Chapter 1972 - Refining the Ivory Spirit Pill

A gentle breeze carried wisps of cloud across the sky. A flock of immortal cranes settled on the Matriarch Cradle Peak and began playing in the water.

"Send every record of the outer sect's outstanding debts to the Sixty-Ninth Peak. Have him collect them," Shui Yao said, suddenly lifting her head as she watched the cranes.

"Mistress, even elite disciples haven't managed to recover those debts. Many smaller clans have cut ties with us altogether. Sending him after that money is no different from sending him to his death," the woman replied, bewildered. She could not understand why Shui Yao would give such a dangerous assignment to a new disciple.

She had followed Shui Yao since childhood, and their many years together allowed her to speak with a degree of candor in her mistress's presence. Others would have shown far greater deference when speaking to an Immortal Emperor.

"So you've learned to argue with me? Carry out my instructions," Shui Yao said. No anger showed on her face, yet the cranes nearby abruptly thrashed their wings, desperate to escape. An invisible force held them captive and denied them flight.

"I'll do as you ask," the woman replied. She transformed into an immortal crane and flew away from the Matriarch Cradle Peak.

"First, in all four trials, with fifty immortal roots. Let's see what sets you apart," Shui Yao murmured after the crane had gone. She closed her eyes, restoring the lotus pond's tranquility. The flock immediately took to the air to find somewhere else to rest.

......

Liu Wuxie walked alongside the deacon on the Sixty-Ninth Peak, learning more with every step. Before long, they arrived at its reception area. The deacon's duty ended there. The elder in charge would handle whatever came next.

Years of neglect had left the Sixty-Ninth Peak's Elder Hall in ruins, with a gaping hole in its roof.

"Good evening, Elder!"

A gaunt elder sat inside, bearing the look of someone who had been starved for years. Liu Wuxie recognized the truth behind that appearance, however. The elder's cultivation technique had shaped him that way.

"What brings you here?" Elder Gui asked, opening his eyes and squinting at the arrivals.

No new disciples had been assigned to the Sixty-Ninth Peak in years. Nevertheless, many had voluntarily abandoned their original peaks to join it.

"He's one of this year's new disciples. I'll leave him in your care, Elder Gui," the deacon said. The oppressive atmosphere made him profoundly uncomfortable. He wanted to leave without spending another moment there.

Elders on the other peaks usually received visitors courteously. Since arriving here, however, the deacon had felt countless gazes following him.

"Leave him with me," Elder Gui replied, waving the deacon away.

Relief swept through the deacon. He gave Liu Wuxie a meaningful look, then hurried from the hall.

With the two of them alone, Elder Gui stood and directed a terrifying aura at Liu Wuxie.

"The Profound Immortal Realm, is it? How interesting," he said, circling Liu Wuxie with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"My respects, Elder Gui," Liu Wuxie replied politely. He had only just arrived and meant to attract as little attention as possible.

"We do things differently on the Sixty-Ninth Peak. No one assigns you a residence. Find an empty room or take one from someone else. If you're strong enough, you can even claim this hall," Elder Gui said, returning to his seat. Liu Wuxie would have to find his own lodging.

Only the fittest survived in this place. Any disciple with enough strength could seize another's residence and make it their own. In theory, Liu Wuxie could claim the entire peak as private territory. He would simply have to defeat everyone on it, including the peak master.

Liu Wuxie frowned. Elder Gui had made the rules unmistakable. Strength earned better treatment, and weakness demanded submission.

Tossing over a beast hide, Elder Gui said, "Here's a map of the Sixty-Ninth Peak. Learn it as quickly as you can." He then closed his eyes and dismissed Liu Wuxie. Whether the newcomer survived meant nothing to him. Joining this peak meant accepting its rules.

One glance at the map startled Liu Wuxie. The Sixty-Ninth Peak covered an enormous area. Given its size alone, it could stand among the top ten of the seventy-two peaks.

He could not tell how many disciples lived there, though he suspected the number was substantial. The deacon had explained that all manner of people inhabited the Sixty-Ninth Peak. Unlike elsewhere, there was no distinction between outer and inner disciples.

Only their clothing identified which were outer disciples and which were inner disciples. Their residences sprawled across the mountain without any orderly separation.

"Then I'll take my leave," Liu Wuxie said, cupping his hands before departing the hall in search of shelter.

Night had deepened. Lights illuminated the other peaks, but darkness swallowed the Sixty-Ninth Peak completely. Ghost Pupil still allowed Liu Wuxie to make out his surroundings clearly.

The map placed most disciples in the south, closer to the inner peaks. Immortal energy gathered there in far greater concentration, and the relatively level terrain held newer courtyards.

