About half a cup of tea later.
The Nascent Soul Old Ancestor of the Li Family, escorted by two Golden Core Elders, hurried towards the main hall, their steps swift, eager to meet the 'Alchemy Great Master'.
However, before they even entered the hall, a terrifying cold blast struck first.
The temperature of the entire hall plummeted, and in just a breath's time, the floor, tables, chairs, and wooden shelves in the hall quickly became covered in frost under the invasion of this terrifying cold, which continuously spread and deepened.
As the footsteps approached, the power of the frost invasion grew stronger.
Li Yuan shivered, the breath he exhaled instantly condensed into cold mist, and his eyebrows and the Magic Robe on his body began to crystallize with white ice under the invasion of this frost power.
Li Yuan gasped, hurriedly mobilizing the True Essence within him to resist the frost's invasion.
However, Li Yuan only had Foundation Establishment cultivation, and his True Essence's power was limited; soon, under the invasion of this powerful frost, his face gradually turned pale, unable to suppress the cold, and his body began to tremble.
Li Mu waved his hand and released a fire-element Spiritual Essence towards Li Yuan to help him resist the cold.
A hint of surprise flashed across Li Mu's face as he looked towards the main entrance, waiting for the Nascent Soul Old Ancestor of the Li Family to enter.
The cold poison within the Nascent Soul Old Ancestor of the Li Family was truly vicious! No wonder he, despite having Nascent Soul cultivation, was helpless against it!
"Master Ye... Master Ye, welcome to our Li Family. I am unwell and failed to greet you properly; I hope Great Master will forgive me!" The Li Family Old Ancestor, Li Xiaotian, struggled to enter the hall, enduring his physical discomfort, his voice trembling coldly as he greeted Li Mu.
At this moment, the Nascent Soul Old Ancestor of the Li Family, Li Xiaotian, was covered in ice, appearing even more miserable than the image Li Mu had seen with his Divine Sense in the stone chamber. He was frozen like an ice man by the cold poison within him, and as he walked, his body emitted 'crack, crack' sounds of ice breaking, which was quite terrifying.
Li Xiaotian struggled to walk in front of Li Mu, the ice crystallized on his body cracking and falling off with his every step.
Soon, the floor of the main hall was covered with shattered ice.
Li Mu stood up, waved his hand, took out the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill, and held it in his hand as if displaying it. Looking at Li Xiaotian, he said directly, "Fellow Daoist is deeply afflicted by cold poison. This Spirit Pill in my hand can just dispel the cold poison in your body. I will exchange this pill for that Flood Dragon Spirit Soul. Are you willing?"
The moment the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill appeared, a rich Fire Spiritual Qi permeated the air, and the surrounding cold air, like snow meeting a blazing fire, was quickly dispelled by the cold-dispelling power of the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill.
As Li Mu took out the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill, the frost around him quickly melted into water, and in the blink of an eye, it was baked into steam, disappearing completely. Even the frost condensed on Li Tianba opposite him showed a slight tendency to melt.
Li Xiaotian's eyes gleamed as he looked at the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill in Li Mu's hand with surprise, as if he had found a life-saving straw, his gaze filled with longing.
"Willing, of course willing, Master Ye, the Flood Dragon Soul is in here!"
Li Xiaotian's eyes shone with a strange light, and a trace of excited flush appeared on his frostbitten face. Without hesitation, he took out a palm-sized green Spirit Bead from his storage bracelet.
The green Spirit Bead was crystal clear on the outside, emitting a faint blue light, and inside the Spirit Bead, a Flood Dragon Spirit Soul was imprisoned, deep in slumber.
Li Xiaotian's hands trembled as he painstakingly handed the Spirit Bead to Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled slightly, very pleased, and readily exchanged with him, accepting the Spirit Bead and handing over the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill to the other party.
Li Xiaotian took the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill and, no longer caring about his image, immediately sat cross-legged, excitedly put the Spirit Medicine into his mouth, circulated his True Essence, and began to refine it with all his might.
In an instant, Li Xiaotian's body erupted with an even more terrifying cold than before.
Seeing this, the faces of several Golden Core Elders of the Li Family changed drastically.
Li Wenlong, a Golden Core Elder of the Li Family, conjured a jade pendant Magic Treasure, forming a light barrier to block the cold current, and anxiously asked Li Mu, "Master Ye, are you alright? What is happening to our Old Ancestor...?"
