Daily Divination From Market Rogue Cultivator To Immortal Venerable - Chapter 347

Chapter 347 Plotting the Power of the Fake Infant: Two Paths (Seeking Subscriptions)

Based on the past performance of the Vermilion Bird Sect disciples, Mu Hongyu predicted Li Chang’an’s final fate.

She couldn’t help but feel regret.

Li Chang’an suffered from insufficient cultivation.

Under her watchful gaze, the two gradually reached the hundredth step.

The higher they went,

the stronger the pressure on their divine sense became.

Ning Mengwei also judged that Li Chang’an would stop after the hundredth step.

She spoke again, saying with concern, “Fellow Daoist Li, if you feel the pressure is too strong, stop where you are. Do not go any further, otherwise it may damage your divine sense.”

“I understand, thank you for reminding me, Fellow Daoist Ning.”

Li Chang’an replied, without stopping, and continued to go up.

This pressure

was still nothing to him.

The two continued to go up, and soon they exceeded the one hundred and twenty steps.

At this point,

Mu Hongyu and Ning Mengwei were both somewhat surprised.

According to their expectations, Li Chang’an could not have reached this point.

As time passed, their surprise grew stronger, simply because Li Chang’an did not show any signs of strain.

Soon, the two reached the 150th step.

“I underestimated Fellow Daoist Li again,”

Mu Hongyu thought to herself.

Li Chang’an always managed to reveal abilities that surprised her.

Despite knowing each other for so many years, she still didn’t know how many skills Li Chang’an was hiding.

Not long after,

Li Chang’an and Ning Mengwei reached the 200th step.

The pressure was already quite strong here, but both of them continued upwards.

Ning Mengwei couldn’t help but turn her head and glance at Li Chang’an.

She was filled with doubt.

If Li Chang’an’s divine sense was truly that strong, why had he been trapped in the illusion for so long before?

Now, the important thing was to climb the steps, so she had to suppress her doubts and continue upwards.

“Fellow Daoist Li shouldn’t have gone any further than me; he’ll probably stop before the 250th step,”

Ning Mengwei thought, enduring the pressure and taking one step after another.

During this process,

Li Chang’an beside her never fell behind, his steps never faltering.

Ning Mengwei’s astonishment grew stronger.

A moment later,

they reached the 250th step.

Upon reaching this point, the oppressive feeling was astonishing; even Li Chang’an felt a slight discomfort.

Ning Mengwei’s fair forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

She couldn’t help but glance at Li Chang’an again, seeing that he remained calm and composed.

“How could this be? Is the trial here useless to him?”

Ning Mengwei couldn’t understand it.

Even if Li Chang’an’s spiritual sense was strong, it couldn’t possibly be stronger than hers.

“Perhaps he’s just putting on a brave face.”

Thinking this,

Ning Mengwei gritted her teeth, took a step, and continued upwards.

Each subsequent step was filled with difficulty for her.

Finally,

just as Mu Hongyu had predicted,

she stopped at the 277th step, unable to take even one more step.

The immense oppressive feeling, like a towering mountain, pressed down on her spiritual sense, bringing her sea of consciousness to the brink of collapse.

If she went any further,

her spiritual sense would surely be damaged!

Li Chang’an stopped beside her, saying with concern, “Fellow Daoist Ning, if you feel too much pressure, stop where you are. Don’t push yourself.”

“I…”

Ning Mengwei’s lips parted slightly, staring blankly at Li Chang’an, her heart filled with turmoil.

She couldn’t understand.

Why did Li Chang’an still appear so composed?

She was a prodigy of the Vermilion Bird Sect, already a new generation of Holy Maiden, her cultivation far surpassing Li Chang’an’s, yet her performance was far inferior.

Compared to him, Li Chang’an seemed more like a prodigy of the Vermilion Bird Sect.

Behind them, at the bottom of the steps

, Mu Hongyu’s beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Chang’an’s back, her heart also filled with disbelief.

After the number of steps exceeded one hundred

, every step Li Chang’an took exceeded her expectations.

Whenever she thought Li Chang’an would stop, he would take another step, ascending to an even higher step.

Now,

the number two hundred and seventy-seven had surpassed many Holy Sons and Holy Maidens who were undergoing the trial for the first time.

But Li Chang’an didn’t stop for long.

After confirming Ning Mengwei was unharmed, he continued upwards.

In just a short while ,

he surpassed 290 steps.

Then, to Mu Hongyu’s incredulous gaze, Li Chang’an smoothly crossed 291 steps, surpassing her final result from years ago. In the

blink of an eye ,

Li Chang’an had surpassed 300 steps!

Moreover, his speed didn’t slow down at all; on the contrary, it gradually increased.

Soon,

he reached 333 steps.

“Could he still go up?”

