Chapter 53: Seeking Warmth Together

When Jiang Yunzhou uttered his final word, a dark gold long saber carrying a bloody aura flew out from his lower dantian, circling above everyone's heads while emitting a terrifying coercion, before finally hovering by his side.

"This is the coercion of a top-tier magical artifact!" The dark gold long saber made everyone's heart palpitate, and the veteran cultivator Master Zou cooperated somewhat exaggeratedly with Jiang Yunzhou's performance.

"It's even more powerful than any top-tier magical artifact I've ever seen!"

In Cangyun State, fine-grade magical artifacts were the absolute limit, and top-tier magical artifacts were not permitted to be sold.

Moreover, ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could unleash their full strength using fine-grade magical artifacts. Top-tier magical artifacts were excessively precious, to the extent that rogue cultivators could practically never come into contact with them.

"No! This is a fledgling divine treasure!" The voice of the artifact refiner Hua Hongling trembled, her eyes fixed intently on the dark gold long saber, appearing genuinely excited rather than acting.

"A fledgling divine treasure!" The others were truly shocked at this.

Divine treasures were potent magical treasures that only Golden Core true immortals could wield, utterly incomparable to mere magical artifacts.

As for a fledgling divine treasure, it occurred when a tier-three artifact refiner was constrained by materials or suffered an accident during forging, preventing the item from fully reaching the level of a true divine treasure.

However, if one nurtured a fledgling divine treasure as their natal magical treasure, there was a possibility it could evolve into a true divine treasure.

Generally, late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators manipulating a divine treasure could only unleash thirty to forty percent of its might, and middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could hardly wield one at all.

Yet in the case of a fledgling divine treasure, a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could barely manage it, and its power far exceeded that of a top-tier magical artifact, even capable of unleashing one or two tenths of Golden Core-stage might. It was truly formidable.

However, while top-tier magical artifacts were already immensely precious—accessible only to core Foundation Establishment disciples of major sects or core elders of the five great families—as for a fledgling divine treasure, even the Pseudo-Golden Core ancestors of Cangyun State's five great families might not possess one.

"The foundation of the upper sect is simply too profound!"

"This is what a sect disciple is!"

……

Li Ji'an also wore a look of envy. However, he remained somewhat sober, knowing that not all sect disciples enjoyed such treatment; under normal circumstances, it was not so easy even for an ordinary inner sect disciple to acquire a top-tier magical artifact.

Only true inheritance disciples had it slightly better.

Beyond that, one needed the backing and connections of prominent figures within the sect to be as extravagant as Jiang Yunzhou.

He did not regret giving up the chance to join a sect earlier in life; in fact, he felt somewhat fortunate.

After all, back then he had merely considered that without obtaining true inheritance or a Dao protector, he would be forced to take on dangerous tasks, frequently going on trials and adventures, which conflicted with his philosophy of prudence.

He had never anticipated encountering such a great fortuitous opportunity as discovering an ancient grand ruin in the Great Marsh Mountains.

Yet during this period, disciples within the sect had suffered countless casualties. Aside from true inheritance disciples, many inner sect disciples had been forced into the ruins to excavate and hunt for treasures, mostly ending up as cannon fodder.

Even Xiao Changfeng, after entering the sealed zone of the sect all those years ago, had vanished without a trace, leaving Li Ji'an somewhat worried that Xiao Changfeng might have died inside.

If he had joined the Azure Cloud Sect as an inner sect disciple back then, finding himself now amidst the ruins, it would be difficult to guarantee he could escape unscathed.

After all, once one entered a sect, cultivation level came first; there would be no opportunity to thoroughly hone skills or secure the kind of life-saving trump cards he possessed today.

"Hall Master Jiang, please rest assured. We enjoy the grace of the upper sect and are thus able to live in peace here; we would never dare harbor any delusions." The few exchanged glances, and Physician Bai—who possessed the highest cultivation and greatest prestige—took the lead to respond.

