154: Heshui Mansion, Kongming Heaven

Heshui Prefecture hung above a vast marsh, with countless pavilions and Spirit Peaks. Legend has it that the Old Ancestor, who had long since ascended, used a great Divine Ability to move the mountains from the southern range.

As the Sect Master, the Golden Core Cultivator with the highest nominal status, he possessed the Spirit Peak with the densest Spiritual Qi. From afar, it looked like a giant Dragon spiraling upwards, shrouded in mist, yet shimmering lights could be seen. Countless Formations made this place extremely suitable for Cultivation.

Ye Chun wasn't too familiar with his Master. Although he also enjoyed role-playing in games, there was ultimately a barrier between players and NPCs. Many times, "Master" was merely a quest giver.

At this moment, Ye Chun passed through the protective Formation, ascending the mountain path step by step. The higher he went, the greater the pressure on him. Ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators would find it difficult to advance even an inch.

But Ye Chun's foundation was extremely solid. Although his movements were a bit slow, he still climbed upwards, step by step, greedily inhaling, allowing the abundant Spiritual Qi to surge into his body.

The Sect Master's direct Disciple not only possessed the Legacy of core Cultivation Techniques but could also cultivate on the Sect Master's Peak. Simply lying down on the mountain path, the efficiency was better than a seventh-grade Spirit Gathering Array. If granted an Immortal Cave for Cultivation, progress would be even more rapid.

When Ye Chun reached the peak, the Sect Master was sitting on a stone stool in a pavilion, playing chess against himself with his left hand against his right.

Ye Chun bowed, remaining silent until the Sect Master finished the game. Only then did he slowly approach and bow again.

The Sect Master of Heshui Prefecture appeared to be a middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed in a water-blue Daoist robe. His eyes shimmered with a watery gaze, seemingly as gentle as the sea, yet he was a genuine Golden Core Expert, naturally possessing the ruthlessness characteristic of Golden Core Cultivators.

"Do you know why the Immortal Foundation shifted?"

The Sect Master motioned for Ye Chun to sit down and asked softly.

At this current stage of the game, Ye Chun was the only one who could speak face-to-face with a Sect's Golden Core.

Other players, whether it was Midnight Gao Sou or Wang Long, who possessed a soul body, or the Buddhist monks who had been converted, they had only received Cultivation Technique Legacies, thus having better Cultivation resources compared to other players.

However, they knew very little about some Xuanhuan World secrets and the operational logic of the entire Xuanhuan society.

Only Ye Chun, as the Sect Master's direct Disciple, knew more or less about certain things.

Hearing the Sect Master speak of the Immortal Foundation, Ye Chun's mind raced, and he quickly thought of a possibility:

"This isn't a coincidence. A powerful being deliberately did this to allow those evil Cultivators to enter the Immortal Foundation... or rather, this Immortal Foundation was given to the evil Cultivators."

"Indeed, you are truly astute, stronger than the other Extraterrestrial Demons."

The Sect Master looked at Ye Chun, very satisfied: "Although those evil Cultivators appeared suddenly, many people didn't anticipate them, but their appearance aligns with Great Jiang's interests. Therefore, they were allowed to act freely, even to the point of being encouraged. This shift of the Immortal Foundation was personally executed by the Great Jiang Empress."

He paused again, calculated with his fingers, and said: "By my reckoning, the Empress should have already entered seclusion."

Ye Chun was thoughtful. It seemed this chaos in Great Jiang was entirely caused by the Empress.

However, he also had a question: "Master, a Golden Core entering seclusion to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul probably requires a lot of time. We Extraterrestrial Demons also cannot possess an Outstanding Talent like the Empress. So, for her to enter seclusion now... isn't that seeking her own demise?"

Qi Refining cultivators entering seclusion to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment takes several years, sometimes even more than ten or decades.

It is said that the time required for Foundation Establishment to Breakthrough to Golden Core is even longer, with many perishing during the Breakthrough, which is truly tragic.

As for Golden Core to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul, according to Ye Chun's understanding, it should only take longer.