"It's nothing. He has taken the Spirit Pill and is now forcing out the cold poison from his body. Once the Cold Dispelling Divine Pill is completely refined, the cold poison on him will be completely cleared," Li Mu explained with a slight smile.
Upon hearing this, the Golden Core Elders of the Li Family immediately breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed. They also noticed the abnormality on Li Xiaotian's body at this time; the cold Qi he was emitting was oppressive, but the life force released from the Old Ancestor's body was steadily increasing.
This is great!
The Old Ancestor is finally saved!
The two Golden Core Elders of the Li Family were beaming with joy, both letting out a sigh of relief.
As Li Xiaotian rapidly dispelled the cold poison from his body, the vast hall became even colder due to the cold Qi he dispelled.
Li Mu looked around and reminded, "This place is not suitable for staying long. Let's go out!"
"Yes, yes! Master Ye, I have already ordered someone to prepare a quiet courtyard for you. Please move to the courtyard to rest!" The Golden Core Elder of the Li Family enthusiastically made an inviting gesture, warmly inviting Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded. He indeed needed a place to stay in Luo Tian City. The Li Family was the local power in Luo Tian City, so staying with them temporarily was a good choice.
The Golden Core Elder of the Li Family was overjoyed. Being able to get to know such a Great Master of Alchemy was truly a great fortune. If they could befriend him, they would surely benefit immensely, and if they needed any Spirit Pills refined in the future, they could ask for his help.
One must know that a Great Master of Alchemy who can refine fourth-grade Medicinal Pills is extremely rare.
Even the two major Sects in Luo Tian City each only had one fourth-grade Alchemy Great Master.
Soon, under the enthusiastic guidance of the Li Family Golden Core Elder, Li Mu was led to the Spirit Garden to rest.
The courtyard, covering an area of about a hundred mu of fertile land, had a main room, a cultivation room, and a Formation room. It was quiet and secluded, and it was located on a high-grade Spiritual Vein. The courtyard was equipped with a third-grade Gathering Spirit Formation, making the Spiritual Qi very dense.
In addition, the courtyard also had soundproofing Formations, illusion Formations to prevent Divine Sense prying, and several other third-grade Formations.
Li Mu's Divine Sense swept across, and the Formations set up in the courtyard were clear in his mind.
This courtyard was very thoughtfully arranged, and Li Mu was quite satisfied.
"Master Ye, the courtyard is simple, please make do and rest here! My Old Ancestor will come to visit you after he recovers. If you need anything, you can use this token to summon the servants serving in this garden," the Golden Core Elder of the Li Family took out a silver token and respectfully handed it to Li Mu, indicating.
Li Mu nodded and accepted the token.
After the Li Family Elder left, Li Mu walked into the courtyard and immediately felt a bit desolate.
Li Mu released Xiao Jin, Xiao Wa, and Crimson Wolf from his spirit control treasure bracelet, letting them play and frolic in the courtyard.
As for Xiao Bai, he had not yet awakened.
Ever since devouring Venerable Tianyun's Divine Soul, Xiao Bai, who had fallen into slumber, had continuously emitted spiritual light, and his aura changed daily, constantly growing stronger, as if he was in a state of advancement.
Li Mu didn't know if Xiao Bai could successfully advance after devouring the Soul Transformation soul. The Gu Spirit refined by the Thousand Worms was only fifth-grade, so his advancement would be quite difficult!
However, if Xiao Bai could leap from the Peak of the fifth-grade to the ranks of a sixth-grade Yao Beast, then Li Mu would have another powerful trump card.
Li Mu's Divine Sense was attached to his spirit control treasure bracelet, checking Xiao Bai's status in real-time, filled with anticipation.
Just then, Xiao Jin, Xiao Wa, and Crimson Wolf, who had been released, scurried over to Li Mu.
Xiao Jin reached out and tugged at Li Mu's collar, rubbed his head against Li Mu's thigh, his eyes blinking, and human-like, pointed to his mouth.
Li Mu saw this and immediately understood what they meant.
Alright!
The three guys got hungry as soon as they came out!
"Got it! I'll get you something to eat right away!"
Li Mu smiled slightly, his Divine Sense entering his Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure. Through the Spirit Control Contract Seal, he sent a message to the Azure-Eyed White Ape in the Painting World Treasure Mansion, telling him to catch a fourth-grade Spirit Beast.
