Immediately, Ye Xuan asked again, "What do you all call yourselves?"
The one leading them replied, "Reporting to Clan Chief, we only remember the Cultivation Technique and Sword Art we Cultivate, but we have no other memories. Please bestow us with names, Clan Chief."
Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan found himself in a difficult position. He was clueless about naming things, and there were too many people, making it hard to remember if the names were too complex. He decided to just call them by numbers in sequence.
Then he said to the leader, "You are 101. From now on, you will be ranked by strength from 101 to 118. Your sequence is not fixed; the stronger you are, the higher you rank. Everyone on the ninth floor starts with 1. Do you understand?"
The eighteen people responded in unison, "Yes, Clan Chief!"
"Alright, you all go Cultivate first. I will transmit a message to you if anything comes up." After Ye Xuan finished speaking, he turned and left the Chaos Dao Tower.
Early the next morning, Ye Xuan transmitted a message to the eighteen Sword Cultivators, instructing one to stay behind to guard the Ye Family to prevent any accidents. He took the remaining seventeen, a total of eighteen people, and quietly snuck out of the Ye Family. After arriving at the seashore, they ascended into the air, their destination being Mist Island, a thousand miles away. Because Canglan Continent is very large, a thousand miles of sea can only be considered nearshore, and there were no strong winds. The group proceeded smoothly, arriving above Mist Island in less than half an hour.
Along the way, a few sea Yao Beasts tried to treat the group as food, but they were easily cut down by everyone, without even affecting their progress.
Upon arriving above Mist Island, the entire island was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the situation inside. Ye Xuan ordered a few people to go down and investigate. After confirming there was no danger, Ye Xuan entered Mist Island and landed on the highest peak. The island was a hundred li in circumference, and besides some low-level Yao Beasts, there were no other living beings. The Spiritual Qi was similar to that of Qing Shi City.
Ye Xuan stood at the top of the island, surveying his surroundings, and instructed everyone except 101 to thoroughly investigate the entire island. Then, looking out, there was a mountain range running through the center of the island, dividing Mist Island into two. Peaks stood tall along the mountain range, appearing quite spectacular, with dense vegetation and occasional birds flying by.
A moment later, the remaining sixteen people, excluding 101, returned to Ye Xuan. They immediately reported, "Clan Chief, after investigation, besides low-level Yao Beasts and some ordinary birds and wild beasts, there are no other living beings on this island. Also, there are some Immortal Caves left behind by Cultivators who Cultivated here previously."
Just as he was speaking, 101 said in Ye Xuan's ear, "A Soul Transformation Stage Great Yao is rapidly approaching us."
"Go. Let's get out first," Ye Xuan said, then shot into the sky, with everyone following closely behind him.
Above Mist Island, a group of eighteen people stood silently in the Void Realm, watching the huge waves approaching from a distance. Five breaths later, a giant figure burst out of the water, facing Ye Xuan and the others from afar, and spoke in human tongue, "Bold humans, you have slaughtered my Sea Yao race. Prepare to die!" As he spoke, he opened his mouth wide, and a wave of Spiritual Qi mixed with water Qi slammed towards Ye Xuan and his group. Ye Xuan merely watched silently. From behind him, one of the masked figures stepped forward, and a Sword Qi barrier appeared, blocking the attack.
With a thought, Ye Xuan's System panel appeared before his eyes.
Species: Dragon
Name: Chi Shui Jiao (Red Water Flood Dragon)
Cultivation: Soul Transformation Middle Stage
Ye Xuan closed the System. At this moment, Chi Shui Jiao was startled by this scene, feeling that he had kicked an iron plate this time. Upon closer inspection, only Ye Xuan's Cultivation was at the Nascent Soul Realm. He couldn't discern the Cultivation of the others, but given how the masked person had just attacked, their Cultivation must be above his.
Both sides fell into silence. Ye Xuan saw Chi Shui Jiao's embarrassment and then spoke, "You are Chi Shui Jiao, right?"
"You know me?" Chi Shui Jiao said. He thought to himself that he had never met these humans before.
"I'm giving you two paths: first, surrender, second, death. You have three breaths of time," Ye Xuan said softly.
"Three."
At this moment, Chi Shui Jiao felt a million alpaca-like creatures galloping through his mind. His thoughts whirled, and he considered hundreds of possible escape routes, all of which he dismissed himself.
"Two."
"I choose to surrender!" Before Ye Xuan could even say 'one', he surrendered.
