"Envoy Zhou, why have you arrived so early this time?"
In the council hall, Chen Mingzheng asked Zhou Tinglong, who sat at the head of the table.
There was still more than a month before the tribute was due, and according to previous years, the Yuanjian Sect would not send anyone until the end of December.
"The sect's disciple recruitment time this year is roughly the same as last time, and it will begin in a few days. I came here specifically to pick up Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue."
Chen Mingzheng suddenly realized and immediately arranged for someone to call the two little ones and Chen Qingmo together.
The Yuanjian Sect's disciple recruitment is concentrated in the last three months of the year, with slight differences in timing each time.
They will release the news in advance to attract people to participate. Those who pass the test can join the sect.
Those
with Heavenly Spiritual Root, Mutant Spiritual Root, and Dual True Spiritual Root can join at any time. Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivators have excellent talent and will not have the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment. Within a few years, they can become the backbone of the sect.
Mutant spiritual roots are second only to celestial spiritual roots, and are even rarer.
While dual-elemental true spiritual roots have a bottleneck in Foundation Establishment, their success rate is far higher than other cultivators, making them highly sought after by various sects.
Those like Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue need to participate in the test according to the rules of the Yuanjian Sect.
As for cultivators like Chen Qingmo with four spiritual roots, even if they enter the sect, they will become menial disciples, facing resource shortages and numerous chores.
Only if they can break through to Foundation Establishment, like Tiejian Zhenren, will they be valued by the sect.
In fact, after Tiejian Zhenren achieved Foundation Establishment, the Yuanjian Sect extended an olive branch to him.
However, he was used to a leisurely life and unwilling to be bound by sect rules, so he declined the invitation.
For someone like Chen Mingzheng, from a family under a sect's jurisdiction, the Foundation Establishment Pill was crucial for advancing further. Therefore, he asked the question that most lingered in his mind:
"Your Excellency, is it possible for the sect to exchange Foundation Establishment Pills?"
Zhou Tinglong's lips curled slightly, as if he had expected this. He chuckled,
"As expected, you and the Bai family both obtained Earth Spirit Fruits, didn't you? This Hundred Spirits Secret Realm is truly peculiar."
Chen Mingzheng's heart tightened; he couldn't recall revealing this at any time.
Zhou Tinglong reassured him,
"Don't be nervous, I have no interest in this. This Hundred Spirits Secret Realm is controlled by three Foundation Establishment cultivators; it's not easy for you to obtain any opportunities from it."
"Before coming here, I visited other families, including the Bai family, searching for immortal seedlings. They exchanged them for Foundation Establishment Pills from me."
"I had a suspicion then, but only now can I be completely certain."
Zhou Tinglong paused, then reached into his storage pouch and took out a jade box.
"This is the Foundation Establishment Pill. I happen to always carry a few with me. Your two families are quite lucky."
Chen Mingzheng quickly handed Zhou Tinglong a spirit fruit and then put the Foundation Establishment Pill away.
"If you can keep this secret, your two families will have the resources to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills."
"But once someone breaks through to Foundation Establishment, the Sun and Zheng families will definitely notice. When the secret realm is exposed, they will definitely want a share."
Zhou Tinglong analyzed the pros and cons.
"If I can really break through, even if I get a share, it won't matter. It'll just be another ten or twenty years."
Chen Mingzheng's eyes were firm. If he broke through to Foundation Establishment, he could protect his family for nearly two hundred years. The value of a few spirit fruits was nothing compared to that.
Zhou Tinglong nodded, said no more, and closed his eyes to rest.
The two didn't wait long in the council hall before Chen Qingmo arrived with Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue.
Upon seeing Zhou Tinglong, Chen Qingmo immediately understood and bowed, saying,
"Greetings, Envoy."
The two children followed suit.
Zhou Tinglong didn't reply, but stared directly at Chen Qingmo.
Chen Qingmo felt uncomfortable being scanned by divine sense, but since the other party was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he dared not act rashly.
After a moment, Zhou Tinglong withdrew his gaze and couldn't help but laugh,
"Haha, you actually inherited Lin Tiankuang's Green Mountain Sword Technique."
"That old fellow refused to join my sect, but he still found someone from my sect's family to take him as a disciple."
"Boy, have you mastered it? Show me."
He felt a sense of familiarity with the boy before him, so he couldn't help but probe him with his divine sense.
Chen Qingmo chuckled dryly,
"Envoy, my master forbids me from showing it easily."
"It's alright. I've sparred with him a few times; we're old friends. I'm familiar with his sword techniques; you don't need to worry."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingmo awkwardly replied,
"This junior has not cultivated for long, and only a few sword threads remain in my body."
With that, he summoned them and coiled them around his arm.
Zhou Tinglong, seeing this, was slightly disappointed, but he knew that the Iron Sword Master's sword technique was difficult to cultivate, so he didn't say anything more.
He calmed himself and said seriously,
"In that case, cultivate diligently."
"I have come here to take Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue to the sect, and we will depart today."
