LRAB Chapter 259 The Appearance of a Spiritual Treasure and the Distribution of Harvest
Chapter 259 The Appearance of a Spiritual Treasure and the Distribution of Harvest
Chapter 259 The Appearance of a Spiritual Treasure and the Distribution of Harvest
Throughout the journey, Chen Yi suppressed his cultivation level to the early stage of Core Formation and used his Breath Concealment Technique to make his aura indistinguishable from that of an ordinary cultivator, thus discreetly returning to the Star Moon Sect.
Throughout the journey, he constantly activated his divine sense to perceive the world, but he did not discover any danger aimed at him.
In fact, with his current strength, he even secretly hoped that he might accidentally be cornered by the Black Serpent True Lord in the wild.
He had already planned that if he really encountered the opponent, he would first pretend to be weak from being beaten, and then use the Crystal Marrow and Thunder Soul trump cards to kill him when the Black Serpent True Monarch relaxed his vigilance.
If caught off guard, Chen Yi is 70-80% confident in destroying the opponent's physical body; at most, he can't do anything about the opponent's nascent soul.
It should be noted that Black Serpent True Monarch, as a Nascent Soul stage cultivator who controls all the resources of the entire sect, must have many rare treasures hidden in his storage bag. Killing him would be a considerable gain for him.
Unfortunately, the journey was uneventful, and they never managed to find any trace of the Black Serpent Lord.
Meanwhile, deep within a spirit mine under Eagle Bear City, outside a secret underground spirit vein cave hidden in the darkness, the Black Serpent True Monarch was sealing his divine sense, like a lurking venomous snake, quietly approaching that place.
He has spent more than a year searching for his missing senior brother.
During that year, he investigated almost all the cultivators under his sect, but he still couldn't find anyone whose physical body and soul were obviously incompatible. You know, after a cultivator has possessed another body, there will inevitably be a slight rejection between the physical body and soul, which can be detected by ordinary means.
Black Serpent True Monarch absolutely refused to believe that his senior brother would simply disappear into thin air. He secretly guessed that his senior brother might have found some special method to hide his tracks, making him unable to see the flaws in the possession.
Since he couldn't find anyone, he switched to a simpler method: instead of focusing on investigating cultivators, he began searching for unusual spiritual vein environments within the sect's territory.
He knew very well that after his senior brother possessed the body, if he wanted to regain his Nascent Soul cultivation, he would have to absorb a large amount of pure spiritual energy to nourish his soul and reshape his magical power after fully integrating with the new body.
This process requires a great deal of spiritual energy, which cannot be replaced by elixirs and can only be achieved through spiritual veins.
So, after spending a whole year investigating, he finally discovered the anomaly: the spiritual energy consumption of this spiritual mine under the sect far exceeded the average of the past ten years, and the consumption trajectory was extremely hidden. If he hadn't carefully compared the data from previous years, he wouldn't have been able to find it at all.
When the Black Serpent True Lord quietly arrived at this place, he followed the fluctuations of the spiritual vein and discovered an extremely hidden spiritual vein chamber a hundred miles underground.
Outside the dark room, there was a special array set up to conceal spiritual energy fluctuations, clearly indicating that someone was deliberately hiding their tracks.
Black Serpent True Lord was certain that this must be his senior brother's hiding place.
He immediately shut down all his magical power and spiritual sense, and like a rock, he quietly crouched in the shadows outside the dark room, patiently waiting for his target to appear.
Finally, late at night, a dark golden figure silently descended from above the spirit mine, skillfully using techniques to break and open the array door of the secret chamber.
But the moment that shadowy figure entered the dark room, he was completely dumbfounded. The dark room was not empty; the Black Serpent True Lord was already waiting there.
Just as he was about to call out "Junior Brother," a black snake suddenly darted out from the shadows and instantly wrapped around his entire body, rendering him unable to move.
