Earth Immortal Path Prodigy

The current battle situation was unfavorable for the Azure Elixir Sect, but Liu Yuanchen was merely a minor Qi-Nourishing Realm cultivator. He had no standing whatsoever to take part in the higher-ups' decisions.

All he could do now was raise his strength as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, if the situation worsened in the future, he might not even have the means to protect himself.

"Once the front lines suffer a defeat, any number of dangerous situations could arise afterward.

The Chen Household's attack on me last time showed that the sect was not absolutely safe either.

I'd long wanted to buy some defensive artifacts, but once the war began, all the artifacts produced by the Artifact Refining Hall were prioritized for the battlefield. They simply weren't available for purchase.

Besides, the Artifact Refining Hall's artifacts were truly of worrying quality.

You're a steward of the Artifact Refining Hall. You should have some good items on hand, right?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded slightly. "I do have some good things. What type of artifact do you want?"

Liu Yuanchen asked, "Do you have any offensive artifacts with Wind-Thunder attributes?"

"Yuan Chen, you think too highly of me.

Although the Artifact Refining Hall occasionally acquires some Wind-Thunder attribute materials, too many people have their eyes on them. They never make it into my hands."

Wood-attribute artifacts were too weak in both offense and defense. If there were no Wind-Thunder attribute ones, he could only settle for some artifacts suited for dirty tricks.

"Do you have defensive artifacts and artifacts for sneak attacks?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded. "Of course. What kind do you want?"

"First, I need a set of protective soft armor, then a sturdier shield.

I haven't seen many artifacts meant for sneak attacks. Please recommend a few."

Liu Qingyuan fetched two storage bags from the bedroom within the cave residence, took out all the artifacts inside, and piled them on the table.

"These are all the good things I've accumulated over the years. I was planning to sell them cheaply to the family.

You're a member of the Liu Family too, so selling them to you is no different."

Liu Yuanchen examined the artifacts on the table and picked out all the offensive ones, such as sabers and swords.

"These artifacts are useless to me. You should put them away."

With the saber- and sword-type artifacts removed, there were visibly far fewer items left on the table.

Liu Yuanchen picked up a blue-black suit of soft armor and inspected it carefully.

Liu Qingyuan immediately introduced it. "This soft armor is called Spirit Rhino Armor. It was refined from the tough hide on the back of a first-tier high-grade Grayback Spirit Rhino.

The Grayback Spirit Rhino's defense is among the best of the first-tier demon beasts."

Liu Yuanchen tugged hard at the Spirit Rhino Armor. Even with his formidable physical strength, he could not deform it in the slightest.

"The defense truly is exceptional. Based on this Spirit Rhino Armor alone, the Azure Elixir Sect's artifact refining standards aren't as poor as the outside world claims."

Liu Qingyuan gave an embarrassed smile. "The sect's artifact refining inheritance truly isn't very good. I personally refined this Spirit Rhino Armor.

If not for my Sea of Qi Realm cultivation and the painstaking forging I put into it, it would have been difficult to produce soft armor of this quality.

The effort it required nearly matched that of refining a second-tier low-grade artifact."

Liu Yuanchen silently withdrew his earlier assessment. A Second-Tier Artifact Refining Master had needed to expend tremendous effort just to refine such an excellent first-tier high-grade artifact.

The Azure Elixir Sect's artifact refining inheritance was only barely usable.

Afterward, he turned his attention to a pitch-black shield.

The shield was only the size of a palm. Liu Yuanchen casually tried to pick it up, but failed to lift it.

Only after exerting some strength did he manage to raise the shield.

"Eighth Uncle, this shield must weigh over a hundred jin, right?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded awkwardly. "This shield weighs one hundred and twenty jin. It was forged entirely from black iron."

Liu Yuanchen poured some spiritual power into the shield, and it instantly expanded into a large round shield four chi in diameter.

He tried to use Divine Sense and spiritual power to make the shield float, only to discover that he lacked the ability to do so.

