《This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable》
Chapter 1: The Descent
Chapter 1: The Descent
"You have received self-destruct damage from the Blood Demon Lord, you are dead."
"You have killed the Blood Demon Lord,pleted the mission, received the final mission reward, drawing for Legendary Talent..."
When Lu Qingshan woke up, the system notification from that intense battle still echoed in his mind.
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Unconsciously, a smug smile curled at the corners of Lu Qingshan''s mouth¡ª
No matter how high the reputations of the major guilds among yers, no matter if their power overshadowed everything, still, I, a lone yer, managed to sneakily seed and obtained the final mission reward.
This intense battle, named the Godyer Battle, was an official event by "Nine Heavens" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the game''sunch.
On that day, the game issued a server-wide announcement, one of the Great Demon Lords from the Demon Race, the Blood Demon Lord, was trapped in the ck Abyss for a special mission and couldn''t leave for a short while.
It called for all yers to quickly head to the ck Abyss, besiege the Blood Demon Lord, and fight for the cultivators of the Human Race. The yer who ultimately killed the Blood Demon Lord would gain the final mission reward, the "Legendary Talent."
As soon as the announcement was made, it created a sensation across the server, and all yers went mad.
The Demon Lord is one of those NPCs with the highestbat power in the game.
"Nine Heavens" had been running for ten years now, and although the main storyline of the game had reached the middle stages, the Demon Lord still remained an invincible, highly lethal boss in the eyes of the yers.
While for yers, as long as it had health points, they could just recklessly charge at it.
But even if yers could use their numerical advantage to forcibly win against a Demon Lord, killing one was something utterly impossible at this stage.
The reason was simple, the Demon Lord wasn''t a fool; with his cultivation, the moment he sensed danger and decided to flee, the yers genuinely had no means to stop him.
This was also why this battle, although a besiege against a Demon Lord, was named the Godyer Battle¡ªbecause for the yers at this stage, killing the Demon Lord was as difficult as ying a god.
Now, the Demon Lord was restricted by the officials to the ck Abyss, meaning yers could essentially wear down the Blood Demon Lord by sheer numbers. Such an opportunity to y a god was ced right before the yers by the officials. Who could not be excited?
Moreover, the final reward for the mission was "Legendary Talent"!
The importance of talent in "Nine Heavens" is beyond question.
Since the game had started, yers, in the eyes of NPCs, often yed the role of cannon fodder, those whose cultivation was decent but whosebat power was hardly mentionable.
At the same cultivation realm, those well-known NPCs could kill yers of the same level as easily as ughtering dogs, and there were even some NPCs with heaven-defying abilities who could kill yers from a higher realm.
Why?
Isn''t it because these "protagonist temte" NPCs possessed heaven-defying talents?
For example, a certain genius Sword Cultivator NPC, equipped with the Legendary Talent "One Sword Frost Cold": Sword Technique damage increased by 100%.
Yes, Legendary Talents are just that brutally simple!
When every strike deals double damage, isn''t fighting such an opponent like chopping vegetables?
How can one y like that?
I can''t deal with this, I just can''t.
Heck, yers generally assume they''re the protagonist when ying a game, but then they log in to find out that they''re just an extra, only there to highlight how awesome the main character is; in front of NPCs, aside from Infinite Resurrection, they''re left with no sense of superiority.
That just shatters your spirit, right?
Now, the officials put an opportunity to be the protagonist right in front of all the yers. Who wouldn''t be thrilled?
Finally, this damn nner turned human!
The way the mission''s rewards were allocated made the yers'' blood rush¡ªThe yer who dealt the final blow to the Blood Demon Lord would receive the final mission reward.
Normally, the final reward for such a server-wide event would be allocated based on contribution rate, and the yer with the highest contribution rate would receive the final mission reward.
Although this method is theoretically the fairest, it also means that the final reward tends to go to those top-tier yers, leaving ordinary yers with no chance topete for the final mission reward.
Usually, trying to win this so-called jackpot at each event is like gods fighting; ordinary yers in such events mainly just add to the crowd and scrape up the most basic participation reward.
But this radically different reward allocation method for the tenth anniversary celebration caught the fancy of countless ordinary yers: Hmm... isn''t this the officials encouraging us to steal the show?
Stealing the show, there''s a strategy for that.
Yes, the top yers are formidable.
But in such arge-scale server-wide event, where things are chaotic and every moment countless skills are being thrown at the Blood Demon Lord, who can keep track of the damage?
Even if you''re a top yer, you can''t be sure you can deliver the final blow to the great boss. It alles down to luck tond that finishing hit.
Hehe.
Given the poprity of "Nine Heavens", possessing an ount with a "Legendary Talent" could sell for a fortune, easily making more money than winning the lottery and enough to splurge for a lifetime.
Now, even the typically indifferent Buddhist-like yers couldn''t help but get involved, all making their way to the ck Abyss.
Who can''t indulge in a daydream?
Lu Qingshan was among this vast group of yers dreaming of sneaking a victory, but he was slightly different from the average yer; he was somewhat famous, ranking in the top ten of Sword Cultivators without belonging to any guild.
As a top ten Great Sword Cultivator among yers, Lu Qingshan naturally had some ace skills unlike the average yer.
"Heaven and Earth Sword": At the cost of dropping a major realm in cultivation, the yer''s next damage skill carries special effects: true damage, killing effect, ignores death immunity.
Each of these effects alone would be considered to have Legendary Talent.
Not to mention thebination of three effects, whose intensity can only be described with one word.
Terrifying indeed!
Naturally, the cost of such great power is immense, and the penalty of falling a major realm made it so that Lu Qingshan had this skill for a long time but had never used it.
Especially as his Cultivation Realm grew higher, the cost of falling a major realm became even more burdensome.
He thought he would never use this skill.
But now, an opportunity for a huge gamble was before him.
Even with the "Heaven and Earth Sword" effects, he couldn''t be sure he would make the final strike, but the odds were significantly higher, and he was willing to take that chance.
If he didn''t get the ultimate reward, at worst, he would just need to intenselymit to his cultivation for a while to recover. But if he seeded? Legendary Talent, and moreover the first ever yer-owned Legendary Talent in "Nine Heavens", falling even to the Foundation Establishment Stage was still hugely profitable.
So, when the Health Points of the massive Blood Demon Lord plummeted under the yers'' siege, preparing to self-destruct, Lu Qingshan used his Heaven and Earth Sword and unleashed his strongest Sword Technique.
What followed was a dazzling red light and two system notification sounds.
Upon hearing the first system notification, Lu Qingshan thought he had failed.
Fortunately, the second notification arrived shortly after.
He had seeded after all.
...
Lu Qingshan felt his body stiff and somewhat cold, as if soaked in some liquid.
He frowned involuntarily; resurrection wasn''t supposed to feel like this.
Could it be the side effects of using "Heaven and Earth Sword"?
Lu Qingshan''s first response was to curse in his mind, Damn nners, what are you messing with now? Even dropping a major realm in cultivation isn''t enough, and you still have to mess with the resurrection process.
Subconsciously, Lu Qingshan sensed the Spiritual Power within his body.
Empty, just as expected...
Wait, empty?!
As a seasoned yer of "Nine Heavens", I had already reached the current version cap ¨C the Body Integration Realm. Even using "Heaven and Earth Sword" to drop a major realm shouldn''t leave my Dantianpletely void of Spiritual Power.
Could this be a bug?
Although many thoughts floated through his mind, in reality, only a very brief moment had passed since he awoke.
Lu Qingshan, puzzled, slowly opened his eyes.
It was a dark, damp cave; the cave walls were embedded with Luminous Pearls, emitting a faint white glow, allowing Lu Qingshan to clearly see his current situation.
It wasn''t just a feeling; he was indeed soaking in a liquid.
A small pool filled with dark liquid, and he was in it, like soaking in a hot spring with only his head above the surface.
ncing around, besides himself in the small pool, there were dozens of cute little heads above the water surface, aligned neatly.
???????
Chapter 2 - 2 Legendary Talent
Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Legendary Talent
What the hell?
Logically speaking, I should have respawned at the previously bound respawn point, not appeared in this somewhat mysterious cave.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment.
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He carefully observed the liquid he was soaked in, dark as ink, with faint silver strands floating in it. Lu Qingshan sniffed, and a slight musty acidic smell entered his nostrils.
As a veteran yer who entered the game during the beta phase of "Nine Heavens," Lu Qingshan quickly made his judgment.
This seems to be the lowest grade of Corpse Puppet Liquid, a Spiritual Liquid used by Demon Cultivators to refine Corpse Puppets.
Corpse Puppets, how long ago was that memory?
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but feel dazed.
The Corpse Puppet Chaos, that was the main storyline during the beta phase of "Nine Heavens." If he hadn''t participated in the beta, he might not have known about it.
By the time "Nine Heavens" officiallyunched for public testing, the Corpse Puppet Chaos, as a prequel, had already ended. As a new yer entering the game then, his involvement in this main storyline from the beta version was minimal; he merely experienced it passively.
In fact, not just the Corpse Puppet Chaos, but yers with low power, in the main storylines of the first few versions, were never truly qualified to participate. They could only follow behind NPCs and watch the excitement.
"Wait a minute..."
"Wasn''t this thing globally banned by Human Cultivators after the end of the Corpse Puppet Chaos?"
"No, that''s not important. What''s important is, where''s my cultivation? And why am I here, where is this?"
Lu Qingshan felt his mind wasn''t functioning well enough.
Suddenly, countless images exploded in his mind like an atomic bomb, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
Lu Qingshan''s breathing became rapid, his pupils constricted, as if he had lost his senses.
He remembered.
He remembered.
His name is Lu Qingshan, born in Qing State, a member of the Lu Family, a cultivating family in Qing State.
But he did not be a cultivator due to the family''s cultivating bloodline because his mother was an ordinary mortal, a random woman whom his cultivator father dallied with for amusement.
In the cultivating world, where the strong prey on the weak and the mighty are revered, his flirtatious cultivator father obviously didn''t ce much value on so-called familial ties. In fact, his father had left too many seeds behind and couldn''t manage them all.
With little talent for cultivation, he became a middle manager of the family''s secr ventures. During a delivery trip, he was attacked by cultivators and when he woke up again, he found himself in this bizarre cave.
Wrong!
Lu Qingshan''s body shuddered as he continuously reminded himself in his mind.
It''s not like this. I am Lu Qingshan, but I am not the Lu Qingshan of Qing State''s Lu Family, I am a citizen of a country called Huaxia from another space-time.
But the memories in his mind kept telling him.
"You are Lu Qingshan, whether it''s Qing State''s Lu Qingshan or Huaxia''s Lu Qingshan, that''s who you are."
Lu Qingshan felt utterly confused.
He had figured everything out.
Yes, he had traveled through time, into "Nine Heavens," the game he had striven for ten years.
"Nine Heavens" is the hottest holographic virtual reality game of the Interster Era, dominating the star game charts for ten years with its peak concurrent users breaking the billion mark and registered yers reaching an astonishing three billion.
The backdrop of the game is a world of immortals and martial arts so vast that even up until the time Lu Qingshan crossed over, yers had not fully explored it. The story was so rich that even after ten years of operation, the game had only reached its middle stages.
Lu Qingshan, as a professional yer reliant on "Nine Heavens" for his livelihood, had experienced major changes through various game versions and had a bit of fame among the yers. Typically, his streams easily reached over a million viewers.
"The Corpse Puppet Chaos, that means the current time must still be the Chang''an Years."
Lu Qingshan''s expression grew solemn, Chang''an, Chang''an; this era was meant to signifysting peace, but who could have imagined, this world''s most chaotic period began during thest years of this hopeful era.
The Corpse Puppet Chaos was merely a precursor to an upheaval that would span unknowable years in this world.
At this realization, a wave of fatigue overwhelmed Lu Qingshan, understanding that this uing tumult, sweeping across all of Sky Dome Heaven, would spare neither cultivators nor mortals from the omnipresent chaos and ughter.
Ultimately, Lu Qingshan exhaled deeply, gradually calming down, not because he had a n in mind but because of a fine traditional concept inherent to Huaxia people:
Since I''m here, what else can I do?
If it is to be, then so be it.
Fortunately, he had traveled to the game''s public testing phase, just before the end of thest years of Chang''an, with the turmoil still brewing. With his knowledge of the plot, there was still some room to maneuver through theing chaos.
If he transmigrated directly into the storyline following the battle with the Blood Demon Lord as amon man with no cultivation whatsoever, he was truly leftpletely in the dark, awaiting death.
"Thest years of Chang''an, thest years of Chang''an..."
It struck him like lightning through the night sky. Lu Qingshan suddenly realized something, his heart clenched tightly, and he instinctively looked around.
As a game that had remained popr for ten years, "Nine Heavens" was known not just for its highly bnced and engagingbat system, but also for its grand storyline and NPCs, who were as intelligent as real people.
As a yer who had experienced that grand storyline, he had many regrets he wished to address, yet he had no chance to do so.
But now, he had returned to the beginning of it all, bing a prophet in this world.
He was sure no one understood what was about to happen better than he did.
Perhaps, if given another chance, those regrets might be addressed?
Lu Qingshan''s heart pounded uncontrobly; it was as if something had ignited within him.
...
"However..." Lu Qingshan shook his head and nced at the small heads scattered around him: "The most urgent task right now is to figure out how to escape."
Currently, he was just an ordinary person. Surviving from a Demon Cultivator''s hands was no simple matter.
Soaking himself in the lowest grade of Corpse Puppet Liquid indicated that this Demon Cultivator was merely a Qi Refining Cultivator, the lowest stratum among cultivators.
But regardless, a cultivator was still a cultivator, by no means someone an ordinary person could easily contend with.
Suddenly, Lu Qingshan froze.
An unexpected glow appeared before his eyes.
It was a waterfall of data streaming past, with countless numbers of zeros and ones shuttling through his retina, turning into streaks of blue light.
Finally, the data stream stabilized.
A message appeared before his eyes.
"You have been soaked in ''Corpse Puppet Liquid'' (First-Grade) for three months and have acquired the talent ''Thick-skinned''."
This was?! ¡ª
Lu Qingshan''s mind buzzed. As a seasoned Netizen of the Interster Era, there was no way he didn''t understand what this was.
Lu Qingshan quickly reacted.
"Attribute Panel, Attribute Panel!"
He kept chanting in his mind.
A pale blue light screen subsequently emerged in Lu Qingshan''s mind:
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
upation: None
Cultivation Technique: None
Rank: None
Experience Points: 0
Free Attribute Points: 0
Personal Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 1, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 20/20
Spiritual Power Value: 0/0
Talents: "Innate Swordseed" (Legendary): Your natural talent in the Sword Dao far exceeds that of ordinary people. Being innately versed in the Sword Dao, you permanently reduce the experience points needed for any Sword Technique by 30%, and you can unrestrictedly use any Sword Artifact and learn any Sword Technique.
"Thick-skinned": Prolonged soaking in Corpse Puppet Liquid has withered your Divine Soul but greatly improved your physical constitution, granting you an additional Health Points +10 and reducing damage from First-Grade Spells by 20%.
Skills: "Heavenly Eye Technique" (Universal): Detect personal information. The greater the Cultivation disparity, the less information obtained.
--------------
This was the character attribute panel for "Nine Heavens".
Looking at the virtual data projected in his mind, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but lift the corners of his mouth.
As a seasoned yer of "Nine Heavens", possessing this attribute panel, along with knowledge of the world''s storyline, taking control of his own destiny, and...changing the destinies of others seemed, perhaps, not so difficult after all.
Chapter 3 - 2: Cultivation Technique (Part 1)
Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Cultivation Technique (Part 1)
Although he was immersed in the joy of just having received his "Golden Finger," Lu Qingshan soon noticed an anomaly on his attribute panel.
His attribute panel was a very ordinary one, the kind a yer sees when they first enter the game, with all six basic attributes at 1,monly referred to as a "nk te." Yet, there was something very special in his talent slot.
Legendary Talent "Innate Swordseed".
Legendary talents were something that, up to the point of his transmigration, no yer had ever possessed.
Obviously, the only reason such a thing would appear on his attribute panel was that he had brought along the final reward from the Godyer Battle when he transmigrated.
Could this be termed as a "Golden Finger (Supercharged)"?
...
Lu Qingshan furrowed his brows and fell into deep thought.
ording to the game settings of "Nine Heavens," the six basic attributes are:
Strength determines the explosive power of physical functions and significantly impacts physical attack power.
Agility affects the character''s reaction speed, attack speed, movement speed, and the speed of initiating actions.
Mana affects the power of the spells cast by the character. Unlike in other games, the mana attribute does not determine the upper limit of the character''s Spiritual Power Value; in "Nine Heavens," the upper limit of Spiritual Power is wholly dependent on the Cultivation Technique practiced.
Divine Soul affects the character''s sense perception, soul strength, willpower,mon-sense judgment, and intuition, the biggest difference from the mana attribute being that Divine Soul is more about awareness and understanding of the surroundings.
Charm affects how positively characters and factions perceive one another. In addition, certain professions strictly require specific charm values, and charm provides additional bonuses to these professions.
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Stamina determines the character''s resistance to physical attacks and also their Health Points limit and recovery rate. Increasing stamina can raise Health Points, thus making it a crucial attribute for any profession.
Free Attribute Points can be used to enhance the six basic attributes: strength, agility, mana, Divine Soul, charm, and stamina.
When yers reach the Qi Refining Realm, they may choose their cultivation system, or so-called profession.
"Nine Heavens" is a world for cultivators.
The Human Cultivator''s cultivation system includes six paths, known as the Six Dao cultivation systems, each corresponding to one of the six basic attributes:
Body Cultivation, whose primary attribute is stamina.
Beast Cultivation, whose primary attribute is charm.
Dharma Cultivation, whose primary attribute is mana.
Spiritual Cultivation, whose primary attribute is Divine Soul.
Nether Cultivation, whose primary attribute is agility.
And Sword Cultivation, whose primary attribute is strength.
Each profession has its uniquebat style and focus. To put it inly, Body Cultivators are warriors; Beast Cultivators are summoners; Dharma Cultivators are mages; Spiritual Cultivators are priests; Nether Cultivators are naturally assassins, and Sword Cultivators, due to their unique aspect, have never had a proper analog.
In his previous life, Lu Qingshan was a yer who specialized in Sword Cultivation. He devoted ten years of his youth to this profession, and without a doubt, having been reborn and transmigrated into this game, he would choose Sword Cultivation again without hesitation, the profession he knew so well.
Not to mention, the Legendary Talent "Innate Swordseed" he had drawn was undoubtedly tailor-made for the profession of Sword Cultivation; he had no reason to abandon such a perfect start to pursue something unconventional.
...
Shasha¡ª
Amid the silence of the cave, footsteps approached from afar.
Someone wasing!
Lu Qingshan''s whole body tensed, entering a state of high alert.
Lu Qingshan held his breath.
Two teens dressed in ck robes, around the ages of fourteen or fifteen, entered the cave.
ncing at the neatly arranged dozens of bodies in the Corpse Pool, one of the teens said, "Master warned that the bodies used for Corpse Puppet fabrication should not be soaked in a potent corpse solution for more than three months, or the Divine Soul remnants in the bodies will bepletely decayed by the solution, rendering them unusable for Corpse Puppet crafting.
This batch of bodies has been in the Corpse Pool for three months now; why hasn''t Master returned? I''m worried that if we dy further, this batch of materials will be wasted."
"Yeah, Master has been out sincest month and hasn''t returned yet. Normally, he woulde back before the materials for the Corpse Puppets mature. Could something have happened?"
"Stop worrying aimlessly. Master has crafted so many Corpse Puppets recently; there are few people in this ce who pose a threat to him. Let''s move these bodies out of the Corpse Pool, so we don''t waste them. Otherwise, we''ll definitely be scolded by Master."
"You''re right, let''s get moving then."
...
Holding his breath in the Corpse Pool, posing as a dead body, Lu Qingshan listened to the two''s conversation and felt a surge of relief.
In the brief exchange between the two, he obtained a very important piece of information.
Their master, the most powerful cultivator at this corpse refining site, was currently not within the cave.
Simply put, the dungeon''s boss was out and had not returned yet.
This was undoubtedly his best chance to escape.
As long as he could clear out the remaining "minions," he would be able to get through this dungeon.
...
Lu Qingshan threw a Heavenly Eye Technique at the two in front of him.
Although the Heavenly Eye Technique is amon skill freely given when yers create an ount, its practicality canrgely be considered a divine technique in many respects.
The Heavenly Eye Technique''s ability to detect attributes is not perceivable by any awareness, even if the target has high Divine Soul attributes, at most the information detected would be question marks.
You see, in NPCs'' ability to detect, if the opponent''s Divine Soul attribute is high enough, your detection action can be perceived, and recklessly using detection techniques on other cultivators has always been a major taboo in the cultivation realm.
A detection skill like the Heavenly Eye Technique, which has no negative impact, is absolutely unique ¡ª akin to a small yet significant cheat given by the game officials to yers.
