Chapter 118: Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone
Eunuch Lin left, and Lin Sheng stayed behind.
Hua Changxi looked at Lin Sheng, “Eunuch Lin is a cultivator; didn’t he try to help you become one too?”
Lin Sheng showed regret, “I don’t have spiritual meridians, and Godfather couldn’t do anything about it.”
Hearing this, Hua Changxi directly took out the Totem Golden Alms Bowl and shone it on Lin Sheng. Nothing was revealed; there was no Bloodline Ancestral Return.
Although Lin Sheng didn’t know what Hua Changxi was doing, he obediently endured it.
Hua Changxi was silent for a moment, “Following me, being just a Martial Artist won’t do. Cultivators, besides Law Cultivators who absorb Spiritual Energy for their own use, also have Body Cultivators who refine their bodies. However, body refining is very arduous. Are you willing to try?”
Lin Sheng’s eyes lit up, “Master, I am willing. I am not afraid of hardship.”
Hua Changxi took out the Skin Refining Chapter of the 《Nine Revolutions Profound Technique》 and the Skin Refining Technique copied by Qihuang Hall Number Eight for him to choose from. “The 《Nine Revolutions Profound Technique》 is much more difficult and requires more Cultivation Resources, but the effect of body refining will be better. Which one do you want to choose?”
Lin Sheng chose the Skin Refining Chapter of the 《Nine Revolutions Profound Technique》 without thinking.
Hua Changxi said, “You are my person. I will provide your Cultivation Resources based on the situation. However, since I am investing resources in you, I must gain something. The most basic loyalty is absolutely necessary. You cannot tell anyone about my affairs, including your Godfather. The more things you can do for me later, the more resources I will provide you. Do you understand?”
Lin Sheng replied, “Master, rest assured. Since I have acknowledged you as my Master, I will never betray you. I will definitely do things well for you.”
Afterward, Hua Changxi gave him a portion of medicinal herbs for skin quenching and told him to find Yu Hui. “Brother Yu will teach you how to brew the medicinal soup. Starting today, you will begin body refining at Qihuang Hall Number Eight.”
Lin Sheng took the medicinal herbs, bowed, and retreated.
As soon as he left, Hua Changxi returned to her Courtyard. Tomorrow was her fifteenth Birthday. Her family had informed her through Hua Liulang half a month ago to come home for her birthday.
Seeing that it was still early, Hua Changxi practiced making Pills for a while. It wasn’t until evening that she left the Medical Affairs Department and headed towards the Hua Family.
As soon as she exited the Medical Affairs Department, Hua Changxi sensed someone following her. To avoid alerting the enemy, she didn’t make a sound and pretended to be in a hurry to go home, taking a shortcut by choosing alleys with sparse human traffic.
She felt the fluctuation of Spiritual Energy coming from behind her, confirming that the person following her was a Cultivator.
Hua Changxi’s eyes darted around. This person was likely just a spy, not the mastermind.
Just as she was contemplating whether to capture the pursuing Cultivator and use them to interrogate the mastermind, or to let them follow and find an opportunity to counter-track, she suddenly smelled a strange fragrance.
Spirit Sealing Incense!
This was a rare spice that prevented Cultivators from mobilizing their Spiritual Power once inhaled.
The moment she smelled the fragrance, Hua Changxi quickly took a Detoxification Pill. Fortunately, the Pill Recipe from the Shen Nong Cauldron was of high quality, and the Detoxification Pill could neutralize all poisons.
After a while, she feigned a panicked state, as if poisoned and having discovered something unusual, intending to run towards a crowded street.
At that moment, the Cultivator who had been following her flew out and struck hard at her neck.
Hua Changxi: “.”
Having refined her body, even though the pursuing Cultivator used Spiritual Power when attacking, they couldn’t harm her.
To uncover the mastermind, she could only pretend to be in a Coma.
Then, Hua Changxi was carried over someone’s shoulder, weaving through alleyways, exiting the South City Gate, and heading south.
Hua Changxi watched the direction the Cultivator was heading, and the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed. When she was brought to a half-collapsed Ruined Temple, she finally knew where she had been taken.
