Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams

Chapter 280: Chapter 188: Ambition

During his cultivation, Shen Yuan would sometimes curiously inquire about what she had comprehended from the ancient book.

However, the little girl would always evade answering, only saying that the book’s content was very interesting.

At first, Shen Yuan was somewhat worried.

After all, the contents of that ancient beast skin book were somewhat strange, and he feared Shen Li studying it alone might lead her astray.

Yet after a long period of observation, the little girl’s state was consistently fine.

He thus slightly eased his concerns.

The early autumn wind blew from the mountains, the leaves of the ancient trees turned from green to yellow, and the weather slowly grew cooler.

After half a year of measurements and drawings, the construction of Yunshui City had officially begun.

Numerous common people from the mountains had mined the Water Smoke Stone vein and Cyan Spirit Stone vein, transporting all the accompanying stones for building the outer city wall of Yunshui City.

These stones, accompanying the spirit ore, were inherently much harder than ordinary stones, capable of withstanding attacks from low-tier techniques or demon beasts.

Shen Wenxing was busy supervising the construction of Yunshui City, with other family matters gradually handed over to Shen Chongming.

That day, a figure dressed in white linen, with hair and beard as white as snow, came through wind manipulation above the Black Water Pool.

A Shen Family cultivator flew up to meet him.

Upon seeing the old man with an immortal demeanor, the Shen Family cultivator respectfully greeted, ”This is the Shen Family, may I ask what business brings the senior here?”

Xu Xiu glanced below and noticed that the once sparsely populated Black Water Pool was now filled with numerous estates and courtyards, his expression becoming somewhat dazed, then cupped his hands and said, ”Could you inform them, an old friend, Xu Xiu, is visiting.”

Xu Xiu?

The Shen Family cultivator found the name unfamiliar.

But since the other claimed to be an old friend, he dared not delay, immediately cupping his hands and saying, ”Senior, please wait a moment.”

He descended using wind manipulation into the estate and hurriedly found Shen Chongming, saying: ”Young Clan Leader, outside the array came an old cultivator claiming to be an old friend of the Shen Family, named Xu Xiu.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming frowned.

The name did sound somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall who it was.

”Take me to see him.”

The two used wind manipulation to arrive outside the array and saw not far in the void, there stood an old man in a white linen robe.

The elder’s spiritual power aura circulated calmly, unexpectedly at the realm of Qi Cultivation Perfection.

Shen Chongming flew up to meet him, cupping his hands and said, ”Shen Chongming of the Shen Family greets the senior.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiu examined him closely, a gleam flashing in his eyes, then he laughed and said, ”Young friend, which generation of the Shen Family do you belong to?”

Shen Chongming cupped his hands: ”My father is Shen Wenxing.”

A hint of realization flashed in Xu Xiu’s eyes.

”So, you’re the grandson of Younger Brother Shen, how is your grandfather?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongming understood that the person before him should be an old friend of his grandfather, and his attitude became more respectful as he cupped his hands and said, ”Grandfather is well. Senior, this is not a place for conversation, please follow me to the residence for some tea.”

He personally opened the grand array, brought Xu Xiu into the estate, and sent someone to notify Shen Yuan at the Black Water Pavilion.

”Xu Xiu!?”

In the first floor of the Black Water Pavilion, upon hearing this name, Shen Yuan paused for a moment, then smiled to himself:

”The old fellow is still alive?”

He recalled that when Xu Xiu left Yangnao Land back then, he didn’t have much lifespan left.

He had returned once in the middle; his cultivation had reached Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer, but death qi was already spreading over him.

He thought he’d never get the chance to meet again in this life.

Unexpectedly, the old man managed to survive till now, could it be he broke through to Fetal Breathing, successfully extending his lifespan?

A strange expression flashed across his face as Shen Yuan got up and left the Black Water Pavilion, heading to the side room of the estate.

Inside the side room, Shen Chongming was accompanying Xu Xiu for tea, but upon seeing Shen Yuan approach, he hurriedly rose and cupped his hands: ”Grandfather, this senior said...”

Before Shen Chongming could finish, he noticed that his grandfather Shen Yuan already had a smile on his face.

”Senior, it’s been a long time.”

Xu Xiu smiled and nodded, rising to meet him with a sigh: ”It’s been many years since we last met, Younger Brother Shen is already at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.”

Shen Yuan laughed: ”Not as good as the senior’s Qi Cultivation Perfection.”

After exchanging a few polite words, they each took their seats.

Shen Yuan sipped some tea and looked at Xu Xiu, saying: ”Senior, have the past years in Danzhou been good for you?”

Without a spiritual root, to have advanced from the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer to Qi Cultivation Perfection in such a short time of little over a decade, Shen Yuan guessed he must have had some adventure.

”Alas!”

Xu Xiu sighed heavily, looking bitter, he said: ”To be honest, Younger Brother Shen, after returning that time, I wasn’t long before the Qiyun Valley stripped me of my outer sect steward duties and demoted me to a library pavilion errand runner for five years.”

”Now, I don’t have much lifespan left; it was through connections with Immortal Master Li that I begged to return here in my last days.”

”Oh?” Shen Yuan’s expression slightly changed, asking: ”For what reason was the senior punished?”

A hint of embarrassment and a wry smile flashed across Xu Xiu’s face as he said: ”It was due to my own faults, the sect’s stipend was too low, and I realized that the cultivation resources might not allow for another breakthrough before my lifespan ended, so I... used my steward position to accept some bribes...”

After hearing this, Shen Yuan internally sighed with mixed emotions, then asked:

”Senior, what are your plans moving forward?”

Xu Xiu gently stirred the tea foam with his cup, looking at the scenery outside the window and sighed: ”I’m now left with a lifespan of only three to five years, with no hope of breaking through to Fetal Breathing.”

”Younger Brother Shen, is the old grass hut where I once lived still there?”

”In the days remaining, I have no other desires, I plan to spend my remaining days at the Black Water Pool.”

”Should my lifespan run out, my body cease, I hope someone will take care of my remains, so they aren’t left exposed in the wilderness for beasts to feed upon.”