Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 297 Xiu Bai's Fate

What is ambition?
This thought lingered in Li Honghu's mind for a long time. Finally, he seemed to have found the answer, and a strange smile immediately appeared on his face as he chased after Ning Zhen.

Flame Lake City was completely destroyed by the Golden Phoenix of Blazing Fire, and everything was buried by scalding lava.

The two searched in the lava for a long time, but in the end they only found a few low-grade Earth Fire Crystal Essence.

This was because the way Li Huo Jin Feng dug the Fire Flame Crystal Marrow was too rough, causing some of the finer details around the vein to be missed.

At the edge of the newly formed lava lake in Flame Lake City, Ning Zhen, her face veiled in white, stared at the several pieces of dimly lit Earth Fire Crystal Essence in her hand, her expression somewhat grim.

For cultivators, things like Samadhi True Fire are a very important tool.

It can be used not only for alchemy, weapon crafting, and array formation, but also for incorporating into certain magical techniques and supernatural abilities to form powerful offensive methods.

Because the Great Dao is incomplete in the Cangmin Sea, it is not possible to enter the Dao Source Secret Realm. The highest realm a cultivator in the Cangmin Sea can reach is the Nascent Soul Perfection Realm.

For countless years, constrained by this situation, the older generation of cultivators have focused more on how to improve their offensive and defensive techniques at the same level.

Samadhi Fire is recognized by the cultivation community in the Cangmin Sea as one of the methods that can greatly enhance offensive capabilities.

Unfortunately, the conditions for cultivating this kind of flame are quite demanding. In addition to having certain requirements for one's own aptitude, the auxiliary materials are also difficult to obtain.

Some rare and precious materials that can help one cultivate these special abilities have already been sold at exorbitant prices.

As one of the most important treasures for cultivating Samadhi True Fire, Earth Fire Flame Crystal Marrow has always been priceless in major markets.

Ning Zhen never expected that her momentary caution would cause her to miss out on the large amount of Earth Fire Crystal Essence hidden beneath Flame Lake City.

"Senior sister, what should we do now?"

Although Li Honghu's Bright Moon Profound Light Body is not suitable for cultivating Samadhi True Fire, if he has Earth Fire Flame Crystal Marrow, he can use it to exchange for materials for cultivating Profound Magnetic Divine Light from other cultivators.

After all, treasures like these are generally difficult to buy with spirit crystals.

"I'll trouble you, junior brother, to protect me while I use my Heavenly Eye Tracing Technique to investigate and see who took the Earth Fire Crystal Essence from beneath this city."

After pondering for a long time, Ning Zhen spoke in a deep voice.

She clearly didn't want to give up those Earth Fire Crystals easily, and planned to find out who had them first, and then consider whether to take action when her sect's reinforcements arrived.

Upon hearing this, Li Honghu nodded, and with a flash of light in his hand, he directly took out a silver spear that shone with precious light.

The spear was made entirely of transparent crystal, and the halo of light emanating from it flowed around the spear, miraculously evolving the entire process from the waning moon to the full moon.

These unusual phenomena prove that this long spear is clearly very well suited to Li Honghu's special physique.

Seeing that he had taken out his spear and was ready, Ning Zhen's spiritual energy slowly surged, and his figure gradually rose into the sky, where he sat cross-legged in the void.

A large amount of spiritual energy emerged from behind it, slowly forming a huge, fiery red vertical pupil.

The vertical pupil emitted a dazzling red light, and under Ning Zhen's control, it slowly swept across the lava lake that Flame Lake City had transformed into.

……

Yunshui City.

Not long after the group returned from Flame Lake City entered the city, a strange sense of being spied on suddenly arose in Shen Wen'an's mind.

He stopped and looked suspiciously at the distant night sky.

Seeing this, Wei Qiuling and Li Huo Jinfeng, who were following beside them, also stopped in their tracks out of curiosity.

"Husband, what's wrong?"

When Wei Qiuling's questioning voice rang out, Li Huo Jin Feng seemed to have also sensed something was amiss.

"Is someone spying on us using secret techniques?"

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly, a thought stirring in his mind.

In an instant, a giant blue lotus suddenly appeared in the night sky!

Meanwhile, on the edge of the lava lake that had transformed into Flame Lake City in the Western Wilderness, Ning Zhen, sitting cross-legged in the void, was observing the scene of Flame Lake City's destruction through her fiery red vertical pupils.

However, she had only just seen the enormous figure of the Golden Phoenix of Fire wreaking havoc in Flame Lake City, and the backs of Shen Wen'an and Wei Qiuling, before she could even use the Heavenly Eye Tracking Technique to see their true faces, when a giant blue lotus suddenly emerged from her fiery red vertical pupil!
The swaying blue lotus leaves blotted out the sun, and the moment the huge flower buds bloomed, sharp sword energies slashed indiscriminately in all directions!

