Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 244 Immortal Dynasty Cultivator's Cave
"Great-grandfather, please look. This is the talisman that Xiu Chan copied. There may be some discrepancies in the middle."

As Shen Xiuchan spoke, he handed over another stack of papers.

After taking it, Shen Yuan glanced at it briefly and then put it aside for the time being.

“Xiu Chan, go and call your third grandfather. I need to speak with him.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiuchan immediately bowed and left the Blackwater Pavilion.

A moment later, Shen Wen'an arrived at the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

After the father and son sat down, Shen Yuan pointed to the broken stone slab in front of them and said, "Wen'an, take a look at this."

Shen Wen'an glanced at the stone slab and immediately frowned.

"The map drawn on the stone slab appears to be the entire territory of Danzhou and Yangnao."

"These circles are all different colors..."

He reached out and touched the orange-red circle, frowning as he murmured, "This should be the Western Wilderness..."

"I think this is Flame Lake City," Shen Yuan added. "I remember you once mentioned a strange stone egg in the lava lake of Flame Lake City?"

Mentioning the stone pebbles, Shen Wen'an suddenly thought of the flames of the Li Fire.

That guy devoured eighty white flames containing innate spiritual energy, saying he could help me open the stone egg. Now more than a year has passed, and I don't know how he is now.

"Father, do you know what's inside that stone egg?"

Shen Yuan didn't speak. He turned around and took out several incomplete ancient books from among the many ancient scrolls. Then he took out a jade slip that Shen Chongxu had sent for the second time.

"Chongxu said that a strange treasure appeared in the southern border region some time ago."

"The specific location is at the border between Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City."

"Both Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City are Golden Core cultivators, and a considerable conflict broke out between them in their struggle for that rare treasure."

“These books contain information about the general area of ​​Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City. I have read them and can determine that the treasure appeared here.”

Shen Yuan pointed to one of the circles on the stone slab and opened his mouth.

"Oh?"

Shen Wen'an was somewhat surprised to see this.

If the five circles on the stone slab represent rare treasures, then are the stone pebbles at the bottom of the lava lake in Flame Lake City also treasures?

"Father, do you know what the extraordinary treasure that the Fushan Kingdom and Tianjian City are fighting over is?"

The term "exotic treasure" is actually a general term.

Rare and precious materials, magical artifacts and robes, and the inheritance of cultivation techniques are all considered rare treasures.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Chongxu said in the jade slip that the treasure was called 'Gengxin Origin Gold' by a Nascent Soul power in the Southern Frontier."

"But I think it should be a spiritual substance."

After a slight pause, he explained, "I have read through a large number of ancient books and come across some things about the origin of the Dao and the spiritual nature."

"You can think of the Dao Source as the core force that maintains the normal operation of a world."

“And spiritual matter is the foundation of the Dao source.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment and said, "So, spiritual matter is the origin of the Five Elements?"

There is a consensus in the cultivation world that the proper rotation of the five elements is the foundation for the stability of heaven and earth.

Since the "exotic treasure" that Tianjian City and Fushan Kingdom are fighting over is called "Gengxin Origin Gold," then there should also be "Origin Water," "Origin Wood," and so on.

And coincidentally, the pebbles at the bottom of the lava lake fit the hypothesis of "primordial fire".

Shen Yuan shook his head after hearing this.

After a moment of contemplation, he said in a deep voice, "Spiritual nature is not simply the origin of the five elements, but a higher-level, more fundamental manifestation of the Dao."

"They are like the five elements, interdependent, mutually generating and restraining each other, maintaining the balance and vitality of the Dao source world."

As he spoke, he found a nearly decayed bamboo slip among the ancient books and carefully unfolded it.

"This is a book from the ancient sect of the Southern Frontier, the 'Heaven-Mending Sect,' which records something called 'Primordial Nature.'"

“The primordial nature is the original truth, the one from which the Tao gives birth, the mother of creation.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an frowned deeply.

Clearly, they don't quite understand the meaning of that sentence.

Shen Yuan explained: "Ancient texts say that the Tao gives birth to One, and then one gives birth to all things. This 'One' is the origin of all things."

"This means that 'original nature' is the primordial spirituality at the inception of life, similar to the existence of 'primordial Qi'."

Shen Wen'an suddenly realized, and then cupped his hands and said, "Father, do you mean that this 'primordial nature' is one of the spiritual substances?"

Shen Yuan did not answer.

Everything he just said was deduced from some ancient books, his memories of his previous life, the stone slab in front of him, and the jade slip given to him by Shen Chongxu.

Whether it's the source of the Dao or spiritual matter, the level of power involved is very high, beyond his current comprehension.