The Sect Master nodded and said: "Indeed, to shatter the Golden Core and form a Nascent Soul often takes a century. The difficulty involved is beyond what ordinary people can comprehend, and countless Prodigies have fallen in their Immortal Caves."

After saying that, the Sect Master continued: "But precisely because shattering the Golden Core and forming a Nascent Soul is so difficult, there is a wonderful method that can assist in the Breakthrough..."

At this point, the Sect Master stopped. All information concerning Nascent Soul was precious, and the Breakthrough method was an invaluable treasure to ordinary Loose Cultivators. No matter how much he valued Ye Chun, he would not casually reveal it until the other party was completely tied to Heshui Prefecture's chariot.

Ye Chun naturally understood this principle and did not press further. Instead, he adopted a proper posture: "Then, what does this Disciple need to do?"

The Sect Master looked at the chess game on the stone table, stroked his long beard, and said leisurely:

"Ye Chun, I have high hopes for you. If you can Breakthrough to Golden Core, you can naturally become the Sect Master of Heshui Prefecture."

"You are an Extraterrestrial Demon. For many, this is a disadvantage, an unacceptable identity, but for me, it is a good thing."

His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were bright: "You Extraterrestrial Demons are numerous, and Geniuses emerge endlessly. In time, you will surely be the Dominator of the Cultivation World, and what my Heshui Prefecture seeks is merely the continuation of its Dao Lineage."

Ye Chun was thoughtful: "Master, does our Heshui Prefecture have the Kongming Dao Lineage Legacy?"

The Sect Master smiled: "You are truly clever, young man... My Heshui Prefecture's Legacy comes from a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor. The most treasured item of our Sect is a fourth-grade Cultivation Technique, which is a grade higher than Qingling Sect and Duan Kong Cave. This is also where my Heshui Prefecture's confidence lies."

"Don't overthink it. From fourth-grade Cultivation Techniques onwards, they can no longer be copied by ordinary means. Even you Extraterrestrial Demons probably can't widely disseminate them, so we never worry about Cultivation Techniques leaking out."

Ye Chun nodded; he had also heard a little about this matter.

The exchange of Cultivation Techniques among players was essentially like copying a book, just disseminated online. But if the grade became high, there would no longer be ordinary textual records, and naturally, no concept of a copied book.

At that time, the trading System could still trade the original, and players might also find unconventional ways to copy it, but the cost would be very high. Ultimately, not all players would be able to cultivate it. The widespread dissemination seen with fifth-grade Golden Core Methods would absolutely not occur with fourth-grade Nascent Soul Methods.

"Master, is a part of this Nascent Soul Method located within the Immortal Foundation?"

Hearing Ye Chun's question, the Sect Master nodded with satisfaction. Ye Chun's quick wit was not just his personality; he was also very skilled at connecting information for analysis. He was excellent in both strategy and tactics, and even more so, he could capture key details that ordinary people would miss.

"Back then, the Old Ancestor obtained the Nascent Soul Method from the Kongming Lineage, which led to the establishment of my Heshui Prefecture. But later, we discovered that the Legacy left by the Old Ancestor was incomplete and fundamentally impossible to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul."

The Sect Master sighed, but his eyes clearly held excitement: "The Green Emerald Heaven does not contain the Legacy we need, but in this 'Mingshui Heaven' that is about to fall, it is very likely that we will find the complete Legacy we have been searching for for a long time."

"Ye Chun, the Sect wants to give you a mission."

Ye Chun's expression became serious, and he said with a wry smile: "Master, you just said that this Mingshui Heaven was personally given to the Great Love Sect by the Great Jiang Empress. So for our Heshui Prefecture to contend for it again..."

The Sect Master waved his hand: "The Empress is in seclusion. Great Jiang is merely guarded by some Immortal Foundations. If not for concerns about her feigning seclusion, we would have long since attacked the Imperial City and swallowed Great Jiang. Ye Chun, at that time, you will not appear as a member of Heshui Prefecture, but as an Extraterrestrial Demon. This way, there will be no risk."