"Safe travels, Fellow Daoist!"
"Master Danchenzi, whenever you have leisure, feel free to visit my Mount Qingcang for a chat. While I have no celestial tea to offer, a cup of modest wine will certainly be in ample supply."
"Of course, of course! I have long wished to see how a great sect's outer branch operates."
Outside the Ink Lotus Garden, two Daoists bowed to each other in parting.
Beaming, Luo Chen watched the True Cultivator depart into the distance. The man possessed a formidable cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
He was none other than Helian Cheng, an elder of Mount Qingcang's lower academy.
The lower academy of Mount Qingcang was Azure Pill Valley's outer sect.
His visit here naturally had not been without purpose.
Returning to the Ink Lotus Garden, Luo Chen sat in the gazebo and took out the item Helian Cheng had brought.
A flying sword of magic treasure grade.
Its name was the Autumn Water Sword!
Though low-grade, once Luo Chen channeled his spiritual power into it, its watery-blue sheen proved that the blade was quite extraordinary.
Furthermore, an innate Tier 3 spell was imbued upon it—Raging Waves and Surging Billows.
As long as a massive surge of spiritual power was infused and paired with the corresponding hand seal, it could unleash wave upon wave of relentless strikes.
Now, this was what a genuine magic treasure ought to be!
It was nothing like Luo Chen's Profound Fire Sword, which had no innate spells whatsoever.
Huo Hu was truly to blame for his stinginess; he had wanted to maintain prestige for the Huo family auction, yet couldn't bear to part with anything truly fine.
And to top it off, Wang Haichao had actually footed the bill for Huo Hu back then.
Luo Chen casually brandished the Autumn Water Sword a few times, a look of satisfaction spreading across his face.
This was the fruit of a purchase notice he had left on the jade wall of Gaoyang Tower in the market.
He had traded Wei Tuo's Nine-Ring Buddhist Staff for it in a direct barter.
Strictly speaking, there was a price discrepancy, as the staff was not worth quite as much.
Yet Helian Cheng had simply waived that difference on the spot.
The reason?
To put it simply, to make a friend!
The esteemed status of a formidable alchemist was gradually manifesting its influence.
The active courtship from Gold Core Masters, the fawning overtures of peers in the same realm—only Luo Chen himself knew what that taste was like.
"Huiniang has always lacked a magic treasure-grade sidearm.
"This Autumn Water Sword has an elegant and refined appearance, and its might is quite remarkable. It suits her perfectly.
"Consider it a souvenir from my long trip!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and stowed the flying sword into his storage bag.
Just as he was about to return to his quarters to read, Tao Yisheng hurried in, his face glowing with joy.
"Yisheng, what good fortune has you wearing such a grin?"
From a distance, Tao Yisheng called out, "Brother Luo, tomorrow our sect is holding the Dao Seed Ceremony for my sister! I came specially to notify you. When the time comes, you must come watch the ceremony!"
Luo Chen was taken aback.
So soon?
***
Naturally, it was soon.
After all, not much time had elapsed since the last Dao Seed Ceremony was held.
The Azure Pill Valley cultivators were thoroughly familiar with the procedures,
and the required materials were easily gathered.
Coupled with Tao Wan's master, Master Baisu, fanning the flames from behind the scenes, the ceremony naturally progressed swiftly.
Once the ceremony concluded, so long as Tao Wan committed no grave blunders, she could cultivate toward the Gold Core stage in complete peace and security.
In the future, she would even take the reins of the entire sect!
Atop Qingyun Peak.
Luo Chen looked up at the woman kneeling reverently before the Patriarch's ancestral tablet, deeply stirred by emotion.
From the former True Disciple Tao, to the present Dao Child Tao, to the future Sect Master Tao.
Step by step, this woman was ascending into the upper echelons of the Jade Cauldron Domain.
In the future, she would stand among eminent figures like Qingyunzi and the Palace Master of Hundred Blossoms!
He wondered when he would ever reach such a height.
While he was lost in thought, the various rituals and protocols flowed past like water.
Over a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators maintained a hushed silence, watching the woman with eyes brimming with envy, reverence, resentment, and a myriad of other emotions.
When the final ancestral offering was complete, an ethereal voice drifted down from above.
"The Soul Lamp is lit; the Dao Seed is chosen... As of this day, Tao Wan is appointed Azure Pill Valley's current Dao Child! Carry forth the Great Dao and forge into the future; Azure Pill Valley's prosperity rests upon you!"
Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes,
Tao Wan slowly rose before the Patriarch's ancestral tablet.
Upon her head rested a dark crown and a purple-feathered cape, her black hair bound behind her.
She wore a teal brocade embroidered skirt trimmed with gilded lace and woven with intricate patterns—dignified, yet graceful and understated.
Her feet were shod in cloud-weave white boots, seemingly trailing wisps of pale mist with every step.
Qingyunzi stepped back slowly, making way for her to walk to the front.
She looked down upon the crowd outside the hall.
There were her former rivals—Danyangzi, Du Changfeng, Shangguan Yan, and the others.
There were also the fellow disciples who had stood by her from the very start, like Fu Li, Qi Lingyun, and Tan Xiao.
And there were countless junior disciples, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Every flicker of emotion on their faces was captured in her sight.
This was her future foundation!
How to bring this cohort fully under her control would depend on her methods.
Yet at the very least, she now held the mantle of legitimacy.
Further away, the members of the Tao clan were joyfully looking on.
Among the crowd, Luo Chen's figure stood out, distinguished and serene.
*Everyone is here!*
The corners of Tao Wan's lips curled slightly, a smile playing across her rosy face.
She slowly raised her hand.
Instantly, the mountain, which had been silent as a tomb, erupted into a thunderous roar like an oceanic surge.
"Junior Brother pays his respects to the Dao Child!"
"Junior Sister pays her respects to the Dao Child!"
In the crowd, Luo Chen offered a distant bow and echoed in a clear voice:
"Luo Chen here pays his respects to Dao Child Tao!"
***
Deep amidst white clouds, along a bluestone path.
Two figures strolled side by side. Wherever they walked, mountain breezes brushed past, and the mist parted on its own accord.
A look of doubt lingered on Luo Chen's face.
Three full days had passed since Tao Wan assumed the mantle of Azure Pill's Dao Seed.
Throughout these three days, she had avoided discussing the high-grade Soaring Dragon Pills, merely asking him to wait.
And he had waited three whole days.
Only today had Tao Wan invited him up Mount Qingyun.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this mountain?"
"The peaks are majestic, the scenery magnificent, and above all, the spiritual energy is abundant. Truly, it is a celestial sacred ground!"
Luo Chen answered without any intent to flatter, simply stating the truth.
Qingyun Peak was indeed a rare and exceptional place for cultivation.
It harbored a Tier 3 spirit vein within, and after centuries of stewardship by Azure Pill Valley, its cultivation environment surpassed even Tianlan Peak, which also rested on a Tier 3 spirit vein.
Tao Wan smiled faintly. "Qingyun Peak can be called a prime spot for cultivation, but hardly a 'sacred ground.' In the vast cultivation world of the Eastern Desolation, only the Minyuan Sect, which once produced a Pill Saint, qualifies as a true sacred ground. The other sects are merely ordinary."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
Following Tao Wan's explanation, Luo Chen finally understood why she spoke in such terms.
Cultivators had realms, spirit beasts had ranks, and even pills and magical artifacts had grades.
Naturally, within sects that placed great store in hierarchy and protocol, there were corresponding standards as well.
Take, for instance, the nomenclature of sects.
Ordinary rogue cultivator factions that lacked a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator were deemed unranked.
If they had one or two True Cultivators, they could be counted as third-rate factions, like the Mountain Splitting Gang and the Great River Gang.
If they boasted a significant number of True Cultivators, they could become second-rate, like Danxia's Luotian Association.
Of course, even with a late Foundation Establishment grand cultivator presiding, they were at best the cream of the crop among second-rate factions.
If one wished to make the great sects take notice, a Gold Core cultivator had to emerge from within, or a Gold Core consecrated elder had to be retained on a long-term basis.
Only then could a faction barely be considered first-rate.
Above these three tiers were the so-called Great Sects.
Any Gold Core Great Sect had to have no fewer than three Gold Core Masters!
And should a Nascent Soul cultivator emerge, a Great Sect would be elevated to a Superior Sect!
Above the Superior Sects were the sacred grounds Tao Wan had mentioned.
A sacred ground commanded the homage of ten thousand immortals and the tribute of multiple domains. They stood as deities of a realm, their word law, unchallenged and universally obeyed!
