"Brother, are you out of your mind?!"
Cang Fengheng's face was filled with shock. "That is the most precious treasure left behind by the founder of our Cang Family. We are just going to hand it over to Xu Mingxian to study?
"Didn't we agree beforehand that we would only ask him to help complete the clan's fragmented fourth-tier grand array?"
"Calm down."
Facing Cang Fengheng's agitation, Cang Fengyan replied, "Our Cang Family is closely tied to the Heavenly Azure Sect. If the Xu Family truly goes to war with the Heavenly Azure Sect, will we be able to stay out of it?"
"The restriction on that item is incredibly profound and requires immense deductive ability. Since our Cang Family lacks the capability, we must entrust it to someone else.
"We only need him to agree that if he successfully breaks the jade box's restriction, and the contents turn out to be a formation inheritance, he will make a rubbing for our Cang Family."
"So that was your plan all along, Brother."
"Additionally, make a rubbing of the fragmented fourth-tier array and send it over as well."
"Mhm, I will leave it to you, Heng. While you are at it, make it clear that if the Xu Family intends to move against the Heavenly Azure Sect, our Cang Family is willing to lend our strength.
"After all, the vast majority of the Heavenly Azure Sect's grand array was set up by our Cang Family's ancestors.
"It would be much easier for us to dismantle it.
"If Daoist Friend Withered Glory is not foolish, he certainly won't refuse our goodwill."
Cang Fengheng gave a slight nod.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly, 'Such a massive entity like the Heavenly Azure Sect has stood here for thousands of years, yet now it is on the verge of officially stepping off the stage of history.'
Following that, Cang Fengheng cupped his hands in farewell and left the quiet room.
Cang Fengyan had been in seclusion recently, constantly comprehending his divine ability in hopes of cultivating it to perfection. Doing so would add another layer of certainty for when he eventually attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.
The Mo Family Ancestor achieving Nascent Soul formation, Xu Chuan matching a Nascent Soul cultivator with his sword formation, the Xu Family's Grand Elder Moyue achieving shapeshifting, and on top of that, a mysterious demonic dao expert successfully reaching the Nascent Soul Stage in Cloudstream City.
Each and every one of these events had stirred Heavenly Azure Prefecture into an unprecedented state of unrest.
Many at Golden Core perfection were growing restless, itching to make their move.
Of course, they were not foolish; they would not rashly attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.
After all, this was entirely different from attempting to form a Golden Core!
If one failed to break through to the Golden Core Stage, they could still continue to accumulate their heritage and wait for the next opportunity. However, failing to overcome the inner demon tribulation during Nascent Soul formation meant certain death and the erasure of one's cultivation path.
Within the Heavenly Azure Sect, True Lord Green Wood and True Lord Bingqian were also in seclusion, dedicating all their efforts to comprehending their divine abilities.
As long as one of them successfully reached the Nascent Soul Stage, the crisis facing the Heavenly Azure Sect would be mostly resolved.
Just like how the Heavenly Azure Sect was wary of the Mo Family Ancestor and dared not target them too aggressively.
If the Heavenly Azure Sect gained a new Nascent Soul cultivator, the Xu Family would not dare to act recklessly either, unless they wanted both sides to suffer utter defeat.
Ultimately, unless the gap in strength was overwhelmingly large, killing a Nascent Soul cultivator was simply too difficult.
Xu Residence.
Under the Withered Glory Tree.
Xu Chuan continued his silent, daily cultivation.
Aside from rare medicinal pills that required his personal touch, the rest of the pills, artifacts, formations, and talismans were naturally handled by others.
Whether it was matters within the Xu Residence or Cloudstream City, he didn't need to lift a finger to manage them.
He enjoyed a peaceful and carefree existence every day.
If he were a rogue cultivator, even upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, he would still have to worry and hustle for future cultivation resources.
Heading out with others to explore grotto-residences could result in being stabbed in the back, or facing oppression from powerful Golden Core cultivators belonging to other sects and aristocratic families.
Nearly a year had passed.
Xu Chuan was no longer far from the peak of the third layer of the Golden Core Stage.
Barring any accidents, he would inevitably encounter a bottleneck.
However, with the Golden Origin Pill in his possession, he had no reason to worry.
In terms of divine abilities.
His Life-Death Intent had not seen much progress; he was still quite a distance away from fully grasping the basics of its true intent.
If he succeeded in transforming it into a life and death divine ability, the results would likely be horrifyingly powerful.