The sudden turn of events terrified Li Honghu. He flashed into the sky, brandishing his strange spear and unleashing crescent-shaped blades that shattered the surrounding raging sword energy.

Perhaps because the time and space they crossed were too far, or perhaps because Shen Wen'an only wanted to teach the spy a lesson, the sword energy contained in this sword intent lotus was not too strong.

After shattering all the sword energy, Li Honghu flashed to Ning Zhen's side.

Looking at the crimson bloodstains on Ning Zhen's face through the white veil, a look of worry flashed across his face as he asked, "Senior Sister, are you alright?"

Ning Zhen slowly stood up, a strange light flashing in her eyes as she smiled faintly, "Senior Sister is fine. It's just that her secret technique was forcibly interrupted, and her internal energy and blood were affected by some fluctuations."

Upon hearing this, the worry in Li Honghu's eyes eased slightly, but was quickly replaced by a violent rage!
"Senior sister, do you know who did this?"

"Once Master and the others arrive, Honghu will definitely beg Master to personally intervene and seek justice for Senior Sister!"

Ning Zhen sighed softly, removed the blood-stained veil from her face, revealing an absolutely beautiful face.

Her skin was as white as jade, her lips as red as summer cherry blossoms, her nose was high and straight, and a trace of crimson blood at the corner of her mouth added a touch of tragic beauty to her appearance.

Ning Zhen took out a faintly fragrant gauze from her bosom and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. A strange look flashed in her eyes as she murmured, "That person's senses are very sharp. Senior Sister did not see his true face."

"but……"

After chuckling, Ning Zhen continued, "However, he did not expect that for cultivators, the Law of Intent is comparable to a cultivator's second face."

"Azure Lotus Sword Intent, from a sword cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm..."

"And that golden phoenix transformed from the flames, that's enough."

"let's go."

After saying this, Ning Zhen's figure transformed into a streak of light and flew away into the distance.

Li Honghu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked back at Flame Lake City, which had turned into a lava lake, and immediately transformed into a stream of light to chase after Ning Zhen.

……

Yunshui City.

After arranging a place for Li Huo Jin Feng to stay in the city, Shen Wen'an hurriedly went to the Blackwater Pavilion to talk to his father, Shen Yuan, about the Golden Crow's head in Flame Lake City.

Just as he arrived at the floating bridge leading to the Blackwater Pavilion, he happened to run into Shen Yuan and Shen Chongming, who were coming out of the pavilion.

"Uncle Three."

Shen Chongming cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Wen'an nodded and then looked at Shen Yuan: "Where are you going, Father?"

Before Shen Yuan could speak, Shen Chongming, who was standing to the side, hurriedly cupped his hands and explained, "News has come from the back mountain that strange phenomena have appeared at the place where Xiu Bai is in seclusion. I am preparing to go and take a look with you, Grandpa."

After he finished speaking, Shen Yuan took over the conversation, saying, "Let's go take a look together, we can talk about other things when we get back."

After Shen Wen'an nodded, the three of them walked together toward the back mountain.

When they arrived at the back mountain, the many Shen family cultivators guarding the perimeter had already tightened their defenses as instructed, to prevent anyone else from spying on the strange phenomena inside.

"Ancestor, Third Master, Patriarch."

Upon seeing the three arrive, Xu Jing, who was in the mid-stage of the embryonic breathing realm, hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting.

Shen Chongming nodded and asked, "How is it? Is the strange phenomenon still ongoing?"

Xu Jing cupped his hands in greeting: "The portal is still there, but it has not continued to expand."

Shen Chongming nodded, turned around and looked at Shen Yuan and Shen Wen'an behind him, saying, "Grandpa, Third Uncle, let's go take a look."

The two lowered their heads and headed forward along the winding path.

"Stand here, no one is allowed to come near."

After giving them some instructions, Shen Chongming followed the two to the area where Shen Xiubai had once secluded himself for cultivation.

The previously empty area suddenly had a strange light gate, about ten feet high, appear.

The light gate emitted a five-colored glow and rotated slowly, making it impossible to see what was inside.

The three stood quietly not far from the portal, observing it for a moment before Shen Yuan spoke up: "Wen'an, what do you think this is?"

Shen Wen'an gazed at the light gate, sensing the spatial law power emanating from it, and pondered for a moment, "It should be a spatial passage."

"Was it something Xiu Bai did?"

Spatial passage?

