Stronghold

The stronghold the Sun Family had opened up in the Spirit Cauldron Secret Realm was on a mountain ridge. The ridge was lush with grass and trees, forming its own array formation within, and after several hundred years of Sun Family management, it had long since become as solid as a golden citadel. If outsiders did not know the proper way in and wanted to open the stronghold, they would have to expend a hundred times the effort.

Liang Zhaohuang had obtained the Sun Family's detailed records regarding all manner of information inside the Spirit Cauldron Secret Realm, which naturally included the various arrangements of the Sun Family Stronghold, the method to open it, and so on.

So he had been confident that after leading the Liang Family members to find the Sun Family Stronghold, he would be able to open it directly and occupy it. Not only would they gain all the resources the Sun Family had cultivated in the Spirit Cauldron Secret Realm over several centuries, they would also be able to quickly establish a foothold in the secret realm. They would obtain the greatest benefits from this trip into the secret realm, and even during the Spirit Demon riot ten years later, the Liang Family would have several more chances of making it through.

The plan had been perfect in every way, but unexpectedly, accidents sprang up from nowhere.

When Liang Zhaohuang led the Liang Family members to the Sun Family Stronghold, he abruptly discovered that this stronghold had already been opened and occupied.

And the ones occupying this Sun Family Stronghold were none other than the Wang Family members led by Wang Chengen of Little Wang Village.

Seeing this, Liang Zhaohuang could not help but frown slightly. Wang Chengen had only set out one step ahead of them, and even adding in their battle with the Spirit Demon wolf pack on the road, it had only given him two extra hours at most.

But they had known the exact location of the Sun Family Stronghold and had headed straight for it, which had saved them quite a bit of time.

Yet even so, the Wang Family had not only arrived at the Sun Family Stronghold ahead of them, but had already opened it and taken possession of it.

This was enough to show that Little Wang Village had definitely grasped the location information of the Sun Family Stronghold as well, had come straight to the stronghold without delay on the road, and had absolutely mastered the array formation arrangements of the Sun Family Stronghold too. They had opened the array directly with the correct method and entered it.

Otherwise, as long as they had been delayed even a little outside the array formation of the Sun Family Stronghold, Liang Zhaohuang and the others would already have arrived.

"This Little Wang Village really isn't simple!"

Liang Zhaohuang frowned as thoughts turned in his mind.

Over in the Sun Family Stronghold, Wang Chengen seemed to have discovered Liang Zhaohuang and the others outside as well. With a loud laugh, Wang Chengen walked out still wearing that smiling, beaming expression, cupped his hands toward Liang Zhaohuang, and said:

"Fellow Daoist Liang, I didn't expect we would meet again so soon."

"Fellow Daoist, you have come at just the right time. Our Wang Family's stronghold has just been set up. Would you like to bring your people in to rest for a while?"

Wang Chengen pointed at the "Sun Family Stronghold" behind him and said with a smile.

Of course, this place had now become the "Wang Family Stronghold."

Liang Zhaohuang was in no mood to smile at the moment. In his heart, the thought of storming the stronghold turned over and over. He believed the other party had absolutely not had enough time to remodel the stronghold in such a short while, so the array formations inside were bound to still be the Sun Family's set. He understood them too, and would certainly be able to open them.

But that thought only spun once before he set it aside. He squeezed a trace of a smile onto his face and said, "To have opened up a stronghold so quickly, Fellow Daoist Wang's speed truly is fast!"

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Liang's speed is not slow either," Wang Chengen said with a smile.

Liang Zhaohuang shook his head slightly, suppressing the various thoughts in his heart, and said, "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Wang, but there is no need to go in and rest. It is not easy to enter the secret realm once, and time is pressing. Our Liang Family has yet to open up a stronghold, so we do not dare delay here."

"Hehe..." Wang Chengen said with a smile. "Since that is the case, then I will not keep you any longer, Fellow Daoist."

"After we leave the secret realm, let us gather again when we have time!"

Liang Zhaohuang cupped his hands in salute, then turned and led the Liang Family members away.

Watching the Liang Family people leave, Wang Chengen smiled, then turned and entered the stronghold.

Not long afterward, above the "Wang Family Stronghold," an illusory wolf shadow emerged, raised its head, and let out a soundless long howl.