Without a second thought, Jin Ying directly controlled his head to split open, and a nascent soul flew out at lightning speed. But what greeted it was the gaping maw of the Black Serpent True Monarch, and an incomparably terrifying soul-sucking force came from it, leaving the nascent soul with nowhere to hide.
"No—Junior Brother, you can't devour my Nascent Soul!"
Golden Eagle's nascent soul struggled frantically, while simultaneously roaring through its divine soul, filled with despair and resentment.
However, the Black Serpent True Monarch ignored it completely, circulating his magic power and absorbing it like a storm, completely suppressing the struggle of the Golden Eagle Nascent Soul. He swallowed it into his stomach in one gulp, and then immediately sat down cross-legged, using the refining method from the sect's secret manual to begin absorbing the primordial power within the Nascent Soul.
A sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips as he muttered to himself, "If you hadn't created this secret chamber to lock yourself up and absorb spiritual energy here, it would have taken me a lot of effort to capture your nascent soul."
Even if I succeed, the commotion will inevitably be noticed by outsiders, and I will be branded as someone who harmed my fellow disciples.
"Isn't this great? No one knows, yet we're intertwined. From now on, Senior Brother, I'll fulfill your wish to achieve the Great Dao!"
As the Nascent Soul's essence was continuously refined, the Black Serpent True Monarch's aura began to slowly rise, and his original early Nascent Soul cultivation showed faint signs of breaking through to the middle stage.
Meanwhile, inside the Star Moon Sect, Chen Yi had just returned to his cave dwelling. Before he could even sort out the gains from his trip to Thunder Peak or consolidate his progress in marrow refining, his plans were interrupted by a figure that broke in late at night.
A slender figure slipped into the cultivation cave like a ghost, and the faint fragrance of moon orchids filled Chen Yi's bedroom.
A stunningly beautiful woman stepped out, her shoes, boots, and outer robe slipping off as she walked. By the time she reached Chen Yi's bedside, she was almost entirely naked except for a pair of white stockings, waiting for Chen Yi to make his move.
"Mmm—"
Chen Yi, who was in a semi-meditative state, was suddenly stopped breathing by a soft, warm, and moist touch that pressed against his lips.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, temporarily pausing his cultivation and opening his eyes to look at the person in front of him.
"You hypocrite, junior brother, I'm already here, and you're still pretending to be meditating?"
After a long while, their lips parted, and Yue Qingqiu lay on Chen Yi, slightly out of breath, her voice soft and coquettish.
"Senior sister, have you finished cultivating your Nascent Soul technique?"
Chen Yi spoke helplessly, his gaze falling on her.
"That's not something you can master in a short time."
Yue Qingqiu shook her head, her fingers gently tracing across Chen Yi's chest. "I've come this time to check whether you've been secretly seeking pleasure or engaging in philandering during the past year or so you've been away."
"Don't move, let me examine you properly."
As she spoke, Yue Qingqiu reached behind her head with both hands, took out a blue hair tie, and casually tied up her loose long hair.
What followed was an indescribable tenderness.
After one night, Yue Qingqiu transferred the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid she had accumulated over a year and a half to Chen Yi before slowly resting.
Her face was rosy, and she lay lazily in Chen Yi's arms, saying in a soft voice, "Junior brother, now everyone in the sect is speculating about our relationship, and there's a lot of gossip about it in private."
Moreover, outside the sect, there are several old guys in the mid-Nascent Soul stage who have been sending me messages, using various resources...
They're using their power as leverage to pressure me into becoming their Daoist partner. It's so annoying!
"What do you think we should do about these things?"
Although Yue Qingqiu had promised Chen Yi not to announce their relationship as Daoist partners, female cultivators are naturally inclined to such things. Now that she has been intimate with Chen Yi and has gained physical support, she inevitably has more expectations in her heart. She wants to have a legitimate and open relationship so that everyone can recognize it.
Chen Yi saw through her thoughts and sighed inwardly:
Fairy, if you are so fixated on titles and honors, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay in the Star Moon Sect for long. The matter of Daoist partners has too many implications for karma, and Chen Yi doesn't want to create a weakness because of it, thus affecting his pursuit of the Great Dao.
