Chapter 466: Molan's whereabouts, Lingbao fragments, and another servant
Chapter 466: Molan's whereabouts, Lingbao fragments, and another servant (12.2k)
On the wall of Huiping County, the monk on duty suddenly widened his eyes.
From deep within the clouds, a green shadow broke through the air, and the thunderclouds dispersed wherever it passed.
"It's the family master's green dragon!"
Amid the exclamations, the green shadow finally revealed itself.
The thirty-foot-long dragon's body was covered in bronze scales, its four sharp claws were wrapped in purple lightning, and its pair of jade horns on its head were shining. The pressure from the quasi-fourth-level monster caused ripples in the city defense formation, and the monks guarding the city unconsciously held their breath.
On the dragon's back, Fu Changsheng's black robe rustled. He put one hand behind his back and gently stroked the dragon's horn with the other hand. The green dragon immediately restrained its power and slowly landed on the receiving platform.
"Welcome Patriarch!"
The twelve deacons saluted in unison.
Fu Changlei stood at the front.
He discovered that the patriarch, who had not been seen for several years, had actually already cultivated the "Nine Heavenly Star Art" to the great success in the marrow refining realm. It was also by chance that he was able to break through to the minor success in the Kunlun Secret Realm. He did not expect that the patriarch could achieve such an effect through his own practice. He was indeed a genius in cultivation.
"Master, I have prepared some special dishes from Huiping County. Please do me the honor of moving to Leiyuan Hall."
"Ah."
Fu Changsheng moved towards him, and a white shadow quietly emerged from his sleeve and landed lightly on his shoulder - it was a snow-white fox with only faint green lines on its face, and a pair of fox pupils as clear as glass, with a faint glow flowing.
Fu Changlei's eyes lit up: "Congratulations to Patriarch Xiaobai for breaking through to the third level!"
Chirp!
The green-faced white fox neighed triumphantly.
As they entered the urban area, the green-faced white fox's ears moved slightly and it sniffed with the tip of its nose, as if it was quite sensitive to the thunder spirit in the air.
After arriving at Leiyuan Palace.
Thirty-six palace lanterns with lightning patterns lit up one after another, and the soft light reflected on the simple carvings in the hall. Eight female foundation-building cultivators entered in a line, holding lightning-patterned food boxes in their hands, and presented Huiping County's special spiritual meal:
Purple Thunder Stewed Snow Bass - a third-level thunder-attributed monster with tender meat, containing pure thunder spirit power.
Tiangang Thunder Bud Soup - made from nine kinds of spiritual vegetables tempered by thunder, it has a refreshing fragrance and can help cultivators consolidate their foundation.
Lightning-struck wood smoked spirit deer - slow-roasted for three days with century-old lightning-struck wood, the meat is tender and melts in your mouth.
Lei Chi Zuixian Niang - a magical wine that has been stored in the cellar for thirty years. Drinking it is like swallowing thunder into the stomach, making the whole body feel comfortable.
Fu Changsheng picked up the glass cup, and the wine in the cup was dancing with tiny flashes of lightning. He took a sip and said with a smile: "Did this Drunken Immortal Wine use Fu Ge'er's original lightning-inducing aging method?"
Fu Changlei nodded: "Take the Yin thunder of midnight and add it to the wine, then warm it in the thunder pond for three years, and then it will become this taste."
After having enough wine and food.
Fu Changlei then began to report on the situation in Huiping County. With a wave of his sleeve, a jade slip floated in the air. With a light tap of his fingertips, a three-dimensional shadow of Huiping County emerged as a flash of spiritual light flowed.
"Reporting to the Patriarch, there are currently 8,472 cultivators in Huiping County and 630,000 mortal households." Fu Changlei's voice was as steady as a pond of thunder and calm water, neither hurried nor slow. "This year's production of Thunder Spirit Pearls has increased by 30% compared to last year, and a total of 28,700 low-grade spirit stones have been obtained."
In the shadow, data flows, and the income and expenditure are clearly visible:
Thunder Spirit Pearl Trade: 28,700 Low-grade Spirit Stones
Thunder Body Tempering Service: 9,500 Low-grade Spiritual Stones
Lightning-struck wood auction: 3,200 medium-grade spirit stones
...
Other income: 1,800 medium-grade spirit stones
"In terms of expenditure, the maintenance of the city defense formation consumed 15,000 spirit stones, the monthly allowance for disciples was 28,400 spirit stones, the exploration of Lei Ze consumed 6,300 spirit stones, and the construction of people's livelihood consumed 5,200 spirit stones..."
Fu Changsheng tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes fell on the item "Lei Ze exploration loss": "The loss increased by 20% compared to last year?"
"Yes." Fu Changlei unfolded another scroll, and the scene of the core area of Lei Ze emerged in the phantom. "Half a year ago, the Lei Ze Floating Island was hit by a sudden purple thunder, which destroyed three thunder-detecting boats." He paused, and then said, "However, the efficiency of the city defense formation has increased by 20%, and the success rate of the thunder pool body tempering has also increased by 30%. Seven foundation-building disciples have broken through to the late stage."
Fu Changsheng mentioned the main business of this trip: "What is the situation in the restricted area?"
Fu Changlei's expression became serious. "According to the instructions of the Patriarch a few months ago, the lightning-detecting boats have been withdrawn, and six half-step purple mansion cultivators and a swarm of third-level soul-devouring insects are guarding the restricted area day and night. No one can get close to the restricted area."
Fu Changsheng nodded slightly: "Is there anything unusual?"
Fu Changlei unfolded a jade scroll with flowing lightning: "Three days ago, the thunderstorm outside the restricted area suddenly intensified, and the soul-eating insects reported that the restrictions on the floating island seemed to have loosened." He lightly stroked with his fingertips, and a distorted image of lightning appeared in the void.
In the image, the outline of a floating island can be vaguely seen in the depths of Lei Ze, with lightning flashes entwined around it like chains, and several cracks are faintly visible.
