Fellow Daoist Entrusts His Child: Immortality Begins with Nurturing a Demoness

Chapter 81: Reflections, Harvest, and the Sublimation of the Soul Banner (3rd and 4th Updates, Please Subscribe~)

"What? The orthodox Xuanmen sect? Are you kidding me!"

The following day, inside a superior residence that Qinghe Sect was focusing its inspection on within the inner ring of Feiyunfang.

Yuan Qing and the other two had a thin layer of frost on their beards and their faces were bloodless. They were lying on the bed, taking pills and breathing exercises to resist the erosion of the frost essence. After receiving the message from their beloved disciple, they were stunned for a moment and almost jumped up.

What does it mean to be surrounded and killed by disciples of Xianshuiju on the way back, and then have more than ten demonic cultivators from Xinmo Temple take advantage of the situation?

"What do you mean that more than ten disciples of Xianshui Residence were all wiped out, and that they were saved by a high-ranking disciple of the Xuanmen sect who happened to pass by at the critical moment?"

Yuan Qing cursed angrily. The three pavilion masters looked at each other in bewilderment. He could understand every word of the message sent back by his beloved disciple, but when put together, he was completely confused.

The three kept asking questions until they finally understood the general outline of what had happened.

Yuan Chun and her two companions acted carelessly, revealing their wealth, which attracted the attention of the disciples of Xianshui Residence, resulting in the tragic death of their guardian deacon.

After succeeding in taking over Xianshuiju, they were double-crossed by Xinmo Temple, which had infiltrated the black market. Their final distress call coincidentally attracted a disciple of the Xuanmen orthodox sect who had connections with Jubaoge, and he easily defeated all the demonic cultivators, even though they were of different levels.

"How could such a prestigious lineage of the Xuanmen sect appear in this desolate place?"

The three of them, Yuan Qing and his companions, were incredulous. Instead of being overjoyed at their beloved disciple's rescue, they covered their faces and sighed deeply.

This orthodox Xuanmen sect member did indeed have connections with Jubaoge, but only with the Feiyunfang branch. On the contrary, they caused this person to become annoyed by their constant harassment, and Yuan Chun issued a harsh warning to them.

"Yuan Chun, do you know the identity of that official?"

"The person who challenged Mo Xue at the Treasure Pavilion that day and was defeated in one move!"

"It's him?"

Yuan Qing paced back and forth anxiously, completely forgetting the bone-chilling cold that gripped him.

"No wonder. No wonder this person dared to disregard Ming Ruoxue's warning and was the first to step onto the fighting stage to challenge her. It turns out he's one of Li Miaoyun's own people."

"No, what merit does Li Miaoyun possess to be able to climb up to the orthodox sect of Xuanmen? If she had such a prodigy protecting her, how could her Li family have suffered such a calamity?"

Yuan Qing muttered to himself, quickly concluding that Yuan Chun had been deceived. He replied coldly, "What school does that sir belong to? Why would a member of the orthodox Xuanmen appear in this desolate place?"

"The master comprehends the profound teachings of the Xuanzhang lineage, obeys his master's orders to descend the mountain for training, and investigates the chaos at the Heart Demon Temple and Willow Cave Temple."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qing hesitated for a moment. Given the chivalrous nature of the Xuanmen sect, it was indeed possible that they would use this as a training target.

"What school of teachers do you follow, sir?"

Yuan Qing frowned and asked again. After a long while, Yuan Chun replied with a short message, which made him even more convinced.

The adults say you're not worthy to know.

He's incredibly domineering, but he does indeed resemble a prodigy from the Taoist and Xuanmen sects.

The three pavilion masters were uneasy. If Li Miaoyun really had connections with the orthodox sects of Xuanmen, how could they possibly benefit?
"Are you sure that Your Excellency could have annihilated several demonic cultivators despite being of a higher level?"

"There were more than twenty of them, and after the demonic cultivators formed the array, they suffered a crushing defeat, their souls and spirits were destroyed."

The three pavilion masters grew increasingly uneasy, and Yuan Qing's face turned bitter. They kept praying that the other party was not a high-ranking disciple of the Xuanmen sect. Even if the chances were extremely small, they would remain restless as long as the possibility could not be completely ruled out.

