The Mysterious Immortal Clan: Rising from the moment I died!

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, a whole year has passed since the changes in the Ni family.

As winter approaches, the biting wind whips up withered leaves, swirling around the eaves of the hillside mansion.

As the year draws to a close, ordinary families should already be decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations, preparing to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

The Ni family mansion, however, was completely plain, without even a trace of red.

This is because of a local custom—if an elderly person in the family passes away, one must not bleed for three years.

The marriage and concubines were also forced upon Ni Yongxiao by the order of the head of the family, which caused a great uproar in the town at the foot of the mountain.

Although the mountainside mansion lacked some of the festive atmosphere, in the various counties of Yue Kingdom, each small family was full of vitality and liveliness because many of the Ni family's bloodlines had been added.

Even those ordinary people who had previously left the Yue Kingdom settled down in foreign lands and established their own small families.

The Ni family bloodline, like a great tree, is branching out and flourishing at a speed imperceptible to outsiders.

The sun shone brightly that day, dispelling some of the winter chill.

"Um!"

Ni Kun and Ni Yongxiao stood in front of the window of the tea room on the second floor of the school, with a very wide view.

Below the window lies the vast, flat martial arts training plaza, where all the Ni family disciples cultivate.

Around the square, a ring of towering cloud platforms stands in a staggered pattern.

The fifth brother, Ni Yongxiang, dressed in a blue robe, sat upright on the main cloud platform, explaining the method of refining qi.

The disciples on the cloud platform, of varying ages, all sat cross-legged, some with their eyes closed in concentration, others practicing their internal energy and regulating their breathing. Despite the howling of the biting cold wind, they were like statues in deep meditation, completely immersed in their cultivation.

"breathe--"

The disciples' faces were as still as water, their breathing long and steady, each inhale and exhale carrying an indescribable rhythm, as if they had become one with their surroundings.

The spiritual energy at the summit is far richer and purer than that at the foot of the mountain.

Like nimble fish, they swam gently with the wind, eventually slowly burrowing into the bodies of the disciples who were sitting cross-legged.

The disciples mobilized all their spiritual power, guiding the spiritual energy along their meridians to various acupoints throughout their bodies, nourishing their internal organs and tempering their muscles and skin.

"Good! Very good!"

Watching this scene, Ni Kun's eyes were full of approval, and he couldn't help but praise loudly, "Although Fifth Brother is a bit of a bookworm, he's quite adept at teaching his children how to cultivate their inner strength!"

"Father!"

Ni Yongxiao nodded in deep agreement, his tone full of pride and admiration: "No wonder it's blessed by the 'Enjoying the Shade Under the Tree' and 'Family Retention' attributes... The spiritual energy of my Ni family is so abundant and pure, and the cultivation efficiency is so high, it can almost rival the cave dwellings of some sect elders!"

Ni Kun smiled slightly, then turned his gaze to the large martial arts stage in the center of the square.

There, however, was a completely different scene of bustling activity.

"A single punch can ward off a hundred!"

Old Eight Ni Yongwu, dressed in a martial arts outfit, stood at the edge of the martial arts stage with his eyes wide open, giving instructions in a booming voice.

The students were practicing fiercely in pairs on the martial arts stage.

Each of them was as agile as a cheetah and as swift as lightning. The flashing of swords and the clash of fists and feet filled the air.

Every move and stance exudes the fearless spirit of a newborn calf, and also contains the solid foundation gained through daily hard work.

"Great! Well done! That was fantastic!"

Exclamations of surprise, cheers, and shouts of encouragement rose and fell, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere throughout Xiuwu Square.

"good!"

Looking at the figures fighting bravely on the martial arts stage and listening to the deafening cheers around him, Ni Kun's eyes flashed with a gleam of admiration: "My eighth son is a master at training soldiers!"

"Father!"

Ni Yongxiao nodded emphatically, excitedly echoing, "Don't let his recklessness fool you, he remembers every word you taught him perfectly!"

He pointed to the center of the arena, his tone earnest: "These members of my Ni family have made such rapid progress thanks to the support of resources and the effects of the keyword, as well as the meticulous guidance of my fifth brother and eighth brother!"

"Um!"

Ni Kun nodded slowly, his tone tinged with a mixture of relief and heartache: "Ah Xiao, you've had a tough year!"

How could he not know how hard-won this thriving scene was today?

As the head of the family, Ah-Xiao not only had to oversee the overall situation, but also had to tirelessly work on the mindset of the clan members.

The fifth and eighth princes, in particular, were responsible for specific tasks, one civil and one military, and were also the key figures with the strongest opposition.

Seeing Ah Xiao breathe a sigh of relief, the weariness between his brows had faded considerably.

"You reap what you sow; that's the best outcome!"

Ni Kun patted Ah Xiao's shoulder gently, filled with emotion: "In comparison, let alone the small sect your third sister belongs to, even the ordinary disciples of the Haoyue Sect where I was back then didn't receive such treatment!"

In this world, there are only two paths to cultivating immortality.

Join the sect.

