Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 533 The Unexpected Calamity of the Third-Order Treasure Cauldron
——————Chenjiang County, Kangchangpingdongfu
About ten days after Kang Rongquan returned, Kang Xiangyi, who was staying at the entrance of the cave, was greeted by Kang Dazhang's friends.

In the eyes of Kang Xiangyi, who had dominated the area for many years, the people who came this time were all important figures rarely seen in Chenjiang County.

Among them, Wu Feng Shangxiu led Zhou Yun to arrive first. Because Kang Dabao had captured Jie Yi Shangxiu alive before, the former could rest easy in Dingzhou.

As a result, they naturally owed Master Kang a very large favor.

The favors owed to such people should be repaid as soon as possible to ease the burden.

Normally, when Zhou Yun, the chief disciple of Wu Feng Shang Xiu, saw Kang Da Bao, he would greet him with a smile and say, "Brother Dao, how are you?"

However, since Wu Fengshang was now Zhou Yun's master, he could only straighten his clothes and compose himself, bow deeply to Headmaster Kang, and say "Greetings, Lord Marquis."

Sometimes, even Wu Feng Shangxiu himself sighed inwardly, wondering if this kid surnamed Kang had any extraordinary talent. How come after only a few decades, the latter had already killed several powerful figures of the same level, while he himself remained lukewarm?
It has been nearly two hundred years since he achieved the Golden Core stage, yet he still hasn't even reached the threshold of the mid-stage Golden Core realm, let alone dream of becoming a Nascent Soul.

Sect Leader Kang was unaware that in the short span of time, Wu Feng Shangxiu had already gone through a number of thoughts.

He was as kind as ever to people. When he first met Wu Feng Shangxiu, he almost called him "senior," but the latter was tactful and didn't take offense.

Despite his seniority among the many Golden Core cultivators in the Duke's mansion and his ability to lead a state, Wu Feng Shangxiu has gradually become a marginal figure in the Duke's mansion due to his lack of skill.

But he was, after all, a genuine Golden Core cultivator. Compared to getting closer to the increasingly powerful and noble families in the Duke's mansion and befriending such people, this was a worthwhile and cost-effective deal, so Kang Dabao had no reason not to do it.

Following closely behind Wu Fengshangxiu was Yang Baoshan, one of the ancestors of the Yang family in Yezhou. Before the Grand Master Kang had achieved his elixir-making, he had taken a risk for the Yang family.

If Kang Dabao were still just a Foundation Establishment cultivator at this time, after the two patriarchs of the Yang family had been reprimanded by Fei Nanying and compensated with spiritual treasures, the Yang family would naturally no longer have to worry about such things.

However, at present, such compensation is clearly too lenient.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Yang Baoshan, despite being deeply engrossed in his cultivation, still took time out of his residence to lend a helping hand at the invitation of Master Kang.

Yang Wuwei, who was very familiar with Kang Dabao, was said to have failed to condense his core on his first attempt and had also suffered a great loss of vital energy. Therefore, he was still in seclusion and had not come this time.

The next senior cultivator who came after Yang Baoshan was also an acquaintance of the Grand Master Kang.

Cao Xianlu, from the Barbarian Ghost Sect, finally attained the Golden Core stage before the new year. He is also considered the second Golden Core son-in-law of the Fei family's Sheshan Hall after Kang Dabao. He and the sect leader Kang are officially related by marriage, and he is the only Golden Core cultivator who has come to help this time.

Although he is still in the stage of solidifying his elixir body, he was already quite outstanding when he was building his foundation. Even though he lacked a bit of foundational knowledge, he was still not someone to be underestimated.

Seeing that the three senior cultivators who had come were all very respectful to Kang Dabao, Kang Xiangyi actually felt a sense of pride in his heart.

Master Kang and Third Master Jiang were unaware of the old cultivator's changing intentions, and simply greeted each of the newcomers.

