Chapter 301: Spirit Clarity Fruit, the Infant Condensation Fruit

Chapter 301: Spirit Clarity Fruit, the Infant Condensation Fruit

Back in his cave abode, Chu Ning was still filled with doubts and questions. The fact that Xi Menxia could utilize the Heavenly Gift of Metal Qi lingered in his mind, refusing to leave. Coupled with the memory of how Dantai Song could vaguely sense the aura of a spiritual beast through its beast bag, Chu Ning began to speculate that he might indeed be very unique in this cultivation world, but not the only special existence.

This realization caused Chu Ning to become more cautious and vigilant. The idea of refining special beast bags that he had contemplated earlier was now moved to the top of his agenda.

Chu Ning had prior experience with refining beast bags and storage bags during his time in the Jiuhua Sect. However, due to the versatility of these items, he hadn't delved into specialized research on them. Now, he recalled the refining process and recorded it on a jade slip.

Glancing at the list of materials required, Chu Ning realized that none of them were particularly complex. He could easily purchase them in the market whenever he wanted. Even some of the materials from the aquatic demon beasts he had hunted before could be used to refine high-level storage bags.

Yet, Chu Ning aspired to refine something even more extraordinary.

"Whether it's a beast bag or a storage bag, it's fundamentally based on the manipulation of spatial force. And the most challenging aspect is inscribing the spatial force talismanic matrix. Incorporating other talismanic matrices into it further complicates the task." Chu Ning pondered to himself.

Indeed, spatial force was one of the most intricate forces in existence, and this was no exaggeration. In the cultivation world, cultivators had often contemplated shrinking storage bags or teleportation formations. However, the reason why items like storage rings or bracelets hadn't appeared in this world was due to the complexity of the talismanic matrix required to harness spatial force. It was exceedingly difficult to inscribe such intricate matrices onto tiny objects.

Even with Chu Ning's cultivation of the Void Finger, granting him a deeper understanding of spatial force than ordinary cultivators, he knew he couldn't accomplish this task alone. However, with his insights and the incorporation of other matrix inscriptions, it might be worth attempting.

For the next few months, Chu Ning dedicated most of his attention to this endeavor. Aside from venturing out once every ten days to Frost Moon Pavilion to browse for any interesting items and to deliver new goods to Xi Menxia while collecting the spirit stones from their sales, his focus remained on his project.

Xi Menxia proved to be diligent and dedicated. Especially after Chu Ning casually refined two furnaces of metallic-attribute pills and gave them to her, she ensured that almost every item he provided was sold out within ten days. This was partly due to the recent situation in Ice Island Immortal City, but also a result of her own efforts.

As a solitary cultivator who merely set up a small stall in the market, she had initially attracted the attention of some cultivators. However, after Chu Ning appeared a couple of times, those cultivators dared not entertain any improper thoughts toward her anymore.

Xi Menxia faithfully handed over all the spirit stones from the sales to Chu Ning, who would then return a small portion to her. Although Chu Ning didn't directly sell these items himself, his frequent visits to Frost Moon Pavilion kept him informed about the market rates. He found that the amount of spirit stones Xi Menxia gave him was always slightly more than his estimates, indicating her honesty and lack of deceit. This naturally pleased him.

Aside from these outings every ten days, Chu Ning spent the rest of his time in his cave abode, studying the talismanic matrix for the spatial storage bag. He contemplated ways to superimpose additional matrices that would enhance the concealment and insulation against probing. Additionally, he wanted to make these storage bags and beast bags smaller and less conspicuous.

Even with his innate talents in the Dao of Talismans and Matrixes, as well as his Spirit Body, accomplishing this task was no easy feat. It took him four months to research and refine the superimposition of talismanic matrices, another month to find suitable materials and attempt the refinement, and even more time for testing.

After nearly six months of tireless effort, Chu Ning finally succeeded in refining several storage bags and beast bags for his personal use. He looked at the bags before him, noticeably smaller than the ones he had used before, and nodded in satisfaction.

