Chapter 458: The Divine Crow Master Dinghai Zhenjun of the Animal Realm

Jiang Ding glanced at the two items, then tossed out a fourth-grade, lower-rank Soul-Search Talisman.

This was very expensive; nearly ten million lower-grade spirit stones plus many third-grade heavenly treasures were spent like this.

This was still considered cheap.

Because the immortal sects had a developed education industry, some Golden Core cultivators possessing the fourth-grade Talisman Master profession had emerged, driving the price down; otherwise, one would have to pay several times the price and still not be able to buy one.

But it had to be done this way.

According to the clues from Tian Kuang Dao Ren and others, the direct descendants of great families had prohibitions within their divine souls; only a fourth-grade Soul-Search Talisman could possibly break them open.

The fourth-grade Soul-Search Talisman emitted a ghostly light, spreading out a patch that wrapped around Heishan's divine soul and Jin Dan; inside, two forces struggled against each other, the ghostly light flickering unsteadily.

After a long time, the ghostly light dispersed, revealing a constantly rotating dark blue energy sphere.

Jiang Ding drew it into his hand and closed his eyes to read.

"... The 'Beast-Transformation Ten Thousand Spirit Bestiary': select those with excellent spiritual roots and outstanding aptitude, and make them cultivate the 'Divine Crow Method', the 'Spirit Leopard Method', the 'Thunder Ox Method'..."

"... Then, using the method of creation, transform them into livestock such as pigs, cows, sheep, and dogs, raise them for many years... at Foundation Establishment, strip their skin, steam for thirty years, boil for thirty years, refine for thirty years... a hundred skins make one supreme-grade, excellent skin; cultivate using this, and progress a thousand li in a day..."

"... Creating livestock, cruel enough..."

Even though he had fought in a hundred battles, Jiang Ding was still stunned by the various secret arts described within; a trace of killing intent rose up, then vanished.

He continued reading.

"Divine Crow Master Dinghai Zhenjun, the only Nascent Soul of the Liu family in the Animal Realm of the Liu Dao Sect, cultivation unknown; Heishan does not know, only that he is at least nine hundred years old..."

"... The ruling center of the Animal Realm, the Beast Spirit Immortal City; the cultivators residing within are human by day, dressed elegantly, living in pavilions, inns, and cave dwellings, and beasts by night, living in pig, cow, and sheep pens, dog holes, and bird cages..."

"... Heishan, this person is the twenty-ninth son of Divine Crow Master Dinghai Zhenjun; Nascent Souls of the Northern Plains are always prolific, possessing secret arts in this regard; he is not particularly valued, just that a Nascent Soul-level mark was left behind, a routine operation for bloodline descendants."

"If a Nascent Soul were to kill his son, it would be impossible to fight desperately; Heishan exaggerated his own importance."

"Is that not so, Daoist friend?"

Jiang Ding gazed indifferently at a faint black mark within Heishan's sea of consciousness that was held back but not yet released; without a Nascent Soul-level divine sense, it would be absolutely impossible to see.

"Indeed,"

"How could a mere descendant cause us to make such a great commotion?"

The faint black mark blurred and changed, drawing in surrounding soul power to strengthen itself; after a moment, it transformed into a pure black crow wearing a flame-gold crown, its eyes unusually lively, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Nascent Souls of the Northern Plains are always prolific... I wonder where Daoist friend comes from? Could it be that you, like the Dari Sect, come from the Eastern Sea?"

His voice revealed no joy or anger; he asked with curiosity.

"This cannot be told to Daoist friend."

Jiang Ding smiled slightly.

His divine sense and sword intent covered a radius of fifty kilometers; in an instant, he severed hundreds of methods of communicating with the outside world via talismans, communication jade slips, miniature arrays, and other means.

"If you were from the Eastern Sea, that would be good."

Divine Crow Master Dinghai Zhenjun's expression did not change; he stopped attempts to communicate with the inside and outside, somewhat disappointed: "The Dari Sect is aggressive and tyrannical; if Daoist friends from the Eastern Sea could help a little and achieve some results, the Zhengmo Alliance would be infinitely grateful; even Nascent Soul-level breakthrough pills would not be impossible to use as reward."

"Even if not, it would be fine."

"The Zhengmo Alliance has opened the treasuries of twenty-eight families and is recruiting guest elders; if Daoist friend can slay a Dari Sect Nascent Soul, within the treasuries, heavenly treasures and earthly wonders are at Daoist friend's disposal to choose."

He tempted him with unremitting effort.

"Daoist friend, I wonder how the Northern Plains battlefield is?"

Jiang Ding did not answer his words.

"Naturally, the Zhengmo Alliance holds a great advantage and is about to achieve victory."

Divine Crow Master Dinghai Zhenjun spoke seriously: "The Dari Sect is after all an outsider, lacking sufficient foundation; after fighting for many years without victory, defeat is already determined."

