The Second Nascent Soul

The most important thing for Li Fan was to cultivate his divided spirit and obtain the Daoist Qiongqi's practice materials, so he didn't hesitate and directly asked Jia Gui to help communicate and buy the three books together: <The Taishang Sanshi Zhongjing>, <The Qingxu Second Yuanshen>, and <The Chengxing Lingtai Miyao>, and send them to the Lou Guan Branch.

Of course, his choice to have them all wasn't because he was afraid of being looked down upon by Jia Gui as a country bumpkin. The main reason was that these three volumes of secret techniques only had names; he didn't yet know what the actual materials were like, whether they were genuine scriptures, or whether they were secret transmissions imprinted in the jade slip of Divine Sense, or handwritten copies from memory. If he spent a lot of time agonizing over the details and ended up buying a fragmented version that was difficult to cultivate, wouldn't that be a complete waste of his energy?

Besides, it's really not that expensive. If you calculate it using the Spirit Coins, it's only a few thousand yuan per book. If you calculate it using the cost of the Donghua Changchun Pill, it's even cheaper. You can get all of them by collecting fifty or sixty pills.

Since we're on the topic, let's take a look at Li Fan's current net worth.

After all, his cultivation level had improved, and Li Fan was no longer the penniless pauper he used to be, unable to even produce a single string or two. Of course, even if you asked him to produce another string or two now, he still couldn't—it was all eaten by the Kun...

However, now that we're at the Nascent Soul Realm, our trading partners are all Real Immortal from the Xuanmen sect, so everyone uses Bibi coins to settle accounts, cough cough.

When he first reached the Golden Core stage, the Abbot gave him the Mysterious Purple Gold Pill and the Donghua Changchun Pill. Over the years, he used most of them for fighting and healing, and still had nearly a hundred of each left, which was enough for his needs.

During my trip to Penglai, I obtained three gourds of Changchun Pill from Liu Chengzong, Zhou Chengxue, and Yi Si Shenjun. I left one gourd for Xiao Yushi. After deducting the cost of purchasing the Divine Technique, I now have about three hundred pills left that I can use for trading.

From the perspective of a Xuanmen Daoist, this amount of assets isn't actually that much. After all, proper cultivators don't progress as quickly as Li Fan. If they don't want to spend time collecting and refining artifacts themselves, then all sorts of Heavenly Treasure, pills, magical Magic Treasure, and cultivation methods need to be purchased with money. More than three hundred Nine-Turn Changchun Pill would probably be consumed like water, unstoppable.

However, Li Fan's cultivation involved gathering materials himself, seizing magic Cultivation Method himself. He would occasionally Moon Worship and absorb some evil energy. The sect also provided other materials, so he felt that with so many pills on hand, his life was quite comfortable.

Unexpectedly, when Li Fan took out the purchase list he had compiled after communicating with Xuan Tian and started discussing with Jia Gui about purchasing materials from Xuanmen, he began to experience the heartache of spending money like cutting off a piece of his own flesh.

Can you believe that three hundred Changchun Pill from Penglai weren't enough?! The abbot also gave away a lot of pills, can you believe that?! And Li Fan even had to trade a lot of the Heavenly Treasure he collected!

Of course, there was nothing he couldn't believe. Jia Gui didn't mean to cheat him, because the materials Li Fan bought this time were indeed expensive, since they were all for forging swords.

The Moon Soul naturally needed to be polished first. Since the rabbit came out of seclusion, it had killed quite a few people with Li Fan. Xuan Tian said that the sword imprint also needed to be checked, cleansed, and given regular maintenance. Of course, Li Fan would not refuse.

The Frost Stone, Golden Dragon, and White Star swords need no further explanation. Since their last battle with Yang Ying, they have all been corrupted by evil energy and severely damaged, rendering them unusable and requiring reforging.

Ink Bamboo Mountain has acquired a new sword furnace. They would certainly be willing to let the masters practice their skills there, and it wouldn't cost Li Fan much in labor fees. However, the sect couldn't afford the cost of the sword-making materials, so Li Fan would have to bear the cost himself.

