"Profound Moon Sect? True Lord Qingxuan?!"
The guard captain's heart trembled violently. The Profound Moon Sect was the number one sect in the Northwest Region.
Although the Azure Dragon Alliance and the Profound Moon Sect were nominally on equal footing, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Profound Moon Sect acted as the Upper Sect for every faction across the prefectures.
Who among the various factions would dare disobey their orders?
While the guard captain didn't recognize True Lord Qingxuan, anyone bearing the title of "True Lord" could not possibly be a minor figure.
Daring not to delay, he immediately pulled out a specially made Communication Talisman to urgently report the news to Deputy City Lord Chen Changge.
"True Lord Qingxuan?"
Chen Changge was slightly startled upon receiving the message. 'Why is he here?'
Without time to overthink, he immediately replied, "Quickly bring the two Profound Moon Sect elders to the City Lord's Mansion. Do not slight them."
The guard captain immediately turned and said, "Two seniors, City Lord Chen has instructed me to guide you to the City Lord's Mansion. Please follow me."
"We aren't going to the Xu Residence?" Zhang Xuanzhi asked curiously.
"This junior does not know."
"Lead the way," True Lord Qingxuan said.
Before long, they arrived at the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion.
Chen Changge and Tang Yuanli were both waiting at the entrance. Seeing the two approach, they immediately stepped forward and clasped their fists. "Greetings, True Lord Qingxuan. Greetings, Daoist Friend Zhang."
"You are too polite, fellow Daoists," True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi returned the greeting.
The group entered the main hall.
"Please have a seat. Serve the tea."
Maidservants who had prepared beforehand served freshly brewed Spirit Tea.
"True Lord Qingxuan gracing Cloudstream City with your presence truly makes our humble home shine. According to the guards, the True Lord has come to visit our Family Head?"
"Family Head?" Zhang Xuanzhi voiced his surprise.
Chen Changge smiled and explained, "I have already joined the Xu Family as a guest elder."
"May I ask where Daoist Friend Kurong is? This old man hasn't seen him in quite some time and was hoping to pay him a visit."
From the moment True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi entered the Inner City, their every move had fallen under Moyue's watchful eyes.
His divine sense had been secretly observing them all along.
'Looking for Xu Chuan? Could it be that matter he mentioned?'
Moyue's eyes rippled slightly. He immediately left the Xu Residence and headed for the City Lord's Mansion.
Chen Changge and Tang Yuanli exchanged glances before Chen Changge sighed softly. "To tell the True Lord the truth, our Family Head went out traveling quite some time ago."
"He isn't here?" True Lord Qingxuan was genuinely surprised.
"Then is Junior Brother Mingxian present?"
"He is not here either."
Hearing this, True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi furrowed their brows slightly.
Could it be they had made a wasted trip today?
Right at this moment.
A thick and intense demonic aura surged into the hall from outside.
Soon after, a burly figure strode into the hall.
It was precisely Moyue!
"Whatever matters you have, just speak with me."
'A Shapeshifting Great Demon! It really is from the Flood Dragon clan!'
The moment True Lord Qingxuan saw Moyue, his pupils contracted.
This overbearing aura was not the slightest bit inferior to his Sect Master's.
'To possess such might right after entering the Shapeshifting stage... this Flood Dragon's bloodline is extraordinary!'
Having made his judgment, True Lord Qingxuan promptly stood up and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Senior."
The others followed suit.
"Greetings, Senior!"
"Greetings, Grand Elder!"
Moyue sat directly in the seat of honor. His dark golden slit pupils swept over True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi. "I know a bit about your purpose for coming here; Xu Chuan told me about it.
"While he is away, the Azure Dragon Prefecture honors my authority.
"Therefore, you can speak with me."
True Lord Qingxuan felt somewhat surprised. After pondering for a moment, he clasped his hands and said, "Then I ask Senior, along with Senior Mo, to proceed to our Profound Moon Sect before the twenty-first day of the third month to discuss matters concerning the Ancient Battlefield."
'So it really is this matter!'
'Xu Chuan guessed it flawlessly!'
"I understand. I will definitely attend the appointment," Moyue nodded slightly.
"By the way, do you know where Daoist Friend Kurong is currently traveling? The Ancient Battlefield is a massive opportunity, and this old man has heard that he now possesses Nascent Soul combat power.
