Chapter 193: Beidou Spirit Flame · Acquiring the Spirit Herb

Chapter 193: Beidou Spirit Flame · Acquiring the Spirit Herb

Where could a sect’s most valuable treasures be found?

For most cultivators, the answer would be the sect warehouse—its tens of thousands of spirit stones, the dazzling array of magic artifacts, and the countless Spirit Herbs displayed like jewels.

But for Xiao Chen, these were trivial.

What truly mattered were the ancient scrolls, travelogues, and biographies collected by Cangyan Sect over thousands of years.

Thus, after effortlessly breaching the Mountain Defense Formation with his True Yang Fire Dragon and slaying the three Foundation Building cultivators left behind, Xiao Chen’s first stop was the Scripture Pavilion. He swiftly eliminated a few thieves attempting to pilfer secrets, then began packing the books.

This was no small task. To ensure future convenience, he needed to categorize them—separating cultivation manuals, ancient texts, and miscellaneous volumes into three empty storage bags.

The Jingkong Sea Travel Notes, Memoirs: Treasures of the Eastern Territory, Ten Methods for Identifying Common Sea Demons…

“Marvelous! No wonder this sect, thriving for over three millennia, hoarded such invaluable intelligence.” Xiao Chen couldn’t help but smile as he flipped through the collection.

These books might not boost combat power directly, but they expanded one’s horizons—a timeless source of strength. By learning from others’ experiences, one could gain wisdom and avoid pitfalls.

More tangibly, such knowledge helped identify rare treasures from distant lands. For instance, it was through Dong You Ji that he’d learned of the Five-Color Jade Coral, which had accelerated his Golden Core Formation.

Patiently spending three hours to clear the pavilion, Xiao Chen then leisurely strolled to Cangyan Sect’s warehouse. There, he encountered an unexpected guest—Xiong Qiming.

The patriarch of the Xiong Clan, who had hosted the public auction at Shi Valley, had stayed behind while others fled after the Mountain Defense Formation shattered.

The Xiong Clan’s recent fortunes had waned. After the auction, their marriage alliance event failed to attract solitary cultivators, leaving them sidelined during the Lihuo Sect campaign. Denied even scraps of glory, they’d narrowly escaped annihilation when Yun Xiang Zhen Ren struck.

Yet fate was ironic. Their absence had spared them destruction, and witnessing Xiao Chen’s assault, Xiong Qiming recognized the familiar face that had once bested him.

After a moment’s fear, he knelt before the warehouse.

“Humbly beseeching the Zhen Ren—my clan pledges eternal servitude! Please grant us refuge!”

With a thud, he kowtowed, his voice trembling with desperation.

Though “eternal servitude” sounded dire, many would kill for such an opportunity.

“I neither need nor desire servants,” Xiao Chen replied, waving him off.

“I offer our family’s Legacy Scroll!” Xiong Qiming raised a golden scroll, his voice urgent. “Cangyan Sect secretly nurtured the Beidou Spirit Flame. All details are recorded here.”

In truth, this “Legacy Scroll” was merely a maintenance manual Jin Jian Zhen Ren had issued to oversee the Beidou Spirit Flame during the Lihuo Sect campaign, which would last half a year.

“Beidou Spirit Flame?” Xiao Chen’s curiosity piqued as he skimmed the scroll.

A Third-Rank Fire Seed, nurtured in a spirit vein for 3,000 years, now at the peak of the Third Stage—with potential to breakthrough to the Fourth.

This was precisely the weapon he needed against the White Bone Demon Body.

Yet advancing such an innate spirit flame required time, which he lacked.

Xiong Qiming interjected, “This flame can devour other fire seeds to strengthen itself. Cangyan Sect even stole my clan’s ancestral flame long ago.”

True enough. The Xiong Clan’s decline began after losing their spirit flame.

Xiao Chen’s eyes lit up. Lihuo Sect’s own spirit flames—Chen Clan’s, Jiang Clan’s, the three in the Sect Merit Hall, and Mingyan Zhen Ren’s former one totaled six. Plus, Hezhou’s markets offered further options.

If the Beidou Spirit Flame could ascend swiftly through external means, it would be worth cultivating.

“Where is it? Take me there,” Xiao Chen ordered.

Xiong Qiming’s heart soared. Leading the way, he guided Xiao Chen to the rear of Cangyan Peak, slipping through an unremarkable fissure into the main spirit vein.

Two formations guarded the path: one cloaking spiritual senses, the other triggering alarms for intruders. But now, the sect halls lay empty, the alarms unanswered.

Beyond the formations, a dim chamber revealed a six-foot-square platform etched with cryptic runes. A faint, slow-spinning flame hovered above, absorbing spiritual energy channeled by the runes.

Though the flame seemed unimpressive, Xiao Chen sensed its dormant power—already Third Stage, nearing the Fourth.

