Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 306 Six Years
Before the entrance to the Five Elements Secret Realm, Shen Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. His originally old and decaying body regained its uprightness at this moment, and his wide gray robe fluttered in the wind.

"father!"

Shen Wenxing and Shen Wen'an arrived and were about to bow in greeting.

Shen Yuan calmly said, "Let's go in first."

Xu Zhan and Shen Li, who arrived shortly afterward, also stopped in their tracks.

The two looked at Shen Yuan, then at Shen Wenxing and Shen Wen'an.

Roar!
The black dragon that followed closely behind them hovered in the void above their heads, glancing hesitantly at the entrance to the Five Elements Secret Realm.

Shen Yuan forced a smile, then turned to the four of them and said, "Go in, there's no need to worry."

The four of them looked up at the Nascent Soul True Monarchs who were attacking from the void, their faces filled with worry.

"go!"

Shen Wenxing, who had absolute trust in his father, knew that now was not the time for sentimental feelings.

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled Shen Li and Xu Zhan into the Five Elements Secret Realm in front of them.

"Father, please be careful!"

Shen Wen'an cupped his hands in greeting and then directly entered the entrance to the secret realm.

The black dragon above his head sized up Shen Yuan for a moment, then looked back at the many Nascent Soul True Monarchs who were charging towards him, and asked hesitantly, "Do you really have a way to stop them?"

Shen Yuan smiled faintly: "Senior, please rest assured."

Looking at the confidence on his face, the black dragon didn't say anything. With a flick of its tail in the air, it turned into a streak of black light and disappeared at the entrance of the Five Elements Secret Realm.

At the same time, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the void had already arrived.

However, after suffering several blows in succession, these cultivators from outside the realm saw that Shen Yuan, with his cultivation at the half-step Golden Core Realm, was guarding the entrance to the secret realm alone, and even when facing their group of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, he showed no fear on his face.

Everyone became suspicious.

"Gentlemen, shall we end this matter here?"

The Yangnao land no longer exists, and the Shen family has now escaped unscathed.

The Shen family is weak, and it is not advisable for them to make too many enemies when they travel in the cultivation world of the Cangmin Sea.

If the conflict with the various forces present can be temporarily resolved, it will greatly benefit the future development of the Shen family.

Before them, numerous Nascent Soul True Monarchs with terrifying auras and some Golden Core and Purple Mansion True Monarchs who had survived by sheer luck were all suspended in the void, their gazes fixed on the slightly thin figure below.

a long time--

A middle-aged man at the Purple Mansion Realm couldn't hold back any longer. A mocking smile flashed across his face as he coldly said, "A mere half-step Golden Core Realm ant, any one of us could kill you with a single breath!"

"Who gives you the right to speak to us?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a female cultivator at the Perfected Purple Mansion Realm with a harsh appearance immediately took over the conversation, saying, "It's not impossible to stop here."

"Hand over the precious blood and the black dragon from before, and we'll consider whether or not to let you go..."

"Yes! Hand over the precious blood!"

"And the secret realm behind you, my Xixiang Kingdom has its eye on it!"

In the previous battle between the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, these Golden Core and Purple Mansion Realm cultivators from outside the realm not only failed to get involved, but many were also killed on the spot by the terrifying aftershocks of the battle.

Now, those who were lucky enough to survive seem to have regained some confidence when facing Shen Yuan, a cultivator at the half-step Golden Core realm, and have begun to swagger around.

On the contrary, those Nascent Soul True Monarchs remained silent and chose to observe coldly from the sidelines.

These experienced and shrewd people were all very cautious. Having just experienced the suppression of the forbidden array, and knowing that the Shen family was related to True Monarch Daying, they were afraid that Shen Yuan might still have True Monarch Daying's backup plan.

Shen Yuan remained calm despite the crowd's aggressive words.

A moment later, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He sighed and shook his head, saying, "I knew it. There's no reasoning with greedy people like you."

"Forget it, there's no need to waste any more time."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the surrounding void all felt a chill in their hearts. Many of them even secretly mobilized their spiritual power, preparing to escape at any moment.

Under the tense gaze of everyone, Shen Yuan gently waved his hand, and streams of Great Evolution Power emerged from his body.

The profound power of the Great Evolution connects with the heavens, forming one golden talisman after another in the void before us!

This scene left those Nascent Soul True Monarchs who were relatively close by filled with doubt and uncertainty.

"What kind of secret technique is this?"

"This person seems to be a cultivator who is proficient in the power of the Great Evolution!"