The two individuals in front didn''t possess high power, so under the effect of the Heavenly Eye Technique, Lu Qingshan received very detailed character panel information:
Song Qing (Human Race)
upation: Dharma Cultivator (Primary) / Talisman Scribe [First Grade] (Secondary)
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique] Lv2 (151/200)
Rank: Qi Refinement
Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 2, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 11/11
Spiritual Power Value: 20/20
Skills: Fireball Technique lv1, Swift Movement Talisman lv1, Fireball Talisman lv1
Talent: None
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Jie Shi (Human Race)
upation: Dharma Cultivator (Primary)
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique] Lv3 (127/300)
Rank: Qi Refinement
Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 2, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 11/11
Spiritual Power Value: 30/30
Skills: Fireball Technique lv2, Wind Control Skill lv1
Talent: None
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Both were low-level cultivators in the second and third level of Qi Refinement, and their upation was Dharma Cultivation.
In fact, in terms of attributes, Lu Qingshan wasn''t much different from these two men.
In the Qi Refining Realm, every two levels increased only provides one free attribute point, and with Lu Qingshan''s additional 10 points in health from being thick-skinned, he was on par with the two in overall attributes.
However, in the world of Nine Heavens, a person''sbat power obviously cannot be measured by attributes alone.
These two were cultivators who had practiced cultivation techniques, had generated spiritual power and mastered one to two spells.
The gap between Lu Qingshan and these two,pared to reality, is like two ordinary people with simr physical fitness engaging in a face-to-face fight¡ªone unarmed, the other holding a handgun.
Who would win?
Obviously, the one with the handgun.
Thus, the only way for Lu Qingshan to defeat these two was to prevent them from firing their handguns.
Chapter 4: Cultivation Technique (Part 2)
Chapter 4: Cultivation Technique (Part 2)
With the tactical advantage of a prepared mind against the unprepared, Lu Qingshan could have easily taken care of two lower-grade cultivators caught off guard.
But the prerequisite was having a handy weapon¡ªor at least a sharp de, if not a handy one.
To knock down two cultivators in an instant with bare hands? What do you think he is, Tyson?
Now, the problem arose¡ªLu Qingshan''s situation was that he was not just unarmed but, judging from the chilly sensation all over his skin, apparently also unclothed.
True¡¤bare-start.
Not to mention anything else, but this corpse fluid is damn cold.
Lu Qingshan grumbled to himself.
...
In such a situation, Lu Qingshan needed to carefully n his mode of attack.
Obviously, Lu Qingshan could not afford to take too long to think; he had to act quickly.
Qi refining cultivators had not yet mastered the "Divine Sense Perception," so Lu Qingshan could still pretend to be a corpse. However, he could not hide his heartbeat and body temperature.
As soon as the two cultivators made contact with his body, even if they werepletely unguarded, they would discover that Lu Qingshan was no longer a dead body.
...
Song Qing and Jie Shi started moving, carrying corpses one by one out of the Corpse Pool and toward the cave entrance.
They had no idea that in the pool, an old schemer was eyeing them both covetously.
The two were transporting bodies at different times, creating intervals where only one person was inside the cave with the pool.
Lu Qingshan understood that this was his opportunity to strike.
Taking them on one-by-one would certainly be easier than facing both at once.
The first target Lu Qingshan nned to attack, in his mind, was Song Qing.
The reason was simple.
Under the skill effects of the Heavenly Eye Technique, Lu Qingshan noticed Song Qing''s profession: Talisman Mage[First Grade](Sub).
In the cultivation world, there are a hundred arts, and in "Nine Heavens," besides the six main battle professions, there is also an extremely rich setting of sub-professions.
Such as Alchemist, Array Master, Artifact Refiner, among others, and Talisman Mage is one of these many professions.
Talisman Mages can engrave spells onto spirit talismans to swiftly throw out various spells tobat enemies when needed.
In the previous life, some wealthy yers used to buy a bunch of high-level spirit talismans from Talisman Mages to kill monsters above their level.
As long as they spent money, their leveling speed was incredibly fast.
Hence, it was crucial to eliminate this unknown variable as soon as possible should Song Qing have enough talismans saved up. His threat could even exceed that of Jie Shi, a Qi Refinement third stage cultivator.
...
After simting several approaches mentally and confirming the feasibility, Lu Qingshan calmed down and waited for the moment to strike.
As the corpses were moved one by one from the pool by the two, their transport task brought them gradually closer to the area where Lu Qingshan was located.
Song Qing bent down and strained to move a body next to Lu Qingshan out of the pool.
At that moment, Jie Shi had just left the cave with another corpse.
Although Lu Qingshan did not know where they were moving these bodies, he had observed that it would take at least thirty breaths for Jie Shi to return.
This was the moment!
Without hesitation, two somewhat pale hands emerged from the dark water like specters, seizing Song Qing''s head and yanking him into the pool.
"Down you go!"
Song Qing, who was in the middle of moving a body within the pool andpletely unguarded, was taken by surprise by Lu Qingshan''s sudden attack, causing him to plunge headlong into the pool.
A Qi refining cultivator hadn''t yet exited the category of mortals and couldn''t even fast from grain.
A mortal''s first instinct after suddenly submerging in water was to il around and pop their head back above water, even though a momentaryck of air wouldn''t affect them much.
Song Qing was no exception.
He quickly realized he was under attack, reaching for the storage bag at his waist to fetch a spirit talisman for a counter-attack.
But it was already toote.
Ten years of gaming experience, countless battles, and countless deaths had enriched Lu Qingshan''sbat experience to levels unimaginable to others.
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After pulling Song Qing into the pool, Lu Qingshan quickly found the right position to apply force. cing his hands on both sides of Song Qing''s head, he twisted clockwise sharply. With a crack, Song Qing''s neck was abruptly broken by Lu Qingshan.
Swift, decisive!
A series of data appeared before Lu Qingshan:
"A fatal attack wasunched¡ªyou inflicted 11 damage on Song Qing (Lv2)!"
"Target is dead; you have killed Song Qing (Lv2), killing beyond your level, earning XP reward. Total of 20 (Base Experience) x 2 (Multiplier) = 40 points of experience!"
...
For someone with Lu Qingshan''s novice attributes, normally killing Song Qing with 11 health points would take a considerable amount of time.
But Lu Qingshan''s expert move targeted Song Qing''s vital spot directly, and the fatal attack damage equaled the target''s maximum health.
Thus, Song Qing fell instantly, not even managing to utter a cry for help.
And Lu Qingshan, a level 0 mortal with no rank, gained significant experience rewards by killing a second stage Qi refining cultivator, also considered beyond his current level.
The experience reward mechanism in "Nine Heavens" is calcted like this: first, the base experience coefficient is 1, then for every rank gap with the opponent, the experience coefficient doubles infinitely.
Although Song Qing''s Qi refining rank was the lowest among cultivators, regrettably, Lu Qingshan was just a mortal, so the experience coefficient was x2 when killing Song Qing.
If at this moment he had killed a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, that would be considered killing across two ranks, and thus the experience coefficient would be 1x2x2=4, and so on.
...
A momentter.
Jie Shi finished his task and returned to the cave at the Corpse Pool.
As soon as he entered the cave, Jie Shi saw Song Qing lying unmoving at the entrance, stunned.
"Song Qing?! What happened?!"
Jie Shi''s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately crouched down to check if there were any signs of life in Song Qing.
At the same time, Jie Shi was highly alert, his gaze scanning around cautiously for any movement in the surroundings.
It was very likely that his junior brother had been attacked, although he had no idea how the enemy had managed to bypass their master''s formations to infiltrate the area.
Jie Shi was extremely cautious.
Suddenly, a chilling touch came from his neck.
Jie Shi''s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the short de pressed against his neck.
...
A very old trick, but still very effective, as people often let down their guards around dead bodies.
With the short de still against Jie Shi''s neck, Lu Qingshan slowly rose from the ground.
After killing Song Qing, Lu Qingshan had quickly stripped off Song Qing''s clothes and put them on himself.
Then, he threw Song Qing''s body into the Corpse Pool, hiding it and quickly lying down at the cave entrance with his back up to hide his face, creating the illusion that Song Qing had been attacked at the entrance.
In fact, Lu Qingshan''s disguise was quite crude and had many ws.
Firstly, due to the urgency of time, Lu Qingshan had only stripped off Song Qing''s robe and casually put it on himself.
If Jie Shi had been observant, it would have been easy for him to realize that something was off with Lu Qingshan''s attire.
Moreover, Lu Qingshan''s build was quite different from Song Qing''s.
Song Qing was slim, while Lu Qingshan was also lean but stood at a tall six foot two inches (about 1.88 meters), making him significantly taller than Song Qing.
Unfortunately, Jie Shi was not a very attentive person.
"Who are you? Where is my junior brother?" Jie Shi''s teeth were somewhat trembling.
"Hand over the ''Qi Drawing Technique'' Cultivation Method." Lu Qingshan, holding the short de he had taken from Song Qing, rubbed it back and forth across Jie Shi''s neck.
The chill from the de made Jie Shi''s face twitch involuntarily.
As if realizing something, Jie Shi gritted his teeth and said deliberately, "You are not a cultivator, you are just a mortal!"
The ''Qi Drawing Technique'' is merely the most basic Qi Refinement stage cultivation method,monly avable, yet this man in front wanted it, making it highly unlikely for him to be a cultivator.
"What does it matter if I am a mortal? You still fell into the hands of this mortal, didn''t you?" Lu Qingshan''s tone was calm.
"How did you bypass the Mist Formation and get in here?" Jie Shi did not understand how a mortal could have bypassed the Mist Formation and silently entered their Corpse Refining Cave.
Obviously, Jie Shi could not possibly imagine that the man before him had emerged from a dead body in the Corpse Pool.
Lu Qingshan did not answer Jie Shi''s question but lightly exerted pressure with his wrist.
The sharp short de easily cut through the superficial skin of Jie Shi''s neck, with a few drops of blood beginning to seep out.
"Don''t test my patience," Lu Qingshan said sternly.
Jie Shi''s eyes flickered slightly as he pleaded tremulously, "Stop, stop, I''ll give you the technique."
Jie Shi''s right hand moved to the storage bag at his waist.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze intently followed Jie Shi''s right hand.
"Even an instant Spirit Talisman requires a brief moment to inject Spiritual Power for activation; if you pull out a Spirit Talisman, I will sever your neck with the de in my hand immediately.
I don''t know if I will die, but you certainly will, so I advise you not to make such a dangerous attempt," Lu Qingshan said coldly.
Jie Shi''s expression slightly changed; he had not expected Lu Qingshan to be so knowledgeable about a cultivator''s methods.
Helplessly, Jie Shi had no choice but to obediently retrieve a Jade Slip from his storage bag.
Only cultivators can use storage bags, which is why Lu Qingshan had not killed Jie Shi immediately but had instead risked holding him hostage to force him to hand over the cultivation method.
Lu Qingshan was unclear howrge the cave was or how many people were inside.
Only by acquiring the cultivation method and bing a cultivator would Lu Qingshan feel confident enough to escape from the cave.
Normally in game startups, the first thing every neer does is to find a cultivation method, cultivate to be a cultivator, and then choose their main profession.
This process is not too difficult since it is part of the newbie task phase, primarily focusing on familiarizing yers with the game and not meant to be hard on yers.
Unfortunately, Lu Qingshan''s situation was clearly not a normal startup, but rather seemed like a random storyline startup, so obtaining the cultivation method proved to be a significant challenge.
Fortunately, such a test could not confuse someone who had stood out amongst hundreds of millions of yers like Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan took the Cultivation Technique Jade Slip from Jie Shi''s hand.
"Detected Qi Refinement Cultivation Method ''Qi Drawing Technique.'' Would you like to spend 10 experience points to learn it?"
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
''Qi Drawing Technique'' (Qi Refinement)
Level: Mortal Level
Learning Conditions: None
Description: Exhale three inches to the heels, densely sealed as if in a bottle, allowing the Qi mechanism to sweep through the organs, and open the pores to connect with the heavens. A basic Qi Refinement technique, maximum 10 levels.
Cultivation Effect: Each level increase raises the Spiritual Power Value limit by 10 points, with a special effect upon reaching max level: +50 to the Spiritual Power Value limit.
Remarks: Though quitemon, it is nheless very practical.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
In the ''Nine Heavens,'' cultivation method levels are divided into four categories, from low to high: Mortal Level, Spirit Level, Heavenly Level, Taoist Level.
The higher the level of the cultivation method, the more powerful its apanying effects naturally are.
Qi Drawing Technique is only the lowest Mortal Level technique, but given the current situation, Lu Qingshan had no way to look for a higher-level technique; Qi Drawing Technique was his only option.
Fortunately, it''s only a newbie stage Qi Refinement technique, so the impact is minimal.
As long as he could smoothly escape the current crisis, Lu Qingshan was confident that, with his knowledge of ''Nine Heavens,'' the cultivation methods he would practice at every rank in the future would definitely be superior.
Chapter 5: Becoming a Sword Cultivator
Chapter 5: Bing a Sword Cultivator
"Yes!" Lu Qingshan did not hesitate and chose to learn the Cultivation Technique. The freshly earned 40 experience points instantly decreased by 10.
"Experience -10, currently learning [Qi Drawing Technique]!"
A torrent of data flooded into Lu Qingshan''s mind.
Unlike the simple act of selecting skills in a game, this data transformed into rted knowledge of the Cultivation Technique once it entered Lu Qingshan''s mind.
How to sense the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, how to draw in Qi, the cirction paths of Spiritual Power within the body...
It was as if he had been spiritually initiated, allowing Lu Qingshan to truly andpletely grasp this Cultivation Technique in an instant.
Meanwhile, in his own empty Dantian, Lu Qingshan once again felt a faint, mist-like Spiritual Power (+10 Spiritual Power).
"Learning sess! You have mastered [Qi Drawing Technique], your Rank has been raised to Qi Refinement!"
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Advancement sessful, conditions for ss selection met, please choose one of the following six sses as your main profession: Sword Cultivator, Body Cultivation, Beast Cultivator, Spiritual Cultivator, Dharma Cultivation, Nether Cultivator. Note, once the main profession is determined, it cannot be changed!"
"Choose Sword Cultivator!"
"ss transfer sessful, you have obtained the main profession [Sword Cultivator]!"
"You have gained the professional talent [Specialization]: Without specialization, one cannot seed. Sword Cultivators who specialize in the Sword Dao cannot transfer to any secondary profession!"
"You have gained the professional talent [Trapped in Formation]: The resolve to be trapped in formation is to face death without surrender. All damage dealt by Sword Cultivators is increased by: Rank x5%. As a bnce, Sword Cultivators will not receive any bonus to Stamina attribute!"
"You have gained the professional talent [Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level): The experience required for Sword Cultivators to learn and upgrade sword techniques is reduced by 10%, and the experience required to learn and upgrade skills other than sword techniques is increased by 10%; sword technique damage is increased by 5%!"
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
That is the Sword Cultivator, one of the most distinctive sses in Nine Heavens.
In the eyes of Sword Cultivators, everything in the world hinges on a single sword.
Immortal Cultivation Techniques, or the various arts of cultivation, are not what Sword Cultivators pursue. In their view, what problems cannot be solved by a straightforward sword strike? Why bother with other techniques?
Sword Cultivators have the thinnest health and the most fragile bodies among the main professions in Nine Heavens.
They are the only one of the six main professions that do not receive Stamina attribute bonuses as their Rank increases.
Before ss transfer, the conversion ratio between Stamina and Health Points for every yer is fixed: 1 Stamina = 10 Health Points.
But, except for Sword Cultivators, after ss transfer, other professions receive a 1 point increase in the Stamina to Health Points ratio for every Rank advancement (1 Stamina = 11 Health Points).
For Body Cultivators, who regard Stamina as their main attribute, this increase is even 2 points. It might not seem like much in the beginning, but as the Rank goes up, the bonuses be increasingly significant.
If one reaches the Fifth Rank of Void Refinement in Nine Heavens, at that point, for Body Cultivators, 1 Stamina = 20 (10+2¡Á5) Health Points, while the same Rank Sword Cultivator would still be at 1 Stamina = 10 Health Points, which is double the difference.
That means starting from the Void Refining Realm, each point of Stamina for Body Cultivators is equivalent to two points for Sword Cultivators.
Of course, aspensation for their meager HP, Sword Cultivators receive a significant buff to their attack power.
Sword Cultivators are an extreme ss that trades high health for explosive damage, and under the bonus of [Trapped in Formation], they possess unmatched damage output in Nine Heavens. Even the most resilient Body Cultivators cannot withstand the continuous attacks of a Sword Cultivator.
This is a ss with very apparent strengths and weaknesses.
Sword Cultivator yers are colloquially known as "brutes" or "mad dogs" in Nine Heavens.
The officials of Nine Heavens once conducted a survey to vote for the most popr ss in the game; Sword Cultivators won by a wide margin with fifty percent of the vote.
However, it is worth noting that in a survey of the most disliked ss by yers, Sword Cultivators again imed the top spot with an overwhelming ny percent of the vote.
The mechanics of the Sword Cultivator ss are very popr among yers, simply put, they stand for "shiness." However, the reason for the dislike by many yers is often due to this "shiness," which can often leave themselves and their teammates utterly frustrated.
Anemic and explosive in damage, these twobelsbined on the same ss lead to the consequence that in every battle, Sword Cultivators seem to operate under a max-level taunt aura, always bing the primary target for the enemies¡ªno one dares let a Sword Cultivator freely deal damage.
Sword Cultivators are a ss with an incredibly high ceiling but terrifyingly low floor. The gap between high-skill and average yers is enormous.
In the hands of a skilled yer, a Sword Cultivator often moves through a crowd of enemies untouched, their sword striking fear into gods and men alike, and they are hailed as Sword Immortals!
In the hands of a novice, a Sword Cultivator is like death blowing in the wind, an ever-presentpanion, a one-way journey from which there is no return. Once they step onto the battlefield, they vanish without a trace¡ªtrue death without the possibility of life, earning them the nickname "The Orphans."
But whether they are called Sword Immortals or Orphans, Sword Cultivator yers can all enjoy the unique joys thate with their path.
What do yers seek in a game?
Is it not simply to find joy?
...
After changing his ss to Sword Cultivator, Lu Qingshan saw significant changes in his previously empty personal attribute panel:
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
Profession: Sword Cultivator
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique] Lv1 (0/100) ¡ª¡ª [Spiritual Power +10]
Rank: Qi Refinement
Experience Points: 30
Free Attribute Points: 0
Personal Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 1, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 20/20
Spiritual Power Value: 10/10
Talents: [Innate Swordseed] (Legendary), [Thick-skinned], [Specialist], [Trapped in Formation], [Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level)
Skills: [Heavenly Eye Technique]
__________
In just an instant, Lu Qingshan went from an ordinary person to a Qi Refining Cultivator.
However, to Jie Shi standing nearby, there was no sign of any anomaly; all the changes had urred in utter silence.
Having be a Qi Refining Cultivator and acquired spiritual power, Lu Qingshan could now use a storage bag.
"What exactly is the situation in the Corpse Refining Cave, how many people are there, and what are their cultivation levels? Give me all the details," Lu Qingshan asked Jie Shi for specific information about the Corpse Refining Cave while ying with Jie Shi''s storage bag taken from his waist.
Jie Shi watched Lu Qingshan fiddle with his own storage bag, a shadow flickering in the depths of his eyes, although he answered Lu Qingshan''s questions very cooperatively.
ording to Jie Shi''s ount, the scale of the Corpse Refining Cave was much greater than what Lu Qingshan had anticipated.
The master of the Corpse Refining Cave, the [Blood Corpse True Man], who was also the master of Jie Shi and Song Qing, was not the Qi Refining Cultivator that Lu Qingshan had previously imagined, but was instead a veteran Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The reason why the Corpse Pool where Lu Qingshan was located used First Grade strengthening corpse fluid was that the Corpse Refining Cave had a total of three Corpse Pools.
Two were for refining First Grade Corpse Puppets, of which Lu Qingshan''s was one, and there was another one for refining Second Grade Corpse Puppets.
A Second Grade Corpse Puppet corresponds to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and only Foundation Establishment Cultivators can refine them.
Knowing the specifics of the Corpse Refining Cave, a sense of relief couldn''t help but arise in Lu Qingshan''s heart.
Fortunately, the [Blood Corpse True Man] was not at home; otherwise, the chances of escaping from this ce would have been slim to none.
To arge extent, Qi Refining Cultivators still belong to the category of mortals; if well-nned, it is not impossible for mortals to kill Qi Refining Cultivators. However, Foundation Establishment Cultivators are apletely different story.
In the world of cultivators, oveing gaps between ranks is as difficult as climbing to the heavens. The skills that Foundation Establishment Cultivators master, both in number and level, far exceed those of Qi Refining Cultivators.
Furthermore, with the ability to sense others with their [Divine Sense], a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can easily overpower a Qi Refining Cultivator in terms ofbat power.
Chapter 6: Villains Usually Die Talking Too Much
Chapter 6: Viins Usually Die Talking Too Much
```
Blood Corpse True Person had a total of five disciples, all of whom were Qi Refining Cultivators. Jie Shi and Song Qing were disciples that Blood Corpse True Person took on just two years ago, ranked fourth andst among the five disciples, respectively, and were also the ones with the lowest cultivation levels.
