Secret Intelligence: Xiao Chen's Plan

Despite some setbacks and power struggles along the way.

But thanks to everyone's efforts, the Peace Conference came to a successful conclusion.

Purified Dust Zen Master concluded his speech with a formal declaration of peace.

Thus, this Peace Conference, destined to have a far-reaching impact, officially came to a close.

It is foreseeable that earth-shattering changes will take place throughout the entire Compassion Sea region.

Whether they are independent cultivators or disciples of sects, they will all be affected by the series of proposals that have just been passed.

Working backward from the result, Xiao Chen finally grasped a clue to the matter.

No wonder the Daoist Daoist Sect was so willing to relinquish its eight veto rights so easily.

No wonder that even after the discussions that morning, everyone was still actively working together to compromise and ensure the successful conclusion of the conference.

Because, judging from the final results, all the major sects that participated in the conference benefited greatly!

Almost all the Fourth-Order Cultivator present showed a satisfied smile after the meeting.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner in a happy and lively atmosphere.

Then some impatient people, such as Crane Cry True Monarch and Purple Sun True Monarch of Esteem Truth Temple, took their leave on the spot.

After bidding farewell to everyone, they set off overnight to return to their sect and prepare for the relocation.

The other major sects also did not linger.

They all bid farewell and left the following morning, returning to their respective sects to deal with the trivial matters that had accumulated over the past three years and to begin restoring the situation to its pre-war state.

Before leaving, many people also sought out Xiao Chen.

There's no need to elaborate on the matter of Gang Yuan True Monarch and the others.

It is worth mentioning that True Qian Shu True Monarch extended a special invitation. "Daoist Xiao, please be sure to visit Thousand Machines Valley when you have time in the future."

"Due to inconvenience, I did not bring any attendants from the valley on this trip."

"When the time comes, I'll have them perform the Thousand Machines Dance especially for you, fellow Daoist!"

Xiao Chen readily nodded. "No problem at all. I was just thinking of borrowing your sect's Scripture Pavilion in a couple of days."

"I might have to stay a few more days. Daoist Qian Shu, please don't find me annoying then."

Upon hearing this Qian Shu True Monarch laughed heartily, "Hahaha, then it's settled! My junior brother and I will await your arrival at Thousand Machines Valley!"

In addition, there was also the Iron Fan True Monarch, who indicated that the Azure Sea Immortal Sect's Scripture Pavilion was always open to Xiao Chen.

"Of course I won't forget that."

Xiao Chen nodded, then changed the subject. "I suddenly remembered a small matter I'd like to ask Fellow Daoist Iron Fan for a favor."

"I once encountered a cultivator from the Ruan Family in the Cangran Secret Realm."

"At the time, she said that the Ruan Family happened to be located in the Azure Sea. If their family is still there now, please take care of them during the upcoming investigation."

"Of course, there's no need to cover up their mistakes; just be truthful."

"Also, please pass on a message to Ruan Lingchun: thank you for the map she sent from the Secret Realm."

At yesterday's Peace Conference, a proposal was made to conduct a rigorous investigation of all cultivation Lineage in order to find those who colluded with the Sea Race.

Remembering the kindness of having given them the map, Xiao Chen spoke up and said a good word for them.

In this way, it should help the Ruan Family avoid some unnecessary troubles, such as people taking the opportunity to extort or frame them under the guise of investigating the Sea Race.

In any case, this applies to both him now and to Iron Fan True Monarch.

This is really just a small matter, just a few words.

After seeing everyone off, Xiao Chen turned back and found Zen Master Fa Zhao. Under his guidance, he entered the Scripture Pavilion of Universal Salvation Temple, a stone pagoda with eighteen stories high.

Since we're already here, we can't just leave this place untouched.

Moreover, he had heard from various sources before coming that the Scripture Pavilion of Universal Salvation Temple was the largest and most comprehensive Scripture Pavilion in the Compassion Sea.

Aside from the absence of secret Cultivation Method from various Sect Secret Arts and biographies left by elders, it also lacks these.

