29: Chapter 29 The Inflated Feeling of Reaching the Top in One Step

As the heavy dragon-severing stone crashed down.

The door to the underground secret chamber of Hidden Dragon Manor was sealed shut completely.

The defensive formation patterns of the Second-Rank Spirit Gathering Array were fully activated, and a pale golden light curtain shrouded the entire inner courtyard of the villa, leaving no gap.

The crisis was resolved, and the Patriarch went into seclusion to attempt foundation establishment.

Once the nerves that had been taut for several days finally relaxed, the entire Hidden Dragon Manor was quickly engulfed in unprecedented ecstasy and anticipation.

The back residence of the main hall.

Song Qingwan, dressed in the brocade attire of the matriarch, sat upright in the main seat, reviewing the account books of the inner residence.

Although she tried her best to maintain the dignity and composure of a matriarch, her fingers tightened slightly as she flipped through the account books.

The relief and joy between her brows could not be concealed.

The mortal girl who once trembled in the courtyard of the Internal Affairs Hall could never have dreamed that one day her husband would be able to knock on the lofty gate of foundation establishment.

"Sister, you have lost some weight these past few days; you must take better care of your health."

Lin Xiu, sitting in the lower seat, picked up her teacup and covered her lips with a light laugh.

Compared to Song Qingwan's composure, the complacency of this third concubine, who came from a family of wealthy mortal merchants, was almost written all over her face.

"Once my husband breaks through seclusion and achieves the status of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator."

"Our Hidden Dragon Manor will no longer be some reclusive mountain estate."

Ambition and vanity flashed undisguised in Lin Xiu's eyes, and she even straightened her back a little.

"By then, within a radius of five hundred miles, our Su Family will be the undisputed hegemon."

"Even those mortal nobles and aristocratic clans in Dingzhou City will have to kneel and kowtow when they see us."

"In the future, the expenditures and grandeur of this inner residence must be raised to the standards of a true immortal cultivation family."

The fourth concubine, Liu Yu, sitting below her, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Liu Yu was a mortal woman whom Su Yu took in for the sake of reproduction after arriving at Black Wind Valley; she was younger and had a lively mind.

"Sister Lin is absolutely right. My little son, who has just turned five, will be a young master of a dignified Foundation Establishment family when he walks out in the future!"

"As for his tutors, we must invite those great scholars from the mortal imperial capital to be worthy of him."

The second concubine, Qing'er, and the fifth concubine, Wang Xiu, were honest and dutiful, but upon hearing this, a look of longing could not help but appear in their eyes.

Female relatives of a Foundation Establishment family.

Such a status, in the old Qingmu Market, was that of figures in the clouds whom they dared not even look up at.

"Rules are rules. My husband has not yet left seclusion; the entire villa must not develop feelings of arrogance."

Song Qingwan put down the account book, her tone gentle but carrying the dignity of a matriarch as she reprimanded Lin Xiu and Liu Yu.

But her heart was equally burning with fervor.

Subsequently, her gaze turned gently toward a young woman sitting at the last seat.

That was Yun Niang, the concubine of the Su Cheng.

Yun Niang was originally a maid bought by the Dingyuan Trading Firm, and her background was humble.

But a few days ago, she gave birth to a concubine-born son for the Su Cheng who possessed a Seventh-grade Spirit Root.

Because of her son, she now had a place at this tea party in the back residence.

"Yun Niang, has the child been crying at night these past few days? If you lack any nourishing spiritual medicine, just draw it directly from the inner treasury," Song Qingwan asked with concern.

Yun Niang was flattered and quickly stood up to reply respectfully.

"Thank you for your concern, Matriarch. The young master is doing well. A few days ago, the Su Cheng personally sent over some spiritual liquid to nourish his blood and qi."

Lin Xiu looked at Yun Niang and added sourly.

"You are truly fortunate to have given birth to a Seventh-grade Spirit Root."

"Once the Villa Master establishes his foundation, your son will become an Immortal Master in the future, and even you, as his mother, will be able to walk sideways in this villa."

Yun Niang was so scared that she waved her hands repeatedly, bowing her head and not daring to respond.

Although she gave birth to a good son and was no longer just a concubine, she still did not have a shred of arrogance.

