Born with immortal seed

Chapter 556 Ideological Differences
"The Primordial Yang Divine Thunder is extremely powerful and fierce, making it the nemesis of evil spirits and yin energy. However, it lacks adaptability and its power is insufficient, so it cannot be considered a top-tier thunder technique."

He achieved early success and encountered a renowned teacher, enjoying unparalleled good fortune.

On his first journey, he obtained the inheritance of the Xuanming One Qi Formless Divine Thunder. It's no wonder that Li Guizhen developed an arrogant attitude and looked down on the cultivators around him.

Their benchmarks were all based on figures like their own master and Ancestor Ge Cang.

The Master's achievement of transforming into a Nascent Soul at the age of over 150 was too exaggerated, rivaling that of the ancient sages, something he could not even dream of.

Ge Cang, who was also famous for his thunder magic, became the target to be pursued.

That's why Li Guizhen is so eager to break through, to avoid falling too far behind.

His failed attempt to break through to a higher realm made him realize the vast gap in talent between himself and Ancestor Ge Cang.

If Li Guizhen is a national talent with the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage, then Ge Cang is a peerless genius who can compete with the most outstanding cultivators of his time and ascend to the pinnacle of the cultivation world.

His master was a banished immortal who, compared to all the illustrious names in the long river of time, had achieved a great feat for all ages.

However, this failure was like a blow to the head, completely waking him up.

Otherwise, once the alchemical process is complete and the theories on alchemy are solidified, it will be too late to regret it.

The long period of seclusion and healing allowed Li Guizhen to slightly curb his arrogance, while also completing his alchemical treatise and greatly advancing his mastery of thunder magic.

Before he knew it, he had reached the mid-stage of Core Formation.

What you desire but cannot obtain, you let go of but find again.

"But Uncle Ge's talent in thunder magic is indeed outstanding. He managed to transform the Yuan Yang Divine Thunder, which is not considered top-tier, into the Qian Tian Yuan Yang Divine Thunder Net, which can be compared with the seventeen supreme thunder magics of the Five Thunder Sect."

"My talent in thunder magic is not as good as Uncle Ge's. Forcing myself to break through the Yuan Yang Divine Thunder was counterproductive. On the contrary, the more profound and exquisite Xuanming Yi Qi Wu Xiang Divine Thunder resonated with me. Disheartened, I took another step forward and truly entered the inner sanctum."

The rumbling thunder grew fainter and fainter until it became a barely perceptible, short drumbeat.

Meanwhile, the lightning flashes solidified from pale blue to inky black, then turned hazy gray-white, blending into the clouds so fine that they could be missed if one wasn't paying attention.

During his seclusion to heal his injuries, Li Guizhen found a path that suited him, which gradually manifested in his lightning techniques.

As soon as he left the pass, he rushed to Zhongzhou. Besides visiting his master, he also wanted to find out what was going on.

When did my junior sister, who was following behind, acquire such skills? After decades of not seeing her, even if her swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds, it was impossible for her to undergo such a dramatic change.

He knew Ma Ruoxi's aptitude very well. With dual spiritual roots and a superior spiritual body, her cultivation speed before forming her core was comparable to that of a heavenly spiritual root, mainly because her master had bestowed upon her corresponding spiritual objects.

His hidden talents, apart from his excellent swordsmanship, are not top-notch in other areas.

He was very curious about how someone could suddenly grow to the level of being hailed as the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage.

After using the Thunder Escape technique to fly tens of thousands of miles, he felt that the Thunder-type True Essence in his Dantian Qi Sea was somewhat depleted, so he changed to a flying magic weapon.

Upon entering Zhongzhou, one could immediately sense the difference; the landscape was devastated, and hordes of refugees crawled along like a line of ants.

Every moment, the frail, the elderly, and children collapse and never get up again.

Several filthy black hands grabbed and dragged the lifeless corpse into the roadside weeds.

