Chapter 616
Without those spirit stones and materials, the Hundred Immortals Alliance wouldn’t be so formidable, would it?
Among the six transformation experts, a frail old man spoke up:
“We are filled with trepidation…”
“There’s no need to be anxious. The Holy Ancestor has shown mercy, allowing us to make amends!”
The unease in the eyes of the six transformation experts began to dissipate slightly.
“How do we make amends?”
“The Great Formation of Heaven and Earth cannot be delayed any longer! Within twenty years, we must refine the Xianjian (Immortal Sword)!”
“With this sword, no matter how many transformation experts the Hundred Immortals Alliance has, they will be of no concern.”
“Twenty years?”
The frail old man exclaimed, “Didn’t we say forty years before? Our strength is barely enough to refine this treasure as it is, and now the time has been cut in half.”
Forty years?
This Xianjian is quite a challenge.
“The mountain has also considered our difficulties.”
“Can we send someone over?”
“No, the Taishang Dao and the Tianhe Sect seem to be stirring for some reason. Compared to them, the Hundred Immortals Alliance is a minor issue. Their additional transformation expert isn’t that significant. The mountain’s main focus cannot be diverted here.” Shi Nandang shook his head. “However, the Holy Ancestor will continue to send us spirit stones and materials, and even more than before, along with various spirit herbs.”
“In the future, the four of you in the Yuanying stage can use these spirit herbs to help us refine the Xianjian.”
Zheng Fa felt a surge of joy in his heart.
He was eager to find an opportunity to get close to the Xianjian.
Unexpectedly, the transformation of the Jiushan Patriarch had made Haori Mountain more vigilant towards the Hundred Immortals Alliance, inadvertently giving him a chance.
As he pondered this, Shi Nandang suddenly called out his name.
“Li Hao.”
Zheng Fa was taken aback and looked up at Shi Nandang, who was smiling warmly at him.
“The Holy Ancestor specifically praised you in the edict.”
Zheng Fa felt a bit bewildered.
Shi Nandang continued, “The Holy Ancestor said that the entire Chongxuan Sect is filled with mediocrity, and only you are a person of talent. Now that you have received our clan’s inheritance, he has high hopes for you.”
“What you need to do now is lead the Chongxuan Sect to continue harassing the Hundred Immortals Alliance, inevitably disrupting their development.”
Lead the Chongxuan Sect… Am I being appointed?
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but glance at the Chongxuan Sect’s leader, who was looking down, clearly too afraid to say a word.
“The three of them will assist me in refining the Xianjian in the future. Your cultivation is a bit lower, so you won’t be able to stay here for long, but you’ll have the time.”
Seeing Zheng Fa’s attention on the Chongxuan Sect leader, Shi Nandang spoke decisively:
“The Holy Ancestor said, if you have the ability to handle those spirit stones and materials, they will all belong to you!”
“If you achieve great merit, there will be even more rewards when you return to the mountain!”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa quickly cupped his hands and said, “Thank you for the Holy Ancestor’s favor!”
Shi Nandang smiled and said, “Is it only the Holy Ancestor you’re thanking? I’ve spoken quite a bit on your behalf.”
Zheng Fa was taken aback and hurriedly replied, “Thank you, Master, for your support!”
Elder Jiu watched this exchange, biting his lip, staring intently at the ground, not daring to lift his head…
Handing the Chongxuan Sect over to Zheng Fa?
Or was it Shi Nandang’s flattering words?
Whether Zheng Fa would receive rewards in the future was uncertain, but Shi Nandang… would likely be in trouble with the Holy Ancestor down the line.
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Chapter 444: Dao Fruit Treasure, the Spirit of the Xianjian
Shi Nandang’s blatant favoritism made the others on the mountaintop look at Zheng Fa with envy.
Yet, no one felt it was inappropriate.
Zheng Fa had seized the most spirit materials from the Hundred Immortals Alliance, and he might even be the only highlight Shi Nandang could report back to the sect.
Now, he was still under the Holy Ancestor’s tutelage, practicing the authentic “Chixiao Yuce” (Red Sky Jade Record).
In Zheng Fa’s understanding, this was akin to having your company’s top salesperson be your brother-in-law; promoting him is a case of not shunning family ties.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Shi Nandang turned to Zheng Fa and reminded him, “I have only one expectation for the Chongxuan Sect: to do your utmost to disrupt the development of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, while also familiarizing the disciples with our sect’s true methods to enhance their cultivation.”
“Also, you will need to manage the Great Formation. In the future, you may find yourself stretched thin. Li Hao, select a group of disciples to teach them some of the formation techniques so they can inscribe the spirit stones.”
The few people on the mountaintop fell silent.
The Chongxuan Sect leader kept his head down, not speaking.
Elder Jiu had once told Zheng Fa that Haori Mountain was so generous, bestowing pills and true methods, but in reality, it was all for the Great Formation of Heaven and Earth—the day the formation was fully completed would be the day these Chongxuan disciples met their demise.
This method sounded familiar to Zheng Fa: the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had done something similar back in the day.
