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

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The ship continued to travel upstream along the Tianqing River, and the river channel became noticeably busier.

Boats shuttled back and forth, including many patrol boats bearing the Song family flag, patrolling back and forth, displaying a state of vigilance that appeared relaxed on the outside but was actually tense on the inside.

Ahead lies the core territory of the Song family—

Qinglongjin.

Looking down from the clouds, one can see the river rushing and roaring, with layers of surging white waves shimmering with a faint blue light, resembling tightly arranged dragon scales.

The river mouth has a winding and rugged course.

The pavilions, towers, and ferry bridges built along the water on both sides of the river are scattered in a staggered pattern, just like the menacing claws of a giant dragon!

Before dawn, a thin mist swirled over the river, adding to the mystique and majesty of the waters...

"Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger. Here, the water flows and the aura is beginning to take shape; it truly resembles a coiled, poised azure dragon!"

Jiuyou leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, and surprisingly uttered a word of praise.

The Song family's dominance in the upper reaches of the Tianqing River is inextricably linked to this naturally advantageous and auspicious location.

Just at this time.

A much larger patrol boat belonging to the Song family approached menacingly!

Several disciples dressed in Song family attire leaped onto the deck.

The leader, a young man at the late stage of Qi Refining, had an arrogant demeanor.

His gaze swept over Jiang Feng on the boat and Jiu You, who was admiring the scenery, before finally landing on Jiang Tianyi, whose expression was somewhat unnatural.

He felt that two of them looked somewhat familiar (probably from a fleeting glimpse in a portrait), but as an outer disciple, he was far from qualified to know about the family's high-level plans.

"Stop the ship! Routine inspection by the Song family!"

The young disciple shouted loudly, breaking the tranquility of the river.

"Whose company are you? Why is there no marking on the bow of your ship? Do you know that the Songjia River basin lies ahead? What is your purpose upstream?!"

A barrage of questions came like a volley of arrows.

Jiang Feng's heart tightened, and his mind raced as he considered the best course of action.

Suddenly, they heard Jiuyou speak softly beside them. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Kill him, then search his soul."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng's pupils contracted slightly, but out of absolute trust in Jiu You, he instantly suppressed his hesitation.

Suddenly, the long sword at his waist was drawn from its sheath, transforming into a bolt of cold lightning!

"You! Foundation Establishment?! Forgive me..."

The arrogant look on the face of the leading member of the Song family had not yet faded when he felt a chill in his throat and his vision spun around!

His two henchmen were terrified and turned to flee, but were quickly killed by Jiang Feng's ever-present sword light.

They died in disbelief that someone would dare to slaughter Song family members so brazenly right at the gates of the Song family!

Blood instantly stained the deck red!

Beside him, Jiuyou's eyes emitted a ghostly light, piercing straight into the still-dissipating soul of the corpse.

"..." After a moment, Jiuyou slowly shook his head and said, "The few people are just peripheral members of the Song family, ordered to patrol the river. They do not know the core secrets, nor do they know the whereabouts of your father."

"Jiang Feng! How could you be so reckless! How dare you kill a patrolling disciple of the Song family!"

Jiang Tianyi seemed to snap out of his shock at this moment, jumping up and down in a panic, his face deathly pale.

"Weren't we going to the Song family to find someone? What if... what if there's a misunderstanding? Wouldn't that completely break ties with the Song family? How would we find out about your father then? This... this is just adding fuel to the fire!"

Jiuyou looked at him with amusement, her tone leisurely:

"Oh? How can you be so sure that Jiang Feng's father's disappearance has absolutely nothing to do with the Song family?"

Or perhaps... you're afraid that if we kill these few lowly soldiers, it will ruin some of the Song family's carefully prepared... 'welcome' ceremony?"

Jiang Tianyi hurriedly waved his hand, his voice trembling slightly:

"No, no, no, I had no such intention! I... I was just worried about the family, about my third brother's safety, and afraid that I might ruin everything..."

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes darted away, avoiding eye contact with Jiu You and Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng saw this and his mind was filled with doubts, but since they were already in the Song family's territory, he could only suppress his suspicions for the time being.