A green-faced white fox suddenly jumped off Fu Changsheng's shoulder, its fox eyes fixed on a certain spot in the image, and it made a low cry.
Fu Changsheng's eyes flashed: "Could it be that Xiaobai has already sensed the fragments of the spiritual treasure?"
Fu Changlei was startled: "The purpose of the Patriarch's trip is..."
"Let's go to the Lei Ze restricted area and take a look." Fu Changsheng said calmly
Fu Changlei frowned: "The restricted area is full of dangers, and the Purple Sky Divine Thunder is frequent. Does the master need to send more people?"
"No problem"
Too many people is a bad thing.
...
...
three months ago.
Outside the Lei Ze restricted area, three dark shadows passed through the thunderclouds like ghosts.
"Click——"
A purple lightning struck, illuminating the faces of the three people——
The leader was an old man in a gray robe with sunken eye sockets. In his hand was a dark golden talisman, which was the "Boundless Talisman" rarely seen in the world of immortal cultivation.
"Old Ghost Liu, can your talisman really avoid the eyes and ears of those mad dogs of the Fu family?" The scarred monk on the left lowered his voice, the blood-red short blade in his hand faintly revealing murderous aura.
The grey-robed old man sneered: "My boundless talisman can even tear a hole in a fourth-level restriction, let alone the Fu family's quasi-fourth-level magic array?"
On the right, a masked female cultivator stroked her temples, a strand of black hair entwined on her fingertips: "The Fu family suddenly sent six half-step purple palaces and three third-level soul-devouring insects to guard this place, and even the mine-detecting boats on the Lei Ze Floating Island were withdrawn..." A trace of greed flashed in her eyes, "It must be that a rare treasure has appeared on the floating island!"
The three of them looked at each other and crushed the Boundless Talisman at the same time.
"Om-"
Dark golden runes wrapped around their bodies like flowing water. Their figures gradually faded and merged into the thunderstorm. They silently avoided the patrol gaps of the soul-eating insect swarms, passed through the island protection formation, and went straight to the floating island.
In the blink of an eye.
The three of them arrived on the floating island.
The grey-robed old man Liu Wuya walked in front, holding a bronze compass in his hand. The compass was engraved with ancient thunder patterns, and the needle trembled slightly, pointing to the place where the thunderstorm was the least intense. He was hunched over, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and he avoided the thunderstorm with every step.
Boom boom boom!
Around them, thunder rumbled, which was a somewhat scary scene.
"Old Ghost Liu, is your 'Lightning Disk' really reliable?" The scarred monk, Luo Zheng, lowered his voice, the blood-red short blade in his hand glowing slightly, as if ready to kill at any time. There was a hideous scar on his left face that went through his neck, which was said to be left when he was a robbery cultivator in his early years.
"Humph, this treasure of mine is an ancient relic dug out from the ruins of the 'Tianji Pavilion'." Liu Wuya sneered, "If it weren't for the abnormal behavior of the Fu family this time, why would I use it so easily?"
On the right, the masked female cultivator, Su Lian, gently stroked her hair, a faint fragrance entwined on her fingertips. The "Illusionary Soul Art" she practiced was the best at hiding, and even her breath was integrated into Lei Ze's violent spiritual power:
"Don't talk nonsense. The right thing to do is to get the treasure quickly before the Fu family finds out."
January passed.
On the floating island.
Three figures hid in a rock cave that was split by a thunderstorm.
The grey-robed old man Liu Wuya sat cross-legged on a piece of blackened lightning-struck wood. The needle of the bronze compass in his hand had long stopped trembling, and the surface of the compass was covered with a layer of grey rust. His face was gloomy, and he calculated the direction with his fingertips, but he still received no response.
"Wrong again..." He cursed in a low voice, shook out the last bottle of "Thunder-Proof Pills" from his sleeve, poured out three pills, swallowed one himself, and threw the remaining two to his companions.
Scarface Luo Zheng caught the pill, but did not swallow it immediately. Instead, he held it in his palm and said coldly, "Old Man Liu, this is the last bottle. If we continue to waste it, we will have no way out."
The masked female cultivator Su Lian leaned against the rock wall, her fingertips gently tangling her black hair, her voice lazy but chilling: "Luo Zheng, are you scared?"
"Afraid?" Luo laughed grimly, his scar twisted. "I was born a robbery cultivator, I'm used to living on the edge of a knife, but I won't do anything to get myself killed!" He pointed fiercely at the thunderstorm outside the cave. "It's been a month, and we haven't found even a single hair. If we stay any longer, the Soul Devouring Insects will smell us sooner or later!"
Liu Wuya remained silent.
During this month, they searched almost every inch of land outside the restricted area, and even ventured into the center of the thunderstorm, but they still could not find any clues related to the "strange treasure". The elixirs were exhausted, the talismans were empty, and even the spiritual power of the lightning disk was eroded by the thunderstorm.
"Let's search for another month." Liu Wuya finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "If we still don't find anything, we will withdraw."
Luo Zheng snorted coldly, raised his head to swallow the Thunder-Repellent Pill, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.
Su Lian flicked her fingertips, and a faint fragrance drifted away, covering the aura of the three people. She looked at the lightning outside the cave, her fox eyes narrowed slightly: "The Fu family will definitely not block this place for no reason..."
Another month and a half later, the atmosphere in the cave became stagnant.
Luo Zheng kicked the stone to pieces and said sternly, "Old Ghost Liu, I won't waste my time with you guys any more!"
It was Luo Zheng who proposed to go treasure hunting, but he was also the one who gave up halfway because he was timid and cowardly.
Liu Wuya stood up slowly, and a broken talisman slipped out from his sleeve - the last "Escape Talisman", which could only be used by two people.
"Luo Zheng, if you want to leave, you can leave now." He said calmly, "It just so happens that we need someone to support us outside. If we are defeated, we will call you to come."
Luo Zheng's pupils shrank, his eyes moved between the talisman and Liu Wuya, and he nodded: "Okay!"
