Eternal Immortal Clan: It All Started When I Married My Junior Sister!

181: My old friend has ascended to heaven, my nephew Daoxuan!Chen Xu sat on the grand armchair in his study, holding a cup of freshly brewed Dao Enlightenment Tea while listening to Chu Xuan’s report.

His face, which usually carried a deep sense of majesty, was currently beaming like a flower.

”Good! Excellent!”

Chen Xu set down his teacup, his mood greatly elevated. ”Send out the order: every wife who is pregnant is to be rewarded with ten bottles of Fifth-Grade Fetal-Soothing Pills and a jar of thousand-year-old Spirit Milk!”

”Furthermore, tell the kitchen to come up with various ways to prepare nourishing spiritual food. If anyone dares to skimp or be negligent at this critical juncture, don’t blame me for being merciless!”

Chu Xuan was also all smiles as he repeatedly assented. ”Rest assured, Head of the Family. Our Chen Family has a massive business now; these resources are just a drop in the bucket.”

”I’ll go arrange it right away. I’ll make sure all the madams are served until they are fair and plump.”

Watching Chu Xuan’s departing back, Chen Xu let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair.

His fingers lightly tapped on the tabletop.

Just as Chen Xu was immersed in the joy of becoming a father again, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

The visitor’s steps were steady and their breath was long; it was Chen Daochu.

”Father.”

Chen Daochu pushed the door open and entered, a somewhat peculiar expression on his face. He seemed hesitant yet surprised.

”What is it?”

Chen Xu, in a good mood, asked with a smile, ”Looking at your expression, has some trouble cropped up in the Lower Realm?”

Since the passage between the two realms had been opened, Chen Daochu had been fully responsible for the communication and transfer of resources between both sides.

Now, the Longevity Alliance of the Lower Realm had completely become the Chen Family’s back garden.

A continuous stream of resources and talent was being transported up through that gate of light.

”There is indeed something that requires your decision, Father.”

Chen Daochu walked to the desk and cupped his hands. ”Just now, the Elder in charge of guarding the Lower Realm’s teleportation array sent word. They said two Cultivators, who are not members of our Chen Family, are requesting to use the passage to ascend to the Spirit Realm.”

”Outsiders?”

Chen Xu’s brow twitched slightly as he set down his teacup.

Opening this cross-realm teleportation array once consumed an astronomical amount of Top-Grade Spirit Stones and Void Materials.

Although the Chen Family was wealthy and powerful now, they couldn’t afford to squander resources recklessly.

Therefore, Chen Xu had long ago established a rule: anyone who was not a core member of the Chen Family or a talent with special skills...

...was not allowed to use the teleportation array at will.

”Who are they? If they’re just Loose Cultivators looking for a free ride, just send them away.”

Chen Xu said indifferently.

”They claim to be old acquaintances of yours, Father.”

Chen Daochu’s expression grew even more peculiar. He carefully glanced at his father’s face before continuing, ”One of them identified herself as the Sect Master of the East Sea Sword Sect, Lan Shuyao.”

”The other... isn’t human. It’s an old turtle who says his name is Xuan Shui.”

Hearing these two names, Chen Xu, who had been somewhat casual, twitched his eyebrows.

Immediately, he froze on the spot.

The floodgates of memory instantly opened, pulling him back to the years when he was still an influential figure in the Lower Realm.

Lan Shuyao... though a woman, she was an East Sea Sword Immortal with a heroic spirit that rivaled any man’s.

And that slow-moving Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle with unparalleled defense, who had lived for who knows how many tens of thousands of years.

Back then, the Demonic Path was rampant, the seven kill demon star brought chaos to the world, and the entire Cultivation World was devastated.

To find treasures to suppress the Demonic Path, Chen Xu had traveled far to the East Sea.

That was how he met this person and turtle.

At that time, Lan Shuyao was just a Cultivator who had recently broken through to the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

As for that old turtle, although he had a cultivation at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, his personality was cautious to the extreme.

He had always hidden in the deep sea, not daring to show his face.

”It’s actually them...”

Chen Xu murmured softly, a hint of reminiscence appearing in his eyes.

Although not much time had passed since his Ascension to the Spirit Realm...

...the difference in time flow between the two realms and the sheer number of things he had experienced made it feel as if half a century had passed.

Now, suddenly hearing the names of these old friends...

...he couldn’t help but feel somewhat emotional.

”Father, about this...”