Sects have resources and cultivation techniques, which sounds glamorous, but unfortunately, ordinary cultivators can't enjoy them at all.

Initially, the vast majority of people who went to sects to cultivate did so because they thought it would be good to have a strong sect to rely on, and believed that hard work would allow them to stand out from the crowd and become a great master or god.

In the end, he discovered that he was nothing more than a dry cell battery in the sect, doing tedious and boring chores every day, and that his so-called cultivation was nothing but a mirage.

When you're young and full of vigor, you might struggle a bit, but once you realize reality...

Those with courage should leave the sect and venture out on their own; they will have no regrets years later.

Those who remained were simply clinging to their meager salaries, hoping for a peaceful life.

The other path is to become a wandering cultivator.

The rogue cultivators were shrewd; they had long seen through the true nature of things—they knew that going to a sect wasn't for cultivation, but for labor! For transformation!

Unwilling to be bound, they chose to go it alone—they roamed the world, gambling with their lives for opportunities, taking great risks, but once they seized an opportunity, they could grow big and strong.

But now, times have changed!

Ni Kun gazed into the distance, a profound light flashing in his eyes, and said, word by word, "Ah Xiao, remember, never let your children go astray!"

The righteous path of cultivating immortality is fraught with hardship!

Ni Kun, starting with a strange ancient tree and using his entire family as his base, is about to embark on a treacherous path to conquer the world!

Time flies, and years pass by.

Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve.

On this day, family members broke through one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

[Ding! Ten new Qi Refining stage cultivators have joined the clan. Experience +1]

[Ding! Six new mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators have joined the clan. Experience +3]

[Ding! Two new late-stage Qi Refining cultivators have joined the clan. Experience +2]

[Ding! A new Qi Refining Perfection cultivator has joined the clan. Experience +2]

A series of notification sounds echoed in the eerie space.

Ni Kun's mind raced, and the progress bar on the screen slowly jumped, finally settling on—【Strange Ancient Tree Level 3: 96/100】

"Excellent! Excellent!"

Ni Kun smiled broadly, rubbing his hands excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Only 4 more experience points are needed for the Mysterious Ancient Tree to advance to level four!"

He couldn't help but wonder: "What new terms will be unlocked at level four? How far will the tree roots spread? Will my divine sense also increase accordingly?"

Looking back on this year.

The Ni family has had a smooth and successful life, without encountering any major crises.

This made Ni Kun feel gratified, but also secretly wary.

He had long suspected that the four major families were holding back for one of two reasons.

Firstly, after gradually acquiring all of the Ni family's businesses, they are in a digestion period and need time to integrate resources and consolidate their position, so they have no time to attend to other matters.

Secondly, all four major families wanted to be the leaders of Hong Kong, and with each family holding the other back, none of them were willing to make the first move, for fear of becoming the mantis that was being targeted by the oriole.

"But this balance is ultimately fragile, easily broken by the slightest external disturbance!"

Ni Kun frowned slightly, his sense of urgency growing stronger—he had to quickly upgrade the level of the Strange Ancient Tree and acquire more entries, especially the crucial fifth level!

As time goes by, the cold winter gradually passes and the warm spring quietly arrives.

The snow on the mountainside gradually melted under the gentle caress of the warm spring breeze, turning into clear streams that flowed gurglingly along the mountain gullies.

The stream awakens the slumbering earth, bringing forth new life and bursting forth with renewed vigor. The whole world is filled with the scent of spring!

On February , the dragon looked up.

The day was sunny and the spring breeze was gentle, a rare and auspicious sign.

Sudden.

[Ding! A family member has awakened a superior-grade spiritual root aptitude. Experience +10]

[Ding! The Mysterious Ancient Tree has been upgraded to level 4, unlocking the attribute "Family Prosperity"]

"It's done!"

Ni Kun was overjoyed; he had been waiting for this day for far too long.

His divine sense immediately entered the eerie ancient tree and quickly brought up the control panel.

[Host: Ni Kun]

[Realm: None]

【Mysterious Ancient Tree: Level 4 (9/100)】

[Family Legacy: Level 1]

[Enjoying the shade under a tree: Level 1]

[Family Prosperity: Level 1]

【Forced Growth: Level 1 (0/3)】

[Technique: None]

【Family Prosperity】Affix Effect: Within a 2,000-zhang radius of the ancestral hall, the spiritual power of clan members is increased by 10%, which means that a family combat power buff is stacked!

In the eerie space, the eerie ancient tree had grown to two feet tall, and the visibility had expanded from one thousand feet to two thousand feet. The tangled black tree roots had also spread to a range of two thousand feet.

In the real world, his divine sense activity and exploration range have also expanded to two thousand feet, covering not only the guest elders enshrined in the mountainside cave, but also reaching the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain. No movement within a radius of two thousand feet can escape his perception.

Just as Ni Kun was basking in the joy of advancing, a sudden change occurred!

"Waaaaah... Awooooo..."

A sudden, extremely mournful wail rang out, as if it were the wailing of a demon from the deepest hell, sending chills down one's spine.

Followed by.

A strong smell of rust mixed with the stench of decay spread rapidly like a plague, filling the area around the eerie ancient tree.

