret technique, and it should be something that can subdue dragon-type monsters."

"Father, do you still remember that dragon at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm that you plotted against in Hundred Beasts Mountain in Danzhou back then?"

Shen Yuan nodded.

Yangnao was originally a land of punishment, devoid of spiritual energy.

The sudden change in the world began with the sudden departure of that dragon at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, which transformed into an infant.

"The Huanlong clan has a connection with the Daying Immortal Mansion of that time, and it is very likely that it was a force under the rule of the Daying Immortal Mansion."

"And that dragon at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm is very likely a spirit beast raised by the Dragon-Taming Clan."

"Over a hundred years ago, that dragon broke through to the Nascent Soul stage and left the Yangnao Land..."

"The Fire Calamity Sect has now returned to the Dragon Tamer's Mansion in search of the 'Dragon Suppression and Heaven-Reaching Mantra,' which can subdue dragon-type demonic beasts..."

Hearing his father's murmurs, Shen Wen'an suddenly took over the conversation, saying, "In that case, according to Father's previous deduction, the Calamity Fire Sect should also be one of the main culprits in the destruction of the Great Ying Immortal Mansion back then."

"I suspect that after that dragon transformed into a nascent soul, it went directly to the Central Plains to cause trouble for the Calamity Fire Sect."

"The Calamity Fire Sect couldn't do anything to that Nascent Soul stage dragon, so they thought of finding the 'Dragon Suppression and Heaven-Reaching Mantra' to restrain dragon-type demon beasts."

As Shen Wen'an analyzed the situation, he also revealed the secret he had obtained from the woman from the underworld when he broke through to the Golden Core stage.

Looking at the two together, there were at least two culprits who destroyed the Daying Immortal Mansion back then.

One is the Underworld, and the other is the Fire of Calamity Sect.

The father and son looked solemn and remained silent for a long time before Shen Wen'an suddenly spoke up: "Father said there is a great secret in the Dragon Tamer's mansion. This secret is not the 'Dragon Suppressing Heavenly Mantra,' is it?"

Meeting his questioning gaze, Shen Yuan remained silent.

Another image was slowly emerging in his mind.

That was what happened after Shen Wen'an returned from Qiyun Valley and explored the Dragon Tamer's Mansion alone.

The incomplete sword spirit of the sword wielder within him suddenly awakened for some unknown reason, causing Shen Wen'an to fall into a coma.

Later, Shen Wenyan and Lu Zhiyuan joined forces and used their righteous spirit to suppress the swordsman's incomplete sword soul.

The sentence that came to Shen Yuan's mind was what the swordsman's fragmented sword spirit said before he dissipated.

The Dragon-Raising Clan should not have suffered such an injustice.

In the centuries that followed, he occasionally divined the location of the dragon tamer's residence and obtained a vague divination or prophecy.

Analysis of the prophecy revealed that a great secret was hidden deep within the Dragon Tamer's mansion, which, once revealed, would trigger a dramatic upheaval.

That is why the Shen family members are strictly forbidden from continuing to explore the Dragon Tamer's residence.

As for whether this secret is the "Dragon-Suppressing Heaven-Reaching Mantra", he was not sure.

"These things are not something my Shen family can get involved in right now."

"Go back and tell Chongming that whether it's the Dragon Tamer's Mansion or the Three Immortals Mountain, the Shen family can only investigate slowly, focusing on gathering intelligence, and not get too deeply involved."

The Dragon Tamer's Mansion is connected to the Great Ying Immortal Mansion and a group of powerful Nascent Soul True Monarchs. The Three Immortal Mountains are even more concerned with secrets beyond the Nascent Soul stage. If the Shen family were to be drawn into this, it would be a bad thing.

Shen Wen'an cupped his hands in greeting and then left Blackwater Pavilion.

……

As Shen Wen'an broke through to the Golden Core stage, he became a Sword Immortal.