Liu Wuxie chose the west. Residences were much rarer in that direction, but with his present cultivation, it was his only choice if he wished to remain inconspicuous.

After his departure, a figure appeared without warning inside the hall.

"My respects, Lady Crane," Elder Gui said, rising to receive her.

The immortal crane had spent tens of thousands of years cultivating under Immortal Emperor Shui Yao and had attained formidable strength. Though she was only an attendant at Shui Yao's side, her standing far exceeded that of the elders.

......

Weeds crowded the narrow path beneath Liu Wuxie's feet. With no one maintaining the Sixty-Ninth Peak, wild grass had overtaken much of the mountain, rising taller than a person in places.

A net suddenly dropped from overhead and closed around him.

Someone had ambushed him under the cover of the night. Liu Wuxie summoned the Bloodthirst Blade at once and slashed through the net, opening a gap through which he escaped.

"Show yourself! Who's there?" Liu Wuxie roared. He had not expected trouble so soon after setting foot on the Sixty-Ninth Peak. No one answered him. Even the Ghost Pupil revealed no one within a thousand meters.

He picked up the damaged net to inspect it. Ordinary materials formed its construction, limiting it to restraining cultivators at the lower levels of the Divine Immortal Realm.

The reforged Bloodthirst Blade possessed an exceptional edge. It could now match even an artifact at the pinnacle of the Divine Immortal Realm.

"A trap, then," Liu Wuxie confirmed after examining the area. Someone had placed the net here to catch any passerby.

He threw it aside and proceeded more carefully. Perhaps he had still underestimated the danger of the Sixty-Ninth Peak.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, he emerged from the narrow path and found rows of residences ahead. Lights glowed from a handful of windows, while the remaining buildings stood in darkness.

Ghost Pupil revealed that the three residences on the left were empty. Liu Wuxie chose one for the night, pushed open its battered gate, and entered the courtyard.

The residence covered only about a hundred square meters and was likely built for outer disciples. Dead leaves carpeted the neglected ground, and branches had grown into the rooms.

The residence consisted of four well-arranged houses surrounding a shared courtyard. It followed the Azure Jade Palace’s standard layout, with four outer disciples living together, just as they did on the other peaks.

Here on the Sixty-Ninth Peak, though, most disciples kept a whole courtyard to themselves.

Liu Wuxie entered the room on the left. Musty decay assaulted his nose with such force that he almost staggered. A wave of his hand swept the dust away, after which he produced over a dozen Cleansing Talismans to remove the remaining filth.

Rot had ruined the tables and chairs. The slightest touch reduced them to dust.

When the cleaning was done, nothing remained in the room. Liu Wuxie set a meditation mat in the center, sat down, and closed his eyes to reflect on recent events. Even he had begun wondering whether coming to the Azure Jade Palace had been the right choice. Its drawbacks were considerable, but he knew the long-term benefits would outweigh them.

His low cultivation would make the beginning difficult. Establishing himself here would require no easy task. Yet having entered the Azure Jade Palace, he would not retreat so easily.

What hardship had he not faced? His earliest days at the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy on the True Martial Star had been worse. Then, the threat of Elder Madman killing him had hung over him constantly.

He set the Desolate Devouring Art in motion, drawing immortal energy from the surroundings.

"Word of the Ivory Spirit Pill and my fifty immortal roots will spread soon. People will come looking for me. Increasing my combat strength is my only option," Liu Wuxie said.

"The Ivory Spirit Pill!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed. He couldn't waste any opportunity to advance his cultivation. Upon reaching the Origin Immortal Realm, he would have the strength to establish a foothold in the Azure Jade Palace.

At that point, even low-level Golden Immortals would be unable to contend with him. Few outer disciples could threaten him then.

Others would need two to three days to refine the Ivory Spirit Pill. Liu Wuxie had the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron. He tossed the pill inside, and demonic flames swallowed it, swiftly refining it into pure energy that coursed through his body.

"Just what I'd expect from a superpower's pill. Its quality far surpasses anything refined in Eastern Emperor City," Liu Wuxie said, his lips beginning to curve up in a smile. A rumble shook the Desolate World, announcing the approach of another breakthrough.

During the assessment, the pressure of soul energy had carried him into the fourth-level Profound Immortal Realm. He had since consolidated that cultivation. No one would believe he could advance two levels in little more than a day.

"Lend me your power, Mysterious Axe Imprint," Liu Wuxie roared. He could not wait for the breakthrough to unfold at its own pace. Dawn was near, and he needed to finish before daylight.

Blackie already stood guard at the entrance. It held several crystals in its hand and munched on them with unabashed delight.