Mortal's Purple Sky Cave Heaven

Chapter 432 Spirit Core
Upon seeing this, both Yuan and Yue Li glanced over.

This stone is no bigger than a head, but it has six sides, is incredibly smooth, and what's even more surprising is that it doesn't have any spiritual energy fluctuations, just like an ordinary rock.

"This is a treasure I once obtained, but I don't know its name or use. When it was in the human realm, it could attract heavenly lightning, but in this True Dragon Realm, it made no sound at all." Nie Zhaonan explained with some curiosity, looking at the black stone that didn't cause any disturbance.

Yuan, who was eagerly anticipating Nie Zhaonan's arrival of the Xuan Tian Treasure, suddenly froze, then returned to normal, and with a flick of his fingers, took the black stone into his hand.

Gazing at the six black stones, a strange light flashed in Yue Li's eyes, as if she had some guesses.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Zhao Nan, you've really opened my eyes!" Yuan couldn't help but marvel after carefully examining the black stone in his hand with his divine sense for a while.

What he held in his hand at that moment, though not as valuable as a Xuan Tian treasure, was only slightly less so.

"Please enlighten me, Elder." Seeing that the six black stones were indeed no ordinary object, Nie Zhaonan's face lit up with joy, and he asked.

After examining the black stone in his hand for a second to confirm it was genuine, Yuan said:

"This seemingly insignificant stone is the core of the True Spirit Lei Kui, the essence of which is stored within. True Spirits like Lei Kui are born with the ability to wield the power of lightning. As their cultivation level increases, they can even summon heavenly lightning to defend themselves, making them among the top True Spirits in terms of strength. However, Lei Kui has long been extinct in the surrounding realms, and even I have never seen one in person. I never imagined that you, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, would be able to obtain its core."

"I was fortunate," Nie Zhaonan replied with a light smile, speaking casually.

Upon hearing this, Yuan blinked, paused slightly, and then said:

"This spirit core should have come from a Lei Kui in the Mahayana stage. Even though the true spirit essence within it has been somewhat depleted over time, it is still an extremely rare material for refining weapons."

"I wonder if this Thunder Kui Spirit Core is suitable for strengthening a disciple's natal magic weapon?"

Looking at his master's exquisite face, Nie Zhaonan asked the question he cared about most, which was also the purpose of taking out this item.

"The true spirit essence contained within the spirit core is extremely pure, making it the most suitable material for strengthening magical artifacts. Moreover, this is the essence of the true spirit Lei Kui, and your natal magical artifact is a lightning-attribute flying sword, so the attributes are a perfect match. However, are you sure you want to use the true spirit essence from this spirit core to strengthen your natal magical artifact?" Yue Li asked cautiously at the end, her tone calm.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Nie Zhaonan asked after a moment's thought.

The next moment, Yue Li parted her lips slightly and said in a soft voice:
"There is nothing wrong with it, but it is a bit of a waste to use the spiritual core of a Mahayana-stage Lei Kui to strengthen his natal magic weapon."

"With Master's skill in weapon crafting, using this spirit core as the main material, along with some other rare materials, it is enough to forge a powerful treasure, definitely second only to the Xuan Tian Treasure. However, if you only take the essence from the spirit core and use that essence to strengthen your flying sword, then the effect will naturally be greatly reduced."

"A treasure only below the Xuan Tian level?" Nie Zhaonan was secretly tempted, but quickly regained his composure. "I already have one Xuan Tian treasure. Having another powerful treasure that is slightly weaker than a Xuan Tian treasure would only be icing on the cake, not very meaningful. Instead, it would be better to use it to strengthen my natal flying sword. After all, a cultivator's natal magic weapon is what accompanies them throughout their entire cultivation journey. Moreover, my natal flying swords are all forged with divine lightning, which not only has amazing power but also great potential."

In the blink of an eye, Nie Zhaonan had already made up his mind, and calmly said:

"This disciple has decided to strengthen my natal magic weapon."

Yue Li gave a soft "Mmm," her expression calm as she said:
"With your current strength, you are still not capable of refining the essence of Lei Kui and strengthening your natal magic weapon. Now, the clan competition is about to begin. How about this, you hand over your natal flying sword to your master, and I will personally help you refine it."

Having understood Master Yue Li's good intentions, and with complete trust in her, Nie Zhaonan bowed and replied:

"Thank you Master!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of spiritual light appeared on Nie Zhaonan's body, and flying swords of various colors flew out from various parts of his body, swirling and dancing around him.

