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

The Forbidden Grounds of Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave.

The barrier light curtain rippled like water as Ye Gongfeng and the mysterious female cultivator stepped into it one after the other.

The moment the foot touched the ground, the surrounding spiritual energy suddenly changed.

The once peaceful void suddenly lit up with a dazzling light, and countless runes emerged from the ground, stone walls, and overhead, weaving together into an impenetrable net of light that firmly enveloped the two of them.

"Not good!" Elder Ye's expression changed drastically. "It's the Yun family's 'Thunderfire Formation'! A top-grade second-tier formation!"

The Thunderfire Array, one of the Yun family's clan-protecting arrays, uses lightning as a catalyst and the earth's core thunderfire as its foundation. Anyone who is not a member of the Yun family and possesses a pass token will have their strongest killing array triggered upon entering. The intertwining thunder and fire possess power comparable to a full-force attack from a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The voice just fell.

A bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket struck down from above, and at the same time, intense lightning and fire surged up from the ground.

Ye Gongfeng's spirit surged, and he desperately summoned his protective magic weapon, a tortoise shell shield that unfolded above his head, barely blocking the lightning bolt.

Boom boom boom!

The tortoise-shell shield trembled violently under the dual bombardment of thunder and fire, cracking rapidly and on the verge of collapse.

He glanced at the female cultivator behind him.

The female cultivator stood with her hands behind her back, her expression calm and composed beneath her veil, as if the powerful array before her, capable of annihilating a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was utterly insignificant. She showed no intention of making a move, nor did she even glance at it.

Ye Gongfeng gritted his teeth.

This woman was trying to test his cards.

If he dies here, then he's dead; she can just find someone else.

In her eyes, her years of lurking were nothing more than the value of a pawn.

With a heavy heart, he took out a bead the size of a pigeon egg from his storage bag.

The bead is entirely black, with faint silver patterns flowing across its surface, and the words "Breaking the Forbidden Zone" are faintly visible.

Second-tier barrier-breaking bead.

He had looted this from the treasure vault of a Qi-refining family that had been wiped out fifteen years ago. The family's patriarch had been a second-tier array master who had devoted his life to crafting this barrier-breaking bead, intending to use it to break the restrictions of an ancient ruin. However, before he could use it, his enemies came knocking, and his entire family was massacred. Ye Gongfeng took advantage of the chaos and pocketed the bead, keeping it hidden for fifteen years, unwilling to use it.

Right now, we have to give it up, even if we're reluctant.

As spiritual energy was poured in, the barrier-breaking bead exploded with a blinding silver light.

Wherever the silver light passed, the runes of the Nine Heavens Thunderfire Array melted away like ice and snow meeting the sun. The thunder dissipated, the thunderfire extinguished, and the net of light shattered inch by inch.

The formation has been broken.

Ye Gongfeng winced in pain, but dared not show it, merely bowing and scraping as he stepped aside.

"Master, we can go now."

The female cultivator nodded slightly and took the lead.

After passing through a deserted square, a medicinal garden came into view.

The herb garden was small, about two acres in size, and the broken array light barrier around it was still barely functioning. Through the light barrier, one could see more than a dozen spiritual herbs growing in the garden, of varying grades, but the three in the very center were particularly eye-catching.

Three kinds of spiritual herbs, each about a foot tall, one is entirely crimson with leaves like flames; one is entirely snow-white with petals like ice crystals; and one is entirely golden with fruit like a longan. The crimson one is the Crimson Sun Grass, the snow-white one is the Ice Heart Lotus, and the golden one is the Dragon Saliva Fruit—the three main ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Ye Gongfeng's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously reached out to pick it. But as soon as his hand was halfway out, he felt a cold gaze fall on him.

"Yes, yes, let's get down to business first..." He awkwardly withdrew his hand and tactfully stepped aside.

Although the three kinds of spiritual herbs are precious, they are not yet mature. Judging from their appearance, they will need at least sixty years before they can be used as medicine. But if they can be sold, they will fetch a considerable amount of spirit stones.

Unfortunately, the owner wouldn't allow it.

The female cultivator didn't even glance at the spiritual herbs, and walked straight through the herb garden towards the back mountain.

...

...

Behind the mountain, in front of a smooth, mirror-like stone wall.

The female cultivator stopped and took out a palm-sized guiding array plate from her sleeve. She poured spiritual power into it, and the pointer on the array plate spun violently, eventually pointing to the center of the stone wall. She cast a spell on the stone wall, and with a hum, a hidden barrier light screen appeared on the stone wall, which was more ancient and heavier than the previous one.

"Master is truly a divine being!" Ye Gongfeng quickly flattered, "Only Master could have discovered such a hidden restriction."

The female cultivator ignored his flattery and said calmly, "In a moment, I will insert the spiritual artifact into the barrier's life gate. You will assist in locating it and inserting the array bead."

