novelonline Chapter 1419 Golden Bone Ointment
Chapter 1419 Golden Bone Ointment
Deep within the cave of the Venerable Cangkun, the stench of blood in front of the Jade Pavilion had not yet completely dissipated, and the mutilated bodies of several Nascent Soul cultivators silently testified to the carnage that had just occurred.
On the cold stone ground, only two figures remained—Qin Hao and Han Li. The air was thick with the stench of blood, the aftershocks of dissipated spiritual energy, and the lingering pressure of magical artifacts, creating a somber and tense atmosphere.
In Qin Hao's mind, an old and somewhat amused voice suddenly rang out. It was the Great Evolution Divine Lord residing in the Soul Nourishing Wood: "Hehe, the murderous aura on this kid is no less than yours. He must be a ruthless character as well."
Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile as he sneered inwardly: "Hmph, the cultivation world is a jungle where the strong prey on the weak. If I, Zhang, were to emulate those soft-hearted people, I would have died countless times over, my bones turned to ash. How could I still be standing here listening to your nagging, you old monster? Back when you were a powerful figure, the souls of your victims were probably piled up like mountains, your corpses forming towers. Now you're pretending to be merciful?"
The Great Evolution Divine Lord choked for a moment, then chuckled dryly, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Ahem... I merely wanted to remind you that excessive malevolent energy is ultimately not a good thing. At best, it will erode your mind and sow the seeds of inner demons. The right thing to do is to go to the Great Jin Dynasty as soon as possible to find the Bright King's Technique to resolve it."
Qin Hao didn't respond. Turning to Han Li, who stood beside him with a composed aura and eyes scanning the storage bag, the two quickly began dividing the spoils without a word. The core treasure was soon selected from the numerous items:
Yin Ring: An ancient ring that is neither gold nor jade, with a deep black color throughout. It is one of the essential items for entering the Valley of Fallen Demons.
The Jade Vulture Poison: A dark green jade bottle tightly sealed with layers of restrictive talismans. It is one of the ten deadly poisons that even Nascent Soul cultivators fear.
Purple Gauze Helmet: A gauze-like ancient treasure flowing with a dreamlike purple glow, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet imbued with spiritual light, warm to the touch with a hint of coolness. Its material is neither silk nor linen, making it an extremely rare top-tier defensive ancient treasure, far exceeding the value of ordinary magical artifacts.
As for the other magical treasures such as the natal flying swords, jade rulers, and pagodas of Wang Tiangu, Wang Tiansheng, and the old man surnamed Yun, Qin Hao merely swept them over with his divine sense and then paid no further attention.
These magical treasures were powerful enough, but to him they were just ordinary items, not worthy of his attention.
Next was the jade slip containing the cultivation technique that Master Cangkun primarily practiced—the "Moon Gazing Technique." Qin Hao probed it with his divine sense and understood it in a moment. This technique was exquisite, but it was completely different from his own "Heaven-Supporting Demon Technique," a powerful and domineering body-refining technique, and Han Li's "Azure Origin Sword Technique." It was truly a chicken rib—tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away.
Han Li, always cautious, habitually took out a blank jade slip and quickly copied the contents of the "Moon Gazing Technique." He then handed the original jade slip to Qin Hao. Qin Hao didn't stand on ceremony, casually putting it into his storage bag to enrich his vast database of cultivation techniques managed by his "AI brain."
“Junior Brother Han,” Qin Hao said calmly, pointing to the three core treasures laid out on the ground, “the Yin-Yang Ring and the Ten Deadly Poisons Jade Dove are both essential for entering the ‘Fallen Demon Valley’ of the Southern Forbidden Land. We can each take one. This Purple Crimson Pouch is undoubtedly the most valuable item here. How about this: if you take the Purple Crimson Pouch, all the other miscellaneous items, including the magic treasures, spirit stones, and materials in the storage bags of these Nascent Soul cultivators, will belong to me; or, if you give up the Purple Crimson Pouch, I can compensate you with something else…”
Before Qin Hao could finish speaking, a glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. With a flick of his sleeve, the shimmering purple aura and vibrant spirit of the Purple Cloud Pouch disappeared, firmly stored within his sleeve.
