35: Chapter 35 Conflict

When Chen Jiancang flew his sword to the foot of Xiao Yun Mountain, the setting sun was just dyeing the mountain Spirit Fields amber. At this time, a team from the Chen Family Law Enforcement Hall was returning from patrolling around the Little Cloud Mountain Spiritual Vein.

"Chen Jiancang!!!"

Chen Jiancang looked in the direction of the voice, only to see Chen Jianshen glaring at him as if grinding his teeth.

Chen Jianshen snorted coldly, tapped his feet lightly, and darted out from the Law Enforcement Hall team, landing steadily in front of Chen Jiancang. Seeing this, the members behind him also surrounded Chen Jiancang, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

All the Law Enforcement Hall members were Chen Disciples, but among the Chen Family members of the Little Cloud Mountain Spiritual Vein, only Chen Jianshen was present. The remaining few were Disciples from other branches, and their cultivation levels were all Qi Refining Fifth Level.

Chen Jiancang looked at Chen Jianshen, who seemed to want to swallow him whole, and secretly remained vigilant. On the surface, however, he maintained his composure and asked neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Chen Jianshen, what do you intend?"

"Hmph, what a coincidence, to actually run into you." Chen Jianshen's face was full of smugness, and his fingers snapped loudly.

Chen Jiancang felt helpless, knowing that Chen Jianshen was determined to cause him trouble. He took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension: "Chen Jianshen, there is no deep hatred between us, so there's really no need to be so confrontational. My purchase of the Spirit Field was reasonable and compliant. Didn't Seventeenth Uncle-Grandfather already re-rent a Spirit Field? Why be so calculative?"

Chen Jianshen was furious, "You still have the nerve to mention it! That Spirit Field has been rented by my Family for decades. You clearly knew it was my Family's Spirit Field and still wanted to buy it. What are your intentions? I think you're just jealous of my Spiritual Root talent and deliberately cutting off my path." As he spoke, spiritual energy surged around him, subtly showing a readiness to attack.

"Chen Jianshen, this matter was my oversight, but it shouldn't escalate to the point of cutting off someone's path, right?"

However, Chen Jianshen did not give him a chance to explain, and the spiritual energy around him condensed.

Chen Jiancang's heart tightened, and he quietly circulated his spiritual power, preparing for battle.

Now that he had broken through to Qi Refining Fifth Level, he had been practicing Qingmu Swordplay frequently during this time, and he was not without the ability to fight.

Chen Jiancang's gaze swept over the surrounding Law Enforcement Hall members, secretly assessing the difference in strength between the two sides.

Although he had broken through to Qi Refining Fifth Level, facing Chen Jianshen and so many Law Enforcement Hall Cultivators, he truly had no chance of winning.

Fortunately, he had refined a considerable number of Spirit Talismans, which should be able to resist for a while.

"Chen Jianshen, as a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple, aren't you afraid of violating the Chen Family rules and being punished by openly provoking trouble at the foot of Xiao Yun Mountain?" Chen Jiancang tried to use the Chen Family rules to intimidate Chen Jianshen.

"Rules? I'm just fulfilling the duty of the Law Enforcement Hall, conducting a routine check, that's all. Who can say I'm wrong?" Chen Jianshen laughed mockingly, his smugness tinged with arrogance.

"Chen Jiancang, I now suspect you are colluding with rogue Cultivators. Hand over your storage bag; we need to check it."

"What, are you feeling guilty?" Seeing Chen Jiancang's face gradually turn pale, Chen Jianshen's smug expression grew stronger.

"Today, I will let you know the consequences of offending me!"

"Quickly hand over your storage bag, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Chen Jiancang shook his head helplessly: "Chen Jianshen, if you want compensation, just say so. Why escalate the matter to such an irreconcilable point?"

However, before Chen Jiancang's words fell, a spiritual sword emitting a faint light suddenly appeared in Chen Jianshen's hand, and he stabbed towards Chen Jiancang without hesitation.

"Chen Jiancang, let me teach you a lesson, let you know that some people you cannot afford to offend?"

Chen Jiancang's figure flickered, quickly avoiding the fierce blow, and at the same time took out his spiritual sword from his storage bag, confronting him.

"Chen Jianshen, don't push people too far!" His voice also carried a hint of anger.

