Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 300 Calamity (Part Two)

"Father, there is no need to blame yourself. Our Shen family has been around for two hundred years, and it is already quite remarkable that we have come this far."

Seeing the self-reproach on his father's face, Shen Wen'an gently comforted him.

He knew the difficulties his father had faced over the years.

Lacking spiritual roots, his cultivation progressed slowly, and his strength was insufficient. He could only expend a great deal of mental energy to outwit and outfight enemies who were many times stronger than the Shen family.

For two hundred years, we have walked on thin ice, and every step we took was a decision made only after careful consideration.

The Shen family is now facing the calamity of this small world in the Yangnao region.

This was undoubtedly another difficult test for the Shen family, which was merely a family of noble lineages.

“Since this is a calamity for our clan, it should fall on you, my son, and Chongzhen. Now that Father has emerged from seclusion, let’s go to the Five Elements Secret Realm first.”

"I'll think of another way to deal with Chongzhen's matter."

After thinking for a moment, Shen Wen'an slowly began to speak.

Although he didn't understand why most of the family's misfortunes had befallen the three of them, he dared not doubt it after his father said so.

Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head: "I cannot enter the Five Elements Secret Realm yet."

"There are still some plans that have not been completed in this matter of facing calamity."

"Go back and tell Chongzhen..."

After a pause, Shen Yuan sighed helplessly, "Tell that child to be flexible and not stubborn."

Shen Wen'an nodded slightly: "Qiu Ling has been teaching him well during this time, and the brat's personality has changed dramatically."

"Is there anything else you need to prepare?"

Before summoning Shen Wen'an by telepathy, he had forcibly altered his appearance to make himself look less aged and decayed, but the weakness in his aura still did not escape Shen Wen'an's notice.

Although Shen Wen'an did not know how his father changed the way his clansmen faced the calamity, he roughly understood that a considerable price must have been paid.

After all, it is extremely difficult to fight against fate with human strength, let alone when the father is fighting against the fate of the entire Shen family.

"Yes, there is something I do need you to do."

"As for Chongxu... I can't see the trajectory of his fate. You should send him a message: if something unexpected happens, come back as soon as possible."

"There are no more secrets in southern Xinjiang that he could stay and explore now."

Shen Wen'an remained silent, waiting for him to give further instructions.

However, Shen Yuan smiled faintly and shook his head: "That's all. As for other matters, you need to resolve them with your own strength, so there's no need for your father to give any instructions."

"Go."

"Remind your elder brother and Xiu Yan to keep the clansmen in the city in check and not to go out; from today onwards, Yunshui City will refuse to receive any visitors."

Shen Wen'an stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and then slowly retreated from the second floor of the Blackwater Pavilion.

puff!
As soon as he left, Shen Yuan's expression suddenly froze, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mist.

The appearance maintained by spiritual power also changed in an instant, transforming back into an old man with a full head of white hair.

There was no other way; in order to deduce a way to avert the calamity, he had exhausted too much of his mental energy and nearly depleted his own lifespan.

Fortunately, the five elements within his dantian circulate and generate each other, allowing him to possess a long lifespan comparable to that of a true Golden Core cultivator, despite being at the half-step Golden Core stage.

Otherwise, he would probably be exhausted by now.

The family's calamity has been temporarily alleviated, but the most urgent task at hand is to figure out as soon as possible how these cultivators can achieve true Golden Core without the help of the immortal golden nature bestowed by the heavens.

He has been thinking about this issue ever since he learned of Kim's conspiracy.

Ultimately, the only conclusion reached was that the inner elixir formed in the dantian was not a true golden elixir.

Without the ability to use the golden essence bestowed by Heaven, cultivators who wish to achieve the Golden Core stage must undergo an unknown transformation.

However, he had no idea what this transformation was.

After secretly regulating his surging blood and spiritual energy and stabilizing his mind, Shen Yuan disregarded his weakness and began to continue his calculations.

……

Above the vast ocean, a huge treasure ship slowly moved forward, skimming the shimmering surface of the sea.

On the treasure ship, Luo Tianxing, dressed in an indigo cloth robe and wearing a bamboo hat, sat cross-legged at the bow, his hands forming a mudra, with an ancient black cauldron floating in front of him.

This black cauldron is the very spirit of Beichen Immortal Mountain that he collected from Huaisang County back then.

As soon as he left Yangnao, Luo Tianxing felt as if he had suddenly shed his shackles, and he felt much lighter.

However, in recent days, as he has traveled further and further away from Yangnao, a sense of unease has slowly begun to rise in his heart.

