Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 246 The Third Great Harvest
Copper kettle?

Shen Yuan was slightly taken aback: "Is it that bronze pot that can condense spiritual liquid?"

Shen Xiubai nodded.

He always felt that the bronze pot and the spirit-gathering array were somehow connected. If he could study it carefully, even if he couldn't find a way to set up the spirit-gathering array in his dantian, he might be able to complete the incomplete spirit-gathering array.

"Child, if you need spirit crystals, just go to your uncle. You can use the family's resources as you please."

"The copper pot condenses spiritual liquid very slowly, which cannot meet the needs of cultivation."

Shen Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

He thought Shen Xiubai wanted the copper pot so he could use the spiritual liquid inside for cultivation.

Absorbing spiritual liquid is better for cultivators than absorbing spiritual crystals.

However, the copper pot can only condense one drop of spiritual liquid every six months, and the spiritual power contained in one drop of spiritual liquid is about the same as that in a piece of spiritual crystal.

"Grandpa, you misunderstand. Xiu Bai just wanted to see the array on that bronze pot."

Shen Xiubai quickly explained.

Shen Yuan then realized that the bronze pot could autonomously absorb the free spiritual energy in the air and condense it into spiritual liquid, so it must have an array.

"Wait, Great-Grandpa will get it for you."

Shen Yuan slowly got up and went up to the third floor. He took the bronze pot off the antique shelf, shook it gently, and found that there were still dozens of drops of spiritual liquid inside. He didn't take them out, but brought them all down with him.

"Xiu Bai, this bronze kettle is a treasure. You can study it, but please don't break it."

The bronze kettle was something he brought from the mansion of the dragon tamer years ago.

The condensed spiritual liquid is extremely helpful in refining high-level pills.

Shen Chonghong risked his life to bring back the complete Dao of Alchemy from Huaisang. It won't be long before a master alchemist appears in the Shen family.

This bronze pot will be of great use in the future development of Taoist alchemy.

Shen Xiubai took the copper pot and nodded slightly, saying, "Grandpa, don't worry, Xiubai is just studying the formation on it."

Stroking the array patterns on the surface of the bronze kettle, Shen Xiubai was very happy.

"There should still be a few dozen drops of spiritual liquid inside. Refine and absorb them in the coming days and see if you can advance your cultivation level further."

Shen Wenxing and his son had always wanted to leave Shen Wen'an's elixir energy to their daughter, Shen Wenping.

This would inevitably delay Shen Xiubai's cultivation.

He could only try to make amends.

"Yes, great grandfather."

Shen Xiubai cupped his hands in greeting and then stood up.

"Great-grandfather, Xiu Bai has passed away."

The little guy's humble and polite demeanor made him seem quite unfamiliar.

Shen Yuan sighed inwardly and nodded, saying, "Go ahead, if you need anything, just come and find your great-grandfather."

He wasn't very close to most of the younger generation with the character "Xiu" in their names, but Shen Xiubai was an exception.

The main reason was that he bore the responsibility for the rise of the Shen family's array formations, and on the other hand, Shen Yuan felt he had let down the lineage of his second brother, Shen Wenyan.

Especially Shen Chongxu, who was far away in the southern border region, despite leaving his family in a huff, still managed to save up all the cultivation resources he had accumulated and send them all the way back to his family.

……

In the pavilion in the backyard of the manor.

Shen Wenxing looked at Xu Zhan in front of him with a complicated expression.

"I had thought that your cultivation would soon surpass mine, but I didn't expect it to be this fast."

"Since you became my disciple, in just over ten years, I have personally witnessed you advance rapidly from the first realm of body cultivation to the current peak of the fourth realm."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan cupped his hands slightly and said, "It was my cleverness that led to this."

"It is also thanks to your teachings, Master, that I have laid a solid foundation. Otherwise, even with the opportunity in front of me, I might not have been able to break through."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing smiled.

"You brat, don't try to flatter your master."

"I haven't taught you much over the years."

What he said is true.

In the more than ten years that Xu Zhan had been a disciple of him, apart from some basic physical cultivation techniques and the cultivation skills of the Azure Dragon Force, he really hadn't taught him much else.

Xu Zhan's achievements today are entirely due to his own hard work.

While luck plays a significant role, it is also a part of one's own abilities.

"Xu Zhan, with your current strength, I really have nothing more to teach you."

"However, You'er's grandfather once made a deduction about the realms above the four realms of body cultivation."

"I think this might be of some reference value to you."

As Shen Wenxing spoke, he handed over a jade slip.

