Chapter 521 - 295: Secret of the Extreme South, Magical Treasure Refining
Chapter 521: Chapter 295: Secret of the Extreme South, Magical Treasure Refining
It seemed there was a hidden story here. A pair of curious eyes turned toward Bai Hengwan.
Sure enough, Bai Hengwan’s next words revealed a piece of long-forgotten history to Lin Changheng.
Though her account was brief, the previously vague "certain people" now had a specific name.
The Extreme South Palace!
Originally, a monstrous Demon Sect ruled the Song Territory, and the Extreme South Palace was merely one of its subordinate factions.
In a sense, it could even be called a branch sect. Moreover, the Helmsman of the Extreme South Palace at the time was the son of the Demon Sect’s Sect Leader, and was thus deeply trusted and highly valued.
The Extreme South Palace did indeed act on the Demon Sect’s behalf, committing many filthy deeds that even the Demon Sect itself found outrageous.
But later, when that Demon Sect suffered a great calamity and its strength was severely crippled, the first to backstab them at their moment of life and death was, shockingly, the Extreme South Palace that had come to their rescue.
The Demon Sect’s headquarters immediately collapsed, and the Demon Sect Leader was slain by his own son. The son then signed unequal treaties with the external enemies, bowing and scraping just to survive the calamity.
Afterward, the Extreme South Palace devoured all the Demon Sect’s resources in one fell swoop, gradually establishing a firm foothold and taking control of the Song Territory. Later, by virtue of simply "outliving" them, it even saw the demise of the external enemy Sects and began its long road to whitewashing its history. Now, it has ironically become a beacon of greatness and righteousness.
However, the Demon Sect’s lineage was not completely severed. From time to time, cultivators would still learn its ways through various twists of fate.
Therefore, to completely obliterate any possibility of the Demonic Dao’s revival, the Extreme South Palace demanded that all powers in the Song Territory "exterminate demons and defend the righteous path"!
Any remnants of the Demonic Dao were to be killed on sight—see one, kill one; see a pair, kill them both.
Aside from the Sects that sought favors from the Extreme South Palace, the others merely put on a show and went through the motions. After all, hunting Demon Cultivators was all effort and no reward. Who would willingly do that?
No one gets up early if there’s no profit to be made. This was true for the Bixiao Sect of the past, and it is true for the Floating Immortal City of today.
...
"So that’s the secret history behind it all..."
Lin Changheng had never heard this story, nor had he ever imagined this was how the Extreme South Palace had risen to power.
He further guessed that the reason the Extreme South Palace had whitewashed its past and embraced the Righteous Dao was to prevent others from following the same path it had taken.
It was fine for them to do certain things, but they would never allow anyone else to do the same.
In fact, they would guard against it with their lives!
"So, from the perspective of the Immortal City’s leadership, contact with the Demonic Dao isn’t a major issue, unless it’s publicized to force our hand with public pressure. But doing so would damage the Immortal City’s reputation and harm its future interests. That is absolutely out of the question."
Bai Hengwan understood clearly in her heart. ’This can’t be done. Internal conflicts must be contained and not be allowed to spill outside.’
’Otherwise, if my Master labels me as someone who only seeks her own advancement while disregarding the Immortal City’s interests, her impression of me would be ruined completely.’
"You’re not wrong. But since they dared to make a move against me and plant a pawn right beside you, Fellow Daoist Bai, then we can naturally retaliate! An eye for an eye!"
Lin Changheng’s brow was slightly furrowed, and he seemed rather aggressive.
This was the first time Bai Hengwan had seen Lin Changheng like this. She grew thoughtful, feeling she had gained a deeper understanding of his personality. Beneath his steady and calm exterior, he was surprisingly sensitive to crises and utterly intolerant of them.
"Alright. We can’t just sit back and wait for the worst. Once I uncover the truth and find out who is behind this, I will certainly not let them off easily!"
Bai Hengwan stated her position directly. Spurred on by Lin Changheng, her wavering thoughts finally settled, and she made up her mind.
"When the time comes, if you need help, Fellow Daoist Bai, just ask. ’Alchemist Lin’ cannot act, but ’Li Feiyu’ can."
Lin Changheng’s eyes glinted. He gave Bai Hengwan a satisfied look and spoke in a low voice.
With the discussion concluded, a knowing smile appeared on Bai Hengwan’s cool face. She deliberately nodded and said with a chuckle, "With that promise from ’Mr. Li,’ I can rest assured."
Then, as if remembering something, she flipped her hand, and a foot-long zitan wood box appeared on the stone table. The box was simple and unadorned, its surface bearing natural cloud-like patterns and emitting the power of a Seal.
"The Yun Family sent this. They said it’s a gift to thank Mr. Li for his help that day, and they asked me to pass it on." Bai Hengwan gently pushed the wooden box toward Lin Changheng. "There is also a letter from Miss Yun Zhi."
As she spoke, a letter flew over as well.
Lin Changheng’s heart stirred. His gaze fell upon the wooden box, his eyes filled with suppressed excitement. He knew exactly what was inside—it was the final key Material he needed for Refining his Lifebound Treasure Embryo, the Centennial Warm Jade!
After casually putting the letter away, he reached out and opened the box’s lid.
Instantly, a wave of gentle, mellow, and tranquil Spiritual Qi washed over him, calming his Heart and Spirit.
On the deep purple velvet cushion inside lay a piece of jade, roughly the size of an adult’s palm and about two fingers thick. The jade was a soft, milky white, its texture so fine it resembled solidified mutton fat.
Within the jade, a hazy white radiance seemed to slowly flow and pulse, as if it contained a Sea of Clouds, or even a living, breathing entity.
It was warm to the touch, not cold at all. Instead, it radiated a continuous and incredibly comfortable warmth that seemed capable of soothing any restless mood or violent energy.
This was indeed a Centennial Warm Jade of exceptional quality! Seeing its self-contained Spiritual Light and naturally generated warmth, he suspected it was far older than a hundred years—at least one hundred and fifty, making it a top-tier, Upper Grade specimen!
"What a fine piece of jade!" A flash of delight crossed Lin Changheng’s eyes as he gently closed the lid.