Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 243 Fortune Teller

A disciple of the Mountain Moving Sect named He Xuan was attacked in a mysterious way on his way back to his sect and died in the belly of a demon.

It should be noted that He Xuan was one of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Moving Mountain Sect stationed at the Soul Suppressing Sect's Jade Spring Ridge position. He not only possessed mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation but was also highly skilled in combat and had made significant contributions to the Soul Suppressing Sect.

However, this powerful cultivator was devoured beyond recognition by a small demon in the early stages of Spirit Awakening.

Needless to say, someone intercepted and killed He Xuan first, then threw his body to the demon.

This move enraged the Mountain Moving Sect, and within a single year, the sect lost two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Amidst the uproar, the newly appointed leader of the Moving Mountain Sect felt his backside burning with rage and had no choice but to cut his palm and swear an oath to find the murderer and avenge He Xuan.

As the sect leader, the Soul Suppressing Sect naturally offered its full support.

He Xuan's death not only caused heavy losses to the Moving Mountain Sect, but also deprived the Soul Suppressing Sect of a great general.

This has crossed the line for the Soul Suppressing Sect.

Following the Mountain Moving Sect's oath, the Soul Suppressing Sect immediately announced that it would stand with the Mountain Moving Sect and fight the murderer to the death.

When the news reached the Li family, Li Qianxiong was shocked and immediately summoned the family's senior members to discuss the identity of the murderer and the possible movements of the Zhenhun Sect and the Banshan Sect.

Ultimately, everyone agreed that He Xuan's death was most likely orchestrated by Liu Xiongyu in secret.

Liu Xiongyu has been rooted in Daishan for many years, but he is surprisingly low-key, and very few cultivators in Daishan have ever met him.

Even Zhao Jindou had never heard of this person.

The Li family's understanding of Liu Xiongyu was limited to his identity as a former protector of the Mang Sect.

However, in recent years, the Li family has repeatedly dispatched Foundation Establishment cultivators to search for Liu Xiongyu, and many, such as Li Xiangren, have fought against him.

Therefore, the Li family was well aware of the power of this mysterious chieftain.

If he were to harbor murderous intent, it wouldn't be impossible for him to intercept and kill He Xuan, who was in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Furthermore, Liu Xiongyu had a reason to take action against He Xuan.

This person has long coveted the inheritance of the Purple Yin Cave and dreams of instigating a war between the Soul Suppressing Sect and the Victory Intent Sect so that he can reap the benefits.

Killing He Xuan would just happen to touch a nerve with the Zhenhun Sect.

As expected, the entire Zhenhun Sect was shaken and searched for the murderer like mad dogs.

They had to avenge He Xuan; this wasn't just about unilaterally supporting the Mountain Moving Sect, but also about maintaining their own prestige.

If just anyone can bully the affiliated forces of the Soul Suppressing Sect, then who would dare to follow the Soul Suppressing Sect?

According to Liu Xiongyu's plan, as long as the Zhenhun Sect cannot find the murderer, they can only shift the blame and start a war with the Shengyi Sect.

Only in this way can we stabilize the other affiliated forces.

Otherwise, the vast Zhenhun Sect circle would soon fall apart.

Liu Xiong Yu's idea was wonderful, and the Li family was also happy to see this situation arise.

The question is, what if the Soul Suppressing Sect finds the murderer?

Liu Xiong Yu was all alone, coming and going like the wind, and naturally felt that his plan was flawless.

But when they intercepted and killed Li Dong and his group, the Li family mobilized a large number of people.

Given that the Mountain Moving Sect was attacked twice, it's impossible for the Soul Suppressing Sect not to connect these two incidents.

Therefore, the Li family is now living in fear, terrified that the Soul Suppressing Sect will find even the slightest clue.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Soul Suppressing Sect had not yet fully reacted, Li Qianxiong and Li Xiangming chose to secretly infiltrate Daishan to inspect the Maojing Mine.

