Born with immortal seed

Chapter 182 The Amazing Plan
"The Abbot of the Imperial Dormitory..."

Wei Dao did not answer immediately. In the past, when the Law Enforcement Hall was at its most powerful, the position of Supervisor of the Dining Hall was indeed very important and influential.

The General Charter and the General Prohibitions.

The scope of authority within these eight characters can be expanded upon to a great extent.

If it were in the hands of a powerful figure, it would mean that he could interpret the laws and regulations of the Qingfeng Sect at his own discretion and scrutinize the words and actions of everyone from the sect leader to ordinary disciples.

Wei Dao suddenly laughed, wondering why he was even thinking about these things.

Having advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, with the help of Ancestor Ge Cang, he borrowed the inner core of a third-tier demon beast and touched upon a trace of the true meaning of Core Formation.

However, he did not actually become a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator; he merely experienced the spiritual strength of a Core Formation cultivator in advance.

To this end, Ancestor Ge Cang paid the price of a third-tier Yuan Soul Pearl, ensuring that he was convincing enough to deceive even ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivators without lifting a finger, so that they would mistake him for a fake Core Formation cultivator.

Having clarified his own path, Wei Dao can begin attempting to form his core by further compressing his liquid mana.

Once you cross that threshold, you become a True Person who has reached the Core Formation stage, and your state of mind will naturally be different from before.

Whether the appearance of the Abbot of the Imperial Academy would disrupt the balance of the Five Halls was not something he needed to consider.

“Yes, Junior Brother Bai is fair and just, upright and honest... and has outstanding combat skills, with the means to protect the righteous path and subdue demons. He is very suitable for this position!”

Although Wei Dao had stepped down from his position as sect leader, his long-standing prestige meant that no one dared to disregard his words.

Moreover, in everyone's eyes, Wei Dao was already a fake Core cultivator.

Although not as prestigious as a Core Formation cultivator and not worthy of being called an ancestor, his Core Formation combat power is genuine.

There is no possibility of advancing to a higher realm, so there is no need for year-round seclusion for cultivation.

With the Core Formation Ancestor taking a step back from worldly affairs, the Qingfeng Sect will ultimately be ruled by Wei Dao.

With Liang Yu's full recommendation, even if other elders had ulterior motives, they would not be able to openly voice their objections.

Obstruction might not succeed, and it would also offend Junior Brother Bai, who has a promising future within the sect. No one would do such a thankless and arduous task.

"Senior Brother Liang, please carefully consider the matter we discussed earlier. I await your reply."

Wei Dao stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice.

Bai Zichen followed Liang Yu into the Enforcement Hall. After taking a seat in the hall, he asked, "Senior Brother Liang, didn't you say that I would first serve as an inspector and then be promoted to the position of Abbot Supervisor in a few years... Isn't it too hasty to go straight to the top?"

"I didn't expect the breakthrough you mentioned to be so astonishing, reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in just one seclusion..."

Liang Yu smiled and stroked his beard.

“Since Junior Brother Wei has something to discuss, I took the opportunity to suggest that I know he won’t refuse, so let’s just settle this matter directly.”

"Senior Brother Wei, do you have something to ask of me?"

Bai Zichen was a little curious, since Wei Dao should be feeling quite pleased with himself and riding high on success.

"Junior Brother Wei has not become a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator..."

Liang Yu cautiously set up a soundproof barrier before revealing the news.

Bai Zichen remained expressionless; he had already guessed this and was not too shocked.

"Ancestor Yang has already placed a drop of Pure Spirit Jade Marrow into the secret hall. Everyone knows it's a spiritual item prepared for Junior Brother Wei to help him form his core... But if he wants to take it, he still has to pay 80,000 sect contribution points."

"Of course, deferred installment payments are allowed."

"It is said that Junior Brother Wei has exchanged three secret treasures from the secret hall to ensure the success rate of Core Formation. The total value must exceed 100,000 contribution points."

"We also asked Ancestor Yang to take action, measure the spiritual land, and prepare to set up the Heavenly Gang Spirit Gathering Formation with thirty-six high-grade spirit stones to add another layer of protection for the breakthrough to Core Formation."

