Resolving to Establish the Foundation and Inlay a Star, Returning Home

Inside the Demon-Suppressing Pass, at the Kong Household's encampment.

Kong Wenxuan, his third aunt, fifth uncle, eldest brother, and the others had gathered to discuss the rumors that had suddenly sprung up in the Demon-Suppressing Pass. Their faces were all grim.

"I'm afraid these rumors are true!" Third Aunt Kong Yuyin said in a deep voice, her face as dark as water. "I once made a point of looking into the servant-cultivator households in Cuckoo County. It seems none of them managed to last more than two hundred years."

"Usually, something went wrong after about a hundred years or so. In almost every case, a family member failed to break through to Foundation Establishment, bringing about the destruction of the entire household, just like that Flamingo Lie Household you told us about before, Wenxuan."

"I never thought it particularly strange before. After all, they weren't True Spirit Lineages, and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage was a tremendous gamble to begin with. It wasn't strange for a household to be wiped out because of it."

"But now, considered alongside what these rumors say, I'm afraid something really is wrong!"

"I noticed something strange too," his eldest brother Kong Wenzhang said gravely. "All the servant-cultivator households under the Du Household in Cuckoo County seem to be bird bloodline households."

"There's our Peacock Kong Household, the Blazing Fire Bird Lie Household that was wiped out before us, and the Swift Yan Household, the Sparrow Ma Household, the Shrike Lao Household, the Wood Owl Lin Household, the Hummingbird Feng Household, and so on."

"I didn't think it strange before. I assumed the Cuckoo True Spirit Du Household simply liked bird bloodlines and disliked those of beasts and scaled creatures."

"But now it seems there may be something wrong with that too. If the Du Household's Bloodline Divine Ability really is The Cuckoo Occupies the Magpie's Nest, then I'm afraid it can only work on bird bloodlines. That would be why they chose only bird bloodlines."

"And there's more..." Fifth Uncle Kong Yuluo said heavily. "According to the rumors, the Cuckoo True Spirit Du Household is now preparing to advance to the Eighth-Grade True Spirit realm. That agrees with what the patriarch previously suspected."

"The family genealogy records the household's attempt to advance to Eighth-Grade True Spirit at the height of its power. The current situation in Cuckoo County and the Du Household is much the same as what was recorded."

One point might have been coincidence, and two an accident. But with three confirmed in succession, even the most optimistic and skeptical among the Kong Household members now wore exceedingly grim expressions. They were eighty or ninety percent convinced the rumors were true.

In fact, Kong Wenxuan believed the rumors more readily than his third aunt, eldest brother, and the others. After all, he had personally felt the Cuckoo True Spirit Star projection in his Dantian Qi Sea drawing out-or rather, stealing-the power of his Peacock Bloodline. It had merely been suppressed by the Five-Colored Divine Light he had brought with him through reincarnation.

And since the Peacock True Spirit Star projection in his Dantian Qi Sea was stealing his bloodline power, what about the star projections in the Dantian Qi Seas of the other Kong Household cultivators?

Moreover, all the cultivators of the dozens of servant-cultivator households under the Cuckoo True Spirit Du Household throughout Cuckoo County had to kowtow to the Cuckoo True Spirit Star and accept its projection into their Dantian Qi Seas. Were those star projections also drawing out and stealing their bloodline power?

Kong Wenxuan had long suspected as much. Over the past few years, he had felt considerable threat and pressure because of it, which was why he had devoted all his time and effort to refining his sword and Qi and rapidly raising his cultivation and strength.

He had spent almost no time or effort on any other immortal cultivation arts. As a result, apart from being good at swinging a sword and hacking at people, he knew almost no other immortal cultivation methods.

He couldn't draw talismans, refine pills, forge artifacts, or set up formations. All he could do was break them with a single sword strike!

Now, these rumors had merely confirmed his feelings and suspicions.

Thus, while his third aunt, fifth uncle, ninth uncle, eldest brother, fourth elder sister, and the others were still discussing whether the rumors were true, Kong Wenxuan was already certain they were and had made up his mind: he would establish his foundation and undergo Star Inlaying!

He looked at his third aunt, eldest brother, and the others. "Third Aunt, Big Brother, whether these rumors are true or false, the Demon-Suppressing Pass, and even the whole of Cuckoo County, are bound to be plunged into great turmoil."

"The Demon-Suppressing Pass, or even Cuckoo County itself, might be overrun and fall into complete chaos!"

"In these troubled times, only strength can keep us safe and protect the Kong Household!"

"So I've decided to establish my foundation and undergo Star Inlaying, raising the household's Peacock Bloodline to Ninth-Grade True Spirit."

"Once the household reaches Ninth-Grade True Spirit, whether these rumors are true or false, whether the Du Household intends to draw out the bloodlines of all the servant-cultivator households, or whether outside enemies are causing havoc in Cuckoo County and mean to overrun it, our Kong Household will be better able to protect itself."

"We might even be able to fish in troubled waters amid the chaos and upheaval and seize greater benefits."

At Kong Wenxuan's words, his third aunt, eldest brother, and the others all brightened and turned to look at him. His third aunt asked urgently, "Wenxuan, how confident are you that you can establish your foundation and undergo Star Inlaying?"

"Eighty or ninety percent, I'd say," Kong Wenxuan replied. He did not claim complete certainty.

In fact, if he were given a few more years to prepare, he might have been more confident. It wouldn't have been impossible to reach absolute certainty.

But the situation now made it impossible to give him the time to seek that absolute certainty.

His third aunt's eyes lit up at his answer. "Better than even odds are enough."

"I'll contact the patriarch right away and have him come take you back to the household. He can stand guard over you while you establish your foundation and undergo Star Inlaying!"

After his eldest uncle had been gravely injured and forced to follow the patriarch back to the household to recuperate, his third aunt and eldest brother had taken charge of the serving squad's affairs here at the Demon-Suppressing Pass.

His third aunt was a decisive woman, and she immediately set about contacting the patriarch.

The patriarch soon sent a reply: he would bring the Feather Boat to take Kong Wenxuan back to the household at Peacock Ridge, where he could enter seclusion and make his breakthrough.

However, because of the Du Household's summons, the patriarch, Kong Changgeng, could not fly the Feather Boat directly to the Demon-Suppressing Pass. Otherwise, Commander Du Zhimin would likely make him stay at the pass to help defend it.

As long as he did not go directly to the Demon-Suppressing Pass, however, the patriarch could delay for at least another month, even with the Du Household's summons.

So the patriarch intended to bring the Feather Boat to a spot a hundred li north of the Demon-Suppressing Pass. Kong Wenxuan was to meet him there and take the boat back to the household.

Kong Wenxuan naturally had no objection. The next day, he bade farewell to his third aunt, eldest brother, and the others, then left the Demon-Suppressing Pass and headed north.

Though he had come aboard the patriarch's Feather Boat, flying directly to the vicinity of the Demon-Suppressing Pass, the patriarch had carefully taught him about the geography, terrain, and roads below during the journey.

So when Kong Wenxuan left the pass alone and headed north, he had no trouble losing his way or finding his direction.

Moreover, the area north of the Demon-Suppressing Pass was now bustling with chaos because of the Du Household's summons and the sudden rumors.

On one hand, the servant-cultivator households of Cuckoo County were continually transporting people and resources there in response to the Du Household's summons.

On the other, because of the rumors, Kong Wenxuan found that quite a few people, like him, were leaving the Demon-Suppressing Pass and heading north.

He traveled with them and, in less than a shichen, covered the hundred li and found the patriarch and the Feather Boat waiting to receive him.