Chapter 329: Azure Water Spirit Marrow

The corpse of the Ice King exerted too great a deterrent.

Wherever it went, the Fifth-Rank water spirits scattered in panic.

Occasionally, a few enraged ones tried to become heroes by avenging their king—each was swiftly beheaded by Xu Jin with a single sword strike.

After forming the Nascent Soul, the Sixth-Rank Star Art of Void Piercing became increasingly effortless; even the Moon Shadow Sword and Fire Ox Sword, activated solely by the Object-Controlling Star Pattern, possessed extraordinary power.

Simply using the Object-Controlling Star Pattern to launch both flying swords, Xu Jin could effortlessly slay Fifth-Rank mid-to-late stage spirits.

During the battle, Xu Jin had independently developed a devastating flying sword technique.

This gave Xu Jin the idea to evolve the Object-Controlling Star Pattern.

What changes would occur if the Object-Controlling Star Pattern were evolved to Seventh-Rank—or even Eighth-Rank?

Could sword-flight become possible then?

Currently, one could stand on it, but flight remained impossible.

Of course, not all had been slaughtered.

Xu Jin captured three cowardly Fifth-Rank water spirits; after Ning Yuchan reinforced them with hypnosis, he directly seized control of their soul cores, fully subjugating them.

He ordered the three to return and seize control of the Ice King City first, while he and Ning Yuchan began clearing the battlefield.

More accurately, they were collecting spoils.

The Sixth-Rank spirits slain were all treasures; their star cores held immense value, and the eyes of the spirit races were especially precious—key materials for enhancing star artifacts, highly sought after.

The most coveted and valuable items were the star cores and eyes of the Water Spirit King and the Wood Spirit King.

The star cores and eyes of these two kings were worth as much as, or even more than, Seventh-Rank star cores.

As for the star cores, Xu Jin kept them all for himself.

The kings' star cores bore powerful protective star patterns; Xu Jin had to retain them.

The eyes of the Water and Wood Spirit Kings might one day be exchanged for treasures at an auction.

The star cores of the slain Fifth-Rank spirits must not be wasted either.

"Little Fish, I'll handle these—you focus on assimilating this Wood Heavenly Star Will," Xu Jin said to Ning Yuchan.

Ning Yuchan stared at the brilliant green Wood Heavenly Star Will Xu Jin had summoned before her, startled, "Senior Brother Qi, this is too precious!"

"Besides, you obtained it—you contributed nothing!

You even saved me once."

Ning Yuchan's background determined her perspective.

She knew what Heavenly Star Will was.

She understood its value better than anyone.

Her father, who guarded a star domain, had mentioned it to her multiple times.

The two she possessed, inherited from her grandfather, were the ancestral treasures of the Ning Clan—so vital they could be called the foundation of their lineage.

Now, Qi Tian Sheng was giving her one outright—Ning Yuchan's shock was unimaginable.

"Do you want to return to Wan Yi?" Xu Jin asked.

Ning Yuchan shook her head. "This is too precious—I dare not accept it."

In the next instant, Xu Jin's expression darkened. "You're being ridiculous! What kind of martial world daughter are you? You refuse a treasure to boost your strength? Do you expect me to save you every time?

Or should I just discard you as useless?

Didn't I tell you to obey me? Have you forgotten?"

Scolded, Ning Yuchan realized her mistake. She stared at her toes, silent, slightly wounded.

But Xu Jin simply slapped the Wood Heavenly Star Will into her hand. "Assimilate it now!"

"Mm." Ning Yuchan nodded softly, lips pressed tight.

"I'll go gather the spoils."

As Xu Jin turned to leave, he added, "By the way, you said you'd save me five times—but today I saved you once. So if you want to leave, you must save me at least six times. Remember, Little Fish!"

"I remember!"

Ning Yuchan replied with a tight-lipped nod, her expression bitter.

She hadn't even saved him yet—and already owed him one.

Seeing this, Xu Jin smiled.

Save him five times? Dream on.

Now it was six.

As he turned away, Xu Jin smirked unethically.

But in that instant he turned, Ning Yuchan caught sight of it.

In that fleeting moment, she felt dazed.

So familiar!

That slightly mischievous smile as he turned—so like her legendary hero!

The next instant, Ning Yuchan shook her head violently, banishing the thought. Impossible.

Senior Brother Qi was Senior Brother Qi. Her legendary hero was her legendary hero!

Still, Senior Brother Qi was decent—at least on the battlefield.

Moments later, the grasses, trees, and flowers around Ning Yuchan surged wildly, surrounding her like vigilant warriors, guarding her.

Ning Yuchan began assimilating the Wood Heavenly Star Will.

Xu Jin disposed of the Fifth-Rank spirits swiftly—only extracting their star cores and performing cursory searches, he gathered over a thousand Fourth-Rank Star Jade Tablets and dozens of Fifth-Rank ones.

Once finished, he returned to Ning Yuchan's side, having her stand guard while he began assimilating the two Water Heavenly Star Wills taken from the Water Spirit King.

