Chapter 101: Wang Mingjiang and Wang Changhao

She smiled sweetly, "It's so sweet! So delicious."

"Don't just think about eating; what did you learn today?"

Wang Changyue popped half a red date cake into her mouth and mumbled, "Eighth Uncle taught us about formations today. Eighth Uncle invited Twenty-First Uncle to set up a small illusion array. Thirty-Fifth Uncle was hidden right in front of me, but I couldn't see him. Formations are quite interesting."

Wang Changsheng nodded and cautioned, "Listen carefully. Eighth Uncle is old, so you mustn't cause trouble for him."

"I know. I'm not Qingze. That kid dared to cause trouble in the lecture hall last time and got a severe beating from Third Brother; his bottom was bruised."

Qingze, whom Wang Changyue mentioned, is Wang Changxing's eldest son, possessing a triple spirit root. Wang Changxing has two other sons, but they lack spirit roots and have been sent to the mortal world.

Wang Changxing hoped Wang Qingze would become successful and was very strict with him. To earn more spirit stones, he rarely went home, mostly staying at his shop and returning only once every few months.

Liu Leyun doted on Wang Qingze and couldn't bear to even scold him, let alone hit him.

Some time ago, Wang Qingze talked back to an elder in the academy and disrupted order. When Wang Changxing learned of this, he was furious. He rushed home that night and beat Wang Qingze severely, after which Qingze became much more obedient.

Wang Mingyan chuckled and said, "Changxing is often away, and Leyun can't even bring herself to scold him. Now that Qingze dares to cause trouble in the academy, if he's not disciplined strictly, he might end up bullying others outside in the future. As the saying goes, 'If a child is not taught, the father is to blame.' So, it's right that Changxing punished Qingze. But he was really too harsh; if Third Brother and Fourth Brother hadn't pulled him away, Qingze's bottom wouldn't have been the only thing bruised."

"Yes! Qingze is still attending classes standing up."

Even before Wang Qingze's spirit root was detected, Wang Changxing had already begun accumulating spirit stones for him, living frugally so that Qingze could progress further on the path of cultivation. Wang Changsheng could understand why Wang Changxing reacted so strongly to Qingze's misbehavior in the academy.

"Brother, can you let Lin'er out to play with me for a bit?"

Wang Changyue's eyes widened, looking at Wang Changsheng with anticipation.

Wang Changsheng smiled faintly, released the Green Scaled Horse, and lifted Wang Changyue onto its back.

The Green Scaled Horse spread its wings and carried them soaring into the sky.

A quarter of an hour later, the Green Scaled Horse landed next to the stable.

Wang Changsheng lifted down the excited Wang Changyue and said to Wang Mingyan, "Twenty-Third Uncle, Lin'er will be kept in the stable for now. Would you mind breeding them?"

Wang Mingyan smiled calmly and replied, "That's my duty. I hope we get two foals next year."

After a brief chat, Wang Changsheng took Wang Changyue away from the stable and returned to their residence.

Wang Changyue hadn't seen Wang Changsheng in a long time and pestered him to tell her about the outside world.

Wang Changsheng briefly recounted his experiences from the past year, and Wang Changyue listened with great interest. A wave of drowsiness overcame her, and she fell soundly asleep in Wang Changsheng's arms.

Wang Changsheng placed Wang Changyue on the bed, tucked her in, and then left the room.

Returning to his own dwelling, Wang Changsheng closed his eyes and began meditating to regulate his breath.

A quarter of an hour later, Wang Changsheng opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.

He took out a blue gourd, gave it a gentle shake, and a pale blue liquid flew out, hovering before him.

He opened his mouth and inhaled, and the blue liquid flew into his mouth.

Soon, a powerful surge of spiritual energy rose in Wang Changsheng's abdomen. He quickly activated the incantation for the fourth level of the *Kuisui True Scripture* to refine this immense spiritual energy.

******

Yunzhou, Baiyun Ridge.