It's already quite remarkable that they were able to deduce these things.

As for the "Primordial Nature," "Calamity Nature," and "Void Nature" recorded in the incomplete bamboo slips of the "Mending Heaven Sect," he was not sure whether they were spiritual substances.

"I called you here to tell you to be extra careful in Flame Lake City."

"If the substance at the bottom of that lava lake is indeed spiritual matter, the mastermind behind this grand scheme will certainly not let it go unchecked."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an's expression changed slightly.

He suddenly remembered the gift that the old man in the straw hat who guarded the barrier between Danzhou and Yangnao during the Golden Elixir Ceremony had given him.

The father deduced that it was a warning from the person behind the game.

Tell the Shen family not to interfere with their plans.

In retrospect, was this warning simply because he discovered pebbles at the bottom of the lava lake?
"Father, I'm already trying to open that stone egg..."

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an explained his plan to open the stone egg using the flames of the Li Huo.

"Should we head to Flame Lake City immediately to stop the flames of the Departing Fire?"

If the stone egg truly contains spiritual matter, the Shen family's hasty opening of it will inevitably provoke the wrath of the person behind it.

At that time, the Shen family will likely face utter destruction.

"Need not."

After much deliberation, Shen Yuan suddenly remembered that there was another acquaintance behind this game of chess.

However, he still doesn't quite understand their attitude.

Now is the perfect time to use the "spiritual substance" inside that stone egg to test it out.

He wasn't entirely clear on the specific connection between spiritual matter and the source of the Dao, and he wanted to use the stone egg to see clearly how the mastermind behind it all was operating.

"Let the matter of the stone pebbles take its natural course. If someone intervenes, we should not force it; let them take what they want."

The goods were delivered to my door, so I might as well take them.

If someone comes looking for it later, I can just return it to them.

With Xu Xiu backing them up, the Shen family should be able to escape unscathed.

"I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

After Shen Wen'an bowed and left the Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Yuan pondered for a moment before also leaving the Blackwater Pavilion and arriving at the manor.

At the entrance of the manor, Shen Wenxing was giving instructions to his apprentice, Xu Zhan.

Upon seeing him approach, the two quickly bowed and greeted him.

"Master, I'll take my leave now."

"Ancestor."

Xu Zhan knew that the two must have something important to discuss, so he tactfully left.

After he left, Shen Yuan stared at his retreating figure and said in a deep voice, "I heard you plan to betroth You'er to this boy?"

"Has the wedding date been set?"

Shen Wenxing cupped his hands and said, "Not yet."

"With the third harvest approaching, the couple intends to wait until after the third harvest to get married."

"Xu Zhan is planning to go to the bottom of the Laishui River now to cultivate in seclusion and try to break through to the fourth realm of body cultivation before the third great harvest. He hopes to conquer some territory for my Shen family as a betrothal gift."

Go to the bottom of the Laishui River for seclusion?
Shen Yuan frowned slightly after hearing this.

There are intricate connections between the ancient city at the bottom of the Laishui River and the underworld. After the initial discovery, he never dared to let anyone explore it.

This time, Xu Zhan actually wanted to go to the bottom of the Laishui River.

“Father, Xu Zhan said that he is only going to the bottom of the river to cultivate in seclusion and does not intend to go deeper.”

"I think there shouldn't be any problem, what do you think..."

Seeing that his father's expression was off, Shen Wenxing quickly tried to explain.

Shen Yuan didn't speak, but secretly used his divine sense to activate the white jade tortoise shell in his sea of ​​consciousness to try to deduce it. He found that there was nothing too wrong, so he smiled and said, "It's alright, that's his opportunity."

"If this kid can really break through to the fourth realm before the third great harvest, then with you and your disciple, plus Chongming and the Snow Wolf King, my Shen family will not be afraid of anyone else."

"I have come to tell you something else."

The father and son walked slowly into the courtyard. After sitting down in the side room, Shen Yuan said, "It's been almost two years since Xiu Bai went to Yunzhong County."

"He possesses the lifelong inheritance of Daoist Fu Yang's array techniques, and should be carefully nurtured."

"Wen An has not yet used his Dan Qi. We will find an opportunity to bring Xiu Bai back and let him use Dan Qi to change his spiritual root aptitude."

"Whether my Shen family can achieve enough in the art of array formations in recent years depends entirely on him."

Upon hearing the mention of Dan Qi, Shen Wenxing's expression changed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands and said, "Regarding Dan Qi, I have something to say to Father."

"My eldest sister has always been a person without spiritual roots. Now she is in her seventies, but she only has the cultivation level of the third level of Qi Refining."

"Lifespan... lifespan is running out."

