Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 286 The Strange Events in Danzhou
When the cultivators guarding Flame Lake City saw someone arrive outside the formation, they flew up to greet them and were about to ask questions when they realized that the person was Shen Li.

The cultivator hurriedly activated the formation and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "This subordinate greets the clan leader."

Although the affairs of the clan head have now been handed over to Shen Chongming and Shen Xiuyan, she has not officially stepped down and remains the second-generation clan head of the Shen family.

Shen Li nodded slightly, and just as she was about to enter Flame Lake City, she suddenly sensed a gaze watching her from behind.

She immediately turned around and looked towards the top of Wangyue Mountain.

"Clan head?"

Seeing her unusual behavior, the Shen family cultivator from Flame Lake City curiously cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Li narrowed her eyes slightly, then slowly turned around and entered the great formation.

"Has anything unusual happened in Flame Lake City lately?"

Feeling somewhat uneasy, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at the cultivator, asking him a question.

Strange?

The Shen family cultivator frowned and pondered for a long time before shaking his head slightly: "Everything in Flame Lake City is normal, there is nothing unusual."

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Li didn't ask any more questions and headed straight for the lava lake.

Upon receiving the news, Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi quickly came out from the weapon-refining workshop in the lava lake to greet them.

As soon as they met, Shen Xiuyun happily cupped her hands and called out from afar, "Auntie."

Shen Li smiled and bowed to He Chongyi, saying, "Brother Chongyi."

"Is Aunt from Yunshui City?" Shen Xiuyun asked casually.

Shen Li shook her head slightly: "My aunt came from Beidi County."

"I've come to Flamelake City mainly for two things..."

Upon hearing that she was going to find Shen Wen'an, He Chongyi immediately smiled and said, "Third Uncle successfully escaped from trouble some time ago and returned to Yunshui City."

"Third Uncle has returned to Yunshui City?" Shen Li asked with delight.

"Li'er was worried about his and her brother-in-law's safety, but now she can rest assured."

He Chongyi nodded: "As for the earth fire essence... Li'er, you still need to tell your Gu worms to be careful."

"There is a Vermilion Bird of Fire at the bottom of the lava lake. My third uncle specifically instructed us not to disturb her."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li was somewhat surprised.

Apart from the people of Flame Lake City who had witnessed it firsthand, few members of the Shen family knew about the existence of the Vermilion Bird of Departure at the bottom of the lava lake.

After some thought, she felt that the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect only needed some earth fire essence and should not disturb the Vermilion Bird of Fire.

"Don't worry, Brother Chongyi, I know what I'm doing."

"By the way, have you and Brother Chongyi noticed any strange cultivators appearing outside Flame Lake City recently?"

Changing the subject, Shen Li frowned and asked.

She was still worried that someone was lurking in the shadows, coveting the Shen family's Flame Lake City.

An unfamiliar cultivator?

Shen Xiuyun and He Chongyi exchanged a glance, and Shen Xiuyun asked in a deep voice, "What did Aunt discover during your visit?"

After thinking for a moment, Shen Li told him about the strange thing she had just felt.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiuyun pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is simple. I will send someone to Wangyue Mountain to take a look."

As he spoke, he immediately beckoned two monks over.

"Don't be reckless."

Shen Li stopped him, saying, "Ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivators can't escape Aunt's senses. With that person's hiding methods, he must be at least a mid-to-late-stage Golden Core cultivator, or even stronger."

“If you rashly send people over and disturb them, it will be tantamount to sending your family’s cultivators to their deaths.”

He Chongyi nodded and waved for the two cultivators who had come before him to retreat.

"Now what?"

Shen Xiuyun said with a solemn expression.

For the Shen family, both the weapon refiners in Flame Lake City and the secrets at the bottom of the lava lake are extremely important.

It will be very troublesome once you are targeted.

"You don't need to do anything, your aunt will go and take a look herself."

After thinking it over, Shen Li also felt that she couldn't let the other party keep an eye on Flame Lake City.

The point is simply to bump into them and see what they're up to.

After she finished speaking, she whispered, "Be prepared to communicate with your family at any time. If I engage in combat with the other party later, please ask my third uncle and the seniors of Qingluo Sword Pavilion to come together and surround and kill that cowardly fellow in the Western Wilderness."

In the present Yangnao Land, apart from the Shen family and Qingluo Sword Pavilion, there are not many other Golden Core cultivators from other forces.

Upon closer examination, the person hiding in the shadows was merely one of several factions that had some grudges against the Shen family.

"Li'er, please be careful."

He Chongyi gave his instructions with a solemn expression.