It was here!
It was the same Ruined Temple where she had been kidnapped and subjected to a Blood Sacrifice by the red-robed Demonic Daoist!
It was here that she obtained her Cultivation Method and embarked on the path of Cultivation.
How could it be here?
“Crack~”
A grinding sound echoed.
The Cultivator turned the Statue in the center of the Ruined Temple, which was so damaged that only the base remained. The Statue slowly moved aside, revealing a Tunnel entrance. Then, the Cultivator, carrying Hua Changxi, jumped directly into the Tunnel entrance and moved rapidly through it.
Looking at the familiar Underground City and feeling the familiar heat waves from below, Hua Changxi felt a sense of emotion. She hadn’t expected to revisit this place.
She had guessed who the mastermind was.
Gu Jin Fan!
However, she was unsure of Gu Jin Fan’s motive for capturing her. Did he want to force her to reveal the Cultivation Method in the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone? Or did he think she had obtained the Cultivation Method and wanted to kill her out of spite?
As Hua Changxi pondered these questions, the Cultivator brought her to the Stone Door with the highest temperature.
“Crack~”
The Stone Door opened, and scorching hot air rushed out.
Hua Changxi was thrown onto the Altar behind the Stone Door by the Cultivator. Seeing the familiar Altar, Hua Changxi no longer bothered to feign unconsciousness and sat up directly.
“You woke up so quickly. It seems your Strength is even greater than I imagined.”
A deep male voice sounded. Hua Changxi looked towards the source of the voice and, upon seeing the person’s appearance, her face immediately showed shock. “How could it be you?”
The Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture!
When she was rescued, she was taken to Jingzhao Prefecture and had met the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, who had also questioned her.
Looking at the red robe he was wearing, Hua Changxi was shocked again. “Are you in league with that red-robed Demonic Daoist?”
“Shut up!”
Cao Jun reprimanded, “My father is not a Demonic Daoist.”
Hua Changxi was even more shocked. “Your father? So that Demonic Daoist is your father? Then you knew about him capturing people for Blood Sacrifice? And even participated?”
She paused. “That’s right, how could one carry out a Blood Sacrifice in the Capital City’s Territory without backing?”
Hua Changxi looked at the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture in disbelief. “You are an official of the Imperial Court, yet you engage in such heinous acts in private. Aren’t you afraid of being exposed?”
Cao Jun snorted coldly, too lazy to argue with Hua Changxi, and directly asked, “I ask you, did you obtain a Cultivation Method here and then become a Cultivator?”
Hua Changxi calmed down from her shock and stood up.
Before, she thought the mastermind was Gu Jin Fan, but now it seemed she was mistaken.
However, even if it wasn’t Gu Jin Fan, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture targeting her was still inseparable from Gu Jin Fan. She believed Gu Jin Fan must have revealed to the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture that she had obtained the Cultivation Method from the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone.
“Yes, I obtained a Cultivation Method here. Gu Jin Fan told you about this, didn’t she?”
Cao Jun frowned. “Gu Jin Fan? The Seventh Young Lady of the Duke of Xin State’s Mansion?”
Hua Changxi looked at his reaction. “Yes, it’s her. What, you don’t recognize her?”
Cao Jun had been thinking all these days about who had sent him the note. Now he knew the answer: it was someone from the Duke of Xin State’s Mansion. However, he didn’t dwell on this issue and looked at Hua Changxi. “Hand over the Cultivation Method.”
Hua Changxi shrugged. “Sorry, I can’t do that.”
Upon hearing this, Cao Jun’s expression darkened. Without further ado, he sent a surge of Spiritual Energy towards Hua Changxi.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi waved her hand lightly, blocking the surge of Spiritual Energy.
Seeing this, Cao Jun’s expression changed drastically. He couldn’t sense any Spiritual Energy fluctuations from Hua Changxi and couldn’t ascertain her Cultivation. But the moment Hua Changxi made a move, he knew he had underestimated her. “You…”
The Cultivator who had brought Hua Changxi also sensed that something was wrong and turned to flee. Just as he was about to reach the Stone Door, a Fire Lotus enveloped him.
