Chapter 270
Chapter 270
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 270
Chapter Title: Mutated Divine Ability, Reunited with Tieniu
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Watching Latiao comprehend its newly awakened divine ability.
Chen Jianghe's face lit up with joy. Spirit beasts usually only awakened divine abilities when breaking through a major realm.
Latiao was a tier-two spirit beast, so it should only have been able to awaken two divine abilities.
Just like Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
It was just that Xiao Hei cultivated the Six Revolutions Great Demon Art, giving it more demonic secret arts, but those were not divine abilities.
Upon hearing that Latiao had awakened a third divine ability, Xiao Hei's eyes filled with envy.
The divine abilities awakened by spirit beasts were very powerful.
It was like a cultivator successfully reaching Foundation Establishment and comprehending an ultimate spell from their cultivation art—both possessed immense power.
In fact, a spirit beast's divine ability was even a notch stronger than an ultimate spell.
When Xiao Hei was tier-one, it awakened the Petrification divine ability, which could double its defense.
At tier-two, Xiao Hei awakened the Mystic Earth Rock-Splitting Escape. This escape-type divine ability was even more powerful than the ultimate escape arts comprehended by cultivators.
This was because Xiao Hei could use the Mystic Earth Rock-Splitting Escape without any limit on the number of uses; as long as it had spiritual power, it could cast it continuously.
That was what made it so formidable.
"Two-Legs, why can't I awaken a mutated divine ability? I'm a water-attribute spirit turtle, but I awakened an earth-attribute divine ability. Logically, isn't that a mutation too?"
Xiao Hei was on the verge of a breakdown.
The divine abilities it had awakened were all earth-attribute, which qualified it as a mutated spirit beast. So why couldn't it awaken a third divine ability?
"How many attributes does your spirit core have?"
Chen Jianghe asked via voice transmission.
"One."
"Well, there you have it."
"But I awakened an earth-attribute divine ability."
"Who knows how you managed to awaken that?"
"I wanted you to comfort me, not make me angry!"
Xiao Hei glared, sending an indignant voice transmission to Chen Jianghe.
"..."
Chen Jianghe shrugged.
Just then.
Latiao opened its eyes, a look of disappointment on its face. It looked at Chen Jianghe and Xiao Hei and transmitted dejectedly, "Master, Lord Turtle, this divine ability I've awakened doesn't seem very useful."
"Nonsense. As long as it's a divine ability, it has great use. What did you awaken? Tell me and Master," Xiao Hei chided.
Latiao didn't dare to delay and explained the third divine ability it had awakened after its mutation to Chen Jianghe and Xiao Hei.
Water Dragon's Bind, a water-attribute divine ability. When cast, spiritual power would transform into dozens of transparent ice threads that would entwine a target like living creatures.
These ice threads appeared soft but were extremely resilient. Once entangled, the more the target struggled, the tighter they would constrict, making it difficult for the target to mobilize their spiritual power to break free.
Because the ice threads would also devour the target's spiritual power. Without struggling, one could last for a while.
But once the struggle began, spiritual power would be consumed with incredible speed, leading to complete depletion in a matter of moments.
"This is a great divine ability!"
After understanding the power of Latiao's divine ability, Chen Jianghe revealed a satisfied smile. This was a restraining ability.
What a wonderful ability!
After Latiao uses Water Dragon's Bind, Chen Jianghe could follow up with Absolute Ice Seal, and then Latiao could use Ice Dragon's Roar.
A guaranteed kill!
As long as Chen Jianghe cultivated to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
And Latiao also cultivated to the late tier-two stage, with their combined power, any cultivator below the peak Foundation Establishment stage would be easy prey, no matter how many came.
What perfect synergy!
How could it be useless?
"It is indeed good," Xiao Hei agreed.
The next moment, Xiao Hei appeared beside Latiao and smacked it on the head with a paw, sending it face-first into the dirt.
"That's for showing off to Lord Turtle."
Xiao Hei grumbled as it returned to the lotus pond to continue cultivating.
Chen Jianghe smiled.
"Latiao, cultivate well. You must raise your cultivation to the late tier-two stage as quickly as possible. Only then will you not disappoint my efforts in raising you."
"Yes, yes, I will definitely cultivate hard and strive to help Master as soon as possible, just like Lord Turtle and Brother Qiu."
Latiao's transmitted voice was firm.
Chen Jianghe walked over to Latiao and patted its gradually bulging python head with satisfaction.
He dispersed the water screen.
And saw Maoqiu in the pavilion, drawing spiritual talismans.
