Chapter 764

Chapter 764: Regret of Lan Shan

What is spiritual essence treasure material? Simply put, it is material that contains spirit.

Ordinary materials, even if they reach Ninth-Rank or Tenth-Rank, do not possess spirit, so the treasures made from them can at most reach the peak of Sixth-Rank. To upgrade, they must be slowly nurtured with Magic over time.

During the process of nurturing by a Cultivator’s Magic, spirit gradually develops. The spirit then activates the divine patterns within the treasure, evolving it automatically, ultimately forming a powerful forbidden law. Once the forbidden law appears, transformation can occur, turning it into an Eighth-Rank treasure.

However, some materials naturally carry spiritual essence, like the fruit of the Wonderful Bodhi Tree and the Immortal Crystals stained with the blood of True Cultivators. These possess their own spirit, allowing the treasures made from them to directly reach Seventh-Rank, or even the formidable Eighth-Rank and Ninth-Rank.

Unfortunately, spiritual essence materials are exceedingly rare, as ordinary dead matter cannot retain spirit. Only living things or treasured items above the Immortal Realm can produce spiritual essence.

One of the most famous examples is the Five Elements Primordial Embryo. The essence of the Five Elements is condensed, forming the Primordial Embryo. If the Primordial Embryo receives enough Spiritual Energy and time, it can indeed gain intellect and become a terrifying demon.

Even without gaining intellect, it can still contain spirit, allowing for the direct crafting of high-rank treasures.

Perhaps, in the Immortal Realm, spiritual essence materials are not scarce. However, in the mortal world, they are incredibly rare. Even when they do appear, they are scattered and insufficient to meet the needs of crafting treasures.

This is the reason for the extreme shortage of high-rank treasures in the mortal world.

If Fang Lie wants to cultivate using spiritual essence, his strength requires at least treasure level similar to Blood Crystals; even a slightly lesser Wonderful Bodhi Fruit will not suffice.

However, that is clearly impossible because the total amount of spiritual essence material in the world is likely very limited.

Thus, the old bird was shocked by Fang Lie’s peculiar requirements for cultivation, looking utterly incredulous.

Fang Lie was surprised too, but after thinking for a moment, he sadly said, "It looks like that’s how it is. Damn it, how much spiritual essence material can there be in the mortal world? Even if they were all given to me, it wouldn’t be enough. Is this heaven trying to play tricks on me? First, I break the iron barrier to give me hope, then use this damn condition to bring me into despair?"

"Hey, don’t say it like that. As the saying goes, ‘Heaven doesn’t cut off people!’" the old bird solemnly said. "The Heavenly Dao cares for people, and there is no certain dead end. It always leaves a glimmer of hope for a person; it just depends on whether you can seize it!"

"At this stage, you still see hope?" Fang Lie couldn’t help but ask. "So, what’s my chance?"

"I actually thought of something!" The old bird suddenly said, speaking slowly, "Pure Yang True Fire!"

"Um?" Fang Lie was taken aback, and soon after, he realized, "You mean, by obtaining Pure Yang True Fire, I can use its terrifying purifying power to absorb the Spiritual Energy generated from burning silver Netherworld Ghost Fire?"

When he first obtained the Netherworld Ghost Fire warship, Fang Lie discussed its uses with Mo Qianxun, one of which was to directly absorb the Spiritual Energy produced by the burning Netherworld Ghost Fire for cultivation.

Once the Netherworld Ghost Fire levels up, the silver flame can not only burn Spiritual Energy but even burn spiritual essence, converting it into Spiritual Energy flames, which could even allow a Seventh-Rank treasure to level up to Eighth-Rank.

Clearly, this spiritual essence fire perfectly meets Fang Lie’s requirements to enhance the Qi Sea in the future.

However, the Netherworld Ghost Fire is a flame of spirit; as long as there is Spiritual Energy, it burns. The converted Spiritual Energy is bound to be mixed, and it may even carry Demonic Energy and Hatred. Absorbing it directly would definitely dirty the Qi Sea, which no one could withstand without going wild.

Only the Pure Yang True Fire left by True Cultivators can completely purify such mixed Spiritual Energy. If that’s the case, Fang Lie can use it for cultivation without any side effects.

Recalling their previous discussion, Fang Lie immediately became revitalized and asked, "But Pure Yang True Fire is hidden in the Left Dao ruins, one of the three great abysses. Over the years, only a few have seen it, yet no one has ever obtained it. How can I get my hands on such a legendary treasure?"

"Let’s leave it to luck; this is your only chance!" the old bird said solemnly. "Anyway, for you, if you don’t succeed, you become a martyr. You must at least give it a shot!"

"Fine, fine!" Fang Lie sighed sadly. "Then let’s go. But before that, I want to return once to say goodbye to my family. Sigh, that’s an abyss. Even with my undying nature, I can’t guarantee I’ll come back alive. Before I go, let me see my brother and sister one last time!"

"Sure, and also say hello to Immortal Lan Shan!" the old bird said with frustration. "This time, I lost my freedom partly because of that old rascal’s schemes. We must make sure to let him know how we feel; otherwise, I won’t be able to breathe!"

"Understood!" Fang Lie nodded and started to pack his things, preparing to take his leave.

During these ten years, whether it was Li Qing or Madam Hu, they had shown him great respect, and local Cultivators had built a certain friendship with him through alchemy, so Fang Lie clearly could not leave without saying goodbye.

In summary, upon learning of Fang Lie’s departure, the people of Star Loss City were very reluctant, as he was a super-rich man who had lived there for ten years. He had spent tens of millions at the inn, but the returns from his efforts had been even greater. Thus, his generous tips had brought great benefits to everyone, and naturally, no one wanted him to go.

