Chapter 235: Underground Refuge Plan, An Unexpected Encounter in the Imperial City

The next day.

Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan arrived.

Using the Demon Tribulation as an excuse, Xu Chuan instructed them to secretly construct an underground project. It was not meant to be a simple cellar, but a full-fledged survival base built three hundred meters underground.

"Mingwei, dig an underground tunnel here in Dongxi extending to Broken Fang Peak. Excavate a large enough space inside the peak and the surrounding underground area.

Mingxuan, over at the Guangling branch, dig a tunnel connecting the underground of the branch to the Moon Tomb Alliance. Both underground locations must have enough living space.

There needs to be multiple entrances and exits, and it would be best if one of them connected to a water source."

The three of them were shocked upon hearing this.

Xu Mingyuan frowned. "Father, Moyue has already recovered to the early third tier. It isn't impossible for him to reach the mid or even late third tier before the Demon Tribulation.

Could that still not be enough to survive the Demon Tribulation?

Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingxuan shared his doubts.

"The Demon Tribulation varies in scale. The five-hundred-year cycle is merely a minor tribulation. During the thousand-year great tribulation, there might even be Golden Core stage demonic cultivators personally taking action.

If a massive war breaks out, the shockwaves alone wouldn't be something our ordinary Xu family members could withstand.

Do you want to see our clan grounds reduced to scorched earth, with only a handful of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators left alive?"

"I didn't think it through," Xu Mingyuan immediately apologized.

"Just do as I say. No matter what, our Xu family must preserve the majority of our people during the great tribulation decades from now.

By accumulating our strength until the next great tribulation, we will have enough power to face it head-on, rather than meeting a tragic end."

Xu Chuan thought to himself, 'In the next millennium, as long as our Xu family becomes a top-tier Nascent Soul noble family, we will definitely be able to lead all our clansmen out of this Land of Imprisonment.'

The group left the Jade Cold Pool.

Xu Mingyuan's expression remained solemn. After a moment, he said, "Eldest Brother, Third Brother, I feel like Father is definitely hiding something from us. It might be a disaster even more severe than the Demon Tribulation."

"My intuition tells me the same," Xu Mingxuan agreed.

Xu Mingwei pondered for a moment before replying, "Father has his reasons for not telling us. I believe he will reveal it to us in due time."

The other two exchanged a glance and gave slight nods.

Then, Xu Mingyuan spoke up again. "Actually, I've always had a doubt in my heart. Since there are prosperous cultivation lands like the Southern Heaven Region, why don't Golden Core Aristocratic Families like the Cao, Sima, and Liu families migrate there?

Even if the journey is long, with the protection of a Golden Core cultivator, they could at least move the majority of their clansmen.

In a prosperous place like the Southern Heaven Region, a Golden Core Aristocratic Family might not be considered a top-tier faction, but they certainly wouldn't be weak either."

Xu Mingyuan hit the nail on the head.

Hearing this, Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingwei fell silent.

They were both intelligent men.

They faintly guessed a possibility.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but rather that they couldn't!

Great Wei, Great Liang, and Great Jin—these three lands spanning tens of thousands of miles—might just be one massive cage.

"Don't overthink it. For now, we just need to complete Father's instructions. Mingxuan, you won't have any issues on your end, right?" Xu Mingwei asked.

Xu Mingxuan nodded. "No problem."

"The only issue might be time. Building it at least three hundred meters underground, combined with the need for secrecy, might take fifteen to twenty years."

"It's all worth it for the sake of safety," Xu Mingwei said, adding a reminder. "Also, don't forget about your own cultivation.

Strength is the most important thing!"

"I was wondering why Father didn't mention it earlier. It turns out you were saving it to fill in the gaps, Eldest Brother," Xu Mingxuan laughed.

Xu Mingyuan smiled gently.

Xu Mingwei shook his head, chuckling in amusement.

The previous heavy atmosphere lifted significantly with their laughter.

Xu Mingxuan went to the main estate to visit Bai Jing. After chatting for a while, he also left Dongxi and returned to Guangling.

Five years passed.

Everyone in the Xu family advanced rapidly in their cultivation.

