Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 487 Chaotic Dao Foundation, Resurrection, Inner Demon Tribulation

As dusk settled, staining the sky with inky blackness, a streak of azure light pierced through the clouds. The light abruptly receded near the Fu family's mountain gate, revealing Fu Changsheng's figure.

"Master!" The disciple guarding the mountain quickly activated the protective barrier.

Fu Changsheng waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to make a fuss, and his figure flashed a few times before appearing outside the main hall. Through the carved window lattice, he saw his wife examining several items placed on a golden nanmu table, among which a black jade scroll was faintly glowing with a blue light.

squeak-

The hall door opened by itself without any wind.

"My husband is back." Liu Meizhen looked up, the weariness between her brows vanishing. "The Ouyang family today..."

“I have heard.” Fu Changsheng stepped across the threshold, and a bronze mirror flew out from his sleeve. The mirror was simple in style, with the four seal characters “镇厄除秽” (meaning “to suppress evil and remove filth”) engraved on its edge. It was the ominous mirror that Fu Yongren had given him.

The mirror was suspended above the three gifts, reflecting them one by one.

The thousand-year-old Xuan Yin Cold Jade reflected a clear spring in the mirror; the Nether Blood Sand transformed into a sky full of crimson clouds; and finally, when it shone on the "Secret Record of the Nether Spring Condensing Elixir," the mirror surface suddenly rippled, and several lines of blurry text appeared.

Fu Changsheng's gaze sharpened slightly: "Indeed, as you said, it is a niche secret technique for forming a core using the water element." He put away the treasure mirror. "Especially this 'Nine Revolutions Core Formation Method,' it does have a complementary effect with the 'Mysterious Netherworld True Scripture' that Yongxuan cultivates."

Liu Meizhen brought over some spiritual tea: "Clan Chief Ouyang has stated clearly that he only requests Yongxuan to guide his youngest daughter in achieving the Core Formation stage. But I always feel..." She lightly stroked the jade slip with her fingertips, "that it's rather unusual for a seventh-rank aristocratic family to offer up the very foundation of their family's existence."

Fu Changsheng took a sip of tea and suddenly asked, "What do you think of Qixia Mountain?"

"Hmm?" Liu Meizhen was taken aback, then understood. "Husband, you mean the ancestral home of the Ouyang family? It is said that there is a place shrouded in mist all year round, and there is a thousand-foot-deep cold pool in the mountain's belly." She suddenly paused. "Wait, a cold pool?"

“Not bad.” Fu Changsheng put down his teacup. “Hundreds of years ago, when the Imperial Guard wiped out the Cloud Fiend Sect, they discovered Netherworld Cold Iron near Qixia Mountain. This material…”

The couple looked at the three buckets of churning blood-red sand on the table, which shimmered with an eerie purplish-black hue in the candlelight.

"Does my husband suspect that the Ouyang family controls the Netherworld Cold Iron Mine?" Liu Meizhen asked in a low voice.

“It’s just a guess,” Fu Changsheng said as he got up and walked to the west window. The outline of Qixia Mountain in the distance was faintly visible in the moonlight. “Being able to casually take out three dou of Netherworld Blood Sand produced by the Nine Nether Cold Abyss means that they either have special channels or…” As he turned around, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, “there really is a rift connecting to the Nine Netherworld under Qixia Mountain.”

Liu Meizhen snapped her fan shut: "In that case, the Ouyang family's 'small gift' is actually priceless."

“That’s why we should make this friend even more.” Fu Changsheng suddenly chuckled. “Tomorrow, you should personally bring two jars of ‘Mysterious Ice Brew’ in return, and tell them that Yongxuan is happy to guide Ouyang Qing.” He took out a jade slip from his robes. “Bring along the first two volumes of this ‘Mysterious Netherworld Essentials’ as well.”

Liu Meizhen took the jade slip, seemingly lost in thought: "What does my husband mean?"

“It’s only fair to reciprocate.” Fu Changsheng gazed towards Qixia Mountain. “Since they dared to use their clan’s secret technique, my Fu family naturally can’t be stingy. Moreover,” he said with a slight smile, “I’m also very curious about the aptitude of this Miss Ouyang, who needs the aid of the *Xuanming True Scripture* to form her core.”

Finished.

Fu Changsheng took out a jade box from his storage ring. The box was covered with runes, indicating that it was protected by a restriction.

“This is…” Liu Meizhen’s eyes flickered slightly.

"Twenty Xuanhuang Spirit Pills." Fu Changsheng flicked his finger, and the box lid slowly opened. In an instant, the Xuanhuang Qi intertwined and surged, transforming into the phantom images of dragons and snakes that swirled in the quiet room, and an ancient and profound fragrance of pills permeated the air.