The contents of the jade slip were the approximate paths to the fifth and sixth realms of body cultivation that Shen Yuan deduced with the help of the Azure Dragon Force when he broke through to the fourth realm and went through life-and-death tribulations.

Xu Zhan respectfully accepted the jade slip, examined it carefully for a moment, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"When Qi and blood combine with spiritual power, the physical body can possess supernatural abilities!"

"Our ancestor is too amazing! Even I didn't think of that!"

"The fifth realm of spiritual transformation, the sixth realm of divine power—seeing this, I feel a sense of sudden enlightenment."

Seeing this, Shen Wenxing smiled and nodded.

This prospective son-in-law of theirs is quite adept at social etiquette, and although his words contained a hint of flattery, they were also true.

This is the way of spiritual practice.

If one relies on self-exploration, sometimes even a small obstacle can hold a cultivator back for years, or even hundreds of years!
Even when their lifespan is exhausted, they may not be able to overcome that hurdle.

In fact, this hurdle can be easily overcome with just a word from someone else pointing out the general direction.

The Shen family does not have a cultivation path beyond the fourth realm of body cultivation.

The fact that their father, Shen Yuan, was able to deduce the future direction of body cultivation through the "Azure Dragon Force" is already a guiding light for many body cultivators.

"Master, there is something I am not sure if I should say."

After putting away the jade slip, Xu Zhan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"But it doesn't matter."

Shen Wenxing picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

Xu Zhan bowed slightly.

"The Nine Fiends Body Convergence Technique is a good physical cultivation method. Master, you... may consider practicing this technique."

He himself is currently practicing the "Nine Fiends Body Gathering Technique," and he can clearly feel that this technique is easier than the "Azure Dragon Force."

This time, I also wanted my master to change his cultivation method so that it would be easier for him to cultivate.

Shen Wenxing smiled faintly and shook his head upon hearing this.

"There is not much difference between the Azure Dragon Force and the Nine Fiends Body Gathering Technique in the later stages."

"The later stages of the Azure Dragon Force are indeed quite difficult, but I have already reached the fourth level in cultivating this technique, and I have recently gained some insights, so there is no need to switch."

When he broke through the life-and-death realm, thanks to his father Shen Yuan's help, he did gain some insights into the "Azure Dragon Force," which was about its true meaning.

Having cultivated the Azure Dragon Force for nearly a hundred years, he had long been accustomed to it and naturally did not want to change it.

Xu Zhan nodded slightly, but did not continue to persuade him.

"You don't need to worry about my affairs."

"The third major harvest will be in a few months, and this time the Shen family will make a different move."

"Take this opportunity to train those cultivator soldiers well, because there will be a great battle later."

A major battle?

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Xu Zhan's eyes.

During the last major harvest, his realm was still at the first level, and his strength was too weak to participate in the battle. This time, however, he has reached the peak of the fourth realm, which is equivalent to a half-step Golden Core cultivator, so he should make a good showing.

"Master, don't worry!"

"In this battle, I will definitely demonstrate the prowess of body cultivators and show the cultivators of this Yangnao Land the strength of us body cultivators!"

After rising and bowing, Xu Zhan left the residence with a surge of emotion.

Watching his retreating figure, Shen Wenxing shook his head with a faint smile.

"Smelly boy..."

"That kind of enthusiasm is truly admirable."

"Father!"

"Has Xu Zhan been here?"

As Shen Wenxing was muttering to himself, his daughter Shen You rushed over.

"They came, and then they left."

Looking at his daughter, Shen Wenxing smiled faintly and spoke.

"Humph!"

"After months of seclusion, all he cared about upon emerging was his master..."

Hearing that Xu Zhan had come all this way but hadn't even thought of seeing her, Shen You felt a surge of resentment.

Seeing this, Shen Wenxing comforted him, "Alright, as a cultivator, don't be petty."

"That kid is now determined to make something of himself and bring you honor."

"You should be glad you met someone like this."

Shen You pouted and stopped complaining.

Shen Wenxing glanced at her and continued, "Xu Zhan's talent has already been shown, so don't slack off and work hard to cultivate."

"Otherwise, if he leaves us too far behind in the future, it will only cause more trouble."

Upon hearing this, Shen You's expression changed slightly, but she still stubbornly said, "My daughter is also in the mid-stage of fetal breathing now, and she's not much worse than him, okay?"

Shen Wenxing smiled faintly and said, "Then do you know what level of cultivation he has when he emerges from seclusion this time?"

Shen You paused for a moment, then shook her head.

