Chapter 531: Chapter 241: New Spirit Body, Powerful Divine Power Secret Technique (Part 4)
Even if Fu Lihong hadn’t sought him out this time, Chu Ning planned to find an opportunity to ask her.
Now that Golden Peak Castle is seeking aid from the Jiuhua Sect, it would be easier for him to inquire.
The two immediately agreed to set off early the next morning.
Upon returning to his cave mansion, Chu Ning explained to Ling Xiaobai that he would be leaving for a while. The little one needed to sleep to prepare for promotion, so he naturally stayed in the cave mansion.
Then, Chu Ning sent messages to Yu Changge, Ling Cang, and Ge Liuyang to prevent them from looking for him.
Early the next morning, Shang Xiaohan arrived at Spirit Rock Peak to invite Chu Ning to set off together.
The two headed straight for Golden Peak Castle.
Strictly speaking, Golden Peak Castle is not located within the Cloud Peak Mountain Range.
Instead, it’s situated in a place called Hong Lake Entrance.
The land area of Hong Lake Entrance is quite large, but there aren’t any advanced spirit veins, and it is precisely at the intersection of the three alliances: Cloud Peak Alliance, Celestial Extreme Alliance, and Demon Alliance.
Therefore, no major sect is established here, making it a no-man’s land among the three.
This has made it an excellent foothold for some major cultivation clans and smaller forces.
Some families occupy a few small hills and do business with passing cultivators, allowing many families to live quite prosperously.
Golden Peak Castle is one of them.
This family force, passed down for two thousand years, has stood firm in such places due to its unique characteristics.
The reason, likely, is that there has always been a Core Formation cultivator within Golden Peak Castle.
For sects within those alliances, possessing Golden Core cultivators is not an unusual thing.
Those places are for Nascent Soul cultivators to assert influence.
But in such a place, having a Golden Core cultivator is enough to deter enemies and protect a family.
However, everything started to change over two hundred years ago.
The Golden Core cultivator of Golden Peak Castle passed away, and no new Golden Core cultivator emerged among the descendants.
Even after another two hundred years, there is only one Foundation Establishment late stage cultivator in the clan.
The survival space for Golden Peak Castle within Hong Lake Entrance has become increasingly small.
In recent months especially, disciples have frequently been attacked by a Tier Four Snow Shadow Spider within their sphere of influence, resulting in heavy casualties.
Current Master of Golden Peak Castle, Jin Deqian, personally went to handle it. Not only did he fail to eliminate the Snow Shadow Spider, but he was also injured in the battle.
This situation has made everyone in Golden Peak Castle extremely anxious.
At this time, Jin Deqian suddenly remembered that two hundred years ago, the family faced a crisis and sought help from a Jiuhua Sect Golden Core elder.
So he tried to send a message.
Unexpectedly, the Jiuhua Sect Golden Core elder actually arranged for someone to come.
So, upon receiving the news, Jin Deqian waited early outside Golden Peak Castle.
At this moment, outside Golden Peak Castle, besides Jin Deqian, dressed in a brocade robe like a big merchant and with a slightly pale complexion, there stood a dozen men and women.
At this moment, a young man who looked about thirty years old but already had early stage Foundation Establishment cultivation spoke:
"Father, you’re not fully recovered. Why don’t you rest in the house first, and we’ll wait here?
It won’t be too late to come out and greet the Jiuhua Sect fellows when they arrive."
"No way!" Jin Deqian shook his head.
"Even at our peak, Golden Peak Castle is nowhere near the level of a major sect like the Jiuhua Sect.
Especially now, we are the ones in need, so naturally, we must lower our profile."
Upon hearing Jin Deqian’s words, the expressions of the dozen or so people around him were somewhat unsightly.
As members of Golden Peak Castle, they deeply understood the awkward situation and diminishing power of their family.
Only the young man who spoke first had eyes flickering with determination, saying somewhat defiantly:
"But one day, our Golden Peak Castle will definitely return to its heyday, no, surpass its former glory."
Hearing these words, Jin Deqian looked at him with a smile.
"Changhui, at thirty-two, you’ve already reached the Body Refining Fourth Layer, equivalent to the early stage Foundation Establishment. Now you’re on the brink of a breakthrough.
You are the most promising cultivator in the Jin family in two hundred years.
As long as we get through this period, Golden Peak Castle truly has the hope of rising again."
Jin Deqian valued his third son, Jin Changhui, very much.
