A daily divination, from family tortoise shells to immortal clans.

Chen Qingmo staggered back a few steps, unable to believe what he was hearing.

During his time at the mine, he frequently sent letters home to Xinghe Village. Although his mother had not fully recovered, her health was relatively good.

How could this happen so suddenly after only a few months?

Seeing that he was somewhat flustered, Chen Mingyi recounted some past events:

"Your father once mentioned that your mother contracted typhoid fever shortly after giving birth to you. Although she recovered, she was left with a chronic condition."

"It's possible that the injury she suffered from the Crimson Dragon Hall last time triggered her illness. Although you left behind healing pills, the internal deficiencies in her body are beyond repair."

Chen Qingmo knew nothing about these things; her mother had never revealed a single detail.

Given his mother's personality, she certainly didn't want him to worry, so she's kept it a secret all these years.

"You should go back quickly. We brought a horse with iron hooves from the tribe. Riding it will save you some time."

Chen Mingyi knew that this matter could not be delayed, so he brought this horse with him.

"Uncle Jiu, thank you! During my time at the mine, I compiled some notes and daily task arrangements, all of which are here. You and Qingjie will understand them at a glance."

Chen Qingmo handed a note to the two of them and immediately rushed back at full speed without stopping.

……

In Xinghe Village, some people gathered at the door of Chen Qingmo's house, while others were in the courtyard.

They were all villagers who came to visit Ding Lan after hearing that she was seriously ill. They were from the same clan and had a close relationship.

"Tap tap tap!"

A rapid sound of hooves approached, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Fellow villagers, please forgive Qingmo for being impolite."

Chen Qingmo leaped down and hastily tied the iron-hoofed horse to a tree.

The villagers all knew he was eager to go home, so they didn't blame him.

Chen Qingmo rushed into his mother's room and sensed a deathly aura permeating the room.

Su Xue trembled slightly, unable to hide the sorrow in her heart.

Chen Weilan had already come to understand the meaning of life and death and separation, and sadness crept onto her face.

Chen Weixia stood aside, watching her grandmother's weak appearance, and remained silent.

She was too young to understand why her grandmother was always lying in bed or why so many people had come to the courtyard.

Ding Lan's eyes were dull and lifeless, and she was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

When she saw her son appear, her mouth slightly open, her voice a little hoarse:

"Mo'er, come quickly... let your mother take a look."

Chen Qingmo knelt down by the bed, her eyes suddenly fogged up, and she wanted to speak but didn't know what to say.

Ding Lan gently stroked her son's cheek and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Child, why are you crying... Your mother is already content to see you get married and have children in this lifetime."

"We mortals are destined to have short lifespans when we fall ill. I'm content to have lived for over fifty years. Mother should go find your father now..."

Ding Lan's voice grew softer and softer as she held Chen Qingmo's hand tightly until her eyes slowly closed and she fell silent.

Chen Qingmo lay on the bed, tears streaming down his face like a broken string. He could no longer hold back and choked out a sob.

From now on, he will be the oldest member of his family.

After several days of funeral arrangements, Chen Qingmo finally buried his mother in the cemetery next to the apricot grove, alongside his father.

He kept vigil for his mother for seven days, and thought of many things while standing by the apricot grove.

He remembered that his mother loved to eat apricots. When his father was alive, he would often bring back several large bags of apricots in the summer so that the mother and son could enjoy them to their heart's content. Any apricots that they couldn't finish would be dried and stored away.

After his father passed away, the task of picking apricots fell to his shoulders.

Now that her mother has passed away, Chen Qingmo hopes that the apricots in the apricot grove will often fall in front of her mother's grave.

Two months later.

A little girl ran around in the courtyard, babbling away, occasionally drawn to the ants on the ground and the chirping sparrows in the trees.

Chen Qingmo looked at her daughter with a smile, her eyes full of doting affection.

One cannot remain immersed in sadness forever; one must always look forward.

He has been staying at home during this time, while Chen Weilan has returned to Taixuan Mountain Academy.

His wife, Su Xue, came in from outside, looking hurried.

"My lord, a message has come from Mount Taixuan, urging you to return as soon as possible."