"This shield seems suitable only for hand-held use. Cultivators with weaker physical strength would probably be unable even to cast movement arts while carrying this thing."

Liu Qingyuan gave an embarrassed laugh and picked up a green shield from the table. "The sect's artifact refining standards are low, so to ensure quality, we can only pile on more materials.

This Azure Vine Shield is much lighter. It's woven from ox-tendon vines.

You're a Spirit Apothecary, so you're very familiar with spirit plants.

These ox-tendon vines are famously tough. Only first-tier high-grade metal-attribute artifacts can barely cut through them.

This Azure Vine Shield uses dozens of ox-tendon vines woven into three layers.

Below the Sea of Qi Realm, breaking this shield would be no easy task."

Liu Yuanchen took the shield. This Azure Vine Shield was indeed much lighter, weighing no more than three jin.

After he infused it with spiritual power, the Azure Vine Shield expanded into a round shield about three chi in diameter.

Under the control of his Divine Sense and spiritual power, the shield flew swiftly through the air.

"Not bad. This shield is certainly light and convenient."

"I'll take the Spirit Rhino Armor and the Azure Vine Shield. Eighth Uncle, recommend another artifact for sneak attacks."

Liu Qingyuan selected a tapered artifact more than four cun long from among the artifacts.

The awl was completely black, as though it had been polished from some sort of bone, and its handle bore a skull pattern.

Liu Yuanchen probed it with his Divine Sense, but could not lock onto it.

"This artifact's material seems to have the effect of evading Divine Sense."

Liu Qingyuan nodded. "Exactly. This item was not refined by the Azure Elixir Sect. I acquired it from the market.

Cultivators below the Sea of Qi Realm would find it difficult to detect this awl with Divine Sense.

Even I cannot lock onto it with Divine Sense.

So I named it the Ghostshadow Awl."

Liu Yuanchen was extremely satisfied with the Ghostshadow Awl.

Regardless of how powerful it was, an artifact that Divine Sense could not track was an excellent tool for ambushes.

In any case, it was still a first-tier high-grade artifact. No matter how weak its power was, piercing a Qi-Nourishing Realm cultivator's weak points would not be a problem.

"Eighth Uncle, I'll take the Ghostshadow Awl too. How many Spirit Stones for everything?"

Liu Qingyuan answered without hesitation, "The Spirit Rhino Armor will be forty Spirit Stones, and the Azure Vine Shield thirty Spirit Stones.

The Ghostshadow Awl is a little more expensive, so fifty Spirit Stones."

All three artifacts were exceptional among first-tier high-grade artifacts. In Qinghe Town, selling them for two hundred Spirit Stones would not have been surprising.

He promptly took out one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones and handed them to Liu Qingyuan.

After chatting for a few moments, Liu Yuanchen took his leave.

He did not return directly to his cave residence. Instead, he made another trip to the Talisman Hall and traded for some talismans from Zhang Jingming.

When he had been besieged by Azure Spirit Bees before, the Vajra Talisman's defensive power had been quite good.

The reason it had not lasted long was simply because there had been too many Azure Spirit Bees, and their rank had been high. The problem had not been with the talisman.

This time, he bought several second-tier low-grade talismans: two Golden Armor Talismans, two Swiftstride Talismans, and one Golden Sword Talisman.

He also bought some first-tier high-grade spirit talismans. If the front lines were truly defeated and the Azure Elixir Sect could not hold on, having these items would give him a better chance of surviving.

A month and a half passed, and Liu Yuanchen inspected the spirit fields.

The second generation of Golden-Thread Rice Plants cultivated with the Yi Wood Origin-Nourishing Art had already begun heading. Seeing the thick, sturdy stalks, he was confident in the harvest.

The second crop of rice ears from the few Golden-Thread Rice Plants he had cultivated earliest with the Yi Wood Origin-Nourishing Art had ripened as well.

Because the second crop already had stalks and roots in place, it only needed to grow new tillers rather than starting from seeds, saving a great deal of growth time.

