Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 268 Manifestation of the Spirit
This figure was none other than Shen Chongming, who had been in seclusion for nearly four years.

At this moment, Shen Chongming was surrounded by electric sparks, and the lightning that descended from the clouds was constantly converging on his body.

These bolts of lightning all carried an extremely terrifying aura of destruction.

Any tiny spark of electricity that lands on a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage would be enough to burn them to ashes in an instant.

Shen Wen'an stood at a distance, sword in hand, watching the scene before him with some surprise.

"A mutated lightning-attribute spiritual root is truly astonishing..."

As he murmured to himself, a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

Given Shen Chongming's terrifying breakthrough phenomenon, even if I weren't there to protect him, would the people of the underworld really dare to try and steal his golden essence?

The lightning in the void continued.

The entire Yunshui City is now a scene of apocalypse!
Thunderclouds, carrying a terrifying sense of oppression, shrouded the city, with countless bolts of lightning flashing and dense bolts of electricity pouring down like a torrential rain.

The chilling sound of lightning tearing through the air was incessant.

Shen Chongming slowly rose from his seated position in the cave and floated into the void amidst endless thunder.

The moment he opened his eyes, his originally clear black and white eyes had turned a deep blue!
Streaks of lightning shot out from his eyes, like writhing thunder serpents.

At this moment, Shen Chongming seemed to have transformed into a god of thunder, exuding a supreme divine aura.

Under the pressure of this aura, Shen Wen'an couldn't help but frown and retreat hundreds of feet, not daring to stay in the same place any longer.

Under his astonished gaze, Shen Chongming in the void suddenly looked up at the sky and then assumed a posture of drawing a bow and nocking an arrow!
The electric sparks that had been lurking around him rapidly converged on his raised left hand after he assumed this stance!
A large amount of lightning carrying a destructive aura slowly formed a lightning bow in his palm!
The bow of the Thunder Bow was azure blue, its surface shimmering with ancient yet complex thunder patterns. A bowstring formed entirely of electric sparks was drawn to its full length, and then formed an arrow along the right hand that was drawing the string.

"open!"

Accompanied by Shen Chongming's loud shout!
The lightning arrow instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning that shot straight into the sky!
The lightning pierced through the thick, dark clouds overhead and disappeared directly into the sky!

As the lightning slowly dissipated, the dark clouds overhead that had been pierced suddenly transformed into a huge vortex, showering down beams of golden light from within!

"The Heavenly Gate has opened!"

"The patriarch actually opened the Heavenly Gate with such power!"

"This move is comparable to what Third Master did back then."

"Father's action of shooting open the Heavenly Gate with an arrow just now was so domineering!"

At this moment, Shen Chongming was surrounded by crackling lightning, bathed in the rich golden light descending from the Heavenly Gate, looking like a majestic immortal. The many Shen family cultivators in front of the old house at the foot of the mountain were all excited.

Such a tremendous breakthrough naturally attracted the attention of other Golden Core cultivators in Yangnao Land.

Just how deep is the Shen family's fortune and luck?!

"I remember when Shen Wen'an broke through to the Golden Core Sword Immortal realm, he broke through the Heavenly Gate twice and finally almost achieved the Flawless Golden Core."

"And now this junior from the Shen family has opened the Heavenly Gate so easily?"

"This child has a mutated lightning-attribute spiritual root. After breaking through to the Golden Core stage, his strength will undergo a qualitative leap, and the Shen family's foundation will likely be even stronger."

"With a Golden Core Sword Immortal and a Golden Core cultivator with lightning attributes, no one would dare to covet that physical body of a fifth-level Body Cultivator."

"Where is the Underworld? Why haven't the people of the Underworld made a move yet?"

"It's said that the people of the underworld hold grudges. Last time they couldn't do anything to that sword immortal boy from the Shen family, so they probably won't let this junior with the lightning attribute spiritual root off easily this time, right?"

The Golden Core cultivators from various factions were experiencing extremely complex emotions at this moment.

They are now both afraid that Shen Chongming's breakthrough will attract the people of the underworld, and also want the people of the underworld to take action and eliminate Shen Chongming before he breaks through.

The Shen family's decisive victory in the battle of Zhili, in which they killed the Golden Core Demon King of Tian Tan Mountain, had already made them wary.

If another cultivator with a mutated lightning-attribute spiritual root were to achieve the Golden Core stage, it would be even more troublesome for them.

Of all the forces at present, the one that most wants the people of the Underworld to take action is obviously Tian Tan Mountain.

During the battle of Zhili, Feng Changyou and the three demons all witnessed Xu Zhan swallow the golden core of the Yinhu Demon King whole.

