The Soaring Immortal Sect's Purpose

Liu Yuanchen's heart stirred slightly. He had heard of the special abilities of Immortal Seeds.

In theory, aside from inferior Immortal Seeds, any Immortal Seed could possess certain special abilities.

Being able to sense the life force of vegetation was one of the special abilities of the Ginseng Fruit Tree Sapling Immortal Seed.

The special abilities of Immortal Seeds were difficult to predict. Many cultivators with Grade-B High-Quality Immortal Seeds were unable to awaken any special abilities throughout their lives.

Yet some cultivators with Grade-C Low-Quality Immortal Seeds could awaken special abilities through fortunate opportunities.

The special abilities of Immortal Seeds came in all varieties. Some were exceptionally powerful, while others were barely useful.

"From the sound of it, this secret art can promote the awakening of an Immortal Seed's special abilities."

Yue Kongming nodded. "That's right. In terms of overall strength, my Soaring Immortal Sect may not be a match for your Eight Desolations Pavilion.

"But when it comes to research on Immortal Seeds, the Eight Desolations Pavilion is far inferior to the Soaring Immortal Sect.

"If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask Senior Zhao.

"Senior Zhao knows what the Soaring Immortal Sect is capable of as well."

"I've already told you what you wanted to know. Now, shouldn't you tell me where that ape-man is?"

Liu Yuanchen believed Yue Kongming's words. The Eight Desolations Pavilion primarily cultivated the physical body, and one could cultivate whether one had an Immortal Seed or not. It would not spend vast resources researching Immortal Seeds.

Liu Yuanchen nodded. "That ape-man was killed by me. Everything he left behind is in my possession, while his corpse has already been handed over to the sect."

As he spoke, he took a wolf-toothed club from his storage pouch. "This was the magical artifact used by that ape-man."

Upon hearing this, Yue Kongming's face filled with anger.

However, it faded completely before long.

"I had already guessed that he had met with misfortune, but I still wanted to come out and search for him.

"For him to die at the hands of an Eight Desolations Pavilion disciple could be considered a fitting end."

Liu Yuanchen was somewhat curious. "The cultivation method that ape-man practiced was quite extraordinary, and his strength was not weak either.

"Could he have been from your Soaring Immortal Sect?"

Yue Kongming shook his head. "How could the Soaring Immortal Sect accept a Half-Demon as a disciple? He was not my junior brother, but he was still a product of my master's painstaking efforts."

Liu Yuanchen's expression became rather strange.

What did that mean? Could it be that Senior He of the Soaring Immortal Sect had some unspeakable story with a female Half-Demon?

Of course, his own master had highly praised He Daoheng's character, so he presumably would not have laid hands on an ape demon.

But a Half-Demon had Human Race bloodline, after all. By rounding things off, she was practically human. Who knew what might happen after a drunken mistake?

Thinking about it, it did make sense. If he were not a biological son, why would Yue Kongming, the chief personal disciple, be sent to search for him at such risk?

In the span of a few breaths, Liu Yuanchen had already imagined an entire melodramatic tale.

Seeing his strange expression, Yue Kongming immediately realized that he had likely misunderstood.

"Stop making up stories about my master in your head. That ape-man was picked up by my master in the mountains."

Liu Yuanchen nodded repeatedly. "I understand. My master also approves of Senior He's character."

Naturally, that was not what he was thinking.

An illegitimate son being repackaged as an adopted son was nothing unusual.

However, he had killed the man's illegitimate son. Senior He might come looking to settle the score with him someday.

Seeing that he still did not believe him, Yue Kongming explained again, "Yuan Fei was one of my master's experiments, and he concerned the great undertaking of the Soaring Immortal Sect.

"If this plan succeeds, it will bring tremendous benefits to the entire Human Race."

Seeing how serious he was, Liu Yuanchen dismissed the thoughts in his heart.

"So that was it. I was wondering how a mere Spirit Devouring Realm Half-Demon could possess a cultivation method like Beast God Transformation.

