Beast Taming Immortal Clan

Heishanfang Market.

Just as Zhou Chun had predicted, even if a sect like the Cold Crow Sect were to close its gates, it would still leave behind people of sufficient status outside to maintain communication.

As the largest market in Liang Kingdom, Black Mountain Market naturally has cultivators from the Cold Crow Sect.

After receiving Gu Lie's introduction, Zhou Chun soon met a disciple of the Cold Crow Sect who was at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

"This junior disciple of the Cold Crow Sect, Zhou Shijie, pays his respects to Senior Yan."

In a private room of a teahouse, a mature-looking man dressed in black entered and immediately bowed respectfully to Zhou Chun.

Upon hearing the other party introduce himself, Zhou Chun's expression shifted slightly, and he smiled kindly, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, there's no need to be so polite. Please sit down and let's talk."

"Thank you for the seat, senior."

The man in black responded respectfully and sat down without being overly polite.

After he sat down, Zhou Chun cut to the chase and asked, "Has Fellow Daoist Gu mentioned to Fellow Daoist Zhou the reason for our meeting today?"

"Senior Gu did mention something, saying that Senior Yan wanted to exchange a three-thousand-year-old Golden Thread Dendrobium elixir with our sect?"

At this point, Zhou Shijie looked at Zhou Chun as if seeking confirmation.

Zhou Chun nodded slightly and said, "That's right. I wonder if your esteemed sect still possesses such a miraculous herb? Would you be willing to accept an exchange?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shijie immediately bowed his head and replied, "Since Senior Yan was recommended by Senior Gu, this junior will not hide anything from you. Our sect does indeed possess a three-thousand-year-old Golden Thread Dendrobium. However, such a spiritual object is extremely precious, and only after the elders and the sect leader discuss it together can a decision be made on whether to exchange it with someone else!"

This answer was exactly what Zhou Chun had expected, and he immediately said, "Then I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Zhou to convey this matter quickly. I will wait for your good news in the market."

"Please rest assured, Senior Yan, I will convey this message to the sect as quickly as possible."

Zhou Shijie responded solemnly, and that was the end of their first meeting.

Meanwhile, at the same time that Zhou Chun and Zhou Shijie were meeting, Gu Lie was also discussing his affairs with another Golden Core elder of the Zhenyang Sect in the market.

Gu Lie spoke first, asking, "Senior Brother Yu previously asked me to help contact the people of the Cold Crow Sect. What exactly are your plans?"

The "Senior Brother Yu" he mentioned was an elderly man with gray hair and a mid-stage Golden Core cultivation level.

Faced with his question, Senior Brother Yu calmly replied, "Junior Brother Gu is aware of the reason why the Cold Crow Sect has closed its mountain this time. They came to our sect for help, but although our sect does not want the Earth Fire Sect to destroy them, it also does not want to offend the Earth Fire Sect for their sake."

"It's rare for a Golden Core cultivator from elsewhere to come seeking their help. Why don't we do them a favor and give them a chance to find outside assistance?"

However, this answer did not seem to satisfy Gu Lie, who looked at him with some displeasure and said, "Senior brother, why are you lying to me? You are just a Golden Core cultivator in the early stage. Even if you are strong, how can you help the Cold Crow Sect get out of its predicament?"

Seeing this, the senior brother shook his head and sighed, "Alas, Junior Brother Gu, you are good in every way, except that you are a bit too serious!"

After saying that, he said with a helpless expression, "Alright, to tell you the truth, according to the information revealed by the Cold Crow Sect, Fellow Daoist Zheng of the Earth Fire Sect should have died at the hands of a fourth-tier demon beast in the Misty Immortal Ridge. They hope that our sect can help find the belongings on the body of the fallen Fellow Daoist Zheng to confirm this matter, so that the Earth Fire Sect will lose its moral standing!"

"But as you know, Junior Brother Gu, there is a fifth-tier demon king within the Misty Immortal Ridge. If we Golden Core cultivators were to enter and cause even the slightest disturbance, we might alert that being, and then our lives would no longer be in our own hands!"

"Therefore, our junior brother, the sect leader, dares not easily agree to the Earth Fire Sect's request, and is currently troubled by this matter!"

