For over ten days in a row, Chen Sansi had locked himself in the cave mansion, preparing a large number of talismans and elixir pills. [Skill: Alchemy (Second-tier)] Each skill was steadily improving. After finishing his tasks, Chen Sansi once again took out the compass left by his senior brother. After activating it, he stared at the golden patterns on it, attempting to decipher them. Understanding how to use the compass was crucial to finding the exact location of the "Extreme North," thereby resolving a series of issues related to the Ancestor Vein and the sealing. The formations within the compass were indeed mysterious. Whenever Chen Sansi tried to probe it with his Divine Sense, just as he barely grasped the surface patterns, he would suffer a splitting headache, forcing him to stop the deciphering. [Skill: Formation (Second-tier)] There was still an urgent need to quickly improve his proficiency in formations. Chen Sansi exhaled deeply, storing all the prepared items into his storage ring. The blue bird came running to deliver a message to the residence. Chen Sansi understood at once and set off down the mountain. As he passed by the fenced yard where Lord Taishan resided, he heard pitiful wails coming from inside again. It was said that in the past two days, people from the Heavenly Water Saint Sect took turns conducting soul searches on him... If this continued, he would either die or fall into madness. Chen Sansi indeed felt some sympathy, and he also worried about what might happen to Lord Taishan, pondering who he could ask for cultivation techniques later. But he was truly powerless, so he could only skirt around the yard. After leaving the Qingxu Sect, Chen Sansi arrived at a tavern in a nearby mortal village or town. This tavern was opened by a cultivator from Great Han’s Sky Wall City. Places like these were numerous throughout the Sky Water Continent, mostly run by members of the Jinyi Guard, with the purpose of facilitating communication and gathering information from various quarters. Deng Wuchang and Dongfang Jingxing cupped their fists in greeting. Deng Wuchang handed over a storage bag: "Inside this are the formations I acquired, a total of twenty-four sets of second-tier formations." Chen Sansi was slightly surprised: "Were they all purchased?" Acquiring these formations would greatly speed up his mastery of formation skills, thus enabling him to decipher the compass sooner. "Only a few useless formations were bought; the rest were obtained freely, without spending a single coin!" Deng Wuchang explained: "Your Majesty must also know that useful formations are very difficult to acquire. I was quite troubled at the time, but ended up clashing with an independent array master on the road and directly took him down." After he finished reporting, Dongfang Jingxing took over the conversation: "The materials Your Majesty instructed me to procure have mostly been acquired, except for one core material called ’Xuánlíng Jeweled Crystal.’ Xuánlíng Jeweled Crystal is an essential core material for crafting "Seal"-type magic artifacts. Though this item is expensive in the Sky Water Continent, it’s not unattainable. It’s just that Great Han’s demand is exceedingly high. Ten thousand official seals. That’s ten thousand pieces of Xuánlíng Jeweled Crystal. Dongfang Jingxing and his people nearly bought out all the "Xuánlíng Jeweled Crystal" from Huayang Dao and surrounding areas, but only gathered a bit over a thousand pieces. To obtain more, the best method is to venture to the eastern part of the Sky Water Continent, to the territories of several sects rich in various spirit ores. But the journey is long, passing through several dangerous areas, taking several years in total, and there’s a high chance those dispatched may not return. Unless Chen Sansi goes personally, which he simply doesn’t have the time for. However, near Dragon Elephant City, there used to be spirit ore, so it’s possible to obtain some there. It seems this trip is a must. "You two, continue collecting formations and materials." Chen Sansi instructed, "If you run out of spirit stones, go find Cheng Wei to request funds from the national treasury." His second senior brother, Cheng Wei, has been the Minister of Revenue since the establishment of Great Han, primarily responsible for finances. Since the founding of Sky Wall City, all the cultivation resources have been assigned to him for distribution, so the Ministry of Revenue holds a significant position in the court. The second senior brother excels in strategy when it comes to warfare, preferring to clarify everything with an abacus before making a decision. He is also adept at managing