The Journey of Projection Upgrading
Chapter 180: The Wretched Development of the Bai Family

Upon careful consideration, the current situation of the Bai Family is actually quite dangerous.

The addition of five foreign guest officials is both a reinforcement of strength and a potential risk for the Bai Family.

After all, the Bai Family is a power core based on clan strength, and its members are basically Bai Family members.

Now suddenly so many foreign guest officials joining is an unstable factor for the Bai Family.

If the Bai Family's own strength is enough, it's fine. But if the strength is not enough, then it will be interesting.

At that time, I wonder if the Bai Family will still be called Bai, there will be a question mark.

More dangerous is that after the previous battle, the strongest combat power in the Bai Family, the Bai Family Patriarch, has basically been disabled.

His cultivation level has not changed, still at the peak of Gang Qi, considered the peak combat power at the Gang Qi level.

But the problem is that after the backlash of the Reverse Blood Dan, the Bai Family Patriarch's lifespan is probably only a few years left.

Gang Qi has a lifespan of only a hundred years, and the Bai Family Patriarch was not young to begin with. After being burned by the Reverse Blood Dan, he may only have a dozen or so years left to live.

And the other elders of the Bai Family?

Equally not long for this world.

From the Second Elder to the Fifth Elder, all old faces are seen, not a single young person in sight.

Chen An estimated that perhaps even before the Bai Family Patriarch passes away, these old folks will have to go first to see the King of Hell.

This is truly a sad thing.

Many pillars of the Bai Family are already old, those who are old are old, and those who should die will die.

While Chen An is young and strong.

Chen An doesn't need to say much, he is very young and is not even twenty years old now.

Although the five Gang Qi elders who joined are not young, their average age is much younger than the Bai Family elders.

To put it bluntly, if Chen An really wants the Bai Family, even if he forces it directly, he can easily eliminate the Bai Family elders.

And when these old folks are gone, the Bai Family will naturally fall into his hands.

This is an easy task, and the whole process doesn't require any bloodshed.

Unfortunately, Chen An is not interested in this.

He is already congenital, if he just wants some assets or something, why go to such lengths at the Bai Family?

It's all unnecessary.

Everything he is doing now is actually for the sake of Bai Zhilan.

Of course, there is also the child in her belly.

No way.

Chen An has already made up his mind to find the passage to the foreign realm and try to enter it.

During this process, there may be unexpected events.

He must ensure that if anything happens to him outside, Bai Zhilan and their future child can still live well.

That's why he made all these elaborate arrangements.

Of course, under normal circumstances, he is unlikely to have an accident.

But one must think of possible failures before victories. This is Chen An's usual habit.

Experience tells him that having a retreat is something you must prepare for in advance. If you wait until something happens, it will be too late to prepare.

Anyway, he's free, so he might as well make some preparations.

This is also a way to be responsible for his wife and child.

Several days later, a figure that no one expected appeared in the familiar courtyard.

It was a tall and majestic middle-aged man, dressed in a robe that exuded a dignified aura.

His appearance was too heroic, making it unforgettable at a glance.

This is none other than the Bai Family Patriarch Bai Zhi.

Compared to his previous appearance, the current Bai Zhi looked much weaker, with a pale face that couldn't hide his weakness, and he seemed to have aged many years.

"You summoned me, is there anything you need to explain?" Bai Zhi calmly asked after arriving at Chen An's residence.

During this period of time, he had been closed-door practice in his own residence, trying to digest the aftermath of the Reverse Blood Dan and adjust his body's condition.

He was very clear about his current position.

In the past within the Bai Family, he was an absolute core figure.

But with Chen An's appearance, his position suddenly became awkward.

From Chen An's various actions, it seemed clear that he wanted to take control of the entire Bai Family.

As the Bai Family Patriarch, Bai Zhi was the biggest obstacle to Chen An's control of the Bai Family.

In this situation, no matter how much he was overlooked and suppressed by Chen An, it was not excessive.

Bai Zhi was also mentally prepared for this.

Chen An's previous actions seemed to prove this point.

In the past, whether it was summoning the elders or recruiting the captured Gang Qi warriors, it did not involve Bai Zhi, as if deliberately ignoring him.