A rare, slightly sly and satisfied smile appeared on his face as he solemnly cupped his hands in thanks to Qin Hao: "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother. I will remember your gift of this treasure!"
Upon seeing this, Qin Hao's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then he shook his head and chuckled. Since the words had already been spoken, he naturally wouldn't hold it against him.
He then waved his hand, and an invisible spiritual force swept away all the storage bags of the Nascent Soul cultivators on the ground, except for the Marquis of Nanlong. His divine sense, sharp as a knife, roughly probed into each bag, precisely selecting all the pills labeled as enhancing cultivation—whether effective for the Core Formation stage or the early Nascent Soul stage—and categorizing them into his jade bottle, storing them away. These pills were of negligible effect on his current mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, but they were perfectly suited for his concubines, Yuan Yao and Yan Li, to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and stabilize their realms.
As for the various magical treasures, flying swords, shields, jade seals, and other items with different spiritual lights, Qin Hao didn't think much of them. He even put some non-top-grade refining materials and mid-grade spirit stones into another storage bag.
As for the remaining cultivation manuals and jade slips, following the old rule, Han Li skillfully took out blank jade slips one by one and quickly copied their contents, while Qin Hao collected the originals one by one to enrich his ever-growing "intelligent brain" database.
As Han Li carefully examined Wang Tiansheng's storage bag, his fingertips touched a leather scroll made of an unusually tough material, with faint spiritual patterns. He let out a low gasp of surprise: "Huh? This is..."
Upon closer inspection, they found an ancient map drawn on the skin of some unknown monster and a recipe for a pill made of the same material.
At the top of the painting, a strange spiritual plant is depicted with lively brushstrokes. Its fruit is shaped like a burning purple candle, emitting a mysterious and alluring halo. Several ancient seal characters are also marked next to it.
Qin Hao took it, and the opening of the pill formula clearly recorded a heaven-defying divine pill called "Creation Pill"! The main ingredient was the fruit depicted in the picture - the Spirit Candle Fruit! According to the detailed description of the pill formula, this Spirit Candle Fruit was an ancient treasure, containing the power of creation of heaven and earth, and had long been extinct in the cultivation world of Tiannan.
The Creation Pill, made primarily from this ingredient, boasts phenomenal effects! Upon consumption, it can forcibly elevate a cultivator's spiritual power by a major realm within a short period, temporarily allowing them to reach the next level! More importantly, the formula notes that, according to legend, the vast majority of cultivators who successfully consume this pill and withstand its effects break through their original cultivation bottlenecks in their subsequent cultivation!
Although this pill can only be taken once in a lifetime and is only effective for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, its value is priceless for any cultivator stuck at a bottleneck, especially those in the Nascent Soul stage where every small step is incredibly difficult. It is enough to drive any Nascent Soul master crazy!
"Creation Pill... Spirit Candle Fruit!" Even with Qin Hao's resolute will, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He immediately looked at the animal hide map placed next to the pill formula.
The map was drawn with great detail, clearly marking a path leading deep into the dangerous area. At the end point, there was a pattern of the Spirit Candle Fruit that was exactly the same as the one on the recipe!
Qin Hao tapped a hidden mark unique to the Ghost Spirit Sect on the map with his fingertip, letting out a meaningful sneer. "It seems the Ghost Spirit Sect understands the Fallen Demon Valley far better than Marquis Nanlong does. This old fox thinks he has allied with all parties and has victory in his grasp, but in reality, he's inviting wolves into the house and trying to negotiate with a tiger. If it weren't for us brothers being here today, wiping out these treacherous fellows in one fell swoop, even if Marquis Nanlong had survived the infighting just now, he would have surely died at the hands of the Ghost Spirit Sect. All the opportunities he painstakingly sought would have been nothing more than doing the work for someone else."
