Decision

Once they reached Yang Province City, it counted as half a home field, and both of them relaxed quite a bit.

Using the name card of the Wang Clan of the Crimson Cauldron, Liang Zhaohuang and the other found a suitable merchant caravan and made their way back to Luyang Commandery.

Whenever a cross-province Flying Boat descended, it would bring a great quantity of goods and would also purchase large amounts of local resources. Naturally, it attracted a great many local merchant caravans to come forth and open a grand commercial feast.

After returning to Luyang Commandery, clan chief Liang Xuelin arranged to meet Wang Hui and returned the name card to him.

This Wang Family name card had only been borrowed. What was borrowed had to be returned. The Wang Family would make clear the whereabouts of every name card they issued, to prevent anyone from using a Wang Family name card to falsely act in the Wang Family's name and do illegal things, only for the Wang Family to bear the consequences in the end.

They did not stay long in Luyang Commandery. Liang Zhaohuang and the other made their way back to Liangyuan Village in Ludong County.

This trip to Ning Province had taken around half a year there and back. The Black Wind Bandits, who had once caused an uproar throughout Ludong County, had also vanished without news, and the present Ludong County was peaceful.

After returning to the clan, Fifth Uncle Liang Xuegui and eldest brother Liang Zhaojun received the news and came to welcome them, and the four went to the secret room.

"Second Brother, how was it? Did you gain anything?"

As soon as they entered the secret room, Fifth Uncle Liang Xuegui could not help asking.

Eldest brother Liang Zhaojun had always been steady, but now he could not hide the eagerness in his gaze either.

Clan chief Liang Xuelin did not conceal anything either. He took out the gold foil and jade slip and said, "By luck, the inheritance is in our hands."

Seeing this, Fifth Uncle Liang Xuegui hurriedly picked up the gold foil and began reading the records on it.

Eldest brother Liang Zhaojun could no longer care about hierarchy and etiquette at this moment either, and likewise stepped forward to look.

"Five Qi Lotus Scripture!"

After reading through the whole thing and confirming that it was a Foundation Establishment cultivation method of the five elements attribute, the joy on the two men's faces was impossible to hide.

"Good! Good! Good!" Fifth Uncle Liang Xuegui sighed in praise again and again, speaking with deep feeling. "It hasn't been easy! From the time Father established the clan until now, one hundred and three years, for the sake of a single Foundation Establishment cultivation method, how much effort has our Liang Family put in, how many sacrifices have we made!"

"Now that we finally have a Foundation Establishment Realm inheritance cultivation method, Father's spirit in heaven can rest with its eyes closed!"

"This is the hope of our Liang Family!"

Fifth Uncle Liang Xuegui grew more and more emotional, and even tears appeared in his eyes.

"Second Brother, now that we have the Foundation Establishment cultivation method, I think we should call back all those children struggling outside, searching for cultivation method inheritances. Everyone can switch to cultivating this Five Qi Lotus Scripture together. As long as one person establishes their foundation, our Liang Family will be able to advance to a Ninth-Rank County Magnate Family, become officials, and join the system of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty!"

Liang Xuegui suddenly looked toward clan chief Liang Xuelin and spoke excitedly.

"Improper!" Before clan chief Liang Xuelin could speak, eldest brother Liang Zhaojun at the side directly rejected it and said, "The more it is at a time like this, the more we must calm it with stillness. We cannot make any movements that are too obvious."

As he spoke, he looked at the others and said, "Clan Chief, Fifth Uncle, Seventeenth Brother, do you still remember the information Seventeenth Brother previously heard from Zhu Yuqing of the Zhu Family?"

"Over the past half year, while arranging a fallback path for the clan, I also went to the commandery city. Through cousin Wang Hui's connections, I checked through the Luyang Commandery Gazetteer. Although the relevant records inside were extremely brief, and some were rather vague."

"But from them, it can still be seen that the Demon Uprising, Demon Calamity, Commoner Rebellion, and so on that Zhu Yuqing of the Zhu Family spoke of did indeed exist, and basically all broke out once every hundred-plus years!"

As Liang Zhaojun spoke, his expression had already turned extremely grave, and he continued:

"So, for the sake of the clan's inheritance, we might as well infer with the wickedest heart that behind all of this there exists one, or even several, black hands."

"If we act rashly and summon back all the clansmen searching for inheritances outside, we will inevitably alarm these black hands."

