Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 243 Geng and Xin, the Origin of Metal
After being forced to jump into the abyss, Shen Xiuchan and the other younger members of the Shen family immediately mobilized their true essence and spiritual power in an attempt to stabilize their rapid descent.

This abyss is shrouded in mist, and no one knows just how deep it is.

If they cannot slow down their fall, even if they are cultivators, they will die instantly from the fall.

"Oh no! I can't use my spiritual power at all!"

"Me too!"

"Son!"

"Young Master of Zen Cultivation!"

As the rapidly falling people tried to circulate their spiritual energy, they discovered that the surrounding clouds and mist seemed to possess some strange power, suppressing their spiritual energy within their bodies and rendering them unable to move!
After trying it themselves, Shen Xiuchan and Meng Yuntang above also discovered this situation.

However, the two were clearly better than the other junior cultivators of the Shen family, and were able to barely force out a trace of spiritual energy from their bodies.

"Yuntang, calm down and don't panic."

But Meng Yuntang's expression changed drastically. Even though she used a wisp of spiritual power to summon a breeze to slow her fall, her body was still shaking violently. The breeze beneath her feet seemed about to dissipate at any moment. Shen Xiuchan hurriedly shouted.

Meng Yuntang seemed to hear his voice, and took a deep breath, trying her best to calm her flustered mind.

After regaining her balance, she nodded to Shen Xiuchan.

"Young master, I'm alright now."

"But they..."

Looking down at their companion, who was still falling rapidly and was about to disappear from their sight, Meng Yuntang's eyes were filled with worry.

Shen Xiuchan's eyes narrowed slightly, then a resolute glint flashed in them as he said, "My father instructed me to bring you all back safely, if possible!"

"Be careful yourself."

Before he finished speaking, he immediately waved his hand to dispel the breeze beneath him and sped after the crowd below!
"Son!"

Meng Yuntang was shocked to see this. However, the breeze beneath her became unstable due to her mental turmoil, which frightened her so much that she dared not think any further. She could only try her best to stabilize the breeze and fall downwards.

Using that sliver of controllable spiritual power, Shen Xiuchan descended even faster, catching up with the others in no time.

But the younger generation of the Shen family were all terrified, scrambling around and screaming.

Shen Xiuchan forced himself to calm down, his thoughts racing.

Given their current situation, it's definitely not feasible to rely on them on their own.

We must find a way to save them.

Otherwise, these guys would probably be smashed into mincemeat upon landing.

As his gaze swept over the rapidly rising mist around him, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Shen Xiuchan.

The Cloud Dragon Technique!
The "Cloud Dragon Technique" was a secret technique that his great-grandfather, Shen Yuan, brought back when he first went to explore the mansion of the dragon tamer.

Legend has it that once this technique is mastered, one can control the clouds, soar through the sky like a dragon, and travel thousands of miles in an instant.

Unfortunately, this technique is quite difficult to master. When Shen Xiuchan was young, he thought that mastering this technique and riding on clouds would be very impressive, like a real immortal, which is why he chose to cultivate this technique.

Over the years, he has only managed to master the basics of this technique, and can only control clouds to fly slowly.

At this critical juncture, we have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.

Thinking of this, Shen Xiuchan immediately formed a hand seal, preparing to activate the "Cloud Dragon Technique" to save everyone.

With a slight movement of his fingers, Shen Xiuchan suddenly discovered that performing the Cloud Dragon Technique this time was easier than ever before!
The strange mist surrounding him, which seemed to suppress his spiritual power, not only had no effect on the casting of the "Cloud Dragon Technique," but actually provided a certain boost!

Sensing this situation, Shen Xiuchan was overjoyed and quickly sped up his hand seals!

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die!"

"I can see the ground!"

"Help!"

"Waaaaah! I don't want to be thrown to my death!"

Just as Shen Xiuchan was making a hand seal, the younger members of the Shen family below, who were falling rapidly, screamed in panic as they watched the ground approaching quickly!

As the ground below hurtled toward them like a terrifying mountain, the pale-faced younger members of the Shen family closed their eyes, awaiting their death.

But at that moment, a loud dragon roar suddenly came from above!

Immediately afterwards, a gigantic dragon, hundreds of feet long, formed entirely of condensed mist, suddenly swooped down!

In the blink of an eye, the long dragon of mist swept up the people who were about to crash into the ground!
After the dizzying spin, when everyone came to their senses, they realized that they were sitting on the broad back of the misty dragon.

At the head of the dragon stood a young man dressed in a moon-white robe with flowing black hair.

