Chapter 9: The Spiritual Herb Beneath the Sea! Yang Yun of the Yang Residence!

Shen Yan smiled faintly. Just now, he had manipulated the water into a stream, directly trapping the sea serpent.

“If I turn the seawater into a wall, I wonder if the sea serpent can pass through?”

To test his theory, a wall of water, shaped by the power of the five elements, rose up between him and the sea serpent. He released the water that bound the serpent, allowing it to lunge toward him.

As expected, once the mysterious restraint was gone, the sea serpent launched its attack on Shen Yan again. In the next instant, however, the shape of its head changed in Shen Yan’s eyes, a ripple spreading across the wall of water before it.

But the serpent did not break through; instead, it was stunned by the impact and collapsed limply to the seabed.

“So it works. The art of water manipulation is not merely about controlling the flow—it can also shape the water, bending to my will.”

Though he had no idea of the true principles behind this technique, Shen Yan was satisfied with the result.

“Still, the wall’s defensive power is limited. I’ll need to practice more, striving to make it as hard as steel. Then I need never fear an ambush beneath the waves again.”

He shaped the seawater into a barrier around himself and walked over to the silver spiritual herb, gently pulling it from the seabed.

With the herb in his grasp, Shen Yan’s thoughts shifted, and the Celestial Emperor Seal released a powerful suction, drawing out all the innate purple energy from the silver herb in an instant.

As the purple energy vanished, the silver herb gradually turned into a black water weed, finally disintegrating and merging back into the sea.

“The innate purple energy is actually three times richer than that of the Redgold Silver-Eyed Fish. This spiritual herb is extraordinary.”

Elated, Shen Yan realized that this one herb’s essence would be enough to sustain his cultivation for some time.

He had no intention of letting the sea serpent go either. With a slight motion of his hand, the currents delivered the stunned serpent to him.

He attempted to extract its innate purple energy with the same method, but to his disappointment, the Celestial Emperor Seal remained completely inert.

“Is it that the serpent possesses no innate purple energy within, or is it that the Celestial Emperor Seal cannot draw the innate essence from living creatures?”

Shen Yan pondered for a while, concluding that the latter seemed more likely. After all, the serpent had been feeding on the silver herb day after day, and the energy was evident on its scales.

“I’ll try stewing it later and see.”

In half a day, he had found a spirit herb imbued with innate purple energy and captured a sea serpent. Shen Yan manipulated the seawater, swiftly surfacing.

By now, the sun was setting behind the western hills. He quickly found his fishing boat and, at his leisure, sailed back toward the shore.

...

The Duke of Lu’s estate spanned a thousand acres, resplendent with luxury. Pavilions, terraces, jade bridges, and willow-shaded walkways were everywhere.

Within the main hall of the inner residence, Duke Yang Ze of Lu and his eldest daughter, Yang Yun, sat opposite one another, both with grave expressions.

“Yun’er, you’re already in the late stage of Qi Refinement. I wonder when you’ll reach perfection and become a true disciple of the Jade Immortal Sect?”

Lady Yang Yun was famed for her elusiveness; the family had always claimed she was pursuing martial cultivation. In truth, she had long since been admitted to the overseas immortal sect, the Jade Immortal Sect. But to guard against rivals working in the shadows, this had never been made public.

“Father, now that I have the aid of half a Redgold Silver-Eyed Fish, at most three years will see me perfect my Qi Refinement and become a true disciple of the sect.”

Cultivation in this world was divided into four great realms: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul. Each major realm was further divided into four minor stages: early, middle, late, and perfection.

Yang Yun had entered the Jade Immortal Sect at age eight and cultivated for ten years. Now, with perfection in Qi Refinement close at hand, she was about to become a true disciple.

Yang Ze’s joy was immediate. He stood up, trembling with excitement.

“Excellent! Excellent! Once you reach perfection and become a true disciple of the Jade Immortal Sect, our Yang family’s status will be unshakeable. We’ll never have to fear that old monarch making a move against us again.”

Yang Yun frowned slightly. “Father, has His Majesty issued another decree?”

As a cultivator, Yang Yun cared little for mundane power struggles. But the Yang estate was her birthplace and supplied her with precious cultivation resources, so she valued its welfare.

Yang Ze nodded, a flash of hesitation passing over his face.

“A few days ago, that old wretch decreed that no innate treasures from Jinzhou Bay could be privately kept—they must all be handed over. Clearly, he’s discovered the resources we’ve been diverting for you.”

He slammed his palm on the table, his voice bitter.

“He wants to foster cultivators, but why should our Yang family have to contribute everything? Isn’t this just severing your path to immortality?”

Yang Yun was silent for a moment, and a glint shone like stars in her eyes.

“Qianguo is a mortal nation under the Jade Immortal Sect. Its spiritual energy is thin, and the output of innate treasures is all roughly accounted for within the sect. It’s difficult for the monarch to tamper with the numbers.”

“Only Jinzhou Bay belongs to the East Sea, its innate treasures unpredictable in their yield. It’s understandable that the monarch is unwilling to relax his grip, wanting to cultivate his own immortals.”

The Jade Immortal Sect was an overseas sect of cultivation.

Great Qian was but a small nation in this world, with its monarchs appointed by the Jade Immortal Sect.

Thus, for all innate treasures produced within its borders, the monarch had no right to keep them—they must be handed over to the sect.

But Jinzhou Bay was different. Connected to the vast sea, its treasures were beyond calculation.

For such a blessed land, the monarch naturally wished to assign royal kin to oversee it. Unfortunately for him, the sect did not allow it, and in the end, Yang Ze was sent as Duke.

Disciples of the Jade Immortal Sect—even those merely in the late stage of Qi Refinement—outranked even the monarch of Qian. In the presence of such disciples, the monarch himself had to bow and pay his respects, or risk disaster.

Still, as a mortal emperor, the monarch of Qian yearned to nurture immortal cultivators loyal to the throne.

“Innate treasures are indeed precious. Jinzhou Bay yields a few each year, but for seven or eight years, the old man has kept a close watch, leaving you with only scraps.”

Duke Yang Ze sighed, a trace of helplessness in his voice.

Yang Yun smiled slightly, her bright eyes glancing at her father with gentle amusement.

“Father, there’s no need to worry. How could treasures of heaven and earth be so easily obtained? The fish, shrimp, and shellfish from Jinzhou Bay may be called innate treasures, but can they compare to the Redgold Silver-Eyed Fish?”

“Just endure him for a few more years. Once I become a true disciple, I’ll report to the sect, and all the output of Jinzhou Bay will come under the Yang family’s control.”

Yang Ze nodded vigorously, hope shining in his eyes as he looked at his daughter.

“Wonderful! With the innate treasures from Jinzhou Bay to aid you, you’ll only soar higher on the path of immortality. When that happens, even the throne of Qian might not be beyond my reach.”

Yang Yun paid no mind to her father’s ambitions. To her, mortal power was but a fleeting shadow.

“Father, you must be cautious these next few years. Do not let others seize upon any weakness.”