"I observe that Weisheng possesses a good water-attribute spiritual root, and I intend to take him as a disciple to pass on my Surging Waves Sword Technique. As his father, what do you think?"
Chen Qingmo hadn't expected his son to receive Zhou Tinglong's favor, and quickly said,
"It is a great honor for Weisheng to be accepted as a disciple by the Envoy; how could I possibly object?"
"Weisheng, hurry up and acknowledge your master."
Finally, he reminded Chen Weisheng to acknowledge his master.
"Greetings, Master."
The little guy knelt on both knees and performed a grand salute.
Zhou Tinglong watched quietly, and after Chen Weisheng finished, he helped him up.
Qin Wangyue, standing to the side, lowered her head, seemingly somewhat unhappy.
Zhou Tinglong had already noticed and comforted her,
"Wangyue, don't be discouraged. Your spiritual root lacks water, making you unsuitable to teach me the sword path. After you join the sect, I will find a suitable master to guide you."
Hearing this, Qin Wangyue cheered up.
She was still a child after all and couldn't hide her emotions.
"The matter is settled, and I won't stay any longer. Other cultivators from the sect will come to collect offerings at the end of December; you can prepare accordingly."
With that, he summoned a flying boat, allowing the two children to bid farewell to Chen Qingmo and Chen Mingzheng before the three of them flew away at high speed.
"There's hope for the family's revival!"
Chen Mingzheng sighed after the three of them left.
Chen Qingmo nodded slightly and then headed home.
Xinghe Village.
Su Xue felt a sudden panic in her heart. Looking up, she saw Chen Qingmo returning, but the children were nowhere to be seen beside him.
"Where are Weisheng and Wangyue? Why didn't they come back with you?"
she asked anxiously.
"They went to the Yuanjian Sect. The envoy arrived suddenly and left with the two children shortly afterward,"
Chen Qingmo said softly, gently embracing her.
Su Xue felt a pang of sadness, but she knew it was for the children's future.
Chen Qingmo patted her back, comforting her,
"Weilan and Weixia are still at home. Don't be too sad."
"Is your cultivation stable enough? Are you going to try to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining?"
He tried to change the subject.
"Not quite. I'll wait a bit longer."
Although Su Xue had been cultivating, her progress was slow due to her aptitude.
"The annual festival is coming soon. The family will send someone to Xiyun Town to purchase some things."
"The purchasing agent should come to Xinghe Village. If you and your mother want to go to town, I'll arrange for someone to bring you a carriage."
After reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining, Chen Qingmo had gained more influence within the clan and could make decisions on some minor matters.
"Alright, the children rarely go out more than two or three times a year. My mother and I will take them to town for a visit."
Xinghe Village is quite far from Xiyun Town, and there aren't many horses or oxcarts, so it's not very convenient for them to go out on ordinary days.
The village children usually travel to Xiyun Town with a caravan from Taixuan Mountain around the time of the annual festival, a long-standing tradition of the Chen family.
Seeing that Su Xue was no longer sad, Chen Qingmo relaxed as well.
On the flying boat, Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue looked around curiously. Although Qin Wangyue had ridden a flying boat once before, it was piloted by Zhou Yu, and the speed was far inferior to what they were experiencing now.
Watching the towns rushing past below, both were incredibly excited. Foundation Establishment cultivators could fly extremely fast, covering hundreds of miles in an hour. Zhou Tinglong, with his profound cultivation, piloted the flying boat even faster, creating a gale-force wind around them. However, he had already erected a protective shield for the two of them, and watching them play, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. About ten hours later, a continuous range of peaks appeared before them, dotted with numerous pavilions and grand halls. Spiritual birds circled above the mountains, and the misty waters created a scene of celestial grandeur. "So beautiful!" Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue, seeing a sect for the first time, were both awestruck by the sight. "You'll get used to it after a while, and you might even find it a bit boring inside." Zhou Tinglong led the two to a small town. A young disciple bowed, "Greetings, Uncle-Master Zhou. And who are these two?" He looked at Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue. "These are my newly accepted disciples." Zhou Tinglong pointed to Chen Weisheng, then introduced Qin Wangyue: "These are the disciples I found for Xuan Yue." The young disciple nodded and asked again, "Uncle-Master, will you bring these two junior brothers and sisters directly into the sect, or will you have them participate in the test?" "Take them to Xu Jun. After the test is over in a few days, have Xu Jun bring them to see me." Zhou Tinglong arranged the matters, said a few more words to Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue, and then left. "Junior brothers and sisters, please follow me." The young disciple led the two to the registration area in the town, where several people were sitting listlessly. "Senior Brother Xu Jun, please register these two junior brothers and sisters. They were brought by Uncle-Master Zhou Tinglong." The young disciple explained the situation and returned to the town gate to continue his guard duty. "Oh? Master brought this. Let Senior Brother see what kind of spiritual root it is."
A thin young man jumped out from behind the table, carrying two gray stones.
Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue were frightened, their faces filled with terror.
Seeing the two take two steps back, Xu Jun scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly:
"Junior brothers and sisters, why are you acting like you've seen a ghost when you see me? Don't be afraid, these are spirit-testing stones. Just inject a little spiritual power into them."
The other disciples behind him joked:
"Senior Brother Xu, which child wouldn't be afraid of you? You should eat more to nourish yourself."
Seeing that Xu Jun only looked scary, Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue took the two spirit-testing stones and injected their spiritual power into them.
Instantly, five-colored light appeared, and Xu Jun said happily:
"They both have three spiritual roots, not bad, not bad!"
"Junior brothers and sisters, I'll arrange accommodations for you. You can go find Master after the Ascension Ceremony."
The two nodded timidly, very nervous about arriving in an unfamiliar place.
The Ascension Ceremony mainly consisted of testing spiritual roots and questioning the heart; if one's spiritual roots were insufficient, other tests would be added.
Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue passed through without any surprises, and after waiting for a few days, they followed Xu Jun into the sect.
Both had changed into their disciple's robes, which, combined with their handsome features, made them look like little immortals.
Arriving outside a pavilion on one of the sect's mountain peaks, Xu Jun said in a deep voice,
"Master, disciple Xu Jun, along with my junior brothers and sisters, request an audience."
"Enter!"
The pavilion doors opened, and Zhou Tinglong sat at the head of the table. To his right, a beautiful woman was watching the three enter.
"Disciple greets Martial Uncle Xuan,"
Xu Jun said, bowing respectfully. This woman was Xuan Yue.
"Wangyue, this is the master I found for you,"
Zhou Tinglong said, seeing Chen Weisheng and Qin Wangyue's slight confusion.
"Qin Wangyue…this name is quite fitting for me. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
Xuan Yue asked. Zhou Tinglong had already mentioned their good talent, and she was quite satisfied with Qin Wangyue.
Qin Wangyue didn't hesitate and immediately accepted the offer.
Chen Qingmo once told her at Mount Taixuan that if there was an opportunity to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator's apprentice, she should not miss it.
She trusted this uncle she had known for over two years completely.
Xuan Yue's face lit up with joy. After chatting with Zhou Tinglong for a few moments, she rose to take her leave, departing with Qin Wangyue.
"Wei Sheng, from now on you will be my fifth disciple under Kan Shui Peak. This is your fourth senior brother, Xu Jun, with a cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining."
After Xuan Yue left, Zhou Tinglong introduced his disciples to Chen Wei Sheng.
Chen Wei Sheng was somewhat shocked. Although he was young, he had already learned the basics of cultivation in the academy.
This fourth senior brother looked to be only in his early twenties, yet his cultivation level was comparable to his father's.
Xu Jun smiled slightly and said to Chen Wei Sheng,
"Junior brother, my cultivation level is not as high as our master's other disciples, but I have some humble insights into weapon crafting. If you are interested in this, you can come and find me. Consider this mid-grade magic weapon a small gift."
With that, he took out a longsword and presented it to Chen Wei Sheng.
Seeing his master nod in acknowledgment, Chen Wei Sheng accepted it and thanked him.
After the two finished speaking, Zhou Tinglong continued,
"Your eldest senior brother has gone out for training and will not be in the sect recently."
"As for your second senior sister and third senior brother, they are both in seclusion and will not be seen.
If you need anything, go to Xu Jun first." "I still have some matters to attend to. Xu Jun will tell you about sect matters. You may leave."
Chen Weisheng was taken aback, then followed Xu Jun away.
————
After Chen Weisheng left, things in Tai Xuan Mountain continued as usual.
Chen Qingmo was still cultivating the Green Mountain Sword Art and the third-grade array Dao, occasionally consulting with the Fifth Elder.
The elders had also learned that Chen Mingzheng had obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill and urged him to go into seclusion to adjust his condition.
The Foundation Establishment matter concerned the entire clan, and they did not want to see all their efforts go to waste.
The days passed peacefully like this, and Chen Minglu was also preparing to take several disciples to purchase the items needed for the annual sacrifice.
"Qingjie, I need your help. Take my carriage back to Xinghe Village. Afterwards, give my mother and Xue'er a ride to Xiyun Town. I'll give you ten spirit stones as payment."
Chen Qingmo had come to find Chen Qingjie after hearing that he was one of the disciples who had come down the mountain. Chen Qingjie
had almost run out of spirit stones and was almost back to his previous impoverished life, so Chen Qingmo wanted to help him.
"Brother Mo, why are you being so polite with me? Just tell me."
Chen Qingjie didn't think it was a big deal and didn't accept the spirit stones.
The annual festival would bring some children who wanted to go to town anyway, so adding two adults wouldn't be a big deal.
Seeing that he didn't want them, Chen Qingmo took out a few talismans:
"You can keep these Fire Li Huo talismans, just use them to protect your clansmen."
During the annual festival, the entire Lin Yuan County would be peaceful, and there would be basically no one causing trouble at this time.
