Chapter 232 Returning List! (Second Update)

The elder returned to his cultivation. Basen Guodong was wandering around, discussing cultivation techniques. He had reached level four when he suddenly felt his speed drop drastically, less than one-thousandth of its original speed. It seemed that the power of the demon seed had been largely absorbed. If he wanted to improve further, he would have to rely on diligent cultivation. Unable to break through in the short term, he chose to refrain from cultivation for now, waiting to return. He had a premonition that their time in this realm was running out.

He had explored the area around the house, including the herb garden and the medicinal herb patch. He especially loved the herb garden; with the Grand Elder not around, he could only watch helplessly as the herbs were not available.

He considered stealing some herbs and throwing them into Peach Blossom Spring, but then he remembered that the Grand Elder had already promised him one of each kind, so it seemed unnecessary. Besides, he didn't know if the Grand Elder was observing him from the surroundings. So he could only mentally scan his surroundings. A two-thousand-meter sensing range appearing on a low-level disciple was indeed terrifying.

In addition, cultivators can also improve their senses, but they are only at level four now, with a sensing range of less than one meter, which is pitifully small.

In general, the two sensing abilities are quite different. One is like an all-weather, precise radar with a wide range, while the other is like a thought-based sensing, more clearly perceiving the atmosphere of nature, including spiritual energy, which feels very intimate.

If a level 20 plant cultivator were to perceive it, the range would be only a dozen meters, nothing like Zhang Guodong's exaggerated all-weather precision radar.

In front of the thatched hut, Xiao Ruonan was still cultivating to solidify her current realm, not yet having finished her practice. Zhang Guodong occasionally glanced at Xiao Ruonan's jade-like face, her sensual lips, her full breasts, and her slender waist.

This woman exuded arrogance, an almost unbearable pride. She seemed to think no man in the world was worthy of her, though her figure was undeniably attractive. Xiao Ruo, completely absorbed in her cultivation, was oblivious to the outside world, while Zhang Guodong's scrutiny became increasingly brazen.

"Ahem!" Just then, his view was suddenly blocked, and Zhang Guodong immediately broke out in a cold sweat. The Grand Elder had arrived. A light cough confirmed this.

Zhang Guodong stood up awkwardly, feeling another blow to his heart. Although he knew the Grand Elder had entered his sensing range, it was too fast; he only had time to change his expression to cover it up.

"Elder!" Zhang Guodong stood up and bowed respectfully. He'd been caught spying! *sweat*

"Huh?" The Grand Elder glanced at him with a smile in his eyes. It was understandable that a gentleman might be attracted to beauty, and that young people might appreciate it. But then the Grand Elder was taken aback. He had immediately discerned Zhang Guodong's current cultivation level and was somewhat surprised. Had he misjudged him? After the Soul Implantation, Zhang Guodong had actually advanced four levels in one go!

You see, when he brought Zhang Guodong and Xiao Ruonan here, he had unknowingly tested their talents along the way. Zhang Guodong's talent was only considered below average, unsuitable for cultivation, but his current unusual behavior puzzled the Grand Elder. However, the Grand Elder kept this question to himself and said, "The pills have been tested and are very good. Now it's your turn to receive your reward!"

As he spoke, the elder tossed over a purple storage bag, which Zhang Guodong quickly caught, feigning confusion. In reality, he had already recognized it as a storage bag; after all, having robbed someone once, he had some experience with such things.

However, this storage bag is purple, not black. Could it be a high-end product?

"This is a mid-level storage bag that has not yet been claimed by a master. Inside is a small space where everything you are entitled to is. There is still some space left. Come with me and put the medicinal herbs in!" the Grand Elder said calmly.

Intermediate storage bag? Zhang Guodong's face lit up with a delighted smile; he was practically drooling. This delight was genuine. He hadn't expected it to be so high-end—intermediate quality, much larger than that little black bag, ten times bigger! One cubic meter here is actually the same size as one cubic meter.

Although this space is far inferior to Peach Blossom Spring, it is obviously very valuable, and for Zhang Guodong, the more the better!

"Elder, does a storage bag need to recognize its owner?" Zhang Guodong asked, suppressing his surprise.

