Chapter 190: Li Zhou Civil War · Obtaining the Cultivation Manual

Chapter 190: Li Zhou Civil War · Obtaining the Cultivation Manual

A month was neither an eternity nor a fleeting moment.

To many cultivators, this was merely the duration of a secluded cultivation session.

Yet within this single month while Xiao Chen secluded himself to breach the Golden Core stage, nearly all of Li Zhou had been engulfed in war.

Approximately half a month prior—

After repeated probing, the Cangyan Sect finally confirmed both the Sihai Sect and Lihuo Sect had weakened to mere hollow shells. A single decisive strike would send them crumbling.

Most crucially, through years of investigation and recent testing, the Cangyan Sect had deduced that Feihong Zhenren of Lihuo Sect and Sha Qiu Zhenren of Sihai Sect were almost certainly absent from Li Zhou, having departed together for cultivation journeys in the Eastern Territory.

This meant Lihuo Sect now relied solely on the severely wounded Yun Xiang Zhenren—yet to recover—and the newly injured Mingyan Zhenren.

As for Sihai Sect, only Bisong Zhenren remained.

A golden opportunity indeed!

Especially for the Cangyan Sect and Lihuo Sect, whose bitter feud had festered for years.

Both sects primarily cultivated fire-attribute manuals, relying heavily on fire-type spirit herbs for advancement. They had long sought to eliminate each other and seize resources.

But this conflict transcended typical sect rivalries.

If Cangyan Sect could conquer Lihuo Sect, they would plunder its fire essences to accelerate their own spirit flame evolution.

This was the true objective hidden beneath the surface.

Without this goal, Jin Jien Zhenren would never have bothered orchestrating his meticulous pruning plan over years of covert scheming.

His obsession with the plan stemmed from its monumental stakes.

Cangyan Sect possessed a third-tier sect-defining spirit flame—a treasure obtained by their founding ancestor during a chance encounter in the Eastern Territory. While this secret was no mystery to other sects, few knew the flame’s true origins.

Its authentic form was the legendary Beidou Spirit Flame, a fourth-tier rarity revered even in the Eastern Territory.

Though initially acquired as a mere second-tier fire essence, generations of Cangyan cultivators had nourished it by feeding countless spirit flames into its core. Under relentless sacrifices, it had ascended to third-tier, capable of suppressing celestial fortune for the sect.

After millennia of careful cultivation within spirit veins, the Beidou Spirit Flame had now reached the pinnacle of third-tier, teetering on the brink of fourth-tier evolution.

Originally, this process would require six centuries more.

But according to calculations by Cangyan Sect’s three Golden Core Zhenren, absorbing the six second-tier spirit flames from Lihuo Sect could grant a seventy percent chance of immediate ascension.

A probability too tempting to ignore.

Hezhou had initially feared Li Zhou’s civil war would weaken orthodox Dao forces.

To prevent this, Qianzhu Zhenren was dispatched to Li Zhou, urging Jin Jien Zhenren and Guijiao Zhenren to abandon their feud.

With the Divine Flame Cult and White Bone Demon Body threatening all cultivators, unity was paramount.

Yet Cangyan Sect dared defy this logic, exposing their ambition to dominate other sects.

Their confidence stemmed from the Beidou Spirit Flame—their ace against the White Bone Demon Body.

While Nandou governed life, Beidou governed death.

The Beidou Spirit Flame lived up to its name—fearsome and bloodthirsty, excelling at slaying living beings.

Though less effective for pill forging or herb refinement, when unleashed upon living targets, it burned relentlessly, consuming every shred of vitality until naught remained but ashes.

Its ascension to true fourth-tier would not only strengthen Cangyan Sect’s foundations but also render the White Bone Demon Body a trivial foe.

After secret negotiations with Qianzhu Zhenren, Cangyan Sect secured neutrality by promising to resolve the White Bone Demon Body crisis and spare Qianzhu Bazaar.

Thus, half a month ago, the premeditated assault began.

Cangyan Sect demanded Lihuo Sect and Sihai Sect swear fealty, surrendering all fire essences and spirit herbs to become subordinate branches.

Bisong Zhenren of Sihai Sect—his Golden Core formation barely a century old—still clung to pride, challenging Jin Jien Zhenren to force better terms.

Within two quarters of an incense stick’s time, he was gravely wounded by Jin Jien’s golden club, self-destructing his spiritual artifact to escape into the Wanyao Mountain Range, whereabouts unknown.

Other Sihai Sect families quickly surrendered, none daring to resist.

Mingyan Zhenren initially sought battle too, but upon hearing Bisong’s fate, opted to fortify defenses and stall for recovery.

Adopting this turtle strategy, Lihuo Sect endured until now.

