Innate Immortal Seed

The conversation among the few Foundation Establishment Cultivators centered almost entirely around Bai Zichen’s performance seven days ago.

They all praised his incredible strength, calling him worthy of the title Black Mountain’s First Sword Cultivator.

Bai Zichen mentally rolled his eyes. ’There are barely any Sword Cultivators in Black Mountain. What’s this "First Sword Cultivator" title even worth?’

Seeing Senior Brother Zhang beckoning him over, he excused himself and left the small circle.

"Xianzhong, your Bai Family is truly fortunate..."

The Chen Family’s Ancestor watched Bai Zichen’s departing figure, his lips moving as he spoke in a voice as faint as a gossamer thread.

"Years ago, after Yi Xin returned, he told me the Bai Family had produced a Lin’er. He said that as long as nothing unexpected happened, the boy would surely support your family’s future for a hundred years... I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, he’d become such a major figure in the Upper Sect."

"You must not lose contact... People of his stature have too much to do, too much to remember. Once there’s no one left in the Clan he cares for, the remaining descendants won’t even be as important as the disciples he might take in the future."

He saw that his Fragrant Pig Chen Family had no worthy successors. His own direct great-grandson, on whom he had poured immense effort, was hot-headed and combative, and had been stuck at the bottleneck before Late-Stage Qi Refining for four years now.

Among the other members of the younger generation, not a single one was capable of shouldering the responsibility.

It was nothing like the Bai Family. Bai Xianzhong himself was still in his prime, with plenty of time to groom a successor.

And if all else failed, as long as Bai Zichen stood as their banner, who would dare to bully the Bai Family, even if they had no other Foundation Establishment Cultivators?

"I have only been in Black Mountain for a few years, seeking only a safe Spirit Land for myself and my few wives... Bai Clan Leader, we must interact more in the future. When you have time, please give some pointers to my disappointing descendants."

The Paper Crane Daoist was a Loose Cultivator who had recently arrived in Black Mountain. He had been assigned to the same team as the Bai and Chen Families during the reclamation war, and they had only just become acquainted after a few battles.

He hadn’t known about the connection between Bai Zichen and the Bai Family before. Having just found out, he immediately tried to cozy up to them.

"Indeed, the feng shui of the Bai Family’s Spirit Land must be excellent... Younger Brother Bai, why don’t our two clans hold an exchange for our disciples after the reclamation war is over?"

"My family just acquired half a catty of the freshest Spirit Tea. Brother Bai, you must come to Red Leaf Valley for tea when you have time..."

In an instant, Bai Xianzhong became the man of the hour, with several people desperately trying to get closer to him.

...

Bai Zichen walked to the front, where the Elders of the Law Enforcement Hall and those close to them had gathered.

"Junior Brother Bai, stay behind after the meeting. Senior Brother Liang has something to discuss with you."

Senior Brother Zhang nodded at him, sending a private Sound Transmission.

’I wonder what he wants to see me about?’

Bai Zichen was taken aback for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

As the three Hall Masters walked to the center of the hall, the meeting officially began.

It was called a meeting, but it would be more accurate to call it a pep rally.

There were no topics to discuss with the crowd. Liang Yu affirmed everyone’s contributions to the reclamation war so far and spoke of the rewards to be distributed after the war, stressing that the Qingfeng Sect would absolutely keep its word.

Besides Spirit Land, other Cultivation resources could also be exchanged for merits earned in the reclamation.

Finally, he emphasized the power of the Demon Beasts occupying Feiyue Lake, warning everyone not to get complacent, as it was not yet time to celebrate.

The Qingfeng Sect’s Core Formation True Men would intervene at critical moments, so they didn’t need to worry about the Tier Three Demon Kings.

Even Sect Leader Wei Dao would arrive with a Supreme Treasure to help them slay their enemies.

’The Sect Leader is coming too? With only Brother Tan of the Alchemy Hall and Senior Brother Dai of the Artifact Refining Hall left behind, the Sect is mobilizing almost everyone...’

Hearing this, Bai Zichen grew thoughtful. Even Sect Leader Wei Dao, who always remained to guard the Sect, was going to join the battle.