"That's right, small storage bags are small, just miniature storage spaces, and cannot be bound to a master. However, medium-grade storage bags are ten times more powerful than small storage bags, so they must be bound to a master, and no one else can open them except the owner."

"Do you have any larger storage bags?"

The elder looked at him in surprise. This little fellow has quite an appetite!

"Large storage bags are very rare, with a capacity ten times that of medium-sized storage bags! However, large storage bags are extremely rare across the entire continent; even when they exist, they are usually controlled by powerful forces, with only six or seven in total." "Indeed, very rare!"

Zhang Guodong suddenly remembered his Peach Blossom Spring space. Could this be considered a storage space? Then he thought about it again and realized it probably wasn't. Storage bags only store space and cannot support living things, while Peach Blossom Spring is like another world, a living space.

"Elder, is there any larger storage space?" Zhang Guodong decided to ask, hoping to speculate on the origin of Peach Blossom Spring.

Zhang Guodong was clearly disappointed. The Grand Elder pondered for a long time before saying, "There should be some, but no one has ever seen or heard of a large storage bag."

Why are you asking this?

"Well, Elder, I was thinking, wouldn't it be great if people could survive in this storage space?" Zhang Guodong said with an embarrassed smile.

The Grand Elder was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Your idea is quite good, but the storage bag is just an alternate dimension that can't support living things. Alright, let's start collecting the medicinal herbs!"

The two arrived at the medicinal herb garden. This time, the Grand Elder personally gave permission, which excited Zhang Guodong. These herbs were all top-quality; he could add over two hundred more varieties to this continent!

Given time, the medicinal herbs will all mature, allowing him to refine even more pills.

After all, he still had eleven pill formulas. All he lacked were the medicinal herbs.

As Zhang Guodong collected the herbs, he humbly sought advice. Seeing Zhang Guodong's eagerness to learn, the Grand Elder generously explained the medicinal properties of the herbs. Gradually, a hint of regret appeared in the Grand Elder's eyes.

In his view, Zhang Guodong was a promising talent. If he could stay in the cultivation world and be nurtured, his future would be limitless, at least in terms of alchemy skills. However, Zhang Guodong had to go back.

The reason behind this is...

After a sweeping attack, Zhang Guodong collected the last medicinal herb. Then, the Grand Elder taught him how to make the intermediate-level storage bag recognize him as its master. The procedure was quite simple: a blood oath was made, and then his natal demonic vine left Zhang Guodong's spiritual imprint on the storage bag, thus giving Zhang Guodong true possession of the storage bag.

Zhang Guodong breathed a sigh of relief after putting all the bundled medicinal herbs into his storage bag.

Good things only truly belong to you once you have them in your hands.

For example, he obtained the array talisman and the weapon-refining fire talisman, and only then did he feel at ease placing them in Peach Blossom Spring. Then Zhang Guodong discovered that this storage bag actually contained not only the spirit-gathering array materials promised by the Grand Elder, but also some jade talismans, books, and hundreds of low-grade crystals.

However, the Grand Elder didn't say much, and Zhang Guodong pretended to be mute, deciding to wait until after they left to see what was going on.

Xiao Ruonan's cultivation has finally come to an end. This woman has an absolutely beautiful face, a good figure, big breasts, a perky butt, a flat stomach, long legs, and her talent is also quite good!

She stabilized at level three in one go!

They are one or two levels higher than Xu Wenbo and his group. This is because some of Xu Wenbo's group of five only advanced one level in a short period after receiving the Soul Seed, which is related to their talent and the degree of fusion was affected. Whether there will still be a gap in strength between them in the future depends on their efforts.

Diligent practice after the day is of utmost importance!

Zhang Guodong followed the Grand Elder to the front of the thatched hut, just as Xiao Ruonan opened her eyes. Seeing that it was the Grand Elder, she immediately stood up and bowed.

"Greetings, Elder!" Xiao Ruonan's voice was quite pleasant, though it carried a hint of arrogance, coldness, and even a touch of joy. Nevertheless, it was extremely respectful.

