Chapter 464: Substitute Marriage, Unfavorable Beginning, Mutation
Chapter 464: Substitute Marriage, Unfavorable Beginning, Mutation (10.2K)
Wu Mansion Backyard Embroidery Tower
Wu Qingyue was putting on makeup in front of the mirror. She dipped her fingertips in rouge and gently applied it on her lips. The girl in the bronze mirror had almond eyes, cherry lips, and skin as white as cream. She was wearing a lavender dress, which made her look even more beautiful.
"Miss, someone from the Fu family is here!" Xiao Cui, the personal maid, rushed in, her cheeks flushed with excitement, "It's the mother of the Fu family who came in person, and she brought Young Master Yong Peng with her!"
Wu Qingyue's hand trembled, and the rouge on her lips smudged into a bright color. She stood up suddenly, and the hem of her skirt swept over the jade hairpin on the dressing table, but she didn't notice it at all.
"Really?" Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes sparkled. "The Fu family... actually takes it so seriously?"
Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly: "The master is in the front hall to receive guests. I heard that he has prepared valuable gifts, even the 'Millennium Snow Ginseng' has been brought out!"
Wu Qingyue's heart was beating like a drum.
——Fu Yongjing.
That young man who was extremely talented among the younger generation in Wuzhou was already a quasi-fourth-level weapon refiner before he was fifty. Three years ago, during the trial in Danxia Valley, she and Fu Yongjing had teamed up to kill a third-level blood-marked python. The other party was not only outstanding in appearance, but also invincible in combat power.
"Quick, bring me my 'Phoenix Holding Pearls' hairpin!" She ordered hurriedly, her face flushed with excitement, "And the cloud-patterned gauze dress I cut the other day -"
"Yes, miss"
The maid responded excitedly.
But he was puzzled as to why it was Fu Yongpeng who came instead of Fu Yongjing. It was obvious that his young lady was in high spirits, so he swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
...
lobby
Chief Wu's face was full of rosy glow, and he personally poured tea for Liu Meizhen: "Madam Fu's personal visit really brings honor to my humble abode!"
Liu Meizhen smiled and nodded, then she took out a jade box from her sleeve and pushed it onto the table: "I heard that Chief Wu urgently needs a 'Millennium Snow Ginseng' for medicine. This snow ginseng is what I got from the Kunlun Secret Realm. If Chief Wu doesn't mind, please accept it."
The moment the jade box was opened, the hall was filled with spiritual energy, and Patriarch Wu's pupils shrank - such a spiritual object is hard to find even for a sixth-rank family!
Fu Yongpeng stood quietly with his eyes downcast, his dark brocade robe making him look as cold as frost. Although this boy was good-looking, he was still a little inferior to his brother. Clan leader Wu was also a little confused as to why Fu Yongjing himself had not come.
"Patriarch Wu, I came here today to help our two families get together." Liu Meizhen stroked the teacup gently, and said in a gentle tone, "My son Yongpeng was already a second-level weapon refiner years ago, and his cultivation has reached the late stage of foundation building. He is also calm and loyal, and is the perfect match for your daughter Qingyue."
"Bang!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of porcelain breaking outside the hall. Everyone turned around and saw Wu Qingyue standing stiffly beside the screen, with the broken pieces of teacup flying everywhere under her feet and her pretty face completely drained of color.
"Qingyue!" Madam Wu stood up hastily and pinched her daughter secretly, "Hurry up and greet Madam Fu!"
Wu Qingyue's head was buzzing at this time, and her hands were tightly grasping the corners of her sleeves.
Her marriage partner was not Fu Yongjing, but Fu Yongpeng? The seventh son of the Fu family who was publicly ridiculed by Huang Yucheng at the weapon refining exchange meeting? The mediocre person who even cracked a second-level magic weapon? !
Her chest rose and fell violently, and her eyes involuntarily glanced at Fu Yongpeng. But the young man didn't even raise his head, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
"Seeing is believing. Miss Wu is indeed a beauty who looks like she stepped out of a painting." Liu Meizhen seemed unaware of her loss of composure.
"Qingyue!"
Chief Wu lowered his voice and called out again, with a warning in his voice.
Although he felt a little disappointed in his heart that his marriage partner was not Fu Yongjing, Fu Yongpeng was also a legitimate son, and he had a fellow Jindan elder sister, so no matter what, it would not be a problem for him to be promoted to Zifu in the future.
The most important thing is.
No matter who the marriage partner is, their Wu family has established a connection with the Fu family and become a related family.
Wu Qingyue, who was in a daze, mechanically moved forward under the guidance of her mother, and her shoulders were shaking as she knelt down to salute.
Liu Meizhen grabbed her hand and put a mutton-fat jade bracelet on her wrist: "This bracelet can warm up the meridians, which is just suitable for water spirit roots like you."