"Be careful, everyone, don't fall for it again!"

"A mere half-step Golden Core cultivator can't possibly cause any big trouble!"

The group of Nascent Soul True Monarchs watched Shen Yuan perform his actions alone with wary eyes, and none of them intended to intervene.

At this moment, Shen Yuan was also very nervous.

The key to his success lies in whether these Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the arena dare to make a move.

Cultivators cherish their lives.

Especially these cultivators who had gone through tribulations and achieved the Nascent Soul True Monarch status, had just been ambushed by Xu Xiu and almost died in the forbidden formation.

Shen Yuan was betting that the forbidden formation had left a shadow in their minds, so they dared not make a move rashly at this moment.

His move has a similar feel to the empty city strategy that Zhuge Liang staged for Sima Yi in a previous historical event.

Fortunately, he won his gamble.

The Nascent Soul True Monarchs and numerous Golden Core and Purple Mansion Realm cultivators before him watched helplessly as he unleashed his secret technique.

In the void, seven celestial talismans formed by the power of the Great Evolution suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light!

The sudden change scared away several Nascent Soul True Monarchs, while the rest immediately erected protective spiritual energy shields or summoned protective magic treasures!

However, the anticipated attack did not occur.

After the golden light dissipated, all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs and other cultivators from outside the realm looked suspiciously at the entrance to the Five Elements Secret Realm below.

But both the portal to the secret realm and Shen Yuan, who had been guarding it, had vanished.

Everyone was slightly taken aback, but then a Nascent Soul True Monarch reacted.

"Have we been... played by those ants?"

Some people didn't believe in superstition, and their powerful divine sense immediately swept over the area where the entrance to the Five Elements Secret Realm was located.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch's divine sense is extremely powerful. At close range, with targeted probing, ordinary secret realms and small worlds cannot escape their divine sense.

Despite the fact that several Nascent Soul True Monarchs had searched every inch of the area below with their divine senses countless times, they still couldn't find any trace of the existence of the secret realm.

"Ran……"

"Was that ant just trying to scare us?"

"How dare he?!"

"I am so ashamed! I am so angry!"

"I should have slapped him to death just now!"

……

In the void, the faces of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs were either ashen or so frustrated that they beat their chests and stomped their feet, roaring angrily!
The younger generation at the Golden Core and Purple Mansion realms were all dumbfounded.

They had always assumed that Shen Yuan, who was blocking the crowd, must have some unpredictable trump card or trick to be so confident and composed.

Who would have thought…

Honestly, even these chosen ones, facing so many enemies, especially under the noses of nearly twenty Nascent Soul True Monarchs, would never have been able to remain completely unscathed.

And who are these Nascent Soul True Monarchs present?

Each of them has lived for hundreds or thousands of years, and some have even reincarnated several times to become the ruler of a realm.

If Shen Yuan had shown even the slightest fear, or even the slightest fluctuation in his state of mind, they would have noticed it.

But the final result was that not only did these juniors fail to notice anything unusual, but even the powerful figures at the Nascent Soul Realm were deceived.

If this gets out...

With this thought in mind, the younger generation all stole glances at the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in front of them, whose faces were grim.

"Fellow Daoists, please restrain your disciples. What happened today must not be spread."

"I can't afford to lose face like this!"

King Yue of Cangkong Mountain clenched his fist in anger, then cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd before leaving with his disciples without looking back.

The other Nascent Soul True Monarchs exchanged glances and then sighed inwardly, "Gentlemen, for the sake of our reputation, let us not mention today's events to anyone. I shall take my leave..."

The Yangnao Land has almost completely collapsed, and the precious blood that drove them crazy has now disappeared along with the Five Elements Secret Realm. There is nothing left to stay in this realm. The Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the void led their disciples and fled into the distance.

……

The spring rain drizzled for two days, and the warm rain nourished the parched earth.

On the vast plains, crisscrossing paths lead to small villages nestled among low, interwoven houses.

Smoke rising from the rooftops mingled with the misty rain and drifted towards the fields.

On the ridge of the field, two figures wearing straw hats squatted down and gently dug away the damp soil.

"Sir, the water level is seven inches above the surface; the rainfall should be sufficient!"

The young man patted the mud off his hands, then washed them in a small puddle nearby, exclaiming excitedly.

The middle-aged man beside him stood up with a smile on his face and looked into the distance at the misty fields.

“Zhou Qing, go and report to the Minister of Agriculture that the rainfall in Xijing Road is sufficient, and the immortals can stop the rain.”

