Chapter 402: Chapter 387: Zhou Family’s Hidden Trouble! [2 updates, please subscribe]
With an incredibly complex mood, Zhouyang returned to the clan alone.
Xu Song studying the guardian array of the underground ruins did not know how much time it would take. Naturally, he couldn’t stay in such a place and waste time, moreover Xu Song had entrusted him with collecting some materials required for the study of arrays, which also needed him to collect after returning to the clan.
After returning to the clan, he only told a few insiders about finding the place where Zhou Xuan Yu’s mother and daughter were, and then ordered people to collect those materials needed by Xu Song.
Thus, nearly a year passed, and only then were all the materials collected, and he personally delivered the materials to the underground ruins.
After delivering the materials, Zhouyang went to the new oasis where Zhou Guangxiang and others were located, using the Void Traveling Tower Ship to carry all the cultivators to the site for constructing the next new oasis, and continued to construct the second new oasis.
As for the new oasis that had already been constructed, the Zhou Family’s cultivators naturally arrived to take over and station there.
Such newly constructed oases were still fragile by nature and required cultivators to frequently cast spells to maintain the vitality of plants and trees on the oasis.
Later on, when the ecological environment of these new oases becomes more stable, the Zhou Family would also migrate some mortals to the oasis to establish towns and villages to reside.
By then, the work of maintaining the ecological environment of the oasis could be taken over by these mortals.
After transporting the materials and returning the cultivators constructing the new oasis back to the Zhou Family, Zhouyang officially began his secluded cultivation.
By this time, eight or nine years had passed since he returned to the Zhou Family. During these eight or nine years, he busied himself with various tasks, and his cultivation inevitably slowed down a lot.
Now that everything is done, he also planned to focus on improving his cultivation to prepare for the Rhino Horn Continent battle more than twenty years later.
The time spent in seclusion always goes by quickly, in the blink of an eye, Zhouyang has been in seclusion for eight years.
Eight years have passed, and his cultivation has not broken through to the Fifth-Layer of the Purple Mansion, but he’s not far from the breakthrough, most likely another year or two of cultivation and he would succeed.
And the reason he came out of seclusion was because Zhou Guangxiang’s cultivation reached the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, preparing to open the Purple Mansion.
Zhou Guangxiang, being an Upper-grade Spiritual Root cultivator, naturally had a rapid cultivation speed, and since the Zhou Family had Xiao Ying, a Tier Four Lower-grade Alchemist, various Tier Three Spirit Pills were not lacking.
After consuming some elixirs, he easily advanced to the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment and started preparing for the opening of the Purple Mansion.
"Have you really made up your mind? If you don’t use the [Purple Heart Jade Marrow], even though you have Upper-grade Spirit Root talent, the success rate won’t exceed twenty percent!"
"And if you fail, even with spirit pills helping you recover, it would take at least over ten years of rest to attempt the Purple Mansion again!"
Inside Qianyang Cave, after Zhouyang came out of seclusion and met the visiting Zhou Guangxiang, he was startled by his nephew’s words.
He had long prepared the "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" necessary for Zhou Guangxiang to open the Purple Mansion, yet Zhou Guangxiang visited this time to tell him he wanted to attempt opening the Purple Mansion without relying on the "Purple Heart Jade Marrow".
This truly surprised him.
Of course, surprised as he was, considering Zhou Guangxiang’s previous precedent, Zhouyang immediately realized that the boy was looking to pave the way for his sister Zhou Guangxiang.
Currently, including Zhou Guangxiang, the Zhou Family had four Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the newly established Zhou Guangtai and Zhou Guangqing both were only at the Second-Layer Foundation Establishment, still far from opening the Purple Mansion.
Yet Zhou Guangxiang was already at the Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment, considering her age, she was fully capable of reaching the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment before two hundred years old, thus still having one chance to attempt the Purple Mansion.
By then, the "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" in Zhouyang’s hand would undoubtedly be used on her.
"Nephew has thought it through, nephew is still young, only one hundred and twenty-one years old this year, even if I fail to open the Purple Mansion this time, there will be several more chances in the future."
"And nephew is not afraid to tell you, Ninth Uncle, nephew has actually prepared for failure this time, only by gaining experiences from this failure can I have greater assurance next time I try to open the Purple Mansion."