Shen Chongming said in a deep voice, "Does Third Uncle mean that we can enter the Five Elements Secret Realm created by Xiu Bai through this portal?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head slightly: "It's possible, but even Third Uncle isn't sure."

"What does Dad think?"

He looked at Shen Yuan and, seeing his solemn expression, asked curiously.

Shen Yuan remained silent.

His thoughts were similar to Shen Wen'an's; he believed that the portal was most likely created by Shen Xiubai, and that the Five Elements Secret Realm was behind it.

But what worried him was that he couldn't sense Shen Xiubai's presence through the portal.

In the past, whenever he came to the back mountain, even if Shen Xiubai did not show himself, he could still sense his presence through the connection between their bloodlines.

But now that the portal to the Five Elements Secret Realm has appeared, he can no longer sense Shen Xiubai's presence.

“Xiu Bai, your great-grandfather, your third grandfather, and your uncle have all come to see you.”

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Yuan spoke slowly.

Shen Chongming and Shen Wen'an, standing beside him, stared intently at the slowly rotating portal, hoping that Shen Xiubai's figure would emerge from it.

However, the three waited for a long time but did not see any movement from the portal.

Shen Chongming's expression changed slightly.

"Xiu Bai... could something have happened to him?"

Although Shen Yuan and Shen Wen'an did not answer, the worry on their faces was very obvious.

In the past, whenever they came here and spoke, Shen Xiubai would respond even if he didn't show himself.

but now……

"Father, let me go in and take a look."

After a moment of silence, Shen Wen'an spoke decisively.

He sensed a very faint trace of the Five Elements aura on the portal, which was most likely related to the Five Elements Secret Realm.

Since Shen Xiubai did not respond, he decided to go in and see for himself.

"Third Uncle, or nephew..."

Just as Shen Chongming was about to speak, Shen Wen'an interrupted him with a faint smile.

“You are still the head of the Shen family, you cannot put yourself in danger.”

"Besides, Uncle San's control over the laws far surpasses yours now. Even if he encounters danger, his chances of escaping unscathed are greater than yours."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Shen Yuan and said, "Father, I'm off."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly.

When Shen Wen'an brought up the matter, he had already secretly used the power of the Great Evolution to make a slight deduction and found that there was no danger.

Shen Wen'an walked slowly forward and reached out his palm in front of the light gate.

He reached into the portal and, finding nothing amiss, breathed a slight sigh of relief. He took a step forward, and his figure vanished instantly.

moment--

Its figure suddenly reappeared from the portal.

"Father, it really is the Five Elements Secret Realm inside, Xiu Bai..."

"Father and Chongming, let's come in first before we talk."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming glanced at Shen Yuan and, seeing that he had already started to move, followed him directly.

The grandfather and grandson passed through the gate of light, and the scene before them instantly changed.

On the vast and somewhat desolate Gobi Desert, several winding rivers flow slowly from the distant horizon.

The tender grass grows tenaciously in the gravel and cracks between the stones.

There was no jungle in sight, no mountains in sight, not even the sound of the wind; the silence was terrifying.

After looking around, Shen Yuan asked in a deep voice, "Where is Xiu Bai...?"

Shen Chongming also looked over curiously.

Meeting their gazes, Shen Wen'an slowly raised his head.

The two followed his gaze upwards and suddenly saw an old and decaying figure sitting cross-legged in the void above them, its body radiating a faint glow.

However, with their cultivation levels, the three of them instantly discovered that the physical body above them had long since decayed and showed no signs of life.

Looking at Shen Xiubai's corpse, Shen Yuan's eyes trembled slightly, and his lips moved a few times, but he ultimately did not utter a word.

With a step, he ascended the steps in the void and soon arrived in front of Shen Xiubai's corpse.

The corpse looked almost exactly like the Shen Xiubai he had last seen.

He just looked much older and thinner.

Shen Yuan didn't know how long he had been alone in this secret realm, his body had become skin and bones.

"My child..."

He slowly reached out, his eyes brimming with tears, and tremblingly touched Shen Xiubai's arm.

However, the moment his palm touched that withered and emaciated arm, Shen Xiubai's corpse suddenly transformed into countless shimmering fluorescent points of light, which quickly dispersed.

The fluorescent light flickered and danced in the void for a moment before slowly coalescing into a figure dressed in a moon-white robe, whose physique, though slender, was young and upright.

The figure radiated a five-colored halo, which was Shen Xiubai in his youth.

"Great-grandfather, third grandfather, uncle."

"You are here."

After Shen Xiubai's illusory figure bowed slightly to the three of them, he noticed the sorrow on their faces.