He turned around suddenly, split the rock wall with his bloody short blade, and leaped into the thunderstorm. Before leaving, he turned back and grinned: "Old Ghost Liu, Madam Su, I'll wait for your good news!"
The lightning engulfed his figure, leaving only a wisp of bloody smell.
Su Lian sighed: "What a pity, Luo Zheng's 'Blood Escape Technique' is an excellent way to explore the way."
Liu Wuya put away the Escape Talisman and said calmly, "There is no point in keeping someone who is afraid of death."
a few days later.
Deep in the cave, Su Lian suddenly opened her eyes: "Someone is coming!"
Liu Wuya suddenly crushed a "hidden breath jade", and the aura of the two disappeared completely.
Thunderclouds were rolling in the distance, and a green shadow broke through the air - a thirty-meter-long green dragon tore through the thunderstorm, and the jade horns on the dragon's head were shining brightly, and the thunderclouds retreated wherever it passed!
"It's Fu Changsheng's Green Dragon!" Liu Wuya's breathing stagnated.
On the back of the dragon, Fu Changsheng's black robe rustled, and beside him stood Fu Changlei, who had a lightning birthmark on his forehead. The two flew straight to the core of the restricted area without even disturbing the city defense formation.
Su Lian pinched her fingers together, and a wisp of spiritual consciousness quietly attached to the lightning, observing from afar.
Fu Changsheng just raised his hand and a crack appeared in the restriction of the floating island. He and Fu Changlei flashed in.
"Sure enough!" Liu Wuya's eyes sparkled, "Fu Changsheng came here in person, it must be a rare treasure that has appeared in the world!"
Su Lian chuckled: "If Luo Zheng knew that he would miss this opportunity, he would be so angry that he would vomit blood."
Liu Wuya took out a blood-colored pill - the Blood-Burning Pill. After taking it, one can briefly burst out the power of the peak of the fake pill, but the price is the loss of ten years of lifespan.
"Take a gamble?" He looked at Su Lian.
Su Lian curled her red lips slightly and took out a pill as well: "That's exactly what I want."
...
...
A green shadow emerged from the depths of the clouds, tearing through the purple lightning in the sky and hovering steadily on the edge of the floating island.
Fu Changsheng stood at the head of the green dragon, raised his head slightly, and stared at the isolated island floating above the Thunder Lake - the island was as black as iron, and the surface was covered with scorched marks of lightning strikes, as if it had been struck by heaven's punishment thousands of times, but it never fell.
"Lei Ze Floating Island..." he whispered, but his voice was swallowed up by the violent thunder around him.
The green-faced white fox on the shoulder leaped down lightly, its claws stepping on the scorched earth, its vertical pupil between its eyebrows opening and closing slightly, scanning the surroundings.
"Master, in a few days, the Thunder Spirit will enter its violent period. I'm afraid it's not advisable to stay here for long." Fu Changlei reminded him in a deep voice. Lightning patterns appeared all over his body to resist the external thunder pressure.
Fu Changsheng did not answer, but slowly raised his hand with his five fingers stretched out.
"Om-"
A ray of star power flowed out from his palm, penetrating into the thunderstorm like a thin thread, and actually tore a brief passage in the violent thunder spirit.
When Fu Changlei saw this, his pupils shrank.
The current strength of the patriarch is probably no different from that of an ordinary early Jindan.
Fu Changsheng had to rush to the Luo family to attend Yongxuan's Danjie Ceremony, and he also wanted to find the Lingbao fragments and leave as soon as possible:
"Xiaobai, explore the way."
"chirp"
The green-faced white fox let out a low cry, and its vertical pupils opened completely. A green fluorescent light spread out like ripples. Wherever it passed, the thunderstorm actually paused briefly, revealing the scene deep in the floating island - charred ancient trees, cracked rock formations, and... several depressions flooded by lightning, with faint flashes of spiritual light.
Fu Changsheng raised the corners of his lips slightly.
"Walk."
As I stepped onto the floating island, I heard a crisp "crackling" sound under my feet - it was the remains of wood struck by lightning. It had long been carbonized and would break into powder with the slightest force.
The air was filled with the unique smell of anxiety and thunder spirits. With every breath, it felt like tiny threads of lightning were drilling into the lungs, burning the meridians and making them slightly numb.
Fu Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, and the dark star patterns on his black robe flowed silently, dissolving all the miscellaneous thunders that invaded his body.
A green-faced white fox led the way, scanning with its vertical pupils. Suddenly, it stopped in front of a rock wall, and its fox tail swayed slightly.
"Is there something?" Fu Changsheng walked closer, gathered star power on his fingertips, and pressed lightly on the rock wall.
"boom!"
The rock wall exploded, revealing a spiritual plant wrapped in purple lightning inside - Thunder Pattern Grass, a third-level spiritual material, which is a treasure for Lei Xiu, but... it is not the rare treasure mentioned in the intelligence:
"Xiaobai, explore again."
The green-faced white fox leaped down lightly, and the pupil between its eyebrows suddenly split open, and a green fluorescent light swept across the depths of the thunderstorm. The fox ears moved slightly, and suddenly it let out a low cry towards the southeast.
"Found it?" Fu Changsheng's eyes flashed.
The white fox leaped into the thunder lava, and after a moment it brought back a piece of purple-veined thunder crystal - a top-grade third-rank spiritual material, but not a fragment of a spiritual treasure.
Fu Changsheng tightened his fingertips, and the lightning crystal shattered with a "crack".
"Explore again."
This was repeated three times, and the white fox found:
A piece of wood struck by lightning for a century that gave birth to the spirit of thunder
Seven natural thunder beads
Half a fragment of the ancient thunder symbol
Fu Changsheng's eyes gradually turned cold.
"Master, do you want to expand the search range?" Fu Changlei controlled the power of the thunder spirit to split a thundercloud and asked in a deep voice.
There was a riot in Lei Ze here.
It interfered with the Green-faced White Fox's exploration, and Xiaobai's third eye couldn't be opened all the time.
He hesitated.
