Shen Wang spoke with a hint of mockery.
The Golden Core is divided into top, middle, and lower grades, with each grade having three levels, amounting to a total of nine grades. The first grade is the most ordinary Golden Core, and with each higher grade, the foundation becomes more solid, and the potential for the future grows greater.
The ninth grade is an extreme Golden Core, rumored to have the potential for immortality.
The problem is that with every grade increase in the Golden Core, the accumulation and fortune needed are higher, and the success rate becomes lower.
The ninth grade Golden Core, said to have the potential for immortality, is naturally the most difficult, and even the top geniuses find it hard to achieve.
"You surnamed Shen, how dare you mock the geniuses of my clan?"
Yun Kaihe sneered, "Your Shen Family is just a fallen clan, without even a Golden Core Cultivator, and you have the audacity to say such things."
Shen Wang snorted, "I’m talking to your elders, why are you interrupting?"
Yun Conghui pressed down the angry Yun Kaihe’s shoulder and continued, "Miss Ling Shu indeed was somewhat unprepared. Now, as she is injured from forcing the impact, we are preparing various medicinal materials for her healing. One of these medicines is the Wind Spirit Blood from Paper Kite!"
Shen Wang narrowed his eyes, unexpectedly, this matter was so significant, involving someone like Ling Shu, the favored child of heaven.
This is troublesome. Not to mention Ling Shu herself is about to succeed in Core Formation, but also, her sect and the Yun Family’s high-levels are not ones he can provoke.
But he absolutely cannot hand over Paper Kite, she is still pregnant with his child.
He sneered, "Black Water Stronghold is really colluding with you. Could it be they are your dogs, deliberately seizing Paper Kite under the guise of looting goods, hoping to extract her bloodline outside?"
"We just didn’t want too much trouble, but never expected you would rescue her and kill the three leaders of Black Water Stronghold."
Yun Conghui said warily, "It seems you are not as simple as you appear."
"Probably killed with external help, I don’t believe he could kill even a Ninth Grade Grandmaster."
Yun Kaihe said in disbelief.
The middle-aged man next to them said coldly, "Since you know these secrets, you should understand we must take her back. Do you want to face the three of us, or do you want to face a Golden Core Zhenren?"
Shen Wang was silent for a moment and said, "Let’s talk when your Golden Core Zhenren arrives."
"Shen Wang, don’t be unwise!" Yun Kaihe shouted angrily.
"Shen Wang, I’m not exaggerating. Miss Ling Shu’s master and grandfather are a Golden Core Zhenren and a Martial Arts King; they are not people you can offend."
Yun Conghui sighed, "She is merely a Postnatal Martial Artist. For you, she would at most be considered a concubine. Why offend great figures because of her?"
Shen Wang’s expression turned grim.
He indeed couldn’t afford to offend these great figures, not just him, but the entire Shen Family today couldn’t afford to offend them.
But... Paper Kite really cannot be handed over.
A Cultivator who failed Core Formation has a realm far superior to Paper Kite, and the bloodline needed for healing cannot be little, fearing it would drain Paper Kite of all her blood.
"Doesn’t your Yun Family have other sources of Wind Spirit Blood? Why must you find a mere Postnatal Realm clan member?"
Shen Wang questioned.
"Our Feng Family’s daughters awaken Wind Spirit Blood, and sons awaken Thunder Spirit Blood. Currently, only Paper Kite’s bloodline is suitable."
Yun Conghui said helplessly, "Hand her over, and we’ll try to spare her life as much as possible."
"No, you continue with the array breaking."
Shen Wang still refused, and the three of them looked grim.
"Shen Wang, are you sure you want to force a Golden Core Zhenren, a Martial Arts King, to come here? By then, even your life will be hard to save."
Yun Kehui said sternly, "I know Paper Kite is pregnant, but you can find other women to bear children for you. If you are willing, my Yun Family has many excellent women."
Shen Wang taunted, "I’m not so desperate as your Yun Family, consuming your own people. Feel free to summon your Golden Core Zhenren!"
The middle-aged man next to him sneered, "Fine, you said it. Don’t regret it later."
He turned around, "I will report this incident immediately, and when the Vein Leader takes action, a mere Shield Mountain Array can be broken with a wave of the hand."
"If the Vein Leader acts, it may invite gossip."
Yun Conghui said helplessly.
"The Vein Leader and the others should have a strategy, and besides, this is a remote area with few people paying attention. You two stay here and don’t let anyone escape."
The middle-aged man deliberately said loudly, "Shen Wang, I am Ge Changzhuang, Guardian of Miss Ling Shu, a disciple of the Celestial Travel Sect’s Xun Vein. You still have a chance to hand her over now."
Shen Wang muttered to himself, disciples of the Celestial Travel Sect’s eight veins belong to the Inner Sect. Even when I was in the Outer Sect of the Celestial Travel Sect, I was no match for this person, let alone the leader of a vein.
Facing such overwhelming power and influence, he showed a pained expression. If it were solely about profit, surrendering would be the best option now.
But he knew he couldn’t yield. At worst, he would escape. Yielding would lead to lifelong regret and hinder his cultivation path.
"Fine, wait to regret!"
Ge Changzhuang snorted and turned, ready to leave.
Yun Conghui said, "Tell Kaihe to report the news. You and I will guard here to prevent them from escaping."
Ge Changzhuang frowned, considering Shen Wang’s combat record. If only Yun Conghui and Yun Kaihe were present, escape indeed seemed possible.
"Then you can go back and report, and notify your family first."
Ge Changzhuang halted, drawing some distance from Yun Conghui, and they separated to monitor the entire ancestral residence.
Shen Wang sensed a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and an equally ranked Grandmaster guarding outside and could only feel troubled.
He alone could surely escape, but how could he escape with his family?
[You protected your pregnant wife without fearing the threats from powerful enemies, and your Array experience has been upgraded to Master Level. Your experience gain in the use of arrays has increased tenfold.]
A system notification appeared before Shen Wang’s eyes, providing a massive amount of experience, as if he had been cultivating arrays for over ten years, allowing him to easily set up a lower-grade array.
He felt some solace in his heart.
What he did was correct; the system rewarded him, indicating its recognition of his actions. The system raised his array proficiency level to Master Level in one go.
Meanwhile, he felt his comprehension of arrays greatly improved, becoming an array genius in an instant.
Shen Wang’s eyes lit up slightly.
The system definitely had a purpose for giving him this reward. Currently, neither his cultivation nor his talismans and spells could handle the situation.
But the array was different, as it borrowed a vast amount of the power of heaven and earth. In simple terms, its leverage was substantial. If he could set up an upper-grade array, even a Golden Core Cultivator would have a hard time breaking through.
If it were a top-grade array, he might even hide completely without fear of external attacks.
However, a top-grade array would require over ten thousand spirit stones, and was hard to purchase even if one wanted to. An upper-grade array also cost five to six thousand. It might be more suitable for him to buy a middle-grade array, enhancing defense through combination.
"The time Yun Kaihe takes to return will surely exceed the time it takes for me to buy an array. It’s worth a try."
Shen Wang stood up, deciding to venture out alone.
Dragging his family along, he couldn’t escape, so he could only continue to fortify this ancestral residence.