Liu Meizhen's pupils contracted slightly, clearly not expecting Fu Changsheng to obtain so many more elixirs: "Husband, these elixirs are precious. Each one can help a cultivator rebuild their foundation. Twenty... could it be that you intend to—?"

“Not bad.” Fu Changsheng’s expression was calm, but it revealed an undeniable determination. “Although I have now resolved the conflict between my cultivation techniques, my Chaos Dao Foundation has not yet been formed. If I rashly form my core, I will ultimately lack a bit of foundation.”

He raised his hand and made a grasping motion, a wisp of chaotic true essence swirling in his palm, faintly resembling the rising and falling of stars and the leaping of thunder.

“Ancient texts record that once the Chaos Dao Foundation is established, one can summon the ‘Chaos Thunder Tribulation’ when forming the Golden Core to refine it to perfection, and there is hope of becoming a deity in the future.” He looked at Liu Meizhen, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, “This time, I will use these twenty Xuanhuang Spirit Pills to completely forge the Chaos Dao Foundation!”

Liu Meizhen knew Fu Changsheng's character well; once he made a decision, there was no turning back. She took a deep breath and solemnly said:

"Good! However, you need to be more careful with how you take it this time. The previous nine pills have already helped you harmonize your various energies, but these twenty pills are probably not just for harmonization, but for 'reshaping'!"

She flipped her palm and took out an old bamboo scroll, which contained the secret method of ancient cultivators taking the Xuanhuang Spirit Pill.

"According to this scroll, if a cultivator has initially integrated the Chaos True Essence, when taking elixirs, he/she needs to use the 'Nine Palaces Refining Heaven Array' as an aid. Each elixir must be guided to evolve different phenomena from the Chaos True Essence, until all twenty elixirs are refined, and only then can the Chaos Dao Foundation be truly perfected."

Fu Changsheng glanced at the bamboo slips and nodded slightly: "Nine Palaces Refining Heaven Formation... It seems I will need my wife's help this time."

Liu Meizhen chuckled, "We are husband and wife, so we should advance and retreat together. However, this refining process is extremely risky. If the true essence gets out of control midway, there is a certain chance that the foundation of one's cultivation will be damaged..."

"It's alright." Fu Changsheng smiled calmly. "The path of cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. If one is not even willing to take this small risk, how can one talk about the Great Dao?"

Liu Meizhen said no more. She made a hand seal with her fingertips, and the floor of the quiet room suddenly lit up with a complex ancient array. In each of the nine palaces, a spirit stone floated, with obscure runes engraved on it.

"My husband, let's begin," she said solemnly.

Fu Changsheng no longer hesitated, took out a Xuanhuang Spirit Pill, and swallowed it!

--boom!

As the elixir entered his stomach, the chaotic true essence instantly boiled! Within the Purple Mansion, the seven cultivation techniques that had been in a state of equilibrium suddenly erupted. The giant green tree took root in the stars, lightning transformed into branches and leaves, talismans were engraved on the trunk, and the entire chaotic spiritual sea surged and roared, as if to reenact the scene of the creation of heaven and earth!
"Ugh—!" Fu Changsheng groaned, countless profound runes appearing on his body, his skin cracking inch by inch, yet rapidly healing under the nourishment of the chaotic true essence. At this moment, it seemed as if an epic battle was taking place within his body, every wisp of true essence fighting, merging, and transforming!
Upon seeing this, Liu Meizhen immediately activated the great formation, and nine divine lights shot out from the nine palaces, enveloping Fu Changsheng and helping him suppress the rampaging spiritual power.

"Husband, guide your true essence to perform the 'Starry Sky Tempering Body'!" she shouted in a deep voice.

With a thought, Fu Changsheng's true essence from the Nine Heavens Starry Sky Technique suddenly erupted, and his acupoints shone like a galaxy. Every point seemed to have a star burning inside, and endless starlight washed over his body, further condensing the chaotic true essence!
—The first one, done!
……

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Fu Changsheng sat quietly within the formation, his body shrouded in chaotic energy, resembling an ancient deity. He had already refined nineteen Xuanhuang Spirit Pills, and his chaotic true essence had undergone a complete transformation. Every strand contained the profound mysteries of the Seven Laws, and his every move exuded power far surpassing that of a pseudo-core cultivator!
"This is the last one." Liu Meizhen's face was slightly pale. After controlling the great formation for three months, even with her profound cultivation, she was inevitably feeling some strain.

Fu Changsheng opened his eyes, a fleeting vision of primordial chaos appearing in them. He looked at the last spiritual pill and said in a deep voice:
"Whether he can successfully condense the Chaos Dao Foundation depends on this last one. But regardless of whether he succeeds or not, he will go into seclusion to try to break through to the Golden Core stage."

Liu Meizhen took a deep breath, made a hand seal with her fingertips, and the Nine Palaces Array shone brightly!
"Husband, be careful!"

