Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 577 A Fresh Dawn, Xiu An Chengye
When the morning light fell on Yangming Mountain again, the light screen of the Xuanhuang Array had changed its appearance.

The shimmering white light emanating from the great array's light barrier was like a full moon covering a mountain, without a single crack. The newly embedded high-grade spirit stones formed star trails within the array's base, and when the wind passed, they only shimmered with fine light patterns, no longer resembling the spiderweb-like decay of the past;
The seventy-three array flagpoles that were just erected were made of thousand-year-old lightning-struck peach wood obtained by dismantling the Ghost Sword Sect's main hall, and were considered top-grade even among third-tier spiritual materials.

But the brand-new battle banners were all embroidered with the six-leaf blue lotus Dao seal of the Chongming Sect. When they were spread out flat in the wind, they also removed the resentment and bloodstains of the past.
The azure stone slabs in the training ground were all remade, since the spirit restriction runes on them had long since shattered and were hard to find.

Therefore, each of the newly made azure stone slabs was polished smooth and shiny by a group of low-level weapon craftsmen. Silver thread array patterns were skillfully inlaid in the seams of the slabs, and they shimmered with a faint glow when the morning light shone on them. Then, many array masters came over to connect the array formations.
After this, the spiritual energy in the arena has greatly increased, which not only saves on the consumption of spirit stones in the training ground, but also makes the training of the generals twice as effective with half the effort.

Three rows of tall stands were erected in the center of the venue, where the standardized ritual implements, which had been repaired by the weapon masters day and night, were arranged in an orderly manner, with the spear tips pointing west, the blades pointing east, and even the ropes wrapped around the handles of the knives were neatly arranged.

The geomancer brought over a new spiritual spring from the sidelines. The stream was filled with fresh water mixed with essence powder. The purpose was twofold: first, to allow all cultivators to use this water to thoroughly cleanse themselves of the remaining witchcraft poison; and second, to revitalize the spiritual soil beneath their feet.

This suggests that even with the personal persuasion of elders Fei Nanying and Fei Donggu, Master Kang still had not given up the idea of ​​taking over Yangmingshan.

After all, the three of them can barely be considered to be at the same level, so it is perfectly normal for them to have different opinions on the same thing.

Along the ditch, a circle of blue orchids was planted, and the dew on the leaves reflected the energetic soldiers training in the drill ground, dazzling to the eye.

The military tents used in the medical clinic were also remade by a craftsman. The light gray tent surface was embroidered with insect-repelling runes, which would always make the attacking spirit insects more wary.

Four new bluestone medicine tables were added to the tent. The stone mortars on the tables were made by Huang Xiuyu, a second-grade superior-quality material, which He Degong brought from Yunjiao Prefecture. They were refined using a method obtained from Luan Gongfeng and were thus made into mid-grade spiritual artifacts. They were perfectly suited to the properties of the medicine and minimized the spread of medicinal dust.

The tilted alchemy furnace had long since been righted, its bronze handles polished so smooth they reflected a person's image. The ashes at the bottom of the furnace had been cleaned away, and newly added firewood was stacked neatly around the furnace like a small mountain.

At this moment, the brothers Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao were leading the cultivators who were assisting the alchemists to sort and bag the dried Qingling grass and Huangjing root. The fragrance of the medicine mixed with the scent of grass and trees outside the tent, refreshingly wafting through the tent curtains, which slightly diluted the lingering smell of blood.

On the open ground beside the mountain-protecting array, Wei Gu, still pale-faced, was worried and, despite his illness, led the array masters to inspect the array base.

The array base that Wei Guxin refined this time was made of purple copper and followed the mountain's contours to form profound runes. Although its effect was not as good as the original, it was still a level higher than the array set up by the fake alchemist who did not have a deep understanding of it.

The base of the array was surrounded by knee-high growth-inducing grass, with small white flowers interspersed among the green leaves. These were seeds that Qi Ke, Gun Fangmu, and Chen Zihang had found in some fake pill storage bag.