"Eh!"

The young man, Zhou Qing, wiped the water off his hands with his cloth clothes and responded.

Braving the drizzle, the two walked along the ridges of the fields toward the distant village.

"I heard you sent Sanxi to the Imperial Crafts Academy?"

The middle-aged man, with his hands behind his back, casually asked, "Although the child doesn't have the aptitude for cultivating immortality, with your salary and wealth, sending him to a private school to study literature shouldn't be a problem. In the future, he might even be able to enter an immortal academy and become a literary cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing smiled awkwardly: "My lord should know that my wife comes from a branch of the Zhao family. Before the annual sacrifice, I had her take Sanxi back to Xijing Road."

"My father-in-law used his connections to ask someone to invite a literary cultivator from the Immortal Academy who had cultivated his literary talent."

"Oh?" the middle-aged man asked in confusion, "Then the Three Joys Test was conducted on literary cultivation?"

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "This brat seems to be intelligent since childhood, but he doesn't have the corresponding innate talent. The upper cultivator said he doesn't recommend that he pursue the path of literature."

"Now that the Nine Provinces are in dire need of reconstruction, the immortals value the talents of the Heavenly Craftsmen. The superior recommended that Sanxi go to the Heavenly Crafts Academy in the Dao."

With a sigh, Zhou Qing continued, "We mortals are fortunate to have been spared by the immortals and allowed to migrate here from the overturned Yangnao Land. Whether our children are talented or not, as long as they can make some contributions to the immortals, that is enough."

The middle-aged man nodded: "That's right."

"My grandson is six years old now, after the anniversary of his birth."

“The little fellow was born in the first year of the Nine Provinces. Since he was three years old, I have used my annual salary to exchange for precious medicines to strengthen his muscles and bones.”

"I hope that the brat can be selected by the Martial Academy after the annual ceremony, so as not to disappoint this old man's expectations."

Zhou Qing smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "My dear nephew is exceptionally talented, and with the precious medicine that laid his foundation from a young age, he will surely catch the eye of the Martial Academy's elders. You need not worry."

"Ha ha……"

The middle-aged man smiled and stroked his beard, looking at the village ahead, and said, "Let's go report to the authorities first, otherwise if this rain continues for another half day, the water level will be too high, and farming will be troublesome."

"Yes!" Zhou Qing bowed and then hurried into the village, mounted a fast horse, and rode off into the distance.

……

Yan Sheng Mountain.

The mountain range stretches endlessly, with towering, precipitous peaks.

The mountains are shrouded in mist and clouds, exuding a mystical aura. The verdant peaks appear and disappear in the mist, like a dream.

In the distance, a figure rode the wind and quickly descended towards the cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountain.

His figure landed in front of the courtyard, transforming into a handsome young man dressed in a magnificent blue robe.

"Greetings, Young Master Xiumu!"

Upon seeing the newcomer, the two sword-wielding cultivators at the courtyard gate quickly bowed and paid their respects.

Shen Xiumu nodded slightly and strode into the courtyard.

When he reached the two of them, he stopped and turned around to ask, "Is the patriarch inside?"

One of the two, a clan soldier guard, immediately bowed and replied, "The patriarch has just returned."

Shen Xiumu nodded and walked excitedly into the courtyard.

In the main hall of the clan temple, behind the magnificent hall, Shen Xiuyan, dressed in a moon-white robe, with a refined yet authoritative appearance, sat at his desk, flipping through the books in his hands.

When Shen Xiumu arrived at the main hall, he slowed his pace.

"Young Master Xiu Mu."

Two clan soldiers at the late stage of the Fetal Breathing realm stood respectfully at the entrance, bowing with their hands clasped.

Hearing the noise, Shen Xiuyan inside the hall slowly raised his head. Seeing Shen Xiumu walking in from outside the hall, a smile appeared on his face, and he got up to greet him.

"Master of the house."

Shen Xiumu bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Shen Xiuyan chuckled and said, "There are no outsiders here, Brother Mu, there's no need for such formalities."

"No, that won't do. We still need to observe proper etiquette," Shen Xiumu said with a smile, not at all reserved, and plopped down on the chair next to him.

Shen Xiuyan sat down beside him and personally poured him a cup of tea, asking, "Brother Mu, what did you find during your inspection of Yuzhou and Liangzhou?"

Shen Xiumu gulped down the tea in his cup and said, "The origin of the Nine Provinces World is fragile, its laws are incomplete, and the four seasons are still somewhat unstable."

