After a long while, Su Wanwan's face fell, and she let out a long sigh, her expression full of unwillingness.
Twenty years ago, shortly after she returned to the Nine Dragons Sea from the Great Qin Cultivation World, she received a piece of earth-shattering news from the mysterious little mirror.
It was that beneath the seabed where the Five Spirits Sea and the Leiming Sea met, lay an unimaginably precious treasure, which was also the reason for the peculiar nature of the Five Spirits Sea and the Leiming Sea.
Not long after the Human Race and the Sea Monster races began their war, Su Wanwan, after countless hardships, finally found the location. It was the clay teapot in the underwater valley before her.
However, for nearly ten years, she had tried every method imaginable, but she had been unable to penetrate its outer barrier and enter. It was as if she were staring at a treasure mountain without being able to access it.
For Su Wanwan, who cherished treasures as her own life, this was worse than death.
Especially when she later learned from the little mirror what the five-colored liquid emanating from the clay teapot was, it made her feel as if ten thousand ants were scratching at her heart, making her extremely covetous.
Because this five-colored liquid was none other than the legendary — Five Phases True Origin.
What is the Five Phases True Origin? It can be understood as a higher form of Spiritual Energy, which appears liquid due to its extreme density.
Once one absorbs and refines the Five Phases True Origin corresponding to their attributes, their cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds.
Even with a sufficient supply of the Five Phases True Origin, one would not encounter bottlenecks before reaching the next major realm.
This effect was just one aspect; it also possessed a more heaven-defying ability, which was to improve the cultivator's aptitude.
It greatly enhanced the cultivator's ability to absorb and refine Spiritual Energy of the Five Elements, and this enhancement was permanent.
Even those with Dual Spiritual Roots, Heavenly Spiritual Roots, or special Spiritual Bodies could benefit, with even greater improvements.
Unfortunately, such a legendary Spiritual Material had long since disappeared from the Human Realm, and Su Wanwan had only seen it in ancient texts.
But not only was there Five Phases True Origin in this valley, but it wasn't just one or a few types of True Origin; all five elements were present, and in such large quantities.
If she could absorb even a small portion of the Five Phases True Origin, it would be highly likely that she could cultivate to the peak Nascent Soul realm in a short period.
Furthermore, if she could break through to Spirit Transformation, the Five Phases True Origin would be even more useful.
Because Su Wanwan knew that for Spirit Transformation cultivators to break through to Void Refinement, the most crucial element was the Unification of the Five Elements.
At that point, those with naturally excellent aptitudes like Heavenly Spiritual Roots or Dual Spiritual Roots would become a burden, and they would have to find ways to supplement their other spiritual roots.
However, supplementing spiritual roots was not only extremely difficult but also hard to compare with naturally formed spiritual roots. The grade of the supplemented spiritual roots directly affected the success rate of advancing to Void Refinement.
After she came to the seabed and personally saw this clay teapot.
The mysterious little mirror provided several pieces of information in its subsequent intelligence, especially regarding how to use this Five Phases True Origin to forge the ultimate false spiritual roots.
In fact, this was the most appealing aspect to Su Wanwan because she herself possessed the Dual Water-Fire Spiritual Root.
And with a supreme treasure like the mysterious little mirror, her sights were long set beyond the Spirit Transformation realm, aiming for even higher realms.
Therefore, one could imagine how excited she was when she saw this Five Phases True Origin with her own eyes.
Su Wanwan looked enviously at the clay teapot again, imagining what an incredible treasure it must be to produce such Five Phases True Origin.
But the problem now was that she couldn't get inside.
Su Wanwan couldn't help but think of the information she had obtained from the mysterious little mirror not long ago.
"That mysterious supreme treasure, the Nine Profound Pot, has suffered considerable damage. Its active period is now about five years, after which it will conceal itself again. It will take approximately ten thousand years for it to recover some of its state before it might reappear."