At first, he thought that this feeling was because he had a deep karmic connection with the Shen family, and that the Shen family was now in danger, which affected his state of mind.

However, as it followed the guidance of the black cauldron and continued sailing towards the North Star Immortal Mountain, the uneasy feeling in the dark grew stronger and stronger.

A gust of salty sea breeze blew by, and Luo Tianxing couldn't help but shiver. When he suddenly opened his eyes, his expression instantly turned serious.

"Where am I!?"

Luo Tianxing stood up from the bow and looked around. He found that although he was still on the vast sea, the surrounding waters clearly revealed a sense of strangeness and oddity.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, and the sea was as calm as a smooth, clear mirror!

I could clearly feel the sea breeze blowing around me, but the seawater around me didn't ripple at all.

Realizing something was wrong, Luo Tianxing immediately waved his hand to retract the treasure ship beneath him, and stood quietly in the void.

The terrifying divine sense of a Nascent Soul Perfection Realm cultivator emanated from his body, sweeping around the surroundings without restraint. Luo Tianxing vaguely realized that he seemed to have stumbled into some strange formation.

Before he could study the strange formation in detail, a white wave slowly rose from the sea where the sky met in the distance.

Waves radiated outwards one after another.

Gradually, a large bulge appeared on the surface of the sea, as if something was about to emerge from beneath the surface.

Luo Tianxing narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the bulging sea surface.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, as the surrounding waves grew larger and larger, the thing hidden on the seabed finally broke through the surface and appeared between this world!

It was a magnificent, dark golden palace, its entire body gleaming with precious light. As soon as it surfaced, it emitted a dazzling golden light, like a setting sun about to sink below the horizon, its light dyeing the surrounding seawater gold.

Seeing this scene, Luo Tianxing frowned slightly, and then vaguely guessed what this magnificent hall was.

Dragon Palace.

Moreover, it is the cave palace of a dragon at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Pureblood dragons have two great passions: lust and greed for treasure.

The former gave birth to many strange and mixed-blood dragon species in the world, while the latter made those dragon-type monsters with a little strength like to build their caves into magnificent and luxurious places, like nouveau riche.

The magnificent palace that suddenly appeared before us was radiant with golden light, and it was immediately obvious that it belonged to a dragon.

After the main hall completely surfaced, it drifted straight towards the sea area where Luo Tianxing was located.

As they approached the Dragon Palace, Luo Tianxing moved his lips for a moment, then cupped his hands slightly and said loudly, "I wonder which fellow Daoist from the Dragon Clan is here? I have mistakenly entered this place and have disturbed you."

He assumed that while he was wholeheartedly comprehending the location of the Northern Star Immortal Mountain, the treasure ship drifted with the current and accidentally entered the domain of a Nascent Soul Dragon, which prompted the other party to show up and investigate.

The dragons in the Cangmin Sea are very powerful. According to what he knows, the vast majority of the dragons in the Guitu Sea Cliff, where Yangnao Land is located, belong to a powerful force called Wanlong Nest.

This Dragon Nest is home to many pure-blooded dragons who have reached the Nascent Soul stage, and few forces dare to provoke them.

Luo Tianxing is now all alone and naturally doesn't want to easily offend such a powerful force.

"It really is that annoying scent..."

"Human, what's your relationship with that old bastard from back then!?"

As soon as Luo Tianxing finished speaking, a majestic voice came from the magnificent dragon palace on the distant sea.

Old scumbag?
Luo Tianxing frowned slightly, clearly not understanding who the other person was referring to.

A flash of light appeared above the Dragon Palace, followed by the appearance of a middle-aged man with two horns on his head, wearing a magnificent purple-gold robe, and with an exquisite jade sword hanging at his waist.

The middle-aged man, wearing dark gold embroidered shoes and stepping on a crimson auspicious cloud, stared intently at Luo Tianxing and said in a deep voice, "That old bastard who kidnapped more than a dozen of my brothers and countless dragon sons and grandsons back then."

"You have his scent on you, you must know him!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Tianxing immediately realized who the "old bastard" the Dragon King was referring to was.

In order to suppress Tianlong Temple, the Great Lord of Daying built a Ten Thousand Dragons Formation in Zhanlong Valley.

The Ten Thousand Dragons Formation was constructed using the dragon souls of twelve pure-blooded dragons at the Nascent Soul stage as its foundation, supplemented by the souls of countless young dragons at the Fetal Breathing Golden Core stage.