"When I go to Yuzhou, spring has already arrived in the three provinces, which is the time for planting, but the land is unusually dry."

“Liangzhou is bitterly cold, and the living conditions of the people who migrated there are harsh and need to be improved.”

Shen Xiuyan frowned inwardly and wrote down everything he said.

"I have already ordered cultivators to go to Xijing, Dali and Jiuhe to bring rain to Yuzhou. I have also instructed the Director of Agriculture to pay attention to the water level. If there is enough water, the rain will stop. We cannot delay the spring planting."

"The situation in Liangzhou is difficult to handle."

"I went to investigate myself, but I'm afraid it will only improve after the origin of the Nine Provinces World gradually strengthens."

Shen Xiuyan nodded and said in a deep voice, "When I visited Aunt Shen Li last time, I asked her to communicate with Xiu Bai using the Prayer of Heaven technique."

"Most of the energy of the Nine Provinces World's origin has been transferred to the Central Province where Mount Yansheng is located, to supply the daily cultivation needs of my Shen family's cultivators."

"Back then, in order to prevent those cultivators from outside the realm from tracking us to the Nine Provinces World, my great-grandfather used the 'Mysterious Armor' to seal the Nine Provinces World for fifteen years."

"Six years have passed, and the Kyushu world is still unable to communicate with the outside world."

"During this period, the consumption of all the common people and cultivators in the Nine Provinces World can only be maintained by the energy generated by the origin of the world."

At this point, Shen Xiuyan couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile: "I only understand now what my uncle used to say to me when he was in charge of the family."

"Father?" Upon hearing Shen Xiuyan mention his father, Shen Xiumu's expression changed slightly.

The Shen family has been living in the Nine Provinces world for six years.

Before the collapse of the Yangnao Land, Shen Chongming broke through to the Purple Mansion realm and went to the Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm. Until the destruction of the entire Yangnao Land and the temporary sealing of the Nine Provinces World, Shen Chongming was unable to return.

If Shen Yuan hadn't sent word before falling into a deep sleep that Shen Chongming and Shen Chonghong, who had been missing, were still alive, Shen Xiuyan probably wouldn't have dared to mention it so easily in front of Shen Xiumu.

"What did your father say to you?"

Suppressing his worries, Shen Xiumu asked casually.

After the collapse of the Yangnao Land Tunnel, the Shen family migrated to the Nine Provinces World. In order to avoid excessive consumption of the fragile world's source, family members such as Shen Wen'an and Shen Li, as well as many sword immortals from the Qingluo Sword Pavilion, chose to go into seclusion.

After all, the spiritual energy absorbed and exhaled by a cultivator at the Golden Core or Purple Mansion realm during daily cultivation is extremely terrifying.

As for the Nascent Soul stage black dragon that eventually hid in the Nine Provinces World with Shen Wenxing and the others, it chose to sleep, waiting for the Nine Provinces World to open with minimal consumption.

After everyone chose to go into seclusion and slumber, all the affairs of the entire Kyushu world fell on the shoulders of these fourth-generation juniors.

The entire Nine Provinces world is in ruins, its origins are fragile, its laws are flawed, and its seasons are in disarray. The common people and cultivators of the various affiliated families are like helpless infants, needing their care.

As the current head of the Shen family, Shen Xiuyan is under a lot of pressure.

Shen Xiumu didn't want his father's affairs to affect him, so he broke the silence.

My uncle said, "You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household."

"The essence of this Nine Provinces world is now so limited. The common people need to consume it to survive. We can't just watch them starve to death, can we?"

"We also need the more than 100,000 cultivators under our rule. Otherwise, when the seal is lifted, how will they explore the outside world with such low cultivation levels?"

Shen Xiumu sighed heavily after hearing this, then changed the subject and said, "Speaking of the cultivators under my jurisdiction, I discovered something good during my inspection of Yuzhou this time."

“It seems that each of the affiliated families is focusing on cultivating the literary and moral character of the people under their rule.”

"In the countryside and remote villages, you can see children reciting poems and books everywhere."

“I concealed my identity and chatted casually with those country folk. I found that they were quite remarkable in their conversations, and it was a good sight to see a flourishing of literature.” Shen Xiuyan nodded and smiled, “The flourishing of literature is indeed a good thing.”

"In the past two years, I have been able to feel the literary energy of the Kyushu world growing rapidly. Although my family affairs are complicated, my strength has reached the third level of literary heart."

"After his seclusion this time, Father will probably break through to the fourth level of the Wenxin realm."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiumu asked in surprise, "Uncle Chongxuan is in seclusion?"