The Shen family also ushered in a period of stable development.

In addition to making rapid progress in cultivation, the disciples of the clan are also gradually showing their talents in various arts of immortal cultivation.

Flame Lake City.

He Chongyi has mastered the ancient weapon-refining method and can refine low-grade magic weapons.

Following him, Shen Xiuyun also successfully broke through the embryonic breathing stage, comprehended the four basic artifact patterns, and began to try to refine magical artifacts.

With He Chongyi's experience as a reference, he made rapid progress.

This day, in the backyard of the manor.

Hu Yufen, whose cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, was pulling her daughter Shen Wenping, who looked slightly older than her, and said:

Has Chongyi come back recently?

Shen Wenping's temples have turned gray, and although she takes excellent care of herself, the signs of time are still visible on her face.

Looking at his mother in front of him, he smiled gently and shook his head.

“Mother, Chongyi is busy. Only he and Xiuyun are in charge of Yanhu City.”

Hu Yufen sighed softly, her gaze catching the sorrow in her daughter's eyes. She then turned to the maid beside her and said, "Go and invite the First Madam here. I have something to say to her."

Upon hearing this, the maid bowed slightly and left.

A moment later, Huang Lingxiu rushed over.

"mother."

Shen Wenping stood up, bowed, and said, "Sister-in-law."

"sit down."

Hu Yufen smiled and said, pulling her daughter-in-law and daughter in front of her, "Lingxiu, your mother has something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingxiu glanced at Shen Wenping beside her, then nodded with a smile: "Mother, please speak."

After a slight hesitation, Hu Yufen said, "Logically speaking, I shouldn't be worrying about family matters, Mother."

"But Chongyi is now in his forties and still hasn't married or had children."

"Shi Tou is in seclusion, so this is something I can only tell you."

When this matter was mentioned, Huang Lingxiu looked stunned.

Then I remembered that He Chongyi is already forty years old.

At such an age, it's not considered unusual among cultivators.

But for ordinary people, this is already close to the halfway point of their lives.

"Then the daughter-in-law will ask Chongming to keep an eye out for a suitable woman for Chongyi among the prominent families under his jurisdiction?"

Hu Yufen nodded and then said, "Mother knows they are all busy, but no matter how busy they are, we must make them take the time to come back and visit."

"You tell me, what's the point of all this spiritual practice in the end?"

"At the end of a hundred years, when loved ones have passed away, all that's left is a handful of dust. What use is high cultivation then?"

Huang Lingxiu didn't speak; she understood what her mother meant.

"I've remembered what Mother said, and I'll tell Chongming about it later."

While comforting her mother, an idea also arose in her mind.

The three chatted for a long time. After leaving the manor, Huang Lingxiu hurriedly went to Shen Chongming's small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

As Shen Xiuchan walked out of the courtyard, Huang Lingxiu asked, "Xiuchan, where's your father?"

Shen Xiuchan was born to Shen Chongming and Mu Lingxun of the Mu family.

Upon seeing Huang Lingxiu, Shen Xiuchan quickly bowed and cupped his hands: "Grandma, Father is discussing matters with my eldest brother in the courtyard. Is there something you need to see him about?"

Huang Lingxiu nodded and then walked directly into the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, the father and son were discussing something in the pavilion.

Shen Xiuzhuo, who was facing the courtyard gate, suddenly caught sight of Huang Lingxiu and quickly stood up, saying, "Father, Grandma is here."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming also quickly stood up.

"Grandma (mother)."

Huang Lingxiu arrived at the pavilion, nodded slightly, and sat down, saying, "It's perfect that you and your son are both here. Please sit down."

Shen Chongming was somewhat suspicious upon seeing this.

Normally, Mother wouldn't act like this unless something was wrong. But seeing her somewhat solemn expression, Father and son exchanged a glance and carefully sat down.

"Your grandma just called for me."