"It's the Zen Master!"

"Young Master Xiu Chan has summoned a dragon!"

"We are saved!"

Feeling the long dragon of mist beneath them rising against the current and soaring through the surrounding clouds, the younger members of the Shen family couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

At this moment, Shen Xiuchan, who was manipulating the "Cloud Dragon Technique," was also very excited.

He could sense that although the Cloud Dragon Technique he was using at this moment had not yet reached its full potential, it was not far off.

Clearly, there is some connection between this abyss canyon and the "Cloud Dragon Technique," allowing those who have mastered the "Cloud Dragon Technique" to gain better training here.

After maneuvering the long dragon of mist to soar through the sky once, Shen Xiuchan swooped down and caught Meng Yuntang, who was still barely maintaining a breeze in the mist.

The group was finally out of danger.

"Young master, there's something strange about this deep abyss canyon. Shall we go down and take a look?"

Meng Yuntang arrived at the dragon's head position and bowed slightly to Shen Xiuchan.

Shen Xiuchan glanced down at the bottom of the canyon, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "It is indeed worth going down and taking a look."

This deep canyon was clearly prepared specifically for cultivators who had mastered the "Cloud Dragon Technique," so he was naturally very curious about what lay beneath.

Having made up his mind, he immediately manipulated the long dragon of mist to fly down to the earth!

The hundred-foot-long dragon of mist slowly dissipated after landing.

The feeling of being grounded once again brought a sense of relief to everyone present.

Recalling the danger and despair they had just experienced, they were all still shaken and felt ashamed.

It's truly shameful that a dignified cultivator almost died from a fall.

"Alright, everyone be careful and search thoroughly."

"Don't touch things randomly; observe them carefully."

Looking around, a thin mist filled the air, and there seemed to be no danger within sight. After speaking in a deep voice, Shen Xiuchan led everyone to explore the surrounding area.

……

Danzhou, Qiyun Valley.

A huge golden light shield enveloped the entire Qiyun Valley.

A rich golden light slowly circulated above the light shield, giving people a sense of solidity and security.

In the main hall of the sect leader's peak, Li Heshan, looking haggard, sat on the sect leader's throne. Below him, the many academy masters and elders of Qiyun Valley all had different expressions, and the scene was quiet and somewhat oppressive.

"Sect Master, please don't hesitate. I have already agreed to their request."

"They just want to find something in my Qiyun Valley. As long as Qiyun Valley opens the great formation and lets them in, they will not continue to make things difficult for Qiyun Valley, whether they find it or not."

A slightly hoarse and deep voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

Upon hearing this, Li Heshan slowly raised his head and looked at the old man in the black robe with gold patterns who had spoken with disbelief.

"Elder Ge is so old, how could he still be so naive?"

"In just a few decades, that group of people massacred a large number of immortal sects and noble families in Qishan. Elder Ge, have you ever seen them leave a single survivor?"

"Opening the great formation...is that inviting wolves into the house?"

Upon hearing this, the black-and-gold-patterned elder calmly replied, "Then, according to the Sect Master's wishes, what should Qiyun Valley do now?"

"The sect's protective formation consumes a large amount of spirit crystals every day. If we delay for a while longer, the formation will collapse on its own before the enemy can even make a move."

"Won't the result be the same then?"

The elder surnamed Ge's words resonated with everyone in the hall, and they all nodded in agreement.

Upon seeing this, Li Heshan's face turned grim.

He slowly stood up and said, "Everyone, my Qiyun Valley has a history of thousands of years and was once a prestigious Golden Core Immortal Sect. We cannot lose our fighting spirit."

"He Shan earnestly requests that everyone join me tomorrow in breaking out of the sect and fighting those thieves to the death. Elder Ji Yan will lead the younger generation and the legacy of Qiyun Valley, ready to break out at any time."

"If we can just hold them off for a while, we can let them escape."

"The legacy of Qiyun Valley will not be broken in our hands."

Li Heshan looked down at the crowd with a pleading gaze.

But when they met his gaze, all the high-ranking members of Qiyun Valley below the main hall turned their heads away and remained silent.

"Sect Master, now is not the time to be willful."

"You know how strong the enemy is. Aren't you just sending us to our deaths for nothing?"

"Besides... what if Elder Ji brings those juniors and they can't escape?"

"Exactly, in the end, they'll still be wiped out."

"I think Elder Ge's suggestion is good. Let's open the formation and let them search. If necessary, we can send some spirit crystals and treasures. Maybe that will really be enough to repel the enemy."

