The people of Stone Stronghold had long since finished packing. The young ones looked forward to their future lives, while the older ones felt nostalgic as they gazed over everything in Stone Stronghold.
But for the younger generation to have a better future, they had no choice but to leave this place.
"You've finally come. These young people could hardly wait any longer." Fifth Master Zhang greeted Jiang Yun with a cheerful smile.
After Fifth Master Zhang spoke for a while about Purple Mountain, everyone was ready to depart.
The group of several hundred was lifted into the air by Imperial Dragon Qi. Jiang Yun had Xia Weier escort them to Mysterious Moon Cave—no, it should now be called Source Heaven Sect.
He remained behind. At Jiang Yun's instruction, the people of Stone Stronghold did not take the stone implements with them, leaving them in the stronghold instead.
Jiang Yun gathered all the stone implements within Stone Stronghold, took out the Sealing Banner, and sealed this small oasis to prevent passing cultivators from discovering it and causing trouble.
Stone stools, stone locks, stone grinders, Stone Millstones, and more—the various stone materials came in all kinds.
Jiang Yun started with the stone stools. He cut open more than a dozen in succession, but nothing appeared.
Still, this was not surprising. Not every stone implement contained divine treasures.
Only when he split open another stone stool did a blazing divine light burst forth from within. It was dazzling and brilliant, and a sacred aura rushed toward him. The radiant glow was too bright to look at directly.
A halo the size of a soybean appeared. Though tiny, it shone as brilliantly as the sun. Merely looking at it made his eyes sting.
This was a grain of Divine Source.
Like a manifestation of light, it floated in the air without ever falling. It was extraordinarily mystical, like the origin of heaven and earth itself, making one unable to resist drawing close to it.
Jiang Yun still had one stored inside his Source Pearl, far larger than this one, so he was not particularly astonished. He put away this tiny grain of Divine Source.
The stone material from the stool contained a dense Primordial Beginning aura, and Jiang Yun stored it away as well. It could be used in the future to awaken the bloodline of the Silver-Blood Twin Emperors.
After putting those things away, only a tuft of red hair remained on the ground. It was bewitchingly vivid, as if dyed in blood, and gave off waves of chilling aura. It was deeply unsettling.
It was Jiang Yun's first time seeing such a thing. Though curious, he had no desire to study it too closely and simply incinerated it from a distance.
This red hair was a trace left behind by Source Gods and Source Ghosts, or by Source Heavenly Masters who had encountered something ominous.
They fed on Divine Source and rare treasures. The pressure was too great, so they were always shedding hair.
The appearance of the red hair did not disturb Jiang Yun's state of mind. He was now a merciless stone-cutting machine.
He cut open one stone implement after another, and finally made another gain: a Divine Source Bean. Jiang Yun restored the stone implement. There should originally have been a basin-sized chunk of Divine Source inside.
His heart ached in waves. They had eaten such a huge piece, so why had they left behind a soybean-sized grain of Divine Source?
He cut another stone fruit out of a stone stool. Its essence had long since drained away, making it impossible to tell what sort of rare treasure it had once been.
Inside one stone implement was an unusual petrified plant.
It was very likely an Immortal Elixir. To have it ruined like this was truly wasteful beyond measure.
However, Immortal Elixirs had extraordinary origins. They were suspected to have been transformed from Immortal Kings who fell during the Chaotic Ancient Era. Whether healing injuries or improving one's aptitude, they could do it all. Yet their most important function was actually allowing cultivators whose lifespans were nearly exhausted to be reborn and live another lifetime.
Each one was a unique existence with mysterious origins. He did not know whether it could be revived.
Jiang Yun carefully put it away and stored it in Source Space.
Next, he cut out a petrified sapling. He had no idea what heaven-defying divine treasure it had once been. As he examined the little tree, possibilities such as the Moon Laurel Tree, Huangzhong Plum, or a World Tree sapling filled Jiang Yun's mind.
Perhaps these Divine Medicines could all come back to life once they reached the Immortal Realm.
