The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

The sweltering heat distorted the air in the quiet room.

Inside the bronze cauldron, the molten iron, tiger bone glue, and blood-activating herbs had long since fused together, transforming into a cauldron of purplish-gold viscous liquid, bubbling and emitting a nauseating, burnt, and fishy odor.

Xu Changqing stood beside the cauldron, his face solemn, staring at the churning medicinal liquid, his eyes glowing red in the firelight.

"Forcibly infiltrating the skin and flesh with the energy of metal and stone, this method seems to be the style of body cultivators."

He took off his clothes, stood naked in front of the cauldron, took a deep breath, used his spiritual power to protect his heart meridian, and then reached into the still-hot medicinal liquid.

The scalding hot liquid enveloped his palm, his skin sizzling and turning a bright red.

Xu Changqing frowned, gritted his teeth, and endured the excruciating pain. He scooped up the thick medicinal paste with both hands and smeared it fiercely on his chest and limbs.

The moment the medicine touched the skin, I felt an extremely powerful heat penetrating into my pores.

He dared not be negligent, kept his mind focused, and forcefully circulated the "Eternal Spring Technique".

The originally gentle green wood spiritual energy in the dantian was now agitated by the external metal and fire energy, and began to surge through the meridians.

"If you can't even bear this little bit of pain, when swords and spears come your way in the future, you won't even have the chance to feel the pain."

Xu Changqing held fast to a sliver of clarity in his mind. The purple-gold medicinal paste that had covered his body gradually dried up and formed a thick, hard shell that enveloped his entire body, making him look like a clay sculpture.

Outside the quiet room, the sound of wind and rain gradually rose.

Another cold snap struck, leaving the vegetation on Cangwu Island somewhat wilted and drooping.

Three hours later.

A soft "click" sounded.

The surface of the seated "clay sculpture" cracked with countless fine lines. With a slight tremor of its body, large pieces of dried medicinal residue fell off, revealing the newly formed skin underneath.

Xu Changqing exhaled a long breath and raised his arm. His skin had a faint sheen, and when he clenched his fist, his knuckles cracked. His skin was much tougher than before.

"This Five Organs Forging Soup is truly powerful."

With a slight thought, he casually put on a light robe, pushed open the back window, and in a flash, he darted to a cave in the back mountain that was rarely visited by people.

The place was secluded and quiet, so Xu Changqing casually set up a soundproof barrier to seal the entrance to the cave.

He stood still, took a deep breath, and felt the spiritual energy in his dantian surge, flowing along his meridians to the Laogong acupoint on his right palm.

"Zzz—Boom!"

A pale bolt of lightning shot out and struck the cave wall, sending pebbles tumbling down.

Xu Changqing glanced at his palm; the Laogong acupoint was only slightly red, and the pain was not obvious.

Come again.

The second course, the third course...

It wasn't until the fifth palm strike of lightning was unleashed, filling the entire cave with a burnt smell, that Xu Changqing felt a tingling and stiff sensation in the meridians of his right hand, and his palm trembled slightly.

Five times.

Xu Changqing stood up, looking at the gradually fading purple mark on his palm, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Previously, he would be exhausted and his hands would ache after only three strikes, but now that his physical body is stronger, he can unleash five thunderbolts in a row, which is a significant improvement.

Even with these methods in place, we still cannot let our guard down against the bandits.

Since that band of bandits was able to wipe out the He family right under our noses, their methods must have been ruthless and covert. If we wait until they come knocking on our door before taking any action, it will be too late to regret it.

"We still need a mirror."

Xu Changqing sat cross-legged on the blue stone in the cave, his mind once again sinking into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The Heavenly Mirror floated silently.

Trying to deduce the movements of all the bandits in this great swamp would be too much of a distraction, and the chaotic information might not even be of any use.

Xu Changqing pondered for a moment, then brought his originally broad idea to a halt.

"Based on our analysis, we can determine the location and strength of any bandits within a hundred miles of Cangwu Island who harbor designs on and pose a threat to the Xu family."