Such colossal prestige naturally had its foundation.
Simply put, a cultivation sacred ground had to be anchored by a Deity Transformation grandmaster!
Perhaps some might feel that categorizing cultivation sects in such a manner was overly worldly,
clashing with the otherworldly image of celestial cultivators who feasted on dawn mist and drank dew.
Yet beneath these worldly divisions lay corresponding rights and duties.
Only a Great Sect had the right to establish a mountain, build an order, and pass down an orthodox lineage without being beholden to others!
Only a Superior Sect could govern an entire domain, reaping the finest treasures of the land to nurture its Nascent Soul True Monarchs!
And only a sacred ground could anchor the destiny of the human race, possessing the authority to launch reclamation wars at will, expanding territory for humanity's cultivators and securing greater pools of cultivation resources!
Below these three tiers, even if a faction was ranked, it remained subject to others, living under their thumb.
Back on Danxia Peak, when Luo Chen had held the Foundation Establishment ceremony for Sima Huiniang, Tantai Jin had casually remarked that certain rites bordered on improper protocol.
At the time, Luo Chen had paid it no mind.
Looking back now, several elements had indeed overstepped the bounds of protocol.
Those rituals were not meant to be used lightly.
Otherwise, it was an act of usurpation.
If a great sect truly decided to pursue the matter, they could make a mountain out of a molehill and subject the Luotian Association to profound humiliation.
"Though Azure Pill Valley is strong, it is merely a drop in the ocean within the Eastern Desolation. Even in our little Jade Cauldron Domain, two great mountains loom above us.
"Though I was fortunate enough to become Dao Child, in the boundless cultivation world, that is truly nothing remarkable."
Tao Wan sighed, her eyes laden with a wistful melancholy.
Luo Chen had intended to say, "Fellow Daoist is underestimating herself."
Yet the words caught in his throat and could not be voiced.
Three days ago, he had been daydreaming about when he might ever reach Tao Wan's height.
Looking back now, his horizons had indeed been too narrow.
Above the Gold Core lay the Nascent Soul.
And beyond Great Sects and Superior Sects, sacred grounds anchored the entire Eastern Desolation.
"I have strayed off topic."
Tao Wan chuckled suddenly, coming to a halt.
She stepped forward and waved her wide sleeve.
"We have arrived. Fellow Daoist Luo Chen, welcome to my grotto-abode!"
Surprised, Luo Chen looked ahead.
The clouds and mist rolled back, revealing a resplendent, golden palace.
At Tao Wan's invitation, Luo Chen stepped inside.
The moment he entered, his expression shifted.
"This concentration of spiritual energy..."
"Quite impressive, isn't it?" Tao Wan smiled faintly, speaking partly in pride and partly as a host presenting her home to a guest. "As a Golden Core Dao Seed and Azure Pill Valley's Dao Child, the residence arranged by the sect naturally boasts the finest cultivation environment.
"Though our realm prevents us from directly utilizing a Tier 3 spirit land, our sect's Gold Core seniors have arranged formations here to continuously maintain a pseudo-Tier-3 concentration, just enough for cultivators of our level to absorb.
"If a Foundation Establishment cultivator practices here long-term, their progress will be seven to eight times faster than in an ordinary high-grade grotto-abode!"
*Seven to eight times!*
Luo Chen was stunned.
Even with his cultivated composure, a flash of longing surfaced in his eyes.
Tao Wan watched his changing expressions closely.
A slight smile curved her lips.
"Fellow Daoist came all this way to Azure Pill Valley to aid me, yet you stayed shut indoors for half a year without taking the time to enjoy our sect's scenic splendors. If word got out, others would say that Azure Pill's Dao Child knows nothing of hospitality.
"Why not stay here for a time? Consider it a small gesture of Wanwan playing the host!"
Luo Chen swallowed hard, his throat dry. "That... might not be appropriate, would it?"
"What is inappropriate about it?" Tao Wan pointed toward the spacious main hall and the two flanking side halls. "Without your full support, this place would not belong to me today. Eldest Senior Brother's abilities far surpassed my—"
At the mention of Danyangzi, her interest was piqued.
"Speaking of which, after becoming Dao Child, I learned a few bits of news.
"Over the past several decades, Eldest Senior Brother has actually committed quite a few infractions."
Luo Chen's curiosity was roused. "Oh? Why would he commit so many blunders out of nowhere?"
