Gou Dao Changsheng: Starting from the Reincarnation of a Demon Cultivator

Chapter 620 Green Wood Ruins, Borrowing Spirit Stones
Xu Qingshe gathered magical power in his palm, and five colors outlined a scroll about ten feet in size.

The scroll depicts mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, as well as major forces such as the Rotten Peach Forest, Moyun Cliff, and Dadu Ancient City.

"Senior Brother Fang, look here."

A valley surrounded by a river on the scroll gradually zooms in, and within moments, the dark and bottomless valley fills the entire scroll.

"The Abyss of Soul Burial?" Fang Yi's eyes gleamed as he spoke solemnly.

"If there are undiscovered fourth-tier spiritual items here, that would be quite normal."

Fang Yi understood that the suppression of the various sects in the Great Yun Kingdom, resulting in the absence of any Nascent Soul True Monarchs born locally for over a thousand years, did not mean that no Nascent Soul True Monarchs would come here.

Xuan Yang Mountain has a long history. According to ancient records, more than 1,200 years ago, there was a fourth-order spiritual vein in the Burial Soul Abyss. It was the only fourth-order sect in the Great Cloud Dynasty and the location of Qingmu Palace.

Having fallen to such a desolate and barren place, with its spiritual veins severed and no cultivators venturing there, it has suffered a calamity.

More than a thousand years ago, a fourth-order great demon was born in the Qingyun Mountains of the demon race. He was a soldier who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage and a demon king who had reached the Core Formation stage, and he stirred up a monstrous beast tide.

In the final, brutal battle, the Green Wood Palace was wiped out, and the fourth-tier great demon was nowhere to be found. Both sides suffered heavy losses.

Fang Yi asked, "Junior Brother, you found a fourth-tier spiritual item here?"

It was just a coincidence.

My junior brother discovered a third-tier fire vein in the Burial Soul Abyss, and it was within that he broke through his cultivation realm and condensed his golden core.

Xu Qingshe subconsciously touched the flat storage bag, feeling indignant. Since becoming a pill refiner, he had never been so poor and destitute.

After condensing his core, he had just left the Burial Soul Abyss when he encountered Chen Erxiang, a Fire Dao Golden Core cultivator.

He used the power of his magic weapon to cut off one of the legs of the Heaven and Earth Furnace. He then swallowed pills to heal his wounds and restore his foundation, which cost more than 10,000 spirit stones.

This doesn't even include the spirit stones needed to ask Fang Yi, a third-tier spiritual healer, for help.

Fang Yi manipulated his five fingers within his sleeve, forming hand seals to activate the Plum Blossom Divination. The illusory image of a six-pointed plum blossom flickered in his eyes, but after numerous divinations, he gained nothing.

If the Burial Soul Abyss were so easily discovered, it would have been thoroughly explored by sects such as Xuan Yang Mountain, Bi Shui Pavilion, and Tian Dao Wu long ago.

The lineage of the Five Watches of Xuanyang Mountain has never been interrupted in its transmission of heavenly secrets.

The current leader of Tianji Peak, Tian Quezi, is a Grand True Person who has entered the late stage of Core Formation, and is second to none among cultivators throughout history.

He didn't find it strange, and his eyes quietly swept over the bronze ring on Xu Qingshe's index finger.

The ability to discover the secrets within was mostly due to the help of this remnant soul.

Within his soul, the Three Lives Stone emitted a faint black and white spiritual light, and the figure of the Corpse God Child with white hair flowing down his shoulders flashed by.

As his cultivation improved, and with the help of his past life's power, he could vaguely sense the hidden divine soul power within the bronze ring.

'It truly is a Nascent Soul soul; the Green Snake has encountered considerable fortune. However, this aura, with its crimson fire containing yin energy, is rather strange.'

A glint flashed in Fang Yi's eyes; although he had suspected it before, this was the first time he was certain.

"Junior Brother Xu, there must be other dangers in this Burial Soul Abyss, otherwise you would have returned empty-handed."
What kind of risk is it?

Remnants of an array? The protective magic of the Azure Wood Palace? And guarding spirit beasts guarding the mountain?

Fang Yi's gaze was intense; some demonic beasts had lifespans far exceeding those of human cultivators.

