Sect Leader! Please strengthen our Dao Sect!

Qian Lai's expression was unreadable, but his tone was clearly accusatory.

However, this is understandable. Given the Qian family's wealth, the young master ran away from home and returned more than a year later, suddenly saying that he had become a disciple of a master.

If it were an elder from some immortal sect, that would be fine, but if it were just a rogue cultivator from the countryside, wouldn't that be a waste of his younger brother's cultivation?

"This humble Taoist priest is Shen Shanshui."

"Shen Shanshui? The Taoist of Mountains and Rivers...?"

Qian Lai frowned slightly, but quickly stretched out his plump face, making his already small eyes disappear instantly.

"I do not have a Taoist name, but some people have indeed called me that."

Shen Shanshui chuckled and shook his head. It seemed he really was quite famous. But who spread his fame?

"I was unaware of your arrival, I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly!"

"You brat, couldn't you have explained it more clearly?"

As Qian said this, he kicked Qian Duoduo in the butt.

Although Qian Lai was stout, he was efficient in speech and decisive in action. He quickly arranged accommodations for Shen Shanshui and his group, treating them as honored guests.

They even sent over a storage bag containing ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, and countless kinds of spiritual herbs and materials.

Shen Shanshui tried to refuse, genuinely feeling that it was too hot to handle, but Qian Lai insisted that it was Qian Duoduo's apprenticeship gift and had to be given!

Shen Shanshui had no choice but to accept it, and his wealth suddenly increased by a large margin.

It seems that obtaining spirit stones is not a difficult task for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In the evening, Qian Lai prepared a lavish banquet, using extremely precious spiritual foods, to entertain Shen Shanshui and his entourage.

He Wenzheng and the other cultivators with low cultivation levels ate a few bites and then hurriedly retreated to refine the spiritual energy.

Shen Lingxi ate with the most gusto, his mouth agape as he looked at the money. Although he had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining through pills, his cultivation level was still limited, and he couldn't see through this girl who looked even younger than him.

However, what's a bit strange is that the head of the Qian family, who is also the father of Qian Lai and Qian Duoduo, has never appeared, nor has Qian Lai mentioned him.

The Qian family occupies such a large private area, but apart from the guards that can be seen everywhere, there doesn't seem to be much of the Qian family's direct descendants.

This is extremely unreasonable for a powerful family.

Of course, these were all Qian family matters, and although Shen Shanshui was somewhat curious, he did not inquire about them.

late at night.

There was no curfew in Jiangling City, so the entire city remained brightly lit, extremely prosperous, and incredibly lively.

In contrast, the private land where the Qian family lived was much quieter.

Shen Shanshui habitually released his divine sense to perceive his surroundings, and as expected, he sensed the auras of two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The other party naturally sensed Shen Shanshui's presence as well. One of them had a faint aura, but his divine sense was gentle and he was showing obvious goodwill.

The other person, upon sensing Shen Shanshui's divine sense, was forcefully rebuffed.

……

The central courtyard of the Qian family mansion.

Qian Lai dismissed all the servants, leaving only his younger brother Qian Duoduo. He took out a purple-gold compass from his bosom, infused it with spiritual power, and an invisible barrier enveloped the entire courtyard.

Qian Lai was no longer the smiling man he was during the day. His expression was calm, and his corpulent body even exuded a hint of authority.

"The second level of Qi Refining, in just one year, without the support of family pills, to have reached this level... It seems that Daoist Shanshui has treated you well, and I can rest assured now."

Qian Lai looked at Qian Duoduo with a complicated expression, his thoughts unreadable.

"Big brother, why haven't we seen Dad all day?"

Qian Duoduo didn't mention it during the day, but his mind was filled with questions. He had been away from home for over a year, and now that he was back, his elderly father was ignoring him completely. Had he fallen out of favor?

Qian Lai hesitated for a moment, seemingly reluctant to speak, but finally said:

"Father...is going through a disaster."

"Father's about to break through? That's great news! But why do you seem to have something on your mind, brother?"

"Could it be that you, elder brother, intend to seize power while Father is in seclusion?"

