A period of time later.
Main Peak, Council Great Hall.
As the Spiritual Land of the Qi Family, Red Maple Valley has a Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Vein below it.
However, only a part of the area within the Main Peak has a concentration of Spiritual Qi reaching the Tier One Upper Grade, which is also the place where the Qi Family's ancestor is in seclusion.
Other peaks are at Tier One Middle-Lower Grade levels according to the concentration of Spiritual Qi, and even some places where elders are in seclusion only reach Tier One Middle Grade at most.
On the Main Peak, several halls and pavilions have been set up to handle the family's complex affairs, with the Council Great Hall being the most important one.
Because all vital decisions regarding the direction of the family are made in the Council Great Hall.
At this moment, in the spacious and bright Council Great Hall, a large and beautiful landscape painting unfolds, depicting a panorama of Red Maple Valley.
Below the painting, Red Maple Spirit Wood Armchairs are lined up, with a frail old cultivator sitting in the center, eyes slightly closed, brows tightly furrowed, as if troubled by some concern.
This old cultivator appears unremarkable but hides a powerful wave of mana within, which is none other than the Qi Family's only Foundation Establishment ancestor, Qi Wuyou.
Next to Qi Wuyou are the elders of the Qi Family, all with Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation, of considerable age, with only two or three looking middle-aged.
Inside the hall, rows of seats are set with some distance in between.
At this time, all the cultivators of the Qi Family, except those working outside, about seventy to eighty people, have gathered, seated according to their level of power.
Qi Chuan and Qi Baicang, one at Qi Refining First Layer, the other at Qi Refining Third Layer, naturally sit in the last and second-to-last rows respectively.
Qi Chuan glanced at his last row, noticing that none of the Immortal Seeds who had the spirit testing on the same day with him were present.
"Those Immortal Seeds who haven't broken through to Qi Refining First Layer are probably not regarded as part of the main lineage yet, so they cannot participate in the family council."
Qi Chuan speculated in his heart.
Then he looked forward and found that there were not many Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators sitting closer to the front, about twenty or so.
As for the Qi Refining Late Stage elders above, there were only a few.
Among them, Qi Chuan recognized the Preaching Elder from that day.
Seeing the Preaching Elder, Qi Chuan recalled the red-clothed girl in the Inheritance Hall from that day. A glance around the hall caught that red-clothed figure.
"Could she be a descendant of the Preaching Elder?" Qi Chuan guessed in his heart, but after just a glance, he withdrew his gaze.
When Qi Chuan looked forward again, the Qi Clan Leader Qi Wuyou at the head of the hall had already opened his eyes, scanned the hall, and then spoke.
"Everyone, to make a long story short, the reason for calling you here today is that a secret realm has emerged two hundred miles southwest of Red Maple Valley!"
Secret realm?
As soon as this was said, everyone in the hall showed a slight change in expression.
However, while some eyes were filled with excitement and longing, others appeared nervous and began to worry.
Although there might be opportunities in the secret realm that could lead to one's rise, it also comes with danger.
Even if you do not enter the secret realm, trouble may still find you.
After all, two hundred miles is not far at all.
And whenever a secret realm appears, the surrounding area often becomes turbulent.
"However, the secret realm has nothing to do with our Qi Family as it has been sealed off by the Wind Moon Sect, and the area fifty miles around the secret realm has been marked as a forbidden zone. All members of cultivation clans and loose cultivators are not allowed to enter. Any found will be killed without mercy!"
Qi Wuyou's voice was stern.
"What a domineering Wind Moon Sect!"
Hearing this, Qi Chuan was secretly taken aback.
Though even if a secret realm did appear, with his current weak cultivation level, he would definitely not go. However, the Wind Moon Sect's move to declare a fifty-mile radius as a forbidden zone was indeed extremely overbearing.
Yet, the Wind Moon Sect does have the power to do so.
Qi Chuan speculated that such a secret realm, which drew so much attention and action from the Wind Moon Sect, must contain at least a Core Formation level opportunity, right?
For a Foundation Establishment opportunity could never draw such attention from the Wind Moon Sect.
"...Therefore, after discussing with the elders, I have decided that from this moment on, we will retract our forces. No family member is allowed to leave without permission. Violators will be dealt with according to family rules. If you must leave, you must report, be authorized, and recorded before going out."
Qi Wuyou announced solemnly.
He did this to prevent family members from causing trouble outside; the Wind Moon Sect's involvement made things exceedingly serious and should not be underestimated because a misunderstanding could endanger the entire family.
As for the secret realm, since the Wind Moon Sect has intervened, no matter what extraordinary resources exist within, the Qi Family cannot lay a finger on it anymore.
In the hall, everyone remained silent and had no objections. After all, these were the decisions of the clan leader and the elders.
After that, Qi Wuyou said a few more words before the elders provided supplementary details, especially the Preaching Elder, who spoke the most.
The entire council lasted about half an hour.
During this period, even the Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators, known as the pillars of the family, had no opportunity to speak.
"The situation's getting unstable; it seems I can only obediently stay within the family for now, even though I didn't plan to go out anytime soon."
Qi Chuan thought to himself.
Even staying quietly within the family, with the Hundredfold Critical Strike, his strength would not improve slowly.
And without this matter, with his Qi Refining First Layer strength, what could he even do outside?
The meeting ended, and the cultivators dispersed, each returning to their peaks.
"Ah Chuan, it seems we can only stay at our peak for the time being, but this is also good; at least we can do fewer or no family tasks at all."
Returning to their isolated peak, Qi Baicang exclaimed to Qi Chuan.
Qi Chuan knew that once entering Qi Refining First Layer and becoming a true mainline cultivator, he had to perform family tasks, at least two per year, and sometimes tasks would be forcibly assigned. Whether taking them voluntarily or being assigned, once completed, rewards like Spirit Stones or Contribution Points would be given.
But now with the secret realm situation, the family probably won't force members to undertake external tasks.
At most, there will be some tasks that can be completed within the family, but there aren't that many internal tasks, so it won't be enough to distrubute among the cultivators.
It seems that for a short period, I can indeed meditate quietly without disturbances.
Back in his room, Qi Chuan sat cross-legged on his bed.
The appearance of the secret realm gave him a sense of crisis, and his current Qi Refining First Layer cultivation was still somewhat insufficient; it needed to be improved.
Qi Chuan closed his eyes slightly and began circulating the Evergreen Technique.
As a stream of mana was drawn from the Dantian, it flowed slowly along a specific meridian path, and during this process, a faint attracting power emanated from his body.
Affected by this attracting power, the surrounding void fluctuated slightly, and faintly luminous auras appeared, entering his body through his mouth, nose, and acupoints on his body surface.
The subtle Spiritual Qi entering his body changed state as it circulated in the meridians and finally converged in the Dantian, transforming into threads of mana that settled and merged with the existing mana.
Throughout the process, though relatively slow, it was stable.
After circulating the Evergreen Technique for a Grand Circulation, all the mana returned to the Dantian.
Qi Chuan opened his eyes and saw a line of words appear in his vision.
[You diligently cultivate, circulating the Evergreen Technique for a Grand Circulation, triggering a twentyfold Critical Strike, gaining a twentyfold reward. Your mana has slightly improved.]