amaotonovel Chapter 1359 Tainan Valley
Chapter 1359 Tainan Valley
Chapter 1359 Tainan Valley
Time flies in spiritual practice. The morning dew in the mountains condenses and then dissipates, and the streams in the valley rise and fall. In the blink of an eye, two springs and autumns have passed.
The herb garden in Shenshou Valley was already lush and green. Under the stimulation of Han Li's little green bottle of spiritual liquid, spiritual herbs such as Huanglong grass and bitter lotus matured in a rapid process. The two people in the wooden house devoted almost all their time to cultivation.
Qin Hao sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands forming a mudra. The power of the "Sharp Metal Technique" surged through his meridians, and with each cycle, the golden power in his dantian became more condensed.
Han Li, meanwhile, was circulating the Everlasting Spring Technique. His wood-attribute magic power flowed gently like a stream, nourishing his meridians. Occasionally, he would get up to tend to the herb garden and refine Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills, providing a continuous supply of medicinal pills to support their cultivation.
Thanks to the "unlimited supply of pills"—the Yellow Dragon Pill replenishes their mana and the Golden Marrow Pill tempers their meridians—the two have made rapid progress in their cultivation over the past two years.
Qin Hao later surpassed Han Li, fighting his way up from the third level of Qi Refining to the peak of the ninth level, even surpassing Han Li slightly. This made Han Li sigh from time to time that Qin Hao's talent was much higher than his own.
In the past two years, Han Li's medical skills have become increasingly refined. Whether it's the old wounds of high-ranking elders or the deadly poisons of ordinary disciples, Han Li can always use medicinal herbs that promote growth to concoct effective medicines that cure the ailment instantly.
The reputation of "Divine Physician Han" spread throughout the Seven Mysteries Sect, and even people from the villages at the foot of the mountain secretly came up to seek his medicine. As for the former "Doctor Mo," he had long been forgotten by everyone. To the disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect, whoever could cure illnesses and injuries was their respected "doctor," and whether he was surnamed Han or Mo was irrelevant.
Perhaps because Master Jin Guang died young, the Wild Wolf Gang lost a cultivator to back them up. Although Jia Tianlong still coveted the Seven Mysteries Sect, he never dared to launch a large-scale attack again.
Friction between the two factions still exists—occasionally they fight for territory in the town at the foot of the mountain, or they clash while gathering herbs, but the upper echelons are unusually restrained, instead using these minor conflicts to cultivate the younger generation within the gang.
Li Feiyu was the most outstanding among them. In several conflicts, he killed several skilled members of the Wild Wolf Gang. He rose from an ordinary disciple of the Outer Blade Hall to the deputy hall master and became an idol of the younger generation of disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect. He had achieved his wish.
That morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the wooden window, Han Li finished his practice, stood up, and said to Qin Hao, "Senior brother, I have almost mastered the Fireball Technique and Heavenly Eye Technique recorded in the Longevity Scripture. My cultivation has also reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. It's time to go to the Mo Mansion to completely eliminate the hidden dangers on my body."
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao opened his eyes, a flash of golden magic power appearing and disappearing within them. It must be said, Mo Juren truly lived up to his reputation as a powerful figure; the chilling poison of his signature technique, "Demon Silver Hand," was so potent that even a cultivator's magic power couldn't remove it.
"Well, with your current cultivation level of the ninth level of Qi Refining, there are probably very few people in the mortal world who can pose a threat to you." Qin Hao paused and added, "I should also settle my 'blood feud'—there are still some clues left next to the remains of the cultivator I encountered in the desolate mountains, pointing to a cultivation family in Lanzhou. I want to go and explore to see if I can find more cultivation resources."
A hint of reluctance flashed in Han Li's eyes, and his hands unconsciously clenched: "But this means I will have to part ways with my senior brother... We've been together day and night for the past two years, and suddenly we're separated. I feel so empty inside."
“Junior brother, there’s no need for that.” Qin Hao patted his shoulder, a smile in his eyes. “Once we’ve both settled our affairs in the mortal world, we’ll meet at Mount Tainan. Then we can seek immortality together, embark on the path of immortality, and search for the secret to eternal life. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
"Alright! It's a deal then. See you at Tainan Mountain!" Han Li's eyes lit up again, and he nodded vigorously, suppressing his reluctance.
The next morning, Qin Hao and Han Li had already left.
In the bedroom of Wang Juechu, the master of the Seven Mysteries Sect, two letters and four porcelain bottles were quietly placed on the bedside table. The letters were left by Qin Hao and Han Li, stating that the two had left the Seven Mysteries Sect to seek opportunities in other places. The porcelain bottles contained "Longevity Pills" refined by Han Li, as a way of repaying the Seven Mysteries Sect for its protection over the past few years.
When Wang Juechu woke up, he saw the letter and porcelain vase on his bedside table and was terrified, almost dropping the vase in his hand: "These two are so skilled in martial arts, if they wanted to harm me, wouldn't they have been able to easily take my head? Thank goodness, they mean no harm..."
