Born with immortal seed

Chapter 552 Distribution of Spiritual Treasures
Flags fluttered, formations were neat, and the procession stretched for miles.

A warship flew slowly in the air, its crossbow bolts gleaming coldly, a sight that sent chills down the spine from the ground.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of independent cultivators, who all gave way upon seeing such a large group, avoiding them altogether to prevent any trouble from arising.

Even if they passed by a Core Formation level sect and wanted to inquire about the matter, they would remain cautious and avoid causing trouble after seeing the three maple leaves on the banner.

Only a few foolish cultivators, hiding in the back to spy on the situation, were pierced through the bodies by the crossbow bolts from the warship, their bodies and arrows embedded deep in the ground.

All defensive artifacts and protective spells were useless, as if made of paper, with only the ten-foot-long arrow shaft swaying slightly in the wind.

After making an example of them, these cultivators either gave up or went even further away; in any case, they disappeared within dozens of miles.

"At the next elders' meeting, we must put large warships on the agenda, whether we build them ourselves or through the Zengguang Immortal City auction. Otherwise, it would be beneath the dignity of a dignified Nascent Soul sect to have its large army travel on foot. And there wouldn't be enough time to carry out important missions."

This warship is entirely silver-white and can carry eight hundred cultivators. It is equipped with twelve war artifacts and features a spirit-gathering array, a divine light array, an ironwood array, a rejuvenating array, and more. It cost a total of two million four hundred thousand spirit stones when it was purchased.

In the council chamber, four people sat on either side. The female nun who spoke had a frosty expression, and even her minimalist Taoist robe could not conceal her excessively long and straight legs.

“Senior Sister Long, large warships cost millions, enough for us to develop a third-tier spiritual vein. Black Mountain still has so many undeveloped spiritual veins that could accommodate at least another five thousand disciples.”

The cultivator who spoke up had a mature appearance and looked much older than the aloof female cultivator.

"Besides, your Law Enforcement Hall has been equipped with ten Wind Shuttles. Isn't that enough? Senior Brother Qi, Junior Sister Ma, tell me, isn't that the truth?"

"The Wind Chaser can only carry a hundred people, and its speed is barely comparable to that of a flying magical artifact. It is already the limit for patrolling Black Mountain. Since the Ancestor has summoned us to Central Continent, he will definitely be stationed here permanently in the future. How can a single Silver Dragon be sufficient?"

The aloof female cultivator frowned deeply. She and the other party had always been at odds, and they always had to disagree on any issue.

The key issue is that, according to the sect's regulations, with a Nascent Soul ancestor still alive, the status of these Core Formation cultivators is no longer as revered or absolute as it used to be.

Although their status is much higher than that of the Foundation Establishment Elders, in the joint vote, they can only be counted as an ordinary vote among the thirty-six elders.

They can only mobilize their own strength and exert their influence to affect other elders.

"Then let's wait for the Ancestor's decree. If the Ancestor makes such a decision, it must be from a higher perspective and he has his own intentions. Of course, we must follow it."

The mature-looking, upright Core Formation cultivator secretly glanced at the man and woman opposite him, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they did not react.

The Qingfeng Sect's annual budget, after deducting necessary expenses such as array operation and disciple salaries, leaves only around three to four million in usable funds.

This is only because the mining volume of several spirit stone veins has increased in recent years, and the profits in various places have been on the right track. It would have been unthinkable decades ago.

But those three or four million spirit stones are something that every one of the Five Palaces and Thirteen Halls would be envious of; if you have more, I'll have less.

To compete for spirit stone quotas, even Core Formation cultivators have to roll up their sleeves and get involved, not for themselves, but for the disciples behind them.

"Senior Brother Qi, I didn't expect that the number of cultivators who have suffered tribulations in Zhongzhou has become so rampant. No wonder Master urged us to come quickly in his letter and to bring more disciples with us."

Upon receiving the letter from her master, Ma Ruoxi immediately convened a meeting of elders to announce the decree from the White Ancestor.

The next day, the entire Qingfeng Sect mobilized at high speed, drawing on elite disciples from all departments with an attitude far exceeding that of the pioneering war.

This caused the cultivation families under its jurisdiction to inquire whether the upper sect was about to launch another pioneering war.

The last time we attacked the Ghost Spirit Sect and occupied Hejian County, it was because the sect's strength was insufficient that we had to bring in all the immortal cultivation families and rogue cultivators to share the benefits.

The Qingfeng Sect of today is not what it used to be, let alone in a fertile and resource-rich region like Zhongzhou.

Led by four Core Formation cultivators—Ma Ruoxi, Qi Yue, Long Long, and Lian Liangpu—a team of over sixty Foundation Establishment cultivators and more than three thousand Qi Refining disciples set off for Zhongzhou after a brief preparation.

Following them, Lu Song, as the leader of the second batch of veterans, continued to integrate the expedition team.

In the past century, Foundation Establishment cultivators have sprung up like mushrooms after rain in the Qingfeng Sect.

The entire sect already has over two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, with the territory expanding, many places require Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard, while a considerable number are in seclusion for quiet cultivation.

Therefore, the list of the second batch of teams will be released by the General Affairs Hall a little later.

