novelraw Chapter 245
Chapter 245
Long Yiran was truly generous.
A short while later.
Seeing that Wang Yu was still immersed in the contents of the Earth Mother Scripture, Long Yiran reminded him softly.
“Brother Wang, you can study it slowly when there’s time. The Earth Mother Scripture is not something that can be mastered in a short period. Some cultivators spend their entire lives studying it and still fail to grasp its essence.”
Wang Yu nodded. “True enough. But how much have you comprehended from it, Master Long?”
“A little insight,” she replied modestly.
Her foundation was solid, and with the inheritance completed, she had spent over a year meditating and comprehending in silence. In truth, she was pushing the upper limits of her own abilities.
Next, the two began dividing the spiritual herbs.
The most important were the third-rank spirit items. Among them, one or two were helpful for Long Yiran’s Core Formation, as her inheritance seemed to contain a matching supreme-grade Core Formation Pill formula.
After a friendly discussion, they divided everything according to their needs.Each obtained six plants. Wang Yu received a few third-rank poisonous herbs, most of which could be used in alchemy. Among them, one was an ingredient for the Exquisite Inner Pill, known as the Impure Qi Root.
From its name alone, one could tell that it was a counterpart to the Golden Qi Root. However, its main property was impurity, making it even more toxic to divine sense than most poisons.
If an ordinary cultivator were to consume it by mistake, their meridians would clog, their body would be defiled, and their soul would weaken. Their potential and aptitude would suffer greatly.
This thing was one of the three main Qi Roots required for refining the Exquisite Inner Pill. Even Wang Yu could not completely understand the pharmacology behind such a pill formula.
Aside from that, the remaining five were common in quality. Because they were poisonous, their price would be slightly higher if sold to the right buyer. If sold to merchant guilds such as Heaven Treasure Pavilion or Golden Abundance Tower, each might fetch around two hundred thousand spirit stones at best—not worth much.
After clearing out the underground medicine garden, Wang Yu brought up the matter of the Ancient Heavenly Soul Sect ruins, sharing the clues he had gathered.
The mention of the inverted “mountain” shaped landmark made Long Yiran thoughtful. She said, “Brother Wang, this is indeed a formation, one derived from the Earth Formation but transformed into a Human Formation known as the Nether Tiger Prison-Sealing Formation.”
Wang Yu frowned. “What does that mean?”
She explained, “In geomantic arts, ‘mountain’ often symbolizes suppression and sealing. An inverted mountain means suppression while simultaneously locking everything within the formation.
“It’s like a wedge pinning one end of an iron chain, fixing it deep into the earth, forming an inescapable prison.”
Wang Yu suddenly understood. “Then what does the ‘Nether Tiger’ refer to?”
“The tiger is the lord of the mountain. When the mountain is inverted, it becomes the Nether Tiger. The Ancient Heavenly Soul Sect cultivated the Soul Path, so this formation was likely used to seal the vengeful and fierce spirits they captured.”
The so-called Soul Path was the cultivation of divine soul and spiritual sense.
Though soul and spiritual sense are inseparable, they are distinct. The latter functions like the limbs of the former—by tempering it, one strengthens both power and resilience.
They share glory and loss. Strengthening either side leads to the growth of the other.
During the height of the ancient demonic path, the Heavenly Soul Sect, based in the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain, was one of its branches. They absorbed the power of wandering souls and fierce spirits to strengthen themselves—a common practice in demonic cultivation.
However, such acts easily tainted one’s own soul, making it difficult to condense a Nascent Soul in the future.
Wang Yu understood the intricacy of it.
The Ancient Soul Art was precisely a method to counter this problem. By cultivating an Ancient Soul, one could block out all impurities, chaotic wills, and lingering memories from invading.
Whoever created this art was indeed a genius.
After this realization, Wang Yu moved to the key question.
“How do we find it?”
“Don’t worry, Brother Wang. Since the formation is so distinct, we only need to locate the Yin veins. Let’s head out first—you’ll understand soon.”
“Alright.”
After performing the Purple Dragon Earth-Escape Technique, Wang Yu moved underground without obstruction. Traveling beneath the surface was easy for him.
Long Yiran, true to her status as a earth formation master, used a triangular flag. With a gentle wave, the earth and stones automatically parted before her.
Once she passed through, the soil restored itself perfectly, leaving no trace of her presence—not even a hint of true essence remained. The Earth-Escape Technique could not achieve such precision.
“Amazing,” Wang Yu exclaimed, drawing a faint smile from her.
“This is the Earth Mother’s Breath Soil Flag. It will one day become my life-bound spiritual artifact. Unfortunately, my cultivation is insufficient, and I lack a rare spiritual material, so it remains incomplete for now.”
Her frankness and openness only made Wang Yu respect her more. She was like a piece of gold shining in plain sight—something everyone admired.
Especially since she possessed strengths he could not match, his appreciation grew even more.
They soon returned to the surface.
As expected, they were no longer at the White Serpent Lowlands. Instead, they found themselves within a dense forest.
After climbing to the highest nearby elevation and ascending a tall tree to survey the landscape, they confirmed that they had drifted about three hundred li north of their original position.
At that moment, golden rings appeared in Long Yiran’s eyes—the manifestation of the secret art Golden Vision of Qi Observation. This technique allowed her to see through the earth and perceive the flow of ground energy.
In the geomantic arts, earth qi was a crucial element.
Areas rich in earth qi often indicated the existence of an earth vein. By following its flow to the source, one could often discover a naturally formed formation.
Similarly, spirit veins, five-element veins, and dragon veins—all derived from earth veins—could be tracked through the Golden Vision of Qi Observation. Within the lineage of Earth Masters, this was considered a top-tier secret art.