Ning Mengwei, standing behind him, parted her red lips slightly, her expression almost blank.

According to the sect’s records,

333 steps was the limit for Golden Core cultivators.

Even a peak third-tier divine sense could only stop before this step, unable to go any further.

She no longer had the will to compete with Li Chang’an; she only wanted to see if he could go further.

The next instant,

to her and Mu Hongyu’s incredulous gazes,

Li Chang’an, without the slightest pause, smoothly crossed 333 steps and stepped onto 334 steps.

At this moment, he clearly felt the pressure intensify considerably.

“The pressure here has exceeded what a peak Golden Core cultivator can withstand,”

Li Chang’an said gravely, looking upwards.

He naturally couldn’t possibly complete the remaining six hundred-odd steps.

He could only try to take as many steps as possible to obtain better treasures.

Next,

his steps became slow and heavy.

Each subsequent step became increasingly difficult.

After crossing three hundred and fifty steps, beads of sweat appeared on Li Chang’an’s forehead.

“I haven’t reached my limit yet; I can continue upwards.”

He took a deep breath, enduring the powerful pressure as if carrying a formidable city on his back, step by step upwards.

When he surpassed three hundred and sixty steps, the pressure became almost unbearable.

Finally,

he managed to take a few more steps, stopping at three hundred and sixty-four.

“This is my limit,”

Li Chang’an said, ceasing his advance.

After a while,

a beam of spiritual light suddenly appeared at the highest point of the long staircase.

The light instantly flew over the many steps, landing in front of Ning Mengwei and transforming into a crimson crystal.

“A low-grade fourth-tier treasure, the Blood Sparrow Crystal!”

All three recognized the treasure.

Ning Mengwei’s pretty face immediately lit up with joy.

This Blood Sparrow Crystal would be extremely beneficial to her cultivation technique.

She put it away and then solemnly bowed towards the top of the steps.

“Thank you for the treasure, Senior!”

This was the rule of the Vermilion Bird Sect.

Although there was no one at the highest point, gratitude still had to be expressed.

Immediately afterward,

an even more dazzling light appeared at the highest point, rapidly flying up the many steps and landing in front of Li Chang’an.

“This is…”

Li Chang’an stared intently.

This object was entirely dark, radiating a chill, and its surface had markings resembling raven feathers.

He had browsed many ancient books about treasures and quickly found the corresponding description.

“A high-grade fourth-tier treasure, the Cold Raven Stone!”

This object was of extremely high grade, containing a chill that ordinary cultivators could hardly withstand.

It can be used for refining weapons or setting up formations.

Some cultivators practicing special techniques also need this item to aid their cultivation.

But this item is of no use to Li Chang’an.

“Strange, I thought I would be rewarded with a wood-element treasure suitable for my own cultivation technique.”

Li Chang’an was puzzled.

He had heard Mu Hongyu say before that

most of the rewards given to members of the Vermilion Bird Sect were useful to them.

Obviously,

Li Chang’an was unlucky and encountered a rare case.

“With my luck, how could such a thing happen?”

He didn’t quite understand, but still bowed towards the highest point.

“Thank you for the treasure, senior!”

Afterwards, he put away the treasure, left the trial staircase, and returned to the bottom of the staircase in an instant.

Ning Mengwei and Mu Hongyu were already waiting for him there.

The two of them were still unable to calm down and had many doubts.

Ning Mengwei couldn’t help but ask first, “Fellow Daoist Li, could it be that your divine sense has exceeded the limit of the third level? If not, how could you cross the 333rd level?”

She and Mu Hongyu both looked at Li Chang’an.

If their guess was true, it would be too astonishing.

Li Chang’an, though only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, possessed divine sense exceeding the limits of the third rank, surpassing the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.

Even in the ten-thousand-year history of the Vermilion Bird Sect, such a prodigy had never appeared before.

In fact…

The other three sects didn’t have any either.

Although the Vermilion Bird Sect’s spiritual grounds were far from the other three sects, a hundred years ago, they were a unified entity called the Four Spirits Sect.

The four sects operated independently, but all bore the name of the Four Spirits Sect, and they knew each other quite well.

This is why

Mu Hongyu and Ning Mengwei knew about the other three sects.

Faced with their doubts, Li Chang’an smiled and shook his head.

“You two are overthinking it. I don’t have such strong divine sense. The reason I didn’t feel too much pressure is probably because my divine sense treasure worked.”

“A divine sense treasure?”

The two exchanged a glance, their doubts dissipating considerably.

This explanation was clearly more reasonable than their guess.

Divine sense treasures were extremely rare.

In today’s cultivation world, there were no longer methods for refining divine sense treasures; even Nascent Soul True Monarchs might not be able to obtain one.

Therefore,

the effects of divine sense treasures

were not well understood by the major powers.

