Chapter 2669: Nine-Light Divine Mud

Green Lotus Island, Green Lotus Peak.

In a secluded chamber, Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on a blue meditation mat, his eyes closed and hands forming a seal. A blue glow enveloped his body.

After a while, a sound transmission talisman flew in. The glow around Wang Changsheng dissipated, and he opened his eyes. He opened his mouth and exhaled a blue light, striking the talisman. With a soft crackle, the talisman self-ignited, and Wang Ruyan's voice rang out: "Husband, it's time for us to depart."

Green Lotus Island was quite far from the Myriad Spirits Sect's main headquarters, so they needed to leave soon.

Wang Changsheng stood up and walked out.

Wang Ruyan sat in the stone pavilion, a set of exquisite tea ware laid out before her. She held a jade-green teacup, and a unique fragrance permeated the air.

Wang Changsheng walked over, and Wang Ruyan poured him a cup of spiritual tea, saying, "This is Seven Star Vein Nourishing Tea from the Seven Star Alliance. Only a dozen catties of tea leaves can be harvested every ten thousand years, and it can nourish one's meridians."

The Seven Star Alliance was a powerful business organization mainly active on the Xuanling Continent, though its influence was still far less than that of the Han family's trade caravan. Backed by cultivators at the Integration stage, the Seven Star Alliance was a self-sufficient force that did not participate in internal human conflicts and even conducted business with other races, making it purely a commercial entity.

The Wang family also had dealings with the Seven Star Alliance, but on a small scale. There were many forces similar to the Wang family, but with Wang Changsheng reaching the Integration stage, the situation changed significantly. To foster good relations with the Wang family, an elder from the Seven Star Alliance personally visited, presenting some gifts, with more significant presents promised for the upcoming celebration.

"Seven Star Vein Nourishing Tea? The Seven Star Alliance certainly knows how to manage relationships," Wang Changsheng said with a smile, downing the tea in one gulp.

After a cultivator entered the Integration stage, their meridians expanded, allowing them to absorb more spiritual energy and store more magical power during cultivation. This process inevitably damaged the meridians, so spiritual elixirs that nourished them were beneficial.

"They only sent half a catty. Oh, by the way, a clansman acquired a semi-finished product: Nine-Light Divine Clay." Wang Ruyan took out an exquisite golden jade box and handed it to Wang Changsheng.

Wang Moshan had sent the item over several years ago, but Wang Changsheng was in secluded cultivation recuperating, so Wang Ruyan hadn't disturbed him.

"Nine-Light Divine Clay! How was it obtained?" Wang Changsheng was filled with shock. If he had acquired this item earlier and refined it into a treasure, he certainly wouldn't have been so severely wounded.

He opened the lid and took out a black paste-like substance. When he squeezed it, colorful spiritual light became visible. He inspected it carefully, unable to be 100% certain it was Nine-Light Divine Clay, but he had the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron. If it was a semi-finished product, the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron might be able to decompose and purify the Nine-Light Divine Clay. This would be better for artifact refining, as he didn't know what materials the original artificer had incorporated.

"A rogue cultivator killed someone for their treasure, and when selling the stolen goods, he gave himself away. Wang Chuanming tracked the rogue cultivator for over three hundred years before finding an opportunity to eliminate him and unexpectedly obtained this semi-finished product." Wang Ruyan stated truthfully, though she naturally didn't believe this explanation; it seemed more like murder and robbery.

If it were ordinary items, it wouldn't matter, but Nine-Light Divine Clay was a seventh-tier material that could weaken the power of lightning tribulations. Wang Qingcheng and others had searched for hundreds of years, visiting the Myriad Spirits Abyss, Myriad Volcano Range, the Barren Lands, and several large markets, only to find a few ordinary seventh-tier materials. If it truly was Nine-Light Divine Clay, this was indeed a great service.

"A rogue cultivator?" Wang Changsheng frowned, sensing the problem as well.

"Moshan mentioned to me that Chuanming is aggressive and unscrupulous in his actions. He didn't let Chuanming hold power; instead, he sent him to Qinggang Market with no official duties. He's currently on Green Lotus Island." Wang Ruyan explained.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "Let's depart in a few days. There's no rush."