Fu Changsheng no longer hesitated, opened his mouth and inhaled, the elixir transforming into a stream of light and entering his body—

——Boom!

In an instant, chaotic energy surged within the quiet room. Fu Changsheng's Purple Mansion seemed to be splitting open the heavens and earth. Green wood, stars, thunder, talismans... all kinds of strange phenomena converged into one, finally transforming into a chaotic "Dao Seed" that floated in the center of his dantian!
"It's done!" Liu Meizhen exclaimed in delight.

Fu Changsheng slowly rose, his aura restrained yet giving off an unfathomable feeling. He raised his hand and pressed down, a wisp of chaotic true essence flowing through him, subtly resonating with the heavens and earth!
"The foundation of the Chaos Dao is initially formed." His eyes shone brightly. "Next, it will be... Core Formation!"

Just now.

The panel in Fu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness trembled slightly, and then a line of text appeared:

【Creative Foundation of Chaos: Embryo (2/100)】

"It seems that a lot of Xuanhuang Spirit Pills are still needed to perfect the Chaos Dao Foundation."

However, the Mountain and River Town Clan Cauldron can be continuously generated according to the clan's fortune. With the Primordial Mystic Vine in his hand, he has no worries about not having the opportunity to perfect his Dao Foundation. In other words, as long as no accidents happen, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is not a problem for him.

Thinking of this.

A smile involuntarily appeared on Fu Changsheng's face:
"Meizhen, I'm going to Xuanxiao Mountain to cultivate in seclusion and try to break through to the Golden Core stage. I'll leave the clan's affairs to you."

Liu Meizhen was worried that Fu Changsheng would be without anyone to protect him after he reached the Core Formation stage, so she wanted her daughter Fu Yongxuan, who had already reached the Core Formation stage, to help protect him.

Fu Changsheng refused.

Xuanxiao Mountain has a great array set up by the previous Supreme Elder of Xuanxiao Sect to resist the lightning tribulation, and no one can find that place in the back mountain. Otherwise, he would not have chosen Xuanxiao Sect as the place to form his core.

Liu Meizhen could only say:

"Then please be careful in everything, my husband. There is still no news from the court regarding the new fiefdom. Yongxuan is currently stationed in Huizhou Prefecture, and there are no major issues within the clan. You can rest assured and focus on your core formation."

"Um"

Fu Changsheng acknowledged the order and then instructed Liu Meizhen to announce to the outside world that he was in seclusion to consolidate his pseudo-core cultivation, so as to prevent anyone from interfering when he was striving for the golden core. After giving the instructions, Fu Changsheng secretly left Huizhou Prefecture, concealing his whereabouts, and headed to Xuanxiao Mountain.

...

...

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the steep cliffs of Xuanxiao Mountain. Fu Changsheng stood on a protruding rock, his black robes blending seamlessly with the night. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his divine sense spreading outwards like threads. After confirming that no one was watching, he swiftly formed hand seals.

"Formless Step, Vanishing Form."

As the incantation was completed, his figure gradually faded away, eventually dissipating into the night wind like mist. This was a secret technique he obtained in an ancient ruin, capable of perfectly concealing his form and aura, making him difficult to detect even for Golden Core cultivators.

At the edge of the forbidden area, seventy-two array patterns flickered in and out of sight in the void. Fu Changsheng took out an ancient bronze token from his storage ring, on which were engraved patterns similar to the array patterns.

This item belonged to the previous Grand Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect.

"Dispel the Spirit Sealing Array."

The token emitted a faint bluish light.

A violent surge of spiritual energy erupted, causing ripples to spread across the space before him, much like the surface of water. Fu Changsheng stepped into it without hesitation, and the array behind him closed again, as if no one had ever been there.

The spiritual energy inside the forbidden area in the back mountain was so dense that it was almost liquefied.

One day of cultivation here is equivalent to a hundred days of arduous training outside. Fu Changsheng did not linger and went straight to a bamboo hut deep in the forbidden area.

After closing the magic circle.

A thought.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery distorted and shifted. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the small wooden house within the Five Elements Space. His thoughts focused on the [Training Room] on the panel. After a moment's hesitation, he didn't immediately activate it. Instead, he made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a pure white jade seal appeared out of thin air. Nine strands of golden energy swirled around the jade seal, each strand containing astonishing power of fortune.

Those blessed with the fortune of a prominent family often reap unexpected rewards.

Yunshan County, Hidden Mist Valley
As night deepened, a misty veil enveloped the mountain forest, turning the valley into a hazy, dreamlike place.

Deep in the valley, a slender figure stood on an ancient stone platform, her hands forming hand seals, spiritual light flowing from her fingertips, transforming into countless runes that merged into the void. Her expression was cool and aloof, yet her eyes revealed a hint of weariness—Fu Yongyao, the eldest daughter of the Fu family, had been sitting here in solitude for thirteen years.