She summoned a small silver sword from her dantian, a third-tier spiritual weapon named "Frost Moon." The sword was slender and silver-white, with a crescent-shaped spirit stone inlaid at the hilt, radiating a cool, moon-like glow. This sword was a gift from her master, its core made of thousand-year-old cold iron and its soul imbued with the essence of moonlight; it could cut through iron like mud and break through formations like paper.

The Frost Moon Sword transformed into a streak of silver light and pierced the barrier's gate of life.

The barrier light screen trembled violently, and the location of the Gate of Life appeared on the light screen, a fist-sized point of light flickering.

Ye Gongfeng dared not be negligent. He took out a fist-sized array bead from his bosom, poured spiritual power into it, and the array bead lit up. He aimed at the light spot and suddenly launched the array bead out.

The array beads precisely disappeared into the light spot.

The barrier suddenly opened.

A surge of pure, almost liquid spiritual energy erupted from the barrier, accompanied by a decaying aura that had accumulated over thousands of years. The two contrasting auras intertwined, creating an indescribable discomfort.

The female cultivator stood still.

The female cultivator turned to the side and glanced at Ye Gongfeng.

It was clearly a request for the other party to scout ahead.

"That bitch!" Ye Gongfeng cursed inwardly, but bowed and scraped as he stepped into the barrier first. He summoned his protective magic artifact, a first-grade top-quality Vajra Shield hovering above his head, and held a second-grade Vajra Body Protection Talisman in his hand, ready to activate it at any time.

The female cultivator followed behind him.

The moment you step into the barrier—

"roar--"

A furious roar came from the darkness, shaking the entire space.

Followed by.

A dark figure darted out from the darkness, as fast as lightning, heading straight for Ye Gongfeng's face.

Ye Gongfeng was startled, and the second-tier Vajra Body Protection Talisman in his hand suddenly activated, enveloping him in a golden light shield. The Vajra Shield above his head also lit up at the same time, providing double protection that was as solid as a rock.

However, the dark figure only lashed out with a claw.

The protective shield of the Vajra Body Protection Talisman shattered like paper. The Vajra Shield was smashed to pieces. Ye Gongfeng's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the stone wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Second-tier protection was practically useless against that dark figure.

Only then did Ye Gongfeng get a clear look at the attacker's appearance.

It was a puppet beast about ten feet tall, shaped like a fierce tiger, with a jet-black body, four hook-like claws, and crimson eyes. Its body was covered with cracks and defects, and its left foreleg was clearly severely injured, causing it to limp as it walked. Even so, the aura it exuded was still chilling.

Third order.

The spirits of the dead were offered up by Ye.

He was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and in order to enter the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, his cultivation was suppressed to the peak of Qi Refining, preventing him from unleashing even half of his strength. Facing a third-tier puppet beast, he didn't even have a chance to escape.

"Help! Master, help me!" he cried out hoarsely.

The female cultivator's expression was solemn; this was the first time she had shown such an expression since entering the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave.

The Frost Moon Sword flew from her dantian, its silver light blazing brightly, transforming into a silver streak that slashed towards the puppet beast. The puppet beast neither dodged nor evaded, but instead struck the Frost Moon Sword with its claw. The metal clashed, sparks flying everywhere. The Frost Moon Sword was forced back several feet, its blade humming and trembling.

The puppet beast opened its mouth, and a crimson beam of light shot out, heading straight for the female cultivator. The female cultivator dodged quickly, barely avoiding it, but the beam of light slammed into the stone wall behind her, blasting open a huge crater more than ten feet deep.

The puppet beast now wielded a jet-black warhammer, its surface shrouded in flowing runes. With a single strike, the ground cracked, sending shards of rock flying. It possessed more than just brute force; it also wielded spiritual arts—the runes on the warhammer were clearly the imprint of a high-level spiritual technique.

The female cultivator fought and retreated, her Frost Moon Sword transforming into countless sword shadows in her hand, yet only leaving a few shallow white marks on the puppet beast. Her cultivation was suppressed too severely; the spiritual power she could use was only at the peak of Qi Refining, which was simply not enough to break through the third-tier puppet beast's defense.

Suffering repeated injuries, a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of the female cultivator's mouth.

The puppet beast's attack left her no room to maneuver.

He watched as a fatal attack hurtled toward his face.

The female cultivator looked at Ye Gongfeng.

Ye Gongfeng was struggling to get up from the ground, covered in blood. When he saw the female cultivator looking over, he felt a chill in his heart and instinctively tried to run out of the barrier.

The female cultivator raised her hand, and a strand of spiritual energy transformed into an invisible rope, pulling Ye Gongfeng back.

"you--"

Before Ye Gongfeng could finish speaking, the female cultivator slapped the puppet beast with her palm. The puppet beast struck down with its claw, severing both of Ye Gongfeng's arms. He was flung out of the barrier like a rag doll and crashed heavily at the barrier's entrance.

He lay there, covered in blood, both arms gone, barely alive. He stared at the figure still fighting the puppet beast within the barrier, his single eye filled with rage and resentment.

After more than a decade of lurking, he was ultimately nothing more than a pawn.

Once all the pieces are used up, they are discarded.

