Chapter 294: Tail Feather Essence, Turbulence Under the Sea

Chapter 294: Tail Feather Essence, Turbulence Under the Sea

Selling the entire demonic beast to the Frost Moon Pavilion would indeed fetch a higher price and more spirit stones.

However, Chu Ning knew that selling such a large number of demonic beasts would attract too much attention and raise too many eyebrows.

Thus, he only kept the intact corpses of three sixth-rank demonic beasts.

For the rest, he removed their demon cores and various materials from their bodies before starting to inventory them.

"Thirty-seven sixth-rank demon cores and ninety-four fifth-rank demon cores!"

With just a preliminary count, a smile appeared on Chu Ning's face.

Not to mention the abundance of materials from the various demonic beasts that could be used for weapon refining.

"There are the most water-attributed demonic beasts, the least fire-attributed ones, and a moderate number of metallic beasts—twenty-three in total."

After a quick glance at the inventory, Chu Ning noticed clusters of pure metal qi on his golden spirit root.

The smile on his face grew wider.

"The pure metal qi accumulated through long-term cultivation from these metallic beasts far surpasses what I could get from spirit plants.

It would probably take two to three months just to refine all this pure metal qi."

With this pure metal qi, the power of his Golden Armored Shadow God Fist would reach even greater heights.

It could even be used in conjunction with the Golden Spirit Sword after he refines it.

Although he still lacked two types of materials for the sword's refinement, obtaining the gold-rimmed wood had brought him one step closer to completing the set.

At this moment, Chu Ning recalled another harvest from this trip. He took out a golden tail feather from his storage bag.

It was the one that fell from the Gold and Silver Bird during the tribulation.

"Hmm?"

Chu Ning hadn't had the time to examine it earlier, but now that he held it in his hand, he was astonished.

He discovered that this feather contained a wisp of the Gold and Silver Bird's spirit essence!

Upon further thought, Chu Ning didn't find it too surprising.

After all, this tail feather was one of the most precious parts of the Gold and Silver Bird, aside from its demon core.

It was only natural that it carried a wisp of the bird's spirit essence.

What truly surprised Chu Ning was that this wisp of spirit essence was evidently more powerful than what a peak seventh-rank beast should possess.

It had already reached the threshold of an eighth-rank demonic beast.

"Is it because the Gold and Silver Bird's spirit essence was already at the level of an eighth-rank demonic beast, only lacking the tribulation to shape its physical form? Or did the lightning tribulation we helped it with refine its spirit essence and even trigger the tribulation?"

Chu Ning had his guesses, but he had no definitive answers.

However, this wasn't his main concern.

What truly interested him was that since this tail feather contained the Gold and Silver Bird's spirit essence, it could be of great help to him.

Initially, he had planned to use this feather to refine a brush that could draw the Ice Shadow Sword Seal.

But now, after seeing this wisp of spirit essence, Chu Ning changed his mind.

"Previously, I couldn't completely control the Fiery Sun Spirit Bird's spirit essence, nor could I refine it into the Fire Spirit Sword.

On one hand, it was because I was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm back then.

On the other hand, the Fiery Sun Spirit Bird's spirit essence was too powerful. That bird was probably comparable to a tenth-rank demonic beast at the late Nascent Soul stage.

Even now, I still wouldn't be able to refine its spirit essence.

However, the Gold and Silver Bird's spirit essence is different..."

Chu Ning gazed at the tail feather in his hand.

This wisp of spirit essence felt powerful, but not to the point where it was uncontrollable.

Being close to the level of an eighth-rank demonic beast, he was confident that he could completely refine it.

And its power wouldn't be too shabby either.

Chu Ning believed that if he could truly refine this spirit essence into the Golden Spirit Sword, it would definitely enhance the sword to some extent.

As for the spirit essence not being extremely powerful yet, when he reached the Nascent Soul stage in the future, this spirit essence's power would no longer be sufficient for him.