In this way, the four flying swords instantly reaped the assets that Li Fan had fought hard for over the past few years! Moreover, according to Xuan Tian's estimate, the Moon Soul Sword was alright, but the other three swords were too heavily tainted by the evil energy, and it was not certain that they could all be repaired. It would depend on the specific situation!

I can't afford to raise it... a flying sword... I can't afford to raise it...

Li Fan was now penniless and bankrupt again. He looked at his inventory to see what he could sell for money.

There's the mountain lord's thunder seal and the Golden Brick given by the manifestation, but both are stolen goods. Taking them to the rightful owner for repair would be a humiliation, and leaving them unrepaired would only make them useless as bricks. Selling them wouldn't fetch much either; they're practically useless... Oh right, and there's also a sword pellet. I've forgotten about all those flying swords...

The Golden Core level sword pellet of the Divine Cult, Flying Rainbow.

That sword pellet nearly severed Li Fan's head back then, so it's a deep-seated hatred. Why not just sell it? After all, he now possesses the Blood Talisman Sword and a God Lord Jade, making him incredibly convincing as a seller of the Divine Sect's sword pellets...

Kindness?

Li Fan suddenly had an idea.

Can't the Moon Soul absorb the Taiyin Sword Force?

Can the Divine Cult's flying sword absorb the sword power of the Blood Talisman Sword?

Since there was no harm in trying, Li Fan decided to give it a shot. He flew to the warehouse on Yuntai Peak, opened the sword box, and released the sword spirit of the Flying Sword Flying Rainbow.

Whether it's a demon or a weapon spirit, it needs to reach the Nascent Soul Realm to cultivate into human form. This Flying Rainbow Sword Spirit hasn't even taken shape yet, and it doesn't even have the rabbit form of Moon Soul. It's just a crimson sword shadow. It was finally released from its box, and it flew out to circle around for air. It looks exactly like the ones stuck in Li Fan's body, which is just annoying to look at...

"Hey, Fei Hong, can you handle all this sword energy on me?"

Li Fan didn't have high expectations. The flying swords of the Divine Sect couldn't be controlled without the sect's sword manual, so keeping them wouldn't help. Besides, they were incredibly expensive to maintain, so it was better to just sell them.

But to everyone's surprise, the crimson sword shadow actually came close, piercing into the sword wounds around the Gui Xu Nascent Soul and merging with the sword force, then pulling out the Blood Talisman Sword that were stuck in Li Fan's body one by one!

This was an unexpected delight. You see, even a Blood Infant has trouble digesting the power of the Blood Talisman Sword; forcing it to eat it is like making a child whimper and grunt. But the Flying Rainbow Sword was able to swiftly remove the sword power from Li Fan's body! It seems that specialization is indeed key; the Divine Sect's flying swords are the fastest at removing the Divine Sect's sword power!

So Li Fan stood there and let the Flying Rainbow Sword absorb the power of the Blood Talisman Sword. He could see that the original crimson shadow was becoming brighter and brighter. In the end, the spirit of the Flying Rainbow Sword was so dazzling that it was like a laser beam sword. It then went back into the sword box to recuperate.

Li Fan was in high spirits as he so easily resolved the internal injuries of the Gui Xu Nascent Soul.

It seems this Divine Cult flying sword isn't entirely useless. We can use it to heal ourselves after killing members of the Divine Cult! I won't sell it for now.

Having acquired the materials for the Cultivation Method, exhausted his savings, and healed his primordial spirit's injuries, Li Fan did not linger in the illusion. He returned to his physical body and discussed the cultivation of the Divided Spirit technique with Xuan Tian.

The three books, "The Taishang Sanshi Zhongjing," "The Qingxu Second Yuanshen," and "The Chengxing Lingtai Miyao," have been delivered by the attendants of Yuntai Peak. Fortunately, they are all genuine jade slips of transmission, with nothing missing or incomplete. Xuan Tian also knows a general idea about these three Cultivation Method.