Most of the dragons at the Fetal Breathing Realm and Golden Core Realm were provided by the dragon beasts raised by the Dragon Taming Clan.

However, the twelve Nascent Soul pure-blooded dragons were forcibly captured by True Lord Daying from the Myriad Dragon Nest.

Thinking of this, Luo Tianxing's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

When the Great Lord of Great Harmony used the Ten Thousand Dragons Formation to suppress the Heavenly Dragon Temple, he had already been reincarnated and started cultivating again.

Unexpectedly, today in this sea area, I encountered a Nascent Soul Dragon, who insisted on pinning this score on him.

"I do know him, but as for the matter of capturing a noble dragon-type fellow Daoist..."

"Cut the nonsense!"

"That old bastard captured twelve of my Dragon Kings from the Myriad Dragon Nest back then, and we must settle this score no matter what!"

"If I can't find him, I'll start by taking you as interest!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was forcefully interrupted by the dragon king, which immediately angered Luo Tianxing.

He didn't want to provoke these dragons, but they seemed to disregard him, thinking he was someone they could easily manipulate.

With his Nascent Soul Perfection cultivation, there aren't many beings in the entire Cangmin Sea that he needs to be wary of.

Luo Tianxing was too lazy to explain further and immediately sneered, "Does Your Excellency really not intend to let this go today?"

The Dragon King's eyes flashed, and he suddenly drew the jade sword from his waist!

"I will only let you rest in peace if your blood is spilled on this sea!"

But just as Luo Tianxing was about to make his move after seeing that his opponent had already used weapons, he suddenly realized that the dragon king opposite him did not attack immediately.

Instead, he suddenly threw the jade sword in his hand into the void.

The next moment, the jade sword suddenly emitted a dazzling halo, accompanied by a series of crisp sword sounds.

Luo Tianxing was taken aback, then his face darkened!
"not good!"

"That beast is calling for help!"

While secretly alarmed, he also understood that although he was stronger than the dragon king in front of him, if the many powerful dragon kings of the Myriad Dragon Nest arrived, it would be difficult to say whether he could even save his life, let alone escape.

At that moment, a sudden realization dawned on him, and he understood why he had felt a sense of unease for the past few days.

A calamity.

As a cultivator from Yangnao Land, now that Yangnao Land is about to be destroyed, although he has already left Yangnao Land, he is still affected by fate and needs to face a calamity.

This calamity was caused by the dragons of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest.

As he pondered this moment, white waves once again rose in the surrounding sea.

Looking out, one can see one magnificent dragon palace after another rapidly approaching from the distant sea!
In the blink of an eye, eight magnificent dragon palaces, each with a unique design and radiating a rich, precious light, had completely surrounded the sea area where Luo Tianxing was located.

After the explanation given by the Dragon King who initially discovered Luo Tianxing, the other Dragon Kings who arrived also learned of Luo Tianxing's identity.

They all clamored that they would grind Luo Tianxing to dust and scatter his soul today, to appease the spirits of his dragon brothers in heaven.

The space and the sea below were sealed off by a powerful barrier formed by the eight dragon palaces. Luo Tianxing knew that it was probably impossible for him to escape today, and his only way out was to fight to the death.

"Then let's fight."

"Everyone says that pure-blooded dragons are very strong. The old man was able to kill twelve dragons from your Ten Thousand Dragon Nest back then. Today, I'll see just how much weaker I am than him."

As Luo Tianxing spoke in a deep voice, an ancient and majestic black Xuanlin armor gradually appeared on his body.

At this moment, his original image as an old farmer in the fields suddenly changed, and under the glittering black scale armor, he looked like a heavenly general.

……

Yangnao Land.

In the dead of winter, it rained heavily for nearly a month instead of the usual rain.

Large amounts of dark clouds surged in from the east, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, and occasionally a deep rumble could be heard from afar, like the roar of the heavens or the howl of thunder.

At first, most of the cultivators in Yangnao Land were somewhat frightened by all of this.

But later, he simply thought it was an anomaly caused by the impending collapse of this world and didn't take it seriously.

Only those Nascent Soul Realm old monsters who crossed the distant void to descend upon Yangnao Land knew that such a terrifying commotion was clearly caused by Nascent Soul Realm beings fighting to the death.

Furthermore, judging from the direction from which the commotion came, it was clear that a conflict had broken out between someone and a dragon at the Nascent Soul stage in the outer sea.

These Nascent Soul stage monsters were secretly delighted by this.

Dragons are domineering, and at this time, any Nascent Soul cultivators who appear on the outskirts of Yangnao Land are potential competitors.

