Chapter 94

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Disciple who had been guarding outside Xu Ziyun's door heard her loud laughter from inside and knew that Xu Ziyun had emerged from her seclusion. He hurriedly stood up, walked to the door, and gently knocked on it.

"Who is it?" Xu Ziyun's laughter abruptly stopped, and she called out.

"Big Sister Ziyun, it's me, Xu Tieniu. The patriarch asked me to wait here for you to emerge from seclusion. He wants you to go to the family council hall immediately once you come out. The patriarch and others are waiting for you there."

Xu Ziyun walked out of the room, looked up at the sky, and saw that it was already evening. She then said through the door to Xu Tieniu:

"Tieniu, I understand. You can go back now. I'm very tired, and I'll go to see the patriarch tomorrow!"

"Okay!"

Xu Tieniu responded in a simple manner, stretching lazily as he walked back to his quarters. He had been guarding outside Xu Ziyun's door for several days, which had exhausted him. However, he felt very happy and proud in his heart. The patriarch had entrusted this task to him alone, and he was to inform his most admired Big Sister Ziyun. This was a sign of the patriarch's trust in him! As he walked, Xu Tieniu thought to himself:

"Big Sister is really Big Sister! She doesn't even go immediately when the patriarch calls her, but waits until she's rested! Amazing! Truly amazing! Even more amazing than my name, Tieniu!"

After Xu Tieniu left, Xu Ziyun returned to her room. She counted the talismans on the table: there were eight each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade talismans, and only one ninth-grade talisman. After successfully creating the first ninth-grade talisman, she couldn't help but laugh out loud, so she only made one. She then took a brush and created a concealment talisman for herself, storing it in her body to adjust her aura to the first level of the Qi Cultivation stage. Still feeling unsatisfied, she created a batch of top-grade third-grade talismans before putting down the brush.

After admiring them for a while, she stored the talismans in the Kunpeng space, and the brush and paper in her storage bag. Xu Ziyun looked at the night outside, had a thought, and pushed the door open, stepping out. She spread her figure and flew towards Snow Drift Peak.

On Snow Drift Peak, a misty fog enveloped the area. Xu Ziyun's figure flashed, and she gently landed at one corner of the peak. In the center of the peak, a figure was flying up and down, a long sword in hand releasing scorching flames, continuously melting the snow and turning it into steam that rose into the air.

Xu Ziyun stood at one corner of the peak, silently watching Xu Lin, who was enveloped in the rising steam. She felt his aura gradually rising and expanding. Xu Ziyun was startled. Was Xu Lin about to break through? Hadn't he just broken through recently? How could he break through again? Could it be that he had a similar encounter to hers, or was his talent so exceptional?

Indeed, Xu Lin's aura grew stronger, like a gas in a bag continuously expanding without an outlet. Suddenly, Xu Lin stopped swinging his sword, planted it in the ground in front of him, and stretched his arms out to the sides, raising his head to the sky and letting out a long howl. His eyes suddenly turned blood red, and a virtual image of a qilin appeared behind him, also howling to the sky.

"Boom~~"

Xu Ziyun felt the space tremble, but at that moment, her heart was not concerned with that. She stared wide-eyed at the virtual qilin behind Xu Lin, recalling the qilin she had seen in the small valley where the scar-faced one-armed man lived.

"Similar! It's so similar!"

In just three breaths, the virtual qilin behind Xu Lin dissipated. Xu Lin stood dazed on the peak, his eyes filled with joy and confusion. He was happy because he had broken through again, reaching the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation stage. He was surprised because he had suddenly progressed so quickly. Since returning from the Mystic Valley, his uncle had told him that during the battle in the Mystic Valley, a virtual qilin had briefly appeared behind him. Since then, his cultivation had suddenly accelerated. Could it be that he had qilin blood in his body that had been dormant and was now activated, leading to rapid growth in his cultivation?

At this moment, Xu Ziyun was certain that Xu Lin and the scar-faced one-armed man had a close relationship. However, Xu Lin was her uncle's son, and that man could not be a member of the Xu family. His cultivation was so high that only someone from a sect could reach that level. What was the relationship between them?

