CHAPTER 248: CHAPTER 248: GETTING STARTED_1

"Knowing your enemy and yourself means never losing in a hundred battles!"

"Senior Sister Chen, the information you have is too limited. We don’t know what secret treasures the Liu and Wu Families obtained. Nor do we know the highest cultivation realm of the experts in their backing immortal sects—what cultivation realm are the strongest individuals in Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley at?"

Actually, it’s not surprising Chen Mengze knew so little. For her, it didn’t really matter whether the powerful allies of the Liu and Wu Families were in the early or middle stage of the Spirit Sea Realm. She wouldn’t be able to escape them on her own!

After a discussion with Chen Mengze, Shen Mo decided to gather more information first before taking action.

「A few days later.」

In Sishui City, inside the Qingfeng Hotel...

Shen Mo pushed the door open and his body underwent a transformation, shifting from a brawny man with coarse, fleshy features back to his original appearance.

"How did it go?" Chen Mengze greeted him, asking with concern, "Did you find out which Spirit Sea Realm expert from Dasheng Mountain Liu Dingjiang’s son, Liu Yu, is studying under?"

Over the past few days, they had been staying in Sishui City, posing as a rogue cultivator Dao companion couple. Because Shen Mo cultivated the Three-headed Six-armed True Immortal Magic, which allowed him to alter his appearance and aura, he could move about and visit the cultivators in the city unhindered.

The first time he demonstrated this cultivation method in front of her, Chen Mengze had been left dumbfounded. Taking advantage of the moment, Shen Mo tentatively asked her if she absolutely had to take revenge with her own hands. With this cultivation method, he could annihilate both the Liu and Wu Families single-handedly. That way, he could minimize the risks of this undertaking.

However, the outcome was as Shen Mo had expected. Chen Mengze rejected his proposal without a second thought.

If the blood feud of the Chen Family, her mother Madame An’s blood feud, was entirely entrusted to Shen Mo... how could she ever dispel the obsession in her heart? What meaning would her years of perseverance and cultivation then hold?

Shen Mo could understand her feelings on this. After all, this was Chen Mengze’s blood feud to bear, not his. He could assist Chen Mengze when she sought her revenge, but he couldn’t overstep and annihilate the Liu and Wu Families for her. Therefore, Shen Mo only mentioned it once before dismissing the idea.

"Liu Yu’s Master is White Ape Master of Dasheng Mountain, a Layer II Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse!" Shen Mo replied casually.

During his inquiries these past few days, he had successfully gathered a significant amount of useful information!

The Liu Family of Sishui City was backed by Dasheng Mountain, located a hundred miles away in Yu State. Dasheng Mountain, as an immortal sect, boasted two Spirit Sea Realm powerhouses. One was White Ape Master. The other was Fire Sparrow Master, a Layer VII Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse. Fire Sparrow Master had lived in seclusion for many years due to old injuries sustained in a battle years ago, and thus rarely concerned himself with worldly affairs. Liu Yu, son of the Liu Family’s Clan Leader Liu Dingjiang, cultivated under White Ape Master. Moreover, Liu Yu was exceptionally talented; though not yet forty, he had already cultivated to the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm. This was information Chen Mengze hadn’t known previously.

Additionally, the Wu Family of Sishui City was backed by Purple Bamboo Valley, an immortal sect whose gates were not far from the city. Purple Bamboo Valley had one early-stage Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse! Wu Dayong, the Wu Family’s Clan Leader, had once cultivated in Purple Bamboo Valley. Even now, many Wu Family disciples were still in Purple Bamboo Valley, seeking the Dao and cultivating!

The relationship between these two families and Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley was similar to the relationship the Tian and Kang major wealthy immortal clans had with the Riverside Sect!

"It seems I oversimplified things," Chen Mengze couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.

