The Yang Family Head and Elder Yu were teleported five li from the entrance of the secret realm.

By now, night had fallen outside. Daring not to linger for even a moment, they immediately hurried toward the Yang Family.

The Yang Family was located in Liuye Town.

Though called a town, it already possessed the scale of a small city.

Liuye Town was under the jurisdiction of the Zhuhu Wangchao, situated in the eastern mountainous region.

The Yang Family Head's real name was Yang Guanfeng. He was currently at the fifth level of Qi Gathering, placing him in the middle stage of the four major phases of the Qi Gathering realm.

Because of his existence, the Yang Family had managed to rise from an ordinary family of mere mortals.

After taking charge of the household, Yang Guanfeng, with Elder Yu's assistance, completed the integration and purging of the family's internal ranks. Starting with himself, he rewrote the Yang Family genealogy.

Over ten years had passed since then. The Yang Family had developed into the greatest clan in Liuye Town, boasting two middle-stage Qi Gathering cultivators, second only to the town lord's faction.

The town lord was a cultivator sent down by the dynasty. His realm was comparable to Yang Guanfeng's, though his actual combat strength was slightly inferior.

However, he commanded an army and possessed the protective talisman of being a "dynasty cultivator," placing his status above Yang Guanfeng's.

Under the cover of night and relying on the detection ability of Elder Yu's Dharma Disc, the two avoided several groups of rogue cultivators to prevent any conflict along the way.

It was not until the second watch of the night that they finally neared Liuye Town.

Catching sight of the familiar city walls, the two exchanged a smile, both feeling a heavy weight lift from their hearts.

The secret realm was filled with countless fated chances, but one had to live to enjoy them.

This expedition to seek treasure had been extremely perilous. If Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu had not prepared so thoroughly beforehand, they might very well have perished inside.

Six Fire Talismans, three Thunderfire Pellets, and a single use of a flying knife-this had essentially consumed more than half of Yang Guanfeng's accumulated wealth.

Fortunately, they had survived the danger without harm. The outcome was good.

Exchanging those items for a spirit plant and a spirit treasure was an incredible trade.

Approaching Liuye Town, the two did not enter through the main gate. Instead, they concealed their auras and quietly scaled the southern city wall.

No one in the Yang Family knew about their journey to the secret realm. Everyone believed the two elders were in secluded cultivation within the Restricted Grounds.

This was a deliberate choice. To avoid attracting prying eyes, they had decided to leave the city in absolute secrecy.

Passing over rows of houses into the northern part of Liuye Town, one could see the Yang Family compound built against the mountain.

The Yang Family courtyard was built in a strict square, divided into four distinct areas.

From the outside in, they were: the outer courtyard for receiving guests and holding banquets, the inner courtyard for daily life, the family council hall, and finally, the Restricted Grounds, which only Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu could enter.

The two figures finally landed within the Yang Family's Restricted Grounds.

The first thing they did upon returning was hurry to replant the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass.

Spirit plants were different from ordinary vegetation. If planted in regular soil, their spiritual nature would drain away, causing them to wither and degrade.

Only within a Spirit Field could they grow normally and yield a harvest.

Yang Guanfeng's ability to lead the family proved his remarkable foresight.

Years ago, even when the family did not possess a single spirit plant, he had prepared for the future by opening a Spirit Field alongside Elder Yu.

After years of careful maintenance, it now provided the perfect environment for the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass.

Once the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass was nestled into the soil, the two began to nourish it with their own spiritual power.

This continued for an hour until the spirit plant's aura stabilized, at which point they finally stopped.

By then, both Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu let out a long breath of relief.

"Elder Yu, you have worked hard on this journey."

"Not at all. The Family Head flatters me."

Elder Yu waved his hand. "Back then, had the Family Head not saved me, I would have long become food for the river fish. How could I have lived to see these past years? This is merely my duty."

"Speaking of which, fifteen years have passed since we first met..."

