Chapter 565

Shi Xuan and Xie Fangwei entered the Guang Han Palace's side hall. Although the two were Penglai's disciples, they weren't here for the sect's matters, but for their own personal matters. Thus, the Guo Han Sect Master didn't choose to use the main hall.

This side hall wasn't too large. Sitting in the seat of honor was the Guo Han Sect Master, Yan Qianying. She wore a light yellow palace dress, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes were as deep as the sea, making it difficult to see through them. After the two finished their greetings, she said, "Shi Xuan, you said you're here to exchange for the 10,000-year Ice Soul Heart? Let me ask you, what are you prepared to exchange for it? " She was Yu Linglong's good friend, a previous direct disciple of the Guo Han Sect. Eight years ago, she had finally achieved a high-rank Golden Core and was ranked 12th on the Heavenly Mystery List. Later, she became the sect master. Due to her seniority, strength, and status, there was nothing wrong with calling Shi Xuan by his name.

Shi Xuan smiled bitterly. "I have many miscellaneous items on me, but I don't know what your sect needs. For example, I have half a Yin Yang Jade Tablet, a Star Armored Beast's core, and a Flesh Regeneration Pill. I wonder if I can exchange them for the 10,000-year Ice Soul Heart."

Upon hearing about the Star Armored Beast's core, Yan Qianying and Xie Fangwei both looked at Shi Xuan in surprise. They didn't think that a Divine Soul cultivator like Shi Xuan would actually have a monster core. That was an incomparably precious item.

Yan Qianying smiled gently. She was like a jade fairy walking into the mortal world, dazzling and mesmerizing. She said, "Little friend, it seems like you've had many fortuitous encounters. In truth, your Yin Yang Jade Tablet and the Star Armored Beast's core are both more valuable than the 10,000-year Ice Soul Heart. However, the Yin Yang Jade Tablet and the sect's magic treasures are useless, and the Star Armored Beast is the same. Haha, if you have a monster core of ice, cold, water, or soft attributes, even if I don't exchange it with you, the Divine Soul elders will secretly exchange it for you. "

What she meant was that although his items were good, they weren't what they wanted. Shi Xuan had no choice but to ask, "What your sect needs? I can find it. "

Yan Qianying paused for a moment before saying, "It's not my place to bully a junior, so I'll point out some items that are far more valuable than the Icesoul Heart. How about this? If you can find a Snowsoul Pearl condensed from ten-thousand-year-old frost, or a high-grade magic tool that can suppress inner demons, I'll give the Icesoul Heart to you."

Shi Xuan found this strange. Snowsoul Pearls might be difficult to find, but a high-grade magic tool that could suppress one's inner demons shouldn't be too difficult. He was just about to speak when Yan Qianying seemed to have seen through his thoughts. He smiled and said, "Ordinary high-grade magic tools can at most suppress distracting thoughts and clear one's mind. Only when a magic tool or a spiritual tool is perfected can it suppress one's inner demons."

Did he have to find a magic treasure for her? The Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler seemed to have this function, but the value was completely different. Shi Xuan smiled wryly. "Sect Master Yan, are you joking with me?"

Yan Qianying laughed. "I'm only talking about ordinary magic treasures. On the divine path, there are some magic treasures refined from the will of the people. Once they reach a high level, they can suppress inner demons. Although they can't compare to magic treasures, they have some unique effects. The divine path is inferior to orthodox Daoism in many other aspects, but they are much stronger in this aspect. "

Shi Xuan was overjoyed. He could ask the Fang madam for help, so he replied, "Very well. I agree."

Yan Qianying glanced at Shi Xuan with a smile. "Don't be rash, little friend. Don't think you can obtain it just because you know someone on the divine path. First of all, only a Divine Soul cultivator can refine it. Not only will it take one or two hundred years to reach a high level, but it will also need to be nourished with the will of the people for five hundred years. Haha, a high-grade magic treasure that has similar functions to a magic treasure won't be that easy to refine. "

Shi Xuan's heart sank. Fortunately, he knew that Yan Qianying wouldn't speak without thinking. If she mentioned these two items, then one of them must have a clue. As such, he respectfully listened to her continue.