Huang Lingxiu turned her gaze to Shen Chongming and spoke slowly.

"Grandma?" Shen Chongming asked with some suspicion, "Does she have something to tell me?"

Huang Lingxiu sighed softly: "Chongyi is your cousin. As the head of the Shen family, you can't just care about his cultivation and not his marriage, can you?"

A lifelong event?

Shen Chongming was somewhat taken aback, then suddenly realized that He Chongyi was now over forty.

However, this age is not considered unusual among cultivators.

Just like my third uncle, Shen Wen'an, when he and my third aunt became Daoist partners, they were both in their sixties.

Forty years old is not even considered the prime of life for a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage.

"Mother knows that cultivators have long lifespans and there is no rush, but you should also consider your aunt."

"She is only at the third level of Qi Refining now. Years ago, your uncle and Chongyi's great-grandfather were killed by the Suihuo Sect, which saddened your aunt."

"His lifespan is not much longer than that of an ordinary mortal."

“Chongyi is her only son, so why wouldn’t she want to see him get married and have children before she dies?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming slowly clenched his fist.

He really overlooked this point.

Over the years, he has been preoccupied with how to expand and strengthen the Shen family, and has never given these matters much thought.

“Chongming, it’s not that your mother wants to interfere in the Shen family’s affairs, but your grandmother is right.”

"What is the purpose of a cultivator's entire life of cultivation?"

After a slight pause, Huang Lingxiu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I remember when Jiang Xiuqi, the senior from Luoxia Mountain, broke through to the Golden Core stage, he gave your grandmother some pill energy, which gave her a spiritual root."

"Now that your third uncle has also broken through to the Golden Core stage, that inner energy..."

Shen Chongming's expression changed slightly upon hearing the mention of Dan Qi.

Uncle Shen Wen'an has more important plans regarding his elixir.

"mother……"

Seeing his father's troubled expression, Shen Xiuzhuo, who was standing to the side, cupped his hands and said, "Grandma, Father has already decided to refine Third Grandfather's Golden Core Qi to white."

"Xiu Bai has an exceptional talent for the Dao of Array Formation, but his spiritual root quality is very poor. This wisp of pill energy can transform him and make him a great help in the rise of my Shen family."

"You...you shouldn't make things difficult for him." Huang Lingxiu was also somewhat stunned after hearing this. Looking at the conflicted look on her son's face, she felt very uncomfortable.

She understood that bringing this up was indeed putting her son in a difficult position.

On one side is his aunt, and on the other is the future of the Shen family.

One wisp of elixir energy is simply not enough to go around.

But when she married into the Shen family, Shen Wenping and Shen Wen'an were still children, and they were not much older than Shen Chongming.

After decades of living together, the bond between the two women was stronger than blood. In addition, He Chongyi's father, He Zishi, died young, so Shen Wenping had been a widow for most of her life.

The thought of watching her lifespan run out and die filled Huang Lingxiu with a sharp pain in her heart.

"Alright, you have your own plans regarding the Dan Qi, I won't make things difficult for you."

"But you should keep Chongyi's marriage in mind."

"Also, if there's no rush in Flame Lake City, let Chongyi come back more often to keep his mother company."

After Huang Lingxiu finished speaking, she hurriedly left the courtyard.

Watching his mother's retreating figure, Shen Chongming struggled internally, but could only sigh helplessly in the end.

If he weren't burdened with the heavy responsibility of the Shen family's future, he would have given that wisp of elixir energy to his aunt without hesitation.

However, if the elixir energy were to be shared with his aunt now, it would inevitably severely delay Shen Xiubai's cultivation.

As the current head of the Shen family, he dared not act on emotion.

"father……"

Shen Xiuzhuo, who was standing to the side, also saw his father's predicament and understood his father's predicament.

When I want to offer comfort, I don't know what to say.

"I'm fine. Go and take care of the things I just asked you to do."

Shen Chongming slowly stood up, sent his son away, and stood alone in the pavilion.