These talismans would probably not be needed, so they could be left for Chen Qingjie.
Seeing his brother's words, Chen Qingjie couldn't refuse any longer and put the item into his storage bag.
"Brother Mo, thank you very much."
He knew Chen Qingmo's intentions and was extremely grateful.
Five days later.
Chen Qingmo was studying the array diagram when the warning array of the cave suddenly fluctuated.
"Brother Mo, I'm so sorry! Aunt... Aunt and sister-in-law are injured. It's all my fault for not protecting them properly!"
Stepping outside, he saw the battered and bruised Chen Qingjie, who looked remorseful and choked back tears as he apologized to him.
"What! What happened?!"
Chen Qingmo's voice rose involuntarily. His mother was a mortal, quite old, and even a slight injury could leave lasting health problems.
His wife, Su Xue, was a cultivator, but her strength was too low; having spent many years in Xinghe Village, she had basically never practiced any combat spells.
Chen Minglu had accompanied them on this trip, and even he couldn't protect everyone, so it was clear they had encountered something unbearable.
"It was those traitors from the Crimson Dragon Hall. They planned this all along..." Seeing
Chen Qingmo rushing towards Xinghe Village, Chen Qingjie quickly followed, explaining the situation in detail. It turned out that the Crimson Dragon Hall, having learned that all their members had perished in the secret realm, had spent a fortune to acquire information about the incident. After confirming its connection to the Chen and Bai families, they planned this surprise attack. News of attacks on the Bai and Chen families spread among independent cultivators, causing a huge uproar in Xiyun Town. On the Chen family's side, the Crimson Dragon Hall Master personally led an ambush; his ninth-level Qi Refining cultivation was more than enough to overwhelm Chen Minglu. Fortunately, Chen Minglu had a high-grade magic weapon crafted by the clan leader, allowing him to barely hold off the Crimson Dragon Hall Master. With Chen Qingjie and others fighting desperately, they managed to save everyone's lives, but many were still injured. The Bai family fared much worse; their protectors, all at the seventh level of Qi Refining, were more than half killed by the Crimson Dragon Hall's eighth-level Qi Refining Vice Hall Master. The Bai family has now offered a bounty on these raiding cultivators, calling on cultivators to wipe them out. The Crimson Dragon Hall, having offended both families by deploying its entire force, had already relocated its stronghold, and their whereabouts are currently unknown. Worried about his family, Chen Qingmo used a wind-riding talisman as soon as he left the mountain gate, quickly arriving at Xinghe Village. The entire village was shrouded in sorrow, completely lacking the festive atmosphere of an approaching year-end festival. Back home, Chen Qingmo went straight to his mother's room. His wife, Su Xue, was taking care of his mother, while Chen Weilan was coaxing his younger sister to sleep. "Mother! Xue'er! How are you?" Chen Qingmo was anxious, his voice reaching him even before he entered the room. "Cough cough! Mo'er, you're back. Mother is fine." His mother, Ding Lan, said she was alright, but her weak appearance broke Chen Qingmo's heart.
Su Xue fared much better; as a cultivator, her recovery ability was far superior to that of ordinary people.
Fortunately, the two children were unharmed, which relieved Chen Qingmo somewhat.
He took out a mild healing pill from his storage bag and fed it to his mother, then handed the porcelain bottle containing the pill to Su Xue.
As ordinary people age, their bodies weaken, and they can't take too many pills; some injuries require a doctor's visit.
"Crimson Dragon Hall!"
Chen Qingmo sat at the desk, his tone icy.
He truly hadn't expected these cultivators to be so audacious, daring to harm ordinary people.
"Husband, please don't act impulsively. The leader of the cultivators is quite powerful, even stronger than the elders."
"Besides, they're definitely hiding. Lin Yuan County is so big; it won't be easy to find them."
Su Xue feared that Chen Qingmo would become enraged and seek revenge on the cultivators alone.
"Xue'er, I know, you don't need to worry."
Chen Qingmo forced a smile to comfort his wife.
He stayed in Xinghe Village for a few more days, and only returned to Taixuan Mountain after seeing that his mother's condition had improved.
News came from the clan summoning him back to discuss dealing with the Crimson Dragon Hall.
Taixuan Mountain, Council Hall.
Chen Ming, sitting at the head of the table, had a grim expression. He hadn't expected such a major incident to occur in his clan so soon after his seclusion.
"The Bai family has sent word that they intend to join forces with our clan to annihilate the Crimson Dragon Hall." "
But the Crimson Dragon Hall has abandoned its original mountain stronghold, and its whereabouts are unknown."
The Bai family patriarch was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, a top-tier cultivator in Xiyun Town. Thanks to the family's resources, he was also close to breaking through.
Both families had now obtained Foundation Establishment Pills and were preparing for future breakthroughs, naturally not wanting to be disturbed by external factors.
"The Crimson Dragon Hall also possesses information about the Earth Spirit Fruit; I'm afraid they might resort to desperate measures and spread it."
