Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 372 Worry
"Father, I am incompetent!"

In Baolong Valley, Chen Ling'er collapsed in front of Chen Zhonghe's sickbed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Zhonghe patted her back repeatedly, comforting her, "Things have come to this, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. I have other ideas. You and Xiangcheng should go and rest first."

Li Xiangcheng, standing to the side, looked ashamed: "My nineteenth brother recently took a large number of family elites out, and there is really no one left in the family to use. I hope Patriarch Chen will forgive us."

Chen Zhonghe remained silent. How could a dignified Foundation Establishment family be short of people, especially when it's not wartime?

Even if all else fails, aren't the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the family still around?
Sending just one person at random could relieve the Chen family's siege.

The Li family ignored the Chen family's pleas for help, simply because they felt the Chen family had lost its value.

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, but he suppressed his anger and forced a smile at Li Xiangcheng, saying, "Your family also has its difficulties. Young friend Xiangcheng has come from afar to offer his assistance, which shows your sincerity. On behalf of the Chen family, I am deeply grateful."

Li Xiangcheng looked very uncomfortable. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and left the secret room.

Chen Ling'er glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and then followed him out.

Seeing this, an old man with long eyebrows said angrily, "The Li family is too opportunistic! Every time they give us an order, our Chen family responds. Not to mention anything else, during those years of famine, when Baolong Valley was in such dire straits, we still helped the Li family provide relief to 5,000 refugees. Now the Li family is turning a blind eye to our plight. What kind of kindness or righteousness is that?"

“I have dealt with Li Qianxiong for many years and know his character well. In his eyes, family interests are above all else. Unless we join the Li family, he will never take action against the Huang family.”

Chen Zhonghe sighed: "Originally, I was thinking of handing over the information about the Tongbei Sect to Li Xiangming. He is a man with a great sense of the big picture and would certainly not want the Tongbei Sect and the Huang family to join forces. But I did not expect that the leader of the sect would not be at Danggui Mountain at such a critical moment."

Everyone fell silent, then another elder spoke up: "If the Li family refuses to come to our aid, what is the Luo family's attitude?"

Chen Zhonghe's face grew even more dejected as he replied, "The reason given by the Luo family is that the Fire Scale Steeds have rioted and are now scattered throughout Shangqing Plain. All the Luo family cultivators have been out hunting the horses and have no spare manpower left."

"absurd!"

The long-browed old man flew into a rage again and began to hurl insults at the cowardly Luo family.

The Luo family has been raising the Fire-Scaled Steed for decades and has been based in Shangqingyuan for more than ten years. They have never heard of any trouble before. Now that the Chen family is asking for help, the Fire-Scaled Steed has gone berserk. What kind of coincidence is this?
"The Li family has the resources but doesn't come. The Luo family's strength is equal to ours. Seeing that we are in decline, why would they be willing to travel thousands of miles to oppose the Tongbei Sect and the Huang family?"

Chen Zhonghe looked worried; the Chen family had sought help from more than just two families.

However, the combined strength of the Tongbei Sect and the Huang family is formidable.

Apart from the Li and Luo families, few forces in Pudong can rival them.

Now that the Li and Luo families have refused to come to their aid, the Chen family is left isolated and helpless.

"The only option now is to find a way to reinforce the formation and defend Baolong Valley!"

Another elder sighed.

Chen Zhonghe nodded slightly and asked the long-browed old man, "Third Uncle, has the batch of array materials that Zhonglin bought arrived yet?"

"Should be arriving soon."

Before the old man with long eyebrows could finish speaking, a middle-aged man in his forties rushed in looking flustered.

When Chen Zhonghe saw him, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

The middle-aged man swallowed hard, knelt down, and said in a sorrowful voice, "Zhonglin and his men... completely wiped out."

Upon hearing this, the secret room fell completely silent.

After a while, Chen Zhonghe, who was struggling to stay upright, fell heavily onto the bed.

"Homeowner!"

"Quick! Call the doctor over!"
-
More than twenty miles outside Baolong Valley, hundreds of figures were lurking in a valley.

As the lifeless corpses were carried back, a young man in a gray outfit grinned: "Patriarch Huang, are you relieved now?"

