Chapter 392 : Borrowing Influence to Purchase Pills
Chapter 392: Borrowing Influence to Purchase Pills
Observing the stele and comprehending the Heaven-Bestowed Ultimate Scene, obtaining the Yuanshi Heavenly-Gang Dao Source, and receiving the enlightenment of a Void-Refining Dao Venerable descending into the lower realm—these three great accomplishments sounded more fantastical than the last.
Without exaggeration, any one of these three achievements appearing on a Yuqing cultivator would be enough to make them rise to fame within the sect and be revered as an unparalleled prodigy unseen in ten thousand years.
Not to mention that at this moment, all of these achievements had gathered onto Chen Beiwu alone.
Precisely because of this, even though Chen Beiwu had already left Taiyuan Heavenly Realm and gone to visit the Sect Master at Yuqing Hall, the rumors and discussions regarding him only grew more intense as time passed, even spreading throughout the entire Yuqing Immortal Sect with unstoppable momentum.
In an instant, the entire Yuqing Immortal Sect was shaken, and even the distant Five Great Grotto-Heavens began discussing it fervently.
Whenever a cultivator mentioned Chen Beiwu’s name, cries of surprise, discussions, and exclamations of amazement would ring out from all directions. As a result, more and more cultivators began talking about this matter, gradually giving rise to all kinds of rumors.
Some said that Chen Beiwu was not actually born from a humble family, but rather the illegitimate son of some major figure within the sect. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to possess such aptitude and treatment.
Some said that Chen Beiwu was the reincarnation of an immortal cultivation giant. The reason he had been ordinary during his childhood was because his inherited wisdom from his past life had not yet awakened, and his sudden rise now was because his memories and insights from his previous life had returned.
Some said that Chen Beiwu was the Child of Fate. Even if he had been born into a declining family with scarce resources, he could still soar into prominence through the Immortal Alliance Entrance Exam.
Others said that Chen Beiwu cultivated the forbidden secret arts of the Ancient Demon Cult, stealing and grafting the Dao Foundations of many cultivators before undergoing a complete transformation and rapidly rising.
Yu Immortal Pavilion, within the quiet chamber.
Xiao Yu listened to the gentle reports from the surrounding maidservants, and a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes.
There was a saying that went well: “The person who wrongs you knows better than anyone how wronged you are!”
Xiao Yu had countless connections with the Ancient Demon Cult. How could he possibly not know whether Chen Beiwu had cultivated the Ancient Demon Cult’s evil arts?
‘What a pity. A rumor is still just a rumor. If this matter were true, it would actually make things much simpler.’ Xiao Yu thought inwardly.
An unparalleled prodigy carrying stains and having leverage against them was the easiest to control.
The reason was simple. A prodigy with stains would completely lose the possibility of reaching the highest path within the Immortal Alliance.
If Xiao Yu had not been forced into a corner, he absolutely would not have allowed himself to have even the slightest connection with the Ancient Demon Cult.
Thinking of this, he waved his hand, signaling the surrounding maidservants to leave. He then looked toward the shadow beneath the hall pillar behind him.
“Have you investigated everything clearly?” Xiao Yu’s voice was calm, impossible to discern whether he was pleased or angry.
“Reporting to Young Master, Chen Beiwu’s growth experience indeed contains several suspicious points.” The figure hidden within the shadow lowered his head even further.
“Oh?” Xiao Yu became interested. “Speak carefully. What exactly is suspicious?”
“First is his early resources. Chen Beiwu’s resources were limited, yet every time he went fishing, he was able to obtain precious items, such as Blood-Faced Vine, Jade Sword Fish, Grass Within the Stone, Jade-Eyed Salmon, and other cultivation resources.
“Especially Grass Within the Stone. Although that Second-Tier Spiritual Herb is not difficult to obtain, Chen Beiwu should not have had any possibility of knowing the hidden secrets of the Immortal Sect.”
“Second is the Yellow-Tailed Dendrobium business. The amount of Dragon Head Dendrobium purchased by Chen Beiwu was somewhat abnormal.
“Although Anyi County is a relatively famous spiritual material cultivation base within Tianyan Commandery, producing many quasi-wild spiritual materials such as Dragon Head Dendrobium, the purchase price of the additional Dragon Head Dendrobium was far too low and did not conform to market principles.”
“Third is comprehending the Dao through listening to melodies at Cloudsound Pavilion. Pavilion Master Su Miao of Cloudsound Pavilion believes that before listening to the Cleansing Soul Melody, Chen Beiwu’s cultivation had already reached the limit of Qi Refining, yet he had deliberately concealed his true ability.”
“Fourth is the random blind boxes……”
The cultivator hidden within the shadows spoke at length, directly listing ten suspicious points.
