Clan Cultivation: Starting from Beast Taming

However, the mountain ridge where it was located contained a spirit vein, and the main acupoint of the spirit vein was situated right in the valley.

Thus, it became the optimal choice for a frontier base.

Moreover, according to Zhou Daoyi, who had some knowledge of the Array Dao, the environment around the valley seemed to be extremely suitable for setting up formations.

If an upper-class formation could be established, connecting the valley with the surrounding mountains as a whole, the valley, which was less than a hundred acres in size, could be completely concealed.

Unless a cultivator happened to stray into the valley's location, even an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator flying over the valley might not be able to detect it below.

"I think this place shall be called Longxing Valley from now on, and it will become the place where the Zhou Family's fortune flourishes!"

In the middle of the valley, Zhou Mingde looked at the small valley and grew more satisfied the more he looked; his eyes brimmed with bold ambition as he spontaneously named the valley.

Zhou Chun and Zhou Daoyi naturally did not object to the name he chose.

But there was an unavoidable issue.

Zhou Daoyi slowly said, "The Second Elder is advanced in years. If we want to set up a formation in Longxing Valley, we should invite him here earlier to survey the terrain and draft a formation arrangement; otherwise, I'm afraid it will be too late later on."

Hearing his words, both Zhou Mingde and Zhou Chun also felt a bit of heaviness in their hearts.

Indeed, the lifespan of the Zhou Family's Second Elder, Zhou Chongshan, was nearing its end!

He was already close to two hundred and thirty years old, and even if he could live to the typical lifespan limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator—two hundred and forty years—he had only over a decade of life left.

And as his final days approached, his condition would worsen.

"We shall take care of this matter after returning. Zhengchun will take charge of the family affairs, and Daoyi, you will bring Chongshan here to survey the terrain and draft the formation plan," Zhou Mingde decided after a moment of silence.

So, the three of them noted the location of Longxing Valley and returned to their family together.

When the three of them from the Zhou Family returned to the famiy's gate at Jiufeng Ridge, not only the Zhou Family elders but also Liu Shiyun, who had come in place of her master Taoist Mingxia to preside over the Zhou Family, all heaved a sigh of relief and were genuinely happy for their return.

"Thank Heavens, Taoist Friend Zhou, you have finally come back safely!"

Atop Pagoda Peak, seeing Zhou Chun return in high spirits, Liu Shiyun also revealed a joyous smile, delighted in her heart.

She had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, and so the veil she had been wearing for a long time on her face was now removed.

Behind the veil was an unequivocally beautiful and captivating face.

With a naturally heart-shaped face, complemented by willow-leaf eyebrows and adorned with golden hairpins and jade rings, she was like a fairy from a painting, exuding celestial charm and entrancing grace.

This was the first time Zhou Chun had seen her true face, and even he could not help but express his admiration, saying, "As natural as the lotus rises out of the water, untouched by the carver's knife; today upon seeing Miss Liu's true face, I finally understand the real meaning of these words!"

Hearing this, Liu Shiyun's face blushed slightly, and she quickly turned her head to one side in modesty, saying, "Taoist Friend Zhou is too kind. How could my modest form deserve such high praise from you!"

Seeing this, Zhou Chun couldn't help but laugh and said, "Ah, I was merely speaking my mind. If Miss Liu feels it was too forward, I apologize here and now."

After saying this, he bowed to her.

Seeing his reaction, Liu Shiyun felt relieved but also a tinge of disappointment within her heart.

This was the first time she had revealed her true face in front of Zhou Chun, and Zhou Chun's amazed reaction had indeed filled her with secret joy.

However, Zhou Chun's current demeanor made her feel as though she might have been expecting too much.

Zhou Chun seemed to appreciate her beauty, but it appeared to stop there without any further thoughts.

She couldn't help feeling a bit disheartened by this.

Without a doubt, she had a great liking for Zhou Chun in her heart.

Not only because Zhou Chun had once saved her and her father's life, but also for the good manners he had always displayed before her, as well as Zhou Chun's own exceptional strength, intelligence, courage, and status.

If she were pressed to point out a flaw in Zhou Chun's character, it would be that he was too family-oriented, too concerned about the welfare of his clan.

However, this shortcoming seemed not to be a disadvantage at all, but could possibly even turn into another asset.

Yet she now realized that Zhou Chun had no such thoughts toward her, seeing her merely as a friend.

