# Chapter 2416: Family Development
Qingsheng Great Saint and Zhang Ruochen walked along the lake, with spiritual flowers blooming beneath their feet and blood trees hanging their branches along the path. Wherever they passed, layers of formation inscription patterns emerged, then like transparent lines, quickly faded and disappeared.
"Zhou Zhen is a talented individual. Having become a Mountain River Master among formation earth masters at such a young age, I believe his skill is not far from reaching the Sea Land King level."
"And there's Xia Yu, who has condensed a third-rank Sacred Intent and can contend with Yan Huangtu for a bit. Her future potential is limitless; she's also someone worth cultivating."
"Ruochen, although you are young, you have so many talented people around you. Your uncle is truly envious."
Qingsheng Great Saint spoke in a seemingly casual manner.
Zhang Ruochen nodded in agreement, without saying much.
Suddenly, Qingsheng Great Saint stopped walking and said solemnly, "You've been in the Hell Realm for a while now. What do you think of it?"
"It's fine, no different from the Heavenly Court side," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint probed, "What do you think of the Blood Absolute Family?"
"I don't know much about it. Which aspect is uncle referring to?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Qingsheng Great Saint let out a sigh, then continued walking forward.
Zhang Ruochen stared at his back with a thoughtful expression, then followed and asked, "I see that the Blood Absolute Family has enormous power, with three gods standing tall, and the War God has become the Great Clan Leader. It's at its zenith. Why does uncle sigh?"
Qingsheng Great Saint walked ahead, his eyes darting around as a sly smile appeared on his face.
Turning around, his smile vanished, replaced by a worried expression. "That's right, the Blood Absolute Family indeed has a large enterprise and three gods. But gods cannot interfere in worldly affairs. To develop and grow, to protect the family legacy, ultimately it depends on the Saint realm descendants. Great Saints are the pillars of a power's development."
Zhang Ruochen's mind lit up as he understood something. He smiled and said, "Uncle, if you have something to say, feel free to speak directly."
Qingsheng Great Saint's face was full of gravity as he said earnestly, "The Blood Absolute Family's core territory in the Blood Heaven Tribe Wing World spans over ten million miles in radius, governing trillions of blood clan members. In addition, in the Yellow Spring Star River, we have eight million life-bearing planets as territory. Managing such a large enterprise, your uncle has the will but not the strength, mainly because I lack talent."
Before Zhang Ruochen could speak, Qingsheng Great Saint continued, "Talent! Any family, any power, needs a continuous stream of talent to thrive, to grow stronger, and to stand firm in this cruel world of competition."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I see that the Blood Absolute Family is full of talented people. In the last millennium alone, there have been Xue Qi, Xue Chen, Xue Ningxiao, and others, all of whom have cultivated to the Great Saint realm. Not to mention the direct descendants of the Blood Absolute Family, there should be some prodigies who have reached the Great Saint realm, right?"
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "The Blood Absolute Family does have some Great Saints, but the vast majority have only reached the Indestructible Realm and the Hundred Shackles Realm. Cultivating powerful Great Saints requires a massive accumulation of resources. Some of these resources are extremely scarce and cannot be bought even with Divine Stones. For example, Sacred Intent Pills."
Zhang Ruochen finally understood.
After all this roundabout talk, Qingsheng Great Saint was actually after the Sacred Intent Pills in his hands.
Qingsheng Great Saint pressed on, "This time at the Heaven Hunting Banquet, the Tai Shang refined one hundred thousand Sacred Intent Pills in one go, with the lowest grade being top-tier Heavenly Grade. But that was the Tai Shang's work!"
"Under normal circumstances, when a Daoist earth master refines Sacred Intent Pills, producing several dozen pills per furnace is already very rare. And the grade is far inferior to what the Tai Shang refines. Even so, they are quickly snatched up by major powers."
"Ruochen, you must have collected quite a few Sacred Intent Pills, right?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at Qingsheng Great Saint's smiling face, which was exactly like a fox's.
"It seems the family is really short on Sacred Intent Pills," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "Who says otherwise? Condensing Sacred Intent is extremely important for Great Saints in the Indestructible Realm and Hundred Shackles Realm. Those Great Saints who cannot condense a fifth-rank Sacred Intent all choose to stay in the Hundred Shackles Realm and accumulate. This has had a detrimental effect on the Blood Absolute Family's development and growth."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "As a member of the Blood Absolute Family, I am certainly willing to support the family's development. How about this: I'll contribute twenty top-tier Heavenly Grade Sacred Intent Pills and ten King Grade Sacred Intent Pills as my contribution."
Qingsheng Great Saint shook his head. "In this Heaven Hunting Battle, you made the greatest contribution. You should be rewarded by the family. How can the family take what you fought for with your life? How about this: we'll buy them."
"I'll buy the Sacred Intent Pills from you in the family's name."
"One top-tier Heavenly Grade Sacred Intent Pill for one Divine Stone."
