Chapter 125: The Resurgence of Spiritual Essence

While the outside world was caught in a new wave of turmoil following the destruction of Liuchuan Valley, Jiang Chen quietly returned to Muyu Island, laden with his spoils. Thanks to the sealing arts of the peach wood branch, he had left no traces along his path.

As for the Corpse Daoist, he had not been summoned once since the battle at Liuchuan Valley concluded. Knowing that the cultivation world possessed many methods for tracking, Jiang Chen remained cautious, only allowing the Corpse Daoist to appear when absolutely necessary.

Upon returning to Muyu Island, Jiang Chen immediately entered the spirit grotto.

"With this influx of spirit energy, the grotto should be able to recover some of its miraculous properties."

With a thought, Jiang Chen withdrew the peach wood branch from his sleeve. In an instant, the energy sealed within was released, and a rain of spirit energy began to fall inside the grotto.

As the gentle drizzle bathed the interior, the withered jade lotus flower began to glow with a faint, hazy light. At that moment, the near-extinct spiritual essence within the grotto showed signs of being reawakened. Seeing this transformation, a hint of joy appeared on Jiang Chen’s face.

Moments later, as the rain subsided, a layer of water had formed within the previously dry lotus pool. Though only a foot deep, it radiated an incredibly serene and pure spiritual essence. Jiang Chen took a deep breath, feeling his own true energy grow more vibrant.

"Compared to the spirit energy of the outside world, the energy filtered through this grotto is undoubtedly gentler and purer. It requires almost no effort to absorb, and as time passes, this effect will only become more pronounced."

After a simple verification, Jiang Chen confirmed his hypothesis. Just then, seemingly sensing the density of the spirit energy, the roots of Tao Yao that were coiled around the grotto stirred, accelerating their absorption of the energy.

Jiang Chen did not intervene. With the spirit spring as a resource, the grotto could easily sustain the cultivation of both himself and Tao Yao for the time being, and the potential Tao Yao displayed justified the increased investment in her growth. If not for the peach wood branch she had provided, he would never have been able to bring back the spirit energy of that spring; he would have only managed to secure some spirit rice, which would have been of little significance.

"Keep absorbing," he murmured. "I hope you can complete your cycle of withering and flourishing, and awaken once more."

Confirming that Tao Yao’s consciousness remained dormant and that her absorption was merely instinctive, Jiang Chen shook his head. He stepped onto the single third-grade jade lotus in the center of the pool. The lotus was the size of a millstone, easily accommodating him.

"With Liuchuan Valley destroyed, the Gao family will likely increase their efforts to hunt down the Corpse Daoist while maintaining strict defenses. I will use this time to consolidate my strength."

"First, I must continue my own cultivation. Second, I need to digest my gains—specifically, using the resentment grass to practice the Blood Fiend True Flame Art, striving to bring it to completion. Third, I must continue to comprehend the Bone Sacrifice Weapon Art to modify the Armory Pool and nourish the Flood Dragon Covering Water Armor."

With his goals clear and his mind as steady as a turtle and snake, Jiang Chen quickly sank into a meditative state. With the grotto as an ideal cultivation ground, the true energy within his body filled rapidly, pausing only when an acupuncture point was saturated, waiting for the next one to be opened. This cycle repeated continuously.

As Jiang Chen fell into silence, the Corpse Daoist—the focus of everyone’s attention—once again vanished into thin air. This disappointed those who hoped for a spectacle and instilled a sense of wariness in many factions. While the Corpse Daoist’s strength was respectable—at the minor stage of Qi Refining—he was not invincible. What made him truly troublesome was his elusive, ghost-like nature.

The Gao family was the prime example. Having failed to find the Corpse Daoist after several searches, they were forced to consolidate their forces to guard against potential ambushes, sacrificing many interests in the process. They had no choice; if the Corpse Daoist were to catch them off guard and slay more of their Qi Refining cultivators, the Gao family would suffer a blow to their very foundation.

In fact, the Gao family had even feigned weakness to lure the Corpse Daoist out, but Jiang Chen was too busy digesting his gains to pay them any mind.

On Cuizhu Mountain, Gao Siyuan frowned as he listened to the reports brought back by his clansmen. "Not even a single trace?"

After searching for so long with no results, Gao Siyuan fell into deep thought. The Corpse Daoist seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth.

"If we cannot find him, we must make him come to us. Are there not still some remnants of the An family in the dungeon? Use them as bait and see if we can draw the Corpse Daoist out."

After a moment of contemplation, Gao Siyuan made his decision. Though the theory that the Corpse Daoist was a hidden remnant of the An family was merely a guess, it was worth testing. If it worked, it would be ideal; if not, it was still better than doing nothing.

The clansmen bowed and went to make preparations. Over the years, the Gao family had faced many difficulties, but under Gao Siyuan’s leadership, they had overcome them all. Though the Corpse Daoist caused them trouble, the family remained confident; he was merely a minor irritation, unable to shake their roots. Ultimately, he was just a low-level evil cultivator. Once he showed a flaw, the Gao family would strike with thunderous force, leaving him no chance.

However, this plan to lure the snake out of its hole was destined to fail. Jiang Chen had no time for such games, and even if he knew, he would not reveal himself—he was not the real Corpse Daoist, and the Corpse Daoist was not a remnant of the An family.

Thus, as the Gao family set their trap and the Corpse Daoist remained motionless, Qingyuan County fell into an eerie silence. First the Yellow Wind Sect had run rampant, wounding the ancestor of the Lu family, and then the Corpse Daoist had humiliated the Gao family. Many sensed that the winds were changing and that the world was about to descend into chaos; those with foresight began to prepare in silence.

While the Gao family was busy dealing with the Corpse Daoist, Liao Yonghuai, the Magistrate of Qinghe County, had not given up on the potential opportunity hidden on Muyu Island. He had not yet acted only because he was gathering information to uncover the true nature of that treasure. His status was unique, and his cultivation methods were peculiar; he would not act unless he was certain of success, so as to avoid any lingering consequences.