Demonic Cultivator(211-215)

Chapter 211: The Queen's Command

Five years later.

On the surface of Soul Star, near the City of Torrential Flow.

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan, paired together, were scouring the dark and desolate land in search of fuel.

Unlike the Soul Clan, who could directly absorb souls for sustenance, these Ascenders, possessing physical bodies, needed to consume biomass. Typically, the Ascenders fed on tuberous starch plants and insect protein.

Underground, where no sunlight could provide illumination or warmth, they had to produce their own energy for light and heat. The Ascendant Faction utilized what was once the Soul Star nobility's Soul Furnace, using souls as fuel to generate light and heat.

However, the nobility had used the souls of the lower classes, whereas the Ascenders now used wild soul beasts as their fuel source. Most of these soul beasts had indeed been wild animals before, but a small portion were formerly members of the Soul Clan. Without the constraints of a physical body for too long, they had gradually become aggressive and murderous, eventually turning into soul beasts.

Ma Nanshan scratched his head, "Leader Yun, we've been out for four days and have only caught three soul beasts. How are we supposed to report back like this?"

Yun Qi gave a wry smile, "I wish I knew…"

The underground city's fuel supply was depleting rapidly. The queen had no choice but to send out teams of Ascenders to capture soul beasts. The Dragonfly Squad had performed well; in just five days, they had captured over a hundred soul beasts.

In contrast, their own Dark Cloud Squad had not only encountered the Slaughter Faction, suffering heavy losses but had also managed to catch only three soul beasts. They would pale in comparison to the accomplishments of the Dragonfly Squad.

"This time, we'll probably face the queen's punishment," Yun Qi sighed lightly.

The queen's temperament had changed drastically, becoming increasingly tyrannical and erratic. She would fly into a rage over trivial disagreements. Many of the Ascenders serving her had been executed for minor offenses.

Ma Nanshan pondered for a long while before whispering, "Leader Yun, what if we leave the Ascendant Faction? Stop serving the queen."

Yun Qi smiled bitterly again. Ma Nanshan's suggestion was not something he hadn't considered himself. He had thought about leaving many times. But if they left the Ascendant Faction, where could they possibly go?

The Slaughter Faction's Soul Clan members were madmen who killed any living person on sight. The Husbandry Faction's Soul Clan was somewhat rational, but being caught by them meant the life of a slave.

And if they encountered any of the remaining Soul Star nobility, as outsiders, they would be even less welcome. After much consideration, the only place they seemed to fit was the Ascendant Faction.

Yun Qi sighed softly and tried to counsel, "Nanshan, we outsiders..."

However, before he could continue, he sensed a strong threat looming behind them.

Instinctively, Yun Qi pulled Ma Nanshan to the left.

Boom!

The spot where they had just been standing was instantly blasted into a large pit. Both Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan were shaken, looking back in alarm.

"Hmm? Yun Qi, you're truly worthy of being the highest-ranked captain of the Dark Cloud Squad. Tsks, my long-planned ambush, and you dodged it just like that?"

A strange laughter echoed.

Following that, ten figures appeared one after another, surrounding Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan. Yun Qi, upon seeing the leader, was shocked. It was Long Yuan, the captain of the Dragonfly Squad! The others were also members of the Dragonfly Squad!

Ma Nanshan furrowed his brows, "Long Yuan? What are you up to? Using a sneak attack and disregarding martial ethics?"

Long Yuan burst into laughter, "Ma Nanshan, you really are naive. I can't understand how someone like you unites the Pegasus Star. You probably still don't know that your revered Captain Yun is a member of the Golden Horse Empire's royalty!"

Ma Nanshan looked at Yun Qi in shock, "What? Yun Qi, you're part of the Golden Horse Empire's royalty?"

Yun Qi sighed, "Yes, but I am only from a collateral line."

Ma Nanshan's eyes blazed with fury, roaring, "My family was killed by the Golden Horse Empire! I cannot coexist under the same sky with the royal family of the Golden Horse Empire! I will kill you!" His palm surged with soul power, forming a long spear, ready to strike Yun Qi!

Yun Qi's expression changed dramatically as he hurriedly mustered his soul power to defend against the attack.

Long Yuan crossed his arms, sneering. He Qing, a slender woman beside Long Yuan, covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "This Ma Nanshan really is foolish, easily provoked to turn against Yun Qi."

The others laughed scornfully, reveling in the chaos.

