Clan Cultivation: My Intelligence Updated Daily

Chapter 192 Heading to Jade Lake, Huang Family Matters

Outside the Forest of Dead Bones.

The young man in blue sat quietly on a blue stone. Since the person he was waiting for had not yet appeared, he simply picked up a book and began to study.

This person was Zhang Lingyu, and today was the day he had agreed to go to Yuhu County with Li Yanshan. Although the other party said he would pick him up at Qingya Mountain, it was just polite talk. How could he let a direct descendant of the Golden Core and a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator go to greet him?

After arranging various family affairs, he rushed over without stopping. When he arrived, the Li family cultivator said that the other party was handling some matters and might have to leave two days later.

Zhang Lingyu didn't care too much. Since he was already here, he decided not to go back. For a cultivator, a day or two would pass in the blink of an eye.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, I apologize for keeping you waiting. I have offended you, and I apologize on my behalf!"

Fortunately, the other party didn't keep him waiting too long, emerging from the forest in just one day, beaming with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, didn't I say I'd come to pick you up?"

"You flatter me, senior. How could I possibly let you pick me up?"

Zhang Lingyu replied with a smile, "Senior, are you busy with your affairs? When will you be able to depart?"

"Rest assured, the matter has been taken care of. If Fellow Daoist Zhang has nothing else to attend to, why don't we set off now?"

"no problem."

"good!"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Li Yanshan threw out a light boat magic artifact from his sleeve. The boat swelled with the wind and could just accommodate three people. After the two people stood on it, he drove the magic artifact towards Yuhu County.

"Wow, that's fast! Senior, the speed of this magic weapon is comparable to the full-speed flight of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Watching the scenery below disappear quickly, Zhang Lingyu couldn't help but sigh. Although this magic artifact was not as good as the flying shuttle left by True Person Mingyu, it was very effective in terms of space capacity, and the speed was not low either.

In his view, the speed of the flying boat should not be the limit now. If Li Yanshan were to push it to its full potential, ordinary Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators would not be able to catch up at all.

"The direct descendants of the Golden Core cultivators are truly different."

Faced with Zhang Lingyu's exclamation, Li Yanshan smiled calmly and explained, "This flying boat is a high-grade Foundation Establishment magic artifact. I obtained it from a senior's cave dwelling, and I usually only use it for traveling."

"If Lingyu likes it, this magic artifact is yours."

"Senior is joking. How can such a precious magical artifact be given away so easily? It would be better to keep it for our juniors."

Zhang Lingyu chuckled twice and quickly changed the subject, asking, "Senior, I wonder how the master has arranged things for this secret realm? Could you please tell me who has been assigned so that I can be prepared?"

"Also, I wonder what kind of people the other two companies will send?"

All this information will be clear to the Li family, but the distance from Yingchuan County to Yuhu County is not far. At their current speed, it will take at least three days.

Since we're just idling around anyway, we might as well gather information beforehand. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

Although we can use the intelligence system to obtain relevant information in advance, a hundred intelligence points don't come out of thin air and there's no need to waste them.

"Very well, since Lingyu wants to hear it, I'll tell you too. However, I haven't been back to the family for a long time, so I only know the general outline. We can discuss the details when we get there."

Li Yanshan did not refuse, and stroked his beard and smiled, "As I said before, each family will send fifteen people. My family will send one peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, four late-stage cultivators, five mid-stage cultivators, and the remaining five will be selected from among you vassals."

"Li Yanhui is my fifth brother, and he will lead the team this time. Li Yunrui, Li Yunkang, Li Yunchen, and Li Yunjing are the later ones. They are all direct descendants of my family and they all cultivate my family's fifth-grade Golden Core cultivation method, so there is no need to worry about their strength."

"For the mid-stage of foundation building, my family made the decision only after careful consideration and screening."

"Senior comes from a Golden Core Immortal Clan with a well-established lineage; this junior dares not question your strength."

The spiritual object deep within the secret realm is related to the subsequent path to the Golden Core realm, so the Li family attaches great importance to it and has sent out the most elite of the elite. The loss of even one person would be a great loss.

Of course, the other two families also sent just as many people as the Li family.

After giving a general account of the Li family's situation, Li Yanshan gradually put away his smile and said seriously, "As for the remaining two families, although the information is incomplete, I need to tell Lingyu about the two families' peak Foundation Establishment stage and late Foundation Establishment stage, so that you can be mentally prepared."

"Please speak, senior."

Zhang Lingyu was mentally prepared. The key to this secret realm battle was the three Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators and the twelve late-stage cultivators. People like them could only play a minor role at most.

"Alright, let's start with the Huang family. Lingyu, you know how terrifying the beast tide was a thousand years ago. The Huang family, like you, came from the Chu Kingdom. They were originally a Golden Core Immortal Clan."