This was because he faintly felt that this life and death divine ability should surpass the scope of ordinary divine abilities. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a Greater Divine Ability.
Generally speaking, unless one belonged to a top-tier Nascent Soul faction or stumbled upon a miraculous opportunity, it was highly unlikely for a Golden Core cultivator to ever come into contact with a Greater Divine Ability.
Even those at the Nascent Soul Stage might not have the chance.
Yet, relying on his two fate talents, Wither and Flourish, Life and Death and Heaven Rewards Diligence, Xu Chuan had embarked on the path of creating his own Greater Divine Ability.
However, this was destined to be an incredibly long and arduous process.
As for his other divine abilities, Yimu Green Light Evasion had finally reached great accomplishment following his protective divine ability.
He had also comprehended fragments of the true intent for Shadowless Assassination, Nether Shadow Evasion, and the Thousand Faces Art. Fully mastering their basics was only a matter of time.
The Profound Heaven Divine Refining Art, Thousand Spirits Art, and his divine sense secret methods were all stuck at bottlenecks.
If he wanted to make significant strides, he would likely need his divine sense to step into the Nascent Soul level. Once that happened, he would undoubtedly experience explosive growth.
Unfortunately, the second layer of the Profound Heaven Divine Refining Art stubbornly refused to reach perfection. Otherwise, he could have used the Divine Sense Crystal to attempt breaking through to a Nascent Soul level divine sense.
His rapid progress prior to this had entirely been due to his profound divine sense foundation and the influence of his talents.
After all, during both the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, his divine sense had achieved limit-breaking levels.
With every limit broken, his divine sense heritage deepened by another layer.
The further he progressed, the more pronounced this impact became.
'My foundation in divine abilities is likely already comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator who has practiced for hundreds or even a thousand years. I reckon they would only have one divine ability at perfection and two at great accomplishment.
Protective and evasion divine abilities are life-saving skills at critical moments. I still need to continue studying them.'
A few days later.
Cloudstream City, City Lord's Mansion main hall.
Chen Changge sat in the seat of honor, managing the city's administrative affairs.
Suddenly, an attendant came in to report that Cang Fengheng of the Cang Family had arrived for a visit.
Chen Changge paused in slight surprise.
Cang Fengheng was an elder of the Heavenly Azure Sect. Given the current strained relationship between the Heavenly Azure Sect and the Xu Family, he really shouldn't be visiting.
Yet, he was also once Xu Mingxian's Honored Master, sharing a bond of passing down teachings and resolving doubts.
Because of this, his status was exceptionally unique.
Chen Changge didn't dare to slight him, immediately having someone escort Cang Fengheng into the hall and serve him tea.
After a few pleasantries, Chen Changge cut straight to the chase. "Daoist Friend Cang, your esteemed presence graces us today. May I ask what brings you here?"
Then, he joked, "Could it be that you also wish to relocate your clan territory to Cloudstream City?"
Cang Fengheng wore a simple cyan robe. His hair and beard were entirely white, and his face was lean and ascetic, but his eyes remained clear and brimming with wisdom.
"City Lord Chen jests," he chuckled, waving his hand. "I came because I heard that my disciple, Mingxian, seems to have returned from Profound Moon Prefecture. I am just here to catch up with him."
Chen Changge's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive as he feigned slight surprise. "Oh? How did Daoist Friend Cang learn of Elder Mingxian's return?"
"So, is it true?" Cang Fengheng stroked his beard with a faint smile.
Chen Changge remained silent.
But for Cang Fengheng, that silence was an answer in itself.
He smiled gently and said, "It was merely a guess on my part. After all, the grand arrays of both the Inner City and Outer City were replaced, and even the formations at the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion were upgraded.
"That is not something an ordinary array master could accomplish.
"Perfected Person Green Cliff is a good friend of mine. I am well aware of his level in the Array Dao."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "For someone to spare no effort in undertaking such a massive overhaul of the city's formations... I imagine very few people outside of one's own family would dedicate themselves so completely.
"If it were me or the Patriarch of my Cang Family, setting aside the quality of the formations, simply completing the updates and iterations for such a massive quantity of arrays would take at least two years.
"Perhaps even longer."
Seeing Chen Changge still unmoved, Cang Fengheng's expression turned serious.
"Truthfully, aside from seeing Mingxian, I also came to present a treasure to the Xu Family and, in passing, discuss a transaction."
Noticing his sincerity, Chen Changge pondered for a moment before saying, "Since that is the case, please wait a moment, Daoist Friend Cang. Allow me to inform the Family Head."