Chen Daochu asked tentatively, ”If you don’t wish to see them, I’ll go refuse them now. After all, opening the array once is quite costly.”

”Nonsense!”

Chen Xu snapped back to reality and scolded with a smile, ”Am I the kind of person who forgets favors? Those are comrades who once fought side-by-side with your father; we have a life-and-death bond!”

”Besides, that old fellow Xuan Shui has lived longer than anyone. He has the Bloodline of the ancient Mystic Turtle flowing through him, and his defensive power is practically abnormal.”

”If we can win him over, wouldn’t our Tianxuan City’s moat have a natural guardian deity?”

One must know that exotic beasts like the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle were limited by the Laws of heaven and earth in the Lower Realm, reaching the Early Soul Transformation Stage at most.

But if they came to this Spirit Realm with its abundant Spiritual Qi, and were given even a few resources...

...breaking through to the Void Refining Stage would be a near certainty.

A Void Refining Stage Dragon Turtle was more valuable than ten human Cultivators of the same rank!

”Approved! Let them come up!”

Chen Xu waved his hand grandly. ”Tell those below not to be stingy with Spirit Stones. Ensure that our two honored guests arrive safely at Tianxuan City!”

”Yes!”

Seeing his father attach such importance to this, Chen Daochu didn’t dare to be negligent and hurried off to follow the orders... Lower Realm, the shore of the East Sea.

The former East Sea Sword Sect was now a heavily guarded Forbidden Ground.

A teleportation altar a hundred zhang high stood by the sea, piercing into the clouds.

Below the altar, a woman dressed in deep blue palace robes stood quietly.

The sea breeze blew, lifting her sleeves and outlining her graceful yet heroic figure.

She carried a simple, ancient longsword on her back, and a blue mark flickered faintly on her forehead.

”Shuyao, will the master... really let us use this teleportation array?”

Beside the woman was, naturally, the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle.

”The Chen Family is now the local emperor of this Lower Realm. Although we had a connection with that Head of the Chen Family, people tend to forget once someone leaves.”

”He is now a Cultivator of the Upper Realm; he might not necessarily remember us poor relatives.”

The old turtle spoke slowly, his tone carrying a bit of anxiety.

Lan Shuyao looked up slightly, her gaze piercing through the clouds as if seeing that unknown world.

”Senior Xuan Shui, if it were anyone else, I might not dare to gamble.”

Lan Shuyao’s voice was cold and clear like a spring, yet it held a sense of determination. ”But Chen Xu... he is a man who remembers old ties.”

”If he hadn’t stepped in to help back then, the East Sea Sword Sect would have long since ceased to exist. I don’t believe he’s the kind of person who would turn his back on such a debt of gratitude just because he ascended.”

”Furthermore...”

She touched the longsword on her back, a hint of yearning flashing in her eyes. ”The Spiritual Qi of this Lower Realm is depleting day by day. Our cultivation has been stuck at a Bottleneck for hundreds of years without progress.”

”If we don’t take a chance now, I’m afraid we’ll just die of old age in this small pond.”

”Sigh, true.”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle sighed and shook its head. ”Even though I can live a long time, I can’t withstand the shackles of this world.”

”If I can go to the Upper Realm and take a breath of that legendary Immortal Qi, even if it’s just to guard the door for the master, I would have no complaints!”

While the woman and the turtle were talking, the altar in front of them suddenly began to vibrate.

”Buzz—”

A brilliant silver light erupted from the top of the altar, instantly piercing the firmament.

The originally calm sea surface suddenly became turbulent.

A massive pressure from a higher dimension poured down along that pillar of light.

”It’s coming!”

Lan Shuyao’s eyes narrowed, and her hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of her sword.

Within that pillar of light, a row of shimmering golden characters slowly emerged.

Every character contained spiritual power fluctuations that made one’s heart tremble.

”By order of the Head of the Family, we welcome Sect Master Lan and Senior Xuan Shui’s Ascension!”

Seeing this line of text, Lan Shuyao’s tense nerves instantly relaxed.

”See, I gambled correctly.”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle’s eyes were also shining. ”Good grief, this scale... direct cross-realm communication? How many Spirit Stones must that burn! It seems the master is doing quite well over there!”

”Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep an old friend waiting.”

Lan Shuyao did not hesitate. Her figure blurred as she transformed into a blue streak of light.

She charged directly into the silver pillar of light.

