Born with immortal seed

Chapter 800 All parties take action
"Our sect's ancient Thunder Pool has not been used for nearly a thousand years. The power of thunder has accumulated to a substantial level, and it's almost overflowing the boundary..."

The Five Thunder Sect leader realized what was happening and changed his tone, praising his own Thunder Pool like a peddler selling melons.

Since the Great True Monarch of September, the Five Thunder Sect has not produced another Great True Monarch, so there has been little opportunity to utilize him.

If one is only cultivating some lightning magic, it is enough to absorb a few strands of lightning; there is no need to completely open the lightning pool.

This resulted in the fact that no one was qualified to use the Thunder Pool for minor matters, and no Five Thunder Sect cultivator was qualified for major matters.

"But your sect's Great True Monarch Ge needs it for his tribulation? Our sect will do our best to cooperate and open all thirty-six nodes of the Ancient Thunder Pool, even if it cannot be used for hundreds of years afterward... But could you please spare just one more drop of the Everlasting Spring Holy Water, Sword Master?"

If it were any other Nascent Soul cultivator, he might not have dared to haggle.

Although the Sword Lord of Time is strong-willed and protective of his own, he always repays kindness and avenges wrongs, and he values ​​keeping his word extremely.

As long as you follow his rules, he won't find fault with you for no reason.

The Holy Water of Changchun is extremely important to the Five Thunder Sect. Ever since they acquired the Thunder Apricot Tree, generations of disciples have strived to revive and awaken it.

The Great True Lord of September is just a microcosm of the founders of the Five Thunder Sect. In fact, he was not the first ancestor to devote the last moments of his life to the pursuit of the Holy Water of Everlasting Spring, nor will he be the last.

As long as the Thunder Apricot Tree remains, and has not completely withered, people will continue to dedicate themselves to it.

There's no other reason than that the rewards are simply too great, and it's a perfect match for Lei Xiu.

But after so many years, who knows if a single drop of Changchun holy water can revive the sacred tree? It's safer to have an extra drop first.

"A drop of holy water from Changchun".

Li Guizhen spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

In the cultivation world, who doesn't know the importance of the Everlasting Spring Holy Water to the Five Thunder Sect? In earlier years, they even offered a reward: one drop could be chosen from three of the sect's treasures.

Ge Cang's decision to abandon the more secure path of ghost cultivation and instead embark on the traditional path of Nascent Soul shocked Li Guizhen, making him realize the gap between himself and Ge Cang.

To climb the great road, one must never turn back, no matter how many times one fails.

It sounds simple, but when faced with a life-or-death decision, how many people can maintain their original aspirations?

Once you die, all your hundreds of years of arduous cultivation, the powerful force you built, and the countless spirit stones you left behind will vanish into thin air and have nothing to do with you anymore.

What's wrong with becoming a ghost cultivator and living for another thousand years? It's better than being reduced to ashes under the heavenly tribulation.

Putting himself in Li Guizhen's shoes, he knew he definitely couldn't do it.

Perhaps this is the difference between barely reaching the Nascent Soul stage and being able to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage and then attempt to break through to the Divine Transformation stage.

Regardless of the outcome of Ge Cang's forced tribulation, he must carry out the tasks assigned by his master perfectly.

Otherwise, even turning to ghost cultivation as a last resort would be wishful thinking.

"Fellow Daoist Li, why don't you go back and report to the Sword Lord of Time, and see what his opinion is?"

The Five Thunder Sect leader gripped the armrest tightly with his ten fingers and spoke through clenched teeth.

“A drop of Everlasting Spring Holy Water… The fifth-order spiritual land of the Thunder element is not unique to the Five Thunder Sect, but your sect is the most famous for it. If this doesn’t work, I will go overseas to discuss it with Cun Si Peak.”

Li Guizhen remained completely unaffected and spoke calmly.

"You... never mind. Just a drop of Changchun Holy Water. When will it be delivered to our sect?"

