Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 278 The Fourth Golden Core

Western Wilderness, Flame Lake City.

Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi, along with many Shen family cultivators, were forging magical artifacts by the lava lake in the city.

Flame Lake City has been built for over twenty years. Now, besides He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun, there are nearly thirty weapon refiners in the city who can reliably produce low-grade ancient magical artifacts.

These weapon refiners were able to continuously craft low-grade magic weapons and robes for the many low-level cultivators of the Shen family, forming the foundation of the Shen family's weapon refining skills.

With the annual festival approaching, several heavy snowfalls have already fallen outside Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness.

The surrounding desolate Gobi Desert was covered in frost, and the cold wind howled, making it a no-go zone for ordinary people.

However, at this time, Flame Lake City was not affected by the severe cold due to the presence of lava lakes; on the contrary, it was unbearably hot.

"Young Master Xiu Yun, what do you think of the quality of this longsword I've crafted?"

Inside the weapon-forging workshop by the lava lake, a middle-aged, burly man, shirtless and covered in sweat, approached Shen Xiuyun, holding a newly forged low-grade magic weapon longsword.

Shen Xiuyun took the long sword and examined it carefully, then used his spiritual power to activate the internal artifact patterns.

Suddenly, the longsword in his hand glowed with a deep blue light, and at the same time, a chilling aura emanated from the blade.

"Um!?"

Seeing this, Shen Xiuyun looked at the middle-aged man with some surprise.

The middle-aged man grinned and cupped his hands, saying, "I discovered this by accident."

"When I was refining the artifact blank, I was careless and did not completely melt the piece of Frost Feather Spirit Iron in the artifact blank, so that it could be condensed into one piece in the artifact blank."

"But the artifact blank was already formed at that time. Apart from the Frost Feather Spirit Iron, there were no other problems with the entire artifact blank. I thought that we should not waste it, so I tried to engrave the artifact pattern inside to see if it would have any effect."

Shen Xiuyun nodded with surprise and said, "So, the reason why this longsword has such a special ability is because the Frost Feather Spirit Iron was not completely melted?"

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly and then said, "It should be because I engraved the most crucial part of the artifact's design onto the Frost Feather Spirit Iron inside the artifact blank that..."

"hold head high!"

Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, a loud and majestic shout suddenly came from the far west of Flame Lake City!

The lingering echoes of its loud cry reverberated throughout the entire western wilderness.

In Flame Lake City, everyone was awakened by the terrifying and majestic scream, their hearts trembling as they stared in horror at the western sky.

"Xiu Yun, what happened?"

As everyone looked up at the sky, He Chongyi flew in from afar with a solemn expression.

He was in seclusion in the secret chamber, studying the second-tier artifact patterns, when he was suddenly interrupted by this terrifying scream.

"Uncle Chongyi".

Shen Xiuyun came to his senses, cupped his hands in greeting to He Chongyi, and then turned to look at the western sky, saying, "The sound came from that direction."

"Judging from the sound, it seems to be some kind of extremely terrifying ferocious beast."

"Uncle, should we go take a look?"

Upon hearing this, He Chongyi was pondering when that terrifying scream rang out again!

In an instant, a fear originating from the depths of their souls emerged from everyone's bodies, and the many weapon refiners at the edge of the lava lake were all so frightened by this terrifying scream that their legs went weak.

He Chongyi suppressed his fear and said with a solemn expression:

"Quickly, send a message to your uncle!"

"Whatever that thing is, it's beyond our capabilities!"

There are only a little over a hundred cultivators left in the entire Flame Lake City.

Having reached the late stage of the Fetal Breathing realm, he was the strongest being in Flame Lake City.

But just that one strange cry from that unknown being had filled him with terror, leaving him utterly unable to muster any will to resist.

He Chongyi understood that this was beyond their ability to handle.

Shen Xiuyun didn't dare to delay and immediately took out the communication stone to report the strange events that had occurred in Flame Lake City to Shen Chongming, who was far away in Cloud Water City.

……

Yunshui City.

Shen Chongming was discussing the matter of the spirit of Yunmeng Daze with Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan.

Upon receiving a telepathic message from Shen Xiuyun, he immediately frowned.

Seeing his expression, Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan exchanged bewildered glances.

"Chongming, what happened?" Shen Wen'an asked in a low voice.

Meeting their questioning gazes, Shen Chongming snapped out of his reverie and said, "Xiu Yun just sent word that something strange has happened in Flame Lake City..."

After hearing what he said, both of them frowned.