Fu Changsheng's mind still fell on the sea of consciousness panel:
"Exchange Information"
hum!
The panel vibrates.
A large amount of yellow light surged.
Then, one picture after another appeared. My eyes fixed on the first picture, and a familiar figure came into view:
"Molan?!"
Because of his personal grudge with Li Wanhu of Zhenshisi, the other party sent Molan to Qiuyue Temple as a spy. Molan was probably discovered and disappeared after that. The last time he went to Qiuyue Temple to rescue Rui Ge'er, the intelligence mentioned that Molan was no longer in Qiuyue Temple.
It's been such a long time.
Finally I refreshed Molan's information.
When Molan was still a nobody in the Fu family, he returned to the family and his status was the same as that of the four cultivators back then:
"I hope the intelligence can provide specific clues about Molan"
Fu Changsheng couldn't wait to look at the first picture. Buzz, yellow light surged, and everything in front of him became vivid, as if he was there.
...
...
The dungeon of Qiuyue Temple never sees the sun all year round. The damp stone walls are covered with moss, and the air is filled with the smell of decay and blood. Fu Molan was imprisoned on the rack with heavy soul-locking handcuffs. Her white Taoist robe had long been torn by whip marks, revealing traces of blood. Her lips were chapped and her breathing was weak, but her eyes were still as stubborn as ice.
"It's been three years, and you've been able to endure it." The head of Qiuyue Nunnery slowly approached, raised Molan's chin with his fingertips, and sneered, "A mere Zifu dares to be a spy in my Qiuyue Nunnery?"
Molan didn't answer, but just looked at her coldly.
A trace of anger flashed in the abbot's eyes, and he pressed his palm hard on Molan's crown, and his spiritual power violently invaded her meridians.
"Let me see, who sent you--"
Before he finished speaking, an extremely cold air suddenly erupted!
"Click——"
The water droplets in the cell instantly froze into ice, frost marks appeared on the stone walls, and even the abbot's cuffs were covered with a thin layer of ice.
“Ice Spiritual Root?!” The abbot’s pupils suddenly shrank, and then he was ecstatic, “Hahaha! God is helping me!”
She grabbed Molan's neck, her eyes flashing with greed: "With such talent, if I take over someone else's body..."
Molan's consciousness gradually blurred, but her last thought was -
"Master...save me..."
...
A few months later, dark market.
Molan was locked in a dark iron cage, with her hands and feet bound with soul-binding chains. Her memory was in disarray, she only remembered that she was captured by the head of Qiuyue Temple, but she didn't know why she was brought here.
"One hundred years..."
A hoarse voice like sandblasted sounded. Molan looked up and saw a skinny old woman standing outside the cage, staring at her with cloudy eyes.
"I finally got a perfect Ice Soul Body."
The old woman, Granny Yinhua, grinned, revealing her dark teeth. Her skinny fingers passed through the iron bars and pressed against Molan's forehead.
"From today on, your name is 'Shuzhen'."
A chilling consciousness invaded her mind, and Molan trembled violently, as her memories receded like a tide.
She forgot the family reunion ceremony at the Fu family ancestral hall.
She forgot the life-and-death moments when she explored the secret realm with Fu Changsheng.
She even forgot who she was.
Instead, it was the illusion carefully woven by Granny Silver Flower—
In the ice cave, young "Shuzhen" curled up in her "grandmother's" arms, listening to her talk about the "family blood feud."
"Shuzhen, you are the last descendant of our Xuanbing lineage."
"Those evil people killed your parents in order to seize our Mysterious Ice Art. Now, we are the only ones left to depend on each other."
"Starting today, Grandmother will teach you the true Mysterious Ice Technique."
The mother-in-law handed Shuzhen a bowl of cold medicinal soup:
"Drinking it will help you sense the coldness of heaven and earth."
Shuzhen took the bowl, and the medicine soup exuded a pungent smell. She hesitated for a moment, looked up at her mother-in-law's expectant eyes, and finally raised her head to drink it all. The moment the liquid entered her throat, an extremely cold air burst out from her dantian, and she curled up in pain.
"Hold it!"
Granny Yinhua suddenly shouted, totally different from her usual kind self:
"How could the descendant of the Xuanbing lineage be unable to endure even this little bit of pain?"
Shuzhen gritted her teeth and persisted, feeling the cold rushing through her meridians. Just when she was about to collapse, her mother-in-law placed her palm on her back, and a gentle spiritual power guided the cold air back to her dantian.
"Very good, very good." The mother-in-law's voice returned to kindness. "Remember this pain, it is the source of your strength."
Shuzhen fell into a deep sleep, and in her dream she seemed to hear someone calling a strange name - "Molan". She wanted to respond, but found that she could not make a sound.
As the days passed, Shuzhen's cultivation level improved steadily. Granny Yinhua's teaching method always switched back and forth between kindness and severity, making Shuzhen both dependent and fearful.
"Raise your wrist higher!" Granny Yinhua's snake-head cane hit Shuzhen's arm hard, leaving a red mark. "The key to the Mysterious Ice Palm is to contain the coldness. How can you take revenge if you are so careless?"
When Shuzhen reached the peak of Purple Mansion, Granny Yinhua took out seven long transparent nails.
"This is the Cold Marrow Nail. It can help you break through the bottleneck." Grandma's voice was filled with excitement that could not be concealed. "The process will be painful, but for the future of the Xuanbing lineage, you must endure it."
Shuzhen looked at the spikes in fear and instinctively took a step back. Her mother-in-law's eyes immediately turned cold: "What? You don't want to avenge your parents?"
"I, I think." Shuzhen lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito.
"Then lie down!" said the mother-in-law sternly.
Shuzhen lay trembling on the ice bed. Her mother-in-law pressed her forehead with her skinny fingers: "Remember, no matter how painful it is, you can't faint, otherwise all your efforts will be wasted!"
The moment the first cold marrow nail pierced into her Danzhong acupoint, Shuzhen let out a heart-wrenching scream. The extremely cold air raged through her meridians like thousands of steel needles, and a layer of frost quickly condensed on the surface of her skin.