"Great-grandfather, third grandfather, uncle, you don't need to do this."

"Xiu Bai said before that the physical body is nothing more than a vessel for crossing the world for us cultivators. Isn't Xiu Bai's soul still perfectly fine now?"

None of the three people in front of them spoke.

For cultivators, physical death is not considered true death.

But as their juniors, seeing Shen Xiubai's body aged and decayed, now reduced to this strange state of soul, the three of them still felt a tightness in their chests and a great deal of discomfort.

Seeing the lingering sorrow on the three faces, Shen Xiubai smiled faintly and said, "This is not the place to talk, Great-Grandfather, you may come down with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them felt a gentle force approaching them, and the next moment they appeared on the desolate Gobi Desert below.

The three were astonished by this miraculous method.

Looking at Shen Xiubai, who was dressed in long robes with flowing sleeves, Shen Chongming asked in surprise, "Boy, was that your method just now?"

Shen Xiubai nodded with a smile and said, "This Five Elements Secret Realm was created by your nephew, and all the rules inside will change according to your thoughts."

As he spoke, he waved his hand gently.

In an instant, the tender grass on the desolate Gobi Desert around the three of them seemed to go crazy and grew rapidly!
After a few breaths, the surrounding Gobi Desert had transformed into a lush green grassland.

When Shen Xiubai waved his hand again, the wild grass that had grown to about a foot in length quickly turned yellow and then withered completely, followed by large snowflakes falling from the sky.

Seeing this, Shen Wen'an frowned slightly.

He could sense that Shen Xiubai was using the most fundamental laws to manipulate these phenomena in the Five Elements Secret Realm.

The grass is real, and the snowflakes are real too...

However, this change appears extremely abrupt, unlike the natural environment of Yangnao, which is able to operate freely.

Noticing Shen Wen'an's expression, Shen Xiubai smiled and said, "Third Grandfather sensed it all?"

Shen Wen'an looked at him.

Shen Xiubai sighed slightly and said, "The things that Master Fu Yang left behind were incomplete and too profound."

"Xiu Bai has been studying this for decades, but this is all he can do for now."

"However... Xiu Bai has one last idea that he hasn't put into practice yet. This time, he just wanted to see his great-grandfather and you, and his father and mother again..."

"Once the final step is implemented, this place may be able to form a true secret world."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming's expression changed slightly, and he said, "You better not mess around again, kid!"

"Take good care of your soul. After your Dao collapses, your uncle will have someone find a suitable body for you to possess as soon as possible, or perhaps..."

"uncle."

Shen Xiubai shook his head slightly, interrupting him.

"No need for trouble. In fact, this Five Elements Secret Realm is my nephew's physical body."

“From the very beginning of the construction of the Five Elements Secret Realm, my nephew has already become one with the entire secret realm.”

"Therefore, the corpse that you and your great-grandfather and third grandfather saw just now was not Xiu Bai's real physical body."

As he spoke, he waved his hand lightly.

A rumbling sound came from the ground in front of the three of them.

The next moment, several blue stones emerged from the ground, cleverly forming a stone table and four stone stools.

"Great-Grandpa, please sit down."

After the four of them sat down, Shen Wen'an frowned and asked, "Xiu Bai, what kind of inheritance did you receive from Uncle-Master Fu Yang?"

After being expelled from the sect as a disciple of Qiyun Valley, Fu Yang lived in seclusion at Zhuixian Lake in Danzhou, trying to comprehend the strange formation.

Later, when Shen Wen'an approached Huang Lingshan, wanting her help to find a formation master to set up a protective formation for Yunshui City, the two of them finally found Fu Yang.

Later, after Fu Yang set up the Ren Shui Yin Ling Grand Array for Yun Shui City, he went alone to the Xu He Hui Lang Grand Array that separated the Southern Frontier and Yang Nao Land to comprehend the array.

Somehow, he later became a messenger of the underworld.

He was killed by Shen Wen'an. On his deathbed, he condensed all his life's insights into a legacy bead and left it to the Shen family.

It wasn't until Shen Xiubai revealed his talent for array formations that he obtained the inheritance bead and inherited all of Fu Yang's lifelong learning.

According to Shen Wen'an's understanding, Fu Yang was only at the half-step Golden Core realm before his death, and the things inside the inheritance bead should all be related to the Dao of Arrays.

Currently, neither Fu Yang's inheritance nor Shen Xiubai's own strength is sufficient for him to create such a secret realm.

He seriously suspected that Shen Xiubai might be the reincarnation of some old monster.

Shen Wen'an's question also piqued the interest of Shen Yuan and Shen Chongming. Shen Yuan had also previously suspected that Shen Xiubai might be the reincarnation of an old monster.