"A strange cry, possibly from some kind of ferocious beast..."

After muttering to himself, Xu Zhan cupped his hands and said, "Then shall I go with my third uncle to Flame Lake City?"

He was well aware of the importance of Flame Lake City.

If Flame Lake City could handle this strange matter, He Chongyi would never have bothered his family by sending a telepathic message.

Shen Chongming pondered for a moment, then looked at Shen Wen'an and cupped his hands, saying, "I'll trouble you, Third Uncle, to accompany Xu Zhan on this trip."

Given the current volatile situation, he was somewhat worried that the changes in Flame Lake City might be the work of several major Golden Core forces in the Southern Frontier, targeting the Shen family and the Azure Vine Sword Pavilion.

Sending Xu Zhan alone is not a safe option.

Shen Wen'an nodded and instructed:

"Be careful around here at home."

"If anything seems amiss, immediately send a message to your aunt for help. Do not act rashly."

He had obviously considered that the events in Flame Lake City might be related to the major Golden Core forces in Southern Xinjiang, and he was even more worried that this was a ploy to lure the enemy away from their stronghold.

Once he and Xu Zhan leave Yunshui City, the entire Shen family will only have Shen Chongming as their sole Golden Core cultivator.

If the major Golden Core forces in Southern Xinjiang were to attack Yunshui City, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Shen Chongming nodded in agreement and watched the two leave the room.

After leaving Yunshui City, Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan summoned the empty treasure ship that the golden-haired monkey had given them years ago, in order to make things easier.

The two boarded the treasure ship and flew straight towards Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness.

"hold head high!"

Just as the treasure ship flew over Zhennan City, which is located between Flame Lake City and Cloud Water City, a deep, strange cry suddenly came from the distant west!
Is this the sound?

On the ship's side, Xu Zhan, who had heard the sound, stared in the direction from which it came and spoke in a deep voice.

"Dragon's Roar..."

Shen Wen'an was also staring straight ahead, frowning and muttering to himself.

He had fought against the Golden Core Flood Dragon Li Qing in the Cangmin Sea years ago, and could clearly hear that this strange cry was somewhat similar to Li Qing's cry.

However, Li Qing's voice was far less shocking than the strange cry.

"dragon?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan looked at him with some surprise and asked, "Does Third Uncle mean that this strange cry came from a dragon?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head slightly and said, "It does look somewhat similar, but we can't be sure."

There is still a considerable difference between a jiaolong and a dragon.

The "dragon" recognized by the cultivation world actually includes all dragon-type demon beasts.

Creatures such as the Jiaolong, which are related to the ancient dragon race, can be called dragons when they evolve to have a dragon-like form.

True dragons are ancient divine beasts containing pure dragon blood, and their minimum cultivation level must be at the Nascent Soul True Monarch realm.

The empty treasure ship was very fast.

Not long after the two heard the strange cry that sounded like a "dragon's roar," the treasure ship appeared above Flame Lake City.

After Shen Wen'an stowed away the treasure ship, the two of them landed in Flame Lake City.

"Third Master, Lord Xu."

After the city guards bowed and greeted them, they led the two to Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi.

Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi bowed to each other and then recounted the strange events to them.

After listening to He Chongyi's account, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment and then said, "You two guard Flame Lake City well. From this moment on, no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"I will go with Xu Zhan to take a look."

After giving a brief instruction, he and Xu Zhan left Flame Lake City and headed towards the western desert.

"Back then, when I was still at the half-step Golden Core realm, I was entrusted by your grandfather to come to this area to investigate some things."

"But I don't know what happened back then, but in the end, a part of my memory was erased, and I was left on that mound..."

On the empty treasure ship, Shen Wen'an pointed to a mound below and spoke in a deep voice.

The sight of the scene stirred up his emotions, reminding him of the incident that had almost destroyed his Dao heart.

Xu Zhan was very surprised to hear this.

He hadn't expected that his third uncle, Shen Wen'an, had experienced something like this.

A thought suddenly crossed Xu Zhan's mind, and he asked curiously, "Uncle, do you think this strange event might be related to what happened to you back then?"

His words startled Shen Wen'an slightly, but he then smiled faintly and said, "If the two are really related, that would be good. This time, we can see who exactly erased my memories back then."

He also knew that even though he had now reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, he was still no match for that being from back then.

Knowing the other person's identity is enough.

If I am fortunate enough to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future, I will definitely seek his guidance to avenge the grudge from that year.