Yet today, Cangyan Sect had seized Nanhu Lake and Lihuo Bazaar, constructing a temporary outpost via the bazaar’s spirit vein. Their forces now menaced nearby Qiyun Peak.

Lihuo Sect’s subordinate families either sheltered within Qiyun Peak or had been conscripted as cannon fodder.

Daily skirmishes raged below Qiyun Peak, mirroring the attritional warfare of Xunmei Mountain’s frontline.

The key difference? Cangyan Sect deployed late-Lian Qi stage cultivators to exhaust Lihuo Sect’s spirit stone reserves.

Each day’s activation of the third-tier formation devoured vast spirit stones.

With Cangyan’s three Golden Core Zhenren rotating assaults, Mingyan Zhenren kept the mountain-protecting formation at maximum while frequently triggering Qiyun Peak’s killing arrays to repel invaders.

Daily spirit stone consumption tripled.

Compounding this, Cangyan Sect’s efficient sieges severed Lihuo Sect’s peripheral spirit veins, cutting off reinforcements.

At this rate, spirit stones would deplete within three to six months.

Yet Cangyan Sect remained impatient, seeking faster victory.

They secretly contacted the Five Great Families, coercing them to sabotage Lihuo Sect’s spirit stone reserves from within.

The Five Great Families trembled under this threat.

Su Family’s patriarch, in particular, burned with anxiety—their lifeblood, Nanhu Lake, now in enemy hands. Worse still, he saw no future for his clan.

---

Extreme Southern Lands, Volcano Crater

After three hours of adaptation, Xiao Chen had grown accustomed to his two spiritual artifacts.

He sat cross-legged, pondering what to do next.

"Although the process deviated somewhat from the plan I had before coming to Hezhou, at least there were no real dangers, and I successfully formed my golden core in the end."

"And now I have a spiritual artifact, and a third-tier Spirit Herb as well. It seems the only thing missing is a cultivation manual."

"Where should I go to find a suitable cultivation manual?"

For every solitary cultivator, finding the right cultivation manual was always a major challenge.

Although Xiao Chen only needed a yellow-rank cultivation manual now, the problem was that the southern domain was remote and inconvenient, making it difficult to find one.

There was absolutely no place here where he could casually purchase a third-tier cultivation manual.

"Wait, I'm not a solitary cultivator—I have a sect, after all!"

Xiao Chen suddenly had an idea: "Maybe I should return to Lihuo Sect?"

He had publicly taken a direct attack from Guijiao Zhenren that day. If he reappeared now, it would inevitably expose his secrets. Otherwise, there would be no need to hide here in the first place.

But he had already achieved golden core formation!

Which Golden Core Zhenren didn't have their own secrets?

The key question was whether someone with secrets had the strength to protect them.

Although Xiao Chen had just reached golden core formation, with the White Bone Summoning Banner and the Ghost-Face Mystic Light Shield in hand, he truly had the qualifications to stand up to other Golden Core Zhenren.

Even considering his current cultivation realm, others might harbor suspicions but would hesitate to voice them outright.

As this thought solidified, he immediately set his direction.

He drew his Flying Sword and headed toward Lihuo Sect.

"Bang!"

Xiao Chen crashed into a larger volcano nearby.

"Tsk! I almost forgot—now I'm using true mana, and my sword-riding speed has increased significantly."

True mana, far more powerful than liquid mana, manifested its superiority in every aspect.

Compared to before, his sword-riding speed had doubled overnight.

Fortunately, he was a body cultivator and suffered no real harm. He dusted off his robe and took off again.

This time, he deliberately ascended higher before accelerating, adjusting to his newfound speed.

"At this speed, covering ten thousand li in a day would be effortless."

"Ah, if that's the case, my Zongdi Jinguang technique should also become much faster!"

A spark of curiosity ignited within him. He sheathed his Flying Sword, landed, and fully activated his Zongdi Jinguang to continue his journey.

Now that he had Featherweight Class Iii and true mana enhancing his abilities, Xiao Chen truly achieved what the Zongdi Jinguang manual described: "Racing across a thousand li in an instant, swift as a shadow or a drifting tumbleweed."

At full effort, he entered the Li Zhou territory in just two days.

This meant he could traverse twenty-five thousand li in a single day.

"Amazing!"

Xiao Chen felt the wind howling past him: "With this speed, traveling to other places will be much easier in the future."

At his current pace, he could reach Hezhou from Li Zhou in less than two days.

"But come to think of it, Zongdi Jinguang has already reached grand mastery, leaving no room for improvement."

"I guess I should also learn a new escape technique."

Xiao Chen mused that if he could obtain a third-tier escape technique, doubling his speed wouldn't be difficult.