The leader of the Five Thunder Sect hesitated for a moment, then sighed and agreed.

He dared not gamble, and did not even convene the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the sect to discuss it.

Even though Li Guizhen had already guessed that the value of the Changchun Holy Water was very high, he still couldn't have imagined how exaggeratedly much the Five Thunder Sect craved this item.

Generations have sought it but failed to obtain it, and it has almost become a knot in their hearts.

"I will definitely visit your sect within ten years to use your ancient Thunder Pool, and at that time I will also send you the Everlasting Spring Holy Water... I hope there will be no accidents in the meantime. If there is any problem with the Thunder Pool, my master's wrath is not something that anyone can bear."

Li Guizhen offered a reminder to prevent anyone within the Five Thunder Sect from acting rashly in the heat of the moment.

For example, they might open the Thunder Pool ahead of time so that people can use it once, or they might use wordplay to skirt around the issue, handing over not the most core ancient Thunder Pool, but an ordinary Thunder Pool that was built later.

Normally, the Five Thunder Sect would have neither the reason nor the courage to do such a thing. They are afraid that someone might interfere and incite young cultivators with simple minds and hot blood to rebel.

If the crucial tribulation is missed, no one can bear the responsibility.

"Don't worry, I will immediately seal off the Thunder Pool Cave Heaven... No one else can enter except me."

The Five Thunder Sect leader's expression shifted, clearly indicating that he had also realized the problem.

Enemies of the Qingfeng Sect, enemies of the Wulei Sect, disciples within the sects who hold different views... anyone could do such a thing, so let's cut it off at the source to avoid turning a happy occasion into a tragedy.

"That would be best. I believe it won't be long before we meet with Sect Leader Lin again."

Li Guizhen bowed respectfully, took his leave, and departed.

Before she had even left the main hall, she turned back and, under the other person's strange gaze, asked awkwardly,
"I've heard that your clan possesses a divine horn of a Kui Niu. Would you be willing to part with it?"

Just now, his sect token received a complete list of fifth-tier lightning-type spiritual items that Ma Ruoxi had compiled and made public in the cultivation world.

One of them was actually from the Five Thunder Sect.

With their strength, the Qingfeng Sect could easily collect twenty or even thirty fifth-tier spiritual items, let alone ten.

It can be limited to lightning-type spirit objects, which makes the range too small and not so easy.

"The Kui Niu Divine Horn is a relic of an ancient divine beast. Using it can enhance the effects of lightning magic by several times... It has remained in the sect because there is no suitable refining plan. The Qingfeng Sect is interested in it. What price are you willing to offer?"

The Five Thunder Sect leader's eyes lit up; he sensed an opportunity.

"The upper limit is that it can be refined into a spiritual treasure, which is completely unworthy of my status... It's just sitting idle, so I might as well sell it to our sect."

Li Guizhen perked up and began to bargain.

……

Eastern Region, Yangming Mountain.

This place is home to the reclusive Zhong family, who remained unaffected when the demons wreaked havoc and occupied the entire Eastern Region.

Once the grand formation is activated, coupled with the mountain mists and fog, it becomes like a paradise on earth.

Of course, the main reason is that the Zhong family of Yangming is low-key enough, which has resulted in them not being well-known in the cultivation world.

This is especially true for the demon race.

The great demon swept past in a flash; otherwise, even without the intervention of the Nascent Soul Demon Lord, the Dragon Lord could have broken the array and restrictions simply by walking through this area.

Regardless, the Yangming Zhong clan suffered no impact during the war between the two clans.

On the contrary, they took advantage of the fact that other sects had not yet moved back and gained many benefits, thus moving from behind the scenes to the forefront.

They established a trading company, recruited a large number of independent cultivators, and specialized in operating routes between the Eastern Region and the Black Sea.

Of course, the core position of the business was still held by the Zhong family.

"This year's total profit includes over 2.74 million Time Coins, two top-grade spirit stones, three newly acquired mines, and one forest farm..."

