Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 292 The True Monarch Takes Action, Array Jade Slip

Lin Changsheng couldn't help but take a closer look.

The two were bound and restrained by threads formed from black energy.

His internal magical power was severely depleted, seemingly suppressed by some force and difficult to recover.

Besides Lin Changsheng, the other elders also noticed the two of them.

Although they were curious, no one asked.

"Elder Demon Light, it's been several years, and your cultivation has improved even more."

"Given time, he can expect to reach the Nascent Soul stage."

Guigu Zhenjun's gaze fell on the Demon Light True Man at the very front.

"Thanks to the Supreme Elder, I have cultivated diligently for many years and finally achieved perfection, but I am not even 10% confident that I can take it a step further."

The usually aloof and taciturn Master Moguang lost his usual coldness in front of Master Guigu.

However, he did not show any pride in his slight progress in his cultivation level; instead, he was more worried.

"Haha, Elder Moguang, there's no need to worry. In a few years, when I'm free, I will lend you a hand."

"At that time, Elder Moguang will become the second Nascent Soul cultivator of the Ghost Valley Sect after Benzhenjun. He should take on more of the sect's affairs."

Upon hearing this, Guigu Zhenjun laughed heartily and made a personal promise.

"Thank you, Supreme Elder. Mo Guang will certainly live up to your expectations."

Even the usually silent Master Moguang couldn't help but be moved and slightly excited when he heard Master Guigu make the promise in person, and he thanked him repeatedly.

Apart from Senior Brother Tan, the other elders present all showed expressions of envy and longing.

Lin Changsheng also understood the meaning behind their words.

As the true first elder of the Ghost Valley Sect, Master Moguang's cultivation level had already reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

In theory, he is qualified to attempt to reach the Nascent Soul realm.

It seems that Master Guigu also intends to support him, promising to help Master Moguang break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Although reaching the Nascent Soul realm is extremely difficult and unlikely, if a True Monarch is willing to provide assistance, there might actually be a chance.

At the very least, if the 'Heavenly Poison True Man' back then had received the support of a True Monarch, even a small amount of assistance, there would have been a considerable chance that he could have advanced to the Nascent Soul stage.

Unfortunately, he came from a martial arts background in the secular world, and his personality was brave and combative. He didn't know how to restrain himself, so he had a very bad reputation and popularity in the cultivation world.

Most of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs who had dealings with 'Heavenly Poison True Man' were those whose descendants had been killed or robbed, and who came to demand justice.

This led to the path becoming narrower and narrower, until he was finally trapped and killed by the Nascent Soul True Monarch inside the ruins.

Although Lin Changsheng did not agree with his style of doing things, he never judged him as 'right or wrong' in his heart.

After all, his current level of achievement is not only due to his talent of "Heaven rewards diligence," but also largely due to standing on the shoulders of giants.

If he were to switch places with "True Poison Master," having only begun cultivating immortality at the age of thirty and starting everything from scratch, he might not necessarily be able to do better.

"When I returned a few days ago, I found these two juniors acting suspiciously outside the sect, so I captured them without hesitation."

Guigu Zhenjun glanced casually at the two bound figures, then asked casually:

"Do any of you elders know them? If they are friends with someone, I will not make things difficult for them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

The elders exchanged glances but said nothing.

Lin Changsheng appeared indifferent, as if it were none of his business.

A few breaths of silence followed.

“Senior, we were indeed just passing through this place. In our memory, this place was barren and remote. Who would have thought that such a large sect would rise up in just a few decades? We were curious, so we came closer to take a look…”

"Yes, senior, we two have absolutely no ill intentions towards your sect."

Seeing that no one spoke, Master Yu Huai and Master Qing She repeatedly begged for mercy.

Neither of the two of them nor Lin Changsheng stood up to accuse the other.

For Lin Changsheng, now that the two have been captured, if he were to take advantage of their misfortune and identify them, he might be able to eliminate them with the help of Guigu Zhenjun. However, the reason for this might expose his own treasure, so it would be better to wait and see.

Seeing that Lin Changsheng hadn't brought it up, Yu Huai Zhenren and Qing She Zhenren naturally wouldn't cause any trouble.

After all, the two of them were genuinely after the elders of the Ghost Valley Sect.

"Enough. I don't want to delve into the reasons. Even if I'm not here, our Ghost Valley Sect still has seven Golden Core cultivators guarding it. They are not something that ordinary forces can shake."

"However, since you two have broken the rules, you will remain in the sect for the time being. I, the True Lord, will give you a chance to atone for your sins."

Guigu Zhenjun's eyes flickered unusually, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

……

Half a day later.

The elders of the various peaks returned with varying expressions.

However, each person now had an extra jade slip bestowed upon them by the True Lord of Ghost Valley.

Lin Changsheng stayed until the very end, slowly and leisurely leaving Tiangui Peak, but he did not go far.

