Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 78 The World as a Chessboard, Laying the Foundation for Body Refinement
After comforting his wife and spending some time with Bai Muyun and their son, Meng Xihong finally came out of the room after seeing that Bai Muyun had fallen asleep.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Yun Songzi sighing and groaning in the courtyard. Meng Xihong's sudden, frantic rush back into the house had really startled him, and he was afraid that the boy would be unable to withstand the shock and lose his composure.

“Senior Yun.” Meng Xihong’s voice was calm.

Yun Songzi turned around abruptly and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Yun Songzi's expression had returned to normal.

Then, the two entered the quiet room one after the other.

Meng Xihong and Yun Songzi entered the quiet room. Yun Songzi looked full of guilt, "Xihong boy, this old Daoist really can't think of a way either, I..."

"Senior Yun, stop sighing. I've found a way to save An'er," Meng Xihong said bluntly.

Yun Songzi was taken aback, then his cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light: "What method?"

Meng Xihong then explained his conjectures about the "two-way channel" and "the world's body cultivators giving back to their ancestors." Of course, he concealed the existence of the family tree and the golden mark, only saying that he had sensed them by chance.

After hearing this, Yun Songzi was completely stunned. He counted on his fingers for a long time, muttering to himself, and finally slapped his thigh.

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful! The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, and one escapes! This is that glimmer of hope!"
The evil spirits seized control of the passage, but this also tainted it with the karma of 'giving,' preventing the passage from being completely closed and instead resulting in its current state! A blessing in disguise, truly a blessing in disguise!

Yun Songzi was so excited that her face turned red, even more excited than Meng Xihong.

But Meng Xihong quickly poured cold water on him: "Senior Yun, don't be too happy yet. The recovery efficiency is too low. Ninety-nine percent of the original essence gained from the feedback was swallowed up by the curse."

Yun Songzi's smile froze instantly, and he said with a worried expression, "Indeed, that is, after all, the curse of the Demon Emperor, something at the level of rules, extremely domineering. To improve efficiency, unless..."

“Unless we can make this primordial force that feeds back stronger, more concentrated, and more abundant!” Meng Xihong continued.

"How easy is that?" Yun Songzi shook his head and said, "The path of body refinement has already declined, the techniques are incomplete, there are very few practitioners, and most of them are struggling at the bottom. Those who can break through are extremely rare. Relying on them is like a drop in the ocean."

“That’s why I’ve come to you.” Meng Xihong stared at Yun Songzi and said, word by word, “Senior Yun, I want to create a new body-refining technique!”

"Pfft—cough cough cough!" Yun Songzi spat out the mouthful of tea he had just drunk, choking and coughing repeatedly. He stared at Meng Xihong with wide eyes, as if he were looking at a madman.

"Xi Hong, are you sick? Creating a new cultivation technique? Or a body-refining technique? Do you know what that means? It's harder than climbing to heaven!"

“I know it’s difficult, but it’s the only way.” Meng Xihong’s tone was unusually calm. “Besides, I’m not just talking nonsense.”

He paused, then offered a tempting offer that Yun Songzi couldn't refuse: "Senior Yun, do you still remember the stone wall at the edge of that ancient herb garden in the Yin Sha Sect's secret realm?"

Yun Songzi's eyes narrowed; of course he remembered.

The stone wall was carved with some blurry marks, which seemed to be an extremely ancient body-refining method. Unfortunately, it was so incomplete that there were only a few words of incantation and a few movement diagrams.

At the time, they all thought it was a useless thing, but they never expected Meng Xihong to bring it up now.

"Although the method on that stone wall is incomplete, its profound meaning is unparalleled in my life," Meng Xihong said in a deep voice.

"It doesn't seem to be simply pursuing power, but rather expounding a profound truth about the interaction between the human body and the universe. I have a feeling that this might be the key to breaking our deadlock!"

Then, Meng Xihong revealed his entire plan. He did not intend to distribute the cultivation technique he created entirely free of charge.

"My first step is to use this incomplete manual as a foundation, combined with my own insights into martial arts, to create an entry-level body-refining technique. This technique must have a low barrier to entry, be effective quickly, and allow ordinary people, even those without spiritual roots, to embark on the path of cultivation!"

"My second step is to use this technique to make a name for our future Tianyan Sect. I want everyone in Qingzhou and Yunzhou to know that my Meng family has an unparalleled method that can allow mortals to defy fate!"

"The third step is for the Tianyan Sect to establish itself and recruit disciples! Anyone who wants to learn more advanced body-refining techniques must become a disciple of our Tianyan Sect. In this way, we can not only gather a massive amount of primordial power for An'er, but also cultivate a loyal and powerful body-refining army for our Meng family and the Tianyan Sect!"

Meng Xihong's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Yun Songzi's heart like a heavy hammer. Yun Songzi was deeply moved, his breathing becoming rapid. He looked at the young man in front of him, who was no more than twenty years old, his eyes filled with shock.