Meeting the gazes of the three, Shen Xiubai slowly said, "Now that things have come to this, Xiubai has nothing to hide anymore. Since we meet today, let's tell all the elders."

He gathered his thoughts and slowly said, "The inheritance bead left by Master Fu Yang can be broken down into three parts."

"Firstly, it is his lifelong cultivation experience; secondly, it is his understanding of the Dao."

"The fact that Xiu Bai can do all this is the most mysterious third part of the inheritance bead."

According to the contents left by Master Fu Yang in the inheritance bead, before he was expelled from Qiyun Valley, he encountered a strange person who called himself "Yu Jingzi".

"What's that extraordinary person's name?!" Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's expression changed, and he quickly asked.

Shen Xiubai looked at him with some doubt and asked, "His name is 'Yujingzi'. Has your great-grandfather heard of this person?"

Shen Yuan looked stunned and did not speak.

Upon hearing the name "Yu Jingzi," he couldn't help but recall the scene from over thirty years ago when he inexplicably used that immortal abode to travel to the Jiuyuan Zhexian Temple for the first time.

Because it was his first time there, his soul was somewhat unaccustomed to the oppressive aura of the Nine Yuan Immortal Temple and he was unable to move.

From the conversation between the Azure Crane Boy and the Crimson Kite Master beside him, he learned that the previous owner of the futon beneath him was none other than "Yu Jingzi"!
"Child, please continue."

While pondering this, Shen Yuan noticed that Shen Xiubai had stopped speaking, so he suppressed his thoughts and spoke.

Shen Xiubai nodded and continued, "Master Fuyang learned many strange things from that extraordinary person, Yujingzi."

"To be precise, these things were all Yu Jingzi's ideas, and he did not give them to Master Fu Yang on his own initiative."

"After discussing the Dao with Yu Jingzi for many days, Master Fu Yang felt more and more that the other party was no ordinary person. So he wrote down everything Yu Jingzi said and would take it out to study in his spare time."

"But at that time, Master Fuyang probably didn't know about the 'collapse of the Dao' or the situation in the Cangmin Sea."

"After years of contemplation, I still don't understand what Yu Jingzi's strange ideas are trying to achieve."

"It was only after Xiu Bai gradually learned about these things and combined them with the Five Elements Cycle that he roughly understood Yu Jingzi's idea, which enabled him to create the Five Elements Secret Realm with the help of many opportunities."

When he said this, both Shen Chongming and Shen Wen'an were stunned.

Shen Yuan had clearly understood why Shen Xiubai had been able to get to this point.

Based on his several conversations with Master Chiyuan at the Jiuyuan Zhexian Temple, this Yujingzi is a legendary cultivator who once passed the Jiuyuan Zhexian Temple's century-old test.

Once you get involved with him, Shen Xiubai's strange abilities seem to make sense.

After a pause, Shen Xiubai continued, "Xiubai said it was a coincidence because everything seemed to be predestined."

"The reason why this secret realm was able to take shape was largely due to Yu Jingzi's many ideas and insights, and the bronze pot that my great-grandfather obtained back then, as well as the innate five-colored soil that came later, all seemed to be just right."

"These two treasures—the bronze pot which forms the framework of the Five Elements Secret Realm, the innate five-colored soil which allows Xiu Bai to perfectly integrate with the entire secret realm, and the earth vein spiritual energy drawn from Danzhou by the Earth Mother Spirit Vine roots..."

Shen Xiubai smiled with relief and said, "Therefore, I implore Great-Grandfather, Third Grandfather, and all the elders in the family not to grieve for me. It was all destined."

"Besides, when the Shen family moves to the Five Elements Secret Realm, Xiu Bai will be able to stay with his clansmen and watch the younger generation grow up and thrive..."

All three people in the room fell silent.

The more Shen Xiubai said this, the more uncomfortable they felt.

Especially Shen Yuan.

Having thoroughly studied the Dao of Great Evolution, he was able to sense the wonder of fate and suddenly discovered that the lineage of the second son, Shen Wenyan, seemed to be destined from birth to sacrifice for the family.

He wasn't sure if this tragic ending was a continuation of some misfortune in his destiny, or what.

"Great-Grandpa, Xiu Bai wants to ask you for a favor."

After a moment of silence, Shen Xiubai suddenly looked at Shen Yuan, cupped his hands, and spoke.

"Child, tell me."

Shen Yuan, regaining his senses, quickly spoke up.

Shen Xiubai said, "I would like to trouble my great-grandfather to send a letter to my father, asking him to come back when he has some time."

"When Father returns, let him and Mother come to the secret realm to see Xiu Bai."