After hearing his words, Gu Lie suddenly realized and muttered to himself, "So, Senior Brother Yu asked me to act as a go-between for that Fellow Daoist Yan because he wanted the Cold Crow Sect to use the three-thousand-year-old Golden Thread Glue as a bargaining chip to let that Fellow Daoist Yan enter the Misty Immortal Ridge to search for the relics of the fallen Fellow Daoist Zheng?"

"That's right. If the Crow Crow Sect isn't stupid, they should understand our implication!"

Senior Brother Yu nodded slightly, confirming his statement.

"But would Fellow Daoist Yan agree to this? He couldn't possibly be unaware of how dangerous the Misty Immortal Ridge is!"

Gu Lie frowned again, seemingly lacking confidence.

Senior Brother Yu closed his eyes and said calmly, "Then that's none of our business. In short, we've already given you the opportunity."

Seeing his expression, Gu Lie decided not to ask any more questions, and their conversation had to come to an end.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chun waited for seven days in Heishanfang City before meeting Zhou Shijie again.

"What? Your sect wants me to enter the Misty Immortal Ridge to search for the missing relics of the Golden Core cultivator from the Earthly Fire Sect!"

Inside the private teahouse, Zhou Chun's expression changed after hearing Zhou Shijie's relayed words. He was speechless at the Cold Crow Sect's request.

His face darkened as he stared at Zhou Shijie and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I sympathize with your sect's current predicament. However, is it not a bit too much to expect me to risk my life to serve your sect for a mere spiritual herb? Do you think my life is worth only such a herb?"

In the end, his tone inevitably carried a hint of anger.

This made Zhou Shijie, who was facing his anger, feel extremely uneasy. He hurriedly stood up, bowed, and explained, "Senior Yan, please calm down. I was merely conveying the sect's message. If you are not satisfied, I will immediately report this matter to the sect!"

In truth, he himself felt that this request was a bit too much, but since the sect had asked him to pass on the message, he had no choice.

However, he would never directly confront the wrath of a Golden Core cultivator for the sake of his sect!

"Hmph, if this is merely a test from your sect, then please convey to your elders that while I do wish to purchase spiritual herbs, a thousand-year-old treasure is not so rare that only your sect possesses it. If your sect truly does not wish to exchange, then I do not wish to waste any more time in Liang Kingdom!"

After saying these words with a gloomy expression, Zhou Chun turned and left the private room without giving Zhou Shijie, a fellow cultivator, a chance to say anything more.

Nine days later, Zhou Shijie, carrying the will of the Cold Crow Sect's higher-ups, once again invited Zhou Chun to the private room of the teahouse.

Upon Zhou Chun's arrival, he immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for keeping Senior Yan waiting. On behalf of our sect, I apologize to you!"

But Zhou Chun didn't buy it, and said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense. Your Cold Crow Sect has been discussing this for so long, what's the result? Although I have a good temper, it doesn't mean I don't!"

Zhou Shijie could only respond with a fawning expression, "Yes, yes, Senior Yan, please calm down and have a cup of tea. I will inform you of the results of the sect's discussion right away!"

After inviting Zhou Chun to sit down, he first personally poured Zhou Chun a cup of tea, and then respectfully said, "Senior Yan, you are wise. After several discussions, the elders of our sect have reached a consensus: if Senior Yan can find and bring back the useful relics of Senior Zheng of the Earth Fire Sect, proving that he perished at the hands of a fourth-tier demonic beast, our sect will present Senior Yan with two Golden Thread Dendrobium plants that are over three thousand years old as a reward!"

But the reward was doubled!

However, after hearing Zhou Shijie's words, Zhou Chun frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "Why are the conditions still the same? Are all the Golden Core cultivators of your Cold Crow Sect so afraid of death that no one dares to go to the Lost Immortal Ridge for the sake of the sect?"

His words were full of sarcasm, mocking the Cold Crow Sect elders for their cowardice and fear of death.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shijie naturally had to defend his elders, quickly explaining, "Senior Yan, you flatter us. It's not that our elders are unwilling to take risks, but rather that the Earth Fire Sect is determined to destroy our sect. The only way for the elders to keep watch within the mountain gate and work together to maintain the protective formation is to make the Earth Fire Sect wary. We simply don't have the manpower to do this!"

