Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 531 The Cave Dwelling Has Strange Local Customs
————Huangpi Circuit, Sizhou, Chenjiang County
Sizhou was, after all, under the jurisdiction of Yunze Wuzun Palace, the lord of the northern border of Huangpi Road. In terms of strength, this gate could not match the "three gates" under the jurisdiction of Zhaixing Tower, but it was not easy to deal with either.

As a Golden Core cultivator, Kang Dabao's arrival without prior notice is indeed a violation of the rules.

Therefore, when Master Kang and his entourage came with Kang Xiangyi, they remained hidden and did not make a sound from beginning to end.

Chen Jiang was accompanied by no one except for a group of key figures from the Chongming Sect on this trip.

After all, given Kang Dabao's personality, he would never share the profits from such a good job as exploring caves and searching for treasures with outsiders unless absolutely necessary.
Despite his instructions, Kang Xiangyi did not even inform his family that he had returned.

Urged on by Kang Dabao, he led Chongmingzong and his entourage directly to the cave dwelling that was said to have been left by Kang Changping, the previous two patriarchs of the Kang family of Chenjiang.

Upon closer inspection, Sect Leader Kang realized that this was indeed a Daoist practice site chosen by a Golden Core cultivator, and that the sect leader had his own methods.

An ordinary person, unless deliberately observing, would only perceive this place as desolate and remote, with nothing noteworthy. However, Kang Dabao's Golden Eyes of Insight had reached perfection; how could he not see through the third-order illusion array before him?

After landing, he didn't even need the old cultivator Kang Xiangyi to lead the way; he simply chose a place to escape. To the onlookers, it seemed as if he was just casually drawing a few lines in the air. A moment later, there was a soft sound all around, like a chicken egg hatching.

After the soft sound subsided, the remaining cultivators felt as if the scene before them had changed completely. The mountains and rivers were all unrecognizable, with only a huge cave entrance running through the entire mountain and lying in front of them.

Upon seeing this, Kang Xiangyi, who was holding an exquisite jade talisman in his hand, looked slightly embarrassed.

Their ancestor, Kang Changping, died a violent death while away from home, so the Kang family of Chenjiang never received a single word of explanation. As for scandals such as internal strife and family division, they were nothing new. It was only natural that their vitality was severely damaged and their people were filled with anxiety.

Therefore, Kang Xiangyi, this successor, did not know how much effort and resources he had spent to refine the jade talisman that could break the illusion array.

Seeing that Master Kang had broken it so easily, the old cultivator was naturally surprised again:
"It seems that this Ancestor Da Bao is indeed more capable than I thought."

Even though Kang Xiangyi was well aware of this before, it was true that the ancestral cave dwelling left by the Chenjiang Kang family was indeed very precious to them.

However, if they are truly ungrateful and unwilling to share even the slightest benefit, and cannot resolve the current crisis of the Fire Gang Sect, then even if Kang Changping left behind a Nascent Soul spirit in his cave before his death, it would all be in vain for the Chenjiang Kang Clan, which is about to be uprooted.

At least for now, exchanging this cave dwelling, which the Kang family of Chenjiang had been unable to enter for hundreds of years, for the opportunity to merge with the Kang family of Chongming and gain the protection of the Kang family's headmaster is a worthwhile deal.

His trusted clan members had recently sent him a message. The message stated that after the Chongming Clan Talisman was placed in the Huogang Sect, the arrogance his family had shown due to the emergence of a superior cultivator had vanished completely.

Even the mine spiritual veins and the fairy Miao women that they had previously seized from Chen Jiang Kang's family were returned by the Fire Gang Sect intact.

The tense atmosphere between the two sects, once so intense, vanished in a single day. Even those vassal forces that had abandoned the Chenjiang Kang clan in recent years and switched allegiance to them adopted a cold attitude, sending petitions and messages from time to time.

And it goes without saying who deserves all this credit.

