Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 381 The Zhao Family in Panic

Chapter 381 The Zhao Family in Panic (Please Subscribe! Bonus Chapter This Afternoon!)

After a while.

Zhao Qingran's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Zhao Qingyan.

"How about this, Elder Qingyan, you should visit the Xu family again in a few days and investigate their background."

If the Xu family wants to take our Zhao family as a vassal, they must provide some convincing evidence.

Liu Qiankun also wanted my Zhao family to move to the capital to absorb my Zhao family's fortune in order to nurture his Liu family's secret treasure of fortune!

If the Liu family is confident in surviving the millennium calamity.

"So be it if we lose some of our fortune; it's better than the Zhao family's nearly thousand-year lineage being cut off!"

"Does the head of the family mean to bet on both sides and see which side offers the higher stakes?"

“Naturally, I will handle things with the Liu family, and you will take care of things with the Xu family. After all, among the Zhao family, you have the deepest relationship with them.”

"Understood. I will go again in three days." Zhao Qingyan said with a solemn expression. "Going too hastily or too frequently will make them look down on our Zhao family."

Zhao Qingran nodded slightly.

Three days later.

Zhao Qingyan arrived at the back mountain, the dwelling place of the Black Cloud Leopard.

“Black Clouds,” Zhao Qingyan said.

"You're disturbing my rest again. Your Zhao family is becoming more and more disrespectful to me. Do you treat me like a domestic animal that you can summon and dismiss at will?"

Seeing the Black Cloud Leopard's voice filled with dissatisfaction, Zhao Qingyan immediately smiled and said, "How could that be? You are the most noble guardian spirit beast of my Zhao family!"
Since Lord Heiyun is resting, then I, Qingyan, will not disturb you any longer.

Although Dongxi is far, it only takes a little more time to get there.

The Black Cloud Leopard, which had been lazily lying on the grass, suddenly transformed into a streak of black light and appeared in front of Zhao Qingyan, startling him so much that he took three steps back.

The Black Cloud Leopard turned its head and said with displeasure, "What are you standing there for? Come on up!"

"Don't waste time!"

Zhao Qingyan looked completely bewildered.
Are you the guardian spirit beast of my Zhao family, or the transportation spirit beast of the Xu family?

Their eyes lit up at the mention of going to Dongxi.

This guardian spirit beast has been raised for nothing.

Zhao Qingyan was exhausted, but she still obediently climbed onto his back.

The clouds beneath the Black Cloud Leopard rose up and then transformed into a black streak of light, soaring into the sky and heading straight for the cave stream.

Dongxi.

Xu Mingshu broke through to the Golden Core stage because she had the support of a third-grade mid-level spiritual vein, plus the secret technique for forming the Golden Core.

Her cultivation level leaped to the peak of the first level of the Golden Core stage.

If one's foundation were stronger, it might even be possible to break through directly to the second level of the Golden Core stage.

She did not achieve the Golden Core stage through supernatural means, so her magical power was only at the ordinary Golden Core stage. However, her spiritual sense was strong, reaching the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, close to the peak of the mid-stage.

When Zhao Qingyan arrived, she was still in seclusion, consolidating her cultivation level.

The Xu Family Hall.

Xu Chuan did not appear in person this time; instead, Xu Dezhao received him.

"Is Elder Xu in seclusion?" Zhao Qingyan asked.

“My grandfather often secluded himself in seclusion, and we were used to it.”

Xu Dezhao took a sip of the spiritual tea and said calmly.

"Master Xu was devoted to the Tao and is a role model for us all."

Xu Dezhao smiled slightly upon hearing this, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, please speak frankly. Even if I cannot make the decision, I will inform my grandfather when he comes out of seclusion."

Zhao Qingyan hesitated for a moment, "Then, Fellow Daoist Dezhao, do you know about the matter your grandfather discussed with my Zhao family last time?"

“I know a little bit about it; my grandfather told me about it.”

"If my Zhao family agrees, what conditions can the Xu family offer?"

Xu Dezhao put down his teacup and looked over with a faint smile. "Grandfather said that the conditions have been given. Whether the Zhao family agrees or not is entirely up to you. My Xu family will not force you."

