From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 272 The White Fox Demon Clan, Attacks from All Sides

Ruan Shuhua made complex hand seals and chanted incantations.

After a burst of golden elixir essence was injected into the Yin-Yang Twin Flower, this strange spiritual plant actually moved. It gently shook its flowers in the direction of Ruan Shuhua, as if to express its gratitude.

Its movements were very slight, like swaying caused by a breeze.

But Ruan Shuhua knew that this was indeed a sign that the Yin-Yang Twin Flowers had developed a trace of intelligence.

It's about to become sentient!

There are quite a few third-tier spiritual plants within this Liuli Mountain.

Even the spiritual plants that produce "immortal aura" and can serve as opportunities for Foundation Establishment cultivators to advance to the Golden Core realm, there are several in this Liuli Mountain.

The Yin-Yang Twin Flower could have long served as a "Golden Core opportunity" to help someone break through to the Golden Core realm.

Ruan Shuhua continued to nourish and cultivate it with the Golden Elixir True Essence in order to make it go further and reach a higher quality.

In theory, all things can "become sentient," that is, "become intelligent."

The only difference is the level of difficulty.

Humans are born with intelligence.

Orcs, ordinary livestock, possess only extremely rudimentary intelligence and a very low level of wisdom. Only orcs who live long enough and are strong enough can develop intelligence comparable to that of humans.

These beasts that develop intelligence are called "demonic beasts" or "spirit beasts".

Monsters and spirit beasts are essentially the same. Those that pose a threat to humans are called "monsters," while those that are tamed and subdued by humans are called "spirit beasts."

Besides humans and orcs, there are also plants.

Although plants cannot move, they also grow from seeds and seedlings, going through a growth and development process, and they also have an internal energy cycle.

Plants are living things too.

However, it is much more difficult for plants to "develop intelligence" than for beastmen.

Legend has it that some ginseng plants in deep mountains and forests, after growing for thousands of years, can develop sentience and move around like human children, using their roots as limbs. These ginseng plants are called "ginseng babies" or "ginseng spirits".

Besides plants becoming sentient, even objects can become sentient.

Of course, this only exists in myths and legends: for example, a stone, after being nurtured by the essence of heaven and earth for tens of thousands of years, develops sentience.

Ruan Shuhua did not have the ability to make stones sentient, but he did know a secret technique that could make spiritual plants "become sentient".

Their family has inherited a secret technique: the "Secret Technique of Enlightening Spiritual Plants".

This secret technique has a magical effect on spiritual plants, almost like "enlightenment," improving their quality, giving them an aura of immortality, and even further developing their intelligence, turning them into plant spirits.

Using this "Secret Method of Spiritual Plant Enlightenment" on ordinary third-tier spiritual plants has a chance to cultivate them into Golden Core cultivators with "immortal aura".

In other words, the Ruan family can produce the "Golden Core Opportunity," a rare and precious item that is extremely difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators to obtain!
This is the foundation of the Ruan family.

A family with a long history of Golden Core cultivation must possess the means to continuously produce Golden Core cultivators.

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.

"Hua Lang~~"

Just then, a soft and charming female voice drifted over.

A figure floated down from the sky.

Its body was snow-white, and its figure was graceful and ethereal.

It is about ten feet long, with four paws in the air and a long tail that accounts for half of its body length.

As it soared through the air, its tail undulated behind it like waves. Wherever it passed, shimmering, iridescent shadows drifted through the air.

The shimmering light was beautiful, like a seven-colored rainbow following behind its tail.

It is a crystal white fox.

That gentle female voice came from it.

"Bai Ling~~"

Ruan Shuhua looked up at the white fox in the sky.

The Liuli White Fox Clan is a fox demon clan that originally occupied Liuli Mountain.

Bai Ling is the current patriarch of the Liuli White Fox Demon Clan, a third-tier demon beast.

