Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 254 Purple Mansion
Shen Wen'an took out two blank jade slips from his storage bag, preparing to copy the cultivation technique from the Daoist jade carving in front of him.

Li Qing drank the wine alone, then seemed to feel that drinking one cup after another was not enough.

He then put the jade cup aside and picked up the wine pot to gulp it down.

By the time Shen Wen'an finished replicating the two pieces of Daoist jade carvings, he had already finished the wine in the pot.

"Hmm... Fellow Daoist Shen, do you still have any of this spiritual wine on you?"

Shaking the empty wine jug in his hand, Li Qing seemed somewhat unsatisfied.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an smiled and shook his head, then took out a jar directly from his storage bag.

He wasn't a big drinker, and he only brought a small amount of the spirit wine brewed at home, just so he could have something to offer to any cultivators he liked.

"If Fellow Daoist Li likes it, then this entire jar of Cloud and Water Brew is yours for the taking."

He received two jade carvings of the solar terms "End of Heat" and "Minor Snow" as a gift, but he didn't have anything of value to offer. He only had a jar of inexpensive spirit wine, but since the other party liked it, he couldn't be stingy.

Upon hearing this, Li Qing happily put the wine jar into his storage bag, and then commented, "Fellow Daoist, this wine is indeed good, but it lacks the mellowness of time."

"If it could be stored for hundreds of years, it would taste completely different."

Shen Wen'an smiled and nodded after hearing this.

The family's brewing techniques were passed down from his father, Shen Yuan.

As for the issue of mellowness, the Shen family has only been passed down for a little over a hundred years, and the spirit wine he carries has been aged for less than a hundred years, so it is naturally not mellow.

"Speaking of wine, I suddenly recall a fine, unknown brew I once tasted. Even now, as I savor it, its rich aroma seems to still linger on my palate..."

Li Qing said with a look of utter delight.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an asked with some curiosity, "What kind of nectar or dew could make you so savor it?"

Li Qing snapped out of her daze, shook her head with a complicated expression.

"That was two hundred years ago..."

"When I reached the perfect state of embryonic breathing, I wandered around the sea cliffs on my return journey, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Golden Core stage."

"I accidentally discovered a small island floating in the sea. I sensed a faint spiritual energy fluctuation on the island and guessed that there might be a rare treasure there, so I went to touch it."

"guess what?"

Li Qing's expression was strange.

Meeting his gaze, Shen Wen'an shook his head slightly but did not answer.

Li Qing continued, "I thought there were no other living beings on the island and was carefully searching for the strange object that emitted the exotic fragrance when I was suddenly attacked by a monkey."

monkey?

Shen Wen'an asked in surprise, "Is that monkey a demonic beast?"

Li Qing shook his head slightly: "That guy couldn't be considered a demon beast at first, and there was no demonic energy fluctuation on his body."

"Furthermore, I am certain that it has never cultivated; it is just an ordinary monkey."

"When the little thing first started throwing stones at me, I didn't pay any attention."

Picking up a spiritual fruit from the desk, Li Qing took a bite and laughed, "How could I, a great demon who has reached the peak of the embryonic breathing stage, stoop to the level of an uncivilized beast?"

"What I didn't expect was that during the time I was searching for rare treasures on the island, the little thing followed me closely, neither getting close nor far away."

At this point, Shen Wen'an also noticed something unusual.

"Back then, you were a dragon at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Your aura was so powerful that not only ordinary wild beasts, but even great demons at the same Nascent Soul stage wouldn't dare to approach you easily, right?"

"That monkey...is there anything special about it?"

"Eh!"

"I also found it strange at the time, which is why I didn't just eliminate him directly."

Li Qing tossed the spiritual fruit in his hand into his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it, and said, "The most amazing things are yet to come."

"In between my search for rare treasures of heaven and earth, I occasionally sit cross-legged to cultivate and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"That little thing is actually following my example quite well."

"Later, I found a Mystic Spirit Fruit on the island and spent several months refining it."

"When I woke up, I was shocked to find that the little thing had already drawn in Qi and reached the third level of Qi Refining!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an's face showed a hint of disbelief.

For demonic beasts to embark on cultivation is an extremely difficult thing.

For ordinary demonic beasts, it takes a hundred years to cultivate Qi and a hundred years to develop embryonic breathing. Whether they can break through to the Golden Core stage depends on their own talent and bloodline.

The monkey that Li Qing mentioned had transformed from an uncivilized wild beast into a Qi Refining Level 3 demon beast in just a few months, which was truly unbelievable.

