From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 254 The Golden Core Plan, the Prefect is Promoted

Do you know Yang Zhen, the celestial official of the government office?

Yang Zhen?

"I think I've heard of it, but I can't remember clearly."

Xu Xiaohou shook his head. Over the years, he had gotten married, had children, and focused all his attention on his family. Even if he heard rumors circulating outside, he would forget them as soon as he heard them and wouldn't take them to heart.

"I know that the genius with the earth-elemental root who participated in the selection of immortal officials in the same year as you seems to have both metal and fire elements. He came from a farming family and was unfortunately killed by a demonic cultivator while on a mission."

I heard his family suffered terribly after his death; it's such a pity.

Xu Xiaoniu was a celestial official in the prefectural government, so he paid special attention to other celestial officials.

Xu Yiqing continued, "I suspect there's something fishy about his death."

There were some things that outsiders didn't know back then. Yang Zhen's father came to me about some private family matters. It seemed that there was disharmony in the family, and he had quarreled and had conflicts with Yang Zhen.

Not long after, news of Yang Zhen's death arrived; it was too much of a coincidence.

"That's just one thing. Not long after, the Fan family suffered another misfortune. First, the patriarch of the Fan family passed away, and then the celestial official Fan Tianlin of the government office disappeared without a trace."

Before that, Fan Tianlin and I occasionally corresponded.

But after that, there was no further news from Fan Tianlin, and all the letters he sent out disappeared without a trace.

I specifically went to the Fan family in Wanrenling Mountain to inquire, and they said that the government had sent Fan Tianlin on a very important mission and he would not be back for the next few decades.

I don't know what the connection is between Yang Zhen's death and Fan Tianlin, but I always feel that there is a lot of connection between them.

By the way, the head of the Fan family is Fan Tianlin's great-grandfather, and he's the person closest to him in the family.

These are merely Xu Yiqing's speculations, without any supporting evidence.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoniu realized something was wrong: "The head of the Fan family is the deputy director of the Demon Subduing Division. Although his lifespan is coming to an end, judging from his condition, I estimate that he still has at least two or three years left to live."

So there's more to this story than meets the eye?

"That's fine, but I found it strange back then. After all, Yang Zhen and Fan Tianlin had just become celestial officials and were still very young. Why did the government send them to carry out dangerous missions?"
So I secretly investigated the earth spirit roots of those who participated in the selection of immortal officials in previous years..."

Xu Yiqing lowered his voice even further as he spoke.

What were the findings of the investigation?

Everyone was engrossed in the conversation and couldn't wait to ask.

Xu Yiqing shook his head: "It's hard to say, really hard to say. Because I stopped investigating halfway through. In previous selections of immortal officials, one or two people with earth spirit roots entered the government office each time."

However, half of those immortal officials with earth-rooted spiritual roots met tragic ends, and Yang Zhen's situation was not an isolated case. This was especially true for those with earth-rooted spiritual roots who came from mortal families.

I wanted to investigate the families of those celestial officials in detail, but I didn't dare.

A strange feeling ran through me that I'd stumbled upon a secret I shouldn't have, and that investigating further would put me in danger! The Fan family patriarch died a mysterious death; I didn't want to be the next one.

Xu Yiqing's intuition was right; this was a secret he couldn't investigate.

Despite his young age, he is quite knowledgeable.

Unlike the harmonious and safe environment within the Xu family, the cultivators outside are filled with danger and intrigue.

Especially considering what happened to the Xu family: Zhongxi was almost turned into a pill. The demonic cultivator family hidden in the shadows was the Xue family, a notorious clan in Yuanli County.

After hearing Xu Yiqing's words, everyone was shocked to realize how dangerous it was to be a celestial official in the government office.

"Earth spirit roots are so rare and precious, is it possible that someone coveted their earth spirit root aptitude and harmed them?"

"If Yiqing's guess is true, then there are demonic cultivators in the government office. The fact that they could harm so many officials in the government office suggests that they are high-ranking and powerful figures in the government office."

Xu Xiaoniu shuddered at the thought that a certain important figure in the government office was a demonic cultivator.

Xu Xiaohou said with lingering fear, "Fortunately, Yiqing noticed something, otherwise, if we had sent Xu'er to become a celestial official in the government office, wouldn't we have been throwing him into the lion's den? The cultivation world outside is too dangerous, so let Xu'er stay at home."

Actually, Xu Yiqing had something else he didn't say.

He suspected that Yang Zhen and Fan Tianlin were not murdered, but rather killed long ago.

From the clues he discovered, he deduced that the two people who looked very much like Yang Zhen and Fan Tianlin were actually imposters. While the disguises were indeed very convincing, their personalities had changed drastically.

When Yang Zhen's father said goodbye to Xu Yiqing that day, he casually remarked that Yang Zhen had changed so much since becoming a celestial official that he no longer resembled his son.

He does not mean that.

Xu Yiqing had previously noticed that the two had become strange, and combined with these words, he concluded that the two had already been murdered.

He even suspected that Fan Kongye had discovered something that led to his mysterious death.