Kang Changping was only a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator back then, and he died a violent death outside. His cave probably didn't have many treasures. So the fact that he was able to find so many powerful cultivators to help him this time was all thanks to Kang Dabao's favors.

Having arrived at this place and witnessed this scene, it goes without saying what Sect Leader Kang wanted the cultivators to help with.

Following established practice, the three cultivators soon reached a gentleman's agreement with Kang Dabao that they would each receive only one-tenth of the cave's harvest. Since it was a gentleman's agreement, its binding force was naturally weak.

If the cave dwelling only contains some ordinary items commonly used by Golden Core cultivators, the cultivators can still maintain some tacit understanding; however, if it contains Nascent Soul spiritual objects, even if their closest loved ones are by their side, it is only natural that they would turn against each other in an instant.

Despite his lack of combat skills, Wu Fengshang is a rare second-tier high-grade array master whose expertise far surpasses that of the laymen around him.

However, he took out the compass and counting rods to examine them together, and after about two days, he found a few flaws in the array base.

Kang Dabao and several other cultivators tried it one by one, only to find that the array positions calculated by Wu Feng cultivator were completely wrong. The Lord of the Miasma Court was so embarrassed that his face turned as red as a date, and it took him a long time to recover.

Fortunately, Sect Leader Kang had not placed all his hopes on Wu Feng, the upper cultivator. After discussing with the other upper cultivators, they unanimously decided to use force to break the formation.

Perhaps because the cultivators held back their strength, it took about ten days for a gap the size of a person to finally appear in the cave's grand formation.

When it comes to exploring caves and seeking opportunities, which of the cultivators present wasn't an expert? Without any instructions from Sect Leader Kang, the cultivators entered the formation through the opening in a calm and orderly manner.

After Jiang Qing, who was the last one to enter the formation, entered the formation, a few breaths later, the gap in the formation's light screen slowly closed, and outsiders could no longer find any flaws.

The group pushed open the door together and probed out with their divine senses. They found that the furnishings and utensils inside the cave did not look like something that had not been opened for hundreds of years.

The outermost area only contained some top-grade spiritual artifacts. Among the Golden Core cultivators, apart from Headmaster Kang and Cao Xianlu, who currently lacked offensive magical treasures, the rest showed little interest.

So Jiang Qing and Zhou Yun, who had come with the other cultivators, divided the spoils equally among themselves.

Having cultivated for many years, Yang Baoshan possessed a remarkable ability to appraise spirit stones. He calculated the value of the spirit stones and included them in each person's share. His quoted price was considered reasonable by all the cultivators present.

Continuing inside, what should have been the Ice Lotus Jade Spring had turned into a pool of blood, which was different from what Kang Xiangyi had described before.

The sect leader summoned him and asked him a question, but Kang Xiangyi was also puzzled. After a moment of silence, Kang Dabao, without needing anyone to answer, had a general idea in his mind: "This place must have been occupied by someone else and changed owners."

Having figured this out, Sect Leader Kang became even more vigilant and explained the situation to the cultivators present. However, the several high-ranking cultivators did not show any fear; instead, they all focused their gazes on the blood pool and lingered there for a long time.

Kang Dabao's eyesight was no worse than anyone else's, so he could see the thick blood mist moving around in the cave as if it were alive.

Dark red crystals, like sharp teeth, hung upside down on the rock face. Thick bubbles surged in the blood pool, and the scarlet corals deposited at the bottom twisted into branches, each edge oozing a murky pearly light.

Crystal-clear beads of blood amber were embedded in the crevices of the rocks along the pool's edge. Their translucent shells were covered with what appeared to be the solidified essence of cultivators or demonic beasts, adding another layer of color to them. Whenever the blood waves surged in the pool, the crisp sound of the blood coral clusters colliding with each other was mixed with a barely audible hiss.

The cluster of hexagonal blood corals was sprouting, oblivious to the presence of outsiders in the arena. Its gnarled form unabashedly released the stench of decaying flowers, a rare sign of advancement.