Shen Xiuyan nodded with a smile: "A month or so ago, he said he had some feelings about something and chose to go into seclusion."

The two brothers chatted for a while longer before Shen Xiumu got up and left.

In the third year of his reign in Kyushu, he married Lü Yueshan, a direct descendant of the Lü family, an affiliated clan. After their marriage, Lü Yueshan gave birth to twins for him, named Shen Yuanzhi and Shen Yuanzhao.

Now that I'm away from home to tour the two states, I haven't seen the two little ones for several months, and I miss them terribly.

After Shen Xiumu left, Shen Xiuyan returned to his desk, picked up a piece of white paper, and fell into deep thought.

His conversation with Shen Xiumu had given him an idea.

To be precise, this idea didn't just come to him today. Before the collapse of the Yangnao tunnel, he had wanted to discuss this matter with Shen Chongming several times.

At the time, it was felt that Shen Chongming was too biased towards the direct descendants of the Shen family when he was in charge of the household. In addition, the Shen family did not have to worry about resources at that time, so it was inappropriate to bring up this matter.

His current situation made him feel that it was time to launch this initiative.

This move may be too cruel for some members of the Shen family.

However, in the long run, being a little ruthless is worthwhile to avoid dragging the family down in the future.

Having made up his mind, Shen Xiuyan immediately picked up his pen and began to write furiously on the paper.

……

The vast sea, snow-covered cliffs.

Outside the massive world barrier, a flying boat hovered in the void.

"Ming-ge...you should stay."

Shen Chongzhen and Zhou Xuan stood side by side, looking at Shen Chongming, who was wearing a suit of blue scale armor and wrapped in a chain engraved with mysterious runes, and spoke with a pleading expression.

Meeting their gazes, Shen Chongming smiled slightly: "No need to worry. With this set of armor crafted by Senior Chu, and these anti-magic chains, and with my own methods, I'll be fine."

Shen Chongzhen was about to say something when Zhou Xuan spoke up, "Brother, you're worried about the family, so don't try to dissuade me."

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and she took out a token that exuded a chilling aura.

"This is a token of my Ice God Palace discipleship. Brother, you may carry it with you this time."

"In the seventy-two realms of Cangmin, the name of my Ice God Palace still has some use. If my brother encounters disciples of other forces while traveling, he can take out this token to facilitate his actions."

Shen Chongming glanced at the token, pondered for a moment, and then accepted it with both hands: "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Zhou Xuan nodded, and then took out a jade slip and several bottles of pills from his storage bag.

"The jade slip contains a map of the territory of the Return Cliff, which is located on the way from the Snowdrift Cliff to the Yangnao Land."

"The map marks the various Dao Source Secret Realms and Small Worlds that the Ice God Palace has explored, as well as forbidden areas and dangerous places in the sea. Brother, you must be careful on this trip and lest you accidentally enter some perilous places."

"These two bottles of pills are Mind-Clearing Pills, which can suppress the demonic energy in my brother's body. When my brother senses that his heart is filled with resentment and he can hardly suppress it, he swallows one."

"This is a Grade 4 Returning Origin Pill, which can quickly replenish the spiritual energy in the body."

"Xuan'er has prepared antidote pills, bone-healing pills, and other medicines. Brother, please keep them safe and take them whenever you need them."

Zhou Xuan shoved everything in her hands into Shen Chongming's hands, giving him careful instructions.

This girl appears aloof and gives off an unapproachable vibe, but in reality, she is meticulous and very kind-hearted.

During the years Shen Chongming spent in the Ice God Palace, she was always busy running around, using her contribution points to exchange for a large number of pills and treasures for Shen Chongming within the sect, hoping to help him remove the demonic energy from his body.

Finally, they spent a great deal of money to purchase a magic-suppressing chain from the Outer Market that could suppress demonic energy.

Shen Chongming looked at her gratefully and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. Once I find the Five Elements Secret Realm and meet Father and Grandfather, I will definitely have them come to discuss your marriage with Senior Chu as soon as possible."

Chu Xiangyu, the Grand Elder of the Ice God Palace, is a very stubborn person.

Although she had agreed to the marriage between Shen Chongzhen and Zhou Xuan, she insisted on waiting for someone from the Shen family to come and discuss it with her before deciding to officially make the two of them a couple.

Therefore, for six years, Shen Chongzhen and Zhou Xuan have been waiting.

"No rush, brother, please be extra careful on your journey."

