Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 821 - 804: Outdated Traditions

Zhou Guangcheng had been progressing too quickly in his cultivation and encountered a bottleneck when reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul. Shortly after returning to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, he chose to travel to broaden his horizons.

At that time, the Cross-Cultivation Realm Teleportation Array connecting Liuyun Immortal City to the Celestial South Continent Cultivation Realm was open, so he took the opportunity to teleport to the Celestial South Realm for his travels.

Unexpectedly, after traveling in the Celestial South for over a century, he successfully advanced his cultivation to the Fourth-Layer Nascent Soul and found Dao companions willing to spend their lives with him, a pair of Purple Mansion Stage female cultivator twins.

With his support, the twin female cultivators have both successfully formed their cores.

Frankly speaking, when Zhouyang received this news through a message from his Dao companion, Xiao Ying, he was taken aback for quite some time.

He was now about 1,600 to 1,700 years old, and his son Zhou Guangcheng, with a life span of over 1,200 to 1,300 years, was considered quite young in terms of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator's lifespan.

However, it's rare to see a phenomenon in the cultivation realm where a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator in their 1,000s weds a Purple Mansion Stage female cultivator in her 200s as formal Dao companions.

Zhou Guangcheng probably realized the unusual nature of this matter, and so he waited until both Dao companions had formed their cores before daring to bring them back to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm and the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm to meet his elders and explain the situation.

As a Golden Core Stage cultivator, he could barely be considered a suitable Dao companion for a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

Zhouyang wasn't the type to control everything. To him, as long as his son wasn't making any fundamental mistakes, he could do whatever he pleased, and it wasn't necessary for Zhouyang to intervene.

This likely stemmed from his own childhood experiences; after all, throughout his life, his parents never restricted him much, allowing him to thrive freely.

Even though he was shocked that his son Zhou Guangcheng had chosen such youthful Dao companions, he wasn't opposed. He readily accepted his son's request to close his cultivation and participate in the dual cultivation ceremony.

Since Zhou Guangcheng's Nascent Soul Ceremony had been held at the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, his dual cultivation ceremony was held at the Zhou Family in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm so the entire clan would know there was yet another "young ancestor" like Zhou Guangcheng among them.

When Zhouyang arrived at Lingxi Peak, the entire peak was festively decorated with red silk. Many cultivators from the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm who came for Zhou Guangcheng's dual cultivation ceremony had already arrived in advance.

These guests used the Zhou Family's favor; otherwise, dozens of Nascent Soul Stage cultivators crossing the Broken Cloud Mountain Range from the Liuyun Continent would have provoked a fierce reaction from the demon kings.

However, now that the Thunder Feather True Spirit had returned to the Broken Cloud Mountain Range, all demon kings knew of its favor towards Zhouyang, the human cultivator, and none dared to provoke Zhouyang or the Zhou Family.

Upon his return from seclusion after over seventy years, Nascent Soul Stage cultivators who were there to celebrate for Zhou Guangcheng immediately came forward to greet him.

After exchanging greetings with these individuals, Zhouyang finally had the chance to examine the pair of daughters-in-law standing behind his son Zhou Guangcheng.

In terms of appearance, the two Dao companions Zhou Guangcheng chose were extremely beautiful, surpassing even Xiao Ying, and on par with Qin Yue'Er's extraordinary beauty.

Among those present today, only the female cultivators Qin Yue'Er and Lu Xuewei could compare with them in terms of beauty.

However, with their First-Layer Golden Core Stage cultivation, they were considered to be at the bottom of the attendees' hierarchy today.

When Zhouyang, a renowned Great Cultivator of the "Spirit Realm," took notice of them, and having him as their father-in-law, the two women were as nervous as ordinary mortal brides, lowering their heads and clasping their hands, not daring to meet his gaze.

Zhou Guangcheng had no choice but to remind his Dao companions, "Yu Zhen, Yu Huan, that's our father. Didn't you always say how much you admired him? Go up and greet him."

"Daughter-in-law Shen Yuzhen, Shen Yuhuan, greets... greets father!"

The two nervous women stepped forward to greet him. They were so tense they almost called out Zhouyang's honorific, amusing many cultivators present.

Zhouyang was amused as well; he hadn't anticipated his first meeting with his daughters-in-law would unfold this way.

Initially, he intended to express some concern, but witnessing the tension they were under, he realized the more he talked, the more nervous they'd get. So he simply acknowledged them, "Mm, I've approved your marriage to Cheng'Er. From now on, we're all family, so there's no need to be overly anxious or distant."

He then waved his hand, gifting the two remaining Jade Peaches to the women.

"It's our first meeting, and I don't have much to give you as a gift. It happens that these two Jade Peaches are worth presenting, so I offer them to you."

