Chapter 954: Ninefold Refining Divine Art

After Wang Changsheng transplanted the over-thousand-year-old Spirit Eye Tree to Silver Serpent Island, the spiritual energy on the island gradually became abundant. Ye Haitang, utilizing the power of formations, successfully upgraded Silver Serpent Island's spiritual vein from mid-grade Tier 3 to high-grade Tier 3.

Liu Gan narrowed his eyes and unleashed his spiritual sense, sweeping it towards the area obscured by thick white mist. To his surprise, his spiritual sense was blocked by a restriction. While he could use brute force to penetrate and investigate, doing so would create too much commotion. To be honest, he had visited the strongholds of many affiliated forces by invitation, but had never encountered such a situation. To be able to block the spiritual sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was certainly no ordinary restriction. The Wang family's protective formation must be extraordinary.

The protective formation on Silver Serpent Island was personally set up by Ye Lin. Due to material limitations, he couldn't deploy a true Tier 4 formation. However, he had established several simplified versions of Tier 4 formations, which were sufficient to block the spiritual sense of Nascent Soul cultivators. Of course, if Liu Gan were to forcefully break through the restrictions, no one could stop him.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you have traveled a long way, and I apologize for not coming out to greet you," Wang Changsheng's voice suddenly rang out. "Please come to the reception hall. My wife and I have already prepared a banquet to entertain you." A terrifying spiritual sense swiftly swept over Liu Gan and the others.

A flicker of surprise crossed Liu Gan's eyes, and his expression turned serious. The Wang family's Nascent Soul cultivator possessed spiritual sense no weaker than that of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator. To have such powerful spiritual sense immediately after forming a Nascent Soul was truly astonishing.

Zhou Tianmu and the others felt a sense of unease, their hairs standing on end. They even felt a powerless sensation, as if they were completely at another's mercy. "Is the gap between Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators really this vast?" Zhou Tianmu mused silently, his heart heavy. What they didn't know was that Wang Changsheng had used a secret technique to combine his and Wang Ruyan's spiritual senses, giving Liu Gan and the others a subtle display of power.

Wang Qingqi flew out from his dwelling and landed before Liu Gan. He bowed respectfully and said, "Junior Wang Qingqi greets Senior Liu. Senior Liu, please come this way. Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt have been waiting for a long time in the reception hall. As for the others, we will arrange for them properly." As Wang Qingling and two others had not yet returned, and Ye Haitang had switched to cultivating ghost cultivation methods, they had no choice but to send Wang Qingqi to greet the guests as a sign of respect.

Liu Gan nodded and, along with Zhou Tianmu, followed Wang Qingqi towards the reception hall. Wang Qiuhong properly settled the other guests. Soon, Liu Gan appeared in the reception hall and met Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, I apologize for not coming out to greet you properly," Wang Changsheng said courteously, cupping his hands at Liu Gan. "Our Wang family is merely a small clan. If there are any shortcomings in our hospitality, please be understanding."

"I've long heard of Fellow Daoist Liu's extraordinary bearing," Wang Ruyan complimented. "Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation." Her gaze then fell upon Zhou Tianmu. She and Wang Changsheng were deeply impressed by this formidable foe, Zhou Tianmu, who had now cultivated to the sixth layer of Core Formation. Zhou Tianmu cultivated a Profound-grade cultivation method, which typically presented more bottlenecks.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, Madam Wang, you are too kind," Liu Gan said, pointing to Zhou Tianmu behind him and smiling. "This is young friend Zhou from Jade Spring Island. I heard him say that you two have had a confrontation. I have come uninvited, hoping that Fellow Daoist Wang will let bygones be bygones and let the past remain in the past." Had the Zhou family not paid a hefty price to invite him to mediate, he wouldn't have truly wanted to come to the Wang family. Of course, Liu Gan dared to attend the Wang family's Nascent Soul formation ceremony because he naturally had something to rely on.

"Senior Wang," Zhou Tianmu said, "if our Zhou family had offended you in the past, please do not hold it against us. This is a small token of our sincerity, congratulating both seniors in advance on entering the Nascent Soul stage. On the day of the Nascent Soul formation ceremony, our Zhou family will also present a generous gift." As Zhou Tianmu spoke, he took out a cyan jade box and presented it to Wang Changsheng with both hands.

