A streak of silver light streaked across the sky, eventually landing in a valley shrouded in billowing flames.
This is the headquarters of the Hundred Refinements Sect, containing a natural fire vein with particularly rich fire-attribute spiritual energy, making it suitable for forging spiritual weapons.
The silver light fell into a certain spot in the center of the valley, and with a series of cracking sounds, the already dilapidated top-grade spiritual artifact ' Void-Escaping Shuttle ' finally disintegrated completely, turning into pieces that fell to the ground.
"Ah, my top-grade spiritual weapon, it hurts so much!" A Golden Core flew out from the fragment, surrounded by swirling spiritual energy, and transformed into Shi Hao's figure.
At this moment, his face was contorted with resentment and malice; it was obvious to whom this vicious emotion was directed.
"Innate Lifeform, I have no hope of revenge in this lifetime. In fact, if the other party embarks on the path of cultivation and comes knocking on our door in a while, our sect will also suffer!" Shi Hao gritted his teeth and clenched his fist tightly with spiritual energy.
If the Hundred Refinements Sect were to perish because of me, even in death I would have no face to meet my ancestors.
Taking a deep breath, Shi Hao's eyes flickered as a multitude of thoughts surged into his mind.
"The only option now is to use someone else to do the dirty work." He tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes.
Shi Hao would never want to reveal the existence of Innate Lifeform unless absolutely necessary, but he had no choice; his abilities were insufficient, and if he continued to be obstinate, he might bring disaster upon himself.
"Report this to the Azure Wood Sect! Perfected Qingmu is Late Golden Core cultivator and a top-grade alchemist of the Third Realm. Given the value of Innate Lifeform, obtaining a Body Shaping Pill shouldn't be a problem!"
"Even, if I were to report this news to the Imperial Clan..." A wisp of greed rose in his mind, Shi Hao shuddered, quickly severing it.
After a moment, he sighed and muttered to himself, "Now that I've returned severely injured and lost my top-grade spiritual weapon and the Void-Escaping Shuttle, my strength has been greatly diminished. I can't afford to cause any more trouble. Perfected Qingmu has an excellent reputation, so we can cooperate. But if this gets to the Imperial Clan, I might not even survive."
"It's important for people to know their own limitations!"
The sigh faded with the wind, and with a thought, Shi Hao heard a respectful voice coming from outside the door.
"Master!"
"Jing'er, come in!" Shi Hao waved his hand, and the door opened wide.
A figure dressed in white walked in; he actually looked older than Shi Hao.
"Master, what's wrong with you?"
When Shi Jing walked in and saw Shi Hao's appearance, the smile on his face immediately froze.
He had assumed that his master had successfully captured the Tricolor Spirit Deer and had summoned him to share in the joy, but instead, he received devastating news.
"Who did this? Master Bingchan, or Shangguan Xiao, or that old bastard Yankuang!" Shi Jing's eyes turned bloodshot as he realized what had happened, his hatred surging.
He was raised by Shi Hao from childhood, and the two had a very close relationship. How could he remain indifferent when he saw Shi Hao's miserable state?
Shi Hao was quite pleased with his disciple's appearance; his filial piety was commendable.
He told the whole story, including the existence of Innate Lifeform and his prepared countermeasures.
"Innate Lifeform?!"
Upon hearing Shi Hao's words, Shi Jing's eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid and unusual.
It took Shi Jing a long time to finally process all the information and calm down.
After pondering for a moment, Shi Jing said, "I quite agree with Master's idea. For now, we should prioritize stability and focus on restoring your physical body. We have frequent dealings with the Azure Wood Sect and know them well, so we are not afraid of being fooled. However, if it were the Fu Sect... there would be too many variables!"
"Well, since that's the case, then send a message to the Azure Wood Sect. No, you should bring my handwritten letter and go there yourself!" Shi Hao said solemnly.
"Yes, Master!"
That's roughly how things are.
Inside the wooden hall, Shi Jing bowed and spoke, his attitude extremely respectful.
An elderly man with white hair, dressed in blue, sat in the seat of honor. His expression, which had been indifferent at first, changed drastically after hearing Shi Jing's words.
Swish!
A blur of motion flashed by, a gust of wind swept over him, his robes fluttering wildly. Perfected Qingmu had already arrived in front of Shi Jing, his aged eyes filled with fervent passion.
"Is everything you're saying true?"
"I dare not hide anything!" Shi Jing quickly lowered his head, his tone extremely sincere.
"Would you be willing to establish a spiritual pact?" Perfected Qingmu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Of course I'm willing!" Shi Jing nodded hurriedly.
A moment later, looking at the essence blood dripping from the Shi Jing contract and the wisp of divine thought, Perfected Qingmu finally believed that a Innate Lifeform had actually emerged somewhere in the mountain range where the sect had lived for thousands of years.
What does this mean?
Did shallow waters give birth to True Dragon?
