90: Chapter 90 Chen Family Village, Encounter with Demonic Cultivators Again

The next morning.

Chen Qingyuan left Luzhou Mountain alone and silently.

The reason he chose to stay overnight was, in fact, primarily to visit the Chen Family Village at the foot of the mountain while on his way.

It had been over four years since Chen Qingshan had gathered the scattered clansmen and entrusted them to the care of Wu Kui; this was his first time visiting the place in person.

The village was situated on a gentle slope at the southern foot of Luzhou Mountain, backed by lush green forests and facing neatly cultivated farmland, with a clear stream winding around it.

Dozens of houses with gray tiles and wooden walls were built in a staggered and orderly fashion along the stream!

Although not luxurious, it appeared quite orderly and tidy.

A simple watchtower stood at the village entrance, where several sturdy villagers held bows and weapons, vigilantly observing the area outside the village.

Chen Qingyuan did not wish to disturb them and chose to sneak in quietly.

With his Late Stage Qi Refining cultivation, avoiding the notice of Mortals was naturally effortless.

Stepping into the village, he was greeted by a scene full of vitality! Many houses were clearly newly built.

Grains and animal skins were drying everywhere, and even more common were groups of three or four-year-old children chasing and playing in the village.

"A thriving population is the very Foundation of a Family."

Watching the children chasing and playing in the village, Chen Qingyuan’s eyes revealed a look of satisfaction.

Compared to a Sect, what a cultivation Family lacked most was not Spiritual Vein resources, but rather descendants with Spiritual Roots.

A Sect could recruit talented individuals from all over the world and select the best material to teach.

A cultivation Family, however, was like water without a source; every descendant was connected to the Bloodline, and each additional child meant an extra glimmer of hope.

As far as his eyes could see, among these young children running in the fields, there would surely be a few good seedlings with Spiritual Roots in the future.

Therefore, ever since they had settled down, Chen Qingshan had instructed them to marry more and have more children!

As a result, the proportion of children in the entire village was now shockingly high.

Sweeping with his Divine Sense, he found that the entire Chen Family Village had grown from the initial eleven households and sixty-three people to eighteen households and over one hundred and thirty people today.

Among them, young children accounted for more than half!

"In another three to five years, the first batch of children will be able to undergo Spiritual Root testing; by then, there should be some harvest."

Throughout his walk, Chen Qingyuan did not disturb anyone, drifting through the small village like a transparent shadow.

Only when he saw that the clansmen no longer wore the terrified look of those living in displacement, but instead appeared stable, peaceful, and even filled with anticipation for the future, did his heart feel slightly at ease.

Having confirmed that the clansmen were living well, Chen Qingyuan did not intend to stay long; he turned and left quietly.

However, no sooner had he left the village by a few dozen li and entered a sparse forest area than the sounds of intense fighting suddenly reached his ears!

At the same time, a familiar fluctuation of spiritual power arrived!

"Devilish Qi?!"

Chen Qingyuan’s heart tightened; this aura was exactly the same as the corpse Devilish Cultivator he had encountered back in Qianji Plains.

Although the cultivation seemed slightly lower, that cold and sinister feeling was identical.

"Why are Devilish Cultivators appearing so frequently?" He immediately furrowed his brows.

Devilish Cultivators used the Souls and flesh of living beings as their sustenance and had always been intolerable to the cultivation world; everyone had the right to punish them!

If they had appeared in a prosperous area like Red Willow Lake, they would certainly have been besieged upon showing their faces.

Although Qianji Plains and Lifeng Plains were in a bitter and cold region, they had not heard of any traces of Devilish Cultivators for many years, yet now they were appearing one after another.

Especially since this place was only a few dozen li away from the Chen Family Village; if Devilish Cultivators were truly active here, it would be a disaster for the Mortals in the village.

"I must investigate the truth!"

Chen Qingyuan’s thoughts raced, and he made an instant decision.

Relying on the protection of his Yin Armor talisman and possessing many trump cards, he immediately used the breath concealing bracelet to restrain his aura and snuck toward the fighting.

