Cultivation Begins From The Desert

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, three years have passed.

Zhouyang, who has been devotedly cultivating in the Purple Cloud Cave at Red Fox Ridge, has lived a rather simple life over these three years.

The affairs of the clan were handled by the old clan leader Zhou Minghan and his father Zhou Xuanhao. He only needed to show his face once every half a year and review the recorded data.

During these three years, although his cultivation level did not increase significantly, he managed to master the "Five Elements Life and Death Sword Array," which had always been difficult to grasp.

With his current cultivation level, when he deploys this sword array, even the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment old clan leader Zhou Minghan, caught within the array, would have less than a thirty percent chance of escaping.

Seeing this, Zhouyang has every reason to believe that once he masters the sixth basic sword array of the "Great Derivation Sword Technique," the "Six Harmonies Unifying Sword Array,"

the typical Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator, unless equipped with a Tier Four Spirit Talisman or similarly mastering some great power secret treasures, would likely face certain death rather than survival in opposition to him!

While Zhouyang made his progress, the Zhou family's other members related to him did not stagnate.

Firstly, his Dao companion Xiao Ying, after focusing on cultivation for three years, unsurprisingly broke through to the Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment. His father Zhou Xuanhao also advanced his cultivation to the Third-Layer Foundation Establishment, and Zhou Guangxiang also ascended to the Second-Layer Foundation Establishment.

Secondly, after thirteen years of continuous "labor," the Eagle Lion Beast finally impregnated the Wind Shadow Leopard.

The Wind Shadow Leopard, being a Tier Three Demon Beast, requires at least five years from pregnancy to delivery.

Generally speaking, the stronger the bloodline of a demon beast, the longer the pregnancy and delivery period. For high-tier demon beasts of the Flood Dragon kind, it is not uncommon to take decades or hundreds of years from conception to laying eggs, from laying eggs to hatching.

The benefit of this is that demon beasts are born with extraordinary power.

The offspring resulting from the union of the Wind Shadow Leopard and Eagle Lion Beast, both Tier Three Demon Beasts, will be born as Tier One Demon Beasts, progressing past the juvenile stage to Tier Two, and in adulthood are likely to similarly advance to Tier Three.

This is something human cultivators are unable to achieve.

Human cultivators, even if two Nascent Soul Stage cultivators unite and bear offspring, will not have any cultivation at birth.

As for whether the descendants of Tribulation Crossing True Immortals are also similar, no one knows, because for cultivators who have reached the Tribulation Crossing Stage, to bear offspring is undoubtedly as challenging as Golden Core Stage cultivators condensing Nascent Souls.

Of course, offspring of Nascent Soul Stage cultivators have "privileges" too, which is that as long as either parent is a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, their offspring will surely possess Spiritual Roots, and the probability of appearing with a Top-grade Spiritual Root is very high, at least two or three out of ten!

In short, the pregnancy of the Wind Shadow Leopard signifies that the Zhou family, in a few decades, has a high likelihood of acquiring a Tier Three Demon Beast as their Clan Guardian Spirit Beast, which is certainly a joyous occasion for Zhouyang.

Besides this great news, other small tidings frequently arrived.

For example, the contraceptive developed by his father, Zhou Xuanhao, had been successfully developed and put into use two years ago, effectively curbing the growth rate of the mortal population.

For instance, a large number of cultivators from the "Yuan" generation and some outstanding ones from the "Guang" generation within the Zhou family have advanced to the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, increasing the number of Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Elders to fourteen.

Furthermore, with substantial support from the Zhou family, the number of cultivators within the family who have chosen to study a Hundred Skills of Cultivation has reached over thirty people, with those at Tier Two or above occupying sixty percent.

At the same time, the storeroom containing Spirit Stones on the Zhou family's account reached an unprecedented number of eighty thousand!

Describing the current Zhou family as "strong and vigorous" could not be more fitting.

Currently, the Zhou family, except for lacking a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator and a Tier Four Spirit Mountain, in other aspects does not fall short compared to ordinary Purple Mansion Clans.

Zhouyang once said he would lead the Zhou family towards prosperity, and now he has basically fulfilled what he once said.

On this day, Zhouyang was cultivating within his cave dwelling when Zhou Guangxiang and Zhou Guang, the brother and sister pair also cultivating in cave dwellings at Red Fox Ridge, suddenly visited him.

It turned out that Zhou Guangxiang's cultivation had reached Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, and he was prepared to use the Foundation Establishment Pill that Zhou Guang had left him to attempt breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

According to Zhou family rules, when clan members aim to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they must first report to the clan leader and get approval before they can close off cultivation for Foundation Establishment.

And generally, regarding those aiming to break through to Foundation Establishment, the clan leader usually advises and enquires repeatedly about their readiness before approval.

Zhouyang was no exception.

He looked at the siblings standing in front of him, glanced over Zhou Guangxiang, and focused on Zhou Guangxiang's delicate and charming face, asking solemnly, "Guangxiang, have you really made up your mind? My opinion is that you are still young, it wouldn't be too late to train for a few more years. Just recently, Yao'er has also advanced to the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, preparing to go on a journey to train, you could go with her!"

Zhou Guangxiang and Zhou Guangxiang were twin siblings born to the same mother. Thanks to her Foundation Establishment brother, she was considered a highly valued "Foundation Establishment Seed" in the Zhou Family, with ample cultivation resources, thus improving her cultivation level much faster than ordinary Middle-grade Spiritual Root Cultivators.