The empty treasure ship sailed westward and soon crossed the Gobi Desert, arriving at an even more desolate desert.

"hold head high!"

Just as the two were wondering where to continue their search, another loud, strange scream rang out!

This time, the two people on the treasure ship not only heard strange cries, but also vaguely saw a blood-red phantom rising into the sky from the depths of the desert!

"It really is a dragon!?"

Seeing the crimson phantom vanish into the void in an instant, Xu Zhan couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Shen Wen'an was also full of surprise at this moment.

Although the phantom that shot into the sky disappeared quickly, he still clearly captured its appearance.

Antlers, four legs...

This is definitely not a characteristic that ordinary dragons can possess!

How could there be a dragon in this barren desert?

Xu Zhan was very puzzled.

Shen Wen'an seemed to have thought of something, but that memory had ultimately been erased, and the flash of inspiration was fleeting, preventing him from grasping it.

"That should have been a wisp of dragon energy, or perhaps the lingering resentment of a dragon's soul..."

"Let's go over and take a look."

The memories that flashed through his mind made him realize that the place where the dragon-shaped phantom had appeared was very likely the place where his memories had been erased.

He maneuvered the empty treasure ship quickly toward the place where the dragon-shaped phantom had disappeared.

hum!
The treasure ship transformed into a streak of light and flew for half an hour. Suddenly, an invisible light shield appeared in the void ahead.

However, the light barrier seemed to be just an illusion. The empty treasure ship bumped into it lightly and passed right through it.

At the bow of the ship, Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan only felt a flash of light before their eyes, and then the surrounding scenery immediately underwent a dramatic change.

The once boundless desert has disappeared, replaced by an ancient and desolate primeval forest.

Standing on the empty treasure ship, the two of them could see at a glance that there was a huge canyon in the middle of this ancient jungle full of wild atmosphere!

Ancient trees hang upside down on both sides of the canyon, their thick vines intertwined, and a hazy, blood-red mist swirls and shifts.

Every now and then, these blood-red mists would transform into a dragon with a single horn on its head and no feet on its belly, soaring into the sky!

However, as these dragon phantoms rushed into the sky, they would instantly crash into the invisible light barrier, letting out a mournful cry of resentment, before turning back into a large swath of blood-red mist and dissipating above the canyon.

Some dragon-shaped phantoms that could conjure up deer antlers and claws on their bellies soared into the sky, barely managing to break through the invisible light barrier, emitting a very low and joyful cry before quickly dissipating into the outside world.

The two stood on the empty treasure ship, staring in astonishment for a long time, their eyes filled with shock.

"Third Uncle, could all this blood-red mist be the souls of dead dragon-type demon beasts?"

Looking at the vast, intricate canyon stretching for miles in the distance, Xu Zhan murmured in a daze.

Shen Wen'an remained silent.

In my perception, the crimson mist permeating the distant canyon above possessed extremely chaotic yet powerful fluctuations of consciousness.

It looks like a large number of powerful dragons and beasts were buried here, and their souls and resentment lingered and turned into this place.

But this is a dragon!
Dragons are among the most powerful of all monsters!
A dragon capable of transforming into a jiao (a type of dragon-like creature) must be at least at the Golden Core stage.

As for those dragons that have already transformed into half-dragon forms and sprouted dragon claws from their bellies, Shen Wen'an estimated that they must at least be at the Purple Mansion Realm.

If the crimson mist above the canyon in front of us is truly formed from the souls and resentment of a large number of dragons, then how many powerful dragons must have died here?
The two were in a state of shock, unable to express themselves.

Above the distant canyon, a large cloud of blood-red mist suddenly twisted rapidly, then slowly coalesced into a phantom of a divine dragon with antlers on its head, four legs on its belly, and a faint aura of power, which soared into the sky!

The invisible light barrier that could block many dragons and half-dragon phantoms in the void was instantly broken through by the divine dragon phantom in front of them!

After the phantom of the divine dragon burst out of the light barrier, it immediately let out a loud dragon roar!

Having witnessed the phantom of the divine dragon break through the light barrier, Shen Wen'an could hear in the dragon's roar that it seemed to contain a cathartic release of someone who had been suppressed for countless years and had finally regained their freedom.

"Let's go down first."

After some thought, Shen Wen'an spoke in a deep voice and put away the empty treasure ship.

This place was clearly full of unknowns and eeriness, and the two of them riding in the void on the Void Ship was a bit too conspicuous.