"We have already glimpsed their flaws; within at most a hundred years, we can break through the Dari Sect's Dayang Dayang Tianchi; at that time, all participating Daoist friends will be able to take whatever they wish and share the inheritances."

"If Daoist friend has the heart to establish a foothold in the Northern Plains, it would naturally be easy; simply establish a family, and the twenty-eight families of the Zhengmo Alliance will welcome you with all sincerity; a fourth-grade, middle-grade spiritual vein is merely ordinary; if you establish military merit, even a fourth-grade, upper-grade spiritual vein is not impossible."

"Indeed, the Zhengmo Alliance holds a great advantage and is about to achieve victory."

Jiang Ding nodded.

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword unsheathed; the Annihilation Sword Intent locked and sealed; a single sword strike was unleashed.

"Daoist friend, why be so inhumane..."

The Fire-Crowned Crow's face changed; just as he was about to do something, his lively eyes froze.

From the sharp beak to the bird's head, then the entire body, a bright blue fine line appeared; sword qi and the half-mastered Annihilation Sword Intent erupted, grinding this strand of divine soul mark completely to dust.

A Nascent Soul divine soul mark.

Before lower-grade cultivators, one could play tricks like a god and do as one pleased; to him, it was merely a matter of one sword strike.

"These old things who have lived for nearly a thousand years..."

After confirming repeatedly that it was completely cleared, Jiang Ding stuffed the Taiqing Flying Sword into his brow and shook his head: "Words between true and false, completely useless information; listening to it is not only useless but might even form erroneous misleading; it is better to communicate less."

"I, a simple and innocent sixteen-year-old youth, cannot withstand their playing."

"Heishan is good after all; he poured out his heart, saying everything."

Jiang Ding continued examining the memories of this direct descendant of the General Heishi family: "He came here under the command of his elder brother, Heilong, a peak Golden Core cultivator, to clean up the backyard for the Animal Realm of the Liu Dao Sect; he gave no reason, but vaguely suspected that a great battle was imminent; regardless of victory or defeat, early preparation was needed."

"If this is truly so... regardless of victory or defeat, the land of the Three Kingdoms is already unsafe."

Jiang Ding fell into thought.

Victory: the pressure on the Liu Dao Sect's front-line battlefield would vanish completely, naturally allowing more forces to be redeployed for retaliation; after all, a direct descendant and multiple Golden Cores had died here.

Defeat: the entire Liu Dao Sect would retreat to another land; perhaps one or two Nascent Soul cultivators surviving from the battlefield would emerge here.

He currently lacked the ability to stop Nascent Soul cultivators from fleeing and slay them.

If surrounded, he would die.

"But, Master Tushan Xiancheng is very important to me; over thirty million lower-grade spirit stones annually... after building the super warship, I have no money left; for a cultivator, having no money is very inconvenient."

"We'll talk about it later. Anyway, with the teleportation array here, and the danger perception of a Dao Child, even if a late Nascent Soul cultivator arrives, I can still make a run for it."

Jiang Ding waved out a sword qi, shattering Heishan's divine soul and Jin Dan. He took one last look toward the direction of Chu, then his figure vanished without a trace.

……

Tushan Xiancheng.

He summoned Gong Gong Caiyu, Qiu Wei Shanggong, and the other first-rank maidservants of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

"Speed up the dispersal and concealment plan."

Jiang Ding said calmly, "Best within one year — including all of you — everyone must disperse into the lands of the Three Kingdoms, disperse into the Northern Plains. In any case, you cannot continue staying in Tushan Xiancheng. Hand over all matters to the various halls for handling."

"Monk Fa Zheng, Wuma Kong, and other friendly sorts… transfer them to remote places, far from Tushan Xiancheng. If they are unwilling to leave, then so be it — no need to say more."

As for the remaining people, that will depend on what Liu Dao Sect has in mind.

Generally, aside from intimidation and warnings, they won't kill.

Cultivators are also wealth — especially since Tushan Xiancheng is a commercially prosperous city. Mass slaughter would mean giving up the large annual spirit stone tax revenue and the many people who handle affairs.

Of course, the original master of Tushan Xiancheng naturally will not be among those pardoned.

"Yes!"

Gong Gong Caiyu, Qiu Wei Shanggong, and the other maidservants shivered, cupped their fists, and acknowledged the order.

This kind of similar plan was kept secret from nothing — it had always been underway, merely waiting for the moment to be set in motion. In the Cultivation World, no one is powerful from the very start; in times of weakness, one must possess the ability to hide and lie in wait.

"Young Master."

Gong Gong Caiyu was about to withdraw when she suddenly froze.

"Xiang Xiang Qiyu of Xiang Qiyu Sect has come to visit. Will you see him or not?"

Three

(End of this chapter)