Had he not needed to secure thirty percent of the Heavenly Star Will within the Spring Thunder Star Domain, he might have given these Water Heavenly Star Wills to Ning Yuchan too.

The Water Heavenly Star Will held little use for Xu Jin at present.

But he must acquire at least thirty percent of the Spring Thunder Star Domain's Heavenly Star Will—otherwise, his subsequent plans would be far more difficult.

Hence, he had given only the Wood Heavenly Star Will to Ning Yuchan.

After assimilating the Wood Heavenly Star Will, she would fully integrate into the Spring Thunder Star Domain, no longer targeted by the world's natural forces, and less likely to be exposed.

Meanwhile, the Wood Heavenly Star Will would also enhance Ning Yuchan's Wood Star Patterns, especially the power of her Hundred Flowers and Hundred Herbs Star Patterns.

These two bloodline Star Patterns, awakened only after Ning Yuchan's soul cultivation reached Fourth-Rank, were critically important.

Even Xu Jin, who possessed the Mingji Star Pattern, could not replace them.

Thus, Xu Jin had begun deliberately cultivating Ning Yuchan!

Xu Jin had already formed his Nascent Soul and was thoroughly practiced—he had completed assimilating both Water Heavenly Star Wills, while Ning Yuchan's Wood Heavenly Star Will remained unassimilated.

The instant Xu Jin finished assimilation, the familiar sense of control surged into his heart.

A sensation akin to divinity.

He now sensed the entire Fifth-Rank Spring Thunder Star Domain, though the perception remained vague and rudimentary.

He could sense the presence of twenty-one Sixth-Rank cultivators across the domain.

Most clustered in two directions—likely the Thunder Spirit King City and the Thunder Eagle King City.

Suddenly, Xu Jin frowned.

A hostile presence, of Fifth-Rank Ninth Layer peak, was fiercely rejected by the Heavenly Will.

Yet strangely, this hostile presence coincided spatially with the auras of several Sixth-Rank spirits.

Judging by location, this rejected intruder must be inside the Thunder Eagle King City.

"Captured?"

In his faint perception, at least five Sixth-Rank cultivators surrounded the intruder.

Such high-level attention?

Being interrogated?

Or?

These were merely Xu Jin's speculations.

The truth remained unclear.

To discern more clearly through the Heavenly Star Will, Xu Jin would need to control at least fifty percent of the domain's Heavenly Star Will.

At that moment, Xu Jin's Mingji Star Pattern flickered slightly—Ning Yuchan had finished assimilation and awakened.

"Finished assimilating? How do you feel?" Xu Jin asked with a smile.

"The Wood Heavenly Star Will is astonishing. After assimilation, I feel utterly fused with this world—the plants and trees here are far more affectionate toward me, greatly enhancing the power of my Hundred Flowers and Hundred Herbs Star Patterns.

Moreover, the Wood Heavenly Star Will seems to fundamentally empower them, especially in range." Ning Yuchan said happily.

"How much did it increase?" "The wood-element celestial and terrestrial will only enhanced the power of my Hundred Herbs and Hundred Flowers star patterns by one-tenth—previously forty li, now the closest distance is about forty-five li."

"The Wood Heavenly Star Will only boosted my Hundred Herbs and Hundred Flowers Star Patterns by ten percent—previously forty li, now about forty-five li.

But after assimilating the Wood Heavenly Star Will, the domain's affinity for me has doubled the influence range of my plants—ninety li!"

"My listening range now extends up to ninety li," Ning Yuchan smiled.

She pointed to the distance. "Inside the Ice King City, they're fighting over who should become the new king. Senior Brother Qi, one of your puppets is nearly dead!"

"Oh? We must hurry there!"

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin and Ning Yuchan suppressed the fighting in the Ice King City; with their help, the three puppets temporarily seized control.

But controlling the entire Water Spirit Clan was impossible.

Four Sixth-Rank spirits still remained elsewhere.

Yet Xu Jin had no urgency to kill them.

In a few days, these people will come to us themselves, running straight to Hanzhou City to be killed by him.

What Xu Jin was now particularly curious about was the "alliance" that Ji Hongli had heard of.

An alliance of alien races!

What kind of alliance?

If there's an alliance, there must be an alliance leader?

Who is the alliance leader?

Xu Jin asked three puppets, but none of them knew.

They didn't know, but they brought Xu Jin the Grand Manager of Hanzhou City.

An old man with low cultivation, yet deeply trusted by the Ice King.

When they found him, he was cursing loudly.

Xu Jin merely snapped his fingers, and the Grand Manager fell into a deep sleep.

In the dream, whatever Xu Jin asked, he would confess!

Almost everything Xu Jin wanted to know, the Grand Manager knew.

Mostly because the Ice King trusted this Grand Manager utterly.

Many trivial matters were handled by this Grand Manager.

The alliance matter was first received by this Grand Manager.

