Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 487 The Nangong Family
Li Yunjing and his three companions followed Nangong Yuan and Huang Yun, continuing their journey towards the distant immortal mountain.

The group was safe along the way.

This is, after all, the core area of ​​the Nangong family. If anyone dares to intercept and kill members of the Nangong family here, then the Nangong family will probably be dead in name only.

"Hehe! This is 'Yuanmo Mountain,' a fourth-order spiritual vein, the ancestral land of our family!"

On the way up the mountain, everyone chose to walk, and Nangong Yuan proudly introduced the scenery of the mountain to Li Yunjing and the others.

The development of "Yuanmo Mountain" is not extensive.

Like the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", it has adopted a protective development approach. The mountains are covered with dense forests, and occasionally a few clear birdsongs can be heard, and a few fleeing demonic beasts can be seen.

These are all spirit beasts raised by the "Nangong Family".

As they continued climbing, the number of Nangong family disciples patrolling the area noticeably increased.

These people, dressed in the uniform of the Nangong family, had sharp eyes. Upon seeing Li Yunjing and his group, they immediately stepped forward to question them.

"Stop, who is it?"

Before long, Li Yunjing and his group were stopped again. The leading disciple scanned them with his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of authority.

"Sixteenth Brother, it's me! Nangong Yuan! I've returned from a mission. These are my friends who traveled with me."

Nangong Yuan stepped forward and said with a smile.

"Ah! Brother Yuan, you're back!"

Upon closer inspection, the man realized it was indeed Nangong Yuan and Huang Yun, and a smile appeared on his face, making him much more amiable.

"Who are these?"

The man spoke a few words to Nangong Yuan, then looked at Li Yunjing and the others and asked.

It's my duty to get to the bottom of things, even with the people Nangong Yuan brought!

"I am Li Wutian of the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect'. These are my junior brothers and sisters, who came here specifically to escort Fellow Daoist Nangong Yuan back!"

Li Yunjing stepped forward and answered.

"Oh! Welcome, friends from the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect'!"

Upon hearing this, the disciple's eyes darted around, and he looked at Nangong Yuan, smiling, "Since you're Brother Yuan's friend, please come in!"

"Hahaha! Brother Li, please!"

Nangong Yuan nodded slightly to the man, then laughed and invited Li Yunjing and the others.

Nangong Yuan bid farewell to the patrol team and led Li Yunjing and the other three up "Yuanmo Mountain". When they arrived near the mountain peak, they saw lush bamboo forests and green shade everywhere.

It is truly a blessed land.

There was no trace of the ferocity of the demonic path here; instead, there was a sense of tranquility.

"I never imagined that this place would be a quiet place for Taoist practice."

Li Yunjing thought to himself.

At this point, he became even more wary of the Nangong family.

Back to Basics!

It's clear that the Nangong family has some formidable figures!
I just don't know if it was the work of that Nascent Soul Realm ancestor.

If it is this person, Li Yunjing will not be particularly worried. Nascent Soul Realm cultivators have profound understanding of the Great Dao, which is far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. It is nothing special for them to have such insights.

But if someone from the Nangong family has this skill, then it will be troublesome.

This means that the Nangong family also has powerful figures at the Golden Core stage!

Just as they arrived in front of the sprawling palaces of the Nangong family, an old man in black, accompanied by several disciples, came to greet them.

The old man had a ruddy complexion, white beard and eyebrows, and focused eyes, exuding a kind and gentle aura, and possessing a somewhat otherworldly air.

This person is actually a Golden Core Realm expert!

Moreover, he is the kind of master who has returned to simplicity and authenticity!

Extremely powerful!

Li Yunjing was startled and concealed his aura, revealing no sign of anything unusual.

Yu Yunyi, Lü Ruoxi, and Fu Chao were in the same boat, not daring to reveal their true colors in front of this senior.

"Junior pays homage to senior."

Li Yunjing, along with the three people behind him, all bowed.

At this time, being on someone else's turf, one naturally needs to be more careful.

"No gift!"

The old man waved his hand, and a gust of wind made Li Yunjing and the other three stand up straight.

