"Ziying, Ziyu, why are you two only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer?"
The two small, pointed boats he had taken from the Secret Hall flipped between Bai Zichen’s palms as he refined them with his True Essence.
"Have you been slacking off at home instead of cultivating properly!"
With his current status, his direct cousins were guaranteed the best treatment in the Bai Clan; no one would dare slight them.
Both were around fourteen or fifteen, and their cultivation speed was relatively slow.
"Big Brother, Ziyu and I haven’t been slacking... It was Father who said we’re still young and shouldn’t take elixirs too early, lest it harm our foundation. Otherwise, we’d definitely be at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer by now!"
Bai Ziying mustered her courage, speaking in a soft, quiet voice.
’Of course, she knew what kind of status this cousin of hers—whom she’d only met once—held within the Qingfeng Sect and across all of Black Mountain.’
Since his rise to prominence, he had advanced steadily, reaching a new stage every few years without ever hitting a bottleneck. For him, Breaking Realms was as easy as drinking water.
The Black Mountain Cultivators had already put Bai Zichen on a pedestal.
Almost everyone believed it was only a matter of time before he reached the Nascent Soul realm.
Even when people presented proof of just how many Core Formation True Men from Liang Country’s countless cultivators it took to produce a single Nascent Soul Cultivator like True Monarch Jiulian, no one paid any mind.
Becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch was not merely a matter of talent and aptitude.
Every cultivator who reached Core Formation Perfection had been a genius who amazed others on their journey, yet the vast majority fell before the Celestial Chasm of forming a Nascent Soul.
Beyond talent and aptitude, one also needed opportunity, fortune, and mental fortitude; not a single one could be lacking.
The path from Core Formation to Nascent Soul was even longer and more arduous than that of a mortal cultivating all the way to Core Formation.
Thanks to Bai Zichen’s influence, the Bai Clan had inexplicably acquired several new mountain peaks. Even in a dispute over a Meteor Ore Vein, the other Cultivation Families had voluntarily withdrawn, letting the Bai Clan have it.
"Ziying, your constitution is on the colder side. Once you’re back at the Sect, eat a pound of Blood Ginseng Rice every day to bolster your qi and blood..."
Bai Zichen summoned the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror and shined it on the two youngsters.
A detailed Human Meridian Map appeared. Without even needing a prompt from the Magical Treasure, he could identify the problems based on his own experience.
"Ziyu, there are three flaws in how you circulate your Cultivation Technique. When your Magical Power flows through the Hua Gai Acupoint, let it linger for five more breaths. And when it passes the Middle Court Acupoint, focus on impacting it repeatedly..."
"At the end of every year, if I’m free, I will come check on your cultivation progress... If you haven’t met my standards, I won’t go easy on you."
"We understand, Big Brother. Ziyu and I will both work hard."
Bai Ziying nodded vigorously, while the more introverted and shy Bai Ziyu just lowered his head with a quiet "mhm."
After lecturing the two youngsters, Bai Zichen said no more. Enduring the ox-cart-like speed of his Colorful Cloud Robe, he focused on the Refinement of the Flying Ship in his hands.
The Seeking Truth Ship, a Mid-Grade Flying Treasure.
He had circled the Secret Hall twice before finally settling on a Flying Magical Treasure.
For one, he didn’t currently possess a Tier Three Flying Sword. To use Sword Flight, he would have to switch to a Tier Two Flying Sword, which was not only unbefitting his status as a Core Formation True Man, but was also critically slow.
The Moon Xuan Sword was fast, but it would drain his True Essence in just ten breaths, causing him to plummet.
Having a Flying Magical Treasure for transportation was quite practical.
Besides a flight speed worthy of a Mid-Grade Magical Treasure, the Seeking Truth Ship’s hull was crafted from Iron Wood, which was incredibly hard and impervious to both water and fire. Combined with its twelve embedded Forbidden Seals, it was more than enough to ensure safety during travel.
The other item he had taken from the Treasure Area, a Five-Eyed Blood Bodhi, was a Spiritual Object immensely beneficial for cultivating Body Techniques.
