Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1365 - 873: Hidden Sword Mountain Disciple (2)
Previously on Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather...
Yang Zhenshan's brush flew across the paper, finishing a small teleportation talisman, but sadly, it ended in failure.
This second-order talisman, the small teleportation talisman, enables instant transport of a person up to twenty miles away, ranking among the finest tools for preserving life.
Crafting the small teleportation talisman proves quite challenging, with Yang Zhenshan's success rate hovering below twenty percent.
Despite the failed attempt, Yang Zhenshan stayed composed. He set the talisman brush back on its rack and spoke steadily, "I understand, just ensure our people retreat based on the circumstances!"
Right then, he felt no concern for Yang Cheng’an or Yang Jizhen, since Yang Jizhen possessed the Jade Token and could return to the Spirit Source Land whenever needed.
Yet, as his words faded, Qingxia called from beyond the door, "Master, young master Jizhen wishes to meet you outside!"
"Hmm, let him enter!"
Shortly after, Yang Jizhen stepped into the study, "Greetings to Ancestor, greetings to granduncle!"
"What's the current state at Lotus Heart Valley?" Yang Chengye inquired.
He assumed Yang Jizhen had come back due to unrest in Lotus Heart Valley.
"Lotus Heart Valley has felt a bit restless lately!" Yang Jizhen answered.
He too lacked knowledge of Lotus Heart Valley's latest developments and figured Yang Chengye referred to the recent bandit cultivators showing up there often.
Yang Chengye paused in surprise, while Yang Zhenshan arched a brow, "Where's your young master uncle?"
"He's still remaining at Lotus Heart Valley!" Yang Jizhen responded.
Yang Chengye's face shifted subtly as he turned to Yang Zhenshan, "Grandfather!"
"Did any chaos erupt at Lotus Heart Valley on your way back?" Yang Zhenshan's brows knit together faintly.
"No! Has chaos broken out at Lotus Heart Valley?" Yang Jizhen looked puzzled.
"Grandfather, Cheng’an and the rest remain at Lotus Heart Valley!" Yang Chengye voiced his worry.
Yang Zhenshan instructed Yang Jizhen, "Hand over the token!"
Yang Jizhen swiftly retrieved the token and passed it to Yang Zhenshan, who vanished from the study in an instant while gripping it.
"Granduncle, what's going on?"
Yang Jizhen remained utterly perplexed at that point.
Yang Chengye clarified, "Moments ago, Lotus Heart Valley faced an assault from unknown enemies. Reports from the Secret Martial Guards indicate numerous black-robed cultivators inside Lotus Heart Valley, carrying out mass killings!"
"It’s~~" Yang Jizhen's heart jolted, suddenly fretting over Yang Cheng’an and the others, "Should we head out to locate my young master uncle and the group?"
"Stay calm! Ancestor has rushed there already; we'll wait here for updates!" Yang Chengye soothed him.
...
The Yang Family Artifact Refining Workshop.
Yang Zhenshan surveyed the messy shop and the ruined courtyard wall, his face creasing slightly, before extending his spiritual sense to probe the surroundings.
Capable of enveloping nearly all of Lotus Heart Valley, his spiritual sense struggled amid the turmoil there—chaotic mana waves and jumbled auras hampered his ability to pinpoint specific presences.
Unable to sense Yang Chengye's aura, Yang Zhenshan soared into the sky, gazing down upon the whole Lotus Heart Valley.
His sudden presence drew much notice, as he made no effort to hide his aura and even swept his spiritual sense over the area.
High above, Liu Zai Xian and Lin Jiangchuan spotted Yang Zhenshan first. They tensed initially but eased upon noting his robes differed from those of the black-robed cultivators beyond the array.
"Liu Zai Xian of the Qingli Liu family—might I inquire who this fellow Daoist is?" Liu Zai Xian drew near and asked.
Yang Zhenshan had already detected Liu Zai Xian and Lin Jiangchuan, offering greetings as they neared, "Yang Zhenshan of the Spirit Luster Yang Family!"
Spirit Luster Yang Family?
A clan from the Sea of Spirit?
Liu Zai Xian showed mild astonishment; he knew well of the Sea of Spirit, yet had no idea an Immortal Cultivation Family had arisen there.
"So it's fellow Daoist Yang. What occasion brings you here, fellow Daoist Yang?"
Yang Zhenshan eyed Zhang Mo beyond the array and muttered, "Several of my juniors have gone missing around here!"
