Hearing this, surprise also appeared on Zhang Xuanbing's face.
Clearly, Zhang Hongzhan had not shown him the contents of the letter.
Seeing their surprise, Zhang Hongzhan drained the spirit tea from the white jade table in one gulp.
He said leisurely, "Those old fellows of the Su Family aren't fools. The Su Clan Old Ancestor has only twenty years of life left. His day of reckoning is drawing near.
"The Golden Core Pill has shown the faintest glimmer of hope, but the Su Family's two Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators are both rather old, and both possess Triple Spirit Roots. Even with the help of a Golden Core Pill, their chance of breaking through is less than thirty percent.
"The chance 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 for revenge?
"Once he dies, the Su Family will not even have twenty years left."
At this point, Zhang Hongzhan paused. Looking at the three who had fallen into thought, he continued,
"The matter of having Su Muyan marry Xuanbing was proposed by the Su Family's Clan Leader. This was also their second 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 as well: if no Golden Core cultivator emerged from the Su Family within twenty years, we would lend a hand to protect their descendants.
"To leave the Su Family with a bloodline.
"I had originally intended to speak with Xuanbing about this, but I did not expect him to bring it up first.
"I asked which family's daughter he had taken a liking to, but this brat said he would listen to his little brother.
"For a moment, I could not make up my mind, so I called you over."
After hearing his father's words, Zhang Xuanchen nodded. The Su Family had indeed reached the brink of life and death.
The younger generation was failing to fill the gap. 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 Stage.
"If that is 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 his younger brother think so deeply for his sake, Zhang Xuanbing was immensely moved.
The Zhang Family's future was now full of promise. Ancestor was in the prime of his life, and might yet climb a hundred-foot pole and advance another step.
The younger generation also had two "Dual Spirit Root" geniuses, Zhang Xuanbing and Zhang Xuanchen. Their inheritance would continue without end.
Paying some price to let him marry Fairy Qin of the Xuandan Sect would not be a problem.
One had to know that the Xuandan Sect was a great alchemy sect renowned for pill refinement.
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 rise greatly.
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 certainly not disappoint the Lineage's expectations. I will sweep aside every enemy and protect the peace of the Zhang Clan!"
His voice was firm and sonorous, each word striking the ground like a hammer!
Zhang Hongzhan hurriedly stepped forward and helped his eldest son up. "Xuanbing, I believe in you. The Zhang Clan believes in you too. Cultivate well. Tomorrow, I will go to the Su Family with several elders and settle your marriage.
"Try to give me a grandson or granddaughter soon. Hahaha."
Zhang Guangli nodded. "As it should be! Xiao Chen will be next soon enough. After all, you were the one 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 right now."
Does anyone understand this? He was already being urged to marry at fifteen.
Was this really the cultivation world?
Zhang Xuanbing patted his little brother's shoulder and said seriously, "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 turn twenty."
"Marriage depends on fate. It cannot be forced."
After saying that, Zhang Xuanchen picked up the spirit tea on the table and drained it in one gulp, immediately feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
He changed the subject. "As expected of second-grade low-tier Spirit Calming Tea. It truly is extraordinary. I feel terrifyingly strong right now. This is the rhythm of my Sword Qi Technique breaking through to major mastery!
"I'll be leaving first!"
Before his words had even faded, his body had already appeared outside the small courtyard.
After resolving the matter with the Xiao Clan in three days, he would head to the First-grade Top-tier spirit vein at Fire Maple Mountain to stand guard for three years.
Every Zhang Family disciple had to guard a family spirit vein for three years upon reaching eighteen or Late Qi Refining.
No one could receive special treatment.
Watching Zhang Xuanchen's departing back, Zhang Hongzhan laughed and cursed, "That brat, always so careless and impetuous."
Zhang Guangli said noncommittally,
"But it was precisely this careless and impetuous youth who brought earthshaking changes to the Zhang Family over the years, wasn't it?
"Clan Leader, you are so good at having children. Why not have another with Wanqing?
"What if you have another Dual Spirit Root, or even a Heavenly Spirit Root? Then you will truly strike it rich!"
Hearing this, Zhang Hongzhan was speechless. "Thirteenth Uncle, stop joking. That is simply impossible."
"How is it impossible? If they had not witnessed it with their own eyes, who would believe that you and Lin Wanqing could consecutively give birth to two geniuses like Xuanbing and Xuanchen?"
Zhang Xuanbing also turned his gaze toward his father.
Logically speaking, even children born to two Heavenly Spirit Root cultivators might not necessarily possess Spiritual Roots.
Yet his parents both had Triple Spirit Roots, but had given birth to one Heavenly Spirit Root and one Dual Spirit Root genius. It was indeed astonishing.
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Hongzhan activated the courtyard's soundproofing formation and said, "Actually, I have been 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 thieves.
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 just a few days, all her injuries recovered completely, and her cultivation speed also became much faster.
After escaping the Azure Nether Mountain Range, she returned to the Penglai Islands.
Later, by a twist of fate, she and Zhang Hongzhan, who had gone out to train, developed feelings for each other. She married into the Zhang Family.
"I asked Ancestor as well, but even he did not know what fruit Wanqing had eaten. After that, we let the matter drop. 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 normal not to recognize them. As long as it is good for the Zhang Family, that is enough.
"By the way, I came today with good news. It is this egg that Xiao Chen gave me today.
"After my observation and sensing, 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 secrets."
Zhang Guangli suspended the egg in the air and showed it to the two of them.
Since none of them knew what that Five-Colored Spirit Fruit was, there was nothing to pursue further.
"What? It has the potential to advance to the Golden Core Realm!"
Zhang Hongzhan looked at Zhang Xuanbing, his meaning obvious: he wanted him to see whether this 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 be wrong!
Seeing Zhang Xuanbing nod,
Zhang Hongzhan: Hiss!
Zhang Guangli: ??
Three days later, during the hour of the dragon.
Profound Heaven Villa.
"Go!"
Zhang Xuanchen's gaze sharpened. With a wave of the First-grade Top-tier Magical Artifact, the Clear Wind Sword, in his hand, he struck toward the wooden dummy in the garden.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Seven pale azure streaks 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 fell to the ground.
"The Sword Qi Technique has reached major mastery!
"Its power rivals that of a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, though it is still a little short of the tenth layer. Not bad.
"Now, it is time to visit the Xiao Clan."
With that thought, Zhang Xuanchen sent a voice transmission to Zhang Xuanbing, telling him to follow in secret and intervene only if necessary.
He then used the Sword Control Technique and flew toward the Xiao Clan.
The Xiao Clan was at the southernmost edge of the Zhang Family's territory. Farther south lay the Endless Sea, where countless sea beasts roamed.
According to the investigation, the Xiao Clan was fairly loyal to the Zhang Family.
They had never failed to pay the eight hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones in protection fees required each year.
Those who had come to the Xiao Clan to annul the marriage were merely several disciple-stewards from a Golden Core sect. It was within what they could handle.
By both sentiment and reason, they should help first.
Wutan Mountain!
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, a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator with formidable strength.
At this moment, besides the Xiao Clan's upper ranks, several unfamiliar people were present in the main hall. They all wore moon-white brocade robes and exuded nobility.
Every one of them was full of arrogance. Their eyes held undisguised contempt as they looked at the Xiao Clan members.
They did not place anyone there in their eyes at all.
A maiden stood in the center of the hall.
The maiden was around twenty years old, with delicate and beautiful features. Her eyes were bright and clear, deep blue pendants hung from her ears, and her pale violet glazed immortal dress accentuated her pampered nobility.
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PS: Realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul...
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