Xu Lin snapped out of his confusion, and Xu Ziyun, who was also lost in thought, came to her senses. They both realized the other's presence and looked up at each other.

"Ziyun!" A hint of joy flashed in Xu Lin's eyes, then disappeared.

"Senior Brother!" Xu Ziyun responded softly.

"Ha ha, Ziyun, your father and my father are brothers. You don't need to call me Senior Brother; just call me by my name!"

Xu Ziyun hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly and said, "Okay, Senior Brother Lin."

Xu Lin gave a silent, bitter smile at Xu Ziyun calling him Senior Brother Lin instead of Brother Lin. However, he quickly adjusted his mindset and asked with a smile:

"Ziyun, did you come here for something?"

"Yes!" Xu Ziyun nodded lightly, pretending to take something from her storage bag but actually taking out the storage ring given to her by the scar-faced one-armed man and handing it to Xu Lin.

"You... are giving me a ring?" Xu Lin's face was full of shock and disbelief.

"Not... not what you think!" Xu Ziyun felt awkward at that moment, thinking it would have been better to give Xu Lin the bracelet and keep the ring for herself. She quickly explained:

"An old man asked me to pass this to you!"

"An old man asked you to pass this to me?"

Xu Lin took the ring, turning it over in his hand. It looked like an ordinary ring, and he looked at Xu Ziyun with confusion.

Xu Ziyun smiled faintly, pointed at the ring in Xu Lin's hand, and said softly:

"It's a storage ring. You'll know once you bind it to yourself."

Hearing Xu Ziyun's words, Xu Lin's eyes changed. He knew that in the secular world, it was almost impossible to have a storage ring. Owning a storage bag was already a remarkable achievement. Moreover, the storage ring in his hand looked like an ordinary ring from the outside, just like a common ring in the secular world. Such a high-grade storage ring, why would someone give it to him? But if Xu Ziyun said someone gave it to him, it must be true.

Xu Lin bit his finger, dripped a drop of blood on the storage ring, and immediately felt a mental connection with it. Using his mental power to look inside the storage ring, he was instantly stunned. The numerous and varied pills inside the storage ring dazzled Xu Lin. His heart raced, his face flushed as if drunk. After a while, he muttered as if waking from a dream:

"What's going on?"

Xu Ziyun thought for a moment, looked at Xu Lin with a piercing gaze, and asked softly:

"Senior Brother Lin, did you notice a virtual qilin appearing behind you when you broke through just now?"

"I know!" Xu Lin nodded lightly and said, "I could feel it when I broke through. Uncle told me that the virtual qilin appeared when I was in the Mystic Valley. Since returning from the Mystic Valley, I've felt my cultivation advancing very quickly."

"Um!" Xu Ziyun nodded lightly and continued, "The old man who asked me to pass the ring to you had a qilin by his side that looked very similar to the one behind you. His was a real qilin. I think there must be a close relationship between the two of you."

Xu Lin looked at Xu Ziyun in confusion and said after a while, "I don't know such a person! I've lived in the Central Capital since I was a child, growing up under my father's guidance. I can't have such a relative. I've never seen a qilin in the Xu family! What does this person look like?"

Xu Ziyun remembered the scar-faced one-armed man's instructions and lied, "He's a very imposing old man. He asked me to tell you not to mention the storage ring to anyone, not even your father, the patriarch. He said these are for your cultivation, and he repeatedly warned me that if any word about the storage ring leaks out, it could bring disaster to both you and him. So you must keep this secret. He said he will come to see you when the time is right and explain everything."

At this moment, Xu Lin also realized that the storage ring brought him benefits but also dangers. He nodded seriously and said:

"Little Sister Ziyun, don't worry, I won't tell anyone! By the way..."

Xu Lin suddenly pointed at Xu Ziyun's storage bag and said:

"Open your storage bag, I'll give you half of the pills. There are many pills here that will help your cultivation."