"I understand. With fellow Daoist Yang present, why not team up against these enigmatic cultivators?" Liu Zai Xian proposed alliance with keen interest.
In such dire straits, every extra Foundation Establishment cultivator bolstered their odds of making it through.
Yang Zhenshan's abrupt appearance made Liu Zai Xian believe he had been lingering in Lotus Heart Valley for quite some time, leading him to naturally conclude that Yang Zhenshan was also confined here.
Yang Zhenshan didn't agree or reject the proposed alliance right away; instead, he questioned, "How much longer can the great array hold?"
"It should endure for two hours without issue!" Liu Zai Xian replied.
"Why not eliminate the troublemakers inside the array?" Yang Zhenshan urged.
Even though Zhang Mo wasn't assaulting the protective array from outside, both Liu Zai Xian and Lin Jiangchuan had the chance to wipe out the black-robed troublemakers rampaging through Lotus Heart Valley.
However, up to this point, they hadn't made a move, letting those black-robed cultivators wreak havoc, kill indiscriminately, and cause widespread destruction.
"We must conserve mana to confront the Foundation Establishment cultivators beyond the array!" Liu Zai Xian explained, his tone laced with difficulty.
This stance made sense; in such dire straits, self-preservation came first, leaving little room to worry about anyone else.
Once the protective array shatters, every scrap of saved mana might spell the difference between life and death.
That's why they hesitated to expend mana on dealing with the minor offenders inside the valley.
Yang Zhenshan grasped their reasoning, yet he couldn't condone it, as the unchecked rampage of these black-robed cultivators endangered Yang Cheng’an and his companions.
Liu Zai Xian might overlook the lives of strangers, but Yang Zhenshan refused to risk Yang Cheng’an’s safety.
"I get it!"
Yang Zhenshan dropped the argument with Liu Zai Xian and flicked his sleeve, unleashing torrents of mana that cascaded downward.
Spiritual radiance from the mana poured down, swiftly morphing into vines that extended spiritual sense, weaving through Lotus Heart Valley like coiling snakes.
Whenever they crossed paths with black-robed cultivators, the vines shifted into sharp spears and pierced forward.
Suddenly, more than a hundred vines sprang up across Lotus Heart Valley, operating like disciplined troops as they purged the black-robed cultivators.
Liu Zai Xian watched the scene, his face flushing with embarrassment.
This task was meant for him and Lin Jiangchuan, but now an outsider had taken it over, stirring a sense of unease within him.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiangchuan kept his gaze fixed on the black-robed cultivators outside the array, his mind swirling with anxiety and a hint of terror in his eyes.
Yang Zhenshan split his attention to command hundreds of vines; the strain on his Divine Soul was tremendous, but fortunately, its power had climbed to the peak of Foundation Establishment, enabling him to handle the hundred vines effortlessly.
...
Western Lotus Heart Valley.
Six flying swords encircled Zhang Yan protectively, repelling the assaults from four black-robed cultivators.
Zhang Yan's complexion had turned ashen, beads of sweat covering his brow, his earlier poise now vanished.
Still, his six flying swords unleashed mighty might, steadfastly resisting the barrage from four late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
Yet Zhang Yan realized that if the fight dragged on, his mana would deplete completely soon.
"Am I really going to perish here?"
"No way! I haven't achieved Foundation Establishment or ascended to Golden Core True Monarch yet; I refuse to die in this place!"
His eyes injected with blood, fresh mana erupted from his Dantian, gathering onto the Qinghong Sword right in front of him.
The blade of the Qinghong Sword flared with dazzling brilliance all at once, then hurtled forward.
A black-robed cultivator was caught off guard by the sudden thrust but swiftly composed himself as his dharma treasure shield intercepted the Qinghong Sword.
"Haha, kid, your sword technique packs a punch, but sadly, you've run into us brothers today!" the black-robed cultivator crowed smugly.
Truth be told, Zhang Yan proved far tougher than they expected; the four had thought capturing him would be a breeze, but after a grueling fifteen minutes of combat, he still mustered the power to strike back.
"This kid's on his last legs, brothers—finish him off!" Convinced Zhang Yan had no more tricks, the black-robed cultivator intensified his attacks, hurling spells and magical treasures wildly at Zhang Yan.
Amid the furious barrage from the four, Zhang Yan barely held his ground in defense when he abruptly pulled a sword box from his storage bag.
The sword box spanned over four feet in length, pitch black throughout, adorned with elaborate runes, and pulsing with strange spiritual power waves.