Chapter 526: Bajiang Realm
Zhao Lin had cultivated seven Tier One Magic skills, but only the Ice Blade Skill, Flame Stream Arrow, and Water Manipulation Skill had reached the mastery level.
Of the remaining four, Rock Armor Skill and Qi Observation Skill were at the major accomplishment stage, while Void Trapping Skill and Thunder Blade Skill were only at the proficient stage.
His philosophy was ‘not to seek perfection in everything,’ so he didn’t continue to master his Tier One Magic. Instead, he focused his energy on improving his cultivation realm.
The Qi Observation Skill was an exception, however. This Magic could be used even in the Purple Mansion Realm, but he hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to improve it over the years.
According to Xu Jingyu, two cultivators in Wulin County had cultivated the Qi Observation Skill to the mastery level.
One was a provincial elder, and the other was the Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall. The former was a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, while the latter was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
After the meeting concluded, Zhao Lin immediately went to the market to buy two bottles of “Zhengchun Pills” and a jar of Spirit Wine, then went to pay a visit to the residence of Zhang Zaiming, the Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall.
Zhang Zaiming found it strange, but since someone had come to his door with gifts, he received Zhao Lin out of courtesy.
“Young friend, what business do you have with me?”
Zhang Zaiming sized up his visitor, habitually using the Qi Observation Skill.
A fluctuation of Mana rippled through the air. The Spirit Cultivation Map flashed, and next to the three words for Qi Observation Skill, the number of petals changed from five to six!
‘It worked!’
Zhao Lin was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
Still, since he was already there, he asked Zhang Zaiming for some advice on detecting Spirit Veins before taking his leave.
…
A few days later, a Spiritual Vessel ascended from Wulin County.
Xu Jingyu led a party of eight, including Zhao Lin, Lu Liancheng, and Du Zhen, as they flew toward the Nanzhu Sect.
The Nanzhu Sect was the second-largest major sect in the Dongling Realm, surpassed only by the Chenghua Sect.
Although its territory was only one-third the size of the Chenghua Sect’s, it had a comparable number of cultivators—perhaps even slightly more.
The sect’s specialties were Long-Grain Spirit Rice, Red Flame Spirit Tea, and a large Tier One Demon Beast: the Nanpo Lizard.
The Nanzhu Sect had many cultivators, but Low Tier cultivators made up the vast majority. They had an extremely low proportion of Purple Mansion and Golden Core Realm cultivators, and their arts like talisman crafting, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining were also quite backward.
In a word, they were: large but not strong.
Over six hundred years ago, the Nanzhu Sect and the Chenghua Sect had engaged in a local war.
It began with a border dispute. The two sides were in a standoff for several years, and under the Nanzhu Sect’s constant provocation, the Chenghua Sect was forced to counterattack.
Unexpectedly, the Nanzhu Sect crumbled at the first blow, and one of their Purple Mansion Realm cultivators was even captured.
After that, the Nanzhu Sect lost all face and became much more subdued, but their jealousy and resentment toward the Chenghua Sect grew with each passing day.
“Who goes there?”
Not long after their Spiritual Vessel crossed the border, a brown Spiritual Vessel bearing the Nanzhu Sect’s emblem shot out from the clouds.
The Nanzhu Sect’s Spiritual Vessel was small and shabby, yet it was crammed with over thirty cultivators.
These cultivators were squeezed together in a very undignified manner, packed so tightly that some were even sitting on others’ laps.
The leader of the Nanzhu Sect group was a man in a white robe with a red scarf wrapped around his head, balancing on one foot on the vessel’s railing.
“We are Chenghua Sect cultivators, heading to the Bajiang Realm. We have already received permission.”
Xu Jingyu replied loudly, taking out a blue Token to show them.
“Passage fee. One Spirit Stone per person.”
The white-robed man held out his hands and gestured.
With a helpless look on his face, Xu Jingyu took out ten Spirit Stones and put them into a cloth bag.
“How should I give them to you?”
“Toss it over.” The white-robed man’s eyes gleamed.
Xu Jingyu used an Object Control Skill, sending the bag across the gap.
