## Chapter 317: Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi)
Inside the subworld.
Lu Chang’an, who was drawing talismans, suddenly sensed an invisible change in the celestial energy.
He paused slightly, then realized what it was. His divine sense swiftly swept towards the secret chamber twenty zhang below, where he saw the withered and fallen nascent gourd fruit.
Lu Chang’an’s heart skipped a beat. He was too late to intervene at the scene.
He watched helplessly as the black, ash-gray, withered fruit fell into the large vat of Five Elements Soil.
The Xuan Shui Gui stared with its big, innocent green eyes, also startled for a moment. It dared not touch the withered and decaying fruit, feeling an instinctive fear.
The withered nascent Xuan fruit, upon falling into the soil, dissolved rapidly.
Hiss!
More gray-white浊气 (Tuo Qi), spread in the air, about to merge into the soil.
The Xuan Shui Gui’s eyes gleamed. Instinctively, it opened its mouth and absorbed the spreading gray浊气 (Tuo Qi).
Huff, huff!
Almost four-tenths of the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) were swallowed into its belly by the Xuan Shui Gui, which was close to the source.
“Stop!”
Lu Chang’an didn’t know what the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) was, but it involved a Xuan Tian relic, which must be extraordinary. He couldn’t let the Xuan Shui Gui have it all.
The Xuan Shui Gui reluctantly closed its mouth, watching the remaining half of the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) fall into the Five Elements Soil.
Squeak!
A yellow-brown light shimmered. The Di Yan Shu emerged from the ground, almost simultaneously with Lu Chang’an, arriving at the scene.
However, the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) in the air, the last wisp of it, merged into the Five Elements Soil, disappearing into the world along with the withered fruit.
Not a single trace remained!
“Damn it!”
The Di Yan Shu’s eyes turned red as it glared at the innocent, thick-shelled turtle, realizing that it had missed a golden opportunity.
Slap, slap! Bang, bang!
The Di Yan Shu was extremely unhappy. It rushed towards the turtle, swinging its claws, and started beating it up to vent its anger.
The turtle remained silent, retracting its head into its shell, allowing the Di Yan Shu to beat it up.
Lu Chang’an was stunned and did not intervene.
He had sensed the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) with his divine sense, feeling a dull, cold sensation, a natural aversion.
He thus concluded that the gray浊气 (Tuo Qi) was useless, and possibly even harmful, to Lu Chang’an himself or human cultivators.
“Could it be, the legendary Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi)?”
Lu Chang’an calculated with his fingers, pondering.
When Heaven and Earth first opened, it gave birth to two primordial energies: clear and浊 (Tuo).
The clear energy ascended, while the浊 (Tuo) energy sank.
Just now, the withered and decaying Xuan Tian relic followed the rule of the浊 (Tuo) energy sinking.
浊气 (Tuo Qi) existed in various places in the cultivation world, containing yin and煞 (sha) energy, beneficial to evil, yin, and ghostly creatures, as well as most demonic and ghostly beings.
But those were mostly 후천浊气 (Hou Tian Tuo Qi).
True Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi) was rare.
Not to mention the original浊气 (Tuo Qi) from when Heaven and Earth first opened.
Xuan Tian objects, even the smaller ones, were comparable to ancient myths in the cultivation world.
From ancient times to the present, how many cultivators had truly encountered them?
Historical records were vague, even inaccurate.
Lu Chang’an had witnessed it firsthand and knew that a decaying Xuan Tian relic would produce Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi).
Involving objects from the creation of Heaven and Earth, its quality should surpass ordinary Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi), closer to the original濁气 (Tuo) from the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
…
Huff, huff!
The Di Yan Shu had tired itself out and sat on the turtle shell, panting.
As for the Xuan Shui Gui, its head was hidden inside its shell, fast asleep, snoring loudly.
“This dumb creature, guarding and watering the gourd vine for years, truly has a blessed fortune.”
Lu Chang’an glanced at it.
