Jade Cold Pool.
Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu were both there.
Among the younger generation, Xu Dezhao, Xu Deling, and Xu Deheng were present.
Xu Mingxian was still in seclusion studying formations and hadn't emerged for over half a month.
"Father, with both the Chang family and Zhou family arriving, what could it be about?" Xu Mingxuan walked to Xu Chuan's side and asked softly.
Xu Chuan gazed toward the Xu family's main residence at the foot of the mountain. Without turning to look at Xu Mingxuan, he said indifferently, "What do you think, is the arrival of these two good or bad?"
"Hard to say. The impact of this matter won't manifest in a short time."
Xu Chuan nodded slightly, then added, "Just wait for news from your big brother and the others."
He could roughly guess some of it in his heart.
Xu Family Main Hall.
"What brings Young Master Zhou here? It would be normal for Brother Haowen to come, since our two families have dealings, but we have none with the Zhou family, do we?" Xu Mingwei looked at him and asked with puzzlement.
Zhou Shaocheng smiled faintly, "Indeed so. Actually, not long ago, this Zhou only just heard of your Xu family's name, and it was from the Chang family's mouth."
His words intentionally or unintentionally pointed to the Chang family.
Chang Haowen knew he couldn't keep playing deaf and dumb, so he said, "So that's how it is. My father once asked Young Master Zhou about a pill Dao guest elder of the Zhou family, the very same Zhou family guest elder that Brother Mingyuan mentioned years ago who intended to take one of your family's disciples."
"Daoist Sansu? He once stayed at our Xu family."
"It really is him!"
Chang Haowen and Zhou Shaocheng both thought almost in unison.
"Where is Daoist Sansu now?" Zhou Shaocheng hurriedly asked. "My grandfather is the Zhou family's chief pill master and is also good friends with Daoist Sansu."
"Zhou Sen's grandson." Xu Mingwei was secretly surprised. He hadn't expected the person the Zhou family sent would have such a background.
After pondering for a moment, he smiled and said, "Where Daoist Sansu is, how would our Xu family know?"
"Young Master Zhou doesn't think he would cultivate in such a rural, remote place, does he?"
"True enough." Zhou Shaocheng sighed softly. "The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here is thin. It truly offers no benefit to immortal cultivators."
However, this showed that Daoist Sansu's relationship with the Xu family was merely that of a disciple's family and didn't warrant excessive attention.
After thinking about it, he glanced at Chang Haowen again.
"I can roughly guess what this person is planning. It's nothing more than wanting to befriend the Xu family, hoping to obtain pills refined by Daoist Sansu from them.
"Unless Daoist Sansu is a member of the Xu family, how could they possibly obtain immortal cultivation pills from the Xu family? They don't even have any immortal cultivators.
"Though it's also possible he wants to befriend Daoist Sansu through the Xu family."
Zhou Shaocheng chuckled inwardly. Immortal cultivators, especially rogue cultivators, generally only cared about themselves. They might look after a disciple, but what did a disciple's family have to do with them?
As far as he knew, when rogue cultivators took disciples, they all took them away from their families for at least ten or twenty years before returning, sometimes even longer.
Leaving home young, even if one returned someday, how much sense of belonging to the family could there be?
"Since that's the case, this Zhou won't stay long. I must return and inform my grandfather of this news."
Xu Mingwei said, "I'll see Young Master Zhou out."
The two left and only Xu Mingyuan and Chang Haowen remained in the hall.
"Brother Haowen also came to inquire about Daoist Sansu's whereabouts, didn't you?" Xu Mingyuan smiled faintly at him. "Unfortunately, our Xu family doesn't know either and can't help you, Brother Haowen."
"Rogue cultivators come and go without a trace, rarely staying in one place. This Chang can understand. I only hope that when Daoist Sansu visits your Xu family again, you might introduce our Chang family."
"Certainly. The Chang family has protected our Xu family in the commandery city. This small matter should naturally be helped with. If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll definitely notify Brother Haowen to come and pay respects."