The immortal golden nature of a Golden Core cultivator is not so easy to refine.

Once the people of the underworld are drawn to Shen Chongming's breakthrough, they will inevitably discover the unclaimed metal element of the Tiger Demon King immediately.

This kind of unclaimed metal element is even more attractive to those in the underworld.

By then, it is highly likely that two members of the Shen family will be targeted by the underworld at the same time.

Based on Feng Changyou's understanding of Shen Wen'an, he would certainly not stand idly by if the people of the underworld took action against the Shen family.

The terror of the Underworld is not that of a simple Nascent Soul cultivator; if the Shen family were to confront them head-on, the outcome would be predictable.

Tian Tan Mountain is now hoping that the underworld will target the Shen family, and ideally wipe them out in one fell swoop.

If that's the case, the loss of a Golden Core Demon King by Tian Tan Mountain, but the elimination of a potential major enemy, wouldn't be considered a loss.

Above Yunshui City, as Shen Chongming frantically seized the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth from the Heavenly Gate, his body was also absorbing the surrounding lightning power.

Shen Wen'an stood not far away, holding his sword, his divine sense already spreading out.

His divine sense dared not get too close to the area where Shen Chongming was breaking through, for fear of attracting the attention of the Heavenly Gate, which would not only bring trouble upon himself but also affect Shen Chongming's breakthrough.

"Ok?"

As his divine sense swept across the area again and again, Shen Wen'an suddenly noticed a slight fluctuation in the void near the Hidden Dragon Mountain side of Yunshui City.

Then a strange flying shuttle emerged from the void.

The shuttle was completely ethereal and invisible to the naked eye.

After silently breaking through the void, it was instantly retracted, and in its place appeared two figures dressed in black fitted robes and wearing towering crowns.

"So they also possess this ability..."

Having dealt with people from the underworld a few times, this was the first time he had ever seen how they traveled between different worlds.

On the opposite side, as soon as the two underworld beings appeared, they felt a divine sense sweeping over the area where they were located.

The two men's calm expressions suddenly changed.

These cowardly rats, who usually prey on Jin Xing, would kill him without hesitation if their true nature was discovered by someone's divine sense. Now that Shen Wen'an had seen them using the Void Shuttle to travel through various worlds, they were even less likely to let him go.

Without any hesitation, after confirming that the owner of that divine consciousness was Shen Wen'an, the two underworld figures immediately flashed and charged straight at him.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an smiled faintly.

This wasn't the first time he'd dealt with the Underworld. Just now, after scanning these two Underworld figures with his divine sense, he was already able to determine that they were weaker than the Underworld figure who had appeared when he broke through to the Golden Core stage.

Because the two of them only had two purplish-black Netherworld Gems on their headdresses, their strength was comparable to that of the Yin Si person who had led Fu Yang to seize his Golden Nature.

But seeing that the two underworld officials attacked without distinguishing right from wrong, Shen Wen'an had a slight thought and immediately set up a series of sword intent lotuses in front of them.

After more than ten sword-inspired green lotuses took root in the void, they instantly bloomed.

The crisscrossing sword intent and energy forced the two figures, who had been hidden in the void, to emerge.

“A cultivator at the Golden Core stage…”

After being forced out by the sword intent and sword energy, the two looked at Shen Wen'an with a puzzled expression.

In their understanding, most Golden Core cultivators from various worlds would avoid them as far away as possible.

This was the first time they had encountered a Golden Core cultivator who, instead of running away, dared to take the initiative to attack them.

"This ant carries the aura of my underworld!"

After a careful examination, one of the two underworld officials, a thin, pale-faced young man, suddenly spoke with a solemn expression.

Upon hearing this, his other companion, whose face was ashen, also suddenly turned gloomy.

"This ant has harmed my messenger from the underworld?"

As he spoke, he formed a hand seal, and a large amount of cold, purple energy condensed in front of him, gradually transforming into an ancient book.

As the book appeared, a cold glint flashed in his eyes!
"He killed a ghost messenger and even injured a ghost general!"

Clearly, Shen Wen'an is currently considered a ruthless person with a "list of crimes" within the underworld.

After a brief search, the two instantly knew what he had done.

Upon learning this, the two underworld officials refrained from making any rash moves and even quietly retreated a few steps.

Both of them are now just underworld messengers, and they know they are no match for a ruthless person who dares to fight even underworld generals.

After exchanging a furtive glance, one of them immediately waved his hand and summoned the Void Shuttle that had just been put away, tearing through the void to escape!

Shen Wen'an never expected that the Yin Si people, who were always so arrogant, would escape so easily.

