Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 319 Mysterious Wooden Plaque
On Mokuyu Island, in a realm inaccessible to outsiders, spiritual energy rises.

"With the spiritual veins of Thousand Vine Mountain, Tao Yao may have a chance to transform once again..."

Inside the Spirit Cave, Jiang Chen silently sensed Tao Yao's changes.

Tao Yao has the ability to control spiritual energy. As a new spiritual vein is integrated into it, it will inevitably receive feedback. However, a spiritual vein is not ordinary. With Tao Yao's current methods, it will take some time to successfully integrate with this spiritual vein. Being too hasty will easily lead to problems.

"Peach Blossom's current state is actually similar to mine. The question is how it should take the first step towards establishing its Dao foundation, and what kind of spiritual treasures it needs to forge its own Dao foundation."

"According to the characteristics of the cultivation method, if it wants to build a foundation for the Dao, it would be best to find a spiritual treasure that contains the mystery of decay and prosperity."

As his thoughts raced, Jiang Chen pondered the issue of Tao Yao establishing her Dao foundation.

"Speaking of which, the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm has many spiritual trees and extremely rich wood energy. The chances of wood-attribute spiritual treasures being born there are much higher than in other places."

On a whim, Jiang Chen took a wooden box out of his storage bag, inside which was a jade pendant and a palm-sized wooden plaque.

The jade pendant shimmered with a faint spiritual light, yet it was a magical artifact. As for the wooden plaque, it was engraved with cloud-like characters, its mystique subtle, bearing the marks of time. All of these were obtained by Jiang Chen from Qing Mu Lei.

"Although this Spirit Light Pendant may seem like just an inconspicuous low-grade magic artifact, it is actually a key specially crafted by the Qingmu family. With this key, the restrictions left by the Qingmu family in Wind Valley can be easily opened."

"As for this wooden plaque, it was obtained by the Qingmu family cultivators when the Hundred Fruit Garden Secret Realm opened last time. The Qingmu family cultivators paid a considerable price to bring this item out."

"Unlike naturally formed secret realms, this Hundred Fruit Garden secret realm has an owner, or at least once had one. Because of this, there are many restrictions within it. Even after the exploration of the four major families, there are still many hidden places within this secret realm."

"And this wooden plaque is a symbol of identity; only with it can one have the opportunity to enter the true core of the Hundred Fruit Garden."

Holding the wooden plaque in his hand, Jiang Chen examined it carefully. Compared to the key, this wooden plaque was more important; if used properly, it might bring him considerable benefits.

"With the destruction of the Aoki family and the acquisition of the key, it's time for the Taiping Sect to truly take its place. However, this matter still requires Chen Jingshu's cooperation."

With that thought, Jiang Chen put the wooden plaque away.

A moment later, Jiang Chen sent out a letter.

"The overall situation of the Southern Jing Kingdom Dynasty is not good now. The imperial power has declined significantly. Given the combat power shown by the Mist Dragon, the royal family should focus on winning it over. After all, so far, there has been no major conflict between the Mist Dragon and the royal family."

"If nothing unexpected happens, with the backing of the Mist Dragon, the Taiping Sect should soon be able to replace the Qingmu family and become the new pillar of the four southern prefectures."

Looking into the distance, seeing the shadows of mountains, various thoughts flashed through Jiang Chen's mind.

Half a month later, the clouds parted and the fog cleared. The news of the destruction of the Qingmu family, a Dao Foundation cultivator, and the subsequent demonic possession of Qingmu Lei, swept through the entire Southern Jing Kingdom like a storm, leaving all forces astonished.

Because the Hundred Fruit Secret Realm was about to be revealed, various forces had already paid attention to the Qingmu family. They originally planned that if the Qingmu family did not act for a long time, they would join forces to put pressure on the Qingmu family to hand over the Wind Valley Key, so as to further test the Qingmu family's reaction.

But the change came too quickly; before they could do anything, news of the Aoki family's destruction arrived.

In Xihua County, the ancestral home of the Qu family, a hint of surprise appeared on Qu Shize's round face as he read the latest news.

"Is he really going mad from practicing qi cultivation? I find it hard to believe."

Holding the letter, Qu Shize fell into deep thought.

Since encountering the mysterious dragon on the Qingyuan River, he fled back to Xihua County without stopping. At first, he was so worried that he couldn't sleep at night. After recuperating for so long and seeing that nothing had happened, he finally calmed down a bit. But just then, news of the destruction of the Qingmu family arrived. "The Qingmu family was protected by a second-tier grand formation, which would be difficult for even a Dao Foundation cultivator to break. Not to mention that there weren't any particularly powerful experts openly in the four southern counties. Although the theory that Qingmu Lei suffered a qi deviation seems absurd, from this perspective, it is actually a very reasonable explanation."

"However, I do know that there is a real dragon hidden in the Qingyuan River. If it makes a move, it would be normal for it to break the second-tier formation of the Qingmu family."

"Judging from the current situation, the entire South has most likely fallen into that person's control. The mist dragon that once suppressed Crocodile Abyss is most likely of that person's bloodline, and the so-called Taiping Sect should be that person's pawn."

As the thoughts collided, Qu Shize had a sudden realization.

Yes, that's it. Only this can explain why the Mist Dragon was able to leverage the power of the entire Qingyuan River on its own and crush Crocodile Abyss's army formation with the power of heaven and earth. It's all because a True Dragon of the Purple Mansion level stood behind the Mist Dragon.

Just as Qu Shize thought he had uncovered the truth, a voice transmission quietly sounded in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Qu Shize's expression changed slightly, and he quickly went outside.

Meanwhile, in Huoyuan City, a fierce struggle has already begun.

The destruction of the Aoki family caused quite a stir here. Since the founding of the Southern Kingdom, although the various Dao Foundation forces have experienced ups and downs, they have generally maintained their positions as Dao Foundation families and ensured the continuation of their lineage. This is the first time that the entire Aoki family has been wiped out like this.

Inside the Imperial City, within the Secret Pavilion, two figures, a man and a woman, sat facing each other. One of them was none other than Chen Gangfeng, the Fire Demon, while the other was Chen Yongling, another Dao Foundation cultivator from the Chen family.

"The Qingmu family was destroyed, and the key fell into the hands of the Taiping Sect. They intend to replace the Qingmu family and guard the south for the dynasty. What do you think?"

Wearing a wooden crown and a green robe, Chen Yongling, who looked to be in his thirties, turned his gaze to the Fire Demon.

Upon hearing this, the Fire Demon raised an eyebrow.

He knew something about the Taiping Sect, mainly because the Third Prince had mentioned it to him.

"You want to support the Taiping Sect in replacing the Aoki family?"

Having guessed something, the Fire Demon asked a question.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yongling made no attempt to hide his reaction and nodded.

“Our Chen family is not in a good situation right now. Whether our eldest brother can break through is still unknown. Under such circumstances, it is not a bad thing for us to befriend a new Dao Foundation power.”

"In fact, according to the intelligence I have received, the four southern prefectures have been extensively infiltrated by the Taiping Sect. Even if we disagree, it will be difficult to change this situation in a short period of time."

"Unless our Chen family is willing to send out a sufficiently strong force to suppress that dragon, but that is not very realistic."

Without rushing, Chen Yongling shared his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, the Fire Demon remained silent for a long time.

"So be it, let it be. I never knew my Chen family had fallen to this state."

With a sigh, Fire Demon agreed to Chen Yongling's suggestion.

Looking at the fire demon, a dark glint flashed in Chen Yongling's eyes.

(End of this chapter)