The Yang Family

The Patriarch of the Yang Family and Elder Yu were teleported five li from the entrance of the secret realm.

It was already night outside, and they dared not delay for a moment, immediately rushing towards the Yang Family's direction.

The Yang Family's location was in Willow Leaf Town.

Though called a town, it already had the scale of a small city.

Willow Leaf Town belonged to the Tiger Chasing Dynasty and was located in the eastern mountainous region.

The Patriarch of the Yang Family was named Yang Guanfeng, currently at the middle stage of the Fifth Level of Qi Gathering.

Because of his existence, the Yang Family had become the foremost family in Willow Leaf Town, second only to the Town Chief's influence.

The Town Chief was a Cultivator sent by the Dynasty, with a cultivation level comparable to Yang Guanfeng's, though his actual combat strength was somewhat inferior.

However, he had an army under his command and the "Dynasty Cultivator" amulet, so his status was still higher than Yang Guanfeng's.

The two, using the cover of night and Elder Yu's magic disk's detection function, avoided several groups of rogue cultivators they might have clashed with along the way.

It wasn't until the second watch of the night that they neared Willow Leaf Town.

Seeing the familiar city walls, the two exchanged a smile, both relieved in their hearts.

The secret realm held countless opportunities, but one had to survive to enjoy them.

This trip to the secret realm to seek treasures was extremely perilous. If Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu hadn't prepared thoroughly beforehand, they might have perished within.

Six fire talismans, three Thunderfire Pellets, plus the usage of a flying knife, had essentially consumed more than half of Yang Guanfeng's fortune.

Fortunately, in the end, they emerged from danger without incident; the outcome was good.

Exchanging these items for one spirit plant and one spiritual treasure was an incredibly worthwhile deal.

Approaching Willow Leaf Town, they didn't use the main gate. Instead, they concealed their auras and quietly scaled the city walls from the south side.

Their journey to the secret realm was unknown to anyone except themselves; even the Yang Family believed the two Old Ancestors were in seclusion in the forbidden area.

This was the result of their discussion. To avoid attracting prying eyes, they decided to leave the city discreetly.

Beyond the row of houses, in the northern part of Willow Leaf Town, one could see the Yang Family's grand courtyard built against the mountain.

The Yang Family's courtyard was built squarely, divided into four areas.

From outside to inside were the outer court for receiving guests and holding banquets, the inner court for living and daily life, the family's council hall, and finally, the forbidden area, which only Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu could enter and exit.

The two figures finally landed within the Yang Family's forbidden area.

The first thing they did upon returning was to quickly replant the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass.

Spirit plants were different from ordinary plants; if planted in regular soil, they would lose their spiritual essence and degenerate.

Only in a spirit field could they grow normally and yield produce.

Yang Guanfeng's ability to become the head of the family was truly foresightful.

Starting several years ago, even when the family had no spirit plants, he had planned ahead and began cultivating spirit fields with Elder Yu.

After several years of effort, they had now provided a suitable growing environment for the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass.

After the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass was replanted, the two began to nurture it with their own spiritual power.

They continued for an hour until the spirit plant's aura stabilized, and then they stopped.

At this point, both Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu let out a long sigh of relief.

"Elder Yu, this trip has been arduous."

"Not at all, Patriarch, you are too kind."

Elder Yu waved his hand. "If the Patriarch hadn't saved me back then, I would have long been food for the fish in the river. How could I have lived all these years? It's merely my duty."

"Speaking of which, it's been fifteen years since we met..."

Listening to their conversation, Chen Yang finally understood why this elder was so loyal to the Yang Family.

In his youth, he had been a sect cultivator. Later, his sect was destroyed by enemies, and he was severely injured. He fled to the Tiger Chasing Dynasty and eventually fell into the Fish Ridge River.

At the brink of death, Yang Guanfeng pulled him out and spent a great deal to save his life.

Although his cultivation level was not what it used to be, Elder Yu had no other desires after getting his life back.

From then on, he wholeheartedly followed Yang Guanfeng.

Yang Guanfeng's ascent to the path of cultivation and becoming the Patriarch of the Yang Family was greatly aided by him.

"It's getting late, Patriarch should return to his room to rest. I will watch over the Four-leaf Spirit-Nesting Grass."

"Alright, I'll leave it to you then."

Returning to his room, Yang Guanfeng took Chen Yang out from his sleeve and held him in his hand.

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, quietly gazing at the Spirit Gathering Stone.

In that moment, he felt a sense of unreality.

His expression suggested he couldn't quite believe that the Yang Family would receive such a great fortune.

A moment later, Yang Guanfeng came back to his senses, placed Chen Yang on the table, and turned to remove his upper garment.

Chen Yang couldn't help but be startled when he saw Yang Guanfeng's upper body.

His chest and back were covered with more than ten scars of various kinds, such as knife wounds, sword wounds, and burns.

This was enough to show that Yang Guanfeng's years of venturing outside for the family had not been easy.

"As the head of the family, to be able to do this for the family, he can definitely be called dedicated and diligent."

Chen Yang felt admiration for Yang Guanfeng.

At the same time, he felt he had not misjudged the man.

Coming to the Yang Family was likely the right decision.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, all members of the Yang Family were summoned to the assembly hall.

There were three seats at the head of the table. In the center was the seat of the Patriarch, Yang Guanfeng, and on either side sat two men in their thirties.

They were Yang Guanfeng's two younger brothers, Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei.

Below them, relatives from various branches of the family stood in order according to their bloodline, all with their hands clasped and eyes downcast, awaiting the Patriarch's arrival.

This clearly showed Yang Guanfeng's high prestige within the clan.

He was already outstanding and possessed the demeanor of a leader. Furthermore, after following Elder Yu in his cultivation, he had directly swept away other competitors within the clan and ascended to the position of Patriarch ahead of schedule.

Moreover, he knew that for a family to develop in the long run, the most important factor was unity.

Thus, from the moment he took power, he and Elder Yu, one in the open and one in the shadows, began to build a stable foundation for the family.

After ten years of operation, the Yang Family's internal structure could now be described as ironclad.

There was no discrimination or hierarchy among the different bloodlines. Regardless of closeness, talent was selected and promoted.

It was precisely because of this just and strict approach that Yang Guanfeng, as Patriarch, became the most convincing leader in the history of the Yang Family.

After a short while, a gentle breeze blew into the Yang Family's assembly hall.

Everyone looked up. In the blink of an eye, Yang Guanfeng was already seated at the head of the table.

No one present could see how he moved, and their reverence for him grew even stronger.

Because of Yang Guanfeng's appearance and his decisive actions, the Yang Family had transformed from an ordinary aristocratic family in Willow Leaf Town into a top-tier power within ten years.

They had personally experienced the immense changes, so their reverence for this Old Ancestor was entirely from the heart, with no trace of falsehood.

"Yang Feiyun!"

"Yang Xiaolei!"

After Yang Guanfeng took his seat, the two elder family members led the way, rising and shouting in unison, "Descendants of the Yang Family, pay respects to the Old Ancestor!"