Chapter 323: Planning the Clear Spirit Pill
Celestial Spring Peak.
This journey to the Ghost Domain had yielded abundant gains, but it had also uncovered certain secrets.
It allowed Lin Chang’an to realize that the waters of the Ghost Domain ran very deep. Unless absolutely necessary, it would be better for him not to go there lightly.
“However, this trip was still far from wasted.”
Inside the cave abode, Lin Chang’an looked at the jade slips he had sorted out. After filling an entirely new bookshelf to the brim, he revealed a satisfied smile.
This greatly satisfied his collector’s obsession.
“More than half of the inheritance of the Sinister Soul Sect is almost all here—various ancient texts, spells, cultivation insights, jade slips of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, and more.”
As he categorized them one by one, he even created dozens of specialized classifications for them.
If he were to find a small place now, or return to the Seven Kingdoms, relying on this foundation alone would be enough for him to establish a sect and become a Golden Core Patriarch of his own faction.
“These foundations alone are enough for me to digest for quite a while. Especially the records in these ancient texts—many of them simply don’t exist outside.”
While Lin Chang’an was organizing the harvest from this trip, the Wind-Chirp Bird did not return to the Earthfire Cavern. Instead, it behaved unusually and stood on his shoulder.
“Master, you’re tired.”
The Wind-Chirp Bird wore a flattering expression, yet the constantly darting eyes revealed unmistakable cunning.
Moreover, those eyes were staring straight at the Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit Beast King, looking as if drool was about to drip out. The sight left Lin Chang’an speechless.
“Tired? I’m fine.”
However, Lin Chang’an pretended not to notice anything and did not follow the bird’s lead.
This made the Wind-Chirp Bird anxious, but it still suppressed its desire and even adopted a comically fawning posture.
“Master, look, this little sinister tiger is useless now. Why not let me eat it?”
The dagger finally revealed itself.
The Wind-Chirp Bird directly exposed its greed, its gaze fixed intensely toward the corner of the cave abode where the shrunk Sinister Spirit Beast King was hiding.
Immediately, the Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit Beast King trembled in fear.
This was instinctive terror that came from the depths of its soul.
“Glutton!”
Lin Chang’an laughed helplessly and knocked the Wind-Chirp Bird lightly on the head.
“You really dare to dream. Although this Sinister Spirit Beast King isn’t very strong, do you know how much effort I spent refining the control methods for it? And you want to eat it in one bite.”
How valuable was a Sinister Spirit Beast King?
Not even mentioning the time he had spent cultivating it, the materials alone for the control artifacts had cost him quite a lot.
To simply use it once and discard it would be a massive loss.
“Master!”
The Wind-Chirp Bird started massaging his shoulders and fanning him with its wings, acting extremely ingratiating. The sight made Lin Chang’an laugh.
“Alright. Since this trip yielded quite good gains, I’ll reward you with this Sinister Spirit Demon Core. But you’re not allowed to touch that Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit.”
As Lin Chang’an took out a low-grade Third-rank Sinister Spirit Demon Core, the Wind-Chirp Bird immediately let out an excited cry and even patted its chest while promising:
“Don’t worry, Master. That little sinister spirit is only worth this demon core anyway.”
Opening its mouth, it swallowed the demon core in a single gulp. The Wind-Chirp Bird showed a satisfied expression and didn’t even glance at the sinister spirit hiding in the corner.
It directly turned into a streak of golden light and flew toward the Earthfire Cavern.
“Master, I’m going to cultivate.”
After receiving its reward, the Wind-Chirp Bird could not wait to return to its glittering nest built from Spirit Stones to cultivate.
After it left, the Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit Beast King hiding in the corner finally let out a sigh of relief.
But in the next moment, Lin Chang’an’s gaze fell upon it.
Immediately, the Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit Beast King was frightened again. It tucked its tail and lay flat on the ground.
“A Sinister Spirit Beast King… If it’s only used like this, it would be too wasteful.”