"Thank you." Chang Haowen cupped his fists. "This Chang doesn't wish to travel with Young Master Zhou. I'll impose on your Xu family for another half hour."
"What are you saying, Brother Haowen? I have nothing to do anyway. I'll accompany you for a walk around our Xu family."
Xu Mingwei returned to the hall and, upon hearing this, nodded and said, "Second Brother, I'll trouble you to entertain Brother Haowen then. I have other matters to attend to."
"Brother Mingwei, please go ahead," Chang Haowen said with a smile.
Xu Mingwei cupped his fists in acknowledgment and left.
Chang Haowen observed his departing figure, then suddenly smiled faintly and said to Xu Mingyuan, "Brother Mingyuan, I observe that your big brother's essence is full and his spirit abundant. His aura is completely natural, vastly different from before."
"Big Brother has held the position of family head for a long time. If he didn't have such cultivation of composure, wouldn't he be laughed at?"
"Haha, that's true. But with his talent, he must have entered the grandmaster realm by now."
"If Brother Haowen thinks so, then so be it."
Chang Haowen thought to himself: Could it be that he entered the grandmaster realm long ago and has already taken a great step forward in this realm?
For someone with such exceptional talent, even in his Chang family, one might only appear once every few decades.
Xu Mingwei slipped out of the Xu family's main residence without a sound and came to the Jade Cold Pool.
"Big Brother, you're here," Xu Mingxuan said. "What did those two from the Chang family and Zhou family come to our Xu family for?"
"To inquire about Father's whereabouts, but they were dismissed with a few words. After all, they could never imagine that the Daoist Sansu they seek is quietly cultivating in these obscure mountains."
Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "This will only fool them for now."
"If Zhou Sen came today and swept with his divine sense, your cultivation levels couldn't be hidden from him. He'd figure out all the oddities with just a moment's thought."
"Father speaks truly." Xu Mingwei cupped his fists, then continued, "But it won't need to be much longer. When the Su and Zhou families have their decisive battle, that will be the time for our Xu family to reveal ourselves.
"With Father's relationship with the Zhou family, you should choose to help the Zhou family, right?"
Xu Chuan nodded slightly.
"News from the commandery city says the Su and Zhou families are heavily recruiting martial families to support them. The Zhou family is still reasonable, at least not forcing anyone, but the Su family acts tyrannically. I heard some Yang family disciples died mysteriously, suspected to be the Su family's doing."
"When heaven wishes to destroy someone, it first drives them mad." Xu Chuan's eyes shifted as he said indifferently, "If the Su family were willing to abandon the arrogance of their former hegemonic position and promise generous benefits to each family instead of relying on coercion, there might still be a chance.
"At least after the Su family's Foundation Establishment ancestor passes, they could still hold a place in Yuehu Commandery."
Xu Mingwei nodded and said, "It's strange to say. When the Su family suddenly made moves against the various Qi Refining families last year, what was originally a chaotic situation suddenly became clearly divided and tense."
As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Mingxuan.
"Big Brother, why are you looking at me?" Xu Mingxuan asked in surprise.
Xu Mingwei sighed softly, "I wonder if it's related to encountering Tantou's herb-gathering team last year."
"It probably is." Xu Chuan's lips curved into a slight smile. "Our Xu family inadvertently pushed things along, helping to fan the situation in Yuehu Commandery to this point."
"Our Xu family only needs to intervene at the final stage and help the Zhou family destroy the Su family in one stroke. When that time comes, you can make the trip personally."
"Yes, Father."
Xu Chuan looked at Xu Mingxuan, "You and Xueji also need to speed up your cultivation."
Xu Mingxuan grinned, "Father, even if you don't believe in our talent, you should at least believe in your own pill Dao, shouldn't you?"
"Glib tongue." Xu Chuan laughed and scolded.
"Xueji should be able to step into the immortal path around April or May. I should be a bit later, but I'll definitely break through before the first autumn winds arrive."
Time passed swiftly.
A year and a half flew by in the blink of an eye.
With the enhancement of Xu Chuan's pill Dao, the members of the Xu family all seemed to be riding flying swords, leaving ordinary family members far behind with no trace in sight.
