Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 265: Chapter 263: White Bone Cold Light Sword

The Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade was becoming less and less effective for Bai Zichen.

Since he had no intention of changing his Cultivation Technique, his only option was to upgrade the grade of his Spiritual Object to avoid the constant torment of the Fire Poison.

As a Tier Four Low-Grade Spiritual Object, Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade was considered the lowest of the low among Tier Four Spiritual Objects.

The Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade could also serve as a resource for cultivating Ice Element Techniques. The Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade, besides being colder, had no fundamental differences.

Take the Spiritual Object the white-robed Female Cultivator presented, for example. The Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade wasn’t necessarily much more valuable than the Ice Soul Cold Crystal Stone.

Bai Zichen glanced at the white-robed Female Cultivator. Since she could produce so many ice-elemental Spiritual Objects, she was more likely than anyone else to possess Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade.

Unfortunately, the white-robed Female Cultivator remained perfectly still, her expression like a tranquil well, as if she had not heard him at all.

The expressions of the Core Formation True Men in the hall flickered. This man had produced so many Demon Path Magical Treasures, yet he was not a Demon Path Cultivator. Recalling recent events in the Cultivation Realm, the identity of the young man before them was all but certain.

”So it’s you!”

The Black Mist Demon Cultivator gave him a meaningful glance, his eyes sweeping over the five Demon Path Magical Treasures with a flash of burning desire.

”I don’t have any Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade, but I do have a Tier Three Sword Refining Secret Technique. I imagine you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?”

”If you have a Tier Three Sword Refining Secret Method, that would be excellent...”

Bai Zichen hadn’t expected to get a lead on a Tier Three Sword Refining Secret Technique before finding any news about the Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade.

”The White Bone Cold Light Sword, nurtured with the Essence Blood of ten thousand cultivators and refined from the bones of a million people... A Sword Refining Secret Technique so heinous and contrary to nature. Do you think I would want something like this?”

He caught the sealed Jade Scroll, but just reading the first few lines was enough to make him fly into a rage.

To refine a single Tier Three Flying Sword, one had to take the lives of a million members of the Human Race. Even among Demon Path Cultivators, not everyone could be so ruthless.

”Don’t be so hasty. Keep reading, there’s an alternative method.”

Bai Zichen continued reading. It turned out there was another refining method: one could take the spine of a Tier Four Great Demon and then refine thirty-six Forbidden into it in sequence.

The chance of failure in the Sword Refinement was almost nonexistent, and it could be successfully converted into a Tier Three Flying Sword.

In fact, the latter was the orthodox refining method for this Flying Sword, and its Sword Light would possess an additional miraculous effect.

Using a cultivator’s Essence Blood and human bones was a demonic Sword Refinement method—a substitute thought up by later generations who found it too difficult to obtain the spine of a Tier Four Great Demon.

Not only would the Flying Sword lack any miraculous qualities, but the success rate of the Sword Refinement was also extremely low.

”A Tier Four Shapeshifting Great Demon... Do you think I’m capable of dealing with a Great Demon equivalent to a Nascent Soul True Monarch?”

Bai Zichen put down the Jade Scroll, his expression dark.

The second Sword Refinement method was indeed not as heinous as the first, but its requirements were simply too outrageous.

What did a Tier Four Shapeshifting Great Demon represent? Even a Super Major Sect from the Central Domain—one that could deploy five or six Nascent Soul True Monarchs at a moment’s notice and possessed guaranteed Divinity Transformation methods—would not resort to force against a Tier Four Great Demon if it was willing to retreat.

Only a Tier Four Great Demon that was implacably hostile toward humanity and could not be reasoned with would be targeted for a siege and kill mission, and only after meticulous planning.

Nascent Soul True Monarchs were already extremely difficult to kill, to say nothing of a Tier Four Great Demon with its unbelievably tough physical body.

There had been cases where, even when several people besieged one with the help of an Array, a rampaging Tier Four Great Demon on the brink of death had dragged a Nascent Soul True Monarch down to the Yellow Springs with it.

