283: The final trump card, pre-trip arrangements

Qingzhou City, Shen Family Main Residence, inside the secret chamber.

The candlelight quietly burned, casting the figures of Shen Yuanmo, Shen Qiming, and Shen Zongdao onto the cold stone wall, flickering slightly.

"Yuan Mo, you... are you really decided?" Shen Qiming's voice was hoarse, his eyes red, and the veins on his hands gripping the armrests of the chair bulged.

Ten days ago, the ecstasy of his son's return had not yet faded when the shadow of parting already enveloped his heart.

He knew his son's ambition lay in the Nine Heavens, and this small pond of Qingzhou could not hold him.

But as a father, how could that deep-seated worry be suppressed with just a few words?

"Father, I must go to the Heaven-Reaching Secret Realm."

Shen Yuanmo's tone was calm and firm. He looked at his father's haggard face, his heart softening, and continued.

"That is not just an Opportunity; it is also my stage to prove myself to the entire Tianyuan Continent and to the Immortal Dynasty. Only by standing at the highest point can my Shen Family's Foundation truly be as stable as Mount Tai, and no one will dare to covet it again."

Shen Zongdao sighed beside him. He was more open-minded than Shen Qiming, but equally worried.

"Yuan Mo, we all understand what you're saying. But, Qiantian Divine Capital, that is a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, the center of the entire Immortal Dynasty. There are Prodigies like clouds and old monsters like rain there. If you go alone, what if..."

He dared not continue. The Shen Family could not withstand the blow of losing Shen Yuanmo.

"I understand your concerns, but with my current strength, those so-called Prodigies and old monsters pose no threat to me."

Shen Yuanmo looked at the two of them, knowing that any words of comfort would seem pale.

He said no more, simply raising his hand. A flash of light appeared in his palm, and the Jade Pendant carved with a Qilin totem reappeared in his hand.

It was precisely the highest control token for the five elements qilin divine ark.

"Father, Old Ancestor, although the Divine Ark has been completed, its core Qilin Battle Soul is ultimately an inanimate object, lacking a trace of true spirituality." Shen Yuanmo's fingertip lightly tapped the token.

Buzz—

A profound and mysterious fluctuation emanated from the token, instantly spreading throughout the entire Qingzhou City.

Outside the city, within the massive shipyard built for the Divine Ark, the ten-thousand-zhang Divine Ark stood quietly. The eyes of the lifelike Qilin statue at its bow suddenly lit up with two dazzling points of five-colored divine light!

"I used Chaos Qi to perform the final enlightenment on it." Shen Yuanmo's voice carried an undeniable confidence.

"Now, this Qilin Battle Soul is no longer just a superficial artifact spirit. It has gained true life, and its power is enough to rival a genuine..."

"Nascent Soul Initial Stage Cultivator!"

What?

Nascent Soul Initial Stage!

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao's minds buzzed, exploding on the spot!

They widened their eyes, staring intently at the token in Shen Yuanmo's hand, their breathing halted.

Soul Transformation! That was a legendary Realm!

It was a terrestrial immortal capable of suppressing the Luck of a top Noble Family!

The entire Southern Border had not produced a single true Spirit Transformation True Monarch in tens of thousands of years!

And now, their Shen Family actually possessed a Soul Transformation-level Battle Soul?!

"This... this... Yuan Mo, do you mean that our Shen Family now has a mobile... Soul Transformation combat power?"

Shen Zongdao's voice trembled uncontrollably; he felt like he was about to faint from happiness.

What did this mean?

It meant that from now on, his Shen Family would be the true heaven in the Southern Border!

They would be the absolute overlords! Any petty villain, any conspiracy, would be crushed to dust under the iron hooves of this Soul Transformation Battle Soul!

"Indeed." Shen Yuanmo nodded, solemnly handing the token to his father.

"With it, coupled with the city protection array I modified, Qingzhou City will be impregnable, as long as a Spirit Transformation Late Stage old monster doesn't personally arrive."