Out of the six members of the Xu family's second generation, the first four were around the early to mid-stage of the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, while Xu Mingqing had reached the late-stage of the fourth layer.

Xu Mingxian was the only one who had broken through to the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.

His cultivation speed was indeed not the slightest bit inferior to someone with an Earth Spiritual Root aptitude.

The same was true for Xu Dezhao and Xu Deheng, who had advanced around the same time.

After all, they all possessed True Spiritual Roots, and their cultivation methods were largely similar.

However, there were exceptions, such as Xu Deyue. Her Innate Destiny Talent, combined with a highly compatible cultivation method, actually allowed her to approach the aptitude of an Earth Spiritual Root. Like Xu Mingqing, she was also at the late-stage of the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Furthermore, under the influence of both factors, her bloodline evolved to the Eighth Grade—the Cold Moon Bloodline.

There was even hope that it might evolve into a Seventh-Grade bloodline in the future.

As for Xu Mingqing's Innate Destiny Talent, Taiyi Green Spirit, it did not have the effect of altering his physique or bloodline.

The two of them had one more thing in common: both were still single to this day.

Xu Deling, one of the earliest to reach Foundation Establishment, was now at the late-stage of the sixth layer. Ren Xiaoyao, with the help of a mid-grade Void Rushing Pill two months prior, had stepped into the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment.

Meanwhile, without any worries regarding the supply of Qi-Merging Pills, Xu Chuan fully embraced the path of consuming pills to cultivate.

He was now at the peak of the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment.

"I've only consumed three Void Rushing Pills. This last one will be perfect for breaking through the bottleneck to the ninth layer!"

Xu Chuan did not hesitate and swallowed it immediately.

If there was one thing he had an abundance of, it was medicinal pills.

While Xu Chuan was in seclusion.

Guangling Commandery.

Xu Clan Trading Company.

The Xu family's second auction commenced.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed since the annihilation of the Wei and Feng families.

This time, the Xu family brought out many excellent items: Demonic Beast Inner Cores, late-stage Tier 2 demonic beast materials, Demonic Beast Essence Souls, Tier 2 Spirit Iron, top-grade magical artifacts, fine-grade magical artifacts, top-grade talismans, and high-grade Tier 1 formation flags.

There were also Jade Marrow Pills, Jade Sprout Pills, Void Rushing Pills, True Essence Pills, Qi-Merging Pills, Face-Fixing Pills, Marrow-Cleansing Pills, Origin-Exploding Pills, and more.

The scale was two to three times larger than the previous one.

Additionally, many aristocratic families had added their own items to the auction before it began.

The liveliness of the event actually approached the standard of some major auctions in the Imperial City.

The only thing lacking was items like Talisman Treasures.

"The last time the Xu family held an auction, they were still facing oppression from the Wei and Feng families," an elder of a Foundation Establishment aristocratic family sighed emotionally.

"Indeed. At the time, this old man thought the Xu family was trying to borrow the influence of the various families, which was why they brought out so many precious pills for auction.

But who could have imagined that the Xu family was actually establishing their dominance, killing the chicken to warn the monkeys right in front of everyone!

In just a short quarter of an hour, they completely slaughtered the Feng family.

Then, right during the auction, they wiped out the Wei family and silenced any other voices of resistance.

Decisive and ruthless!"

At this moment, another person walked over and said, "Ten years. The Xu family's strength seems to have multiplied several times over. They truly are blessed by heaven."

A white-haired elder scoffed, "Blessed by heaven?"

"If your family were left to develop in a rural backwater, even given decades or a century, becoming a Martial Dao clan would be your absolute limit.

How could the Xu family's journey to this point be summed up by those simple words?"

Many people pondered this and found it made sense.

It really wasn't a case of just anyone being able to do it.

Over the past five years, a batch of Xu family immortal seedlings had gradually grown up and begun traveling everywhere.

They also discovered another batch among the commoners, and their vassal families were continuously adding more immortal seedlings.

Furthermore, they had absorbed dozens to over a hundred rogue cultivators to work for the Xu family.

With such a massive operation, they needed a lot of manpower.