If the Soul Suppressing Sect discovers that the Li family is the murderer of Li Dong and Ao Sheng, then the Maojing Mine will inevitably be the first target of retaliation.

Li Qianxiong brought a brand new array plate with him this time, called the Illusionary Mist Tracing Array.

The mist released by this formation has a strong illusionary effect, causing enemies to lose their way in the mist and interfering with divine sense detection.

Its purpose was not to hinder the enemy, but to cover Li Qianxiao's retreat.

Although the Li family was reluctant to give up the Maojing mine, they would rather give up the profits from Maojing than let Li Qianxiao die if they had no other choice.

But this is the worst-case scenario.

The Li family still hopes to secure Mao Jing's interests, so Li Qianxiong's trip also includes a secret plan to invite Shengyimen to the mine for talks.

As long as they can win over the Shengyi Sect, the Li family's current strength is enough to ambush the Zhenhun Sect's invading enemy at the Maojing Mine.

Of course, it's best to avoid fighting if possible.

In addition to making preparations for war, the Li family is also trying their best to erase the remaining traces of the past.

This was precisely Li Xiangming's purpose in coming here.

Li Xiangming brought a special person with him this time.

That was Granny Lai, with whom he had fought a great battle.

Grandma Lai has the cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refining. In fact, given her age, she had already experienced the taste of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining long ago.

It was only because the foundation building failed that it fell back down.

Nevertheless, Granny Lai's cultivation level was still among the best in the "Soul Severing Alliance" back then.

At the same level, Zhang Can, the Flower Monk, and others did not possess the same level of magical power as Granny Lai.

However, Granny Lai could not become the leader of the alliance.

He is not the leader in the current group of five.

The reason for this is that Grandma Lai is not good at fighting magic and therefore cannot win people's hearts.

However, Grandma Lai has her own special skills.

She is a rare fortune teller.

Divination is a mysterious and unpredictable art, and even within the cultivation world, it is something that cannot be explained to outsiders.

Li Xiangming didn't understand the intricacies of the matter, but there were many rumors in the cultivation world, most of which were exaggerated.

It was as if, in front of a diviner, even if a cultivator were to transform into a wisp of hair, he would have nowhere to hide.

In short, the Li family was very wary of fortune tellers.

They made thorough preparations before intercepting and killing the Mountain Moving Sect.

They were confident that even if the Soul Suppressing Sect personally went to the battlefield, it would only be a waste of time.

However, if the Soul Suppressing Sect is pushed to the brink, they might spend a lot of money to hire a diviner, and who knows, they might be able to find Liu Xiong Yu, or even the Li family.

Therefore, Li Xiangming swallowed his pride and went to visit Granny Lai.

I asked her to help cover it up.

Diviners can observe mysterious images without distance limitations through magical means, and naturally they also have ways to interfere with these images.

When Grandma Lai heard the Li family's purpose, she did not refuse, but instead made her own request.

That is, they hope that the Li family can provide a suitable cultivation ground for her and several other rogue cultivators from Liusha County.

Grandma Lai and the others are currently in a very awkward situation.

Their cultivation had reached the end of the Qi Refining stage, and they urgently needed to find a place with spiritual veins to cultivate in seclusion and make full preparations for the future Foundation Establishment.

But how many places like this are there?

Currently, in the entire Pudong region, only one spiritual vein has been discovered: Danggui Mountain.

This spiritual vein was earned by the Li family through countless sacrifices and sweat on the battlefield of Nanbin over the past fifty years.

Spiritual veins are rare and hard to come by, so spiritual springs have become the pursuit of most independent cultivators.

This is also why Granny Lai and others have their eyes on Xiaolan Valley.

However, Xiaolan Valley was the foundation of the Chi family, and Li Xiangming would not give it up so easily.

He not only personally intervened to stop Granny Lai and the others, but also repeatedly warned them not to harm the Chi family.

