Chapter 256: Full Preparations

Not until he left the Imperial Capital and arrived at a desolate wilderness.

Shen Yi summoned Jin Zhu.

Fine golden threads wove again, and a twenty-three-foot Golden Body Dharma Image stood indifferently.

Its body was far more muscular than before, with strange and terrifying crimson patterns on its back.

But the most eye-catching feature was a thick golden dragon coiled around his arm, baring fangs, its golden eyes fierce, as if it were a living creature.

The Golden Body suddenly raised its hand; the dragon shot out, circled once in the air, assumed a strangling posture, then flew back and remained coiled on his arm.

"Tsk."

Shen Yi's expression was slightly complex.

The demon soul he had just spent ten thousand years condensing was gone for no reason.

It had become a Soul Transformation Realm cultivation technique bearing the character "Zhen."

A Golden Body Dharma Image standing twenty-three feet tall, looking like a small building, had yet to reach the minor accomplishment realm; calculating this, something seemed off.

For an ordinary Golden Body technique, three zhang would be perfection.

This should be a good thing, right?

Shen Yi carefully calculated how much incense and vow power the Great Qian currently possessed; he felt somewhat uncertain in his heart.

"Never mind, let's take it one step at a time."

Feeling the unmasked, formidable aura of the Golden Body, Shen Yi felt slightly more confident about this trip to the Eight Directions Food Pavilion.

Wait another twenty-plus days, go to the Qi Sect to obtain the Cold Jade Profound Silk Hand, and preparations will be nearly complete.

This period of time cannot be wasted.

Shen Yi retracted the Golden Body and rode a cloud toward the Martial Arsenal.

He could not learn techniques for now, but since the Wumiao had seen so many Soul Transformation cultivators perish, there must be corresponding records left behind.

This information was equally important.

Martial Arsenal, small pavilion.

Master Zhu Jue looked at Shen Yi before him with confusion; if he remembered correctly, the two had parted less than three hours ago: "Yan Shidi wishes to know what happened after the various elders left the Great Qian?"

After receiving an affirmative reply.

Master Zhu Jue roughly guessed what the other intended to do, experiencing Little Wu's feelings for a moment.

Just returned, and now running off again.

This was no Wumiao; it was clearly an inn where the other rested his feet.

"Yan Shidi, wait a moment."

Master Zhu Jue smiled helplessly, left the small pavilion, and soon returned carrying a whole box of books: "They are all here."

He casually picked up one book and slapped it twice: "These things haven't been looked at by anyone for a very long time."

Compared to martial arts and precious medicines, it was actually these "travelogues" that better revealed the foundation of a great power.

The precious experiences recorded within were all exchanged for by the lives of Soul Transformation Realm cultivators.

"Thank you, Zhu Shixiong."

Shen Yi reached out, embraced a pile of books, and sat in a corner.

Compared to obscure martial arts, these books were more like story novels; he read them with great interest.

Occasionally, when the records in a book were not detailed enough, he would directly ask Zhu Shixiong Zhu beside him.

As time slowly passed, a crude map slowly took shape in Shen Yi's mind: the distribution of various powers, what killing moves each specialized in, and the points to note in numerous treacherous places...

"Zhu Shixiong, why is the Xu Family mentioned in every book?"

"When a cultivator's cave dwelling opens, not only do we know where the entrance is, but the Thousand Demon Cave knows as well. To escape their ambush, one must find another entrance; the Xu Family is the great clan most proficient in arrays."

Master Zhu Jue spoke slowly: "However, they hold a grudge against the Profound Light Cave, so clan members rarely travel abroad. If Yan Shidi meets one, you should take note and try to befriend them."

"The Profound Light Cave doesn't need them?" Shen Yi was somewhat curious; what kind of great grudge would make the Profound Light Cave disregard the safety of its disciples just to continue hunting down such a group?

"It is precisely because they are too useful, yet the Profound Light Cave was unwilling to pay a high price every time, that they initially captured over a hundred Xu clan members, trying to force them to reveal their ancestral skills... I heard only a handful survived in the end; the rest of the Xu family, enraged to the extreme, simply set up an array to kill a True Person of the Profound Light Cave at the Soul Transformation level, then hid entirely."

Even Master Zhu Jue felt ashamed when speaking of this matter, since nominally the Wumiao and this Immortal Sect were allies: "We lacked the strength to intervene, and Mount Wutong had no use for the Xu Family, since those True Persons, even when entering cave dwellings, were accustomed to striding boldly through the main gate."

Hearing this, Shen Yi silently shook his head.

Fortunately, he had not been impulsive back then; otherwise, with the strength of a Slain Hunyuan at the initial realm, truly encountering the Profound Light Cave...

Let alone being taken as a disciple, the greater possibility would have been being captured and forced to reveal demon martial arts...

"By the way, Zhu Shixiong."

Shen Yi suddenly remembered a very strange thing; after flipping through many books, he had gained a general understanding of this area.

But none of the books mentioned a name for the entire place.

"Where exactly does the Great Qian Dynasty reside?"

"Where?"

A trace of confusion appeared on Master Zhu Jue's face; he spoke somewhat uncertainly: "Xian Sect?"

"..."

Shen Yi waited a while before realizing the other had finished speaking.

No prefix, only the two characters "Xian Sect."

"Yan Shidi laughs at me; I am merely an ordinary Yin Spirit cultivator, having almost never left the Great Qian. I heard this name by chance from Shenxu Laozu's mouth."

Master Zhu Jue looked over with a slightly apologetic expression.

After all, no matter who heard it, "Xian Sect" did not sound like a place name.

"Understood."

Shen Yi nodded, his mind inexplicably recalling Lady Qinghua's earlier words.

Cultivators who left behind cave dwellings all had the habit of cultivating Age Trees, as if they shared the same master.

Most of these cave dwellings were located within the territory of the Thousand Demon Den.

Disciples of the Immortal Sects, their paths unclear, needed to seek the Great Dao of cultivation within these cave dwellings.

Putting these pieces of information together.

A hint of surprise flashed through Shen Yi's eyes; why did it feel as though, whether it was the Wumiao, those two Immortal Sect powers, or even the Thousand Demon Den, they were all like latecomers who had taken refuge, parasitizing a colossal entity.

If that were truly the case, where had the cultivators who left behind these cave dwellings gone?

Shen Yi shook his head; these rumors and stories were hardly matters for his current self to consider.

He calmed his mind and carefully flipped through the book in his hand.

Memorizing every piece of information that seemed useful.

Gradually making the rough map in his heart more and more complete.

Until he reached into the box and found nothing; the once fully packed box had been completely searched.

"Yan Shidi, more than twenty days have already passed."

Master Zhu Jue had been accompanying him nearby, and the admiration in his eyes had grown even more intense.

Previously, Shen Yi had been in his mind a Soul Transformation powerhouse with terrifying talent.

But now, the young man's serious actions in gathering this information had added a great deal of steadiness, beyond his talent and strength.

Neither arrogant nor impatient, possessing both courage and strategy.

Little Wu's worry was entirely superfluous.

For the Wumiao to possess a young man like this, even Mount Wutong would likely be envious.

"Let's go."

Shen Yi stood up and stretched his body; he had already gained a certain understanding of the outside world.

Among it were no shortage of dangers and thrills.

And now, it was time to personally experience these rumors and stories.

(End of this chapter)