The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World

Chapter 215: Taotie Tree Seed

The more Chu Xuan scrutinized the seed, the dizzier he felt, an unmistakable sign that this was no ordinary object. He decided to err on the side of caution, carefully re-securing it within his storage.

Without knowing its true purpose, it was best not to tamper with it recklessly. Given that Zhang Xingshan, despite being a Nascent Soul elder of the Reincarnation Divine Church, had met such a dire fate, the seed might very well be related.

"It seems I need to investigate what this seed really is…" Chu Xuan mused, turning back to the extraterritorial battlefield.

...

At the heart of the perilous battlefield stood a black and white colossal tower— the Reincarnation Tower. This was the stronghold of the Reincarnation Divine Church in this war zone.

The tower stood aloof from all conflicts. Even the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, Majestic Sword Sect, Celestial Sound Zen Temple, and other such powers would not dare to encroach within a hundred miles of it. This was the suppressive power that a sixth-tier sect held over fifth-tier sects.

At that moment, on the highest floor of the Reincarnation Tower, two figures stood opposite each other. One was a tall, elderly man with white hair and beard, exuding a powerful and vigorous aura, clearly a formidable being of the Deity Transformation stage. The other, a slender, ice-cold, and beautiful woman, had reached the late stages of the Nascent Soul.

The elderly man had his eyes closed, his eyeballs moving rapidly under his lids. The woman waited beside him, her expression gradually turning impatient.

After a long while, the elder opened his eyes, looking significantly aged. The woman quickly asked, "Uncle Master Tiancang, have you divined the approximate location of the Taotie Tree Seed?"

True Master Tiancang gave a wry smile, "Just a moment ago, I sensed the aura of the wooden box being opened. Yet, when I sat down to divine its location, I found it to be impossibly far from the Reincarnation Tower, almost as if..."

The woman furrowed her brows, "As if what?"

True Master Tiancang sighed lightly, "As if it's in another world, which seems impossible."

The woman thought for a moment, "Zhang Xingshan stole the seed, and his only escape would have been to seek help from the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect. Please, Uncle Master, order the sealing of all teleportation arrays in this battlefield and dispatch trustworthy individuals to discreetly search for the seed. My master instructed that this matter must not be publicized. We must proceed with caution. We'll catch the traitor Zhang Xingshan sooner or later, like catching a turtle in a jar."

"Yes, I obey, Holy Maiden. Take care," True Master Tiancang nodded.

The woman then promptly departed.

As the woman departed, True Master Tiancang's face grew increasingly cold.

A young man entered from outside, chuckling, "This Leng Hanshuang, relying on her status as the Holy Maiden, doesn't even show the master respect. She even showed impatience while master was divining."

True Master Tiancang responded calmly, "Disrespecting elders will lead her to a great downfall someday. Let's not talk about her now. Ming Rui, choose trustworthy people to start both overt and covert investigations for the seed."

As he spoke, he cast a beam of spiritual light into Ming Rui's mind, imprinting the appearance of the seed.

Ming Rui nodded immediately, "I will follow your teachings closely."

"By the way, have we found any clues about Huikong?" True Master Tiancang suddenly asked.

Ming Rui shook his head, "Huikong seems to have vanished; it's been two years with no trace, and even the master's divination powers can't locate him. We can't find him if he doesn't want to be found…"

True Master Tiancang sighed lightly, "Enough, enough. Your senior brother brought this upon himself… alas."

As Ming Rui turned to leave, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what exactly is this seed that even the elders of our sect are alarmed and sent Leng Hanshuang here to ask you to consume your lifespan to divine?"

True Master Tiancang looked at him steadily, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Knowing too much isn't good for you."

Ming Rui instantly recoiled, "Yes, master, I was wrong to ask. I'll have my confidants search for the seed."

With that, he quickly left, lest he face further reprimand.

"Ming Rui… your cultivation is too lax. If this continues, I might have to harvest early."

True Master Tiancang watched his departing figure with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"What a pity. If only I had the complete tome of the Body Seizing Technique created by my junior brother, I wouldn't need to find a superior-grade spiritual body every century to extend my life, alas… where is that technique, after all?"

...

A few days later, Chu Xuan walked out of an auction in Heavenly Sword City and entered a teahouse. Sipping his tea, he shook his head repeatedly.

Nascent Soul spiritual items were indeed rare. To this day, Chu Xuan had only acquired three Soul Breaking Spikes.

If he was to break his Golden Core and advance to the Nascent Soul stage, his ultimate-grade thunder spiritual root might only increase his chances of success by ten percent. Relying solely on his spiritual root to attempt the Nascent Soul stage was almost like seeking death.

A ten percent chance of success was far from acceptable to Chu Xuan. That's why he needed to rely on Nascent Soul spiritual items. Soul Breaking Spikes were one option, but they weren't the best available.

In addition to the spikes, there were also items like the Core Transformation Gel and Gold Crumble Mud. Ideally, he should have several types of Nascent Soul spiritual items for a combined effect, which might increase his chances slightly.

If he only had three Soul Breaking Spikes, Chu Xuan estimated his chances at about sixty percent. That definitely wouldn't do.

With such assets as the Blood Mirror and Blue Star, and Soul Star as his back garden, if he followed the correct cultivation protocols, he should be able to ascend from one major realm to another.

Sixty percent was far from sufficient. Even ninety-nine percent wasn't enough. He would only choose to break his Golden Core and advance to the Nascent Soul stage if his chances were a full one hundred percent. Otherwise, if he were to capsize in the gutter, to whom could he possibly complain?

Chu Xuan wandered the auction house deliberately, hoping to purchase additional Nascent Soul spiritual items. After all, having slain the Nascent Soul cultivators Yun Zhongyu and Zhang Xingshan, his storage bag was quite flush with spiritual stones.

Yet, despite the abundance of spiritual stones, Nascent Soul spiritual items remained elusive. This was a significant predicament; rarely would anyone who acquired such items put them up for auction. They would either use them or save them for their descendants unless there was a dire need for something else, at which point they might consider selling.

"This really is a headache," Chu Xuan sighed deeply. If only he knew who possessed Nascent Soul spiritual items, he could handle the situation straightforwardly—storm their residence, claiming they had first stepped with their left foot, which violated his taboo, and then proceed with the usual methods. However, he did not even know who might possess such items.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, Chu Xuan noticed two cultivators from the Reincarnation Divine Church, one following the other, entering the residence of Shangguan Hao in the main thoroughfare of Heavenly Sword City.

"Hmm? Members of the Reincarnation Divine Church? What are they doing in Heavenly Sword City?"

Soon after, Shangguan Hao's trusted cultivators posted notices throughout the city. A reward was offered for the traitor Zhang Xingshan of the Reincarnation Divine Church!

Anyone who could provide a lead that was verified and confirmed by their specialists would receive a reward from the Reincarnation Divine Church. Rewards included three Nascent Soul spiritual items such as Soul Breaking Spikes, Core Transformation Gel, and Gold Crumble Mud. The bounty would be even greater for those who captured or killed the traitor, with the highest reward being three bottles of Deity Nurturing Elixir!