Promise!

Chapter 283, The Secret

That afternoon, in Cangzhou City, on the first ring road, at the Shangguan family's residence.

'Excellent, objective achieved. Now we can have a peaceful environment for cultivation.'

When Zhuang Jin met with Shangguan Jinfeng, he first stated his position: First, he had higher goals and would not stay in Cangzhou for long to seize the Shangguan family's foundation. Shangguan Jinfeng could supervise him, and he would leave Cangzhou before he died. Second, Shangguan Yunchang was his woman and he would provide assistance.

The core conflict between the two sides lies in the fact that the Shangguan family is worried that Zhuang Jin will turn the tables and seize the Shangguan family's foundation, but he seeks immortality and does not care about a powerful family. This is not irreconcilable.

Previously, the Shangguan family held an absolute advantage, and the balance between the two sides was unbalanced. They were willing to pay some price to nip the risk in the bud. But now, it is no longer possible to nip the risk in the bud, or rather, even if it were possible, it would come at an enormous price that the Shangguan family cannot afford.

Zhuang Jin had put his words to this point, showing his sincerity. Shangguan Jinfeng was a smart and rational person. After weighing the pros and cons, she temporarily agreed.

With this core contradiction resolved, Zhuang Jin's existence is actually beneficial to the Shangguan family.

After Zhuang Jin made his stance clear, reassuring the old lady and essentially making concessions, Shangguan Jinfeng reciprocated by granting him a position in the Shangguan family, a degree of control, and a promise of cultivation resources.

Including the Immortal Ruins of the Ice Lake Cave, the Shangguan family now possesses two mid-grade Qingyuan Pots. The cultivation limit of a mid-grade Qingyuan Pot is two hundred and fifty years. It can cultivate Black Jade Grass, which can be used as the main ingredient for Black Yuan Pills to supply the cultivation of the first and second levels of Yin Spirit. Although it is a bit of a stretch, it is still acceptable.

Zhuang Jin's idea was to conserve the energy stored in the Holy Spirit Pearl as much as possible, and to use other resources as a substitute whenever possible, only activating it when other resources were no longer needed.

With such resource optimization, it would be best to be able to survive in Cangzhou until breaking through to the Yang God realm. Then, due to resource constraints, one could go to the capital and sweep through without having to play it safe anymore.

The agreement was reached under the premise of maintaining a balance of power, with each side harboring a desire to test the waters. Subsequently, the two fought a battle.

In the match between Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Jinfeng, Zhuang Jin currently lacked Yin God martial arts skills, and Shangguan Jinfeng did not utilize the power of the Suspended Sky Mirror. Without a doubt, Zhuang Jin won.

He achieved his goal through this fight: he punched the Nanshan Nursing Home.

In short, Shangguan Jinfeng ended up in a rather disheveled state, suffering some injuries, though not to her soul, but mostly to her body, which made her feel very uncomfortable. She probably wouldn't be in the mood to go out and watch plays for about ten days to half a month.

Zhuang Jin finally got her revenge.

In all the previous events, to be honest, he really had no reason to take action; he could only have used the fight as an excuse to resort to underhanded tactics.

So, what did Shangguan Jinfeng do when Xuanyuan Zhengji went out of the city to intercept him?
She had previously caused a scene at the Cen family's house, destroying the study. They had tacitly reached an agreement that Zhuang Jin would ask her to stop Xuan Yuan Zhengji, but the other party failed to do so.

If Zhuang Jin hadn't broken through to the Yin Spirit realm, Shangguan Jinfeng might have done the unnecessary things, but since she hadn't done a single one yet, holding her accountable based on future events would be 'unfounded'.

In reality, since Shangguan Jinfeng was clearly outmaneuvered and suffered a loss, she cannot be blamed.

Shangguan Jinfeng was an old and cunning woman, and Zhuang Jin, feeling a lot of resentment, took the opportunity of the fight to get revenge.

Shangguan Jinfeng, to some extent, intentionally cooperated, allowing him to vent his frustration.

'My frustration has been released, the alliances have been formed, and the environment for future cultivation is favorable. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.'

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly.

Why didn't he stay out there, master the Yin God martial arts, and then come back?
It's not that he's afraid the state government and the three great families will think that he has broken through to the Yin God realm, possesses a great treasure, and is hiding out of fear, and is therefore trying to escape.

At the same time, he repelled Xuan Yuan Zhengji, further injuring him. Within the three great families, Cen Chongxuan was also hostile. Shangguan Jinfeng might also have some ulterior motives due to his prolonged absence, and she was worried that Xuan Yuan Zhengji might join forces with the heads of the three great families to give him a severe beating.

