I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

Chapter 97: The Domineering CEO Falls in Love with a Country Girl?

Rental housing.

A streak of purple-gold lightning sword light pierced the sky, causing the wind and clouds to change color. As it dissipated, its residual power seemed to penetrate the screen, making people's hearts tremble.

"With this one sword strike, the memorial archway stands firm."

Qingyuan's lips curled up in a smile.

Xu Sixing's sword strike not only beheaded Yuan Lian, the unfortunate elder of the Imperial Sword Sect, but also severed the decadent atmosphere that had plagued the Guanhua Sect for decades in the Immortal Deer Plain.

Before, when I had no family fortune, I had to act subservient to survive.

Nowadays, if you don't have a temper, you're disgracing your ancestors.

"The child is old enough to go out and bite people."

Qingyuan nodded in satisfaction.

In the Western Regions, in the Tonghuifang area, the sky was filled with blue light.

That's the color of our own power.

People, goods, and spirit stones flowed in like rivers flowing into the sea, continuously being "drawn" from the Yujian Sect's Shulufang.

A single cut to the major artery will give the old man Wen a lot of headaches.

The gaze shifts eastward.

The former lair where the cloud beasts slept soundly has now undergone a dramatic transformation.

Although Chai Wu was a rough fellow, he was meticulous in his work.

The rubble has been cleared away, the foundation of the formation is complete, and all that's left is to wait for the final main course to be served.

Looking at the circle of lightning-streaked [Wind and Thunder Apricot] forest, Qingyuan had a plan in mind.

"Using Lei Xinglin as the core of the formation, we will build a mountain exclusively for thunder magic sword cultivators."

As for the name...

"Let Xu Sixing decide for himself when he returns. After all, it's the place where he will settle down and make a living in the future. As the patriarch, I won't overstep my bounds."

Thinking of this, Qingyuan glanced at the list of sect cave dwellings.

This configuration finally shows the beginnings of a grand immortal sect.

Shu Yan has taken over the [Shuihua Cave] and is practicing mystical illusions.

Zhu Ming, now a high-ranking official, still prefers warmth and refuses to leave Danxia Peak's "Molten Pool."

Qin Ranqing was a diligent gardener, and the land reclamation in the north was in full swing.

【Guanlu Peak】is lush and verdant, resembling a small world in itself.

Xu Sixing returned home and had his own place to go.

Only...

Qingyuan's gaze lingered on a barren, rocky pile on the back mountain.

That was where Chai Wu usually "rested," and apart from the rubble all over the ground, not a blade of grass grew.

"That idiot..."

Qingyuan chuckled and shook his head.

Should Chai Wu be given a fiefdom?

That's unnecessary.

Based on his nature, he possesses the destiny of "Bearing the Mountain and Guarding the Pass" combined with the martial arts style of "Mount Sumeru King Temple".

The battlefield is our bed, and land reclamation is our bedding.

They'll go wherever there's a tough nut to crack.

Judging from his posture, he genuinely enjoys this kind of life where every punch lands hard and he occasionally borrows fire from demonic beasts to temper his body.

Even if they built a magnificent, golden cave dwelling, I'd probably find it uncomfortable and wouldn't sleep as soundly as sleeping on the floor of the underground fire chamber.

"Beep beep beep—"

A series of urgent notification sounds rang out.

Qingyuan focused his mind and sharpened his gaze.

problem occurs?

Quickly locate the source of the alarm—[Blackwater City].

After reading the pop-up message, I relaxed and leaned back in my chair.

"As long as it's not war, that's fine."

I thought the mad sect leader of the Imperial Sword Sect had come out of seclusion and was fighting desperately.

"Situ Mu?"

Qingyuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the names flashing in the text message.

The Ninth Prince of the Liao Dynasty.

This name carries significant weight.

On the large map, the vast territory in the center of the Immortal Deer Plain, belonging to the [Great Liao Dynasty], remains shrouded in darkness and mist.

For someone with OCD who insists on seeing the entire map when playing strategy games, this is a thorn in their side.

More importantly...

"Immortal Lord Yuanyou".

The image of a tragic immortal who fell from the sky and transformed into mountains and rivers floated into my mind.

Based on previous analysis of the Daoist tradition.

This fallen immortal lord cultivated the Earth Element [Netherworld] Great Dao.

Let's look at the Liao Dynasty.

Qingyuan pulled up the information he had collected about Situ Mu and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

The cultivation methods practiced by the Liao royal family were extremely orthodox, emphasizing the ability to sustain all things and suppress all directions; they belonged to the [Ji Earth] lineage.

Ji Earth, the soil of fields and gardens, gives birth to all things, and belongs to the first category of Yin Earth.

The [Netherworld] of Immortal Lord Yuanyou is the soil used for burying people, belonging to the second category of Yin soil.

Both are yin earth, one nourishes people, the other buries them.

Yet there is a subtle connection between the two, for the transformation of yin and yang, and the cycle of life and death, all reside in the earth.

The destiny of "Situ Mu, whose life is marked by mountains and rivers carrying grain"...

"A prince of a country wandering aimlessly in remote places—nobody would believe it if he said it was just for sightseeing."

Qingyuan chuckled self-deprecatingly and pointed to his temple: "Although I haven't reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I'm a terrible noob with terrible skills."

"When it comes to theoretical knowledge, I'm a man who's watched documentaries about groundbreaking achievements."

In his eyes, those so-called Purple Mansion True Persons were nothing more than slightly larger ants, still feeling their way across the river.

A perfect score in theory—that's the source of their confidence.

"Something fishy is going on... there must be something really fishy going on."

Excitement gleamed in Qingyuan's eyes.

By using Situ Mu as a lead, we might actually be able to uncover the map of the Liao Dynasty and find the hidden plan left behind by Immortal Lord Yuanyou.

