Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1180: Chapter 787: An Opportunity to Earn Favor (2)

"So, the ones who attacked Nanxia County are from the Dayun Dynasty?" Yang Chengxian pondered.

"While it’s not certain, there is a strong possibility," the Personal Follower replied.

Just as they were speaking, Lv Hua entered slowly and steadily.

"Greetings, my lord!" Everyone saw him and quickly paid their respects.

"Young Master!" Lv Hua returned the courtesy to Yang Chengxian.

"How about it, did you gather any other information?" Yang Chengxian asked.

Wearing a mask, Lv Hua’s eyes glinted with a faint luster as he said, "We’ve found them; they are now hiding in a place called Locust tree Village, northwest of Nanxia County!"

"Moreover, we discovered they have been there for over half a year!"

Over three hundred people can’t just vanish without a trace; they can’t ascend to the heavens or burrow into the earth. Moreover, Ancient County isn’t sparsely populated.

Although the Secret Martial Guards did not receive the news in advance, they quickly caught the trail of the other party after the incident and tracked them to their hiding place.

"Very well, I’ll arrange for someone to send the message to Lingxi Mountain!" Yang Chengxian said excitedly.

"Young Master, I should go personally, just in case the Family Head has further instructions!" Lv Hua suggested.

Yang Chengxian thought for a moment and said, "Alright, be careful on your way!"

They were unsure of what Yang Zhenshan’s plans were at the moment, but it was better to get this information to him as soon as possible.

...

When Lv Hua arrived at Lingxi Mountain, it was already the afternoon of the next day, four days after the attack on Nanxia County.

In the study, Yang Zhenshan looked at the masked Lv Hua and asked, "Do you have any news?"

"Reporting to the Family Head, the Secret Martial Guards have indeed uncovered some information!"

Lv Hua reported the findings of the Secret Martial Guards to Yang Zhenshan, including the hiding place of those people and their suspected origins from the Dayun Dynasty.

After listening, Yang Zhenshan became contemplative, "How many people do we have in Nanxia County? Can we keep an eye on them?"

Eight Heavenly Gang Stage martial artists and three hundred Innate martial artists are quite a force; even if the Lu family tried to eliminate them, it wouldn’t be easy unless Lu Fusheng intervenes personally.

"Not many, only two teams and a few shadows, but they’re all hidden within several Martial Arts Families. Nonetheless, keeping an eye on them isn’t difficult; it’s just that we can’t anticipate their actions in advance," Lv Hua said.

The Secret Martial Guards’ teams consist of three members each; their strength isn’t significant, only having a sixth-layer cultivation, but they excel in tracking.

Counting the time, the Secret Martial Guards established in Xue Meng Mountain for barely ten years initially comprised over thirty Divine Wood Navy soldiers, most now having a half-step Innate cultivation.

The remaining Hidden Guards are the youth and children adopted by the Secret Martial Guards over the years. They have trained for less than ten years, and their cultivation reaching the sixth layer is already quite impressive.

"Then just keep an eye on them for now," Yang Zhenshan instructed.

He could protect Lu Jianghua but would not help the Lu family eliminate this group of bandits or provide them with information.

After all, the Lingxi Yang family is just a small family and lacks the strength to eliminate this group of robbers, nor do they have information-gathering channels.

"Understood!"

After Lv Hua reported, he planned to leave Lingxi Mountain.

His current identity needed to be kept secret, and he avoided appearing in public as much as possible.

But just as he was descending from Lingxi Mountain, a Hidden Guard delivered a message to him. After listening, he returned to find Yang Zhenshan.

"There’s movement among those people. This morning, more than ten of them left Locust tree Village, seeming to head towards Lingxi Mountain!" Lv Hua reported once more.

Yang Zhenshan raised an eyebrow, "Are they coming to kill Lu Jianghua?"

He couldn’t think of any other purpose for those people except for Lu Jianghua.

Their current location is in the northwest of Nanxia County, while the east and northeast are territories of Martial Arts Families. They definitely wouldn’t trouble those families now, as there would be no point.

Therefore, they’re likely targeting Lu Jianghua and the Red Flame Army.

"That’s a possibility," Lv Hua acknowledged.

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard and paced around the study, "Looks like there’s no choice but to take action!"