Shen Li nodded, and in a flash, she left Flame Lake City and flew straight towards Moon Gazing Mountain.

"Senior sister! Senior sister!"

"That female cultivator is back!"

"It looks like they're heading straight for us!"

At the summit of Wangyue Mountain, the fair-skinned young man noticed that Shen Li, who had just entered Yanhu City not long ago, was flying out again on the wind, heading straight for Wangyue Mountain, and immediately shouted.

"I really underestimated her."

"They actually found us."

The female cultivator surnamed Ning beside the young man murmured something as she watched Shen Li gracefully arrive, but showed no intention of making a move.

Shen Li landed on a boulder atop Wangyue Mountain, looked at the two people in front of her, and said softly, "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

"Where are you two fellow Daoists cultivating in seclusion? And what brings you here to guard outside my Shen family's city?"

Faced with Shen Li's questioning, the fair-skinned young man did not speak, but turned to look at the female cultivator surnamed Ning beside him.

The female cultivator surnamed Ning glanced at Shen Li briefly, then gracefully bowed in return.

"Ning Zhen of the Qingyue Dao Sect greets fellow Daoist."

Seeing that she had already announced her name, the fair-skinned young man beside her also bowed slightly: "Li Honghu of the Qingyue Dao Sect greets fellow Daoist."

Upon hearing the names the two gave, Shen Li frowned slightly.

Although she had never left Yunshui City before, she knew that there was no force called "Qingyue Dao Sect" in either Danzhou or Southern Xinjiang.

"You two fellow Daoists are from beyond this realm?"

Suddenly, he remembered that Shen Chongming had mentioned that Luo Tianxing at the Danzhou barrier had warned him that the Yangnao Land was on the verge of collapse, and that cultivators from other small worlds around it had already infiltrated the Yangnao Land.

Shen Li asked warily.

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhen made no attempt to conceal anything and immediately replied with a smile, "That's right."

"However, fellow Daoist, please do not be nervous. Junior Brother Li and I have no ill intentions this time."

"The reason we stopped outside the noble city this time was because we discovered that there was a kind of refining material called Earth Fire Crystal Marrow under the city. We were thinking about whether we could exchange some of it with spirit crystals from the nobles."

“If you refuse, we will leave now.”

Shen Li kept her gaze fixed on the female cultivator named Ning Zhen. Seeing that Ning Zhen spoke with a calm expression and did not seem to be lying, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

She could sense that the two of them were very strong.

Especially this female cultivator named Ning Zhen, despite her young age, possessed a hidden aura that gave people the feeling of transcending the Golden Core stage.

Shen Li guessed that Ning Zhen was very likely a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm.

Even though the Purple Mansion cultivator from outside Yangnao Land could roughly determine that the other party really just wanted to exchange for some refining materials, she dared not let her guard down.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Li bowed slightly and said apologetically, "Please forgive me, fellow Daoists. My Shen family has great use for the Earth Fire Flame Crystal Essence, and we really have nothing extra to give to you."

"you are lying!"

"You don't even know how to collect Earthfire Crystal Essence, and..."

Shen Li originally wanted to make up a reason to get the other party to leave quickly.

Unexpectedly, the young man named Li Honghu exposed his lie on the spot.

However, before he could finish speaking, Ning Zhen interrupted him.

"Junior brother."

Li Honghu reluctantly shut his mouth.

Ning Zhen looked at Shen Li and smiled slightly, saying, "Since the nobleman is unwilling to part with it, my junior brother and I should not force him."

"How about this, if it's convenient for you, fellow Daoist, please leave a way to transmit your voice. If you have any extra Earth Fire Flame Crystal Marrow in the future, you can contact me at any time, and the price is negotiable."

As Ning Zhen spoke, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and she directly took out a sound transmission stone.

Shen Li looked at her, and after a moment's thought, she also took out her own communication stone.

The other party's strength is suspected to be at the Purple Mansion level, and they are being so polite. It would be really inappropriate to simply refuse and decline.

The Qingyue Dao Sect, which he mentioned, is an extraterrestrial force capable of cultivating such young Golden Core and Purple Mansion disciples, so it must at least be a Nascent Soul stage force.

Influenced by the first patriarch Shen Yuan, the Shen family generally maintains a bottom line whenever possible, avoiding conflict with other forces.

The two touched each other with their communication stones, and Ning Zhen bowed again, saying, "In that case, this humble Taoist will take his leave now."

Shen Li returned the greeting with a cupped hand, watching as the two took out a flying boat that looked like it was made of withered wood and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

Just as Ning Zhen and the other person left, several sword lights flew rapidly from a distance.