Jiang Tianyi was both shocked and furious, cursing inwardly:

'...The Song family is a bunch of useless good-for-nothings!'

They've already got them right under their noses, and they're sending these few blind idiots to their deaths?

However, when his gaze fell upon the Song family patrol boat that was rapidly turning around and fleeing into the distance like an arrow, he felt somewhat relieved:

'Fortunately, Jiuyou disdained to fight and instead fled back to report. Such a commotion should be enough to alert the Song family's higher-ups...'

Little did he know that Jiuyou deliberately allowed the ship to escape, precisely so that the other party would bring the message back.

Telling the Song family so openly and honestly—

Your Grandpa Jiuyou has arrived! Prepare a grand reception for him!

"After a few days of peace and quiet, it's time for these old bones to get some exercise..."

With his hands behind his head, Jiuyou gazed at the horizon where the water met the sky upstream and murmured to himself.

Instead of letting Jiang Tianyi give prior notice, they deliberately stirred up trouble.

Seems contradictory.

Jiuyou simply wanted to enjoy a few days of tranquility on the water.

Otherwise, the journey over the past few days would likely have been filled with constant ambushes and harassment.

“Report—!”

A Song family steward staggered into the hall, his voice filled with panic:

"Patriarch, elders, Jiu You has indeed come to attack!"

I just received an urgent report that someone has openly attacked and killed a team of river patrol disciples outside Qinglongjin!

According to the disciples who managed to escape, the perpetrators looked exactly like Jiu You and Jiang Feng!

This steward had obviously received the news and rushed here immediately to report to the higher-ups!

"what?!"

"The Third Elder's prediction was indeed correct!"

"Fortunately, we had already made thorough preparations, and we will make sure that this madman never leaves alive!"

"Did he just stupidly walk straight in like that? Could there be a trap involved?"

Upon hearing that Jiuyou had indeed come, the Song family's higher-ups immediately began to discuss the matter with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

Song Xuanhe, seated at the head of the table, tapped the armrest with his finger, the crisp sound silencing the noise in the hall. His expression was calm as he coldly said:

"Hmph, what kind of conspiracy could he possibly have? His coming here so openly and honestly is the greatest contempt for my Song family."

Based on my analysis of Jiuyou, he possesses extremely strong physical supernatural abilities and regenerative power, making him a top figure among body cultivators.

Such cultivators often have unwavering faith in their own strength, utterly disdainful of schemes and tricks, and believe solely that their fists are enough to crush everything.

Then, a sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he gave the order:

"Pass down the order: do not set up defenses or intercept him at the checkpoints along the way; let him pass!"

Engaging in battle prematurely might alert the enemy and scare away our esteemed 'ally'...

The most urgent task right now is to prepare for the signing ceremony of the mining alliance!

Judging by the time, the Yuntian Sect, the Wang family, and others should have arrived by now.

Only with a written alliance can these forces be firmly bound to the Song family's warship, allowing us to join forces and vanquish this villain!

the other side.

Jiang Feng stood on the deck, looking at the Song Family Wharf buildings becoming clearer in front of him. He had been full of confidence before the trip, but now he couldn't help but feel a little urgency.

"Senior, after killing the Song family members, is it really appropriate for us to just barge in like this without any concealment?"

"What if the Song family has laid a trap, or has some other conspiracy..."

With his back to Jiang Feng, Jiu You leisurely admired the scenery on the river.

Upon hearing this, he laughed loudly without turning his head:

"Hahaha, a conspiracy?"

Those are tricks that you only need to think of when the weak defeat the strong or when the forces are evenly matched... Do you think I'm a body cultivator and don't have a brain?

Not also!

My superior intelligence tells me that all I need to do is use my superpowers!

Jiuyou knew that Jiang Feng was still lacking in experience, and with a major battle looming ahead, his mind was bound to be shaken.

This sudden high-profile action also had another purpose: to attract Qingming Zhenren as well.

This saves Jiuyou from having to investigate the fog tide one by one...

He hates trouble the most!