Cultivation Begins From The Desert
Chapter 94 - 93: Cao Wenjin’s Plan

Chapter 94: Chapter 93: Cao Wenjin’s Plan

Yellow Sand Sect.

The mountain gate of the Yellow Sand Sect is situated atop a giant oasis, resembling a tightly closed shell. The oasis stretches over five thousand miles from north to south and more than four thousand miles from east to west. The population of mortals on the oasis reaches four to five million, most of whom are descendants of Yellow Sand Sect cultivators from generations past.

Of the over ten thousand cultivators within the Yellow Sand Sect, only about ten percent are direct descendants of sect cultivators. The remaining ninety percent are split evenly between those from various subordinate families and loose cultivators under its command, and mortals from the giant oasis and other oases directly governed by the Yellow Sand Sect.

Zhang Yunpeng originally came from an ordinary mortal family on the giant oasis where the Yellow Sand Sect is located. He was discovered to possess a Top-grade Spiritual Root and was accepted as a disciple by a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator within the Yellow Sand Sect, allowing him to rise rapidly and cultivate to his current realm.

Because of this experience, Zhang Yunpeng is very grateful to the Yellow Sand Sect for nurturing him. He sees the sect as his own family and is very attentive to its affairs.

After discovering the demonic cultivators’ invasion of the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, he deeply understood the significance of this matter for the Yellow Sand Sect. Thus, after the battle ended, he immediately set off without rest, staying alert and hurriedly flying back to the Yellow Sand Sect mountain gate over a span of tens of thousands of miles.

Upon reaching the mountain gate, he rushed directly to the entrance of the two Golden Core Ancestors’ grotto-heavens in the sect without resting and sent a request to meet with them.

The Yellow Sand Sect has two Golden Core Stage cultivators. One is named Cao Wenjin, who has cultivated for over eight hundred years with Sixth-Layer Golden Core cultivation; the other is named Jiang Ming, who has cultivated for over five hundred years with Second-Layer Golden Core cultivation.

The grotto-heavens of these two Golden Core Stage cultivators are located on the Tier Five Upper Grade Spiritual Vein at the Yellow Sand Sect mountain gate, less than a hundred miles apart from each other.

Upon receiving Zhang Yunpeng’s transmission, Jiang Ming, with Second-Layer Golden Core, immediately came out of seclusion and arrived at the entrance of Cao Wenjin’s grotto-heaven, entering with Zhang Yunpeng.

Golden Core Stage cultivators have a lifespan of a millennium. Although Cao Wenjin is actually over eight hundred years old, his appearance still resembles that of a middle-aged man, and Jiang Ming looks even younger than Zhang Yunpeng.

As Zhang Yunpeng and Jiang Ming entered the grotto-heaven, they saw a middle-aged cultivator wearing a hair-binding golden crown, clothed in a golden robe, and holding a white jade ruyi, sitting cross-legged on a thousand-year cold jade couch, looking at them with bright eyes.

"Greetings, Master Cao!"

"Greetings, Senior Brother Cao!"

Both greeted respectfully, but Zhang Yunpeng slightly bowed his head, not daring to meet Cao Wenjin’s eyes directly.

In contrast, Jiang Ming casually cupped his hands with a smile, not afraid to meet Cao Wenjin’s gaze.

Those who can condense a Golden Core are outstanding individuals, each with their own pride. Except when facing a Nascent Soul Stage Great Power, no one can make them lower their proud heads.

"Junior Brother Jiang."

"Junior Zhang."

Cao Wenjin nodded slightly with a smile, then waved the white jade ruyi in his hand, causing a cluster of vibrant cyan spiritual light to fall onto Zhang Yunpeng, instantly merging into his body.

As the cyan spiritual light entered his body, Zhang Yunpeng’s previously exhausted spirit was instantly revitalized as if soaked in a spring breeze, making him feel much more at ease.

Seeing this, Jiang Ming couldn’t help but exclaim, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Senior Brother is indeed senior. I can also perform this Cyan Splendor Profound Spirit Spell, but to use it so effortlessly like Senior Brother, I may not be able to achieve for another two hundred years of cultivation!"