”Wait for my old bones!”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle gave a strange cry, its four short legs moving rapidly as it followed closely as a streak of green light... Spirit Realm, Beiming Wilderness.

In the central square of Tianxuan City, an open space had been cleared.

Surrounding it were not only fully armed Chen Family guards...

...but also many high-ranking members of the Chen Family watching.

Chen Xu was not personally present. After all, he was the Head of the Family and a Void Refining Stage powerhouse.

If he personally came to welcome two Juniors from the Lower Realm, it would be a bit beneath his status.

It would also make the other party feel uncomfortable.

The person in charge of the reception was naturally Chen Daoxuan.

”Rumble—”

The teleportation gate in the center of the square emitted a low rumble, and the surrounding space began to distort violently.

This was a sign that the cross-realm teleportation was about to be completed.

”Stay alert! Stabilize the spatial fluctuations!”

Chen Daoxuan shouted in a deep voice. Several Formation Masters behind him immediately cast a series of hand seals.

They calmed the restless spiritual energy around the altar.

A few breaths later, the vortex inside the gate suddenly paused, and then two figures shot out from within.

They landed on the square somewhat disheveled.

”Is this... the Spirit Realm?”

Lan Shuyao had just landed and hadn’t even had time to see her surroundings clearly...

...when she felt her shoulders suddenly sink.

Invisible pressure squeezed from all directions, as if a mountain had suddenly been placed on her back.

This was the Law of gravity in the Spirit Realm, which far exceeded that of the Lower Realm.

For a newcomer, it was a massive test.

She let out a muffled groan and hurriedly circulated the spiritual energy in her body. The longsword on her back gave a light hum as Sword Intent flowed.

Only then did she barely counteract that sense of discomfort.

Beside her, the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle adapted much faster.

It was an exotic beast with thick skin and tough flesh.

This bit of gravity was nothing more than an itch to it.

”Whew—”

The old turtle took a deep breath, and its originally flagging spirits instantly became energized.

”Such dense Spiritual Qi! This is practically a paradise!”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle was so excited its whole body was trembling, and the seaweed on its shell swayed happily. ”I feel the Bottleneck I’ve been stuck at for hundreds of years loosening!”

”This trip was worth it! It was definitely worth it!”

After the two of them had adapted for a moment, they finally looked up and began to take in their surroundings.

This sight left these two big shots, who had once called the shots in the Lower Realm, completely dumbfounded.

What met their eyes was a majestic city beyond their imagination.

Above the city, a faint semi-transparent light screen, like an inverted bowl, enveloped the entire city.

The aura flowing on that light screen...

...was a hundred, even a thousand times stronger than any Sect Protection Array they had ever seen in the Lower Realm!

Even more shocking was the sheer number of people in this city.

The streets were wide and clean, buildings stood tall, and countless Cultivators wearing Chen Family robes moved through them.

Lan Shuyao’s Divine Sense swept out slightly, and she discovered to her horror that the guards patrolling the streets...

...were all at the Golden Core Stage!

And those squad leaders were actually all at the Nascent Soul Stage!

One must know that in the Lower Realm, the Golden Core Stage was already the backbone of a Sect.

The Nascent Soul Stage was even more like an Old Ancestor level existence.

But here, the Nascent Soul Stage... was actually just a gatekeeper?

”This... is this the Foundation of the Chen Family in the Spirit Realm?”

Lan Shuyao felt her throat go dry; the scene before her eyes completely overturned her understanding.

She had originally thought that Chen Xu hadn’t ascended very long ago.

At most, he would have barely managed to gain a foothold in some corner.

But looking at it now, how was this just gaining a foothold?

This was clearly a regional overlord!

”Good heavens...”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle also shrank its neck, its small eyes full of awe: ”Master... just how much of a fortune has he made? This city is more than ten times grander than my Dragon Palace!”

Just as the two were caught in extreme shock and unable to extricate themselves...

...a gentle yet dignified voice rang out ahead.

”Sect Master Lan, Senior Mystic Water, I hope you have been well.”

The two looked towards the source of the sound and saw a refined young man in a brocade robe walking towards them with a smile.

This young man had an extraordinary bearing, with Spiritual Power surging around him; he was impressively also a Nascent Soul Stage expert.

Moreover, his Foundation was so solid that it was far beyond what a Lower Realm Cultivator could compare to.

”You are...”