However, in the next moment, Ma Nanshan's spear of soul power suddenly blasted towards the two nearest people! Yun Qi's hands, initially forming a soul shield, swiftly changed and transformed into a soul-powered bow and arrow in the blink of an eye.

Two twanging sounds.

The soul-powered arrows flew from the string at high speed towards two members of the Dragonfly Squad!

In just an instant. four heads were pierced through by the soul spear and soul arrows! Their faces, frozen in mockery, instantly stiffened.

With a thud, four bodies fell to the ground.

Ma Nanshan sneered, "Did you really think I was foolish enough not to know that Leader Yun is from the Golden Horse Empire's royalty?"

Yun Qi felt a sense of relief. He had noticed the change in Ma Nanshan's expression earlier and knew Ma Nanshan's true intentions. The two men, perfectly coordinated, acted in seamless unison.

The cold sneers on the faces of Long Yuan and his group instantly turned into raging fury at that moment. They had never expected that Ma Nanshan, always regarded as a talkative and straightforward man, would feign an attack on Yun Qi to strike the unguarded members of the Dragonfly Squad.

Yun Qi, pretending to defend against Ma Nanshan, also aimed his real attack at the members of the Dragonfly Squad. In that instant, four of the ten members of the Dragonfly Squad were dead!

Long Yuan's heart bled with grief. He roared furiously, "Yun Qi! You damned traitor!"

He Qing also shouted in anger, "Ma Nanshan, you dare kill my sworn brother, prepare to die!"

The remaining six members of the Dragonfly Squad quickly closed in. They relentlessly unleashed soul techniques, bombarding Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan with a frenzy of attacks. Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan fought while retreating, using the terrain to their advantage and continuously inflicting injuries on Long Yuan and his team.

However, after a prolonged chase and battle, except for Long Yuan and He Qing, all other members of the Dragonfly Squad were dead. Even Long Yuan and He Qing were severely wounded, with their soul power nearly depleted.

The look in their eyes when they gazed at Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan had shifted from furious anger to fear. These two were exceedingly difficult to kill. Yun Qi was truly the most experienced of the Ascenders. Ma Nanshan was truly the strongest in soul power. No wonder the queen had secretly ordered their elimination.

With a thud, a soul spear pierced through He Qing's heart. The slender woman fell to the ground in disbelief.

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan, dragging their heavily scarred bodies, stood before Long Yuan. Long Yuan was overwhelmed with fear, desperately shrinking back. His earlier arrogance had completely vanished.

Ma Nanshan growled, "Speak, why did you ambush us!"

A sinister smile suddenly appeared on Long Yuan's face. Yun Qi, with a complex expression, said, "You don't need to say it, I can guess. It was the queen's command, wasn't it?"

Chapter 212: Always Look on the Bright Side

Long Yuan clutched his chest, his eyes wide open, and he snorted coldly, "It seems you already knew. The queen planned to use human souls as fuel, and you refused. You defied the queen's orders, but your experience is too vast, likely to inspire other Ascenders, so the queen ordered us to eliminate you..."

Yun Qi took a deep breath, "Was it you who leaked the information about my Dark Cloud Squad to the Slaughter Faction?"

Long Yuan gave a sinister laugh, "It was the queen's command."

Yun Qi sighed deeply. He had come to Soul Star long ago, among the first batch of Ascenders to follow the queen. Of those earliest Ascenders, he was the only one left. He had not expected the queen to turn against him.

At that moment, Yun Qi felt something being torn from within him, shattering. His body shook, nearly causing him to fall, but Ma Nanshan quickly steadied him.

Long Yuan, seizing the moment, mobilized the last bit of his recovering soul power, blasting out the enveloping mist. Then, with a forceful push, he attempted to flee.

Ma Nanshan's eyes widened, "Who said you could leave? Come back here!"

His soul spear flew from his hand, striking Long Yuan's heart with unerring precision. The latter, clutching his chest in disbelief, fell forward with a thud. He should never have accepted the queen's task. Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan were too strong...

Long Yuan's consciousness quickly succumbed to the encroaching darkness.

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan sat back-to-back, both wearing bitter smiles. Yun Qi had come to Soul Star out of curiosity, having encountered a Psionic block. Ma Nanshan, having no rivals left on Pegasus Star and carrying the ideal of saving Soul Star, had arrived here as well. But now, everything was shattered.

The Ascendant Faction wanted them dead. There was no going back to Pegasus Star. Surviving in the desolate wilderness of Soul Star was akin to self-destruction.