Xuan Tian said, "If I had to choose, it would definitely be the <Chengxing Lingtai Miyao>. This technique is best suited for sword fighting. Not only can it be used to set up the Nine Luminaries Sword Formation and forge the Divine Court Spirit Platform Star Palace, but it can also resist the invasion of the primordial spirit of demons like the Blood God Child. My Beichen Sword Sect also has many other incomparably powerful sword formations and techniques to match it, making it the best choice for killing and fighting."

However, since you cultivate the ancient Daoist alchemy of Lou Guan and have even produced the Three Flowers, the <Taishang Sanshi Zhongjing> is most compatible with your Nascent Soul Stage. By cultivating the Three Corpses God using this method, you will have three extra helpers in battle—isn't that wonderful? Moreover, in the future, at the Transformation Realm, each time you sever a corpse, your cultivation will greatly increase. Severing Three Corpses will grant you the chance to comprehend the Dao and attain immortality. It is simply the most reliable path among the ancient methods.

As for the <Qingxu Second Yuanshen>, it really doesn't have any special effects. In the past, some old Daoist priests would leave a fragment of the spirit on the statue of the patriarch in the ancestral hall or altar to supervise the disciples' cultivation. I haven't heard of any other uses for it. But it's reliable and doesn't have any particular shortcomings."

Li Fan understood. "So you recommended either the <Chengxing Lingtai Miyao> or the <Taishang Sanshi Zhongjing>."

Xuan Tian: "No, I recommend <Qingxu Second Yuanshen>."

Li Fan, "..."

Xuan Tian said, "You're only at the Nascent Soul Realm now. It's too early to think about splitting your soul. Besides, you need to refine the souls of those two parts from scratch. This time, you're only trying to control a primordial spirit that's far away. That Dao body is also mixed with so many Tai Su clones and Yin spirits. They're practically demons outside the realm of immortality. It's unclear whether they can be compatible with the thoughts of the Star Constellation and the Three Corpses. It's safer to use the Pure Void Primordial Spirit."

Li Fan thought about it and agreed, so he went into seclusion in the quiet room to cultivate the <Qingxu Second Yuanshen>.

With the true scriptures and meditations recorded on the jade slips, and with Xuan Tian's guidance, Li Fan had no difficulty in cultivating his second primordial spirit. After thoroughly studying the scriptures, he also gained some understanding on his own.

If we compare the Dao body to hardware, and Gui Xu and Qiong Qi's Nascent Soul Stage to operating systems, then the Qingxu Second Yuanshen spirit is like a program script. When dealing with simple, tedious, repetitive tasks, you can delegate them to this second primordial spirit. For example, you can watch movies or let your graphics card mine cryptocurrency.

In a sense, the Blood Infant is also a similar script program, except that instead of 'mining', it infects other 'devices' and manipulates them to disintegrate and collapse.

Li Fan's current problem is that the two devices, the Gui Xu Nascent Soul main body and the Qiongqi clone, are too far apart, the signal is poor, and it is difficult to communicate in a timely manner. Moreover, the Qiongqi, this Tai Su Dao Body, retains a certain degree of self-awareness and can make some autonomous reactions. Ultimately, it thinks from the perspective of the ferocious beast Qiongqi, not from the perspective of the human Li Fan. If it is out of control for too long, there is no guarantee that it won't escape control like a kite with a broken string.

Therefore, Li Fan now plans to cultivate the Qingxu Second Yuanshen and transfer it to Daoist Qiongqi, so that he can think, act, and handle problems in the same way as 'Qingyue'.

In short, stop chasing wild horses like an animal all day long. Take a stroll around the icy plains and see if you can find the remains of the Sword Sect disciples and the secrets of the Dao Ancestor Youquan. If you can't find them, try to head south and return to Ink Bamboo Mountain to reunite with your main body.

Having successfully created his own Pure Void Primordial Spirit and confirmed there were no issues, Li Fan entered meditation again, attempting to contact his Qiongqi Dao Body and load the 'software' over there.