If he could find an Alchemy Grandmaster to refine it into a Body Refining Elixir, it could save a Core Formation Body Refining Cultivator ten years of effort.
Even if consumed directly, it would still provide seventy percent of the effect.
Bai Zichen had chosen this Five-Eyed Blood Bodhi so that after reaching the preliminary stage of the Five Crystal Permanent Casting Body, he could quickly master it.
After landing on Hanxiu Peak, he took the Bai siblings to visit his great-uncle, Bai Jiu’an, presenting him with a Golden Jade Green Heart Pill he had acquired at great cost from the Alchemy Hall.
"Great-uncle, this elixir can extend your life by twenty years... Also, even though you don’t plan to attempt Foundation Establishment, you should still practice the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique. A Qi Refining Cultivator can master the first layer at a minimum, which will add at least another ten years to your lifespan."
Bai Jiu’an looked even more frail than the last time they had met; he was, after all, a man approaching one hundred years of age.
Even with a cultivator’s constitution, and though his body was still robust, it was hard to say how much longer he had left to live.
The price of life-extending elixirs had skyrocketed in recent years, making them incredibly difficult to purchase. This Golden Jade Green Heart Pill, for instance, was from a batch Han Qing had acquired thirty years prior to study their medicinal properties. In the end, two bottles had remained unused.
A single Golden Jade Green Heart Pill like this cost three thousand Contribution Points to redeem from the Sect.
For his great-uncle’s sake, Bai Zichen had naturally redeemed one without hesitation.
"Even if I don’t wake up tomorrow, I can die without any regrets... A Core Formation True Man! What have I, Bai Jiu’an, ever done to deserve a Core Formation True Man for a grandnephew?"
Bai Jiu’an’s words were slightly slurred, but he slammed his hand on the table in extreme excitement.
"What’s this talk of tomorrow? Great-uncle, you still need to see these two youngsters reach Foundation Establishment."
Bai Zichen and Bai Jiu’an talked late into the night, reminiscing about all the little moments the great-uncle and grandnephew had shared on Hanxiu Peak in the past.
’He was well aware that it was perfectly normal for a Core Formation True Man to emerge from seclusion or return from their travels only to find they had outlived a few more relatives.’
’But his bond with his great-uncle was different. The thought that he might soon have to bid farewell to this dear family member inevitably filled him with a sense of loss and regret.’
The next day, Bai Zichen found Clan Leader Bai Xianzhong and directly informed him that he wished to borrow the Clan Ancestral Hall to practice a Cultivation Technique.
Bai Xianzhong had no objection; in fact, he wished the True Man who had emerged from their Bai Clan could stay for a few more days.
Inside the Ancestral Hall, he walked to the spot where Genggeng had sensed the unusual aura and sent his Divine Sense plunging deep into the ground.
’My Divine Sense can reach a maximum of thirty li. It should be able to penetrate at least ten-odd li underground. I refuse to believe I can’t find the source of the anomaly.’
One hundred zhang down: dirt mixed with gravel. A panicked field mouse scurried past.
Three hundred zhang: giant boulders began to appear, the kind that usually contained large amounts of refined iron.
Five hundred zhang: a silent underground river flowed by.
Eight hundred zhang: at last, his Divine Sense detected traces of something man-made. Inside a hollow sphere, a Crystal Stone and a Jade Scroll floated.
’What an ethereal Crystal Stone...’
Bai Zichen was certain he had never seen a Crystal Stone like it. A dark red liquid was sealed inside, and it seemed to possess a life of its own.
As the dark red liquid sloshed within the Crystal Stone, it actually emitted a deep, rushing sound—WHOOSH—like massive waves crashing against the shore.
’If my senses aren’t mistaken, this Crystal Stone is breathing, and it all originates from the liquid inside... The crystal itself might be a seal. Without it, the area of influence of this single drop of liquid would be a hundred times greater.’
The underground river, for example, would "breathe" in time with the Spiritual Liquid, its current ebbing and flowing in place like a tide.
As Bai Zichen was contemplating this, a ferocious, terrifying Azure Dragon radiating divine might suddenly appeared. It let out a silent roar that propagated outwards in a peculiar fashion.
