Chapter 2176: Virtuous Cultivator Comes Calling, Demanding Follow-up Techniques

Once he reached the Void Refinement stage, Wang Changsheng had many tasks ahead. Firstly, there was the matter of his cultivation techniques. He needed to make a trip to Zhenhai Palace to acquire the remaining techniques.

Beyond that, he needed to find Boundary Stones to enable his clones to descend to the lower realms. Descending with a clone had a serious drawback: he couldn't bring treasures with him. At most, he could help the family clear some obstacles and impart some cultivation methods and secret techniques.

To help his clan members ascend, it would be best to send someone down to the lower realms. However, he lacked treasures like the Realm-Breaking Plate, which prevented him from sending others down. This was also why forces in the Xuan-yang Realm rarely sent people to the lower realms.

Wang Changsheng stood up and walked out.

As soon as he stepped out of the secret chamber, he caught a whiff of a peculiar floral scent.

"What is this?" Wang Changsheng paused slightly, then walked further.

He arrived at a garden filled with exotic flowers and plants. In the center of the garden, a huge purple spirit flower stood, surrounded by countless green thorns covering the ground.

The countless green thorns were woven together, forming a humanoid figure covered in sharp spikes. A large purple flower bud rested on its head.

"You've advanced to Fifth-tier!" Wang Changsheng exclaimed in surprise. Generally, when spirit beasts and birds reach Fifth-tier, their physical bodies transform, attracting other demon beasts. However, the Wood Demon wasn't a typical spirit beast or bird, so its advancement method was unique.

During its trip to the Xuanling Grotto-heaven, it had devoured the core crystals of two Fifth-tier Wood Demons, which was why it could now advance to Fifth-tier.

Wang Changsheng ordered it to demonstrate its new divine ability.

The Wood Demon's body glowed brightly with green light, and its size rapidly expanded. Purple spirit flames emerged all over its body, and its flower bud blossomed, spewing out plumes of purple miasma that obscured a large area.

Wang Changsheng's divine sense penetrated the purple miasma but was somewhat affected, making him unable to locate the Wood Demon.

This divine ability seemed somewhat useless, yet it was hard to say for sure. In certain situations, it might prove to be of significant importance.

The purple miasma slowly dispersed and vanished into the Wood Demon's body.

Wang Changsheng took out a green jade bottle, pulled open the stopper, and a pungent odor wafted out. Inside was a poisonous liquid, which the Wood Demon had always enjoyed consuming.

Hundreds of green thorns shot out, wrapped around the green jade bottle, and drew it back into its embrace.

A fragrant breeze wafted by, and Wang Ruyan approached, her expression serious, as if something major had happened.

"Husband," Wang Ruyan said with a heavy voice, "Senior Liu from Thousand Bamboo Island has arrived. He's here to investigate, likely because some Liu family disciples witnessed the heavenly lightning tribulation phenomenon."

The Liu family of Thousand Bamboo Island had a legacy of ten thousand years, boasting three Void Refinement cultivators. As an affiliated force of the Cold Flame Sect, the Liu family was the most powerful cultivation family within a radius of a hundred million miles.

The commotion of the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation was too immense for the Wang family to conceal.

"Where is he now? Is he alone?" Wang Changsheng asked with a frown.

"He brought a team of Liu family disciples with him and is currently outside the island," Wang Ruyan truthfully replied. No force wished for another powerful neighbor. While the Wang and Liu families had no direct conflict of interest, the Wang family now having a Void Refinement cultivator posed a threat to the Liu family.

Possessing a sword but not using it was different from having no sword at all. With a Void Refinement cultivator, the Wang family now had the power to influence regional balance, and the Liu family had to be vigilant.

"Please invite them to the reception hall! I will meet them myself," Wang Changsheng instructed, then left Qinglian Peak with Wang Ruyan.

Outside Nine Dragons Island, a colossal python with two pairs of golden fleshy wings on its back hovered high in the sky. The python's head bore a golden horn, and its eyes were golden.

Over a hundred cultivators stood on the back of the golden python. Leading them was a tall elder, clad in magnificent dragon-patterned brocade robes and wearing a ceremonial crown. He had regular features and a dignified, imposing expression, exuding a powerful sense of pressure.

This was Liu Tianxiao, a cultivator at the early Void Refinement stage, one of the three Void Refinement cultivators of the Liu family, who had cultivated for over five thousand years.

Nine Dragons Island was an outpost of Zhenhai Palace, with multiple Void Refinement cultivators stationed there. Naturally, the Liu family dared not conflict with Zhenhai Palace cultivators. Over two hundred years ago, when the Wang family established themselves on Nine Dragons Island, the Liu family began to pay attention to this new neighbor.

Two years ago, a group of Liu family disciples passed by Nine Dragons Island and noticed the phenomenon of the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation, suspecting that someone from the Wang family was attempting to reach the Void Refinement stage.

Liu Tianxiao's current visit was to ascertain the Wang family's situation. If the Wang family now had a Void Refinement cultivator, the Liu family would certainly need to heighten their vigilance.

The "pie" of resources was only so big. If the Wang family grew stronger, they would inevitably compete with the Liu family for cultivation resources; this was a certainty.

A yellow streak of light flew out from Nine Immortals Island; it was Wang Qingcheng.

"Senior Liu, what an honor to have you visit. I apologize for not coming out to greet you sooner. Please, this way," Wang Qingcheng said courteously, making a welcoming gesture.

Liu Tianxiao nodded, forming a hand seal. The golden python flapped its wings, carrying them towards Nine Immortals Island.

Liu Tianxiao's gaze swept downwards, hoping to spot any secrets.

As they passed a large lake, a deafening beast roar echoed, and the lake's surface burst open. A colossal turtle, fifty thousand zhang in size, emerged from the water, its head resembling a Qilin.

A flicker of surprise appeared in Liu Tianxiao's eyes. He had cultivated for many years and encountered numerous strange beasts and exotic birds, but this was the first time he had seen a spirit turtle of such immense size.

"Could this beast possess the bloodline of a Black Tortoise?"