C871 Refining River
In the Jade Peak Mountain Range, the Medicine Sect stood as a bastion of healing and power.
Shi Yuxuan, the Sect Master, was a picture of stoic grace, standing tall like a pine in the secret chamber. His gaze, warm with love and brimming with anticipation, was fixed on Kin Rourou, who lay on a jade bed. As the triad of souls from Heaven, Earth, and Humanity settled within her, her vitality surged, her pulse thrummed with strength, and the potent medicine entwining her organs and meridians was being refined within her, even in her unconscious state. Shi Yuxuan could sense it wouldn't be long before she stirred to consciousness.
"Sect Master!" The urgent call of a trusted confidant pierced the silence from beyond the chamber walls.
With a furrow of his brow, Shi Yuxuan stepped from the sanctum of the chamber to confront the disturbance outside in the hall. "What's the matter?"
"Look to the heavens!" The elder of the Medicine Sect, his face a canvas of worry and confusion, gestured skyward.
Above the verdant peaks, a resplendent jade pavilion glided through the air. Atop it, a rotund old man, reminiscent of a provincial tycoon, lounged against the railings, grinning and winking mischievously at Shi Yuxuan below. His garb was adorned with numerous copper coins, each shimmering with the esteemed essence of the empire.
"Old Cash," Shi Yuxuan muttered with a dismissive hum.
"The reclusive demon, Old Cash from the Absence Relic?" The elder's voice trembled with concern. "He's known to have deep ties with Yu Yuan. During the turmoil at the Crack Archipelago, it was Yu Yuan's actions that nearly led to the destruction of the Jade Tower. Sect Master, could this old fiend be aware that Yu Yuan's mother is within our ranks?"
Shi Yuxuan, gazing skyward, replied with a nonchalant tone, "It's likely he does."
"Sect Master, we've received word from the Medicine God Sect. They're requesting our tribute of medicinal herbs two months early this year." The elder found this request peculiar. "The year hasn't ended yet. Traditionally, the spiritual herbs planted in the Jade Peak Mountain Range only reach maturity by year's end."
A slight crease formed on Shi Yuxuan's forehead. He was well aware that the Medicine Sect of the Profound Sky Continent had long been under the wing of the Medicine God Sect. The Medicine Sect's esteemed position on the continent, which kept the neighboring Rainier Empire and Silvermoon Empire, along with various other powers and families, from acting recklessly, was indeed a reflection of the Medicine God Sect's influence.
Nearly half of the spiritual herbs cultivated in the Jade Peak Mountain Range are traditionally offered to the Medicine God Sect each year. Yet, this year has been unusually different.
"Yu Yuan is the successor to the previous Medicine God, Hong Qi, and the son of Kin Rourou," Shi Yuxuan mused, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. "Chu Yao from the Medicine God Sect must have heard the news by now. His insistence on receiving the herb tribute two months early—is he pressuring me to declare my stance?"
The reserves of medicinal herbs at the Medicine Sect could certainly meet the demands of the Medicine God Sect.
But...
"Tell them it's not yet time to release the herbs," Shi Yuxuan instructed coldly.
The elder's face paled at his words. "Sect Master, the Medicine God Sect is well aware of our herb reserves!"
"Do as I've instructed," Shi Yuxuan insisted.
"Very well," the elder relented.
...
In the outskirts of Beacon City within the Rainier Empire, Yu Yuan, aboard the Evil Cauldron, neared the smoke-shrouded city.
"That's a black stone cannon," Qin Yun observed from a distance, unable to suppress a chuckle. "The Rainier Empire is on high alert. Those cannons are typically deployed for warfare. In the past, when Silvermoon Empire's soldiers approached Beacon City, the cannons would be at the ready."
He shook his head. "They're like startled birds. Black stone cannons are virtually ineffective against practitioners at the Yin God Stage."
Yin God Stage masters move like lightning, far outpacing the cannons' firing speed. Only those below the Profound Break Stage, clad in heavy armor, would suffer serious injuries from the cannons when near the city.
Qin Yun found Beacon City's show of force amusing.
"They're truly frightened."
Qin Yun's sentiment stemmed from his and Yu Yuan's recent experience. After leaving Valwall, they had traversed the Molten Pool City in the Rainier Empire, where they encountered three Yin God Stage experts from the city's ruling family.
On that occasion, Yu Yuan refrained from calling upon the enigmatic black crone. Clutching the scabbard of the Chopping Moon cultivator's blade, he unleashed two masterful sword spells that sent three Yin God Stage experts into retreat.
Beacon City was the final city they would traverse on their journey to the Seven Divine Sect. Yu Yuan, in fact, had no intention of approaching Beacon City to explore its secrets.
The cultivators within Beacon City, acting out of fear and insecurity, had preemptively deployed their black stone cannons.
"The cultivators of Beacon City do seem quite terrified," Yu Yuan remarked with a smirk, pausing on the city's outskirts. Despite his wait, no formidable cultivators emerged from Beacon City.
"Cultivator conflicts should not ensnare the common folk; we adhere to that principle strictly," Qin Yun said with a bow of his hands. "I appreciate your restraint, Young Master. Being a citizen of the Rainier Empire myself, I've been concerned that any displeasure on your part might inadvertently harm the city's mortals."
"Even the Outland Evil Demons from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area haven't caused trouble near the Silvermoon Empire, so why would I?" Yu Yuan mused.
After lingering a bit longer and observing no further activity from Beacon City, aside from the persistent billowing black smoke, Yu Yuan decided, "That settles it. We head straight for the Seven Divine Sect!"
...
"Wu Mountain and Wu River, both at the early stages of the Yin God Stage and skilled in combined assault techniques, were slain by a Fiend Demon summoned by Yu Yuan!"
"In Molten Pool City, Yu Yuan didn't ask Qin Yun to lift a finger. With just the sharp sword aura from within the scabbard, he wounded a middle-stage Yin God and two early-stage Yin Gods."
"Qin Yun has yet to engage in combat."
"As for what other formidable Evil Devils might reside within Yu Yuan's Evil Cauldron, that remains unknown."
...
At the bamboo residence of Yang Chuhe, the Sect Master of the Seven Divine Sect, a gathering of cultivators lacking a formal lineage stood before Liu Xu. They reported the flight path of the Evil Cauldron, some with fervent outrage, others with evident concern.
Liu Xu gave a slight nod. "To venture into the Rainier Empire with just a pair, one must indeed possess some cunning."
Yang Chuhe, positioned by a stone trough, ladled a spoonful of water and sipped it, all the while listening to the Seven Divine Sect disciples relay their accounts to his disciple, Liu Xu.
Prince Liu Xu maintained a serene demeanor, his gaze steady and composed as he observed the disciples.
Yang Chuhe silently nodded in approval, took a sip of clear water, and nonchalantly tossed the wooden spoon aside. With a concentrated look, he peered into the stone trough's water.
Within the trough, three delicate strands emerged, winding like rivers through the clear water. These were the rivers he had painstakingly refined within the empire, each brimming with abundant water energy.
Yang Chuhe's cultivation of the Spiritual Spell was deeply intertwined with rivers and lakes. He aspired to merge every vein in his body with a vast river from the Boundless Land, aiming to unify with the cosmos through this connection.
Yet, this journey was fraught with hardship. Among the myriad of practitioners, including the Great Demons, few could match his caliber. Lvliu was among the elite on this arduous path.
Yang Chuhe's rapid ascension to the Middle Period of the Soul Wandering Stage was a direct result of Zhou Cangmin's departure and Prince Liu Xu's ascension to the throne of the Rainier Empire.
With the Prince's silent consent, Yang Chuhe discreetly refined three rivers within the empire's borders, catapulting his cultivation to new heights.
For cultivators to refine the rivers and lakes of their nation was to engage in an excessive harvest, channeling the vast water energy of the rivers into themselves. This act was detrimental to the flora, fauna, and mortals living along these waterways, all of whom depended on the rivers' sustenance.
While serving as the Imperial Advisor, Zhou Cangmin recognized the damage this practice inflicted upon the empire and strictly forbade it. However, under Liu Xu's reign, the ban was lifted for his master's sake, allowing Yang Chuhe to rapidly advance through a cultivation method that disrupted the natural order.
Yang Chuhe's ambition was for the Rainier Empire to reign supreme, absorbing neighboring nations. He sought to seize this chance to assimilate the rivers of the Silvermoon and Divine Might Empires into his own power, propelling his cultivation forward in a relentless surge toward becoming a Yang God and ultimately achieving supreme liberation.
"Ah, if only the Green Willow Demon were to perish and its accumulated water energy returned to nature, I could partake in a share of it," Yang Chuhe whispered to himself.
With a swift motion, his Yin God stealthily slipped into the stone trough, connecting with one of the refined slender threads.
A hundred miles distant, Yu Yuan and Qin Yun felt a sudden connection. Peering down from within the Evil Cauldron, they observed the swift, meandering river below.
There, a figure emerged from the waters, standing atop the river like a colossal being made of water.
"Qin Yun, do you dare show your face in the Rainier Empire again?"
The crystalline water figure stood nonchalantly, hands clasped behind his back, exuding a carefree grace.
The stream's spiritual energy surged incessantly beneath his feet, coalescing around him in a lively dance.
In that moment, the river appeared to be endowed with a life force, a consciousness of its own, its flow and direction utterly at the behest of the water figure.
"Yang Chuhe!"
