Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 257: Precarious as a Stack of Eggs

Han Yu coldly raised an eyebrow. “Underlings of Yinyi Town? Do you usually just abduct people to eat them?”

The Mystic One Sect didn’t even bother to clear out Demon Beasts and yin spirits, allowing such plagues to fester and thrive in their territory.

The fox whimpered, its voice trembling with terror. “We only eat a few mortals! We have never dared to offend an Immortal Master! This time, it was that old ghost Matchmaker Wang who was blind. She insisted that you, Immortal Master, possessed a handsome face and would be the perfect match for the mistress’s ghost marriage—Please, Immortal Master, spare my life!”

Before the creature could finish its pathetic plea, Han Yu’s Spiritual Energy erupted, instantly obliterating the fox in a burst of kinetic force.

Only eat a few mortals, it had said so casually!

These spectral parasites and mutated vermin feasting on mortal lives were a true cancer. Although Wanchun Valley shunned unnecessary slaughter, they were utterly ruthless when it came to eradicating such evils. In the Nanli Kingdom and Xiyue Kingdom, creatures like this had nowhere to hide. Yet, the Mystic One Sect—a sect supposedly stronger and far more cunning than Wanchun Valley—couldn’t be bothered to govern its mortal subjects. As long as the Demon Beasts and yin spirits kept their body counts low, the Sect turned a blind eye.

The contrast was a bitter irony.

Standing silently in the desolate wilderness beneath the night sky, Han Yu gazed at the uneven cluster of graves ahead. He waited. After a moment, no other yin spirits, foxes, rats, or Demon Beasts approached. He didn’t know if they had failed to notice him or if they had already fled in terror.

With a wave of his hand, he collected the single Yin Qi Pearl left behind by the destroyed spirit—a highly useful material for artifact refining or constructing puppets. He then extracted the Spirit Fox Blood from the mangled carcass. Finally, a Blazing Flame Technique reduced the sedan chair, the paper figures, the fox corpse, and the lingering yin energy to a pile of unremarkable ash.

Shortly after the flames died down, the massive raven descended from the sky. Master, we have found a place to stay.

Han Yu waited for the rest of the flock to return before heading toward a pitch-black mountain forest.

The crows had thoroughly scouted the area. Aside from ordinary wild beasts, the mountain was completely devoid of Cultivators or Demon Beasts. Nestled within the trees was an abandoned mountain god temple.

Entering the dilapidated structure, Han Yu activated two Cleansing Talismans. Years of accumulated dust, thick cobwebs, and scuttling rats were swept out the door in a rushing gust of wind. Though the interior remained weathered and broken, it was now clean enough to serve as a temporary haven.

Using a Star Luo Thread, he unceremoniously dragged the heavy stone mountain god idol outside. The empty, unburdened room immediately felt much more tranquil and secure.

He ordered the large raven to lead the 34 spirit crows on patrol around the perimeter. Then, he deployed the Formation gifted by Sect Leader Qi around the temple’s exterior. Only after the perimeter was entirely secured did he finally settle down for focused Cultivation.

He had acquired the complete Thousand Illusions Secret Art from Tian Qing.

Reflecting on how he obtained it, Han Yu couldn’t help but sigh. Tian Qing’s disguise had been utterly flawless. He could have easily fooled any Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Even a Golden Core master would have struggled to realize that a mundane turtle buried in the mud of a lotus pond was actually a Cultivator utilizing the Thousand Illusions Secret Art.

Unfortunately for Tian Qing, he had crossed paths with the unreasonably overpowered Giant Demon Star, Yan San.

Even someone as deeply paranoid and cautious as Han Yu had been repeatedly seen through by Yan San. She had only stopped prying into his secrets because they had developed a strange rapport, not because she lacked the ability. Tian Qing had enjoyed no such luck, getting violently yanked straight out of the mud.

Furthermore, Han Yu had obtained the Foundation Establishment cultivation method for the Blood Refining Technique from a Demonic Cultivator. His path for that specific art was clear once more.

Then there was his latest loot: two Foundation Establishment realm and six Qi Refining realm Heavenly Secret Spindles. His nine Star Luo Threads were about to receive a massive upgrade.