Since most of the roles required immortal cultivators, recruiting rogue cultivators was inevitable.

However, as long as the Xu family maintained their recruitment standards, the rogue cultivators they brought in wouldn't easily cause trouble.

"Fellow Daoists, let's stop chatting at the entrance and head inside. The auction is about to begin."

Someone urged with a smile.

The crowd chuckled and dropped the conversation, surging into the Xu Clan Trading Company.

The auction lasted for a day and a night before concluding.

Most people returned completely satisfied, though quite a few were frustrated that they hadn't brought enough resources and spirit stones.

From this single auction alone.

The Xu family naturally earned a massive fortune.

Whether it was demonic beast materials, pills, top-grade talismans, or magical artifacts, everything was refined and provided by the Xu family themselves.

Their true cost was likely less than a tenth of what they earned.

Seven or eight days later.

Dongxi.

Xu Dewen failed to break through to Foundation Establishment, even suffering injuries that required time to heal.

Feeling helpless, he had no choice but to set it aside for now.

Another two months passed.

The Cao Clan Academy brought their students to Under the Moon Academy.

The competition between the two academies attracted many Foundation Establishment aristocratic families.

The Cao Clan Academy won the competition, yet they were heavily mocked.

This was because every student representing the Cao Clan Academy was a member of the Cao clan.

A single remark—"Did the Cao clan establish an academy to nurture their own disciples or the students of other families?"—drew widespread ridicule.

Someone even commented, "The Cao family wanted to cause trouble for the Xu family, but not a single Xu clan member even took the field. They completely threw away the face of a Golden Core Aristocratic Family."

On the other hand, although the students selected by Under the Moon Academy lost, they all displayed commendable traits.

At the very least, they were several times stronger than the poorly-talented individuals left to fend for themselves in their respective families.

As for the various family students who entered the University, over the past few years, some of them had genuinely managed to gain a basic mastery of immortal arts through sheer perseverance.

Some became alchemists, while others became blacksmiths and talisman makers.

Unfortunately, not a single student managed to become an array master.

It couldn't be helped; the comprehension required to become an array master was simply too high.

Some members of aristocratic families even began to consider whether they should try sending their own geniuses to Under the Moon Academy for next year's assessments.

After all, if students with low aptitude showed such obvious growth after just a few years, those with outstanding talent and comprehension might go even further.

As for the Cao Clan Academy, if they still couldn't maintain fairness and focus on educating all students, they would only be a laughingstock.

After all, the members of the Cao clan belonged to a Golden Core Aristocratic Family.

The other Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment aristocratic families generally wouldn't compare their own children with them.

Even if the Cao clan's disciples were nurtured successfully, what did it have to do with them?

If they couldn't see the growth of their own clansmen and had to spend an extra sum on tuition fees, they might as well not come.

Inside the Cao clan.

Cao Dezhang was furious, punishing many instructors at the Cao Clan Academy, all of whom were Cao clansmen.

Over a thousand years of development.

The population of the Cao clan was massive.

Some of the fringe clansmen were completely unsupervised, leading to a mix of good and bad elements.

"Father, I wish to attend the academy."

Cao Zhenyi waited until his father, Cao Yulong, came out of seclusion before stepping forward and bowing respectfully.

Cao Yulong shot him a cold glance, his voice indifferent. "Go where? Just stay home and cultivate obediently!"

"But my other younger brothers..."

"They are them, and you are you. You just need to do as I ordered."

"Enough. Get out of my sight." Cao Yulong flicked his sleeve robe, sending out a sharp gust of wind that forced Cao Zhenyi to stumble several steps back.

Then, without looking back, he strode away.

Cao Yulong had long since married two wives, who had birthed four children in succession over the past few years.

The oldest was only half a year younger than Cao Zhenyi.

Cao Zhenyi had people to take care of his basic needs, but he had never received an ounce of familial affection.

Neither Cao Yulong nor Cao Shengming treated him as if he were of their direct bloodline.

It could be said that Cao Zhenyi suffered endless cold glares.

He was even mocked, beaten, and scolded by children of his own clan, who called his mother, Ye Xuehua, a slut who ruined the Cao family's grand plan.