Bai Zichen raised an eyebrow. How much did this cost? Was Wei Dao really that wealthy?

All of this stuff adds up to almost a million spirit stones.

Don't be fooled by Bai Zichen's annual income of tens of thousands of spirit stones; that's all thanks to the substantial profits from Dragon Tooth Rice.

In a few years, when the lease on the sacred fields expires, this income will cease.

Wei Dao served as the sect leader for many years, receiving a substantial official salary, in addition to his private income.

However, he only possesses a unique spiritual root, and he still needs elixirs to help him break through cultivation realms.

Add to that a set of top-grade spiritual artifacts, any one of which would cost Wei Dao several years' worth of savings.

Moreover, Wei Dao served as the sect leader for nearly thirty years, without the opportunity to travel or have any extraordinary encounters or opportunities.

"Of course not... Junior Brother Wei has extremely high aspirations and wants to form his core in one fell swoop. He has prepared all the means he can use."

Liang Yu sighed, "Others who want to give it their all must also have the qualifications."

"There are treasures in the secret hall that can help with core formation. Half of the contribution can be paid first... But the thirty-six high-grade spirit stones are strategic resources of the sect. They were taken out with special approval from the ancestor. The corresponding seventy-two thousand low-grade spirit stones must be handed over to the sect as soon as possible."

The Heavenly Gang Spirit Gathering Formation is an upgraded version of the ordinary Spirit Gathering Formation, but when a formation requires thirty-six high-grade spirit stones to activate, it is definitely not ordinary.

It can quickly raise the spiritual energy concentration of a third-grade high-level spiritual land to a fourth-grade low-level spiritual land, allowing it to continuously generate new life.

It possesses some of the wonders of a fourth-tier spiritual land, and due to the conversion of spiritual power by high-grade spirit stones, it can be directly incorporated into oneself without refining.

It is of great help in overcoming the challenge of magical power during the Core Formation stage.

Overall, the Heavenly Gang Gathering Spirit Formation increases the Core Formation probability by about 10%, similar to that of the Pure Spirit Jade Marrow.

Its advantage lies in its compatibility with almost all Core Formation spiritual items, allowing for combined use.

However, the setup cost is too high, and even for direct descendants of Nascent Soul sects, not everyone can set it up.

This was all done for free by Elder Yang; other cultivators would have had to pay the fees of a third-tier array master.

"Senior Brother Wei intends to attempt to reach the Core Formation stage within the next few years?"

Bai Zichen understood the meaning behind the words and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Given his age, why not take things slowly?"

"Old Master Yang's days are numbered..."

Liang Yu's eyes showed sorrow. As a disciple of Master Yang, he had received much instruction from Master Yang after his passing, so his feelings for him naturally surpassed those for others.

“When I visited the island last month, the old ancestor’s face was already dark and his body was surrounded by deathly aura.”

If a cultivator who has reached the Core Formation stage cannot even control their own body, it means that their time is truly near.

"Did you go to Zengguang Immortal City to purchase longevity elixirs so that Elder Yang could extend his lifespan?"

Bai Zichen was startled, as it had been said all along that Old Ancestor Yang's lifespan was nearing its end.

However, for a Core Formation Immortal who has lived for five hundred years, several decades can be considered the end of their lifespan.

I never expected it to have come to this point, with no way out.

"Useless. The ancestor has already consumed most of the longevity pills commonly found in the cultivation world. These pills have similar main ingredients, and he has developed resistance to them..."

Liang Yu shook his head. How could he not try such a simple method?

When Elder Yang was in his prime, he single-handedly supported the sect, inevitably leading to years of fierce battles with the Core Formation cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

At that time, I had accumulated injuries and my vital energy was depleted.

Later, he was ambushed by the White Bone Immortal and fought a great battle, barely managing to escape back to the mountain gate with his severely wounded body.

The White Bone Immortal's natal magic weapon, the White Bone Poison Fire Hammer, carries a highly toxic corpse aura. When struck by it, the poisonous fire pierces the heart, clinging to the true essence like a bone-deep sore, impossible to eradicate.

