The Cyan Cloud Sect has finally publicly announced the recruitment of loose cultivators for pioneering missions, with ten Foundation Establishment Pills as the reward.
Upon hearing that pioneering merits can be exchanged for Foundation Establishment Pills, many loose cultivators became excited, and the number of applicants exceeded previous years.
The prices of Spirit Pills, Talismans, Magical Artifacts, and other cultivation spiritual objects have soared.
Shen Xuan discreetly felt an instability in the Cyan Dragon Bay Market.
The shopkeeper Ding would not tell him about such matters.
Shen Xuan sought out Zhao Chunsheng for inquiries.
"The Ding Family's patriarch is quite advanced in age, with little lifespan remaining. Yet, among the two hundred cultivators of the Ding Family, there have been no new Foundation Establishment cultivators emerging."
Zhao Chunsheng did not continue.
Shen Xuan fathomed instantly.
The Ding Family has no successors.
If something unfortunate happened to the patriarch of the Ding Family, it would be challenging to retain the spiritual land occupied by the Ding Family in Cyan Dragon Bay.
Within the cultivation realm, strength is paramount.
Numerous cultivation clans surround, eyeing greedily.
"How many years of lifespan does the patriarch of the Ding Family still have?"
"Who can really say? Maybe twenty or thirty years, or perhaps tomorrow."
"Who is most likely to take advantage when there is a void?"
"Purple Maple Mountain Zhao Family, Wo Hu Ridge He Family, and the Tao Family of the Bamboo Forest. These three families are Foundation Establishment clans, with more than two Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Seeing Shen Xuan's worried expression, Zhao Chunsheng comfortingly said, "Talisman Master Shen need not worry too much. You are not of Ding Family blood, and you are a middle grade Talisman Master."
"Regardless of which family settles in Cyan Dragon Bay, they will treat talents like you favorably."
Shen Xuan sighed and said, "Let's hope so."
In his heart, the Ding Family was decent.
Having lived in Cyan Dragon Bay for over forty years, he has become accustomed to life here.
Should other cultivation clans move in, predicting the situation would be difficult.
He must consider that he married a mortal woman of the Ding Family.
"The only way for self-preservation is to quickly enhance my own strength!"
As long as the patriarch of Ding Family remains healthy, Cyan Dragon Bay can remain peaceful.
In the cultivation realm, the strength of high-tier cultivators dictates their family's power.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator has greater deterrence than ten Qi Cultivation cultivators of perfection.
Nonetheless, Shen Xuan must prepare for the future.
Should the Ding family patriarch suddenly perish, he would certainly have to relocate from the Cyan Dragon Bay Market.
He would manage effortlessly.
Capable of Concealing Breath, Invisibility, and having Water Control Talent.
With a jump into the Longze River outside the Cyan Dragon Bay Market, he could easily escape.
However, his wife Ding Yuyao is merely a mortal.
Even if she cultivates Inner Power True Qi, becoming a second-rate martial artist, it is still no match for a cultivator.
"If the situation changes, I should first let my wife retreat to the secular mortal world."
This is also an approach.
Cyan Cloud Sect decrees that cultivation clan warfare must not affect the secular mortal world.
This is also the universal rule on Profound Origin Continent.
Ding Yuyao, being a mortal, is not considered a true member of the Ding Family.
That night.
Shen Xuan registered his identity alone and walked out of the Cyan Dragon Bay Market.
Not far from the market, there is a port.
A winding Grand River, extending thousands of miles eastward, flowing to the East Sea.
This is the Longze River.
Shen Xuan walked alone along the river embankment of Longze River.
Soon, his silhouette vanished into the night.
[Concealing Breath Technique]!
[Invisibility Technique]!
Shen Xuan gazed at the Longze River ahead, gradually walking towards it.
This was his first time going underwater.
Tens of breaths later, Shen Xuan's entire body was submerged below the river water.
[Water Control Technique]!
At this moment, an indescribably familiar feeling spread, giving him the illusion of being like a fish in water.
Shen Xuan transformed as if into a Blue Feather Fish.
The pressure and resistance of the river water on him diminished to negligible.
Furthermore.