He had learned the truth two years ago.

He possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root, a talent unseen in the Cao family for hundreds of years. Yet, his foundation had been ruined by a secret art cast by his own birth mother.

For his entire life, he would only be a 1st Layer Qi Condensation immortal cultivator.

Cao Zhenyi cultivated incredibly hard, drawing in a massive amount of spiritual qi. However, as soon as the spiritual qi entered his body, it was completely absorbed by the Seed of Withered Wood.

Otherwise, at eight years old, under the Cao family's nurturing, he would be at least at the 5th Layer of Qi Condensation. Breaking through to Foundation Establishment before the age of eighteen would have been effortlessly easy.

Cao Zhenyi returned to his room, looking utterly despondent.

"Mother, why did you do this to me? Did you not love me at all?"

He brought out Ye Xuehua's memorial tablet and gently stroked it. Pea-sized teardrops rolled down, falling onto the tablet with a soft patter.

"If that's the case, why did you give birth to me?!"

"Mother was the disciple of the Zhou family's Ancestor, and the Zhou family is a vassal of the Xu family. Is everything truly a conspiracy by the Xu family?"

"Moon Slave," Cao Zhenyi called out.

A young woman entered from outside the door. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old and at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

"I want to go for a walk."

"Young Master Zhenyi, Lord Yulong does not want you to go out."

"Since when does my father care whether I live or die?" Cao Zhenyi looked at Moon Slave. "You only need to know that you are my servant. Just follow my orders!"

"Yes, Young Master Zhenyi. Where are we going?"

"Let's head to the southern district."

Moon Slave piloted a magic skiff, taking Cao Zhenyi to the southern district.

At the entrance of the Dan Hall.

A young man in green robes stepped out of the Dan Hall's main gates. He glanced back, let out a soft sigh, and turned away.

'It seems his words have finally come to pass.'

'Continuing to stay in the Dan Hall is worse than becoming a rogue cultivator.'

The person leaving was Wei Dao.

Over the past ten years, he had finally given up his unrealistic hope of attaining the Chief position. Completely disheartened, he withdrew from the Dan Hall.

The sacred land of alchemy that every alchemist in Great Wei once dreamed of entering had seen its reputation plummet in recent years. It was no longer the same as before.

He walked down the streets of the marketplace.

By chance, he saw a young child arguing with a middle-aged rogue cultivator.

The rogue cultivator looked as if he was about to strike the boy.

Wei Dao waved his sleeve, sending a current of air crashing into the man, knocking him down. "Is there really a need to bicker with a child?"

"Mind your own f—Peak Qi Condensation?!"

The rogue cultivator's body trembled instantly, and he chuckled nervously. "You are right, Senior. This junior will take his leave right away."

He turned and scurried off.

"Young man, what is your name? Looking at your luxurious clothes, you shouldn't be from an ordinary family. Why are you out without a single servant?"

The child was Cao Zhenyi. He had intentionally shaken off Moon Slave because he wanted to ask someone about the Xu family in private.

"My surname is... Ye. I am Ye Fan."

"Ye Fan? From the Imperial City's Ye family?"

Cao Zhenyi did not answer, but instead said, "Senior, this junior is a little hungry. Could you treat me to a meal? Once my servant arrives, I will pay you back."

"Haha, you certainly aren't shy, young man."

"Then let's go to this one." Wei Dao smiled and pointed at the CloudSoaring Inn right in front of them.

The two requested a private room.

Cao Zhenyi ordered a few dishes. Before the food arrived, he asked, "How should I address you, Senior?"

"My surname is Wei."

"Senior Wei, this junior has something he'd like to ask you."

Wei Dao looked at Cao Zhenyi and smiled faintly. "Little friend Ye, being hungry was just an excuse. You really just wanted to ask me something, right?"

"Senior saw right through me."

"Go ahead and ask. However, I am not an omniscient being who knows everything."

Wei Dao felt a sense of affinity with the boy, so he did not refuse.

"Does Senior Wei know of the Xu family? What kind of family are they?"

