The First Summoner - Chapter 51

Shen Yan had decided to leave for Xuanwu Kingdom after half a month.

Throughout those two weeks, the flood dragon’s condition had not improved. It remained gravely wounded and near death, surviving only because Shen Yan kept it alive with her medicine.

She also had to transfer some of her spiritual power to it from time to time. Now that the two of them were bound, their fates were linked: they would prosper together and suffer together.

During that same period, Shen Yan wrote a letter to her father.

But no one could deliver it into his hands.

She could not help worrying about his current situation. One night, she had even tried to sneak into the Shen residence.

However, a powerful barrier surrounded the estate. To enter, she would have to break through it. The slightest disturbance would alert the Shen family’s experts, and then matters would become far more troublesome.

Shen Yan could only wait for news from her father.

Every day, she cultivated in her room, both meditating and restoring her health. As for purchasing an entry invitation to the Xuanwu Kingdom auction, she left that task to Yinyue.

Almost everything Shen Yan said or did was monitored by the Shen family’s covert guards.

Yet they had no idea what she did inside her room, because none dared venture close to it.

Nor could they detect that she was capable of cultivating.

With the divine artifact known as the Ninefold Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, Shen Yan could conceal her cultivation.

…

At the Shen residence, the Grand Elder stared in both shock and contempt after hearing a covert guard’s report.

“What? That worthless Shen Yan intends to attend the auction in Xuanwu Kingdom?”

The Third Elder looked furious. “Family Head, we never should have agreed to give her one hundred thousand taels of gold! Now she truly believes that gold came without a price and is squandering it as she pleases.”

She had returned fifty thousand taels, but that still left another fifty thousand!

The Grand Elder sneered. “If those fifty thousand taels gave her the confidence to sever ties with the Shen family, then, Family Head… shouldn’t we take the gold back? She has already left the family. She has nothing to do with us now, yet she still intends to spend Shen family money with abandon. How utterly ridiculous.”

The Shen family head sank into silence.

Another elder put on a righteous expression. “Family Head, the other clans and factions will learn that she intends to attend the auction in Xuanwu Kingdom. If they discover Shen Yan carries a vast sum of gold, they will surely become greedy. Someone might even kill her and seize her wealth!”

The Grand Elder sighed. “Precisely. Taking back the gold is merely a way to protect her.”

The elders all joined in the persuasion.

“Third Elder, go and order Shen Yan to return the gold. If she refuses, then…” The Shen family head’s eyes darkened. He finished coldly, “Take it by force!”

A younger elder hesitated. “Family Head, that gold was given to the second young lady as compensation. If we truly seize it by force, and the second young lady reveals what the eldest young lady did…”

The Shen family head’s expression turned sullen.

“Confine her. That will suffice.”

A worthless fool could never overturn the heavens.

If not for his misgivings about Tianhao, he truly would have had this unfilial granddaughter killed.

That worthless Shen Yan had contradicted him repeatedly and cost him face.

The Third Elder hurriedly agreed with a smile. “Family Head, you can trust this old man to handle the matter.”

“Good.”

The Third Elder then led a group of Shen disciples toward the residence where Shen Yan now lived.

At that same moment, Shen Yan had just broken through to the sixth level of the Yellow-rank realm.

She looked at the spiritual power gathering in her palm and smiled faintly.

“I leave for Xuanwu Kingdom tomorrow.”

Before then, she wanted to cast the summoning formation once more.

She needed the support of additional otherworldly beasts.

According to the books, a Summoner could form life-bound contracts with no more than six otherworldly beasts.

Shen Tianhao—her father in this life—had once formed life-bound contracts with six beasts. He had been one of the greatest Summoners in the entire Pingze Western Region.

But Feng Xingyao had told her that as long as a Summoner was strong enough, there was no limit to the number of summoned beasts they could contract.

There was also another method. One Summoner in tens of millions might be able to summon otherworldly beasts into reality and command them in battle without forming any contract at all. This was called a deep connection.

At the thought, Shen Yan immediately cast the summoning formation.

A black formation rapidly spread beneath her feet.

She closed her eyes and sent her consciousness into her sea of consciousness. The sight within made her tremble.

How could this be…?

Before she could fully recover from her shock, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

Someone soon pounded on the door.

“Miss, the Shen family’s Third Elder is coming with a group of men!” Hongri cried anxiously.

Shen Yan had no choice but to withdraw from the summoning formation at once. Her expression shifted, and her sharp gaze swept toward the door.

The Shen family had come?

She did not need to think hard to know that they meant her harm.

She immediately opened the door.

Hongri looked frantic and uneasy. “Miss, this servant was about to go out and buy something when I happened to see the Shen family’s Third Elder leading a group of men aggressively toward our residence.”

“Calm down.”

Shen Yan reached out and gripped Hongri’s wrist. Without betraying anything, she sensed the area around them and discovered that one of the covert guards was missing.

Realization dawned. She sneered.

She had still underestimated the Shen family’s shamelessness.

Shen Yan made her decision at once. “Come. We’re leaving through the front gate.”

They had taken only a few steps when several Shen family covert guards hidden throughout the residence suddenly appeared and blocked their path.

Every one of them wore a cloth mask.

Hongri’s expression changed. She immediately shielded Shen Yan behind her and stared at them warily.

“Who are you?”

The guard at their head spoke coldly. “Shen Yan, neither of you may leave before the Third Elder arrives.”

Hongri was stunned. They were covert guards from the Shen family!

How shameless!

The young lady had already severed ties with them, yet they had actually stationed covert guards here to watch her?

Shen Yan slowly pushed Hongri aside and stepped forward, her gaze calm.

“What if I insist on leaving?”

“Shen Yan, you won’t make it out,” the covert guard scoffed.

Hongri flushed with rage and prepared to attack them.

Then Shen Yan gave a cold laugh.

“You can’t stop me.”

The guards snorted in disdain.

But in the next instant—

A crimson dagger tore through the air.

Whoosh!

Moving with tremendous speed, it pierced straight through one covert guard’s throat.

Blood sprayed.

The guard’s eyes widened in disbelief as blood gushed from his mouth.

Before the others could react, Shen Yan abruptly appeared in front of them. She seized the bloody dagger with a reverse grip, tore it free, and swept it toward them at blinding speed.