Apart from the closest family members who tried to retrieve the body, everyone else remained numb and indifferent.

After flying a thousand miles, I came across a mountain village with spiritual energy. I pressed the shuttle button and called for the village gate to be opened.

"The people of this county are destitute, and they are even resorting to cannibalism, which is against the will of Heaven... Why are you all staying indoors and not offering any assistance?"

Li Guizhen spoke coldly to the dozen or so cultivators who came out of the mountain stronghold, his expression indifferent.

Given his nature, he didn't have much compassion for humanity or a desire to bless all living beings. However, when natural disasters or man-made calamities occurred, as a cultivator, he was obligated to step forward to help the mortals under his rule. This was a long-standing rule of the Qingfeng Sect, and it had become a habit.

Since Zhongzhou has come under the rule of Qingfeng Sect, it must naturally follow the sect's regulations.

Moreover, with the Master presiding over this place, wouldn't it tarnish the Master's reputation if so many mortals were to die unjustly?

"May I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist of the Azure Maple Sect?"

The leading cultivator had a broad face, long beard, and a full forehead, indicating he possessed the cultivation level of the early stage of Core Formation.

However, judging from the visitor's identity, he spoke quite politely, after all, he had nominally recognized the Qingfeng Sect as the superior sect.

"Your sect's Soul-Destroying Sword Immortal Ma once issued a proclamation to the twelve prefectures, instructing us to guard our gates and protect ourselves to avoid being retaliated against by the calamities and having our mountain gates breached. The crops in the Central Plains are ripe, and as long as we get through the winter, the famine in the mortal world will naturally be resolved. Fellow Daoist, there is no need to worry."

"Survive the winter? How many people will die then... If your village sends out a hundred or so disciples and has the Yellow Turban Warriors build a row of bungalows, and then uses magic to make the spirit rice ripen early, you can save 100,000 disaster victims!"

Li Guizhen didn't get the answer he wanted, and his tone was already tinged with anger.

"Fellow Daoist, these are the exact words of your sect's Fairy Ma, and I believe they also represent the will of True Monarch Bai. Are you prepared to disobey your sect's patriarch? With the tribulation not yet over, our sect would never risk sending disciples out of the mountain. If you wish to make friends, you are welcome to come into the mountain for tea. If you wish to discuss this matter further, don't blame me for turning around and leaving!"

With a broad face, long beard, and a prominent brow, his voice was loud and clear, showing no intention of backing down.

"This is my junior sister's opinion, not mine... and it certainly doesn't represent Master's opinion!"

Li Guizhen murmured something, but it was hard to hear what he was saying from a distance.

Suddenly, a silent and invisible divine lightning appeared in front of the broad-faced, long-bearded man who had just formed his core. By the time it was discovered, it had already surrounded him on both sides, leaving not even enough time to activate the great formation.

He only had time to activate his natal magic weapon, and a golden mountain appeared in front of him. At the same time, his magic robes flashed with spiritual light, and three defensive spells activated on their own.

The thick golden light was blasted into a puddle of mud by the formless divine thunder, and several bubbles were burst.

Those third-tier defensive spells also dissipated very quickly, not even buying them a few breaths.

Snapped!
Misjudgment struck, and the broad-faced, long-bearded man's Core Formation head exploded, splattering blood and flesh all over several nearby cultivators.

Li Guizhen remained expressionless, slightly opening his mouth as if giving a soft shout, and several more clusters of formless divine lightning exploded, causing all the cultivators to meet their end.

"It's not bad. This matches the preface to the Xuanming One Qi Divine Thunder inheritance: 'This method is no weaker than the Seventeen Thunder Methods of the Five Thunder Sect. I hope future generations will study it in depth and discredit the Five Thunder Sect as a holy land of thunder methods in the cultivation world.'"

Li Guizhen nodded in satisfaction. This was the first time he had activated the Xuanming Divine Thunder after making a breakthrough.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly effortless and nonchalant manner; in reality, they have given it their all.