After thinking for a moment, he advised, "Senior sister, it's not appropriate to talk about our relationship with outsiders right now."
Just ignore those old guys who have feelings for you; there's no need to worry about them.
As for the pressure of transactions within the sect, you can put more of that on me.
For now, it's best for us to lie low and develop discreetly. They're only taking advantage of your early Nascent Soul stage cultivation. Once you advance to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, no one will dare to exert pressure like this anymore.
Hearing him say this, Yue Qingqiu knew she hadn't gotten the result she wanted. A sense of disappointment swept through her heart, and she sighed softly. However, she understood that Chen Yi's concerns were not without reason, so she could only nod and reply, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
After her initial disappointment, Yue Qingqiu changed the subject and remembered something else. She discussed it with Chen Yi, saying, "By the way, junior brother, there's something else I want to talk to you about. Should we cultivate the Star Moon Fusion technique together?"
This is one of the fundamental dual cultivation techniques of our Star Moon Sect. If two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators can successfully cultivate it together, they will not only be able to unleash attacks at the mid-stage Nascent Soul level during battle, but their escape speed will also be greatly increased, which is equivalent to directly raising their combat strength by one level.
However, the Star Moon Sect has been struggling for centuries, and the Star Moon Union has not appeared in the world for a long time.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. He never refused such an opportunity to improve his strength. Moreover, he already possessed the most difficult foundation for cultivating the Star-Moon Fusion Technique: Star-Moon Essence.
Moreover, this original liquid was condensed by him and Yue Qingqiu, who were both cultivators of the Star Moon Technique, during their dual cultivation.
With this primordial liquid as a foundation, when the two of them use the Star and Moon Union in the future, they will naturally be able to communicate with each other and merge their magical powers. If they cultivate to the highest level, they can even reach the realm of soul communication, with power far exceeding that of ordinary fellow cultivators.
"Cultivating the Unity of Stars and Moon is certainly possible."
Chen Yi paused slightly, then rationally analyzed, "However, Senior Sister, it will be at least several decades before I reach the Nascent Soul stage."
Even if we successfully cultivate this divine ability during this period, we would likely find it difficult to withstand a direct confrontation with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator for very long.
"It's alright," Yue Qingqiu shook her head, her tone tinged with caution. "It's always good to have another trump card. Recently, the whereabouts of the Black Serpent True Monarch of Eagle Ridge Mountain have been unknown, and I have a bad feeling about it. It's always better to make more preparations."
"it is good."
Chen Yi nodded in agreement. Black Serpent True Monarch was always a potential threat, and having more strength meant having more security.
Yue Qingqiu recalled the recent news, and her expression became even more solemn: "In addition, there has been a great commotion in the Black Mountain Secret Realm recently, which is probably bad news for our entire Central Continent."
Qingyun Cave Heaven has officially notified all sects and forces to prepare for war. It is said that there is a risk of invasion from outside cultivators into the Black Mountain Secret Realm, and we must take precautions against this as well.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi nodded solemnly. After returning to his cave, he received a message from Ji Wuchen.
The letter said that there was something important to tell him, but Ji Wuchen needed to recover from his injuries and lay low for a while, so he could only meet with him later to discuss the details.
Adding to the recent uproar in the cultivation world about the Black Mountain Secret Realm, Chen Yi already had a vague guess in his mind.
Rumor has it that not only have many high-level inheritances and rare treasures appeared in the secret realm, but a quasi-spiritual treasure has also appeared in the world.
At the same time, nearly ten Nascent Soul stage cultivators who entered the secret realm have died or been injured, and many others have come into contact with cultivators from outside the Great Green Cultivation World in the special space of the secret realm.
Each of these messages was enough to shake the Central Plains.
Chen Yi knew very well that the cultivation world was never static.