"Most cultivators who travel in the outer seas year-round are cunning and treacherous. Brother, you must be careful and not trust them too easily."

Shen Chongming nodded again, cupped his hands, and looked at Shen Chongzhen: "Take your sister-in-law back first, I'm leaving now."

Shen Chongzhen and Zhou Xuan disembarked from the flying boat and watched as the flying boat carrying Shen Chongming transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the vast sea.

……

"The area covered by this sea cliff is actually so large!"

"The Ice God Palace is located at the northernmost point of the Snowdrift Cliffs. According to the map, it is a distance of 800,000 li from the Return Cliffs where the Sun Lake is located!"

"At such a distance, even if a Qi Refining cultivator were to travel by wind, aside from the dangers along the way, it would probably be impossible to reach the destination even if they spent their entire life..."

On the rapidly flying airship, Shen Chongming used his divine sense to explore the sea map given to him by Zhou Xuan. He was astonished to find that the distance to the sea cliff on the way back was unimaginably far.

It should be noted that the Yangnao region, including the southern border and Danzhou, spans only about 20,000 li.

According to the map, it is 800,000 li from the location of the Ice God Palace to the Returning Sea Cliff, and this 800,000 li is only the boundary to enter the Returning Sea Cliff.

It is still more than 100,000 miles from the border to the sea area where the original Yangnao land was located.

All told, he would have to fly at least a million miles across the sea to get back to Yangnao.

Even with the aid of a flying artifact, traveling a million miles consumes a massive amount of spirit crystals.

Thinking of this, Shen Chongming couldn't help but smile bitterly.

No wonder Zhou Xuan gave him tens of thousands of spirit crystals earlier and told him to use them sparingly...

"It seems that it is not an easy task for cultivators in some small worlds or Dao Source Secret Realms to come out and search for treasures."

After some deliberation, Shen Chongming vaguely realized that ten thousand spirit crystals might not be enough to sustain him in his journey back to Yangnao Land.

We must find a way to obtain some resources along the way.

Fortunately, his current cultivation level is at the Purple Mansion Realm. Although his strength has been suppressed to a great extent due to the demonic possession he suffered back then, with his strength, it shouldn't be a big problem for him to exchange some things for spirit crystals.

Once again, Shen Chongming probed the jade slip with his divine sense, paying particular attention to which forces and markets he would pass through on his way back to the Returning Cliff.

Once the locations of these forces and markets are determined, the best places to hunt sea monsters and search for rare and precious materials along the way can be calculated.

Having made a preliminary plan in mind, he immediately changed the direction of the flying boat and flew towards the left front.

The Ice Palace has a great influence in the Snowy Cliffs.

According to the map, in the vast sea less than 20,000 miles ahead, there is an island called Jinchuan Island.

The entire island is a market town secretly protected by the Ice God Palace and several surrounding forces, and the market town is controlled by a Purple Mansion family.

Shen Chongming planned to hunt some sea monsters outside Jinchuan Island, and exchange the materials and demon cores from the monsters for some spirit crystals on the island. He also wanted to see if he could find some useful items for his family.

During his years at the Ice God Palace, he witnessed firsthand the extent to which these major sects outside the Yangnao Lands had achieved in their understanding of cultivation and their accomplishments in various arts of immortality.

Compared to them, the land of Yangnao was like a group of uncivilized savages who had only just begun to grasp the methods of cultivation.

Not to mention that his application of the various arts of cultivation is only at the most superficial level, even his control over his own strength is quite different from others.

Shen Chongzhen was considered to be of superior talent within the Shen family. Furthermore, he had always followed the path of "cultivating both martial arts and the Dao," making his swordsmanship skills among the best of his level in Yangnao Land.

However, upon arriving at the Ice God Palace, when the geniuses there learned that he was actually Zhou Xuan's chosen Daoist partner, they all expressed their dissatisfaction and launched challenges against Shen Chongzhen, both openly and secretly.

At first, Shen Chongzhen didn't get any advantage from them.

It was only after Chu Xiangyu's careful guidance that he gradually regained some face.

From this incident, Shen Chongming also realized the gap between the Shen family's cultivation system and those of the cultivators outside the realm.

The flying boat streaked across the sky and came to a stop above a certain sea area.

Shen Chongming stood atop the flying boat, carefully spreading his divine sense to search for his target.

The vast sea is teeming with monsters.

However, some demonic beasts at the Qi Refining and Fetal Breathing stages were clearly not of interest to him.

The materials and demon cores from these low-level demonic beasts are not very valuable, so hunting them is simply a waste of time.