"The entire Danzhou is in chaos. Even if those juniors manage to escape, without the protection of us elders, how can they survive in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation?"

The crowd below chattered amongst themselves, clearly unwilling to heed Li Heshan's advice.

Listening to their discussions and seeing their ugly faces, Li Heshan felt a sense of despair and slumped helplessly on the sect leader's throne.

The previous sect leader, Yun Zhongzi, went out to seek help but was ambushed. The foundation of his Sendai was destroyed. He managed to escape and returned, but soon after, he died.

As the sect's chief disciple, he was appointed to the position of sect leader in a time of crisis.

But to his surprise, these senior members of the sect were all cowards who feared death and were outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant...

Li Heshan smiled bitterly, shook his head slightly, and stood up.

"Sect Master, since all the elders and the headmaster think my method is feasible, then I will personally go and discuss this matter with them tomorrow."

Upon seeing this, the elder surnamed Ge, dressed in black with gold patterns, revealed a hint of smugness on his face and spoke arrogantly.

Li Heshan seemed not to hear anything, and walked sadly toward the back of the hall.

Seeing this, everyone shook their heads in disappointment.

“When Senior Brother Yun Zhongzi was selecting the chief disciple, I said that this young man was not suitable.”

"Exactly, it can't withstand the slightest test."

"So be it. My Qiyun Valley has a history of thousands of years. As long as we can overcome the current calamity, we will be able to turn things around and regain our glory."

The murmurs behind him grew quieter, but Li Heshan left the sect's main hall like a walking corpse, slowly walking towards the back mountain.

In the bamboo forest behind the mountain, a figure dressed in a pale yellow dress was practicing swordsmanship.

Not far from the pale yellow figure, an elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a wide indigo robe, was carefully inscribing an array plate.

"Senior Brother Heshan?"

When the woman practicing swordsmanship in the woods saw Li Heshan, she slowly withdrew her sword and respectfully cupped her hands.

Li Heshan forced a smile and returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "Junior Sister Pei, I've come to see my Martial Uncle."

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao, who was standing nearby, put down the array plate he had just finished carving, slowly stood up, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"metropolitan."

Li Heshan hurriedly returned the greeting: "Uncle Pei."

"Sect Master, please have a seat."

Pei Zhao gestured for Li Heshan to sit down, then pointed to a pile of array plates in front of him and said, "These are array plates that I have been carving recently. They will be useful when those bandits break in."

"in addition……"

"Uncle-Master Pei."

Looking at Pei Zhao before him, Li Heshan interrupted him with a complicated expression, his voice tinged with sorrow, "I'm afraid Qiyun Valley will perish at Heshan's hands!"

Pei Zhao was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

After pondering for a long time, he comforted him, "He Shan, as the head of a sect, you can't lose heart first."

"Our Qiyun Valley has a profound foundation and many disciples and elders. We should be able to overcome this difficulty."

Upon hearing this, Li Heshan shook his head with a wry smile: "Disciple... Elder..."

"They're all cowards who're afraid of death, and now they all have this fawning, groveling face."

He immediately recounted what had just happened in the sect leader's hall.

"Does Uncle Pei think there's still hope for Qiyun Valley with them around?"

Pei Zhao's face was grim. He slowly clenched his fist and muttered, "That old bastard Ge Shun could be so stupid..."

"He Shan, you must stop him! You absolutely cannot let him open the great formation!"

"Otherwise, my Qiyun Valley will surely be stained with blood!"

Li Heshan sighed softly and shook his head, saying, "Uncle Pei, I'm tired..."

"Qiyun Valley is terminally ill, rotten inside and out, and Heshan... is powerless to help."

As he spoke, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he slowly rose to look at the rolling green hills in the distance.

"I have lived here since I was a child, and Qiyun Valley is my home."

"I have already prepared myself for death and annihilation."

He slowly turned to look at Pei Zhao, and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "Uncle Pei, He Shan has a request."

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao stood up and took his arm, saying, "Please give your orders, Sect Master."

Li Heshan straightened up, took out a storage bag from his bosom, and solemnly handed it to Pei Zhao.

“Uncle Pei, this contains the most core inheritance of my Qiyun Valley.”

"Elder Ji Yan also has a copy."

"If the sect is destroyed, He Shan earnestly requests that you and Elder Ji Yan do everything possible to break out and preserve the heritage of Qiyun Valley."

Pei Zhao frowned slightly, then shook his head and was about to speak when Li Heshan interrupted him.