The two Tier-Six Middle Grade spiritual fruits, capable of extending a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator's lifespan by a century, were given as meeting gifts to two newly formed Golden Core Stage cultivators, a gesture that left many present cultivators in awe.

Both Shen Yuzhen and Shen Yuhuan were overjoyed yet stunned to receive such a gift, standing frozen with the jade box containing the spirit fruits.

With a reminder from Zhou Guangcheng, they snapped out of it and hurriedly expressed their thanks.

After some celebratory noise, the guests left, leaving Zhouyang time to ask his son about the specifics.

"Your mother only mentioned that Yuzhen and Yuhuan were brought back from the Celestial South Cultivation Realm, but didn't say anything about their family. I don't see any elders from their family here today either. Don't tell me you deceived them from the Celestial South?"

In a quiet room, Zhouyang, Xiao Ying, and Zhou Guangcheng were alone together. Zhouyang, with an emotionless tone, inquired about his daughters-in-law's family situation.

Hearing this, Zhou Guangcheng laughed bitterly, "Father, please, I wouldn't do something like that over such a serious matter!"

He extended his hands helplessly and explained, "Yuzhen and her sister are from a cultivation family in the Celestial South's Cultivation Realm. The Shen Family belongs to the Celestial River Sect, a Golden Core Family with two Golden Core cultivators, which is somewhat suitable for our family."

"That's not what I asked. You know I don't care about their background; whether they were from a loose cultivator background or not, as long as you like them, I won't interfere."

Zhouyang frowned, interrupting his son's words bluntly.

Zhou Guangcheng quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I understand. The reason their family didn't come is simply because of the inconvenient distance. Moreover, Yuzhen and Yuhuan are married to a mid-stage Nascent Soul Zhenren like myself, so there's no concern their family should have regarding the alliance."

"Still not being truthful, I see. These two top-grade spiritual root female cultivators, talents of such quality, which cultivation clan or sect would easily let them go? You've dared these actions but won't admit them?"

Zhouyang's tone suddenly sharpened as he sternly reprimanded his son.

As his words fell, not only did Zhou Guangcheng's expression change drastically, but Xiao Ying was also startled and couldn't help but exclaim, "What? Cheng'Er, you haven't told us the truth? What on earth happened? You better confess it honestly to your mother!"

By the end, her voice too carried a note of anger.

Seeing his mother, who had always doted on him, getting angry, Zhou Guangcheng was somewhat intimidated and finally confessed without hiding anything.

"Alright, since father, you have figured it out, I won't hide it any longer. Actually, Yuzhen and the others were more or less sold to me!"

"Initially, they were supposed to be sent as concubines to that Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from the Celestial River Sect, but they didn't want their family to arrange that for them, so they quietly fled the clan. By chance, they met me while I was traveling the cultivation realm, hiding my cultivation.

"Later, I helped them fend off the clan elders who came to bring them back, and I traveled with them through the Celestial South Continent Cultivation Realm. Gradually, I developed feelings for them and decided to take them back to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm to become dual cultivation companions.

"But when I brought them home to say goodbye, the Shen Family sent word to that Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from the Celestial River Sect, who then cornered us. Although I could overpower him, the Shen Family would definitely be implicated because of it.

"So I had to reveal my identity, leveraging your renown, father, to intimidate that fellow, and then used a Tier Six Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact to sever their ties with the Shen Family, ensuring they no longer had any connection with the Shen Family or the Celestial River Sect!"

"As for their biological parents, since they were only Foundation Establishment cultivators, they had already passed away before they opened their Purple Mansion, so naturally, they cannot be here to attend my dual cultivation ceremony with them!"

Clatter!

Xiao Ying nearly dropped her jaw upon hearing her son's words.

She immediately displayed a highly annoyed expression, stepped forward, and angrily grabbed her son's ear, yelling, "You damned brat, why didn't you tell me the truth back then? Why did you lie to me? Tell me, over these years, how many more things have you lied about to me?"

To think Zhou Guangcheng, a respected Nascent Soul Stage Zhenren, was now being scolded like a child who had done wrong, with his ears being grabbed by his mother—a scene that made Zhouyang shake his head repeatedly.

Even he hadn't expected his son and two daughters-in-law to have such peculiar experiences.

However, in his eyes, this wasn't really a big deal.

Zhou Guangcheng's decision to keep this matter under wraps was likely to prevent others from looking down on the Shen sisters, and not merely for his own pride.

Therefore, he advised his Dao companion, "Ying'er, let go, will you? Sons are beyond their mother's control once grown. He's over a thousand years old now, do you really think you can manage him?"

"Hmph, this damned brat, I've wasted over a thousand years doting on him, yet he still dared to deceive me!"