By the time they realized what was happening, the teleportation shuttle had already vanished.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an frowned, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

He had a premonition that if he had killed those two Yin Si people and absorbed all their power, he could have completely perfected the rune mark on his natal flying sword.

Moreover, if the two were allowed to escape this time, they might go back and inform others, attracting even stronger beings from the underworld.

That was a terrifying force that occupied the Dao Source Secret Realm. To be honest, it was probably many times stronger than the Nascent Soul Realm.

Being targeted by them is definitely not a good thing.

"Chongming, things have changed. Can you break through as soon as possible?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Wen'an immediately condensed his voice into a line and transmitted it to Shen Chongming, who was in the process of breaking through.

Currently, the key to Yin Si anchoring itself in Yangnao Land lies in cultivators who are breaking through to the Golden Core realm and invoking the heavens to bestow upon them immortal golden essence.

If Shen Chongming can successfully break through before then and draw the metal element into his body, the people of the underworld will very likely lose their anchor point and be unable to descend into Yunshui City again.

Upon hearing these words in the void, Shen Chongming instantly understood.

Something serious must have happened, otherwise Uncle San would never have risked disturbing his breakthrough by sending him a telepathic message.

Thinking of this, he immediately slowly opened his arms and seized the pure spiritual energy descending from the Heavenly Gate at an even faster speed.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an clenched his fists and stood quietly on guard.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Everything seemed to be predetermined. The purest spiritual energy in the Heavenly Gate was quickly exhausted as Shen Chongming actively and rapidly extracted it.

The golden light piercing through the clouds gradually dimmed, and the enormous vortex in the void slowly contracted.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly calmed down.

With the thunderous power gathering from the surrounding clouds, he could sense that Shen Chongming's inner core was now similar to his own back then.

Although it is "lacking in the Golden Elixir", the deficiency is not significant.

Next, all we need to do is wait for the Heavenly Gate to close, and then use the Three Flowers of Divinity to guide the Immortal Golden Nature descended from Heaven into our bodies. The people of the Underworld will probably not have a chance to make a move then.

Under his tense gaze, the golden vortex above Shen Chongming's head had shrunk to its minimum.

As the last ray of golden light dissipated, a supreme and immense power suddenly shattered the thick dark clouds, and the entire sky was then enveloped in sacred golden light.

Amidst the golden light, the faint sounds of the Great Dao echoed, and golden lotuses emerged from the golden light.

This scene signifies that Shen Chongming's breakthrough has reached its most crucial stage.

At this moment, the cultivators from the Southern Frontier in Yangnao Lands all sighed in despair upon witnessing this scene.

Are all the people in the underworld useless?

"Why is it that when cultivators from the Shen family break through to the Golden Core stage, they can always avoid interference from the Underworld!?"

"Heaven is unjust! Heaven is unjust!"

"When we break through to the Golden Core stage, we face a near-death experience. Yet this member of the Shen family not only easily opened the Heavenly Gate upon breaking through to the Golden Core stage, but also received no interference from the Underworld. Why is this happening?!"

As everyone lamented, Feng Changyou, the third demon in Tianyuan Mountain, also received a report from Old Man Jin.

When they heard that Shen Chongming was about to guide Jin Xing and was about to successfully break through, the three demons all looked grim!

Seeing the expressions on his three ancestors' faces, Old Man Jin sighed inwardly and was about to leave when he saw Hua Qing rush in with a panicked expression.

"Reporting to the three patriarchs, a terrifying battle has broken out in the skies above Yunshui City!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Changyou Sanyao was first stunned, then his face lit up with joy!

"Did the underworld intervene!?"

Hua Qing shook her head slightly.

"Go and investigate!"

"Both of you go and investigate now!"

"Once it is confirmed that the Shen family has suffered a severe blow from the underworld, return immediately to report!"

"When the time comes, I will personally lead my men to raze Yunshui City to the ground!"

Crane Demon spoke in a stern voice, his face grim.

Upon hearing this, Hua Qing and Old Man Jin immediately bowed and left the cave protected by layers of arrays.

……

Yunshui City.

Shen Wen'an had thought that Shen Chongming's breakthrough would be a safe and uneventful one.

Unexpectedly, at this crucial final moment, the underworld figures returned to fight back.

There were four people from the underworld who came this time. Each of them had three purple-black Netherworld gems embedded in the front of their sky-piercing crowns, clearly indicating that they were four underworld generals.

"Ok?"

"There's actually an unclaimed piece of immortal gold here. We're really lucky."

As soon as the four Yin generals arrived in Yunshui City, they instantly sensed the immortal golden nature of the Tiger Demon King within Xu Zhan's body.

"Brother Bai, I trouble you to retrieve that unclaimed Immortal Gold."