"Failed again..."

She slowly withdrew her hand, and the Heavenly Mystery Compass floating in front of her cracked open with a "crack," the array patterns dissipated, and the surrounding spiritual energy became chaotic, receding like a tide.

This is the 729th attempt.

decades ago.

Not long after the Fu family received the fiefdom of Yunshan County, her second brother, Fu Yongrong, suddenly disappeared. In the end, her father found out from the clues that he had disappeared in the secret realm within this barrier.

This is a hidden paradise that has never been explored before.

Once the barrier is activated.

This will inevitably attract the attention of others, and the imperial court will also intervene.

To prevent others from taking the peaches.

Grandpa Yu came up with a plan to set up a Heavenly Secret Array to conceal the aura of the secret realm. In this way, they could...
Break through the barrier and rescue Second Brother!
Grandpa Yu no longer needs to fake his death to avoid the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

However, the barrier of this secret realm adjusts itself according to the changes in the energy of heaven and earth. Every time she was about to decipher the rules, the barrier would change again, causing her to fail at the last minute.

"Is it... really impossible to crack?"

Fu Yongyao muttered to himself.

but.

She quickly cheered up again.

For her second brother, for Grandpa Yu, and for the secret realm, she was determined to complete the Heavenly Secret Array.

Fu Yongyao formed a hand seal, and the Heavenly Mystery Compass floated before her. Spiritual patterns flowed from her palm like streams, merging into the void. Her eyes reflected the trajectory of the array patterns, filled with anticipation—

"As long as we can figure out the pattern of the barrier, we can rescue my second brother."

However, just as the array was about to close, the barrier of the secret realm suddenly fluctuated, and an invisible force shattered her spiritual runes.

"boom--"

The backlash surged into her meridians, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained calm.

"Again."

Another year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Fu Yongyao sat cross-legged in front of the barrier, his fingertips lightly tracing patterns that intertwined in the air, aligning with the constellations in the night sky.

"Changes in the barrier must be related to the shifting of constellations."

She worked out the pattern for seven consecutive nights and finally came to a possible conclusion.

"This time, we'll definitely succeed!"

But the moment her fingertip touched the ground, the barrier suddenly twisted, and the array patterns shattered once again.

Her fingers trembled slightly, and her knuckles turned white from excessive calculation.

The night wind tousled her hair. She remained silent for a moment, then reached out to wipe the blood from her lips and took out a new Heavenly Compass.

In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.

She tried over three hundred different methods to crack the code, but each time she failed at the last second just before success.

Why is it always just a hair's breadth away?

Her face looked slightly haggard from years of sitting still, but her eyes remained as bright as cold stars.

Instead of rushing to break the formation, she began to record the lessons learned from each failure and inscribe them into jade slips.

"The workings of Heaven are unpredictable, but they must follow certain patterns."

Her fingertips gently traced the patterns on the jade slip, as if caressing a long-held obsession.

Fu Yongyao's deductions have become almost obsessive.

She once stayed up for three days and three nights without sleep, just to verify a possible knot law.

"Try again. Try again."

failure.

failure.

It was another failure.

"Could it be that I really can't crack it?"

This thought crossed her mind for the first time, but she was immediately suppressed by an even stronger obsession.

"No, Second Brother is still inside. Grandpa is still waiting."

She bit her fingertip, using her blood as ink to carve new runes on the array plate.

--suddenly!
In the darkness, an extremely mysterious power descended upon her!

"This is……?!"

Fu Yongyao's pupils suddenly contracted, and it seemed as if countless runes were intertwined before her eyes. Every failed evolution of the array pattern she had made over the past ten years appeared at this moment, connecting with each other and finally turning into a clear trajectory!

"I see!"

She suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze blazing with spiritual light, and the compass in her hand spun rapidly, the array patterns rearranging!

—The Celestial Array, recalculated!

"The changes in the barrier are not random, but follow the dual rules of 'Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches' and 'Star Shift'!"

She finally saw through the essence, quickly adjusted the position of the array's core, and spiritual light rained down, forming an array of runes!
"Six years! At most six years, I will be able to break through this formation!"

A resolute glint flashed in her eyes. With a flick of her sleeve, the array patterns stabilized and stopped dissipating!
This time, she will not fail!

...

...

Icefield Mountain, Xuanbing Cave.

Shuzhen curled up on the ice bed, surrounded by a chilling atmosphere, but she couldn't suppress the fear surging in her heart.

Granny Yinhua has been gone for three days, supposedly to "gather herbs." But Shuzhen knows that every time the old woman leaves, she always returns with a faint smell of blood on her.

She slowly stood up, her bare feet stepping onto the ice. The chill spread from the soles of her feet, but it couldn't compare to the coldness in her heart.

"That bronze mirror...that woman..."