Hearing Xu Lin's words, Xu Ziyun felt a warm feeling in her heart, smiled lightly, shook her head, and raised her hand, showing the storage bracelet on her wrist to Xu Lin, saying:

"The old man already gave me one, you don't need to give me another."

"Oh!"

Xu Lin responded lightly, momentarily lost in Xu Ziyun's charming gesture. Xu Ziyun also noticed the change in Xu Lin's expression, sighed softly, and said:

"Senior Brother Lin, I'll leave first! You should rest early."

After saying that, without waiting for Xu Lin to respond, she flashed away from Snow Drift Peak, and her flying sword emerged from her storage bag, circling her body. She stepped on it, breaking through the night sky, and flew away.

On Snow Drift Peak, Xu Lin gazed at the night sky where Xu Ziyun's figure had disappeared, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. He muttered to himself:

"Ziyun, has she finally decided to enter the Inner Hall?"

Xu Ziyun flew to her residence in the air, landed in her courtyard, and the flying sword automatically returned to her storage bag. She pushed open the door, entered the room, calmed herself, shook her head as if to shake Xu Lin out of her mind, and thought about what she needed to do the next day before lying down to sleep.

The next day, after Xu Ziyun got up, washed up, and had breakfast at the family cafeteria, she leisurely walked towards the family council hall. The moment she left the cafeteria, the previously quiet cafeteria immediately burst into noise.

"Did you see? Xu Ziyun broke through to the innate stage! She's emitting the aura of the innate stage, it's so scary!"

"Yes, although we don't know her current cultivation, that aura is unmistakable, it belongs to the Qi Cultivation stage."

"How long has she been in the Outer Hall? Is she trying to make it impossible for others to live?"

"Sister Ziyun is so amazing, she reached the innate stage so quickly. She's only sixteen, right?"

"Not quite sixteen, she'll be sixteen after the New Year!"

"Oh, my god! If I could have half, no, a tenth of Sister Ziyun's cultivation speed, that would be enough!"

Xu Huniu sighed softly, knowing that Xu Ziyun was about to enter the Inner Hall and would not become the leader of the Plum Blossom Gang. She felt happy for Xu Ziyun but also a bit disappointed.

On the other side, Xu Gan, Xu Wen, and Xu Tianxiao, who were sitting together, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances, and felt much lighter. With Xu Ziyun leaving the Outer Hall and entering the Inner Hall, their pressure was greatly reduced.

Xu Ziyun left the noisy cafeteria behind. With her current cultivation, she could hear everything being said inside. She smiled, shook her head, collected her thoughts, and looked up at the tallest building in the family, the council hall. She straightened her chest, stood up straight, a confident smile on her face, and walked towards the council hall, a voice echoing in her mind:

"Am I about to step into the council hall? This is the first step into the core of the family, or is it just to ask me some questions? Heh, with my talisman-making skills, I'm probably different from ordinary Qi Cultivation disciples! Don't forget, I'm also a guest elder of the family. So, it shouldn't be just a simple inquiry, right!"

Xu Ziyun walked step by step towards the council hall, her heart becoming increasingly calm, her confidence growing, and a voice echoed in her mind:

"Family core? Heh, I'm coming!"

Arriving at the family council hall, the disciples at the entrance looked at Xu Ziyun with complex expressions as she approached. With her innate cultivation, she had become famous in the Mystic Valley, becoming an idol for the young disciples of the family. As an innate disciple, she had even made the family's high-ranking officials wait outside her door for a day, and now, as an innate disciple, she had all the direct-line high-ranking officials of the family waiting for her in the council hall. What a great honor, what a great pride!

Xu Ziyun's figure drew closer, her steps neither hurried nor slow, each step almost the same distance. Her expression was calm and composed, showing no sign of tension.

The guards outside the council hall were all Inner Hall disciples. Seeing Xu Ziyun's demeanor, they all nodded in approval. She was indeed someone the family valued. If they were in her place, knowing that all the direct-line high-ranking officials were sitting inside the hall, would they be as calm and composed as Xu Ziyun?