"During these five years, the possibility of you entering the valley to retrieve the treasure is almost nil. This is because one must possess all five elemental spiritual roots, and be sufficiently powerful, to withstand the barrier automatically activated by the Nine Profound Pot. Among the people you know, there is a very suitable candidate, and these Five Phases True Origin are crucial for his advancement to Spirit Transformation. If you cooperate with him, you will also gain considerable benefits. Perhaps letting go of your obsession and greed would be a better choice for you."
Upon recalling these two pieces of information, Su Wanwan's small face was filled with resentment, and she was so angry her teeth itched.
Because the person the little mirror mentioned was clearly Ning Fa.
Ning Fa possessed the Five Elements Thunder Body and was sufficiently powerful, making him perfectly capable of entering.
But how could Su Wanwan, who cherished treasures as her life, be willing to give it up?
After all, the clay teapot before her was the highest-grade treasure she had ever seen in her life, very likely a legendary Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure, and perhaps even a powerful one among them.
How could she be willing to hand over such a treasure to someone else?
Needless to say, if Ning Fa were to know of this treasure's existence, it would be a sign of his gentlemanly demeanor if he didn't kill her to silence her.
But if Ning Fa could successfully advance to Spirit Transformation with its help, then with his assistance, she could stabilize her Nascent Soul body, and her own advancement to Spirit Transformation would likely be secured.
Thinking of this, Su Wanwan was also conflicted.
She took out the mysterious bronze mirror from her embrace again, shook it vigorously with an expression of disappointment, and said with a mix of anger and pleading:
"Little Mirror, Little Mirror, I, Su Wanwan, have endured hardships with you for so long. Can't you give me some reliable information so I can enter smoothly? Are you playing favorites and just want me to call Ning Fa to retrieve the treasure!? Remember, I am your master!!"
But the surface of the mysterious bronze mirror remained calm, showing no reaction.
Su Wanwan sighed, put the mirror away, her beautiful face shifting between emotions.
After a while, a look of determination flashed in her eyes, and she murmured, "Such a treasure, how can I give up until the very last moment!"
Meanwhile, in a certain sea area on the northwest edge of the Nine Dragons Sea, a fierce battle was erupting.
The sky, stretching for dozens of miles, was filled with colorful spiritual energy orbs, emitting ear-piercing explosive sounds.
This was a fierce battle between Human Race and Sea Race cultivators. Although the total number of participants on both sides was only a few hundred, their cultivation realms were very high. Each side had over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators and over a hundred Core Formation cultivators.
At this moment, in the sky several hundred feet away, another fierce battle was breaking out.
The sky was covered with purple thunderclouds the size of several acres, within which lightning churned with immense power.
Inside the thunderclouds, a powerful Sea Race Spirit Transformation cultivator with large fleshy wings and wielding dual axes was rampaging, fiercely clashing with another purple lightning giant.
The figures of both combatants were like lightning, their speed so great that even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators' spiritual senses could barely track them.
Not long after, with a violent roar, their giant axes and lightning sword intertwined, unleashing a circle of fierce spiritual energy waves.
The lightning giant retreated like a kite with a broken string, flying back several miles before finally stabilizing.
As purple light flickered, the lightning giant transformed back into a young figure with a heroic bearing – it was Ning Fa.
At this moment, his face was pale, his aura greatly diminished, and there was a deep wound on his chest that was slowly healing.
"This guy is really troublesome," Ning Fa muttered.
The Sea Race Spirit Transformation cultivator opposite him was Mattis, with whom he had clashed several times.
Mattis flapped his fleshy wings, and a look of apprehension flashed in his fierce eyes as he watched Ning Fa.
Over the past eight years, he had fought Ning Fa about ten times, and he could clearly feel the immense improvement in Ning Fa's strength during this short period.
Although Ning Fa had been suppressed in their encounters, Mattis had used his full strength. Yet, Ning Fa could still hold on, and without using his mysterious recovery methods.
