ATPnovel Chapter 158 5 years
Chapter 158 5 years
Fifteen years later.
Zengjia Town, Fangjia.
In the courtyard, a strange spiritual root was radiating a bright green light. It looked like a mulberry tree, but it had borne a few dates.
It was the very same "green mulberry and jujube tree" that belonged to the Le family back then!
"These dates are almost ripe..."
Fang Wuchen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the jujube tree, feeling quite emotional.
When we obtained this spiritual root from the Le family, its spiritual essence was damaged during transplantation, and it only bore fruit once every five years.
Later, his family spent a great deal of effort to buy "Azure Profound Soil" and "Returning Yuan Spiritual Water" to cultivate and irrigate the plants. Now, they basically ripen once every three years, and each time they ripen, they can produce twelve dates, which greatly benefit cultivators who practice Qi cultivation.
"yes……"
Le Mingxue gazed at the spiritual root with a complex expression.
Fang Wuchen held her hand tightly and said softly, "These spirit dates are no longer of any use to me. After this round of harvesting, you should also take a few and refine them properly for your cultivation..."
Perhaps because both of them were cultivators, they had some difficulty having children. They had been childless for many years, unlike their younger brother Fang Wujiu, who married a mortal woman and had children early on.
The two returned to the house and met Fang Yixin.
By the standards of an ordinary person, Fang Yixin could already call himself an old man. Fortunately, he had cultivated immortality and was still sharp of hearing and sight, agile in action, and looked like a middle-aged man.
"Wuchen...you're very good."
Fang Yixin burst into laughter upon seeing Fang Wuchen.
Fang Wuchen had already reached the perfect state of Qi Absorption a few days ago! Even within the Zeng family, he was a rare expert, second only to the Dao Foundation Ancestor. Of course, he was currently under orders from his master and father to conceal his cultivation level with magic, only revealing the seventh level of Qi Absorption.
Even so, everyone on this street knows that the Fang family not only has a late-stage Qi Conversion cultivator, but also a master at the ninth level of Qi Conversion! They are already considered local bigwigs in this area.
Even the main family of the Zeng family had many connections, and many spirit farmers also tried to curry favor with them.
Not long after, a young couple came in with several children; they were Fang Wujiu and his wife.
"Father, elder brother..."
Fang Wujiu bowed, then sat down at the table to eat, appearing quite silent.
His cultivation level reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation but then became difficult to improve, similar to Fang Yixin's.
After Fang Yixin reached the sixth level of Qi Absorption perfection, he encountered a bottleneck and could not make any further progress, which was probably due to his limited talent.
The family ate in silence. After thinking for a moment, Fang Wuchen finally spoke:
"Father... the Green Mulberry Spirit Dates are ripe, and I want to give Mingxue a few... She is currently at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, and if she takes them, she can advance to the sixth level..." *Snap!*
Fang Wujiu put down his rice bowl and said with difficulty, "I'm full. Father, brother, please enjoy your meal..."
He left the table on his own, leaving behind his somewhat restless wife and children.
"Sigh... Wu Jiu's family, you and Ming Xue can pack up."
Fang Yixin sighed and left with Fang Wuchen: "I'm going to visit the Hu family next door..."
As he left the mansion, a sense of melancholy washed over him: "The Fang family's prestige now surpasses even that of the Le family in its heyday... but seeing this brother looking over the wall, I'm truly not happy at all..."
The two of them felt right at home when they arrived at the Hu family's residence. They found Hu Quan'an, whose hair and beard were all white, and together they entered the secret room.
Compared to these small things at home, the big things outside are much more important!
"The Zeng family is recruiting late-stage Qi Conversion cultivators with generous benefits... I suppose they've already discussed this with you?"
Hu Quan'an was a shrewd and experienced man. Although his face was covered with wrinkles, his eyes still gleamed with a sharp light.
"That's good... The Zeng family promised that if I join them, they will grant me a spiritual field."