Other spirit grain rice varieties could also yield two harvests from one transplanting, but their second crops generally had poor yields.

Yet the ears on these Golden-Thread Rice Plants were even slightly larger than those of the first crop.

Moreover, the life force within the stalks remained vigorous, and their stems had become even thicker, showing no signs of aging whatsoever.

Liu Yuanchen sensed the roots of the Golden-Thread Rice Plants and found that they extended three or four chi underground.

Five or six new tillers had also grown from the stalks.

At this rate, producing another crop or two would not be a problem, and the next crop would yield even more rice ears.

He was beginning to suspect that what he had planted was not Golden-Thread Rice, but some kind of bamboo.

If the trait of the rice stalks never dying could be passed down reliably, Golden-Thread Rice could be harvested eight times a year.

Just as he was about to harvest the rice ears, a fiery red cloud drifted over from Azure Pill Peak to the west.

After the Firecloud landed, it dispersed, revealing two figures within the mist.

Liu Yuanchen examined them carefully and recognized one as Zhao Hong. The other was a youth whose face still carried childishness.

Yet his body was extraordinarily brawny, nearly nine chi tall, and he looked like a small mountain.

There were no spiritual power fluctuations around him, but the force of his blood and qi had already surpassed the scope of a Qi-Nourishing Realm cultivator.

Liu Yuanchen did not dare be negligent. He stepped forward and bowed. "This disciple greets Deputy Hall Master Zhao and pays respects to Senior."

Zhao Hong waved a hand. "No need for formalities."

Then he swept his gaze over the spirit fields and instantly noticed the extraordinary nature of the Golden-Thread Rice.

"Something isn't right with your Golden-Thread Rice. Not only are the rice ears large, but the stalks are especially robust."

Liu Yuanchen smiled. "This disciple cultivated them with the Yi Wood Origin-Nourishing Art. There are only these few plants for now, and the method has yet to stabilize."

"Interesting. Wood-attribute Alchemy Masters can cultivate high-quality spirit herbs themselves. Fire-attribute Alchemy Masters truly cannot compare in that regard."

The three entered the cave residence. After taking their seats, Zhao Hong smiled. "I came this time because I want you to help look after Meng Tieshan and teach him cultivation while you're at it."

Liu Yuanchen looked at the imposing youth. "Deputy Hall Master Zhao, are you joking?

Senior Meng's blood and qi are extraordinarily powerful. I can't even see through his cultivation. He should be at least a Sea of Qi Realm cultivator, right?"

Zhao Hong laughed. "Tie Shan is only sixteen. Where would you find a sixteen-year-old Sea of Qi Realm cultivator?

His physique is merely special, and his blood and qi are powerful, but he has not officially begun cultivating yet.

In terms of strength, he cannot compare to you."

Liu Yuanchen was even more astonished. "The Human Race's physical body is weak. Even legendary special physiques merely possess tremendous potential.

Before cultivation, they are only somewhat stronger than ordinary people.

This disciple's blood and qi have been strong since childhood, but even now, at the Seventh Qi-Nourishing Layer, they are only comparable to those of a Ninth Qi-Nourishing Layer cultivator.

Junior Brother Meng has not even begun cultivating, yet his blood and qi already rival those of a Sea of Qi Realm cultivator. This is far beyond the limits of ordinary people.

Could it be that he possesses Demon Race blood?"

After demon cultivators took human form, they could break through their bloodline restrictions and mate with humans, producing Half-Demons.

Generally speaking, Half-Demons could inherit the wisdom of the Human Race and the physical bodies of the Demon Race.

Of course, they also inherited the flaws of both the Human Race and Demon Race. They were born without cultivation, remained constrained by Demon Race bloodlines, and had limited potential.

Many humans carried a small amount of Demon Race blood. Once it awakened, their physical bodies became exceptionally powerful.

Meng Tieshan had not even begun cultivating, yet possessed such formidable blood and qi. Liu Yuanchen's first thought was that he carried Demon Race blood.