Now that the Nascent Soul cultivator has unfortunately encountered a dragon from the sea, and the two sides are locked in a life-or-death struggle, which is a good thing for them.

Early spring, February.

Months of continuous heavy rain have turned most of the Yangnao region into a vast expanse of water.

Such a disaster would naturally be a devastating catastrophe for ordinary people.

In addition, outside cultivators, in their quest to seize the rare and precious materials that appeared after the collapse of the Dao, recklessly engaged in fierce battles throughout the Yangnao Land.

The devastating methods employed by cultivators have brought immense suffering to countless innocent people.

For them, natural disasters or man-made calamities are all misfortunes.

It is the source of Yangnao Land's revenge on these "unfilial" descendants who failed to protect themselves.

Yunshui City, where the Shen family lives, was not affected by the floods because it is located halfway up a branch of Yinlong Mountain.

Moreover, the common people and many low-level cultivators in the city had all been relocated to the Five Elements Secret Realm, leaving the entire city empty except for a few members of the Shen family who needed to face the calamity.

On this day, Zhou Xuan, who lived in the city, excitedly came to Shen Wen'an's courtyard after initially refining the Xuan You Ice Flame, intending to find Shen Chongzhen.

However, when the courtyard gate was opened, Shen Wen'an appeared in front of him.

Zhou Xuan's smile froze slightly, and she then bowed somewhat embarrassedly.

Right now, she doesn't know how to address Shen Wen'an.

In terms of spiritual realm, we are both at the Purple Mansion level, and should be called fellow Daoists.

However, she and Shen Chongzhen had already merged their souls and cultivated together. This time, she came to take Shen Chongzhen to see her master and see what her master thought about her and Shen Chongzhen becoming Daoist partners.

According to this logic, she should at least call him "uncle".

But Zhou Xuan was too embarrassed to call him "uncle".

Shen Wen'an seemed to sense her embarrassment and said with a faint smile, "Miss Zhou, are you here to see Chongzhen?"

Zhou Xuan nodded immediately.

Shen Wen'an stepped aside: "Chongzhen is in the backyard, Miss Zhou can go directly there."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan bowed slightly and then walked directly to the backyard.

Looking at his retreating figure, Shen Wen'an thought of what his father had said earlier about the Gate of Life and Death.

In that instant, he vaguely understood that his son's lifeline should lie with Zhou Xuan or the Ice God Palace behind Zhou Xuan.

Not long after Zhou Xuan entered the backyard, Shen Chongzhen came out with her.

Upon arriving at the front yard, Shen Chongzhen saw his father standing with his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the sun he hadn't seen for months. Shen Chongzhen put away his smile, slowly walked up behind him, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, I'll accompany Zhou Xuan out for a bit."

As the personal disciple of the Grand Elder of the Ice God Palace, Zhou Xuan has reached the Purple Mansion Realm at a young age, and his status in the Ice God Palace is very respected.

Although she and Shen Chongzhen have now become Daoist partners, she doesn't know if her master will agree to their union.

Zhou Xuan's idea was to first take Shen Chongzhen to meet her master. If her master had no objections, then they would arrange for Shen Chongzhen's parents to meet her master.

Otherwise, if the master disagrees and they rashly allow Shen Wen'an and his wife to go along, they will inevitably be suspected of being humiliated.

After all, she knew her master's temperament very well.

"Go, and don't come back after you leave."

Shen Wen'an slowly turned around and spoke.

Meeting her father's gaze, Shen Chongzhen was startled and immediately panicked.

"Father, what...what did I do wrong?"

"you……"

Zhou Xuan, who was standing to the side, was also stunned and somewhat flustered. She quickly came forward and said, "Uncle Shen, you..."

Seeing the two of them like this, Shen Wen'an smiled and said, "Don't be in a hurry, let your father finish speaking."

After some thought, he decided to tell the two about the tribulation he was about to face.

“Your grandfather has already predicted that the calamities of most of the Shen family members should fall on you, my son, and your grandfather.”

"As long as the three of us are safe, most of the members of my Shen family will be able to get through this calamity safely."

"You should be aware of the current situation in Yangnao Land."

"Compared to Cloudwater City, Ice God Palace is much safer."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongzhen still found it hard to believe.

He always felt that his father was angry with him.

He was angry at himself for neglecting his cultivation by spending so much time with Zhou Xuan.

"father……"

“What I said is true.” “You wait outside the courtyard, I have a few words to say to Miss Zhou.”