Shen Wenxing paused for a moment and then said, "Chongming means that Xiu Bai is still young and wants to wait a little longer."

Shen Yuan remained silent upon hearing this.

The daughter, Shen Wenping, is currently the one in the family with the worst talent for cultivation and the lowest cultivation level.

She had no spiritual roots, and in addition, her husband He Zishi was attacked and killed shortly after she gave birth to He Chongyi, which damaged her mental health and left her with a hidden illness.

Although he had the cultivation level of the third level of Qi Refining, his lifespan was still shorter than that of ordinary people who lived long lives.

"You still want to give the elixir to Wenping?"

Meeting his father's gaze, Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment before cupping his hands and saying, "To be honest, Father, I have three siblings. Now that Anu is gone, I... don't want to lose my eldest sister."

Shen Yuan nodded, then smiled faintly and said, "I understand."

"However, I still need to bring Xiu Bai back. There are some things I need to tell him."

The runes that Shen Xiuchan copied back from the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm involved array formations and were very obscure and difficult to understand. He himself could not figure them out and needed Shen Xiubai to come back and help him decipher them.

"We'll make the arrangements right now."

Shen Wenxing cupped his hands in response.

……

Yunzhong County City.

In the tower courtyard where Jiang Xiuqi lived in seclusion, Shen Xiubai and several disciples from Luoxia Mountain were busy working around a large cauldron.

"Young Master Xiu Bai, adding these things to pills will kill people!"

"Yes, Young Master Xiu Bai, these things are materials for refining weapons. If we cultivators eat them, even if we aren't poisoned to death, we won't be able to digest them either. At that time..."

Luoxia Mountain is not very skilled in alchemy, and the disciples in front of them can only barely refine some basic pills.

But now they've all been summoned by Shen Xiubai to help them refine pills.

At first, the disciples thought they were going to refine some ordinary pills.

But when Shen Xiubai took out Xuan Yi True Water, Yan Huang Stone and other refining materials and asked them to find a way to refine them into pills, the disciples of Luoxia Mountain were dumbfounded!

Mixing refining materials into pills—is this alchemy or the making of poison?

Can you eat the pills that have been refined?

"Fellow senior brothers, just follow the method Xiu Bai described to refine the pills. As for whether they can be successfully refined, we'll see first."

Shen Xiubai persisted.

The disciples from Luoxia Mountain nearby didn't say anything more.

Even if they were lucky enough to successfully refine the pills, they certainly wouldn't eat them.

Following Shen Xiubai's instructions, the group first added the Xuan Yi True Water into the alchemy furnace, and then slowly began to perform hand seals to activate the flames at the bottom of the furnace.

"Yes, we need a big fire to allow the moisture from the Xuan Yi True Water to seep into the pill."

"Senior Brother Liu, you must always pay attention to the sealing of the alchemy furnace, and make sure that the Xuan Yi True Water does not escape."

Shen Xiubai directed from the side, while several disciples from Luoxia Mountain kept busy.

Time passed slowly until a rich aroma of pills wafted from the furnace in front of them. The Luoxia Mountain disciple in charge of controlling the fire turned to Shen Xiubai and said, "Young Master Xiubai, it's almost done."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiubai pondered for a moment and then said, "Then let's follow the steps our senior brothers took before and open the furnace to test the pills."

The disciple who controlled the fire withdrew the incantation and slowly extinguished the flames at the bottom of the furnace.

Someone nearby was already using magic to slowly open the lid of the alchemy furnace.

The unique and strange aura of Xuan Yi True Water surged in, immediately overpowering the faint fragrance of the pill, causing the disciples of Luoxia Mountain and Shen Xiubai nearby to frown.

As the rising steam dissipated, the disciple surnamed Liu immediately used magic to control the pills in the furnace, causing them to slowly rise.

"what--"

"Is this dark, unsightly thing a medicinal pill?"

"This flavor is really addictive!"

Looking at the two strange pills with pitted surfaces and pitch-black color floating above the alchemy furnace, the disciples of Luoxia Mountain were quite disgusted.

Shen Xiubai couldn't wait to take off the two pills and examine them closely between his fingertips.

"It has the aura of Xuan Yi True Water..."

"If swallowed, it can absorb the Mysterious True Water contained within the pill. The heart belongs to fire, and water and fire complement each other..."

"No...we need another pill to suppress kidney fluid!"

Putting away the two pills in his hand, Shen Xiubai immediately threw out another pill formula and said, "I would like to trouble you senior brothers to help me open the furnace and refine another pill."

"This time, we need to add the Flame Emperor Stone."

