Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 330: Chapter 328: Nascent Soul Ceremony

The Qingfeng Sect was in an uproar.

Ancestor Ge Cang had battled True Monarch Jiulian, not showing any signs of losing.

Ancestor Bai had been even more astonishing, slaying True Monarch Jiulian with a single slash using his Supreme Sword Technique.

Whenever the disciples of the Qingfeng Sect met, this was their main topic of conversation: when their Sect would replace the Holy Lotus Sect and become the number one sect in Liang Country.

The Law Enforcement Hall even caught a Steward who had set up a private betting pool. The wager was on how many years it would take for the Sect to change its name, attracting many disciples and involving several thousand Spirit Stones.

All of this reached a climax a few days later when a delegation from the Holy Lotus Sect arrived to offer their apologies and attempted to ransom back the body of True Monarch Jiulian.

Regardless of the specific agreement reached, in the eyes of the Qingfeng Sect disciples, this was a clear sign that the Holy Lotus Sect had bowed its head.

The most radical among them were even shouting slogans about trampling the Holy Lotus Sect and seizing Qii Mountain.

’The Qing Emperor Longevity Sword seems to be a Big Killing Artifact against those veteran Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Any Nascent Soul Cultivator who’s been famous for centuries and only has a hundred or two years of life left wouldn’t be able to withstand a single strike from it.’

Bai Zichen gripped the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword and once again cast the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, beginning the ’Hidden Sword’ process for a second time.

’I wonder if an opponent with a mastery of the Great Dao True Intent greater than True Monarch Jiulian’s could put up a better defense against the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword... The biggest problem with this technique is still that the ’Hidden Sword’ period is too long. I can only use it once every hundred years. I wonder which unlucky Nascent Soul True Monarch will be on the receiving end then.’

Having broken down the technique into three parts and successfully cast it once before, executing the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword was no longer difficult for him.

The Power of Time circulated, successfully infusing the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword.

It seemed this Flying Sword of limitless potential was destined to be the exclusive vessel for the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword for a long time.

’Suihan True Monarch sent an invitation. In three months, he will hold his Nascent Soul Ceremony, which will also be the grand renaming ceremony for the Ice Soul Palace... The Ten Thousand Miles Icefield would normally be worth a visit, but it’s too risky for me to go now, being at the center of this storm. There’s no need.’

Neither Bai Zichen himself nor the other Core Formation Ancestors approved of him attending Suihan True Monarch’s Nascent Soul Ceremony.

At this critical juncture, entering another sect’s territory—especially a place where so many High-Tier Cultivators would be gathered—was a huge risk.

If any Nascent Soul True Monarch there decided to make a brazen move, Bai Zichen, without his Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, would be utterly defenseless.

He would never entrust his life to the Ice Soul Palace.

Even if Suihan True Monarch’s invitation was made in good faith, what if the Holy Lotus Sect made an offer so generous that even a Nascent Soul True Monarch couldn’t refuse it?

Furthermore, Master Ge Cang needed time to recover from the aftereffects of the Pink Crystal Shattering Jade Technique. In the end, it was decided that Wei Dao would attend as their representative.

As a Core Formation True Man, and not one of the two most prominent figures in the Qingfeng Sect, Wei Dao’s safety was paradoxically more assured.

Even if the Holy Lotus Sect wanted revenge, they knew that Wei Dao wasn’t a key figure in the Qingfeng Sect, so targeting him would be pointless.

He spent several days in quiet contemplation, doing nothing but carefully considering his path forward.

Only then did he take out the Jade Scroll onto which he had copied the Tripod Song, preparing to study and practice it in earnest.

’It shouldn’t be long before I can move back to Celestial Thunder Cliff. Once the news of this gets out, I’m sure the neighboring sects will quiet down...’

A Nascent Soul True Monarch had fallen at Black Mountain; Bai Zichen didn’t believe any power would be reckless enough to act up in his presence again.

Once things at Ten Thousand Immortals Creek were on the right track, he would no longer need to stay there long-term.

After reading the Tripod Song over and over until he had fully grasped its contents, he combined it with his knowledge of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi and gained new insights.

On its own, the Tripod Song was merely a lyrical verse; it was impossible to cultivate independently.