"Seven new members have been added to the second branch, four to the third branch, nine to the fourth branch, and one to the fifth branch... Five people have met the criteria for priority admission based on age and physical attributes, and they have been instructed to report to the clan school. The clan will provide them with meals and lodging and subsidize them with two thousand Time Coins, which will be distributed annually."

"Among the four members of the clan who are at or above the late stage of Core Formation, the eldest son Xun Ge and the third son Zhong Lan plan to transform into Nascent Soul within the next ten years. We should set aside a budget in advance for purchasing spiritual items for Nascent Soul transformation. Otherwise, we will be caught off guard when we reach Nascent Soul transformation, which will affect our great cause of Nascent Soul."

Several clan elders reported to the patriarch Zhong Hanshan on the matters they were in charge of, gradually revealing the structure of the Yangming Zhong clan's business.

It is indeed much more difficult for a family to maintain its prosperity than for a sect.

The latter could also cultivate genius disciples by siphoning in young cultivators from the entire region, which might turn the tide of the sect's fate.

Examples like the Qingfeng Sect, which rose from a Core Formation sect in a harsh, cold land to a Nascent Soul sect in the cultivation world, have remained standing for a thousand years simply because of two outstanding disciples.

However, the family has limited the recruitment targets; only those with bloodlines can inherit the family line.

Even the best bloodline cannot avoid mutations in a certain generation, and from then on, the talent for cultivation is lost.

Even if all means are used, such as taking in a son-in-law or an adopted son, it is difficult to reverse this process.

In the cultivation world, families that can survive for more than ten thousand years generally have hidden opportunities that allow them to remain powerful.

Just like the Zhong family of Yangming, whose ancestors were cultivators of the Jinyue sect, they later retired and returned to their hometown to establish their family.

Several generations later, one person suddenly rises to prominence, achieves the Nascent Soul stage, and brings prestige to the family.

The training of the clan's children is meticulous and thorough, no less than that of the true disciples of super-elite clans.

"If two people reach the Nascent Soul stage at the same time, it will be a huge burden on the family. We must carefully consider and discuss who should be the key person to cultivate... If we try to cultivate both of them, we will only run out of resources for both of them. It would be better to focus our efforts on cultivating one person, which would greatly increase our chances of reaching the Nascent Soul stage."

Zhong Hanshan smiled and stroked his beard, pointing out the crux of the problem.

For a family, anyone can be transformed into an infant, but this is not the case when it comes to the details within the family.

Each branch of the family has its own ulterior motives, and crucially, they all use the guise of family funding to obtain resources, creating a huge burden.

"The patriarch is right!"

The elders each had their own thoughts, but they all understood that, all under the same conditions, the head of the family would definitely favor the clansmen who were closer to the eldest son.

However, to ensure fairness, the clan elders are all selected from prestigious Core Formation cultivators from collateral branches, so as to avoid being affected by disputes among the direct line.

The idea is good, but various problems will arise after running for a long time.

"Su Qingqing of Qingfeng Sect has come to pay her respects to the Zhong family of Yangming."

Just as they were about to move on to the next topic of discussion, a voice suddenly came from the mountain gate, which even the array restrictions could not block.

"Who came from here? They're completely disregarding us!"

"Don't talk nonsense, it seems to be a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Azure Maple Sect!"

Zhong Hanshan quickly stood up and gave the order: "Open the mountain gate wide to welcome Fellow Daoist Su."

Su Qingqing is not known to outsiders mainly because she is too low-key and rarely goes out after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

There are no records of fan-fiction battles, so it naturally doesn't attract much attention.

Outside Yangmingshan, a simple and elegant female cultivator, without any makeup, stood there, ethereal and otherworldly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Su Qingqing declined the invitation to come inside and sit down for a more detailed discussion, and directly stated her purpose.

"The Zhong family of Yangming is a renowned reclusive family with a long and distinguished tradition of scholarship... I've come here for only one reason: I wish to exchange for that piece of Thunder Kirin skin that you possess..."