The group glanced at the pill formula and, though they found it somewhat absurd, Elder Luo Yao had already instructed them to follow Shen Xiubai's arrangements. Although they harbored some resentment, they dared not say anything and immediately followed the instructions in the pill formula to fetch the spiritual herbs and medicines.

Next came cleaning the alchemy furnace to remove any remaining medicinal properties before starting the alchemy process.

"These herbs, such as rhubarb, jade-source fruit, and earth-root, are all water-attribute spiritual herbs. Adding flaming stones to them is just wasting them..."

While preparing the medicinal herbs, the group couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

Shen Xiubai ignored him and continued to scribble on a piece of paper, as if he were recording something.

A moment later, the second batch of pills began to be refined.

As a disciple added ground Flame Emperor Stone to the alchemy furnace, a wisp of spiritual energy suddenly surged within it.

Immediately afterwards, this spiritual energy grew stronger and stronger.

"not good!"

"The oven's going to explode!"

Several disciples of Luoxia Mountain sensed the situation inside the alchemy furnace and their expressions immediately changed drastically.

boom!
Before the group could even set up their spiritual energy shield, a terrifying power burst forth from the alchemy furnace!

The alchemy furnace was instantly shattered, and the people surrounding it were all thrown away by a powerful energy ripple!
"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Young Master Xiu Bai, are you alright?"

The rather disheveled group got up and helped Shen Xiubai, whose face was covered in soot, to his feet.

Shen Xiubai shook his head and said, "I'm fine. Are my senior brothers alright?"

The group looked each other over and, seeing that they were all a bit disheveled but not seriously injured, they all burst into laughter.

For alchemists, the explosion of the furnace during alchemy is a perfectly normal occurrence.

However, this time the explosion was quite powerful and fast, leaving them no time to react.

"Water and fire are incompatible. Those spiritual herbs are all water-attribute, while the Flame Emperor Stone is fire-attribute. When the two meet, they are destined to explode."

The disciple surnamed Liu shook the dust off his clothes and spoke.

"What are you little rascals messing around with?"

The noise from the fryer immediately caught Jiang Xiuqi's attention.

He walked slowly into the courtyard, only to find the surroundings in disarray and the people all covered in dust. He couldn't help but frown and ask.

When the disciples of Luoxia Mountain saw him, they all stood aside in fear and respectfully bowed.

"Ancestor."

Jiang Xiuqi nodded slightly, looking at Shen Xiubai, whose face was covered in soot: "Xiubai, what's going on?"

After bowing respectfully, Shen Xiubai said, "Reporting to Senior, I came up with a method last night that may solve the problem of cultivators' weak internal organs preventing them from becoming the foundation of an array."

"Oh?" Jiang Xiuqi was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

Just as he was about to ask a question, he suddenly glanced at the younger generation standing respectfully to the side.

"You guys tidy this up."

"Go change your clothes first, take a shower, and then come to the tower to find me."

……

On the seventh floor of the tower.

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Xiuqi's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he said in a deep voice, "You mean to refine the materials needed for the array base into pills and use these spiritual materials and essences as the array base?"

Shen Xiubai nodded.

This idea was something he gleaned from observing the jade slip that his great-grandfather Shen Yuan had given to Zhao Tuan last night.

Unfortunately, the furnace exploded while I was refining the second batch of pills.

It seems there are still some details that need to be changed.

Jiang Xiuqi was also amazed by his wildly imaginative ideas.

Because there are indeed some cultivation techniques in the cultivation world that can absorb the essence of heaven and earth, if we follow Shen Xiubai's idea, this method of using the essence of heaven and earth as the base of the array to construct an inner five elements array within the body may actually succeed.

"Uncle Master."

Just as the two were about to discuss the feasibility of this method, Luo Yao appeared on the tower.

"Uncle-Master, someone from the Shen family has come and says they want to take Xiu Bai back."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuqi frowned slightly.

Why take them back now?

Luo Yao, standing to the side, couldn't help but smile wryly: "Uncle-Master, Xiu Bai is a disciple of the Shen family. He's been in Yunzhong County for almost two years. He should be allowed to go home and visit."

A hint of displeasure flashed across Jiang Xiuqi's face; he was extremely reluctant to let Shen Xiubai go back.

This little guy has brought him so many surprises.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Xiuqi said, "Going back is fine too."

"I will personally escort you back."

"To avoid any accidents on the way."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao's expression turned somewhat strange. "Uncle-Master, you..."

Jiang Xiuqi waved his hand and said, "I have made up my mind. I will leave things here to you for the time being."

After saying this, he stood up and looked at Shen Xiubai, saying, "Let's go, I'll take you back to Yunshui City."