"Hand over your Soul Origin," Ye Xuan said.
Chi Shui Jiao's body trembled, and he hesitated. Seeing Chi Shui Jiao hesitate, Ye Xuan directly ordered, "Kill him!"
Frightened, Chi Shui Jiao quickly shouted, "Wait!"
Immediately, Chi Shui Jiao transformed into a human body with a Dragon head. A ball of Soul Origin flew out from his glabella. After Ye Xuan struck it with a rune imprint, it flew back into Chi Shui Jiao's glabella.
At this moment, Chi Shui Jiao felt that with just a single thought from Ye Xuan, he would turn to ashes. He respectfully said, "Master, please feel free to command this little Dragon if you need anything."
"Nothing for now. You can operate within ten thousand li of Mist Island. If there's anything unusual, notify me or any member of the Ye Family in time. Also, inform your subordinate Yao Beasts that from now on, no member of my Ye Family is to be provoked in this sea area, otherwise, they will bear the consequences."
Chi Shui Jiao nodded like pounding garlic.
"Alright, that's all. You may go," Ye Xuan said. The reason Ye Xuan didn't kill Chi Shui Jiao was that he was new here and didn't know much about the sea area. Ancient texts didn't describe it much either. With Chi Shui Jiao as an informant, he could at least get some information, especially since Chi Shui Jiao had been entrenched here for a thousand years.
Watching Chi Shui Jiao leave, Ye Xuan led everyone back to the highest peak on Mist Island and instructed, "Begin construction with this peak as the main one. Build the Family's main hall in the middle of the main peak, a Family square capable of accommodating ten thousand people at the foot of the mountain, and open up a thousand Immortal Caves, Cultivation training grounds, the Scripture Pavilion, the Elder Hall, and so on, on the surrounding peaks..."
After giving his instructions, Ye Xuan took out a High Grade Spiritual Vein and had 101 embed it into the ground. Instantly, dense Spiritual Qi began to spread outwards, centered on the main peak. Ye Xuan then took out a Heaven's Evolution Sword Formation Plate and tossed it into the air. The grand formation began to envelop the entire Mist Island. Ye Xuan quickly retrieved four ordinary magic swords from his storage ring and inserted them into the formation eyes. The grand formation began to operate, blocking the Spiritual Qi that wanted to spread out. Ye Xuan felt the power of the grand formation; with ordinary magic swords as the formation base and High Grade Spiritual Veins as energy, even a Dharma Aspect Cultivator would find it difficult to enter.
At this moment, the Spiritual Qi concentration on Mist Island began to climb, ten times, twenty times, until it slowly stabilized at thirty times. Ye Xuan smiled knowingly. He took 101 and left Mist Island, leaving the others to begin construction on Mist Island.
After returning to the Family, he informed the Elders that there would be a Family meeting in the ancestral hall two days later, and all direct descendants of the Ye Family must attend.
Two days later, in the solemn and austere ancestral hall, Ye Xuan's gaze was profound. He surveyed the crowd of Family members below, some young and vigorous, others calm and reserved, and spoke in a low but forceful voice, "Today, I wish to establish a Family rule, and I hope you will engrave it in your hearts."
Ye Xuan paused slightly, then stated with a solemn expression, "The world is ever-changing and unpredictable. Members of our clan must deeply understand the Dao of 'endurance'. Never prioritize temporary bravado or reckless courage, as showing off and being overly competitive often only invites unnecessary disaster. What is meant by 'endurance' is by no means cowardice or weakness, but rather, in times of hardship and desperation, knowing how to endure and understanding how to maneuver. Even when surrounded by powerful enemies, one must be able to lie low and wait for opportunities, preserving one's own strength. When venturing out, there is no need to display all your strength; always keep a trump card for yourself."
He paced forward, his eyes filled with earnest expectation: "You must understand that living is the utmost priority. Only by surviving can the Family's Bloodline continue, and only then can the ancestors' Legacy be passed on. Every Family member is crucial to the continuous burning of the Family's torch, the light of hope for our centuries-long Legacy. When venturing out, if you encounter a mountain, pave a path; if your strength is insufficient, do not attack forcefully; instead, it is advisable to temporarily avoid the sharp edge. If you encounter water, build a bridge; if the undercurrents are turbulent, do not rashly risk danger; you should seek another path. With a resilient heart, wait until the clouds disperse and the mist clears, and when the time is ripe, you can rise again and restore the Family's glory. Only then will you not fail your ancestors and provide a stable world for future generations."