"After all, you also know that [Purple Heart Jade Marrow] is not as helpful for nephew in opening the Purple Mansion as the Foundation Establishment Pill was for the Foundation Establishment!"
With a determined look, Zhou Guangxiang said to Zhouyang, having prepared his statement long ago.
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang fell into silence.
Although he was certain that Zhou Guangxiang wanted to pave the way for his sister Zhou Guangxiang, he also had to admit that Zhou Guangxiang had a point.
Using "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" to aid in opening the Purple Mansion for Foundation Establishment cultivators could only increase the success rate by at most slightly over thirty percent. Zhou Guangxiang’s use of this object to aid in opening the Purple Mansion indeed wasn’t like the previous Foundation Establishment where the success rate could be boosted to over ninety percent with the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Moreover, as the saying goes, a son grown doesn’t follow the mother.
Zhou Guangxiang was already over one hundred years old and had been the clan leader of the Zhou Family for decades. Since he’d made up his mind regarding a matter concerning his own cultivation path, Zhouyang, as an elder, opposing him forcefully would only harm their relationship.
"Alright then, since you’ve made up your mind, Ninth Uncle can’t oppose it. Here is a [Purple Cloud Pill], which can provide you some help, and this [Ghost Tear Stone] can enhance a cultivator’s divine sense. You should take it and refine it!"
After a long gaze, Zhouyang nodded slightly, agreed to his choice, and then raised his hand, pulling out two spiritual objects to give him.
The "Purple Cloud Pill" was refined by Xiao Ying, initially four pills were refined, one was auctioned off, he still had three on hand, and now giving Zhou Guangxiang one leaves him with two.
As for the "Ghost Tear Stone", it was obtained by him from killing evil ghosts in the "Sealed Demon Cave", and the evil ghost’s resentment within had long been cleansed by Xu Song on his request, allowing cultivators to slightly enhance their divine sense intensity by refining this object.
However, Zhouyang’s divine sense intensity was already very strong, thus this object didn’t hold much use for him.
The one who could make the maximum use of this object was indeed a Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zhou Guangxiang about to open the Purple Mansion.
As long as one refines this object to improve divine sense intensity, it would equate to a permanent enhancement of the success rate of opening the Purple Mansion.
Zhou Guangxiang was knowledgeable about treasures, upon hearing Zhouyang speak of the "Ghost Tear Stone"’s function, he immediately realized the preciousness of this item.
He held the treasure bestowed by Zhouyang, and a flash of emotion crossed his face. He immediately knelt to the ground and gave Zhouyang a heavy kowtow: "Ninth Uncle’s kindness, nephew has nothing to repay with, please accept my bow!"
"Rise, you just focus on your closed cultivation, I’ll handle clan affairs."
Zhouyang waved his hand, not wanting to give Zhou Guangxiang too much pressure, and sent him off to closed cultivation directly.
Zhou Guangxiang entered closed cultivation to open up the Purple Mansion, and the responsibilities of the Zhou Family Patriarch had to be taken by Zhouyang instead. He naturally could not continue his own closed cultivation now.
Just as well, he hadn’t managed clan matters for many years, so he simply gathered several Deacon Elders to inquire about the current situation of the family.
After a dozen years, most of the Deacon Elders back then had been replaced, and several new ones were now "Tong" Generation cultivators.
"Supreme Elder, for your information, the clan currently has 467 family cultivators... 42 from the Fu Generation, along with 191 foreign relative cultivators, and 43 honored guest cultivators."
The cultivator now serving as the Preaching Elder of the Zhou family was a "Guang" Generation cultivator named Zhou Guangjian, a "young man" not even ninety years old.
It was his first time being so close to Zhouyang, this legendary figure of the Zhou family, and facing Zhouyang’s inquiries, he was somewhat nervous. Fortunately, his reporting of the data was accurate, avoiding any major embarrassment.
"More than a hundred cultivators added in just over ten years, isn’t that number a bit excessive? What’s going on?"
A flash of surprise crossed Zhouyang’s eyes; he did not care about this junior’s change in expression, as his attention was fully captured by the reported numbers.
Although the mortal population of the Zhou family had increased rapidly over the years, the addition of over a hundred cultivators within a decade was still a bit astonishing, necessitating his concern.
