Chapter 619: Soul Bead
Luo Ye Daoist Master warned Meng Zhang that Daoist Master Black Fox is not to be trifled with. This individual has operated within the Dark Alliance for many years, not only possessing considerable power but also having an extensive network and strong abilities. If Meng Zhang were to offend him, it might be difficult for the Dark Alliance to openly confront Meng Zhang, but Black Fox could use his influence to create countless ways to hinder Meng Zhang's progress in the Jiuqu League.
Especially since this treasure is of great significance to Daoist Master Black Fox, he will never give up on it. He would go to any lengths to strike at the Taiyi Sect and force Meng Zhang to comply. Even though Taiyi Sect has the support of Jin Li True Monarch behind them, they would still be defenseless against various hidden threats.
Jin Li True Monarch is not a babysitter for the Taiyi Sect, and it's impossible for them to attend to every detail of the sect's affairs. If things go wrong, all the years of hard work Taiyi Sect invested in the Jiuqu League would be completely destroyed.
Meng Zhang takes Luo Ye Daoist Master's warning seriously, knowing that she wouldn't speak without reason. However, Meng Zhang wonders if there is a win-win solution since Luo Ye Daoist Master is also after the Soul Bead this time.
Luo Ye Daoist Master indeed doesn't disappoint Meng Zhang. She tells Meng Zhang that she will handle the Soul Bead first before handing it over to Meng Zhang to deliver to Daoist Master Black Fox. Meng Zhang is quite curious about the importance of this bead.
In Cultivation World, the Dark Alliance is a complex organization with cultivators of various backgrounds. The most trusted within the Dark Alliance are the cultivators groomed by the alliance itself. Next are those cultivators affiliated with other sects who are under the Dark Alliance's wing, and Luo Ye Daoist Master belongs to this category. Additionally, there are cultivators recruited through various means, including those from other sects, clans, and loose cultivators. Some of them outright betray their own sects and families to join the Dark Alliance, while others maintain a cooperative relationship to some extent.
As the number of cultivators is vast and their origins are complex, the Dark Alliance must find ways to ensure their loyalty, especially for those in key positions. If any of them were to betray the Dark Alliance, it would result in significant losses.
To guarantee loyalty, the Dark Alliance has many methods at its disposal. The Soul Bead that Meng Zhang and Luo Ye Daoist Master acquired is one highly effective means. Similar to the soul lamps used by many sects and families, the Soul Bead can collect a trace of Soul aura from its members and store it within.
By using this trace of Soul aura, the possessor of the Soul Bead can control the life and death of these members. Even if some members betray the Dark Alliance, they cannot escape the grasp of the alliance. Moreover, if a powerful individual skilled in curse-type spells is involved, they can use this trace of Soul aura to silently kill someone from a distance.
This particular Soul Bead, stored in the treasure vault for hundreds of years, has collected the Soul auras of numerous Dark Alliance members. Some of these members have already perished, but those who survived until now are at least Gold Core-stage cultivators.Having this Soul Bead in hand means having complete control over their lives and at the very least, a powerful means of constraint against them. It's astonishing that such an inconspicuous bead can influence Gold Core Daoist Masters and even Primordial Spirit True Monarchs. No wonder Daoist Master Black Fox has been obsessed with this Soul Bead for hundreds of years and spared no effort to retrieve it.
Luo Ye Daoist Master told Meng Zhang that she will seek a high-level expert to extract some of the Soul auras from the Soul Bead. After that, Meng Zhang will return the Soul Bead to Daoist Master Black Fox. This way, Luo Ye Daoist Master will achieve her goal, and Meng Zhang will be able to report to Daoist Master Black Fox.
Once Luo Ye Daoist Master gave clear instructions, she asked Meng Zhang and Extreme Sword Spirit General to wait for her for a few days. Meng Zhang naturally agreed and found a secluded place within the controlled area of the Jiuqu League to hide with Extreme Sword Spirit General.
Luo Ye Daoist Master left temporarily with Jue Ying Daoist Master. During this free time, Meng Zhang and Extreme Sword Spirit General began to sort out their spoils from the treasure vault. They only took items of high value, ignoring middle-grade spirit stones and opting to collect top-grade ones instead.
They mainly selected Third Rank items, with a few Second Rank items that served special purposes. For example, the Jade Soul Fluid could help Foundation Building stage cultivators to complete their souls. The Qi Tempering Pill could refine the true qi of Foundation Building stage cultivators, saving them time and assisting in their preparations before forming the core.
Third Rank pills, in particular, were highly valuable. Meng Zhang gained many Third Rank pills and pill formulas. Though Taiyi Sect currently lacked Third Rank Alchemists and couldn't refine Third Rank pills, Meng Zhang believed that it was only a matter of time before they cultivated some.
These Third Rank pills were highly beneficial for Gold Core stage cultivators within the sect. The Gold Lotus Pill, in particular, was an extraordinary Third Rank pill. Its role was simple – to enhance the chances of success in forming the Gold Core for Foundation Building stage cultivators. Depending on the cultivator's circumstances, it could increase the success rate from half-formed to 10%.
Though the probability might seem low, in the Cultivation World, any pill or spiritual item that could enhance the success rate of forming the core was invaluable and couldn't be measured in spirit stones. Even Foundation Building Pills were considered special strategic resources and not easily circulated in the market like the Endless Sea of Sand in the past.
Taiyi Sect now had more than one Second Rank Alchemist and had solved its medicinal material problem with the Hundred Grass Pavilion's attached medicinal garden, ensuring a stable supply of Foundation Building Pills. However, pills that could assist in forming the core were not something Taiyi Sect could produce themselves, and it was challenging to obtain them from the outside.
In this venture, Meng Zhang not only acquired six Gold Lotus Pills but, more importantly, obtained the complete pill formula for them. Without a doubt, the pill was rare and challenging to refine, but with the formula, Meng Zhang could gradually collect the necessary ingredients.
They also found many Third Rank talismans. Even with Yang Xueyi, Taiyi Sect's Third Rank Talisman Master, Third Rank talismans were always in demand and never too many.
Additionally, there were over ten Third Rank magic tools, each holding immense significance. Meng Zhang didn't have time to inspect them thoroughly. He needed to return to the sect and check them with the Third Rank tool refiner to understand their true abilities.
In the Cultivation World, besides commonly used magic tools, there were many specially crafted magic tools that required specific methods of refinement to unleash their full potential. The higher the rank of the magic tool, the more evident this became. The cultivator's main cultivation technique and refining method would also influence the magic tool's usage.
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