"Given his strength, it would be truly regrettable if he missed it."
The phrase "massive opportunity" made Chen Changge and Tang Yuanli's hearts stir.
"Rest assured. Since Xu Chuan knows about it, he naturally won't miss it."
True Lord Qingxuan nodded faintly.
At this moment, Zhang Xuanzhi chimed in, "May I ask where the Phoenix Plume Fairy is?"
Moyue examined Zhang Xuanzhi with keen interest, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "What, are you hoping to court Little Ling?"
"Senior must be joking. This junior merely wishes to exchange a few pointers with her."
"Is that so," Moyue suddenly felt bored and remarked. "Do you think that in the entire Northwest Region, only Little Ling is worthy of being your opponent?"
Seeing him remain silent, a sharp glint flashed in Moyue's eyes as he continued, "You haven't even reached the mid-stage Golden Core realm yet. Stop your wishful thinking.
"Do you think you are Xu Chuan?"
A hint of anger rose in Zhang Xuanzhi's eyes. "Why must Senior belittle me so?"
"I am merely speaking the truth. I don't know about the rest of Heavenly South, but at least in the entire Northwest Region, there shouldn't be anyone in the younger generation capable of matching Little Ling."
The "younger generation" Moyue referred to naturally meant cultivators under one hundred and twenty years old.
"How can anyone guarantee victory or defeat without even fighting?"
"You're young, but you've got quite the temper. You have no chance, but that old man beside you might."
"Senior jests. This old man is already over four hundred years old; how could I compete with a junior?"
Moyue naturally didn't bother to explain in detail.
"Alright, if there is nothing else, you may leave. Xu Chuan and the rest of the Xu Family are currently not present."
'None of them are here?'
True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi were slightly startled and exchanged a glance.
"This junior understands. Then we shall take our leave."
True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi didn't linger and immediately departed.
Zhang Xuanzhi had originally come to spar with Xu Deling, but unfortunately, it was a wasted trip.
After exiting Cloudstream City.
The two headed directly back to the Profound Moon Prefecture.
When they came, they had used a Teleportation Array to arrive directly within the borders of the Azure Dragon Prefecture, but for the return trip, they could only rely on flying.
"Senior Brother Qingxuan, that Shapeshifting Great Demon is truly arrogant."
"Are you angry, Junior Brother?" True Lord Qingxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "The Demon Race is inherently like this. However, the fact that the Xu Family managed to nurture a Shapeshifting Great Demon shows that their methods are truly formidable.
"Although the Ancestor possesses overwhelming methods and capturing a Shapeshifting Great Demon wouldn't be hard, getting one to submit is incredibly difficult.
"If we can trade for this method in the future, it would greatly benefit our Profound Moon Sect."
Pausing for a moment, he added, "However, perhaps that Great Demon wasn't lying. The providence of the number one prodigy is incredibly massive.
"Even without the nurturing of a top-tier faction, her growth won't be slow."
Zhang Xuanzhi felt indignant in his heart.
True Lord Qingxuan cast a glance at him and sighed softly inward.
This was the arrogance of a prodigy from a major power.
But there was always a higher sky, and always a stronger person.
Back in his youth, he had also been a prodigy who achieved Divine Ability Core Formation. After forming his core, he traveled everywhere and hit many walls before his sharp edges were gradually smoothed out.
Simply put.
He just hadn't experienced enough of the cruel beatings of reality!
'Can he compete with me?' True Lord Qingxuan silently recalled Moyue's words. 'The Azure Dragon Prefecture... perhaps our Profound Moon Sect should strengthen our connection with this place.'
Because the distance was too vast, information was quite restricted. Only major events—such as a war between two prefectures, the appearance of a Connate Secret Realm, or a faction usurping control of an entire prefecture—would spread quickly to other regions.
As for everything else, it was hard to say.
After the two departed.
Moyue had Chen Changge send someone to fetch Mo Wentian.
At this time, Mo Wentian was at the Azure Dragon Alliance's mountain gate, cultivating using the low-grade Tier 4 spirit vein.
Since the Azure Dragon Prefecture wouldn't undergo any major changes in the short term and the Mo Family was in no danger, he naturally had to seize the time to elevate his own cultivation realm.
The Mo Family's own spirit vein provided little assistance to him.
Thus, much like Xi Daoyun, he usually stationed himself at the Azure Dragon Alliance.
