Born with immortal seed

Chapter 676 Desiring to Become a Spirit Beast but Unable to Do So

Ma Ruoxi's fingers trembled slightly as she signed her name on a piece of brocade, then took out a small jade seal and pressed it to the end.

A sword mark was left on the brocade, seemingly a single sword strike, yet with multiple overlapping sword shadows.

With a trace of true essence attached, the sword shadow could only emit a faint light.

Echoing the Great Seal of the Moral Sect opposite, rising and falling, the entire brocade cloth exudes a touch of the supernatural.

"Alright, the major settlements for the pioneering war have been completed, and I don't need to make another trip for the remaining miscellaneous matters."

Yu Ziliang chuckled and pushed over a jade box, inside which were neatly stacked five layers of top-grade spirit stones.

"Also, Niece Ma, remember to inform True Lord Bai that Master has already given his consent to what he wants, and that he can come to Doushuai Cave Heaven once he comes out of seclusion."

"I will certainly convey your message."

Ma Ruoxi respectfully accepted the jade box and then handed it to a middle-aged man behind her. He was dignified and had long, flowing blond hair.

Everyone at the table was far more powerful than her. If she weren't a direct disciple of the Sword Lord of Time and his full representative, she wouldn't be qualified to sit and talk.

This is the third time I've signed the settlement agreement. I've gone from feeling lost and apprehensive at the beginning to feeling much better now.

After all, each stroke of the brush and the use of the seal involved three-digit amounts of top-grade spirit stones, a number she could not even imagine.

Fortunately, Senior Yamaji was there to accompany her. Only after he calculated the numbers with his fingers and confirmed that they were correct did she sign and put her seal on the document.

This is what Master instructed before going into seclusion. If you have any questions, you can consult Shan Zhi.

"It's good that this matter is settled, so I don't have to go back to the scene again... Even if I say that the Moral Sect is not a small sect, why would I have such thoughts about this?"

Shan Zhi held a thin, long bone and tapped it on the table repeatedly, completely at ease and oblivious to the world around him.

"With fellow practitioners here as witnesses, everyone can rest assured."

Yu Ziliang gave an awkward smile, realizing that he had almost actually been exposed for fabricating data and misappropriating profits from the Daode Sect.

The cultivators of Cunsi Peak, seeing that Bai Zichen had gone into seclusion after the battle, had other ideas, but they thought they had done it perfectly.

Before the data could be submitted, Yamaji deduced the plan and sent a letter to Yu Tzu-liang.

Yu Ziliang was shocked to see this and secretly summoned his subordinates to question them, only to find that it was true.

He was a Daoist practitioner of noble birth, but he had no jurisdiction over the five peaks of the Virtue lineage.

Only by using secret methods to send a message to the Holy Emperor who spreads the Dharma, and by issuing a decree to deal with the matter seriously, could this trend be stopped.

In this matter, the Moral Sect was in the wrong and owed Shan Zhi a favor.

If this gets out, it will be a major blow to the image of the Daode Sect.

Moreover, Yu Ziliang was very clear that Bai Zichen was never forced to the brink of life and death during the pioneering war, and it was impossible for him to be so seriously injured as outsiders speculated that he could not continue and had to go into seclusion immediately.

He preferred to believe that Bai Zichen had another epiphany during the war, and that his current seclusion was in preparation for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

The actions of the cultivators at Cunsi Peak were foolish and short-sighted, and they failed to see the bigger picture.

Even though the people involved had been transferred back to Cunsi Peak and replaced by others, Yu Ziliang was still somewhat worried.

He personally supervised each time, and all the data had to be checked by him again.

If this happens again, Yamaji won't give him any face. Being directly pointed out in public will cause a negative impact that will require many times more effort to recover.

According to Bai Zichen's instructions before he went into seclusion, Ma Ruoxi prioritized fifth-tier flying swords, followed by top-grade spirit stones, and then top-tier sword-refining materials in the final profit-sharing order. She did not care about the large islands with spiritual veins or the seabed mines.

Given the current state of the Qingfeng Sect, they simply cannot spare enough manpower to take over and manage it.

They searched the entire Black Sea but couldn't find a single fifth-tier flying sword. All they obtained were top-grade spirit stones, plus more than twenty fifth-tier spirit materials suitable for sword forging.

The combined amount of top-grade spirit stones was so large that even the Moral Sect had to mobilize its reserves and transport them from its mountain gate in batches.

In the recently concluded settlement, a pearl farm near Chilong Island and a small island with a sulfurous spring were included, while some top-grade spirit stones were deducted.

Otherwise, even the Moral Sect would be unable to afford this level of payment, and its inventory of top-grade spirit stones would decrease significantly.

He also stated that if the Sword Lord of Time was willing to accept high-grade spirit stones, the total amount could be increased by another 10%.

Ma Ruoxi certainly had no right to make decisions for her master, and would definitely follow the rules without question, requiring only top-grade spirit stones.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, I wonder what your sect thinks of my proposal? It is indeed a bit of a stretch for me to exchange my merits for the Starry Sea, but no one else besides me has any chance of exchanging it. Does your sect intend to keep it all for yourself?"

