Chapter 88: The Old Ghost Is Shocked

This stone monument was situated within the territory of a powerful force and was guarded by holy monks.

As Xian Yue gazed upon the inscriptions engraved on the monument, his mind filled with deep contemplation.

"What's on your mind?" Xian Wu asked, noticing Xian Yue's thoughtful expression.

"I believe this scripture could be used as a tool to challenge and sharpen the members of our clan," Xian Yue responded with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean by that?" Xian Wu inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"This scripture is quite intriguing. After successfully cultivating the first chapter, one can sense the location of the next chapter. Additionally, only one person in an era can fully cultivate it, while all others will merely become stepping stones for that individual," Xian Yue explained.

The scripture, in its current form, was different from what Xian Yue had already deduced. After all, he operated on a much higher level than the creator of this technique. Through his deductions, Xian Yue was confident that his version of the scripture could lead to a far greater level of cultivation.

Upon merging the scriptures from all the stone tablets, he uncovered that this particular scripture imposed certain restrictions.

"So, what exactly are you proposing?" Xian Wu asked, still somewhat puzzled.

"Recently, numerous external forces have entered the Absolute Beginning Star Domain. Soon, this domain will be teeming with geniuses. If we let the younger generation of the Xian family compete with the talents from these outside forces using this technique, they will naturally compete against each other," Xian Yue elaborated. "Do you think this would serve as a way to better train our clan?"

"Survival of the fittest," Xian Wu nodded thoughtfully. "Those who emerge victorious through such methods would indeed develop great combat prowess."

"Exactly," Xian Yue agreed. "We should let them fight for it on their own. The family will simply provide support."

"Good," Xian Wu said. "In that case, I'll leave it to you. You can take the younger generation of the family to the Yunxiao Dynasty soon and see who among them has the talent to grasp this technique."

Xian Yue nodded, already planning to retrieve the stone tablet that contained the middle chapter of the scripture, which he had previously taken. Once he had the tablet, he would place it in a hidden location and add some additional tests along the way.

"This is going to be interesting," Xian Yue mused to himself.

"By the way, Father," Xian Yue added, "I've placed a complete version of the Emperor's Scripture in the family's scripture collection pavilion. You can review it when you have some time. It will help you better control the power of the Great Emperor."

"Excellent," Xian Wu said, nodding. "I'll take a look. I don't have much to do right now anyway."

With that, Xian Wu flew off toward the family's scripture collection pavilion. Since relocating to the Eternal Divine City, the Xian family had carefully organized the storage of various resources. The scripture collection pavilion housed the family's techniques, while martial arts were kept in the Divine Ability Pavilion. In addition, there were separate pavilions and rooms for spiritual weapons, pills, alchemy, weapon refining, formations, and resource distribution. There was even a cultivation room imbued with an exceptionally strong spiritual aura.

Unlike before, when everything was simply piled together, each resource now had its own dedicated space, though some areas had yet to be fully operational. However, the appropriate land had already been allocated.

Meanwhile, in the alchemy room, Gui Lao (the old ghost) was teaching Xian Yan the art of alchemy. After reshaping his physical body, Gui Lao had chosen to stay and serve as the chief alchemist for the Xian family, guiding the clan members in their alchemy skills. However, Xian Yan was his only true disciple, as no other members of the family had shown any real talent for alchemy.

"Very good!" Gui Lao exclaimed, observing Xian Yan's progress. "You've successfully refined a third-grade elixir!"

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance," Xian Yan said, bowing respectfully.

Gui Lao laughed heartily. "You've got the talent, that's why you're succeeding. Even if I wanted to guide others, they lack your natural ability."

Gui Lao then turned serious. "I heard you caught some Yin spirits in Feihua City a few days ago?"

"Yes, Master. You're familiar with Yin spirits?" Xian Yan asked.

"Of course I am," Gui Lao replied, his tone grim. "I've encountered them before, and suffered considerable losses. They are ominous beings. When they appear in a star domain, it doesn't take long before that domain turns into a dead zone. If the inhabitants don't escape in time, their life energy is drained away."

He paused for a moment. "Has the patriarch come up with any countermeasures against them?"

Gui Lao was knowledgeable about many cosmic secrets. He knew that numerous star domains had already been overrun by Yin spirits, leaving them devoid of life. The living space for the various races in the universe was shrinking rapidly. Yet Gui Lao had no doubts about Xian Yue's capabilities—after all, he was the top-ranked individual on the Heavenly Dao Golden List. This was why Gui Lao had chosen to remain with the Xian family, believing that their domain was the safest place in the universe. However, the reappearance of Yin spirits worried him deeply.

"The patriarch hasn't shared any specific countermeasures," Xian Yan answered. "He simply mentioned that he was developing a pupil technique and a spiritual consciousness secret art that would allow us to see Yin spirits. He also told us to show no mercy and kill them on sight."

Gui Lao was shocked. "A pupil technique that can see Yin spirits? And a spiritual consciousness secret art? If such techniques were possible, it would eliminate many of the disadvantages when fighting against Yin spirits. But can such a secret art truly be created?"

Gui Lao's thoughts were interrupted as he recalled something else. "By the way, I heard there was a competition among the younger generation of the family recently. How did you rank? With your abilities, you should've secured the top spot, right?" he asked with a smile.

Xian Yan shook his head modestly. "Without using Emperor Flame to fight on equal footing, I only ranked third."

"Third?!" Gui Lao exclaimed in disbelief, his voice sharp. "How is that possible?"

"It's true," Xian Yan admitted with a wry smile. "The ones ranked above me are Xian Lang and Xian Tian. It's not that they're stronger in technique or martial arts—thanks to your guidance, I'm well ahead of them in those areas. But their physiques are simply too powerful. They both possess divine bodies that surpass my Flame Emperor Immortal Sovereign body."

He sighed. "In terms of physical strength, I just can't match them."

Xian Yan had learned from the clan leader that Xian Lang and Xian Tian were born with supreme divine bodies, while he and Xian Ran possessed supreme immortal bodies. Though the gap between them was significant, Xian Yan wasn't jealous. The patriarch had assured him that, when the time came, his supreme immortal body would evolve into a supreme divine body.

But Gui Lao was astounded. How could a family with only a few thousand members produce so many unparalleled geniuses?

"They have such powerful physiques... Did the patriarch have a hand in that?" Gui Lao asked, recalling rumors that the clan leader could bestow special physiques upon others.

"Yes, Xian Lang's physique was granted by the patriarch. As for Xian Tian, his physique wouldn't have awakened without the patriarch's intervention. So, in a way, it's all thanks to the patriarch," Xian Yan confirmed.

Gui Lao nodded slowly, still processing the incredible abilities of the clan leader and the remarkable talents of the Xian family. The future held unimaginable potential for them, and Gui Lao was both amazed and proud to be a part of it.