Cultivating Immortality in a Family: I Prove Immortality Through the Chaotic Dao Realm

Chapter 224 Schemes in Shengjing, Sword Pointing at the Void!
The Great Yao Dynasty, Shengjing.

This is a great city with a history of thousands of years, but in the cultivation world of Li Kingdom, it is not considered ancient.

The majestic city walls stretch for hundreds of miles, and the densely populated urban area is like an anthill, with the roofs of hundreds of thousands of houses steaming with wisps of dust under the scorching sun.

Behind Shengjing, there is a long river that flows like a white jade ribbon, its surface several hundred feet wide and calm.

But the hustle and bustle of the city, when it reached this place, seemed to be filtered by an invisible barrier, becoming quiet and still.

On the banks of the long river stands a jade archway with five large characters inscribed on it: "Yao Family of Yunhaichuan".

The spiritual energy within the archway suddenly surged, which was the location of the Zhendan Yao family's ancestral blessed land.

The Yao family's blessed land is extremely vast, with beautiful scenery and many villages and towns, mainly inhabited by members of the Yao family.

Deep within this blessed land, the spiritual veins of the third tier flourished with extraordinary beauty, and the mountain range resembled a giant dragon coiled up.

At the summit of the mountain range stands a magnificent pavilion with a plaque that reads "Star Gazing Pavilion".

At the top of the high-rise building, Yao Zhenyue, the eldest elder of the Yao family with white hair and a youthful face, stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

This person, who should have been the number one figure in the Yao family in this generation, now restrained his aura and lowered his head in humility.

Five steps in front of him, on a suspended jade platform, sat a figure whose reality was hard to discern.

If any senior cultivators of the Li Kingdom who had reached the Core Formation stage or above saw this figure, they would surely be greatly surprised.

Because this figure was none other than Yao Xuanji, the previous generation's Grand Elder of the Yao Clan, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator who was rumored to have passed away long ago.

At that moment, a communication jade talisman shattered in his palm, turning into specks of starlight.

"Has the date been set for the pioneering battle on Kongming Island?" Yao Zhenyue's voice carried a hint of excitement.

"News has come from Zhenhai that the time has been set."

As Yao Xuanji opened and closed his eyes, it seemed as if there were stars flickering in his eyes.

"The Li Kingdom, together with the major sects of Wu, Yue, and Chu, finalized the terms of the agreement yesterday. The Hidden Edge Pavilion and the Beast Taming Sect have made it clear that this battle will annihilate the Void Islands!"

"The fourth-order spiritual vein on this island is the opportunity for many True Core families to defy fate! Whoever can obtain it can migrate their entire clan and build their own immortal city!"

"What an unparalleled opportunity!" Yao Zhenyue's breathing quickened slightly. "Our clan is trapped in the third-tier spiritual veins, and it is difficult to reach the fourth tier. Although it seems glorious, it is actually difficult to achieve anything significant."

"Fourth-tier spiritual veins are the true foundation for joining the upper sects!" Yao Zhenyue's eyes blazed with ambition. "Cities like Yunmeng Immortal City and Chixiao Immortal City are the foundation for the rise of powerful families like the Si family and the Yuan family!"

Yao Zhenyue said with great confidence, "This third opportunity in over a thousand years should surely come to my Yao family!"

In reality, even having a fourth-tier spiritual land is only one of the conditions for becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In addition to that, we also need to build a strong foundation and produce outstanding individuals.

However, if even a fourth-tier spiritual land is not available, then naturally all talk is out of the question, because the upper sect would not lend out a spiritual land.

The existing fourth-tier spiritual lands will inevitably be occupied by fourth-tier demon emperors. To take them over, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the immortal sects will naturally need to intervene.

The greatest credit, of course, belongs to the Immortal Sect.

If the True Pill Clan wants to achieve this, they can only do so during the pioneering wars, burning their bridges and gaining enough merit.

The sole criterion for judging what constitutes sufficient merit is that one must possess the strength to restrain a fourth-tier demonic beast.

While it may not be able to make the final decision, it must be able to assist in the battle and contribute to a certain level of effectiveness.

Even so, if they successfully take over the spiritual land, and after the reckoning of their achievements and the establishment of a powerful dynasty, the True Pill Clan will still have to pay a huge price.

But as long as there is a glimmer of hope, these families of true alchemy practitioners will flock to it.

"Do you consider the Li family of Dawei Mountain and the Murong family of Lanshan Lake to be nothing?" Yao Xuanji's voice was as calm as still water.

The air suddenly froze.

In the far distance, in the center of this blessed land, on the White Dragon River that runs through the Yao family's secret realm, water vapor condenses into spiritual rain, which falls silently into the vast spiritual fields, creating a scene as beautiful as a painting.

"This is a situation that defies fate, and the family has no choice but to fight for it," Yao Zhenyue said, forcing himself to speak.

Yao Xuanji lightly tapped the jade platform with his fingertips, and a star map unfolded from the void, with thousands of points of light flashing and flowing. "Too many people are eyeing this piece of fat meat; it can be said that it is surrounded by powerful forces."