"Hua Lang~~"

Bai Ling floated in the air in an arc and slowly landed beside Ruan Shuhua. Her long white tail wrapped around Ruan Shuhua and she affectionately rubbed the fur on her neck against Ruan Shuhua's waist.

“Hua Lang, there have been quite a few annoying people hanging around Liuli Mountain these days.”

It didn't open its mouth to speak; it just mimicked a woman's voice.

"Yes, they may have already spotted me."

Ruan Shuhua remained calm, showing no sign of worry that she had been discovered.

He reached out and gently stroked the white fox's neck.

"It's a pity that the Yin-Yang Twin Flowers weren't cultivated properly, otherwise you would have had a chance to become a Nascent Soul Demon Lord."

Ruan Shuhua has been hiding here for the past ten years or so, not going anywhere, mainly to cultivate the Yin-Yang Twin Flowers.

Spiritual plants possessing "immortal aura" are opportunities for achieving the Golden Core stage, allowing one to advance from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core realm.

However, the Golden Core cultivator was of no use to the Ruan family's predicament.

What the Ruan family needs is the birth of another ancestor at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level.

However, ordinary cultivators who can reach the Foundation Establishment stage are already exceptionally talented. Advancing to the Golden Core stage is even more difficult, with only one in a hundred out of so many Foundation Establishment cultivators being able to advance to the Golden Core stage.

To advance to the Golden Core stage, one needs both talent and resources, as well as a "Golden Core opportunity".

Advancing to the Golden Core stage is already this difficult, let alone the Nascent Soul stage, which even the Golden Core stage aspires to.

A Nascent Soul True Lord is a powerful figure who can make a name for himself in a region and inspire fear and even submission from countless families.

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.

Bai Ling, the patriarch of the Liuli White Fox clan, possesses a higher level of strength than Ruan Shuhua.

Ruan Shuhua is at the sixth level of the Golden Core realm.

Bai Ling, a third-tier demonic beast, possesses terrifying strength, with a cultivation level roughly equivalent to the late Golden Core stage. Upon closer inspection, one can discover that it has nine Golden Core markings or even reaches the peak of the Golden Core realm.

It is precisely because Bai Ling's strength and realm are higher, being in the late Golden Core stage, that she has a sliver of hope of becoming a Nascent Soul Demon Lord.

This is Ruan Shuhua's only hope for Liuli Mountain.

The Ruan family was destroyed and ceased to exist under the siege of the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty and the Qianyuan Immortal Dynasty.

Even in his despair, Ruan Shuhua held onto a sliver of hope, which was this Yin-Yang Twin Flower. For the past ten years, he had been cultivating the Yin-Yang Twin Flower from time to time using the "Secret Method of Spiritual Plant Enlightenment."

It's a pity that the Ruan family's enemies, those forces from all sides who came for resources, are about to discover this place.

However, it's still a long way from Ruan Shuhua's goal of helping Bai Ling advance to the Nascent Soul Realm.

He has no chance.

"Hua Lang, there's no need to say more. Whether we fight to the death or run away, I will stay by your side."

Bai Ling made a sound.

She was willing to live and die with Ruan Shuhua.

In fact, she knew that she had no hope of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage; she was far from even touching the threshold of reaching the Nascent Soul Demon Lord realm.

She was only "acting" for Ruan Shuhua to give him a glimmer of hope.

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms are worlds apart.

Even if Ruan Shuhua successfully cultivates the Yin-Yang Twin Flowers, Bai Ling will not be able to reach the Nascent Soul Realm based on just one spiritual plant.

The reason why Ruan Shuhua had such a close relationship with a fox-like demon beast is a long story.

This can be traced back to the relationship between the Ruan family and the Liuli White Fox clan.

The Ruan family has been developing in the Wilderness Mountains for many years and has maintained good relations with the third-tier demonic beasts in the Wilderness Mountains.

After all, they consider the Wilderness Mountains their home, and they intend to develop here for countless years, rather than exploiting the resources like "draining the pond to catch all the fish."