"One King Grade Sacred Intent Pill for twenty Divine Stones."
As for Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills and Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills, Qingsheng Great Saint knew they couldn't be bought with Divine Stones, so he didn't even mention them.
"The price is fair," Zhang Ruochen said.
"But I want to buy all the Heavenly Grade and King Grade Sacred Intent Pills in your hands."
Qingsheng Great Saint immediately added, "These Sacred Intent Pills are useless to you anyway. Keeping them in hand has no value."
Zhang Ruochen agreed readily. "Alright, I collected a total of thirty-seven King Grade Sacred Intent Pills and four hundred and fifty-eight top-tier Heavenly Grade Sacred Intent Pills. I'll sell them all to the family."
"Ruochen, your uncle needs more than that." Qingsheng Great Saint stared intently at him.
Zhang Ruochen spread his hands helplessly. "Uncle should have seen the projection of the Myriad Realms Divine Eye. The Sacred Intent Pills I collected are only this many."
"The Sacred Intent Pills you collected are indeed only that many. But the ones you took from other Great Saints should be many more, right?" Qingsheng Great Saint said with a cunning look.
Indeed, on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, Zhang Ruochen had defeated and killed many Hell Realm Great Saints and collected their storage vessels. In total, he had obtained over two hundred King Grade Sacred Intent Pills and over three thousand top-tier Heavenly Grade Sacred Intent Pills.
But Zhang Ruochen also understood the principle of preparing for the future. Whether establishing the Bright Sect or the Qiankun Realm, he would eventually need to cultivate Great Saints.
How could he not keep such treasures as Sacred Intent Pills, which had a price but no market?
After a long pause, Zhang Ruochen said, "Uncle, I have cultivated a second-rank Sacred Intent, and have fused six of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intents. I would like to ask for your guidance."
Qingsheng Great Saint's face suddenly turned green, and he let out a series of dry coughs.
"No need, no need... well, you have injuries, so it's better not to fight. How about this: one hundred King Grade Sacred Intent Pills and one thousand top-tier Heavenly Grade Sacred Intent Pills. With such a batch of Sacred Intent Pills, it should be enough for the family to use for tens of thousands of years."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand. "Uncle overestimates me. I don't have that many. No, really, I don't."
Qingsheng Great Saint stroked his beard, took a box from his sleeve, and said solemnly, "The War God has a treasure for me to give you."
"What is this?"
Zhang Ruochen took the box and felt it was slightly heavy.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "Before entering the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, the protective divine patterns that the Moon God and your fourteenth aunt inscribed on you were all erased, right?"
"Actually, having reached the Great Saint realm, you no longer need divine patterns to protect your body. A Great Saint is already a fully grown strong one. Using divine patterns for protection is like an infant who hasn't been weaned."
"But to prevent you from being assassinated by gods, you still need an extra layer of preparation."
Zhang Ruochen opened the box, and a dazzling blood light burst forth, making him squint his eyes.
It was an ancient-looking belt.
The belt seemed to be forged from blood jade, crystal clear and translucent. At its center, a wing-like shape was cast from black metal. At the center of the pair of black metal wings was a mysterious and extraordinary character, exuding a heart-palpitating aura fluctuation.
It was a divine script, containing powerful divine will.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "That is the character 'War'."
"War!"
Just being illuminated by the blood light, Zhang Ruochen's entire blood began to boil, and the battle intent within him grew stronger and stronger. The formation inscription patterns of the entire Hanhai Manor were trembling.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "This belt is called the War God Belt. When father became the thirteenth War God of the Undying Blood Clan, it was bestowed by the Undying Divine Temple. It has unparalleled symbolic significance. Only a War God of the Undying Blood Clan is qualified to wear it."
Even with Zhang Ruochen's profound state of mind, he was shocked at this moment.
A belt that only a War God could wear, and Blood Absolute War God had bestowed it upon him, a Great Saint?
This was like Emperor Luo Yan one day suddenly asking Luo Sheng Tian to sit on his imperial throne. Luo Sheng Tian would probably be scared weak in the knees!
How could a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint bear such an identity?
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "If a god attacks you, the War God Belt will activate instantly, alerting father. Through the War God Belt, you can cross space and borrow part of father's divine power. It should be enough to protect yourself."
"Of course, the symbolic meaning of the War God Belt is even greater. It means father has extremely high expectations for you. If in the future you can also become a War God of the Undying Blood Clan, then the Blood Absolute Family will truly be able to look down upon the world."
Zhang Ruochen was moved, his heart feeling heavy.
"Thank you, grandfather."
Zhang Ruochen did not refuse.
Because in the Hell Realm, he was indeed surrounded by dangers, and there were gods who wanted to take his life.
He wrapped the War God Belt around his waist, and immediately the radiance on the belt converged, becoming plain and unremarkable.
Qingsheng Great Saint's eyes showed envy. As one of the few surviving sons of Blood Absolute War God, when had he ever received such attention?