"Brother Li, the golden essence that Heaven is about to bestow is entrusted to you."

“Junior Brother Zhao, let’s join forces and kill this fiend.”

"Gentlemen, let's finish this quickly and not delay any longer."

Among the four Yin generals, a middle-aged man with a mustache slowly gave the order.

After the remaining three bowed, one of them flashed and charged towards Xu Zhan in Yunshui City below.

After realizing that he was the target, Xu Zhan took the initiative to attack in order to avoid implicating other Shen family cultivators in the city.

The two sides met in the void behind the old house and a terrible battle broke out.

Xu Zhanyi's strength in cultivating to the fifth realm was already evident in the battle in Zhili.

But when facing this underworld general, he seemed to be completely restrained.

These underworld beings, whether due to their cultivation methods or by possessing some kind of secret treasure or technique, have achieved a profound level of mastery in the Dao of Emptiness and Union.

The terrifying power that body cultivators could unleash struck them was like hitting the void; it had virtually no effect.

Xu Zhan's blood and qi surged, leaving streaks of blood flames in the void, yet he was still firmly suppressed by the Yin general surnamed Bai.

Even the white-surnamed Yin general was just toying with him the whole time.

Every time Xu Zhan thrust his spear forward, his opponent would flicker and easily dodge.

Even if one cannot dodge, and the spear pierces through their body, it will not cause much damage.

Such a humiliating and frustrating battle made Xu Zhan feel irritable.

The more agitated he became, the more chaotic his attacks became, and his moves were full of flaws.

This Yin general surnamed Bai seized the opportunity and left several wounds on his soul.

The pain in his soul gradually brought Xu Zhan back to his senses. His internal energy surged, forcibly widening the distance between him and the white-surnamed Yin general.

Xu Zhan, his gaze fixed on the white-surnamed Yin general, endured the searing pain emanating from his soul as his thoughts raced.

He now vaguely understands why it is so rare to see Fifth Realm Body Cultivators throughout the entire Yangnao Land, including the Southern Frontier.

Of course, some cultivators at the fifth level of the body realm, before achieving the flawless golden body, would be treated as humanoid medicines and the best vessels for possession by other cultivators, and would be hunted down.

On the other hand, it is also because those who cultivate the five realms of body cultivation and seek to achieve the flawless golden body will inevitably attract the attention of the underworld.

The cultivators of the Underworld are almost completely ineffective against physical cultivators, so they have no chance of winning against them.

In such a situation, if one does not cultivate the flawless golden body, one will be hunted down by other cultivators; if one does cultivate the flawless golden body, one will have to face the underworld.

Reaching the fifth realm in body cultivation almost always leads to certain death.

On the other side, the underworld general surnamed Bai was not in a hurry.

He toyed with the dark purple scimitar in his hand with a playful air, looked at Xu Zhan and said, "Ant, don't struggle."

"Your brute force is useless against me."

"It's a pity that Heaven doesn't favor you body cultivators now. Otherwise, considering the golden essence you stole, killing you would allow me to gain two immortal golden essences at once."

"This round of tasks will be a bit easier."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Does Heaven not favor body cultivators?
Is this why I didn't receive the Immortal Golden Nature as a reward from Heaven after breaking through to the Fifth Realm?
Is there really no way for me to deal with this strange guy in front of me?

Gripping his spear tightly, Xu Zhan's mind raced. When he caught a glimpse of Shen Wen'an fighting two other Yin generals in the distance, a sudden inspiration struck him.

Since physical strength can't deal with this guy, let's try this move!

With a slight thought, an extremely pure Yin energy was immediately released from his body.

The next moment, the Yin energy rapidly condensed behind him into a terrifying monster with red eyes and fangs!

This monster was the evil demon he cultivated using the "Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique".

During the battle of Zhili, the strength of the Demon Demon had already begun to emerge.

This time, he wanted to try to use the evil demon to deal with the Yin general of the underworld in front of him.

When the white-surnamed Yin general on the opposite side saw the evil demon gradually taking shape behind Xu Zhan, his expression suddenly changed drastically!

"The Yin Spirit!?"

"You're actually the successor of that traitor from back then!?"

traitor?

Xu Zhan was suspicious, but then realized that the traitor he was talking about must be someone from the ancient city at the bottom of the Laishui River.

This is because he obtained the "Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique" from the ancient city at the bottom of the river.

The Demon Demon was created through the cultivation of the "Nine Fiends Gathering Body Technique".

From this perspective, the mysterious expert must have created this technique specifically for the underworld.

Following this line of thought, it becomes possible to explain why the ancient city at the bottom of the Laishui River possesses power remarkably similar to that of the underworld.