"Moyue is looking for me?"
Mo Wentian pondered for a moment after receiving the message, then promptly headed to Cloudstream City.
Moments later.
He arrived at the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion.
"Daoist Friend Moyue, why have you called this old man over?"
"Senior Mo, just now, True Lord Qingxuan and Zhang Xuanzhi from the Profound Moon Sect came to invite you and the Grand Elder to arrive at the Profound Moon Sect before the twenty-first day of the third month to discuss the Ancient Battlefield."
"The Ancient Battlefield is opening again?" Mo Wentian's pupils contracted.
As a noble family with over a thousand years of heritage in this region, the Mo Family naturally knew about it.
The last time the Ancient Battlefield opened, the Mo Family lost three late-stage Golden Core cultivators, causing their strength to plummet.
Although they had recovered long ago, when it came to late-stage Golden Core foundations—setting Mo Wentian aside—they were still inferior to the Lei Family.
"Senior Mo knows about it?" Chen Changge asked in surprise.
"Naturally. It is a massive opportunity, but also a massive danger. It opens once every five hundred years. However, unless a clan has four or five Golden Core cultivators and doesn't fear completely severing their Golden Core inheritance...
"...it's best not to entertain any ideas about it."
"Without life-saving trump cards, shocking combat power, or heaven-defying providence, going there is just seeking death."
"You old rascal, you certainly know quite a bit. Since you know, you can leave. I'll notify you when it's time to depart."
"Daoist Friend Moyue, will you be going this time? Is Daoist Friend Xu not going?"
"What business is that of yours?"
Mo Wentian's mouth twitched.
He knew that Moyue had always ignored him and even looked down on him slightly, so he didn't mind it much.
Chen Changge chimed in, "The Family Head and the other elders have all gone out. But according to the Grand Elder, they will all participate in the Ancient Battlefield matter."
Mo Wentian wasn't surprised.
After all, with combat power like Xu Chuan's, it would be a real pity if he didn't go.
"This old man understands. If anything comes up, feel free to notify me at the Alliance."
Mo Wentian didn't linger and immediately headed back to the headquarters of the Azure Dragon Alliance.
In the blink of an eye.
The day of the Profound Moon Sect's invitation drew near.
Moyue and Mo Wentian set off for the Profound Moon Sect.
They arrived a few days later.
Seeing a Shapeshifting Great Demon approach, the disciples guarding the Profound Moon Sect's mountain gate were initially alarmed, but he was accompanied by a Nascent Soul senior.
It was obvious that the Shapeshifting Great Demon was also here by invitation.
Therefore, they didn't dare to neglect them and had someone lead the two to the discussion hall.
Several Nascent Soul cultivators were already present in the hall.
There were both early-stage and mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. Qi Tianxiong was strikingly among them.
He swept a glance over the two, his eyes flashing briefly before he looked away.
Many of the others were also curious and threw a few extra glances their way.
But everyone present was an old monster who had lived for many years. They were deeply shrewd and wouldn't do something as petty as provoking them verbally.
About half a day later.
A few more Nascent Soul cultivators arrived.
Then, the Profound Moon Sect's Sect Master, Zhang Daoran, finally appeared.
"Welcome to the Profound Moon Sect, fellow Daoists. You should all know the reason for this gathering. The timeframe for this War of Two Domains has already been finalized.
"It will take place half a year from now, on the ninth day of the tenth month.
"This time, our Profound Moon Sect has decided to depart from the Azure Dragon Prefecture side.
"On the first day of the tenth month.
"Those from each prefecture intending to participate in the War of Two Domains will gather at Grand Harmony Lake.
"Every prefecture must send at least five hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and five Golden Core cultivators.
"As for after the Ancient Battlefield manifests, entering it will be entirely voluntary.
"During this period, all factional conflicts between the prefectures are strictly forbidden. If discovered, our Profound Moon Sect will personally intervene and annihilate the offenders as a warning."
The cultivators from the other Nascent Soul factions clearly weren't here for the first time, so they remained unmoved.
Only Moyue and Mo Wentian's pupils shrank slightly.
"Also, concerning the War of Two Domains, leaking information is strictly prohibited. Everyone participating must swear a Dao Heart Oath not to carelessly tell others after returning.
"Nascent Soul cultivators may reveal a little when the War of Two Domains approaches, but they must not touch upon the core details."