However, it wasn''t hard to guess that those assigned to do the grueling work of transporting corpses, how high could their status be?
ording to Jie Shi, after Blood Corpse True Person left for a few days, their eldest senior brother, who had already reached the eighthyer of Qi Refinement, also departed, and he was currently not in the Corpse Refining Cave.
Alright, it didn''t matter that the boss was out, the elite monster had slipped away too.
Lu Qingshan''s eyebrows twitched in satisfaction.
That is to say, at this moment, there were only four Qi Refining Cultivators left in the Corpse Refining Cave, and the two most worthlessckeys had already been taken down by him.
The remaining two Qi Refining Cultivators, one was at the sixthyer of Qi Refinement, and the other at the fourthyer, all of them being Dharma Cultivators.
...
"Do you know what viins usually die of?" Jie Shi, who had been cooperating very well in answering Lu Qingshan''s questions, suddenly spoke. His voice carried a venomous intention, "Viins usually die because they talk too much!"
A jade pendant hanging under the garments around Jie Shi''s waist suddenly emitted a brownish-yellow light. The light instantly spread over Jie Shi''s entire body, and on the skin exposed by Jie Shi, there was a thinyer of light gray-yellow mud.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
N?v(el)B\\jnn
[Stone Skin Technique]
Level: First Grade Earth System Spell
Mana consumption: 5 Spiritual Power Value/minute
Description: Covers the skin with ayer of rock, enhancing defensive power,mon mortal weapons will not be able to prate your stone skin.
Spell effect: defensive power +1
Remark: Solid as a rock!
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
A very practical defensive spell.
The short de that Lu Qingshan had confiscated from Song Qing was not a Magic Artifact used by cultivators but a very ordinary mortal weapon, which could not break through Jie Shi''s skin after heunched the Stone Skin Technique.
"Do you know why I have been so cooperative in answering your questions, telling you everything about Corpse Refining Cave?" Jie Shi looked at Lu Qingshan with a sneer of pride, "You wouldn''t really think I am begging for my life out of fear of death, right? I''m not stupid. After you''ve found out what you want to know, how could you possibly let me go? My behavior was just to buy time, waiting for the Earth Spirit Pendant to recharge.
If it weren''t for using up the Stone Skin Technique of my Earth Spirit Pendant during the magicalbat with my senior brother two days ago, do you think you could threaten me?"
I must say, for a mortal, it''s quite remarkable that you''ve managed to push me this far, but unfortunately, you''re too greedy. You didn''t immediately kill me the first chance you got, and how could you possibly imagine the means of a cultivator?"
Lu Qingshan appeared to smile but didn''t as he looked at the triumphantly smirking Jie Shi, remaining silent.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan did not respond, Jie Shi''s eyelid twitched, sensing that something might be amiss.
A cold gleam shed, mixed with a hint of golden light, as the short de that Lu Qingshan had kept pressed close to Jie Shi''s neck swiftly shed across his throat.
A huge gash appeared on Jie Shi''s neck, and blood gushed forth.
A cut to the throat!
Clutching his bloody neck, Jie Shi stared at the Spirit Talisman that had appeared in Lu Qingshan''s left hand and was gradually turning to ash from use. His face showed an expression of disbelief as he fell straight back,nding on the ground like a lump of mud, silent and still.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Sharp de Talisman](First Grade): Engraved with the First Grade Spell, Sharp de Technique.
[Sharp de Technique]
Level: First Grade Metal System Spell
```
Spellcasting consumption: 5 Spiritual Power Value/minute
Description: Temporarily enchants a weapon, greatly enhancing its sharpness.
Magic Effect: Weapon Sharpness +1
Note: As solid as a rock?
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
"Youunched a fatal attack and dealt 11 points of damage to Jie Shi (lv3)!"
"Target deceased, you have killed Jie Shi (lv3) and gained 30 experience points!"
...
Looking at Jie Shi''s body on the floor, Lu Qingshan nodded and said to himself, "Indeed, viins tend to die because they talk too much."
The Sharp de Talisman came from Song Qing''s storage bag. The moment he became a cultivator, Lu Qingshan quickly inventoried Song Qing''s storage bag that he had carried in his embrace. True to his reputation as a talisman master, Song Qing''s storage bag was filled to the brim with over a dozen talismans.
The instant Jie Shi activated the Stone Skin Technique, Lu Qingshan stealthily took out a Sharp de Talisman from the captured Song Qing''s storage bag and swiftly applied the Sharp de Technique to his own short de.
Jie Shi, full of smug satisfaction, clearly did not notice this detail, and in his heart, he always considered Lu Qingshan to be nothing more than a mortal. He would not have imagined that Lu Qingshan could open Song Qing''s storage bag.
Groping over Jie Shi''s body (looting), Lu Qingshan quickly found a cream-colored jade pendant at his waist.
[Earth Spirit Pendant]
Level: Low Grade Mortal Artifact
Magic Artifact Effect: Automatically absorbs the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth to recharge; every three days, it can actively cast a spell without consumption: Stone Skin Technique. (Time remaining for recharging: 72 hours)
Note: It might just save your life in a critical moment, or not.
In "Nine Heavens," the ranking of magic artifacts was set up like Cultivation Techniques, divided into Mortal, Spirit, Heaven, and Taoist levels. Unlike Cultivation Techniques, each level of a magic artifact is further divided into four ranks: Low Grade, Middle Grade, High Grade, and Supreme Quality.
The Earth Spirit Pendant was only the lowest rank of magic artifacts, but at least it was a magic artifact. Lu Qingshan was satisfied as he hung the Earth Spirit Pendant around his waist; then, he quickly inventoried the rest of his gains in haste.
The belongings of two Lower Grade cultivators were not particrly wealthy. Lu Qingshan carefully counted the contents of both storage bags.
Two spell jade slips for Qi Refinement, one jade slip for aption of First Grade magic talismans, and two jade slips for First Grade Five Elements Magic.
These jade slips were all very basic and not of much use to Lu Qingshan.
In addition, there were twenty First Grade Spirit Stones, two bottles of Fasting Pills, each containing twelve pills. Lastly, there were several First Grade Spirit Talismans of various kinds. To break free from his current predicament, the Spirit Talismans were undoubtedly very useful.
Spirit Stones are the currency of cultivators, stones filled with Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth with multiple uses.
For instance, one could absorb the Spiritual Energy from a Spirit Stone to cultivate faster, or consume it to set up Formations; duringbat, to cast high-level spells, replenishing one''s Spiritual Power by absorbing the Spiritual Energy from within Spirit Stones if greatly diminished, greatly enhancing the endurance in battle, among other various roles not discussed here.
Spirit Stones are divided into nine grades based on the amount of Spiritual Power they contain and their purity, corresponding perfectly with the nine ranks of a cultivator''s progression. Each high-grade Spirit Stone can be exchanged for ten of a lower grade.
Actually, the nine-grade system is quitemon in "Nine Heavens," as is the case with the levels of cultivators'' spells, ranks of secondary upations, or the grading of talismans and pills¡ªall employing a nine-grade division.
Fasting Pills are First Grade pills, specifically refined for Qi Refining Cultivators who are not yet capable of fasting, with the effect of sustaining a person for one month without food per pill. A bottle of twelve was enough tost a year.
Unfortunately, no Sword Techniques were found, but that was not surprising. It would have been strange to discover Sword Techniques in the storage bags of two Lower Grade Dharma Cultivators.
Next, he had to deal with the remaining two Qi Refining Cultivators in the Corpse Refining Cave, and then leave this ce.
Lu Qingshan stroked his chin, pondering this.
He had to act quickly; if he dyed and happened to run into the real Blood Corpse returning, he would truly be left crying without tears.
Chapter 7 - 7 Si Xuesong
Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Si Xuesong
Lu Qingshan took a new set of clothes out of his storage bag and put them on.
While changing clothes, Lu Qingshan kept a mindful eye and did not rece the outer robe he had stripped off from Song Qing.
These were the clothes Song Qing had worn today, and perhaps there would be opportunities to make use of themter in the operation.
After changing, Lu Qingshan left the cave he was in.
The Corpse Refining Cave wasrge; Lu Qingshan estimated that it must have originally been a natural underground cavern, which had been transformed into the current Corpse Refining Cave by the Blood Corpse Grandmaster.
The three Corpse Pools'' caves were connected and located at the deepest part of the Corpse Refining Cave, so escaping from here inevitably involved confrontation with the remaining Qi Refining Cultivators.
Although confrontation was unavoidable, the methods could still be debated.
Even with his extensive experience, Lu Qingshan was currently a first level Qi Refining Sword Cultivator without any sword techniques or sword artifacts in hand.
Frankly speaking, his directbat power was a mere 5.
If he rushed headlong without regard,
well, within a few seconds, he would likely face an attack from two cultivators. If the two cultivators were lenient, perhaps he could return to his birthce¡ªthe Corpse Pool, to experience the sensation of soaking in hot springs again.
If those two cultivators were a bit harsher, he probably wouldn''t even leave aplete corpse behind.
It looked brave, but was inadvisable, strike that option!
The world he had traversed to was indeed a gaming world, but Lu Qingshan understood that he was no longer ying a game, having lost the most important yer''s perk of "Infinite Resurrection." With only one life, all actions had to be as prudent as possible.
Lu Qingshan''s n was to break them one by one.
It would be best if he could first take care of the fourth level Qi Refining cultivator, plus with the 60 experience points he currently had, making a total of 100 points, he would level up first.
However, things never went as smoothly as imagined.
Lu Qingshan slowly approached the exit of the Corpse Refining Cave, careful not to make a sound.
He had just gone a short distance when a shadow appeared in front of Lu Qingshan.
Without a word, Lu Qingshan cast a Heavenly Eye Technique.
Let''s see what kind of little demon you are.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Si Xuesong (Human Race)
upation: Dharma Cultivation (Primary)
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique]Lv6 (235/600)
Rank: Qi Refining
Attribute: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 4, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 11/11
Spiritual Power Value: 70/70
Skills: Fireball Technique lv3, Fireball Technique lv1, ???, ...
Talent: None
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Lu Qingshan''s heart sank, cursing his bad luck; it was bad enough to encounter someone, but it turned out to be the second senior brother, a sixth level Qi Refiner.
Damn nners! Pah!
"Little junior brother, why are you sneaking around like a thief, what''s up?" Si Xuesong asked with a puzzled face.
The illumination inside the Corpse Refining Cave depended entirely on luminous pearls embedded in the walls, which actually did not provide strong lighting. From a bit of a distance, one could only see a vague shadow.
From afar, seeing Lu Qingshan dressed in Song Qing''s clothes, Si Xuesong subconsciously mistook Lu Qingshan for his own little junior brother.
Lu Qingshan slightly bowed his head to shade his face in the shadows, continuing his steps toward Si Xuesong without changing his pace.
But his left hand had already quietly reached into his chest.
There, he had all the attack talismans he had seized from Song Qing''s storage bag.
"I just heard some noises from the direction of the Corpse Pool, so I went over to check," Lu Qingshan exined.
Si Xuesong frowned, feeling that something was slightly off, "Junior brother, why is your voice so deep today?"
Trusting in the Mist Formation set by the Blood Corpse Grandmaster, Si Xuesong had not considered the possibility of outsiders sneaking inside the Corpse Refining Cave.
Thus, even when he sensed something amiss, he did not be suspicious at first.
"Wait a minute, junior brother, why do I feel like you''ve grown taller today..."
As he spoke, Lu Qingshan had alreadye much closer to Si Xuesong, who was just then realizing something was truly wrong; upon closer inspection, he saw an unfamiliar face.
Si Xuesong thought to himself it was bad news.
But it was toote, as in the blink of an eye during Si Xuesong''s astonishment, Lu Qingshan''s left hand, filled with Spirit Talismans, flung them towards Si Xuesong!
[Fireball Talisman]*5!
[Golden de Talisman]*3!
[Earth Spear Talisman]*2!
This was not a time to conserve items, and Lu Qingshan, in one breath, activated all of Song Qing''s stored attack talismans and hurled them at Si Xuesong.
The distance between them was incredibly close now, so much so that it was unsuitable for deploying Spirit Talismans.
Because at the distance between Lu Qingshan and Si Xuesong, even the Fireball Technique released by the Fireball Talisman could affect Lu Qingshan.
This could already be considered a case of killing a thousand enemies while self-injuring eight hundred... well, not that many, let''s say five hundred.
But it was only at this distance that Si Xuesong had absolutely no chance to react with a Defensive Spell!
Boom¡ª
Boom¡ª
Boom¡ª
A massive booming sound erupted.
"You take 1 point of magic damage!"
"You take 1 point of magic damage!"
"You take 1 point of magic damage!"
...
Five identical messages shed by.
Even though Lu Qingshan was merely affected by the aftermath of the Fireball Technique, plus he had a 20% magic damage reduction from being "thick-skinned," he still dropped by a full quarter of his Health Points!
Aside from facing five Fireball Techniques, Si Xuesong also had to withstand three Golden de Techniques and two Earth Spear Techniques.
Under such an attack, Si Xuesong, with only 11 Health Points, would have been instantly killed if he hadn''t deployed a Defensive Spell.
However, Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed, because at the moment when the magic from the activated Spirit Talismans was about to hit Si Xuesong, a golden light shield appeared around him.
Metal System Spell, Golden Light Shield!
Si Xuesong possessed an automatically triggered Defensive Artifact; this golden light shield must have been released automatically by the artifact.
Though it onlysted for an instant before dissipating under the multiple spells, the severely weakened spells that subsequently hit Si Xuesong were no longer enough to kill him.
No good, I must not let Si Xuesong regain hisposure and cast a spell!
In this desperate life-or-death moment, Lu Qingshan grew exceptionally calm.
Without hesitation, Lu Qingshan charged directly at Si Xuesong.
Rampaging Bull Charge!
Si Xuesong''s Strength attribute was not higher than Lu Qingshan''s. With Lu Qingshan''s powerful and hefty charge, Si Xuesong, just as he was gathering Spiritual Power to pinch out a Spiritual Decree to cast a spell, was abruptly interrupted.
Die!
Lu Qingshan''s hands tightly locked around Si Xuesong''s body while he tilted his head back, then jolted it forward, smashing viciously into Si Xuesong''s head.
A wave of dizziness swept through Lu Qingshan''s mind, stars shed before his eyes, and a great pain surged from his forehead ¡ª he didn''t need to look to know it was bruised badly.
However, Si Xuesong''s situation wasn''t any better. With the impact, his head was bloody and broken.
I don''t believe you can still cast a spell with your head spinning like this!
Lu Qingshan was ruthless in his heart.
"The loud noise from activating the attack talismans just now couldn''t possibly have gone unnoticed by the fourth-level Qi Refining third brother... Probably in a few seconds, he''lle to check on the situation..."
Lu Qingshan knew he didn''t have much time left.
If he couldn''t deal with Si Xuesong before reinforcements arrived, being 1v2 would definitely leave him without a sliver of a chance.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
Thinking of this.
A sharp gleam burst from Lu Qingshan''s eyes and, upon a sudden impulse, he harshly drove his knee into the space between Si Xuesong''s legs.
...
It was as if he heard the sound of egg-shaped objects breaking.
Forget about a Qi Refining Cultivator, even if Si Xuesong was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he definitely couldn''t withstand such a close-range hit.
Si Xuesong''s expression twisted, his entire body instantly crumpled.
Strike down your enemy when he is ill.
Lu Qingshan swiftly pulled out a short de from Song Qing''s storage bag at his waist and plunged it directly into Si Xuesong''s chest, piercing his heart.
Hmm¡ª
Si Xuesong''s pupils dted sharply, his body bent like a shrimp, he struggled unwillingly for a moment, and then there was no more movement.
"Target deceased, you have killed Si Xuesong (lv6), and gained 60 experience points!"
Si Xuesong died without casting a single spell; such is the fate of a lower-grade Dharma Cultivator when entered into closebat, unless hisst name is Gan.
Chapter 8: Escape from the Corpse Refining Cave
Chapter 8: Escape from the Corpse Refining Cave
With the addition of these 60 Experience Points, Lu Qingshan had already umted 120 Experience Points.
Lu Qingshan invested 100 Experience Points into the Qi Refinement Technique.
At this time, any increase in strength was good!
"[Qi Refinement Technique]has been upgraded to lv2, gaining 1 Free Attribute Point!"
In the Qi Refinement stage, one gains 1 Attribute Point for every two levels of advancement.
Lu Qingshan did not hesitate and immediately allocated the Attribute Points to Strength.
Sword Cultivators always fully invest in their Strength.
Hurried footsteps sounded.
They wereing!
Lu Qingshan held his breath.
This was thest monster. As long as he dealt with this Qi Refinement Fourth Grade creature, he would have cleared the [Corpse Refining Cave]dungeon.
A somewhat lean shadow appeared within Lu Qingshan''s line of sight.
That physique, if it got close, wouldn''t I knock them down one punch at a time?
Lu Qingshan was determined. He took out a Swift Movement Talisman from his hand, gave himself a Swift Movement buff, and prepared to charge.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
He wanted to y it safe, but the turn of events forced him to rush in recklessly.
Before charging, Lu Qingshan first cast Heavenly Eye Technique.
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Wu Yi (Human Race)
upation: Dharma Cultivator (Main)
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Refinement Technique]Lv4 (335/400)
Rank: Qi Refinement
Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 3, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 11/11
Spiritual Power Value: 40/40
Skills: Qi Concealing Technique lv1, ???, ...
Talents: None
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"Brother Si?" An uncertain voice sounded beside him, and to Lu Qingshan''s surprise, it seemed to be a woman''s voice?
In such a creepy, eerie ce, full of corpses and only frequented by men, could there really be a female cultivator?!
Jie Shi had not specifically mentioned when introducing the Corpse Refining Cave to Lu Qingshan that among the five disciples taken by the True Blood Corpse, there was a woman.
Si Xuesong had died and naturally couldn''t respond to this Wu Yi.
Seeing this scene, Wu Yi''s eyes flickered for a moment, and after hesitating briefly on the spot, she decisively turned around and fled, a faint cyan light glinting on her body.
[Wind Control Skill]!
This woman?! Lu Qingshan was bbergasted.
"Lucky I reacted quickly," Wu Yi thought to herself as she fled, "otherwise I might have died here today."
The Mist Formation is a Second Grade Illusion Array. Anyone who can break through the illusory effects of the Mist Formation and enter the Corpse Refining Cave must not have low Cultivation.
Not to mention she had immediately rushed here upon hearing the noises. Yet, in just such a brief moment, the Second Brother¡ªwho was at the Sixth Grade of Qi Refinement¡ªwas already lying beside, alive or dead unknown.
It was terrifying, truly terrifying!
Wu Yi was both shocked and scared, and didn''t dare look back to see if her imagined formidable enemy was chasing her. Instead, relying on her familiarity with the terrain, she darted left and right through theplexwork of caves and quickly disappeared.
The cunning rabbit has three burrows. The True Blood Corpse also knew the consequences if his actions were discovered and feared being besieged one day, so he had quietly arranged several secret escape passages within the Corpse Refining Cave.
Of course, aside from Wu Yi, the other disciples of the True Blood Corpse did not know about these escape routes.
As for how Wu Yi knew, cough cough, female disciple.avi, you know what I mean.
Well, the boss was out, the elite monsters were not present, and now even the minions had slipped away, the guardianship awareness of the monsters in this dungeon was not up to par.
Looking at the now empty, eerily silent Corpse Refining Cave, Lu Qingshan could not help but sigh inwardly.
Lu Qingshan also did not dare to rx. He quickly gathered Si Xuesong''s storage bag, searched Si Xuesong''s body for a moment, and after finding Si Xuesong''s Defensive Artifact, he also quickly headed for the cave entrance.
The Mist Formation, a Formation specifically set up to protect dens, differed from those formations specially designed to kill enemies.
It was shielded against external intrusion but offered no resistance to those inside who wished to leave, making it difficult for outsiders to prate the formation and enter, while those inside could exit without obstruction.
Lu Qingshan walked straight through the Mist Formation and into a clearing.
He made it out.
Lu Qingshan let out a breath, his nerves had been taut since the moment he entered, and now, he could finally rx a bit.
Inside the Corpse Refining Cave, three rounds of confrontation and scheming seemed smooth, but the peril involved was known only to him. A slight oversight or an unexpected event could have easily cost him his life in the cave.
If he crossed over and ended up typing "gg" without even seeing the sun of this world, he would surely be kicked from the group chat by the group admin.
At this thought, Lu Qingshan looked up at the sky.
What the hell?
Where is my sun?
The deep blue sky was exceptionally clear, with stars scattered densely across, like shattered gold.
It turned out to be deep into the night.
Looking back at the Corpse Refining Cave that seemed so close yet had disappeared from view (effect of the Mist Formation), Lu Qingshan felt a myriad of emotions.
How does that saying go?
Right, this is the beginning of a legend.
...
The location of the Corpse Refining Cave was in a deste mountain deep in the wilderness.
Lu Qingshan looked around and saw nothing but trees, unable to discern his location.
Lu Qingshan understood that escaping the Corpse Refining Cave didn''t mean he was safe.
Who knows if that escaped woman had gathered reinforcements for a sudden counterattack to trouble him.
