Chapter 248: Su Li's Misunderstanding · Wu Clan · Nascent Soul Formation · Secret Technique

Chapter 248: Su Li’s Misunderstanding · Wu Clan · Nascent Soul Formation · Secret Technique

The night sky shimmered with countless stars, casting distant, frosty glimmers.

The fifth star of the Azure Dragon in the east, known as the Heart Moon Fox, seemed to blaze brighter than usual tonight.

Ancient legends spoke of the Heart Moon Fox’s essence being fire, manifesting as a flame-furred fox that delighted in meddling with mortal romances, sowing confusion in human relationships.

Su Li sat hunched on a rocky outcrop, hugging her knees, oblivious to the beauty around her.

Her delicate eyes remained fixed on the young man meditating nearby, her gaze distant as she pondered the causes of his two recent anomalies.

At first, she had suspected a Wu Blood Purification occurrence.

But since Xiao Chen lacked Wu Clan bloodline, the purification naturally failed.

Yet now, the truth seemed far more complicated.

Her golden core-level spiritual sense warned her that spiritual energy across hundreds of miles had been stirred.

Given the density of spiritual energy on Silent Calamity Island, even a gifted golden core cultivator could typically gather energy within a ten-mile radius.

Even prodigies with Law Bodies might strain to affect twenty or thirty miles at most.

There was no way such an exaggerated phenomenon should be possible.

Moreover, Su Li had observed Xiao Chen’s cultivation sessions multiple times since their meeting.

Just in the past month alone, she had often waited for him to finish, then chatted with him by the fire as the sun set, discussing intriguing rumors from the cultivation world.

Thus, she clearly recalled:

Before absorbing the enhanced Blood Crystal, Xiao Chen’s cultivation had already surpassed norms, but nothing like this astonishing display.

And now, within a single day, the change was so drastic.

A mere breakthrough in cultivation realm couldn’t explain this. There had to be another reason.

But what was it?

Completely unaware of the hex’s existence, Su Li wracked her brain in vain.

All day long, she’d struggled for answers, yet remained clueless.

Yet, driven by concern, she refused to give up.

It wasn’t until the zi hour, when the full moon of the sixteenth day returned to the celestial zenith, that her curse-induced energy stirred, sparking a sudden realization—Great Priest’s prophecy.

It was said that one day, the Heavenly Wu would reincarnate to revive the Wu Clan.

In the Moon Witch Clan’s ancient myths, the Heavenly Wu ruled over all true spirits, born with innate uniqueness:

They possessed the True Spirit Soul, immune to illusions or deceptions.

They bore the True Spirit Protection, impervious to curses or dark arts.

They wielded the True Spirit Body, naturally harmonizing with the Five Elements’ spiritual energy of heaven and earth, commanding it at will.

Su Li remembered Xiao Chen claiming he’d merely passed through here by chance, not intentionally trespassing.

Yet Silent Calamity Island was veiled by an Illusion Formation. How had he, at only Golden Core Middle Stage back then, managed to enter?

Initially, she’d mistaken him for a desperate rogue seeking spirit herbs.

But now, looking back, he might truly have stumbled in accidentally.

Furthermore, Xiao Chen had mentioned his unique constitution made him immune to curses.

Even the domineering moon eclipse curse left him unscathed, allowing him to suppress curses.

Now, with his realm breakthrough, heavenly qi itself flocked to him.

Could it be…

Xiao Chen was the reincarnation of the Heavenly Wu!

The realization struck Su Li like lightning, shocking her first, then reddening her cheeks.

The priest’s prophecy had declared they must find the Heavenly Wu’s reincarnation and follow him to revive the Wu Clan.

This… this… this…

No, no, no! This was just her guesswork. What if it was a coincidence?

But… what if it was true?

“Huh?” Su Li’s eyes suddenly widened.

Why was he walking toward her now?

“Ah, the moonlight’s truly splendid tonight.”

Xiao Chen lightly leapt onto the rock, sitting beside her.

“Mm, yes.”

She lifted her gaze to the moon: “They say the fifteenth’s moon is fullest on the sixteenth. The elders’ words do hold some truth.”

Oh no!

As the words left her mouth, Su Li subtly glanced at Xiao Chen from the corner of her eye.

What nonsense had she just spouted?

Thankfully, he didn’t engage, instead cutting straight to the point.

“Now that I’ve reached Golden Core Late Stage, I should start preparing for Nascent Soul Formation.”

“But I’ve little experience in this area. Are there any precautions or items I should gather?”

Su Li didn’t answer immediately.

First, she exhaled deeply, then shook her head to steady herself.