"Junior Brother flatters me. It’s only possible with the aid of a magical artifact; such praise is unworthy."

Cao Wenjin waved his hand with a smile, not taking pride in Jiang Ming’s praise. Then, with a flash of brilliance in his eyes, he looked seriously at Zhang Yunpeng and asked, "Junior Zhang, weren’t you at Baisha River Oasis to assist Chen Yaohui in investigating the sand bandit attack? Why are you suddenly rushing back in such haste? Has something changed?"

Zhang Yunpeng’s face turned solemn. He took a deep breath and recounted the entire course of his journey to Baisha River Oasis in a solemn tone.

When Zhang Yunpeng mentioned the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect’s invasion of the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, the faces of Cao Wenjin and Jiang Ming changed simultaneously, eyes filled with suspicion. If not for their years of cultivation and their refined aura-keeping skills, they might have cried out in surprise.

Once Zhang Yunpeng finished recounting the events, the two Golden Core Stage cultivators were rendered speechless, both falling into silence.

"The matter of the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect being annihilated by the Immortal Dao factions of the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm was mentioned decades ago when Junior Luo returned from there. I remember Junior Luo said that almost all Golden Core Stage and above cultivators of the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect were netted, and any potential survivors should be too scared to act recklessly. How could they dare to so boldly invade our Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm? Could there be deceit involved?"

After a long silence, it was Cao Wenjin who finally spoke, raising questions about the information Zhang Yunpeng brought.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunpeng quickly replied, "Master, this matter, your junior dare not confirm, but the appearance of that Blood Mo Luo doesn’t seem deceitful. Besides, the Tier Five Spiritual Artifact and Substitute Blood Puppet in his hands can’t be fake."

Hearing this, Jiang Ming also nodded solemnly, saying, "Whether it is deceit or the truth, this matter must be taken seriously. I suggest we immediately order sect cultivators and the affiliated cultivation clans in various locations to investigate the loose cultivators and mortals in their jurisdictions. If the demonic cultivators already launched a large-scale invasion of our Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, it would be impossible not to leave any trace!"

"Then let’s proceed according to Junior Brother Jiang’s suggestion. I will now issue a Level B sect mobilization order. Every vassal cultivation clan of our Yellow Sand Sect must send one Foundation Establishment Cultivator and five Qi Cultivation Cultivators to the nearest large oasis to await the sect’s directives. Also, those who report sightings of demon cultivators will be awarded merit points by the sect according to the situation."

Cao Wenjin pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement with Jiang Ming’s suggestion. He promptly issued the order with decisiveness.

After making the decision, he turned to Zhang Yunpeng and said, "Junior Zhang, you have worked hard this time. Although the sect cannot currently replenish the ’Celestial Spirit Divine Thunder Talisman’ you used, I can credit you with the corresponding sect merit points, so you can exchange them for treasures in the treasure vault."

"Thank you, Uncle Master," Zhang Yunpeng said joyfully, bowing to express his gratitude.

It was truly a delightful surprise for him, and his heart was filled with gratitude toward Cao Wenjin and the sect.

This was truly the sect he loved and protected!

"Do not rush to thank me, Junior Zhang. You still need to make a trip to Baisha River Oasis. I will entrust you with a Child Snail of the ’Mother and Child Golden Conch.’ If you trace the Blood Mo Luo’s whereabouts, use it to notify me immediately. I will personally come to capture him."

While speaking, Cao Wenjin flicked his sleeve, and a palm-sized pale golden conch landed in Zhang Yunpeng’s hand.

"I shall follow your instructions, Uncle Master," Zhang Yunpeng said earnestly as he received the golden conch and placed it carefully into his storage bag.

The "Mother and Child Golden Conch" is a remarkable and precious item comparable to a Tier Five Spiritual Artifact. As long as one holds the Mother Conch, even if the holder of the Child Conch is thousands of miles away, their voice can be transmitted unhindered to the person with the Mother Conch.