Wang Juechu quickly hid the letter and porcelain bottle, secretly resolving to take good care of the Zhang and Han families in the future and never dare to neglect them.
Two months later, in the southern part of Lanzhou, at Tainan Mountain.
This mountain peak is over 3,000 meters high and is shrouded in milky white clouds all year round. The villagers at the foot of the mountain have long believed that there are "immortals" living in the mountain, but few people can see the full view of the mountain. Ordinary people who enter the clouds will only lose their way and eventually return the way they came.
In a dense forest halfway up Tainan Mountain, Qin Hao stood before the clouds, his brows furrowed. According to his memory of the original plot, Tainan Valley was behind these clouds, but all he could see was a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to discern the path.
"Heavenly Eye Technique!" Qin Hao shouted, circulating his magic power and slowly pouring it into his eyes—two pale golden beams of light shot out from his eyes, piercing through layers of clouds and mist, and he could vaguely see the entrance to a valley behind the clouds and mist.
"I see. This cloud and mist must be some kind of formation set up to prevent mortals from entering. It doesn't seem to have any harmful power."
Qin Hao understood and continued to activate his Heavenly Eye Technique, slowly stepping into the white mist following the direction of the entrance. The mist touched the golden magic power on his body and automatically parted to the sides, posing no obstacle to him whatsoever.
Before long, a steep hillside appeared before us—the hillside looked as if it had been cleaved away by a sharp tool, so straight that it was almost vertical. Looking back, the clouds and mist at the entrance were still swirling, as if no one had ever walked there.
As you walk down the hillside, the view suddenly opens up – it is a basin covering hundreds of acres. In the very center of the basin stands a large palace with carved railings and jade-like buildings. The eaves of the buildings are carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, which gleam in the sunlight.
People dressed in various styles came and went between the pavilions: there were cultivators in Taoist robes, merchants in brocade robes, and rogue cultivators carrying swords. Each of them had more or less magical energy fluctuations, and they were obviously all cultivators.
The most bustling place was the blue brick square in front of the pavilion—the square was filled with stalls, just like a secular market. The stall owners were either sitting or standing, some holding ancient books and flipping through them, and others shouting their wares. The air was filled with the scent of spiritual herbs and monster materials.
Qin Hao used his Heavenly Eye Technique to scan the area. The cultivators in the square had cultivation levels ranging from the lowest to the fourth level of Qi Refining, with the highest being an old man at the tenth level of Qi Refining, who was sitting behind a stall with his eyes closed, resting.
"Don't miss out! The inner core of a level one demon beast, 'Ironback Wolf,' freshly hunted and still warm! Only fifteen low-grade spirit stones!" A burly man stood behind the stall, holding up a fist-sized, grayish-brown inner core with traces of blood on it, loudly hawking his wares, attracting many low-level cultivators to stop and watch.
"Selling the hide of a level one demon beast, the Azure Water Python, at a low price! The python hide is supple and can be used to refine low-level defensive magic weapons, as well as as an auxiliary material for making talismans! Twenty low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining!"
Not to be outdone, a tall, thin cultivator next to him had a python skin about ten feet long spread out on his stall. The python skin glowed with a faint blue light, clearly containing water-based spiritual energy.
"Green Bamboo Sword! Thirty-five low-grade spirit stones, plus a 'Spirit Gathering Grass'!" At a stall not far away, a cultivator in green robes held a green longsword. With a flick of his wrist, a green light flashed across the sword, attracting the attention of the surrounding cultivators.
Qin Hao walked slowly along the stalls, his gaze landing on a stall filled with ancient books and talismans.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man dressed in a blue Taoist robe, with his hair tied up on top of his head and secured with a wooden hairpin. When he saw Qin Hao coming over, he ignored him and was engrossed in reading a yellowed ancient book.
On the stall were several thread-bound books and stacks of blank talisman paper. The cover of the top ancient book read "True Explanation of Elementary Talismans".
"Fellow Daoist, how much is this 'True Explanation of Elementary Talismans'?" Qin Hao asked calmly, pointing to the ancient book.
The middle-aged stall owner didn't even lift his eyelids, and casually said, "Sixty low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining."
Qin Hao didn't have any spirit stones on him. That guy, Golden Light Master, was in a terrible state; besides a few dozen taels of silver, he didn't even have a single low-grade spirit stone left.
"I don't have that many spirit stones on me." Qin Hao took out a jade bottle from his pocket, opened the cap—a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, it was the Golden Marrow Pill refined by Han Li.
"How about exchanging it for this bottle of Golden Marrow Pills?"
The middle-aged stall owner's previously lazy eyes lit up instantly. He sat up straight and stared intently at the jade bottle in Qin Hao's hand, his breathing becoming more rapid: "The refining technique is average, but its advantage lies in the purity of the medicinal power, without any impurities."
He stretched out his fingers and calculated: "One Golden Marrow Pill can be exchanged for five low-grade spirit stones, ten pills would be fifty, but I'm still ten short, not enough."
