I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 155 - 129: Ghost Clan
"Set sail--"
Birds startled and flew away as the enormous Sky Traveling Dragon Boat raised its sails amidst the sound of mechanical friction. Mist swirled around the boat’s bottom as it slowly ascended.
From Qingyun Ridge, through the Ancient Battlefield, heading southwest to Wuu Province.
On the boat were mostly disciples of the Heavenly Interence Sect, along with some loose cultivators from the workshop, gathered in threes and twos on the deck, discussing the Cangyan Mystic Realm, both noisy and lively.
A Foundation Establishment female cultivator with an ordinary air leaned against the railing, examining a scroll in her hand. The ethereal mist brushed against her face, damp and cold.
Nearby Qi Cultivation disciples ran over excitedly. Upon seeing her, they adjusted their demeanor, cupped their hands in salute, and quickly fled.
Jiang Yuebai turned around, leaning against the railing, wearing a Faceless Mask. After the illusion, others merely thought she was a familiar Foundation Establishment Uncle, unaware of her true identity.
Holding the scroll up towards the golden crow on the horizon, Jiang Yuebai murmured, "Of the twenty-five sects in the Central Plains Three Continents and Nine Domains, Cang Province, Wuu Province, and Yun Province are Mortal Countries, and all nine domains are governed by Immortal Cultivation families and sects."
Cang Country’s Cang Province is in the west, with mountain ranges crisscrossing, rich in minerals, snowy and extremely cold, with a bold and straightforward populace, fond of battle and wine.
Yun Country’s Yun Province is in the east, with fertile plains, many rivers, distinct seasons, with flourishing Confucian Dao, and families passing down poetry and books.
Wuu Province occupies the southwest, arid and barren, scarce in resources, with frequent changes in the small and large countries, severe banditry, and people living in misery.
Jiang Yuebai once heard back in the Lin Mansion that successive emperors of Yun Country wanted to conquer Wuu Province, but each time were dissuaded by State Preceptors for its defensible and hard-to-attack nature.
Only now did Jiang Yuebai vaguely understand that Wuu Province’s terrain was because of the entrance to the Cangyan Mystic Realm being there, with the dense Fire Spiritual Energy from the secret realm leaking out, causing the perennial drought and rampant demonic beasts in Wuu Province.
Among the twenty-five sects in the Central Plains, the Guiyuan Sword Sect, Heavenly Interence Sect, and Vajra Platform stand like three legs of a tripod, equally matched in strength.
The various sects are not entirely harmonious, with overt and covert struggles among them.
The Sun Erosion Sect, which is responsible for monitoring the affairs of the people in Wuu Province, ranks as one of the medium-strength sects among these.
The Sun Erosion Sect primarily practices Fire Techniques, with disciples mostly rough and uninhibited, fiery-tempered, and full of bandit spirit, entirely at odds with the Spirit Controlling Sect cultivators practicing Water Techniques, which she had seen earlier at Luojiang Market.
"Can the Five Elements Spiritual Energy really affect one’s temperament? Thinking this way, Anan has a Water Spirit Body, gentle and accommodating; Xie Jingshan has a Fire Spiritual Root, impulsive and quick-tempered; Shen Huaxi, although of unknown identity, has a gentle, healing smile that matches the wood attribute..."
Jiang Yuebai appeared pensive, the scroll was left to her by Lii Jiuchuan, marking the locations and characteristics of each sect in the Central Plains.
To the west of Cang Province lies the Zen Sect of the Sixteen Departments of Xiyun, the Ten Thousand Mountains Heavenly Witch Clan, the Hundred Countries of Extraordinary People, and the demon clan shrouded in clouds and fog, unknown in truth or falsehood, all these areas being more vast than the Central Plains.
To the east is the Endless Nether Sea, the land of the sealed Ghost Clan.
To the north are the Eighty-One Islands of the North Sea, to the south a region marked only by the words—Land of Chaos.
Jiang Yuebai closed the scroll; the Sky Traveling Dragon Boat would take more than half a month to travel, dropping them off at the base of Shaoyang Mountain on the border of Wuu Province, using a Transmission Array to reach the Sun Erosion Sect’s camp directly.
Shaoyang Mountain is not far from the Yin Mountain Mine; Jiang Yuebai had already admired the scenery along the way and thus kept a low profile, listening to everyone’s discussions on the deck.
"...The Spirit Controlling Sect just wiped out a batch of Evil Cultivators of the Three Elements Sect, so you juniors, don’t wander off the boat on the way."
"Senior Brother, I heard from an Uncle in the sect before that the Three Elements Sect gradually became dormant after the Netherworld Sea was sealed three hundred years ago. Why has it resurfaced now? And what’s the connection between the Ghost Clan and the Three Elements Sect?"
"The Ghost Clan traces back to human origin, actually being people who practiced Demon Cultivation ten thousand years ago, before the Heavenly Calamity. After the Spiritual Realm shattered due to this calamity, it formed the present Heavenly Spirit Realm, Earth Spiritual Realm, and countless Lost Secret Realms."
"That group occupied the Netherworld Sea of the Earth Spiritual Realm and became the later Ghost Clan. The Ghost Clan has three veins: Corpse Vein, Bone Vein, and Soul Vein. The Three Elements Sect has the Profound Corpse Sect, White Bone Sect, and Ghost Spirit Sect, so it’s certain that the Three Elements Sect is a pawn of the Ghost Clan within the Human Clan, practicing evil dao cultivation techniques, attempting to break the Netherworld Sea seal and restore the Ghost Clan."