Han Li nodded in deep agreement, his gaze fixed on the marked location of the Spirit Candle Fruit on the map, as if drawn by a magnet, his desire rising like wildfire.
The allure of this Creation Pill was simply too great for him to resist; it was almost impossible. With this pill, his chances of breaking through the bottleneck of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm would greatly increase!
Finally, it was time to look at the legacy of the strongest of the fallen—the Nanlong Marquis, a peak mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. The wealth of a powerful cultivator nearing the late Nascent Soul stage was indeed astonishing. The glittering spirit stones of various attributes alone, piled together, resembled a small crystal mine; a rough scan revealed a quantity of no less than a million!
The various rare elixirs for enhancing cultivation, healing wounds, detoxifying, and restoring magical power filled more than a dozen jade bottles of different sizes, their fragrance filling the air. The materials for refining weapons were also numerous and of superior quality. Finally, there were six or seven magical treasures and ancient artifacts that shimmered with spiritual light. Although their overall quality was far inferior to the Purple Crimson Pouch, each piece was extraordinary, possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities. Clearly, these were protective items carefully collected by the Marquis of Nanlong.
Both were experienced individuals, and they allocated the resources quickly and efficiently. Considering Han Li's expertise in puppetry and formations, and his huge need for spirit stones and materials, most of the spirit stones and various refining materials went to him. The top-grade pills for enhancing cultivation and strengthening the foundation, as well as the two powerful magical artifacts, were kept by Qin Hao, who planned to leave them for Yuan Yao and Yan Li.
When they picked up the last item—an old map drawn on the skin of some kind of fire-attribute monster—the two of them simultaneously revealed a knowing look.
This map was clearly older than the one in Wang Tiansheng's storage bag, and its material was also more special, warm to the touch and radiating a subtle heat. The terrain depicted on it was also more complex and dangerous, filled with various natural forbidden zones and ancient restrictions.
At the heart of the map, marked with glaring vermilion that resembles congealed blood, lies a massive, grotesque forbidden gate, seemingly forged from countless bones and lava! Before the gate crouches a lifelike, gigantic fire toad pattern, radiating an aura of overwhelming ferocity. Along the edges of the map are several ancient runes of unknown meaning.
“This door…this fire toad…” Han Li gazed at the chilling crimson gate and ferocious beast pattern on the map, his tone solemn and tinged with emotion, “I’m afraid this is the ultimate goal for which Marquis Nanlong was willing to pay such a huge price and expose himself to organize this treasure hunt. Unfortunately, he was too clever for his own good, and in the end, it was all for naught.”
Qin Hao said with a smile, "Junior Brother Han, it seems that we brothers are destined to venture into the 'Fallen Demon Valley,' the number one forbidden area in Tiannan."
Han Li's eyes flashed with a sharp light, almost tangible, and he nodded emphatically, saying decisively, "Senior Brother is absolutely right! With this map and the Yin-Yang Ring in hand, plus the Spirit Candle Fruit... this Fallen Demon Valley is inevitable!"
……
The next day, as dawn broke, the vast grassland was shrouded in a thin mist. Han Li bowed to Qin Hao in farewell, his figure disappearing into the morning mist like a ghost, vanishing into the boundless green waves in a few flashes, his aura perfectly concealed.
Qin Hao watched him leave, then activated the "Transformation Technique" again. A series of soft popping sounds emanated from his bones, and his muscles and skin rippled and shifted like water. A moment later, the "Golden Rock Master," clad in a Mulan robe, reappeared. He straightened his robes, calmly took out his Wind Chariot, and flew towards the Golden Radiance Tribe.
Seven days later, as Qin Hao, in his capacity as "Master Jinyan," was overseeing the tribe and dealing with the chaotic affairs caused by the impending great war, an uninvited group of guests arrived at the Jinhui tribe.