“No soul-bonding yet?” he mused.

Jin Jian Zhen Ren had once refined it, but recently withdrew his connection—a fact Xiong Qiming knew well, confirming Jin Jian’s demise.

“Why leave such a treasure here?” Xiao Chen asked.

“According to records,” Xiong Qiming explained, naming several texts, “removing it prematurely would waste centuries of cultivation. This platform itself is a rare Flame Cultivation Altar, purchased at great cost from the Eastern Territory.”

Xiao Chen nodded, impressed. Testing the flame, he initiated a True Mana Ritual to refine and soul-bond it.

“Stay here and guard it,” he instructed. “You’ve the experience.”

“Gladly, my lord!” Xiong Qiming beamed, clutching the Chu Mo Dian Manager Token Xiao Chen left as a sign of trust.

Returning to the warehouse, Xiao Chen dismantled its defenses and looted its treasures:

1. 26 Top-Grade Magic Artifacts (5 robes, 7 shields) valued at 380,000 spirit stones.

2. A Backup Formation Set: 64 Formation Flags, 36 Formation Disks, and 20 Diagrams of the Five Elements Chain Loop Formation—a complex Third-Stage defensive array, worth 300,000–400,000 spirit stones.

3. Spirit Stones: 2,000 Middle-Grade (20,000 value) and 686,990 Lower-Grade stones, packed into three storage bags.

With the spoils secured, Xiao Chen departed, leaving only silence behind.

"1, 2, 3... 23!"

Xiao Chen now carried a total of twenty-three storage bags. His waist belt couldn't hold any more, and even his sleeves and robe folds were nearly stuffed full.

From the outside, he looked significantly "puffed up" compared to when he arrived.

"I must prioritize obtaining a Storage Ring as soon as possible", Xiao Chen muttered, feeling his own bulkiness. He began reminiscing about the legendary Storage Rings he'd heard about. For his current needs, the space in storage bags was clearly too limited.

Interestingly, even the three Golden Core Zhenren of Cangyan Sect still used storage bags. He hadn't yet refined and inventoried his loot, mainly because he'd worried about arriving late and finding the Scripture Pavilion or sect warehouse already looted by cultivators left behind. Now that everything was secured, he could focus on cracking open the storage bags.

While all storage bags shared the same purpose, those owned by Golden Core Zhenren possessed an additional True Mana-Sealing Formation compared to those of Foundation Building cultivators. This significantly increased the difficulty of breaching them.

Xiao Chen spent a full two hours opening the first one. With some experience gained, he spent another three hours cracking the remaining two.

Unlike the sect warehouse, the three Golden Core Zhenren's storage bags contained only 113,200 lower-grade spirit stones combined. However, there were 3,800 middle-grade spirit stones. Considering frontline formation consumption, they likely carried middle-grade stones exclusively.

The contents were also much more streamlined. A noticeable feature was the absence of various miscellaneous items. Low-grade spirit herbs and peculiar mineral stones were nowhere to be found. Even common backup magic artifacts and cultivation manuals had vanished.

Instead, three top-grade magic artifacts were neatly placed in sandalwood gift boxes, seemingly prepared as rewards for subordinates. This didn't mean their storage bags were sparse. On the contrary, they contained many complete sets of specialized tools.

One set included a tea set of fifteen superior-grade magic artifacts: teapot, teacups, tea spoons, tea trays, and more. Another set contained eight talisman-crafting tools of the same quality: talisman brushes, ink brushes, talisman paper, and seal stamps.

Even more surprisingly, there were four musical instruments: sheng, guan, flute, and xiao. Each instrument was a top-grade magic artifact requiring at least twenty mana or four true mana to activate.

"Are Golden Core Zhenren really this idle?" Xiao Chen mused. Such hobbies would undoubtedly waste cultivators' precious time. But upon reflection, he understood. Other Golden Core Zhenren had long lifespans and slower cultivation progress. Naturally, they'd develop personal interests to alleviate boredom.

This highlighted an unexpected benefit of choosing Featherweight Class cultivation—it provided immediate feedback, letting him feel his progress quickly. This prevented cultivation burnout and even made him enjoy the rapid advancement, becoming the humble cultivator others admired.

Besides these items, the storage bags contained nine booklets, six Jade Talismans, four pill bottles, and three Storage Boxes.

The nine booklets included four Earth-Tier techniques, three Mystic-Rank spells, one Earth-Tier legacy, and one Mystic-Rank legacy. While insignificant to Xiao Chen now, he neatly categorized them into the storage bag holding Scripture Pavilion's cultivation manuals.

The six Jade Talismans were all attack-type, but he had little use for ordinary talismans when his own spells were superior. The four pill bottles contained Return Yuan Pills for quick true mana recovery and Supplement Yuan Pills for slight true mana enhancement—common third-tier pills that were barely better than nothing.

