Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: A Robber Cultivator's Redemption, a Blessing in Disguise
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In the palace gardens of the Talisman Master's Alliance, within the cluster of pavilions and towers of the Left Courtyard, stood a three-story Immortal Welcoming Pavilion. It was nestled in a bamboo forest encircled by waterways, with small bridges over flowing streams, the songs of orioles, and the chatter of swallows creating an elegant environment.
On the third floor of the pavilion, a beautiful lady served spirit tea and then began to play a heart-clearing melody. The music dispelled vexation and restlessness, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to those who listened, allowing their minds to empty.
This beautiful lady was a zither artist, one of the Hundred Arts. Her music could soothe the heart's demons and calm the distracting thoughts born of the seven emotions and six desires.
Cen Lincuan personally poured a cup of spirit tea for Chen Jianghe, his demeanor gentle and refined, a faint smile ever-present on his face.
"Fellow Daoist, your skill in the art of talismans has progressed at a remarkable pace. Seeing you bid for the Shangqing Jade at the auction, I assume you are preparing to craft second-tier high-grade talismans."
Cen Lincuan let out a soft laugh.
When he saw Chen Jianghe bidding for the Shangqing Jade at the auction, he had refrained from raising the price further. Otherwise, the jade would have most likely ended up in his hands.
"I must thank Fellow Daoist Cen for yielding. Otherwise, I would have had no chance of obtaining this Shangqing Jade."
Chen Jianghe did not directly answer Cen Lincuan's question about his talisman skills, but by saying so, he had effectively confirmed that he could now craft second-tier high-grade talismans.
This time, he had come to the Talisman Master's Alliance to be certified as a Talisman Master, not a Talisman Grandmaster.
Limited by his cultivation level, crafting a single second-tier high-grade talisman would take him far too long.
He didn't have the leisure to linger at the Talisman Master's Alliance.
At the same time, he had no intention of doing the Alliance any favors.
Although the materials for crafting the second-tier high-grade talisman would be provided by the Talisman Master's Alliance, the finished product would belong to them.
Of course, they would offer some spirit stones as compensation.
But spirit stones couldn't buy a second-tier high-grade talisman!
Generally, even talisman masters within the Alliance who could craft second-tier high-grade talismans would not seek certification for it.
No one was a fool.
Who would be willing to craft a second-tier high-grade talisman, a potential trump card, for the Talisman Master's Alliance?
Chen Jianghe was not surprised by the level of hospitality Cen Lincuan showed him this time. The man had always wanted to ask for his help in requesting Luo Xiyue to refine a spirit-nurturing artifact.
Furthermore, Gao Peiyao's arrival in Thousand Mountains Market City had expanded his network of connections.
Jiang Ruxu had also become an Alchemy Grandmaster and made no secret of her relationship with him.
This had undoubtedly elevated Chen Jianghe's status significantly.
He could no longer be regarded as an ordinary rogue cultivator. In some respects, the influence Chen Jianghe wielded even surpassed that of the direct descendants of top-tier immortal clans.
Alchemy Grandmasters were rare, and Artifact Refining Grandmasters were even rarer, especially those who had successfully refined spirit-nurturing artifacts multiple times.
And yet, such connections, which even the scions of top-tier immortal clans would envy...
Chen Jianghe not only possessed them, but his relationships were also exceptionally close.
"The Talisman Master's Alliance currently has a surplus of spirit hides suitable for crafting second-tier mid-grade talismans. I wonder if Fellow Daoist is still interested in a trade?"
Cen Lincuan took a sip of his spirit tea and spoke with a smile.
"Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Cen, but I do not need to trade for any second-tier mid-grade spirit hides at the moment."
Chen Jianghe shook his head.
He still had the complete hide of a second-tier perfect-stage demonic beast he had just obtained from Ruan Tieniu.
Moreover, he possessed a second-tier high-grade spirit wood plant, so he was not lacking in second-tier mid-grade spirit hides to begin with.