The Cultivators were also unwilling to let a master alchemist leave just like that, all trying to persuade him to stay. However, Fang Lie had already made up his mind and still departed.

When leaving, almost everyone in the city came to see him off, truly moving Fang Lie deeply.

Not long after leaving Star Loss City, Fang Lie hid in his storage treasures and had his clone use the Sending-Home Art to return to the Cycle of Fire.

Back at the Mo Sect, Fang Lie wanted to go home immediately, but Old Bird urged him to find Mo Qianxun first.

On the back mountain of the Mo family, Mo Qianxun was sitting in the pavilion on the lake, drinking tea. When he saw Old Bird appear on Fang Lie’s shoulder, he immediately smiled and was about to greet them. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he was so shocked that he dropped his tea cup. Trembling, he said to Old Bird, "Bird Bro, Bird Ancestor! Are you messing with me? It’s only been a few months, and you’ve already recognized a master? Do you know this puts me in a very difficult position?"

You must understand that the Benevolence Token is the most important of the five great tokens, so the Benevolence Token Lord holds the highest position in the Mo Sect, even above Mo Qianxun, the Sect Leader.

Because of this, Mo Qianxun often tried to keep Fang Lie out of the inner gate, not wanting a young kid above him. Old Bird had initially agreed, not wanting to disrupt the rules of the Mo Sect for no reason; however, he didn’t expect things to take a sudden turn. With Old Bird recognizing a master, it meant Fang Lie had officially become the Benevolence Token Lord!

This was a formal Token Lord; he was no longer just a substitute. As the foremost among the five great Token Lords, Fang Lie was undoubtedly the top person in the Mo Sect, someone even the Sect Leader had to bow to. How could he accept this? That’s why he immediately questioned Old Bird.

Old Bird shot him an annoyed glance and said, "Do you think I wanted this? I was forced into it!"

"What happened?" Mo Qianxun quickly asked.

"The Sect Leader of West Kunlun, Immortal Lan Shan, had that fool Thousand Souls ambush Fang Lie. If I didn’t recognize a master, I wouldn’t be able to enter his soul to fight, and I would just have to watch as Thousand Souls turned Fang Lie into a Soul Fragment!" Old Bird said angrily. "I’ve waited for hundreds of thousands of years to find someone who can pass the Cycle of Fire test. Do you think I could just let him die? Truth be told, I wanted to enjoy a few more years of freedom, but there was no other way!"

Realizing the whole situation, Mo Qianxun became furious and yelled, "Lan Shan, you dog! How did I not see how devious you were before? You’re creating trouble out of nothing! You’re making me take on another superior, you bastard!"

"What are you still doing?!" Old Bird shouted. "Use the bronze mirror to contact him! I need to vent my anger!"

"Okay!" Without hesitation, Mo Qianxun took out the bronze mirror and quickly cast a series of secret techniques. Soon, Immortal Lan Shan’s figure appeared in it.

"What do you want?" Immortal Lan Shan asked casually.

"Stop pretending! You bastard!" Before Mo Qianxun could say anything, Old Bird rushed forward and yelled, "Tell me, did you bribe Old Thousand Souls to ambush Fang Lie?"

Instead of getting angry, Immortal Lan Shan’s eyes revealed a hint of joy, but he still played dumb and replied, "That’s not true! Did Fang Lie die?"

Clearly, seeing Old Bird so frantic made him believe Old Thousand Souls had succeeded.

In the next moment, Fang Lie’s face appeared before him as he said with a sinister smile, "Hehe, I’m sorry to disappoint you! That guy Thousand Souls is not capable of killing me. You’ve entrusted the wrong person!"

"You~" Immortal Lan Shan felt his heart sink, but he maintained a calm appearance, saying, "Don’t make malicious accusations. When did I bribe Old Thousand Souls?"

"You say you didn’t?" Fang Lie sneered. "Then I’m curious why he has your Kunlun specialty, the Soul-nourishing Elixir? Don’t tell me he found it on the ground!"

"Bastard~" Mo Qianxun shouted angrily from the side: "The last time I came to you, I wanted to use an Eighth-rank treasure to get a drop of Soul-nourishing Liquid, and you refused me. Yet you used it to bribe an assassin to kill my sect member! I tell you, our feud is settled! This is not over!"

Immortal Lan Shan’s face turned red, but he still argued, "I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

"Ha! Playing dumb, huh? It doesn’t matter, I’ve set my sights on you!" Fang Lie coldly laughed and then suddenly smiled, "But actually, I should thank you!"

"Thank me for what?" Immortal Lan Shan asked, frowning.

"Thank you for sending Old Thousand Souls and for the Soul-nourishing Liquid!" Fang Lie said proudly. "If it wasn’t for Old Thousand Souls sacrificing himself, I wouldn’t have broken through the iron barrier of the vast Qi Sea of ten thousand miles. And without your drop of Soul-nourishing Liquid, I wouldn’t have been able to heal my soul injury. Even if I broke through that barrier, I would have certainly died. But thanks to your thorough arrangements, I managed to pass that phase safely!"

Hearing Fang Lie’s words, Immortal Lan Shan was dumbfounded! The iron barrier of the vast Qi Sea of ten thousand miles had blocked countless powerful beings since ancient times, and no one had ever broken through it. Yet Fang Lie managed to do so, and what troubled and frustrated him the most was that he had inadvertently helped Fang Lie achieve this.

After such a huge cost, he not only failed to kill Fang Lie but also helped him in a big way?

What kind of situation was this? Immortal Lan Shan nearly regretted it to the core, wishing he could give himself a good beating!