The jade bracelet felt warm when it touched her skin, but it made Wu Qingyue feel as if she was falling into an icy cave.
"Thank you...Mrs. Fu." She forced a smile, her voice as thin as a mosquito. In the corner of her eyes, her father's warning eyes pierced like a knife.
After a brief conversation.
Chief Wu signaled his wife to take their daughter away, to avoid any joke that would ruin this great marriage.
...
...
The mother and daughter left the front hall and returned to the backyard. After closing the magic circle, Mrs. Wu shouted in a low voice:
"Are you crazy? You look so proud. Who do you think you are facing? That is the mistress of a family that is about to be promoted to the sixth rank!"
Unlike her, she was just one of her husband's many wives and concubines.
Liu Meizhen plays a very important role in the Fu family.
even.
Liu Meizhen is almost the only one who manages the entire Fu family. The fact that she can come in person to propose marriage shows that she has given enough face to the Wu family.
Nowadays, all the major families in Wuzhou are vying to form an alliance with the Fu family. Even their ancestors have personally ordered a large sum of money to fund the Fu family to build Huixi County.
But Wu Qingyue couldn't care less, tears and anger mixed in her eyes:
"Mother, the Fu family is clearly humiliating me! They clearly know that I like Fu Yongjing, but they just use his useless brother to make excuses——"
"Shut up!" Madam Wu slapped her in the face. "No matter how bad Fu Yongpeng is, he is still the legitimate son of a sixth-rank family! Who do you think you are? The number one prodigy in Wuzhou?"
Wu Qingyue stumbled back, covering her face, the taste of blood between her lips and teeth. The autumn rain outside the corridor gradually fell, wetting her carefully combed hair.
But she seemed unaware.
"I won't marry him."
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said word by word:
"Unless I die."
...
...
After seeing off the Fu family, Chief Wu returned to the hall, unable to hide the smile on his face any longer. He put his hands behind his back, walked to the table, and his eyes fell on the "Millennium Snow Ginseng", with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
"Okay! Okay!" he whispered to himself, with a shrewd gleam in his eyes.
——The Fu family is about to become a sixth-rank family!
——Fu Yongxuan, the newly promoted Golden Elixir True Man!
——Fu Yongpeng, although not as amazing as Fu Yongjing, is a direct descendant of the Fu family after all, with pure blood, and he will definitely have plenty of resources in the future!
He reached out and stroked the jade box, feeling the slight chill emanating from the snow ginseng with his fingertips, thinking in his mind.
Fu Yongxuan has already condensed a fourth-grade golden elixir. In the entire Great Zhou, he is a genius, and the status of the entire Fu family has also risen. If the Wu family can take this opportunity to board this big ship, perhaps they can make further progress in the next hundred years!
Madam Wu pushed the door open and walked in, with a worried look on her face: "Husband, Qingyue...refused to marry."
"Not willing?" Chief Wu sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "It's not up to her!"
He stood up suddenly, flicked his sleeves, and strode towards his daughter's boudoir.
Wu Qingyue was lying on the embroidered couch, her shoulders trembling slightly, obviously she had just cried. When she heard footsteps, she looked up suddenly, and when she saw it was her father, a trace of fear flashed across her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by stubbornness.
"Father," she gritted her teeth and said, "My daughter doesn't want to marry Fu Yongpeng!"
Chief Wu stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes like knives, and slowly asked, "Why?"
"He..." Wu Qingyue clutched the quilt tightly, her voice trembling, "He has mediocre talent, and even failed to refine a second-level magic weapon! If my daughter marries him, how will she survive in Wuzhou in the future?"
"Heh." Chief Wu sneered, "Who do you think you are?"
He took a step closer and looked down at her condescendingly: "The Fu family is now in its heyday, Fu Yongxuan is already a Jindan Zhenren, and Fu Yongjing is the future Purple Mansion Seed! No matter how bad Fu Yongpeng is, he is still a direct descendant of the Fu family. Which of the resources and status in the future will be missing from you?"
Wu Qingyue's face turned pale, but she was still unwilling: "But my daughter..."
"Enough!" Patriarch Wu interrupted harshly, threw a jade slip from his sleeve and slammed it on the table.
"This is the list of betrothal gifts sent by the Fu family, take a look for yourself!"
Wu Qingyue picked up the jade slip with trembling hands, and her pupils suddenly shrank as she scanned it with her spiritual sense.
Thousand-year-old snow ginseng, the eighth-grade Xuan-level skill "Water Cloud Technique", the third-grade defensive spiritual weapon "Bibo Pei"...
Each one of them is a treasure that other noble families would struggle to obtain even if they put all their efforts into it!
"Now, do you still feel wronged?" Clan leader Wu said in a low voice, with irresistible pressure, "Do you know how many female cultivators from aristocratic families dream of marrying into the Fu family?"
Wu Qingyue's fingertips felt cold and the jade slip fell to the ground with a clang.