The reason he didn't say it was because he felt that such a guess was too "outlandish" and so bizarre that he thought it was just his own wild imagination.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Zhongxu must not participate in the selection of immortal officials, nor can he reveal the matter of his earth spirit root. Otherwise, he will surely suffer disaster.”

This was a consensus among the group.

"What kind of spiritual root does he have? With Xu'er's earth-root aptitude, his cultivation will definitely improve extremely quickly."

"Let's announce to the outside world that we have three types of true spiritual roots. It just so happens that we have Yiqing and me as immortal officials in our family. According to the rules of the county government, if there are two immortal officials in a family, there cannot be a third one."

This way, even those with true spiritual roots wouldn't need to participate in the selection of celestial officials.

Xu Xiaoniu suggested.

Those with true spiritual roots participating in the selection of celestial officials will have their spiritual root aptitude verified on-site. With this excuse, they don't need to participate in the selection of celestial officials.

"So good!"

Xiao Niu, Xiao Hou, Yi Qing, and Zhong Xu's mother, Liu Yun, were all chatting amongst themselves, while Xu Fugui remained silent.

After hearing what Xu Yiqing said, Xu Fugui fell into deep thought.

"Dad, now that you've made the final decision, let's summarize."

After discussing for a while, Xu Xiaohou looked at Xu Fugui.

Xu Fugui suddenly spoke, saying something that seemed completely unrelated: "Our Xu family needs a Golden Core cultivator!"

The Xu family needs a Golden Core cultivator to support them.

The cultivation world is far too dangerous; a slight misstep can lead to certain death.

From Zhongxi almost being refined into a pill, to Zhongyao being killed by Yan Yijin because his Five Elements Stance Technique was exposed, to handing over the Five Elements Stance Technique and maneuvering between the Tuoba and Nie families to save the Xu family, and now...

Not only the Xu family themselves, but also the events they heard from the outside world proved the cruelty of the cultivation world.

The Lan family of Qingqiu Mountain was divided up after the death of their Foundation Establishment patriarch.

The Chu family of Ru'an Mountain was inexplicably wiped out.

And then there's Fan Kongye from the Fan family, two geniuses with earth-elemental spiritual roots...

Xu Yiqing didn't even dare to investigate the truth of the matter; the Xu family was too weak.

Xu Fugui was filled with desire for the strength of his family. Only by producing a Golden Core True Person could he have the strength to protect the Xu family.

Whether a family possesses the Golden Core is extremely important.

He hadn't dared to think about it before, because no one in his family possessed the potential to achieve the Golden Elixir.

But now, there is Zhongxu with the Earth Spirit Root!
"Zhongxu's spiritual roots must be concealed; we should tell the outside world that he possesses true spiritual roots of the three elements: metal, wood, and earth. He should cultivate discreetly, while we find a way to help him break through to the Golden Core stage. This is the main goal for the future development of our Xu family."

"Help him reach the Golden Core Realm, and protect my Xu family for five hundred years!"

The lifespan of someone at the Golden Core stage is limited to five hundred years.

With his Golden Core cultivation level, he might not be able to rule the Zhennan Prefecture, but he could manage without fighting or competing and just minding his own business.

"Yes, Dad!"

Several people responded.

They could guess what Xu Fugui was thinking; in fact, this was also their wish. Their Xu family needed the support of a Golden Core cultivator.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time flies. Nearly twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Yuanli County Government Office.

Xu Xiaoniu came to attend a banquet to celebrate the promotion of Prefect Nie Tingjun.

Some time ago, Nie Tingjun advanced to the Golden Core Realm. Today, we are holding a celebratory banquet to celebrate his advancement to the Golden Core Realm and his promotion to the position of Immortal Official in the Prefecture.

Xu Xiaoniu is 130 years old this year and was promoted to the fourth level of Foundation Establishment two years ago.

Reaching the fourth level of Foundation Establishment signifies the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

At the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, one is qualified to be promoted from a prospective Demon-Slaying Guard to a full-fledged Demon-Slaying Guard. However, there are only twelve fixed positions for full-fledged Demon-Slaying Guards, so Xu Xiaoniu can only wait in line until a Demon-Slaying Guard leaves office before it is his turn.

He is still preparing to become a demon-slaying guard.

Almost all the Foundation Establishment Immortal Officials in the entire Yuanli County government office were present.

Nie Tingjun was surrounded by a crowd of people.

Even though he deliberately concealed his aura, his Golden Core True Person aura still surpassed that of others.

One by one, Foundation Establishment Immortal Officials came before him to offer their congratulations.

"This humble official congratulates Lord Nie on his promotion and has prepared a small gift as a token of his respect."

"Ok?"

Nie Tingjun frowned slightly. He had been the prefect for so many years, and everyone knew his character and habits.

Where is this person from? How should I give them a gift?

When he was the prefect, he detested those who flattered others and offered bribes.

He doesn't usually hold banquets for weddings, funerals, festivals, or birthdays.

Seeing his pale face, the man quickly said, "Lord Nie, it's just spiritual tea grown on our own spiritual mountain, it's not worth much."

"Oh?"

Upon inspection, Nie Tingjun realized it was just ordinary spirit tea, worth at most a dozen spirit stones, and readily accepted it.

