Establishing a Clan in the Eastern Wilderness: A Daily Divination, Cultivating Longevity in a Grotto

"Brother, take three steps to the left, avoid that clump of blue-glowing grass."

Walk straight for seven steps, then step on that protruding gray rock.

"Turn right and go through the space between the two crooked trees."

……

About an incense stick later, the view suddenly opened up.

A secluded valley, roughly ten zhang in diameter, came into view.

The valley was warm as springtime, and the spiritual energy was noticeably richer than outside. A dark red moss grew on the ground.

Twelve birds, each a bright red with feathers edged in the shape of flowing clouds and about the size of an ordinary hen, were leisurely strolling on the mossy ground, pecking at the scattered red mushrooms among the moss.

It is indeed the Fire Cloud Chicken!

Upon closer inspection, however, all of them were female, with no trace of males.

"As expected!" Li Changsheng was overjoyed.

With hands forming hand seals, spiritual energy flowed.

"go!"

Several emerald green spiritual vines appeared out of thin air, silently crawling along the ground, and suddenly sprang up, binding the two nearest Fire Cloud Chickens tightly!

Startled, the Fire Cloud Chicken clucked softly and flapped its wings, but the vines were too strong for it to break free.

Li Changsheng followed the same method and quickly tied up the third and fourth ones... He intentionally controlled his strength, only aiming to capture them without harming their lives.

Just as he was preparing to strike the last two—

Outside the valley.

A faint sound of something cutting through the air could be heard.

A familiar, rough voice, filled with greed and suspicion:

"This place...the spiritual energy is indeed extraordinary!"

It's Cheng Laosan!

Li Changsheng's eyes turned cold, and he sped up, quickly binding the remaining two Fire Cloud Chickens as well.

Almost simultaneously.

He heard his sister let out a short, suppressed gasp from outside, followed by Cheng Laosan's repulsive, grotesque laugh:

"Oh? Isn't this the little girl from the Li family? What are you doing here alone? Tsk tsk, those eyebrows and eyes, she'll definitely be a beauty when she grows up... How about going back with Uncle Cheng? Raise her for a few years, and she can be Uncle Cheng's concubine, I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury, much better than following your poor, penniless brother!"

Li Changsheng felt a surge of anger, but he forcibly suppressed it, hiding his figure in the shadow of the boulder and focusing his mind.

Through the distorted light and shadow of the illusion array at the valley entrance, he could vaguely see the situation outside:

Cheng Laosan approached with a lewd grin on his face.

Little Sister Li Changle's face was tense. She didn't scream. Instead, just as Cheng Laosan was about to reach out and grab her, she nimbly shrank back and, based on her memory of the "Gate of Life" path, took the initiative to retreat to the edge of the illusion array!

"Huh? You dare to run away?"

Cheng Laosan was taken aback.

Clearly, he hadn't expected the little girl to be so quick-witted, nor did he realize the hidden secrets of the place, and he chased after her without hesitation:

"Don't run away, young lady, your third uncle will love you..."

As soon as he stepped into the illusion array, the surrounding scenery blurred and changed.

Cheng Laosan paused, a look of surprise and doubt on his face:

"An array? How could there be an array in this godforsaken place?!"

But relying on his Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation, he didn't take it too seriously, and instead shouted loudly:

"Little girl, where have you been hiding? Come out here obediently! Don't think this little illusionary formation can trap you, Third Master Cheng! Once I break this formation, I'll definitely give you a good 'discipline'!"

Li Changsheng, hidden in the shadows, made a hand gesture to his sister.

Although Li Changle's face was a little pale, her eyes were clear and calm. She hid in another place and began to subtly interfere with and guide the already chaotic spiritual energy flow within the illusion array with weak spiritual energy fluctuations.

In an instant.

Cheng Laosan felt the surrounding fog thicken, the positions of the vegetation and rocks constantly shifting and changing, and even several confusing forks in the road and afterimages appeared out of thin air. Frustrated, he cast a fireball spell to disperse a patch of fog, but it had no effect.

"Playing tricks!" Cheng Laosan cursed, but his steps became much more cautious.

It's now!

Li Changsheng sprang up from behind the boulder like a cheetah, channeling the spiritual power of his third-level Qi Refining stage into full force. His Qingfeng Sword transformed into a streak of azure light, piercing straight for Cheng Laosan's back!

This sword strike was silent, yet as swift as lightning.

Cheng Laosan, after all, was experienced in combat. At the critical moment, a warning sign screamed in his heart, and he forcefully twisted his body. At the same time, a small bone shield the size of a palm flew out from his arms and blocked his way.

"clang!"

The Qingfeng sword struck the small shield, producing a metallic clang.

The small shield trembled with a strange light, yet it was not pierced. However, the enormous impact caused Cheng Laosan to stagger back several steps, his blood churning.

"Who?! Show yourself!"

Cheng Laosan was both shocked and furious. He was in the formation and his five senses were blocked, so he couldn't see who the attacker was. He could only sense that the opponent's spiritual energy fluctuations seemed to be weaker than his own, but the cunning and ruthless nature of that sword strike sent chills down his spine.

Li Changsheng, having missed his first attack, did not linger and disappeared into the ever-changing mist once more.

"A cowardly rat hiding its head and tail!"

Cheng Laosan brandished a ghost-headed saber, cautiously surveying his surroundings, and roared with a fierce but cowardly tone:

"I am Cheng, the third son of the Cheng family! My own sister is married to the second elder of the ninth-rank Yun family as a concubine! Dare to touch me, and the Yun family will exterminate your entire clan!"

He tried to intimidate the other party by using his backstage presence.

Li Changsheng sneered inwardly. The Yun family? They're too far away to help someone in a crisis!

He gave his sister a look.

Li Changle understood and quietly activated the illusion array, creating a strong spiritual energy fluctuation and a vague human figure to the left of Cheng Laosan.

Cheng Laosan was indeed drawn in, and with a sudden slash to the left with his ghost-head saber, the wind howled, but he missed.

Just as his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, and his right side was wide open!

Li Changsheng emerged from behind a bush that had suddenly "disappeared" to Cheng Laosan's right rear. Instead of thrusting straight at him with his Qingfeng sword, he used a tough rope he had secretly prepared, made from cloud elephant sinew. With the infusion of his spiritual power, the rope sprang up like a venomous snake and precisely wrapped around Cheng Laosan's ankle, pulling sharply!

"Thump!"

Caught off guard, Cheng Laosan fell heavily to the ground.

He reacted extremely quickly, swinging his knife to cut the rope.

But Li Changsheng's attacks came one after another—several sharp-edged stone shards, infused with spiritual power, shot at his face, throat, and wrist holding the knife from different angles!

Cheng Laosan had no choice but to parry with his knife. With a "clang," he knocked away most of the stone fragments, but one still grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood.

In the split second that he was distracted by the pain and his blocking, Li Changsheng's figure was already close like a ghost, and the Qingfeng sword flashed coldly, slicing across his neck!

Cheng Laosan's movements suddenly froze, his eyes wide open, filled with disbelief, shock, and despair. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a few gurgling bloody froths escaped. Then, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

Everything happened in just a dozen or so breaths.

Li Changsheng was slightly out of breath.

The first time he had killed someone with his own hands, the strong smell of blood filled his nostrils, making his stomach churn, but he remained unusually calm.

If this person doesn't die, the consequences will be endless.