Clear Wind Cliff and Fufeng Ridge were both Tier One Low-Grade Spirit Veins. Clear Wind Cliff was a bit smaller overall, with about ten acres of flat land nestled against the cliff face.
A three-section courtyard had been built, along with five acres of prepared Spirit Fields, a deep, secluded Spirit Pool, and several ancient trees so thick one person could barely wrap their arms around them. Overall, it looked much more refined than Fufeng Ridge.
As expected, there was a world of difference between the daily life of a family of three and a bachelor like Bai Jiu'an. Bai Ying's three-section courtyard alone had four bedrooms, as well as a row of reverse-facing rooms prepared for the Mortal servants they might have in the future.
A long, covered walkway led from the entrance, and a shallow pond had been dug in the inner courtyard. It was covered with lotus leaves, and one could faintly see several silver fish darting through the water.
"This is called the Bitter Heart Lotus. Every summer, it produces incredibly bitter lotus seeds. I heard they're a supplementary ingredient for refining a kind of Heart Purifying Fire Removing Elixir. My mom picks them, dries them, and can sell a batch for over a dozen Spirit Stones."
"And the Silver Dragon Fish in the pond! My dad brought the fry back from the Market, just like the fish in the Spirit Pool outside. Once they grow to be two feet long, each one is worth three Spirit Stones. I've eaten one before. It was so delicious, and it made me feel all warm inside."
Of all people, Chubby was the happiest about Bai Zichen moving to Clear Wind Cliff. He ran in and out, giving a full tour of his home.
Clearly, Bai Ying's family had far more ways to make money than his great-uncle, Bai Jiu'an.
After dinner, Bai Zichen returned to the west wing where he was staying. Lying in bed, he quietly replayed the events of the past two days in his mind, then suddenly sat up. He opened the pouch at his waist and dumped its contents out.
Two Spirit Stones, a stack of blank Talisman Paper, and the fifteen Tier One Low-Grade Talismans Bai Jiu'an had given him.
The Vajra Talismans were earth-yellow. Once activated, they could make the user impervious to blades and spears and add several hundred pounds of strength to their arms. The five talismans were worth ten Spirit Stones.
The Fireball Talismans were a brilliant red. Just holding one for too long caused a burning, stinging sensation. When used, they could summon a fireball hot enough to melt gold and iron. The five talismans were worth twelve Spirit Stones.
The Divine Movement Talismans were a pale cyan. Using one made a person as light as a swallow and their steps as swift as the wind. The five talismans were worth eight Spirit Stones.
These Talismans were all Bai Zichen had to rely on in case of danger. His small hands gently stroked each Talisman as he stacked them in a specific order, placed them back in the Brocade Bag, and re-fastened it to his waist. After a moment's thought, he drew out several Talismans and carefully tucked them into his shirt, against his chest.
He had brought several scrolls with him to Clear Wind Cliff. Now, he picked up one titled *Qi Refining Cultivator's Talisman Usage Guide* and began to study it intently, completely forgetting about the Wood God Skill.
"Combining a Divine Movement Talisman with a Vajra Talisman, supplemented by a few Mortal Martial Arts, can produce surprisingly powerful effects in the Early-Stage Qi Refining, similar to a Body Refining Cultivator..."
"A Frost Talisman has limited killing power, but if three or more hit a target in succession, they can create a binding effect. A Cultivator below the Late-Stage Qi Refining will be immobilized for ten breaths..."
"A Thunderstruck Talisman used during a thunderstorm has a chance to draw down Celestial Thunder, unleashing power comparable to a Tier Two Talisman. However, one must maintain distance, or both friend and foe will perish..."
Bai Zichen read for over an hour without realizing it. 'The author of this *Qi Refining Cultivator's Talisman Usage Guide* might not have had a high Cultivation level, but their understanding and application of Low-Tier Talismans were definitely at a master's level.'
For the next few days, after finishing his daily Cultivation, Bai Zichen would wander around Clear Wind Cliff with Chubby, mainly to keep him from running off somewhere dangerous. They would catch pheasants in the bamboo forest or wade into the water to catch black carp, rediscovering some of the simple joys of childhood in their play.
...
"The Void Penetrating Sword Array! Thankfully, after several hundred years, the Sword Qi has eroded. Its power is less than thirty percent of what it once was!"
Several streams of Sword Qi crisscrossed the area, slicing the tops off two distant mountains. A few unlucky Cultivators happened to be in the Sword Qi's path and were, without a doubt, cut into pieces, splattering blood across the ground.