She would never forget what she saw that night—the reflection in the mirror was clearly that of a young woman, not Granny Yinhua's withered, bark-like face.

"She's not my grandmother..."

The thought pierced her bones like a cold needle, making her tremble all over.

Shuzhen moved cautiously inside the cave, a wisp of cold air gathering at her fingertips, faintly illuminating the path in the darkness.

"Everything here... is a lie."

She discovered that although Granny Yinhua taught her to cultivate the "Mysterious Ice Technique," she never allowed her to touch any talisman arrays or books related to restrictions. Even certain areas within the cave were restricted, and if she approached them, Granny Yinhua would immediately appear and drive her away under the pretext of "danger."

There must be a flaw...

She arrived at the depths of the cave, before a stone door sealed by a thick ice wall—a place that Granny Silver Flower never allowed her to set foot in.

Normally, this place is protected by a barrier; if it is disturbed even slightly, Granny Silver Flower will notice.

But today, my mother-in-law is not here.

Shuzhen took a deep breath, a wisp of cold light condensing at her fingertips, and gently touched the restriction patterns on the stone gate.

"The Third Form of the Mysterious Ice Technique: Breaking the Barrier with Frosty Soul."

The chill spread along the restricted patterns, and where frost covered, the runes gradually dimmed.

“Click——”

The stone door slowly opened, and a cold, decaying aura rushed out.

The room was pitch black, except for a blood-red array in the center that emitted a faint red glow.

Shuzhen's pupils suddenly contracted.

"This is... the Soul-Snatching Formation!"

The ground was outlined with complex formations in blood patterns, and seven Frost Marrow Nails were driven into the formation's eye, each radiating an aura of the same origin as the Frost Marrow Nails within her body.

"So... all of this was foreshadowing!"

She suddenly remembered that every medicinal soup Granny Silver Flower gave her, the icy marrow nails piercing her body, and even the so-called "Mysterious Ice Technique cultivation" were all designed to modify her physical body, making it more suitable for possession! "The day I form my core will be the day she seizes my soul!"

Shuzhen staggered backward, horrified, but quickly forced herself to calm down.

"We can't just sit here and wait to die..."

She looked around and noticed that the stone wall was covered with densely packed runes, with one passage standing out in particular:
"The Soul-Seizing Array requires the Ice Soul Body as a catalyst and the Seven Frost Marrow Nails as a medium. Upon the formation of the Golden Core, the soul and body exchange, ensuring eternal life..."

She read it carefully, and felt a chill run through her body.

"She's tried many times... but failed every time."

Because she discovered that many names had been crossed out and were still carved on the stone wall—

"Lin Shuang", "Han Yue", "Xue Ying"...

These people were all once "vessels" of Granny Yinhua!
And they... they were all dead.

Shuzhen quickly considered a solution, but soon discovered that the entire cave was heavily guarded by Granny Yinhua, making it impossible to force her way through.

"To flee directly is to certain death."

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, a resolute glint in them.

"Since we can't escape... then we'll prevent her from taking it!"

She walked to the Soul-Seizing Array, gathered cold energy in her palm, and slowly pressed it onto the core of the array.

"The Cold Marrow Nail has been inserted into my body, and she can control my consciousness, but..."

"My ice spirit root is not yet fully under her control!"

"Grandma Silver Flower, are you trying to possess someone else's body?"

"Then I'll dig out the spiritual root first!"

"Your Soul-Seizing Formation requires a perfectly intact Ice Soul Body..."

"If I destroy my own foundation, can you still seize it?"

Just as Shuzhen was activating the cold energy within her body, intending to destroy her own foundation...

A wisp of mysterious energy descended from the darkness, like a spring breeze brushing away snow, and instantly seeped into her brow.

"boom--"

In an instant, countless fragments of memories flooded into my mind like a burst dam!

—In her childhood, she and her mother suffered endless humiliation in a brothel. After her mother's death, despite her best efforts, she could not escape that hellhole. Until that day, a tall man stepped into the courtyard, beheaded the wealthy man with a single sword stroke, and reached out his hand to her, his voice deep and gentle:
"Come with me."

“Patriarch… Fu Changsheng…”

Fu Molan remembered everything completely.

When her family was promoted to the eighth rank, she was given a spot to enter the Zhenshi Division, and she earned that spot herself.

Later, having offended Li Wanhu, she was sent to infiltrate Qiuyue Nunnery, but she was betrayed by someone. The abbess discovered her identity and sold her to…

"Grandma Silver Flower!"

Fu Molan shuddered, her eyes flashing with a cold light!

"I am Fu Molan! Not Shuzhen!"

The moment her memory returned, she suddenly touched the back of her neck—there, there was a very faint line, the mark of the Shadow Gate mask!
This is a mysterious mask bestowed upon her by the patriarch, which allows her to communicate with other members of her clan who also wear masks.

