Chapter 1335: Guangfa Invitation

"That's right! Uncle Mingren is gone, but you still have us. We will take good care of you in his place." Wang Ruyan agreed, adding that she had thought Wang Mingren would advance to the Nascent Soul stage, but he had failed to form his Nascent Soul.

Wang Qingshan and others spoke up, comforting Ximen Feng and Wang Changjie. Despite Wang Mingren's many faults, the dead are to be respected, and no one would speak ill of him at this time.

Ximen Feng let out a long sigh and said to Wang Changsheng, "Changsheng, Ruyan, Qingshan, on behalf of my husband, I apologize to you. He did have his shortcomings in the past, and it was my fault for not being able to dissuade him. I hope you can forgive him. My husband left a dying wish, and I will help search for the killer."

With Wang Mingren's passing, Ximen Feng lost her support at the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Her connections were limited; let alone investigating the killer, she could barely take care of herself. Knowing Chen Xiang'er held significant power, she repeatedly pleaded, and Chen Xiang'er agreed to help investigate the killer. However, too much time had passed, and there were no immediate leads.

"Aunt Ximen, you jest," Wang Changsheng gently consoled her. "We never blamed Uncle Mingren. Let bygones be bygones. There's nothing to dwell on." With Wang Mingren no longer alive, he naturally bore him no ill will.

"Exactly! We are family, so there's no need to be so formal," Wang Qingshan added by way of comfort. He had been engrossed in comprehending the *Azure Lotus Sword Scripture*; if Wang Mingren hadn't passed away, Wang Qingling wouldn't have rushed to contact him.

"Changsheng, Ruyan, please follow me. My husband left some things before he passed, and I want to give them to you personally."

Leading them to a side room, Ximen Feng took out a string of azure storage beads and handed them to Wang Changsheng, saying, "These are my husband's bequeathed items, including three Nascent Soul formation spiritual items. He specified that these items are not to be counted as merit points; he is selflessly handing them over to the family."

Wang Changsheng was stunned. It was extremely difficult for them to acquire even one Nascent Soul formation spiritual item, yet Ximen Feng had brought back three. This gift was incredibly precious.

"This legacy is too valuable, Aunt Ximen. Please keep them for yourself! If you were to form a Nascent Soul, it would also be a great benefit to our family," Wang Ruyan suggested, reasoning that these three items could potentially cultivate a Nascent Soul cultivator. Ximen Feng was already at the eighth layer of Core Formation; with three Nascent Soul formation spiritual items, her chances of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage were relatively high.

Ximen Feng shook her head firmly, her expression solemn. "This is my husband's dying wish, and I will fulfill all of them for him. These three Nascent Soul formation spiritual items are to be handed over to the family by my husband, without being exchanged for any merit points." Forming a Nascent Soul meant death if unsuccessful; she temporarily had no desire to attempt it. Her only wish now was to fulfill Wang Mingren's last requests. She didn't want him to rest uneasy in the afterlife; this was her duty as his wife.

Witnessing this, Wang Changsheng said, "Alright! Since it's Uncle Mingren's dying wish, we will accept them. However, Aunt Ximen, when you attempt to form your Nascent Soul, you must let us know. We are family, and we should help each other."

Ximen Feng nodded, indicating her agreement.

"Aunt Ximen, if you have no other urgent matters, please stay on Azure Lotus Island for now! It's not too late to leave after attending Qingshan's Nascent Soul formation ceremony," Wang Ruyan said warmly. Wang Ruyan was full of enthusiasm. Wang Qingshan's Nascent Soul formation ceremony had to be grand. The Wang family was now widely distributing invitations, inviting relatives and old friends to attend.

"I also have some connections in the Northern Frontier cultivation world, and my husband had extensive connections in the Taiyi Immortal Sect. I'll return to the Eastern Wasteland, and then make a trip to the Northern Frontier cultivation world! I can help boost your prestige." Ximen Feng had heard about the Wang family's attack, and it made sense that the Wang family wanted to hold a grand Nascent Soul formation ceremony for Wang Qingshan. It hadn't been long since Wang Mingren's death; if his connections weren't utilized soon, they would likely fade over time.

"The Northern Frontier cultivation world? If you go there, please help us deliver an invitation to the Immortal Couple Qunyang. Tell them my husband and I personally invite them."

A sharp glint flashed in Ximen Feng's eyes as she asked in surprise, "You know the Immortal Couple Qunyang? They are long-renowned Nascent Soul cultivators in the Northern Frontier cultivation world."

