Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 289: Chapter 287: Fires on Two Fronts

The actions of the Blood Demon Sect’s cultivators were a strong indicator of the Blood God True Man’s movements. If everything remained as usual, it meant no major changes were likely in the near future.

”On the other hand, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect sent word that the Holy Lotus Sect has been acting strangely lately. Their Core Formation True Men from the branch sects have all been recalled...”

Of the Qingfeng Sect’s four Core Formation True Men, Wei Dao was a former Sect Leader and the one most willing to dedicate his time to the sect’s administrative affairs.

Ever since they shared the information about the Blood God True Man, the relationship between the two sects had improved rapidly. They were becoming like allies, sharing any intelligence they acquired.

The one in contact with Wei Dao was Master Hei Feng from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

”Right now, the Holy Lotus Sect is the last group that wants to see the situation destabilize. I don’t know how many Life-Extending Elixirs and Spiritual Objects True Monarch Jiulian has consumed, but he has a century of life left at most... Outside of Liang Country, the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons has always been watching them like a hungry tiger. They must rally all their forces to weather this crisis.”

Master Ge Cang was on good terms with several Core Formation True Men from the Holy Lotus Sect and had some understanding of the undercurrents hidden beneath the sect’s calm surface.

The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was founded several thousand years ago by three Loose Cultivators who had become sworn brothers.

All three were skilled in poison techniques and had their own fortuitous encounters. After reaching Core Formation Perfection, they each went down a different path.

One came from a background as a Pill Master. He refined Poison Pills that could harm both his enemies and himself, walking a path divergent from traditional Pill Masters.

Another refined Hundred Poison Gu Insects, raising countless violently toxic Gu Kings that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard of them.

As for the last one, his Cultivation Technique inherently contained a potent poison. When he cultivated it to a profound level, every drop of his blood, every strand of his hair, and every inch of his skin became a supreme poison.

In its early days, the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was merely an organization somewhat similar to the Righteous Alliance, with loose regulations and lax control over its members.

This continued until an exceptionally brilliant junior appeared. He fused the specializations of the three founders into one, achieved the Nascent Soul Realm, and took the title of Poison Dragon Demon Lord.

From that point on, the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons underwent a fundamental transformation.

At the same time, because the Poison Dragon Demon Lord clashed with the Holy Lotus Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarch of that generation, they fought several major battles to a stalemate. From then on, the two sects developed a deep and bitter feud.

During the Holy Lotus Sect’s darkest hour, it was the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, having traveled a great distance, that nearly managed to storm Qii Mountain.

”The Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Valley of Ten thousand Poisons is in his prime, having reached the Nascent Soul Realm only a century ago... If the Holy Lotus Sect wishes to avoid falling into chaos after True Monarch Jiulian passes away, which would give the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons a chance to invade again, they will certainly continue the lenient policies of recent years and bind more sects to their war chariot.”

Based on information from others and his own analysis, Master Ge Cang saw through the Holy Lotus Sect’s glorious facade to the immense hidden perils that lay beneath.

That was why, even after being set up by True Monarch Jiulian in the Burial Immortal Valley, he still believed the True Monarch wouldn’t resort to the insane act of eliminating the strongest cultivators in Liang Country before his own passing just to reduce the number of future rivals for Qu Yang.

After all, the Holy Lotus Sect’s greatest enemy had never been the Core Formation True Men within Liang Country, but the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, millions of miles away, locked in a death struggle from which only one could emerge alive.

”The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s intelligence network is far superior to our own; maintaining contact with them is to our advantage... No matter who the Holy Lotus Sect’s strange movements are targeting, being able to stay informed in a timely manner is a huge benefit.”

Master Ge Cang had a long discussion with Fang Tiancheng last time, and they reached a consensus on many points.

Take their attitude toward the Holy Lotus Sect, for instance. While it was impossible to have a direct confrontation with True Monarch Jiulian, their wariness of him had been raised to the highest level.

Logically, the Holy Lotus Sect had no need to move against the Qingfeng Sect or the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. One more or one less Core Formation True Man would not affect its standing in Liang Country.

