Dongting Immortal Clan

"There is a cultivator by this lake. He looks only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he has already shed his wooden form."

The middle-aged man in the green robe lingered on Chen Xiaohu for a moment, his brows twitching slightly.

Immediately, the azure cloud beneath his feet slowly descended. Before long, he arrived at the Chen family's courtyard.

"Greetings, Immortal Master!"

Chen Xiaohu noticed that the person was coming down from the sky, so he quickly stood up from under the eaves, bowed, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice, appearing respectful and obedient.

Upon hearing his voice, the rest of the Chen family, including Old Zhang, came out of the house.

Upon seeing the newcomer's clothes and appearance, Old Zhang's expression changed, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"This humble one, Zhang Chengyuan, pays respects to the Immortal Master."

Upon seeing this, the rest of the Chen family immediately realized that this person was a cultivator, and they also followed suit and paid their respects.

"Oh?"

Upon seeing the other members of the Chen family, the middle-aged cultivator couldn't help but show a strange expression on his face, and laughed:

"There are actually two minor cultivators at the first level of the Spirit Realm."

Seeing that the man had a smile on his face and didn't seem like the eccentric type, Old Zhang mustered his courage and asked:

"May I ask, Immortal Master, where do you cultivate?"

"My name is Zhou Yan, and I am an outer sect steward of the Taixu Sect. I am currently serving in the Yunmeng area."

"Truly a Daoist immortal!"

Old Zhang exclaimed in amazement, his tone becoming increasingly respectful.

"You old man, you actually know about my sect?"

The monk in blue was slightly surprised and looked Old Zhang up and down.

Old Zhang quickly explained:

"Reporting to the Immortal, when I was young, I was a martial arts master who escorted goods. I had dealings with several Taoist immortal masters in Jiangling, so I recognize this robe."

"I am merely a Qi cultivator, unworthy of the title of immortal."

The Taoist priest in blue, Zhou Yan, shook his head and waved his hands, refusing Old Zhang's flattery. He turned to Chen Xiaohu and said:

"Is this child yours?"

"Yes."

Old Zhang nodded respectfully and said, "He is the third son of the Chen family, named Chen Xiaohu."

"This is his father, and the other two are his brothers."

Old Zhang introduced the members of the Chen family one by one.

"Chen Xiaohu..."

Zhou Yu nodded, repeatedly muttering Chen Xiaohu's name.

"Although he is not old, he has already shed his wooden body and entered the second stage of the spiritual treasure realm."

"In such a remote place, without a master or resources, to have cultivated to this level is already quite an achievement."

Zhou Yan paused, then asked:

"Where did you learn your cultivation method? Do you have a master?"

Upon hearing the question, Chen Xiaohu immediately looked at Old Zhang.

Old Zhang was about to respond when he found himself suddenly slumped, the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a sound.

"Go stand aside and let him speak."

Zhou Yan glanced at Old Zhang and said in a flat tone.

Seeing this, Old Zhang knew that the immortal master disliked him for being talkative, so he had no choice but to bow and retreat to the door.

Chen Xiaohu immediately spoke up:

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, the cultivation method I practice was passed down from my ancestors. My family once had cultivators, but later the family declined and gradually lost it, leaving only the cultivation methods of the first and second realms."

"Oh?"

Zhou Yan glanced at the three Chen brothers, shook his head, and said:

"Your magical power clearly indicates that you have only been cultivating for a short time. If it is truly a family heirloom, your father should have the highest cultivation level."

"Little one, why won't you tell me the truth?"

Seeing the increasingly cold tone of the immortal master from the Taixu Sect in front of him, Chen Xiaohu hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

Just then, Chen Changhe, who had been listening silently, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying:

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, there is indeed another reason for this matter."

"Tell me, if you dare to deceive me again, I'll tear your souls from my hands!"

Zhou Yan's voice turned cold, and the group immediately felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. The courtyard, which was filled with rain and mist, was suddenly swept by a strong wind.

