Born with immortal seed

Chapter 555 Li Guizhen: Rising from the Ashes

Black Mountain, Thunder Cliff.

In the twelfth lunar month, the lush bamboo forests on the mountains are covered with thick snow, and bamboo stalks are often broken by the weight, with crisp cracking sounds echoing everywhere.

The repeated dispatch of disciples to Zhongzhou has reduced the usual hustle and bustle of the major spiritual veins in Black Mountain.

The once bustling General Affairs Hall has become deserted.

Why is the weather so cold this year?

"Didn't you hear what the steward said? A cold front from the ice plains is heading straight for the Black Mountain Pass, and many spirit fields have suffered from the cold."

Two handyman disciples were using long sticks to knock the snow off the bamboo. With a shortage of manpower, the two of them were the only ones working in the vast bamboo forest.

In addition to supporting Zhongzhou, the once-in-a-century cold wave at Ziwu made the General Affairs Hall have to issue a series of mandatory sect missions to urgently rescue various spiritual plants and spiritual rice.

There are also several towns surrounding Black Mountain where millions of ordinary people need to send their disciples to help with disaster relief.

For ordinary people, facing such a cold wave would almost be a catastrophe.

Many houses collapsed, trapping people underground. The snow was as high as a person, making travel difficult.

Without help, the few mid-stage Qi Refining Immortal Masters in each town alone could not possibly resolve the predicament.

Even the stewards of the General Affairs Hall personally took to the field, forming several small teams to provide assistance to each town one by one.

The disciples, who had been treated exceptionally well and lived a life of luxury, all emerged from seclusion and led their entourages to put out fires everywhere.

As a result, resources were stretched thin everywhere in Black Mountain, and even the number of young disciples serving the high-ranking elders was reduced.

"Damn this weather, even cultivators are chilled to the bone. I wonder how things are back home... I must go to the weapon refining hall to exchange for a heating artifact, otherwise I really won't be able to get through this winter."

The shorter, round-faced handyman disciple got a clump of snow fall into his neck, jumped up to shake off the snow water, and then stuck a fire-type talisman on the wet spot.

A mist rose up, and a warm current flowed through my body.

"Even with the family's subsidies, you should still be careful with your spending. There's an assessment coming up in the spring. If you can participate with your mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, you'll have a great chance of passing."

The tall, thin handyman disciple's eyes revealed a hint of envy, but he concealed it very well and said earnestly.

He came from a mortal city in Black Mountain County, and none of his ancestors for three generations had any connection with cultivators.

It wasn't until his generation that his spiritual root was detected during the spirit-guiding ceremony.

Four years ago, he was sent to Black Mountain and, in the eyes of his relatives, ascended to the gate of immortality, becoming a supreme immortal master.

Only after entering the sect and gaining a general understanding of the cultivation world did they discover that the world of immortals was not as wonderful as they had imagined.

With four spiritual roots and no elders to care for him, if he doesn't show any special talent, he will most likely return to his hometown with a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level after the age of thirty and become an external immortal master of the sect.

Having been fortunate enough to come to the Qingfeng Sect, he was unwilling to live an ordinary and mediocre life.

The short, stout menial disciples were different. They were of similar age and had similar physical attributes, but they were not worried about their future at all. They would even use their precious contribution points to exchange for magical artifacts that had no value other than keeping warm.

Simply because he had a good background and a good surname.

The Bai clan of Hanxiu Peak, along with the Bai ancestor, are branches of the Mozhu Bai clan, as are the Bai clan of Tianlei Cliff.

The earliest branch of the clan, including Xiufeng, was the main family. Later, the clan members who moved to Tianlei Cliff took care of the spirit bamboo for the White Ancestor and received continuous rewards. After two Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged, they turned around and suppressed the main family.

However, in recent years, the quality of the spiritual bamboo has been declining, and there has been no appearance of Thunder Sound Bamboo for a long time. The ancestor has also not come to Thunder Cliff.

The Bai clan members on Hanxiu Peak produced several outstanding immortal talents, thus restoring their reputation.

With the powerful Bai Laozu (Old Ancestor Bai) as their leader, the Bai clan will never suffer losses in Black Mountain.

As long as there are enough outstanding disciples, they can always obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect at a reasonable price.

This is something that other cultivation families can only envy.

Bai Bin was of mediocre talent and could only start as a menial disciple, but his storage bag contained a considerable amount of spirit stones distributed by the clan.

Furthermore, there is no problem in adding an outer disciple spot in a few years.

Even ordinary members of the Bai clan are not on the same starting line as other servants and disciples.

While inner disciples might require genuine talent and skills, outer disciples are nothing to the sect's higher-ups; any elder has the right to recommend them.

In order to maintain the spirit of hard work and progress among the large number of menial disciples, dozens of people are selected every year to be promoted to outer disciples, thus preserving this upward path.

The Hall of Transmission of Skills is in charge of this assessment. Once the deacons see Bai Bin's place of origin in his file, they would give him the green light even if he were a pig.

