124: Tuoba Family

Chapter 123 Tuoba Family

"Why has the concentration of Spiritual Qi started to weaken?"

Yunmeng Marsh.

Wind blows, clouds move, and water mist billows.

In the depths of this uninhabited Yunmeng Marsh, countless small islands are situated within.

Unlike what outsiders imagine, the depths of Yunmeng Marsh are not a barren wasteland.

Instead... there is a city here!

It is located on a huge island in the depths of Yunmeng Marsh named Yunmeng Island.

Right in the center of the island is a peak shrouded in clouds and mist.

Beneath the peak is a large city with a population of hundreds of thousands.

This is Yunmeng Marsh.

It is the territory of the Tuoba Family and also a land of freedom where the laws of the Great Yu cannot reach.

On Yunmeng Mountain, Tuoba Family Clan Chief, Tuoba Wufeng, is staring blankly at the Yunmeng Stone in front of him.

This is the Sect-suppressing Formation core spiritual item refined by the ancestors of the Yunmeng Lake Tuoba Family a thousand years ago. It is not only the hub for suppressing the Formation of the Yunmeng Lake Tuoba Family, but also used to monitor the Spiritual Qi concentration of Yunmeng Marsh.

Ever since the Spiritual Qi tide and the severance of the Immortal Path more than three thousand years ago, the Tuoba Family has sought places to cultivate in seclusion, sealed off Yunmeng Marsh, and not emerged for a thousand years. They even mobilized the entire clan's strength to refine a large number of sealing Formations just to restrict the flow of Spiritual Qi.

However, as more than three thousand years passed, the clan-protecting Formation of the Yunmeng Lake Tuoba Family had long since decayed beyond recognition, and the Spirit Stones were completely depleted.

According to the calculations of the Seniors in the Cultivation World back then, there are still more than seven thousand years left until the recovery period of Spiritual Qi ten thousand years later.

This is a period of time sufficient to drive countless Cultivators to despair.

But unexpectedly, a few years ago, the Yunmeng Stone that had always stood at the core of the Tuoba Family's Formation suddenly experienced a trace of fluctuation.

Beneath the originally bluestone-colored Yunmeng Stone, traces of green actually appeared!

At that time, the clansmen guarding the core Yunmeng Stone of the Formation were startled and hurriedly notified the Clan Chief.

They even thought it was something like moss.

Later, after testing, it turned out to be the original color of the Yunmeng Stone!

According to records in ancient books, the bluestone color is the true color of the Yunmeng Stone.

And the Yunmeng Stone will change according to the concentration of surrounding Spiritual Qi.

Green is the color that only appears when the concentration of Spiritual Qi reaches a certain level.

Through the deduction of the Family's only Formation Master, one of the three Grand Elders, Tuoba Wuying, the concentration of Spiritual Qi in Yunmeng Marsh at this time was two to three times that of before!

At that time, all seven Cultivators of the entire Tuoba Family wept bitterly with tears streaming down their old faces.

They all believed that the era of Spiritual Qi recovery had arrived!

And as time passed, this belief became more and more confident.

Because that trace of green on the Yunmeng Stone was actually deepening in color, which also meant that the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the air of Yunmeng Marsh was increasing more and more.

Over a period of more than three years, according to the deduction of the Formation Master Tuoba Wuying, the concentration of Spiritual Qi in Yunmeng Marsh was already about five times that of before!

This concentration of Spiritual Qi had already reached the general concentration of the Cultivation World more than three thousand years ago!

For the Tuoba Family Cultivators whose cultivation had stagnated for several years, this was undoubtedly a major event.

But...

Ever since last month, the green mark on the Yunmeng Stone had actually been getting lighter and lighter, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi within Yunmeng Marsh had noticeably weakened.

This matter directly alarmed the Tuoba Family Clan Chief, Tuoba Wufeng.

Tuoba Wufeng is an old man who looks burly in build but is already somewhat hunchbacked, full of wrinkles, but his gaze remains cold and stern.

One could imagine that in his youth, he must also have been a decisive Cultivator who killed without hesitation.

And now, upon discovering that the color of the Yunmeng Stone, which represented the decline in Spiritual Qi concentration, had lightened, his expression also became extremely ugly.

"Wuying, what on earth is the reason for this?"

Tuoba Wuying at the side was a gray-robed old man with even more wrinkles on his face, looking just like an old peasant who lived in the fields all day long.

He smiled bitterly and said, "Clan Chief, I am not clear either."

"I only discovered signs of the Spiritual Qi dissipating a month ago, so I hurriedly activated the Guardian Mountain Array to try to hinder the dissipation of Spiritual Qi. It is indeed useful, but also very limited."

"Now the Guardian Mountain Array is activated every day with the minimum consumption, but it can barely keep pace with the speed at which the Spiritual Qi is dissipating."

