Ximen Immortal Clan

Chapter Four: Pan Yulian

Ximen Changqing knew nothing about his ancestor, Ximen Potian.

Why had this ancestor perished seven hundred years ago? How had Cloud Sword Mountain been occupied by sects? What had the Ximen family experienced?

"I'm afraid it's mostly a case of 'possessing a treasure invites trouble.'"

In Ximen Changqing's view, with the Nine Heavens Pearl's heaven-defying abilities, if it were leaked, the Ximen family would immediately face annihilation.

His ancestor, Ximen Potian, might have used it extensively, thus exposing the Nine Heavens Pearl's existence and meeting his demise.

Of course, these were all Ximen Changqing's speculations; the truth might be more complex than he imagined.

The Nine Heavens Pearl, though powerful, was not something a Foundation Establishment family could possess; leaking it would lead to annihilation.

This put pressure on Ximen Changqing, causing him mixed feelings of joy and worry, and leading him to make a conservative decision.

If the family cultivators fully utilized the Nine Heavens Pearl, the Ximen family could rise rapidly.

However, this would mean the secret of the Nine Heavens Pearl could no longer be hidden, and annihilation would immediately follow. An extraordinary rise would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Having such a heaven-defying treasure, it would be a waste not to fully utilize it, but for the safety of the family, this was the only option.

Ximen Changqing didn't intend to tell anyone; the more people who knew about the Nine Heavens Pearl, the greater the possibility of a leak.

He trusted his grandfather, Ximen Rende, the most, but his grandfather doted on his second uncle. Would he tell his second uncle this secret?

Would his second uncle tell his most trusted person? And what about his second uncle, as the Grand Elder, and the Ancestor, as the Supreme Elder? Did they also know that they had close relatives?

If everyone told their secrets to their most trusted people, the number of people who knew would only increase, greatly increasing the possibility of a leak.

The best way was to keep it a secret from everyone, bearing this secret alone. He

had to proceed cautiously in using the Nine Heavens Pearl to help himself and the family, with the highest principle being to keep the Nine Heavens Pearl hidden and not let anyone doubt its existence.

After resting in the cave for a night, Ximen Changqing got up early the next morning to tidy the courtyard, appearing particularly diligent. He felt somewhat guilty for stealing a lot of seeds from his seventh uncle the day before.

"This kid, when did he become so diligent?"

Ximen Rende pursed his lips and said, "Changqing, Grandpa and the Wu family patriarch are going to the Pan family's cave to discuss some matters. Are you going with them, or will you stay here and wait for me?"

"Grandpa, I'll go too."

Ximen Changqing smiled. Having stolen Seventh Uncle's seeds, it was best to slip away as soon as possible.

The cave rented by the Pan family was a Xuan-rank cave, covering an area of ​​a thousand acres, with ten acres of spirit fields and two acres of spirit herb garden. Knowing that guests were coming, the array was removed.

"Changqing, you wait here and don't wander off."

After saying that, Ximen Rende strode towards the Pan family's cave, exchanging brief pleasantries with the Pan family patriarch who came out to greet him. The Wu family patriarch was also there. They had important matters to discuss, so there was no need for too much formality.

A Xuan-rank cave was six times more expensive than a Huang-rank cave, costing three hundred spirit stones a year, but for the Pan family, it was entirely affordable.

The Pan family primarily deals in spiritual herbs and elixirs, naturally making them wealthier than the Ximen family, which focuses on magical artifacts. Since alchemy and herb cultivation are more profitable, why doesn't the Ximen family choose those?

This boils down to talent. The Pan family has second-tier mid-grade alchemists with a high success rate and high-grade pills, resulting in substantial profits.

The Ximen family, on the other hand, only has first-tier mid-grade alchemists, with a much lower success rate and lower-grade pills,

yielding almost no profit. Furthermore, the Ximen family has second-tier low-grade artifact refiners, while the Pan family only has first-tier mid-grade artifact refiners, leading to a higher failure rate. Therefore, the Pan family doesn't deal in magical artifacts.

Cultivating talent in the four arts of immortal cultivation is also no simple matter, requiring high talent, significant financial resources, and a vast amount of time.

Most cultivators desire to quickly advance their cultivation level; spending excessive time practicing the four arts inevitably hinders their cultivation. If they cannot advance to the next major realm before their lifespan ends, they will ultimately amount to nothing more than dust.

Ximen Changqing strolled through the Pan family's cave area with his hands behind his back, contemplating whether to switch to cultivating the Heaven-Breaking Technique. Lost in thought, he inevitably lowered his guard.

"Who, who hit me?"

He was walking along when someone suddenly struck him on the head with a stick. How could Ximen Changqing not be furious?

"Oh no, I hit someone!"

A little girl of about seven or eight years old hid behind a large tree, looking very apologetic.

"Come out, I see you."

The little girl slowly emerged from behind the tree, looking at Ximen Changqing apologetically.

It was only a seven or eight-year-old girl, and her expression didn't seem intentional. Ximen Changqing's anger immediately subsided considerably.

"Are you from the Pan family? I, Ximen Changqing, haven't offended you, have I?" Ximen Changqing's tone softened considerably.

The little girl said apologetically, "My name is Pan Yulian, the ninth in the Yu generation. I'm sorry, Brother Changqing, I... I haven't mastered the Art of Manipulating Objects yet. Did I hurt you?"

Her apology was sincere enough that Ximen Changqing's remaining anger completely dissipated.

"It's alright, it doesn't hurt. This manipulation technique is very simple and easy to learn. Okay, you can continue practicing."

Ximen Changqing didn't pursue the matter. The other child was only seven or eight years old, while he was already fifteen. It would be embarrassing to argue with such a young child.

"Oh." Pan Yulian smiled and made a hand seal: "Brother Changqing, take this!"

Ximen Changqing was startled and covered his head with his hands, unaware that Pan Yulian was lying to him. She quickly ran away, leaving only her mischievous laughter.

"This little girl is quite naughty and has quite a bit of courage." Ximen Changqing smiled helplessly and touched his forehead: "Ouch! It really hurts."

The three clan leaders had been discussing for two whole hours, and there were still some details that hadn't been finalized.

"Changqing, what happened to your forehead?"

In just a short while, his grandson's head had swelled up, so Ximen Rende naturally couldn't help but ask.

"I..."

Ximen Changqing pondered for a moment, then, seeing the little girl behind the Pan family patriarch shrink her neck, he calmly said, "I accidentally bumped into a tree."

"Bumped into a tree?"

Pan Yulian's eyes widened, and she looked at the peach tree beside her, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed.

It wasn't that Ximen Changqing was magnanimous; there was no way to explain it. He had simply been careless and let the little girl hit him, which was truly embarrassing.

And if Pan Yulian denied it, it would be even more awkward. Arguing with a seven or eight-year-old child would be even more humiliating if he lost, and even if he won, he would be looked down upon

. The best solution was to find an excuse to cover it up. "You brat."

Ximen Rende naturally didn't believe him, but a mere superficial injury wasn't worth digging into.

The Pan family patriarch understood Pan Yulian, and his gaze towards Ximen Changqing was filled with a hint of admiration.