Although Kang Dabao has only recently achieved the Golden Core stage, he already possesses four genuine Golden Core heads, an achievement that many cultivators struggle to attain even after years of dedicated practice.

Therefore, while the cultivator from the Fire Gang Sect wouldn't immediately kneel down and worship after obtaining the talisman, it wasn't difficult for him to make the decision to temporarily abandon his dispute with Chen Jiang Kang and seek some meat elsewhere.

Kang Xiangyi had never had any lofty ambitions, and he knew that he was not qualified or talented enough.

After consuming most of the clan's resources, he could only achieve a false core, which was in line with his wishes. After all, since he saw that insurmountable barrier when he reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he had never had the slightest thought of seeking to achieve a golden core.

Kang Xiangyi would have been content if he had just managed to keep the family business afloat.

Unexpectedly, he has now managed to attach himself to a so-called fellow cultivator. Although this is not enough to inspire any great ambitions in him, at least he will not be as timid and hesitant in his actions as before.

Sect Leader Kang led the disciples to the cave entrance, where Kang Xiangyi finally came to her senses and followed. He gave her a wink, signaling her to use the jade token to restart the illusion array and isolate the inside from the outside before turning his gaze back to the cave entrance.

But after Kang Dabao turned his gaze back and scrutinized the situation for a long time with a gleam in his eyes, he still found nothing.

This was to be expected. If the array and restrictions of this cave were not intact, the Kang family of Chenjiang would not have been able to guard their treasure mountain for hundreds of years and fall to the point of being bullied by their vassals.

The outer formation is quite ingenious. It's already quite remarkable that Kang Xiangyi was able to break through the outermost illusionary formation with her current pseudo-core power.

This place is still under the jurisdiction of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, so Headmaster Kang naturally does not want to delay and risk any unforeseen complications.

Having received instructions from the former, Jiang Qing held his spirit sword and silently recited an incantation. A sharp sword light suddenly shot out, its target being the entrance to the cave.

To be honest, if we exclude Master Kang himself, Third Master Jiang can indeed be considered the only person in the history of Chongming Sect who has surpassed all others.

He had been creating his own swordsmanship for some time, but due to his high aspirations and lofty ambitions, he had only made some progress before. However, since Lian Xuepu returned to the sect and imparted the principles of sword cultivation to the Rift Sky Sword Sect, Master Jiang, who had received excellent guidance, had made commendable progress.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to so casually and kill those two skilled pseudo-core cultivators before Yuan Buwen could.

However, this sword light, which was powerful enough to frighten the minds of ordinary alchemists, failed to work.

Before they even reached the entrance of the cave, they were completely obliterated by the protective array's mystical light, scattering into specks of light, which surprised all the cultivators present.

Hearing the whispers around him, Jiang Qing showed no unusual expression, but he also had no intention of launching another sword strike. This protective formation was clearly a Golden Core technique, which he was not capable of breaking at his current level, so it was better to conserve his energy.

Kang Dabao had asked Jiang Qing to take action just now, merely as a test. Even though Jiang Qing hadn't succeeded, Kang Dabao wasn't surprised.

He switched places with Jiang Qing, standing alone before the cave entrance. Suddenly, the halberd in his hand flashed with light, a large burst of black flame mixed with bright halberd light rushing towards the cave entrance.

Through the power of the jade pendant, the halberd technique "The Halberd Master of the Wood Palace teaches military tactics" has made remarkable progress, surpassing the nearly sixty years of arduous cultivation of Yuan Buwen, an old cultivator. Even among those at the Golden Core level, it can be considered a formidable skill.

However, the array outside the cave entrance was quite impressive. Even under such immense pressure, the array's protective barrier only rippled slightly before returning to normal.

Upon seeing this, Sect Leader Kang was surprised and frowned. After all, according to what Kang Xiangyi had said before, his ancestor Kang Changping was only a first-grade Golden Core cultivator and his cultivation was only at the middle stage.

Judging from the current situation, the protective formation of the cave is at least a high-grade third-order formation.