"Sorry to trouble you, City Lord Chen."
Chen Changge immediately used his communication token to contact Xu Chuan, explaining the situation.
A moment later, Xu Chuan's calm voice drifted out. "Since Daoist Friend Cang has come in person, bring him to the Xu Residence's main hall for a chat."
"Yes, Family Head."
Chen Changge turned back to Cang Fengheng with a smile. "Daoist Friend Cang, the Family Head has agreed. Please come with me to the Xu Residence."
"Much obliged, City Lord Chen."
Chen Changge guided Cang Fengheng to the Xu Residence.
Servants were already waiting inside and escorted the two of them to the main hall.
In the hall, Xu Chuan was already seated in the head position. Xu Mingxian, dressed in a moon-white robe, sat in the lower seat to his left.
"Daoist Friend Cang, it has been a long time," Xu Chuan greeted with a smile, gesturing. "Please, have a seat."
Xu Mingxian stood up, took a step forward, and cupped his fists. "Mingxian greets you, Honored Master."
Cang Fengheng looked at Xu Mingxian, a barely noticeable trace of complexity flashing in his eyes. "No need for formalities. Seeing your cultivation break through to the Golden Core Stage brings me great comfort.
"However, your attainments in formations have now far surpassed my own. I am no longer fit to be your Honored Master."
"A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime," Xu Mingxian replied. "This disciple will always etch the grace of your teachings into my heart."
Everyone took their seats, and the maidservants withdrew after serving tea.
Xu Chuan got straight to the point. "I just heard from Elder Chen that Daoist Friend Cang has a treasure to offer and a transaction to discuss. Please, speak freely."
Cang Fengheng's expression straightened as he retrieved two items from his sleeve.
The first was an archaic thirty-centimeter-square jade box. It was made of neither metal nor wood and possessed a warm, smooth texture.
Its surface was densely carved with ancient runes as tiny as ants, faintly containing flowing streams of light. One glance was enough to tell it was absolutely no ordinary object.
The other item was a Cyan Jade Slip.
"Mingxian, take a look at these two items." Cang Fengheng handed both objects to Xu Mingxian.
The jade box's surface was covered in restrictions. After a brief inspection, a look of surprise washed over Xu Mingxian's face. "What a profound restriction. This seal has existed for at least a thousand years.
"The one who laid down this restriction must have been a fourth-tier array master, and one exceedingly skilled in the Dao of Restrictions at that!"
Hearing this, Xu Chuan's eyes also rippled slightly.
"What sharp insight, Mingxian!"
Cang Fengheng stroked his beard and smiled. "This jade box was left behind by the founder of our Cang Family and is our most precious treasure. Legend says it contains the inheritance he left behind.
"For countless years, our Cang Family has never lacked outstanding array talents, yet no one has been able to crack the restriction upon it.
"The jade box's restriction is incomprehensibly miraculous. It requires an extremely high comprehension of formations and formidable deductive abilities to unravel.
"As for the contents of the box, our descendants guess it holds a formation inheritance. However, the founder never explicitly stated it, so while it might be a formation inheritance, it could just as easily be some other rare treasure.
"I, representing the Cang Family, wish to gift this box to Mingxian."
Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "Daoist Friend Cang, this treasure is truly a bit too precious."
"It is no matter. Since my Cang Family has made its choice, we won't go back on our word."
Cang Fengheng stroked his beard with a smile. "However, if Mingxian is fortunate enough to break the restriction and the item inside is indeed related to a formation inheritance...
"Then I brazenly plead that the Xu Family makes a rubbing of it to return to our Cang Family, so that we may honor the founder's legacy and fulfill the desire of us descendants to complete our family's inheritance.
"If it turns out to be some other treasure, then it shall belong to the Xu Family, and the Cang Family will have no objections whatsoever."
Next, he pointed to the Cyan Jade Slip. "As for this jade slip, it is a rubbing of another jade slip left by our Cang Family's founder.
"It records a fragmented fourth-tier grand array he left behind.
"It is equally profound.
"For over a thousand years, the descendants of our Cang Family have been entirely unable to complete it."
"A fragmented array?" Xu Chuan asked in surprise. "I heard that the founder of your Cang Family was a renowned fourth-tier array master. Why would he leave behind an incomplete fourth-tier array?"
"Perhaps it was to protect the Cang Family," Cang Fengheng sighed softly, shaking his head. He then added, "True Lord Withered Glory, are you willing to accept them?"
Xu Chuan's eyes flickered, as if weighing the offer.