"Uncle Pei, please let your junior nephew finish speaking."

"News has come from Yangnao Land that Junior Brother Wen'an has achieved the Golden Core Dao."

“You are Junior Brother Wen’an’s master. Junior Brother Wen’an doesn’t have a good impression of Qiyun Valley, but the master-disciple relationship between you and him still exists.”

"He Shan had his own selfish reasons for letting you take the legacy of Qiyun Valley with you when you left."

"If you can find an opportunity to go to Yangnao in the future, given the Shen family's status there, I hope you can use their influence to rebuild Qiyun Valley."

"In this way, Heshan can be considered to have lived up to the expectations of the ancestors of Qiyun Valley."

Pei Zhao remained silent upon hearing this.

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Li Heshan suddenly knelt down on one knee and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Uncle Master!"

Seeing this, Pei Zhao quickly helped him up, a hint of reluctance flashing across his face as he nodded and said, "Uncle-Master... I promise you!"

Li Heshan smiled, bowed deeply to Pei Zhao, and then resolutely walked down the mountain.

……

Yunzhong County City.

Luo Yao hurriedly arrived at the seventh-floor tower.

On the top floor of the tower, an old man and a young man were engrossed in studying the so-called Inner Five Elements Formation. Luo Yao cupped her hands and softly called out, "Uncle-Master."

Jiang Xiuqi held an array plate in his hand, responded, but his gaze did not leave the array plate.

News has come from Danzhou... Qiyun Valley has been destroyed.

Qiyun Valley?
Jiang Xiuqi was taken aback for a moment, then slowly put down the array plate in his hand and turned to look at Luo Yao, saying, "I remember that the protective array of Qiyun Valley is the Golden Armor Radiant Star Array, which is an array that can withstand Golden Core cultivators."

"How could it have fallen so quickly?"

Luo Yao sighed slightly and said, "According to the message from the sect leader, it seems that the people of Qiyun Valley opened the formation themselves and let that group of people in."

"As a result, after that group entered Qiyun Valley, they killed everyone they saw."

"Many of the high-ranking members of Qiyun Valley did not put up much resistance and were killed on the spot."

Hearing this, Shen Xiubai, who was engrossed in studying the Spirit Gathering Array, was stunned.

"Why...why would they deliberately open the formation to let the enemy in?"

Clearly, even with his limited knowledge, he couldn't understand the bizarre behavior of Qiyun Valley.

"Ugh!"

After his initial shock, Jiang Xiuqi sighed and said, "Then... all the cultivators of Qiyun Valley are dead?"

Where is Pei Zhao?

Luo Yao shook her head slightly: "The sect leader didn't say."

"Uncle-Master, should we tell Wen'an about this?"

After all, Shen Wen'an was once a disciple of Qiyun Valley, and Pei Zhao had always treated him very well.

If Luoxia Mountain doesn't speak up after receiving this news, Shen Wen'an might blame them later.

"Need not."

Jiang Xiuqi shook his head and said, "Qiyun Valley has already been destroyed, so there's no point in talking about it."

"If he finds out about this, he might impulsively rush to Danzhou and anger the powerful True Monarch at the barrier. The consequences would be unimaginable."

The Shen family seems to have some connection with the old man in the bamboo hat at the barrier, but this connection is quite subtle.

At this juncture, it's best to avoid causing trouble.

Luo Yao nodded, then looked at Shen Xiubai and said, "Little guy, don't talk about this nonsense, okay?"

After Shen Xiubai nodded in agreement, he continued to study the incomplete diagram of the Spirit Gathering Array.

Clearly, he wasn't really interested in these things.

……

Southern Xinjiang, Yangquan Mountain.

Shen Chongxu, dressed in a dark red robe, sat cross-legged on the bed, his expression pained.

Before him, the graceful Wu Shi Qianrou was constantly activating the Mingxu Huiye Furnace, injecting streams of bright red energy into his body.

Seeing Shen Chongxu trembling and veins bulging on his forehead, Wu Qianrou looked worried.

"Owner……"

"continue!"

Shen Chongxu's voice was hoarse as he squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, still persisting.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianrou dared not say anything more and could only continue to activate the Netherworld Furnace to slowly transfer the energy into her body.

dong dong!

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Master, I have something important to report."

Dong Yunbao's voice came, and Wu Shi Qianrou cast an inquiring glance at him.

Shen Chongxu frowned slightly, slowly opened his eyes and said, "You may leave now."

After bowing slightly, Wu Shi Qianrou transformed into a streak of blood-red light and entered the Netherworld Furnace.

