Cultivating a family of immortals

After Xu Changle explained the situation, Xu Wanghe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had never seen a celestial master bow to a mortal before, and he was quite startled.

Coming to his senses again, he murmured, "Guan Yisheng has a spiritual root? Wasn't his time limit over this year?"

"Guan Yi's spiritual root... is rather special, so it shouldn't be related to his age. Patriarch Xu, won't you invite me in for a seat?" Wu Yuanzuo said with a smile.

Xu Wanghe suddenly realized, and his heart tightened, but he still smiled and said without changing his expression, "Please come in and have a seat, Immortal Master."

Once inside the house, Wu Yuanzuo fortunately did not find anything unusual.

After sitting down, Xu Wanghe poured tea, and Wu Yuanzuo, without any hesitation, served it to him, saying with a smile:

"Since your Guan Yi has already joined the inner sect of the Immortal Sect, then your Xu family can enjoy the benefits as well. This is the principle of 'when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'."

"Uncle Lin sent me to ask: would you rather go to Qingping Mountain Village in Mohe County to guard the area, or would you like to stay here and cultivate the spirit seedlings?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Wanghe looked somewhat bewildered.

"I forgot to explain clearly, this is my fault," Wu Yuanzuo quickly explained upon seeing this. "Haoran Immortal Sect is the immortal sect of the Lin family. Patriarch Xu, your ancestors have been here for generations. You have also heard of which family's descendants who are born with spiritual roots can be admitted to the immortal sect."

He pointed to himself, "That's how I became an outer disciple of the Haoran Immortal Sect."

"So-called outer disciples, besides earning spirit stones by carrying out sect missions, can also choose to guard the spirit fields... However, guarding the spirit fields is a cushy job, with only ten slots available, and I paid quite a price for it..."

Hearing this, Xu Changle suddenly asked, "What's the difference between outer disciples and inner disciples?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Wu Yuanzuo's face.

"There is a big difference. To put it this way, outer disciples have to worry about life, spirit stones, and tasks, while inner disciples only need to sit on the top of Huaxue Mountain to cultivate every day. The sect will provide them with spirit stones, so they can be said to be carefree."

"However, there seems to be a distinction among inner disciples, but I don't know the specifics. As you can see, I'm just a doorman," Wu Yuanzuo said with a hint of self-deprecation.

Xu Wanghe and Xu Changle exchanged a glance, and Xu Wanghe asked:

"What does the immortal master mean by saying that we should go and guard the village of Qingping Mountain?"

Getting to the point, Wu Yuanzuo slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down. His expression was extremely solemn as he said, "Only when an inner disciple appears in a family does this privilege come. As for what it means... if your Xu family continues to stay here and farm, countless people will come to curry favor with you. You won't even have to do any work yourself; the spirit seedlings sent by the mountain stewards are already fully grown..."

"As for being stationed outside, that means that your Xu family is on another level separate from the Lin family's Haoran Immortal Sect. You can recruit local soldiers, govern a region, and cultivate your descendants according to the Haoran Immortal Sect's method of training disciples. If any descendants with spiritual roots appear, they can choose to join the Haoran Immortal Sect or become immortal masters of your Xu family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Wanghe and Xu Changle's eyes were filled with excitement.

"But," Wu Yuanzuo poured himself a cup of tea and said with a smile, "since you are stationed here, you naturally have other tasks to complete."

"Task?"

"Yes, the area around Qingping Mountain Village is the Lin family's territory. Further north is the Zheng family's territory, where there are also cultivation villages. You need to guard Qingping Mountain and prevent the Zheng family from invading."

Xu Changle immediately understood and asked, "What is the strength of the Zheng family?"

"There seem to be only two cultivators at the third stage of Qi Refining in the house right now."

"Cultivators?" Xu Wanghe and Xu Changle were taken aback.

"Since they are cultivators, how should we maintain this position?"

Wu Yuanzuo smiled slightly, "Doesn't your family have any cultivators?"

"You mean, if they attack, we can send Guan Yi back to help us?" Xu Wanghe asked hurriedly.

"More than that. If the other party is a minor offender, mostly just villagers causing trouble, you can handle it yourselves. If you bring in cultivators, you can not only have Guan Yi come back to deal with it, but you can even report it to the Haoran Immortal Sect and have them send someone to handle it... provided that the situation is evenly matched!"

"In short, this is a wonderful opportunity—no, it's a chance for your Xu family to truly rise to prominence, and it's also a special privilege that the Haoran Immortal Sect bestows upon its inner disciples! Only inner disciples are entitled to this right!"

"Furthermore, considering that your family's resources are currently limited, the sect will send an outer disciple to serve as your family's advisor."

Wu Yuanzuo said solemnly.

Xu Changle asked cautiously, "Since, as the Immortal Master said, Qingping Mountain Village needs someone to guard it, then... where did the family that was guarding it go before our Xu family went there?"

"Our entire clan was wiped out," Wu Yuanfeng said casually.

"Extermination of the entire clan?"

"Yes, the Wang family was the one who guarded the area before. They had been guarding that place for hundreds of years, but they were all wiped out by the people the Zheng family invited a few days ago."

"Uh..." Xu Wanghe and Xu Changle were stunned and didn't know what to say.

"Then we..."

Wu Yuanzuo suddenly snorted coldly and slammed his teacup down.

"So what if their clan was wiped out? Three hundred years ago, a member of their Wang family with spiritual roots joined the Haoran Immortal Sect. At that time, there were only three members in their Wang family, but they still chose to go here and stay. In more than a hundred years, they have multiplied and become very popular. There are countless descendants in their family, and seventeen of them are cultivators. They were incredibly glorious for a time!"

"They chose to revitalize their family, and they have already accomplished that. Although not long ago, the Lin family of the Haoran Immortal Sect and the immortal sect behind the Zheng family fought a great battle, resulting in the destruction of the Wang family, this grudge has been avenged. They killed so many that only two Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivators remained in the Zheng family..."

"The Wang family will rest in peace in the afterlife."

"The path of cultivation is never a smooth one."

"Furthermore, if the Wang family had planned ahead and made more arrangements, leaving some descendants to be sent elsewhere, how could they have been wiped out?"

"This is also due to their arrogance at the height of their power!"

As he spoke, Wu Yuanzuo suddenly said in an extremely desolate tone:

"This opportunity is hard-won. Back then, our family... Let's not talk about it. Uncle Lin specially sent me to explain the matter to you so that you can consider it yourselves."

"If you want to establish a lineage of cultivators for your Xu family, you may choose to go. If you wish to live a peaceful and law-abiding life, then you may continue to work here. But even here, the care you receive will be better than in any other family. Do you understand this?"

"This matter..." Li Rongping, who had been listening in, finally couldn't help but speak up, "Immortal Master, could you give us some time to consider it..."

"No!" Suddenly, two voices rang out at the same time.

The eyes of Xu Wanghe and his son Xu Changle seemed to burn with fire, while the snow outside the window continued to fall heavily, and that fire seemed to melt the heavens and the earth.

"Master Wu, please tell Master Lin that we are willing to go and guard Qingping Mountain Village."