"and after?"

"Later..." A hint of annoyance appeared on Li Qing's face.

"When I refined the Mysterious Spirit Fruit, I was eager to break through to the Golden Core stage, so I left some basic breathing techniques for it."

"I was thinking that after I broke through to the Golden Core stage, I would return to the island and properly teach that little guy. It would also be a way for me to find a companion in this vast sea."

"The little guy then brought out some ordinary wine that he had brewed from wild fruits on the island."

"I didn't pay any attention to it, and simply put it into my storage bag before leaving in a hurry."

Li Qing slowly stood up, his expression somewhat sorrowful, and said, "By the time I had gone through countless near-death experiences and achieved the Golden Core Dao, and rushed back, that small island had already disappeared."

"I have searched the entire sea area within a thousand miles, but have not found any trace of the island."

He sighed heavily, chuckled, and shook his head: "It seems... the little guy and that island were caught in the crossfire of a battle between some powerful demonic beasts and sank into this endless sea..."

After hearing all this, Shen Wen'an felt a pang of sadness.

He could tell that Li Qing genuinely admired the little monkey.

"The nectar I spoke of is the wine brewed by that little fellow."

"After searching the entire sea, I could not find any trace of it. I suddenly remembered the wine it gave me back then, and I wanted to take it out to reminisce."

Who would have thought that those ordinary, mundane drinks would have such a unique flavor...

"Although two hundred years have passed, when I think back, that mellow aroma still seems to linger on my lips and teeth."

After a moment of recollection, Li Qing suddenly turned around and asked, "Fellow Daoist Shen, are you still planning to travel in this sea area?"

Shen Wen'an looked stunned, and after a moment of thought, said, "After bidding farewell to you, fellow Daoist, I should return home."

"The elders in the family haven't been back for a long time, I'm afraid they'll be worried."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Li Qing's eyes.

"I thought you would continue your travels, so I was thinking of asking you to keep an eye out for me... Never mind."

"In the end, life is unpredictable..."

As Li Qing spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he took out a palm-sized scale that emitted a deep blue halo.

"This is my Achilles' heel, which I am giving to you today, fellow Daoist."

"Fellow Daoist carries it with you, and even if it is placed in a storage bag, as long as it appears within a radius of ten thousand miles, I can sense the aura of the Reverse Scale."

"If you ever come to the deep sea again, you can use this reverse scale to find me."

The little monkey incident clearly served as a cautionary tale for Li Qing. This time, when she met Shen Wen'an, the two of them, a human and a demon, became acquainted through a fight, and it can be considered that they developed a friendship.

Looking at the scale in his hand, Shen Wen'an hesitated for a moment before solemnly accepting it.

He could sense that although Li Qing had lived for countless years, he was very pure and simple-minded.

It seems they haven't experienced the dangers of the outside world.

Such demons are easier to get along with than humans.

Carefully putting away that sore spot, the two chatted for a long time before Shen Wen'an stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance these past few days, Fellow Daoist Li. I must be leaving now."

"If we are fortunate enough to meet again in the future, I, Shen, will certainly bring you more fine wine."

Upon hearing this, a hint of reluctance flashed in Li Qing's eyes, but she pretended to be generous and said, "Of course, of course."

He looked up at the dark, cloud-covered sky in the distance, pondered for a moment, and said, "A storm is about to hit this sea area. As a dragon, I am not afraid of storms. I will see you off, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, without waiting for Shen Wen'an to refuse, he transformed into his true form as a dragon.

"Fellow Daoist, come up on my back."

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an did not refuse. He leaped up and sat cross-legged on the back of the giant dragon.

Li Qing let out a loud cry, then suddenly darted into the void and flew away into the distance.

After traveling a thousand miles, the human and the demon passed through the storm-shrouded area and arrived at a calm sea.

"Even after a thousand miles of farewell, we must part ways. Fellow Daoist, you should return now."

Shen Wen'an jumped off his back and spoke.

"Let's send them off again, I have nothing else to do."

Li Qing spoke.

But Shen Wen'an shook his head.

"That's enough for now. I might have to come back again sometime in the future. We'll meet again someday."

"Farewell."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a sword beam and disappeared into the sky.

The thousand-foot-long dragon stared intently in the direction where Shen Wen'an had disappeared, before finally plunging into the sea below.

……

Yangnao Land, Zhili Province, Xiwu City.