Since death was inevitable sooner or later, they thought it might be better to die sooner and find release.

Yun Qi extended his hand, gazing at the same hand that had slain countless souls, and felt an urge to end his own life. Ma Nanshan grabbed his hand and pointed ahead, "Leader Yun, I know you want to die, but hold off on dying for a moment—look ahead."

Yun Qi lifted his head and was startled to see a soul entity with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake speeding toward them. The soul entity was massive. At first glance, it was evident that it rivaled the Specter King in stature.

Yun Qi scrutinized the soul entity a few moments longer. It seemed familiar, perhaps from a long-ago encounter. He tried hard to recall, but couldn't bring it to mind.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Yun Qi chuckled instead, "Unexpectedly running into a Ghost King, now I won't have to do the deed myself."

Ma Nanshan shook his head, "Leader Yun, you must think positively. What if it's the Husbandry Faction's Specter King?"

Yun Qi's face twitched, and he swiftly raised his hand, "Then I might as well kill myself!" Being captured by the Husbandry Faction to serve as a breeding stallion, day in and day out, would be worse than death.

The two-armed figure standing before them fiddled with his divination tools for a while before saying, "You two are quite interesting. Father might take an interest in you. Would you like to come with me?"

After hearing this, Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan were stunned. Father? Although the Soul Clan had genders, since they lacked physical bodies, they naturally couldn't reproduce.

New members of the Soul Clan were created by two Specter Kings slicing parts of their souls and merging them. Lower-level beings like the Great Specters and Specters lacked any capability to produce new souls.

Newborn members of the Soul Clan wouldn't refer to their creators as parents but would still address them as Kings. Upon reaching the rank of a Specter King, they would refer to the ones who produced them as equals.

What was this Specter King's deal? Could there be a fourth secret faction beyond the Slaughter, Husbandry, and Ascendant Factions?

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan exchanged a glance. Having been abandoned by the Ascendant Faction, they decided to see what this was about. There was no harm in just looking.

Seeing their agreement, Two Arms scooped them up under his arms and flew towards the Yellow Springs Soul Refining Array. The high-speed flight left Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan dizzy and disoriented.

Before they could clear their heads, they were already standing on solid ground.

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow and withdrew his Great Devouring Palm, eyeing the two men. He could tell at a glance that their souls and bodies were not perfectly aligned—a clear sign of Ascenders.

"Dad, while searching for powerful soul beasts outside, I found these two interesting individuals and brought them back," said Two Arms. "I think they might be useful to you."

With a chuckle, Two Arms recounted everything he had observed.

Chu Xuan glanced at the two men. Yun Qi, astonished, exclaimed, "Senior, it's you!"

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow, recognizing the man. He had just arrived on Soul Star and set up the Yellow Springs Soul Refining Formation. Intent on eradicating any threats around the formation, he had planned to clear out the Husbandry Faction entrenched near the City of Torrential Flow. He had accidentally encountered an Ascenders squad attacking the city, finding themselves encircled by the Husbandry Faction. At that time, Yun Qi had invited him to join the Ascenders, but he had outright refused.

Chu Xuan hadn't expected that, after more than a decade, he would meet this man again. Indeed, it seemed they were fated to cross paths again.

Chu Xuan casually asked, "Were you betrayed by the Ascendant Faction?"

Yun Qi replied with a bitter smile, "Senior, you are correct."

Chu Xuan spoke indifferently, "Do you want to avenge your fallen comrades?"

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan looked at each other, then simultaneously knelt down, "Yes! Please teach us, Senior!"

Chu Xuan stated calmly, "Work for me, gather information about the Ascendant Faction."

Both responded earnestly, "We are willing!"

Chu Xuan nodded and casually released two streams of spiritual sense, which entered their bodies. Suddenly, he transformed these into spiritual sense brands, imprinting them deep within their souls. The two felt their souls enveloped by an intense chill, nearly losing consciousness.

However, after the brief cold sensation passed, they realized their souls were gradually growing stronger as if being nourished by something. Both were elated. Currently, both were level nine great soul masters but had always been unable to break into the rank of Soul King. If nourished by this substance, might becoming a Soul King be imminent?

Chu Xuan remarked softly, "That is both a gift and a shackle. Reaching what you call the level of a Soul King will be easy. But from now on, you cannot betray me."

Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan responded solemnly, "We will never betray you!"

Ma Nanshan scratched his head, "By the way... boss, do you also have a Psionic block? I feel like your soul aura seems familiar..."