"Come in."

Shen Chongxu straightened his clothes slightly and spoke in a deep voice.

Dong Yunbao pushed open the door and entered the room, respectfully cupping his hands: "Master, I have obtained a secret message about that extraordinary treasure."

Rare treasure?

Shen Chongxu's eyes flashed, as if he was very interested.

"go on."

Dong Yunbao cupped his hands in greeting and continued, "News has come that the thing that Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City are fighting over is called... 'Gengxin Primordial Gold'!"

The original metal of Geng and Xin?

Shen Chongxu frowned and asked, "What is this thing?"

"Wasn't it said before that the extraordinary treasure was a magical artifact or spiritual weapon?"

Dong Yunbao quickly explained, "This subordinate...this subordinate doesn't know either."

"But this name should be correct. It is said to have come from a Nascent Soul power in the Central Region."

"Moreover, that Nascent Soul stage force has already dispatched a Grand Master of the Purple Mansion stage to come and take that thing away."

Even the Nascent Soul stage forces were alarmed...

Shen Chongxu stood up with a solemn expression.

“This ‘Gengxin Original Metal’ looks quite extraordinary.”

"What are the reactions of Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City now?"

Dong Yunbao smiled faintly and cupped his hands: "Since the Nascent Soul stage forces have made their statement, they naturally wouldn't dare to act rashly."

"However, it is said that both sides have publicly stated that they have given up the fight, but they are still searching in secret."

"It seems they intend to find the treasure before that Grandmaster of the Purple Mansion arrives."

Shen Chongxu laughed upon hearing this. "You've got some nerve..."

"Since the Nascent Soul stage forces are involved in this matter, we should stop interfering."

"Next, have people collect more ancient books and secret texts. Collect as many old objects as possible that have writing on them."

"Remember, the older the better, don't worry about whether they have spiritual energy."

Upon hearing this, Dongyunbao's expression turned somewhat strange.

"Why does the cult want these things..."

"Just collect what you're told to collect, and don't ask questions you shouldn't."

Shen Chongxu glanced at him and said indifferently.

"Master, please forgive me, I spoke out of turn." Dong Yunbao quickly bowed and apologized before leaving the room.

After he left, Shen Chongxu went to the bedside and took out a storage bag from a hidden compartment.

"Bring out all the spoils you've gathered from hunting cultivators during this time."

As soon as he finished speaking, a blood-red light emerged from the Dark Furnace, which then transformed into the figure of Wu Shi Qianrou.

"Master, aren't you going to keep some of those spirit crystals and pills for yourself?"

Shen Chongxu shook his head and said, "You are enough for me."

Wu Qianrou's expression was somewhat complicated, but in the end she still waved her hand and took out all the things she had hunted and plundered from other cultivators during this period.

Large quantities of spirit crystals, pills, spirit herbs, ores, magical artifacts, and robes were piled together.

Shen Chongxu sat gently to one side, carefully tidying up the things.

After he finished tidying up and putting everything into his storage bag, he stood up and looked at Wu Qianrou and said, "I'll have to trouble you to deliver these things this time."

The last time Dong Yunhu was sent to Yangnao Land, it was because he hadn't considered things thoroughly enough.

This time, the plan is to have Wu Qianrou make the trip herself.

Wu Shi Qianrou is the spirit of the Underworld Furnace, and is completely subservient to him, so there is no need to worry about the secret being leaked.

"Rest assured, Master, I will deliver the goods safely."

Wu Qianrou was very happy to accept the offer.

She was also eager to see what her master Shen Chongxu's family was like.

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

Dong Yunbao is very efficient.

Over the course of more than a month, I have indeed collected quite a few ancient books, bamboo slips, and even some stone slabs with inscriptions, pottery, and so on, filling an entire storage bag.

Shen Chongxu was too lazy to organize these things.

Grandpa Shen Yuan likes these things, and he will definitely categorize them himself when the time comes.

After summoning Wu Qianrou and handing her the two storage bags, Shen Chongxu solemnly instructed her, "Remember this: you are not allowed to harm anyone from my Shen family, or don't blame me for being impolite."

"Also, if possible, please inquire about Xiu Bai's specific situation for me."

"And... never mind, that's all."

Shen Chongxu waved his hand.

After secretly memorizing what he said, Wu Qianrou gently waved her sleeve, picked up the nearby Mingxu Huiye Furnace, and rushed towards the Xuhe Corridor Formation under the cover of night.

……

Yunshui City.

