Innate Immortal Seed

Bai Zichen held a three-inch-square piece of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade. A bone-chilling cold pierced straight to his core.

The chill didn’t just affect his physical body; even his Sea of Consciousness was impacted, causing his Divine Sense to circulate more slowly.

’Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade is extremely brittle, so it can’t be used as an Artifact Refining Material. But for a Cultivator practicing an Ice Element Technique, it’s the best possible cultivation resource.’

He had, of course, obtained this piece of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Qing He had taken the matter very seriously, using his connections at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion Headquarters to have a piece shipped over in short order.

Even with the Thousand Treasures Level VIP discount, this small piece of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade had cost six thousand Spirit Stones.

Cultivators who practiced Ice Element Techniques could directly absorb the Cold Qi contained within the Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade to raise their Cultivation.

Moreover, unlike taking Elixirs, there was no need to worry about factors like medicinal resistance or Erysipelas.

This was why the price of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade had always remained high.

This was especially true for Cultivators with an Ice Element Abnormal Spiritual Root. With enough Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade, they would face no bottlenecks before Core Formation, and their cultivation speed could rival that of a Celestial Spiritual Root.

As a result, although the Ice Soul Palace produced a considerable amount of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade each year, the quantity that flowed to the outside world was negligible; it was almost all consumed internally.

Over the past three years, all the Fire Poison generated by Bai Zichen’s cultivation of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture had been absorbed by the Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade.

This saved him the trouble of constantly taking Vermilion Fruit Purifying Heart Pills, which in turn made his cultivation more efficient.

However, a corner of the Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade was now stained a dark, rust-like red.

’At this rate, one piece of Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade should last me twenty years... But its ability to absorb Fire Poison has a limit. It relies on its Cold Qi to counteract the Fire Poison. Once the two forces reach a balance, it will stop working.’

Bai Zichen did a quick mental calculation and concluded that purchasing this piece of Tier Three Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade was still a worthwhile investment.

His only worry was that as his Realm increased, the Fire Poison would intensify, and the Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade would become less effective.

When he came out of seclusion last year, he had made a special trip to the Transmission Hall to exchange for all eight subsequent layers of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture.

This was to avoid a situation where he broke through to a new Realm but didn’t have the corresponding cultivation technique.

Each layer cost two hundred Sect Contribution, totaling one thousand six hundred Contribution Points.

After entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, with the exception of those with Celestial or Abnormal Spiritual Roots, it took other Cultivators decades to advance through each Small Realm.

Bai Zichen now felt that choosing to switch to the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture had been the wisest possible decision.

If he had chosen the Thick Earth Five Virtues Skill, he would never have achieved his current rate of progress.

’I have plenty of Elixirs, so I should reach the Peak of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment in another three or four years... My Qi Sea is one-third full of Spiritual Liquid. One more step, and I’ll be at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.’

For every bottleneck between Small Realms in the Foundation Establishment Stage, everyone—even Cultivators with Abnormal Spiritual Roots—had to stop and polish their foundation for several years. The only exceptions were the darlings of the heavens, blessed by the Great Dao, like the Celestial Spiritual Root Cultivator, Ancestor Ge Cang.

But Bai Zichen was fully confident that once he reached the Peak of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, he could break through directly to the Mid-Stage.

"Junior Martial Uncle Bai, the Lan Family has sent someone with gifts again... This time, it’s a letter written by Martial Uncle Lan Dian himself. A Jade Scroll came with it, said to be an apology gift."

Cai Heng was now splitting his time. He spent most of it handling administrative affairs as Elder Bai’s attendant disciple, and the rest managing matters in the Spirit Fields.

Fortunately, he now had someone to share the burden of the Spirit Fields.

Otherwise, he would have been stretched too thin to manage everything.

Hou Kehai, after receiving guidance from Bai Zichen, had returned to the Mountain Gate and taken up the Bone Refining Body Technique. It strengthened his bones and healed the hidden injuries left from his broken leg.

A year later, he successfully broke through, becoming a Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

Then, with a single burst of momentum, he raised his Spirit Plant Master skills to the Tier One Peak.

Hou Kehai kept his promise. Despite being recruited by the Spirit Field Hall with the promise of a Steward position next year, he still returned to the White Jade Tower to manage the Spirit Fields for Elder Bai.

