Chapter 620 426: Connecting the Two Realms

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, Fang Qingyuan clutched a jade slip that had given him a spark of inspiration, deep in thought.

The Qingyuan Sect's Scripture Pavilion now housed nearly ten thousand cultivation-related manuals, making it the largest repository of scriptures in the entire Qingyuan Alliance.

The collection came from three main sources. Over a thousand of the manuals were from the Qingyuan Sect's own collection before it rose to prominence. After Fang Qingyuan achieved the Golden Core Realm and established the Qingyuan Alliance, many sects within the alliance voluntarily contributed books, copying some of their less critical secret texts for the Qingyuan Sect.

This portion accounted for roughly two to three thousand manuals. The remaining texts were more common throughout the Cultivation Realm. They included detailed explanations of basic five-element techniques, various biographies, and records of local customs and traditions, forming the largest part of the Scripture Pavilion's collection.

The Qingyuan Sect's Scripture Pavilion was currently divided into five floors, with access determined by rank. The sect's Qi Cultivation Disciples could only access the first and second floors, while Foundation Establishment Cultivators could use the third and fourth. As for the fifth floor, it was Fang Qingyuan's exclusive domain.

Right now, Fang Qingyuan was on the spacious fifth floor, lost in thought. His surroundings were cluttered with jade slips he had ordered to be brought up. Presumably, once he left, these jade slips would have to be sorted and returned to their proper places.

The fifth floor stored very few manuals. This was because it was an area only Golden Core Cultivators could borrow from, and the Qingyuan Sect possessed precious few texts that could guide a Golden Core Cultivator's training.

Only a few of the Cultivation Techniques that Fang Qingyuan himself had learned were placed on the sparse shelves.

These were the "True Explanation of the Five Spirits Transforming Baleful Qi and Refining Form," the "Cavernous Truth and Nether-Piercing Qi Eating Technique," the "Five Elements Undying Body," and the "Liu Yu Celestial Demon Transformation" that Fang Qingyuan had most recently obtained.

Gazing at the sparse collection of Golden Core Cultivation Method Manuals, Fang Qingyuan couldn't help but sigh. The Qingyuan Sect's foundation was still too weak.

Other Golden Core Sects had at least ten Golden Core cultivation techniques in their scripture pavilions. But because he had left the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect so early, he had only managed to bring these few with him.

The "Liu Yu Celestial Demon Transformation" had been a gift from Tu Wuzhao, and Fang Qingyuan had also added it to his sect's Scripture Pavilion to bolster its foundation.

There were currently two main ways to expand the fifth floor's collection. The first was to acquire manuals through searching, battle spoils, or purchases, but Golden Core manuals obtained this way were certainly inferior to the second method.

That was for disciples of the Qingyuan Sect to cultivate step-by-step from Qi Cultivation to the Golden Core Realm. Their insights and experiences could then be recorded in great detail.

Moreover, since the Golden Core Cultivator who had practiced the technique was still alive, disciples cultivating the same technique could receive guidance from time to time. The chances of success this way were far greater than simply practicing from a Golden Core cultivation manual alone.

'Foundation... we need to strengthen it everywhere. A powerful sect should have no weaknesses. But my abilities are limited. I should solve the Spiritual Qi problem first, so that Qiqi and the other Golden Core Demon Beasts can also cultivate.'

Fang Qingyuan mentally prioritized his upcoming tasks. For the next few months, the most important thing was to increase the Spiritual Qi in the Qingyuan Sect's Spiritual Land.

As for collecting manuals for the Scripture Pavilion to strengthen the sect's foundation, selling the loot from his trip to the Abyss of Black Soil, or practicing the "Liu Yu Celestial Demon Transformation"—all of that would have to wait.

However, based on the inspiration he'd just had, using the Forest Ghost Scripture to practice the Divine Puppet Technique was, first of all, extremely difficult. Secondly, there wasn't enough time. Fang Qingyuan had less than three months left.

Within three months, he either had to raise the overall Spiritual Qi concentration within the Qingyuan Sect from its current level of lower-tier three to upper-tier three.

Or he'd have to let Qiqi and the other Golden Core Demon Beasts, along with about twenty Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts, arrive and share the existing Spiritual Qi, which would hinder everyone's cultivation.

As for Bear Wind, his placement was a separate matter and not under consideration for now.

'If all else fails, I'll just have to spend more Spirit Stones. It's a necessary expense. Perhaps I can build a Teleportation Array first and create a spatial channel through it. I'll try using that to tide us over for a while.'

Lost in thought, Fang Qingyuan made up his mind. The Cultivation Realm was full of various methods; the Divine Puppet Technique wasn't the only way. Other methods could indirectly achieve a connection between the two worlds, but the cost in Spirit Stones would be much higher. It would be an enormous drain in the long run.

But as a short-term solution, it was acceptable.

Although Fang Qingyuan was currently short on Spirit Stones, his ability to earn them was also strong. In the six months he was away in the Abyss of Black Soil, the Qingyuan Sect's various enterprises had generated another large sum of income.

「...」

"How much is left in the sect's accounts?"

"Sect Leader, the sect's accounts currently hold 3,470 Top-grade Spirit Stones, as well as First and Second Tier Spiritual Materials... Elixir Pills... Magical Artifacts..."

After leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Fang Qingyuan summoned Liu Xun to take stock of their assets. After Liu Xun's report, Fang Qingyuan had a clear picture of the Qingyuan Sect's development over the past two years.

In short, the future was promising, but their current finances were tight.

This was consistent with the Qingyuan Sect's current situation. After all, the sect had only truly started to rise after Fang Qingyuan reached the Golden Core Realm. The effects of this achievement would take a long time to fully materialize, and what the Qingyuan Sect lacked most right now was the foundation built over time.

"I'll make a list. I want you to acquire these items. Use the sect's accounts for now."

Fang Qingyuan handed a piece of animal hide inscribed with a list of various materials to Liu Xun. These were the essential materials needed to connect the two worlds.

Liu Xun took the list and carefully put it away without even looking at it.

Since Fang Qingyuan needed it, he would do his utmost to get it done. The thought of looking at the list and saying he couldn't do it would never cross his mind.

Even if it was truly impossible, that would only be after exhausting all efforts. He would never assume failure from the start. In the Cultivation Realm, the hierarchy of status was far more unequal than in Fang Qingyuan's previous world.

「Five days later.」

With the Qingyuan Sect extending its vast network, all the materials Fang Qingyuan required were gathered. Even a few items that were usually difficult to obtain were dug out from the vaults of other sects.

For a task like gathering materials, the collective effort of a sect with thousands of Cultivators was far more effective than one or two individuals, even if those individuals were at the Golden Core Realm.

With the materials in hand, Fang Qingyuan returned to the heart of Celestial Eagle Mountain, the core of the Spirit Vein.

Here, Fang Qingyuan took out all the collected Array materials and began to check them against the knowledge recorded in a jade slip.

'Sixty Top-grade Spirit Stones with Spatial Attributes are essential. And five hundred catties of tier-two, mid-grade Void Clarity Profound Iron. This spiritual material has a strong capacity for bearing and conducting Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, making it a good choice for constructing the Array's core and frame.

Five Elements Spirit Stones—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—one hundred top-grade of each. These will be used to regulate the energy balance within the Array, allowing it to adapt to different environments and spaces and preventing it from being destroyed by void turbulence.

Hmm, I can skip the Space Positioning Talisman and the Defense Array Talisman. I'm not teleporting my physical body, and I'm not afraid of getting lost, so these two are completely useless to me.

Ten vials of Feidu Bird Essence Blood. This Spirit Bird with Spatial Attributes has the ability to cross between different worlds. Ten vials are incredibly expensive, but I need its Essence Blood, which contains Void Power, to break through the spatial barrier as much as possible. There's no other way.

Let me see, what else am I missing?'

For a moment, Fang Qingyuan's mind was a chaotic mess of thoughts. This was his first time building a Teleportation Array, and there was much he didn't understand. It was impossible to be too cautious.

Normally, this kind of task should be handled by a professional Array Formation Cultivator, but Fang Qingyuan didn't dare use one. Therefore, he was handling everything himself.

Blending the Essence Blood and laying out the Array, Fang Qingyuan strictly followed the knowledge he had learned. After a full day of work, a seemingly exquisite Array appeared in the heart of the mountain.

"Next is to test the Array's function. A two-world traversing Array... I hope it isn't a letdown. It had better be worth the three thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones I spent."

After muttering to himself, Fang Qingyuan opened his Immortal Mansion and poured all his perception of it, via his Divine Sense, into the core of the Teleportation Array.

Then, after a long period of adjustment, a tiny hole suddenly appeared a hundred zhang above a certain Spirit Field inside the Immortal Mansion.

'It worked!'

Fang Qingyuan's face lit up with joy. In this Cultivation Realm, there were many small worlds that had been opened up by others. Wasn't the world that Ghost You came from sixty years ago a small Ghost Cultivation World?

Strictly speaking, these small worlds did not exist completely separate from the main world. They were like tiny bubbles attached to the main world, drifting along with it. After an extremely long time, they would eventually be absorbed into the main world's body and become one with it.

But Fang Qingyuan's Immortal Mansion, from his own perception, was not attached to the main world. The fact that this Void Transmission Array could successfully link the two worlds was primarily due to one factor: Fang Qingyuan himself. If it were anyone else—even ten Divinity Transformation Cultivators working together with the best materials—they couldn't even dream of locating the Immortal Mansion.

'Location successful, connection successful. Next step: test the Spiritual Qi consumption for transporting various materials.'

Fang Qingyuan suppressed his excitement and began testing the Spiritual Qi cost for sending various materials through the Array. All of this consumption had to be paid for by the Spirit Stone reserves within the Array itself.

Soil, Spirit Wood, Spirit Rice, and even insect beasts.

Fang Qingyuan tested many things from his Immortal Mansion. Only the final attempt with an insect beast failed; it was crushed and ejected as a mangled heap.

Of all the things tested, the one that consumed the least was, by far, the formless and substanceless Spiritual Qi.

As this Spiritual Qi surged through the void channel and into this location, Fang Qingyuan sensed that the Spiritual Qi concentration here in the heart of Celestial Eagle Mountain was rising at a very rapid rate.

Sensing this, Fang Qingyuan smiled smugly. He then forcefully pressed down on the core of the Array that controlled the flow of all Spiritual Qi through the pipelines within the Qingyuan Sect's mountain gate.