The Xuan Shui Gui had been accompanying the Xuan Tian gourd vine, watering and nurturing it for over a hundred years. The time and energy it had spent was far greater than that of its master, Lu Chang’an.
Every sip and bite, it seemed, had its own destiny.
The Xuan Shui Gui, using the most clumsy method, being closest to the source, received a great fortune.
Initially, it didn’t know what good it would do to watch over the vine. It was only an instinctive feeling that it was beneficial to itself.
Lu Chang’an went to the large vat of Five Elements Soil and observed the Xuan Tian gourd vine.
The vine itself showed no change, its vitality stable.
The fallen, withered Xuan fruit, having merged into the soil, except for decomposing the Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi), left no trace.
However, the area where the fruit fell, the Five Elements Soil had some anomalies. Its essence was more profound, its color deeper, and it faintly had a grayish-black sheen.
Squeak!
The Di Yan Shu, with its eyes wide and drooling, stared at that patch of Five Elements Soil, seemingly contaminated.
“Truly worthy of the Five Elements Soil, a universal soil source. It can carry and absorb the legacy of the fallen fruit. If it were ordinary soil, the Xuan Tian relic would have completely returned to the Dao of Heaven and Earth, receiving little benefit.”
Lu Chang’an’s face lit up with joy.
This meant that the current soil and the Xuan Tian gourd vine would be more suitable for cultivating the small Xuan Tian treasure.
“Re-cultivate? No good…”
Lu Chang’an thought about a vague inheritance in the “Xuan Tian Secret Transmission”.
Both the small Xuan Tian and the large Xuan Tian, after being born in this realm, were unique treasures.
They were unique.
His face changed as he looked at the Xuan Tian gourd vine, which had regained most of its green color.
He immediately activated the Longevity Secret Art, consuming a vast amount of lifespan.
Buzz!
Lu Chang’an’s palm was surrounded by a pale, ancient green glow, like a new bud, injected into the Xuan Tian gourd vine.
For a moment, a huge orb of light enveloped Lu Chang’an’s body.
“Fifty years… one hundred years… one hundred and twenty years!”
Lu Chang’an sacrificed one hundred and twenty years of his lifespan in one breath before stopping the Longevity Secret Art.
When he had just advanced to the mid-Golden Core stage, Lu Chang’an had tested it. At the time, it had required one hundred and twenty years of his lifespan to completely restore the green color of the Xuan Tian.
Now, he was two hundred and sixty-six years old. After nearly thirty years of nurturing and watering, he only needed to sacrifice over a hundred years.
Lu Chang’an looked again. The Xuan Tian gourd vine had completely regained its green color, vibrant with life.
Not only that, the vines were slightly stronger than before, just a little bit.
Lu Chang’an still had one thousand and sixty-four years of lifespan.
For him, who had advanced to the mid-Golden Core stage for many years, as long as he had a thousand years of lifespan as a base, it was completely enough.
“The gourd vine that has completely regained its green color, nourished by the legacy of the Xuan Tian relic in the soil. The basic conditions for cultivating the small Xuan Tian should be met.”
Lu Chang’an pondered.
Whether or not he could cultivate the Xuan Tian gourd again, it was up to fate.
…
The Tian Heng Continent, the Central State.
The Misty Sect, a Fifth-Rank Spiritual Vein sacred land.
“Quick! Go and report to the Sect Master! And the Grand Elder!”
In the Spiritual Garden’s restricted zone, a barefooted, black-skinned man with a farmer’s appearance, his eyes bulging, was in a state of extreme excitement.
In front of him, within a protective barrier, was a section of gourd vine, planted in thick white milky spiritual liquid and colorful mud.
“Master Kou, this matter is not trivial. It must be accurate. The Grand Elder hasn’t come out for a hundred years. It would be a disturbance to disturb him…”
The Guardian Elder, an eight- or nine-year-old boy, uttered a voice that was incongruously aged. His deep, obscure 法力 (fa li) fluctuations revealed that he was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
“No mistake! The gourd vine’s energy has changed. There are signs of new growth! Do not miss this opportunity!”