Instead of directly mentioning the personnel sent by the two sides, Li Yanshan started talking about history:

"The Golden Core cultivator from the Huang family was very clever and foresaw the great defeat long ago. However, the Nascent Soul Immortal Clan he was attached to was very domineering. If he left the battlefield without permission, he would surely cause his vassal to die and his clan to be wiped out."

"That Golden Core cultivator secretly prepared to escape at any time. During the great battle, he also conserved his strength to observe the situation. As soon as the Nascent Soul cultivator died, he immediately returned to his family to pack his things and headed to my Zhao Kingdom. Although he was attacked by a beast tide on the way, he managed to relocate his clan relatively intact."

"Unlike my Li family and Du family, many cultivators died during the migration... and some of our inheritance was also lost, but fortunately, the Golden Core cultivators survived, so we still have a chance to rise again."

"I see..."

Zhang Lingyu understood that the other party had not brought this up for no reason. Looking at Li Yanshan's gloomy expression, she realized that the early days when the two families first arrived in Yuhu County were not easy.

If the two families hadn't briefly joined forces at that time, they would probably have been forcefully driven out or swallowed up by the Huang family.

"The Huang family's lineage is intact, and its strength hasn't diminished much. Today, their family power is undoubtedly superior to the other two, and the forces they've dispatched this time should also be considerably stronger!"

It was said at the beginning that the three families would check and balance each other, but now it seems that the Huang family still has a great advantage. The reason why there has been no change is entirely due to the secret cooperation between the Li and Du families and the interference of the Six Sects.

But there haven't been many changes on the surface; who knows what's going on underneath?

Li Yanshan continued, "According to the information sent back by the family, the main force sent by the Huang family this time should be Huang Yanling, Huang Yanli, Huang Yanhu, Huang Yanming and Huang Yunshan."

"The first four are all top-tier cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage, as for Huang Yunshan..."

Even he frowned as he spoke. This person was not much older than him, and although their cultivation levels were the same, his chances of winning in a real fight were only 40%.

"Please just say it, senior."

Zhang Lingyu inwardly groaned, but there was no turning back now; gathering more information would be of great benefit to him.

It consists of cultivation techniques, spells, and some magical artifacts that one is skilled at using.

"Okay... I fought him once six years ago, and he was very strong... I don't know what he's like now, but he's definitely stronger than before."

Li Yanshan made no attempt to hide his defeat in that struggle, and solemnly stated:

"Huang Yunshan cultivates the Huang family's fifth-grade technique, the Snow Region Heavenly Gang Scripture. After mastering it, it can generate snow-covered cold air around him. Once a cultivator is exposed to it, it will slowly form in his body, not only reducing his movement speed but also making it difficult to circulate his magic power."

He had been extremely careful back then, but his defenses were still breached, allowing the cold to enter his body. If he hadn't used some methods to expel the cold poison in time, it would have taken at least a decade for his damaged meridians to recover.

If one's meridians are truly severed, not only will all sorts of rare and precious materials be wasted, but the hope of achieving the Golden Elixir in this lifetime will also be lost.

"The chill of the snowy plateau..."

Zhang Lingyu secretly thought that if he were to face this spell, he would be much better than Li Yanshan.

There's no other reason than that he cultivates the "Burning Primordial Fire Scripture"!

Once any toxin invades the body, the Burning Yuan Heart Flame stored in the heart and lungs will immediately be activated to neutralize it. Even if the snowy cold air is strong, it can be temporarily suppressed and then forced out later.

Of course, he was referring to the Snowfield Chill used by mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators. If he were facing Huang Yunshan...

I'm afraid even the flesh could turn into ice shards.

"Senior, you describe the cold air of this snowy region as so severe. I wonder if your noble family has any methods to deal with it?"

Knowing that the opponent possessed such powerful magic, the Li family could not allow their clansmen to die in vain in order to seize the spiritual object that aided in the formation of the Golden Core.

They probably already had corresponding countermeasures prepared.

"Lingyu, rest assured, my family has already made preparations. Do you know about the Warm Sun Jade?"

"How could I not know of such a treasure?"

The Warm Sun Jade is produced deep within the Earth's core fire veins. Only Golden Core cultivators or Foundation Establishment peak cultivators who practice top-tier fire-attribute techniques can venture deep into it, as the area is perpetually filled with fire poison, and inhaling it would be no different from inhaling the frigid air from the snowy region.

Furthermore, there are many powerful demonic beasts deep within, and cultivators tormented by the illusion would certainly be unable to contend with them if they ventured in.

This Warm Sun Jade was born at the fourth rank. If Zhang Lingyu wore one at his waist, the cold air caused by either magic or magical artifacts within three zhang around him would be almost impossible to approach.

Even if the cold air enters the body, its power will be greatly reduced under its influence, enough for the cultivator to react and save themselves on the spot!

And cultivators who practice fire-attribute techniques can further enhance their power.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the Li family sought his help.

"We've collected quite a few Warm Sun Jade pieces to deal with them this time. Each of you will receive one Spirit Jade piece, and we'll also distribute some pills to remove the cold poison. Don't worry."