Seeing Ma Ruoxi and the others leave, Xiaoyue quickly spoke up.

As a sacred place for the True Dragon Clan, Xingxiu Sea's conditions are undoubtedly excellent in every aspect.

The central water palace has a top-grade fourth-tier spiritual land, and the surrounding reef islands, which are like strings of pearls, all have spiritual veins, making it perfect for accommodating so many of Xiaoyue's disciples.

The Starry Sea is rich in nutrients and allows for the accumulation of spiritual energy, which influences ordinary fish every year, enabling them to ascend to higher levels.

This has resulted in countless plump and spiritually rich fish in the inner sea, creating a resource that will never run out.

In the outer sea of ​​Xingxiu, many reefs and islands have unique resources, enough to support the expenses of an entire island.

Moreover, the mineral resources in the sea are so densely packed that it's almost exaggerated.

Xiaoyue traveled through the Starry Sea, Shattered Star Abyss, and Deep Sea, and after careful consideration, she decided to place the dojo's base in the Starry Sea.

Whether considering immediate benefits or future development potential, it is the best choice.

The key issue is that the most difficult parts of this pioneering war were all resolved by the Sword Lord of Time, which resulted in the other two Great True Lords not achieving the expected level of personal merit.

After some calculations, Xiaoyue realized that she was still far from meeting the standards for exchanging the Starry Sea.

Therefore, Xiaoyue proposed another compensation plan to smooth out the difference.

“I have communicated with the elders in charge of the Five Peaks and they basically agree with your plan. But the key issue right now is that True Monarch Bai is in seclusion. Without his approval, our opinion alone cannot make any decisions.”

Yu Ziliang glanced deeply at the middle-aged man following behind Ma Ruoxi, remaining silent and extremely low-key throughout.

If it weren't for the unmistakable aura he sensed, one would truly think he was just an ordinary guard.

However, Yu Ziliang possessed the bloodline of a demon saint, which had a restraining effect on all demon races, and he could clearly sense the profound dragon essence on this person.

The Daode Sect naturally wanted to see Xingxiu Sea taken by Xiaoyue, and internally it had been decided that Cunsi Peak would shift its focus to Shattered Star Abyss.

The territory of Cunsi Peak has already added many large islands. If more demon holy sites are added, it will also reach the development limit.

The other four peaks do not currently have a strong desire to explore the outer seas.

More than anything, they were thinking about healing the wounds in the Great Zhou and making up for all the losses since the start of the war between the two races.

The casualties at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level were actually quite severe for the Moral Sect; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a Pyrrhic victory that crippled them.

Especially at Heavenly Punishment Peak, two Great True Monarchs were killed in the battle.

Among the cultivators in the cultivation world, only Xiaoyue stands out as a rogue cultivator at the level of a Great True Monarch, with the ambition to establish her own sect and the willingness to come to the outer sea.

This is why the Daode Sect was so forgiving of Xiaoyue's actions earlier.

Xiaoyue's suggestion was to convert the difference in merit points into shares in the mines, and invest in whichever mine in the outer sea of ​​Xingxiu they liked.

A guaranteed minimum share was set, stipulating that no matter how much of the mineral veins were mined within the next hundred years, the two financial backers would receive a share of the profits.

If the 100-year term expires and the guaranteed minimum amount isn't even reached, these mineral veins will have to be compensated to the two companies.

The Moral Sect thought it was feasible, but without the approval of the Sword Lord of Time, it would be difficult for either side to agree.

"The matter of the pioneering merits was all handed over to his disciple. I just need to talk to that little girl... Otherwise, if he goes into seclusion every day, won't I be unable to exchange my Starry Sea for the rest of the day?"

Xiaoyue paced back and forth, and just when she thought she was about to reap the rewards, she stopped at the last step. Her frustration was palpable.

"Fellow Daoist, do not harbor any wicked thoughts. Even if you manage to trick Niece Ma into surrendering, what if True Monarch Bai denies it after he emerges from seclusion and storms the Starry Sea alone with his sword to demand justice from you? How will you handle that?"

Yu Ziliang glanced at her and felt that Xiaoyue was showing signs of becoming possessed by a demon, so he used his Xuan Yin to enlighten her.

"It was my oversight; we can only wait patiently..."

Xiaoyue's mind jolted as she recalled the sword strike from which the Sword Lord of Time instantly killed the Golden Dragon. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, and she shuddered instantly.

His own ideas did indeed have a deceptive element, a way of creating a fait accompli and securing territory.

This trick isn't something you can use on just anyone. When the Sword Master of Time came to argue with you, he had more than enough heads to chop off.

“Until this matter is resolved, why don’t you and your disciples stay in Shattered Star Abyss for the time being? In any case, the fellow disciples from Cunsi Peak are not here so soon, and there is still work to be done on several large islands.”

Yu Ziliang said, "I'm really afraid that Xiaoyue will give up after suffering a setback, and then no one will take over Xingxiuhai."

