Unlimited priesthood

Chapter 150 Magic Power
Within the Ten Thousand Mountains, Shen He sheathed his mount and entered Red Maple Valley discreetly.

Although Red Maple Valley could not compare to the Core Formation Sect in the past, it was still a force to be reckoned with, with several Foundation Establishment cultivators and its Red Maple Spirit Vein reaching the third level. It was also said to have some connection with the Xuanxiao Sect among the Core Formation Sects, and it was expected to become the sixth Core Formation Sect.

Unfortunately, everything is now a thing of the past.

Today, Red Maple Valley is dark and secluded, devoid of any spiritual energy. The former cultivation market and the surrounding spiritual streams and fields have all become ruins and wastelands, and the Red Maple Spiritual Vein has also vanished without a trace.

Shen He stood on a barren piece of land, gazing at the long-dried-up Red Maple Stream, and recalling his days in Lingnong. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh before turning to walk towards his own spiritual land.

Yang Yun is probably dead.

Although everyone has their own destiny, the vicissitudes of life and the changes in one's circumstances still make people sigh.

Arriving at the former spiritual field, now a desolate wasteland, Shen He, as a reclusive immortal, could clearly sense a powerful spiritual energy brewing deep within the earth.

That was a spirit-gathering and vein-nourishing formation he secretly set up when he left. Relying on the power of the formation and the effect of the Longevity Immortal Blessed Land, it quietly absorbed the spiritual energy of Red Maple Valley to strengthen itself and nourish the earth veins.

Now, nearly a hundred years later, the underground spirit-gathering and vein-nourishing formation is still in effect. It has become one with the earth veins, and with the power of the blessed land of longevity, it has raised the spirit veins to the fourth level, surpassing the Red Maple Spirit Vein of yesteryear.

"Could it be that the spiritual veins of Red Maple Valley were drained to death by my secluded cultivation place?"

Feeling the spiritual energy hidden beneath his feet, Shen He had this thought in his mind, along with a slight sense of guilt.

But he quickly overturned it, because his mastery of array formations was not high back then, and the spirit-gathering and vein-nourishing array he set up was only at the first level. Even with the effect of the Longevity Immortal Blessed Land, it was impossible to drain the Red Maple Spirit Vein in a short time.

In addition, the state of Red Maple Valley Market clearly shows that it has been ravaged by war.

"The spirit-gathering effect of secluded cultivation sites is subtle and gradual; it's impossible to plunder the spiritual energy of surrounding spiritual veins in large quantities. This has already been tested."

"There must have been a great battle among cultivators that destroyed the Red Maple Earth Vein. The spiritual energy from the Earth Vein dissipated and was absorbed by my upgraded Immortal Paradise."

"Only in this way can a new ley line be formed in a short period of time, and by relying on the spiritual gathering effect of the blessed land, it can be accumulated to reach the fourth level over time."

"All of this must have happened a very long time ago, perhaps even before the decisive battle between the four sects of righteousness and evil. In that case, it was a wise move for me to leave Red Maple Valley back then, otherwise I would have been implicated."

Shen He muttered to himself, having already figured out the whole story.

Although he gained a fourth-order spiritual vein during this return visit, Shen He did not develop it on the spot. Instead, he rode his escape light again and headed towards another cultivation market in his memory, "Poison Dragon Pool".

This Poison Dragon Pool is actually similar to Red Maple Valley, a spiritual place hidden deep in the mountains and forests. However, it is controlled by a Foundation Establishment force that is skilled in raising poisonous snakes, hence the name Poison Dragon Pool.

Shen He arrived on his escape light and saw that the dense forest was filled with miasma, and escape lights were constantly flying up and down. It was clear that the market was still in operation and had not become ruins like Red Maple Valley.

Shen He entered the field and the first thing he saw was the spirit field, but the rice planted there was not the usual white spirit rice, but a kind of ghostly rice that exuded a cold aura.

"Ghost Rice?"

"Spirit Rice, a specialty of the Netherworld Sect!"

"Could it be that the Poison Dragon Pool has been taken over by the Netherworld Yellow Springs Sect?"

Shen He looked around coldly and saw that there were also spirit farmers in the fields, but most of them were dressed in black and had sinister expressions. There was also flesh and blood fertilizing the fields and corpses buried deep inside.

