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Yun Long knew in his heart that this kind of "borrowed" wealth was ultimately not a long-term solution.

He kept his limits in check and, after accumulating enough resources to settle down, quietly stopped his activities.

At night, he no longer went out.

The journey was exhausting, and during the day, most of the group traveled in silence.

Yun Long often took advantage of rest breaks to pull out a yellowed, ancient booklet from his bosom.

It was a cultivation technique obtained from a hidden compartment in that mansion in Dongyun City.

He focused intently on reading, his brow sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing.

This Qi Refining Stage technique, the Qingxuan Gengjin Qi, answered many of his doubts.

Cultivating this technique required the spiritual root to include the metal attribute; the purer the attribute, the more refined the "Qingxuan Gengjin Qi" produced.

The stronger the spiritual root, the faster the cultivation speed, and most importantly, the stronger the root, the higher the quality of the Qingxuan Gengjin Qi produced, reaching at most the pinnacle of lower grade, three inches in length.

Yun Long began to understand.

The quality of the spiritual root was related to the quality of the Qi Refining produced. The higher the spiritual root quality, regardless of other limiting conditions, the higher the quality of the Qi Refining.

That so-called "three inches in length" was a manifestation of Qi Refining quality.

The Vajra Primordial Qi he cultivated was seven inches long. In Elder Mu's words, that was Mid-Grade Qi Refining.

"It can't be that simple. Elder Mu didn't know the true length of my Qi Refining," Yun Long muttered to himself.

Elder Mu had only guessed based on the power he displayed!

The family's foundational knowledge of the Cultivation World was severely lacking. He had to find ways to supplement it as quickly as possible.

Although the inheritance obtained from the family genealogy was complete, it lacked the most basic common sense.

Li Lingyue had Water, Wood, and Earth attributes. Shi Chen had Gold and Water dual attributes.

Shi Chen at least had the Gold attribute. This technique could be used by Shi Chen, but Yun Long didn't plan to give it to him.

The two Shi family members could be cultivated as trusted aides. For Shi Chen, a mid-grade spiritual root, to cultivate the lower-grade Qingxuan Gengjin Qi would be a terrible waste.

After several more bumpy days of travel by carriage and horse.

At dusk one day, the group stopped to rest at a relay station.

Yun Ji looked at the slightly weary group, especially Shi Chen's sleepy little face, and spoke up: "Long'er, we can't keep drifting like this forever."

Li Pinghu also nodded in agreement: "Yes, we need to find a place to settle down. The children need a stable environment."

Shi Tie held Shi Chen, his eyes full of anticipation.

Yun Long's gaze swept over the group. The borrowed money was enough. He hadn't caused any trouble in the recent cities, so no one should suspect them.

Yun Long said in a deep voice: "Father, Uncle Li, Uncle Shi, you're right. We should find a place to settle."

He spread out a simple map, a partial map of the Great Xia Dynasty's counties and prefectures he had bought from a traveling merchant. He had been prepared.

"The Great Xia Dynasty is vast and rich. Let's move a bit further inland and find a place with beautiful mountains and rivers that's relatively peaceful."

Everyone gathered around to look.

Li Lingyue pointed to a spot on the map: "Brother Long, look here, Sanshui County. There's Wanfang Lake nearby, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. It seems nice."

Yun Long looked carefully and nodded: "Sanshui County, Wanfang Lake... The name alone sounds like a good place."

He looked at Yun Ji: "Father, what do you think?"

Yun Ji pondered for a moment: "Let's go check it out. It's close by, so it won't be a hassle. If it really is a good place, we'll settle there."

After another day of travel, the group finally arrived at Sanshui County in the heart of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Wanfang Lake lived up to its reputation. The lake was vast, its blue waves rippling. The surrounding mountains undulated, lush with vegetation.

After some inquiries and careful selection, Yun Long spent a large sum of money—from Dongyun City and subsequent "borrowing"—to buy a secluded small valley beside Wanfang Lake.

The valley wasn't large. The rear mountain was thick with trees, a stream ran through it, and the soil was fairly fertile.