"What a sacred place for blood cultivators! I'm afraid that if you randomly bring over a few Foundation Establishment blood cultivators, without imparting any Dao techniques, they might be able to cultivate a Golden Core cultivator just by relying on this pool of blood."

Cao Xianlu spoke with fervent eyes. The Barbarian Ghost Sect, from which he came, could hardly be considered a righteous sect, and they were not averse to practicing unorthodox methods and taking human pills.

The blood amber formed in the blood pool and the blood coral attached to the edge of the pool were rare treasures in his eyes.

Even if the former is simply refined, it can extend the life of a Golden Core cultivator by five years; the latter can be used as the main ingredient in several pills that enhance the cultivation of Golden Core cultivators, and it is equally rare in the outside world.

Although there was no lust in Jiang Sanye's eyes, he could hear the barely suppressed gasps in his ears, which made him raise his eyebrows, quickly step out of the crowd, and keep observing.

Master Kang was well aware of the principle that "wealth can move people's hearts," but he also roughly knew that although these blood-path spiritual materials were rare, they were not enough to cause the three of them to turn against him.

He cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I never expected to gain anything extra. Fellow Daoists, please don't be impatient. I, Kang, will collect all these treasures. After we leave the cave, I will ask Fellow Daoist Yang to appraise and distribute them."

This arrangement wasn't exactly satisfactory to the other three, but they had no other choice. After all, Kang Dabao's reputation was far better than theirs. The cultivators wouldn't feel at ease if these treasures weren't kept by the sect leader Kang but in the hands of others.

Storage bags are something that everyone in the Chongming Sect, from outer disciples to the Supreme Elders, has plenty of.

With a casual gesture, Master Kang freed up a space, and with a wave of his hand, crystal-clear blood amber and vibrant coral fell into the jade box he had prepared, and then flowed into his storage bag in an orderly fashion.

With mixed feelings, Kang Xiangyi followed the group of cultivators and flew over the blood pool, which should have been "as clear as the moon reflected in an ice pot, as blue as jade" as described in the family records. Then, the sect leader urged Kang to break through most of the restrictions on the way with Jiang Qing and Zhou Yun, and only then did they see the true core of this cave.

The three-tier alchemy furnace, the Six Harmonies Kanli Cauldron, that Kang Changping used back then still stands in the alchemy room in its original form, nourished day and night by the earth fire cultivated by a high-level geomancer, its spiritual energy constantly increasing.

However, Kang Xiangyi felt that compared to the records in the clan's classic texts, the alchemy cauldron seemed to have lost much of its ethereal quality and gained more of a bloody smell.

This is obviously due to the change of owner. However, for a pill cauldron that has reached the level of a magic weapon and is sufficient to serve as the treasure of a Golden Core sect, this problem is just a minor flaw and will not affect its value by even a fraction.

Even the usually composed Sect Leader Kang's eyes lit up when he saw this treasure, for a magic weapon-level alchemy cauldron is quite rare.

Let alone someone like Wu Feng Shang Xiu, who is so poor that he could never accumulate even one Golden Core in his entire life, even powerful forces like the Fei family's Sheshan Hall and the "Three Managers" under the Zhaixing Tower might not be able to have one.

"No wonder Kang Changping didn't carry such an important item with him when he traveled back then. The quality of this earth fire is the highest I have ever seen in my life. This alchemy furnace has been nurtured here for hundreds of years without interruption. Without having to do anything else, the quality of this alchemy cauldron has already been raised by one grade. It's really worth it!"

The Six Harmonies Kanli Cauldron left by Kang Changping was something Kang Dabao was determined to obtain on this trip. However, the grade of this cauldron was a level higher than he had guessed earlier.

This also means that those blood amber and blood corals are no longer relevant to the Chongming Sect.