The Li family has quite a few warm-sun treasures. After all, they have been able to maintain a stalemate with the Huang family for hundreds of years. They must have some means of dealing with it, right?

With Li Yanshan's assurance, Zhang Lingyu felt a little more at ease. However, the Warm Sun Jade could only provide passive defense, and the means to actually harm it were still not explained.

"Who cares? Li Yanhui will definitely pull out some trump card when the time comes."

After discussing the cold air of the snowy region, Li Yanshan went on to talk about the various spells that the other party was proficient in, most of which were passed down from the Huang family. These spells had been improved over the generations and were much more powerful than before.

Fortunately, most of the direct descendants of the Huang family practice these spells, since they are meant to be used in conjunction with the "Snowy Region Heavenly Gang Scripture," so there is no need to worry about some strange and unusual spells suddenly appearing.

"By the way, Lingyu, Huang Yunshan possesses a magical artifact that targets the soul. You must be extremely careful when you enter!"

Suddenly remembering something, Li Yanshan quickly said, "This item is called the Mind-Capturing Bell, one of the Huang family's most prized magical artifacts. It's always included whenever the secret realm opens!"

The Heart-Capturing Bell is made of the heart of a yin locust tree, formed in an extremely yin place. Seven soul-capturing beads are inlaid on the bell. When shaken, blurry human faces will appear inside the beads, emitting silent cries.

Its main effect is to captivate the mind and soul, and to confuse the senses.

If someone like Li Yanshan were to fall under the spell, it would be good if they were stunned in place for a few breaths. However, if a cultivator with a weak mind or a weak soul were to hear this bell, they would probably fall into an illusion.

Then we'll be lambs to the slaughter.

This magical artifact was brought by the Huang family from the State of Chu. It is said that they obtained it from a demonic cultivator. Because the artifact was extraordinary, the Huang family originally intended to refine it into a magical treasure.

However, not only are the spiritual materials extremely difficult to find, but a large-scale blood sacrifice is also required to succeed, which would require at least nearly 300,000 mortals.

The Huang family had considered this idea before. More than two hundred years ago, they began collecting information on ordinary people from various places. Ordinary people are the foundation of cultivators, and a large-scale disappearance would definitely arouse suspicion from various families.

Therefore, they could only spend a huge amount of money to kidnap a few at various places before transporting them to secret locations for blood sacrifice.

Unfortunately, a spy from the Du family discovered this and reported it back to the family. The Du family's Golden Core cultivator was furious. If this magic artifact had really been made, their lives would have been in serious trouble.

Therefore, they immediately joined forces with the Li family to report to the Six Clans, and the plan was thus aborted.

"Such a cruel thing, and they weren't punished by the Six Sects? They should at least have destroyed this magical artifact."

"How could there not be? That's over 300,000 people. At the time, all six sects ordered their extermination. Unfortunately, the Huang family spent a lot of money to bribe the Golden Core cultivators of the six sects. Also, the blood sacrifice hadn't started yet, so the matter was resolved peacefully."

Mentioning this makes Li Yanshan grit his teeth in hatred. If the Six Sects had been ruthless back then, the Huang family wouldn't exist now, and they would have one less major worry.

Unfortunately... things didn't go as planned.

However, the Huang family was also nearly wiped out at that time, as their treasury was almost entirely emptied by the Six Sects. Otherwise, the Li and Du families would have been severely suppressed.

"But Lingyu, don't worry. As for the Mind-Controlling Bell, our family will prepare pills and talismans in advance to deal with it. But the most important thing is still to rely on yourself."

Li Yanshan wasn't too worried about his own people. Those who could enter were all elites who had long since mastered the family's soul cultivation techniques and had certain methods to deal with the Mind-Controlling Bell.

Unlike Zhang Lingyu and the others, who came from humble backgrounds and whose families were already fortunate enough to have a fourth-grade Golden Core cultivation technique, they had nowhere to find a good Soul Forging Technique.

They've done everything they could; now that they're in, it's up to fate.

"I understand."

Zhang Lingyu responded but did not ask any further questions. This trip to the secret realm was much more dangerous than he had imagined. Fortunately, he was capable of resolving both of the issues mentioned, since Huang Yunshan was left to be dealt with by a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator.

Although the Mind-Controlling Bell is powerful, it still has its limitations.

The closer to the center, the stronger they are. Minor characters like them are only fit to fight against those in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage from afar.

Even if the impact reaches there, his spiritual strength is sufficient to handle it. Now, what he needs to consider is that if anything unexpected happens, escaping is the most important thing.

We need to prepare an escape plan in advance.

After a moment of silence, Li Yanshan continued the conversation. After the Huang family finished speaking, it was time for the Du family and their vassal forces to speak. Fortunately, although they had more manpower, they were much easier to deal with than the Huang family.

After listening, Zhang Lingyu had a general understanding of the strength of the three forces in Yuhu County.

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