“Enough.”
The more Xiao Yu listened, the more impatient he became. He interrupted, “Make it brief. Just tell me your conclusion.”
What Grass Within the Stone or Dragon Head Dendrobium? Those were merely wild grasses. Even if thrown onto the ground, nobody would pay attention to them.
What he wanted were solid pieces of evidence and leverage, not some insignificant doubts.
“Reporting to Young Master.” The shadow cultivator did not dare to be careless and spoke concisely: “Based on these suspicious points, this subordinate speculates that behind Chen Beiwu there is either a cultivation organization capable of providing Immortal Sect secrets, resource channels, and ancient inheritances, or he is someone with tremendous fate.”
“That organization has been found?” Xiao Yu’s tone softened slightly.
“No. It is hidden extremely deeply, and even divination deductions cannot locate it. Another possibility cannot be ruled out.” The shadow cultivator’s voice gradually lowered.
Serving a ruler was like accompanying a tiger.
He knew what answer his Young Master wanted. Reporting truthfully now would only result in some reprimands.
But if he directly said that Chen Beiwu was suspected of carrying the Mandate of Heaven and was a Child of Great Fate, he might not even have the chance to survive.
“Useless. Get out.” Xiao Yu turned around, his tone calm.
A mere Fallen Dragon Prefecture— even if there truly was a hidden cultivation organization lurking in the shadows, it could not escape the eyes and deductions of the Tianyuan Xiao Clan.
The answer had already appeared.
“Yes.”
The shadow cultivator struck his head against the ground and actually rolled out of the door.
“Why did you suddenly lose your temper so badly?”
A cultivator with a beautiful appearance and skin whiter than snow walked into the entrance of Yu Immortal Pavilion. It was none other than True Monarch Myriad Threads Mu Yunzhi.
“Why have you come?” Xiao Yu stood up, his tone becoming gentler.
……
Pure Yang Path, Pure Yang Grotto-Heaven.
The fragrance of tea lingered, and spiritual energy surged.
The Grotto-Heaven Chief Disciple Zhu Wu sat before the tea table, facing Zeng Changshou.
The latter lifted the tea cup, brought it close to his lips, then slowly lowered it again and sighed.
“Senior Brother Zeng, you have been sighing ever since entering the room. What exactly happened?”
Zhu Wu slightly frowned, looked up at Zeng Changshou, and could not help but ask.
“Sigh, it is nothing, nothing…… Forget it, perhaps it is better to let it go.”
After saying this, Zeng Changshou sighed once more.
“Let what go?” Zhu Wu asked in confusion. “Senior Brother, you and I have known each other for many years. What matter could you not say directly?”
Zeng Changshou hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. “As for challenging Chen Beiwu, perhaps it is better to forget it.”
“Why?” Zhu Wu’s brows furrowed tightly, and dissatisfaction appeared in his eyes. “Could it be that Senior Brother thinks I am not his opponent?”
“Of course not, of course not.” Zeng Changshou hurriedly waved his hands. “Senior Brother merely feels there is no need. Right now, Chen Beiwu is publicly acknowledged by the Immortal Alliance as possessing the qualifications for Void Refinement. Issuing a challenge rashly would bring more harm than benefit. It would be better to let the Chief Disciples of the other Grotto-Heavens test him first.”
“What is wrong with that?”
Zhu Wu took a sip of tea.
For a prodigy like him, he had long since stopped caring about personal reputation, authority, status, or the influence of the Grotto-Heaven. His heart only contained the Great Dao of cultivation.
Precisely because of this, even if he wished to battle Chen Beiwu, he would wait until the latter advanced to the middle stage of Nascent Soul, when their realms were equal, before sending out a challenge invitation, in order to prove his own Dao.
“The Grotto-Heaven Grand Competition is about to begin. If Chen Beiwu truly is, as the rumors say, someone with the qualifications for Void Refinement, then he will definitely participate in this competition. At that time, Junior Brother, it will not be too late for you to battle him.” Zeng Changshou suggested.
“That would have no meaning.” Zhu Wu shook his head and rejected without hesitation.
“Sigh, I knew I would not be able to persuade you.” Zeng Changshou sighed.
“Senior Brother does not need to worry too much. In a battle between those of the same realm, I will definitely not lose.” Zhu Wu smiled, his confidence impossible to conceal.
……
Yuqing Mountain, Yuqing Hall.
The moment Chen Beiwu arrived, the hall doors opened on their own.
“Come in.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu directly stepped inside.
“Did the Dao Venerable transmit the Yuanshi Immortal Art to you?” The Yuqing Sect Master asked gently.