Their anxiety finally died when Yuan Chun sent them a copy of a complex pattern.

The seal's patterns are mysterious and profound, containing the sun, moon, five elements, heaven and earth, and subtly conveying the awe-inspiring might of heaven and exquisite laws.

Even the three knowledgeable individuals had never heard of it before, and could only confirm that it belonged to the Xuanzhang inheritance imprint, but unfortunately they did not know which Xuanzhang it was.

"It's definitely Xuanzhang who can't remember, my goodness!"

Yuan Qing covered his face and sighed. The other two pavilion masters were not much better off, both with worried faces and completely flustered.

Just how fortunate is Li Miaoyun? She was exiled to this harsh and cold place and was protected by Ming Ruoxue. Just when her backing was unstable and her situation was precarious, a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect appeared, and their relationship seemed quite close.

Those who are direct disciples of the Taoist sect and orthodox disciples of the Xuanmen sect are all important figures they cannot afford to offend.

"The master said that he would personally come to visit Master when he returned to Feiyunfang."

"I"

Yuan Qing's lips trembled, and finally he let out a bitter sigh. The Foundation Establishment cultivator who used to control the fate of rogue cultivators felt a sense of powerlessness, as if he were not in control of his own destiny.

"Your Excellency, we await your arrival. We will personally apologize for any offenses we may have committed in the past."

Yuan Qing and the other two were on the verge of tears. They were caught in the middle, and they knew they were in for a rough time.

Without hesitation, they immediately used precious communication talismans to inform their respective branch pavilions to reopen trade routes with the Feiyunfang branch pavilion, abandon hostile policies, and not allow any further difficulties. At the same time, they immediately removed several deputy pavilion masters who were at odds with Li Miaoyun.

That direct disciple of the Daoist sect is far away in the remote Xun region, but this great master of the orthodox Xuanmen sect is right before my eyes.

They are all shrewd people, and naturally they know who they absolutely cannot afford to offend.

"My lord, my master has completely believed it."

"Not bad, you're quite clever."

On the other side, the first rays of dawn appeared.

In the old site of the Yimu Sect, in a dense forest rarely visited by humans, in a newly opened underground space, Luo Fanchen stood with his hands behind his back, while Yuan Chun knelt on the ground with Qingru, who had regained consciousness, their delicate bodies trembling with fear.

Her master expressed strong suspicion throughout, and she really wasn't confident she could fool him.

It wasn't until the adult showed the Sun, Moon, Heaven, Earth, and Five Elements Seal that the master's attitude changed significantly. His words became unusually respectful, clearly indicating that he completely trusted the adult's identity.

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember the intricate print, otherwise she might have been able to find some clues.

"Arrange the internal organs and demonic treasures according to the Qimen Bagua according to the array patterns I gave you. All these corpses must be refined into essence blood before tonight."

"As a servant, I would never dare to be negligent."

Yuan Chun and Qing Ru looked bitter. They were pampered and held a high position in the Jubaoge Pavilion.

Now that her life and death are in the hands of demonic cultivators, and she has become a servant to be ordered around, she feels a great sense of loss, and her little face is bitter and listless.

Without any hesitation, Luo Fanchen directed the two women to set up the Blood Sacrifice Ascension Array. He then returned to his newly opened cave dwelling to summarize his gains, condense his true essence to restore his mental state, and make final preparations for the Soul Banner Ascension that night.

This double-cross yielded a total of eight storage bags.

Inside were many magical materials, many of which were beneficial to the Soul Banner. There were also three bottles of Qi Condensation Pills, two bottles of Meridian Opening Pills, and several rare first-grade high-quality spiritual herbs, as well as more than thirty spirit stones scattered around.

This doesn't even include Yun Che and Chen Mian.

"Get rich, get rich."

Luo Fanchen's face lit up with joy. He roughly estimated that the storage bags of ordinary disciples alone would yield no less than fifty spirit stones.

As for Chenmian, her storage bag was filled with a large number of low-level pills and talismans, as well as many rare magical treasures, such as the Ziheche refined by a female cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining, and a Heavenly Demon Spirit Puppet with dual-attribute mid-grade spiritual roots.