This is the reason why they are so eager to catch up: in this chaotic situation where the enemy and ourselves are still undecided, they want to gain a favorable position.

After recovering the stolen goods, first publicly reprimand Xuan Yuan Zhengji to sow discord between him and the three great families; then, pull Shangguan Jinfeng to confront Cen Chongxuan, dividing and resolving the three great families within their ranks; finally, within the Shangguan family, reassure the old lady and gain some initiative.

By forming alliances in this way, they can eliminate any potential disadvantages and create a favorable environment for themselves in the future.

'Now I can finally focus on my cultivation.'

Zhuang Jin calmed himself down, took out the three Yin God martial arts techniques he had selected, and began to study and practice them.

……

This evening.

Shangguan Yunchang entered, her expression complex, with a hint of tentative distance: "Husband, have you really broken through to the Yin God realm?"

Zhuang Jin had already achieved perfection in severing the three corpses, and she had been trying to catch up recently, often going into seclusion. She even missed the Qingming Festival memorial service today, but unexpectedly, the gap had widened even further.

Zhuang Jin pulled Shangguan Yunchang over and slapped her on the spot: "Just because you've broken through to the Yin God realm doesn't mean you're no longer my husband. Yunchang, you should go back to your previous self."

He never acts pretentious in front of his woman; his attitude remains consistent.

Shangguan Yunchang blushed slightly and glared at him. His innocent heart, unchanged, and familiar attitude and way of getting along touched her heart.

However, Zhuang Jin was different now. She paused for a moment and took the initiative to ask, "My husband is in Yunnan Prefecture... should we bring him here?"

"No."

Zhuang Jin has broken through to the Yin God realm, and his status is indeed different now, but he can no longer control everything in Cangzhou.

On the contrary, he now carries the heavier label of the Shangguan family, which acts as a safety net to protect him from danger.

Shangguan Yunchang didn't bring up the matter again, but instead said, "Grandmother came back today and said that after stretching her muscles and bones, her body felt like it was falling apart, so she asked me to give her a massage..."

Zhuang Jin was speechless. He beat up the old lady, and the old lady turned around and ordered his wife around. Really... really, she didn't suffer any loss.

"My grandmother also said that I should break through to the Yin God realm as soon as possible, after which the Shangguan family's core powers will be delegated to me."

Shangguan Yunchang has been mostly in seclusion lately, and has become somewhat dulled by the events of the outside world. However, she still sensed something unusual about Zhuang Jin's silence, his rapid breakthrough outside, and her grandmother's seemingly guilty and yielding attitude.

On one side is Zhuang Jin, her husband, and on the other is her grandmother, her family. Both sides are equally precious, making it difficult to choose.

"There was some misunderstanding before, but I have already dealt with it. Everything is fine now and there won't be any in the future. I certainly won't make things difficult for you, Yun Chang."

Zhuang Jin was speaking from the heart. Today, he rushed back after Xuan Yuanzhengji. His approach of forming alliances and counter-alliances also took Shangguan Yunchang into consideration. Otherwise, do you really think he wouldn't learn from the Sword God of Shili Slope?
"Husband!" Shangguan Yunchang's call was full of affection, clearly showing that she was moved.

"Alright, it's not dark yet!"

Zhuang Jin joked for a moment, then suddenly became serious and said, "Since Grandmother has this intention, Yun Chang, you'd better break through to the Yin God Realm as soon as possible, so as to avoid some unnecessary trouble."

"I can also offer some help in this matter. Now that I have reached the Yin God realm, if the two of us cultivate the Yin-Yang Union Technique, it can boost your spiritual power, Yun Chang, and even nourish your soul and enrich your foundation."

"Thank you, my husband. Using the Heavenly Mirror to take shortcuts is not a good thing, and I did not want to do it in the first place."

Perhaps because their relationship had progressed further, Shangguan Yunchang revealed a series of core secrets: "As the prospective head of the Shangguan family, I already have three-tenths of the authority of the Suspended Heaven Mirror. If I were to obtain more authority and break through to the Yin God realm, I could use more of the Suspended Heaven Mirror's primordial power, greatly increasing my chances of success. However, there are many hidden dangers."

Firstly, if one relies too much on the power of the Suspended Heaven Mirror's origin during the breakthrough to Yin Godhood, one will be restricted by the Suspended Heaven Mirror and find it difficult to leave Cangzhou.

Secondly, once one reaches a certain level, it becomes difficult to advance to a higher level.