Xiwu City was a large city near the capital of Zhili. Located in the central plains of Zhili, it was once the western gateway to the capital of the Yu Kingdom. It was densely populated and had fertile land.

It has dozens of spirit fields and three spirit mines within its territory, making it a relatively wealthy city.

Now, the city has been handed over by the Shen family to Pei Zhao and his daughter, as a new foothold for Qiyun Valley.

In the spacious courtyard of Xiwu City, Shen Chongming and Pei Zhao sat facing each other.

After a period of recuperation, Pei Zhao's injuries have fully recovered, and his cultivation has stabilized at the perfect state of embryonic breathing.

"Senior Pei, have you handled these matters fairly smoothly?"

Shen Chongming picked up the teacup in front of him, took a small sip, and said.

Pei Zhao bowed slightly: "Everything went very smoothly. I must thank the clansmen sent by the Shen family for their help. They have truly saved me a lot of trouble."

The vast city of Xiwu would certainly be difficult to manage if it were solely managed by the father and daughter.

After deciding to give Xiwu City to them, Shen Chongming immediately transferred some clansmen with experience in governing cities from Yunshui City to Xiwu City.

Compared to other cities, governing this city presents a more troublesome issue.

The city originally belonged to Canaan Temple. Ninety percent of the people in the city were forcibly converted by Canaan Temple using the "Spirit of Seeking Affinity and Salvation," and they were considered to be quite fanatical believers.

Qiyun Valley intends to take root here and rebuild its sect, but these common people who have already been converted are naturally not suitable.

To this end, Shen Chongming mobilized a large number of tribal soldiers and forcibly relocated these converted Li people away, while another group of unconverted Li people were relocated from the surrounding areas.

It took a lot of effort to stabilize Xiwu City and ensure that Qiyun Valley could develop more quickly there.

"Does the senior have a plan for the development of Qiyun Valley?"

After a moment of thought, Shen Chongming spoke.

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao sighed and said, "I have a general idea of ​​what Zhang Cheng is like."

"For my Qiyun Valley, this can be considered a case of destruction before construction."

“The rebuilt Qiyun Valley cannot follow the old path.”

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "The Yangnao Land is in a state of chaos now. The relationships between powerful families are complicated, especially those cultivators from the Southern Frontier, who often sneak into the lower territories to plunder the common people."

"I hope Senior Pei can take precautions against these things."

Pei Zhaogang picked up the teacup in front of him, and his expression faltered slightly when he heard these words.

"Patriarch Shen, I have something I would like to ask for the Shen family's opinion on."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming quickly smiled and said, "Senior, you can just call me Chongming, there's no need to be so polite."

Pei Zhao shook his head and insisted, "If it's in the capacity of Master Wen'an, it's fine for me to address Patriarch Shen by his given name."

"But from the perspective of Qiyun Valley, I certainly cannot address Patriarch Shen by his name directly."

Shen Chongming's expression shifted slightly, already guessing what he was thinking.

Pei Zhao pondered for a moment, and finally seemed to have made up his mind.

"As I just said, Qiyun Valley cannot follow the old path, and now it is receiving a lot of care from the Shen family."

"If Patriarch Shen is willing, my Qiyun Valley is willing to become its subordinate."

Pei Zhao and Pei Yuwan had discussed the matter of becoming subordinate to the Shen family for a long time and finally reached an agreement.

The reason why Qiyun Valley gradually declined was ultimately because those old guys were too arrogant and couldn't see reality.

Even until the very end, they still felt that Qiyun Valley was once a Golden Core Immortal Sect, and looked down on those minor immortal sects in Qishan, disdaining to associate with them.

Otherwise, when the Golden Core Ancestor of Qiyun Valley died, if Qiyun Valley had been able to humble itself and befriend surrounding forces, and quickly accumulate its foundation through connections, perhaps a new Golden Core cultivator could have emerged.

In the end, things wouldn't have come to this.

Since we're going to abandon everything from before, we should also completely discard this so-called "face."

If you want to save face, you have to start all over again and earn it yourself through your own abilities.

Furthermore, Pei Zhao was also aware that the reason why the Shen family spared no effort in helping Qiyun Valley was entirely due to the master-disciple relationship between him and Shen Wen'an.

But feelings are finite; he was kind to Shen Wen'an back then not for the sake of repaying him today.

If Qiyun Valley cannot bring benefits to the Shen family and becomes a parasite that only sucks blood from the Shen family, this friendship will eventually be exhausted.