Tao Wan pursed her red lips and nodded. "It is true. Some details are not mine to share, but the critical reason that finally led the Five Peak Masters to resolve to strip him of his Dao Seed title was that he leaked one of our sect's core secret arts to his younger brother. And because his brother was killed, that core secret art ended up falling outside our hands.
"Even though it was only a fragment and not vital, that was by no means something a Dao Child should ever have done."
Luo Chen's curiosity was thoroughly ignited.
What kind of secret art could have served as the straw that broke Danyangzi's back?
"The specifics are hard to describe, but it is a preparatory cultivation method related to a Core Formation secret art reserved solely for Dao Children. Once I have settled sect matters, I will also have to head out to investigate and retrieve that art if possible," Tao Wan said.
A preparatory cultivation method for a Core Formation secret art reserved solely for Dao Children?
Luo Chen shook his head. "That might be difficult to recover! A cultivation manual can be learned and used by anyone who sees it. How could it possibly be retrieved?"
Tao Wan waved her hand dismissively.
"It isn't that difficult. If it fell into the hands of a great sect, we can simply negotiate an exchange of terms or demand compensation. After all, it is merely a preparatory method.
"If it fell into the hands of a rogue cultivator, that makes it even simpler. We just kill them."
She spoke with utter nonchalance.
Yet beneath that nonchalance lay absolute indifference toward the lives of rogue cultivators.
It was only because Luo Chen was no longer truly regarded as an ordinary rogue cultivator—though not formally bound to a sect, he was nonetheless an affiliate of the Ice Fort and an honored guest of Fairy Jueqing—that he did not shudder at her words.
*Perhaps this is simply how eminent sect disciples operate!* Luo Chen thought to himself.
With that diversion, the earlier invitation to stay as a guest felt far less abrupt.
"Have you made up your mind, Fellow Daoist?"
Luo Chen chuckled pleasantly.
"Since you have extended such a gracious invitation, how could I refuse? Besides, I truly envy such a cultivation environment.
"In that case, I shall defer to my host's generosity!"
Tao Wan broke into an understanding smile.
She had known that petty favors would never sway Luo Chen.
Yet when it came to cultivation, there were always things he could not resist.
Such as this pseudo-Tier-3 cultivation grounds!
Moreover, she had fulfilled the mission assigned by her sect elders: temporarily keeping Luo Chen around.
***
Inside the Dao Child Palace.
Luo Chen took up residence in one of the side halls.
Pacing about, his heart was full of joy!
A cultivation environment steeped in such dense spiritual energy was the very dream of someone born a rogue cultivator!
Just breathing casually caused his Qi sea to surge, stirring an irresistible impulse to sit cross-legged on the floor and dedicate himself entirely to cultivation.
"By accepting such a massive favor from Tao Wan, I will probably be cemented as the Tao clan's consecrated elder from now on!" Luo Chen murmured.
Yet he felt no heavy burden.
The Tao clan was on the cusp of revival.
Once Tao Wan achieved Core Formation, restoring the glorious days when Master Nanshan walked the earth two centuries ago was entirely within reach.
Under such conditions, a mere Foundation Establishment consecrated elder would hardly be called upon to bear heavy burdens.
Tao Wan's goodwill, beyond winning him over, likely stemmed from other factors as well.
It was a repayment for his unwavering support in the second round, where he had defied the resentment of the Azure Pill disciples to back her.
And it was also because of his close ties with Fairy Jueqing.
Fostering good relations with him was a way of returning courtesy for courtesy.
On the Sword Arena, the Ice Soul Marrow Tao Wan had deployed at the critical moment was no common treasure.
It was a Tier 3 treasure accessible only to the Gold Core Masters of the Ice Fort!
Had Fairy Jueqing not bestowed it, even the true disciples of a great sect would have struggled to obtain a single drop.
"Since this benefit has come my way, I might as well accept it.
"I cannot slack off—I must consume every drop of it!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen lingered no longer and went straight into the cultivation chamber prepared within the side hall.
He lit a stick of Fierce Spirit Incense.
Then, Luo Chen sat down cross-legged.
His Grandmaster-level *Ageless Evergreen Scripture* circulated with flawless mastery.
The ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into his body like a tidal wave.
And through successive cycles of the art, it was refined into spiritual power, pouring continuously into his vast, boundless Qi sea.
Chapter 346