"Father will ask you one last question..." Chief Wu leaned over, pinched her chin, and forced her to look up, "Are you going to marry me, or not?"
When their eyes met, she saw the cold calculation in her father's eyes, and also saw the fate that she could not resist.
"...My daughter is getting married." She closed her eyes and tears rolled down.
Patriarch Wu released his hand and stood up with satisfaction: "This is the good daughter of my Wu family."
Before he turned and left, he left a meaningful sentence:
"On August 15, the Fu family will come to propose marriage. If you dare to be disrespectful... then go to the ancestral hall and kneel down, and think carefully about where the foundation-building pills for your many brothers and sisters came from."
The door slammed shut.
Wu Qingyue collapsed to the ground, looking at the list of betrothal gifts scattered on the ground, and suddenly laughed softly.
——It turns out that in her father's eyes, she has always been just a...
A chess piece waiting to be sold.
...
After returning from the Wu family.
At night, Fu Yongpeng could not wait to put on his invisible cloak and leave Huizhou Prefecture, his figure passing through the dense forest like a ghost. His heart was beating like a drum, and the jade slip was pressed against his chest, burning him like fire and making him tremble all over.
Yuanyin flower.
As long as he gets it, his father will look at him with admiration!
By then.
What girl from the Wu family? If he doesn’t want to marry her, then he doesn’t have to marry her.
There is even a possibility of competition for the position of the clan's crown prince.
There was a hint of fanaticism in his eyes, and his pace quickened.
Sudden--
A dark shadow appeared silently in front of him.
Fu Yongpeng suddenly stopped and his pupils shrank suddenly.
Under the moonlight, the man was dressed in black, his face was as cold as a knife, and the unique cold aura of dark spiritual power circulated around his body, as if blending into the night.
—It was the Dark Hall Master Fu Yongrui.
"Seventh brother, where are you going so late?" Fu Yongrui's voice was calm, but it made Fu Yongpeng break out in a cold sweat on his back.
"I..." Fu Yongpeng said calmly with his Adam's apple rolling, "I just came out to gain experience."
"Experience?" Fu Yongrui chuckled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Take the cloak of concealment, choose the middle of the night, and head towards the Nine Nether Valley?"
Fu Yongpeng was shocked - how could he know? !
Without waiting for him to react, Fu Yongrui suddenly attacked. Shadows wrapped around Fu Yongpeng's limbs like a venomous snake, instantly sealing off all his spiritual power.
"You!" Fu Yongpeng was shocked and angry, "Why do you want to stop me?!"
Fu Yongrui turned a deaf ear and raised his hand. A dark shadow wrapped around Fu Yongpeng's cuffs like a snake and instantly pulled out a jade slip from his arms.
After seeing the information on the jade slip, his face changed.
...
In the dark torture chamber, there was only a flickering green lamp.
Fu Yongpeng was tied to an iron chair with a soul-binding rope, veins popping out on his forehead. "Fu Yongrui! I'm just out looking for opportunities. What right do you have to interrogate me? Don't forget that I'm the legitimate son of the Fu clan leader, and you're just an adopted son. Let me go immediately!"
Fu Yongrui was slowly wiping a short black blade and sneered when he heard this.
"I am the leader of the Dark Hall, under the direct command of my father. Seventh brother, with your current status, you are not qualified to order me around." His voice was calm, but it made Fu Yongpeng tremble all over.
The short blade was nailed to the table with a clang, going three inches into the wood.
"Tell me, who gave you the jade slip?"
Fu Yongpeng gritted his teeth and said, "I discovered it myself!"
"You found it?" He held the jade slip in his hand, his tone gradually colder, "If I remember correctly, besides refining weapons in your clan, you recently went out to participate in a refining exchange meeting for the younger generation of Wuzhou families. How come you went out and a big pie fell on your head?"
After Fu Yongrui’s reminder.
Fu Yongpeng also felt that something was a little strange because everything happened too coincidentally.
But he was unwilling to think deeply.
His neck stiffened, and he yelled, "What do you know! Father is now short of a spiritual object for forming a pill. If I can bring back the Yuanyin Flower, he—"
"Will he look up to you?" Fu Yongrui interrupted him, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes, "Six years ago, I had already discovered something strange about the Nine Nether Valley, but my mother asked me to wait for my father to make the decision. Do you think you are the only one who wants to share my father's worries?"
Fu Yongpeng was stunned, then sneered: "Nonsense! If that's the case, why didn't you act earlier? You clearly want to steal my credit!"
Fu Yongrui closed his eyes, as if enduring something. After a while, he raised his hand and said to the disciple beside him, "Go and ask mother."
-
When Liu Meizhen stepped into the dark hall, Fu Yongpeng's whole body stiffened.
"Brother Rui, you go out first."
"Yes, mother."
