Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 407 Method
East of Suyunling, the terrain is steep.

Numerous streams converge to form a rushing waterfall.

The waterfall plunges down the cliff, its momentum momentarily slowing before it splits into two. The larger river extends eastward for over a hundred miles, cutting through the mountain and nourishing the soil on both banks.

"This is Kamikaze Valley."

The biting wind dispersed some of the thin mist that had spread into the valley.

Xu Qingchi tightened his collar and pointed to the myriad lights in the distance.

Li Xiangming looked up, his face expressionless.

He had surveyed the area before entering the mountains and had also inquired about Shenfeng Valley from Jiang Liang.

Shenfeng Valley is actually one of the earliest settlements in Puxian County.

The land here is fertile, and the greatest danger in the area—Suyun Ridge—is still over a hundred miles away.

Therefore, even before Pu County was established, Hengyue Sect moved hundreds of ordinary people in and sent cultivators to be stationed here for a long time, exploring Suyun Ridge and protecting the peace of the area.

However, as time went by, Hengyuemen completely withdrew from Puxian County, transferring jurisdiction over the county to Bailumen.

At that time, Bailu Sect was busy with internal affairs and had no time to attend to other matters. In addition, Wuliang Sword Sect kept urging them, so Hengyue Sect granted a large amount of land to the Li family, who had made contributions on the Nanbin battlefield, when Pu County was established. This was based on such background.

Compared to the Li family, who made great contributions, Mao Zhengshou and his son were somewhat lacking, and in the end they only obtained Shenfeng Valley, which had no spiritual veins.

Nevertheless, Mao Zhengshou and his son were overjoyed. They rectified the mortals in the valley and recruited spiritual root seeds, starting to build their own cultivation force.

Most factions started out by relying on spirit fields to build their power.

Kamikaze Valley is no exception!
Moreover, Mao Zhengshou was very shrewd. He hired a spiritual plant master at great expense to guide the cultivation of spiritual plants in the valley. In just a few years, Shenfeng Valley had a surplus of spiritual herbs to sell to the outside world.

However, the good times did not last long.

When Bailumen gained a foothold and set its sights on Pubei, Shenfeng Valley was destined to lose its independence and soon became a subordinate force of Hualun.

Hua Lun requested that Shenfeng Valley expand its spiritual fields to plant spiritual herbs for him.

This is nothing, because Mao Zhengshou had the same plan.

However, Hua Lun's demands for spiritual herbs increased year by year, far exceeding the capacity of Shenfeng Valley.

Ultimately, Mao Zhengshou turned to evil ways, luring a large number of ordinary people into Suyunling to pick wild medicinal herbs for him.

Even so, how many spiritual herbs can Suyun Ridge provide for Shenfeng Valley?
This is not a solution at all.

Shaking his head, Li Xiangming stopped thinking about it and gently patted Xu Qingchi.

Xu Qingchi's expression was conflicted. "Are we just going in like this?"

"Ok!"

Xu Qingchi gritted his teeth and ultimately chose to trust Li Xiangming, taking two steps at a time as he headed towards the valley entrance.

Soon, the two began to enter the valley. Xu Qingchi's expression became even more tense, and his hands and feet were trembling.

Because disciples are forbidden from entering or leaving Shenfeng Valley without permission, there is a cultivator named Senior Brother Gan guarding the entrance. Senior Brother Gan is taciturn and cold to people, and he is even more ruthless towards a menial disciple like him.

He was able to come out because he had agreed to help Senior Brother Gan with some heavy work.

However, if Senior Brother Gan sees him bringing outsiders into the valley...

They'll probably immediately ask the young master for a reward for him.

But strangely, Senior Brother Gan didn't seem to notice him.

Even after he and Li Xiangming had gone deep into the valley, Senior Brother Gan still hadn't shown up.

"Strange? Is Senior Brother Gan not here today?"

Xu Qingchi scratched his head and muttered to himself.

What surprised him even more was that along the way, even when he met other senior brothers, no one paid any attention to him, as if they couldn't see him at all.

"This is an illusion technique."

Seeing Xu Qingchi's astonished expression, Li Xiangming offered an explanation.

"Illusion?"

Xu Qingchi became even more curious, and after learning more, his eyes lit up as he said, "After learning this illusion technique, we won't be afraid of being discovered. Wouldn't that mean we can go wherever we want?"

Li Xiangming chuckled: "It's not that simple. Illusion magic does not consume much mana, but it is a huge burden on a cultivator's energy."

He paused, then pointed to a cultivator walking towards him not far away and continued, "Look at this person. The reason he didn't react to me isn't because I can turn invisible, but because the moment he saw me, I dragged him into an illusion."

"The illusion is still the same scene, except that we are not there. People who are not familiar with illusions will only think that they are seeing things. When they come out, the surroundings are the same as in the illusion, which will further reinforce this impression."

“However, if two people come from the opposite direction, I will cast illusions on each of them. If there are ten people, I will cast illusions on all ten of them. You can imagine how much mental effort this will take.”