The remaining Ancient Books cover almost everything, and the scope is even broader.

Given such a great reputation, Xiao Chen naturally wanted to see just how credible the rumors were.

"Layman Xiao, please wear this Prayer Beads and do not take it off halfway through."

Zen Master Fa Zhao led him through the outer array and helped him activate the Prayer Beads before bidding him farewell. "This humble monk will not disturb your reading any longer."

"If any unexpected situation arises, please crush one of the Prayer Beads, and I will come to handle it immediately."

Xiao Chen nodded. "I understand, thank you for the hospitality!"

He then began browsing the books in the library, starting from the first floor and proceeding through each level.

It must be admitted that this place is indeed exceptionally vast, and its collection of books is as numerous as the stars in the sky.

On just one floor, Xiao Chen saw approximately 200,000 books.

However, there is a problem: a large portion of these are Buddhist scriptures.

Moreover, it was filled with Buddhist terms such as ' Nominal Forms ' and 'dharma forms', and almost none of them had translation notes!

"Hiss~, who can understand this?"

Xiao Chen just shook his head as he watched.

Although he could recognize all the characters individually, they were quite unfamiliar when put together.

This wasn't because Universal Salvation Temple forgot to write a note; it was intentional.

The purpose is to ensure that disciples with the Spiritual Root can directly comprehend the original text, rather than being influenced or even misled by the interpretations of others.

However, for someone like Xiao Chen who had no background in Buddhist scriptures, it was very difficult to read.

It's basically like turning a page in a book written in heaven.

"Forget it, I'll just skim through the Buddhist scriptures first."

Fortunately, Xiao Chen was very good at self-regulation and didn't pay much attention to this minor issue.

Instead, he simply abandoned the idea of in-depth study and instead skimmed through all the Buddhist scriptures in a perfunctory manner.

Absorb as much as you can, and forget about the rest.

However, to be fair, even setting aside these obscure and difficult Buddhist scriptures, the Ancient Books accumulated by Universal Salvation Temple did indeed broaden Xiao Chen's horizons.

Especially as he gradually rose to higher levels.

The Ancient Books books in the surrounding area are getting older and older, and they record more and more secrets.

"Hey, why does this thing look so familiar?"

On the sixteenth floor, Xiao Chen found an Ancient Books dating back approximately two million years. The book mentioned a spiritual creature that looked very familiar to him right at the beginning.

He thought about it carefully, "It's crystal clear and translucent, and contains runes that are Daoist incarnations."

"Hey, isn't this just Dao Comprehension Crystal? Why all the mystery?"

Interestingly, as Xiao Chen flipped through the Ancient Books, he discovered that although it recorded many spiritual objects, none of them had their names clearly written down.

All of them begin with a number.

The main features, production environment, and general effects of this product are highlighted.

The author deliberately omitted the specific names of the items.

When Xiao Chen reached the last page, he discovered an afterword written by someone unknown.

The article highly praised the original author's approach, stating that this should be the most correct way to educate disciples.

This allows them to truly remember the characteristics of the spirit and understand its situation.

He concluded by lamenting that it was a great pity the Abbot wouldn't allow him to rewrite the rest of the temple's collection of books in the same format.

Below this postscript, there is another comment from someone else.

However, this commentary holds a different view, arguing that in the past, due to limited circumstances, there was no unified name for the same spirit in different regions, which is why it was necessary to remember the characteristics and identify it on one's own.

Nowadays, most spiritual creatures already have fixed names, so there's no need for this kind of trouble.

Xiao Chen didn't know who was right and who was wrong.

But all he knew was that there was more than one book like this!

Moreover, it includes not only spirit ore, but also Spirit Herb, spirit wood, and so on.

Because the circumstances in ancient times are different from those in today, there may be some useful information mixed in, but it cannot be identified directly from the names.

Therefore, over the next day and two nights, Xiao Chen's reading speed slowed down significantly.

He had to stare at those few lines of text, or even just a few words, without a single illustration, Meditation to remember what it was.

