The Ban

Some time later.

Main Peak, Discussion Hall.

As the Qi Family's Spirit Land, Red Maple Valley had a Tier 1 High-grade Ling Mai beneath it.

However, only a portion of Main Peak possessed a Spiritual Qi Concentration at the Tier 1 High-grade level. That was also where the Qi Family Ancestor cultivated in seclusion.

The other peaks ranged from Tier 1 Mid-grade to low-grade according to their Spiritual Qi Concentration. Even the secluded cultivation grounds of certain Elders reached, at most, Tier 1 Mid-grade.

Several halls and pavilions had been established atop Main Peak to handle the Cultivation Family's numerous complicated affairs, and the Discussion Hall was the most important of them all.

After all, every major decision concerning the family's future was made in the Discussion Hall.

At this moment, a massive and exquisite landscape mural stretched across the spacious, brightly lit Discussion Hall. It depicted the full panorama of Red Maple Valley.

Beneath the mural, Red Maple Spirit Wood Chairs stood in a row. Seated in the middle was an aged Cultivator, his eyes half-closed and his brows drawn tightly together, as though some vexing matter weighed on his mind.

This Old Cultivator appeared utterly unremarkable, yet a powerful Mana Fluctuation was concealed within his body. He was Qi Wuyou, the Qi Family's sole Foundation Establishment Ancestor.

The figures seated on either side of Qi Wuyou were the Qi Family's Elders. All of them possessed Late Qi Refining Stage cultivation bases and were advanced in years; only two or three looked middle-aged.

Rows upon rows of seats had been arranged within the Great Hall, with some distance between each seat.

At this time, all of the Qi Family's Xiu Xian practitioners, apart from those handling matters outside, had gathered here—some seventy or eighty people in total—seated according to their strength.

Qi Chuan and Qi Baicang, one at Qi Refining First Layer and the other at Qi Refining Third Layer, naturally sat in the last row and near the rear respectively.

Qi Chuan glanced around his last row and found that none of the Immortal Seedlings who had tested their spiritual roots on the same day as him had come.

Those Immortal Seedlings who have not broken through to Qi Refining First Layer probably have not truly been regarded as members of the Main Vein, so they cannot participate in family deliberations.

Qi Chuan guessed inwardly.

He then looked ahead and found that there were not many Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators seated near the front either—only around twenty.

As for the Late Qi Refining Stage Elders above, there were fewer than ten.

Among them, Qi Chuan also saw the Transmission Elder from that day.

Seeing the Transmission Elder reminded Qi Chuan of the Red-clothed Girl in the Hall of Bestowing Merit that day. He swept his gaze lightly across the Great Hall and spotted that Red-clothed Figure.

This person should be the Transmission Elder's Junior? Qi Chuan guessed inwardly, withdrawing his gaze after only a glance.

When Qi Chuan looked forward again, Qi Wuyou, the Qi Family Patriarch at the head of the Great Hall, had already opened his eyes. His gaze swept around the hall before he spoke.

"Everyone, get to the point. I have summoned you here because a Secret Realm has appeared two hundred miles southwest of Red Maple Valley!"

A Secret Realm?

The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the Great Hall had their expressions change slightly.

Some had excitement and yearning in their eyes, while others grew tense and worried.

Although a Secret Realm might contain opportunities that could allow someone to rise to prominence, it would also bring danger.

Even if one did not take the initiative to enter the Secret Realm, trouble might still come knocking.

After all, two hundred miles was not far.

Whenever a Secret Realm appeared, the surrounding region would often descend into turmoil.

"However, that Secret Realm has nothing to do with our Qi Family now. It has already been sealed off by the Wind Moon Sect, and everything within fifty miles of it has been designated a Forbidden Zone. Members of all Cultivation Families and Rogue Cultivators are forbidden from entering. Once discovered, they will be killed without mercy!"

Qi Wuyou's voice was stern.

"The Wind Moon Sect is truly overbearing!"

Hearing this, Qi Chuan was secretly startled as well.