"Out of respect for Fellow Daoist Liu, we can let the past matters go," Wang Changsheng said meaningfully. "However, I have a few words I'd like to share with young friend Zhou." Wang Ruyan stepped forward, smiled charmingly, and said to Liu Gan, "Fellow Daoist Liu, though our Silver Serpent Island is small, its scenery is quite pleasant. Would you allow me to show you around?"

"Very well, then I shall trouble Madam Wang," Liu Gan instructed. "Young friend Zhou, rest assured, Fellow Daoist Wang will not make things difficult for you. Fellow Daoist Wang is a senior, and you must respect seniors." He then followed Wang Ruyan and departed.

Wang Changsheng took the cyan jade box and opened it. Inside were two blue crystals, each the size of an egg. The blue crystals shimmered with a watery translucence, emitting a pure water spiritual energy. "These are clam pearls from a Tier 4 Sea-Overturning Clam," Zhou Tianmu explained, somewhat nervously. "Only one is produced every hundred years, making them extremely precious. They are perfectly suitable for refining Tier 2 magic tools." Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's Nascent Soul formation had caused unusual phenomena, so the Zhou family truly dared not be negligent.

Wang Changsheng nodded and accepted the two clam pearls. He asked with a half-smile, "Young friend Zhou, your spiritual sense cultivation is quite good! Does your Zhou family possess secret techniques or cultivation methods for enhancing spiritual sense? You were able to command so many flying swords at the fourth layer of Core Formation."

He remembered the events from back then very clearly; Zhou Tianmu being able to control thirty-six flying swords at the fourth layer of Core Formation had genuinely startled Wang Changsheng. Wang Qingshan had consumed the True Soul Fruit, and his spiritual sense was comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he couldn't command thirty-six flying swords. The fact that Zhou Tianmu could command thirty-six flying swords implied one of two things: either the Zhou family possessed secret techniques or cultivation methods for enhancing spiritual sense, or Zhou Tianmu possessed some kind of spiritual physique, making his spiritual sense several times stronger than that of cultivators at the same level. Wang Changsheng had sent Wang Tianqi to investigate Zhou Tianmu's situation. From the intelligence gathered, it didn't seem like Zhou Tianmu possessed any special spiritual physique. Not only was Zhou Tianmu's spiritual sense powerful, but the spiritual senses of other Core Formation cultivators in the Zhou family were also strong, allowing them to control multiple magic tools.

Zhou Tianmu's heart sank, and he let out a wry smile. He took out a cyan seashell and handed it to Wang Changsheng, saying, "Senior Wang, this is the cultivation method for the Nine Revolutions Soul Forging Technique. It is a secret technique treasured by our Zhou family. If cultivated successfully, this technique can indeed enhance spiritual sense, though it requires the aid of pills for cultivation."

"The Nine Revolutions Soul Forging Technique!" Wang Changsheng's interest was immediately piqued. Strong spiritual sense offered numerous benefits. Over the years, he had instructed his clansmen to collect such cultivation methods and secret techniques. They had indeed found two, but they were incomplete fragments and didn't offer significant spiritual sense enhancement.

His spiritual sense probed into the cyan seashell. His brow furrowed, and he said coldly, "Why is this an incomplete fragment? Do you really think that with Fellow Daoist Liu vouching for you, I wouldn't dare to do anything to you?" A powerful spiritual pressure erupted from Wang Changsheng, surging directly towards Zhou Tianmu.

Zhou Tianmu retreated several steps, quickly explaining, "Senior Wang, please forgive me. What we obtained was indeed an incomplete fragment. This technique originated from the Northern Frontier and is said to have been created by the Puppet Emperor. Our Zhou family only managed to collect the first part. If cultivated successfully, one's spiritual sense can indeed double. However, it requires the aid of pills for cultivation, and the process is extremely painful. This junior speaks nothing but the truth, Senior Wang. Please understand, even if you were to kill me, I would not dare to deceive you." He was speaking the truth; even if he had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn't dare to deceive a Nascent Soul cultivator.