Previously, his cultivation level was too low to access such top-level information;
Now that his cultivation level has improved, the resources he needs are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, and he will inevitably be drawn into the changes in the overall situation.
In such chaotic times, strength is always the most reliable trump card for survival.
After a moment of reflection, Chen Yi saw that Yue Qingqiu's body had almost fully recovered, so he engaged in several more dual cultivation sessions with her.
However, on these occasions, he did not indulge in physical pleasures between men and women. In his view, that was nothing but low-level interest. Even though Yue Qingqiu possessed the most beautiful face and body in the world, it could not shake his mind.
He focused more on utilizing Yue Qingqiu's Nascent Soul power and the Nascent Soul-level Moon Spirit Source Liquid within her body, maximizing every moment of dual cultivation to rapidly improve his own magical power.
He knew very well that the tide was turning, and without the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage, he would be nothing more than an ant in the future turmoil, probably without even a chance to protect himself.
In the days that followed, Chen Yi resumed his daily cultivation routine.
His magical cultivation level was largely boosted by the "core power" of Yue Qingqiu, who was at the Nascent Soul level, during their dual cultivation.
When he was alone, he focused on digesting the gains from his trip to Leifeng, gradually absorbing the spiritual essence left by the ancient golden thunderfish and transforming it into the comprehension needed for marrow refinement, thus gradually improving the efficiency of marrow refinement.
In his spare time, Chen Yi would occasionally take on some orders, mostly for refining Thunder Brew of Escape Techniques and Thunder Brew of Enlightenment from the Thundercloud Sect.
Don't underestimate these few orders every year. The materials he gets from these orders are all of fourth-tier quality, which can be used to refine fourth-tier Thunder Brew Spirit Essence.
This spiritual essence can provide him with ample thunder spirit power for marrow refining, which is extremely useful. After all, a fourth-order thunder pool like Thunder Peak is not something that can be encountered anytime and anywhere.
Moreover, as the number of fourth-order Thunder Brew Essences he refined increased, Chen Yi's understanding of Thunder Brew refining also deepened.
He estimated that it wouldn't be long before he could obtain a higher-level Thunder Brew recipe and be confident in attempting to refine a higher-grade Thunder Brew.
However, the recipes for fourth-grade mid-level and high-level Thunder Brew are closely guarded secrets of the Ji family, and even Ji Wuchen, who is on good terms with him, cannot produce them.
Even so, Chen Yi has recently sensed that something is amiss.
After returning to the Star Moon Sect, he received a message from Qiu Li.
In the letter, Qiu Li said that a member of the Ji family had inquired about the origin of the Enlightenment Thunder Brew. She could not hide this matter at all and could only reveal Chen Yi's name.
Judging from the contents of the message, the Ji family seems to be very interested in the creator of the Enlightenment Thunder Brew.
In her letter, Qiu Li specifically reminded Chen Yi to be more careful.
If they encounter trouble that even the Star Moon Sect cannot resolve, she is willing to ask the elders of the Thunder Cloud Sect to take Chen Yi back to the Thunder Cloud Sect for protection.
In addition, Master Yuntian of Qingyun Cave also sent a message to Chen Yi.
The letter stated that a high-ranking member of the Enforcement Hall had heard of Chen Yi's name and was particularly displeased with the ambiguous rumors circulating about him and Yue Qingqiu. The member specifically reminded Chen Yi to be more careful in his future actions to avoid giving others cause for criticism and attracting unnecessary trouble.
Chen Yi put down the communication jade talisman and pondered to himself that as long as he was in the cultivation world, the power relationships, resource transactions, and interpersonal interactions around him would be like an invisible net, firmly enveloping him.
This sense of urgency has never disappeared.
He knew very well that if he were already a Nascent Soul cultivator, these troubles might not be so acute.
I still need to focus on my training and improve my strength as soon as possible!
Chen Yi made a silent vow in his heart that only by being strong enough could he break free from the shackles of this net.