The white-robed man had someone disable the Spiritual Vessel’s defensive Array and snatched the bag out of the air.
Without the protection of the Array, a fierce wind blasted into their Spiritual Vessel. The Nanzhu Sect cultivators’ clothes flapped, their hair flew wildly, and one of them was almost blown away.
The white-robed man paid it no mind. He reached into the bag, felt around, and nodded in satisfaction. He waved his hand and shouted, “Let them pass!”
Zhao Lin and the others stared, dumbfounded.
Once their Spiritual Vessel was a good distance away, Xu Jingyu said, “This is how the Nanzhu Sect cultivators operate. Just wait, there’s more ahead.”
And his words proved true. Every two hundred li or so that the Spiritual Vessel traveled, they encountered another group of Nanzhu Sect cultivators collecting a passage fee.
By the time they reached the Bajiang Realm, they had paid a total of fifty Spirit Stones just in passage fees.
‘Is this the Bajiang Realm?’
As the Spiritual Vessel descended, the same thought crossed the minds of Zhao Lin and the others.
The entrance to the Bajiang Realm was located above a swamp. The spatial rift was a long, irregular shape with emerald-green edges, looking like a giant leaf hanging abruptly in the sky.
Around the perimeter of the swamp, several dozen Nanzhu Sect cultivators were stationed.
What set them apart was that these Nanzhu Sect cultivators were all mounted on lizard-like Spirit Beasts, which galloped through the swamp as if on solid ground.
“Those are Nanpo Lizards. They are the Nanzhu Sect cultivators’ main mode of transportation. If raised well, they have the potential to break through to Tier Two.”
Xu Jingyu explained.
BOOM…
A World Shuttle Vessel just then emerged from the Bajiang Realm, carrying many cultivators dressed in exotic-looking attire.
“A vessel is coming. Wait here for a moment.”
Xu Jingyu walked over, exchanged a few words with the leading Nanzhu Sect cultivator, and then took out several dozen more Spirit Stones, returning with eight Tokens.
“You can stay in the Bajiang Realm for twenty days. When the time is up, you must come out. The Tokens are marked with the date. If you overstay, the Tokens will expire, and the Nanzhu Sect will cause trouble for you.”
Xu Jingyu handed the Tokens to the group, adding a warning via voice transmission.
“The Bajiang Realm may look peaceful, but it’s full of hidden dangers. Of the seven cultivators who entered the last time, only four made it out alive. Everyone must be careful!”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Deacon.”
Zhao Lin and the others acknowledged his words and boarded the World Shuttle Vessel.
The Nanzhu Sect’s Boatman Cultivator didn’t waste words. He channeled an array command into the control platform, and the World Shuttle Vessel raised a pale green protective shield before plunging into the spatial rift.
BOOM!
Vortexes of air surged and light and shadow alternated as the vessel flew rapidly through the realm barrier.
The Bajiang Realm was a very small minor world, even smaller than the Yinfeng Valley that Zhao Lin had visited before, and its realm barrier was quite weak.
In just a moment, the clouds and mist parted, and a stunningly beautiful world appeared before them.
The group had long heard that the Bajiang Realm’s scenery was beautiful and had mentally prepared themselves, but after truly entering, they were still stunned by the sight before them.
The Bajiang Realm was like an ink wash painting. The mountains were majestic and rugged, the pine forests rose and fell like waves, and lakes of all sizes were embedded in the green mountains and clear waters like mirrors.
“This really is a wonderful place. No wonder people come here just to sightsee.”
“If you were facing a Heart Demon, I bet one look at this place would make it disappear.”
The group was full of praise.
However, they also discovered that the Spiritual Qi here was thin, and the suppression of the Celestial Dao was still present.
Zhao Lin silently circulated the Spiritual Qi in his body. It flowed freely, but when he tried to form a hand seal, he could not gather much Spiritual Qi.
To cast Magic, one had to release the Spiritual Power accumulated within one’s body, which would undoubtedly increase consumption.
‘In a place with such thin Spiritual Qi, a cultivator can’t possibly stay for long. Since He Shanfeng stayed here for six years, he must have had a way to replenish his Spiritual Power!’