342: Yin Sha Body Tempering

Liu Xuan chatted with Qian Qian for a while before dismissing him. This city lord was merely an official responsible for administration, and his importance was low. As long as the higher-ups were dealt with, he would have no choice but to obey obediently.

The Beast Taming Sect wanted to develop its own industries, yet they were reluctant to release ownership of the spiritual lands for now.

The people below worried that the industries they worked hard to invest in could be taken away by the higher-ups at any time, which limited the overall speed of development.

If it weren't for his relationship with An Yunxi, Liu Xuan wouldn't dare to develop heavily toward the Peach Blossom Sect. Who knew when he might end up paving the way for someone else's benefit?

“Father!”

“Father!”

“Dad!”

...The Fourth Brother Dao Cheng led Ling Hui, Dao Ming, Dao Shun, Ling Jing, Ninth Son... and over a dozen brothers and sisters to pay their respects.

They were all dressed in Dharma robes and carried various Magical Artifacts and precious swords. The men were handsome and the women beautiful, each possessing an extraordinary bearing.

The Fourth Brother Dao Cheng was nearly thirty. Although he still looked like a youth, he had gained a hint of steady temperament.

The other children were also in their twenties. After coming into contact with the Family's power, they had developed the noble air of a second-generation immortal. Gathering together now, they truly looked the part.

Liu Xuan already had over a hundred adult children. Many had begun to show their talents, and the days of lying back and relaxing were close at hand.

“Father, the tasks you assigned us are mostly completed. The materials for the Artifact Refining workshop are on the way, and the personnel from the Merchant Alliance are arriving here in batches.”

“Vast Gathering Pavilion has already opened. Business has just started, so it's not very famous yet, but progress is steady.”

“I personally visited Revered Master Yun Xian's side. She promised to give us priority for various battlefield resources and will send us the inventory list when the time comes.”

...After listening to the Fourth Brother's report, Liu Xuan gave him a surprised look. “You were responsible for all of this?”

“Of course... not!” Daocheng looked toward his quiet sister nearby, Ling Hui. “Sister Ling Hui made all the arrangements, and we were responsible for the execution.”

Ling Hui, ranked fifth. Her mother was Lin Anqi's maid, Xiao Yue. As a child, she was introverted and shy, fearing even her father, Liu Xuan.

Her personality improved as she grew up, but she still didn't like to talk much, remaining quiet and well-behaved.

Despite having a low birth as the child of a maid and also lacking a Spiritual Root, unlike the nineteenth child, Dao Hong, Ling Hui had cultivated diligently since childhood. Because she was ranked early, she had also consumed Heaven And Earth Treasures like the Vermilion Fruit. She was already a Martial Artist at the Innate Perfection Realm, ready to Breakthrough at any moment.

In addition, after the spirit treasure genealogy improved her Spiritual Root, she also cultivated the Green Wood Longevity Art and was now a Qi Refining Level Two Cultivator.

High cultivation talent aside, perhaps because her name contained the character for 'Wisdom,' she appeared taciturn but was actually extremely clever. Her siblings all deferred to her, and even the most arrogant Fourth Brother was willing to follow her directions.

“Well done!”

“However, do not let these trivial matters occupy your mind too much. You must still prioritize your cultivation!”

Liu Xuan looked warmly at Ling Hui. “Especially you, Little Hui. Don't handle everything regarding the business personally; just leave it to the subordinates.”

“Rest easy, Father. Your daughter understands!”

Ling Hui bowed properly, her face showing no emotion.

Liu Xuan praised everyone and dismissed them one by one, leaving Ling Hui for last and handing her a Medicinal Pill.

“Father, this is...”

“This is a longevity elixir. It can extend the life of a Cultivator below the Golden Core True Person level by twenty years.”

“You don't lack cultivation resources, so I figured you wouldn't care much for other rewards.”

Ling Hui took the pill, her face finally showing joy. “Thank you, Father!”

With this longevity elixir, her mother could live at least twenty years longer. This was more meaningful than giving her any amount of Spirit Stones.

“Go now!”

Liu Xuan waved his hand, dismissing her as well... A few days later.

With Immortal Master Qin Mo's greeting, Liu Xuan became the de facto City Lord of Bone Fiend City, and construction on a large-scale Artifact Refining workshop officially began.