"That's all we can do. Thank you in advance, Fellow Daoist Yu."

Xiaoyue weakly cupped her hands in greeting, at least the large number of disciples and concubines had a place to stay, so they wouldn't have to drift at sea all day.

……

Ma Ruoxi sat on the dragon's back, its scales gleaming with golden light, each radiating a powerful aura like the sun.

Even though she had ridden it many times before, she was always tense and her limbs were taut the whole time she was on it.

This was a demonic beast equivalent to a Great True Lord. She sat on the back of the golden dragon, which carried her around, as if it had become her personal mount.

When Ao Quan first spoke up, Ma Ruoxi had to mentally prepare herself for a long time before climbing up.

The scenery on both sides rushed backward, but no strong wind could be felt, as it was all blocked by the demonic energy emitted by the golden dragon.

"Senior Quan, you've worked so hard these past few years, accompanying me on my travels... Otherwise, with my cultivation level, I wouldn't even have enough time to travel back and forth all year round, nor would I have the strength to protect so many top-grade spirit stones."

Only when they were about to see the outline of Rotten Axe Mountain did Ma Ruoxi muster up the courage to speak.

A Core Formation cultivator carrying a three-digit number of top-grade spirit stones while traveling in the sea is even more outrageous than a child causing trouble with gold.

Even righteous cultivators would doubt themselves at this moment, wondering if they could resist such temptation.

But with Ao Quan protecting them, the journey became very simple.

No cultivator was so blind as to dare to target a fourth-tier high-grade demon beast that had revealed its true form.

“I will do as my master commands.”

Ao Quan's voice came from the dragon's head, a low, buzzing sound.

Before Bai Zichen went into seclusion after pacifying the Starry Sea, he had Ao Quan sign a contract, requiring it to protect Rotten Axe Mountain and the disciples of the Green Maple Sect for a thousand years.

After a thousand years, the contract will be dissolved, and the person will regain their freedom.

However, Ao Quan was not satisfied with the contract, not because the time limit was too long or the conditions were too harsh, but because the other party to the contract was not the Sword Lord of Time, but the Qingfeng Sect.

Therefore, Ao Quan is not Bai Zichen's natal spirit beast at all, but rather the guardian spirit beast of the Qingfeng Sect.

This was quite different from what it had expected. It had hoped to cling to a powerful figure and, through this most legendary sword immortal in the cultivation world, become one of the people in the mythical legends who ascended to immortality with their entire household.

Even if Bai Zichen creates a miracle and ascends to the upper realm, it will have nothing to do with Ao Quan now.

Only creatures like the Rolling Rolling Rabbit and the Jade Rabbit can be considered as innate spirit beasts. If Bai Zichen ascends to the Earthly Immortal Realm in the future, no matter what realm they are in, they can safely live in their caves.

Ao Quan was disappointed for a long time and began to wonder why he hadn't been taken in as his natal spirit beast.

At first, I was somewhat resistant, but now I just can't have what I want.

In the history of the demon race, not every demon lord ascended to the Heavenly Demon Realm.

Several others were brought to the Immortal Realm as ornaments because they had good owners.

However, given the current state of the cultivation world, it is even more difficult for humans to ascend to the Earthly Immortal Realm than for demons to ascend to the Heavenly Demon Realm.

After the Ascension Platform disappeared, several humans successfully broke through the void passage to become gods, but only Taibai Sword Lord was certain of his success and sent back a message.

On the demon race's side, despite being far inferior to other experts of the same level, three of them were confirmed to have successfully ascended.

The difference in the difficulty of ascension between the two realms is evident.

This is also largely due to the fact that the Heavenly Demon Realm is actually half a level lower than the Earthly Immortal Realm.

This is why the once very popular practice of Nascent Soul cultivators always being paired with a spirit beast has gradually disappeared.

Few demons with promising futures choose to become spirit beasts; this path is considered a last resort within the demon race.

However, the natal spirit beast of the Sword Lord of Time is clearly an exception, and having such an opportunity only makes people envious.

"I'll give you the box, and I won't go into the mountains with you. I'll wander around the nearby mountains and see if there's anything interesting there."

Ao Quan transformed into human form and spat out the jade box filled with top-grade spirit stones.

"Alright, I will report to Master immediately when he emerges from seclusion."

Ma Ruoxi nodded repeatedly.

"Huh, who is this person? They actually opened the middle gate and formed a welcoming formation... Senior Brother Wei and several other elders are here, so he must be an extraordinary figure."

She didn't want to be discovered and forced to serve as an exhibit for several hours.

Every guest who visits Rotten Axe Mountain will ask, "Are the two disciples of the Sword Master of Time present?"

If the reply is that Ma Ruoxi is in the mountains, the next question will most likely be, "Could you please invite her out so that she may have the opportunity to meet the Sword Master's disciple?"
The cultivators who dare to ask such questions are usually Nascent Soul True Monarchs, making it difficult for Wei Dao to refuse.

But Ma Ruoxi loathed these pointless meetings and avoided them whenever possible.

(End of this chapter)