At the beginning, I cleaned the Sutra Library and completed the incomplete skills.

In a lush and leafy jungle.

Three cultivators strolled leisurely through it.

Their expressions were quite relaxed, as if they were wandering through their own backyard.

“Ah-Hua's soul lamp has gone out.”

A cultivator with a stern face and eyes as sharp as an eagle spoke slowly.

His voice was unusually calm, revealing no emotion.

If Li Lan were here, he would surely recognize him.

The person was none other than his nominal master, Elder Jian Chen.

“Who was Ah-Hua again?

Oh, I remember, your eldest disciple.

Hmph, just a mid-stage Qi Refining junior, not even someone with a Heaven-rank spiritual root. What's the big deal about him dying?

Beside him,

A straightforward old man with white temples sneered, not taking it seriously.

“As a member of the Demonic Sect, how can your personality be so indecisive?

How can you complete the task assigned to you by the Grand Elder if you're so wishy-washy?

I've said it before, you're simply not capable of teaching someone with a Heaven-rank spiritual root.

That kid Liu Yan shouldn't have become your disciple back then—”

The Fire Spirit Peak Elder seemed to still hold a grudge about the past,

Insulting him with veiled and direct sarcasm.

Elder Jian Chen was already used to this, and he didn't even glance at the other party.

He just said calmly:

“Whether Ah-Hua lives or dies is not important, but the mission he came here for and the things I gave him are very important.

Don't forget, he came here to check the age and condition of that spiritual plant.

His sudden death here must mean that other cultivators have noticed the abnormality here, and perhaps they have already discovered that tree.”

The Fire Spirit Peak Elder laughed.

“That's just wishful thinking on your part.

That tree has been planted for so many years and has never had any problems. How could something possibly happen at this critical juncture?

Perhaps your disciple was too useless and accidentally stepped into a place he shouldn't have, and died at the hands of that tree?

You probably didn't tell him what's in the central area, did you?

After so many years, it's normal to develop curiosity about doing this kind of meaningless task.”

Elder Jian Chen didn't refute him, and said with a calm expression:

“This disciple was brought up by me personally, and he would never dare to do such a transgressive thing.

If I didn't have the confidence to control him, I wouldn't have given him the Azure Rainbow Water Severing Sword Talisman Amulet for self-defense.”

When the Fire Spirit Peak Elder heard this, his white eyebrows rose, and he was immediately shocked.

“You actually gave him the talisman amulet refined from your own natal magic treasure?

You're really willing to spend a lot of money!”

Talisman Amulets are a type of pseudo magic treasure.

But unlike treasures and pseudo treasures, Talisman Amulets are not imitations made according to the characteristics of magic treasures.

Instead, they are products that seal a portion of the magic treasure's power into a talisman.

Without the need for specialized quenching,

Even Qi Refining stage cultivators can unleash one-tenth of the magic treasure's power by simply injecting mana into it.

However,

Although Talisman Amulets are very powerful,

They are not without their drawbacks.

This item must be refined by someone in the Core Formation stage,

And each time a Talisman Amulet is refined, the magic treasure will suffer damage to varying degrees,

Often requiring a long period of re-quenching and nurturing to recover.

Moreover, each refined Talisman Amulet only has the power of a magic treasure, but not its form.

This means that,

Every time a Talisman Amulet is used,

A portion of the magic treasure's power will be lost.

Eventually, it will be completely scrapped and unusable.

Few Core Formation stage cultivators in the cultivation world are willing to do this thankless task.

Except for some righteous cultivators who know that their lifespan is running out,

And whose families are in danger of falling apart without them,

They will refine their natal magic treasures into talismans to leave to their descendants for protection.

There are also a small number of cultivators who, after seizing a body, have greatly reduced cultivation and cannot use magic treasures,

They will also refine some Talisman Amulets in advance for emergencies.

Elder Jian Chen was clearly the latter.