Xu Qingchi seemed to understand but not quite, and subconsciously asked, "Can't we use an illusion spell to drag everyone into it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming glanced at him in surprise, then nodded: "Of course, but the larger the range of the illusion, the more mental energy it consumes, and it doesn't actually lessen the burden on illusion cultivators."

"However, the direction you pointed out is correct. Wide-range illusions are the realm that every illusion cultivator pursues. Only by achieving this can an illusion cultivator have combat power that surpasses that of ordinary cultivators."

Illusions cannot actually be used directly.

Because the essence of illusion is magic, the more powerful the illusion, the more magical power is needed, and magical power is precisely what the divine sense can perceive most sensitively.

In other words, as long as one's spiritual sense is strong enough, the opponent can detect something is wrong before your illusion even begins, and thus use their magic to resist.

Once this happens, you can't even drag the other person into the illusion.

Without entering the illusion, no matter how realistic your illusion design is, it will be of no use.

To avoid this situation, illusionists often tamper with something inconspicuous on their body, that is, they first apply a guiding illusion.

Because the guiding illusion is placed on oneself and integrated with one's own magical power, even if an outsider's divine sense sweeps over this place, it is often difficult to detect anything unusual.

Without divine warning, a cultivator's vigilance will drop significantly, and as soon as they inadvertently see this guiding illusion, they will be involuntarily drawn to it.

Only at this moment will the illusionist catch the person off guard, cast a second illusion spell, drag the person into the illusion mirror, and use various methods to achieve their goal.

Therefore, the basic logic of illusion is to deceive the enemy's consciousness.

However, unexpected situations often arise in actual battles.

The other person is blind and doesn't even look at you. What can you do?
Perhaps sound, or even smell, can be used to cast illusions, thus solving this problem to some extent.

However, this still doesn't prevent one situation from occurring: some people will fall under the illusion, while others will be unable to detect your guiding illusion for a long time.

A guiding illusion spell cannot guarantee that it will attract the attention of all enemies.

Multiple guided illusions are different.

Suppose that the illusionist can cast a large number of guiding illusions on the surrounding environment, so that every point that people look at is an illusion.

In this way, how could the enemy not fall into the trap?
However, achieving this is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Li Xiangming lacked such skill, and he also lacked illusion techniques of that level.

However, this does not prevent him from pursuing this realm.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingchi was filled with longing, fantasizing that he could learn this technique so that he could freely enter and leave Shenfeng Valley to find spiritual herbs without having to worry about Senior Brother Gan's attitude, and save enough money to treat his grandfather's illness.

Li Xiangming was unaware of Xu Qingchi's thoughts. After wandering around for a while, the two soon arrived at an old courtyard. At the entrance of the courtyard, there were two willow trees.

"This is my home. When my grandfather was young, he worked for the Valley Master and was therefore granted permission to live here."

Xu Qingchi looked on with pride, as if this slightly dilapidated courtyard was the best place in the world. Li Xiangming glanced at the layout and casually asked, "Is it just you and Grandpa living here?"

"Yes."

"Where are your parents?"

Xu Qingchi paused for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know. I grew up in Shenfeng Valley and have never seen them."

Li Xiangming nodded slightly, asked no more questions, and stepped through the door.

"Grandpa! I'm back!"

Xu Qingchi seemed to have found someone to treat his grandfather, and he was very excited, shouting loudly.

A sudden, violent coughing sound came from the courtyard.

Li Xiangming looked in the direction of the sound and detected a faint aura with his divine sense.

"Grandpa, are you alright?"

Xu Qingchi was extremely anxious. He hurriedly pushed open the door and went to an old man lying on a bed.

The old man was emaciated, his eyes were incredibly cloudy. He opened them slightly, but instead of looking at Xu Qingchi immediately, he stared intently at Li Xiangming. "This... cough cough young master, may I ask your name?"

"Excuse my bluntness, but I cannot speak frankly."

Upon hearing this, the old man became somewhat agitated and struggled to get up. Xu Qingchi quickly pressed him down and explained, "Grandpa, don't worry. This senior is very capable. He will definitely be able to save you."

"Why would someone with real ability help a greenhorn like you?"

The old man sneered, then stared at Li Xiangming and warned, "I am nothing but a withered tree, and Qingchi is still a child. We have nothing, so don't even think about getting anything from us."

"It doesn't matter what you say."

Li Xiangming's expression remained calm.

The old man paused for a moment, then collapsed onto the bed.

Seeing this, Xu Qingchi felt sad. His grandfather, who was all-powerful in his heart, had now become like this. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and held the old man's hand.

The old man seemed to regain his spirits, and he gripped his grandson's hand tightly, his tone carrying a hint of accusation: "You gave him that Ganoderma lucidum?"

Xu Qingchi, however, felt no pain. He gently patted the old man's hand and comforted him softly, "No, they don't want my Ganoderma lucidum. Grandpa! Don't worry, I will definitely save you this time."

