"Ah Nu, bring over a wine cup."

Shen Yuan spoke, and Shen Wenyan got up to fetch a delicate wine cup from the side.

"Wen'an, you already know how to use this thing."

"Father will give it to you now, with only one requirement."

Looking at Shen Wen'an in front of him, Shen Yuan said gravely, "Improve your strength as much as possible."

Currently, within the entire Shen Family, Shen Wen'an's cultivation is the highest, having reached the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.

But due to his character flaws, the family can't rely on him for other matters.

The only suitable way is to train him as the family's foundation and trump card.

No matter what changes may happen in the future in this world, having a strong person sitting in the family can always provide a retreat.

Shen Wen'an took the Copper Pot and glanced at Shen Wenyan beside him.

"Should we leave some for second brother?"

Before Shen Yuan could answer, Shen Wenyan shook his head and refused, "Second brother is on a different path, he doesn't need this."

"Ah Die, I just have something to discuss with you."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly.

"Since you have built a Martial Arts Hall at this Black Water Pool, why not also establish a private academy?"

Shen Yuan laughed upon hearing this: "What, you want to preach and teach as well?"

"Alright!"

"Just in time for Chongming and his brothers' enlightenment, they will need you to guide them."

"Establish an academy, if you can train some Literary Dao Disciples among the village children, that would be nice."

Seeing his father agree, Shen Wenyan happily stood up: "Thank you, Ah Die, I will inform the teacher right away."

"I believe he will also be very pleased to know."

Seeing him like this, Shen Yuan laughed and scolded, "You've already become a father, you need to be more mature from now on."

Shen Wenyan responded and ran out.

Watching his back, Shen Yuan felt a bit dazed, as if for a moment he saw the mischievous young Ah Nu again.

Danzhou, Qiyun Valley.

Ji Yan's injuries have stabilized, but his meridians and Divine Spirit have suffered great damage, and it's uncertain whether he will fully recover.

For injuries like his, if not for Qiyun Valley having some background, with two Celestial Essence Pills that Golden Core Realm experts covet, he might have perished already.

In the elegant courtyard of the valley, Pei Zhao and Yun Zhongzi sat in front of Ji Yan.

Li Heshan and Pei Yuwan stood behind them.

"Elder Ji, what exactly happened that day?"

Pei Zhao asked.

During Ji Yan's healing period, they had already asked Li Heshan and Pei Yuwan, but they couldn't clarify the details of that day.

Ji Yan's face was somewhat pale; he sighed deeply, a trace of fear involuntarily appearing in his eyes as he recalled.

"We were all set up by Hundred Beasts Mountain."

Hearing this, Pei Zhao and Yun Zhongzi exchanged glances, without speaking, waiting for Ji Yan to continue.

Ji Yan pondered for a moment, suppressing the fear in his heart, and said hoarsely, "That mountain didn't have a Flood Dragon Corpse at all; it was a living Golden Core Perfection Realm Flood Dragon!"

A living Flood Dragon!?

Pei Zhao was stunned: "Did Hundred Beasts Mountain know that the Flood Dragon was alive?"

Ji Yan's eyes flashed with resentment, nodding: "Those old things definitely knew."

"I suspect they've been plotting for over a hundred years, not because they couldn't break the great situation of heaven and earth, but because they couldn't find a way to deal with the Flood Dragon!"

"That day, I clearly found the critical pattern in the array formation; with some time, I could've broken the great situation of heaven and earth."

"But Fang Yu, that old fool from Hundred Beasts Mountain, obstructed me with various excuses."

"I left a trick and set up a small Wind Listening Array at that critical point of the array formation."

"Turned out they from Hundred Beasts Mountain had already sent someone to Blood Gu Mountain, preparing to spend a great deal to buy a Fallen God Pill."

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongzi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"A Fallen God Pill… they intend to erase the Flood Dragon's consciousness and refine it into an absolutely obedient War Beast."

Ji Yan nodded.

"Hundred Beasts Mountain has been acting more and more domineering these years; if their plan succeeds, the various Immortal Sects of the Qishan Range might only have the option to submit or be wiped out."

After hearing this, everyone agreed with Ji Yan's view.

The cultivation realm is like this, the weak are prey to the strong.

Currently, in the Qishan Range, dozens of Immortal Sects and forces maintain the status quo because of mutual restraint.

Even strong forces like Hundred Beasts Mountain and the Vajra Sect don't have the absolute power to withstand the combined attack of other Immortal Sects alone.

But if there's a Golden Core Perfection Realm Flood Dragon, it's a different story.

Within Hundred Beasts Mountain, there is already an old monster at the Pseudo Pill Realm; if they add a Golden Core Perfection Realm Flood Dragon War Beast,

by then, all Immortal Sects of the Qishan Range combined would have no chance of winning.

"So... was the Flood Dragon released by you, Elder Ji?"

Li Heshan asked.

Ji Yan shook his head slightly, a cold smile on his face: "Blame it on Hundred Beasts Mountain for being so unlucky."

"That Flood Dragon seemed to have reached the Golden Core Perfection Realm long ago, but because of the existence of the great situation of heaven and earth, it couldn't sense the Celestial Tribulation, nor advance to a Transformation."

"This time, as the great situation of heaven and earth was being gradually broken, it must've sensed the presence of the Celestial Tribulation."

"The final array was destroyed by a Thunder Tribulation."

Hearing this, Li Heshan instantly thought of the first thunder that appeared that day.

"Elder Ji, what about the elders of Hundred Beasts Mountain?"

Pei Yuwan asked curiously.

"Them?"

"I'm afraid they've already turned to dust by now."

Ji Yan snorted, "That was a Nascent Soul Realm Celestial Tribulation; I was lucky not to be at the center of the thunder."

"Yet even so, being affected by the Thunder Tribulation, it instantly broke three defensive arrays, and even that Lower Grade Magical Artifact robe was ruined."

Hearing this, Pei Zhao couldn't help but shiver.

The several elders of Hundred Beasts Mountain were in a similar realm as himself, all at the Late Stage of Fetal Breathing, at most the Great Perfection stage.

Sending a Fetal Breathing Realm cultivator to face a Nascent Soul Realm Thunder Tribulation...

No matter how heaven-defying, you'd likely end up as ashes under the Thunder Tribulation.

"So after you left, the Flood Dragon was undergoing the Tribulation?" Yun Zhongzi asked with bright eyes.

Ji Yan nodded, "I just don't know if that Flood Dragon has succeeded in undergoing the tribulation now."

"If that Flood Dragon has succeeded, it might directly come to Qishan to cause trouble for Hundred Beasts Mountain."

"After all, in the past hundred years, those old guys from Hundred Beasts Mountain have given it quite a hard time."

Yun Zhongzi didn't really care about this affair.

He was more concerned about how a barren place known as Punishment Land could hide a Flood Dragon at the Golden Core Perfection Realm.

And whether the grand momentum of heaven and earth trapping the Flood Dragon was naturally formed or man-made.

"Heshan."

After pondering for a long time, Yun Zhongzi turned to Li Heshan.

"Master."

Li Heshan bowed.

"You and Yuwan immediately select twenty disciples from each courtyard and return to Yangnao Land to prepare for the excavation of that ruin site."

"Yes, Master." Li Heshan bowed.

Yun Zhongzi then looked at Pei Zhao.

"Junior Brother Pei, please make a trip to Luoxia Mountain and discuss the excavation of the ruins with Sect Leader Fu."

Pei Zhao nodded and stood up, "I will go now, Junior Brother."

After arranging these matters, Yun Zhongzi rose and bowed:

"Elder Ji, take good care and rest, I will return first."

...

He Family of Yunzhong County.

He Tianming, the Patriarch of the He Family, sat at the head seat.

Below, several clan elders of the He Family sat, looking displeased in their seats.