"And this Beast God Transformation was created by using the Myriad Beasts Scripture as a foundation and merging it with Demon Race inheritances.

"So it was all the work of the Soaring Immortal Sect."

"I have also read Beast God Transformation. It truly is rather interesting.

"However, for a Half-Demon to achieve anything with it, he would need the essence blood of a high-level demon beast.

"But high-level demon beasts are formidable. With the little potential Half-Demons possess, how could they seize such essence blood?"

Yue Kongming did not answer directly. "The Soaring Immortal Sect's goal is naturally not merely to give Half-Demons a cultivation method.

"As for our goal, you can go back and ask Senior Zhao. He should be able to guess it.

"I already know Yuan Fei's fate. The purpose of this journey has been fulfilled, so there is no need to go to Jintong Mountain."

After saying that, he looked at Liu Yuanchen again. "My failure to defeat you this time does not mean that the Soaring Immortal Sect's inheritance is inferior to that of the Eight Desolations Pavilion. I was simply too careless.

"If I had not taken the initiative to attack and had merely circled around you beyond the range of Ten Thousand Woods Become a Forest, you would certainly have lost.

"Once you reach the Sea of Qi Realm, the power of spatial techniques will rise to another level.

"When you break through to the Sea of Qi Realm, I will come challenge you again."

After saying that, the space around him twisted, and his entire body vanished from Liu Yuanchen's sight.

Naturally, Liu Yuanchen did not take his grand words to heart.

I truly do not know which inheritance is stronger, that of the Soaring Immortal Sect or the Eight Desolations Pavilion.

But Grand Immortal Zhenyuan's inheritance was definitely stronger than the entire Origin Spirit Realm.

Besides, I had already opened up a Spirit Realm.

I could already stand toe-to-toe with him now. Once I broke through to the Sea of Qi Realm, the advantages of my inheritance and Spirit Realm would only grow greater.

The ten-day patrol mission had ended. It was time to return to Qinghe Town and report in.

Upon returning to Qinghe Town, he went straight to the Mission Office of the Azure Elixir Pavilion.

Seeing him return, Mo Lianshan was somewhat curious. "You've gained quite a lot every time you went out on missions lately.

"This time, you actually came back empty-handed. That really is strange."

Liu Yuanchen sighed. "Don't mention it. I ran into a personal disciple of the Demoncloud Sect.

"We fought for a while, but neither of us gained an advantage.

"The place where we fought was rather close to Jintong Mountain, so he did not dare keep dragging things out.

"His escape techniques were quite remarkable, and I could not keep him there."

Mo Lianshan chuckled. "The Demoncloud Sect has talented disciples as well. It is normal that you couldn't take him down. Are you planning to take another patrol mission next?"

Liu Yuanchen shook his head. "That fellow who escaped from me probably will not go to Yujin Mountain again anytime soon, so there is no point in guarding that place.

"Elder Mo, can I refrain from taking missions and act freely instead?

"From now on, I plan to travel throughout the Qingshui River region and hunt down those rogue cultivators.

"Also, I have some questions about cultivation that require me to return to the sect and seek my master's guidance."

The main reason he said this was that he wanted to spend more time cultivating in the Bluestone Mountain Spirit Realm.

In addition, he wanted to search the Qingshui River region for trees that shed leaves.

It was already autumn, the perfect time to comprehend the Withered Wood Longevity Art.

Mo Lianshan pondered briefly. "If it were anyone else, this would indeed be difficult to arrange.

"Since you want it, I can assign you a special mission.

"Besides patrol missions, disciples who often go out can also take rescue missions.

"Whenever disciples on patrol encounter danger and send a distress signal to Qinghe Town, people will be dispatched from here to rescue them.

"Generally speaking, this mission is carried out by Sea of Qi Realm cultivators.

"However, your strength is exceptional, and you are a personal disciple. No one would dare gossip if you took this mission."

"You can wander around as you please most of the time. No one will interfere.

"But if Qinghe Town sends word for you to rescue someone somewhere and you happen to be nearby, you must hurry over. The sect will reward you.