"You bastard, what are you thinking?"

Qian Lai raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

"Can a Foundation Establishment breakthrough be compared to our Qi Refining stage? A slight mistake could lead to death and the annihilation of one's cultivation."

"That dangerous?"

Qian Duoduo had no concept of this; his level was too low.

"I'm not worried about whether Father can break through. Father has made many preparations for the lightning disaster and even spent a lot of money to obtain a precious pill with a special pattern. There shouldn't be any accidents."

The money came in his hands, which he carried on his back.

"But... my third great-uncle is also going through a disaster, and I'm not sure if he's already ahead of my father in this regard?"

"How many years does that old man have left to live? He's even going through a calamity? Could it be that he's trying to break through to the Golden Core stage?"

Qian Duoduo clearly had no respect for his great-uncle, speaking of him with utter disdain. However, his expression quickly changed from disdain to anger.

"Brother, you're not worried that old man will come out of seclusion first and prevent Father from surviving the disaster, are you?"

"That's exactly right."

Qian Lai sighed, his voice filled with helplessness.

"Our lineage is thin, and now it's just the two of us in this generation."

"Our talents are decent, but unfortunately you're too young, having only recently begun your cultivation journey, while I... have to rely on elixirs to maintain a facade of talent. Otherwise, many people might try to take advantage of me."

"Brother, we don't need to be afraid of that old bastard. With my master here, if that old bastard dares to have any wild ideas, just have my master kill him!"

Qian Duoduo seemed to be full of confidence in Shen Shanshui's abilities.

Previously, Shen Shanshui had subdued the arrogant demon cultivator in a single encounter, making the three Foundation Establishment demon cultivators dare not make any rash moves.

This made Qian Duoduo extremely confident in his master's strength.

"Duoduo, the real person has no obligation to interfere in our family affairs."

Besides, no one can be trusted when it comes to profit. The Taoist priest may have a prestigious reputation, but only you and I share the surname "Money."

"Let's not talk about that. With your older brother here, you don't need to worry about it."

"I suppose your return to Jiangling City this time is because of that bet at the Dragon Lord's Mansion?"

After this matter is resolved, you will return with the Taoist Master Shanshui. My elder brother will handle things here. If Father succeeds, I will send someone to inform you.

Qian Lai gave Qian Duoduo a deep look. He hadn't sent anyone to look for her for over a year, wasn't that intentional?

……

The next day.

Shen Shanshui led his disciples to the Commanding Division.

They came as representatives of the Xianmen sect in Qingyang County, and the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

Quite coincidentally, the person who received them was the same old man who had handled their registration with the immortal sect back then.

"Master, this Human-Demon Cultivation Exchange Conference has set up a total of six groups."

The first to third levels of Qi Refining serve as a side exercise to inspect the current low-level immortal cultivators of Jiangnan Prefecture, so no demon cultivators participate; the focus is on friendly sparring.

Cultivators at the fourth level of Qi Refining or above will then be involved in battles between human and demon cultivators. The top three prodigies in each group can challenge others to compete for the first place.

The rewards for this conference are quite generous. I wonder how many disciples you plan to send to participate, Master?

The old clerk explained everything very carefully, and his attitude remained as respectful as ever.

Shen Shanshui didn't rush to make a decision. Instead, he looked at his disciples behind him and asked, "Who doesn't want to participate?"

The group exchanged glances. Li Daniu and He Wenzheng were clearly conflicted; one didn't want to fight, while the other thought violence was crude and vulgar.

Shen Shanshui took in the changes in the expressions of the others.

"Let's let Da Niu and Wen Zheng off the hook this time."

"The rest of you, except for Tang Yan, are mainly here for the experience. You haven't cultivated any supernatural powers, but low-level Qi cultivators can't unleash the full power of supernatural powers anyway, so it's mainly about fighting with fists and feet."

Normally, when you cultivate, you can circulate your spiritual energy undisturbed, and your Qi flows smoothly throughout your body. But in battle, it's difficult to concentrate, and that's when your true fundamental skills will be tested.

……