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

Chapter 113 The Magic Mirror, Three Major Changes in Space

Zhuo Family Courtyard, Yunshan County.

When Chief Zhuo Zhengtang received the message, he was drinking and making merry with his concubine. The message talisman lit up, and after only a glance, his expression changed drastically. He pushed the woman away, stood up, and strode outside. His concubine called after him sweetly, but he ignored her, his steps as swift as the wind.

In a secluded room in the courtyard, four guards knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

Zhuo Zhengtang stood in the center of the secret chamber, staring at the empty forging furnace. The fire inside had gone out, and the residual heat had dissipated. The forging blueprints and materials that had been piled on the stone table were gone, and even the water spirit vat used for quenching in the corner had been moved away. His face was ashen, and veins bulged on his forehead. He slammed his fist on the stone table, which cracked open with a crash.

"Who did it?" His voice was extremely low, yet it was like the suppressed thunder before a storm, making it hard to breathe.

The guard leader pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling: "Reporting to the clan chief, the people who came were extremely fast, leaving no trace. By the time we arrived, the secret chamber was already empty. The array around the courtyard showed no signs of damage, and the guards found nothing unusual—"

"Nothing unusual?" Zhuo Zhengtang kicked him in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. "The person was locked in a secret room, the formation was intact, the guards were intact, and then the person just vanished into thin air? You're telling me nothing unusual?"

The guard leader got up, knelt down again, and dared not speak again.

Zhuo Zhengtang paced back and forth in the secret room, his mind racing.

Shen Tieshan had no relatives in Yunshan County. His sons had been abandoned in the mining area, and news of their deaths had been spread. No more than five people knew he was alive. Who would come to his rescue? And who had the ability to break through the Four Symbols Spirit Locking Array silently, bypassing all guards, and take him away?

"Send more manpower and investigate." He stopped, his voice icy. "Try to the fullest extent of Yunshan County. We need to find them alive or dead."

"Yes!" The guards, as if granted a pardon, scrambled out.

Zhuo Zhengtang stood alone in the secret room, looking at the Bagua diagram on the wall that had been pried open, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

Just as he was about to leave, the communication talisman at his waist suddenly lit up. It was not an ordinary communication talisman, but the special one he never parted with, which was pitch black and engraved with strange runes.

His expression changed completely.

A hundred miles outside Yunshan County lies a hidden underground cave.

The cave was small, with smooth walls, clearly carved by human hands. In the center of the cave stood a bronze mirror as tall as a person, its surface as black as ink, with faint dark red patterns flowing through it. Zhuo Zhengtang knelt before the bronze mirror, his forehead touching the ground, his posture so humble it was almost invisible.

"My lord," his voice trembled.

On the bronze mirror, the dark red patterns grew brighter and denser, eventually coalescing into a distorted human figure. That figure...

His face was obscured by the black robe, only a pair of blood-red eyes peering out from under the hood, coldly staring at Zhuo Zhengtang kneeling before the mirror.

"The Blood Demon Stone is gone." The black-robed man's voice was hoarse, like metal scraping against glass, and every word carried a suffocating pressure.

Zhuo Zhengtang's forehead was beaded with cold sweat: "My lord, I have already sent people to investigate—"

'

"Investigate?" the black-robed man interrupted him, his voice suddenly rising. "I can no longer sense the Blood Demon Stone's aura. Tell me, what's the use of investigating?"

Zhuo Zhengtang dared not speak again, but just kept kowtowing.

The man in black robes remained silent for a moment, as if suppressing his anger. After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice regaining its chilling calm: "Do you know that I have been plotting to obtain that Blood Demon Stone for decades?"

Zhuo Zhengtang knew, of course. He knew better than anyone else.

Fifty years ago, he was nothing more than an unknown, poor boy from a collateral branch of the Zhuo family. His parents had died early, and his spiritual roots were inferior, so he was constantly scorned by the clan. While others cultivated, he could only do menial tasks; while others received elixirs, he could only rely on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He thought that this was how his life would be, just waiting to die and passing away.

Until that day, while he was chopping wood on the back mountain, he accidentally fell into an abandoned mine. Deep inside the mine, he found this bronze mirror.