She had just gone to her neighbor's wife to get some fabric to make new clothes for her daughter, but when she returned, she saw a clansman delivering a message at the door.

Chen Qingmo nodded, gave a few instructions, and then immediately set off.

He knew that Chen Ming was preparing to break through and was summoning some of his clansmen in the late Qi Refining stage to protect him.

……

The elders have instructed their disciples to stay away from the Tai Xuan Mountain Spirit Gathering Array and that they should not cultivate there for the time being.

To ensure Chen Mingzheng's successful breakthrough, the family purchased a number of auxiliary items.

Clan Chief Chen Ming was sitting cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Array, while a soundproof array rose outside the Spirit Gathering Array.

All members of the clan are working together to ensure this breakthrough is successful, and no interference is allowed.

Although Chen Mingzheng is over sixty years old, his vital energy has not declined too much. With the help of Foundation Building Pills and secret techniques, he still has a good chance of recovery.

Chen Qingmo and the other clansmen watched from outside the formation, their hearts filled with unease.

Chen Mingzheng adjusted his aura to its optimal state and, without the slightest hesitation, directly swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Five days later.

The elders looked worried. They had never seen a cultivator break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before, and there had been no movement within the Spirit Gathering Array for the past few days.

Just as they were feeling anxious, a vortex of spiritual energy formed in Chen Mingzheng's dantian.

In his perception, the gaseous spiritual energy within his body had been completely transformed into liquid mana essence.

Several hours later, he suddenly opened his eyes, removed the soundproofing array, and floated in mid-air.

Chen Mingzheng's aura was completely different from that of a Qi Refining cultivator; he had already established his Foundation Establishment!

"Congratulations to the clan leader on successfully establishing his foundation!"

The clansmen below spoke in unison.

Chen Mingzheng landed slowly and said loudly:

"From this day forward, my Chen family is a Foundation Establishment family!"

Everyone's faces lit up with joy; they had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The third Foundation Establishment family in Linyuan County—what an exciting thing this is!

After Chen Mingzheng broke through, he did not publicize it directly, but gradually revealed the matter through the mouths of rogue cultivators.

Meanwhile, the Bai family...

"The Chen family has truly produced someone who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage; the situation in Linyuan County is about to change."

Bai Jian, the patriarch of the Bai family, had a complicated expression. He had also taken the Foundation Establishment Pill to break through to the next level six months ago.

He was already much older than Chen Mingzheng, and without the aid of the Spirit Refining Secret Technique, his chances of breaking through were less than 30%.

Since no one in the family could reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining within a few years, he was the only one who could try, but in the end, he failed.

He had been waiting for news from the Chen family. If no one in the Chen family broke through, the Earth Spirit Fruit could still be divided equally between the two families. But now everything was about to change.

The two sides cooperated in the previous operation to wipe out the Crimson Dragon Hall, and their relationship is good now.

Bai Jian was considering whether to further deepen their relationship, perhaps through a marriage alliance between the two families.

The matter of the Earth Spirit Fruit will eventually be exposed. It would be better to latch onto the Chen family; perhaps then the Bai family will still have a chance.

After thinking for a long time, Bai Jian decided to convene the family elders to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, the Sun and Zheng families were located elsewhere.

"Someone in the Chen family has reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"

The two Foundation Establishment masters reacted almost identically.

The Sun family patriarch narrowed his eyes, recalling the events of that day at the Hundred Spirits Secret Realm.

"The members of the Crimson Dragon Hall in the Hundred Spirits Secret Realm were killed by the Chen and Bai families, and the subsequent destruction of the Crimson Dragon Hall was also related to the Chen and Bai families."

"I originally thought that the Crimson Dragon Hall attacked and killed the two families because of some Qi-refining medicine, but I never expected that I had misjudged them."

"No wonder these two families have been keeping such a low profile lately; they've both been secretly breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Hmph! Do you think my Foundation Establishment family would stand in your way of advancing?"

Master Sun snorted coldly, somewhat dissatisfied with both families.

However, since the Chen family had already successfully advanced in their careers, he couldn't afford to cause a scene.

He immediately summoned a member of his clan:

"Send a message to the Chen family, saying that my family and the Zheng family will visit them in a few days."