Being a person with high self-esteem, coupled with her current status and cultivation level being not inferior, she saw no reason to persistently cling to him even if she had affections for him.

After a brief sense of disappointment, she spoke softly, "Taoist Friend Zhou is too serious, I didn't mean it that way."

Then she continued, "Now that Taoist Friend Zhou has returned safely, I should also go back to the Sect to report to my master."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun immediately replied, "If Miss Liu is going back, could you please deliver a letter to Senior Taoist Mingxia on behalf of Zhou? "

Having said that, he wrote a letter on the spot and handed it to Liu Shiyun.

After safely storing the letter, Liu Shiyun, not dragging her feet, bowed to Zhou Chun and said, "I must take my leave now, my father will be cultivating at the Zhou Family, please assist and take care of him, Taoist Friend Zhou!"

"Rest assured, Miss Liu, I have many years of friendship with Taoist Friend Liu and I will naturally not neglect him," Zhou Chun responded.

Zhou Chun bid farewell to Liu Shiyun, then and there.

In the following days, the Elders of the Zhou Family all came to show their concern and inquired about Zhou Chun's disappearance.

However, as Green Lotus Temple had already issued a gag order, Zhou Chun did not dare to divulge too much, brushing it off as a matter of confidentiality.

When Taoist Mingxia from Green Lotus Temple learned from her disciples that Zhou Chun had safely returned, and after reading the letter Zhou Chun had sent through Liu Shiyun, she couldn't help but show a satisfied expression.

In the letter, Zhou Chun reassured her time and again that he would absolutely not leak the fact that he was an undercover informant within the Dragon Transformation Sect, and also stated that he would be taking over family affairs at the clan, not leaving the clan's grounds to run around anymore.

With that in mind, there was no need to worry about information leaks.

As for the danger Zhou Chun's practice of the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique posed to himself, since Zhou Chun didn't bring it up, Taoist Mingxia wouldn't ask about it either.

She already knew from Master Qingwei that it was possible to rid Zhou Chun's body of the Flood Dragon bloodline. Read new chapters at empire

But unless a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator took action personally, forcibly removing the Flood Dragon bloodline from Zhou Chun's body would inevitably harm his physique, significantly shorten his lifespan, and even damage his Foundation!

Clearly, Master Qingwei did not wish to request that a high-ranking Nascent Soul Stage ancestor of the Sect personally intervene for the sake of one Zhou Chun.

And the consequences of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator intervening were definitely unacceptable to Zhou Chun.

Therefore, it was better to wait, and once the Dragon Transformation Sect was destroyed in the future, the problem would no longer be a threat.

At the Zhou Family, Zhou Chun, upon his return, swiftly took over the clan authority from the Clan Leader, Zhou Daoyi, and resumed his duties and responsibilities as the clan head.

Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi, using closed-door cultivation as a pretext, secretly went to Longxing Valley with the second Elder, Zhou Chongshan.

"Uncle Peng, I want you to travel across Lanzhou, Yunzhou, and Lianzhou, buying up any available Spiritual Wine and Spiritual Tea from the Marketplaces."

"Seventeenth Uncle, your External Affairs Hall could post more tasks to find Mortals with cultivation potential and recruit more Mortals eligible for Cultivation. This matter is very important for the future development of our family, and must be attended to with care."

"Sixteenth Uncle, please contact those smaller Artifact Refining shops in Hongya Marketplace to commission a batch of crossbows and arrows capable of penetrating Demon Beast defenses, as well as an order for a batch of blades and spears mixed with some Spirit Gold."

"Oh, and place an order with Li's Herbal Shop to concoct thirty furnaces of Gathering Spirit Pills and ten furnaces of Ginseng Spirit Pills."

"Eighth Brother, your Hundred Medicines Hall also has to temporarily halt other tasks, and focus entirely on making Flesh-Regeneration and Hemostasis Ointment, Blood-Activating Stasis-Resolving Pills, and other healing medicines."

In the Central Peace Hall, Zhou Chun, who had resumed control over the clan, swiftly assigned various tasks to each Zhou Family Elder and Steward, without providing any explanation.

This greatly differed from his usual manner of handling things and left these Elders and Stewards full of confusion, knowing he must be hiding something from everyone.

But out of trust in Zhou Chun, they all went to carry out his orders without further questioning.