Then, his retina gradually changed, and Li Fan opened the tiger's eyes again. Before him was a bedroom.

Li Fan, "?"

To be precise, it was a woman's boudoir, and of course, it was not for ordinary people. This boudoir was built in an ice cave, and apart from the bed, wardrobe, and dressing table, there were some stone chairs, stone benches, and stone tables. It belonged to the kind of old-fashioned immortal's cave dwelling, and of course, it was not yet possible to tell whether it belonged to an immortal or a demon.

Li Fan's mind went blank, and he couldn't recall what Qiongqi had gone through. He looked Fourth Department leaving the cave and found that it was quite complex, with various front halls, guest rooms, warehouses, and alchemy rooms. Li Fan took a few steps in the corridor and smelled a strange fragrance. Following the scent, he found a kitchen with a stove, large pots, jars, and urns.

Following the aroma, Li Fan found the copper pot simmering over a low flame on the stove. Lifting the lid, he discovered a pot of mixed stew, clearly made from beef, mutton, and horse meat. After stirring it a couple of times with a spatula, he managed to grab a piece of meat. Judging by its size, it was probably from Hu Barbarians.

Hmph, monster.

Li Fan pursed his lips, put the pot lid back on, and scanned the area with his Divine Sense. He discovered that the monster was still in the cave, so he followed the tunnel down to the bottom of the cave. Sure enough, there was a deep pool at the bottom of the mountain. Hearing the rushing water, Li Fan went closer and saw a woman bathing in the Cold Pool. She didn't turn around when she heard Li Fan coming down, and even laughed while washing her hair.

"True Lord, can't wait any longer? Shall we take a bath together?"

Li Fan chuckled, "What the hell am I washing your mother's ass!"

The female demon was momentarily stunned. She had just raised her head when Li Fan suddenly pounced on her, slapping her down with his five fingers, leaving five holes in her skull and splattering her brains. He then ripped off her head. Her body convulsed in the pool, revealing itself in the dark red water as either a lynx or a snow leopard.

Oh dear, Qiongqi, if you leave him alone for just a couple of days, he'll start associating with scoundrels, won't he?

Li Fan extracted the monster's core, skinned it, ate a couple of bites of its flesh, returned to his cave, gathered some valuables, packed them up, and left.

As soon as he emerged from the cave and took to the air, he saw a dark cloud on the horizon, filled with demonic winds, flying straight toward him. On the cloud appeared a wolf-headed monster and a tiger-headed monster, their bodies resembling human figures.

Tiger Head laughed when he saw him, "Brother, where are you going? We haven't had any good wine or food yet."

Li Fan blinked, a name suddenly flashing through his mind, and called out, "Barile, come here."

"What's wrong, my dear brother? Just tell me what's wrong." The tiger-headed monster came over, looking rather silly.

Li Fan could tell that although the other party had not fully transformed into human form, he had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm and was wearing the armor of a regional military governor, so he was probably a demon general under the Chanyu. He pointed to the large sword at the other party's waist and said, "That sword is nice. Let me see it."

Tiger immediately disassembled the knife and handed it to him, saying, "This is a treasured sword from the Southern Barbarians. If you like it, my brother, I'll give it to you."

Li Fan drew his sword, nodded, and looked at the wolf-headed demon waiting cautiously. "Who is it?"

The tiger turned around and greeted, "Oh, this is my friend Anda Ao Hai. I live a hundred miles away and specially sent him to pay homage to the Real Immortal..."

The wolf demon approached with a smile and bowed. In the blink of an eye, Li Fan swiftly chopped off the tiger's head with his blade.

The wolf demon's smile vanished instantly; before he could even process what was happening, Li Fan swung his blade and cleaved him in two.

The knife is indeed a fine knife; it can cut a hair in two without leaving a trace of blood on the blade.

Li Fan stared at the tiger's eyes reflected in the gleaming blade. Only then did Qiongqi's memories from the past two days gradually emerge clearly in Li Fan's mind.

In short, it chased after those wild horses, circling around them as if it had found the Chanyu Royal Court.