Chapter 686: One Light, One Dark

"Once bitten, twice shy." For years, Tian Jiong and Fairy Ziyue had been living in hiding, meticulously cultivating various identities to evade the Sun Moon Palace's pursuit. During their recent trip to the Myriad Monster Sea, they inadvertently encountered cultivators from the Sun Moon Palace. Tian Jiong had to self-detonate his primary magic treasure and sacrifice an arm to escape with his life. He was deeply apprehensive about running into Sun Moon Palace cultivators again.

Wang Changsheng nodded. "I understand, Senior Brother Tian. Please rest and recover with peace of mind. I will proceed with caution."

Even without Tian Jiong's warning, Wang Changsheng would have acted cautiously.

Tian Jiong and Fairy Ziyue were tactful enough not to mention the Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant, acting as if they had completely forgotten about the spiritual treasure.

"Senior Brother Wang, your nephew Wang Qingshan advanced to the Core Formation stage seven years ago. Congratulations," Fairy Ziyue said with a graceful smile.

Wang Changsheng's face lit up with joy. Wang Qingshan had finally formed his core! With three Core Formation cultivators, the Wang family was growing stronger than ever.

After chatting for a while, Wang Changsheng bid them farewell. He was eager to head to Red Lotus Island to see Wang Qingshan.

"Great-uncle, you've postponed your plans," Fairy Ziyue said with a frown. "It will be even harder for you to reach the Nascent Soul stage now." Tian Jiong had only a little over thirty years left in his lifespan. If he were to explore the Zhenhai Sect ruins twenty years from now, he would have less than a decade remaining, making an attempt to reach the Nascent Soul stage virtually impossible.

"My vitality is severely depleted right now," Tian Jiong replied. "If I don't rest and recuperate for a significant period, my strength will be too weak. At that point, it wouldn't be a treasure hunt, but a death wish. As for forming a Nascent Soul? There was never much hope for me to begin with, and I've already given up on that aspiration. As long as we acquire the treasures left by the Zhenhai Sect, it's fine if I don't reach the Nascent Soul stage. You, however, must succeed."

Tian Jiong's gaze was firm, and his tone was stern.

His condition was far more critical than Fairy Ziyue realized; merely surviving was a feat. For him, forming a Nascent Soul was practically impossible. By comparison, Fairy Ziyue's chances of reaching the Nascent Soul stage were significantly higher.

"Great-uncle, do you recall that day we encountered the Ten Thousand Bone Twin Fiends, and Fellow Daoist Wang was wearing the Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant?"

"I remember. Why? Are you considering that spiritual treasure?" Tian Jiong asked. "If I were in my prime, it wouldn't be an issue. But now, with my vitality severely depleted, if we forcefully demand it, even if we were to kill him, without obtaining the Zhenhai Sect's remaining treasures, you would have little hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, I don't advise attacking Junior Brother Wang. Firstly, his strength is considerable; even with my current weakened state, our combined efforts might not guarantee a decisive victory. Secondly, we are both descendants of the Zhenhai Sect, which was destroyed by the Sun Moon Palace precisely because of internal strife—a clear lesson we must heed. The Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant can assist in Nascent Soul formation. We could try to borrow it from him; if the compensation is generous enough, he shouldn't refuse."

Fairy Ziyue shook her head. "Great-uncle, your thoughts have strayed. I never considered such a thing. I was merely thinking about how to borrow the Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant from him. Once his strength grows, he might not agree, perhaps even fearing that we would try to harm him and striking first. One must always be wary."

"I'm very pleased you thought of that," Tian Jiong said. "In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. Honestly, it's been hard on you, having to both cultivate and diligently study puppet techniques to conceal your identity."

"I'm not suffering, Great-uncle," Fairy Ziyue replied. "If it weren't for you obtaining the puppet art inheritance from the Immortal Suppression Pagoda back then, I would never have become a third-rank puppeteer. Speaking of which, if we calculate the time, the Immortal Suppression Pagoda should reappear in a few more decades. I wonder where it will emerge."

As Fairy Ziyue finished speaking, a look of eagerness appeared on her face.