"Asking about the Xu family? I don't recall the Ye family having any grudges against the Xu family." Wei Dao pondered for a moment before his eyes lit up. "You're not from the Ye family, are you."

"This junior never claimed to be from the Ye family."

"You sly little kid. Still, there's no harm in answering." Wei Dao spoke slowly. "The Xu family, huh... In just a few decades, they have become the top aristocratic family in Great Wei, faintly harboring the intent to rival the Imperial Cao Clan.

What do you think of that?"

"Amazing." Cao Zhenyi asked further, "But to reach such heights, the Xu family must have engaged in plenty of pillaging and annexing other families, right? They must have constantly used all sorts of schemes and tricks."

"Annexations, yes. Schemes and tricks, perhaps. But pillaging? As far as I know, the Xu family has never taken the initiative to pillage other families."

"Is that so? Then has Senior Wei heard about the incident where the Xu family's vassal, the Zhou family, married a woman into the Cao family?"

"Ye Xuehua? Naturally, I've heard of it. The Cao family held a massive wedding banquet back then. To go to such lengths for a mere fourth-rank family truly surprised quite a few aristocratic families.

Of course, Fairy Xuehua was worth it.

After all, she had successfully reached Foundation Establishment at the time.

Furthermore, during the Wuhua trial, she led the fourth-rank Zhou family to an impressive top-five ranking."

"I heard that Fairy Xuehua died a few years ago. But what was astonishing was that the news didn't come from the Cao family, but rather from Yuehu Commandery.

What's even stranger is that after her death, she wasn't buried in the Cao family's graveyard, but returned to the Zhou family.

And the Cao family actually agreed to it.

This was widely discussed for a long time back then."

"Senior, do you not know the details of what happened either?"

Wei Dao shook his head and laughed softly. "Such private matters are only truly known to the parties involved. How much could I possibly know from hearsay?"

"Then could it be that the Xu family killed Fairy Xuehua?"

Wei Dao paused, staring intently at Cao Zhenyi. "Why would you think that? I've never heard that version of the rumors."

"Isn't the Zhou family a vassal of the Xu family? And Fairy Xuehua was the disciple of the Zhou family's Ancestor."

Wei Dao shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Fair enough. You're young, so it's normal you don't know. Before Fairy Xuehua married into the Cao clan, the Zhou family was not a vassal of the Xu family.

The two families seemed to be long-standing allies.

As for why the Zhou family became a vassal, it likely had to do with them being attacked by so-called demonic cultivators shortly after."

"So-called demonic cultivators? What does that mean?"

"Well, there are two versions of that story. One is that they were genuine demonic cultivators. The other is that it was the doing of the Cao clan, attacking the Zhou family—who had just become vassals—to force the Xu family to reinforce them, hoping to heavily injure the Xu family.

However, the Xu family's prestige in Yuehu Commandery was extremely high. The moment the Xu family spoke, all the Qi Condensation aristocratic families in the commandery dispatched their clansmen to help."

"Why would the Cao clan do that?"

"That is something I do not know," Wei Dao said. Looking at Cao Zhenyi, he added, "When I probed you just now, I noticed something seemed wrong inside your body. May I inspect it more closely?"

Cao Zhenyi nodded and extended his hand.

Wei Dao placed his fingers on the boy's wrist. A sliver of mana flowed into Cao Zhenyi's body, revealing an anomaly within his Dantian.

"This is... the Seed of Withered Wood?!"

Wei Dao's expression changed drastically. "Who on earth cast such a vicious secret art on you?"

Cao Zhenyi's gaze dimmed. Pretending not to know, he shook his head and asked, "Since Senior Wei knows of it, do you know how to break it?"

"You're overestimating me," Wei Dao smiled bitterly. "I only know of it because my primary cultivation is a wood-element cultivation method, and I've seen records of this secret art.

This technique is incredibly insidious. Once planted, all of a person's mana essence is absorbed by the Seed of Withered Wood. As long as the caster kills the host, they can extract the seed.

It can then be used as nourishment to vastly increase the caster's own strength."

"What if the caster is dead?"