……

Donghai, Huaisang County.

Huaisang is located at the easternmost edge of Yangnao, nearly ten thousand miles away from Yunzhong County, where the Shen family is located.

Even cultivators at the Qi Refining stage need several days to reach their destination by flying.

The Waisango Mountains are adjacent to the vast ocean.

After the spiritual energy of Yangnao Land was restored, the number of sea monsters far exceeded that on land. After being frequently attacked by sea monsters, the common people who had previously lived along the coast gradually migrated inland.

Huai Sang County is hundreds of miles from the sea, and few common people live there.

Amidst the rolling mountains and forests, several cultivators dressed in Shen family attire were fighting a snake demon that was over ten zhang long and covered in jet-black scales.

After Shen Wen'an obtained a large amount of intelligence from Wei Chengyu of the Suihuo Sect regarding their investigation of the Three Immortals Mountain, the Shen family sent people to Huaisang County to learn about things related to the Three Immortals Mountain.

On the one hand, it was to make advance arrangements; on the other hand, it was to verify whether the intelligence provided by Wei Chengyu was true or false.

"This beast is too strong. Let's hold him off. Liu Gui, go and fetch Young Master Chonghong!"

The snake demon, which was over ten zhang long, had reached the perfect Qi Refining stage. Its thick, rough scales could withstand most magical attacks.

The low-grade magic weapons in the hands of the Shen family cultivators could only produce sparks when they struck him.

Its only weaknesses are its eyes, mouth, and nose.

Although the Shen family cultivators were all at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, even with more than ten people working together, they were no match for the snake demon.

"Then be careful, don't get hurt by this beast!"

Among the crowd, Liu Gui, a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining, heard his companion's words and immediately left the battlefield, riding the wind towards the northeast.

Huai Sang, Linhai City.

After the people in the city were harassed by demons and moved away one after another, the city became a ghost town.

Shen Chonghong brought many Shen family cultivators to Huaisang and chose to stay in this city.

A streak of light flew in from the southwest and quickly landed in the city.

"Report!"

"Young master, we encountered a Black Rock Serpent two hundred miles to the southwest. That beast has the cultivation of the Qi Refining Perfection Realm, and its skin is thick and tough. We are unable to do anything to it. Please help us, young master."

Shen Chonghong frowned upon hearing this.

There are many demons in Huai Sang County, both in the sea and on land. Not to mention those at the peak of Qi Refining, there are quite a few at the Nascent Soul stage. The entire Huai Sang County has become a paradise for demons.

"If you can't win, just retreat. There's no need to make a big fuss."

Their purpose in coming here is to find clues related to the Three Immortals Mountain, not to hunt monsters.

These monsters usually travel in groups, and he naturally didn't want to provoke them if he could avoid trouble.

“Young master, that beast was guarding a cave. We saw writing on the cave, which is why we clashed with it.”

Liu Gui cupped his hands and spoke.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong immediately became interested!

Cave, with writing on it?
Could it be the cave dwelling of some cultivators?

"Take me there."

After a moment's thought, he got up and followed Liu Gui toward the forest.

By the time the two arrived, the battle was already over.

"You killed the Black Rock Serpent?"

Seeing many Shen family cultivators gathered in a mountain hollow, Shen Chonghong asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked embarrassed.

"Young master, we were unable to subdue that beast, and our true essence and spiritual power were about to be exhausted, so... we withdrew first."

"Fortunately, that beast didn't want to leave the cave and didn't give chase, otherwise..."

Shen Chonghong nodded.

There's nothing shameful about running away when you can't win a fight.

It's not a crucial battle for the extinction of a race, and the Shen family never encourages cultivators to go and die.

With a flash of light, a long white bone spear appeared in Shen Chonghong's hand.

"Let's go, come with me."

As a cultivator in the mid-stage of the embryonic breathing realm, he naturally had no fear when facing a minor demon at the peak of the Qi Refining realm.

The group of cultivators immediately followed him and charged towards the cave where the black rock snake was located once again.

Inside the dimly lit cave.

hiss!
Having just survived a fierce battle and barely managed to drive away the uninvited guests, the Black Rock Serpent suddenly sensed the presence of the two-legged beasts again!

A hint of savagery flashed in its cold, vertical pupils, and its scarlet tongue flicked out repeatedly as its massive body charged toward the cave entrance!
"Young master, that beast has come out!"

The massive black rock snake slithered rapidly out of the cave, and Liu Gui, who was responsible for luring it, immediately flew away on the wind, heading towards the ambush position of Shen Chonghong and the others.

The Black Rock Serpent burst out of the cave, its body, which was over ten zhang long, radiating intense demonic energy, and instantly soared into the air!