His ideal prey is a demon beast at the Golden Core stage.

After scanning the area with his divine sense and finding nothing, Shen Chongming moved on to another sea area.

After searching for a while, nothing was found.

"Strange, weren't they saying that there were many sea monsters and that Golden Core demons were everywhere?"

Shen Chongming looked around, somewhat puzzled.

He had changed locations several times, but found that within a thousand miles of the surrounding sea, there were hardly any Golden Core demon beasts, let alone any Nascent Soul demon beasts. Only some ignorant Qi Refining demon beasts emerged from the sea and launched an attack after sensing his presence.

"Senior brother, what is that person doing, standing there dumbfounded on the sea?"

Just as Shen Chongming was puzzled, a colorful auspicious cloud suddenly floated down from the sky above his head.

The shadowy figures on the auspicious cloud-shaped flying artifact seemed to represent quite a few people.

One of the girls, about seven or eight years old, tilted her head and looked at Shen Chongming standing on the sea, asking a slightly older boy next to her a question.

The young man glanced at Shen Chongming and sneered arrogantly, "I'm probably just a poor rogue cultivator who dreams of hunting sea monsters to exchange for a few spirit crystals for cultivation."

The little girl was somewhat surprised after hearing this: "Is he stupid?"

"The sea area surrounding Jinchuan Island is frequented by cultivators; what kind of demonic beast would dare to linger here?"

The boy's sneer deepened: "So, people who aren't very bright aren't suited for cultivation..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man on the colorful auspicious cloud noticed Shen Chongming on the sea and immediately slapped the boy on the back of the head!

"You little brat, that's a Grand Master of the Purple Mansion realm, not much weaker than your old man. You better not cause any more trouble!"

The boy, having been slapped, pouted and muttered resentfully:

"I'm not wrong..."

"That person must have had some incredible luck, just got lucky..."

Before the boy could finish speaking, he felt a sharp gaze fixed on him and immediately shut his mouth.

After the middle-aged man riding the auspicious cloud artifact stopped the boy, he also noticed that Shen Chongming was looking at them.

Fearing that the other party might be angered by overhearing his son and disciple's conversation, the middle-aged man immediately manipulated auspicious clouds to move closer, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist, please forgive us; my son and unworthy disciple spoke without restraint..."

Shen Chongming was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hand: "It's alright."

To be honest, he hadn't really heard what the two little ones were saying, but he noticed their eyes looking at him frequently and realized that they must be talking about him.

Now that the middle-aged man has said this, it seems the two little ones didn't say anything nice either.

However, he wouldn't hold it against them.

The middle-aged man on the auspicious cloud noticed that Shen Chongming seemed very kind, so he became more talkative.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, what brings you here...?"

The middle-aged man didn't think Shen Chongming was really stupid enough to plan to hunt sea monsters here.

It's impossible for someone as prestigious as the Purple Palace to be unaware of such basic common sense.

He felt that Shen Chongming was probably waiting for someone.

At this moment, Shen Chongming was wondering why there were no monsters in this sea area. When the middle-aged man spoke to him, he humbly asked about his doubts.

The middle-aged man was stunned when he heard his question.

The boy beside him muttered again, "See, I told you so!"

The middle-aged man glared at him, then smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you probably haven't been to this sea area before."

"Ten thousand miles ahead from here lies a sea town called Jinchuan Island."

"Jinchuan Island is a well-known market town in the surrounding area, and cultivators from all sides often come and go, including many seniors in the Purple Mansion or even Nascent Soul realms."

"Therefore, few monsters in the surrounding seas dare to linger here."

"Furthermore, the Purple Mansion retainers of the Lu family of Jinchuan Island often patrol the surrounding waters to hunt down those blind monsters."

Shen Chongming suddenly realized!
It was I who got attached to appearances!

Having grown accustomed to living on land, I've completely forgotten such a simple reason.

Where are the beasts on this bustling path?
"Thank you, fellow Taoist, for clarifying my doubts."

Shen Chongming cupped his hands in greeting to the middle-aged man on the auspicious cloud, then transformed into a bolt of lightning and flew towards the sea far from Jinchuan Island.

"He's actually a lightning cultivator!"

Sensing the lightning attribute aura emanating from Shen Chongming, a hint of envy flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes.

At the same cultivation level, cultivators with mutated spiritual roots are generally stronger than those with ordinary spiritual roots.