Jiang Yunzhou nodded with satisfaction, swept his gaze over the crowd once more, and softened his tone slightly: "Well, you need not worry either. My Azure Cloud Sect is by no means greedy or exclusive. Once the exploration of the ruins is complete, thirty percent of the heavenly treasures found within will be circulated here. At that time, you may all trade freely through proper channels."

"The upper sect is truly righteous!" Everyone bowed once more.

Jiang Yunzhou nodded, preparing to leave.

"Oh?" It was only at this moment that he truly looked at Li Ji'an for the first time, recognizing his identity.

His divine sense unscrupulously probed Li Ji'an, confirming without a doubt that he was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

For a moment, he felt a mild surprise.

He had actually reached Foundation Establishment!

However, upon sensing the aura of his mana—which was far thinner and less formidable than the mana refined through his own Earth-grade cultivation technique—he immediately lost interest and turned away to leave.

Watching Jiang Yunzhou depart, the eight tier-two rogue cultivator artisans exchanged glances, all smiling faintly and shaking their heads.

"Everyone, now that even the upper sect feels the pressure, I'm afraid chaos is about to break out within the state." Physician Bai let out a slight sigh.

"Indeed. To be able to make the Azure Cloud Sect feel pressured, the people coming from the two states north of the Great Marsh Mountains are likely not few in number."

This branch range of the Great Marsh Mountains happened to run deep into the Heavenly Cang Domain, dividing Cangyun State from Heavenly Source State and Dao Source State to the north. Because it was densely populated with fierce beasts and deep forests, it served as a natural chasm.

Even five years ago, when several factions fought and the Azure Cloud Sect ultimately occupied this tier-three superior spiritual vein Dao arena, they had only managed to clear a single safe passage to travel from Heavenly Source State to Cangyun State.

And this passage had always been strictly controlled by the Azure Cloud Sect.

Right now, the Azure Cloud Sect would likely need to mobilize a massive number of disciples and followers to garrison that passage.

"The local cultivators of Cangyun State shouldn't pose much of a problem; after all, they have long been bound by the decrees of the upper sect. As long as the upper sect does not fall, there will be no major turmoil. What we must fear are the cultivators from the two northern states who might sneak in via the eastern mountains."

More than a dozen years ago, rogue cultivators from Heavenly Source State gathered in an attempt to challenge the Myriad Laws Palace, striving to fight for a Dao arena for rogue cultivators. In the end, they were hunted down with thunderous force, and a portion of those outlaws fled through the small paths on the eastern side of the Great Marsh Mountains into Cangyun State.

That path was actually not a secret; it had existed for many years. It was just that although the risks on that path were slightly lower than forcibly crossing the mountains directly, it was not entirely safe. With numerous uncertainties, ordinary cultivators dared not risk their lives.

Coupled with the fact that the Azure Cloud Sect's laws and system had once been extremely strict, those who fled in from other states had very little opportunity to make waves.

But today, the ruins in the Great Marsh Mountains were attracting far too many people.

And the Azure Cloud Sect had limited energy, no longer capable of maintaining strict oversight.

"Regardless, we cannot leave Cangyun State right now. Looking across the entire state, the Immortal City remains the safest place."

"That is true. However, we cannot entirely rely on the Qi family; the eight of us must unite."

The eight of them had interacted for many years, and as rogue cultivators able to live in peace here, their backgrounds had long since been thoroughly investigated by the Immortal City, establishing a baseline of mutual trust.

Most importantly, only the eight of them possessed relatively high cultivation levels here, each holding some trump cards of their own.

Hugging together for warmth was entirely understandable.

Immediately afterward, the group gathered once more in the Bai residence to discuss specific future defensive measures.

"I still have a few bottom-drawer fine-grade magical artifacts at home, which can be lent to fellow Daoists in times of crisis." Hua Hongling was the first to reveal her hand.

"Gou will dispatch puppet patrols and notify everyone at the very first sign of trouble." Puppet Master Gou did not remain silent this time either, speaking up proactively.

"Qian is prepared to set up another early-warning array formation to completely shroud our entire district." The usually stingiest and sole tier-two array master finally displayed some generosity.