Xiao Ying snorted coldly and angrily released her grip, storming out of the chamber with an unpleasant expression.

Zhouyang, witnessing this, shot a glare at his son and said, "Your mother may have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. No doubt she was thrilled to see you bring two daughters-in-law back, yet you foolishly deceived her, deserving of the scolding!"

After saying this, he too left the chamber to console his angry Dao companion.

Half a month later, Zhou Guangcheng's dual cultivation ceremony was held as scheduled. This was considered the grandest dual cultivation ceremony in the history of the Boundless Desert Sea Cultivation Realm, attended by seventeen Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, with over ten thousand cultivators of various levels coming to congratulate and present gifts, making it even more lively than many Nascent Soul ceremonies.

After the ceremony ended and guests dispersed, Zhou Family Patriarch Zhou Liangyu finally had the opportunity to privately meet Zhouyang to report some important matters.

"Forgive me, Ancestor, for troubling you. There are indeed two major issues that require your directives so that this junior can make a definite decision!"

Upon meeting, Zhou Liangyu respectfully indicated the significance of the matters.

This brought Zhouyang to real attention, and he couldn't help but look at him and say, "Go ahead, what matters have even you, the Zhou Family Patriarch, uncertain?"

"With the Ancestor's insight, the first matter concerns the Copper City Guo Family, who are collaborating with the Zhou Family to develop the giant spirit stone ore. They are willing to offer thirty million spirit stones, requesting permission to split off a branch to develop within the Boundless Desert Sea, to later become part of our Zhou Family's vassals!"

"The second matter concerns the external marriage of clan's female cultivators. Previously, when the Zhou Family was weaker, the clan rules forbade easily marrying out female cultivators. Now, our Zhou Family's number of cultivators has approached ten thousand, with over four thousand female cultivators among them. However, due to clan rules, nearly half have yet to marry, and many have found someone they love but failed to wed due to their suitors' unwillingness to marry into the Zhou Family, leading to broken engagements and lifelong reluctance to take new husbands!"

"This issue has become a major hidden hazard for the clan, and many clan's female cultivators are greatly resentful of this rule. There have even been a few bad incidents of them eloping with someone and leaving the clan!"

"Many female cultivators have petitioned this junior, representing them to seek guidance from Ancestor on whether the rule of not allowing female cultivators to marry out can be abolished!"

After expressing his intentions, Zhou Liangyu suddenly bit his lip, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying: "This junior dares not deceive Ancestor, actually, this junior strongly agrees with abolishing the rule of not allowing female cultivators to marry out, because this junior's own daughter and two granddaughters are victims of this rule. Watching them wash their faces with tears daily, this junior cannot bear to witness it anymore, cannot ignore it!"

Clan rules are the foundation of a family's power and stability; without such rules, there would be no order.

Without strict regulations and restrictions, the cohesion of a cultivation clan would greatly diminish.

Most of the Zhou Family's rules were established when it was a small clan. Some rules have become outdated and detrimental for the now vast Zhou Family.

Since these rules were passed down during the time when Zhouyang, the family ancestor, served as patriarch, no Zhou Family cultivator dares abolish these rules without his consent while he's still living.

That's why Zhou Liangyu made today's plea.

Zhouyang had been out of touch with family affairs for so long that he didn't really feel these things, nor had he thought about the harm of such outdated rules.

Listening to Zhou Liangyu's words now, he also felt some self-reproach.

He understood that because of his high prestige as the family ancestor, Zhou Family cultivators had to be extremely cautious about abolishing and modifying clan rules, reluctant to mention them lightly for fear of displeasing him.

It is imaginable that over the thousands of years, many Zhou Family female cultivators had surely struggled bitterly between adhering to this rule and eloping with their loved ones, ultimately making choices that left them with lifelong regrets.

Indeed, whichever choice they made, they were certain to regret it for life!

Contemplating this, he immediately said to Zhou Liangyu, who was kneeling, "This matter is truly my oversight; abolishing this outdated rule is something I completely agree with. In the future, if there are similar rules harming our family cultivators, the Zhou Family patriarch can directly abolish them after seeking opinions from all clan members, without needing to specially ask for my approval!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangyu was overjoyed, repeatedly kowtowing and saying: "Thank you Ancestor for your mercy, this junior thanks you profoundly on behalf of the over four thousand female cultivators of the Zhou Family and all Zhou Family cultivators!"

"Stand up now, as the two matters you mentioned today, I, the ancestor, have agreed to both."

Zhouyang flicked his sleeve, and a gentle yet irresistible force lifted Zhou Liangyu up.

"Thank you, Ancestor. This junior has something to present to Ancestor, which is several pieces of top-grade spirit stones newly excavated from the giant spirit stone ore over these years!"