Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 476 Tenth Floor of Foundation Building
After retrieving the strange fire, Song Xian took out a green gourd, the very one he had picked from the top of the giant tree in the secret realm ruins.

Although this thing seemed ordinary and he couldn't sense any spiritual energy, he had a feeling that it was something special.

It should be noted that there is almost nothing useless in the backyard of that secret realm ruin. Even the originally lifeless stone statues possess great power, not to mention the stone coffin.

Although he couldn't see what was inside the stone coffin, he was certain that it contained valuable artifacts.

In the backyard, besides the statues and stone coffins, only the giant tree remained.

Why would they place the stone coffin under a giant tree? It couldn't have been just for the shade!

This is similar to how the Ghost Spirit Pearl was placed below the cave where the Ghost Infant was sealed. Although it looks inconspicuous, a closer look reveals that it must have some other purpose.

Moreover, that giant tree was extremely rare; at least Song Xian had never seen such a large tree before, and at the very top of the giant tree grew only this gourd.

It can't just be an ordinary gourd! On his way back, he studied this object, but he had no clue what to do with it.

Holding the gourd in my hand, I still couldn't see anything unusual.

Looking through the small opening at the top of the gourd, the inside was completely empty; even when spiritual energy was poured into it, there was no reaction.

He remembered that the Ghost Spirit Pearl had been like this before, so he took out the Yin Soul Pearl and released the Yin energy stored inside into the gourd.

Originally, I was just trying it out, but to my surprise, the wisps of yin energy that entered the gourd through the mouth disappeared visibly, as if they were absorbed by the gourd.

Seeing this, Song Xian was greatly encouraged and hurriedly poured all the Yin energy from the Yin Soul Pearl into the inner room. A large amount of Yin energy surged into the room, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, without making any sound.

Even after all the Yin energy stored in the Yin Soul Pearl was absorbed, there was still no movement.

But Song Xian was not discouraged; on the contrary, he was eager to try.

The reason is that after the Ghost Spirit Pearl absorbed the ghost's crystal core, it took nearly a year before it released its spiritual milk. The fact that this gourd can attract yin energy is enough to prove that it is no ordinary item. That's enough.

As for its actual effects and benefits, he has plenty of time to observe and verify.

.........

Time flies, and life goes on.

In the dimly lit cultivation room, Song Xian suddenly opened his eyes, a slight smile appearing on his lips. At the same time, his spiritual energy surged out of his Linghai acupoint like a flood, flowing along his meridians.

At this moment, his spiritual power reached 3000 points, and his cultivation broke through to the tenth level of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Although this breakthrough was expected, it still made him extremely happy.

The transition from the ninth to the tenth level of Foundation Establishment is a hurdle, and there is a possibility of encountering a bottleneck. He had some concerns before, but fortunately everything went smoothly.

Soon, Song Xian regained his composure and his consciousness entered the Tree of Memories.

He didn't leave until late at night. While quickly examining this memory, he didn't find anything noteworthy about Dong Xuanchen.

His cultivation of the Six Paths of Supernatural Powers has not yet made any breakthroughs.

After leaving the cultivation room and returning to his residence, a disciple came up to greet him and said that Huang Ye requested an audience.

He then went to the waiting room, where Huang Ye was already waiting. Upon his arrival, Huang Ye bowed and said, "Sect Leader, we have received news about the place with the dense Yin energy that you asked us to inquire about. It is said that there is a mountain range inside the Ten Thousand Mountains that is shrouded in mist all year round, where people who practice Yin and evil techniques often cultivate."

The Ten Thousand Mountains are located within the Muhe Grassland. They are crescent-shaped and span the eastern, southern, and central regions of the Muhe Grassland. On the map, they look like a huge wall that separates the two southern regions from the central region.

Song Xian sought out a place rich in yin energy in order to uncover the secret of the green gourd.

The green gourd has absorbed a lot of yin energy, but it hasn't reacted yet.

There are two possibilities. First, the absorbed yin energy may not be pure enough or in large enough quantity.

Secondly, it needs more time to digest internally.

Now that several years have passed and it hasn't changed, it's highly likely to be the first one.

Therefore, Song Xian planned to find a place with abundant yin energy so that it could absorb its fill before sending Huang Ye to inquire about this matter.

"Any news from Zhang Tianda?"

"Since Senior Brother Fan's death, he has been hiding in the Bright Moon Sect's mountain gate and has not come out. Even after he successfully established his foundation, he has been very cautious in his actions. We are trying to find a way to get close to him, but we cannot yet grasp his whereabouts and movements."

"Is there absolutely no progress?"

Before heading to the Boundless Sea, Song Xian had already given instructions to closely monitor Zhang Tianda's movements. Once his whereabouts were accurately known, they were to find a way to kill him. However, now that Zhang Tianda had successfully established his foundation, the intelligence team alone could not complete the assassination mission.

However, he did not give up the pursuit of Zhang Tianda, but waited for an opportunity to continue to have the intelligence team investigate the man.

Fan Cheng was an elder from the Guzi Peak era of the sect and the deputy hall master of the sect's personnel hall. Now, many people in the sect know the cause of his death and believe that Zhang Tianda is the murderer. However, because he is hiding inside the Mingyue Sect's mountain gate, they are powerless to do anything about him.

