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

The blood-red light, like threads, wrapped around Nangong Shun's corpse, drawing out his essence and blood bit by bit and absorbing it into Li Changsheng's belt.

Nangong Shun's body shriveled up at a visible rate.

In just a few breaths, it turned to ashes and vanished.

hum!

The crimson light on the belt receded, and a warm energy surged from the belt, entering Li Changsheng's dantian and flowing through his meridians to his limbs and bones.

Li Changsheng felt unbearably hot all over, and faint blood-red light appeared on the surface of his skin.

He dared not delay and leaped into the spirit pool.

The cool pool water, in contrast to the heat within his body, created a dynamic of yin and yang clashing.

He sank to the bottom of the pool, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate the "Iron Bone Forging Technique".

His skin, now at the peak of the Skin Refining Realm, became increasingly resilient under the cleansing of the spiritual pool. The surge of qi and blood flowing from his belt acted like the finest quenching, repeatedly washing over his skin. His already tough skin was further strengthened by this power, with a fine fascia growing between his skin and muscles, firmly locking the skin and flesh together.

Skin Refinement Realm, Perfected.

The remaining force of that blood and qi continued to penetrate deeper, flowing into the muscles.

Flesh Refining Realm.

Under the tempering of that force, muscle fibers were constantly torn, reorganized, and strengthened. Each tear was excruciatingly painful, and each reorganization made him stronger. The spiritual energy in the pool, cleansing and refining his essence, also surged into his body at this moment, intertwining with the power of his blood and qi, washing over every inch of his muscles and every meridian.

The meridians are continuously widened and strengthened under the influence of spiritual energy.

The meridians, which were originally only as thick as a hair, gradually stretched to the thickness of a toothpick, and then to the thickness of a chopstick. With each expansion, the speed of spiritual energy circulation increased, and the affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth strengthened.

Li Changsheng closed his eyes and looked inward, and could clearly see the changes within his own body.

His spiritual aptitude is improving.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

Li Changsheng opened his eyes.

He found himself enveloped in a thick layer of bloodstains, which had dried and congealed into a dark red cocoon, tightly binding him.

He took a deep breath and his arms jerked—

Click!

The cocoon shattered.

Fresh air rushed in, and the dried bloodstains on his body cascaded down, revealing new skin beneath. His skin was as white as cream, as smooth as jade, with a subtle, shimmering sheen. He lowered his head and sniffed his arm—a faint, sweet fragrance, like orchids and musk, refreshing and invigorating.

He stood up and stretched.

His bones crackled, his muscles were as tough as steel wire, and every inch of his skin was brimming with power. With a casual wave of his hand, the wind howled, more than twice as strong as before.

He walked to the edge of the pool and looked into the water.

A strange young man was reflected in the water—fair-skinned, with delicate features, yet possessing a maturity beyond his years. If it weren't for the familiar robes, he would hardly recognize himself.

Li Changsheng was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and focused his mind on the Heavenly Book.

[Seventh-grade spiritual root: 1/100]

Li Changsheng felt the earth-shaking changes within his body, and his eyes could not hide his joy.

...

...

After destroying all traces at the scene and leaving the area, he found a secluded spot and took out Nangong Shun's storage bag, immersing himself in it.

The interior space, which is only about ten feet in size, is not spacious, but it is neatly arranged.

The first thing that caught his eye was several porcelain bottles, each with a pale yellow label with clearly legible lettering. Li Changsheng took out the bottles one by one, uncorked them, and examined them closely. Inside were first-tier healing pills, qi-gathering pills, and spirit-restoring pills. The pills were round and plump, with a rich medicinal aroma. They were all essential basic pills for cultivators venturing out into the world, and there were dozens of them in total, enough for him to cope with the next three months of cultivation and any unexpected situations.

Besides the pills, there were two other artifacts deep inside the storage bag that emitted a faint spiritual light.

Tap the storage bag.

A flash of inspiration.

The two magical artifacts floated above his palm.

The first item was a pair of boots, all grayish-blue in color, with fine cloud patterns embroidered on the upper. The material was neither leather nor leather, and it was incredibly light. Although it looked brand new, there were a few dark brown bloodstains on the toe and side of the boots, which clearly indicated that it had been through a battle.

The Heavenly Book surged:

[Tier 1 Supreme Magical Artifact - Windwalker Boots]

Effects: When worn, it can increase one's speed by 30%, contains a weak wind spiritual power, and allows one to walk on air for a short time, reducing the spiritual power consumption when moving. It is suitable for short-distance rushing, dodging and pursuit.

The second item was a palm-sized breast protector.

The mirror surface was smooth, with ancient runes engraved on the edges and ferocious beast patterns cast on the back. The material was hard and also stained with blood. Its spiritual light was comparable to that of the Wind-Stepping Boots.

[Tier 1 Supreme Magical Artifact - Heart-Protecting Mirror]

Effects: It can withstand three full-force attacks from cultivators below the peak of Qi Refining, and two attacks from first-tier top-grade spells. When worn, it automatically protects vital organs such as the heart and meridians, and can slowly repair itself after being injured.

"Great, they'll all come in handy!"

