Xiao Yan? A Spirit Transmutation Remnant Soul?

Zhang Xuanchen had walked more than ten li and encountered only two clansmen.

Xuanxiao Mountain was simply too vast, while the Zhang Clan had only a little over three hundred members.

And half of them had been dispatched to guard and develop the Lineage's other spirit vein territories.

Some were also part of Monster Hunting Teams, responsible for clearing yao beasts and spirits from between the various spirit veins.

Others entered mountains and seas in search of spirit herbs and unexplored resources.

Monster Hunting Teams were an old Lineage tradition. Before Zhang Xuanchen had been born, the Zhang Clan had relied almost entirely on this to earn resources.

[Immortal Fate Information (Lower Grade A): Three days later, at the hour of the Dragon, Xiao Yan, the Xiao Family Young Master of the affiliated Qi Refining Family, will suffer the humiliation of having his engagement annulled by Liu Ruyan, daughter of the Liu Family Patriarch, a newly risen Foundation Establishment Lineage.

Note: Within the Soul Ring on Xiao Yan's middle finger resides the remnant soul of a Spirit Transmutation Realm expert. It has already recognized him as its master. Offering assistance may earn the favor of Xiao Yan, wielder of the Flame Spirit Body (not yet awakened), and that Spirit Transmutation Great Power.

Additionally, the formula for the First-grade Top-tier spirit liquid, Crimson Stamen Spirit Liquid.]

Hearing this news, Zhang Xuanchen suddenly stopped, disbelief written across his face.

Holy crap!

A Spirit Transmutation Great Power!

I'm actually coming into contact with a legendary Spirit Transmutation Great Power this quickly?

That's badass beyond belief!

As far as he knew, not a single Spirit Transmutation Great Power had ever appeared on the entire South Sea Immortal Continent. The strongest figures today were the Supreme Elders of the Feathered Immortal Sect and Purple Firmament Sword Sect, both Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivators whose strength was unfathomable.

Yet within Zhang Clan territory, there was actually the remnant soul of a Spirit Transmutation expert!

Thinking of that classic engagement-annulment plot, Zhang Xuanchen's heart jolted.

"Holy crap! Could this guy be some Child of Fortune?

Never mind. Since I've run into him, I'll form a good bond with him.

The Immortal Fate Information said I could gain both their favor, which means they aren't the sort to repay kindness with enmity."

As for seizing the Soul Ring, Zhang Xuanchen had considered it, but quickly dismissed the thought.

That Soul Ring had already recognized a master, and it contained the remnant soul of a Spirit Transmutation Great Power. Was that something a tiny Golden Core Lineage could handle?

If he formed a deadly feud and lacked the ability to pull up the roots and eradicate the weeds, the consequences would be severe.

It was better to be steady and cautious.

One could seize opportunities only after ensuring one's own safety. If he could not even keep his life, what the hell was there to seize?

After calming himself, he arrived at the Spirit Beast Garden.

"Seventh Brother, why are you here?"

A boy of around ten, sturdy and bright-eyed, was leading a green ox taller than himself.

Seeing Zhang Xuanchen arrive, he asked in delight.

Zhang Xuanlong, ten years old, possessed Four Spiritual Roots and had officially graduated from the academy this year.

His dream was to become a great Beast Tamer.

Whenever he had time, he ran to the Spirit Beast Garden to care for the spirit beasts here. He loved the feeling of being around them.

The yao beasts in the Spirit Beast Garden had been tamed from a young age and frequently interacted with Zhang Clan members, so they would not suddenly turn violent and injure people. Thus, they had come to be called spirit beasts rather than yao beasts.

Looking at the youth, Zhang Xuanchen smiled and rubbed his head. "I came to see Thirteenth Grandfather about something. But you, Little Dragon—you're nearly at Qi Refining Second Layer after just a few months apart.

"Now that you no longer need to attend the academy, settle down and cultivate. Don't be greedy for play. Strive to reach Qi Refining Fourth Layer before you turn fifteen."

It was not that Zhang Xuanchen's standards were low.

It was simply that Five-element Spiritual Roots and Four Spiritual Roots truly cultivated very slowly. Without diligent cultivation, reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer by fifteen would be difficult—let alone by eighteen.

Most cultivators in the cultivation world possessed one of those two kinds of Spiritual Roots.

As for Triple Spirit Roots, even Golden Core Families did not have many.

Not all nineteen Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhang Family possessed Triple Spirit Roots. Four of them had Four Spiritual Roots, and all were stuck at Foundation Establishment Early Stage, with advancing to Golden Core utterly impossible.

Dual Spirit Roots, also known as Earth Spiritual Roots, would be nurtured as Golden Core seeds by Golden Core forces so long as they were not dual roots with mutually opposing attributes, such as water and fire.