Just like building a high platform, if the foundation is not pure or stable, it's like borrowed power. Once it reaches a certain height, it's difficult to build further. Forcing it will only cause the building to collapse. This is also why the three great family heads, despite years of breakthroughs, have only reached the first level of Yin Spirit Meditation. It's not that they don't want to continue breaking through, but that they have used too much of the Suspended Heaven Mirror's original power during their Yin Spirit breakthroughs, making further breakthroughs impossible.

Thirdly, inheriting the authority of the Suspended Sky Mirror will cause a backlash if the original power of the Suspended Sky Mirror is extracted, resulting in loss of vital energy, even a drop in cultivation level, and in the most serious case, sudden death.

This is easy to understand. If the Yin spirit has borrowed power, a small amount is fine; it's okay to "get on the bus first and buy the ticket later." But if the proportion is too large, it cannot be made up for. If the original power of the Suspended Sky Mirror is taken away, the building will collapse instantly.

However, this method is not without its advantages. By borrowing the power of the Suspended Mirror's origin during the breakthrough process, one can achieve a kind of "man-mirror unity" and better mobilize the power of the Suspended Mirror. If combined with activating the Suspended Mirror's permissions, it can achieve a great boost.

The closer one is to the Sky-Piercing Mirror, the greater the increase. If it were in the third ring of Cangzhou City, it would be terrifying. Shangguan Yunchang doesn't know the specifics, but putting everything else aside, just the technique of 'isolating the two worlds' would make one invincible.

'Is that so? It seems we shouldn't underestimate the three great family heads because of what happened before. Their normal state is one mode, and when they use the power of the Suspended Sky Mirror, it's another.'

'Under the latter mode, even if I master the Yin God martial arts, I might not be able to defeat them in a one-on-one situation within the third ring.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, becoming even more cautious.

"Just like my grandmother back then, when she broke through to the Yin God realm, she had 33% of the Suspended Heaven Mirror's authority, which was practically a sure thing. Even if she encountered problems during the breakthrough, she could make up for them with the original power of the Suspended Heaven Mirror, making it very difficult to fail."

"But this is the least ambitious way, and also the way with the greatest hidden dangers, so I am unwilling to do it."

Shangguan Yunchang paused for a moment and said, "In the eight hundred years of the Great Qian Dynasty, many prospective heads of the three great families tried to break through after obtaining three-tenths of the authority. They intended to rely on the power of the Suspended Sky Mirror at the very least to minimize the hidden dangers and retain the hope of breaking through to the next level, but they often failed."

Therefore, counterintuitively, the prospective heads of the three great families who failed to break through and died were often those who, after obtaining three-tenths of the authority, were unwilling to rely too much on the power of the Suspended Sky Mirror. Those with extremely high talent and ability, on the other hand, those with less talent and ability, whose soul strength only reached the baseline for breaking through to the Yin God level, honestly accepted their fate and truly accepted all the authority of the previous family head. In a sense, those who were 'unambitious' almost never failed.

For example, the previous patriarch of the Ge family was the former type: arrogant and unwilling to wait, determined to prove himself, and then he failed.

During the eight hundred years of the Great Qian Dynasty, there were actually quite a few prospective heads of the three great families like this.

"Do good swimmers die from drowning?"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly and said, "The key to breaking through the Yin Spirit barrier lies in the three elements of essence, qi, and spirit."

"As for the 'spirit' of the Three Elements, as I mentioned before, I have already broken through to the Yin Spirit realm and have the 'Yin-Yang Union Divine Technique' to support me, so Yun Chang, this won't be a problem for you; as for the 'Qi' of the Three Elements, Yun Chang, you also have the ultimate attribute, so there's no need to worry; as for the 'Essence' of the Three Elements, Yun Chang, your 'Ice Soul Glazed Body' is also nearing completion."

"If we wait until the Three Corpses have accumulated to perfection, and then settle down for a while, without being impatient or impetuous, and without relying on the authority of the Suspended Heaven Mirror, we have a good chance of success."

He paused here, then added, "Even if something unexpected happens, I have a backup plan."

The two cultivated the Yin-Yang Union Technique together, and the connection between their souls became increasingly close. In fact, they had a kind of cheat-like ability at crucial moments, similar to 'online hosting'... However, they couldn't use it unless absolutely necessary, as it was ultimately a kind of external trick.

"is also like this."

As Shangguan Yunchang spoke, she suddenly laughed, leaving Zhuang Jin somewhat puzzled.

