novelapdf Chapter 323 Changes Over the Past 1 Years
Chapter 323 Changes Over the Past 1 Years
Welcome to the fantastical world of Xianxia novels! The entrance is here:
As Zhang Lingyu landed on the summit of Qingya Mountain, the clansmen flocked to him, their faces full of smiles, offering their congratulations one after another.
Congratulations, Clan Chief!
"Congratulations, Clan Chief, on successfully forming your Core! You have achieved great success on the Great Dao!"
"Alright, alright, as long as you cultivate diligently, forming your core is not impossible. The clan will fully support you then." Zhang Lingyu gestured to each of them.
"Lingyu is absolutely right. You all go and attend to your own business. The cultivators who are coming to Tianliu City's aid should gather at the foot of the mountain and wait. Yuanlin, Xingyao, and Yuanli, please stay here. Let's go to the main hall to discuss some matters." Zhang Yuanhua smiled, shook his head, and waved to disperse the crowd.
"We obey!" The crowd left somewhat reluctantly, but their excitement had not yet dissipated.
Wang Menghan wanted to go up and talk to her master, but after thinking about it, she went down the mountain with Zhang Yuanyao.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard the old man call out to him.
"Meng Han, Yuan Yao, you two come too. You will be leading the team that is rushing to Tianliu City to provide assistance. There are a few things I need to tell you."
"Yes."
The two nodded in agreement and landed in the council hall with the others.
After everyone was seated, Zhang Yuanhua personally brewed tea for them, and smilingly asked Zhang Lingyu, "How are you feeling?"
"Compared to Foundation Establishment, it's like heaven and earth."
Whether it's Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, or Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, it's not about accumulating quantity, but about making a qualitative leap.
The most immediate feelings after the breakthrough are about mana and soul; as for the remaining minor wonders, those will be experienced gradually in the future.
"Your successful breakthrough should have been a day of great joy, but the situation in Zhao has changed too quickly in the past eleven years. A storm is brewing, which truly confirms the great calamity that True Monarch Yunhe spoke of back then." Zhang Yuanhua suppressed his smile and sighed.
The others also looked very unhappy.
"Grandpa, please speak freely. Even if you don't tell me, I still have to ask." Zhang Lingyu took a sip of tea, his expression calm.
"Let me start with some good news. Three years ago, Master Bai Yan of Jade Light Pavilion successfully passed the tribulation and advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, becoming the seventh True Lord of our Zhao Kingdom. Then, cultivators from various sects also successfully formed their Golden Cores, including Master Song Siyu, who once visited our home. In total, there are nine people."
"Besides the six factions, there are quite a few other forces in the Zhao state, making a total of sixteen people including you..."
"Sixteen people...isn't that a bit too many? How come they all ended up in this period?" Zhang Lingyu asked, somewhat surprised.
"Who can argue with that? We might not be the only ones who have sensed the danger. Other forces have also been preparing for a long time. With great chaos on the horizon, how much of a role can Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment play? Only Golden Core cultivators can barely protect themselves."
Zhang Yuanhua shook his head and said seriously:
"Having one more Nascent Soul cultivator and sixteen more Golden Core cultivators is generally a good thing; it might just prove the saying that heroes emerge in times of great chaos. But what I'm about to say is the real key point!"
"Lingyu, you should know about that Heavenly Demon Lord, right? He was hunted down by the six sects back then, and everyone thought he had perished somewhere. But unexpectedly, he managed to survive in the cultivation world of the East Sea. Now, hundreds of years have passed, and not only have his injuries been fully healed, but his cultivation has also broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage!"
"I know this person. The tragedy that happened to the Wu family in Xuanling County more than 30 years ago was caused by his disciple. He must have already broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage at that time."
How could Zhang Lingyu not know this?
The actions of this person's third disciple, Ji Li, were so serious that they alarmed the high-ranking officials of the Six Sects. The task was assigned to Bai Yan Zhenren, who had not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage, to hunt him down, but to no avail.
He discovered through the intelligence system that Ji Li had fled to the Netherfire Abyss in the State of Chu to heal his wounds.
At that time, he understood that the Heavenly Demon Lord would return sooner or later to take revenge, and Ji Li was just a pawn to test the waters.