"The spatial capacity is double that of my previous storage bag, but the size is only half. Moreover, with the addition of several matrices, the concealment of the aura is much stronger!" Chu Ning smiled, emptying the contents of his old storage bag and transferring them into the new one.

He had specifically inscribed a divine sense matrix on these storage bags, enabling them to shield against divine sense probes. If someone were to attempt a divine sense scan, he would not only be alerted but also be able to reinforce his divine sense for protection.

The beast bags were crafted with similar care. To test them, he had purchased various spiritual beasts from the market and kept them in the bags for half a month each to ensure their functionality. Only after confirming their effectiveness did he allow Jin Leidia to enter and stay in one for another half a month.

Receiving positive feedback from Jin Leidia about being able to sense the heaven and earth spiritual qi normally while inside the beast bag, Chu Ning finally placed Ling Xiaobai into one of the new bags. After all, the little guy was currently in the process of advancing, and Chu Ning didn't want the bag to affect him negatively.

With his possessions updated and the Snow Crystal carefully stored on his body once more, Chu Ning left his cave abode and headed straight for his destination—Frosthaven Valley.

For the past six months, despite his diligent searches in the market and Frost Moon Pavilion, Chu Ning had been unable to find the Nine Patterns Gold. Thus, the trip to Snow Mist Valley had become a necessity.

Chu Ning entered the Snow Peak Mountain Range and flew directly to the outskirts of Snow Mist Valley. Already, numerous Golden Core cultivators had gathered outside the valley, along with a few Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As for the Foundation Establishment cultivators, they mostly lingered on the outskirts.

As soon as Chu Ning arrived, he spotted Chang LingShan and Wu RongFeng waving at him from a distance. He immediately flew over to join them.

However, he didn't see Han ShiHong among them.

The group greeted Chu Ning with a bow, to which he returned the gesture and took the initiative to ask, "Have you all arrived as well, fellow daoists?"

"Yes, we had to come. With the drastic changes in the sea, who knows what will happen next," Chang LingShan replied with a sigh, his long arm gesturing towards the direction of the Snow Mist Valley.

"This valley only opens once every ten years, so it's a chance to gather some resources. Who knows if we'll even be able to stay in Ice Island Immortal City after this, let alone cultivate."

Chu Ning chuckled at Chang LingShan's words and said, "Fellow Daoist Chang, you're exaggerating. With your previous accumulation, you could easily stay here for a hundred years without any problems."

Only after interacting with him for a while did Chu Ning realize that Chang LingShan's frequent visits to Frost Moon Pavilion were largely due to his habit of stockpiling cultivation resources.

Over the past several months, as resources in Ice Island Immortal City skyrocketed in price, Chu Ning had certainly made a substantial profit.

Later on, he even provided Xi MenXia with numerous intermediate talismans, raking in a considerable number of spirit stones.

But old timers like Chang LingShan might have earned even more than him.

"Better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry!" Chang LingShan laughed it off.

"Look at all these Golden Core cultivators who have shown up, and even quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators taking a gamble. They must be thinking the same thing."

Chu Ning nodded in agreement, but he felt that these Foundation Establishment cultivators were probably forced into a corner.

With the cultivating environment in Ice Island Immortal City deteriorating, survival would become increasingly difficult for these lower-level cultivators.

Xi MenXia had mentioned that if it weren't for Chu Ning helping her find a way to earn spirit stones, she would have had to take a risk in the Snow Mist Valley as well.

Of course, she was currently still running her stall in the market.

"I didn't expect Little Brother Chu to come this time," Chang LingShan said, sounding slightly surprised.

"So I didn't look for you before leaving."

Chu Ning smiled and replied, "Just like Elder Chang, I'm here to try my luck."

Upon hearing Chu Ning's words, Wu RongFeng and his wife exchanged glances.

They could guess that Chu Ning's main purpose for this trip was most likely related to the Nine Patterns Gold.