Naturally, he would not be swayed by Cen Lincuan's small favors.
In the past, when he needed them, the Talisman Master's Alliance had acted high and mighty, refusing to trade with him. Now that they wanted to trade and bestow a favor, it was nothing but wishful thinking.
"Fellow Daoist is a good friend of Fairy Peiyao, so you will likely have a chance to enter the secret realm. I wonder, do you have any need for second-tier high-grade spirit hides?"
Cen Lincuan wasn't angered and asked again in a gentle voice.
At this moment, he felt a twinge of regret. If only he had traded the second-tier mid-grade spirit hides with Chen Jianghe directly back then.
Their relationship might have grown closer.
But at the time, he was unaware of Chen Jianghe's connections. Although he valued rogue talisman masters, he still looked down on them to some extent.
He had assumed that Chen Jianghe would eventually have to come begging to the Talisman Master's Alliance.
He never imagined the tables would turn so completely.
It was not Chen Jianghe begging the Talisman Master's Alliance for a trade, but he, a direct descendant of the Cen Clan, who was asking a favor of Chen Jianghe.
"Although I can craft second-tier high-grade talismans, my cultivation is limited, making it difficult to produce them quickly. That piece of Shangqing Jade is already sufficient."
Chen Jianghe politely declined.
However, he didn't want to offend the Cen Clan, so he left Cen Lincuan a sliver of hope.
"If Fellow Daoist Cen has a surplus of second-tier high-grade talismans, we could certainly trade. It would be even better if you were willing to trade the legacy for second-tier high-grade talismans."
"Second-tier high-grade talismans? The legacy for second-tier high-grade talismans?"
Cen Lincuan frowned slightly, lost in thought.
He did possess second-tier high-grade talismans, but they were his trump cards for entering the secret realm.
As for the legacy for second-tier high-grade talismans, that was a cornerstone of the Cen Clan. How could he possibly trade it away?
"I can sell you one second-tier high-grade offensive talisman," Cen Lincuan replied to Chen Jianghe after a moment of thought.
"..."
Chen Jianghe remained silent.
This Cen Lincuan seemed to value rogue cultivators, but deep down, he still looked down on them.
Even after Chen Jianghe had stated his terms so clearly, he was only willing to offer a single second-tier high-grade offensive talisman. He truly saw Chen Jianghe as a bottom-tier rogue cultivator.
He assumed Chen Jianghe didn't even possess the legacy for second-tier high-grade offensive talismans.
On the surface, they seemed to be discussing a talisman trade.
In reality, they were negotiating Cen Lincuan's request for Luo Xiyue to refine a spirit-nurturing defensive artifact.
Unfortunately, the benefits Cen Lincuan offered didn't even amount to a fifth of what Ruan Tieniu had given. This put him in a difficult position.
A second-tier high-grade offensive talisman?
And just one.
This wasn't a trade; it was charity.
However, Chen Jianghe wasn't angry. This was a common ailment among the direct descendants of immortal clans; they assumed rogue cultivators had nothing.
They believed that trading with a rogue cultivator was bestowing a great opportunity.
Among the scions of immortal clans, Cen Lincuan was actually one of the better ones.
"I can offer two medium-grade Origin Spirit Pills, one second-tier high-grade talisman, and three second-tier high-grade spirit hides."
Cen Lincuan cupped his hands in a plea, speaking with great solemnity, "I implore Fellow Daoist to help me ask Fairy Luo."
"There is no need for this, Fellow Daoist Cen. Please keep these treasures. I will mention it to Fairy Luo, but whether it comes to fruition will depend on her decision."
Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
He wouldn't accept any of Cen Lincuan's offerings.
Accepting them meant he would be obligated to perform the task.
Doing a hundred spirit stones' worth of work for one spirit stone's worth of benefit? Was this a joke?