After the treasure ship was put away, the two of them descended from the void to the entrance of the huge canyon and carefully looked around.

The rocks and earth beneath our feet are dark red, and numerous decaying bones are scattered among the rocks and soil, creating a very eerie sight.

"Third Uncle, look!"

As Xu Zhan turned around and looked around, he suddenly noticed several low and simple houses on the cliff not far from the entrance of the canyon!
Shen Wen'an looked in the direction he pointed, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, and said slowly, "Let's go take a look."

The two walked through the dark jungle and soon arrived at the house at the top of the cliff.

But inside the courtyard walled by a wooden fence, everything was spotless, with neat rows of fields and a pavilion standing tall.

There are also exquisite tea sets on the stone table in the pavilion, which means that someone lives there.

The two exchanged a glance, and Xu Zhan immediately craned his neck and shouted into the courtyard.

"Is anyone here?"

"We have mistakenly entered the secluded place of the senior and have caused you much trouble."

a long time--

There was no response from inside the courtyard.

Xu Zhan was puzzled for a moment, and was about to speak again when Shen Wen'an noticed a streak of light rapidly approaching from above the canyon in the distance.

Upon seeing this, he immediately grabbed Xu Zhan beside him and retreated several feet.

The light was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye it landed in front of the two of them, transforming into an old man dressed in a white gauze fairy robe with white hair and beard.

The old man held a shimmering white jade plate in his hand. His dark face was framed by eyes like those of a hawk, and a faint killing intent emanated from them as he locked onto Xu Zhan and Shen Wen'an in front of him.

Locked onto by the murderous intent, the two felt a chill run through their bodies, and a sense of fear rose in their hearts.

Xu Zhan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Senior, please calm down. We two juniors have mistakenly entered this place and disturbed your cultivation."

"If you don't welcome us, senior, we'll leave now!"

He could sense that the old man with the dark face in front of him was incredibly powerful.

The other party showed extreme unwelcoming attitude upon meeting him, and even had murderous intent, forcing him to quickly beg for mercy.

Shen Wen'an also respectfully cupped his hands in greeting, and together with Xu Zhan, they carefully took a few steps back, preparing to leave this place as soon as possible.

"stop."

Feng Jingyang glanced at the two of them, and when he noticed Shen Wen'an, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"It's that Shen family brat again..."

“The old man has a karmic connection with the Shen family; this boy must not be killed.”

"However... those little rats from the Calamity Fire Sect have already scurried into Dragon Slaying Valley and are hiding. It's not easy for me to find them all by myself."

"Since these two juniors have come to us, why not make good use of them?"

After a moment's thought, Feng Jingyang immediately suppressed his killing intent, glanced at the two of them, and said, "Since you're already here, if I don't invite you in for a cup of tea, then you'll be blaming me for being impolite."

As he spoke, he slowly pushed open the courtyard gate in front of him.

"come in."

Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan exchanged a glance, both somewhat hesitant.

The grumpy, dark-faced old man had been murderous when he first saw them. Now, although he was saying he was inviting them in for tea, even a fool could see that the old man had no good intentions.

But neither of them dared to refuse, much less run away.

Otherwise, if you anger the other party, you might be killed with a flick of their wrist.

After a moment's thought, the two decided to go inside and take a look.

"sit down."

Following Feng Jingyang to the pavilion in the courtyard, Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan were quite reserved.

"how?"

"One is at the late stage of Golden Core, and the other is at the fifth stage of Body Cultivation. They don't even dare to drink a cup of my tea?"

Seeing the two standing quietly opposite each other without sitting down, Feng Jingyang gave a stiff smile and spoke.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan turned to look at Shen Wen'an.

Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "Sit down."

“If this senior wanted to kill us, he wouldn’t have needed to go through all this trouble.”

After he and Xu Zhan sat down, Feng Jingyang handed them two cups of tea that exuded rich spiritual energy.

The two took the tea, sniffed it lightly, and, finding nothing wrong with it, took a small sip.

Instantly, the tea in his mouth transformed into a pure and rich spiritual energy that surged through his limbs and bones!
After an indescribable feeling of comfort spread throughout his body, Shen Wen'an couldn't help but wonder if he had misunderstood the dark-faced old man earlier.
Perhaps they are just serious and don't smile much...

"I've had my tea, and I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."

"This Dragon Slayer Valley is a forbidden area; any creature that accidentally enters it will not be able to leave alive."

Feng Jingyang glanced coldly at the two of them and spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan jumped to his feet, immediately preparing to unleash his inner energy to resist!