Ning Mengwei sincerely exclaimed, “Fellow Daoist Li truly deserves to be called a person of great fortune, to be able to obtain such a treasure.”

Hearing this, Li Chang’an shook his head.

He took out the Ravenstone and said to the two,

“If my luck were truly that good, I should have obtained a wood-element treasure this time, instead of this Ravenstone.”

“So Fellow Daoist Li obtained the Ravenstone.”

Seeing this, the two were surprised again, simply because the Ravenstone’s grade was too high.

Even among fourth-tier high-grade treasures, it was considered a rare and exquisite item.

According to sect records,

their master, Vermilion Bird True Monarch, unexpectedly obtained a treasure to enhance her divine sense before breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, allowing her divine sense to break through the third-tier limit.

At that time, she had also reached over 360 tiers, but only obtained an ordinary fourth-tier mid-grade treasure.

“Fellow Daoist Li’s gains are much better than Master’s gains back then,”

Mu Hongyu told Li Chang’an.

Hearing this,

Li Chang’an seemed thoughtful. Back then

, Vermilion Bird True Monarch was only half a step away from the Nascent Soul stage, having already accumulated years of experience at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

He, however, was only at the mid-Golden Core stage, yet possessed such strong divine sense; his potential was clearly greater than Vermilion Bird True Monarch’s.

Perhaps this was why he obtained a better treasure.

“The criteria for judging this long trial staircase should not only be the number of steps climbed, but also the cultivator’s own potential.”

Regardless,

this treasure, though useless to Li Chang’an, is indeed valuable and can fetch a good price.

Li Chang’an inquired, “Fellow Daoist Mu, is there anyone within the Vermilion Bird Sect who needs this Cold Crow Stone?”

“Let me think…”

Mu Hongyu pondered briefly and quickly thought of someone.

“Fellow Daoist Li, my Vermilion Bird Sect actually has more than two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and also a Pseudo-Nascent Soul Guest Elder. My master once introduced me to him; his Daoist name is ‘Hanfeng’.”

She told Li Chang’an.

This Hanfeng True Monarch happens to need the Cold Crow Stone for cultivation.

He is willing to exchange it for a dose of Core Formation Water, but no one has been willing to trade with him.

“Core Formation Water?”

Li Chang’an was overjoyed. This item is one of the three main ingredients for refining the Nascent Soul Pill.

The process of breaking the core to form a Nascent Soul is inseparable from this Core Formation Water.

He was just planning to seize the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul, and unexpectedly learned about a key ingredient so quickly.

Mu Hongyu said in a deep voice, “Fellow Daoist Li, don’t be so happy yet. That True Monarch Hanfeng has an eccentric personality; he almost exclusively trades with Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the same level.”

“Oh? He hasn’t traded with Golden Core cultivators?”

“Yes, he has.”

At this point, Mu Hongyu’s expression became more serious.

She continued, “My master told me that True Monarch Hanfeng was originally a Tribulation Cultivator. He used to frequently use trade as a pretext to commit murder and robbery, but now that he’s a True Monarch, he’s toned it down.”

Through Mu Hongyu’s account,

Li Chang’an learned about True Monarch Hanfeng’s character.

He had indeed toned it down, but not completely.

A few years ago,

several Golden Core True Monarchs traded with True Monarch Hanfeng.

After the trade, those Golden Core True Monarchs disappeared, as if they had vanished into thin air, never to be seen again.

Clearly, True Monarch Hanfeng had resumed his murderous robbery.

For a Nascent Soul True Monarch like him to do such a thing was somewhat shameful, but being a Tribulation Cultivator, he didn’t care about face.

This matter caused a minor stir.

However, the Vermilion Bird Sect, for the sake of its reputation, forcibly suppressed the incident.

Therefore ,

Mu Hongyu reminded him, “Fellow Daoist Li, if you wish to trade with True Monarch Hanfeng, it’s best to possess the strength of a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator.” Only

by becoming a True Monarch can one avoid being murdered and robbed.

Of course,

Li Chang’an had another option.

He could entrust the Cold Raven Stone to a trusted Nascent Soul True Monarch and have them trade with True Monarch Hanfeng.

However,

Li Chang’an didn’t trust any Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Even Jiang Xuanyuan, who had repeatedly helped him, wasn’t entirely trusted.

The Cold Raven Stone was too valuable; it was best for him to take it himself for the trade.

As for Pseudo-Nascent Soul strength,

Li Chang’an currently lacked it.

But he had already considered two ways to temporarily acquire it.

“The power of faith, or fourth-tier poisonous insects,”

Li Chang’an pondered.

He possessed the entire Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

Within the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, mortals regarded cultivators as gods, making it very suitable for developing the path of faith.