'War of Two Domains? They sure know how to sugarcoat it,'
Moyue inwardly criticized.
Naturally, he had also heard Xu Chuan speak of the blood sacrifice.
The high probability was that the Blackwater Region side would start the slaughter while the Heavenly South side refused to intervene. Afterward, the two sides would clash in mutual slaughter until the Ancient Battlefield appeared.
Then, they would enter to search for opportunities.
"The announcements end here. Do you have any doubts, fellow Daoists?"
Zhang Daoran looked toward Mo Wentian. "Daoist Friend Mo, you are a newly advanced Nascent Soul of our Northwest Region, so this should be your first time participating in the War of Two Domains. Is there anything you don't understand?"
Hearing this, Mo Wentian fell deep in thought.
Although the Mo Family knew about the Ancient Battlefield and this war, they were ignorant of the specific circumstances.
"Regarding the War of Two Domains, does it only involve the Golden Core stage?"
"Early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators may also join, but in the past, very few have ever taken action. They usually just directly enter after the Ancient Battlefield manifests."
"If one joins, can they kill those with a cultivation base lower than theirs, or are they meant to slaughter Nascent Soul cultivators from the Blackwater Region?"
"There are no rules in this war," Zhang Daoran said indifferently. "Or rather, the only rule is to survive until the Ancient Battlefield closes."
Mo Wentian frowned slightly, thinking to himself, 'It seems the records kept by my Mo Family are far too rough. They completely miss the core of this event.'
After a pause, he asked again, "Then what is the situation concerning the Ancient Battlefield? What is it like inside?"
"If you are willing to pay the price, this Sect Master can reveal a few things. You may also trade with the fellow Daoists present who know the inside story.
"All this Sect Master can say is that the Ancient Battlefield contains massive opportunities, as well as massive dangers.
"Speaking of the Ancient Battlefield.
"This time, our Profound Moon Sect has issued a bounty: one Ancient Prodigy Token can be exchanged for one high-grade innate spirit item. Three tokens handed over at once can be exchanged for a low-grade Tier 4 spirit vein.
"If none of these catch your eye, you may also make a single request.
"As long as it isn't excessive and our Profound Moon Sect can accomplish it, we will fulfill it.
"For example, Dharma Idol inheritances, life-extending pills, or even realm-breaking pills.
"Of course, these items are limited."
"Can we only use Ancient Prodigy Tokens to make these exchanges?"
A gaunt old man with slightly graying temples suddenly asked.
"Correct," Zhang Daoran said. "This is a joint agreement between our Profound Moon Sect, the Azure Cloud Sect, the Feather Transformation Sect, and others. Besides our Profound Moon Sect, you can also exchange them with the other four major powers.
"As for other opportunities you obtain in the Ancient Battlefield, if you feel you cannot protect them, you may hand over a portion to our Profound Moon Sect, and our sect will offer you asylum.
"The duration of this protection will depend on the rarity of the items."
The crowd remained silent.
Zhang Daoran surveyed everyone and asked, "Are there any more doubts? If not, this discussion concludes here."
Seeing that no one spoke up, he smiled faintly. "In that case, do not forget: gather at Grand Harmony Lake on the first day of the tenth month, fellow Daoists."
Everyone cupped their hands, then stood up and began to leave.
Qi Tianxiong shot a glance at Moyue and Mo Wentian before shooting into the sky, turning into a black ray of light and flying far away.
"What a lunatic!"
Moyue muttered a quiet curse, then left as well.
Mo Wentian followed closely by his side, neither daring to step too close nor lagging too far behind.
Zhang Daoran stood at the entrance of the main hall, gazing into the distance as Moyue and the others departed, his eyes rippling slightly.
'Xu Chuan didn't come... is he still out traveling?'
As a peerless genius capable of fighting Nascent Soul cultivators while only in the Golden Core stage, Zhang Daoran naturally paid extra attention to him.
Even the other prefectures in the Northwest Region were highly curious about Xu Chuan.
After all, to them, Xu Chuan was like a marvelous talent that had popped out of nowhere.
Of course, the greater reason Zhang Daoran cared about Xu Chuan was because his own master looked upon him favorably.
'After this Ancient Battlefield, it will be time for me to break through to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul as well.'
With those thoughts, he returned to his own mountain peak.