Zhao Hong chuckled. "If he possessed Demon Race blood and it had awakened, his potential would be extremely low. Why would I value him so highly?

I have already examined him. He has no Demon Race bloodline at all; he simply has a special physique.

Such physiques are exceedingly rare and appear only in certain legends. Even I cannot be certain.

This matter must never be leaked. Otherwise, someone may covet his body."

Liu Yuanchen patted his chest and promised, "Rest assured, I will never reveal anything about Junior Brother Meng."

"This disciple is an Alchemy Master and has plenty of Spirit Stones. Feeding one more person is no problem.

As long as I have a bite to eat, I will never let him go hungry."

Zhao Hong nodded slightly. "Tie Shan, hurry and thank your Senior Brother Liu Yuanchen."

The burly youth bowed. "Thank you, Senior Brother Liu."

Zhao Hong smiled. "Tie Shan's ancestors were cultivators who ran a small business at Twin Dragon Valley Market, on the border between the territories of the Azure Elixir Sect and Iron Cauldron Mountain.

Unfortunately, his family had failed to produce cultivators for two consecutive generations, and the estate his ancestors had accumulated had long been exhausted.

The people at Twin Dragon Valley Market also believed he possessed Demon Race blood, so his life there was not easy."

"A few days ago, I was out handling business and happened to pass through Twin Dragon Valley Market, where I encountered Tie Shan.

The moment I saw him, I felt that this child was a prodigy of the Earth Immortal Path, so I brought him back."

Liu Yuanchen sighed inwardly. Meng Tieshan was truly fortunate.

"For Junior Brother Meng to encounter Deputy Hall Master Zhao is truly a stroke of great fortune.

As for things related to the Earth Immortal Path, this disciple only knows the Bloodsteel Secret Art.

You have also said that the Bloodsteel Secret Art has serious drawbacks. I fear it may damage Junior Brother Meng's foundation."

Liu Yuanchen did not say this to evade responsibility. He was simply afraid of harming such a promising talent as Meng Tieshan.

Zhao Hong took out a book made of beast hide. "This is an introductory cultivation method of the Earth Immortal Path. It does not conflict with the cultivation methods of the Qi Refinement Path.

You can cultivate it first, and once you have learned it, teach Tie Shan.

If the two of you can make something of yourselves, I will take you both as disciples."

"A few days ago, my mortal enemy appeared near Golden Ao Mountain.

That bastard is exceedingly cunning. I have pursued him more than ten times, yet he escaped every time.

This time, he infiltrated the Demoncloud Sect and dared to swagger about under my nose.

If I don't kill him, even my meals won't taste good."

"Tie Shan has not begun cultivating yet, so taking him along would be far too dangerous.

He has no Immortal Seed and is not suited to joining the Azure Elixir Sect.

The two of you may very well become fellow disciples under the same master in the future. Until I return, let him stay here with you."

Liu Yuanchen accepted the beast-hide book. "Deputy Hall Master Zhao, rest assured. This disciple will certainly teach Junior Brother Meng well."

After giving a few more instructions, Zhao Hong left the cave residence.

At this moment, Meng Tieshan seemed somewhat uneasy, sitting on the stone chair without knowing what to do.

For a child who had suffered oppression all year round, it was only natural to feel afraid in a new place.

Liu Yuanchen smiled. "Junior Brother, there's no need to be nervous. Just treat this place as your own home.

You haven't started cultivating yet, so you need to sleep every day. I'll leave my bedroom to you.

If there's anything you want to eat, just tell me.

"I'll spend a few days learning everything in this beast-hide book first, then I'll teach you how to cultivate."

Meng Tieshan smiled shyly. "Senior Brother Liu, I can eat anything. I just have a rather large appetite..."

Liu Yuanchen did not mind. "So what if you eat a lot? I'm a First-Rank High-Grade Alchemy Master. The Spirit Stones I earn in a day are enough to pay for half a year's meals.

I refuse to believe you can eat me into poverty."

Seeing his "I'm rich" attitude, Meng Tieshan felt somewhat reassured.