If this were to spread to the Sea Origin Realm, it was unlikely any Sea Race member would believe it.
This was also why Mattis's killing intent surged. This time, Ning Fa was leading the team alone, without his formidable bodyguard.
Mattis decided to kill Ning Fa here, even at a great cost, to prevent him from becoming a future threat.
With this thought, mysterious blood patterns appeared all over Mattis's body, including his fleshy wings. His aura surged accordingly, quickly approaching the level of a Mid Spirit Transformation cultivator.
"Not good!"
Ning Fa, on the opposite side, was startled and couldn't help but show a wry smile. It seemed he couldn't save his Origin Points and had to use the True Form Imprint again.
But the problem was that he had used the True Form Imprint too many times over the years.
Although Ning Fa had killed some Nascent Soul cultivators from both the Sea and Human races to replenish his Origin Points, his expenses exceeded his income.
Because he was targeted by the Sea Race, as soon as he was alone, high-level Sea Race cultivators would come to hunt him, giving him very few opportunities to hunt enemy Nascent Souls.
Later, he had to ask other Human Race Spirit Transformation cultivators to help collect enemy Nascent Souls. Although this exposed some secrets, the situation improved as a result.
However, Origin Points still had to be used sparingly, saved for critical moments.
Like now, he only had a little over eight hundred Third-Tier Origin Points, enough for only two uses of the True Form Imprint.
He could use the Star Roaming Compass to escape, but of the hundreds of elite Human Race cultivators he was leading, very few would be able to escape.
With this in mind, Ning Fa immediately sent a spiritual sense transmission, ordering the other Human Race cultivators to retreat immediately.
At the same time, Ning Fa planned to use the True Form Imprint immediately.
But just then, Mattis, who was gathering power for a big move, seemed to have discovered something.
A trace of fear flashed across his blood-patterned, ferocious face, and then he turned and fled without a word.
Ning Fa also breathed a sigh of relief and looked down.
He saw a golden light flying over at some point. Inside was a golden ox-like beast, only about two feet long. The strange light waves emitted from its golden horns were extremely powerful. Any Third-grade or Fourth-grade Sea Race creature that fell into them was like a drowning person.
In just over a dozen breaths, more than half of the hundreds of elite Sea Race cultivators had died, with only a few escaping.
Then, the golden light swirled and, in the blink of an eye, flew to Ning Fa's front. The ox-like beast revealed itself – it was the Ancestral Beast of the Yuanshou Ancestral Court – Huan Yu.
As it raised its ox-like face, a ball of golden mist flew to Ning Fa's front. Inside were six Sea Race Nascent Souls with their eyes tightly shut, their life and death unknown. Among them were two at the Mid Fourth-grade.
Ning Fa's face lit up with joy, and he unceremoniously collected these six Nascent Souls.
"Thank you."
Ning Fa said, and his gaze towards the Ancestral Beast was filled with surprise.
Because this Ancestral Beast named Huan Yu was extraordinary.
Eight years had passed. Although its cultivation realm had not changed, after its form had completely stabilized, its strength had greatly increased.
Even though it was still at the Early Fifth-grade, it was already comparable to a normal Mid Spirit Transformation cultivator, and it had become an important pillar for the Human Race in the later stages of the eight-year racial war.
This was why Mattis fled without a word upon seeing it.
Because this Ancestral Beast was clearly vengeful and harbored a deep hatred for this Sea Race Spirit Transformation cultivator who had caused it significant trouble before. The last time they clashed, it had nearly taken his life.
"Daoist Ning, you don't need to be polite. After all, we are just trading. Just refine a batch of Golden Spirit Fragrance Jade Pills for me when you get back. I've already prepared the spiritual materials," Huan Yu transmitted, its voice changing from its original childish tone to that of a teenager.
Ning Fa smiled and nodded.
