Innate Immortal Seed

"An Array Master?"

Bai Zichen was slightly taken aback. He had never really considered this path of development.

Regarding the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, he had made plans. He wanted to wait until he had finished his current tasks before studying the Artifact Refining Art to build a foundation.

After all, as a Sword Cultivator, he couldn’t just have others refine all his Flying Swords for him in the future.

This was especially true for his Lifebound Flying Sword. It was best to refine it himself. The blood connection formed would greatly shorten the time needed to turn it into a Lifebound Magical Treasure.

As for the other skills, he hadn’t considered them for the time being.

Perhaps after reaching Core Formation, when his lifespan was long, he could slowly study them and see which one suited him best.

It was also perfectly normal that Ancestor Yangg could tell his Divine Sense was unusual with a single glance. The Divine Sense of a Core Formation True Man was immensely powerful.

Moreover, the person before him was a Tier Three Array Master, whose Spiritual Awareness Power surpassed that of an ordinary Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator.

"I am naturally interested in the Array Dao, but this disciple has never come into contact with it before. I’m a complete novice when it comes to the Hundred Skills of Cultivation..."

Bai Zichen couldn’t directly refuse the goodwill of a Core Formation True Man. Besides, the legacy of a Tier Three Array was exceptionally precious. It wasn’t that he was uninterested; he just didn’t want to expend too much energy on it right now.

"And I am concurrently cultivating several Cultivation Techniques, so I might not have much time. I’m afraid I will only disappoint you, Ancestor."

"The Array Dao isn’t like other skills, where you can advance simply by tempering yourself through endless repetition to increase proficiency. If you don’t get it, you just don’t get it. Here is the knowledge for Tier One Arrays, along with some of my personal notes. Take them back and study them on your own. If you can master them within ten years, it proves you have some talent for the Array Dao. Come find me then, and I will teach you more profound arrays."

Ancestor Yangg waved his hand, and more than ten Jade Scrolls flew out from his storage bag in a neat swarm.

Bai Zichen quickly caught them, stored them away, and thanked the Ancestor for his gracious instruction.

"There’s a lot of Dragon Saliva Grass growing on this island. I remember there’s a Body Refining Pill Formula in the Alchemy Hall that requires this very Spirit Grass... When you get back, tell Tan Changkong to send people to the island to harvest it. There should be a thousand or so plants."

Ancestor Yangg directed these words at Liang Yu, then found a rock and sat down casually.

"Junior Brother Ge has collected the flesh and blood of that Flood Dragon for his use. He’ll take it to Wanlian Square later to have someone turn it into a Body Refining Elixir... Once he masters the fourth level of the Five Crystal Glaze Body, he can quickly cultivate the Glazed Fire Divine Body. I plan to use the Flood Dragon’s Essence to refine a Tier Three Array Banner. That just leaves its Demon Pill. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet, so tell me what you think."

’So the fourth level of the Five Crystal Glaze Body cultivates the Glazed Fire Divine Body!’

Bai Zichen now understood. No wonder the Glazed Fire Divine Body, temporarily obtained at the cost of detonating the Glazed Body, could be said to incinerate all things and be impervious to evil.

Even at only the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, he could probably use the Glazed Fire Divine Body to withstand a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator for some time.

"Such an important matter should naturally be decided by you, Ancestor."

In front of Ancestor Yangg, Liang Yu lacked his usual authoritative and commanding presence, speaking in a very proper manner.

Master Yangg tapped the large rock in dissatisfaction and said, "I asked for your opinions, so give them. I’ll discuss the final decision with Junior Brother Ge myself."

A Tier Three Demon Beast Inner Core has three main uses.

Refining a Magical Treasure, creating an Outer Pill, or serving as the main ingredient for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The Qingfeng Sect’s two Core Formation True Men each had their own Magical Treasures, and the Secret Hall held seven or eight heirlooms from their predecessors. Naturally, they wouldn’t choose to refine the Flood Dragon’s Inner Core into a Magical Treasure.

As for creating an Outer Pill, this refers to a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator using a Tier Three Demon Beast Inner Core as a medium to house their Divine Sense, refining it for their own use.

Through this method, the Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator could gain power comparable to an orthodox Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator, but their lifespan would not increase, remaining at only two hundred years.

Furthermore, they would lose all chance of further advancement for the rest of their life, remaining stuck in this Fake Pill Realm until death.

The vast majority of Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivators would definitely try to break through to Core Formation. Only if their path to the Great Dao was truly severed would they settle for the second-best option of becoming a Fake Pill Cultivator.

They could then enjoy the combat power of a Core Formation True Man for the remaining few decades of their life.