This is to ensure that one does not miss any special spiritual materials.

The result is that it's almost like taking a targeted exam.

"Damn it, who came up with this way of recording things?"

Halfway through reading, Xiao Chen couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Using something like this to test—no, to torture your own disciples—serves no wonder your lineage hasn't been passed down!"

But despite his words, he still insisted on reading through all the books.

They even skipped the other normal Ancient Books halfway through, prioritizing this special exam.

When Xiao Chen finished reading the last similar book, he felt that his understanding of all kinds of Heaven and Earth Spirit Item had reached a new level.

It's equivalent to reviewing all the similar books I've read before with great care.

Now, even for some spiritual objects that he has never actually seen, he basically has a general idea of what they look like in his mind.

If I encounter this in the future, I should be able to identify it immediately.

In addition, Xiao Chen also learned some hidden knowledge from Universal Salvation Temple that he had never seen before in the major sects.

For example, the Compassion Sea once had a special Secret Realm in High Antiquity times.

Only Fourth-Order Cultivator can enter it, and like the Vast Sea Secret Realm, they can meet cultivators from other domains inside.

However, it was suddenly closed for unknown reasons and has never been reopened since.

Those cultivators who entered it back then have naturally disappeared without a trace.

For example, there are records about the Witch Clan.

Both Ancient Books texts mention that the Witch Clan was divided into many different tribes.

Besides the four relatively well-known Witch Clan: the Sea Witch Tribe, the Thunder Witch Tribe, the Moon Witch Tribe, and the Beast Witch Tribe.

There once existed a tribe called the Blood Witch Tribe.

However, it is similar to the demonic path on the Human Race, which is not recognized by outsiders and is also resisted by other Witch Clan.

Therefore, it never developed and gradually disappeared under pressure from all sides.

However, a long time ago, a peculiar rumor circulated.

It is said that it was precisely because the Blood Witch Tribe broke into smaller groups that they inadvertently escaped the Human Race's massive encirclement and annihilation, and were able to recuperate in the shadows.

It also mentions many evil cultivators who practice the Blood Path or some demonic cultivators who enjoy blood sacrifice.

They are all likely to be involved with, or at least related to, the Blood Witch Tribe.

"The Blood Witch Tribe?"

As Xiao Chen looked at the intelligence report, he suddenly remembered the mirage he had seen on his way to the Listening Wave Sea.

He could now reasonably suspect that some Witch Clan still exist near the Compassion Sea and have continued to this day.

However, it is still uncertain whether it is the Blood Witch Tribe.

After all, the only group Xiao Chen was relatively familiar with was the Moon Witch Tribe, but unfortunately, what he saw back then was not the Moon Witch Tribe.

It couldn't possibly be the Moon Witch Tribe, otherwise they would have sent people to welcome their Saintess long ago.

Instead of not having a single contact for hundreds of years.

"Well, since you've remembered, I'll remind Universal Salvation Temple before I leave."

Xiao Chen didn't care. "It's just a hidden Witch Clan, nothing serious."

He was still more interested in the remaining High Antiquity secrets or rare information.

Right on the top floor, he saw a short record about the other domains.

It was a cultivation experience, but due to the passage of time and the fact that it was an excerpt, its source is no longer verifiable.

The most crucial part is a short recollection that mainly talks about two things.

The first thing to do is, when searching for spirit medicine in the Secret Realm, if you encounter cultivators from the Central Region, it's best to leave immediately and not compete with them.

The cultivators from the Central Region are all domineering and look down on cultivators from the other regions.

However, under normal circumstances, as long as they are willing to back down, they will not cause trouble even if they have a numerical advantage.

Therefore, it's best to avoid conflict if possible.

The second matter is also related to the Secret Realm.

If you find that the person you encounter is a cultivator from the Western Region, you should quickly try to determine from their appearance whether they are a heretical or unorthodox cultivator.

There is a small number of cultivators there who possess unorthodox or even Dao Method such as using Gu Worm or Refined Corpse.