"So that's what you're afraid of..."

Suppressing his thoughts, Xu Zhan suddenly grinned and charged forward.

Having found a way to control his opponent, he naturally wanted to take revenge for the humiliation and mockery he had suffered earlier.

On the other side, Shen Wen'an faced two Yin generals alone.

I was worried that Xu Zhan wouldn't be able to handle these strange guys and was ready to step in to help at any time.

At that moment, he suddenly caught sight of Xu Zhan, who had summoned the evil demon, beating the white-surnamed Yin general mercilessly. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled back into his stomach, and he began to concentrate on dealing with the two Yin generals in front of him.

He also has many unique methods for dealing with people from the underworld.

Sword intent is one of them.

Another method that is even more effective against the Yin Si is the Sword Bone Technique Sword.

This thing is called a "soul vessel" in the underworld.

The last time he dealt with that Yin general, he relied on the Sword Bone Technique to severely injure him.

Now that Xu Zhan no longer needed his care, Shen Wen'an had no more reservations and directly summoned the Sword Bone Technique Sword.

"It really is a Horcrux!"

Across from him, the middle-aged man with a mustache suddenly became serious when he saw the Sword Bone Technique Sword.

After the Yin general who came to carry out the mission last time fled back in a sorry state, she said that she had encountered a cultivator who possessed a soul weapon. Many Yin generals did not believe her, thinking that it was just an excuse for her mission failure.

Seeing Shen Wen'an summon the Sword Bone Technique Sword this time, he understood that the Yin General's defeat last time was truly deserved.

"Senior Brother Song, how could an ant possess a soul weapon?"

A hint of fear flashed in the eyes of the Zhao-surname general standing next to the middle-aged man with the mustache, and he asked in alarm.

"There's no need to worry too much; some Soul Weapons are stronger than others."

"If the two of us join forces and handle the situation carefully, we should be fine."

As the middle-aged man with the mustache spoke, his gaze also swept over another group of Yin generals surnamed Bai, who were completely suppressed by Xu Zhan.

Compared to him, the two of them were quite lucky.

While feeling fortunate, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

What kind of force do these two cultivators belong to?
The methods of "Yin Shen" and "Soul Weapon," which are specifically designed to restrain the Yin realm, are rarely seen even once every hundred years or so, yet they have both appeared at the same time this time.

"Brother Li, this mission is tricky."

"You must seize that golden essence that Heaven has sent down later."

"We are afraid there is nothing we can do about it."

After assessing the situation, the middle-aged man with the mustache realized that the four had been careless this time.

If the cultivator and the body cultivator in front of them did not have "soul weapons" and "yin spirits", the four yin generals could easily kill them and take away the three immortal golden essences in one fell swoop.

You can also complete a bounty mission along the way.

But now, it's hard to say whether the four of them can even complete the most basic task.

"Brother Song, rest assured, I'm keeping an eye on things."

The other Yin general, who was watching the battle from the sidelines and was ready to seize Shen Chongming's gold at any moment, answered in a deep voice.

He was also surprised by Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan's methods, which were all perfectly suited to counter the Yin Si.

He knew in his heart that if the four of them went back and didn't want to be punished, they would have to rely on themselves for this most basic task.

After summoning the Sword Bone Technique Sword, Shen Wen'an no longer held back, using the Sword Bone Technique Sword in conjunction with two different sword intents to launch a fierce attack on the two Yin generals of the Underworld.

He has already thought about it.

This time, we must find a way to obtain enough power from the four Yin generals to completely perfect the runes on our natal flying sword.

Otherwise, the next time these underworld beings descend, they might take special care of the Shen family.

At that point, the Shen family will only need to consider how to protect themselves from them, rather than trying to gain any more benefits from them.

When faced with Shen Wen'an's attack, the two Yin generals could no longer maintain their disguise and directly revealed their true forms.

Two figures, each nearly ten feet tall, their bodies covered in blood and gore, roared and howled in the void, resembling deformed monsters whose skins had been ripped off.

As the power within the two monsters surged, the surrounding void was instantly filled with dark clouds once again!
A massive amount of cold, malevolent yin energy surged forth, forming a terrifying scene in the void!

In a daze, Shen Wen'an felt as if he had been transported to an unknown space, surrounded by a gray haze.

Before he could figure out what was going on, he heard a strange, chilling murmur coming from all directions.

Interspersed among these strange murmurs were the continuous clanging sounds of armor.

Following the sound, Shen Wen'an looked around and gradually discovered that soldiers wearing tattered armor and wielding swords, spears, and halberds were rushing up from the surrounding gray fog!