And in this case, Chen An suddenly summoned Bai Zhi for a secret meeting.

This made people feel puzzled.

"Please sit, Patriarch."

In response to Bai Zhi's confusion, Chen An just smiled and gestured for Bai Zhi to sit down.

Then, he took out something.

It was a black wooden box, and when opened, it contained some sparkling fragments that looked exceptionally beautiful.

These sparkling fragments seemed to be petals of a certain plant ground into powder, emitting a divine light, looking extraordinarily beautiful, with a faint fragrance that was moving.

"This is..."

Feeling the unique scent, Bai Zhi couldn't help but be moved.

He looked up subconsciously at Chen An in front of him, "Could it be..."

"That's correct."

Chen An nodded and admitted Bai Zhi's thoughts, "Pure Spirit Flower, except for those three petals and seeds, the rest is here."

In front of him were the other parts of the Pure Spirit Flower, including leaves and roots, ground into powder by Chen An and stored in the box to prevent the loss of divine properties.

"Please accept it."

In response to Bai Zhi's puzzled look, Chen An didn't hesitate and directly said, "You are only one step away from congenital, you just need something to help you take that further step and reach that level."

"I believe that even if there are no flower petals of the Pure Spirit Flower, only these things in front of you are enough to help you take that step, right?"

"Why?"

Listening to Chen An's words, Bai Zhi did not feel joy, instead, a look of doubt appeared on his face.

The current situation, for Chen An, Bai Zhi already had no influence and was not worth his efforts to win over.

On the contrary, if Chen An wanted to further control the situation, Bai Zhi would be his biggest stumbling block.

In this case, why did he do this?

"You may not believe it if I tell you."

Chen An glanced at him, then smiled, "From start to finish, I have never thought of taking over the position for myself."

"Everything I do is just to protect Zhilan and them."

This was true.

Chen An, in fact, had a very relaxed personality and did not have too much ambition.

So instead of being a boss, he preferred to be a slacker somewhere.

"Protect?"

Bai Zhi became even more confused, "You are already congenital, who can harm them under your control?"

Right, you are already congenital, you have reached the pinnacle of this world.

With you here, who would dare to harm your family?

"While I am present, nothing will happen, but I fear that one day, something might happen to me."

Chen An spoke softly.

After a moment of contemplation, he reorganized his words and began to explain.

He informed Bai Zhi about the issue of the passage to the foreign realm, but concealed some of the hidden aspects.

"I see."

Bai Zhi suddenly realized, "Princess Chang Ping has been lingering in my Bai Family all along, it turns out she was waiting for you."

Yes, Liang Yao has not left until now.

The day after Chen An showed his congenital strength, Liang Yao, after the initial surprise, immediately showed a look of excitement.

For her, she needed the help of several congenital forces to go to the passage to the foreign realm.

Now that Chen An has become congenital directly, it is naturally much easier for her.

"Unfortunately, for such a grand event, I cannot participate."

After understanding the situation, Bai Zhi sighed heavily.

By the looks of it, he also wanted to join and venture into the passage to the foreign realm.

This is actually very normal.

Although the environment in the main world seems much better than in the Great China world, with a significant increase in Gang Qi warriors and many congenital beings, the path of cultivation is still difficult.

The limitations are real, and even though there are no immortals, most warriors can only cultivate to the congenital level at most.

In this situation, anyone who desires to cultivate would be moved upon hearing about the passage to the foreign realm.

"I understand."

Understanding the whole story, Bai Zhi nodded, "I have accepted your gift."

"From now on, as long as I, Bai Zhi, live a day, I will take care of your wife and children, and will not allow anyone to offend them!"

"Thank you very much."

Chen An smiled and nodded in the end.

He had observed Bai Zhi for quite a while before making this decision.

Different from others, Bai Zhi was indeed a bold and straightforward warrior.

This can be seen from his past deeds.

In other words, he passed the test of character and his strength and talent were suitable.

Compared to others, the recognition of such a person is more trustworthy.

Of course, this is just a contingency plan.

If there are no problems during the exploration of the passage to the foreign realm this time, and after confirming safety, Chen An will come back to take Bai Zhilan and the others to the foreign realm.