Fortunately, it wasn't all bad news recently. There was also some exciting good news: after nearly thirty years of slow, day-to-day absorption, Chen Yi was finally about to completely absorb the wisp of Xuan Tian Qi contained in the Xuan Tian gourd shell that Old Hu had given him.
As a result, his ability to perceive the world steadily improved every day, with a range and accuracy far exceeding what he had before.
Just a few days ago, he could even sense from afar that a newly promoted mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the west, hundreds of thousands of miles away, harbored strong malice towards him.
Based on the previous information about the disappearance of the Black Serpent True Lord and the unusual activity at Eagle Ridge Mountain, Chen Yi deduced that this person was very likely the Black Serpent True Lord.
What alarmed him even more was that he was even 50% certain that the reason why Black Serpent True Monarch was able to advance to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm was because he used evil methods to refine the Nascent Soul of his fellow disciple, Golden Eagle True Monarch, which allowed him to break through his realm quickly.
A storm is brewing.
Chen Yi sighed inwardly, his sense of crisis growing stronger, which also made him more focused on his cultivation.
Judging from the current rate of improvement in his marrow refining efficiency, his body refining cultivation may be able to complete the initial marrow refining in about ten years and reach the fourth level of body refining.
Six months later, a high-level cultivation method called the "Primordial Magnetic Cultivation Method" spread throughout the cultivation world of Zhongzhou.
This is a variant cultivation technique that leans towards the metal and earth elements. It is said to originate from a damaged spiritual treasure called the "Yuan Magnetic Yin Yang Ring" in the Black Mountain Secret Realm.
Rumor has it that this Yuan Magnetic Black and White Ring was discovered in a special space within a secret realm, which immediately sparked a struggle between the Great Green Cultivation World and another early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators known as the "Black Peak Cultivation World".
Unfortunately, the cultivators on Daqing's side were no match for their opponents and suffered heavy losses. At the time, everyone thought that the damaged spiritual treasure had been taken away by the geniuses of the Black Peak cultivation world.
However, in the past six months, the prices of magnetic materials, ores, and treasures in the entire Central Continent have suddenly skyrocketed.
A fourth-tier lower-level divination master deduced that the damaged Yuan Magnetic Black and White Ring actually ended up in the hands of a cultivator from the Central Plains.
Of course, because the power of laws contained in spiritual treasures is extremely strong, it is very difficult to deduce them through divination. Even fourth-level divination masters are unwilling to spend a huge amount of money to deduce the specific owner of a spiritual treasure.
Six months later, Chen Yi received a secret letter from Ji Wuchen.
In the letter, Ji Wuchen invited him to a private meeting on a small island with a first-tier spiritual vein in the Moon Lake Spiritual Land, saying that he had important matters to discuss.
Several days later, in a rented spiritual vein cave in a first-tier spiritual vein refining market near Moon Lake Spiritual Land, two young men dressed in ordinary cultivator's clothing met.
Only after all the multiple concealment and defense formations within the cave were activated did Ji Wuchen remove his disguise and reveal his true form.
As soon as he revealed his aura, Chen Yi keenly sensed that the lightning crystal in his body was being suppressed by an inexplicable field force. The lightning power that was originally flowing freely now required 120% effort to unleash. Clearly, Ji Wuchen possessed special techniques or treasures.
Chen Yi immediately realized that the strange field force that had suppressed his Thunder Crystal earlier was probably related to the rumored Yin-Yang magnetic force, and his gaze toward Ji Wuchen suddenly changed.
The next moment, Ji Wuchen seemed to realize something, and fine sweat appeared on his forehead. He was obviously trying his best to control the restless magic power in his body and forcibly suppress it with some kind of force.
As he subsided, the suppression of the lightning crystal within Chen Yi's body gradually weakened, and the sluggish feeling slowly faded away.
Ji Wuchen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "Brother Chen, the reason I risked everything to meet you in private this time is to fulfill a promise I made before."
Chen Yi nodded slightly, saying nothing more, and simply waited quietly for him to continue.