Both items would undoubtedly be of immense use to Xu Mingxian, but...
"Daoist Friend Cang, you should first clarify what kind of transaction you wish to make with my Xu Family."
Cang Fengheng's gaze swept over Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian. Nodding slightly, he said, "Firstly, we wish to ask Mingxian to crack the restriction and complete the fragmented array, so we might finally glimpse the full picture of what our founder left behind.
"Secondly, given the current state of affairs, our Cang Family wishes to form an alliance with Cloudstream City.
"If the Xu Family intends to replace the Heavenly Azure Sect, our Cang Family can certainly be of great help.
"After all, the vast majority of the Heavenly Azure Sect's formations were laid down by the array masters among our Cang Family's ancestors."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to stagnate for a moment.
A look of surprise flashed through Xu Chuan's eyes. Gazing at Cang Fengheng, he spoke slowly, "Daoist Friend Cang, your words... truly catch me off guard.
"The Heavenly Azure Sect was founded by your Cang Family's ancestor, after all. It boasts an inheritance spanning over two millennia, and the Cang Family's roots run deep within it.
"Can you truly bear to watch it be destroyed in a single day?"
Hearing this, a deep sense of helplessness and melancholy appeared on Cang Fengheng's face. He sighed, "Family Head Xu, where in this world is there an eternal, undying sect?
"If the descendants of our Cang Family possessed the capability, the sect's authority would never have fallen into the hands of other aristocratic families."
Xu Chuan understood that he was referring to the Xi Family incident.
"When the founder established the Heavenly Azure Sect, it flourished for a time. Yet today's Heavenly Azure Sect, while retaining the name, has long been monopolized by the Xi Family. Our Cang Family's juniors suffer frequent ostracization and are barred from grasping core authority.
"If it weren't for the fact that our clan excels in the Array Dao and is highly useful to the Heavenly Azure Sect, we might have already been erased from Heavenly Azure Prefecture by now.
"The sect is clouded in lethargy, lacking any drive for progress, and instead focuses its efforts on suppressing other factions.
"Rotten wood cannot bear weight. It must be broken before it can be rebuilt anew.
"Only by allowing a vibrant, newly risen power with a greater vision like the Xu Family to take its place can new life and a fresh atmosphere truly be brought to Heavenly Azure Prefecture.
"This is not a matter of having the heart to do it; it is simply the natural trend of the times.
"It is also about forging a new path for the future of my Cang Family."
Xu Chuan remained silent, not immediately offering an answer. Instead, he secretly transmitted his voice to Xu Mingxian, 'Mingxian, what do you think of this?'
Xu Mingxian had been closely examining the jade box in his hands all along.
Hearing the transmission, he replied, 'Father, the restriction on this box is incredibly miraculous!
'Its runic structure is ancient and profound, each link tightly interlocking with the next. It is even more brilliant than the ones I saw at the Profound Moon Sect.
'The Cang Family's founder was famous for his formations, but I suspect his true mastery lay in the Dao of Restrictions.
'Perhaps he acquired some profound, ancient restriction inheritance.
'The item inside might very well be that inheritance.
'If I can break it open and obtain it, it will vastly elevate my attainments in the Dao of Restrictions.
'Even if it isn't, anything protected by such a restriction is absolutely no small matter. Its value would be immeasurable.
'As for that fragmented fourth-tier array, with my deductive abilities rivaling those of a fourth-tier array master, there is a very high hope of completing it. Though I will need to study it thoroughly first.'
Having heard this, Xu Chuan already had a plan in mind.
If Cang Fengheng had tried to propose an alliance with the Xu Family with nothing but empty talk, the current Xu Family truly might not have looked favorably upon it.
Offering these items was a way of increasing his bargaining chips.
After pondering for a moment, he said to Cang Fengheng, "Your deep trust in the Xu Family flatters me, Daoist Friend Cang. On Mingxian's behalf, I accept these two items.
"My Xu Family agrees to what you proposed earlier.
"However, I ask Daoist Friend Cang to remember firmly: by allying with my Xu Family, you must follow Cloudstream City's lead blindly. For the next ten years, you will obey my Xu Family's dispatch.
"If you display any fickleness or betray us, my Xu Family will show absolutely no mercy!"
Cang Fengheng stood up and cupped his hands heavily. "Many thanks, True Lord Withered Glory. The Cang Family shall take these words to heart!"
With that said, he turned to Xu Mingxian once more. "I leave the cracking and completion of these two items in your hands, Mingxian."
Xu Mingxian gave a slight nod.