The old man looked the four of them over and smiled, saying, "According to what Yuan'er said, the journey was fraught with danger. It was you young fellow Daoists who lent a helping hand. I thank you all for your assistance."

His face was kind and his tone gentle, making him seem like a respectable elder.

Such a demonic cultivator is simply unprecedented and unheard of.

"You're too kind, senior! Brother Nangong and I are kindred spirits, so it was only natural for me to lend a helping hand!"

Li Yunjing's tone was serious, yet tinged with humility. Such a person was truly terrifying, and he felt a sense of apprehension, fearing that he might slip up.

After talking for a while, Nangong Yuan signaled Huang Yun to take Li Yunjing and the other three to rest for the time being.

Li Yunjing and the others tactfully took their leave, knowing that Nangong Yuan had something to discuss with this senior.

After entering the Nangong family compound, Huang Yun led them toward the interior of the family compound.

Along the way, Li Yunjing observed the surrounding environment. He saw that the pavilions and towers were scattered in an orderly manner, spiritual plants were everywhere, and the spiritual energy was rich. It was a blessed land.

Li Yunjing became increasingly alarmed as he looked at the document.

Beneath the seemingly peaceful surface lies a hidden crisis.

Before long, they arrived in front of a magnificent building.

"Fellow Daoists, this is my courtyard. I'll arrange guest rooms for you."

Huang Yun stopped and smiled as she spoke to Li Yunjing and the other three.

"Fairy Huang, I am truly sorry to have bothered you this time."

Li Yunjing smiled slightly and said, "If there is any inconvenience, please speak frankly, Fairy. We will certainly not cause you or the Nangong family any trouble."

"Fellow Daoist Li is too kind. If it weren't for everyone's help, we would have suffered heavy losses on this trip."

Huang Yun smiled gently and replied, "It is an honor for our Nangong family to host you all."

After saying that, Huang Yun gently raised her hand, gesturing for Li Yunjing and the other three to follow her into the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, the first thing that catches the eye is an exquisite artificial hill.

A clear spring flows over the artificial hill, cascading into the small pond below and creating ripples.

Fish swam happily in the pond, their colorful scales shimmering with iridescent light under the sunlight.

The courtyard was surrounded by various spiritual plants, some emitting a delicate fragrance, others shimmering with a mysterious light.

"This courtyard is usually quiet and rarely inhabited. I hope you can all rest well here and recharge your energy."

As Huang Yun led everyone toward the guest rooms, she introduced, "Everything in the guest rooms has been carefully prepared by the family. If you need anything changed or added, just tell the servants."

Fu Chao couldn't help but exclaim, "Fairy Huang, this courtyard is so elegant! Living here is simply a pleasure!"

Fu Chao's words weren't entirely polite.

The living conditions of the Nangong family were impeccable.

"I'm glad you like it, Fellow Daoist Wang."

Huang Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, "This courtyard is one of the places where our Nangong family entertains distinguished guests, so we naturally cannot be impolite."

Yu Yunyi and Lü Ruoxi were drawn to the spiritual plants in the courtyard. The two walked up to a spiritual plant that emitted a soft blue light and examined it carefully.

"This spiritual plant seems to be 'Blue Spirit Grass'. I've heard that the spiritual power it contains is very beneficial for cultivating ice-type techniques. I didn't expect to see it here."

Yu Yunyi said softly.

"Yes, the Nangong family has a profound heritage, and they even possess such rare spiritual plants."

Lü Ruoxi nodded in agreement. "This 'Blue Spirit Grass' was obtained by chance by our ancestors and was preserved only after careful cultivation."

Hearing their conversation, Huang Yun's face showed a hint of pride. She smiled and explained, "The spiritual plants in this courtyard were all selected by the family to decorate the courtyard and also to provide some convenience for our guests' cultivation."

After Huang Yun left with her servants, the courtyard instantly fell silent.

"Everyone, don't let your guard down. The Nangong family may seem hospitable, but they are actually hiding something."

Li Yunjing cautiously looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then said softly, "Let's be careful. Once Nangong Yuan arrives, we'll take our leave and use the 'Nangong Family's' teleportation array to reach the 'Endless Mountains' smoothly."

"Old Li, I also feel that something's not right here."