Within the bronze mirror, a voice spoke. The voice said it could grant him everything: cultivation, status, and power, as long as he remained loyal and served him.

Zhuo Zhengtang agreed. From then on, the man in black robes bestowed upon him cultivation techniques, elixirs, and spirit stones, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, rising from a useless level one Qi Refining cultivator to the peak of Qi Refining. The man in black robes also helped him scheme, allowing him to climb step by step from a collateral branch disciple to the position of clan leader. Those who had once looked down on him, some died, some were crippled, and some knelt before him, groveling for mercy.

His life was given to him by the man in black. Everything he had was bestowed upon him by the man in black.

"Your subordinate understands," Zhuo Zhengtang's voice was hoarse. "Your Majesty's great kindness is something I could never repay even with my life."

"Even a thousand deaths wouldn't be enough to avenge it?" The man in black robes sneered. "Then tell me, how did the Blood Demon Stone disappear?"

Zhuo Zhengtang was speechless.

The man in black robes remained silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed. There was no pity in that sigh, only a condescending disappointment at losing a piece.

"Very well. I will investigate the matter of the Blood Demon Stone myself. Right now, there is something I need you to do."

Zhuo Zhengtang quickly raised his head: "Please give your orders, my lord."

"You need to go into Wulong Mountain."

Zhuo Zhengtang's face stiffened, and he hesitated before saying, "My lord, the Zhuo family did not make it into the top five of the aristocratic family competition, and therefore does not qualify for Five Dragon Mountain—"

"Useless!" the man in black cursed, his voice filled with disgust.

Zhuo Zhengtang lowered his head, not daring to argue.

The dark red patterns on the bronze mirror suddenly lit up, and a palm-sized jade box slowly emerged from the mirror and landed in front of Zhuo Zhengtang. The jade box was entirely emerald green, with fine runes engraved on its surface, and faint spiritual light flowed around it; it was clearly no ordinary item.

"Take this and go to the seventh branch of the Yun family to find Yun Zhiwu," the man in black said. "This generous gift is enough for him to give you three spots."

Zhuo Zhengtang held the jade box with both hands and kowtowed solemnly: "Your subordinate obeys. This time, your subordinate will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty."

The man in black robes remained silent. The dark red patterns on the bronze mirror gradually faded, and the distorted figure vanished from the surface, as if it had never existed.

Zhuo Zhengtang stood up, holding the jade box, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

Wulong Mountain.

He absolutely had to go in.

Whether it was for the Lord's mission or for his own future.

Akabane silently landed on the back of Mount Seiran.

Mo Yu, holding a pipa, lightly plucked the strings with her delicate hands, and an invisible ripple enveloped the Shen family father and son. Li Changsheng led the two of them, bypassing the patrolling clansmen, and headed towards the patriarch's mansion.

The backyard of the family mansion was originally designed for Li Changsheng's wife and children to live in after his death.

The courtyard is small, but quiet and elegant. Several bamboo stalks are planted in the courtyard, their shadows swaying, and moonlight shines through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

He vacated all five side rooms in the backyard.

One room was set up as a weapon-refining room for Shen Tieshan, two rooms were used for the two of them to cultivate in seclusion, and the other two rooms were reserved as living quarters for the father and son.

"Little sister, set up Ye Wushuang's second-tier formation around the courtyard," Li Changsheng said. "From today onwards, only you, me, and the Shen family father and son are allowed to enter and exit this backyard. No one else is permitted to enter."

"Yes, brother," Li Changle replied.

He took out array flags and array plates from his storage bag and began to set up the array around the courtyard wall.

Her technique is more skillful than before.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

An invisible curtain of light enveloped the entire backyard.

Runes flowed on the light screen, and the spiritual light was contained within. From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary courtyard.

Li Changsheng took out two tokens from his pocket and handed them to Shen Tieshan and Shen Qing.

The token is about the size of a palm, with the character "Li" engraved on the front and the words "backyard" engraved on the back, written in special spiritual ink, with a faint spiritual light flowing around it.

