Translator: AnubisTL
Five spirit pills!
As expected of Moonchase Palace, they offered five spirit pills right off the bat—pills capable of enhancing mana in the Core Formation Realm!
Though they didn't name the pills, it was clear this was a unique treasure of Moonchase Palace, a secret formula passed down exclusively within their sect. They were so protective of their knowledge that they wouldn't even reveal the pills' names.
True Lord Bai Li's eyes lit up with undisguised joy at Moonchase Palace's offer.
In the Core Formation Realm, advancing one's cultivation through mere meditation and ascetic practice became exceedingly difficult.
Even cultivators with heavenly spirit roots found their progress slowing dramatically at this stage, their cultivation speed no longer comparable to their earlier, rapid advancement.
This explained why there were so few Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in the Great Wilderness Domain. Outside of the major immortal dao sects, it was virtually impossible to find a rogue cultivator who had successfully formed a nascent soul.
The cultivation process in the Core Formation Realm was simply too arduous. Over half of all core formation realm cultivators remained trapped in the mid Core Formation Realm or lower for the rest of their lives.
They would toil in the Core Formation Realm until their great limit approached, never seeing even a glimmer of hope for nascent soul formation.
"Excellent! Deal!" True Lord Bai Li agreed with a beaming smile, accepting Moonchase Palace's offer.
Five pills capable of enhancing mana in the core formation realm—this price was already remarkably generous.
At least, since achieving core formation, he hadn't even seen a single pill of this type, let alone consumed one.
After this transaction concluded, the remaining two spiritual objects that had converged from the Moonlight River revealed their full forms.
"Is that a Ghost Eye Snail? How did a Pseudo-Core cultivator manage to snatch it?"
Someone noticed a Pseudo-Core cultivator dragging a snail the size of a human head. The snail's shell was marked with eerie, swirling patterns that resembled a giant eye.
Ghost Eye Snail!
A peculiar mountain snail, this rare creature didn't inhabit rivers or seas but instead dwelled in towering mountain ranges.
Legend had it that the snail's flesh was exceptionally delicious. Despite its unappealing appearance, it was considered a rare delicacy. Before the Ancient Era, the snail's meat was a favorite among many powerful cultivators.
However, precisely because of this demand, Ghost Eye Snails had been hunted to near extinction in the outside world. They could now only be found in remote, uninhabited secret realms.
The one who obtained the Ghost Eye Snail was none other than Zhao Tianxiong, the Clan Head of the Zhao Family from Giant Deer Prefecture!
Using a remarkable method, Zhao Tianxiong had managed to snatch the spiritual object from several core formation realm cultivators, drawing considerable attention.
"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Zhao," an elderly core formation realm cultivator transmitted through divine sense, "this old Daoist will soon be celebrating his three-hundredth birthday. Would you consider parting with the Ghost Eye Snail for my sake?"
The other cultivators also turned to Zhao Tianxiong with amiable expressions, likely communicating through divine sense as well, hoping to acquire this legendary delicacy.
Zhao Tianxiong's expression turned slightly bitter. While this delicacy had no effect on cultivation, the sheer number of divine sense transmissions from core formation realm cultivators weighed heavily on him.
Just now, when True Lord Bai Li obtained the Mooncrown Fruit kernel, the others had openly offered trades. But now, the core formation realm cultivators were using divine sense transmission, merely expressing interest in the Ghost Eye Snail without specifying any concrete offers.
It was clear these core formation true lords were subtly leveraging their superior cultivation to pressure Zhao Tianxiong. They seemed to be thinking, "You haven't even reached core formation yet, and you're just the Clan Head of a cultivation clan. Even if we offer a pittance, you'll have to accept!"
The cultivation world was a cruel place.
Zhao Tianxiong's expression was slightly troubled, but he knew he had no choice. In this situation, he had no option but to hand over the Ghost Eye Snail.
However, just as Zhao Tianxiong was about to speak, the female cultivator from Moonchase Palace seemed to sense his predicament.
The beautiful female cultivator spoke with a warm smile, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, how about this? Moonchase Palace is willing to trade a small portion of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid for the Ghost Eye Snail. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianxiong's tense face finally relaxed.
With Moonchase Palace's offer, he no longer had to bear such immense pressure.
Moreover, the price they offered for the Ghost Eye Snail was remarkably high—half a portion of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid! This was a top-tier core formation spiritual material!
Now that his cultivation had reached the pseudo core formation stage, half a portion of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid was an extremely valuable resource for him.