Without hesitation, she activated her divine sense and touched the mask's mark.

"Master! Save me!"

However, after the divine sense was sent out, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no response whatsoever.

"Master... something happened to you?"

Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down and changed the person she was contacting.

"Mistress! Liu Meizhen!"

This time, there was a slight reaction from the fluctuations of divine sense.

She immediately compressed her own situation, Granny Silver Flower's conspiracy, and the geographical location of the cave into a single divine thought and transmitted it over.

"There is a soul-stealing formation here. Granny Silver Flower wants to possess me. I have regained my memories, but I am trapped here and cannot escape!"

"Crack!"

The moment the divine sense finished being transmitted, the mask mark flickered slightly before dimming—Grandma Silver Flower's restriction was suppressing her divine sense!

Fu Molan quickly withdrew her consciousness, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, restored everything to normal, pretended to be dazed, and lay back down on the ice bed.

"We can't let her become suspicious..."

Sure enough, not long after, Granny Silver Flower returned to the cave, her cold gaze sweeping over her body as if to check her condition.

"Shuzhen, how was your cultivation today?" The old woman's voice was still kind, but it carried a hint of probing.

Fu Molan deliberately feigned a look of pain and whispered, "Grandmother, the Cold Marrow Nails... are starting to hurt again..."

Granny Yinhua smiled with satisfaction, her withered hand stroking her forehead: "Good child, bear with it. Once you break through to the Golden Core stage, everything will be alright."

Fu Molan lowered her eyes, concealing the coldness in them.

"Breaking through to the Golden Core stage? It's more like they're trying to take over my physical body..."

But she can't act rashly now; she can only wait—

Wait for the mistress, Liu Meizhen, to find a way to save her!

Yunshan County Back Mountain Wine Cellar.

The long-silent ancient formation suddenly trembled slightly, and a wisp of extremely mysterious energy descended from the void, like smoke and mist, yet condensed and undispersed, slowly seeping into the spirit coffin that had been silent for many years. The energy seemed to possess a spirit, entwining the coffin, and finally transforming into fine streams of light, which penetrated into the Grandmaster's withered and rotten body.

"Om-"

Inside the coffin, the body, which had been lifeless, gradually began to radiate life under the nourishment of this mysterious energy. The withered skin slowly filled out, like dead wood coming back to life, and the pale face gradually regained its color.

Suddenly——

Master Yu's eyes, which had been closed for decades, suddenly opened!

Those were deep, unfathomable eyes, seemingly having witnessed countless ages, yet still as clear as ever. A slight smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Finally... the wait is over."

Before he finished speaking, he swiftly formed hand seals in front of his chest, his ten fingers flying like butterflies, each gesture drawing upon some profound law of heaven and earth. The intricate hand seals condensed in his palms, finally transforming into a dazzling rune, which he gently pressed down and embedded between his brows.

"boom!"

The coffin lid was suddenly flung open, and Master Yu flashed to the center of the ancient formation. He stretched, his bones cracking as if a beast that had slumbered for many years had finally awakened.

"Tsk, I slept for quite a long time." He touched his waist, instinctively reaching for the wine flask, only to find it empty. He shook his head and chuckled, "Looks like I'll have to find a jar of good wine to satisfy my craving first."

He looked up at the dome of the underground palace, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of rocks and reaching the sky. No one knew his true cultivation level, nor why he had feigned death for decades. But at this moment, a profound light flashed in his eyes, as if he were planning something, or perhaps anticipating something.

"I wonder how that kid Changsheng has been all these years..." he murmured to himself, then laughed heartily, "Never mind, let's drink to our hearts' content first!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot, leaving behind only the empty coffin and the slightly trembling ancient formation, as if telling a long-sealed secret.

Inside the cave, spiritual energy was like mist. Cao Xiang'er sat cross-legged on a jade platform, surrounded by purple aura. Spiritual power surged within her body, and a phantom golden core was faintly visible in her dantian.

The tribulation of inner demons has arrived.

-

She opened her eyes and found herself lying in a warm quilt.

Morning light slanted through the window lattice, casting soft shadows on the twin lotus patterns on the gauze curtains. She heard steady breathing beside her; Fu Changsheng's hand was still on her waist, warm and familiar.

"Mother——"

A sweet child's voice drifted from the courtyard, like morning dew dripping into a lake of the heart. Cao Xiang'er got out of bed barefoot and pushed open the wooden window.

Five-year-old Mingxin was tiptoeing, trying to reach a kite on a peach branch. She wore an apricot-red blouse, her hair was tied in a crooked bun, and her cheeks were chubby, like a little squirrel stealing fruit. When she saw Cao Xiang'er looking over, she immediately smiled, her dimples deepening and her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"Mommy, a butterfly has landed on my kite!"