"Fifty years ago, I discovered the dwelling of a high-level divine path cultivator in the Western Wastes. After opening the outer dwelling, I obtained many divine magic treasures, cultivation techniques, and techniques, as well as several tokens to open the inner dwelling. However, when those cultivators returned to reorganize, internal strife broke out because of the uneven distribution of the loot. Many of them died, and three tokens were lost. It wasn't until ten years ago that I found two of them, "Yan Qianying said slowly.

At this point, Shi Xuan was startled. He suddenly recalled the token he had obtained from the provincial governor's residence when he had obtained the gengmetal and the Incense Golden Body cultivation techniques. Could it be that one of the cultivators who had fought amongst themselves had obtained these items? In order to escape pursuit, he had taken the risk of passing through the sandstorms of the Vast Sea and entering the Central Plains? However, he had most likely died from his injuries, which was why the provincial governor had obtained it. At the time, he had found it strange. How could the provincial governor have a top-grade material like gengmetal? He must have obtained it from that divine path cultivator's dwelling.

In addition, he had lamented that the patterns on the token were similar to those of the Middle Ages. He hadn't expected it to be an item of the primordial divine path.

"Shi Xuan, if you can find that token and enter the inner dwelling, there will definitely be divine magic treasures that can suppress your inner demons." As Yan Qianying spoke, she gave Shi Xuan a mischievous wink, as if to say, "I know you have that token."

This wink scared Shi Xuan so much that he felt a chill run down his spine. He thought that his secret had been exposed. However, on second thought, it shouldn't be too difficult for her to guess that he had that token. Most low-level cultivators didn't care or know what was going on in the Central Plains, but the upper echelons of the major sects had always been paying attention. After all, the most powerful sect of the major world, Shenxiao Palace, resided there. Although they wouldn't pay attention to an individual, the reappearance of the divine path cultivators in the Central Plains over the past few decades couldn't be hidden from the major sects. Especially the scene of the Fang Clan rescuing people from the great river. Thinking back to what they had obtained from that dwelling and the internal strife, it was easy to figure out the whereabouts of the token.

His relationship with the Fang Clan wasn't a secret either. The Fang Clan even had a god called the Sky Arcanum Supreme Immortal. That was why Yan Qianying was acting this way. In fact, Shi Xuan suspected that Yan Qianying had been eyeing the token ever since he had learned that he wanted to exchange it for the Heart of Ice Soul.

"Why don't I just use the token to exchange for the Heart of Ice Soul?" Shi Xuan asked.

Yan Qianying smiled gently. "There are many other rare treasures in that dwelling other than these kinds of ritual implements. Are you willing to part with them? Perhaps there are other things you want. You should know that divine path cultivators enjoy offerings. In ancient times, they were famous for their artifacts, materials, and secret treasures. "

Shi Xuan fell silent. Perhaps there was the Invisible Divine Metal inside that could strengthen the Shadowless Manifestation Sword. Perhaps there was the essence of the Lunar Shifting Yang Essence Gold that was needed to forge the Yin-Yang Adversity Sword. Perhaps there was the Five-Colored Immortal Stone or the Heart of Rock. He would not be satisfied if he didn't make a trip there. After a long while, he said, "But with my strength, I'm afraid I won't be able to explore a dwelling of this level. Moreover, I've heard that Xue He Laozu also needs a ritual implement to suppress his inner demons. Will he help?"

"Didn't I just say that this high-grade ritual implement is not far from a ritual implement's ability to suppress inner demons? But no matter how close it is, there is still a difference. Xue He Laozu has no use for it. Even if he wants to form a blood bond with it, he can't possibly switch to the divine path, can he? Rather than looking for someone else, he might as well find a consummate spiritual artifact that can suppress the mind. Who knows, he might be able to enter the ritual implement faster. " Yan Qianying chuckled. "As for other Primordial Soul Venerables, they would not be interested in the collection of a divine path cultivator who has yet to become a god." The position of a god was equivalent to the primordial soul of a Daoist cultivator. This meant that the divine path cultivator had an eighty to ninety percent chance of reaching the Yin Soul stage. It was only because his dwelling had been in the outermost layer of the Western Wilderness that he had been lucky enough to escape. As for where he had fallen, no one knew.