Seeing that he was conscientious and grateful, Bai Zichen entrusted him with the management of nearly all Spirit Field affairs.

In addition to the basic Spirit Plant Master’s stipend, Bai Zichen gave him an extra share of Spirit Stones as a management bonus.

"The Lan Family?"

Bai Zichen took the letter. A trace of Magical Power was left on the seal, assuring the recipient that it hadn’t been opened.

He unfolded the letter, written in a firm, powerful hand. It began with simple pleasantries.

Lan Dian expressed his admiration for a rising star like Bai Zichen and mentioned that the Transmission Hall was planning a symposium for Inner Sect Disciples, for which he was specially inviting Elder Bai to attend.

At the end of the letter, he casually mentioned that a good-for-nothing junior clansman, Lan Lun, had offended Junior Brother Bai.

He wrote that he had already punished Lan Lun severely, sending him to the mines for five years of hard labor.

He hoped Elder Bai would be magnanimous and let the matter go.

The accompanying Jade Scroll contained a technique called the Spirit Cutting Sword Skill.

Lan Dian probably knew that Bai Zichen was famous for his Flying Sword and had specifically sought out this Swordsmanship technique for him.

After a cursory glance, Bai Zichen tossed it aside.

This so-called Spirit Cutting Sword Skill was just a few flashy Sword Techniques, concerned only with the most superficial skills.

Any random set of swordsmanship from his True Enlightenment Sword Techniques was ten, even a hundred times better than the Spirit Cutting Sword Skill.

There was no way Bai Zichen would be impressed by such a Swordsmanship technique offered as an apology.

"Go and find out what punishment the Law Enforcement Hall gave to the two disciples, Tian Kang and Lan Lun."

Bai Zichen gave Cai Heng the task after a moment of thought.

He had long since forgotten about such a minor incident. He didn’t have the time to bother with pursuing Qi Refining Disciples.

But the Lan Family had been persistent. This was the third person to send a letter of apology, expressing their desire for reconciliation.

’Could it be that someone in the Law Enforcement Hall is refusing to let this go and is determined to prosecute Lan Lun?’

Lan Dian was the current Patriarch of the Lan Family, a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and an Elder of the Transmission Hall.

Lan Hong, who had clashed with Bai Zichen and held a strange animosity toward him, was also from the Lan Family.

He was the most outstanding member of the Lan Family’s younger generation, and there were even recent rumors that he and the Deputy Sect Leader, Gu Xisheng, were fated to be together and intended on becoming Dao Companions.

’If they’re truly sincere about apologizing and reconciling, they should at least show some real sincerity... They don’t even bother to visit in person. What’s so tempting about an invitation to attend their symposium?’

The symposium was held by the Transmission Hall only once every few years.

It was aimed at Inner Sect Disciples and a few exceptional Outer Sect Disciples. Elders who were known for their teaching abilities were invited to attend and answer the disciples’ questions.

Being invited to attend was certainly an honor for a newly promoted Elder, a recognition of their abilities.

But for Bai Zichen, he no longer needed that kind of prestige.

Besides, if he were to join one of the Five Halls, his first choice would be the Law Enforcement Hall anyway.

Bai Zichen put the matter of the Lan Family out of his mind and prepared to return to the Mountain Gate to deal with the Dragon Tooth Rice Spirit Seed issue.

After the first harvest from the five hundred acres of Tier Two Spirit Fields, people had already started to inquire discreetly about the Spirit Rice Seeds.

Fortunately, his reputation was formidable enough that the few Elders who inquired only did so briefly via letters. No one dared to be so tactless as to demand them from him directly.

However, during the second Dragon Tooth Rice harvest, a Spirit Plant Master had been caught trying to secretly hide some Spirit Seeds.

But last month, Liang Yu had personally written him a letter about the Dragon Tooth Rice, forcing Bai Zichen to take the matter seriously and make a trip in person.

As he sat on his Colorful Cloud Robe, Bai Zichen took the time to plan his future shopping list.

After his sudden windfall, the Spirit Stones were burning a hole in his pocket.

’With the Sound Bamboo Sword and the Celestial Xin Sword, I don’t need to consider any more offensive Spiritual Artifacts... As for defense, although my body is already equivalent to a Low-Grade Defense Spiritual Artifact, I can’t just use my own body to block attacks every time. The defensive capabilities of the All Living Beings Bell are starting to fall behind.’

