Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes in Both Realms

"But later..."

Zhou Hongde remained tight-lipped, lowering his voice to say:

"Later, it was rumored that a holy statue fell from the sky and smashed Yuan Deng Dao Ren to ashes."

Inside the cave, Zhou Hongde spoke softer and softer, for fear of disturbing the heavenly beings.

"Killed by a falling statue?"

Jiang Yun never expected things to turn out this way.

Daoist Yuan Deng dedicated his life to crafting artifacts, creating the Yuan Tian Lamp, which could block the strange and powerful, thus saving the cultivation world from dire straits.

But in the end, he was crushed to death by a holy statue that fell from the sky.

This whole thing seems rather strange.

No wonder the clan chief seemed so secretive.

"Ahem." Zhou Hongde coughed twice. "It's just a rumor. There are also rumors that Daoist Yuandeng has already ascended to immortality."

"However, the rumor that he was killed by a falling icon is more widespread."

Jiang Yun remained calm, but he had already made a guess in his heart.

The rumors are not unfounded. It is highly likely that Daoist Yuandeng was suppressed to death by the statue of a deity, and the possibility of him ascending to immortality is extremely small.

"In the world of cultivation, gods and demons..."

Jiang Yun picked up her teacup, took a sip of the spiritual tea, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"The 'ghosts' are a race of strange beings. I've already witnessed their power, and I'll have to fight them again in a year."

"Does this 'god' refer to shrines and icons?"

Just then, a thunderclap suddenly sounded outside the cave, followed by a torrential downpour.

"The weather changes so quickly."

After finishing his cup of spiritual tea, Zhou Hongde placed it on the tea table, then stood up and said:

"I have already explained the matter of the Blood Moon to you."

"Do not go into seclusion again this year; wait until after the Blood Moon."

After saying this, Zhou Hongde left the cave and drifted away.

As he was leaving, he glanced at the medicinal herb field that Jiang Yun had cultivated outside the cave and almost stumbled.

All that could be seen in the herb field were withered, low-grade spiritual herbs.

He turned back and asked Jiang Yun, "Do you need some help to manage the medicinal herb fields?"

"These medicinal herbs you've planted seem to have been neglected?"

Jiang Yun considered for a moment, then nodded and said:

"I really don't have time to manage the herb fields. After the Blood Moon, I will select a member of the clan to help me take care of the spiritual herbs."

"That's good." Zhou Hongde laughed, "Fortunately, you only planted low-grade spiritual herbs this time, so there was no loss."

"I bought a blind bag of spirit herb seeds for thirty spirit stones back then, but I didn't expect there wouldn't be a single second-tier spirit herb. Otherwise, I wouldn't have neglected to take care of it," Jiang Yun said with a smile.

"Haha, I see."

Zhou Hongde burst into laughter.

Then, with a flash, he left the place.

Jiang Yun glanced at the medicinal herb field, then turned and returned to his cave.

"There is still one year until the Blood Moon."

"This year I focused on consolidating my cultivation, refining magical treasures, and practicing spells."

In preparation for the Blood Moon a year later, Jiang Yun quickly made plans.

He just took a pill to improve his cultivation level, and he does need to consolidate it.

Therefore, aside from alchemy, he only had time to consolidate his cultivation, practice spells, and refine magical artifacts.

……

Time flies.

one year later.

There are fifteen days left until the blood moon arrives.

The entire Maple Leaf City was on high alert.

In Maple Leaf City, all 49 wards, whether they were cultivation families or independent cultivators, were mobilized by the Purple Cloud Sect to prepare for a united effort to deal with the Blood Moon.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Zhou family residence in Ningyuanfang.

Zhou Ren, Zhou Hongde, and Jiang Yun, three Foundation Establishment cultivators, sat above.

In the very center is Zhou Ren, and on either side are Zhou Hongde and Jiang Yun.

Below the three stood all the Great Perfection Qi Refining cultivators of the Zhou family.

