165: On the edge of the wilderness, a living hell!

Chen Xu looked at Chen Daoxuan again: "Dao Xuan, as the Young Lord, you must assist your Aunt Murong in handling Family affairs while I am away. If you encounter matters you cannot decide upon, you may consult with the Elders."

"Remember, do not be impulsive when encountering situations, but if anyone bullies our Chen Family, thinking we have no one, you must not be soft-handed."

"This child understands!"

Chen Daoxuan gripped the storage ring in his hand tightly, his eyes filled with determination.

After explaining these trivial matters, Chen Xu did not stand up but slowly closed his eyes.

Just as everyone was puzzled, an incredibly profound Spatial Law fluctuation suddenly rippled out from Chen Xu's body.

"Hum!"

They saw a purple-gold light shoot up from Chen Xu's crown. The light swirled and condensed in mid-air without dissipating.

Instead, it began to frantically absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

"This is..." Zhao De widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

In just a few breaths, that ball of purple-gold light condensed into a human silhouette.

As the light gradually faded, a figure that looked exactly like Chen Xu, even down to the aura, appeared before everyone!

The only difference was that the figure's eyes were relatively hollow, lacking a bit of liveliness. However, that authentic Void Refining Stage pressure could not be faked.

"External Incarnation?!" Zhao De could not help but exclaim.

This was a true Divine Ability!

Chen Xu slowly opened his eyes, looked at the Clone beside him, and rubbed his brow with slight fatigue.

This was not an ordinary Clone, but a Dao Body Clone formed by utilizing the characteristics of his Primordial Chaos Dao Body, combined with the Spatial Law, and forcibly extracting thirty percent of his own essence blood and magic power.

Although it could only exert fifty percent of the main body's combat power and could not exist for a long time, it was more than enough to guard Tianxuan City and deter the wicked.

"This is my Origin Clone," Chen Xu explained. "After I leave, it will guard the top floor of the Ten Thousand Paths Heaven-reaching Tower. If the City Protection Grand Formation is broken, or if we encounter an irresistible enemy, this Clone will naturally take action."

Hearing this, everyone felt as if they had taken a reassurance pill. They had all witnessed the Family Head's strength.

Even if it was only fifty percent of his combat power, even if it was just a Clone, in this Beiming Wilderness, it was an invincible existence!

"The Family Head is brilliant! With this, our Tianxuan City is as solid as a fortress!" Zhao De said excitedly.

Chen Xu waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Alright, everything that needed to be explained has been explained. You may all withdraw. Dao Xuan, you stay."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed and exited the main hall in an orderly fashion. Moments later, only the father and son were left in the empty main hall.

Chen Xu looked at his eldest son, who was already half a head taller than him. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Once upon a time, Chen Daoxuan was just a tender youth following behind him, needing protection.

But now, after the tempering of the Lower Realm and the baptism of the Family's drastic changes, he had grown into a big tree that could shield the Family from the wind and rain.

The steadiness and determination between his brows vaguely held a few traces of his own shadow from back then.

"Father." Chen Daoxuan stood respectfully. Although he could already stand on his own, in front of Chen Xu, he always maintained that sense of admiration and awe.

"Sit. There are no outsiders here, no need to be restrained." Chen Xu pointed to the chair beside him.

After Chen Daoxuan sat down, Chen Xu spoke slowly: "Dao Xuan, do you know why I am in such a hurry to go to Zhenyuan City?"

Chen Daoxuan pondered for a moment and said: "For the Materials for the cross-Realm Formation, and to bring the clansmen from the Lower Realm up."

"That is one aspect." Chen Xu nodded, then his gaze became profound: "More importantly, the development of Tianxuan City has reached a Bottleneck."

"Although we have the Heaven-Reaching Tower, the Reincarnation Hall, and now the Divine Stele, in terms of soft power like resources, intelligence, and connections, we are still far behind the true powers of the Spirit Realm."

"We are like an upstart, possessing strength but not knowing how to survive for long in this cruel Cultivation World."

Chen Xu stood up, walked to the door of the main hall, and looked at the sky outside: "Zhenyuan City is the window through which we can understand this world."