A few days later.
Moyue and Mo Wentian returned to the Azure Dragon Prefecture. Soon after, they convened a meeting in the Azure Dragon Alliance's council hall.
"The War of Two Domains is about to begin. Which fellow Daoists are interested?"
Mo Wentian scanned the crowd and asked.
Lei Wuji asked, "Grand Elder, the First Elder isn't here. Should we wait until he returns before discussing this matter further?"
"There's no need to wait," Moyue replied. "He will lead the Xu Family disciples to participate. This War of Two Domains is indeed dangerous, but the Ancient Battlefield will appear during it.
"Inside are massive opportunities—Golden Core formation opportunities, Nascent Soul formation opportunities, and even Divine Transformation opportunities, among others.
"Only participants are allowed to enter the Ancient Battlefield.
"Before Xu Chuan left, he stated that ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivators shouldn't go. Those nearing their lifespan limits might want to gamble on it, and those trapped by major realm bottlenecks can also give it a shot.
"It's better than just sitting around waiting to die."
The crowd was astonished by his words.
Lei Wuji immediately thought of his family's ancestor.
It would be extremely difficult for him to achieve perfection with his lightning-attribute divine abilities, unless he had the aid of a lightning-attribute high-grade innate spirit item.
"This old man is willing to make the trip," Bingqian suddenly announced.
Everyone immediately turned to look at him.
"Elder Bingqian has decent divine ability combat power; it is indeed fitting. Is there anyone else?"
"This old man will also go," Yang Qi said.
"My Lei Family is also willing to dispatch people, but as for the specific details, I need to return and discuss them with the Ancestor first."
"Excellent. Anyone else?" Mo Wentian scanned the crowd once again. "If not..."
"The Xu Family will supply the remaining quota for Golden Core cultivators. As for the rest of you, if you lack confidence, don't throw your lives away. But if you wish to gamble on this, suit yourselves," Moyue finalized directly.
Mo Wentian didn't argue and instead asked, "Then how should we choose the five hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators?"
"Just pick five hundred from within the Azure Dragon Alliance. For those willing, their families will instantly receive two slots to enter the Azure Dragon Alliance directly."
The entry exam for the Azure Dragon Alliance was highly difficult; it wasn't a place anyone could join on a whim.
Getting two free entry slots out of this was not a bad deal.
"Alliance Leader Cang, we will leave this matter to you. You must select five hundred participants before the tenth month. Regarding the numbers: we can have more, but absolutely not less."
"I understand."
It wasn't just the Azure Dragon Prefecture.
Across the entire Northwest Region, factions from every prefecture were similarly discussing their candidates.
Greedy Wolf Prefecture.
Ancient Nether City.
'During the period of the War of Two Domains, conflicts between prefectural factions are forbidden. It seems I can only plan to deal with the Greedy Wolf Sect afterward.'
Gu Xuanyou thought to himself after receiving a message from the Greedy Wolf Sect. He quickly summoned the first elder of Ancient Nether City and ordered, "The War of Two Domains is about to start. First Elder, take a trip to the Greedy Wolf Sect on my behalf.
"If anyone asks about me, tell them I am still in secluded meditation."
"This old man understands."
The War of Two Domains.
It stirred up both the Heavenly South and Blackwater Regions.
However, the vast majority of people remained oblivious to this matter.
After all, this was not a true war between the two domains, but merely an agreement forged among Heavenly South, Blackwater, and the Demon Race to contend for the opportunities within the Ancient Battlefield.
When the genuine final battle between the two domains finally arrived...
...that would be a true mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!
——————————————
Land of Imprisonment.
Dongxi.
The ninth day of the fourth month.
On this day.
The Golden Core Formation phenomenon appeared in Dongxi once again. But this time, the core of the phenomenon wasn't the Jade Cold Pool, but rather the gathering place of the five clans.
"Someone is forming a Golden Core? Who is it?"
"It's the Ancestor! It's our Zhao Family's Ancestor! Hahaha!"
"Our Zhao Family is finally going to produce a Golden Core Perfected Being!"
Countless Zhao Family disciples erupted into cheers.
Zhao Qingyan was also beaming with joy. Originally, he had just wanted Zhao Qiyang, who was nearing his lifespan limit, to try his luck.
