Dongting Immortal Clan

"Big brother!"

Upon seeing Chen Dajiang, Chen Xiaohu was overwhelmed with emotion and could no longer contain himself, so he blurted out a call.

Chen Dajiang had just seen the person's face clearly; the features of their eyebrows and eyes vaguely overlapped with those of his childhood self. He was still filled with surprise and uncertainty when he suddenly heard the call. His whole body trembled violently, his eyes widened, and he stared at Chen Xiaohu in disbelief.

"You...you are...Lake?!"

"Big brother, it's me! I'm back!"

Chen Xiaohu's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was choked with emotion.

Chen Dajiang stood there stunned for a full two breaths before suddenly strode forward, grabbed Chen Xiaohu's shoulder, and looked him up and down carefully.

Looking at his younger brother, now a tall and handsome young man, he said in a trembling voice:

"It really is my Hu'er! How...how did you find your way here?"

"Of course, we've come to take you home so your family can be reunited."

Chen Xiaohu let her brother hold her, her face beaming with a gentle smile, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I have been cultivating in the mountains for nearly ten years, and today I have finally returned home, only to find that my elder brother is the only one missing. After inquiring about the reason, I went straight to Wulong Gorge to look for him. There I met fellow Daoist Chen Yunlu and learned that you, elder brother, have been brought to the Shimen sect for secluded cultivation. That is why I came here with him."

Chen Yunlu also flew down at this moment, his face pale, but he still nodded with a smile:

"Dajiang, your aura is perfectly balanced, with a faint golden hue. Have you already entered the 'Dragon Transformation Pool' and completed your cultivation? Just how much power has this 'Dragon Elephant Body' generated?"

Chen Dajiang released his grip on his younger brother's hand, scratched the back of his head, and revealed his usual憨厚 (honest and simple) smile, but his tone was very confident:

"I have lived up to the expectations of my predecessors and have now mastered the 'Dragon-Elephant Body'. With my physical strength alone, I can break through 20,000 jin, and ordinary magical artifacts can hardly harm me."

"If I were to wield my 'Dark Cloud Spear' again, I could easily put up a fight against an ordinary cultivator in the early stages of Qi Refining."

"That's excellent!"

A look of relief appeared on Chen Yunlu's pale face, and he nodded, saying:

"Since that's the case, your foundation is now established. Now that Master Chen has come to fetch you, go home with him and reunite with your family."

"When the time for the Water Palace to be born approaches, I will send you a message in advance."

"Yes, brother."

Chen Xiaohu immediately responded, his tone earnest.

"You've been away from home for years, and your sister-in-law worries about you day and night. Ji'er is also growing up and will soon be old enough to be able to perform spiritual tests. As his father, how can you remain absent for so long?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dajiang frowned slightly, his face showing difficulty:

"Hu'er... I am currently serving in Wulong Fortress under the summons of the Immortal Sect. Without Commander Wu Que's written permission, I am afraid I cannot leave my post for too long, otherwise I will be investigated..."

"Dajiang, you don't know this."

Chen Yunlu gently shook his head, interrupting his concerns, and slowly said:

"The Taixu Immortal Sect has now officially taken over the responsibility of defending and reconnaissance this place. The person in charge of the fortress and issuing orders is no longer Wu Que..."

He turned his gaze to Chen Xiaohu, his tone carrying a hint of complexity:

"It is indeed your third brother, Chen Xiaohu, Chen Zhenchuan."

"What?!"

Chen Dajiang was startled and abruptly turned to look at Chen Xiaohu, his eyes filled with astonishment.

My younger brother, who was just a teenager when he left home, has become a true disciple of the Immortal Sect who can govern a region and makes even the officers of the Immortal Dynasty bow down after ten years.

They even took over Wulongbao?

Chen Yunrui, who had been standing quietly beside him, turned slightly pale upon hearing this conversation.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat felt blocked by something, and she just stared blankly at Chen Dajiang.

During this time, she and Chen Dajiang spent every day together, discussing and exchanging ideas, and feelings had already begun to develop between them.

She had assumed that Chen Dajiang, being a rogue cultivator with no ties, could stay in Shimen for a long time...

Unexpectedly, he already had a wife, and his child was almost old enough to start his cultivation journey.

Chen Dajiang was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around, looked at Chen Lingrui, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"Sister Lingrui, we are deeply grateful for the noble family's care these days. We are so grateful that we cannot express our thanks."

He straightened up and looked at her calmly.

"But my wife and children are longing to return home, so Chen Dajiang cannot stay any longer. If needed in the future, I will definitely repay them."

Chen Lingrui suppressed the bitterness in her heart and forced a smile:

"Brother Dajiang, you're too kind. We share the same surname and are from the same clan, so it's only right that we help each other. Family reunion is a wonderful thing, so you should go home."

She paused, then continued:

"Have a safe journey. Please give my regards to your wife."

Thank you.

Chen Dajiang gave her a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to walk to Chen Xiaohu's side.

"Let's go."

Chen Xiaohu nodded slightly, then turned to look at Chen Yunlu and said:

"Is Senior Jing'an in the mountains? Since you have come to your esteemed place, I should pay you a visit."

Chen Yunlu shook his head:

"Our ancestor isn't in the mountains, let's go."

After saying that, he raised his hand and summoned the Cloud Ferry again. The three of them boarded the boat one after another without further delay.

The silver boat trembled slightly, its spiritual light emanating from it. It then transformed into a streak of silver light, soaring into the sky and breaking through the faint clouds above Bottle Pot Mountain. It sped off towards the southeast and in the blink of an eye became a point of light on the horizon.

Chen Lingrui stood there, watching the silver light gradually disappear, and finally couldn't hold back, a tear slid down her cheek.

A member of the Chen family whispered to the side:

"Sister Lingrui, you..."