"I do not hope that one day in the future, when disaster strikes, our Chen Family will still be like blind men, not even knowing who the enemy is."

Chen Daoxuan was greatly shocked upon hearing this. He had always thought his father was omnipotent, but he hadn't expected that the world in his father's eyes was far larger and much heavier than what he saw.

"Father, this child... will definitely guard the Family business well and will never let you have any worries." Chen Daoxuan stood up, his tone firmer than ever before.

Chen Xu turned around, patted his shoulder, and smiled: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You have already done very well. Whether it is the management of the clansmen or the absorption of new forces, you have the demeanor of a great general."

"Handing the Zhao Family over to you this time is also a test for you."

"The Refining Artifact Pavilion is the Family's future cash cow and the key to improving combat power; you must keep it firmly in your hands."

"Yes, Father!"

"Additionally..." Chen Xu flipped his palm and solemnly handed the core jade talisman that controlled the City Protection Grand Formation to Chen Daoxuan.

"I am handing the control of this Formation to you. Remember, in the Cultivation World, kindness is the greatest cruelty to oneself. If you encounter a situation you cannot control, it is better to shatter like jade than to remain intact like a tile."

Chen Daoxuan received the jade talisman with both hands, feeling it heavy in his hand. This was not just a jade talisman. It was the safety of thousands of lives in the entire Chen Family.

"Go." Chen Xu waved his hand. "Cultivate well; don't let your cultivation still be stagnant when I return."

"This child will strictly follow your teachings!"

Chen Daoxuan bowed deeply and turned to leave. Watching his son's straight back, Chen Xu smiled with gratification.

A young eagle must eventually fly on its own. And he, the old eagle, was now going to forge a broader sky for the little eagles!

The night was like water, and in the backyard of Tianxuan City, the lights were dim. Compared to the killing intent and gravity of the discussion hall in the front yard, the atmosphere here seemed exceptionally warm, yet it also revealed wisps of sorrow at parting.

In the bedroom, the soft light of the night-luminescent pearl sprinkled down, illuminating the faces of Qin Rouer, Sun Xiaoyue, and the others, making them look gentle and moving.

Qin Rouer and Sun Xiaoyue were now both pregnant; although the months were still early and no change in their figures could be seen, that soft radiance of becoming a mother for the first time made them look even more beautiful and stunning.

Chen Xu sat by the bed, gently holding Qin Rouer's hand, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his wives one by one.

"Husband, the journey to Zhenyuan City is long, and that is the Lin Family's territory, you must be extremely careful." Qin Rouer urged softly, her eyes full of reluctance.

Although she knew her husband was now possessing vast Divine Abilities and was already a Void Refining expert, as a wife, worry was always unavoidable.

"Rest assured." Chen Xu smiled gently and reached out to tidy the stray hair at her temples: "Although Zhenyuan City is large, in my eyes, it is nothing more than a slightly more prosperous marketplace."

"As long as I don't go looking for trouble, no one can do anything to me."

Sun Xiaoyue, who was to the side, also leaned over, resting her head gently on Chen Xu's shoulder, her tone somewhat coquettish: "Husband, you must come back early. Our child is still waiting to call you Dad."

Mentioning the child, Chen Xu's eyes became even softer. His palm gently covered Sun Xiaoyue's lower abdomen, feeling the extremely weak yet resilient life rhythm inside, and a warm current surged in his heart.

"I will." Chen Xu promised solemnly: "When I find those last two Materials, build the cross-Realm Formation, and bring the clansmen up, I will come back to accompany you all and watch these two little ones be born."

"And you, Ruyan." Chen Xu looked at Liu Ruyan, who had been standing to the side, not speaking but with her eyes glued to him.

"I am here." Liu Ruyan stepped forward.

"Your charm technique is natural, and now with the blessing of the Divine Stele, it is the critical period for a Breakthrough."

"When I return, I hope to see you take a step further."

"Yes, Family Head." Liu Ruyan bowed gracefully, her eyes flickering, "This servant will definitely Cultivate hard and will never make the Family Head lose face. If the Family Head returns late... this servant will miss you dearly."