"Not to mention that the Li family has the backing of the Wu Kingdom's Lieyang Sect, and the Murong family is supported by the Yue Kingdom's Jiuyi Mountain, both with late-stage Golden Core cultivators in charge. Even within our Li Kingdom, the several long-established sword-cultivating families of the Cangfeng Pavilion are probably not easy opponents..."

“Once we go all out, we will inevitably exhaust the foundation of our family over hundreds of years,” Yao Xuanji sighed softly. “If we fail, our family will hardly have a second chance in a thousand years.”

"We must fight for it!" Yao Zhenyue said through gritted teeth. "In this world, even a demonic giant like the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect can disappear in an instant. Without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, people like my clan don't even have a chance to struggle."

Yao Xuanji remained noncommittal, but it was clear that he agreed with this view.

"I only hope that the Yunhaichuan warship can dominate the world." His gaze seemed to pierce through a barrier in the void and see a huge ship, thousands of feet tall, shrouded in infinite spiritual light.

Yao Zhenyue also had a somber expression. He was filled with anxiety and worry about this matter concerning the survival of his family.

Suddenly, as if he remembered something troubling him, he bowed and whispered, "Ancestor, the guest elder Liefeng and more than twenty other family elites, including Guangkun, have all gone missing. They are probably in grave danger."

He continued, "The tens of thousands of people in Firethorn Village also vanished at the same time, leaving only ruins and no clues... This is truly bizarre."

"Hmph." A cold snort came from the jade platform. "You don't need to test me, kid. I've already calculated it, but unfortunately, I didn't get any useful information."

"Didn't you go to the Thousand Machines Pavilion?" Yao Xuanji snorted. "Even they couldn't figure anything out, and the Jing family girl in the Red Jade Pavilion has already been bought. This matter can only be put on hold for now."

Yao Zhenyue's expression was solemn: "The fact that they could do it so flawlessly shows that the forces behind them are far from ordinary."

"Right now, all the resources in our household must be reserved for the pioneering battle." Yao Xuanji's voice was faint. "No matter who the other party is, as long as they don't come knocking on our door, everything can only end here. We can just wait and see."

Upon hearing this, Yao Zhenyue bowed his head solemnly.

……

Thousands of feet above the sky.

A faint, dark golden glow was rapidly traveling through the fierce wind.

This was originally the domain of Core Formation cultivators, but today a pair of Foundation Establishment ants have infiltrated it.

Chen Qian was sitting cross-legged on Jin Dou's back. The two of them were traveling at a fast pace, looking relaxed and carefree.

The Dao Foundation Crystal Light flowed within his body, and the Five Elements Protective Aura spread out on his body surface, isolating him from the fierce wind.

Jin Dou possesses wind-type talent and has a body as strong as gold and iron. Even without Chen Qian's protective aura, he can easily fly in the gale.

However, that would consume a lot of energy for its flight, so Chen Qian used his protective spiritual light to help it ride the wind.

Traveling over 100,000 miles, Chen Qian did not delay. Apart from resting for a few hours each day in the Realm of Destiny, he worked day and night without stopping.

In just three days, they arrived outside Qianlong Mountain. Jin Dou had a great time flying back. Despite the high-intensity, rapid journey, covering tens of thousands of miles in a short period of time, it showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, its energy and spirit were even stronger.

He truly possesses a natural "escape" physique!
……

Stopping in the void dozens of miles away from Qianlong Mountain, Chen Qian looked at the spiritual land that his family had assigned him to guard and found that it had changed drastically since he left.

During the six months he was away, the family invested a lot of resources here, upgrading the spiritual veins of Qianlong Mountain to the top level of the second tier, and also upgrading the spiritual land array, the Molten Fire Flowing Gold Array, to the level of the lower grade of the third tier.

Looking at it now, the entire sacred site appears like gold and jade enveloped in flowing light, radiating a faint glow that immediately conveys its grandeur and magnificence.

At this moment, the spiritual land's array is only activated at the alert level, ensuring a rapid response to any attack without wasting energy.

This is also the normal state of a base formation below the fourth tier.

Of course, this carries certain risks, because if the weak points of the formation are suddenly attacked and the intensity exceeds the limit of the instantaneous withstand capacity of the alert state, it may cause the formation to collapse!
If the grand formation is fully activated, it can instantly mobilize the spiritual veins and all the energy reserves of the entire spiritual land, and can withstand some of the attacks from forces far exceeding a certain level.

The two are not the same.

Once a grand formation reaches the fourth rank or above, it can perfectly utilize the energy of the spiritual land, which is a completely different concept from grand formations of the first, second, and third ranks.

Simply put, if the fourth-order grand formation is not attacked or suffers unexpected losses, its energy can circulate perfectly without any loss when fully activated.

Even if kept open for a long time, it can nourish the earth's spiritual energy and improve the level of the spiritual veins.

Therefore, a fourth-tier power is a formidable force, while a third-tier power is merely a slightly stronger ant.

This is the fundamental reason why so many True Core Cultivation families are so eager for fourth-tier spiritual lands, and are determined to strive for them even at great cost.