If he does have an accident, then Bai Zhilan and the others will have to rely on Bai Zhi and others for protection.

Chen An remained calm, with various thoughts flashing through his mind.

During the next period of time, he was not idle and began to teach.

The main work was to teach Bai Zhi some tips and experiences to advance to the congenital realm.

In this regard, Chen An was quite experienced.

After all, he had been promoted to congenital twice before, which was quite rich in experience compared to others.

Bai Zhi was also listening attentively, trying to absorb as much experience as possible.

It was a rare opportunity for him to receive teachings from a congenital without reservation.

In ordinary times, not to mention a congenital, it was difficult to find someone with similar strength.

During this process, Bai Zhi became more and more amazed.

He found that Chen An's knowledge was incredibly vast, and he seemed to be knowledgeable in many aspects, almost omniscient.

The depth of this knowledge could almost scare a person.

If all his achievements since childhood could be verified, and his age was indeed real, Bai Zhi would almost think that he was a monster pretending to be a young man.

Of course, in a way, his thoughts were not wrong.

After all, Chen An had lived for over two hundred years. Compared to others, he was indeed an old monster, wasn't he?

Chen An's knowledge base brought absolute shock to Bai Zhi.

Similarly, Bai Zhi also brought many surprises to Chen An.

In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn't compare to Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in Yin Martial Arts.

Those ideas and experiences also gave Chen An a lot of insights and sparked many inspirations.

After communicating for more than two months, they were still not tired of it, feeling a hint of regret for not meeting each other earlier.

"The ancients said, 'True friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to seek.' Only now do I understand what it truly means."

In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn't help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have been on the Heavenly Ranking long ago."

"Unfortunately, there is no such thing as too many 'ifs.'"

Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be fooling around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."

Bai Zhi couldn't help but be amazed by his words, and then fell silent.

After spending a long time communicating with Chen An, he almost forgot.

The Chen An in front of him seemed to have all-encompassing knowledge, but in fact, he was still a young man under twenty.

If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi was still the same Bai Zhi, the prestigious Bai Family Patriarch.

But Chen An would have gone from a top Heavenly-ranked master to a worthless son of hooligans.

This also shows the great change in Chen An.

The two indulged in their exchange for over two months, still not feeling enough, with some regret at their late encounter.

"The ancients were right, true friends are hard to come by. I truly understand the meaning now."

In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn't help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking."

"Unfortunately, there are no many 'ifs' in this world."

Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."

Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.

Having interacted with Chen An for a long time, he almost forgot.

Although Chen An seemed knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.

If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.

But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.

This change was quite significant.

The knowledge repository that Chen An possessed brought Bai Zhi absolute shock.

Conversely, Bai Zhi also brought Chen An many surprises.

In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn't match Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in that field.

These ideas and experiences also gave Chen An plenty of gains and sparked many inspirations.

After communicating for more than two months, they still didn't feel satiated, feeling a hint of regret at their tardy encounter.

"The ancients were right, true friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to come by. It's only now that I truly understand what that means."

In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn't help but sigh, "Had I met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking."

"Unfortunately, in this world, there are no many 'ifs.'"

Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."

Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.

During their lengthy exchange, he almost forgot.

Although Chen An appeared knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.

If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.

But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.

This change was quite significant.

The vast knowledge that Chen An possessed brought absolute astonishment to Bai Zhi.

Conversely, Bai Zhi also brought many surprises to Chen An.

In many fields, Bai Zhi couldn't match Chen An, but he had spent many years researching Yin Martial Arts, and he also had strong expertise and insights in that field.

These ideas and experiences also gave Chen An plenty of gains and sparked many inspirations.

After communicating for more than two months, they still didn’t feel that they had talked enough, with some regrets at not meeting each other earlier.

"The ancients were right, true friends are hard to find, and fellow cultivators are hard to come by. It’s only now that I truly see what that means."

In a quiet hall, Bai Zhi looked at Chen An and couldn't help but sigh, "If I had met you ten years earlier, I might have already been on the Heavenly Ranking."

"Unfortunately, there are no many 'ifs' in this world."

Chen An also smiled, "If it were ten years ago, I might still be messing around with a bunch of hooligans in Fengcheng County."