At that moment, all doubts vanished.

This is clearly her life.

-

She was a young female doctor in Nanling City, and Fu Changsheng was a bookstore owner on a street corner. They had a clever daughter, and the family lived a simple life, dealing with the mundane details of daily life.

Cao Xiang'er twirled the medicine grinder, her fingertips tinged with the bitter fragrance of angelica. Although she had never studied medicine, her fingers seemed to have a pre-existing memory when taking pulses and administering acupuncture.

"Mother, Father is teaching me to read!" Mingxin ran in, jumped onto her lap, and held a crookedly written "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character in her little hand.

Cao Xiang'er smiled and ruffled her hair, but suddenly her fingertips paused—

Mingxin has a cinnabar mole on the back of his neck.

She was momentarily dazed; something stirred deep within her memory before quickly sinking back into the shadows.

-

Returning from a house call on a rainy night, the alleyway was flooded, its surface as smooth as a mirror.

She looked down, and in the water's reflection, she saw another version of herself—white clothes stained with blood, clutching a cold, swaddled baby tightly in her arms…

"Be careful of catching a cold."

Fu Changsheng's voice suddenly came from behind her, and a raincoat was draped over her shoulders. His fingertips carried the scent of pine ink, and the cool touch brought her back to her senses.

"What are you daydreaming about?" he asked with a smile, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes smoothing out, his gentleness unchanged.

She shook her head, suppressing the strange feeling in her heart.

On that same rainy night, after seeing her neighbors, she walked alone in the cobblestone alley, umbrella in hand. The rain pattered against her oil-paper umbrella, like whispers. She looked down and saw not her own face reflected in the puddle, but a woman in white, stained with blood, clutching something… cold, stiff…

"Xiang'er?"

An oil-paper umbrella tilted over, blocking her view. Fu Changsheng's hand gently rested on her shoulder, his warm fingertips brushing away the raindrops from her hair. She looked up, and his eyes, reflected in the lantern light, were so tender they almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Let's go home," he said softly.

She didn't ask herself why she was standing in the rain, lost in thought, and he didn't ask her what she was looking at.

They simply walked side by side, like any ordinary couple.

Until that day, when she was sorting through medicinal herbs, she knocked over a long-sealed rattan box.

A single herb, the "Barrier-Breaking Incense," rolled to the ground, its medicinal fragrance lingering faintly.

Bitter, extremely bitter.

This taste...

Extremely familiar, yet extremely unfamiliar.

But she still couldn't figure out what was strange about it.

Just then, a mysterious aura landed on her.

Suddenly!
Memories burst forth like a dam breaking.

She's not a healer!
Fu Changsheng was no ordinary person either.

Mingxin... died the day he was born!

The world before my eyes suddenly collapsed—

Fu Changsheng suddenly looked up, his face melting like wax.

"Xiang'er, isn't it better to stay here?" His voice began to distort. "The child can live...you can be happy..."

Mingxin rushed to her crying, her little hands clutching her clothes tightly: "Mother, don't go!"

Cao Xiang'er trembled all over, tears streaming down her face.

She knew it was fake.

But the temperature, the touch, the sound... it's all so real.

She slowly raised her hand and stroked her daughter's cheek.

"sorry."

Golden light surged, and the illusion shattered inch by inch.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back in her cave.

The golden elixir has been formed, and radiant light surrounds the body.

Only on the palm of his hand, a single tear stain remained.

It turns out that the most painful thing is not being stabbed by swords.

Instead, they knew it was fake, but still wanted to fall into it.

Inside the small wooden house in the Five Elements Space.

After consuming four strands of the aristocratic family's fortune, Fu Changsheng hesitated for a moment and did not use any more. This fortune was completely different from that of ordinary sixth-rank aristocratic families. This was evident from the fact that when the aristocratic family's jade seal was upgraded, the Mountain and River Seal was born. Therefore, every strand had to be used wisely.
"It's time to go into seclusion and strive for the Golden Core stage!"

Fu Changsheng focused his thoughts on the panel in his mind's eye and said directly:

"Open the training room"

hum!
A flash before his eyes.

next moment.

He then appeared in the pavilion in the middle of the lotus pond.

Fu Changsheng sat cross-legged, and with a flick of his sleeve, a jade bottle floated before him. The [Innate Wood Qi] within the bottle flowed ceaselessly, brimming with vitality. He lightly stroked the bottle with his fingertips, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

After years of planning, we have finally reached the most crucial step.

All the materials required for the "Wooden Palace Elixir Condensation Technique" have been gathered!
However, he did not rush to take action.

"Li Wanhu is a treacherous and cunning man. Although he didn't show anything unusual during the exchange, it's hard to guarantee that he didn't secretly tamper with things..."

Especially after the incident involving the library.

This clearly shows that this person is eager to get rid of him.

Something made by the other party.