"Without anyone to control the Seed of Withered Wood, it will simply passively absorb any cultivated spiritual qi and mana. Someone inflicted with it would be like you, forever trapped at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation."

Wei Dao looked at him and gave a faint smile. "However, if you can find a way to break it in the future, you will receive an enormous blessing.

It will cleanse your marrow and let you undergo a complete transformation, shedding your mortal body and exchanging your bones.

Furthermore, your physique is aligned with fire. Since wood fuels fire, it could trigger a transformation in your bloodline.

After all, the mana you've painstakingly accumulated hasn't disappeared; it's just contained within the Seed of Withered Wood."

Cao Zhenyi let out a soft sigh and cupped his hands. "Thank you for explaining this to me, Senior Wei. But if it could be broken, my family would have done so for me long ago."

He was, after all, a Heavenly Spiritual Root talent, the likes of which the Cao family hadn't seen in centuries.

If it were possible, the Cao family would surely be willing to pay a tremendous price.

They wouldn't have just cast him aside like this—ignored by his relatives, constantly beaten and mocked by his peers, completely disregarded by everyone.

"Coincidentally, I happen to know someone. If you were to ask who in all of Great Wei has hope of breaking this Seed of Withered Wood, he's probably the only one."

"Who?!" Cao Zhenyi's eyes widened, filling with sudden, pleasant surprise.

Wei Dao's lips curled into a smirk. "It's exactly the person from the Xu family you were asking about earlier."

"The Grand Elder of the Xu family, Xu Chuan!"

"Him?!" Cao Zhenyi found it somewhat hard to believe.

The only person who could break his Seed of Withered Wood was actually the Grand Elder of the Xu family, the sworn enemy of the Cao clan!

Right at that moment.

A figure threw open the door to the private room and barged in.

It was Cao Zhenyi's servant, Moon Slave!

"Young Master, acting recklessly like this... if anything were to happen to you, even a thousand deaths would not absolve Moon Slave of her guilt."

"I know. We'll head back right now." Cao Zhenyi looked at Moon Slave. "Pay for the food in this room."

Saying this, he cupped his hands toward Wei Dao. "Speaking with you, Senior, has truly opened my eyes."

"Since I intentionally deceived you earlier, please let me treat you to this meal. If fate allows us to meet again, I will properly thank you."

"We'll leave it to fate. I plan to leave the Imperial City today."

"Where are you going, Senior?"

"The world is vast. I'll just travel and see where the wind takes me."

Cao Zhenyi gave a slight nod, then left with Moon Slave.

Immediately afterward, the food and wine were served.

Wei Dao did not decline the hospitality. He enjoyed his meal in peace, throwing his head back to down a cup of wine before muttering, "What an interesting youth. He may be young, but his mind is deeper and heavier than that of an ordinary adult.

'Wait, could this boy be a member of the Cao clan?'

'His surname is Ye? Fairy Xuehua?'

'Could he be Ye Xuehua's son?!'

Half a month later.

Yuehu Commandery, Dongxi.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Wei Dao. I've come to visit your Grand Elder."

"Visit the Grand Elder?" The patrolling disciple looked Wei Dao up and down, asking in surprise, "What is your relationship with our Grand Elder?

The Grand Elder rarely sees guests nowadays."

"Your Grand Elder personally acknowledged me as his Junior Brother," Wei Dao said with a faint smile. "Given this, would you be willing to pass on a message?"

"The Grand Elder's Junior Brother?"

Several patrolling disciples began discussing among themselves. "I've never heard of the Grand Elder taking a master?"

"Fine, I will go inform them. But if you are lying, you won't escape a bitter beating!"

One of the disciples released a flying sword and stepped onto it, flying toward the Patriarch's Grand Hall.

Naturally, a mere patrolling disciple had no right to disturb the Grand Elder directly, so he first went to report to the Family Head, Xu Chonghui.

"Family Head, there is an immortal cultivator at Peak Qi Condensation seeking to visit the Grand Elder, claiming to be the Grand Elder's Junior Brother."

"When did the Grand Elder ever take a master?" Xu Chonghui looked at the patrolling disciple with confusion, furrowing his brow. "What is his name?"