"What's the point of a cultivator's entire life of cultivation in the end?"

Muttering the words his mother had just spoken, Shen Chongming stared blankly at the sky.

His cultivation was already infinitely close to the perfect state of embryonic breathing, but at this moment he suddenly felt a little confused.

I still remember when I was a child, when I first embarked on my spiritual practice, I wondered why I was practicing.

Protect our parents, protect our family, and make the Shen family strong.

But now...

"Maybe it's because I didn't try hard enough..."

Shen Chongming suddenly sighed and murmured.

If one works hard enough and breaks through to the Golden Core realm, then one will have two strands of Core Qi.

In that case, things wouldn't be so difficult.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

As Shen Chongming was reminiscing in the pavilion, a figure slowly walked over.

Chen Youran came up to him and, seeing that his expression was not right, asked him with concern.

Suppressing his worries, Shen Chongming slowly turned around, smiled faintly, and shook his head: "It's nothing."

Chen Youran glanced at him, then looked in the direction of the courtyard gate and said, "I think I just heard my mother's voice. Did she come to see you because she has something to say?"

The rule that women of the Shen family should not interfere in important family affairs has been written into the family rules.

Therefore, it was usually the younger generation who would visit their mother and grandmother when they had nothing else to do.

Unless it's something serious, Huang Lingxiu, Huang's mother, wouldn't make a special trip to find her.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Chongming told the story about the elixir.

Chen Youran remained silent after hearing this.

As a cultivator, she felt that her husband's choice was correct.

But as a junior, she couldn't bear to see her aunt Shen Wenping slowly exhaust her lifespan like this.

This is indeed a very difficult decision for the head of a family.

"Life and death separation is indeed a difficult hurdle for us cultivators to overcome."

"As the Shen family grows stronger in the future, there will likely be many more difficult choices like this."

Chen Youran sighed and spoke.

The Shen family is not what it used to be; there are only a few people in the family now, and they can use resources at will.

As the family continued to grow, the number of family members increased.

The resources for cultivation must be allocated reasonably, prioritizing those with good talent and those who have made great contributions to the family.

Only in this way can the family continue to grow stronger.

In this situation, some clansmen who lack talent and make little contribution will eventually exhaust their lifespan and fade into obscurity.

Seeing the pained expression on Shen Chongming's face, Chen Youran pondered for a moment and then said, "Husband, I have a suggestion."

Shen Chongming turned to look at her, but did not say anything.

Chen Youran continued, "Let's not rush the matter of the elixir."

"Let's wait two more years and see. My husband, let's settle Chongyi's marriage now and put my aunt's mind at ease."

"Isn't Xiu Bai currently in Yunzhong County, cultivating under the guidance of Senior Jiang?"

"Perhaps Senior Jiang has some way to solve his cultivation problem."

After a slight pause, Chen Youran's words clearly lacked confidence as she continued, "Perhaps... perhaps in two years, Xiu Bai's cultivation will improve."

"By then, even if we give the elixir to my aunt, it won't have too much of an impact."

Shen Chongming sighed heavily after hearing this.

He knew his wife was mostly trying to comfort him, but that was really the only way for the time being.

Fortunately, Aunt Shen Wenping still has at least twenty years left to live, and even though Shen Xiubai's spiritual root quality is very poor, he still has a spiritual root.

As the couple were talking, a cultivator from the Shen family rushed in to report.

"Patriarch, Zhao Tuan, the patriarch of the Zhao family, has arrived and is waiting for you in the side room."

Zhao Tuan?

Shen Chongming suddenly realized that Zhao Tuan must have come to visit his grandfather, Shen Yuan.

He mentioned this matter at the last Golden Elixir Ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Chen Youran urged, "Husband, don't worry about this matter. Let's go see Brother Tuan first."

Shen Chongming nodded and hurried toward the side room of the manor.