Their methods are incredibly bizarre and ruthless, completely different from ordinary approaches, making them almost impossible to defend against.

If you encounter someone like this, you must be extra careful and take precautions.

If you discover that he may be hostile, it is best to strike first and nip the danger in the bud.

Never show mercy or compassion, or you might end up dying yourself.

"Oh?"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "Interesting, is he actually Gu Cultivator?"

"By the way, would Gu Worm be considered Negative Status?"

"Since it's a live insect, it shouldn't count, right?"

"Or perhaps it only blocks the toxins carried by insect-like Gu Worm, but doesn't affect the worms themselves?"

Xiao Chen felt that the Divinity Veil could most likely only conceal the negative effects, but could not directly eliminate the Gu Worm themselves.

In that case, if a Gu Worm were to pounce on him and tear his flesh, it wouldn't be easy to handle, and he would have to be careful.

"Wait, something's not right!"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Xiao Chen's mind, "I'm a Body Cultivator, what am I afraid of?"

"Most insects should not pose a threat to Body Cultivator."

"Therefore, we really need to push forward with our efforts to advance our Body Cultivator as soon as possible."

In fact, Xiao Chen had already prepared the fourth-tier martial arts and sword techniques from the Heavenly Dipper Sect.

However, he has never been able to free up time for breakthroughs, nor has he deliberately collected Breakthrough Spirit Item as he did before.

As a result, he still can't gather a second set of spiritual items that can help him achieve a stable breakthrough.

Despite the enhancement of his Sha Qi and Qi and Blood Concentration, Xiao Chen's success rate in directly breaking through is now quite high, at least 50% to 60%.

However, this probability is clearly a bit too low for him.

"I've been busy dealing with the Sea Race lately and haven't had a chance to stop and properly plan our next steps."

When Xiao Chen reviewed the situation last time, he was still preoccupied with how to collect the Sha Qi.

That all happened four years ago.

"Let me think, what were we supposed to do back then?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment, "I remember now. First, I broke through to the Nascent Soul, then I helped deal with Su Li's Curse, and finally, I went to eradicate the Yin Corpse Sect."

The first goal has now been achieved.

However, the second goal may be a bit difficult.

Su Li's situation is far more complicated than Xiao Chen initially thought; at least at the Nascent Soul stage, it's probably beyond his control.

"Well, it's alright. Luckily, she's still young and should live for many more years."

Xiao Chen was confident about his breakthrough to the Spirit Transformation: "I'll deal with the matter of the Moon Eclipse Curse after I reach the Spirit Transformation."

"Let's skip this step for now and fast forward to eradicating the Yin Corpse Sect."

In retrospect, the Yin Corpse Sect was quite lucky.

Before Xiao Chen could break through to the next level, he encountered the Sea Race Invasion the Compassion Sea by the sea race, and thus lingered there for a long time.

Otherwise, the Big Dipper Spirit Fire, the Reinforced Formation Breaking Cone, and the Mechanical Grappling Claw should all have been used to deal with the Yin Corpse Sect.

Of course, strictly speaking, the Yin Corpse Sect was the first enemy to face the Mechanical Grappling Claw.

However, Xiao Chen did it cleverly enough, and there were no Nascent Soul Cultivator around, so no one noticed.

"Let me think, besides that, what else is particularly important?"

Xiao Chen carefully considered his options. "The first thing I need to do is go to Thousand Machines Valley and Azure Sea Immortal Sect to borrow their Scripture Pavilion."

"Then, as we agreed before, we'll go with everyone to the southeast to investigate the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon. We can try our luck there."

"Then, at the Peace Conference, it was decided to hold a large-scale auction next October."

"It would be best to participate in this as well; you might come across something useful."

"Judging by the time, my Complete Fusion Spirit Tool should be almost finished. I'll have to go there once in between."

"Thinking about it this way, it seems like it's been a long time since I've been back to Secluded Doom Island."

"Tsk, I really do miss the Blood Crystal."

"Remember to buy some Golden Thread Glazed Crisp on your way back."

