novelraw Chapter 250 : 《Divine Severance Technique
Chapter 250 : 《Divine Severance Technique
Chapter 250: 《Divine Severance Technique》
“Hm? What treasure is so good—and it’s a set?”
Ji Yuan naturally assumed it would be something like a set of Spiritual Artifacts. A matching set of Spiritual Artifacts... like that set of Child-Mother Blades Jiang Hong had back then—they were extremely powerful.
But after going through the storage pouch once more, he still didn’t find any kind of matching Spiritual Artifacts.
“It should’ve been packed inside a box. There were also two crisscrossing talisman papers stuck on it.”
Ye Zhiqiu recalled as she spoke.
“A box… this one?”
Ji Yuan searched around and, sure enough, found a box buried under a pile of miscellaneous items in a corner of the storage pouch.
“Yes, that’s the one!”
Ji Yuan raised his hand and opened it.
Inside were… a stone seemingly stained with blood, a piece of brownish wood emitting a strange fragrance, and a Treasure Pearl glowing with a gentle white light.
The three items were neatly arranged in the box. At first glance, it was obvious they were not ordinary objects.
“What are these?”
Ji Yuan first used the Object Manipulation Technique to retrieve the stone. With just a moment of sensing, he confirmed—it was a Dragon Blood Stone!
One of the materials required to upgrade the Fish Pond.
Unfortunately, there was only one piece.
Upgrading the Fish Pond required three Dragon Blood Stones.
Even setting aside the other two items, this Dragon Blood Stone alone was already a treasure.
It was an immortal material formed by the mutation of stone contaminated with the blood of a Fourth-Tier Flood Dragon-type Demon Beast. Even among Tier-Three immortal materials, it was an extremely rare kind.
Whether used in weapon refinement or cultivation techniques, it was a priceless treasure.
“You said this is a set of treasures. What are they meant for?”
Ji Yuan tossed the Dragon Blood Stone back into the box and asked.
Ye Zhiqiu gave Ji Yuan a puzzled look, then said, “Young Master Li, you really don’t know about that Third-Tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon?”
“No idea. Damn it, if I had known, I wouldn’t have charged in like that…”
Ji Yuan replied rather speechlessly.
If not for that Third-Tier Flood Dragon appearing to have just been injured, weakened in strength and slow in speed… Ji Yuan might have had to use the Sky-Escape Shuttle to flee.
Only then did Ye Zhiqiu explain: “That Third-Tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon had just laid eggs recently and was slightly weak. That’s why quite a few cultivators near Southern Sea City had their eyes on it.”
“There were even a number of Core Formation Cultivators among them.”
Ji Yuan glanced at the three items in the box. “Crippled Taoist Mourner was one of them?”
“Exactly.”
“But that old thief knew he wasn’t strong enough to go after the Flood Dragon itself, so he set his sights on the Flood Dragon Egg instead.”
Ye Zhiqiu pointed at the three items and explained, “Dragon Musk is used to lure the Thunderstorm Flood Dragon away to a designated spot. Then, this Venomous Flood Dragon Pearl detonates and releases poisonous gas that can knock the dragon unconscious.”
“The last one, the Dragon Blood Stone, has been modified to contain a Third-Tier trapping spell. Even if the Flood Dragon awakens prematurely, the trap would hold it for a while.”
“This Crippled Taoist Mourner really came prepared.”
Ji Yuan examined the box as he commented.
Ye Zhiqiu nodded.
“To gather these three items, he spent quite a few Spirit Stones and owed a lot of favors. Our real objective this time was actually to try and snatch the Flood Dragon Egg.”
“Someone already tried and confirmed that there are two Flood Dragon Eggs.”
“The old thief’s plan was to raise one himself and sell the other.”
“That would earn him several thousand Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.”
“Quite the cunning plan.”
Ji Yuan chuckled and waved a hand, storing the box back into his storage pouch.
“Young Master Li, you could try it yourself,” Ye Zhiqiu said after a moment of contemplation. “I heard the old thief calculate several times—these are all Tier-Three immortal materials. That Dragon Musk is sure to lure the Flood Dragon away. The Venomous Flood Dragon Pearl and Dragon Blood Stone will definitely work too.”
