Chapter 250

Fang Qing glanced at Zhan Hongxiu, who was currently seated in meditation and swallowing medicinal pills, but paid her little attention.

Cultivators possessed tenacious vitality. As long as they did not die immediately, there was usually some way to cling to life.

He formed a series of hand seals and used the Water-Parting Ring to manipulate the black river, continuously drawing its waters into the Pure Spring Cleansing Bottle and the Devuring Sea Bottle.

Splash! Splash!

Amid the endless black waters, something mysterious was stirred.

Threads of strange watery qi drifted forth, drawn by rays of [Ji Water] radiance and absorbed into the Pure Spring Cleansing Bottle.

It was none other than the water vein of the Three Thousand Weak Waters.

So-called water veins and spring eyes, compared to the Three Thousand Weak Waters, were like the difference between a dairy cow and the milk it produced.

No matter how much Three Thousand Weak Water Fang Qing collected, it remained merely a stored resource. Once used up, it was gone.

But after obtaining this Three Thousand Weak Water Vein, the Pure Spring Cleansing Bottle would be able to continuously generate Three Thousand Weak Water on its own.

Once he returned, he could even establish a Weak Water Grand Array.

‘Excellent. Excellent. Three Thousand Weak Water is exceedingly rare in the outside world. Whether used in battle, alchemy, or artifact refinement, it is an exceptional treasure.’

‘In terms of value, it may even surpass that third-rank high-grade flood dragon corpse once the Abyss Eye Pearl has been removed.’

Fang Qing stored away the Pure Spring Cleansing Bottle, which now carried a faint ring of black qi, and turned his gaze toward Zhan Hongxiu.

At this moment, Zhan Hongxiu had also finished circulating her cultivation. She wiped the blood from her face and placed the unconscious Longevity Turtle back into her spirit beast pouch.

Her complexion was pale, and for once she displayed a trace of feminine fragility.

“How are you feeling, Fellow Daoist? The flood dragon corpse is here. We should divide the spoils.”

Fang Qing had always been a reasonable man. He pointed toward the dragon corpse lying nearby, now stripped of its Abyss Eye Pearl.

“Though that Essence Soul Great Pill belongs to me.”

“You jest, Fellow Daoist. This flood dragon was practically slain by your efforts alone. All the spoils rightfully belong to you.”

Zhan Hongxiu smiled bitterly.

Her current condition was abysmal. Her strength had even fallen below the Core Formation realm.

If the other party wished to kill her now, it would require little more than lifting a finger.

Yet this Fellow Daoist Bai was still willing to share the spoils with her.

That alone made him an exceptionally rare good person.

“You contributed quite a bit as well. For example, that third-rank Thunder Pearl.”

Fang Qing stored away the dragon pearl and casually allocated some dragon blood and dragon scales to Zhan Hongxiu.

She looked at him gratefully and accepted without further protest.

Fang Qing had no idea he had just received a "good person" label.

His attention was fixed upon the Weak Water river before them.

“Let's go. The injuries suffered by you and your spirit beast may perhaps be cured by spiritual medicines on the island at the center of the lake.”

After Fang Qing extracted an entire water vein, the Weak Water river before them had become noticeably thinner. It was now possible to vaguely see the scenery beyond it.

“Go!”

He activated the Water-Parting Ring.

Under the profound power of Water Parting, the black river split directly down the middle.

Streams of azure-green [Ji Water] radiance flashed forth.

To Zhan Hongxiu's surprise, the drowning force vanished entirely. She could once again fly through the air and followed Fang Qing beyond the river.

What greeted them was a small island surrounded by the Three Thousand Weak Waters.

The island itself was remarkably simple.

There was only a medicinal garden and several thatched cottages.

At the center of the island stood a towering ancient tree that reached into the heavens.

Streams of life-filled radiance descended from its branches, giving off the unmistakable aura of an emperor among trees.

“Azure Emperor Wood!”

Fang Qing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the ancient tree with admiration.

“Judging from its appearance, it must be at least ten thousand years old. It is an unparalleled material for refining wood-aspect treasures.”

Yet upon arriving at the island, he became even more cautious.

With a wave of his hand, numerous low-rank puppets appeared.

Most were only first-rank or second-rank constructs that he had casually purchased while traveling through marketplaces over the years.

They were not particularly useful and were little more than expendable cannon fodder.

Clack! Clack!

The puppets landed and expanded in size.

Some became armored guards carrying shields and swords.

Others transformed into winged tigers, swift wolves, and various beast-shaped constructs.

They immediately spread out to scout the island.

“Hm? No restrictions or traps?”