Even if they slaughtered every single Core Formation True Man in Liang Country who wasn’t from the Holy Lotus Sect, as long as Qu Yang failed to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, the threat from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons would persist.

But one thing is more difficult than guessing the thoughts of a Nascent Soul True Monarch: trying to fathom one whose life is about to end.

Who knew what kind of changes might occur in the mind of an exalted Nascent Soul True Monarch, who had enjoyed every honor, as he watched his thousand-year lifespan slowly drain away.

Master Ge Cang had only just reached Core Formation Perfection; he certainly didn’t believe he could challenge a veteran Nascent Soul True Monarch.

If True Monarch Jiulian turned hostile, he would be a far more terrifying foe than even the Blood God True Man.

”Understood. I will keep a close eye on the Holy Lotus Sect as well.”

Wei Dao nodded gently.

A Nascent Soul Major Sect like the Holy Lotus Sect had been the undisputed hegemon of the Liang Country Cultivation Realm for ten thousand years. The difficulty of planting spies and buying informants within it was several times greater than for the Blood Demon Sect.

Furthermore, he had to do it without exposing the Qingfeng Sect. Wei Dao had made multiple attempts and lost four or five clandestine agents, yet he still hadn’t managed to establish a stable channel of intelligence within the Holy Lotus Sect.

The focus of their discussion eventually returned to the matter of the Tier Four Spirit Land.

After all, it was a prerequisite for the process of Shattering the Core and Transforming into a Nascent Soul. Without a Tier Four Spirit Land in hand, no Core Formation True Man would even consider attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

”The method Junior Brother Bai suggested is the most reliable. We can only use a Tier Four Spirit Land with peace of mind if it’s our own... As for the Spirit Land in Zengguang Immortal City, I would rather go and beg the Tianhe Sword Sect than go there.”

Master Ge Cang’s thinking was, as expected, similar to Bai Zichen’s. He would not entrust his fate to another’s hands.

”As for a Tier Four Great Demon, it is ultimately just a Demon Beast, not a Nascent Soul True Monarch... A Demon Beast’s weaknesses are relatively easy to find. As long as we can find a restraining Array and a Secret Treasure, killing it might be out of the question, but making it uncomfortable enough to leave of its own accord is certainly not impossible.”

Bai Zichen listened to the various methods for dealing with Demon Beasts, finding them to be a real eye-opener.

These were all things mentioned during the conversation between Fang Tiancheng and Master Ge Cang. It just went to show how extraordinary it was that the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect had come this far on the Beast Taming Dao.

In their understanding of Demon Beast habits, taming, and rearing, no other sect in the entire Northern Domain could possibly compare.

...

’If there was still a chance to revise my Pill Discussion before, then stepping past Core Formation Perfection means my path has now solidified. I’ve chosen which Great Dao True Intent I will advance toward.’

The Jade Scroll that Qi Yue had delivered, containing Master Ge Cang’s insights, was incredibly profound. It didn’t describe any cultivation methods or realm-breaking techniques.

It only touched upon the Great Dao, discussing the pros and cons of one’s Pill Discussion becoming fixed and solidified.

Master Ge Cang had written it this way precisely because the other three had all formed their Pill Discussions before reaching Core Formation.

For any other Core Formation True Man, reading it would not only be useless but might even lead them astray.

’Once a Pill Discussion is set, it imprints a set of rules on your life that you must follow... If you want to change it again, you only get the chance for a do-over after successfully forming a Nascent Soul and passing its twin tribulations.’

Bai Zichen’s Pill Discussion involved the Time Path, an exceptionally lofty concept.

He would only consider adjusting his Pill Discussion if he hit a dead end and could advance no further.

Therefore, after becoming a Core Formation Cultivator, he had not been distracted by his Pill Discussion, continuing to advance along the route he had established before reaching Core Formation.

’I wonder which Great Dao True Intent Brother Ge ultimately chose. Barring any surprises, I will definitely pursue the Time Path... Although it’s much more difficult to approach than other Great Dao True Intents, I’m already so far ahead of everyone else. There’s no reason to shrink back now.’

Bai Zichen set down the Jade Scroll, once again reaffirming his future path.