Zhao Qingyan was taken aback upon hearing this, "Aren't you going to try harder?"

"I heard from the head of the family that the royal family of Liang is also trying its best to win over my Zhao family."

"What does this have to do with my Xu family? How you do it is entirely up to your Zhao family. If you think the Liu family can protect you, then face it together with them."

"If you wish to be under the protection of my Xu family, then your Zhao family patriarch, Zhao family head, and others must come to my Dongxi and swear an oath of vassalage."

Such a tough stance.

Does this mean they don't care about the Zhao family at all?
What are their trump cards?
That dragon was either in the mid-to-late stage of the third tier?
Zhao Qingyan lowered his head and pondered.

Xu Dezhao didn't mind, taking sips of the spiritual tea every now and then, thinking to himself, "The second-grade high-quality spiritual tea that my grandfather brought back is really good."

I really want to go to Canglong Mansion right now to see the foundation that my grandfather, fifth uncle, and Deling laid for the Xu family!

As for the Zhao family...

If the Xu family didn't have this lineage, they would also want to take over the Zhao family.

Even with so many families in the Great Wei, Great Liang, and Great Jin, the Xu family couldn't save them all.

If there's no benefit, why do something so strenuous and thankless?

When a great calamity strikes, no one can even save themselves!
No alliance matters in the face of true calamity or the continuation of a family.

The Xu family has enough manpower to protect themselves, or even a little more.

But if one were to indulge in excessive compassion and distribute these resources to the world, it would be a waste of time and resources.

Nadong Creek may also suffer severe damage.

"It seems that this time it is destined to be fruitless. The Xu family's attitude is not that they value the Zhao family at all, but that they treat it as something dispensable, a tool for cultivating spirit beasts."

Zhao Qingyan thought to himself, "Xu Mingshu of the Xu family is also skilled in beast taming, and it seems that there are already several young clansmen like her in the clan."

But compared to my Zhao family, we are still somewhat inferior.

The Xu family has taken my Zhao family as a vassal. Could it be that they only want to develop the Xu family's beast-taming lineage?
The Zhou family, the Qin family, the Li family, and the Wang family.
It corresponds perfectly to the four major branches of alchemy, artifacts, arrays, and runes.

Xu Chuan has six sons. The eldest, Xu Mingwei, is renowned throughout the world for his unparalleled combat prowess. The second son, Xu Mingwei, follows the path of talismans. The fourth son, Xu Mingshu, follows the path of beast taming. The fifth son, Xu Mingxian, follows the path of array formations.

The sixth brother, Xu Mingqing, inherited his alchemy skills from Xu Chuan and was also a renowned alchemist.

Even the Great Liang, Great Jin, and Great Wei might not have alchemists who could match them.

Oh right, there's also the ordinary third brother, Xu Mingxuan.

As for weapon crafting, I've heard that one of the third-generation disciples is named Xu Deling, who has an exceptional talent for weapon crafting.

He learned from Wu Mingsheng, but he surpassed his teacher.

Is he combining the five immortal arts with combat skills, developing them all at the same time?!
With such a situation, the future of the Xu family is unimaginable!

Although everyone wants to learn alchemy, artifact crafting, array formations, and talismans, most of them just imitate the form, and even if they achieve something, they only specialize in one thing.

Everyone leave.

It is essential that opportunity, talent, and resources are all indispensable.

Even families with a long tradition of mastering the Golden Elixir technique find it difficult to achieve.

"Following the Xu family seems to be a good way out. The five great families of immortal arts are all assisting the Xu family and developing with all their might. The higher the Xu family goes, the further the five great vassal families can go."

As for whether the five great families can continue to follow them, that depends on the Xu family's own methods.

a long time.

Zhao Qingyan raised his hand and smiled at Xu Dezhao: "Fellow Daoist Dezhao, I personally prefer the Xu family, and so do the guardian spirit beasts of my clan."

But you have also served as the head of the Xu family, so you should understand that the head of the family is not always in a position to have absolute authority.