After Fu Yongrui closed the door and Liu Meizhen restarted the magic circle, there was a hint of fatigue between her brows and her eyes fell on Fu Yongpeng's face.
"Peng'er, you disappoint me so much."
Fu Yongpeng was struck by lightning with just these words. He looked up suddenly, bloodshot eyes: "Mother! I just want to -"
"Want to prove yourself?" Liu Meizhen sighed, "Do you know that the female cultivators and robbery cultivators you met along the way were all arranged by the three Jindan masters of Jiuyou Valley? They just wanted to lure you into the trap, and use you as bait to make your father fall into the trap?"
Fu Yongpeng's face suddenly changed: "Impossible! That female cultivator is exactly the same as the long-lost daughter that the wet nurse mentioned. Moreover, I have personally confirmed that the female cultivator has no breath, and I buried her in the ground with my own hands..."
“It’s all fake.”
Liu Meizhen waved her sleeves.
A photo pod was suspended in mid-air. As a spell was cast, the scene in the photo pod slowly unfolded.
Fu Yongpeng's pupils suddenly contracted in the darkness.
In the picture, the "female cultivator" who was buried by his own hands was lying quietly in the earth pit, with a few strands of wet mud on her pale face. The moonlight shone coldly on her face, outlining a strange blue-white line.
Sudden--
The rustling sound of footsteps came closer and closer. Three robbers dressed in black walked out of the dense forest. The man in the lead had a scar across his face. He was the robber leader who was "fighting desperately against" by Fu Yongpeng during the day!
"Hurry up." Scarface spat and kicked away the hastily piled dirt that Fu Yongpeng had piled up. "What bad luck! In order to catch a small fish, my fourth sister had to pretend to be dead and bury herself for half a night."
Another person took out a medicine bottle with a smile: "Brother, what are you afraid of? This 'Turtle Breath Pill' was made by the Valley Master himself. Not to mention pretending to be dead for a few hours, even if you bury it for three days, you won't die completely!"
Fu Yongpeng's breathing suddenly became rapid.
In the picture, Scarface roughly pried open the female cultivator's mouth and stuffed a red pill into it. In just three breaths, the "corpse" suddenly twitched violently! The female cultivator suddenly opened her eyes, and a "ho ho" inhalation sound came out of her throat, and she actually sat up straight from the soil!
"Cough, cough, cough!" She scratched her throat frantically, spitting out medicine residue mixed with mud and blood. Her voice was hoarse as if it had been rubbed by sand and stone. "Next time, my second brother will take this pill. My throat is about to be burned through."
The three of them burst into laughter. Scarface grabbed her and brushed off the dirt in her hair: "Fourth sister, you are so good at pretending. That kid from the Fu family really believed that you were the 'daughter of a wet nurse'. His hands were shaking when he buried you——"
"boom!"
Fu Yongpeng punched the armrest of the iron chair, causing the soul-binding rope to clang. He stared at the action of the female cultivator in the picture brushing off the corner of her clothes - the only relic left by the wet nurse that he tied around her wrist was now being thrown into the bushes by her like garbage!
"Did you see clearly?" Liu Meizhen's voice came from behind, but it seemed as if there was a thick layer of ice between them. "From the moment you rescued her, every step was calculated by them. That robbery cultivator deliberately let you go halfway, and the female cultivator revealed the 'Nine Nether Valley Secret Treasure' before she died."
Fu Yongpeng's teeth were chattering.
The scene finally freezes on the backs of the four people leaving - the female cultivator peels off the mask on her face as she walks away, revealing a face as seductive as a snake. She turns back to the newly built grave and licks her lips, as if she is laughing at his stupidity through time.
The green lamp popped and a lamp flower burst into life.
Fu Yongpeng recalled his ecstasy when he heard the news, and the excitement he felt along the way...
He thought this was his chance to change his fate.
But it turned out to be a trap. "Mother..." His voice trembled, "I, I just don't want to be suppressed by Sister Yongxuan and Yongjing forever... I just want to get my father's attention."
Liu Meizhen's eyes softened, and she stepped forward and gently stroked the top of his head: "Silly child, has your father ever looked down on you? It's just that you are too impatient, so he doesn't dare to entrust you with important tasks."
Fu Yongpeng's eyes were hot, but he still said stubbornly: "Then why did Brother Yongrui know about this, but kept it from me?"
Fu Yongrui snorted coldly: "Tell you, let you die?"
Liu Meizhen shook her head: "Rui'er proposed to explore Jiuyou Valley six years ago, and I stopped him. This matter involves too much, and we need to think about it carefully." She looked at Fu Yongpeng and said sternly, "But what you did today almost ruined everything!"
If her husband had not suddenly sent her a message today to tell her the whole story and asked her to send someone to stop Peng Ge'er, the consequences would have been disastrous.