After a pause, Yan Qianying continued, "Apart from a few who are at the final juncture or those who have no hope of advancing, the Yin Soul Venerables are basically not in this great world. At most, I've only met a few Jindan Grandmaster Venerables."

For Yin Soul Venerables who had advanced from a mid-grade Jindan, no materials or ritual implements were of any use. Since they no longer had any hope of advancing, they might as well enjoy a peaceful life, or establish a sect and pass down their teachings, hoping that one of their disciples would produce a Primordial Soul Venerable who would be able to help them out in the future, such as providing pills that could extend their lifespans by tens of thousands of years.

Therefore, unless there were pills that could extend one's lifespan or a ritual implement that could greatly increase one's strength, most Yin Soul Venerables would not enter. It was a pity that divine path cultivators were not adept at concocting pills, nor would they collect such pills. This was because their lifespans were long, comparable to that of a true dragon that had yet to become a Dragon King. Secondly, they did not have any ritual implements.

Of course, although it seemed like there were many benefits to becoming a divine path cultivator, the further one progressed, the narrower the path would become. Just because they were spreading their faith, they would clash with other deities, resulting in their deaths. More than half of all divine path cultivators had died. Furthermore, it was extremely difficult for them to condense their Daoseed, as the divine path contained less than a hundred Great Daos. (Since they came from faith, they were bound to be limited by faith. Of the Three Thousand Great Daos, only less than a hundred Great Daos were connected to faith.)

Shi Xuan thought to himself, 'What do you mean by there are only a few Jindan Grandmaster Venerables at most? Those Jindan Grandmaster Venerables could crush me to death with a single finger. But he said, "This junior has no way of dealing with Jindan Grandmaster Venerables."

Yan Qianying laughed and scolded him. "You little brat, why are you being so long-winded? Let me tell you, only three of those tokens are in the hands of Jindan Grandmaster Venerables. They're all low-grade Jindan, so they definitely won't invite other Jindan Grandmaster Venerables. "Speaking of which, the people with the tokens are now very secretive, and it's very difficult to find them. If you want to go, I'm afraid you'll have to show off your token and let them find you on their own. "As for your strength, it's not like I'm asking you to go now. It won't be too late to go after you've stabilized your cultivation and mastered two or three Daoist techniques. Once you're there, as long as you're not greedy, those Jindan Grandmaster Venerables will definitely go straight for the most precious items. It won't be difficult for you to leave after obtaining a few of the items you want. In any case, you can come back to exchange for the 10,000-year Ice Soul Heart whenever you obtain the ritual implements. "

Seeing that Shi Xuan was still in a difficult position, Yan Qianying said exasperatedly, "That's right. Don't you have a demonic beast's inner core? The Penglai Sect also has a method to refine External Cores. With this External Core, you'll have at least twenty to thirty percent chance of protecting yourself against a low-grade Jindan. Alright, alright. After you've successfully refined it, come to me and ask for a method that will allow you to temporarily ignore the difference in elemental attributes and fully utilize the power of the External Core. That way, you'll have at least a fifty percent chance of protecting yourself against a low-grade Jindan. "

Seeing that Yan Qianying was going to give him some benefits, Shi Xuan seemed to reluctantly agree. "Junior will obey." Actually, he was secretly laughing. Even without Yan Qianying's benefits, he would still have made a trip to the cave abode in the ruins.

Xie Fangwei had been listening silently from the side. Other than the fact that he had first learned that Shi Xuan had a demonic beast's inner core, he had maintained a warm smile on his face. He was not even the least bit surprised by the wasteful matter of using a demonic beast's inner core to refine an External Core. It was likely that he would make the same choice.

After that, the two of them bade farewell and returned to Extreme Night City.