I Can Fix My Talent in Hundred Lives-Chapter 386 - 313: Zhang Clan of Tianqing
Luoxia Town lies nestled among the foothills of the Qingcang Mountain Range, and today, its market is under the control of the Celestial Cyan Zhang Clan.
At the heart of the Qingcang Mountains, on Celestial Cyan Peak, stands a series of imposing palace structures, covered in spiritual light restrictions, exuding the authority of a noble family. This is the ancestral ground of the Zhang Clan.
Three hundred years ago, the Zhang Clan was just a small family in the town, relying on farming for subsistence. The person who truly brought the family to prominence is none other than the current Zhang Clan’s patriarch—Zhang Xiaocheng.
He had no spiritual root, which in the lower realm might have meant a bleak future, but here in the Spirit Realm, even mortals have paths to follow.
Zhang Xiaocheng began learning martial arts at the age of three and quickly demonstrated remarkable talent, mastering any martial arts technique with ease and proficiency.
By ten, he had reached the pinnacle of innate talent, and by twenty-one, he had achieved the peak of the innate realm. At twenty-five, he reached the true gang realm, defeating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator within his family head-on.
Henceforth, the small town of Luoxia could no longer contain this martial arts prodigy, and Zhang Xiaocheng resolutely chose to venture outward...
No one knew where he went, only that over two hundred years later, he returned, having joined the Celestial Capital Martial Arts Academy, and had condensed a Martial Arts Golden Core before transitioning to cultivating an Immortal Dao Golden Core.
Now, at not yet three hundred years old, he has reached the mid-stage Golden Core, becoming invincible in the small town of Luoxia. Under his leadership, the Zhang Clan has completely monopolized the resources within a thousand miles of Luoxia Town.
...
At this moment, the Zhang Clan’s ancestral hall was filled with incense smoke, with tablets of the family’s ancestors displayed on the offering table.
Seated in front of the table, an old man in a purple robe sat wearily, a yellowed Spirit Testing Record spread open before him, depicting the current stabilizing force of the Zhang Clan, mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator Zhang Xiaocheng.
He looked at the record showing "High Grade Spiritual Root: 1" and allowed a rare moment of bitterness to appear in his heart:
"Only one high-grade spiritual root, two fewer than last year."
Zhang Xiaocheng sighed lightly, standing before him was a middle-aged man in luxurious attire with a jade-like face, his grandson Zhang Bailong, who stood with hands respectfully lowered:
"Grandfather, our Zhang Clan is rooted in martial arts, and the clan’s children practice diligently every morning. Even though their spiritual roots are somewhat lacking, they are each robust, and promising candidates for Martial Arts Goldens Cores are not few..."
Zhang Xiaocheng raised his hand to stop his words. The sleeve of his purple robe brushed across the spirit tea on the table, causing ripples in the water:
"Martial Arts Golden Core?"
"Do you know why I abandoned martial arts for cultivation? At twenty-five, I reached true gang, defeating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator head-on, full of spirit!"
"But upon reaching the Martial Arts Golden Core bottleneck, I was stuck for a century. In such an era as the Immortal Dao, staking a claim in martial arts would be a joke."
Although he began with martial arts, the hardships were known only to him; otherwise, why would he have switched to cultivating the Immortal Dao?
Moreover, the martial talent of the younger generation in the clan seemed lacking to him. Achieving a Martial Arts Golden Core is no easy task!
Since him, the Zhang Clan seemed to have exhausted its fortune, falling into an embarrassing state of having no successors.
He rose and walked to the statue, his gaze sweeping over the statue’s shoulder armor, filled with emotion and anxiety:
"I was fortunate to receive guidance from a senior at the Celestial Capital Martial Arts Academy, transitioning from a Martial Arts Golden Core to an Immortal Dao, spending a hundred years to reach mid-stage Golden Core."
"But what about the younger generation in our clan? Look at this Spirit Testing Record, in the past fifty years, we’ve only produced seven high-grade spiritual roots. After I’m gone, what else can the Zhang Clan rely on to monopolize the resources within a thousand miles of Luoxia Town?"
"As the patriarch of the Zhang Clan, you must plan long-term, yet you are still so reckless, foolishly speaking of establishing a family with martial arts."
Zhang Bailong’s face turned pale, having grown up listening to his grandfather’s legends, this was his first time being scolded so severely.
The ancestral hall fell into silence, and after a while, Zhang Xiaocheng recovered his rhythm, his tone softening a bit: "By the way, what are the spirit testing results for those non-clan immortal seedlings?"
At the mention of this, Zhang Bailong’s eyes lit up, hurriedly replying: "Grandfather, rest assured, the non-clan immortal seedlings performed exceptionally well!"
