Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Li Mutian said in a deep voice, "Please speak, Your Excellency."

"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult."

Xiao Chulan leaned forward slightly, tapping her red jade fan lightly in her palm.

"I've heard that you two ventured a thousand miles to the northwest to investigate an ancient ruin known as the 'Defiled Sanctuary'? And even encountered the 'Gatekeeper Priest' there?"

They really came for the Sanctuary! Li Mutian's heart sank.

Xiao Chulan continued:

"I've always been quite interested in ancient ruins and lost secret realms."

"The main reason for coming to this 'C-749' is that I heard that there may be remnants related to the ancient 'demonic disaster' here."

"Therefore, I would like to ask you two fellow Daoists to act as guides and take me to see the outer perimeter of that sanctuary."

"We'll only stay on the periphery, never venture deeper, and certainly won't force you two to take any risks. How does that sound?"

Silence returned to the room.

Li Daoyun stood with his hands at his sides, his eyes fixed on his nose and his mind, as if he didn't exist.

Li Xiaoyao's mind raced, and he broke the silence with a hearty laugh:

"So, you're an adventure enthusiast, Butler! That place is indeed eerie. But since you're interested, let's explore the outer areas and broaden our horizons!"

He reiterated the term "periphery".

Li Mutian also chimed in:

"Since you, Deacon, are in such a good mood, I, Li, will gladly oblige. However, that sanctuary is strange, so I hope you will be extra careful."

"Rest assured, fellow Daoists, I know what I'm doing."

Xiao Chulan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Li Daoyun.

"Daoyun, you stay here and assist young friend Li Changhu with the subsequent handover of documents. I will accompany the two fellow Daoists Li to the Sanctuary alone."

Li Daoyun, without any objection, bowed and replied:

"Yes, Steward."

Xiao Chulan then said to Li Mutian and the other person:

"Let's not delay. Let's set off tomorrow morning, just the three of us, traveling light, how about that?"

"it is good."

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Li Mutian, Li Xiaoyao, and Xiao Chulan quietly left Houtu Jinya, riding their escape lights straight towards the northwest sanctuary.

They traveled in silence. Xiao Chulan was clearly well-prepared, even more familiar with the route than Li Xiaoyao and the others.

Clearly, the previous claims of "traveling and exploring" were not unfounded.

Returning to that scorched wasteland, seeing the outline of ruins shrouded in a faint blood-red mist in the distance, Li Mutian and his companion still felt a chill run down their spines.

Xiao Chulan, however, remained calm, and even his eyes sparkled with the light of someone who had seen something they desired.

The red jade fan in his hand had been unfolded at some point, and as he gently fanned it, the crimson light flowing across the fan surface seemed to subtly resonate with some kind of malevolent energy in the surrounding environment.

"What a desolate place, what a... prison."

Xiao Chulan murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind.

The three carefully landed on the outskirts of the sanctuary, several miles from the dark stone gate. Suppressed whispers filled the air.

"That's it."

Li Xiaoyao pointed ahead and briefly recounted his experience of triggering the restriction and encountering the gatekeeper priest.

Xiao Chulan stared intently, his divine sense expanding invisibly as he carefully investigated.

After a moment, he nodded:

"As expected, there are traces of a variant of the 'Nine Nether Blood Curtain,' which, combined with the unique baleful energy of this place, makes its power even more eerie."

"Those three gatekeeper priests... still retain a trace of their aura, chilling, intense, and deathly still..."

"Heh, interesting. They actually followed the paths of 'Female Water Cold Fiend,' 'Male Fire Fiend,' and 'Dui Metal Killing Fiend,' and their cultivation level is not weak, at least at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

He was able to make such an accurate judgment from such a distance, based solely on the residual scent!

Li Mutian and his companion were secretly shocked; the foundation of the Zifu family was indeed unfathomable.

"Steward Xiao is indeed very knowledgeable."

Li Xiaoyao sighed:

"In your opinion, what exactly is this sanctuary...?"

Xiao Chulan did not answer directly, but instead took a few steps forward.

The red jade fan lightly touched a few inconspicuous charred lines on the ground:

"Look at these remaining traces of the array foundation; they lead to a grand scale, connecting with the earth's veins, reversing the five elements, and refining spiritual energy into malevolent energy..."

