「Half an hour later,」

Wu Yuanzhi personally saw the Shen Family party to the door.

At that moment, in an inconspicuous corner of the group, stood Shen Cunrui. He had been keeping his head down, quiet and unassuming. Seeing that everyone’s attention was focused on the conversation between Shen Zhongshan and Wu Yuanzhi and that no one was paying him any mind, he tugged on the sleeve of Shen Zhifei next to him and asked in a low voice.

"Brother Fei, why do you think Brother Rongguang had such a strong reaction when he mentioned Shen Changchuan? I don’t think they’ve ever met, have they?"

Shen Zhifei was taken aback by the sudden question from Shen Cunrui, the most introverted member of their group. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He glanced around before leaning closer to Shen Cunrui and whispering:

"It probably has something to do with his background and experiences."

"I heard Shen Rongguang has an older brother who was born just a short while before him. When they both started on the path of Immortal Cultivation, their branch of the family gave the majority of the Cultivation Resources to that older brother, while he had to go out and make his own way..."

"Perhaps because of that, the guy is obsessed with the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, the old and the young. Rumor has it that back home, he either beats or curses the family’s illegitimate sons and daughters..."

Shen Zhifei whispered.

A glint flashed in Shen Cunrui’s eyes, his thoughts unreadable.

...

The Shen Family party had departed completely.

Back where they had stood, Wu Yuanzhi’s expression gradually darkened, and his figure seemed to melt into the shadows.

"I never expected that kid Shen Changchuan to have such a powerful background. It’s a good thing we didn’t act rashly, or we’d be in deep trouble. The Patriarch truly has great foresight!"

A figure had appeared behind him at some point, bringing with him the faint scent of blood that now permeated the air.

"An illegitimate son of the Shen Clan Leader... If he were to die a violent death, even if he’s out of favor, I’m afraid our Wu Family would be turned upside down."

"What’s more, with that person watching us, if he found an excuse to use this against us, we’d be in trouble."

"It’s a good thing we held back."

The voice of the figure behind him was grave.

"That wasn’t foresight. It’s simply that the Wu Family has a 300-year legacy and a code of conduct. To be ungrateful and strike at a benefactor is something the Wu Family disdains."

"If that kid hadn’t stepped in, and something had happened to them, *you* would have been in trouble... Have those rebels been dealt with?"

Wu Yuanzhi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, not turning around.

He gazed at the somewhat gloomy sky above and spoke faintly.

"Not a single one was left alive!"

the man behind him replied coldly,

his voice laced with a steely, murderous intent.

One could almost see the ghosts of those who had just died tragically at his hands.

"But what about the little brat Shen Changchuan?"

"We can now be certain that one of the Elixirs fell into his hands. If he discovers something and exposes that secret, then even with a family disciple in the Yuqing Sect, I fear it won’t be enough to protect us."

The figure’s words were filled with a cold, killing intent.

"It’s just one Elixir. What can it possibly prove?"

"The kid got lucky and benefited from it. We can just invite him over later and give him a little warning. After getting something so precious, I doubt he’d dare spread the word."

Wu Yuanzhi shook his head, his voice low and his gaze inscrutable.

"Twenty years ago, in order to get Hao’Er into the Yuqing Sect, some information was leaked. *That* is the real trouble!"

"Some people are already getting restless."

"Right now, the most important thing for us is to get through this crisis."

"As for Shen Changchuan, let’s just leave him be for now. With his meager strength, it will be a long time before he could possibly pose a threat to us... For now, we must focus all our efforts on surviving this ordeal."

"Otherwise, our only choice will be to hand that opportunity over to the Yuqing Sect to protect ourselves, and to allow Hao’Er to qualify for promotion to the Inner Sect..."

Hearing this, the figure behind him looked somewhat disappointed.

In his opinion,

only the dead can keep all secrets and eliminate all future troubles.

But the boy’s background was not ordinary.