What will Qiyun Valley do then?
After much deliberation, the father and daughter finally decided to make Qiyun Valley an appendage of the Shen family.

As the Shen family grows stronger, Qiyun Valley will also benefit.

Just like the affiliated families under the Shen family's rule now, in just over a hundred years, some of them have become so powerful that they are comparable to the Qishan Immortal Sect of yesteryear.

In less than a century, some of these families have even surpassed Qiyun Valley and Luoxia Mountain of yesteryear, becoming relatively powerful among the lower-grade immortal sects.

With the help of the Shen family, it's not impossible for Qiyun Valley to regain its former glory.

"Senior, are you really sure?"

Shen Chongming wasn't being overly hypocritical; he simply asked a question.

Pei Zhaoneng's choice was precisely the best one.

His grandfather, Shen Yuan, once taught him that when a person is at a low point, he should be able to humble himself, live among the fish and shrimp in the mud, and not feel inferior even when covered in mud, waiting for the day when the winds of change will come and he will soar to the heavens and transform into a dragon.

Even when things are going well, one should learn to be humble and modest, and not arrogant, so that one can go even further.

Pei Zhao smiled faintly and cupped his hands: "I have already thought it through, but I'm afraid the Shen family will think that my Qiyun Valley is now isolated and unworthy of their attention..."

Shen Chongming quickly smiled and waved his hand, "Senior, what are you saying?"

"Putting aside your senior status, you yourself are a master of the Great Perfection of the Embryonic Breathing stage and are also proficient in the Dao of Pill Formation. You would be an honored guest in any power."

"How could the Shen family look down on it?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I hope that I can make Qiyun Valley stronger, so that I can live up to Heshan's entrustment, live up to Elder Ji Yan's sacrifice, and live up to the ancestors of Qiyun Valley."

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "It definitely will."

"This senior is different from the previous high-ranking members of Qiyun Valley."

After offering words of comfort, he also spoke with him about the Shen family's rules and other matters.

He didn't want to concern himself too much with Qiyun Valley.

On the one hand, Pei Zhao was, after all, Shen Wen'an's mentor, so the Shen family could not treat him as a subordinate.

On the other hand, making Qiyun Valley an annex of the Shen family was merely a pretext to silence the other powerful families under their rule and to demonstrate fairness.

As for the specific governance and development, it depends on how Pei Zhao and his daughter decide.

After some discussion, Shen Chongming stood up and said, "In that case, I will send someone from the Clan Head Academy to Xiwu City later. The Clan Head Academy will explain the specific details to you, senior."

"Now that the annual festival is approaching, after the New Year and the spring, the younger generation will send cultivators to assist with the cultivation of the spirit fields in Xiwu City."

The spiritual rice grown in the spiritual fields requires cultivators to take meticulous care of it, providing clouds and rain, and eliminating pests and diseases.

Pei Zhao and his daughter are definitely too busy to handle these matters. Even if Qiyun Valley starts recruiting disciples now, it will be too late.

"In that case, thank you very much, patriarch."

Pei Zhao cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Chongming quickly helped him up.

“As I said, you are my elder. If there are other affiliated families involved, it’s fine if you act this way. But if you continue like this in private, and if my third uncle finds out, I won’t be able to explain it to him.”

Pei Zhao smiled and nodded, watching him leave Xiwu City.

……

Yunshui City.

As soon as Shen Chongming arrived at the gate of the house, he heard bursts of innocent laughter from the courtyard.

As I stepped through the courtyard gate, I saw my grandfather, Shen Yuan, lying on a recliner in the courtyard, a rare sight for him.

Beside him, Wu Jiu stood respectfully to one side, smiling and talking to him.

Not far in front of the two, a little girl wearing a pink short jacket and a tiger-head felt hat was tugging at the tail of a big black dog, giggling.

Upon seeing Shen Chongming approach, Wu Jiu quickly turned around and bowed respectfully.

Shen Chongming nodded and respectfully approached Shen Yuan, saying, "Grandpa, the matter at Qiyun Valley has been settled, everything is as you predicted."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Wu Jiu wants to talk to you. You two can go and discuss it."

"Leave this little girl here for now, I'll keep an eye on her."

Looking at the little girl chasing and playing with the big black dog in front of him, Shen Yuan couldn't help but smile.

Only now did he understand why old people enjoy quietly watching those vibrant little children. The pure and innocent laughter of children is truly a soothing thing.

Shen Chongming led Wu Jiu to the side room.

