Chapter 299. Expanding Territories, Tianxu State

With their current strength, taking down a third-grade spirit vein was now a simple matter. Eldrin did not mobilize the Heavenly Python Treasure Ark, but instead borrowed Lyra's Azure Sun Treasure Ark.

This vessel was merely a small treasure boat, yet its speed far surpassed that of the Heavenly Python Treasure Ship. Moreover, having been integrated with a Void Gem (Spiritual Object), it could transport up to 300 people, making it a formidable weapon for elite cultivators in surprise assaults.

Eldrin piloted the Azure Sun Treasure Ship, carrying the old patriarch and over a dozen Purple Mansion cultivators. After battling across dozens of 10-1000-mile territories, they finally captured the 7 third-order spirit veins and 5 earth veins of Celestial Python Lake.

Although among these spirit veins, the Purple Mansion cultivators had either been slain by Eldrin (Person Name) or fled to the territories of the Demon Ape Mountain and Earth Lion Ridge upon hearing the news in advance, they were utterly incapable of resisting them.

There remained close to a 100 second-grade spirit veins, yet Eldrin did not personally intervene. These were rewards reserved for the Foundation Establishment clans—let them claim the veins themselves when the time came.

After driving out and slaughtering all the high-level demon clans within the Celestial Python Lake (Location), Eldrin (Person Name) led the group back to the Celestial Python Lake (Location).

Upon seeing Lyra (Person Name), they immediately convened a debriefing meeting.

At the assembly, Eldrin said with a smile, "After this battle, the great demons above the Purple Mansion realm in the Celestial Python Lake territory have either perished or fled. For dozens of thousands of miles around, not a single high-level demon beast remains."

"You've worked hard."

Lyra wore a smile, for after the high-level demonic beasts within the Celestial Python Lake (Location) territory had been slain, only those below the Foundation Establishment realm remained.

This breed of demonic beast possessed limited intelligence, but their numbers were nearly inexhaustible. Even if a dozen or so Foundation Establishment clans were relocated here, it would still take over a 100 years to eliminate the majority of them.

To make it like Chu Kingdom (Location), where mortals can live and multiply, would likely require several centuries of continuous cleansing.

However, in the coming decades or even the next 100 years, the territory of Celestial Python Lake (Location) will undoubtedly become a paradise for human rogue cultivators and Qi Refining/Foundation Establishment practitioners.

After all, without the protection of higher-level demon beasts, these low-level creatures would become coveted prizes in the eyes of rogue cultivators and major clans. In ordinary times, hunting demon beasts was never this effortless.

To return to our story, seeing the delight on everyone's faces, Lyra (Person Name) distributed a set of account ledgers among the group.

"This is the compensation for the fallen, military merits, and spoils of war for this campaign."

"Let's discuss the specifics of the distribution."

Hearing Lyra’s words, everyone turned their delighted gazes toward the ledger.

Eldrin took the ledger and glanced at it. Though he had anticipated it, his heart still raced the moment he laid eyes on the accounts.

This war marked a great victory unseen in the Chu Kingdom for hundreds of years. The kingdom's territory alone expanded by nearly 1-third, with achievements far surpassing any in the past.

The seized supplies were primarily divided into 3 categories: first, the flesh and blood artifacts wielded by the demonic beasts; second, the natural treasures of heaven and earth; and third, various fixed assets such as spiritual mountains and earth veins.

Among the floating treasures, there were a total of 5 fourth-order magic treasures, over 30 third-order magic treasures, as well as the remains and inner cores of 2 demon kings.

Among the fourth-tier magical treasures, Eldrin obtained a Black Flood Dragon immortal sword and a Daoxu Mian, both of which were lower-grade fourth-tier artifacts.

Lyra had also obtained 2 treasures: the Scarlet Scorpion Heart-Piercing Nail and the Crimson Flame Qi Golden Pearl. The final item was the Heavenly Heart Bracelet—a formation artifact from Celestial Python Lake.

Among these several Grade-4 magic treasures, Eldrin immediately exchanged for the Black Flood Dragon immortal sword and the Crimson Flame Qi golden pearl. The Crimson Flame Qi golden pearl could be integrated into the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, enhancing both the material composition and destructive power of this blade.

The remaining few items fell into Lyra's hands. Even if she didn't use these fourth-tier treasures herself, they could serve as formation tools or be exchanged with Golden Core cultivators for crucial resources.

Although this battle yielded 2 fourth-grade demon cores, the Tianxu Alliance no longer possessed the Celestial Heart Grass—the other key ingredient for the Golden Core Formation Pill (Spiritual Object). Valued at over 1,000,000 spirit stones, obtaining this herb would most likely require an equivalent fourth-grade treasure in exchange.