The main focus is on Foundation Establishment cultivators. As the Qingfeng Sect absorbs a large number of new talents, it wouldn't be a problem to draw on several thousand more people at the Qi Refining level.

"The upper sect has lost its virtue, and the lower sect is disaffected... When I traveled, I passed through Zhongzhou. At that time, people lived in peace and prosperity, and the scenery was harmonious. The old ancestor Bai sent a letter urging us to hurry up, because he was worried that if the Jiexiu continued to cause trouble, Zhongzhou would become a wasteland.

Qi Yue sighed. After experiencing living under someone else's roof, he had become much more tolerant and knew how to consider other people's opinions. He turned his head and said.

“Large warships are incredibly expensive; even the Wusheng Sect doesn’t have many… Junior Sister Long might consider purchasing a batch of flying spirit beasts from the Wanshou Sect. I’ve heard there’s a type of ray beast that’s docile, flies at a decent speed, and is only at the peak of the first tier, so the price shouldn’t be too high. If that doesn’t work, a second-tier flying camel would also be fine; it can ride on clouds and is as fast as a top-grade flying spirit artifact.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Qi. I'll ask someone to inquire about it later."

Long Long nodded slightly, not wanting to apply the same attitude she used on Lian Liangpu to Qi Yue, and her expression softened considerably.

Qi Yue returned to the sect. Even if he did not hold any official position, he still had to be given the status of an elder as a Core Formation True Person. Therefore, the only option was to remove the person with the least seniority from the original elder council.

That unfortunate elder was none other than the deputy head of the Enforcement Hall.

Of the thirty-six elder positions, excluding those for Core Formation cultivators, only about twenty are available for Foundation Establishment cultivators to compete for.

Compared to the total of over two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, the intensity of the competition is evident.

For the vast majority of Qingfeng Sect disciples, the position of elder is considered the ultimate dream, the highest level they can aspire to.

Even though Qi Yue squeezed out one of the elders from her faction, Long Long still treated him with great courtesy.

After all, Qi Yue returned to a life of leisure, ignoring worldly affairs, and his Daoist partner was a Core Formation True Person.

Given his status as a direct disciple of Ancestor Ge Cang, everyone would only want to befriend him and no one would dare to offend him.

The two flying spirit beasts Qi Yue mentioned, the ray beast has broad wings, and can build buildings and palaces on its body, carrying hundreds of people at a time without any problem.

Although the flight speed is relatively slow, it is best used for transporting people and resources.

Flying camels are relatively more difficult to tame. They can carry dozens of people at the same time without any problem. They have the ability to ride the clouds and the mist and fly at extremely high speeds.

Several days later, the towering Qishan Mountain finally came into view.

Once a sacred place for cultivation in the Liang Kingdom, it has now lost its former glory and appears quite ordinary.

"But since Fellow Daoist Qingfeng Sect is here, I, Tian Rui of Tianli Sect, have been waiting for you for a long time."

A scholar-robed Core Formation cultivator flew into the sky and saw the army of cultivators who were moving with incredible speed thanks to the Swiftness Talisman. He showed a hint of disdain in his eyes.

He quickly recalled the heroic figure of that senior sword cultivator and hurriedly buried this thought deep in his heart, not daring to let anyone discover it in the slightest.

With such a Nascent Soul ancestor, it's not a big problem that the sect's foundation is shallow and its disciples and followers are not good enough.

Despite the fact that Qishan, which the Heavenly Principle Sect had coveted for a hundred years, ultimately fell into the hands of the Green Maple Sect.

The cultivation world is, after all, a world where great power belongs to oneself. When the leader is strong enough, he can turn the tide of the world single-handedly.

"Thank you for waiting so long, Fellow Daoist Tian. Qingfeng Qiyue... I wonder where my ancestor Bai is? Is there anything we can do to help him right now?"

The four of them flew off the warship, and Qi Yue stepped out from the crowd to begin a conversation.

"Ah, so it's Fellow Daoist Qi. I've long admired your name..."

The scholar in the Confucian robe had a meaningful look in his eyes, clearly having heard of Qi Yue's reputation. Because he possessed the Qing Sang Spirit Body, he was imprisoned by the Elder Shi Bi of the Wusheng Sect and forced to become a live-in son-in-law, using the wonders of the spirit body to help his Daoist partner achieve the Core Formation.

This anecdote became widely known after a change occurred in the Wusheng Sect a few years ago, in which a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator betrayed the sect and fled.

"Your esteemed sect's True Lord Bai is currently at the summit of Mount Qi. Please come with me to pay him a visit, as I will be handing over various resources to you shortly."

Qi Yue and the others were completely confused. After discussing it, they decided that he and Ma Ruoxi would go to pay their respects to the patriarch first, while Long Long and Lian Liangpu would lead the sect disciples to continue their journey toward the summit of Qishan.

……

“Fellow Daoist Bai, everything is settled except for this last treasure that has not yet been distributed… Why don’t we distribute it so that Junior Brother Yue and I can head to Frost Kingdom sooner?”

Shi Chengdong had no idea that Bai Zichen hadn't tampered with anything while he was taking inventory of the Holy Lotus Sect's assets these past few days.