The benefit of a solidified Pill Discussion was that there would be no more wavering, no more second-guessing; a clear path toward ascension would appear in one’s heart.

As long as one could walk that path to its end, one would align more closely with the Great Dao True Intent, their mutual influence growing ever tighter, until the moment one truly touched the Great Dao itself.

’Swarms of Silver Armored Corpses have appeared near Feiyue Lake, causing dozens of attacks over the past month... With Senior Sister Zhou there, mere Silver Armored Corpses shouldn’t be something she can’t handle. Could there be a hidden story here?’

Bai Zichen tapped a wisp of green light before him, and its contents leaped into view.

No matter how weak Zhou Suqing’s personal strength was, as a Core Formation True Man, she still held a Realm advantage over creatures like Silver Armored Corpses and could annihilate them with a wave of her hand.

And yet, a few Silver Armored Corpses had managed to run rampant right under her nose for a month, causing the deaths of several disciples and the disappearance of many more.

The incident was already causing a huge uproar within the sect.

Not only did it cause the status that Zhou Suqing, a Core Formation Ancestor, had just started to build in the eyes of the disciples to plummet once more, but it also sparked a great debate: where did the Silver Armored Corpses come from?

’Although outsiders call Black Mountain a desolate, barbaric land, that’s mostly just their own prejudice... Unless it’s some kind of extreme, perilous environment, the odds of Silver Armored Corpses spawning naturally are about the same as me successfully growing Thunder Sound Bamboo all by myself.’

Bai Zichen was almost certain that the hand of a Demon Path Cultivator was behind the appearance of the Silver Armored Corpses.

There might even be a Core Formation True Man hiding in the shadows, which would explain why Zhou Suqing was unable to secure a swift victory.

At first, she had merely dispatched the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Feiyue Lake, but they were instead picked off one by one by the Silver Armored Corpses.

By the time she took the matter seriously enough to act personally, she found that the Silver Armored Corpses had already scattered, making them difficult to track.

For someone with Zhou Suqing’s personality, who disliked troubling others, to send a message asking for help, the situation around Feiyue Lake must have become extremely grim.

’Which sect is it? Many sects know the Corpse Refining Technique; I think even our Qingfeng Sect’s Transmission Hall has a scroll of insights on it... But creating so many Silver Armored Corpses is not an overnight task. They must have a secret base deep within Black Mountain to have accomplished this.’

The names of the Demon Path Five Sects were the first to flash through Bai Zichen’s mind.

However, the Corpse Refining Technique was too widespread to pinpoint their origin based on that alone.

This technique was, after all, a heterodox art with limited potential for development.

The strength of a refined corpse was only loosely related to the refiner; it depended primarily on the Realm and power of the original body being used for the Refinement.

Therefore, to advance along this path, one had to resort to various means of stealing corpses.

A Golden Armor Corpse was already the upper limit for an ordinary corpse-refining cultivator. To go any higher, one had to find the body of a Great Demon with a special bloodline or a cultivator who had reached an exceptionally high Realm.

Otherwise, no matter how superb one’s refining arts were, it would be impossible to create a powerful Corpse King.

Just as Bai Zichen was about to head out for Feiyue Lake, he noticed his Sect Token flashing urgently, emitting a vivid red glow.

Detailed information soon appeared on its surface. For major sect emergencies, they wouldn’t hesitate to expend Top-Grade Spirit Stones to ensure the Core Formation Ancestors received the latest updates immediately.

”A conflict broke out at a small-scale ore vein on the border of two prefectures. It was seized by Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators... All twelve disciples stationed there were killed. The losses amount to hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones.”

Bai Zichen stopped in his tracks. This second matter looked just as serious.

’Where did the Ghost Spirit Sect get this audacity... Could it be they heard that the Blood God True Man is returning to Liang Country, and it gave them ideas?’

But even so, distant water couldn’t quench a nearby thirst. Weren’t the Core Formation True Men of the Ghost Spirit Sect afraid of losing their lives by daring to leave the protection of their Sect Grand Array?

According to the images sent back by the disciples guarding the Spirit Stone Ore Vein before their deaths, the Ghost Spirit Sect had arrived in force, numbering nearly a thousand strong.