154: Chapter 154 The Cave Heaven Reopens

Inside a certain Immortal Cave, blood Qi swirled, echoing with painful wails and curses.

Qin Chuanxing was soaking in a Blood Pool, a look of delight and pleasure on his face as the blood splashed with a loud crash.

He stepped out of the Blood Pool, his skin pale and greenish, his pupils an eerie blood-red.

"Qin Chuanxing, you beast! You'll die a miserable death!"

"We won't let you go even as ghosts! The Su Family will surely avenge us!"

Beside the Blood Pool were spiked cages. The Blood Thorns pierced the skin of the Qin Family members, and fresh blood flowed down the slope into the pool for Qin Chuanxing to absorb for his cultivation.

Facing the curses of the Qin Family members, Qin Chuanxing turned a deaf ear and walked away with large strides, muttering under his breath.

"This is all for the Qin Family. As long as I can rise, the Qin Family will prosper. Everything I do is for the good of the Qin Family; this small sacrifice from you all is inevitable."

One must know that Su Yang established the current Su Family all by himself after embarking on the path of immortality. It was clear that the number of clansmen was not important; what mattered was having a powerful Cultivator to lead the Family.

As long as he, Qin Chuanxing, became strong, why worry that the Qin Family would not rise?

Anyway, these Mortals were useless to keep around. It was better for them to become nourishment for him to grow stronger, saving him the time of searching for nourishment outside.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Huo Chen, clad in a black robe, appeared silently.

Qin Chuanxing asked in a cold tone, "Was it a success?"

"Of course it was a success." Huo Chen grinned. "Jiang Wuyu had long suspected something was wrong with the Su Family, but he was just fooled by the cunning Su Family. After reading my letter, the old fellow can no longer hold back."

All of Su Yang's descendants were Cultivators!

This was a shocking secret that Huo Chen had spent several years to verify, and even he was deeply shocked.

The Su Family must be hiding a great secret, a method that ensures descendants will definitely possess a Spiritual Root.

If this secret were made public, let alone Jiang Wuyu, even Golden Core Cultivators would attack the Su Family in groups!

However, what Huo Chen and Jiang Wuyu needed was different.

Jiang Wuyu wanted to create Spiritual Roots for his clansmen, while Huo Chen wanted the nourishment he captured to have Spiritual Roots.

The effects of consuming the blood of a Mortal versus that of a Cultivator were worlds apart. If he could rear Cultivators to provide a continuous supply of blood for his cultivation, becoming a Golden Core Cultivator would be just around the corner!

"Have you clarified the cultivation levels of the Su family members? Are you sure there are no Foundation Establishment Cultivators?" Qin Chuanxing asked with a cold face.

Huo Chen replied with a smile, "Based on the information you provided and the results of my investigation, the Su Family is hiding at most one Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and it's most likely Song Baiqing, who reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining years ago."

"However, Jiang Wuyu will lure this person away for us. This is my deal with him. The remaining Qi Refining Cultivators of the Su Family are of no concern; I won't even need to act personally."

Hearing this, a dark light flashed in Qin Chuanxing's blood-red eyes.

Since he had already made an enemy of the Su Family, he might as well use the blood of the Su Family Cultivators to boost hiscultivation, which could be considered another form of Legacy inheritance.

...

Qingyuan Market, Drunken Immortal Tower.

After many years, Cheng Lan once again issued invitations to the major factions of the market to gather.

Unlike back then, the Foundation Establishment Factions this time were not just the Jiang Family, the Cheng Family, and the Bihai Association.

There were also the Foundation Establishment Factions that had joined the Qingyuan Market for many years—the Golden Feather Gang and the Fan Family.

As well as the Li Family, which had risen less than three years ago.

There were not many Qi Refining Factions qualified to participate in this gathering, yet the most eye-catching one was still the Su Family.

Su Xuanming attended the gathering as the head of the Family. Facing the constant polite greetings from those around him, he handled them calmly from start to finish.