The others had also accumulated considerable military merit, yet it still fell short of what was needed to exchange for a fourth-tier magic treasure.

Though Xavier and Patriarch Fang, the 2 False Core Elders, had amassed considerable battle merits, it was still insufficient to exchange for a fourth-tier magical treasure. Most crucially, their true objective was the Golden Core Formation Pill (Spiritual Object), and they naturally dared not deplete their resources that were reserved for it.

There were over 30 third-tier magic treasures. Eldrin set aside 2 high-grade third-tier artifacts for the clan's cultivators to use in future tribulations, distributing the remainder among the numerous Purple Manor experts and a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators who had achieved remarkable military merits.

The remains of the Black Flood Dragon (Demon Beast) were also given to Lyra (Person Name), who intended to refine several Flesh-Blood Treasure Pills in her alchemical furnace, while the bones would be used to construct a second large-scale War Treasure Ship.

The construction of a large-scale war treasure ship demanded an immense investment. Even a lower-fourth-grade vessel required construction costs as high as several million spirit stones.

However, large-scale war treasure ships are paramount treasures for assaulting spirit mountains, exceptionally suited for large-scale troop deployments, and serve as the primary means for mortals to traverse kingdoms and migrate across continents. Naturally, the more, the better.

There was also a considerable amount of flesh and inner elixirs from the Zifu-level demonic beasts. Naturally, the flesh was divided among the major Zifu immortal clans, while there were a total of 15 inner elixirs.

These inner cores would be personally refined by Eldrin (Person Name). After distributing the compensation, they would be allocated for exchange among the major cultivation families of Chu Kingdom (Location).

After distributing the treasures and inner cores of the high-level demonic beasts, the group began discussing the allocation of the heavenly and earthly treasures.

This time, the group secured a fourth-grade spirit vein and a fourth-grade water vein, along with 7 third-grade spirit veins and earth veins.

Within these spiritual mountains and earth veins, they had seized as many as 17 5 Elements Treasure Crystals, over 30 various third-tier Heaven and Earth Treasures, and 20-some third-tier spirit herbs. Among them, there were also 6 Ren Water Treasure Crystals.

It was foreseeable that capturing Celestial Python Lake would greatly alleviate the scarcity of Ren Shui Bao Jing in the Chu Kingdom.

"Divide these treasures amongst yourselves as you see fit."

Eldrin had taken the most valuable Water Element Treasure Pearl, so he naturally felt it would be improper to claim any of these third-grade treasures as well.

However, the Chen Clan did not come away empty-handed. Among the 5 remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators from their clan who participated in the battle, they constituted 1-sixth of the Sky Ruins Alliance's total Foundation Establishment combatants. Moreover, they still possessed the Old Patriarch—a False Core-level combat asset.

Thus, the old clan leader made the decision to directly exchange for 4 Profound Water Crystals (Spiritual Object), along with several third-grade Heaven and Earth Treasures.

The remaining third-grade spirit herbs would be refined into high-grade elixirs by Eldrin and Lyra, allowing them to be exchanged through military merit.

As the others divided the celestial treasures, Lyra waved her hand and conjured a magical map spanning the 400,000-mile territory from Celestial Python Lake to Celestial Ruins Mountain.

Everyone gazed at the illusory map, unable to suppress their exhilaration.

The previous treasures were merely fleeting wealth; the Spirit Mountain and earth veins were the true foundations upon which the great clans built their eternal legacies.

Lyra observed the expressions of the crowd and smiled faintly. "Esteemed guests, since I have taken possession of this Celestial Python Lake (Location), I intend to rename it Tianxu Lake. Furthermore, this entire territory shall henceforth be known as Tianxu Prefecture."

"The Sky Ruin Lake has been claimed by me, and I shall grant the spirit mountains below the third rank in Sky Ruin Prefecture as rewards. The immortal clans under the Sky Ruin Alliance, as well as rogue cultivators at the Purple Mansion realm, may exchange for them based on their military merit rankings."

"As agreed, 70 percent of the second-order spirit mountain must be reserved for the Foundation Establishment clans and rogue cultivators."

