Clan Cultivation: My Intelligence Updated Daily

The bottom of the crack.

The enormous body of the Xuan Shui Ao crashed heavily into the sand and gravel, stirring up turbid mud waves. A few strands of blood oozed from the corners of its eyes, turning into dark red wisps of smoke that slowly spread in the water.

An ancient and extraordinary species, a great demon about to break through to become a demon king, perished in the secret realm.

The leading cultivator from the Du family didn't even glance at it, and immediately gave the order:

"Yongming, first clean up the corpse of the Xuan Shui Ao. There are many monsters in Dragon Whirlpool Lake, so prevent them from coming because of the smell of blood. Also, this is a rare and good material, so be careful."

"Yonghao, go and check on Yonghua and Yonghuai's situation."

"clear."

Du Yongming and his companion nodded and immediately proceeded with the arrangements.

As for him, Du Yongyi, the leader of the Du family this time and a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, fled to the place of Water Curtain Heavenly Flower.

According to the description of the clansmen who entered the secret realm last time, the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower grows at the bottom of the crevice. At that time, it was not yet mature and they suffered heavy losses, so they had to return disappointed.

"Why isn't it there?"

Without the Xuan Shui Ao's obstruction, Du Yongyi easily reached the bottom, but looking at the empty scene, he felt dizzy.

It's impossible for it to be swallowed up by that Xuan Shui Ao beforehand, right?

The family had paid a heavy price to obtain the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower, but now they had returned empty-handed. How could they possibly bear the wrath of the Golden Core cultivators?

"Yonghua and Yonghuai must know what's going on!"

These two brothers are both extremely cautious individuals; otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen to come to this secret realm. They would never rashly disturb the Xuan Shui Ao with such an important matter.

If they had discovered earlier that Shui Mu Tian Hua was missing, they would have returned and informed them long ago.

The fact that he was injured in the battle with the Xuan Shui Ao must be due to external factors.

"Du Yonghua, Du Yonghuai, why has Shuimu Tianhua disappeared? You need to give us an explanation!"

His roar caused the surrounding waters to tremble, and the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators were shaken, their minds in a daze. The shock of the news almost made them lose their footing.

Where has Shui Mu Tian Hua gone?

Anger filled the two men. They had gone through so much trouble to get here and paid such a high price to kill the Xuan Shui Ao, only to be told that they had worked for nothing.

They then turned to look at the injured Du Yonghua and his companion, their eyes seemingly spitting fire.

After a long while, Du Yonghua's weak and tearful voice finally came through: "Big brother... Shui Mu Tian Hua has been stolen!"

"What did you say?!"

This news was even more explosive. Du Yongyi almost spat out a mouthful of blood. If he had been eaten by the Xuan Shui Ao, at least he could have been spared punishment upon returning to the family.

To have one's spiritual treasure stolen right under one's nose—that's utterly useless!

"You two good-for-nothings, tell us the truth!"

As he fled towards the two men, he cursed, "Who on earth dares to steal from the Du family?!"

When the three of them gathered in front of Du Yonghua and his brother, and saw that the two brothers were also in low spirits and looked like skin and bones, they knew that they must have tried their best to stop them, but unfortunately they still failed. Their arrogance immediately subsided.

He remained blunt with his words.

Du Yonghua, disregarding his injuries, hurriedly said, "Brother, this is what happened... That thief possessed an extremely powerful magical artifact that could conceal his form and aura, making him virtually undetectable."

Due to the severity of his injuries and his agitated state, he nearly fainted several times while speaking, but he still managed to recount the events as they were.

......

"You mean, only one person stole the Water Curtain Heavenly Splendor?"

"yes..."

Upon hearing Du Yonghua's retelling, the three men showed a strange expression. They had thought the two men had been ambushed by several people to be in this state, but it turned out to be just one person.

His initial thought was that the information about the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower had been leaked within the clan, which was why they were able to find this place so accurately.

It now seems that the two were acting suspiciously and in a hurry when they entered the rift, which made other cultivators from the Huang or Li families notice something unusual and thus they were followed.

To avoid being discovered by two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, one must at least be at the peak or late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Furthermore, the man was being secretive and dared not use magic or other magical artifacts to fight, precisely because he did not want to be recognized by the two. After all, the three families were very familiar with the cultivation methods practiced by the various noble families in Yuhu County.

"Most likely a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from either the Huang or Li family!"

Who else but a Golden Core Immortal Clan cultivator could produce such a magical artifact? After all, the competition for the Water Curtain Heavenly Splendor was fierce, so it's not surprising that each faction was pulling out all the stops.

As for why he wasn't at the peak of Foundation Establishment, it's because even without using the Blood Burning Secret Technique, he could easily leave Du Yonghuai behind.

"What my elder brother says makes sense."