Chu Xuan smiled but remained silent.

Ma Nanshan knew better than to ask further, promptly shutting his mouth. He had recognized Chu Xuan's aura—it was the one who always remained silent!

Chu Xuan said lightly, "Change your accent before you speak again."

Yun Qi respectfully said, "Master, we are probably now considered traitors by the queen of the Ascendant Faction. We are willing to gather intelligence for you, but how can we return to the Ascenders now?"

Chu Xuan snapped his fingers, "Simple. I'll turn you into someone else."

Chapter 213: Mixed Origin Infinite Art

In the blink of an eye, Yun Qi transformed into the visage of Long Yuan, and Ma Nanshan took on the appearance of He Qing. With Chu Xuan's abilities, altering someone's appearance was effortlessly done.

Ma Nanshan was almost in tears, "Why do I have to be the woman?"

Yun Qi coughed lightly, "Long Yuan and He Qing are a couple, and He Qing often initiates flirtations with Long Yuan. Remember that well, Nanshan."

Ma Nanshan, "..."

Chu Xuan casually produced two transmitting jade slips and taught them how to use them, "Take these, and transmit any information you gather through them."

"Yes," Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan both nodded solemnly.

"Go, you are Long Yuan and He Qing from now on," Chu Xuan said with a smile.

The two bowed and departed. From that moment on, Yun Qi and Ma Nanshan were considered dead. Yet, being formidable in strength, they had severely wounded the Dragonfly Squad before their supposed deaths. Of the ten members of the Dragonfly Squad, only the leader Long Yuan and the vice-leader He Qing survived.

"You seem to recognize the master?" Yun Qi asked quietly.

Ma Nanshan nodded, "It was a long time ago. I encountered... the master through a Psionic block. But he never spoke. I didn't expect the master's soul power to be so immense! Now I understand why the master never spoke; he probably saw through it as a trap all along."

Yun Qi nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but look back toward the direction of the Yellow Springs Soul Refining Formation, feeling that their new master was profoundly mysterious and utterly inscrutable. Working for him seemed like a wise choice.

...

Chu Xuan pondered thoughtfully. These two were merely pawns in a larger game. After all, the Ascendant Faction was now barely a few cats and dogs. Even without gathering their intelligence, it wouldn't significantly impact his plans.

However, the intelligence gathered from Soul One, Soul Two, Soul Three, and Soul Four was crucial. It related to the scale of measures Chu Xuan would need to employ against the Slaughter King and the Greedy King—whether he needed no preparation at all and could strike directly at the heart, or if he should slightly enhance his power before acting, or even reveal his full hand and proceed as if it were a prolonged war.

"Hmm? Is there good news from Blue Star?" Chu Xuan perked up upon receiving new information from Wang Zhenxu.

Deciding to leave a small portion of his soul on Soul Star, he immediately stood up and summoned Wang Zhenxu.

Moments later, the chief of the Black Blade Nine-Person Council knelt before Chu Xuan, his expression barely concealing his excitement. "Immortal! The harmonization technique was successful!" He presented a stack of thick papers to Chu Xuan.

With a simple gesture, Chu Xuan levitated all the papers in mid-air. He skimmed through the text swiftly, absorbing every word.

After a brief moment, Chu Xuan showed a slight hint of surprise. He had read through the technique and found it entirely viable—so much so that it could be practiced immediately without any modifications.

"Who developed this harmonization technique?" Chu Xuan inquired.

Wang Zhenxu replied respectfully, "An elderly man from a place called Ma Baoguo. He has a keen understanding of this matter, so I had him brought to the Enlightenment Institute from the Holy Light Theocracy branch."

Chu Xuan nodded slightly and flicked a large blood pearl toward Wang Zhenxu, "Reward this to Ma Baoguo. Tell him to keep up the good work."

"Yes!" Wang Zhenxu, holding the large blood pearl, nodded solemnly.

"What's the matter?" Chu Xuan frowned slightly.

Wang Zhenxu gave an awkward smile, "Immortal, Ma Baoguo has a condition—he hopes you will use the name he has given to the technique."

"Oh? What name did he choose? Let's hear it," Chu Xuan asked curiously.

Wang Zhenxu said earnestly, "Mixed Origin Infinite Art."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. 'Mixed Origin' aptly reflected the essence of the harmonization technique. The words 'Infinite Art' reminded him of the old demonic sects.

"This name is good, I'll use it," Chu Xuan nodded.