A short while later, the scouting results returned.

Fang Qing seemed somewhat surprised before quickly nodding in understanding.

“That makes sense. This place would be considered the secret realm master's personal living quarters. If one had to constantly deal with traps and restrictions inside their own bedroom, it would only create trouble for themselves.”

Zhan Hongxiu's pale face suddenly became animated as she approached the Azure Emperor Wood.

Beneath the tree lay a small medicinal garden.

Its size was modest, containing only a dozen or so spiritual herbs.

Yet every one of them was imbued with the essence of heaven and earth and emitted extraordinary spiritual fluctuations.

“That's... Jade Dragon Blood Ginseng? And Heavenly Blossom Seed? Their age and medicinal potency are astonishing.”

With a casual glance, Fang Qing immediately recognized several of the herbs.

His expression shifted slightly.

These two spiritual herbs were important supplementary ingredients in refining the Nascent Condensation Pill.

After examining the garden further, he could not help but sigh regretfully.

“What a pity. There isn't a Heavenly Infant Fruit Tree.”

“The Azure Emperor Wood is the emperor among trees. It nurtures and protects other spiritual herbs, but tree-type spiritual plants are different. Their essence is easily stolen by the Azure Emperor Wood. They can hardly survive beneath its canopy.”

Zhan Hongxiu crouched before a particular orchid, excitement evident in her eyes.

“Nine Illusion Heart Orchid?”

“With this spiritual herb, Senior Turtle will finally awaken.”

“The injuries to both my divine sense and the Longevity Turtle's divine sense will become trivial matters.”

Fang Qing had already transformed his Dao Foundation into Feng Seeks Huang, allowing him to hear every word clearly.

He looked over.

The orchid was pure white from root to blossom.

Nine petals bloomed from its stem, each resembling condensed moonlight.

It emitted a tranquil and ethereal aura.

“Fellow Daoist recognizes this spiritual herb?” he asked.

“Indeed.”

Zhan Hongxiu nodded.

“This herb is called the Nine Illusion Heart Orchid. It strengthens the soul and heals injuries to the divine sense. It is exactly what I need.”

She then looked up toward the towering Azure Emperor Wood.

“As for this Azure Emperor Wood...”

“Other than these two items, all the remaining spiritual herbs may be given to Fellow Daoist.”

“Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be so courteous. The Azure Emperor Wood and soul-nourishing spiritual medicine were already agreed upon beforehand.”

Fang Qing smiled faintly.

“On the contrary, with so many spiritual herbs gathered here, only a single Heavenly Infant Fruit is missing before one can nearly assemble all the ingredients needed for a batch of Nascent Condensation Pills. If anything, I am the one who has gained the greater advantage.”

As he spoke, he began harvesting the spiritual herbs.

Anything planted in this place was a true heaven-and-earth spiritual medicine, each one immensely valuable and rarely seen in the outside world.

Although he did not possess the pill formula for the Nascent Condensation Pill, he had long since inquired about its ingredients.

Several of the most important supplementary materials could be found here.

One could say that he had already gathered fifty to sixty percent of the ingredients required by the formula. The remaining materials could all be found elsewhere, bringing the total to nearly ninety percent complete.

Only the most crucial ingredient remained: the Heavenly Infant Fruit.

Once he acquired that fruit and obtained the genuine pill formula, he could finally attempt to open a furnace and refine the pill.

'Though with my current alchemy attainments, even if a Heavenly Infant Fruit were placed before me, I still might not dare refine it.'

Fang Qing shook his head.

Using different preservation techniques, he carefully stored away the Jade Dragon Blood Ginseng, Heavenly Blossom Seed, and various other spiritual herbs before glancing toward Zhan Hongxiu.

The woman was seated cross-legged, currently refining the medicinal effects of the Nine Illusion Heart Orchid.

'Looks like that old turtle is about to awaken.'

'I'd better be more cautious from here on out.'

After circling the island once and confirming that nothing else worthy of attention remained, Fang Qing finally turned his gaze toward the three thatched cottages.

There were no restrictions placed upon them.

With a gentle push, the doors opened.

He entered the cottage on the left first.

The furnishings inside were extremely simple.

There was only a long wooden table upon which rested a jade slip, a small bronze bell, an ancient lamp, and several other items.

Fang Qing first ordered a humanoid puppet to approach and pick up the jade slip.

Nothing unusual occurred.

Only then did he take the jade slip himself and sweep it with his divine sense.

Instantly, countless densely packed characters emerged before his eyes.

"Tortoise-Crane Longevity Art... the complete Soul Transformation version!"

After a brief examination, surprise appeared on his face.

