Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Dawn broke over the main peak of Wanchun Valley. In the courtyard of Elder Lü’s residence, the old servant Shang Lu led a junior servant in the morning sweep, the rhythmic scratching of bamboo brooms against stone cutting through the quiet morning air.

Inside the left wing, Han Yu rose from his meditation mat, stretching his limbs.

Yesterday, he had broken through again. His Blood Refining Technique had officially reached the seventh layer of Blood Refining.

He focused inward, visualizing the blood talisman hovering within his Shanzhong acupoint. Seven crimson patterns were now fully saturated, glowing with a vibrant, menacing light. The framework for the eighth pattern was already beginning to take shape.

Over the past year, ever since he had revealed his proficiency in the Blood Refining Technique—disguised under the alias Spirit Blood Technique—he no longer had to skulk around or suppress this aspect of his cultivation.

The Blood Refining Technique was a terrifyingly efficient method. As long as one possessed a basic Spirit Root, they could devour essence blood to skyrocket their power. However, for ordinary cultivators, this came at the cost of slaughtering living beings and risking sanity-shattering backlash.

But Han Yu was an anomaly.

He was likely the only person in the world who could continuously supply essence blood to himself. His unique physiology allowed him to burn his own vitality to fuel the technique, regenerating the loss without suffering mental confusion or violating the natural order. It was a closed loop of power—clean, efficient, and devoid of the karma of killing.

Master Lü had always hoped Han Yu would prioritize the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method as his foundation, treating other arts as mere supplements. Yet, the results spoke for themselves. Last night, his Blood Refining Technique had surged to the seventh layer, overtaking his Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method, which currently sat at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.

His stockpile of condensed essence blood beads had also grown, now numbering over one hundred and thirty.

Han Yu reviewed his progress. His Blood Refining Technique had hit the sixth layer half a year ago.

Five months ago, thanks to the daily nourishment of the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart and the Ancestral Tree Spirit Liquid, combined with the potent effects of the Clear Heart Qi Gathering Pill, his orthodox cultivation had finally caught up. The seedling in his Dantian had grown a new section, transforming from a sprout into a young stalk. From here, it would climb section by section until the ninth layer, maturing into a complete Green Grain before he could attempt the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

He had entered the Sect at twelve. Now, at fifteen, after three and a half years of cultivation, he stood at the sixth layer of Qi Refining and the seventh layer of Blood Refining.

With the increase in cultivation, the restrictions on his equipment had loosened. The Star Luo Thread, previously capped at five strands, had opened up further. Every night, Han Yu bathed in starlight, condensing the sixth thread. Although it hadn’t reached Perfection yet, it was stable enough for combat.

His beast taming capabilities had expanded as well. Originally, the Beast Taming Technique bound the Boss Crow, and the Beast Heart Psychic Pact allowed for twenty subordinates. Now, his capacity had increased. In addition to the original twenty-one birds, he had contracted four new crows—elite variants at the early Qi Refining stage capable of spitting wind blades.

Over the last year, Han Yu had studied the Beast Heart Psychic Pact manual all the way up to the Golden Core chapters. He realized it was a completely independent system of Qi Refining, possessing its own unique Circulation Cycle that clashed directly with the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method.

He had wisely decided to only read it for knowledge, not practice it.

The Blood Refining Technique and the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method operated on different fuel sources—blood and Qi—so they could coexist without interference.

But the Beast Heart Psychic Pact fought for control of the Dantian and the Spirit Breath pathways. Attempting to cultivate it alongside his main method would be self-sabotage of the highest order—like tripping himself in the middle of a sprint.

He had also skimmed the methods for nurturing spirit birds, but he simply lacked the energy and resources to groom his flock properly. The best he could do was feed them Beast Spirit Pills and let them consume any low-grade spirit herbs they foraged, which were of little use to him anyway.

Why was he pushing himself so hard?

The urgency stemmed from the Ancestral Tree.

Elder Wen and Elder Mu, two powerhouses at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, were currently in secluded cultivation within the Ancestral Tree’s earth vein, attempting to break through to the Golden Core realm. They could emerge at any moment.

Once they left, it would be Han Yu’s turn to enter.

Cultivating directly within the earth vein would allow him to borrow the Ancestral Tree’s vast Spiritual Qi. It was a golden opportunity guaranteed to raise his cultivation by at least one full layer. To maximize this benefit, he needed his base cultivation to be as high as possible before he went in.

As for the Spirit Beast Formation, he and the crows had drilled it until it was second nature.

He had mastered the basics, but Han Yu felt there was still room for optimization in the Formation’s operation. If he had time later, he would delve deeper. Similarly, he had spent twenty Minor Merits to learn the theory of artifact refining but had put the practical application on hold.

Right now, raw power—cultivation level—was far more important than utility skills.

Han Yu adjusted his robes and pushed open the door. He saw his Master, Elder Lü, preparing to board a flying ship in the courtyard.