It's worth mentioning that this fiend's storage bag also contained many treasures won by other cultivators at auction, clearly indicating that this wasn't his first time robbing a cultivator tonight. Unfortunately, the fiend's spirit stones were all used to buy pills at high prices, leaving no surplus.

"Selling these goods to the Treasure Pavilion, along with the magic treasures, should bring in a hundred spirit stones, right?"

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue in amazement. He had also managed to find two superior-grade cultivation techniques, but they were both demonic arts that required extremely cruel methods to extract organs from living cultivators for cultivation. Moreover, they were time-consuming and their effects overlapped with those of the Soul Banner.

"For the technique of the soul, all you need is a soul banner. I wonder if it can be sold to the Treasure Pavilion."

After Luo Fanchen finished sweeping, the most precious treasure he possessed was a Heavenly Demon Spirit Puppet.

This spirit puppet is of high quality, clearly having undergone a long period of meticulous refining, and is now suitable as an auxiliary ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills.

The price is equivalent to a second-grade low-level spiritual medicine, worth about fifty spirit stones. If it is a high-grade spiritual root, the price can be several times higher.

"I'm a millionaire now?"

Luo Fanchen was somewhat dazed. Once upon a time, he was considered very lucky to earn three spirit stones a year, and he had to carefully calculate every single spirit stone.

All told, he now controls no less than two hundred spirit stones.

Unfortunately, even with the annihilation of Immortal Water Residence and Heart Demon Temple, no matter how cautious one is, it will still attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. One must remain silent for a period of time to avoid the limelight. Even Li Miaoyun must proceed slowly, and it will take at least half a year to convert all the resources into spirit stones.

"Yun Che, you are my lucky star too."

Luo Fanchen sneered. Among the immortals in the center, Yun Che was the strongest and most cautious, but unfortunately, he also died the most tragically.

He was ranked among the top fifty on the Qingyun Ranking, but his limbs were severed, his internal organs were ripped out, and his life essence was drained. He was eaten alive until he died, and not even his soul was left behind. The status he had earned through more than ten years of hard work vanished in an instant, and he got off easy.

Thanks to Yun Che, he regained his confidence.

If his current combat strength were equal to Ming Ruoxue's, it would probably be at the same level.

If he can establish his foundation, even if he is a top genius of the Daoist sect, he can still retreat unscathed even if he loses.

"If the Daoist sects and Foundation Establishment cultivators don't intervene, I have no rivals in the Qi Refining stage!"

Luo Fanchen slowly clenched his fists, his eyes filled with excitement, and his ambition swelled rapidly.

He opened Yun Che's storage bag, which contained fifteen spirit stones and several bottles of high-grade spirit pills specially supplied by the inner sect of Xian Shui Ju. The effects should be similar to Qi Condensation Pills. The healing pills and Qi Condensation Pills were all empty.

It seems they were pushed to the brink by the Heart Demon Temple.
It's worth mentioning that there are two superior-grade magical techniques in the storage bag, but unfortunately they are both water-based and have obvious characteristics of the Immortal Water Abode. Only one of them seems to be a stolen superior-grade magical sword technique, which is still usable.

"Soul-summoning bell"

Finally, Luo Fanchen found a worn-out copper bell sealed by a restriction in a dark red brocade box deep inside the storage bag.

This bell alone consumed most of the wealth of the disciples of Xianshuiju.

“Slave Treasure? It doesn’t seem like it. It’s a pity that it’s damaged and has no inheritance method, so it can no longer recognize a master and control it. It can only be used for dismantling and forging weapons.”

Luo Fanchen murmured, somewhat puzzled as to why the Three Corpses Sect's demonic treasure would appear in this desolate place.

The Holy Church has a complex and intertwined network of branches. In addition to the main branch, there are also vassal branches that can use the Holy Church's inherited magical artifacts and are revered as orthodox. As for the Heart Demon Temple and Willow Cave Temple, they are independent vassals, servants among servants, and have no status whatsoever in the eyes of the Holy Church.

The Holy Church places great importance on the order of mortals, actively encourages production, and allocates 20% of its resources to mortals to ensure their peaceful and prosperous lives.

The mortals within the Holy Sect's territory enjoy the highest standard of living in the entire wilderness, and their numbers are almost ten times that of the Taoist and Xuanmen sects.