"I hope these Storage Boxes contain something actually useful."

After acquiring so many unusable items, Xiao Chen felt slightly exasperated. Though he couldn't use them directly, he could trade them with other Golden Core Zhenren or sell them for spirit stones. However, the former required extra effort, while the latter was complicated—Southern Domain had no market for top-grade magic artifacts like bamboo flutes. Selling them would either become indirect gifting or outright impossible.

He hoped to find some practical Spirit Herbs. Fortunately, the first Storage Box brought a surprise.

"Return Origin Divine Stone!"

Inside lay a grayish-brown Spirit Stone with twelve regular pentagonal faces, weighing exactly 2,777.5 kilograms. Its description matched exactly what he'd read in Treasure Chronicles. His spiritual sense confirmed a trace of Earth Origin Qi within, as if containing a fragment of land itself.

"I knew there'd be something good!" This top-tier earth-element Spirit Herb rivaled Central Qihuang Sand. Refining it could greatly aid cultivators comprehending the Earth Dao or serve as critical material for defensive spiritual artifacts.

Since Southern Domain lacked third-tier Spirit Herbs, Golden Core cultivators in Li Zhou usually consumed any they obtained. This Return Origin Divine Stone was likely reserved for crafting artifacts—perfect timing for Xiao Chen.

Opening the second Storage Box revealed:

"Seven Fragrant Jade Silk?"

Before him lay a 1.63-meter-long silk thread displaying seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. Each inch cycled through the seven hues. Pinching it between his fingers, he smelled a delicate fragrance. Moving an inch, the scent suddenly turned intense.

Exactly as described in Dong You Ji—each color carried a distinct fragrance, hence its name. Refining this silk could enhance true mana quality while emitting changing fragrances from the body for seven days.

Besides cultivation, it was commonly used to create perfumes or as key ingredients in special third-tier pills. Some cultivators, like Yaoshang Zhenren, might even use it as spices. But Xiao Chen would naturally use it for cultivation.

Storing the silk away, he opened the final Storage Box.

Before him lay a crystal-clear gemstone containing a mysterious rune.

"Huh? What is this?"

This time, Xiao Chen couldn't identify it at all. He'd never seen or heard of such an item. After careful consideration, he admitted complete ignorance.

"Well, I'll research ancient texts later. There must be clues."

If a Golden Core Zhenren stored it in a Storage Box, it was certainly no ordinary item. Xiao Chen calmly stored it in his bag.

With Cangyan Sect settled, he'd avenged the "Pruning Plan." Next, it was time to deal with Jiang Family.

Some grudges might not occupy his mind constantly, but Xiao Chen never forgot them—he simply avoided letting them affect his mood. In his heart, he maintained a small notebook: one page for debts of gratitude, one for vengeance.

He'd learned from Elder Chen the conditions for eliminating Jiang Family. Now a Golden Core cultivator, he met the requirements and needed no further delay.

Meanwhile, at Qiyun Peak...

Numerous cultivators received sudden orders to clean and decorate, bewildered by the festive preparations. Lanterns and banners usually reserved for New Year were unfurled across the mountain.

Servants bustled everywhere, even summoning a direct disciple to the Instructor Courtyard.

"Me?"

Wu Lao Tou pointed at himself in confusion, his cloudy eyes flickering with bewilderment. "Heng Shu Shu, why did the sect master suddenly summon an old man to the sect hall?"

He'd been startled awake by a loud noise last night, only falling asleep again at dawn. Now, summoned to the sect hall, he felt anxious.

He'd merely skipped morning class—shouldn't a manager or supervisor handle this instead of a personal summons?

Wanting to inquire discreetly, he found no opportunity. Before he knew it, he'd ascended the long-forgotten Main Peak, standing before the grand sect hall.

Forty years had passed since his last visit, yet his heart felt as confused as ever. Stepping forward, he nearly stumbled over the high threshold.

"You must be Instructor Wu."

"For your service in teaching disciples, you're awarded a magic artifact as recognition."

"Quickly don this Magic Robe and wait here. Understood?"

When he came to his senses, a brand-new crimson Magic Robe lay in his hands. Summoned by the sect master, gifted a Magic Robe, and now holding a precious superior-grade magic artifact—Wu Lao Tou was utterly dazed.

After decades as an instructor, he'd never experienced such treatment. Looking down, he realized the robe was a rare superior-grade magic artifact!

He suddenly remembered his task and injected mana to activate the Magic Robe. However, his Foundation Building Sixth Layer cultivation couldn't even activate the artifact. After fifteen minutes of struggle, he gave up and manually fastened the robe.

Even so, he immediately felt invigorated—a mix of exhilaration and nervousness.

To receive a superior-grade magic artifact in his lifetime was miraculous. But he still had no idea what was happening. Watching disciples adorned in festive decorations, he vaguely sensed something auspicious was occurring.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end