"Wei Dao."

"It's him?!"

Xu Chonghui rapped his knuckles on his desk: 'Tap-tap-tap'. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Go and invite him to the reception hall."

"Yes, Family Head." The patrolling disciple clasped his fist and left.

Although Xu Chonghui had never met him, he knew of Wei Dao. He was a member of the Wei family from Guangling Commandery who had been taken in as a disciple by Yun Zhongzi of the Dan Hall at a young age, and his alchemy skills were profound.

Ten years ago, he had helped the Wei and Feng families refine pills, suppressing the Xu family's alchemy business in Guangling Commandery.

After the Xu family wiped out the Wei and Feng families, Xu Chuan spared his life out of respect for Yun Zhongzi. It was even rumored that Xu Chuan had invited him to join the Xu family.

'Could it be he's finally thought things through?'

Xu Chonghui headed to the Jade Cold Pool. Xu Chuan had already smoothly reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment.

He was not in deep seclusion these days, just meditating peacefully.

"Great-grandfather, Wei Dao has come to visit. This grandson has already invited him to the reception hall. Do you wish to see him?"

"Wei Dao?" Xu Chuan felt momentarily surprised. "I see. Have him wait in the hall for a moment," he said calmly.

"Then this grandson will go entertain him first."

Xu Chonghui chatted idly with Wei Dao in the reception hall for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Xu Chuan then walked into the hall. Taking the master seat, he smiled faintly. "Junior Brother Wei Dao, coming here... have you perhaps left the Dan Hall?"

"The Dan Hall of today is long since gone from being the Dan Hall in my heart."

"That's normal. Not everyone is like Senior Yun Zhongzi." Xu Chuan suddenly changed the subject. "What brings you here this time? I'm guessing it isn't to join my Xu family?"

"There are mainly two matters. First, on the day I left the Imperial City, I happened to meet an eight or nine-year-old boy. He had the Seed of Withered Wood planted within him, and he asked me about Fairy Xuehua and the Xu family.

Is he Fairy Xuehua's biological son?"

Xu Chuan was slightly taken aback. "The Seed of Withered Wood? Then it should be him."

After the Zhou family became a vassal of the Xu family, copies of all their ancient classics and inheritances naturally entered the Xu family's Dao Repository Pavilion. Among them was the "Azure Wood Sword Art" that Zhou Qingfang primarily cultivated.

This was an ancient wood-attribute sword art, much more exquisite than the "Yimu Azure Spirit Art" in the Xu family's collection.

In passing, Xu Chuan had also practiced some of the wood-element sword arts and secret arts recorded within it.

"So it really is him. Then the Seed of Withered Wood must have been cast by Fairy Xuehua herself. No wonder his mind is so profound despite his young age."

Recovering from his surprise, Wei Dao suddenly remembered something. "By the way, before I guessed his identity, I told him that you might be able to break his Seed of Withered Wood. I hope this won't cause any trouble for you?"

Xu Chuan waved his hand, chuckling lightly. "It's fine. Even if the Cao clan comes looking for me, I can simply claim I am unable to break it."

"Are you really not planning to help? I've heard that Fairy Ye Xuehua had a good relationship with your Xu family, and her master is now an elder of your family."

"Don't inquire further into this matter. The complexities involved are beyond your imagination. When the time is right, I will naturally make my move."

Wei Dao did not press the issue, continuing, "The first matter was just to verify this and inform you, so you wouldn't be caught off guard if the Cao family caused trouble for you."

"Has my Xu family ever lacked people trying to cause trouble for us?"

"Haha, fair point," Wei Dao laughed aloud. "The second matter is this: I wish to follow in my teacher's footsteps and establish a new Dan Hall.

When I stayed in Guangling Commandery for a few days recently, I noticed that a marketplace had already formed around the Moon Tomb Alliance's headquarters, and its scale is growing ever larger.

I want to establish the new Dan Hall there and call it the Pill Pavilion."

"A mere cultivator at Peak Qi Condensation wants to establish a faction to rival the Dan Hall?"

