298: Cultivation Method

[It turned out that the Qi Family had always intended to renew their marriage alliance with the Cao Family, wanting Qi Wei to marry Cao Qingyi. After all, among the younger generation of the Qi Family, Qi Wei was the strongest.]

[Cao Qingyi, naturally, had never agreed to this.]

[If she simply didn't marry, that would be one thing, and if she truly found a Dao Companion stronger than Qi Wei, the Qi Family would have nothing to say.]

[But as it happened—she had so casually chosen you, a Loose Cultivator of unknown origin.]

[How could the Qi Family not be furious?]

["With just this trash son of yours, you dare to dream of a toad eating swan meat?" You let out a soft laugh.]

["Hahaha..." Qi Wei laughed out of extreme anger, "My Qi Family is the number one Family in Tianyang City, and you dare call me a toad?"]

["You can't even beat me, so if you're not a toad, what are you?" Your tone was indifferent.]

["You—!"]

[Qi Wei stepped forward in a rage but was stopped by Qi Tianchuan raising his hand.]

[Qi Tianchuan knew full well that since Qi Wei and you were both at the Early Golden Core Stage, he might not be your match in actual combat.]

[Being stopped like this, Qi Wei regained some of his senses. He tilted his head back and sneered, "Good, good, very good... Remember this, the journey to the ruins will be the day you die."]

[You originally intended to make a move, but upon hearing "journey to the ruins," your impulse immediately turned into calmness, and you simply gave a faint smile.]

[Qi Tianchuan flicked his sleeve. "Niece, for this journey to the ruins, you... had better watch yourself."]

[Having said that, the two turned and left, their steps swift and powerful.]

[Looking at their departing figures, you couldn't help but sigh inwardly.]

[Princess Huangfu Yu's methods were truly impressive.]

[In this way, the Cao Family's reliance on her True Spirit Immortal Dynasty would become even deeper.]

[Time passed quickly, and night fell,]

[The stars were sparse, and the night wind swept through the streets and alleys with a chill.]

[The entire Tianyang City seemed to sink into an unusual silence.]

[Your Divine Sense spread out soundlessly, like a giant transparent net, quietly enveloping your own five-entry courtyard.]

[In the courtyard, mist rose lazily, reflecting the warm yellow glow of the lanterns.]

[Mr. and Mrs. Yang, Lulu, Yu'er, and Qin Han were sitting around a stone table, chatting and laughing while eating a steaming hot pot.]

[This lazy way of eating was, of course, something you had taught them.]

[Just then, a dark shadow quietly vaulted over the courtyard wall, landing without a sound.]

[The newcomer was masked and dressed in black, holding a Magic Treasure longsword that gleamed with a cold light.]

[His gaze swept over the people in the courtyard, and killing intent suddenly condensed.]

[This assassin came from the Qi Residence and had a cultivation at the Late Golden Core Stage.]

[From the moment he quietly sneaked out of the Qi Residence, he had been completely under the coverage of your Divine Sense.]

[Qin Han and the others noticed this uninvited guest but were not panicked; they simply looked over curiously.]

["Who are you? What are you doing at our house?" Qin Han blinked and asked in an innocent tone.]

["Clumsy, he's an assassin; he's here to kill us." Yu'er's small face turned solemn, speaking with absolute certainty.]

[Lulu and Mr. and Mrs. Yang silently moved behind Qin Han.]

[The black-clad assassin gave a low laugh, his voice raspy. "If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for offending those you shouldn't have."]

[Qin Han crossed his arms, looking displeased. "Noisy."]

[He suddenly darkened his expression and exhaled a breath of turbid air.]

[The moment that breath left his mouth, the surrounding air seemed to freeze into ice crystals. Faint "click" sounds rang out in succession as if an invisible barrier was rapidly spreading.]

["Die!"]

[Qin Han's voice suddenly turned cold, and his figure blurred abruptly, transforming into a flash of light that was hard for the naked eye to discern, darting past.]