"This is not a simple source of pollution, but more like the core of a super-large-scale 'Demon-Sealing and Evil-Refining' ancient formation."

"That gatekeeper priest is probably not some ancestral spirit guardian, but rather... a 'prison guard' of this great formation."

"Or rather, the 'key' to preventing the great array from completely collapsing."

His deductions are strikingly consistent with, and even more specific than, Li Tongya's research findings!

Li Mutian couldn't help but ask:

"Sir, in your opinion, what is sealed within this great formation...? The source of the ancient demonic calamity?"

Xiao Chulan remained silent for a moment, then shook his head:

"It's difficult to make a judgment based solely on the surrounding traces. But something that would allow previous cultivators to set up such a large-scale array to seal it off is definitely not an ordinary object."

"It could be the remains of some powerful extraterrestrial demon, or it could be some strange entity that pollutes the very origin of the world."

"It could even be... the remnant of a horrific ritual that failed in an attempt to reverse something."

His tone was calm, yet it sent chills down the spines of his listeners.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

The silent, dark stone door creaked open and slowly opened a crack inward!

Thick, bloody energy surged forth, and three figures—one in a dark red cloak, the other in indigo, the third in crimson, and the fourth in a pale white mask—quietly emerged from the shadows behind the door.

Six pairs of cold eyes (through the eye holes of the masks) were cast at the four people in the distance.

The priest in the indigo mask, who was at the head of the group, lingered his gaze on Xiao Chulan the longest. The look in his eyes behind the mask was one of unprecedented solemnity and vigilance.

Xiao Chulan's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he took half a step forward, his red jade fan snapping shut with a "whoosh," and casually tapped his palm as he laughed loudly:

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need to be nervous."

"I was merely passing by today, taking a curious look, and had no intention of disturbing you. Your 'family affairs' are neither my concern nor my intention to interfere."

His voice was clear and melodious, with a unique rhythm, piercing through the malevolent energy and reaching the stone gate.

The three gatekeeper priests stood still, neither attacking nor retreating, but simply watching in silence.

Xiao Chulan didn't mind, and turned to Li Mutian and the other two, saying:

"It seems the host family isn't very welcoming to visitors. Let's call it a day; we've seen enough."

He then turned towards the stone gate and nodded slightly:

Goodbye.

After saying that, he actually turned around and gestured for Li Mutian and the others to leave.

Although Li Mutian and Li Xiaoyao were full of doubts, seeing that the gatekeeper priest did not make any move, they were happy to get away and quickly followed.

Just as the three of them rose into the air, the priest with the indigo mask seemed to move his lips slightly.

A faint yet exceptionally clear thought entered Xiao Chulan's mind directly (without Li Mutian and the other two noticing):

"Is the Xiao family also going to get involved in this stagnant situation?"

Xiao Chulan continued his escape, his smile unchanged, and transmitted a thought back with his divine sense, containing only two words:

"curious."

The three quickly moved away until the ruins of the sanctuary became a tiny dot in their field of vision.

The atmosphere was somewhat silent on the way back.

On the way back, Xiao Chulan resumed her easygoing tone:

"Many thanks to you two fellow Daoists for guiding me today, which has allowed me to put an end to a matter on my mind."

Li Xiaoyao tentatively asked:

"My lord, what happened to the gatekeeper priest in the end..."

"Oh, I just said hello."

Xiao Chulan spoke lightly, clearly unwilling to elaborate, and instead said,

"This investigation has made me even more interested in this 'C-749' and your Li family. If you manage this place well, its future may... be more than just this."

He paused, then looked at Li Mutian:

"Fellow Daoist Li, after we return, I will leave the evaluation results and some suggestions with you privately."

"Among them may be taboos concerning the development of the area surrounding the sanctuary, as well as... some channels and information that may be beneficial to the future development of your Li family."

Li Mutian's heart skipped a beat, and he solemnly cupped his hands in greeting:

"Thank you for your guidance, Steward."

It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Xiao Chulan waved his red jade fan and looked toward the direction of the thick earth and golden cliff, his eyes filled with inscrutable expression.

"After all, a family that can establish itself in a place like this is always worth... a little investment."

His words added a deeper meaning to this sanctuary visit and the entire inspection tour.

Both Li Mutian and Li Xiaoyao understood that this steward from the Xiao family had left behind far more than just an official evaluation.