These slightly teasing words immediately diluted much of the sorrow of parting.

After cherishing the moment for a while longer, Chen Xu looked at the sky and knew it was about time. He stood up, took one last deep look at his Family members, turned resolutely, and walked out of the room.

In the courtyard, the moonlight was cold and clear. Chen Xu did not rush to leave, but stood under an ancient tree and began to "transform" himself.

This trip to Zhenyuan City was to gather intelligence and collect Materials, so keeping a low profile was the best policy. If he paraded through the streets with the status of a Void Refining expert, he would probably be targeted by the eyes of major forces before even entering the city.

"Crack, crack!" A teeth-aching sound of bones popping rang out. Chen Xu's originally tall and slender body actually began to grow eerily taller. His muscle lines also became more rugged and coarse.

In just a moment, he transformed from a handsome and peerless Young Master into a nine-foot-tall, sallow-faced, high-cheekboned middle-aged Cultivator.

Even his eyes, which were originally as deep as the starry sky, now became slightly gloomy, revealing a coldness that kept strangers at a distance.

Immediately after, he circulated the breath-concealing secret technique within the Eternal Azure Cloud Art. That vast, sea-like Void Refining Stage aura receded rapidly like the tide. Finally, it was firmly suppressed to the Perfection of the Soul Transformation Stage.

This Realm was chosen very cleverly. In a giant city like Zhenyuan City, although a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator could not be considered a top expert, they were definitely a master of a region, enough to make people wary and not dare to provoke them at will.

At the same time, it would not be like a Void Refining expert, who was like a searchlight in the dark night wherever they went, attracting attention.

"Not bad." Chen Xu took out a water mirror and looked at himself, quite satisfied with this brand-new appearance. Anyone who saw this appearance would think he was a bitter Cultivator with a withdrawn personality, one who had been fighting in the wilderness for many years.

"Awoo?" Just then, a confused dog bark came from his feet. Xiao Hei stared with its dog eyes, circling Chen Xu several times. Its nose kept twitching.

If not for the familiar aura of his Soul still being there, it would have suspected that its master had been swapped.

"What are you looking at? It's your turn." Chen Xu looked down at the sturdy black dog, which was the size of a calf. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Xiao Hei seemed to sense something; its fur stood on end, and it tucked its tail to run away. Just kidding!

It is a noble Divine Beast possessing the Bloodline of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Wolf!

Although it usually looks like a dog, it is still a majestic Dog King!

If its master turns it into some strange thing, will it still have any dignity left as a dog?

"Want to run?"

Chen Xu reached out a large hand and directly grabbed the back of Xiao Hei's neck, lifting it up.

"I'll give you two choices."

Chen Xu held up two fingers: "First, I will shave off all your black fur and turn you into a bald dog."

Xiao Hei's eyes widened instantly, its two front paws flailed wildly, and it let out a shrill whimper.

Too ruthless!

Simply not human!

"As for the second..."

Chen Xu flipped his other hand, and a piece of roasted, sizzling, fragrant fifth-Rank Yao Beast leg meat appeared out of thin air.

"Cooperate with me to transform, and this piece of meat will be yours."

Xiao Hei's movements stalled instantly.

Its gaze was glued to that piece of roasted meat, and a "gulp" sound of swallowing saliva came from its throat.

Dignity?

What is that thing?

Can it be eaten?

Xiao Hei immediately put on a fawning expression, stuck out its large tongue to lick Chen Xu's hand, and wagged its tail like a propeller.

"Deal."

Chen Xu nodded in satisfaction, threw the roasted meat to Xiao Hei, and then pinched a Dharma seal, shooting a ray of spiritual light into Xiao Hei's body.

Buzz!

Xiao Hei's originally sturdy body shrank rapidly, and its originally sleek, glossy fur became dull and lusterless.

It even went bald in several places, looking just like a mangy dog that had been wandering the streets for many years.

"Woof!"

Xiao Hei looked down at its current appearance while gnawing on the roasted meat.

Although it was a bit disgusted, considering the delicious food in its mouth, it accepted it reluctantly.

Everything was ready.

Chen Xu waved his large sleeve, and a dark golden stream of light flew out from his cuff, growing as it met the wind.