"What about people?"

"Did you run away?"

With a flash of sword light, Huang Lingshan, Liu Qixuan, and the others immediately appeared on the summit of Wangyue Mountain.

Liu Qixuan, whose injuries had not yet fully healed, shouted and looked around.

Soon after, He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun also arrived on the wind.

Shen Li looked at everyone, first bowing to Huang Lingshan and the others, then looking at Shen Xiuyun with some reproach.

"Didn't I tell you that if your aunt fights with them, you should send a telepathic message to summon the seniors?"

"Now it's all for nothing that we made those seniors come all this way."

Shen Xiuyun scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I was afraid Auntie would suffer a loss, so..."

Huang Lingshan smiled faintly and said, "Xiu Yun did the right thing."

"The current situation in Yangnao is volatile and unpredictable, so we must be careful in everything we do."

"The strange cultivator that Li'er encountered was..."

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Shen Li pondered for a moment before cupping her hands and saying, "This is not the place to talk. Seniors, please come with me to Flame Lake City."

The group flew to Flame Lake City and took their seats in the small courtyard room where He Chongyi lived.

After Shen Xiuyun served the tea attentively, he stood obediently to the side.

Shen Li took a sip of tea and then said, "Those two are cultivators from outside the realm, from a force called the Azure Moon Dao Sect."

A cultivator from beyond the realm!?
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present varied.

Huang Lingshan and Liu Qixuan were only slightly surprised, while Qiu Wufeng and several other sword immortals who rarely left the Qingluo Sword Pavilion were clearly very interested in this so-called cultivator from outside the realm.

After a moment of silence, He Chongyi spoke up: "Brother Ming sent a secret letter earlier, mentioning that we should be careful of cultivators who might sneak in from outside Yangnao Land."

"Unexpectedly, Flame Lake City was the first to be targeted."

"If it weren't for Li'er's arrival today, we wouldn't have been able to discover the other party."

A look of frustration and dejection appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Shen Li smiled and comforted him, "Brother Chongyi, please don't be like this. One of the two is in the middle to late stage of the Golden Core realm, and the other is suspected to have reached the Purple Mansion realm."

"It's normal that Brother Chongyi didn't notice."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingshan's expression hardened, and she was suddenly relieved that Shen Li hadn't attacked the other party.

Otherwise, even if they joined forces, they wouldn't have much of a chance of winning against a Purple Mansion cultivator.

"Why did those two from the Azure Moon Dao Sect set their sights on Flame Lake City?"

The Moonlit Sword Immortal asked the most crucial question.

Shen Li replied softly, "They said they discovered a refining material called Earth Fire Crystal Marrow underground in Flame Lake City."

At this point, Shen Li suddenly shook her head with a wry smile: "The lineage of the Qingyue Dao Sect should far surpass ours. I just made up a lie, and it was seen through in an instant."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingshan nodded with a smile.

"This is beyond doubt. Whether it's Yangnao Land or Danzhou, our heritage is simply incomparable to those powerful small worlds around us."

"When I first entered the Golden Core stage, I once encountered a cultivator from outside the realm of Qingqiu in Danzhou."

"From their conversation, I discovered that they have a more complete system of understanding of the division of cultivation, the various arts of immortal cultivation, and so on, unlike us."

Liu Qixuan picked up the conversation, saying, "If we are lucky enough to survive the collapse of the Yangnao land passage, we will inevitably have to deal with cultivators from outside the realm in the future."

"I also long to travel to other small worlds, meet different cultivators, and drink different kinds of fine wine."

After chatting for a while, Huang Lingshan and the others, seeing that there was nothing else to do, did not linger any longer.

Like Shen Wen'an, they had all stayed in Zhanlong Valley for more than a year.

Over the course of more than a year, in order to maintain the spiritual energy in his body, he consumed a large number of pills, resulting in a significant accumulation of pill toxins in his body.

For example, Liu Qixuan suffered serious injuries due to damage to his life-and-death cultivation sword, and needed to spend time in seclusion to recuperate.

After the group from Qingluo Sword Pavilion left, Shen Li led the Tiandu Grass Sword Insect to the lava lake in the city.

"Li'er, you must be careful of that Vermilion Bird of Fire."

On the lotus platform in the middle of the lava lake, He Chongyi solemnly gave his instructions.

They had all witnessed the terror of the Vermilion Bird of Departure firsthand, and were afraid that Shen Li might disturb it and cause the beast to cause a ruckus.

Shen Li nodded slightly and then summoned the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect.

