Born with immortal seed

Chapter 561 An Unexpected Request

Rippling light and layers of illusory shadows pushed aside, and spring water gushed out.

An underground spring formed a pool of water, with a mysterious aura flowing on the surface, and occasionally a silver fish about two fingers wide would leap out of the water.

A round, black and white bear clumsily lay on the edge of the pond, slapping its paw down at the silver fish, only to find it was just a puddle of water; the fish it had imagined had turned into silvery fragments.

The black and white bear beast withdrew its paw, holding it up in front of its eyes in a daze. It then bit its own paw in an endearing manner, completely bewildered as to why a perfectly good spirit fish had turned into clear water brimming with spiritual energy in its hands.

"Gun Gun, stop fooling around, go back to your bamboo grove!"

A loud voice came from above. Gun Gun stood up, not very noticeably, and hopped along on its short legs into a bamboo grove, happily bouncing among the bamboo.

Thousands of bamboo stalks huddle together, and when a breeze blows, they create undulating waves of emerald green, accompanied by a soft rustling sound.

The dense wood-elemental spiritual energy was locked within the entire bamboo forest, filling it with pure vitality, and it was already infinitely close to a fourth-tier spiritual land.

Another drop of water fell from the sky, crashing onto the water's surface and creating surging waves.

The water level rose and fell several times, and soon it extended for miles, becoming a vast lake.

There were even turbulent currents that carved out several tributary waterways, carrying silt and aquatic plants that transformed the hard, gravelly land.

The entire process lasted for several hours. The spring that gushed from the bottom of the lake was indeed equipped with fourth-order spiritual energy, and the splashing water contained a sweet fragrance.

From high above, it is an irregular expanse of land, about twenty miles long and ten miles wide, with slight undulations at the edges, like a circle formed by red-hot brown rocks.

The central area features a newly formed large lake, with a bamboo forest to the east where the geese live, and the remaining area is filled with hollow caves where fireworks are often emitted.

"The three Spirit Spring Eyes have finally achieved today's effect. The bamboo forest only used one Spirit Wood Heart, so the effect is much weaker."

The little white nascent soul appeared in the realm, looking with satisfaction at its efforts over the past period.

With circulating spiritual energy, growing spiritual plants, and abundant waterways, it is already a thriving Nascent Soul realm.

Bai Zichen didn't pay much attention to the construction of the realm because, to him, the enhancement effect of the realm was not important at all.

When he was about to manifest his realm to fight to the death with the people, it proved that he had exhausted all other means, and the nascent realm was no match for the terrifying enemy.

The time spent on boundary construction could be used in other areas, yielding even greater results.

However, the successful cultivation of Azure Dragon Spirit Rice has brought him to the late Nascent Soul stage, so it's impossible for a barren realm to transform into a nascent cave heaven.

The Nascent Soul Realm suddenly became the top priority of all matters, and it was imperative to gradually improve before breaking through to the next realm, thus changing the current situation.

He directly accessed the spiritual treasures of Qishan, which were obtained by the Holy Lotus Sect when they destroyed the fourth-tier spiritual land of Liang Kingdom and exhausted all resources.

The three Eyes of Spiritual Springs and the Heart of Spiritual Wood were successively invested, which drastically changed the originally desolate and empty realm, where only hot winds blew and scattered sporadic eruptions of earth fire solidified into lava.

The spiritual treasures of heaven and earth are refined into the realm, allowing the construction work to progress rapidly, far surpassing the slow and meticulous refinement of Nascent Soul power by tens of millions of times.

The originally faint spiritual energy quickly grew and expanded, becoming comparable to a fourth-tier spiritual land.

A natal spirit beast like Gun Gun can already live in the realm without any sense of oppression or discomfort.

If it were a cultivator, a short stay would be fine, but there would still be hidden dangers if they stayed there for a long time.

After all, it is only a realm and has not yet been sublimated into a grotto-heaven, so this world still seems somewhat rigid.

Because in this realm, there is no true rising and setting of the sun and moon, no distinction between day and night, no spring, summer, autumn and winter, no seasonal changes in climate, no raging storms, and no earthquakes or tsunamis.