After a few cups of tea, Wang Changsheng rose and left, entering a secluded chamber.

The Green Lotus Creation Cauldron floated above a magic formation. Wang Changsheng opened its lid, placed the semi-finished product inside, and cast a spell into the formation plate. The magic formation trembled violently, and a dazzling spiritual light shot skyward, engulfing the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron. The cauldron immediately glowed brightly with a green light; the green lotus flowers on its body seemed to come alive, gently rotating, their leaves swaying softly. The top-grade spirit stones placed in the grooves slowly turned grayish-white, their spiritual energy completely absorbed.

After all the spirit stones' energy was drained, the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron's spiritual light dimmed. Wang Changsheng walked over and gently patted the cauldron's body. The lid flew open, and the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron settled onto the ground.

Wang Changsheng looked inside the cauldron, his face lighting up with joy. Inside the cauldron were a lump of soil glowing with nine-colored spiritual light, some black sand, a red crystal, two white jade stones, and a green jade stone.

Wang Changsheng suppressed the excitement in his heart. Truly a creation artifact, the Green Lotus Creation Cauldron was indeed no ordinary treasure. A semi-finished product could be restored to its raw materials, a feat impossible for ordinary treasures.

Wang Changsheng put away the Nine-Light Divine Clay, placing it into a green jade box. He carefully identified the other materials, all of which were sixth-tier. He speculated that the artificer had been interrupted midway through refining, most likely by a powerful enemy attacking. Refining this Nine-Light Divine Clay into a treasure would make Wang Ruyan's passage through the Seven-Nine Lightning Tribulation significantly easier.

Stepping out of his residence, Wang Changsheng took out his communication disk and contacted Wang Moshan, asking him to bring Wang Chuanming over.

Not long after, Wang Chuanming and Wang Moshan appeared before Wang Changsheng.

"How did you obtain that semi-finished product, Chuanming? How many people know about this?" Wang Changsheng asked in a deep, authoritative voice.

"This grandson discovered a rogue cultivator who revealed himself when selling items at the Golden Jade Pavilion. This grandson tracked him to Snow Bamboo Valley, monitoring him for several hundred years. After he left the market, this grandson found an opportunity to act, completely eliminating him so that not even his Nascent Soul escaped. Only this grandson, Chuanyun, the patriarch, and the grand patriarch know about this." Wang Chuanming said cautiously, his expression tense.

"Was he truly a rogue cultivator?" Wang Changsheng pressed.

"Absolutely true. This grandson found multiple cultivation techniques on him, quite jumbled, so he must have been a rogue cultivator. How else would an ordinary rogue cultivator possess so many techniques? And this grandson didn't reveal his true appearance at the time." Wang Chuanming replied carefully.

Wang Changsheng waved his hand, dismissing him, then turned to Wang Moshan and asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"

He had already made a decision. Wang Chuanming's acquisition of the Nine-Light Divine Clay was a great service and deserved reward, but his actions were against the rules. According to clan regulations, discovering a rogue cultivator required informing enforcement disciples, not tracking them privately. Wang Chuanming's claim of "acting on behalf of heaven" was just a euphemism for murder and robbery. With the rogue cultivator dead and not even a Nascent Soul left, there was no evidence to contradict his story.

"Merit must be rewarded, and faults must be punished. Merit is merit, fault is fault. They cannot cancel each other out; one is one, and the other is the other." Wang Moshan said solemnly. He hadn't been able to identify what material the semi-finished product was, but Wang Changsheng personally questioning Wang Chuanming clearly indicated it was something valuable.

"Then proceed as you've suggested. Tell Chuanming this is a one-time allowance; I don't want a next time. Discovering secret realms or ancient cultivator dwellings and fighting with other cultivators is acceptable, but situations like this, if he accidentally provokes a powerful adversary, could lead to significant trouble." Wang Changsheng cautioned, his expression grave. It was better to be safe than sorry, and Wang Chuanming's actions were not to be encouraged.

Wang Moshan repeatedly affirmed, agreed, and then turned to leave.

Early the next morning, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, accompanied by a group of clansmen, departed Green Lotus Island, heading for the Myriad Spirits Sect.