Outside the Ren Shui Yin Ling Grand Array, in the void, Wu Shi Qian Rou was dressed in a bright red knee-length skirt, her jade feet bare, and her delicate face covered by a half-gold mask, obscuring her beautiful eyes and revealing only her delicate nose and alluring red lips.

"Is this the master's house?"

"Seems pretty good."

As Wu Qianrou curiously surveyed the Cloud Water City below, a figure stepped out from the city below.

The Ren Shui Yin Ling Grand Array was activated, and Shen Chongming came forward, curiously examining Wu Shi Qianrou in front of him, his brows suddenly furrowing.

His cultivation has now broken through to the perfect state of embryonic breathing, and he also possesses a lightning-attribute spiritual root.

The moment he saw Wu Qianrou, he immediately sensed a strange aura emanating from the woman before him.

"Who is fellow Taoist?"

"What brings you to my Shen family?"

Shen Chongming asked in a deep voice.

Wu Shi Qianrou was equally surprised at this moment.

The Netherworld Furnace is an ancient demonic artifact. As the spirit of the Netherworld Furnace, she is extremely sensitive to the extremely strong and yang lightning attribute aura emanating from Shen Chongming.

"Fellow Daoist's surname is Shen?"

Coming to her senses, Wu Qianrou bowed and spoke in a soft, sweet voice.

This question immediately reminded Shen Chongming of Dong Yunhu from back then.

"Did he send you?"

Wu Qianrou remained silent, her beautiful eyes beneath the golden mask fixed on Shen Chongming.

"I am Shen Chongming, the head of the Shen family. Did he send you?"

Left with no other choice, Shen Chongming could only reveal his name.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianrou tore off the two storage bags from her waist and tossed them over.

"These are the things my master sent me to deliver."

"Master would like to know a few more things."

Shen Chongming took the storage bag, glanced at Wu Shi Qianrou, and said, "This is not the place to talk. Fellow Daoist, please come with me to my residence for tea."

Knowing that the other party was Shen Chongxu's subordinate, he also wanted to learn more about Shen Chongxu.

They then invited Wu Qianrou to a side room in the mansion.

"Someone, go and invite Young Master Chongxuan here."

After the two were seated, Shen Chongming spoke directly.

Wu Qianrou was somewhat curious upon seeing this.

Shen Chongming explained, "Chongxuan is his older brother."

"He is Shen's cousin."

"Fellow Daoist's aura is strange, I wonder..."

Wu Qianrou smiled lightly and made no attempt to hide anything, saying directly, "I am the spirit of the artifact. It was my master who awakened me and gave me a physical body."

Weapon spirit?

Shen Chongming was somewhat surprised after hearing this.

This was the first time he had ever encountered such a special being as a spirit.

Judging from the intense murderous aura emanating from Wu Shi Qianrou, her true form must also be a highly dangerous weapon.

"Brother Ming."

As the two were chatting, Shen Chongxuan appeared at the door of the side room.

As soon as he appeared, his gaze fell on Wu Qianrou.

Wen Daoxiu possessed a righteous spirit, and Shen Chongxuan sensed something was wrong with Wu Shi Qianrou the moment he saw her.

Wu Qianrou's expression froze once again.

It is another kind of righteous aura that is both immense and unyielding!

The master's two older brothers seem to be born with self-control...

"Brother Xuan, please sit down."

Shen Chongming gestured for Shen Chongxuan to sit down and said, "This is... Chongxu's subordinate."

"This humble servant is Wu Qianrou..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxuan's expression suddenly froze, and he stared at Wu Qianrou and asked, "How is Chongxu now?"

Sensing the righteous aura emanating from his body, Wu Qianrou's expression changed slightly, and she quickly replied, "Master is doing well now."

"Brother Xuan, please don't get agitated."

Shen Chongming comforted Shen Chongxuan, helping him gradually calm down.

"You just said that Chongxu wanted to know something?"

Wu Shi Qianrou nodded and said, "Master said he wants to know about Xiu Bai's recent situation."

"Fellow Daoist, Xiu Bai... belongs to the master..."

“That’s his son,” Shen Chongxuan said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianrou felt inexplicably relieved, but then felt a little resentful.

“Brother Xuan, the reason I’ve summoned you here is to have you personally write a letter back to that brat Chongxu.”

"Tell him about the current situation of my Shen family, and also give him some advice."

Shen Chongxuan nodded and immediately had someone bring paper and pen. In front of Wu Shi Qianrou, he wrote extensively on several sheets of paper.