The old man shook his head and said weakly, "Grandpa's life is nothing but a worthless one, what's the loss? You're still young, you must not give away that Ganoderma lucidum. Once we find an alchemist, we can refine it into a miraculous elixir to help you cultivate."

Xu Qingchi felt even more distressed and shouted, "What's the point of my cultivation if I can't save Grandpa?"

"Foolish one, you cannot save me today, but you will meet many people in the future—your friends, your spiritual partner, your children—and you will be able to save countless people."

"I don't care, I only have my grandfather now."

Xu Qingchi's face was stubborn. He then bowed to Li Xiangming several times and said sincerely, "Please, senior, save my grandfather. I am willing to pay any price, whether it is the Stone Spirit Mushroom or anything else, I can give it to you."

Without saying a word, Li Xiangming checked the old man's pulse with his finger.

After a moment, he frowned slightly and said, "Use your magic."

The old man paused for a moment, then did as instructed.

But as his magic power emerged, a look of pain immediately appeared on his face.

Just then, a strange feeling came over him. Li Xiangming turned around abruptly, and the Weeping Spirit Desolate Sky Rope shot out, binding back a boy who looked like a servant.

The servant fell to the ground, wailing in pain.

Xu Qingchi looked astonished: "Senior, what is this?"

Li Xiangming replied calmly, "This person heard you return and has been lingering around. He even tried to climb over the wall to investigate. He must have ill intentions."

"Holding ill intentions?"

Xu Qingchi turned the servant over, stared at him for a while, and suddenly realized something. He asked in confusion, "Are you Fan Sheng? The young master's attendant!?"

Fan Sheng was tightly bound, his face a mixture of shock and anger: "Xu Qingchi, you know it's me, yet you still dare to collude with outsiders to attack me? Well, you've got a death wish."

"This"

Xu Qingchi was somewhat panicked and subconsciously looked at the old man.

The old man stared intently at Fan Sheng and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Are you the young master's man?"

Upon hearing the words "Young Valley Master," Fan Sheng straightened his back: "That's right. Your attack on me is an attack on the Young Valley Master, and the Young Valley Master will not let you off."

"What does the young master want with you?"

The old man pressed on with his questions.

"I...I just came here to take a look around."

Fan Sheng stammered and then, enraged, retorted fiercely, "What I'm doing here is none of your business! You're just an old man on your deathbed, what right do you have to ask me?"

"How dare you disrespect my grandfather?"

Xu Qingchi was furious. She stepped forward with her small body and grabbed Fan Sheng by the collar.

"You've gone mad! You've rebelled! You've rebelled!"

Fan Sheng was startled, a look of fear flashing across his face. However, remembering the young master, he immediately mustered his courage and glared at him angrily: "Xu Qingchi, you mere servant, dare to touch a hair on my head? The young master will not let you off the hook. You won't live to see tomorrow, and neither will your grandfather!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingchi's momentum immediately weakened by three points.

Seeing that he remained silent, a smug look flashed across Fan Sheng's face. Then he stared at Li Xiangming and shouted sternly, "And you! No outsiders are allowed in Shenfeng Valley. How dare you sneak in with Xu Qingchi? And you even dared to attack me! The young valley master will definitely teach you a lesson!"

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and untie me! I advise you to be sensible, apologize to me, and call me Grandpa Fan. Grandpa Fan will then plead for you before the Young Master."

"Noisy!"

Li Xiangming's gaze turned cold, and the Weeping Spirit Desolate Heavenly Rope tightened instantly. Fan Sheng screamed in pain and rolled around on the ground.

Li Xiangming ignored him and instead looked at the old man: "If I'm not mistaken, your illness is related to poisoning. This poison is unusual; it's attached to your magical power and is extremely difficult to detect. Have you accidentally ingested anything?"

The old man still looked dazed, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiangming frowned.

The old man's attitude was so unruly that if it weren't for the Thousand-Jun Grass, he really wouldn't bother with him.

However, Xu Qingchi was pleasantly surprised: "Senior has figured out the cause of the illness. Is there any way to treat it?"

"Of course."

Li Xiangming glanced at him. "The reason this poison can attach itself to magic power is because it is itself a kind of spiritual power. Although I don't know the details, I can roughly deduce that it was absorbed into your grandfather's cultivation process and refined into magic power, which then hid in his dantian."

“Once your grandfather activates his magic, the poison takes effect, causing excruciating pain. That’s why your grandfather hasn’t cultivated for over ten years. However, even without magic, the poison is persistent. Even if it flares up from time to time, it can still ravage a person beyond recognition.”

“I have a pill that can protect your grandfather’s heart meridian and help him further refine this poison into magical power, which can then be consumed to cure this stubborn disease.”

"Great!"

Xu Qingchi was overjoyed and rushed towards the old man, saying, "Grandpa, there's hope! You're finally saved!"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

The old man gently stroked his grandson's fine, soft hair, but a bitter smile appeared on his face: "Qingchi, I know your feelings. But I cannot cure this poison."

(End of this chapter)