Seven days ago, the Eagle King sent an envoy, who carried the Eagle King's token and a letter, requesting the Ice King to attend an alliance meeting.

The Ice King naturally refused.

Come on—before this, he and the Eagle King had fought to the death over control of the celestial and terrestrial star wills, vying to become the true king of the Spring Thunder Star Region.

Including why the Wood Spirit King had defected to the Ice King.

The Wood Spirit King had been utterly defeated by the Eagle King, lost his own city, and had no choice but to flee to the Ice King, fully joining his ranks to save his life.

And the Ice King needed the Wood Spirit King to stand with him against the Eagle King—or even plot against him—so he took him in and temporarily made no move against him.

The so-called alliance? The Ice King would never go!

What if it was a trap set by the Eagle King?

But when the Eagle King's envoy produced another Sacred Clan token, the Ice King's attitude changed instantly—he decided on the spot to attend the alliance.

The alliance was scheduled in three days; the original plan was to first go to the Thunder Spirit King's domain, meet up with him, then proceed to the alliance.

Although the Eagle King's envoy had produced a Sacred Clan token, the Ice King still feared the Eagle King's tricks, so he wanted to rendezvous with the Thunder Spirit King and secretly bring the Wood Spirit King along.

Then, with three kings together, even if the Eagle King tried anything, he wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Moreover, the Ice King had other plans.

If the so-called Sacred Clan token was fake, he and the Wood Spirit King could even join forces for a major strike.

All of this had been planned by the Grand Manager and the Ice King together.

The Grand Manager was somewhat like the Ice King's strategist.

The Ice King entrusted him with many secrets, including the secret vault!

Xu Jin first cleared out the royal treasury of Hanzhou City; in Ji Hongli's shocked cry, tens of thousands of fourth-rank Star Jade Tablets were swept away by Xu Jin and sent into the Can Dou Platform, transformed into thousands of strands of starlight.

There were over a thousand fifth-rank Star Jade Tablets; Xu Jin decided to give Ji Hongli half of them outright.

Then, Xu Jin found the Ice King's private vault.

Indeed, the most precious treasures were hidden in these kings' private vaults.

There were two thousand fifth-rank water-attribute Star Jade Tablets, twenty-one sixth-rank ones, one thousand fifth-rank wood-attribute Star Jade Tablets, and only four sixth-rank ones.

Xu Jin took none of it lightly—he seized most of it, giving Ji Hongli less than a third.

As for the rest, Ji Hongli could take whatever she liked.

Xu Jin himself carried nothing.

No choice—the space within his pocket dimension was limited.

When they reached the deepest part of the secret vault, Xu Jin and Ji Hongli's gazes fell simultaneously on three purple jade vials sealed with heavy restrictions.

Each opened one vial, glanced inside, and both exclaimed at once.

"Bi Shui Ling Sui!"

This was the ultimate cultivation treasure for water-attribute cultivators, and a vital base material for water-attribute spiritual treasures.

This was an excellent item—on par with the Earth Dragon Fungus and Red Sparrow Feathers Xu Jin was seeking.

It might be useful someday; even if not, it could be traded for other treasures.

"Brother, these three vials of Bi Shui Ling Sui are already an enormous quantity. I think there might be a place within the Water Spirit Clan where they collect Bi Shui Ling Sui."

"Otherwise, where would they get so much of it?" said Ji Hongli.

Xu Jin was suddenly startled—he had been distracted by the alliance and the Sacred Clan token; if Ji Hongli hadn't reminded him, he would have forgotten this entirely!

But that was easy to fix.

Xu Jin immediately summoned three puppets.

But when he asked them, none of them knew anything about Bi Shui Ling Sui, let alone where it came from.

They knew nothing at all.

Fortunately, the Grand Manager was still alive.

Xu Jin used Dream Interrogation again.

He quickly got the answer.

It was real!

And within the entire Ice Clan, only the Ice King and this Grand Manager knew about it.

The Grand Manager had discovered it by accident while inspecting the mines.

But Xu Jin did not rush to the newly discovered Bi Shui Ling Sui collection site—it was a death trap, and it wouldn't run away.

The current issue was the alliance!

If the Ice King received an invitation, then the Thunder Spirit King must have received one too.

If the Thunder Spirit King and the Eagle King joined forces, the difficulty for Xu Jin to kill them and obtain the Thunder-attribute celestial and terrestrial star wills would multiply several times over.

The risk was extremely high.

Thunder-attribute cultivators were already hard to deal with; kings among Thunder-attribute aliens were even harder.

If the two joined forces, it would be exponentially more difficult!

So Xu Jin decided to go to Thunder Spirit City first.

See if he could eliminate the Thunder Spirit King, then continue investigating the alliance!

At that point, no matter what happened with the alliance, with only the Eagle King left, Xu Jin still had confidence to handle him.

Especially now that he controlled three-tenths of the celestial wills.

Not long after giving instructions, Xu Jin and Ji Hongli swiftly flew toward Thunder Spirit City, moving at incredible speed!

(End of Chapter)