She hadn't even seen Xu Zhan when he emerged from seclusion, so she had no idea of ​​his current cultivation level.

"At the peak of the fourth realm, you have already surpassed your father."

"That's equivalent to the half-step Golden Core realm of immortality."

Upon hearing this, Shen You's pretty face was filled with astonishment, followed by a secret delight as she murmured, "What a monster..."

After saying this, she cupped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Shen Wenxing: "It seems that my daughter really needs to be more serious."

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

……

Western Wilderness, Flame Lake City.

When Shen Wen'an reappeared here, he clearly sensed a strange aura permeating Flame Lake City.

Upon entering the city, he immediately felt an extremely pure "life force" permeating the entire Flame Lake City.

"This is……"

Shen Wen'an was somewhat confused.

He came here to see if the little firebird formed from the flames of the Li Fire had opened the stone egg.

However, this faint "life force" aroused his curiosity.

"Three grandpas!"

"Third uncle!"

Upon receiving news of his arrival, He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun hurriedly went to the city gate to greet him.

"Good lad, you've broken through the embryonic breathing stage?"

Shen Wen'an was slightly surprised to see that Shen Xiuyun had already reached the realm of fetal breathing.

Among the younger generation of the Shen family with the character "Xiu" in their name, Shen Xiuyun's talent was not the best, but he was the first to break through to the Fetal Breathing Realm.

"Hehe... I got lucky."

Shen Xiuyun smiled and scratched his head.

He Chongyi, who was standing to the side, explained, "Third Uncle, you don't know, this kid is impetuous."

"After he reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage, I originally wanted him to settle down and accumulate some foundation."

"But this kid just wouldn't listen, he insisted on forcibly breaking through the fetal breathing stage."

"He was lucky; he broke through on the spot."

Shen Wen'an was slightly surprised after hearing this.

From the completion of Qi cultivation to embryonic breathing, it is not as advanced as from embryonic breathing to the Golden Elixir.

However, achieving the fetal breathing stage and laying the foundation for the immortal embryo by condensing the immortal embryo within the body requires a considerable amount of accumulated experience for a cultivator.

After Shen Xiuyun reached the peak of Qi Refining, he didn't have much accumulation of knowledge and directly tried to break through to the Fetal Breathing stage, and he actually succeeded, which was truly unbelievable.

However, he vaguely felt that all of this might be related to the "life force" permeating the city.

"Have you two noticed anything unusual while you were in Flame Lake City lately?"

Thinking of this, Shen Wen'an asked the two people in front of him.

Strange?

Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi exchanged a glance and both shook their heads slightly.

"Third Uncle, what's wrong?"

Is there something wrong with Flame Lake City?

He Chongyi asked curiously.

Shen Wen'an shook his head.

This pure "life force" is very weak. If it appears gradually and strengthens imperceptibly, it is normal for cultivators who have been in it for a long time not to feel it.

"How is the cultivation level of the cultivators in the city doing lately?"

After thinking for a moment, he changed the subject.

Both of them beamed with joy when the matter was mentioned.

"Third Grandfather, that's exactly what I was about to tell you."

"This Flame Lake City truly lives up to its reputation as a cultivation paradise for those with fire-attribute spiritual roots."

"Now, in this Flame Lake City, the cultivation levels of all the cultivators in my Shen family have greatly improved."

"There are already dozens of cultivators at the Qi Refining Perfection Realm, and the rest have all reached the ninth level of Qi Refining."

"I believe that if Flame Lake City is given another ten years, all cultivators will definitely be able to break through to the Nascent Soul stage!"

Shen Xiuyun spoke with a proud expression.

Flame Lake City has only been built for twenty years. When these hundred-odd cultivators were sent here, their cultivation levels were generally only at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining.

In just twenty years, their strength has doubled.

This rate of improvement is far more terrifying than that of the cultivators in Yunshui City.

If it weren't for the fact that the rich earth fire essence of Flame Lake City was unsuitable for other cultivators, Shen Xiuyun would have asked his family to send more cultivators.

It was indeed due to this "life force".

Shen Wen'an remembered clearly that when he came here more than two years ago, only a few cultivators in the city had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, while the rest were only at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining.

In just two short years, everyone's abilities have improved dramatically.

This situation is not caused by the fact that Flame Lake City is more suitable for cultivators with fire-attribute spiritual roots.

"Let's go check out the lava lake."

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an spoke in a deep voice.

He had realized that this pure "life force" was very likely related to the pebbles in the lava lake.