Even if a Secret Realm had appeared, he would never have gone with his current meager cultivation base. Still, the Wind Moon Sect's decision to designate the entire area within fifty miles as a Forbidden Zone was incomparably tyrannical.

Yet the Wind Moon Sect did indeed possess such strength.

Qi Chuan guessed that for a Secret Realm to draw such grave attention from the Wind Moon Sect and make them mobilize with such fanfare, it likely contained an opportunity at least at the Core Formation level or above.

A Foundation Establishment opportunity, at any rate, could never have drawn such attention from the Wind Moon Sect.

"...Therefore, after discussing the matter with the Elders, I have decided that from this moment onward, we will withdraw our forces. No family member may leave without permission. Violators will be dealt with according to the clan rules. Anyone who must leave must report it, obtain approval, and have it recorded before departing."

Qi Wuyou announced with a solemn expression.

He did this to prevent Clan Members from going out and causing trouble. Since this matter involved the Wind Moon Sect, it was a matter as grave as the sky itself and could not be underestimated. Once a misunderstanding arose, the entire family might suffer disaster.

As for that Secret Realm, since the Wind Moon Sect had intervened, then no matter what astonishing Peerless resources it contained, they were not something the Qi Family could lay claim to.

Everyone in the Great Hall remained utterly silent. No one objected, for this was the decision of the Patriarch and the Elders.

Afterward, Qi Wuyou said a few more words before the Elders supplemented the details, especially the Transmission Elder, who spoke the most.

The entire discussion lasted about half an hour.

Throughout the process, even those Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivators, known as the family's pillars, had absolutely no right to speak.

The situation is becoming turbulent. It seems I can only lie low obediently within the family for the time being, though I did not intend to go out anytime soon anyway.

Qi Chuan thought to himself.

Even if he stayed honestly within the family, his strength would not improve slowly with the Hundredfold Critical Hit.

And even without this incident, with his Qi Refining First Layer strength, what could he possibly do outside?

Once the discussion ended, the Cultivators dispersed, each returning to their own peaks.

"A Chuan, it seems that the two of us can only stay on our own peak for a while. But that is a good thing too. At least we can do fewer, or even no, Family missions."

After returning to their Independent Peak, Qi Baicang sighed to Qi Chuan.

Qi Chuan also knew that once one entered Qi Refining First Layer and truly became a Main Vein cultivator, one had to undertake Family missions—at least two each year. Sometimes missions would even be forcibly assigned. Whether accepted voluntarily or assigned, completing a mission would earn Spirit Stones or Contribution Points.

But now that the Secret Realm matter had arisen, the family likely would not forcibly require cultivators to go out on missions.

At most, there would be some tasks that could be completed within the family. Yet there were not that many such Intra-family missions, and under these circumstances, there would not be enough to go around.

It seemed that for the time being, he truly could cultivate in peace without anything coming to disturb him.

Back in his room, Qi Chuan sat cross-legged on his bed.

The appearance of the Secret Realm had faintly given him a Sense of crisis. His current Qi Refining First Layer strength was still somewhat lacking; he needed to improve it.

Qi Chuan closed his Eyes and directly began circulating the Evergreen Art.

As a strand of mana emerged from his Dantian and slowly flowed along a specific route through his Meridians, a faint attractive force also spread from within his body.

Affected by that force, the empty air around him rippled slightly. Specks of exceedingly subtle Spiritual Qi emerged, then entered his body through his mouth and nose and the Body surface acupoints.

As these minute traces of Spiritual Qi entered his body and flowed through his Meridians, their state gradually changed. In the end, they gathered within his Dantian, transformed into threads of mana, and settled there, merging with his existing mana.

The entire process was rather slow, but it was steady.

After circulating the Evergreen Art through one Great Heavenly Cycle, all of his mana returned to his Dantian.

Qi Chuan opened his eyes and saw a line of text appear in his field of vision.

You cultivated diligently and circulated the Evergreen Art through one Great Heavenly Cycle, triggering a Twentyfold Critical Hit and gaining twenty times the harvest. Your mana has increased slightly.