"When that time comes, perhaps before two and a half years have passed, our Liang Family will already meet the disaster of clan extermination!"

Listening to Liang Zhaojun's words, everyone's eyes grew heavy, and the joy on their faces diminished somewhat.

Only then did they remember that above the Liang Family's head still hung the enormous threat of a "disaster of clan extermination." Although the clan had now obtained the advanced Foundation Establishment inheritance, whether they would advance another step and be promoted to a Ninth-Rank County Magnate Family, or whether their home would be broken and their clan annihilated, was truly still uncertain.

Thinking of this, clan chief Liang Xuelin looked toward Liang Zhaojun and asked in a deep voice, "Zhaojun, how are the arrangements for the clan's fallback path?"

"Reporting to the clan chief." When it came to proper matters, eldest brother Liang Zhaojun always appeared extremely solemn. He bowed and said, "At present, retreat routes have already been arranged in several nearby counties."

"But I feel this is still not enough. Right now, I am thinking of ways to search beyond Luyang Commandery, in other commanderies, and arrange fallback paths for the clan."

"Mm." Clan chief Liang Xuelin nodded slightly. After pondering for a while, he decided, "Then, Zhaojun, continue arranging fallback paths. If disaster truly descends, one more choice will mean one more opportunity."

"As for information regarding the Five Qi Lotus Scripture, we will also temporarily seal it off and not spread it within the clan. Only select clan disciples who have hope of reaching Foundation Establishment within three years will be taught it, so we can cultivate a Foundation Establishment cultivator as quickly as possible."

"The clan disciples outside should not be summoned back either. For now, everything will remain as usual. Everything can wait until the clan has a Foundation Establishment cultivator and survives the clan-extermination disaster two and a half years from now before we make plans."

"If the clan truly cannot pass through the calamity and is exterminated, these disciples outside can be counted as seeds left behind by the clan."

"Yes, Clan Chief."

After hearing the clan chief's arrangements, Liang Zhaohuang and the other two bowed and accepted the order.

Arranging fallback paths for the clan was naturally eldest brother Liang Zhaojun's responsibility, and selecting suitable disciples to teach the Five Qi Lotus Scripture was also personally handled by the clan chief.

Liang Zhaohuang had nothing to do and only needed to focus on his own cultivation.

There were still two and a half years until the three-year deadline Zhu Yuqing had spoken of, and he also wanted to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm within these two and a half years.

During the more than one month he had stayed in Ning Province City, Liang Zhaohuang had already switched from the cultivation method he had previously practiced, the Five Spirits Art, to the Five Qi Lotus Scripture, completing the conversion of his magical power.

After conversion, his magical power had shrunk by nearly half compared to his original magical power, but in terms of purity and spirituality, it had increased by more than double.

This fully displayed the superior and profound aspects of the Five Qi Lotus Scripture compared to the Five Spirits Art. It was worthy of being a Foundation Establishment, or even Golden Core, inheritance.

After that, during the nearly two months spent riding the Flying Boat, apart from chanting and upholding the Peacock King Mantra and cultivating the Five-Colored Buddha Light, Liang Zhaohuang had been restoring his reduced magical power.

By now, only after returning to the clan had he finally restored the reduced magical power to full.

Although he was still at the seventh level of Qi Refining, Liang Zhaohuang could clearly feel that if it came down to magical power alone, the current him could match three and a half of his former self.

He did not linger long with the clan. Two days later, he returned to Ludong County City.

He had only two and a half years. If he wanted to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he first had to advance to the ninth level of Qi Refining and complete his cultivation of the Qi Refining stage before he could proceed with Foundation Establishment.

For Li Zhaohuang, time could be said to be tight.

So he chose to enter seclusion and cultivate in Ludong County City, seeking to complete his Qi Refining cultivation as quickly as possible so he could win himself more time to advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

After all, the Human Way in Ludong County City was more flourishing, and the spiritual energy there was denser and more peaceful. His cultivation speed would be somewhat faster than in the villages and towns under the county.

Unfortunately, the Liang Family did not dare fully trust the commandery's prestigious Crimson Cauldron Wang Clan, or even the clan's nephew Wang Hui. Otherwise, if he could enter seclusion and cultivate in Luyang Commandery's commandery city, Liang Zhaohuang would have absolute confidence in advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm within two and a half years.

Sincere thanks to reader Black Cloud Daoist for the tip and support!

Sincere thanks to reader Magical Mengmengda for the tip and support!