"The value of such a key ingredient in Foundation Establishment Pills would even tempt Foundation Establishment families, let alone other Qi Refining families."
The First Elder, Chen Kaiji, expressed his concerns.
"Hmph! Once Mingzheng breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage, what's there to fear about the news spreading?"
"Currently, only the Bai family and my family know the route to find the Earth Spirit Fruit. The Sun and Zheng families won't intervene due to the constraints of their superior sect; at most, they'll trade with us."
"The Crimson Dragon Hall must be destroyed! Daring to attack even mortals of the family, they've committed a grave offense!"
Second Elder Chen Kaisong slammed his fist on the table, his teeth clenched with hatred for the Crimson Dragon Hall.
Chen Qingmo listened to the elders and uncles' heated discussion. Personally, he favored destroying the Crimson Dragon Hall, as it was a potential threat.
However, he worried that the family might be in danger due to the Earth Spirit Fruit intelligence, and Chen Mingzheng's breakthrough was still uncertain. Success would bring peace, failure would bring calamity.
"Alright! Let's agree to the alliance with the Bai family first. The two families are now in the same boat." "
Let's discuss the extermination of the Crimson Dragon Hall after the New Year. They're hiding well now, and no news has leaked out."
"The annual festival is approaching; send more people to protect Xinghe Village. They shouldn't dare go to Xiyun Town; just proceed as usual."
Chen Mingzheng made arrangements. The most important thing was to ensure the Crimson Dragon Hall wouldn't dare appear on a large scale again in the short term.
After the meeting, Chen Qingmo and the others left the council hall.
A day later, news came from the Bai family again.
Their approach was almost identical to the Chen family's: to wait until they knew the Crimson Dragon Hall's hiding place before annihilating them in one fell swoop.
After the annual sacrifice,
Chen Qingmo ate breakfast at home and then took Chen Weilan to Xiyun Town.
Su Xue felt that her mother's injuries had not yet healed and she still needed someone to take care of her, so she didn't go with them.
Besides, the weather was cold, and her youngest daughter would be warmer at home.
The father and son rarely had a moment alone together. Chen Weilan looked up at his father and said,
"Dad, I also want to fight off bad guys like my uncles and aunts."
Chen Qingmo was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to say such a thing.
The uncles and aunts Chen Weilan mentioned were Chen Qingjie and his other cousins. After the Crimson Dragon Hall incident, the little guy was also upset.
Especially after seeing so many things beyond his understanding, he felt a longing in his heart.
He didn't know that his father was also a cultivator. Su Xue usually only taught him to read and write and had never talked about cultivating immortality.
"Then Dad will teach you stance training later. If you stick to it for half a year, Dad will know if you can beat up bad guys."
Chen Qingmo thought that Chen Weilan was already over five years old, and soon he would be able to test his spiritual root aptitude.
If he had spiritual roots, he could be taken to Tai Xuan Mountain for cultivation; if not, he would only be sent to a mortal family in Xiyun Town to live an ordinary life.
Chen Qingmo took his son for a stroll in town. Seeing that he was interested in the street performers wielding spears, he bought him a bamboo spear and a book on basic spear techniques.
Back home, Chen Qingmo taught Chen Weilan the introductory stance training he had practiced.
This was a method for strengthening the body, without any special effects.
"Weilan, you must not overdo stance training. You must listen when your mother teaches you to read and write."
Chen Weilan's little face was serious, and he nodded solemnly.
Although he was young, he understood many principles from the book.
In the following days, Chen Qingmo guided Chen Weilan to familiarize himself with stance training and the basics of spear techniques.
With his late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, teaching his son a basic martial art was not a problem.
Seeing that his son had already entered the sect, Chen Qingmo returned to Mount Taixuan.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Chen and Bai families in searching for information about the Crimson Dragon Hall and issuing a reward in the town, a month after the annual festival, a rogue cultivator finally found some clues.
"Clan Chief, the Bai family says some rogue cultivators have taken the bounty and found the Crimson Dragon Hall's stronghold."
A young disciple rushed into the council hall.
"Quickly, invite them here." A short while later, Bai Wenrui entered the Chen family council hall and sat down, saying directly,
" Clan Chief Chen, according to the rogue cultivators who went to hunt demonic beasts, they saw members of the Crimson Dragon Hall near Purple Crow Mountain." " And our clan secretly searched for them, and indeed found their stronghold on a mountain peak." The Bai family suffered heavy losses and were particularly concerned about this matter, wishing they could directly attack them. "No wonder they've disappeared recently." Chen Mingzheng suddenly understood after hearing this. Every year during the annual festival, almost no one in Xiyun Town or even Linyuan County goes to Purple Crow Mountain. Because most demonic beasts hide away to survive the winter, they cannot be hunted. Only after spring arrives will some low-to-mid-level first-tier demonic beasts gradually appear. With more people going to hunt demonic beasts, the Crimson Dragon Hall will inevitably be exposed. "What does Clan Chief Chen plan to do?" Bai Wenrui asked. Their clan had already discussed the matter and wanted to hear the Chen family's thoughts. The two families had decided to join forces and would definitely cooperate. "Since we've discovered their tracks, let's act quickly and prevent them from noticing us and moving our position again." "You and I will each bring some of our clan's elites and launch a surprise attack. Let's set it for the day after tomorrow, what do you say?" Chen Mingzheng was confident in his strength and didn't want to delay any longer. "Good!" Bai Wenrui had come to represent the clan in making decisions and immediately agreed. The next day at midnight. [The divination has been updated] [Today's Divination - Great Fortune]: You and your clan's cultivators went to annihilate the Crimson Dragon Hall's raiders. While searching for spoils, you obtained an opportunity in a secret room. An opportunity? Chen Qingmo was puzzled. The divination was so obscure that it didn't reveal anything at all.
