Fierce Ghost Cave
"The Fierce Ghost Cave? Is that the place that caused the Lineage's severe damage and the deaths of two Foundation Establishment elders seventeen years ago?"
As Lineage Inheritance Elder, Yang Tianyou naturally knew many secrets, including the Fierce Ghost Cave.
However, the Lineage records only briefly mention many aspects of the Fierce Ghost Cave without providing a detailed description, so Yang Tianyou's knowledge of it was very limited.
"That's right. Our Lineage discovered the Fierce Ghost Cave a hundred and twenty years ago, when my father, the first Old Ancestor Yang Canglang, was in charge of the Lineage."
A flash of memory crossed Yang Haoyu's eyes.
"It was during Cold Tide that the Lineage discovered the Fierce Ghost Cave by chance while on a mission at Crouching Ox Pass..."
As the Old Ancestor explained the situation step by step, Yang Tianyou gained a clear understanding of the Fierce Ghost Cave.
The Fierce Ghost Cave was the name given to it by the Yang Household Member. The meaning is simple: the cave is filled with a large number of mindless Fierce Beasts, Vengeful Ghosts, and wandering spirits.
According to the Yang Household Member's investigation, the Fierce Ghost Cave is a large-scale Soul-Gathering Land, filled with Yin Qi and Sha Qi, naturally forming a peculiar feng shui formation.
In ordinary areas, this Soul-Gathering Land wouldn't be too dangerous, but in Dragon Valley County, it's a completely different story.
Because here, Cold Tide breaks out every One Sexagenary Cycle.
In just a few months, tens of thousands of lives were lost, including those of Human Race, Demon Beast, Blood Race, Spirit Tribe, and Barbarian Tribe.
After their fall, their True Spirits were obscured and they entered the Reincarnation.
The souls are all different; some perish on the spot, while others are absorbed by the Soul-Gathering Land. Under the protection of the feng shui formation, these souls will not dissipate.
They either gradually settle and merge with the stones in the cave, accumulating over time to form Soul-Gathering Stones.
Alternatively, nourished by the Yin Sha Qi, they would become Wisdom wandering Vengeful Ghosts that drifted through the caves.
Under this dense Yin Sha Qi, Fierce Beasts will naturally be born and multiply here.
How much time has passed? A thousand years? Two thousand years?
The Fierce Ghost Cave has transformed from a relatively safe Soul-Gathering Land a Perilous Land danger and opportunity coexist.
There are a large number of Soul-Gathering Stones and various Yin-attribute Spirit Items here, as well as quite a few Sha Qi Crystals, all of which are highly sought-after items by Cultivators.
However, besides the abundant treasures, the Fierce Beasts and Vengeful Ghosts in the Fierce Ghost Cave are also extremely terrifying.
The Yang Household entered the Fierce Ghost Cave twice, once 120 years ago and once 17 years ago.
One hundred and twenty years ago, the family head, Yang Canglang, personally led more than twenty Lineage cultivators into the area, along with seven Purple Moon Wolves.
However, in the end, only thirteen Lineage cultivators survived, and only three Purple Moon Wolves remained.
The first generation of the Yang Household Old Ancestors, Yang Haoyu's eldest brother Yang Haoqi and third brother Yang Haozhi, perished in it.
Of the five Purple Moon Wolves that Yang Canglang obtained, two perished in the Fierce Ghost Cave, a heavy loss indeed.
However, the Yang Household obtained a large number of treasures during this trip to the Fierce Ghost Cave.
The sale of hundreds of Soul-Gathering Stones, along with other Spirit Items, provided a significant boost to the Lineage's Spirit Stone.
The remaining Soul-Gathering Stones, through the efforts of generations of Artifact Refining Master in the Lineage, were transformed into the family's most prized magical Law Artifact, the "Soul-Swaying Bell."
It can be said that the first mission into the Fierce Ghost Cave was entirely worthwhile.
Although many clansmen were sacrificed, it laid a solid foundation for the Lineage's future development.
However, according to the Old Ancestors, when the Lineage first entered the Fierce Ghost Cave, they actually lingered in the Outer Periphery area.
After all, at that time, the Lineage was very weak, with only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators: the family head Yang Canglang and her second brother, the first Old Ancestor Yang Haoli.
Those with weak strength dare not be careless; they have already suffered heavy losses just by lingering on the Outer Periphery, let alone entering the Inner Domain.
Therefore, Yang Canglang knew when to stop. After obtaining enough benefits, he left the Fierce Ghost Cave and covered the entrance.
The second time I entered the Fierce Ghost Cave was seventeen years ago.
This time, Yang Haoyu personally led the expedition, accompanied by Yang Dangmo, Yang Dangxian, Yang Dangkou, and Wolf Ancestor.
Of the five Foundation Establishment, two possess Foundation Establishment Late Stage strength, two possess Foundation Establishment Middle Stage strength, and one possesses Foundation Establishment Early Stage strength.
With the addition of fifteen Qi Refining cultivators from the Lineage, this lineup is undeniably powerful.
With such formidable strength, Yang Haoyu certainly wasn't just looking to reap benefits on the Outer Periphery.
She led her people into the Inner Domain.
However, three days later...
Covered in blood, Yang Haoyu led Yang Dangmo and Wolf Ancestor out of the cave. As for the rest of the clansmen, they had all perished.
It was around that time that the Yang Household fell into difficulties.
The loss of two Foundation Establishment and fifteen Qi Refining cultivators was not only a major blow to the Lineage's strength, but also greatly hindered the Lineage's development.
It should be noted that among those fifteen Qi Refining clansmen, several were talented Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement cultivators, and none of them were over sixty years old, in the prime of their lives.