Lan Shuyao looked closely, and after seeing that somewhat familiar face clearly, she couldn’t help but cry out softly: ”You are... Dao Xuan?”

The Chen Daoxuan in her memory was still a timid Foundation Establishment Stage Junior who followed behind Chen Xu.

Back then, when he saw a Nascent Soul Senior like Lan Shuyao...

...he had to respectfully perform the etiquette of a Junior.

But now, the Chen Daoxuan standing before her not only had a cultivation level equal to hers, but his calm and confident bearing...

...made her feel an inexplicable pressure.

”It is indeed this Junior.”

Chen Daoxuan smiled slightly; although his current status and strength were no longer what they used to be...

...he did not put on any airs, but still followed the old etiquette and cupped his hands to the two.

”It has been many years. My father specifically ordered me to wait here for your arrival.”

Looking at the high-spirited young man before them, and then at the dreamlike immortal city around them, Lan Shuyao and the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle looked at each other.

They both saw a deep sense of bitterness and emotion in each other’s eyes.

Comparing people really is infuriating.

How long has it been?

The Junior who once needed their protection had now grown to a level where they had to look up to him.

”Nephew Dao Xuan... no, I should call you Fellow Daoist Chen now.”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle was the most pragmatic; it immediately put on a smiling face and approached with its short legs: ”Since we’ve come to your precious place, this old turtle will have to rely on your Chen Family for a living from now on.”

Chen Daoxuan laughed and stepped aside to make a gesture of invitation.

”Senior is joking. We are all on the same side, so there’s no talk of relying on us.”

”My father has already prepared some wine at the City Lord’s Mansion and is waiting to catch up with you. Please, after you!”

Lan Shuyao took a deep breath, calmed her surging emotions, tidied her clothes, and then followed Chen Daoxuan.

She stepped towards the City Lord’s Mansion, which symbolized power.

Passing through many corridors, Chen Daoxuan led Lan Shuyao and the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle to the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion.

This hall was located on the central axis of Tianxuan City.

The Spiritual Qi inside the hall was so dense that even just stepping into it, Lan Shuyao felt the Flying Sword inside her body vibrating slightly.

It seemed to crave this environment extremely.

Upon the main seat, Chen Xu, dressed in a green Daoist robe, sat with his eyes downcast.

There was no overwhelming Spiritual Pressure overflowing from his body...

...yet he exuded a mysterious sense of being one with heaven and earth.

”Shuyao, Mystic Water, I hope you have been well.”

Lan Shuyao’s body trembled slightly as she looked up.

Sitting in the high seat was indeed Chen Xu.

Compared to when they parted in the Lower Realm, Chen Xu’s appearance hadn’t changed much.

But those eyes were as deep as if they contained a starry sky.

”Fellow... Fellow Daoist Chen, it’s really you!”

Lan Shuyao’s voice carried a hint of joy.

She stepped forward quickly, the long sword in her hand making a light sound.

In the Lower Realm, she was the unattainable master of the East Sea Sword Sect.

But here, she felt as if she had returned to the early days when she was under Chen Xu’s protection.

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle followed closely behind; originally quite composed, the moment it saw Chen Xu clearly...

...its two short legs suddenly went weak, and it almost collapsed directly onto the ground.

”Good lord!”

Mystic Water’s eyes widened.

As a Spirit Beast, its sense of aura was a hundred times more sensitive than that of a human Cultivator.

In its eyes, how was the Chen Xu before it a person?

He was simply an ancient god or demon walking in the world.

That invisible sense of pressure even slowed down the flow of blood in its body.

”This... is this the Void Refining Stage? No, this isn’t just the aura of someone who has just entered Refinement Void!”

Mystic Water sucked in a breath of cold air: ”Master, what kind of miraculous spirit medicine did you eat? How long has it been since you ascended? Are you trying to drive all these Spirit Realm natives crazy?”

Chen Xu slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

He lightly flicked his sleeve, and a gentle force instantly lifted the two of them up.

It neutralized the trace of Refinement Void pressure remaining in the hall.

”It’s just some opportunities, nothing to call rapid speed.”

Chen Xu shook his head with a faint smile and gestured for them to take a seat: ”Sit. Dao Xuan, go and get two cups of Enlightenment Spirit Tea. They have just come up from the Lower Realm, and the impurities in their bodies haven’t been cleared yet. This tea is perfect for a baptism.”

Lan Shuyao sat down somewhat cautiously, her gaze scanning the surroundings.