Fu Chao put away his relaxed expression and nodded seriously, "Although the Nangong family has made good arrangements, I still feel like there is a pair of eyes watching us from behind."

Yu Yunyi and Lü Ruoxi also approached, their eyes also revealing caution.

“Yun Jing, I think the Nangong family may still have doubts about our identities, but they just haven’t shown them.”

Yu Yunyi gently stroked her sleeve, pondered for a moment, and then said, "When Huang Yun was introducing the spiritual plants just now, she seemed casual, but I always felt that she was testing our understanding of spiritual plants."

“That’s right! And I noticed those patrolling disciples; they seemed to take us very seriously the whole way!”

Lü Ruoxi then nodded in agreement.

"Yes! As expected! This is their base of operations after all! Let's try to leave tomorrow!"

Li Yunjing frowned slightly, pondering to himself.

"Never mind that! Let's go back inside and rest!"

Li Yunjing added another sentence and winked at the three of them.

The three understood each other, stopped talking about these things, pretended nothing had happened, and went back to rest.

On the other side, Nangong Yuan had completed his mission and was respectfully awaiting the old man's questions.

The sudden arrival of people from the "Ten Thousand Poisons Sect" into the Nangong family was a significant event, as the two sides had never interacted before. This Golden Core cultivator naturally took it very seriously.

Nangong Yuan lowered his head, his hands respectfully clasped in front of him, standing before the Golden Core Realm elder, not daring to utter a sound.

"Yuan'er, have you investigated the origins of these 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' cultivators you brought back this time?"

The old man sat upright in the armchair, his eyes piercing as he stared intently at Nangong Yuan. After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"In response to your question, Uncle, I have observed that they are indeed from the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' during our journey together."

Nangong Yuan trembled slightly and quickly replied, "The leader, Li Wutian, is highly skilled and ruthless. In his battles with the enemy, he displayed extraordinary strength and easily killed several Foundation Establishment experts with his poison skills and the 'Ten Thousand Poison Banner'."

"The 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' has always been mysterious and has never had any dealings with my Nangong family. Their sudden appearance and their request to come with you suggest there may be more to the story."

The old man frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. "Have you inquired about the purpose of their trip?"

“Uncle, I spoke with Li Wutian. They claimed they were going to the ‘Endless Mountains’ for training and to earn some spirit stones to buy pills for self-defense.”

Nangong Yuan's heart tightened, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He said cautiously, "But I always feel that they seem to be hiding something. However, they did not do anything unusual along the way and were of great help to our Nangong family."

Faced with the questioning of this important figure, Nangong Yuan dared not lie for a single word and recounted his experiences along the way and his own speculations in detail.

“Yuan’er, you have been intelligent since childhood, and I have always been at ease with you.”

The old man pondered for a moment, then looked sharply at Nangong Yuan, "But this matter is of great importance, and we must not take it lightly."

"The appearance of this 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' cultivator may be related to the recent situation."

"Immediately arrange for the family's intelligence personnel to investigate the recent activities of the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' and see if there is any information related to them."

"In addition, keep a close eye on these people's every move. They live on our territory, so you can arrange for a few clever servants to secretly observe their words and actions under the pretext of serving tea and cleaning."

"Yes, Uncle! I'll take care of it right away. But... if they realize they're being watched, won't that cause unnecessary trouble?"

Nangong Yuan quickly agreed.

"Hmph, if they had nothing to hide, why would they be afraid of being watched?"

The old man snorted coldly, "If there really is a problem, it's better to discover it in advance so we can prepare accordingly. In recent years, the 'Youyue Kingdom' has been embroiled in constant warfare. As a top-tier family, we cannot stand aside. Any potential threat must be nipped in the bud!"

"I understand!"

Nangong Yuan seemed to remember something, but after glancing at his uncle, he hesitated to speak.

"Hmph! Just say what you have to say! What kind of behavior is this, stammering like that!"

The old man noticed Nangong Yuan's hesitation and asked impatiently.

"That's right! Li Wutian has mentioned several times that he wants to use our family's teleportation array to reach the border region. I guess they're in a hurry. What if they want to leave right away?"

Nangong Yuan dared not hide his thoughts and revealed them to Nangong Yuan.