At that time, he could just refine it again. For now, his priority was to enhance his current strength.

With that in mind, Chu Ning decided against refining the feather into a brush and instead carefully stored it in a jade box.

He could refine the brush later after refining the spirit essence out of it.

"Next, I still need to find a way to get my hands on the Nine Ritual Golds, Stellar Core Sand, and yes, the Black Astral Metal..."

At this moment, Chu Ning took out the black chain made of Darksteel. A frown appeared on his face.

There was simply too much Black Iron for him to refine all of it, so he still needed to figure out a way to cut off a section.

Finding an ancient treasure wasn't feasible at the moment.

Moreover, even if he found an ancient treasure, it might not necessarily be suitable for cutting the chain.

Chu Ning slightly furrowed his brows, regretting that he hadn't asked Ge Liuyang to help cut off a few more sections back then.

"After breaking through to the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, my Golden Core has become stronger, and the power of my Elixir Fire has also increased. I wonder if I can use my Elixir Fire to cut off a section of the chain."

With that in mind, Chu Ning condensed a ball of Elixir Fire in his hand and directed it at the Black Profound Metal chain, attempting to burn it continuously to see if he could refine a section of it.

After trying for a while, Chu Ning had no choice but to give up on this plan.

"Indeed, my Inner Flame has become stronger, but to refine this Black Profound Metal, I still need to use my Inner Flame to envelop the entire material and slowly refine it.

I can't just burn through the chain at a single point and expect it to break. It seems like I'll have to come up with another plan."

With that, Chu Ning once again began rummaging through his storage bag.

This time, he wasn't looking for any treasures.

Instead, he was searching for jade slips, some of which he had brought with him from the Nine Lotus Sect, while others were obtained from killing various cultivators.

Chu Ning hoped to find some clues or information from these jade slips.

He even started scouring for related cultivation manuals everywhere, hoping to find some leads.

However, this was evidently not an easy task and would require a significant amount of time.

After all, with his newly upgraded Golden Spirit Body, he now cultivated a four-attribute technique instead of the previous three.

While the old dan formulas could still be used, he wanted to maximize their effectiveness and thus, needed to formulate new ones.

Fortunately, he had obtained numerous demon beast inner dans from his recent encounters.

Unlike before, when he would only leave his cave abode once every six months, Chu Ning now participated in the Frost Moon Pavilion's internal trades almost monthly.

Not only did he exchange for spirit herbs, but he also collected various manuals and materials for weapon refining.

However, after three months, his efforts didn't yield any significant results.

On this day, Chu Ning prepared to visit the Frost Moon Pavilion again, hoping to find something valuable.

While the pavilion held major trades every ten days, the one at the end of the month usually attracted more Golden Core cultivators, and consequently, better items.

Besides Chu Ning, Chang Ling Shan and Han Shi Hong were also regulars at these monthly trades.

What surprised Chu Ning was the presence of He Yong Zhi and Wu Rong Feng, a couple he hadn't seen since they parted ways three months ago.

Chang Ling Shan had fully recovered from his injuries two months ago, and it was unlikely that He Yong Zhi and Wu Rong Feng were still recuperating, so Chu Ning wondered if they had simply avoided Frost Moon Pavilion events or if they had other engagements.

"Brother Chu!"

As Chu Ning entered the main hall of the pavilion, the four of them immediately stood up and bowed in greeting, their gratitude from months ago still evident.

Wu Ling Wei and Tang Jin Chuan, who were already seated in the hall, exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise at the sight.

These four cultivators were all at the mid-Golden Core stage, and Chu Ning had even reached this stage later than the others.

Yet, they treated Chu Ning with deference, almost as if they looked up to him, which naturally piqued the interest of the two Golden Core cultivators from the Frost Moon Pavilion.

However, they didn't pry further, merely reassessing Chu Ning with a newfound respect.

Chu Ning, for his part, didn't mind this subtle shift in dynamics. In a way, it increased his influence, which could be beneficial.