She felt several powerful auras faintly in the depths of the hall.

Each of those auras was no weaker than her at her peak.

”Brother Chen, you have actually established such a Foundation in the Spirit Realm.”

Lan Shuyao said with emotion: ”Originally, I thought we could help you a little after coming up. Now it seems we’ve come to claim debts and get free meals.”

Chen Xu looked at his old friends with sincerity in his eyes.

He knew Lan Shuyao was very proud; if she felt she was living as a dependent of the Chen Family...

...she would likely develop a mental block.

”Shuyao, those words are too distant. My Chen Family may seem to have gained a foothold in this Spirit Realm, but in reality, it is fraught with danger.”

Chen Xu’s expression turned solemn, and he sighed: ”Some things may look like a bed of flowers from the outside, but in fact, we are just sitting on a volcano.”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle took a sip of the newly served spirit tea, and after letting out a long breath, it asked: ”Master, you’re being too humble. I saw the city defense array on the way here; I’m afraid even an ordinary Late Void Refining Stage Cultivator couldn’t break in.”

”With this array, who are you still afraid of?”

Chen Xu stood up, walked to the hall entrance with his hands behind his back, and looked at the sea of clouds flowing outside the window.

”You only see this city, but you don’t see the shadows behind it.”

Chen Xu said earnestly: ”When I first came up, the Chen Family almost became coolies in someone else’s mine.”

”Everything now was carved out with the sword in my hand. The glory before your eyes is built on the bones of two Refinement Void Elders from the Tianyu Holy Land.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the tea cups in the hands of Lan Shuyao and the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle both paused.

”Holy Land”—this term represented an unreachable legend back in the Lower Realm.

Now, Chen Xu was saying that he had already killed two of the other party’s Refinement Void Elders.

The level of danger involved was simply unimaginable.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became heavy due to Chen Xu’s frankness.

Lan Shuyao lowered her head slightly, her long, jade-like fingers gently stroking the hilt of her sword.

She had ascended to the Spirit Realm to pursue a more profound Sword Dao, while also harboring the intention of lending Chen Xu a hand.

But she hadn’t expected that the enemies the other party faced now would be a colossus known as a ”Holy Land.”

Chen Xu walked up to Lan Shuyao, his voice sincere: ”Shuyao, I won’t hide anything from you.”

”The Chen Family lacks experts, and even more so, we lack our own people to whom we can entrust our backs. If you are willing to stay, I will open another Sword Mountain for you in Tianxuan City, and resources will be at your disposal.”

To the side, the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle’s eyes darted around quickly.

Although it liked to hide and enjoy a peaceful life, it also understood that in such an environment, fighting alone was the fastest way to die.

Following Chen Xu, although they would face pressure from the Holy Land, the rewards Chen Xu offered were simply too tempting.

Just take that cup of Enlightenment Spirit Tea from earlier.

Even as the overlord of the East Sea in the Lower Realm, it had never even heard of such a thing.

”Master, this old turtle has a tough life; I don’t have other skills, but my shell is thick and I can take a hit.”

The Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle was the first to express its stance, patting its own shell: ”As long as there’s enough food, I’ll take charge of the nodes of the City Protection Array.”

”If the people from the Holy Land dare to come, they’ll have to step over my back first!”

Lan Shuyao also stood up, her gaze cold and firm.

”Brother Chen, my life was saved by you in the first place.”

”Although I left the East Sea Sword Sect to those Juniors, my, Lan Shuyao’s, sword has not yet gone blunt. Since you are pioneering the way, I will be the stone-splitting hammer in your hand.”

”Regardless of whether it’s a Holy Land or a Demonic Sect, I will just draw my sword.”

Hearing this, Chen Xu felt a sense of relief in his heart.

These friends from the Lower Realm who knew him since he was insignificant...

...were indeed much more reliable than those temporarily recruited retainers.

”Good! With you two joining, the defense line of my Tianxuan City is truly taking shape.”

Chen Xu laughed: ”Dao Chu, go and arrange for Sect Master Lan to go to the Sword Washing Pavilion. The Spiritual Vein there is the one in the whole city that best fits the Sword Dao.”

”As for Mystic Water, take it to the Spirit Lake in the north of the city. That is the place where the Spiritual Qi of the whole city swirls, which is perfect for its temperament.”

”Yes! This way, please!”

Chen Daoxuan did not dare to be negligent and immediately led the two out of the hall.