After speaking, Chen Jianghe drank the spirit tea in his cup and placed it down upside down. The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Cen Lincuan felt helpless but couldn't force Chen Jianghe to do his bidding. After all, the man wasn't a resident talisman master of the Alliance.
A hundred breaths later, Master Fu walked up to the third floor of the Immortal Welcoming Pavilion, holding a certificate.
It was Chen Jianghe's Talisman Master certification. With this document, he would be treated as an honored guest throughout the Four Great Immortal Nations.
He would also be qualified to exchange for second-tier mid-grade spirit hides at the Talisman Master's Alliance.
But he would have to wait in line for the resources to become available.
Having received the certificate, Chen Jianghe bid farewell to Cen Lincuan and left the Talisman Master's Alliance.
As he was leaving, he nodded to Master Fu as a form of greeting.
With Cen Lincuan's guarantee, he had obtained the Talisman Master certificate without needing to demonstrate his skills.
As for the Talisman Grandmaster certificate...
That would still require him to craft a second-tier high-grade talisman for the Talisman Master's Alliance.
In other words, it would be for the Cen Clan.
"Was my sincerity not enough?"
"Two medium-grade Origin Spirit Pills, one second-tier high-grade talisman, and three second-tier high-grade spirit hides... were they not the slightest bit tempting to him?"
"Even a direct descendant of a fellow Core Formation immortal clan would be moved by such treasures!"
Cen Lincuan stood by the balcony railing, watching Chen Jianghe's departing figure, unable to comprehend.
"This Chen Jianghe is a bit too greedy."
"So be it. For the matter of the spirit-nurturing defensive artifact, I'll have to find a way through the Chen Clan of Artifact Refiners."
Chen Jianghe was unaware of Cen Lincuan's thoughts.
After leaving the market city, he returned to his Spirit Spring Abode.
He noticed the faint glow emanating from the message box.
A letter had arrived.
With a sweep of his divine sense, he retrieved one of the letters from within.
It was from Yu Daniu.
"Qingyou Market City?"
After reading Yu Daniu's letter, Chen Jianghe's face showed surprise. He hadn't expected Qingyou Valley to act so quickly.
Last time, Chen Ping had told him that Qingyou Valley had submitted an application to the Tiannan Sect to take over the territory of Qinghe Market City.
How much time had passed since then? And now the result was out.
The two Qinghe clans had left Qinghe Market City, swapping territories with Revered Qingyou. They had relocated to Qingyou Valley.
They renamed Qingyou Valley to Qinghe.
Meanwhile, Qinghe Market City was renamed Qingyou Market City. Under the management of the Core Formation expert, Revered Qingyou...
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion and shops from the four top-tier immortal clans all established a presence in Qingyou Market City, which was now under strict management.
They placed a strong emphasis on security.
This attracted many rogue cultivators to take up long-term residence in Qingyou Market City.
Most importantly, Qingyou Market City offered great support to rogue cultivators. For the next twenty years, rent for Qi Refining cultivators was halved.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, rent was completely waived.
Furthermore, when a Qi Refining cultivator was attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, the market city would provide a breakthrough location free of charge.
Additionally, twenty new supported guide positions and one hundred fifty new demonic beast workshop positions were created.
It could be said that after these new policies and benefits were announced in Qingyou Market City, many of the cultivators who had previously fled Qinghe Market City returned.
It even attracted more small-scale cultivator families to settle there.
This led cultivators in Qingyou Market City, as well as those from the surrounding Foundation Establishment immortal clans and market cities, to sing praises for Qingyou Market City.
They lauded Revered Qingyou's benevolence and compassion for the lower-level rogue cultivators.
"He's cleaned up his act just like that?"
Chen Jianghe thought about the origins of Qingyou Valley and Revered Qingyou's background and found it incredible.
Revered Qingyou had started as a robber cultivator and cultivated all the way to the Core Formation realm.
Qingyou Valley was one of the three major black markets south of the Tongtian River.