Bai Zichen reviewed the various Spiritual Artifacts he possessed. The All Living Beings Bell was versatile, useful for both offense and defense, and exquisitely refined.

In the hands of ninety-nine percent of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it would be a perfectly suitable Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

But against ordinary opponents, he didn’t even need to use a Defense Spiritual Artifact. A flash of Sword Light was all it took to take their head.

The opponents who could force him into a defensive battle, making him carefully guard against attacks, were basically all at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment level.

Against such opponents—those who had been in the Foundation Establishment Stage for many years or came from Major Sects—the All Living Beings Bell was simply too weak.

’I either need to find a Three-Life Wishing Stone to merge and re-refine the All Living Beings Bell, which might upgrade it to a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact. Otherwise, I’ll have to buy a new Defense Spiritual Artifact—a Treasure that will still be effective when I’m at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment or even the Perfect Realm.’

Bai Zichen made a mental note: at least one Top-Grade Defense Spiritual Artifact.

’Also, if I get the chance, I should add a Spiritual Artifact to protect my Sea of Consciousness... Spiritual Sense Attacks are rare, but when you encounter one, they are vicious and nearly impossible to defend against.’

His own Divine Sense was far stronger than his peers’, and he had practiced the Soaring Dragon Thought Method, a Secret Technique for manipulating Divine Sense.

He knew better than anyone the kind of advantage absolute superiority in Divine Sense could provide in Combat.

Right now, even without using his Flying Sword, he could manifest his Divine Sense into a soaring dragon to attack an opponent’s Sea of Consciousness. This alone could make an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator black out, dizzy and disoriented, allowing for an easy victory.

But then again, if his opponent was a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his Divine Sense strength would no longer be an advantage, but a liability.

Since Divine Sense couldn’t be strengthened quickly in a short amount of time, a Spiritual Artifact that could protect the Sea of Consciousness and defend against Spiritual Sense Attacks was absolutely necessary.

...

"It’s been a while, Junior Brother Bai. Your Cultivation seems to have improved again..."

A Divine Light flickered in Liang Yu’s eyes as he faintly sensed a subtle difference in his Junior Brother since their last meeting.

Normally, a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator would spend the first few years consolidating their foundation, and it was unlikely they would make much progress.

But the monstrous genius before him had comprehended Sword Qi Thunder Sound in his twenties; he couldn’t be judged by common standards.

"I invited you here mainly to discuss the Dragon Tooth Rice. Junior Brother Gu came to me and asked me to persuade you to donate the Dragon Tooth Rice Spirit Seeds to the Sect."

Given their relationship, there was no need for pleasantries. Liang Yu got straight to the point after they sat down.

"He said that if we could plant Dragon Tooth Rice in half of the Sect’s Tier Two Spirit Fields, it would bring immense profits."

"And what is your take on it, Senior Brother Liang?"

Bai Zichen picked up his teacup and took a sip of the Fragrant Silver Needle Spirit Tea.

Not every grain of Dragon Tooth Rice could be used as a Spirit Seed. Only at the exact moment of maturity, a Tier Two Spirit Plant Master had to use Magic to gather all the Spiritual Qi of an entire stalk into a single grain to create one.

The Dragon Tooth Rice had already been harvested for the third time and sold to various Cultivation Families, so others could probably estimate the approximate yield.

A large, stable income every year and a half—he was sure it made all the other Elders extremely jealous.

It wasn’t out of the question to just hand the Spirit Seeds over to the Sect. If others wanted to plant them, they could go ask the Sect for them.

By the time the operation scaled up and there were enough Spirit Seeds to distribute, Bai Zichen would have already finished harvesting another two rounds of Dragon Tooth Rice.

Even if the yield increased significantly in the future and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s purchase price dropped slightly, the impact on him wouldn’t be too great.

"Absolutely not. Whether a disciple donates their earnings should be a matter of personal choice."

Liang Yu’s expression was grave as he spoke. "Today, Junior Brother Gu uses the great benefit of the Dragon Tooth Rice to the Sect to ask you to donate it. Tomorrow, what if he says your Flying Sword is of great use to the Sect? Will you hand that over too? Once such a precedent is set, the future trouble will be endless."

"This isn’t a matter of the Sect’s survival. As the Deputy Sect Leader, he has absolutely no authority to make such a ruling."