Fang Wuchen nodded and stated the Zeng family's price.
A plot of sacred land belonging to one's own family! This is the dream of countless tenant farmers!
"The Zeng family... is probably doomed!"
Hu Quan'an remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "We absolutely cannot get on this wrecked ship now!"
Fang Yixin and Fang Wuchen both nodded.
Since the battle with the Stove God Cult fifteen years ago, not only have the Stove God Cult and the Tie family not been wiped out, but they have become stronger and stronger.
Even before anyone knew it, rumors began to circulate that the White Bone Dao Master had failed in his breakthrough, had perished, and his life had ended.
The Zeng family originally had two Dao Foundation cultivators, known as the "Twin Jades of the Zeng Family," but the eldest, Zeng Yuchuan, was killed by the Kitchen God Cult Master in a battle five years ago!
Since then, the Zeng family's situation has become increasingly dire, and rumors have spread that several of their direct descendants have failed to establish a Dao foundation...
Until a few months ago, Zeng Yushan, the only Taoist master of the Zeng family, was invited by Wusheng Temple to participate in a magical duel. It was said to be extremely fierce, and he returned bloodied. There has been no news of him since.
"How is the patriarch's injury?"
Fang Wuchen sighed.
"If our master's household is unstable, we won't have a good life either... Just as the omen of the 'Beak Fire' has come true!"
Hu Quan'an sighed as well, then looked at Fang Wuchen with a hint of joy on his face: "You've reached the Qi Consumer stage, so you can try to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage... It's just a pity that Foundation Establishment spiritual items are hard to find. Those Foundation Establishment forces control resources and won't trade with us mere Qi Consumerers; they'll only kill and plunder..."
Fang Yixin pursed her lips.
He had secretly tried to find Dao Foundation Spiritual Objects, but even the most reliable Lao Xu couldn't find any.
"Actually... failing to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage means certain death. Unless I have a Foundation Establishment Pill to help me, I'll maintain my current cultivation level as long as I can protect my family..." Fang Wuchen now had his own idea: "Now that Xituo is in chaos, it's the perfect time to advance. With the strength of our two families... seizing a small piece of spiritual land outside shouldn't be difficult. The difficulty lies in gaining recognition from all sides and, consequently, obtaining the protection of Foundation Establishment cultivators..."
"Oh? My son seems to have a plan already. I wonder which one he has his eye on?"
Fang Yixin asked.
"Qingli Mountain!" Fang Wuchen replied, "This mountain once belonged to the He family, a powerful clan. However, the main family the He family relied on—the Lishan Yuan family—was wiped out, and the He family also declined. Not long ago, I heard that it was attacked and destroyed by bandits, and the entire family, young and old, was wiped out... It won't cause my family much trouble to take it. However, it's still worth considering where to seek refuge..."
If this were twenty years ago, there would be no need to consider it; one could simply offer sacrifices to the Buddha.
But at this time, Xituo County was indeed fraught with unpredictable changes.
The Kitchen God Cult has risen to prominence and has also won over Daoist families who have migrated from elsewhere, such as the Tie and Li families. They even fought a fierce battle with the Wusheng Temple! It is said that they even won!
Furthermore, the originally powerful Da Hu Xuan family, seeing the situation was not good, directly joined the Kitchen God Cult.
The Zeng family, like the Wusheng Temple, is now in a state of turmoil and uncertainty.
"If we break away now, regardless of the Zeng family's attitude... if we are not careful, we could face the destruction of our family and the extermination of our clan."
Fang Yixin still wanted to play it safe.
"This is precisely the time to leave. Otherwise, once the Zeng family falls, my family will be like an egg caught in a collapsed nest."
Fang Wuchen was very determined, thinking to himself, "Also, my younger brother is becoming less and less affectionate as he gets older. This time, after conquering Qingli Mountain, we can take the opportunity to divide the family and establish major and minor sects..."
Although he was honest and kind, he wasn't stupid; he thought about his family and wife.
