Dongting Immortal Clan

"Have you heard? Two more cultivators from various sects perished in the canyon today."

"He is a Qi cultivator from Lujiang Cave Heaven."

A well-informed rogue cultivator, speaking in a low voice from a corner of the wooden shed, said something that sounded horrified.

"Those evil cultivators are too cunning. They never engage in direct combat; instead, they target lone individuals for deadly attacks."

"This morning, Master Yuan was furious in his tent, saying that if he couldn't catch the person, he would go to Yuezhou to ask for the mountain-guarding magic treasure, the [Wu-Si Treasure Earth Seal]."

"【戊巳宝土印】?"

Upon hearing this, most of the people inside the shed looked bewildered, whispering among themselves, not understanding what was going on.

Only He Wu, upon hearing this name, turned deathly pale in an instant. The half-eaten piece of dry ration in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, and his voice trembled as he said:

"It...it's actually alarming the Governor?! Has this matter really come to this?!"

"State Shepherd?"

Those around him were increasingly puzzled.

"What use is a mere mortal magistrate? Can he possibly go into the mountains and capture demons?"

People around hurriedly looked over, but they didn't understand what a magical artifact had to do with a mortal official.

"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!"

He Wu suddenly turned his head and looked around at everyone in the shed. His eyes were filled with shock and anger, fear and a hint of anxiety, like "a summer insect cannot discuss ice."

"You...you are truly foolish! Cultivating in this Yuezhou region, you don't even know which true god sits in the heavens above your head?"

"Your Excellency the Governor, are you not some ordinary official as you imagine?!"

He took a deep breath, as if to suppress the shock in his heart, his voice heavy, each word deliberate and deliberate:

"That's a high-ranking official appointed by the Celestial Dynasty, acting as the shepherd of the people on behalf of Heaven, in charge of the fate of a province! He's at least a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, or even a great supernatural being comparable to a Purple Mansion True Person!"

The moment the words "True Man of the Purple Mansion" were uttered, the atmosphere in the studio instantly froze.

The rogue cultivators who had been whispering just moments before froze on the spot, their faces changing from bewilderment to horror, and then from horror to deathly pale.

A few timid ones, their legs went weak, and they knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly to the dark sky outside the shed, muttering apologies incoherently, fearing that the unseen world had already sensed their plight and was about to punish them.

The foundation has been laid, as bright as the moon in the sky.

Purple Mansion...

Those are the legendary immortals who can establish their own sects and live for thousands of years!

Does the governor have such power?

"What is the connection between the [Wu-Si Precious Earth Seal] and the Governor?"

Chen Dajiang's voice came from outside the shed, and everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on the black stick on his body.

In the past few days, this stick and the crimson bow have become his unique symbols in the camp, attracting many eyes to secretly observe and speculate.

The Chen family of Bishui is a newly emerging family with a weak foundation, so it is reasonable for them to send one person to apply for the position.

Those two magical artifacts looked extraordinary; they were probably borrowed from the Guan family to make a show of wealth.

Some people say that it was the third son of the Chen family, who was cultivating in the Taixu Sect, who brought it back.

That person is said to be about to complete his Qi cultivation, and the Chen family of Biyue will soon rise to the middle ranks of cultivation families in Yunmeng.

Amidst the rumors, Chen Dajiang pretended not to hear them.

He keenly sensed that some of the discussions were not unfounded, but rather seemed to be fueled by someone in the shadows with unclear intentions.

Hearing that such distant titles as "Governor" and "Purple Palace" were actually related to the matter at hand, he was surprised to find that they were now connected to the present situation.

He was also deeply shaken.

Why would it be necessary to alarm a being akin to a god to besiege a few wandering Qi Refining evil cultivators?

He Wu's expression softened slightly when he saw that it was Chen Dajiang who asked the question, but it remained serious:

"Brother Chen, you are unaware of this."

"That [Wu-Si Treasure Earth Seal] is said to be no ordinary magic weapon, but a 'major artifact of mountains and rivers' held by the governor of Yuezhou, which is connected to the geomantic fortune of the entire prefecture."

"If this seal is truly activated, it will bestow upon you great fortune, allowing you to use the power of Yuezhou's mountains and rivers to suppress..."

"Not to mention Wulong Gorge, all the demonic and ghostly forces within a radius of hundreds of miles will probably be reduced to dust under this seal."

"That was no longer a pursuit and extermination, but... a complete sweeping and cleansing of the world."

As he spoke, He Wu's voice trembled even more, as if filled with deep fear:

"However, using this seal is of great importance, as it consumes the accumulated fortune of an entire prefecture."