"This is the access token for the backyard. Without the token, anyone entering will trigger the array alarm." Li Changsheng looked at the two of them, his tone solemn. "Master Shen, Shen Qing, the Zhuo family is powerful now, so you and your son cannot show your true faces for the time being. When the Li family is strong enough that we no longer need to fear the Zhuo family, if you wish to take revenge, the Li family will definitely do its best to help you."

Shen Tieshan accepted the token with both hands, overjoyed.

along the way.

The father and son were filled with anxiety, worried that being rescued from the Zhuo family would only mean being placed under house arrest in another location. He had seen too many so-called "benefactors" who claimed to be saving people but actually had ulterior motives. But from the moment Li Changsheng rescued them until now, everything he did was for their benefit—concealing their identities, settling things in the backyard, setting up formations, providing access tokens—there was no surveillance, no threat, only respect and protection.

"Our benefactor—" Shen Qing's voice was hoarse, his eyes reddening, "What have we, father and son, done to deserve this—"

Li Changsheng waved his hand, interrupting him: "You are members of the Li family, not prisoners. Master Shen, Brother Shen, take good care of your injuries and focus on refining your weapons. The Li family will need your help in the future."

"Rest assured, Chieftain, my son and I will do our utmost!"

The father and son instantly felt a sense of belonging.

Loyalty: 50% → 95%

Li Changsheng glanced at the numbers above their heads and nodded slightly. With a thought, the Heavenly Book's talent assessment quietly activated.

Shen Tieshan: Refining talent, fourth rank.

Shen Qing: Refining talent, Rank 9.

A fourth-grade talent in weapon crafting. Li Changsheng's heart stirred slightly. Shen Tieshan's talent in weapon crafting was one grade higher than his grandmother's fifth-grade talent in weaving. Such a person would be revered in any Qi-refining family.

"Master Shen," he said, taking out the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella and the box of Azure Sand from his storage bag and placing them on the stone table. "Our trip to Five Dragon Mountain is imminent, and this magical artifact needs repair. I'll trouble you with that."

Shen Tieshan's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella.

He put down the token in his hand, picked up the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella, examined it from all angles, gently ran his fingers along the cracks on the umbrella ribs, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"What a fine umbrella! What a fine umbrella!" His voice was filled with fascination. "The ribs are forged from thousand-year-old cold iron, the canopy is woven from ice silkworm silk, and the runes are created using ancient techniques—but alas, the cracks are too deep, and the spiritual energy has been severely lost. However, with the Azure Sand, repairing it won't be a problem!"

He held the umbrella as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, his eyes seeing nothing else.

Li Changsheng smiled, did not disturb him, and turned to Shen Qing.

"Your injuries are quite serious. Focus on healing them first. If you need any medicines or spiritual materials, just send me a message."

Shen Qing nodded, her voice choked with emotion: "Thank you, clan chief."

Li Changsheng withdrew from the backyard and closed the gate. Li Changle cast a spell into the array plate, and the light screen in the backyard flickered slightly, completely isolating it from the outside world.

In the quiet room, Li Changsheng sat cross-legged, his mind sinking into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The celestial book shimmered with golden light, and lines of text appeared:

[The Heavenly Book Space has completed its evolution. Enter now?]

:

With a thought, Li Changsheng appeared in the Heavenly Book Space in the next instant.

The scene before him startled him slightly.

The thatched hut is gone.

In its place stood a wooden house. The house was small, about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) square, built of logs, with a roof covered in blue tiles and a string of wind chimes hanging from the eaves, tinkling in the breeze. The doors and windows of the house were carved with simple patterns, not ornate, but exuding a rustic elegance.

Ye Wushuang was squatting in front of the wooden house, his one eye wide open, trembling with excitement.

"It's evolved! It's evolved again!" His voice trembled. "How long has it been? The last evolution was only a few days ago! Master truly lives up to his reputation as a reincarnation of a great being! I am so proud! So proud indeed!"

He was so excited that he was incoherent and muttered to himself.

Li Changsheng ignored his flattery and focused his gaze on the surroundings of the wooden house.

The space has expanded again.

The originally hazy mist expanded outwards by several feet, revealing a flat expanse of black earth—not a spiritual field, but a pasture.

The soil is about one acre in size, light brown in color, loose in texture, and has a faint scent of grass and trees.