Maoqiu sensed the enhancement of Latiao's bloodline. It was momentarily stunned, then showed a happy expression and began to congratulate Latiao.
It had nothing to be jealous of.
In the past, it merely had a third-grade, low-tier bloodline. Thanks to the favor of its Master and Lord Turtle, it had become a fourth-grade, low-tier bloodline.
Now, Latiao had also received such a favor, which was only right.
Besides, Latiao's bloodline purity had always been much higher than its own.
Now they were both fourth-grade bloodlines, one high-tier and one low-tier. The gap had already closed significantly.
What was there to be dissatisfied about?
Maoqiu remembered Xiao Hei's words well.
If Master gives you something, it is his grace.
If Master doesn't give you anything, you cannot ask for it, much less harbor any dissatisfaction.
Chen Jianghe guided Maoqiu's talisman drawing under the pavilion for a while, then returned to his cultivation chamber.
He circulated the Myriad Waters True Scripture to refine his spiritual power.
He didn't lack resources like Origin Spirit Pills now. Before entering the unknown mystic realm, he was certain he could cultivate to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
But as the resources in his hands increased.
Chen Jianghe was no longer satisfied with just reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage.
According to his original plan, it would be enough to reach the seventh level of Foundation Establishment before entering the unknown mystic realm.
But now, he thought differently.
With all resources being abundant, he wanted to cultivate to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.
At the very least, he had to reach the eighth level.
"The strength of Absolute Ice Seal is related to the depth of my spiritual power. If I cultivate to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, Absolute Ice Seal could be comparable to an offensive Talisman Treasure. Combined with Latiao's divine ability, I'd even have some offensive options against a False Core Rogue."
Entering the unknown mystic realm, Chen Jianghe dared not be careless.
At that time, not only late and peak Foundation Establishment cultivators but also False Core Rogues would be entering.
If it were ordinary False Core Rogues, it wouldn't be so bad.
But if he encountered a powerful False Core Rogue like Lady Jinghong without sufficient preparation, even survival would be uncertain.
Therefore, Chen Jianghe wanted to cultivate to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment before entering the unknown mystic realm, or at the very least, the eighth level.
After cultivating for three hours.
Chen Jianghe began to charge the Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talismans with spiritual energy.
While consuming spiritual power, he also improved his control over it.
Six hours later, Chen Jianghe began practicing the Tidal Marrow Cleansing Art, refining the spiritual energy of the Essence Pills in his navel to sublimate his physical body.
In this tightly scheduled seclusion, time passed quickly. Before he knew it, more than nine months had gone by.
Chen Jianghe now had four more Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talismans in his possession.
He now held thirteen Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talismans, two Greenvine Shield Talismans, and one Soul-Entangling Vine Talisman.
He had also cultivated the one hundred and seventy-fifth drop of Foundation Establishment spiritual power in his dantian.
He was one step closer to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
Chen Jianghe walked out of his cultivation chamber into the courtyard and saw that Xiao Hei, Maoqiu, and Latiao were all cultivating.
He didn't disturb them and quietly left the courtyard.
He arrived at the spirit field.
It was now the last ten days of the twelfth lunar month. Heavy snow was falling from the sky, covering the Immortal Crystal Rice seedlings with a thick blanket of white.
The surface of the Clear Water River not far away was covered in ice and snow, shimmering with faint specks of light reflected from some low-grade crystal stones along the bank.
"If Ruan Tieniu is coming, it should be within these next few days. I wonder if he was able to find any spirit items that can heal the soul."
"If not, I'll have to reconsider helping him refine the spirit-nurturing defensive artifact."
Chen Jianghe had promised to help Ruan Tieniu before, but he would only do what was within his means and on the condition that it wouldn't harm his own interests.
He found a rock by the spirit field, sat down cross-legged, and began to condense the Thousand-Mile Ice Seal, waiting for Ruan Tieniu's arrival.
The days passed one by one.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day before New Year's Eve.
Yu Qirui came to Clear Water Cove and collected the high-grade spirit pills Chen Jianghe had squeezed out time to refine, as well as the tier-one, low-grade spiritual talismans drawn by Maoqiu.
This added another three thousand eight hundred spirit stones to Chen Jianghe's possession.
Before his seclusion, he had made a trip to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to buy a peach wood talisman brush and three boxes of tier-two spiritual ink.
It just about covered his expenses.
He now had eight thousand and fifty-six spirit stones left.
Drawing tier-two, high-grade talismans was very taxing on brushes. A Peach Wood Heart-Clearing Talisman Brush was basically ruined after drawing ten such talismans.