The Huang family head was a thin, white-haired old man. He turned his head to look at the gray-robed youth, his face full of smiles: "Master Zeng is all-powerful, so I am naturally at ease."

Zeng Sheng scoffed, "In that case, why doesn't Patriarch Huang order an immediate attack on Baolong Valley?"

"Master Zeng, don't worry. Although the Chen family has lost a batch of array materials, the array of Baolong Valley is inherently strong and cannot be broken in a short time."

The head of the Huang family chuckled: "In my opinion, we should first scout the terrain, control the intersections, and devise a plan to lure the enemy into a trap."

Zeng Sheng's face immediately showed impatience. He held up three fingers and said, "Three days. I'll give you three days. If you can't take down the Chen family, I'll take my men back. But I'm warning you in advance: the Huang family's promises to us will not be broken."

Having said that, he strode away.

Watching his retreating figure, the Huang family head narrowed his eyes.

"Master, this brat surnamed Zeng is far too arrogant!"

At this moment, a middle-aged monk with a fair complexion stepped forward, indignant.

The Huang family head waved his hand lightly: "They have the ability to be arrogant, but what does the Li family say about it?"

"The Li family accepted our generous gifts, so we don't expect them to make a move. However, they are quite concerned about Zeng Sheng's background."

The head of the Huang family pondered for a moment; how could he not care?

But now they were in a bind. Just as they were thinking this, the pale-faced cultivator continued, "Moreover, it seems that a junior from the Li family has infiltrated Baolong Valley. The Li family sent people over, demanding that we not harm them."

"The Li family can't even control their own people, what a disgrace to their reputation as a tyrant in Pudong."

The head of the Huang family wore a mocking expression.

"Then what about us?"

The pale-faced monk asked in a low voice.

The Huang family head shook his head: "For now, the Li family is still our backer. After we annex the Chen family, we will need them to eliminate the Tongbei Sect. Just give the order to keep a close eye on them and not to endanger that junior's life."

"Yes!"

The pale-faced cultivator slowly retreated, circled the valley a few times, and finally arrived at a lush forest.

Upon seeing the gray figure sitting cross-legged in the forest, the pale-faced cultivator hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate greets the sect leader!"

What did Huang Zhenyi say?

"The old man hopes to use the Li family to get rid of our Tongbei Sect afterwards."

"Good good!"

Zeng Sheng laughed angrily: "Is your Huang family born with a rebellious streak?"

The pale-faced cultivator's expression changed, and he buried his head.

Zeng Sheng didn't notice this scene and instead asked, "Anything else?"

The pale-faced monk then recounted the entire conversation in detail.

"Are the Li family members in Baolong Valley?"

Zeng Sheng was overjoyed and quickly got up, taking a few steps.

After a while, he calmed down and waved his hand: "I understand. You can go back now and keep a close eye on Huang Zhenyi."

"Yes!"

The pale-faced cultivator agreed, but did not move immediately.

Zeng Sheng immediately frowned: "Is there anything else you want to say?"

"No, no, I was just distracted. I'll take my leave now."

The pale-faced monk forced a smile and hunched over as he retreated.

"You spineless coward, I don't think you're going to stay put either."

Zeng Sheng sneered and waved his hand: "Zipan, Zihong!"

Before long, two young figures emerged from the depths of the dense forest.

Zeng Sheng glanced at them and ordered, "Keep a close eye on this guy. If anything seems amiss, eliminate him without reporting it."

"Yes!"
-
The Li family, Changlin branch.

Li Xiangru brewed a pot of hot tea and brought it in.

"Homeowner!"

"Ah."

Li Qianxiong reached out and took the teacup, took a sip, and couldn't help but smile: "Your skills are still the best. Xiangming is also good, but Xiangcheng is the only one who is clumsy in this regard. The tea he brews is never quite right, and you can't blame him."

When Li Xiangcheng was mentioned, Li Xiangru looked somewhat worried.

"Still thinking about Xiangcheng? Don't worry, I sent Qianliang to the Huang family in person. Even if the Huang family had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to touch Xiangcheng."

"What I'm worried about isn't mutual achievement, but rather mutual resonance!"