In an instant, the Cultivator turned into a fireball.
A few seconds later, he turned to ashes.
Witnessing this scene, Cao Jun was both shocked and terrified, facing Hua Changxi with extreme caution. “What is your Cultivation?”
Hua Changxi looked at him. “Why do you think Gu Jin Fan didn’t dare to confront me directly?”
Cao Jun now guessed that he had been used as a pawn by Gu Jin Fan. He looked at Hua Changxi, weighing his chances of winning in a fight against her. In the end, he dared not take the risk and could only bow his head to seek peace.
“Spare me. Whatever you want, just name it. I will satisfy whatever I can.”
Hua Changxi looked at him indifferently. “You are an official, meant to protect the peace of the region. But what have you done? Do you think you deserve to continue living?”
Cao Jun, while thinking of a way to escape, responded to Hua Changxi, “I admit I did wrong in the matter of the Blood Sacrifice, but weren’t you the ultimate beneficiary? Strictly speaking, you were able to become a Cultivator thanks to my father.”
Hearing this, Hua Changxi laughed in anger. “You are truly good at twisting logic. I have spiritual meridians, and with the Spiritual Energy Revival, I would have become a Cultivator sooner or later.”
Too lazy to talk to him any further, Hua Changxi unleashed a surge of Spiritual Energy towards him.
Seeing this, Cao Jun’s expression changed. He resisted with all his might, but even with his full effort, he was struck down by the Spiritual Energy.
At this moment, he deeply regretted that he hadn’t sent people to kill all the survivors when the matter here was exposed.
Cao Jun realized that he, a Core Formation Mid-stage Cultivator, was no match for Hua Changxi at all, and he was truly terrified. “Don’t kill me. I am the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. I can work for you.”
Hua Changxi ignored his words and sent a surge of Spiritual Energy, directly causing him to breathe his last. After taking his Storage Bag, she flung him off the Altar, letting him fall into the Lava.
Carefully burning off the imprint on the Storage Bag with flames, Hua Changxi opened it.
Inside were some commonly used Cultivation Resources: Spirit Stones, Spirit Talismans, Pills, Magic Tools, and Formation Disks. She was most interested in books.
Before she could look through the books, she was drawn to a memorial.
She was drawn to it because she had seen such a memorial before, at Eunuch Zhou’s place. It was said to be used by Royal Family Relatives to issue orders.
Hua Changxi opened the memorial and read its contents, her expression turning grim.
“Secretly arrest all the descendants of the Hu clan in Shil Village, regardless of gender, and imprison them in You Prison.”
The contents of this memorial were clearly wrong. Secret arrests, and of an entire clan.
She had also never heard of the You Prison mentioned here.
Thinking that the red-robed Demonic Daoist was the father of the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, Hua Changxi’s face darkened. This You Prison wouldn’t be holding people for Blood Sacrifice, would it?
Blood Sacrifice could be used to cultivate Evil Cultivation Techniques to rapidly increase one’s Cultivation, or to obtain Bloodline Ancestral Return and awaken Divine Abilities.
For some people, these were shortcuts.
Hua Changxi exhaled a breath, losing the desire to look at anything else in the Storage Bag. The Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture was not a minor official. How powerful must the person be who could command him?
As someone who had personally experienced a Blood Sacrifice, Hua Changxi stood at the edge of the Altar, looking at the churning Lava below, her heart unsettled.
This was just a small corner she had accidentally discovered. How many similar incidents were happening elsewhere without her knowledge?
Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared in the Lava.
Hua Changxi’s attention was drawn. She looked closely and saw a dot-like red light in the rolling Lava, rising and falling with the churning currents.
It was a Red Stone!
No, it was the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone!
Hua Changxi’s expression trembled. She had thrown the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone into the Lava back then and thought it would be carried away elsewhere.
She hadn’t expected the Transmission Stone to still be near the Altar and not washed away.
Hua Changxi wanted to retrieve the Transmission Stone. She didn’t have a suitable Magic Tool. After thinking for a moment, she condensed Spiritual Energy in her right hand, which transformed into a giant hand. The giant hand gradually enlarged and reached directly for the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone in the Lava.