Over the past few days—from orchestrating the imperial purge in the Nanli Kingdom to encountering Old Daoist Li, the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple, and the Little Sky Net Sect disciples—his life had been a chaotic whirlwind. While the practical experience was invaluable, true power only came from quiet, undisturbed Cultivation.

If he didn’t desperately need to secure spirit items to advance his Cultivation, safeguard the Sect’s legacy, and investigate the dubious warnings about the Demon Star, he would have never left Wanchun Valley in the first place.

Han Yu retrieved the Ancestral Tree Spirit Liquid and the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart. He swallowed a Gathering Origin Pill and began circulating the Greenwood Foundation Establishment Art. He studied the Foundation Establishment methods of the Blood Refining Technique, integrated the complete Thousand Illusions Secret Art, and systematically refined the eight Heavenly Secret Spindles to reinforce his Star Luo Threads.

The sun rose and set. Lost in his profound trance, Han Yu remained oblivious to the passage of time. In the blink of an eye, several days vanished.

“Sect Leader.”

Inside the main peak hall of Wanchun Valley, Sect Leader Qi emerged from a two-day Cultivation retreat. He was immediately greeted by the assembly of Elders: Elder Yan, Elder Mu, Elder Lü, Elder Bai, Elder Wen, and Elder Mou.

Elder Lü was the first to speak, his tone laced with urgency. “Where is Han Yu now? Can the communication leaves still reach him?”

Sect Leader Qi pulled out a leaf, testing the connection, before shaking his head. “No. He has moved beyond their range.”

Elder Lü frowned, clearly displeased. “That boy is far too stubborn. We gave him communication leaves with a thousand-mile range so he would stay within a thousand miles! Checking in periodically is the sensible, flexible way to handle this. Now he has vanished completely off the grid. It is incredibly worrying.”

“He has his own mind and shoulders his own burdens,” Sect Leader Qi replied with a calm smile. “During this recent crisis in the Nanli Kingdom, he acted more decisively than I would have. If we hover over him constantly, he will never experience the tempering fires of the outside world. Even the finest jade cannot become a masterpiece without being carved.”

Hearing Elder Lü complain about his disciple, Elder Bai let out a long sigh. “I wonder how Seventeen is doing. When Lingyun found out he had left, she cried for half the day.”

Elder Wen opened his mouth, wanting to complain about his own lazy disciple, but quickly snapped it shut. At least the others had some inkling of where their disciples had gone. His lazy disciple was lost somewhere in the Central Heaven Domain, his fate unknown. Hand-wringing over it now without the ability to actually investigate would just seem hypocritical.

“Has anything critical occurred within or outside the Sect these past few days?” Sect Leader Qi asked, shifting the subject.

“Nothing major,” Elder Yan reported. “Junior Sister Wen is having success cultivating the Mystic Spirit Ginseng, but the Jade Spirit Berry absolutely refuses to take root. The environmental conditions that traveling merchant described are simply too difficult for us to replicate.”

“It is no wonder that spirit items like this, much like the Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pill, command such astronomical prices despite their niche uses,” Elder Yan continued.

“Han Yu requested it in an attempt to find a method to rapidly accelerate his Cultivation,” Sect Leader Qi noted. “It would have benefited both him and the Sect. It is unfortunate we cannot utilize it, though not entirely surprising.”

Elder Yan nodded in agreement. “In other news, everything in the Nanli Kingdom remains stable. Feng Jin’s ascension to the throne has gone smoother than we anticipated. The Spirit Sword Sect doesn’t entirely approve of our heavy-handed approach, but Elder Yin Hong didn’t try to stop us either. He basically told us to proceed at our own risk.”

“With the threat of the Central Heaven Domain hanging over our heads, our situation is precarious as a stack of eggs. Seeking radical change is only natural,” Elder Yan concluded. “We have set a bold precedent in the Nanli Kingdom. When the neighboring nations receive the news, who knows how they will react…”

“They will likely be terrified that Cultivators are coming to steal their mortal thrones,” Elder Mu interjected. She then turned her gaze to Sect Leader Qi. “Sect Leader, should we attempt to contact the Giant Demon Star at the Nascent Soul realm again? If she stands with us, even if Sect Leader Ye fails to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, we will at least have a trump card.”