"The Heavenly Demon Lord returned five years ago. Although he did not appear in the Zhao Kingdom, he led his cultivators to join the Blood Flame Sect of the Chu Kingdom in a grand manner, claiming that he would unify the Chu Kingdom and then come back to destroy the six sects of the Zhao Kingdom."
What was the reaction of the six cases?
"After the Heavenly Demon Lord returned, under the leadership of True Lord Dianqiu, the Nascent Soul cultivators and some Golden Core cultivators from the Six Sects came directly to him. After all, True Lord Dianqiu was also in the late Nascent Soul stage, and it was he who drove him to the East Sea back then."
Zhang Yuanhua sighed and continued:
"Even if we couldn't achieve anything, we could still escape unscathed. I didn't expect that the Nascent Soul cultivators from other sects in the Chu Kingdom were waiting for us at the Blood Flame Sect. That day, the Demon Lord obtained some powerful magic weapon from the East Sea and seriously injured True Lord Dianqiu. The other Nascent Soul cultivators also had injuries."
"In that battle, the Zhao state lost six Golden Core cultivators, while the Chu state only lost four. The difference in strength was obvious, and it was a great defeat for us."
If we only look at the number of people, the death of two more Golden Core cultivators can only be considered a minor defeat. The outcome of the battle may never depend on the Golden Core cultivators, but rather on the Nascent Soul cultivators!
The serious injury of True Monarch Dianqiu is the greatest loss to the cultivation world of Zhao!
Even though the other five are all in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, the difference between them is huge. Otherwise, why would the Heavenly Demon Lord have sacrificed so many sects?
"So what's the situation now? I see most of our people are still on Qingya Mountain. The demonic path shouldn't have started a large-scale invasion yet, right?" Zhang Lingyu asked.
As he had guessed, the Chu Kingdom was not yet fully integrated.
The path to immortality is fraught with difficulties, let alone the demonic sects that are constantly scheming against each other.
Even though the Heavenly Demon Lord's cultivation was already at the late Nascent Soul stage, he had suffered some injuries and went into seclusion after the great battle. It was practically impossible for the Blood Flame Sect to rely on his prestige to unify the other demonic sects.
Even after the person involved emerges from quarantine, they will still have some headaches, and it will take several years to recover.
"Until a year ago, the demonic sects put aside their disputes and began to harass the borders of Zhao Kingdom on a large scale, engaging in battle with the six sects."
Actually, it wouldn't matter if there was only one Chu state, as the overall strength of Zhao state was superior, and a few defeats wouldn't shake its foundation.
But then, trouble struck in the backyard.
In less than a century, the demonic beasts of the Wanling Mountains, led by various demon kings, began to launch a frenzied attack on Yanxing County and other neighboring Zhao states.
Although the Demon Emperor did not personally intervene, it was clear to everyone that this was a deliberate attempt to target the six sects of Zhao. Otherwise, why would there be no movement from the Chu Kingdom, which borders the Wanling Mountains?
It's unclear whether this is a collaboration between the two sides or a one-sided attempt by the demon race to take advantage of the situation.
If it's the latter... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the sky is falling.
"According to rumors from the Chen family, in recent years, various sects and aristocratic families have secretly sent some young disciples to the cultivation world in the East China Sea... I think they are starting to prepare their escape route," Zhang Yuanhua sighed.
"If the demon race and the evil path really launch a two-pronged attack, seeking a way out is inevitable. Fortunately, our Zhao Kingdom is located by the sea, otherwise we wouldn't even have a way out."
Zhang Lingyu took a sip of tea and asked, "With such a large commotion from the Demonic Path, what's the situation in Yue and Wu? Have they come to our aid?"
"Do they dare not come? If our Zhao state is destroyed, they will be the next to suffer. It's just that the real war has not yet begun, so the number of people they sent is not large, but at least they have some sincerity." Zhang Xingyao sneered from the side.
The four major cultivation worlds of Zhao, Yue, Wu, and Chu are located in the remote southeastern region of Donghua Continent, and can also be collectively referred to as the Southeastern Cultivation World.
The Zhao Kingdom has six sects, the Chu Kingdom has five Nascent Soul Demonic Sects, the Yue Kingdom has four, and the Wu Kingdom, being the smallest, has only two. If we include the reclusive Nascent Soul cultivators, the total number is no more than thirty.