While suspended in mid-air, its enormous head raised and spat out a stream of blood-red light towards Liu Gui, who was fleeing on the wind!
"Magic weapon!?"

"This beast actually possesses a magical artifact!?"

"Liu Gui, watch out!"

But what the black rock snake spat out was a three-foot-long sword glowing with red light, which pierced straight into Liu Gui's back, causing many Shen family cultivators to shout in horror.

You should know that they had been fighting this black rock snake for half an hour, and the beast had not even used any magical artifacts.

This sudden move caught Liu Gui off guard.

Seeing this, Shen Chonghong narrowed his eyes, and with a few flashes, he rushed out!
He didn't want to make a move so soon.

If the black rock snake senses my aura of the Nascent Soul Realm and turns back to its cave, it will be difficult to deal with.

But if he doesn't make a move, Liu Gui, who is in mid-air, will only be killed by that blood-red longsword.

Clang!
With his figure passing Liu Gui, Shen Chonghong, holding a long spear, swept it horizontally and knocked away the rapidly flying blood-red longsword!
Everything went as he had predicted.

After sensing the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator on its body, the Black Rock Serpent's vertical pupils narrowed slightly. It immediately opened its mouth and swallowed the blood-red longsword back into its belly, then turned around and was about to burrow into the cave!
Upon seeing this, Shen Chonghong angrily threw out his spear!

boom!
The white bone spear, carrying its powerful spiritual energy, was driven directly into the path that the black rock snake would inevitably take back to its cave!

The spiritual energy burst forth, and the surrounding hard rocks instantly shattered!

The Black Rock Serpent couldn't dodge in time, and its massive body was also thrown away by a ripple of energy, crashing into the direction from which Shen Chonghong had come!

While in mid-air, Shen Chonghong suddenly felt a surge of intense fire-attribute spiritual energy behind him!
In an instant, two sharp blades resembling fiery wings appeared behind him and slashed at the black rock snake that was charging towards him!

The Black Rock Serpent, suspended in mid-air, watched as two fiery blades hurtled towards it, struggling to control its body to defend itself.

However, the flaming blade was extremely sharp.

Its proud, hard scales were like tofu in front of the flaming blade, instantly sliced ​​into four pieces!
Bang!
Bang!
After its ten-zhang-long body was cut into four pieces, it crashed heavily into the forest below due to inertia, blood flowing everywhere!

Upon seeing this, the Shen family cultivators behind Shen Chonghong skillfully surrounded him and quickly disposed of the black rock snake's corpse.

The best flesh and blood can be taken back to the body cultivators in the clan, and the tendons, bones, scales, and armor are also materials for refining weapons.

"Son."

Liu Gui, his hands stained with the blood of the Black Rock Serpent, approached Shen Chonghong, carrying an ancient, blood-red longsword.

"This is the magical artifact that beast just used."

Shen Chonghong took the blood-red longsword, examined it carefully, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"This is... a standard magical artifact from the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty!?"

The Great Chu Immortal Dynasty was a powerful force that once occupied the entire Danzhou.

The reason he could recognize the blood-red longsword in his hand as a standard magical weapon of the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty was because his wife Xiao Hongxiu's Hundred Refinement Valley was originally founded by several apprentice weapon refiners from the Immortal Dynasty's weapon-refining workshop.

The blood-red longsword in his hand was exactly the same as the weapon prototypes that Hundred Refinement Valley had forged back then. The difference was that this blood-red longsword was a magic weapon, while the weapon prototypes that Hundred Refinement Valley forged were just ordinary weapons.

If the Black Rock Serpent could obtain a standard magic weapon from the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty, it means that the cave in front of it is very likely the place where a cultivator from the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty passed away.

"This magical artifact is yours."

Looking at the longsword in his hand again, and seeing that it was nothing special, just a low-grade magic weapon, Shen Chonghong immediately handed it to Liu Gui.

This is a low-grade magic weapon crafted using ancient techniques. Overall, it is stronger than low-grade magic weapons crafted using modern methods.

"Thank you, sir!"

Liu Gui was overjoyed and hurriedly took the blood-red longsword, carefully wiping it clean.

"Come on, let's go in and take a look."

Seeing that everyone had finished cleaning up the black rock snake's corpse, Shen Chonghong spoke, and the group headed towards the cave.

The cave in front of us is very spacious. It should be a naturally formed cave that has been modified by humans.

"Young master, what do these words mean?"

At the entrance of the cave, there is a stone tablet. Although it has been weathered and its surface is mottled, you can still vaguely see that hundreds of characters are neatly engraved on it.