"Especially that most diligent Chen Yu, who in just a year has sired five offspring. I have already, per your instruction, rewarded him with a ’Qi Gathering Pill’ and a ’Protective Jade Pendant,’ as a significant reward."
"Five offspring?"
Zhang Xiaocheng’s eyes brightened instantly, his withered face gaining a flush, as he retrieved an exquisitely white pill bottle from his storage ring.
"Good! Chen Yu is truly industrious, just the kind of immortal seedling our Zhang Clan needs!"
"Bailong, you must personally go and, in my name, bestow this Foundation Establishment Pill upon him. Make sure all non-clan immortal seedlings know that our Zhang Clan rewards fairly and values talent greatly!"
He paused, a trace of profound foresight flashing in his eyes:
"These non-clan immortal seedlings all have high-grade spiritual roots. By combining with our Zhang clan’s women, their offspring have a high chance of passing on the spiritual roots."
"As long as within five generations we produce an Immortal Dao Golden Core, the foundation of the Zhang Clan will be stabilized! This Foundation Establishment Pill is the trigger of great value!"
Zhang Bailong hurriedly accepted the pill bottle, bowing to his command: "Grandson understands, I will handle it right away!"
...
The sun shone brilliantly by the Celestial Cyan Lake, presenting an entirely different bustling scene.
The surface of the lake shimmered with light, willows swaying gently by the shore. A young man in a simple azure robe leaned leisurely against a willow tree, fishing.
The fishing rod was the most ordinary bamboo, the line dropped into the water, yet he paid it no constant attention, instead enjoying sips of coarse tea in hand.
Beside the young man were a few women dressed in fine silk, all daughters of the Zhang Clan, busily attending to several toddlers staggering around.
A woman in a pink dress picked up a sturdy-looking boy, laughingly saying to the young man:
"Husband, look at our child. Taller than any kid in town, and his cries are louder than others. You can tell at a glance he’s a good seed for martial arts!"
"When they get older, we’ll send them to the Martial Hall. They might become as formidable as the patriarch in his day!"
The young man was Chen Sheng. He put down the tea, a flicker of imperceptible sharpness in his eyes.
A year ago, he arrived in Luoxia Town, drawn by the Zhang Clan’s call for non-clan immortal seedlings. Upon confirming the news, he adopted the alias "Chen Yu" and transformed into a youth in the Qi Refining Realm, smoothly joining the Zhang Clan.
Furthermore, he cultivated within the Four Seas Bead, waiting for the right moment to propagate the small worlds inside, spreading them throughout the Spirit Realm and other Small Thousand Worlds.
This would ensure the continuity of the Hundred Generations of Reincarnation!
He chuckled, shaking his head, his voice gentle: "Training in martial arts would be a waste of talent. Our children are destined to be people who soar through the nine heavens."
The women laughed at his words, thinking he was joking.
Chen Sheng remained silent, with a subtle flick of his fingers, sending an undetectable strand of spiritual qi into the water, attracting a Golden-Scaled Spirit Fish to the hook.
Just then, several spirit lights descended, and Zhang Bailong, flanked by two attendants in combat attire, approached the lakeside, calling out from afar:
"Chen, enjoying yourself, are you?"
Chen Sheng quickly stood up to greet him, feigning bashfulness as he cupped his hands: "Greetings, Clan Leader." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Zhang Bailong strode forward, his gaze sweeping over a few sturdy children with great satisfaction, then raised the pill bottle in his hand. His voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear:
"Brother Chen Yu, your contribution to the Zhang Clan’s proliferation is outstanding. Here is a High Grade Foundation Establishment Pill personally rewarded to you by the patriarch. You have reached perfection in Qi Refining, and this will help you break through to Foundation Establishment!"
As his words fell, the onlookers, including the servants and other non-clan cultivators, gasped with envy.
According to clan rules, for Qi Refining Cultivators, exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill wasn’t difficult; after one or two decades of effort, they could obtain one.
But to be freely gifted one is far superior to laborious toil!
Especially those non-clan immortal seedlings, they vowed to work even harder upon hearing this.
Playing along, Chen Sheng displayed a look of joyous surprise, taking the pill bottle with both hands, his voice filled with excitement:
"Thank you, honorable patriarch! Thank you, Clan Leader! Chen Yu will render his utmost service to the Zhang Clan!"
Zhang Bailong nodded with satisfaction, offering a few words of encouragement before departing with his subordinates—his goal was to demonstrate the Zhang Clan’s sincerity to all the non-clan immortal seedlings.
After the crowd dispersed, Chen Sheng caressed the pill bottle in his hand, the smile in his eyes gradually fading.
He had made up his mind: "In one year, the seeds in the Spirit Realm have been planted, and the small worlds within the Four Seas Bead have been cultivated. It is time to leave."