This not only chilled the hearts of many disciples in the sect who knew the inside story, but also made them feel uneasy.

Unlike the deaths in battle between two armies, this kind of assassination is impossible to guard against.

In short, as long as Zhang Tianda is not eliminated, not only will the disciples of the sect lose heart, but he, as the sect leader, will also lose face.

“Zhang Tianda was originally in charge of intelligence matters in the Mingyue Sect. He had a long history of dealing with the intelligence circle. He was not only well-informed, but also very cautious in his actions. He became even more careful after what happened to Senior Brother Fan.”

“In the past few years, he has only left the Bright Moon Sect twice, and both times he went out quietly. We didn’t know where he went or what he did. We only found out about it much later.”

"It is very difficult to accurately track his whereabouts."

"Could we find a way to win over the people around him?"

“The intelligence team had tried it before, but it was discovered. He himself is an intelligence officer and is very vigilant about these methods.”

"Let's take it slow! Even tigers have their moments of weakness. You can guard against them for a while, but not forever. Tell me immediately whenever you have any news about their movements."

.........

As night fell, the moon was bright and the stars were few. Outside the gate of the Murong family in Xijiang County, several groups of cultivators stood ready, each looking nervously at the old man standing outside with his hands behind his back.

In the distance, a streak of light shot down, revealing Murong Yun. He glanced warily at the old man from head to toe, then strode forward and bowed, asking, "May I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist? What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Fellow Daoist Murong, do you still remember what happened at the Bamboo Cultivation Pavilion back then? You haven't forgotten your old friend so quickly, have you?" The old man smiled slightly.

Murong Yun's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the disciples around him before waving his hand: "You may all step back." Naturally, no one dared to disobey, and they all responded and withdrew.

"I never expected Fellow Daoist Qi to visit again." Murong Yun stared intently at him.

"It seems Fellow Daoist Murong hasn't forgotten his old friend. What? Won't you invite this old man in for a seat?"

Murong Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly hesitating, but finally turned his head away and said, "Please!"

The two rose into the air and arrived at the main hall of a mansion, where Murong Teng, the head of the Murong family, was already seated.

Before he could speak, the old man wiped his face, and in an instant, his features and expression changed, transforming him into a completely different person—Qi Yunxuan, the former sect leader of Yunxuan Sect.

Murong Teng glanced at Murong Yun without changing his expression. Their eyes met, and he knew that Murong Yun knew nothing.

"Fellow Daoist Murong, it's been a long time." Qi Yunxuan smiled and bowed, then took a seat without waiting for him to invite him.

"I never imagined that Fellow Daoist Qi would return to Xijiang County one day. I thought you were long dead."

Murong Teng spoke without any politeness. Back then, Qi Yunxuan didn't even say goodbye before leaving Xijiang County, leaving them to fight against the Beast Taming Sect alone. They almost suffered a complete annihilation. If it weren't for the Xuan Yuan Sect suppressing them, the Murong family would have no place to stand in Xijiang County.

Even with the intervention of the Xuan Yuan Sect, they have been severely suppressed in recent years, and many of their resource territories have been gradually eroded by the Beast Taming Sect.

After so many years, seeing the culprit again naturally filled him with resentment.

"Withdrawing from Xijiang County back then was just a temporary measure. Now I'm back, aren't I?" Qi Yunxuan didn't care about his tone and smiled slightly.

"Enough with the nonsense, Fellow Daoist Qi. If you have nothing else to say, I won't keep you company any longer." Murong Teng didn't give him a friendly look and was too lazy to waste words with him. He knew that Qi Yunxuan must have come for important matters, and he had a rough idea of ​​what it was.

Qi Yunxuan fled from Xijiang County and went to Nanhan County to join Qi Xiaofeng and others. Now that Nanhan County has introduced Chu Kingdom cultivators and defeated the Qianqing Sect, the next step will definitely be to expand its territory. Therefore, Qi Yunxuan's purpose in coming here is self-evident.

“Fellow Daoist Murong is a straightforward person, so I will speak frankly. Over the years, the Beast Taming Sect has been eroding your family’s resources. If this continues, one day, given the right opportunity, your family will be completely swallowed up by the Beast Taming Sect. If your family wants to reverse the current situation, you must take a desperate gamble.”

Qi Yunxuan did not continue speaking. His meaning was already quite clear, and with Murong Teng's shrewdness, he certainly knew what he was referring to.

"If Fellow Daoist Qi has come to sow discord, then please leave. I have other important matters to attend to."

Murong Teng snorted coldly. If he hadn't believed Qi Yunxuan back then, none of the subsequent events would have happened. Now, whenever he thinks about it, he regrets it. Now that Qi Yunxuan is bringing up the matter again, he is even more too lazy to pay attention and directly tells him to leave.

"Since Fellow Daoist Murong no longer has any desire to compete, then this old man will not say any more and will take his leave." Qi Yunxuan was also very straightforward. Seeing his attitude, he did not waste any more words and immediately got up and left.