Throughout his long years of governing the Yuqing Immortal Sect, the number of unparalleled prodigies who had been praised by Dao Venerable Yuanshi with a single word—“good”—could be counted on one hand, and Chen Beiwu was one of them.
“No.”
Chen Beiwu shook his head, feeling somewhat puzzled himself.
He had heard many rumors regarding the scenic landscape steles of Taiyuan Heavenly Realm.
In the past, it was not as if the Yuqing Immortal Sect had never had peerless prodigies with qualifications comparable to Void Refinement who received guidance from Dao Venerables and inherited Immortal Arts.
Yet he had become the exception. He only received some guidance and failed to inherit a Dao Venerable Immortal Art.
Hearing this, the Yuqing Sect Master did not pay too much attention.
Every action of a Void-Refining Dao Venerable must contain profound meaning. How could it be something that a mere Divine Transformation True Venerable like him could speculate upon?
“What matter do you seek me for?” The Yuqing Sect Master looked at Chen Beiwu.
“Disciple wishes to purchase some Core-Forming Pills and Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills, but I lack the channels to do so.” Chen Beiwu stated his purpose.
If one had influence but did not use it, wasting it after it expired would be foolish.
High-end channels like the Myriad Treasures Assembly occasionally sold Core-Forming Pills, but they were limited by time, quantity, and purchase restrictions, only appearing once every thousand years.
Even though Chen Beiwu had continuously posted acquisition requests in the Myriad Treasures Assembly group chat during this period, nobody privately contacted him to discuss prices.
Chen Beiwu was not surprised by this.
How precious were Core-Forming Pills?
They had already surpassed the category of Fourth-Tier Mystic Pills, becoming one of the symbols of Dao lineage inheritance. They were priceless yet unavailable, basically not circulated externally and strictly controlled by the Immortal Alliance.
Even if a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Immortal Alliance obtained a Core-Forming Pill through fate and immense achievements, they would keep it secret, leaving it for future generations or selling it to their own clan. They would absolutely not hand over this opportunity capable of creating a Nascent Soul True Venerable to another person.
To put it harshly, before bloodline inheritance and Dao lineage continuation, no amount of Spirit Stones or personal favors would appear significant.
At present, Chen Beiwu only possessed the reputation of having the qualifications for Void Refinement, not being a Void-Refining Dao Venerable himself. No Alchemist or clan would sell a Core-Forming Pill merely for the friendship of an unparalleled prodigy.
The same applied to Senior Sister Su.
Although they came from the same sect, and Senior Sister Su was also a renowned Fourth-Tier Supreme-Grade Mystic Pill Alchemist of the sect, the quota for the Core-Forming Pills in her possession had already been decided and could not be casually changed.
Understanding this, Chen Beiwu naturally would not rashly visit Senior Sister Su and put her in a difficult position. Instead, he borrowed the influence of receiving a Dao Venerable’s guidance, visited the Yuqing Sect Master, and wanted to see whether he could take advantage of the sect’s resources.
“Coming to me is useless. It is not a matter of price, but that the quotas for Core-Forming Pills are limited. There is only one carrot for each hole.”
The Yuqing Sect Master smiled calmly. “Not to mention top-tier Core-Forming Pills such as the Purple Mansion Nurturing Nascent Soul Pill and the Ten Thousand Spirits Transformation King Pill, even slightly inferior Core-Forming Pills such as the Origin Embryo Condensing Nascent Soul Pill, Five-Origin Supreme Nascent Soul Pill, Yang Spirit Transforming Nascent Soul Pill, and Companion Return Nascent Soul Pill, I have no confidence that I can help you purchase them.”
“Ultimately, the Yuqing Immortal Sect does not belong to me alone. Being able to provide you with the Purple Mansion Nurturing Nascent Soul Pill and the Ten Thousand Spirits Transformation King Pill ahead of time has already caused this Sect Master to bear considerable pressure from the sect.”
Chen Beiwu: “……”
The Sect Master truly was a shrewd person. With only a few sentences, he had completely ended the topic while clearly making Chen Beiwu owe him a favor.
If Chen Beiwu continued speaking, it would inevitably seem like he did not know when to advance or retreat and did not know gratitude.
“Then for Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills, which stabilize one’s Dao Foundation and prevent damage to one’s origin after a breakthrough, does Sect Master have any recommended channels for purchase?” Chen Beiwu decisively changed the topic.
There was no chance for Core-Forming Pills. Being able to purchase some Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills would also be acceptable.
“What do you need Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills for?” The Sect Master’s expression became somewhat strange.