The farmer-looking Master Kou spoke solemnly, with a hint of urgency.
Master Kou was the Misty Sect’s Chief Spiritual Herb Master, his skills reaching the Fourth-Rank Upper grade. He was responsible for tending to the mysterious gourd vine.
The Misty Sect, as the oldest righteous sect with a long heritage in the Central State, had been at the forefront of righteous cultivators in the human realm for many ages.
“Alright.”
The boy-like Guardian Elder took out a token and quickly sent a message.
Then, he solemnly took out a jade plaque and entered crucial information.
After a few breaths.
Several terrifying 法力 (fa li) auras appeared in the Misty Sect’s sacred land.
Each aura was at least that of a Nascent Soul master who could dominate a remote state.
The last aura to appear was so vast that it seemed to distort the void, overlooking the human realm.
“化神 (Hua Shen) Heavenly Sovereign!”
“The Grand Elder has come out of seclusion!”
The numerous cultivators in the Misty Sect’s sacred land trembled in their hearts. Their 法力 (fa li) became uncontrollably disordered.
In the Spiritual Garden’s restricted area.
Four figures, as deep and boundless as the abyss, appeared before the mysterious gourd vine, scrutinizing it carefully.
“Greetings to the Misty Heavenly Sovereign, the Sect Master, the Grand Elder…”
Master Kou and the boy bowed deeply, not daring to breathe. The four didn’t pay them any attention.
After a long while.
“Master Kou, the Xuan Tian gourd vine has regained its growth potential. Do you have the confidence to cultivate the Xuan Tian sacred treasure?”
The lady in the middle, in a colorful gauze gown, surrounded by clouds and green leaves, asked.
Her appearance was blurry and ethereal, like a dream. Her voice was hollow and clear, as if from the heights of the nine heavens.
“In reply to the Misty Heavenly Sovereign. The gourd vine right now, only has the possibility of cultivating the Xuan Tian sacred treasure, no one dares to say they have confidence. After all, there are more than just this gourd vine scattered in the world. Unless we destroy the other vines, with the superior environment of the Misty Sect’s sacred land, we would dare to say there is a certain degree of confidence.”
Master Kou answered respectfully.
“However, this Sect’s gourd vine has the highest success rate, second only to the one that might have received the Xuan Tian’s legacy.”
Hearing this, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, a towering man in a cloud robe, nodded.
“The gourd vine that has condensed a semi-finished product, its whereabouts are unknown. According to intelligence, it’s not currently in the hands of any major powers in the Tian Heng Continent. If the owner doesn’t have enough foresight and picks the fruit prematurely, or their cultivation ability is insufficient, this Sect will have a good chance.”
“If we successfully cultivate the Xuan Tian sacred treasure, our Misty Sect will surely hold the reins of the Central State, and will have a greater chance of resisting the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty’s ‘Nine-Five Supreme Treasure Dragon Artifacts’ in the future.”
An elderly late-stage master, smiling, said.
The major sects in the Central State, with their long heritage, were rather wary of, and had animosity towards, the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty in the Sealed Flower State.
Because, the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty proclaimed a decree: “All under Heaven is the King’s land.”
Whether righteous or demonic, in the eyes of the Immortal Dynasty, they were all illegal organizations that needed to be incorporated and subdued.
The Great Jin Immortal Dynasty had swept across and ruled a large state, intending to invade the outer states, unify the Tian Heng Continent, and achieve an unprecedented feat.
The Nine-Five Supreme Treasure Dragon Artifacts, consisting of fourteen dragon artifacts that suppress the national fortune, once formed into a set, their威压 (wei ya) would be unparalleled, dominating the world.
They were said to be unmatched unless a Xuan Tian appeared.