"I'll see Fellow Daoist Qi off." Murong Yun glanced at Murong Teng, and seeing that he didn't react, he got up and left the mansion with him.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, you haven't come here to persuade our family to surrender to the Southern Han Prefecture, have you?" Murong Yun asked tentatively after leaving the room.

"To be honest, our allied forces have decided to advance on Xishu County, and our army will soon be pressing in. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My uncle sent me to contact your esteemed family so that we can cooperate from within and without to take Xijiang County. If your family is willing to cooperate, Xijiang County will be under your control in the future. It's just a pity that Fellow Daoist Murong Teng has lost his fighting spirit and no longer has the desire to compete."

Qi Yunxuan seemed completely unconcerned, her expression indifferent, as if she were chatting about everyday matters.

Murong Yun frowned: "Does the Southern Han Commandery allied forces really intend to attack Western Shu Commandery?"

"Do you think I would deceive you with empty words? If you don't believe me, just wait and see. When the army arrives, Xishu County will surely be in chaos. If your family doesn't seize this opportunity to turn things around, what hope will you have in the future? Besides, Xijiang County is not your family's sole power. If your family is unwilling to cooperate, there are plenty of others who are. Don't say I didn't warn you. Once this opportunity is missed, it won't come again. If someone else gets there first, your family will probably regret it."

Murong Yun was naturally not intimidated by his words, but she did not give up the opportunity to inquire: "So, Fellow Daoist Qi is also in contact with other forces?"

Qi Yunxuan neither agreed nor disagreed.

Murong Yun continued to inquire, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qi also contacted the Beast Taming Sect?"

Qi Yunxuan did not answer directly, but instead smiled mysteriously: "With a great battle ahead, who wouldn't want to leave a way out? Not to mention the Beast Taming Sect, the Xuan Yuan Sect is no different. You should know this very well, fellow Daoist! When I was ordered to come to Xijiang County back then, weren't there people within the Xuan Yuan Sect secretly colluding with each other?"

"Alright, fellow Daoist, there's no need to see me off any further. Farewell."

Qi Yunxuan didn't wait for his response before telling him to stop, then rose into the air and quickly disappeared into the distance.

As Murong Yun watched his figure disappear from sight, he frowned slightly and pondered for a while before turning back into the hall and recounting their conversation.

Murong Teng narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing this. Of course, he did not completely believe what Qi Yunxuan said, but after all, the matter was of great importance and could not be treated lightly.

The reason he adopted such a tough stance and issued the order to leave before Qi Yunxuan could finish speaking was partly because he harbored resentment. Back then, Yunxuanzong had fled without even saying goodbye, putting him in a very passive position and causing huge trouble afterward, almost plunging the entire Murong family into utter ruin. Naturally, he couldn't pretend nothing had happened and treat him so politely when they met again this time.

On the other hand, he did not want to reveal his inner thoughts. If the Southern Han Commandery allied forces really wanted to invade Western Shu Commandery, he believed that Qi Yunxuan would come to his door again.

.........

Starlight fell like rain. In the dim mountain forest, a large flock of birds cried out and took flight. In the distance, a streak of light shot out, revealing Qi Yunxuan's figure.

Just as his escape light descended, a middle-aged man's figure silently emerged from his concealed state.

"How was the conversation?"

"He was very tough and told me to leave before I could finish speaking."

"So, the Murong family is unwilling to cooperate."

Qi Yunxuan shook his head: "I know Murong Teng. He is ambitious but incompetent, and he is afraid of harming himself when it comes to doing great things. He actually has a lot of anger in his heart. He still has resentment towards me, let alone towards the Beast Taming Sect and the Xuan Yuan Sect. It's just that the time is not right yet."

The man said expressionlessly, "I haven't made any progress on my end either."

"This is all expected. Words are not enough to prove anything. They won't agree just because of a few words. Besides, Xijiang County is far from Nanhan County and is not in the first place to be affected. Even if the allied forces launch a large-scale attack, it will not affect this place in a short time. So they don't need to be in such a hurry."

"In that case, let's go back and report!"

Qi Yunxuan's eyes flickered slightly: "No rush, I want to try again."

"Try again?" The man glanced at him. "Do you want to try to persuade Murong Teng again? I'm afraid it will be of no use."

"If Murong Teng won't listen to reason, then we'll have to make him drink a penalty shot. We can put pressure on him."

The man was also intelligent, and upon hearing this, he immediately understood the meaning: "You want to use the Beast Taming Sect to eliminate the Murong family? To force them to join us."

"The Murong family and the Beast Taming Sect have been at odds for many years, especially after the chaos in Xijiang County last time. The Beast Taming Sect has always wanted to devour the Murong family, but it has been suppressed by the Xuan Yuan Sect. As long as we give them a legitimate reason, I believe the Beast Taming Sect will definitely take action against the Murong family. In that case, the Murong family will have no choice but to submit to us. Eliminating the Murong family will not only weaken the overall strength of Xijiang County, but will also be beneficial for us to take over Xijiang County in the future and use the Murong family's influence to our advantage."

The man nodded thoughtfully: "A counter-espionage plan might be worth a try. Alright! I agree."

(End of this chapter)