The last use: the main ingredient for a conventional Foundation Establishment Pill is the Thousand-Year-Old Golden Crown Lingzhi. However, several thousand years ago, an Alchemy Grandmaster forged a new path, creating another Foundation Establishment Pill formula that used a Demon Beast Core as an ingredient.

It was eventually proven that the Foundation Establishment Pills made from Demon Beast Cores had effects comparable to those made from traditional Spirit Medicines.

The Flood Dragon was a Tier Three Top-Grade Demon Beast. Using its Demon Pill as the main ingredient, one batch could probably produce eight to ten Foundation Establishment Pills.

Most sects don’t have a Medicine Garden Secret Realm and lack a stable supply of Thousand-Year-Old Golden Crown Lingzhi. Therefore, using a Tier Three Demon Beast Inner Core is another way to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

"Given the Sect’s current situation, our internal worries have eased somewhat after the reclamation war. As for external threats, with Ancestor Ge’s show of force against the Ghost Spirit Sect, they probably won’t dare to start any trouble in the short term... The only concern is that the Ghost Spirit Sect might make a move when they hear that Ancestor Ge is heading to the Lotus Secret Realm."

Liang Yu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"If the Sect had another Fake Pill combatant, it would indeed guarantee our safety. As for Foundation Establishment Pills, we can still acquire a few Golden Crown Reishi from the auctions in Zengguang Immortal City."

Ancestor Yangg didn’t comment, turning his head to ask, "And what are your thoughts?"

"This disciple believes we should first consider if there’s a suitable candidate in the Sect to refine the Tier Three Demon Pill... As far as I know, aside from Sect Leader Senior Brother Wei Dao, none of the other senior brothers have a chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment Perfection in the short term. And given Senior Brother Wei’s age, as long as he successfully breaks through, he has a good chance of attempting to overcome the Core Formation bottleneck. Having him create an Outer Pill would be putting the cart before the horse."

Bai Zichen realized that while a Fake Pill Cultivator seemed good on the surface, they were actually somewhat of a mixed blessing.

Even an Abnormal Spiritual Root Cultivator like Wei Dao was only at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment in his early hundreds. Once he reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, he would definitely try to break through to Core Formation. It was impossible that he would choose to become a Fake Pill Cultivator, who merely possessed the combat power of an Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator without the lifespan of a Core Formation True Man.

As for the next tier of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, take Liang Yu for example. At the ’ripe old age’ of one hundred fifty-seven, he was still at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Even if he broke through in the future, he would be at least one hundred and eighty years old.

After becoming a Fake Pill Cultivator, he wouldn’t have much time left to utilize the combat power of an Early-Stage Core Formation cultivator.

Only those middle-of-the-road powers, at a time when their Core Formation Level legacy was severed, would use this method to stabilize their ranks and maintain control over their territory.

They would hope that a true Core Formation Cultivator would emerge within the Fake Pill Cultivator’s limited lifespan.

"Or perhaps... we have a Tier Three Demon Pill in our possession. Does it really matter if we have an actual Fake Pill Cultivator? We just need to make the Ghost Spirit Sect believe that the Qingfeng Sect has a new Core Formation-level combatant, so they won’t get any funny ideas."

Bai Zichen’s idea was simple. Wasn’t Wei Dao about to step down as Sect Leader to enter seclusion and break through?

The news of conquering Feiyue Lake and obtaining a Tier Three Demon Pill definitely couldn’t be hidden from the Ghost Spirit Sect. When the time came, they could have Wei Dao, after his breakthrough, make a public appearance and reveal the Realm of a Fake Pill Cultivator. This would make the outside world mistakenly believe he had refined the Demon Pill and chosen the path of a Fake Pill Cultivator.

He believed the two Core Formation True Men must have a Secret Technique that could allow Wei Dao to temporarily display the Fake Pill Realm.

Then, they could just have Wei Dao continue his seclusion and not appear in public.

Whether the Ghost Spirit Sect fully believed it or not was unimportant.

As long as the rumor spread that the Qingfeng Sect might have a third Core Formation-level combatant, making them hesitant and wary, Master Ge Cang’s trip to the Lotus Secret Realm might be over before they made a decision.

The worst-case scenario would be to just pull back their defensive lines and retreat behind the Tier Three Grand Array.

"A feint, you say? That’s one way to approach it..."

Master Yangg nodded slightly. The matter of the Tier Three Demon Pill still depended on when Master Ge Cang would leave the Sect.

They just needed to make arrangements before the opening time of the Lotus Secret Realm was confirmed, and they still had several years.

