In the heart of Liu City, a grand estate loomed into view. At the front of the estate, two large characters "Liu Residence" were prominently displayed.
As the Young Lord of the Liu Domain, the moment Liu Bai stepped through the main gates, a group of servants had already gathered under the leadership of the old steward to welcome him.
"Welcome home, Young Lord!"
All the surrounding servants and guards simultaneously knelt in greeting.
Having transmigrated here for over a year now, Liu Bai hadn't actually spent much time at home, so he was still not quite used to scenes of mass kneeling like this.
"You may rise. Uncle Liu, is Father at home?"
Upon hearing Liu Bai's inquiry, the old steward, Liu Bo, immediately smiled and replied, "The Clan Head heard of your return and is already waiting in the main hall. The old clan head and Second and Third Masters are also there…"
As the most ancient clan among the Nine Domains, the Liu Clan obviously had far more members than the Mu Clan. Just within Liu Bai's father's generation alone, there were three brothers all of whom were impressively powerful.
"Grandfather has come out of seclusion?" Liu Bai asked, somewhat surprised.
After all, ever since Grandfather Liu Jingshan had passed the title of Domain Lord to Liu Bai's father, Liu Qingtian, he had rarely made public appearances.
In Liu Bai's memories, his grandfather had already reached the peak of the Divine Soul Realm and was in the process of attempting a breakthrough to the Three Heavens Realm.
Walking briskly into the main hall, Liu Bai immediately saw the four members of the Liu family seated there. Grandfather Liu Jingshan appeared gaunt, clad in a gray robe, but exuded a powerful presence that made his aura immensely oppressive at first glance.
As a peak Divine Soul Realm expert, he was the undisputed number one figure in the remote Northern Spiritual Realm, and the greatest pillar that allowed the Liu Domain to be hailed as the strongest among the Nine Domains.
The three Liu brothers shared a generally thin and sharp appearance, especially Third Uncle Liu Ming, whose frame resembled Liu Jingshan's: skinny and with a pair of claw-like hands clear evidence of refined close-combat skill.
"Greetings, Grandfather, Father, Second Uncle, Third Uncle." Liu Bai greeted them with a formal bow.
"Hahaha, Bai'er has returned—come, come and sit!"
Liu Jingshan's eyes were sunken, his expression stern and somber. But the moment he laid eyes on Liu Bai entering the hall, that severity dissipated, replaced by a rare warmth in his expression.
In Liu Bai's memories, as the most outstanding member of the Liu Clan's third generation, he had always been deeply cherished by the elders, who spared no effort in nurturing him.
To the side, his father Liu Qingtian had just opened his mouth to speak but suddenly froze. Then, with surprise, he asked:
"Eh? You brat have you broken through to the Spiritual Movement Realm?"
Liu Zong and Liu Ming both turned to look at Liu Bai with surprise. Indeed, they sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy within his body.
"I just broke through recently, that's all," Liu Bai responded calmly.
To him, merely reaching the Spiritual Movement Realm wasn't something worth boasting about.
Liu Jingshan, however, nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. Only by stepping into the Spiritual Movement Realm can one be considered to have truly begun the path of cultivation. As it happens, your Second Uncle also recently broke through to Divine Soul Realm. It seems our Liu Clan is becoming stronger by the day!"
Hearing this, Liu Bai understood why the four elders had such cheerful expressions today—it was due to Second Uncle's breakthrough.
Looking across at his Second Uncle, Liu Bai could indeed sense the terrifying aura of spiritual power radiating faintly from him.
Clearly, the breakthrough was still recent, and his aura wasn't yet fully under control.
"Congratulations, Second Uncle!" Liu Bai cupped his fists and smiled.
"Hahaha, we celebrate together! Your breakthrough into the Spiritual Movement Realm is also a great cause for celebration!"
Liu Zong was clearly elated.
In the cultivation system of the Great Thousand World, reaching the Divine Soul Realm marked a watershed moment. That's because cultivators at that realm gained access to a unique ability: refining Beast Soul Essences to wield as their own.
This could dramatically enhance a cultivator's strength.
If Liu Bai remembered correctly, his father, Liu Qingtian, had refined the essence of a high-level spirit beast Thunder Scale Beast, which was ranked 133rd on the Myriad Beast Record's Earth Ranking.
The Myriad Beast Record documented countless spirit beasts from across the Great Thousand World. It was divided into two parts: the Heaven Ranking and the Earth Ranking.
Beasts on the Heaven Ranking were divine or super-divine beasts so rare that even in the entire Great Thousand World, they were nearly legendary, let alone in a remote place like the Northern Spiritual Realm.