"Little Green, go ahead."

As her voice rang out, the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect transformed into a streak of green light and plunged headfirst into the lava lake below.

Meanwhile, deep within the lava lake, the enormous golden egg had become almost completely transparent, with only a thin layer remaining.

Inside the golden egg, the original Vermilion Bird of Fire had almost completely transformed into a Golden Phoenix, and was curled up inside the golden egg, frantically absorbing energy for its final sprint.

Suddenly, the golden phoenix in the golden egg slowly opened its eyes, and two terrifying golden flames shot out from its eyes.

The golden flames subsided, and a hint of doubt flashed in the eyes of the Golden Phoenix of Fire before it murmured to itself, "The aura of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect?"

"How could such an ancient and ferocious creature appear in this place?"

With a slight thought, the Golden Phoenix of Fire immediately manipulated the golden egg to slowly float upwards towards the magma.

But after rising only a few feet, the golden egg suddenly stopped again.

"Forget it, let's not provoke it..."

"That ferocious creature was something even the gods feared in ancient times."

After muttering something to herself, Li Huo Jin Feng suppressed her curiosity and manipulated the golden egg to sink back into its original position.

However, just because she didn't want to provoke the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect doesn't mean that the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect is willing to let her go.

In the magma above, Little Green, who was absorbing the essence of the earth's fire, seemed to sense a familiar aura emanating from the depths of its soul in the magma below.

In just an instant, this aura awakened the ancient bloodline within him.

Sensing this, the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect left the surface of the lava lake and suddenly darted downwards!

"Little Green!"

On the lotus platform, Shen Li, as the master of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect, could clearly feel the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect's body suddenly diving towards the bottom of the lava lake. His expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly urged his divine sense to try to summon it back.

However, at this moment, the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect had already infiltrated the golden magma layer and noticed the golden egg transformed from the Fire Phoenix.

"squeak--"

Upon seeing the golden egg, the little green boy tilted his head slightly and let out a strange cry.

I don't know if it was a greeting or something else.

The golden phoenix inside the golden egg noticed a patch of green in the golden magma not far away and spoke somewhat nervously:

"You...what are you going to do?"

Little Green let out another strange cry, and suddenly darted forward, arriving right in front of them.

Upon seeing this, the Golden Phoenix immediately manipulated the golden egg to retreat several feet quickly.

But Little Green darted away again, chasing after it and diving away, keeping a distance of less than ten feet.

After several attempts, the fiery phoenix inside the golden egg knew it couldn't escape.

He could only force himself to ask again, his voice trembling with fear: "What exactly do you want?"

Compared to the tiny green plant, which is only an inch long, it looks like an ant compared to a giant elephant.

Even so, the Li Huo Jin Feng dared not underestimate it at all, because the bloodline of the Tian Du Cao Jian Chong was comparable to that of the ancient divine beasts Zu Long and Yuan Feng, making it a top-tier ferocious creature.

"squeak--"

Little Green tilted its head again and let out a strange cry.

Li Huo Jin Feng stared at it, a feeling of utter defeat welling up inside her, a feeling that made her want to cry but couldn't.

She couldn't understand at all what the little thing's purpose was in chasing her.

She didn't want to pay attention, but being so close, the unique aura of bloodline belonging to an ancient ferocious creature emanating from the other party made her feel extremely uncomfortable, like sitting on pins and needles.

The two sides stared at each other for a long time before Li Huo Jin Feng finally couldn't take it anymore.

She had a vague idea of ​​what the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect was trying to achieve by staring at her.

A hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and then he reluctantly forced a faint golden-red flame out of his body.

"Here's a strand for you, now you'd better get out of here!"

The golden-red flames burst forth from the golden egg, radiating a rich life force from the surrounding magma.

The inch-long Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect seemed delighted upon seeing the golden-red flames and immediately transformed into a streak of green light, rushing towards them.

Its body merged with the golden-red flames, and the tiny body of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect was instantly burned, crackling loudly. "Squeak!"

"squeak!"

A strange, slightly mournful cry echoed through the lava.

Seeing this, the Golden Phoenix couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Burn! Burn it harder!"

"I'd rather you be burned to death, you greedy little thing!"

Back then, Shen Wen'an killed Feng Changyou of Tiantan Mountain and seized a crimson feather from him.

After obtaining this feather, the Golden Phoenix of Li Huo used the aura of Nirvana Fire on it and expended a great deal of energy to cultivate three strands of golden-red Nirvana Fire.

The reason why the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect kept chasing after her was that the Fire Phoenix vaguely understood that the little thing must have sensed the aura of the Nirvana Fire within her body.

