Demonic Threat Uprooted, a Bolt from the Blue

After dealing with these trifling matters, the inspection for Demonic Cultivators continued in an orderly fashion.

No further accidents occurred during the subsequent inspections. Until the work was completed over half a month later, not another Demonic Cultivator was found in Peaceful Sun City.

However, during inspections of the five surrounding towns, they rooted out three Early-to-Mid Stage of Qi Refining Demonic Cultivators.

Naturally, those three Demonic Cultivators failed to stir up any great waves. The Chen Clan's Qi Refining cultivators struck, and slew them completely without much effort.

After this battle, the Demonic Cultivators in Peaceful Sun City and its six towns had been swept clean. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Chen Clan also completed a new census of the population within its territory, eliminating the Lineage's hidden dangers.

Once everything had drawn to a close, they did not linger in Peaceful Sun City. The next day, they returned to Qingyuan Mountain.

After only a few days, just as the group returned to Qingyuan Mountain, they discovered that the Third Elder who had come to greet them looked rather off.

As though he had seen everyone's doubts, Chen Qinghao gave a bitter smile, his face filled with sorrow.

"Qing Meng..."

In an instant, it was like a bolt from the blue. Pain filled everyone's faces.

Sixth Elder Chen Qingmeng had entered a death-seclusion in an attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment. After a month-long seclusion, he had ultimately passed away within his Cultivation Abode.

"By the time I noticed something was wrong, Qing Meng had already been dead for quite some time."

"Every meridian in his body had been severed. All the true qi and blood around his body had drained away. His appearance was rather... horrifying."

The Third Elder spoke with pain etched across his face. Chen Qingmeng had risked his life in one desperate gamble, yet in the end, he had failed to defy fate and seize that sliver of life.

Chen Nianzhi listened in silence, suddenly feeling a wrenching pain in his heart.

He had been reincarnated into this world, and these Chen Clan elders had watched him grow up. They had truly treated him well.

In merely a few years, old Seventh Uncle Chen Changqing and Sixth Elder Chen Qingmeng, who had been in the prime of his life—one elder after another had passed away upon the path of cultivation, demonstrating the cruelty of the road to immortality.

"The Path to Immortality is long; the way is blocked and arduous. We can only trudge onward alone."

"If I fall, and if you have the ability, then go and see the scenery at the end in my place."

Chen Qingmeng's words from their farewell that day seemed to still ring in his ears. Perhaps Chen Qingmeng had foreseen his own end that very day, yet he had still resolved to stake his life on that one chance amid nine deaths.

Chen Nianzhi remained silent for a long while before finally murmuring, "Twenty-Sixth Uncle, I'll go see it in your place."

"..."

This extermination of the Demonic Cultivators had removed a hidden danger for the Lineage. The elders had originally intended to celebrate, but news of Chen Qingmeng's death left them with no interest in doing so.

The dead were gone. The living still had to look ahead.

After the funeral arrangements had been completed, the elders convened a brief meeting with the clan's Late Stage of Qi Refining upper ranks.

"Though the hidden danger of the Demonic Cultivators has been eliminated this time, we must remain more vigilant in the future."

"We have decided that inspections for Demonic Cultivators will henceforth become a standing rule."

Within the Clan Affairs Hall, the Third Elder announced the Council of Elders' decision to everyone.

They decided to make the purging of Demonic Cultivators a standing rule. According to the regulations, every three years, the Chen Clan would dispatch personnel to investigate for Demonic Cultivators hidden among mortals, ensuring that the foundations of the Chen Immortal Clan remained secure.

With that, the matter was temporarily brought to an end. Chen Nianzhi also decided to return to Spirit Isle Lake, lest he miss the season for spring planting.

However, before he could leave, Third Elder Chen Qinghao stopped him.

"The Lineage is short on people everywhere now, and Spirit Isle Lake is short on people as well. Five new juniors have joined the clan this time, so I'll assign some to you."

"Xian Ling, Xian Yan, come over here."

Not far away, two children of six or seven cautiously walked over, their eyes somewhat nervous as they looked at him.

Looking at the two children, the Third Elder said with some gratification, "From now on, you siblings will follow the Eighth Elder and let him guide your cultivation."

"Go on."

These two were precisely the twins, Chen Yan and Chen Ling, whom he had rescued from Peaceful Reach Town. After their Spirit Roots had been tested and they arrived at Qingyuan Mountain, they had been entered into the clan genealogy and renamed Chen Xianyan and Chen Xianling.

Their generation could originally have been included in the Nian Generation, but considering that Chen Nianzhi was already an elder of the Lineage, they were simply placed in the Xian Generation to underscore his status and position.

That way, if Chen Nianzhi were to take charge of the Lineage in the future, it would be easier to command a group of younger clan members than peers and elders.

Chen Nianzhi's gaze shifted, and he immediately understood the Third Elder's intentions.

Though these twins were young, they were both geniuses with Two Element Spiritual Roots. Barring any mishaps, they would at least reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining in the future, and might even have some chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Sending the two to his side was not only meant to have him nurture two talented younger members of the clan, but also to increase his influence within the Lineage in the future.

That influence was not to be underestimated. If he could achieve Foundation Establishment, then naturally, like the clan head, his every word would carry decisive weight. But if he failed, this influence would become exceedingly important.

With that thought, Chen Nianzhi did not refuse. Though he had sufficient confidence in reaching Foundation Establishment, nurturing some younger clan members in his spare time would also count as a worthwhile cultivation experience.

Early that morning, he took the two siblings and headed toward Spirit Isle Lake.

By the time he returned to Spirit Isle Lake, two months had already passed since he had left.

Returning after two months, he heard the cries of Purple-Patterned Geese the moment he stepped onto Lakeheart Island. These spirit geese had been raised for over two years. Though they had yet to reach adulthood, they had already attained the Early Stage of Qi Refining and could be considered somewhat sentient.

Seeing the dozen or so half-grown Purple-Patterned Geese with their vivid feathers, Chen Nianzhi could not help but smile.

"Purple-Patterned Geese reach adulthood at around five or six years old. By then, they can reproduce."

"In another three or four years, they'll be able to lay spirit eggs and breed the next generation."

After being left to roam for two months, the Purple-Patterned Geese had received no one's care, yet they had not grown thin. Instead, feeding on aquatic plants, they had grown a little larger.

Only, the spirit vegetables without an array to protect them had been ravaged until seventy or eighty percent had been eaten clean.

Fortunately, spirit vegetables were not valuable. Chen Nianzhi was not angry. Instead, he harvested the remaining spirit vegetables, kept a portion for his own meals, and fed most of them to the Purple-Patterned Geese.

Next came the spring planting season. Because he had gone two months without nurturing the Spirit Fields, Chen Nianzhi spent several extra days and repeatedly cast the Spirit Rain Technique before he finally planted the Spirit Rice.

The following days became quiet once more. Every day, he breathed in and refined Hongmeng Purple Qi, tempering his cultivation at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining in preparation for his future breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

During his leisure time, he taught the siblings Xian Ling and Xian Yan how to read, and helped them learn the meridians and acupoints of their bodies. These were all essential lessons before cultivation; otherwise, rash cultivation would inevitably lead to trouble.

Fortunately, the siblings were both quite intelligent and learned quickly. Chen Nianzhi estimated that, barring any mishaps, they would grasp the basics by around eight or nine years old, and thus begin their hazy first steps onto the path of cultivation.