"I think this situation won't last long."

Tuoba Wufeng frowned and said, "What on earth happened? Why did the Spiritual Qi increase for no reason, and why is it increasing for no reason?"

"What about outside Yunmeng Marsh? Has anything happened?"

Tuoba Wuying shook his head and said, "The Disciples of the clan should be back soon."

Just at that moment, the place where the clouds and water met in the distance slowly dispersed, and a large ship 'squeezed' in.

Immediately, on the deck of the large ship, a young man's figure flickered, and a cluster of water mist appeared under his feet, lifting his entire body up and flying rapidly toward Yunmeng Mountain.

"It is Qingtong, he is back!"

"To the deliberation hall!"

"Should we call Qingying?"

"Call her along. Her seclusion has just ended, and besides, this matter is related to her."

"Alright!"

Soon, seven figures appeared in the deliberation hall of the Tuoba Family.

In the main seat was the Clan Chief Tuoba Wufeng, and sitting on the left-hand side was one of the Elders, also the Formation Master Tuoba Wuying.

Beside Tuoba Wuying sat one of the clansmen who had just returned from outside Yunmeng Marsh, Tuoba Qingtong.

Tuoba Qingtong was around thirty-something years old, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a bright gaze, and a respectful expression.

Beside him was another young man who looked slightly younger than him, with a round face and a normal expression.

Zhao Qingshan was originally a commoner under the Tuoba Family. Having fortuitously discovered that he possessed a Spiritual Root, he was taken in as a Disciple by the Tuoba Family.

On Tuoba Wufeng's right-hand side sat an old woman of about sixty years old.

The second Elder of the Tuoba Family, Tuoba Wugou, who excelled in Alchemy.

Beside her sat an extremely beautiful young girl in her prime.

She was dressed in a lake-green palace dress, with an oval face, skin that could be broken by a blow, and soft, smooth hair gently floating behind her, almost reaching the ground.

All over her body emanated a rich aura of water spirits, and even the surrounding air carried a trace of moisture.

Tuoba Qingying, the strongest person in terms of strength among the younger generation of the Tuoba Family, and also the one with the strongest talent!

Beside Tuoba Qingying sat a little girl who looked to be twelve or thirteen years old.

She looked young, but she sat upright with dignity, trying hard to maintain her composure, and her bun-like face even blushed in patches from holding it in.

These seven people were the Cultivators still existing in the Tuoba Family today!

The Tuoba Family has been passed down for more than three thousand years, and the Bloodline within the clan remains pure, relying on intra-clan marriage.

Maintained this way, the descendants born not only had a high probability of possessing Spiritual Roots, but could also strengthen the Bloodline relationship among clansmen.

Among the seven Qi Refinement Phase Cultivators of the entire Tuoba Family, only Zhao Qingshan was an outsider.

But he had also married a woman from a branch lineage of the Tuoba Family and entered the Tuoba Family as a matrilocal husband.

Within the entire Yunmeng Marsh, the Tuoba Family is the heaven!

"Qingtong."

Tuoba Wufeng took the lead to say, "Tell us about the information you investigated."

"Yes, Grandfather."

Tuoba Qingtong respectfully said, "After investigating for more than a month, passing through places like Jiangzhou, Xu Province, and Yue Province, this child did not discover any changes or abnormalities."

"I asked a few fellow practitioners, and there were no heaven and earth anomalies manifesting either."

"However, this child heard about a few mundane matters, which might be related to the increase in Spiritual Qi concentration?"

"Oh? What matters?"

Tuoba Qingtong continued, "The current Great Yu imperial Family has produced a sovereign of restoration who not only suppressed the rebellion of domestic refugees, but also drove out the invading Wu Country and even occupied two major states of Wu Country."

"Oh?"

Tuoba Wufeng became interested: "The Zheng Clan actually produced such a figure? It seems they still have some Luck, but why do you say it is related to the recovery of Spiritual Qi?"

Tuoba Qingtong said, "This child received news that the Great Yu imperial Family originally had only one Innate Realm Martial Artist, the commander of the Longxiang Army, Xu Mujun."

"This person is from the military, with extremely powerful close-combat killing power, and is surrounded by one hundred thousand soldiers of the Longxiang Army. He is the most powerful warlord in Great Yu today."

"About four years ago, the Great Yu Prime Minister Yang Xuansu rebelled and secretly invited the Deputy Master of Fuyou House, Fire Spirit Master, to make a move, but all were defeated by this person, and until now he is still healing his injuries in secret!"

"Fire Spirit Master?"

Tuoba Wufeng frowned and said, "This person is the same as this old man, a ninth-layer Qi Refinement Cultivator! This Xu Mujun was actually able to severely injure Fire Spirit Master. It seems he must have used some methods!"