Furthermore, under the rule of the Holy Church, cultivators are not allowed to slaughter mortals at will, and every once in a while, they are bestowed with great treasures to promote reproduction.

The number of people who awaken their spiritual roots each year far exceeds that of the Taoist sect, making the competition exceptionally fierce, and there is no shortage of magical treasures and consumables.

The Holy Church prioritizes power above all else; even with a master-servant relationship, the suppression only applies to magical artifacts.

If any slave lineage member is truly willing to destroy their own demonic treasure and defeat the main lineage member of the same rank, the old demons will not only not protect them or seek revenge, but will instead reward them handsomely, take them into their ranks, and personally teach them.

Of course, this unspoken rule only applies to those of the same rank; if someone bullies someone of a higher rank, they will be exterminated along with their entire family.

"It's not evil enough, and it's not righteous enough."

Luo Fanchen felt a pang of regret; having a spiritual root within the Holy Sect's territory was not necessarily a good thing.

The Taoist sect and the Xuanzong sect treat each other equally. Although they generally value cultivators more than ordinary people, they both have bottom lines and do not do anything that would harm the common people.

As for the Holy Sect, while it is extremely cruel to cultivators, it seems to be exceptionally tolerant of mortals. In reality, it uses every means possible to cultivate, treating both mortals and cultivators as its livestock, only being more lenient towards mortals.

"Without a method of inheritance, this soul-summoning bell is no different from scrap metal to me."

Luo Fanchen felt a pang of regret. Having witnessed the convenience of the Soul Banner, he had high expectations for this Soul-Summoning Bell.

However, after careful observation, it was found that this low-grade magic treasure was so badly damaged that it could only be repaired with a method passed down through generations.

"I don't need it, and selling it would attract attention, so I can only leave it to rot in my hands for now."

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue. This thing was worth a full 150 spirit stones. Yun Che was really wasting it.

Since he had stolen them anyway, he only felt a little heartache for a moment, and his attention was more focused on the Heart Demon Temple and Liudongyuan.

The Soul-Summoning Bell itself represents the Three Corpse Cult. Its appearance on the black market is clearly related to the conflict between the Heart Demon Temple and the Willow Cave Temple. Furthermore, the location where Luo Qianqiu marked the Soul-Summoning Bell when he first saw it seems to resonate with the bell.

Although it cannot be reproduced now, Luo Qianqiu's shadow is definitely behind it.

"Damn it. Crazy woman."

Luo Fanchen's expression was solemn. If he were to name the person he feared most, it would undoubtedly be Luo Qianqiu.

This person is a born demonic cultivator, everything he does is for the Great Dao, and he is probably the person with the most steadfast Dao heart he has ever seen.

If she were to make a move, the Heart Demon Temple and Willow Cave Courtyard would be turned upside down. He even had a premonition that even if the Three Corpses Sect intervened, they would be unable to do anything to Luo Qianqiu. This rebellious demoness would definitely achieve all her goals.

"I have to avoid her; I absolutely cannot leave the Qingyuan Domain before I reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

Luo Fanchen was wary, but not overly so. Even Luo Qianqiu, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, looked down on him, a mere Qi Refining cultivator. This witch's primary goal must be to shatter her Core and become an Infant.

He wasn't even worthy of the other party's attention.

Luo Fanchen then tallied up all his gains. He planned to keep most of the magical treasures for future upgrades of his Soul Banner, as well as cultivation pills and sword techniques. The remaining resources would be converted into spirit stones, roughly between 190 and 210.

He was already extremely satisfied with this. If he had followed the proper procedure of drawing talismans, even high-grade ones, it would have taken him five years of hard work to accumulate such a huge sum of money.

"The heads of these demonic cultivators can be kept and Miaoyun can take them to the Luoshen Pavilion to claim a reward; she can get quite a bit of immortal fortune."

After a moment's consideration, Luo Fanchen gave the three little ones new orders and then closed his eyes to practice breathing exercises.

After midnight, the night was deep, and the moon and stars were few.

Luo Fanchen meditated for half a day, then slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his cultivation returning to its peak.

He gripped the soul banner tightly and slowly walked to the center of the blood sacrifice array. He inserted the soul pole deep into the central array eye and softly called out, "Are you ready, Qiuyun?"

(End of this chapter)