With his eyesight, he could naturally see that someone like Chen Beiwu, possessing qualifications for Void Refinement and supported by the sect’s Nascent Soul resources, had a probability of proving the Dao and becoming a True Monarch as high as eighty to ninety percent. The chance of breakthrough failure was extremely small, so there was no need at all to prepare Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills.
After all, proving the Dao and becoming a True Monarch valued one’s will and conviction. At the critical moment, one needed the determination to advance without hesitation and stake everything.
Some cultivation prodigies within the sect were precisely because they had prepared a retreat like Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills beforehand. They gained a trace of fortunate thinking that even if the breakthrough failed, everything would still be fine. As a result, at the critical moment of forming the Nascent Soul, they lacked a portion of the courage to burn their boats, ultimately failing at the final step and missing the position of True Monarch.
Therefore, when the Yuqing Immortal Sect prepared Nascent Soul resources for the sect’s Chief Disciple, unless the Chief Disciple’s foundation had flaws and the probability of forming a Nascent Soul was relatively low, they generally would not provide Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills.
This was not because the Immortal Sect was stingy, but rather an expectation and tempering.
Without tempering, a Nascent Soul formation that was too smooth would only cause some cultivation prodigies to stop at the True Monarch realm, losing their chance to reach Divine Transformation.
Of course, if some second-generation cultivators from noble backgrounds possessed sufficient resources and prepared Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills themselves, the sect would simply turn a blind eye.
“Disciple is doing this to prevent failure during Nascent Soul formation and damage to my foundation.”
Chen Beiwu looked at the Sect Master with confusion, as if he did not understand why the latter would ask such a question.
“Some Golden Core disciples prepare Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills because their breakthrough probability is only two or three tenths, making it worth risking everything for a desperate attempt.”
The Sect Master glanced at Chen Beiwu and asked in return: “How much confidence do you have in forming your Nascent Soul this time?”
“Ninety-five percent.” Chen Beiwu answered honestly.
Hearing this, the Sect Master’s expression remained calm.
But if a Divine Transformation True Venerable had been present, they would definitely have noticed a slight fluctuation in his emotions.
However, this was normal. Aside from immortal cultivation giants reincarnating and seizing a body to cultivate anew, what Golden Core True Person would dare claim that their probability of proving the Dao and becoming a True Monarch was as high as ninety-five percent?
Chen Beiwu could be said to be the only one.
But Chen Beiwu’s next words left the Yuqing Sect Master somewhat speechless.
“Disciple feels that although ninety-five percent is quite good, there is still a five percent possibility of failure and death. It is truly too dangerous.”
Good? Dangerous?
Looking at Chen Beiwu seriously saying these two words, the Yuqing Sect Master was momentarily unable to respond.
The Yuqing Hall fell into brief silence.
The Yuqing Sect Master’s thoughts turned, and he finally understood, feeling both amused and helpless.
Good kid, saying that a ninety-five percent breakthrough probability was still dangerous—those were all excuses.
For Chen Beiwu to calculate such confidence in forming his Nascent Soul and openly say it, his confidence was absolutely not inferior to any cultivator in the Immortal Alliance.
There was only one answer.
The reason Chen Beiwu wanted to purchase Core-Forming Pills and Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills was all for his Companion Beasts that cultivated together with his life.
“Very well. Since you have asked twice, this Sect Master will grant you two Bloodline King Solidifying Origin Pills.”
The Yuqing Sect Master waved his sleeve, and a jade bottle landed before Chen Beiwu.
Chen Beiwu: “？？？”
What was going on?
He wanted Dao Foundation Stabilizing Mystic Pills. Why had the Sect Master given him Bloodline King Solidifying Origin Pills, which were used to prevent Companion Beasts from failing when breaking through to Beast King?
However, this was not bad either. A wrong request had led to the right result.
Although Iron Egg and the Five Qi Vine did not have the Ten Thousand Spirits Transformation King Pill to consume, they could use the Bloodline King Solidifying Origin Pills to protect their foundations, then break through using Core-Forming Pills, achieving a similar effect.
“May I ask Sect Master, how many Spirit Stones are needed to exchange for these two Bloodline King Solidifying Origin Pills?” Chen Beiwu cautiously asked.
“No Spirit Stones are needed. In the future, simply help me accomplish one matter.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu hesitated slightly.
Seeing this, the Sect Master was not angered. Instead, he laughed lightly. “Rest assured. This Sect Master will not go so far as to make a junior like you do something that violates your Dao heart. When the time comes, if you feel the matter entrusted to you is too difficult, you may directly refuse.”
“Many thanks, Sect Master.”
Chen Beiwu no longer hesitated. He grasped the jade bottle while simultaneously bringing up the matter of requesting leave to return home.
“Go. Prepare well.” The Sect Master slightly nodded.