Immortality and Cultivation: I Have Too Many Talents

Chapter 20 The Ding Family Crisis (Please continue reading)

The news that Qingyun Sect was willing to offer ten Foundation Establishment Pills to recruit rogue cultivators to clear the wilderness was finally made public.

Upon hearing that they could exchange their pioneering merits for Foundation Establishment Pills, many independent cultivators became excited, and the number of applicants exceeded that of previous years.

The prices of spiritual items for cultivation, such as elixirs, talismans, and magical artifacts, have been rising steadily.

Shen Xuan had a vague feeling that there were signs of instability in Qinglong Bay Market.

Manager Ding wouldn't tell him about such things.

Shen Xuan asked Zhao Chunsheng for information.

"The Ding family patriarch is old and his lifespan is almost over. And among the two hundred cultivators in the Ding family, no new Foundation Establishment cultivators have appeared yet."

Zhao Chunsheng did not continue.

Shen Xuan understood immediately.

The Ding family has no successor.

If something were to happen to the Ding family patriarch, it would be difficult for the Ding family to protect the sacred land of Qinglong Bay.

In the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme.

There are many cultivation families in the surrounding area, eyeing the area covetously.

"How many years of life does the Ding family patriarch have left?"

"Who can say for sure! Maybe in twenty or thirty years, maybe it will happen tomorrow."

Who is most likely to take advantage of the situation?

"The Zhao family of Zifeng Mountain, the He family of Wohu Ridge, and the Tao family of Wanzhu Forest. These three families are all Foundation Establishment families, and each has more than two Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Seeing Shen Xuan's worried expression, Zhao Chunsheng comforted him, saying, "Shen, don't worry too much. You're not a member of the Ding family, and you're a mid-grade talisman master."

"Whichever company moves into Qinglong Bay will treat a talent like you well."

Shen Xuan sighed and said, "I hope so."

In his mind, the Ding family was still a good family.

Having lived in Qinglong Bay for over forty years, he has become accustomed to life there.

It's hard to predict what the situation would be like if other cultivation families moved in.

You should know that he married a commoner from the Ding family.

"The best way to protect ourselves is to improve our own strength as soon as possible!"

As long as the Ding family patriarch is alive, Qinglong Bay will remain safe and sound.

In the cultivation world, the strength of a high-ranking cultivator determines the strength of their family.

One Foundation Establishment cultivator is more intimidating than ten Qi Refining Perfection cultivators.

However, Shen Xuan also needs to be wary of the future.

If the Ding family patriarch were to suddenly pass away, he would definitely have to move away from Qinglong Bay Market.

He's easy to deal with.

It can conceal its breath, become invisible, and has the talent to control water.

He could escape by jumping into the Longze River outside Qinglongwan Market.

But Lady Ding Yuyao is merely a mortal.

Even if one cultivates internal energy and becomes a second-rate martial artist, one is still no match for a true cultivator.

"If the situation changes, let my wife retreat to the mortal world first."

That's one way to do it.

The Qingyun Sect has decreed that wars between cultivation families must not extend to the mortal realm.

This is also a common rule in the Xuan Yuan Continent.

Ding Yuyao was just an ordinary person and not a true member of the Ding family.

That night.

Shen Xuan registered his identity alone and walked out of Qinglong Bay Market.

Not far from the market town is a port.

A great river, winding for thousands of miles, flows eastward all the way to the East China Sea.

This is Longze River.

Shen Xuan walked alone along the embankment of the Longze River.

Soon, his figure disappeared into the night.

[Concealing Breath Technique]!
Invisibility Technique!
Shen Xuan looked at Long Zejiang in front of him and slowly walked over.

This was his first time going into the water.

A dozen or so breaths later, Shen Xuan's entire body sank beneath the river.

Water control technique!
At that moment, an indescribable sense of familiarity and warmth spread through him, giving him the illusion that he was in his element.

Shen Xuan seemed to have transformed into a blue-feathered fish.

The pressure and resistance of the river water were reduced to negligible levels for him.

Moreover, the water within a three-zhang radius around him was under his control, fluctuating according to his will.

It can either separate a waterway or encircle and squeeze it.

