Shi Pan Manages the Household, Giving One Qi to the Rat Race and Trading Another for Wood!
More than half a month later.
Clear Blue Kingdom, Cloud Sword Mountain Range, Northern Mountain Range, Boulder Peak.
Bi Luo, dressed in a gray robe and wearing a bamboo hat, waited respectfully outside Shi Pan's cave abode. Now that the ancestor had broken through to a higher realm in seclusion, the affairs of the various departments of the Demon Race were handed over to Shi Pan for handling and coordination.
The stone gate slowly opened, and an immense, mountain-like pressure immediately rushed towards us.
Bi Luo took a deep breath and stepped inside.
In the center of the cave abode, a ten-zhang-tall brown bear, Shi Pan, was perched like a mountain. Just one glance at it was as if one were facing a Shan Yue.
The heavy feeling pressed down on Bi Luo, causing her to swallow repeatedly and her Qi and Blood to become disordered!
"Bi Luo of the Green Ape Clan pays respects to Ancestor Shi."
Bi Luo knelt down on both knees, performing a deep bow, her expression becoming increasingly respectful.
"Get up and speak," Shi Pan said in a deep voice. "I've heard about Cang Ya's matter. He's got guts; he didn't disgrace the Ancestor."
"The sacrifices made by your Green Ape Clan have been witnessed by both my ancestor and me."
"You've suffered."
Upon hearing this, Bi Luo's eyes welled up with tears. Suppressing her emotions, she took out the cold jade box and the lapis lazuli gourd from her bosom and presented them with both hands above her head.
"Cang Ya has fallen; I have taken over the Sacred Blood Sect."
"Taking advantage of the chaos in the Liang Kingdom, I destroyed the Profound Water and Gang Yuan sects, and seized the water and wind Heaven and Earth Qi. I have come to present them to the Ancestor for his decision."
Shi Pan raised his bear paw and grabbed at the air, and the jade box and gourd landed steadily in his palm.
He scanned the area with his Divine Sense, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
"You've got some nerve, kid, and quite an appetite too."
Shi Pan put the items down. "Our ancestor is still in seclusion and does not see outsiders. I will accept these two items on his behalf."
Bi Luo lowered his head and said, "It's entirely up to Ancestor Shi to decide."
Shi Pan looked at Bi Luo. Although this Azure Ape was only at the Foundation Establishment Perfection, the Sha Qi emanating from its blood and fire was more intense than that of many pampered Golden Core cultivators.
"Your Foundation Establishment Perfection, but you lack the Dao of Wood," Shi Pan pointed out.
"Yes," Bi Luo replied.
"Water nourishes wood. This Mysterious Water Level Clear Qi is beneficial to your bloodline, but it's still insufficient for Core Formation. Ultimately, it's still lacking, severing the very foundation of the Green Ape Clan."
Shi Pan pondered for a moment and said, "You should go back to the border of the Liang Kingdom and continue your covert operations. The foundation of the Sacred Blood Sect cannot be lost."
"As for the matter of the Dao of Wood Qi, the sect will find a way to help you."
"Thank you Ancestor Shi!"
Bi Luo kowtowed, overjoyed, then turned and left.
He knew that as long as he demonstrated sufficient value, the ancestors would certainly not treat him unfairly, and he had a good chance of Core Formation!
After Bi Luo left, Shi Pan summoned a Foundation Establishment bear demon to guard the mountain.
"Go to Wind Gap Valley and call Shu Changfeng here."
Before long, a blue blur swept into the cave abode. Shu Changfeng stood up and knelt respectfully before Shi Pan.
"Changfeng pays respects to the Ancestor."
Without wasting any words, Shi Pan threw the lapis lazuli gourd over directly.
Shu Changfeng caught it in one gourd and felt the extremely pure and Dao of Wind energy within it; his hand began to tremble violently.
"This is the Nine Heavens Gang Wind Qi."
Shi Pan looked at him and murmured, "The Lord Rat paved the way for you, Rat Second risked his life to build the foundation. This wisp of Dao of Wind energy is yours."
"Don't embarrass the Lord Rat. If you can't succeed, then die. Don't bring shame upon the Lord Rat Wind Rat Line."
Upon hearing this, Shu Changfeng lowered his head even further and kowtowed in gratitude.
He had thought that such a treasure should have fallen into the hands of those more senior demons, but he never expected it to fall directly on his head.
In the end, it was the Lord Rat who won this favor for him.
Shu Changfeng clung tightly to the gourd, banging his forehead heavily against the black rock until it bled profusely, only then did he feel at peace.
"Changfeng will certainly not fail our ancestors' cultivation!"
"If you fail to Core Formation, you shall come to me with your head, or your Dao Dissolution the wind!"
After Shu Changfeng left, Shi Pan grabbed the cold jade box containing Mysterious Water Level Clear Qi, and with a flicker, disappeared into the cave abode.
Main Peak Hall.
The old Daoist priest Yun Du, who had lived for over four hundred years, was looking through the account books sent by various branch altars, his brow furrowed with worry.
The sect has expanded too much, requiring Spirit Stone and manpower everywhere.
As the abbot, he had less and less time and energy for spiritual practice, devoting all his time to handling sect affairs.
"Master Cloud Temple."
At that moment, a deep, resonant voice rang out from inside the main hall, and the figure of Shi Pan appeared out of thin air, perched inside the hall.
Yun Du's eyebrows twitched, and he quickly stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and said:
"Fellow Daoist Shi Pan, have you emerged from seclusion?"
Shi Pan didn't stand on ceremony and threw the Cold Jade Box directly onto the table.
What is this?
Yun Du opened the jade box with a puzzled look, and upon sensing the pure aura of the water element, his pupils suddenly contracted sharply:
"Mysterious Water Level Clear Qi! Where... where does this come from?"
You don't need to know the origin of this item.
Shi Pan snorted coldly, and Yun Du smiled awkwardly, no longer asking questions. He quickly realized that Shi Pan had given this thing to him not to open his eyes.
"What does Fellow Daoist mean?"
"I intend to exchange this water element for a wisp of wood element."
"I wonder if you, my friend, could step in and contact various domestic forces to see if we can exchange water for wood..."
Yun Du stroked his beard, lost in thought.
The Heaven and Earth Qi has always been something that is valuable but unavailable.
However, water is mild and has wide applicability. It is not impossible to exchange it with sects that lack water and rely on qi.
"Leave this matter to me."
Yun Du nodded in agreement. "I have some connections with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion in Transformation Province and the Wood God Sect in Yuan Province."
"The quality of this Mysterious Water Level Clear Qi is quite high; exchanging it for a wisp of Dao of Wood Qi should not be difficult."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Abbot."
Shi Pan nodded in agreement and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and turned to look at the distant Purple Firmament Peak...
At the Purple Firmament Peak, the thunderclouds were lower than ever before.
Arcs of purple-gold lightning streaked wildly through the clouds, accompanied by a deafening roar that seemed to emanate from the depths of the Thunder Pool.
Even from more than ten miles away, the oppressive aura made Shi Pan feel a chill run down his spine.
"It seems that the patriarch's seclusion has reached a crucial moment."
Shi Pan muttered to himself.
Yun Du followed his gaze, a hint of awe and anticipation flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed, when Brother Shi emerges from seclusion, the landscape of the Clear Blue Kingdom will likely change once again."
A time of great upheaval and fierce competition.
In this cruel world of cultivation, whether human or demon, everyone is fighting with all their might for that sliver of hope.
I wonder what kind of splendor Shi Jian will display when he emerges from the pass.