Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 261: Chapter 259: 9 Fragrances Pavilion

”So, you’re an old acquaintance of Senior Sister Honglian, Fellow Daoist Su. She just returned from her travels a while ago. Although her own Cultivation has broken through to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, her Lifebound Spiritual Beast was severely injured, so she hasn’t come down the mountain for some time.”

Baii Yuanhao had probably only been at Foundation Establishment for a few years and had just come to the Spirit Beast Pavilion to gain experience.

He was a bit reserved with strangers at first, but when he heard the visitors were old friends of two of his sect-mates, he immediately became talkative.

Ten Thousand Beasts Sect Cultivators are different from others. The difficulty of reaching Core Formation is largely dependent on their Lifebound Spiritual Beast.

If they can form a contract with a Tier Three Spirit Beast, the difficulty of reaching Core Formation is greatly reduced.

Combined with Clear Spirit Jade Marrow, they can achieve a Core Formation success rate of over fifty percent.

But if their Lifebound Spiritual Beast is only Tier Two, it provides no benefit. In fact, it will even hold them back.

This is why, despite the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect having tens of thousands of disciples, no shortage of Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and an abundance of Core Formation Spiritual Objects, the number of Core Formation True Men has never been particularly high.

Her own Realm had advanced, but her Lifebound Spiritual Beast was severely injured. For Honglian, it was hard to say whether this was a blessing or a curse.

”To think that happened... I’m sure Fellow Daoist Honglian will be able to overcome this trial.”

Bai Zichen exchanged a few pleasantries, then placed Genggeng, who had been hanging on his arm, onto the table. He gestured toward the bear. ”Also, Fellow Daoist Baii, could you please take a look? My Mutated Tai Chi Bear has been unable to advance. What might be the problem?”

Baii Yuanhao held Genggeng down with great interest and carefully examined it from head to toe. Then he took out several Magical Artifacts unique to the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect and ran some tests.

”Brother Su, this Spirit Beast’s development is completely normal, and its Demon Power level reached the standard for advancement long ago... For there to be no sign of a breakthrough, there’s only one possibility: the bloodline that caused its mutation is even stronger than we initially speculated, creating an invisible shackle.”

He rang a bell, and a Steward brought over a thick ledger. Baii Yuanhao quickly flipped to a page, his face beaming with confidence.

”You see, our Sect keeps records of all Spirit Beasts with the potential to advance to Tier Three... ’Mutated Tai Chi Beast, extremely sensitive to Spiritual Qi, possesses a latent treasure-hunting talent, suspected to have the mixed bloodline of a Tier Three Low-Grade Treasure Dog.’ But based on what we’re seeing now, a Treasure Dog’s bloodline definitely isn’t enough to cause this. I suspect its paternal lineage can be traced back to a Tier Four Demon Beast!”

Bai Zichen was stunned. He never would have imagined a Treasure Dog could have crossbred with a Tai Chi Bear.

’Still, if Genggeng really has the bloodline of a Tier Four Demon Beast, that’s a good thing. Its potential would be much greater than originally estimated.’

Demon Beasts aren’t like human Cultivators; their bloodline essentially determines the upper limit of their Realm.

To break through these bloodline limitations is harder than ascending to the heavens—more than ten times more difficult than it is for human Cultivators to advance through normal Cultivation.

The Outer Sea Dragon Lord went to great lengths, willing to pay any price to obtain the Holy Beast Essence Blood, precisely because he wanted to use a single, homologous drop of Cyan Dragon Essence Blood to purify his Dragon Race bloodline.

By doing so, with his vast, sea-like accumulation of Demon Power, the path to Tier Five would be practically halfway open.

Seeing how logically and professionally Baii Yuanhao spoke, Bai Zichen was already partially convinced. ”Fellow Daoist Baii, in your opinion, how should this problem be solved?”

”Elixirs that simply increase Demon Power to break through the bottleneck probably won’t be enough. You’ll also need a Blood Transformation Pill to help fuse the bloodlines, followed by the stimulating consumption of a High-Tier Demon Beast’s flesh and blood. Only then can it cross into the next Realm in one go!”

Baii Yuanhao wrote down a list and handed it over.

”Brother Su, if you trust me, just gather the Spirit Beast Elixirs on this list. However, our pavilion doesn’t sell the flesh and blood of Tier Three Demon Beasts, so you’ll have to find another way to obtain it.”