From every direction, many Spirit Demons immediately seemed to receive a summons and came rushing over.

These Spirit Demons were basically all Qi Refining Stage Spirit Demons, with only two or three leading Spirit Demons at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Seeing that the number of Spirit Demons rushing over was about right, the illusory wolf shadow above the "Wang Family Stronghold" directly dispersed.

When the Spirit Demons charged to the vicinity of the stronghold, green light immediately appeared from within the "Wang Family Stronghold" and enveloped the four directions, shrouding all those Spirit Demons charging in to kill within it.

Within the green light, all kinds of beast shadows emerged, slaughtering and battling those Spirit Demons. Under Wang Chengen's lead, the Wang Family cultivators hid among the many beast shadows, hunting Spirit Demons and collecting Spirit Source Ore. Their safety greatly increased, and their efficiency became even faster.

On a distant hillside, Liang Zhaohuang and the others watched everything happening at the "Sun Family Stronghold," and none of their expressions looked very good.

The Sun Family had developed their stronghold in the Spirit Cauldron Secret Realm for several hundred years, and all kinds of arrangements had long since matured. There were even dedicated arrangements for attracting Spirit Demons. Every time they entered the Spirit Cauldron Secret Realm, they did not need to search for Spirit Demons; they could simply sit within the stronghold, draw monsters here, and use the array formations arranged in the stronghold to hunt the Spirit Demons—both fast and safe!

Moreover, according to the information left behind by the Sun Family, the monster-luring arrangement in the Sun Family Stronghold could even be divided into levels, deciding the approximate number of Spirit Demons to attract, whether at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, middle stage, late stage, and so on. It could basically all be controlled.

In fact, it was not only the Sun Family. The strongholds in the secret realm belonging to the other five county magnate families in the county city had basically all been developed for several hundred years as well, and each had its own methods.

Only a newly joined family like the Liang Family, if they had to start from scratch to build their family stronghold, would inevitably have a difficult road ahead.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't provoked those wolf demons, we definitely would have been able to arrive one step earlier and take this stronghold."

Liang Ruijian spoke with some remorse.

Liang Zhaohuang shook his head and did not say anything. He changed the subject instead. "Activate the second plan. Find high ground. I need to observe qi!"

By now, Liang Zhaohuang no longer hid the Five Elements Dharma Eye much in front of his family members. He was the family's only Foundation Establishment cultivator, and no one asked him about it, simply treating it as a benefit he had gained when establishing his foundation.

Everyone quickly found a mountain peak in the surroundings. As it happened, the Spirit Demons on the mountain had all been attracted over to the Wang Family Stronghold, so there was no need to go to the trouble of clearing them out. They climbed straight to the summit.

Liang Zhaohuang stood on the mountain summit and circulated the Five Elements Dharma Eye to look out in all directions.

Since the ready-made stronghold was gone, their Liang Family could only find a place themselves to open up a stronghold.

And when looking for land, naturally they had to choose the place most suitable for their family, or at the very least, a place most compatible with the five elements magic power their family cultivated.

"Eh?"

As he observed in all directions with the Five Elements Dharma Eye, he really did discover a place.

It was a small earthen hill about a hundred li to the south of this place. It looked perfectly ordinary, but in Liang Zhaohuang's Five Elements Dharma Eye, he could see one type of spiritual energy on each of the four sides flowing slowly toward that Earthen Hill like murmuring streams.

Wood spiritual energy from the east, fire spiritual energy from the south, metal spiritual energy from the west, water spiritual energy from the north, while within the small earthen hill at the center, earth spiritual energy was also continuously accumulating!

It was actually a situation with all five elements complete and constantly accumulating.

"If there isn't treasure in that Earthen Hill, then it must be an arrangement left behind by predecessors."

Liang Zhaohuang's eyes shone brightly.

"Whichever it is, this is the place most suited for our Liang Family to establish a foothold!"

My heartfelt thanks to book friend "Xiyang de Yu'er" for the tip and support!

My heartfelt thanks to book friend "0Canghai Yizhu0" for the tip and support!

Regarding updates, during the new-book period there can only be two chapters a day. As for after it goes premium, I'll do my best to add more updates.