Shen Chongzhen and Zhou Xuan exchanged a glance, their lips moved slightly, but in the end they bowed slightly and headed out of the courtyard.

Only the two of them remained in the courtyard. Shen Wen'an glanced at Zhou Xuan and said, "The Ice God Palace is a major sect, and Miss Zhou is also a favored daughter of the Ice God Palace, holding a prestigious position within it."

"My Shen family can barely be considered a small Purple Mansion family now. In the entire Cangmin Seventy-Two Realms, such Purple Mansion forces are not as numerous as stars, but they are probably everywhere."

"Chongzhen is currently only at the late stage of the embryonic breathing stage. Although he has some talent, I'm afraid he won't catch the eye of your master."

Zhou Xuan kept her head down and didn't say anything.

This is also what she is most worried about.

In terms of both status and strength, the Shen family and Shen Chongzhen are far inferior to the Ice God Palace.

Although the Ice God Palace is not a Dao Source Secret Realm, it is a super sect that governs an entire small world. There are many Nascent Soul True Monarch Realm experts within the sect. As long as they do not risk attacking other Dao Source Secret Realms, few forces dare to provoke them easily.

The Shen family's foundation was too weak, and Shen Chongzhen's cultivation level hadn't even reached the Golden Core stage.

Given her pride, it would be quite difficult for her to accept such a young and inexperienced boy.

“I know that this matter cannot be forced, and Miss Zhou herself cannot make the decision.”

"However, parents should always lend a hand when their children need it."

“Shen could tell that Chongzhen had feelings for the girl, and the girl also had feelings for him.”

"Since we're so compatible, we should give it a try."

“Our Shen family has always prided itself on being polite. Now that Chongzhen is accompanying the young lady to pay respects to her master, we must not be impolite.”

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and he directly took out two jade slips.

Zhou Xuan was puzzled upon seeing this.

Shen Wen'an handed over the jade slips and said, "These two jade slips contain records of 'White Dew' and 'Frost' from the 'True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms'."

"Senior Luo once said that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle of True Seals is an unparalleled immortal technique, and it is the only thing that my Shen family can offer."

Upon hearing that the jade slip contained this very thing, Zhou Xuan looked somewhat surprised.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke:

"Does Uncle Shen know the value of this 'True Seal of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Cycle'?"

Shen Wen'an remained silent.

Zhou Xuan then explained the outside world's understanding of this skill.

"Therefore, each of these twenty-four Daoist jade carvings is as valuable as a rare and powerful object, like a complete Samadhi Fire."

"Moreover, because this is a cultivation technique, for a faction, it allows disciples to continuously cultivate the power of the seasons, thereby improving their own strength."

"The value of a cultivation technique is no less than that of the Mysterious Nether Ice Flame that Chongzhen helped me obtain some time ago."

After listening to her explanation, Shen Wen'an suddenly understood.

Over the years, the Shen family has acquired many Daoist inscriptions and jade carvings, but they have never understood the true purpose of these Daoist inscriptions and jade carvings.

They only thought that this technique was difficult to cultivate, never realizing that the problem lay in the incorrect method of cultivation.

After Zhou Xuan finished speaking, she pondered for a moment and looked at Shen Wen'an sincerely, saying, "Uncle Shen, if you regret it, I will pretend that I have never seen this thing."

"We will absolutely not reveal to anyone that the Shen family possesses Daoist jade carvings."

Meeting her gaze, Shen Wen'an shook his head: "It's even better that this item is so precious."

"Miss Zhou, take this with you later. After you see your master, do not let Chongzhen know about it. Give this to your master."

“If your master agrees to your relationship with Chongzhen, this item will be the betrothal gift of my Shen family.”

"If... you do not agree, this item will become the bargaining chip of my Shen family. The condition is that you ask your master to take Chongzhen as your disciple and protect him."

Zhou Xuan fell silent upon hearing this.

She didn't quite understand why the Shen family was so certain that protecting one person would shield a large number of their clansmen from disaster.

But even if it weren't for these two Daoist jade carvings, she would have no reason to refuse based solely on her relationship with Shen Chongzhen.

After carefully accepting the two jade slips and putting them into her storage bag, Zhou Xuan bowed slightly and said, "Uncle Shen, rest assured, Xuan'er will definitely protect him."

Shen Wen'an nodded with a smile and then escorted him to the courtyard gate.

When Shen Chongzhen saw the two of them come out, he hurriedly went to greet them and cupped his hands in greeting.

"father."

Shen Wen'an gently patted his shoulder and said, "Your grandfather asked me to tell you to be humble and tactful in your actions, and not to be stubborn or headstrong."

