Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 573 Choice
"Cough cough."

Liao Shen was out of breath, his face turning bright red.

Only after Yan Xianlin stopped did he start coughing violently, his mouth and nose filled with blood.

Even so, he still struggled to get up, looked up at Yan Xianlin, and said sincerely, "Father-in-law, you are right. Ziyan and I are truly in love. There is no question of abandoning each other, and I dare not turn a blind eye to the kindness of the Yan family in taking us in."

Yan Xianlin's gaze turned cold: "Then make a vow of your Dao heart in front of me, saying that you will stay in Sifang Valley and grow old with Ziyan, never to leave her."

Liao Shen suddenly fell silent.

Anger flashed in Yan Xianlin's eyes, but he tried his best to suppress his expression and continued, "Don't worry about the Li family. I will personally step in and help you settle things."

Liao Shen still shook his head: "I will not let Zi Yan down, but before that, please allow me to do my part to quell the beast tide in Pudong."

"Nonsense!"

Yan Xianlin flew into a rage, grabbed Shen Guanghua's head and shook it repeatedly, saying, "Who do you think you are? A mere Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator is nothing but trash in my eyes. Even I dare not presume to quell the demon calamity, so what gives you the right to spout such nonsense? Didn't your Demon Suppression Camp, which you pinned your hopes on, also fail? What on earth is going on in your muddled brain?"

Yan Xianlin grew angrier as he spoke, his fingers tightening their grip: "Rather than let you die at the hands of a demon beast, I'd rather send you on your way, so that Ziyan will give up and find a good family elsewhere."

"father!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ziyan burst into tears: "If you kill him, I won't live either."

Yan Xianlin turned and glanced at his daughter, then angrily cursed, "What is there for you to cherish in such a heartless wretch?"

Even so, he took a deep breath and turned to Shen: "I'm giving you one last chance. Will you stay or not?"

Liao Shen replied with a solemn expression, "We absolutely must go."

"court death!"

Yan Xianlin's eyes blazed with fury, and he was about to exert force with his five fingers.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the bamboo forest, causing thousands of bamboo leaves to tremble like blades, making a "whooshing" sound.

A cold voice pierced the wind and echoed: "If you kill him, senior, then the entire Sifang Valley will be wiped out, not even a chicken or a dog will be spared."

Yan Xianlin suddenly looked up.

But then he lowered his head instantly, staring intently at the black smoke on his arm.

The wisp of black smoke seemed like it could be blown away at any moment, yet he could clearly feel his magical power being eroded by a chilling force, and even his arms lost their strength.

At the same time, behind Liao Shen, a figure in green robes slowly emerged, surrounded by black smoke, like a ghost.

"What a trick!"

Yan Xianlin openly praised him, but his gaze was terrifyingly cold.

Li Xiangming frowned. His opponent was constantly expending mana. Although his Wind Release technique possessed the properties of Bone-Melting Yin Wind and could control the enemy's mana, it was only for a moment.

Now both of their hands are resting on Master Shen's head.

Once the battle begins.

Master Liaoshen is doomed.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangming took the initiative to let go, looked at Yan Xianlin, and slowly said, "Senior's cultivation is amazing, and I admit that I am no match for him. But if it is to deal with some minor Qi Refining cultivators, it is more than enough. I hope that Senior will think more about the future generations."

"Are you threatening me?"

Yan Xianlin narrowed his eyes, his aura surged, and his magical power surged, causing his hair and beard to stand on end and his robes to flutter. The blurry shadow of a tiger could be faintly seen in the shadow.

"I wouldn't dare, I'm just reminding you."

Li Xiangming stood motionless, with only black smoke swirling in his sleeves, protecting him from the opponent's restless magical power.

To be honest, the current situation was completely beyond his expectations.

Xu Jin claimed that the Yan family was just a small Qi-cultivation family of four or five people, and that its founder, Yan Xianlin, was also a talisman master.

As is well known, talismans are a highly advanced art.

Anyone who is proficient in this path will inevitably delay their own cultivation.

Therefore, he didn't take the Yan family seriously at all. However, he never expected that Yan Xianlin would be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with astonishing strength.

If Yan Xianlin was determined to kill Master Shen, he wouldn't even have the right to stop him.

Of course, given his speed, Yan Xianlin couldn't possibly save his son and daughter-in-law.

The two stared at each other silently for a moment.

Li Xiangming suddenly said, "I have heard of the name 'senior' before."

Yan Xianlin remained expressionless and said nothing.

Li Xiangming continued, "It is said that the Elephant-Swallowing Immortal only accepted nine disciples in his lifetime, one of whom was surnamed Yan, sharing the same name as the senior. I wonder if this is a coincidence, or..."

Li Xiangming didn't say the rest, but his tone was very firm. The Elephant-Swallowing Immortal was a renowned Golden Core cultivator in Wei County, Zhangning Prefecture.