Chen Jiancang knew that today would be difficult to resolve peacefully. Facing Chen Jianshen's relentless pressure, he decided not to back down anymore.

As Chen Jianshen swung his sword to stab again, Chen Jiancang let out a low shout and unleashed the Qingmu Swordplay.

His spiritual sword danced in his hand, and the sword shadows were like swirls of green mist, enveloping his figure within. For a moment, he actually fought Chen Jianshen to a standstill.

Seeing this, the surrounding Law Enforcement Hall members let out exclamations of surprise.

They had originally thought that with Chen Jiancang's Qi Refining Third Level cultivation, he would be completely defenseless against Chen Jianshen's attack, but they didn't expect that Chen Jiancang could actually hold his ground against Chen Jianshen.

Seeing that he couldn't take down Chen Jiancang for a while, Chen Jianshen became increasingly annoyed. He suddenly let out a loud shout, and the spiritual power on his body surged wildly. The spiritual sword in his hand shone brightly, and he unleashed a high-level sword art of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Streaks of fierce sword energy, like sharp blades, whistled towards Chen Jiancang.

Chen Jiancang felt the powerful pressure. He quickly circulated his spiritual power, scattered a handful of golden light talismans, which instantly formed golden shields in front of him, firmly protecting Chen Jiancang within.

Chen Jianshen's sword energy struck the golden barrier, producing a crackling sound, but it was always unable to break through this defense.

Seeing this, Chen Jianshen's face became extremely grim. He didn't expect that Chen Jiancang would actually use a large number of Spirit Talismans to defend against the attack.

The golden light talismans activated just now numbered dozens, worth 3 spiritual stones, yet Chen Jiancang was not stingy at all.

"Chen Jiancang, if you have the guts, come out! What kind of skill is hiding in a turtle shell?"

Although it was a Low Grade First Order golden light talisman, its defensive ability was more than enough to withstand Chen Jianshen's attack.

"Chen Jianshen, don't be so stubborn anymore!" Chen Jiancang seized this opportunity and said loudly, "As a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple, you are abusing your authority and attacking me without cause. If this matter reaches the ears of the Chen Family elders, you will surely be severely punished!"

Chen Jianshen's heart trembled. Although he was arrogant, he also knew that if the matter really blew up, he would definitely face unpleasant consequences. However, letting Chen Jiancang go just like that, he really couldn't swallow this anger.

Just as Chen Jianshen was hesitating, a streak of emerald green light suddenly arrived from a distance in an instant.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see an old man standing in the air, controlling his sword.

This old man was a Clan Elder from the Xiao Yun Mountain branch of the Law Enforcement Hall. He was usually responsible for managing some affairs of the Xiao Yun Mountain Law Enforcement Hall and had considerable prestige within the Clan.

Seeing this, Chen Jianshen, Chen Jiancang, and the others all had to temporarily withdraw their spiritual power and salute the Clan Elder.

"What are you doing here?" The Clan Elder looked sternly at the Law Enforcement Hall members, "As Law Enforcement Hall Disciples, you are actually fighting fiercely with Chen Family members at the foot of Xiao Yun Mountain! What kind of behavior is this!"

Chen Jianshen panicked in his heart and quickly said, "Clan Elder, I suspect Chen Jiancang is colluding with rogue Cultivators! As a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple, I wanted to question him, but he refused to cooperate."

Chen Jiancang was furious in his heart. He didn't expect that Chen Jianshen was still slandering him at this point.

He quickly said, "Clan Elder, Chen Jianshen is slandering me! I have always been cultivating diligently on Xiao Yun Mountain and have never colluded with rogue Cultivators. He is doing this because I bought the Spirit Field his Family rented, holding a grudge and deliberately causing me trouble."

The Clan Elder's face became very grim after hearing the two people's words.

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping over everyone, finally landing on Chen Jianshen. His gaze was like exploding thunder, and the pressure around him was like an abyss or a prison, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to surge. He roared like thunder, "Chen Jianshen, do you know your crime!"

"As a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple, you should have enforced the law justly, but you abused your authority, attacked a Clan Disciple without cause, and slandered others. Trampling on Clan rules and tarnishing the reputation of the Law Enforcement Hall like this, what crime should you be punished for?"