Even if Kang Changping was once a third-level alchemist, and the protective range of this formation is not large, it is still unreasonable for him to be willing to use it here.

Kang Dabao casually beckoned, "Xiangyi, come here."

Kang Xiangyi, who was left at the end and was in a state of unease, was torn between joy and sorrow, seeing that even the powerful Kang Dazhang (Master Kang) had difficulty breaking through his grandfather's methods.

Suddenly, he heard the new patriarch summoning him from the front. He dared not delay and hurriedly rushed forward, bowing deeply in greeting:
"Ancestor,"

Kang Dabao glanced at him and asked in a low voice, "Well, after you guys studied and broke the illusion array outside, did you ever test the entrance to this cave?! So many years have passed, has anything changed?"

After hearing the voice, Kang Xiangyi pondered for a long time before respectfully replying, "Reporting to the Ancestor, I came here once more than a hundred years ago with my elders, but we failed to break this formation."

After obtaining the fake elixir, I led the men of my household to try again, but we still couldn't break the formation. Therefore, in my humble opinion, the formation remains unchanged.

“No change.” Kang Dabao murmured a few times, his surprise growing: “Is Kang Changping really willing to invest so much to set up an array that can remain intact for two or three hundred years without anyone maintaining it?!”

Upon hearing this, he did not rush to test the Golden Eyes of Truth and the Eight Desolations Mountain-Suppressing Technique again. Instead, he used his spiritual eyes to carefully examine the array base in front of him.

In terms of array formations, Kang Dabao is merely a novice. Although he is a Golden Core cultivator, when it comes to the essence of array formations, he is probably far inferior to even the likes of Wei Gu, who has only just become a second-tier array master.

However, the Golden Eye of Truth had a wonderful use. After the Grand Master Kang carefully scanned the array base buried in the mountains and connected to the earth's veins, he discovered something strange about it.

Kang Dabao's magic eyes discerned that the spiritual light in several corners of the array base was slightly brighter than in other places, almost imperceptibly!
This quickly caught the attention of Sect Leader Kang: "Something's not right. Has this array base been repaired?! Is it that Kang Changping is not dead after all, or has this place changed hands?!" Kang Dabao suddenly became vigilant, and his gaze toward Kang Xiangyi was filled with suspicion.

After all, even someone as shrewd as Master Kang could hardly predict whether the changes were due to the latter's genuine ignorance or a deliberate attempt to trick him into doing something like using one tiger to devour another.

However, with his methods and the combined strength of the sect's core members, this formation is not insurmountable. It's just that it will likely take years, which contradicts Sect Leader Kang's previous plan for a quick in-and-out operation.

Not to mention the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace nearby, even if the owner of this place returned midway, he would probably be difficult to deal with. But it wouldn't be in Kang Dabao's style to return empty-handed.

After all, this cave dwelling was indeed left behind by Kang Changping before his death. Now, Kang Dabao can be considered the only Golden Core Ancestor of the Kang Clan of Chenjiang. Unless Kang Changping really comes back, no one has any reason to compete with him for the ownership of this cave dwelling.

After pondering for a while, Sect Leader Kang quickly came up with another idea. He then spoke to Kang Rongquan behind him, saying, "Rongquan, take your fellow disciples back to the sect. Be careful not to reveal yourselves on the way, lest you be seen by someone with ulterior motives. Leave the matters here to me and Third Brother."

After receiving the order, even though it was Kang Dabao's words that made them waste their hard work and lose a chance, Kang Rongquan did not show the slightest regret on his face. He then led his fellow disciples, who were equally obedient, back home.

A few breaths later, only Master Kang, Third Master Jiang, and Kang Xiangyi remained in front of the cave entrance. Jiang Qing had always followed Master Kang's lead since childhood, so he didn't notice anything amiss and trusted him to the point of never questioning him.

But Kang Xiangyi, the old cultivator, was different. After seeing this, he felt uneasy again.