Father Shen Yuan had previously deduced that the stone pebbles in this lava lake were very likely the same as the rare treasures that appeared on the border of the Fushan Kingdom in the southern border region, both being spiritual substances.

However, they had no idea what the specific effects of spiritual substances were.

The three of them soon arrived at the edge of the lava lake.

At this moment, many Shen family cultivators on the lake shore were enthusiastically using the essence of earth fire to hammer and forge the blanks of magical artifacts.

Shen Wen'an didn't disturb them. He chose a deserted area and dived directly into the lake.

The moment his body entered the lava lake, he could clearly feel that the "life force" in the lava was significantly more concentrated than in Flame Lake City.

"That's really strange..."

With a thought in mind, Shen Wen'an, supporting his sword energy shield, quickly swam towards the location of the stone egg.

Boom boom boom!
dong dong!

Before he even got close to the stone egg, he heard a series of "thumping" sounds coming from the golden magma below.

Following the sound, they continued to descend and saw a large bird, nearly ten feet long, with fiery red wings, perched on a huge stone egg, pecking at its hard shell with its sharp beak.

Sensing his approach, the firebird suddenly stopped and tilted its head to look over.

Upon seeing him, a flicker of panic crossed the firebird's fiery blue eyes, and it began frantically pecking at the hard stone egg beneath it.

"I've already tried my best!"

"It...it's too hard..."

A clear, melodious voice rang out, and Shen Wen'an sensed the firebird's panic.

"Are you able to speak?"

He approached the stone pebble with some curiosity and examined the firebird above it.

This creature was covered in magnificent wings, with several fiery red feathers on its head that shimmered with blue light, and a pair of deep blue eyes, making it look extremely noble and beautiful.

"Could it be the legendary phoenix?"

Shen Wen'an thought to himself, then said, "No need to rush, I'm not here to blame you."

This firebird was formed from a flame that absorbed a large amount of innate spiritual energy; its future potential is limitless.

Properly nurturing them would be a great asset for the Shen family, so he naturally wouldn't be too demanding.

Upon hearing this, the firebird stopped, tilted its head to look at Shen Wen'an, and said, "You said last time, two years..."

Shen Wen'an approached the stone pebble with a faint smile.

But the stone egg had already been pecked open by a third, and a rich "life force" was constantly emerging from the crack. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The "Life Force" within Flame Lake City is indeed related to this thing.

Do you know what's inside this pebble?

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an asked in a deep voice.

Firebird shook its head slightly: "The food in here smells delicious. These past two years I..."

Firebird stopped talking abruptly halfway through its sentence.

Shen Wen'an looked at it with a half-smile and said, "You've been stealing food quite a bit these past two years, haven't you?"

"Is your current form related to what's inside?"

Seeing that Shen Wen'an didn't seem angry, the firebird nodded somewhat awkwardly: "The Fire of Li is an innate spirit. My current state should have surpassed the Seed of Fire of Li and reached the transformed state of an innate spirit."

"All of this was indeed caused by the forces within."

Shen Wen'an nodded and then asked, "So you are now... a phoenix?"

Upon hearing this, the firebird said with a strange expression, "The phoenix and the dragon are two different kinds of creatures."

"I haven't reached that level yet; I'd say I'm more like the Vermilion Bird of Fire."

The Vermilion Bird of Fire?

Shen Wen'an pondered to himself that he didn't quite understand the relationship between these ancient mythical beasts.

After a moment of silence, the Vermilion Bird suddenly spoke up: "Hey, I have something to say to you."

Shen Wen'an turned his head and looked at it with a puzzled expression.

The Vermilion Bird looked at the stone egg beneath it and hesitated slightly before saying, "I can sense that this thing is not simple. If it is fully opened, it is uncertain whether it will bring good fortune or misfortune."

"Would you like to reconsider?"

Shen Wen'an asked with some curiosity, "What do you think is inside?"

The Vermilion Bird shook its head.

"Anyway, it's not simple at all; it seems to be related to this world."

"The instinctive memories awakening in my brain tell me that something like this, once fully revealed, will inevitably be sensed by a powerful being." "If it gets snatched away by someone else, it will be a huge loss."

Having already tasted the benefits of the stone pebbles, it naturally didn't want to lose this treasure.

Moreover, in its current form, if it were captured by a powerful figure, it would be either refined into a spirit and imprisoned, or directly refined into a pill and devoured.

Compared to those terrifying beings, at least Shen Wen'an didn't show any greed in his eyes when he saw it.

Shen Wen'an also fell into deep thought because of what the Fire Vermilion Bird said.