Everything is pre-programmed and completely different from the real world.

The most crucial point is that the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth cannot be sensed within the realm, and cultivators living inside can only reach the early stage of Core Formation as their limit.

It is utterly impossible to establish a theory of alchemy and support cultivators to continue moving forward.

The grotto-heaven world is much better, as it contains the rules of heaven and earth and the true meaning of the Great Dao.

That's why some cultivators can reach the peak of Core Formation in mature grotto-heavens, even attracting heavenly tribulations, and are very close to the real world.

The difference lies in the fact that the laws of the grotto-heavens world are related to the founder, which means that the path of cultivation for cultivators within it is restricted to a few fixed paths.

The longer one stays in the grotto, the more pronounced this phenomenon becomes, and it cannot be changed even upon returning to the real world.

This is why, from ancient times to the present, no Nascent Soul cultivator has ever been born from a grotto-heaven world.

"There is also a piece of spiritual wood heart in the warehouse. Next month, it will be integrated, and the size of the bamboo forest will double again... When I was in the Nascent Soul stage, I activated the Nascent Soul phenomenon of the Cave Heaven Gate and experienced the power of creating my own world in advance. Once I have the cultivation of the late Nascent Soul stage, it shouldn't take me long to take the first step towards the nascent form of the Cave Heaven."

The little white nascent soul flew comfortably within its own domain, reaching the boundary in an instant with the speed of nascent soul escape.

"I wonder when it will be possible to transform this realm into something like those ancient secret realms, comparable to a city or a prefecture. Countless beings will live and thrive within it, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death, treating the grotto-heaven as their real world. At the same time, the grotto-heaven will be able to generate its own rare and precious materials."

That kind of realm could be described as recreating heaven and earth, or even rebuilding the world.

Just as Bai Zichen was about to continue researching the next development direction of the realm, a letter landed on the Receiving Platform.

"So it was him... I was just looking for him, but I didn't expect him to come to my door on his own initiative."

With his nascent soul returning to its place, Bai Zichen transformed into light and flew out of Qishan, stopping in front of a hill after sensing the aura.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, it's been a long time. You still have an extraordinary presence."

"When I traveled through the Central Region, I heard of the True Lord's great name many times. He broke the old impression of cultivators in the Northern Region and let all cultivators know that there are also cultivators with the potential to become Nascent Souls in the Northern Region. When the great battle between humans and demons takes place in the future, I believe that the True Lord will make outstanding contributions and make the Azure Maple Sect the number one sect in the Northern Region."

The young man spoke with a refined and elegant air, like a figure from a painting. He seemed to be injured, coughing as he spoke, with blood seeping between his fingers.

It was Feng Moyun who appeared outside the Blood Sea Sect and attacked Blood God True Monarch.

"Fellow Daoist seems to be injured?"

Bai Zichen asked the question knowingly. The death of one's natal spirit beast might not be a big deal for an ordinary cultivator; it would only take a few years to recover.

However, the fundamental technique of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect disciples, the Spirit Control Scripture, binds them too closely to their natal spirit beasts; with gain comes loss.

The two are fundamentally connected. In the early stages, one can use their natal spirit beast to quickly improve their cultivation, break through bottlenecks, and obtain various supernatural abilities.

Later on, they will be restricted by the spirit beast's rank.

Feng Moyun's natal spirit beast, the Floating Light Dove, reached the fourth rank, helping him overcome the Heavenly Tribulation and become the first genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch in the history of the Myriad Beasts Sect.

But if Fu Guangjiu dies, it's as if the foundation of the Yu Ling Zhen Jing (True Scripture of Spirit Control) has been destroyed.

To have no progress in cultivation throughout one's life is the least of one's worries; in more serious cases, one may directly shatter their nascent soul and be unable to maintain their current level.

"He went to seek revenge on the Blood God, but unfortunately he was not skilled enough. Even with the help of others, he was unable to kill him and instead lost his spirit beast."

Feng Moyun's voice was indifferent, but the hatred he revealed was deep-seated. He explained the whole story in a few simple words.

