Chapter 3228: Zhou Family

The phenomenon of cultivators guarding precious treasures and then stealing them themselves has occurred before, so precautions must be taken. In the past, the Wang family did not have many high-level cultivators; only Wang Qinglong, a Void Refinement cultivator, guarded the family’s treasury. To use the valuable resources from the treasury, approval from both Wang Moshan and Wang Qinglong was required, a system that had significant loopholes.

As the Wang family’s strength grew, the number of Void Refinement cultivators in key family strongholds also increased, which marked a significant step forward.

“By the way, is there any news about Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade?” Wang Ruyan asked.

If a Dimension-Breaking Disk could be refined, it would be wonderful to bring the Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine here.

“Not yet,” Wang Dushan reported truthfully. “I’ve already instructed the clan members to look out for any information on Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade.”

Wang Ruyan was a little disappointed. Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade were inherently difficult to find; otherwise, major powers like the Divine Weapon Sect would have already refined Dimension-Breaking Disks. Kanyuan Jade was relatively easier to find; one could obtain it by locating and slaying a seventh-tier Kanli Beast. However, Qiankun Glazed Stone was a natural formation, something that could only be chanced upon.

“Ancestor, by the way, these are Yin Pearls acquired by the Commerce Hall: one Yin Pearl left by an Integration stage spectral entity, and five Yin Pearls left by Void Refinement stage spectral entities. Also, Wang Bi has advanced to the Integration stage.” Wang Moshan took out a golden jade box and handed it to Wang Ruyan with both hands.

Wang Ruyan accepted the golden jade box, gave them a few instructions, and then dismissed them.

She took a teleportation array to Yuheng Island.

She arrived outside a valley permeated with Yin energy and sent a sound transmission talisman. Soon after, Wang Bi flew out.

“Greetings, Master!” Wang Bi bowed.

Wang Ruyan took out the golden jade box, handed it to Wang Bi, and said, “These contain some Yin Pearls; take them and consume them. I hope they help you. What treasures have you prepared for your tribulation?”

“I’ve applied for a Profound Water Armored Talisman,” Wang Bi replied confidently. “In addition to a sixth-tier formation and a set of low-grade Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures for defense, that should be enough.”

Wang Ruyan took out a Lightning Transformation Talisman and handed it to Wang Bi, saying, “This is a Lightning Transformation Talisman. I’m lending it to you, hoping you won’t need to use it.” Wang Bi might not necessarily need the Lightning Transformation Talisman, but to be cautious, Wang Ruyan still lent it to her. If Wang Bi could advance to the Integration stage, she would definitely be a great asset.

In recent years, a few Wang clan members who attempted to break through to the Void Refinement stage attracted multiple bolts of five-colored divine lightning and were directly struck dead. Not all clan members who attempted to reach the Void Refinement stage succeeded; some still failed. For clan members who attracted five-colored divine lightning when breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage, the lightning tribulation was not very strong. But when attempting to reach the Void Refinement stage, the lightning tribulation was much more powerful, leading to their deaths. This situation was not uncommon. When attempting to break through to a major realm, the power of the lightning tribulation is not fixed; otherwise, the number of high-level cultivators in major powers could increase tenfold.

“Thank you, Master!” Wang Bi took the Lightning Transformation Talisman with both hands, her expression excited.

Wang Ruyan gave a few more instructions, then left Yuheng Island and returned to Qinglian Island.

The Qingxia Mountain Range stretches for tens of millions of miles, filled with abundant spiritual energy. This area was originally the territory of the Lizard Clan, rich in demonic beast resources.

The Zhou family has a legacy spanning over 30,000 years and has produced Integration-stage cultivators, though their existence was fleeting. Before destroying the Lizard Clan, the Zhou family had over a dozen cultivators who emerged and made significant contributions, thereby gaining the Qingxia Mountain Range as their territory.

Many sixth-tier demonic beasts lived in the Qingxia Mountain Range. The Zhou family, in conjunction with other forces, cleared out the sixth-tier demonic beasts, leaving only those below the sixth-tier. Many cultivators came here to hunt demonic beasts. The Zhou family established a market in the southeastern corner of the mountain range for cultivators to trade. The Zhou family dispatched a Void Refinement cultivator to oversee it and deter minor troublemakers.