This time, besides seeking a cultivation manual, he should also ask Mingyan Zhenren for an escape technique.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

After golden core formation, Xiao Chen's spiritual sense had expanded dramatically.

Before even approaching Qiyun Peak, he spotted the fully activated defense formation.

He immediately halted his advance.

He then noticed the Cangyan Sect's flag flying high over Lihuo Bazaar nearby.

"What? Has the Cangyan Sect gone mad?"

Xiao Chen was puzzled. His previous information channels had been limited, so he didn't know that Jin Jian Zhenren had already returned to Li Zhou.

Moreover, he couldn't understand why, with the White Bone Demon Body's emergence and the Divine Flame Cult's invasion, someone would still be focused on internal conflicts.

Couldn't they just unite first?

Wouldn't it be better to join forces and deal with the Demonic Dao threat before turning on each other?

"Forget it. I'll deal with this later. First, I'll get the cultivation manual, then come out and settle the score with the Cangyan Sect."

Xiao Chen's eyes flashed as he landed and stealthily approached Qiyun Peak from the opposite side under the cover of night.

He still carried the Chu Mo Dian Manager's token. Approaching the formation would only trigger a warning, not direct attacks.

Besides, with the Ghost-Face Mystic Light Shield and Night's Blade, he didn't need to be overly cautious—it would only waste time.

Inside Qiyun Peak,

Mingyan Zhenren was simultaneously supervising the formation and taking time to heal his wounds.

His injuries hadn't been severe to begin with, and with the Spirit Herbs he'd stockpiled, he was nearly recovered.

However, his mood hadn't improved. Instead, he wore a troubled expression.

Yun Xiang Zhenren had damaged his foundation years ago while exploring the Wanyao Mountain Range. For years, he had publicly claimed secluded cultivation for a breakthrough but had secretly been recuperating.

Originally, this was kept secret. As long as Yun Xiang Zhenren appeared occasionally, other sects wouldn't dare to speculate.

But now, it seemed impossible to keep hidden.

For half a month, every Cangyan Sect Golden Core attack had been met by Mingyan Zhenren alone. The enemy wasn't stupid—they would inevitably grow suspicious.

Yesterday, three Golden Core Zhenren had arrived simultaneously. If not for the third-tier Talismans Treasure left by Feihong Zhenren, the formation might have been broken.

The problem was that the situation had become so dire, and Yun Xiang Zhenren still hadn't appeared.

The enemy might have already confirmed their suspicions.

If three Golden Core Zhenren attacked again tomorrow, what should they do?

Forcing Yun Xiang Zhenren to fight injured wasn't a sustainable solution.

Moreover, Mingyan Zhenren didn't even know how to broach the topic.

"Sigh!"

Mingyan Zhenren couldn't help but sigh. He wondered when Hezhou would send someone to mediate.

His only hope now was that the Spirit Origin Sect would intervene for the greater good and persuade the Cangyan Sect to retreat.

Just then, the warning formation in front of him glowed red, detecting a Golden Core cultivator approaching Qiyun Peak.

"A night raid!"

Mingyan Zhenren was startled. Had the Cangyan Sect lost patience and decided to launch a full-scale attack?

But upon closer inspection, it seemed only one person had come.

The defense formation soon reported the token signal—Chu Mo Dian Manager.

"Chu Mo Dian? Who could it be?"

Mingyan Zhenren frowned. He had noticed the Cangyan Sect secretly pressuring the five great families to defect.

In the past few days, however, those families had remained obedient, with no one acting out.

It seemed someone had finally lost patience.

"Hmph! I'll see who dares to seek their own death."

Even if he couldn't ultimately defeat the Cangyan Sect, he still had the strength to deal with these traitors first.

Mingyan Zhenren deliberately left the formation inactive and waited at the foot of the mountain himself, determined to see who was colluding with the Cangyan Sect.

Before long, he spotted a young man with a face as refined as jade.

"Xiao Chen? You're actually still... alive?"

Mingyan Zhenren's expression was stunned. He retracted the word "dead" from his lips and blinked in disbelief.

Inside the sect's back hall,

the two sat facing each other, sipping tea.

Although a full quarter-hour had passed, Mingyan Zhenren still looked dazed.

It wasn't that he was surprised Xiao Chen was alive.

After all, if a Foundation Building cultivator only suffered a single Golden Core Zhenren's attack, there were ways to survive.

But how had he achieved golden core formation?

That made no sense at all!

Setting aside the low-grade wood spirit root, golden core formation itself required rare spirit herbs and secret techniques for breaking through the Golden Core barrier.

Where on earth did Xiao Chen manage to gather all these things?

Why hadn't he caught even a whisper of this?

And come to think of it, this disciple only reached the Foundation Building Stage a few years ago—how could he have advanced to Golden Core Formation so quickly?

