Shen Xian stood at the edge of the spirit spring.

At the bottom of the water, the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise lay lazily, its shell shimmering with a faint, rhythmic spiritual light.

“Big guy,” Shen Xian crouched down, lightly tapping the water’s surface with his fingertip. “How about helping me find some treasure?”

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise slowly floated to the surface. Its beady, mung-bean-sized eyes stared at Shen Xian for a long moment. Suddenly, it opened its mouth and blew a string of bubbles.

“What does that mean?” Shen Xian raised an eyebrow.

Does it need the Purple Immortal Ganoderma to search for treasure?

“You want payment just to do some work?” Shen Xian was somewhat surprised.

This fellow was really trying to jack up the price on the spot.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise looked aggrieved, its divine sense stirring slightly to convey its meaning.

“So you think I’m going to search for treasure in the Ancient Ruins,” Shen Xian murmured thoughtfully.

His previous conversation with Wei Zhaoli must have been overheard by this big guy. However, as a fourth-tier spirit beast—equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator—entering the ruins would require special treasures to bypass the restrictions.

The Purple Immortal Ganoderma could help it enter the ruins to search for treasure.

Shen Xian’s heart stirred slightly.

If he could bring a fourth-tier spirit beast into the Godfiend Battlefield, his safety would increase dramatically. Moreover, he could use its natural talents to hunt for opportunities.

Furthermore, according to ancient records, the Godfiend Battlefield contained secret techniques capable of elevating a spirit beast’s bloodline.

Ten thousand years ago, a cultivator obtained such a technique and used it to soar to prominence in the Northern Region, eventually founding a major sect called the Divine Beast Sect. Its strength was not inferior to the Ice Soul Immortal Sect or the Divine Wood Sect.

If this big guy by his side could elevate its bloodline again, it would undoubtedly be an immense boon.

“Alright, I’ll go look for it. But… before I take you to the ruins, you still need to help me find some treasure first,” Shen Xian said aloud.

He had already decided to bring this big guy into the Godfiend Battlefield.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise nodded repeatedly.

Seeing its eager reaction, Shen Xian suddenly had the distinct feeling of being swindled.

He gathered a wisp of Golden Core spiritual power at his fingertip and lightly traced it across the tortoise’s shell.

“If you dare try to freeload food and drink on this opportunity, be careful I don’t peel your shell off and use it for fortune-telling!”

The Black Mystic Tortoise trembled all over, hurriedly retracting its head and limbs into its shell. Only after a good while did it cautiously poke its head out again, shaking it pitifully.

That evening, Shen Xian sent a message to Wang Yu, informing him about the need for the Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

The other party indicated he would do his best to inquire about it.

After handling these matters, Shen Xian finally turned his attention to the sword scripture that the System had returned during the day.

“Receive!” he recited silently in his heart.

In an instant, a vast, crushing sword intent surged into his sea of consciousness. It felt like an icy abyss from the extreme north pouring down; a cold, sharp aura instantly swept through his entire body.

Before Shen Xian’s eyes appeared a vision of an endless icy plain. The sky hung high above, and below lay an abyss of unfathomable depth. A single streak of snow-white sword light descended from the highest heavens, severing all life force.

“Heavenly Abyss Snow Illumination…” Shen Xian murmured softly, his spirit resonating with the sword intent.

The true essence within his body began circulating on its own. The spiritual power flowing through his meridians gradually condensed into frost; every wisp of energy transformed into sharp sword radiance.

He raised his hand in a grasping motion. Fine ice crystals actually condensed at his fingertips. The bone-piercing chill did not harm him in the slightest.

“Rise!”

He formed his fingers into a sword gesture and slashed through the air.

Swish!

A snow-white sword light abruptly shot forth.

An old tree in the courtyard silently fell, severed in two. The cut surface was smooth as a mirror; not a single splinter flew out.

Even more bizarrely, frost rapidly coated the surface of the severed branch. All life force within the wood was utterly extinguished in a split second.

“What an overbearing sword intent!” Shen Xian’s eyes gleamed with brilliance.

This sword scripture didn’t require deliberate cultivation. Upon receiving it from the System, he had already mastered it completely, as if he had practiced diligently for decades.

With a mere thought, the temperature within three zhang around him plummeted. Fine ice patterns crystallized on the surface of the stone table.

Xiao Bai was awakened by the sudden chill. She looked up in confusion, spotting a wisp of snow-colored sword energy winding around Shen Xian’s fingertip like a living creature.

She tilted her head slightly, then lay back down, her tail gently sweeping across the frost on the tabletop.

