Eternal Life Starts from Tai Chi

Chapter 331: Dispersing Spiritual Qi, Exotic Beast

"What? Large amounts of Spirit Grass have sprouted near the Qingyuan River, the fish and shrimp taste exceptionally fresh, and they seem imbued with Spiritual Energy."

Gu An’s brow furrowed as he listened to the report.

The Cyan Yuan Sect’s Leader, Liu Xuan, was currently in seclusion, so he had entrusted some of the Sect’s affairs to Gu An—especially strange, sudden occurrences like this one.

Before the discovery of the Thousand Feather Secret Realm in Silver State, a series of strange events had also occurred just before it opened.

The opening of a Secret Realm always has omens. It begins with the emergence of a special aura that can nourish Spiritual Materials and imbue beasts with Spiritual Energy. This aura is known as Spiritual Qi.

Martial Arts Cultivators could also slowly nourish their bodies within this Spiritual Qi, reaping many benefits. However, this kind of Spiritual Qi was scarce. It could only be found in places like Secret Realms or ancient tombs buried deep underground for many years. These places also tended to nurture many exceptionally Top Level Spiritual Materials.

These Spiritual Materials absorb wisps of Spiritual Qi, accumulating it over many years until they finally mature. Their effects are naturally quite remarkable.

Superior Spiritual Materials are especially rare, and Top Level Spiritual Materials are even more so. Even a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster would need such Top Level Spiritual Materials to break through to the rank of National Guardian Martial Saint.

Under normal circumstances, nurturing such a Top Level Spirit Medicine required accumulation over a very long time, making its appearance a rare possibility. However, in a place with abundant Spiritual Qi, things were different; the time required could be greatly shortened.

Take a ten-year-old ginseng, for example. If it grows in an ordinary place, it won’t absorb much Spiritual Qi, and its medicinal effects will be normal. But in a place rich with Spiritual Qi, it constantly absorbs the energy. A ten-year-old ginseng could naturally achieve the medicinal potency of a hundred-year-old one. This was just like the Fragrant Celestial Flower and Ghost Spirit Grass that Yang Chan had needed; both required a high age to be effective. If they could be nurtured in a place with dense Spiritual Qi, the required time could be reduced by a factor of ten, allowing them to reach the Level he needed.

The difference between the two was stark. Naturally, many Martial Arts Experts sought out these places rich in Spiritual Qi. However, such locations were rare. Within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, most were found inside Secret Realms.

Therefore, whenever a Secret Realm appeared, many people would flock to enter it. The only unfortunate thing was that after a Secret Realm manifested, the Spiritual Qi within would dissipate into the surrounding environment, and the area would gradually return to normal.

The Great Zhou Imperial Family had tried to seal up these Secret Realms, but they never succeeded. At least, all the Secret Realms that had been revealed so far had slowly returned to normal. Aside from a faint effect for the first few years, they quickly became no different from any other place.

An exception like the Thousand Feather Secret Realm in Silver State, on the other hand, was quite rare.

That was why Gu An was momentarily stunned when he heard about the events near the Qingyuan River. According to the letter, these were all signs of a Secret Realm’s appearance.

But Secret Realms had never appeared so frequently within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. What’s more, the Qingyuan River also flowed through Silver State, which made the situation feel even more peculiar to him.

The Silver State Secret Realm hadn’t closed naturally. Its closure was caused by a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster from Night Listening Sea Tower entering the central tower of the Thousand Feather Secret Realm; otherwise, it might have remained open indefinitely.

’Could it be that the Thousand Feather Secret Realm has reappeared in the Qingyuan River?’

The Qingyuan River spanned several states, including Silver State and Qing State. The appearance of a Secret Realm was a completely random event that no one could control.

Once, after a Secret Realm appeared and vanished, some unwilling people dug deep into the earth but still couldn’t find any trace of its existence.

’If this Secret Realm is the Thousand Feather Secret Realm, then this is no small matter. The Sect Leader is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm. It’s a critical period, so he cannot be disturbed.’

’I should first find the three Supreme Elders and the several Hall Masters to discuss what’s happening at the Qingyuan River.’

’If this is just because of Spiritual Qi leaking from the Thousand Feather Secret Realm, then we don’t need to pay it any mind. But if a new Secret Realm has appeared, we must take it seriously.’

Gu An planned silently to himself.

The appearance of a Secret Realm represented the rapid rise of a power, and this was true even for a Sect like the Cyan Yuan Sect.

While increasing their foundation, it would also give the Cyan Yuan Sect a chance to produce a National Guardian Martial Saint.

If Night Listening Sea Tower hadn’t been so greedy and tried to take everything for itself, it wouldn’t be in its current predicament.

After all, as long as Night Listening Sea Tower’s Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster hadn’t been severely injured, the injuries to their other Inner Masters wouldn’t have fundamentally weakened them.

But now, the key was that Night Listening Sea Tower’s Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster was grievously injured, yet they had still managed to acquire most of the Cultivation Resources from the Thousand Feather Secret Realm. This fact was worthy of Gu An’s and the others’ vigilance.

If a Secret Realm appeared near Qing State, it would be a great opportunity, but also a potential disaster. Therefore, whether the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Leader, Liu Xuan, could successfully break through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm was now of the utmost importance.

If the Cyan Yuan Sect had a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster to hold the line, they would be able to obtain more treasures from it. Even if this wasn’t the appearance of a Secret Realm, simply occupying more territory near the Qingyuan River would be a great opportunity for the Sect.

After all, even if it was just overflowing Spiritual Qi, the river itself and a large area along its banks would become suitable for cultivating Spirit Medicine, which would yield a great deal of Cultivation Resources.

Previously, Silver State was not exactly close to the Cyan Yuan Sect. Moreover, since Night Listening Sea Tower had a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, it wasn’t appropriate for the Cyan Yuan Sect to go there and contend for resources.

But things were different near the Qingyuan River. Part of it lay within Qing State’s territory, and another area was at the border of several states. All of this was contestable land—an opportunity that could not be missed.

"Have any Exotic Beasts appeared near the Qingyuan River?"

Gu An asked, looking at the messenger who had brought the report.

Although Exotic Beasts were dangerous, they were also considered a type of Cultivation Resource. Their flesh contained Spiritual Qi, making them a natural form of Spirit Medicine suitable for direct consumption.

They had obtained some before in the Thousand Feather Secret Realm. However, the Cyan Yuan Sect hadn’t hunted many Exotic Beasts there. Furthermore, since the meat was most helpful to Low Tier Martial Arts Cultivators, the Cyan Yuan Sect Leader, Liu Xuan, simply had the disciples consume it on the spot in Silver State.

Furthermore, the journey from Silver State to the Cyan Yuan Sect was quite far. The meat would have spoiled over such a long trip, and the Spiritual Qi within it would have mostly dissipated. That was why none of it was ever sent back to the Cyan Yuan Sect.

Gu An was, of course, aware of all this, and the memory came back to him now.

If Exotic Beasts appeared near the Cyan Yuan Sect, it would be another opportunity. Besides, the meat of Exotic Beasts was incredibly delicious. Gu An had eaten it once before and was eager to have it again.

Additionally, because the meat contained Spiritual Qi, even an expert at the Peak of Internal Refining of the Six Viscera like himself might see some improvement from consuming it. It might even help him break through to the Inner Refining Five Viscera Realm.

He had been stuck at the Peak of Internal Refining of the Six Viscera for a long time and was naturally looking for an opportunity to break through. The appearance of Exotic Beasts might just be that chance.