When the two brothers met, Zhao Tuan was as polite as ever.

After the two sat down, Shen Chongming said with a faint smile, "When Third Uncle's Golden Core Ceremony ended, I originally wanted to take Tuan Ge directly to pay a visit to Grandpa."

"But Tuan-ge and Tian-qiu left in a hurry..."

Zhao Tuan smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I left without saying goodbye, please forgive me, Master."

"I thought that since I was visiting the old master as a junior, I could not go empty-handed."

"After rushing back last time, I had some things prepared."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's expression turned somewhat strange, but he quickly understood Zhao Tuan's meaning.

"In that case, let's go to Blackwater Pavilion now."

After the two got up, they slowly walked to the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

"Grandpa, Tuan has come to see you."

Shen Chongming sat cross-legged in front of the chessboard, while Shen Yuan, holding a black chess piece in his hand, bowed.

Zhao Tuan, who was standing to the side, also quickly bowed and greeted him.

"Zhao Tuan pays his respects to...Grandpa Shen."

Since it had been agreed that he would pay his respects as a junior, Zhao Tuan did not address him as "Grandpa Shen" but instead called him "Grandpa Shen" in a friendly manner.

Upon hearing this address, Shen Yuan stiffened slightly, then put the black piece back into the chess box, stood up, dusted off his sleeves, and said with a smile, "Sit down."

The three of them sat down on the prayer mats in front of the desk.

Shen Chongming personally brought tea, which made Zhao Tuan feel flattered.

"Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. I still remember when that kid Jin Hu brought you to see me. You were only a teenager, weren't you?"

Zhao Tuan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Grandpa Shen, I was eleven years old at that time, and sixty years have passed since then."

"Sixty years...a full cycle of sixty years has passed so quickly..."

After sighing, Shen Yuan looked at him.

Shen Chongming had given advance notice of his visit.

Without spiritual roots, breaking through to the embryonic breathing stage is by no means easy.

He had only managed to break through the embryonic breathing realm by relying on the white jade tortoise shell to forcibly enhance his own five elements.

After Shen Chongming mentioned this matter, he also thought about it carefully, but he still wasn't sure.

We need to check Zhao Tuan's physical condition first.

"Stretch out your hand so I can see it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tuan respectfully rolled up his sleeves and extended his hand.

Shen Yuan grasped his wrist, and his divine sense, carrying a stream of spiritual power, slowly probed into his body.

Zhao Tuan practiced the orthodox method, "Mist Dragon Nourishing Meridians Technique".

Despite lacking spiritual roots, his true essence and spiritual power have become far more robust and solid than those of most people with spiritual roots, thanks to his years of arduous cultivation.

With such a solid foundation, once one breaks through to the embryonic breathing stage, they will definitely be stronger than ordinary cultivators in the early stages of embryonic breathing.

Seeing Shen Yuan withdraw his hand with a furrowed brow, Shen Chongming quickly asked, "Grandpa, how is it?"

Shen Yuan did not answer immediately, but sighed softly and pondered for a long time before speaking.

"The human body also has five elements, which rotate and generate life endlessly."

"For cultivators like us who have no spiritual roots, to break through to the embryonic breathing stage, we must simultaneously improve our internal five elements."

"This is why it is said that a cultivator without spiritual roots needs to use five innate spiritual energies of the same quality from the five elements simultaneously in order to break through to the embryonic breathing stage."

“Zhao Tuan’s true essence and spiritual power are too abundant. If I’m not mistaken, you should have broken through to the Qi Refining Perfection Realm long ago.”

Zhao Tuan nodded upon hearing this and said, "Grandpa Shen has a discerning eye. I was indeed on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of Qi Refining ten years ago."

"I just thought that the Five Elements Innate Spiritual Energy was too expensive, so I forcibly suppressed my realm and did not continue to break through."

"On the one hand, I want to accumulate more resources, and on the other hand, I also plan to collect some information related to the innate spiritual energy of the five elements in advance."

