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Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Golden Core Relics
The Taiyuan Situ Family, the most powerful Foundation Establishment force under the Golden Core Sect "Shuihua Sword Sect," boasts seven powerful Foundation Establishment experts.
Among the five major families, it ranks first!
Moreover, with the Golden Core foundation left by the ancestors of the Situ Family, even the Shuihua Sword Sect dares not underestimate them.
Why would a cultivator of the Situ Family appear here? Could they have been attracted by the commotion from hunting the Thunder Horn Python earlier?
Li Quanqing’s heart became alert, his body tensed, and everyone else wore a guarded expression.
The youth touched his Storage Bag, four Second Rank Talismans lay quietly inside, giving him an unlimited sense of security.
Boom!
A Second Rank Spirit Boat slowly came to a halt in front of them, stirring up a towering wave. The massive hull cast a vast shadow, enveloping Yun Family’s Tower Ship.
More than a dozen cultivators stood at the prow looking down at these offspring of cultivation families, draped in long robes embroidered with the Taiyuan Mystic Turtle Pattern, all of them were Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators.
The two leading individuals even had the cultivation of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
No... one of the Situ Family cultivators gave Li Quanqing the impression as if he was facing the Third Elder.
He glanced at the cultivator wrapped in a black robe and quickly averted his eyes, confirming that the sensation was indeed accurate.
A cultivator of the Qi Refining Great Perfection!
A cultivator breaks through from the ninth layer of Qi Refinement and continues to cultivate until the cultivation technique can progress no further, and the mana can no longer increase.
That is when one can be called at the Qi Refining Great Perfection.
One more step forward, either you age to death, or you break through to Foundation Establishment and enjoy a lifespan of four seventy-year cycles.
"Mo—"
Accompanying the deep roar, a huge creature emerged from the water, with the seawater flowing down its shell like waterfalls.
This Demon Beast was jet black, with green pupils, scaly skin, a neck slender like a snake, and its shell, lustrous as ink jade, adorned with ancient patterns.
Its enormous body, like a small hill, bobbed in the vast sea, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.
The Taiyuan Mystic Turtle!
This is the Situ Family’s iconic Clan Guardian Spirit Beast, and rumors even suggest that a Foundation Establishment Level Mystic Turtle has been protecting the Taiyuan Islands for nearly a thousand years.
"Two Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators, and one Qi Refining Ninth Layer Spirit Turtle..."
Yun Yangzi exhaled turbid air, revealing his characteristic smile while feeling wary inside: "Yun Yangzi of the direct lineage from Carefree Island, has met all the esteemed fellows of the Situ Family!"
...
"So, it was just a group of youngsters hunting a Thunder Horn Python, no wonder there was activity from an Array. It looks like we were mistaken."
"Should we kill them all? The matter of the relics is of great importance; not a hint of it can be leaked!"
"It’s not appropriate, aside from the Yun Family, core disciples from the other three Foundation Establishment Families are here. Are you sure they don’t have any trump cards? That would only expose us faster!"
"You have a point, let’s deceive them first, claim that we are here demon hunting and conceal our true aim!"
The two Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators of the Situ Family communicated secretly, reaching a conclusion without letting any of their conversation leak.
However, Li Quanqing felt a sudden surge in his heart. His soul was powerful and he finely perceived a flicker of murderous intent from one of them!
Fortunately, the worst did not come to pass.
"It turns out to be the fellow Daoists here. I am Situ Deng from Taiyuan Island, I’ve come to the Purple Blood Sea Domain to hunt the Canghai Whale, I’ve inadvertently stepped into this place and might have offended you all!"
One of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators with a hearty smile, explained a few words briefly, with the murderous intent on him disappearing without a trace.
The Canghai Whale, famously known in the East Sea, automatically reaches the Qi Refining Great Perfection when it comes of age, powerful and rare.
Rumor has it that every Canghai Whale King possesses the strength of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"Oh, so that’s the case... It was a needless scare after all..."
Yun Yangzi cupped his fists in reply, both parties exchanged pleasantries, then went their separate ways.
"Mo!!"
The Taiyuan Mystic Turtle spat out a stream of water, glanced at the people, and also chose to follow the Second Rank Spirit Boat, diving back into the sea.
Not until those Situ Family cultivators disappeared from sight did Li Quanqing finally breathe a sigh of relief, removing his palm from the Storage Bag.
He hesitated over whether to tell the others about the killing intent he had just sensed.
Yun Yangzi, who had been all smiles a moment before, suddenly had a dark expression on his face, he gritted his teeth and said: "They were about to make a move just now, they intended to kill us!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
"It can’t be, we don’t have any grudges with them, do we?"