Seeing the Clan Elder so enraged, Chen Jianshen's heart tightened. He didn't know why the Clan Elder immediately concluded that he was lying.

He immediately knelt down and argued, saying, "Clan Elder, I've been wronged! I just suspected Chen Jiancang was colluding with rogue Cultivators! He refused to cooperate, and I have the right to apprehend and question him."

The Clan Elder, seeing this, clenched his fists, spiritual power erupted around him, and he suppressed his anger as he continued, "Hmph, you still dare to confuse right and wrong and act unreasonably! Don't think I don't know that you made a scene at the Spirit Field management office a few days ago and had a falling out with Chen Jiancang. Isn't today's matter you using your authority for revenge? You still dare to argue here!"

"The crime is compounded."

"Uh..."

Chen Jianshen's face flickered between expressions, but under the Clan Elder's stern and discerning gaze and pressure, he knew his petty schemes were exposed. He could only stutter and lower his head, saying, "Clan Elder, I know I was wrong. I hope the Clan Elder will punish me leniently."

The Clan Elder snorted coldly and said, "Punish leniently? In this situation, if you are not severely punished, how can we convince the others?"

"If we let you off lightly, where will the Clan rules and laws stand?"

"Our Chen Family has been established in the Qingya Mountain Range for over 300 years. We have reached our current prosperity thanks to the protection of the Qingyuan Old Ancestor, the diligent efforts and unity of our Chen Family Disciples, and the strict laws of our Law Enforcement Hall, which deter evildoers."

"Yet you abused your authority, bullied the weak, undermined unity, disregarded Clan rules, and treated the law as nothing. If you are not heavily punished, everyone will see and follow suit. Will our Chen Family still have rules and justice to speak of?"

Upon hearing this, cold sweat streamed down Chen Jianshen's forehead, and he finally realized that the Clan Elder was not deliberately trying to scare him, but truly intended to punish him severely.

Originally, he had thought it was just a small matter. After all, he possessed the talent of a Three Spiritual Root, while Chen Jiancang only had a Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root. How could their values be equal? Even if it were to be dealt with, he would be punished leniently.

But at this moment, he was afraid.

Chen Jianshen no longer dared to be stubborn. He quickly knelt down and prostrated himself, begging for mercy: "Clan Elder, I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again."

"Chen Jianshen, for abusing your authority, breaking the law while enforcing it, oppressing fellow Clan members, and refusing to repent, you are hereby stripped of your Law Enforcement Hall Disciple status, confined to Ice Hell for one year to reflect on your mistakes, and fined 100 spiritual stones!"

"What?"

Everyone present was shocked upon hearing the Clan Elder's judgment. This punishment could not be said to be light.

Only Chen Family members who had committed the most heinous crimes were ever imprisoned in the Ice Hell for reflection.

Chen Jianshen was also stunned into silence by the Clan Elder's judgment. As a Law Enforcement Hall Disciple, that identity was incredibly important to him, and now the Clan Elder had actually stripped him of it.

Moreover, he had to endure a year of punishment in the Ice Hell. He knew the horrors of the Ice Hell all too well.

It was located within the Qingya Mountain Range's Thousand Bamboo Peak Spiritual Vein. The cold was bone-chilling; a Mortal entering would freeze to death within an hour.

Even Cultivators imprisoned there would suffer greatly, needing to constantly use their spiritual energy to resist the cold.

"Clan Elder, I was wrong. Please be lenient with me. I won't dare to do it again."

The Clan Elder ignored Chen Jianshen and looked at the other Law Enforcement Hall Disciples.

Under the Clan Elder's stern gaze, these Law Enforcement Hall Disciples had no choice but to lower their heads and avoid eye contact.

"The rest of you will have your stipends withheld for a year. If anyone else sees injustice and does not act, sees unrighteousness and does not correct it, then there is no longer any purpose for you to remain in the Law Enforcement Hall."

Afterward, the Clan Elder looked at Chen Jiancang and said, "Chen Jiancang, although you are not at fault, you must still be careful and cautious in your future actions. Think things through more and avoid getting into too many disputes with others."

Chen Jiancang respectfully replied, "Thank you, Clan Elder, for your guidance. This Junior will definitely remember it."