Its only flaw was that its range was limited.
“The Nether Tiger Prison-Sealing Formation is an artificially reversed Yin array. It is very likely filled with Yin meridians and naturally gathers ghostly entities.
“Inside the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest, there is a place called Yin Ghost Mountain. Why don’t we go there and take a look first?”
“Alright.”
Wang Yu nodded naturally.
He had been searching aimlessly like a headless fly, and the suspected White Serpent Marsh was not the true location.
The spiritual sense poison surrounding the wind belts could have been set up by the master of the Serpent Mansion, or it might just be a coincidence. Following a professional increased the chance of finding the truth greatly.
However, he still had his doubts.
“Yin Ghost Mountain is quite a famous exploration site within the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest. Hasn’t any skilled geomancer examined it before?”
Upon hearing this, Long Yiran smiled with confidence.
“The Earth Mother Scripture is not some simple art of geomancy. What I can perceive, other geomancers may not be able to. Even the top-tier Qi Observation Secret Technique is not something ordinary people possess.
“Moreover, the Dragon Confining Meridian Stabilization Chapter is the true essence of the Earth Mother Scripture, Brother Wang—”
“Hmm?”
Long Yiran, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly grew serious and said, “The first three chapters of the Earth Mother Scripture are still within reason. But the secret method in the fourth section—unless absolutely necessary, never use it.”
“Why?”
“It harms the balance of heaven and earth and easily draws Heavenly Retribution.”
The term Heavenly Retribution first appeared among ancient cultivators who despised demonic cultivators for slaughtering living beings. But in truth, whether one massacred their own kind or killed spirit beasts, it would not draw Heavenly Retribution.
Only actions that damage the fundamental balance of heaven and earth would truly provoke it.
At that time, the tribulation lightning would transform into the Blood Lightning of Retribution. Its power would be dozens of times greater than ordinary lightning, certain death upon contact, and there has never been a single recorded survivor.
If one has not yet reached the time to undergo a tribulation and continues to live as normal, the Heavenly Retribution will continue to accumulate power over time. When it reaches a critical threshold, a great calamity will descend.
Earthquakes, mountain collapses, or even falling meteors. One could be struck by lightning simply upon stepping outside.
If one still does not die, and the Heavenly Retribution accumulates to its limit, misfortune will reach its peak. Natural and man-made disasters will strike one after another. Even drinking water could result in choking to death.
Wang Yu knew these details well because he had once read about them in the Scripture Hall. At the time, he had taken it as mere amusement and never thought much of it.
After all, to incur Heavenly Retribution, one must have the ability to harm the heavens first.
He never imagined that even at the Foundation Establishment stage, there could exist such a self-destructive method that invites disaster.
To harm the foundation of heaven and earth is no simple matter.
On a large scale, even annihilating all life within two regions or sinking continents would not necessarily provoke it.
On a small scale, however, destroying the dragon veins that nourish the land would indeed summon Heavenly Retribution.
A clever person might ask, if the continents themselves are destroyed, would the dragon veins not be destroyed as well?
Actually, no.
Whether it be earth meridians, dragon veins, five-element veins, or Yin meridians, they are all forms of the vital energy of heaven and earth. They have shape but no substance, and it is extremely difficult for cultivators to truly destroy them.
At most, one can use secret arts to bind or forcibly shift their positions. Among all these meridians, only the destruction of dragon veins truly invites Heavenly Retribution. The others are inconsequential.
From this, one can see the unique nature of dragon veins.
A fully matured dragon vein is a treasure of the world. It may not even exist within this realm. Lesser ones, however, are numerous. Both the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect and the Heavenly Void Sword Sect have captured dragon veins to strengthen their sect’s fortune.
According to the Earth Mother Scripture, the largest dragon vein in this realm is a fifth-rank one, far from being complete, located within the Sea Dragon Abyss of the Chaotic Ancient Sea, a place where few cultivators can enter.
These strange tales greatly broadened his horizons.
As the two journeyed toward Yin Ghost Mountain, they conversed along the way. Occasionally, Wang Yu asked about the customs of the Taihu Spiritual Domain, since before the age of sixteen, he had lived entirely as a mortal.
His world had been limited to Stone Lake City, and he knew little about Taihu, let alone its cultivation world.
Knowing he had revealed his background, Long Yiran no longer held back. Whatever Wang Yu asked, she answered.
The situation there, though not without its share of scheming and corruption, was overall prosperous. Long Yiran could easily name more than ten famous cultivators known throughout the world.
Wang Yu, however, knew only the names of Nascent Soul cultivators. As for talented geniuses, he was unaware of any. The mortality rate was simply too high. The Crimson Kite only spread tales of the strong.
Those who died would be forgotten within a few years, as if they had never existed—cruel but real.
“Brother Wang, you don’t seem like a native of the Crimson Kite Domain. Why not cultivate in Taihu instead? Though its rules are strict and resources hard to come by, it is still far safer than the Crimson Kite.”
Wang Yu fell silent.
He had tried, but was chased back.
Back then, people said the Crimson Kite was said to be better for development, but ever since he attacked the slave-hunting squads, he had secretly considered staying in Taihu.
After all, the Idle Slot was far more useful than any secret art. That was his source of confidence.
“There is no point talking about it now. If Formation Master Long does not wish to die in the Crimson Kite, return as soon as the Heavenly Soul Sect affair is over.”
At those words, she too fell silent.
She knew Wang Yu was giving a kind reminder. But for a rogue cultivator, resources in Taihu were far too scarce. She was already over two hundred years old and had to break through to Core Formation soon.
Ahead, Yin Ghost Mountain appeared.