Over a thousand years, the time it takes for humans to form their core has already passed through several generations, but for the Xuan Turtle bloodline and the wood-type demon beasts...

Although it is a long time, it is not insurmountable.

Xu Qingshe has advanced to the third level of alchemy, and is also cultivating the way of feng shui, and has a remnant soul of a nascent soul to guide him.

The difficulties and dangers that allowed Burial Soul Abyss to stop him are self-evident.

"Brother Fang has discerning eyes."

Deep beneath the Burial Abyss lies the ruins of the Green Wood Palace, a place fraught with peril.

But my junior brother is confident that the ruins contain remnants of the Pill Pavilion, and therefore must contain top-tier spiritual treasures.

Xu Qingshe turned the bronze ring in her hand. If it weren't for Elder Chen's help, even a True Person who had condensed the Golden Core would not have been able to detect this relic.

This is the greatest opportunity he has encountered in his cultivation so far.

"However, this ruin is dangerous. Ordinary Core Formation cultivators who explore it will only be courting death."

"If it weren't for Senior Brother's condensation of the Golden Core and Xiao Qi's assistance, Junior Brother would never have invited him."

Having decided to share this opportunity, Xu Qingshe was open and honest, without concealing the dangers involved.

As the only Nascent Soul sect in the Great Cloud Cultivation World for a thousand years, Qingmu Palace still retains its profound heritage.

Regardless of any romantic feelings, he had already benefited from the help a third-tier spiritual healer, whom he could trust, provided for his cultivation.

Inside the bronze ring, 'Old Chen' sighed softly, but did not speak to stop him.

With the assistance of a third-tier spiritual healer, young Xu's cultivation will be much more comfortable.

Even so, 'Old Chen' still felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

That's a fourth-tier spiritual treasure opportunity!

A fourth-tier spiritual object! If properly refined, it can become a high-grade magic weapon.

The emergence of such a phenomenon in the entire Great Cloud Immortal Cultivation World is enough to provoke a deadly battle among the Grand Masters of various sects.

If the news were to leak, it would be perfectly normal for it to attract the attention of a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Great Yu Kingdom.

That young Xu is far too arrogant! Truly, he's not human! Not human at all!

Xu Qingshe stroked the bronze ring, constantly soothing it with his divine sense.

Despite his low aptitude, he was able to condense a golden core with the potential of a low-grade spiritual root, proving he was neither stupid nor stubborn.

The path to immortality is fiercely contested!

No cultivator who aspires to advance further can avoid engaging in combat and vying for opportunities and spiritual treasures. As the number of combats increases, injuries are inevitable.

Without the help of a spiritual healer to nourish vital energy and resolve hidden injuries, the damage can easily accumulate over time, creating a bottleneck and shortening lifespan.

This is especially true for demonic cultivators, who have a lifespan of 500 years after reaching the Core Formation stage. Nine out of ten demonic cultivators cannot live to see their death.

With a lifespan of five hundred years, reaching four hundred and fifty-six years old already makes him a rare long-lived figure among the demonic cultivators.

If the cultivation method is fierce, it will shorten one's lifespan. Even demonic cultivators may not live past four hundred years old.

It can be said to be comparable to the fake elixir master in reverse.
Fang Yi possesses exceptional talent in medicine and has also managed to condense a Wood Dao Golden Core. As his cultivation continues to improve, his spiritual medicine skills will undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.

With this assistance, his cultivation of the [Heaven and Earth Furnace Method] and the refining of third-order spiritual flames have an additional layer of protection.

"Hmm, the remaining ruins of the Green Wood Palace? Junior brother has such strong luck, what a great opportunity."

However, this matter requires further consideration. Fang Yi's mind raced as he considered the trump cards he could use.

With Chi Yin, Qi Jie, and a third-tier low-grade spirit puppet, such a foundation is already among the most outstanding of early-stage Core Formation cultivators.
“Junior Brother Xu, after you have fully recovered from your injuries, let’s make another trip to the Burial Abyss.”

To see what lies within the secret realm, Xiao Qi condensed his demon core, advancing to the third-tier demon king, which greatly aided in overcoming the realm's restrictive formations.

Fang Yi was not blinded by the allure of the fourth-tier spiritual object.