Finally, she replied thoughtfully: “Nurturing a golden core is extremely difficult. Preparation is indeed wise.”

“But you needn’t worry excessively.”

“At your current pace, as long as you don’t…”

Halfway through, Su Li paused, suddenly realizing something.

She didn’t even know Xiao Chen’s spirit root quality!

Granted, his youth and golden core attainment suggested it couldn’t be too poor.

Still, for accuracy, Su Li curiously asked: “By the way, do you have a heavenly spirit root?”

The “also” hung unspoken.

Xiao Chen hesitated, unsure whether to confess the truth.

Su Li instantly understood, offering a reassuring smile: “It’s fine.”

“Even dual spirit roots offer a ten percent Nascent Soul Formation success rate. Body Cultivation focuses more on vital energy reserves, making it comparatively simpler.”

“At a conservative estimate, you should achieve Nascent Soul Formation within twenty years.”

Noticing Xiao Chen’s lack of cheer, Su Li encouraged: “If all goes well, maybe just over a decade.”

“You might even surpass Die Lang True Sovereign of Yun Tao Sword Hut, breaking through to Golden Core faster than him.”

Thanks for the encouragement, Xiao Chen inwardly quipped. He’d been confident before, but now felt oddly deflated.

He knew cultivators’ talents mattered greatly.

But a dual spirit root’s mere ten percent Nascent Soul Formation chance meant low-grade roots were practically zero?

Of course, success rates weren’t absolute. The cultivation world had countless tales of breakthroughs via rare spirit pills, serendipity, or sheer willpower.

Yet for Xiao Chen, pursuing Dual Cultivation (Body & Spirit) demanded absolute security.

He needed to maximize his Nascent Soul Formation success rate.

Thankfully, he already possessed Infant Jade.

The core ingredient for a Stage Breakthrough Spirit Pill was secured, needing only refinement. Plus, the Xuantian Consumption Secret Method could harness malevolent qi to boost chances.

These three alone could grant up to a sixty percent success rate.

If he could later acquire a Nascent Soul Formation secret technique while gathering malevolent qi, he might push higher.

Typically, such techniques added ten to twenty percent.

In the best-case scenario, he’d have an eighty percent chance of a single successful breakthrough.

All things considered, that wasn’t low.

But from the safest angle, anything below ninety-nine percent was still high-risk.

“Could you tell me about your golden core breakthrough process?”

Xiao Chen shifted focus, seeking procedural insights.

Su Li spoke openly, withholding nothing.

She calmly recounted her own golden core breakthrough: “Mine wasn’t too strenuous. Ingesting the pill, nurturing the infant, and shattering the core—each step was smooth.”

“Looking back, the Nine Yin Calamity Spirit Body had already begun functioning then.”

“A heavenly spirit root alone offers nearly twenty percent Nascent Soul Formation chance.”

“The spirit body adds another twenty, and the Stage Breakthrough Spirit Pill another twenty.”

“My master also arranged a large Spirit Gathering Formation in a spiritual vein, and the sect’s collective efforts provided the Nursing Infant Altar. The entire process was quite smooth.”

Though striving for composure, mentioning her sect dimmed her mood, her voice softening.

“Nursing Infant Altar?”

Xiao Chen had never heard of it: “Is it a Nascent Soul Formation secret technique?”

Su Li shook her head, then nodded.

Uncertain, she replied: “I’ve never seen the secret techniques held by major powers, so I’m unsure if it qualifies.”

“The Nursing Infant Altar Technique comes from an ancient relic. It truly aided me during the infant-nurturing stage.”

“But…”

She hesitated, then warned: “Gathering the items for the altar is extremely difficult. Many are priceless, unavailable in markets.”

“I once obtained a Blood Painting Infant Secret Technique from the moon eclipse.”

“That might be simpler. If you have time, I can teach it to you.”

Hmm?

Another surprise?

Xiao Chen blinked, caught off-guard by sudden fortune.

Then he realized: Though not the dominant force in antiquity, the Moon Witch Clan certainly wasn’t minor. Possessing Nascent Soul Formation secret techniques was normal.

Earlier, he’d planned to seek such techniques outside—how foolish, when a gold mine was right here.

Earlier, Su Li had offered to let him learn Wu Clan’s techniques.

Thankfully, he’d only postponed, not refused outright, or he’d have missed this.

“Great!”

Xiao Chen nodded eagerly: “I’ve got plenty of time.”

“But can I learn both?”

Su Li smiled: “Of course. All legacies are yours, if you wish.”

She then recited the secret technique’s mantra, guiding Xiao Chen line by line, ensuring he memorized it.