Li Xiangru's gaze was complicated: "I went to the Foreign Affairs Hall to look for Xiangming just now, but I found that he was no longer at home."

"What did you say?"

Li Qianxiong was taken aback, and even put down the teacup he had just brought to his lips.

"We need to find someone to bring Xiangming back."

Li Xiangru whispered a reminder: "Once Xiangming makes a move in Baolong Valley, the Huang family will definitely not let it go. At that time, the whole of Pudong will know that our Li family is fickle."

"Xiangming is sensible and won't make a move."

Li Qianxiong shook his head. "But to save Xiangcheng, there's no need for him, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to personally take action."

Li Xiangru gave a wry smile, "Moreover, Xiangming has always been meticulous. He doesn't report to his family when he goes out, so what he's going to do is definitely not a trivial matter."

Upon hearing this, Li Qianxiong tapped his fingers incessantly on the table.

"Perhaps it's just out of concern."

"hope so."

Li Xiangru sighed, cupped his hands, and withdrew.

He had already said all that, and the patriarch still believed that Xiangming wouldn't make a move. What else could he say?
After watching Li Xiangru leave, Li Qianxiong stood up, his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought.
-
"Come here quickly!"

"There!"

At the Baolong Valley outpost, dozens of figures flew around in a panic, shouts rising and falling.

"what to do!?"

Chen Ling'er's face turned deathly pale, and she grabbed the arm of the person next to her.

Despite the sharp pain from the fingernails pricking his arm, Li Xiangcheng seemed oblivious, bending down to tidy Chen Ling'er's disheveled hair and repeatedly reassuring her, "It's alright, I'm here."

"follow me!"

Just then, a rather rugged-looking middle-aged cultivator flew over.

Chen Ling'er immediately responded and followed behind with Li Xiangcheng.

There were also more than a dozen Qi Refining beginner and mid-stage cultivators in the group.

However, after flying for only a short while, some people in front started to turn back.

"China Overseas, what's the situation now?"

The burly monk shouted.

Upon seeing them, Chen Zhonghai hurriedly replied, "The outer valley has been breached! Quickly go back and guard the inner valley!"

"what?"

Chen Zhonglu's expression changed drastically. "What about the mortals in the outer valley? What about them?"

"We can't worry about that now, we must get back to the inner valley! Once the inner valley's formation is broken, our entire Chen family will be wiped out!"

After saying this, Chen Zhonghai led several disheveled cultivators past the crowd.

Upon hearing this news, Chen Ling'er's face turned even paler, and she almost collapsed into Li Xiangcheng's arms.

"The outer valley has broken; what will happen to my mother?"

Chen Ling'er's tears fell uncontrollably like pearls from a broken string.

Li Xiangcheng was also very upset, as he knew that the system of Baolong Valley was slightly different from that of the Li family.

The direct relatives of the Li family cultivators all live on Tailai Peak, while only mortal clansmen with distant blood ties live in Changtai Township.

In fact, for the sake of long-term planning, Changtai Township is still quite a distance from Tailai Peak.

The Chen family, however, did not have that many members. Whether they were cultivators or ordinary people, they all lived in Baolong Valley.

However, in order to separate the immortals from the mortals, Baolong Valley is divided into an outer valley and an inner valley.

Only cultivators are qualified to set foot in the inner valley.

Although Chen Ling'er is Chen Zhonghe's biological daughter, her mother is a mortal and was placed in the outer valley.

Now that the outer valley has been breached, Chen Ling'er's mother is naturally in danger as well.

"Li Xiangcheng, save my mother!"

Chen Ling'er, like a drowning child, desperately clutched Li Xiangcheng's sleeve.

Just as Li Xiangcheng was about to speak, Chen Zhonglu, seeing that they were still there, shouted angrily, "We can't go to the outer valley, it's full of enemies, go back immediately!"

Li Xiangcheng acted decisively, embracing Chen Ling'er in his arms and flying towards the inner valley despite her struggles.

Chaos and panic were everywhere. This was the first time Li Xiangcheng had encountered such a scene, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth and tighten his face.

Just then, a black light flashed.

