Chapter 2682

On Azure Bamboo Peak, in a secret chamber.

Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on an azure meditation cushion. A mass of azure flames floated before him, emanating terrifying heat.

"Finally, I've advanced to the sixth rank," Wang Qingshan muttered to himself, a joyful expression on his face. During his trip to the Myriad Spirit Abyss, Wang Qingshan acquired a sixth-rank spirit flame and a fifth-rank spirit flame. After refining them, his Azure Lotus Karma Fire successfully ascended to a sixth-rank spirit flame. Wang Qingshan put away the Azure Lotus Karma Fire. With a flick of his sleeve, nine Azure Glazed Swords flew out, slowly circling him and emitting clear sword hums.

On Jade Balance Island, silver lightning occasionally struck from the sky, accompanied by continuous thunderclaps. The Wang family cultivators on the island were accustomed to this and showed no surprise.

At the peak of Jade Balance Mountain was a ten-thousand-mu bluestone plaza. Eight silver stone pillars, each over a hundred *zhang* tall, stood in the plaza. The surface of each pillar was inscribed with numerous profound formation patterns. In the center of the silver pillars was a circular platform over a hundred *zhang* in diameter. Wang Mengbin sat cross-legged on this platform, his eyes closed and his hands forming a seal. Wang Mengbin's body was enveloped in a layer of silver light, within which countless silver electric arcs were visible.

Wang Changsheng obtained a Lightning Attracting Orb from the Myriad Thunder Sea in the Sky Wave Realm and integrated it into a formation, creating the Nine-Essence Thunder Gathering Formation. Once activated, the Nine-Essence Thunder Gathering Formation created a massive spectacle, easily drawing the attention of those with ulterior motives. Thus, Wang Mengbin temporarily did not use it for cultivation. This Eight Gates Lightning Attracting Formation was set up by Bai Yuqi, leading the family's formation masters, specifically to assist Wang Mengbin's cultivation.

Loud thunderclaps echoed from the sky, and thick silver lightning bolts tore through the firmament. As soon as they approached within a hundred *zhang* of Wang Mengbin, they were pulled by the formation's power into the silver stone pillars. The silver pillars then decomposed into tiny silver electric arcs, which struck Wang Mengbin and were entirely absorbed by him.

After Wang Changsheng's Integration Ceremony concluded, older Void Refinement cultivators such as Wang Qingshan, Wang Mengbin, and Wang Yingjie successively entered seclusion. The younger generation, including Wang Gonghu, Wang Jiye, and Wang Lihe, took up the mantle and assumed important responsibilities. At the same time, the Wang family welcomed a new generation.

Golden Scale Lake was an important stronghold of the Wang family in the mainland.

Early morning, as the sun began to rise, the "clang, clang, clang" of bells rang out, signaling the start of a new day. Wang family members busied themselves, each performing their duties.

Within a small bluestone-tiled courtyard, about an *mu* in size, stood a two-story azure pavilion. To its left was a half-mu spirit field where various spirit herbs grew. The pavilion door opened, and a handsome young man in an azure robe with bright, intelligent eyes stepped out.

Wang Yong'an, at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, was the son of Wang Shenglong, a Nascent Soul cultivator who had numerous wives and concubines and over a hundred children. Wang Yong'an's mother was a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator, and he possessed a three-spirit root, making him rather unremarkable. Initially, with his Nascent Soul father's care, Wang Yong'an's life was quite comfortable.

When he was seven, Wang Shenglong died while on a mission, leaving behind a large sum of wealth. His various wives and concubines quarreled fiercely over the inheritance. Only with the intervention of the clan elders did open conflict cease. The wives and concubines divided the inheritance. The main wife, relying on her maternal family's influence, took the majority of the assets. Wang Yong'an's mother, with her low cultivation and no valuable items to bribe the elders, only received a small courtyard. Her life was still passable, with no worries about food or clothing.

Wang Yong'an's elder brother, Wang Yongyan, had already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, while Wang Yong'an was still at Qi Refinement. There was a difference of over a hundred years in their ages. Wang Yong'an knew he couldn't rely on others and had to strive for himself.

Leaving his residence, Wang Yong'an raised his right hand, and a beam of azure light flew out, revealing a shimmering azure lotus platform. He leaped onto the platform, and with a flick of his fingers, the azure lotus platform flew northwest. The azure lotus platform was a flying magical artifact issued by the family, with one for each member.

"Brother Yong'an, good morning!" A clear and pleasant female voice came from behind him. Wang Yong'an turned his head to see an entirely azure seagull flying towards him, carrying a tall, slender girl in a blue dress on its back. The blue-dressed girl had a melon-seed face, cherry lips, a jade-like nose, and skin like snow. Her dark hair was tied with a white ribbon, giving her an ethereal aura.

Wang Yongqian, at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, was an only child whose parents had died young. She survived on the spirit rice distributed monthly by the family, barely maintaining her cultivation, and lived a frugal, modest life. Wang Yong'an had always treated her well. When she was fifteen, her great-uncle Wang Shengyu, who had been missing for a hundred years, suddenly returned, having already entered the Nascent Soul stage. Their branch of the family had few members, and Wang Shengyu, devoted to cultivation, had never married. Wang Shengyu took great care of Wang Yongqian, and her quality of life rapidly improved, as did her status.

"Morning!" Wang Yong'an greeted with a smile.

"Uncle Fanghua is giving a lecture today," Wang Yongqian said, her face showing a look of yearning. "He's a formation master. If I could be favored by him and become a formation master, I definitely wouldn't lack spirit stones."

"With Uncle Shengyu taking care of you, are you still short on spirit stones?" Wang Yong'an teased.

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. I haven't spent a single spirit stone Uncle Shengyu gave me," Wang Yongqian said earnestly. She had been so poor that she dared not forget those hard times, and even with her improved life, she remained very frugal.

"You're too frugal," Wang Yong'an teased. "Some clan elders say you're too stingy, that they can't even get a cup of spirit tea when they visit you."

"Hmph, after my parents died, none of them came to see me. Now that Uncle Shengyu has advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, they come trying to get close," Wang Yongqian snorted lightly, speaking with some dissatisfaction. She then remembered something and said, "I won't give them spirit tea to drink; it's a waste. Oh, by the way, Sister Yongyue and the others are going to hunt demonic beasts. A Foundation Establishment clan elder is leading the team; it's considered training. Do you want to come along?"

"No, thank you. Hunting demonic beasts is too dangerous. My mother told me to stay put in Golden Scale Lake; safety comes first," Wang Yong'an politely declined. His mother raised spirit silkworms and sold their silk, accumulating merit points for him to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

"Alright!" Wang Yongqian said nothing more.

While chatting, the two landed in a ten-thousand-mu bluestone plaza, where over a thousand clan members had gathered, with cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refinement to Core Formation. At various family strongholds, clan elders regularly gave lectures on a wide range of topics.

"Yong'an, Yongqian, you're here." A slender girl in a green dress quickly walked over, greeting them with a smile.

"Sister Yongyue, you've advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage! Congratulations!" Wang Yongqian, feeling the powerful aura emanating from the green-dressed girl, was somewhat surprised and quickly offered her congratulations.

"Hunting demonic beasts earns merit points quickly. Yong'an, do you want to come along? I'll protect you," Wang Yongyue extended the invitation. With over one hundred thousand cultivators in the Wang family, it wasn't easy to stand out. The family's Affairs Hall issued missions, and various strongholds also had tasks. Hunting demonic beasts was the fastest way to earn merit points, though it was relatively dangerous. Wang Shenglong himself met with an accident while hunting demonic beasts, leading to his demise.