"This time, I, along with several companions and the ethereal fairy, ventured into that special space in the Black Mountain Secret Realm."
Unexpectedly, we were ambushed by cultivators from the Black Peak Realm shortly after entering. We were all injured and in a sorry state.
Ji Wuchen's tone was somewhat solemn, "The opponent is a Golden Core Peak genius of the same level, whose strength far exceeds our imagination. He was able to suppress us by fighting three against one."
"If it weren't for Fairy Kongling's formidable strength, which promptly intimidated one of the opponent's incredibly fast prodigies, we would likely have been trapped in that space and suffered a great loss."
He paused, then shifted the focus to his gains: "However, there were indeed several rare treasures hidden in that space, including two damaged spiritual treasures."
In order to compete with the cultivators of the Black Peak Realm for an opportunity, Ji had no choice but to use up the two bottles of near-fourth-tier Thunder Brew Essence that Brother Chen had given him.
Moreover, its use is quite noisy, and it's highly likely that other cultivators present at the time could sense the special aura of the Thunder Brew. This matter probably can't be kept secret for long.
"Next, I, Ji, plan to go into seclusion for a period of time to focus all my efforts on breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm."
However, if Lei Niang's affair is exposed, someone will inevitably follow the clues and find out about Brother Chen, which may cause you trouble.
To express his apology and to fulfill his previous promise of profit sharing, Mr. Ji is willing to give up an additional 10% on top of the original 15% share, for a total of 25% to Mr. Chen.
Chen Yi nodded upon hearing this. Since things had come to this point, there was no point in arguing any further. He was more concerned about what exactly this 25% gain entailed.
As Ji Wuchen took things out of the storage bag one by one, Chen Yi's surprise grew stronger.
"This is a mid-grade fourth-order Wind and Thunder Fan blank, containing pure fourth-order wind and thunder power. It can be used to forge a top-grade magic weapon with wind and thunder attributes. This item should be suitable for Brother Chen."
Ji Wuchen picked up an object shaped like a folding fan, which was shimmering with pale purple lightning, and said.
Then he took out a piece of wood that was completely black and faintly crackled with lightning: "This is a mid-grade fourth-order lightning-struck wood. It contains extremely rich spiritual power of both lightning and wood attributes. It can also be used to forge top-grade magic weapons with lightning and wood attributes. Brother Chen should be able to use it too."
Finally, he took out a piece of warm-glowing reddish-brown wood and a piece of red stone radiating a scorching heat: "And this fourth-grade low-rank Phoenix Perching Wood and Spirit Fire Stone, although of slightly lower grade, can be combined with other materials to create magic weapons, and can be considered as good auxiliary materials."
Chen Yi's eyes grew increasingly strange as he focused on these treasures. Each of them exuded an extremely powerful aura, far beyond the reach of ordinary Core Formation cultivators. Even Nascent Soul cultivators might not be able to possess such treasures.
You should know that these are the main materials for crafting top-grade magic weapons, and there are two of them at once!
The Star Moon Sect has been passed down for thousands of years, but its foundation consists of only one top-grade magic weapon.
In fact, both the Wind and Thunder Fan embryo and the lightning-struck wood slightly conflict with his own Thunder Spirit Body Tempering Technique and Thunder Soul Divine Power. Moreover, given his fighting style, which is accustomed to close combat and relies on Thunder Crystal Marrow, it is not very suitable for him to use magic weapons.
But who would complain about having too many magical treasures?
What's more, it's the main material for a top-grade magic weapon!
In a battle of magic, it is much easier to throw out a top-grade magic weapon to restrain the opponent than to simply cast spells or use Thunder Crystal Marrow at close range.
Besides, why would anyone refuse something good? Even if you don't need it in the future, giving it away as a favor or directly absorbing its spiritual energy is still a great option.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Chen Yi pointed to the treasures before him and asked, "Brother Ji, which of these items is your share of the spoils of war?"
Ji Wuchen was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and replied, "Uh—all of these."
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