However, these characters were the immortal script of the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty, which no one could understand.

After studying it for a long time, Shen Chonghong could only roughly tell that it was carved by a cultivator named Situ Jing.

There is also a date at the bottom of the stone tablet.

"The year 14355 of the Great Chu Calendar..."

Stroking the final inscription, Shen Chonghong couldn't help but murmur, "This Great Chu Immortal Dynasty has actually lasted for over ten thousand years!?"

"How could such a terrifying celestial dynasty suddenly collapse?"

Beside him, the Shen family cultivators were also somewhat dumbfounded.

A power that has been passed down for over ten thousand years, how terrifying must the strength of its cultivators be?
"Leave one person behind to find a way to get this stone tablet out, being careful not to destroy the inscription on it."

"The rest of you, follow me inside."

After some thought, Shen Chonghong spoke.

The inscription on the stone tablet involved the "Great Chu Immortal Dynasty," an ancient secret that greatly interested Grandpa Shen Yuan, so he naturally wanted to share it with him.

The group entered the cave.

At first, all that was underfoot were decaying bones, some human and some animal.

They were likely prey hunted by the black rock snake.

After walking for about a hundred feet, the withered bones on the ground gradually disappeared, and a collapsed stone gate appeared in front of them.

Shen Chonghong arrived at the stone gate and, after careful examination, discovered that the stone gate was covered with strange runes, which resembled array patterns.

But now these array patterns have lost their spiritual essence.

It seems that the energy maintaining the formation was exhausted, and the Black Rock Serpent forcefully broke through it.

After passing through the stone gate, a three-way intersection appeared in front of you, and each passage showed obvious signs of human carving.

Shen Chonghong hesitated slightly before saying:

"Search separately, be careful, and warn others immediately if you encounter any danger."

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so people behind him immediately split into five groups and headed towards the side paths.

Shen Chonghong, on the other hand, led the remaining three people to continue their journey.

The four walked for another hundred feet or so, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

A ray of sunlight shone down from the cave entrance at the top of the cave, landing precisely on a strange little tree. Beside the tree were several withered spiritual herbs.

A rich spiritual energy emanated from a nearby spring, condensing into a thin mist that slowly drifted toward the strange little tree.

A few leaves grow at the top of the sapling, shimmering in the sunlight, like jade carvings.

"It's truly amazing! There's a whole different world inside this small cave!"

Seeing this, Liu Gui, standing behind Shen Chonghong, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

“Young master, this little tree is also very strange.”

"Only four or five leaves grow at the top; the rest of the plant is bare."

Another Shen family cultivator noticed the small tree, curiously approached it, and reached out to touch the jade-like leaves.

"Don't touch it!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Chonghong immediately shouted to stop.

But in the end, I was still a step too slow.

The Shen family cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining had his fingers already gripping the leaf.

His body suddenly stiffened, and then, in an instant, he lost all his spiritual energy!
Seeing this, Shen Chonghong's face turned ugly.

died!

The moment this cultivator, who had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, touched the leaves of the small tree, his soul vanished instantly!
Such a terrifying and bizarre way of dying made him and Liu Gui behind him feel a chill run down their spines!
"Young master, what... what's going on?"

After a long while, Liu Gui swallowed hard, his face full of terror, and murmured in a terrified voice.

Shen Chonghong stared intently at the sapling and shook his head slightly.

"Don't touch anything here."

"Especially those small trees, don't go near them anymore."

He could sense a faint, eerie aura emanating from the sapling, but he couldn't quite make out what it was.

The three of them bypassed the terrifying little tree and arrived at the depths of the cave.

This is clearly where the owner of the cave practiced meditation during his lifetime.

A bed as black as ink, with a futon on top and a stone desk in front of it.

On the left side of the desk were more than ten bamboo slips stacked together, and next to them were several silk scrolls.

On the right is a bronze lamp, and below the lamp is an exquisite box, the material of which is not discernible.

Looking around, Shen Chonghong's gaze was drawn to a huge map hanging on the stone wall behind the black jade bed.

He slowly approached the document and examined it closely with the help of the sunlight shining down from the top of the cave. He discovered that the map depicted what appeared to be a vast, boundless sea.

The sea is dotted with islands, each marked with its name in the Great Chu script.

After careful observation, he finally spotted the location of "Huai Sang County" on the far left of the map, based on the terrain.

"Was this cultivator from the Great Chu named Situ Jing also here to search for the Three Immortal Mountains back then?"

Shen Chonghong immediately realized that the Great Chu cultivator named Situ Jing must have also gone to sea before his death, as he had built a cave dwelling in Huai Sang to live in seclusion and found a map of the sea inside.