Nevertheless, Li Xiangming knew in his heart that Granny Lai and the others' desire for the spiritual spring would not fade.

Today's fear of the Li family and the restraint of ambition do not mean that tomorrow will be the same.

As long as they see no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, these people will continue to cause trouble sooner or later.

To prevent them from causing trouble, Li Xiangming strongly urged Li Qianxiong to give them a place to stay and take the five men under his command. At first, Li Qianxiong hesitated.

Because he knew very well that these five people were used to being undisciplined and it was almost impossible for them to accept the Li family's offer.

Li Xiangming believes that as long as they settle down, the Li family will eventually be able to control them.

Ultimately, Li Qianxiong compromised and agreed to the proposal.

The "spiritual vein" presented by the Li family is located in a wetland more than 400 miles southeast of Danggui Mountain.

The wetlands are teeming with poisonous insects and wild animals, and the intricate, interwoven waterways are like a maze, inspiring awe and fear.

But in this seemingly barren and almost swampy wasteland, a majestic mountain stands miraculously, its shape resembling a rooster raising its head and crowing, hence the name Rooster Crowing Mountain.

The "spiritual vein" on Jiming Mountain is not a real spiritual vein, nor is it a spiritual spring, but rather a spiritual pool.

The Spirit Pool is much larger than the Spirit Spring, and the effects of cultivation there are also much better.

When Grandma Lai saw him, she was overjoyed and immediately agreed to come to Daishan with Li Xiangming.

A year has passed, and the place where the Li family ambushed Ao Sheng back then no longer shows any trace of the battle.

No matter how hard you try to search with your divine sense, it will be in vain.

Granny Lai glanced around, slowly descended to the ground, and instructed, "I am going to bury two soul-piercing needles. You will protect me."

Soul-piercing needle?
Li Xiangming was horrified. This magical artifact sounded so malevolent; he wondered what its purpose was.

Seeing Li Xiangming sticking his head out, Granny Lai grinned, opened her withered palm, and revealed two golden needles.

"This Soul-Piercing Needle is made of ordinary material, but it is tainted with a curse, making it a formidable weapon."

"curse?"

Li Xiangming became even more curious and watched as Granny Lai buried the Soul-Piercing Needle in the ground. She fiddled with it for a while until the Soul-Piercing Needle completely disappeared and even her divine sense could not find it before she stopped.

After doing all that, Grandma Lai took out a piece of tortoise shell and carved something on it.

Li Xiangming didn't understand and didn't dare to speak.

In short, it took a long time before Grandma Lai finally stopped.

"how?"

Li Xiangming stepped forward and asked.

"It's pretty much the same."

Grandma Lai nodded in satisfaction. "I wouldn't dare say there are more skilled diviners than me, but anyone of equal ability who tries to uncover the secrets of this place will be in deep trouble."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Unlike Hao County, Pu County has never produced any remarkable diviners.

He surveyed the surrounding terrain again and led Grandma Lai to the site where Li Dong had died in battle.
-
The gate of the Soul Suppressing Sect, an unnamed pavilion.

Two cultivators dressed in white robes embroidered with gold thread are playing chess.

One of them was a gaunt Taoist priest with a white beard, who was undecided.

The other person was a red-faced old man. Seeing that the gaunt Taoist was hesitant to make a move, he asked hesitantly, "The sect has received solid intelligence. Why not capture the real culprit with lightning speed?"

"Conclusive evidence?"

The gaunt Taoist priest put down his chess piece and asked in return, "Just based on the words of a merchant?"

“I guarantee with my integrity that Zhao Jindou will not lie to me.”

The red-faced old man was getting anxious, and he exerted force with his hand, which was half-supported on the stone table.

The stone table, unable to withstand the weight, began to deform.

Seeing this, the gaunt Taoist shook his head slightly: "Even if I'm not lying to you, do you know where Huanyun Village is and who its members are?"