These soldiers were ethereal and their specific appearances were almost indistinguishable, but their fighting spirit was no less than that of the large army of cultivators from Fushan Kingdom who formed battle formations during the second great harvest.

Moreover, the number of these strange ghost soldiers far exceeded that of the cultivator army of Fushan Kingdom.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Wen'an saw that the space within sight around him was completely filled with these strange ghost soldiers.

But then he saw that the soldiers at the very front of him had already rushed up to him, leaped high into the air, and attacked him with their tattered weapons.

Shen Wen'an narrowed his eyes slightly, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Facing the charging ghost soldiers, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, showing no intention of resisting.

As the ghostly soldiers who rushed towards him passed through his body one by one, they slowly dissipated.

Shen Wen'an closed his eyes and glanced slightly to the side.

Then, as if hearing some noise, he suddenly slashed out with his longsword!
Clang!
A crisp metallic clang rang out, and the surrounding gray space shattered instantly!

Its form was still in the sky above Yunshui City.

Meanwhile, the white jade longsword formed from the Bone Magic Sword in his hand was blocking a curved blade that was entirely dark blue and as thin as a cicada's wing.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the terrifying monster behind the scimitar, clearly not expecting that the [Yellow Spring Illusion Array] used by the two of them would have no effect on Shen Wen'an at all.

With a single sword strike, Shen Wen'an blocked the opponent's sneak attack, then suddenly turned his head and opened his eyes!
The sword intent and sword light that shot out from his eyes instantly attacked the other monster that was sneaking around behind him and trying to launch a sneak attack!

"squeak!"

The monster let out a strange cry, immediately dodged the two sword beams, and then its figure flickered and disappeared.

The battlefield between the two sides has been shrouded in dark clouds brought by the other, clouds that can not only obscure vision but also affect spiritual perception.

After their sneak attacks were exposed, the two monsters immediately took advantage of the favorable environment around them to engage in a fierce battle with Shen Wen'an.

From time to time, sharp hooks would emerge from the dense, dark clouds, striking from extremely difficult angles and at great speed.

Shen Wen'an had maximized his senses, but each time he only managed to barely dodge the attacks by brushing against the hook and sickle.

If one is not careful, their body will be pierced by these sharp hooks.

"These guys' methods are really bizarre..."

As Shen Wen'an pondered how to break out of his current predicament, he suddenly felt a terrifying force of thunder rushing towards him from the dark clouds to his lower left!
Looking into the distance, the terrifying power of lightning turned out to be a deep blue arrow!
Wherever the arrow passed, the dark clouds containing a large amount of cold and yin energy were instantly evaporated by the extremely strong and yang power of thunder!
In the blink of an eye, the dark clouds in the surrounding void that had given the two underworld monsters a huge advantage were easily dealt with by this lightning arrow.

With the dark clouds that could obscure their divine senses and vision gone, the two underworld monsters were completely exposed in the void.

Bathed in the glow of countless rays of sunlight, Shen Wen'an no longer needed to bother searching for his target.

"Brother Li!"

"what happened?"

The two underworld monsters besieging Shen Wen'an were clearly confused as to how Shen Chongming, who was being watched by the underworld general surnamed Li, could free up his hands to attack them, and roared in fury.

But when they turned around, they found that the Li surname general was being bound by ropes formed from several bolts of lightning and was struggling violently.

As for Shen Chongming, the golden phenomena in the surrounding void had all disappeared.

The two clearly felt that the immortal golden essence had been drawn into their bodies by Shen Chongming.

Having successfully broken through, Shen Chongming held the White Bone Bow. After firing an arrow, he was nocking another and aiming at the Bai-surname Yin general who was being chased by Xu Zhan on the other side.

Compared to the three of them, the white-surnamed Yin general was clearly in a worse state.

After transforming into its true form, its flesh and blood were torn to shreds by the demons summoned by Xu Zhan, and the remaining half of its body was constantly emitting large amounts of yin energy.

Shen Chongming shot an arrow.

The fleeing general surnamed Bai was caught off guard and was instantly pierced through by a lightning arrow.

The moment his body stiffened, the demon behind Xu Zhan suddenly pounced forward and bit the head of the white-surnamed Yin general.

Click!

The demon suddenly exerted its strength and bit off its head!

After losing its head, the headless body of the white-clad Yin general trembled instinctively a few times before slowly transforming into purplish-black Yin energy and dissipating into the air.

Upon witnessing this scene, the two underworld monsters in front of Shen Wen'an were horrified. They could no longer care about anything else and turned into wisps of black smoke, fleeing into the distance!

Shen Wen'an frowned slightly, looking at Xu Zhan and Shen Chongming with a puzzled expression.