At first glance, the immortal path seems to have the upper hand over the demonic path, but the situation in the southeastern cultivation world has remained almost unchanged for nearly ten thousand years.
The six kingdoms of Zhao and the kingdom of Chu both longed to destroy each other, but the monsters in the Wanling Mountains were always a major threat. If the two kingdoms went to war, wouldn't their escape routes be cut off?
The only kingdom that lived a relatively comfortable life was the Yue Kingdom, which did not border the Wanling Mountains.
After discussing the overall situation, Zhang Yuanli then talked about the changes in his family and Yingchuan County in recent years.
In the past eleven years, five more members of the Zhang family have successfully established their foundations. The "Xing" generation has grown old, and most of them are concentrated in the "Ling" generation. There is only one member in the "Yuan" generation. The members in the "Ling" generation are Zhang Lingtai, Zhang Linghao, Zhang Lingqiao, and Zhang Ling'an.
Some of them succeeded on their first try, while others failed in previous years, and thus had to heal and rebuild their contributions, which caused them considerable delays.
Hearing these familiar names, Zhang Lingyu couldn't help but feel a little emotional, never expecting that she had already left them so far behind.
But it's a good thing overall; there's always a chance to reach that point in the future.
Zhang Lingtai, in particular, felt as if it were yesterday that he had taught his cynical cousin a lesson, and now, after so many years, his cousin had become a pillar of the family.
"Clan leader, since we stopped suppressing the vassal families, they have all come to my family to buy Foundation Establishment spiritual items. Unfortunately, over the years, only six families have produced Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Speaking of this, Zhang Yuanli looked somewhat disappointed. He had sold them spiritual items and allowed them to go into seclusion at Yunjing Mountain and Mingyue Mountain, but only a few of them succeeded.
Faced with such overwhelming momentum, six more people are simply not enough.
"Six people is already quite good, within my expectations. After all, they are young kids, without good inheritances or many resources..."
Zhang Lingyu chuckled and looked at his disciple whom he hadn't seen for many years. His appearance hadn't changed much, but his temperament had changed a lot. How to put it, he was just like Song Siyu back then.
It is estimated that he has achieved some success in swordsmanship, coupled with his extensive training.
He praised, "Not bad, you've already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and you're only a step away from the late stage."
"Thank you for your praise, Master. However, I am not as good as Sister Yuan Yao and Senior Brother Mo Wuyai, who are already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
It is estimated that he has achieved some success in swordsmanship, coupled with his extensive training.
He praised, "Not bad, you've already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and you're only a step away from the late stage."
"Thank you for your praise, Master. However, I am not as good as Sister Yuan Yao and Senior Brother Mo Wuyai, who are already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
Wang Menghan smiled gently. Although she had a lot to say, this was not the time for reminiscing. She continued, "Master has broken through. Your disciple should be by your side to fulfill your filial duties. However, the battle in Tianliu City is urgent. Your disciple and Sister Yuanyao have received orders to go and provide reinforcements immediately."
Zhang Lingyu nodded and looked at Zhang Yuanli, who quickly explained the whole story.
"Since the sect has given the order, we can't delay any longer. With your skills and cultivation, as long as you don't face the Demon King head-on, you won't be in much danger. Just stay in the great formation."
In his view, without the Demon Emperor leading the beast tide, the beast tide would be nothing more than a minor skirmish in front of Tianliu City. The Nine Heavens Demon Extermination Formation was no ordinary formation; even the Blood Fiend Demon King of yesteryear would have suffered a setback.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone went about their own business, leaving only Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Yuanhua behind.
The old man pondered for a long time before saying, "Now that you have successfully formed your core, according to custom you should gather all the families and hold a grand ceremony to celebrate your core formation. Unfortunately, now is not a good time."
With demonic beasts and demonic sects repeatedly invading the borders, everyone is in a state of chaos and has no time to send people or bring things to participate in the Core Formation Ceremony.
Leaving aside others, even just talking about our own family, we had to spend a lot of spirit stones to prepare for it.