And it was not just the female relatives in the back residence.

This feeling of inflation from an imminent ascent spread even more rapidly among the younger generation of the villa.

On the villa's martial arts training ground.

A group of teenagers were gathered together, not working as hard as usual to temper their blood and qi or practice breathing in spiritual energy.

Leading them was the Third Son Su Lin, born to Lin Xiu.

The Third Son Su Lin was thirteen years old this year. Although he had not tested for a spirit root, he relied on his mother's favor and usually had a bit of a young master's temper.

At this moment, he was standing with his hands behind his back in front of the weapon rack, shouting loudly at several mortal servants who were sweating profusely from exhaustion.

"Did you not eat? You cannot even move this small stone lock; what use are you!"

"Once my father becomes a Foundation Establishment Immortal Master, this Hidden Dragon Manor will be the largest immortal mansion within a hundred miles. By then, I will replace all of you with cultivators to serve me, and I will send you useless mortals down the mountain!"

The servants nearby were terrified, nodding submissively and kowtowing repeatedly.

Standing beside the Third Son Su Lin was a young man in his early twenties, the eldest son of the collateral branch manager Su Tie, named Su Yan.

Su Yan possessed a 9th Grade Spiritual Root and now had the cultivation of the Third Level of Qi Refining.

Hearing the Third Son Su Lin's words, Su Yan's eyes were full of longing, and he even rubbed his hands with faint excitement.

"The Third Son is right! Once the Villa Master succeeds in foundation establishment, we will no longer have to hide in Black Wind Valley like tortoises for the past twenty years."

Su Yan's voice grew louder unconsciously as he spoke to the surrounding young disciples from the collateral branch.

"Back when the Qingmu main branch was destroyed, we fled like rats crossing the street."

"In the future, we will be the new main branch!"

"We can go to the immortal cultivation market with our heads held high. If anyone from the Zhao or Lin families dares to say a word, the Villa Master will personally wipe them out for us!"

The young disciples on the martial arts training ground were fired up and echoed his words repeatedly.

In their view, with the foundation establishment pill in hand, and the Patriarch being at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

It was a certainty that Hidden Dragon Manor would become a Foundation Establishment family.

They were about to surpass the once lofty Qingmu Su Clan and become the new masters of this world.

Deep in the corridor.

The Su Cheng and Su Yuan stood side by side, quietly watching the group of clansmen on the martial arts training ground who were already starting to get carried away.

It was completely different from the atmosphere of the entire villa, which was immersed in ecstasy and inflation.

The eyes of the two brothers were clear, even somewhat cold.

"Father is still in deep seclusion, yet the winds in this villa have already changed."

Su Yuan frowned slightly, looking at the bossy Third Son Su Lin and the fanatical Su Yan, and said in a low voice.

"Wealth moves people's hearts, let alone the power of a Foundation Establishment family."

The Su Cheng's expression was normal, his hands folded in his wide sleeves.

He was accustomed to the mentality of nouveau riche in the mortal world and was not surprised by this scene.

"For these twenty years, everyone has been suppressed for too long while hiding in Black Wind Valley."

"The generation of Uncle Su Tie was bullied by the main branch, and they dream of standing tall."

"As for these young ones below, they were born in the villa and have not experienced the blood and storms of the past; they only see this immense wealth about to fall upon them."

The Su Cheng shook his head, his tone revealing a touch of coldness that saw through human nature.

"Eldest Brother, do we not need to reprimand them?"

Su Yuan asked, "In my courtyard, even my wife, the Ye woman, was calculating today how much face to earn for her maiden family in the future, and her voice when scolding servants was three points higher than usual."

The Ye woman was Su Yuan's main wife, who came from a family of military generals in Dingzhou City.

She was usually very strictly disciplined, but now she could not help but be affected by this fanatical atmosphere.

"It is useless."

The Su Cheng turned around and walked toward his own courtyard.

"In the face of absolute desire, words are pale."

"Father taught us that a so-called family, without absolute strength to protect it, is nothing more than a sandcastle that can collapse at any time."

"If they are willing to dream the beautiful dream of enjoying the shade under a big tree, then let them be. You and I only need to remember that regardless of whether Father succeeds in foundation establishment, our own lives must always be held in our own hands."