Inside another stone implement was a stone pearl as large as a bowl. It somewhat resembled a Dragon Pearl and was likely an Earth Life Fruit, also known as a False Dragon Pearl.
Jiang Yun had seen it in the Dao Venerable Alchemy Chapter. It was an unparalleled rare treasure no inferior to an Immortal Elixir, something rarely encountered even once in tens of thousands of years.
At last, he unearthed a rare treasure that was no longer a damaged, incomplete remnant.
A faint fragrance spread through the air. It was a pool of Divine Liquid, and nine-colored divine radiance seemed to appear faintly in the Void. Breathing in its scent, Jiang Yun felt as though he had been cleansed. This pool of Divine Liquid seemed not much inferior to the essence of an Immortal Elixir.
Taking out a crystal-clear jade bottle, Jiang Yun carefully collected it, unwilling to waste even the slightest drop.
Next, he obtained a purple Stone Gall. When a divine stone formed a gall, it could brighten the eyes and nourish divine perception.
If divine perception reached great accomplishment and perfection, it could form a Heavenly Eye. Throughout history, all Source Heavenly Masters had developed the strongest Heavenly Eyes, capable of seeing through illusions and directly observing the source.
Jiang Yun did not have the time to wait for it to mature. He directly extracted it. Though its effect was somewhat weaker, it could still be of help.
Finally, he obtained a Human Origin Fruit. It was pink, somewhat like a peach, and emitted waves of fragrance, but it could not be consumed directly.
It needed to be refined into a Treasure Pill first. It could extend one's lifespan by a hundred years and, in the eyes of those nearing the end of their lives, was worth hundreds of thousands of units of Source.
Although the Golden Cores Jiang Yun refined could also extend one's lifespan, they required Divine Medicine Essence. Divine Medicine Essence was extremely precious; every drop used was one less remaining.
In the end, he uncovered the head of a Primordial King Clan member from a stone implement and buried it on the spot.
After sorting through his gains, Jiang Yun found that the most precious treasures had all been damaged. Those Source Gods and Source Ghosts were truly squandering heaven's gifts.
At least two Immortal Elixirs!!!
With a regretful heart, Jiang Yun walked outside Stone Stronghold. Not far away on the horizon stood a solitary mountain, several thousand meters tall.
Purple Mountain possessed extraordinary grandeur. Towering high like a purple sword piercing the clouds, it bore countless blade marks and axe scars, carved full of the imprints of time.
With Purple Mountain as its center, there were nine desolate mountain ridges in total in every direction.
Even Jiang Yun, who knew nothing of terrain, could sense the extraordinary nature of this place.
Nine dragons guarded a single pearl, exhausting the ultimate mysteries of heaven and earth's transformations. None but a Great Emperor could bear it.
Its two masters had been the strongest Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial Era and the supreme Great Emperor who swept through the Golden Age.
Each had been a figure on the level of a Heavenly Emperor, adding even more mystery to Purple Mountain.
After circling Purple Mountain a few times, Jiang Yun returned. It was not yet time to enter; some items had yet to be prepared.
He returned to the Source Heaven Sect's grounds.
Stone Stronghold had a small population. With the cultivators' help, the houses had already been built. Jiang Yun arrived at the mountain peak where the people of Stone Stronghold had relocated.
He quietly sought out Fifth Master Zhang. He did not want anyone else to know about his plan to enter Purple Mountain.
"Fifth Master, I want to enter Purple Mountain and retrieve the Source Heavenly Book."
Fifth Master Zhang's expression tightened. "Sect Master, you truly cannot take this risk. You'll lose your life."
"My family once produced a Great Emperor, so naturally I have confidence in this trip to Purple Mountain." Jiang Yun smiled mysteriously.
Fifth Master Zhang still wanted to refuse. "Our first ancestor was a Source Heavenly Master and was close to the Yaochi Holy Maiden. After discovering Purple Mountain's secret, our first ancestor did not even dare involve the fairy of Jade Pool."
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