"It's alright. There aren't many families that are on good terms with my family to begin with, and with great chaos looming, I might form my core today and die on the battlefield tomorrow. Wouldn't all the good stuff I sent out be wasted?" Zhang Lingyu smiled, not caring at all.
In this situation, at most I can only send a message to congratulate them.
However, a cultivator who is on good terms with Master Xuanhao might secretly send him some nice things.
"Alright, if my family still exists after the chaos ends, I will definitely make up for your Core Formation Ceremony."
Zhang Yuanhua responded and said seriously, "Lingyu, now that you have formed your core, it's time to put the matter of your natal magic weapon on the agenda. Have you decided which one you want to refine?"
The natal magic weapon is something that connects a Golden Core cultivator's mind and spirit. It is extremely powerful, but if it is damaged, the cultivator will also suffer a certain backlash.
If destroyed, it will result in serious injury at best, and a drop in cultivation level at worst.
When crafting a natal magic weapon, one can choose to re-craft it or reforge the original magic weapon with other spiritual materials. The choice is entirely up to the cultivator.
Zhang Lingyu now has two choices. The first is to choose one of the three natal magic treasures recorded in the "Burning Primordial Fire Scripture".
The second thing is to reforge his six Xuan Ting flying swords.
In terms of the difficulty of crafting alone, the latter is definitely simpler. After all, the Xuan Ting Flying Sword has been with him for many years, and with the occasional nurturing with magic power, it can already be considered half a natal magic weapon.
However, the materials are a real headache. In the cultivation world, water and fire are abundant, and spiritual objects with the lightning attribute are very precious. Their prices on the market are higher than other spiritual objects, let alone those of the fifth grade.
There are still two fire-attribute golden core spiritual objects at home that haven't been used yet, so refining the natal magic treasures recorded in the "Burning Primordial Fire Scripture" should be easier.
If he had to choose, he would still prefer the Xuan Ting Flying Sword, but six swords would not be enough; he would need at least thirty-six.
Only a sword formation composed of these elements can be powerful enough to allow for both offense and defense, enabling both advance and retreat with ease.
If we were to actually forge thirty-six of them, the amount of spiritual materials required would be terrifying, and they would be extremely difficult to find on the market. However, with an intelligence system at our disposal, it would be much easier.
"First try using the intelligence system to search; if that doesn't work, then refine the three methods recorded in the *Burning Primordial Fire Scripture*."
The three natal magic weapons recorded in the "Burning Yuan Fire Scripture" are the Burning Yuan Fire Spear, the Burning Yuan Fire Sword, and the Burning Yuan Fire Tower. Just like the characteristics of the cultivation techniques, natal magic weapons also follow the path of attack and suppression.
"Grandpa, Lingyu will keep this in mind. However, the materials are hard to find, and I'm afraid we won't be able to collect them all in a short time. In addition, with great chaos approaching, there won't be much time for me to refine them," Zhang Lingyu replied.
Refining a natal magic weapon is a slow and meticulous process, generally requiring cultivators to continuously nurture it with alchemical fire over several years. The slightest mistake can lead to failure.
However, it's not like there are no magic weapons available. The high-grade Golden Core flying sword obtained from the ruins of the Spirit Puppet Sect, along with several magic weapons given to him by True Monarch Yunhe, can be used temporarily.
Furthermore, isn't it just the Spirit Puppet Transformation Box?
Now I can use it to some extent, although it is more of a support role, it is still an invaluable asset.
"It's just a pity about that small Sumeru Shield."
The thought of this makes my heart ache. Fortunately, it was only damaged and not completely shattered, otherwise I would have been devastated.
Zhang Yuanhua sighed, returned all the magical artifacts and talismans the other party had given him, and continued to ask, "What are your plans next?"
"I'll relinquish the position of clan leader first. I've already reached the Core Formation stage, so it's really inappropriate for me to continue occupying this position. Then I'll go into seclusion for a few days to consolidate my cultivation, and then go to Tianliu City to see if I can find any good items."
Zhang Lingyu responded, then, as if sensing something, raised her head and looked at the empty horizon, a slight smile playing on her lips: "But before we go, since we, as vassals, have broken through to the Golden Core stage, we should at least go to the upper sect to report it, shouldn't we?"
"But it looks like someone has already come to invite us."
......
......