Major construction was underway on Hanxiu Peak.
A thousand mortals were recruited from the small town at the mountain's base to dismantle the ruined and collapsed buildings. Logs from hundred-year-old trees were hauled to the summit, ready for the reconstruction of the Transmission Hall, the Artifact Refining Hall, and other structures.
Simultaneously, in the areas where the mountain's Spirit Veins were most abundant, Cave Mansions were being excavated with suitable orientations. Each was equipped with a master bedroom, a Cultivation Chamber, and a storage room.
Over the past few days, missing clan members had gradually begun to return. They were the ones who had found hiding places the moment the Ghost Spirit Sect launched its surprise attack, and had been lucky enough to survive the ordeal.
The Clan Leader and his party returned, travel-worn and having suffered heavy losses. Four clan members had left their lives behind at the Five Mountains Temple, including one Elder.
Several hundred Cultivators had besieged the third level of the Five Mountains Temple for a full ten days, with nearly a hundred of them perishing in the process. During the most dangerous moment, the Void Penetrating Sword Array erupted with thousands of Sword Shields in an instant. If the Clan Leader hadn't risked damaging a Spiritual Artifact to block all the Sword Shields aimed at the Bai Family's position, even fewer of them would have made it back to Hanxiu Peak alive.
There was no time for grief. After a brief discussion with the three remaining Elders, the Clan Leader acknowledged that the clan's Cultivators had suffered heavy casualties. With their manpower stretched thin, it would be difficult for the Bai Family to maintain its current territory, and living scattered would greatly reduce their safety.
Therefore, they decided to pull back their defensive lines and have all the Clan Cultivators reside in the vicinity of Hanxiu Peak.
This was what led to the flurry of activity, with mortals excavating Cave Mansions and building courtyards.
"Chenn'er, it's wonderful that you're safe and sound. I hope that after this ordeal, your path of Cultivation will be a little smoother from now on."
A hint of world-weariness touched Bai Jiu'an's face; the dangers at the Five Mountains Temple had been no less than what those who remained with the clan had faced. "It's a pity about Bai Ying. Her child lost his mother at such a young age. Fortunately, his father happened to be at the Qingfeng Sect's Market that day and hadn't returned."
"This time, with the Ghost Spirit Sect's invasion, at least thirty Cultivation Families were attacked simultaneously. A considerable number of them were completely annihilated. The entire balance of power in the Black Mountain Range is about to shift."
"But right now, the only power with the strength to swallow up all this territory is the Qingfeng Sect."
"Uncle, what was the situation at the Five Mountains Temple? After you opened the Cave Mansion, what kind of treasures were inside?" Bai Zichen asked, curious about the legendary Cave Mansion of the Five Mountains True Man, said to be the greatest Loose Cultivator in Mizhou's history.
"The third level of the Five Mountains Temple did indeed hold the Five Mountains True Man's Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Five Mountains Divine Peaks—five multi-colored metal hills that looked like small mountains. We all saw them the moment the Void Penetrating Sword Array was broken. But they were immediately taken away by that Master Yangg from the Qingfeng Sect."
Bai Jiu'an sighed. He spoke slowly after a long pause, his voice laced with helplessness, reverence, and a well-hidden touch of longing.
The Master Yangg he mentioned had become a Core Formation True Man over two hundred years ago, making him a martial uncle to Master Ge Cang. In terms of Cultivation, however, he was not as advanced as his junior, and was rumored to have been stuck at the Early-Stage Core Formation, unable to make any progress.
Based on what was known of his life, it was speculated that Master Yangg didn't have much time left, which was why he had become particularly aggressive in recent years. Five years ago, he fought fiercely with an Elder from the Ghost Spirit Sect after an auction over a Life-Extending Elixir, which triggered a series of conflicts between the two Sects.
"The strange thing is, other than the Five Mountains Divine Peaks, the only thing on the third level of the Cave Mansion was a towering Stele. There were no other treasures. But, according to the Foundation Establishment Elder from the Qingfeng Sect who escorted us back, this is related to a great opportunity, one that might benefit the younger generation of Cultivators from Cultivation Families like ours."
"Chenn'er, you're at the perfect age. If the chance really comes to you, it would be a tremendous advantage."
Bai Zichen's interest in this so-called opportunity was piqued. However, his uncle had only heard about it secondhand; only the upper echelons of the Qingfeng Sect knew the true details.
"Oh, right, Uncle, can you take a look at this? Is this what they call a storage pouch? I've studied it over and over, but I can't seem to open it."
A small, grayish pouch landed on the table. Bai Zichen had found it on the corpse of the heavily injured Ghost Spirit Sect Cultivator he had killed that day. Its appearance and make were identical to the descriptions of storage pouches he had read about in books.
But when he repeatedly tried to infuse it with his Magical Power, the pouch didn't react in the slightest, swallowing his efforts like a clay ox sinking into the sea—gone without a trace.
It wasn't something he could easily ask others about. After the battlefield was cleared, all the belongings from the other dead Ghost Spirit Sect disciples were turned over to the clan's Grand Library. But Bai Zichen felt he had risked his life for this storage pouch; it was his personal spoil of war, so he hadn't turned it in.