That's understandable. Although he and Master Kang are nominally grandfather and grandson and should be close, in reality they are like two sticks trying to catch a wolf, wary of each other.

With no one to check and balance him, Kang Xiangyi, due to his meager abilities, was naturally more uneasy. To make matters worse, the Grand Master Kang remained silent and offered no explanation, which made him even more anxious. After a long while, he finally mustered his courage and asked, "Ancestor, what's going on here?"

"I cannot break this formation in a short time, and the younger generation is useless here. Do not worry, let me call a few friends over."

"friend?"

—————Tengwen Mansion, Zhaixing Tower
This was Peng Daoren's first time entering this Nascent Soul sect, but he didn't get to look around much before Xiang Tianxing assigned him a quiet room to recuperate and didn't allow him to leave.

It wasn't until more than a month later, when his injuries hadn't fully healed but at least didn't look as terrible from the outside, that Xiang Tianxing came to find him for the first time.

"Sect Leader Xiang?"

"I have already paid my respects to the immortal and received permission. May we set off now?"

"Yes," Peng Daoren replied, feeling a pang of regret. He hadn't expected to miss even meeting Bai Canhong this time. It seemed that Peng Daoren wasn't particularly important to Bai Canhong.

If keeping him around is useful now, then even if he is discarded like trash after he has done his job as a go-between for Xiang Tianxing, it won't be surprising.

Xiang Tianxing had no interest in what the Taoist was thinking. After hearing Peng Daoren's response, he immediately took the latter and urged the flying boat to leave the territory of the Zhaixinglou sect.

When Peng Daoren arrived, he only caught a fleeting glimpse of this powerful Nascent Soul sect, which commanded respect across several realms. He left without even seeing its entirety, and was feeling a pang of regret when he suddenly heard Xiang Tianxing, who was steering the boat ahead, speak:
"Fellow Daoist, thank you for leading the way."

Peng Daoren spoke with utmost respect, his withered head tilting slightly forward as he spoke: "Yes, Sect Leader Xiang, rest assured, I am already thoroughly familiar with all the methods, and I will certainly not fail Sect Leader Xiang's trust."

That would be good.

After Xiang Tianxing spoke, Peng Daoren went to the bow of the boat and pointed out the direction to him.

For most cultivators with low cultivation levels, the so-called Cold Crow Mountains actually only refer to a part of the mountains and forests within the demon-suppressing barrier established by the Great Ancestor.

Compared to the vast demon lands outside the barrier, the number of demon beasts inside the barrier is much sparser than before. The third-tier demon school is even less noteworthy, and its existence is more or less related to the demon officers outside the barrier.

Even though these demon officers are currently restricted from entering the barrier, who can say for sure what will happen in the future?

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, the high-ranking human cultivators would not covet the spiritual materials scattered across them, lest they invite some deadly trouble.

Fei Tianqin, who occupied the spiritual vein at Bearfall Peak back then, can be considered an exception, but it was only after selecting many demon schools that it finally decided to target an old bear with no background.

This was because, although it did not belong to the Lishan lineage, it was still a member of the demon race, which prevented the surrounding demon schools from attacking it.

Of course, this was also thanks to the old bird's first-rate skills below the Nascent Soul stage, which made those newly awakened third-tier demon students wisely dispel their resentment.

When the demon-suppressing barrier was first established, it was difficult for even Foundation Establishment cultivators and ignorant demon beasts to pass through, let alone demon schools and advanced cultivators. After all, it had not been repaired or maintained for nearly two thousand years, and its effectiveness had long since diminished.

For at least a hundred years, Peng Daoren, who had befriended many demons within the barrier by chance, was able to enter and exit repeatedly in his Golden Core form.

However, this was not without limitations. Peng Daoren led Xiang Tianxing in a flying boat across a vast river that stretched for thousands of miles. They killed several second-tier giant turtles within the river, and used the turtle tendons to string the turtle beads together, thus preserving their spiritual essence.