He could sense that Feng Jingyang's strength was terrifying.

Even knowing he was outmatched, he had no intention of surrendering.

"Ah……"

"So he was a body cultivator who had achieved the flawless golden body."

As Feng Jingyang chuckled and spoke, Xu Zhan suddenly felt an invisible force of confinement appear around him, completely binding his body.

"Don't make futile struggles."

“This kid is right. If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have wasted a cup of spiritual tea.”

With the binding force around him gone, Xu Zhan sat back down on the stone bench with a solemn expression.

"Some time ago, a few small rats sneaked into Dragon Slaying Valley. Due to the complex situation in the valley, they greatly suppressed the cultivators' spiritual senses."

"I need the two of you to go into the valley and catch those little rats."

"If you two can do it, I will not only let you leave, but also give you an incredible opportunity."

This Feng Jingyang is clearly someone who is extremely concerned about his image.

When the members of the Fire Calamity Sect infiltrated Dragon Slaying Valley, his first thought was to shift the blame to Luo Tianxing, who controlled the barrier in Danzhou.

Seeing that he couldn't shift the blame and fearing that the matter would become a laughing stock, he gritted his teeth and chose not to ask Xu Xiu for help, opting instead to clean up his own mess.

However, due to the existence of the Ten Thousand Dragons Formation, the Valley of Dragon Slayers is filled with the resentment of the divine souls of a large number of dragon-type demonic beasts.

Even though he was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he couldn't use his divine sense to find the Calamity Fire Sect cultivators hiding inside the valley; he could only investigate little by little.

Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan stumbled into Zhanlong Valley by mistake. Due to the relationship between Xu Xiu and the Shen family, he couldn't just kill them directly.

They can only conscript two men to help capture people in Dragon Slayer Valley.

Seeing the two hesitate, Feng Jingyang took a sip of tea and said, "I know that you two are from the Shen family of Yunshui City."

"I'm not afraid to tell you, the few rats who infiltrated Dragon Slaying Valley are cultivators of the Calamity Fire Sect."

"If they destroy the formation in Dragon Slaying Valley, your Shen family will be the first to suffer."

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately frowned.

The two were surprised that the dark-faced old man knew their identities.

"So, can you decide now?"

Feng Jingyang spoke up.

Meeting his gaze, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment and said, "This junior dares to ask, senior, what are the cultivation levels of the Jiehuo Sect cultivators who have infiltrated the valley?"

Feng Jingyang spoke calmly.

"His cultivation level is not high; he has one Purple Mansion and seven Golden Cores."

"However, I can ascertain that they did not act together."

"So, as long as you two don't encounter that rat at the Purple Mansion Realm, you'll be fine."

"If we really do encounter..."

Feng Jingyang chuckled and said, "Then we'll see how long you can hold them off."

"If this drags on, I will intervene and help you as soon as I hear any sounds of battle."

"If you are instantly killed by the opponent, then you can only blame your lack of strength."

After saying this, he slowly stood up and said coldly, "Don't delay, go quickly."

After Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan got up, they exchanged a glance, then cupped their hands in a respectful gesture and headed out of the courtyard.

……

Yunshui City, inside the side room of an old house.

Shen Chongming and Huang Lingshan sat facing each other.

"You mean your third uncle and Xu Zhan went to Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness and have been missing for three months?"

Huang Lingshan spoke with a solemn expression.

Shen Chongming sighed heavily and nodded in reply: "The younger generation of the family in Flame Lake City sent word that after arriving in Flame Lake City, Third Uncle and Xu Zhan only stayed for a short while before boarding the treasure ship and heading west."

"Three months have passed since they left, and there's still no news. I'm worried..."

Seeing Shen Chongming's worried expression, Huang Lingshan pondered for a moment and said, "Now that the spirit of Yunmeng Great Swamp is about to manifest, Aunt and several senior brothers from Qingluo Sword Pavilion are also unable to leave."

"Don't be impulsive. After the Yunmeng Great Swamp is over, your aunt will go to Yanhu City with all the senior brothers."

Shen Chongming nodded slightly.

The current situation doesn't allow him to think too much.

With no word from Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan, and him being the only Golden Core Realm expert in the entire Shen family, he absolutely cannot act recklessly.

As the two were talking, a strange wave suddenly emanated from the clan's main courtyard at the foot of the mountain, instantly sweeping across the entire Yunshui City.

Inside the side room, Shen Chongming and Huang Lingshan suddenly got up and went to the courtyard.