Faced with the flattery and praise of the crowd, he appeared humble and composed, but was secretly delighted.

It is truly not easy to advance to the Golden Core Realm with the aptitude of three true spiritual roots.

This bottleneck had trapped him for seventy years!
Thinking back to his youth, he was truly a person of extraordinary talent.

When he participated in the selection of immortal officials in the prefecture, he was only twenty years old and was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He was invincible among his peers and became an immortal official in the prefecture. He voluntarily joined the Demon Subduing Division.

He subsequently made numerous merits, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. At the age of forty, he reached the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

When Nie Tingjun was sent to Yuanli County as the prefect, he was not yet fifty years old. Ten years later, he completed his Foundation Establishment!
After that, we got stuck at this bottleneck for more than seventy years.

The journey from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core is incredibly difficult. However, once you cross that threshold, the difference is like heaven and earth, ushering in a new life.

The lifespan of a Golden Elixir cultivator is limited to five hundred years, giving them plenty of time to squander.

Nie Tingjun is over 120 years old this year. In the Foundation Establishment Realm, that's just over half a lifespan, but in the Golden Core Realm, he's still very young and can live for nearly 400 years.

In fact, he couldn't break through to the Golden Core stage on his own.

Recently, the Nie family had some good fortune. By chance, he obtained the resources to advance to the Golden Core realm, which allowed him to reach the Golden Core realm in one fell swoop.

at this time.

In the courtyard of the prefectural government office, after congratulating Nie Tingjun, the Foundation Establishment Immortal Officials gathered in twos and threes to chat.

There aren't many banquets like this held in the prefectural government office that can gather all the Foundation Establishment Immortal Officials.

In the last twenty years, some unfamiliar new faces have appeared among the officials in the government offices, while some old faces have disappeared.

As time goes by, new people always replace the old.

Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Yiqing, Bailiwei, Jiang Hao and others gathered together and chatted.

Xu Xiaoniu, Bailiwei, and Jiang Hao are old friends.

Bailiwei advanced to the fourth level of Foundation Establishment ten years earlier than Xu Xiaoniu, and his true spiritual root aptitude was stronger than Xu Xiaoniu's.

Jiang Hao is at the third level of Foundation Establishment, but he's close to breaking through. His strength is increasing more slowly than Baili Wei's due to limitations in spiritual lands and resources.

Xu Yiqing is at the third level of Foundation Establishment.

"Did you know that people from the prefectural government are coming today to determine the new prefect? ​​Can you guess who it will be?"

Bailiwei shared his intelligence with the others.

Jiang Hao said in a low voice, "Could it be Lord Xiao, a trusted confidant of Lord Nie? He is usually closest to Lord Nie. If Lord Nie is promoted, he will definitely recommend him."

That Lord Xiao was Nie Tingjun's subordinate in charge of the county government affairs.

"Hmm, it's possible, but his chances are slim."

Bailiwei shook his head.

Xu Xiaoniu said, "Our Demon Subduing Division Chief, Tuoba Hongyang, has the best chance."

“That’s right. Chief Tuoba is the most senior, and he’s at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. He also has a Golden Core family as his backer.”

Bailiwei also guessed that way.

"..."

After chatting idly for a while, Xu Xiaoniu suddenly asked, "Do you know how Lord Nie broke through to the Golden Core Realm? What is needed to advance from the Foundation Establishment Realm to the Golden Core Realm?"

He didn't ask casually.

Advancing from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage requires more than just having a Golden Core cultivation technique.

The Xu family knows nothing about the methods for advancing to the Golden Core realm, so how can they help Zhongxu advance?

Xu Yiqing listened intently, hoping to glean even a few words about the Golden Core Realm.

Unfortunately, Bailiwei was unaware of this. He shook his head and said, "I have no idea. My family doesn't even have a single person at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. In the late stage of Foundation Establishment, each level is a threshold, and many great Foundation Establishment cultivators struggle to even reach the late stage."

My goals in this life aren't high; I'd be content if I could cultivate to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.

As for Jiang Hao, he knew even less about the Golden Core Realm.

Having received no news about the Golden Elixir, both Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Yiqing were helpless.

Another half a while passed.

Suddenly, two enormous auras flew in from the horizon at extremely high speed.

One of them had an aura a hundred times stronger than Nie Tingjun, who had advanced to the Golden Core stage!
Like a blazing sun high in the sky, its light so intense that people could not look directly at it.

Judging from his appearance, this person is extremely young, only about thirty years old. Of course, compared to the age of a Golden Core cultivator, someone this young could be seventy, eighty, or even a hundred years old.

He exuded a powerful aura, lofty and superior.

Behind him followed another person, whose aura was equally extraordinary; he was at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.

Everyone knew that these were people from the government office, but none of them recognized who this official was.

"Who is this person?"

Nie Tingjun was puzzled. He recognized all the important figures in the government office, but he had never seen this person before.

This person's aura was clearly that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, even comparable to Lin Shengping.

Although they didn't recognize him, everyone inside and outside the county government office bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Golden Core Immortal!"

"Greetings, Senior Golden Core cultivator."

"..."

(End of this chapter)