Chen Jiancang knew that the Clan Elder was warning him about not handling the matter of purchasing the Spirit Field properly. Although he wasn't wrong, objectively speaking, it didn't align with righteousness.

The Clan Elder said no more and, taking the now-limp Chen Jianshen with them, led the other Law Enforcement Hall Disciples away.

"Ah, why go to such lengths? If I had known it would turn out like this today, I wouldn't have bought this Spirit Field."

Chen Jiancang shook his head helplessly. He had concerns when buying the Spirit Field, but he hadn't expected Chen Jianshen's temperament to be so poor. He had originally thought of trying to compensate him through other means, but before he could, things escalated to this point, making it difficult to resolve.

"Now that it has come to this, even Chen Jianshen has been severely punished. How am I supposed to face Seventeenth Uncle-Grandfather?"

The gentle mountain breeze brushed past, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart.

This sudden conflict made him deeply realize how many complex intertwined interests and conflicting disputes lurked beneath the seemingly calm surface of the Chen Family's cultivation system.

Chen Jiancang watched as the Clan Elder and the Law Enforcement Hall members escorted Chen Jianshen away, but he felt no sense of relief in his heart.

He knew that although Chen Jianshen had been punished by the Clan Elder today, with his personality, he would definitely not let the matter rest.

Especially Chen Jianshen's resentful gaze as he left, which made Chen Jiancang feel a wave of unease.

"This Chen Jianshen is still too young and rash, acting impulsively. Now that things have come to this, I can only take it one step at a time," Chen Jiancang sighed inwardly. He put away his spiritual sword, tidied his clothes, and turned to walk back home.

Upon returning home, Chen Jiancang locked himself in the cultivation room and calmed his mind to review today's battle.

"In today's fight with Chen Jianshen, I was actually evenly matched with him. However, the sword Move he used at the end was incredibly powerful, actually shattering three Golden Light Talisman defenses with a single strike."

"I really do need to choose a combat secret technique to Cultivate."

Chen Jiancang sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, carefully recalling the details of his battle with Chen Jianshen today.

Although he had managed to barely withstand Chen Jianshen's attacks with the Qingmu Swordplay and Golden Light Talismans, the power of the opponent's sword Moves was indeed not to be underestimated.

Especially that last strike, if he hadn't thrown out the Golden Light Talismans in time, he would likely have been seriously injured.

"The sword technique Chen Jianshen cultivated should be the Law Enforcement Hall's high-grade sword art, 'Xuanbing Swordplay,'" Chen Jiancang murmured to himself.

He had seen an introduction to this sword technique in the Chen Family's ancient texts. It was said that when cultivated to a profound level, the sword energy was like ice, with a bone-chilling cold and immense power.

"If I could also Cultivate a high-grade sword technique, my strength would definitely increase significantly," Chen Jiancang thought to himself. He decided to go to the Chen Family's library to find a combat secret technique suitable for him.

Early the next morning, Chen Jiancang controlled his spiritual sword and headed to the Chen Family's library.

Chen Jiancang presented his identity token and smoothly entered the library.

He went directly to the second floor, where the Chen Family's various combat secret techniques and cultivation insights were stored.

"'Xuanbing Swordplay,' 'Blazing Fire Saber Art,' 'Wind Thunder Swordplay,' 'Golden Adamant Palm'...". Chen Jiancang browsed through the texts on the shelves one by one, weighing them in his mind.

Although 'Xuanbing Swordplay' was powerful, the cultivation conditions were harsh, requiring the aid of extremely cold environments for cultivation;

'Blazing Fire Saber Art' had high requirements for fire-attribute Spiritual Roots and was not suitable for him;

'Golden Adamant Palm' was suitable for him, but it was quite time-consuming to Cultivate.

Just as Chen Jiancang was hesitating, a text called "Qingxuan Swordplay" caught his attention. He picked up the text and carefully flipped through it.

"'Qingxuan Swordplay' is based on the power of the wood attribute. The sword Moves are endless, relying on Concepts like winding, circling, binding, and trapping to fight enemies. It is suitable for Cultivators with wood-attribute Spiritual Roots..." A hint of joy flashed in Chen Jiancang's eyes. Although he had a Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root, what he usually cultivated was the Qingmu Longevity Art. This sword technique was perfect for him.

Chen Jiancang borrowed the "Qingxuan Swordplay" without hesitation, then selected a few books on cultivation insights and sword technique annotations before leaving the library.