"That old fox Zhu Ming has arrived. Let's see how he handles things."

"Hopefully, this prince of Liao will put in some effort and not be so easily defeated."

Heishui City, Yuelai Restaurant.

In the corner, an inconspicuous middle-aged merchant was slowly peeling fennel beans.

He wore a slightly worn gray cloth robe with frayed cuffs and a wisp of messy beard on his chin.

He was so ashamed that he wouldn't even recognize his own mother if she came to him.

This was Zhu Ming after his transformation.

At this time, Zhu Ming no longer possessed the imposing aura of a high-ranking official with red robes, golden seals, and divine radiance.

Given the special location and the presence of He Fengchao, the "Dry Water Man," above them, being too high-profile would be tantamount to courting death.

Although Langche and Zhuxuan have left, the old monster of the He family's divine sense is like radar, scanning the city all day long.

He didn't want to cause trouble, and he certainly didn't want to disrupt the adults' plans.

His pure incense and divine power was sealed within a purple-gold talisman in his sea of consciousness.

Without using his magic, in the eyes of others, he was just a slightly muscular mortal, or a rogue cultivator who had just begun his training.

Even if He Fengchao stood in front of him personally, without peeling away a layer of his divine skin, he would definitely not be able to see through his true nature.

"Crunch."

I popped a fennel bean into my mouth and chewed it with a crunchy sound.

Zhu Ming's eyes appeared cloudy and lifeless, but in reality, his peripheral vision was constantly fixed on the private room by the window on the second floor.

Sitting there is Prince Situ Mu of the Liao Dynasty.

For the past few days, Zhu Ming has been living like a shadow of Situ Mu.

The results of their observations were disappointing.

Too normal.

It's so normal it's almost abnormal.

This prince, aside from being a bit temperamental, arrogant, and a spendthrift...

He's basically a good-for-nothing.

In recent days, this gentleman's itinerary has been extremely simple:

He got up and scolded the maid for serving him bad tea.

At noon, we went to the best restaurant in the city and booked the whole place, but complained that the chef's skills were too rough.

In the afternoon, we strolled through brothels and flower parlors, commenting on which girls played the zither poorly and which danced without any artistic flair.

At night, I went back to the guesthouse to sleep, and while I was at it, I complained again about how hard the bed was.

Apart from that, no suspicious persons were seen, and no sensitive places were visited.

How strange...

Zhu Ming tossed another bean, his brow furrowing slightly: "What exactly is this kid up to?"

"You traveled all this way just to conduct a survey on negative reviews of the food and lodging industry in Blackwater City?"

Is this reasonable?

Just when Zhu Ming was completely baffled...

"when!!!"

A melodious, penetrating sound of a bronze bell resounded throughout Blackwater City.

The sound was not harsh, but rather carried a refreshing coolness that cleansed the soul, clearly indicating the use of a sophisticated sound transmission array.

The bustling restaurant lobby fell silent in an instant.

Everyone perked up their ears.

Immediately following, a clear, gentle yet authoritative female voice rang in everyone's ears: "The He family has a daughter who has just come of age, at the age of sixteen, with promising potential."

"Thanks to the venerable patriarch's favor, a martial arts competition will be held in the city three days from now to select a son-in-law!"

"Anyone under the age of forty who has the potential to establish a foundation in cultivation is welcome to try!"

"Regardless of background, wealth, or poverty, selection will be based solely on talent, virtue, and opportunity!"

"If you are able to get married, the He family is willing to offer a dowry of ten thousand gold coins and spirit stones, which are secrets of the clan, to cultivate the Great Dao together and enjoy immortality!"

boom!

"Did I hear that right? The He family patriarch's own granddaughter is seeking a husband?!"

"Good heavens! Which fairy maiden is publicly choosing a husband?"

"Not only are there beauties, but also secret spirit stones? This isn't choosing a son-in-law, it's clearly choosing an ancestor!"

A group of rogue cultivators had bloodshot eyes; even the legendary "son-in-law" couldn't have started this way.

If one can climb up to the He family's powerful lineage, one will have no worries about cultivation resources for the rest of one's life!

Something's not right.

An old hand at the next table took a sip of wine and savored the taste: "The He family is the number one family in Blackwater City, and Miss He is the apple of the patriarch's eye. If she is to marry, she should be married into the powerful Xiao or Li families."

"What's the point of this 'throwing the embroidered ball' trick?"

"What's the point?"

Another insider sneered, "Isn't it all because of that Wang family?"

Zhu Ming pricked up his ears, forgetting to eat the beans in his hand.

The man lowered his voice and said, "You are unaware of this, but the Wang family's Master Xuanji is gone!"

"With his death, the Wang family will be a huge, unguarded prize!"

"These past few days, the He family has been raking in profits, while the Wang family's businesses and mines have been largely swallowed up!"

"Even Huayaotang, which has been making waves recently, is said to have gotten a share of the profits, and it's rumored that the He family tacitly approved it."

"Eating so much, it needs to be digested eventually."

"The He family is short-handed, or rather..."

The man pointed to the sky: "Fearing that one side might become too powerful and displease those above, they intend to use marriage alliances to gather a group of talented but rootless cultivators, quickly converting those they've absorbed into their own fighting force!"

"This tactic is called 'spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones'!"

Zhu Ming nodded secretly.

It makes sense.

He subconsciously looked up at the second floor.

After all, Prince Situ should be interested in such a lively event, right?

All that could be seen was the window.

Situ Mu had an expression that said, "I'm the best in the world, and you're all trash."

He leaned out halfway and snapped his folding fan shut.

That look in his eyes.

Like a hungry wolf eyeing meat, or a lustful ghost seeing...

No, it's more like a feeling of excitement that's determined to win!

immediately.