The Azure-Eyed White Ape was very diligent; in just a few movements, he pounded to death a ten-zhang-tall fourth-grade Spirit Beast, the Bloodfang Fire Lion.
Not long after, the corpse of the Bloodfang Fire Lion appeared in the courtyard. Xiao Jin and Xiao Wa joyfully cried out, while Crimson Wolf respectfully hid behind Li Mu, barking 'woof woof', filled with awe for the corpse of the fourth-grade Bloodfang Fire Lion.
For a time, the quiet courtyard became quite lively.
...
At this time, Huanlang Spiritual Mountain, tens of thousands of miles away.
Venerable Tianyun, one of the three Soul Transformation of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, was inexplicably killed. Months had passed, but the Loose Cultivator Alliance's investigation intensity remained undiminished.
Any Cultivator passing through Huanlang Spiritual Mountain had to be interrogated, especially those Five Elements Cultivators and Nascent Soul cultivators, who were the first to be questioned.
However, Nascent Soul True Lords possessed extraordinary cultivation and were all arrogant, so how could they easily cooperate with the Loose Cultivator Alliance's investigation? Thus, some conflicts inevitably arose, and many unpleasant incidents occurred.
Finally, the two Venerable Deity Transformation of the Loose Cultivator Alliance stepped forward, dispelling the unruly arrogance of many Nascent Soul cultivators, using their power to pressure the Nascent Soul cultivators into obediently accepting the Loose Cultivator Alliance Cultivators' interrogations.
However, once they understood the true reason behind the Loose Cultivator Alliance's search for the 'murderer', those Nascent Soul cultivators immediately burst into laughter. The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, who had been very displeased by the interrogation, all took this opportunity to mock the Cultivators of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
Venerable Tianyun, one of the three Venerable Deity Transformation of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, was actually killed by a Nascent Soul True Lord with Five Elements Spiritual Power who had leaped a Realm, immediately becoming the biggest joke under heaven!
Absolutely ridiculous!
----
The headquarters of the Loose Cultivator Alliance is located on a large Spiritual Mountain within Huanlang Spiritual Mountain, which contains two high-grade Spiritual Veins.
A majestic city, with numerous palace buildings, was built on the Peak of the Spiritual Mountain.
In the central area of the city, a towering, magnificent Heavenly Pagoda, seeming to pierce through the clouds, was majestic and extraordinary.
This was the headquarters of the Loose Cultivator Alliance. Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Pagoda, Venerable Tianyin and Venerable Linhai sat on two treasure seats, while another seat was empty, giving a sense of incompleteness.
At this moment, below the Spiritual Hall, a Nascent Soul True Lord knelt on both knees, his face filled with sorrow. He looked up tremblingly at the two Venerables.
On the treasure seat, Venerable Tianyin's voice was as pleasant as musical notes, seemingly able to influence others' emotions, and he slowly said, "Liu Changlong, you said Venerable Tianyun previously ordered you to guard a secret Immortal Cave?"
Liu Changlong had been poisoned by Venerable Tianyun and dispatched to guard the Immortal Cave. Now that the incident occurred, he was summoned to the Spiritual Hall to answer Venerable Tianyin's inquiry.
Liu Changlong dared not conceal anything and recounted the situation at that time in detail.
After hearing this, the two Venerables exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of doubt in each other's eyes.
Venerable Linhai's eyes were sharp as he asked in a deep voice, "This matter concerns Venerable Tianyun, why are you only speaking now!"
Liu Changlong gave a bitter smile: "Reporting to the two Venerable Sirs, I was poisoned by Venerable Tianyun, and only had a ten-year antidote. Ever since I learned that Venerable Tianyun had met with misfortune, I have been in constant fear, seeking doctors and medicine everywhere, and thus was delayed..."
After Liu Changlong finished speaking, he pleaded with the two Venerables to remove the poison planted by Venerable Tianyun for him.
Venerable Linhai frowned slightly, his expression displeased, but he did not impose any punishment. Nascent Soul True Lords were the foundation of the Loose Cultivator Alliance; one more meant one more strength. Now that one Venerable Deity Transformation was lost, they could not easily lose another Nascent Soul assistance.
Coincidentally, Venerable Linhai had the antidote for this poison, so he took out the detoxifying Spirit Medicine and gave it to him.
Upon receiving the antidote, Liu Changlong was overjoyed. He immediately bowed respectfully in thanks, and only after receiving permission did he respectfully withdraw.