However, Li Ji'an did not place much trust in his array-making skills. After all, despite being a tier-two array master, when the Azure Cloud Sect had widely recruited array masters back then, even Granny You had been invited away, yet he had failed to catch the eye of the Azure Cloud Sect.

Fundamentally, his array-crafting skills were subpar; although he could deploy tier-two arrays, he mostly followed rigid steps without much personal insight of his own.

……

"Li is prepared to refine another batch of Mana-Nourishing Pills. Fellow Daoists may have them at a thirty percent discount, just in case of any unforeseen combat needs." Li Ji'an also demonstrated his sincerity.

The cultivation techniques practiced by the eight of them could not be considered profound, and having spent years diligently honing their skills, they lacked both mana potency and combat experience. Mana-Nourishing Pills could effectively enhance their combat prowess.

However, he did not need to refine these pills additionally, as he had plenty of stockpiled inventory left over from producing his own talismans.

"Master Zou, Master Li, if an emergency arises, Master Li, please prioritize calling upon Daoist Hua for assistance, and Master Zou should head to Array Master Qian's residence first." Physician Bai gave a concluding, pointed reminder.

Among the eight of them, in terms of value and utility, the alchemists were undoubtedly the most prominent.

Yet when it came to self-preservation and lethal methods, they fell short compared to Physician Bai and Duanuka the Musician; even the tailor possessed greater combat strength than the two of them combined.

This was a consensus, not a prejudice.

"Many thanks, fellow Daoists!" Li Ji'an and Master Zou thanked the rest.

Returning home that day, Li Ji'an followed what had been discussed and entered seclusion to refine pills.

However, he did not refine Mana-Nourishing Pills, but rather Blood-Burning Pills.

As early as three years ago, when news of the Azure Cloud Sect breaching the ruins spread, Li Ji'an had intended to refine some pills for life-preservation in times of crisis.

He had ultimately chosen the Blood-Burning Pill, which could instantly stimulate and erupt with double the usual mana might. However, this pill was rather unpopular, and during peaceful times, there was no great market demand for it.

The main reason was that this pill consumed one's own vitality, and for cultivators whose vitality was already somewhat insufficient, once their vitality was depleted, they would start burning their natal blood essence. This would likely sever any future hope of breaking through to higher realms, shorten their lifespan, and cause premature aging.

Yet for Li Ji'an, as a tier-two body cultivator with abundant vitality, it would not impact his potential. Moreover, as long as it wasn't instant death, he could accept it; losing a few years of premature aging beforehand mattered little.

The only problem was that the medicinal herbs for this kind of pill were hard to find. Recently, while helping a family cultivator refine a tier-two pill specifically tailored to their family's cultivation technique, one of the medicinal ingredients happened to be the final supplementary herb for the Blood-Burning Pill. Relying on his alchemical skill, Li Ji'an managed to satisfy the other party's needs while intercepting a portion of the herbs for himself.

The next day, the first batch of Blood-Burning Pills was freshly produced.

These were fine-grade Blood-Burning Pills, which consumed more of one's own vitality but generated an even greater instantaneous burst of mana might.

After carefully analyzing the medicinal properties, Li Ji'an felt slightly surprised, estimating that the vitality consumed would shorten his lifespan by at least ten years, while the instantly burst mana strength should be comparable to that of an ordinary middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"This pill suits me!"

He immediately decided to focus on gathering the ingredients for this pill in the future, aiming to refine at least a few top-tier ones as trump cards.

"My trump cards are still insufficient!"

Stowing the Blood-Burning Pills securely away, Li Ji'an pondered once more, a sense of crisis constantly lingering in his heart.

Right now, his core trump card was his tier-two body cultivator physique. In close combat, he could instantly shatter the mana protective shields of cultivators at the same realm.

As for facing middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if his mana shield shattered, he could rely on his physical body to withstand a blow and save his life.

The premise was that the opponent was unaware of his prowess as a body cultivator and had no targeted countermeasures.

In this regard, Li Ji'an felt confident. Human body cultivators did not undergo a qualitative physical transformation like demonic beasts, becoming hard and heavy; rather, their strength lay in the enhancement of vitality.