"This is... divine consciousness?"

Sensing the fluctuations just now, which seemed to be the divine sense of a cultivator, Huang Lingshan frowned slightly and said, "Such a powerful divine sense... Does the Shen family have other Golden Core Realm cultivators?"

Shen Chongming shook his head, somewhat bewildered.

"The source of this divine sense seems to be the clan's main academy..."

"Auntie, I'll go take a look first."

After regaining his senses, Shen Chongming had a guess in his mind, but he dared not confirm it yet.

He could only hurriedly cup his hands in greeting to Huang Lingshan and head towards the main courtyard of the clan.

When he arrived at the main courtyard of the clan, Shen Xiuyan, Mu Yan, Mu Chang and others had already gathered outside the gate.

In front of everyone, the golden toad and the silver centipede blocked the courtyard gate, preventing anyone from entering.

"Master of the house."

"uncle."

Upon seeing Shen Chongming's arrival, Shen Xiuyan and the others bowed and greeted him.

Shen Chongming nodded and looked at the golden toad, asking, "Is the fox breaking through?"

The golden toad nodded with a hint of seriousness in its eyes: "Master, please forgive me. My master is at a critical moment, and I cannot let you in."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming was not angry at all; instead, he looked delighted and said, "So, Li'er is about to break through to the Golden Core stage!?"

Shen Li has been in seclusion for more than three years, and the fluctuation that emanated from the main courtyard just now, resembling divine consciousness, was clearly not something that ordinary embryonic breathing could possess.

This is very likely a sign that Shen Li is about to break through to the Golden Core stage.

However, Shen Li cultivates the Way of Witchcraft and Gu, and he himself possesses the Gu Spirit Saint Body. He doesn't know whether breaking through to the Golden Core stage will be the same as the Immortal Path.

"This little demon doesn't know."

The golden toad shook its head.

All he knew now was to follow Shen Li's instructions and keep everyone outside so as not to be disturbed.

Upon seeing this, Shen Chongming pondered for a moment before turning to look at Shen Xiuyan.

Repairing inkstones.

"Uncle," Shen Xiuyan said respectfully, cupping his hands in greeting.

Shen Chongming said, "Take them all away, don't keep them gathered here."

"Commander Mu Yan."

"My subordinate is here."

"Have the cultivators from the main academy keep watch on the perimeter, and give them the same instructions as when someone broke through to the Golden Core stage."

Mu Yan quickly cupped his hands in acceptance.

After the crowd in front of the main courtyard dispersed, only Shen Chongming remained to guard it.

Inside the courtyard, the fluctuations of divine consciousness were growing stronger and stronger.

At such close range, Shen Chongming could clearly sense that this fluctuation was not divine sense, but rather extremely pure divine soul power.

Moreover, this pure spiritual power clearly contained an aura unique to Shen Li.

Feeling these things, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

In terms of sheer spiritual strength, Shen Li has already surpassed him by a large margin.

This was before Shen Li had fully broken through.

If one achieves a complete breakthrough, like an immortal cultivator, one will be favored by Heaven and bestowed with a golden nature.

After finally merging with the metal element, Shen Li dared not even imagine what level of spiritual strength he would reach.

After waiting for half a day at the entrance of the main courtyard of the Yu clan, a streak of light suddenly flew over from the back mountain.

After the light landed, it transformed into a beautiful woman wearing a crimson dress.

Upon seeing the visitor, Shen Chongming immediately bowed and greeted her, saying, "Auntie."

Hu Meier nodded slightly, her eyes filled with deep worry as she looked into the courtyard of the clan's main building.

"How is Li'er?"

Shen Chongming smiled and said, "Auntie, don't worry, little sister Li'er is fine."

"It seems she's about to break through to the Golden Core stage."

Breakthrough of the Golden Core?

Hu Meier turned around, her face showing even more worry.

"I heard that when you and your third uncle broke through to the Golden Core stage, you were both attacked by the Underworld. Now that your third uncle is gone, could it be that Li'er...?"

Shen Chongming continued to comfort her, "Don't worry, Aunt. With me here, even if those people from the underworld really come, I will protect Li'er with my life."

Hearing this, Hu Meier felt a little relieved.

"Aunt, you should go back first. I can take care of things here."

Shen Chongming thought for a moment, fearing that Hu Meier might get flustered and something unexpected might happen, so he decided to let her go back first.

Hu Meier nodded slightly and bowed, saying, "I'm entrusting Li'er to you."