He wondered if there was some intriguing inside story behind it.

But then he considered the Mountain Protection Array. The Tier Three Top-Grade Duality Illusion Moon Array, managed by two Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, was strong enough to repel an attack from a Core Formation True Man.

Should a true emergency occur, the vast distance of thousands of li between the Qingfeng Sect and Feiyue Lake was nothing to a Core Formation Ancestor, who could cross it in an instant.

Liang Yu’s speech soon came to an end. He announced that the final assault would begin in twenty days.

The main reason for the delay was to wait for the Talisman Hall to fully prepare their Fire Element Talismans. This included a set of twenty-four Tier Two Talismans that formed the Fire God Sky-Reaching Talisman, specifically prepared to deal with powerful Demon Beasts.

In Feiyue Lake, besides the mysterious Flood Dragon, there were two confirmed Tier Two Peak Water Beasts whose strength was no less than that of the Jade-Eyed Golden-Eyed Ape.

After the meeting, Bai Zichen followed Senior Brother Zhang, and after a couple of turns, they arrived at a quiet, secluded cottage.

It was empty inside. Senior Brother Zhang told him to sit and wait, then promptly left.

"Junior Brother Bai, apologies for the wait... I was discussing a few things with Junior Brother Luoo and the others, which took some time."

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Liang Yu pushed the door open and entered, accompanied by the sound of steady footsteps.

"It hasn’t been long. I was just summarizing my recent insights on Sword Refinement, so I didn’t notice the time..."

Bai Zichen couldn’t very well say he was bored out of his mind and had already counted all the Spirit Tea Leaves in his cup.

"Excellent! So focused, so engrossed in the Sword Dao. No wonder you were able to master Sword Qi Thunder Sound at your age!"

Liang Yu clapped his hands in praise, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

The more he looked at Bai Zichen, the more pleased he was.

The matter of the Sword Qi Thunder Sound had, of course, been revealed to him by Elder Zhang.

"When I was traveling through Liang Country back in the day, I had dealings with people from the Sun Concealing Sword Sect... They’re all a bunch of sword fanatics, always looking to compare swords and engage in Combat at the drop of a hat."

Liang Yu recalled his memories. It was the only respectable Sword Cultivation Sect in Liang Country.

"In their sect, the realm of Sword Qi Thunder Sound is something only those at the Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivation level can grasp. Someone like you, who mastered it so soon after reaching Foundation Establishment... I’ve never even heard of such a thing."

"However, I’ve heard that there are other realms beyond Sword Qi Thunder Sound, which only their Core Formation Ancestor in the entire Sun Concealing Sword Sect has reached. Junior Brother Bai, your talent in the Sword Dao is so astonishing, it would be a pity if you lacked a suitable inheritance. Pay more attention to this in the future... I will also mention it to Ancestor Yangg and see if he has any leads on Sword Dao inheritances."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Liang. I’m deeply grateful."

Bai Zichen stood up from his chair and bowed.

He already possessed the Star River Sword Monarch’s True Understanding of Sword Dao. Although it didn’t include the Taibai Sword Sect’s Basic Cultivation Technique, the experiential inheritance regarding Sword Dao realms and the few recorded images alone had benefited him immensely.

The inheritance of the Sun Concealing Sword Sect was very likely inferior to his own True Understanding of Sword Dao from the Taibai Sword Sect.

But Senior Brother Liang Yu’s intentions were sincere. He couldn’t just bluntly say it was unnecessary and hurt his feelings.

"After the reclamation war is over, I will arrange for you to meet Ancestor Yangg... At that time, you can ask him about any difficulties you have. As long as your requests aren’t too excessive, he will grant them."

As Ancestor Yangg’s disciple-grandson, Liang Yu had a close relationship with him. Whenever Ancestor Yangg needed something handled, he would send a message directly to him.

Ever since suffering a severe injury and with his lifespan dwindling, Ancestor Yangg had taken the matter of nurturing the Sect’s junior disciples to heart.

Any newly promoted Foundation Establishment Elder with extraordinary talent who caught his eye would receive a gift after meeting him.

