Longzang

Chapter 1170 A Small Lesson
This small, milky-white dragon was at a crucial moment in condensing its Dharma form, with only a section of its tail remaining to take shape. After falling into Wei Yuan's hands, this process was naturally interrupted.

Wei Yuan himself was a great expert on fortune, and he could tell at a glance that the hall was set up with a fortune-gathering formation that could draw on the fortune of visiting guests and gather it here to help the girl condense the white dragon Dharma form.

No wonder the Xu family received seven days' worth of lavish gifts and reciprocated so generously, attracting numerous guests to the grand ceremony. The process of guests presenting gifts was tantamount to registering themselves, indicating their willingness to contribute their luck to the celebration. Those gift lists were actually magical artifacts used to lure guests into the array.

However, the third branch of the Xu family didn't take much fortune; the array extracted it very discreetly, and they would provide generous compensation afterward. Most cultivators, even knowing the details, would still obediently contribute their fortune. In their eyes, they couldn't use their own fortune anyway, so it was better to give it up in exchange for some resources. If they could be noticed by the Xu family and recruited, it would be an even greater joy.

As for the white dragon in Wei Yuan's hands, it was half naturally formed and half condensed by destiny, possessing a remarkably high status. Even in its Dharma form, it possessed inherent sentience and already showed some resemblance to the true spirit of the Imperial Realm. If one were to cultivate to the Imperial Realm and use the white dragon as their true spirit, ascension to immortality would indeed be within reach. Even if the white dragon failed to successfully transform into a dragon, using the dragon as its true spirit would still offer a glimmer of hope for ascension.

This girl is definitely a potential immortal, far stronger than the one Wei Yuan had heard of before.

At this moment, more and more cultivators gathered outside the Immortal Abode, and all irrelevant cultivators inside were cleared out, leaving only the members of the Xu family's third branch. Elder Yu Jing was both shocked and furious, standing at the entrance of the main hall, wanting to rush in but not daring to, fearing that Wei Yuan would injure the White Flood Dragon's Dharma Form.

The girl inside the formation had awakened from her meditation, her innocent eyes wide with terror. Her avatar had been captured, and she was now unable to move. Wei Yuan examined the white dragon from all angles, and with each stroke of his hand, she trembled involuntarily.

Wei Yuan had often watched Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng play with Xu Henshui's Dao foundation since he was a child. Now he was appreciating a Dharma image, and the theory was the same.

Suddenly, several powerful auras rose from afar and flew over at an astonishing speed!

Li Zhi, standing guard outside the main hall, sighed helplessly, took out a waist token from the Southern Qi royal family, and hung it on his person. All those who came were Imperial Guards, and there were as many as six of them. Adding the one at the entrance, that made seven Imperial Guards. Almost half of the Xu family's publicly known Imperial Guards had come out.

Although Li Zhi was a top-tier immortal being and possessed the Four Saints Academy's most precious treasure, he could only hold off one Yu Jing, and no more. At this moment, he could only smile bitterly, realizing he could only rely on his status to intimidate others.

When it comes to using one's status to intimidate others, Li Zhi is quite adept. He immediately stood in the main hall, blocking the group of Xu family officials, and coldly said, "I am Li Zhi, the military governor of Datang Town! Seniors, let's talk things out; there's no need for such a grand display. If it comes to numbers, the Li family of Southern Qi and the Four Saints Academy have never been afraid of anyone!"

The murderous aura of the Xu family's imperial guards subsided somewhat; they exchanged glances, all sensing a sense of apprehension. The disparity in national strength between Southern Qi and Northern Qi was enormous. The only reason Southern Qi didn't attack Northern Qi was that the region was too barren, offering little to attack. Furthermore, Xu Shuhe had been spreading rumors of his impending death for nearly a century, making it unlikely that anyone would provoke him, thus allowing Northern Qi to remain in a corner of the world.

Li Zhi's identity is well-known. He is a genius jointly cultivated by the Four Saints Academy and the Southern Qi royal family. He made a name for himself at the Azure Heaven Dharma Assembly, ranking among the Twelve Immortals. Such a person is almost certain to ascend to immortality, far surpassing the so-called immortal seeds of the Xu family.