This meant Chen Jianghe needed to buy one Peach Wood Heart-Clearing Talisman Brush and three boxes of tier-two spiritual ink every two years.
This was also a considerable expense.
Deep into the Hour of the Ox.
Under the night sky, unknown crystal stones shimmered with a faint light, and with the ground covered in ice and snow.
The night, which should have been pitch-black, was merely dim, far from being so dark that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.
Suddenly!
A cold wind tore through the air, carrying a familiar aura with it.
Chen Jianghe opened his eyes. He watched a figure appear on the dim, snowy ground and stop three hundred zhang away from him.
"Brother Chen, long time no see. Is everything well?"
"If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Ruan's two letters, everything would be fine."
"Alas, it is my fault for missing my brother too much, which is why I wrote to check on you. Please forgive me."
"And how does Fellow Daoist Ruan intend for me to forgive you?"
As Chen Jianghe finished speaking.
A faint light shot out from the blurry figure, landing a hundred zhang away from Chen Jianghe.
This was Ruan Tieniu retracting his divine sense.
With a flick of his spiritual power, Chen Jianghe pulled the faint light into his hand. It was a storage pouch embroidered with spider lilies.
He swept it with his divine sense.
He took out the treasures inside, placed them in his own storage pouch, and then sent the spider lily pouch back to a hundred zhang away.
"It's been twelve years, and Big Brother Ruan has actually become the Grand State Preceptor of the Feng Kingdom..."
"Haha... I see Brother Chen is the same as always, doesn't go out much. I'm not the Grand State Preceptor of the Feng Kingdom anymore. I was promoted two months ago. I am now the Chief Grand State Preceptor. The Contemporary Magazine in the Immortal Gate Market City should have recorded it."
"Huh?!"
Chen Jianghe rolled his eyes.
From Ruan Tieniu's tone, he seemed very happy and excited about becoming the Chief Grand State Preceptor of the Feng Kingdom.
Little did he know that he was already on the Tiannan Sect's demon extermination list.
However, the higher Ruan Tieniu's status in the Feng Kingdom, the more disadvantageous it was for Chen Jianghe.
Being in close contact with the upper echelons of the Feng Kingdom, if discovered, all the disciples of the Tiannan Sect who died on demon extermination missions would be blamed on him.
Therefore, he had to be even more cautious about refining the spirit-nurturing defensive artifact for Ruan Tieniu.
"I wonder how the spirit-nurturing defensive artifact that Brother Chen was helping me commission is coming along?" Ruan Tieniu couldn't help but ask.
He was in desperate need of a spirit-nurturing defensive artifact.
In the Feng Kingdom, even in a high position, he was surrounded by danger and could perish at any moment.
Having a spirit-nurturing defensive artifact for protection would give him a greater sense of security.
To ask Chen Jianghe to help him refine this artifact, Ruan Tieniu had paid a great price.
The total value was enough to refine two such artifacts.
But he had no choice.
There were no master artifact refiners in the Feng Kingdom, not even master alchemists. There were only two master talisman artists.
The upper echelons of the Feng Kingdom were all originally rogue cultivators and demonic cultivators. They were well aware of the dangers posed by their kind and wanted to suppress them.
But now was not the time.
They needed the rogue and demonic cultivators to be on the front lines, to expand their territory and fight for them.
Establishing rules and suppressing the rogue cultivators would have to wait until the situation stabilized and the Qing and Qi Kingdoms were driven out from south of the Tongtian River.
"What dangers would I face by helping Big Brother Ruan refine a spirit-nurturing defensive artifact? I shouldn't need to elaborate, right?"
"Speak. What else does Brother Chen need to be willing to find someone to help refine the artifact?"
Hearing that Chen Jianghe hadn't even started looking for a refiner, Ruan Tieniu wasn't angry. It seemed he had expected it.
He knew Chen Jianghe's concerns.
Once the refined spirit-nurturing defensive artifact was used in the open, the fact that Chen Jianghe helped him refine it would be exposed.
He couldn't eliminate Chen Jianghe's worries.
Nor did he need to.
What he needed to do was give Chen Jianghe enough benefits.
"A spirit item that can heal the soul."
"Brother Chen wants to ask Lady Jinghong to refine the artifact for me?"
After Chen Jianghe stated his request, Ruan Tieniu immediately guessed it was Lady Jinghong. He had naturally heard the legends about this brilliant and legendary master artifact refiner.
Chen Jianghe didn't answer.
Ruan Tieniu didn't press the matter, instead sending a voice transmission.