Fu Yongpeng finally collapsed, fell to his knees, and pounded the ground with his fists: "I just... don't want to be that 'mediocre Seventh Young Master' anymore!"
When Liu Meizhen saw this, although she felt sympathy, she still felt a little disappointed. For the sake of her son's future, she went to the Wu family in person to propose marriage, but her son not only did not show any gratitude, but also began to distrust her.
If not.
When he got the jade slip that day, the first thing he did was to tell his mother.
Could it be that she would actually take credit for her own son's contribution?
There was dead silence in the dark hall.
After a long while, Liu Meizhen walked up to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and her voice softened a little: "If you want to prove yourself, there are many ways. Sending yourself to die is the stupidest way."
Now the Fu family is only a seventh rank family, and there have been cases like Jing'er. When her husband is crowned king and given a title in the future, wouldn't that be a feud between brothers? She had to discuss this matter with her husband and absolutely could not allow this kind of atmosphere to grow.
She subconsciously touched her belly.
This will be the first offspring of their Fu family to be promoted to the sixth rank.
Liu Meizhen looked at Fu Yongpeng kneeling on the ground, with a hint of complexity in her eyes. She slowly took out a small jade bottle from her sleeve. The bottle was engraved with complicated seal patterns, and it glowed coldly under the lamp.
"Peng'er." Her voice was very soft, but unquestionable, "Take the medicine."
Fu Yongpeng raised his head suddenly, his pupils shrinking suddenly: "Forget Dust Pill?!"
——This is the Fu family’s secret medicine. Taking it can erase specific memories. It has always been used to deal with people who rebel against the clan.
"Mother!" His voice trembled, his fingers dug into the ground tightly, "I am your own son! How dare you——"
"Because you are my son." Liu Meizhen interrupted him, gently stroking her belly with her fingertips, "I can't let you live with this secret."
Only then did Fu Yongpeng notice his mother's subconscious action of protecting her abdomen, and he felt as if he was struck by lightning.
"You...you are pregnant?" His voice was hoarse, and he suddenly understood why his mother was so determined - this unborn child would be the first direct bloodline of the Fu family after it was promoted to the sixth rank. And he, the seventh son who almost caused a disaster, had become the biggest hidden danger of the family.
Liu Meizhen did not answer, but simply pulled out the cork. A wisp of green smoke floated out, condensing into a translucent pill in the air, with stars flowing inside.
"Do you want to eat it yourself, or should I do it for you?" She asked calmly, as if asking whether the food was salty or not.
Fu Yongpeng was trembling all over. He recalled the tenderness of his mother who had been feeding him spiritual energy all night long when he had a fever as a child; he recalled the first time he failed in refining a weapon, his mother rubbed his head and said, "Peng'er is just impatient." The more vivid those memories were, the stronger the bloody taste in his throat was at this moment.
"Why..." He pointed to the door with red eyes, "Fu Yongrui also knows about the Nine Nether Valley, why doesn't he have to obey--"
"Because Rui'er will never gamble the lives of his entire family for selfish desires!" Liu Meizhen suddenly shouted, and the celadon teacup was shattered into pieces by the sudden burst of spiritual pressure.
The splattered porcelain powder scratched Fu Yongpeng's cheek, leaving a bloody mark.
In the dead silence, Liu Meizhen closed her eyes, and when she spoke again, she had regained her composure: "Your elder brother Yongyi has made many great achievements, but he never takes credit for them. Your elder sister Yao has stayed alone in Yunshan County for decades for the sake of the family... Have they ever been like you, causing unrest in the entire family just to compete for favor?"
Fu Yongpeng felt like he was falling into an icy cave.
He saw the disappointment hidden in his mother's eyes - it was not the anger towards her rebellious young son, but the indifference of finally losing patience with a piece of rotten wood.
"My son... I know I was wrong." He smiled miserably and stretched out his hand, but suddenly retracted it when he was about to touch the pill, "But if I forget about this, and they set up a trap again in the future-"
"Don't worry, they won't have a second chance." Liu Meizhen snapped her fingers, and the green smoke-like pill instantly penetrated into his nostrils.
Fu Yongpeng twitched violently, and light blue mist oozed out of his seven orifices. The mist intertwined into images in the air: the bloody fingertips of the female cultivator, the scalding temperature of the jade slip, the deep entrance to the Nine Nether Valley...
The green mist exploded.
Fu Yongpeng's eyes gradually blurred and finally solidified into a blank expression.
Nine Nether Valley·Blood Jade Cave
Yin Kui Zhenren's skinny fingers scratched the blood jade coffin, making a harsh sound. His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse like sand: "It's been several months... Why hasn't the Fu family kid come yet?"
Master Qiuyue sat cross-legged on the futon, with a silver whisk resting on her arm. She opened her eyes coldly when she heard this: "Why are you in such a hurry? If he doesn't come, it means our bait is not tempting enough."