Looking up at the dim sky, a barely perceptible trace of longing flashed in Shen Xiubai's eyes.

"Time is running out for the Shen family, isn't it?"

"We can't let our people live in such a desolate and broken world..."

Upon hearing this, all three of them felt a sudden tremor in their hearts.

Shen Chongming clenched his fist inwardly, then suddenly stood up and headed outside.

"uncle……"

"Wait, your uncle will go and have someone bring your father back!"

Shen Chongming's voice was choked with sobs as he left without looking back.

He could see that Shen Xiubai missed his father, Shen Chongxu. Now, they couldn't help or stop Shen Xiubai from doing what he was doing.

If he couldn't even help his father fulfill his wish to see him in time, Shen Chongming would want to slap himself twice.

Shen Chongming's figure disappeared into the Five Elements Secret Realm, and the remaining Shen Wen'an and Shen Yuan also felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

The father and son actually held similar views.

As elders of the family, failing to protect the younger generation and demanding their sacrifices for the family is undoubtedly a failure on their part.

"Xiu Bai, is there anything else you need? Just tell me what you need, and your third grandfather will do everything he can to find it for you."

Feeling oppressed and uncomfortable, Shen Wen'an spoke in a deep voice.

Shen Xiubai was about to shake his head, but after a moment's thought, he hesitated and said, "The origin of the Five Elements Secret Realm was formed by Xiubai secretly extracting some of the Dao source from Yangnao Land using a secret method."

"This source is still very fragile. If something with extremely rich heaven and earth energy, or an energy level of even higher, could be refined into the secret realm, it should be able to make the source of the secret realm grow stronger quickly."

"When the origin of the secret realm is strengthened, the concentration of spiritual energy in the entire secret realm will become more concentrated, which will in turn give rise to some rare and precious natural materials or spiritual herbs."

Having said that, he suddenly smiled and looked at Shen Wen'an, saying, "Third Grandfather, there's no need to worry about these things."

"Once the Shen family has established a firm foothold in the Five Elements Secret Realm, they can gradually improve by plundering the origins of other worlds and Dao Source Secret Realms."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan suppressed the grief in his heart.

“My child, your great-grandfather and your third grandfather don’t understand most of the things you want.”

"How about this... Grandpa will bring you everything from the family vault and the third floor of the Blackwater Pavilion later."

"Use what you need directly, and store what you don't need somewhere first."

The family will move in sooner or later, so it's good to bring in the treasures we've accumulated in advance.

Shen Wen'an nodded, and after a moment's thought, he suddenly said, "Third Grandfather does have something good here. See if it's useful."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he directly took out the golden crow's head from the storage bag.

The moment the golden crow's head appeared, an extremely terrifying pressure mixed with a scorching aura instantly rushed towards us!

Shen Yuan and Shen Xiubai were both so shocked by the sudden appearance that their mouths gaped open.

"What kind of ferocious bird's head is this? How can its aura be so terrifying!?"

Shen Yuan's pupils contracted slightly, and he couldn't help but murmur.

While Shen Xiubai was shocked, his eyes gleamed with a strange light as he stared intently at the head of the golden crow.

He could sense a special energy of a very high level contained within this enormous head.

"This is the head of a three-legged golden crow, which my son found at the bottom of the lava lake in Flame Lake City."

Shen Wen'an explained, "The Li Huo Jin Feng said that the Three-Legged Golden Crow is a pure-blooded divine beast, and the energy contained in its head may meet Xiu Bai's requirements."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiubai nodded and said, "This golden crow's head is indeed a good thing."

"Seeing the flesh and blood of such divine beasts, Xiu Bai had a new idea."

"Third Grandfather, do you have any other use for this?"

Shen Wen'an hesitated upon hearing this.

"The Golden Phoenix of Li Huo said that using the flesh and blood of the Golden Crow to refine pills and open the meridians of the Shen family's descendants would have a certain chance of allowing them to obtain the Golden Crow bloodline..."

"Its bones and its black beak also seem to be of great use."

"Here's what you'll do. Use it as you see fit. It would be best if you could save some. If you can't save any, or if you think that refining it into the secret realm is more valuable than refining pills or crafting weapons, then you can refine it all into the secret realm."

For the entire family, whether it's alchemy or weapon crafting...

Only a select few can achieve greatness with the golden crow's head.

If Shen Xiubai refines it into the secret realm, it can bring blessings to the entire family, which would be even better.

Shen Xiubai nodded happily: "Third Grandfather, don't worry, Xiubai will definitely find a way to maximize its value."