But they also knew that without the Xu Family's assistance, even with Dongxi's abundant spiritual qi environment, the chance of successfully forming a Golden Core was less than ten percent.
Yet under these circumstances, Zhao Qiyang had astonishingly succeeded in forming his Golden Core.
It could truly be called heaven's blessing.
'It's a pity this breakthrough came too late. The Oath of Vassalage has already been sworn; how could it be lightly broken? The power of the Xu Family is also far beyond what the Zhao Family can compare to.'
Whether it was geniuses in the Immortal Dao or the Martial Dao, the Xu Family stood far ahead of all the other major families.
'However, perhaps it was precisely because our Zhao Family became vassals to the Xu Family and leveraged Dongxi's spiritual qi that the Ancestor secured this sliver of opportunity for a breakthrough.'
The Spirit Qi Tide descended.
All nearby disciples benefited, immediately sitting in meditation to regulate their breathing.
Above the Xu Clan Main Estate, many people shot into the air and looked over.
"He actually managed to form a core," Xu Mingyuan's eyes lit up with an unusual splendor as he thought to himself. 'Father's calculations remain perfect as always.
'But to form a core at this crucial juncture...'
He sighed softly.
Even without Xu Chuan's deductive abilities, Xu Mingyuan could already foresee Zhao Qiyang's ending.
The Zhao Family possessed a rather strong sense of cohesion.
Yet precisely because of this, it would become the noose that bound Zhao Qiyang to his death.
If he could just abandon his family, he might have had a sliver of a chance to survive.
'Chonghui, since Daoist Friend Zhao has formed his core, represent the Xu Family and deliver three Essence Cultivating Pills to help him quickly stabilize his realm. Also, simply tell him to leave the Xu Family within three months.'
Xu Chuan's voice echoed in Xu Chonghui's mind.
Immediately after, a streak of flowing light shot over.
It was a porcelain bottle.
"Yes, Great-Grandfather."
Xu Chonghui promptly set out and handed the porcelain bottle filled with pills to Zhao Qingyan.
"Many thanks to the Family Head."
"This is my Great-Grandfather's intention. He also stated that Senior Zhao may remain in Dongxi for another three months. It won't be too late to leave after stabilizing his realm."
"I understand," Zhao Qingyan nodded.
Since Zhao Qiyang was only relying on Dongxi's spiritual qi for cultivation, it naturally wasn't possible for him to stay here forever.
Besides, with him successfully forming his Golden Core, the Zhao Family main branch's chances of surviving the Great Tribulation would increase slightly.
As for the people outside of Dongxi...
They were naturally busy guessing which member of the Xu Family had formed a Golden Core this time.
They were already practically immune to the sights of Golden Core Formation phenomena.
It no longer brought them any major shock.
An incense stick's time later.
The Golden Core Formation phenomenon faded away.
Zhao Qingyan arrived at Zhao Qiyang's door and sent a sound transmission inside: "Ancestor."
"Come in."
The main door opened, and Zhao Qingyan stepped inside. He saw Zhao Qiyang sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion. His Golden Core aura was incredibly distinct and fluctuating wildly.
Seeing this, he hastily took out the porcelain bottle and presented it with both hands. "Ancestor, the Xu Family sent these Essence Cultivating Pills to congratulate you on forming your Golden Core. They should be useful for you."
Zhao Qiyang summoned the porcelain bottle into his hand, opened it, and sniffed it. His eyes lit up. "Third-Tier elixirs, and they're all high-grade?!"
The value of these was several times more precious than an entire bottle of low-grade pills.
"Thank the Xu Family on this old man's behalf. These pills are of immense use to me right now. They can help me solidify my realm in at least two months."
"Ancestor, the Xu Family Head also stated that you may stay in Dongxi for three months."
"Three months? This old man understands."
"Then I won't disturb your realm consolidation any longer, Ancestor."
"Mhm," Zhao Qiyang nodded slightly.
With Dongxi's spiritual qi and the pills, Zhao Qiyang spent just over a month successfully stabilizing his realm. After that, he began using his True Flame to forge his Natal Magic Treasure.
Unfortunately, he was not a blacksmith. His refinement techniques were far too crude, so he merely forged an incredibly ordinary flying sword magic treasure.
Furthermore, without any artifact patterns, the magic treasure's power didn't even reach the true standard of a magic treasure.
At best, it sat somewhere between a dharma tool and a magic treasure.