Li Xiangcheng's eyes widened as he tried to dodge, but the black light brushed past his ear and flew towards the center of the group.

"Boom!"

An explosion rang out, and more than a dozen figures flew out of the crowd in an instant.

However, two cultivators with low cultivation levels in the early stages of Qi Refining still lay on the ground, wailing incessantly.

"How brave!"

Enraged, Chen Zhonglu slashed at a corner with his sword.

Two boys dressed in gray flew out and blocked the way for the crowd.

One of them had disheveled hair, while the other was wearing a hood.

"Tongbei Sect!"

Chen Zhonglu looked at them, his expression turning grim.

The Tongbi Sect was originally just an obscure little sect in the vicinity, but in the past two years, a large number of young cultivators have suddenly emerged. These young cultivators are all highly skilled and ruthless, making any force that opposes them tremble with fear.

The Chen family did not want to provoke these people, so they sent gifts to their new leader, Zeng Sheng, in order to maintain good neighborly relations.

Unexpectedly, the Tongbei Sect was ambitious and eager to expand. Taking advantage of the conflict between the Chen and Huang families over the Peacock Forest, they directly broke off relations and attacked the Chen family from the start.

Afterwards, the Tongbei Sect colluded with the Huang family, constantly squeezing the Chen family's living space.

The two families were already mortal enemies, so Chen Zhonglu showed no mercy. He continuously gathered his magical power, and as he swung his sword, sword energy bombarded the two gray-clad youths like a storm.

However, both of them were at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and they cooperated well with each other, retreating while dealing with the sword energy, and they seemed to be doing it with ease.

"They're stalling for time!"

Li Xiangcheng saw through the Tongbei Sect disciples' intentions and hurriedly reminded them.

Chen Zhonglu, who was in a fit of rage, came to his senses and immediately stopped attacking, ordering, "Quickly, everyone return to the inner valley!"

Before he could finish speaking, two gray-clad youths rushed over.

"You guys go first, I'll hold them off!"

Chen Zhonglu shouted and planted his sword in the ground. Countless stones floated and rushed towards the gray-clad youth.

The hooded boy stretched out his palm, holding a pure white umbrella-shaped magical artifact in his hand. He kept turning it, and the stones seemed to be guided by a mysterious force, all rushing towards the white umbrella.

Another young man with disheveled hair seized the opportunity to rush in front of Chen Zhonglu, and his brown, rusty wood-cutter's knife suddenly fell down.

"Qiang!"

Chen Zhonghe drew his sword with a backhand and held it horizontally in front of him; the two magical artifacts emitted a loud metallic clang.

Just then, a stream of water suddenly overflowed at their feet.

The boy's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly retreated, but the current grew faster and faster, relentlessly pursuing him.

Soon, more water converged into one place, forming a towering wave. Li Xiangcheng stood on the crest of the wave, looking at him with a cold expression.

"Take one of my moves!"

A giant wave swept in, and the boy, unable to dodge in time, stretched out his hands to shield himself, his circular magical shield struggling to hold up against the waves.

A moment later, the protective shield shattered, and the boy suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Just as the giant wave was about to engulf the disheveled youth, an open white umbrella floated above his head, completely isolating him from the magical power contained in the water.

Upon seeing this, the boy with the disheveled hair quickly flew into the air and reunited with his companions.

"He has reached the seventh level of Qi Refining and is skilled in water magic; it must be him."

The hooded boy stared intently at Li Xiangcheng.

"We are no match for them!"

The boy with the loose hair coughed once.

Chen Zhonglu was originally a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator, while Li Xiangcheng also had a Qi Refining Level 7 cultivation.

In a two-on-two situation, neither of them could gain an advantage.

"The leader commands that we must hold them off, even if it means death!"

The hooded boy turned his head, his gaze stern and filled with a strong warning.

The young man silently took out a pill from his sleeve and swallowed it.

Meanwhile, the Chen family cultivators on the other side had almost all left.

Chen Zhonglu looked at the remaining Li Xiangcheng and Chen Ling'er, especially Li Xiangcheng who had made a significant contribution, and couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation. He instructed, "You two can retreat as well. Go back to the inner valley with everyone. Leave this place to me."

(End of this chapter)