Along with the valley, he also purchased a stretch of forest behind it and a large area of fertile fields outside the valley.

From then on, they had their own foundation within the Great Xia Dynasty.

The life-and-death crisis deep in the Jingyang Mountain Range, and the dusty, bumpy escape along the way, had tempered Yun Long like fire refining steel, burning away all his remaining immaturity.

His steady gaze swept over the tired yet hopeful faces of the group. A heavy sense of responsibility pressed down on his heart, but it also ignited an unprecedented strength within him.

He had already taken on the bearing of a family head.

Yun Ji silently observed all of this, feeling both gratified and a faint trace of loss.

The child who once needed his shelter from the wind and rain could now stand on his own, holding up a piece of the sky.

Yun Ji quietly stepped back, ceding the right to speak entirely to his son. He chose to trust, chose to let go.

Unless Yun Long made a major mistake that could topple the family, he would not easily interfere.

As it turned out, Yun Ji's worries were completely unfounded.

Yun Long was meticulous in thought and thorough in action, every step he took exceptionally steady.

Looking at the lush, vibrant valley before him, Yun Long took a deep breath of the fresh air tinged with the scent of soil, and a surge of ambition swelled within his heart.

After a moment's deliberation, he announced solemnly, "This valley shall be named 'Evergreen.' May our Yun family take root here and flourish through all seasons."

Evergreen Valley!

From this day forth, the struggling little hunter's family on the edge of the Jingyang Mountain Range would be no more.

In its place would stand a newly risen, well-established household on the shores of Wanfang Lake within the Great Xia Dynasty—one that had already set one foot across the threshold of the Cultivation World: the Yun family of Evergreen Valley!

With a new home just established, a thousand things awaited attention.

Yun Long assigned tasks with clear logic, his voice not loud but carrying an unyielding authority.

"Father, there are many fertile fields outside the valley. I'll need you to find some reliable tenant farmers nearby and get the land planted as soon as possible."

Yun Ji nodded in agreement, gazing at his son's steady profile, his eyes brimming with pride.

"Uncle Shi, Uncle Li, I'll leave the construction of the dwellings within the valley to the two of you. You have plenty of experience—make sure they're sturdy and comfortable."

Shi Tie and Li Pinghu exchanged a glance and answered in unison, brimming with energy. They understood deeply that this was not just about building houses, but about forging the hope of the future.

As for Yun Long himself, he shouldered the most critical and perilous task.

He had to quickly map out the distribution of cultivation forces around Wanfang Lake, and more importantly, find a way to obtain common knowledge texts from the Cultivation World to fill the enormous gap in his family's heritage.

Throughout this process, he had to tread as if on thin ice, completely concealing his cultivation level and origins.

In this unfamiliar territory, even the slightest oversight could invite utter disaster.

He could not let the flame of hope, just kindled, be extinguished in an instant.

Wanfang Lake stretched vast and boundless, its name claiming ten thousand square li, but in truth, its azure waves covered far more.

The Great Xia Dynasty was already known for its fierce and martial populace, and the Wanfang Lake region was even more steeped in martial traditions.

Countless martial arts families held sway here. Even ordinary farming households, if they lacked a single Body Tempering Realm martial artist to stand guard, would seem inferior among their neighbors and lack confidence in their words.

Yun Long was well aware of the complexity of this place and dared not be careless in the slightest.

He returned to his room and carefully disguised himself.

In the mirror, his originally refined features gradually became ordinary, even taking on a weathered look.

He changed into a set of silk robes of fine material but inconspicuous design, adjusting his gait and gaze to appear like a traveling merchant—one with some modest wealth but cautious and unassuming.

Finally, he formed a hand seal with his fingertips, and a faint, nearly imperceptible glimmer of spiritual light sank into his body.

It was a minor Breath Concealment Technique, meant to minimize his presence and avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

Preparations complete, Yun Long quietly left Evergreen Valley and set out toward the largest city on the eastern shore of Wanfang Lake—Donghu City.