Chapter 62: Spine-Blue Wood

The imposing, towering gate of the Marquis’s mansion,

Entirely dark red, adorned with copper nails arranged in seven horizontal and seven vertical rows—forty-nine in total—exactly the standard for a marquis, unchanged after three hundred years.

Above it hung a plaque, personally inscribed by the founding emperor: “Marquis of Zhendong Mansion.” On either side of the gate stood seven armored soldiers each, spears in hand, their presence radiating unassailable nobility.

An old man in black robes presented his letter of introduction; soon after, someone came to lead him inside.

This man was none other than “Brother Chou,” who had fought in the Battle of Menghu Mountain, fled immediately when the tide turned, and only returned to the mansion recently after confirming his safety.

The black-robed elder followed the steward through winding corridors, where black-armored soldiers guarded every path; even their sergeants were at least Inner Qi realm, and the soldiers themselves were formidable, having reached a notable level of Body Tempering.

Soon, he arrived at a secluded location with even stricter security, and walked in without hesitation.

Someone was already inside.

Upon entering, he was immediately drawn to a middle-aged man whose bearing was that of a dragon striding and a tiger pacing, with eyes like a wolf’s gaze and an eagle’s stare—over forty years old, dressed only in a simple brocade robe, radiating an invisible magnetism that compelled others to listen and obey instinctively.

Chou Di’s eyes flickered slightly.

The sect’s master of physiognomy had calculated that this Marquis of Zhendong bore “dragon qi,” inheriting ancestral legacy, destined to become the Son of Heaven.

He scoffed at this.

The sect had thrown full support behind him—soldiers, grain, men—all provided without hesitation, and years’ worth of “Black Blood Pills” had been used to cultivate elite troops.

Put these things on a pig, and you could still claim the pig bore dragon qi—who would dare disagree?

Still, to be honest, this man’s facial features were indeed extraordinary.

“My lord!”

Chou Di bowed deeply, with utmost reverence.

“Old Chou, no need for formalities—sit.” Marquis Tang Wang’s voice was warm.

The black-robed elder sat down calmly.

“Elder Chou, you were frightened for over ten days by a mere child, and dare not return to the city—you shame yourself as a member of the Wolf God Sect, betraying the Lord Wolf’s trust.”

Chen Chen sneered, seemingly unafraid of the Inner Qi-perfected black-robed elder.

“I am simply this timid.”

Chou Di showed no anger, lifting his eyelids slightly: “That’s precisely why I’m still alive while my peers of the same generation are gone—Elder Chen, don’t follow in the footsteps of my old friends.”

“As for the Lord Wolf, the Black Blood Pool is nearly dry; even if it’s ruined, it won’t hinder the grand plan.”

Chen Chen snorted: “Don’t trouble yourself.”

“Black Flame Blade” Hei Jin had just finished reading Jiang Ding’s dossier; his face showed surprise, then battle-lust: “I wonder how his sword compares to my Black Blade?”

Chen Chen smiled: “Young Master Jin, why act like some wandering swordsman, competing for pride? If needed, we can petition the Marquis to surround him with elite troops—he won’t escape, even if he had wings.”

The group chatted for a while.

Suddenly, a steward hurried in, kneeling halfway: “My lord, the young master of the Seven Mysteries Sect, Gong Caiyu, injured Young Master and accused him of treacherous intent. Her sect has already been surrounded by armored elite guards—please give orders.”

“Worthless!”

Marquis Tang Wang frowned.

He had been a hero in his prime, yet his son was utterly unworthy—despite consuming vast quantities of rare treasures, he had barely reached the Inner Qi realm, no better than the heirs of other marquis houses.

Hence, he sought to introduce the bloodline of talented youths from the Dragon-Feng List, hoping his grandchildren might produce true talent.

The hall fell silent, a pin drop audible.

“My lord, she is but a woman of the martial world—coarse and uncultivated, unfit to become the future Empress, incapable of mothering the realm!” Chen Chen stepped forward and bowed, then spoke.

This represented the stance of a powerful faction.

They resented granting such immense benefits to the Seven Mysteries Sect, whose strength had dwindled to little.

“Order the Seven Mysteries Sect to confine this woman to her quarters for self-reflection.”

Marquis Tang Wang said.

He understood his subordinates’ thoughts, yet compared to securing powerful generals and ministers, the quality of his own heir was paramount—without sufficient strength, there could be no loyal followers.