the treasury. In recent years, not only has the second senior brother allocated funds, but he has also been earning Spirit Stones for the treasury. For more chapters visit novel⚑fire.net After the Beiyang Campaign, the court seized a significant number of Jade Tokens for Ancient Transmission Arrays through various prominent families. Moreover, in other parts of Beiyang, a more hidden Ancient Transmission Array was discovered. Although these two Transmission Arrays are still insufficient for transporting large armies, dispatching some cultivators has become extremely convenient. Second senior brother Cheng Wei always takes surplus materials and Elixir Pills from the court and sells them in various places across the Sky Water Continent. After some development, he has also established a few shops in several small workshops. After handling affairs, Chen Sansi returned to Qingxu Sect. The sect has issued a notice: in five days, they will depart for Longxiang City on the Sixue Road. The Baihua Valley team consists of Chen Sansi and Jiang Xiyue. It is worth mentioning that, during his time at Qingxu Sect, he has yet to meet this second senior sister. With the journey approaching, he wonders if she’ll make it back in time. This trip to Longxiang City could take three to five years, and if there’s major upheaval, possibly even longer. Fortunately, Longxiang City has Spirit Veins, so cultivation won’t be hindered. Once he obtains the Creation Jade Dew, his realm can reach late-stage Foundation Establishment, which is the perfect time to begin Foundation Establishment. "Before leaving, I should try to absorb the Red Lotus Karma Fire." Chen Sansi made up his mind. After all, the journey holds considerable risk, and having another defensive measure would provide some reassurance. He made his way to the pond with practiced ease. More than two hundred steps away, he gradually sensed that something was amiss. The area surrounding the pond was still shrouded in a white mist, but the temperature had dramatically changed! The mist, once akin to scalding flames, was now bone-chilling like frost. Even the original vapor had nearly solidified into clusters of ice crystals, blooming like ice snow lotuses in the void. Through [Qi Observation Skill], Chen Sansi saw a living person lying on the ground amid the frost. He drew a standard-issue flying sword from Qingxu Sect to brush aside the ice flowers and cautiously proceeded inside. Upon reaching the depths, he saw a black-clad woman covered in frost lying by the pond’s edge. The woman’s alabaster face was cloaked in a layer of ice; a black silk ribbon beneath her forehead was similarly encrusted with ice crystals. Or rather, his second senior sister. However, at this moment, Jiang Xiyue was a far cry from her usual imposing and stern presence. Her Ice Soul Sword was stuck in the earth at a slant, her body curled on the ground, trembling slightly, with a pained expression on her face. Chen Sansi attempted to rouse her, but to no avail. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be seriously injured. Moreover, [Qi Observation Skill] revealed that deep within the blind woman, a strand of crimson-black spiritual light flickered intermittently, each reemergence more brilliant than before. Though Chen Sansi had some knowledge of medical skills from concocting Elixirs, he couldn’t determine the severity of the blind woman’s injuries and was at a loss over what to do. "Junior brother, let me handle this." A gentle female voice sounded overhead, as Senior Sister Jiang Qiongsu descended from the sky, with a familiar Jade Pendant floating before her. Left behind by their master? During his visit to recognize family ties with his master’s wife, Chen Sansi had handed over the Jade Pendant but never retrieved it. Jiang Qiongsu formed a lotus-like hand seal, causing the Jade Pendant before her to emit a faint spiritual light. As if responding to a call, the Jade Pendant in the blind woman’s bosom rose effortlessly, similarly emanating spiritual light. The two Jade Pendants resonated, then each displayed an Eight Diagrams Array Seal, forming a connection. Jiang Qiongsu gently parted her lips, exhaling flames. The blaze, transformed into starlike spiritual glimmers by the Array Seal, descended onto the unconscious blind woman, slowly melting the frost enshrouding her. Subsequently, Jiang Qiongsu raised her sleeve and employed the Sword Control Technique to lift Jiang Xiyue into the air above the pond, then slowly unlocked the blind woman’s waist sash. The pebbles around the pond lit up with complex runes, one after another. She turned back, whispering, "I ask that junior brother please step aside."