The Saintess of the Ancient Immortal Sect

Chapter 80

In the depths of the Dreammist Marsh, within a dark and damp underground cave, a hidden sanctuary existed. 

This place was extremely well-concealed. 

Its entrance was hidden beneath the marsh. To enter, one had to first submerge into the marsh and locate the entrance to the underground cave. 

The cave was vast, illuminated only by patches of faint blue-glowing moss. This moss served as the sole source of light and the primary food source for the thousands of followers of the Ancient Immortal Sect who resided here. 

"Saintess, I've led a search for several months. Apart from some traces of life in certain areas, I haven't found any surviving companions." 

A member of the sect's guard approached a blindfolded woman and bowed as he reported. 

"I understand. The Dao Lord will protect them. You may leave now. I need to continue meditating on the cultivation techniques passed down by the Dao Lord." 

The guard bowed and retreated, leaving only the woman known as the Saintess. 

Her name was Wen Xinyun. She had once been an ordinary believer, but on the day the Dao Lord transmitted his teachings, she was the only one who felt a profound connection. After attempting to cultivate, she achieved results. 

Thus, she was revered as the Saintess by all. Even the sect leader believed she had been chosen by the Dao Lord and should lead them. 

They had fled into the Dreammist Marsh, yet it seemed their enemies were determined to exterminate them completely. 

Originally, the scattered groups of believers had agreed to communicate regularly, but not a single message had been received. There was no news, no trace of the others. 

The guard she had just sent out was tasked with searching for other believers, but he had found nothing. 

If not for the extreme secrecy of their location, they too would likely have been... 

"Benevolent and great Dao Lord, when will I gain the power to help everyone? The followers of the Ancient Immortal Sect should not live in such a dark place!" 

Wen Xinyun prayed before the statue of the Dao Lord, part of her daily routine. 

Yet she knew that the Dao Lord had already shown her the path to power. All she needed to do was cultivate continuously, and she would gain strength. 

But after more than a year of cultivation, she had only reached the second level of Qi Refinement, as described in the cultivation manual. 

With so little progress, she felt she had failed the expectations of her fellow believers. 

What she didn't know was that the Dreammist Marsh was naturally sparse in spiritual energy, and the underground cave was almost devoid of it. Her ability to reach the second level of Qi Refinement was entirely due to the power of faith provided by Li Changmeng. 

Reaching the second level of Qi Refinement was already a remarkable achievement given the circumstances. 

"Saintess, it's time to eat." 

An elderly man entered, carrying a wooden bowl filled with the glowing moss. 

"Sect Leader, I've already said I don't need to eat. Please give this to the other believers." 

Wen Xinyun waved her hand in refusal. 

Food was scarce in the underground cave. Since she had begun cultivating, she no longer needed to eat. The food could be given to the other believers. 

"Eat, Saintess. Today is the Day of Divine Descent." 

The sect leader smiled kindly and placed the food in front of Wen Xinyun before leaving without another word. 

Looking at the food before her, Wen Xinyun hesitated but eventually picked it up and began to eat. 

The Day of Divine Descent was when the Dao Lord bestowed blessings upon his followers. Every year on this day, many new guards were born. 

In truth, the Dao Lord's manifestations and blessings occurred frequently, but for the entire Ancient Immortal Sect, such events were rare. 

Only on the Day of Divine Descent would the Dao Lord concentrate his power and bless his followers. 

This day was also a time of celebration for the believers of the Ancient Immortal Sect. 

Soon, the glowing moss was consumed. It didn't taste good—it had a strong earthy flavor—but to Wen Xinyun, it was delicious. 

"The Dao Lord has chosen me. I must cultivate faster and lead everyone out of here!" 

After finishing her meal, Wen Xinyun began to cultivate with renewed determination. 

As she cultivated, Li Changmeng's consciousness descended through the statue. 

Even after fleeing into the Dreammist Marsh, the Ancient Immortal Sect had not been spared. Apart from this special location, all other followers had been exterminated. 

Among the thousands of believers here, only Wen Xinyun had any talent for cultivation. 

Fortunately, her talent was decent. Despite the lack of spiritual energy and relying solely on the power of faith, she had reached the second level of Qi Refinement. 

Moreover, because she had used the power of faith from the beginning, a tumor capable of containing the power of faith had already formed in her dantian. 

"Since you pray to me, I will give you a helping hand." 

Having confirmed through Zhao Ming that he could be reborn through the tumor, Li Changmeng decided to accelerate the growth of the tumor within Wen Xinyun. 

The growth of the tumor depended on two factors: the increase in cultivation level, which naturally led to the absorption of more power of faith, and the direct comprehension of the Dao of Flesh and Blood, which could stimulate the tumor's rapid growth. 

By using the Dao of Flesh and Blood, Li Changmeng could easily stimulate the tumor's growth. 

The only caution was to control the speed of growth to avoid killing Wen Xinyun. 

Li Changmeng planned to proceed gradually, allowing the tumor to grow bit by bit. 

This way, Wen Xinyun could reach the Foundation Establishment stage more quickly. Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have enough energy to allow Li Changmeng to be reborn through the tumor. 

While cultivating, Wen Xinyun suddenly felt a movement in her dantian. The tumor had quietly grown larger. 

At the same time, her cultivation speed increased. 

The tumor, which bore the power of faith and the Dao of Flesh and Blood, allowed the cultivator to avoid directly refining the power of faith with their body, thus preventing mutation. 

Or rather, the tumor itself was the mutation. 

The growth of the tumor filled Wen Xinyun with joy. 

"Thank you, Dao Lord of Dreammist Marsh! Have you heard my prayers and blessed me?" 

Wen Xinyun attributed the sudden growth of the tumor to the Dao Lord's manifestation. 

By chance, she had guessed the truth. 

After completing this, Li Changmeng withdrew his consciousness. From now on, he would periodically stimulate the growth of the tumor within Wen Xinyun. 

As for the tumor, this product of the power of faith and the Dao of Flesh and Blood, Li Changmeng decided to study it further. 

He believed that if he could understand the nature of the tumor, he might be able to create a new technique from it. 

Regarding new techniques and the path after Core Formation, he had never stopped researching. 

But time was short, and he had yet to achieve significant results. 

Moreover, he didn't know how much time he had left. The threat from the Heavenly Star Sanctuary would inevitably erupt. 

If the Heavenly Star Sanctuary acted, he didn't know how much of his influence in the Ten Cities Alliance would remain. 

The power of a Divine Transformation True Lord was beyond his comprehension. Li Changmeng could only do his best to hide his clones and his true spirit deep underground.