The once pitch-black, chaotic world suddenly began to ripple.

"Um!"

Ni Kun keenly sensed that countless shadowy figures were wandering and lingering all around.

They seem to be everywhere, surrounding me closely, yet they also seem to be afraid, never daring to get too close, only lingering at a distance, maintaining a vague sense of closeness.

"Um?"

Ni Kun frowned, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring intently at the figures that appeared and disappeared.

These shadows were neither human nor ghost, and their faces remained indistinct and unclear.

Its figure moved with twisted and deformed limbs, exuding an indescribable evil and terror.

"Could it be... that these are the legendary supernatural phenomena?"

He had seen descriptions of the bizarre on fragments of ancient books.

What alarmed him even more was that when he concentrated on sensing them, he could detect a scorching heat emanating from these strange creatures.

"Demon Flame?"

It was an extremely hot flame, like hellfire burning. If it weren't for the shielding effect of chaotic power, this intense heat would probably have already engulfed the entire space.

Ni Kun's heart skipped a beat, filled with doubt and wariness: "Since the last world war, the strange things in this world have disappeared. But why are they appearing in this strange space now? And will they pose a threat to me and the Ni family?"

But he wasn't worried. According to the system prompts, he could unlock the [Strange Technique] once he reached level five. Strange and demonic cultivation techniques both earned experience points!

Think about this.

Ni Kun simply stopped paying attention to these strange occurrences and focused all his energy on absorbing the black substance from the soil.

The area of ​​black soil has doubled, and the amount of black matter that tree roots can absorb has also increased.

The eerie ancient tree appeared increasingly vibrant, and Ni Kun's spirit benefited greatly from it.

a few days later.

Thanks to the nourishment of the two thousand feet of black soil, Ni Kun's spirit body not only became visible and invisible, but also became more solid and more real, and even his endurance when traveling was greatly increased.

"good!"

Ni Kun raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes filled with anticipation: "With each advancement, the area of ​​the black soil increases. If we could improve the absorption efficiency of the black matter, that would be even more perfect!"

With a sudden thought, he wandered into the mansion halfway up the mountain, gazing at the disciples diligently practicing in the martial arts training square.

"Last time, the attempt to force growth only resulted in three low-grade spiritual roots! If we can unlock a skill that enhances bloodline inheritance later, the effect will definitely be much better when we cultivate spiritual roots again!"

That's all.

Ni Kun looked up into the distance: "That child with the superior spiritual root is not halfway up the mountain... he must be a descendant of another branch."

He desperately wanted to upgrade the strange ancient tree to level five, obtain the cultivation technique, and return to the world.

The young man with superior spiritual roots was undoubtedly the future hope of the Ni family, which also piqued his interest.

Think about this.

Ni Kun's mind raced, and his divine sense instantly arrived at the secret chamber.

Ni Yongxiao sat upright behind his desk, carefully examining the intelligence gathered from various places and the development of the major branches.

"Ah-Xiao!"

Ni Kun called out softly and introduced the new entry, "Family Prosperity."

"Very good!"

Upon hearing this, Ni Yongxiao's eyes lit up with excitement, and he slapped his thigh: "In this way, as long as we fight within this mountainside area, the combat strength of my Ni family members can be increased by another level!"

"Yes!"

Ni Kun smiled slightly and added, "Adding two more keywords will be enough to turn the tide of the battle!"

"but--"

He then changed the subject, slowly revealing a plan to trap and defeat the enemy, repeatedly emphasizing, "Ah Xiao, prepare early. The four great families are wolves in sheep's clothing; they won't give us much time to develop... This battle is one my Ni family cannot afford to lose!"

Ah-Xiao nodded solemnly, keeping the plan firmly in mind.

"And there's more good news!"

Ni Kun patted Ah Xiao on the shoulder: "A young man with a superior spiritual root has recently awakened in our clan!"

"A superior-grade spiritual root?!"

Upon hearing this, Ni Yongxiao suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy.

He knew the value of a top-grade spiritual root, which was undoubtedly a blessing from heaven for the Ni family, which was on the rise!

A superior spiritual root has an absorption efficiency of 50-90% for spiritual energy. Because of its extremely fast cultivation speed, it can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage at around the age of thirty and become a pillar of the family.

Think about this.

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Ni Yongxiao volunteered, "Father, I'll go down the mountain to find it myself!"

Several months later.

In the northern part of the Yue Kingdom, in a small county town near the Black Mountain, a horrifying and strange event occurred.

As night fell, the sky suddenly became bright and dark, with strong winds rising at times and dark clouds gathering at others.

At first, people thought it was just an ordinary rainstorm.

Who would have thought that thunder would suddenly strike?

Overnight.

Most of the county was gone, tens of thousands were killed or injured, cries of agony filled the air, and the scene was horrific.

This incident immediately shook the entire northern part of the Yue Kingdom.

In addition to the imperial army going to the rescue and blocking the news.

The Righteous Alliance.

They also immediately dispatched cultivators to investigate.

Was this the work of the Demonic Sect?