In order to get rid of the other party, she reluctantly took out a strand of hair.

In the golden-red flames, the body of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect was already covered in cracks from the scorching Nirvana Fire!

Then, his entire body seemed to be dismembered, turning into even smaller green fragments.

However, these green fragments were tightly enveloped by the Nirvana Fire and did not disperse.

The Golden Phoenix in the golden egg beside it stared intently at the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect in the wisp of Nirvana Fire.

She knew the effects of Nirvana Fire, but this was the first time she had witnessed the process of Nirvana since she began cultivating it, and she was very curious.

As the Nirvana Fire continued to burn, the aura of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect completely disappeared, as if it had utterly perished.

However, the Golden Phoenix of Li Huo understood that this was the true nirvana.

Sure enough, the tiny fragments enveloped in the Nirvana Fire suddenly emitted a faint light.

Immediately, these fragments, shimmering with a faint light, attracted each other and coalesced under the powerful life force of the Nirvana Fire.

In the blink of an eye, the head of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect was successfully condensed.

However, the newly formed head is quite different from the previous head of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect.

Its bright green head was noticeably larger, with a bright golden line running down its middle.

As the head took shape, numerous tiny fragments quickly coalesced to form the body and wings of the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect.

hum!
A slight tremor came, and the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect, which had been burned to pieces, reappeared in the lava in a completely new form.

At this time, the Tian Du grass sword insect has grown to nearly two inches in length, and the green color on its body surface has become more intense, like tender bamboo leaves sprouting after rain.

A thin golden line runs through his entire body from his back. Just one glance at it seems to exude an invincible and sharp aura that stings the eyes.

Having witnessed the entire Nirvana process, Li Huo Jin Feng was both amazed and somewhat regretful.

This little thing seems to have become even stronger after its rebirth!
I still have two Nirvana Flames within me. What should I do if the little thing is not satisfied?
Staring nervously at the reborn Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect, the Fire Phoenix secretly made up its mind.

If the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect continues to push its luck, then a battle is inevitable!
Although I was afraid of him, I wasn't without the right to take action.

Once a fight breaks out, it will inevitably alert the humans above. When Shen Wen'an arrives, driving this little thing away shouldn't be a problem.

"squeak!"

As Li Huo Jin Feng was secretly pondering his plan, the Tian Du Cao Jian Chong in front of him suddenly let out a strange cry and then darted towards the magma layer above.

Upon seeing this, the Fire Phoenix was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed!
"That ancestor is finally gone."

Having left the golden magma layer, the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect broke through the viscous magma and suddenly burst out of the magma lake, transforming into a green light that landed in Shen Li's hand.

Just as Shen Li was worried that the little creature might disturb the Vermilion Bird of Fire below, she suddenly noticed the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect with its drastically changed appearance and immediately exclaimed with delight, "Little Green, you've entered your growth stage!?"

"Squeak-"

The Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect excitedly spread its wings, and then a wave of divine sense was transmitted to Shen Li's sea of ​​consciousness.

moment.

Shen Li shook her head slightly and said, "Don't be too greedy. They gave you a wisp of it willingly and helped you complete your transformation."

"You can't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. You can ask for it back when you need it later."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Capital Grass Sword Insect nodded its little head and then burrowed directly into the flesh of his palm.

Shen Li left the lotus platform in the middle of the lava lake and found He Chongyi and Shen Xiuyun in the weapon-refining workshop.

“Brother Chongyi, Xiuyun, I’ve been out for quite a while this time.”

"Grandpa and Brother Chongming have been very worried, so we need to go back to Yunshui City first."

“You two need to be extra careful in Flame Lake City. I’ll talk to Brother Chongming later and see if we should have my brother-in-law or Uncle San come here to oversee things.”

The two nodded slightly and then saw him out of the city.

Shen Li lightly touched the ground with her toes and landed directly on the back of the golden toad, flying towards Yunshui City.

After they left the Western Wilderness, two figures suddenly appeared in the void hundreds of miles away from Flame Lake City.

It was Ning Zhen and Li Honghu from the Qingyue Dao Sect.

The two watched Shen Li's figure disappear into the distance. Li Honghu said in a deep voice, "Senior Sister, they're all gone."

"Should we infiltrate that city and try to obtain some Earth Fire Essence Crystals?"

"That thing is an indispensable treasure for your cultivation of Samadhi True Fire."

After listening, Ning Zhen pondered for a long time and shook her head slightly, saying, "This matter is not urgent."