Wang Gujian’s eyes widened in disbelief, his fear lingering after the fact.
"Hmpf! Three Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators and a Second Rank Spirit Boat; I refuse to believe they went to such lengths just to hunt a single Canghai Whale!"
Yun Yangzi snorted and took out a blood-red Jade Pendant from his bosom, which was slowly fading back to the color of mutton-fat jade.
"This is a warning Jade Pendant, capable of sensing a cultivator’s intent to kill. Just now, those cultivators from the Situ Family truly were ready to take action!"
Xie Hongyu’s expression was grave as she recognized the function of this kind of Jade Pendant.
"I remember that a few years ago, the ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion relics ended up completely in the hands of the Situ Family, didn’t they?"
Li Quange suddenly spoke up, being a Demon Hunter, he was very well-informed: "The Cave Mansion relics are in the Purple Blood Sea Domain. Could the Situ Family have obtained some kind of treasure map?"
Yun Yangzi’s eyes flickered: "I’ve heard that the Cave Mansion relics were buried with arrays within arrays, tombs within tombs; when it was first excavated, there were even rumors of a Golden Core inheritance."
"Cough, I have personally experienced this event and know a bit of the truth."
Tree Elder coughed, indicating that he had also entered the Cave Mansion relics some years ago: "At the beginning, that ancient grave was actually just a Tomb Guardian who failed in his Foundation Establishment and died sitting."
"The grave he was guarding was indeed that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator; the epitaph recorded his life story, with the main occupant of the grand tomb suspected to be a disciple of a Golden Core Sect. Unfortunately, the Sect was destroyed, and even the whereabouts of this epitaph became unknown."
Those present were indeed top-tier second-generation Cultivators, and with just a few words, they managed to piece together some of the truth.
Golden Core Relics!
Everyone’s breathing became heavier, eyes reddened with sheer greed.
Neither Yun Yangzi nor Wang Gujian was the prime Foundation Establishment candidate in their respective families, both had others towering above them.
With a high probability, they would spend their lifetimes only reaching Qi Refining Great Perfection, with little hope for Foundation Establishment.
If they wanted to reach Foundation Establishment, if they wished to carve out their path to longevity, there was only one word—
Compete!
The path of cultivation is harsh, fighting against heaven for fate, scrapping with others for wealth!
Compete, compete, compete, compete, compete!
Of those present, perhaps only Li Quanqing could maintain his reason.
Things like Golden Core relics and chances for Foundation Establishment weren’t of any interest to him.
He practices Water Virtue, where the highest good is like water, which benefits all things without contention.
With the Golden Finger at his side, even ascending to immortality wasn’t a dream, so why risk his life for an uncertain relic?
Right now, Li Quanqing’s mind was filled with the thought of informing his family about this matter and then quickly distancing himself from this whirlpool.
"What do we do now, shall we secretly follow them?"
Wang Gujian asked, eager to try, showing none of the fear he had earlier.
"The target of the Tower Ship is too big, I have a better chance if I go alone."
Yun Yangzi took out a pristine white Spirit Boat, ethereal as a cloud: "This is the top-grade Magic Artifact, Cloud Boat, able to fly in the sky and conceal one’s shape, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might fail to notice if they’re not careful."
Xie Hongyu similarly produced a pair of Jade Bells: "These are Thousand-mile Sound Transmission Bells, they can also pinpoint a location; Yun my friend, take good care of these and remember not to expose yourself. Protect your life at all costs."
"Thank you, fellow cultivators, await my message!"
Yun Yangzi climbed into the Cloud Boat, billows of white mist erupted from it, turning into a cloud high in the sky, disappearing without a trace, in pursuit of the Situ Family cultivators.
The risk of this action was genuinely high, but if successful, the rewards would undoubtedly be substantial!
For a moment, everyone’s minds were captured by the Golden Core relics; even the recently acquired snake whelps lost their allure, and they couldn’t sit still.
Alas, even as the night fell and the stars shone brightly, the Sound Transmission Bell remained still.
Li Quanqing found an excuse to return to the island under the night sky, using the Fish Mirror to inform the Third Elder about the events that had taken place here.
It wasn’t too late to tell the family once the reality of the relics was confirmed.
Besides, Li Quanqing had his private reasons.
If the Third Elder managed to seize the opportunity and successfully achieve Foundation Establishment, it would be of great benefit to him.
Li Kunli’s response came very quickly, telling him to stay put and not move; he would arrive soon.
It wasn’t long after Li Quanqing got back on the boat that the Thousand-mile Sound Transmission Bell rang, with Yun Yangzi’s voice coming through, excited yet suppressed.
"The relic is real, come quickly!"