"That's why I said I want to follow in my teacher's footsteps. As long as the Xu family helps me, the Pill Pavilion can be considered a power under the Xu family. My Pill Pavilion can refine pills for the Xu family, but the Xu family cannot interfere with its management or recruitment.

You can set down certain pill-refining quotas like the Cao Clan does, and the Pill Pavilion will fulfill them for the Xu family."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan chuckled softly. "A very good idea, but unfortunately, my Xu family refuses."

"Why?"

Xu Chuan smiled without saying a word. Xu Chonghui chimed in, "Our Xu family is not the Cao clan. The Cao clan has a millennium of foundation; the sheer number of Cao clansmen far exceeds all the members of our Xu family, our vassal families, and the disciples of other families combined.

Furthermore, the number of Grandmaster Alchemists our Xu family has currently trained is more than enough, and we have over a dozen regular alchemists. Even if we added another Dan Hall to our ranks, it wouldn't be of much help to us.

On the contrary, it would just stir up waves in our currently stable situation."

Hearing this, Wei Dao lowered his head in silence.

He had come in high spirits, thinking the Xu family would gladly agree, only to be ground down by reality.

Xu Chuan spoke, "Actually, you could join the Moon Tomb Alliance's Pill Refining Pavilion. With your attainments in the Dao of Alchemy, you are more than qualified to be a Vice Pavilion Master.

The Moon Tomb Alliance is not the private property of my Xu family.

Its Pill Refining Pavilion, Artifact Refining Pavilion, and the like all operate similarly to the Dan Hall, recruiting talented alchemists and blacksmiths.

It is not limited merely to the Yuehu and Guangling commanderies.

Its goal spans the entirety of Great Wei, encompassing both aristocratic families and rogue cultivators.

Every pavilion is essentially independent. They only need to provide pills and magical artifacts for the disciples of the Moon Tomb Alliance and hand over a portion of the spirit stones from their sales.

In return, the disciples of the Moon Tomb Alliance take on missions issued by the various pavilions to search for and provide materials."

As Xu Chuan spoke, he glanced at Wei Dao before continuing, "You can try staying there for a while. Let's set a trial period of half a year.

If, after half a year, you feel it isn't what you envisioned, you are completely free to leave.

For others, it wouldn't be so easy to leave once they join, but as the Grand Elder of the alliance, I can make an exception for you.

Additionally, I have previously stated that anyone who makes major contributions to the Moon Tomb Alliance will be personally gifted a Foundation Establishment opportunity by me.

Given your alchemy skills, as long as you do your best to save alliance materials and refine more pills,

you should be able to meet that requirement in seven or eight years."

With just a few words, Wei Dao unknowingly began to seriously consider the offer.

He had completely forgotten that his original purpose in coming was to ask the Xu family for help in establishing his own Pill Pavilion.

"If you agree, I will give you a rubbing of the alchemy inheritance that Senior Yun Zhongzi gifted me. It should be immensely helpful to the current you."

Two sharp gleams of light burst from Wei Dao's eyes. Without any further hesitation, he declared, "Alright. I will take on the role of Vice Pavilion Master in your Moon Tomb Alliance's Pill Refining Pavilion for a half-year trial."

A slight smile curved the corners of Xu Chuan's lips. He immediately handed over a handwritten letter.

"Just present this letter when you go."

Wei Dao nodded and then took his leave.

As for the rubbing of Yun Zhongzi's alchemy inheritance, Xu Chuan informed him that he could simply ask the Pavilion Master for it once he arrived at the Pill Refining Pavilion.

"Great-grandfather, weren't you a bit too polite to Wei Dao?" Xu Chonghui asked, confused.

Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "Talent is the most important thing in the world. Just think about it—our Xu family rose to power precisely because of my alchemy skills.

With Wei Dao's talent for the Dao of Alchemy, taking over the position of Pill Refining Pavilion Master in the future won't be a problem.

Moreover, while our Xu family doesn't lack alchemists right now, the rapid development of both our family and the Moon Tomb Alliance means that sooner or later, the number of alchemists and blacksmiths won't be able to keep up.

Naturally, the more relevant talent we have, the better."

"This grandson has been taught," Xu Chonghui said, cupping his hands.