Chapter 80

Within the red light, as if a crimson dragon shadow wandered, it entered the Zhang family's yin residence, like a fish in water.

No matter how many changes, Zhang Jian could no longer see them clearly.

He had never cultivated any technique for observing qi.

Only after the red dragon pearl fell into the ancestral land did he feel an invisible red light descend from the depths of the void into his body, merging with the radiance of the life seal, and a brand‑new azure life seal emerged from the life seal's radiance, within it a hint of purple.

But deep within its core, it was suffused with red light.

Like a cluster of blazing flames burning fiercely.

As this life seal appeared, Zhang Jian faintly sensed that his affinity for a certain special spiritual mechanism between heaven and earth had greatly increased.

"It's fire!"

Zhang Jian's gaze flickered; he knew he must possess a fire‑attribute spiritual root, and with this unfamiliar life seal's blessing, his future cultivation of fire‑attribute techniques would proceed much more smoothly.

"Since it is related to the Red Dragon, it should also be a prequel destiny pattern to the Hidden Dragon destiny pattern; let's just call it the Red Virtue True King destiny pattern!"

Zhang Jian didn't know much about destiny patterns, but he felt the name Red Virtue True King was just right.

After the Red Dragon Pearl transformed into a dragon shadow and penetrated deep into the ancestral land, Zhang Jian summoned Master Jian Yao to form a patrol team, thereafter designating the area as a forbidden zone, not allowing ordinary people to approach easily.

Once the Red Dragon Pearl enters the ancestral land, it will give rise to various marvels and also alter the surrounding feng shui layout, nurturing a dragon vein; it must certainly not be discovered by others, lest disaster be invited.

……

And when that strand of red light on Mount Zhufeng shot straight into the heavens, these phenomena also attracted many gazes.

Several deities in Fengyang Commandery roughly noticed it.

The Commandery Lord of Fengyang Commandery, Chen Qingyuan, the White Water Dragon Lord, and a Daoist in purple robes deep within Fengyang Commandery also noticed the red light appearing on the eastern horizon.

"That direction is Fengxi County, the Twin Phoenix Mountains?"

Inside the Commandery Lord's temple, Chen Qingyuan glanced briefly, but those omens were only a fleeting flash, too brief to directly determine their exact location.

Soon he withdrew his gaze.

As the Commandery Lord, he doesn't concern himself much; the divine and the mundane are two parallel worlds, he cannot interfere too much nor wishes to readily involve himself, for a slight mistake would cost him his divine position; it's best to remain neutral.

This has been the attitude of the gods since ancient times.

Unless evil spirits run amok on his own turf, clash with divine duties, and affect the operation of the City Lord's Divine Office.

Compared to the indifferent attitude of the two deities inside and outside Fengyang Commandery, Daoist Yuhe had his eyes flickering, quite interested.

He suspected that some treasure might be born within the Twin Phoenix Mountains, but though he had the idea he could not leave; he received news that an elder within the Cavern Spirit Temple had some thoughts on the Phoenix Spirit Ghost King of the Twin Phoenix Mountains, preparing to go personally to see if he could ferry and subdue that ghost king, transforming it into a guardian dharma for the Cavern Spirit Temple.

He needed to prepare in advance to welcome him.

……

At the Zhang Family Manor in Fengxi County, Zhang Jian had just returned when he saw the Zhang household bustling extraordinarily.

It wasn't due to any happy event, but rather Third Uncle's household next door was in an uproar.

"This plague-bringing scoundrel, you say how can our family make a living from now on, and you, this mud egg, obediently listened to their nonsense, bought that pile of useless junk, and now our wealth has all been swindled away!"

From afar, Zhang Jian saw a somewhat plump, tall woman in floral clothing wailing loudly, while Third Uncle Zhang Yun stood beside her with a dark face, looking ill-omened.

He muttered, "This can't be blamed on me; I'm not an immortal who can pinch and calculate!"

That woman was Third Uncle's wife, Lady Zhang Qian.

Upon hearing Zhang Yun's words, Lady Zhang Qian burst out scolding, leaving Zhang Yun unable to cope!

Zhang Jian had Zhang Lu make a brief inquiry and immediately understood the situation: earlier, a group of outside medicine merchants had come to Fengxi County, claiming to possess a batch of matured wild mountain ginseng, which naturally caught Zhang Yun's attention.

Zhang Yun had always been in business, leveraging the Zhang family's influence, thriving in Fengxi County, and now possessed some modest wealth.