"Ma Baoguo will be very pleased to hear this," Wang Zhenxu said respectfully as he began to retreat, "I take my leave."

After Wang Zhenxu left, Chu Xuan immediately began practicing the Mixed Origin Infinite Art. This harmonization technique's main benefit was the vast amount of Spiritual Qi it could generate—enough to mitigate the conflicts between other mutually contradictory techniques.

The Mixed Origin Infinite Art was divided into nine levels, corresponding to the Golden Core's first through ninth levels. It took Chu Xuan only three days to grasp the basics of the technique.

A year later, he had cultivated the Mixed Origin Infinite Art to its highest, the ninth level. Upon reaching the ninth level, he sensed that the technique might still have potential for further enhancement.

Maybe giving Ma Baoguo more opportunities could lead to a grander achievement, possibly developing a Nascent Soul stage harmonization technique!

"The conflicts between the techniques within my body have finally lessened. I can continue my cultivation now."

Chu Xuan immediately sat down to meditate. Now at the ninth level of Golden Core, he urgently needed to find Nascent Soul spiritual materials. Thus, he planned to cultivate the "Great Protective Golden Wheel Scripture" to its highest third level, from which he could learn a new spell called "Protective Dharma Body." This technique required the condensation of merit and was incredibly durable. Additionally, he aimed to cultivate the "Yin Thunder Evil Technique" to its ninth level to learn the "Yin Evil Thunder Shadow" spell.

As time swiftly passed, five years had elapsed on Blue Star. Chu Xuan's body radiated intense golden light. Suddenly, he conjured a magnificent golden dharma body. This majestic form exuded compassion and benevolence, embodying all that was true, good, and beautiful in the world, instilling a sense of humility in those who beheld it.

Chu Xuan's thoughts stirred, and a shadow bursting with lightning suddenly leaped from his own shadow, sprinting around him three times in the blink of an eye. For the first time, Chu Xuan gazed into the eyes of this shadow—his own reflection—and found the experience profoundly intriguing.

These two spells were naturally the Protective Dharma Body and the Yin Evil Thunder Shadow. With these, he had a reliable means of self-protection. Additionally, the substantial expansion of his spiritual soul had naturally condensed into the essence of his spiritual soul.

Alongside the Ghost Kings Two Arms and Four Arms, Chu Xuan's current power was such that if he were to confront Yun Zhongyu again, unlike the perilous battle of last time, he could easily counter and defeat him.

"Calculating the time... I've spent about twenty years on Blue Star, and two years have passed in the extraterritorial battlefield," Chu Xuan mused. "For two years, we've failed to locate Huikong, so the efforts of the Reincarnation Divine Church should have significantly diminished by now, likely just going through the motions.

Taking this opportunity, I should hasten to gather the remaining Nascent Soul spiritual materials. If I can step onto the Nascent Soul Path, I will have more opportunities across the extraterritorial battlefield."

With no time to waste, Chu Xuan activated the Blood Mirror and set off for the extraterritorial battlefield, poised to gather the necessary materials and ascend to the next level of his cultivation journey.

Chapter 214: Where is Lei Family City?

In the extraterritorial battlefield, on a desolate plain devoid of life, remnants of ancient walls and the bones of ancient beasts scattered about created a scene eerily unsettling.

Suddenly, a figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He surveyed the surroundings and nodded slightly.

"Good, no trace of the Nether Crocodiles," Chu Xuan observed, looking around at the largely identical landscape. He randomly chose a direction to proceed. There was no point in trying to discern one area from another; wherever he went would suffice.

As he continued, it wasn't long before he actually encountered another person. However, this person's body was swaying as if on the verge of collapse, seemingly severely injured. The man noticed Chu Xuan and showed a look of relief, rushing towards him.

Chu Xuan's instincts cautioned him.

The man called out, "I am Zhang Xingshan, a Nascent Soul cultivator of the Reincarnation Divine Church. Fellow daoist, do you have any healing elixirs? I shall repay your kindness abundantly in the future!"

Chu Xuan was quite surprised and responded respectfully, "So, it is senior Zhang. I am He Liang, a cultivator from the Majestic Sword Sect, and it's an honor to meet you, senior."

By now, Zhang Xingshan had closed the distance, allowing Chu Xuan to see the man's condition. The Nascent Soul cultivator from the Reincarnation Divine Church was covered in wounds, and his once dignified elder's robe was tattered, hardly befitting his esteemed status. His body was full of scars, and his spiritual Qi was nearly depleted.