This question narrowed down the scope considerably and became much more precise.

On the mirror surface, the mist swirls and lingers, refusing to dissipate.

After a long while, the somewhat blurry lines of gold characters finally emerged with difficulty.

[Deduction begins]

[Analysis Item: Targeting the movements of the Xu family's bandit gang.]

[Time required: Eight days.]

Xu Changqing frowned slightly and opened his eyes.

Eight days.

Although it wasn't a very long period, every day was filled with anxiety and trepidation during this critical juncture.

"Very well, since there is no other way, we can only rely on the Heavenly Mirror."

Xu Changqing stood up, removed the restriction, and walked out of the cave.

This Heavenly Mirror is indeed extraordinary, but it is also limited by his own strength and the level of his family.

To be able to glimpse this secret of heaven during the Qi Refining stage is already a stroke of good fortune.

It was just after the spring rain had stopped, the sky was overcast, and the damp, cold wind made people's clothes flutter.

He gazed at the hazy water in the distance, and a thought arose in his mind. Now, the Tongtian Mirror was limited by the family's level and his own cultivation, and its deductions were often hampered.

If the Xu family were to one day return to the Foundation Establishment stage, or even go further and become a family of Purple Mansion and Golden Core cultivators.

What kind of scene must the Heavenly Mirror, which is connected to this fortune, be like?

Is it possible to deduce the true path to immortality and eternal life?

Xu Changqing's eyes shone brightly.

However, one must take things one step at a time, just as one must eat one bite at a time.

The most important thing right now is to get through this calamity caused by the bandits.

......

The spring rain drizzled on and on for five days without ceasing.

In the afternoon, Xu Changqing was browsing through ancient books in his study when Xu Dayou hurriedly pushed open the door and entered, his face looking rather grim.

"Chieftain, Li Shan is here again."

Upon hearing this, Xu Changqing raised an eyebrow, threw the ancient book in his hand onto the table, and showed some displeasure on his face.

"Does this old bastard think our Cangwu Island is his Li family's backyard? He comes here every few days, isn't he afraid of being discovered?"

"That's what I said too, but looking at his expression..."

Xu Dayou hesitated, then pointed outside the door.

"You should go and see for yourself; it doesn't look like someone who's just visiting."

As soon as Xu Changqing entered the door, Li Shan felt as if he had seen a savior.

"Clan Chief Xu! You'd better lend your brother a hand this time!"

Xu Changqing subtly avoided his outstretched hand, walked to the head seat, and took a sip of tea.

"Elder Li, what happened to you? You look so disheveled. Could it be that the Zhang family has come to attack?"

"If it were the Zhang family, things would be easier to handle!"

Li Shan slapped his thigh and said with a bitter face:

"It was those bandits! Last night, a group of desperados appeared out of nowhere, sneaked into the spirit fields in the dark, not only robbed them of all the nearly ripe spirit grain, but also killed two of my clansmen who were guarding them!"

"That's not all. This morning, someone nailed a letter to my door, saying... saying they'd come in four days to collect my 500 spirit stones as toll, or they'd massacre Ironwood Island!"

Xu Changqing put down his teacup with a soft sound.

"Five hundred spirit stones?"

He looked at Li Shan with a playful expression.

"These bandits certainly have a big appetite, but Elder Li's family is wealthy and powerful. Five hundred spirit stones is a lot, but it's better to spend money to avoid disaster..."

"This isn't about the money! If we give in this time, they'll come asking for it every few days. Even if the Li family had mountains of gold and silver, they'd be emptied out!"

"Moreover, judging from the way those people operate, they are extremely ruthless and don't follow the rules of the underworld at all. Paying them money doesn't necessarily guarantee your life."

This old fellow may be timid, but he's not senile.

Xu Changqing thought to himself, but his face remained calm as he looked at Li Shan indifferently.

"So Elder Li came today to ask the Xu family to pay these five hundred spirit stones?"