"Zhou Xuan is a good girl, you must listen to her in the future."

"Once you arrive at the Ice God Palace, cultivate diligently. Once the Shen family is completely stabilized, your father will find a way to contact you."

"Go."

Shen Chongzhen's eyes were slightly red, and she wanted to say something more, but Shen Wen'an said with a straight face, "Don't be so coy and pretentious, it's just girlish affectation."

"Not only have you lost the integrity of a swordsman, but you've also embarrassed yourself in front of the woman you admire."

"Go."

He waved his hand again and walked directly into the courtyard, simultaneously releasing a burst of spiritual energy to close the courtyard gate.

"father……"

Shen Chongzhen's voice came from outside the door, but Shen Wen'an stood quietly at the gate without responding.

After a long while, sensing that the two people outside the courtyard had left, he slowly turned around and watched two streaks of light fly away into the distance through the Renshui Yinling Formation.

Watching the two figures disappear into the stream of light, Shen Wen'an sighed with his hands behind his back, then flashed into the old house.

In the backyard of the old house, all the women and younger members of the family had moved to the Five Elements Secret Realm, leaving only Shen Wenxing and his son Shen Chongming, as well as Shen Li and Xu Zhan.

Shen Chongming was still in seclusion, while Shen Wenxing, Xu Zhan, and Shen Li were sitting in the pavilion in the backyard of the old house.

As soon as Shen Wen'an appeared, all three of them turned to look at him.

Upon seeing him, Shen Li and Xu Zhan stood up, cupped their hands in greeting, and called out, "Third Uncle."

Shen Wen'an nodded and cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Wenxing: "Big Brother."

Shen Wenxing nodded and pointed to a seat next to him: "Sit down."

After he sat down, Xu Zhan asked curiously, "Were those two streaks of light just now your real brother and Zhou Xuan from the Ice God Palace?"

Shen Wen'an nodded: "Father said that Chongzhen is the one destined for calamity, bearing the fate of many members of our Shen family."

"I've thought about it for a long time and I roughly understand that the Ice God Palace is better able to protect them than my Shen family."

At this point, he looked at Shen Wenxing with a hint of apology and said, "Brother, please forgive my selfishness."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing smiled faintly and said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Father transferred the calamities of so many clansmen onto us few. That kid Chongzhen's strength was only at the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage, yet he bore a burden that he shouldn't have had to bear."

"His presence will only distract us."

Shen Li echoed, "Brother Zhen has already made a great contribution to the family by protecting himself. Third Uncle, please don't think that way."

Shen Wen'an nodded, then changed the subject, asking, "Any news from Chongxu?"

Shen Yuan had previously instructed him to write to Shen Chongxu, telling him to withdraw immediately if anything happened in the southern border region.

Several months have passed, and there is still no news of Shen Chongxu, which inevitably makes him somewhat worried.

"Second Brother replied, saying that he was in seclusion before, but has just broken through."

"I plan to take a few people from the sect back to Yunshui City soon."

Shen Li spoke softly, "Li'er, Uncle, and Brother Xu Zhan were just discussing how to settle the demonic cultivators under Second Brother's command after he returns."

"Does Uncle San have any ideas?"

After listening, Shen Wen'an pondered for a moment and looked at the three of them.

"Are you worried that demonic cultivators will damage the Shen family's reputation?"

Shen Wenxing nodded.

"Although the various forces in the Seventy-Two Realms of Cangmin behave more like demonic cultivators than demonic cultivators in secret, at least on the surface they still maintain a righteous image, and no one openly supports demonic cultivators."

"After this collapse of the Dao, my Shen family will occupy the Five Elements Secret Realm and gradually integrate into the entire Cangmin Sea cultivation world."

"One must be careful to maintain one's reputation, otherwise it will be detrimental to future development."

The cultivation world is not lacking in cultivators and forces that claim to be "righteous". Once the news that the Shen family has demonic cultivators gets out, it will easily cause those "righteous" cultivators to use the pretext of attacking them to take over the Five Elements Secret Realm.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Wen'an said in a deep voice, "In the future, when my Shen family travels in the Cangmin Sea, there will inevitably be some matters that cannot be discussed in public and are inconvenient for us to handle personally."

“I think Chongxu and his demonic cultivators are suitable to be a hidden sword for the Shen family. We can’t just give up like this.”

"After Chongxu brings them all back, let them hide in the Five Elements Secret Realm first."