Only through continuous nourishment with his own energy could it ever hope to become a genuine magic treasure.
The moment the three-month deadline arrived.
Zhao Qiyang departed from Dongxi.
Xu Mingwei was the one who personally saw him off.
Watching his retreating figure, Xu Mingwei sighed inwardly.
He arrived at the Jade Cold Pool.
"Great-Grand-Ancestor," Xu Jingwu stood up and bowed to Xu Mingwei.
Xu Mingwei gave a slight nod. He walked up to Xu Chuan and cupped his hands. "Father."
"Has Zhao Qiyang left?"
"Yes. Your child personally escorted him out."
"Do you have something to say?" Xu Chuan didn't open his eyes, maintaining his meditative posture.
"I really can't hide anything from you, Father. Zhao Qiyang is a Golden Core cultivator after all. Why didn't our Xu Family try to recruit him?"
"He hasn't received any favors from our Xu Family, so there's no need. Furthermore, he is bound to prioritize protecting the Zhao Family's main lineage. Most importantly, his potential is simply too low.
"Relying on his own abilities, I'm afraid he won't even reach the mid-stage of Golden Core.
"Our Xu Family will not lack Golden Core cultivators in the future. The Yan Clan and the Wu Clan both have geniuses with the aptitude for core formation. They are fiercely loyal to our Xu Family, so nurturing them is far more cost-effective."
Pausing briefly, Xu Chuan added, "Mingwei, do you think your father is being too practical?"
Xu Mingwei shook his head. "Every thought and consideration of yours is for the sake of our Xu Family, Father. Your child merely felt emotional seeing Daoist Friend Zhao head back, knowing he will likely face an inescapable death."
"That is simply because you saw a reflection of yourself in him," Xu Chuan suddenly opened his eyes and sighed softly. "If our Xu Family were in the Zhao Family's situation...
"...you would similarly return to protect the family without hesitation.
"And it wouldn't just be you. The vast majority of our Xu Family members would do the same."
"That's because Father raised us well," Xu Mingwei gave a faint smile.
"Since when did I teach you to be so melancholic and sentimental?" Xu Chuan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "To safely survive this Great Tribulation, we will migrate all of our clan members from Dongxi to Cloudstream City.
"Even for that, I only have a sixty or seventy percent degree of certainty.
"At present, just preserving a trace of the bloodline for all the families is already our limit.
"As for the rest, they will have to pray for their own fortune."
"Your child understands."
With those words, Xu Mingwei cupped his hands and took his leave. Xu Jingwu also cupped his hands in respect until Xu Mingwei was gone.
"Jingwu, what do you think of your Great-Grand-Ancestor?"
"Your grandson wouldn't dare discuss him so casually."
"Speak your mind directly."
After pondering for a moment, Xu Jingwu replied, "Great-Grand-Ancestor is as imposing as a mountain. While he appears iron-faced, he is actually a man who deeply values relationships and loyalty."
"Indeed, he values relationships and loyalty. But in the cultivation world, these are often the people who die the fastest," Xu Chuan sighed lightly. "Humans... are truly complex.
"Never mind outsiders; even among brothers in the same family, most have their own selfish motives. Disputes are commonplace occurrences.
"If I had birthed over a dozen children back then, I suspect the various lineages would have formed their own little cliques long ago."
"As long as you are here, Old Ancestor, the hearts of the Xu Family will never scatter."
Having witnessed many such scenarios himself, Xu Jingwu naturally knew these words held true.
Xu Chuan chuckled softly, uttering a seemingly random statement out of the blue. "In the future, it will be necessary to let them go out and temper themselves."
Xu Jingwu nodded, assuming he meant sending them out to travel the world.
However, the true meaning was entirely different.
Regarding this, Xu Chuan had already formulated the Xu Family's century-long plan while he was in Cloudstream City.
"Have you encountered any doubts recently while comprehending your divine abilities?" Xu Chuan asked suddenly.
"A few. Please advise me, Old Ancestor."
"Strike directly at me. Let me see the True Intent you have comprehended."
"Yes, Old Ancestor."
Xu Jingwu slightly cupped his hands and immediately attacked.
His entire body erupted with surging Qi and Blood like a crashing tide. Every trace and strand of Qi and Blood astonishingly coalesced into the phantom image of a ferocious tiger.
A tiger roar shook the heavens.