If anything were to happen to Li Zhi here, the ancestral spirits of the Southern Qi Li family would come knocking on their door the very next day to demand an explanation.

Therefore, all the elders of Yujing were troubled. The elder in the lead said in a deep voice: "My Xu family's immortal ancestor fought for the thirteen great families and died in battle! Is this how you treat the descendants of heroes? There is no reason in the world. Does your family's immortal ancestor know that the Li family of Nanqi is so powerful and domineering?"

Li Zhi sighed inwardly. Of course, the Immortal Ancestor didn't know. If he did, why would he have let him come?
"Of course the Immortal Ancestor doesn't know. We came here on our own. If he knew, would he have let us come?" Wei Yuan appeared, carrying the white dragon in one hand and the girl in the other, and walked out of the main hall.

A dignified middle-aged cultivator stepped forward in a rage and shouted, "Put Xuan'er down immediately, and we'll pretend today's events never happened! Otherwise, a child can be born again, and a fallen immortal seed can be re-cultivated. We'll fight you to the death today, and avenge our Immortal Ancestor while we're at it!"

This middle-aged cultivator was extremely powerful, already at the late stage of the Imperial Realm, nearing perfection. As the head of the third branch, his supernatural abilities and Daoist techniques were first-rate and formidable. He was also decisive and magnanimous, clearly stating his attitude that he would rather harm the young girl's life than compromise.

Such decisiveness is quite rare, and it earned Wei Yuan's high regard.

Wei Yuan had memorized all the information about the Xu family's Imperial Realm, while the information about Dharma Forms and important Dao Foundations was stored in the bustling world of the myriad realms and could be retrieved at any time. In a sense, Wei Yuan might be the person who remembered the most things in history; at least among the immortals of this era, there were few who could hold onto so much information.

The Xu family currently has seven Imperial Views, including three from the eldest branch, two from the third branch, and the remaining two from the fourth and fifth branches.

There are five members of the Xu family who are secretly or openly destined for immortality. Two are from the eldest branch, each with about a 10% chance of ascending to immortality. The one from the fifth branch has only a sliver of hope and will most likely be eliminated in the late stage of the Imperial Realm.

Then there are two from the third branch: one is Xu Huaixuan, the young girl Wei Yuan is carrying, and the other is Xu Tianze, who is deeply hidden away and is said to have inherited Xu Shuhe's mantle. It is said that his chances of ascending to immortality are 50% higher than those of the two from the first branch.

But today, Wei Yuan, on a whim, suddenly barged in. Upon seeing Xu Huaixuan, he immediately knew she was the true seed of immortality. With just this white dragon, imbued with his destiny, she had a 20% chance of ascending to immortality, far surpassing her peers.

The Xu family has made the true seeds of ascension visible in the open, while hiding those inferior to Xu Huaixuan, employing a clever trick of making the illusory appear real and the real appear illusory. If Wei Yuan exerts too much pressure and is forced to hand over someone, it will be Xu Tianze, or perhaps one of the eldest sons. Ascension is not simply a matter of calculating probability; it also requires consideration of the appropriate Heavenly Dao authority. With Wei Yuan taking away the true essence of Xu Shuhe's legacy, the Xu family's lineage has temporarily ceased, leaving future generations without readily available Heavenly Dao essence.

If they wish to ascend to immortality, they must rediscover the Dao and attempt to grasp its power themselves. In this way, talent becomes extremely important, and the manifestation of the Dao often lasts only a moment; missing the opportunity could mean waiting for a dozen or even longer. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the Xu family would allow Xu Huaixuan to attempt ascension, while the others would have to wait in line.

Once Xu Huaixuan successfully ascends to immortality and seizes the ancestral Heavenly Dao authority, his other brothers and sisters will have their paths cut off, forever confined to the realm of Yujing. Unless they can forge their own new path to immortality.

Xu Shuhe himself possessed few and specific Heavenly Dao powers, which were all similar or even adjacent and compatible. In other words, this path was too narrow, only allowing one person to pass at a time.