It was imperative to leave this ce. Lu Qingshan randomly chose a direction and, taking advantage of the remaining effect of the Swift Movement Talisman, quickly vanished into the forest.
...
Wu Yi, looking at the entrance now concealed by dense vines, patted her still-heaving chest, let out a breath, looked at the stars above, found the North Star, and started walking rapidly in its direction, also quickly disappearing into the quiet mountain.
A few dozen miles to the north was Yuanshan City, where her senior brother and master were located. First, she would go there, tell them what had happened, and see what her master would say.
Wu Yi bit her lip, making this n in her heart.
...
The sky gradually turned white.
Lu Qingshan had been on the run all night.
Inhale¡ªExhale¡ª
Lu Qingshan was breathing heavily.
To think a Sword Cultivator would be fleeing not by flying with his sword but running on his own two feet.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes welled up with tears.
This feeling of running on feet, perhaps I should avoid reliving it.
Whoosh¡ª
The faint sound of water could be heard not far away.
Lu Qingshan''s heart stirred, and he hurried his steps toward the direction of the noise.
Sure enough, a river appeared in front of Lu Qingshan after a short while.
A look of joy appeared on Lu Qingshan''s face. He went to the riverbank, scooped up some water, first washed his face, and invigorated his spirit which was slightlynguid from traveling all night.
By following the river, he presumed he would soone across a vige or town, where he could then ascertain exactly where he was.
Moreover, the Blood Corpse Real Man had never seen his face, nor could he possibly guess that the one who killed his three treasured disciples came from a corpse in the Corpse Pool. As long as Lu Qingshan blended into the crowd, they would meet but not recognize each other.
But speaking of which, not only did the Blood Corpse Real Man not know, Lu Qingshan himself didn''t know what his currently face looked like either.
With this thought, Lu Qingshan could not help but also feel a bit of curiosity. He leaned over the riverbank.
The unpolluted and clear-as-a-mirror water surface crisply reflected his face back at him.
Well-defined eyebrows, attractive eyes, a straight and prominent nose, and lips of moderate thickness, his facial contours were sharp and clear.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but touch his own face, nodding in satisfaction.
Hot damn, quite handsome?
As expected of me!
Chapter 9 - 9 The Ghost Shadow in the Small Village
Chapter 9: Chapter 9 The Ghost Shadow in the Small Vige
Having escaped the dangerous situation for the moment, Lu Qingshan took the opportunity to tally his loot.
As the second senior brother of the Corpse Refining Cave, Si Xuesong only had one defensive magic artifact on him, which was a crystal clear, snow-white bracelet.
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[Golden Essence Ring]
Level: Middle Grade Mortal Artifact
Description: This magic artifact is forged from golden essence stone.
Magic Artifact Effect: When damaged, it can automatically trigger a First Grade spell, the Golden Light Shield (time remaining until recharge isplete: 11 hours).
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As a Middle Grade Mortal Artifact, it is indeed much stronger than the Earth Spirit Pendant. Firstly, the spell is automatically triggered and does not require manual activation.
Magic artifacts that trigger defensive spells automatically are highly practical inbat. Additionally, the spell''s recharging time is a big factor, the Earth Spirit Pendant takes three days, while the Golden Essence Ring only needs one day.
Lu Qingshan deftly put the Golden Essence Ring onto his own wrist.
Next, he proceeded to check Si Xuesong''s storage bag.
The contents of Si Xuesong''s storage bag were clearly much more abundant than those of his two junior brothers.
However, that''s only inparison to his junior brothers. To Lu Qingshan''s eyes, the Corpse Refining Cave was nothing more than a den of paupers.
Luckily for him, since the whole lot were impoverished, there wasn''t a single attack magic artifact among them, and that''s how he was able to muscle his way out.
Within Si Xuesong''s storage bag, there were more than sixty First Grade spirit stones, which was more than three times the entire wealth of his two unfortunate junior brothersbined.
There were also several Spell Jade Slips and Cultivation Technique Jade Slips, all of which belonged to Dharma Cultivation items that Lu Qingshan, a Sword Cultivator, had no use for.
As for pills, besides the same bottle of Fasting Pills, there was surprisingly also a bottle of Qi Condensing Pills, which should count as the biggest gain of the day.
A bottle of Qi Condensing Pills (12 pills) is worth one hundred and twenty First Grade spirit stones. Qi Condensing Pills are only suitable for Qi Refining Cultivators to consume, and once one''s Cultivation exceeds Qi Refinement, the pill''s efficacy greatly diminishes.
Lu Qingshan opened the bottle and nced inside; there were still eight round Qi Condensing Pills remaining.
Qi Condensing Pills can aid cultivators in their cultivation, elerating their cultivation speed, and they are also beneficial for yers.
In "Nine Heavens," yers, like NPCs, can also meditate to refine their cultivation methods and gain experience points (by leaving the game running).
The role of Qi Condensing Pills in elerating cultivation trantes to an increase in the experience points gained from leaving the game running for yers.
Lu Qingshan estimated that with the aptitude of his current body, if he cultivated his method for four hours a day, it would take about two days to gain 1 experience point.
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[Qi Condensing Pill]
Level: First Grade Pill
Description: After ingesting the pill, operate the cultivation technique to absorb the spiritual power within the pill, which can rapidly improve Cultivation. The efficacy is halved after consuming more than 10 pills, and after 20 pills, no further effect will be produced.
Pill Effect: Experience Points +10
Note: As long as one chews enough pills, even a mortal can be an immortal.
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Qi Condensing Pills don''t take effect immediately upon ingestion; one must spend time operating the cultivation technique to fully absorb the spiritual power contained within the pill before gaining experience points.
Butpared to the dry and dull practice of pure meditation, the efficiency is certainly more than a little bit higher.
Lu Qingshan put the pills back into the storage bag and tied the bag to the inside of his robe. At this moment, there were already three storage bags inside his robe.
This inevitably reminded him of a widely circted saying among yers.
Storage bags are just the lowest-grade storage artifacts with limited space. But since yers can''t afford high-level storage artifacts in the early stages of the game, they often choose to carry multiple storage bags to meet their storage needs.
yers, who are endowed with the so-called Ah Q spirit, sarcastically dubbed themselves members of the Beggars'' Sect, ranking their seniority by the number of storage bags they carried.
In Lu Qingshan''s current situation, he would be considered a ''Three Bags Elder''.
What impressed Lu Qingshan was that in his previous life, there was a fierce yer from a certain ''Three'' country who exploited his racial talents and equipped a hundred storage bags on his body, calling himself the ''Hundred Bags Elder'' and ''Leader of the Beggars'' Sect''.
...
Following the flow of the river, Lu Qingshan walked for a few more hours and finally, when his legs started to feel a bit wobbly, he saw a few vige womenundering clothes by the river ahead.
The vige women ced the clothes on rocks, using crushed soapberries formed into balls as detergent, constantly beating the clothes with wooden mallets. Their hands were busy at work, and their mouths did not rest, chatting about this and that of household gossip.
"Did you see the Taoist priest the vige chief invited from the city the other day? All sharp-chinned and monkey-cheeked, I don''t think he has a bit of the aura of an immortal Taoist priest."
"Eh, looks can be deceiving. That Taoist Priest Bai Piao is quite well-known even in Yuanshan City.
A few years ago, the neighboring vige seemed to have offended some filthy thing, with several people bing possessed. It was after they invited Taoist Priest Bai Piao to perform an exorcism that, on the very same day, those possessed vigers were said to have returned to normal!"
"If that''s the case, this priest must be able to get rid of the evil spirit in our vige, that would be such a relief. My child has been scared by this ghost for several days now, not having had a good night''s sleep, it''s been so distressing."
"Shh, that''s not necessarily true. I heard from my husband that the evil spirit that appeared in our vige is likely a big one.
Li Laoer got up in the middle of the night once and caught a glimpse of a ghostly shadow in his backyard, all fangs and ws, even iming to be the West Chu Overlord, scared him out of his wits."
The oldest-looking among the women suddenly interjected, immediately causing a few gasps of shock.
"West Chu Overlord?!"
"Right, our vige is very likely the ce where this West Chu Overlord fell.
Since this overlord''s ambitions were unachieved and he fell, he naturally held onto resentment. Over the years, this resentment umted and turned into a Resentful Spirit that now causes trouble!"
"Hiss¡ª¡ª"
...
Of course, Lu Qingshan did not believe the vige women''s words. A ghost that could call itself the West Chu Overlord was an entity capable of bringing suffering to every living being within a domain.
If it were really the West Chu Overlord, you vige women would have been long gone, how could you still be here washing clothes?
However, there''s never smoke without fire, and the appearance of a ghost was probably true eight or nine times out of ten.
Moreover, to be able to im the name West Chu Overlord implied that it had developed intelligence, which meant it should be a Yin Spirit rather than a Resentful Spirit.
Resentful Spirits were fierce ghosts that lingered in the mortal realm because they harbored resentment before death and refused to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Their consciousness gone, they retained only an instinct for ughter akin to that of wild beasts, a herald of great cmity.
Yet, Resentful Spirits were also top-notch material for refining magic artifacts by evil cultivators. If a Resentful Spirit was integrated as an artifact spirit within a magic artifact, it could boost the artifact''s power by at least thirty percent.
Therefore, most cultivators were quite willing to subdue Resentful Spirits when encountered, as it served both to rid the people of harm and to gain a substantial profit when sold to evil cultivators.
If Resentful Spirits were considered valuable, then Yin Spirits were truly priceless treasures.
Different from Resentful Spirits, Yin Spirits were spiritual beings with opened intellect. If they obtained a suitable Cultivation Technique, they could cultivate like Human Cultivators, constantly enhancing their own power. After reaching Foundation Establishment, they could even recondense their bodies.
If one could subdue a Yin Spirit to be their ghost pet and nurture it well, it would undoubtedly be a powerful assistant for the cultivator, one that could continually upgrade.
A Yin Spirit appearing in a small vige, and the fact that the vigers who saw it were still alive, suggested that this Yin Spirit was probably newly born and had not yet obtained a suitable Cultivation Method for spirit cultivation, only able to use its innate abilities to y some minor tricks.
n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
An idea shed through Lu Qingshan''s mind.
"Auntie, I just overheard you talking about the West Chu Overlord, Taoist Priest Bai Piao. May I know exactly what the situation is?" Lu Qingshan stepped forward and asked with a shy smile.
The vige women, seeing that the visitor was a seemingly harmless young man, were quite enthusiastic and did not hide much, chattering away: "It wasn''t long ago that our days were going just fine, but about half a month ago, domestic animals started disappearing frequently in the vige.
At first, we didn''t think much of it, figuring it must be some dog''s son of a thief getting greedy, stealing our chickens and ducks to feast on.
So, we sent a few people to stealthily watch around the chicken coop, hoping to catch this petty thief.
But who could have known, not a single shadow was seen, yet two chickens still went missing from the coop, night after night, for several nights.
We began to suspect it was the work of a ghost, and it wasn''t until a few days ago that Li Laoer himself witnessed the ghost shadow; then we were sure that there truly was a ghost in the vige. So, we hurriedly asked the vige chief to go to the city and invite a Taoist priest to exorcise the spirit."
A ghost stealing chickens?
Lu Qingshan felt there was something slightly amiss.
"May I ask when the Taoist priest is performing the exorcism? I am rather interested in these exorcism rituals; may I observe it?"
The eldest vige woman looked at Lu Qingshan in surprise, "You''re quite bold for someone so young. The priest said he would start the ritual at the time of You (5-7 pm).
If you''re interested, just wait here a moment. Once we finish washing the clothes, you cane back to the vige with us."
Lu Qingshan bowed his hands in thanks, "Alright, then I''ll thank the auntie first."
Chapter 10 - 10 Peach Wood Sword
Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Peach Wood Sword
The vigers in this world are mostly simple, and a few vige girls, seeing that Lu Qingshan was a handsome young man, did not ask much about his background.
After the vige women washed their family''s clothes, they tidied up a bit, picked up their wooden basins, and stood up to take Lu Qingshan, who had been waiting for a long time, back to the vige.
As soon as he entered the vige, Lu Qingshan saw a crowd of people gathering and heading in the same direction.
Seeing this scene, the vige girls were also puzzled. The eldest among them happened to see old man Wang from next door passing by and casually stopped him to ask what was happening, "Old man Wang, where are you all rushing to?"
N?v(el)B\\jnn
"What else? We''re going to watch Taoist Priest Bai Piao perform an exorcism!"
In this world of immortals and demons, where supernatural creatures truly exist, ordinary people have always deeply believed in the legendary Taoist practices.
An exorcism performed by a Taoist Priest was an event not seen in many years, naturally, everyone wanted to join in the excitement.
"Isn''t it not even the hour of shen yet? Didn''t the Taoist Priest say he would begin the ceremony at the hour of you?"
"It was originally nned for the hour of you, but just now, old Li''s son saw a ghostly figure in his backyard again and scurried out in a panic to find the Taoist Priest.
The Taoist Priest immediately decided to go to old Li''s son''s house to perform an exorcism and rid the people of this evil. I must hurry over now, or I''ll miss everything," old man Wang exined quickly, then hurriedly stepped toward old Li''s son''s house.
Standing aside, Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed slightly.
A ghost appearing during the day?
The situation seemed to be getting more interesting.
An untrained soul body, if exposed directly to the harsh light of day, would get hurt.
So, let alone a yin spirit with cognitive awareness, even a resentful spirit driven by mere instinct would avoid appearing during the daytime.
...
The vige girls still needed to take the clothes back home, so Lu Qingshan bid farewell to a few of the aunts and headed alone to old Li''s son''s house.
Although he did not know the way, he just needed to follow the vigers who were going to watch the excitement.
Old Li''s son was a wine brewer and ran the only tavern in the vige, making him one of the wealthier families in the vige.
When Lu Qingshan arrived, there was already a crowd gathered outside old Li''s son''s house, but the door was tightly closed.
"What''s the situation now?" Lu Qingshan saw old man Wang and walked over to ask him.
Old man Wang turned around, recognized the handsome young man who had been following the elder vige girl, and without suspicion replied, "Taoist Priest Bai Piao said the spirit is extremely dangerous and should not be approached lightly, so he locked the door and went in alone to perform the exorcism."
At hearing this, Lu Qingshan''s eyes flickered, and he stepped back from the crowd and walked around old Li''s son''s house, eventually stopping beneath the wall of the backyard.
With a slight effort in his legs, Lu Qingshan jumped straight up onto the wall.
The vigers, ignorant and swayed by the Taoist''s words, dared not enter, but Lu Qingshan was not afraid.
Lu Qingshan sat astride the wall, looking into the courtyard.
In the courtyard, there was a wooden table with an incense burner ced on it and three sticks of incense lit, the white smoke billowing.
A middle-aged Taoist in a green robe, petite in stature, stood in front of the table holding a peach wood sword, muttering something under his breath.
His appearance truly matched what the vige girls had described, pointy mouth and monkey cheeks.
"With no audience to watch, you still perform seriously, putting on quite the act. You''re really quite dedicated, aren''t you?" Lu Qingshan called out teasingly.
"Who''s there?" Taoist Priest Bai Piao''s gaze shifted towards the direction of the voice, spotted Lu Qingshan sitting on the wall, and frowned, calling out, "You young brat, spewing nonsense. What are you talking about?
You''re quite bold. Didn''t I warn everyone to stay away from this courtyard to prevent the spirit from possessing someone and escaping?"
Lu Qingshan jumped down from the wall into the courtyard, looked at the peach wood sword in Taoist Priest Bai Piao''s hand, and said, "This sword, well, it indeed looks quite mystical. As for you, you''re clearly putting on an act."
This world might have Taoist practices, but the person in front of him was not a cultivator capable of casting spells, just an ordinary man.
However, the peach wood sword in the Taoist''s hand was indeed not a mere mortal artifact, if Lu Qingshan was not mistaken, it was definitely a magic artifact.
"With the help of this peach wood sword, you''ve indeed scared away quite a few spirits, so you''re not entirely a fraud.
But today''s situation is something your peach wood sword can''t resolve.
If you give me this peach wood sword as a fee, I will help you solve this trouble, saving your life as well. How about it?" Lu Qingshan proposed.
Bai Piao Taoist''s expression changed, "Who are you?"
Someone like Bai Piao Taoist, who had long mingled in the marketces, was extremely slick and cautious.
From the few words Lu Qingshan had uttered, he had immediately sensed something and no longer underestimated him due to his youthful appearance.
Lu Qingshan did not reply directly, but channeled the Spiritual Power within his body.
One of the incense sticks in the censer on the long table unexpectedly flew up into the air.
Object Control, this was the most basic application of Spiritual Power.
With Lu Qingshan''s Qi Refinement second level of Cultivation, he could only just barely manipte such light objects and was still unable to move them significantly.
Although it had no practical use, it was enough to intimidate ordinary people.
"A Cultivator?!" Bai Piao Taoist, looking at the incense suspended in the air, eximed in shock.
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly, "It''s good that you recognize the status of a Cultivator."
Seeing Lu Qingshan acknowledging his identity as a Cultivator, the expression on Bai Piao Taoist''s face changed rapidly, and quite quickly he put on a smiling face.
Holding the Peach Wood Sword with both hands, Bai Piao Taoist walked up to Lu Qingshan and spoke respectfully, "This Peach Wood Sword is an heirloom of my family. It is an honor for it to catch your eye."
A smile covered Bai Piao Taoist''s face, but inside his heart was bleeding.
Bai Piao Taoist wasn''t exaggerating, the Peach Wood Sword really was his family heirloom, passed down from his ancestors.
In his youth, he had beenzy and unskilled, incapable of earning a living, and in times of difficulty, an idea struck him; taking his family''s Peach Wood Sword, he stole a Taoist robe from a Taoist temple and pretended to be a Taoist capable of casting spells to make a living.
He knew his own limitations and initially approached it with a mindset of deceiving anyone he could.
But, unexpectedly, heter found that in ces where he had pretended to perform rituals, no malevolent phenomena urred ever again.
He naturally didn''t believe it was due to his rituals. After much deliberation, he finally concluded that it must be the ancestral Peach Wood Sword that indeed had some paranormal aspects.
Leveraging this Peach Wood Sword, Bai Piao Taoist gradually earned quite a reputation.
It could be said that the Peach Wood Sword was his tool for making a living.
Could he not feel heartbroken about giving away his means of livelihood?
But the young man before him was a legendary Cultivator capable of wielding Taoist magic; what if he showed resistance, and the Cultivator turned him to ashes with a burst of Spiritual Fire?
Fortunately, over the years he had umted some savings. It seemed he should use these savings to start a business after returning home; without the Peach Wood Sword, he felt uneasy dealing with spirits.
Lu Qingshan took the Peach Wood Sword from Bai Piao Taoist''s hands and looked at him with a half-smile, his face full of ingratiating intent, "Do you think I am using my power to forcefully take your Peach Wood Sword?"
"This Peach Wood Sword is clearly my tribute to a true master like you, given voluntarily. How could it be said that you snatched it from me!" Bai Piao Taoist argued righteously.
"Well, Bai Piao, you are indeed shrewd, but you need not harbor any resentment because if I hadn''te today, you would most likely have lost your life here.
Getting a life for a Peach Wood Sword, you are actually not at a loss."
Without waiting for Bai Piao Taoist to respond, Lu Qingshan, holding the Peach Wood Sword, swiped it towards a corner of the yard, and a purple-green Sword Light suddenly shot out from the Peach Wood Sword.
The moment he touched the Peach Wood Sword, Lu Qingshan had obtained all the information about the sword.
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[Peach Wood Sword]
Level: High-grade Mortal Artifact
Description: Peach wood, the essence of the five types of wood, thus it suppresses evil spirits. This sword is crafted from the heartwood of a hundred-year-old peach tree and has many supernatural aspects.
Magic Artifact Effect: Exorcism +1
Active Effects: [Thunder Force]
The heartwood of a hundred-year-old peach tree can slowly absorb the Thunder Force of Heaven and Earth stored within the sword''s core; you can discharge the Thunder Force stored in the sword''s core to release a Thunder Sword Light, effective attack range of 30 meters.
Thunder Force (20/20)
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Chapter 11: The Hegemon King of Western Chu?
Chapter 11: The Hegemon King of Western Chu?
The essence of the peach wood, born at the Ghost Gate, can control hundreds of ghosts and is an excellent material for cutting down evil and controlling ghosts.
This Peach Wood Sword was made from a hundred-year-old peach tree.
Its attached effect of Exorcism +1 means that wherever this Peach Wood Sword is located,mon malevolent beings must stay away, otherwise, it wouldn''t be long before their souls dissipate.
Taoist Priest Bai Piao, carrying the Peach Wood Sword, set up altars all around to perform rituals. Although all of them were tricks to fool people, the exorcism effect of the Peach Wood Sword genuinely yed its role. Thus, it was that Bai Piao managed to gain quite a bit of fame.
However, the ghostly shadow that Li Lao Er saw was actually not a real ghost.
A purple-green Sword Light shot towards a corner of the courtyard.
To Bai Piao, this corner looked perfectly normal,pletely empty.
But at the very moment when Lu Qingshan''s Sword Light flew towards it,
Waves of ripples appeared in the void, spreading rapidly, like ripples on a cid surface of water.
