Chapter 328 - 300: Great Perfection of Ice Skin and Jade Bones

Chapter 328: Chapter 300: Great Perfection of Ice Skin and Jade Bones

The five Golden Core True Masters had left behind a considerable amount of treasure.

Perhaps it was nowhere near what True Master Chixia had possessed—after all, even cultivators could be rich or poor. Still, their weapons, inheritances, Spirit Stones, and the previously acquired Hundred-Eyed Marsh Dragon amounted to a significant windfall for the five of them.

In addition to his share of a large quantity of Fire Attribute Spiritual Objects, Chen Che also received three fruits from an Immortal Dragon Sunflower Tree.

These fruits were Tier Four Low Grade Spiritual Objects.

Their greatest purpose was to enhance one’s Qi and Blood. Unfortunately, having existed for over a thousand years, they had long since shriveled up, and their efficacy was likely less than thirty percent of the original.

Though the fruits were high-grade, they were of little use to the others. After all, no one present was a Body Cultivator. Moreover, they lacked a suitable Cultivation Technique to fully absorb the fruits’ medicinal power.

Even if they were to eat them, the boost would be minimal.

But Chen Che was different.

He practiced the Flame Emperor Body Refining Technique - Upper, which was perfect for putting them to use.

That was why he chose these three fruits.

For Chen Che, however, his chosen path was that of a Sword Cultivator, with Alchemy Skill as a secondary focus at most.

As for Body Refining, he wouldn’t force it.

After all, his current focus was limited, and he didn’t want to be distracted by other pursuits.

Everyone received a sizable share of the Hundred-Eyed Marsh Dragon’s scales. They were extremely rare materials for crafting armor and could be used directly after some minor refining. Even if resold, they would fetch a large number of Spirit Stones.

With the division of treasure complete, the group planned to depart. Their gains had been substantial, and they could all significantly increase their strength by returning to consolidate what they had acquired.

This was especially true for Meng Qianxun. As a Beast Master, he had happened upon several fruits that could help a Demon Beast advance. If he could help his Blood Python Queen Bee reach the Golden Core Realm, his own power would instantly double.

The others were in a similar position; whether they had obtained Magical Artifacts or Pills, they were all waiting to return and begin their Sacrificial Refinement.

Chen Che packed everything into his Yellow Gourd and cupped his hands toward the others.

"In that case, let’s part ways here. We’ll gather again in half a year to make another attempt at this Traveling Palace. Also, a word of caution for everyone: the opportunities here are many, but don’t let momentary greed blind you."

Everyone listened and voiced their agreement.

It wasn’t just Meng Qianxun.

The others all felt the same way. When seeking opportunities with outsiders, they not only had to be on edge but also constantly watch their backs for betrayal. With Chen Che, however, they had no such worries.

Xiao Chan rolled up his Soul-Calling Banner, slung it onto his back, and his expression turned solemn as he heard Chen Che’s words.

"If anyone betrays our code of conduct," he said, "I’ll see them destroyed, even if it costs me my own Divine Soul."

"Of course!"

Chen Yin had been planning to curry favor with Chen Che; he would have said something himself if Chen Che hadn’t, but he didn’t expect Xiao Chan to voice his stance first. Still, it was clear to him that the relationship between Xiao Chan and Chen Che was indeed a close one.

Everyone present nodded in agreement, none voicing any objection.

After all, having cooperated so many times, they all knew each other’s weaknesses and secrets; they were all in the same boat now. To commit such a despicable act at this point would be truly beneath contempt.

...

With that, the group went their separate ways.

Upon returning to Jinyun Valley, Chen Che’s first order of business was to enter seclusion. He planned to consume the Immortal Dragon Sunflower Tree fruits and push his Ice Skin and Jade Flesh to the stage of Great Perfection in one go.

After all, an enhanced physical body was equivalent to a Protective Magical Artifact.

This meant that even if his True Essence were completely depleted, he would still have a way to preserve his life—or even turn defeat into victory—when facing a cultivator of the same tier.