In other words, the Yang Household not only lost two existing Foundation Establishment, but also lost several future Foundation Establishment.
Even upon closer examination, the impact of that operation continues to this day.
Take, for example, the thirteen Foundation Establishment Pills that Yang Tianyou brought back from Crouching Ox Pass. In a short period of time, the Yang Household was unable to find a suitable clansman to take the Foundation Establishment Pills.
Those clansmen with the talent and ability to break through to the Foundation Establishment have already done so.
The rest either lacked the necessary aptitude or age, and had not yet reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
Either his cultivation level is high enough, but he's already over sixty, making the probability of failing to break through too high.
This includes Yang Qiongye and Yang Dangkai.
They were all over seventy years old, and their Essence Qi were declining. Even if they took Foundation Establishment Pills, the probability of successfully breaking through would only be about 30%, or even lower.
In such a situation, even if they themselves are willing, the Lineage will have to think carefully before making a decision, after all, they are important members of the Lineage, and any mishap would have a very negative impact on the development of the Lineage.
This has temporarily put the Yang Household in a rather awkward situation.
Previously, there were people, but no resources.
The resources are available, but no one can use them.
It's all very frustrating.
That said, the second time they entered the Fierce Ghost Cave, the Lineage Origin Qi but did not obtain many Cultivation Resources, which led to their immediate predicament.
This situation continued until Yang Tianyou discovered the Dragon Valley Hall.
The Lineage that had made a fortune finally recovered.
It was thanks to these Spirit Stones that the Yang Household survived the Cold Tide and, in a short period of time, prospered Flourishing flourished, their strength far surpassing that of seventeen years ago.
The reason Yang Haoyu wanted to enter the Fierce Ghost Cave again was because her Lineage's strength gave her enough confidence.
However, Yang Tianyou still couldn't understand why his Old Ancestor wanted to enter the Fierce Ghost Cave. Could it be that there were some treasures inside?
Having some doubts, he simply asked them directly.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoyu sighed and said, "The second time we entered the Fierce Ghost Cave, we successfully entered the Inner Domain, where I discovered a large amount of Yin-Soul Liquid!"
"Yin-Soul Liquid?" Yang Tianyou's eyes flickered violently.
If Soul-Gathering Stones are materials used for refining weapons, then Yin-Soul Liquid is Spirit Liquid for cultivators to consume.
Its effect is simple yet extremely powerful: it can greatly enhance the True Spirit Strength.
The True Spirit is the true core of a living being; the so-called soul is merely an external manifestation of the True Spirit.
The soul reincarnation that is rumored in the world is simply the True Spirit entering the Reincarnation.
Because if a person's soul hasn't been completely scattered, that person hasn't truly died, so how can there Reincarnation?
The True Spirit carries countless lifetimes of Reincarnation, while the soul carries only one lifetime.
For Cultivators, the strength of their True Spirit is related to many things, the most obvious difference being how many Life-Bound Spiritual Objects it can bear.
The reason why Life-Bound Spiritual Object can unleash power no less than that of Law Artifact of the same level with only 30% consumption is that it is connected to the cultivator's True Spirit.
After being enhanced by the Jade Register Heavenly Book, Yang Tianyou's True Spirit was almost comparable in strength to that of Golden Core Cultivator.
Therefore, at the Foundation Establishment Realm, he is able to support more than ten Tier 2 Spirit Items.
Yunhua also possesses a powerful True Spirit, but she doesn't rely on quantity to win; instead, she focuses on the quality of her Life-Bound Spiritual Objects.
Her cultivation level was only at the Early Golden Core, but her Life-Bound Law Treasure, the Ice-Spirit Pearl, had already reached the Third-Tier Middle-Grade.
Not only that, she also possessed another Life-Bound Spiritual Object, which was also of Third-Tier Middle-Grade. It was an Immortal Sword, a Cold Moon Immortal Sword, which was forged entirely from mysterious ice and was chilling to the bone.
Yang Haoyu's goal was simple: to obtain a large amount of Yin-Soul Liquid in order to enhance the True Spirit Strength and enable it to reach the Golden Core Level ahead of schedule.
Then, using the Golden Core Level True Spirit as a foundation, the life-bound Law Artifact Kun Earth Cauldron is upgraded, making it Third-Tier Lower-Grade Law Treasure.
Use your Life-Bound Law Treasure to nourish yourself and make up for any deficiencies in your foundation.
Besides his life-bound Law Artifact, after his True Spirit is enhanced, Yang Haoyu can also cultivate a divine Divine Ability— [Arms and Armor Divine-Penetration Technique].
This is an incomplete Divine Ability, which can only be cultivated to the Lower First Stage Heaven realm, but it is enough for her.
Once he has mastered the Divine Ability Prototype, and with the support of Third Tier Law Treasure, Yang Haoyu is confident that Middle Vehicle Golden Core one fell swoop when he breaks through to the Golden Core stage.
P. S.: In case some readers don't understand the difference between True Spirit and soul, I've provided the following explanation.
You can understand the True Spirit as a person's true core, which stores all the memories of that person's Reincarnation lives. However, before Tribulation Transcendence and becoming an immortal, these memories are sealed. After becoming an immortal, one can understand past and present lives.
The soul, on the other hand, is the vessel that carries a person's memories in this life. Once the soul is shattered, that person is considered dead in this life.
However, his True Spirit will not be easily damaged. Instead, it will carry the memories of this life and continue to Reincarnation life after life until it is completely worn away by the power of Reincarnation. If he has not yet become an immortal, then he will be considered to have completely disappeared.
The concept of Reincarnation will be discussed later, so I won't go into detail here.