"There's still a long time until the Immortal Suppression Pagoda reappears," Tian Jiong advised. "For now, focus on your cultivation. Strive to raise your cultivation level higher; that way, when it's time to retrieve treasures, we'll have a better chance of success."

"Yes, Great-uncle, I understand."

Red Lotus Island, in a secluded chamber.

Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his eyes slightly closed. Hundreds of illusory red flying swords hovered around him, and the chamber's temperature was noticeably high.

A moment later, as if guided by an unseen force, the hundreds of red flying swords swiftly converged, coalescing into a single, shimmering red flying sword that pulsed with formidable spiritual energy.

Wang Qingshan opened his eyes, a hint of joy in their depths.

"I've finally succeeded in cultivating it," he murmured.

Wang Qingshan's face beamed with delight. Having comprehended sword intent, he found cultivating sword-based spiritual arts easier than most sword cultivators, requiring less time and unleashing greater power.

The red flying sword swayed gently, then dissolved into myriad sparks of fire before vanishing.

"I wonder if Uncle Nine has emerged from seclusion yet," Wang Qingshan muttered to himself. "By my calculations, it should be around this time." He then took out his communication disk and contacted Wang Qiuhong.

"Qiuhong, is there any news of Uncle Nine?"

"Seventh Uncle," Wang Qiuhong replied, "Grandfather has already emerged from seclusion. He's currently in the assembly hall."

Wang Qingshan's eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "Excellent, I'll be right over."

Soon after, Wang Qingshan met Wang Changsheng in the assembly hall.

"Nephew congratulates Uncle Nine on emerging from seclusion," Wang Qingshan said with a smile, offering his felicitations to Wang Changsheng.

"Qingshan, excellent! With your advancement to the Core Formation stage, our family is growing stronger than ever."

"It's all thanks to Uncle Nine's guidance; otherwise, your nephew wouldn't be where he is today," Wang Qingshan replied modestly. He humbly explained that the Core Formation spiritual item he obtained was only possible because Wang Changsheng had refined a prototype magic treasure for him. Without it, he would not have been able to acquire it.

"It wasn't just my guidance; it was the family's collective support," Wang Changsheng corrected. "Your advancement to the Core Formation stage is truly a blessing from our ancestors. By the way, I heard from Qiuhong that the Zhang family requires us to submit a 'pledge of allegiance' to reside in their controlled territory. When do you plan to go?"

Wang Qingshan smiled. "Nephew originally intended to go ten years from now. But now that Uncle Nine has emerged from seclusion, my confidence has significantly increased. How about going now? I've successfully cultivated the Fiery Sword, and with Uncle Nine's assistance, I believe I can complete the mission assigned by the Zhang family."

Wang Changsheng nodded. "You should first go to the Zhang family and ascertain the nature of the task. I, however, need to return to the Coral Sea Region. Senior Li Haifeng of the Yellow Saint Palace has advanced to the Nascent Soul stage and has invited various factions to establish the Three Immortal Alliance. Our Wang family has also joined. Since Qingqing announced that I was in seclusion, it's time for me to make an appearance there. I'm entrusting Red Lotus Island to you. If any urgent matters arise, have Tianqi contact me. Remember, the Red Lotus Island Wang family and the Sea Cucumber Island Wang family must not have direct contact."

While Wang Changsheng and Wang Qingshan were in seclusion, Wang Qingqing had sent someone to contact Wang Tianqi, who in turn reached out to Wang Qiuhong. After careful consideration, Wang Qiuhong agreed to the alliance, but publicly announced that Wang Changsheng was in seclusion and would head to the Coral Sea Region immediately upon emerging.

Wang Changsheng was not angered by this news, recognizing that Wang Qiuhong's decision was sound. The Red Lotus Island branch refraining from direct contact with the Sea Cucumber Island branch was a measure for the family's security, preventing a complete wipeout. However, most cultivation resources in the Eastern Barrens were controlled by major powers, and with the Wang family holding only limited territory, cultivating a Core Formation cultivator there was still quite challenging. This was precisely why Wang Changsheng had chosen to develop in the South Sea.

With Red Lotus Island operating in the shadows and Sea Cucumber Island openly, their dual presence allowed them to support each other in times of need.