novelraw Chapter 24 – Approved
Chapter 24 – Approved
"Yes!"
Yang Lingqing stepped forward, taking a deep breath to calm her mind as she looked at Chen Yang.
She began to chant the incantation Elder Yu had taught her, her hands continuously forming seals.
Then, she clasped her hands together and raised them above her head.
"Yang Lingqing, disciple of the Yang Clan, pays respects to the Spirit Stone Immortal!"
With that, she bowed deeply.
This bow was different from ancestral worship; it was a full prostration with hands, forehead, knees, and toes all aligned, a gesture of utmost reverence.
"Lingqing, though dull, is grateful for the Immortal's guidance on the path of cultivation, a gratitude that shall never be forgotten!"
"Today, the Bloodburn Spirit Sacrifice is but a small token of repaying the Immortal's kindness, a mere fraction of what is owed. From this day forth, the Yang Clan shall continue this tradition year after year, generation after generation, to find peace of mind!"
With these words, Yang Lingqing stood up. In that moment, Chen Yang felt something intangible and unseen enter his mind.
It was a consciousness not his own, yet it connected with his spirit and entered this place.
This consciousness was ethereal, devoid of any information or images, existing in its most primal state.
Chen Yang approached it and swallowed it whole, and suddenly, he felt his range of awareness expand.
Yang Lingqing's bow had granted him a power that enhanced his spirit.
Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu watched Chen Yang with some nervousness.
Yang Lingqing was the only member of the Yang Clan who had interacted with the Spirit Stone. If she couldn't move it, then no one else stood a chance.
Buzz—
A low hum resonated, and the two elders of the Yang Clan broke into broad smiles, quickly urging the other two children.
"It's done! You two, quickly, follow Lingqing!"
Lingrui and Linghu immediately stepped forward, mimicking Yang Lingqing's actions and began their bows.
"Yang Lingrui, disciple of the Yang Clan, pays respects to the Spirit Stone Immortal!"
"Lingrui, though dull, is grateful for the Immortal's guidance on the path of cultivation..."
"Yang Linghu, disciple of the Yang Clan, pays respects to the Spirit Stone Immortal!"
"..."
After the two had finished their bows, two more streams of spiritual power emerged from the void and entered Chen Yang's sea of consciousness.
His range of perception expanded once more, now fully extending to cover more than half of the southern side of Little Pine Mountain, including the Yang Clan Compound and the nearby village.
Such a range of perception far exceeded that of a Mid Qi Condensation cultivator, comparable to a Late Qi Condensation cultivator at their peak, just a step away from Perfected Qi Condensation.
"This is great. Now, during my cultivation, I can observe and listen to the surroundings, making it less boring," Chen Yang thought to himself.
As the ritual concluded, Chen Yang allowed himself to glow faintly, providing feedback.
The three children then stood in a row, cupped their hands towards Chen Yang, and said in unison.
"Yang Clan disciples, practicing under the Immortal's decree, humbly request the Immortal to bestow divine abilities!"
Today, the Yang Clan had invested heavily in the Bloodburn Spirit Sacrifice, showing immense sincerity, which greatly benefited Chen Yang.
Naturally, he wouldn't be stingy.
"Very well, granted!"
Whoosh—
In the next moment, a gentle breeze stirred, and the spiritual energy in the vicinity rapidly converged towards the Yang Clan's ancestral hall.
In just a few blinks of an eye, the spiritual energy environment here transformed, with a concentration five times higher than usual, leaving Yang Guanfeng deeply moved.
Recalling his younger days, when he and Elder Yu trained outside, finding a place with even slightly higher spiritual energy was a blessing.
Now, within the Yang Clan's Forbidden Zone, they had such a rich spiritual environment, and his heart couldn't remain calm.
Urging the three children to quickly begin their cultivation, Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu left the ancestral hall.
They began discussing and planning the renovation of the Yang Clan's Forbidden Zone.
With Little Pine Mountain now completely cleared, they intended to expand the Forbidden Zone, dividing it into a main courtyard and a branch courtyard, relocating the ancestral hall and spirit fields to the main courtyard, accessible only to clan cultivators.
In the future, if the clan had outsiders or guest cultivators, they would be arranged to cultivate in the branch courtyard.
"After this, we'll need to establish several isolation and defense formations."
"Yes, once we sell the demonic beast corpses to the Dynasty and have spirit crystals, we'll need to trouble Elder Yu to visit the marketplace again and invite Liu Zihao."