The Ruan family has always lived in peace with the third-tier demonic beasts of the Wilderness Mountains, never attacking each other.

This has been their guiding principle in developing the Wilderness Mountains for thousands of years.

The Glazed White Fox Clan is one such demon clan force that possesses a third-tier demon fox clan leader.

Initially, the relationship between the Liuli White Fox Clan and the Ruan family was not so close.

The previous Nascent Soul ancestor of the Ruan family was very close to a Foundation Establishment fox demon among the Glazed White Foxes when he was a child.

The fox demon's name was given by the Ruan family patriarch; it was called "Bai Su".

At that time, the patriarch of the Ruan family was far from reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

The human and the fox demon initially treated each other as playmates, often frolicking together.

Later, as the strength of the Ruan family patriarch increased, the little fox demon's age also increased, and her strength gradually improved as well.

The patriarch of the Ruan family was a prodigy with extraordinary talent, and his cultivation progressed extremely quickly.

With the support of the Ruan family's resources, the Ruan family patriarch quickly broke through to the Golden Core realm. After reaching the late Golden Core stage, he advanced to the Nascent Soul True Monarch realm due to certain fortuitous events!
A Nascent Soul True Monarch has a lifespan of up to a thousand years and can protect the Ruan family for a thousand years.

As it turns out, the Nascent Soul ancestor of the Ruan family was indeed remarkable.

With his help, Bai Su actually advanced from a third-tier demon beast to the Nascent Soul Demon Lord realm.

A demon lord at the Nascent Soul stage can transform into human form!
A beautiful woman transformed from a fox spirit and a human Nascent Soul Dao Lord developed feelings for each other that were difficult to explain.

Even the highest-ranking members of the Ruan family couldn't clearly explain the relationship between the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Ruan family and the Nascent Soul Demon Lord of the Fox Clan.

They have never made this public; only a very small number of their clansmen know about it.

Under the protection of the Ruan family patriarch, the outside world was unaware that a Nascent Soul Demon Lord had been born in the Desolate Marsh Mountains.

Bai Su, the Nascent Soul Demon Lord, was older than the Ruan family patriarch and passed away before him.

Not long after, the patriarch of the Ruan family also passed away.

The ancestor of the Ruan family did indeed protect the Ruan family for nearly a thousand years, which is an undeniable achievement.

Before the passing of the Ruan family patriarch, neither the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty nor the Qianyuan Immortal Dynasty would casually enter the Wilderness Mountain Range, let alone target and annihilate the Ruan family.

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.

At this time, the outside world.

The location of the allied forces of Yuanli, Huangting, and Yanping prefectures.

Xiang Zhiye, Wuma Boxuan, and others are discussing the siege of Liuli Mountain.

"Ruan Shuhua, a member of the Ruan family, is hiding in Liuli Mountain!"
This person is an important member of the Ruan family, and the one with the highest status among the surviving members of the Ruan family.

If we can catch him, the resources we can obtain are countless.

Most importantly, he knows the Ruan family's secret!

The Ruan family has been developing in the Wilderness Mountains for many years. It is said that they are descendants of the royal family, with unfathomable resources and countless secret techniques.

We must capture Ruan Shuhua and get him to talk!

Wu Maboxuan said.

He was told this by someone else.

"The Liuli Mountain where he is located must contain opportunities for Golden Core cultivation and spiritual plants imbued with the aura of immortality!"

Yue Qunliang's eyes lit up.

This is a treasure of the Golden Core opportunity, and it is a valuable item in every family in Zhennan Prefecture.

Even the Lin family, the largest family in Zhennan Prefecture, wouldn't casually offer up a "Golden Core opportunity."

Xiang Zhiye nodded and said, "The opportunity to obtain the Golden Core is not to be missed, but this will also be a tough battle. With our strength and that of our subordinates, I'm afraid we can't defeat Liuli Mountain."

He knew Ruan Shuhua; the carefree prince had told him about her before.