Liang Yu had introduced Ma Ming to Ancestor Yangg after Ma Ming reached Foundation Establishment. Thinking back on it now, he was filled with regret.

He had been observing Bai Zichen’s performance for a long time and reported it to Ancestor Yangg right after he reached Foundation Establishment.

At the time, because the reclamation war was imminent, he hadn’t summoned Bai Zichen immediately.

Liang Yu had specifically asked if Ancestor Yangg was interested in taking a peerless talent like Bai Zichen as a disciple and personally mentoring him.

Ancestor Yangg had hesitated for a long time before finally giving up the idea.

He said he didn’t have much time left and still had many worldly affairs to settle. Even if he were to take a disciple, he wouldn’t have much time to teach them.

It was better to just meet them. If they truly had a hope of reaching Core Formation, he could give them some guidance and a few extra items to help smooth their path, which would serve the same purpose.

"I hope I can receive the True Man’s teachings soon."

Bai Zichen had yet to meet either of the Qingfeng Sect’s two Core Formation Ancestors, as he had only reached Foundation Establishment a short time ago.

From what Liang Yu said, it seemed there would be extra benefits to meeting Master Yangg. Of course, that was an opportunity he couldn’t ask for.

"Also, I wanted to let you know that after the reclamation war, Junior Brother Wei will be stepping down from his position as Sect Leader."

"The Sect Leader is stepping down?"

Bai Zichen was visibly shocked. Wei Dao was doing a fine job as Sect Leader and held deep prestige. Why would he suddenly step down without any warning?

"Could it be that Senior Brother Liang will be his successor?"

After some thought, that seemed to be the most likely possibility.

After all, it wouldn’t be strange for the position of Sect Leader to change hands if a Core Formation True Man threw their full support behind one person.

"Not so. Wei Dao has already glimpsed the threshold of Foundation Establishment Perfection. He is stepping down as Sect Leader to focus on secluded cultivation and Breaking Realm... He came to see me a few days ago to give me a heads-up. He already has someone in mind for his successor."

Liang Yu’s expression darkened, no longer showing the resolute and decisive demeanor he always wore in front of others.

Wei Dao was several decades younger than him, yet he had found his opportunity and had a chance at reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Meanwhile, he himself had been at the Peak of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment for nearly twenty years. He had taken many kinds of Barrier-Breaking Elixirs but was still stuck in place. This bottleneck seemed utterly insurmountable.

At his age, Liang Yu had essentially given up on any possibility of reaching Core Formation.

"Junior Brother Bai, what do you think of the Law Enforcement Hall?"

"The Law Enforcement Hall? It’s great... It polices illegal activities both inside and outside the Sect. The customs in Black Mountain are upright and virtuous, and Tribulation Cultivators can only hide in the shadows like rats scurrying across the street. It’s all thanks to the tireless work of the Law Enforcement Hall."

Bai Zichen was still reeling from the news that Sect Leader Wei Dao was about to step down. He hadn’t given the question much thought and just answered smoothly.

"Since you approve of the Law Enforcement Hall’s principles, that’s for the best... I plan to hold on for another twenty years to guide you and gradually transfer power into your hands. In twenty years, you will become the next Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall!"

Liang Yu stared at Bai Zichen as he spoke these Earth-Shattering words.

"What?! You want me to be the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall?"

Bai Zichen was stunned. He never expected that this was the real reason Senior Brother Liang Yu had asked to see him.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea. My qualifications are shallow, after all. How could I command respect? A place with as much weight and authority as the Law Enforcement Hall needs a senior brother with prestige to preside over it."

"What prestige! The prestige of the Law Enforcement Hall is earned through fighting."

Liang Yu waved his hands repeatedly, clearly agitated.

"Look at the people in the Hall now. Who among them can suppress their peers with outstanding combat prowess and bear the responsibility of the Hall Master’s position?"

"Once the reclamation war is over, everyone will know your strength. Who would dare question you over your lack of seniority? Besides, it’s not like I’m asking you to take over immediately. Twenty years is more than enough time for you to build up sufficient prestige."

"A Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall under the age of fifty... you will set a new record as the youngest in the Sect’s history!"