"After reaching Nascent Soul, this cultivation method actually contains several longevity-enhancing techniques. A cultivator who practices it can far exceed the lifespan of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators."

"It even includes a large number of secret arts."

Among them, two secret arts drew his attention the most.

"Northern Dipper Records Death, Southern Dipper Records Life..."

"The technique beginning with Northern Dipper specializes in exchanging life for life. It consumes one's own lifespan to reduce the lifespan of an enemy."

"As for the Southern Dipper technique, it allows one to seize the lifespan of fellow cultivators who also cultivate the Tortoise-Crane Longevity Art. Although the restrictions are considerable, it is still a terrifying ability."

Fang Qing put down the jade slip.

He then examined the small bell and ancient lamp, discovering that both were rare treasures. Either one would be enough to drive Nascent Soul old monsters into a frenzy of competition.

Next, he entered the cottage on the right.

It was completely empty.

'The owner of this place must have packed everything away before drifting off into the world...'

A strange feeling arose in Fang Qing's heart.

He then pushed open the door to the central cottage.

The final thatched hut contained no furnishings whatsoever.

Only a meditation cushion sat in the middle of the room, with a string of prayer beads resting atop it.

"This cushion appears to be woven from Nine Violet Spirit Cattail Grass."

"When a cultivator meditates upon it, the mind becomes tranquil, the spirit remains calm, and inner demons cannot arise."

"And these prayer beads..."

"They were likely carved from Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood."

"As expected of a cultivator from the Zhoutian Star Palace. Everything they eat, wear, and use is of the highest quality."

Fang Qing sighed with admiration.

Then he looked up.

And froze.

Hanging upon the wall before him was a portrait.

Within the painting stood a swordsman dressed in azure robes, a sword slung across his back.

Yet where the face should have been...

There was only blank emptiness.

...

At the Blissful Union Sect mountain gate.

Tian Youliang held a breath-refining magical artifact, continuously releasing attacks against the array.

He no longer wished to think about the events that had happened previously.

Recently, the atmosphere throughout the army had become increasingly strange.

"What is the point of us attacking this mountain gate array?"

"It was established personally by a Golden Core True Lord."

He sighed.

"I once heard that before my family's ancestor died, he left behind a final warning: his descendants must never travel east or north, or great calamity would befall them."

"I've already journeyed countless tens of thousands of li to the east. Perhaps the prophecy is finally coming true."

Thinking of his younger brother, Tian Youliang's heart grew heavy.

The tides of the world rose and fell.

How could mere ants determine their own fate?

...

High above in the heavens.

Brilliant lights of divine abilities flashed endlessly, freezing entire stretches of space.

Yet the Blissful Union Sect mountain gate remained standing proudly, unmoved despite everything.

"Dharma King Pilu."

A group of Dharma Kings approached respectfully.

"This array was established by a Golden Core True Lord. How are we supposed to break it? Please enlighten us."

Dharma King Pilu held a golden scroll in his hands.

His expression remained as still as an ancient well, as though he had only just emerged from meditation.

"[Stomach Earth] has returned. Countless karmic threads have already changed."

"Our assault upon the Blissful Union Sect likewise revolves around this matter."

"The so-called army's attack is merely a question."

"The World-Honored Tathagata is awaiting the answer of that one known as Primordial Lord Fuyu."

He spoke words that Sangji could not understand in the slightest.

As he did so, the golden scroll slowly unfurled.

Within appeared a painting depicting the hell realms. Countless layers of space seemed contained within it.

Every brushstroke radiated profundities far surpassing ordinary divine abilities.

At the top of the scroll were inscribed several lines of Hidden-Treasury golden script:

Jambudvipa Purgatory Chart!

'A Buddhist Treasure!'

Sangji's heart shook violently. Even his White Bone Heart trembled.

'This is a Buddhist Treasure personally painted by a Buddha and infused with true Buddha-nature!'

As the scroll unfolded further, terrifying beings emerged one after another. Their aura vastly surpassed that of Purple Mansion cultivators.

They resembled strange gods and demons crawling forth from the Eighteen Mani Hells.

Some wore skull prayer beads.

Others carried vajras.

Each descended separately into heaven and earth.

The surrounding Hidden-Treasury golden bodies immediately appeared diminished by comparison, as though they had become a full head shorter.

And then...

The heavens and earth fell silent.

Layer after layer of Jambudvipa Purgatory descended from the painting and crashed toward the Blissful Union Sect mountain gate.

One hell after another.

Endlessly.

Relentlessly.

As though the weight of countless infernal worlds had been brought down upon the sect itself.