As for the Earth Ranking, beasts in its top 100 were all powerful enough to rival Three Heavens Realm experts. Hence, they were also called Heaven Beasts the ultimate targets of countless cultivators.
Though the Thunder Scale Beast wasn't in the top 100, it was still one of the top-tier high-level spirit beasts. That was why Liu Qingtian, still at mid-stage Divine Soul Realm, was considered nearly invincible among his peers by virtue of refining its essence.
Among the Liu Clan, only the old clan head Liu Jingshan had refined the essence of a Heaven Beast, which made him the undisputed strongest figure in the Northern Spiritual Realm. This alone demonstrated how much the grade of a spirit beast essence influenced one's power.
"Second Uncle, have you decided which beast essence to fuse with?"
Liu Bai's question made Liu Zong rub his forehead with some frustration.
"The clan does have a few high-level beast essences in storage, but none of them are truly satisfactory…"
High-level beast essences were not easy to come by, since those beasts rivaled Divine Soul Realm powerhouses. The stronger they were, the harder they were to capture.
Of course, they could sometimes be acquired through alternative means like large trading firms or auction houses.
But setting aside the fact that such organizations rarely ventured into remote places like the Northern Spiritual Realm even if they did, the amount of spirit coins required would be astronomical. It might not be worth the cost.
Liu Jingshan, hearing this, paused in thought before saying, "As for your Second Uncle's beast essence, I'll personally take a team to the Dark Abyss in a few days. I believe we can find a suitable high-level spiritual beast there."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked.
Liu Qingtian immediately spoke up, "Father, there's no need for you to go in person. Let me take Second Brother there."
Liu Zong and Liu Ming also tried to dissuade him.
But Liu Jingshan shook his head firmly. "This concerns your Second Brother's beast essence it must not be taken lightly. And the Dark Abyss is the most dangerous forbidden area in the Northern Spiritual Realm. You all have only ventured into it a handful of times. If you go too deep without caution, you could be trapped there!"
At this moment, Liu Bai did not speak. Instead, his mind was occupied by the mention of the Dark Abyss.
If he remembered correctly, the Nine Nether Sparrow, who failed its tribulation, should currently be slumbering deep within that very abyss…
He wondered whether, at this point in time, the Liu Clan had managed to acquire the map that pointed to the Nine Nether Sparrow's location. If not, recklessly venturing into its territory would be suicide.
Of course, even if they had the map, Liu Bai wouldn't dare covet the Nine Nether Sparrow's essence…
After all, that thing was far too dangerous for him at his current level. Without Mu Chen's mysterious black page to suppress the true spirit of the Nine Nether Sparrow, even if he succeeded in acquiring its essence, he might be directly possessed by it instead.
And given that he had a cheat-like grind-and-level-up golden finger, there was no need to take such a reckless gamble.
However…
Even if he didn't want to go after the Nine Nether Sparrow, the Dark Abyss was still worth a visit. After all, he still needed to kill monsters and level up.
And what could be more satisfying than having a group of high-level bodyguards carry you while you farm monsters?
With that thought in mind, Liu Bai directly spoke up:
"Grandfather, I want to go to the Dark byss with you."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Liu Qingtian and his brothers who were still trying to persuade their father otherwise fell completely silent in shock.
"Silence! You brat, do you even know what kind of place the Dark Abyss is?" Liu Qingtian snapped. Seeing that even his father hadn't been persuaded yet, and now his son was jumping in to stir things up, his tone instantly turned far more severe.
Liu Zong also tried to advise him: "Bai'er, you're still young. The Dark Abyss is truly too dangerous for you. If you really want to temper yourself by hunting spiritual beasts, why not head to the Fourshine Mountains instead? Plenty of low-tier spiritual beasts live there, and it's much safer."
Liu Bai remained silent, but it was clear from his expression that he didn't intend to back down.
Liu Jingshan, however, showed no signs of stopping him. Instead, he looked at his eldest grandson with a smile and asked, "Tell me what you're thinking."
Liu Bai naturally couldn't say that he wanted to go there to farm monsters and gain experience points. So he replied calmly, "It's nothing in particular. I just want to witness what truly ferocious spiritual beasts are like firsthand. After all, you've taught us from a young age that the path of cultivation is never smooth. Getting an early taste of the cruelty of the outside world is never a bad thing."
"Besides, with you there, Grandfather, I don't think there'll be any real danger…"
"Hahaha! Good, such resolve! You truly are my grandson!"
"But… are you truly prepared for this?"
"The spiritual beasts in the Dark Abyss are nothing like the docile ones you've encountered before. If you end up scared witless, don't blame your grandfather for disciplining you!"
