This was the Nangong Family's most secret place. It was guarded by formations, and several powerful experts at the Body Integration Realm were stationed inside. No one would have thought anyone could sneak in without a sound.
So far, Nangong Wenyue had not noticed anything amiss within the space.
After forming his Golden Core, Chen Xiao had further unlocked the wonders of the Flowing Light Flying Moon Talisman. It could even take living creatures into the Golden Immortal Kingdom.
The Golden Immortal Kingdom was nearly a real world, filled with the Golden Immortal Power of the Talisman Treasure Golden Immortal. It had once been home to many living creatures, but after the Talisman Treasure Golden Immortal died, they had all perished as well.
Now Chen Xiao was going to bring the five little ones into the Golden Immortal Kingdom. It was filled with Golden Immortal Power, something even more exalted than the Immortal Qi native to the Immortal World. The Spirit Qi in the belly of Mingyu Mountain was certainly rich, but it was still the most ordinary kind. Compared with Golden Immortal Power, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
But Chen Xiao's cultivation was too low. He had not yet reached the Immortal Realm, so he could not use its power at all. Most of the things in the Golden Immortal Kingdom were little more than flowers reflected in a mirror or the moon reflected in water to him—he could see them, but he couldn't touch them.
What a grudge! What a lack of strength!
"Big brother's taking you somewhere. The Spirit Qi there is definitely no weaker than here, but you mustn't resist, understand?"
Chen Xiao looked at the five little ones, Xianxian and the others, and spoke.
He now knew that the one in Xianxian's arms was also the Primordial Fetus of an Innate Divine Spirit. It simply lacked enough spiritual power to take shape.
"Big brother, take that bridge with you too."
Guigui, who was always up to mischief, tugged at Chen Xiao's sleeve and spoke.
"That bridge?"
Chen Xiao furrowed his brow. In truth, he had noticed the half-bridge of blue-gray stone the first time he entered. It was about seven zhang long, broken in the middle as if something had sliced it in two.
Ancient, unadorned patterns were carved into the half-bridge, giving it a desolate, age-old air. There were also many words engraved on its sides, but they were so ancient that Chen Xiao couldn't read them.
"Mm. That big bad man bullied big sister because he wanted to use us to subdue this bridge." The boy in purple, Momo, spoke indignantly.
"For the sake of this half-bridge?" Chen Xiao was taken aback. "Could this bridge have some connection to you?"
"I don't know." Xianxian shook her head. "Actually, my cultivation is already strong enough for me to leave this place. But this bridge has always held me back, so I couldn't get away. In the end, they caught me."
Chen Xiao furrowed his brow slightly. With a wave of his hand, he instantly took the bridge into the Golden Immortal Kingdom. Then he said, "All right. Relax your minds, and don't resist."
A warm smile appeared on Chen Xiao's face. He carefully used his divine sense to connect with the Flowing Light Flying Moon Talisman. Taking in living creatures was very different from taking in dead things. Though he knew the talisman could bring living beings into the Golden Immortal Kingdom, this was his first attempt in either of his two lives.
A light, graceful glow spilled from the space between Chen Xiao's brows and slowly enveloped the five little ones. A flash of green light later, all five had entered the Golden Immortal Kingdom.
"Wow, this feels so good!"
The moment the five little ones entered the Golden Immortal Kingdom, they couldn't help cheering. The Golden Immortal Power there was unquestionably a great boon to them.
"Heh, all right. This will be your new home from now on." Chen Xiao watched the five little ones through his divine sense and spoke with relief.
"Thank you, big brother!"
Of the five, Xianxian was the most sensible. Though she didn't know where they were, her innate divine sense told her that Chen Xiao meant them no harm.
Xianxian carefully set the Primordial Fetus in her arms down in a place where the Golden Immortal Power was especially dense, then thanked him. Of course, she had no idea where Chen Xiao himself was at that moment.
The ancient stone bridge had settled in the very center of the Golden Immortal Kingdom, and then it fell still.
"By the way, was that evil man refining Xianxian just to get this half-bridge?"
Chen Xiao examined the half-bridge closely with his divine sense. Apart from its age, there was nothing unusual about it. It didn't even emit the slightest trace of spiritual power.
But Chen Xiao understood that the bridge naturally restrained Xianxian and the others. It certainly wasn't as simple as it appeared.
"I don't know..."
Xianxian shook her head in confusion. "But it seems like there's something else underground. Our cultivation is too weak, though, so we can't go down there."
"Mm, I understand."
Chen Xiao had a better idea of things now, but he didn't pursue the matter further. In his previous life, the Nangong Family had destroyed the Chen Clan and taken its place. This was probably the key.
Over the past few days, Chen Xiao had carefully analyzed the Nangong Family. Especially after discovering this mountain cavern, he realized the family was nowhere near as simple as it seemed. With their strength, they could have competed for lordship of a city several times larger than Moon-Gazing City. Yet they had insisted on squeezing into Moon-Gazing City, plotting against the Chen Clan—a family with a history of only a few hundred years, whose strongest member was merely a cultivator at the late Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
The most likely reason was whatever lay beneath the Spirit Vein, the thing Xianxian had mentioned.
"Moon-Gazing City belongs to the Chen Clan, so whatever's down here belongs to the Chen Clan too. If you want to take it, you'll have to ask me, Chen Xiao."
A cold smile curled Chen Xiao's lips. He slapped an Escape Talisman onto himself, turned into a streak of light, and shot straight into the mountain wall beside him.
In his past life, even if Chen Xiao had known about the Nangong Family's schemes, he would probably have done everything he could to avoid a confrontation. He might even have given up the position of city lord and let them fight over whatever lay beneath the mountain.
But after living two lives and struggling through fifty years in the Immortal World, Chen Xiao now understood one thing: in a place like the Immortal World, where strength spoke, yielding again and again would only bring annihilation. What needed fighting for had to be fought for; what needed seizing had to be seized. Only with enough strength could one protect oneself.
Of course, none of this could be accomplished overnight. He had originally planned to wait until the time was right, then wipe out the Nangong Family in one fell swoop. But now he had changed his mind.
He would let them keep digging for treasure. With the Nangong Family serving as cover, the Chen Clan could quietly develop its forces, grow stronger, and slowly plot to claim the unknown treasure below.
Besides, now that Chen Xiao had revealed the aura of an Immortal Spirit Root, the Glazed Heaven Palace would surely hear about it before long. Once its reward arrived, the Chen Clan's position as lord of Moon-Gazing City would be secure.
Of course, before the Glazed Heaven Palace's reward arrived, as long as Chen Xiao was alive, no one would dare touch the Chen Clan.
Now that Chen Xiao had formed his Golden Core and unlocked the Flowing Light Flying Moon Talisman's abilities, few people could kill him—unless an Immortal acted, or a freak like the Poison Immortal made a move.
The Flowing Light Flying Moon Talisman was worthy of its name!
Even better, no one knew that Chen Xiao was the one in the Chen Clan who had awakened an Immortal Spirit Root.