""Where did these things come from?"

"They are resources Qiyun Valley disciples receive every month." Shen Wen'an replied, "The array plates and talismans were requested from my master."

Shen Yuan frowned slightly after hearing this.

He had already reached the Qi Cultivation First Layer and could clearly feel that his son had joined the Immortal Sect for more than a year now, yet still hadn't broken through to the Qi Cultivation Stage.

"The cultivation resources given by the sect should be used for yourself; there's no need to consider the family."

Although he hadn't seen an Immortal Sect, he understood that a faction invests significant resources in nurturing newcomers, focusing on their potential and future value once they grow.

Now, Shen Wen'an was saving these cultivation resources, hindering his own realm progress.

Shen Yuan was worried that one day Qiyun Valley might feel his son lacks cultivation value and neglect him as a result.

"Don't worry, Father, I am using them."

Shen Wen'an rarely smiled and said, "Has elder brother not returned?"

"He's still at the Ascension Pavilion in the county."

"It's already late, so we can only notify him tomorrow."

Mentioning Shen Wenxing reminded Shen Yuan of his second son, Shen Wenyan, and he immediately turned to Shen Wenping, saying, "Girl, go to the back courtyard and call your second brother, tell him Wen'an is back."

Shen Wenping reluctantly responded with an "Oh."

A moment later, Shen Wenyan came hurriedly from the back courtyard.

The two brothers met, exchanging knowing smiles.

After dinner, Xu Xiu came by for a visit.

Upon entering the courtyard, he immediately saw the newly returned Shen Wen'an.

"Younger Brother Shen, this is…"

"My son, Wen'an, joined the Immortal Sect last year and just happened to return now."

Immortal Sect…

A flicker of heat flashed in Xu Xiu's eyes, which he quickly suppressed.

"The Immortal Sect is wonderful, indeed wonderful!"

"If I had known about the Immortal Sect in my younger years, I might have had a chance."

Hearing his words, Shen Yuan frowned slightly.

"Heh heh…" Xu Xiu forced a laugh, then changed the subject, "Did you return alone this time?"

Shen Wen'an said nothing, as if he hadn't heard.

The atmosphere turned awkward, and Shen Yuan quickly intervened with a smile, "Forgive us, Uncle Xu, this child has always been taciturn, treating both his mother and me with equal indifference."

"No harm done, no harm done." Xu Xiu smiled, waving it off.

Shen Wen'an, however, had picked up the longsword beside him and was heading towards the backyard.

Xu Xiu watched his figure disappear, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes, before turning back to chat idly with Shen Yuan.

After about half an hour, he got up to bid farewell.

As Shen Yuan was about to tidy up and prepare for bed, Shen Wen'an approached him again.

"That old man isn't a good person."

Hearing this, Shen Yuan became curious, "Why do you say that?"

Shen Wen'an's gaze was calm, "His intentions are impure."

Impure intentions?

Shen Yuan laughed, "You can see through his mind?"

Shen Wen'an shook his head, "It's just a feeling."

"Father should be cautious of him."

Shen Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded, "I understand, go get some rest."

That night, lying on the bed, Shen Yuan was still pondering his son's words.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing him frowning in thought, Hu Yufen asked.

Shen Yuan turned to tell her about Shen Wen'an's assessment of Xu Xiu.

"That can't be, can it?"

"I don't think Elder Xu has any malicious intentions."

Shen Yuan sighed, "You can know someone's face but not their heart, it's hard to say."

"However, as the saying goes, don't intend to harm others, but also guard against harm from others, just be a bit cautious."

Hu Yufen nodded slightly, then with a touch of excitement said, "These past few days, I seem to feel the Qi blood power you've talked about."

"But just when I want to grasp it, it suddenly vanishes; do you think… I might be sensing it wrong?"

Hearing this, Shen Yuan's face lit up with joy.

"Shi Tou said this is called the Qi Sensing Realm, you aren't sensing it wrong."

"It seems you are close to breaking through to the Postnatal Realm."

Hu Yufen was joyful upon hearing this.

She had never been too keen on cultivating, but with age and seeing her husband's increasing strength, she noticeably felt fatigued and unable to satisfy Shen Yuan in marital matters.

Moreover, recently she was pushed into consuming a Qi Nourishing Pill and a Body Tempering Pill, making her feel that if she didn't progress, it would be a waste of those precious pills.

"Spend a bit more time on cultivation these days and strive to break through to the Postnatal Realm soon."

Smoothing her long hair, Shen Yuan advised.

Reaching the Postnatal Realm would extend life by a hundred and fifty years, a major achievement indeed.

"Alright."

Hu Yufen replied tenderly.

As midnight deepened, Shen Yuan habitually glanced at the White Jade Turtle Shell in his Sea of Consciousness.

[Hexagram Refreshed!]

[Today's Hexagram · Great Auspice]: Loose cultivator Xu Xiu harbors a great secret. If introduced to the Immortal Sect, there could be an opportunity to uncover his secret, significantly benefiting the family's development.

Another "Great Auspice" hexagram!

Shen Yuan sat excitedly up in bed!

He couldn't remember the last time he saw a "Great Auspice" hexagram.

And this time, the "Great Auspice" hexagram was related to Xu Xiu.

Combining it with his son's previous statement that Xu Xiu's "intentions were impure," Shen Yuan fell into deep thought.

The hexagram indicated introducing Xu Xiu to the Immortal Sect…

Indeed, the old man must have lied to him.

Previously he claimed his time was nearing its end and had no further aspirations.

Following this train of thought, Shen Yuan realized many things.

Xu Xiu had vanished for seven years, yet chose now to return to the Black Water Pool to find him.

He must have heard about his son joining the Immortal Sect from the outside.

As a loose cultivator, he had reached his current realm alone, relying solely on the Breathing Technique left by the Elder Immortal.

Having encountered a bottleneck now, lacking guidance or resources, it was difficult to progress further.

The reason the youngest said he had "impure intentions" was likely due to approaching them again, aiming to use Shen Wen'an to try to enter the Immortal Sect.

Though this was for personal gain, it didn't harm the Shen Family's interests.

Tomorrow, he would need to find a way to persuade the youngest, to introduce Xu Xiu to the Immortal Sect.

On one side, repaying the old debt, on the other, as the hexagram suggested, trying to uncover the great secret Xu Xiu held.

The next morning.

As Shen Yuan got up, he heard the whoosh of swordplay from the backyard.

After hesitating momentarily, he headed to the backyard.

"Wen'an."

Shen Wen'an halted his sword momentum, curiously looking at him.

"Father wishes to discuss something with you."

Shen Wen'an didn't speak, strolling slowly over.

"Do you remember the Breathing Technique that was passed on to you by your father?"

"It was actually given by Xu Xiu back then; our Shen family owes him a debt of gratitude."

"He's a loose cultivator, at this age, he seeks nothing more than to progress further."

"Father thought for a long time and hoped you could help him, to repay the debt of gratitude from back then; what do you think?"

After a moment of thought, Shen Wen'an said, "How should I help him?"

Shen Yuan said, "Father hopes you will ask your master to bring him to the Immortal Sect when you return."

"His future will depend on himself. If by any chance he progresses, we will have befriended a strong ally."

"Even if he fails to achieve his desires, at least he will have witnessed the world of the immortals."

Shen Wen'an considered it, then nodded, "I understand."

"I will tell my master when he returns."

"If there's nothing else, I'll go cultivate."

Shen Yuan nodded, his heart sighing with relief.

Now that his son understood, it was time to share the good news with Xu Xiu, to uncover his great secret."

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