Chapter 2609: Refining the Tribulation Crossing Array

Qinglian Island, Council Hall.

Wang Moshan was seated in the main chair, with Bai Yuqi and Wang Qingfeng on either side. Wang Gonghu stood to the side, giving his report.

He had rushed back to Qinglian Island as quickly as possible to hand over the Lightning Absorption Bead to the family. Many family members were already aware of the bead's existence, making it difficult to keep secret. If he had acquired it for himself, Wang Gonghu would have kept it for personal use.

Everyone has selfish desires; those who are truly selfless are rare, and this applies equally to immortal cultivation families and sects.

“Gonghu, you’ve done exceptionally well. Once the Lightning Absorption Bead is refined into a formation, you may apply to use it,” Wang Moshan promised. The Lightning Absorption Bead was incredibly valuable. When incorporated into a formation, its effect in weakening lightning tribulations was far superior to that of a Celestial Thunder Transformation Talisman, and most importantly, it could be used multiple times.

When major powers acquired a Lightning Absorption Bead, they typically integrated it into a formation to maximize its utility. Simply refining it into a treasure would result in a weaker effect compared to a formation.

To incorporate the Lightning Absorption Bead into a formation, the cooperation of both formation masters and artifact refiners was required. The formation masters would select the array materials, and the artifact refiners would craft them into formation flags and array disks.

The family had over three hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, and many family members had remained at the late Nascent Soul stage for years, waiting or searching for other items due to the lack of treasures like the Celestial Thunder Transformation Talisman.

Wang Ruyan had refined several Celestial Thunder Transformation Talismans, but they had all been used up. Supply simply couldn't meet the demand. Over twenty Nascent Soul cultivators had attempted to break through to the Void Refinement stage. They had perished under the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation. This was unavoidable; the demand far outstripped the supply.

The Wang family had been established for over five thousand years. Even with elixirs that extended life, Nascent Soul cultivators in the Wang family could at most reach four thousand years of age. Without advancing to the Void Refinement stage, they would inevitably perish.

Many Nascent Soul cultivators were nearing the end of their lifespans and had no choice but to take the risk. Bai Yuqi also needed materials to set up Level 6 formations. With over six thousand islands under the Wang family's control, Bai Yuqi was extremely busy and couldn't possibly set up Level 6 formations for every family member; she also needed time for her own cultivation.

Because of this, Wang Moshan had dispatched a large number of family members to participate in various large gatherings and auctions, hoping to acquire treasures like the Five-Element Thundercloud Talisman, but they had not been successful.

Treasures like the Five-Element Thundercloud Talisman were typically traded through bartering, often for Dharma Idol materials or tribulation-aiding materials, neither of which the Wang family possessed in great abundance. Beyond that, the only way to obtain such treasures was to search for them in ancient cultivator caves or forbidden lands, making their acquisition exceedingly difficult.

To exchange for a Sea Quelling Bead from the Zhenhai Palace, they would need to offer many rare resources. The Sea Quelling Bead was a treasure similar to the Celestial Thunder Transformation Talisman, and acquiring just one would be far from enough.

As time passed, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the Wang family would only increase. No matter how many Celestial Thunder Transformation Talismans they had, they wouldn't be enough. Void Refinement cultivators also required such treasures, meaning only family members who had rendered great service could obtain the right to use them, a policy mirrored by immortal cultivation sects.

Survival of the fittest dictated that some family members were destined to perish under the grand heavenly tribulation.

With the Lightning Absorption Bead refined into a formation, family members attempting to reach the Void Refinement stage would be much safer. This would allow more family members to attempt the breakthrough. Furthermore, it would also be useful when Wang Qingfeng and others faced their grand heavenly tribulations.

“Thank you, Patriarch,” Wang Gonghu said excitedly.

“You must keep the existence of the Lightning Absorption Bead a secret, and ensure others keep their mouths shut and don't spread the word. As for Su Yunxin, he can set up Level 6 formations and has Level 6 elixirs. Whether he can advance to the Void Refinement stage is up to him. Let him remain on Qinglian Island to cultivate and serve us,” Wang Moshan instructed. Su Yunxin was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, still far from the late Nascent Soul stage, with no hope of advancement within a thousand years.

“Yes, Patriarch,” Wang Gonghu agreed, bowed, and withdrew.