Countless questions swirled in Mingyan Zhenren’s mind, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“This tea truly is exceptional, Senior Sect Brother Mingyan,” Xiao Chen said, finishing the last sip from his cup. He felt a new strand of true mana solidify within him, nearly forming another.

To think this was achieved without even using a cultivation manual.

“This Spirit-Stabilizing Tea only works on the first cup, Junior Sect Brother,” Mingyan Zhenren replied, watching Xiao Chen carefully. “It’s nothing special.”

After a pause, he sighed. “But Junior Sect Brother returning now—perhaps Heaven itself refuses to let the Lihuo Sect perish.”

Of course he was curious about Xiao Chen’s shocking cultivation speed. But with the Lihuo Sect teetering on collapse, any conflict between them would only benefit the Cangyan Sect.

Some things were better left unsaid for now, preserving at least some camaraderie. Mingyan Zhenren deliberately steered the conversation toward the sect’s plight. After all, Xiao Chen had grown up within the Lihuo Sect. So young, and with such power—he surely wouldn’t stand idly by as it fell.

Gaining such a powerful ally would make defending the sect far easier, buying time until the Spirit Origin Sect sent envoys to mediate.

“I wanted to ask Senior Sect Brother—what exactly is happening outside?” Xiao Chen interjected curiously. “And what occurred at the Yellow Spring Palace? How did things spiral into this state?”

Fifteen minutes later, he understood the dire situation.

“The Lihuo Sect’s plight is dire indeed,” Mingyan Zhenren admitted. “Normally, your Golden Core Formation would be cause for celebration. But with the Cangyan Sect at our gates, we can’t afford any formalities.”

“Not to mention the sect’s current state—we can’t even help you exchange for a spiritual artifact. I’m afraid you’ll have to endure some hardship for now.”

Under normal circumstances, new Golden Core cultivators received support from elder experts. But Xiao Chen’s breakthrough had been too sudden, and the Lihuo Sect’s crisis left them powerless to act.

“You’re treating me like an outsider, Senior Sect Brother,” Xiao Chen replied with a smile. “I understand the situation perfectly.”

He paused, then asked, “But since I’ve broken through, I’m in need of a cultivation manual to practice. I heard the sect has third-tier manuals—might I borrow one?”

Mingyan Zhenren stiffened, making Xiao Chen wonder if he’d overstepped.

“Xiao Chen, there’s something I must explain,” Mingyan Zhenren hesitated. “While we do have third-tier legacies, their quality… leaves much to be desired.”

“You see, our sect specializes in fire magic. We’ve never had senior sect brothers cultivating wood-attribute techniques.”

To prevent misunderstandings, he hurriedly added, “If you’re willing to wait, I’ll exchange for a better legacy from the Spirit Origin Sect after repelling the Cangyan Sect’s siege.”

Cultivation manuals were a cultivator’s foundation. While some changed paths mid-way, doing so meant wasting prior resources and potentially missing their prime cultivation window.

“No need!” Xiao Chen declared. “With the sect in crisis, I’ll cultivate whatever I can to repel the enemy first.”

Low-tier manuals suited him just fine. Who needed high-tier ones anyway?

Mingyan Zhenren studied Xiao Chen’s untroubled expression, skeptical.

Back when he’d formed his Golden Core, even an Earth-tier manual had felt inadequate. Circumstances had forced him to settle for it after a year of fruitless searching.

But since Xiao Chen insisted, he relented. “Very well. The third-tier cultivation manuals are in the Scripture Pavilion’s top floor.”

He handed over a formation flag. “Use this to bypass the protective formation. Take whatever you like—no need to be polite.”

Xiao Chen accepted the flag eagerly. “Thank you, Senior Sect Brother!”

After bidding Mingyan Zhenren goodnight, he hurried to the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside, the top floor held a single bookshelf with forty thick tomes. Half were spell manuals, leaving only twenty-three true cultivation manuals.

The fire-attribute manuals dominated—twelve in total, including one Earth-tier, four Mystic-tier, and nine Yellow-tier.

The wood-attribute section had just two Yellow-tier manuals: Withering and Flourishing Reincarnation Manual, which extended lifespan, and Ten Thousand Phenomena Spring Scripture, focusing on recovery.

Xiao Chen immediately grasped Mingyan Zhenren’s hesitation. These manuals were practically useless beyond advancing cultivation stages.

But with his hex techniques, even low-tier manuals were trivial. He grabbed Ten Thousand Phenomena Spring Scripture—healing abilities were better than none.

As for the spell manuals, he took one Yellow-tier Sword Technique, one Escape Technique, and one offensive and defensive spell each.

Better to master a few techniques thoroughly than dabble in many.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end