He thought of the "Geng and Xin origin metal" mentioned by Shen Chongxu in the jade slip.

After a long struggle between Tianjian City and Fushan Kingdom, it was ultimately seized by a Nascent Soul stage power in the Southern Frontier.

If the contents inside the stone egg are like the "Gengxin Origin Gold," once fully revealed, it might attract powerful True Monarchs at the Nascent Soul stage to vie for it.

Now that one-third of the stone egg has been opened, the overflowing life force is clearly of great help to cultivators.

Allowing them to remain in Flame Lake City would actually be most beneficial to the Shen family.

However... this life force cannot be allowed to be absorbed by the Vermilion Bird of Fire for nothing.

As this guy just said, its form has surpassed that of the Seed of Fire and reached the level of a primordial spirit taking human form.

In this situation, it's hard to say whether it will break free from the constraints of the bronze lamp.

Shen Wen'an planned to find a way to restrain it.

"The power within the stone egg must have been of great help to you, right?"

Upon hearing this, the Vermilion Bird of Fire paused for a moment, then stammered, "It's...it's alright."

"If I let you stay here and absorb this power indefinitely, will your strength surpass mine?"

"By the time……"

"will not!"

"Will not!"

Meeting Shen Wen'an's gaze, Li Huo Zhuque hurriedly explained, "The evolution speed of innate spirits is very slow."

"The innate spirits of ancient times evolved into powerful divine beasts after countless years. If I want to surpass you, it will take me at least a hundred years, or even longer."

"By then, you'll definitely be even stronger, right?"

The words of the Vermilion Bird of Fire carried a hint of flattery and obsequiousness.

Shen Wen'an smiled faintly upon hearing this: "What if I were to perish?"

"And...there are also bronze lamps!"

"My true form is on that!"

The Vermilion Bird was taken aback at first, then quickly explained.

However, the cunning glint in his eyes did not escape Shen Wen'an's notice.

really!

If this thing continues to evolve, it might actually find a way to break free from the constraints of the bronze lamp.

The so-called "original body" probably can't be restrained for long.

Regarding the stone egg, I can heed your suggestion and not open it any further.

"You can also stay here and continue to refine its power."

"but……"

Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "You must leave behind a wisp of your original true spirit."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't easily trust you."

He could sense an extremely mysterious power within the Vermilion Bird in front of him.

That must be its true origin and core.

Only by controlling its original true spirit can he confidently allow this creature to devour the power within the stone egg and grow stronger.

Otherwise, once it fully matures and turns against the Shen family, it will be troublesome.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Li Huo Zhu Que's eyes.

But when he sensed the aura of the immortal golden core emanating from Shen Wen'an, that cold expression vanished instantly.

With its current strength, aided by the surrounding magma, it can rival a Golden Core cultivator to some extent.

However, Shen Wen'an still possessed the bronze lamp.

It cannot completely get rid of the original body on that lamp yet, and once it makes a move, the Vermilion Bird knows that it does not have much of a chance of winning.

It could also sense Shen Wen'an's wariness towards it.

If this attempt fails, all the effort I've put into evolving to this point will likely be completely annihilated.

"how?"

"Don't want to?"

Seeing the glint of his deep blue eyes, a cold glint flashed in Shen Wen'an's eyes, and he directly took out the bronze lamp.

"If you are unwilling, I will take you to the ancient ice mountain right now."

"We'll see if you can continue to evolve."

With a hand seal, a surge of spiritual energy was immediately injected into the bronze lamp.

The mark on the lamp slowly lit up, and a faint suction force came, tearing at the body of the Vermilion Bird of Fire.

"I...I promise you!"

The Vermilion Bird of Fire was terrified!

After weighing the pros and cons, it felt that even surrendering a wisp of its original true spirit and being held hostage was much better than being wiped out.

“I can hand over my original true spirit, but on one condition.”

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an said, "Tell me about it first."

After struggling for a long time, the Vermilion Bird of Fire said, "As a primordial spirit, I also have dignity."

"I'm handing over my original spirit just to put your mind at ease. Don't think that I've become your slave."

"Unless it's something important, you can't disturb my cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an frowned slightly.

Does this guy still not understand reality?
What about dignity?
"So you want to eat my Shen family's food and use my Shen family's things? Can't my Shen family command you?"

"What, you want to be the ancestor of my Shen family?"

Shen Wen'an sneered at it, a wisp of spiritual power emanating from his fingertip, which he then touched the bronze lamp again.

"stop!"

"Stop it!"