Then, a huge ck rat appeared out of thin air in the courtyard.
Boom¡ª
The Sword Light struck directly towards this huge ck rat.
A loud booming sound erupted.
The ck rat clearly had not expected this to happen.
Caught off guard, it was hard-hit by the Thunder Force of the Sword Light, standing petrified on the spot with its ck fur sticking out, and a smell of scorched leather wafted through the air.
Yes, the so-called ghostly shadows in the vige were not Yin Spirits, but rather this huge ck rat causing mischief.
Lu Qingshan had sensed something was amiss quite early. He had never heard of a Yin Spirit that would steal chickens.
Likewise, after arriving in the vige and learning that the so-called "Overlord of Western Chu" had appeared again in broad daylight, he was certain that the strange phenomena in the vige were not caused by Yin Spirits.
So, right after he climbed over the courtyard wall, he paid special attention to any abnormalities in the yard and quickly discovered an Illusion Technique set up in the corner of the courtyard.
With the Heavenly Eye Technique deployed, Lu Qingshan could see a wealth of information before his eyes.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Rat Demon (Demon n)
Rank: First Grade (lv1)
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Attribute: Strength 1, Agility 2, Mana 1, Divine Soul 3, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 15/20 (Injured)
Spiritual Power Value: 10/10
Skills: Soul Loss Technique lv1, Blinding Spell lv1
Gifts: [Sparse Illusion Rat Bloodline]: The Illusion Rat n naturally possesses the ability to cast illusions. Rat Demons with a sparse Illusion Rat Bloodline thereby have the ability to cast some low-grade illusions.
[Primary Level Strength]: The Demon n''s physical body is exceptionally strong. Gain Stamina Value modification: 1 Stamina = 20 Health Points
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
That''s right, the one stealing chickens and dogs in the vige was a rat that had somehow be a spirit, or in other words, a Demon Beast.
If it had been evil spirits causing trouble, Bai Piao might have been unbeatable with the Peach Wood Sword. But against Demon Beasts, the Exorcism effect of the Peach Wood Sword would be of no use at all.
He was a scamming Taoist Priest, charging straight at a Demon Beast ¨C wasn''t that just asking for death?
So, Lu Qingshan felt entirely justified in taking this Peach Wood Sword: I''m solving a problem for you that you couldn''t solve yourself. Aspensation, I take the Peach Wood Sword as my reward, nothing wrong with that.
```
Having gained the upper hand, Lu Qingshan didn''t wait for the rat demon to counterattack and swung his sword again, unleashing a bolt of Thunder Force infused Sword Light.
This Sword Light contained 10 points of Thunder Force.
The rat demon had just regained its senses when another streak of purple-glowing Sword Light shed before its eyes.
Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Another loud boom resounded.
...
The vigers gathered outside Li Lao Er''s home couldn''t help but click their tongues when they heard the noise from the courtyard, "That must be the Taoist Priest fighting the ghost, good heavens, with all thismotion, that Western Chu Overlord must be one formidable ghost."
Some showed concern, "I just wonder, can Taoist Priest Bai Piao overtake this Western Chu Overlord?"
"No need to worry, Taoist Priest Bai Piao is a renowned figure in Yuanshan City with extensive experience in exorcism. No matter how fierce the Western Chu Overlord might be, he can only meekly submit before the Taoist Priest."
....
Inside the courtyard.
Purple light once again red upon the Peach Wood Sword in Lu Qingshan''s hand.
"Stop, stop, if you hit me again, the rat here is done for, real person, please spare my life!" Suddenly, the rat demon, already charred ck by the Thunder Force Sword Light, let out a wretched plea for mercy.
Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and indeed retracted the Thunder Force from his Peach Wood Sword, looking curiously at the rat demon, "You have not transformed, yet you can speak humannguage. It seems you''ve had quite the opportunity to have refined your marrow ahead of time."
Seeing that Lu Qingshan had truly retracted the Thunder Force from his sword, the rat demon rather humanly patted its chest with its small paw, still shaken as it began, "Real person, you indeed have an insightful eye. I was just an ordinary rat, barely surviving on the food I stole from this family''s storage.
Not long ago, by chance, I swallowed a red Spiritual Pearl and somehow gained consciousness and the ability to speak. I, too, was scared witless by the transformation from an ordinary rat into this!
But I swear, I have never harmed a soul in the vige during this period. I am a good demon, please show mercy, real person, and spare my life!"
Lu Qingshan walked up to the rat demon, using the Peach Wood Sword like a mallet, harshly knocking on the rat demon''s head, as he spoke, "A good demon? A good demon that steals chickens, scares vigers while pretending to be a ghost, and even calls itself the Western Chu Overlord, look at how capable you are."
The rat demon, while clutching its head and not daring to resist, softly exined, "Who can resist the deliciousness of chicken, I just couldn''t help myself.
Moreover, I didn''t intend to scare people; it was just a vague feeling that I might have some special ability (Blinding Spell), and I attempted to use it.
Who knew that the homeowner would suddenlye out and just happened to see me? As for the Western Chu Overlord..."
The rat demon, feeling wronged, said, "I didn''t say that. When he asked me what ghost I was, don''t all you humans have names?
I was born in the hole at the west wall, so I just named myself West Rat King. He somehow misheard it as Western Chu Overlord."
"It''s so unfair to me!"
Lu Qingshan: "..."
Taoist Priest Bai Piao, witnessing this scene from the side, was already bbergasted. Today, he had seen both a real Cultivator and a rat demon capable of human speech. He was filled with myriad emotions, both amazed and fearful.
...
"Where did you get the red Spiritual Pearl you swallowed? What exactly does it look like? Tell me in detail, and then I''ll consider whether or not to let you off," Lu Qingshan asked calmly, but a wisp of purple light red up again on the Peach Wood Sword.
The West Rat King, upon seeing the Sword Light, shivered involuntarily, the psychological shadow of the previous two Sword Lights obviously having left a deep imprint.
The West Rat King immediately pounced on Lu Qingshan''s legs, clutching his pant legs tightly with its small paws, its voice inconsble, "Real person, spare me, as the saying goes, ''Heaven values all life,'' I am a good demon. If you, real person, strike me down, how could you bear it in your heart?"
Lu Qingshan kicked the West Rat King away, the purple light on the Peach Wood Sword growing even stronger, "Stop that nonsense with me. If you''re not willing to answer my question, then I won''t be polite."
The West Rat King, somewhat fearing Lu Qingshan''s gaze, hesitated before saying, "Real person, it''s not that I don''t want to tell you, it''s just that I really don''t know what happened."
"Hmm?" Lu Qingshan frowned slightly.
"s, I don''t even know how to exin it. If I take the real person to see it, you''ll understand," said the rat demon.
```
Chapter 12 - 12 Blood Pool Reincarnation
Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Blood Pool Reincarnation
```
Seeing the hesitant demeanor of the Great King of Western Rats, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but be stirred by a trace of curiosity.
He turned his head to look at the uneasily standing Taoist Priest Bai Piao beside him and said, "I will settle this matter for you, and in return, you will give me a Peach Wood Sword as remuneration, and we will be even."
Taoist Priest Bai Piao nodded hurriedly.
n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Lu Qingshan was satisfied as he caressed his sword. A Sword Cultivator needed a sword to cultivate, and atst, he had acquired his very first Sword Artifact.
After giving instructions to Bai Piao, Lu Qingshan turned to the Great King of Western Rats and said, "Lead the way, for I must see what peculiar thing has made it so difficult for you to describe."
The Great King of Western Rats, having been thoroughly subdued by Lu Qingshan''s treatment, obediently got up upon hismand. Ignoring the wounds he had just received from Lu Qingshan, he sprang up onto the courtyard wall with a push of his legs.
Lu Qingshan followed closely behind.
The rat and the man quickly disappeared within the courtyard.
Watching Lu Qingshan''s figure vanish, Taoist Priest Bai Piao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Having just witnessed Lu Qingshan summon a bolt of thunder with a swing of his sword, Bai Piao was so frightened that he hardly dared to breathe, fearing that the young Cultivator might turn around and strike him with his sword without a moment''s pleasure.
Unlike the rat demon, Bai Piao wouldn''t be able to hop around alive after taking two sword shes.
"Without the Peach Wood Sword, I suppose I can''t continue this exorcism business. No, I must make a big score this time topensate for my loss."
Bai Piao looked at the slightly disordered scene before him, his thoughts stirring as his gaze wandered. After a brief contemtion, a n formed in his mind.
Bai Piao took some ash from the incense burner and ced it on the corner of the wall that had been shed by Lu Qingshan''s thunderous sword light, then he took out cinnabar used for drawing talismans from his bosom and smeared it at the corner of his mouth.
Having feigned an injured appearance, Taoist Priest Bai Piao then opened the tightly closed gate and stumbled out, pale-faced and weakly said to the gathered vigers, "The mighty King of Western Chu was ferocious indeed! Poor Taoist I almost got devoured by the ghost instead of vanquishing it."
Hearing the noises from the courtyard and feeling uneasy, the vigers rushed forward to support Taoist Priest Bai Piao upon seeing his frail state.
The homeowner, Second Li, was particrly uneasy, rubbing his hands nervously, he stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Taoist Priest, may I ask what has be of the King of Western Chu?"
Bai Piao looked at Second Li and disyed a tragic expression on his face, "This King of Western Chu is nomon fierce ghost, extremely cunning, beyond control by ordinary means.
Left with no choice, this poor Taoist had to sacrifice his lifespan to employ the forbidden Thunder Technique of our sect and only then was I able to y it!
This time, my Essence Blood has been greatly drained, and I need a thorough rest. From this day forth, I will ept no more matters of exorcism!"
Bai Piao looked up at the vigers and added, "Although it was a costly endeavor, ridding demons is an innate duty of those who practice cultivation. This poor Taoist is fortunate to have fulfilled his mission.
The King of Western Chu has been reduced to ashes, and his spirit dissipated. You may go inside and gather the ghost''s ashes, seal them in a jar, and all will be well.
From now forth, you shall encounter no more trouble from evil spirits; you have my assurance."
Hearing the Taoist''s words, the curious vigers could no longer hold back and squeezed into Second Li''s house, eager to witness the ashes of the formidable King of Western Chu.
Hiss¡ª
Upon entering the backyard and seeing the charred ground beneath the courtyard wall, the vigers couldn''t help but gasp in shock.
Goodness, this Taoist Priest''s methods are impressively fierce; even the ground has been split like this. The King of Western Chu, no matter how savage, surely couldn''t have withstood this.
Seeing the vigers'' astonished expressions, a sense of pride swelled in Bai Piao''s heart.
That young man tricked me out of my family''s inherited Peach Wood Sword, but Taoist Priest Bai Piao is no fool; I shall siphon off his glory for myself.
The vigers were both afraid and amazed.
Upon seeing this scene, Second Li hesitated for a moment but finally stood out and loudly suggested to the vigers, "The Taoist Priest sacrificed so much to help our vige rid itself of the ghost. We have received such a great kindness and have little with which to repay it. I propose each household contributes a little more silver taels as remuneration for the Taoist Priest''s ritual, to express our gratitude. What do you say?"
The onlooking vigers echoed their agreement.
The "weakened" Bai Piao, upon witnessing this scene, then contentedly nodded his head.
Second Li, not bad, you catch on quick. I haven''t misjudged you!
```
...
Lu Qingshan followed the Western Rat King along the mountain path that led into the city for nearly an hour.
Finally, at the base of a small hill, the Western Rat King stopped, turning and taking Lu Qingshan with him inside.
They walked for a while longer.
An open area filled with a forest of chaotic stones appeared before them.
Lu Qingshan looked at the Western Rat King, waiting for it to exin.
"That Li Lao''er has business dealings with a tavern in Yuanshan City, so every now and then, he transports a cart of wine there."
"One day, I couldn''t resist my craving and sneaked some of the wine. I was so drunk that I ended up on the cart.
Following the cart halfway, I suddenly smelled a strange fragrance. Instinctively, I jumped off and followed the scent until I stumbled upon this ce.
Back then, there was a blood pool here, filled with crimson blood."
Upon closer inspection, I found the blood in the pool thick and rank, with many red bead-like things tumbling around in it.
Strangely, the fragrance wasing from these red beads, and I couldn''t help but eat one.
Oddly, the bead didn''t look big, but after eating one, I felt incredibly full.
After that, I left in a daze, and slowly I started to develop intelligence and the ability to speak humannguage, transforming into what I am now."
"Later, I tried to follow my memory back to find the blood pool again, but it had turned into the Chaotic Stone Forest that we see now.
It''s as if everything was a dream, but the changes that urred to me clearly tell me that what happened was not an illusion."
The Western Rat King cautiously nced at Lu Qingshan, afraid that he wouldn''t believe its story.
Lu Qingshan stood motionless, his expression as still as water while looking at the Chaotic Stone Forest before him.
The scene described by the Western Rat King was not only familiar to him, but he understood it all too well.
Blood Pool Reincarnation!
Collecting countless human essence blood and pooling it into a blood pool, then using the blood pool to reincarnate demons with demon bloodlines!
This was also the ultimate goal of Demon Cultivatorsunching the Corpse Puppet Chaos.
But wasn''t this something that only appeared after the stirrings of the Corpse Puppet Chaos?
Lu Qingshan''s heart sank.
What was going on?
Lu Qingshan understood that the current Chaotic Stone Forest was actually an illusion manifested by a high-grade Illusion Array.
However, with his current level of cultivation, he was unable to see through the formation and enter it.
That day, the illusion array must have encountered some problem, temporarily losing its effect, which allowed the Western Rat King to discover the blood pool and even steal a Blood Spirit Bead, awakening the phantom mouse bloodline within it.
"Let''s leave here first," Lu Qingshan said to the Western Rat King.
Although he didn''t know why such an important thing as a blood pool would suddenly be left unguarded, allowing a giant rat toe and go without losing a single hair,
Nobody could predict if a Demon Cultivator would suddenly return.
With Lu Qingshan''s current cultivation, if he were to encounter the Demon Cultivator who established the blood pool, it would be certain death.
Not willing to take the risk, he dared not linger here any longer.
Chapter 13: Hidden Plot
Chapter 13: Hidden Plot
Lu Qingshan, apanied by the King of the ck Rats, swiftly left the Chaotic Stone Forest.
"Where are we headed?"
Observing Lu Qingshan, who had been silent ever since they left the Chaotic Stone Forest, the King of the ck Rats hesitated for a long time before finally asking.
"Yuanshan City!"
The King of the ck Rats actually wanted to ask Lu Qingshan if it could leave since it had already confessed everything.
Being around Lu Qingshan made it terribly afraid.
However, seeing Lu Qingshan''s solemn expression, it ultimately did not dare to voice its question.
Being a rat is truly challenging!
...
After walking for some time, a towering and majestic city appeared before Lu Qingshan.
Yuanshan City, one of the one hundred and eight prefectural cities under themand of Zhenjiang Prefecture.
As a prefectural city, Yuanshan City was home to dozens ofrge and small cultivator families and three First Grade sects.
Standing outside Yuanshan City, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but be evoked into a trace of reminiscence.
The one hundred and eight prefectural cities of Zhenjiang Prefecture were the starting locations for "Nine Heavens" yers, in other words, the beginner viges.
His former beginner vige was not Yuanshan City, but another prefectural city. Still, seeing this familiar scene, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of affinity.
Lu Qingshan entered the city directly, and at the city gate, he was neither questioned nor charged any so-called entry fee, though the ck Rat on his shoulder greatly intrigued the city guards.
Who keeps rats these days?
The city''s roads were paved with blue stone bs, clean and orderly. Countless pedestrians, travelers, and snack vendors crowded the already spacious streets, making them bustling with activity.
In a world filled with demons and ghosts, and where Taoist magic existed, human towns flourished economically and in many other regards far beyond the ancient worlds that were dominated by science.
Lu Qingshan randomly picked an inn, got a top-floor room, ordered some wine and dishes, and began to drink alone in his room.
The King of the ck Rats looked around for a moment and finally couldn''t help but jump onto the table to join him.
Lu Qingshan nced at the King of the ck Rats but said nothing.
He needed to calm down now, put aside all distractions, and organize his thoughts thoroughly.
The Blood Pool, which appeared prematurely but was never mentioned in the storyline records, made Lu Qingshan feel that something was amiss.
He could sense that ayer of fog enveloped the history just before the outbreak of the Corpse Puppet Chaos.
And his task was to break through this fog with the vast information he possessed.
First of all, the existence of the Blood Pool must have its significance. Demon Cultivators would not build a Blood Pool without a purpose.
Since there was a purpose, whether sessful or not, there must be a result.
The onset and process of an event could be very well hidden, but the result cannot be concealed. No matter what the oue, it would inevitably have a significant impact.
Just like in ancient times, when princes conspired to seize power¡ªif nned meticulously, everything might be silent before the oue, but once the dust settled, whether a failure or sess, it would be recorded borately in the annals of history.
Yet, recalling the historical storyline, indeed, there was no discovery of any events rted to this Blood Pool far from Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Thus, there was only one possibility¡ªit existed in the records in a rather obscure way.
One must deduce from the result which incident was rted to the Blood Pool!
Lu Qingshan dipped his finger in the wine and gestured on the table.
He needed to review the major events that had urred near Yuanshan City that year.
When he had just checked into the inn, he had inquired about the current time with the innkeeper.
The 20,000th year of Chang''an.
It was also thest year of this era. In a few months, the Corpse Puppet Chaos would begin.
After the end of the Corpse Puppet Chaos, the master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion used the Heavenly Secret Mirror to probe the heavenly secrets.
In an instant, his hair turned white, and having reached the Mahayana stage, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master''s lifespan was exhausted almost instantly. Before dying, he left hisst words: "The Abyss has arrived; from now on, the Sky Dome shall descend into turmoil."
In the second year, the Great Xia Imperial n changed the era name to Immortal Martial.
That year, everyone''s attention was drawn to the Corpse Puppet Chaos and the demise of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master, so many minor details went unnoticed and were drowned in the river of history.
However, Lu Qingshan was different; he had deeply researched the plot of "Nine Heavens."
Names flickered rapidly through Lu Qingshan''s mind.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
He was filtering useful information.
Suddenly, a seemingly insignificant record in the vast ocean of historical records quietly emerged before Lu Qingshan.
The historical record, in the middle of the 20,000th year in Chang''an, on July fifteenth, one of the seven great Taoist Sects, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, lost a branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror near Yuanshan City while stationed in Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Due to the Pavilion Master''s demise at the end of the same year, the entire Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was in mourning.
By the Immortal Martial Year, one significant event after another had urred, so this matter was dragged out and eventually forgotten.
The missing branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror thus became an unresolved case.
The Heavenly Secret Mirror, the sect-guarding Taoist Artifact of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, could probe the mysteries of Heaven and Earth, and discern the causality of the human world, possessing the ability to detect fate and avoid disasters.
Besides, the Heavenly Secret Mirror had another important ability: it could be split into numerous branches, each retaining a small portion of the main mirror''s power.
Due to the magic of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, the Great Xia Imperial n had reserved a guarding position in every prefecture, entrusting a disciple of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion carrying a branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror to oversee the area.
The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion monitors the world!
Lu Qingshan had always been puzzled by this segment of historical record.
The Zhenjiang Prefectural Guard, a Fourth Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, how could he appear inexplicably in the small Prefecture City of Yuanshan and lose such an important branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror there?
Something is not right!
Linking this with the Blood Pool that appeared near Yuanshan City, Lu Qingshan could already smell the scent of a conspiracy.
A segment of the plot... hidden away?
Lu Qingshan''s eyes gradually brightened, his thoughts bing clearer and clearer.
The Heavenly Secret Mirror, with its mysterious and unpredictable abilities, actually had many limitations; for instance, often the fate detected by the mirror was just an ambiguous image.
This required cultivators to interpret these images, deciphering their meanings.
And this aspect could often be exploited by schemers, who might deliberately create false appearances to mislead those using the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
That''s it.
Such an important thing as the Blood Pool, how could the Illusion Array concealing it suddenly fail, and even without any guards present?
It was clearly the Demon Cultivators intentionally removing the Formation, allowing the Blood Pool to appear in the Heavenly Secret Mirror, drawing the Zhenjiang Prefectural Guard to this ce.
To avoid exposing their identities in the Heavenly Secret Mirror, the Demon Cultivators needed to stay away from the location of the Blood Pool.
Even though the situation seemed incredibly strange, the disciples of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, as world overseers, would indeede to investigate.
The purpose was simple: whatever the Zhenjiang Prefectural Guard lost, that was what the Demon Cultivators aimed for.
The branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror!
If the branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror were still there, how could the city of Zhenjiang Prefecture be left unguarded, allowing the Demon Cultivators to massacre the city!
Upon realizing this, Lu Qingshan''s gaze deepened, and he recalled another matter.
After losing the branch of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, Zhenjiang Prefecture dispatched many cultivators to reside in various major Prefecture Cities.
Thus, when the Corpse Puppet Chaos began, although the Corpse Puppets'' attacks on various major Prefecture Cities were extensive, the actual carnage caused was not terrifying.
But the city of Zhenjiang Prefecture was filled with skeletons!