"Master, I have brought Yu Ning to you."

Yu Ning?

Shen Chongming was stunned for a moment before he suddenly remembered the little girl he had seen in the courtyard earlier.

"That girl is the wind-attribute spiritual root immortal seedling you had with General Fufeng?"

Wu Jiu immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "That's right."

Shen Chongming suddenly realized.

He did tell Wu Jiu back then that he would take the girl as his apprentice when she turned three.

Time flies.

"Is the girl's name Wu Yuning?" Shen Chongming asked.

Wu Jiu bowed somewhat awkwardly, saying, "It was Fufeng who started it."

"She said this child will achieve great things in the future and shouldn't be given a lowly name like her older siblings, which would be beneath her dignity."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming smiled faintly.

"Alright, I'll take this kid. I also have another brat I need to look after for a while, so let them both come along."

"If you and your husband miss the child in the future, you can come to see him anytime. If there's nothing else to do, let him stay in the old house."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jiu repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting.

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

Shen Chongming nodded, escorted him to the courtyard gate, and then turned and went into the courtyard.

At this moment, the little girl Wu Yuning seemed to have finished playing and was sitting in front of Shen Yuan's recliner, saying something in her childish voice.

Shen Chongming came up to him, squatted down, and looked at his apprentice.

"Where's my dad?"

Wu Yuning wasn't afraid of people, and just stared at Shen Chongming curiously, asking him a question.

"gone."

As Shen Chongming spoke, he picked her up and said, "Little girl, from today onwards, shall I be your master?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuning tilted her head and thought for a long time before asking, "What is a master?"

Shen Chongming smiled faintly: "Master is... the person who teaches you cultivation and guides you in your practice."

Upon hearing this, the little girl's big eyes suddenly lit up: "Can you turn me into an immortal?"

Shen Chongming thought for a moment and said, "I can teach you, but whether you can become an immortal depends on yourself."

"How about it?"

"If you're willing, kowtow to me now, and I'll start your training tomorrow."

He placed Wu Yuning on the ground and watched her quietly.

The little girl hesitated for a long time, then asked, "Will I still be able to see my father, mother, brothers, and sisters?"

Meeting her gaze, Shen Chongming smiled and nodded: "Of course you can. They're in the city. You can see them anytime you want."

Upon receiving this reply, the little girl's eyes instantly curved into crescents. She then knelt down with a thud, kowtowed three times to Shen Chongming, and called out, "Master."

Shen Chongming nodded in satisfaction and said, "From today onwards, you will live in this courtyard, and your master will come to supervise your cultivation every day."

"If you slack off, you'll be punished."

"In addition to cultivation, Master will also arrange for teachers from the academy to teach you to read and write. You must study these things well, understand?"

Wu Yuning nodded emphatically: "Disciple understands."

Seeing how well-behaved she was, Shen Chongming patted her head with satisfaction, and then had a servant from the manor lead her away to arrange her accommodation.

After he left, Shen Chongming pulled up a stool from the side and sat down in front of Shen Yuan.

But seeing the big black dog lying next to him, he jokingly said, "You've lived for over a hundred years and eaten plenty of good food, how come you're still only at the Qi Refining stage?"

Upon hearing this, the big black dog slowly raised its head, glared at him, and then turned its head away.

"Have you heard anything from your third uncle?"

Shen Yuan gently stroked the big black dog's shiny fur and casually asked.

It was Shen Chongxuan who sent the letter from Huaisang, asking Shen Wen'an to go and see the black cauldron and the small tree.

Unexpectedly, this departure lasted for more than a year, and he never returned.

If Shen Wen'an hadn't been a Golden Core Sword Immortal himself, they would have all thought he had encountered an accident.

"My grandson sent someone to Huai Sang to inquire."

"Chongxuan said that when his third uncle left, he asked him for the sea map that Chonghong had brought back back then."

"I suppose... Third Uncle must have gone to sea."

Shen Yuan did not ask any further questions after hearing this.

Although cultivators at the Golden Core stage are not invincible in the world, they generally won't die unless they do something reckless.

He wasn't worried about Shen Wen'an's safety.

"Alright, go ahead and do your work. You don't need to keep this old man company."

With a wave of his hand, Shen Yuan slowly closed his eyes, letting the winter sun warm his body.

……

After bidding farewell to Li Qing, Shen Wen'an changed direction and flew towards the Yangnao Land, across the vast sea.

If he encounters any islands or reefs along the way, he will stop to rest and explore.