But when the two were combined, there was an immediate qualitative change. The third volume of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi now seemed perfectly clear.

He would be able to master it in just a few months.

At the same time, he resumed the Water Refining Technique he had set aside for a while, continuing his work on Mid-Grade Magical Treasures.

Six months later, Wei Dao paid him a personal visit on his way back from the Ten Thousand Miles Icefield.

All the Core Formation Level powers in the Liang Country Cultivation Realm had sent representatives to Suihan True Monarch’s Nascent Soul Ceremony, showing the newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator a great deal of respect.

After all, with the death of True Monarch Jiulian, Suihan True Monarch was now the only native Nascent Soul True Monarch in Liang Country.

The Celestial Principle Sect, on the other hand, was an outside sect. No one knew how long they would remain in Liang Country, so there was a natural sense of distance from them.

As for the two Core Formation True Men from the Qingfeng Sect, one was more astonishing than the other, and the world already considered them surefire future Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

There were even rumors from the Celestial Principle Sect that when True Monarch Shi returned to his sect from Black Mountain, he had remarked, ”The makings of a Divinity Transformation cultivator,” before promptly returning to seclusion.

But for now, they were still Core Formation True Men, and there was still some distance to go before they became Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Thus, with the Holy Lotus Sect’s decline now inevitable, the Ice Soul Sect had emerged as the biggest winner, with several powers expressing their intent to pledge allegiance to them.

Even the Holy Lotus Sect and the Celestial Principle Sect had dispatched Core Formation Elders as representatives, bearing congratulatory gifts.

Beyond Liang Country, representatives from some sects in the other three nations of the Northern Domain were also in attendance.

In the four nations of the Northern Domain, the total number of Nascent Soul True Monarchs was less than twenty, most of whom were concentrated in Beiyuan. The addition or loss of a single one could impact the entire political landscape of the Northern Domain.

The only exception was Frost Country. Decades ago, a tragedy had occurred in which multiple Late-Stage Core Formation and Perfect Core Formation True Men were brutally killed, and the culprit had still not been found.

More recently, even one of Frost Country’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs had been lured into a trap and attacked by a Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator, nearly losing his life on the spot.

Fortunately, he was carrying a Secret Treasure left by an ancestor, which allowed him to carve a bloody path to safety and preserve his life.

This chaotic situation left every sect in Frost Country feeling insecure.

Naturally, they were in no mood to care that a sect in Liang Country, a vast distance away, had finally produced a Nascent Soul True Monarch after ten thousand years.

”Also, Junior Brother Bai, you’ll never guess who I saw.”

Seeing Wei Dao’s secretive expression, Bai Zichen said, ”It couldn’t be another Nascent Soul True Monarch, could it?”

”You guessed right. It was an old acquaintance—the Blood God True Monarch... The very same Blood God True Monarch we’ve been worrying about all these years has reappeared. And sure enough, he’s a Nascent Soul Cultivator now.”

A trace of lingering fear appeared on Wei Dao’s face as he spoke, his voice filled with trepidation.

”I heard that on his way to the Ten Thousand Miles Icefield, he annihilated two Core Formation Level Sects. Thousands of cultivators died at his hands. His Demon’s Might is truly overwhelming!”

If Bai Zichen and Master Ge Cang hadn’t demonstrated such astonishing strength, the sect suffering that atrocity could very well have been the Qingfeng Sect.

”And shockingly, the person with him wasn’t a disciple of the Blood Demon Sect, but Fang Tiancheng from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect!”

’Fang Tiancheng has allied himself with the Blood God True Monarch... He certainly moves fast. It seems he’s decided a direct confrontation won’t work and is trying a more roundabout approach.’

The Blood God True Monarch’s return to Liang Country had been rumored for decades, so the upper echelons of the Qingfeng Sect were already mentally prepared.

They weren’t the least bit surprised that he had suddenly appeared with the power of the Nascent Soul Realm and committed such atrocities.

”After the ceremony, Suihan True Monarch found me. He wants to purchase our sect’s Earth God Sand... I told him the matter was too important and didn’t give him a direct answer.”

The contents of the Nascent Soul Ceremony were all the same, just a reenactment of ancient rites.

It was an announcement to heaven and earth that another Nascent Soul True Monarch had been born, a plea for the blessing of the Great Dao.