The heavenly book revealed its characters at the opportune moment:

Current ranch level: Tier 1, Low Grade.

After upgrading to Tier 1 Superior Grade, Tier 1 Sword Grass can be planted. Sow the seeds, and it will mature in one year. The Sword Grass will then transform into a sword upon landing.

Upgrading to Tier 1 Superior requires: 6000 Spirit Stones or 6000 Luck Points.

"pasture?"

That means that this space will be able to raise living creatures in the future.

Li Changsheng's eyes lit up.

"But I don't think I've ever heard of sword grass seeds before—"

It becomes a sword upon landing.

First year student.

If that's true.

Wouldn't that mean everyone in the tribe would be equipped with a flying sword? This would undoubtedly be a great help in the upcoming beast tide.

As he was thinking, a mysterious power surged out from the Heavenly Book and landed on Ye Wushuang.

Ye Wushuang shuddered, his single eye widening even more, then he was overjoyed. Under the influence of this power, his soul became more solid. Although it was only a subtle change, as a spirit plant master, his perception of the soul was far more acute than that of ordinary people.

"Master! This—this is—" He knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, "What virtue or ability do I possess to receive such a great favor! I will certainly work even harder in the fields and never fail to live up to your high expectations!"

Li Changsheng never expected that this space upgrade would have such a wonderful use.

Just as I was about to say something.

A cool, refreshing energy surged from the wooden hut and entered his consciousness. The Refining Spirit Technique began to operate on its own, nearly 30% faster than when he was in the thatched hut. His spiritual power was slowly increasing, but it was real and tangible.

The celestial book reappeared:

[Tier 1, Low-Grade Tranquilizing Chamber. Cultivating spiritual power in this chamber increases speed by 30%. It can nourish the soul and slowly repair soul damage. Upgrading to Tier 1, Mid-Grade requires: 1000 spirit stones or 1000 luck points, or finding spiritual items such as "Soul-Nourishing Wood".]

Soul nourishing wood.

Li Changsheng's heart stirred.

He gave the Soul-Nourishing Wood sapling to his grandmother, who placed it by the mysterious female cultivator's bedside. Once the sapling grows a bit larger, a section of the branch should be used to upgrade the Tranquility House.

He stepped out of the wooden house, and Ye Wushuang immediately rushed forward obsequiously, bowing and scraping: "Master, what are your orders?"

Li Changsheng took out a storage bag from his robes and tossed it to him: "There are three thousand spirit stones inside. Upgrade the spirit field using the same method as before."

"Yes! I'll get right away!" He scurried over, squatted down by the spirit field, and began setting up the formation.

Nine spirit stones were buried according to the nine palaces, connected by threads of spiritual energy, with the array's core stone embedded. Ye Wushuang's technique was even more skillful than before; in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the array was already set up.

Li Changsheng cast a spell into the core of the formation.

Buzz—

Nine spirit stones lit up simultaneously, their spiritual energy weaving into a fine net of light above the spirit field. The net of light sank and disappeared into the soil. The color of the black soil changed from jet black to dark brown, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the soil doubled.

The spirit field was upgraded from a first-grade superior grade to a first-grade supreme grade.

All three thousand spirit stones were transformed into spiritual energy in the spirit field. The black soil turned dark brown, with a faint spiritual glow on its surface, and felt warm and smooth to the touch, like jade.

"Master, we only need another three thousand spirit stones to advance to the second-tier low-grade. At that time, we will no longer need to worry about the spiritual power problem when the Foundation Establishment main medicine grows." Ye Wushuang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes full of excitement.

Li Changsheng nodded: "Mm."

He glanced at the three Foundation Establishment main herbs—Red Sun Grass, Ice Heart Lotus, and Dragon Saliva Fruit—which were thriving in the top-grade first-tier spiritual field. Their leaves were emerald green, their root systems were well-developed, and they were nearly twice the size they were when they were first planted. Ye Wushuang's spiritual plant cultivation skills were indeed remarkable. He loosened the soil, watered, and fertilized them every day, taking care of them even more diligently than he would his own son.

"Do a good job." Li Changsheng patted Ye Wushuang on the shoulder, and with a thought, exited the space.