With this thought in mind, Perfected Qingmu began to recall the many pieces of information in his mind, and finally found some clues in a corner.
He immediately sent a telepathic message, ordering someone to retrieve a certain ancient book from the library, and began to read it in front of Shi Jing.
After a while, Perfected Qingmu's loud laughter echoed throughout the hall.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is!" Perfected Qingmu stared intently at the words on the yellowed ancient book.
"According to this ' Qianyuan Essays Notes,' ten thousand years ago, a divine being descended to the mortal realm and waged a great war. One of them was severely wounded near the Azure Wood Mountain Range, his divine blood spilling out."
"I thought it was just Legend, but it turns out it's true!"
"It seems that these Innate Lifeform were born from this very fortune..."
"No wonder the Azure Wood Mountain Range, despite their vast territory and strategic location, have such mediocre spiritual energy. It now seems highly likely that this Innate Lifeform secretly intercepted it to nurture its birth!"
"It's a pity we didn't discover it sooner, otherwise..."
"Well, it's not too late now. Shi Hao was able to escape from this Innate Lifeform, which proves that its strength is only around the mid-to-late stage of the Golden Core realm. I am at the Golden Core Eighth Layer realm and wield the complete top-grade spiritual artifact, the sect's treasure, the Azure Wood Seal. As long as I find the trace of this Innate Lifeform, I can definitely suppress it!"
"However, let's hope this Innate Lifeform isn't too timid. If it hides, things will get complicated."
A multitude of thoughts surged wildly through Perfected Qingmu's mind.
Throughout this process, Shi Jing stood silently without uttering a word.
After a while, Perfected Qingmu calmed down and finally looked at Shi Jing, saying, "I am fully aware of this matter. Simply reporting it is enough to be considered a great achievement for the Hundred Refinements Sect. I do not currently have the Body Shaping Pill, but I can guarantee that within a year, I will gather enough materials, refine it, and hand it over to Fellow Shi Hao."
"Besides this, I hereby decree that the Hundred Refinements Sect shall not be given another ten thousand low-grade spirit stones and one hundred Nine-Herb Pills!"
"If we can capture Innate Lifeform afterward, there will be a generous reward!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Jing was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
"This is a reward that the Hundred Refinements Sect deserves. However, young friend, you should also know what can be said and what cannot be said, right?"
Shi Jing abruptly looked up, meeting those cold, unfathomable eyes. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and he hurriedly assured them, "This junior understands. This matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me; no fourth person will ever know."
Perfected Qingmu's expression softened slightly, but he still stroked his beard and paced back and forth, saying, "Well, I naturally trust your character, young friend. In another month, it will be the day when the Heavenly Origin Fruit Tree of my Azure Wood Sect ripens. Why don't you stay and have a taste?"
'Does this mean they don't trust me and are using me as a hostage?'
Shi Jing's heart tightened, but he was only at the Late Spirit Refining, and he had no right to refuse a spiritual cultivator at the Golden Core Eighth Layer.
He could only nod bitterly and say, "I'll follow your instructions, Senior Aoki!"
"Stay here for now. You will have no shortage of any cultivation supplies. Once things have settled down, you can return to your sect!"
"I understand!"
Shi Jing stepped down.
Only Perfected Qingmu remained in the main hall.
He thought for a moment, then summoned all the elders and protectors of the Azure Wood Sect. He described in detail the appearance of the Innate Lifeform as described by Shi Jing, as well as the appearance of the Three-Colored White Deer and Bai Yunzi and his disciple. Finally, he ordered, "Use the full strength of the sect to find them at all costs!"
Seeing the usually gentle Supreme Elder behave in such a way, even the Azure Wood Sect couldn't help but bow his head respectfully. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, he dared not ask the reason and simply agreed repeatedly.
Subsequently, the high-ranking members of the Azure Wood Sect dispersed and mobilized the entire sect's resources to search within the territory of Azure Wood Commandery, offering extremely generous rewards that made others extremely envious.
Azure Wood Commandery, Sky Eagle County.
At the entrance of the county town.
This place is ruled by the Sky Eagle Gate, and the leader of the Sky Eagle Gate is none other than Yan Yankuang, the burly man who was killed by Logo not long ago.
On the weathered city wall, several lifelike images were pasted up, attracting crowds of onlookers, including many spiritual practitioners.
"Wow, what did these people do to deserve this? The Azure Wood Sect has issued a warrant for their arrest."
"Anyone who provides clues to their whereabouts will be rewarded with one thousand low-grade spirit stones and ten First Realm spirit pills of their choice. Wow, what a generous offer!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, many spiritual cultivators their eyes burning with anticipation, eager to put in the effort to search.
The person that the Azure Wood Sect went to great lengths to hunt down is definitely more powerful than they could possibly be, but providing clues doesn't pose much of a risk.
"Wow, that's quite a big deal!"