"The strength behind this force should not be underestimated."

"Those who arrived a few days ago were all sword cultivators at the late Golden Core stage or even half-step Purple Mansion."

"Our most important task right now is to figure out some of the opportunities in this world. When the world collapses and our master descends with his people, it won't be too late to retrieve the Earth Fire Crystal Marrow."

Although Li Honghu was unwilling, he could only nod reluctantly.

"Senior sister, after you condense the Samadhi True Fire, can you then go into seclusion to prepare for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Ning Zhen looked at him and smiled helplessly, "You know, Nascent Soul Transformation isn't as easy as you think."

"Don't forget, from the Purple Mansion to the Nascent Soul stage, there are still the most terrifying Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations..."

"Alright, you should focus on your cultivation during this time."

"After Senior Sister goes into seclusion, the Xuan Yu Peak lineage will rely on you to uphold its reputation. In the next Sea Cliff Competition, you must stand out from the nine peaks and represent our Qingyue Dao Sect in the competition."

Upon hearing this, Li Honghu's face immediately fell.

"Senior sister is making things difficult for me."

"Among the nine peaks of Qingyue, there are tens of thousands of fellow disciples. You have cultivated a fifth-grade immortal technique and are only barely able to suppress your fellow disciples from the other eight peaks. Honghu has only cultivated a fourth-grade immortal technique. He has no advantage at all when facing his fellow disciples from the other peaks."

Hearing his complaints, Ning Zhen smiled and said, "The grade of immortal techniques is certainly important, but that doesn't mean you can't suppress them just because immortal techniques are inferior."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Xuanyu Peak has been glorious for decades, and Master is very pleased with himself. If you make him lose face, I don't need to say more about the consequences, do I?"

As soon as Ning Zhen finished speaking, she took out the flying boat made of withered wood.

"Let's go explore some other places."

Li Honghu slumped his head and boarded the flying boat, which then transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the sky of the Western Wilderness.

……

Yunshui City.

After traveling away from home for two years, Shen Li finally returned to the city.

After personally visiting Shen Chongming to reassure him, Shen Li went to the Blackwater Pavilion.

On the second floor, the grandfather and grandson sat facing each other.

Shen Li skillfully washed and brewed the tea. After a flurry of activity, she poured two cups of fragrant tea and softly asked, "Grandpa, when do you plan to break through to the Golden Core stage?"

Shen Yuan accepted the tea offered to him with a slight smile.

For ordinary immortal cultivators, breaking through from the half-step Golden Core stage to the Golden Core stage is not a difficult task.

However, his status as a half-step Golden Core cultivator is vastly different from that of a normal immortal cultivator.

Including the Great Evolution Inner Core, he now has six Inner Cores in his body. If he wants to break through, he must cultivate all six Inner Cores into a unified whole.

After that, we may need to consider whether the breakthrough will attract one or six strands of metal element.

Everything needs to be carefully examined to ensure that no mistakes are made.

"Grandpa, don't rush."

Sipping his tea, Shen Yuan chuckled and spoke.

He still has a long lifespan left, and the Shen family is currently in a very comfortable situation, so they don't need another Golden Core cultivator like him.

More importantly, after visiting Shen Chongxuan last time, he learned about Shen Xiubai's current plans from him, and he had a vague guess in his mind.

However, this conjecture involves a great deal of information, and he dared not easily use the power of the Great Evolution to deduce it. He could only verify his conjecture by peeling back the layers of the mystery.

If the speculation is true, breaking through to the Golden Core stage in Yangnao Land might be a good thing.

Hearing his words, Shen Li did not press further. After putting down her teacup, she waved her hand and took out a gold and jade seal from her storage bag.

"Grandpa, take a look at this."

Upon noticing the seal before him, a strange light flashed in Shen Yuan's eyes.

"Is this the imperial seal you seized from King Wu Shi Kui of Fushan Kingdom?"

Shen Li nodded and said in a deep voice, "Li'er can sense that these are some good things used by ancient immortal dynasties to suppress their fortune."

“Grandpa can refine this item to suppress the fortune of my Shen family.”

"The art of witchcraft includes the techniques of praying for blessings and altering fate. Only by consolidating the fortune of my Shen family can Li'er have the opportunity to use it to perform some tricks in the future."

"My Shen family can also gain many useful benefits from this."

Shen Yuan fell into deep thought after hearing this.

Through his past and present lives, he has gained some understanding of witchcraft and sorcery.

In their previous lives, "shamans" were special beings within a certain power who could communicate with the gods, and were in charge of sacrifices, praying to the gods and offering sacrifices to their ancestors.