Sensing the suction force returning, the Vermilion Bird of Fire exclaimed in surprise, "The terms are negotiable!"

Shen Wen'an sneered, stopped injecting spiritual power, and said slowly, "You say that innate spirits have dignity, so I will give you some face."

"Hand over your original true spirit, and my Shen family will not truly treat you as a servant."

"But if you are ever needed in the future, you cannot secretly comply while secretly disobeying."

"Furthermore, you cannot shirk your responsibility for weapon forging in this city in the future. You must take action unconditionally whenever it is your turn."

Upon hearing this, Li Huo Zhu Que was very unwilling, but since the terms were still acceptable, she did not continue to bargain.

After forcibly extracting a wisp of its original true spirit from its body and giving it to Shen Wen'an, it lay weakly on the stone egg.

Shen Wen'an took a jade bottle, put his original true spirit into it, and then put the jade bottle into his storage bag, intending to give it to his father Shen Yuan for safekeeping when he returned to Yunshui City.

"What can be seen inside this pebble?"

After doing all this, he asked with some curiosity.

Li Huo Zhuque didn't speak, but simply moved aside a little to let him see for himself.

Shen Wen'an arrived at the top of the stone egg and looked inside through the gap pecked open by the Vermilion Bird.

A hazy, spiritual light filled the room, as if a strange energy was slowly circulating within, but no concrete object could be seen.

This situation reminded him of the "original nature" mentioned by his father, Shen Yuan.

Therefore, it seems that the substance inside this stone egg might indeed be spiritual matter.

There was just one thing he didn't understand.

The spiritual substance is related to the source of the Tao.

The players in this grand scheme of Yangnao Land are plotting to seize the source of the Dao, yet no one cares about the stone pebbles of Flame Lake City.

Could it be that they were unaware that a spiritual substance existed at the bottom of this lava lake?

Shen Wen'an shook his head.

He really couldn't fathom the schemes of that kind of person.

After emerging from the lava lake, he found He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun and instructed them to keep a close watch on the lava lake and prevent anyone from diving in, so as not to expose the existence of the stone pebbles.

The two men looked at each other strangely after hearing this.

The terrifying temperature of that lava lake is unbearable even for those in the late stages of the embryonic breathing realm; who would want to go in there and suffer for no reason?

Since he had given the instructions, the two of them respectfully agreed.

"By the way, I heard that Chongming arranged a marriage for you last year. How's it going?"

After chatting for a while, Shen Wen'an remembered the favor Shen Chongming had asked him before he came here.

When the marriage was mentioned, He Chongyi's face showed a hint of shyness. Before he could answer, Shen Xiuyun teased, "Uncle Chongyi is very satisfied. He is planning to return to Yunshui City after this big harvest to tell his aunt about the marriage."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an smiled.

He didn't usually care much about these trivial matters at home.

But now that he has broken through to the Golden Core realm, due to the agreement, he can no longer intervene in many matters.

In addition, the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm cannot be done solely through arduous practice, thus providing a considerable amount of leisure time.

"That's good. My sister will be very happy to know."

"It just so happens that You'er and Xu Zhan are also preparing to get married after the big harvest, so my Shen family will have double happiness at that time."

The three chatted for a while longer before He Chongyi brought out a storage bag.

“Third Uncle, these are magical artifacts that Flame Lake City has refined in the last two years. The harvest is just around the corner, so you can take them back with you on your way. This will save your nephew and Xiu Yun from having to make another trip.”

After both of them broke through the embryonic breathing stage, they were able to forge a magical artifact within a month.

Over the past two years, the storage bag contained dozens of magical artifacts, all crafted using ancient weapon-refining techniques, which should greatly enhance the abilities of the Shen family cultivators.

Shen Wen'an took the storage bag and nodded.

"Alright, you two be careful. With this huge harvest, we don't know if Flame Lake City will be attacked."

"If you encounter an insurmountable enemy, you can seek help from the bottom of the lava lake."

Upon hearing this, both of them became somewhat curious.

Does a magma lake exist at the bottom?
Having lived in Flame Lake City for so many years, they really had no idea that there was something at the bottom of this lava lake.

Seeing their expressions, Shen Wen'an smiled faintly and said, "Don't disturb it if there's nothing wrong. I'm just telling you so you'll have some information."

"I am leaving."

Before he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a sword beam and disappeared from Flame Lake City.

……

February, early spring, when all things revive.

Inside the magnificent hall of the Zhili Imperial City, a group of terrifying beings sat together.

Those present were all leaders of various factions in Yangnao Land.

