Chapter 415 - 412: The Beihe Shen Family

Chapter 415: Chapter 412: The Beihe Shen Family

"Senior, do you have any other details about its appearance? It’s difficult to make a judgment with just this bit of information..."

Huang Tingguang stammered. From what had happened to the Mi Family, it was clear this Core Formation True Man was not someone to be trifled with.

’I hope he doesn’t fly into a rage and attack just because he didn’t get an answer. It would be a pointless death for us.’

"If you don’t know, then never mind. You can go."

Bai Zichen waved his hand, having no interest in further conversation with a few Qi Refining Cultivators.

’The fastest way to find a suitable spot is, of course, to seek out the two local sects and three families. As the local powers, they’re bound to have a much deeper understanding of the Great Wild Marsh.’

’There were no known powerful Demon Beasts in the Great Wild Marsh, not even a hint of a Tier Three Demon King. It wouldn’t have been difficult for a few Core Formation Level powers to control the entire expanse of water.’

There were secrets, of course, such as the Water Mansions.

They were originally built on the shore, half in the water and half on land.

Some were constructed as fully-equipped Cave Mansions on small islands.

But as the waters of the Great Wild Marsh shifted and deepened, these Water Mansions sank to the bottom. Coupled with their concealing Forbidden seals, they became difficult to discover.

The most popular tale among the cultivators of the Great Wild Marsh was of some lucky soul discovering one of these Water Mansions.

A Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator who found one could use it as the foundation to establish their own Cultivation Family.

A Qi Refining Cultivator could present it to one of the two major sects or three major families to enjoy a life of wealth and luxury, naming their price in Spirit Stones and treasures.

In recent years, fewer and fewer of these ancestral Water Mansions had been unearthed. In fact, it had been a century since the last one was found.

’However, even if these Core Formation Level powers don’t have the backing of a Nascent Soul Major Sect, they can still petition one for help if they encounter real trouble.’

’I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble. It’s better if I search for it slowly on my own. I’ll find it eventually.’

"I know a place... it perfectly matches your description, Senior..."

The scrawny Huang Family Qi Refining Cultivator, who was as thin as a bamboo pole, stammered out.

"Tell me at once. Where is it?"

Bai Zichen had all but given up hope. This was a pleasant surprise.

"One hundred and fifty li east of Bai Gou, the current is swift, often washing fish and shrimp onto the bank. One night, I went there to wait and gather fish, but I got drowsy and fell asleep. I was jolted awake before dawn by the whistling of a sinister wind. Even the Guardian Spirit Talisman issued by the Clan to each member spontaneously burst into flames. Luckily, the sun rose right after that. A wisp of Purple Qi happened to shine on me, and its warmth completely drove away the bone-chilling cold."

The man’s account perfectly matched the records on the Jade Scroll. After asking a few more questions, Bai Zichen was ninety percent sure he had found the right place.

He tossed out three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, which flew in a perfect arc and landed in the three men’s hands. "If this turns out to be the place I’m looking for, there will be a greater reward!"

The three Huang Family disciples watched the senior depart in a streak of light. They stared at each other, and it was a long while before one of them spoke:

"Brother Guang, is this really a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone? We can’t even save thirty Spirit Stones a year from our clan assignments, yet this..."

"What’s one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone to a Core Formation True Man?"

Huang Tingguang clutched the Spirit Stone in his hand and murmured, gazing in the direction the Sword Light had disappeared.

Bai Zichen had left a small True Essence Mark on each of the three Qi Refining Cultivators. If they got any funny ideas, he would know ahead of time.

He arrived at the Water Eye—a vortex formed by the swift currents, just as the man had mentioned—and quietly waited for nightfall.

’If all goes well, I’ll be staying in the Great Wild Marsh for thirty-six years... The Spiritual Qi here is far inferior to Flame Mountain’s, so my Cultivation speed will definitely be affected.’

Bai Zichen found a towering stone platform and sat cross-legged on top of it.

’This is a good time to smelt that ore and see if it’s really Sun Golden Copper... The Sun Element Copper Bone can take my physical strength to the next level. It would make me truly unafraid of Celestial Fire—I might even be able to harness it. That would be a significant boon.’

’Practicing the Cave Profound Disaster Relief and Demon Extermination Scripture, aside from the Double Ninth Day each year, leaves me with nothing to do. Naturally, I have to find something to occupy myself.’

’There’s no Artifact Refining Grandmaster here, so I can only use the most basic method: smelting the dark red ore step by step with my Pill Fire.’

Sun Golden Copper was reputed to withstand forging from any flame. The higher the grade of the flame, the purer and harder the metal became.

Bai Zichen’s Pill Fire had already taken on some of the characteristics of Pure Yang True Fire. Several decades of refinement would be enough to determine whether the dark red ore was genuine.

As night deepened, a sinister wind did indeed gather. A cultivator with weaker yang energy, if caught in this wind, would return home with an aching back and legs, and be confined to their bed.

To him, however, it was merely a chilly breeze that felt cool against his skin.

When dawn broke, a red sun emerged. Faintly, Purple Qi converged above the Water Eye, forming a Rainbow Bridge.