Liu Bai hesitated for a moment. Whether it was his past life as an ordinary youth or his current one as the pampered young master of the Liu Clan, someone who had always been shielded from danger, he had never truly experienced life-and-death combat.
To suddenly leap into battle with savage spiritual beasts truthfully, Liu Bai couldn't say he wasn't nervous.
But he also knew this was a step he would have to take eventually. So, when faced with Liu Jingshan's sharp and penetrating gaze, he still nodded firmly.
"Very well. Three days from now, we depart for the Dark Abyss!"
With the old patriarch's word, even Liu Qingtian, the current Domain Lord, had no room to object. Still, he cast a worried glance at his son...
"You brat, you came back for the Spiritual Arts, didn't you? Come with me…"
With that, Liu Qingtian turned and headed toward the rear courtyard of the Liu Residence. After bidding farewell to his grandfather and uncles, Liu Bai quickly followed.
Compared to Mu Chen, who had stirred up great waves along the Spiritual Road, Liu Bai still lacked a certain edge both in killing intent and decisiveness. After all, to earn the moniker "The Blood Calamity," one could hardly lack a heart for slaughter.
This was why Mu Chen, upon returning to Northern Spiritual Academy, could act with such ruthless decisiveness. Clearly, that year of tempering on the Spiritual Road had played a crucial role.
Liu Bai followed Liu Qingtian as they passed through the rear courtyard, finally stopping before a stone door heavily guarded on all sides. Liu Qingtian pressed his palm against the door, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy burst forth, transforming into strands of glowing light that flowed across the surface of the stone door.
Standing behind him, Liu Bai could clearly sense the overwhelming power in that spiritual energy. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows his father truly lived up to being a Divine Soul Realm expert; this spiritual energy was absurdly strong.
One could only wonder just how powerful a true Three Heaven's Realm expert must be… As for realms beyond that, Liu Bai hadn't come into contact with them yet, so he didn't bother thinking about it for now.
Creeeaaak—
Just as Liu Bai's thoughts drifted, the massive stone door before them began to open with a heavy grinding sound.
As the door opened, a sealed, dusty atmosphere rushed outward. Liu Qingtian casually waved his hand, dispersing the air, then stepped inside. Liu Bai naturally followed close behind.
Behind the door was a dimly lit chamber illuminated by a few flickering flames. What greeted them next were rows of stone shelves.
And on those shelves, numerous jade scrolls rested each one faintly glowing with spiritual light.
"Alright, everything in here consists of the Spiritual Arts our Liu Clan has collected over the years. Take your time choosing whichever one you want to cultivate."
Liu Bai glanced sideways at his old man. It was obvious he was being tested if he picked something subpar, this stingy father of his would no doubt take the opportunity to give him a lecture...
But to that, Liu Bai could only silently scoff: You think too much.
Taking a few steps forward, Liu Bai casually picked up a jade scroll. At a glance, glowing script emerged from it.
Common-grade, High-Tier Spiritual Art — Azure Cloud Art
The next second...
"Ding Common-grade, High-Tier Spiritual Art — Azure Cloud Art detected. Would you like to archive it?"
Liu Bai's mouth twitched ever so slightly. Then he muttered in his heart: "Do not archive."
It was merely a Common-grade Spiritual Art. There was absolutely no need to waste time on something like this, even if archiving arts didn't cost his system anything.
In the Great Thousand World, Spiritual Arts were generally divided into different types—such as cultivation methods, offensive arts, and defensive arts. Each type was further categorized into three main grades.
Deity-grade
Spirit-grade
Common-grade
Each grade was also subdivided into High, Mid, and Low Tiers.
In a remote place like the Northern Spiritual Realm Deity-grade Spiritual Arts were utterly unheard of. Even Spirit-grade ones were rare, and most of those found in the Nine Domains were no higher than Low or Mid-tier.
So Liu Bai had kept his expectations modest.
He quickly skimmed a few more scrolls:
Spirit-Breaking Sword Art — Common-grade, High-Tier.
Mighty Mountain Force — Common-grade, High-Tier.
Howling Wind and Scattered Clouds Art — Spirit-grade, Low-Tier.
He had finally found a Spirit-grade one—only to discover it was an incomplete copy. Liu Bai immediately shook his head in disappointment, then looked over at his father and muttered,
"You can stop hiding it now. Bring out the real treasures already."
"Hmph, so you do have a good eye." Liu Qingtian snorted. Then he walked to the deepest part of the chamber and pressed his hand against what appeared to be an ordinary wall.
Clack—clatter…
With a rumbling noise, a hidden compartment about three feet wide appeared in the wall.
This secret shelf had three tiers, with three jade boxes placed on each tier.
Clearly, this was where the Liu Clan's true high-tier Spiritual Arts were stored…