Moreover, any force that endures for a thousand years does so for a reason—the Seven Mysteries Sect is no exception.

“Yes, my lord.”

Chen Chen withdrew, slightly disappointed.

“All black-armored troops across the prefectures and counties have returned. We have captured seventy-three Inner Qi cultivators and recovered over thirty corpses. Public order has been restored throughout.”

“Combined with the years of accumulated Black Blood Pills.”

Tang Wang looked at the black-robed elder with hopeful eyes: “When will your sect’s Dharma King arrive to refine the ‘Primordial Black Blood Pill’ for me?”

The martial world knew only the Lord Wolf; only a select few knew the Wolf God Sect had a Dharma King, whose status was subtly higher than the Lord Wolf’s, though he ignored worldly affairs.

Tang Wang solemnly swore: “I swear by my ancestors—I will rise in rebellion immediately upon breaking through to the Primordial realm, overthrow the tyrannical Yue court, establish a new dynasty, and enshrine the Wolf God Sect as the state religion, sharing its fate with the empire!”

“If I break this oath, may heaven strike me down!”

All present grew solemn.

“The Lord Wolf previously instructed that we may ignite the Dharma King’s spiritual incense at any time,” Chou Di said gravely. “The Dharma King will arrive within days, or at most a month.”

“The Dharma King will act only once.”

“My lord, consider carefully—the success rate of refining the Primordial Black Blood Pill depends entirely on the number and potential of the Inner Qi cultivators used as material. If it fails, you bear the consequence.”

He confirmed.

“No rush, no rush.”

Tang Wang’s expression softened into a smile.

“Black Flame Blade” Hei Jin suddenly felt a chill run through his body; he gripped his blade’s hilt and frowned up at the man seated above.

…

Jiang Ding returned home. After the kingfisher carried away the specimen and the Blue Fluorescent Butterfly, he scrolled through his phone, responding to messages in his class group, then opened another app.

“Diting Appraisal Co.: Your commissioned appraisal of the ‘Unknown Blue Stone’ is complete. Appraisal fee: 52 spirit coins, 50,000 mortal coins. The item has been shipped. Detailed report below.”

【Name: Spine-Blue Seed】

【Evergreen shrub, 0.5–2.5 meters tall, irregularly branched; branches fleshy and robust, young branches gray-yellow, short and densely packed. Leaves alternate, with pale blue stripes, absorbing solar energy by day and releasing blue fluorescent light at night…】

【Effect: Contains a newly discovered substance, “Blue Gold 2413,” whose function may be related to this new component…】

“Not jade—it’s a seed?”

Jiang Ding froze, then broke into a smile.

“After the Talisman Sword, the second stage—the Wood Sword—is now within reach.”

After mastering the Talisman Sword, one must embed a plant seed within it, waiting for it to sprout and grow naturally into the shape of a wooden sword, greatly enhancing the flying sword’s power.

He put away his phone and opened the four parcels already delivered—sent from Sichuan and the southeastern region of his own province.

First, the parcel containing first-grade Wind Spirit Paper.

A pale green talisman paper came into view, thirty centimeters long and wide, extremely light—its breath could make it tremble slightly. It enhanced first-grade Wind-affinity spells and arrays by 20–25%. Two sheets total.

He closed the box and opened the second parcel.

A wave of heat surged forth, radiating golden and red light; inside was a talisman paper sixty centimeters long and wide, resembling a metal plate.

First-grade Metal-Fire Spirit Paper, enhancing Metal- and Fire-affinity spells by 40–50%. Extremely expensive, nearly at the upper limit of first-grade talisman paper.

He opened the third box.

First-grade Blue Carp Ink, made from the blood of a first-grade non-affinity Blue Carp spirit beast, perfectly compatible with all elemental materials and spells.

The fourth box contained Ginseng Essence Qi Pills, refined from century-old spirit ginseng. Gentle in nature, they rapidly replenish a cultivator’s depleted primordial qi and accelerate the birth of Inner Qi—efficiency exceeding ordinary pills by more than tenfold. The gentle spiritual energy within also uniquely benefits the nourishment and tempering of meridians.

One vial, containing six pills.

After carefully inspecting the quality of all four items, Jiang Ding put them away.

“All training and preparations are complete. Tomorrow is the day to forge the Talisman Sword.”