“I'm entrusting the Lightning Absorption Bead to you two. Senior Ancestor Qingfeng, Senior Ancestor Yuqi, I ask for your efforts in refining the Lightning Absorption Bead into a grand formation. This way, we can cultivate more Void Refinement experts,” Wang Moshan said earnestly.

The Lightning Absorption Bead needed to be refined into a treasure before being incorporated into the formation. The formation flags and array disks also required the assistance of artifact refiners.

“Leave it to us, Patriarch. How is that secret realm doing?” Bai Yuqi asked, referring to the secret realm containing the Immortality Apricot Tree with Ren Water.

“Youdie has already secured and taken control of it,” Wang Moshan replied courteously. He had sent many covert operatives into Guangyuan Sect's territory, and among them, Wang Youdie had successfully become an affiliated force of Guangyuan Sect, occupying Thousand Butterfly Ridge and establishing the Thousand Butterfly Sect.

Thousand Butterfly Ridge had a large population of spirit butterflies, and Wang Youdie was skilled in controlling insects and beasts, making the establishment of a small sect there entirely justifiable.

Wang Mengshan was a high-ranking covert operative; he was aware of Wang Youdie's existence, but Wang Youdie did not know that the Sect Master of Guangyuan Sect was from the Wang family.

Wang Youdie had developed in the inland as a Core Formation rogue cultivator, earning a living by hunting demonic beasts and gathering some subordinates. After she advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, Guangyuan Sect sought to expand its influence. Wang Youdie cleared the spirit butterflies from Thousand Butterfly Ridge, established the Thousand Butterfly Sect, and became affiliated with Guangyuan Sect.

It was precisely because of Wang Mengshan's cooperation that Wang Youdie was able to successfully occupy Thousand Butterfly Ridge. No one would have suspected that Thousand Butterfly Ridge contained a secret realm, and within that realm, an Immortality Apricot Tree with Ren Water.

The entrance to the secret realm was sealed by multiple layers of restrictions. Even five Void Refinement cultivators working together would struggle to break through them. And even if one managed to enter, the mountain peak where the Immortality Apricot Tree with Ren Water was located was concealed by a formation.

The Wang family had built several spiritual medicine gardens within the secret realm to cultivate spiritual herbs, also serving as a diversion for potential intruders. If an outsider were to break in and take the herbs from the gardens, they would likely leave afterwards.

Wang Mengshan had been given an additional task: to guard that secret realm.

“Patriarch, where has my elder brother gone?” Wang Qingfeng asked.

“The progenitor of the Chu family, an affiliated cultivation family of the Divine Weapon Sect, is celebrating his grand birthday. Our Wang family was invited, and they led a team there. I hear many Void Refinement cultivators will be attending, and we hope to acquire materials that can weaken lightning tribulations or Dharma Idol materials,” Wang Moshan explained. In recent years, the Wang family had expanded its territory inland, adopting a strategy of forming alliances and minimizing animosities.

Aside from forces that were at odds with Zhenhai Palace, the Wang family endeavored to unite all possible allies to expand its influence and strength.

Wang Qingcheng and Sun Yuejiao were adept at social interactions. If a major power held a grand birthday celebration or ceremony and invited the Wang family, Wang Qingcheng and Sun Yuejiao were the ideal representatives.

The Chu family was an immortal cultivation family that had risen to prominence within the last ten thousand years. Their ancestors originated from the Divine Weapon Sect, and they boasted no fewer than ten Void Refinement cultivators.

Wang Qingfeng suddenly understood and said no more.

“Alright, go gather the artifact refiners and formation masters and have the formation refined as soon as possible. Twenty Nascent Soul cultivators have already died under the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation,” Wang Moshan urged. While Wang Zongyun and Wang Zongque had successively advanced to the Void Refinement stage, a number of other family members attempting the breakthrough had perished.

Wang Qingfeng and Bai Yuqi agreed and rose to leave.

Wang Moshan took out a pale green Dharma disk, cast a spell into it, and instructed, “Issue an order to spread the news that multiple cultivation families affiliated with Zhenhai Palace have acquired Level 6 tribulation-aiding treasures such as Lightning Absorption Beads and Sea Quelling Beads.” For years, the Wang family had been intentionally smearing themselves, and by extension, all the affiliated families of Zhenhai Palace, by spreading false rumors. With so many misleading reports circulated, even if Venerable Heavenly Spider were to leak the actual news, its impact would be minimized.

“Yes, Patriarch.”