"Gold, wood, water, and fire—four sets of natal flying swords, a total of two hundred and ninety-two swords. The number of natal flying swords is truly astonishing." Yuan said with slight surprise as he glanced at the flying swords.

Yue Li's eyes also shone with a strange light.

Some cultivators possess thousands of natal magic treasures, but these cultivators rely on the quantity of their treasures to win; in terms of quality, they are far inferior to their own cultivation level.

Where else can one find someone like Nie Zhaonan, who has cultivated each flying sword to an astonishing level of power, no less than a cultivator who focuses on cultivating a natal magic weapon?

Nodding to herself, Yue Li raised her jade hand and put all the flying swords and Lei Kui spirit cores into her jade sleeve.

"I'll be leaving now."

After leaving behind those words, Yue Li's figure gradually faded away, disappearing silently from the spot.

Knowing that his master was going to help him refine his natal flying sword, Nie Zhaonan naturally bowed respectfully.

"You've only been disciples for a short time, but it seems you two masters trust each other quite a bit. If the master dares to make the suggestion, the disciple is truly willing to hand over his natal flying sword. This is a natal magic weapon, and besides a cultivator's own life, it can be said to be the most important thing." Looking at Nie Zhaonan, who was quite respectful of his master, Yuan said with a half-smile, making a teasing remark.

“I have just become a disciple of Master Yue Li, and she has already given me many benefits. Master treats me with sincerity, so I will naturally treat her with sincerity in return,” Nie Zhaonan said earnestly.

"Isn't it because you think you're too weak to resist?" Yuan chuckled.

Hearing the somewhat sarcastic remarks, Nie Zhaonan was speechless. He sensed that Elder Yuan seemed a little unhappy. He gave a wry smile and said:
"How could Master Yue Li possibly be interested in my natal magic weapon?"

“That makes sense. A natal magic weapon can only unleash its full power when it is in the hands of its original owner. Even if other cultivators refine it, they can only unleash about 70% or 80% of its power at best.” Yuan nodded and said this.

Nie Zhaonan always felt that Elder Yuan's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, a deeper significance.

But since he couldn't figure it out, he naturally didn't say anything or ask anything.

"Give us your full strength in the competition. The Nine Revolutions True Dragon Technique is a cultivation method that every member of the True Dragon Clan desires to practice, including myself." After giving Nie Zhaonan one last look, Yuan's figure disappeared without a trace, just as he had arrived.

After hearing Elder Yuan's reminders, Nie Zhaonan became even more interested in the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Technique.

The Nine Revolutions True Dragon Technique can double a cultivator's physical strength and defense with each complete revolution!

The description is simple, but the effect is amazing.

After pondering silently for a while, Nie Zhaonan also left this place.

On the other side, in a secret chamber forged from unknown blue ice crystals, Yue Li's graceful and alluring figure emerged. As soon as she appeared, she flicked her jade sleeve, releasing the spirit core and numerous flying swords that she had just put away.

The spirit core floated in mid-air on its own, but the two hundred and ninety-two flying swords were extremely agile, swirling and dancing around her like swimming fish, possessing a considerable level of spirituality.

"Although the Azure Spirit Shuttle was poorly crafted, this natal flying sword is extremely exquisite." After a cursory glance at the sword, Yue Li commented softly.

But as she watched, she became unconsciously captivated, her mind drawn to the flying swords. Instinctively, she waved her hand, and a three-foot-long golden sword landed perfectly in her palm.

"Such profound and obscure forging techniques, and these inscriptions—why have I never seen them before? He must have forged this flying sword when he was in the Core Formation stage, but how did he do it?"

As her divine sense penetrated the sword in her hand, she saw it more and more clearly. Yue Li's jade-like face was startled, her cherry lips parted slightly, and her expression changed slightly. She was unable to recover for a long time.

As one of the top weapon-refining masters in her clan, she was naturally proficient in the methods of refining various flying swords, and even the weapon-refining secrets passed down from the True Immortal Realm. However, she had never seen the method of refining the Gengjin Divine Thunder Sword in her hand before.

Moreover, the complexity of the sword's forging and the profundity of its inscriptions were beyond her comprehension even in a short time.

She really couldn't understand how her disciple, whose skill in weapon crafting was mediocre, could have forged such an exquisite flying sword.

"Could it be that he forged it hundreds or thousands of times beforehand, and already knew the method of forging this sword by heart?"

Aside from this possibility, Yue Li, the master weapon refiner, couldn't think of any other reason for the time being.

Immersed in the exquisite craftsmanship of the flying sword in her hand, and after carefully contemplating it for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yue Li suddenly changed her expression, withdrew her divine sense, and exhaled a faint fragrance.

