Born with immortal seed

Chapter 754 The Approaching Demonic Trail
Different sects have different rules, regulations, and ritual procedures.

Many of those unorthodox and demonic practices are used haphazardly and without regard for consequences.

Take the simplest example of offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings: Nascent Soul sects can only use Yellow Seal script, while Deity Transformation sects can use Golden Seal script.

On the birthday of the patriarch, when it is time to ward off misfortune and disaster, only the Huashen sect can use the most advanced ritual, the Luotian Grand Ritual, to hold a fasting ceremony.

Furthermore, regarding the architectural style of the palaces, from the time Bai Zichen transformed into a deity, the main hall of the Qingfeng Sect was able to be built with a triple-tiered maternal and paternal palace.

Even if he is no longer here, his legacy will endure.

A cultivator with a clear lineage can immediately tell that this sect has produced a Nascent Soul cultivator, indicating a different kind of foundation.

There are also standardized robes, sect seals, talisman specifications, number of steps, welcoming auspicious beasts... There are many things that need to be changed, and it can't be done in a short time.

Nowadays, more and more sects don't care about this and overstep the bounds of propriety, but Qingfeng Sect has always prided itself on being the orthodox sect of Taoism and has always strictly adhered to rituals and rules.

Now that the sect has a Nascent Soul Ancestor, it's natural to replace everyone.

This is a huge project, requiring us to consult ancient books and ensure there are no mistakes whatsoever.

"Senior Brother Qu, it turns out your swordsmanship has been guided by your master. We can exchange ideas later when we have time."

Walking through the Rotten Axe Mountain, Ma Ruoxi listened to Qu Songshi's self-introduction and said with great interest.

"Not at all, not at all. I am dull-witted in swordsmanship and have failed to live up to the guidance of Elder Bai. Later, I shifted my focus to other areas... Junior Sister Ma is the direct descendant of the Sword Immortal, how could I compare to her?"

Qu Songshi waved his hands repeatedly, his gentle and humble demeanor contrasting sharply with his rugged appearance.

A hint of melancholy flashed in his lowered eyes, clearly indicating his reluctance to continue pursuing the path of swordsmanship.

There was no one in the Five Elements Sect who could teach him, nor was there any exquisite sword technique to pass on. He could only regretfully give up and focus on cultivating the Great Five Elements Annihilation Divine Light.

Fortunately, Bai Zichen's trip to the Southern Region back then helped the Five Elements Sect resolve several of its enemies, greatly expanding its development space.

The Five Elements Sect is in a much better situation than it was hundreds of years ago, which is why it was able to fully support Qu Songshi to this day.

Reaching the late stage of Core Formation at this age makes him the closest person in the Five Elements Sect's history to Nascent Soul Transformation.

"Did Senior Brother Qu happen to be traveling in the Eastern Regions this time?"

Ma Ruoxi only knew that her family and the Five Elements Sect, which was far away in the Southern Region, were brother sects, sharing the same blood and lineage, but the specific reasons were little known to the disciples of this generation.

The younger ones might even wonder why the number one sect in the Northern Region would have to help a Core Formation sect in the Southern Region, when they are not even on equal footing.

"The disciple stationed at your sect fell seriously ill and died in office without returning to the sect. I happened to be encountering a bottleneck and went on a journey, so I took the new disciples to take up the post... When I returned, I heard that Ancestor Bai had returned, so I thought I would come to pay a visit. I didn't expect to run into Ancestor Bai when he was in the Nascent Soul stage!"

Qu Songshi said softly that the Five Elements Sect's disciples who were sent out from outside the sect were so greedy for the cultivation environment in Black Mountain that they refused to return to the Five Elements Sect and made up all sorts of excuses to stay.

When the next batch of disciples arrived at Black Mountain, neither was willing to back down, and the two had a very ugly falling out.

In the past, such jobs, which required leaving one's hometown, were considered arduous and exhausting, and people would only be willing to take them if the subsidies were increased.