Ning Fa didn't ask the other Human Race Spirit Transformation cultivators to help him collect enemy Nascent Souls for free; instead, he offered his own battle merits as compensation.
However, it was a bit more special for this Ancestral Beast. After learning that Ning Fa possessed extremely high-level pill refining skills, its requested reward was precisely this Golden Spirit Fragrance Jade Pill.
This was a fifth-grade, Metal-attribute pill that Ning Fa had never heard of before. The pill formula was provided by the Ancestral Beast, but for Ning Fa, who possessed the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book, it was naturally not a problem.
"Daoist Friend Huan Yu, I recall you were on a mission in the Yuanyang Sea region. How were you able to arrive in time to provide support?" Ning Fa asked curiously.
Three years prior, after the Sea Race and Human Race abandoned their assault on Zhenhai City and instead adopted a strategy of widespread raiding, Ning Fa and other high-level cultivators had to lead teams to intercept them.
Initially, Ning Fa brought the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant with him on every outing. But later, as his Origin Points became increasingly scarce, he had to leave the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant in Zhenhai City at times. This was mainly because he had the Star Roaming Compass, which gave him the confidence to escape.
"I received news halfway that the enemy had retreated from that area. Daoist Wen said you were in a tight spot here, so I rushed over to help."
Huan Yu opened its bovine mouth and said with a smile.
Ning Fa was about to say something else when his expression shifted slightly, and he took out a Communication Jade Talisman.
Wen Yuchen's voice came from within: "Daoist Ning, please return to the city quickly. We have important matters to discuss."
Ning Fa and Huan Yu exchanged a glance, and without another word, they led the Human Race cultivators below them and rushed towards the Teleportation Array in a nearby city.
Three days later.
Still in the central Spirit Mountain of Zhenhai City, within the same assembly hall, rows of long benches were filled with Human Race Spirit Transformation cultivators. Of course, the Ancestral Beast Huan Yu and Tu Li were also present as special guests.
Ning Fa surveyed his surroundings, and surprise flickered in his eyes. It had been a long time since the Human Race's Spirit Transformation cultivators had gathered so completely; almost all of them were present this time. He had a premonition that the matter to be discussed today was extraordinary.
Ning Fa couldn't help but look towards Gu Zun and Yuanzun, the two strongest individuals among the Human Race, who were at the head. Their auras remained powerful, but they made no move to speak, instead looking at Venerable Jizhao.
Venerable Jizhao coughed and slowly walked onto the high platform.
Although only eight years had passed, he appeared significantly older than before, clearly approaching the end of his lifespan.
This also weighed heavily on the hearts of the others. Because no matter what, even if Venerable Jizhao's strength had declined, he was still a Mid Spirit Transformation cultivator, a pillar of the Human Race. Once he passed away, such combat power would be difficult to replace.
"Everyone is here. I have good news to tell you all."
A smile appeared in Venerable Jizhao's eyes as he spoke.
The crowd immediately sat up straighter, and many had already begun to guess.
Indeed, Venerable Jizhao continued, "Over the years, through the unremitting efforts of Daoist Friend Tianyi and others, the instantaneous teleportation capability of the Sea Race's cross-border channel defense barrier has finally been cracked!"
"Really!? That's wonderful!" The Human Race Spirit Transformation cultivator, who was as obese as a mountain of flesh and named Zhu Yan, trembled with joy, his fat jiggling.
The others weren't much better, their faces filled with delight.
"This matter is absolutely true, and we have finally reached this point. Therefore, today's agenda is to completely destroy the Sea Race's cross-border channel."
Venerable Jizhao stated.
"We have already debated this point many times before and have a complete plan. You can all review it first. After all, to successfully achieve our goal, everyone present needs to work together."
As he spoke, Venerable Jizhao flicked his right hand, and a Jade Slip flew into the center of the crowd.
In an instant, dozens of powerful Spiritual Senses swept towards the Jade Slip.