"Hmm!" The Grand Elder smiled slightly, a rare occurrence, his eyes softening considerably. Perhaps he was thinking of his granddaughter, Xuan Qingban? Both she and Xiao Ruonan before him were proud individuals, quite alike. "Not bad. To reach level three in the initial stage of Soul Cultivation is quite a talent. However, while talent may give you a slight advantage in the initial stage, allowing for higher comprehension and faster cultivation, ultimately, your success depends on your perseverance and relentless effort!"

The Grand Elder was like an endless ocean in front of Xiao Ruonan, clearly his cultivation was too high, making her feel as weak as a small insect. Naturally, Xiao Ruonan believed the words of the Grand Elder to the fullest.

"Yes, Elder. Ruonan will definitely put in a hundred times the effort and cultivate diligently!" Xiao Ruonan said firmly, clenching her jade fist as if making a vow.

Zhang Guodong, standing next to the Grand Elder, grinned. This woman was quite interesting.

The Grand Elder also gave Xiao Ruonan a mid-grade storage bag, which made Xiao Ruonan overjoyed again; she clearly liked the storage bag very much.

Generally speaking, even fourth-generation inner disciples are not necessarily qualified to possess intermediate-level storage bags. Currently, only the eldest disciples of the elders and some disciples who have made meritorious contributions can possess them.

But Zhang Guodong and Xiao Ruonan obtained one without lifting a finger! If Xu Wenbo and the others knew, they would probably be green with envy, because although they obtained spirit-grade demon seeds and became inner disciples, apart from these two things, their other possessions, such as storage bags, were only small storage pouches with a pitiful one-tenth of the cubic meter of space!

In other words, of the sixteen people outside, only Zhang Guodong and Xiao Ruonan have obtained intermediate-level storage bags! "Everyone gathered again in the back garden of the Elder Hall."

The Grand Elder's solemn arrival caused everyone waiting to overlook the presence of newly promoted figures like Zhang Guodong. Naturally, no one paid any attention to Zhang Guodong, this anomaly. His rapid advancement of four levels was no longer of any concern.

The Grand Elder swept his gaze across the crowd. Everyone held their breath.

"Of the sixteen outsiders, the remaining eleven have completed their soul implantation. Now, there is an important matter for the elders and their disciples to choose from!" the Grand Elder said.

boom!

The dozen or so elders and their disciples became even more serious, curious about what the Grand Elder was going to announce and whether it concerned them!

"Sixteen people from the outside world are about to return to the mortal realm. This is a decision made jointly by me and the elders, to facilitate their early return! However, this time, not only will they return, but the Elder Hall has also decided to send some cultivators out into the outside world. These individuals will be selected from among you, the eldest disciples. Your task is to establish another foundation for the Qingxuan Sect in the outside world, but remember, you must not let mortals know of your existence, and you are not allowed to break the rules there! More instructions are recorded in the jade talisman we will discuss later. Finally, the disciples who go to the outside world will no longer participate in the competition for the position of Seventh Elder!" The First Elder said, his chilling gaze frightening.

This is an ironclad rule! An ironclad rule of the cultivation world! These senior disciples basically all knew that Zhang Guodong and his group came from the outside world, and that they were going to return. They too were going to return, but they hadn't expected that only a handful would be returning.

Some were delighted, while others hesitated. Some remained unmoved, focusing solely on cultivation. Of the fifteen senior disciples, only one emerged—Qi Hui, the seventh elder's senior disciple. The others, however, were completely unfazed; the position of the seventh elder clearly held greater appeal for them.

The First Elder frowned. He glanced at Xuan Qingji, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but then said, "Qingbai, you are the eldest senior sister, you must go out this time too!"

"Ah, then I'll go too!" Qingzhu had been hesitant, but upon seeing Zhang Guodong's smiling face and hearing that her senior sister was also going out, she immediately jumped out as well. However, she was a little reluctant to look at her master, the Tenth Elder Lin Linglong.

The appearance of the three caused the other senior disciples to hesitate. The Grand Elder had sent even their eldest sister out; could the outside world really be so wonderful? After all, they had no knowledge of the outside world whatsoever.

"Who else?"

Note: I've corrected the number of participants again. In Chapter 1, the ending should have shown eleven people receiving the Soul Seed. Excluding Xu Wenbo and the other four who already had their Souls Seeds, the Heavenly Dao realized it was almost dizzy from the mistake. It's been corrected now, and I apologize again!