The note found along with the seeds stated that this spiritual plant could purify the soil and warn of witchcraft, making it perfect for this situation. However, it had only been planted recently under the guidance of Kang Rongquan, who was just getting up, and its growth was mediocre; it might not survive.

At the foot of the mountain, the supply depot built by Ye Zhengwen and his nephew Duan Anle appeared even more orderly.

The magical artifacts and pills sent from the main branch of Xiaohuan Mountain, the spiritual plants and materials from more than 400 families in Hanya Mountain, and the spiritual rice from more than 20 counties in Yun and Pu prefectures, are all piled up here.

Each stack of supplies is topped with runes that are updated in real time, bearing inscriptions such as "Thousands of Stones of Tea-Colored Valley" and "Hundreds of Formations of Flying Dragon Stones."

He Degong was accompanying Duan Anle to take inventory with several caravan managers. The scrolls in his hands were full of records. He occasionally greeted a few Liang managers who passed by, and he felt that the latter had become much less arrogant.

However, seeing Duan Anle's pale face, He Degong also felt extremely sad when he thought of the He family members who had been defeated at Yangming Mountain. Even the joy that He Yuanhe had felt after Bian Hu's death and his formal ascension to the position of sect leader of Shishan Sect was greatly diminished.

Duan Anle stared at the silk scroll without saying a word for a long time, while He Degong, being quite old, also found it difficult to concentrate fully.

Just as he was distracted and shifted his gaze elsewhere, he saw a young boy with red lips and white teeth bowing to the Chongming disciple on duty outside the formation, his eyes bloodshot, as he stepped in.

He Degong glanced at the flags carried by the young man's entourage, his eyes widening in surprise. He murmured, "The Xiu family of Guo County?"

Hearing the commotion, Duan Anle also looked over. When he saw the banner, he couldn't help but sized up the young man before speaking to He Degong beside him, saying, "Senior may not know, this is Xiu An, the eldest son of Brother Xiu."

While the latter explanation was not very direct, He Degong immediately understood why the young man named Xiu'an had come. He asked curiously, "Brother, do you intend to hold this succession ceremony with Xiu'an in Yangming Mountain?"

Duan Anle gave He Degong a serious look, but didn't mince words with this uncle: "It's nothing more than a formality. Now that Brother Xiu has died in service to the king, how can the position of Qiaogong Fortress fall into the hands of another family?"

He Degong nodded in agreement, thinking to himself that Headmaster Kang was a man of great affection and righteousness. Even after achieving the Golden Core stage, he still cherished his friendship with Xiu Ming. He was more humane than the storytellers in the streets.

It seems that with this incident, the two alchemists of the Skilled Crafts Fortress, who had been openly and secretly vying for the position of fortress master, have now become a laughing stock.

Even though these two alchemists were filled with a thousand resentments and ten thousand impatiences, they could only watch helplessly as this Qi Refining cultivator, who hadn't even grown his first hair, took a high position.

As Xiu An stepped into the Xuanhuang Ring Meridian Array, he was greeted by a scene of great activity. He was still young, and according to the agreement that Xiu Ming had made with his wife, Fei Shi, before his death, Xiu An was to become a disciple of the Chongming Sect.

However, after examining his spiritual roots, Xiu An discovered that his aptitude was only three spiritual roots, which was not considered top-tier. Within the current Chongming Sect, he would likely be relegated to the ranks of the ordinary.

Therefore, Xiu Ming and his wife gave up their plans and only kept Xiu An by their side to raise him with care. However, they did not expect that Xiu Ming and his wife would still be separated for most of the years. Xiu An has not yet achieved his cultivation goal, but he has suddenly been pushed to the forefront of the storm.

