275: Chapter 275 Shi Pan manages the household, giving away the rat clan in one go, and exchanging it for wood!

Over half a month later.

Qingcang Kingdom, Yunjian Mountain Range, Northern Mountain Range, Panshi Peak.

Bi Luo, dressed in a gray robe and wearing a bamboo hat, waited respectfully outside Shi Pan's Immortal Cave. With the Old Ancestor currently in seclusion to break through his cultivation realm, the affairs of the various Yao Race factions had been left to Shi Pan to manage and coordinate.

The stone gate opened slowly, and a pressure as heavy as a mountain rushed toward her.

Bi Luo took a deep breath and stepped inside.

In the center of the Immortal Cave, a ten-zhang-tall, brownish-yellow giant bear was coiled like a mountain; it was Shi Pan. Just a single glance made one feel as if they were facing a massive mountain.

The sense of heaviness made Bi Luo swallow repeatedly, her blood and Qi surging in chaos!

"Bi Luo of the Green Ape Clan pays respects to Ancestor Shi Pan."

Bi Luo knelt on both knees, performing a grand kowtow, her expression becoming increasingly respectful.

"Rise and speak," Shi Pan said in a booming voice. "I have heard about the matter regarding Ancestor Cang Ya. He had guts; he did not lose face for the Old Ancestor."

"The sacrifices of your Green Ape Clan have been seen by both myself and the Old Ancestor."

"You have suffered."

Hearing this, Bi Luo's eyes grew slightly warm. Suppressing her emotions, she took the cold jade box and the cyan-gold gourd from her bosom and presented them, holding them high above her head with both hands.

"Ancestor Cang Ya has fallen, and I have taken over the Holy Blood Sect."

"Taking advantage of the chaos in the Liang Kingdom, I destroyed the Xuan Shui Sect and the Gang Yuan Sect, seizing two strands of heaven and earth qi—Water and Wind. I have come specifically to present them to the Old Ancestor for his decision."

Shi Pan raised his bear paw and grabbed at the void, and the jade box and gourd landed steadily in his palm.

He swept them with his Divine Sense, and a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes.

"You little one, you have quite a lot of nerve, and a big appetite too."

Shi Pan put the items down. "The Old Ancestor is still in seclusion and is not seeing outsiders. I will accept these two items on his behalf."

Bi Luo lowered her head and said, "I defer entirely to Ancestor Shi Pan's decision."

Shi Pan looked at Bi Luo. Although this Green Ape was only at Foundation Establishment Perfection, the Evil Qi on her—forged from blood and fire—was more intense than that of many pampered Golden Core cultivators.

"You are currently at Foundation Establishment Perfection, but you are lacking the Qi of the Wood Path," Shi Pan said, pointing it out instantly.

"Yes," Bi Luo replied.

"Water generates Wood. This Xuan Shui Clear Qi is beneficial to your Bloodline, but it cannot help you achieve Core Formation. Ultimately, it is still lacking, and it would cut off the foundation of the Green Ape Clan."

Shi Pan pondered for a moment before saying, "Return to the border of the Liang Kingdom and continue to lie in wait. The foundation of the Holy Blood Sect cannot be lost."

"As for the matter of the Wood Path Qi, the Sect will find a way for you."

"Many thanks, Ancestor Shi Pan!"

Bi Luo kowtowed, her heart filled with joy, and then turned to leave.

She knew that as long as she demonstrated sufficient value, the Old Ancestors would certainly not mistreat her. Now, Core Formation was within reach!

After Bi Luo left, Shi Pan summoned a Foundation Establishment bear demon guarding the mountain.

"Go to Fengkou Valley and bring Elder Shu Changfeng here."

Not long after, a cyan afterimage swept into the Immortal Cave. Elder Shu Changfeng stood upright and knelt respectfully before Shi Pan.

"Changfeng pays respects to the Old Ancestor."

Shi Pan did not waste words and threw the cyan-gold gourd directly at him.

Elder Shu Changfeng caught it and felt the extremely pure Wind Path Qi inside the gourd; his hands began to tremble violently.