At this point, he looked at Zhou Chun with a sincere expression and said, "And Senior Yan, don't be misled by those rumors outside. Although the Misty Immortal Ridge is dangerous, it's not as exaggerated as the rumors make it out to be for a Golden Core cultivator like you. Otherwise, Elder Hu of our sect wouldn't have dared to invite Senior Zheng of the Earth Fire Sect to venture into it together."

"If you're willing to take on this task, our sect will provide you with the most detailed map and intelligence information about the Misty Immortal Ridge, allowing you to complete the mission in the easiest way!"

After hearing his words, Zhou Chun fell silent.

He would definitely not have been willing to take the risk if it were just a Dendrobium nobile with a medicinal age of three thousand years.

However, he was indeed somewhat tempted by the two spiritual herbs.

As Luo Qingni had previously mentioned, she knew that more than one faction possessed the [Qionghua Yulu], and even if one was traded away, she could still find a way to trade for another.

Once you've gathered the two most important main ingredients, the remaining auxiliary ingredients for the [Jade Dew Golden Glow Pill] will be much easier to find.

Zhou Chun couldn't guarantee how many pills Luo Qingni would produce on her first attempt at refining the Jade Dew Golden Glow Pill. If the number was small, it might not be enough for him to directly consume until he reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

However, if he could refine two batches of [Jade Dew Golden Glow Pills], he would definitely be able to reach the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm with the power of the pills, and might even be able to leave one or two for Lin Hongyu and Su Yuzhen to use.

Therefore, after pondering for a while, he looked at Zhou Shijie and said, "I would like to first review the materials prepared by your sect and then investigate in detail about the Misty Immortal Ridge before deciding whether to agree to this deal!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shijie hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, "This junior can agree to this matter on behalf of our sect, senior. However, the pressure from the Earth Fire Sect is very intense right now, so I urge Senior Yan to give me a definite answer as soon as possible!"

"Let's leave it at that for now!"

Zhou Chun waved his hand noncommittally, offering no promises.

Seeing this, Zhou Shijie, despite his lingering worries, could only obediently hand over the relevant intelligence data to Zhou Chun before taking his leave.

In the following days, Zhou Chun reviewed the information about Mi Xian Ling that Zhou Shijie had given him, while also asking Luo Qingni to inquire about relevant information from others.

After five or six days of research and investigation, Zhou Chun had gained a relatively in-depth understanding of Mixianling, a forbidden area of ​​the Liang Kingdom.

Based on intelligence data, the Mixianling forbidden area should be considered a natural danger zone.

The mountain range known as "Mixianling" is a range of towering mountains that stretches for 800 miles and is more than 500 miles wide.

This place is rich in spiritual energy and has a complex terrain, with many rare birds, animals and poisonous insects living inside.

Most of the area is shrouded in fog for most of the time, with the fog only dissipating around noon and late afternoon, making it easier to enter and exit.

But the mist is just a facade; the real reason this majestic mountain range is hailed as a "mystical place" is not this.

According to the investigation and speculation of the senior cultivators of Liang Kingdom, there may be a scattered super-large "Chaos God Stone" vein below Mixian Ridge, and the veins amplify each other to form a natural super-large bewitching array!

In the world of cultivation, the "Chaotic God Stone" is not a precious item; it is just a relatively rare type of stone.

This type of stone is not particularly hard, but it has a unique characteristic: it has a natural effect of confusing the consciousness of cultivators.

If you throw a cultivator into a house built with "Chaotic God Stones" and he releases his divine sense to observe the outside world, the final result he gets will be basically wrong!

The natural bewitching array within the Enchanted Immortal Ridge is extremely powerful; even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator would be greatly affected if they entered it.

For cultivators, once their divine sense is disturbed and they make a mistake in judgment, their strength will be severely weakened.

Unfortunately, a fifth-tier demon king is lurking and living in seclusion within the Misty Immortal Ridge!

