Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1428 - 903: The Immortal Laws Are Clear (Part 2)

Even with a deep-seated enmity between the Kuang family and Yang Zhenshan, today he was powerless against Yang Zhenshan, as acting otherwise would inevitably provoke the ire of the Ten Thousand Treasures Store.

Yang Zhenshan cast a profound glance at him, a suspicion forming in his mind.

Xu Mingzhu hailed from the Cloud Wild Alliance, an organization boasting five veteran leaders. The presence of someone surnamed Kuang before him strongly suggested a connection to one of the veteran families, the Kuang family. However, he remained uncertain about the precise nature of the relationship between the Kuang family and Xu Mingzhu.

Were they intimately connected? Did their interests intertwine deeply? Would the Kuang family pursue a fight to the death with him on Xu Mingzhu's behalf?

Yang Zhenshan's thoughts raced, considering countless possibilities, yet he concluded that a confrontation with the Kuang family was unnecessary at this juncture.

"Heh heh, may this old man take his leave now?"

"You are permitted to go!" Kuang Hengxian conceded.

Yang Zhenshan offered a slight nod, refraining from further discussion, and turned to depart the Immortal Law Hall.

As he exited the imposing structure, he couldn't resist looking back at the magnificent palace.

The Kuang family!

Even within White Cloud Immortal City, they were merely an Immortal Cultivation Family. In terms of influence, the Kuang family could not rival the disciples of the White Cloud True Monarch. In terms of raw power, they were not particularly strong among the numerous Immortal Cultivation Families. And in terms of standing, they were naturally far outmatched by the preeminent Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Ten Thousand Treasures Store.

At this moment, Yang Zhenshan felt immense relief that he had accepted Zhongli Xiayi's invitation to join the Ten Thousand Treasures Store. Otherwise, he would have found himself in significant trouble today.

...

Within the cave dwelling at Spring and Summer Square.

"What transpired?" Yun Xiao, seeing Yang Zhenshan's safe return, breathed a sigh of relief and inquired.

Yang Zhenshan shook his head subtly. "It appears someone from the Cloud Wild Alliance sought to avenge Xu Mingzhu. However, the other party hesitated to confront the Ten Thousand Treasures Store directly, opting instead to let me go."

Yun Xiao nodded in understanding. "That is for the best. With the Ten Thousand Treasures Store's backing, you should be secure in White Cloud Immortal City."

"Mm!"

Yang Zhenshan shared the sentiment and then asked, "Senior, what are your plans moving forward?"

Despite accompanying him on this occasion, Yun Xiao himself was in White Cloud Immortal City with the objective of acquiring suitable third-rank spiritual materials to refine his Lifebound Magical Treasure. Now that he was allied with the Ten Thousand Treasures Store, Yun Xiao still lacked guidance regarding the spiritual materials.

"I have managed to find a suitable third-rank spiritual material. While the price was steep, I did acquire it!" Yun Xiao stated with a chuckle.

He had not been idle in recent days. Apart from assisting Yang Zhenshan in ambushing Xu Mingzhu, he had diligently scoured for third-rank spiritual materials. Possessing numerous connections, he happened to have a few reliable friends in White Cloud Immortal City, which facilitated his acquisition of a third-rank spiritual worm in such a short timeframe.

"That is excellent news. It is fortunate that Senior's journey was not in vain!" Yang Zhenshan remarked with a smile.

"Mm, I sense my cultivation is nearing a breakthrough. My intention is to return first and achieve this advancement, after which I will focus on refining the Lifebound Magical Treasure," Yun Xiao declared.

"That is also a wise course of action. I shall remain in White Cloud Immortal City for a period. Should Senior require anything, you may dispatch someone to Yang Family Town to deliver a message to me."

"Furthermore, I will send word back for my two disciples to seek you out. I implore Senior to look after them!"

...

Several days later, Yun Xiao departed from White Cloud Immortal City. Yang Zhenshan, having returned the lease for the Spring and Summer Square cave dwelling, relocated to the cave dwelling provided by the Ten Thousand Treasures Store.

Naturally, the cave dwelling at the Ten Thousand Treasures Store served merely as a front. Once the doors were sealed and the Protective Array activated, one would be transported directly to the Spirit Source Land.

Upon Yun Xiao's return to the Xuanqing Sect, he arranged for Li Jianning and Li Jianan to further their studies within the sect.

Following this, Yang Zhenshan's life settled back into a tranquil rhythm.

He did not neglect his alchemy or his cultivation. He dedicated time to cultivation when appropriate, practiced alchemy as needed, and during his moments of leisure, he would offer guidance to his disciples. Occasionally, he would visit the Ten Thousand Treasures Store and even refine a batch or two of elixirs in its Alchemy Room.

To ensure no anomalies were detected, he would depart White Cloud Immortal City and retreat to a secluded location outside the city, returning to the Spirit Source Land.

The following year, Ma Qiuyan successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, becoming the fourth Foundation Establishment Cultivator within the Spirit Source Land.

In the third year, Cui Yang successfully returned from Qingli Immortal City to the Spirit Source Land. Under the personal protection of Yang Zhenshan for three months, he completed his Foundation Establishment, becoming the fifth cultivator to reach this stage in the Spirit Source Land.

The smooth completion of their Foundation Establishment was greatly attributed to the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill generously provided by Yang Zhenshan.

This, in turn, was a benefit secured from the Ten Thousand Treasures Store.

Yang Zhenshan had returned all the low-grade and mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pills to the Ten Thousand Treasures Store, retaining only the top-grade ones.