Han Yu bowed deeply. “Master.”

Elder Lü nodded warmly. “Mm, no need for formalities. I am heading to the main hall for a council meeting, then to the Battle Hall for an inspection. Are you heading to the Battle Hall as well?”

“Yes, Master. I am going to teach. The experiences recounted by the disciples returning from missions have given me quite a few insights,” Han Yu said, his expression serious. “However, there is a matter I must report to you first.”

Elder Lü raised a hand, gesturing for him to board. “Talk on the way.”

Han Yu leaped lightly into the air, landing softly on the deck behind Elder Lü. The ship hummed to life and ascended.

“Master, my Spirit Blood Technique has broken through to the seventh layer.”

Elder Lü spun around, his eyes wide. “Seventh layer? How can it be so fast?”

He did some quick mental math. Even if a Demonic Cultivator drained the essence blood of two or three mortals every single day, they wouldn’t progress at this speed. What kind of monster technique was this?

As for the technique’s real name, Elder Lü had long stopped caring. His disciple had been victimized by that traitor Zhu San; whatever this art was, they would call it the Spirit Blood Technique. Anything else was irrelevant.

Elder Lü frowned slightly. “And your Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method? Has that broken through?”

“No,” Han Yu replied, keeping his tone regretful. “My aptitude with Three Spirit Roots is ultimately a limitation. Despite the constant supply of Pills, I remain at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.”

Elder Lü sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “The Sect’s main cultivation technique should always lead the way.”

He looked at Han Yu with concern. “That… Spirit Blood Technique of yours. If it surpasses your main foundation, I worry it might negatively impact your Qi Refining base. You must know that Demonic Cultivators often lose their humanity. They become unscrupulous, frenzied, and—”

Elder Lü stopped mid-sentence.

He looked at the fifteen-year-old youth standing before him. Han Yu had gentle features, clear eyes, and a calm, scholarly aura. There was a clean, spiritual rhythm to his breathing.

His eighteenth disciple was absolutely, definitely not a frenzied maniac.

Occasionally, he heard rumors from the Battle Hall disciples calling Han Yu “cunning” or “insidious.” Bah! Pure slander from incompetent fools jealous of genius.

Just look at this face. How could anyone call this “insidious”?

“Forget it,” Elder Lü waved his hand dismissively. “If it surpasses, it surpasses. Just cultivate diligently and pay close attention to your mental state. If you ever feel restless or your thoughts become chaotic, come find me immediately.”

“If I am not around, go to the Sect Leader or the other Elders. Do not hide it.”

“I understand, Master,” Han Yu said dutifully. Then he added, “One more thing. My public cultivation is still listed at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. I haven’t announced any progress. If other disciples ask, should I tell them I am at the fifth layer?”

“Mm. If they ask, tell them,” Elder Lü agreed. “Your cultivation cannot remain stagnant forever; people will start to talk.”

As master and disciple conversed, the flying ship glided to a halt in front of the main hall.

They disembarked and entered the grand chamber.

Sect Leader Qi and Elder Yan—the two Golden Core powerhouses—were already seated at the head. Elder Bai and Elder Mou sat on the sides.

As Elder Lü and Han Yu entered, the seniors exchanged brief nods.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Sect Leader Qi cleared his throat. “Deacon Fang Qi and Deacon Bai Kexing have returned from the Central Heaven Domain.”

“Let us hear what they have discovered.”

Two figures walked to the center of the hall. One was Deacon Fang, who had originally assigned Han Yu to the Spirit Field Department. The other was Deacon Bai, a junior relative of Elder Bai and an elder to Bai Lingyun.

Deacon Bai took the lead, his expression grave.

“We investigated over twenty cities in the Central Heaven Domain,” he began. “The structure of their mortal cities is vastly different from our Southern Domain. Every city is ruled directly by cultivators. In small cities, the City Lords are mostly at the Foundation Establishment realm. In large cities, they are Golden Core grandmasters.”

A murmur went through the hall.

“Every city has public markets for cultivation resources,” Deacon Bai continued. “Practitioners are everywhere. Minor sects and cultivation families are embedded in every settlement.”

“What of the mortal government?” Elder Yan asked.

“Weak,” Deacon Bai replied dismissively. “They only manage the common folk. They are no different from ordinary yamen runners or landlords—completely negligible. The cultivators are the true law.”

He paused, glancing around the room. “As for the matter of the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation… the low-level cultivators there know nothing. When we inquired about it, the locals looked at us as if we had grown a second head. Either the information is strictly suppressed, or the level of such an event is simply too high for the bottom rung to comprehend.”

Sect Leader Qi nodded slowly. “That is reasonable. If common knowledge were that widespread, we in the Southern Domain wouldn’t have been in the dark until now.”

He leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. “What else? Why is the Central Heaven Domain targeting us? Which Sect’s envoy is specifically moving against Wanchun Valley?”