Lin Chang’an narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Earlier, he had already discovered that his Mysterious Sky mana could also purify sinister spirits.
Ordinary sinister spirits were filled with endless resentment. Most were born from the unwillingness and hatred of cultivators or demon beasts before death.
This resulted in sinister spirits being extremely violent.
However, there were also special sinister spirits.
For example, those born within certain special spiritual lands, formed purely from extremely refined Yin energy.
Such sinister spirits had high potential. When they reached the Third Rank, they would gradually develop intelligence.
But these were extremely rare.
Even more commonly, such sinister spirits later became impure after devouring their own kind for long periods.
The reason he had not done this before was firstly because he lacked time, and secondly because a perfectly pure Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King would easily attract attention if brought to the island of the Sinister Soul Sect.
“According to the ancient records, if it is a pure Sinister Spirit Beast King, it does have value for cultivation.”
At this thought, Lin Chang’an nodded inwardly.
But its value was mainly as a spirit pet.
The primary reason was that sinister spirits were filled with violent thoughts and were difficult to tame, unlike demon beasts such as the Azure-Horned Ox.
Those raised from a young age were closer to their masters and generally would not betray them.
“I’ll keep raising it for now. After all, it’s still a Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King. Used unexpectedly, it might produce surprising effects.”
After all, he had invested so many resources into it. Extracting the demon core directly would be too wasteful.
“You’re lucky.”
With a single thought deciding the future of the Two-headed Tiger Sinister Spirit Beast King, Lin Chang’an revealed a calm expression.
With a wave of his hand, he placed it into a Spirit Beast Pouch.
Purifying it with Mysterious Sky mana would take time, so he would proceed slowly.
Once purification was complete, this Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King would gradually develop intelligence like a normal demon beast and could then be tamed.
With such enormous gains from this trip, Lin Chang’an had no intention of going out to hunt.
Sitting atop a mountain of treasure, he wished he could spend every moment lying upon it while digesting everything.
…
Time passed like a shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
During these five years, quite a few things happened.
The most shocking was that Bihai Palace personally announced that the Fourth-rank Shape-shifting Sinister Spirit Beast King within the Ghost Domain possessed extremely powerful Spiritual Sense, already comparable to the Late Nascent Soul Realm.
Using its powerful Spiritual Sense, it employed secret techniques to parasitize the Spiritual Sense of cultivators who had obtained treasures.
Under normal circumstances, this could not be detected at all.
Only Nascent Soul cultivators could discover it through personal inspection.
Without even realizing it themselves, cultivators would gradually become puppets of the Sinister Spirit Beast King.
This news caused quite a stir.
It was said that many Core Formation cultivators grew worried and had already pledged allegiance to Bihai Palace.
However, Bihai Palace later publicly revealed the method to avoid such parasitic possession.
“Master, news from the Outer Sea says that a shape-shifting great demon has appeared. Also, the wandering Nascent Soul cultivator Heavenly Mirror True Lord, who had disappeared for many years, has resurfaced…
And on Five Dragon Island, the Four Seas Merchant Guild and Xuanyin Pavilion are confronting each other. The Long Clan has also lost another Core Formation cultivator—it seems they truly have declined…”
Celestial Spring Peak, inside a pavilion.
Lin Chang’an held a jade slip while reading it carefully. At the same time, he listened to the report from his Sword Attendant and could not help shaking his head.
The Beast Sea Abyss was still as chaotic as ever.
However, ever since the Treasure Radiance Pavilion opened to him, and with the inheritance of the Sinister Soul Sect, his knowledge had increased greatly.
Now, when looking at the current situation, he merely smiled calmly.
“In the end, this is simply the normal state of the Beast Sea Abyss, and the normal state of cultivators competing for interests.”
Some Nascent Soul cultivators who had remained hidden for over a century were now appearing.
They were most likely preparing for that Secret Realm.
