The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Clouds and mist stretch for miles, gathering and dispersing unpredictably.

Spring rains fell continuously in Daze, and the main street of the neighborhood was filled with puddles of water on the bluestone slabs.

Since the conscription order was issued, the people in this market have been filled with fear and resentment.

The hawking cries still echoed all around, but compared to the bustling prosperity of the past, now they were mostly hoarse and shrill sales pitches and heated arguments.

"Low-grade Rejuvenation Pill, eighteen spirit stones a bottle, no bargaining!"

"A tattered magic shield, only three spirit stones needed to exchange for some spirit rice to survive..."

Xu Changqing pondered this in his heart.

In peaceful times, one can still make money through harmony, but in this chaotic world, it is absolutely impossible to accumulate those thousands of spirit stones through legitimate business.

Only murder and arson are the only ways to accumulate capital.

Without stopping, Xu Changqing turned into East Street and stopped in front of "Bai Lian Ge".

Pushing open the door, one is greeted by a roaring fire in the fireplace, the heat completely driving away the damp chill outside.

The red-faced man was leaning against the chopping block, drinking cold water. When he saw Xu Changqing enter, he didn't say a word, but bent down and pulled out an ebony box from under the counter and pushed it over.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look at the goods."

Xu Changqing slowly opened the wooden box.

A three-inch-sized, charred square seal lay quietly at the bottom of a box lined with red silk.

The seal face is blank, with subtle thunder patterns on the four sides, giving it an ancient and dignified appearance, without revealing any sharp edges.

"This lightning-struck wood is exceptionally tough. It took me a lot of effort and I wore out three carving knives to finally smooth out the lightning energy within it and condense it into one place."

The ruddy-faced man wiped the sweat from his brow, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

Xu Changqing stretched out two fingers and gently pinched the seal knob. It felt heavy in his hand, weighing several tens of kilograms.

He quietly circulated his spiritual power, channeling a wisp of wood-elemental true essence into his fingertips.

"Sizzle—"

Fine, snake-like arcs of pale electricity crackled across the surface of the lightning seal, and a violent aura was faintly revealed.

"The shopkeeper's skills are superb."

Xu Changqing nodded in satisfaction, closed the ebony box tightly, and put it into his sleeve.

The red-faced man grinned.

"If you find it useful, please take care. If you need any more of these top-quality spiritual materials in the future, Hundred Refinements Pavilion will be ready to assist you."

After leaving the Hundred Refinements Pavilion, Xu Changqing braved the howling river wind, launched his small boat, and hurried back to Cangwu Island, skimming the surface of the surging waves.

Without alerting his clansmen, Xu Changqing stepped directly into the quiet room, set up a protective barrier, sat cross-legged on the futon, took a deep breath, and adjusted his internal energy.

When his energy and spirit reached their peak, he suddenly bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the lightning seal.

"Sizzle—"

When the blood touched the lightning seal, it boiled and evaporated, turning into wisps of blood-red mist that followed the silver-purple patterns and seeped deep into the seal platform.

Xu Changqing formed complex hand seals, and the spiritual power of the Azure Wood in his dantian surged out like a burst dam, enveloping him.

He let out a low shout, and his right palm suddenly flipped over, revealing the purple mark of the "Thunder Pool" hidden in the Laogong acupoint.

The lightning seal was drawn in and slowly floated three inches above his palm.

In an instant, a violent and unparalleled force of lightning poured from the inkstone into his palm.

"Well--"

Xu Changqing groaned, his muscles twitching involuntarily.

If his skin and body hadn't been tempered with the "Five Organs Forging Essence Soup" beforehand, this would have been enough to cripple his entire right arm.

He gritted his teeth, desperately guarding a sliver of clarity in his mind, and activated the Everlasting Spring Technique, engaging in a tug-of-war with the domineering power of thunder within the small space of his palm.

Destroy, repair, destroy again, repair again.

I don't know how much time passed.

The lightning seal floating in the palm of his hand gradually shrank, and the violent lightning also gradually subsided.

Finally, it was accompanied by a dull thud.

The lightning seal transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the Laogong acupoint in Xu Changqing's palm.

The indoor light suddenly dimmed.

Xu Changqing was drenched in sweat, his robes completely soaked.

"It's done."

He adjusted his breathing and slowly opened his right hand.

The faint purple mark had disappeared, replaced by a square totem no bigger than a fingernail.

