A New Landscape After Seclusion: The Evil Spirits Become Treasures

After several days of secluded cultivation in Wind and Thunder Cave, Wang Quan finally broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. His spiritual energy was stabilized, and the integration of his Five Elements Secret Technique with the power of wind and thunder was complete. Emerging from his seclusion, he was refreshed and greatly strengthened. However, he understood that the path of cultivation was endless, and reaching the Foundation Establishment stage would be the true turning point in his journey to immortality.

Upon leaving his retreat, Wang Quan decided to gather information about recent developments. As a major base of the scattered cultivators' alliance, Wind and Thunder Cave was well-connected not only in terms of distributing cultivation resources but also in intelligence gathering—comparable to the larger sects. Along the way, Wang Quan overheard several scattered cultivators discussing the latest changes in the world.

"Have you heard? Something big is happening—evil spirits have actually become prized by cultivators."

"Yes, I've heard! A rumor has spread from an ancient ruins explorer that evil spirits' spiritual bodies can enhance a cultivator's soul power, even helping to improve divine sense!"

"Evil spirits used to be something everyone avoided, but now they've turned into treasures everyone is fighting over. How strange!"

Hearing this, Wang Quan's eyes flickered with surprise. The idea that the spiritual bodies of evil spirits could be so useful was something he had never considered. He had always been wary of evil spirits, not only because of their vicious and destructive nature but also due to their strange abilities that could easily trap someone in peril. But now, with the discovery that they could enhance one's soul power, they had suddenly become a valuable resource, likely sparking a fierce competition among cultivators.

"It seems that the evil spirit calamity won't subside as quickly as I thought. Instead, it's going to attract even more cultivators to fight over them," Wang Quan mused internally.

Soul power is critical for cultivators, especially those at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages. A strong soul greatly boosts both combat ability and cultivation speed. Now that it was discovered that the spiritual bodies of evil spirits could enhance soul power, evil spirits were no longer just a threat but a precious resource. It was clear that soon, every major power would be swept up in a frenzy to seize these spirits.

"This could also be an opportunity for me…" Wang Quan thought calmly. Now at the ninth level of Qi Refining, he was just one step away from Foundation Establishment. If he could take advantage of this trend and collect some evil spirit spiritual bodies, he could not only enhance his soul power but also lay the foundation for his breakthrough to the next stage.

At the same time, Wang Quan knew that the more powerful the evil spirit, the more valuable its spiritual body would be. However, with his current strength, he couldn't face the strongest evil spirits just yet, so caution would be essential.

As he continued thinking, another piece of information he overheard made his heart skip a beat.

"There's something else you don't know. The ruins at Yunlan Mountain have already been fully exploited."

"Yes! I heard Yunlan Mountain sent a senior elder to oversee it. The mercury sea and the powerful Mercury Venom Turtle have both been subdued by Yunlan Mountain!"

"As expected of a large sect. If it were our scattered cultivator alliance, we would have been crushed long ago. Not only did Yunlan Mountain subdue the Mercury Poison Tortoise, but they also brought back a great deal of mercury crystals. I heard those crystals will be used to forge top-grade magic weapons."

"The Mercury Poison Tortoise has been subdued?"

Wang Quan frowned slightly, recalling the treacherous scene of the mercury sea. He had barely escaped the corrosive venom of the turtle at the ruins, and now Yunlan Mountain had sent experts to directly subdue the late-Foundation Establishment monster. This revealed the vast resources and power that a major sect like Yunlan Mountain wielded.

This realization further highlighted the gap between large sects and scattered cultivators. Although Wang Quan had made significant gains in the ruins, compared to a behemoth like Yunlan Mountain, the difference was still immense.

"However, since Yunlan Mountain has already subdued the Mercury Poison Tortoise, it means that the dangers within the ruins have been cleared out, and most of the remaining resources likely now belong to Yunlan Mountain," Wang Quan thought. He understood that while ruins were treasure troves for cultivators, outsiders had little chance of seizing core resources when competing against powerful sects.

What concerned him more was Yunlan Mountain's next moves.

"Not only that, but recently, there's been some friction between the scattered cultivator alliance and Yunlan Mountain. While it's still limited to conflicts between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples, the situation could escalate…"

As Wang Quan listened to the scattered cultivators discussing the ongoing tension, he realized the situation was becoming increasingly complicated. There had long been tension between the scattered cultivators and Yunlan Mountain, and with the scramble for ruin resources and the discovery of evil spirits, conflicts were becoming more frequent. Though they had not yet escalated to higher levels of the sect, the clashes between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators were growing more intense.

"Several scattered cultivators have dueled with Yunlan Mountain disciples in recent days. While nothing major has happened yet, the atmosphere is becoming more tense."

"Exactly! We have Golden Core seniors holding down the fort, so the Yunlan Mountain disciples don't dare go too far. But if this escalates, it might become harder for us to deal with."

Hearing this, Wang Quan frowned slightly. Although he had only recently joined the scattered cultivator alliance, he could already sense the growing undercurrent of conflict. The tension between Yunlan Mountain and the scattered cultivators was unlikely to be resolved any time soon.

"No matter what, I need to focus on cultivating and breaking through to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible."

Though the situation was chaotic, Wang Quan knew that increasing his strength was the key to securing his position. Especially now, in the resource-rich environment of Wind and Thunder Cave, it was imperative for him to capitalize on the available resources to further enhance his abilities.

"Evil spirits, ruins, sect conflicts… this storm hasn't reached its peak yet."

While Wang Quan remained cautious, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The discovery of the evil spirit spiritual bodies could become a key opportunity for him to strengthen his soul and, in turn, enhance his power. He had already formed a plan—to seek out more powerful evil spirit bodies to boost his soul, preparing for his eventual breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

"Wind and Thunder Cave offers abundant resources, but if I can seize this opportunity to hunt evil spirits, I may be able to accelerate my soul cultivation."

With his decision made, Wang Quan planned to recuperate in Wind and Thunder Cave for a while before venturing out to areas teeming with evil spirits, seeking opportunities to hunt and collect their spiritual bodies.

A greater storm was brewing, one that would soon engulf the world of cultivators.