Unless there are tempting benefits.

“What Fellow Daoist Zhao said is true, but the reason you are in such a predicament is because your Zhao family lacks a leader and relies on the collective efforts of everyone.”

Xu Dezhao said with a faint smile: "If your Zhao family's Golden Core stage cultivator is not a third-tier spirit beast, but your Zhao family's ancestor..."

He can certainly decide major matters concerning the Zhao family with a single word.

Zhao Qingyan remained silent.

He clearly understands this principle.

Even among powerful clans connected by blood, strength still reigns supreme!

"How about this, I can give Fellow Daoist Zhao the same benefits as the Zhou, Qin, Li, and Wang families. They have been vassals of my Xu family for many years and have also contributed a lot to the development of my Xu family."

That's how I got this opportunity.

"What was the reason?" Zhao Qingyan asked curiously.

"Five hundred years of Golden Elixir Qi!"

"Golden Core?!" Zhao Qingyan exclaimed in disbelief.

"This promise."

At this moment, his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

Five hundred years of Golden Core luck means the Xu family will have to help each of the four families produce a Golden Core cultivator. That's four Golden Core cultivators!

How dare the Xu family make such a boast?!

If the Xu family dares to say this, do the Zhou, Qin, Li, and Wang families really dare to believe it?
Seeing his appearance, Xu Dezhao knew what he was thinking. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, you don't need to worry about why my Xu family dares to make this promise."

Whether you believe it or not is up to you.

I also need to discuss this matter with my grandfather before a decision can be made.

If your Zhao family is steadfast enough and offers your loyalty, I think my grandfather would agree.

After all, he did intend to take over your Zhao family.

Whether or not the Zhao family exists is not important to the Xu family, nor is it important to the other four major families.

With them, things become more convenient for my Xu family.

If not, it won't hinder the development of my Xu family.

Zhao Qingyan fell into deep thought again.

Xu Dezhao's statement seems to be correct.

The Xu family's foundation in alchemy, weaponry, array formations, and talismans surpasses that of the four great families of Zhou, Qin, Li, and Wang.

Their presence is merely icing on the cake.

And it seems that the Zhao family is the same.

and many more!

My Zhao family has even nurtured third-tier spirit beasts!
Could it be that the Xu family also possesses other third-tier spirit beasts besides that dragon?

"I understand, Mr. Zhao, and I will do my best to make this happen."

Xu Dezhao nodded slightly. "By the way, if the Zhao family decides to become vassals and their branches migrate to Dongxi, we will need more people with outstanding beast-taming abilities."

"I understand. Then I'll take my leave."

After Zhao Qingyan left.

Xu Dezhao went to Bihan Pool.

Seeing Xu Chuan cultivating under the withered tree, he respectfully bowed and said, "Grandfather."

"how?"

"If my grandson's guess is correct, the Zhao family will likely agree, with a 20% chance that they will be reluctant to do so due to concerns about saving face."

"Face? In the face of a thousand-year calamity, only strength reigns supreme!"

"Grandfather is right. I hope the Zhao family can think this through. I'm going to cultivate now."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

On that day, Zhao Qingyan returned to the Zhao family's ancestral home.

He went to Zhao Qingran's study.

At this moment, Zhao Qingran was meditating.

"Well? What kind of offer did the Xu family make?" Zhao Qingran asked.

Zhao Qingyan was silent for a moment, then said, "The treatment will be the same as that of the Zhou, Qin, Li, and Wang families."

"That's all?"

"The person who received me this time was Xu Dezhao, the former head of the Xu family. Xu Chuan has already gone into seclusion to cultivate. These conditions were only verbally agreed to by Xu Dezhao and need to be discussed with Xu Chuan."

Only after observing the Zhao family's behavior and loyalty will they possibly agree.

“How can those four families compare to my Zhao family? The Xu family is far too arrogant!” Zhao Qingran frowned and said, “It seems we can forget about the Xu family.”

"No, quite the opposite, I think we should choose the Xu family and make a vassal oath with them as soon as possible."