'Don't worry, Blood God True Monarch died long ago in my sword formation. This time, he doesn't even have the chance to reunite his demonic seed and wait for his next resurrection...'

Feng Moyun was unaware that his sworn enemy had died unjustly because he had chosen the wrong target to ambush.

The Blood Demon, who had escaped the Moral Sect's extermination campaign during the Middle Ages, had all his resurrection plans severed by the True Meaning of Time, and died a miserable death at the hands of a Nascent Soul mid-stage sword cultivator whom he thought he could easily defeat.

"Fellow Daoist traveled to the Southern Region for the sake of fellow disciples, and did not change his original intention even when facing a powerful enemy stronger than himself. He is truly admirable."

Bai Zichen spoke sincerely. After becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch, Feng Moyun had a bright future. He went to the Southern Region for the sake of his deceased fellow disciples and made a bold move against the Blood God True Monarch, which was far superior to those cultivators who always talked about the greater good of their fellow disciples.

"My skills were lacking, and I almost lost my life..."

Feng Moyun shook his head and smiled bitterly. His body was as thin as a piece of paper, as if he could be blown away at any moment.

"Fortunately, after destruction comes construction. By sheer luck, I managed to glimpse several layers of the Spirit Control Scripture, paving a different path for future generations. Jiu'er died but did not perish, leaving behind a trace of her soul, so there is still a possibility of her being resurrected in the future."

The techniques passed down from the ancestors of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect were only ordinary Nascent Soul cultivation methods, and the highest level one could cultivate to was the early Nascent Soul stage.

Although the Spirit Control Manual created by later generations is amazing, it is full of loopholes and contradictions, and in many places it does not even explain the principles of the cultivation method.

After all, the founder was only a Core Formation cultivator, and the Nascent Soul part of the cultivation technique was all based on his conjecture and speculation.

It wasn't until Fang Tiansheng's hands that the Spirit Control Scripture became a cultivation technique that could be passed down normally, instead of being just a genius cultivator's wild imagination.

It simplified and improved the Spirit Control Scripture, allowing disciples to practice it without needing a talent for beast taming similar to that of the scripture's creator.

He outlined his vision for the Nascent Soul stage of the cultivation technique and established a basic framework. Unfortunately, despite his willingness to cooperate with Du Heng, who had fallen into the demonic path, he still failed at the final step before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

After achieving the Nascent Soul stage due to a special opportunity, Feng Moyun was actually very confused about the future.

In the cultivation world, there are not many sects that are famous for their beast taming skills and are clearly stronger than the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. The probability of finding a suitable cultivation method from the outside world is extremely slim.

He forged his own path, but he lacked the talent of his senior brother Fang Tiansheng; his only advantage lay in beast taming skills.

Unexpectedly, after his natal spirit beast, the Floating Light Dove, died, he gained enlightenment while recuperating at the Joyful Sect. Following this path, he directly pushed the upper limit of the Spirit Control True Scripture to the late Nascent Soul stage.

"In that case, I truly congratulate you on your promising path to the Great Dao, paving the way for the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Your merits are immeasurable."

Bai Zichen was somewhat puzzled. Why was Feng Moyun coming to tell him all this? Judging from their relationship, it was clear that they were not close friends and were having a deep conversation.

Could it be that the Qingfeng Sect's occupation of Zhongzhou provoked the Wanshou Sect, prompting them to come and demonstrate their strength?

This doesn't make sense either, since Feng Moyun didn't know that he was present at the Blood Sea Sect's mountain gate and saw Fu Guangjiu die at the hands of Blood God True Monarch.

If that's the case, Feng Moyun shouldn't have exposed his shortcomings at all.

"The demon race is powerful. Even if we manage to repel them in the future, we will likely suffer countless losses, and we don't know how many sects will perish during this period. The Northern Region has always been regarded as a poor and remote place, a desolate and bitter land, and thus it avoids the chaos."

Feng Moyun changed the subject, finished the pleasantries, and began to state his purpose.