The main characteristic of the Xuanming Qi Divine Thunder is that it is silent and invisible. When fully activated, it is almost indistinguishable from a casual strike.

The ability to annihilate protective spiritual light is enough to cause great harm to any cultivator unfamiliar with it. Just like the broad-faced, long-bearded cultivator who has formed his core, under normal circumstances, he can withstand at least dozens of moves before showing signs of weakness and defeat.

The creator of the Xuanming One Qi Formless Divine Thunder seems to have a grudge against the Five Thunder Sect. The whole text reveals his jealousy and resentment towards this sect, and he demands that those who succeed in cultivating it must spare no effort to destroy the reputation of the Five Thunder Sect, preferably to completely overwhelm this sect.

call out!
Li Guizhen lit a signal talisman, and maple leaves were sent out in the air, forming a huge portrait.

Several hours later, a group of cultivators rushed over.

After stopping, he took a while to discern the situation before daring to step forward and offer his greetings.

“Zhu Ming, the steward of the Law Enforcement Hall, pays his respects to Master Li…Master, what are your instructions for summoning me? Please grant me your guidance.”

Zhu Ming recognized Li Guizhen, who had been in seclusion for many years and whose sect was rumored to have lost all his foundation and had no future.

Judging from his current condition, he is full of energy and shows no signs of injury or internal problems.

"Why has this county yet taken no action to help ordinary people? If this continues, there will surely be heavy casualties. When resentment gathers, it could easily be used by demonic cultivators to trigger a large-scale plague and zombie resurrection, making the cleanup work a hundred times more complicated!"

Li Guizhen's words were sharp, and he reprimanded several disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall.

He was not just a monk who only knew asceticism and was ignorant of worldly affairs; in his youth, he had led a large army to quell the unrest in Hejian County.

The Qingfeng Sect has well-established regulations for dealing with natural disasters and man-made calamities, and disciples only need to follow these procedures.

“Master, we are doing our best to help... but there are less than two hundred disciples in the whole county, and we really can’t make arrangements for them.”

Zhu Ming's face turned pale as he tried to explain in a low voice.

"As for the local cultivators in this county, our sect helps ordinary people. Even if they are unwilling to contribute, won't you come to their door to conscript manpower?"

Li Guizhen's eyes turned cold as he continued.

"Are you trying to tell me again that in this newly restored land, we dare not push too hard, lest we provoke the local cultivators and incur the wrath of our sect?"

"Disciple dare not!"

Zhu Ming was drenched in cold sweat, his back completely soaked.

He certainly didn't dare to mention that the matter also involved the bias of the team leader. The purpose of governing Zhongzhou was to unite local forces, eliminate the bandits as soon as possible, and restore order.

Local forces with a generally clean past who have expressed a desire to become vassals are key targets for unity; it is not advisable to approach them directly to demand manpower and resources.

"What's the use of occupying such territory? How can we ensure that our sect will have the only voice in Zhongzhou in the future?"

Li Guizhen flicked his sleeve and pointed down at the mountain stronghold below.

"I have killed all the leading cultivators here, and have the remaining hundreds of disciples gathered at the foot of the mountain... You all order them to open the storerooms, form teams, and take care of the refugees separately. Anyone who misses a step will be punished along with the entire team; anyone who deliberately neglects or passively resists will be killed!"

"I will obey the True Man's decree."

Zhu Ming's lowered body trembled slightly, and he only dared to stand up long after Li Guizhen had left.

“Steward Zhu, are we really going to do this? This is completely contrary to the opinions of the elders. The Enforcement Hall will definitely hold us accountable later.”

A disciple who had reached the peak of Qi Refining asked in a low voice. He had stepped down from his position as an inner disciple and was quite familiar with the movements of the higher-ups.