Now, with a sudden transformation, the black market had become a proper market city. It probably wouldn't be long before Qingyou Market City ranked among the top ten market cities in the Tiannan Domain.
And Revered Qingyou, the robber cultivator ancestor, had become a great, compassionate, and virtuous senior.
"The two Qinghe clans actually wiped out the Xu Clan of Dudong and occupied their territory, and the Puppet Immortal Lu Clan said nothing?"
"Are they tacitly acknowledging the two Qinghe clans as a Foundation Establishment immortal clan force in the Eastern Region?"
"Or did the two Qinghe clans offer the Lu Clan an unimaginable benefit?"
From Yu Daniu's letter, Chen Jianghe could tell that the two Qinghe clans were preparing to establish a foothold in the Eastern Region.
Wiping out the Xu Clan of Dudong was a clear indication.
Their next step would likely be to move against the Shi Clan of Heling.
They might even target Qiyun Mountain and Mirror Moon Lake.
Although the two Qinghe clans no longer had a third-tier spirit beast, they still had late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in their clan.
If they were to make a move on Qiyun Mountain and Mirror Moon Lake...
Then the Yun and Yu clans would be utterly incapable of resisting.
"All the clans in the Eastern Region know that the Yu Clan has an excellent relationship with me and Gao Peiyao. Even if the two Qinghe clans don't fear me, they should be wary of Gao Peiyao. I doubt they would dare to move against the Yun and Yu clans."
Chen Jianghe didn't believe the two Qinghe clans would dare to touch the Yun and Yu clans.
Especially the Yu Clan of Qiyun Mountain. With him and Gao Peiyao as their backing, as long as Yu Daniu was alive...
Who would dare to casually attack the Yu Clan?
Even the Lu Clan wouldn't dare to openly move against the Yu Clan.
After all, there was no benefit, and they would offend Gao Peiyao in the process.
Although Chen Jianghe thought this way, he still wrote a reply to Yu Daniu, advising the Yun and Yu clans to develop cautiously and manage their affairs steadily.
They should not be too high-profile while the situation in the Eastern Region was unstable.
If they detected any signs of the two Qinghe clans coveting Qiyun Mountain, they should immediately surrender it.
Preserving their lives was the top priority.
He then told him that if he couldn't resolve the issue, there was still Gao Peiyao.
After writing the reply to Yu Daniu, Chen Jianghe left voice messages for Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan, then began crafting Azurewood Immortal Shield Talismans.
Five hours later, there was no response from Jiang Ruxu or Zhuang Xinyan.
Even Luo Xiyue had not replied to him.
Chen Jianghe then began to cultivate the forbidden art, Absolute Ice Seal. He had already obtained the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice and various supplementary materials.
He could now begin cultivating this forbidden art.
He would temporarily pause his cultivation of the Myriad Waters True Scripture and use those three hours to practice Absolute Ice Seal instead.
The time spent cultivating the Soul Sea Firming Scripture would remain unchanged.
After all, he had not yet reached the fifth layer, and the Firming Soul Clay and Spirit Nurturing Grass were still very effective for him.
He would consider cultivating a body tempering art after he reached the fifth layer and the two spirit items became less effective.
Chen Jianghe first took out the Profound Ice Grass, wrapped it in his spiritual power, crushed it into a liquid, and swallowed it. He instantly felt as if his meridians were being frozen solid.
Only as he circulated his spiritual power through his body did this frozen sensation gradually disappear.
The purpose of the Profound Ice Grass was to acclimate his meridians and Dantian to the power of icy cold. If he were to directly refine the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice and integrate it into his Dantian...
It would freeze him solid instantly, cutting off all signs of life.
Forget cultivating Absolute Ice Seal; he would likely die before he even got started.
An hour later, his meridians and Dantian had gradually adapted to the icy power. Only then did he take out the Hundred-Year Ice Core, absorbing the ice-attribute spiritual energy within it to form the "Miles-Freezing Seal" in his Dantian.