However, since Chu Ning hadn't brought up the topic of helping them find it, the couple naturally didn't bring it up either.

Taking advantage of the conversation, Chu Ning began to survey his surroundings, curious about who else had entered the valley.

He recognized quite a few Golden Core solitary cultivators from Frost Moon Pavilion, even if they weren't very familiar with each other.

After all, he had visited Frost Moon Pavilion frequently over the past several months.

On the other hand, he didn't recognize some of the obvious overseas island cultivators or the sect cultivators from the other two continents.

At that moment, Chu Ning's gaze swept across a group of people without pausing, but his mind was buzzing with thoughts.

"People from the Illusion Spirit Sect are here, but it seems like the young master of the sect isn't present."

Among the Illusion Spirit Sect cultivators, he didn't spot Dan TaiSong's figure.

Chu Ning wasn't sure if he was heavily injured from the earth vein's impact or if the Snow Mist Valley simply didn't have anything worth his while.

However, Chu Ning didn't find this surprising.

The reason why the Snow Mist Valley opening had attracted so many Golden Core late-stage peak cultivators ten years ago was mainly due to the thousand-year-old Snow Crystal Herb.

This time, however, no extraordinary treasures had been discovered in the valley.

These ordinary resources might still hold some appeal for solitary cultivators, but they might not be as attractive to the major sects.

As Chu Ning observed, he noticed that there were indeed some Golden Core late-stage cultivators, but not many.

There were only about three to five cultivators at the Golden Core late-stage peak.

Chu Ning naturally examined each of them carefully.

With his current means, he wasn't overly afraid of them.

However, if he could avoid conflict, it would be best to do so.

After all, his primary goal for this trip was the Nine Patterns Gold.

Time ticked by, and the number of cultivators in the vicinity gradually increased.

Han ShiHong had also arrived outside the valley and joined their group upon seeing them.

At this moment, Chu Ning noticed that the number of Golden Core late-stage cultivators was steadily growing.

There were even a few cultivators at the Golden Core late-stage peak.

Moreover, several of them looked elderly, with visibly aged appearances, resembling Di Yan's state to some extent.

However, compared to Di Yan, their conditions seemed much better.

At the very least, Chu Ning couldn't sense any signs of their vitality waning.

As Chu Ning was pondering this, another white-haired elder appeared.

This man wore a gray robe, had a medium build, and gave off an air of being in the twilight of his years. Even his eyes seemed slightly cloudy.

Yet, the aura he exuded was incredibly vigorous, indicating that he had also reached the Golden Core late-stage peak.

Although Chu Ning didn't recognize this person, his peculiar state caught his attention, and he found himself stealing glances at the elder.

At this moment, the crowd of Golden Core cultivators outside the Snow Mist Valley stirred with commotion.

Many of the cultivators wore surprised expressions.

"How did that old devil come here too? Could the recent rumors be true?"

Chang LingShan also couldn't help but exclaim softly.

The group had set up a restriction earlier, so his voice didn't carry beyond their small circle.

Hearing this, Chu Ning asked, "Elder Chang, who is that person?"

"Eight hundred years ago?" Chu Ning asked, taken aback.

Wu Rongfeng and his wife echoed his surprise, with Wu Rongfeng exclaiming, "The lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator usually caps out at eight hundred years. Even if he condensed his Golden Core a hundred years before his lifespan ended, his lifespan should have run out by now."

Chang LingShan nodded, "According to reason, he should have passed away long ago. However, it is said that three hundred years ago, he cultivated a secret technique to extend his lifespan. But this secret art seems to have had some negative effects as well. This man used to have a murderous nature, but in the past three hundred years, he hasn't made a move. Many cultivators speculate that it might be related to the secret art he cultivated."

"And he's here today, could that news be true after all?" Chang LingShan finished, his eyes narrowing.

Hearing Chang LingShan mention "news" again, the four of them exchanged glances, and Chu Ning asked, "Elder Chang, what news are you talking about?"