After seeing Hu Meier off, Shen Chongming pondered for a moment before returning to his room in the old house and informing Huang Lingshan of the news that Shen Li might be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Huang Lingshan pondered for a moment and said softly, "If it were before, if someone broke through to the Golden Core stage, it might attract the attention of the Underworld. Auntie would naturally have to avoid the Underworld's sharp edge for the time being."

"But back then, your third uncle gave me the secret technique of Tianjun Mountain, the Soul-Slaying Sword, and the method for cultivating the Wisdom Sword."

"After years of dedicated practice, I have achieved some success in the [Soul-Slaying Sword] secret technique. Today, I will test it on the people of the Underworld to see how powerful this secret technique is."

Normally, these Golden Core cultivators would never dare to face the people of the Underworld directly.

Now that she has a way to deal with them, Huang Lingshan wants to see what these guys, whom even Golden Core cultivators avoid like the plague, are capable of.

Shen Chongming nodded and said, "In that case, Aunt, please remember that only mental attacks, soul techniques, and soul weapons can be effective against people from the underworld."

"Moreover, the people of the underworld are like demon cultivators, capable of transformation and able to turn into some ugly monsters."

"That is their true form; the Netherworld cultivators who manifest their true form are the strongest."

The Shen family had fought against cultivators from the Underworld more than once, and they were fairly familiar with their abilities.

After Huang Lingshan nodded slightly, she and Shen Chongming arrived at the entrance of the clan's main courtyard.

The backyard of the main courtyard of the clan.

Shen Li sat cross-legged in the room, surrounded by a large amount of silvery-white light.

These halos converged above his head, constantly transforming into the shapes of jackals, tigers, leopards, and various insects and birds.

These things, transformed from the silver halo, were like the most loyal guards, hovering around Shen Li.

Above Shen Li's head, a ball of light radiating multicolored light was slowly rotating.

As she breathed deeply, the multicolored light cluster flickered and changed colors rhythmically.

Time passed bit by bit.

As the sky outside gradually darkened, the colorful orb above its head suddenly became even brighter.

Under the watchful eyes of Shen Chongming and Huang Lingshan, a multicolored beam of light suddenly shot into the void from the backyard of the clan's main courtyard.

However, the beam of light only lasted for less than two breaths before slowly dissipating.

Just as Shen Chongming and Huang Lingshan were wondering what was going on with this towering pillar of light, large patches of golden light suddenly appeared in the night sky above the main courtyard of the clan!
Immediately afterwards, a dazzling golden vortex suddenly appeared in the night sky!

"Open the Heavenly Gate!?"

Shen Chongming said in surprise, "Li'er opened the Heavenly Gate too easily, didn't she?"

Huang Lingshan was clearly somewhat surprised as well.

I still remember how much effort it took to open the Heavenly Gate when I broke through to the Golden Core stage.

These days, it's like child's play for this little girl from the Shen family to open the Heavenly Gate.

Noticing that the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth had already descended from the Heavenly Gate, Shen Chongming immediately suppressed his surprise and said in a deep voice, "The Heavenly Gate has opened. If those cowardly fellows have come, they should be hiding around here."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingshan immediately released her divine sense in secret.

But the next moment, her expression suddenly turned serious, even somewhat horrified!

Upon seeing this, Shen Chongming also quickly released his divine sense.

When his divine sense swept over the area above the main courtyard and backyard of the clan, his breath caught in his throat for a moment!
He saw people from the underworld.

A full twelve underworld officials, dressed in black fitted brocade robes and wearing towering crowns, were staring intently at him and Huang Lingshan.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but take a step back.

Huang Lingshan simply couldn't understand why the Underworld would send so many people over when she had only come to steal a piece of gold!
Shen Chongming also had some doubts.

Could it be because the Shen family killed cultivators from the underworld, and now that Shen Li has broken through to the Golden Core stage and has been targeted by them, they have specially sent twelve underworld generals to retaliate?

After thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was indeed possible.

"Auntie, you go first."

"This is a feud between my Shen family and the underworld; please don't get involved."

"If anything happens to me later, I'll trouble you to help guard Yunshui City for a while until Uncle San and the others return."

"Tell Xiu Yan when the time comes to take over the position of family head."

At that moment, Shen Chongming realized that he was probably doomed today, and hurriedly whispered to Huang Lingshan beside him about his last wishes.

With only him and Huang Lingshan, the twelve underworld generals had no chance of winning.