Cultivators place great importance on fortune. If the Shen family had possessed something to suppress their fortune, the old man from the Huangsheng Sect would not have easily "borrowed" half of the Shen family's fortune using a secret technique.

"That's fine. Grandfather will take the time to refine this seal as a symbol of the authority of the main branch of the Shen family."

Since the seal is to be used as an object to suppress destiny, it must be endowed with authority.

Like the national seal of a country, if the ruler issues any decrees in the future, these seals must serve as proof of their validity.

Shen Yuangang waved his hand to retrieve the seal, and Shen Li in front of him waved his hand again to take out several jade bottles.

The moment the jade bottle was taken out, a terrifying chill instantly filled the entire second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

The fire in the clay stove beside them, used for brewing tea, showed signs of going out under the chill of the air.

"What is this?"

Shen Yuan stared at the jade bottle in surprise.

"This thing is called Cold Jade Marrow, a rare treasure."

“It was brought back by Li’er from Beidi County.”

Shen Li introduced the origin of the Cold Jade Marrow and then recounted the ruins she had discovered in the far northern snowfield of Beidi County.

Seeing that the cold aura emanating from the jade marrow had already cracked his jade cup and teapot that he had used for many years, Shen Yuan immediately waved his hand and put all the jade bottles in front of him into his storage bag.

"Talk to Chongming about the ruins. You two can discuss the specifics of how to explore them."

After Shen Li nodded, the grandmother and granddaughter chatted for a while longer before she left Blackwater Pavilion to discuss with Shen Chongming the matter of exploring the ice ruins beneath the extreme northern snowfield.

The land of Danzhou.

Late at night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. A few clouds drifted by, briefly obscuring the moonlight.

At the barrier leading to Yangnao Land, Luo Tianxing was sitting cross-legged in meditation when he suddenly seemed to sense something.

Its eyes suddenly opened, and its body shot directly into the sky, looking towards the vast land in the distance.

"What a strange and wondrous force of nature!"

"For some reason... the spiritual veins of the entire area within a radius of tens of thousands of miles in central Danzhou seem to be rapidly declining!?"

Gazing at the area in the distance where the world had suddenly changed, Luo Tianxing's expression turned solemn. He then unleashed his divine sense, wanting to see what exactly was going on with this sudden change.

Meanwhile, in the area where they sensed the dramatic change in the world's power, some forces with Golden Core cultivators in charge were also gripped by fear.

These Golden Core forces have been rooted in Danzhou for countless years, and the places where their mountain gates are located are often blessed lands where spiritual veins converge.

The spiritual energy within the sect is far richer than that outside.

Just now, the disciples of these Golden Core sects who were in seclusion suddenly felt that the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding air had decreased sharply.

After investigating, the Golden Core elders were shocked to discover that the spiritual veins beneath the mountain gate were being rapidly drained away by a mysterious force!
"Who is it!?"

"Investigate immediately!"

For any faction, even the slightest loss of spiritual energy from the location of its mountain gate is a huge blow.

Now, that mysterious force has directly drained 30% of the spiritual veins beneath their mountain gate, and it shows no sign of stopping. The Golden Core ancestors of these forces are instantly enraged.

Under the night sky, a large number of cultivators, their faces filled with murderous intent, flew through the sky above Danzhou, trying to find the thief who stole the spiritual vein.

However, when they left their own sect's territory and found that everything around them was in chaos, they realized that it wasn't just their own spiritual veins that had been stolen. In that instant, nearly half of the spiritual veins in the entire Danzhou region had been drained of 30%!
A group of Golden Core cultivators gathered in the night sky, gazing at the vast land below. Some looked angry, while others were on the verge of tears.

"Everyone, let's not hold back now. If any fellow Daoist possesses a secret technique that can unravel the mysteries within, please use it as soon as possible."

"We must find that thief as soon as possible, otherwise our blessed lands where we have lived for countless years will be destroyed!"

"Yes! That thief is despicable!"

"Destroying a person's spiritual veins—such a vicious method must be the work of evil demons!"

The group of Golden Core cultivators roared angrily, but they were helpless and could only watch as the surrounding earth vein spiritual energy dissipated little by little.

In the distant void, Luo Tianxing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the earth below. He noticed that the surrounding spiritual veins were continuing to decline at a visible rate, and his eyes were filled with doubt.

He also knew the methods for extracting earth veins.

However, under normal circumstances, without building a cave dwelling or establishing a power base, no one would waste their energy extracting spiritual veins from the surrounding area.

After all, this thing can't be used directly for cultivation.