Following the method for collecting Sunrise Purple Qi described in the Secret Technique, he drew the Purple Qi over. It circled him twice before settling upon his body.

However, the Purple Qi did not condense into a band. Instead, it dispersed like smoke and quickly vanished.

’It really works! This is the place!’

Bai Zichen was ecstatic. It wasn’t the Double Ninth Day, so of course the Secret Technique wouldn’t take full effect, but just confirming the location was a huge success.

Several months later, on the correct day, a wisp of Purple Qi condensed just as the technique described, wrapping around his finger like a purple silk ribbon.

’The first wisp of Purple Qi is formed. I just need to repeat the process until I’ve gathered thirty-six wisps. Then I can refine them into the Demon Extermination Purple Light, and I’ll pass the Heart Demon Tribulation with ease...’

No one would remain sequestered in one place for thirty-six years just to cultivate a Secret Technique unless it was critically important for reaching the Nascent Soul realm.

Unfortunately, the Cave Profound Disaster Relief and Demon Extermination Scripture was unlike other Cultivation Techniques. The Sunrise Purple Qi could only be collected on a specific day each year; the practitioner’s own aptitude and innate talent had no bearing on it.

Even Bai Zichen’s Sacred Body was of no use in this matter.

Two years passed peacefully. Any Cultivators who happened to pass by could tell his Cultivation was profound; they would pay their respects from a distance and quickly depart.

Until one day, an old man with wrinkled skin and white hair appeared. Holding a Spirit Pearl, he bowed deeply from a distance and announced, "Shen Moqun, the current Patriarch of the Beihe Shen Family, has come especially to greet you, Fellow Daoist."

"I am merely borrowing your valuable land for a time," Bai Zichen replied, opening his eyes. "I have no intention of encroaching upon your esteemed Clan and will depart on my own when I am finished."

He was somewhat surprised that the Shen Clan’s Ancestor had waited this long to pay him a visit.

This stretch of water belonged to the Beihe Shen Family, and more than ten Cultivation Families, including the Huang Family, had to pay annual tribute to the Shen Family.

The tribute consisted of Spirit Stones or special Spiritual Materials, and they also had to dispatch their own cultivators to serve the Shen Family.

The extermination of the Mi Family in their territory, followed by the arrival of this mysterious Core Formation True Man who had now stayed for years without leaving, had understandably put the entire Beihe Shen Family on edge.

He had only come to visit today because he had finally gained some measure of confidence.

After all, among the Shen Family, there was only Shen Moqun, a single Core Formation Ancestor. His safety alone was more important than that of thousands of clan members.

If anything happened to him, the Beihe Shen Family would immediately lose its status among the top local powers and be suppressed and carved up by the other Core Formation Level forces.

With one less Core Formation-level family, there would naturally be more benefits for the remaining powers to divide amongst themselves.

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist, if you are acquainted with Master Du Tianbao from the Central Domain? Master Du also came here to practice a Refining Technique over two hundred years ago, and we became friends."

Shen Moqun probed cautiously, hoping to establish some common ground.

"Du Tianbao from the Central Domain..." Bai Zichen mused. "I don’t know Master Du, but I have met one of his elders. In fact, it was that elder who taught me this Qi Collection Technique."

Bai Zichen raised an eyebrow. ’The name Du Tianbao sounds familiar. I think he was the Du Family’s most promising Core Formation True Man before Du the Twelfth Son.’

’He reached Core Formation before he was even a hundred years old and successfully cultivated all the way to Core Formation Perfection, but he ultimately died during his Nascent Soul Celestial Tribulation.’

’If he had successfully transformed into a Nascent Soul, the Du Family would have had a successor, and Du Heng might never have started down the path of cultivating as a True Demon.’

’This just goes to show how perilous the process of Shattering the Core and Transforming into a Nascent Soul truly is.’

’Du Tianbao had successfully refined the Demon Extermination Purple Light. With the immense wealth of the Zengguang Du Family, he wouldn’t have been lacking other Tribulation Crossing Secret Treasures or even a Nascent Soul Pill.’

’And even with all those advantages, he still failed to form a Nascent Soul and died in the process.’

’So, every Core Formation True Man from the Du Family with a chance of reaching the Nascent Soul realm comes to the Great Wild Marsh to collect Purple Qi and cultivate the Cave Profound Disaster Relief and Demon Extermination Scripture.’

’It seems he fabricated an identity as well, never revealing his connection to the Zengguang Du Family.’

"I see! Fellow Daoist Du Tianbao and I got along splendidly back in the day. Fellow Daoist Su, if there is any way the Shen Family can be of assistance, you have but to ask!"

Shen Moqun acted as if he had a long-standing friendship with the Du Family. In reality, he had only just reached the Core Formation realm back then and had barely exchanged a few sentences with Du Tianbao, who was already a Late-Stage Core Formation cultivator.

All he knew was that the man had come to take advantage of the local geography to cultivate a Secret Technique. He had stayed for several decades before leaving, completely ignoring all the local powers in the Great Wild Marsh.