Now, Lu Qingshan understood why such a result urred.
The Zhenjiang Prefectural Guard very likely was misled by the Blood Pool near Yuanshan City.
He believed that the Demon Cultivators'' target was just these smaller prefecture cities.
However, he hadn''t anticipated that the Demon Cultivators'' ambitions were vast enough to target the prefectural city itself, and they even seeded.
Chapter 14: How to Break the Game?
Chapter 14: How to Break the Game?
If he could disrupt the demon cultivators'' ns this time, would the tragedy of Zhenjiang Prefectural City not ur again?
Lu Qingshan was uncertain.
But he wanted to try.
The tragedy of Zhenjiang Prefectural City was a tragedy for the entire Human Race.
"Qi Yuan!"
With alcohol, Lu Qingshan finally wrote down this name on the table.
The custodian of the Heavenly Secret Mirror from Zhenjiang, Qi Yuan!
Knock¡ª
Knock¡ª
Knock¡ª
Lu Qingshan''s fingers kept lightly tapping the table, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.
It was now July 13.
There were only two days left until Qi Yuan lost the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
Time was pressing.
He needed to quickly find a way to break the situation!
For him, there were three key issues to resolve.
First, he needed to understand how these demon cultivators managed to snatch the Heavenly Secret Mirror fragment from Qi Yuan.
Only by knowing the method of the snatch could he counter their moves.
Second, he needed to find a way to meet with Qi Yuan.
But as a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator and a prefectural custodian, Qi Yuan was not someone a minor Qi Refining secondyer cultivator like himself could easily meet.
Third, after meeting Qi Yuan, he still needed to find a way to gain his trust.
...
Time was slowly ticking away.
Suddenly, Lu Qingshan remembered something.
In his previous life, a professional yer named Tian Lingzi, who was ranked seventh on the Spiritual Cultivator leaderboard,pleted a hidden quest and was epted as a disciple by the Heavenly Secret Pavillion.
After a bout of intense effort, Tian Lingzi quickly umted enough contribution value within the sect, and after gaining the attention of the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, he was granted a Heavenly Secret Mirror fragment.
Tian Lingzi once shared a screenshot of the attributes of the Heavenly Secret Mirror fragment on a yer forum, creating quite a buzz for himself.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Heavenly Secret Mirror¡¤Fragment]
Level: Taoist Artifact (pseudo)
Description: Heavenly secrets must not be revealed
Magic Artifact Effect: Divination +4
Divine Skills: [Observing Heaven]
Passive: Within the current area, if there is impending grave danger, the owner of the magic artifact will have a vague sense of it.
Active: At the cost of lifespan, observe heavenly secrets. Cooldown Time: 15 days.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The Heavenly Secret Mirror is a special magic artifact that offers no enhancement to one''sbat abilities, but, regardless, the level row denotes it as a Taoist Artifact.
It was the first Taoist Artifact owned by a yer, even if there was a pseudo in the description afterward.
Thus, even after a long time had passed, Lu Qingshan still remembered its attributes clearly.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze became intense.
An idea emerged.
Could it be?
Lu Qingshan nced at the Great Rat King on the table, who was sipping wine and devouring meat with great pleasure, and suddenly asked, "Do you remember how long ago it was since youst saw that blood pool?"
The Great Rat King, engrossed in human delicacies, looked up somewhat nkly.
After pondering for a moment, he began counting on his fingers, then shook his head, and simply sat down on the table, fiddling with his toes.
"It should have been thirteen days ago," the Great Rat King finally figured it out and provided the answer.
Thirteen days ago.
That means it was on the first of July that the demon cultivators released the signal of the blood pool, attracting Qi Yuan''s attention.
On July 15, Qi Yuan lost the Heavenly Secret Mirror fragment in Yuanshan City.
Fifteen days in between.
Lu Qingshan seemed thoughtful.
Given the style of the disciples from the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, they definitely rushed to Yuanshan City on the day they discovered the Blood Pool.
The Demon Cultivator could have acted at this time, yet there were so many days in between. Why did they still drag it out for a whole half month, waiting until July 15th to act?
Unless, for their n, July 15th was the opportune moment to act.
What kind of n requires such strict timing?
Recalling the properties of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
The answer was nearly bursting forth.
...
Lu Qingshan stood up.
Next, he needed to find a way to meet Qi Yuan in person.
As for how to do that, he still hadn''t figured it out.
But sitting idly here wouldn''t garner any ideas; better to stroll around the city first. It might even inspire some thoughts.
He could also handle his gains and see if he could purchase a couple of suitable Sword Techniques.
....
Lu Qingshan looked up at the enormous loft in front of him. Carved on the loft''s signboard, in bold, gold-painted characters, were the words "Great Xia Commercial Firm."
The Great Xia Commercial Firm was not only thergestmercial firm in Yuanshan City but also thergest across all Human Race cities.
It had branches in all the cities of the Human Race, a long history and had amassed untold wealth over countless years.
In this world of cultivators and immortals, such a wealthymercial firm could not have existed for so many years without a substantial backing.
Naturally, the Great Xia Commercial Firm had support, and it was from the highest peak of the Human Race.
The Great Xia Imperial n!
Indeed, the Great Xia Commercial Firm was under the Great Xia Imperial n.
The Great Xia Imperial n ruled over all, supporting the Spirit Formations of Human Race cities and the armies of cultivators, bearing the duty to protect and flourish the Human Race. They even rated the levels of the cultivation sects. Their influence and status were self-evident.
As a part of the Great Xia Imperial n, it was no surprise that the Great Xia Commercial Firm became thergestmercial firm among the Human Race.
"Behave yourself inside," Lu Qingshan admonished the King of Western Rats sitting on his shoulder.
The King of Western Rats vigorously nodded its tiny head.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Considering the importance of this ce, the security was extremely strict. If Lu Qingshan remembered correctly, the county level Great Xia Commercial Firm was not only equipped with high-grade formations but also had Golden Core Cultivators stationed within all year round.
Causing trouble in the Great Xia Commercial Firm was courting death.
The Great Xia Commercial Firm had three floors; the first was for Qi Refining Cultivators, the second for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the third was intended for true individuals from the Golden Core Realm.
With his current cultivation, Lu Qingshan naturally could only wander about on the first floor.
Lu Qingshan stepped into therge entrance of the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
The spacious hall that could amodate dozens of people, the counters made of precious zitan wood, and several attendants dressed in unified light green clothes, all these elements highlighted the grandeur of the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
A few customers were going back and forth; Lu Qingshan, at a nce, saw that all were cultivators above the third level of Qi Refinement.
Several light green-d attendants were exining something to a few cultivators.
At that moment, an attendant d in light green came forward with a smiling face, "Do you wish to sell items, or would you like to buy something?"
"I wish to sell some items and also see if there are any suitable Sword Techniques," said Lu Qingshan.
Upon hearing Lu Qingshan say this, the attendant''s smile remained unchanged, and he respectfully said, "If the honored guest wishes to sell some items, pleasee this way. I can''t make decisions regarding the purchase price evaluation of a cultivator''s items on my own; a real person from our firm needs to handle that."
Lu Qingshan nodded, "Naturally."
The light green-d attendant led Lu Qingshan to a counter on one side.
At the counter sat an old man with a white beard and hair, who looked somewhat extraordinary.
"Old Qin, this client here wants to sell some items," introduced the light green-d attendant.
The old man nodded, indicating he understood, and briefly nced at Lu Qingshan. In a gentle tone, he said, "I am the head of the first floor of the Great Xia Commercial Firm. May I know what items you wish to sell? I will offer you the most reasonable price."
Lu Qingshan took out several Cultivation Technique Jade Slips and Spell Jade Slips he had captured from his storage bag. After thinking for a moment, he also unhooked his Earth Spirit Pendant from his waist and ced it on the counter.
Old Qin picked up the Jade Slips, sensed the contents with his Spiritual Sense, quickly put them down, then picked up the Earth Spirit Pendant and examined it for a while.
"The items you wish to sell, these Cultivation Technique Jade Slips and Spell Jade Slips, are all verymon. We at the Great Xia Commercial Firm will still buy them, but the price won''t be high. For these Jade Slips, I can offer you twenty First Grade Spirit Stones. As for this Magic Artifact pendant..."
Old Qin paused, then spoke again, "Its associated spell is just a very low-grade First Grade Stone Skin Technique, nothing remarkable. However, the material of the pendant is Lengcao jade, which is somewhat valuable. Although our usual buying price for low-grade Mortal Artifacts doesn''t exceed twenty First Grade Spirit Stones, I can make an exception and offer you twenty-five First Grade Spirit Stones. Does that sound agreeable to you, sir?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan slightly nodded.
As thergestmercial firm of the Human Race, it was indeed generous, and the prices offered were very fair.
Lu Qingshan had estimated the value to be around forty First Grade Spirit Stones, and he did not expect the old man, Old Qin, to offer even more. Naturally, he had no reason to be dissatisfied.
Chapter 15 - 15 Falling Bright Sword Technique
Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Falling Bright Sword Technique
Upon seeing Lu Qingshan nod, Old Qin signaled to a young servant in green who was standing by, and the servant quickly retreated.
Shortly after,
The young servant in green appeared again in front of Lu Qingshan, holding a tray.
On the tray, neatly ced, were forty-five First Grade Spirit Stones and a teal Jade Slip.
"These are forty-five First Grade Spirit Stones, you may count them, sir. Additionally, I heard that you are interested in purchasing one or two Sword Techniques. This Jade Slip contains a list and detailed descriptions of the Sword Techniques avable on this floor of our firm; please feel free to take a look," Old Qin said.
Whether it''s Cultivation Technique, Techniques, or Skills like Sword Techniques, when ites to selling, it''s not possible to directly present the original scripts for the cultivators to examine; only brief introductions are provided.
After the cultivators have selected a suitable Cultivation Technique or Sword Technique, the transaction follows¡ªa handover of money for the chosen items.
This is the long-standing trade practice in the Cultivation World.
Lu Qingshan collected the Spirit Stones into his storage bag.
His total assets finally achieved a qualitative leap from double to triple digits.
He then picked up the teal Jade Slip from the tray and released his Divine Sense to sense the information within.
Green Spirit Sword Technique, a Wood Attribute Sword Technique, renowned for its continuously linking Sword Techniques. When deploying the technique, a flickering green light can be seen on the Sword Artifact, capable of affecting the enemy''s judgment; priced at fifty First Grade Spirit Stones!
Extreme Cold Sword Technique, a powerful close-range attack Sword Technique. Each strike conceals a trace of cold, not to be underestimated, costing sixty First Grade Spirit Stones!
Thousand Cranes Sword Technique, created by Master Thousand Cranes, famed for its elegant swordy. During execution, a crane shape is faintly visible, stunning the opponent; priced at sixty-five First Grade Spirit Stones!
Pale me Sword Technique, a Fire Attribute Sword Technique, fierce as mes, and includes burning damage. Ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators find it difficult to withstand its power; priced at seventy First Grade Spirit Stones!
Falling Bright Sword Technique, a functional type of Sword Technique. While its lethality is not obvious, it possesses the ability to slow and bind enemies; priced at one hundred First Grade Spirit Stones!
Nine Fury Sword Technique...
...
An eye-catching multitude!
For a Qi Refining Sword Cultivator, any of the Sword Techniques introduced in the Jade Slip are good choices.
The products that the Great Xia Commercial Firm can produce are indeed not subpar.
However, with Lu Qingshan''s finances and experience points, he currently ns to choose only one Sword Technique to learn.
After briefly pondering, Lu Qingshan set down the Jade Slip and said, "Manager Qin, I would like to purchase the Falling Bright Sword Technique."
Falling Bright Sword Technique, among the few control abilities that low-level Sword Cultivators can learn, maintains its usefulness even at higher cultivator levels.
The powerful damage inflicted by Sword Cultivators means often just a basic attack is more than regr cultivators can endure, thus for Sword Cultivators, the problem is more often about reaching their target, not inadequate damage.
A control skill, therefore, often provides more benefits to Sword Cultivatorspared to many damage-oriented Sword Techniques.
Thus, in his previous life, the Falling Bright Sword Technique was also recognized by swordyer cultivators as an early "Divine Technique."
Old Qin smiled and said, "Sir, please wait a moment."
He then turned around and once again gestured to the young servant in green.
The young servant in green turned and walked towards a side room within.
That was the Inner Vault.
It didn''t take long before the young servant in green came back holding the Jade Slip for the Falling Bright Sword Technique that Lu Qingshan wanted.
Lu Qingshan paid a hundred First Grade Spirit Stones, and the Falling Bright Sword Technique became his possession, although his newly reached triple-digit assets quickly diminished back to double digits.
But Lu Qingshan was very satisfied.
"Sword Technique ''Falling Bright Sword Technique'' detected. Would you like to spend 20 experience points to learn it?"
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Falling Bright Sword Technique]
Learning requirements: None
Description: A functional Sword Technique, maximum level 10.
Skill effects: Damage equals Strength x 1.1 (1 + 0.1*Skill Level), and each swordyes with ayer of Power of Dark Erosion, eachyer slowing the speed by 1. The Power of Dark Erosion can stack up to threeyers, reached at threeyers, can actively detonate the Dark Erosion to briefly bind the enemy.
Every sword technique consumes 2 Spiritual Power, and detonating the Power of Dark Erosion consumes 5 Spiritual Power.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The expenditure of executing the Falling Bright Sword Technique was immense. With Lu Qingshan''s current cultivation, he could only perform a few moves of the Falling Bright Sword Technique, and even one detonation of the Power of Dark Erosion would consume one-quarter of his Spiritual Power!
For him at this moment, he would only use the Falling Bright Sword Technique at critical moments.
"Yes!"
The remaining 30 experience points of Lu Qingshan rapidly decreased by 12 ([Innate Swordseed]-30% experience cost, [Primary Level Sword Technique Affinity]-10% experience cost).
Mysterious and profound information inexplicably emerged in Lu Qingshan''s mind.
It was just a momentter.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but nce at his hands.
For in that brief moment, the Falling Bright Sword Technique had be second nature in his heart. He was certain that as long as he drew his Peach Wood Sword now, he would be able to execute skillfully the Falling Bright Sword Technique.
A moment''s time and the sword technique slightly mastered.
This is a yer''s advantage. As long as they have enough experience points, yers can instantly learn a profound sword technique.
Lu Qingshan gathered his belongings and prepared to leave.
Old Qin slightly squinted his eyes and suddenly spoke while watching the Western Rat King, who had been sitting very well-behaved on Lu Qingshan''s shoulder ever since entering the firm, "I wonder if you would consider selling this spirit pet of yours? I can offer twenty second-grade Spirit Stones."
Upon hearing Old Qin''s abrupt question, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but feel astonished.
Having the role of the manager at Great Xia Commercial Firm, his insight was indeed not simple.
The Illusion Rat Bloodline is a Sixth Grade Demon Beast Bloodline.
Although the Illusion Rat Bloodline in Western Rat King was quite thin, that was still very extraordinary.
It was clear that Old Qin had noticed the mystique of the Western Rat King, but to say that Old Qin could discern the Sixth Grade Demon Beast Bloodline in Western Rat King was definitely impossible.
The Western Rat King hadn''t expected to inadvertently be the target.
Upon hearing the manager''s words, the rat became anxious, tightly clutching Lu Qingshan''s cor with its small ws.
Seeing the Western Rat King acting as if it feared being sold, Lu Qingshan chose not to scare it further and bowed his hands towards Old Qin, refusing, "Manager, I''m sorry, but this spirit rat is not for sale."
Seeing this, Old Qin seemed slightly disappointed but did not persist, "A gentleman does not seize what others love. Since you have no intention of selling your spirit pet, our Great Xia Commercial Firm naturally won''t coerce a sale."
...
Lu Qingshan was about to leave the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
Just then, two cultivators, a man and a woman, walked down the stairs, acting very intimate.
The woman was quite young, with a graceful figure and a certain charm that was astonishing. Surprisingly, the male cultivator appeared rather old, presenting the likeness of a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.
It appeared to be a May-December couple.
However, suchbinations are quitemon in the Cultivation World.
Because, irrespective of their cultivation level, female cultivators have more or less mastered the skills of maintaining their youth.
But male cultivators often focus solely on enhancing their cultivation and do not spend time and resources researching things that do not aid in their power enhancement.
Moreover, for many male cultivators, an overly young appearance can often invite disdain.
Thus, this leads to the situation where female cultivators in the Cultivation World look young while male cultivators generally appear mature.
But beware, in the Cultivation World, a female cultivator who looks like a young maiden could very well be old enough to be your great-grandmother.
Bing noticeable from ascending the stairs, they must be at least at the Foundation Establishment level. Lu Qingshan spared them a nce but did not continue to look, preparing to leave the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
Some hot-tempered cultivators, if you look at them twice, might consider it a provocation and gratuitously bring trouble.
Wait?!
Lu Qingshan suddenly halted in his steps.
The woman''s figure seemed somewhat familiar?
As if he had seen her somewhere before.
Chapter 16 - 16 The Opportunity Has Arrived
Chapter 16: Chapter 16 The Opportunity Has Arrived
Lu Qingshan did not say a second word, pretending to identally turn around, and silently cast the Heavenly Eye Technique towards the woman.
¡ªIf there''s a cheat that can be used, why overthink it?
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Wu Yi (Human Race)
upation: Dharma Cultivation (Main)
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique] Lv4 (336/400)
Rank: Qi Refinement
Attribute: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 3, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 11/11
Spiritual Power Value: 40/40
Skills: Qi Concealing Technique Lv1, ???, ???, ???...
Talent: None
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Such a familiar panel, and... such a familiar name.
A slight smile rose on Lu Qingshan''s lips.
Although the information gathered by using Heavenly Eye Technique on the middle-aged male cultivator next to Wu Yi only disyed a row of neat question marks:
??? (Human Race)
upation: ???
Rank: ??? (Extremely Lethal)
Attribute: ???
...
But Lu Qingshan was quite sure that this middle-aged male cultivator next to Wu Yi was most likely that Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the boss of the Corpse Refining Cave instance, [Real Blood Corpse].
Wasn''t this the opportunity to break the game?
Lu Qingshan''s steps didn''t change, maintaining an unaffected demeanor, he left the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
The Divine Sense perception ability of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is very sensitive to anyone spying around.
To avoid attracting the attention of [Real Blood Corpse], Lu Qingshan did not look further at the two people.
¡ªMoreover, even though Wu Yi had never seen his face, since he could roughly recognize her by her figure, what guaranteed that Wu Yi couldn''t recognize him by his figure as well?
So, it was best to avoid appearing in front of this woman as much as possible.
...
A massive storm was quietly brewing behind the seemingly calm Yuanshan City.
Walking on the streets of Yuanshan City.
Lu Qingshan was in a good mood.
Demon Cultivators nned to capture Qi Yuan''s share of the Heavenly Secret Mirror in two days.
At the same time, Real Blood Corpse, whoseir had been raided once, appeared in Yuanshan City.
The identity of Real Blood Corpse, refining Corpse Puppets in his ownir, was undoubtedly another long-standing Demon Cultivator.
Once could be a coincidence, twice could still be considered a coincidence, but these three coincidences must have an internal connection.
With the information Lu Qingshan had, he easily arrived at the answer.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡ªThis Real Blood Corpse was one of the members involved in the operation to capture Qi Yuan''s share of the Heavenly Secret Mirror in two days.
All points had already connected into a line.
And Lu Qingshan, having grasped this line, did not need to cut it, but simply needed to make the line veer off the path originally nned by the Demon Cultivators.
...
Myriad Treasures Tower in Yuanshan City.
A very famous firm within Yuanshan City.
At this time, within the hidden basement of Myriad Treasures Tower.
Two rows of chairs were neatly arranged, with nearly ten cultivators sitting densely.
If Lu Qingshan were there, he would have recognized one of the cultivators as the Blood Corpse True Man he had encountered at the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
The atmosphere inside the room was eerie and grave.
Seated at the head was an old man, white-haired and gaunt as deadwood.
The elder at the head scanned the cultivators present and asked, "The time to act is in two days, have the tasks I assigned you been fulfilled without any slips?"
"I have no issues here, Asura Lord; several days ago, someone had already sent over the War Beast."
"Same here, the formation gs are all prepared."
"As for my side..."
....
The cultivators below responded one after another.
"However, Rakshasa Lord, Qi Yuan is a Nascent Soul Spiritual Cultivator from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, with unmatched divination skills especially adept at seeking fortune and avoiding disaster. Why are you so sure he will risking to Yuanshan City because of the Blood Pool?" a burly cultivator suddenly asked.
The other cultivators in the room, upon hearing this question, also turned their gazes to the elder, clearly perplexed as well.
"Heh, the divination skills of Heavenly Secret Pavilion''s Spiritual Cultivators are indeed unparalleled in the world, but often these unparalleled skills can be an impediment to those very cultivators," the elder said with a hint of mockery in his tone.
"How so?"
"Heavenly Secret Pavilion''s cultivators often rely too heavily on their divination skills, so their first response to any situation is divination. Many times, they lose their ability to judge for themselves."