After three rounds of drinks, Cheng Lan finally spoke, "I invited everyone here for the same purpose as before: the Wangchuan Valley Grotto-heaven has reopened!"

"Some of you may not know about the Wangchuan Valley Grotto-heaven, so I will explain briefly. This Grotto-heaven hides a large number of rare spirit plants, rare Yao Beasts, Heaven And Earth Treasures, and even Immortal Caves left by Cultivators."

"However, only Qi Refining Cultivators can enter this Grotto-heaven. The opening time is completely random, and nearly ten years have passed since it last opened."

Cheng Lan paused for a moment, waiting for everyone to digest the information, then continued:

"This Opportunity was discovered by my Cheng Family. During the first cooperation, my Cheng Family did not charge any fee, but this time, rules must be established for the Grotto-heaven Opportunity."

"Whatever Opportunities you all obtain within the Grotto-heaven, you must give ten percent to my Cheng Family. This condition isn't excessive, is it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone discussed in low voices. Most Cultivators thought the condition proposed by the Cheng Family was reasonable, as a ten percent harvest was not considered too much.

But a few also believed that the harvest from the Grotto-heaven should depend on one's own ability, and the Cheng Family had no right to reap the benefits without doing anything. Moreover, who could distinguish whether the items in a storage ring were treasures from the Grotto-heaven or their own old belongings?

"The rules are as such; whether to go to the Grotto-heaven is entirely voluntary."

Cheng Lan said indifferently, "Families willing to go should gather at the Cheng Family in ten days. Today's banquet ends here."

After saying that, she stood up and left, leaving the Cultivators in the private room to discuss among themselves.

Xu Heyan looked at Su Xuanming with a smile. "The Su Family missed the Opportunity last time. You should be going this time, right?"

Just as Su Xuanming was about to speak, Jiang Wuyu suddenly snorted and sneered, "Fellow Daoist Xu is overthinking it. How would a Family that only knows how to hide like a turtle dare to go out at a time like this?"

Hearing this, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Golden Feather Gang immediately laughed. "Fellow Daoist Jiang is mistaken. It is precisely because the Su Family knows how to hide that they have survived until today. They even avoided the Conscription. It seems this 'Way of the Turtle' indeed has some merit!"

At these words, a burst of mocking laughter erupted at the table.

Su Xuanming was not angered by the mockery; instead, he gave Jiang Wuyu a meaningful glance.

There must be something wrong when things are out of the ordinary. Although Jiang Wuyu's mockery was consistent with his usual style, this provocation was too sudden. Especially the echoing of the Golden Feather Gang's Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it seemed more like a deliberate arrangement, like a calculated provocation.

Jiang Wuyu wanted to provoke the Su Family into actively participating in this Wangchuan Valley operation!

"Senior Jiang seems very eager for the Su Family to go to Wangchuan Valley. Could it be that you have ulterior motives?"

Su Xuanming said, seemingly as a joke.

Jiang Wuyu's face stiffened slightly, and he gave a fake snort. "Whether your Su Family goes or not is none of my business."

After saying that, he also stood up and left, as if he didn't take the Su Family seriously at all.

Su Xuanming's smile remained as his gaze shifted to the Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Golden Feather Gang—Hou Zhang.

The Golden Feather Gang made a living by hunting Yao Beasts. Their members had extremely strong combat methods and usually acted arrogantly and overbearingly, frequently harassing the commoners of the Qingyuan Market.

"Senior Hou, I recall that the Golden Feather Gang and the Su Family have never had any dealings. What's gotten into you today?"

"Audacious junior!"

Hou Zhang slammed the table. Amidst the surging spiritual energy, the table full of delicacies shattered, and he shouted sternly, "You dare to speak to me like that?"

The spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage suddenly swept towards Su Xuanming!

Xu Heyan waved his hand with a smile, directly dispelling the pressure, and said in the tone of a mediator, "Eh, Fellow Daoist Hou, don't be impulsive. We are all from the same market and see each other often. It was just a joke, don't take it seriously."