"The second one!" The mother-in-law ruthlessly stabbed the nail into her Qihai point.
Shuzhen's vision began to blur, and she saw a strange smile on her mother-in-law's face. When the seventh nail pierced into the Baihui acupoint, her consciousness was already on the verge of collapse.
"Hold on! Practice the Xuanbing Jue!" Mother-in-law's voice seemed to come from far away.
Shuzhen instinctively practiced the skills she had learned every day, and the seven cold marrow nails suddenly emitted a faint blue light, forming a strange formation. She felt her consciousness being forcibly pulled into her dantian, and saw an illusory ice pill forming.
"Very good. Very good." The mother-in-law nodded with satisfaction. "The fake pill is ready. We are only one step away." Before Shuzhen fell into a coma, she vaguely heard her mother-in-law muttering to herself: "Five more years. Just five more years."
After the cold marrow nail was inserted into her body, Shuzhen's headaches became more frequent. Sometimes during her practice, she would suddenly see some strange yet familiar scenes:
——A young man was teaching her swordsmanship, his eyes full of tenderness;
——A group of people bowed to her in the ancestral hall and called her "Fifth Miss";
——He took a pill and said to someone, "Master, rest assured, Molan will not fail in your mission."
Whenever these scenes appeared, the cold marrow nail would emit a bone-chilling chill, forcibly pulling her consciousness back to reality. And Granny Yinhua would always appear at the right time and give her a bowl of bitter medicine.
"Are those illusions again?" Grandma stroked her forehead. "Those are false memories implanted in your mind by your enemies, in order to disturb your spiritual heart."
Shuzhen nodded weakly.
One night, Shuzhen woke up from a nightmare and found that her mother-in-law was not in the cave. She walked to her mother-in-law's secret room and saw a horrifying scene through the crack of the door:
Granny Yinhua was talking to herself in front of a bronze mirror, and the face reflected in the mirror was actually that of a young woman! "Be patient, this old body will soon be no longer needed." Granny's voice was full of enthusiasm, "The perfect container for the Ice Spirit Root."
Shuzhen stepped back in horror.
Granny Yinhua turned her head suddenly, and the young face in the mirror disappeared instantly.
"Shuzhen?" Grandma opened the door of the secret room, her face returning to its usual kindness. "Why are you up? Did you have a nightmare?"
Shuzhen suppressed the fear in her heart and whispered: "I...I dreamed of my enemy."
"Silly child." The grandmother put her arm around her shoulders and said, "With your grandmother here, no one can hurt you." But this time, Shuzhen clearly felt that her grandmother's palms were so cold that they were not like those of a living person.
Back on the ice bed, Shuzhen tossed and turned in bed. She touched the strange lines on the back of her neck that appeared at some point in time, and a terrible thought sprouted in her mind:
"What if she's not my grandmother?"
...
...
The scene stopped abruptly.
Then, lines of text appeared:
[1: Fu Molan was discovered to be a spy by the abbess of Qiuyue Temple, and was sold to Granny Yinhua at a high price. Five years later, when Molan condensed her golden elixir, Granny Yinhua took over her body.]
what?
Fu Changsheng's heart tightened.
No matter how.
He also had to rescue Molan, but this was the first time he had heard the name Granny Yinhua.
"If I remember correctly, after being promoted to a sixth-rank family, you can use your merit points to exchange for information from the imperial court. The time for canonization will be after the new year, so there is still time for everything."
[2: The restriction on the place where the spiritual treasure fragments are located in Lei Ze Floating Island. Anyone below the Jindan level will die if they touch it.]
[3: Your son Fu Yongshou’s wife Yu Qingxiu is a rare hidden star body that is only seen once in a hundred years. Because she has not awakened her spiritual body, it is a hundred times more difficult for her to cultivate than for others. Even if Fu Yongshou used all his contribution points to exchange for cultivation resources for her, he has just broken through to the middle stage of foundation building.]
[4: Liu Meizhen received your message and stopped your son Fu Yongqing from going to Jiuyou Valley in time. Master Yun and the other two saw that their plan had failed again. In order not to alert the enemy, they decided to wait for the Yuanyin flower to bloom and let you fall into the trap yourself.]
[5: Cao Xiang'er has resolved her inner demons in the secular world and has resumed her seclusion, striving for the Golden Elixir]
[6: After taking the Blood-Transforming Pill, your daughter-in-law Haiyun successfully awakened her spirit body and regained some of her memories]
[7: Qiu Xiu, who is heading to the Central Plains, will return to his family soon.]
[8: Three months ago, three casual cultivators at the Fake Dan realm secretly sneaked into the Lei Ze Floating Island. One of them has already left, and the other two are hiding three hundred feet to the northwest of you. Luo Zheng’s storage bag contains the Xuan Yin Kui water needed to practice the "Mu Que Ning Dan Jue" technique.]
...
"Someone actually sneaked into the forbidden area."
It's simply courting death!
Fu Changsheng remained calm and read the remaining two pieces of information.
the end.
Go to the thunderstorm area.
...
Deep in the cave, Liu Wuya was using a bronze compass to simulate the fluctuations of a spiritual treasure when he suddenly trembled all over.
"Madam Su, something is wrong..." He stared at the madly spinning needle on the compass, "Fu Changsheng went to the thunderstorm area, but the fox is still spinning in the same place!"
Su Lian's pupils shrank suddenly: "He found out? Impossible! My lightning-hiding yarn can even block the golden elixir's consciousness--"
"Om-"
A piercing flute sound pierced through the thunderstorm!
It was discovered!
Liu Wuya and Su Lian looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.
"Do it!"
Liu Liu Wuya roared, and his fake Dan power burst out with all his strength. The small red sword in his sleeve hummed - the fourth-level lower-grade Soul-Burning Sword!
"Blood rainbow pierces the sun!"
The sword light soared into the sky like a blood dragon, and the lightning lava evaporated wherever it passed, actually tearing a vacuum in the thunderstorm!