With a slight thought, lightning crackled across the totem, poised to strike.

The Thunder Seal was initially formed, and the Qi Sea surged.

Xu Changqing sat quietly on the futon, letting the tingling and soreness in his palms slowly fade away.

With this Thunder Seal suppressing the Laogong acupoint, the backlash from casting Palm Thunder will be greatly reduced, and the casting speed will also be increased by three points.

In a life-or-death struggle, this difference of speed is the difference between life and death.

Everything is ready, except for the final push; we await the completion of the simulation.

......

Time flows on, and dawn and dusk alternate.

Over these seven days, the spring rain on the Nanzhu Marshland stopped and started falling again and again.

The earthy smell in the air grew stronger, and the hemostatic herbs in the ten acres of medicinal fields behind Cangwu Island had already grown to half a foot tall, lush and green, growing vigorously.

Inside the quiet room, a clear sound came from the depths of Xu Changqing's mind.

"It's finally done."

Xu Changqing's eyes suddenly opened, a sharp glint in them.

[The simulation is complete]

[The True Nature of the Zhang Family's Secret Treasury on Ling'ao Island]

[Location: 180 li east of Cangwu Island, within a natural karst cave underwater at "Wild Buffalo Reef".]

[The Zhang family's wealth, accumulated through generations of plundering surrounding vassals and robbing rogue cultivators, includes over 2,200 low-grade spirit stones, various spirit ores, and numerous pills, valued at over 4,000 low-grade spirit stones.]

[Zhang Shilu, the third elder of the Zhang family, possesses the cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining. In his early years, he suffered a qi deviation, resulting in blocked meridians in his right leg, which impairs his mobility. He has been stationed at the hidden vault for many years.]

"Over four thousand low-grade spirit stones..."

Xu Changqing's gaze narrowed slightly, and he tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

"The Zhang family has been entrenched on Ling'ao Island for decades, like leeches sucking blood; their foundation is truly formidable."

He pondered to himself that he had heard of Zhang Shilu's fearsome reputation in his early years.

This person used to practice martial arts with a desire for quick success, which caused the poison to attack his heart. Although he survived, the meridians in his right leg were completely destroyed, leaving him a cripple.

"The underwater cave is still some distance from the Zhang family's main ancestral home on Ling'ao Island. It's narrow and deep inside, so we need to act quickly and loot everything before the Zhang family's reinforcements arrive."

Xu Changqing stood up, flicked his sleeve, and removed the restrictions on the quiet room.

As I stepped out the door, a cool breeze carrying a drizzle blew in my face.

In the courtyard, several banana trees were lush and green after being battered by the rain.

Jiang Rou was sitting on the balustrade in the corridor, holding an account book in her hand, and whispering something to Xu Yanling standing beside her.

Today she wore a loose, plain-colored silk dress. Although her belly was not showing, her every move exuded the gentle grace of a new mother.

Hearing the door open, Jiang Rou looked up, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"My husband has emerged from seclusion."

Xu Yanling also curtsied obediently: "Greetings, Clan Chief."

Xu Changqing stepped forward, his gaze lingering on Jiang Rou's face. Seeing that her complexion was rosy, he felt relieved.

"Let Yanling worry about the accounts. Your health is precious now, so you should focus on resting."

Jiang Rou smiled slightly, handed the account book to Xu Yanling, waved her away, and then said softly, "Although I am a mortal, I have eaten spiritual food for so many years, how can I be so delicate?"

"On the contrary, sitting idly all day has made me sick. As for my husband, has his cultivation improved during his seclusion these past few days?"

Xu Changqing sat down beside her, casually tidied the stray hairs by her ear, and said softly, "You've made some progress."

He did not mention the secret vault. The cultivation world is fraught with danger and unpredictability. The less one knows, the better for mortals.

"The situation is getting tense. In a couple of days, I will need to leave the island again."

Xu Changqing's voice was gentle, yet it conveyed an undeniable decisiveness.

Jiang Rou's smile faded slightly, and a hint of worry flashed in her clear eyes.

Ever since that headless corpse floated ashore on the Great Swamp, the island of Cangwu has been filled with dread, and even children dare not cry at night.

Although she didn't concern herself with important clan affairs, she knew that the outside world was in turmoil.

"Is it absolutely necessary to go?" she asked softly.

"We absolutely have to go."