”Seeing as I’m already here, I’ll trouble you to pack up these Elixirs for me, Fellow Daoist Baii.”

Bai Zichen glanced at the list and decided to follow the expert’s advice on this matter.

He had originally planned on just buying a few of the best Spirit Beast Advancement Spirit Pills; he had no idea there were so many intricacies involved.

It was quite normal that the Spirit Beast Pavilion didn’t sell the flesh and blood of Tier Three Demon Beasts. To the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, every Demon Beast was a precious resource, especially a Tier Three Demon King.

If one could be captured alive, they would do their utmost to do so. As long as it could be tamed and a contract established, it would add a Core Formation-level combatant to the Sect.

Even if that failed, they would be raised on the mountain, and as soon as the Tier Three Demon King gave birth, the cubs would be taken away immediately.

Newborn cubs are the easiest to form a Spirit Beast Contract with. They are reserved for outstanding Sect Disciples, and from among these high-potential cubs, a new Tier Three Spirit Beast might emerge.

’I wonder if Senior Brother Wei still has the flesh and blood of the Kui Ox Demon King. If he’s already used it, I’ll have to go kill another Tier Three Demon Beast...’

Baii Yuanhao had a Steward Disciple fetch the Elixirs and painstakingly explained the instructions for taking them and how they should be consumed along with the flesh of a Tier Three Demon Beast.

After putting away the bottles of Spirit Beast Elixirs and paying the Spirit Stones, Bai Zichen bid farewell to Baii Yuanhao and wandered around the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion for a bit.

Over eighty percent of the shops in the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion dealt with items related to Spirit Beasts, so there wasn’t much to interest him. He soon left the Market.

However, the Seeking Truth Ship didn’t fly toward the Black Mountain Range, but instead sped off toward Luzhou.

’That flight speed... it seems like a Core Formation True Man.’

With a flash of red light, Master Huoya appeared above the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion, his expression grave as he stared in the direction the Seeking Truth Ship had vanished.

He waved away the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect Cultivators who, startled by his presence, had come to pay their respects. After a long moment, Master Huoya flew toward the Mountain Gate.

’Since this Core Formation True Man concealed his tracks, hid his Cultivation, and didn’t cause any disturbance in the Market, he must just be hiding his identity with no ill intent.’

Master Huoya had just returned from the Holy Lotus Sect and had important matters to discuss with Fang Tiancheng, so he didn’t dwell on the issue any longer.

...

The seven commanderies of Luzhou had originally been within the Righteous Alliance’s sphere of influence.

Following the death of the Nine Unions Daoist and the subsequent annihilation of the entire Cien Temple during its migration, the Demon Path had seized three commanderies, causing the Alliance’s territory to shrink drastically.

Fortunately, with the Blood God True Man missing and his fate unknown, the Demon Path Alliance Army suddenly lost its leader.

Without the Nine Unions Daoist, the Righteous Alliance—which already existed in name only—finally caught its breath and stabilized the precarious situation.

Among the various Sects in Luzhou, the one faring the best was still the Danxia Sect.

After all, they possessed Alchemy skills, and Elixirs were a necessity in the Cultivation Realm. Even Demon Path Cultivators couldn’t do without them.

As soon as the fighting stopped, the Danxia Sect’s Market filled with disguised Demon Path Cultivators who had altered their appearances.

Danxia Square quickly regained its former bustle. Furthermore, Master Zhu had helped a Sect from the Frost Country refine a cauldron of precious Elixirs, receiving a Tier Three Demon Pill as payment.

Coincidentally, a disciple at Foundation Establishment Perfection in the Danxia Sect had recently failed his attempt to reach Core Formation. Feeling he didn’t have time to try again from scratch, he simply went through the Refinement of a Demon Pill and became a Fake Pill Cultivator.

Although he had no potential for further advancement, he could now devote all his remaining time to administrative affairs without the distraction of closed-door Cultivation.

This effectively gave the Danxia Sect two Core Formation-level combatants, which greatly boosted the sect’s morale and brought about a renewed sense of peace and prosperity.

Danxia Square, Nine Fragrance Tower.

This tower specialized in high-end Spiritual Cuisine. A meal for one in the first-floor hall cost three to five Spirit Stones, while a table in a second-floor private room would set you back at least a hundred.

To say nothing of the third-floor VIP hall, a place only truly important figures could enter.