Why do the underworld generals seem to have suddenly become weaker?
Or is it that Xu Zhan and Shen Chongming's methods are stronger than his own Sword Bone Technique when facing the Yin Generals?

"Third Uncle, what should we do with this monster?"

Just as he was wondering about this, Shen Chongming, who was in the distance, suddenly spoke up.

Once he came to his senses, Shen Wen'an immediately flashed to the underworld monster bound by lightning ropes. After a moment's thought, he summoned his natal flying sword.

The three-inch golden sword pierced directly into the monster's body.

The monster's violently struggling body stiffened instantly, and then, like a deflated balloon, it was absorbed by Shen Wen'an's natal flying sword in just a few breaths, leaving only a skin.

Xu Zhan and Shen Chongming were astonished by this scene.

"How come Uncle's natal flying sword is more powerful than my Demonic Fiend?"

Xu Zhan asked curiously.

His demonic possession requires him to tear and bite people in the underworld one bite at a time.

However, Shen Wen'an's natal flying sword only pierced the opponent's body, and in a few breaths, it absorbed all of the monster's energy.

Shen Wen'an didn't really understand the purpose of the rune mark related to the underworld on his natal flying sword.

I just had a feeling that completing that rune mark would bring unimaginable benefits.

This time, my natal flying sword has drained the life force of a Yin general, which should be enough to complete the rune markings.

"Now that you have achieved the Golden Core Dao, you should put aside matters of alloying your internal energy for now."

"The safety of Yunshui City is temporarily entrusted to you and Xu Zhan. Your third uncle urgently needs to go into seclusion."

After retrieving his natal flying sword from his dantian, Shen Wen'an looked at Shen Chongming and spoke.

Shen Chongming nodded: "Third Uncle, please rest assured that you are in seclusion. Your nephew and Xu Zhan will definitely guard Yunshui City well."

"Okay, go see your grandfather and your father first, and tell them about your third uncle's seclusion."

Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice and flew directly towards the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

……

Inside the secret room.

Shen Wen'an sat cross-legged on the futon.

During this period of seclusion, he has two things to do.

The primary task is to thoroughly study the purpose of the underworld runes on my natal flying sword.

The second thing was the broken sword that was taken from the crane demon of Tian Tan Mountain.

The broken sword and the Azure Origin Sword Nourishing Gourd in his hand were clearly together, and if what the Crane Demon said was true, the two broken swords could be combined to form a spiritual weapon.

It remains to be seen whether the Azure Origin Sword Nurturing Gourd can successfully nurture this spiritual artifact into a perfect state; further investigation is needed to determine the exact outcome.

Holding his breath and clearing his mind of all distractions, Shen Wen'an slowly focused his attention on his dantian and began to study the natal flying sword within it.

Outside, when Shen Chongming and Xu Zhan returned to the old house, many cultivators and younger members of the Shen family excitedly came forward to greet them.

"Congratulations, Father, on achieving the Golden Core Path!"

"Congratulations, Patriarch, on achieving the Golden Core Path!"

Amidst the respectful congratulations of everyone, Shen Chongming approached his father, Shen Wenxing, and respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

"father."

Shen Wenxing nodded with a smile.

"Not bad, you've finally gotten ahead of your old man."

Shen Wenxing felt both emotional and happy that his son was now better than him.

What's touching is that the child has become successful and no longer needs the protection and care of his elderly father.

The good news is that the Shen family has gained another Golden Core cultivator, and his son has now become a great cultivator capable of standing alone for the Shen family.

"Where is your third uncle?"

Suppressing his emotions, Shen Wenxing looked behind the two of them but didn't see Shen Wen'an. He asked curiously.

"My third uncle has gone into seclusion."

Xu Zhan smiled and cupped his hands in reply.

"Your third uncle is injured?" Shen Wenxing asked again quickly.

"No, Uncle is fine."

Shen Chongming shook his head and smiled.

After exchanging pleasantries, and as the other Shen family cultivators gradually left the old house, the father and his sons finally sat down in the side room.

With no outsiders present, Xu Zhan solemnly bowed to Shen Wenxing and said, "Master, I have learned some secrets from this battle with the people of the Underworld."

He revealed the secret he had previously obtained from the Bai-surname general, along with his own speculations.

After hearing this, Shen Wenxing said in a deep voice, "So, you mean that if we body cultivators want to achieve the true Fifth Realm, we must plunder the golden nature of other Golden Core cultivators to condense a flawless golden body?"

Xu Zhan nodded.

"The people of the underworld said that Heaven does not favor body cultivators."

"It's obviously impossible for us to acquire the gold element on our own."