He walked straight over and took a seat next to He Yong Zhi and Wu Rong Feng.

"It's been a few months since we last saw each other," Chu Ning remarked.

"Brother Chu, we've been away for the past two months," Wu Rong Feng replied with a smile. "Actually, we were planning to look for you after this gathering. We have some news about the two items you asked us to inquire about."

"Oh?" Chu Ning's eyes lit up at her words.

He had only asked them to gather information about the materials for refining the Golden Spirit Sword, and Wu Rong Feng's hint piqued his curiosity.

If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, he would have pressed for more details immediately.

But Chu Ning's years of cultivation had honed his patience, and he calmly replied, "Then, please come to my cave abode after this gathering so we can discuss it further."

He Yong Zhi and Wu Rong Feng readily agreed.

Perhaps because not everyone had arrived yet, the small hall buzzed with casual conversations.

A tall, elderly cultivator, seemingly around the same age as Chang Ling Shan, suddenly spoke up, "Fellow cultivators, have any of you been to the Central Sea region lately? I heard that a seventh-rank demonic beast has appeared there, and it's said to be hostile towards cultivators, often initiating attacks."

The old man's words immediately captured everyone's attention.

The Boundless Sea was a crucial resource hub for cultivators, especially the Central Sea region, which was closely tied to Golden Core cultivators.

A beautiful female cultivator, with a hint of concern, asked, "Elder, do you know what kind of demonic beast it is and where exactly it was spotted? I was planning to head to the Central Sea soon to look for a few things."

"I advise against going there for now," the old man shook his head. "There's not just one seventh-rank demonic beast in the Central Sea region. As for the location, I only know of one on a sea island about three thousand miles southeast, but I have no information about the others."

Hearing this, the beautiful cultivator's face paled slightly.

"Eighth-rank demonic beasts cannot enter the Central Sea, and seventh-rank ones rarely appeared there in the past. I've only heard of one or two such cases, but now there are suddenly several seventh-rank beasts."

"I've also heard from some fellow cultivators that not only have the seventh-rank demonic beasts increased in number, but the fifth and sixth-rank ones have also diminished," another cultivator added.

The rest of the Golden Core cultivators wore expressions of confusion and suspicion.

Wu Ling Wei stood up and said, "Fellow cultivators, I was planning to share this information after the trade began, but since Elder Qiu brought up the topic, I'll go ahead and tell you what the Frost Moon Pavilion has learned."

With that, the previously noisy hall fell silent, everyone hanging on to Wu Ling Wei's next words.

Wu Lingwei's usually smiling face was now serious and dignified.

The expressions of the crowd changed as they saw the solemnity on Wu Lingwei's face.

At this moment, Wu Lingwei continued, "According to the information we've gathered from various sources, something unusual happened to the demon race in the Boundless Sea a couple of months ago.

Back then, a Nascent Soul late-stage expert from Jinlin Island sensed that a demon beast was undergoing its transformation tribulation in the Outer Sea.

However, when this Nascent Soul cultivator wanted to go and take a look, he discovered that the place was teeming with eighth-rank and ninth-rank demons.

He even sensed the presence of a tenth-rank demon beast."

"Tenth-rank demon beast?"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise at Wu Lingwei's words.

Demon beasts start to take on human forms from the eighth-rank, with more parts transforming at the ninth-rank.

And by the tenth-rank, they are completely human in appearance, indistinguishable from human cultivators.

They are comparable to Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators in power.

Moreover, even ordinary Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators would think twice before provoking such a beast.

"Indeed, after sensing the presence of a tenth-rank demon, that Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator decided not to go any further.

However, a few days later, a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator from the Huanling Sect was attacked by a ninth-rank demon beast while passing through the Outer Sea.

I heard that his physical body was destroyed, and he almost perished, barely escaping with his Nascent Soul intact."

"Whoa!"

Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air at Wu Lingwei's words.