"We will never act rashly unless absolutely necessary, or if it involves a disaster that shakes the very foundation of a state or county."

"Master Yuan's words were probably spoken in anger... but the situation inside the canyon is probably much more troublesome than we thought."

"Perhaps that group of evil cultivators possesses something that could alarm the governor, or... perhaps they are bait intended to lure out an even bigger fish, forcing the immortal sect to appeal to the governor and thus depleting Yuezhou's fortune?"

Upon hearing the sound, the wooden shed fell into a deathly silence.

All that remained were the sounds of heavy, uneven breathing and the occasional crackling of the campfire.

All the independent cultivators, including Chen Dajiang and He Wu, felt an invisible pressure, as if a pair of unseen hands were reaching out to the sky above this small Wulong Gorge.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Changhe had been home from Xian City in Lujiaoshan for over a month.

There is still no news of my elder brother.

After the Guan family sent back the letter confirming the delivery of the magical artifact, there was no further news.

Chen Changhe was constantly worried, but he also understood that in this situation, no news was actually the best news.

This at least indicates that the eldest brother's life is not in immediate danger.

If an urgent message were to arrive, Chen Changhe's heart would skip a beat.

For the past month, Chen Changhe has kept a low profile, spending most of his time meditating by the Shangyuan Pond in Qingchi Villa, absorbing spiritual energy and moonlight to hone his magical power.

The household affairs were gradually handed over to his two capable cousins, Chen Yupeng and Chen Yulong, as well as relatives by marriage, such as Zhang Xiuwen, Zhang Xiushan, and Wang Xiaoman.

The Zhou family's legacy was much larger than he had imagined. Chen Changhe redistributed the land, allowing those who could grow spirit grains to do so, and those who couldn't to grow spirit grains to grow ordinary crops.

The medicinal herbs and timber in the mountains and forests were also registered one by one.

They simply don't have enough direct descendants.

The eldest brother is far away in Wulong Gorge, the third brother is cultivating in the Immortal Sect, and the youngest, Nianci, is not even five years old yet, while Xuanji and Xuanze are still infants.

After much deliberation, Chen Changhe heeded the advice of his father and Old Zhang and decided to gather the respected elders of the Chen clan in Baiyukou to formally announce that the Chen family had come under the jurisdiction of the Taixu Sect and become a cultivation family.

The news caused a huge uproar among the clan members.

When the elders gathered in the main hall of the renovated old house, Chen Changhe did not say much. Instead, he performed a small trick called "condensing water into a mirror" in front of everyone. The clear water mirror floated in mid-air, reflecting the surprised and uncertain faces of everyone. The hall was instantly silent.

"We originally thought your family's rise to prominence was due to the influence of that Brother Zhang in the martial arts world, but we never imagined... that you actually received a divine blessing!"

Several elders of the clan looked at each other, their faces filled with surprise and doubt.

Most of them were farmers from Baiyukou, who had spent their lives farming and fishing. The idea of ​​a divine connection had always existed only in casual conversations over tea and dinner. They never imagined that it would actually happen to their own bloodline.

The elderly man sitting in the head seat was over eighty years old, with sparse white hair and deep wrinkles on his face. He was Chen Xingye, Chen Chuansheng's cousin, whom Chen Changhe had to call "Second Uncle".

His cane trembled slightly, and his cloudy old eyes were fixed on Chen Changhe. After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Changhe boy...is everything you just said true?"

"The Zhou family...is it really finished? What about Zhou Yesheng?"

"Absolutely true."

Chen Changhe put down his teacup and said in a steady voice:

"Zhou Yesheng has been arrested, and the Zhou family has fallen from grace. They will never be able to recover."

"The fields, forests, and ponds that once belonged to the Zhou family around Qingxi Town are now all under my name."

His gaze slowly swept across the hall.

Besides the second uncle Chen Xingye, another elderly man with white hair and beard but a vigorous spirit is the "seventh uncle" Chen Xinglin. In his early years, he traveled all over the country as a peddler and was considered one of the few people in the clan who had seen the world.

The rest were several uncles and cousins, as well as seven or eight brothers and nephews of the same generation.

Although they share the same bloodline, they have lived separately for many years, and their bond has long since faded.

"Now that my Chen family has been included in the list of immortal sects, and is a family of cultivators, we must have the corresponding demeanor and foundation."

Chen Changhe took out a roll of Xuan paper from his sleeve, slowly unrolled it, and laid it on the square table in front of everyone.