Jiang Yun was familiar with most of these Qi Refining Perfection cultivators' faces, with only a few he didn't recognize.

The familiar Ye Hongyi, Zhou Hongdao, Zhou Hongchang, Zhou Hongsheng, as well as Zhou Zongcheng, Zhou Zongxian, and others, are all at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining cultivation.

There were also five unfamiliar faces.

These five people were also at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, but they lived outside Maple Leaf City for most of the year and rarely returned to the Zhou family.

There were a total of eleven cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

As for the cultivators at the late and middle stages of Qi Refining, they were all gathered in the courtyard outside the main hall of the Zhou family.

Jiang Yun's mother in this life, Zhou Zongting, as well as his third uncle, Zhou Zongxiao, and fourth uncle, Zhou Zongyao, all had late-stage Qi Refining cultivation.

They were all standing in the courtyard, waiting for orders.

The main hall contained three Foundation Establishment cultivators and eleven Qi Refining Perfection cultivators.

In addition, the numerous mid- and late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the courtyard constitute the Zhou family's force deployed to deal with the Blood Moon.

It can be said that the entire family came out, leaving only children and cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Ancestor Zhou Ren spoke:

"The orders from the Zixiao Sect have been issued. During this Blood Moon, my Zhou family will guard the 127th, 128th, and 129th Yuantian Lanterns in the east of the city."

"The 127th Yuantian Lamp is guarded by Zhou Hongde and one hundred clansmen."

"The 129th Yuantian Lamp is guarded by Zhou Yun and one hundred clansmen at the mid and late stages of Qi Refining."

"The 128th Yuantian Lamp is located between the other two Yuantian Lamps, and I will guard it."

Soon, Zhou Ren announced the numbers of the Yuantian Lanterns that the Zhou family would need to guard during this Blood Moon Night.

As early as the founding of Maple Leaf City, the Yuantian Lanterns on the four city walls of Maple Leaf City were numbered.

However, back then, Maple Leaf City wasn't as large as it is now.

As Maple Leaf City continued to expand, it eventually developed into forty-nine wards.

Therefore, the number of Yuantian Lanterns on the city walls is increasing, and the number of people needed to guard the Yuantian Lanterns on the Blood Moon Night is also increasing.

"Maple Leaf City has not expanded in recent years and has maintained its size of forty-nine wards."

"It seems that one shrine can only protect forty-nine wards."

"To expand, we need to acquire a second shrine."

Jiang Yun stood beside Zhou Ren, lost in thought.

Maple Leaf City, with its forty-nine wards, is such a massive immortal city that it would be considered a behemoth in the mortal realm.

In the world of cultivation, it wouldn't be considered very large.

I passed through Jiulou City and Balou City back then.

The city of Jiulou controls a teleportation array that can connect to other immortal cities.

It is evident that the scale of Nine Towers City is far larger than that of Maple Leaf City.

After all, Maple Leaf City doesn't have a teleportation array that can connect to other cities.

As he was pondering, he heard Zhou Ren speak again and give the order:

"Guarding the three Yuantian Lamps, this old man has no need for clansmen who have reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining."

"Zhou Hongde, you're in charge of allocating the forces now."

After saying this, Zhou Ren closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Zhou Hongde nodded upon hearing this, his expression grave, and said:

"Ye Hongyi, Zhou Hongdao, Zhou Hongchang, Zhou Hongsheng, you will accompany me to guard the 127th Yuantian Lamp."

"The others will follow Zhou Yun and be responsible for guarding the 129th Yuantian Lantern."

"In addition, apart from you who are at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, my Zhou family has a total of fifty-seven late-stage Qi Refining members and more than two hundred and forty mid-stage Qi Refining members."

Zhou Hong paused for a moment, then continued:

"For each Yuantian Lamp, nineteen people are assigned to guard it among the clansmen who are in the late stage of Qi Refining."

"Clan members at the mid-stage of Qi Refining should fill the vacancies, and each Yuan Tian Lantern must be guarded by one hundred people!"