So he had carefully hidden the storage pouch at his waist and hadn't mentioned it to a soul.
His own uncle, however, was someone he could trust, so he naturally felt safe asking him.
Bai Jiu'an looked surprised. He brushed his palm over the storage pouch, and an obscure Spirit Light flashed. "This is a Low-Tier storage pouch. Chenn'er, where did you get it?"
Bai Zichen recounted the story of what happened when he went down the mountain that day, and a wave of belated fear washed over Bai Jiu'an as he listened.
"You were incredibly lucky. That man had no strength left to fight back. Otherwise, a single Magic spell would have been enough to take your life."
Bai Jiu'an handed the storage pouch back, gesturing for him to try again. "The pouch still bears its original owner's spiritual mark, so others can't open it directly. You just need to wash over the mark with your own Magical Power a couple of times to overwrite it. Your Cultivation is just too low, which is why you couldn't open it before."
"A Low-Tier storage pouch can't hold much, but having one is still incredibly convenient. The cheapest used ones in the Market sell for at least eighty Spirit Stones. Even if this pouch were empty, you'd still have made a small profit."
This time, when Bai Zichen infused his Magical Power, he smoothly opened the storage pouch as expected and left his own mark upon it.
Inside was a space about three feet square, containing three Jade Bottles, a few changes of clothes, more than thirty Spirit Stones, and one Jade Scroll.
He dumped everything onto the wooden table in a scattered pile. Only one thought echoed in his mind: 'I've struck it rich!'
"These two bottles both contain Qi Replenishing Pills, twelve in total. They're effective for Cultivators below the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and can significantly accelerate one's Cultivation speed and the Refinement of Magical Power. I've taken a few myself in the past, so the elixirs should be fine. However, Chenn'er, your Cultivation is too low right now. It would be best to wait a couple of years before taking them. These two bottles of elixirs will save you at least three years of arduous training."
Bai Jiu'an set down the first two Jade Bottles, then frowned as he examined the blood-red pill in the third Jade Bottle.
The blood-red pill exuded a metallic, coppery scent. Just a single whiff made one feel dizzy. It was likely a unique elixir from the Ghost Spirit Sect, unknown to outsiders.
"Let's set this one aside. When I have time, I'll ask a friend who has studied the Alchemy Dao. We can't have you getting sick from taking some unknown medicine."
Bai Zichen understood this was for his own good, so he naturally had no objections.
When it came to elixirs from a Demon Path Cultivator, if you didn't know the ingredients, who could say whether it was a Miracle Elixir or a deadly poison?
As for the Jade Scroll, that was a hallmark of Sect Disciples. Generally, Loose Cultivators and even Clan Cultivators recorded their Cultivation Techniques on paper and rarely had need for Jade Scrolls.
However, Jade Scrolls were not only more convenient for passing down knowledge, but they could also transmit the creator's Divine Intent for certain special Cultivation Techniques—something only a Jade Scroll could accomplish. Their only drawback was the higher cost.
After examining it, Bai Jiu'an told him it was a strange Cultivation Technique on how to integrate a Demon Beast's bloodline into a Cultivator's body to obtain a powerful physique. Not only were the risks of practicing it enormous, but it also had a prerequisite: possessing the corresponding Demon Beast Essence Blood. It could only be kept as a curiosity; for them, it held no practical value.
"Uncle, why don't you take this storage pouch? I don't usually leave the Clan, so I have no use for it."
Bai Zichen thought for a moment and offered the storage pouch to him. If he remembered correctly, his uncle didn't have a storage pouch of his own yet. He spent all his limited Spirit Stones on Cultivation Resources; how could he have any spare for such an item?
"You keep it and use it yourself. How could I, Bai Jiu'an, take something from my own nephew?" Bai Jiu'an said with a stern expression.
"Besides, on the way back, the Clan Leader announced that the nine of us who went on the Five Mountains Temple expedition would be formally commended. Each of us will be rewarded with a Barrier-Breaking Pill. As soon as I break through to the Late-Stage Qi Refining, the Clan will issue me a storage pouch anyway."
Once a person reached the Late-Stage Qi Refining, their status in the Bai Family changed completely. They could even be considered a candidate for the position of Elder.
Their yearly Spirit Stone stipend and resource allocation would see a massive increase.
Bai Zichen, of course, hoped his uncle's Cultivation would reach the highest possible level. It would be best if he could break through to Foundation Establishment in one go, so Zichen could ride his coattails. "Then this nephew congratulates you in advance on breaking through to the Late-Stage Qi Refining, Uncle! May all your wishes come true!"
"There is one more thing I must impress upon you. Chenn'er, don't let this windfall make you start thinking about killing others for their treasures. To say nothing of the fact that Tribulation Cultivators are infamous and shunned by mainstream society, once you accept that line of thinking, the greed in your heart will grow without limit. You'll lose your self-control step by step. Ultimately, you will either die while trying to rob someone else, or you'll be surrounded and killed. There are no other outcomes."
"Remember that! You must remember that!"
A chill shot through Bai Zichen's heart. He realized he had indeed been dazzled by the storage pouch's contents, and the thought 'When can I score another windfall like this?' had crossed his mind.
Fortunately, his uncle's words had been a timely wake-up call. It wasn't too late.