Single Attribute Spiritual Roots—or mutant Spiritual Roots—were exceedingly rare. Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation forces would fight until their heads were bloodied to obtain one.

That was why the Zhang Family concealed Zhang Xuanbing's Spiritual Root aptitude.

If her Single Attribute Ice Spiritual Root were exposed, the Zhang Clan would certainly be unable to protect her, and it might even bring disaster upon the Lineage.

Those Nascent Soul forces would not just stand by and watch them rise to power.

The two Earth Spiritual Roots were somewhat exaggerated as well, but with an Ancestor at Golden Core Mid Stage overseeing them and the Third-grade Top-tier Xuanxiao Sky Burning Sword Array guarding them, they could still be protected.

Moreover, when the founding Ancestor passed away, he had left behind quite a few Third-tier Killing Spirit Talismans, enough to intimidate petty villains.

Hearing Zhang Xuanchen's instructions, Zhang Xuanlong nodded heavily. "Don't worry, Seventh Brother. I'll definitely cultivate properly."

"Mm."

Looking over the hundreds of Black Horn Green Oxen spread across the hills and plains, Zhang Xuanchen patted Zhang Xuanlong's shoulder and encouraged him. "Remember to make them exercise more. The meat of First-grade Low-tier Black Horn Green Oxen that love exercise is the most delicious.

"There are plenty of people who love beef. When the time comes, we can sell it for quite a few spirit stones.

"Work hard. Once you reach Qi Refining Middle Stage, Seventh Brother will find you a yao beast egg or cub with the potential to break through to Foundation Establishment."

At those words, Zhang Xuanlong was overjoyed. He patted his chest and promised, "Xuanlong definitely won't let Seventh Brother down!"

"Hahaha, I'll wait and see."

With that, Zhang Xuanchen continued deeper into the Spirit Beast Garden.

By Moon Gazing Lake, a burly, towering middle-aged man in black robes, his temples streaked with gray, continuously scattered fish feed pellets refined from low-grade spirit herbs into the lake.

A majestic white giant tiger with golden markings, roughly three meters long, was dozing beneath a large tree nearby.

Sensing someone's arrival, it raised its tiger head, its gleaming golden eyes sweeping over.

Upon seeing Zhang Xuanchen, it tilted its head and ignored him, continuing to sleep.

When the middle-aged man saw Zhang Xuanchen, he teased loudly, "Oh? What wind blew you, such a busy man, all the way here?

"Why aren't you cultivating in seclusion and breaking through to Late Qi Refining? What are you doing here?

"Are you waiting for your father to invite your mother over before you'll cultivate properly?"

The Xuanxiao Zhang Clan passed down its generations through the characters Zhong, Chong, Zu, Zong, Guang;

Hong, Xuan, De, Xiu, Shen...

The middle-aged man was named Zhang Guangli, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator. He was thirteenth among the Guang Generation and the Fifth Elder.

The Golden Light Tiger nearby was his Natal Spirit Beast, at Second-tier Late Stage.

Besides it, he had once possessed two Second-tier Early Stage yao beasts, but they had been slain twenty years ago in battle against Evil Cultivators.

Hearing Zhang Guangli's words, Zhang Xuanchen did not waste breath. His Late Qi Refining aura abruptly erupted.

Though his Breath Concealment Technique had not reached perfection, he had cultivated it to the major mastery realm.

Only a cultivator one major realm above him—that was, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator—could see through his true cultivation.

Spell proficiency was divided into the realms of entry, minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection.

Secret techniques such as the Breath Concealment Technique were no different.

After sensing Zhang Xuanchen's cultivation, Zhang Guangli was slightly surprised, though it was within his expectations.

He pressured him, saying, "Don't get arrogant. Keep working hard. With your talent, at your age, you should at least be at Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

"Yet you've only just barely reached Qi Refining Level 7. You're still far behind."

Zhang Xuanchen hurriedly changed the subject. "Alright, alright, I understand. I'll definitely cultivate diligently from now on, so please stop lecturing me.

"Today, I brought a treasure that you'll definitely be interested in."

He had just pressured Little Dragon, only to be pressured himself in the blink of an eye.

It truly proved that Heaven's Retribution turned like a wheel—whom had the heavens ever spared?

"Oh? What treasure could a brat like you possibly have?"

As a Zhang Clan elder, he had seen quite a few third-grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

He simply did not believe a little Qi Refining brat could produce anything that would move him.

Zhang Xuanchen did not waste words either and took out that egg.

He chuckled. "This."

Zhang Guangli glanced at it. Seeing that it was merely an egg, he smiled and said carelessly:

"You brat, you misjudged it. Isn't this just an ordinary egg... Wait!"