“Even if the plan fails, you’ll still be able to retreat safely. Plus… plus, you could even call on a senior from your clan for help.”
Ye Zhiqiu figured that even if Ji Yuan came from a Nascent Soul Noble Family, a Third-Tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon was enough to stir their desire.
“Heh.”
Ji Yuan just smiled faintly and gave no direct reply.
Was the Thunderstorm Flood Dragon Egg valuable?
Indeed, it was.
Once hatched, it would be a young Third-Tier Flood Dragon. If successfully contracted and raised, it would become a full-grown Third-Tier Flood Dragon.
Unfortunately… Ji Yuan already had two such Third-Tier Flood Dragon juveniles.
More than enough—he could hardly manage them as is.
Another one would likely have to be sold off.
So was there any need to risk his life for a few thousand Middle-Grade Spirit Stones?
Absolutely not.
Ji Yuan already had tens of thousands of Middle-Grade Spirit Stones in his storage pouch. Even if he didn’t, there was no way he would risk his life challenging a Third-Tier Flood Dragon.
That would be far too dangerous!
So after hearing Ye Zhiqiu's explanation, Ji Yuan had already made up his mind.
Once he left Ice-Fire Island and returned to Southern Sea City, he would take this specially-prepared set of Flood Dragon-targeting treasures to the auction house… and sell them!
The next auction was scheduled for a year later—plenty of time.
Since it was all about earning Spirit Stones anyway, rather than risking life and limb for an egg to sell, why not just sell the setup and let someone else take the risk?
“How much did he spend to prepare all this?”
Ji Yuan asked.
Ye Zhiqiu recalled for a moment before answering, “All in all, I estimate over three thousand Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. The materials alone were costly, and he also hired a Core Formation Cultivator to inscribe the spell on the Dragon Blood Stone.”
…Over three thousand. If I sell it for a bit over four thousand at the auction house, that’s not unreasonable, right?
Ji Yuan nodded, then seemed to think of something and casually asked:
“Dragon Blood Stones are quite rare. Do you know where he got his?”
“Dragon Blood Stone… I heard he got it by trading with Real Person Many-Eyes from Tianmu Mountain. That guy found a batch of Dragon Blood Stones during an overseas expedition years ago.”
Tianmu Mountain… Ji Yuan recalled the map and pinpointed the mountain’s location.
It was northeast of Southern Sea City, not far from Thunder Marsh. Since he was planning to visit Thunder Marsh anyway, he might as well take a short detour and see if he could strike a deal with Real Person Many-Eyes.
After mentally noting this, Ji Yuan stored both storage pouches away.
As of now, he didn’t know when Ice-Fire Elder would send him to Strange Pond to temper his Flying Sword, but it likely wouldn’t be long.
So these next two to three days could only be spent on cultivation.
Just then, Ji Yuan seemed to remember something and turned around to look at Ye Zhiqiu.
“Y-Young Master Li, what is it?”
Ye Zhiqiu instinctively took half a step back.
The cultivator before her, who appeared to be at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, was far beyond her in both means and background… Ye Zhiqiu even had a fleeting thought—
If she could follow him and serve as a maid, that wouldn’t be bad.
Li Changshou had a decent temperament, no odd preferences, and didn’t seem the type to demand bed service.
Most importantly, becoming his maid would be no different from joining a Nascent Soul Noble Family.
Though technically an illegitimate child, the fact that the Li Family Patriarch gave him a Core Formation Corpse Servant meant he was deeply favored.
From any angle, it was worth pledging loyalty as a rogue cultivator.
So… was he staring at her now, expecting her to swear allegiance?
Just as Ye Zhiqiu was about to kneel in pledge, Ji Yuan asked instead:
“How did you survive that Divine Soul killing move?”
…Oh, it’s about that. I thought it was something else.
Ye Zhiqiu felt a little disappointed but didn’t hesitate. With a flip of her right hand, she revealed a scroll of sheepskin parchment and transmitted her voice to explain:
“This is the secret technique I obtained.”
“Secret technique?” Ji Yuan glanced at the sheepskin scroll, then looked up at Ye Zhiqiu and also spoke through voice transmission: “Explain in detail. I noticed your cultivation level dropped by a minor realm after using it.”
“Mm.”
