Chapter Forty-Five Changes

  Xiao Feng Xian walked away, and Han Zhong's expression immediately became much more natural.

  Han Zhong tidied up his clothes and sat down across from Shi Yan at the stone table, pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip before saying, "Young Master Shi, where is your bodyguard?"

  "They're all dead." Shi Yan's face didn't show any unusual expression, and he casually explained: "The demonic beasts in the Dark Forest suddenly went berserk and started killing martial artists everywhere. To protect me, they...all sacrificed themselves."

  Han Zhong's face was shocked, and his eyes looked at him strangely, saying: "The situation over there, I also have some understanding. Young Master Yan is lucky to escape."

  He had already received the news of Leiyin Silver Wolf's rage, and he thought that this trip would not be able to wait for Shiyuan, so he was preparing to return after half a month. Who would have thought that Shiyuan was now walking out of the dark forest alive and well.

  The dark forest was in such a state of chaos that even some warriors who were not skilled enough lost their lives, yet Shi Yan, this bookworm, managed to escape unscathed. This was truly unbelievable, and he couldn't help but be astonished.

  Han Zhong was not impressed with Shi Yan's previous body's owner.

  That guy didn't practice martial arts and was too pedantic, he liked to study in areas that Shijia wasn't interested in. In Shijia, he had always been a marginalized figure, which didn't suit Han Zhong's taste.

  If it weren't for him happening to be on business in this area and receiving Shi Jian's order, he wouldn't have come over to wait for Shi Yan at all.

  "Ah, luck is indeed good." Shi Yan nodded with a hint of a smile, his expression calm and collected, saying lightly: "Han Bo, when are we leaving to return to the family?"

  "It depends on Master Iwao. I was thinking of leaving immediately, but there are some things that need to be reported to the master in person. If it weren't for waiting for Master Iwao, I would have gone back already." Han Zhong said after a moment's pause.

  When speaking, Han Zhong couldn't help but carefully examine Shi Yan. He hadn't paid attention to it before, but now that he took a closer look, he gradually saw some clues...

  Shi Yan is now thinner than before, his originally round face has become angular and determined, with a strong sense of masculinity.

  Sitting naturally upright there, the stone rock's back was straight, its body like a sharp sword, giving people a sharp and revealing illusion.

  This is just a change in appearance.

  In the past, Shi Yan only became a bit spirited when exploring ancient ruins and artifacts, but in his daily life, he was always listless with a vacant expression.

  But at this moment, Shi Yan's eyes were deep and profound, with an occasional flash of strange light in his pupils, as if he had been thinking about something all along, giving people a strange feeling that nothing could escape his notice.

  "Hey Han Bo, I've got a question for you." Under Han Zhong's gaze, Shi Yan replied calmly and lightly, "It seems like the Stone Forest has become much more peaceful, do you know what's going on?"

  "Oh, that's because someone from the Beiming House passed by. It's said that the Beiming House is going to receive someone at Shilin, and those guys who were mixing with them in Shilin all tucked their tails and ran away as soon as they heard that someone from the Beiming House was passing by."

  "Who's leading the Beiming family?" Shi Yan had a faint idea in his mind.

  "In the vast expanse of the northern darkness."

  Han Zhong responded with a sentence, then suddenly cursed and scolded: "I heard that the little brat broke through to the Hundred Calamity Realm half a year ago. Damn it, he's only twenty-five years old! And he has dual martial souls, this is truly crazy! I'm already forty-five years old, but I've only reached the second heaven of the Hundred Calamity Realm. Is this still letting people live?"

  Twenty-five, the boundary of a hundred calamities and one heavy heaven, dual-born martial soul...

  Shi Yan's face sank, and he suddenly realized that this Beiming Ce was probably the "noble person" that Mu Yu Die was going to introduce him to.

  At such a young age, he has such talent and realm, and behind him is the first family of Shangmeng, Beimiao House. No wonder Mu Yu Die and Di Ya Lan made that decision.

  A cold glint in his eyes, Shi Yan remained silent, a cold smile in his heart: Twenty-five years old, the realm of a hundred calamities, dual martial souls, is that impressive?

  Not necessarily!

  He's actually a madman who broke through from the Post-Heaven Realm to the Pre-Heaven Realm in just two short months!

  His body had not only the two great martial souls of petrification and immortality, but also a more sinister and mysterious martial soul. In comparison, he suddenly discovered that he was much more terrifying than Beiming Ce.

  Time, I just need some time, and I can completely surpass Beiming Strategy! Shi Yan muttered to himself.

  "Master Yan, you...you have spiritual energy within your body?"

  Han Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up, staring intently at Shi Yan, and solemnly said: "I sense that you just had a flow of essence in your body... and it was very dense! Young Master Yan, what exactly is going on?"

  Shi Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart, saying: "Yes, I have indeed obtained the essence of my body. Now I can be considered a martial artist."

  "What kind of boundary?" Han Zhong asked urgently.

  "Congenital."

  "Ah!"

  ……

  Merchant Alliance, Heavenly Meteor City, Shi Family, Trial Grounds.

  The Shi family's trial grounds, covering dozens of acres, transplanted many ancient trees and various strange rocks...

  Inside the training ground, there are specially opened muddy land, sandy land, water pool, and wooden houses...

  There are shelters everywhere, complex and intricate, with many different scenes, allowing Shi Jiaerlang to engage in various terrain combat exercises inside.

  Here, Shijiazhuang can learn to adapt to various environments and familiarize themselves with combat methods for all terrains.

  At this time, in the center of the trial field, a huge rhombus-shaped trial jade crystal was placed. A third-generation young master of the Shi family lined up to walk towards the trial jade crystal, pressed his hand on the trial jade crystal and released his spiritual energy to determine the accurate boundary of his cultivation.