Besides, Bai Zichen had a point. Wei Dao was, after all, the person in the Sect with the greatest hope of reaching Core Formation.

Sacrificing the Dao path of a Core Formation Seed for a potential risk was not worth it, no matter how you looked at it.

"Every junior who comes before me receives a gift... A Spiritual Artifact, Spiritual Materials, or help with a confusion in your Cultivation Technique practice, you can ask for anything. Since your answer was to my liking, I’ll allow you to make two requests."

"This disciple wishes to refine a Tier Two Flying Sword and is short ten catties of White Iron Elite..."

Bai Zichen didn’t even have to think before stating his request.

Although Ancestor Yangg had told him to ask for anything, he couldn’t be too excessive and ruin the Core Formation True Man’s mood.

White Iron Elite itself wasn’t an exceptionally rare Spiritual Ore, but only the Pill Fire of a Core Formation True Man could refine it, which made its value skyrocket.

Bai Zichen had long since decided to refine a pair of Dual Swords, and was prepared to spend extra Spirit Stones to acquire White Iron Elite through the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Now that he had this opportunity, he naturally brought it up.

"White Iron Elite, eh? I remember refining a few pieces a hundred years ago when I had some free time..."

Ancestor Yangg pondered for a moment, searched through his storage bag, and tossed out a piece of silver ore.

"Take it. It should be over ten catties."

"Thank you, Ancestor."

The silver ore landed in his hand. Bai Zichen weighed it and knew it was at least twelve or thirteen catties. The dark red patterns circling it were the marks left after being refined by Pill Fire.

’As expected of Ancestor Yangg, who’s been at Core Formation for over two hundred years. He’s lived long enough that his storage bag is like a treasure chest; you can find anything inside.’

A refined ore like White Iron Elite was something Ancestor Ge Cang would very likely not have.

It wasn’t that Ancestor Ge Cang couldn’t find such materials, but that he had reached Core Formation relatively recently. His Realm had advanced rapidly and ferociously, leaving him no time to even cultivate powerful Divine Techniques, let alone spend time tempering ores with his Pill Fire.

"Additionally, this disciple is cultivating a Body Refining Technique and lacks some Body Refining Elixirs. I beseech the Ancestor to bestow some upon me."

"Body Refining Elixirs? Just go to the Alchemy Hall to exchange for them, or buy some from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. That doesn’t count... Youngster Bai, think carefully before you ask. Is a gift from an Ancestor like me only worth a few vials of Tier Two Body Refining Elixirs?"

Ancestor Yangg’s eyes widened, and his voice rose as if in anger.

Bai Zichen gave a wry smile inwardly. Cultivating his Glazed Body quickly would require far more than just a few vials of Tier Two Body Refining Elixirs.

But the Five Crystal Glaze Body was a trump card he intended to keep hidden. Of course, he couldn’t just casually say that he had already mastered the second level and needed more, higher-grade Body Refining Elixirs.

"After I reached Foundation Establishment, this disciple chose the Daoist Classic Cantongqi annotated by True Monarch Shangyang from the Transmission Hall, but unfortunately, I’ve gained nothing from it... I wonder if the Ancestor could offer some guidance?"

Bai Zichen’s mind raced, and he came up with another topic that had been troubling him.

"You kid, don’t you know that only Junior Brother Ge has truly mastered this Cultivation Technique in the entire Sect? ...According to him, the first three volumes of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi only have the subtle effect of purifying one’s Magical Power. Only by cultivating the last three volumes can its true function be revealed—accelerating the refinement of a Lifebound Magical Treasure!"

"An ordinary Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator needs a hundred years to truly refine a Low-Grade Magical Treasure into a Lifebound Object. The higher the grade of the Magical Treasure, the longer it takes. But with the effect of the Daoist Classic Cantongqi, this time can be reduced to a third, and there’s even a possibility of awakening the Magical Treasure’s Spirituality."

Ancestor Yangg’s eyes widened, but he wasn’t truly angry; a smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

His approaching lifespan made him especially lenient when facing the Sect’s young talents.

A Top-Grade Magical Treasure that has developed Spirituality is just one step below a Spiritual Treasure.

"So don’t be surprised if you can’t comprehend the Daoist Classic Cantongqi. Even I am still stuck on the third volume... You kid, always wasting opportunities asking useless questions. I heard from Liang Yu that you want to walk the path of a Sword Cultivator. Take this Sword Key. How much you gain from it will depend on your own future opportunities."

Ancestor Yangg tossed over an ancient bronze, sword-shaped key the length of his palm and waved his hand impatiently, dismissing them.

"Youngster Bai, remember to study the Array Dao properly... In a few years, I’m coming to test you."