Shen Qiming's hands trembled as he took the warm Jade Pendant, feeling as if it weighed ten thousand catties.

However, this was not all.

Shen Yuanmo flipped his wrist, and another Jade Talisman, entirely black with a chaotic-colored sword mark inscribed on it, appeared in his palm.

As soon as this Jade Talisman appeared, the temperature of the entire secret chamber seemed to drop by tens of degrees. An extremely sharp Sword Intent, as if capable of severing Divine Souls, emanated from it.

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao merely glanced at it, and felt a stinging pain in their eyes, their Divine Souls trembling, and quickly averted their gaze.

"This is my Natal Soul Talisman." Shen Yuanmo's tone became serious. "Inside, three full-power Sword Qi strikes of mine are sealed."

He looked at the two of them and said, word by word, "Do not use it lightly unless the Family faces the calamity of annihilation."

"One strike can kill a Mid-stage Soul Transformation Cultivator."

"All three strikes combined can heavily injure even a Spirit Transformation Late Stage Cultivator!"

Boom!

If the previous Soul Transformation Battle Soul had given them a sense of absolute security,

then this Soul Talisman at this moment filled them with bone-deep shock!

One Sword Qi strike could kill a Mid-stage Soul Transformation Cultivator!

What terrifying, Heaven-Defying power was this!

They couldn't imagine how incredibly powerful Shen Yuanmo had become!

With these two trump cards, let alone the Southern Border, even looking at the entire Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, who would dare to easily provoke their Shen Family?

"Yuan Mo..." Shen Qiming held the Soul Talisman, his lips trembling, too excited to utter a complete sentence.

Shen Yuanmo didn't give them much time to be shocked. He waved his hand casually.

Whoosh—

Hundreds of Jade Slips, shimmering with various lights, appeared out of thin air on the secret chamber's table, piling up into a small mountain.

"These are some Pill Formulas, array diagrams, and Artifact Refining insights that I deduced effortlessly after combining my new comprehensions during this return."

"From first-tier to fifth-tier, there's everything. Father, if you put them all into the Merit Hall, it should elevate my Shen Family's Foundation to another level."

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao were completely numb as they looked at the mountain of Jade Slips.

Any single Jade Slip taken out would be enough for a Fourth-Rank Noble Family to fight over.

And now, his son described them as 'effortlessly' created?

What more could they say?

Only shock, and more shock.

After doing all this, Shen Yuanmo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The last trump cards had been left, and he had paved the way for the Family's future.

He looked at his father, Shen Qiming, his expression becoming solemn: "Father, the Family's development requires resources, but it needs tempering even more."

"You can't raise a mighty eagle in a greenhouse."

"After I leave, you can issue long-term missions in the Merit Hall, sending the promising juniors of the Family to explore and train, centered around Qingzhou, towards the Myriad Demon Ridge of the Southern Border, or even the more distant Western Desert."

"You can pour resources, but true powerhouses are always forged in life-and-death battles of blood and fire!"

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao's bodies trembled at these words.

They exchanged glances, both seeing understanding in the other's eyes.

Yes, Yuan Mo was right.

They had been too comfortable these past years, too reliant on the deterrence Yuan Mo had left behind.

For a Family to truly last for ten thousand generations, it doesn't rely on the protection of one person, but on having strong individuals who can hold up the sky in every generation!

"I understand!" Shen Qiming nodded heavily, his eyes blazing with unprecedented vigor. "Yuan Mo, go with peace of mind! Your father knows what to do!"

Shen Zongdao also stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, good! What a 'forged in blood and fire'! How could my Shen Family's sons be cowards who fear death!"

Seeing the rekindled fighting spirit in his father and Old Ancestor's eyes, Shen Yuanmo finally showed a relieved smile.

All his concerns were resolved at this moment.

He slowly stood up, his gaze seeming to penetrate the confines of the secret chamber, looking towards the unimaginably distant direction of Central State.

Qiantian Divine Capital... Heaven-Reaching Secret Realm...