Before long, Senior Brother Tan flew away from the temple and descended from the sky to meet Lin Changsheng.

"Before leaving, my junior brother gestured to me, presumably to inquire about the jade slip."

Upon landing, Senior Brother Tan stroked his silver beard, looking as if he understood Lin Changsheng's inner thoughts, and jokingly said.

"Hehe, Senior Brother Tan has sharp eyes; it's no wonder that my little thoughts can't be hidden."

Lin Changsheng smiled calmly and offered a small compliment.

When he came out, Lin Changsheng glanced at the jade slip given to him by Guigu Zhenjun. Its contents were related to formations, but they were obscure and profound, and seemed to be incomplete.

According to the True Lord's instructions, these elders need to familiarize themselves with the contents of the jade slip as soon as possible.

"Junior brother, rest assured. The contents of this jade slip are a brand new array created by our master by combining various array knowledge. However, the requirements for setting up the array are quite demanding. It requires the combined power of at least nine Golden Core level cultivators to unleash its full potential."

Upon hearing this, Master Tan smiled and began to explain.

"I see. Senior Brother seems to have known about this all along. It seems that the Supreme Elder has been preparing for this matter regarding the grand formation and the nine Golden Core cultivators for quite some time. I wonder if Senior Brother could tell me the details..."

Lin Changsheng's eyes revealed a hint of understanding, and he immediately wanted to ask for details.

Senior Brother Tan gently shook his head and reminded him:

"Junior brother, you only need to focus on familiarizing yourself with the contents of the jade slip. Our master will take care of the rest. I cannot reveal too much."

Lin Changsheng suddenly realized something, and looked at Tiangui Peak where Guigu Zhenjun was located with a deep gaze. Then he clasped his hands in a salute to Senior Brother Tan.

……

Mingling Peak, Guest Reception Hall.

"What are your thoughts on the details of this formation, Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng?"

Shen Wenyao washed the tea set, brewed the spiritual tea, and poured tea and water for Lin Changsheng. Her demeanor was elegant and pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps because the formidable Ziyang Zhenjun was no longer a obstacle, and the problem of refining the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' had been solved, Shen Wenyao's personality became much more relaxed and cheerful.

Over the years, she has visited Mingling Peak from time to time, perhaps initially with the intention of maintaining cooperation and getting closer to the other party.

But as time went by, the two became more familiar with each other and often sat down to discuss matters related to cultivation.

Gradually, they began to exchange stories and anecdotes from all over the country.

Shen Wenyao gradually discovered that Zhang Meng, despite his seemingly rough and burly appearance, was actually very sensitive and knowledgeable.

His vision extends beyond one continent or region; he is knowledgeable about all sorts of interesting human stories, as if he had experienced them firsthand.

This not only broadened the horizons of this pure and beautiful woman, but also aroused her curiosity.

"Since Fairy Shen is proficient in the art of formations, she must already have some guesses about this, so I won't presume to teach her my humble skills."

Lin Changsheng took a sip of the spiritual tea and smiled faintly.

Prior to this, Lin Changsheng had privately exchanged the contents of the jade slips with Shen Wenyao, comparing and verifying them.

It was discovered that, as Senior Brother Tan had said, the contents of the jade slips received by each Golden Core Elder were different.

"Wen Yao only has a rudimentary understanding of second-order formations, how can she be considered an expert? Fellow Daoist, please don't make fun of me."

Shen Wenyao gave Lin Changsheng a reproachful look, then smiled sweetly, her bright eyes sparkling with charm, exuding elegance and grace, and continued:

"Judging from the contents of the jade slip bestowed by the Supreme Elder, it is very likely a composite fourth-order trapping formation with nine Golden Core cultivators as its apertures. Its power is extraordinary. Even if a Nascent Soul True Monarch is trapped inside, breaking the formation will not be easy."

Although her own skill in formations was not high, it did not affect her knowledge. Based on the contents of the two jade slips, Shen Wenyao made a general deduction in her mind.

"Such a formation is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut when dealing with ordinary Golden Core level enemies. It seems that the Supreme Elder brought out this formation and did not hesitate to send nine Golden Core cultivators, most likely to deal with Nascent Soul level enemies."

Following Shen Wenyao's deduction, Lin Changsheng made his judgment.

"Even the Supreme Elder needs the help of nine Golden Core cultivators and the power of the formation. It seems the enemy is quite strong. I wonder if there is any danger."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenyao looked slightly worried, clearly agreeing with Lin Changsheng's words.

"Fairy Shen need not be troubled by this. The Supreme Elder's strength is unfathomable. Among the Nascent Soul True Monarchs I know, he can be ranked among the top three. Otherwise, he would not have established such a large sect in this barren land."

"As long as we follow his arrangements, we may take risks, but we are not necessarily in danger of losing our lives. Otherwise, the Supreme Elder would not need to spend his energy cultivating spiritual veins for us. He could simply use force to control our freedom and force us to do things for him."