But since it was an auspicious divination, it meant there would be no danger.
Filled with excitement, he cultivated until dawn.
...
Purple Crow Mountain.
The cultivators from the Chen and Bai families had already gathered, all at the late Qi Refining stage.
"Action!"
Chen Mingzheng shouted, immediately heading towards the Crimson Dragon Hall's stronghold.
The entire annihilation went incredibly smoothly. Except for the Crimson Dragon Hall Master, who fought briefly with Chen Mingzheng and his group, he was killed by the combined attack.
"Brother Chen, the Crimson Dragon Hall is destroyed. It's said they have a secret chamber filled with treasure. How about we split it equally?"
The Bai family patriarch was overjoyed; he had finally vented his anger.
"Haha, let's go together."
Chen Mingzheng laughed loudly, leading the group forward.
Entering the secret chamber, they saw several piles of spirit stones, seemingly over a thousand.
On the shelves were some cultivation manuals, several magical artifacts, and some miscellaneous items.
"The Crimson Dragon Hall has plundered quite a bit over the years, almost no pills. It seems they've almost exhausted their resources,"
Chen Mingzheng assessed after a glance.
Only a few of those cultivation techniques could be practiced; most required expending one's own blood and lifespan to force a breakthrough, and the rest were similar to those within their family.
Chen Qingmo, standing behind the others, observed the entire secret chamber but found nothing unusual.
Watching the others begin cleaning up their spoils, he joined in.
"Clang!"
As he picked up a magical dagger, a piece of bluish-gray stone fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
"What's this?"
Chen Minglu, hearing the noise, picked up the bluish-gray stone.
He infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy, but the stone didn't react.
He then used his divine sense to examine it, but still couldn't discern anything.
"Are the walls of the Crimson Dragon Hall's secret chamber this fragile? Qingmo, here you go!"
Chen Minglu, seeing Chen Qingmo staring at the bluish-gray stone in his hand, assumed he wanted to examine it too.
Chen Qingmo took it and examined it closely, his brow furrowing slightly.
In his perception, the bluish-gray stone shard was essentially no different from ordinary roof tiles used for building houses.
Yet, its presence alone in the entire secret chamber seemed out of place; the other items couldn't possibly be the opportunity mentioned in the divination.
"Better safe than sorry,"
Chen Qingmo thought to himself, storing the bluish-gray stone shard in his storage bag.
At this time, everything in the secret chamber had been collected, and the two clan leaders ordered a retreat.
Three months passed quickly.
Since the destruction of the Crimson Dragon Hall, the entire Xiyun Town had been very peaceful. Although there were occasional battles between cultivators, they were all within a controllable range.
Chen Qingmo sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff, took a deep breath, and stood up.
He had finally fully condensed the Moonlight White Sphere, and the number of sword threads within his body had reached nineteen.
Although he still couldn't fully unleash the first move of the Green Mountain Sword Technique, his combat power had increased by nearly twenty percent. However,
no matter how he fiddled with the bluish-gray stone shard, he couldn't find any use for it.
And since the clan was preparing to have him oversee the Crimson Copper Mine for a period of time, he abandoned the idea of studying the stone shard.
"Qingmo, the clan is short-handed, so I'm assigning you to guard the red copper mine for a year."
Some clansmen who were training elsewhere hadn't returned, so Chen Qingmo was the only one they could send.
"After a year, I'll attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. You can return then to protect me."
Chen Mingzheng didn't dare to break through rashly; he wanted to be well-prepared.
Chen Qingmo nodded. He hadn't been to this place before and needed to familiarize himself with it.
Chen Mingzheng handed him a map, marking the location of the mine, and after giving him a few instructions, he let him depart.
After leaving Tai Xuan Mountain, Chen Qingmo used a lightness technique. This wasn't urgent, so he didn't use a wind-controlling talisman.
Two hours later, he arrived at a crimson mountain range.
He cast a spell, and a passage slowly appeared in the maze before him.
Facing him was a village where the clansmen who mined the vein and their families lived, protected by some low-level cultivators and ordinary martial artists.