"Back then, during the Netherworld Sea Ghost Tide in which True Monarch Fuyi and others participated, it was ultimately the Supreme Elders in the Divinity Transformation Stage from our sect, the Guiyuan Sword Sect, and the Vajra Platform who expended Origin Power to suppress and seal it."
"Currently, there are only these three Divinity Transformation beings in the Earth Spiritual Realm. Any more and the realm’s laws couldn’t withstand it. They usually don’t make a move within the Earth Spiritual Realm as even one action consumes Origin Power; during the Netherworld Sea sealing, the Divinity Transformation of the Vajra Platform almost fell to Nascent Soul."
"In recent years, the Three Elements Sect has not been entirely dormant. Instead, they have continuously explored small Lost Secret Realms, searching for relics of Ghost Clan great powers fallen during the Heavenly Calamity. This time, stimulated by the reopening of the Cangyan Mystic Realm, it seems they’re eager to act, so everyone must be cautious."
"How is the Cangyan Mystic Realm now?"
"Over these four-plus months, sects have sent Foundation Establishment disciples to clear out demonic beasts and Evil Soul Corpse Ghosts. I heard from an Uncle who returned to the sect this month that an area has been cleared out and can serve as a forward base, with preparations for arraying to stabilize the mystic realm’s laws underway."
"When will Qi Cultivation disciples be allowed in?"
"Probably after the laws stabilize and Nascent Soul True Monarchs have investigated; then we Qi Cultivation disciples will be sent to mine the veins."
"Won’t all the good stuff be taken by the Foundation Establishment disciples who enter first?"
"Foundation Establishment disciples will certainly take what they can use; we Qi Cultivation can pick up bits from their scraps, it’s our fault for not being Foundation Establishment."
"Cangyan Mystic Realm is just one secret realm, with so many sects, how will it be divided?"
"That’s for the senior management of the sects to worry about; we just need to concentrate on saving our own lives. Besides, once the Cangyan Mystic Realm opens smoothly, other sealed secret realms will definitely open one after another."
Jiang Yuebai listened for a while, as the discussions were mostly the same, losing interest she went into the main hall of the cabin, found a secluded corner, set up a protective array to shield sight and detection, and sat down to rest.
"The initial sweep is over; who knows what task I’ll be assigned when I arrive."
Little Green flew out from her Sea of Consciousness; the trace of Netherworld Yin Fire given by Wenn Miao was completely absorbed, the two phosphorous flames floating around the lantern turning gray, with a bone-chilling cold that could freeze Divine Sense Spiritual Energy.
"Little Green, you’re not purely green anymore, you’ve turned gray-green."
[Want Yin Fire]
Little Green drifted playfully, lively and active. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"I know, I also need to find Spiritual Fire early to prepare my Lifebound Spiritual Artifact. After Foundation Establishment, cultivation is harder than during Qi Cultivation; I need an Eighth-Grade Upper-Level Yuan Condensing Elixir."
"The Five Elements Lotus Platform also requires a vast amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to refine the Five Elements Essence Qi, aiding in alchemy and cultivation. This time in the secret realm, I must gather as much as possible. You go aside for now, let me sacrifice and refine these two items."
The pair of Seventh-Grade Magical Artifacts rewarded for the small competition, she collected a ring and a pair of bangles after Foundation Establishment.
The ring, named ’Tailang Whip,’ is colorless and transparent like water, transforming into a water whip when wielded, capable of lashing waves, a Water Attribute Artifact that is very useful in the Cangyan Mystic Realm.
The bangles, named ’Double Moon Ring,’ once activated, circle like double moons, self-defending around the wearer, and can be thrown for defense.
A Seventh-Grade Magical Artifact is considered very good during the Foundation Establishment stage. Besides these two new additions, she also has a Seventh-Grade Thunder Shock Spear, Eighth-Grade Wind-Breaking Saber, Talisman Treasure Fire Crow Map, and carries the Eight Arrays Plate this time.
Additionally, there are Eighth-Grade Talismans, Thorn Seeds, various Puppets, Spiritual Wine and Elixirs—all carried on her person.
Once matters in the secret realm are concluded, she plans to travel directly without returning to the sect.
The affairs of Huaxi Valley have been entrusted to Qii Ming and Qii Yue, with the three extra Foundation Establishment Elixirs left as rewards for the siblings and Guo Zhen.
Hong Tao will oversee Huaxi Valley within the sect, with Qii Ming providing him with a compensation regularly.
With Xie Jingshan’s help, Huaxi Valley’s earnings can be deposited in the Mountain and Sea Building, accessible to her no matter where she is.
Upon comprehending the Four Veins Legacy on the Library’s rooftop, the Elixir, Artifact, Talisman, and Array, she now holds titles of Eighth-Grade Talisman Maker and Eighth-Grade Alchemist, and unexpectedly received an array legacy, a ’Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Map.’
Before she could protest, the great array atop the building expelled her.
She looked at the map, couldn’t understand it, and felt a wasted opportunity for comprehension.
Fortunately, with fifty thousand Contribution Points remaining, she selected three spells and cultivation techniques appropriate for the Foundation Establishment stage from the Library, ensuring she had tasks for the journey ahead.
