Chapter 50

"Uncle, has Zhang Yan gone mad? How dare he arrest more than twenty relatives of the True Disciple from the Six Rivers and Four Islands? Does he not fear offending these True Disciples? Does he not care about the powerful families behind them?"

At first, when Feng Zhen heard about Zhang Yan's actions, he almost thought he had heard wrong. The Six Rivers and Four Islands, though not major clans, were a force to be reckoned with when united. Moreover, one of those arrested was a direct-line disciple of the Feng family. Zhang Yan's move was audacious and reckless.

Feng Shang, however, waved his large fan with a calm demeanor and said, "Zhen, you still don't understand. In this matter, Zhang Yan is using himself as a fulcrum to stir up conflict between the Master-Disciple lineage and our powerful families. Before the outcome is decided, the Master-Disciple lineage will ensure his safety. Who dares to step forward at this moment? His seemingly疯狂的举动实际上却是安然无恙的。”

Feng Zhen was still puzzled and asked, "What about after that? Is he not going to stay in the Jingcang Sect anymore? Is he not afraid that the Feng family or the Six Rivers and Four Islands will come after him in the future?"

Feng Shang, with his hands behind his head and eyes half-closed, said, "That will be a matter for a year or so. By then, the situation... hehe, who can predict it?"

"A year or so?" Feng Zhen was surprised. "Does it need to be that long? I heard that our clan is uniting with other friendly powerful families to pressure the Master-Disciple lineage, and the Sect Master seems to have taken no action..."

Feng Shang sneered, "Extremely foolish. Do you think the Master-Disciple lineage is holding back because they are concerned about our powerful families? They just think we are too insignificant to satisfy their appetite! The Sect Master is waiting for all of you who can't read the situation to jump out, so they can sweep you all up in one go!"

Feng Zhen was shocked, "Aren't the powerful families supposed to stand together, sharing weal and woe? Is the Sect Master not afraid of causing public outrage?"

Feng Shang shook his head repeatedly, "This time, the Master-Disciple lineage is targeting the Six Rivers and Four Islands and our Feng family. They are not fundamentally infringing on the interests of the powerful families. Clear-sighted people will not die with us. They might even hope for our weakening so they can share in the spoils."

The powerful families are not a monolithic block; they have their own conflicts. They only unite when the Master-Disciple lineage threatens their common interests, as in the previous incident where Ning Chongxuan watched five True Disciples be killed, which caused collective panic and dissatisfaction.

But this time is different. The Master-Disciple lineage is clearly targeting the Feng family and the Six Rivers and Four Islands. Why should they get involved in something that doesn't concern them? It would be a miracle if they didn't take a bite out of us.

"Surrounding and attacking True Disciples is a serious offense. Not only did he not repent, but he also tried to suppress the Master-Disciple lineage. I fear the Feng family will suffer a great blow this time." Feng Shang's eyes flickered as he said, "Zhang Yan's plan is vicious. In one move, he not only protected himself but also dragged us down. He is indeed a formidable opponent."

Feng Zhen realized that the Feng family, which seemed to have a chance to fight back, was actually deeply in crisis. He broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly got off his seat, and bowed down, "Nephew, I beg for your advice, Uncle. How can we resolve this matter?"

Feng Shang glanced at him and said calmly, "There is a way. Let Feng Ji die obediently, beheading him and sending him to the 'Zhengqing Hall.' Then send someone to appease Zhang Yan. This way, we can cut off the matter early and prevent the Master-Disciple lineage from retaliating against us."

Feng Zhen's eyes widened, "Wouldn't this mean losing a life of our Feng family? It would greatly damage our dignity?"

Feng Shang snorted, "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain unbroken? It's better to lose a person than to lose wealth. In my view, sacrificing Feng Ji's life to save the family from greater loss is worth it. Zhang Yan's plan is so vicious that no matter the outcome, it will be a slap in the face of the Feng family. Why cling to the loss of face?"

Feng Zhen bowed on the ground, "Thank you, Uncle, for your guidance. I will report this to the elders of the clan and hope they make a decision soon."

Feng Shang slowly shook his head but said nothing.

Feng Zhen hesitated for a moment and then said with hatred, "But Zhang Yan is too despicable. Is there any way to get rid of him, Uncle?"

Feng Shang paused, his eyes gleaming, "When I introduced Zhang Yan to the Dan Ding Hall, did I not have a backup plan? It's just not the right time to act yet. We need to wait for the right opportunity."

"Can you reveal a little more, Uncle?"

Feng Shang smiled but did not answer. Seeing that Feng Zhen wanted to ask more, he lay down on the bed, covering his face with the fan, and said, "Sleep, sleep."

Feng Zhen, helpless, bowed a few times and then left.

Five months later.

On Lingye Island, dark clouds rolled, and the golden wind and fiery qi surged, several times more intense than usual.

Zhang Yan had already refined eighty mouths of Qian Ling Clear Qi. He was just one mouth away from entering the "Initial Qi Sea" realm. His rapid progress was largely due to the pills sent by the Wang family and his method of refining Lan Yun Clear Qi.