"Even the spiritual power in my Dantian is about to freeze. This forbidden art is too difficult to cultivate. One misstep, and I could injure myself first."
Chen Jianghe carefully formed the seal in his Dantian.
But as he formed the seal, the fifty drops of spiritual power in his Dantian actually showed signs of freezing.
A layer of frost even condensed on the surface of his body.
A large amount of cold energy escaped, forming a giant cocoon of frost that enveloped Chen Jianghe.
"What is this two-legged beast up to?"
Xiao Hei, who was in the stream teaching Maoqiu and Latiao how to farm aquatic creatures, was suddenly startled, and the bass in his claw fell.
"Maoqiu, you study on your own for now."
Xiao Hei sensed that Chen Jianghe's aura was somewhat unstable, and the imprint of Chen Jianghe on his soul platform was flickering between bright and dark.
It was as if Chen Jianghe could pass away at any moment.
This made him anxious.
He snatched up Latiao and rushed back to the Spirit Spring Abode. He saw a thirty-foot-tall block of ice by the spirit spring. It was crystal clear, and Chen Jianghe was sitting steadily within it.
The frost on his eyelashes was clearly visible.
At this moment, even the spirit spring had frozen over with a layer of ice.
"Fooling around! If you want to get yourself killed, don't drag this lord turtle down with you!"
Xiao Hei tossed Latiao over and said, "This cold ice energy will be helpful for your cultivation. Hurry up and devour it."
"Lord Turtle, this is all cold energy, there's no spiritual energy. Can I absorb it?" Latiao asked timidly.
"Enough nonsense. I told you to absorb it, so absorb it."
Xiao Hei slapped Latiao's triangular head.
Latiao didn't dare to overthink it. He opened his large mouth and bit down on the giant ice cocoon. His teeth pierced the profound ice, and he began to absorb the cold energy within.
But not a single trace of spiritual energy entered his body.
And at that very moment, Chen Jianghe felt the pain in his physical body begin to subside.
Just moments ago, he had refined the Hundred-Year Ice Core, formed the "Miles-Freezing Seal," and taken out the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice to condense an ice source in his Dantian.
But he had greatly underestimated the terror of the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice.
Although Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice was abundant and not particularly rare, it was still a second-tier top-grade spirit item. The amount of cold ice energy it contained far exceeded his imagination.
And the ice-attribute spiritual energy it contained was even more frightening.
It had frozen Chen Jianghe's physical body.
He could only endure the pain in his body and painstakingly absorb the ice-attribute spiritual energy to condense the ice source.
Although his life was not in danger, his body would suffer frostbite, which would require spirit pills or natural treasures to heal.
"The cold ice energy freezing my body is decreasing? What's going on? Could it be that as I condense the ice source, my body's resistance to ice-attribute spells is also increasing?"
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
However, he didn't dwell on it and focused on absorbing the cold ice spiritual energy from the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice as quickly as possible to condense the ice source.
Seven days later, a fingernail-sized ice core appeared in Chen Jianghe's Dantian, engraved with the "Miles-Freezing Seal."
This was the ice source required to cast Absolute Ice Seal.
As Chen Jianghe continued to cultivate, it would gradually solidify, increasing the power and range of Absolute Ice Seal.
Theoretically, once the "Miles-Freezing Seal" was cast, it could freeze a territory of ten thousand miles, extinguishing all life within.
Of course, the cultivation realm required for that was something Chen Jianghe could hardly imagine at present.
Another three days passed.
Chen Jianghe solidified the ice core, causing the "Miles-Freezing Seal" to merge with it, becoming one and the same.
He had reached the introductory level of Absolute Ice Seal.
He slowly opened his eyes, and what greeted him was Xiao Hei's anxious face.
Xiao Hei was lying on the ground, his massive turtle head stretched out close to Chen Jianghe, performing the Turtle Respiration Nurturing Art for him.
"Two-legged beast, what were you doing?!"