[Puchi!]

[That flash of light instantly pierced the black-clad assassin's neck, bringing forth a cloud of bright red blood mist.]

[In the next second, the assassin's head rolled to the ground, eyes wide open, his expression frozen in unbelievable horror until death.]

[Old Yang's expression remained unchanged as he waved his hand. A streak of crimson flame fell, incinerating the corpse along with the bloodstains completely.]

[Lulu and Yu'er smiled at each other and returned to the table, continuing to dip meat slices into the pot, as if they had just brushed away an annoying fly.]

[Inside the City Lord's Mansion, you withdrew your Divine Sense, a faint smile crossing your lips.]

[At the same time, you began to calculate in your heart—how to make the Qi Family disappear completely without revealing your strength.]

[The Qi Family residence was protected by a powerful Formation that isolated the inside from the outside, so you actually knew very little about the internal situation of the Qi Residence.]

[What's more, the Piaomiao Sect stood behind the Qi Family.]

[If you acted rashly and happened to encounter a hidden expert, complications would inevitably arise.]

[Moreover, rumors had recently been circulating in the city that the Mysterious Immortal Palace was about to appear.]

[It was feared that many eyes from various factions were already lurking within Tianyang City.]

[There was less than a year left before the Immortal Palace's appearance.]

[You calculated secretly—when the Immortal Palace appeared, those experts lurking in the shadows would surely leave Tianyang City. At that time, it would be the day the Qi Family was wiped out.]

[After careful consideration, you finally suppressed the impulse to act immediately.]

[Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another half-year had passed.]

[Over the past half-year, both inside and outside Tianyang City had been unexpectedly peaceful.]

[All the factions, whether in the open or in the shadows, seemed to have reached a certain tacit understanding.]

[The city had actually welcomed a rare period of tranquility not seen for many years.]

[The Late Golden Core Stage assassin sent by the Qi Family had vanished like a stone dropped into the ocean, yet the Qi Family acted as if nothing had happened.]

[With a Late Stage Golden Core Cultivator disappearing silently, no matter how dull the Qi Family was, they understood—they had kicked a steel plate.]

[Although they didn't know exactly who had acted, the failed assassination must have alerted the other party.]

[Therefore, the Qi Family's new plan was to wait until the Mysterious Immortal Palace appeared; as long as you went to the ruins, it would be the day you died.]

[On this night,]

[Cao Qingyi, as usual, was busy in the Government Hall until the early hours of the morning.]

[You had long grown accustomed to this sight—besides her cultivation, she spent almost every day handling various trivial administrative affairs of Tianyang City.]

[These matters could originally have been handled by subordinates, and she had tried that, but it never worked out.]

[This was because many seemingly minor matters often involved larger entanglements of interest behind them.]

[Once she let go, people would take the opportunity to seek personal gain. Driven by interest, this could lead to financial loss at best and loss of life at worst.]

[If such things happened frequently in Tianyang City, the people would lose heart, Cultivators might leave, and resources would be drained.]

[The Foundation of a city would thus be shaken.]

[Therefore, she preferred to do everything personally.]

[It wasn't until the third quarter of the Yin hour that she finished processing the documents on her desk. She rose and walked toward the Sleeping Quarters, preparing to begin her cultivation for the day.]

[And today, you happened to be off duty.]

[After leaving the residence, you quietly went to the Langgan Pavilion and found Qin Yang.]

["Granduncle Qin, I've recently felt that my cultivation hasn't progressed at all. I wonder what the reason is?" You asked the doubt in your heart.]

[Hearing this, Qin Yang chuckled and said, "You have already reached the Soul Transformation Realm, so ordinary methods of breathing and Qi Condensation naturally have very little effect."]

["Why was this kind of cultivation useful when I was in the Nascent Soul Stage, but after Soul Transformation, the difference is like heaven and earth?" you hurriedly followed up.]