In this generation, Jin Deqian and his three brothers had eight sons and three daughters together, with Jin Changhui being the most gifted.
Hearing Jin Deqian praise Jin Changhui, the other members of the Jin family looked on with a mix of envy and complexity.
Jin Deqian then took on a serious expression, with a somewhat stern tone.
"However, for the fellow Daoists from Jiuhua Sect, you still need to lower your posture.
In such sects, there are many with exceptional talents; you mustn’t have a limited perspective."
Jin Changhui heard his father’s slightly stern words and quickly agreed.
But below, his eyes flashed with a hint of disdain.
Simultaneously, he muttered to himself.
"If we don’t invite these Jiuhua Sect people, I can invite others; even a mere Tier Four demon beast can be easily dealt with."
While the people of Golden Peak Castle were chatting, two streaks of escape light, one blue and one white, flew over from a distance.
"They’re here!"
As soon as he saw these two escape lights, Jin Deqian’s face immediately showed a look of joy.
The Jin family all looked up.
The two escape lights were extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had already landed in front of Golden Peak Castle.
It revealed the figures of a man and a woman, naturally Chu Ning and Shang Xiaohan.
Seeing the newcomers so young, everyone in Golden Peak Castle was slightly surprised.
But once they sensed the cultivation aura of the two, everyone’s expression turned more solemn.
"Such young Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators, truly worthy of a sect like Jiuhua Sect!"
The three brothers of Jin Deqian were somewhat better, but the younger generation behind them all had faces full of envy.
Jin Changhui’s gaze was also flickering at this moment, vaguely with a tinge of jealousy.
"This female cultivator actually possesses the rare Yin Cold Body and seems to cultivate an Ice Attribute Technique, quite rare, already at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.
And this male cultivator looks even younger than me, yet he’s already reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage."
A few of the younger cultivators were somewhat out of sorts, and Jin Deqian then stepped forward, cupping his hands towards the two.
"Are you Fellow Daoist Chu and Fellow Daoist Shang from Jiuhua Sect?
I am Jin Deqian of Golden Peak Castle. Greetings to you both. Elder Fu transmitted that both of you would arrive today, and our entire castle has been eagerly awaiting."
This visit was made in the name of Fu Lihong, so on the way, Chu Ning had informed Shang Xiaohan that the specific matters were her responsibility.
Thus, he didn’t respond.
Shang Xiaohan also cupped her hands and replied:
"Master Jin, you’re too kind..."
While Shang Xiaohan and Jin Deqian exchanged pleasantries, Chu Ning’s gaze swept over everyone in Golden Peak Castle.
In his mind, he roughly gauged their strength.
One Foundation Establishment Late Stage, two Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, plus four Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
At the same time, Chu Ning’s gaze accidentally landed on Jin Changhui.
He couldn’t help but let out a slight "Hmm" in surprise.
However, there was not the slightest expression on his face.
At this time, after a few more pleasantries, Jin Deqian invited Chu Ke and Shang Xiaohan to sit inside the fortress.
"Master Jin, I wonder where the lair of that Tier Four Snow Shadow Spider is located.
I will go with Senior Brother Chu, so we can kill it as soon as possible."
Shang Xiaohan inquired about the situation of the Tier Four Snow Shadow Spider.
Jin Deqian’s face showed a somewhat awkward expression and said:
"This creature is really formidable; I haven’t been able to find out where its lair is."
Saying this, he hurriedly added:
"However, according to the beast’s past patterns, it comes out roughly every five days. By calculation, it should appear in two days."
Hearing that they still had to stay here for two more days, Chu Ning and Shang Xiaohan exchanged a glance.
Chu Ning was still thinking about another purpose of his visit and directly asked:
"Master Jin, I’ve heard that your ancestors came from the Celestial Eagle Sect, famous for body refining techniques.
Have you heard of the Nine Derivations Body Refining Technique?"
"Nine Derivations Body Refining Technique?" Jin Deqian laughed when he heard Chu Ning’s question and said,
"Of course, I’ve heard of it. The Nine Derivations Body Refining Technique is quite renowned among us body refining cultivators.
However, this cultivation technique is really too difficult to train in; every volume and layer has a bottleneck period.
Though our Golden Peak Castle has two volumes of this Nine Derivations Body Refining Technique, in a thousand years, hardly anyone has practiced it."
Chu Ning’s eyes brightened at this moment and asked:
"Master Jin, do you have the second volume of the Nine Derivations Body Refining Technique?"