Some wished to gamble for the heaven-defying opportunities within the Secret Realm.
Others, whose lifespans were nearing their end, sought only the Longevity Fruit.
The entire situation in the Beast Sea Abyss was no different from the Five Dragon Island Marketplace.
Everything revolved around one word—profit.
“This so-called number one Secret Realm of the Beast Sea Abyss truly makes people flock to it.”
After years of investigation—from Yun Yao’s Mystic Yin Divine Sect, the Treasure Radiance Pavilion of Bihai Palace, and records within the Sinister Soul Sect’s texts—Lin Chang’an was no longer ignorant.
He now understood quite a lot about the situation inside the Secret Realm.
Within it were countless ancient cultivation methods and divine abilities left behind from ancient times.
There were even many ancient treasures.
Among them was the Longevity Fruit, said to increase lifespan by sixty years with a single bite, as well as opportunities for Nascent Soul formation.
Yet even these were not the greatest treasures.
“Now that I’m already at the Mid Core Formation stage, when the Secret Realm opens, reaching Late Core Formation shouldn’t be difficult. But if I want to form the Nascent Soul, I must find a Nascent Soul Spirit Item.”
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an revealed a resolute expression.
Heaven grants opportunity—if one refuses it, calamity follows. When the time arrives and one fails to act, disaster comes instead.
【Third-rank Mid-grade Formation Master (Proficient 671/1000)】
Looking at his progress in the Formation Path, especially after obtaining a bundle of ancient formation-breaking jade slips from the Sinister Soul Sect, his progress had accelerated significantly.
He was confident that he could reach the Third-rank High-grade within twenty years.
“Even though reaching Third-rank High-grade Formation Master before the Secret Realm opens is no problem, according to the records, the labyrinth inside the Secret Realm contains countless opportunities.
The stronger my comprehension in the Formation Path, the greater my chances.”
Reaching the Fourth Rank or even Quasi–Fourth-rank before the Secret Realm opened was extremely difficult.
However, even among Third-rank High-grade Formation Masters, abilities varied.
The higher his proficiency, the stronger his capabilities.
Furthermore, the timing of his breakthrough could not be revealed too early.
It would be best to expose it at the most appropriate moment.
Ideally, others would believe he had talent in formations, but was still slightly inferior to true geniuses.
“Master, this is the recent profit share from the marketplace.”
After finishing her report, the Sword Attendant respectfully presented the Spirit Stone Pouch that had been delivered earlier.
Lin Chang’an nodded slightly.
Coincidentally, during these five years of cultivation, he had gained something extra and needed to refine two treasures that could enhance his strength.
This required quite a few Spirit Stones.
【Lifespan: 209 / 703】
【Realm: Mid Core Formation (14 / 100)】
Over these five years, his cultivation speed had not slowed.
However, he clearly understood that as his cultivation grew higher, his improvement speed would inevitably slow down.
This was only natural.
“Clear Spirit Jade… I never expected that the jade traded at that time would possess such profound mysteries.”
At this moment, Lin Chang’an examined an ancient jade slip that clearly stated:
Clear Spirit Jade was a companion treasure born alongside Spirit Eye Jade.
The Clear Spirit Qi contained within was produced only by Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures.
It was also known as one of the most refined spiritual energies in the world.
“The inheritance jade slips of the Sinister Soul Sect record several uses for it, but this pill formula is exactly what I need right now.”
Clear Spirit Pill.
Using Clear Spirit Jade as the medicinal catalyst, combined with various spirit herbs, it could be refined into a pill that helped cultivators break through Spiritual Sense bottlenecks.
“My Spiritual Sense has long reached the peak of Mid Core Formation, yet over the years I have never crossed that final step.”
Looking at this ancient pill formula, he felt tempted.
Many cultivators first broke through Spiritual Sense bottlenecks using pills.
Doing so would reduce the difficulty when breaking through cultivation bottlenecks.
