Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 429: Chapter 426: Where Did Such a Strong Body Refining Cultivator Come From?

”The Beiyuan Piaoxue Temple follows a single line of succession, with only one disciple per generation, all of whom possess an Ice Spiritual Root. Its founding patriarch was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but no one of that caliber has appeared since.”

Since the Celestial Principle Sect had decided to establish itself in the Northern Domain, it needed to thoroughly understand not only the publicly known sects but all the hidden powers as well.

In just a few short decades, Yanx Rulong had come to know all of the Northern Domain’s hidden powers, from reclusive sects to underground organizations, like the back of his hand.

”However, every Observatory Master has reached the Perfect Core Formation Realm and mastered several astonishingly powerful Ice Element Divine Powers. Since this woman is at the Perfect Core Formation Realm, she is likely the current Observatory Master of Piaoxue Temple.”

’They can all cultivate to the Core Formation Nascent Soul stage, yet not one has ever successfully formed a Nascent Soul. Could there be a problem with their Cultivation Technique?’

Le Zheng watched as the woman in white moved with ethereal, serpentine grace, her figure weaving and shifting between several Ice Mirrors.

Not only was her opponent unable to lock onto her, but when he sent a mountain peak crashing toward her, it was frozen solid by a blast of Cold Qi after shattering two of the Ice Mirrors.

Streaks of cold light shot out from the shattered Ice Mirrors. Any rock or plant they grazed was instantly frozen solid, and when a gentle breeze swept by, it crumbled to dust.

Moreover, it wasn’t long before new Ice Mirrors formed, causing the mountain-peak Magical Treasure to move slower and slower.

Seeing he had no chance of victory, the cultivator recalled his Magical Treasure, leaped from the summit, and conceded defeat.

With such cultivation and strength on full display, any cultivators who had been hoping for an easy win gave up on the idea.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, no one else ascended the stage to challenge her, so the woman in white secured a spot for the Lotus Secret Realm.

”Fellow Daoist, are you the current Observatory Master of Piaoxue Temple?”

Yanx Rulong cupped his hands from afar and asked via Sound Transmission.

The woman in white’s strength was enough to make her the Celestial Principle Sect’s greatest rival inside the Lotus Secret Realm.

After careful analysis, the Celestial Principle Sect had determined that taking four spots was the most strategic number.

Any more would impact the main front against the Holy Lotus Sect, as they would lack the manpower to keep them firmly sealed within Qii Mountain.

Any fewer, and they wouldn’t be able to establish an absolute advantage over the other cultivators entering the Lotus Secret Realm.

In the past, the Holy Lotus Sect had controlled the Secret Realm’s entrance and exit, as well as the right to distribute all the entry slots. Every cultivator who entered had to hand over one of their treasures as an entrance fee.

No one thought of trying to hide anything. With True Monarch Jiulian presiding, the Holy Lotus Sect was not one for pleasantries.

If you claimed to have found nothing in the Lotus Secret Realm, you’d have to stay behind and perform a hundred years of hard labor for the Holy Lotus Sect. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Strictly speaking, the Lotus Secret Realm was now masterless.

The Celestial Principle Sect was merely the strongest power in the Qii Mountain region for now, far from having the realm under its complete control.

The exit points from the Lotus Secret Realm were scattered, making it impossible to impose the same demands as the Holy Lotus Sect.

”My Master is still here. I am Xue Chan, merely the worldly representative of Piaoxue Temple... Greetings to the fellow Daoists from the Celestial Principle Sect.”

Xue Chan’s bearing was graceful as she gave a slight curtsy.

Yanx Rulong was startled. ’This means Piaoxue Temple has at least two cultivators at Core Formation Perfection.’

The next few cultivators defending the peak failed to hold their ground, all suffering defeat after a few consecutive wins.

None of them possessed the kind of overwhelming power that would make them stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Defenders came and went in a blur until a strikingly handsome youth took the summit and forced his opponent off the peak with just three sword strikes.

The crowd below fell silent. For a moment, no one stepped forward to challenge him.

”Ao Xuangling, the fifth disciple of True Monarch Yuan Mo... and a Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivator...”

Le Zheng was taken aback. Having spent most of the recent years in Zengguang Immortal City, how could he not recognize Ao Xuangling?

”I didn’t expect him to be interested in the Lotus Secret Realm. By all rights, Celestial Punishment Peak alone has three or four secret realms of a similar level, not to mention the legendary Nine Luminaries Grotto Heaven.”

”Now that True Monarch Yuan Mo has become the master of Zengguang Immortal City, his branch has, in a sense, separated from Celestial Punishment Peak to form its own system. If things go well, they might even turn the twelve peaks of the Moral Sect into thirteen... Going back to enjoy the secret realm resources of Celestial Punishment Peak won’t be as easy as it was before.”

Having managed the sect’s general affairs for over a century, Yanx Rulong understood these intricacies far better than Le Zheng.

”And it’s not just about Zengguang Immortal City. In the future, more Nascent Soul Major Cultivators from outside Liang Country will arrive. If our sect can’t conquer the Holy Lotus Sect and take control of Qii Mountain soon, then over time, we’ll be forced to share the Lotus Secret Realm, losing our chance to claim it entirely for ourselves.”

After a long wait, only one Core Formation True Man stepped forward. He summoned a sky full of Fire Stones, unleashing a meteor shower.

But Ao Xuangling, riding his Sword Light, easily shattered the thousands of Fire Stones, winning a bloodless victory.

After that, no one else ascended the peak to challenge him, allowing him to easily become the winner of the round.

The title of Direct Disciple to a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Moral Sect was intimidating enough, especially since his master was the lord of the nearby Immortal City.

Most cultivators would avoid offending him, lest he bear a grudge and make things difficult for them in Zengguang Immortal City later on.

”I heard this man compares himself to Bai Zichen. Is this all he’s got?”

Yanx Rulong looked puzzled. A Bai Zichen at the same realm had single-handedly held them all off with his sword, forcing Yanx Rulong himself to flee in disarray.

”Anyone with eyes can see the massive gulf between their mastery of the Sword Dao.”

”He’s the scion of a great sect, so he’s naturally surrounded by sycophants... Repeat a lie a thousand times, and I suppose you start to believe it yourself.”

Le Zheng had dealt with Ao Xuangling before. The man wasn’t bad at heart and even had the bearing of a gentleman.

However, when it came to his perception of his own abilities, he possessed the characteristic arrogance of a Central Domain cultivator, always looking down on those from the Northern Domain.

Even with Bai Zichen’s brilliant battle record laid bare before him, he was so puffed up by the praise of those around him and his own contempt for Northern Domain cultivators that he came to believe the gap between them wasn’t actually that large. The main difference, he thought, was that he lacked a Tier Four Flying Sword.