I learned from my conversation with Li Qing that there are far more natural treasures in the sea than on land.

Especially some islands in the vast ocean, even those so desolate that they have no vegetation, may hide great treasures.

During his travels, Shen Wen'an did indeed find many spiritual herbs and fruits, and even discovered several high-grade innate spiritual energies.

On this day, he flew through the air on his sword, and as he looked around, he suddenly spotted another island.

The island wasn't large, but it stretched for over ten miles. The entire island was covered with lush ancient trees, and from a distance, it looked like a piece of duckweed floating on the vast sea.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an immediately changed direction with a thought, and his flying sword turned around and flew towards the location of the island.

However, before it could even get close to the sky above the island, its eyes suddenly caught sight of a huge figure appearing in the sea below!

With his divine sense focused, Shen Wen'an tried to investigate the strange figure underwater, and his expression suddenly became serious!

A fish-like sea monster at the Golden Core Realm!

Moreover, the fish demon exuded a cold and violent aura, clearly different from a demon cultivator like Li Qing.

After sensing the other party's aura, Shen Wen'an originally wanted to leave directly to avoid conflict.

But the fish demon seemed to sense his presence and wasn't going to let it go so easily.

Before the enormous figure even emerged from the water, a water arrow formed from seawater suddenly shot down from below!
The water arrow locked onto Shen Wen'an's body, radiating a unique pressure belonging to the Golden Core Realm!
Does it start with your innate supernatural power?

Seeing the water arrow hurtling towards him, Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes and pointed his sword finger, sending a streak of cyan sword light crashing into the water arrow!

The water arrow and the sword light collided violently, and the resulting energy ripples caused the surrounding seawater to surge into huge waves!

He didn't want to fight the fish demon, not because the fish demon was particularly strong, but because he was afraid of trouble.

Since the other party was unwilling to give up, Shen Wen'an, as a sword cultivator, was naturally not afraid to fight.

After a sword beam shattered the opponent's water arrow, large patches of blue ripples slowly appeared behind Shen Wen'an!

As the ripples spread, one after another sword-inspired blue lotuses quickly appeared!
When the sword intent of "A Vast Lake Contains a Green Lotus" was unleashed, the sea area below, which was shrouded by the sword intent, was instantly pressed down by the sword intent, causing ripples to spread everywhere!
Just then, the fish demon in the water seemed to sense the power of Shen Wen'an's move and prepared to launch a sneak attack while he was unleashing his sword intent!
Bang!
Its enormous body suddenly leaped out of the water, and with a flap of its tail fin like a giant fan, ice spikes emanating endless icy aura instantly condensed and then pierced towards Shen Wen'an's body!

Each of those ice spikes was over ten feet long, gleaming with a cold light. Just by looking at them, they were already comparable to some low-grade magic weapons!

Upon seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Shen Wen'an's eyes!
The moment the sword energy surged across his body, the blue lotuses in the void rapidly bloomed!
Subsequently, a large amount of sword intent continuously clashed and killed in the surrounding area!

The energy generated by the sword intent caused towering waves to rise in the sea within a radius of a hundred miles!
The countless ice spikes summoned by the Golden Core Fish Demon shattered into ice blocks under the strangulation of the sword intent, falling into the sea below.

The terrifying chill contained within these ice blocks spread rapidly through the seawater, causing a layer of frost to form on the surrounding surface.

After easily deflecting two attacks from his opponent, Shen Wen'an prepared to let this beast try taking one of his moves!
His sword finger was held upright in front of his chest, and the sword intent of the surrounding [Ten Thousand Acres of Clear Lake Containing Green Lotus] instantly surged and condensed above his head!
In the blink of an eye, a terrifying cyan longsword, about a hundred feet long and entirely formed from sword intent, pierced straight into the sky!
The sharp aura emanating from the sword intent raged, vibrating and rubbing against the surrounding air, emitting a deep hum!
"cut!"

Shen Wen'an let out a low shout, and his sword finger suddenly pointed at the frost-covered sea!

A sharp sword whistle rang out, and a terrifying blue longsword overhead slashed down at an incredible speed towards the sea below!
boom!
The air compressed by the hundred-foot-long sword intent first formed the first giant sword phantom nearly a thousand feet long, which slammed into the sea below!

Then came the sword's true form, slashing down!
In an instant, the vast sea below was cleaved into a massive chasm several miles long and over a hundred feet deep.

The seawater was pushed to both sides by the sword intent and failed to calm down for a long time.