At the same moment, Su Lian clasped her hands together and summoned the fourth-level lower-grade Illusionary Heart Mirror. The mirror surface flickered with a faint light, reflecting the phantom of Fu Changsheng's soul!
"It's not enough!" Liu Wuya grinned, suddenly bit his tongue and spurted out a mouthful of blood!
"Blood Evil Thunder Talisman - Raise!"
Three blood-colored talismans exploded and turned into lightning snakes all over the sky, blocking all of Fu Changsheng's escape routes!
Su Lian slipped out a black round bead from his sleeve - the Yin Sha Thunder Bead! Once this thing exploded, the area within a hundred feet would be reduced to dust!
The two of them cooperated seamlessly and launched a series of deadly moves. Even a Jindan stage cultivator had to temporarily avoid their attack!
Faced with such a murderous situation, a cold light flashed in Fu Changsheng's eyes and his figure suddenly became blurred!
"Green Jiao!"
"Roar--"
A dragon roar shook the entire Thunder Lake, and a quasi-fourth-level green dragon rose into the sky from the thunder plasma. Its gigantic body swept across, directly crushing the Thunder Snake of the Blood Evil Thunder Talisman into pieces!
Fu Changsheng stepped on the head of the green dragon, his black robe fluttering, starlight flowing on his fingertips, and a star curtain blocked in front of him. The soul-burning sword slashed up, causing violent ripples, but failed to break the defense!
"Illusionary Mind Mirror? A mere trifle!"
Fu Changsheng snorted coldly, the starlight in his eyes surged, and the phantom of the soul in the Fantasy Mirror suddenly backfired, and the mirror surface cracked with a "crack"!
"Ah!" Su Lian's seven orifices were bleeding and he staggered backward.
“Madam Su!” Liu Wuya’s eyes were red with anger, and he slapped his storage bag fiercely, “Hundred Ghost Banner - Out!”
A pitch-black banner unfolded, and countless evil ghosts roared and pounced towards Fu Changsheng!
"Skeleton Demon Vine!"
A bone vine flew out from Fu Changsheng's sleeve. The vine was covered with thorns and grew in the wind. In an instant, it turned into a ten-foot-long giant vine! The vine twisted like a living thing, crushing all the evil spirits that rushed towards it!
"What?!" Liu Wuya was shocked. This evil vine could actually absorb ghost energy!
The battle situation changes rapidly!
Su Lian endured the severe pain, pinched her fingers and chanted the spell: "Ghost Escape!"
Her figure flashed like a ghost, and she instantly appeared behind Fu Changsheng, with a dark blue dagger in her hand - the Soul-Devouring Blade!
"die!"
The dagger pierced Fu Changsheng's back!
At the critical moment, the green dragon swept its huge tail and forced Su Lian back!
"boom!"
Su Lian was blown away by the huge force, blood oozing from her mouth, but the fierceness in her eyes remained the same: "Explode!"
The Yin Sha Thunder Bead suddenly exploded, and the violent thunder and fire submerged Fu Changsheng and Qing Jiao!
"Head of the family!" Fu Changlei exclaimed.
The smoke and dust cleared, and Fu Changsheng stepped on the starlight, his body protected by starlight, and he was unharmed! The scales of the green dragon were charred, but his fighting spirit was even stronger!
"You guys... are pretty good." Fu Changsheng said calmly, "but that's all."
He waved his sleeves, and three thunder swords shot up into the sky from the ground, forming a starry sky thunder formation!
"What?!" Liu Wuya's face finally changed. They were forced into the formation without knowing it!
"boom!"
The lightning net shrinks and purple lightning dances wildly!
Liu Wuya frantically activated the Soul-Burning Sword, while Su Lian offered up his last life-saving talisman, but in front of the formation, all struggles were in vain!
"Do not--"
The lightning net shrinks and purple lightning dances wildly!
Liu Wuya and Su Lian were charred all over, the protective aura had long been shattered, the Soul-Burning Sword was dim, and the Illusion Heart Mirror was broken into several pieces.
"Patriarch Fu! Spare my life!" Liu Wuya suddenly knelt down, his forehead hitting the rock hard, blood flowing down his cheeks, "We are willing to offer everything we have, just to save our lives!"
Su Lian was no longer as ruthless as before, and fell to the ground trembling: "Patriarch Fu has extraordinary magical powers, and we are blind! As long as you spare our lives, we are willing to serve you like a slave!"
Fu Changsheng stood on the head of the green dragon, looking down at the two of them coldly, starlight flowing on his fingertips, and the lightning net paused slightly.
"Oh?" He said indifferently, "Then tell me, why are you here? Do you have any accomplices?"
A trace of struggle flashed in Liu Wuya's eyes, but it was soon drowned by fear: "It's Luo Zheng! He found out that the forbidden area of Huiping County was suddenly heavily guarded. He said that there must be a rare treasure on Lei Ze Floating Island, and invited us to join forces."
"Luo Zheng?" Fu Changsheng raised his eyebrows slightly.
Su Lian quickly added: "Exactly! He is hiding in Leiyun Gorge thirty miles away to meet us if we are discovered or if we need support when we go to get the treasure."
"You are cautious?" Fu Changsheng sneered.
The green dragon growled, and a hint of sarcasm flashed in its eyes.
Liu Wuya was trembling all over: "Patriarch Fu, please understand! We were also bewitched by Luo Zheng!"
Fu Changsheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand, and a starlight chain wrapped around the necks of the two men:
"Send a message to Luo Zheng and tell him that you have found a rare treasure, but he needs to come and get it in person."
"This..." Liu Wuya's face turned pale.
"What? You don't want to?" Lightning flashed at Fu Changsheng's fingertips.
"Yes! Yes!" Su Lian hurriedly took out the jade talisman for the message, but her voice was filled with tears, "It's just that Luo Zheng is suspicious by nature."
Fu Changsheng sneered: "Then it depends on your ability."