"When Qi Yuan detects something wrong with the Blood Pool through the Heavenly Secret Mirror and prepares to head to Yuanshan City, he will surely employ divination to ascertain if his journey carries any risks."
"If the divination shows danger, he naturally will not hastily proceed to Yuanshan City."
"But firstly, our current n targets the Heavenly Secret Mirror, with no arrangements against Qi Yuan himself. Secondly, as all of us here are at most at the Golden Core stage, we pose no threat to Qi Yuan."
"Therefore, the divination Qi Yuan receives will surely indicate safety. Even if the Blood Pool matter is fraught with errors, the misleading divinationbined with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion disciples''passionate Bodhisattva hearts means Qi Yuan has a ny percent chance ofing to Yuanshan City to investigate the Blood Pool."
"Techniques are rigid, people are adaptable," the elder coldly chuckled, his voice frosty, "even the most exquisite skills of the heavenly secret cannot ount for theplexities of the human heart."
"What an excellent strategy, Rakshasa Lord!"
A chorus of amazed voices.
The elder known as Rakshasa, with an unchanged expression, looked toward Blood Corpse True Man sitting in the corner and suddenly furrowed his brow, "Blood Corpse, I heard that yesterday your disciple suddenly came to Yuanshan City looking for you, did something happen?"
Blood Corpse True Man''s pupils constricted as he respectfully replied, "Rest assured, Rakshasa Lord, there is no significant issue."
The elder nodded and said, "That''s good to hear. With the impending Corpse Puppet Chaos and the birth of a Demon Child, you all must act cautiously and avoid any slip-ups.
If we seed, our Qing State branch will have aplished an unprecedented feat, and all of your ranks in the Netherworld will rise rapidly!"
"You may return and prepare well. In two days, when Qi Yuan uses the Heavenly Secret Mirror, that will be our moment to act. Once we seed, immediately abandon the years of arrangements in Yuanshan City and flee."
"Understood, Elder!"
The elder waved his hand, and all the cultivators quickly rose and scattered through the underground passage of Myriad Treasures Tower, disappearing into various ces in Yuanshan City.
Blood Corpse True Man''s face was grim, harboring unspeakable thoughts, silently walking in the underground passage.
"Blood Corpse, please wait a moment," someone called out to Blood Corpse True Man.
Blood Corpse True Man turned back to see who it was and frowned, "Kuhun, what do you want?"
Real Person Kuhun looked at Blood Corpse True Man and smiled, "I heard that your Corpse Refining Cave was raided by some unidentified cultivator?"
Blood Corpse True Man''s expression tightened as he stared intently at Kuhun, speaking deliberately, "What do you mean by that?"
Kuhun shook his head and exined, "I mean no harm. If I had wanted to trouble you, I would have exposed you when Rakshasa Lord asked you just now."
"However...." Kuhun paused for a moment and lecherously smiled, "Your female disciple, if I''m not mistaken, is a top-notch Furnace Cauldron. As you know, I''ve been recently practicing the Technique of Harvesting Qi and am in need of superior female cultivators as Furnace Cauldrons, how about lending me your female disciple?"
Blood Corpse True Man was silent for a while before replying, "After this matter is concluded, I will lend her to you."
"Then let me thank Blood Corpse True Man in advance for your generous offer," Kuhun said contentedly, nodding his head before turning to leave.
Watching Kuhun''s departing figure, a hint of darkness shed in the depths of Blood Corpse True Man''s eyes. Lending was one thing, but the Technique of Harvesting Qi involved taking a woman''s Yin Qi. With Wu Yi merely at the fourth stage of Qi Refinement, how could she survive after being harvested by Kuhun?
Anger filled Blood Corpse True Man''s heart, coupled with a trace of worry.
He was always cautious; even the raw materials for refining corpse puppets were painstakingly brought from ces far from the Corpse Refining Cave.
Moreover, his Corpse Refining Cave was located deep in the mountains and concealed by a Second Grade formation.
Yet still, his Corpse Refining Cave was raided by some unidentified person. He vaguely felt something ominous, as if someone was secretly targeting him.
Chapter 17: Knowledge Guard Tower
Chapter 17: Knowledge Guard Tower
This was an independent small building hidden in an alleyway.
The building was notrge, merely two stories high, with its entrance wide open, but a ck curtain at the doorway blocked the sight of passersby, preventing them from peering inside easily.
The building bore no sign and one simply could not tell what it was used for.
Lu Qingshan stood in front of the small building, his gaze flickering slightly.
Since the starting vige of his previous life was not in Yuanshan City, he had traversed many alleys in search of this building.
Familiar with the plot of "Nine Heavens," he knew very well that the unremarkable building before him was actually thergest faction that yers coulde into contact with in the entire Yuanshan City.
Yuanshan Tower, a branch of the Zhishou Tower stationed in Yuanshan City!
Zhishou Tower was the only power among the Human Race that could rival the Seven Great Taoist Sects.
Moreover, Zhishou Tower was also one of the oldest forces of the Human Race, having existed even before the emergence of the Great Xia Imperial n.
After the unification of the Human Race by the Great Xia Imperial n, Zhishou Tower pledged allegiance to the Imperial n and concealed its influence underground.
For twenty thousand years in Chang''an, the shadow of Zhishou Tower gradually faded within the Human Race.
But Lu Qingshan knew that instead of weakening over these twenty thousand years, Zhishou Tower had grown stronger with the full support of the Great Xia Imperial n.
The branches of Zhishou Tower were like the Great Xia Commercial Firm, scattered throughout every human city, only Great Xia Commercial Firm was in the open while Zhishou Tower operated in secret.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
Zhishou Tower was a faction and alliance that only surfaced during the "Netherworld Demon Shadow" version of the game and formally became open to yers.
But in his previous life, there were some fortunate yers blessed by luck who, due to various fortuitous encounters, had unlocked the Zhishou Tower faction prematurely.
Because Zhishou Tower was not well-known and acted discreetly, those yers who had unlocked the faction had always thought Zhishou Tower was just a minor sect of no significance.
Who would have known, with the arrival of the "Netherworld Demon Shadow" version, Zhishou Tower suddenly became the current version''s leader of the Human Race.
Damn, hit the jackpot and drew an SSR!
Soon, yers who couldn''t suppress their desire to show off shared on yer forums their methods for unlocking the Zhishou Tower faction.
Everyone had a different path to unlocking the faction, ranging from the bizarre to the varied, but they all shared onemonality, which was being enemies with Demon Cultivators.
Because Zhishou Tower was established specifically to suppress and eradicate the Demon Race''s influence within Great Xia.
...
Lu Qingshan never intended to be a Loose Cultivator.
In the increasingly turbulent and chaotic "Nine Heavens," without the protection of a Sect, choosing to be a Loose Cultivator meant a very high mortality rate.
In the main storyline of each version, the number of Loose Cultivator NPCs who died inexplicably due to the plot was incalcble.
Every time a major version update urred and Lu Qingshan logged back in to read the update records, he would find a sentence like this in the log: Countless Loose Cultivators became the victims of this disaster...
Moreover, Cultivators in need of rapid growth require a lot of resources.
Techniques, Dao Companions, Wealth, Land!
The four essential elements of Cultivation.
First of all, high-level Cultivation Techniques and Sword Techniques are of great value and are not easily taught; often, even if one has the money, these things are hard to buy.
Therefore, the Cultivation Methods practiced by Loose Cultivators are usuallymon and their studied Techniques are of average power.
If one could attach themselves to a powerful Sect, simply by umting enough Sect contribution points, they could exchange for various high-level Taoist teachings needed for Cultivation.
Dao Companion does not merely refer to a dual cultivation partner, but also includes fellow Sect brothers, Masters; withoutpanionship in learning, one will inevitably have limited knowledge and perspective.
If one could join an Immortal Cultivation Sect, they would not only have fellow Sect brothers to cultivate with but also the guidance and protection of experienced elders, which naturally allows for faster growth than that of Loose Cultivators.
Wealth refers to various Cultivation resources and materials needed by Cultivators, such as Spirit Pills, Magic Artifacts, Spirit Stones, and so on.
Loose Cultivators, for the most part, spend their time looking for Cultivation resources, leaving them without sufficient time to practice Cultivation Methods or study Techniques.
Cultivation Sects, on the other hand, regrly provide disciples with certain training resources for nurturing.
Moreover, many precious Pill Furnaces can be obtained by Sect disciples at an extremely favorable price.
This gap in resources often quickly trantes into a difference in strength.
Land refers to the ces of Cultivation, as Sects are established upon Spirit Veins, where the concentration of Spiritual Energy far surpasses other ces, a veritable feng shui treasure for Cultivation.
In these ces, one day of cultivation was equivalent to two days, or even more, in ordinary ces.
As for loose cultivators, they roamed the four seas as their home. In today''s Cultivation Realm, how many suitable ces for cultivation remain undiscovered?
Not to mention finding a geomantic treasure spot to cultivate, many loose cultivators often find themselves in danger when discovered during secluded cultivation, then be targets of murder and robbery. However, within a sect, these problems need never be a concern.
In the Cultivation Realm, ny-nine percent of cultivators at the pinnacle of powere from famous andrge sects. The rarity of powerful cultivators from a loose cultivator background shows the importance of being part of a sect.
Although Lu Qingshan had great confidence in his ability to grow, with chaos on the horizon and his limited power, he would undoubtedly be extremely vulnerable in the troubled times.
He needed the protection of arge force.
Zhi Shou Tower was not therge force he had in mind, but it had an advantage.
Zhi Shou Tower was not a sect but simr to an official organization, so it did not impose many restrictions on the freedom of its members.
The members of Zhi Shou Tower could still join other sects without viting any regtions of the tower.
Without a doubt, Zhi Shou Tower was an excellent secondary lineup.
...
Lu Qingshan lifted the ck curtain at the entrance and walked into the small building.
The first floor of the small building was a hall where several wooden supporting columns divided the space into segments. The windows of the small building were tightly closed. Coupled with the dark alley at the back of the building, the entire interior space appeared very dark and somber.
"Who is it, and what do you want?" a somewhat deep male voice asked.
Looking inside, Lu Qingshan saw a brown sandalwood staircase with intricate carvings leading to the second floor, and next to the staircase, there was a counter,
where a middle-aged male cultivator with messy hair and a rough beard, looking rather slovenly, was seated.
The question just now had been posed by this middle-aged male cultivator.
"I''m looking for the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower."
A gleam of sharpness shed in the eyes of the middle-aged cultivator.
Lu Qingshan subtly felt as if he were being scrutinized.
Lu Qingshan knew that the middle-aged man was scanning him with Divine Sense.
"A mere Qi Refinement secondyer cultivator, the Tower Master is not someone you can meet just because you want to."
"Netherworld," Lu Qingshan said sinctly, not offering any further exnation.
The pupils of the middle-aged cultivator contracted, "What have you discovered?!"
"I can only discuss this matter with the Tower Master."
After a brief silence,
the deep voice of the middle-aged cultivator rose again, "Fine, wait here."
Lu Qingshan nodded.
The middle-aged cultivator left the counter and headed straight for the second floor.
Shortly after,
"Come upstairs," called a pleasant female voice from above.
Unexpectedly, the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower was a female cultivator.
Lu Qingshan found this interesting.
Without hesitation, Lu Qingshan quickly ascended the stairs.
At the top of the staircase, he was met with a very long corridor, nked by individual rooms on both sides.
"The one at the very end."
The voice was heard, but the person remained unseen.
Lu Qingshan walked unhurriedly to the end of the corridor and pushed open the room''s door.
Lu Qingshan was instantly struck by the brightness before him.
Unlike the gloominess of other areas in the building, the room was very well-lit, filled with a nice yet subtle fragrance. Furthermore, inside the room, there was a woman... a very beautiful woman.
Chapter 18: Dantai Qingrun
Chapter 18: Dantai Qingrun
A horizontal case was ced in the room, and atop the case was an incense burner from which delicate plumes of sandalwood incense rose.
Behind the case, a woman sat cross-legged, while the middle-aged man who had just entered stood behind her very respectfully.
Lu Qingshan took a light breath of the faint sandalwood permeating the air, and felt a cool sensation rushing into his mind.
His mind felt refreshed, and the various random thoughts inside began to gradually dissipate.
This was "Tranquil Spirit Incense"!
An exceptional treasure for aiding cultivation, it could help a cultivator enter the state of cultivation faster and also improve the efficiency of their cultivation.
A single ordinary stick of Tranquil Spirit Incense started at the market price of one Third Grade Spirit Stone, the users who utilized Tranquil Spirit Incense to aid their cultivation were either rich or noble.
However, given the woman''s status, it was quite normal for her to use Tranquil Spirit Incense to aid in her cultivation.
The Tower Master of the Prefecture City branch of Yuanshan Tower was a Golden Core Cultivator.
For cultivators, the first four realms¡ªQi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul¡ªeach level up represented a qualitative leap in power.
Golden Core Cultivators in Yuanshan City were considered the highest level ofbat power.
Yuanshan Tower''s Tower Master was a woman who looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old.
Dressed in white surpassing the snow, her eyebrows sharp yet her features incredibly delicate, she was very pleasant to look at.
However, since she was a Golden Core Cultivator, her age could not be simply inferred from her appearance.
She might as well be a person from the same generation as his own great-grandmother.
Lu Qingshan pondered inwardly in his mind.
Because if he remembered correctly, his current body was only fifteen years old, absolutely a fresh young cultivator.
The woman sized up Lu Qingshan, who had just entered; her face was as calm as water, and her voice indifferent, "Where did you hear about the Netherworld?"
Lu Qingshan answered neither servilely nor overbearingly, "By a fortunate coincidence."
"By a fortunate coincidence?" her tone slightly rose.
"My name is Lu Qingshan, a descendent of the Lu Family from Zhenjiang Prefecture of Qing State," Lu Qingshan did not directly answer the woman''s question, but spoke again, "May I have the honor of knowing the Tower Master''s name?"
The Lu Family was one of the thirty-six major cultivation families in Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Although this scale of power might not be regarded by Yuanshan Tower, Lu Qingshan still did not mind establishing his background.
"Dantai Qingrun." The woman frowned slightly, but still cleanly and without any pretentiousness or hesitation, she reported her name.
"Tower Master Dantai." Lu Qingshan nodded and said, "The Netherworld, a Demon Race organization lurking within the Human Race, has its influence spread across the Seven Domains and is enormously vast.
The Netherworld was initially formed by some Demon Cultivators with the ability to disguise and infiltrate, who entered the Seven Domains of Human Race and attracted arge number of cultivators through enticement or coercion.
Under the nourishment of interests and desires, the power of the Netherworld grew stronger; they held human lives cheap andmitted every imaginable atrocity.
In the great war twenty thousand years ago, though Ancestral Taoist Xia led the Human Cultivators to repel the Demon Race and severely weaken the Netherworld''s power, and subsequently established the Great Xia Imperial n to protect the Human Race, the Netherworld never vanished but stubbornly continued on.
The Netherworld silently lurked within the Human Race, regrowing its forces like a malignant tumor wantonly expanding within the territories of the Human Race."
Lu Qingshan expounded his understanding of the Netherworld calmly.
The world of "Nine Heavens" was vast, extremely vast.
The term "Nine Heavens" came into use because this world consists of nine different realms.
Yet, even before his transmigration, Lu Qingshan only knew the names of two of these realms.
One is the realm where yers are born, which is also the current world controlled by the Human Race, Sky Dome!
Another one is the world where the Demon Race resides, the Abyss!
The Abyss and the Sky Dome are adjacent worlds. In their struggle for resources and to strengthen their own races, the demons of the Abyss have always attempted to conquer the Sky Dome and turn the Human Race into vassals and ves of the Demon Race.
Twenty thousand years ago, during the full-scale holy warunched by the Demon Race, the cultivation realm of humans had been fighting individually due to the sect system and the division between right and wrong. They were utterly defeated by the Demon Race, causing living beings across the Seven Domains of the Sky Dome to suffer immensely.
Just as the Sky Dome was about to fall and humans were about to be ves to the demons, Ancestral Daoist Xia transcended the Nine Layers of Heavenly Tribtion, attained the status of an Ancestral Taoist, and with the power of an Ancestral Taoist, turned the tide, stabilized the crumbling edifice, and repelled the Demon Race.
After driving the Demon Race back to the Abyss and rebuilding the Human Race, Ancestral Daoist Xia learned from the experience. While preserving the independence of the sects, he established the Great Xia Imperial n to unify the Human Race and protect them.
This is also why there are so-called imperial ns existing in the world of cultivation.
For no other reason than that the bloodline of an Ancestral Taoist is regal, demanding respect!
After repelling the Demon Race, Ancestral Daoist Xia built a grand human city on the border between the Sky Dome and the Abyss, Heavenly River City.
Using Heavenly River City as a frontline battlefield base, humans have since blocked the Demon Race outside the Sky Dome. Coupled with the deterrent force of the Ancestral Taoist, in these twenty thousand years, the Human Race has been able to rest and recuperate, gradually bing stronger.
However, as the Netherworld is an influence of the Demon Race, it has been hiding within the human territories like a bomb, never knowing when it might explode.
Hence, eradicating Netherworld forces has always been a very unified goal among the major powers of the Human Race.
....
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Dantai Qingrun slightly raised his delicate eyebrows, "You speak rightly, but these are not things a Qi Refinement second level cultivator should know, let alone being able to find our Yuanshan Tower."
Dantai Qingrun''s expression turned cold.
Suddenly, a heavy oppressive force descended upon Lu Qingshan.
[Divine Sense Exertion]!
The oppressive force released by a Golden Core cultivator''s divine sense alone was enough to immobilize Qi Refinement second level Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan struggled to twitch the corners of his mouth, "The purpose of Yuanshan Tower is to counter the Netherworld, are you sure.... you won''t let me finish speaking?"
"Tower Master." The middle-aged cultivator standing to the side, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up persuading, "Perhaps we should listen to what he has to say."
Dantai Qingrun frowned for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Continue."
Lu Qingshan felt his whole body rx.
The suffocating oppressive force had dissipated.
One ying the bad cop, another the good cop¡ª a ssic old trick, used so much it''s be clich¨¦.
Lu Qingshan chuckled softly and suddenly said, "A Demon Cultivator, Blood Corpse True Person, current location, within Yuanshan City, strength, Foundation Establishment Realm, appears as a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, apanied by a female disciple who is a Qi Refinement fourth level."
Dantai Qingrun fell silent for a moment.
"What do you mean by this?"
"First a little gift for you, then we can talk about whates next."
"Matters concerning the Netherworld are of great importance. Better to believe they are true than not," the middle-aged cultivator said to Dantai Qingrun.
A glint shed in Dantai Qingrun''s eyes, and he nodded, saying, "Then it would trouble Uncle Rong to make a trip."
The middle-aged cultivator looked meaningfully at Lu Qingshan and left the room.
...
After the middle-aged cultivator left, only Lu Qingshan and Dantai Qingrun remained in the room.
The atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat eerie.
"Tower Master Dantai is a Sword Cultivator, right?"
Chapter 19: Heavenly Spirit Root
Chapter 19: Heavenly Spirit Root
Lu Qingshan broke the silence with an intentional remark.
Dantai Qingrun swept her bright eyes over Lu Qingshan, "You seem to know quite a lot?"
This sentence was an acknowledgment of the sword cultivator''s im.
Lu Qingshan chuckled lightly, "As the Dantai Tower Master, you are so young yet you''ve already assumed the position of Yuanshan Tower Master, it''s very likely that youe from a powerful n.
By coincidence, there happens to be a Dantai Family in Qing State, and the surname Dantai is quite umon, so the probability that Dantai Tower Master has no connection to this Dantai household is not high.
Moreover, the Dantai Family is a well-known sword cultivator n in Qing State, so..."
Dantai Qingrun''s gaze measured Lu Qingshan from head to toe for a moment, then she said no more.
Seeing that Dantai Qingrun had no desire to continue the conversation, Lu Qingshan simply maintained his silence, but in his mind, he was rapidly specting about something.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
In his previous life, within the game, he had never heard of the name Dantai Qingrun.
There were two possibilities for this situation.
The first possibility was that Dantai Qingrun was just a regr, insignificant NPC that served as a brief interlude.
But right after Lu Qingshan entered the room, the first thing he did was to cast the Heavenly Eye Technique on Dantai Qingrun.
--------------------------
????? (Human Race)
upation: ???
Rank: ??? (Extremely Lethal)
Attribute: ???
Skills: ???
Talent: [Heavenly Spirit Root]: ???
?????
...
--------------------------
Due to the vast gap in strength, the information he obtained was a series of question marks, the only useful piece of information being the [Heavenly Spirit Root] in the talent column.
[Heavenly Spirit Root]: Gains a 100% increase in Experience Points when cultivating a cultivation method.
A very rare but not very popr talent among yers.
¡ªyers were always passionate about leveling up through fighting monsters, and there were only a few who would honestly level up by cultivating methods.
Therefore, an attribute that increased the Experience Points gained from cultivating methods seemed quite superfluous to yers.
But for NPCs, this talent was proof of genius.
NPCs cannot level up by fighting monsters; they always increase their cultivation by cultivating methods.
Having the Heavenly Spirit Root was akin to having a Golden Finger.
In other words, it meant, this root could potentially produce a Nascent Soul!