"In two months, I will come find Brother Chen again, and I will bring a tier-two, peak-grade soul-type spirit item."
With that said, Ruan Tieniu disappeared into the night.
As if he had never been there.
"Two months. It seems that after taking charge of the Duobao Market City, Ruan Tieniu has more channels to acquire spirit items."
"It's a pity the Feng Kingdom isn't recognized by the Tiannan Sect. Otherwise, with Ruan Tieniu's help, I could obtain even more spirit items."
Chen Jianghe's divine sense probed his storage pouch.
Inside were three Spirit Pool Pearls and three pieces of High Purity Jade.
These were Ruan Tieniu's apology gifts to Chen Jianghe.
He had written letters to Chen Jianghe, putting him in a dangerous position.
These three tier-two, peak-grade absorbable spirit items, the Spirit Pool Pearls, and the three pieces of High Purity Jade, a material for making tier-two, high-grade talismans.
Were the sincerity of his plea for forgiveness.
Ruan Tieniu was very sincere.
Being able to acquire so many resources also showed his high status in the Feng Kingdom. The Duobao Market City under his control brought him great benefits.
Chen Jianghe took out the two letters Ruan Tieniu had sent him. With a thought, a gentle surge of spiritual power turned the letters into dust, which scattered into the snow.
Six hours later.
As the sky brightened, Chen Jianghe returned to his courtyard and asked Zhuang Xinyan for fifty thousand spirit stones.
Afterward, he left Clear Water Cove and headed for the Immortal Gate Market City.
Today was New Year's Eve. He needed to make a trip to number forty-two, Fushou Street, to buy giant python spirit blood from Gao Peiyao.
After his transaction with Gao Peiyao.
Chen Jianghe went to the Exchange Pavilion.
He took a stroll around the first floor and saw a collateral disciple of the Yu Clan acquiring 'Blood Coagulation Grass'.
For the past two years, the Yu Clan had been helping him acquire 'Blood Coagulation Grass'.
But they hadn't managed to acquire a single stalk.
"It seems the true effects of the Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass haven't been discovered. Its rarity is also a major reason."
Chen Jianghe didn't linger on the first floor.
The Yu Clan was responsible for acquiring the 'Blood Coagulation Grass', which was enough.
Arriving on the second floor of the Exchange Pavilion, he first walked around, mainly looking for materials to draw tier-two, high-grade talismans.
This was what he lacked now.
As for cultivation resources, Chen Jianghe wasn't in short supply.
Ruan Tieniu had given him three Spirit Pool Pearls, which could be refined into fifteen medium-grade Origin Spirit Pills.
After cultivating to the late Foundation Establishment stage, he would need Dustfall Pills to aid his cultivation. Chen Jianghe currently had no Dustfall Pills.
However, he possessed the main ingredients to refine them.
Both the hundred-year Snow Lotus and the thousand-year Fo-ti could be used to refine Dustfall Pills, enough for him to cultivate until he entered the unknown mystic realm.
Therefore, the only thing he lacked now were tier-two, high-grade talisman materials.
"It seems those sect disciples are also exchanging for tier-two, high-grade talisman materials."
Chen Jianghe walked around and saw a few exchange placards for tier-two, high-grade talisman materials.
But the exchange conditions listed on them were outrageous.
Chen Jianghe wasn't going to be a sucker.
As for the reasonably priced materials, they had probably all been snatched up by the Core Formation Prospects of the sects.
He walked around again, but still found nothing.
Chen Jianghe left the Exchange Pavilion.
He checked the time. The auction at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was about to start, so he followed the crowd inside.
The scale of this auction was clearly not as grand as the last one, with only twenty-six rare items.
There wasn't a single quasi-tier-three treasure.
But there were a few tier-two, high-grade talisman materials.
Chen Jianghe wanted to bid, but his financial resources were limited. Even after getting fifty thousand spirit stones from Zhuang Xinyan.
It was still not quite enough.
Furthermore, the sect disciples began to throw their weight around. When they saw the tier-two, high-grade talisman materials, they went at it like pigs at a trough.
Bidding like madmen.
Chen Jianghe could only stay out of the fray for now.
When the auction ended, Chen Jianghe returned to Clear Water Cove.
After watering the Dragon Pattern Red Pine with the giant python spirit blood, he continued his secluded cultivation.
When the beginning of the second month arrived.
Chen Jianghe left his courtyard and went to the spirit field to wait for Ruan Tieniu.
He waited for two days.
Ruan Tieniu didn't come, but Xu Feng did.
"Master Chen."
His voice arrived before he did, his tone humble and polite.