He was born in Hao County and was far less familiar with the Devouring Elephant True Man than the Suspended Spirit True Man. What he knew was just hearsay and should not be taken seriously.

However, when he visited the Shen family before, he attended the annual auction ceremony in Xiaoganshan Market, where a disciple of Tunxiang Island named Luo Zong appeared. Shen Ruqing then introduced him to the Tunxiang Master.

The fifth disciple of the Elephant-Swallowing Immortal happened to be named Yan Xianlin.

At first, he didn't associate this name with the true master of the Golden Core because he thought Yan Xianlin was just a Qi Refining cultivator. Now that he knows the other party's true cultivation level, where is there any doubt?
There can't be two cultivators with the same name and surname who have both reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, can there?
Upon hearing the words "Elephant-Swallowing Immortal," Yan Xianlin's expression finally changed. With a flick of his sleeve, he moved like a ghost to appear before Li Xiangming, his five fingers suddenly clenching, and a dark vortex appeared in his palm, unleashing a terrifying suction force!

Li Xiangming swayed, unable to evade the gravity, and was forcibly pulled in.

"laugh!"

The vortex instantly engulfed Li Xiangming's figure.

Yan Xianlin showed no joy, his gaze sternly scanning his surroundings.

Suddenly, he turned around and saw that Li Xiangming had appeared behind Yan Fuzhao and Mei Shunying at some point, with ropes wrapped around them like venomous snakes, binding the two of them so they could not move!

Yan Xianlin was both shocked and angry, and was about to step forward.

Li Xiangming immediately tightened the rope, and Yan Fuzhao and his wife screamed in agony.

Yan Xianlin stopped, his eyes wide with anger: "How dare you, you brat?"

Li Xiangming said calmly, "I don't know why you have appeared in Pu County, and I have no intention of investigating. But if you think that my Li family is weak because of your cultivation, then you are wrong."

"father!"

Just then, Yan Ziyan cried out again, "Why did you have to make things like this?"

Yan Xianlin said angrily, "I did all this for you, do you even understand? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't care about the lives of others."

“My daughter has agreed to let him go.”

Yan Ziyan's voice was filled with sorrow: "Please grant us your wish."

Yan Xianlin's face was gloomy and he remained silent, as did Yan Fuzhao and his wife.

Of all those present, only Master Shen sighed and looked up at the sky.

Li Xiangming glanced at him, then at the woman lying on the ground, and frowned slightly.

This woman has no magical powers, so she must be an ordinary mortal.

He originally thought this was a honey trap by the Yan family! The Xu family's offering of their daughter was still fresh in his mind—for cultivation families, marrying a mortal woman to a cultivator and having her give birth to spiritual roots and bloodlines for their own use was entirely beneficial.

Unexpectedly, it seems that Master Liaoshen and the woman from the Yan family have genuine feelings for each other.

This put him in a bit of a dilemma.

He wanted to recall the old members of the Demon Suppression Camp, but he didn't necessarily need Master Shen to serve him.

In fact, after learning that Master Shen had become the son-in-law of the Yan family, he had already given up hope of his return.

What he really wanted were Xu Jin and others.

These people numbered over thirty and had fought many battles against the beast tide. Even though they were terrified by the defeats, they could quickly regain their prowess if they won a few more victories like those at Gushe Ridge.

Surprisingly, Master Liaoshen seemed relieved by his arrival. After just a brief conversation, he agreed to lead his troops to join the new demon-suppressing camp.

But things got stuck with the Yan family.

Yan Xianlin, a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, married his daughter to Master Liaoshen, who was only at the mid-Qi Refining stage. It was as if he was treating Master Liaoshen as a son-in-law.

Now that he wants to take Master Shen to the battlefield, it naturally provokes a strong reaction from the Yan family.

"Master, you choose for yourself."

Li Xiangming finally relented, not because he was afraid of Yan Xianlin.

What good is the true transmission of the Golden Elixir?
He also received the inheritance left behind by the Nascent Soul True Lord.

Moreover, in Pudong, he has a hundred ways to deal with the small Yan family. Putting aside everything else, Yan Xianlin's departure from Tunxiang Island and his retreat to Puxian to live in seclusion is a secret worth exploring, and it will most likely make Yan Xianlin feel hesitant to act rashly.

But there's no need for him to escalate the situation to an irreconcilable point.

Master Liaoshen also has the right to choose his own life.

If the opportunity arises in the future, he can also use Master Shen to establish a connection with the Yan family and make good use of this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, who is extremely rare in Pu County.

Upon hearing this, Master Liaoshen looked at Yan Ziyan, hesitating to speak.

But in the end, he didn't say anything, but simply put his hands together and bowed in the direction of Yan Ziyan.

Yan Xianlin looked at him coldly: "Are you really going to abandon my daughter?"

(End of this chapter)