Chang LingShan hesitated for a moment, then said, "This news only came out in the past day or two. There was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who let it slip that he had seen the Spirit Clarity Fruit in this Snow Mist Valley before."

"Spirit Clarity Fruit?" The group couldn't help but exclaim softly at this.

Even He Yongzhi, who was usually quiet, spoke up, "Is that the legendary fruit that increases the chances of condensing a Nascent Soul?"

Chang LingShan nodded slightly.

Immediately, a glint of desire flashed in the eyes of the four.

Condensing a Nascent Soul was the dream of countless Golden Core cultivators.

However, in reality, condensing a Nascent Soul was incredibly difficult. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many late Golden Core cultivators stuck at the peak of the late Golden Core stage.

Although Chu Ning could refresh his talents and possessed astonishing talents, allowing him to reach the mid Golden Core stage in just a few decades, he still didn't have a hundred percent certainty of condensing a Nascent Soul.

So, when he heard about the Spirit Clarity Fruit, which could increase the chances of condensing a Nascent Soul, it was only natural that he was tempted.

However, Chu Ning quickly calmed down from the initial shock of hearing this news and asked doubtfully, "If there is such a thing as the Spirit Clarity Fruit, why hasn't there been any news about it before? And why has it suddenly come to light now? It's a bit strange."

"It is a bit strange," Chang LingShan agreed.

"I heard about this news just a couple of days ago, and it was from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so I didn't mention it to you all. But looking at how many late Golden Core peak cultivators have shown up today, it seems like quite a few people believe this news."

Chang LingShan seemed to understand the group's doubts and continued, "As you all know, the spiritual herbs, materials, and treasures within Snow Mist Valley change every decade, and even the terrain undergoes slight alterations each time it opens. Because of this, many people suspect that this place might be connected to another space."

Chang LingShan's words caused Chu Ning and the others to nod; they were indeed aware of this.

This was why, even after obtaining the map from the Deep Sound Valley Nascent Soul cultivator, Chu Ning was still overjoyed at the opportunity to help the Golden Winged Spirit Butterfly advance.

He couldn't be sure if he would be able to find the same location according to the map, and even if he did, he wasn't certain if the Nine Pattern Gold would still be there.

Chang LingShan continued, "According to that Foundation Establishment cultivator, he saw a place filled with Spirit Clarity Fruit just before leaving the valley ten years ago. However, as the Snow Mist Valley was about to be sealed by the blizzard again, the Spirit Clarity Fruit disappeared from sight, and he couldn't harvest any."

Chu Ning frowned slightly as he listened.

"Why would someone keep such confidential information secret? And why reveal it just before the opening of the Snow Mist Valley? It doesn't sound very reliable."

Chang LingShan nodded in agreement and replied, "Who's to say it isn't? But this person shouted it out three days ago when he was attacked by a demon beast in the Inner Sea, and many people heard him. Moreover, since he was killed by the demon beast, there's no way to verify the information. I initially thought that not many people would believe it. But now it seems..."

"Advancing to the Nascent Soul stage is just too tempting for Golden Core cultivators," Wu Rongfeng sighed.

"Especially for those late Golden Core cultivators whose lifespans are almost up. Advancing to the Nascent Soul stage is their only hope. And if you think about it, a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't have any reason to suddenly make up such information right before dying."

The group nodded in agreement.

Although they all felt that the timing of this news was highly suspicious, they understood why so many late Golden Core cultivators had shown up.

Chu Ning's brows furrowed as he realized that his earlier assumption that this trip wouldn't be too troublesome was overly optimistic.

Especially when he saw that there were already over ten cultivators at the late Golden Core peak stage, Chu Ning shook his head slightly.

The cultivation world was indeed deep and full of hidden dangers, and one could never imagine how many old monsters were lurking in the shadows.

As Chu Ning was lost in thought, a figure appeared, causing a stir among the gathered cultivators.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end