"If you are not nearby, there will be no penalty for not going."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuanchen immediately understood.

Even if he received a distress signal, it would not matter whether he went to rescue them or not.

With this mission, he could cultivate in the Bluestone Mountain Spirit Realm for long periods in the future. He only needed to report that he was safe every so often.

Building up some connections in ordinary times would always prove useful at critical moments.

After accepting the mission, Liu Yuanchen went to the Myriad Treasures Trading Association and bought another low-grade second-rank pill furnace.

The Crimson Copper Furnace he had used before had now been turned into an incense burner and placed in the Earth Immortal Ancestral Temple within the Bluestone Mountain Spirit Realm.

He also bought a small flying boat, then took it back toward the sect.

After encountering Yue Kongming this time, Liu Yuanchen had developed some interest in the Soaring Immortal Sect.

Both were disciples of major powers, yet Yue Kongming possessed spatial techniques.

If he told his master about this, he might be able to get some benefits out of him.

After returning to the sect, he headed straight for his own cave dwelling.

When the flying boat reached the sky above Reflecting Moon Creek, he saw large stretches of farmland opened up near the cave dwelling.

Liu Yuanchen guided the flying boat down in front of the cave dwelling, where the formation had not even been activated.

He walked directly into the cave dwelling and saw Zhao Hong and Meng Tieshan each holding a huge piece of roasted meat, their mouths glistening with grease.

Liu Yuanchen stepped forward and saluted. "This disciple greets Master."

Zhao Hong smiled. "You came back at just the right time. Tie Shan has just condensed the Azure Ape Astral Force Seed. I have already accepted him as my disciple and was preparing to send him to Qinghe Town to pay respects to you, his eldest senior brother."

Meng Tieshan held roasted meat between his teeth as he bowed to Liu Yuanchen. "Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother."

Liu Yuanchen nodded. "No need to stand on ceremony, Junior Brother."

As he spoke, he took out a wolf-toothed club. "I obtained this magical artifact after killing a rogue cultivator. It should suit you quite well."

When Zhao Hong saw the magical artifact, disdain appeared on his face. "The Artifact Refining Master who made this wolf-toothed club was truly an idiot.

"So much Mystic Iron Essence, and he only made such a piece of junk. What a waste of good materials.

"I'll reforge it later. Turning it into a high-grade second-rank magical artifact should not be a problem."

Liu Yuanchen was somewhat surprised. "Master, you are also skilled in artifact refinement?"

Zhao Hong finished the roasted meat in his hand, lifted his robe, and wiped his hands. "Other than giving birth, there is nothing your master cannot do.

"Earth Immortal Path cultivators must open up Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, and the first thing they need is a treasure to suppress their Spirit Realm.

"Naturally formed treasures are rarely suitable, so they can only be refined personally.

"Quite a few Earth Immortal Path cultivators are proficient in artifact refinement.

"In the future, you two must also learn some of the various arts of cultivation.

"You need not master them, but at the very least, you must know something about them.

"That way, when you travel outside in the future, you will not be completely clueless and fall into someone else's trap without even realizing it."

Liu Yuanchen repeatedly agreed, then asked, "Master, when I went out this time, I encountered a disciple of the Soaring Immortal Sect."

Zhao Hong raised his eyes and looked at him. "That old rival of mine accepted a disciple? I had not heard anything about it.

"You must have fought him. How did it go?"

Liu Yuanchen replied, "That Soaring Immortal Sect disciple was named Yue Kongming. He claimed to be He Daoheng's disciple and had Ninth Qi-Nourishing Layer cultivation.

"When he fought me, he suppressed his cultivation to the Seventh Qi-Nourishing Layer."

Zhao Hong showed great interest. "Then you should have won?"

Liu Yuanchen shook his head. "No. He could use the Dao of Space. I exhausted every means at my disposal but still could not defeat him. In the end, we fought to a draw."

Zhao Hong nodded slightly. "That old bastard He Daoheng is also proficient in the Dao of Space. I nearly killed him several times, but he always escaped.