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying with it the scent of blood and decay. A young man in tattered blue robes knelt amidst the snow, his breathing ragged. Crimson stained the pure white ground around him, a stark contrast to the pale complexion of his face. "Lin Ming (Person Name), hand over the Heavenly Crystal (Cultivation Resource), and I might grant you a swift death," a voice, cold and sharp as a blade, echoed from above. Lin Ming raised his head, his eyes burning with defiance despite his grievous injuries. Clutched tightly in his hand was a palm-sized crystal that pulsed with a faint, ethereal light – the very object of contention. "Dream on, Zhao Kun (Person Name)," Lin Ming spat out, each word laced with venom. "You betrayed the sect... for this?" Zhao Kun, standing 10 meters away on a higher rock, sneered. He flicked his wrist, and a longsword wreathed in dark energy materialized in his hand – the infamous Soul-Reaping Blade (Magic Treasure). "Sentimentality is the luxury of the weak. In the world of cultivation, only power is eternal." Suddenly, the Heavenly Crystal in Lin Ming's hand flared with intense brilliance. A surge of immense, ancient energy erupted, pouring into his nearly depleted meridians. The severe wounds on his body began to visibly heal at an astonishing rate. "What?!" Zhao Kun's pupils contracted sharply. "Impossible! How can you still refine it?!" A low roar escaped Lin Ming's throat as he forced himself to stand. The spiritual energy around him churned violently, condensing into swirling vortexes of light and shadow. The aura emanating from him skyrocketed, breaking through the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment realm in an instant and stepping into the early stage of the Golden Core realm! "Foundation Establishment... no, Golden Core! You actually broke through?!" Zhao Kun's face finally showed a trace of panic. He had schemed for years, ambushed his former junior brother, all for this Heavenly Crystal that could supposedly aid in forming the Golden Core. He never imagined Lin Ming would refine it under such circumstances and achieve a breakthrough. "Zhao Kun," Lin Ming's voice was now steady and carried an undeniable pressure. "The debt of today... I will repay it tenfold!" He raised his hand, and spiritual energy gathered at his fingertips, forming a searing white flame – the nascent form of the Golden Core True Fire. "Even if you've just reached the Golden Core realm, do you think you can match my mid-stage Golden Core strength?" Zhao Kun gritted his teeth, the dark energy on the Soul-Reaping Blade swelling, transforming into the phantom of a colossal, ferocious ghost that snarled at Lin Ming. The 2 auras collided in mid-air, causing the surrounding space to distort. Several nearby boulders, unable to withstand the pressure, exploded into clouds of dust. Just as the battle was about to erupt, a clear and resonant phoenix cry suddenly pierced the sky from the distant horizon. A streak of fiery red light, like a burning meteor, cut through the heavy clouds, rapidly approaching their location. Both men were momentarily stunned. That aura... was at least at the Nascent Soul stage! The fiery light descended, landing lightly between them. The flames receded, revealing a woman in fiery red robes. Her features were breathtakingly beautiful, yet carried an innate, icy authority. Her gaze swept indifferently over the 2, finally resting on the Heavenly Crystal in Lin Ming's hand, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes. "Heavenly Crystal... No wonder the spiritual energy here is so chaotic," the woman murmured softly, her voice crisp yet distant, like a celestial melody from beyond the mortal world. Lin Ming and Zhao Kun simultaneously felt an immense pressure. Under the gaze of this Nascent Soul stage expert, even breathing became difficult. "Senior," Lin Ming was the first to collect himself, cupping his fists in a salute, though he remained vigilant. "This junior was forced into a desperate situation and had no choice but to refine this treasure to preserve his life. I hope Senior will understand." The woman glanced at Lin Ming, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching the corner of her lips. "To break through to the Golden Core realm under such pressure... not bad." Her gaze then turned to Zhao Kun, instantly turning cold. "As for you... resorting to such despicable means against a fellow disciple, you have shamed the name of cultivator." Zhao Kun's face turned ashen, but he didn't dare to retort. The difference in their cultivation realms was like that between heaven and earth; any rash move would mean certain death. The woman in red raised her jade-like hand, and the Heavenly Crystal in Lin Ming's palm trembled slightly before flying into her hand. She examined it carefully, her expression growing increasingly solemn. "This is no ordinary Heavenly Crystal..." she whispered, her brows slightly furrowed. "There is a wisp of Immortal Emperor aura within it..." Immortal Emperor! These 2 words struck Lin Ming and Zhao Kun like a thunderbolt, leaving their minds reeling. The Immortal Emperor was a legendary existence, a supreme powerhouse who had attained the Dao and transcended the mortal world. How could a wisp of his aura be contained within this Heavenly Crystal? The woman in red fell silent for a moment, then flicked her sleeve. "Very well, since fate has brought us together, I shall take you 2 under my wing. From today onward, you shall be disciples of my Flaming Phoenix Sanctuary (Sect Name)." Without waiting for their response, a red cloud emerged from under her feet, enveloping Lin Ming, Zhao Kun, and herself. Then, with a flash, they vanished from the mountain pass, leaving behind only the bloodstains in the snow and the shattered boulders as evidence of the fierce battle that had just taken place. Far away, atop a towering mountain that pierced the clouds, the silhouette of a magnificent palace stood amidst the swirling mists. A deep, ancient voice echoed from within, as if it had traversed countless millennia: "The Heavenly Crystal has appeared... The chessboard of the world is about to change once more..."