Listening to their conversation, Chen Yang finally understood why this old man was so deeply loyal to the Yang Family.

In his youth, Elder Yu had been a Sect cultivator. Later, his Sect was destroyed by enemies, and he was severely injured. He fled into the territory of the Zhuhu Wangchao, eventually plunging into the Fish Ridge River.

On the brink of death, he was pulled from the waters by Yang Guanfeng, who paid a massive price to save his life.

Although his cultivation realm had fallen far below its former peak, merely keeping his life was all Elder Yu could ask for.

From then on, he followed Yang Guanfeng with unwavering devotion.

He was the greatest driving force behind Yang Guanfeng's ability to step onto the path of cultivation and secure his place as the Yang Family Head.

"It is getting late. Family Head, return to your room and rest. I will stand guard over the Four-Leaf Spirit-Holding Grass."

"Alright. I will leave it to you."

Returning to his room, Yang Guanfeng retrieved Chen Yang from his sleeve and held him in his palm.

He sat upright on a meditation cushion, quietly gazing at this Qi-Gathering Stone.

At that moment, he felt a profound sense of unreality.

His expression was one of disbelief, as if he still dared not trust that the Yang Family had truly obtained such a massive fated chance.

After a while, Yang Guanfeng snapped back to reality. He placed Chen Yang on the table, turned around, and stripped off his upper garments.

Seeing Yang Guanfeng's bare torso, Chen Yang could not help but feel startled.

Across his chest and back lay over a dozen intersecting scars-blade cuts, sword strikes, burns, and other grievous wounds.

It was clear proof that Yang Guanfeng's years of fighting for the family's survival had been anything but easy.

"As a Family Head, to bleed this much for his clan... he has truly given his all."

Chen Yang felt a surge of admiration for this man.

At the same time, he realized he had not misjudged him.

Ending up in the Yang Family was not a bad move at all.

The night passed without further incident.

Early the next morning, all members of the Yang Family were summoned to the council hall.

Three seats sat at the head of the room. The center seat belonged to the Family Head, Yang Guanfeng. On the left and right sat two men in their thirties.

They were Yang Guanfeng's two younger brothers, Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei.

Below them, relatives from various branches stood in neat rows according to their bloodline, all with hands respectfully lowered and eyes downcast, waiting for the Family Head's arrival.

From this alone, it was evident that Yang Guanfeng held absolute prestige within the clan.

He was naturally outstanding and possessed the aura of a true leader. After beginning his cultivation alongside Elder Yu, he had swept aside all internal competitors, seizing the position of Family Head ahead of his time.

Moreover, he deeply understood that for a clan to thrive in the long term, its most vital asset was unity.

Thus, the moment he took power, he and Elder Yu-one operating in the light, the other in the shadows-began forging a stable foundation for the family.

After ten years of effort, the internal structure of the Yang Family was now solid as an iron plate.

There was no discrimination between bloodline branches, nor any divide between the noble and the humble. Whether closely related or distant, all were promoted based on merit.

It was exactly this fair and rigorous governance that made Yang Guanfeng the most universally respected Family Head in the history of the Yang Family.

Before long, a gentle breeze swept into the council hall.

The crowd looked up. In the mere blink of an eye, Yang Guanfeng was already seated at the head of the hall.

None of those present could even track his movements, and for a moment, their reverence surged even higher.

Because of Yang Guanfeng's rise, backed by his thunderous and decisive methods, the Yang Family had leaped from an ordinary household in Liuye Town into a top-tier power in just a single decade.

They had personally experienced the sheer scale of this transformation, so their worship of this Ancestor was entirely sincere, without the slightest trace of falsehood.

"Yang Feiyun!"

"Yang Xiaolei!"

The moment Yang Guanfeng took his seat, the two senior family members stood up to lead the crowd, their voices ringing out in unison: "Descendants of the Yang Family, pay respects to the Ancestor!"