"I never expected his disciple to know that trick too."

"Those who play with the Dao of Space are more disgusting than the last.

"Their strength is not particularly great. When spatial techniques are used for attack and defense, they still cannot withstand overwhelming force.

"But their ability to flee is truly a headache."

Liu Yuanchen did not care too much either. Although he could not defeat Yue Kongming, he could still protect himself.

In any case, with the Withered Wood Longevity Art, he would live a long time. If he could not beat Yue Kongming, he could simply outlast him.

He took out Beast God Transformation again. "This was obtained after this disciple killed an ape-man Half-Demon. I encountered Yue Kongming because of that ape-man.

"He said that the ape-man had been raised by his master, who had even created a cultivation method specifically for him.

"Yue Kongming said this matter concerned the Soaring Immortal Sect's objective.

"If they succeed, it will bring tremendous benefits to the entire Human Race."

Zhao Hong flipped through it once, then cursed angrily, "He Daoheng really is a bastard. If he wants to scheme against the Demon Race, he should not mess around with the Soaring Immortal Sect's inheritance. Instead, he altered the Myriad Beasts Scripture into this grotesque mess.

"The next time I see him, I'll have to teach him a lesson."

Only after his anger subsided did Liu Yuanchen ask, "Master, how is the Soaring Immortal Sect scheming against the Demon Race?"

Zhao Hong answered, "In the outside world, the Demon Race and the Human Race are constantly at war.

"The conflict between the two races is not merely a matter of cultivators fighting. It is armies facing one another."

"When pure-blooded demons have low cultivation, their intelligence is extremely poor. They are simply not fit to form an army.

"High-cultivation demons are not numerous either.

"Half-Demons inherit the Human Race's intelligence. Even with low cultivation, their intelligence is not much worse than that of humans.

"Therefore, the middle and lower ranks of the Demon Race's armies are almost entirely made up of Half-Demons."

"The reason Half-Demons lack potential is because their bloodlines are mixed.

"Their bodies are half-human and half-demon as well, making them suited to neither Human Race inheritances nor Demon Race inheritances.

"Even if an exceptionally talented Half-Demon creates a cultivation method himself, it will only suit himself.

"Even his biological brothers and sons would have bloodlines and bodies that differ somewhat from his. They might not be suited to the cultivation method he created, making it impossible to spread widely.

"This Beast God Transformation resolves more than half of the Half-Demons' bloodline problem.

"In theory, as long as there is enough essence blood from high-level demons, every Half-Demon can grow stronger."

Liu Yuanchen had naturally recognized the enormous potential of Beast God Transformation.

"This disciple also knows that Beast God Transformation is extraordinary, but how could Half-Demons possibly obtain the essence blood of high-level demons?"

Zhao Hong sneered. "Half-Demons naturally lack that ability on their own, but what if the Human Race helps them?

"Half-Demons hold an extremely low status within the Demon Race. The benefits all go to pure-blooded demons, while the misfortune and deadly work are all left to Half-Demons.

"The vast majority of Half-Demons are deeply dissatisfied with the Demon Race.

"It is only because they lack sufficient strength, and because the Human Race also rejects Half-Demons, that they have no choice but to depend on the Demon Race."

"If the Human Race can use this Beast God Transformation to cultivate several powerful Half-Demons, then use their strength to win over a large number of Half-Demons.

That way, they can build up a Half-Demon faction.

Tell me, who do you think this Half-Demon faction would target?"

Liu Yuanchen answered without hesitation, "Of course they would target the Demon Race. Only by killing pure-blooded demons can they obtain the cultivation resources they need most.

As long as there are enough powerful Half-Demons, they will put immense pressure on the Demon Race.

When that happens, the Demon Race probably won't have the energy to deal with us Humans."

Zhao Hong nodded. "That should be the Soaring Immortal Sect's goal: to weaken the Demon Race by dividing them from within.

It's just that the initial investment would be enormous. The Soaring Immortal Sect alone would probably have a hard time pulling it off."