The three chatted for a while longer before Shen Yuan and Shen Wen'an reluctantly left the Five Elements Secret Realm.

After the father and son came down from the back mountain, Shen Yuan went straight to the Blackwater Pavilion, intending to retrieve the other items on the third floor for Shen Xiubai to inspect.

Shen Wen'an had originally planned to discuss the Golden Crow's head with him, but now that the Golden Crow's head had been handed over to Shen Xiubai, there was no need to discuss it anymore.

After the father and son parted ways, Shen Wen'an returned to his own courtyard and saw a thin figure standing there, draped in a phoenix feather robe.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Looking at the Golden Phoenix of Fire, Shen Wen'an frowned.

Upon his return, Li Huo Jin Feng hurriedly approached and questioned, "Sir, have you forgotten?"

Shen Wen'an was stunned: "What?"

"The Eyes of the Golden Crow".

"You promised to give me one, you won't go back on your word, will you?"

Shen Wen'an dared not look directly into the little girl's eyes.

He had indeed forgotten about it, but now that the Golden Crow's head had been given to Shen Xiubai, that thing was clearly of great help to the Five Elements Secret Realm.

"No need to rush, I'll give it to you when the time comes."

Even if it's gone, I'll find a way to give you other compensation.

As a sword cultivator, lying is certainly not his forte.

Feeling guilty, he could only give an ambiguous answer.

The little girl immediately became anxious upon hearing this.

"What do you mean by 'even if it's gone'!?"

"Sir, you can't do this!"

Seeing the little girl's eyes filled with tears, looking so aggrieved that she was about to cry, Shen Wen'an felt a headache coming on.

Wei Qiuling, who was inside the room, was also startled by the commotion and pushed open the door to come out.

"Husband, what has happened?"

Before Shen Wen'an could speak, the Fire Phoenix rushed forward, tears streaming down its face, and cried, "My lord promised to give this little demon a Golden Crow's Eye, but now... now he's gone back on his word..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling looked at Shen Wen'an with a strange expression.

She knows her man well; he's straightforward and doesn't usually go back on his word.

There must be some hidden story behind this.

Shen Wen'an sighed: "The thing has been repaired to a white color; it will be of great use to him."

“I also told him to save money where he can, but if he can’t save any more, there’s nothing we can do.”

Wei Qiuling suddenly realized.

She knew some of what Shen Xiubai was doing and understood the importance of the Five Elements Secret Realm to the Shen family. She immediately comforted Li Huo Jin Feng, saying, "Girl, don't cry. Since we promised to give you the things, we will definitely find a way to save you money."

"But that thing concerns the fate of the entire Shen family. Don't rush, wait and see, okay?"

Although the Golden Phoenix was very unwilling, she could tell that the two were not lying. She could only wipe away her tears and nod helplessly, saying, "Then you must remember, my lord, that you owe me a Golden Crow Eye. If you have anything good in the future, you must give me priority in making amends..."

"it is good."

In order to get rid of this little girl, Shen Wen'an agreed without any hesitation.

After seeing off Li Huo Jin Feng, Wei Qiu Ling couldn't help but smile and come up to her, saying, "Husband, you can't do anything about her either?"

Shen Wen'an sighed softly: "In the end, we're in the wrong, and we can't fight back..."

"By the way, where's Chongzhen?"

"Why haven't I seen him practicing so early in the morning?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuling also became somewhat curious.

She had been meditating and cultivating herself since early morning, and hadn't noticed when her son had run out.

Upon confirming that Shen Chongzhen was no longer at home, a hint of displeasure appeared on Shen Wen'an's face.

"You little bastard, you're so obsessed with women that you've even neglected your cultivation..."

Wei Qiuling quickly comforted him, "Husband, don't be angry. I'll go and look for it."

After comforting Shen Wen'an, she hurriedly left the courtyard to see where Shen Chongzhen had run off to.

The couple did not object to their son pursuing Zhou Xuan, but it would be unacceptable if he neglected his cultivation because of it.

……

Southern Xinjiang, on the outskirts of Yangquan Mountain.

A fierce chase is underway.

One of the people involved in the battle was Ou Chang, a Golden Core cultivator from the Yin Corpse Sect.

At this moment, Ou Chang's clothes were disheveled, his breath was weak, and half of his arm was burned black, making him look utterly miserable.

"Who are you people, and why have you attacked my Yin Corpse Sect without provocation?!"

Seeing the several figures in crimson cloaks surrounding him, Ou Chang was filled with rage and his eyes were fierce. He endured the burning sensation in his meridians and forcibly manipulated more than ten silver-armored corpse puppets and two terrifyingly powerful gold-armored corpse puppets to block in front of him.