With the help of Hong Xuan, who had surrendered, the process was extremely efficient, and the accounts were quickly settled.

"Alright."

Bai Zichen smiled faintly, raised his hand, and three beams of light flew into the Hall of Receiving Immortals.

They are an oil lamp, a bronze bell, and a lotus platform.

Then, he forcefully pulled on a stone pillar where he was sitting, and stones fell down, revealing a five-foot-long piece of fire bamboo hidden inside.

"Please make your selection first, fellow Daoist. We'll take the remaining two items."

Shi Chengdong's gaze swept over the four treasures discreetly, and he spoke in a seemingly generous manner.

After spending these days together, he came to believe that this renowned swordsman was a man of integrity and high moral character, and possessed a truly pure heart.

Only then can one remain unmoved and destroy a spirit creature like the Blood Crown Heavenly Toad with a sword.

It should be noted that even he and Le Zheng, who came from the Central Region, were somewhat captivated and unable to extricate themselves, both imagining how to catalyze the growth of Ganoderma lucidum with minimal cost.

These four treasures are all the spiritual treasures that the Holy Lotus Sect has accumulated over ten thousand years.

Of those that were lost or damaged, only four remain that can still be used.

The Heavenly Principle Sect's resources were better than the Holy Lotus Sect's, but still limited, so they were naturally eager to acquire two spiritual treasures at once.

Shi Chengdong thought that given Bai Zhenjun's character, he would definitely say that for the sake of fairness, everyone should take turns choosing.

Later, let Junior Brother Yue go up and choose one to see if there's a suitable spiritual treasure that his spirit can directly recognize as his master. That would be ideal.

"In that case, it would be impolite of me to refuse."

Bai Zichen did not hesitate, clearly having been prepared beforehand.

"The Soul-Binding Bell was used by the Holy Lotus Sect to suppress the array's core. Its energy is already connected to the great array, so it cannot be easily separated. Together with the bamboo sword in my hand, it makes two spiritual treasures."

what?
Shi Chengdong was slightly stunned, not expecting this answer, and even less expecting that the piece of fire bamboo was a flying sword.

Although it looks like a bamboo plant full of fire-elemental spiritual energy and you can't sense any of the sharp aura of a flying sword, even Bai Zichen said so, so it must be a flying sword without a doubt.

Flying swords, in particular, always stand at the very top among their respective ranks.

The other three spiritual treasures have similar fluctuations and are all of the low-grade spiritual treasure level. Their values ​​are not much different, so it depends on which one suits you better.

"Alright, in this way, our sect can be considered to have completely severed all ties in Qishan, and there is no need to continue wasting time."

Shi Chengdong stored the oil lamp and lotus platform into his domain, planning to study them carefully upon returning to determine which one was suitable for whom.

We chatted for a few more minutes before I said goodbye and left.

Looking back at Qishan one last time, they boarded the airship and led the disciples of the Tianli Sect to officially leave Qishan to build a new mountain gate.

"Xi'er, have Zhou Suqing come over later and see if she can repair this fourth-order grand formation... It's best not to invite outside formation masters for the mountain-guarding formation, lest someone leave a hidden trap."

Bai Zichen picked up the Soul-Sealing Bell and shook it gently. Once activated, this bell could affect all living beings within a hundred miles.

It is an extremely difficult-to-defend sonic attack that directly damages the soul, silently turning a person into a senile fool.

After playing with it for a couple of moments, he flicked his wrist and threw it away, sending the Soul-Snatching Bell back into the Nine Palaces Returning to the Void Formation to maintain the stability of the formation.

He had inspected this fourth-order grand formation. Apart from the formation plate being intact, nine out of the ten formation flags were broken, and most of the formation nodes were no longer functional.

It can also unleash the power of a near-fourth-order formation, all thanks to this spiritual treasure acting as the formation's core, mobilizing the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

All the relevant texts on the Nine Palaces Returning to the Void Array had long been collected, along with the inheritance of the fourth-order array path, totaling over a hundred jade slips.

If Zhou Suqing can use this opportunity to make another breakthrough and become a fourth-order array master, it would be excellent news for both herself and the Qingfeng Sect.

Both Black Mountain and Qi Mountain require the deployment of fourth-order grand formations to ensure their self-protection in the chaotic future.

It's not like a random group of cultivators or a bunch of demonic beasts could just rush into the heart of the territory and cause chaos.

The Nascent Soul Ancestor has his own things to do; he can't be watching over things all day long, or he'd become a gatekeeper.

Furthermore, fourth-tier array masters have a much higher chance of achieving Nascent Soul transformation than other fourth-tier professions.

Perhaps it is because the art of formations is about comprehending the great principles of heaven and earth and integrating them into the formation.

Zhou Suqing's cultivation speed slowed down significantly after entering the Core Formation stage, and she has remained in the mid-Core Formation stage for many years.

If the goal is to reach the Nascent Soul stage, then it's not enough.

"Understood, disciple will immediately send a message to Senior Sister Zhou."

Ma Ruoxi, who had been standing helplessly behind him, nodded in response.

(End of this chapter)