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao put away the jade bottle without saying a word and turned to leave.
"Fellow Daoist, wait a minute!" The middle-aged stall owner quickly got up and stepped in front of Qin Hao, his face showing some hesitation. "Fine, I'm afraid of you! Ten coins it is, I'll trade them!"
As he spoke, he picked up the book "The True Explanation of Elementary Talismans" from the stall and handed it to Qin Hao. Qin Hao did not take it, but glanced at a stack of blank talisman papers on the stall: "Give me another stack of talisman papers."
The middle-aged stall owner's face instantly fell, and he said with a bitter expression, "Fellow Daoist, you're trying to kill me! A stack of these talismans costs five spirit stones, aren't you making me lose money?"
Qin Hao made a move to turn around again, but the middle-aged stall owner quickly grabbed him: "It's free! The talisman is yours! I'm unlucky to have run into someone as ruthless as you at bargaining!"
He pulled out a stack of pale yellow talismans from under the stall and stuffed them into Qin Hao's hand. "If I weren't stuck at the bottleneck of the seventh level of Qi Refining and desperately needed Golden Marrow Pills to break through, I would never have done this losing business."
"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist." Qin Hao accepted the "True Explanation of Elementary Talismans" and the talisman paper, and cupped his hands in greeting to the stall owner.
Next, Qin Hao strolled around the square. He found a stall selling talisman pens and cinnabar, and exchanged a bottle of Yellow Dragon Pill for a talisman pen made from the hair of a second-tier demon beast, the Green Wood Wolf, and a jar of cinnabar soaked in the blood essence of a first-tier demon beast, the Crimson Flame Fox.
Finally, he arrived at the "Yunlai Inn" next to the square, used a Golden Marrow Pill to pay for a month's rent, and chose a room in a corner.
The inn's spiritual energy is 30% denser than that of Shenshou Valley, making it very suitable for cultivation and talisman making.
Back in his room, Qin Hao didn't rush into cultivation. Instead, he spread out the "Elementary Talisman True Explanation" on his desk and mentally called out, "AI, how long will it take to analyze this 'Elementary Talisman True Explanation'?"
[AI Brain: "The True Explanation of Basic Talismans" includes the basic talisman-making methods for the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The complete analysis is expected to take ten days.]
Qin Hao frowned—he was currently focusing on metal-attribute cultivation techniques, and there was no need to waste time on talismans of other attributes for the time being: "Just analyze metal-attribute talismans?"
[AI: Decoding the metal-attribute talismans (including the three basic talismans 'Golden Blade Talisman', 'Sharpness Talisman', and 'Golden Defense Talisman') will take two days. Would you like to proceed?]
"Analysis."
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Hao memorized the key points of making metal-attribute talismans analyzed by the AI—including the choice of talisman paper, the way to hold the talisman pen, the rhythm of injecting magic power, and the corresponding incantations.
On the morning of the third day, he spread the talisman paper on his desk, poured out the cinnabar, held the talisman brush, took a deep breath, and began to draw the first "Golden Arrow Talisman"—according to the AI's analysis, the "Golden Arrow Talisman" is the most basic metal-attribute talisman, which can release a three-inch-long golden arrow of energy after activation, with considerable power.
Dipping his brush in cinnabar, Qin Hao flicked his wrist and made the first stroke on the talisman paper—the cinnabar left a red line as it passed over the paper. At the same time, he silently recited the incantation, injecting a trace of metallic magic power into the brush.
But just a few breaths later, the talisman suddenly burst into a small fireball with a "poof" sound, instantly igniting and burning to ashes.
"AI, analyze where the problem is?" Qin Hao asked in his mind, undeterred.
[AI: Host, please note that the essence of talismans is to seal magic onto talisman paper using mediums like ink and brush. While writing, you must coordinate with the incantation to continuously and steadily inject magical power into the talisman paper—the magical power you injected just now fluctuated in strength, resulting in excess power at the 'array' point of the talisman paper, which punctured the paper and caused it to spontaneously combust.]
Qin Hao nodded and laid out a new sheet of talisman paper. This time, he deliberately slowed down, his hand holding the pen as steady as a rock. As the pen tip fell, he silently recited the incantation, while simultaneously using his AI to monitor the output of magical power in real time—a wisp of golden magical power flowed along the pen and slowly into the talisman paper, red lines extending across the paper, each stroke maintaining the same intensity of magical power.
As the last stroke was made, the red lines on the talisman suddenly glowed with a faint golden light, which then slowly faded away—a "Golden Arrow Talisman" was successfully made!
Qin Hao picked up the talisman and could feel the sharp magical power contained within it, which delighted him.
Over the next few days, he practiced repeatedly, from initially being able to make only three talismans a day to later being able to make ten a day. He wasted less and less talisman paper and his control over his magic power became more and more precise.
"Phew, at least we have a way to 'generate our own blood,' otherwise we would have no choice but to engage in the activities of evil cultivators!"