Headmaster Kang felt it was a bit of a pity, since these blood-path treasures were hard to find in the outside world. Even if no one in Chongming Sect was skilled in blood techniques, if they encountered someone in dire need of them in the future, they would not be afraid of not getting a good deal even if they traded for them.

The three-tiered pill cauldron naturally made Wu Feng and his companions extremely envious. Even the Great Master Kang could see the fierce aura in their eyes. However, he simply brandished the halberd, and the bright light of the halberd made the three of them feel a chill in their hearts, and the heat on their faces seemed to subside at the same time.

The first to realize this was Cao Xianlu, the least senior of the three. After all, he and Kang Dabao were brothers-in-law and both trusted by the Duke. With this relationship, it wasn't necessary to insist on going to war with the latter.

Seeing Cao Xianlu's friendly demeanor towards Kang Dabao, the inappropriate thoughts that Wu Fengshangxiu and Yang Baoshan had just had gradually dissipated.

After all, they had heard of Master Kang's abilities; three against one was barely enough, and the two of them together certainly had no chance of winning. They weren't completely out of their minds, so why would they do something so foolish?
Upon reflection, this was a very worthwhile deal, as it involved repaying Kang Dabao's favor and acquiring a valuable item from the Blood Path with minimal effort.

If they were bolder, they could sell the news of Chongming Sect obtaining a third-tier pill cauldron at a suitable time later, which would bring in a considerable sum of money.

Master Kang took in everyone's thoughts without saying much. He simply bowed and thanked them, handing over the blood amber and coral he had just obtained to Yang Baoshan so that he could distribute them properly.

After this, the atmosphere in the cave visibly improved considerably.

Kang Dabao was discussing the matter of collecting the alchemy cauldron with Jiang Qing, while Zhou Yun and Kang Xiangyi, who were standing to the side, did not stop their searching. The two of them did not know what kind of temperament the Great Master Kang was, and they really thought that there would be some treasures that Golden Core cultivators would not care about and would be left here.

However, the two of them had cultivated for one or two hundred years; if they hadn't been careful and cautious, they probably wouldn't have survived to this day. Zhou Yun saw that there was a particularly well-hidden hidden cave, but he didn't think much of it. After all, this place had already been explored by powerful cultivators with their divine sense, so there shouldn't be any concealment.

However, he was unaware that the Golden Core cultivators who had come to investigate earlier were all in perfect form, while he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was different.

Unbeknownst to them, a wisp of life force emanated from Zhou Yun and flowed into the cave.

The dilapidated restrictions that had been dormant in the dark cave for an unknown period of time suddenly loosened, and then a corpse shrouded in bluish-gray miasma suddenly trembled. Its eyelids opened, and when the old grime fell off, the pair of upturned triangular eye sockets on its face still had cold, burning eerie green eyes embedded in them, which was extremely terrifying.

As soon as the corpse awakened, the thick corpse aura on its body could no longer be concealed. When it overflowed into the cave through the dark hole, not only Zhou Yun, who was closest to it, was filled with fear, but even the cultivators who were sharing the spoils also changed their expressions drastically.

Kang Dabao had fought against high-level corpse refiners before, but as soon as he was exposed to this corpse energy, he knew that this bronze corpse was definitely not something that had only entered the third level.

Sure enough, before they could make a move, a dark figure darted out from the cave, ferocious and terrifying, exuding a fierce aura.

Yang Baoshan, the most knowledgeable person present, instantly lost all joy at acquiring the treasure. His eyes widened, and a trembling voice escaped his throat as he exclaimed, "How...how could there be a Tier 3 High-Grade Bronze Corpse here?!"

(Due to a work error and inventory defect inspection yesterday, I was later than expected. I also failed to fulfill my promise to stay up all night to update, which I am truly ashamed of. Please forgive me. Today, I took the risk and cobbled together a chapter. Tonight, I still need to inspect inventory defects and will try my best to update!)

(End of this chapter)