Master Yun tapped the bone banner with his fingertips. The image of Fu Yongpeng on the banner had already disappeared. He frowned slightly and pondered, "Could it be...he noticed it?"
"Impossible!" Yin Kui Zhenren slammed the coffin and stood up, his rotten robes rustling. "That kid is impulsive and conceited, and he's eager to prove himself. How could he not take the bait?!"
Master Qiuyue snorted coldly, flicked her whisk, and a beam of spiritual light hit the communication array outside the cave. A moment later, a black-clothed disciple walked in quickly and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to the three masters, I have learned the news - Fu Yongpeng announced three days ago that he would be in seclusion, saying that he would concentrate on cultivation and would not come out until the day of his wedding."
“Retreat?!” Yin Kui Zhenren’s pupils shrank suddenly, and his dry palms clenched violently, with his knuckles making a “cracking” sound. “He’s clearly taken the bait, how could he suddenly——”
Master Yun's eyes darkened, and the bone banner moved without wind, with the shadow of the Fu family's dark hall appearing on the banner: "It seems... someone has stopped him."
A cold light flashed in Master Qiuyue's eyes, and she pinched her fingers to form a seal. The figure of Fu Yongrui appeared in the air: "The head of the Fu family's dark hall, Fu Yongrui... This person is meticulous in his actions. If he intervenes, our plan will be exposed."
Master Yin Kui paced back and forth anxiously, the smell of decay becoming stronger and stronger: "What should we do now? Are we just going to wait like this?!"
Master Yun narrowed his eyes, and the image on the bone banner changed again, revealing the Yunxiao Mountain where Fu Changsheng was in seclusion. "Not necessarily. Fu Changsheng is hesitating, perhaps he is waiting for the day when the Yuanyin flower blooms."
"The flower blooms?" Master Yin Kui suddenly stopped, a trace of greed flashed in his eyes, "You mean... he wants the complete Yuan Yin Flower?"
Nun Qiuyue slowly stood up, her silver whisk moving without wind, her tone cold and firm: "The Yuan Yin flower blooms once every hundred years. When it blooms, the 'Yuan Yin Qi' contained in the stamens can help cultivators break through bottlenecks. If Fu Changsheng wants to use it to reach the Golden Elixir, he will come to pick it himself."
Yin Kui Zhenren breathed rapidly, his shriveled chest rising and falling violently: "But it will take another seven or eight years for the flower to bloom... my life span..."
Master Yun glanced at him and said calmly, "Brother Yin Kui, the Chixia Longevity Fruit has extended your life for ten years. It's worth waiting for just a few years."
Yin Kui Zhenren gritted his teeth, a fierce light flashing in his eyes: "But what if Fu Changsheng doesn't come?!"
Nun Qiuyue interrupted coldly: "If we make any more moves, Fu Changsheng will definitely get suspicious! If we do that, it will be very difficult to lure him into the trap in the future!"
She waved her whisk, and the image of Fu Changsheng in the past appeared in the void - he stood on the top of the clouds, his eyes were as deep as the abyss, as if he had already seen through all the conspiracies.
"This man is very cunning. If he finds out what we are planning, he will definitely set a trap for us." Master Qiuyue said in a cold tone, "We have waited for five or six years, so the last few years won't make a difference."
Yin Kui Zhenren was silent for a long time, and finally sat back on the blood jade coffin slowly, with his skinny fingers deeply embedded in the coffin surface: "Okay... then wait a few more years."
He grinned, revealing a few blackened teeth, and whispered in a hoarse voice like a devil: "When the Yuanyin flower blooms...that will be the day when Fu Changsheng dies!"
In the cave, evil spirit was surging. In the reflection of the blood jade coffin, the three figures looked like three dormant evil spirits, waiting for their prey to fall into their trap.
Xuanxiao Mountain: Deep in the Ancient Formation
Fu Changsheng stood on the cliff, overlooking the deep valley below. There was a green light in his eyes, and he was somewhat excited.
——The Nine-turn Spiritual Spring is at the bottom of the valley!
He took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his heart. After more than 20 years of refreshing the information and finding out that there was a Nine-turn Spiritual Spring here, he finally found a clue here. If it weren't for the green-faced white fox leading the way, he might not be able to find this secret ancient formation even after another ten years of searching.
"Big Bear, Second Bear, Third Bear." He called out softly, and three quasi-fourth-level soul-eating insects buzzed out from his sleeves, transformed into a black mist, and flew silently into the valley.
——The closer you are to your goal, the more cautious you should be.
——Although the great elder is dead, there may be other dangers in this place.
The swarm of soul-eating insects dispersed into the valley. After a moment, the feedback he received made his brows relax slightly - there were no living creatures in the valley, and no restrictions left. There was only one place with rich spiritual energy, and there seemed to be the sound of a spring gushing out.
"go!"