It's truly incredible that just a short period of reflection gave her a sense of profound gain.

However, she did not forget the purpose of her trip. With a wave of her hand, a weapon-refining furnace appeared in the secret room.

He put the Lei Kui Spirit Core into it and slowly refined it with his natal fire.

While Yue Li was refining the spirit core, Nie Zhaonan had already met up with Bing Feng and Jin Ling, who were waiting outside.

"Fellow Daoist Nie, what reward did Miss give you this time?" Jin Ling asked curiously.

In the past, she was undoubtedly the young lady's closest person, but now her position is somewhat unstable, and she is on the verge of being replaced.

In fact, during this conversation, the young lady even made a point of dismissing her personal maid.

This has never happened before.

Sensing the slightly sour tone in Jin Ling's voice, Nie Zhaonan felt a little helpless and told the truth:
"My master didn't bestow anything upon me; he simply helped me refine my natal magic weapon again."

"Miss helped you refine your natal magic weapon?" Jin Ling's expression clearly improved, and she beamed with joy. "What's so great about refining a natal magic weapon? You're really wasting Miss's time. Miss treats me much better; she often rewards me with top-tier spiritual treasures."

Sensing the slight smugness in her words, Nie Zhaonan simply chuckled and offered no further explanation. He casually reached out and embraced Bingfeng's delicate body.

Bingfeng just rolled her eyes at him and then obediently leaned against him.

With the warm, soft body in his arms, Nie Zhaonan felt much more at ease.

"Brother Nie, your master-disciple relationship with Senior Yue Li has become so familiar that she even helped you refine your natal magic weapon?" Bing Feng secretly transmitted his voice.

“I have the utmost respect for Master Yue Li, and my master trusts me completely. Although we have only met a few times, the relationship between us is already extraordinary. We trust each other completely.” Nie Zhaonan paused and replied telepathically.

"Pah, enough with the pleasantries. Brother Nie, how could I not understand your thoughts? You've always been powerless against beauty, let alone not having those feelings for Senior Yue Li." With a light spit, Bing Feng secretly rolled her eyes.

"Everyone has a love for beauty. It's normal to feel happy when you see a beautiful woman. It would be abnormal not to like her," Nie Zhaonan explained without hesitation.

"Nonsense," Bingfeng cursed irritably, then suddenly changed the subject:
"Senior Yue Li is now a Nascent Soul stage elder, I'm afraid Brother Nie doesn't have the ability to defeat her."

“There’s plenty of time ahead,” Nie Zhaonan said without any discouragement. “Although my master is a true spirit and very powerful, his cultivation speed is much slower than that of ordinary human cultivators. With my cultivation speed being this fast, I’ll have enough confidence in a thousand or two thousand years at most.”

"Moreover, being close to the water tower gives one an advantage over others. As my master's disciple, I still have many advantages compared to others."

"Heh," Bingfeng chuckled coldly. Her man was planning to pursue other women right in front of her, and even though she was the one who brought it up, she couldn't help but feel a little unhappy.

Nie Zhaonan probably understood Bingfeng better than she understood herself. Just from her voice, he could tell she was in a bad mood. He wisely refrained from mentioning Master Yue Li again, and instead said softly:

"Feng'er, it's been over a hundred years since we last had any intimacy. Your husband misses you."

His voice gradually lowered, but a faint blush rose on Bingfeng's fair cheeks, making her extremely alluring.

"Hmph, dream on," Bing Fengjiao snorted. "At least, you have to take care of all the sisters first before you come to me. Otherwise, the sisters will think I'm hogging the food, and I can't stand their resentful looks."

"What Feng'er said is exactly what I wanted to say," Nie Zhaonan said with a smile, feeling extremely pleased.

Seeing the two of them openly communicating telepathically, Jin Ling couldn't help but feel a little itchy and was about to ask a question.

At this moment, Nie Zhaonan suddenly remembered something very important, looked at Jin Ling beside him, and asked:
"By the way, are there any pills in this True Dragon Realm that can eliminate the aura of another world?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Ling paused for a moment, then subconsciously asked:

"Fellow Daoist Nie, do you wish to eliminate the aura of the lower realm from your body?"

“That’s right,” Nie Zhaonan nodded. “Ice Phoenix and I have been in the True Dragon Realm for almost three hundred years, and we are about to face a minor tribulation. If we don’t get rid of the otherworldly aura on our bodies, we may not be able to withstand the power of the tribulation.”

(End of this chapter)