Innate Immortal Seed

A Demon Cultivator was running rampant within the territory, spreading slaughter and panic.

It was the duty of the Law Enforcement Hall, so it was only natural for them to take on this case.

This Blood Dao Demon Cultivator’s Cultivation Technique was bizarre, and they moved like a ghost. Several Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators had already reported that they weren’t nearly fast enough to keep up.

Considering they could easily kill Senior Brother Ni, the Demon Cultivator had to be at least at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, or perhaps even Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Blood Dao Demonic Skills had a unique characteristic: the more one fought, the stronger they became, absorbing Essence Blood amidst the slaughter to strengthen themselves and recover Magical Power.

Therefore, superiority in numbers was useless; ordinary disciples would just be serving as blood bags for their foe.

Bai Zichen, Longx Longx, and Qi Yue were the team dispatched by the Law Enforcement Hall for this mission.

Qi Yue had Dual Spirit Root Talent, a Qingsang Spirit Body, and had successfully advanced to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment several years ago.

Furthermore, he had a special status as the sole disciple of Ancestor Ge Cang and had spent his years cultivating within the Sect, rarely setting foot in the outside world.

Bai Zichen’s Flying Sword was incomparably sharp, and Longx Longx possessed a Spiritual Artifact called Moonlight, which specialized in countering formless and intangible threats.

And Qi Yue himself would surely not be short on Treasures bestowed by Ancestor Ge Cang.

Even looking only at their overt strength, without considering any hidden techniques, that Blood Dao Demon Cultivator wouldn’t stand a chance against the three of them combined, even if they were at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Liang Yu had also specially procured three Purifying Evil Demon Talismans, giving one to each of them to carry.

This Tier Two Top-Grade Talisman was miraculously effective against Demon Path Techniques.

However, Bai Zichen noticed that after Qi Yue accepted the Purifying Evil Demon Talisman, his expression was one of disdain.

"Senior Sister Longx, Brother Qi, you are both older and more experienced than I... According to the Sect’s map, the Demon Cultivator’s recent targets have been deeper and deeper inside Black Mountain. Where do you think they will strike next?"

Bai Zichen held Senior Brother Ni’s Soul Lamp. As long as the Demon Cultivator appeared within a hundred-li radius, the lamp would react.

"The Sect has already sent word to the various Cultivation Families about the Demon Cultivator, telling them to be on high alert... But those Loose Cultivator Clans are weak. I fear they are powerless to stop them,"

Longx Longx said, tucking a strand of her black hair back and revealing the fair, elegant line of her profile.

"Why don’t we patrol the mountain peaks where the Cultivation Families and Loose Cultivators are most concentrated? It seems that this Demon Cultivator’s Cultivation Technique either has a great flaw or they have a violent, uncontrollable temperament. As long as they can’t resist making a move, we’ll be able to pick up their trail."

"Why go to all that trouble?" Qi Yue scoffed. "The Demon Cultivator attacked Senior Brother Ni, which proves they’re audacious enough to have no fear of Sect Cultivators. If we just spread out, we’ll definitely be able to lure them into attacking again."

Qi Yue, with his sharp, sword-like brows and bright, star-like eyes, radiated a heroic aura. He had absolute confidence in his own strength.

"If you two are worried you’re not strong enough to face the Demon Cultivator alone, you can stick together. I’ll act as bait by myself. Any Demon Path Technique is completely suppressed by Divine Thunder."

So that was it. He had mastered Ancestor Ge Cang’s Primordial Yang Divine Thunder. No wonder he was so arrogant and looked down on the Blood Dao Demon Cultivator.

Bai Zichen put away Senior Brother Ni’s Soul Lamp, then connected the locations on the map where the Demon Cultivator had appeared and studied the pattern carefully.

’The mass slaughter of Qi Refining Disciples is just incidental. Their real targets must be Foundation Establishment Cultivators...’

Bai Zichen traced a shape on the map. After excluding a few outliers, the locations where the Demon Cultivator had appeared formed a near-perfect circle.

’This Demon Cultivator has been randomly picking targets to kill along this circle. It’s less a plan and more like a subconscious, uncontrolled lashing out.’