"I've written everything about Xiu Bai in the letter."

"Please trouble you to take this back and give it to him."

Shen Chongxuan handed the letter in his hand to Wu Qianrou.

Wu Qianrou accepted the letter, bowed slightly, and then left the Shen family.

"This woman's cultivation has already reached the peak of the late stage of the embryonic breathing realm, and she is only one step away from the perfect realm."

"More importantly, her eerie aura is quite worrying."

As Wu Qianrou's figure disappeared, Shen Chongxuan spoke with a solemn expression.

Wu Qianrou addressed Shen Chongxu as "Master".

The fact that a powerful expert who is close to the perfect state of fetal breathing could sincerely call him "master" is enough to prove that Shen Chongxu's current strength must be at least at the perfect state of fetal breathing.

“Brother Xuan, don’t worry, that woman is a spirit of an artifact.”

"Although she has a strong aura of killing intent, she is not evil in the slightest, and she is also loyal to Chongxu, so she should be fine."

"These are things sent by Chongxu. Let's take them to the Blackwater Pavilion and give them to Grandpa first."

Shen Chongxuan nodded, and the two brothers walked towards the Blackwater Pavilion.

The second floor of Blackwater Pavilion.

Shen Yuan opened one of the storage bags.

Inside were still spirit crystals, some whole and some small.

Besides spirit crystals, there are also some spirit herbs and medicines, ores and magical artifacts.

"This kid doesn't even keep a single thing for himself."

Seeing this, Shen Yuan felt a pang of sympathy and spoke up.

This scene made him feel as if he were seeing some of his colleagues from a past life.

Every month when I get my salary, I only keep a few hundred yuan for myself to make ends meet, and send the rest to my family.

Seeing these scattered fragments of spirit crystals, Shen Chongxuan felt even more distressed.

"This kid...this kid...sigh!"

He couldn't help but recall the bits and pieces of his younger brother Shen Chongxu's time in the Shen family.

"Alright, put them all away."

After speaking in a deep voice, Shen Yuan handed the storage bag to Shen Chongming.

Then he picked up another storage bag.

Wow!

As the contents of the storage bag were emptied, a large number of books, stone tablets, and other miscellaneous items instantly filled most of the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

"What kind of junk did this brat bring here?"

Looking at the large number of books, bamboo slips, stone tablets and other messy things in front of him, Shen Chongxuan murmured in astonishment.

Shen Yuan smiled and put all those items back into his storage bag.

Only a jade slip remained.

"This is what that kid prepared for me."

“That’s thoughtful.”

Everyone in the Shen family knew that he liked these old things, especially books.

Shen Yuan was very pleased that Shen Chongxu had sent people to bring these things.

"You two brothers can go ahead and do your work if you have nothing else to do. I'll take a look at these things."

After waving goodbye to the two brothers, Shen Yuan began to slowly organize the contents of the second storage bag.

……

The Secret Realm of Qixian Mountain.

At the edge of the ancient altar, Shen Xiuchan and a group of Shen family members gathered together.

"Try turning a little to the left, then turn to the left again."

"No, it should be to the right!"

"Or not……"

In the middle of the crowd, on a square, bluish-gray stone platform, stood a lifelike dragon-shaped stone sculpture.

The base of the dragon-shaped stone sculpture is surrounded by eight strange runes.

Shen Xiuchan and his group descended from above and carefully explored the area for a long time before discovering it.

There are a total of eight identical bluish-gray stone platforms around the altar.

One of the Shen family cultivators traveling with them accidentally touched one of the bluish-gray stone platforms, inadvertently activating some of the inscriptions on the central altar.

After some further study, the group used the bluish-gray stone platform to gradually illuminate half of the inscriptions on the altar.

However, by the fifth one, no matter how they tried, they were unable to activate the remaining inscriptions.

"Young master, is this stone platform broken?"

Someone asked out of curiosity.

There are eight strange runes around the dragon-shaped statue. They have tried several times to find the direction the dragon's head is facing, but have not succeeded.

Shen Xiuchan glanced at the statue in front of him, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"This place is quite strange..."

"I wonder what's hidden beneath this altar."

"Go and look around again to see if you can find anything related."

Upon hearing this, the crowd clasped their hands in greeting and then dispersed.

As Shen Xiuchan studied the stone statue in front of him, a possibility suddenly occurred to him.

"Formation..."

"This place might be related to a formation."

He looked back at the relationship between the runes on the stone platform and the altar, and then at the inscriptions on the altar that emitted a hazy glow. He felt that it was some kind of formation.