His control over his vitality was meticulously detailed. Whenever he wished, he could transform the vitality of a tier-two body cultivator into thousands of strands melting into one, without allowing even a trace to leak out.

Precisely because of this, even when Qin Qin made close physical contact to soothe his blood channels and meridians, she had been unable to detect any abnormalities in his skin and flesh.

Next was his most fundamental trump card: a divine sense comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment!

However, lacking soul secret arts, it possessed no offensive utility; it could only help him avoid threats and traps in advance, or allow him to masquerade as a late-stage Foundation Establishment master to deter others.

Following that was Guagua. While it couldn't be relied upon for offense or defense, in critical moments he could hide within its mouth-universe, and with Guagua's current concealment abilities, even a Pseudo-Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be able to detect him.

After that came his sole method for protecting his Dao: talismans.

Subconsciously, he inspected his dantian.

Three natal talismans floated and sank within his dantian, nourished by his mana.

After three years of nourishment, their power had increased slightly.

That fine-grade Fiery Halberd Talisman could pose a threat to middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The fine-grade Golden Bell Talisman should not be broken in a single strike unless Jiang Yunzhou used his fledgling divine treasure.

The fine-grade Wind-Escaping Talisman granted him the full fleeing speed of the middle-stage Foundation Establishment.

However……

The more Li Ji'an looked at the situation within his dantian, the more helpless he felt.

Because of his cultivation technique, his mana was already insufficiently potent, and nourishing three natal talismans with it over the years made it appear even thinner.

Three years ago, having witnessed firsthand how Zheng Tianxiang's natal magical artifact automatically protected its master, he had been deeply tempted and had wanted to nurture a natal defensive magical artifact as well.

As a result, having already nurtured three natal talismans, he simply had no extra capacity to nurture a natal magical artifact, which consumed even more mana, and was forced to give up the idea.

After reviewing his trump cards, Li Ji'an felt slightly more at ease.

He then went out to trade the promised Mana-Nourishing Pills to the seven individuals.

When he finally arrived at Duanmu Qin's residence, he stated that he would not accept spirit stones this time, treating it as repayment for her soothing his muscles and bones the last time.

"Daoist Li, you truly possess a noble character. To be able to know Daoist Li on my cultivation path is my greatest fortune in three lifetimes! Please, come right in." Duanmu Qin warmly invited Li Ji'an into her estate.

This was the first time Li Ji'an had ever stepped foot inside Duanmu Qin's residence.

Her estate was filled with throngs of maidservants, vibrant with red flowers and green willows, radiating spring vitality everywhere, carrying a unique charm of its own.

Dismissing the attendants, Duanmu Qin personally poured tea for Li Ji'an.

The courtyard pavilion was surrounded by blooming flowers, with a zither placed in the center. Duanmu Qin wore thin gauze, her exquisite curves faintly discernible, displaying herself before Li Ji'an without the slightest avoidance.

Especially as she leaned forward to pour tea for Li Ji'an, her neckline gaped open, exposing the enchanting scenery within in a sudden flash of spring scenery.

"Fairy Qin, please don't mock Li. I simply do not wish to accept favors for nothing," Li Ji'an took a light sip of spiritual tea and replied with a smile.

"Daoist Li, you need not be modest. Your character is praised by word of mouth throughout the entire Immortal City. To say nothing else, just look at Daoist You's granddaughter—you treat her as your own, caring for her wholeheartedly and providing her with cultivation resources.

In this cruel world of cultivation, how many people turn against brothers or become enemies with spouses for the sake of cultivation resources, yet you do all this merely because of a single entrustment from Daoist You?

It is something I have seen only once in my life," Duanmu Qin said earnestly.

"Haha, Fairy Qin has taken in countless orphans and widows; what am I compared to Fairy Qin?" Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head.

Following that encounter half a year ago, Li Ji'an had come to understand Duanmu Qin more and more, only then discovering that quite a few maidservants and handymen in the Breeze Pavilion, including some maids within the estate, were orphans she had taken in over several decades.

Because of this, Li Ji'an's acceptance of her had grown considerably over the past half-year.