This was the greatest advantage of a Body Cultivator.

This was precisely why Demon Beasts were stronger than cultivators of the same tier. Their physical bodies possessed a natural endurance that didn’t require True Essence for support, allowing them to easily withstand attacks on their own.

Of course, if an external attack exceeded what their physical body could withstand, their internal Qi and Blood would also be consumed at a terrifying rate.

This was why, throughout history, nearly half of all Body Cultivators died in battle after exhausting their Qi and Blood.

Meng Qianxun went to the Primordial Sect.

As a member of a subordinate power, he naturally had to report to the Upper Sect after his Core Formation.

In addition, he took the scales with him, planning to find an Artifact Refiner in Primordial City to forge a few sets of armor. The level of craftsmanship he required was too high; it was a job Liang Yuan was simply incapable of performing.

After informing Chen Che, Lu Qinglian returned to the Lu Family of Xuzhou.

Chen Che didn’t intend to interfere in her and her husband’s affairs. However, if the two were to reconcile, he might gain the support of a major Foundation Establishment clan. Of course, he might also lose a powerful ally in the process.

Xiao Chan went to Hunzhou.

With the ceaseless war in Hunzhou, he would likely be stationed there for the long term. After all, no Evil Cultivator could resist the temptation of the Divine Souls of thousands upon thousands of mortals.

Back then, Ye Jiuming had nearly turned the tables and killed them by sacrificing just a few Mortal Dynasties and Foundation Establishment clans.

As for Chen Yin, he went to Shuzhou.

However, his heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions.

Everyone had gained immensely from this trip; in half a year, their strength would all improve dramatically. But he was the only one whose future progress seemed to have a visible limit.

"Ancestor, a secret letter from Hunzhou!"

At that moment, a cultivator hurried into the rear garden and placed several letters, each covered in intricate runes, on the table.

’The Power of Faith is sufficient.’

Chen Yin’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the letters.

’How could he not be vigilant while working under Thousand Eyes?’

An outsider might think the content of the letters was what mattered, but in reality, the intricate patterns themselves were the true message. Each letter came from a Death Warrior he had personally selected from the Mortal World. These agents didn’t know of each other’s existence, and even Chen Xi was kept in the dark.

In addition to the Power of Faith he was openly siphoning, he was also stealing more in secret.

A whole millennium was too long for a single Dynasty; the Power of Faith it could provide had reached its limit. Some regions in Shuzhou had even begun to "heed the call but ignore the summons," effectively breaking away from the Court’s control. For mortals, a single province was simply too vast to govern.

That was why Thousand Eyes, whose cultivation had long stagnated, was so intent on invading Hunzhou.

Being so high and mighty, Thousand Eyes was naturally ignorant of the affairs of the Mortal World.

These Death Warriors were the leaders of the "rebellious" cults he was secretly supporting. The "True God" they worshiped had a thousand different faces, but the true name they invoked was always his.

These letters signified that the cults had been successfully established.

Moreover, the Power of Faith supplied by their followers was more than enough for him to break through to the Golden Core Realm.

’...I still have to be patient.’

’Now is not the time to break through.’

With a mere glance, the secret letters on the table instantly turned to ash.

’As long as Thousand Eyes is around, how could a mere household slave like me be qualified to stand as his equal?’

...

Time flows differently in cultivation; seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

As dusk began to fall, a cultivator in green robes stood within the Locust Tree Forest, watering a tree from a Yellow Gourd. His posture was no different from that of an ordinary disciple, though he appeared slightly younger.

The Earth Store Profound Tree before him had already grown to a height of over four feet.

"Junior Brother, the trees in the Valley don’t need watering. The great Array Spirit handles that with Spiritual Water."

Wang Chen, a longsword on his back, had come into the forest. He smiled as he spoke upon seeing this scene.

Hearing this, the green-robed cultivator slowly turned around.

The smug look on Wang Chen’s face vanished. He paled and fell to his knees in shock.

"Valley Master, forgive me! I didn’t realize it was you..."