The slender Daoist sucked in a sharp breath, feeling a wave of relief. 'Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would likely die facing that Sword Qi head-on.'
'It seems my decision to drive away only the Loose Cultivators and keep the Clan Cultivators was the right one. Otherwise, who knows how much effort and how many Sect Disciples we would have lost just to wear down this Void Penetrating Sword Array.'
"Pass down my orders! Assign ten clans to stand guard on all four sides and drive away any loiterers. Organize the remaining clans into five teams. Have them take turns using Magic to attack the core of the Void Penetrating Sword Array. I want to be inside the third level of the Five Mountains Temple within a week!"
"Yes, sir!"
A group of Qingfeng Sect Cultivators stood behind the slender Daoist and answered respectfully. The three leading them wore bright purple Daoist Robes with two small, crossed swords embroidered on the chest—the clear emblem of a Qingfeng Sect Elder.
At their feet lay a plaque made from hundred-year-old Golden Silk Ebony, bearing the three large, gilded words "Five Mountains Temple." It had once hung over the Cave Mansion entrance for centuries, but now it had been torn down and thrown into the dirt.
The two Loose Cultivators who discovered the Five Mountains Temple were Medicine Gatherers who made a living in the Black Mountain Range year-round. While digging up a Mountain Ginseng, they had unwittingly triggered some mechanism, causing a landslide that directly exposed the first level of the Cave Mansion.
The Forbidden Arrays on the first level had all lost their power over time, allowing the two Loose Cultivators to successfully slip into the Cave Mansion. They would sneak in every so often, pilfer a few Treasures, and sell them off.
After doing this one too many times, they caught the attention of someone observant. Not long after leaving the Market, they were ambushed by a group of Tribulation Cultivators. Under torture and a Soul Search, what secret could they possibly keep? They spilled everything. This band of Tribulation Cultivators had only grouped together for profit, so how could they be expected to keep such monumental news to themselves? It soon reached the ears of the Qingfeng Sect and the major Cultivation Families.
Hundreds, even thousands, of Cultivators swarmed the site, scouring it for anything of value like ants moving their colony.
The first level of the Five Mountains Temple was piled high with vast quantities of basic Artifact Refining Materials. There were thousands of pounds of things like Iron Spirit, Golden Spirit, and Meteoric Mother. No one knew why the Five Mountains True Man had collected so many basic materials back then.
Materials like these, which could only be used to refine ordinary Magical Artifacts, should have been completely useless to a cultivator of his stature.
The second level of the Five Mountains Temple was blocked by a Five Elements Restriction. It took several Foundation Establishment Cultivators working together to shatter it, revealing the true face of the Cave Mansion's second level: more than ten Quiet Chambers used for secluded Cultivation.
It was on this level that the various Cultivators began to fight and kill each other. The path to every Quiet Chamber was paved with corpses until the Qingfeng Sect arrived and suppressed everyone with thunderous force, establishing a basic sense of order.
But when the Quiet Chambers were opened, their contents were a bitter disappointment to all: a meditation cushion, a warm jade bed, and nothing else.
The meditation cushion had the effect of purifying the heart and calming the body, so it could barely be classified as a Mid-Grade Magical Artifact. As for the warm jade bed, its only praiseworthy quality was its size. It could be cut into several hundred warm jade Jade Pendants for Exorcism and warding off evil.
Such meager findings were completely unworthy of the great name of the Five Mountains True Man, Chen Taige. It was obvious that the real treasures were on the third level of the Cave Mansion.
"Clan Leader, the Qingfeng Sect is just using us as cannon fodder! They're not willing to let their own disciples charge into the fray, so they make us go first. The power of this Sword Array is not something ordinary Magical Artifacts can withstand."
Honggu's face was ashen. Any joy she had felt upon hearing that the Qingfeng Sect intended to cooperate had long since vanished. She had watched with her own eyes as an Elder from the Huang Family summoned a Copper Bell Magical Artifact to defend himself, only to be cleaved in two, bell and all, by a single stream of Sword Qi.
"Lead our clansmen and stay behind me. Everyone, be on high alert. If anything seems wrong, we retreat from the Five Mountains Temple immediately."
Bai Xianzhong's expression was grim. Five golden rings spun rapidly in front of him. "Even if we offend the Qingfeng Sect, we must preserve our own lives. If we are wiped out here, the Bai Family's entire foundation will be seized by others!"
A Foundation Establishment Stage Clan Leader, two Elders, and twelve elite clansmen—if a force like this were to be annihilated in the Five Mountains Temple, it would be a cataclysmic disaster for the Bai Family.
They would lose both their present and their future.