Chu Xuan retrieved several bottles of healing elixirs from his storage bag, "Senior, I only have healing elixirs suitable for Golden Core cultivators here, which might be of little effect for you."

Zhang Xingshan approached swiftly, a flicker of sharpness in his eyes, "No matter, your willingness to offer healing elixirs is commendable."

As Chu Xuan looked down, Zhang Xingshan suddenly raised his hand. The scant spiritual Qi left in his body surged out, forming a gigantic maw that lunged at Chu Xuan!

Chu Xuan's eyes flickered coldly. The next moment, Two Arms and Four Arms burst out from his shadow. The two ghost kings, each equipped with their life-bound ghost weapons, attacked from both sides!

With a loud crash, a sound of unbearable breaking came from within Zhang Xingshan's body. He writhed in agony, utterly shocked. A mere Golden Core cultivator had two Ghost Kings bursting out from within him!

"You... you..." Zhang Xingshan wailed, attempting to flee by releasing his Nascent Soul. However, Two Arms and Four Arms were not about to let him escape. In the blink of an eye, they seized his dimly lit Nascent Soul figure, tore it in two, and devoured it on the spot.

Chu Xuan reached out, catching Zhang Xingshan's physical body and tossed it into the Corpse Nurturing Tower, while securing his storage bag at his waist. He then cast a Corpse Refining Blood Fire spell, cleansing the area of any remnants of battle, ensuring no traces were left behind. Only then did he deploy the Mahayana Swift Escape, quickly fleeing the scene.

When Zhang Xingshan had first spotted him, his excitement was palpable, as if he had seen a piece of walking meat. At that moment, Chu Xuan knew that the man's intentions were not to seek healing elixirs, but rather to capture him.

Healing elixirs for Golden Core cultivators were of little use to a Nascent Soul cultivator. However, devouring the flesh and soul of a Golden Core cultivator could be transformed through secret methods into a surge of Spiritual Qi and vitality, likely improving Zhang Xingshan's grave injuries significantly.

Clearly, that had been his plan in approaching Chu Xuan. Had it been any other Golden Core cultivator, they might have indeed fallen prey to Zhang Xingshan's scheme. After all, the Reincarnation Divine Church was a sixth-tier cultivation sect, revered as the 'upper sect' by most cultivators in the extraterritorial battlefield!

Zhang Xingshan, despite being a Nascent Soul elder of the Reincarnation Divine Church, was severely wounded and fleeing towards desolation—a sign he likely harbored some secrets.

"His storage bag might contain treasures, but I'll need to find a safe place to examine them," Chu Xuan thought as he continued to hasten forward.

Then, as expected, he got lost.

After aimlessly wandering the barren plains like a headless fly, Chu Xuan stumbled upon a massive, deep ravine, a sight that sparked a sense of familiarity within him.
"The Great Chasm!"

Finally, he had found a landmark.

This time, instead of heading to the Righteous Dao City where he had resided as Monk Huikong, Chu Xuan decided to go to Lei Family City. The Reincarnation Divine Church's search efforts would be most intense in Righteous Dao City, so it made sense to change his destination. Lei Family City was a good choice.

A day later, he arrived outside Lei Family City. However, the grand characters carved over the city gates had changed.

"Heavenly Sword City?"

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. What had happened to the Lei Family City? He looked towards the gate guards, clad in the robes of the Majestic Sword Sect, Golden Core cultivators. Had the city's allegiance shifted?

Chu Xuan didn't ponder much before following other cultivators into Heavenly Sword City. Upon entering, he made his way straight to a teahouse to partake in some tea. Naturally, drinking tea was secondary; his primary intention was to eavesdrop on the conversations of the other cultivators.

By the time Chu Xuan stepped out of the teahouse, he had gleaned knowledge about the majority of significant events that had occurred over the past two years. The Nascent Soul patriarch of the Lei family, Lei Mingyang, had been gravely injured by Yun Zhongyu and had been forced to flee, releasing his Nascent Soul. This weakened the Lei family's power considerably.

Seizing the opportunity, Shangguan Hao of the Majestic Sword Sect led a faction of cultivators from Majestic Sword City to invade Lei Family City. They ousted the Lei family, seized control, and renamed it Heavenly Sword City. With this acquisition, the Majestic Sword Sect nominally possessed two large cities and seven smaller ones, making their territory the largest on this battlefield.