At the eastern end of the village was a dark red house, the residence of Chen Qingmo's third uncle, Chen Mingli.
"Third Uncle, Qingmo has come to take over your work."
Entering the room, Chen Qingmo bowed to a middle-aged man with graying temples.
Since the Chen family acquired this mine, Chen Mingli had been stationed here and hadn't returned for a long time.
"It's Qingmo. You've broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining?"
Sensing his nephew's aura, which was much stronger than his own, Chen Mingli was somewhat shocked.
Although the mine often exchanged information with the family, no one had deliberately mentioned Chen Qingmo's breakthrough.
"I was fortunate enough to obtain a spiritual fruit."
Chen Qingmo didn't explain much; his third uncle, being old, didn't care much about such things.
"Hmm, you'll learn from me for half a month before I leave."
Chen Mingli responded and began to hand over the affairs of the mine.
Half a month later, Chen Qingmo had a general understanding of the entire process, and Chen Mingli returned to Mount Taixuan.
From that day on, his life became more regular.
During the day, he handled daily affairs, running back and forth between the village and the mine.
At night, he meditated and cultivated, occasionally going to the mine to practice sword techniques.
Although his days were fulfilling, they were also incredibly monotonous.
Fortunately, he was a cultivator and could endure it, and occasionally, the mischievous demonic beasts and wild animals in the vicinity would provide some amusement.
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and news came from the clan.
Chen Weilan had been found to have spiritual roots and had entered Tai Xuan Mountain.
Although he only had four spiritual roots, his earth element allowed him to cultivate the clan's foundation-building technique, the Earth Mountain Technique.
Chen Qingmo was quite pleased with this. He couldn't easily pass on his Green Mountain Sword Technique, and having a good technique for his son would save him a lot of trouble.
Moreover, Chen Weilan preferred spears and might not be interested in swordsmanship.
He smiled slightly and stopped thinking about it.
That day, Chen Qingmo went deep into the mine to inspect it. Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of a deep crimson color flickering in the corner of his eye.
Ordinary copper ore is dark red due to impurities in the vein and small amounts of other metals.
However, the sudden appearance of a bright red color in the ore pile is pure and unadulterated.
Chen Qingmo took out his hammer and pickaxe from his storage bag; he sometimes helped with mining and always carried these tools.
He carefully cleared away the surrounding waste rock until the bright red color was fully exposed.
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"Red Essence Copper Mother!"
Chen Qingmo was pleasantly surprised. During his six months at the mine, he had read many books and had a deep impression of the Red Essence Copper Mother.
Red copper takes ten years to become essence and a hundred years to become mother.
This was a rare occurrence, happening only in the red copper mines. Normally, it took human effort to refine a large quantity of red copper to produce a single piece of Red Essence. Even
a single piece of Red Essence was an extremely rare and valuable material in Lin Yuan County.
Red Essence Copper Mother was unprecedented; its appearance would likely cause Foundation Establishment families to fight tooth and nail for it.
This item required many years of nurturing in the red copper mines to appear, and even a small piece could sell for thousands of spirit stones.
The piece before him was already the size of a fist, its value probably exceeding the total value of all the Chen family's current assets.
Red Essence Copper Mother was already a high-grade spiritual material, usable for refining magic weapons for Golden Core cultivators.
Its properties were metal and fire, and after refinement, it had a restraining effect on evil spirits and demonic techniques.
Chen Qingmo picked it up and immediately felt its weight of several hundred pounds.
Having found it in the family's mine, he didn't consider it his private property and planned to report it back.
Just as he stepped out of the mine, a mortal martial artist hurriedly approached.
"Immortal Master, an old Taoist priest has appeared outside the maze, saying he wants to come in."
"An old Taoist priest? I'll go see."
Chen Qingmo immediately went outside.
The old Taoist priest didn't come in directly, indicating he wasn't a member of the family; all the family members who came here had maze tokens.
He didn't force his way in either; it was unclear whether he lacked the strength or meant no harm.
In any case, the other party was still polite, so he would go out and meet him to find out the details.
Outside the formation, an elderly man in a dark blue Taoist robe waited quietly.
"Sir, I heard you wish to enter the mine. May I ask what brings you here?"
Chen Qingmo asked, bowing respectfully. The man was completely invisible to him; if it weren't for the fact that a living person was standing before him, he wouldn't have believed it.
The man was extremely powerful, even stronger than his master, Iron Sword Master.
"Young friend, may I come in for a cup of tea, and then we can discuss things further?"
The old Taoist didn't answer directly.
"I apologize for my neglect, sir. Please come in."
Chen Qingmo led him into the village. Since the man meant no harm, he would treat him well.
Inside his room, Chen Qingmo brewed a pot of spiritual flower tea and laid out some food.
Seeing the old Taoist finish his tea, he asked again,
"May I ask your name, and why you've come to this barren mine?"
The old Taoist smiled slightly,
"I'm just a wanderer, not a celebrity. Call me whatever you like."
"But you're mistaken about one thing, young friend. This mine isn't barren at all."