Inside the barrier, the puppet beast grew increasingly ferocious, and the female cultivator sustained more and more injuries. The Frost Moon Sword, battered by the puppet beast's warhammer, had developed cracks and its spiritual light dimmed.

The female cultivator gritted her teeth and made a resolute decision.

She made a hand seal, and the Frost Moon Sword suddenly shone with a dazzling silver light—

Detonate your natal artifact.

boom--

A burst of silver light erupted, causing the entire space to tremble.

The puppet beast was engulfed in silver light, and the cracks on its body continued to widen under the impact of the explosion, eventually shattering into a pile of scrap metal.

Fragments of the Frost Moon Sword were scattered all over the ground, their spiritual essence completely gone.

The female cultivator coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed limply. The destruction of her natal spiritual artifact and the backlash exacerbated her injuries. Her veil was soaked with blood, and everything went black as she lost consciousness.

Within the barrier, silence finally returned.

Outside the barrier, Ye Gongfeng, who was on the verge of death, stuffed a red pill into his mouth. The next moment, he struggled to his feet, patted his storage bag, and a strange array appeared at the entrance of the barrier. With a flash of light, the array disappeared.

After doing all this.

Ye Gongfeng fell straight down:

"Whether we can survive or not depends on this one move..."

...

...

With its crimson wings cutting through the wind, it carried Li Changsheng toward the valley where the forbidden area was located.

From afar, he saw a dark mass hovering above the valley—not ghost soldiers, but flying, shadowy beasts. They were entirely black, shaped like bats, but several times larger, with wingspans reaching over ten feet, and a pair of sharp claws growing from their bellies, the tips of which gleamed with an eerie green light.

Rotten-winged bat.

These are late-stage Tier 1 Yin Beasts, gregarious, and feed on carrion. Their claws are poisonous; a scratch from one will cause the poison to enter the body, sluggish the flow of spiritual energy, and death will occur within three days if the poison is not treated promptly. Most troublesome of them is their extreme sensitivity to the aura of living souls; once they lock onto a target, they will fight to the death.

As soon as Li Changsheng approached the valley, the swarm of rotten-winged bats stirred, turning their heads in unison and fixing their blood-red eyes on him.

Hundreds of rot-winged bats flapped their wings simultaneously, emitting a piercing buzz, and rushed towards him like a black cloud.

"Black jade".

Mo Yu emerged from the Hundred Ghost Banner, cradling a pipa, her delicate hands lightly plucking the strings. An invisible ripple enveloped Li Changsheng and Chi Yu, and with the activation of [Shadowless and Unseen], the three of them vanished instantly, their forms merging into the void.

The swarm of rotten-winged bats missed their target. They circled around the area a few times, but unable to find their target, they gradually dispersed and returned to the valley.

Li Changsheng looked towards the valley.

The valley was filled with soul beads, densely packed, numbering at least nearly a hundred.

Two corpses lay scattered among the rocks, their flesh and blood devoured by the rotting bats, leaving only stark white skeletons. Judging from their clothing, they were likely cultivators from a powerful family who had entered the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave.

With a wave of his hand, he collected all the soul beads on the ground into his storage bag.

A rough count revealed two or three hundred pieces.

He also grabbed the storage bags from the waists of the two corpses and glanced at them briefly—

In the first storage bag, the mana-restoring pills were exhausted, and the offensive talismans were also nearly depleted, clearly indicating a fierce battle. However, there were still quite a few Soul Pearls, which, combined with those from the valley earlier, amounted to a considerable sum. There were also some rare and exotic flowers and herbs, not of high grade, but abundant in variety: three Heart-Cleansing Herbs, which could be used to refine Heart-Cleansing Pills to dispel inner demons; five Blood-Coagulating Flowers, which could be used to refine Blood-Coagulating Powder for external application to stop bleeding and promote tissue regeneration; and two Soul-Nourishing Herbs, which could be used to refine Soul-Nourishing Pills to nourish the soul.

In the second storage bag, the pills were also exhausted, and there were very few talismans.

But one box caught his attention.

The box was opened, revealing a yellowed animal-hide book—"The Yin-Yang Combined Attack Technique." A top-tier, first-order combined attack technique, it requires two cultivators, one male and one female, to work together, their spiritual energy complementing each other for a unified offense and defense.

Li Changsheng was overjoyed. This secret technique would perfectly fill the gap in the family's secret techniques.

The Heavenly Book Trembled:

[Family Luck Value +1000, Current: 7700/10000]

[Imperial Merit Points +1000, Current: 7800/10000]

Li Changsheng put away the storage bag and scanned the entire valley with his eyes.

The valley was barren, except for the rotting-winged bats.

The divination indicated that the forbidden area was here, but he saw no entrance.

"The celestial book's prediction should be correct!"

Remembering something, Li Changsheng patted his storage bag, took out the token he had obtained from Sun Zhengming, and poured spiritual power into it according to the incantation recorded on it.

hum!

The token lit up, and an invisible force of attraction fell upon him.

The scene before my eyes suddenly swayed.

The next moment, he found himself in an unfamiliar space.