However, it seemed Shangguan Hao had some conflicts with other Nascent Soul cultivators of Majestic Sword City. Rather than being the sect's second major city, this place seemed more like a private domain of the Shangguan family.

Intent on keeping a low profile, Chu Xuan had already altered his appearance and concealed his aura. To outsiders, he appeared to be nothing more than a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Chu Xuan rented a second-tier cave dwelling, set up his protective formations, and then returned to Blue Star. He had a gut feeling that Zhang Xingshan harbored secrets. Therefore, he approached the task of opening the man's storage bag with caution.

Nascent Soul cultivators' spiritual imprints are formidable. Despite Chu Xuan's soul being far more advanced than that of his peers in the Golden Core stage, it still took him five full days to completely erase the spiritual imprint from the storage bag.

"Quite a few medium spiritual stones, about two thousand pieces. All the pills, talismans, and magic treasures are gone. This guy was broke, wasn't he? Ah, but there is a Soul Breaking Spike; not bad at all."

Chu Xuan couldn't help but shake his head, though he could guess the circumstances. The man must have been through a fierce battle of life and death, likely consuming all his pills, talismans, and magic treasures during the fight.

As for the Soul Breaking Spikes, Chu Xuan had already obtained two from Yun Zhongyu's storage bag. With this one, he now had three.

"Ah, what's this box?"

Chu Xuan noticed a wooden box placed in the most secure compartment of Zhang Xingshan's storage bag. A look of curiosity flashed across his eyes. Opening the box, he found an ancient seed emitting a grey aura. The more he looked at it, the more ominous it seemed.

"What is this?"

Chapter 215: Taotie Tree Seed

The more Chu Xuan scrutinized the seed, the dizzier he felt, an unmistakable sign that this was no ordinary object. He decided to err on the side of caution, carefully re-securing it within his storage.

Without knowing its true purpose, it was best not to tamper with it recklessly. Given that Zhang Xingshan, despite being a Nascent Soul elder of the Reincarnation Divine Church, had met such a dire fate, the seed might very well be related.

"It seems I need to investigate what this seed really is…" Chu Xuan mused, turning back to the extraterritorial battlefield.

...

At the heart of the perilous battlefield stood a black and white colossal tower— the Reincarnation Tower. This was the stronghold of the Reincarnation Divine Church in this war zone.

The tower stood aloof from all conflicts. Even the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, Majestic Sword Sect, Celestial Sound Zen Temple, and other such powers would not dare to encroach within a hundred miles of it. This was the suppressive power that a sixth-tier sect held over fifth-tier sects.

At that moment, on the highest floor of the Reincarnation Tower, two figures stood opposite each other. One was a tall, elderly man with white hair and beard, exuding a powerful and vigorous aura, clearly a formidable being of the Deity Transformation stage. The other, a slender, ice-cold, and beautiful woman, had reached the late stages of the Nascent Soul.

The elderly man had his eyes closed, his eyeballs moving rapidly under his lids. The woman waited beside him, her expression gradually turning impatient.

After a long while, the elder opened his eyes, looking significantly aged. The woman quickly asked, "Uncle Master Tiancang, have you divined the approximate location of the Taotie Tree Seed?"

True Master Tiancang gave a wry smile, "Just a moment ago, I sensed the aura of the wooden box being opened. Yet, when I sat down to divine its location, I found it to be impossibly far from the Reincarnation Tower, almost as if..."

The woman furrowed her brows, "As if what?"

True Master Tiancang sighed lightly, "As if it's in another world, which seems impossible."

The woman thought for a moment, "Zhang Xingshan stole the seed, and his only escape would have been to seek help from the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect. Please, Uncle Master, order the sealing of all teleportation arrays in this battlefield and dispatch trustworthy individuals to discreetly search for the seed. My master instructed that this matter must not be publicized. We must proceed with caution. We'll catch the traitor Zhang Xingshan sooner or later, like catching a turtle in a jar."

"Yes, I obey, Holy Maiden. Take care," True Master Tiancang nodded.

The woman then promptly departed.

As the woman departed, True Master Tiancang's face grew increasingly cold.

A young man entered from outside, chuckling, "This Leng Hanshuang, relying on her status as the Holy Maiden, doesn't even show the master respect. She even showed impatience while master was divining."

True Master Tiancang responded calmly, "Disrespecting elders will lead her to a great downfall someday. Let's not talk about her now. Ming Rui, choose trustworthy people to start both overt and covert investigations for the seed."