"You dare disobey my orders? This True Person Li's bloodthirstiness ranks first among all Core Formation True Persons. Just watch, this won't be the only local force to suffer next. He is also a direct descendant of the patriarch, and factional disputes have nothing to do with us. Just obey my orders."

Zhu Ming shook his head and began assigning tasks, dividing the captured local cultivators into several small teams.

With enough talismans for strongmen, the ability to create puppets, and enough spirit rice to fill ten mid-grade storage bags, he felt that at least the tens of thousands of refugees in the immediate vicinity had a chance to survive.

As a disciple of the Qingfeng Sect who grew up in the new era, Zhu Ming vaguely felt that Master Li's approach was quite to his liking.

Those local powers don't need to be given that much face at all.

……

At the summit of Qishan Mountain lies Jiexiantai.

As Li Guizhen walked into the main hall, travel-worn, he immediately felt gazes directed at him from all sides.

Including himself, there were a total of seven Core Formation Realm experts standing in the hall.

If Chen Shanyan hadn't happened to advance his cultivation level, Wei Dao would be the only one left in Black Mountain at this moment.

Several elders in the late Foundation Establishment stage were also granted the right to attend the meeting.

Unaffected by the curious, surprised, and even angry gazes, Li Guizhen looked straight ahead and finally saw that familiar figure.

His young and handsome face always had a faint smile on his lips, and he possessed a calm demeanor as if he had everything under control.

His eyes seemed to encompass everything; no secret could be hidden from his gaze.

"Disciple pays homage to Master."

Li Guizhen took a few steps forward and found that even with his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, his master was still shrouded in mystery, as if he were facing an endless river.

If you stare at it for too long, there's even a risk of getting lost in it.

"Not bad, there's a chance to grow to the peak of the Core Formation stage within a hundred years..."

With Bai Zichen's discerning eye, how could he not notice the changes in his disciple? The theory of alchemy had taken a solid step forward.

Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, there was nothing left to improve upon on the Great Dao.

This pleased him greatly. If the sect could have one more Nascent Soul cultivator, he would be much more relaxed and free up many things to do.

There's no need to worry about traveling to extremely far places and not being able to return for hundreds of years, only to find that the sect has been destroyed when you finally come back.

"Continue discussing the previous topic. Don't worry about me. You can make your own decisions about these things."

Bai Zichen casually waved his hand and continued to wander in his own world, immersing most of his mind in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The original dark scene of a furnace forging heaven and earth is gone, and new changes have occurred. Various celestial phenomena appear in rotation, as if a pattern has emerged.

Like finding a new toy, Bai Zichen stared intently at every change and every evolution.

At his level, he lost interest in how the lower-level cultivators implemented policies or what methods they used.

As long as it doesn't violate principles or cross red lines, he certainly wouldn't restrict every cultivator to follow the same path.

For cultivators who aspire to reach the Nascent Soul stage, their actions are a way of practicing their own path and upholding their own ideals.

If we want a diverse range of ideas to flourish and for each to achieve its own success, we cannot impose too many restrictions.

“Junior Brother Li, your actions over the past few months have gone too far! How could you attack a vassal force without the approval of the elders? A total of two Core Formation cultivators and more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators have died at your hands. The impact is extremely negative!”

Long Long pointed the gun at Li Guizhen, her cold face as if covered in frost.

"Several vassal sects have lodged serious protests, demanding an explanation from us. We've suddenly gained a ton of work! People in several prefectures are unsettled, and there are signs of rebellion."

"What vassal forces? All I know is that they stand by and watch people suffer, with thousands of people leaving their homes to beg for a living, even resorting to cannibalism. They refuse to adopt my suggestions and show no respect whatsoever for their superiors."

Li Guizhen looked straight ahead and spoke slowly into the air.

"What use is there in keeping such a vassal sect? This is just a small punishment to teach them a lesson and make them understand the rules of our sect, so that they will not commit even more unforgivable mistakes in the future."

(End of this chapter)