Five-Colored Spirit Fruit, Xiao Clan

Hearing this, surprise appeared on Zhang Xuanbing's face as well.

Clearly, Zhang Hongzhan had not yet shown him the contents of the letter.

Seeing the surprise on their faces, Zhang Hongzhan drained the spirit tea on the white jade table in one gulp.

He said leisurely, "Those old foxes of the Su Family aren't fools. The Su Clan Old Ancestor has only twenty years of life left; his final days are drawing near.

"The Golden Core Pill now shows a faint glimmer of hope, but the Su Family's two Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators are both rather advanced in years, and both possess Triple Spirit Roots. Even with the Golden Core Pill's help, their chance of breaking through is less than thirty percent.

"The hope is slim.

"If they did not conceal Su Muyan's Dual Spirit Root talent and the people of the Bihai Immortal Sect assassinated her, could the Su Clan Old Ancestor really go to Xuanling Mountain to seek revenge?

"Once he dies, the Su Family will not even have twenty years left."

At this point, Zhang Hongzhan paused. Looking at the three people deep in thought, he continued:

"The matter of marrying Su Muyan to Xuanbing was proposed by the Su Family's Clan Leader. This was also their second line of preparation.

"They knew of Su Muyan's feelings for Xuanbing, so they simply went with the flow and married her to him. Their request was reasonable enough: if no Golden Core cultivator emerged from the Su Family within twenty years, we would lend a hand in protecting their younger descendants.

"To leave the Su Family with a bloodline.

"I had originally intended to speak to Xuanbing about this, but I did not expect him to bring it up first.

"I asked him which family's daughter he had taken a fancy to, but this brat said he would listen to his Little Brother.

"For a time, I could not make up my mind, so I called you over."

After listening to his father, Zhang Xuanchen nodded. The Su Family truly stood at the brink of life and death.

Their younger generation was failing to carry on, and their sole Dual Spirit Root genius was still too young, only twenty-two this year.

Breaking through to the Golden Core Realm within twenty years was clearly impossible. After all, the Foundation Establishment Realm was not nearly as easy to break through as the Qi Refining Realm.

"If that's the case, then marry her. The Bihai Immortal Sect may be powerful, but with Ancestor and Big Brother here, why should we avoid their edge?"

Seeing how thoughtfully his Little Brother was considering him, Zhang Xuanbing was deeply moved.

The Zhang Family's future now brimmed with promise. Ancestor was in the prime of life and might yet climb a hundred-foot pole and advance another step.

Among the younger generation, there were Zhang Xuanbing and Zhang Xuanchen, two "Dual Spirit Root" geniuses, ensuring that the inheritance would never be cut off.

Paying some price to let him marry Fairy Qin of the Xuandan Sect would not be much of a problem.

After all, the Xuandan Sect was a grand alchemy sect famed for refining pills.

It even had two alchemy grandmasters capable of refining Third-grade Top-tier Golden Core Pills.

Fairy Qin Chuxue was the disciple of one of them. If he married her, the Lineage's chances of obtaining Golden Core Pills in the future would greatly increase.

Yet his father and Little Brother had not forced him for the sake of his feelings.

He immediately bowed to his father and Zhang Guangli.

"Xuanbing will surely not disappoint the Lineage's expectations. I will sweep away every enemy and protect the peace of the Zhang Clan!"

His voice was resolute, each word striking the ground like iron!

Zhang Hongzhan hurried forward to help his eldest son up. "Xuanbing, your father believes in you, and the Zhang Clan believes in you as well. Cultivate well. Tomorrow, I will go with several elders to the Su Family and settle your marriage.

"Strive to give me a grandson or granddaughter soon, hahaha."

Zhang Guangli nodded. "That is only right! Xiao Chen will be next soon enough. After all, it was you who proposed the plan to encourage childbirth."

Zhang Xuanchen pointed at his own nose, his face full of question marks.

"Me? I'm only fifteen. I'm still young. I'm not considering that for now."

Does anyone understand this? He was being urged to marry at fifteen.

Was this really the cultivation world?

Zhang Xuanbing patted his Little Brother's shoulder and said earnestly, "Your brother has already paved the road for you. It is indeed still early. It will not be too late for you to marry when you are twenty."

"Marriage still depends on fate. It cannot be forced."

After saying that, Zhang Xuanchen picked up the spirit tea on the table and drank it in one mouthful, immediately feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

Changing the subject, he said, "As expected of Second-grade Low-tier Spirit Calming Tea—it truly is extraordinary. I feel frighteningly strong right now. This is the rhythm of the Sword Qi Technique breaking through to major mastery!

"I'll be going first!"

Before his words had even faded, his body had already appeared outside the Small Courtyard.

Once the matter with the Xiao Clan was settled in three days, he would head to Fire Maple Mountain's First-grade Top-tier spirit vein to stand guard for three years.

Every Zhang Family disciple had to guard a family spirit vein for three years upon reaching eighteen years of age or Late Qi Refining.

No one could receive special treatment.

Watching Zhang Xuanchen's departing back, Zhang Hongzhan laughed and cursed, "That brat is so rash and careless."

Zhang Guangli said noncommittally:

"But it was precisely this rash and careless youth who brought earth-shaking changes to the Zhang Family over these years, wasn't it?