While it's impossible to say that the fifth-tier demon kings were unaffected by the natural bewitching array, the powerful physiques and innate supernatural abilities of the demon beasts undoubtedly gave them a significant advantage within the Bewitching Immortal Ridge.

Therefore, naturally no Nascent Soul stage cultivator would risk their own demise to venture deep into the area, slay the demon king, and pacify this region.

Over time, Mixian Ridge became a special forbidden area in Liang Kingdom, and an adventure paradise for low- and middle-level cultivators in Liang Kingdom!

However, this is only what is said in ancient books. No one knows whether the formation of Mixian Ridge is really like this, at least Zhou Chun doesn't know.

He didn't seem to care about that.

What concerned him was the information provided by the Cold Crow Sect, which recorded various rare medicinal herbs and exotic birds and beasts within the Misty Immortal Ridge.

Whether intentionally or not, the intelligence data provided by the Cold Crow Sect recorded many treasures that cultivators from the Liang Kingdom had brought out from the Misty Immortal Ridge.

For example, the rare and precious herb, the Nine-Leaf Rejuvenating Grass, which he had only seen recorded in ancient books, is an essential ingredient for refining the Rejuvenating Spirit Water.

The [Rejuvenating Spirit Water] is a legendary spiritual object. It is said that even if the physical body has lost its vitality, as long as the body remains largely intact, it can be brought back to life after consuming this substance!

This item is considered a divine treasure for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage!

If you carry such a spiritual item with you, even if you are suddenly pierced through the heart by a sword or beheaded, as long as your soul and consciousness are still intact, you can use this item in time to instantly come back to life!

For Nascent Soul stage cultivators, the effects of the [Rejuvenating Spiritual Water] are even greater.

As everyone knows, under normal circumstances, even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator can only possess a body once!

If the physical body is destroyed after possession, then there will be no more opportunities to possess another body.

If such a situation arises and there is no rare and precious spiritual item like the [Rejuvenating Spiritual Water], the Nascent Soul stage cultivator can only choose to parasitize a corpse or a puppet.

In that case, not only will one's strength be unable to be fully utilized and one will be unable to continue cultivating, but one's lifespan will also be greatly reduced, and one's soul and spirit may perish in just a few years!

However, if one has the [Rejuvenating Spirit Water], one can use it to create a pure Yang Dharma Body to house the Nascent Soul.

Although once the Pure Yang Dharma Body is created, there is no possibility of further breakthroughs, it allows Nascent Soul cultivators to fully unleash their strength without worrying about the Nascent Soul lacking a suitable body to contain it, thus continuously depleting their source and greatly reducing their lifespan!

Therefore, after the discovery of the Nine-Leaf Rejuvenating Grass in the Misty Immortal Ridge, it even attracted several Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Liang Kingdom to join forces to enter and retrieve the treasure. Whether they ultimately succeeded or not is unknown.

In addition, some people have discovered the rare spirit bird Feng Huo Luan in Mi Xian Ling. It is a spirit bird with the bloodline of Qing Luan, and its rarity is even greater than that of Jiaolong!

Meanwhile, in the history of the Cold Crow Sect, there were also cultivators who killed the rare and exotic beast Fire-Repelling Rhinoceros in the Misty Immortal Ridge, and used its horn to forge a fire-repelling magic weapon with extraordinary power.

In conclusion, besides the dangers, there are indeed many good things in Mixianling.

As for what the Cold Crow Sect asked Zhou Chun to do...

According to their own account, the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Zheng from the Earth Fire Sect originally entered the Misty Immortal Valley with a Golden Core elder from their sect to collect herbs, intending to take away a rare thousand-year-old precious herb that had just matured near the lair of a fourth-order demon beast.

As a result, they had just driven away the monsters when they started fighting over the distribution of loot.

The elder from the Cold Crow Sect was no match for the opponent and had to abandon the treasure and flee.

Unexpectedly, the fleeing demon beast returned with reinforcements and killed the Zheng surname cultivator who was unable to escape in time.

"A mutated mountain-moving bear with low-grade fourth-order cultivation, and another fourth-order demonic beast of unknown cultivation level—are these the opponents I might encounter after entering the Enchanted Immortal Valley?"

Inside the room, Zhou Chun looked at the documents in his hand and frowned slightly.