Since the last major plunder, Shen Wen'an, at the half-step Golden Core realm, forcefully annihilated three cultivator legions of the Fushan Kingdom, leaving a shadow over various forces in the Southern Frontier.

Fortunately, Shen Wen'an has now broken through to the Golden Core realm, and due to the agreement, he can no longer make a move.

All parties breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everyone, we meet again."

With everyone present, Wu Shi Ao of Fushan Kingdom was the first to speak.

There was no formality among them.

"Now that everyone's here, let's do this third time..."

"Wait a minute, I have something to say."

Wu Shi'ao was only halfway through his sentence when the gaunt figure next to Shen Chongming suddenly interrupted him.

Upon seeing this, Wu Shi Ao frowned slightly.

"What brings you here, Fellow Daoist Jin?"

Old Man Jin from Tiantan Mountain slowly stood up, first bowing slightly to Shen Chongming and Luo Yao, then glancing at everyone and saying, "It's nothing serious."

"My Tian Tan Mountain, Luo Xia Mountain, and the Shen family have jointly opened a market."

"Now that the market has been built, everything is ready."

"What I want to tell everyone is that if you have any good things that you don't need, you can take them to the market to trade."

After a slight pause, Old Man Jin grinned and said, "We may fight, but we can still do business together."

"After all, only by exchanging what you don't need for what you can use for yourself can you improve your strength and better take advantage of others."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned strange.

"Hehe... Fellow Daoist Jin is right."

"In that case, after this great harvest, I will send someone to the market to show my support."

The monk Huiyuan from Canaan Monastery was the first to speak with a smile.

These old bald monks are especially hypocritical.

At the last big harvest meeting, Old Man Jin scolded him severely in front of everyone, but this time he acted as if nothing had happened.

Old Man Jin was naturally not fond of him, and his eyes swept over the others present, wanting to see their opinions.

"Since this market is jointly established by the three of you, my Fushan Kingdom should also go and show our support, and perhaps trade some items."

"The Yin Corpse Sect happens to be short of materials for refining corpses, so I'll go to the market to take a look later."

“My Huangsheng Sect still has a few strands of innate spiritual energy left. If any of you are interested, I will take them to the market.”

……

After everyone expressed their agreement, Old Man Jin smiled broadly.

"Thank you all for coming. However... I need to explain the rules of the market to you in advance, so as not to cause any trouble later."

"The other rules are the same as those in a normal market, except for one thing."

Old Man Jin glanced at the crowd and said slowly, "This market is involved with Luoxia Mountain and the Shen family. Both families have strictly prohibited the trading of blood offerings within the market."

"At the same time, in order to take care of the demon cultivators of Tian Tan Mountain and Da Wu Mountain, the market will not trade live demon beasts. I hope you are all aware of this."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Old Man Jin remained silent, Wu Shi Ao said in a deep voice, "In that case, this third great harvest..."

"Wait a moment, I also have something to say."

Interrupted once again, Wu Shi Ao's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

However, since Fushan Kingdom had suffered a loss at the hands of the Shen family last time, he couldn't get angry. He could only glance at Shen Chongming indifferently and wait for him to continue speaking.

Shen Chongming sat up straight, glanced around, and finally looked at the composed and at ease monk Huiyuan.

"How you all extract your share of this great harvest is none of my concern."

"But... this time, my Shen family has made up our minds about Canaan Temple."

"Please give my Shen family some face."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

The monk Huiyuan of Canaan Temple also frowned slightly, looking at Shen Chongming with an unfriendly expression, before smiling faintly and saying, "Why is Fellow Daoist Shen like this?"

Meeting his gaze, Shen Chongming sneered and said, "The reason for this is clear to Canaan Temple itself."

"Everyone..."

Shifting his gaze from the monk Huiyuan, Shen Chongming looked at the assembled crowd and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I hope my request won't put you all in a difficult position?"

"Haha... These old bald monks are really troublesome. Fellow Daoist Shen is willing to face them, and the Yin Corpse Sect is more than happy to do so!"

The first to speak out was the black-robed elder from the Yin Corpse Sect.

After he spoke, the rest of the group expressed their agreement.

They were all aware of how troublesome Canaan Temple was; the previous two major raids had not brought them any advantage.

Now that the Shen family has taken the initiative to choose Canaan Temple as their opponent, they naturally have no objections.

Just as the Shen family's performance was too strong during the last major harvest, this time the two families will clash first to weaken each other, which will also be beneficial for future development.