Even Loose Cultivators with a love for fine dining didn’t have the wealth to eat at the Nine Fragrance Tower regularly.

The establishment primarily catered to Danxia Sect Disciples and visiting Cultivators seeking elixirs. As its clientele was of a higher caliber, it gradually evolved into a place for conducting business.

If an outside Cultivator had no connections and wished to commission a Danxia Sect Disciple for a task, there were middlemen in the second-floor private rooms willing to make an introduction—for the right price in Spirit Stones.

Qiuu Bai was just over a hundred years old this year and was an unremarkable figure among the Elders of the Danxia Sect.

The main reason was that after waiting many years for his turn, he had finally gotten a chance to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, only to fail, wasting an entire cauldron of precious Spirit Medicine.

Overnight, he went from being a promising young talent to a useless waste.

From then on, the Danxia Sect never assigned him any Alchemy tasks.

Ninety-nine percent of the Danxia Sect’s disciples cultivated the Treasure Cauldron Pill King Scripture, a method that allowed one to practice Alchemy and Cultivation simultaneously.

By constantly refining pills, they could not only improve their Alchemy skills but also absorb the Pill Qi to enhance their Cultivation, creating a virtuous cycle.

But without the Sect assigning him Alchemy tasks, Qiuu Bai could only afford to refine pills a few times a year. It was especially impossible for him to single-handedly gather the various rare and expensive Spirit Medicines required for High-Tier Elixirs, so his Cultivation progress naturally slowed to a crawl.

However, he was still a Tier Two Top-Grade Alchemist. By occasionally helping some Cultivation Families refine Elixirs, Qiuu Bai’s supply of Spirit Stones was far more plentiful than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

A lover of wine, he would visit the Nine Fragrance Tower every few days to order a pot of Spirit Wine and a Spiritual Cuisine meal, enjoying a quiet drink.

”Elder Qiuu, a guest in the third-floor VIP hall requests your presence.”

”Boss Luk, who is this person? What is their background?”

Qiuu Bai’s expression turned serious, the effects of the wine mostly vanishing.

The prices in the Nine Fragrance Tower’s third-floor VIP hall were steep enough to make even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him wince. It was empty most of the year and rarely used.

How could he not be startled that someone had suddenly set up a banquet there and invited him for a meeting?

Shopkeeper Luk of the Nine Fragrance Tower had a round face and large ears, giving him a simple and honest appearance. Despite his Mid-Stage Qi Refining Realm, he showed little fear in front of Qiuu Bai. He smiled and said, ”That guest looks unfamiliar, so he must not be a local. The moment he arrived, he tossed down five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, asked for the finest spread of Spiritual Cuisine, and told me to invite a Cultivator who could get a message to someone in the Danxia Sect... I may not be the most experienced man, but I’ve seen my share of important figures. This guest’s aura is extraordinary. I think it would be best for you to go see him, Elder Qiuu.”

The Luk Family was the largest Cultivation Family in the county. One of their ancestors had been a Core Formation Ancestor in the Danxia Sect, and the family was founded by his Direct Lineage descendants.

The clan had six Foundation Establishment Cultivators; half were disciples under the Danxia Sect, while the other half remained with the Clan.

Although Boss Luk’s Cultivation was lacking, he was a member of the main branch’s Direct Lineage, and his grandfather was a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Only with such backing did he have the confidence to open an establishment like the Nine Fragrance Tower in the Market.

The young Cultivator on the third floor felt unfathomable, even more formidable than his own grandfather. That was why he had taken the initiative to run this errand himself.

Otherwise, five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones would not have been enough to compel the wealthy and influential Boss Luk to make an appearance personally.

”Since Boss Luk puts it that way, I’ll go up and have a look.”

Qiuu Bai stood, straightened his Daoist Robe, and made his way to the third-floor VIP hall.

Here in Danxia Square, on his home turf, he wasn’t worried about any risks associated with the meeting.

Upon entering the VIP hall, he saw a young man seated at the center of the table, using his chopsticks to pick up a piece of Spirit Fish. Two female attendants stood by his side—the one on the left was ripe and alluring, while the one on the right was young and sweet.

When he probed with his Divine Sense, he found the young man’s Cultivation was as deep as the sea. The man’s aura was so overwhelming that it shook his very soul, and he blurted out.

”A Core Formation True Man!”