She thought of the rumors circulating before that Zhuang Jin was a "gold digger," and now it seemed like it was her turn to be a "gold digger." Zhuang Jin's words relieved her of some of the invisible pressure on her shoulders.

Of course, it was just to relieve the pressure. Shangguan Yunchang was never one to be inferior to others, and she would not lower her standards for herself just because she had a way out.

"My husband has gone ahead, so I must hurry up too. I will continue my seclusion and focus on cultivation to reach the Three Corpses Severing Realm as soon as possible, and then break through to catch up."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing to remind my husband. I know about today's events, Xuanyuan Zhengji... but we must be careful. This person has a special identity. If anything happens, the Great Qian Dynasty and the royal family will take notice and intervene."

Xuanyuan Zhengji was the governor of a province and also a member of the royal family... no, more accurately, a member of the imperial clan.

'Xuanyuan' is the royal surname. However, the lineage of Xuanyuan Zhengji is somewhat distant from that of the Emperor of Daqian. Otherwise, his sister would not have married out of the family, and Li Shizong would have taken the surname Li.

However, it was because Xuanyuan Zhengji showed martial arts and spiritual talent from a young age that he was nurtured by the royal family and later broke through to the Yin God realm. With this level of strength, the Imperial Clan Court specially allowed him to be recorded in the register.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly upon hearing this: "I understand the matter and will not act rashly."

His strength still has a lot of room for improvement, and improving his strength is the priority. Besides, Xuanyuan Zhengji will eventually step down from his position as governor of Cangzhou... There's plenty of time ahead.

……

Half a month has passed in a flash.

On this day, Qin Douzhan came to visit. The maid invited him in and led him to an inner courtyard. The surrounding area was filled with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, flowing like smoke and mist, but no one could be seen.

Just as he was wondering, Zhuang Jin's figure appeared out of thin air amidst a faint ripple.

This is the entry-level Yin Spirit Body Technique – "Ice Spirit Flash," which allows the body to briefly transform into elemental form and flicker within the area covered by the power of the domain.

"Zhuang...Zhuang Sheng!"

Qin Douzhan watched as Zhuang Jin appeared out of thin air in front of him in a daze, wondering if he was seeing things. However, with his innate Qi Realm cultivation, he was not senile and it was impossible for him to do such a thing. He couldn't help but marvel at the unpredictable methods of Yin God martial artists. He also felt Zhuang Jin's aura of harmony between heaven and man, which was awe-inspiring and made him even more amazed.

"No need to be formal. We're old friends. Just call me 'Brother Zhuang'."

Zhuang Jin invited Qin Douzhan to sit down and brewed Rainbow Tea, the aroma of which rose like a rainbow.

Qin Douzhan looked at the tea that was handed to him, stood up and accepted it with both hands. He was quite flattered that the tea was personally brewed by the Great Venerable Yin Shen. He felt a sense of honor and said with emotion, "I heard that since Brother Zhuang's breakthrough, powerful families such as the Ji family and the Teng family have been flocking to him. He is very popular... Because of my friendship with Brother Zhuang, many people have come to my place as well."

"Oh, really?"

Aside from receiving generous gifts from Xuan Yuan Zhengji and Cen Chongxuan, Zhuang Jin has been secluded in his room cultivating Yin God martial arts lately, and hasn't really felt anything. However, upon reflection, he realized that since few people could come to him, the rightful owner, they naturally all sought to curry favor with those connected to him.

"Of course not!!"

Qin Douzhan talked about this topic, and then brought up: "I heard that in other states, there may be Innate Corpse Severing Realm martial artists sent to our Cangzhou on missions later."

Nowadays, apart from the aristocratic families, there are almost no rogue cultivators at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm in Cangzhou. Other states will not allow Cangzhou to be the only one with peace and quiet, and this is what makes them a drag on the situation.

"These intrigues and power struggles never stop!"

After sighing, Zhuang Jin looked at the other party again: "Brother Qin, there's no need to beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it."

He didn't think the other party had come over today just for casual conversation.

"This……"

Qin Douzhan hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Brother Zhuang, do you have any plans to establish a Yin God family or power?"

'really! ’

Zhuang Jin's heart skipped a beat, realizing what was going on. This was a test to see if he intended to establish a Yin God family or power, and if he wanted to follow suit.

If he were to nod his head, the other party and his group would soon be saying, "If Zhuang Sheng doesn't come out, what will become of the state government and the three great families? We are willing to serve Zhuang Sheng as our master." Next, they would be saying, "If our lord doesn't make progress, how can we make progress?" and then fast forward to, "You have really caused me a lot of trouble."

……

(End of this chapter)