Chen Changhe was the first to bear the brunt, as if he were carrying a thousand mountains on his back. He knew that if he uttered even one wrong word, he would face death.

After taking a deep breath, he said respectfully:

"This matter must begin on the lake."

Last winter, my elder brother and I were fishing on the lake when we unexpectedly caught a few magical river mussels, inside which was a pale golden pearl.

"It was with the help of the spiritual energy in the clam's golden pearl that we were able to open our spiritual apertures and embark on the path of cultivation."

"A golden pearl inside an oyster?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan was slightly taken aback. With a casual wave of his hand, the surrounding rain and mist gathered in front of him, transforming into various shaped clam shells.

Which one?

His tone became more varied.

Upon seeing this method, Chen Changhe's eyes lit up. He glanced at the several river clams in front of him and immediately pointed:

"It's this kind of river clam, about the size of a palm, and it contains golden pearls inside."

Upon seeing the clam that Chen Changhe was pointing to, Zhou Yan's face immediately lit up with joy, and he smiled:

"It's actually a second-grade spiritual item, the Azure Water Shell!"

"How big were the gold beads you saw?"

"Most are about the size of a soybean, the largest one is about the size of a thumb," Chen Changhe quickly replied.

"The spiritual energy contained in that golden bead was extremely abundant, so we used it to open our spiritual apertures and cultivate the fire in our hearts."

That makes sense.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly: "The Azure Water Golden Pearl is an excellent cultivation item, even better than ordinary spirit stones. You are truly lucky."

"But I don't know the names of your ancestors who were cultivators?"

Chen Changhe shook his head and said:

"That remains unknown. Our ancestors left no record, but they passed down the rule that our Chen family should fish for generations and live by the lake, saying that there is a divine connection in the lake."

"It seems your ancestors were quite capable, managing to set up a restriction on the cultivation of Azure Water Clams in the lake."

Zhou Yan looked as if he had just realized something, and said repeatedly:

"Now that the restriction has been lifted, the spirit shells have scattered and multiplied, and you've easily caught them."

"Once you cultivate yourselves using the Azure Water and Golden Pearl, your family will be able to be revived."

"Even if one fails to achieve success through cultivation on one's own, this Azure Water Shell is no ordinary creature and will inevitably attract cultivators to investigate. At that time, one will naturally have an opportunity."

As Zhou Yan thought about it, he realized that this was indeed the case. Such scheming methods actually made him feel somewhat like he was facing the Mountain Lord.

It seems that the ancestor of the Chen family was either in the late stage of Qi Refining or a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Despite the passage of so many years, the contingency plans left behind are still effective.

"This is indeed a stroke of good fortune for me."

Zhou Yan's face lit up with joy, and his tone softened as he said:

"I came to Dongting Lake to investigate the trouble caused by the monsters in the lake."

He paused, then his gaze returned to Chen Xiaohu:

"Unfortunately, after searching the lake for half a day, we couldn't find any trace of the legendary monster. However, we did sense the spiritual energy on your body. It should be the aura left behind after you shed your wooden body. On this lake where spiritual energy is scarce, it is as conspicuous as a lamp in the dark."

Zhou Yan pondered for a moment, glancing at the group of people as if he were having an internal struggle.

Immediately, he smiled and nodded, saying:

"Very well, I, Zhou Yan, will accept this kindness and continue the family line for my senior."

"Chen Xiaohu, would you be willing to join the Taixu Sect for cultivation?"

These words came so suddenly that Chen Xiaohu thought he had misheard.

He stood there, stunned, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

Chen Dajiang and Chen Changhe were also stunned. Chen Chuansheng's hand trembled, and he almost dropped his cane.

Seeing this, Zhou Yan said seriously:

"The Taixu Sect is divided into inner and outer sects. Although I am an outer sect steward, I am also a disciple of 'Purple Furnace Mountain' among the seventy-two mountains of the inner sect."

"If you have any desire to join the immortal sect, I can guide you to cultivate at Purple Furnace Mountain."

-

I've sent you a private message. Please add this to your favorites. There will be three more updates during the day.