With the assistance of these mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, Ma Qiuyan and Cui Yang saw their success rates in Foundation Establishment significantly increase. Moreover, with Yang Zhenshan and Xuanzhen personally safeguarding their cultivation, failure seemed an impossibility.

Three years vanished in the blink of an eye.

Within the Pill Hall atop Flame Mountain.

Yang Zhenshan was seated cross-legged before the Golden Crow Eight Trigrams Furnace. Through intricate hand gestures, he directed beams of spiritual light into the pill furnace.

From outside the hall, Yang Zongyuan observed Yang Zhenshan’s every action with keen, bright eyes, occasionally mimicking the movements.

Moments later, Yang Zhenshan expertly lifted the furnace lid. A golden elixir shot forth, landing precisely on the jade plate.

As the Golden Crow retracted its True Sun Fire back into its being, Yang Zongyuan immediately moved to activate the Cold Wind Array, effectively expelling the intense heat from the hall.

"Ancestor! This is a top-grade Demon Essence Pill!" Yang Zongyuan exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he gazed upon the elixir pills resting on the jade plate.

He was no longer the naive youth he once was.

He had now been by Yang Zhenshan's side for four years. While not an extensive period, it had been sufficient to dramatically improve his own alchemy skills.

After all, Yang Zhenshan himself was not static; he had evolved considerably. Currently, Yang Zhenshan possessed a master-level understanding of medicinal properties. To claim peak mastery might be an exaggeration, but among Second-Rank Alchemists, his grasp of medicinal properties was undeniably exceptional.

Under his influence, Yang Zongyuan had also developed his own insights and realizations regarding the nature of medicines.

Consequently, Yang Zongyuan's current proficiency far surpassed that of Zhang Hexuan from the past.

"Haha, indeed, this is a top-grade Demon Essence Pill!" Yang Zhenshan declared with a joyous laugh.

This marked the very first top-grade Demon Essence Pill he had successfully refined. With this achievement, his standing within the Ten Thousand Treasures Store was certain to ascend.

The top-grade Demon Essence Pill was just one rank below the pinnacle of the top-grade Demon Yuan Pill.

Although the difference was considerable, the ability to refine a top-grade Demon Essence Pill undeniably demonstrated that Yang Zhenshan was on the cusp of mastering the refinement of a top-grade Demon Yuan Pill.

Throughout these past four years, Yang Zhenshan’s alchemy skills had also witnessed momentous progress.

This advancement was largely due to the plethora of alchemy tomes and accumulated experiences provided by the Ten Thousand Treasures Store.

While these alchemy texts might be commonplace within the Ten Thousand Treasures Store, they represented an invaluable treasure trove for Yang Zhenshan.

Beyond the written knowledge, the Ten Thousand Treasures Store boasted numerous highly skilled alchemists. Over the last four years, Yang Zhenshan had familiarized himself with them and engaged in extensive knowledge exchange.

This collaboration undeniably filled the final void in Yang Zhenshan’s alchemy expertise.

Previously, Yang Zhenshan had dedicated himself almost exclusively to studying alchemy in isolation, with rare opportunities for actual alchemical discourse.

Now, being able to consult and converse with other alchemists at the Ten Thousand Treasures Store provided him with a crucial horizontal expansion of his alchemical capabilities.

"Congratulations, Ancestor, on achieving mastery in alchemy!" Yang Zongyuan congratulated him with genuine delight.

"Merely a small step forward!" Yang Zhenshan replied with a smile as he carefully put away the Demon Essence Pill.

"How can you say that? This is a top-grade Demon Essence Pill. Even in the Sea of Spirit, and certainly in White Cloud Immortal City, very few can refine such a pill!" Yang Zongyuan asserted.

"You possess considerable knowledge of White Cloud Immortal City?" Yang Zhenshan inquired, a touch of surprise in his voice.

"Ah, well, I heard about it from my father!" Yang Zongyuan responded, a hint of embarrassment coloring his tone.

He himself had not yet visited White Cloud Immortal City, but Yang Jizhen had made frequent trips there in recent years, making it natural for Yang Zongyuan to glean information about the city from him.

"Avoid arrogance and rashness; the immortal path is a long journey. We, as cultivators, must proceed steadily, always maintaining caution from the outset," Yang Zhenshan advised.

"Yes, Yuan'er understands!" Yang Zongyuan humbly accepted the elder's guidance.

Yang Zhenshan offered a smile and a nod, patting his shoulder. "You possess great talent, but remember, countless geniuses exist in this world. Among them, only a select few truly achieve lasting growth!"

"Your aspiration must be higher than mere Foundation Establishment; aim for the Golden Core!"

"Within White Cloud Immortal City, there are two thousand cultivators at Foundation Establishment, yet only one stands as the White Cloud True Monarch. This illustrates the immense difficulty on the path to the Golden Core!"

"Do you comprehend this?"

Young Master Yang Zongyuan met his gaze, his eyes radiating resolve. "Yuan'er understands. Yuan'er will absolutely not fail the ancestor's expectations!"

A pleased nod came from Yang Zhenshan, his hopes for Yang Zongyuan soaring.

The young man possesses exceptional talent, ample resources, a grounded disposition, a readiness for hardship, and unwavering perseverance.

Should he maintain the integrity of his Dao Heart, a glimpse of the Golden Core path might indeed be within his reach!

In stark contrast, Yang Jizhen, Ma Qiuyan, and the others appear to possess only average aptitudes.

While Yang Zhenshan can offer assistance in their transition from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage, his aid becomes insufficient if they aspire to advance from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core Realm.

Even Yang Zhenshan himself harbors uncertainty about his own ability to tread the Golden Core Path; how then could he guarantee such a feat for others?