The newcomers were all dressed in wide black robes, completely covering their bodies. Their demonic energy surged and rolled around them, carrying a chilling aura that made people feel uncomfortable, which was completely out of place with the relatively rugged aura of the grassland cultivators, which was filled with natural spiritual power.
The leader was a demonic cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage, whose magical power was refined and pure, far surpassing that of ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivators, and whose gaze was as sinister as an eagle's. In addition, there were two Mulan masters who had previously pursued Han Li and his group, who accompanied the demonic cultivator leader with respectful and even slightly obsequious attitudes.
When the two Mulan masters met, they were completely unsuspecting of this "Golden Cliff Master" whom they had met once before.
"Fellow Daoist Jin Yan, did you encounter those Tiannan cultivators after our last parting?"
Qin Hao mumbled a few complaints about the difficult journey and the cunning of the other party, then asked in return, "Who are these black-robed guests...? Their auras are strangely powerful, far beyond what my grassland mages can compare to."
Another master immediately showed a mixture of awe and excitement on his face. He looked around and lowered his voice even further: "Shh! Master Jinyan, keep your voice down! These are all experts from the Yinluo Sect invited by the Holy Temple! The reason why our Holy Temple dared to gather the strength of the entire clan and march south to attack Tiannan is because we have the Yinluo Sect as our solid backing and strong support!"
Qin Hao, however, perfectly displayed a look of shock and realization: "Great Jin! Yinluo Sect! So that's how it is! No wonder the Holy Temple is so determined this time!"
He maintained the rugged yet respectful demeanor of Master Jinyan, but his mind was already racing. He didn't immediately reveal anything unusual, but instead used his identity as "Master Jinyan" to carefully observe the tribe. Taking advantage of his position, he quickly figured out the patterns of this Heavenly Crying Master's movements.
A few days later, at dawn, before the mist had dissipated, the Heavenly Crying Immortal, as always, transformed into a wisp of black demonic smoke and silently left the Golden Radiance Tribe, fleeing towards Black Wind Cliff.
A cold glint flashed in Qin Hao's eyes—his opportunity had arrived! He too silently left the tribe, trailing far behind, his aura concealed to the extreme. Half an hour later, the Heavenly Crying Immortal landed behind a sheltered boulder atop Black Wind Cliff, sat cross-legged, and took out a small black banner engraved with a ferocious ghost head, seemingly preparing to begin his daily ritual.
Just as he was completely absorbed and his vigilance was at its lowest, a figure appeared without warning, ten feet behind him!
The disguise vanished instantly, and Qin Hao revealed his true form. His terrifying mid-Nascent Soul stage magic power, combined with the immense power of the peak third level of the "Heavenly Demon Art," erupted with a deafening roar! Without any wasted words, he unleashed a killing move right from the start!
With a deep roar, the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade transformed into a dark golden light that tore through the void, carrying a sharp whistle that was sharp enough to pierce the soul. With a speed that surpassed the perception of divine sense, it stabbed straight at the back of the Heavenly Crying Immortal, who was completely unprepared!
After all, Tianku Shangren was a Nascent Soul cultivator. At the critical moment of life and death, a deadly sense of crisis from his instincts made the hair on his body stand on end! He didn't have time to think much or turn around completely. In his haste, he could only frantically pour all his demonic energy into the ghost-headed banner he had just taken out, while activating a black jade pendant at his waist that automatically protected its owner!
hum!
A solid, pitch-black bone shield instantly appeared behind him, and the jade pendant also emitted a dark light barrier!
However, how could a hasty defense withstand Qin Hao's well-planned, all-out sneak attack, which was the culmination of his entire being?
Snap! Puff!
First came a teeth-grinding crack as the seemingly sturdy bone shield was pierced and shattered like paper before the armor-piercing Blade of the Sky-Piercing Blade! Then, the dark light barrier lasted less than half a breath before being mercilessly torn apart by the dark gold light!
"Ugh—!" Tianku Shangren only had time to let out a short and shrill scream before the dark golden light pierced through his protective demonic light and went straight through his chest! A violent tearing force and destructive magic power erupted instantly within his body!
boom!
