Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 36 Yan Qing's Growth
The next day, as dawn broke...

[Daily Divination, Today's Hexagram: Minor Misfortune, Water in the Kan trigram indicates being trapped, and ancestral legacy is hidden. It is advisable to rectify one's mind and cleanse oneself of falsehoods, and to face adversity with righteous courage. Overall fortune is excellent; avoid entanglement and greed.]

“‘Kan’ represents water, signifying danger and entrapment; this ‘legacy’… what ruins or sect does it point to? Why does the hexagram issue such a warning?” Meng Xihong stared intently at the hexagram that appeared in his mind, his gaze deep and serious. “‘Righteous in the face of the enemy’… it seems a tough battle is inevitable, and the opponent is no benevolent being. This danger is no exaggeration.”

However, my luck is excellent. It seems the advantage is still mine.

His eyes flashed, and he made a decision. "This time, we need to bring more men to ensure everything goes smoothly." He immediately personally selected his two most trusted and valiant generals, Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua. Upon hearing the commotion, his eldest son, Meng Yanqing, was filled with youthful passion and rushed over, insisting on going along for the training.

Meng Xihong looked up and carefully examined his son.

After just a few months of honing his skills in the mountains, Meng Yanqing's figure seemed to have become even more upright, his skin had taken on a healthy bronze hue, his blood and energy were surging and vigorous, and his muscles and bones resonated with every move he made, revealing a strength far exceeding that of his peers. The carefree childishness between his brows had been replaced by composure and sharpness.

Meng Xihong pondered for a moment. A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings; if it is always sheltered under its wings, it will hardly amount to anything.

“Alright,” he said in a deep voice, “Yan Qing, today you will serve as the scout. Use the ‘Listening to the Wind’ technique I taught you to focus on detecting every subtle movement within ten feet, without the slightest slackening.”

"Yes, Father!" Meng Yanqing's eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded heavily. He took a deep breath, deliberately calming his boiling blood, and listened intently.

In an instant, the world around me became incredibly clear.

The rustling of the wind through leaves of different shapes, the gurgling of the stream crashing against the pebbles in the distance, and even the rustling of insects crawling under the soil, all entered his ears in distinct layers.

This "Listening to the Wind" technique is a unique detection method specially created by Meng Xihong, combining his outstanding martial arts foundation and experience in numerous mountain battles, with the extraordinary comprehension brought by his literary talent. It emphasizes details and focus, which can greatly enhance Meng Yanqing's combat power and survivability.

Meng Xihong couldn't help but sigh, realizing that apart from the "Thick Earth Technique" he had seized from Lin Fei, most of his other techniques were actually self-created.

Although it suited him perfectly, if he wanted to truly establish his own school, simply working in isolation was far from enough. The lack of systematic inheritance and diverse cultivation methods would ultimately be a hidden danger. "After this matter is over, I must find a way to expand my sources of income, accumulate resources, and go to the major city of Qingzhou to exchange for some orthodox cultivation manuals," he thought to himself.

"Beichuan, Xianghua, you two protect the flanks and remain vigilant. Our target this time is the depths of the Lost Valley. We will explore upwards from where we found the broken stone steps last time. This place is eerie, so we must be on high alert."

"Yes, Master!" Ji and Zhang clasped their hands in response, subtly shifting their positions to protect Meng Yanqing in the middle.

Like a shadow blending into the mountains and forests, the team once again stepped into Laoxian Mountain.

Knowing the path well, Meng Xihong avoided the narrow trails trodden by hunters. The spiritual energy of his [Immortal Bone] circulated in his sea of ​​consciousness, capturing any abnormal ripples of spiritual energy or any hidden ferocity.

The closer we got to the Lost Valley, the more humid and chilly the air became. The sound of the water at the bottom of the valley seemed louder than the last time we came. The steep mountain walls on both sides almost blocked out the sunlight, with only dappled light filtering through the gaps in the dense canopy of trees.

Ancient vines coiled and hung down like giant pythons, covered with thick, slippery moss, exuding a decaying and damp smell.

"Stop!" Meng Yanqing suddenly shouted, kneeling on one knee and pressing one hand on the slippery rock, straining his ears. "Fifteen feet ahead, there's a slight movement behind the left rock wall, like... claws scraping against the stone?"