Although she is only 46 years old now, she's already an authentic Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator.

Upon hearing Zhouyang's words, a resolute expression flashed across Zhou Guangxiang's delicate face. She looked at her clan leader and Ninth Uncle and said, "Xiang'er knows Ninth Uncle is thinking of Xiang'er's welfare, but Xiang'er has truly made up her mind, and requests Ninth Uncle to approve!"

Zhouyang heard this, but did not rush to respond to her. Instead, he looked at Zhou Guangxiang beside her and asked, "Guangxiang, what do you think?"

"Of course I'm of the same mind as Ninth Uncle, but Qing Xiang'er, as you know, has always been strong-willed, and trying to convince her is useless!"

Zhou Guangxiang shook his head at Zhouyang with a bitter smile. He looked helplessly at his sister beside him, but finally nodded and said, "Ninth Uncle, you should approve her. Moreover, she's successfully passed Aunt Nine's Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly's illusion test many times, so at least getting through the first barrier shouldn't be a problem. As for the rest, we can only leave it to fate!"

The Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly Spirit Pet, unexpectedly captured by Xiao Ying, has a Talent Divine Technique called "Illusion Dream Technique" which can put Qi Cultivators into an illusion realm, where the usual Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators have a less than thirty percent chance to escape from this technique.

Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, if they lower their guard and do not resist, would be affected by the "Illusion Dream Technique", experiencing various illusions in their mind.

However, Zhouyang's Divine Sense is too strong, and the divine technique of the Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly doesn't affect him at all. Therefore, he cannot comprehend the mystique of this divine technique.

Yet, based on these years of letting Xiao Ying command the Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly to use the "Illusion Dream Technique" on Zhou Guangxiang and some other Qi Cultivators of the Zhou Family, it seems Xiao Ying's statement about the "Illusion Dream Technique" having the effect of tempering a cultivator's mind was not an exaggeration.

At the very least, after going through the Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly's test numerous times, Zhou Guangxiang indeed showed discernible maturity in her mindset, successfully passing the first gate of the Three Foundation Establishment Gates, the Divine Sense Barrier, shouldn't be a problem.

Thinking of this, Zhouyang finally nodded and said, "In that case, I approve. I wish you success!"

"Thank you, Ninth Uncle, for your approval!"

Zhou Guangxiang's face was filled with happiness. She hurriedly bowed to express her gratitude, then followed her brother Zhou Guangxiang back to the cave dwelling to meditate in seclusion.

Though Red Fox Ridge is permanently stationed by several Foundation Establishment cultivators and two Tier Three Demon Beasts, it doesn't have many Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators. Therefore, the spiritual Qi on the mountain is completely sufficient for Zhou Guangxiang's Foundation Establishment, so Zhouyang didn't need to give up Purple Cloud Cave for her seclusion like on Jade Spring Peak.

Moreover, with her brother Zhou Guangxiang acting as her guardian, Zhouyang didn't even need to play that role.

Thus, after approving Zhou Guangxiang's attempt to break through Foundation Establishment, he visited his foster mother's house in Nightlight Town.

At this time, Zhou Yuanyao also arrived at Nightlight Town from Haoyang Mountain, preparing to set off on a journey through the Cultivation Realm with her mother Zhou Xuan Yu.

Of course, Zhou Xuan Yu can only protect her secretly, she cannot enter other oases' Cultivator Marketplaces as openly as her, lest her identity as a Demon Cultivator be discovered.

Zhouyang came over this time to see them off on their journey.

Naturally, Xiao Ying didn't come along.

"Yao'er, the outside world is exciting and cruel. As you train on your journey, even with your foster mother secretly following to protect you, always remember not to be careless or cause trouble. Otherwise, if your foster mother is exposed as a Demon Cultivator while saving you, it will be difficult for both of you to return to the Zhou Family, and you shouldn't dream of meeting your great-grandfather or me again!"

Zhouyang, with his hands behind his back, looked at Zhou Yuanyao in her fiery red spider silk dress, his face devoid of the affection and care a brother might have for a sister, instead, it was filled with the authority of a clan leader.

He knows this foster sister too well. If he shows even the slightest bit of affection now, Zhou Yuanyao's willingness to follow his words will diminish greatly.

"Yao'er understands Ninth Brother's meaning. Rest assured, this time when I go out to train, I will definitely heed your advice, absolutely not meddle unnecessarily, and absolutely follow mother's instructions!"

Zhou Yuanyao pouted, somewhat unwillingly lowering her head and quietly responding after glancing at the solemn expression of Zhouyang.

Upon seeing this, Zhouyang felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart, but he had to toughen his stance and continue, "You had better remember your words, or when you return and I find out that you have quarreled with your foster mother again, see how I will handle you!"

Zhou Xuan Yu, seeing this scene, felt comforted and slightly regretful.

"If only Yao'er were born twenty years earlier! If she were born twenty years earlier, I would definitely talk openly with Yu Ting and make sure Yao'er becomes her daughter-in-law!"

With a sigh in her heart, a smile appeared on her face as she said, "Alright, alright, Yang'er, say no more, Yao'er listens to you the most. I believe she won't merely pretend to follow your instructions. It's getting late; we should be on our way!"

Zhouyang, hearing these words, quickly stopped talking, nodded, and said, "Since foster mother has spoken, we'll leave it at that. I wish you a safe journey!"