As an ancient secret technique, it upheld tradition—guarding its treasures jealously.

The most crucial heart sutras required oral transmission, preventing outsiders from stealing them.

“Ancestral soul’s cry, soul-fire forging the heart… blood sigils worshiping the moon, qi returning to Taiqing…”

As Su Li whispered the mantra into his ear, her warm breath brushed his lobe, cinnamon-scented.

Since acquiring Wu Qi, the previous rotting leaf scent had vanished, replaced by a fresh, intoxicating fragrance.

Logically, Silent Calamity Island had no other souls, so such secrecy wasn’t strictly necessary.

But since he was learning someone else's secret technique, he naturally had to follow their rules. Xiao Chen didn't rudely question anything either, instead focusing intently on memorizing the complex heart sutra content. Ancient secret techniques were not only convoluted and difficult to understand, but also filled with abstract references, substitutions, and symbolic imagery. He spent the entire night and finally gained a basic understanding of the secret technique's content.

"I already know everything else", Xiao Chen asked about his lingering doubt, "but what exactly does this Scarlet Moon Dew refer to, and where should I look for it?"

The secret technique required Scarlet Moon Dew as an important medium. Su Li corrected him with orthodox diction: "This isn't a metaphor."

"Scarlet Moon Dew comes from Chiyue Island, a small island between Mercy Sea Domain and Kunpeng Sea Region." She added, "If I remember correctly, Guiyun Forbidden Realm and Cangqing Floating Moon Relic have also produced it before."

When she mentioned Guiyun Forbidden Realm, Xiao Chen immediately recalled rumors he'd heard at Mo Shi Bazaar. It seemed he had already missed this time's forbidden realm opening. But it had just ended, so there might be cultivators who obtained Scarlet Moon Dew and were willing to sell it. The best approach was to visit Mo Shi Bazaar again to gather information.

Besides, today was already February 17th. The large auction at Tingtao Sea would be held in March. He could check there as well. Apart from Scarlet Moon Dew, he might even encounter rare materials needed for the Nursing Infant Altar.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen quickly asked: "Right, what materials are needed to set up the ritual altar?"

Su Li fluently recited a long list of spiritual materials. The entire altar construction required 128 different items, covering various elemental attributes. "Most can be purchased with spirit stones, but eight top-tier Spirit Herbs are particularly difficult to find."

She counted on her fingers: "First is the supreme five elements Spirit Herb - Nine-Petal Golden Stamen, Nine-Leaf Cyanlight Grass, Four-Season Frostfruit, Lingji Zhuque Bi, and Return Origin Divine Stone."

Hmm? Xiao Chen recognized three familiar names among them. Besides Nine-Petal Golden Stamen and Four-Season Frostfruit, he already had the rest. This wasn't surprising since there were only a few types of supreme five elements Spirit Herbs.

"This shouldn't be hard to find", he nodded confidently. "What about the other three?"

Su Li was slightly surprised. She had expected Xiao Chen to struggle like she did when first hearing this. Normally, even collecting one of these Spirit Herbs would be difficult for most cultivators, let alone five. But he seemed completely unfazed.

"If just these were enough, there are three more extremely rare Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs", she emphasized the 'Fourth Stage': "Nine-Aperture Luminous Jade, Three-Light Soul Nourishing Jade, and Earth Mother's Dense Marrow Jade."

"Nine-Aperture Luminous Jade only exists in Tongming forbidden realms, with extremely limited quantities and almost no circulation in the outside world."

"Three-Light Soul Nourishing Jade enhances spiritual senses. Even golden core True Sovereigns value it greatly, with only occasional pieces appearing at auctions."

"The eighth, Earth Mother's Dense Marrow Jade, is the most difficult part of the entire altar. It can only be found in jade mines as condensed earth vein essence, requiring massive manpower to locate."

Xiao Chen didn't know about manpower, but he already had a wild Earth Mother's Dense Marrow Jade in his Han Hai Ring. The most challenging part had already passed.

From this perspective, Tianxing Sect was quite generous, truly leaving behind good things. For Xiao Chen, having already learned the Nursing Infant Altar Technique, he naturally wanted to prepare thoroughly. Although the required spiritual materials were extremely numerous and might not all be gathered, it was still worth trying as a preparation method, even as a backup plan.

Of course, he wouldn't limit himself to just this one approach. He planned to collect spiritual materials while simultaneously searching for other Nascent Soul Formation secret techniques. Although this might result in buying some unnecessary materials, he didn't mind spending extra spirit stones for security. Hoarding spirit stones in a storage ring and refusing to use them would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

After mentally reviewing and memorizing the missing items, Xiao Chen began planning his next moves. Three-Light Soul Nourishing Jade occasionally appeared at auctions, so he couldn't miss the large March auction.