At this time, there was still more than a month before the grand ceremony set by Chen Qian, but the entire Qianlong Mountain was not deserted at all; on the contrary, it was extremely lively.

Because this place has been turned into a large construction site.

At least several hundred members of the Chen family and their retainers led several thousand ordinary martial artists to work diligently on Qianlong Mountain, decorating various parts of the spiritual land.

Among them, there weren't many familiar faces, but there were also figures such as Chen Hongyuan, Chen Yunzheng, and Chen Yunling.

In the past year, Chen Yunzheng has advanced to the seventh level of Qi Refining. As a boy who is not yet seventeen years old, he can be called the pride of the family.

Uncle Qi's cultivation level has also reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. His essence, energy, and spirit are becoming increasingly vigorous, and he looks even younger.

Inside the gate of Qianlong Mountain, a huge white jade square has been newly built. It is magnificent and surrounded by many pavilions and towers, clearly intended for holding large-scale ceremonies.

The mountains and terrain within the sacred site have also been adjusted by geomancers, making each step a scenic view, overflowing with spiritual beauty, and the flow of energy is perfectly natural.

In short, Chen Qian seemed very comfortable and at ease.

After putting away the gold beans, Chen Qian circled around Qianlong Mountain. With his current strength, naturally no one could detect him.

Within the spiritual land, there was only one chilling and awe-inspiring aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Needless to say, it was none other than Chen Yunyi, the "elder sister-in-law" whom Young Master Chen had been longing for.

Judging from her aura, Chen Yunyi's foundation-building cultivation was not only already stable, but also greatly improved, and she was not far from the peak of the initial stage.

After observing the situation from the void, Chen Qian passed through the Molten Gold Array and entered Qianlong Mountain.

He carried the Primordial Order token, which Chen Yunyi had clearly set as a pass, allowing him to pass through the formation without any hindrance.

……

"Chen Qian, you're back." Chen Yunyi, having received the message, was already waiting at the entrance of Qianlong Residence on Qianyun Peak.

Qianlong Residence is the core of power in Qianlong Mountain, protected by additional restrictions, and is the first place to be completed in the renovation and reconstruction project of Qianlong Mountain.

Therefore, at this moment, there are no outsiders on the mountaintop except for Chen Yunyi.

Of course, the dozens of maids who were recently recruited to serve... they are not considered outsiders.

Outside the gate of Qianlong Residence, a gentle breeze rustled through the newly planted spiritual trees and flowers, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

Chen Yunyi stood alone on the steps, dressed in white, her aloofness seemingly out of place with the bustling scene outside the mountain.

But Chen Qian keenly noticed the shimmering light in her eyes, which was mixed with an intense, unyielding longing, quite different from her usually calm and deep gaze.

"I'm back, Sister Yunyi."

Chen Qian stepped onto the stone steps, just one step away from her.

His voice was deep and magnetic, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirring up ripples in her heart.

No further words were needed; the slight sense of unfamiliarity that had arisen from being apart for more than half a year vanished as their eyes met.

Chen Yunyi nodded slightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and replied softly, "It's good that you're back. Was the journey smooth?"

She stepped aside to make way, her movements seemingly calm, but her slender fingers trembled slightly, revealing the turbulent emotions within her.

Just as the two brushed past each other, Chen Qian's hand naturally grasped her slightly cool fingers.

The cool, warm sensation of their skin touching was like an electric current, instantly piercing through Chen Yunyi's defenses.

Her steps faltered, and her body stiffened noticeably for a moment.

"Yes, everything went smoothly. The golden beans flew very fast."

Chen Qian's voice was tinged with laughter, and his hands moved with a gentle yet firm touch, completely enveloping her slightly cool, soft hands in his broad, warm palms.

Their fingers intertwined quietly, and Chen Yunyi's tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

The two had a closer past, and Chen Qian forcefully broke the ice, while Chen Yunyi graciously complied.

At this moment, the maids of Qianlong Residence who were following behind Chen Yunyi saw that their masters' intimate interaction had ended, so they hurriedly bowed deeply and exclaimed in unison, "Greetings, Lord Mountain Master!"

When Chen Qian returned, they were all overjoyed, and a sense of security naturally arose in their hearts that their pillar of support had returned.

"No need for formalities!" Chen Qian was a little surprised by this form of address.

“It was my idea.” Chen Yunyi gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Seeing the fleeting hint of displeasure in Chen Qian’s eyes, she instantly understood his thoughts. “They have been calling him ‘Young Master’ all along. It’s too intimate but not dignified enough. They are different from Liu Yan after all. So I had them change it.”

"Alright," Chen Qian nodded.

Just as the two were about to enter hand in hand, suddenly...

A girl of about ten years old rushed out of the gate and let out a soft "Ah!" when she saw Chen Qian.

The girl had pigtails on her head, her hair was pink and youthful, she was full of energy and spirit, and her figure was agile, showing a charming and innocent look.

"Why are you being so reckless?" Chen Yunyi scolded, "Come and greet the Mountain Lord."

(End of this chapter)