However, as the Qingfeng Sect grew stronger, this position became an extremely sought-after one.

In the past, disciples sent to other regions enjoyed the same treatment as the elders of the host country and received double the salary.

As the elders of the Qingfeng Sect receive increasingly higher salaries, the stipends of the disciples stationed in brother sects have also risen accordingly.

The Five Elements Sect disciples receive more than ten times the salary from the Azure Maple Sect.

In Black Mountain, it's easier to buy all kinds of elixirs and medicines, cultivation resources, and even solve cultivation problems more quickly.

Disciples of similar cultivation levels who can discuss and communicate with each other are as numerous as hairs on a cow.

Even when they get a chance to ask a Core Formation cultivator for guidance, they usually won't refuse, out of consideration for being disciples of the Five Elements Sect.

In comparison, the overseas assignment system has faced significant challenges and is unlikely to be strictly enforced any longer.

When Qu Songshi returned to Black Mountain, he reorganized the internal affairs. The first disciple who violated the rules had died, leaving behind a family of several hundred people in Hejian County.

In another hundred years, they will probably become a genuine Liang Kingdom native family of immortal cultivators.

The second disciple who violated the rules felt that his term of office had been significantly shortened by the previous one, so he also tried every means to stay.

They resorted to a series of illegal methods, even hiring people to ambush and attack the next disciple on the road, all to prevent the successor from arriving in Black Mountain on time.

After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the third disciple, who had only been in office for a few years, was also unruly, using his position as an elder of the Qingfeng Sect to swindle and deceive others.

He deceived independent cultivators and scions of aristocratic families by claiming he could smooth things over within the sect and sell outer disciple slots, swindling them out of nearly a million spirit stones.

The Qingfeng Sect's Enforcement Hall had already obtained evidence, but because of this person's special status, they only temporarily placed him under house arrest without taking further action.

Qu Songshi was so angry that his hair stood on end. He first took out his own money to make up for the shortage of spirit stones.

A large portion of the spirit stones obtained through deception has been squandered by the third disciple and cannot be recovered.

After bringing the disciple back to the camp, he destroyed the man's Qi Sea and Dantian with a single palm strike and threw him out of the camp to fend for himself.

He also crippled the foundations of all cultivators among the descendants of the first disciple who had practiced the Five Elements Sect's techniques, and burned the clan's scriptures.

The monks were left lying on the ground, weeping and wailing, as if the end of the world had come.

The second disciple sent him a Qi-extinguishing pill, and that very night news came that he had taken the pill and committed suicide, leaving behind a letter of repentance.

After ruthlessly quelling the chaos caused by the Five Elements Sect disciples in Black Mountain, Qu Songshi turned to the Eastern Region, having already made up his mind to change his policies in the future.

Otherwise, even the strictest laws will only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. This is a matter of great importance, and no one can tolerate it.

The details of what happened were not for outsiders to know, and he would not mention them to Ma Ruoxi.

After waiting for a while in front of Qingxia Cave, seemingly receiving a reply, Ma Ruoxi stepped inside.

Qu Songshi kept his eyes straight ahead and followed closely behind, but he couldn't help feeling nervous.

When they met back then, Old Ancestor Bai was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but he was still within the range that could be caught up with.

Now that he has suddenly become a Nascent Soul cultivator, he would never dare to be so bold, even in his wildest dreams.

The greatest wish of the disciples of the Five Elements Sect throughout the ages is nothing more than to produce another Nascent Soul True Monarch and change the sect back to the Five Elements Sect.

In particular, they heard that there was another sect in the Central Region that was also known for its Five Elements magic and had the same name. They were also waiting for a celestial being to descend and rise to the Nascent Soul stage.

Once the name of the Five Elements Sect is taken by someone else, even if a disciple successfully transforms into a Nascent Soul in the future, it cannot be used again and can only be renamed.

This made the Five Elements Sect extremely anxious.

He walked a few steps with his head down, and then a girl who only reached his waist came into view. She had a set of rabbit teeth and was cute and charming.