As for the True Monarch’s sermon at the end, it had long since lost its original meaning. No one would actually preach about their true comprehension of the Great Dao.

Suihan True Monarch simply lectured on a Tier Three Magic called Ice Soul Cold Light. He explained in simple terms the key points from beginner level to Perfection, things to watch out for, and even various derivative Ice Element Techniques. Any cultivator in attendance who practiced this magic would have been completely captivated.

But the guests qualified to attend the ceremony were all Core Formation True Men. Who among them would be interested in the subtleties of a mere Tier Three Magic?

’The Earth God Sand... It’s not out of the question. It all depends on what he’s willing to offer...’

Bai Zichen hadn’t expected the sect’s gourd of Earth God Sand to be so famous that even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would come asking for it.

This treasure had once been extremely important to the Qingfeng Sect, but with him and Master Ge Cang now in the picture, its significance was rapidly diminishing.

Suihan True Monarch was, after all, a Nascent Soul Cultivator. The fact that he had condescended to discuss a trade for the Earth God Sand with Wei Dao was already a great show of respect to the Qingfeng Sect.

”Suihan True Monarch asked for thirty grains, at the price of one Top-Grade Spirit Stone each.”

”Is our sect in need of thirty Top-Grade Spirit Stones?”

Unless they were極品靈石(Top-Grade Spirit Stones), mere numbers of spirit stones held very little attraction for Bai Zichen anymore.

”If the Ice Soul Sect sends someone again, tell them to show some real sincerity... Either we get a promise from Suihan True Monarch, in which case we can even give him the Earth God Sand for free, or they must offer something truly worthy of a Secret Treasure in exchange.”

”As for the Holy Lotus Sect, they’ve offered a Tier Three Flying Sword plus five hundred jin of Tier Three Ore to ransom back the body of True Monarch Jiulian.”

On this trip, every cultivator Wei Dao met treated him with the utmost respect, a change that left him feeling quite emotional.

”As for the Jade Ruler Treasure, they offered to buy it back at market price.”

”You handle it, Senior Brother. I doubt there’s much more we can squeeze out of them... If we ask for too much more, I’m afraid the Holy Lotus Sect will just build a cenotaph for him instead.”

When he was alive, True Monarch Jiulian was, of course, a Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Holy Lotus Sect, his status within the Sect supreme.

But now that he was dead, with no Direct Disciples holding high positions in the Sect, it was hard to say what price the Holy Lotus Sect would truly be willing to pay to get his body back.

...

The soil underfoot was dark red, saturated with too much blood.

The plants that grew here were pale red, and when they flowered, they gave off the faint stench of blood.

The once crystal-clear Plum Pool had been befouled after the founding of the Blood Demon Sect. Its water was now a viscous, blood-red sludge where no fish, shrimp, or Water Beasts could survive.

Only occasionally would a few hideous Blood Beasts reveal their bodies—raw, skinless things with no facial features, their faces a blur.

These Blood Beasts were completely different from those bred at Ten Thousand Immortals Creek.

The Blood Beasts at Ten Thousand Immortals Creek were merely specific Demon Beasts that had been selected and crossbred. Compared to other Demon Beasts of the same tier, their vital energy and blood were exceptionally abundant, and their flesh contained more Spiritual Qi. That was all.

The Blood Beasts in the Blood Pool, however, were artificially fused beings. They were all former disciples of the Blood Demon Sect, failures who had practiced the Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique.

The cultivation process for the Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique was incredibly perilous, twisting its practitioners into something neither human nor ghost.

Upon suffering from Qigong Deviation, they would become a mindless Blood Beast, losing all Spiritual Wisdom before being thrown into the Blood Pool to continuously merge and grow.

Fang Tiancheng held an object in his hand, his expression blank as he walked into the Blood Demon Sect, ignoring the pointing and whispering of the cultivators he passed.

He reached up to wipe a drop of bloody liquid from the corner of his eye. Looking out, he saw that the entire sky was the color of blood.

He stepped onto a road paved with viscous pulp of flesh and blood and walked toward the central hall, which, shockingly, was constructed from the massive skeleton of a Flood Dragon.

As he climbed the steps, the object in his hand dripped incessantly with blood. It was a severed head, its eyes wide in a permanent stare.