"When the time is right, we will find a chaotic little world and send them there. With the secret support of the Shen family, we can ensure that they grow up quickly."

Upon hearing this, all three fell into deep thought.

After a long time, Shen Wenxing finally made the decision.

"Then it's decided."

"Anyway, Chongxu is a son of the Shen family, and we must not give up on him."

"Since one demonic cultivator is like this, and a group of demonic cultivators are the same, why bother about the others?"

"Moreover, Chongxu has already said that the demonic cultivators under his command are now practicing the cultivation methods of ancient demons, which are different from the current demonic cultivators. As they grow up, they will be even stronger."

"Therefore, there is even less reason for us to abandon them."

Shen Li and Xu Zhan nodded in agreement.

After finalizing the matter, the four inevitably began discussing the current political situation.

"With the rapid extraction of the Dao source, the spiritual veins of heaven and earth in many parts of Yangnao Land are now showing signs of depletion."

"And the places where rare treasures and strange objects are hidden are even more obvious."

"For months, the battles fought by various parties for the rare treasure have shattered many of the surrounding mountains and rivers."

Xu Zhan spoke in a deep voice.

As a body cultivator, he was actually a warlike person.

However, due to the overall situation and the fact that things were really too chaotic outside, he could only linger around Yunshui City, paying attention to the major battles taking place around him.

Shen Wenxing picked up on his topic and sighed, "Yunshui City's situation is becoming increasingly precarious."

"Whether it's the dragon tamer's mansion in the mountains or the Laishui River in the south of the city, both have shown strange phenomena as the source of the Dao is rapidly drained away."

"The reason why those greedy guys haven't made a move on these two places yet is because Senior Luo entered and exited Yunshui City many times before he left, which was seen by the spies of these outside forces, and they are still wary of him."

"Now that Senior Luo has left, and with fewer and fewer good things in other parts of Yangnao Land, those unwilling forces will eventually be unable to suppress their greed and will make a move against the Dragon Tamer's Mansion and Laishui River."

"If Yunshui City continues to choose to remain aloof and not participate in the fighting at that time, the secret that there are no strong people guarding the city will be exposed in an instant."

"The calamity has not been averted, so the passage leading from the back mountain to the Five Elements Secret Realm cannot be closed."

"If they discover the Five Elements Secret Realm, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Shen Wenxing's words immediately made the expressions of the others turn serious.

After a long while, Shen Wen'an sighed inwardly and smiled, "If that time really comes, we will face the calamity and eliminate it."

"At least this way we can save some of our family members."

"With Xiu Yan and his group in the secret realm, and with the support of Qingluo Sword Pavilion and Luoxia Mountain, it's not impossible for my Shen family to make a comeback."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zhan chuckled and said, "Yes, this calamity has come to pass!"

"I want to see what's different about those outsiders compared to the cultivators of Yangnao Land."

Hearing their words, Shen Li pondered for a moment and said softly, "Third Uncle and Brother Xu Zhan, don't be so pessimistic."

"Don't forget that we also have Elder Xu."

“He has not yet repaid the debt of karma owed to my Shen family, and he will never stand by and watch us be killed by those cultivators from outside the realm.”

Upon hearing this, all three of them brightened up.

"Yes!"

"I almost forgot about that old guy!"

Shen Wenxing murmured.

After learning that Xu Xiu's inexplicable kindness towards the Shen family was actually due to past karma, Shen Wenxing also disliked this shrewd old man.

However, it must be acknowledged that if Xu Xiu can intervene at a crucial moment, it will undoubtedly be of great help to the Shen family.

At this moment, he vaguely understood why his father had transferred most of the clan's misfortunes onto them.

There must be some ulterior motive behind this, a plan to scheme against Xu Xiu.

Just as the group was making plans in the pavilion, a giant bird of prey quietly approached Hidden Dragon Mountain, hundreds of miles away from Yunshui City.

The bird was covered in black feathers that looked as if they were cast from iron, and on its broad back, which had a wingspan of thousands of feet, it carried an exquisite courtyard.

Tweet!
After the giant bird flew over Hidden Dragon Mountain, it let out a clear, low cry.

Three figures suddenly flew out from the courtyard on its back.

Among the three were two burly men, clad in full suits of armor that shimmered with light, wielding long-handled axes, and wearing exaggerated eagle-faced helmets that completely covered their faces, with only a pair of sharp eyes peeking out through the gaps in the helmets, their eyes gleaming with a chilling light.