"I'm fine."

Chen Lingrui wiped her eyes, her voice returning to its usual cool and calm tone.

"Go tell the elders in the clan that the Chen family of Bishui has sent people to take Chen Dajiang away."

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.

On the silver boat, Chen Dajiang remained silent, gazing at the receding Pinghu Mountain below with a complex expression.

Chen Xiaohu sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were resting, and did not make a sound to disturb his brother's contemplation.

After a long silence, Chen Dajiang finally couldn't help but speak:

"Xiaohu, is everything alright at home?"

"That's fine."

Chen Xiaohu opened his eyes and looked at his elder brother with gentle eyes.

"My two sisters-in-law are good at managing the household, keeping everything in perfect order. Nianci, Ji'er, and Ze'er are also well-behaved and sensible. My second brother has made great progress in his cultivation and will soon reach the Golden Marrow stage. My father and godfather are still in good health, but they are often worried about your safety while you are away..."

"Now that I have completed my cultivation and returned, and the sect has made arrangements, you no longer need to worry about the Wulong Gorge matter, elder brother. From now on, you can stay at home and spend more time with your wife and children."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dajiang felt a great weight lifted from his heart, a relieved smile spreading across his face as he nodded emphatically.

Just as he was about to ask his younger brother about his detailed experiences in the Immortal Sect over the past ten years, he saw Chen Xiaohu suddenly turn his head and look towards the direction of Bottle Pot Mountain, which was already a hundred miles away outside the porthole. His brows furrowed slightly, and he muttered to himself:

"Strange... I didn't examine it closely when I left, but the terrain around Bottle Pot Mountain vaguely resembles the shape of 'a fish leaping through the heavenly gate and transforming into a dragon.' Such geography is definitely not ordinary."

Just now, the moment Yinzhou left Pinghu Mountain, several different voices suddenly rang in his mind.

Then, purple, crimson, and cyan light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Before long, after the situation was investigated, all the light disappeared, and everything returned to normal.

A meaningful smile appeared on Chen Xiaohu's lips.

The imagery of "fish leaping over the dragon gate, golden lotuses springing from the ground" is clearly recorded in esoteric Buddhist texts.

"Such strange phenomena appearing in the world can be explained by three possibilities:"

"First, there are exceptionally talented individuals with great fortune and strong character who emerge in response to the times."

"Secondly, a heaven-defying spiritual object or divine treasure that could seize the very essence of creation is about to appear in the world."

"Thirdly, it represents the destiny of a power or a clan, which is at a critical juncture of transformation from decline to prosperity, and from a caterpillar to a dragon."

The Chen family of Shimen has been established for hundreds of years, but the strongest among them is only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

They might be considered a powerful force around Dongting Lake, but in the entire Southern Continent, they are merely a lower-middle-class cultivation family.

Why did the land under his jurisdiction exhibit an "ascending dragon" pattern?

Whose fate will this "symbol" manifest?

Chen Xiaohu glanced subtly at Chen Yunlu, who was sitting cross-legged on the futon, struggling to suppress the turbid desires within him, and fell into deep thought.

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.

Chen Yunlu's magical power was insufficient, making it inconvenient for him to pilot the flying boat for an extended period. Instead of returning directly to Baiyukou, the group first turned back to Wulongbao.

Chen Xiaohu bid him farewell and did not speak much to the other alchemists in the fortress.

The sword light surged, transforming into a stunning azure rainbow that stretched across the sky, carrying the two brothers as they shot south towards the White Fish Mouth!

The two were eager to return home, and where their swords flashed, they left a faint blue trail in the clear sky that lingered for a long time, causing the mortals below to look up in amazement.

On the wall of Wulong Fortress, Chen Yunlu stared at the sword light that quickly disappeared into the horizon, his eyes solemn and his brows furrowed.

"This Chen Xiaohu... is really too strange."

He pondered this in his heart.

"Having been on the mountain for only ten years, even with exceptional talent and abundant resources, how could one possibly possess such profound cultivation?"

"I've heard that he's famous within the Taixu Sect for his talent in alchemy, and is hailed as the new generation's 'Alchemy Master,' and that he's also exceptionally gentle... But judging from his actions today, his swordsmanship is superb, and his methods are numerous; he's clearly a formidable swordsman."

"And his incredible strength..."

Chen Yunlu recalled the scene of Chen Xiaohu pulling up the 10,000-jin "Dayue Chongri Flag" and was even more puzzled.

"His physical strength is not much weaker than Chen Dajiang's, who has cultivated the 'Dragon Elephant Body'."

"The immortal sects are not lacking in body-refining methods, but to cultivate alchemy, swordsmanship, and body-building techniques simultaneously, and achieve such mastery in all three—it's absolutely impossible in just ten years!"

Chen Yunlu had seen many geniuses from great sects and ancient families, including some who were exceptionally talented. However, he had never heard of anyone like Chen Xiaohu, whose cultivation progress was astonishing and whose methods were numerous yet profound.

"He also possesses a mysterious aura, which should be attributed to a treasure capable of blocking detection..."

"This child is probably a pawn placed by a high-ranking member of the Immortal Sect, or even an even more extraordinary being, to control the situation in the Water Palace."

Chen Yunlu withdrew his gaze and slowly walked back to his own courtyard.

He sat down cross-legged on the futon again, his hands forming a mudra, and a hidden aura of wind and thunder circulated around his body as he continued to suppress the "turbid desire demonic energy" within his body.

Chen Yunlu closed his eyes, his mind sinking into a realm of interwoven wind and thunder.

"The Ancestor instructed me to plan for the items in the Water Palace, granting me the opportunity to establish my foundation, even if a superior cultivator were to make a move..."

"This is a struggle over the path of cultivation, and I... have no way to retreat!"