Tsk, he had only returned a month ago, yet already needed to travel again. Since he had to go out, he might as well leave early to handle other matters simultaneously.

First, he could visit Mo Shi Bazaar to inquire about Scarlet Moon Dew intelligence while purchasing ordinary spiritual materials and gathering the latest information. Then he could head to Tingtao Sea early. He had obtained several unused items that could be sold at a high price during this auction. Finally, he would check for any remaining gaps and adapt accordingly.

After roughly planning his route, Xiao Chen started preparing for departure. He only knew the auction was in mid-March, so he decided to prepare for March 11th. Considering Tingtao Sea was east and Mo Shi Bazaar north, even with his escape speed, the round trip would take at least twenty days. That meant he had about three to four days of buffer time.

Though this seemed ample, it was better to start early. To prevent unexpected delays, Xiao Chen decisively decided to leave immediately.

After a simple farewell to Su Li, this time she looked much better than during their previous separation. She reminded him: "Gathering these things naturally takes time. Don't rush too much."

"Remember to return and rest occasionally. Don't forget there's still Blood Crystal here."

Xiao Chen nodded: "Don't worry, I won't forget that."

Leaving Silent Calamity Island, he flew directly north. The journey was smooth with no strange encounters. Ten days later, Xiao Chen arrived at Mo Shi Bazaar once again.

Notably, Mo Shi Bazaar had a Spirit Intelligence Pavilion selling information. Though the quality wasn't exceptional, it was cheap. His first action was purchasing recent intelligence at the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion for 200 spirit stones.

"Oh?" As soon as he opened the intelligence, he saw a familiar name - Zhang Shouquan.

He had heard about Zhang Shouquan during his previous visit to Mo Shi Bazaar. Unexpectedly, he saw him again, this time in another duel where he triumphed against stronger opponents.

It was said that in Guiyun Forbidden Realm, Zhang Shouquan had successfully seized the crucial Guiyun Stone through an accidentally obtained and mastered true mana secret technique. However, as a solitary cultivator without powerful backing or special spiritual artifacts, he inevitably attracted the attention of Bandit Cultivators who wanted to kill him for his treasures.

Theoretically, these Bandit Cultivators had reasonable grounds. They had learned Zhang Shouquan's strongest spell and could prepare counter talismans. With careful planning against an unprepared opponent, overwhelming him with numbers seemed almost certain.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Shouquan had hidden his true strength during the forbidden realm competition. He could not only summon a 1,600-foot Ice Dragon but also possessed a powerful golden blade technique 30% stronger than the Ice Dragon.

Using this hidden ace, he counterattacked when surrounded by three Golden Core Late Stage opponents. He killed one and severely injured another, escaping successfully while taking the deceased Bandit Cultivator's storage ring.

When this news spread, it shocked the entire Mercy Sea Domain, especially Mo Shi Bazaar. According to rumors, Zhang Shouquan was originally a solitary cultivator from this very place.

"Hidden ace indeed. Interesting", Xiao Chen mused after reading the report, feeling a spark of curiosity for this unknown cultivator.

This sudden rise reminded him of two old acquaintances. However, based solely on this performance, it was hard to confirm anything. He would keep it in mind and try to befriend Zhang Shouquan if they ever met.

Additionally, Xiao Chen learned from the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion that the Tingtao Sea auction date had changed from the originally scheduled March 16th to March 18th.

Though most intelligence from Spirit Intelligence Pavilion consisted of rumors and gossip, they clearly marked which were public information and which were mere rumors. The auction date was publicly confirmed intelligence, making it half good news. This gave Xiao Chen eight more days to leisurely investigate Scarlet Moon Dew.

"Since there's still time, I might as well listen to some intelligence here for a while."

The layout of the two Spirit Intelligence Pavilions was similar. Upon entering, Xiao Chen heard a storyteller on the central platform recounting the recent Sect Competition news.

The Five Sects Joint Competition had lasted over two months and finally concluded a month ago, selecting the top ten young disciples. Though half a month had passed, it remained a hot topic.

The storyteller was describing: "Speaking of Thunderbolt Spear, wielding his long spear, he truly shattered pure mystic light. In the first two rounds of the competition, he defeated each opponent in under three moves. Undoubtedly the cleanest and most decisive cultivator in this competition."

However, someone from the audience interjected: "Hmph, don't overhype Mo Zhang Sect's people. It's just because of their powerful spiritual artifact. If someone else wielded that spear, the result wouldn't differ much."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end