He naturally dared not use it lightly.

Fu Changsheng pondered for a moment, then with a flick of his sleeve, an ancient bronze mirror appeared out of thin air. The mirror surface shimmered with a faint blue light, and its edges were engraved with intricate runes. It was none other than the Spirit Treasure - the Mirror of Calamity!

This mirror can reveal the origin of all things, distinguish between yin and yang, and truth and falsehood. Any spirit or creature that is different will have nowhere to hide!

"Om-"

The Mirror of Illumination hangs above the jade bottle, its light like water, pouring down and completely enveloping the wood element within the bottle.

At first, the mirror reflected a pure, vibrant green, brimming with life, showing no signs of anything amiss. Fu Changsheng's brow relaxed slightly, and he was about to put the bronze mirror away when suddenly—

"laugh!"

A wisp of black energy suddenly appeared on the mirror, coiling around the green wood spiritual light like a venomous snake. If one did not look closely, it would almost blend into the wood energy!
"There was definitely a trap!" Fu Changsheng's eyes turned cold.

The black energy in the mirror gradually took shape, revealing itself to be a wisp of **spirit-corroding yin energy**, extremely insidious. Once it enters the body along with the wood element, there will be no abnormalities in the early stages, but as cultivation deepens, it will quietly erode the meridians, eventually causing the magical power to go berserk, and even the golden core to shatter!

"Li Wanhu... what ruthless methods!" Fu Changsheng sneered, his eyes filled with chilling intent.

He made a hand seal with his fingertips, and the Mirror of Calamity shone brightly. The mirror light was like a knife, tearing away the wisp of corrosive Yin energy! The black energy struggled and hissed, but it disintegrated inch by inch under the mirror light, and finally turned into nothingness.

The Qi of Yi Wood in the bottle was restored to its pure state, becoming lush and vibrant, without any impurities.

Fu Changsheng put away the Mirror of Misfortune and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"If it weren't for this mirror, we would probably have fallen into his trap today..."

Without further hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and the jade bottle shattered. The innate wood energy, like a dragon entering the sea, instantly entered his dantian!
Within the lotus pond, spiritual light surged, vegetation grew wildly, and a boundless vitality swept across the surrounding area!
Fu Changsheng sat cross-legged, his fingertips forming hand seals, and wisps of verdant energy surrounded him.

"Wood nurtures spirit, and the palace holds truth. Before the elixir fire is ignited, the green sprout is nurtured."

He chanted the first incantation of the "Wooden Palace Elixir Condensation Technique" in a low voice. The spiritual power in his body slowly rose along the "Yongquan" acupoint on the sole of his foot, followed the liver meridian, and when it passed the "Taichong" and "Zhangmen" acupoints, the meridians trembled slightly, as if thousands of fine needles were piercing into them. He frowned slightly, took out a drop of Xuan Yin Kui Water, put it in his palm, and then pressed it against his abdomen.

The chill seeped into the meridians, instantly calming the previously restless Wood Qi, which transformed into wisps of green dew that fell into the dantian. The remaining branches of the Jianmu tree hanging overhead trembled slightly, emitting a trace of primordial vitality, causing the green buds within the dantian to slowly unfurl.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the surface of the lotus pond, and three hundred and sixty azure light spots emerged, reflecting the spiritual energy flowing around him like stars. Fu Changsheng opened his eyes, lightly touched the water with his fingertips, and the light spots instantly condensed, transforming into a fish that darted to the bottom of the pond.

He looked down at the tip of his hair—a strand of green had sprouted there, unnoticed. Expressionless, he drew his dagger, severed the strand, and the cut hair, falling into the water, transformed into a live fish and swam away.

"The transformation of Yi Wood... is indeed domineering."

As spring thunder rumbled, the mist around the pavilion in the middle of the lake surged and boiled. Fu Changsheng sat upright in the pavilion, surrounded by green flames, and seven clusters of raging flames suddenly erupted within his Purple Mansion, scorching his meridians.

"The Samadhi burns the branches, nourishing the spiritual root. Green shoots emerge from the ashes, truth is sought in death."

He chanted the fourth incantation in a low voice, biting his tongue and spitting out a mouthful of blood mist, which landed on the withered branch of Jianmu wood taken from the Mountain and River Town Clan Cauldron. Sensing the blood energy, the withered branch suddenly pierced his spine, like a thirsty python, frantically devouring the excess Yi wood energy.

According to the original version of the "Wooden Elixir Condensation Technique", the wood energy should have flowed through the "Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian". However, Fu Changsheng had already deduced a better path - changing it to the "Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian", so that the power of the Earth Core Fire Lotus could be harmonized midway.

The bark-like texture gradually appeared on his right arm, with veins coiling like gnarled branches, which slowly faded away after three days.

"As expected, the deduction was correct."

(End of this chapter)