”You didn’t specify any requirements for the Sword Refining Secret Technique’s contents. Besides, who’s to say there aren’t skeletal remains of a Tier Four Great Demon hidden in some ruins...”

The Black Mist Demon Cultivator wore a mask, so his expression was unreadable, but his smug tone was unmistakable.

”I’ll take it. But this Sword Refining Secret Technique is worth two Mid-Grade Demon Treasures at most.”

”Fine, two it is.”

Bai Zichen pushed two Demon Treasures over and took the Jade Scroll that recorded the complete Sword Refining Secret Technique, sweeping it with a quick glance to confirm its authenticity.

’Even if the chance of refining this White Bone Cold Light Sword is low, I’m still willing to take it.’

’All it cost me were two Magical Treasures that were useless to me anyway. If an opportunity to refine this Flying Sword ever came up in the future, I’d regret it forever if I didn’t have the Sword Refining Secret Technique.’

’The Star River Sword Array needs twelve Flying Swords. What does a number like that even mean?’

’The Tianhe Sword Sect would have to spend the next thousand years revolving entirely around me, giving me every Tier Three Flying Sword they successfully refine, just to have enough.’

’That’s why I can’t miss any opportunity related to Tier Three Flying Swords, whether it’s a Sword Refining Secret Technique or Flying Sword Spirit Materials.’

”As for the remaining three Magical Treasures, I’ll trade you a piece of information... Interested in hearing it?”

Bai Zichen’s head snapped up. He looked at the Demon Cultivator in the black mist, his expression unchanged.

”What kind of information could possibly be worth three Top-Grade Magical Treasures? A clue to a large Spirit Stone Ore Vein, or a Nascent Soul Secret Technique?”

”How about a momentous piece of news concerning the very survival of the Qingfeng Sect? Isn’t that worth it?”

”Stop playing games!”

”I can tell you half of it first, and you can judge its worth for yourself... I trust that a world-renowned genius Sword Cultivator wouldn’t welsh on a deal like this, would he?”

Bai Zichen pondered this internally, but his face betrayed no hint of his thoughts.

He even continued to converse with Master Ke, who had taken out a piece of Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade, only about an inch in size, and was willing to trade it directly for Spirit Stones.

’Go on. I’ll judge for myself if it’s as serious as you claim... but you have to make a Dao Heart Oath that the information is true.’

’Fine. We’ll both recite it with our Divine Sense... I guarantee the information is true, and you must promise that if the news truly concerns the life and death of the Qingfeng Sect, you will give me the Magical Treasures unconditionally.’

”Master Ke, this piece of Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade is too small. I’m not even sure it will be effective... Three Top-Grade Spirit Stones. I’ll take it back to do some research, that’s all.”

”Since Master Bai has spoken, there’s nothing more to be said. Consider it a way of making a friend.”

Master Ke forced an ugly smile and completed the transaction without much haggling.

The other Cultivators thought this was perfectly normal. Who didn’t know that the man before them was a God of Slaughter with the potential to reach the Nascent Soul Realm? Of course, one would take this chance to curry favor.

’Blood God True Man did not die. He returned to the Blood Sea Sect in the Southern Domain and has now reformed his body... Moreover, with the help of the Sect’s Blood Pool, he has connected to the Demon Realm’s Blood Sea. It was a blessing in disguise, and he has now opened the gate to the Nascent Soul Realm!’

The Black Mist Demon Cultivator’s message sent colossal waves crashing through Bai Zichen’s mind. He had long known that Blood God True Man had a Nascent Soul Major Sect backing him, but he could never have known the details so clearly.

’To know so much about Blood God True Man’s situation after his disappearance, this Demon Cultivator can only be a high-ranking member of the Blood Demon Sect.’

’Is he Blood God True Man’s eldest disciple, Zhong Ge? Or one of his two junior brothers, one of the left and right Elders of the Blood Demon Sect?’

’If this news is true, it is indeed shocking... but I fail to see what it has to do with the survival of the Qingfeng Sect.’

’Fool! For every Nascent Soul True Monarch born in the Blood Sea Sect, several sects must be slaughtered to condense their personal Blood River... The stronger the Cultivator, the more powerful the Blood River they condense. If he were to choose three to five sects, do you think the Qingfeng Sect wouldn’t be on the list?’