Seeing Chen Jianghe awaken, the worry in Xiao Hei's eyes faded, replaced by complaint as he loudly questioned him.
"Heh heh~ Just cultivating a technique, don't make a fuss."
Chen Jianghe wasn't angry at Xiao Hei's sharp questioning; in fact, he was deeply moved.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the worry and fear in Xiao Hei's eyes, as if he was afraid something had happened to him.
"You scared me to death! Can you give me a heads-up next time?"
"Alright, alright, I will."
Chen Jianghe replied with a cheerful smile.
He then noticed a twenty-foot-tall block of ice by the spirit spring, and even the spring itself was covered in a thick layer of ice.
Within the ice block, Latiao's writhing body could be seen, devouring and refining the cold ice energy.
As it devoured and refined the cold ice energy, scales that resembled ice crystals began to grow on its body.
"Xiao Hei, did you have Latiao devour the cold ice energy?"
Only then did Chen Jianghe understand why the pain in his body had lessened while he was cultivating Absolute Ice Seal.
By the second day, the biting cold was completely gone.
He had originally been prepared to suffer from frostbite, but he had unexpectedly cultivated Absolute Ice Seal successfully and without any harm.
"Mm."
Xiao Hei just gave a faint reply, then looked with interest at Latiao inside the ice cocoon.
"This little worm can actually evolve by absorbing cold ice energy. Heh~, it's his lucky day."
Xiao Hei chuckled.
He had originally intended for Latiao to absorb the cold ice energy trapping Chen Jianghe. As for whether it could absorb it, he didn't care.
As long as Chen Jianghe was fine, that was all that mattered.
As for Latiao?
Xiao Hei didn't care.
If not for the fear of hurting Chen Jianghe, he would have shattered the profound ice with a single swipe of his claw the moment he saw Chen Jianghe frozen.
The speaker was careless, but the listener paid attention.
Chen Jianghe looked at Xiao Hei, his heart filled with gratitude.
Xiao Hei was highly intelligent. Not only could he help share the burden and protect him, but he could also think independently and make the most advantageous decisions when he was in danger.
"Where did you get such intense profound ice energy? It's a great help to Latiao; it can help it directly transform."
"I remember you have ice-attribute spirit cores. Take one out and put it in the spirit spring. It will allow Latiao to seize this opportunity and cultivate all the way to the late stage of the first tier."
Xiao Hei said to Chen Jianghe.
"Uh~ okay."
Chen Jianghe didn't hesitate. He immediately took out a second-tier ice-attribute spirit core and tossed it into the spirit spring.
Immediately, he saw Latiao swim within the ice, moving the twenty-foot-tall ice cocoon into the spirit spring.
While devouring the cold ice energy, it was also absorbing the ice-attribute spiritual energy.
Only then did Chen Jianghe recall that in the Arctic Snow Forest, the habitat of the Icy-Triangle Python was the Ancient Ice Grotto.
That place was filled with Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice.
It could help the young Icy-Triangle Pythons quickly evolve their scales.
If there was sufficient ice-attribute spiritual energy, they could also use the opportunity of evolution to rapidly advance their cultivation.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice contained ice-attribute spiritual energy, but it had all been absorbed by Chen Jianghe and refined into his ice source.
Without the second-tier ice-attribute spirit core, Latiao's body would have evolved, but its cultivation level would have struggled to improve.
Now, Latiao could seize this opportunity to break through to the late stage of the first tier in one go, undoubtedly accelerating its progress toward becoming a second-tier spirit beast.
"I've successfully cultivated Absolute Ice Seal, and Latiao has evolved and made great strides in its cultivation. This is killing two birds with one stone."
Chen Jianghe was delighted.
However, this was all thanks to Xiao Hei.
Just then, Chen Jianghe felt the formation jade pendant vibrate. He pointed a finger at the voice-recording bamboo, and Luo Xiyue's clear, cold, and pleasant voice sounded out.
"It's been half a year. I finally got a reply."