It seemed that in the twenty-odd years that had passed, the Liu and Wu Families had grown even closer to Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley. Back when the Chen Family still existed, their relationship with these sects wasn’t nearly this close! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have thought of directly barging into Sishui City to slaughter the Liu and Wu Families. If she truly did that, she would, at best, only eliminate some of their peripheral members. She would not be able to completely annihilate these two Cultivating Families!

"Yes... that’s exactly what I was about to say," Shen Mo said calmly.

The secret treasure from the Spirit Sea Realm cultivator’s ruin was likely presented by the Liu and Wu Families to Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley. These two immortal sects must have received significant benefits, which is why they now show such favor to the Liu and Wu Families!

Shen Mo hadn’t managed to find out exactly what that secret treasure was. However, this didn’t affect his speculation!

For it to benefit both Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley, it was most likely not an offensive or defensive magic treasure. It was probably an auxiliary-type magic artifact. Either it was beneficial for the cultivation of Spirit Sea Realm cultivators, or it could significantly enhance the foundations of the two immortal sects. Coupled with the fact that the disciples of Dasheng Mountain and Purple Bamboo Valley had been quite prominent in recent years... this secret treasure might be a magic artifact capable of producing spiritual items!

Shen Mo didn’t particularly covet this secret treasure. However, if the opportunity arose in the future, he wouldn’t mind helping the Chen Family retrieve it.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Shen Mo smiled and said, "The situation is quite clear now. What we need to do is find a way to lure the Liu and Wu Family disciples cultivating in those immortal sects back to Sishui City. At the same time, we must not alert the Spirit Sea Realm powerhouses of those two immortal sects!"

「The Wu Family Mansion.」

It occupied a fifth of Sishui City’s area, boasting exquisite pavilions with crimson eaves and intricately carved beams and painted rafters. While grand and imposing, it didn’t lack for intricate details.

This day, two uninvited guests arrived at the main entrance of the mansion.

One man wore dark blue, tight-fitting martial attire. He was exceptionally tall and burly, his face full of coarse, fleshy features, and his hawk-like eyes gleamed fiercely. His appearance alone screamed that he was not someone to be trifled with! Furthermore, his spiritual pressure was incredibly potent, clearly indicating he was a cultivator at the middle-stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. Beside him stood a female cultivator with a graceful, slender figure, her face concealed by a wide-brimmed, veiled hat. Her Cultivation Realm was even a layer higher than the burly man’s.

The burly man was, of course, Shen Mo, who had used the Three-headed Six-armed True Immortal Magic to alter his appearance and aura. Chen Mengze, lacking a similar transformation magic, had veiled her face.

The doorkeeper guarding the Wu Family’s main gate also possessed some cultivation and, having welcomed countless guests, had a keen eye. Upon seeing Shen Mo and Chen Mengze approaching together, he immediately put on a welcoming smile and stepped forward.

"Seniors, please wait a moment," he said. "May I ask what business brings you to our Wu Family? I can announce your arrival for you."

The coarse flesh on Shen Mo’s transformed face twitched. He roughly shoved the doorkeeper aside, his voice coarse and booming, "What makes you think you’re qualified to stop me?"

Then, he strode past the doorkeeper and kicked open the Wu Family’s main gate. "Wu Dayong! Wu Dayong, come out and meet me!"

As Shen Mo barged into the estate, shouting loudly, his actions quickly alerted the Wu Family members.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into our Wu Family’s mansion?"

In no time, dozens of Wu Family cultivators rushed from all directions, blocking Shen Mo’s path. Shen Mo swept his gaze over them and found that the strongest among them was merely at the Fourth Layer of the Qi Gathering Realm. Moreover, only three of them were at the Qi Gathering Realm or above. The rest were mostly at the Body Tempering Realm!

The elite disciples of the Wu Family had mostly gone to Purple Bamboo Valley to cultivate. Those remaining to cultivate in the Wu Family’s mansion were largely from side branches or were Wu family members with mediocre Talent.