Chapter 684: Extreme Yin Eastern Pearl, Unusual Movements of the Demon Race

Song Changsheng glanced at Jin Xuan, who stood silently to the side, not daring to make a sound. With a light flick of his sword fingers, Jin Xuan suddenly felt something being drawn out from within his body, and a sense of relief washed over him.

“What is this…?”

Song Qingyun’s eyes widened. He clearly saw wisps of grayish-white mist spreading out from Jin Xuan’s body, coalescing in the air into a fist-sized, gray ball of energy.

“You’ve already fought that Coffin Carrier, haven’t you?” Song Changsheng asked irritably, looking at the ball of energy before him.

“Yes, I exchanged a palm strike with him,” Jin Xuan said in a small voice.

“More like you got hit,” Song Changsheng said, mercilessly exposing him.

“That’s not true! It was a draw! A draw!” Jin Xuan stubbornly insisted.

Song Changsheng’s sharp brows shot up. “A draw?” he said angrily. “The Cold Yin Qi has already invaded your body. If I hadn’t stepped in to expel it for you, your cultivation would have stagnated for the next five years. You’ve rarely left the mountain these years and have little experience fighting strong opponents, yet you still underestimated your enemy and acted so rashly. You’re lucky he had no intention of killing you. Otherwise, I would have had to come down the mountain myself to collect your corpse. As punishment, you will go to the back mountain and face the wall in reflection for three days. After that, I will find a ‘good place’ for you.”

“Face the wall for three days? Doesn’t that mean no alcohol?” Jin Xuan’s face fell in horror.

Song Qingyun, standing to the side, couldn’t help but facepalm. ‘Is that really what’s important right now? The last sentence is the real issue here!’

Without much hesitation, Song Qingyun quickly pleaded on Jin Xuan’s behalf. “Father, please calm your anger. The main responsibility for this matter lies with me, not Uncle Jin Xuan.”

Looking at the respectful and well-behaved Song Qingyun before him, Song Changsheng’s anger immediately subsided. His expression softened as he said, “Yun’Er, you performed well in your combat trial this time. Tell me what reward you want, and I will grant it.”

“The clan has already given me a generous reward, so I have no needs at present. I only hope that Father can quell his thunderous wrath and not send Uncle Jin Xuan away.” Song Qingyun lifted the hem of his robes, knelt before Song Changsheng, and spoke in a solemn voice.

“Send away?”

Jin Xuan, who had been moping to the side about having to give up alcohol, jolted at Song Qingyun’s words. He scrambled over to Song Changsheng on his hands and knees, asking in astonishment, “Send away? What ‘send away’? Who are you sending away?”

“You, of course. Who else, me?” Song Changsheng said irritably.

Jin Xuan looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. “Master,” he cried out, “you’re abandoning me?”

“Father, please reconsider,” Song Qingyun pleaded, also interceding for Jin Xuan.

“Where are your minds wandering? I just want him to go down the mountain and get some experience. If he doesn’t get out more, he’ll be spoiled into uselessness. Now scram and go face the wall.”

Hearing that Song Changsheng wasn’t trying to get rid of him, Jin Xuan was instantly overjoyed. He didn’t even care about giving up alcohol anymore and happily scurried off to face the wall.

Song Qingyun also let out a heartfelt sigh of relief. “Father, where are you planning to send Uncle Jin Xuan?” he asked curiously.

“A while ago, your uncle from the Jade Dragon Race discovered that the Demon Race across the Canglan River has been getting restless lately. He was worried it would affect Zhangye County, so he sent a message to the clan asking if we should make preparations in advance. Your Fifth Grand-uncle found it difficult to make a decision, which is why he sent someone to ask me to come out of seclusion.”

“The Demon Race of the Canglan River has coexisted peacefully with us for all these years. Why would they suddenly stir up trouble? Could it be… a new King has emerged?”

Song Qingyun put forth a very bold hypothesis.

This wasn’t baseless speculation. Every time a new Demon King appeared among the Demon Race, it triggered a major reshuffling. A new Demon King needed a territory befitting their status and position.

They could either compete with the established Demon Kings, or they could take the only other path: expanding their domain outwards.

The Canglan River front was adjacent to Tuo Province. If a new Demon King had truly been born, it was highly likely that it would launch a Beast Tide to invade Tuo Province and carve out a new territory.

When that happened, Zhangye County, which bordered the Canglan River, would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.

If the Song Clan didn’t want to lose this treasured land, they had to prepare in advance.

Song Changsheng nodded slightly. “We can’t rule out that possibility. I will make a trip to Luoxia City and then venture deep into the Canglan River region to investigate. If it is indeed a precursor to a Beast Tide, we can prepare early.”

“The Demon Realm is fraught with danger. Please be careful, Father.”

Song Changsheng’s heart warmed. He nodded and said, “I will be. What are your plans?”

“I gained a great deal from this combat trial. I plan to stay with the clan and focus on my cultivation for a while. Later, depending on the situation, I will go down the mountain for more experience.”

“Mm, it’s good that you’re thinking this way.”

“Oh, right. Uncle Jin Xuan obtained a Treasure Bead from that Coffin Carrier. I’d like to ask you, Father, to refine it into a suitable Magical Artifact for me.”

As he spoke, Song Qingyun presented the bead, which radiated a Yin Cold Power, to Song Changsheng.

Taking the bead, Song Changsheng’s brows twitched. “An Extreme Yin Eastern Pearl?” he said in surprise. “Judging by its size, it must have taken at least a thousand years to form.”

“Extreme Yin Eastern Pearl?” A flicker of confusion appeared in Song Qingyun’s eyes.

“That’s right. It’s a type of Clam Bead produced inside a Clam Spirit, a creature that lives in the frigid waters east of the continent. These Clam Spirits are very special. They have incredibly long lifespans, and the longer they live, the larger the Clam Bead inside them grows. A thousand-year-old Clam Bead contains all the Yin Cold Power the Clam Spirit has absorbed over a millennium. If a person who is gravely injured and near death holds this bead in their mouth, it can preserve the vitality of their Physical Body for a thousand years without decay. Its value is self-evident. Ever since this miraculous property was discovered, the Clam Spirits in those waters were hunted indiscriminately. They have long been extinct in the wild. Only a few factions with ancient legacies still raise them in captivity.”