Wind-riding boots increase speed, and a breastplate protects the body.

Li Changsheng continued his investigation, and his gaze was immediately drawn to several items in the corner.

First came a pile of low-grade spirit stones with a faint, luminous white sheen.

A rough count revealed over eight hundred pieces.

For low-level cultivators, this is already a considerable fortune, extremely useful for cultivation, alchemy, and purchasing supplies.

Beside the spirit stone lay a neatly folded stack of eight cyan array flags, each embroidered with obscure array patterns. Next to them was a palm-sized bronze array plate, engraved with yin-yang and eight trigram patterns. These were the first-tier basic array flags and array plates used by cultivators to set up arrays.

What surprised Li Changsheng the most was—

Beneath the array flags and array plates lay a yellowed animal hide scroll, next to which were the matching array eye jade talisman and spirit silk, clearly a complete array artifact.

at this time.

The heavenly book surged forth with lines of text:

【Three Talents Mysterious Yin Formation】

Rank: Tier 1, Superior

Effects: When set up as a complete set, it can form a spherical defensive shield covering an area of ​​three zhang (approximately 10 meters), resisting first-tier peak spells. It has its own spiritual energy circulation and aura concealment effects, which can conceal cultivation fluctuations within the cave and prevent others from noticing it. The array core is powered by spirit stones, making it suitable for protection when temporarily opening a cave or during closed-door cultivation.

[Family Contribution Points +400, Current: 1500/6500]

"It seems that I should be able to gather enough luck points in these three months to unlock the next page of the Heavenly Book."

"Let's refine these two magical artifacts first!"

Finding a clean spot on a bluestone, Li Changsheng sat cross-legged. He first placed the Wind-Stepping Boots on his knees, then forced out a trace of his own essence blood from his fingertips, and then circulated his spiritual power, slowly injecting it into the boots.

Warm essence and spiritual energy flowed along the cloud patterns on the boots, and the spiritual light on the Wind-Stepping Boots gradually softened, becoming more and more in harmony with his aura. The few bloodstains also slowly disappeared under the washing of spiritual energy, leaving only the brand-new boots gleaming with a spiritual luster.

After a while.

The wind-walking boots have completely accepted their master.

With a thought, Li Changsheng felt the boots automatically fit his feet, light and weightless, as if a gentle breeze surrounded him. With the slightest movement, he felt his speed increase, becoming exceptionally agile.

Followed by.

He then picked up the Heart-Protecting Mirror and, in the same manner, refined it with his essence and spiritual power. The mirror's surface shimmered with spiritual light, connected to his mind and spirit; with a mere thought, he could instantly summon it to protect his chest.

He glanced at the hourglass beside him—before he knew it, it was already the next day.

He habitually communicated with the mysterious scripture—

"Today's divination result is 'open'."

Yellow light flowed, and the deduced text slowly emerged.

This time, the writing faintly shimmered with golden light, unlike any other divination hexagram before:

[Your younger sister, Li Changle, is trapped in the Azure Phosphorus Valley, east of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave. The valley is teeming with ghosts, and cultivators from the Sun family are nearby and have already spotted her. If no one comes to her rescue, she will surely die before sunset.]

Li Changsheng's pupils shrank suddenly, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing eastward.

...

...

Outside Hunyu Mountain, two streaks of light descended.

Nangong Jin's face was ashen, and he held a dull, lifeless jade talisman in his hand. This talisman was originally a pair with his son's; they could sense each other as long as they were in the same area. But just a few days ago, the talismans suddenly lost their connection.

"Something has happened to Shun'er." His voice was heavy.

Madam Nangong's eyes reddened, finding it hard to accept: "Search again, search again... Perhaps he's just trapped in some kind of sensory-isolating array..."

Nangong Jin remained silent, activating the magic mirror in his hand to search Hunyu Mountain inch by inch. After a moment, his divine sense detected an anomaly—deep within the mountain's interior, there was a hollow concealed by an array.

He and his wife burrowed underground and arrived at the location of the spirit pool.

The spirit pool had dried up, and a faint smell of blood lingered in the air, along with a faint... delicate fragrance?

Nangong Jin squatted down, picked up a small pinch of ash from the edge of the pool, and flicked it into the magic mirror.

hum!

The Bloodline Sensing Mirror emitted a rapid buzzing sound!

Madam Nangong's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Shun'er... my Shun'er..."

Nangong Jin also aged considerably in an instant.

This unfilial son, though he constantly caused trouble, was still his own flesh and blood; how could he not feel heartache? However, as the head of the clan, he quickly calmed down.

He stood up, activated the magic mirror, and searched every corner inch by inch.

There are no clues.

The murderer did it cleanly and efficiently, leaving not a single trace.

However, only the fifteen families participating in the Grand Competition were allowed to enter the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave. Those families capable of silently killing a peak Qi Refining cultivator must be the established, long-established ones…

The Nangong clan chief's eyes were filled with hatred.

"Check them." His voice was very soft, almost as if he were talking to himself. "Check them one by one."

They're just a Qi-refining family from the southern barbarian lands, yet they dare to touch my son.

A tiger that doesn't roar.

They really think the Nangong family is a pushover!