Without hesitation, Zhao Tianxiong immediately accepted the trade proposal:
"Then this Zhao will respectfully accept your offer. I agree to trade the Ghost Eye Snail with Moonchase Palace."
"True Lords, please forgive me. This Zhao has already reached the pseudo core formation stage, and my lifespan is dwindling. My great limit approaches, yet I still wish to make one final desperate attempt at core formation. Even if the chances are slim, I refuse to leave this world with regrets."
Zhao Tianxiong's words were sincere and heartfelt. The other core formation realm cultivators, though initially harboring some displeasure, were moved by his sincerity and quickly dismissed their resentment.
As fellow practitioners of the Dao, they were intimately familiar with Zhao Tianxiong's predicament.
"Patriarch Zhao, what are you saying? We cultivators dedicate our lives to the Dao, born for the Dao and destined to return to it."
"We understand the yearning for higher realms all too well. There's no need for apologies."
"To hold a grudge against you over a momentary craving would be utterly unreasonable. Fellow Daoists, wouldn't you agree?"
Li Qing stepped forward, defusing the tension and offering Zhao Tianxiong a way out.
"Heh, Fellow Daoist Limitless speaks wisely. Born for the Dao, we are all merely striving to cross the same river."
"I still remember when I was in the late foundation establishment realm, racking my brains over core formation. I can certainly understand Patriarch Zhao's mindset."
"To return to the Dao... those words strike a chord deep within my heart."
"..."
With Li Qing's intervention, the others nodded in understanding. With a mid Core Formation Realm cultivator from Moonchase Palace stepping forward, the remaining true lords naturally wouldn't dwell further on the matter.
Zhao Tianxiong cast a grateful glance at Li Qing, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
If today's incident over a Ghost Eye Snail had drawn the attention of several core formation true lords to his clan, he would have become the Zhao Family's eternal disgrace.
Li Qing, however, remained completely unconcerned.
He had initially anticipated needing to do far more for Zhao Tianxiong. The fact that a simple word had resolved the matter was, of course, ideal.
But soon, the core formation realm female cultivator from Moonchase Palace spoke with a charming smile:
"Fellow Daoists, there's no need for regret. Since Moonchase Palace has reclaimed this Ghost Eye Snail, we certainly won't hoard it!"
"After our palace's holy maiden completes her baptism, we will present the Ghost Eye Snail at the banquet for all of you to savor together!"
Upon hearing this, the core formation true lords who had been salivating earlier brightened visibly, nodding in approval and showering Moonchase Palace with praise for their generosity.
The Moonlight River's baptism continued uninterrupted.
Just now, the fourth spiritual light had been claimed by a rogue cultivator in the Core Formation Realm—a millennial spirit herb of astonishing value!
However, the cultivator had no intention of trading this rare herb. He declared his intention to refine a great pill, for which the millennial spirit herb would serve as a crucial medicinal catalyst.
The other cultivators, hearing this, refrained from further pressure, respecting his claim.
Soon, the treasure hunt in the Moonlight River resumed. Spiritual lights continued to surge from the river like brilliant stars.
The cultivators swiftly acted, each seizing their own spiritual objects from within.
Li Qing, not wanting to be left out, continued to use his Netherworld Cold Fire to claim treasures.
His second attempt yielded a piece of precious spirit jade, radiating an ethereal, dreamlike glow. Its exquisite beauty and exceptional quality made it a peerless material for artifact refinement.
Shen Ningbing also secured a prize: a flower stamen brimming with potent spiritual energy and rich in Great Yin Power.
Though she couldn't identify the stamen, True Lord Wood Dragon's peculiar gaze suggested it was either of extraordinary value or belonged to an extremely rare spiritual flower.
With True Lord Meng of the Taiyi Sect no longer obstructing him, Gui Fan struck repeatedly, successfully claiming two spiritual lights.
The objects within the two spiritual lights were a fragmented stone tablet inscribed with mysterious characters and a slightly damaged long spear—surprisingly, another magical artifact!
In addition to these treasures, an elderly cultivator at the Moonchase Grand Assembly managed to secure a porcelain bottle containing medicinal pills!
The moment the pill-filled bottle appeared, it instantly drew the attention of every cultivator present.
"Medicinal pills?! Unheard of! Who would have thought pills could be brought out of Moonlit Ridge?"
"Hiss! What kind of pills are inside?"
Everyone was intensely focused on the pills retrieved from Moonlit Ridge, eager to know their identity.
However, the elderly cultivator remained tight-lipped, his brow furrowed, showing no intention of opening the bottle to identify its contents.