"Come with me. The master is currently talking with someone and has already asked for permission."

The girl, who had been squatting on a piece of jade, jumped down when she saw the person coming and led the way with bouncy steps.

Qu Songshi dared not ask any more questions. Even from a distance, he could feel the immense power emanating from the girl, like a vast ocean that could easily overwhelm him.

They realized that this seemingly unremarkable girl was actually a terrifying Nascent Soul cultivator.

After walking several more miles, they passed through a short teleportation array and finally arrived at their destination.

Two cultivators sat in the hall, neither of whom showed any difference in their cultivation levels. However, Qu Songshi recognized the one as Old Ancestor Bai at a glance and knelt down with a thud.

"Qu Songshi, a junior disciple of the Five Elements School, pays his respects to the Ancestor."

The other cultivator was elegant and refined, and dashing, but he only sat on one side of the chair, always slightly turned to the side to show respect for the person next to him.

The primary and secondary roles are clearly defined.

In terms of appearance, the remaining one can only be described as handsome and refined, but his beauty is far inferior to that of the former.

But with an outstanding temperament, he was like the sharpest flying sword stuck in the ground, always the focus of attention no matter how many people were around him.

Qu Songshi was far away and couldn't use his divine sense to scan, so he could only see these contents at a glance.

After careful recollection and comparison, it was found that Old Ancestor Bai had not changed much since he came to the Five Elements Sect, except that his brows and eyes looked more mature and weathered.

"Qu Songshi... I remember you, the disciple of Hou Tu Zhenren. I didn't expect you to have already formed your core."

If a Nascent Soul cultivator is willing, they can easily recall even their childhood memories, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse back then.

Bai Zichen glanced at it, then smiled and said to Pan Shizhen beside him, "The Five Elements Sect and my family are of the same lineage, having helped each other for thousands of years, and our friendship is deep and profound."

"Spanning two regions, forming an alliance not based on self-interest, but helping each other in times of need, is truly admirable."

Pan Shizhen couldn't understand how the Qingfeng Sect could become allies with a Core Formation sect, given the vast distance between the Southern and Northern Regions, where support was impossible to provide.

Judging from Bai Zichen's attitude, it was clear how to start the conversation.

"Master, please go down first. I will go back and inform the various sects in the Central Region, and tell them to calm down... The Datong Army, for their own selfish reasons, has been causing chaos in the cultivation world under the guise of the Grand Duke, causing countless people to be displaced, their families destroyed, and their lives ruined. The deaths of cultivators have caused the Ji River to rise several feet overnight. Their evil deeds are truly heinous."

Since the visitor was Pan Shizhen, Bai Zichen said a few more words.

"However, the crisis of the ancient demons is imminent. I will not take action against the Datong Army before dealing with the Asura Ancient Demons. I want all forces in the cultivation world to unite outwards and prioritize eliminating the demonic calamity."

Wherever the ancient demon Asura goes, any living being will be invaded by its demonic energy and transformed into a demon.

The previous places had all become dead zones, so naturally there were few demons there.

However, upon arriving in the Central Region, his mere appearance caused the creation of tens of thousands of all sorts of demonic creatures, making the situation extremely troublesome.

Bai Zichen estimated that even if he could hold off the ancient demon Asura and wait for Hongfa to emerge from seclusion to jointly eliminate this place, countless beings would become demons in the process.

At this time, those sects and forces can play a significant role.

Therefore, he would not allow the Datong Army, which controls almost the largest group of cultivators in the Central Region, to fall into civil war, severely weakening the average strength of the cultivation world.

At least not at this point in time.

"Understood. I will convey Sword Lord's message to them when I return... I believe that under Sword Lord's guidance, everyone will make the right choice and successfully end this chaotic world."

Pan Shizhen rose, bowed, and slowly withdrew from the main hall.

"How are your master, and fellow Daoists Qingmu and Heishui doing now?"

