Chapter 261: Chapter 213: 9 Refined Immortal Mansion! [Double the last day, ask for monthly tickets!]
"Refining demons is also a form of refining the heart."
"Seven years of refining demons was no small torment, but it was also a form of tempering for you. The day-and-night torment of the blood flame fork tempered your willpower. In the future, your cultivation will surely be more steadfast and indomitable."
Master Baiyun stroked his beard, smiling faintly as he looked at Chen Jichuan and nodded repeatedly in approval.
Chen Jichuan, his white hair bound up, gazed at the vast world he had been apart from for seven years, filled with deep emotions.
Hearing Master Baiyun speak, he immediately composed himself, bowed solemnly, and sincerely said, "It is all thanks to you, Master, who spared no effort and used a Great Method to refine the blood flame fork; otherwise, I would have long fallen into the Demon Dao without escape!"
Ten years ago.
He had left Liangye Mountain, calculating the positions within the Immortal Cultivation World while traveling.
It took him three years of fortune and perseverance to find Immortal Fate Island.
Not long after arriving on the island, he happened upon the Immortal Sect’s disciple selection. Seizing the opportunity, he ascended the Ascension Platform, displaying his talents. With his fists, he suppressed all directions and even broke through to the Core Formation Realm in one move.
It caused a sensation.
Subsequently, he joined the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion in a grand manner and was summoned by Master Baiyun. Taking the chance, Chen Jichuan personally entreated Master Baiyun to extract the blood flame fork from his body.
Master Baiyun, with a heart for nurturing talent, agreed without hesitation.
He sought out four friends across the land, first suppressing and binding the blood flame fork within Chen Jichuan. Then, over seven years, he repeatedly performed a Great Method alone.
Finally, today, the ’blood flame fork’ was successfully removed from Chen Jichuan’s body!
And not only that.
In the process.
Master Baiyun noted Chen Jichuan’s resolute temperament and blade-like will, and he officially took Chen Jichuan as his seventh Direct Disciple.
"No need for formalities between us as master and disciple."
Master Baiyun waved his hand and then lightly flicked his sleeve, revealing a blood-red fork, the size of a palm, floating up and down in front of them.
It was the blood flame fork.
Chen Jichuan looked over to see the blood flame fork flickering with a bloody glow, as if ready to break through the void at any moment.
"The withered vine ghoul refined a total of twenty-four blood flame forks, which resonate with one another. I used the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock to isolate it and also invited my friends to collaborate in a seal. It took seven years to thoroughly extract and completely bind it."
"However, if not properly contained, it will eventually cause catastrophe again."
While speaking, Master Baiyun waved his sleeve, sending the blood flame fork into the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock.
[Magical Treasure: Dewdrop Gemstone Rock]
[Level: Second-order]
[Description: When the Nine Refinement Ancestor Master journeyed to Radiant Light Island and established the ’Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion’ at Crown Lion Mountain’s summit, he discovered a piece of ’Nine-orifice Mysterious Stone,’ forging it into the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock using a Great Method. This treasure serves as a place for disciple tempering, Alchemists to refine pills, and as the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion’s Demon-Suppressing stronghold. The Dewdrop Gemstone Rock connects to the Earth Veins of Crown Lion Mountain, making any suppression near-impossible to escape.]
"The Dewdrop Gemstone Rock."
With one glance, Chen Jichuan felt reassured.
The blood flame fork was formidable, but with the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock standing guard, unless the withered vine ghoul arrived in person, there was no chance of breaking free.
A truly foolproof safeguard.
With the blood flame fork suppressed, Master Baiyun then led Chen Jichuan away from the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock.
...
Walking amidst Crown Lion Mountain.
"When you entered the sect back then, you must have gained some understanding of the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion."
Master Baiyun looked at Chen Jichuan.
"Your wisdom, Master, is unparalleled."
Chen Jichuan offered a compliment before saying, "When I was on Immortal Fate Island, I inquired about it. Among the dozens of Immortal Sects on Radiant Light Island, large and small, our Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion ranks among the best. The sect houses many Immortal Masters, and you, Master, are a Righteous Immortal revered throughout the entire Slaughter Ring Sea."
The Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion was rich in heritage, boasting the Demon-Suppressing Treasure, the ’Dewdrop Gemstone Rock,’ famed throughout the Radiant Light Domain.
Moreover, Master Baiyun possessed profound Daoist accomplishments, hated evil like poison, and was wise and discerning.
More than that.
The Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion was also a branch of the top-tier Immortal Sect, the ’Heaven Mending Sect,’ situated in the Central Continent’s core of the Inner Sea within the Slaughter Ring Sea.
The founder of the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion, the ’Nine Refinement Ancestor Master,’ hailed from the ’Heaven Mending Sect.’
Possessing notable strength himself, he also had strong backing.
Back when Chen Jichuan was deeply troubled by the blood flame fork and faced a choice among competing Immortal Sects, after weighing his options, he ultimately chose the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion.
Seven years passed in a flash.
Facts proved that his decision was correct.
"That’s correct."
"Our Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion has a close relationship with the Central Continent’s Heaven Mending Sect and can be considered a branch."
"The Heaven Mending Sect is renowned for the Alchemy Dao, housing many Immortal Masters, and has no shortage of True Persons among them. The resources, secret realms, and secret techniques they control far surpass what we of the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion can manage."
"Your mind is exceptional, and your willpower unyielding. You will surely achieve greatness in the future."
"If you can reach the late stage of Core Formation before a hundred, you will qualify to enter the Heaven Mending Sect for cultivation. Should you one day become a True Person, you could return to Radiant Light Island to manage the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion or remain within the Heaven Mending Sect and serve as a Preaching Elder or even the master of an entire hall, becoming renowned across the Slaughter Ring Sea."
Master Baiyun held high hopes for Chen Jichuan.
Having endured the torment of the blood flame fork, he had ascended to Core Formation at twenty-one. Seven years of close interaction had only solidified Master Baiyun’s confidence in him.
"Reach the late stage of Core Formation before a hundred?"
"Enter the Heaven Mending Sect for cultivation?"
Hearing this, Chen Jichuan also felt some anticipation.
Had he been in the Jade Spring World, the Qinling World, or even the Great Hui World, reaching late first-order by a hundred would already have been a challenge.
But now—
It didn’t seem too difficult.
Even with seven years lost, he remained confident in reaching the late stage of Core Formation before a hundred. He might even advance to the late stages of both the Immortal Dao and Xing Dao simultaneously.
"Seventy-two years remain."
Chen Jichuan calculated silently and, seeing Master Baiyun’s expectant eyes, promptly nodded, "Rest assured, Master, your disciple will strive diligently in cultivation and will not slacken!"
...
After this exchange of aspirations.
Master Baiyun began to provide Chen Jichuan with a detailed introduction to the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion.
The Heaven Mending Sect was still a distant goal.
At least for the next few decades, Chen Jichuan would remain in the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion.
"Before you, I had taken six disciples."
"Among them, your Third Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Sister are the most talented. Both reached the late stage of Qi Refinement before a hundred and went on to the Central Continent to enter the Heaven Mending Sect for further cultivation—they show great promise of achieving True Person status."
"Your Eldest Senior Brother is restless by nature and often travels outside to dispatch demons and eliminate evils."
"Your Second Senior Brother is steady and now assists me in managing the affairs of the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion."
"Your Fourth Senior Brother lost his life to a demon during early training outside."
"Your Sixth Senior Sister entered the sect more than a decade ago and currently oversees Qingling Island."
"These Senior Brothers and Sisters are worth getting close to. Then there are also Elders, Peak Masters, and other Immortal Masters within the sect. Build ties with them where possible. After all, comrades of the same sect mean greater opportunities for collaboration in the future."
Master Baiyun, adept in human relationships, imparted his worldly advice to Chen Jichuan.
In his view—
Having once traversed mountains and seas to seek the Dao, Chen Jichuan had endured great hardship and had limited contact with others. After joining the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion, he spent years within the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock refining the blood flame fork, leaving him inexperienced in dealing with people.
Little did he know that his disciple, having journeyed through numerous worlds, had been a patriarch, governed kingdoms, and taken on countless roles. His understanding of people likely exceeded that of his master.