Just then, the three of them changed their expressions, sensing a shift in the spiritual energy, and all left the secret chamber.
It was already late at night, yet on the main peak of the Zeng family, a flickering flame burned ever brighter, gradually threatening to spread like wildfire…
At its peak, the fire suddenly dispersed, transforming into wisps of flickering light that scattered across the mountains, becoming various spirits of the fire element… “This…this…this…”
"Is this an unusual phenomenon indicating the fall of a Dao Foundation cultivator?"
If the Purple Mansion were to fall, the celestial signs could cover an entire prefecture, and the Dao Foundation could be contained within a single mountain; this already indicates that Zeng Yushan had a profound foundation.
Upon seeing this, Hu Quan'an was shocked: "How could this be? How could he be dead?"
Fang Yixin hesitated for a moment, then said in a panic, "Could it be a feint? Don't forget that when Zeng Qingye died, the Zeng family kept it a secret, which means they have a magic technique or treasure that can conceal unusual phenomena!"
"It's also possible... that the Zeng family has declined to the point where no one can preside over the formation or activate the secret treasure."
Fang Wuchen looked at his father: "Make a decision quickly... otherwise things may change!"
"Okay! Let's go right away!"
Fang Yixin gritted her teeth and looked at Hu Quan'an: "Let's go together."
"Um."
Hu Quan'an, being a self-taught cultivator, knew how dangerous the Zeng family was at this moment, and immediately nodded.
A moment later, the Fang and Hu families drove their horse-drawn carriages and quickly left Zengjia Town.
"Alas... what a pity for the jujube tree, and the spiritual items we invested before."
Fang Yixin stroked the jujube tree on the car, his face full of heartache.
Along the way, the nearby cultivators all knew how powerful the Fang and Hu families were, so none of them came to stop them.
Not long after leaving the town, they suddenly saw flashes of magical light on the main peak of the Zeng family, and faint shouts of battle could be heard...
"How many rogue cultivators are here, and how many are tenant farmers of the Zeng family?"
Fang Yixin watched this scene and muttered to himself.
Whoosh!!
Just then, two beams of light chased each other in mid-air and rushed towards them.
Fang Wuchen immediately summoned the "God-Slaying Stone," ready to make his move at any moment.
The battle in the sky was incredibly fast. Below, all the onlookers could hear was a man's hearty laughter as someone was beheaded, their head falling to the ground and rolling right beside the road. Fang Yixin glanced at it and was stunned.
The severed head belonged to a middle-aged woman. Though gruesome and stained with blood, her former elegance and beauty were still evident. She was none other than Zeng Yuchai, a direct descendant of the Zeng family! "In the past, when I saw her, I had to respectfully bow to her by the roadside... Today, when she sees me, she is a severed head by the roadside..."
The cultivator who had killed the man looked at the convoy on the ground with ill intent until Fang Wuchen let out a cold snort and revealed a trace of his magic power. Only then did he seem frightened and fly back towards the Zeng family's main peak...
Let's go!
Fang Yixin sighed, but quickened her pace to catch the carriage by three points.
Wusheng Temple.
Miao Shui Mingfei entered the meditation room and looked at Miao Feng Mingzi, whose face was as white as gold paper.
For decades, Miaofeng has been struggling to make ends meet and has been in dire straits. The last time he rallied various families to fight against the Kitchen God Cult and the Tie family, he had already exhausted all his strength. After returning to the temple, he vomited three liters of golden blood!
Now he looks rather emaciated and frail, as if he's old and frail.
"The guardian deity reports that Zeng Yushan has passed away peacefully... The Zeng family is in turmoil, and the direct line has been wiped out..."
Miao Shui sighed, "Of all the tests over the years, this one has gone too far!"
Miao Feng's eyes remained calm and still as she shook her head: "It's only a matter of time... The strange phenomena in Master's underground palace are growing weaker and weaker. If that day comes... even if we die, what does it matter?"