The Heavenly Cry Master's physical body burst open like an inflated balloon, with blood and flesh flying everywhere! A panicked, distorted-faced black nascent soul, no bigger than a fist, screamed as it fled from the blood mist, clutching the ghost-headed banner and storage bag tightly in its arms. It turned into a streak of black light and tried to teleport away!
"Trying to leave?" Qin Hao snorted coldly, already prepared.
The "Shocking Thrust" struck first, piercing the black nascent soul's brow in an instant!
"Ah—!" The nascent soul let out a shrill, inhuman scream. Its escape light instantly dissipated, and it stood frozen in mid-air, its soul trembling violently, clearly having suffered a severe injury.
Qin Hao flashed forward and arrived in front of him. His large hand was covered with a layer of dark golden light. He firmly grasped the black nascent soul that was severely injured by the God-Shocking Thorn and unable to move, along with the ghost-headed banner and storage bag in its arms!
"Soul search!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Hao's powerful divine sense surged into the core of Tianku Shangren's nascent soul's memory like a raging torrent!
A few breaths later, the soul search was complete. Qin Hao suddenly unleashed a burst of dark golden light from his palm!
puff!
With a soft sound, the Heavenly Cry Master's nascent soul, along with his remnant spirit, was completely annihilated by the terrifying power, leaving only a ghostly black banner and a storage bag.
Qin Hao picked up the small black banner, about the size of a palm, with a jet-black flagpole and a banner surface embroidered with strange runes, and felt the immense power of the Yin spirits and the pure demonic energy contained within it.
However, just as he put away the Ghost Banner and storage bag, preparing to clean up the traces at the scene and escape silently, several powerful auras suddenly erupted from the direction of the Golden Radiance Tribe in the distance, among which two auras of the early Nascent Soul stage were rushing toward him at an astonishing speed!
Clearly, the faint fluctuations of demonic energy dissipation and nascent soul annihilation triggered by the death of the Heavenly Cry Master alarmed the other Yinluo Sect cultivators remaining in the tribe! And those two Mulan Masters must have been alarmed as well!
"Hmph, you ignorant fool!" Qin Hao's eyes flashed with cold light, his killing intent palpable. Since he had already been exposed, he might as well stop hiding! Instead of fleeing, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and charged towards the two fastest streaks of light that were hurtling towards him! His speed far surpassed that of an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
The first to rush over were none other than Guru Glenn and Guru Batur, who had previously given him the information!
"How dare you! Prepare to die!"
The two roared and unleashed their most prized magical weapons, charging forward menacingly.
A cruel sneer curled at the corner of Qin Hao's lips. Faced with the enraged attacks of the two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he didn't even bother to unleash his magic weapon. His figure flashed like a ghost, faster than the two cultivators' divine senses could detect, and he instantly appeared before Master Glenn!
"break!"
With a low shout, Qin Hao's right fist flashed with an extremely refined dark golden light. Without any fancy moves, it unleashed a terrifying power that could shatter mountains and split rocks, and destroy the vacuum. It was a simple and brutal punch!
Master Glenn felt a blur before his eyes as an aura of death, so intense it froze his very soul, enveloped his entire body! The protective spiritual light he desperately activated and the flaming scimitar he unleashed were like paper toys before that dark golden fist!
Snap! Boom!
The protective aura shattered instantly! The flaming scimitar let out a mournful cry as it was smashed away by a punch, its aura dimming! Immediately afterward, the fist, imbued with destructive power, slammed solidly into Master Glenn's chest!
puff!
The chilling sounds of bones shattering and flesh exploding rang out simultaneously! The dignified early-stage Nascent Soul Master Mu Lan was actually smashed to pieces by Qin Hao's single punch! Her upper body exploded into a cloud of blood and flesh, while her lower body fell limply to the ground!