"Why?" Zhao Qingran's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Firstly, the cultivation environment in Dongxi is excellent. It must be because the Xu family has found a spiritual vein in recent years, which I feel is much stronger than the spiritual energy in the Great Liang Imperial Palace."

Secondly, there's the Xu family's treatment; they granted the Zhao family branch, who moved to Dongxi, five hundred years of Golden Elixir fortune.

"What? The Xu family is willing to promise my Zhao family a Golden Core cultivator?"

"etc."

Zhao Qingran sensed something was wrong. "You said before that they were the same as the other four families, doesn't that mean they also..."

"Is the Xu family really just trying to get something for nothing?"

Zhao Qingyan smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know about this, but the Xu family doesn't care about us at all, as if they have already transcended this level."

If that's the case, then promising a Golden Core spot is nothing.

Of course, another possibility is as you, the head of the family, have said.

The Xu family is just making empty boasts, deliberately trying to take advantage of the millennium calamity to incorporate my Zhao family.

But if he's just talking nonsense, he could survive the thousand-year tribulation by taking over our Zhao family and gathering other families.

The entire power of the Liang capital was uncertain, and the same should be true for the Wei and Jin dynasties.

so."

"So you think the Xu family belongs to the former, that they have already surpassed the Cao family of the Great Wei, the Sima family of the Great Jin, and the Liu family of the Great Liang?"

But it's only been over thirty years!
How is this possible?!

“It’s a pipe dream, but I’m willing to gamble!” Zhao Qingyan said, “Hei Yun also wants to be incorporated into the Xu family.”

Zhao Qingyan pulled the Black Cloud Leopard along.

After all, he was a guardian spirit beast of the clan, and his status in the Zhao family was quite high.

"Uh~"

Hearing that his family's guardian spirit beast, which he had raised for hundreds of years, actually wanted to be recruited by his family, he felt an urge to curse!

"It's probably related to the concentration of spiritual energy. Our Zhao family's spiritual vein is only at the middle grade of the first level, which is simply not enough to support Hei Yun's cultivation."

Zhao Qingyan offered an explanation.

"Hey~"

Zhao Qingran was also helpless.

Which family doesn't want to have a superior spiritual vein?

But regardless of whether it's the Great Wei, Great Jin, or Great Liang, the number of families possessing spiritual veins can be counted on two hands.

Many Foundation Establishment families only have Spirit Caves in their clan lands.

The spiritual energy it generates is far less than that of a spiritual vein.

After a long silence, Zhao Qingran said, "I am aware of your thoughts and Hei Yun's thoughts. I will carefully consider this matter and discuss it thoroughly with the Ancestor."

The Zhao family patriarch is nearing the end of his life, and another patriarch who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage has already passed away.

The new Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator is Zhao Qingran, the head of the Zhao family.

Therefore, he still has a lot of influence.

However, the Zhao family is developing rapidly, with six or seven Foundation Establishment stage cultivators already.

Over the years, Zhao Qingyan has also reached the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

In such a balanced situation.

The Zhao family could only discuss the matter among their Foundation Establishment elders.

They couldn't be like the Cao, Liu, and Sima families, where the patriarch's word was law.

Although the Zhao family has cultivated third-tier demonic beasts, they have never produced a Golden Core cultivator, hence they are known as a family that is half-step Golden Core cultivators.

"Five hundred years of golden elixir fortune for the Xu family of Dongxi"

"What should my Zhao family do?"

The next day.

Zhao Qingran arrived at the heart of the family's territory, in front of a cave that was heavily guarded by an array.

The owner of the cave was none other than the last surviving ancestor of the Zhao family.

Zhao Qiyang, who had been in seclusion since his unsuccessful attempt to break through to the Golden Core stage two years ago.

"Sixth Uncle".

Zhao Qingran straightened his clothes, bowed respectfully, and simultaneously transmitted his voice into the room.

The cave's protective barriers did not completely block out sound.

After a while.

A hoarse, aged voice, filled with deep weariness, rang out: "What is it?"

"Qingran hesitates when faced with a matter concerning the survival and prosperity of the family, and would like to ask Uncle for a decision."