"When I left the Southern Region, the Joyful Sect had already joined forces with several other sects to begin integrating the entire region, to the point where Nascent Soul True Monarchs had fallen. They were clearly feeling the pressure brought by the war between the two races. It is said that the Moral Sect is considering mobilizing Nascent Soul cultivators from the other three regions to jointly resist the demon army."

"This is an era of great strife, which will drag every cultivator in every corner of the cultivation world into it. What are ten-thousand-year-old sects and hundred-generation foundations? They are like mantises trying to stop a chariot in the face of the overwhelming trend. They will be crushed in the blink of an eye. Liang Kingdom may look like a paradise, but as soon as the flames of war are ignited, it will be affected in an instant."

"However, I have a reason to leave, and I will be unable to take care of the sect in the future. Therefore, I have come to ask for your help in the next hundred years. In return, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect will withdraw from the two counties of Mizhou and the five counties of Yongzhou that it currently occupies, and will only retain the most basic territory. At the same time, the amount of Pure Spirit Jade Marrow provided every sixty years can be increased by ten drops."

"Fellow Daoist, are you joking?"

Bai Zichen's heart skipped a beat, his eyes blazing as he tried to find a hint of a joke on Feng Moyun's face.

No matter how much I tried to think outside the box, I couldn't have imagined what the other person was talking about when they came to my door.

He did have the thought that the five states and seventy-two counties of Liang Kingdom were too crowded with multiple Nascent Soul sects, but the Central State was already enough for the Qingfeng Sect to digest for decades, and any more territory would be a waste at the moment.

Moreover, at least on the surface, the Qingfeng Sect and the Wanshou Sect are still allies, unlike the Shenglian Sect, which has long been an enemy. As a superior sect, it impersonates a thief to slaughter cultivators in the state and create human puppets, thus losing the hearts of the people.

It is morally justifiable to occupy the Central Plains.

Therefore, even though the Myriad Beasts Sect made some underhanded moves regarding the supply of Core Formation spiritual items, Bai Zichen did not immediately confront them, but instead prepared to give them another chance.

Unexpectedly, this wait resulted in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect making a complete retreat.

With the retreat of these seven prefectures, the Myriad Beasts Sect was left with only two prefectures in Luzhou, which was not as vast as it had been when it was a Core Formation level sect.

“It is absolutely true, I can make a vow of faith.”

A Nascent Soul True Monarch's oath of faith, as a pillar of a sect, is more credible than any contract or promise.

Feng Moyun coughed violently, and an abnormal flush appeared on his face.

"My senior brother once told me that when it comes to keeping one's word, no one in the Northern Region can compare to the Azure Maple Sect... I only ask for one promise from True Monarch Bai: to protect the Myriad Beasts Sect for a hundred years, and to include our sect within his protection circle without jeopardizing your vital interests. Ordinary transformed demons would find it difficult to withstand a single sword strike from the Sword Lord of Time."

Feng Moyun could not trust any of the other Nascent Soul sects in the Northern Region.

The Azure Maple Sect has been an ally for many years and has an excellent reputation. They have never betrayed their promises or broken their word.

Fang Tiansheng commented back then that the Qingfeng Sect was a hybrid sect, stubbornly maintaining its bottom line in the cultivation environment of the Northern Region, no wonder it couldn't compare to the Ghost Spirit Sect.

At the same time, the entrusted party must have sufficient strength. Otherwise, if they would feel uneasy if a powerful demon in human form appeared, and the entire sect had to be mobilized to deal with it, how could they help the Myriad Beasts Sect?

Given Bai Zichen's demonstrated strength, protecting the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect would be a simple matter, unless a massive number of demonic beasts invaded Liang Kingdom.

"Since you know that a great era of strife is coming, why are you leaving at this time?"

Bai Zichen did not answer directly, but raised the question that had been on his mind.

The increase in the amount of Pure Spirit Jade Marrow in the seven prefectures looked delicious, but it held little appeal for a cultivator whose sights were already set on the Nascent Soul stage.

He was curious as to why Feng Moyun would do such a thing.

(End of this chapter)