A handsome young man dressed in a blue robe and holding a folding fan looked at a wanted poster on the city wall with a slight smile on his lips.
The wanted poster featured a chubby, fair-skinned baby, whose appearance was, if not drastically different, from his current one.
"Hey, this old man is quite handsome!" Beside the young man, a dark-skinned man in his thirties peeked out, holding a chestnut horse by the hand, and a young man in his twenties wearing a gray robe stood beside him.
"Master is really narcissistic!"
The gray-robed youth glanced at his master, who was scrutinizing the wanted posters on the city wall, and muttered to himself.
Glancing at his current appearance out of the corner of his eye, he was quite astonished. "Young Master's methods are indeed Unrivaled. Not only have they completely changed my appearance, but even my aura is completely different. Is this the power of the Holy Spirit? It's terrifying!"
"Let's go, into town!"
Turning around, the young man in the blue robe waved his folding fan, his hair slightly tossed at the temples, and walked ahead with a dashing and unrestrained air as he entered the city gate.
A mirror hanging on the city wall shone with a spiritual light, reflecting Logo's figure.
"Hmm, no problem. Let me make a note of it. First Realm spiritual cultivator, though he's hiding something, is not a big problem! His attendant, a mortal, and the horse handler, are also First Realm spiritual cultivator!"
A middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of the Azure Wood Sect held a jade slip in his hands, muttering something as he took notes.
"Young master, shall we stay here?" Bai Yunzi, disguised as a man leading a horse, asked softly.
Logo nodded. "Go and buy a house. It doesn't need to be big, just quiet. We'll stay here for a while."
"Yes." Bai Yunzi bowed respectfully.
Although he was puzzled as to why the young master was lingering in the city, shouldn't he have retreated to the deep mountains and forests after being wanted by the authorities?
But being an experienced and shrewd man, he understood that these words could not be said directly. Instead, he should wait until later, when the young master was in a good mood, and then subtly remind him of them.
Bai Yunzi cherished her new identity and was determined not to lose it.
As a seasoned veteran of the underworld, Bai Yunzi was quite reliable. He quickly found a place to stay, paid the full amount of money, and then settled in with Logo.
Ignoring the master and apprentice who were diligently sweeping the courtyard, Logo casually found a stone bench to sit down, closed his eyes slightly, and let a flood of information flow through his mind.
Three days have passed since his birth.
During this time, he thoroughly examined all the books and jade slips in Shi Hao and the others' storage bags.
Among these were cultivation manuals for spiritual practitioners, as well as various miscellaneous books and biographies. Logo accepted everything he came up with, integrating it with the soul information gleaned by his Eye of Insight.
During this time, he also asked Bai Yunzi many questions, and gained a basic understanding of the background of the place they were in and the corresponding cultivation system.
"This realm is called the Mingguang Middle Chiliocosm. It is a vast territory, divided into geographical units such as the Nine Provinces, the Four Seas, and the Endless Desert. The fertile lands of the main continent are basically occupied by the human race. There are seven most powerful forces: the Great Xuan Imperial Court, which occupies the Zhong Province, Bing Province, and Ji Province, and the six major state sects, each occupying a province and acting like kingdoms within kingdoms!"
"Qing Province Black Tiger Mountain, Xu Province Heavenly Martial Hall, You Province Changbai Peak, Yang Province Cloud Mirror Gate, Jiao Province Myriad Poisons Sect, and Liang Province Moon Worship Sect!"
"The Sky Eagle County I am currently in belongs to Jiao Province, Nan'an Prefecture, and Azure Wood Commandery. It is ruled by the Sky Eagle Gate. The strongest person there is Perfected Yankuang, whom I killed. He was Early Golden Core stage cultivator, roughly equivalent to Legendary Tier One. His combat power was slightly stronger, mainly because of his physical body."
"The cultivation system of this realm is quite wondrous. Legend has it that after the creation of heaven and earth, the Heavenly Venerable Yuchen descended to this realm to spread his teachings throughout the world. A wisp of his profound Daoist wisdom dispersed into the Mingguang Realm, thus giving rise to numerous sects and forces."
"It is said to be a lineage of the cultivation system of the upper realm, called the ' Spirit Saint Dao,' Walker are also known as spiritual cultivators!"
"The First Realm Body Tempering, the Second Realm Spirit Refining, the Third Realm Golden Core cultivation, the Fourth Realm Dharma Realm, and the Fifth Realm is Manifestation, at which point one can ascend to the upper realm."
Logo murmured to himself, as many profound insights into the cultivation of the Spirit Saint Dao surged into his mind. Although the highest level of understanding he had reached was that of Golden Core cultivator at the Third Realm, he could glean the whole picture from a single glimpse.
"Body, mind, and skill—all three advance simultaneously; the Matter System and the Law System are combined. No wonder their combat power is so formidable. But the difficulty of cultivation must be quite high. However... why do the beings in this world seem to find cultivation less strenuous than I imagined?"