Approaching within a few li, Chen Qingyuan stopped to observe carefully!

He saw that in a clearing within the sparse forest, three men in black robes were besieging a young woman in a blue shirt, who looked to be in her twenties.

The young woman’s cultivation was around the fourth layer of Qi Refining; although her cultivation was not high, her movements were agile, and her sword techniques were fierce!

Even though there was a wound on her left shoulder deep enough to see the bone, and blood had soaked half her sleeve, she still attacked without reservation, with every move risking her life.

As a result, the two Devilish Cultivators at the fifth and sixth layers of Qi Refining who were besieging her could not take her down for a long time.

Until the leader, a Devilish Cultivator at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, could not help but speak.

"Miss Lu, why bother putting up a desperate struggle?"

"Obediently come back with us to serve the Old Ancestor. With your Profound Yin Physique, if you can help the Old Ancestor achieve Major Achievement in his divine skill, your Opportunity for Foundation Establishment will be guaranteed in the future!"

"Bah! Evil heretics, keep dreaming!"

The young woman’s face was pale, but her eyes were like lightning. The long sword in her hand traced an arc as she unleashed another strike, completely disregarding her own defense!

However, although the Devilish Cultivators talked tough, they dared not truly harm her life, for after all, a Cauldron was only useful if captured alive.

Fearing they might break something valuable, they found it difficult to get close for a time.

"Hmph! Stubborn and unyielding!"

The black-robed leader gave a cold snort, and a black light suddenly shot out from his sleeve!

"Clatter!!"

A black chain extended from the black-robed leader’s sleeve, whistling as it aimed straight for the young woman’s feet!

Seeing this, the young woman tapped the ground with her sword tip and spun her body rapidly, narrowly avoiding it.

But she knew that with her cultivation, if she continued to entangle with these people, she would eventually lose in a prolonged battle!

A look of determination flashed in her eyes; she suddenly bit the tip of her tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto the sword blade!

"Profound Frost... Explode!"

The sword blade suddenly burst forth with blinding cold light, and countless ice shards shot out in all directions like a rainstorm!

She was actually self-destructing her Magical Artifact!

The three black-robed men were caught off guard and hurriedly used their various means to defend, their momentum of siege stalling as a result.

However, the Magical Artifact had been refined with her Divine Soul and was already one with the young woman; she did not fare well either after the self-destruction!

"Pfft!!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed out!

But she had no time to care about that; she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, activated a spiritual talisman, and her figure turned into a phantom, speeding forward!

As luck would have it, it was exactly the direction of the Chen Family Village.

If she really led the Devilish Cultivators there, it would be a disaster for the Chen Family Village!

Chen Qingyuan, hidden in the shadows, watched her getting closer and closer, a cold glint rising in his eyes!

Just then, a few wisps of cooking smoke rose from the village, passing through the sparse forest and straight up into the sky.

The young woman finally discovered that there was a Mortal village ahead; her figure suddenly paused, and a complex look flashed in her eyes as she gazed at the cooking smoke.

Then, gritting her teeth, she forcibly changed direction and veered toward the barren mountain on the side!

Her cultivation was not high to begin with, so this delay allowed the Devilish Cultivators behind her to react; they roared and chased closer again!

"Chase! She is at the end of her rope; don't let her run!"

Chen Qingyuan took in the young woman’s performance, his eyes shifting as he recalled his previous promise to Chen Yanhu.

"Her Spiritual Root and Heart-Nature are both quite good... I wonder if that child Yanhu would like her. Since that's the case, I cannot let these Devilish Cultivators succeed."

With this thought, his body flickered, and he followed them like light smoke. He wiped his right hand across his Storage Pouch, and the yin bone needle was already held between his fingers.

A nameless barren mountain!

Lu Yao had been forcing herself to hold on; at this moment, blood was constantly seeping from the sword wound on her shoulder, and the spiritual power in her body was nearly exhausted.

After dashing only a few dozen zhang, her footsteps were already unsteady and staggering.

The three black shadows were like maggots on a tarsal bone; they arrived in an instant and surrounded her once again.