War God Long Ao

「Inside the Little Courtyard House.」

Aside from his daily Alchemy, Long Ao focused on his Cultivation, striving to raise his strength before the Kyushu Tournament began.

"Seventh Brother, Grandfather needs to see you about something urgent."

"Long'an, why is Grandfather looking for me?"

Looking at his seventh brother, Long'an was a little scared. After all, he was well aware that the man before him was a far cry from his former self—no longer the good-for-nothing he used to bully at will.

"Long'an, what on earth does Grandfather want with me?" Seeing Long'an just standing there in a daze, Long Ao grew frustrated. 'What is this kid spacing out for now?'

Startled, Long'an hastily replied, "I don't know. All I know is that Grandfather seemed really anxious. Also, people from the Thundercloud City Mu Family are here."

Long Ao was puzzled. 'What could have possibly happened in the family?' Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately got up and headed for the main hall.

「The Long Family, Main Hall.」

Long Haoshi and Mu Wanfeng were seated in the seats of honor. Their expressions were solemn, yet tinged with excitement.

When they saw Long Ao enter, both stood up as if they were about to speak at the same time. Noticing each other's intent, they both chuckled and sat back down.

Seeing his grandfather and grandmother act this way, Long Ao, who had just stepped into the hall, grew even more curious. 'What could possibly make the two elders so excited, yet at the same time, so worried?'

"Grandfather, Grandmother, you were looking for me?"

Nodding, Long Haoshi seemed unable to wait. "Ao'er," he said, "this is urgent. Not long ago, your grandmother accidentally discovered a mountain range. Upon observation, she found it was suffused with an incredibly powerful Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."

"A Spiritual Vein?"

"That's right. A Spiritual Vein."

Of course, Long Ao didn't doubt his grandfather's words. A Spiritual Vein. Hearing that his grandmother had discovered a Spiritual Vein, Long Ao's heart skipped a beat. He knew exactly what a Spiritual Vein signified.

A Heaven and Earth Spiritual Vein was a vein of Spiritual Qi birthed by nature itself. It was said that possessing even a small piece could accelerate and enrich the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in a small area. Long Ao could hardly fathom what an entire Spiritual Vein represented.

"Grandmother, where is the Spiritual Vein?" Long Ao was also getting impatient. After all, if the family possessed a Spiritual Vein, then in just a few years, their overall strength would surely take a quantum leap.

"It's in a mountain range not far from Thundercloud City. It isn't very large, not even half the size of Red Fire Mountain."

"Grandmother, besides you, does anyone else know about the Spiritual Vein?"

"Only your two uncles. They are guarding the Spiritual Vein right now. To be safe, Ao'er, this matter must be left to you."

Mu Wanfeng was no fool; she certainly knew what a Spiritual Vein represented. If word got out, especially to the Six Great Sects and the Two Great Empires, the Mu Family's strength alone would be utterly insufficient to protect it. It might even bring annihilation upon them.

Mu Wanfeng had great confidence in her grandson, which was why she had rushed to Red Fire Town to entrust the handling of the Spiritual Vein to the Long Family.

Mu Wanfeng was truly worthy of being the Mu Family's Patriarch, free from excessive greed. Otherwise, any hesitation in this matter could have plunged them into a situation beyond redemption.

If any other family or Sect were to discover the Spiritual Vein, they would undoubtedly seize it for themselves. Long Ao didn't hesitate. He told no one about this; only he, his grandfather, his father, a few of his paternal uncles, his grandmother, and his two maternal uncles were aware of it.

This matter had to be kept secret, so only Long Ao would set out. As for the others, they would all remain behind and wait for news.

The Nameless Mountain Range was a desolate place that no one ever visited. It was completely uninhabited for ten li in every direction.

Long Ao's two uncles, Mu Che and Mu Tian, had accidentally discovered the Spiritual Vein here. Originally, they wanted their family to keep the Spiritual Vein for themselves, but Mu Wanfeng firmly disagreed. In the end, left with no choice, the two had to compromise.

As soon as Long Ao arrived, he saw his two uncles from a distance.

Truth be told, Long Ao didn't have much of a bond with the two. If not for his sudden rise to prominence, he believed Mu Che and Mu Tian wouldn't have even given him a second glance. That was the reality of the world, even among one's closest relatives.

Long Ao was crystal clear on this point, but for his mother's sake, he would always play his part and not put her in an awkward position.

"Uncles, is this where the Spiritual Vein is located?"

No matter how displeased they felt, neither Mu Che nor Mu Tian dared to say much to their nephew. After all, the Long Ao of today was a different person. If not for their connection through their sister, they believed that with the Long Family's current standing, they wouldn't even deign to look at the Mu Family. It all came back to the same thing: this was reality.

Nodding, Mu Tian said, "This is indeed the location of the Spiritual Vein. My brother and I have been observing for the past few days. We found that while the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is abundant here, we can't find its source."

The source of a Spiritual Vein, as the name implies, is its very core.

Long Ao knew that a Spiritual Vein of this magnitude must have a source. Only by finding its central point of origin could he hope to move it. Otherwise, the Spiritual Vein would remain here, and it would only be a matter of time before others discovered it.

"Uncles, I'm going to take a look first. Please wait for me here."

"Alright. Be careful."

"I will."

Without any hesitation, Long Ao walked toward the mountain range. At first, he didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. But the moment he stepped into the mountains, he sensed that something was off. From that point on, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi grew increasingly dense.

'Where is the entrance to the Spiritual Vein?'

Instead of searching blindly, Long Ao used his soul to communicate with the Dragon Seal and entered the Dragon Seal Space.

Getting straight to the point, Long Ao said, "Long Fu, I'm currently on top of a Spiritual Vein. Do you have a way to help me find its source?"

'A Spiritual Vein?'

Long Fu also seemed a little surprised. After all, he knew very well what a Spiritual Vein signified. He nodded and said, "I can help you sense it, Master."

Overjoyed, Long Ao said eagerly, "Long Fu, start sensing for it right now."

Without any hesitation, Long Fu immediately released the power of the Dragon Seal Space. Its aura spread out in all directions, and in just a moment, he had finished his sensing. "Master, I have located it," he said. "I will guide you."

Long Ao was quite surprised; he hadn't expected Long Fu to be able to sense the entrance to the Spiritual Vein so quickly. Regardless, now that he finally knew the location of its source, obtaining the Spiritual Vein no longer seemed impossible.

Even now, Long Ao was still puzzled. 'How could such a massive Spiritual Vein have gone undiscovered for so long? He refused to believe that any Martial Artist who set foot in this mountain range wouldn't have sensed that something was different.'