"We met the Immortal Couple Qunyang by chance when we were traveling in the Central Plains cultivation world. We'll write a personal invitation ourselves when the time comes!"

After chatting for a while, they returned to the front courtyard, where Wang Qingshan and others were comforting Wang Changjie.

"Alright, everyone, go back and rest! In seven days, we will hold a funeral for Uncle Mingren and set up his memorial tablet in the family ancestral hall." Before his death, Wang Mingren had asked Ximen Feng to bring back a large amount of cultivation resources, along with his extensive connections.

"Yes, Ninth Uncle (Ancestor)."

Wang Qingshan and the others left one after another. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan gave a few final instructions before also departing.

Back at Azure Lotus Peak, Wang Ruyan sighed softly, saying, "Life is truly unpredictable. I never thought Uncle Mingren would fail to form his Nascent Soul."

Wang Changsheng nodded. "Indeed! Such matters are hard to predict. The Five Spirit Rogue Cultivator, despite being a five-spirit root, managed to form his Nascent Soul. Talent merely allows cultivators to progress more smoothly in the early stages. However, whether one can form a Nascent Soul depends on the individual; good talent doesn't guarantee success. While Nascent Soul formation spiritual items are rare, they aren't overly precious to the ten major sects of the South Sea. If good talent alone guaranteed success, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the South Sea cultivation world would increase by at least ten percent."

"Oh, husband, do you remember Ye Bin from the Cloud Sea Sect?"

"I remember him. What about him?" Wang Changsheng certainly remembered him, as it was his voluntary surrender that allowed the Wang family to take control of the entire Cloud Sea Sect without bloodshed. The core departments of the Cloud Sea Sect were now staffed by Wang family cultivators, handling matters inconvenient for the family to openly address and also supplying various talents to the Wang family.

"He passed away, leaving a dying wish. The Cloud Sea Sect has two Immortal Suppressing Tokens located in a secret place within the sect. He had been worried we would kill him after using him, so he deliberately hid the tokens and only revealed their existence before his death. That fellow was quite sensible; he never left his residence and avoided contact with outsiders. Chen Xudong is the same."

"Immortal Suppressing Tokens? Send someone to retrieve them! I heard from Meng Fen that Chen Xudong has been performing well and is worth further evaluation. If conditions allow, we can help him form his core." For years, Chen Xudong had been engrossed in crafting talismans, dedicating himself to the art. Aside from Wang Mengfen, he had no private contact with others, and he selflessly taught the Wang family cultivators the art of talisman crafting in the Talisman Creation Institute. The Wang family was currently in urgent need of high-level cultivators. Among their non-Wang family core formation cultivators, there were currently Ye Haitang and Ouyang Mingyue. Ximen Feng was a disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and could not permanently reside with the Wang family, so she wasn't counted as one of them. Over the years, the Wang family had absorbed too many cultivators from other clans. They needed to set an example to show these foreign cultivators that loyalty and contributions to the Wang family could lead to Core Formation, thereby strengthening their sense of belonging to the Wang family.

Wang Ruyan nodded in agreement.

Seven days later, the Wang family held Wang Mingren's funeral. Many clan members had only heard of Wang Mingren's existence, with very few ever having met him. After the funeral, the Wang family dispatched a large number of cultivators to various locations to deliver invitations.

Ximen Feng stayed for over a month before leaving Azure Lotus Island to return to the Eastern Wasteland.

Wang Changsheng stood beside a silver formation array over ten *zhang* in size. With a flick of his sleeve, the Azure Lotus Cauldron flew out and landed on the array. He took out a palm-sized silver formation disk, infused it with a magic incantation, and the formation array hummed softly. A large expanse of silver ethereal light rose, lifting the Azure Lotus Cauldron. Wisps of spiritual energy flowed into the cauldron, and the azure lotus patterns on its surface slowly brightened, emitting a low rumble.

Wang Changsheng planned to enter seclusion for a period of cultivation. During this time, the Azure Lotus Cauldron would continue to refine materials, but it would require energy supplied by the formation array to operate.

He entered his seclusion chamber, took out a palm-sized gourd, and cast a magic incantation. A large quantity of biting, snow-white liquid flew out, transforming into wisps of mist that slowly flowed into his body. Inside him, the dull sound of bones crackling could be heard, and his muscles swelled noticeably.

Wang Changsheng closed his eyes, and a brilliant blue aura on his body surged, enveloping him completely. Wisps of water vapor appeared in the room, making it damp. The water spiritual energy was extraordinarily abundant.