In the southeastern corner of the mountain range, there was a vast valley with access from all directions. Outside the valley stood a massive golden stone tablet bearing the three golden characters “Qingxia Valley.” Inside the valley were numerous buildings, with many cultivators moving about in the streets amidst the clamor of carriages and horses.

In a secluded manor, a round-faced, small-eyed old man in a green robe sat in a stone pavilion. A tall, slender young man in a green shirt was reporting to him. The old man in the green robe was Zhou Guangjian, a Void Refinement cultivator at the early stage, responsible for overseeing the market.

“The goods are all prepared; we’re just waiting for the Wang family cultivators to arrive, then we can hand them over,” the young man in the green shirt reported. “By my calculations, they should be arriving soon.”

The Zhou family cultivated many spiritual trees and intended to sell them to the Wang family. Contracts had been signed, and they were just waiting for the delivery.

A piercing alarm sounded, faintly mixed with loud roars of demonic beasts. Zhou Guangjian’s expression darkened. He took out a communication plate, shimmering with green light, and entered a spell formula into it. A panicked voice then sounded: “This is bad, Ancestor Guangjian! A beast tide! Two sixth-tier demonic beasts are leading it!”

“What’s going on? Out of nowhere, why is there a beast tide?” Zhou Guangjian asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know! It might be the Huang family!” the voice replied. “They’ve long wanted to annex us.”

“The Huang family!” Zhou Guangjian’s expression darkened. The Huang family and the Zhou family had been old rivals for many years, with constant private disputes, and the Zhou family had always suppressed the Huang family. In the battle to eliminate the Lizard Clan, the Zhou family suffered heavy losses. The Huang family, somehow, gained the support of the Cold Flame Sect, developed rapidly, and surpassed the Zhou family. The Zhou family’s in-laws and old acquaintances were wary of the Cold Flame Sect and dared not interfere. The Zhou family was no match for the Huang family and lost a lot of territory. Qingxia Valley was a major source of income for the Zhou family. If this market was seized by the Huang family, the Zhou family’s situation would become even more difficult.

Zhou Guangjian quickly flew out. A massive green light screen enveloped the entire valley. Alarms blared loudly, and numerous cultivators rushed out of their residences. Hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts were attacking the market. Leading them were a low-grade sixth-tier Lihuo Owl and a low-grade sixth-tier Ice Wind Lion. Various spells slammed onto the green light screen.

“Our in-laws, the Wang family, will arrive soon. Don’t panic,” Zhou Guangjian announced. “Cultivators who are not part of the Zhou family, return to your residences. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed without mercy.” To reassure everyone, Zhou Guangjian told a big lie.

“The Wang family? Which Wang family are you referring to, Fellow Daoist Zhou?” a thin-faced old man in a gray robe asked curiously.

“The Qinglian Wang family!” Zhou Guangjian’s voice, though not loud, spread throughout the market. “Our Zhou family has already allied with the Wang family through marriage; it just hasn’t been announced yet.”

“The Qinglian Wang family!” A hint of apprehension appeared in the gray-robed old man’s eyes. Without a word, he returned to his residence. Many Soul Transformation cultivators also returned to their residences one after another. Clearly, the reputation of the Qinglian Wang family still carried significant deterrent power. They dared not take the gamble; if the Zhou family had truly allied with the Wang family through marriage, killing their in-laws would lead to considerable trouble.

Zhou Guangjian breathed a sigh of relief. He directed his clan members to slay the demonic beasts while also sending for reinforcements. The market had a sixth-tier formation, so for a while, the demonic beasts couldn’t break through it.

Green vines emerged from the ground, striking at the demonic beasts. Low-tier demonic beasts were pulverized by the dense green vines. Dense spells bombarded the green vines, turning them to ash. Soon, however, large numbers of green vines re-emerged from the ground.

The sheer number of demonic beasts was overwhelming, and with sixth-tier demonic beasts leading them, the outer formation was quickly breached.

The sky suddenly darkened. A huge purple cloud appeared high above. After the purple cloud churned violently, large purple raindrops poured down. The purple raindrops fell on the demonic beasts, emitting wisps of green smoke. Low-tier demonic beasts instantly turned into puddles of blood, their spirits unable to escape.

A massive ship, shimmering with green light, appeared on the distant horizon. Its sail was embroidered with a pattern of a green lotus.

“The Qinglian Wang family! The Wang family has arrived!” The Zhou family cultivators were overjoyed. They all believed Zhou Guangjian’s words to be true, thinking the Wang family cultivators had come to support them.