"Master Chen, this is truly a wonderful place. With mountains, water, and five acres of spirit fields, it's so very elegant."
"Did Fellow Daoist Xu come into a fortune?"
Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
Xu Feng must have come to repay the spirit stones.
Two thousand seven hundred spirit stones wasn't a large sum for him, but for a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator like Xu Feng, it would take some time to gather.
"It's all thanks to Master Chen's talismans. Otherwise, forget obtaining any spirit items, I'm afraid I would have been buried in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range."
As Xu Feng spoke, a look of terror appeared in his eyes, showing lingering fear.
"Oh? What happened?" Chen Jianghe asked, puzzled.
"Master Chen may not know, but half a year ago, I and five other fellow daoists ventured eight hundred li deep into the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range, hoping to find some good spirit items."
"We didn't find any spirit items, but we accidentally stumbled upon the hiding place of the Beast Taming Zhou Clan in the mountains. When the Zhou Clan members saw us, they immediately attacked to kill."
"If it weren't for Master Chen's Rushing Thunder Talisman, I'm afraid I would have died in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range like those five fellow daoists."
Xu Feng recounted his experience in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range to Chen Jianghe.
What Chen Jianghe hadn't expected was that the Beast Taming Zhou Clan was so bold as to hide eight hundred li deep into the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range from the Immortal Gate Market City.
Were they playing the 'it's darkest under the lamp' game?
However, since Xu Feng and his group had stumbled upon them and Xu Feng had managed to escape, the Beast Taming Zhou Clan must have moved their hiding spot.
What surprised Chen Jianghe even more was that Xu Feng had actually gone back and even managed to pick up the storage pouches of three of his companions.
Truly audacious.
"Master Chen, what do you think this is?"
Xu Feng took out a stalk of Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass from his storage pouch with a grin.
"'Blood Coagulation Grass'? Could it be that you found this in the storage pouches of those three fellow daoists?" Chen Jianghe was stunned, then overjoyed.
The Yu Clan had been trying to acquire Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass at the Exchange Pavilion for so long without success.
And now Xu Feng had brought him another stalk.
"Master Chen's eyes are sharp indeed. I found it in those fellow daoists' storage pouches. I knew that 'Blood Coagulation Grass' was useful to you, Master Chen, so I brought it to you immediately upon finding it."
Xu Feng's words were full of flattery.
But it wasn't off-putting. It was all for survival; a little flattery wasn't shameful.
Besides, this Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass was of great use to Chen Jianghe.
"I didn't expect you to remember that I need Blood Coagulation Pills for cultivation. Very well, I'll accept this stalk of 'Blood Coagulation Grass'."
"How about I count it as one thousand five hundred spirit stones toward your debt, Fellow Daoist Xu?"
"No, no, no."
Xu Feng waved his hands repeatedly and said sincerely, "If it weren't for your talismans, Master Chen, I would have perished in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range long ago. This 'Blood Coagulation Grass' is a gift for you. I implore you to accept it."
In Xu Feng's eyes, a stalk of 'Blood Coagulation Grass' wasn't worth much, certainly not as much as building a good relationship with Chen Jianghe.
He was well aware that he was lucky Master Chen needed 'Blood Coagulation Grass'; otherwise, he wouldn't even have the opportunity to get on his good side.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, there's no need for that. You purchased the talismans, so you don't need to thank me. While this 'Blood Coagulation Grass' is useful to me, I can't take it for free. Let's say one thousand eight hundred spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe said.
Seeing this, Xu Feng didn't dare to insist further and accepted Chen Jianghe's offer, putting one thousand eight hundred spirit stones toward his debt.
He took out nine hundred spirit stones and gave them to Chen Jianghe.
Thus settling his previous debt.
After repaying the spirit stones, Xu Feng didn't leave. Instead, he looked at Chen Jianghe with an obsequious smile.
"Master Chen, could I possibly purchase some more talismans?"
Chen Jianghe glanced at Xu Feng.
He really didn't have time to draw tier-two, medium-grade talismans.
As for tier-two, high-grade talismans, Xu Feng couldn't afford them.
However, Xu Feng had brought him three stalks of Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass, making him a sort of 'Blood Coagulation Grass' acquirer among the demon hunters.
If he didn't draw the talismans for him.
And Xu Feng really did die in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range one day, who would help him search for Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass there?
"Fellow Daoist Xu, prepare some more spirit stones and come find me at the end of the year to buy tier-two, medium-grade talismans. If you have enough tier-two, high-grade talisman materials, you can also exchange them with me for tier-two, high-grade talismans."