Among the Nascent Soul Perfection experts who made it onto the Cangmin Heavenly Ranking, aside from those with special physiques and mutated spiritual roots, cultivators with ordinary spiritual roots were extremely rare.

Watching Shen Chongming's figure disappear, the middle-aged cultivator once again gave the defiant-looking boy next to him a flick on the forehead.

"You little brat, watch your mouth from now on!"

The boy grimaced and covered his head, not daring to say anything.

After Shen Chongming flew thousands of miles away on his escape light, he indeed discovered that the aura of sea monsters had increased in this area.

After searching for a while, it finally found a prey it liked.

Within the range of divine sense, there was a fish-like demon in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm in the seawater beneath him.

After a moment's thought, Shen Chongming immediately concealed his aura as a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, disguising himself as a cultivator around the mid-Golden Core stage, and flew forward at a leisurely pace close to the sea surface.

The fish-like demon beast at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm beneath the water dared to dwell so close to Jinchuan Island, clearly indicating that it was a daring and ferocious creature.

Sensing Shen Chongming's presence, the demonic beast immediately gave chase!
Its massive body swam rapidly in the seawater, its demonic energy surging within it. After locking onto the prey's trajectory with its special fish-like eyesight, it suddenly sprayed dozens of water arrows at Shen Chongming on the surface of the water!

Little did it know that its every move was being perceived by Shen Chongming.

After feigning a flustered dodge of the water arrows, Shen Chongming suddenly raised his body.

How could the fish-like monster in the water easily let go of its prey that was already in its mouth?

Its massive body shot out of the water like an arrow, using the waves to propel itself out of the water and open its huge mouth towards Shen Chongming!

A tremendous suction force came!

Shen Chongming's upward-moving body suddenly stopped!
"What terrifying suction!"

"If I were truly only at the Golden Core stage, I would surely perish as a fish's belly this time..."

In the instant he made this decision, he immediately released the suppression of his cultivation level.

The moment the aura of the Purple Mansion Realm appeared, the pupils of the fish demon in the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm behind him suddenly shrank!
"be cheated!"

"A dignified two-legged beast at the Purple Mansion Realm actually concealed its cultivation to lure a mere Golden Core mid-stage demon beast like me! How shameless!"

The fish demon, in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, was cursing inwardly when he suddenly sensed a violent force piercing through his hard skull, and his consciousness plunged into endless darkness.

After casually firing a lightning arrow that killed the fish demon, Shen Chongming began harvesting the materials and demon cores from its body.

To his surprise, just as he finished collecting the materials and demon core from the fish demon, the bloody aura emanating from the remaining flesh and blood of the fish demon once again attracted the attention of the three Golden Core demon beasts.

"Is there such a good thing?"

Sensing the rapid approach of the three Golden Core stage sea monsters, Shen Chongming stood quietly in the void, waiting.

In just a moment, several bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, and he found himself with materials and inner cores for three more Golden Core demon beasts.

He continued searching the area for two more days, and when he felt it was about time, he set off towards Jinchuan Island.

After flying for half a day on the escape light, a huge island appeared in the vast sea.

Shen Chongming withdrew his escape light and descended. Just as he was about to join the other cultivators entering the island and walk towards it, he saw a handsome cultivator dressed in a white robe with his hair tied up in a bun coming towards him.

The cultivator approached, first scrutinizing Shen Chongming, then frowning and bowing: "May I ask which peak and hall of my Ice God Palace you come from, senior brother?"

"Lin Xiao is blind and cannot discern the cultivation technique that his senior brother is practicing."

Shen Chongming was taken aback, then immediately thought of the token Zhou Xuan had given him.

It's likely that the Ice God Palace disciple named Lin Xiao in front of them sensed their presence through the token.

However, he did not want to reveal his identity.

He claimed to be a disciple of Elder Chu Xiangyu, a steward, who had been ordered to come to Jinchuan Island to purchase some materials for refining weapons.

Lin Xiao had been hoping to get closer to him, but Shen Chongming declined, saying he was pressed for time with his mission and didn't talk to him much.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao did not continue to pester him. He led him into the city as a disciple of the Ice God Palace and then left.

Shen Chongming wandered around the market alone for half a day, and his heart was filled with great shock!

He hadn't expected that, apart from the most basic rare and precious materials, magical artifacts and robes, and elixirs, some shops in the market would openly sell human cultivators!

These human cultivators were either young men and women of exceptional beauty or possessed special spiritual roots or physiques. All of them had their magical powers sealed and were imprisoned in specially made cages for visiting guests to choose from.

(End of this chapter)