As the giant hand grasped the Transmission Stone, Hua Changxi felt it strongly resisting, unwilling to be retrieved.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi pondered for a moment, then activated the Vermilion Bird Breathing and Exhalation Method. The Fire Spiritual Energy in the Lava immediately surged towards her, and at the same time, the Transmission Stone gradually loosened.
Seeing that this method was effective, she patiently circulated the Cultivation Method. After fifteen minutes, the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone was retrieved by her.
As the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone left the Lava, it didn’t fall into Hua Changxi’s hand but flew directly to the center of the Altar.
At the same time, the center of the Altar glowed brightly red, and a circular pillar of light, about one meter in diameter, slowly rose. Then, the Vermilion Bird Transmission Stone landed on the golden pillar within the light column.
Hua Changxi quickly stepped forward, examined the Transmission Stone for a while, and then placed her hand on it.
At that time, her life was in danger, facing threats from the red-robed Demonic Daoist and Gu Jin Fan. Holding the Transmission Stone, she hadn’t felt how the Cultivation Method was transmitted to her.
Now that she encountered the Transmission Stone again, she wanted to feel it once more.
As her hand touched the Transmission Stone, it lit up red. Then, a radiant Fire Bird appeared inside the stone.
The Fire Bird spread its wings and soared, circling within the stone before suddenly rushing out and circling Hua Changxi.
Hua Changxi watched this scene with surprise, but as she watched, she felt a powerful pressure bearing down on her. Instinctively, she condensed her Spiritual Power to resist.
As the Fire Bird circled, it gradually grew larger, and the pressure Hua Changxi felt also increased.
While resisting the pressure, Hua Changxi mobilized a large amount of Spiritual Energy. Gradually, flames ignited around her, burning brighter and brighter, creating a standoff with the Fire Bird circling overhead.
Initially, Hua Changxi felt some panic, but she didn’t feel any mortal danger. After resisting for a while, she suddenly realized this seemed to be a test. She then activated the Vermilion Bird Breathing and Exhalation Method again, closed her eyes, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to resisting.
At this moment, the entire Altar blazed with red light, and the Fire Spiritual Energy from the Lava converged. Dense Fire Spiritual Energy gathered around Hua Changxi, making her appear as if she were in a vast Sea of Fire.
Hua Changxi couldn’t perceive the passage of time. After an unknown duration, she felt the pressure on her gradually lessening. When the pressure completely disappeared, she opened her eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a miniature Fire Bird rushing towards her and merging into her brow.
Then, she heard a bird’s cry.
This sound was not heard from the outside but resonated in her mind.
Simultaneously, the words ‘Visualization Chapter’ flashed in her mind.
Hua Changxi was stunned. Having read several complete Cultivation Methods, she instantly guessed that the Cultivation Method she had received earlier was incomplete. It seemed the Transmission Stone had just supplemented a chapter for her.
“So, the pressure I felt earlier was indeed a test.”
Hua Changxi wondered if she wouldn’t have had the miniature Fire Bird merge into her brow if she had resisted that pressure.
Looking at the Transmission Stone, she wanted to put it away.
However, the Transmission Stone could not be placed in a Storage Magic Tool, nor could it fit into the Shen Nong Cauldron. Furthermore, it could not be taken out of the Altar. Once it left the Altar, it would automatically fly back to the center.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi felt a headache. She couldn’t take the Transmission Stone with her, and she couldn’t be sure if anyone else knew about this place.
Out of personal interest, she didn’t want others to obtain the Cultivation Method within the Transmission Stone, especially people like the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.
After pondering for a while, Hua Changxi picked up the Transmission Stone again and threw it back into the Lava.
After confirming that the Transmission Stone had submerged into the Lava, Hua Changxi prepared to leave. Before departing, she surveyed the Altar.
No, this wasn’t an Altar; it should be a Transmission Platform.
The red-robed Demonic Daoist and the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture had no idea how to correctly activate this place. The Blood Sacrifice activation was entirely wrong.
A perfectly good Transmission Platform had been made to look like a demonic altar, which was a desecration.