The ruins of Qingmu Palace, left behind by a fourth-tier major sect, are by no means something to be taken for granted or explored at will.

"With the help of my senior brother and Xiao Qi, we will surely be able to explore the secret realm and gain great benefits on our path of cultivation."

Fang Yi did not act impulsively, and Xu Qingshe breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew better than anyone the allure of fourth-tier spiritual items, but he knew even more clearly the dangers of the Green Wood Palace ruins.

“Senior Brother Fang, there’s no rush regarding the ruins. Let’s explore them together after Junior Brother has recovered.” He scratched his head, his face showing a simple and honest expression, and stammered as he spoke.

"The prescription given by my senior brother is very beneficial to me."

Seeing Xu Qingshe's hesitation, Fang Yi looked puzzled. "If there's anything wrong with the prescription, Junior Brother Xu, please speak up."

We've known each other for over a hundred years; there's no need for such childish behavior.

“That’s right…that’s right,” Xu Qingshe said through gritted teeth.

"It's just that my junior brother is a little short of money and would like to borrow some spirit stones."

Seeing Xu Qingshe's face turn bright red, Fang Yi's lips curled slightly.

The two had known each other for many years. Xu Qingshe was a wealthy alchemist, and Qi Jie's ability to condense pills so quickly was inseparable from the occasional feeding of pills by Xu Qingshe.

Fang Yi was meeting Xu Qingshe for the first time, and was in a predicament because of the spirit stone.

He smiled and said, "We've known each other for many years, so there's no need to be so polite."

"Junior brother, please just name your needs regarding the amount of spirit stones you require."

Xu Qingshe felt a slight sense of relief. He was not at his wit's end; he still had pills, magic weapons, and fire-elemental spiritual items left in his storage bag.

If anyone is willing to lend a hand, it can solve their immediate problem.

In the cultivation world of Dayun, pills and magic weapons are easy to sell, but buying them with spirit stones depends on luck.

Xu Qingshe hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

"If Senior Brother has the means, could you lend me eight thousand low-grade spirit stones? I need to purchase fire-elemental spiritual items to repair my natal treasure."

"Eight thousand low-grade spirit stones?" Fang Yi's expression froze slightly. To refine the third-tier puppet, ninety percent of the spirit stones he had accumulated had been converted into merit points for the sect.

Now, only a little over three thousand low-grade spirit stones remain in the storage bag.

Xu Qingshe seemed to see Fang Yi's predicament and sighed inwardly, quite understanding.

Cultivators who have just broken through to the Core Formation stage are already at their poorest.

He refined his natal treasure, practiced third-tier spells, replaced his magic weapon, and took pills to consolidate his cultivation.
Each and every one of these matters is a major drain on spirit stones.

Although he was inevitably disappointed, Xu Qingshe still spoke up and offered a way out.

"I was just joking with you, Senior Brother. I don't need eight thousand spirit stones. You can lend me two thousand low-grade spirit stones."

“Junior brother, there’s no need for that. The natal treasure is connected to the three treasures of a cultivator: essence, energy, and spirit. It’s a matter of great importance, so how can we treat it carelessly?”

Fang Yi pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"There's no need to cover for Senior Brother. After he condensed his core, all his previous accumulations were completely depleted."
To be honest, junior brother, even if I lent you all of the three thousand-odd low-grade spirit stones I had left, it still wouldn't be enough to repair the Heaven and Earth Furnace.

He paused slightly, his gaze sharp, as if he could see right through Xu Qingshe.

"Junior Brother's natal magic weapon is of a very high grade. Let alone three thousand spirit stones, even several times that amount, it still can't compare to this natal magic weapon."

Xu Qingshe, realizing his secrets had been exposed, slumped down, looking helpless.

The eight thousand low-grade spirit stones were the result of his careful calculations, including the fire-elemental spirit items in his storage bag.

Fang Yi currently lacks such wealth. Once he gathers the spirit stones, the Heaven and Earth Furnace will at least shatter two of its protective barriers.

Two of the three protective barriers collapsed, rendering at least sixty years of hard work futile.

"Never mind, it's just that my junior brother is unlucky and has bad luck."

"Senior brother, don't be troubled. We can refine our natal treasure again later. It's just a matter of time and effort."