"Clan Leader, you're so good at having children. Why not have another with Wanqing?

"What if you produce another Dual Spirit Root, or even a Heavenly Spirit Root? Then you'll truly strike it rich!"

Hearing this, Zhang Hongzhan's face went blank with speechlessness. "Thirteenth Uncle, stop joking. That is simply impossible."

"How is it impossible? If they had not verified it with their own eyes, who would believe that you and Lin Wanqing could consecutively give birth to two geniuses, Xuanbing and Xuanchen?"

Zhang Xuanbing also turned his gaze toward his father.

Logically speaking, even the offspring of two Heavenly Spirit Root cultivators might not possess Spiritual Roots.

Yet his parents both had Triple Spirit Roots, and they had given birth to one Heavenly Spirit Root genius and one Dual Spirit Root genius. It was indeed astonishing.

Zhang Hongzhan thought for a moment, activated the soundproof formation around the courtyard, and said, "Actually, I was puzzled as well. After testing Xiao Chen's Spiritual Root, I asked Wanqing about it..."

After hearing his account, Zhang Guangli and Zhang Xuanbing finally understood.

It turned out that Lin Wanqing's master had been a Late Qi Refining Rogue Cultivator. After her master was killed for treasure, she was pursued by the bandits.

While fleeing into the Azure Nether Mountain Range, she fell into a lake beneath a cliff. Gravely injured and on the verge of death, she saw an unknown spirit fruit radiating five-colored light.

Without a second thought, she swallowed it whole.

In only a few days, all her injuries completely healed, and her cultivation speed also increased greatly.

After escaping the Azure Nether Mountain Range, she returned to the Penglai Islands.

Later, through a twist of fate, she and Zhang Hongzhan, who had gone out to gain experience, developed feelings for each other, and she married into the Zhang Family.

"I also asked Ancestor, but even he did not know what fruit Wanqing had eaten. After that, the matter was left unresolved. In any case, it was a good thing."

Zhang Guangli nodded. "There are countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in the cultivation world. It is perfectly normal not to recognize one. As long as it benefits the Zhang Family, that is enough.

"Right, I came today with good news. It is this egg that Xiao Chen gave me today.

"After observing and sensing it, I found that the demonic beast inside this egg has the potential to advance to the Golden Core Realm!

"I have no idea where Xiao Chen got it.

"But I did not ask. After all, everyone has their own secrets."

Zhang Guangli suspended the egg in the air and displayed it to the two of them.

Since none of them knew what the Five-Colored Spirit Fruit was, there was nothing more to pursue.

"What? It has the potential to advance to the Golden Core Realm!"

Zhang Hongzhan looked toward Zhang Xuanbing, his meaning obvious: he wanted him to see whether it was the egg Zhang Xuanchen had brought back from Qingniu Town three days ago.

Though it had changed greatly, Zhang Xuanbing recognized at a glance that this egg was that chicken egg!

He believed his senses could not possibly be wrong!

Seeing Zhang Xuanbing nod.

Zhang Hongzhan: Hiss!

Zhang Guangli: ??

Three days later, at the hour of the dragon.

Profound Heaven Villa.

"Go!"

Zhang Xuanchen's gaze sharpened. With a flick of the First-grade Top-tier artifact, the Clear Wind Sword, in his hand, he pointed it toward the wooden dummy in the garden.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Seven pale green strands of Sword Qi shot forth in an instant.

The wooden dummy made from First-grade Top-tier Ironclad Wood was instantly sliced into fragments, which scattered across the ground.

"The Sword Qi Technique has reached major mastery!

"Its power rivals that of a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, though it still falls a little short of the tenth layer. Not bad.

"Now it is time to go to the Xiao Clan."

With that thought, Zhang Xuanchen sent Zhang Xuanbing a voice transmission, telling him to follow secretly and act only if necessary.

He then used the Sword Control Technique and flew toward the Xiao Clan.

The Xiao Clan lay at the southernmost edge of the Zhang Family's territory. Farther south was the Endless Sea, where countless sea beasts dwelled.

According to their investigation, the Xiao Clan had been fairly loyal to the Zhang Family.

They had never failed to pay the eight hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones required each year as protection fees.

Those who had come to break off the Xiao Clan's marriage arrangement were merely several disciples and stewards from a Golden Core sect. This was within what they could bear.

By both sentiment and reason, they ought to provide aid first.

Wutan Mountain!

A Qi Refining Family—the Xiao Clan!

The Xiao Clan had been established for less than a hundred years and had only a little over twenty Qi Refining cultivators.

The strongest among them was the Xiao Clan's Clan Leader, Xiao Zhan, at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, with formidable strength.

At this moment, besides the Xiao Clan's upper ranks, several unfamiliar people were present in the main hall. All wore moon-white embroidered robes and exuded noble bearing.

Every one of them was brimming with arrogance. Their gazes upon the Xiao Clan members were filled with undisguised contempt.

They did not place anyone there in their eyes.

A Maiden stood in the middle of the hall.

The Maiden was around twenty years old, beautiful and delicate. Her eyes were lively and clear, deep-blue pendants hung from her earlobes, and her pale violet glazed immortal dress further accentuated her delicate nobility.

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PS: Realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul...