Chapter 800: Planning for Nascent Soul

In the Dao Yi Realm, on the outskirts of the Black Mountain Mine.

The undulating mountains were shrouded in a dark gold dust from the mines, and the air was thick not only with the mixed spiritual qi from the spirit stones, but also with an unshakeable aura of slaughter.

The battle here has been a stalemate for five years.

During these five years, clashes at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level have been nearly nonexistent, as both sides are backed by the Holy Land’s ancient tribes within the central Ancestral Origin Yuan Province. A fight to the death would only benefit a third party.

However, the skirmishes between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators have never ceased. Day and night, magical duels raged on, as each faction used the fight for mineral veins as a pretext to wear each other out. This was both to extract more benefits from the Holy Land’s ancient tribes and to demonstrate their value to their patrons.

As a top-tier Nascent Soul sect supported by the Ye Race among the local powers, the Qinglan Sect naturally shouldered the leading role alongside Heize Pool.

Five years ago, True Monarch Xuanji perished alongside True Monarch Xuansha from Heize Pool, and True Monarch Yanze went missing following the deaths of Saintess Cang Yue and Murong Yan. Now, the upper echelon of Heize Pool matches that of the Qinglan Sect, with each only having one True Monarch.

However, the Core Formation backbone of the Qinglan Sect has always been inferior to Heize Pool.

Now, as both sects act as proxies for the Ye Race, the two True Monarchs stood high above, only guarding the breakthrough point at the Black Stone Mine’s outskirts.

Meanwhile, the remaining army was almost entirely under the control of the Core Formation Ascendants of Heize Pool.

The disciples of the Qinglan Sect were in a precarious situation, often being sent to the most dangerous places by the ascendants of Heize Pool.

Unfortunately, the Qinglan Sect did not have an absolute powerhouse capable of contending with the ascendants of Heize Pool, thus unable to seize control of the army’s command.

Because of this, the moment Li Ji’an emerged from seclusion, a message via a transmission jade scroll had been sent, summoning him immediately to the main hall to meet with Sect Leader Changgeng.

Inside the main hall of the Qinglan Sect, the scent of sandalwood lingered, yet could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere within.

Sect Leader Changgeng, dressed in a black sect leader’s magic robe, sat on the throne above. Frost had touched his temples, and his brows were furrowed with unrelenting weariness and gravity.

He looked at Li Ji’an, whose appearance was striking like jade, yet there was little familiarity in his gaze. After all, this honored guest elder of the sect had been in seclusion for years and had little interaction with the sect’s members.

Had he not once presented the sect with a Tier Three high-level puppet, there might have been complaints long ago.

“Fellow Daoist Chang’an,” Sect Leader Changgeng’s voice was low and hoarse, carrying the dignity of long-held authority and hiding a barely concealed urgency.

“I summoned you here for an important matter. The battle situation at the Black Mountain Mine is tense. Although Heize Pool and our sect are both vassals of the Ye Race’s ancient tribe, they have repeatedly obstructed us in secret, even deliberately sending our disciples to death traps. Among our sect’s late-stage Core Formation ascendants, there is no one who can compete with the ascendants from Heize Pool. Therefore, this time, I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Chang’an. Of course, in the sect, it is known that you excel at puppet crafting. The value of you staying in the sect to craft puppets far outweighs going to the front lines for magical combat. But urgent times call for flexibility; we can only ask you to temporarily head to the front lines to hold the situation steady.”

Li Ji’an listened quietly, the hem of his black robe resting on the cold white jade floor tiles without a ripple.

He could hear the helplessness in Sect Leader Changgeng’s tone and could guess at the pressure this leader was under.

Since True Monarch Xuanji fell, the burden of Qinglan Sect’s legacy has weighed heavily on True Monarch Qingxiao and Sect Leader Changgeng.

He must stabilize the sect’s foundation while dealing with external conflicts, long since exhausted in heart and mind.

Although True Monarch Qingxiao has attained the status of Nascent Soul True Monarch, she grew up sheltered under her master’s care, with a heart nature that is relatively pure and kind, lacking experience in the treacherous currents of the cultivation world.

Sect Leader Changgeng clearly worries about whether she can maintain stability in the long run.

Sure enough, after a slight pause, Sect Leader Changgeng’s tone shifted, becoming more earnest: “I also have another request in sending you to the front lines. You already know that True Monarch Qingxiao possesses extraordinary talent, and her path to becoming a True Monarch has been relatively smooth. However, she has been under the protection of her master and I since childhood, never having experienced true brutal combat. She lacks experience and worldly wisdom in magical combat and the broader cultivation world. Now, True Monarch Qingxiao, under the Ye Race’s demands, must lead at the front lines. I have to stay in the sect to oversee all affairs and cannot assist her personally. Thus, I entrust you, when you reach the front, to put in more effort, remind her of everything, help her avoid risks, and ensure she doesn’t fall into others’ schemes.”

“Rest assured, Sect Leader,” Li Ji’an nodded. “Li will not fail in your trust, assist True Monarch Qingxiao, hold the front lines, and protect our Qinglan Sect.”

Sect Leader Changgeng saw Li Ji’an’s posture and nodded secretly.

“I, on behalf of the Qinglan Sect, thank you, Fellow Daoist Chang’an. Additionally, as you are about to head to the front lines, if you have any needs, do speak up. The Ye Race has been quite generous this time, providing considerable spiritual resources.”

At these words, Li Ji’an raised an eyebrow slightly. For the sect leader of such a Nascent Soul-level sect to praise their generosity, it surely wasn’t simple.

“Dare I ask, Sect Leader, is there any Nascent Soul formation spiritual resources?”

“…” Sect Leader Changgeng paused slightly.

He fixed his gaze on Li Ji’an for a long moment before slowly withdrawing his gaze, with a tone of disbelief: “Fellow Daoist Chang’an has ambitions for Nascent Soul formation?”

After the initial shock, Sect Leader Changgeng’s expression softened, replaced with a sincere and earnest admonition: “Fellow Daoist Chang’an, are you aware that the difficulty of forming a Nascent Soul is far beyond that of Foundation Establishment or Core Formation? Foundation Establishment is about solidifying the Dao Foundation, and Core Formation is about refining magical power, both achievable through diligent cultivation and gradual progress. Even with ordinary talent, as long as one works hard, success is assured in time. But Nascent Soul formation is different; it is not simply an accumulation of quantity, nor a straightforward qualitative change, but a deep fusion of magic pill and divine soul. In this fusion, one must nurture a Nascent Soul that resonates with the Celestial Dao, only then can one touch the rudimentary form of Dao Principles and truly step into the upper realm of the cultivation world.”