“The Xuan Tian’s opportunity, is beyond human control. Do not have any expectations. If this Sect’s cultivation fails, we must quickly calculate and track down the location where the small Xuan Tian was born.”
The Misty Heavenly Sovereign was not optimistic. Her tone was calm and peaceful, with a lingering echo.
“Grand Elder, Xuan Tian objects block and disrupt Heavenly secrets, making them impossible to calculate.”
The Sect Master in the cloud robe said, looking troubled.
The Misty Heavenly Sovereign turned her graceful form, smiling slightly. “All things in the world have their own rules of operation. The moment the Xuan Tian sacred treasure is successfully cultivated, the power of the Dao will merge with Heaven and Earth. The effect of blocking Heavenly secrets will have a brief gap. At that time, we will at least be able to calculate its general location.”
“Thank you for the enlightenment!”
The Nascent Soul masters present revealed expressions of reverence.
“Qing Chuan, have there been any major events in recent decades?”
The Misty Heavenly Sovereign was about to get up and asked casually.
“In this world, things that would catch the Grand Elder’s eye are rare. Recently, there is one.”
The Sect Master in the cloud robe looked solemn, pausing for a moment.
“It is rumored that a disciple of the Tian Yi Gate will be born and enter the world, competing for the position of the next ‘Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign’.”
“The Tian Yi Gate? Has that one appeared?”
The Misty Heavenly Sovereign was unusually moved, with a hint of fear in her tone.
“There is no news. It is estimated that the current Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign still has three hundred years of lifespan left.”
The Sect Master in the cloud robe shook his head.
“When this one’s lifespan is nearing its end, I am afraid…”
The Nascent Soul masters present lowered their voices, not daring to look directly at the Misty Heavenly Sovereign.
They knew why their Grand Elder was afraid, even terrified.
The Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign was a mysterious figure in the Tian Heng Continent’s “Series of Extraordinary People in the Universe”. He was known as the number one cultivator in the human realm.
The Tian Yi Gate had a sparse population, sometimes just a few individuals. It wasn’t really a sect, and no one knew where their spiritual vein abode was.
The Tian Yi Gate was simply the name people used to refer to this small group.
Each generation of the Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign, before their lifespan was nearing its end, would pave the way for their successor, and would inevitably kill one of the few 化神 (Hua Shen) Heavenly Sovereigns in the human realm.
Even if there was no grudge, they would still kill one.
For tens of thousands of years, this tradition had continued without fail.
After the previous Heavenly Sovereign paved the way.
The next successor would inevitably ascend to the 化神 (Hua Shen) sequence, becoming the new generation of “Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign”, standing at the peak of the Tian Heng Continent.
You must know, even the oldest Misty Sect couldn’t guarantee that they would have a 化神 (Hua Shen) in every generation. There were occasional periods of decline.
Whenever a “disciple of the Tian Yi Gate” was born, it would mark the beginning of a three-hundred-year competition for the sole inheritance.
This meant that the current Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign’s lifespan was not long, and he would soon be paving the way for his successor.
The next two or three hundred years would be a dark age for 化神 (Hua Shen) masters.
The closer it got to the deadline, the more likely it was that the Tian Yi Heavenly Sovereign would take action.
…
The Great Green Land, within the endless desert in the Feng Yuan Kingdom.
The Mysterious Sound Pavilion, underground secret chamber.
Lu Chang’an, who was observing the changes in the gourd vine, was unaware that on that very day, several top powers in the human realm were drawn in by the disturbance he had caused.
The Misty Sect, the Star Moon Palace, the Nine Dragon Hall, the Great Jin Imperial Family…
Lu Chang’an instinctively calculated for a moment, but did not sense any danger.
The Xuan Tian gourd vine’s ability to block Heavenly secrets was still in effect.
As long as this was confirmed, Lu Chang’an didn’t have to worry.
Unless he did something stupid, deliberately revealing the vine’s secret, he would be safe.
Squeak!