Having settled on a plan, they immediately set to work.
In the following days, the three children would come to the ancestral hall daily to request divine abilities from Chen Yang.
Chen Yang would gather spiritual energy for eight hours each day, after which the three children would take turns nurturing their spiritual power.
Ten days later, Yang Lingrui felt the time was right and returned to his residence to break through to the Third Layer.
With Chen Yang's presence in the Forbidden Zone, there was no need for Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu to personally guard him; only Yang Lingqing and Yang Linghu needed to stand watch outside.
Half a month later, with a surge of spiritual power, Yang Lingrui successfully broke through his realm and stepped out of his room.
Spiritual energy flowed continuously around him, and his internal spiritual power became more solid and dense.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Lingrui! Your cultivation has advanced greatly!"
Lingqing and Linghu congratulated him.
"Lingrui thanks brother and sister for watching over me."
Yang Lingrui cupped his hands and asked, "I hope I haven't missed the date?"
He was referring to the day the Dynasty would come to collect the demonic beast corpses.
Gao Hui had previously mentioned it would take at most a month, and now more than twenty days had passed.
"You haven't missed it; the timing is perfect. The Dynasty cultivators arrived in White Stone Town last night and are on their way to our home now."
"The two ancestors are already waiting in the council hall; you should head over."
Yang Lingrui nodded and swiftly left the Forbidden Zone.
Watching his agile movements, Yang Linghu sighed, "Lingrui's talent is truly exceptional, beyond compare."
"Stop joking around. Let's hurry into the mountains and not forget the ancestor's instructions."
"Yes, yes, you're right, Little Qing."
Chen Yang lay in Yang Lingqing's pouch. When Yang Lingrui broke through, he received a milky white, crystalline pearl.
This was the feedback from the Bloodburn Spirit Sacrifice Technique.
Chen Yang had anticipated this, but as he began to absorb the pearl, he was pleasantly surprised.
The pearl contained not just a year's worth of spiritual power but also Yang Lingrui's accumulated cultivation memories and insights.
"I understand now; this is a legacy!" Chen Yang thought to himself.
With this ability, he could preserve the cultivation legacy of each Yang Clan cultivator within himself.
This way, even if they met an untimely demise outside, the legacy wouldn't be lost.
...
Yang Lingrui landed in the courtyard, startling the surrounding Yang Clan members.
Once they recognized his face, they all knelt and called out, "Greetings, Immortal Master."
Yang Lingrui nodded slightly and entered the council hall in the back courtyard.
"Lingrui greets the two ancestors and the two uncles."
The four people in the council hall all stood up. Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei repeatedly said they didn't dare and welcomed Yang Lingrui inside.
Although the Yang Clan was mostly managed by the two of them, they dared not put on airs in front of the clan's cultivators.
They were well aware that the Yang Clan's current prosperity was not due to their management skills but rather the strong support of Yang Guanfeng and others.
Otherwise, if they were placed in another family, they might not have achieved anything even if they managed it until their old age in Willow Leaf Town.
"Then we shall take our leave first. Once the matter here is settled, we can discuss clan affairs."
After the two left, Yang Guanfeng looked at Yang Lingrui and nodded with satisfaction.
"Achieving the Third Layer of Qi Condensation in a year is quite an accomplishment, Lingrui!"
"It's all thanks to the family's support; otherwise, Lingrui alone could never have achieved this."
"Hahaha, Lingrui, you're too modest."
Elder Yu said, taking out a magic disk and casting a concealment spell on him. In the eyes of others, Yang Lingrui's cultivation appeared to be at the Second Layer of Qi Condensation, even Yang Guanfeng couldn't tell the difference.
"Although it's just a trick to deceive people, I'm confident that no Qi Condensation cultivator below Core Formation can see through it."
Elder Yu spoke with great confidence, as this was his specialty for escaping and hiding back in the day.
At this moment, two figures landed in front of the Yang Clan Compound.
The old steward, perceptive as ever, immediately recognized them as extraordinary and went to the back courtyard to report.
"This Yang Clan has some skills, managing to hold onto their property during the Beast Tide. I remember you said they only moved out from Willow Leaf Town last year."
The speaker wore a black robe, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
His name was He Shenglai, the same age as Gao Hui, at the Late Qi Condensation Seventh Layer, and he was the cultivator sent by the Dynasty to purchase the demonic beast corpses.