His figure flashed, and he turned into a streak of lightning and swept into the valley. The blood-colored shadow of the autumn cicada followed closely behind him, while the green-faced white fox jumped lightly and led the way.
Passing through the layers of fog and pushing aside the drooping ancient vines, the view before my eyes suddenly became clear.
A clear spring was flowing quietly, with a faint golden aura on the surface. Nine spiritual patterns intertwined at the spring eye, forming a mysterious formation. The spiritual energy was so rich that it almost condensed into substance. Fu Changsheng's pupils shrank slightly, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
--found it!
He walked forward slowly and lightly touched the spring water with his fingertips. Suddenly, a stream of extremely pure spiritual power surged into his meridians, like a sweet rain that moistened the dry earth. Even the dormant thunder magic in his body began to jump for joy.
"What a great Nine Revolutions Spiritual Spring!" He sighed softly, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.
——With this spiritual spring, he can not only completely transform the true fluid in his body into true essence, but also lay a more solid foundation for forming a pill in the future and increase the success rate of semi-finished pill formation!
"Chi-"
The green-faced white fox lightly jumped to the edge of the spring, tilted its head to look at him, and there seemed to be a proud look in its silver eyes. Seeing this, Fu Changsheng raised the corners of his lips slightly, reached out and stroked its head, and said softly: "Thanks to you for leading the way this time, otherwise I might not be able to find this place."
Xiaobai whimpered and rubbed his palm, as if asking for credit.
Fu Changsheng chuckled, took out a spiritual fruit, and handed it to it: "This is a reward for you."
Xiaobai's eyes lit up, he grabbed the spiritual fruit and happily ran to the side to enjoy it.
Qiu Chan stood by the spring, his bloodshot eyes flickering slightly, and said with a smile: "Master is really generous. This 'Xuan Yin Ling Fruit' is a treasure that nourishes the soul. You just give it to a little fox like this?"
Fu Changsheng said calmly: "Since it helped me find the spiritual spring, it should be rewarded."
——He has always been clear about gratitude and resentment. He will reward those who have made contributions and avenge those who have made enemies.
Qiu Chan covered her lips with her hands and chuckled, saying no more.
"what?"
Fu Changsheng swept his spiritual sense through the secret room next to the spiritual spring, only to see the door wide open. The spirit beast pen inside contained the corpses of several spirit-eating insects.
These soul-eating insects were pitch black, with metallic-like shells and six pairs of sharp legs curled up. They had obviously just died not long ago, and were about to break through to the Quasi-Fourth Stage. A few shredded pieces of clothing were scattered around the insect corpses, and the aura of the Great Elder could be vaguely recognized.
"Heh..." Fu Changsheng raised his lips slightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, "The master dies but the servant dies, which is really loyal."
——This soul-eating insect was obviously a spiritual pet carefully cultivated by the great elder, and was connected to his soul. When the great elder died, its vitality was also cut off.
The blood-stained shadow of the autumn cicada floated by and landed beside him, flicking its scarlet long sleeves and saying with a smile, "Master, this insect corpse is a bargain for us."
Fu Changsheng nodded slightly, waved his sleeves, and a black shadow rushed out from his sleeves——
The pitch-black vines moved like snakes, with hideous bone spurs all over the vines, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth opened at the top, making a low hissing sound of excitement. As soon as it appeared, it could not wait to pounce on the soul-eating insect corpse, entwining the vines, piercing the insect shell, and frantically devouring the remaining flesh and blood essence.
"Eat." Fu Changsheng said calmly, "Today, I will let you have a good meal."
Upon hearing this, the Skeleton Demon Vine devoured faster. As it squirmed, a faint dark golden luster appeared, as if it was digesting the golden essence in the Soul-Eating Insect's body.
——The Great Elder practiced gold-attributed techniques, and even his spirit pet was contaminated with the golden evil spirit.
——Now, all these essences have become nutrients for the Skeleton Demon Vine!
Fu Changsheng's eyes flashed slightly, and he took out the remains of the great elder and threw it at the demon vine.
"Swallow him too."
The skeleton demon vine trembled, and its huge mouth suddenly expanded, swallowing the remains of the great elder in one gulp. Then the vine twisted wildly, as if undergoing some drastic transformation.
"H-ho!"
The demon vine let out a painful roar, and the bone spurs on the vine broke piece by piece, but grew again in an instant. The new bone spurs actually glowed with a cold metallic light, and there was a faint golden glow flowing at the tip!
Qiu Chan narrowed his bloodshot eyes and chuckled, "It looks like it's about to break through."
Fu Changsheng stared intently, with lightning flashing in his eyes.
——The Skeleton Demon Vine had already reached the peak of the third stage. Now it had devoured the flesh and blood essence of the third stage Soul Devouring Insect and the Great Elder, and had been tempered by the gold attribute...
——Maybe, we can go a step further!
"Crack!"