Shen Chongming felt that even with his third uncle Shen Wen'an and Xu Zhan by his side, the chances of them defeating the twelve Yin generals of the underworld were slim.

Huang Lingshan didn't speak, but the sword intent green bamboo slowly emerging behind her already made her meaning clear.

Desertion in the face of battle is not in the nature of a sword cultivator. Even knowing that this situation was almost certain to end in death, she had no intention of abandoning Shen Chongming and running away alone.

In the distant void, the twelve Yin generals of the Underworld had now focused all their attention on the two of them.

"Brother Lu, have you noticed that female sword cultivator?"

A tall, muscular Yin general, whose fitted brocade robes were stretched taut, spoke in a deep voice.

Beside him, a Yin general with a goatee under his chin stroked his beard and said with a smile, "That is a reincarnated person."

"It has a complete metal element within its body, and a fragmented metal element."

“That fragment of gold essence is very powerful. It has not been completely assimilated by the other gold essence over the years, which is enough to prove that the ant had already reached the Nascent Soul stage before its reincarnation.”

Upon hearing this, the burly Yin general immediately grinned and said, "In that case, I do have a guess."

"Could this ant be one of the once-powerful Seven Heroes of Yangnao?"

As soon as he said this, the other Yin generals around him immediately became interested.

"The Seven Sons of Yangnao on the bounty list!?"

"Hehehe! It is said that the Calamity Fire Sect has also offered a high reward in the Central Plains Secret Realm. If we bring back the golden nature of this ant, we will not only receive a lot of offerings, but we can also make another fortune from the Calamity Fire Sect."

"Don't just focus on that sword cultivator, everyone. Today's main character is also a very rare witch cultivator."

"Yes, yes, yes! These witch cultivators are also rare. In the surrounding dozen or so small worlds, 99% of the witch cultivators are hiding in the Great Wan Land."

"We dare not go to that place."

"To encounter a witch cultivator who is about to break through to the Golden Core stage in this Yangnao land today is truly a stroke of good luck for us."

The group of underworld generals discussed excitedly.

The goatee-bearded underworld general surnamed Lu slowly spoke up: "Don't underestimate them. The methods of witch cultivators are unpredictable. Our predecessors in the underworld were often killed by them in the past."

"Distribute them."

"Cheng Jingshan, you and the other three stay here and keep an eye on this witch doctor. When Heaven sends down the Golden Spirit, capture him along with the Golden Spirit."

Beside him, the burly Yin general nodded and patted his chest, saying, "Don't worry, I guarantee a perfect completion."

The man with the goatee nodded and continued:
"The rest of you, come with me to deal with those two ants."

“Besides that sword cultivator, the other person also has the aura of calamity, and must have injured someone from my Yin Division before.”

"Let's finish this quickly. Once this is settled, we still need to clean up the mess left by those idiots from the Fire Calamity Cult."

As he spoke, he flashed forward and rushed towards Shen Chongming and Huang Lingshan.

Behind them, seven other Yin generals rushed forward and surrounded the two of them.

Behind Huang Lingshan, the green bamboo imbued with sword intent swayed in the wind.

Shen Chongming then directly made a hand seal, causing a large amount of lightning to surround his body.

Thunder itself carries the power of soul attack, so even though Shen Chongming has never cultivated soul techniques and has no soul weapon, he is still able to effectively restrain the cultivators of the Underworld.

Just as tensions were running high and a major battle was about to erupt, a figure suddenly appeared in the pillar of spiritual energy descending from the Heavenly Gate above the main courtyard of the clan.

The figure wore a simple white gauze dress, her feet were bare, and her disheveled black hair was tossed about wildly.

Shen Li's sudden appearance instantly attracted the attention of everyone on both sides.

Above the back courtyard of the clan's main courtyard, the Yin general named Cheng Jingshan and three other Yin cultivators looked at Shen Li standing in the void, but did not rush to make a move.

Since Heaven had not yet bestowed the golden element, they were in no hurry to arrest anyone.

The four Yin generals merely looked at Shen Li with curiosity, somewhat puzzled as to why she had appeared at this time.

Within the golden pillar of light in the void, Shen Li slowly opened her tightly closed eyes.

Strangely, his eyes, which were originally clear in black and white, had now turned pure black. Under the golden light of the Heavenly Gate, his handsome face looked sinister because of these dark eyes.

As her gaze swept over them, Cheng Jingshan and the other three Yin generals suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. For a moment, they couldn't help but abandon their disguises and reveal their hideous true forms!
(End of this chapter)