Of course, Old Ancestor Bai wouldn't care about such a trivial matter. Among the descendants of his family, he only showed special care to the two children left behind by his eldest uncle, Bai Jiu'an.

The Bai family of Hanxiufeng later sent a member of their clan, who was said to be a nephew who was closely related to the ancestor by blood. However, after joining the clan for decades, they never met him or received any inquiries from the ancestor.

But no one would be the villain to dismiss a Bai clan disciple. What if a descendant with exceptional talent emerges and piques the ancestor's interest, leading him to his side?

"I'm not as diligent as you. I definitely won't reach the fourth level of Qi Refining next year. I'll just have to wait until the year after next..."

Bai Bin used his staff to prop himself up and looked towards the top of Thunderclap Cliff.

"I wonder how the army is doing in Zhongzhou. It's been three months since the last sect report. I really want to go to the front lines to see Master Ma's charisma!"

"To sign up for the trip to Zhongzhou, you need to be at least at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Forget about it! Ever since Master Ma fought four opponents and killed four late-stage Core Formation cultivators with his sword last year, who would dare to cause trouble? The entire Zhongzhou might be pacified by now."

The tall, thin handyman disciples also longed for it and wished they could be incorporated into the ranks.

This expedition is a top-tier summons, with very generous rewards. Some disciples who have reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining have already collected enough contribution points to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills and successfully become Foundation Establishment cultivators, thus undergoing a qualitative change in their status and position.

A year ago, Ma Ruoxi was ambushed and attacked by four late-stage Core Formation cultivators. It was later confirmed that one of them was a cultivator from Northern Qi, the leader of the Thirty-Six Demon Caves, a Supreme Elder from a local sect in Central China, and an Elder from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

This lineup shows that Ma Ruoxi is highly valued.

Those below the Nascent Soul stage have absolutely no chance of survival.

Three days later, a bolt of lightning protected the blood-covered Ma Ruoxi as she flew back to the summit of Qishan Mountain, leaving behind a devastated Linghu Lake with its bottom overturned.

Four late-stage Core Formation cultivators were wiped out in one battle.

From then on, Ma Ruoxi's reputation was fully established, and she became an idol for the young disciples of the Qingfeng Sect.

Even if she achieved such a feat only because of the sword bestowed upon her by the White Ancestor, no other Core Formation sword cultivator has achieved such an amazing feat under similar circumstances.

Logically speaking, the sword bestowed by the patriarch had already been used several times in previous battles. Even if he could still use two more sword strikes to kill two more people, the remaining two late-stage Core Formation cultivators would still be a force that Ma Ruoxi could not resist.

The final result led the cultivation world to believe that another peerless sword cultivator was about to emerge.

This invincible and unstoppable performance among her peers is so similar to that of her master, the White Ancestor, that some people have already praised her as the second White True Monarch.

As a result of this astonishing victory, the situation in Zhongzhou improved significantly, and many local sects and cultivation families flocked to its side.

The recent trend within the Qingfeng Sect is discussing which True Persons will remain in Qishan after the complete conquest of Zhongzhou, and where the disciples will have better opportunities for development.

Until last month, Chen Shanyan, the master of the Dan Palace, successfully crossed the insurmountable barrier on his second attempt to form the Core Formation, gathering the Dan Book and manifesting the Jade Pill.

The ninth Core Formation True Person of the Azure Maple Sect has been officially born!
This joyous occasion overshadowed all other events, becoming the talk of the town among all the disciples, especially the cultivators of the Pill Hall who were beaming with delight.

"What's there to be afraid of? Palace Master Chen has become a Core Formation True Person, and there's still room for him to make further breakthroughs in alchemy. With his cultivation level, he can refine hundreds or thousands of first-grade pills in one go, and the same goes for other pills. Just you wait and see, the price and quantity of spirit pills that the Pill Hall can exchange will definitely be greatly relaxed in the future."

Bai Bin wasn't worried about his low cultivation level at all; instead, he comforted his companion.

"You don't need to rush to participate in the assessment next year and exchange your hard-earned contributions for a Lesser Breakthrough Pill. There's no need for that. A year earlier or later isn't that important for outer disciples. It's not like it's a selection for true disciples or inner disciples. Even a month or a day difference won't make a difference."

With the number of grassroots disciples in the Qingfeng Sect increasing exponentially, the competition among inner disciples has become extremely fierce, and the cultivation level of the late Qi Refining stage is merely an entry ticket.

As for the true disciples, due to the limited number of twelve spots, they can usually only hold the position for one year before being challenged by other inner disciples in the second year.

Those who can hold their position as a true disciple for five years have a 90% or higher chance of successfully establishing their foundation.

Based on the development of the sect, the rules for true disciples were slightly adjusted. For example, a failed true disciple could be exempted from the test and obtain a steward position.

The original greatest benefit of a true disciple was an exclusive third-tier spiritual land and free foundation-building spiritual items, which is no longer very attractive to the Qingfeng Sect.

The sect has continuously developed three-tiered spiritual veins. As long as one is willing to pay contribution points, even inner disciples can rent three-tiered spiritual land.