Shen Xian was quite satisfied with this sword scripture.

The next afternoon, Wang Yu hurriedly arrived at Rainfall Pavilion.

“Young Master! I’ve inquired!” He gasped for breath before gulping down a cup of tea. “This Purple Immortal Ganoderma is truly extraordinary!”

Shen Xian motioned for him to speak slowly.

Wang Yu lowered his voice. “This item is one of the main ingredients for refining Golden Core pills. It’s extremely rare and simply doesn’t circulate on the open market.”

He held up a finger for emphasis. “On the black market, it’s even more priceless when available. I heard that at the last auction, it fetched a sky-high price of one hundred and twenty thousand high-grade spirit stones!”

Shen Xian frowned slightly.

He hadn’t expected this thing to be so precious.

“Young Master, what do you need this for?” Wang Yu asked curiously.

His young master was only in the Qi Refining Realm on the surface. Could he already be planning for the Golden Core stage?

“Raising my tortoise,” Shen Xian said somewhat irritably.

Wang Yu looked utterly bewildered. Raising a tortoise?

What did that mean?

Shen Xian didn’t explain further. For his pet to ask for such a high-quality item right off the bat… he really didn’t know where to find one on such short notice.

Should he ask Wei Zhaoli?

She was an elite disciple of the sect and had already stepped into the Golden Core realm; perhaps she would know where to find one.

Just as he was about to send a message, Elder Bai from the Deacon Hall paid a visit.

This Deacon Elder wore an ingratiating smile on his face and held a sandalwood box in his hands.

“Young Master Shen Three,” Elder Bai walked straight in. “The Holy Son specifically ordered this old servant to deliver these pills.”

Shen Xian took the wooden box. When he opened it, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Inside were nine jade-green pills neatly arranged. Each pill’s surface flowed with profound patterns.

These were the Nine Cycles Azure Spirit Pills, reserved only for core disciples of the Divine Wood Sect. Even ordinary elders rarely got to see them.

Wang Yu watched from the side with undisguised envy.

The Holy Son truly cared deeply for their young master.

“Big Brother is quite thoughtful,” Shen Xian remarked casually.

Elder Bai didn’t mind his tone and smiled warmly. “Although the Holy Son says others shouldn’t give you preferential treatment… he himself pays close attention to you and often inquires about your cultivation progress.”

Given Shen Xing’s status and position, there was no real need for him to send someone personally with pills.

But he still did.

It truly showed he sincerely hoped his younger brother could advance further.

A flicker of cold light passed through Shen Xian’s eyes.

If he didn’t know about Shen Xing’s “Severing Emotions” Dao… he probably would have been immensely grateful.

After Elder Bai withdrew, Shen Xian gazed at the patterns flowing across the pills’ surfaces.

These pills were indeed precious. But compared to the future “Dao Fruit” his Big Brother intended to harvest from his corpse… they were merely a drop in the bucket.

He casually stored the wooden box away in his storage ring.

A playful glint flashed in his eyes.

Since his Big Brother wanted to nurture their brotherhood and emotions… he might as well let him expend a bit more effort.

With this thought, Shen Xian decisively headed straight toward where his good Big Brother resided.

Stepping out of Rainfall Pavilion, Shen Xian walked leisurely across the white jade rainbow bridge. Beneath his feet, clouds and mist swirled faintly, revealing the Divine Wood Sect’s seven peaks standing like swords against the sky.

On the main peak, the towering Divine Wood pierced the heavens. Its emerald green leaves and branches flowed with faint spiritual light, resembling carved jasper under the setting sun.

Disciples guarding along the path recognized his face immediately. They bowed and saluted respectfully.

This was the Holy Son’s own younger brother, after all. Who dared show the slightest disrespect? Who dared to obstruct him?

Shen Xian, his expression calm, passed through layers of restrictions until the view before his eyes suddenly opened up.

A simple yet elegant cave dwelling was built against the mountain front. Nine green jade steps flowed with profound talisman patterns leading up to it.

On both sides, spirit springs tinkled musically, and a few hundred-year-old spirit herbs emitted a refreshing fragrance that penetrated the heart and mind.

Shen Xian stood before the final restriction, gazing at the two characters “Seeking Dao” above the cave dwelling entrance.

A playful glint flashed in his eyes again.

Big Brother’s cave dwelling was quite imposing indeed!

“Young Master Shen Three.”

At that moment, a Golden Core Realm elder approached, his face piled with an ingratiating smile. “The Holy Son is currently in secluded cultivation. Does this old servant need to announce your arrival?”

Shen Xian nodded slightly.

“Please trouble yourself then.”