He waved his sleeves, and two rays of starlight sank into the bodies of the two men: "Hand over a strand of soul, and I will spare your lives."
Liu Wuya's face was ashen, but his desire to survive overwhelmed everything. He gritted his teeth and slapped his forehead, and a wisp of gray mist floated out.
Su Lian was even more straightforward, and directly forced out her soul, and said in a trembling voice: "Master, please accept it."
An ancient bronze mirror flew out from Fu Changsheng's sleeve, taking the soul in. The faces of the two flashed across the mirror before disappearing.
"Very good." He put away the ancient mirror, "Now, let's send the message."
Liu Wuya endured the pain of his soul being torn apart and took out the jade talisman for communication. His voice became strangely calm: "Daoyou Luo Zheng, Madam Su and I have found the treasure, but we need you to come and get it in person. The restrictions here are strange and it is difficult for us to crack them."
There was silence for a moment, and then a hoarse laugh came from the other end of the jade talisman: "Brother Liu, you are lucky. Wait, I will be there soon!"
The communication was cut off, and Liu Wuya collapsed to the ground, his eyes full of despair and regret.
Su Lian secretly glanced at Fu Changsheng, but saw that he was looking at her with a half-smile. She trembled all over and lowered her head quickly.
...
...
Outside of Leiyun Gorge, a blood-red light streaked across the sky.
Luo Zheng was standing on a red long sword, the blade was wrapped in a strong bloody aura, and wherever he passed, even the purple lightning of Lei Ze was stained with a layer of scarlet. He was thin and skinny, with a sinister face, a pair of triangular eyes flashing with a cold light like a venomous snake, and a greedy smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Hehe, these two losers Liu Wuya and Su Lian actually let them run into an opportunity?"
He licked his cracked lips and thought to himself - if there really was a rare treasure, why would he, Luo Zheng, give it to someone else? At worst... he could kill someone to get the treasure!
He secretly held a "Blood Evil Yin Thunder Pearl" in his sleeve. This item was his most powerful killing weapon. Once detonated, it would be enough to severely damage a Jindan cultivator!
"Humph, if they dare to play tricks..."
There was a flash of murderous intent in Luo Zheng's eyes, and his escape speed increased by three times.
...
At the edge of the Lei Ze floating island, Liu Wuya and Su Lian stood in front of a broken restriction with respectful expressions, as if they were really waiting for Luo Zheng to come and help.
"Old Ghost Liu, Madam Su, I'm here!"
Luo Zheng landed with a big laugh, but his eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, and his spiritual sense quietly spread out to detect whether there was an ambush.
"Daoyou Luo Zheng!" Liu Wuya forced a smile and said, "This restriction is strange. The two of us cannot break it. We can only trouble Daoyou to help."
Luo Zheng narrowed his eyes, stared at the two, and suddenly sneered: "You... seem to be injured?"
Su Lian's face changed slightly, but she quickly lowered her head to hide it, and said softly: "I accidentally triggered the restriction earlier, and suffered some backlash."
Luo Zheng was suspicious, but when he saw that the two men were indeed weak and did not seem to be faking it, he relaxed his guard a little and strode towards the restriction.
"Let me see what kind of treasure can make you so embarrassed!"
He raised his hand and pressed on the restriction, bloody and murderous energy surged, trying to break it open by force.
however--
"Buzz!"
The restriction suddenly twisted and turned into a huge net of starlight, instantly enveloping him!
"not good!"
Luo Zheng's face changed drastically, and he suddenly summoned the Bloody Evil Sword. The sword light was like a blood rainbow and slashed towards the starlight net!
"boom!"
The knife light slashed on the starlight, but it was like a drop in the ocean, without any ripples at all!
"Liu Wuya! Su Lian! How dare you trick me?!"
He roared angrily, and threw the bloody Yin lightning bead in his sleeve violently, hitting the two of them!
however--
"Snapped!"
A slender hand appeared out of nowhere and firmly grasped the Yin Thunder Pearl.
Fu Changsheng came walking in the air, his black robe fluttering, starlight flowing in his eyes. With a light squeeze of his fingertips, the Yin Thunder Pearl that was powerful enough to kill the fake Dan monk was crushed like a mud ball!
"You...you are?!"
Luo Zheng's pupils suddenly shrank, and a huge wave of fear rose in his heart!
"Fu family...Fu Changsheng?!"
Luo Zheng's hair stood on end. Without hesitation, he burned his blood and essence, turning into a blood rainbow and fleeing madly!
"Want to go?"
Fu Changsheng sneered, waved his sleeves, and three thunder swords flew out from the air, instantly blocking all directions!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Lightning flashed, and Luo Zheng's escape light was struck back. He staggered to the ground, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of fear.
"Patriarch Fu! I have no grudge against you, why do you have to kill us all?!"
Fu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "No grudges or hatred? You ordered Liu Wuya and Su Lian to come to my Lei Ze floating island to steal treasures. This is called no grudges or hatred?"
Luo Zheng's face turned pale, and he turned around to look at Liu Wuya and the other man, shouting, "You two traitors! How dare you betray me?!"
Liu Wuya smiled bitterly and whispered, "Daoyou Luo Zheng... accept your fate."
Su Lian knelt directly and said in a trembling voice: "Master, this man is insidious and cunning. If he is not completely subdued, he will become a great trouble in the future!"
Luo Zheng was struck by lightning when he heard this!
"Master?! You... actually recognized him as your master?!"
Fu Changsheng stopped talking nonsense, starlight condensed at his fingertips, and a soul-locking curse emerged.
"Luo Zheng, I give you two choices——"
"Submit, hand over a strand of your soul, and acknowledge me as your master."
"Or...die."
Luo Zheng's face was distorted, with struggle, anger, and fear intertwined in his eyes. He had practiced for hundreds of years and finally stepped into the false elixir. How could he be willing to be a slave?
but--
Looking at Fu Changsheng's cold eyes, and Liu Wuya and Su Lian's expressions of despair mixed with a hint of relief, he finally understood...