“That’s the price of using this secret technique. Like just now—after I used it, Crippled Taoist Mourner failed to kill me. Dropping one minor realm was the cost.”
“Just that?”
Ji Yuan was skeptical.
If that were really all, then this secret technique would be ridiculously powerful.
A situation that should have led to certain death, and the only price was a drop of one minor realm? Impossible. Even dropping one major realm might be more reasonable.
“No, it also damages the Divine Soul, making future breakthroughs to higher realms nearly impossible.”
At this, Ye Zhiqiu’s complexion, which had improved slightly, turned pale once again.
To her, there might once have been the faintest chance of glimpsing the mysteries of the Core Formation Stage—but now… even that last small window had been closed.
“Just as I thought—there's no such thing as a free lunch.”
Ji Yuan also sighed, but in truth… Divine Soul damage?
That might be an unsolvable problem for others, but not for Ji Yuan. With access to the Meditation Room and the Nine Chambers Soul-Suppressing Scripture, he could gradually nurture a damaged Divine Soul back to health.
In fact, Ji Yuan’s Divine Soul was already far stronger than other cultivators at his level.
The kind of Divine Soul damage Ye Zhiqiu suffered this time, if placed on Ji Yuan… would hardly count as anything. At most, it would only trim the excess, which he could then regrow through nurturing.
In other words, a technique that carried significant side effects for others was practically side-effect-free for Ji Yuan.
“Then, would you like to learn it, Young Master? After I finished learning this secret technique, it could only be passed down twice more. If you inherit it, only one chance will remain.”
Unconsciously, Ye Zhiqiu’s address had shifted from “Young Master Li” to just “Young Master.”
“I’ll learn it. It’s a good thing, after all—and when roaming the world, having more skills never hurts.”
Ji Yuan didn’t show much enthusiasm outwardly.
“Young Master, first infuse it with spiritual energy, then use your Divine Sense to probe within. That’s how you learn it.”
Ye Zhiqiu offered the sheepskin scroll with both hands.
Ji Yuan followed her instructions. Soon, a stream of unfamiliar memories poured from the scroll into his mind… the secret technique: Divine Severance Technique.
‘Fitting name—sever the soul to seek survival.’
After a brief pause, Ji Yuan finished digesting the memory.
The technique was indeed of the Divine Soul type, but unlike the Nine Chambers Soul-Suppressing Scripture, which nurtured the soul, this one severed it.
Ji Yuan then tried to comprehend a little—but found he couldn’t grasp anything at all.
Let alone mastering it—he figured that even getting started would require using the Enlightenment Room.
“That’s enough. You can keep it now.”
Ji Yuan handed the sheepskin scroll back, then after a moment of thought, said, “I’ve accepted your Spirit Stones and now learned this secret technique. Consider the debt for saving your life settled. You need not dwell on it further.”
“But Young Master…”
Before Ye Zhiqiu could finish, Ji Yuan interrupted: “Saving you was just a passing act. The favor isn’t so deep to begin with. Now it’s repaid, and that’s enough.”
Cause and effect must be severed when the time is right.
When Ye Zhiqiu changed her address from “Young Master Li” to “Young Master,” Ji Yuan had already understood her intent.
His identity as someone from a Nascent Soul Noble Family was a facade. And even if it wasn’t… he wouldn’t bring Ye Zhiqiu along on his journey.
Everyone was a person of dignity. Ji Yuan had already made his stance clear.
Naturally, Ye Zhiqiu also understood what Ji Yuan meant. She sighed inwardly and could only reply softly, “Alright.”
“Mm. For the next few days, stay by my side. Once we leave this place, we’ll see what happens then.”
After speaking, Ji Yuan thought it might’ve sounded a bit too heartless. So he took out a Golden Messaging Talisman and handed it to Ye Zhiqiu.
“If we meet again in the future, you can send me a message. After facing life and death together twice, we’re at least fellow Daoists.”
“Alright. Many thanks, Young Master Li.”
Ye Zhiqiu accepted the Messaging Talisman with both hands and respectfully cupped her hands in salute.
Ji Yuan gave a simple “Mm” and said no more.
In the next two days, Ji Yuan remained seated in the room, studying the Sword Manual. Since he was on Ice-Fire Elder’s territory, and had Ye Zhiqiu nearby, he didn’t dare to activate any Building Effects.