Bai Zhi was astonished, then fell into silence.

In their long exchange, he almost forgot.

Despite Chen An appearing knowledgeable in many areas, he was still a young man under twenty.

If they went back ten years, Bai Zhi would still be Bai Zhi, the formidable Bai Family Patriarch.

But Chen An would have gone from a top-ranked Heavenly powerhouse to a son of hooligans.

This shift was quite significant.

Thinking about this, Bai Zhi couldn't help but sincerely feel emotional, "With your talent, you shouldn't be confined to this small world, but should have greater achievements."

In just a short period of time, Chen An had transformed from a worthless gang disciple into a congenital existence.

If this can happen in a short time, what about in ten or a hundred years?

Bai Zhi couldn't help but imagine and look forward to it.

"I am truly looking forward to it."

Bai Zhi couldn't help but speak, sincerely expressing, "I really want to know where you will reach in the future."

"There will be opportunities."

Chen An maintained a smile, "Going to the foreign realm doesn't mean I won't come back in the future."

"I believe as long as my cultivation level is sufficient in the future, there will always be a day when I can return."

This statement is correct.

The so-called passage to the foreign realm is not naturally formed, but was arranged by past strong individuals.

If those past strong individuals could arrange it, then when Chen An becomes powerful enough in the future, perhaps he could also create a similar passage.

And at that time, returning to this side might not be impossible either.

Considering the nearly two hundred-year lifespan of a congenital existence, as long as Bai Zhi can advance to congenital, there may still be a possibility of seeing that day in the future.

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, Bai Zhi nodded heavily, "Then I will wait patiently."

A smile appeared on his face, as if he was truly looking forward to that day.

After that, they continued their conversation.

Their main topics were mostly centered around martial arts and other related fields.

As for other trivial matters, they rarely mentioned them. Even if they did, it was just a brief mention and not much elaboration.

In this regard, the two of them were quite compatible.

Chen An didn't like to bring up those trivial matters because he was afraid of trouble.

If necessary, he could brag like he did with Cheng Zhengyi before, flaunting and mesmerizing people.

But if he could, he would prefer to discuss relatively technical professional issues in these more specialized fields.

This may be a habit from his past life as a tech geek.

Although Bai Zhi was the Bai Family Patriarch, he was a martial arts fanatic.

He also didn't like to deal with those trivial matters.

This could be seen from his previous behavior.

In the past, various internal affairs of the Bai Family were managed by the elders, while Bai Zhi, as the public face of the Bai Family Patriarch, always remained closed off and didn't involve himself in much.

This shows his personality, as someone who focuses on martial arts, not liking those trivial professional people.

When the two met, they found each other to be quite compatible.

In just over two months, they felt a sense of regret for not meeting each other earlier.

Besides discussions and exchanges, they also gained many other benefits.

Chen An improved several martial arts techniques and gained more insights into the ways of combat.

As for Bai Zhi, with Chen An's help, he temporarily suppressed the backlash of the Reverse Blood Dan and had begun to undergo a transformation.

His current state had stabilized, and he could enter seclusion at any time to attempt a breakthrough and advancement.

However, because Chen An was still around, he temporarily suppressed the urge in his heart and did not enter seclusion yet.

This was quite rare.

In the outside world, over these two months, the entire Shangyuan County was in turmoil.

Everywhere was chaotic.

The previous major battle had depleted the Gang Qi of various families, with many either dead or surrendering.

The few that remained were perhaps still around, but not fearsome anymore.

In this situation, the Bai Family also revealed its fangs, starting to aggressively seize the industries of other aristocratic families to strengthen itself.

If everything went smoothly, with these compensations from the industries, the Bai Family would grow rapidly and become the ruler of Shangyuan County in the shortest time.

If Bai Zhi successfully advanced and became a congenital, then even within the entire Dahua, the Bai Family would probably be considered a hegemon.

Even the position of the Great Liang Emperor might be within reach?

Of course, this step was still far away.

Currently, the Bai Family was still in the state of wretched development, with its influence limited to Shangyuan County and not extending too far.

Just these industries within Shangyuan County were already enough for the Bai Family to prosper for a long time.

(End of this chapter)