It was because Talisman Amulets were so precious,

That the Fire Spirit Peak Elder would be so distraught.

This kind of treasure that diminishes with each use, they wouldn't even have enough time to keep for themselves,

So how could they be willing to give it to outsiders?

Therefore,

He couldn't understand Elder Jian Chen's thoughts at all.

Beside the two of them, there was also a maiden in her prime.

Although she was the youngest,

A closer look would reveal that.

A faint aura of spiritual power surrounded her, faintly visible.

Although they were both Foundation Establishment stage cultivators,

Elder Jian Chen and the Fire Spirit Peak Elder would always deliberately lag behind the maiden by half a step as they walked.

Their gestures revealed their reverence for her.

The maiden frowned slightly,

And then said in an old-fashioned way:

“Talisman Amulets are not easy to refine, so they cannot be easily lost. This item must be retrieved.

But, not now.

Calculating the time, that spiritual plant should have just passed its five hundredth year.

Now is the best time to pick it while it's weak.

If we miss this time, and it recovers its vitality and reaches a higher level of cultivation,

It will be difficult to move it again.”

When Elder Jian Chen heard this, he didn't dare to be negligent,

And hurriedly bowed slightly, honestly lowering his head and replying:

“Everything will be done according to the Grand Elder's instructions.”

Probably no one would believe that,

The extremely mysterious Outer Sect Grand Elder of Guangji Temple,

Was actually an inexperienced young girl.

But in the cultivation world,

One should not judge by appearances.

Many cultivation methods can preserve youth when practiced to a certain level.

Elder Jian Chen knew very well that,

Although the other party looked young, she had been cultivating for quite some time.

The maiden pondered for a moment and said:

“That disciple of yours named Ah-Hua, I have also secretly tested him several times.

Although he wouldn't dare to disobey your orders in the slightest, he is greedy and insatiable.

It's not surprising that he ended up like this.

You don't have to think of the worst-case scenario.

Perhaps he simply had a conflict of interest with other cultivators and died at their hands.

If the person who killed Ah-Hua really discovered that tree, they shouldn't be silent now.

Judging from the current situation, only one possibility is most likely.

The cultivator who killed Ah-Hua should not be at the Foundation Establishment stage, so they didn't dare to venture into this central area to investigate.

Since the other party's cultivation is not high, then there is nothing to worry about.

The three of us will harvest this spiritual tree today to eliminate future troubles.”

Elder Jian Chen thought more carefully,

He pondered for a moment and then said:

“Grand Elder, what if that thief is unusually cautious, lurking in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to act?

My cultivation is still shallow, and I have no experience in dealing with this kind of sentient spiritual plant. Can the three of us Foundation Establishment cultivators take it down in one fell swoop?”

Before the Grand Elder could speak,

The Fire Spirit Peak Elder coldly snorted in disdain.

“You're just a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, why are you thinking so much?

We'll just do what the Grand Elder says, don't ask so many questions.”

Afterward,

He put on a smiling face and flattered her in a timely manner.

“The Grand Elder's wisdom is as deep as the abyss, and she has already considered everything clearly.

Why do you think the Grand Elder specifically asked the disciples below to spread the word in this Immortal Trace Valley earlier?

Naturally, it was to scare away irrelevant people.

Presumably, the cultivator who killed Ah-Hua has long been frightened out of his wits and retreated in the face of difficulty.

The Grand Elder's plan is brilliant!

In this way, we can also let go and have a big fight without worrying about too many people and leaks.”

The Grand Elder didn't say anything more.

In fact, she was also quite unsure about whether they could take down the sentient spiritual plant.

This purple sandalwood spiritual tree was something she and several others accidentally found in an ancient ruin many years ago.

At that time, the tree was already more than four hundred years old.

Since the Grand Elder hadn't figured out how to best utilize this spiritual plant,

And the tree's age was approaching five hundred years,

She temporarily transplanted it into a spiritual vein.

But she never expected that,

It was this move that triggered unpredictable changes.