Shen Wen'an could clearly see that the Golden Core Realm fish demon had been wounded by his sword, leaving a horrific wound on its body.

Dark red blood flowed out, leaving a red stain in the seawater.

The water surface slowly returned to calm. Shen Wen'an stood in the void, his divine sense sweeping across the surrounding seawater, but he had already lost all trace of the fish demon.

"This beast is weaker than Li Qing."

"But in terms of brutality, he far surpasses Li Qing."

As Shen Wen'an pondered this in his heart, he slowly withdrew the sword energy and sword intent from his body.

If I, a ferocious beast like the fish demon, were to suffer even the slightest injury today, I would surely face endless pursuit.

Unlike land, the ocean hides terrifying creatures beneath its unfathomable depths.

If the battle disturbs that being, you won't even know how you died.

After driving away the golden-elixir fish demon, Shen Wen'an's gaze returned to the lush island in the distance, and he flew there in a flash.

As he approached the island, he suddenly sensed a very subtle spiritual energy fluctuation emanating from it.

This fluctuation is not the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but rather the aura of spiritual power.

This means that there must be some kind of rare and wonderful object on the island, or something like a spirit crystal vein.

Thinking of this, Shen Wen'an was secretly delighted, and at the same time, he understood why the Golden Core Realm fish demon was hovering around.

Feelings are like discovering something wonderful on the island.

As he slowly landed on the side of the island, Shen Wen'an did not let his guard down just because he had driven away the fish demon.

The moment he landed, he summoned his sword energy shield and cautiously explored the island.

After searching for a while, his expression suddenly turned strange!
The island clearly shows signs of human activity or the presence of some transformed demons. In the dense thicket, a hidden path, worn smooth by years of trampling, can be faintly seen.

The scattered wooden ladders and collapsed sheds in the surrounding area are enough to prove this.

Shen Wen'an followed the path through the bushes and walked for an unknown amount of time before suddenly seeing a cluster of treehouses nestled among the groves of an ancient tree ahead!

Is there really still someone in this place?!
Shen Wen'an looked at the treehouse in surprise, slowly releasing his divine sense to explore the surroundings. Finding no danger or formation, he quietly walked towards the treehouse.

When they arrived at the foot of the ancient tree, they saw some rotten fruit pits and various pottery jars scattered on the ground.

Beside the ancient tree, on a smooth, flat boulder, lay a futon and several spirit crystals that had not yet been fully absorbed.

Apart from the gurgling sound of a spiritual spring next to the treehouse, there was no other sound around.

Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands slightly and said, "I don't know which fellow Daoist lives in seclusion here. I apologize for disturbing you by coming here so abruptly."

His voice echoed through the woods, but received no response.

"Could it be that they've gone on a long trip?"

Shen Wen'an was somewhat curious.

If the island's owner were truly present, the massive commotion he caused during his battle with the Golden Core Fish Demon would have surely alerted the other party, making it impossible for him not to come out and investigate.

With that thought in mind, he went to the gurgling spring, intending to collect some water before leaving.

Boom!
Just as Shen Wen'an bent down to place the water pouch in front of the spiritual spring water, a blue stone flew swiftly and struck him precisely on the back of the head!
This attack really scared him!
Keep in mind that he's currently protected by a sword energy shield!
Moreover, he did not hear any sound or sense anything unusual during the attack.

He turned around abruptly, scanning his surroundings with his divine sense, but found no enemy.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an's expression gradually became serious.

If one cannot detect the other's presence with their divine sense, it means that the other party is either extremely good at hiding or has a higher cultivation level than oneself!
"Which senior is joking with me?"

"If you do not wish me to disturb you, I will leave now."

As Shen Wen'an spoke, he simultaneously scanned his surroundings with his divine sense and eyes, trying to ascertain the identity of the other party.

"You can leave, but leave that scale on your body behind!"

After a moment of silence in the woods, a slightly shrill voice suddenly rang out.

At that moment, Shen Wen'an finally saw the other person's figure!

It was a monkey with golden fur all over its body, about the size of a four or five-year-old child!
The monkey held a strange, oval-shaped blue stone in its hand, and squatted on the dense branches of the ancient tree, quietly examining itself.