The nearby Guru Batur witnessed this scene and was so terrified that his soul almost left his body and his liver and gallbladder trembled! He dared not attack anymore, and with a strange cry, he turned around to burn his essence blood to use Blood Escape to escape for his life!
"Stay here!" Qin Hao's icy voice was like the pronouncement of death. His figure flashed again, instantly crossing space and appearing beside Master Batur. He delivered a simple yet powerful dark gold punch that contained the ultimate power of the Heaven-Supporting Demon Art!
"No—!" Master Batur only had time to let out a desperate roar.
boom!
The outcome was a foregone conclusion! Yet another Nascent Soul Master, faced with Qin Hao's physical strength comparable to that of a prehistoric beast, followed in the footsteps of his companion, and was brutally smashed into another messy, bloody pulp! The Nascent Soul didn't even have time to escape before being shattered by the force of the punch!
The entire process was swift and swift, taking only two or three breaths! Two Nascent Soul Masters perished!
Qin Hao didn't even glance at the two pools of mess on the ground. Without lingering, his figure blurred, transforming into a streak of azure light that tore through the air, and he flew rapidly towards Tiantian City. His posture was extremely elegant, concealing his merits and fame.
……
When Qin Hao returned to Tiantian City, weary yet exuding an aura of unstoppable momentum, presenting the blood-stained Ghost Banner and a jade slip containing crucial information gleaned from the soul-searching of the Heavenly Crying Immortal, the entire highest-level council hall of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance instantly fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then, an uncontrollable surge of shock, anger, and panic erupted like a volcanic eruption!
The dozen or so Nascent Soul stage elders representing the top forces in Tiannan all had ashen faces and their eyes were fixed on the demonic Ghost Banner on the council table! They were all old monsters who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years and were well aware of the terrifying strength of the Great Jin cultivation world and the infamous reputation of the Yin Luo Sect.
"The Great Jin Dynasty... Yinluo Sect!"
"Top three of the Ten Demonic Sects! Each sect has at least two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators guarding it!"
"It's over! Utterly over! The Mulan people were already powerful, with three great Divine Masters all at the late Nascent Soul stage! Now, with the addition of the Yinluo Sect... how can Tiannan possibly withstand them?"
"Why is the Yinluo Sect interfering in the affairs of Tiannan? Aren't they afraid that the righteous path of the Great Jin will take advantage of the situation?"
"Five Nascent Soul stage late-stage combatants! How are we supposed to fight them..."
A sense of despair spread like a plague through the spacious, cold council chamber, so heavy it was suffocating.
Even some arrogant and domineering Nascent Soul cultivators felt a chill and a sense of powerlessness from the bottom of their hearts. The combat power of five late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators was like five giant mountains pressing down on them; just thinking about it was enough to make any cultivator from Tiannan despair.
"Ahem!" A clear cough imbued with profound magical power rang out like a booming bell in the deathly silent hall, forcefully suppressing all the noise.
Wei Wuyai slowly stood up, his expression still calm, his gaze sweeping across each Nascent Soul cultivator present with lightning speed. He pointed to Qin Hao, who stood calmly in the hall, his voice steady and powerful, clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"Fellow Daoists! Please be patient! The information brought back by Fellow Daoist Zhang is indeed astonishing, but it is not all bad news!"
"Based on what Fellow Daoist Zhang found from searching the soul of the Crying Immortal that day, the main purpose of the Yinluo Sect's cooperation with the Mulan people this time is to collect the living souls of cultivators to repair the Ghost Banner, rather than to completely occupy Tiannan! Therefore, the Yinluo Sect will definitely not send out all its forces! At most, they will send a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, leading some elite elders to supervise the battle and collect living souls!"
"Let us not forget! In Tiannan, we also have three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators! Wei, Fellow Daoist Zhiyang of the Righteous Path Alliance, and Fellow Daoist Hehuan of the Demonic Path! Furthermore, the dragon and phoenix couple, working together, can rival a Grand Master! And Fellow Daoist Zhang's supernatural abilities are evident to all! Several months ago, he was able to fight Wei to a draw at the border of the Mulan Grassland! Such strength is enough to contend with a Grand Master of the Yinluo Sect? In that case, we have five top-tier combatants! Enough to stand on equal footing with the invading enemy! What is there to fear?!"