Judging from the description given by the elder of the Cold Crow Sect, apart from being fierce in hand-to-hand combat and having thick skin, the Mountain-Moving Bear was not particularly strong in supernatural abilities, so it would not be difficult for him to deal with it.

The only concern is that unknown fourth-tier demonic beast.

If it were a mid-grade fourth-tier demonic beast, or even a high-grade fourth-tier demonic beast, then things would be difficult!

"However, I'm not going to kill two fourth-tier demonic beasts, nor am I going to have a life-or-death battle with them. I'm just seeing if I have a chance to get the relics of that unlucky guy from the Earth Fire Sect."

"With the Wood Spirit and Wood Mulberry in charge of reconnaissance, we shouldn't be cornered by a fourth-tier demonic beast!"

Thinking about this, Zhou Chun made a decision.

He immediately sent a message to Zhou Shijie, informing him of his decision.

Upon receiving Zhou Chun's message, Zhou Shijie, who had been anxiously restless for the past few days, immediately came to pay his respects, presenting a map with a beaming face. "This is a map that our sect's cultivators have explored in the Misty Immortal Ridge over the years. It also records the routes taken by Elder Hu and Senior Zheng. Please take a look, Senior Yan!"

"Alright, you can wait for my message in the market!"

Zhou Chun accepted the map, waved, and immediately got up and left.

Before informing Zhou Shijie, he had already notified Luo Qingni to meet him at a certain location outside Mixianling.

He was the one who ventured deep into the Misty Immortal Valley to search for the relics of the Earth Fire Sect elder, but just in case, Luo Qingni would also be hiding on the outskirts of Misty Immortal Ridge to meet him.

After arriving outside Mixianling and meeting up with Luo Qingni, Zhou Chun made a copy of the map and handed it to her before plunging into Mixianling!

Since he did not enter during the noon or late afternoon hours, Zhou Chun's vision was completely blocked by the gray-white mist after entering Mixianling.

There is no definitive explanation for how this fog is formed. All that is known is that even if it is dispelled by magic, it will quickly reappear and obscure people's vision.

Therefore, cultivators who venture into the Misty Immortal Ridge usually either cultivate secret techniques that enhance their eyesight, allowing them to see further in the mist, or they tame demonic beasts that excel at early warning and tracking, which can help them avoid enemies and track prey.

Although Zhou Chun had never cultivated any spiritual eye abilities, as a Golden Core cultivator, he could still vaguely see the scenery a hundred feet away even when he was in the fog.

However, this distance is clearly not enough for a Golden Core cultivator.

Therefore, he quickly patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist and released the Wood Spirit, Mu Sang, and the Golden-Winged Tiger.

After Mumei and Musang advanced to the fourth rank, their intelligence also increased significantly. Zhou Chun took out the map, gave it some instructions, and then it took a copy of the map and went to explore the way.

Meanwhile, the Golden-Winged Tiger folded its wings and carried Zhou Chun slowly deeper into the mountains, chasing after the direction the Wood Spirit had gone.

Halfway there, Zhou Chun also tried to use his divine sense to explore the way, but the experience was very bad.

The divine sense here is like a person's gaze at the position of a fish in water—it has a huge deviation.

The released divine sense may only remain on the upper half of a tree, while the lower half remains unseen.

A grazing deer, when scanned with divine sense, only had its head visible; the deer's body seemed to be invisible!

This extreme distortion and misalignment is very uncomfortable.

If an ordinary person encountered this situation, they would feel nauseous and vomit very soon.

But Zhou Chun could only endure the discomfort and force herself to gradually adapt.

Because if he encounters a battle later, he will still need to use his divine sense to fight. He needs to get used to it now so that this discomfort will not affect his performance.

Of course, given the environment here, when the real battle begins, we can't completely trust the feedback from divine sense detection as we would outside!

I recommend a friend's new book, "I've Become an Immortal, Will You Guide Me to Buddhism?" Synopsis: In March, the West Lake is shrouded in willows like smoke, the rain like wine, the grass on the Broken Bridge is just sprouting, and the monks of Jinshan Temple are chanting sutras.

Every story begins here.