"This Tianyun truly hid himself deeply. Brother Tianyin, what kind of Immortal Cave do you think it is that made Tianyun wait patiently for a hundred years and hide it so deeply?" Venerable Linhai stroked his beard, his brows furrowed in thought.
Venerable Tianyin's beautiful face showed no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. He merely touched the strings of the zither in his hand, quietly playing a melodious sound that drifted through the air.
But just as he played half a song, the zither music suddenly stopped abruptly.
Venerable Linhai, who was beside him, raised an eyebrow slightly, "What? Any clues?"
Venerable Tianyin's pleasant voice sounded again, carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement, as he looked at Venerable Linhai and asked, "Do you still remember the rumors about Celestial Evolution Divine Lord that circulated in Huanlang Spiritual Mountain?"
"You mean? The Immortal Cave Tianyun was guarding might be left behind by Celestial Evolution Divine Lord?" Venerable Linhai was slightly stunned, and as he thought of something, his breathing suddenly became a little rapid.
Venerable Tianyin's expressionless face finally revealed a smile, and he said with a laugh, "To make Tianyun send people to guard an Immortal Cave, yet not dare to let us know the news, whose Immortal Cave would make Tianyun cherish it so much?"
"Huanlang Spiritual Mountain has only produced four Soul Transformation Cultivators like us. If it's not Celestial Evolution Divine Lord's Immortal Cave, whose could it be? And one more thing, do you remember that Celestial Evolution Divine Lord had a seventh-grade Spirit Treasure on him!"
"The number of Soul Transformation Cultivators who possess Immortal Cave Spirit Treasures can be counted on one hand. Back then, I was extremely envious of Celestial Evolution Divine Lord..." Speaking of the seventh-grade Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure, Venerable Linhai immediately lost his composure, his eyes gleaming.
Venerable Tianyin continued with a smile, "Celestial Evolution Divine Lord and Eternal Demonic Venerable fought, resulting in their demise. Only a few of us know this. His remaining Immortal Cave must contain the Painting World Treasure Mansion, this seventh-grade Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure."
"That Nascent Soul cultivator should be a Formation Great Master, perhaps a Disciple Celestial Evolution Divine Lord took in outside, who inherited his Legacy and obtained this treasure."
"The Painting World Treasure Mansion contains a large number of high-grade Spirit Treasures refined by Celestial Evolution Divine Lord. Perhaps the Spirit Treasure that killed Tianyun was one of those high-grade Spirit Treasures. Tianyun must have been careless when facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, which is why he was killed by a mere Nascent Soul cultivator." Venerable Tianyin chuckled, analyzing excitedly.
Venerable Linhai's eyes overflowed with spiritual light, immensely excited. After a series of guesses and analyses, they had already obtained an 'answer' that was almost certainly correct.
No matter how strong a Nascent Soul cultivator was, it was impossible for him to easily leap a Realm and kill a Soul Transformation. If he had obtained Celestial Evolution Divine Lord's inherited Spirit Treasure, then everything made sense!
"Brother Tianyin, this child must have obtained such a treasure and certainly fled far away. Our persistent investigation here is futile. We must find a way to track him down." Amidst his excitement, Venerable Linhai quickly calmed down. So much time had passed, it would be extremely difficult to track down the other party.
Venerable Tianyin continued to pluck the zither strings, his voice like a song, and said coldly, "Among all under heaven, Five Elements Spiritual Root Cultivators, those who cultivate Five Elements and can reach the Nascent Soul Realm, are extremely few. This characteristic is very prominent, so there's no need to fear him escaping!"
"Indeed, but finding someone is not something we are good at! Besides, he has already fled far away, like searching for a needle in a haystack. How should we find him?" Venerable Linhai frowned, looking at Venerable Tianqin and asking.
"That's right, it should be much easier to let others do this. Brother Linhai, please make a trip to Tianji Pavilion and issue a bounty for a Sword Cultivator Five Elements Nascent Soul True Lord Cultivator," Venerable Tianyin looked at Venerable Linhai, smiling and indicating.
Upon hearing this, Venerable Linhai's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.
Venerable Linhai wasted no more time, immediately conjured his compass Magic Treasure, soared into the sky, and in the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared into the clouds.
Watching Venerable Linhai depart, Venerable Tianyin's face revealed a cold expression: "A mere Nascent Soul cultivator dares to presumptuously swallow that Immortal Cave Spirit Treasure, truly ignorant of death!"