After a pause, Xu Zhan continued, "I will soon be studying this carefully to see what the relationship is between the Golden Nature and the Flawless Golden Body."

"How can body cultivators utilize the metal element to cultivate a flawless golden body?"

Shen Wenxing nodded again: "There's nothing I can do to help you with this."

"But... we need to be extra careful."

"I don't know why, but when I hear you say these things, I feel uneasy."

The underworld steals the golden essence of cultivators, and now body cultivators who want to achieve the true fifth realm are even stealing the golden essence of other Golden Core cultivators. This behavior seems rather sinister no matter how you look at it.

Although he couldn't immediately figure out what was wrong with his actions, Shen Wenxing felt that something was amiss.

But we can't stop Xu Zhan from trying right now.

Since he hadn't cultivated the flawless golden body, he, the only fifth-realm body cultivator in Yangnao Land and Southern Border, would always be coveted by those old fogies.

If it attracts an old monster at the Purple Mansion Realm whose lifespan is nearing its end, it will be another disaster for the Shen family.

"Master, rest assured, your disciple will certainly handle this with caution."

Xu Zhan dared not take the matter of refining other people's golden cores and golden essence lightly.

After all, the Golden Core embodies the entire cultivation and soul of a Golden Core cultivator.

The Tiger Demon King died at the hands of the Shen family, and his golden core must contain extreme resentment towards the Shen family.

If we're not careful and leave any hidden dangers, it could lead to big trouble if someone takes advantage of the situation in the future.

After another round of casual conversation, the three of them...

Shen Wenxing then looked at Shen Chongming and said, "Now that you have successfully broken through, the position of the head of this family is returned to you."

"I also plan to take advantage of this time to cultivate myself and see if I can make further progress."

"Master is planning to go into seclusion!?" Upon hearing this, a hint of worry flashed across Xu Zhan's face.

Shen Wenxing glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "I know my own limitations."

"There's no rush for seclusion. I just want to take advantage of the fact that the great calamity hasn't arrived yet to properly study the 'Nine Fiends Body Gathering Technique' that you cultivate."

Xu Zhan had previously advised him to switch to the Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique, but he refused.

But having just heard that the demons created by cultivating the Nine Fiends Body-Gathering Technique could perfectly restrain the people of the underworld, Shen Wenxing decided to study it carefully. Even if he didn't cultivate it, he still had to figure out what the demons were all about.

Can't the Azure Dragon Force cultivate something similar to a demon?

The two brothers watched Shen Wenxing leave the room. Just as Xu Zhan was about to bow and leave, he saw a Shen family cultivator hurrying over from afar, riding the wind.

The cultivator approached and bowed, saying, "Patriarch, Lord Xu."

"Reliable news has come from Tianyuan Mountain: the spirit has appeared!"

The spirit of Tianyuan Mountain has appeared!?

Upon hearing this, both of them looked surprised.

"Tell me more about it."

After Xu Zhan spoke, the cultivator cupped his hands and said, "The day before yesterday, we received news that the cultivators from Yangnao Land that the various sects of Tianyuan Mountain had captured in the surrounding area were killed in a concentrated manner."

"Blood stained the entire Tianyuan Mountain red."

"Today, the six major powers in the Southern Frontier seem to have reached some kind of consensus, and each of them secretly executed some cultivators under their jurisdiction."

“Before I arrived, a red glow appeared in the area controlled by Huangshengzong on the northern slope of Yuanshan Mountain, which was suspected to be a sign of a spiritual entity.”

"Right now, all the sects are already stirring. I reckon that when their true nature is fully revealed, Tianyuan Mountain and even the land within a thousand miles will be destroyed."

After a slight pause, the cultivator said expectantly, "Patriarch, this spirit belongs to our Shen family..."

Shen Chongming pondered for a moment with a stern face and shook his head, saying, "My Shen family will not participate in this matter."

"You must go to Xiwu City immediately and inform Senior Pei to quickly relocate all the disciples of Qiyun Valley to Yinlong Mountain."

"I will also inform Luoxia Mountain of this news."

"Let them retreat their businesses there as far back as possible, lest they suffer an undeserved disaster later."

"Yes!" After accepting the order, the cultivator hurriedly rode the wind and rushed away into the distance.

Shen Chongming stared solemnly into the distant void.

Xu Zhan, standing beside him, asked with some confusion, "What are you worried about, Senior Brother?"

"Since the Shen family has no intention of fighting over the spirit, they can just let them fight to the death."

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Chongming murmured, "I'm worried that now that my spiritual nature has manifested, that old monster at the Purple Mansion Realm from Tian Tan Mountain might descend upon Yangnao Land."

(End of this chapter)