Following the complex watercourses of the river, they arrived at an abandoned water palace at the bottom of the river. The two waited for several months before they finally saw the "unpredictable, causally arising" fine cracks that Peng Dao had described as floating on the barrier.

At this moment, Peng Daoren naturally had to walk in front. Xiang Tianxing was not lacking in courage, but even though it was his first time experiencing this, he only lagged half a step behind the former.

Upon entering the barrier, Xiang Tianxing felt the soaring demonic energy threaten to disrupt his circulation of qi. However, after entering, Peng Daoren seemed to adapt to the situation within just a few breaths, even appearing quite at ease.

Inside and outside the barrier were the bottom of a great river, but this place was not as peaceful as the area around the abandoned water mansion. Several giant fish with sharp teeth, whose origins even Xiang Tianxing could not recall, were covered in scales and were extremely ugly. They opened their huge mouths filled with sharp teeth and pounced on the villains.

Xiang Tianxing looked disdainful. He could kill those brainless second-tier demonic beasts in an instant, but Peng Daoren beat him to it and picked off the turtle pearls he had just obtained, scattering them over.

Upon seeing this creature, the enormous, foolish creatures ahead unanimously abandoned the two and began to fight over it. In an instant, the surrounding river water was stained crimson with blood, causing Xiang Tianxing to look displeased.

He was about to question Peng Daoren about his intentions when he heard the latter suddenly shout loudly, "If Mo Yu Yaoxiao doesn't come out soon, all these turtle pearls that we managed to bring in will be devoured by your men."

No sooner had these words been spoken than Xiang Tianxing saw a giant man with a fish head and a human body, covered in black scales, wielding a fork, stepping on a large, robust fish with sharp teeth, breaking through the walls of water and walking towards them.

Although it was a fish head, Xiang Tianxing could easily detect a hint of displeasure on its face.

After giving Xiang Tianxing a serious look, the giant's eyes flashed with horror, and he exclaimed, "You surnamed Peng, are you really not afraid of being punished by the Demon Commander?!"

Peng Daoren's expression remained unchanged. With a flick of his halberd finger, he pushed aside the fish in front of him. The moment his eyes met those of the giant fish-headed man, the imposing aura of a peak cultivator forced the latter's gaze to soften, and his tone weakened: "What use is it for Fellow Daoist Peng to scare me? Even if I am useless, how can you explain this to the Demon Commander?"

"I will explain things to Demon Commander myself; you don't need to worry about Demon Commander Mo Yu."

As Peng Daoren spoke, he threw all the remaining turtle pearls in his hand over. A flash of joy crossed the fish-headed giant's eyes, but he did not relent. As he turned his back, he was still muttering in a deep voice: "You're just trying to fool me with these worthless things. Who doesn't know that when you passed by Old Xiong's place last time, you gave him a set of golden elixir liver and intestines?"

Fortunately, after his outburst, the giant fish-headed creature did not cause any more trouble. Still resentful, it stabbed the most mischievous, toothed giant fish with its steel fork, turning it into a bloody mess. Only then did it turn around and lead the way.

The two followed him out of the river. As soon as Xiang Tianxing emerged from the water, he saw a fence along the riverbank with several layers of restrictions casually affixed, enclosing hundreds and thousands of naked "livestock" inside.

"Human sacrifice?" Xiang Tianxing's tone was chilling, and the short halberd in his hand flashed with a sharp light, which made the giant fish-headed man in front of him feel a chill down his spine and almost cry out in surprise.

"Sect Leader Xiang," Peng Daoren called out softly as he approached.

Xiang Tianxing was one of the most prominent figures in the Nascent Soul sect of Zhaixinglou, and the scene before him was recorded in many of the books he had read.

Therefore, after only an initial moment of distraction, she quickly regained her composure and whispered to the Taoist priest Peng beside her:

"Relax, I know this scene is deliberately arranged by this stinking fish, so I won't panic. Hurry up and act, these hairy and horned beasts, I'll take their lives with my spear sooner or later!"

(End of this chapter)