The Azure Dragon was coiled in so many loops that its full length was impossible to discern.
Then, the Azure Dragon soared once around before shattering and vanishing like a beautiful, illusory dream.
"Holy Beast Essence Blood!"
Bai Zichen exclaimed in a hushed, shocked voice.
’Other than the legendary Holy Beast Essence Blood, what other liquid could manifest such power from a single drop? Its mere illusion made even a Core Formation Cultivator like him feel a tremor deep in his soul.’
It had two horns upon its head and five claws on its feet. Its draconic form carried an indescribably noble and graceful aura.
Compared to so-called Flood Dragons and Hornless Dragons, its appearance was vastly different, to say nothing of the oppressive power it exuded.
’It was highly likely that on that day, Genggeng had sensed the change deep underground precisely when the Holy Beast Essence Blood’s power flared up.’
’That would explain why it was so terrified. A mere wisp of aura from eight hundred zhang away had been enough to render it limp and powerless, completely unable to resist.’
Holy Beast Essence Blood was something beyond the understanding of a cultivator of his Tier; it could retain its potent vitality for tens of thousands of years.
’The Ancestor actually hid the Holy Beast Essence Blood beneath the Ancestral Hall. How audacious... ’
Bai Zichen clicked his tongue, sensing that he was close to uncovering the secrets behind the fall of the Fish Dragon Sect.
He waved his hand, scattering twelve Array Banners to enclose half of the Ancestral Hall. Then he took out an Array Plate, placed it before him, and focused on his calculations.
This set of Array Banners was something he had borrowed from Zhou Suqing. It was a Tier Two Top-Grade Array that integrated the insights of both Zhou Suqing and Ancestor Yang.
Once activated, it would completely isolate the area and cut off any fluctuations...
This was all to minimize the disturbance when he retrieved the Holy Beast Essence Blood.
His two Celestial Xin Swords shot out, transforming into two beams of Sword Light that rapidly began to excavate the earth. In just a moment, a pit one zhang deep had formed.
With the digging efficiency of a Core Formation True Man, he reached a depth of around three hundred zhang in just half a day.
’If I used the Moon Xuan Sword to dig, it would be even faster. I might even reach the Holy Beast Essence Blood’s location in half an hour... But it’s a full eight hundred zhang down. My meager True Essence isn’t enough to sustain the Moon Xuan Sword for that long.’
At the same time, to maintain secrecy, he couldn’t possibly mobilize the Bai Clan Members and make a big show of excavating their own Ancestral Hall.
’It was better to do the hard work himself than to take unnecessary risks.’
By mid-morning of the third day, thanks to the unremitting efforts of the two Celestial Xin Swords, he was finally just one step away from the hollow sphere.
He took a moment to recover his strength, then fiercely pierced the final barrier and broke into the space containing the Holy Beast Essence Blood.
A boundless power surged up the shaft, and as if an earthquake had struck, all the candles in the Ancestral Hall were instantly extinguished.
Bai Zichen’s eyes and hands were quick; with a sweep of the two beams of Sword Light, he brought up both the Crystal Stone and the Jade Scroll.
The Holy Beast Essence Blood Crystal Stone emanated a tyrannical, overwhelming aura. The closer it got to the surface, the more potent the heart-stopping sensation became.
The twelve Array Banners trembled violently, strained to their absolute limit and looking as if they might shatter at any moment.
Before the Holy Beast Essence Blood could manifest the Azure Dragon Illusion again, he tossed it into his storage bag.
’So the so-called Holy Beast is an Azure Dragon. A single drop of its Essence Blood can form a lifelike illusion and dominate its surroundings... The Wood God Skill that the Bai Clan Members practice has the special effect of causing Spirit Plants to mutate and advance. The effect stops working for clan members who marry and move away, and even descendants who share the Bai bloodline but live elsewhere can’t do it. So that’s the reason.’
Bai Zichen came to a sudden realization. The Holy Beast Essence Blood had been unknowingly influencing the people of the Bai Clan all along; they just hadn’t been aware of it.