"Who would have thought that suppressing my cultivation level like this would make the spiritual energy in my meridians become thick and viscous, making it difficult to circulate even once, to the point that I can't even find a way to break through to the Qi Refining Perfection stage now."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly.

The situation was pretty much as I had guessed.

After a moment's thought, he added, "It's not that I'm hiding anything, it's just that my method of breakthrough isn't suitable for you."

"However... after Chongming told me about your situation, I also thought about it carefully and came up with a compromise."

"This time we need to rely on the help of the array."

As Shen Yuan spoke, he took a jade slip from the side and handed it to Zhao Tuan.

"You can take this jade slip to Yunzhong County and ask Senior Jiang Xiuqi for help."

"If this succeeds, you will have the opportunity to reach the realm of embryonic breathing."

Upon hearing this, a look of joy flashed across Zhao Tuan's face. Just as he was about to express his gratitude, Shen Yuan said solemnly, "I must remind you."

"This method carries great risks. If it fails, at best you will lose all your cultivation, and at worst your internal five elements will be disordered, endangering your life."

"You need to think it over carefully."

Zhao Tuan's expression stiffened, and his outstretched hand hesitated slightly.

He then calmly accepted the jade slip and said, "Tianqiu has now broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, and some of the disciples of my Zhao family have also shown their talent."

"My grandson has been cautious his whole life, and now he can finally give it his all."

Shen Yuan nodded approvingly.

Cultivators must possess a certain sharpness; those who are overly cautious and seek stability, losing their drive to strive and make progress, will indeed find it difficult to achieve great things.

"Go."

"Don't feel burdened. With the Shen family here, the Zhao family of Anyang will be fine."

This was a guarantee given by Shen Yuan himself, which could be considered as dispelling the last bit of concern in his heart.

Zhao Tuan looked grateful and stood up, solemnly cupping his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Shen."

……

Yunzhong County City.

On the seventh floor, Shen Xiubai sat cross-legged on a futon, circulating his meager spiritual energy through his fingertips, carefully carving on the jade plate in front of him.

As array patterns were carved out, a faint spiritual light slowly emanated from the array plate.

However, the closer it got to the end, the more solemn Shen Xiubai's expression became, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and nose.

"Certainly possible!"

"This will definitely succeed!"

Shen Xiubai's body trembled slightly, but he firmly believed that his move would succeed.

As the spiritual power in his hands grew weaker and weaker, the inscription of the array plate entered its final stage.

hum!
After the last array pattern was completed, the array plate in front of Shen Xiubai suddenly emitted a dazzling halo and trembled slightly.

However, the halo only lasted for a few breaths before the entire jade plate suddenly shattered into more than ten pieces.

Seeing this, Shen Xiubai's face did not show the slightest sign of dejection; on the contrary, he became even more excited.

He immediately grabbed the paper and pen beside him and wrote down his insights one by one.

This commotion naturally alerted Jiang Xiuqi.

A streak of light flew in through the window. Looking at the scattered blueprints and the shattered jade plate on the ground, Jiang Xiuqi felt a headache coming on.

"Hey kid, what are you messing around with now?"

Shen Xiubai ignored him, quickly sketched a diagram of an array pattern on the paper, then stood up and handed it to Jiang Xiuqi: "Senior, please take a look!"

Jiang Xiuqi took the blueprint, glanced at the array diagram on it, and frowned, saying, "This is..."

"This is a simplified version of the Spirit Gathering Array by a junior."

Shen Xiubai grinned.

A simplified spirit-gathering array!?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi's eyes widened instantly.

You should know that after he obtained the incomplete Spirit Gathering Array diagram, he studied it for so many years but still couldn't find any clues.

However, Shen Xiubai only had the array diagram of the Spirit Gathering Array for a few months.

"Was the commotion just now caused by you inscribing the spirit-gathering array?"