Even when building a cave dwelling or constructing a sect's gate, one would typically only draw upon spiritual veins within a few hundred miles, or at most a thousand miles.

The prerequisite is that there are no other forces around.

Otherwise, who would be willing to defy the world and extract spiritual veins from an area of ​​nearly ten thousand miles, offending dozens or even hundreds of forces, large and small?

Standing in the void, Luo Tianxing carefully scanned the earth below with his divine sense, and vaguely sensed that the spiritual energy of the earth veins was rapidly converging into the deeper parts of Danzhou.

This means that the spiritual energy of the earth veins in the Danzhou area was not drawn away by people, but rather absorbed by something deeper in the earth.

This discovery puzzled Luo Tianxing even more.

"senior?"

Just as Luo Tianxing was frowning in thought, the helpless Golden Core cultivators noticed him.

He has guarded the barrier between Danzhou and Yangnao for decades, and all the Golden Core cultivators in Danzhou know him.

Dozens of Golden Core cultivators came forward and bowed, saying, "Please help us, senior."

In their view, Luo Tianxing, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, was omnipotent and would surely be able to easily resolve the current anomaly.

Facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, Luo Tianxing shook his head slightly and sighed, "I am not a god, and in this situation... I have no way to help."

Upon hearing this, many Golden Core cultivators were instantly stunned.

"senior……"

Some people seemed not to believe that a dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch would be helpless, thinking that he simply did not want to cause trouble.

"The earth's spiritual energy in this area was not drawn away, but rather absorbed into the deeper underground."

Luo Tianxing calmly said, "This situation is somewhat like a punishment from heaven and earth... I really can't stop it."

After saying this, he vanished in a flash, disappearing from everyone's sight.

Looking at the empty void, the group of Golden Core cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with dejection and fear.

The punishment of heaven and earth...

"Could it be that this is the punishment that has descended upon us because we stood by and watched those beasts of the Yinhe Sect slaughter the cultivators of Qishan without stopping them?"

An elderly monk spoke, his voice trembling.

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

"how is this possible?"

"If Heaven truly intends to punish this, those beasts of the Yinhe Sect should be the ones punished most. What does it have to do with us?"

"That's right, they're the ones who committed the killings without lifting a finger!"

Among the dozens of Golden Core cultivators, some chose to roar and argue, while others left silently.

The spiritual energy of the earth veins in the area below is rapidly diminishing. In just one night, the various blessed lands and grotto-heavens within a radius of nearly ten thousand miles have been completely destroyed, reduced to a state with a spiritual energy concentration almost indistinguishable from that of ordinary surrounding areas.

Some forces have already foreseen that if things continue this way, this area will eventually become a sanctuary devoid of spiritual energy, no longer suitable for cultivators to live and practice.

After a brief period of reorganization, these far-sighted forces immediately fled the area and headed to places on the outskirts of Danzhou that had not been "punished," where they selected new blessed lands and established their sects.

Because Qingluo Sword Lodge is located in the north of Danzhou, it was not affected.

However, the concentration of spiritual energy in half of Danzhou suddenly decreased, and as time went on, the spiritual energy in the surrounding areas that were not affected would inevitably dissipate to places with even lower concentrations.

The Qingluo Sword Pavilion quickly relayed this news to Huang Lingshan and others in Yangnao, wanting Huang Lingshan to invite Jiang Xiuqi from Luoxia Mountain to Danzhou to set up a grand formation at the Qingluo Sword Pavilion's mountain gate to lock in the earth's spiritual energy and minimize its loss.

Huang Lingshan also informed the Shen family of this news.

On the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion, Shen Chongming brought this news to Shen Yuan.

"Grandpa, about this..."

Seeing that Shen Yuan didn't seem surprised when he heard the news, Shen Chongming hesitated before speaking.

Shen Yuan slowly stood up, sighed, and said, "Just pretend you don't know anything if anyone mentions it."

Shen Chongming was taken aback for a moment, then looked somewhat bewildered.

Upon hearing Shen Yuan's words, he instantly understood that what happened in Danzhou was indeed related to that kid Xiu Bai!
"By the way, shouldn't we give Xiu Bai some Five Elements Essence soon?"

Changing the subject, Shen Yuan spoke in a deep voice.

Shen Chongming snapped out of his reverie and gave a slight bow: "According to our previous agreement, it will be three months the day after tomorrow."

After a moment's thought, Shen Yuan said, "Give me the essence of the five elements later, and I will personally deliver it to him."

Shen Chongming didn't ask any further questions, and after bowing in agreement, he left Blackwater Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)