Chen Qingmo's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked,
"What do you mean, sir?" "The
Crimson Essence Copper Mother!"
"As expected!" Chen Qingmo's pupils contracted slightly as he thought to himself, but he said aloud,
"What is this?"
He looked puzzled, then fell silent.
"Young friend, there's no need to hide anything. I sensed long ago that you took the Crimson Essence Copper Mother." "
This item is useless to you. It would be more practical to give it to me in exchange for some treasures."
Seeing Chen Qingmo feigning ignorance, the old Taoist directly exposed him.
Seeing that he couldn't hide it from the other party, Chen Qingmo said seriously,
"Old sir, the Crimson Copper Mother is produced by my family's mine and belongs to the family. Whether or not it can be exchanged is not something I can decide alone."
"If you sincerely want it, could you wait a few days while I send a message to the family to ask for instructions? If the family agrees, then we can exchange it."
The Crimson Copper Mother was too precious; he dared not make a decision rashly.
"I do have that much time. Young friend, please go ahead and report to your family."
"You can add a few words to your letter, saying that I'm willing to exchange a spot to enter the Three Elements Forbidden Land,"
the old Taoist priest said, showing his sincerity.
Although Chen Qingmo didn't understand the words, seeing the old priest's confidence, he could deduce that this forbidden land must be far more powerful than the Hundred Spirits Secret Realm.
He took out paper and pen, wrote the letter, and had a Qi Refining stage cultivator deliver it back to his clan.
Two days later, the clan replied.
Chen Qingmo opened it and saw that the clan leader and elders had chosen to exchange with the old Taoist priest.
The letter mentioned that even if the clan kept the Crimson Essence Copper Mother, they might not be able to sell it, let alone refine it—a pipe dream.
This was something even more coveted than the Earth Spirit Fruit; if it were discovered by someone with ulterior motives, the clan would be in crisis.
Exchanging with the old Taoist priest would neither offend him nor prevent them from obtaining a spot in the Three Elements Forbidden Land, which would be far more useful to the clan.
Seeing that the elders had agreed, Chen Qingmo took out the Crimson Essence Copper Mother and placed it on the table.
"I didn't expect it to be this big."
The size of the Crimson Copper Mother exceeded the old Taoist's expectations. He could only sense the object and couldn't determine its dimensions.
He pondered for a moment and continued,
"I dislike owing people things and getting entangled in karma, but I can only give one spot in the forbidden area. I'll also give you this 'Spirit Tempering Secret Method'."
With that, he took out three items: a map, a jade slip, and a token.
"With this token, you can enter the Three Elements Forbidden Area. I don't know if you've been there before, but the location is marked on the map."
"The jade slip contains the secret method; you'll understand its specific effects once you see it."
"The karma is settled, I'll be going now."
Chen Qingmo was about to say goodbye when he looked up and saw that the old Taoist had already disappeared from the spot, vanished without a trace.
He picked up the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.
"The success rate of Foundation Establishment increases by 15%?!"
The "Spirit Tempering Secret Method" in the jade slip could purify a cultivator's spiritual power and broaden and strengthen their meridians.
Although the process was slow and accompanied by intense pain, the effect was truly terrifying.
"Who exactly is that old Taoist priest? Does he think such secret techniques are something he can just exchange with anyone? He's truly a master."
Thinking of Clan Chief Chen Mingzheng, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, Chen Qingmo quickly wrote another letter and sent it over.
He carefully put away the three items and quietly waited for someone from the clan to come.
The next day, Chen Qingmo was cultivating when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
He got up and opened the door, meeting Chen Mingzheng who had just arrived.
"Clan Chief, you've come in person?"
Chen Qingmo was somewhat surprised, not expecting the clan chief to take this matter so seriously.
He had thought it would be an elder or his eleventh uncle who came, since the clan chief still needed to adjust his condition.
Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Chen Mingzheng said helplessly,
"These past few days have been full of surprises; I haven't had the mood to go into seclusion again."
"Qingmo, quickly take out the items and let me see them!"
He was breathing heavily at the end.
Chen Qingmo directly took out the three items given to him by the old Taoist priest and handed them to the clan chief.
Chen Mingzheng ignored the token and map, looking directly at the jade slip.
A moment later.
"Hahaha, Heaven favors our clan!"
Chen Mingzheng laughed loudly, his face beaming with joy.
"With this secret technique, combined with the Foundation Establishment Pill, my probability of breaking through is a full 55%."
This probability is already very high for a cultivator with three spiritual roots, especially since Chen Mingzheng has been at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining for several years.
"Qingmo, I'm afraid you'll have to stay at the mine for a while longer, and cultivating this secret technique will take a long time."
Chen Mingzheng felt somewhat guilty. Originally, he had Chen Qingmo stay for a year before replacing him, not wanting to delay the younger generation's cultivation.
Now that Chen Qingmo had secured such a great opportunity for the family, he still wanted to extend his term. Chen Mingzheng didn't know how to compensate him.