"Demonic Spirit Plant Technique!"

Shen He remained silent, observing coldly. He simply changed his appearance and disguised himself as a heretical cultivator before stealthily making his way towards the Poison Dragon Pool market.

Upon entering the market, it was also dark and gloomy, with pedestrians hurrying to and fro, all dressed in eerie and sinister attire.

The surrounding shops also sell items related to evil magic and demonic arts, including various pills made from human flesh and blood, as well as various demonic artifacts, soul banners, and bone urns—it's a veritable den of demons.

Shen He wandered around for a while, and then came to a shop.

The shop was filled with shadowy figures, but there were few people inside, except for one voluptuous, thinly dressed, and beautiful woman.

"What would you like to order, sir?"

The woman stepped forward, observing Shen He with a smile.

Shen He was straightforward: "I want to find out some information."

"No problem, this way please!"

The woman was not surprised and led him upstairs to a private room: "What information would you like to inquire about, sir?"

Shen He uttered three words: "Red Maple Valley!"

"Red Maple Valley?"

The woman murmured something, then chuckled and said, "Ten spirit stones."

"..."

Shen He looked at her without saying a word, and simply took out ten spirit stones.

The woman accepted the offer with a smile, and then said, "Ninety-five years ago, due to a certain opportunity to form a core, several Foundation Establishment cultivators in Red Maple Valley fought a fierce battle, which broke the spiritual array of the Red Maple Valley's earth veins, causing the primordial spirit to leak out and turn into mortal land. The cultivators in the valley suffered heavy casualties and scattered like birds and beasts."

"Is this so?"

Shen He murmured something, then continued to ask, "What was the outcome and reasons for the victory and defeat of the great battle between the four sects of righteousness and evil, and the secret of the widely spread cultivation techniques of the Netherworld Yellow Springs Sect?"

"Um!?"

The woman's eyes narrowed, and then she quoted a price: "Three hundred spirit stones!" Shen He remained silent, only pushing out the spirit stones.

The woman accepted the spirit stones, her smile growing even brighter.

"A hundred years ago, an ancient cultivation cave appeared in Hidden Sword Mountain, which triggered a war between the four major sects of righteousness and evil and Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain."

"In the end, the righteous path suffered a crushing defeat. The Yunlong Sect was completely wiped out, from the Core Formation Ancestor to the Qi Refining Disciple. None of them escaped with their lives. The Xuanxiao Sect also retreated to its mountain gate after the fall of a Core Formation Ancestor, relying on the spiritual land formation to resist the Netherworld Yellow Spring Sect."

"The reason for the victory or defeat is that the Netherworld Ancestor, Netherworld Lord, successfully broke through and entered the Nascent Soul Realm. He then launched a surprise attack on the Cloud Dragon Sect's mountain gate overnight and destroyed the Cloud Dragon Sect at any cost."

The woman then spoke in more detail.

But Shen He frowned deeply: "The Cloud Dragon Sect has a long history and profound foundation. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator cannot be easily destroyed, right?"

"Not bad!"

The woman nodded: "But the Netherworld Sect has a longer history and a deeper foundation. The Netherworld Demon Lord even used some forbidden techniques to destroy the Cloud Dragon Sect at all costs."

"At any cost?"

Shen He's eyes narrowed: "How did it come to this?"

"Nobody knows!"

The woman shook her head: "But that's how the Netherworld Demon Lord acts. He even killed another Core Formation Ancestor in the Netherworld Sect for this purpose. Afterwards, he vigorously integrated the Netherworld and Yellow Spring Sects and spread various demonic techniques. These actions have led to many rumors in the streets."

Shen He then asked, "What rumor?"

"Some say that the Netherworld Demon Lord went astray during his cultivation and became half-mad, which is why he acted this way. Others say that the Netherworld Demon Lord glimpsed the opportunity to become a Nascent Soul cultivator and passed down his demonic arts to cultivate Gu worms in the inland cultivation world, and then devour the Gu worms he cultivated to advance to the Nascent Soul stage."

The woman spoke frankly: "But in any case, the cultivation world in the mainland is now dominated by the Netherworld Demon Lord and the evil cultivators of the demonic path. The Netherworld Demon Lord led his troops to besiege Xuanxiao Mountain, and the Xuanxiao Sect defended the mountain gate to the death. I heard that they have sent disciples to the overseas cultivation world to ask for help, and many righteous cultivators have also gone overseas."