These corpse puppets were all he had. Relying on two golden-armored corpse puppets comparable to the fifth level of body cultivation and more than ten silver-armored corpse puppets, Ou Chang, who was in the late stage of the Golden Core realm, could barely squeeze into the first tier among many Golden Core cultivators.

As a result, the Yin Corpse Sect became one of the more powerful Golden Core forces in the Southern and Northern Regions, and most Golden Core forces simply did not want to clash with them.

However, a few days ago, this group of mysterious cultivators wearing crimson cloaks and strange masks attacked the Yin Corpse Sect's mountain gate without warning.

The opponent was very strong, with two Purple Mansion cultivators and more than ten Golden Core cultivators.

After forcibly breaking through the Yin Corpse Sect's protective formation, these people directly abducted a large number of disciples from the sect and then headed towards the Yin Corpse Sect's treasure vault.

Realizing that the other side might be after their sect's secret corpse-refining techniques, Ou Chang and the leader of the Yin Corpse Sect immediately took a portion of their sect's heritage and treasures and fought desperately to break through the encirclement.

Now, he has been on the run and has been chased all the way here.

The injuries inside his body made Ou Chang realize that he was doomed today.

"Why is a dying man spouting so much nonsense?"

"Judging from your appearance, you are quite a character. I will give you two choices."

The figure wearing a bronze mask stepped through the air and arrived at a short distance away, saying slowly, "First, you must come back with me. With your Golden Core realm cultivation and superb corpse refining skills, I guarantee I can find you a good job within the sect..."

"I choose the second one..." Ou Chang spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned, "You cowardly bastards, you think you can get me to be your dog? Don't even think about it!"

Upon hearing this, the person in the void paused slightly before sneering, "I truly underestimated you."

"In that case..."

"Uncle-Master Wei, be careful!"

"He's going to self-destruct!"

Sensing something amiss about Ou Chang's aura, a tall figure suddenly rushed forward, waving his hand to summon a dark mountain peak that stood between the two!
As soon as the dark mountain peak appeared, Ou Chang revealed a cruel smile on his face. His spiritual power surged, and he exploded instantly!

The power of the Golden Core's self-destruction was terrifying; the rocks and trees within a hundred miles were instantly torn apart by this violent force!
Even the ancient, sturdy trees further away were uprooted by the aftershocks of the explosion!

After the smoke and dust cleared, the dark mountain peak at the center of the explosion had disappeared, and the two figures behind the peak looked rather disheveled.

His crimson cloak was blown to shreds, and the bronze mask on his face had flown away.

Wei Chengyu stared at everything before him with a livid expression.

As a reincarnation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and now with his cultivation reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, he never expected to be made so pathetic by a mere Golden Core cultivator!

Looking around at the mess, Wei Chengyu understood that everything on Ou Chang's body must have disappeared with the explosion.

If they want to obtain the legacy and corpse refining techniques of the Yin Corpse Sect, they can only hope that another group will hunt down the Yin Corpse Sect Master's fellow disciples.

"let's go!"

With a furious flick of his sleeves, Wei Chengyu led everyone away from this void.

After they had completely disappeared into the distance, two furtive figures suddenly peeked out from the distant jungle.

"Damn!"

"Luckily we hid far away. If we had been closer, we probably wouldn't even have been able to find the body now."

Dong Yunbao spoke with lingering fear.

The look of horror in Ming Zhengchu's eyes had not completely faded.

"Judging from the surrounding corpse energy, the one who just self-destructed should be a Golden Core expert from the Yin Corpse Sect."

"A dignified Golden Core cultivator was forced to self-destruct. It seems that the rumors circulating a couple of days ago about the Yin Corpse Sect being attacked by a mysterious expert are true."

"Strange, who would want to cause trouble for these guys who deal with corpses?"

Dong Yunbao thought for a moment, seemingly unable to understand why the Yin Corpse Sect would be suddenly attacked.

"That group of people has already gone far away. Should we go over and check if there's anything we've forgotten?"

After a moment's thought, Ming Zhengchu nodded.

Although the two knew that the power of the Golden Core self-destruction was great, and that things like storage bags would most likely be directly destroyed, with their contents scattered into the chaotic void.

But this is not absolute.

Even if the storage bag is destroyed, some magical treasures and artifacts may still be preserved.

Bai Xuanjiao has no real estate. Although he is a mountain king and has formed a sect, the members live the life of independent practitioners.

For independent cultivators, even a mosquito's leg is meat; finding any item left behind by a Golden Core cultivator is a considerable gain.

Having made up their minds, the two quietly headed towards the area where Ouchang had self-destructed.

(End of this chapter)