At the Jade Cold Pool, the spiritual energy concentration was gradually increasing.
The trees and medicinal herbs planted here all seemed to be growing at double speed.
Xu Chuan also performed the Minor Cloud and Rain Technique and Wood Spirit Formula every month to promote the rapid growth of the medicinal materials.
The spiritual herb seedlings collected previously, as well as the spiritual herbs gathered from the Broken Fang Mountain Range, had all long since been planted and were thriving under Xu Chuan's cultivation.
This place was only temporarily serving as the Xu family's medicinal garden.
In the future, when the Xu family developed to a certain scale, they would definitely find another location, set up formations for isolation, and have cultivators skilled in growing herbs guard it. It couldn't be as casually accessible as this.
…
White Jade Chamber.
The quiet chamber the Xu family had previously constructed, with the white jade circular platform installed inside.
At this moment, inside the White Jade Chamber.
On the three-tiered white jade circular platform, Xu Mingyuan sat cross-legged at the center, circulating the secret technique of the Innate Five Elements Creation Art to convert his innate true qi into magical power.
Half a day later, a fluctuation of magical power rippled through the quiet chamber.
After Xu Mingxian comprehended the divine sense blocking restriction, he had applied it to the White Jade Chamber and some other important locations in the Xu family to prevent others from spying with divine sense in the future.
As for the divine consciousness blocking restriction, that wasn't complete yet.
The breath-concealing formation was somewhat profound. He also hadn't fully comprehended it yet and was currently focusing all his efforts on this formation.
He believed that before long, good news would surely come.
Another half hour passed, the door of the White Jade Chamber opened, and Xu Mingyuan, wearing a dark robe trimmed with gold, walked out.
Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu were both waiting there.
"Second Brother, you've finally come out of seclusion."
Xu Mingshu grinned. Her red outfit was quite eye-catching, while Xu Mingxuan still wore his green robe.
"Now our Xu family's five children are finally complete."
"Yes, we're all here now."
Xu Mingyuan smiled slightly. All five of them had embarked on the path of immortal cultivation.
"Second Brother, this is a copy of the Breath Concealment Technique. Father also wants you to cultivate it successfully as soon as possible and conceal your cultivation level." Xu Mingxuan took a storage bag, retrieved a text, and handed it to Xu Mingyuan.
Xu Mingyuan took it and flipped through it, then also placed it in his own storage bag, replying, "I will diligently cultivate this technique and won't fall too far behind you."
"Second Brother, I've already begun the introductory stage," Xu Mingshu said with a hint of pride.
"What's there to be proud of with Second Brother? If you want to compare, go compare with Father and Big Brother. If not them, comparing with Little Ling'er would also work. She reached peak fourth layer of Qi Refining recently.
"If you don't break through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining soon, she'll catch up to you, her aunt."
"Little Ling'er is the cultivation genius with the highest aptitude in our Xu family. If she surpasses me, her aunt, I'd be happy before anything else."
Xu Mingyuan and Xu Mingxuan exchanged glances and both shook their heads with wry smiles.
"Enough idle chat. Is Father not here?"
"He should be at the residence."
"Then I'll head down the mountain first."
These two years, the Xu family's strength had grown rapidly.
Not only had Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingshu, and the others successively stepped into the immortal path.
Even the next generation was growing swiftly.
Xu Dezhao had already reached the peak of late innate realm, just one step away from innate perfection, and that step wouldn't hold him back for too long.
Xu Dejing and Xu Dewen both had second-rate martial artist strength.
They were the same age, but the former had just entered second-rate martial artist while the latter was already at the late stage, approaching first-rate martial artist.
This was the gap in martial talent.
Xu Deling went without saying. Along with Xu Dezhao, she was a core figure of the third generation, at peak fourth layer of Qi Refining. If classified by current martial realm divisions, that would be peak late innate realm and she was currently only eleven years old.
Once she fully mastered the Crimson Hawk Spirit Eyes, this innate spirit eye ability, fighting across realms wouldn't be a problem.