It transformed into that ferocious and domineering thunderbolt void-piercing shuttle.

However, at this moment, the Flying Boat had already activated its highest-level concealment mode.

The hull was as transparent as water, almost completely invisible in the night.

"Let's go!"

Chen Xu took Xiao Hei, who had transformed into a mangy dog, and stepped onto the Flying Boat.

It did not disturb anyone in the city.

Even those nine golden City Protection Grand Formation dragons did not make the slightest movement.

The thunderbolt void-piercing shuttle was like a ghost merging into the darkness, rising silently into the air.

Then, it turned into a black light that was hard for the naked eye to discern, instantly piercing through the firmament.

It sped away towards the distant and prosperous Zhenyuan City in the north!

This journey was like a hidden dragon entering the sea, destined to stir up a huge storm in Zhenyuan City!

The moon set and the sun rose, time passing like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed quietly.

During this journey, Chen Xu did not just rush on the road, but divided part of his mind to silently observe the terrain and features below through the Formation of the thunderbolt void-piercing shuttle.

This vast and boundless Wilderness was far more complex than he had imagined.

In addition to the fierce Yao Beasts seen everywhere, there were many natural forbidden zones hidden in the towering mountains, and the aura emitted from some places made him feel a trace of palpitations even with the protection of the Flying Boat.

However, as they traveled south, the green vegetation on the ground gradually increased, and that oppressive aura of wild dead silence was slowly replaced by a trace of human smoke and fire.

"Finally arriving."

Chen Xu looked at the continuous mountain range that appeared faintly on the horizon, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

According to the map, crossing that mountain range was the buffer zone where the Human Race Cultivators and wild Yao Beasts lived together, and it was also the only way to Zhenyuan City.

In order not to cause unnecessary trouble, Chen Xu's heart moved.

The thunderbolt void-piercing shuttle that was speeding through the clouds slowed down suddenly, then rapidly shrank amidst a wave of spatial fluctuations, and was retracted into his sleeve.

Replacing it was a seemingly ordinary green steel Flying Sword, which even had a few notches on the blade.

Chen Xu stepped on the Flying Sword, his figure hunched, and his dusty Taoist robe was full of oil stains and patches, looking like a down-and-out Loose Cultivator who had been struggling in the Wilderness for most of his life but still achieved nothing.

And that once majestic "Dog King" Xiao Hei was currently drooping its head, sporting the appearance of a mangy dog, lying listlessly behind the Flying Sword, rolling its eyes from time to time because of the bumps of the Flying Sword.

One person and one dog swayed into the border area, flying low against the treetops.

As soon as they entered this area, a chaotic, restless, and bloody aura rushed towards them.

There were no rules here, no Laws, only the naked Law of the jungle.

Chen Xu slowed down, his Divine Sense spreading out like mercury, and everything within a hundred miles was in his eyes.

In a dense forest below, two ragged Cultivators were fighting.

The two were clearly at the end of their rope, their spiritual power exhausted, and at this moment, they were actually fighting physically like Mortals, biting each other's throats with their teeth.

And beside a rock not far from them, a low-grade Spiritual Plant, a Hemostatic Grass, was growing quietly, barely a hundred years old.

Just for a low-grade Spiritual Plant that was worse than roadside weeds in Tianxuan City, these two were fighting to the death.

Chen Xu passed by expressionlessly, his heart not stirring in the slightest.

Going forward for dozens of miles, a shrill cry for help reached his ears.

He saw several male Cultivators with fierce faces surrounding a trembling female Cultivator.

The female Cultivator's clothes were torn, and she was covered in scars, clearly unable to resist.

"Please, Fellow Daoists... let me go..." The female Cultivator knelt on the ground, kowtowing incessantly, her forehead already a bloody mess: "I am willing to be a slave and a maid, just please spare my life..."

The male Cultivators looked at each other and let out wanton lewd laughter, commenting as if they were examining goods, not treating her as a human being at all.

And in the sky further away, a Loose Cultivator with a broken arm was fleeing for his life.

Behind him, a Wind Wolf with blood-red eyes was chasing relentlessly.

