Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

At Fangyoucheng Wharf, the morning mist, like gauze, swirled among the masts.

Jiang Feng looked at his grandfather's haggard face and said in a deep voice, "Grandpa, please rest assured and wait at home. With Senior Jiuyou accompanying us, we will definitely bring Father back safely."

Jiang Yue patted his grandson's shoulder heavily, his lips moved, but in the end it only turned into a long sigh.

In truth, he still didn't want his grandson to take the risk. He would rather Jiang Feng find a place to hide and, with his grandson's talent, cultivate to the Core Formation stage. Then, a gentleman can take revenge even after ten years...

However, Jiang Yue also knew that his grandson had his own ideas, so he let him be.

He turned to face Jiuyou, who stood silently to the side, and bowed deeply:

"Senior, the Jiang family... and Feng'er, I'm entrusting them to you."

Jiuyou nodded slightly, and with a flick of his green robe, he took the lead in stepping onto the waiting ship.

For this trip to the Song family, Jiu You and Jiang Feng decided to travel by boat.

To be precise, it was Jiuyou who made the decision.

The reason is not to fly there directly or take a flying boat.

It was because Jiuyou was preparing to take this opportunity to explore the jade mine at the bottom of the Azure River...

Just as the boatmen were about to cast off the mooring lines, Jiang Tianyi rushed over and shouted:

"Father! The waterway to the Song family is winding and full of hidden reefs. I used to run a business in the past and am very familiar with this waterway. I am willing to guide you and Feng'er!"

Jiang Feng turned around, looking surprised, and said, "Second Uncle, the journey to the Song family is fraught with uncertainty, why did you come along?"

Jiang Tianyi waved his hand, "It's alright, it's alright. I was just worried about my third brother's safety too. But we still have Senior Jiuyou here, so what's there to be afraid of the Song family..."

Jiang Yue glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and without further suspicion, waved his hand:

"It's good to have someone guide you. Go ahead, but be careful in everything you do."

Jiang Tianyi suppressed his inner joy and quickly boarded the ship, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Jiu You's calm and composed back.

Driven by the array, the ship slowly sailed away from the dock, heading upstream against the flow of the Azure River, breaking through the shimmering waves.

The Tianqing River flows mightily, and the rising sun casts a layer of shattered gold on its surface.

As the boat sailed on the water, Jiang Tianyi "dutifully" pointed out the landscape:

"Senior, Feng'er, look ahead."

Where the water suddenly turns dark, lies the famous 'Blackwater Ravine,' said to be five hundred feet deep with a turbulent undercurrent that makes it difficult for ordinary boats to pass.

Beyond this ravine, several hundred miles further lies 'Falling Moon Bay.' On the night of the full moon, the bay is enveloped in a misty aura of spiritual energy, making it an excellent place for cultivation. Currently, it is occupied by a Qi-refining family named Lin…”

He spoke eloquently, describing the perilous passes, spiritual veins, and the immortal cultivation forces entrenched along the coast, his words earnest and earnest, appearing to be doing his utmost.

When they reached a section of the river where the water was wide and the aquatic energy was clearly active, Jiuyou suddenly raised his hand, signaling to stop the boat.

"I'll go down and take a look."

Before he finished speaking, he had already slipped silently into the water like a feather, without even creating a ripple.

The light in the underwater world dimmed rapidly, and pressure surged in from all directions.

The Nine Nether Path plunges straight down to the riverbed, hundreds of feet deep, where the ground is covered with a thick layer of silt and pebbles.

His divine sense spread out like a net, clearly perceiving the rich, watery energy distributed like veins deep within the rock strata...

Its crystal structure is of the same origin as the fire poison crystal ore under the Changli Mountains, but different in nature; one is as fiery as fire, while the other is as warm as water.

Jiuyou's heart trembled.

"Azure jade...Is it really so? It contains such pure water elemental power."

If refined using the unique alchemy techniques of the Crimson Forging Immortal Workshop, it might be possible to reverse-engineer the opposite attributes of the [Yang Yuan Pill] to create a [Water Yuan Pill] or [Yin Yuan Pill]?

He thought to himself, "For cultivators with water or wood spiritual roots, the effect of this pill should far surpass that of ordinary pills."

However, mining in this area is extremely difficult.

The powerful water pressure penetrates everywhere, the riverbed rock is hard, and there are no natural, huge cavities like those in the underground world of the Changli Mountains that can be used.

Even ordinary Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, with water-avoidance techniques and magical treasures for protection, would find it difficult to sustain themselves at this depth for long.

Let alone conducting high-intensity spirit ore mining...

"Since the Song family dared to take the lead in joint mining, they must have mastered some special deep-water operation method, or be relying on some kind of rare treasure..."

Jiuyou understood immediately. Having seen what she wanted to see, she stopped and floated up as lightly as a fish.

.........

On the ship.

Jiang Tianyi noticed that Jiu You had dived into the deep water and Jiang Feng was meditating with his eyes closed at the bow of the ship. He then quietly slipped to the cabin at the stern where miscellaneous items were stored.

He quickly set up a simple soundproof barrier and took out the communication jade talisman he kept close to his body:

"The target has passed Blackwater Ravine! Soon they will pass Moonfall Bay. Moonfall Bay has a complex terrain and is the last and best ambush location!"

No matter how powerful Jiuyou is, under the suppression of the underwater formation, he will be like a dragon trapped in shallow water! The opportunity will be fleeting!

After sending the message, he tightly gripped the slightly warm jade talisman, feeling the faint fluctuations emanating from it, confirming that the message had been sent.

Jiang Tianyi felt a little relieved, but then, an anxiety as sharp as a venomous snake seized him—

Why did the previous attempts to send messages seem to have disappeared without a trace?

Did the Song family not receive it at all, or... have they changed their plans?

He stared intently at the calm yet turbulent river outside the window, his heart screaming:

"Do it! Why aren't you doing it yet!"

If we go any further, we'll truly be entering the core waters of the Song family!

What exactly is the Song family plotting? Do they really intend to stage a "luring the enemy into a trap" right in front of their own mountain gate?!

Jiang Tianyi was lost in thought, unaware that he hadn't sent out any message at all...

Tick-tock...tick-tock!!

Cold water droplets seeped down from the moss-covered stone roof, echoing rhythmically in the darkness.

The Song family's underground water dungeon.

A figure was suspended from the damp stone wall by a dark iron chain as thick as a child's arm, piercing through its shoulder blade.

His head hung limply, his hair disheveled, his clothes tattered and covered with dark red and black whip marks and burn marks. Congealed blood and fresh pus mingled together, emitting a foul odor.

His body would occasionally twitch unconsciously, and blood-tinged saliva would uncontrollably drip from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were unfocused and empty, and he was completely dazed and mentally impaired.

"Master of the house."

A deacon withdrew his hand, which had been resting on Song Xuanhe's head and was gleaming with an eerie light, and respectfully reported to the stern-faced Song Xuanhe beside him.

"After another soul search, this person's soul is on the verge of collapse, and his memories are fragmented. The exact whereabouts of Jiang Feng and Jiu You are still unknown."

The only thing that could be repeatedly confirmed was that the Jiang family did indeed possess a [Seven Treasures Tree], closely connected to the earth's veins, possessing extraordinary and unparalleled spiritual energy…

Song Xuanhe stared indifferently at the nearly useless body before him, as if examining a broken tool, and snorted coldly:

"Useless! You've wasted so much of the Song family's time. However, the news about the Seven Treasures Tree is at least a definite gain."

"Keep a close watch on him, keep him alive, don't let him die, he's still useful..."

Having said that, he turned and left the water dungeon, which reeked of decay.