After a moment's thought, he immediately waved his hand and put the huge map into his storage bag.

Immediately afterwards, his palm reached out to the bamboo slips on the stone table in front of him.

"Son!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Gui quickly came to his side.

"Young master, please be careful. I will go first."

The incident with the sapling made him wary, and he also feared that the bamboo slips might be in danger.

He immediately stopped Shen Chonghong, carefully removed the top bamboo scroll, opened it, and found nothing unusual. He then breathed a sigh of relief and handed it to Shen Chonghong.

Upon receiving the scroll, Shen Chonghong glanced at it and found that it was still covered with densely packed Great Chu Immortal Script.

However, the Great Chu Immortal Script and the current script of Yangnao Land still have some similarities.

After examining it carefully for a while, Shen Chonghong roughly understood that the owner of this cave was indeed Situ Jing.

In the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty, he held the official position of "Shaman".

Shen Chonghong then perused the other bamboo slips and roughly deduced that Situ Jing seemed to have been ordered to go to sea to find elixirs for the master of the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty.

Whether the elixir was ultimately found is not mentioned in the bamboo slips, but it seems that the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty was destroyed after Situ Jing returned from her sea voyage.

He was forced to live in seclusion in Yangnao, and dared not return to Danzhou.

As for the silk scrolls next to the bamboo slips, Shen Chonghong opened them one by one and found that they contained some more ancient characters, which were different from the Great Chu Immortal Script.

After putting the bamboo slips and silk into his storage bag, his gaze fell on the exquisite box on the right side of the desk.

"Son."

"Son."

Just as he was hesitating whether to open the box and take a look, the Shen family cultivators who were exploring the other two side paths arrived one after another.

Shen Chonghong turned around.

"No one should go near that sapling."

After warning everyone, he finally spoke: "So, what did you find in the other two passageways?"

A middle-aged man at the ninth level of Qi Refining spoke first.

"Young Master Bing, the end of that passage seems to be a medicinal herb field. All the spiritual herbs planted there have withered and died, losing all their spiritual essence. Apart from these, we have gained nothing else this time."

As he spoke, he handed over the cloth bag he was holding.

Shen Chonghong opened the cloth bag and took a look. He found that it contained seeds of spiritual herbs, with a faint spiritual aura emanating from them. He wondered if they could still be planted.

Besides the seeds of spiritual herbs, there were several jade shovels and a tattered animal skin book with simple illustrations of various spiritual herbs and medicines, accompanied by text.

It must be either a book that records the cultivation methods of these medicinal herbs or a book that introduces the medicinal properties of these herbs.

After putting these items into his storage bag, he looked at the other five people.

"Young master, we have made some gains."

"At the end of that passageway was a huge alchemy furnace. We tried it out, but it was too heavy, so we didn't move it over."

"Besides the alchemy furnace, there are these."

The group handed over the jade slips, scrolls, bamboo slips, and other items they had to Shen Chonghong.

A pill-making furnace!?
Upon hearing this, Shen Chonghong felt a surge of excitement!
In the realm of cultivation arts, the Shen family has now made a preliminary grasp of the art of weapon crafting, and in the art of formations, they have inherited the legacy left by Fu Yang, and Shen Xiubai has also begun to cultivate it.

The owner of this cave is Situ Jing, a cultivator from the Great Chu Immortal Dynasty. If he is also an alchemist, these jade slips should contain alchemy inheritance, right?

Suppressing his joy, he immediately picked up each of the jade slips in front of him and examined them.

The Classic of Herbs and Jade Marrow...

The Art of Fire Control...

"The Secret to Jade Elixir"!?

The Jade Box Book of the Cloudy Bookcase!?

……

The more Shen Chonghong looked, the greater his surprise and delight became!

It truly is a lineage of Daoist alchemy!
The jade slips in front of me contain everything from the medicinal properties of spiritual herbs and medicines to fire control, to the basics of alchemy, pill formulas, and even divination for opening the furnace after the pill is made!
This is a complete lineage of alchemy!
Suppressing his excitement, he immediately put these items into his storage bag.

"You have rendered a great service this time. When we return, I will certainly inform the clan and reward you handsomely!"

The significance of a complete lineage of alchemy to the Shen family is self-evident.

All of this stemmed from the discovery of this cave by more than ten Shen family cultivators present.

Shen Chonghong then gathered everything in the cave in front of him into his storage bag and looked at the others:
"Where is the alchemy furnace? Once we have it, we will return to Yunshui City immediately."

This is already a huge gain, and I must hurry up and return the items. If anything goes wrong, I will become a sinner against the Shen family!
(End of this chapter)