’The Demon Cultivator left this circle to attack on three occasions, and the targets all had something in common. The first was Senior Brother Ni. The second was the Qingxi Huang Family, where three Clan Elders managed to repel the Demon Cultivator only by using their family’s Grand Array.’

Longx Longx’s interest was piqued. She wanted to hear what brilliant insight this Junior Brother Bai, whose fame had skyrocketed since the start of the Reclamation War, had to offer.

As for Qi Yue’s suggestion, she ignored it completely.

The man had grown up under the wing of Ancestor Ge Cang, possessed exceptional talent, and had been surrounded his whole life by people complimenting, flattering, and deliberately trying to curry favor with him.

This had cultivated an arrogant, conceited personality, and he always had a condescending air when interacting with his fellow disciples.

’And the last time, they went nearly a hundred li outside the circle. The one who died was Wang Wugu, a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator.’

"So, can we conclude that the Demon Cultivator’s true purpose is to kill Foundation Establishment Cultivators? Perhaps they are seeking a breakthrough through slaughter, or perhaps their Cultivation Technique is so demonic that they are collecting the flesh and blood of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to refine some kind of Magic."

"Doesn’t that just prove my method is correct? Use me as bait and fish the Demon Cultivator out."

Qi Yue looked impatient, and a flicker of Thunderbolt seemed to flash in his star-like eyes.

"Even if you’re the bait, you have to pick the right spot," Bai Zichen countered. "Looking at the Demon Cultivator’s trajectory, the most likely place for them to strike next when they leave the circle is... Double Ring Mountain!"

Bai Zichen’s finger moved across the map and pressed down hard on a specific point.

The Law Enforcement Hall had extensive experience hunting down Tribulation Cultivators, but even they found it extremely difficult to track those who committed a single crime and then vanished without a trace.

Their only hope lay in clues found at the scene that could point them in the right direction.

With no more definitive target, Double Ring Mountain, as proposed by Bai Zichen, became their primary destination.

Qi Yue summoned a Flying Ship. Thunder Juice erupted and arcs of electricity leaped across its surface as it shot forward, instantly putting a great distance between them.

It seemed he had no intention of traveling together, flying ahead all by himself.

’Fast, but still a step slower than my Sword Flight... It must be a Top-Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact. What an extravagant show of wealth.’

Bai Zichen glanced at the Flying Ship, now just a black dot in the distance, but he had no intention of using his Sword-Controlling Cyan Nether technique to race him.

Besides, Qi Yue’s Cultivation was higher, and he had his Thunder Skill and Treasures from Ancestor Ge Cang for protection. If anyone were to encounter the Demon Cultivator alone, Longx Longx would be in far more danger.

So he slowed his pace and waited for Longx Longx.

Since Senior Brother Liang Yu had put him in charge, his duty was not just to complete the mission but also to ensure the safety of the two Elders who had come with him.

This was, after all, his first Sect mission since becoming a Supervisor Elder. He was determined to execute it perfectly.

"My Cultivation is low. I’m slowing you down, Junior Brother Bai..."

Longx Longx, of course, knew that a Sword Cultivator’s Sword Flight speed couldn’t possibly be as slow as her Low-Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact. She sent a Sound Transmission.

"We’re fellow disciples; there’s no such thing as ’slowing me down.’ Brother Qi is just eager and impatient. Let him go on ahead. Who knows, maybe he’ll run right into the Demon Cultivator."

Bai Zichen replied via Sound Transmission with a lighthearted chuckle, showing no offense.

’Qi Yue’s attitude and tone are grating, but he’s not a bad person at heart. He’s just never had to deal with outsiders, and his upbringing has made him arrogant and conceited.’

’You could see it from his earlier proposal to split up and act as bait. It showed both his complete confidence in his own strength and a lack of any sinister intention to push his fellow disciples into danger while he hid in the back.’

"Speaking of which, I’ve only heard that Brother Qi possesses the Qingsang Spirit Body. I don’t know its specific wonders. Could Senior Sister Longx perhaps enlighten me?"

The records in the Transmission Hall regarding Spirit Bodies contained no information on the Qingsang Spirit Body.

’I don’t know if the records haven’t been updated, or if the information is being intentionally concealed.’

He was extremely curious about anything related to Spirit Bodies, so he couldn’t resist asking.