A massive tiger claw swiped down directly at Xu Chuan's head.
When the tiger claw closed within a five-foot radius of Xu Chuan, a streak of azure light automatically manifested, effortlessly blocking the strike.
The azure light suddenly flared, blasting the ferocious tiger phantom backward.
"An application of Qi and Blood? Could this be the True Intent of Qi and Blood?"
"Your grandson doesn't know either. I originally wanted to comprehend the True Intent of the Martial Dao, but I ended up comprehending this instead."
"Quite fascinating. Both martial artists and immortal cultivators must refine spiritual qi. One converts it into mana, while the other converts it into True Qi. Yuan Power, on the other hand, is a fusion of True Qi and Qi and Blood.
"Your utilization of Qi and Blood bears a slight resemblance to the Blood Demon Dao, but it's fundamentally different—it's far purer.
"It's more akin to..."
Xu Chuan paused for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. "...more akin to tempering one's own bloodline."
"When immortal cultivators advance in cultivation realms, it simultaneously triggers a shift in their bloodlines. But martial artists seem entirely different—they are much closer to demonic beasts.
"The physical strength of demonic beasts varies drastically; the key lies in their specific bloodlines.
"The stronger the bloodline, the stronger the physical body of the demonic beast tends to be. They might even give birth to divine abilities. These are known as innate divine abilities."
A flash of inspiration hit Xu Jingwu as well. "Are you implying, Old Ancestor, that divine abilities in the Martial Dao might require fusing one's divine ability with one's bloodline?"
"That should be just one variation. The orthodox method would be identical to how we immortal cultivators manifest divine abilities. But a divine ability fused with a bloodline should be called a bloodline divine ability, or a Natal Divine Ability.
"If you successfully cultivate it, when your cultivation reaches a profoundly high level in the future, the descendants you sire might directly inherit the divine ability.
"This is something immortal cultivators cannot achieve.
"As expected... the birth of the Martial Dao might stir up massive shockwaves in the future."
Xu Chuan let out a long sigh.
Xu Jingwu also frowned deeply.
"Among immortal cultivators, there are indeed some possessing special bloodlines capable of forming bloodline-centric families. But the vast majority of those rely on the bloodlines of formidable ancient demonic beasts or even True Spirits to pull that off.
"Such occurrences are incredibly rare.
"However, if our hypothesis is correct... then down the line, once the Martial Dao matures, such formidable families will multiply exponentially. This might very well become the fuse that ignites a war between immortals and martial artists."
Xu Chuan stared fixedly at Xu Jingwu. "Wu'er, you may research Natal Divine Abilities. This will benefit the family. But even if you manage to comprehend it, you must not carelessly teach this method to others.
"Everyone taught must be forced to swear a severe oath.
"The Martial Dao is inherently akin to the dual cultivation of dharma and body, giving it an advantage over pure Immortal Dao. Yet, it remains an unperfected path, and its cultivation is estimated to be far more difficult than the Immortal Dao.
"As such, the current peak powerhouses won't care about it.
"But if one could condense a bloodline divine ability and pass it down as an inheritance... that would be utterly terrifying.
"After all, humans birthing offspring is significantly easier than it is for those powerful demonic beast tribes."
Xu Jingwu nodded heavily. "Your grandson will firmly remember the Old Ancestor's teachings. If I truly manage to research a Natal Divine Ability one day, I definitely won't leak it without the Old Ancestor's permission."
Xu Chuan chuckled. "I cannot offer you much help on this path. Regarding bloodline research, you can seek out Mingshu and request some essence blood from Tier 3 demonic beasts.
"You can also ask for a few drops of Deling's essence blood. She currently harbors the Fire Phoenix Bloodline.
"In terms of bloodlines, she is the strongest in the Xu Family; she is merely a hair away from reaching the sixth grade.
"Comprehending a Natal Divine Ability undeniably necessitates the study of blood.
"However, other divine abilities shouldn't require this. The True Intent of a Divine Ability possesses an immense degree of inclusivity. Fused with mana, it can form powerful divine ability spell arts.
"Fused with Yuan Power, it can likewise birth powerful martial arts techniques.
"There should be no harm in following this train of thought for your research.
"Furthermore, the True Intent of Battle comprehended by Ye Fan should be highly compatible with your Martial Dao. You can set aside some time to seek his guidance."