"Continue speaking."

"Yes!"

Tuoba Qingtong continued, "Since then, Innate Realm Martial Artists in Great Yu have emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. According to this child's investigation, there are currently at least four Innate Realm Martial Artists in the capital."

"There is one in Nanyue County."

"There is one in Tianlong Temple of Jiangzhou."

"Tianlong Temple? The place where that Loose Cultivator Abbot Fayuan is located?"

"Yes." Tuoba Qingtong said, "However, it is said that Abbot Fayuan was invited by Emperor Zhengyong several months ago to go to the capital to lecture on scriptures. That Innate Realm Martial Artist should be someone else."

"I see. Are there any more?"

"Yes!"

"There is also an Innate Realm Martial Artist in the East China Sea."

"The Shushan Sword Sect in Shuzhou has also produced an Innate Realm Martial Artist!"

"I heard Wu Country also has a few."

"Anyway, ever since four years ago, the number of Innate Realm Martial Artists in this world has been increasing more and more, numbering at least over a dozen."

"Innate Realm Martial Artists..."

Tuoba Wufeng muttered, "Martial arts can reach the divine; when a Martial Artist cultivates to the highest Realm, their strength is not inferior to us Qi Refinement Phase Cultivators in the slightest."

"Could it be that some accident really happened, causing the number of Innate Realm Martial Artists in the world to increase more and more?"

"The entrance of some hidden Secret Realm collapsed? The Fusion of the Lesser Sumeru World? Or is an ancient Sect emerging into the world?"

"No matter what, the Great Yu capital is the root cause of the incident. It seems we must send someone to investigate."

Tuoba Wugou at the side suddenly said, "Clan Chief, do you remember that last year Great Yu once sent a team of envoys wanting to marry a woman of our Tuoba Family as an imperial concubine, but we rejected them?"

"Elder, the Great Yu Zheng Clan are mere Mortals, what qualifications do they have to betroth a woman of our Tuoba Family!"

Tuoba Qingtong suddenly said, gazing passionately at Tuoba Qingying.

"And during this period, a large number of soldiers suddenly stationed outside our Yunmeng Marsh, and quite a few people are secretly probing for maps of our Yunmeng Marsh. It seems that is also the trick of Emperor Zhengyong!"

"I know."

Tuoba Wufeng said indifferently, "Now the Heaven and Earth Immortal path is severed, and every Cultivator's descendant may possess a Spiritual Root; they must never be allowed to flow out casually."

"What of the Great Yu Zheng Clan? As long as we are willing, a mere royal Family is vulnerable!"

"What's more, the Wang Family contacted this old man a few days ago."

"The Wang Family?"

"The Wang Family that assisted the Zheng Clan in founding the nation?"

"Why are they looking for us?"

Tuoba Qingtong suddenly said, "That's right, Grandfather, this child also investigated a piece of news: the Datong Wang Family was exterminated by Emperor Zhengyong!"

"No wonder. The Datong Wang Family was merely the overt Sect of the Wang Family; their true clansmen are all hidden in the dark. No wonder they suddenly contacted this old man, wanting to overthrow this Great Yu world!"

Tuoba Wufeng muttered, "Could it be that the Great Yu capital is really related to this Spiritual Qi recovery?"

At this time, Tuoba Qingying suddenly stood up and said in a crisp voice, "Grandfather, I am a bit tired, I'll be stepping down first."

"Qingying... Very well, you may step down and consolidate your Realm early."

"Understood!"

Tuoba Qingying retreated, dragging Tuoba Lingyun's little ear with one hand, and dragged her down as well.

"Ouch, Auntie, slow down, my ear hurts. I'll walk, I'll walk, alright..."

Watching the two women leave, the eyes of several people in the deliberation hall looked somewhat strange.

Tuoba Wuying hesitated and said, "Clan Chief?"

"It's fine."

Tuoba Wufeng said, "Qingying possesses the Heavenly Spiritual Root with astonishing talent; she is truly the root of our Tuoba Family's future prosperity."

"She dislikes these mundane matters and is wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao. Let her be."

"No matter what, this old man must investigate the source of this Spiritual Qi and keep it in our Yunmeng Marsh!"

"Even if this old man deploys the blood sacrifice grand array, I must intercept this Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi!"

"Blood sacrifice grand array... Clan Chief?"

"Hehehe..."

Tuoba Wufeng sneered and said, "The Wang Family is making trouble in secret, and they must have contacted countless people. Why can't we intervene secretly?"

"They are merely Mortals. In decades of turmoil, if a batch dies, another batch will appear in a few decades."

"Qingtong, pass down the order to the outer-clan Disciples, letting them secretly cooperate with the Wang Family in staging an uprising. This old man wants to see what on earth the Great Yu Zheng Clan is up to!"

"Yes, Grandfather!"