Unfortunately, he couldn't understand the principles of formations and couldn't discover any clues for the time being.

"Son!"

Just as Shen Xiuchan was puzzled, a younger member of the Shen family suddenly shouted.

Shen Xiuchan quickly stepped in front of him and saw a broken stone slab.

"Young master, this looks like a map."

The young man pulled the largest stone slab out of the weeds, wiped off the dirt, and exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiuchan found the other stone slabs and, after piecing them together, discovered that the stone slabs were indeed engraved with a map.

"Young master, look at this mountain range, and this river..."

Following the direction the young man was pointing, Shen Xiuchan took a closer look, and his brows furrowed instantly.

"Could this be Hidden Dragon Mountain and Laishui River?"

"So, this is a map of the Yangnao region?"

The young man also asked with some curiosity, "But this picture is too big."

"The Yangnao land is clearly not this big."

Shen Xiuchan shook his head and said, "I heard my father say that Yangnao Land used to include the Southern Frontier, but it was later separated by the Great Ying True Lord using the Void Harmony Corridor Formation."

"That's how the present-day Yangnao land and southern border region came to be."

The young man suddenly realized.

"I see."

"So, does that mean the stone slab depicts the once complete Yangnao land?"

"What are these black lines and these five circles of different colors?"

On the pieced-together stone slab, the most prominent feature is five circles of different colors, along with numerous black lines connecting these circles.

Shen Xiuchan studied it for a while, then shook his head slightly and said, "I don't understand it either."

"Never mind, let's take them back to Great-Grandpa. He likes these."

With a wave of his hand, Shen Xiuchan put the broken stone slabs in front of him into his storage bag. He then looked back at the altar and the blue stone statue, feeling that there must be some connection between the two.

“You continue searching for other things around here. I will transcribe the inscription on this altar first.”

Shen Xiuchan gave an order and then took out paper and pen from his storage bag, beginning to copy the runes along the edge of the altar.

The others slowly searched for herbs and rare treasures in the valley.

……

It took Shen Xiuchan more than a month to copy all the runes on the altar. The group also searched the entire canyon, finding only some scattered fragments of ancient magical artifacts and some high-quality herbs.

“Young master, we have searched the entire place except for that cave that cannot be opened.”

Meng Yuntang came up and spoke.

Shen Xiuchan nodded: "Time is almost up. The repulsive force of the secret realm is getting stronger and stronger. We should go out now."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stopped resisting the repulsive force of the secret realm and was instantly kicked out by it.

The entrance to the secret realm.

The group arrived in front of the Snow Wolf King.

"Young master, how was the trip?"

"I've heard that this secret realm has a good lineage."

Shen Xiuchan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "The gains are not great, not to mention the inheritance."

"Lord Snow Wolf King, let's go back."

They didn't find anything good on this trip to the secret realm, so they were all quite bored.

Seeing this, the Snow Wolf King didn't ask any further questions. He immediately activated his demonic energy, carrying everyone towards Cloudwater City.

……

Inside the Blackwater Pavilion.

While stroking the animal hide scroll beside him, Shen Yuan compared it with the jade slip that Shen Chongxu had given him.

"Geng metal is the original metal... a spiritual substance..."

"Is this thing related to the Dao Source?"

"Great-grandfather, Xiu Chan requests an audience." Shen Yuanzheng murmured, and Shen Xiu Chan's voice came from the first floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

Suppressing his thoughts, Shen Yuan said in a deep voice, "Come on up."

Shen Xiuchan hurriedly came to the second floor, respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Xiuchan greets Great-Grandfather."

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "I heard you went to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm?"

"How was the harvest?"

Shen Xiuchan cupped his hands and replied, "I didn't make any big gains, but I did discover some strange things that my great-grandfather should be interested in."

As he spoke, he took out the runes he had copied and the broken stone slab.

“Great-grandfather, please look. This was discovered by Xiu Chan in a canyon within a secret realm.”

Shen Yuan moved closer and examined the pieced-together stone slabs, his brows suddenly furrowing.

"Geng metal, the origin of metal... the location of Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City!"

"This is... Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness!"

Noticing the five circles of different colors on the stone slab, Shen Yuan immediately recognized the locations of two of them: one was the place where the "Gengjin Origin Gold" mentioned by Shen Chongxu appeared, and the other was the Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness!

“Great-grandfather, this stone slab was found next to an ancient altar…”

Seeing his solemn expression, Shen Xiuchan immediately told him about the altar.

(End of this chapter)