Baiyun Ridge stretches for over ten thousand miles, consisting of hundreds of mountains of varying sizes. It is frequently inhabited by venomous insects and fierce beasts and also grows several rare spiritual herbs. This attracts many cultivators who come here to hunt demonic beasts and gather spiritual herbs in exchange for cultivation resources.

The Ye family, in collaboration with four other families, established the Baiyun Market City, providing a place for cultivators visiting Baiyun Ridge to trade and rest.

Several years ago, a beast tide erupted in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range near Xianyuan City. Numerous demonic beasts breached Xianyuan City, causing heavy casualties among cultivators.

To prevent similar incidents, the five cultivation families joined forces, ventured deep into Baiyun Ridge, and killed multiple second-tier demonic beasts. Naturally, some cultivators were also lost.

Over a dozen second-tier demonic beasts were killed or wounded, reducing the danger in Baiyun Ridge.

Deep within Baiyun Ridge, by a black lake about an *mu* in size, seven cultivators were besieging a massive black python.

The black python's body was thicker than a water vat, covered in fist-sized black scales, and it had two enormous heads.

Six cultivators spread out, controlling their spiritual artifacts to attack the black python.

One particular scholar in a green robe stood out; he was controlling two massive black eagle puppets to attack the black python.

The green-robed scholar had an scholarly aura, was tall and thin, and appeared refined.

The black python, being only a high-tier first-rank demonic beast, was powerless against the combined attacks of several spiritual artifacts and two high-tier first-rank puppet beasts. Its body was covered in wounds, and many of its scales had fallen off.

It seemed to realize its predicament and tried to retreat to the bottom of the lake, but the two black eagle puppets swooped down from above, aiming for its eyes.

It opened its mouth and spat out a dozen blue water arrows, striking the two black eagle puppets.

With a muffled thud, the dozen water arrows hit the black eagle puppets but caused little damage.

Seizing this opportunity, a golden scissor about a *zhang* in size flew from behind it, while two blue flying daggers and two green short swords struck from the front.

Attacked from both front and back, it couldn't resist. A tragic shriek echoed as the golden scissor severed the giant black python at its waist. A torrent of blood gushed out, staining half the lake red.

The green-robed scholar controlled the two black eagle puppets, picking up the giant black python's corpse and placing it on the ground.

"Twenty-First Uncle, you really have a way! Pretending to drain the lake to force this high-tier first-rank twin-headed python out, then using puppet beasts to entangle it before focusing our attacks—if you hadn't used the puppet beasts to hold it earlier, it probably would have escaped back into the lake."

A handsome young man in a blue robe looked at the green-robed scholar and praised him.

"Yes! Twenty-First Uncle is still the best. Every time we go hunting demonic beasts with him, we get a good haul."

"I told you all along, Twenty-First Uncle never does anything he's not confident about. If he dares to lead us into the mountains, he naturally has a plan."

Hearing his companions' praise, the green-robed scholar smiled faintly and instructed, "All right, you lot, stop flattering me. Quickly deal with the twin-headed python's corpse; we need to return to the market city."

The blue-robed youth hesitated slightly and suggested, "Twenty-First Uncle, it's still early, and today went so smoothly. Perhaps if we explore further, we might find another demonic beast?"

The green-robed scholar's expression stiffened as he reprimanded, "Changhao, how many times have I told you? Don't be greedy; know when to stop. One mistake could cost us all our lives. Listen to me: quickly process the demonic beast's corpse, return to the market city, and sell the materials to our family's market."

"Yes, Twenty-First Uncle."

The six individuals were all members of the Wang family. The leader was Wang Mingjiang, who was the twenty-first of the 'Ming' generation, twenty-two years old, and at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

The other five were from the 'Chang' generation. The highest cultivated among them was Wang Changhao, who was the eighteenth of the 'Chang' generation, twenty years old, and at the fifth level of Qi Condensation.