What they wanted from the Xiang family was not only the opportunity to obtain the Golden Core, but more importantly, the "Secret Method of Spiritual Plant Transformation" that Ruan Shuhua knew.

This is exactly what the Xiang family needs!

The Xiang family is one of the five major Golden Core families in Zhennan Prefecture. The family is famous for its expertise in controlling "natal spiritual plants".

Besides the wood-based techniques, the most important secret technique of the Xiang family is a secret method called "Primordial Spirit Plant Control".

The term "primordial spirit" refers to true essence and divine soul in general. In reality, it means that by using one's own physical body and divine soul as the soil for cultivating spiritual plants, one can refine a spiritual plant into one's own natal spiritual plant.

These natal spiritual plants are the natal treasures that help them advance to the Golden Core realm.

Thanks to this secret technique, "Yuan Shen Yu Zhi," the Xiang family has a high probability of producing Golden Core cultivators, thus becoming one of the five great Golden Core families.

The Xiang family possesses the secret technique of "Primordial Spirit Plant Control," but lacks a cultivation method that can improve the quality of spiritual plants, such as the "Spiritual Plant Enlightenment Secret Technique."

After all, their "Primordial Spirit Plant Control" secret method is only a secret method for refining spiritual plants as natal spiritual plants.

The higher the quality of the refined spiritual plants, the better.

If one refines a first-tier spiritual plant, then this secret technique is essentially useless.

Refining a second-tier spiritual plant as one's natal spiritual plant doesn't make it particularly powerful.

Refining a third-tier spiritual plant as one's natal spiritual plant allows it to be used as a magic weapon or a spiritual artifact for Foundation Establishment cultivators, unleashing considerable power.

If they refine spiritual plants that possess "immortal aura," which is a golden core opportunity, they will almost certainly advance to the golden core realm.

The Xiang family's current territory is that third-tier spiritual land in the ancient southern city. There is a special feature in this spiritual land: third-tier spiritual plants growing there have a chance to obtain "immortal aura," that is, the opportunity to achieve the Golden Core stage.

Only through that special feature can the Xiang family be guaranteed to have the "Golden Elixir Opportunity" to use, and only then can the "Primordial Spirit Planting Technique" be effective.

Their dilemma lies in the fact that these special places are auspicious locations that gather the essence of heaven and earth and the spirit of the sun and moon, and it takes many years to cultivate a very small number of spiritual plants with the "golden elixir opportunity".

It takes a very long time for a single "Golden Elixir Opportunity" spiritual plant to be born; it's too slow.

If one possesses the "Secret Method of Enlightening Spiritual Plants," one can continuously enlighten spiritual plants, greatly enhancing their quality.

This secret technique is extremely important to the Xiang family, as it can solve their biggest current predicament.

Xiang Zhiye learned about the "Secret Method of Spiritual Plant Transformation" from Xiaoyao Wang and came to the Wilderness Mountain Range without hesitation.

Knowing Ruan Shuhua's location, he certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to give the Xiang family a significant boost.

Liuli Mountain is the territory of the Liuli White Fox Demon Clan, and the third-tier white foxes there are very powerful.

Ruan Shuhua herself is at the sixth level of the Golden Core realm.

Even with just Xiang Zhiye and his two Golden Core cultivators, along with the Foundation Establishment cultivators under their command, they couldn't defeat Ruan Shuhua and his group.

"Ask for help!"

The three discussed finding reinforcements.

That Liuli Mountain is Ruan Shuhua's hiding place, where there is an opportunity to obtain the Golden Elixir, and more importantly, the Ruan family's heirloom.

This news was enough to attract the attention of the powerful figures in Zhennan Prefecture.

There are quite a few Golden Core cultivators from Zhennan Prefecture who have come to the Wilderness Mountains.

Xiang Zhiye and his group wanted to find someone to help them, but they were unwilling to give up too many resources and benefits.

They need to discuss and come up with a suitable plan.

(End of this chapter)