Old Ancestor Yang's cultivation was inferior to his opponent's, and he was ambushed first, suffering severe injuries before even exchanging blows.

He could only barely strengthen his Glazed Fire God Body, and after taking several heavy blows, he managed to escape by abandoning two treasures.

This further aggravated his injuries, and even after taking various longevity pills and using the Desolate God Stealing the Sun Technique, he could not live to the upper limit of a normal Core Formation cultivator's lifespan.

"Once Ancestor Yang passes away, it's a minor issue that no one will set up the Heavenly Gang Gathering Spirit Array... The Ghost Spirit Sect will definitely take action upon hearing the news, and may even invite help from other demonic sects."

"By then, there will be no stable environment where we can make thorough preparations before attempting to break through to the Core Formation stage."

Bai Zichen nodded slightly. If they were caught in a continuous war and endless struggle, the phenomenon of Core Formation would definitely not escape the notice of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Once enough manpower is gathered, a major battle will be launched near the mountain gate.

Every move a Core Formation cultivator makes contains terrifying power; if intentionally spread, it can easily influence the distribution of spiritual energy within a radius of dozens of miles.

All of these are inevitably driven by the flow of Qi and the vibration of spiritual energy.

The most dangerous step in advancing to the Core Formation stage is to entrust one's divine consciousness to it.

One wrong step can lead to mental confusion and severe damage to one's consciousness.

At this critical juncture, because one must open one's divine sense and connect with the golden core, one becomes extremely sensitive to everything in the outside world.

Even slight changes can affect the outcome.

Moreover, once a major war breaks out, those who are in seclusion will inevitably be worried about the war and find it difficult to calm their minds.

Originally, there was a 50% chance of success, but after being disrupted by external forces, the chances dropped to at most 20% or 30%.

"It seems that Senior Brother Wei came to discuss the matter of spirit stones with you..."

If the external environment is unstable and there is no safe environment, the already difficult process of forming the Golden Core will become even more challenging.

Bai Zichen felt the same way, but he wondered if the Ghost Spirit Sect would still be by his side when he reached the Core Formation stage.

"That's right, Junior Brother Wei has his eye on a spirit stone mine belonging to the Ghost Spirit Sect..."

With a stern expression, Liang Yu recounted Wei Dao's astonishing plan.

"He has secret intelligence sources and can track the transportation schedule of spirit stones from the mine. If the raid succeeds, the reward will be over 300,000 spirit stones..."

That spirit stone mine is only a thousand miles from the border of Black Mountain County. It is a small spirit stone mine with a total reserve of about five to six million spirit stones.

It has been mined for several years and is one of the important sources of spirit stones for the Ghost Spirit Sect.

According to intelligence, this place is guarded by five Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect, along with hundreds of Qi Refining disciples, and protected by a second-order formation.

The two Core Formation cultivators, the Corpse-Stiff Old Man and Daoist He, are stationed at the border between the two prefectures. As long as they receive a signal, one of them will arrive within half an hour.

"Isn't this too risky? What if the Core Formation cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect block our way? There's a risk of total annihilation..."

Bai Zichen thought Wei Dao was planning to explore the ruins of the caves of the ancients and obtain their treasures, but he didn't expect the plan to be so audacious, directly going to the territory of the Ghost Spirit Sect to rob the spirit stone mine.

"For a long time, the two factions have been locked in a stalemate, with us defending against the Ghost Spirit Sect's attacks. As a result, their defenses were weak, and they never imagined that we would dare to invade Hejian County..."

Liang Yu said solemnly, "Junior Brother Wei's source of information tells him that something big seems to have happened in the Ghost Spirit Sect recently. Daoist He has returned to the sect. If it's just the Corpse-Stiff Old Man, even if we run into him head-on, we are confident that we can escape unscathed."

Back then, the four Core Formation cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect ambushed Ancestor Ge Cang, but their attempt backfired, and they were killed and fled in disarray.

The most tragic one was this old man with a limp corpse. His painstakingly crafted flying corpse puppet was blasted into pieces by the divine lightning of Ancestor Ge Cang.

I was also seriously injured and almost died in Black Mountain County.

(End of this chapter)