This is also the norm on the path of immortality. For example, in the Taichu Palace, which has three temples and twelve halls, each of the twelve halls can only house one immortal at a time. The path of immortality in the three temples is much broader, and can barely accommodate two immortals.

As for the patriarch's path, it was naturally different. It was more than enough for three disciples to ascend to immortality at the same time; it was just that the other disciples were not up to par. Now, Wei Yuan recalled that the patriarch's four immortal swords were each associated with an immortal, and his Taoist arts were earth-shattering. There should be at least four more immortals among them.

Wei Yuan glanced at the Xu family members and immediately understood the situation. He patted Li Zhi on the shoulder and said, "A bunch of incompetent cowards, all bluster and no substance. Why waste your breath on them, Brother Li?"

Wei Yuan sneered, "Seven mere Imperial Realm experts, not only do you not flee from me, but you dare to spout such arrogant words! Even when I killed your Immortal Ancestor, he didn't have such a boastful tone. I'll give you a chance. Quickly kneel down and beg for mercy, and I can pretend that today's events never happened!"

Li Zhi looked at Wei Yuan's back and wondered, "He's holding a dragon in one hand and carrying a girl in the other, so what did he use to pat my shoulder just now?"
The Xu family members, all at the Imperial Realm, were furious. They gathered their Dao power and joined forces to set up an array, preparing to capture Wei Yuan by combining their strength. Although they looked disdainful, they did not dare to be careless in their actions and immediately set up the array together.

Wei Yuan ascended into the air, stood there, and said calmly, "Sweeping you all away is nothing more than crushing dry reeds!"

Then, three human heads appeared above Wei Yuan's head, and in an instant, six gazes swept across the heavens and earth! Even the immortals of yesteryear could not withstand the gazes of the six realms, let alone a few Imperial Realm experts.
In an instant, their Dao power was scattered and fragmented, the formation was riddled with holes and collapsed immediately. The backlash from the broken formation immediately injured several of the Imperial Realm experts.

Immediately, a ray of sunlight appeared in Wei Yuan's hand. Wherever it shone, cultivators below the Imperial Realm level froze instantly, and even several Imperial Realm cultivators moved slowly, like old people!

Wei Yuan sought a swift victory and unleashed the Evil Sun Pillar. Wherever the Evil Sun shone, everyone's physical bodies began to grow and mutate wildly. If the sun shone on them for a while longer, the entire courtyard would turn into a fiery demon!

The evil yang appeared briefly and then disappeared, while Wei Yuan took advantage of the fact that the Yu Jing members were having difficulty moving, reached out with his two large hands, grabbed one Yu Jing elder by the neck, and flew away.

Only one sentence echoed in the courtyard: "Today is just a small lesson. I will come again in three days. You all better clean up and wait."

After a few more breaths, the Imperial Elders regained their mobility, feeling both relieved and terrified. They never expected Wei Yuan to be so terrifying, managing to capture two elders alive while fighting seven opponents. How could they possibly defend themselves against him?

The elders exchanged glances and suddenly realized that the two elders Wei Yuan had taken away were from the eldest branch of the family, while the seed he had taken away belonged to the third branch!
At this moment, the eldest branch only has one elder, Yu Jing, while the third branch has both elders. As for the seeds of ascension, only the eldest branch has two, while Xu Tianze of the third branch is merely a figurehead.

The atmosphere suddenly became delicate and gradually turned dangerous.

……

High in the sky, Wei Yuan swiftly rode the wind, carrying three people and a dragon in his hands.

"Wait for me, I'm falling behind!" Li Zhi, who was being left further and further behind, had no choice but to call out.

Li Zhi could see clearly that Wei Yuan now had four arms, each carrying an object. A face suddenly appeared on the back of his head, replying, "Bear with it! We can't afford to delay! My Dao power is depleted; we must escape Northern Qi as quickly as possible!"

Li Zhi was already flying at full speed and could barely speak. Hearing Wei Yuan's words, he couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you still make an appointment with them for three days later?"

Wei Yuan chuckled, looking at the back of his head, and said, "They won't be chasing me with all their might after we agree to meet in three days! They're probably already gathering their friends and waiting for me to walk right into their trap! Haha, let them wait!"

(End of this chapter)