"However, we both need to be more vigilant and take care of each other when the time comes."

Lin Changsheng offered comforting words of reason and evidence.

After listening, Shen Wenyao's brows relaxed slightly, and her mind calmed down.

She couldn't help but look at Lin Changsheng with her beautiful eyes, which were filled with tears.

……

It wasn't until dusk that Shen Wenyao reluctantly left Mingling Peak.

She increasingly felt that Zhang Meng's image was tall and imposing.

In her early years, the existence of the Purple Sun True Lord made her feel that her future was bleak, so she dared not hope for a Daoist partner.

Now that we're free from those constraints, this is a natural question to consider.

Putting aside his appearance, Zhang Meng's cultivation level, skills, knowledge, eloquence, and even personality all fit her fantasy of a Daoist partner.

To some extent, after seeing Zhang Meng's thuggish appearance for a long time, she even found him somewhat pleasing to the eye.

In fact, once one reaches the Golden Core True Person realm, the range of potential Daoist partners becomes quite limited.

Male cultivators might also be compatible with female cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, seeking out young and beautiful female cultivators as concubines.

However, if two people are cultivation partners, it is not simply a matter of resolving romantic feelings between men and women. They also need to consider that the two people are close in age, have similar aptitudes, and have compatible cultivation methods.

Under normal circumstances, a pair of Daoist partners cultivating together should achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts.

Therefore, after years of observation, Shen Wenyao unexpectedly discovered that Zhang Meng was also a rare talent.

"If you demand inner ability, you can't be too picky about appearance."

Shen Wenyao often uses self-suggestion.

Moreover, Zhang Meng had collaborated with her on alchemy and knew her biggest secret.

If you can completely win over the other person's heart, there will be no future troubles.

After becoming Daoist partners, her 'Mysterious Yin Physique' will help Zhang Meng break through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

At that time, the couple were not only elders of the Ghost Valley Sect, but Zhang Meng was also a third-level alchemist and talisman master in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, holding a high position comparable to a Grandmaster of the Golden Core realm.

Within their Linglong Pavilion's heritage, there are also several high-level dual cultivation and combined attack techniques; once mastered, the couple would be virtually unbeatable in the Golden Core realm.

The only headache is that when it comes to having offspring, they can't inherit Zhang Meng's appearance.

It's fine if you have a boy, but if you have a girl...

The thought of her future daughter, with her fierce and menacing appearance, filled Shen Wenyao with a sense of unease.

It wasn't until she returned to the Qingluan Peak Dojo that Shen Wenyao suddenly realized what had happened.

How could she think so much?

……

In a side hall of Mingling Peak, Lin Changsheng calmly cleaned up the remaining tea.

He felt a pang of guilt towards Shen Wenyao.

Since learning about her 'Mysterious Yin Constitution', Lin Changsheng has had some ideas.

This special physique that helps people break through can also be effective if used to break through to the future Nascent Soul realm.

It can be considered a special 'Nascent Soul opportunity'.

Therefore, in addition to helping Shen Wenyao with alchemy, Lin Changsheng also subtly provided her with emotional value, revealing his own advantages.

From an emotional perspective, we can soothe Shen Wenyao's wounded heart.

Subtly, he could clearly sense that Shen Wenyao was gradually becoming dependent on him.

Of course, this reliance was based on Lin Changsheng's Golden Core Realm, his unparalleled skills in alchemy and talisman making, and his hundreds of years of experience and knowledge.

Although neither of them had pure motives at the beginning, it did not prevent them from appreciating each other.

However, that's all there is to it.

We are now far from the late stage of the Golden Core realm, and countless changes have occurred in the meantime.

Human hearts are fickle, and Lin Changsheng was not confident that he could make a stunningly beautiful woman follow him faithfully for many years.

……

a few days later.

A half-grown puppet child, with agile movements, hopped and skipped across a desert.

Soon, it appeared in an underground passage.

A feigned, melancholic sigh drifted over.

"Junior Sister Han, why are you doing this?"

"Now that your magical powers are sealed and you are unable to escape this formation, your lives are in imminent danger."

“If you were to remove the poison from yourselves and submit to me, why would Junior Brother Hao Chi have to suffer like this? I can also promise to plead with Master and Second Master in the future to let you two go.”

"After all, our two masters are only targeting Elder Zhang Meng, and will not make things difficult for you."

Feng Ping, Hao Chi, and Han Jiuying were all trapped in the same formation.

Hao Chi's condition was rather miserable; his limbs were cruelly nailed to the ground, his blood had congealed into black scabs, his whole body was convulsing, and he had fallen into a coma.

Feng Ping forcibly suppressed his anger, his gaze greedily sweeping over the aloof girl sitting against the wall not far away.

At this moment, Han Jiuying's originally fair skin was covered with a layer of greenish luster, which looked very strange.