There is no way for me to escape!
"I... recognize the Lord!"
He gritted his teeth and growled, then slapped the top of his head. A wisp of gray-black soul floated out and was collected by Fu Changsheng into the ancient bronze mirror. The energy in his body was instantly entangled as if by an iron chain, making it difficult to break free.
His face was distorted, his eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was filled with hatred and fear.
"I have been practicing for four hundred years, but I have become a slave?!"
But what shocked him even more was Fu Changsheng's next words.
"Luo Zheng, hand over the Xuanyin Kuishui."
Fu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm, but it was like a thunderclap in Luo Zheng's heart!
"what?!"
Luo Zheng raised his head suddenly, his pupils shrank suddenly, and even his voice changed tone.
"How do you...Master know this thing?!"
Xuanyin Kuishui is the spiritual substance for forming a elixir that he had snatched from the depths of the Jiuyou Cold Abyss after surviving a life-threatening situation. It was hidden in the deepest part of his natal storage ring, and even Liu Wuya and Su Lian didn't know about it!
"Hand it over"
Fu Changsheng did not explain.
Luo Zheng felt cold all over, as if he had fallen into an icy cave. He suddenly realized that perhaps Fu Changsheng had already calculated everything about him!
Xuanyin Kuishui is his greatest reliance in impacting the golden elixir path!
Because of this thing, he almost lost his life to the cold abyss.
"Owner……"
His voice was hoarse, almost pleading:
"This thing is as important to me as my life. Can it be exchanged for something else?"
Fu Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, he just raised his finger slightly.
"Om-"
The ancient bronze mirror trembled slightly, and Luo Zheng's soul was shaken along with it. His forehead felt as if it was pierced by thousands of needles. He groaned in pain, and veins bulged on his forehead!
"I'm not consulting with you."
Fu Changsheng's voice was still calm, but it made Luo Zheng feel cold to the bone.
Liu Wuya sighed at the side:
"Fellow Daoist Luo, just accept it... Since your soul is already bound, why bother struggling anymore?"
"If the master wants it, you should offer it with both hands!"
Luo Zheng's face was distorted, with struggle, anger, and despair mixed in his eyes, which finally turned into a miserable laugh.
"Okay... okay! I'll give it to you!"
He slapped the storage ring suddenly, and a black ice jade pot flew out. The body of the pot was wrapped in a chilly air, and faintly one could see a pool of dark blue liquid flowing inside, wriggling like a living thing.
"take it!"
He almost gritted his teeth to push the jade pot out, his fingertips turned white from the force, as if he was cutting his own flesh!
Fu Changsheng raised his hand and the jade pot fell into his palm.
He scanned it with his spiritual sense, confirmed it was correct, then turned his hand away and said calmly:
"Since you know the current situation, I will leave you with the foundation for cultivation."
"From today on, the three of you will guard the Lei Ze Floating Island and supervise each other."
"If one person moves unusually..."
He tapped the mirror lightly with his fingertips, and the three of them felt a sharp pain in their souls, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing their spirits!
"what--!"
Luo Zheng knelt on the ground and wailed, while Liu Wuya and Su Lian looked even paler and were sweating profusely.
Fu Changsheng withdrew his pressure and said in a cold voice: "If there is any abnormal movement, your soul will be scattered."
The three of them trembled all over, no longer daring to have the slightest thought of disobeying, and kowtowed together:
"I will obey my master's orders!"
Fu Changsheng said no more, turned around and walked away into the air. The green dragon circled above the thunderclouds and the dragon roared to the sky.
And on the Lei Ze floating island, there were three more fake Dan guards. These three people were in great glory a few months ago, but now... they have all become slaves of the Fu family!
at the same time.
A familiar mechanical voice sounded in Fu Changsheng's sea of consciousness:
"Ding"
"You have eliminated a major hidden danger for the family and successfully subdued three fake Dans. The family contribution value has been changed to 4,000."
...
...
Fu Changsheng and Fu Changlei returned to Leiyuan Palace.
Fu Changlei couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward:
"Master, three fake Dan cultivators sneaked into Lei Ze Floating Island, and I...didn't notice it at all... Chang Lei failed in his duty, please punish me, Master!"
"Chang Lei...I am ashamed of the Patriarch's trust!"
His voice was low and hoarse, as if it had been burned by lightning and fire, with guilt that was difficult to conceal.
Fu Changsheng sat in the main seat:
"The old ghost of Blood Knife is proficient in the art of blood escape, and Liu Wuya and Su Lian are good at hiding. They sneaked in when the thunderstorm was the most severe, using the celestial phenomena to cover up their presence... You don't need to blame yourself too much."
"Besides, a few months ago, you were hunting a third-rank monster in the Wanfeng Mountains in preparation for the family's canonization of the sixth rank. You were doing this for the family's greater good."
Fu Changlei was stunned.
Fu Changsheng continued:
"Although the Lei Ze restriction is strong, it is still a dead object after all. With several Half-step Purple Mansion guarding it, it is inevitable that someone will take advantage of it."
"This matter is not entirely up to you."
Fu Changlei was shocked, but still insisted:
"But if I had arranged a more rigorous monitoring formation in advance, or imposed martial law again and again, perhaps it wouldn't have happened..."
Fu Changsheng shook his head:
"Human power is limited. You are not a saint, so how can you plan everything? However, the clan has clear rewards and punishments. The half-step purple mansion guarding the forbidden area must be punished. Since Huiping County has been handed over to you for governance, how to punish them is up to you. However, if there are any outsiders sneaking into Lei Ze Floating Island again..."
"Please rest assured, Patriarch, Chang Lei will never allow a bug to enter the restricted area."
Fu Changsheng nodded slightly.
He had to rush to the Luo family as soon as possible. In addition to bringing the two gifts to Yongxuan, more importantly, there must be a lot of Jindan attending the Jindan Ceremony. He had to take this opportunity to exchange the last item [Innate Yi Wood Qi] required for the "Muque Ningdan Jue" technique.
(End of this chapter)