With a crisp sound, the vine of the demon vine suddenly split open, and the dark skin peeled off, revealing the dark golden new vine inside. The new vine was thicker, with bone spurs as sharp as blades, and even a circle of fine metal serrations on the edge of the huge mouth at the top, which was hideous and terrifying.
"Quasi-fourth level..." Fu Changsheng whispered, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
——Not only a breakthrough, but also a mutation!
——The Skeleton Demon Vine today is no longer a simple wood-attributed monster, but a ferocious creature that has integrated gold attributes!
The demon vine slowly squirmed, and its body wrapped around Fu Changsheng's arm. The new bone spurs gently stroked his skin, as if expressing intimacy.
Fu Changsheng stroked its vine body and said calmly: "Not bad, in the future, your combat power will be even higher."
The evil vine hissed softly, as if in response.
Qiu Chan covered her lips and chuckled: "The master has raised a group of vicious creatures, soul-eating insects, skeleton demon vines, plus this servant's Ten Thousand Souls Blood Banner... Tsk tsk, I'm afraid that the enemy won't even be able to leave a complete corpse when we fight in the future."
Fu Changsheng glanced at the Nine Revolutions Spiritual Spring.
It would take at least a year or so to refine it, but he would soon participate in Yongxuan's Dan-forming Ceremony and the canonization of the sixth-rank family, so it would take at least two years to refine this spiritual spring.
——If a treasure land like the Jiuzhuan Lingquan cannot be fully controlled, it will always be a hidden danger.
He raised his hand and waved it. The five elements space glowed with light and a graceful figure emerged.
"Master." Qiu Niang bowed, her voice gentle but with a hint of coldness.
She was wearing a plain white dress and a jade hairpin in her hair, which made her skin look like snow and her features look like paintings. If it weren't for the mysterious light of the array patterns flashing in her deep eyes occasionally, anyone would think she was just an ordinary woman with extraordinary temperament.
Fu Changsheng nodded slightly: "Qiu Niang, are you sure about this ancient formation in the valley?"
Qiu Niang raised her eyes and scanned the surroundings. The array patterns in her eyes changed rapidly. After a moment, the corners of her lips slightly raised: "A fourth-level top-grade ancient array, based on the 'Nine Palaces Soul Locking', it incorporates some of the magic of the 'Five Elements Reversal'. The person who set up the array is very experienced, but..."
She paused, raised her hand slightly, and a ray of light condensed from her fingertips, pointing into the void.
"Wow—"
The formation pattern of the entire valley suddenly lit up, and countless threads of light intertwined, revealing a complete formation diagram in front of her.
"There are three flaws." Qiu Niang said calmly, "First, the connection between the core of the formation is abrupt; second, the flow of spiritual power is sluggish; third..."
She drew a line with her fingertips, and a node in the formation diagram broke.
"Here, if we use 'Tianxuan' instead of 'Disha', the power can be increased by 30%."
A hint of admiration flashed in Fu Changsheng's eyes.
——This is the vision of a quasi-fourth-level formation master!
"How long will it take to control this formation?" he asked.
Qiu Niang pondered for a moment: "Two months. If we want to modify the original formation so that only the master can control it..."
She raised her eyes, and the patterns in her eyes were spinning wildly.
"Half a year is enough."
Fu Changsheng nodded: "Do you need any help?"
Qiu Niang shook her head, flipped her hand, and an ancient bronze array plate appeared in her palm.
"With the 'Heavenly Secret Disk' here, there is no need to trouble the master."
She paused, then suddenly looked at the Skeleton Demon Vine beside her and said softly, "However, if I can get this demon vine to obey my orders temporarily, perhaps it will be faster."
Fu Changsheng raised his eyebrows: "Oh?"
Qiu Niang explained: "This formation contains the dual attributes of wood and gold. The demon vine has mutated, which is in line with the principles of the formation. I can use its power to directly penetrate the formation veins and save 30% of the effort."
Fu Changsheng looked at the demon vine wrapped around his arm and said calmly, "Are you willing to lend a helping hand to Qiu Niang?"
The evil vine hissed softly, and the tip of the vine nodded, as if it understood what people were saying.
Qiu Niang smiled slightly and reached out to touch the demon vine. The vine was tense at first, but after her fingertips were immersed in the array pattern, it quickly relaxed and even took the initiative to wrap around her wrist, appearing quite intimate.
"Thank you, master." Qiu Niang bowed again, then turned and walked towards the center of the formation.
She walked lightly, but each step was precisely on the nodes of the array. As her hands flew, countless spiritual lights flowed from her fingers and sank into the ground. The entire valley began to tremble slightly, and the array pattern squirmed and reorganized like a living thing.
Fu Changsheng looked for a while, then turned and walked towards the secret room, intending to take advantage of this time to count the treasures in the storage bags of one or two elders.
(End of this chapter)