"This is... Nine Heavens Gale Qi."

Shi Pan looked at him and muttered, "Elder Rat paved the way for you, and Rat Two used his life to fill in the foundation. This strand of Wind Path Qi is yours now."

"Do not disgrace Elder Rat. If you do not succeed, then just go and die; do not let the Wind Mouse Clan of Elder Rat be shamed."

Hearing this, Elder Shu Changfeng lowered his head even further and kowtowed to thank him.

He had originally thought that such a supreme treasure would surely go to those senior great demons with more experience, but he hadn't expected it to land directly on him.

It was, in the end, Elder Rat who had fought for this favor for him.

Elder Shu Changfeng hugged the gourd tightly and slammed his forehead heavily against the black rock until it was covered in blood, only then did his heart feel at peace.

"Changfeng will certainly not fail the Old Ancestor's cultivation!"

"If I do not achieve Core Formation, I will surely bring my head to meet you, or my Dao will turn into wind!"

After Elder Shu Changfeng left, Shi Pan grabbed the cold jade box containing the Xuan Shui Clear Qi, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the Immortal Cave.

Main Peak, Great Hall.

Daoist Yun Du, already over four hundred years old, was flipping through the account books sent from various branch altars, his brow furrowed with worry.

The Sect's operations were spread too thin; Spirit Stones were needed everywhere, and manpower was needed everywhere.

As the Temple Master, he had less and less time and energy to cultivate, having dedicated all his time to handling Sect affairs.

"Temple Master Yun."

At this moment, a heavy voice rang out from within the Great Hall, and Shi Pan's figure appeared out of thin air, coiling within the hall.

Yun Du's eyelids twitched, and he quickly stood up, cupping his hands in a salute:

"Fellow Daoist Shi Pan, have you left seclusion?"

Shi Pan did not stand on ceremony and threw the cold jade box directly onto the table.

"What is this?"

Yun Du opened the jade box with confusion. Feeling the pure aura of the Water attribute Great Dao, his pupils suddenly constricted:

"Xuan Shui Clear Qi! This... where did this come from?"

"You do not need to know the origin of this item."

Shi Pan snorted coldly. Yun Du gave a sheepish smile and stopped asking. He quickly realized that Shi Pan giving this item to him was certainly not just to let him see it.

"What does Fellow Daoist mean?"

"I intend to use this Water attribute Qi to trade for a strand of Wood Qi."

"I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist, could step forward to contact the various factions in the country and see if we can trade water for wood..."

Yun Du stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

Things like heaven and earth qi have always been priceless and rare.

However, Water Qi is gentle and has wide applicability. If taken to those Sects lacking Water attribute Qi to trade, it is not entirely impossible.

"Leave this matter to me."

Yun Du nodded and agreed: "I have some connections with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion in Hua Prefecture and the Wood God Sect in Yuan Prefecture."

"The quality of this Xuan Shui Clear Qi is quite high; trading it for a strand of Wood Path Qi should not be difficult."

"Then I will trouble you, Temple Master."

Shi Pan nodded in acknowledgment and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped, turning his head to look at the distant Zixiao Peak...

He saw that on the summit of Zixiao Peak, the thunderclouds were lower and darker than ever before.

Violet-gold arcs of lightning were frantically darting through the clouds, and faint, earth-shaking roars could be heard from the depths of the thunder pool.

That pressure, even from a dozen miles away, made Shi Pan feel a palpitation of the heart.

"The Old Ancestor's seclusion seems to have reached a critical moment."

Shi Pan muttered to himself.

Yun Du also followed his gaze, a hint of awe and anticipation flashing in his eyes.

"Indeed, on the day Brother Shi leaves seclusion, the sky of this Qingcang Kingdom will likely change once again."

Winds rise and clouds surge; it is an era of great contention.

In this cruel world of cultivation, whether human or Yao, everyone is doing their utmost for that sliver of survival.

I wonder, when Shi Jian leaves seclusion, what kind of demeanor he will display.