For someone who is not yet of age to manage a pseudo-elixir sect like Qiaogongbao, it is by no means an easy task.
Xiu An clutched the hem of his clothes as he walked to the front of the supply camp, the cuffs of his coarse cloth robe still covered with bits of grass from the road.

He stared at the neatly stacked piles of goods before him, his ears burning with embarrassment. Duan Anle's earlier remark about "Brother Xiu's eldest son" had drawn the attention of the caravan leaders around him, their gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible disdain.

"Nephew, come with me. Master is waiting for you." Duan Anle put away the spirit scroll, his tone softening. After paying his respects to He Degong, he briefly explained the numerous annotations on the spirit scroll before leading Xiu An to meet Kang Dabao.

The group of attendants sent by the boy's mother were not qualified to pay respects to the cultivator, and were politely welcomed by Chongming's disciples to the guest quarters to await instructions.

As Duan Anle rode the cloud, she could see the boy's unease and didn't know what to say. She could only secretly glance at Xiu An's thin shoulders, recalling how Xiu Ming had stepped forward to help him in times of danger, and felt a pang of emotion in her heart.

As we left the supply camp, the morning light was just beginning to shine. The newly paved bluestone path gleamed softly, and silvery patterns formed delicate ribbons of light underfoot. Walking on it, one could almost feel wisps of spiritual energy rising up from the soles of their shoes.

Xiu An couldn't help but look down, just as a gust of wind blew by and a unified shout came from the direction of the training ground.

The new recruits of the Crimson Guard, who had already experienced a bloody battle, were training. When their spears were thrust out, they gleamed with a crimson light, shattering the morning light and casting countless points of light on the ground.

"That's my son, over fifty years old, who has fortunately already established his Dao foundation." Duan Anle said this without any boasting, simply pointing to Duan Yunzhou, who stood at the head of the group with a long scar on his neck, and whispered to Xiu An:
“Brother Xiu and I were quite close, but we’ve both been busy with our own things in recent years, so we’ve drifted apart a bit. If you need anything in the future and can’t find me, you can just look for him.”

Xiu An pursed his lips, unsure of how to express himself. After walking for quite some time, he finally murmured, "Thank you, Uncle."

As the clouds drifted past the corner of the training ground, the aroma of medicine wafted over.

Kang Changyan was squatting outside the tent, watering several spiritual plants. This trip to Yangming Mountain was not in vain for Kang Changyan. He learned some basics of alchemy, artifact crafting, talisman arrays, and animal puppetry. In this environment, he also unconsciously overcame his fear of difficulties.

Upon seeing Duan Anle approach, Kang Changyan quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother Duan." After the two returned the greeting, Xiu An then came up to pay his respects, but the young man, not recognizing people, hesitated to speak for a moment.

As one of the most powerful young masters under the jurisdiction of the Marquis of Wuning's mansion, Kang Changyan did not have the arrogance and domineering habits that young masters usually have.

Even though Xiu An remained silent for a long time, the former only slowly turned his gaze to him. After a few moments of stunned silence, he immediately realized: "Is this the Xiu family's nephew? I used to often drink and chat with Brother Xiu. If you need anything in the future, you can come and find me."

Kang Changyan clearly inherited the generous nature of the Great Master Kang. As he spoke, he even took out a superior pill, the Buddha Tooth Pill, saying that he wanted to present it to the junior as a gift.

Xiu An's mother came from a prominent family, and he naturally gained knowledge and experience from her. He knew that Kang Changyan's greeting was enough to earn him the loyalty of an ordinary cultivator for ten years.

Knowing so clearly, Xiu An was unwilling to accept it, but Duan Anle took it for him and stuffed it into his storage bag.

As Xiu An followed Duan Anle toward the main hall, he couldn't help but look around.

The light screen of the mountain-protecting array flowed overhead, and the bright white light made the surrounding growth-promoting grass even greener, with small white flowers swaying gently in the wind.