Upon hearing this, the old man frowned deeply and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

“Yuan’er, this long-distance teleportation array is of great importance. The family’s teleportation array connects to various key locations, and we must not allow people of unknown origin to use it easily.”

After a moment, his gaze sharpened as he looked at Nangong Yuan and said in a deep voice, "But the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' cultivators are now on our territory. If we refuse them directly, it might arouse their suspicion and could even trigger a conflict between the two forces."

At this moment, even this important figure hesitated.

The "Ten Thousand Poisons Sect" is not weak. If they can befriend them, it would be a good thing for the Nangong family.

But if you make the wrong choice and offend the friends of the "Ten Thousand Poisons Sect", it's like pushing your friends away and even making enemies.

It should be known that demonic cultivators are petty and narrow-minded. If they offend one side, the other side will almost certainly retaliate against them.

“Uncle is absolutely right. Li Wutian and his group are quite strong, especially Li Wutian, whose methods are unpredictable.”

Nangong Yuan nodded slightly, his face full of worry. "If a conflict really breaks out, although our Nangong family is not afraid, we will inevitably suffer losses. Moreover, these are turbulent times. Having more friends means having more options. We cannot offend the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Sect' for no reason!"

"If they really have problems, letting them leave and go to the 'Endless Mountains' to get mixed up with other forces will probably bring us even greater trouble in the future."

The old man stroked his beard, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Yuan'er, what do you think of their strength? If we force them to stay, how confident are we?"

"Uncle, these people are not to be underestimated."

After pondering for a moment, Nangong Yuan cautiously replied, "Li Wutian is at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even the Golden Core Realm cultivators who ambushed us couldn't stop him, which shows his ability. I'm afraid that in a conflict, although we will definitely win, we will also be humiliated."

"We should not take action unless absolutely necessary."

The old man sighed heavily, "The main force of the family has been transferred away by the 'Netherworld Ghost Sect,' and even the patriarch has gone to the front line. If a conflict breaks out, it will be disadvantageous for us!"

"As for the teleportation array, you can use maintenance as an excuse to delay it for a few days."

"In the next few days, we must find out their background. If they are really without problems, then we can consider letting them use the teleportation array. If we find anything suspicious, we should report it to me immediately and then make a decision."

"Yes, uncle."

Nangong Yuan respectfully replied, "But what should we do if Li Wutian and the others keep urging us to use the teleportation array these next few days?"

"Hmph, if they urge you, just tell them that the family teleportation array has been used frequently recently and has experienced some malfunctions, requiring time to repair. Tell them to wait patiently."

The old man's eyes turned cold. "Remember, in your words, you must appease them without revealing any flaws."

Nangong Yuan accepted the order, secretly lamenting to himself that he hadn't expected that entertaining some friends and trying to win over some peripheral Daoist friends would cause so much trouble.

My uncle's request is truly unreasonable!
Wanting both? How can there be so many good things in the world?

And judging from what my uncle said, has the family become so empty?
"Damn the 'Netherworld Ghost Sect,' they really exploit us family members to the death!"

After leaving his uncle's place, Nangong Yuan cursed under his breath, his face extremely grim.

Not long after, Nangong Yuan arrived at the courtyard where Li Yunjing and the other three lived.

"Brother Li! Fellow Daoists!"

Outside the door, Nangong Yuan did not barge in recklessly because of his status as the master of the house. Instead, he stood at the door and called out to those inside.

"Brother Nangong, please come in!"

With a creak, the door opened, and Li Yunjing stood smiling at the entrance, welcoming Nangong Yuan's arrival.

"Brother Li, I have come to pay my respects. I hope I have not disturbed your cultivation."

Nangong Yuan walked into the courtyard with a big smile on his face. When he saw Li Yunjing, he quickly stepped forward and said warmly.

"Brother Nangong, you're too kind! We're overjoyed that you could come!"

Li Yunjing smiled as before and politely replied, "Please come in!"

Yu Yunyi, Lü Ruoxi, and Fu Chao also came out to greet Nangong Yuan politely.

The two sides appeared to be getting along harmoniously.

If you didn't know the inside story, you'd think the two sides had a great relationship!
(End of this chapter)