"Patriarch, the Shen Family is getting a bit aggressive this time."

"Today they dare to ask for two villages; tomorrow they might demand the entire Anyang City."

"Luoxia Mountain has entrusted Yunzhong County to our He Family. If the Shen Family acts like this, how should we explain to Luoxia Mountain?"

"I think, Patriarch, that you should clearly tell the Shen Family to directly approach Luoxia Mountain with this issue!"

Several clan elders expressed their opinions, one after the other.

He Tianming remained silent.

After the others had mostly finished speaking, he turned his gaze to He Yan, who had kept silent all along.

"Old Third, what do you think?"

He Yan had actually been playing dumb all along, not intending to voice any opinion.

But now, with He Tianming calling on him by name, he could only smile and say:

"Patriarch, I think there's really no need to worry needlessly about this."

As soon as he said this, the other clan elders present were instantly infuriated, glaring at him.

"What do you mean by that!?"

"People are already out to snatch from under our He Family's nose, should we still bear it?"

He Yan sneered, "And what can we do if we don't bear it?"

"To be honest, do you guys really think our He Family's status in Luoxia Mountain's eyes is higher than that of the Shen Family?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present looked displeased.

They wanted to rebut, but upon giving it careful thought, they suddenly realized that He Yan's words were exactly true.

"Alright, alright." He Yan smiled lightly as he stood and looked at He Tianming, saying, "Rather than getting caught up in this matter, Patriarch, it's better to think about what to send the Shen Family as a gift."

Gift?

He Tianming frowned, "What kind of gift?"

"Are you saying someone from the Shen Family is getting married again?"

He Yan shook his head slightly, "I've received news that the Shen Family has built a martial arts hall and academy by the Black Water Pool, which will be completed soon."

"This clearly indicates they intend to cultivate their own power."

"Whether it's the opening of the martial arts hall or the academy, it's a reason for us to express good wishes."

He Tianming felt very displeased upon hearing this.

"Conceding the two villages to the Shen Family is one thing, but do we really have to shamelessly give a gift just for them opening a small martial arts hall and academy?"

"Doesn't that rather tarnish our status?"

The other clan elders immediately chimed in agreement, thinking He Yan was making a big deal out of nothing, damaging the He Family's dignity.

"Alas!"

Seeing their reactions, He Yan shook his head helplessly and smiled, "It seems you all have yet to recognize the difference between us and the Shen Family."

"Patriarch, clan elders, let me speak frankly, I hope you don't get upset."

Hearing this, everyone present exchanged glances.

He Tianming glanced at him and said, "Don't act foolishly, go ahead."

He Yan's smile faded as he spoke solemnly, "In the eyes of Luoxia Mountain, our He Family is nothing more than a dog."

"Whereas the Shen Family is the one they need to win over."

His words were like an iron hand tearing off the He Family's last fig leaf.

All the clan elders present, including He Tianming, looked displeased but had no words to rebut.

Because inside, they knew He Yan wasn't wrong.

On the surface, the He Family is the sky in Yunzhong County, a major power that can communicate with the Immortal Sect.

But in the eyes of Luoxia Mountain, they really were just guard dogs.

And yet within this "courtyard" of Yunzhong County lived an important guest of the owner.

Guard dogs, even though loyal, would face inevitable outcomes if they bit an important guest.

"Why is it like this..."

A He Family clan elder's face looked terrible as he murmured in loss.

He Yan snorted with laughter upon looking at him, "Because our He Family doesn't have a descendant like Shen Wen'an or Immortal Shen."

"One day, if our He Family can also produce a descendant favored by a Sword Immortal, not only the Shen Family, but even Luoxia Mountain would treat us with respect."

He Tianming and everyone present said nothing.

He Yan sighed again, bowing, "Patriarch, what should we prepare as a gift for the Shen Family?"

He Tianming pondered for a moment, "You take charge of this matter."

He Yan squinted his eyes, then bowed and left.

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