"This"

The red-faced old man paused for a moment, then fell silent.

"Zhao Jindou doesn't tell you these things because he's only guessing."

The gaunt Taoist priest followed up, saying, "However, I can tell you that Huanyun Village only has two or three people. Its leader is named Liu Xiong Yu, a rogue cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

Upon hearing this, the red-faced old man perked up and hurriedly asked, "Since the sect leader knows so much, why not..."

"Why not take action against Liu Xiong Yu?"

The gaunt Taoist asked a question in return, then sighed and said, "This person could intercept and kill He Xuan, but he couldn't possibly kill Li Dong and the other members of the Moving Mountain Sect."

No matter how you look at it, Liu Xiongyu is just a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

He may be very powerful, but the disciples of the Moving Mountain Sect are not fools; no one will fight him to the death.

According to the Li family's confession, the Mountain Moving Sect withdrew most of its personnel, including Li Dong and Ao Sheng.

However, on their way back, these people were attacked, and more than 90% of them were killed or injured.

Those who survived were simply lucky; they never encountered any enemies.

Liu Xiong Yu was only one person and couldn't be in two places at once; he couldn't possibly extend his care to all the escaped disciples of the Moving Mountain Sect.

In other words, the deaths of Li Dong and Ao Sheng were caused by someone else.

The red-faced old man also thought of this, and his expression turned extremely ugly: "We can only wait for good news from Fellow Daoist Luo."

If the murderers act in concert, killing one side would only alert the other.

Just then, a boy who looked like a Taoist acolyte rushed in.

"Master!"

The young Taoist called out to the red-faced old man, only to find that the gaunt Taoist was also present. He hurriedly straightened his clothes and respectfully bowed to the other man.

"Why are you so alarmed?"

The red-faced old man asked in a deep voice, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

His own apprentice's impetuousness made him, as the master, seem somewhat negligent.

"Reporting to Master, something has happened to Master Luo Luo!"

"really?"

The red-faced old man was overjoyed and pulled him over, asking, "You were by Luo Hong's side, so you must know the result, right? Tell me quickly, who killed Ao Sheng?"

The young Taoist was taken aback for a moment, then whispered, "Something has happened, not a result."

The red-faced old man's smile froze. He put down the young disciple, and after a moment, he grabbed the other's shoulder tightly again, gritting his teeth as he asked, "Isn't Luo Hong at the sect? What could have happened to him?"

The young Taoist was somewhat frightened and replied with evasive eyes, "I don't know. There must have been a problem during the divination. Master Luo said he had found it, but then he vomited blood and collapsed. He's been unconscious ever since."

"What did Luo Hong say before he fell into a coma?"

At this moment, the gaunt Taoist suddenly asked a question.

The young Taoist priest recalled for a moment and said, "It seems like he said some curses. Oh, and I also heard something about a soul-piercing needle."

"Soul-piercing needle?"

The gaunt Taoist priest and the red-faced old man turned to look at each other, both seeing the apprehension in each other's eyes.

"Which scoundrel is targeting us?"

The red-faced old man was furious.

The gaunt Taoist priest's gaze was deep and unfathomable: "This person not only destroyed the body to cover up the crime, but also left such a backup plan. His meticulousness is outrageous! If we cannot find this person, even if we kill a hundred Liu Xiong Yus, it will be useless."

After saying that, he shook his head again: "Of course, we can't ignore Liu Xiong Yu either. Since there's no news from Luo Hong, Gao Xian, you should immediately take men to destroy Huanyun Village and make sure Liu Xiong Yu doesn't get away."

"Yes!"

The red-faced old man stood tall and straight, then vanished in a flash of light.

Seeing this, the young Taoist dared not disturb the sect leader's cultivation and took his leave.

Looking at the empty pavilion, the gaunt old Taoist sighed, scrambled the chessboard, and took on two roles, making his moves again.

(End of this chapter)