As he spoke, he cast a beam of spiritual light into Ming Rui's mind, imprinting the appearance of the seed.

Ming Rui nodded immediately, "I will follow your teachings closely."

"By the way, have we found any clues about Huikong?" True Master Tiancang suddenly asked.

Ming Rui shook his head, "Huikong seems to have vanished; it's been two years with no trace, and even the master's divination powers can't locate him. We can't find him if he doesn't want to be found…"

True Master Tiancang sighed lightly, "Enough, enough. Your senior brother brought this upon himself… alas."

As Ming Rui turned to leave, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what exactly is this seed that even the elders of our sect are alarmed and sent Leng Hanshuang here to ask you to consume your lifespan to divine?"

True Master Tiancang looked at him steadily, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Knowing too much isn't good for you."

Ming Rui instantly recoiled, "Yes, master, I was wrong to ask. I'll have my confidants search for the seed."

With that, he quickly left, lest he face further reprimand.

"Ming Rui… your cultivation is too lax. If this continues, I might have to harvest early."

True Master Tiancang watched his departing figure with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"What a pity. If only I had the complete tome of the Body Seizing Technique created by my junior brother, I wouldn't need to find a superior-grade spiritual body every century to extend my life, alas… where is that technique, after all?"

...

A few days later, Chu Xuan walked out of an auction in Heavenly Sword City and entered a teahouse. Sipping his tea, he shook his head repeatedly.

Nascent Soul spiritual items were indeed rare. To this day, Chu Xuan had only acquired three Soul Breaking Spikes.

If he was to break his Golden Core and advance to the Nascent Soul stage, his ultimate-grade thunder spiritual root might only increase his chances of success by ten percent. Relying solely on his spiritual root to attempt the Nascent Soul stage was almost like seeking death.

A ten percent chance of success was far from acceptable to Chu Xuan. That's why he needed to rely on Nascent Soul spiritual items. Soul Breaking Spikes were one option, but they weren't the best available.

In addition to the spikes, there were also items like the Core Transformation Gel and Gold Crumble Mud. Ideally, he should have several types of Nascent Soul spiritual items for a combined effect, which might increase his chances slightly.

If he only had three Soul Breaking Spikes, Chu Xuan estimated his chances at about sixty percent. That definitely wouldn't do.

With such assets as the Blood Mirror and Blue Star, and Soul Star as his back garden, if he followed the correct cultivation protocols, he should be able to ascend from one major realm to another.

Sixty percent was far from sufficient. Even ninety-nine percent wasn't enough. He would only choose to break his Golden Core and advance to the Nascent Soul stage if his chances were a full one hundred percent. Otherwise, if he were to capsize in the gutter, to whom could he possibly complain?

Chu Xuan wandered the auction house deliberately, hoping to purchase additional Nascent Soul spiritual items. After all, having slain the Nascent Soul cultivators Yun Zhongyu and Zhang Xingshan, his storage bag was quite flush with spiritual stones.

Yet, despite the abundance of spiritual stones, Nascent Soul spiritual items remained elusive. This was a significant predicament; rarely would anyone who acquired such items put them up for auction. They would either use them or save them for their descendants unless there was a dire need for something else, at which point they might consider selling.

"This really is a headache," Chu Xuan sighed deeply. If only he knew who possessed Nascent Soul spiritual items, he could handle the situation straightforwardly—storm their residence, claiming they had first stepped with their left foot, which violated his taboo, and then proceed with the usual methods. However, he did not even know who might possess such items.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, Chu Xuan noticed two cultivators from the Reincarnation Divine Church, one following the other, entering the residence of Shangguan Hao in the main thoroughfare of Heavenly Sword City.

"Hmm? Members of the Reincarnation Divine Church? What are they doing in Heavenly Sword City?"

Soon after, Shangguan Hao's trusted cultivators posted notices throughout the city. A reward was offered for the traitor Zhang Xingshan of the Reincarnation Divine Church!

Anyone who could provide a lead that was verified and confirmed by their specialists would receive a reward from the Reincarnation Divine Church. Rewards included three Nascent Soul spiritual items such as Soul Breaking Spikes, Core Transformation Gel, and Gold Crumble Mud. The bounty would be even greater for those who captured or killed the traitor, with the highest reward being three bottles of Deity Nurturing Elixir!

AN: Taotie, a mythical beast with an insatiable appetite from ancient mythology. One of the four legendary evil creatures in Chinese folklore.