After listening to the analysis, Du Yongming nodded and said, "The peak Foundation Establishment stage is the most direct line of the Golden Core Immortal Clan. Once they make a move, how could my two clan brothers possibly survive?"

In their view, only the dead can conceal their identities.

"Could it be a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Seeing the clansmen's unwavering resolve, Du Yonghuai stammered out his inner thoughts. After all, if the two of them, who were under the siege of the Xuan Shui Ao, had made even the slightest move, they would have surely perished.

As for why they dare not make a move, it's most likely because they lack confidence in their own strength.

One more thing... If one is in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, using the Blood Burning Secret Technique in conjunction with that flying artifact will make them even faster.

"Mid-stage Foundation Establishment?"

After listening, Du Yongyi shook his head and said, "Impossible. How could a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator withstand the water pressure under this crack?"

"Furthermore, what family would entrust a top-grade Foundation Establishment magic artifact to a mid-stage Foundation Establishment user? As for those Foundation Establishment families, we've already infiltrated them to the core; there's absolutely no way they would do that."

After saying that, Du Yongming and the other man nodded in agreement.

"Then...what about Zhang Lingyu, the one the Li family found? His physical body is extraordinary; even Ge Tianxiong couldn't defeat him..."

"Zhang Lingyu..."

Du Yongyi frowned slightly. He had heard about this cultivator from Yingchuan County. He was indeed quite strong in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but he was still a step behind.

What kind of treasures could a cultivator from a small, impoverished family in a remote village possess?

But since I've already mentioned it, I still need to keep an eye on things. However, my attention should still be focused on the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from various families. So I said, "Let's observe those late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators first."

"That's right, that thief must be in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. The blood and qi deficiency caused by the Blood Burning Secret Technique cannot be recovered in just a few days. When we get to the Water Moon Palace, everything will be clear."

"That's true, but that person might not necessarily go to the Water Moon Palace. After all, it's quite a distance away. Without the protection of his clansmen, he could very well perish on the way."

Du Yongyi explained, "If I were him, I would definitely hide away to heal my injuries temporarily. This Dragon Whirlpool Lake is next to the Azure Wave Forest, where the trees are tall and there are countless caves, making it an excellent hiding place."

"There's no time to lose. Only an hour has passed; they couldn't have gone far. Let's search!"

"Yes."

The group discussed their plan and, as the novel "Family Cultivation: My Intelligence Updated Daily," a popular online read, was about to ascend towards the Azure Wave Forest, Du Yonghua still asked worriedly, "What if we don't find it?"

After all, the thief wasn't stupid. He knew they would definitely search the Bibo Forest. Not to mention that finding a person there would be like finding a needle in a haystack, there was also that magical artifact that could conceal one's aura.

Even a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator might not be able to find it even if they personally take action!

"Didn't find it?"

Upon hearing this, Du Yongyi sneered, "If we can't find it, then we'll have to go into the Cold Marrow Abyss and fight those two families for the last Water Curtain Heavenly Flower."

As per the previously agreed-upon strategy, after obtaining the Water Curtain Heavenly Essence, the three late-stage cultivators were instructed not to enter the Cold Marrow Abyss and instead focus on hiding in the outer area.

He then led the rest of his clansmen to the Water Moon Palace. After all, it would inevitably arouse suspicion if a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator did not participate in the competition. Of course, this time he was also taking advantage of the situation to protect himself.

After all, the family had received information that the Huang family had used many methods this time, and forcibly participating in the competition would only result in heavy losses for their own family.

But now... if we don't find that person... we'll have to go all out to compete for them.

Thinking of this, he felt a terrible headache coming on. Looking at Du Yonghua and the other man, he sneered, "If we can't find that person, you two will lead the charge once we reach the Cold Marrow Abyss!"

"Otherwise, wait until we return to the clan, and see how our ancestor punishes you!"

-----------------

Green Wave Forest and Shadow Swamp.

After leaving Dragon Whirlpool Lake, Zhang Lingyu hadn't stopped. Although the depletion of his qi and blood almost made him faint several times, he managed to keep his mind clear thanks to his excellent spiritual power and the suppression of the pills.

The reason is simple: the place where you land after entering the secret realm is too close to Dragon Whirlpool Lake.

Once the remaining cultivators of the Du family arrive, given their injuries, they will inevitably search for his whereabouts in Dragon Whirlpool Lake and Azure Wave Forest. In his current state, he will be easily exposed.

So once he left the lake, he didn't stop at all, and continued until he reached the border between the two places.

As for why they didn't go into the Shadow Swamp to hide and heal, the area is always rife with miasma, and due to the terrain, there's simply nowhere to hide.

More importantly, monsters kept emerging from the swamp, making it impossible to heal in peace.