Li Chang’an had observed that almost every cultivator in the Fire Cloud Secret Realm possessed a power of faith, but they didn’t know how to utilize it.

He didn’t know either.

However, the Great Qi Immortal Dynasty did!

As long as he can obtain the method of using the power of faith from the Great Qi Immortal Dynasty, and then unify the entire secret realm, making all the mortals and cultivators within it believe in him,

he can at least obtain the power of a nascent soul.

Perhaps even stronger!

The Ninth Princess of Great Qi, Qi Yao, once told Li Chang’an that a nascent soul is not the upper limit of the power of faith.

Back then,

when Qingmu Tianjun bestowed the method of faith upon the ancestors of Great Qi, he clearly stated that the upper limit of the power of faith was far beyond the Nascent Soul stage.

With enough power of faith, even rivaling a Deity Transformation cultivator is not a problem!

However, the territory and people of Great Qi are limited.

Only one true Nascent Soul cultivator or two nascent soul cultivators can be created.

Great Qi chose to create two nascent souls to maximize the number of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, thereby protecting the territory of Great Qi.

“The Fire Cloud Secret Realm is not small; its entire area is similar to the Southern Region, and the number of mortals and cultivators living within it is quite astonishing.”

“As long as I obtain the method of faith and defeat that Fire Cloud God Lord, the rest will be simple…”

Li Chang’an already had a plan.

If everything goes smoothly, he can become a temporary nascent soul through the power of faith.

Of course.

This is limited to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.

Outside the realm, his strength will decrease, but it will still far surpass that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.

As long as he doesn’t stray too far, he can still fight a Pseudo-Infant True Monarch!

Furthermore,

fourth-tier poisonous insects are another path.

Poison cultivators who practice poison arts can merge with poisonous insects, temporarily possessing a portion of their power.

Back then, many Qi Refining cultivators under the Five Poisons Hermit were able to obtain pseudo-Foundation Establishment strength through second-tier poisonous insects.

The Five Poisons Hermit dedicated his life to cultivating a third-tier Poisonous Insect King and fusing with it, making himself comparable to a Pseudo-Core cultivator, then using that Pseudo-Core strength to plan for a Core Formation opportunity.

If Li Chang’an hadn’t stopped him, he most likely would have succeeded.

“If I can cultivate a fourth-tier poisonous insect, temporarily changing my cultivation method wouldn’t be a problem.”

After all, it’s Pseudo-Infant power.

Li Chang’an is willing to temporarily become a poison cultivator for this power, since he has quite a few poison arts at his disposal.

However, this path is not easy.

Cultivating a fourth-tier poisonous insect will require a massive amount of poison-related treasures.

Li Chang’an lacked high-level poison treasures.

He could only cultivate countless low-level poisonous insects, letting them devour each other, gradually nurturing second- and third-level poisonous insects using the method of raising Gu.

Ultimately, he would have a large number of third-level poisonous insects devour each other, creating a fourth-level poisonous insect!

“The power of faith, and the power of poisonous insects—both paths are viable,”

Li Chang’an pondered.

He wanted to pursue both paths.

If one yielded a significant breakthrough, he would then consider abandoning the other.

At this moment, Ning Mengwei suggested to him, “Fellow Daoist Li, why don’t you give this Cold Crow Stone to my master and have him exchange it for the Elixir-Refining Water for you?”

“No, thank you for your kind offer, Fellow Daoist Ning,”

Li Chang’an shook his head slightly and put away the Cold Crow Stone.

He didn’t even trust Jiang Xuanyuan, so how could he trust the Vermilion Bird True Monarch, whom he had only met once?

Although the Vermilion Bird True Monarch had helped him a lot, it was all for Mu Hongyu.

The Vermilion Bird True Monarch himself might not have any goodwill towards him.

“Please keep today’s events a secret for me. This Raven Stone is far too valuable; if word gets out, it could bring me to my death.”

“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Li, we will never mention this to anyone.”

The two swore an oath with their Dao Hearts, solemnly assuring Li Chang’an.

Afterwards,

the three of them left the Vermilion Bird Nest together, heading towards the entrance of the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.

Ten days later, the three finally returned to the entrance.

Li Chang’an stood there, glancing back at the depths of the secret realm.

“This Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, and that Vermilion Bird Nest, still hold many secrets. I’ll explore them again when I have sufficient strength.”

He composed himself and strode out of the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm.

Outside the secret realm,

the Vermilion Bird True Monarch was still waiting.

Beside her was another person, clad in black robes, with an indifferent expression, also radiating Nascent Soul aura.

It was another Nascent Soul expert from the Vermilion Bird Sect—

the Azure Sky True Monarch!

His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze falling on Li Chang’an, and a cold voice rang out.

“Young friend Li, what did you gain from this trip into the secret realm?”

(End of Chapter)