With a flick of his wrist, Ji Beichuan silently brought the long, narrow water-splitting dagger to a horizontal position in front of him, its tip trembling slightly, locking its position, his aura solidifying. Beside him, Zhang Xianghua simultaneously pressed his finger to his sword, his gaze sharp as lightning.

Meng Xihong nodded slightly, offering silent approval. His immortal senses also detected a faint, yet blood-tinged, demonic aura lurking behind the rock wall. He didn't reveal it, only gesturing with his eyes.

The boy took a deep breath, crouched low, and crept forward, each step landing silently on the thick, soft humus or the edge of a solid rock. He soon spotted a narrow crevice in the rock wall, where eerie green eyes gleamed in the shadows—a massive, fanged "Cracktooth Mandrill." It seemed to sense the approaching threat, letting out a menacing growl.

"I'll do it!" Meng Yanqing shouted, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, advancing instead of retreating.

He stomped his feet hard on the ground, and his whole body shot out like an arrow. The sound of his bones creaking and his blood surging was clearly audible.

"Roar!" Enraged, the Rifttooth Mountain Demon lunged out of the gap with its massive body, bringing with it a foul stench, and its sharp claws gleamed coldly as it went straight for Meng Yanqing's heart!
Just as the claws were about to strike, Meng Yanqing twisted his body strangely, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. At the same time, he exhaled and fired a punch like a cannonball, slamming it hard into the mountain demon's thick arm with a piercing whistling sound.

With a muffled thud, the sound of bone cracking was clearly audible!

The mandrill howled in pain, its ferocity intensifying. It swept its other claw at an even faster speed. Meng Yanqing had exhausted her old strength and had not yet generated new strength. It looked as if she was about to be hit by the giant claw.

At the critical moment, Meng Xihong did not make a move. He simply moved his mind slightly, and the "Seed of Righteous Qi" in his sea of ​​consciousness, nurtured by the principles of literature and the righteousness in his heart, suddenly lit up.

An invisible yet majestic aura instantly spread out, and although it only targeted the mountain demon for a moment, it was like the blazing sun piercing through the gloom.

The ferocious and savage mountain demon suddenly paused, a rare glint of instinctive fear and bewilderment flashing across its eerie green eyes, as if it were awed by some kind of majesty emanating from the depths of its bloodline. Its sweeping claws involuntarily slowed by a fraction.

Life and death in an instant!

Meng Yanqing's new power suddenly erupted, and with a low roar, he slid in along the sluggish claws, his right hand shooting out like lightning, his five fingers like hooks, precisely gripping the mountain demon's exposed throat.

"Crack!"

The monster's enormous body crashed to the ground, twitched twice, and then fell silent.

Meng Yanqing gasped for breath, looking at her own palm and then at the dead monster. Her eyes held both the lingering fear of the battle and an unprecedented gleam.

Just now, his father's aura... and his own lightning-fast burst of energy at the end... He felt that a certain solid barrier within his body seemed to have been severely shaken by the life-or-death struggle and the lingering aftershocks of that mighty aura!

"Well done." Meng Xihong's voice came calmly, with a hint of barely perceptible approval. "Life-or-death battles are the fastest way to improve one's martial arts."

He stepped forward, his fingertips pulsating with spiritual energy, and skillfully dissected the mountain demon's head, taking out a turbid crystal about the size of a finger joint, with faint traces of blood—a low-level demon core.

"Keep it safe, Yan Qing. This stuff has a lot of mixed demonic energy; absorbing it randomly will cause problems. But it's a good material for refining weapons and setting up formations. You can also exchange it for money or treasures." Zhang Xianghua said with a smile, and Ji Beichuan also showed an approving look.

Meng Yanqing carefully accepted the still-warm demon core and kept it close to her body.

The group of four continued deeper into the "Mysterious Ravine." As they ventured further, the surrounding scenery changed abruptly. Thick, milky white mist surged in from all directions, damp, cold, and sticky, not only compressing their vision to just a few feet around them, but also containing an invisible and intangible, yet bewitching power that penetrated directly into their consciousness.

Their sense of direction was completely distorted, and their hearts were inexplicably restless and pounding. If it weren't for Meng Xihong's [Immortal Bones], which naturally anchored the flow of spiritual energy, and his spiritual power far exceeding that of others of the same level, the four of them would probably have already become headless wandering souls in this sea of ​​mist.

Following my memories and senses, I trudged through the almost suffocating fog for nearly three hours before finally reaching the end of the valley.

(End of this chapter)