Bai Zichen was delighted to see an old friend, which eased his sense of alienation and separation from the past. It was as if he had returned to the young man who was worried about a Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Not many years after your departure, Master's old illness flared up, and he passed away peacefully in his cave... True Master Qingmu passed away sixty years ago, and True Master Heishui, more than a hundred years ago, in order to leave no regrets, forcibly launched an attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. In the end, under the Heavenly Tribulation, he could not withstand the fifth Heavenly Lightning..."

Qu Songshi's expression darkened. After the passing of several elders, the number of Core Formation cultivators in the Five Elements Sect had decreased significantly.

The development speed of the disciples who came after them was not enough to fill the gap.

"Have they all passed away peacefully...? Life is truly like a fleeting moment, time flies by."

Bai Zichen was somewhat depressed upon hearing this news.

Especially when he thought of how Qingmu and Heishui risked their lives to rush to the aid of Qingfeng Sect, almost losing their lives in Heishan.

I had a thrilling story of fighting alongside him, a brilliant chapter in his growth, one that he will remember clearly no matter how much time passes.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. As long as they haven't reached the Nascent Soul stage, they've indeed reached their end at their age.

"Why didn't you come to the Azure Maple Sect to find me? You might have found some longevity pills..."

"Old Ancestor Bai has already done our sect a great favor, how dare we make excessive demands... Elder Qingmu said before he died that it was a waste to give him your Demon Exorcising Pill, since he didn't even see the Nascent Soul stage. It should have been used on a more promising cultivator."

Knowing that he didn't hold much sway over Bai Zichen, Qu Songshi focused on the key figures among his seniors.

The Five Elements Sect has its own reasons for never seeking help from the Azure Maple Sect.

The two factions are now out of balance of power; it's more accurate to call it mutual assistance than one-sided aid.

How could the Five Elements Sect, a mere Core Formation level sect, possibly have any effect on the Azure Maple Sect, which already possesses two Great True Monarchs?

Even the deepest affection cannot withstand repeated wear and tear.

Even if the Five Elements Sect were to set aside their pride and swallow their pride, they would still worry that the precious bond between the two sects would be worn down by repeated requests for help.

Especially after Bai Zichen's generation fades out, the next leader of the Qingfeng Sect will not have any special feelings for the Five Elements Sect.

Therefore, on his deathbed, Master Aoki instructed that one should not disturb the Sword Lord of Time casually, but only ask for his help once in a critical moment.

For example, this trump card should only be used when a disciple of the Five Elements Sect is about to undergo Nascent Soul transformation and lacks resources, or when the sect faces annihilation.

"Since you're here, stay a few more days at Rotten Axe Mountain. Let me check if your swordsmanship has deteriorated. I remember your swordsmanship was full of spiritual energy back then."

Bai Zichen asked a few more questions, and Qu Songshi's answers satisfied him.

Looking at his cultivation level, it's already quite remarkable that he was able to cultivate to the late stage of Core Formation in the environment of the Southern Region of the Five Elements Sect.

To make a comparison, Ma Ruoxi's cultivation conditions were ten or even a hundred times better than Qu Songshi's, yet she didn't have much of an advantage in terms of cultivation level.

This is enough to show that Qu Songshi's talent, aptitude, and foundation were as perfect as possible under his circumstances.

He raised his hand and placed a divine thought of the Binding Technique on Qu Songshi before making him retreat.

……

The month after the Sword Lord of Time transformed into a god, the Ancient Demon Asura appeared in Dali, and the one who suffered was the Great Sun Holy Sect, the holy land of body tempering.

Fortunately, this super sect, which has produced Nascent Soul cultivators, has its own contingency plans and sent several batches of disciples away before the ancient demon locked the space.

As the demonic clouds descended, the entire Great Sun Holy Sect was plunged into a demonic realm, with dark clouds obscuring the sky.

Three hours later, the Great Sun Holy Sect was a dead end, with only the mindless, walking corpses of demons making a few noises.

(End of this chapter)