Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams

His voice was low and slow, seeming to unravel Shen Li’s doubts while also murmuring to himself.

"At that time, the old guy spent twenty taels of silver to have your grandfather cast a fishing net."

"Girl, do you know what your grandfather was thinking then?"

Shen Li, resting her chin on her hand and engrossed, thought for a moment and said, "Did grandpa think Elder Xu was foolish?"

Shen Yuan took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.

"I did think so, but I also thought the old guy had other intentions."

"However, mostly I didn’t want to take advantage of him."

Shen Li’s expression was somewhat peculiar.

"What happened later?"

Shen Yuan organized his thoughts and said, "Later, when the net was cast, it caught a Tuo Dragon."

"Back then, I was just an ordinary mortal, how could I be a match for a Tuo Dragon?"

"The net broke, and the fish got away."

"I wanted to return the silver, but the old guy didn’t take it; he only took two bluefish."

Shen Li pondered, remaining silent for a moment, then asked, "Does grandpa still remember the details of the subsequent encounters with him?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan awakened from his memories, looking at her with curiosity.

"Girl, do you still think that old guy isn’t dead?"

Shen Li didn’t speak, just quietly waited for his answer.

Shen Yuan recalled once more, his expression suddenly changing.

His brows furrowed as he thought over the incidents involving Xu Xiu once again, his face suddenly becoming serious.

Seeing this, Shen Li spoke, "Grandpa also realized it?"

She picked up the teacup in front of her, sipping it lightly.

"Initially, Li’Er only thought of him as an experienced elder, both mentor and friend."

"But over the years, as my understanding of Witch Cultivation deepened, I realized Elder Xu seemed to harbor an even greater secret."

"Just his understanding of Witch Cultivation was far beyond what ordinary cultivators could ever touch."

After hearing this, Shen Yuan pondered briefly and then recounted briefly the subsequent appearances of Xu Xiu.

Considering what Shen Li had said, he also realized Xu Xiu’s oddity.

During their second encounter, Xu Xiu’s cultivation seemed to be at the Qi Cultivation sixth or seventh layer.

According to him, he was nearing the end of his lifespan, had no worldly attachments, and offered the Shen Family the Five Elements Breathing Technique as he appreciated Shen Wenxing’s talent and wanted to form a good bond.

The third time Xu Xiu returned to Black Water Pool, all the Immortal Sects had arrived in Danzhou, and Shen Wen’an had entered Qiyun Valley.

The fourth time was when he returned from Qiyun Valley, bringing a beast skin book about Witchcraft and Gu Dao to the Shen Family.

The fifth and final time, he returned there to reside.

Before this, Shen Yuan had never connected these events to think carefully.

Had it not been for Shen Li mentioning this today, he might never have remembered someone who had disappeared for years.

"Girl, what secret do you think the old guy holds?"

Meeting Shen Yuan’s serious gaze, Shen Li shook her head slightly.

"Li’Er doesn’t know."

"But one thing is certain, this man is well-versed in knowledge and teachings across ages, highly likely to be a reincarnated being."

The Shen family’s current understanding of foundational knowledge in the cultivation realm is no less than some long-standing Immortal Sects and large clans.

"You mean, that old man was the Golden Nature reincarnation of some Golden Core cultivator, and has awakened Innate Wisdom?"

Shen Li nodded slightly and said, "There’s another possibility."

"Soul transfer by a powerful being."

Shen Li spoke solemnly, "The ancient beast skin book records that reincarnation and soul transfer are somewhat different."

"If it were a trace of Golden Nature reincarnation of a Golden Core cultivator, regardless of whether they awaken Innate Wisdom, it shouldn’t result in a useless body without any spiritual roots."

"Golden Nature is immortal, supreme, and vast; if reincarnated to cultivate anew, the power it carries will eventually affect the new flesh."

"Not to mention a Spirit Body or Sacred Body, it would at least be an Immortal Seedling with upper-grade spiritual roots."

"Xu Xiu’s lack of spiritual roots seems more like a soul transfer."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan pondered with a stern expression and felt Shen Li’s words made sense.

"Soul transfer is different; it retains all pre-death memories, equivalent to living again without any risk."

"However, similarly, restoring one’s power is far more difficult than reincarnation."

"Because the body taken over ultimately isn’t one’s own, it can’t perfectly resonate with the Divine Spirit."

"Moreover..."

Shen Li showed a hint of doubt on her face and said, "There’s one thing Li’Er has never quite understood."

"Before the revival of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Veins in Yangnao Land, finding someone with spiritual roots was very difficult."

"Yet within the vast Yangnao Land, among the billions of common people, there would still be Spirit Root Immortal Seedlings, so why did Xu Xiu choose that particular body?"

Shen Yuan rubbed his palm, pondering a moment and said, "It’s not hard to understand."

He recalled their second encounter with Xu Xiu by the Black Water Pool when Shen Wenxing and he heard the story Xu Xiu told.

In the story, Xu Xiu described himself as a border soldier from Han City in He County, who stumbled into a hidden valley while chasing a soldier of the Western Wilderness Barbarian Race.

In the valley, he found an ’Immortal’ and was ultimately bestowed the Five Elements Breathing Technique by the Immortal.

From this point, Shen Yuan speculated that the story Xu Xiu told might be true.

Except in reality, he should have been the elder trapped in the valley, not the ’Han City Soldier.’

In the story, he mentioned waking up to find the elder vanished, and he trained alone in the valley for decades.

This likely refers to the time post-soul transfer, spent harmonizing the Divine Spirit with the new flesh.

After a period of silence between grandfather and granddaughter, Shen Li spoke again, "Perhaps he’s also one of the Chess Players behind this grand cosmic chessboard..."

...

Deep within Hidden Dragon Mountain.

The once vibrant valley, filled with birds and flowers, was now tainted by thick Yin Qi, wilting the surrounding flora, withered twigs, and fallen leaves encrusted with frost.