Shen He's eyes narrowed: "Is the Netherworld Demon Lord still besieging Xuanxiao Mountain?"

"Not bad!"

The woman nodded: "There are also Core Formation cultivators from the Netherworld Yellow Springs Sect, who are all at the foot of Xuanxiao Mountain. So the cultivation world in the inland is still relatively free. Some people suspect that the Netherworld Demon Lord did this on purpose, allowing inland cultivators to relax and freely cultivate those demonic techniques."

"Is that so?"

Shen He murmured to himself, then changed the subject: "I'd like to acquire a few demonic arts techniques. Does your esteemed establishment have a supply?"

"Of course there is."

The woman smiled and said, "Nowadays, the Netherworld Yellow Springs Sect widely spreads its cultivation techniques. As long as you are willing, you can find them anywhere. My Listening Wind Pavilion has collected them into a book and is selling them at a low price, only making a small profit for our hard work. May I ask what kind of demonic technique you need, sir?"

Shen He smiled: "Is there a method that can quickly improve one's cultivation level, strength, and combat power? It would be best if it could ensure a solid foundation and pure magic power, without any impurities. I don't care about the cost; I would even sacrifice my life essence."

"Most demonic cultivation techniques can be mastered quickly, but require a solid foundation and pure magical power..."

The woman murmured and took out a jade slip: "This 'Great Method of Transformation and Freedom of All Paths' should meet your needs, sir."

"The Great Law of Transformation and Freedom: The Root of All Paths?"

Upon hearing this, Shen He also noticed something unusual: "What kind of technique is this?"

"This is an ancient demonic cultivation technique!"

The woman chuckled and said, "Sir, you should know that this Taiyuan Realm is an ancient cultivation world, and this inland area is the most virtuous place in ancient times. There are immortals and Buddhas in the world who have established sects, and there are also demons and gods who have descended to the mortal world and fought endlessly."

"Later, for some unknown reason, the primordial spirit of heaven and earth fell silent, and the rank of Taiyuan dropped. This was especially true in the inland areas. The immortals had no choice but to ascend to heaven, and their descendants moved their sects overseas, which led to the current state of the world."

"Although immortals, Buddhas, gods and demons ascended to heaven, they did not take their inheritance with them. Therefore, many sects in Taiyuan have ancient cultivation methods, which are left behind by immortals, Buddhas, gods and demons in the past. They are extraordinary and earth-shattering."

"This Great Law of Transformation and Freedom of All Paths was left behind by a demon god. It can elevate the cultivator's spiritual consciousness and divine sense, allowing them to enter the Heavenly Realm of Transformation and Freedom of All Paths, greatly enhancing their comprehension, and even enabling them to penetrate the very foundation of heaven and earth and the origin of the Great Dao."

"With this demonic skill, one's comprehension is enhanced, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. It offers the convenience of rapid mastery of demonic skills without the hidden dangers of mixed demonic techniques and a weak foundation, making it very popular among demonic cultivators."

The woman explained the origin of this skill in her words.

Shen He's eyes sharpened: "What are the drawbacks?"

Demonic arts, demonic arts, how can they be without drawbacks?

"Drawbacks are inevitable."

The woman chuckled and said, "This technique has two major drawbacks. First, it consumes a great deal of the three vital energies, because it requires transforming spiritual consciousness and divine thoughts into the Great Freedom Heaven Realm. This severely depletes the cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit, and may even damage the cultivator's life essence. It can also cause the cultivator to become addicted, with premature graying of hair being a common occurrence. Some even become so engrossed in the wondrous realm of the Great Freedom Heaven that they cannot extricate themselves, ultimately exhausting their life essence and dying from enlightenment."

"So powerful?"

Shen He frowned: "What about the second drawback?"

"The second drawback..."

The woman chuckled and said, "It is said that the creator of this technique was a great demon. He left a contingency plan in this technique. The more you cultivate this technique, the closer your mind and body will become to him, and eventually you will become his demonic manifestation and the resources for your Dao fruit!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Shen He again and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "If you ascend to the Upper Realm in the future and encounter this great demon, this cultivation technique may bring you terrifying danger!"

Shen He: “…”

(End of this chapter)