The Di Yan Shu shrunk to the size of a large dog and rubbed against Lu Chang’an’s robe, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Alright.”
Lu Chang’an dug out a small piece of Five Elements Soil that had been contaminated by the withered Xuan fruit.
He found that the black sheen of the Five Elements Soil in that area was gradually disappearing.
If he missed this opportunity, the chance to obtain Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi) might never come again in his life.
“Thank you for the master’s kindness!”
The Di Yan Shu was overjoyed. It swallowed the small piece of contaminated Five Elements Soil and then burrowed underground.
Grrr…
The Xuan Shui Gui was still asleep, snoring.
Lu Chang’an had observed that the Xuan Shui Gui’s 法力 (fa li) and bloodline energy were undergoing slow and subtle changes.
He was unsure what the final changes would be.
The Di Yan Shu on the other side, perhaps having absorbed less Primordial浊气 (Tuo Qi), was not asleep.
Even though it had received Lu Chang’an’s gift, the Di Yan Shu’s fortune was clearly inferior to the Xuan Shui Gui’s.
However, the Di Yan Shu’s cultivation level had reached the peak of the mid-Third-Rank stage a few years ago.
The threshold of the late-Core Formation stage had a clear bottleneck. Even those who were half-step Core Formation couldn’t easily break through.
Lu Chang’an planned to let the Di Yan Shu hone its cultivation for a few more years and then find an opportunity to break through.
…
Three months later.
The Mysterious Sound Pavilion, the Chief Guest Elder’s subworld, was enveloped by a Fourth-Rank Illusion Array.
Even so, the celestial energy outside was unusually turbulent, sensed by the Master of the Neon Moon Pavilion.
In the rock cave below the subworld.
The Di Yan Shu’s huge body was surrounded by a powerful妖力 (yao li), and as it breathed,煞气 (sha qi) clouds roared like thunder.
The妖丹 (yao dan) in its body, with some golden veins, became more solid and expanded by a full circle.
“A Third-Rank late-stage great demon!”
Lu Chang’an, sitting in the subworld, felt a chill run down his spine. The turbulent妖力 (yao li) from the rock cave below, violent and cold, gave him a hint of pressure, even though he was at the mid-Golden Core stage.
The Di Yan Shu’s Core Formation quality was equivalent to half-step Golden Core. The pressure it brought to Lu Chang’an, just after breaking through to the late stage, was greater than that of Fang Zhen back then.
The Xuan Shui Gui in the underground secret chamber had awakened. Its big, green eyes were now deeper in color, a墨綠色 (mo lv se).
Puff, puff!
The water bubbles it exhaled were no longer the usual light blue or green, but pale black, emitting a deep, icy aura.
Bang!
The pale black water bubbles, heavy as they were, fell to the ground, creating a deep, corrosive pit.
Lu Chang’an had tested it. Ordinary Third-Rank materials couldn’t withstand the Xuan Shui Gui’s pale black water bubbles.
He had already confirmed that the Xuan Shui Gui’s bloodline mutation had reached the Heavenly grade, not inferior to the Five-Colored Peacock.
Its innate abilities had also changed slightly.
The water-based techniques it used now contained a corrosive power of extreme Yin.
Moreover, it had gained the characteristic of the Heavy Water Divine Ability.
Both his spirit pets had made significant progress thanks to their fortunes. While Lu Chang’an, as their master, was overjoyed, he also felt a little pressure.
Fortunately, his body tempering technique wasn’t far from the late-Third-Rank stage.
After the Di Yan Shu broke through, it retracted its妖力 (yao li) and consolidated its realm.
A few days later, the Di Yan Shu hadn’t yet left seclusion.
Lu Chang’an, sitting in meditation, suddenly felt a faint sense of connection.
He calculated with his fingers and his face changed.
Lu Chang’an sighed softly, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world.
There, two people he had a connection with, an old friend and a junior, were approaching the end of their lifespans.
(End of Chapter)
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