The painful lessons learned from the bloodshed in Wufeng County once shattered all of Meng Xihong's sharpness and arrogance. He suppressed all his ambition and edges, wrapping them under a hard shell of caution and forbearance.

During the years he spent in seclusion in Yunni Township, he lived a quiet life, deeply rooted himself in the local community. He seemed to be living a peaceful life, but in reality, he was licking his wounds and waiting for an opportunity to rise again.

However, Meng Yan'an's birth and that vicious curse completely cut off all his escape routes!
When he discovered the 'two-way passage' that could reverse life and death, he realized that perhaps it was fate, and hiding in self-preservation would no longer be able to protect his family.

To save his son, he must take the initiative, stand at the forefront, and turn this revived path of body refinement into a game of chess that belongs only to his Meng family.

At this moment, that hard shell shattered! The confidence and sharpness that had been suppressed for years finally broke out of the shell in the face of adversity and returned to Meng Xihong. His obsession with protecting his family also swelled and transformed into a grand ambition to bring all the body-refining practitioners in the world into his chessboard.

"This kid doesn't just want to save his son; he's trying to undermine the entire cultivation world by using the opportunity of saving his son to open up a completely new path for mortals and, incidentally, elevate the Meng family to the top."

I underestimated this kid. Such boldness, such shrewdness... he's no ordinary family head, but a true hero with the ambition to establish his own sect and conquer the world.

"You...you brat..." Yun Songzi pointed at Meng Xihong, speechless for a long time, "You're trying to tear a hole in the sky!"

"Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up." Meng Xihong laughed, a confident and composed laugh. "Besides, don't I still have Senior Yun, a Golden Core expert, to back me up?"

Seeing that Yun Songzi still had a "you're crazy" expression, Meng Xihong's smile faded and a hint of deep planning appeared on his face.

"Senior, I'm not joking. Think about it, where are all the top combat forces in the world, those Nascent Soul stage monsters, and even more powerful beings at higher levels?"

Before Yun Songzi could answer, Meng Xihong continued, "They are all in Zhongzhou, right under the nose of the Dali Dynasty. In the territory of Qingzhou and Yunzhou, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator is enough to be called a patriarch, and a great Confucian scholar like you at the peak of the Establishing Words Realm is even rarer."

"Now that the Great Dao of Body Refinement has been restored, what an earth-shattering event this is! Do you think we are the only ones in the world who want to be the 'first bird to stick out'? I'm afraid that at this moment, countless people and forces are eager to get a piece of the pie."

"With more people, we become less noticeable. In the eyes of those bigwigs in Zhongzhou, the revival of body refinement and the overall improvement of the human race's strength are great things. As long as we don't raise the flag of rebellion or cross the dynasty's bottom line, they will be happy to see it happen. They might even treat us 'early birds' as pawns for the dynasty to expand its territory and ignore us."

Meng Xihong paused, a sly glint in his eyes: "So, the sky isn't going to fall. Even if it were, it would hit those 'tall guys' who are more conspicuous and jump higher than us first. And we can take advantage of this favorable wind, while they are too busy to look south, to develop and grow steadily. This is our opportunity!"

"I..." Yun Songzi choked for a moment, then smiled wryly, "Don't flatter me. Creating a technique is extremely dangerous. One wrong step, and at best your meridians will be severed, at worst you'll explode and die. How confident are you?"

Meng Xihong held up three fingers.

"Thirty percent?" Yun Songzi frowned; that was too low.

“No.” Meng Xihong shook his head, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. “It’s three things. First, I possess the [Martial Arts Foundation], giving me a far greater understanding and control over my physical body than most. Second, I have the [Literary Spirit and Integrity], with exceptional comprehension that can help me unravel the mysteries of that ancient method. Third…”

He paused, looked at Yun Songzi, and smiled, "I also have you, a learned and knowledgeable protector. With Senior Yun watching over me, even if I suffer a qi deviation, you can surely pull me back, right?"

No wonder!
No wonder this kid's second son, Meng Yanwei, is a natural-born literary gem! No wonder the righteous spirit that occasionally emanates from him is so pure; it turns out the root of it lies here!
A martial arts prodigy with exceptional talent and a literary spirit that is unparalleled!
What kind of monster is this?

Yun Songzi was overwhelmed with shock. He finally understood why he had developed such a strong interest in this family and why he had been compelled to come to Yunni Township.

This is no coincidence at all; it is the guiding force of the Great Dao!

"You little rascal, you've been hiding your true colors!" Yun Songzi pointed at Meng Xihong, both amused and exasperated. "You even managed to outsmart me! Fine, fine, what can I do when I'm stuck with this whole family? I'll take your advice! Just ask for anything you need. This old man of mine will go crazy with you this once in a while!"

Having received Yun Songzi's promise, Meng Xihong felt much more at ease.

He knew that a high-stakes gamble had begun.

The stakes are their son's life, the future of the Meng family, and the last glimmer of hope for millions of ordinary people in the world!
And he, Meng Xihong, will personally write the rules of this gamble!
(End of this chapter)