However, the last mouth of Clear Qi had been condensed for seven days and seven nights without success.

In the end, he abandoned the idea of refining it with Lan Yun Clear Qi and instead used the method of drawing qi, releasing the eighty mouths of Qian Ling Clear Qi to try to extract this last mouth of Clear Qi from the Primordial True Qi.

Unexpectedly, when the eighty mouths of Clear Qi were released, they only managed to refine half of the last mouth of Clear Qi before they somehow connected with the heavy sha qi deep in the earth's crust, causing the golden and fiery qi to surge upward.

These heavy sha qi were far more fierce than the usual sha qi. They seemed to know he was about to succeed and rushed in, trying to overwhelm him and ruin his foundation.

The eighty mouths of Clear Qi, hit by the heavy sha qi, also became disordered. If he was not careful, the refined Clear Qi could be contaminated.

At this critical moment, Zhang Yan remained calm, guarding the dan qiao, and his soul did not waver. In an instant, he stabilized the eighty mouths of Qian Ling Clear Qi, silently reciting the Taiyi Golden Scripture, and slowly moved the Primordial True Qi, patiently grinding away the sha qi that seeped into his body through his pores.

Three days later, the last mouth of Clear Qi was like a chick about to hatch, just a thread away from completion. At this moment, Zhang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his body involuntarily shaking, as if something had suddenly left his body.

All the Qian Ling Clear Qi outside his body suddenly surged, entering his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth without being summoned, making his senses feel refreshed and clear. Looking inside his chest, he saw eighty-one mouths of Clear Qi shimmering like water and waves. He had officially entered the first level of the Ming Qi realm, the "Initial Qi Sea" realm!

However, the Clear Qi in the dan qiao floated up and down, like a surging river or sea, seemingly unwilling to let him stop, still driving him to continue practicing.

Zhang Yan understood and opened his mouth to inhale, swallowing a mouth of heavy sha qi, wrapping it in Clear Qi, and placing it in the Primordial True Qi to grind it continuously.

After a day and a night, he finally ground away the heavy sha qi, and blackish-green sweat seeped out of his pores.

"Phew..."

He exhaled deeply, a blackish-gray mist like smoke and ash spewing out of his mouth and nose.

Looking inward, he found that in addition to the eighty-one mouths of Qian Ling Clear Qi, there was also a mouth of dark turbid qi.

Zhang Yan was delighted. He had unexpectedly gathered the first mouth of Kun Ling Turbid Qi, saving him several months of effort.

"Wonderful, wonderful. The second step is even more difficult than the first. Who would have thought that the Taiyi Golden Scripture is so miraculous, turning extreme yang into yin and extreme yin into yang, breaking through two levels in one go. Indeed, fortune and misfortune come together, it all depends on whether one can adhere to the path."

He had great fortune, and the Heavenly Dao was always urging him forward with a raised whip, not allowing him the slightest slack.

But wasn't this exactly what he wanted? Cultivation is like rowing against the current; there is no retreat, only progress. Moving forward is in line with the will of Heaven, making him unstoppable. If his will was not firm, even a single step back would mean being abandoned by the Heavenly Dao.

At this moment, seeing the eighty-one mouths of Qian Ling Clear Qi gathering and dispersing in his body, and the mouth of turbid qi heavy and sinking like a deep well, he had an idea. He opened his mouth and spat out the mouth of turbid qi. With a "hiss," the stone wall was pierced, creating a hole of unknown depth and two fingers wide.

He took a deep breath and summoned the turbid qi back, placing it in his chest to observe. He found that the turbid qi was not damaged at all, indicating that this was not its limit. He nodded inwardly, "No wonder the Taiyi Golden Scripture says that at the Xuan Guang realm, a beam of Xuan Guang can melt gold and iron. Even the turbid qi has such power, it seems the scripture is not exaggerating."

Zhang Yan knew that his momentum had reached its limit, and his cultivation would not advance further in the next few days. He would need to continue practicing and refining step by step.

He calculated that in at most half a year, he would enter the second level of the Ming Qi realm, the "Summoning Clouds and Calling Rain" realm. At that time, the Clear and Turbid Qi would combine, allowing him to condense cloud and rain qi, enabling him to ride the clouds and mist without relying on a flying boat.

The flying technique is generally only possible at the third level of the Ming Qi realm, when there is a seed of Xuan Guang in the body. Only then can one use this seed to merge with a flying sword and ride it. If one reaches the first level of the Xuan Guang realm, "Initial Illumination of the Spirit," one can directly use Xuan Guang to wrap the body and travel through the void.

"Shh..."

Zhang Yan suddenly heard a sharp sound from outside his cave, immediately recognizing it as the sound of the Xia Ze Golden Sword.

Who was sending him a message?

He immediately picked up the token, lifted the restriction, opened the cave door, and let the golden sword fly in. He caught the sword and opened the letter, which informed him that the True Disciples would gather in ten days to admire the moon and enjoy the scenery, inviting him to attend.

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PS: This is to make up for yesterday's update.

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