  "Shi Tian Luo, 21 years old, Post-Heaven Double Heavy!"

  "Shi Tian Xiao, twenty-five years old, born with a heavy heavenly fate!"

  "Shi Tianling, twenty-seven years old, post-heaven triple heaven!"

  "Shi Tiankuang, twenty years old, congenital double heavenly!"

  "Shi Tianwang, 19 years old, born with threefold heavenly aura!"

  “……”

  Han Feng narrowed his eyes and stood beside the Jade Crystal, seeing that Shi Jia'erlang had released his essence and left, he let out a loud roar.

  As the sound of Korean wind blew by, the second and third generation elders of the Shi family around them had different expressions, some were relieved, while others were disheartened.

  "Second Brother, your little disciple is really making progress, he's actually broken through to another level again." Shi Kuo's face showed some discontent, and he snorted: "Tian Ke that little brat has been slacking off recently, looks like I need to discipline him!"

  "Lao San, Tian Ke has worked hard enough. I've seen him practicing in the gravity room at midnight, so don't put too much pressure on him, or it might backfire." Shi Gang comforted.

  "Tian Yun, add a bit more effort and strive to enter the realm of human ranks as soon as possible." Shi Tie's voice was like a loud bell, with a hint of pride in his eyes.

  Shi Tie and Shi Jian are close brothers, Shi Gang and Shi Kuo are his sons, and Shi Tianyun is Shi Gang's son, who is his own grandson. Seeing Shi Tianyun's eagerness to make a name for himself, he naturally feels delighted.

  The position of the head of the Shi family is determined by their cultivation level, and back then he lost to his older brother Shi Jian, so he had some resentment in his heart. He still hoped that his grandson Shi Tianyun would make a name for himself and suppress Shi Tianxiao from Shi Jian's side.

  The Shi family's martial soul is a bit special. Most children born to parents inherit the martial soul from their two older siblings.

  The third child can hardly inherit anything.

  It is precisely because of this that every family in Shijia Village generally has only two children.

  Even Shi Jian, the master of the house, had only two children - Shi Duan and Shi Qing.

  Shi Tianling and Shi Tianxiao

  Shi Qing and Yang Hai gave birth to a son, who was Shi Yan.

  Shi Tianling, Shi Tianxiao and Shi Yan are considered to be the direct grandchildren of Shi Jian, while Shi Tianyun, Shi Tianluo and Shi Tianke are the direct grandchildren of Shi Tie.

  The relationship between Shi Jia brothers and sisters is actually very good, all of them work hard for the strength of the family.

  But even with a good relationship, there is still a sense of comparison, such as Shi Tie, who has always wanted to regain some dignity in this generation after losing to his elder brother Shi Jian back then.

  The son of that generation, because Shi Dang was too overbearing, had been firmly suppressed by him, and his sons Shi Gang and Shi Kuo had long since given up.

  Fortunately, his grandson's generation made up for it. Shi Tianyun and Shi Tianke were a bit more formidable than Shi Tianxiao, so he often liked to take pride in the trials of his grandsons' generation, but there was no malice.

  Yang Hai and Shi Dang were standing together, discussing the recent situation at the mine in a low voice. Upon hearing Shi Tie's shout, Shi Dang smiled wryly: "You've given Second Uncle another chance to show off." He paused for a moment, then glanced at Shi Tian Xiao beside him and cursed: "You bastard, you only know how to make me lose face in front of your old man."

  "Hmm, I'm not the worst either..." Shi Tianxiao shrank his head and put on a pitiful look.

  He said that, and Yang Hai's smile turned bitter. He sighed to Shi Dang: "Compared to the scoundrel in my family, you should be content, Tian Xiao is at least a martial artist, but Shi Yan that good-for-nothing knows nothing but messing around outside every day, now he hasn't come back yet, I don't know how much trouble this trip will bring me."

  "Hmm, I suppose so." Shi Dun felt a bit better all of a sudden.

  ……

  Inside the training grounds, it was filled with Shi family's direct descendants, chattering and gossiping noisily.

  Just then, a grey eagle descended from the sky and landed on Shi Jian's shoulder.

  Shi Jian took out a gray silk pouch tied with a string from under the foot of the eagle, pulled out the letter inside, casually opened it and frowned at its contents.

  Everyone present was an insider, and he didn't avoid anything.

  "Huh?"

  He had just taken a glance when Shi Jian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his face filled with incredulous astonishment.

  The people in the field, after a moment of stunned silence, all fell quiet and looked at Master Shi Jian, wondering what had caused him to lose his composure.

  "Big brother, what's going on?" Shi Tie furrowed his brow and shouted: "It can't be that the Mo family is causing trouble again, right? Dammit, it seems like we need to teach them a lesson or they won't learn their place!"

  "No." Shi Jian put down the letter, his eyes shining with excitement and surprise on his face, saying: "Han Zhong found that little kid Shi Yan."

  "What's with that bastard?" Yang Hai finally put down his guard and asked fiercely, looking like he was ready to settle the score with Shi Yan.

  "That little kid... has become a warrior..." Shi Jian's expression was strange, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was suppressing the joy in his heart.

  "Huh?" Shi Tie couldn't help but exclaim: "He's already seventeen years old, how did he suddenly think of cultivating now?"

  He paused, let out a soft sigh, and genuinely lamented for Shi Yan: "Alas, it's too late. He started cultivating at the age of 17, so I'm afraid he won't have any significant progress in this lifetime. This little brat, what was he doing earlier? If he had started cultivating from a young age, even without the Stone Family's martial soul, he would be at least at the Second or Third Heaven of the Pre-Heaven Realm by now."

  "That little guy is now in the realm of Innate Triple Heaven!" Shi Jian's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as he exclaimed loudly.

  ……