After the eight forces, apart from the Shen family and Canaan Temple, expressed their opinions, Wu Shi Ao directly picked out two red jade balls from the eight jade balls. Then, as before, he threw the remaining six jade balls into the air, covering them with a blood-red mist.

After everyone drew lots, the matchups for this third major harvest were determined.

Luoxia Mountain chose Fushan Kingdom, Tiantan Mountain faced Dawu Mountain, and the remaining Yinshi Sect went up against Huangsheng Sect.

Wu Shi Ao retrieved the jade balls from everyone's hands, smiled faintly, and cupped his hands, saying, "This meeting ends here. I hope everyone has gained something."

……

Outside the imperial city, Shen Chongming, Luo Yao, and Old Man Jin stood atop the clouds.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, why is the Shen family so determined to choose Canaan Temple this time?"

Old Man Jin frowned and spoke.

He knew that the Shen family was very powerful now, but the strength of Canaan Temple was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Facing them at this time could very well exhaust the Shen family's accumulated resources. How would they survive in the future, surrounded by powerful figures in this Yangnao land?

Tian Tan Mountain chose to ally with the Shen family and Luo Xia Mountain in order to stay in Yang Nao Land longer, and absolutely did not want to see the Shen family decline.

"I know a little about this matter."

Seeing that Shen Chongming did not speak, Luo Yao immediately told him about how the monk Huikong of Canaan Temple had ambushed and killed Shen Chonghong on the way.

"That's the younger brother of the current head of the Shen family. He was forced to burn his immortal embryonic foundation. Fellow Daoist Jin, do you think this grudge can go unpunished?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Jin was stunned.

The Shen family didn't publicize this matter, so he naturally didn't know about it.

"Strange, that old bald monk Huikong is only at the peak of the embryonic breathing stage. The Yangnao Land is vast, how did he know that your brother was in that exact location?"

"That old rat from Huaisang has been there too. The mountains and forests are dense. If someone is determined to hide, that old bald monk would have no chance of finding them unless he turned Huaisang upside down. Could it be..."

Old Man Jin looked thoughtful, then said in disbelief, "Could it be that little bald monk behind Canaan Temple who made the move?"

Little bald monk?
Shen Chongming looked at Old Man Jin with some curiosity.

He had only heard his grandfather, Shen Yuan, mention the incident behind Shen Chonghong's attack, and did not know the specific details.

Upon hearing what Old Man Jin said, they immediately became interested.

"The bald monk you mentioned, fellow Daoist, refers to..."

Old Man Jin said with a solemn expression, "He is called a little bald monk, but he is actually an old monster who has lived three lives."

“The Buddhist monks are skilled at manipulating cause and effect and destiny. They are a bunch of bastards who especially like to plunder the good fortune of others through reincarnation.”

"The 'little bald monk' that Rat Master mentioned is none other than the Great Bright World Venerable of Canaan Temple, who is equivalent to a being in the Golden Core Realm of Immortal Dao."

Upon hearing this, both Shen Chongming and Luo Yao frowned.

"He enjoys reincarnating and cultivating again, plundering the fortunes of others... I've heard that even for Golden Core cultivators, reincarnating with a golden nature is extremely dangerous. How could the Great Bright World Venerable..."

Old Man Jin chuckled and said, "This brings us to the evil magic of Canaan Temple."

"The ancestor once mentioned that Canaan Temple has a secret technique passed down through generations, called the 'Secret Record of the Nine Incarnations of Buddhahood Reincarnation Treasury'."

"This evil technique allows a cultivator at the Great Brightness Realm to directly conceal all his cultivation within his soul, seize the body of an unborn child, usurp the nest, and be reborn in another's body."

"When the fetus is still in the mother's body, it is in its innate state. This can avoid the problem of physical integration during normal possession, and the essence of one's cultivation can be used to subtly change the infant's aptitude."

"Under the influence of this evil magic, the infant in the womb can continuously absorb nutrients until it is born by draining the mother's body of everything, thus achieving a flawless constitution."

"He not only received the good fortune in the child's destiny, but also perfectly reshaped his own physical body."

"That old bald monk has been reincarnated three times. In just a few years, he has achieved the Great Brightness Realm. His future achievements are unimaginable."

“The old man is skilled in the art of cause and effect. It must be him who pulled the strings behind the scenes that allowed Huikong to find your brother so easily.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's face instantly darkened.

This Canaan Temple is truly shameless to the extreme. A dignified Golden Core cultivator actually schemes against the younger generation of the Shen family behind their backs.

Since that's the case, then don't blame the Shen family for being ruthless this time!
(End of this chapter)