The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Li Shan called out from afar, his face beaming with joy.

The boat docked.

Xu Changqing led his men across the pier and bowed slightly.

"Elder Li, I'm sorry to bother you again on this trip."

This spirit boat was rented jointly by the Xu and Li families.

There was no other way; the Xu family's small, dilapidated boat simply couldn't carry that many people.

Moreover, although this spirit boat is expensive, costing ten spirit stones a day, it is spacious, stable, and can also be used to make a show of things.

When traveling, especially to a place like Qinghefang Market where all sorts of people mingle, face is everything. If you travel in a small, shabby boat, you'll be looked down upon before you even reach the port, and getting things done will be a huge obstacle.

When split between the two families, the cost is acceptable.

"Not at all, we're practically family."

Li Shan warmly welcomed Xu Changqing onto the boat, his gaze sweeping over Xu Yanfeng and the three children, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

"Clan Chief Xu, these must be your family's hopes this time? They look so spirited!"

He also brought a few younger members of the clan with him this time, but compared to the sharp and capable Xu Yanfeng, who had been trained by Wan Huaiyi, they seemed somewhat loose.

The difference is immediately apparent.

"Chief Xu has done a good job of teaching."

Li Shan felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but he gave a polite reply.

"Elder Li, you flatter us. We are just a bunch of ignorant monkeys who have never seen the world. When we get to the market, we hope Elder Li will give us some pointers."

Xu Changqing said modestly and led his men onto the ship.

With a hum, the spirit boat's array patterns glowed faintly as it broke through the waves and sailed away from the shore.

Xu Changqing stood at the stern of the boat, his hands behind his back.

This trip was not just for the sake of giving these children a future.

It was also to give the Xu family a way to survive in this chaotic world.

"Clan Chief Xu, would you like a drink?"

Li Shan had already set up a small table on the deck, with two jugs of warmed spirit wine and several dishes of pickled river delicacies.

Xu Changqing did not refuse. He lifted the hem of his long robe, sat down, and took a sip of wine.

The spiciness warmed me up quite a bit.

"Elder Li, besides the grand ceremony, I'll need you to keep a close eye on the Zhang family's movements during this trip to the market."

Xu Changqing put down his wine glass and lowered his voice.

"The Zhang family will definitely be there this time. We've now made an enemy of them, so we'd better be careful on the road."

Upon hearing this, Li Shan's smile faded, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Chief Xu, I've already had people keeping an eye on things."

Xu Changqing nodded, his fingers tracing the rim of the wine glass.

"Our children only need to get into the outer sect; there's no need for them to compete for inner sect spots. It's not worth going head-to-head with them."

Li Shan nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing.

"Yes, yes, we're just going to get by. Let the Zhang family do the showy stuff. We'll keep quiet and make a fortune."

As the two were talking, a commotion suddenly arose from below the cabin.

Xu Xining, that kid, somehow got to the lower deck and is now running up excitedly, clutching something wet and dark in his hand.

Li Shan looked closely and almost spat out the wine that was about to reach his lips.

It was a huge water rat, its head now crushed, and grayish-black blood dripped from between Xu Xining's fingers, landing on the deck in a particularly glaring way.

"Chieftain! Chieftain! Look what I caught down there!"

Xu Changqing's face darkened.

That brat, he's already making a fool of himself before he even gets there.

Li Shan looked at the large, dark rat in Xu Xining's hand, and then at Xu Changqing.

"This...this is also a talented young man from the Xu family?"

Xu Changqing shook his head.

"I'm sorry to have troubled Elder Li, this child... is too wild."

"Throw it away! Throw it away right now!"

Xu Changqing gave a low shout and glared at Xu Xining: "I brought you to broaden your horizons, not to have you raid rat nests! Go wash your hands!"

Xu Xining shrank back in disapproval, and tossed the dead rat into the water along the side of the boat, muttering, "Isn't this what you taught me? When you see something hairy, you have to strike first..."

As Li Shan listened to the boy's mutterings, his gaze towards Xu Changqing changed.

Should you strike first if you see a living creature?

What exactly does the Xu family teach on a daily basis?

Xu Changqing pretended not to notice Li Shan's strange look, turned his head to look at the shimmering water, but his heart was completely calm, and he even wanted to laugh a little.

You can't blame the child for that.

He's really worn the kids out this past month.

Although Wan Huaiyi was an inner disciple, he knew about cultivation and killing techniques, but he didn't understand "exams".

Xu Changqing understood. Having experienced the "sea of ​​questions" strategy in his previous life, he knew best that if you weren't qualified enough, you could make up for it by doing lots of practice questions.

A month ago, Xu Changqing used the Heavenly Mirror to calculate the answer to the question.

[The simulation is complete]

[This year's challenge: The Illusionary Beast Formation.]

[Core Strategy: Using an illusion array to connect with the deepest fears, manifesting them as the images of the late-stage Tier 1 demonic beasts "Crimson Flame Tiger" and "Black Swamp Python," testing the disciple's composure and courage in the face of danger.]

Once you know the exam questions, all that's left is rote memorization.

So for the past month, Xu Changqing has been taking his three children to that dark, damp, muddy beach every day.

They go wherever there are many snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

Not only that, he also used illusion talismans to create enlarged versions of the monster images, starting with a smaller version, then a one-to-one replica, and finally an enlarged version.

They put it in when they eat, they put it in when they sleep, and even when they go to the outhouse, they can see a huge python coiled on the beam, flicking its tongue.

At first, Xu Xiyue was so frightened that her face turned pale.

Xu Xining was so frightened that his legs went weak and he couldn't even walk.

In the last few days, when these children saw the millstone-sized snake head rushing towards them, their first reaction was no longer to scream, but to wave their hands in disgust and mutter, "It's blocking the light."

This is the effect Xu Changqing wanted.

The so-called steadfastness of one's Daoist heart is sometimes not true fearlessness, but rather numbness from seeing too much.

On the day of the grand ceremony, when the children from other families entered the illusion array and saw the overwhelming demonic beasts, they were so frightened that they cried out for their parents and their Dao hearts were shattered.

The Xu family's children went inside and took a look—

Hey, isn't this the old acquaintance I've been seeing every day for the past month?

This sense of loss is the opportunity for the Xu family to turn things around.

"Clan Chief Xu? Clan Chief Xu?"

Li Shan's voice interrupted Xu Changqing's recollection.

"Clan Chief Xu, what are you thinking about so intently?"

Xu Changqing snapped out of his daze and chuckled softly.

"It's nothing, I just thought of some interesting things from the past."

Li Shan glanced at his chubby son, who was huddled in the cabin eating snacks, and then at Xu Xining, who had just dared to catch a dead rat with his bare hands.

The Xu family seems to have come prepared this time.

"I hope this trip goes smoothly."

Li Shan sighed and looked into the distance.

The spirit boat cut through the waves, gradually slowing down.

The fog was gradually dissipating over the waters ahead.

A majestic, colossal island broke through the clouds, revealing a menacing corner of its shape.

Around the island, hundreds and thousands of spirit boats of all kinds were densely moored, their precious lights intertwining and soaring into the sky, and the noisy voices of people could be heard from a great distance.

We've arrived at Qinghefang Market.