Of course, going to the Li family's settlement in Shuiyue Palace is the safest option, but it requires crossing the Shadow Swamp, which is a long journey and there is also the possibility of being attacked by other families.

After weighing the options, they chose the border area between the two places.

After finding a suitable cave, Zhang Lingyu immediately cast a spell to seal the entrance, and at the same time took out two array plates, one to conceal his aura and the other for defense.

If their tracks are discovered, they can at least offer some resistance.

Then he released all the Soul-Devouring Bees from the Spirit Insect Bag, which formed a circle around him, completely enveloping him.

Only after everything was prepared did he take out the pill and swallow it.

Zhang Lingyu was not actually seriously injured. He had just used up a lot of his magic power and blood energy while trying to escape. The former was relatively better and he could recover in about two days.

As for the latter... it's unlikely to recover to its original state in a short period of time.

Using the Blood Burning Secret Technique this time alone has depleted most of his vital energy, which will take at least two or three months to recover. However, in order to prepare for this trip to the secret realm, he has taken this situation into consideration and has brought a lot of pills to replenish his vital energy.

Crimson Blood Rejuvenating Pill.

Although this pill is only a low-grade fourth-rank pill, it is a rare pill that can replenish qi and blood very quickly. It was obtained from Li Heihu's storage bag when he was killed.

After all, demonic cultivators use the Blood Burning Secret Technique very frequently, so most of the pills they carry with them are of this type.

Although this pill can quickly replenish qi and blood, it will also cause some damage to the physical body and magical power. Fortunately, only one pill is taken, and the damage can be removed later with the Burning Yuan Heart Flame.

"As for the Water Moon Palace and the Cold Marrow Abyss, we absolutely cannot go there!"

This is the first day of entering the secret realm. The Cold Marrow Abyss will open in nine days. According to the previously agreed opportunity, we must gather together at the Water Moon Palace on the seventh and eighth days.

His original purpose for this trip was to obtain some third- or fourth-tier spiritual items, and also to see if he could kill a few mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators to make his storage bag more full.

Now that we have the best treasures in the secret realm, the rest are no longer important. There is no need to fight to the death for the Li family anymore.

After all, seven or eight days is only enough to restore about 60% of one's qi and blood. It's okay when facing cultivators of the same level, but it would be extremely dangerous when facing those at a later stage.

Furthermore, once they have all gathered at the Cold Marrow Abyss, Zhang Lingyu's injuries will have almost healed, and he can go out to search for some spiritual items.

As for the subsequent accountability from the Li family... he also has ways to deal with it.

He was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and came from a small family. Defeating Ge Tianxiong was nothing special. In everyone's eyes, he was still quite different from the Golden Core Immortal Clan cultivators.

When the time comes, all you need to do is say that you were seriously injured by cultivators from the Huang family or Du family, or by a demon beast, and that you found a place to heal. The Li family won't be able to say anything about it.

At most, I just don't like it.

"Let's see how well the healing has gone these past few days. We won't be able to make it to the battle at Water Moon Palace, so let's do our best in the Frost Marrow Abyss."

......

Seven days later.

West side of Shuiyue Palace.

Li Yanhui sat cross-legged on a blue stone, listening to Li Yunrui say, "Uncle, our people should all be here. I don't think there's anyone else."

"Is that so..."

He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw were four late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators: Li Yunrui, Li Yunkang, Li Yunchen, and Li Yunjing.

As carefully selected members of the family, the four were not seriously injured. Li Yunrui and Li Yunchen even joined forces to injure a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Huang family when they arrived.

As for those in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage... only seven out of ten arrived; the three who didn't come were all people sent by Foundation Establishment families.

Considering the casualties, the Li family was almost completely unharmed.

However... looking around, the person most likely to come from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage did not appear here.

"Didn't Zhang Lingyu come?"

Faced with Li Yanhui's question, Li Yunrui smiled wryly and said, "It's been seven days already. If they were going to come, they would have come long ago. I think it's probably..."

"pity."

Li Yanhui understood and sighed. Zhang Lingyu was quite skilled. Li Yanshan and Li Yanyun commented that he could rank among the top three in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage of the Li family.

This wasn't just empty talk. Not to mention defeating Ge Tianxiong, he easily killed a Huang family cultivator before even entering the secret realm.

With him around, I feel a little more at ease.

They failed to appear because either they were unfortunately besieged or they encountered late-stage or peak Foundation Establishment cultivators from two different families.

Life is unpredictable, and everyone has their own destiny; there's no point in saying anything more now...

"never mind..."

Li Yanhui wasn't too saddened. Only three Foundation Establishment Peak experts could decide the outcome. It was the best thing that his own strength had been preserved intact, but relying on outsiders was ultimately not an option.

"Let's calm down and prepare for battle."

After saying that, he closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing, silently waiting for the other two families to arrive.

......

......