This was a commonly recognized principle in the cultivation world.
“If it weren’t for the two Spiritual Sense divine abilities recorded in the Art of Spirit Refinement of this ancient cultivation method, I wouldn’t be willing to waste this Clear Spirit Jade.”
Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered.
Even if he continued cultivating normally, his Spiritual Sense would eventually break through.
But if he succeeded earlier, he could save decades of bitter cultivation.
This bottleneck could easily trap talented cultivators for dozens of years.
“And the divine abilities in the Art of Spirit Refinement can only be cultivated after reaching the Late Core Formation Spiritual Sense level.
For me, they would increase my combat power tremendously.
Even without revealing some of my trump cards, I could rely on these divine abilities to severely injure Late Core Formation cultivators.”
One of the divine abilities was a group Spiritual Sense attack.
The other was a single-target attack.
Both possessed immense power and potential, not inferior to the core secret techniques recorded in the ancient texts of the Sinister Soul Sect.
“This cultivation method is truly powerful… but its starting requirements are quite high.”
Thinking about the cultivation method he practiced, Lin Chang’an could not help sighing.
Up to now, it had only given him a passive Regenerative Body.
After forming the Golden Core, he gained the Avatar Technique.
But many other divine abilities still tempted him greatly.
Unfortunately, the conditions were extremely harsh.
“And the power of the Art of Spirit Refinement’s divine abilities is closely related to the strength of the cultivator’s Spiritual Sense.
The sooner I break through, the sooner I can begin cultivating them and increase my strength.”
Thinking about the Secret Realm that would open in less than eighty years, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath.
This Secret Realm was extremely dangerous.
Even Blood Fiend True Lord, a Late Core Formation cultivator, had memories filled with fear regarding it.
What he needed to do now was increase his strength as much as possible during this time.
“This piece of Clear Spirit Jade only requires one third. The remaining materials must not be wasted—the efficiency must be maximized.”
Lin Chang’an took out the palm-sized spiritual jade and revealed a smile.
This was the item he had traded for during the marketplace trading gathering.
He never expected it would be so useful.
Of course, both sides had simply exchanged what they needed.
If he had not obtained most of the inheritance of the Sinister Soul Sect and discovered its uses in ancient texts, he would never have known its true value.
“No wonder sects and great clans with thousand-year inheritances can continue endlessly.
It all comes down to one word—foundation.”
Countless treasures wandered the cultivation world.
Yet without sufficient knowledge and heritage, cultivators could not bring out their true potential.
This showed why the strong only grew stronger.
Even when some cultivators knew something was a treasure, they still did not know how to use it.
“This isn’t exactly picking up a bargain.
Even among Nascent Soul factions, very few people would know the use of this jade.”
After all, it was extremely rare and only recorded in ancient formulas.
“However, refining the Clear Spirit Pill still requires two main ingredients. I’ll need to plan this carefully.”
The first ingredient was a Yin-attribute Demon Core.
The higher the quality of the demon core, the better the effect.
Given that his Spiritual Sense had reached the peak of Mid Core Formation, the best option would be a high-grade Third-rank Yin-attribute Demon Core.
The second ingredient was a nine-hundred-year-old Profound Yin Fruit.
“It seems that whether it’s the demon core or the Profound Yin Fruit, I’ll have to go to the Fog Sea of Tongtian to earn some Spirit Stones.”
Lin Chang’an pondered quietly.
Although hunting sinister spirits in the Ghost Domain would be easier, he intended to use the demon core for pill refinement.
Who knew whether those Late Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast Kings had hidden traps placed on them?
He did not dare take such risks.
It was better to spend more time searching in the Fog Sea of Tongtian rather than take shortcuts.
As for purchasing them, he simply did not have enough Spirit Stones.
As for the Profound Yin Fruit, he could only rely on the Treasure Radiance Pavilion.
After all, he now had privileges there, so he might as well make good use of them.
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