Upon returning home, Chen Jiancang immediately began studying the "Qingxuan Swordplay."

This sword technique had a total of nine forms, each containing the power of Qingxuan. When cultivated to a profound level, the sword Moves were endless and immensely powerful.

Chen Jiancang immersed himself in the mysteries of the "Qingxuan Swordplay," studying the key points of the sword art word by word, not missing a single detail.

As his understanding of the sword art deepened, he increasingly felt that this sword technique perfectly matched the attributes of his spiritual energy, as if it were tailor-made for him.

Chen Jiancang began practicing the sword Moves in the courtyard according to the guidance of the sword art.

At first, his movements were still a bit awkward, and the power of his sword Moves was far from reaching the Realm described in the sword art, but he was not discouraged. He repeated the same movements again and again, constantly adjusting the way he exerted force and the trajectory of his spiritual energy circulation.

"Winding Character Art!" Chen Jiancang low-called, his spiritual sword danced in his hand, and a green sword energy, like a tough vine, wound towards the wooden stake in front.

As the sword energy wound, fine cracks appeared on the surface of the wooden stake, and wood chips flew.

However, Chen Jiancang was not satisfied with this. He carefully recalled the key points in the sword art and found that he was still somewhat lacking in the control of spiritual energy, which resulted in the sword energy's winding not being tight enough, and its power not being fully unleashed.

Therefore, Chen Jiancang readjusted his state and performed the Winding Character Art again.

This time, he infused his spiritual energy more evenly into the sword energy. The sword energy, like a living thing, tightly wound around the wooden stake, getting tighter and tighter, and finally, with a "crack," the wooden stake broke in half.

Chen Jiancang looked at the broken wooden stake, a satisfied smile on his face. Although his Spiritual Root talent was extremely poor, he had a unique talent for understanding and using Cultivation Techniques and martial arts.

In just one day, he had mastered the introductory Moves of the Winding Character Art of the Qingxuan Swordplay.

This was just the beginning. There was still a long way to go before he could Cultivate the "Qingxuan Swordplay" to mastery.

Despite his poor Spiritual Root talent, he had always possessed a unique sensitivity for understanding Cultivation Techniques and martial arts. His past experiences also made him firmly believe that diligence could compensate for lack of talent.

Night fell, and all was silent, but Chen Jiancang was wide awake.

He set up his stance in the courtyard and continued to Cultivate under the moonlight.

The moonlight was like water, spilling onto him, outlining a determined silhouette.

At this moment, his mind constantly recalled every detail of the "Qingxuan Swordplay," and the spiritual sword in his hand danced with his will. Sword shadows flickered, intertwined with the moonlight.

As time passed, Chen Jiancang became increasingly proficient in the "Qingxuan Swordplay."

The Winding Character Art was already used with perfect mastery, and he began to attempt cultivating the Circling Character Art.

The Circling Character Art emphasized using softness to overcome hardness, transforming sword energy into flexible threads that circled around the enemy, making it impossible to defend against.

Chen Jiancang took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and performed the Circling Character Art.

He saw the spiritual sword in his hand draw arcs of elegant curves, the sword energy like silk, flying towards a large rock not far away. However, on his first attempt, the sword energy only lightly brushed the surface of the large rock and did not achieve the desired effect.

Chen Jiancang frowned. He understood that the Circling Character Art required even higher control over spiritual energy, needing to be more delicate and precise.

He calmed his mind, carefully recalled the description of the Circling Character Art in the sword art, and adjusted his state.

When he performed the Circling Character Art again, Chen Jiancang's eyes became more focused. He infused his spiritual energy into the sword energy thread by thread, controlling the direction of the sword energy.

This time, the sword energy was like a living creature, flexibly circling around the large rock, circling faster and faster. Gradually, deep scratches appeared on the surface of the large rock.

"Progress!" Chen Jiancang rejoiced in his heart, but he was not satisfied with just that.

He knew that in a real battle, the enemy would not stand still like this large rock.

Therefore, he began to imagine various battle scenarios, constantly changing his sword Moves, combining the Winding Character Art and the Circling Character Art, trying to find the most suitable combat style for himself.

Just like that, Chen Jiancang spent an entire night cultivating.