Upon seeing such high-quality mountain ginseng, he was naturally delighted, immediately sent people to make contact, confirmed the goods were genuine, then happily went to trade; but upon bringing them back that very night, the ginseng in his hands had completely vanished.

Hearing Zhang Lu's report, Zhang Jian sighed, "It seems someone used heretical methods to swindle, but to have deceived the Zhang family—he's blind!"

Zhang Jian's expression turned cold; he had no intention of taking action—such heretical fraud merely borrows a bit of heretical technique, likely possessing little cultivation; otherwise there'd be no need to swindle, he could simply sell his methods to noble houses for profit and honor.

Zhang Jian immediately stepped forward; Zhang Yun's eyes shifted, and at once he spotted Zhang Jian's presence, his eyes lighting up as he hurried over.

"Ah Yun, you've returned from the commandery? You heard? Will you stand up for me, Third Uncle?"

He repeatedly complained bitterly.

Lady Zhang Qian also stopped her wailing, tears streaming as she looked at Zhang Jian and said.

"Brother Jian, you must help Third Uncle's wife recover the silver; without this money, Third Uncle and his several brothers will be left to drink the northwest wind!"

"

Zhang Jian smiled while comforting the two, knowing all along that his third uncle wasn't very bright; this business could succeed only thanks to the reputation of Zhang Yi, with acquaintances inside and outside Fengxi County giving some face.

But even so, they still had to pay an intelligence tax each year.

He then said, "Third Aunt, rest assured; now everyone inside and outside Fengxi County is our eyes and ears, we should soon find their trail!"

Now the Zhang family has influence and manpower; with a single order, people from all walks of life will naturally lend a hand.

The ability to issue currency is more useful than anything.

Moreover, the county magistrate commands over a thousand elite troops; once the enemy's location is found, dispatching a portion to surround and annihilate them, a few volleys of synchronized fire will be enough to suppress everything.

Seeing Zhang Jian nod, Zhang Yun and his wife's worries instantly dissipated.

……

Zhang Jian alone went to meet his fourth uncle Zhang Kui, then promptly returned to his own manor.

The two destiny patterns condensed from his inner life seal were profoundly marvelous; he needed time to reacquaint himself with them.

These two destiny patterns each have their own focus, but unfortunately Zhang Jian currently lacks any fire-attribute techniques, so he cannot test the impact of the new destiny pattern on his cultivation.

Within the courtyard, Zhang Jian gazed at his Dragon Chant Sword, recalling the scene where he had slain the Qingyu Daoist with a single strike.

The Sun and Moon Sword Technique and the Metal Lung Sword Talisman unite, and the exerted power lies entirely upon the pure Sun and Moon Sword Technique or the Metal Lung Sword Talisman alone.

He currently counts as having truly mastered the flying sword technique.

But this is merely an entry level; true flying sword technique can release the longsword from hand and control it remotely.

He had previously seen Tianxu Laodao wield the Purple Yang Dharma Sword, with one strike almost cleaving a bloodsucking leech with three hundred years of cultivation in two.

After repeated practice, Zhang Jian also gradually found that feeling.

The main point remained that mysterious connection between him and heaven and earth; he needed to fuse it into the Dragon Chant Sword, so the two would form a special resonance, like a spiritual-power magnet—no matter where the Dragon Chant Sword flew, it could always return at any moment.

Moreover, it was an agile return, not something easily intercepted.

He gazed up at the gradually emerging bright white moon overhead, and with his Dragon Chant Sword he struck out once again.

Mastery comes from diligence, decay from leisure; conduct arises from thought, ruin follows from blind following.

Just as Zhang Jian had once told the White Water Dragon Lord, even if his cultivation advanced extremely quickly, he dared not be the slightest bit lax.

On the contrary, he rather enjoyed this process.

Every bit of progress in swordsmanship is precious!

……

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Phoenix Sun Commandery city, a new Daoist temple was under construction.

The three scarlet characters of Fire Spirit Temple blazed like flames.

At that moment, a man wearing a Daoist robe and carrying a long sword swept his gaze over the foot of the mountain, but his eyes sank.

"The rivers and roads have changed—who ruined my Spirit-Gathering Feng Shui Array?"

His gaze sank as he scanned the surrounding mountain range; beside it were several nameless hills, but wherever he looked, the spiritual energy gathered by his own Daoist temple seemed, in an instant, to be sitting on a leaky container, constantly leaking out.

This made him furious.

After great difficulty he had chosen a feng shui treasure site where spiritual energy converged, yet he had actually been schemed against.