After two days, feeling that his essence and spirit were full, he was ready to condense the Flying Sword Embryo.
But Ice-Fire Elder had yet to summon him. In fact, the elder wasn’t even at the straw-hut courtyard. No one knew where he had gone.
…Could something have gone wrong here?
Surely I’m not that unlucky.
Ji Yuan was beginning to lose patience. He decided that if Ice-Fire Elder still didn’t appear by tomorrow morning, he would go searching for him!
Just as he waited for about another hour, when dusk was falling, a hearty voice suddenly called from outside the door: “Worthy Nephew, Worthy Nephew!”
“Hm?”
Ji Yuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He and Ye Zhiqiu instinctively exchanged a glance.
They both saw the same astonishment in each other’s eyes.
Because that voice—it was unmistakably Ice-Fire Elder, who had vanished without a trace.
Moreover, there seemed to be a group of footsteps coming from outside—more than just Ice-Fire Elder had arrived.
Still, Ji Yuan pulled open the door—and was stunned by what he saw.
Before him stood a man identical in appearance to Ice-Fire Elder: middle-aged with white at his temples.
But unlike the slouching, eccentric Ice-Fire Elder, this man was dressed in a fiery red Five-Clawed Dragon Robe, adorned with a golden imperial crown set with jade and pearls. He stood perfectly straight, without the slightest hunch.
Behind him were ten maidservants, each holding a lantern or a bouquet of flowers, trailing behind him like court attendants.
Ji Yuan was dumbfounded.
So was Ye Zhiqiu behind him.
Fortunately, Ji Yuan quickly regained composure, stepped out of the doorway, and cupped his hands in salute.
“Junior Li Changshou… greets the Senior.”
At the same time, he was pondering internally—was this man actually Ice-Fire Elder, or a twin brother?
They looked exactly alike, but their conduct was utterly different.
They didn’t seem to be the same person.
Perhaps sensing Ji Yuan’s confusion, the man in the Dragon Robe openly clarified: “No need to wonder—it is indeed me.”
“Come with me, Worthy Nephew.”
After speaking, Ice-Fire Elder waved his sleeve and turned to leave through the courtyard gate.
The maids followed closely behind, swaying as they moved.
Ji Yuan hesitated briefly, then turned to instruct Ye Zhiqiu: “Wait here. I’ll go with the Senior to take a look.”
“Yes.”
Ye Zhiqiu bowed and stayed put.
Ji Yuan left the courtyard and quickly caught up with Ice-Fire Elder. The group then proceeded grandly toward the Palace Complex in the valley.
After some time.
Ji Yuan arrived at the entrance to the palace and was surprised to find that there were even guards!
These were female cultivators clad in armor. The leading one looked like a general and had the cultivation of a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. When she saw Ice-Fire Elder approaching, she knelt on one knee with the rest of the guards and called out:
“Greetings, Your Majesty!”
“Rise.”
Ice-Fire Elder waved casually and then led the dumbfounded Ji Yuan through the palace gates—into the imperial palace itself.
As Ji Yuan looked around, he couldn’t help but wonder... So this Ice-Fire Elder had been hiding in the mountains playing some kind of grand imperial roleplay?
And in this enormous palace, he was the only man—everyone else was a woman...
Could his body even handle that?
As for whether Ice-Fire Elder could be an emperor, Ji Yuan never doubted it. A late-stage Core Formation Cultivator could easily carve out an empire for himself, not just here on Ice-Fire Island, but even back on Cangluo Continent.
After wandering through the palace with the elder for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they finally arrived at a grand hall.
Ice-Fire Elder naturally took his seat upon the Dragon Throne, then waved a sleeve.
“Attend him—a seat!”
Soon, two beautiful maids emerged from behind a screen, carrying a chair which they placed behind Ji Yuan for him to sit.
Ji Yuan sat—but felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
This setting, this experience—it was all just too bizarre.
If not for his trust in the Li Family, Ji Yuan might’ve already fled. No way would he have dared to wait this long.
“I know, Worthy Nephew, you must have many questions in your heart. Very well, let me explain a few things to you.”
Seated on the throne, Ice-Fire Elder sighed first, then said, “Before I began my cultivation and stepped onto the Dao, I was a king in the mortal world.”