He might be insignificant when it didn’t matter,

but when it could matter, he would become a terrifyingly sharp blade pointed at the Wu Family...

’Forget it.

Since the Patriarch has decided,

then this is how it must be.’

...

「Three days passed in a flash.」

Inside the Cultivation Secret Chamber, Shen Changchuan was oblivious to the events unfolding outside.

His eyes were tightly shut as he focused on circulating the Xiangshan Qi Absorption Technique, performing a full Circulation to regulate the immense Magical Power that had surged within his body.

After a long while,

Shen Changchuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the White Jade Meditation Mat, opened his eyes.

A flash of light, sharp as a blade, shot from them, seeming to illuminate the entire Cultivation Secret Chamber for an instant.

PHEW!

Shen Changchuan let out a long breath.

Feeling the abundant and vigorous Magical Power within him, his face was filled with unconcealable joy.

’I’m at the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer!’

That’s right.

A single Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill had caused his Cultivation to soar by a full Realm, taking him straight to the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Realm!

Moreover,

Shen Changchuan could feel that this sudden one-Realm leap in his Cultivation had not only come with no negative side effects, but had also laid an incredibly strong foundation for his future potential!

"As expected of a precious Elixir comparable in value to a Soul Emergence Pill! To think it could achieve such an effect!"

Feeling the powerful Magical Power surging through his meridians, Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but reveal a look of irrepressible delight.

The Cultivation breakthrough brought about by the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill...

...was completely different from those other pills that could forcibly raise one’s Cultivation Realm but left behind endless negative consequences.

Cyan Essence Water Grass, the main ingredient of the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill,

possessed the inherent ability to improve the user’s Cultivation Talent and strengthen their Divine Soul.

And after being refined into an Elixir, with the help of various supplementary Spirit Medicines, this effect was enhanced even further.

Thus, after taking the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill, Shen Changchuan could feel his Dantian Meridians rapidly expanding under the nourishment of the Medicinal Power. At the same time, they were tempered and made far more resilient, and his Divine Soul experienced a corresponding, visible growth.

During this process,

the vast Medicinal Power was converted through Refinement into Magical Power, filling his now tougher and wider Dantian Meridians.

His Cultivation Realm also rose naturally as a result,

flowing smoothly into the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Realm like water carving a channel.

This process was different from that of Demonic Elixirs, which caused one’s Cultivation to skyrocket in a short time but left behind endless future problems.

The latter simply caused a violent eruption of power, increasing the amount of Magical Power in the body to break through Realms in a short period.

But the consequence was torn Dantian Meridians; once the Medicinal Power faded, one would be unable to advance even a single step in the future!

They were two completely different paths.

’My talent should be considered top-tier now, right?’

Feeling that the Magical Power in his body had increased by four or five times, Shen Changchuan was extremely satisfied.

This time,

not only had his Cultivation Realm risen to the Sixth Layer without any side effects,

but his talent had also improved along with it.

Shen Changchuan could feel it.

With his current talent and the strength of his Divine Soul, he feared that even the bottleneck to the Sixth Layer Peak wouldn’t be able to hold him back for long!

Completely satisfied, Shen Changchuan continued to regulate his breathing for another day,

using his Perfected Breath Concealment Technique to suppress his Cultivation back down to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer Realm.

Afterward, he walked out of the Cultivation Secret Chamber in high spirits.

At that moment,

he also saw the message Guo Cheng had left for him outside.

The Spirit Grain had all been sold, at a price of nine and a half jin for one Spirit Stone.

Excellent.

It was one good thing after another.

Shen Changchuan’s mood improved even more.

However, a sliver of doubt also rose in his heart.

Because at the end of the message,

Guo Cheng said that the traveling merchant Shopkeeper who had bought his Spirit Grain wanted to meet him, Shen Changchuan, and had asked Guo Cheng and the others to make an introduction.

He was therefore asking for permission.

’A traveling merchant Shopkeeper?’

’What could he possibly want to see me for?’