Before Su Qingqing could finish speaking, she was met with a chorus of surprised and doubtful voices.

The Thunder Kirin skin was not always possessed. Two generations ago, the Zhong family patriarch found a piece of Thunder Kirin skin in an ancient secret realm, which was then added to the Zhong family's treasure.

The skin has several unexplained lightning patterns, which should be congenital rather than added later by someone using lightning magic.

In fact, Yangming Zhongshi was never able to figure out the use of the thunder unicorn skin.

However, simply studying the lightning patterns above has led to the development of several lightning-based supernatural abilities, yielding substantial benefits.

Moreover, the Zhong family kept the Thunder Kirin skin a closely guarded secret, but unexpectedly it still fell into the sights of the Qingfeng Sect, who came to demand its return.

However, in recent years, as people have ventured out of their tribal areas and increased their interactions with the outside world, it has become impossible to maintain complete secrecy.

"If I say I am unwilling, I wonder what Fairy Su will do?"

Zhong Hanshan's face was grim, and he spoke dryly.

Whether he was the head of a powerful family or the owner of a merchant guild, neither of these identities gave him the confidence to stand up to the Qingfeng Sect.

"This is the decree of Elder Bai, and there is no room for negotiation... According to my investigation, the nobles have encroached on seven sacred sites that do not belong to your family. Two of these sites have aggrieved parties involved. Although our sect has not received any reports, we can launch an investigation if the Supreme Elder is willing."

It's hard to imagine that Su Qingqing, with her delicate appearance, could speak and act so decisively.

Yangming Zhongshi's background is not clean and cannot withstand close scrutiny.

In other words, the victims whose sacred land was seized by them also came from dishonest sources, and their actions were a case of double-crossing.

Otherwise, if a report had been filed at Rotten Axe Mountain, Yangming Zhong would have been in deep trouble long ago.

"Does Patriarch Zhong want me to send disciples from the Enforcement Hall here to thoroughly inspect all the changes in ownership of the spiritual mountain mines, and to see if any illegal means such as bullying or oppression were used?"

“How precious is the skin of the Thunder Kirin? No matter how powerful your sect is, does Fairy Su think she can just take it away with a single word? At least give me proof so I can be convinced.”

Zhong Hanshan's face turned ashen. He had been given a handle by the upper sect, and he had no choice but to accept it, no matter how much blood he had to bleed.

I'm afraid that even if we give them the Thunder Qilin skin, it won't be enough to settle things, and in a couple of days another True Monarch from the Azure Maple Sect will come to cause trouble.

If Su Qingqing could make a promise that the Thunder Kirin Skin would be given and the Qingfeng Sect would forgive the Zhong family's past transgressions, he would have agreed long ago.

"There are two million Time Coins here, which is still two million short of the Thunder Kirin skin... I just happened to buy two spiritual mountains along the coast and moved the two cultivators who were fighting with you to those mountains."

Su Qingqing tossed out a square handkerchief containing two million Time Coins.

"I will pretend this never happened, as long as no one comes to Rotten Axe Mountain to file a complaint in the future."

This price can buy a Tier 5 spirit item, but it definitely won't buy a Tier 5 Thunder Kirin hide.

On the way here, she did her work based on the limited information available, and completely got the Yangming Zhong family under her control.

"Thank you for your mercy, Fairy Su. I will definitely be strict with my household in the future and this will never happen again... Also, please accept the Thunder Kirin skin."

After a flurry of activity, Zhong Hanshan finally managed to hand over a piece of yellowish-brown leather.

Only when you hold it in your hands do you realize that this seemingly ordinary piece of thunder unicorn skin actually holds so many secrets.

Her snow-white hands were almost bounced away by the lightning arcs. Each lightning pattern had a faint tingling sensation, and it kept changing.

Once you can comprehend any one of the lightning patterns, it becomes a top-tier divine ability.

(End of this chapter)