The water flow within a radius of three zhang around him adhered to his control, swaying per his intent.
He could split a waterway or encircle and compress.
Moreover, his divine sense perception in the river was relatively less affected.
The sensing range shrunk from thirty zhang to ten.
Within ten zhang, he could detect the operation of every life form.
"The speed of Blue Feather Fish is a thousand miles per hour, I wonder how much I can achieve."
Shen Xuan inhaled deeply, operating [Divine Hidden Sea Technique] in his body.
The next moment, like an arrow released from the bowstring, he flashed across the depths of the river, racing over a hundred zhang away.
"The speed of Blue Feather Fish is over one hundred and thirty meters per second, while I now have only thirty percent of it."
Shen Xuan mused silently.
At forty meters per second, this speed is four times that of a sprinting champion from his past life!
Faster than late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators flying with sword flight in the air!
"Let's try the Condensed Water Blade Technique!"
Shen Xuan swiftly concentrated his divine sense, quickly condensing a crescent-shaped Cold Ice Blade in his hand, chilling and seemingly ethereal, yet instantaneously shooting out.
"Excellent, even in the depths of the river, there is still lethality within three zhang!"
This happened underwater.
The effective killing range of a four-hundred-meter rifle underwater is merely one or two meters.
After half an hour.
Shen Xuan emerged from the Longze River.
Not a trace of water could be seen on his clothing.
"As long as I escape the market and jump into the Longze River, I can leave safely."
With talents like Water Control, Concealing Breath, Invisibility, and Self-Healing guarding him, coupled with the Condensed Water Blade Technique, Shen Xuan's combat strength underwater surges, making ordinary Qi Cultivation cultivators no match for him.
Even against Foundation Establishment cultivators, he remains invincible in the Longze River.
Shen Xuan does not have strong ties with the Ding Family.
He would not risk his life tying it to the Ding Family.
The path to immortality is perilous.
Shen Xuan only trusts himself!
After plotting the retreat route, he continued cultivating.
Zhao Chunsheng delivered mantis shrimps to him.
Sometimes seven or eight pounds at once.
"This stuff is cheap, costing only two Spirit Stones per pound!"
"Much appreciated, Taoist friend Zhao."
In the practice room, Shen Xuan utilized the Mysterious Jade Talisman to steal the bloodline talent from mantis shrimps.
[Stealable Talents: Water Control, Iron Fist, Critical Strike]
Shen Xuan chose the Critical Strike talent.
[Talent: Critical Strike (16/100)]
[Dao Rhyme: 10]
"It seems this Critical Strike talent is rather easy to steal, but the Dao Rhyme is typical."
Shen Xuan's theft of mantis shrimp talents aims to enhance Spirit Root talent, acquire Dao Rhyme, and increase technique attack power, eliminating the need to craft new talismans for new talents.
"Therefore, the speed can be increased appropriately!"
Subsequently, Shen Xuan instructed Zhao Chunsheng to step up mantis shrimp procurement.
With the production of Rejuvenation Talismans, he has a surplus of over sixty Spirit Stones per month, all invested in the acquisition of mantis shrimp talents.
At this point, he no longer cared about excess concerns.
Fortunately, mantis shrimp is a common water beast.
Zhao Chunsheng, being a late-stage Qi Cultivation Demon Hunter, purchasing some tier one middle-grade demon shrimp, attracted no attention.
While Shen Xuan immersed himself in cultivation.
The Ding Family's upper management was in a bind.
The Ding Family patriarch with limited lifespan, surrounding Foundation Establishment forces were scheming, beginning their probing.
"We must strive to quickly assist the Ding Family's Foundation Establishment seed in achieving Foundation Establishment!"
During the Ding Family elder meeting, the tone was set.
To secure Foundation Establishment Pills, the Ding Family increased the recruitment of loose cultivators for pioneering missions within their jurisdiction.
The merits gained from these pioneering missions are credited to their Ding Family.
The rewards are first issued to the Ding Family, then distributed according to merits.
"Increase labor service recruitment efforts!"
"Tax services must not be delayed! Anyone not paying tax services and not enlisting for labor service will be suppressed without exception!"