"Supreme Elder, for your consideration, the main reason for the surge in the cultivator population was the half-year timeframe during which the visitor numbers to [Fengyue Tower] skyrocketed due to the grand auction."
"Additionally, the increase in the mortal population of the clan also led to a rise in the number of spiritually rooted infants detected annually to seven or eight people."
"Lastly, with a large number of members from the populous Guang Generation and Tong Generation cultivators expanding, many descendants with spiritual roots were born."
Zhou Guangjian had done his homework thoroughly, and after the initial panic in facing Zhouyang’s questions, he quickly settled his mind and meticulously explained the reasons for the population growth.
After hearing this explanation, Zhouyang, pondering something, suddenly switched to telepathic inquiry: "Then do you know how many of the family’s cultivators now originate from [Fengyue Tower]? Include ancestors up to three generations."
Upon hearing this sudden question, Zhou Guangjian’s expression changed, seemingly realizing something.
But faced with Zhouyang’s solemn gaze, he had to quickly suppress his dreadful thoughts, steady his nerves, and carefully recall various data, then continued to answer: "To respond to Supreme Elder’s query, according to the latest statistics compiled six months ago, the Zhou family currently has 264 cultivators originating from [Fengyue Tower], among them, 26 with grandparents from [Fengyue Tower], and 30 with parents from [Fengyue Tower]."
"Nearly three-fifths from [Fengyue Tower]?"
Zhouyang mused to himself, realizing a neglected problem.
That is the purity of the family bloodline!
Previously, when the Zhou family’s cultivator population was small and the family’s power was weak, to increase the number of family cultivators and the chance of geniuses emerging, he had firmly supported the establishment of "Fengyue Tower" to boost the family cultivator population.
But now, the number of cultivators originating from "Fengyue Tower" has claimed nearly three-fifths of the Zhou family cultivator population, with expectations for a growing proportion in the future.
This frightened Zhouyang.
Though those from "Fengyue Tower" possess Zhou family bloodline, it is mainly maternal bloodline.
And honestly, those Zhou family secular women willing to enter "Fengyue Tower," most have not produced a cultivator ancestor for four to five generations, their bloodlines are quite distant from Zhou family cultivator ones.
Yet currently, the main powers of the Zhou family, such as himself, Zhouyang, the siblings Zhou Guangxiang, and Zhou Guangqing, are pure descendant cultivators of the Zhou family, with bloodlines closest to the old ancestor Zhou Yuquan.
Now the family is still in its ascending period, perhaps no one has noticed the hidden danger here.
However, once the Zhou family occupies the Rhino Horn Continent, and the family power gradually peaks, with no room for further ascent, the conflicts between "Fengyue Tower" cultivators and original Zhou family cultivators will undoubtedly surface.
At that time, no matter how many reasons Zhouyang provides, the situation where there is only one "Fengyue Tower" origin among the Foundation Establishment cultivators will become a thorn in the heart of "Fengyue Tower" cultivators, who already make up the majority of the Zhou family cultivator population.
Wherever there are people, there will be conflict; wherever there is interest, conspiracy will exist.
The overwhelming majority "Fengyue Tower" origin among Zhou family’s total population yet having scant high-tier cultivators, when vying for resources and interests within the family, this matter will undoubtedly become a flashpoint.
Zhouyang is certain of this.
Moreover, he has additional worry now, relating to the issue of "Bloodline Divine Ban."
Zhou Guangxiang is already a Tier Three Middle-grade Array Master; once he advances to a Tier Four Array Master, he can deploy arrays containing the "Bloodline Divine Ban."
When the time comes, the Zhou family is bound to establish a secret vault guarded by "Bloodline Divine Ban."
Then the problem arises.
Whose bloodline information should be recorded for the "Bloodline Divine Ban" guarded secret vault?
If they record the bloodline information of Zhouyang and the other orthodox Zhou family cultivators, then the vast majority of "Fengyue Tower" origin cultivators will almost certainly be unable to access the secret vault guarded by "Bloodline Divine Ban."
If they record the bloodline information of all Zhou family cultivators, then the protective function of "Bloodline Divine Ban" would be rendered meaningless.
"What to do? How should this matter be handled? How can this hidden danger be resolved perfectly?"
Zhouyang’s thoughts raced, eyes rarely showing signs of anxiety.