Moreover, his spiritual perception was relatively less affected in the river.

The range of perception has shrunk from thirty zhang to ten zhang.

Within a range of ten feet, he could sense the operation of every living being.

"The speed of the Blue Feather Fish is a thousand miles per hour. I wonder how fast I can reach."

Shen Xuan took a deep breath and began to circulate the [Divine Treasure Ocean Technique] within his body.

In the next instant, like an arrow released from a bow, it streaked across the depths of the river, leaving a trail of afterimages, and sped more than a hundred feet away.

"The speed of the Blue Feather Fish is over 130 meters per second. I am now only 30% of the speed of the Blue Feather Fish."

Shen Xuan thought to himself.

Forty meters per second—that's four times the speed of a sprint champion in my previous life!
It's even faster than a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator who can fly through the air on a sword!
"Try the [Condensing Water to Form a Sharp Edge] technique!"

Shen Xuan mobilized his divine sense, and soon a crescent-shaped icy blade condensed in his hand. It was chillingly cold, transparent as if it had no substance, and shot out in an instant.

"Very good, it still has lethality within three zhang of the deep river!"

This is in the water.

A rifle with a range of up to 400 meters has an effective killing power of only one or two meters in water.

Half an hour later.

Shen Xuan walked out of the Longze River.

There wasn't a single water stain on his clothes.

"As long as I escape the market and jump into the Longze River, I can leave safely."

With four innate abilities protecting him—[Water Control], [Breath Concealment], [Invisibility], and [Self-Healing]—plus the [Water Condensation Technique], Shen Xuan's combat power in water is off the charts; ordinary Qi Refining cultivators are no match for him.

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't do anything to him in the Dragon Ze River.

Shen Xuan and the Ding family did not have many ties.

He would not tie his life to the Ding family.

The path to immortality is fraught with peril.

Shen Xuan only believes in himself!
After planning his retreat route, he continued his spiritual practice.

Zhao Chunsheng brought him mantis shrimp.

Each time it weighs seven or eight pounds.

"This stuff is cheap, only two spirit stones per pound!"

"Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Zhao."

In the training room, Shen Xuan used a mysterious jade talisman to plunder the bloodline talent of the mantis shrimp.

[Plunderable Talents: Water Control, Iron Fist, Critical Strike]

Shen Xuan chose the [Critical Strike] talent.

[Talent: Critical Strike (16/100)]

【Daoyun: 10】

"It seems that this critical strike talent is relatively easy to plunder, and its Daoist charm is average."

Shen Xuan plundered the mantis shrimp's talent mainly to improve his spiritual root aptitude, acquire Daoist essence, and increase his spell attack power, so he didn't need to develop new talismans for the new talent.

"In this way, the speed can be increased appropriately!"

Subsequently, Shen Xuan instructed Zhao Chunsheng to increase the procurement of mantis shrimp.

By crafting the Rejuvenation Talisman, he had a surplus of over sixty spirit stones a month, which he invested entirely in plundering the mantis shrimp's talents.

At this point, he couldn't care less about anything else.

Fortunately, mantis shrimp are common aquatic animals.

As a late-stage Qi Refining demon hunter, Zhao Chunsheng's acquisition of some mid-grade first-tier demon shrimp went unnoticed.

While Shen Xuan was in seclusion, he was cultivating diligently.

The Ding family's top management is in a state of utter chaos.

With the Ding family patriarch nearing the end of his lifespan, the surrounding Foundation Establishment forces were stirring and began to probe his territory.

"We must assist the Ding family in establishing their foundation-building seeds as soon as possible!"

The tone was set at the Ding family elders' meeting.

In order to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, the Ding family intensified its efforts to recruit independent cultivators to cultivate the land within its jurisdiction.

The merits gained by these independent cultivators in clearing the land were attributed to the Ding family.

The rewards were first given to the Ding family, and then distributed by the Ding family according to the merits of the recipients.

"Increase the conscription of laborers!"

"The substitute service tax must not be delayed! Anyone who fails to pay the substitute service tax and is not entitled to perform corvée labor shall be suppressed!"

(End of this chapter)