The number of Foundation Establishment Pills obtained far exceeds that of the past. No true disciple would abandon Foundation Establishment Pills and directly choose Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects to launch an advancement attempt.

Another feature has been added for true disciples: they can borrow the classics in the Transmission Hall in advance, with the same privileges as Foundation Establishment cultivators.

When exchanging items in the Pill Refining Hall, Talisman Hall, and Weapon Refining Hall, their priority is the same as that of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Especially in the selection of cultivation methods, one can choose a great method that leads directly to the Nascent Soul stage, and there may even be a True Immortal who is willing to guide a true disciple and take on students.

Just as the two menial disciples were contemplating the future of the sect and their own prospects, a thunderclap resounded from the top of Thunderclap Cliff, a bolt from the blue, with rolling winter thunder.

"The ashes are rekindled, the sparks ignite the prairie fire... Without experiencing this, how can one break through and rebuild, make further breakthroughs in the alchemical theory of ultimate strength and courage, and the ability to save lives and the dying, and understand the profound mysteries of thunder magic that my master pointed out to me? Excessive strength is easily broken; only the harmony of yin and yang can ensure longevity!"

With a long roar, clusters of divine thunder exploded in the clouds atop the mountain, allowing sunlight to stream down.

The thick snow piled up on Thunderclap Cliff trembled violently, as if an invisible hand was shaking it down.

The two handyman disciples stared wide-eyed as the snow covering the entire bamboo forest instantly fell to the ground.

"Tell me about any changes that have occurred in the sect during your years of seclusion."

The next moment, a domineering figure stood in front of them, his body crackling with electric arcs.

Even though he had only been in the sect for a few years and had never seen the cultivator in front of him, how could a mere disciple of Thunderclap Cliff not recognize the Core Formation True Person in front of him?

Before Ma Ruoxi, he had already become the leader among the Foundation Establishment cultivators when he conquered Hejian County, thanks to his personal charm and formidable strength.

He enjoys extremely high prestige among the new generation of disciples in the sect. If he were not single-mindedly devoted to the Great Dao, he would not have paid any attention to worldly affairs. He is undoubtedly the rightful successor to Tong Huan as the sect leader.

"This disciple greets True Master Li!"

Bai Bin's heart was pounding. He had just been assigned to Thunder Cliff when he heard from his clan elders that a Core Formation cultivator lived there, who was also his ancestor's disciple.

It seems that his cultivation has gone wrong, and he has been in seclusion for several decades.

Judging from his imposing presence today, he has fully recovered from his injuries and his cultivation has reached a new level.

He quickly recounted the major events that had occurred in the Qingfeng Sect, starting with Li Guizhen's seclusion.

Bai Bin said, and the tall, thin boy added that the perspective of a menial disciple is limited.

In other words, what they all know must be major matters that cannot be skipped.

Upon learning of Bai Laozu's return to the sect, Li Guizhen was excited, and the lightning that had subsided on his body leaped up once more.

When he heard that the sect's army was setting off to conquer Zhongzhou, he remained expressionless and calm.

Upon learning that his junior sister Ma Ruoxi had defeated four late-stage Core Formation cultivators with her sword, thus becoming the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage in Liang Kingdom, a strong fighting spirit surged within him.

As for Palace Master Chen Shanyan's Core Formation, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Alright, have someone thoroughly clean the main hall."

Before he finished speaking, the man had already vanished, and several bolts of lightning leaped around him—the lightning escape technique, the fastest of all escape techniques.

"Master Li has actually emerged from seclusion and even talked with us for quite a while..."

The tall, thin boy murmured, still somewhat incredulous.

"Why do I feel that Master Li is dismissive of the news that Palace Master Chen has formed his core? Am I mistaken?"

"Shh, are you trying to get yourself killed by talking so loudly about two real people!"

Bai Bin lowered his voice and pulled his companion deeper into the bamboo forest.

“I heard from my elders that Master Li is extremely arrogant. Apparently, there are two types of Core Formation: the perfect Core Formation and the ordinary Core Formation. He doesn’t even look down on the latter. It took Palace Master Chen two attempts to successfully form his Core. I guess Master Li didn’t take it seriously at all.”

"Don't concern yourself with what Master Li is doing. Look at the reward he left behind before he left; it seems to be a bottle of pills!"

A plump jade bottle with golden entwined floral patterns was held in Bai Bin's hand. He tilted it down, and two milky white pills appeared in his hand, emitting a faint sweet scent of osmanthus.

"It seems to be a Spirit Enhancement Pill, used by Foundation Establishment cultivators to improve their cultivation. If we take it, our meridians will probably explode and we'll die instantly... We can probably exchange it for pills suitable for Qi Refining disciples, and get forty or fifty of them. Who knows, maybe my brother and I can both become outer disciples next year!"

……

Lightning flashed and showed no sign of stopping, stretching for thousands of miles.

Lightning Release is known for its speed, but it also consumes a huge amount of true energy. It is only used for short-distance sprints to escape, and almost no one uses it for long-distance travel.

Judging from this, it showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, the lightning became even more concentrated.

(End of this chapter)