"A Nascent Soul cultivator almost died!"

Their eyes widened in shock.

Chu Ning, Chang Ling Shan, and Wu Rongfeng exchanged glances, a hint of strangeness in their eyes.

They all seemed to suspect something.

Wu Lingwei continued, "Normally, eighth-rank and ninth-rank demons wouldn't take the initiative to attack humans unless a cultivator ventures into their territory.

But according to our information, that Nascent Soul cultivator from the Huanling Sect was just passing through the Outer Sea and even deliberately avoided their territories, yet he still suffered an attack.

And it's not just the Outer Sea; the same is true for the Central and Inner Seas.

In the past two to three months, there have been cases of demon beasts taking the initiative to attack human cultivators.

Moreover, it's not just random attacks; some demons are lying in wait to ambush solitary cultivators."

Wu Lingwei paused for a moment, a slight frown on her face.

"According to the latest news, just yesterday, an island in the Inner Sea was besieged by demon beasts.

Over a hundred demon beasts participated in the attack, and more than half of the cultivators on that island perished.

If it weren't for two lucky Golden Core cultivators passing by, the entire island would have fallen to the demons."

Everyone's faces turned grave, finally realizing the severity of the situation.

Demon beasts taking the initiative to attack human cultivators and even besieging their islands meant that the danger level of venturing into the Boundless Sea had increased severalfold.

The elderly cultivator who had first brought up the topic couldn't help but ask, "Sister Wu, do you happen to know what caused this?"

"We have no way of knowing what exactly happened a few months ago when the demon beast in the Outer Sea underwent its tribulation."

Wu Lingwei shook her head with a slight sigh.

"However, the conflict between the cultivators and the demon race in the Boundless Sea has a long history. A thousand years ago, the top experts from both sides fought a great battle in the sea.

The human cultivators had a slight advantage, which brought about a thousand years of peace.

During this millennium, countless cultivators and rogue cultivators from our North Cold Land have gone to the Boundless Sea to gather resources and even hunt demon beasts.

Especially fifth-rank and sixth-rank demon beasts, which have been hunted in large numbers, probably stirring up resentment among the demon race.

This recent incident is likely just the spark that ignited the powder keg."

Hearing Wu Lingwei's words, the cultivators exchanged glances, but no one spoke up.

Some of them looked a little uncomfortable, but most maintained their composure.

Having reached the Golden Core realm, who among them hadn't killed a few demon beasts?

Not to mention lower-ranked ones, but even fifth-rank and sixth-rank beasts had been slain by many present.

Chu Ning, however, remained calm, his face expressionless as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

Although Chu Ning had spent the least time in the Immortal City and had reached the Golden Core mid-stage the latest, he was probably the one who had killed the most demon beasts among those present.

But at this moment, Chu Ning didn't attribute the recent turmoil in the Boundless Sea to his actions.

After all, the tension had been building up for a long time.

As Wu Lingwei had mentioned, the conflict between cultivators and the demon race had a long history.

Perhaps the tribulation of the Gold and Silver Bird a few months ago and the subsequent slaughter of numerous demon beasts in the Central Sea had been the spark that set everything off.

But that was all.

If it hadn't been for those incidents, something else would have eventually ignited the powder keg.

Perhaps due to the attention drawn by the dramatic changes in the Boundless Sea, the subsequent trading process was noticeably less enthusiastic. Everyone exchanged a few items before the gathering came to an end.

Following their earlier conversation, Chu Ning invited He Yongzhi and Wu Rongfeng to his cave abode for further discussion.

Considering that they might have some valuable information for him, he didn't extend the invitation to Chang Ling Shan and He Shihong.

The two men seemed to sense something amiss and tactfully declined.

As soon as they entered Chu Ning's cave abode, Wu Rongfeng smiled and said, "Brother Chu, after you mentioned those two materials to us last time, we made some inquiries.

Fortunately, we didn't fail you, and we managed to gather some information."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end