"Fellow cultivators," the Old Daoist said, shaking his head, "this jade porcelain bottle is at least ten thousand years old. Even if it contained the Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill, its medicinal power would have long since dissipated." He seemed reluctant to open the bottle here.
Upon hearing this, many core formation true lords who had initially been intrigued by the pills now wore expressions of regret, realizing the truth in his words.
No matter how well preserved, after ten thousand years, even the most precious medicines and spirit pills would likely lose all their medicinal power, rendering them worthless.
With this lingering sense of regret, the Moonchase Grand Assembly finally drew to a close.
The Moonlight River flowed to its end, its entire essence merging into Liu Hanyue's body.
As the moonstone trembled, it retreated back into the earth. Liu Hanyue slowly opened her eyes.
In that instant, a bright moon seemed to reflect in her beautiful eyes, radiating a holy and ethereal aura.
The crowd's minds jolted as a subtle divine sense spread outward, its power far surpassing what one would expect from an early Core Formation Realm cultivator!
"This Moonlight Baptism actually enhanced her divine sense?"
"That divine sense strength is at least comparable to a mid Core Formation Realm cultivator."
"It's hard to say. I observed that her body's precious light is now restrained, her flesh like jade. Her fleshly body has likely grown significantly stronger as well."
"Intriguing. For such a grand baptism, it only enhanced her divine sense and fleshly body?"
"I suspect there's far more to it than that. Otherwise, the Moonchase Palace wouldn't go to such extraordinary lengths to host the Moonchase Grand Assembly. There must be deeper secrets involved."
"..."
No matter how they speculated, they couldn't possibly unravel the true mysteries behind this baptism.
One thing was clear, however: every generation of Moonchase Palace Holy Maidens ultimately achieved the nascent soul realm. This baptism likely played a crucial role in their ascension!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Liu Hanyue slowly rose to her feet, her light robes fluttering in the evening breeze.
Gradually withdrawing her divine sense, she turned her gaze toward Li Qing's position, a dazzling smile gracing her lips.
"Brother Li, it's been many years since we last met. How have you been?"
Her smile was so radiant that even the bright moon in the sky seemed to lose some of its luster. Several young cultivators in the crowd felt their hearts skip a beat.
Soon, all eyes followed Liu Hanyue's gaze to Li Qing, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
The crowd was stunned. Could this Limitless True Lord have a past connection with the current Moonchase Palace Holy Maiden?
Instantly, the minds of many cultivators began to race. Some even wondered if this generation's holy maiden might break with tradition and choose a dao companion.
Under the intense gazes, Li Qing finally lost his composure. He rubbed his nose and chuckled softly, "Fairy Liu, it's been many years since we last met. Your grace shines even brighter than before. I never imagined you'd become the holy maiden of Moonchase Palace. It fills me with awe."
Liu Hanyue's smile grew radiant. Just as her baptism concluded, her divine sense resonated with the heavens and earth, sensing a familiar qi mechanism.
Releasing her divine sense, she indeed found a vividly remembered acquaintance: Li Qing, the spirit mine worker from her Liu Clan days!
Many years had passed since their last parting at Lingyun Sect. No one could have predicted that Li Qing would undergo such a transformation, becoming a mid Core Formation Realm cultivator.
When she realized this, she was momentarily stunned.
How could a mere rogue cultivator in the early qi refining realm have reached this stage, evolving into a mid Core Formation Realm true lord? It was truly astonishing.
"Brother Li, you are the one who inspires awe in me," Liu Hanyue replied sincerely, her words devoid of flattery. "After all these years, you've already reached the mid Core Formation Realm."
She understood her own circumstances perfectly. Becoming the holy maiden of Moonchase Palace was entirely due to a stroke of luck.
But Li Qing's journey to his current position was truly unimaginable.
"Heh, compared to you, my meager achievements are nothing," Li Qing said, speaking truthfully. Every holy maiden of Moonchase Palace inevitably reached the nascent soul realm, a feat he found utterly astonishing.
Though he was currently in the mid Core Formation Realm, one step ahead of Liu Hanyue in cultivation, the gap between them remained vast when considering her guaranteed future as a nascent soul realm cultivator.
This realization sparked Li Qing's curiosity. He had a bellyful of questions: How exactly had Liu Hanyue become the holy maiden of Moonchase Palace?
He recalled the Moon Gilt Gold she had given him at Azure Radiance Pool, a unique spirit gold found only in Moonlit Ridge. Could this have been the start of her destined path?
Moreover, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had sent Liu Hanyue aboard the giant spirit boat alongside many Lingyun Sect elders and disciples. What had become of those Lingyun Sect members who had escaped with her?
(End of the Chapter)
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