Bai Zichen’s heart sank. If what the Demon Cultivator said was true, then the Qingfeng Sect was in grave danger.

’The Holy Lotus Sect has True Monarch Jiulian, so they’re as stable as a mountain.’

’Next on the list would surely be the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.’

’The Qingfeng Sect was originally just a small, remote sect in everyone’s eyes, but with Master Ge Cang’s presence and Bai Zichen’s recent fame...’

’...if you count down five sects, there’s a very high chance the Qingfeng Sect would be among them.’

’Compared to the top-ranking sects, the main difference was just the number of Qi Refining Disciples and Foundation Establishment Cultivators.’

’Why are you telling me this? What’s in it for you?’

Of course, Bai Zichen wasn’t going to blindly believe everything the Demon Cultivator in the black mist said.

Although the whole story sounded very plausible, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the man had mixed a lie in with the truth to circumvent the Dao Heart Oath.

’The interests of Blood God True Man, the interests of the Blood Demon Sect... are not necessarily aligned with my own.’

Bai Zichen’s brow furrowed. He pushed the remaining three Demon Treasures toward the Demon Cultivator in the black mist, ignoring the astonished gazes from all around.

After receiving such earth-shattering news, the rest of the exchange felt as tasteless as chewing wax.

Nothing else appeared that could move him, and he watched dispassionately as the Pill King Conference came to a close.

As the last Core Formation True Man finished his trade, the white-robed Female Cultivator stood up without a word of farewell and departed in a streak of cold light.

’It seems she was very disappointed at not being able to trade for the Nine Yang True Flame.’

”Master Bai, if you have time in the future, please come visit the Danxia Sect often.”

Master Zhu said with great sincerity, clasping his hand.

”I will. There will be times in the future when I will need to trouble Master Zhu.”

Bai Zichen exchanged a few more pleasantries before politely declining the invitations of the other Core Formation True Men.

’Regarding the matter of Blood God True Man, I must return at once and discuss countermeasures with Master Ge Cang.’

’The main thing is I don’t know how long the Nascent Soul Stage takes... Brother Ge is not far from the Nascent Soul Realm himself, so he should have a better understanding.’

’If Blood God True Man reaches the Nascent Soul Realm within just a few years, the situation would be extremely perilous. There would be no room to maneuver.’

’From what happened last time at Burial Immortal Valley, the Holy Lotus Sect’s attitude is very strange.’

’If Blood God True Man becomes a Nascent Soul True Monarch and returns to wantonly slaughter other sects, the chances of the Holy Lotus Sect stepping in to stop him are extremely low.’

’Besides, Bai Zichen was not one to entrust his life and death to others. If the Holy Lotus Sect was even a step too slow, the Qingfeng Sect would already be destroyed. What use would their intervention be then?’

’Even if True Monarch Jiulian fought an earth-shattering battle with Blood God True Man over it, he couldn’t bring the dead Cultivators of the Qingfeng Sect back to life.’

’If I have a few decades, things will be fine. He can’t possibly charge straight for Liang Country the moment he achieves the Nascent Soul Realm without any period of consolidation... With that much time, Brother Ge might also reach the Nascent Soul path. And if all else fails, the concealment period for my Qing Emperor Longevity Sword is almost over.’

’Bai Zichen reviewed his own abilities. When the gap in Realms was too large, even a Tier Four Flying Sword couldn’t possibly threaten a Nascent Soul Cultivator.’

’The only thing that could leap across Realms and inflict a fatal blow on a Nascent Soul True Monarch was his Qing Emperor Longevity Sword—hidden for a hundred years, imbued with the Power of Time, and capable of ignoring all defenses.’

’Against this sword, as long as you couldn’t block its Time True Intent, it treated all Realms the same.’

’One slash could cut away two hundred years of lifespan!’

’Although it’s impossible to kill Blood God True Man with a single strike, it’s enough to make him feel the threat of death. And he won’t know if I can use a second strike... Working with Brother Ge, we should be able to force Blood God True Man to retreat!’