Xu Qingshe's facial muscles twitched, and in a few breaths, his appearance changed drastically, transforming him into a lean cultivator, and his robes also changed into a tight-fitting short outfit.

If one were not in dire need of spirit stones and given enough time to accumulate them, a third-tier alchemist would certainly not lack spirit stones.

"Junior Brother Xu, don't be in such a hurry," Fang Yi said, blocking their path.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Fang. I will blend into the crowd of cultivators coming to Xuanzhen Garden for treatment tomorrow and leave without revealing my identity."

After exchanging some spirit stones, we can return.

Xu Qingshe was already planning to use another magical artifact, the Xuan Yan Ruler, for attack.

They then mortgaged some rare elixirs to the Treasure Pavilion.

Although the cost was enormous, with eight or nine tenths of the accumulated resources over decades dissipating in a single day, at least the grade of the natal treasure could be preserved.

Fang Yi's gaze was deep and mysterious, as if he were looking through the magical barriers at the cultivators from various sects fighting against the demonic beasts in Sudu Mountain.

"Does Green Snake still remember our first collaboration, crafting the puppet armor?"

"How could I not remember?" Xu Qingshe asked, a look of recollection on his face.

"When the beast tide first began, my junior brother, who was only at the early stage of Qi Refining, was extremely uneasy."

Senior Brother Fang took the lead, and Junior Sister Yang refined first-tier talismans, relying on her master's influence.

Furthermore, Li Qingsong, a fellow Daoist working at the Treasure Pavilion, colluded with Dacheng.

Xu Qingshe's lips curled up, his expression relaxed, with a faint smile.

"Back then, my senior brother refined puppets, junior sister Yang made talismans, and with the addition of the wood-based spiritual liquid that I refined, we made a considerable profit."
"To be honest, senior brother, my alchemy skills improved by leaps and bounds afterward thanks to that sum of spirit stones."

Xu Qingshe snapped out of her daze and suddenly realized. "Senior brother means to repeat the same trick?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, he shook his head and denied it.

"Senior brother, the ancient city of Dadu was previously besieged by the Azure Wood Spirit Demon. The prices of pills, talismans, arrays, and weapons in the city that can enhance combat power have increased by more than 10%."

"Now that prices have fallen, even if we join forces and manage to refine a second-tier pill puppet, it will be difficult to sell it in the short term."

Xu Qingshe felt a bitter taste in his mouth. The Xuan Yan Ruler was his most useful magic weapon, and if he had any other magic weapon, why would he be willing to sell it?

"Junior Brother Xu, please rest assured. Since I dare to speak up, I am confident that I can sell the armor and pills," Fang Yi said with a light laugh.

Three days ago, the Chen family monk sent a letter inviting him to meet in Sudu Mountain.

The fact that these three Core Formation cultivators stirred up a storm and the beast tide receded does not mean it will not return.

In his previous life, as a demonic cultivator, he lived in a resource-scarce environment, where making the most of every resource and being meticulous in his calculations had become second nature.

The monsters attacking the city provided him with a raft to devise a plan to sell a combination of armor and elixirs.

Xu Qingshe hesitated, not because she didn't trust Fang Yi.

Rather, it was because of the previous battle that both the human and demon factions suffered losses, with more than fifty second-tier demon beasts and Foundation Establishment cultivators having perished.

According to the tacit understanding between the two sides, they will need to cultivate new blood for at least twenty years. There will be minor frictions, but there will never be large-scale battles.

Xu Qingshe paced back and forth, pondering what big bargaining chips he could offer.

Refining pills also requires capital. If the pills cannot be sold in a short time, the price he pays to repair the Heaven and Earth Furnace will be more than just the Xuan Flame Ruler.

After several changes in expression, Xu Qingshe finally chose to believe Fang Yi.

With over a century of planning, Fang Yi has never failed in either Black Abyss Island or the position of sect leader of Xuan Yang Mountain.

Although he didn't know where Fang Yi got his confidence from, he was still willing to take the gamble.

At worst, sell the best third-tier pills that are kept at the bottom of the box, lower the standard for repairing the natal treasure, and only retain two treasure restrictions.

"Senior Brother Fang, what should I do?!"

(End of this chapter)