The enemy had come knocking; naturally, he couldn’t back down.

Not only could he not retreat, but he also needed to help Lu Jianghua eliminate the invading enemies.

This was a good opportunity to earn the Lu family’s favor.

"You go about your tasks first!"

After Lv Hua left, Yang Zhenshan pondered for a while in the study before summoning Wang Lei to give him a few brief instructions.

He didn’t disclose this information to Lu Jianghua, nor did he inform the Red Flame Army to prepare in advance.

First, because he couldn’t explain the source of the information to Lu Jianghua, and second, because the act had to be complete. If he wanted to earn the Lu family’s favor, he naturally had to put on a good performance.

If the enemy was dealt with too easily, the favor would be diminished.

As for whether he could resist the incoming enemies, Yang Zhenshan had no worries at all.

He was now an Immortal Cultivator and possessed two top-grade Magical Treasures. While he wouldn’t claim to be the strongest under the Martial God, several Heavenly Gang Stage martial artists truly posed no threat to him.

The sun set in the west, and night descended. The crescent moon peeked out from the dark blue sky like a delicate silver hook. Its clear and gentle glow poured down, covering the earth in a layer of mystical gauze. The distant, undulating mountains left only hazy outlines under the moonlight, resembling dormant giant beasts.

It was midsummer, and even at night, the air was filled with a stifling heat.

But this heat was nothing to Yang Zhenshan; Innate martial artists could withstand heat and cold, and Yang Zhenshan was not afraid of any temperature.

Tonight, he didn’t return to the Spirit Source Land. Instead, he sat in the courtyard in a recliner, his eyes slightly closed as if dozing, but he was actually practicing the "Void Refining Scripture."

Essence, Qi, and Spirit are the foundation for an Immortal Cultivator. To progress further on the Immortal Path, one must advance on all three fronts equally.

Among these three, Essence is the root of life. An Immortal Cultivator needs a strong physique to resist the impact of Spiritual Energy entering the body, laying a solid foundation for absorbing and storing Spiritual Energy.

Qi, as a symbol of energy, also known as Mana, permeates the Immortal Path from start to finish. It is not only the power source for spells and cultivation techniques but also the bridge for connecting with nature’s Spiritual Energy.

Spirit, or Divine Soul. A strong Divine Soul aids the Immortal Cultivator in precisely sensing the flow of Spiritual Energy and understanding the laws of heaven and earth. It is indispensable when practicing high-level cultivation techniques or refining Magical Treasures.

Essence, Qi, and Spirit complement each other. When Essence is full, Qi is abundant; when Qi is abundant, Spirit flourishes. Likewise, when Spirit flourishes, it can nourish Essence and Qi, promoting their sublimation.

The Qi Refinement Realm is so named because it emphasizes the accumulation of Essence and the absorption of Qi.

However, this doesn’t mean Spirit is unimportant; quite the opposite, the strength of the Divine Soul directly affects the cultivation speed of a Qi Refining Cultivator.

The Divine Soul is the hardest to enhance, and any cultivation technique that can boost the power of the Divine Soul is extremely precious.

Among the cultivation techniques Yang Zhenshan possessed, the "Void Refining Scripture" is the most critical.

It is the most compatible with Yang Zhenshan and has the most significant impact on his practice of the Immortal Path.

Without the "Qingmu Longevity Scripture," Yang Zhenshan could still practice other techniques.

Without the "Qinghua Thunder Skill," it wouldn’t affect Yang Zhenshan’s practice of the Immortal Path; it would merely mean being short of one powerful spell or Divine Skill.

But without the "Void Refining Scripture," Yang Zhenshan would have no alternative cultivation technique to replace it.

He might find other techniques to enhance the Divine Soul, but none would match the compatibility of the "Void Refining Scripture."

As his cultivation progressed, Yang Zhenshan increasingly recognized the importance of the "Void Refining Scripture," so he practiced it for four hours every day, treating the practice as sleep.

Although Yang Zhenshan sat in the courtyard now, his Spiritual Sense had already enveloped the entire Lingxi Mountain.

His Spiritual Sense was now sufficient to cover a range of three hundred feet, including the village at the foot of the mountain, all within his coverage zone.