The other cultivator, surrounded by the two, had a fierce and domineering aura. He wore a magnificent long robe embroidered with purple clouds, and a five-colored feather treasure robe was draped over his shoulders. A small white-furred beast was also crouching on the left shoulder of the treasure robe.

The small beast was only about a foot tall, resembling a squirrel, with two large ears bearing strange patterns, and five golden hairs shaped like copper coins lined up on its back.

"Your Highness, is this the place?"

The three stood on the clouds, looking down at the rolling green mountains below, and their eyes were also drawn to Yunshui City, which was shrouded in the Renshui Enveloping Spirit Formation in the distance.

The cultivator with the eagle-like gaze and wolf-like eyes did not answer, but his fair, jade-like finger pointed to the distant Cloudwater City. His voice was slightly soft and low as he said, "Almost all the creatures in this Yangnao Land have died out. What happened to that city?"

Upon hearing this, the eagle-faced cultivator on his left cupped his hands and replied in a deep voice, "Your Highness, that is a local force from the Yangnao Land."

"According to reports from the Crown Prince and several prodigies on the Prodigy Ranking, Nascent Soul True Monarchs used to come and go from that city, and it seems that Chu Ying's precious disciple from the Ice God Palace has also been living in that city."

"Oh?" The soft, feminine voice drew out the tone, and with a hint of amusement, it lifted the small beast off its shoulder, gently stroked it a few times, and said slowly, "No wonder so few people come here. I thought I had stumbled upon a great treasure."

"It seems like this is still a big problem."

Upon hearing his words, the cultivator on the left wearing an eagle mask sneered: "The Golden Palace Secret Realm is never afraid of trouble."

"Besides, we were just searching for treasure in these mountains and did not covet their city, so they probably wouldn't dare to say anything."

The cultivator with the eagle-like gaze and wolf-like eyes nodded slightly and smiled, "Indeed..."

"However, since there is a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and he is suspected of being related to the Ice God Palace, it is best not to provoke him rashly."

"I'm here to find treasures. If there's nothing worth fighting for, I don't want to waste my energy."

"Tian Ting, look around and see where all the treasures are hidden here?"

"What good stuff is it this time?"

He gently patted the little beast in his arms and took out a spirit crystal, then handed it to the little beast's mouth.

Click!

The little beast swallowed the spirit crystal in one gulp, chewed it up quickly, and then transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the mountains and forests below.

At the same time, the void above Yunshui City suddenly twisted, and then a figure squeezed out of the twisted void.

The person who came was none other than Qi Buyu, the True Lord of Transformation and Infant, who had previously presided over the blood sacrifice in Zhili Prefecture.

After his figure appeared in the void, Qi Buyu looked down at Yunshui City with a very gloomy expression.

"Old man, you owe me debts, and I'll have to pay them off for you!"

"Isn't that old fellow Luo Tianxing close to the Shen family? Why not have him come here to guard the place?"

Cursing inwardly, Qi Buyu flicked his finger, sending a burst of spiritual energy crashing into the Renshui Concealing Spirit Array.

Clearly, he still doesn't know that Luo Tianxing has already left Yangnao Land.

The sudden attack on the Renshui Yinling Grand Array immediately attracted the attention of Shen Wen'an and his companions in the city.

With a flash of light, Shen Wen'an and Shen Li arrived at the front of the great formation. They saw an unfamiliar old man. Shen Li bowed slightly and said, "Yunshui City does not accept any visitors. Please leave immediately."

Upon hearing this, Qi Buyu was taken aback, then sneered, "Do you think I wanted to?"

"I come from the Longevity Pavilion in the Southern Frontier, entrusted by someone to protect the safety of your Shen family."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li and Shen Wen'an exchanged a glance.

They had just discussed that True Monarch Xu Xiu of Daying probably wouldn't stand by and watch the Shen family members be killed by outside cultivators, and now a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Southern Frontier has come to their door—what a coincidence.

However, the two did not intend to let this person in.

The gateway to the Five Elements Secret Realm is still there. If this person enters the city, he can easily discover the secrets of the Five Elements Secret Realm with a simple sweep of his divine sense.

"So you're a senior from the Longevity Pavilion."

"Please forgive me, senior. My elders specifically instructed me before they went into seclusion that no one is allowed to enter the city without their permission, so..."

Shen Li spoke slowly.

She wasn't afraid of offending this person.

After all, just by looking at Qi Buyu's expression, it was clear that he was extremely unwilling to come and protect the Shen family, and they probably wouldn't have any interaction in the future.

With Xu Xiu's orders in place, he will not leave even if he is blocked outside the formation.

(End of this chapter)