Upon spotting it, Shen Wen'an cautiously sensed its aura and was astonished to find that its aura was extremely subtle and clearly of a higher cultivation level than his own!
Could this be a powerful demon at the Purple Mansion or Nascent Soul True Monarch realm?!
As Shen Wen'an was surprised, the golden-haired monkey suddenly jumped from the top of the ancient tree to the roof of the treehouse below, holding up a blue stone in its hand and saying, "Hurry up and hand over that scale on your body, and leave at once!"

Scales?

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an was taken aback, and then he thought of the piece of rebellious scale that Li Qing had given him when he said goodbye.

He then thought of the story Li Qing had told him, and was immediately surprised!

"Does the senior know the owner of these scales?"

As Shen Wen'an spoke, he took out the reverse scale from his storage bag.

Upon seeing this, the golden-haired monkey suddenly flashed away!
When Shen Wen'an realized what was happening, he discovered that the scales on his hand had disappeared without him noticing.

His face looked a little ugly.

This golden-haired monkey's strength is too strange. Its cultivation level is obviously higher than that of the Golden Core stage. Could it really be the little monkey that Li Qing mentioned?

If it weren't for that little monkey, these scales could easily track Li Qing's location, and if the other party took them, Li Qing would be in danger.

The golden monkey, unaware of its inner thoughts, was examining the scales on its furry hand from side to side, when it suddenly grinned and chuckled strangely.

"It's him!"

"It's really him!"

After a burst of excited jumping around, the golden-haired monkey suddenly appeared in front of Shen Wen'an, scratched his cheek, and looked up to ask, "Kid, where did you get this scale?"

"Or...did you kill him!?"

When the golden-haired monkey asked the second question, its aura suddenly turned cold, and a terrifying killing intent instantly locked onto Shen Wen'an.

Locked onto by this murderous intent, Shen Wen'an felt a chill run down his spine and immediately explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand."

"These scales were a gift from Fellow Daoist Li Qing to this junior."

Hearing this, the golden-haired monkey was still somewhat suspicious, but the killing intent it had been holding onto Shen Wen'an lessened considerably.

"So his name is Li Qing..."

"Where is he now?"

The golden-haired monkey muttered something, then asked eagerly.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Wen'an said, "From this small island, heading northeast, it's probably tens of thousands of miles away."

"I met Fellow Daoist Li Qing in that sea area."

Upon hearing this, the golden-haired monkey looked towards the northeast, its expression somewhat complicated.

"Is the senior the one who gave Li Qing the wine and practiced with him back then?"

Shen Wen'an asked curiously, wanting to confirm whether this monkey was the little monkey Li Qing had mentioned.

The golden-haired monkey snapped out of its daze, nodded, and said, "That's me."

"He told you everything?"

As Shen Wen'an nodded, he was also deeply shocked!
According to Li Qing, he encountered this monkey two hundred years ago, when the monkey was just an ordinary wild beast that couldn't even draw qi into its body.

In just two hundred years, it has actually surpassed the Golden Core stage and has surpassed Li Qing on the path of cultivation!
This……

Suppressing his shock, Shen Wen'an mustered his courage and asked, "This junior dares to ask, senior, what realm are you currently at?"

The golden-haired monkey made no attempt to hide anything and directly said, "Purple Mansion."

"Kid, I'll thank you for finding him."

As they were speaking, the golden monkey suddenly opened its mouth.

With a flash of light, a large number of things appeared in front of it.

These items included the scales of some sea monsters, the magical artifacts and robes of some cultivators, as well as a pile of rare and strange things such as pearls and ores that emitted five-colored fluorescence.

"These are all things I've collected over the years. There were also some fools who tried to provoke me, and I killed them, leaving these behind."

"Here's everything, I'm going to find Li Qing."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an's expression turned somewhat strange.

Seeing this, the golden monkey said impatiently, "I know these things are not very useful."

"But take it for now. If we meet again in the future, I'll get you something nice to make up for it."

"Take your things and leave quickly."

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an didn't waste any more words and directly waved his hand to put all these things into his storage bag.

"Oh, right, there's something else for you. It'll make your journey a bit faster."

The golden monkey tilted its head, as if it had thought of something, and then dashed into the treehouse.

A moment later, it returned to Shen Wen'an and placed a miniature bronze boat, no bigger than the palm of his hand, into Shen Wen'an's hand.

"Okay, let's go."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Wen'an felt a gentle force that was hard to resist, which threw him flying away.

By the time he realized what was happening, the small island in front of him resembled a large ship, speeding northeastward through the wind and waves!

Shen Wen'an stared in astonishment as the island, stretching more than ten miles, slowly disappeared from his sight.

(End of this chapter)