Wei Wuyai's clear and incisive analysis was like the sun breaking through the clouds, instantly dispelling the gloom and despair that had shrouded everyone's hearts! Yes, the Yinluo Sect couldn't possibly send out its entire force! We also have five top-tier combatants!
Linghu Patriarch was the first to react, immediately speaking up in a loud and confident voice: "Alliance Leader Wei is absolutely right! With Fellow Daoist Zhiyang, Fellow Daoist Hehuan, and Alliance Leader Wei—three late-stage Grand Cultivators—in charge! Fellow Daoists Longfeng, working together, are more than capable of matching a Grand Cultivator! Add to that Fellow Daoist Zhang, who is capable of contending with a late-stage Grand Cultivator! That's a total of five top-tier combatants! As long as our Tiannan cultivation world puts aside past grievances, unites sincerely, and pulls our strength together, we will surely be able to completely crush the ambitions of the Mulan people and the Yinluo Sect! We will drive them back to the grasslands!"
"Correct!"
"Fellow Daoist Linghu is right!"
"If we work together, we will surely be able to protect our homeland!"
"Nine nations swear an oath to live and die with Tiannan!"
The atmosphere in the hall was instantly ignited, despair was dispelled, and morale was rekindled! Under the threat of annihilation, any internal conflicts or grudges between sects were temporarily suppressed, and a sense of shared hatred against the common enemy prevailed.
Seeing that the army's morale was high, Wei Wuyai immediately seized the opportunity and began to deploy the defense tasks in detail. He divided the defense lines into areas of responsibility for each faction, formulated a plan for allocating supplies and spirit stones, and issued orders to summon cultivators from the rear to the front lines... one by one, he issued clear and specific instructions.
Faced with the immense pressure from the combined forces of the Mulan people and the Yinluo Sect, none of the Nascent Soul cultivators present dared to be negligent or shirk their responsibilities. They all solemnly accepted the order, transforming into streaks of light of different colors and hurriedly leaving the council hall to return to their sects to mobilize troops and prepare for the upcoming great battle.
After everyone had left, only Wei Wuyai and Qin Hao remained in the large council hall.
The inspiring determination on Wei Wuyai's face faded, revealing a hint of weariness, but even more so, genuine gratitude. He solemnly bowed to Qin Hao, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, we are truly indebted to you this time! If you hadn't risked so much danger to venture into the tiger's den of the Mulan Grasslands and bring back such crucial evidence and intelligence, the consequences would have been unimaginable given our sudden and unexpected attack! The entire cultivation world of Tiannan owes you a tremendous debt of gratitude!"
Qin Hao waved his hand dismissively, cutting straight to the point with a calm and even tone: "Fellow Daoist Wei, there's no need for formalities. My mission here was to fulfill a previous promise and gather intelligence. Now that the mission is complete, the intelligence has been delivered, and the irrefutable evidence is here. As for the reward we agreed upon beforehand..."
Wei Wuyai immediately understood, a smile spreading across his face as he said repeatedly, "Of course! How could I be a man of my word? Rest assured, fellow Daoist, the reward I promised you will not be less than promised! The treasure vault is located in the core of this Tiantian City, heavily guarded. Please follow me, fellow Daoist."
……
Under Wei Wuyai's personal guidance, Qin Hao passed through several powerful protective light barriers and heavily guarded passages, entering the core treasure vault of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance. The vault was vast, filled with glittering jewels and shimmering spiritual light.
Various rare and precious medicinal herbs were carefully sealed in jade boxes, piled up like mountains; refining materials shimmered with various colors of precious light, categorized neatly; magical treasures and ancient artifacts were displayed on jade platforms, exuding a powerful spiritual pressure; cultivation manuals and jade slips emanated an ancient aura. The collection here can be considered one of the finest treasures of the cultivation world in Tiannan.