The water in the Lingquan Canal shimmered with tiny sparkles, and dewdrops rolled around on the leaves of the blue orchids along the canal, reflecting the clouds in the sky.

Even the place where broken spears used to be piled up is now planted with lush bamboo. The bamboo shadows sway gently, and when you sweep the ground, you can't find even a trace of blood.

"Yangmingshan is much better than you imagined, isn't it?" Duan Anle suddenly asked.
Xiu An nodded and said softly, "I heard from some of the retainers who accompanied me that it has become a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood."

“That’s true, but if we could give Chongming Sect some more time, this place might just transform from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood into a paradise.” Duan Anle paused here, then continued, “Your father deserves some credit for this, and the entire Chongming Sect will not neglect him in the slightest.”

After hearing this, Xiu'an felt a warmth in his eyes and a surge of emotion in his heart, and the unease he had felt beforehand gradually dissipated.

At this moment, Jin Shilun was leading Jin Tanglu to guard the main hall.

Strangely enough, unlike his father who had a good piece of flesh found on his body when he left the battlefield, Jin Tanglu, who charged the strongest in every battle, was completely unharmed, and the merits he made were enough for him to find two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Upon seeing Duan Anle approach, he, wrapped in spiritual silk, nodded slightly, his gaze becoming more solemn as he looked at Xiu An.

He had a friendship with Xiuming back then, and seeing his old friend's son again was quite a bittersweet experience.

Therefore, even the tightly closed door became very easy to open. As soon as the door was pushed open, Kang Dabao was sitting at the desk. Instead of searching, he first looked through the files of Qiaogongbao.

Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze falling on Xiu An. He didn't speak immediately, but carefully examined the boy. His features resembled Xiu Ming's by about seven-tenths, but he still had a touch of childishness. The hand clutching the hem of his clothes, however, was just like Xiu Ming's back then, carrying a hint of timidity.

"You're here." Kang Dabao put down the file, his voice gentler than usual. "Sit down. The person who came to report said you've been traveling for five days. You must be exhausted."

Xiu Angui sat down and said respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I am not tired."

"How could I not be tired?" Kang Dabao smiled, took out a token from his storage bag, and placed it on the table. The token was quite exquisitely crafted, with the emblem of Qiaogong Fort engraved on the front and the words "Inheritance" on the back.
“Your father is gone, and Qiaogong Fort cannot be without a leader. This token was made by me in the style of your father. From today onwards, you are the new lord of Qiaogong Fort.”

Even though he knew this was the outcome, Xiu'an still felt deeply moved when he looked at the token.

"My lord," Xiu An's voice trembled, "I am but a humble man, how could I dare to offer such great favor?"
Duan Anle added from the side, "Master also spoke with Wanbao Trading Company. For the next six months, Wanbao Trading Company will give priority to accepting orders for magical artifacts from Qiaogongbao, helping you with cash flow."

Xiu An looked at Kang Dabao, then at Duan Anle, and finally couldn't hold back his tears. He stood up and bowed deeply to Kang Dabao: "Thank you, sir! I will not let you and my father down!"

Kang Dabao nodded, picked up a scroll from the table, and handed it over: "This was given to me by your father before he passed away. It contains some of the management methods of Qiaogongbao and his ideas on improving puppets. Take it, it might be useful."

Xiu'an held the scroll in both hands, his fingertips touching his father's familiar handwriting, and his eyes welled up with tears again.

Before he could speak, he heard the Grand Master Kang say calmly, "Your mother is too calculating, and the morale of the people in Qiaogong Fort is not yet beyond repair. It is not appropriate for her to come here this time. With Chongming Sect here, this position will not be lost."

Xiu An's tone became even more respectful: "I will pass on your teachings to my mother word for word."

“It’s alright. We’ll be setting off for Moyunze again in ten days. It doesn’t matter if you come or not.” Kang Dabao paused, then continued, “Just stay in the back. You don’t need to fight this battle.”

(End of this chapter)