People from the Liu Family Merchant Alliance continued to arrive from the Red Pine Sect, and the business of Vast Gathering Pavilion gradually expanded.

Beneath the Bone Fiend Sect lay a Grade Three Spiritual Vein, sufficient to build a Grade Three Artifact Refining workshop and refine Grade Three Magic Treasure-level flying boats and various Magic Treasures.

Liu Xuan couldn't manage a Grade Three Artifact Refining workshop in the short term, but he had to plan for it to facilitate future upgrades.

The Artifact Refining Hall of the Red Pine Sect currently had a top-tier Grade Two Artifact Refining workshop. This was because it wasn't planned for Grade Three at the start, so subsequent expansions were limited.

By developing the Artifact Refining workshop in Bone Fiend City, the one already built in the Red Pine Sect didn't need to be dismantled. Since Liu Xuan was developing industrialized Artifact Refining, the Red Pine Sect could still refine components and train talent.

It would take time to establish the large-scale Artifact Refining workshop. The current main task was to gain a foothold in Bone Fiend City and truly extend the Liu Family's reach into the Peach Blossom Sect's territory.

Beneath Bone Fiend City.

Liu Xuan stood inside a massive underground palace with Daocheng, Ling Hui, Ninth Son, and over a dozen other children.

“So cold!!”

The seventh son Dao Shun, eighth daughter Ling Jing, and others with lower cultivation were shivering from the cold.

The Yin Qi inside the palace was dense to the extreme. This was only the outer perimeter; deeper in, it felt as if even one's Divine Soul would be frozen.

Bone Fiend City possessed a Grade Three Spiritual Vein, yet the Beast Taming Sect only sent a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator to be the city lord because of the dense, inseparable Yin Fiend Qi underground.

This place was originally a gathering point for Yin Fiend Qi and had been deliberately nurtured by the Bone Fiend Sect for hundreds of years. It could not be dispersed without paying a great price.

The Beast Taming Sect was generally a Righteous Path Sect. No one could use Yin Fiend energy, and it was harmful; cultivating here for a long time could even lead to Qi Deviation.

“If you feel like you can't handle the cold, don't go any further. Stop and Cultivate the Body Sculpting Art.” Liu Xuan's voice echoed in the dark hall. “Yin Fiend Qi has a Body Tempering effect and can help you improve your martial arts Realm.”

“However, Yin Fiend energy is poisonous. Everyone, act within your capabilities and do not harm yourselves.”

Liu Xuan chose Bone Fiend City as the forward station for entering the Peach Blossom Sect and Beast Taming Sect partly because it was close to the Red Pine Sect, and partly for this underground Yin Fiend energy.

Years ago, the Bone Fiend Sect used Yin Fiend energy to refine bones, making them essentially a half-Body Refining Sect. Liu Xuan had even obtained and consumed Yin Fiend Bone Refining Pills from Gong Wang.

At that time, Liu Xuan discovered that Yin Fiend energy had a Body Tempering effect. If supplemented with Yao blood pills containing massive qi and blood, the effect was surprisingly good.

Over the years, Liu Xuan had been researching Beast Pills that could reduce the chaotic medicinal power of Yao Beast Pills.

Unfortunately, he either had to increase costs to refine them into mild qi and blood pills or use precious medicinal ingredients.

Increased costs aside, the effects were still not as good as the Yao blood Beast Pills.

The underground Yin Fiend environment here perfectly solved this problem. The medicinal effects in the Yao blood Beast Pills were exactly neutralized by the Yin Fiend Qi, achieving a doubled cultivation effect.

The only downside was that the cultivation process was a bit painful... Qi and blood are Yang in nature, and when they collide with Yin Fiend energy inside the body, the pain is similar to being whipped while having cold water splashed on you.

‘To be a man above men, one must endure the bitterest of hardships! I believe the children can certainly endure it!’

“Ah!”

“Ah!!”

“Ah!!!”

Without taking any pills, just inhaling a portion of the Yin Fiend energy to Cultivate the Body Sculpting Art caused everyone to scream repeatedly in pain.

“I told you all to act within your capabilities. If you can't bear it, just inhale a little less!”

Liu Xuan turned around and lectured with an air of righteousness, “If you can't even stand this bit of pain, how can you become a high-level Cultivator?”