Shi Nandang looked around at everyone, his gaze landing on the seemingly unwilling Chongxuan Sect leader: “Do you have any objections?”
“I dare not!” the Chongxuan Sect leader quickly replied, “It’s just… this is our ancestral foundation, and I feel a pang of conscience.”
Shi Nandang nodded lightly, his tone surprisingly gentle: “That’s only human nature. The Holy Ancestor is not without compassion; didn’t he allow you to send a batch of disciples back to the mountain the other day?”
“The Holy Ancestor’s grace, I will remember it in my heart!”
The Chongxuan Sect leader hurriedly pledged his loyalty.
“I don’t need you to remember it; just do your best when refining the Xianjian,” Shi Nandang said, his expression unchanged. “If it weren’t for the Xianjian being so difficult to refine, the Holy Ancestor wouldn’t want to resort to such measures.”
Seeing Zheng Fa and the others glancing towards the volcano’s mouth, Shi Nandang seemed to sense their curiosity and added:
“In the future, you will also need to help refine the Xianjian. Do you know what powers this Xianjian possesses? What makes it worth such a cost? Even at the expense of spirit stones and materials?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Even Zheng Fa was filled with anticipation; he only knew the origins of the Xianjian but not its powers.
“This Xianjian comes from the Tianhe Zunzhang (Respectable One of the Heavenly River).”
“Tianhe Zunzhang?”
The Chongxuan Sect leader exclaimed, clearly puzzled as to why a treasure from the Tianhe Zunzhang would end up in the hands of Haori Mountain.
“Indeed, it is the Tianhe Zunzhang.” But Shi Nandang seemed reluctant to explain further, continuing, “This sword was forged by the Tianhe Zunzhang after achieving enlightenment, gathering all the world’s techniques and materials.”
“In terms of power, this sword is one of the most formidable swords in the realm of Xuanwei.”
“Throughout history, there are only a handful of treasures that can rival its destructive capabilities.”
The Chongxuan Sect leader and his companions exchanged glances; even though Shi Nandang spoke simply, the origins of the Xianjian were truly astonishing.
These few remarks carried immense weight.
“This sword has been in the hands of the Holy Ancestor and his followers for hundreds of thousands of years. Unfortunately, it is proud and difficult to tame. The sect has tried every means to create the Great Formation of Heaven and Earth, hoping to refine this treasure by leveraging the right timing and circumstances.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask, “So that’s why we need to completely destroy the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s spiritual veins?”
Shi Nandang glanced at him and smiled, “It seems you understand. The main goal of the sect is still to refine this Xianjian.”
Zheng Fa understood—
According to Shi Nandang, the Great Formation of Heaven and Earth was aimed at refining the Xianjian, and as for cutting off the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s spiritual veins, that was merely a convenient means to an end, killing two birds with one stone.
From this, it was clear that they valued the Xianjian more than they did themselves or the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
He felt a bit puzzled:
What does Haori Mountain mean by this?
Do they look down on his Fusang wood?
“Master, what exactly is the power of the Xianjian?”
The Chongxuan Sect leader also picked up on this and curiously asked.
“Our Haori Mountain excels in weapon forging. Do you know how treasures are classified in the realm of Xuanwei?”
“Magic tools, treasures, spirit tools, spirit treasures.” The Chongxuan Sect, being a major sect in weapon forging, was very familiar with this, and the Chongxuan Sect leader continued, “They roughly correspond to cultivators: magic tools are akin to Foundation Establishment power, treasures correspond to Golden Core.”
“Spirit tools and spirit treasures can only be wielded by transformation experts; I’m not familiar with them.”
Shi Nandang nodded slightly: “What you said is mostly correct. In fact, this classification comes from the Tianhe Zunzhang.”
“Originally, treasures could only be refined by Yuanying cultivators, but the Tianhe Zunzhang…” At this point, Shi Nandang sighed, “With unparalleled talent, he created the method of the life treasure.”
“This allows cultivators in the Golden Core stage to begin refining their own treasures, while the true form of the life treasure only solidifies in the Yuanying stage.”
“More importantly, spirit tools and spirit treasures correspond to the life treasures of the Yang God and Corpse Transformation stages.”
“This method allows treasures to grow alongside cultivators, and the Tianhe Zunzhang’s method of life treasures is truly a great merit.”
As he spoke, Shi Nandang’s face couldn’t hide his admiration.
From his understanding of the Xianjian, Zheng Fa could guess that he had some knowledge of the past of the Tianhe Zunzhang, and he should know that Haori Mountain and the Tianhe Zunzhang were rival factions.
Yet, even now, when discussing this matter, Shi Nandang still spoke with genuine reverence.
This shows how much the method of life treasures had benefited the cultivators of the Xuanwei realm.
“So… what tier of treasure is the Xianjian?”
“Far above spirit treasures.” Shi Nandang looked towards the volcano’s mouth, his tone filled with the fervor of a craftsman, “You must have heard of Dao Fruit?”
The others nodded; after the Six Faction Alliance meeting, everyone understood the terror of Dao Fruit cultivators.
“The Xianjian corresponds to Dao Fruit.”
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