When the Loose Cultivator passed by a team of people who were resting, he shouted for help: "Fellow Daoists, save me! I have Spirit Stones! I have..."

Before he finished speaking, the leader of the team just glanced at him coldly. Not only did he not help, but he took his men back a few steps, putting on a posture of watching a good show.

A moment later, the Wind Wolf caught up, and the screams stopped abruptly.

After the Wind Wolf left with half a corpse, the team walked over slowly, skillfully taking the Storage Pouch from the remaining half of the corpse, not even letting go of the boots on the Loose Cultivator's feet.

This was the edge of the Wilderness.

This was the true portrayal of the bottom-level Loose Cultivators.

Chen Xu watched these scenes, his eyes becoming increasingly indifferent.

Compared to here, Tianxuan City was simply heaven.

Just then, Chen Xu's Divine Sense captured a trace of abnormality.

In a canyon passage ahead, a large group of ragged Cultivators with sallow complexions were moving towards the depths of the Wilderness with their families.

Although these people were also Cultivators, most of them had low cultivation, and there were even many Mortals mixed among them.

Their eyes were hollow and numb, like a group of walking dead, and only when they looked in the direction behind them did they reveal a trace of deep fear.

"That is the direction of Zhenyuan City..."

Chen Xu frowned, and a trace of doubt arose in his heart.

Logically, Cultivators would all rack their brains to get into large cities rich in resources. How could so many people go against the trend and run into this dangerous Wilderness?

Could it be that something happened in Zhenyuan City?

Thinking of this, Chen Xu flicked his finger, and the Flying Sword changed direction silently, landing in a hidden bush behind the group of refugees.

He scanned the area and locked onto a thin, small man who was lagging at the very back, secretly trying to steal a water bottle from the person next to him.

"You'll do."

Chen Xu's figure flickered and disappeared from where he was.

The next moment, the thin man who was about to make a move felt darkness before his eyes. Before he could even groan, his neck was gripped by a large hand like iron pliers, and he was dragged into the dense forest next to him.

"Don't make a sound, or you die."

A cold voice rang in his ear.

The thin man was scared out of his wits, nodding desperately, and his crotch wet instantly.

Chen Xu let go of his hand and looked coldly at the man paralyzed on the ground: "Where did you come from? Why run into the Wilderness?"

The man raised his head tremblingly. Seeing Chen Xu's fierce and wicked appearance, he was so scared that he couldn't speak clearly: "Replying... replying to Senior... the small... we escaped from Zhenyuan City..."

"Escape? Why escape?"

"Can't... can't survive anymore..." The man said with a crying voice: "The Lin Family in Zhenyuan City... don't know what kind of madness they have recently, they raised the city entry tax by more than three times! And they are also wantonly collecting 'head tax' in the city. Those who can't pay are caught to work as coolies in the mines..."

"Not only that, they also condone their Law enforcement team to search for resources from Loose Cultivators everywhere, saying it is to prepare for some... some grand ceremony..."

"We Loose Cultivators who have no background and no strength will die sooner or later if we stay there. We can only... only run to the Wilderness, hoping to try our luck and see if we can find a remote place to survive..."

Listening to the man's crying, Chen Xu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Preparing for a grand ceremony?

It seems that the Lin Family in Zhenyuan City is not as stable as it appears on the surface.

This kind of fishing out the water is obviously in urgent need of a large amount of resources in a short time.

"Get lost."

Chen Xu got the information he wanted and didn't bother to make things difficult for such an ant, casually throwing a Low-Grade Spirit Stone over.

The man was granted amnesty, grabbed the Spirit Stone, and crawled away, fearing that this fierce star would go back on his word.

Chen Xu stood in place and touched his chin.

"It seems this trip will be more lively than I imagined."

He stepped on the Flying Sword again and greeted Xiao Hei who was urinating on a tree nearby.

"Let's go, mangy dog."

"Woof!" Xiao Hei barked dissatisfiedly, but still obediently jumped onto the Flying Sword.

One person and one dog turned into an inconspicuous stream of light again, going against this tide of refugees, and flew towards the legendary Zhenyuan City.