He exited Cao Wenjin’s grotto and headed straight to the sect’s treasure vault, ready to select a few treasures before heading to Baisha River Oasis.

After Zhang Yunpeng’s departure, Cao Wenjin turned to Jiang Ming and said, "This is an opportunity. Although the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect has declined, we can use this incident to strengthen ties with the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm. The people there should realize how troublesome it would be if the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect gained control of our Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm."

"So, I must trouble you, Junior Brother Jiang, to make a trip to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, directly visiting the Profound Sun Immortal Sect that holds a deep enmity with the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect. Inform them we need assistance. If they won’t send Golden Core Cultivators to help us eliminate the demon, ask them to sell us fifty Foundation Establishment Pills and three portions of ’Purple Heart Jade Marrow’ used for opening the Purple Mansion at half price."

"I recall there is a two-thousand-year-old Tier Five Middle-grade Spirit Elixir ’Profound Sun Golden Reishi’ in the sect’s medicinal garden. Take this spirit elixir as a gift to Master Yuyang of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and request his assistance."

The Yellow Sand Sect controls a relatively safe secret passage to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, which is common knowledge within the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm. However, fewer than ten know of this secret passage among Yellow Sand Sect cultivators, and some Yellow Sand Sect Purple Mansion Cultivators are unaware of it due to insufficient qualifications.

Through this relatively safe secret passage, the Yellow Sand Sect sends people every few decades to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm for trade, selling some unique spiritual objects from the Boundless Sea of Sand for Foundation Establishment Pills, Purple Heart Jade Marrow, and other precious spiritual objects used to assist cultivators in establishing foundations and opening Purple Mansions.

In the past, however, those in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm were unwilling to sell these precious spiritual objects to the Yellow Sand Sect cultivators in large quantities.

First, their own sects had a high demand for these precious spiritual objects, and second, they did not want to see the Yellow Sand Sect grow too large, as it would become uncontrollable in the future.

This time, the invasion of the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm by the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect, in Cao Wenjin’s view, was both a crisis and an opportunity. If the crisis could be resolved and the opportunity seized, the power of the Yellow Sand Sect would undoubtedly rise to a new level as a result.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, I know what to do!"

With a flash of insight in his eyes, Jiang Ming nodded, fully understanding, and immediately left Cao Wenjin’s grotto, carrying tens of thousands of spirit stones through the secret passage to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm.

What happened within the Yellow Sand Sect was, of course, unknown to Zhouyang, who was currently dividing loot with the old clan leader Zhou Minghan and his father Zhou Xuanhao.

This time, although they only killed one Foundation Establishment Stage sand bandit, the spoils were indeed considerable.

Excluding the portion taken by Chen Ping’an, the treasures that fell into their hands were worth over twenty thousand spirit stones.

This included a Tier Three Top-grade Spiritual Artifact ’Mountain Leveling Seal,’ a Tier Three Middle-grade Spiritual Artifact ’Soul Suppressing Bell,’ and a Tier Three Lower-grade Spiritual Artifact ’Mountain Shattering Hammer,’ in addition to over five thousand spirit stones and Tier Two Spiritual Artifacts, spirit talismans, and elixirs worth several thousand spirit stones.

Among these items, both the ’Mountain Leveling Seal’ and ’Soul Suppressing Bell’ were treasures belonging to the former owner of the ’Thousand Machines Grotto Heaven,’ and both were rare gems.

After deliberation, Zhou Minghan took the most potent ’Mountain Leveling Seal,’ while the multifunctional ’Soul Suppressing Bell’ went to Zhouyang, and the remaining ’Mountain Shattering Hammer’ was given to Zhou Xuanhao.

As for the remaining spirit stones and spiritual objects, the three only divided the spirit stones and the useful spiritual objects among themselves, with all other items being collectively contributed to the clan’s treasure vault to benefit the younger generation of the clan.

Soon after they finished distributing the spoils, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew into the room and landed in Zhou Minghan’s hand.

"It’s a Sound Transmission Talisman from Yu’Er; she has arrived outside the Baisha River Oasis."