The basics of human interaction and social conduct required no instruction.
But out of respect for Master Baiyun’s goodwill, Chen Jichuan nodded to everything in agreement.
Following Master Baiyun, he roamed across Crown Lion Mountain, familiarizing himself with its many peaks and learning details about the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion’s composition, key figures, and other essential information.
Integrating bit by bit.
...
"The Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion cannot compare to the Heaven Mending Sect, but it still qualifies as vast and well-resourced."
"Its resources are not distributed freely but are managed under a comprehensive system."
After leaving the Dewdrop Gemstone Rock, Chen Jichuan settled within Master Baiyun’s Fanglan Valley, choosing the former residence of his departed Fourth Senior Brother as his temporary abode. There, he planned his future.
Cultivation naturally remained his primary focus.
With his expertise in alchemy and artifact refining, he worried not about resources regardless of location.
The immediate task was showcasing his talents in alchemy and artifact refining, fabricating a plausible history of expertise to support his rise and avoid drawing suspicion.
Beyond that—
"The Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion has its fair share of secret realms."
"For example, ’Stone Garden,’ filled with the sound of reading, capable of cleansing the soul, relaxing the mind, and sparking inspiration."
"Then there’s ’Golden Word Spring,’ also known as ’Pure As Such,’ a crystal-clear spring best for self-reflection and introspection."
"Or ’Little Half Mountain,’ with its unique topography; ethereal energy pervades the area, aiding cultivators in unlocking binding forces within their bones, speeding progress through the Qi Refinement Middle Stage."
"And ’Jade Maiden Pond,’ perpetually fed by celestial waters, rumored to be the bathing ground of the Nine Heavens Immortal Maidens, enhancing physical refinement and purifying mana."
"Then there’s ’Sky Illuminating Candle,’..."
...
For over two thousand years, the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion had stood resolute, exploring and claiming countless secret realms.
It provided seven or eight such places for Qi Refinement cultivators to advance their training.
And dozens more for mortal practitioners.
All these reflected the mansion’s accumulated foundation.
In addition to these secret realms—
The Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion drew from the Heaven Mending Sect and spent two millennia scouring the world, amassing countless Mysterious Skills, Secret Techniques, and Magical Treasures.
"The Great Method of ’Five Directions Five Elements Heavenly Pill Immobilization Technique’ that Master used to extract the blood flame fork stands out as a high-level technique and could even be called a secret technique."
"Apart from this technique."
"Master also possesses two other high-level techniques."
When thinking of Master Baiyun, Chen Jichuan envisioned the various techniques he had witnessed, his heart aflame.
Despite relentless studies and iterations over time, he had accumulated only nine high-level techniques.
The effort was grueling.
Judging by Master Baiyun’s abilities, the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion undoubtedly housed many high-level techniques. Meanwhile, the Heaven Mending Sect surely harbored even more of them, potentially including super-level techniques.
Acquiring these might save him endless toil.
However, be it entry to secret realms or access to techniques, neither were freely given. Only contributions to the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion could secure them.
"Merit!"
"I need a massive amount of merit!"
Chen Jichuan’s heart burned with desire.
In the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion, merit could be earned through gentler means, such as serving as an alchemist and crafting pills for the sect, earning merit points with relatively low effort yet substantial results.
Then there were the more vigorous methods.
For instance, Master Baiyun’s eldest disciple often ventured out, exploring secret realms, slaying demons, and exterminating evils. Treasures collected and fearsome monsters killed could be handed over to the sect in exchange for merit points.
The higher the cultivation and rarer the treasure or monster slain, the more merit was earned.
At present, without a clear opportunity to display his alchemical abilities, Chen Jichuan leaned toward this approach.
As for a stationary role like his Sixth Senior Sister’s guardianship of Qingling Island, while stable, the accumulation of merit proceeded far too slowly.
Not quite suitable for him.
"Slay demons, destroy evils."
"This is our lifelong mission."
After thoughtful deliberation, Chen Jichuan’s expression hardened. He stood up, striding decisively out of Fanglan Valley.
...