As Xu Ziyun's figure drew closer, the guards were startled again.

"What! She broke through to the innate stage! She's already at the first level of the Qi Cultivation stage! How... how long has she been in the Outer Hall? This... is too monstrous!"

Xu Ziyun stopped steadily in front of the guards and said with a bow, "Please inform the patriarch that Xu Ziyun has come to pay respects as requested."

Before the guards could respond, the patriarch Xu Haoran's voice came from inside the hall:

"Ziyun, come in!"

Xu Ziyun nodded slightly to the guards outside the door, and the Inner Hall disciples smiled warmly in return, watching Xu Ziyun walk past them with complex expressions in their eyes.

Stepping into the council hall, Xu Ziyun was stunned to see it filled with people. Her gaze swept across, and there were two rows of people. Some of them she recognized, like the patriarch Xu Haoran, her second uncle Xu Haobo, third uncle Xu Haolang, fourth uncle Xu Haomiao, ninth uncle Xu Haoliang, and twelfth uncle Xu Haoyang.

Xu Ziyun naturally knew Xu Haoran, Xu Haobo, and Xu Haomiao. Xu Haolang and Xu Haoyang had fought with her in the Mystic Valley, so she recognized them. Xu Haoliang had fought alongside the patriarch Xu Haoran against a monster outside the Central Capital, and Xu Ziyun had seen it clearly, leaving a deep impression. The others, she only had a vague impression of, as they had stood on a platform behind Xu Haoran before the trip to the Mystic Valley. She didn't know their names.

After the initial shock, Xu Ziyun quickly calmed down. Although she didn't know why so many people were here today, it showed that the family valued her. She bowed deeply to the people seated above and said clearly:

"Greetings, Patriarch, greetings, elders."

"Ziyun, come and meet your elders. You've already met your second uncle, third uncle, fourth uncle, ninth uncle, and twelfth uncle. This is your fifth uncle, Xu Haocang..."

After a round of greetings, Xu Ziyun met nine uncles and three aunts. She secretly scanned the room. She couldn't see through the cultivation levels of Xu Haoran and Xu Haoliang, but the others were clear. The lowest cultivation level was that of one of her aunts, Xu Yinsai, who was at the tenth level of the Qi Cultivation stage. Five of the others were at the peak of the twelfth level of the Qi Cultivation stage, seemingly ready to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. The rest were all above the eleventh level of the Qi Cultivation stage.

Looking at Xu Haoran and Xu Haoliang, whose cultivation levels she couldn't see through, Xu Ziyun thought gloomily, "When I get back, I'll use the Kunpeng tears to wash my eyes. Then, no one will be able to hide their cultivation from me."

After the greetings, Xu Haoran granted Xu Ziyun a seat at the lowest end. After a few polite refusals, she finally sat down, eyes lowered, and remained silent.

Xu Haoran exchanged glances with the others and said kindly to Xu Ziyun:

"Ziyun, your father told me that you once met a fairy who taught you cultivation techniques and talisman-making skills?"

"Yes," Xu Ziyun replied softly.

"Can you teach these to the family disciples?" Xu Haoran's voice was full of expectation.

"The cultivation technique cannot be taught. The fairy warned me not to spread it. However, the talisman-making skills were not mentioned, so I think it should be fine."

Xu Ziyun's mind raced, and she made a decision instantly. The cultivation technique could not be taught to the family. It was the highest secret of a cultivator, and a high-level cultivation technique determined a cultivator's achievements. If a cultivation technique leaked, it would be extremely dangerous for her.

As for the talisman-making skills, Xu Ziyun would not teach everything to the family. A weak family with a powerful talisman-making secret could be a target for destruction. Xu Ziyun decided to first teach the family talisman-making skills up to the fifth grade. After some disciples mastered the fifth-grade talismans, she would consider further teaching.

"Hmph!"

Xu Haoliang, sitting below Xu Haoran, coldly snorted, "Since you are a member of the Xu family, everything you have belongs to the Xu family. If we ask you to hand over your cultivation technique, you must do so. How can you refuse?"