"I heard Junior Sister Lan mention it once, but I can’t guarantee its accuracy... The Qingsang Spirit Body, aside from allowing one to cultivate Wood Element Techniques at an incredible speed, can also generate a wisp of the Purest Spiritual Energy at the moment of Core Formation. This energy contains the True Meaning of Reviving Withered Wood."

A slight blush appeared on Longx Longx’s cool, fair face, as if she was embarrassed to bring it up. After a moment’s hesitation, she continued in a Sound Transmission that was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

"This wisp of Purest Spiritual Energy is hidden deep within the Qi Sea of a Cultivator with the Qingsang Spirit Body; they can’t even use it themselves... Only when dual cultivating with a Dao Companion can it be transferred to another’s body using a Secret Technique. Because this single wisp of Spiritual Qi contains a trace of Great Dao True Intent, refining it increases the chances of reaching Core Formation by fifty percent!"

"With the help of a Core Formation Spiritual Object on top of that, you could practically guarantee the creation of a new Core Formation True Man!"

Bai Zichen was dumbfounded. ’There’s actually a Spirit Body like that? Useless to oneself and only able to help others?’

Moreover, the possessor of the Qingsang Spirit Body had to reach Core Formation themselves before they could help someone else, adding yet another restriction.

’Still, if a Female Cultivator were to become Dao Companions with Qi Yue, as long as she had the potential to reach Foundation Establishment Perfection, it would mean she already had one foot across the threshold to Core Formation.’

Bai Zichen could easily imagine that as soon as word got out about Qi Yue’s Qingsang Spirit Body, he would become a hot commodity among Female Cultivators.

The Joyful Sect, in particular, which was infamous for its plundering dual cultivation methods, would surely capture Qi Yue and drag him back to their sect. His fate would be even more tragic than Senior Brother Ni’s.

"Brother Qi’s Spirit Body is truly miraculous and unique... But it’s a great boon for the Sect. As long as he reaches Core Formation, it practically means our Sect will see its first-ever female True Man."

Bai Zichen was beginning to understand why the Sect’s upper echelons had protected Qi Yue so carefully.

Letting someone with such a special Spirit Body roam freely was indeed far too risky.

Furthermore, as long as they could nurture Qi Yue into a Core Formation True Man, it was a buy-one-get-one-free deal for the Qingfeng Sect. Every Spirit Stone invested in him was an investment in two future Core Formation True Men.

"There are indeed many Female Cultivators in the Sect who want to get to know Brother Qi and take that Short Cut, but I am not one of them. I would rather be stuck at the Foundation Establishment Realm and turn to dust in my grave than reach Core Formation through dual cultivation."

The blush on Longx Longx’s face faded, and her cool, detached expression returned as she spoke faintly.

"Your aspirations are admirable, Senior Sister Longx."

Bai Zichen couldn’t tell if Longx Longx was just saying that to sound virtuous, or if she truly believed it.

’If it were me,’ he thought, ’if all I had to do to guarantee entry into the next Great Realm was to dual cultivate with a Female Cultivator, I’m not sure I could resist the temptation either.’

’I can afford to ignore a chance at Core Formation because I’m completely confident I can do it on my own.’

’But what about Nascent Soul Formation or Divinity Transformation? I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to refuse so decisively then. I would definitely hesitate.’

...

「On Double Ring Mountain, in the Mo Clan Territory.」

Ever since Mo Qianyuan led the Mo Family to collude with the Demon Sect in a failed rebellion, this territory had been confiscated by the Qingfeng Sect and gifted to a branch of the original Mo Family.

The current Mo clansmen were a far cry from the Clan at its peak, and they had been forced to relinquish a great number of their mines and Spirit Fields.

However, with the number of Clan Cultivators reduced, they were able to barely support themselves by tightening their belts.

It was just that their ranking had plummeted from the number one Cultivation Family in Black Mountain to the very bottom. Their former glory was long gone.

"Traitors... The traitors are the ones who deserve to die... I’ll kill them all, gather their flesh and blood into my body! Maybe I can even condense a drop of Cyan Simurgh Essence Blood and transform my Cultivation!"

A Blood Shadow stood outside the All Heaven Fiery Array, staring at the Mo clansmen on Double Ring Mountain. Its eyes burned with a bone-deep, venomous hatred.