Wei Wuyai was enthusiastically preparing to introduce several treasures of the treasury, such as an ancient sword that was entirely crimson and exuded scorching sword energy, or a fist-sized spirit-gathering stone, but Qin Hao directly raised his hand to interrupt him: "Fellow Daoist Wei, there's no need to bother with introductions. I have a clear goal, so I'll just take a look myself."
Qin Hao's powerful divine sense swept across the entire treasure vault like mercury, his target crystal clear. He paused briefly in the area piled high with spiritual herbs, his divine sense scanning the jade boxes labeled with their names, finally locking onto a box carved entirely from cold jade in an inconspicuous corner.
The box was opened, and inside lay a golden-yellow herb, shaped like a lingzhi mushroom, yet emitting a faint metallic luster and a strange, bone-like fragrance—the Golden Bone Mushroom! Previously, at the Tiannan Trade Fair, Qin Hao had already collected the auxiliary materials "Earth Marrow Crystal" and "Hundred-Refined Gold Essence," among others. With this main ingredient, the Golden Bone Mushroom, he could refine the body-strengthening elixir "Golden Bone Paste," which greatly enhances bone hardness!
Without hesitation, Qin Hao took the "Golden Bone Mushroom" from the cold jade box and put it into his storage bag. Wei Wuyai watched from the side, secretly relieved, even feeling a little fortunate. Although the Golden Bone Mushroom was extremely rare, a sacred medicine coveted by body refiners, in the current human world where body refinement traditions were declining and spiritual energy was scarce, its practical application value was indeed not high, far less precious than materials that could directly improve cultivation or refine top-level magic treasures.
Leaving the treasure vault and walking along the corridor back to the surface, Wei Wuyai's face regained its warm smile, but his tone changed, carrying obvious expectation and pressure: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, now that powerful enemies are pressing in, your strength is unparalleled, and you are an indispensable top combat force for Tiannan. On the battlefield, we will need to rely heavily on your supernatural abilities."
"As long as it's my duty, I will not shirk it."
Wei Wuyai's lips twitched. This person spoke well on the surface, but in reality, he was telling him that there was no problem with his own duties, but as for the rest, he would have to pay a price.
……
After returning to his residence, Qin Hao gave the pills he had "collected" from Cangkun Shangren's cave to Yuan Yao and Yan Li respectively, and then announced to the public that he was going into seclusion.
Inside the secret room, Qin Hao casually tossed the portrait of Master Cangkun onto the wall and hung it up, then let out a cold snort.
"If you don't show yourself soon, don't blame me for burning this painting!"
Sure enough, the next second, Venerable Cangkun floated out of the portrait.
"How did you discover me, fellow Daoist?"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the remnant soul of Master Cangkun was frozen in place by a beam of light and could no longer move.
"What does this mean, fellow Taoist?"
Qin Hao smiled dismissively: "Should I address you as Venerable Cangkun, or Ancient Demon?"
"How could you know..." Venerable Cangkun was shocked.
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Qin Hao had already placed several restrictions on his remnant soul.
Master Cangkun tried to struggle and say something, but the next second he fell silent.
Qin Hao wouldn't be like those fools from the Ghost Spirit Sect, letting this guy manipulate him and obediently sending it to merge with the ancient demon's body.
After using the Soul Searching Technique several times, Qin Hao finally unleashed the Asura Sacred Flame to completely annihilate the remnant soul of Cangkun Shangren.
"It's a pity we couldn't find the ancient demon's body-refining techniques on this ancient demon's fragmented soul. I wonder if we could get them from the ancient demon's main soul."
While Qin Hao was in seclusion, the Mulan army had already besieged the city, and the border was densely packed with Mulan tents, stretching for dozens of miles.
Cultivators from the Tiannan cultivation world were also arriving in droves, and the two sides confronted each other in front of Huanglong Mountain, a great battle about to break out. (End of this chapter)