Blood Absolute War God's regard for Zhang Ruochen far exceeded that for all his children.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "In the Undying Blood Clan, when one cultivates to the Great Saint realm, they are assigned their own fiefdom. Given your cultivation level, I have decided, on behalf of the family, to allocate three hundred life-bearing planets and two hundred mineral planets in the Kongji Star Domain to you as your private fiefdom."
One had to admit, the Blood Absolute Family was indeed powerful and wealthy.
Zhang Ruochen was only in the Hundred Shackles Realm, yet he had already obtained five hundred fiefdom planets.
When his cultivation was higher in the future, wouldn't his fiefdom be even larger?
For other Great Saints, they needed to manage their fiefdoms to earn Sacred Stones and Divine Stones to purchase cultivation resources. But Zhang Ruochen was richer than some gods, so there was no need to waste time on fiefdoms.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Managing five hundred planets is too troublesome. I heard that the Blood Absolute Family also has assets on Ice King Star. How about allocating the assets and territory on Ice King Star to me?"
Qingsheng Great Saint's eyelids twitched. "Ice King Star has complex forces and is full of danger. The Blood Absolute Family doesn't have many assets there. Going there wouldn't be very meaningful for you. How about I grant you eight hundred planets as fiefdom, including a sixth-rank main star?"
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand. "Uncle, let's not beat around the bush. Ice King Star is an eighth-rank planet, with a volume a hundred billion times that of an ordinary first-rank planet. It can nurture divine veins internally. Even if I only occupy a portion of the interests, it would be better than eight hundred planets as fiefdom."
"Besides, Ice King Star is the only road that must be passed between the edge of the Hell Realm and the Blood Heaven Tribe Wing World. The flow of wealth is enormous. Who wouldn't want to get a piece of the action there?"
Qingsheng Great Saint knew he couldn't fool Zhang Ruochen and sighed. "Ice King Star is not a simple place."
"Does uncle not believe in my abilities? I am confident that I can expand the Blood Absolute Family's assets and influence on Ice King Star, or even completely control it," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint glared angrily. "Only the top experts among the Saint realm can snatch food from the tiger's mouth there and divide the interests. Even your uncle doesn't have the confidence to suppress those wolves and tigers. You're only in the Hundred Shackles Realm, yet you dare to speak such arrogant words."
"I once arrogantly claimed I would condense a second-rank Sacred Intent, and I achieved it."
"I once arrogantly claimed I would lead the Undying Blood Clan to seize first place among the ten clans, and I achieved that too!"
Qingsheng Great Saint shook his head repeatedly. "It's different. This time is different. Do you know who currently controls the assets and territory on Ice King Star within the Blood Absolute Family?"
"Who?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Qingsheng Great Saint lowered his voice. "The Blood Absolute Family's matriarch, the War God's legitimate wife, Nixuan Shi."
Zhang Ruochen's pupils contracted, and his expression became cautious.
Qingsheng Great Saint thought Zhang Ruochen would back down and patted his shoulder. "The War God doesn't want internal strife in the Blood Absolute Family. It would make things difficult for him."
Zhang Ruochen snorted lightly. "From what I know, after mother and Uncle Underworld King returned, the first step was to sideline this matriarch and send all her direct-line cultivators to the Merit Battlefield. How is she still holding onto part of the Blood Absolute Family's power and interests?"
When Blood Queen and Underworld King were young, Nixuan Shi had sent them to the Kunlun Realm, trying to kill them.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "After the sixth brother and fourteenth sister returned, Nixuan Shi indeed kept a low profile and chose to lie low. But as the War God's legitimate wife, who would dare to directly attack her? Besides, Nixuan Shi's background is the Shura Divine Temple."
"The Shura Clan's first divine temple," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint nodded. "The sixth brother and fourteenth sister could send her direct-line Blood Absolute Family cultivators to the Merit Battlefield, but they couldn't sideline her. She can still mobilize the Shura Divine Temple's experts to help her control assets and interests."
"After all, gods cannot interfere in worldly affairs. The sixth brother and fourteenth sister can't do anything to her either."
"Since Nixuan Shi has already retreated behind the scenes, we shouldn't actively stir up trouble, lest we provoke her and cause internal family conflict."
"Nixuan Shi married into the Blood Absolute Family after the War God survived the Eon Calamity, right? She could represent the Shura Divine Temple in a marriage alliance with Blood Absolute War God, so she must be exceptionally talented herself. What is her current cultivation level?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen still wouldn't give up, Qingsheng Great Saint said in a threatening tone, "Nixuan Shi was once the Shura Divine Temple's Divine Maiden. Anyway, your uncle is far from being her match."
"Uncle, the reason you're still the acting family head is precisely because she still holds a large amount of hidden power. How about we join forces and bring her down? Then the word 'acting' should be removable, right?" Zhang Ruochen said temptingly.