Jiang Xiuqi hurriedly asked.

Shen Xiubai nodded, his gaze falling on the shattered jade plate: "This junior only tried it briefly, but this simplified spirit-gathering array cannot be engraved on the array jade plate."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi became somewhat excited and immediately said, "Whatever materials you need, I have plenty here. Let's go try it now."

Shen Xiubai shook his head slightly: "This simplified version of the spirit gathering array does not require any other materials."

Jiang Xiuqi was even more puzzled now.

It cannot be inscribed on the array plate, nor does it require materials for arrangement. What kind of array is this?
Meeting his gaze, Shen Xiubai smiled faintly and said, "This junior plans to set up this simplified spirit-gathering array here."

He pointed to his dantian in his lower abdomen.

Jiang Xiuqi was taken aback at first, then his expression turned serious as he asked, "You want to set up the formation inside your body?"

As soon as Shen Xiubai nodded, Jiang Xiuqi waved his hand and unleashed a binding force.

"senior!"

Feeling his body completely restrained, Shen Xiubai exclaimed in confusion.

However, Jiang Xiuqi showed no intention of letting him go.

"Boy, I think you've gone mad from studying formations."

"Have you thought about your family before wasting your own life like this?"

Shen Xiubai shouted urgently, "What do you mean by that, senior?"

"I've thought this through, there won't be any danger!"

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head upon hearing this.

“Throughout history, I have seen many madmen in the art of formations, and they all share your thoughts.”

“Some of them wanted to inscribe formations on their own bodies, and some even considered setting up formations within their own flesh and blood.”

"But without exception, they all met a tragic end."

"And you're even crazier than them, actually thinking of setting up an array within your own dantian..."

Jiang Xiuqi looked at him with a complicated expression.

After a moment's thought, he said, "You should know how much hope the Shen family has for you."

"If anything were to happen to you, how could you face Fellow Daoist Fu Yang, how could you face your uncle and the others?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiubai's gaze remained firm as he said, "Senior, this action was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-considered one."

"Moreover, I have just verified that this move is 70% likely to succeed!"

After a slight pause, he added, "The Spirit Gathering Array is not an offensive array. Even if it fails, it will not harm my life."

"Senior, please let this junior give it a try."

Shen Xiubai pleaded desperately, but Jiang Xiuqi's expression remained unmoved.

"Uncle-Master, someone from the Zhao family of Anyang has come to request an audience with you on the orders of the former head of the Shen family."

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Luo Yao suddenly appeared on the tower.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi frowned slightly and said, "Keep an eye on this kid. Don't release the restrictions on him until I return."

Luo Yao was a little puzzled by what she heard, but she didn't ask any more questions and nodded in agreement.

After Jiang Xiuqi left, she looked at Shen Xiubai with curiosity.

"Little one, how did you manage to make your martial uncle so angry?"

Shen Xiubai recounted what had just happened with a wry smile.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao's beautiful eyes widened.

"You're crazy, you little rascal, you're really crazy."

"How can an array be inscribed in one's own dantian?"

"Isn't this suicidal?"

After hearing this, Shen Xiubai wanted to explain, but Luo Yao was unwilling to listen anymore. She found a futon, sat cross-legged to the side, and waited quietly for Jiang Xiuqi to return.

……

"crazy!"

"The Shen family are all insane!"

Inside the main hall of the sect on Mount Luoxia, Jiang Xiuqi looked at the jade slip handed to him by Zhao Tuan and was speechless.

Zhao Tuan, who was standing beside him, was startled by his sudden words and stood up, asking cautiously, "Senior... is there any difficulty with Ancestor's method?"

"If it's difficult, then this junior... this junior will..."

"The old man wants me to inscribe a Five Elements formation on each of your five internal organs to replace your innate spiritual energy."

"That idea is even crazier than that kid's!"

Jiang Xiuqi said angrily.

(End of this chapter)