Xiao Chen roughly estimated the time it would take to handle these matters. "Just the travel time to and from the library plus borrowing the Scripture Pavilion will take almost a month."

"Add to that taking some time to go back to Secluded Doom Island and check on the Complete Fusion Spirit Tool; it'll take about half a year to finish both of those things."

"If we go to the Storm Sea to handle the settlement, we might miss the auction."

Since he was going back, Xiao Chen definitely wanted to deal not only with the Yin Corpse Sect, but also with the Jin Family of the Ten Thousand Immortals Archipelago and the Three Great Families of Nether Sky Sea.

Moreover, it would be best to wipe them out in one fell swoop with overwhelming force, so as not to give the latter two any time to escape.

To put it bluntly, it's either not going back to avoid alerting the enemy, or going back to give them no chance to regroup.

"So, in that case, I'd better stay here for about another year to sort out all the little things before leaving."

Xiao Chen recalculated everything from beginning to end. "So, in the next year, besides the things I did before, it's all about collecting Breakthrough Spirit Item to prepare for my breakthrough."

"Then we'll attend the Grand Auction and explore the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon together."

"Then, depending on the preparation status of the Breakthrough Spirit Item at that time, you can choose whether to break through to the path of Body Cultivator or return directly to the Storm Sea."

"And in this way, I won't need to worry about the Compassion Sea anymore."

"I feel this time arrangement is the best. After the cleanup is finished, we can still take a stroll inside the Vast Sea Secret Realm."

I had heard long ago that one could encounter cultivators from other realms there.

To be honest, Xiao Chen was a little excited, wanting to see for himself whether the cultivators from the other domains were any different.

Especially just now, he also witnessed the existence of special Gu Cultivator and Refined Corpse in the Western Region.

What about the Central Region and the Northern Region?

Could there be completely different cultivation paths?

If so, what would it be?

Xiao Chen's feelings at this moment can be described in one sentence: The world is so big, he wants to see it.

In any case, given his current status Nascent Soul True Lord, coupled with the special circumstances that all the Spirit Transformation Venerable in this realm are hiding in the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven, he should have a certain level of protection wherever he goes.

However, speaking of which...

Even in the Scripture Pavilion of Universal Salvation Temple, there was no explanation of why the Venerable Spirit Transformation Venerable gathered together in the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven.

This made Xiao Chen even more curious about what secrets the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven held.

Heaven knows what good things are inside that could so firmly attract so many Spirit Transformation Venerable from this realm.

"Yes, I'll go inside and find out sooner or later!"

With that in mind, Xiao Chen added another goal to his list, "I also need to keep an eye on the World Breaking Stone."

He already has one; if he gets one more, he can be sure he can return freely after going there.

However, putting this into practice might not be so easy.

Because Xiao Chen has not yet seen a reliable method for obtaining World Breaking Stone in any Ancient Books.

Even the occasional snippets of information related to the World Breaking Stone.

It's either because it's from a very long time ago, or it's directly related to the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven.

It seems that the World Breaking Stone is also a special kind of Heaven and Earth Spirit Item, which can only be obtained through luck.

"Hmm, thinking about it carefully, this matter isn't really in a hurry. It shouldn't be too late to study it after breaking through to the Spirit Transformation."

To be honest, after experiencing the decisive battle at Universal Salvation Temple, Xiao Chen realized that Spirit Transformation Venerable might be skilled in Divine Sense Secret Art.

He became less inclined to interact with the Spirit Transformation Venerable.

They didn't even really want to go and take a look at the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven anymore.

As the saying goes, a wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall.

Knowing full well that there was more than one Spirit Transformation inside the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven, he naturally didn't want to go in and risk his life.

"Forget it, why think that far ahead? Let's just focus on getting this year done according to plan."

Xiao Chen made up his mind. "As for the World Breaking Stone, I'll leave it to luck."

"If we can meet them sooner, we should visit the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven and broaden our horizons."

"If you don't run into them, don't bother looking for them. Just focus on other important matters first."