With such a talent, Dantai Qingrun, under normal development, would surely not have a low achievement.
Furthermore, with Dantai Qingrun''s approach-me-not aura, and Lu Qingshan''s understanding of those thrill-seeking yers, Dantai Qingrun was bound to be a very popr NPC among yers!
Clearly, Dantai Qingrun could not just be some ordinary transition NPC.
Yet she was utterly unknown.
That left only the second possibility.
Dantai Qingrun met with an early misfortune in the game, and when the yers entered "Nine Heavens" on arge scale, the NPC Dantai Qingrun no longer existed in "Nine Heavens".
With this in mind, Lu Qingshan looked at Dantai Qingrun, his eyes inevitably filled with a bit more sympathy.
Girl, do you know that despite how fierce you appear now, your future isn''t actually that great?
...
In the northern part of Yuanshan City, on a bustling street, there was a sizeable residence with tightly closed vermillion gates that bore no signboard.
Not far from this residence, diagonally across the street, there was a two-story tavern that appeared to be doing good business, bustling with patronsing and going.
A somewhat sloppy-looking middle-aged male cultivator was sitting by a window on the second floor of the tavern, with an array of fine food and two small pots of wine on his table.
Looking at the chaotic array of dishes and cups on the table, it appeared that the meal had gone on for quite some time.
Jiang Rong, the deputy Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower, despite his sloppy appearance, had substantial seniority under his belt.
He had stayed in Yuanshan Tower for nearly a hundred years, responsible for assisting the Tower Master with various tasks, having experienced the changeover of three Tower Masters; Dantai Qingrun was his fourth.
The Tower Masterse and go like flowing water, but the deputy Tower Master is constant as iron.
With a century''s buildup of authority, Jiang Rong''s influence in Yuanshan City was deeply ingrained.
Although within Yuanshan Tower, the Tower Master was supreme, due to respect for the elder, Dantai Qingrun would normally refer to Jiang Rong as a junior.
His authority and status were not to be underestimated.
Jiang Rong gazed down from the window at the nearby residence, idly fiddling with a half-filled wine cup, lost in thought.
Eventually, a jade pendant hanging at Jiang Rong''s waist flickered with a ripple of green light.
Jiang Rong was slightly distracted as he received the message riding on the green wave.
Soon after reading the message from his subordinate, the normallynguid Jiang Rong''s eyes shone with a sharp light. He lifted his head, drained the cup of wine in one gulp, and then set the cup down on the table.
"Shopkeeper, the bill!" he called.
At that moment, a faint aura of decisiveness emanated from Jiang Rong.
With the intelligence provided by Lu Qingshan and Yuanshan Tower''s control over Yuanshan City, in just half an hour, they had pinpointed the location of the "Blood Corpse Real Person" within the city.
And in an extremely short span of time, they had organized a sufficient number of people.
At this moment, the small residence was quietly surrounded by the cultivators of Yuanshan Tower.
...
Jiang Rong didn''t make a big show of force by breaking down the door.
¡ª¡ªYuanshan Tower always kept a low profile in its affairs.
After circling the residence, Jiang Rong transformed into a wisp of light smoke and directly entered the backyard.
Smoke Luo Technique!
One of the signature abilities of a Nether Cultivator.
After employing the Smoke Luo Technique, Jiang Rong searched the small residence unhindered.
The residence wasn''trge, and Jiang Rong was extremely fast; in just a short moment, the light smoke that Jiang Rong had transformed into had circted around the residence.
"Not here..." Jiang Rong frowned slightly, "Impossible, ording to the intelligence, just a few hours ago, the Blood Corpse Real Person was surely seen entering this residence. How can there be no one here, unless...."
At that thought, Jiang Rong no longer cared about the possibility of startling the quarry. A vast Divine Sense surged from between his eyebrows, and quickly spread throughout the entire residence.
As expected.
Somewhere beneath the ground of the eastern room in the residence, something was blocking the pration of his Divine Sense.
Jiang Rong rushed to the eastern room, surveyed the space, and finally, his gazended on a bookshelf in the corner of the room.
Jiang Rong extended his left hand and swung it; a ball of ck mist-like Spiritual Power shot out from his hand and mmed directly into the bookshelf.
Bang¡ª¡ª
Following the thunderous crash, the bookshelf was shattered, its fragments scattering everywhere.
Jiang Rong''s gaze sharpened.
Behind the bookshelf was an entrance to an underground passage, a person-high opening, dark and forbidding, leading to an unknown destination.
Without hesitation, Jiang Rong entered it.
Walking down this underground passage for a short distance, the tight confines suddenly opened up; Jiang Rong found himself in a dark chamber dozens of square meters in size.
On the floor of the chambery several dozen Spirit Stones, still glowing faintly white, connected by hidden wires.
Hidden Spirit Formation: It conceals the fluctuations of spiritual power within the formation and can shield against cultivators'' Divine Sense probing.
However, there was no one inside the dark chamber.
Looking around.
There were a total of five passages in the dark chamber, all leading to unknown destinations.
A cautious rabbit has three burrows; the Blood Corpse Real Person had prepared no fewer than five escape routes for himself.
The cautious and cunning Blood Corpse Real Person, upon sensing the probing of an unfamiliar Divine Sense in the residence, had swiftly escaped through one of these five passages.
Chapter 20 - 20 Cooperation
Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Cooperation
The destinations led to by the five passages were vastly different.
If one could not urately determine which passage the Blood Corpse actually used to escape in the first moment, even a slight dy,
would allow the cunning Demon Cultivator, with just this short amount of time, to switch identities and blend into the vast Yuanshan City.
By then, searching for him would not be as easy as it is now.
However, facing this situation, Jiang Rong''s face showed not a hint of nervousness.
Instead, he stood in ce, waiting for something.
Before long, a wave of green light shed over the jade pendant at Jiang Rong''s waist.
Jiang Rong read the information in the green wave.
"Target has been captured."
A slight smile yed upon Jiang Rong''s lips.
Demon Cultivators are cunning and would not fail to prepare several escape routes at their hide-outs.
He had known the location of the Blood Corpse for some time, so why had he not acted at once, and instead, had a casual drink in a nearby tavern?
It was to allow time to thoroughly investigate all potential escape routes of the Blood Corpse.
It was not easy to deduce the exits of the escape routes, but clearly, they could not be too far from this small residence, or they would easily be discovered.
Moreover, something as crucial as an escape route would certainly be personally scouted by the Blood Corpse.
Combining these two points, Jiang Rong had his men gather all the locations where the Blood Corpse had appeared near the small residence.
And at those locations, he set a dra to ensure that the Blood Corpse would have no escape, and his capture would be wless.
Jiang Rong had served as the deputy master of Yuanshan Tower for nearly a hundred years,bating the Demon Cultivators of the Netherworld for nearly a century.
His methods had long be shrewd and ruthless.
If Demon Cultivators were cunning, he was even more so.
....
This was a dpidated courtyard located just two miles from the small residence.
Within the overgrown backyard, once abandoned, now gathered many Cultivators d in ck robes.
"The deputy Tower Master has arrived,"
said someone within the crowd.
The lined-up crowd quickly parted, forming a path and revealing the Blood Corpse, who was tightly bound with golden ropes at the back.
The Supreme Quality Mortal Artifact grade Spirit Binding Rope.
Spirit Binding Rope is one of the standard Magic Artifacts assigned to all members of the Dantai Tower.
It can stretch indefinitely when a Cultivator infuses it with Spiritual Power, its purpose being to trap enemies and prevent them from circting Spiritual Power within their body.
Spirit Binding Rope is an essential Magic Artifact for capturing Demon Cultivators.
Because Demon Cultivators would never willingly allow themselves to be taken alive, often choosing to incite their internal Spiritual Power tomit suicide when there truly is no escape.
For Lower Grade Demon Cultivators, if they choose suicide, at worst it prevents Dantai Tower from interrogating them for intelligence.
But if a Nascent Soul Realm Demon Cultivator chooses to explode their Nascent Soul, even though they will undoubtedly be dead, the damage caused by the explosion can lead to the sacrifice of many Dantai Tower members, resulting in heavy losses for the tower.
To cope with this situation, the Spirit Binding Rope was researched and created.
Jiang Rong moved through the crowd, looking down at the Blood Corpse lying on the ground, struggling weakly, his gaze indifferent and even carrying a trace of murderous intent.
But Jiang Rong was very calm; the greatest value of a Demon Cultivator taken alive lies not in his life but in the information he possesses.
So, now was not the time to kill him.
Jiang Rong waved his hand: "Take him back to the tower and interrogate him thoroughly."
"Yes, deputy Tower Master," replied the ck-robed Cultivators.
Then, the ck-robed Cultivators, escorting the Blood Corpse ensnared by the Spirit Binding Rope, quickly departed.
In less than a moment, the courtyard was empty once more.
Action swift and precise, this is Yuanshan Tower, an organization starkly different from the many Sects.
.....
Within Yuanshan Tower.
Dantai Qingrun and Lu Qingshan faced each other without a word.
Jiang Rong opened the door and walked in.
Dantai Qingrun looked toward Jiang Rong, who nodded.
Dantai Qingrun''s tone was cool as he began, "State your purpose."
Indeed, Yuanshan Tower lived up to its reputation. Within less than two hours of receiving his intelligence, they had located their of the Blood Corpse Real Person and captured him.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but inwardly praise the efficiency of Yuanshan Tower.
Afterposing himself, Lu Qingshan slowly said, "Cooperation."
"Cooperation? You mean you want us at Yuanshan Tower to cooperate with you, a second level Qi Refinement Cultivator?"
Lu Qingshan shook his finger, speaking softly, "Tower Master Dantai, that''s not the way to calcte it.
My Cultivation may indeed be low, but what I''m offering is not myself, but intelligence."
Pausing for a moment, Lu Qingshan spoke again, "I have a lot of ssified intelligence. With my help, you can precisely strike at the hidden forces of the Netherworld.
Even if you do not feel such a deep sense of duty to strike against the Netherworld, the merits of eradicating their forces could at least help you rise rapidly within Yuanshan Tower."
Dantai Qingrun and Jiang Rong exchanged nces.
"We need to consider this," Jiang Rong said to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan nodded and replied, "Of course."
Lu Qingshan turned and left the room, giving the two space.
Watching Lu Qingshan leave the room, Jiang Rong flicked his sleeve, and a puff of grey mist flew out, quickly spreading and filling the room.
This was a silencing enchantment used to prevent eavesdropping.
"How about that Blood Corpse Real Person, is the information urate?" Dantai Qingrun asked with a frown.
Jiang Rong nodded, "We''re arranging for personnel to interrogate him for intelligence. Although he hasn''t confessed anything yet, his identity as a Demon Cultivator is certain."
"This Blood Corpse Real Person has been lurking in Yuanshan City for over a decade, outwardly posing as a Loose Cultivator. With years of careful operation, there wasn''t a single slip-up. If it wasn''t for this Lu Qingshan, our intelligence system would have found it very difficult to uncover his real identity."
"This Lu Qingshan is no simple character."
Dantai Qingrun tapped the desk lightly with his finger and asked, "Have we rified Lu Qingshan''s identity?"
"All cleared up. Just as he imed, he is indeed a member of the Lu Family. However, what''s strange is that three months ago, he was just an ordinary mortal taking care of the Lu Family''s secr business. On his way transporting goods, their caravan was attacked, and he vanished without a trace."
"When he reappeared, he was already in Yuanshan City and had suddenly be a second level Qi Refinement Cultivator," Jiang Rong said gravely.
"Three months... second level Qi Refinement, interesting..." Dantai Qingrun murmured thoughtfully.
Jiang Rong pondered before adding, "The key point is, Lu Qingshan has no reason to know so much. The intelligence on the Netherworld that even our Yuanshan Tower''s system finds hard to rify, how did hee by it?"
"But he seems to be quite sincere. Before proposing a coboration, he gave us a piece of intelligence."
Jiang Rong nodded, "That''s true."
"I think we can try a preliminary cooperation with him." Dantai Qingrun offered his thoughts.
Jiang Rong was silent for a moment before asking, "What if this Lu Qingshan is actually from the Netherworld, feigning cooperation with us, and subsequently provides false intelligence to mislead our actions?"
"The chances of that are very slim. The Netherworld wouldn''t send a second level Qi Refinement Cultivator for such a task, nor would they make it so suspicious. They have many more reasonable ways to send us false intelligence."
Jiang Rong''s tone turned frosty, "An unlikely chance still means it could happen.
We could choose to control Lu Qingshan, make him divulge what he knows.
If he''s uncooperative, we could even employ the Soul Search Technique to pry out intelligence."
Dantai Qingrun looked at Jiang Rong and exined, "But if we do that, it will inevitably cause his fierce resistance, and we might cause some unforeseen idents because of these harsh measures.
Even if we could get intelligence through the Soul Search Technique, as you know, the information obtained would only be fragmented and uncontroble, possibly even useless, with all key intelligence missing.
Lu Qingshan seems to be quite sincere in his apparent desire to cooperate with us. It wouldn''t be wise to push aside an aid that should belong to us because of his unpredictability."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Chapter 21: The Faction Opens
Chapter 21: The Faction Opens
```
Jiang Rong looked at Dantai Qingrun, who was speaking his mind with ease, and suddenly felt a sense of relief, "I remember when you first took up your post, you were particrly rash, nothing like the clear-headed and patient person you are now."
Dantai Qingrun was startled, then he realized what was being said and replied with some helplessness, "Uncle Rong, you''re starting again."
Jiang Rong had actually been prepared to agree to Lu Qingshan''s request for cooperation from the beginning.
If Dantai Qingrun could think of it, how could he not have considered it?
The reason he raised so many points was, in fact, to guide Dantai Qingrun to make the decision to cooperate with Lu Qingshan on his own.
¡ª¡ªEven though he was older in years, the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower was Dantai Qingrun, not Jiang Rong.
The only person who could make decisions was Dantai Qingrun.
Jiang Rong did not want, nor would he, upstage the master.
"Should I let that young man in now?"
Dantai Qingrun nodded.
With a flick of Jiang Rong''s sleeve, the ck mist that filled the room instantly dissipated.
After lifting the soundproofing seal.
"You maye in," said Jiang Rong, opening the door and speaking to Lu Qingshan, who stood outside.
Lu Qingshan followed Jiang Rong back into the room.
"How do you want to cooperate?" Dantai Qingrun raised an eyebrow and got straight to the point, "What do you want?"
Lu Qingshan thought for a moment before asking, "The Blood Corpse True Man, you''ve caught him, haven''t you?"
Jiang Rong''s voice was heavy, "Based on the information you provided, we apprehended him quickly, and he is currently imprisoned in the Prison Warden Office of Yuanshan Tower."
"I want the Blood Corpse True Man," Lu Qingshan said in a methodical tone, looking at Dantai Qingrun''s cool face.
"We are still interrogating the Blood Corpse True Man. He has yet to say anything. Once he discloses the information he knows, we can hand him over to you," Jiang Rong interjected.
"I want him now," Lu Qingshan''s tone was firm, unmoved by Jiang Rong''s words.
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes shimmered, watching Lu Qingshan, wondering what was on his mind.
Under Dantai Qingrun''s gaze, Lu Qingshan remainedposed.
Finally, a gleam of insight shed in Dantai Qingrun''s eyes, and he lightly tapped the table with his fingertip, "The Blood Corpse True Man was captured through the information you provided. If you want him, he''s yours!"
"However..." Dantai Qingrun''s brows furrowed slightly as he spoke indifferently, "I want to know, why are you so eager to have this Demon Cultivator? What are you nning to do with him?"
Lu Qingshan replied nonchntly, "I merely want his life."
Dantai Qingrun gave Lu Qingshan a meaningful look but did not dwell on the matter of the Blood Corpse True Man any further.
Lu Qingshan pondered and then said, "As I said at the beginning, the information on the Blood Corpse True Man was a gift for our first meeting, given to you. Now that I am asking you for the Blood Corpse True Man again, I naturally wouldn''t let you suffer a loss for nothing. I will give you another piece of information as an exchange."
Hearing Lu Qingshan''s words, a sparkle of light shone in Dantai Qingrun''s eyes.
"Qi Yuan, the Qi Supervisor of Zhenjiang Prefecture, is currently in Yuanshan City as well, isn''t he?" Lu Qingshan inquired.
"The Qi Supervisor is a Spirit Cultivator of Heavenly Secret Pavillion, his methods reach the skies, and his movements are always secretive, beyond the knowledge of ordinary people. I''m beginning to believe that you know much more than we have imagined," Jiang Rong said, every word deliberate, as he looked at Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan didn''t confirm or deny, "Heavenly Secret Pavillion is one of the seven great Taoist sects, and it has the closest rtionship with the Great Xia Imperial n. Likewise, as an organization under the Great Xia Imperial n, the Mountain Tower maintains regr cooperative exchanges with Heavenly Secret Pavillion. If someone in Yuanshan City would know of the Qi Supervisor''s whereabouts, I believe that only you, Dantai Tower Master, would."
Dantai Qingrun did not deny, "Indeed, half a month ago, the Qi Supervisor discovered an ominous Blood Pool near Yuanshan City through the sub-mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror. Feeling uneasy about it, he came personally to Yuanshan City to investigate. He also approached us at Yuanshan Tower, asking us to assist him fully in the investigation around Yuanshan City, but so far, nothing has been found.
The Qi Supervisor used the Heavenly Secret Mirror to locate the Blood Pool near Yuanshan City, and with the extensive manpower of Yuanshan Tower, we searched but didn''t find a trace. This matter is extremely peculiar.
We are all very concerned that the Netherworld is nning some grand scheme against Yuanshan City."
Looking at Lu Qingshan''s calm expression, a trace ofplexity crossed Dantai Qingrun''s face, "Do you know something?"
Lu Qingshan nodded and said frankly, "Yes, I not only know the location of the Blood Pool you are searching for.
But, I also know that the real target of the Netherworld''s schemes is not Yuanshan City, as you suspect, but rather Qi Yuan, the Qi Supervisor... or more precisely, the sub-mirror of his Heavenly Secret Mirror."
```
Dantai Qingrun''s face shed with a trace of shock and bewilderment as he said, "What do you mean by that?"
"The Netherworld is nning to design a plot to seize the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard from Qi Yuan''s possession, and the time should be the fifteenth of July, when Qi Yuan once again uses the Heavenly Secret Mirror to ''Observe Heaven,''" Lu Qingshan stated with certainty.
Why would the Netherworld wait until the fifteenth of July to act, to snatch the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard from Qi Yuan''s hands?
Recalling the features of the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard, Lu Qingshan understood these critical points.
The Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard must have already been refined by Qi Yuan into his personal Magic Artifact, and most of the time, it resides within Qi Yuan''s Dantian.
To want to snatch the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard, there were only two methods.
One, kill Qi Yuan and then take the mirror.
Two, wait for Qi Yuan to use the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard actively and then take the opportunity to snatch it.
In the historical records, Qi Yuan only lost the Heavenly Secret Mirror on the fifteenth of July; he was still very much alive.
Clearly, the Netherworld must have chosen the second method.
Since the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard provides no enhancement tobat, Qi Yuan would not use it unless employing the skill of Observing Heaven under normal circumstances.
When Qi Yuan first discovered the existence of the Blood Pool on the first of July, he utilized Observing Heaven to investigate the Blood Pool.
If he fails to find the Blood Pool in Yuanshan City all the way through, Qi Yuan would inevitably use Observing Heaven again to search for the Blood Pool''s location.
The cooldown period for the Observing Heaven skill is fifteen natural days.
The time Qi Yuan could use Observing Heaven again would be the fifteenth of July!
Therefore, it is quite evident that the Netherworld nned to snatch the mirror right when Qi Yuan used Observing Heaven for the second time.
Jiang Rong, standing aside, could hardly believe it, "How could you possibly know this?"
Given their understanding of the Netherworld, such significant plotting would most definitely not be leaked easily.
Yet, not only did Lu Qingshan know the inner workings of the n, but he could even pinpoint the exact timing of the action as if he were a participant. This filled Jiang Rong with doubts and suspicion as well.
Lu Qingshanughed lightly, "My only responsibility is to provide the intelligence. As for the source of the intelligence, I''d rather not disclose that.
Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you."
After a moment of hesitation,
"Where is the location of the Blood Pool?" Dantai Qingrun''s cold gaze fixed on Lu Qingshan as he asked sharply.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Do you have a map of Yuanshan City?" Lu Qingshan inquired.
Dantai Qingrun nodded, and a piece of silk cloth appeared in his hand out of nowhere, on which all the terrain and locations around Yuanshan City were detailedly depicted.
A very detailed map.
Lu Qingshan took the map from Dantai Qingrun''s hand, spread it out on the table, and lightly pointed to a particr spot on the map.
"This is the location of the Blood Pool," Lu Qingshan revealed without concealment, directly indicating the Blood Pool''s location: "The Blood Pool is concealed by a high-quality Illusion Array, which is why you couldn''t find it. The reason Qi Yuan could easily discover the Blood Pool initially was that the Blood Pool was merely bait¡ªa bait intentionally exposed by the Netherworld to lure Qi Yuan to Yuanshan City. The Netherworld''s real target was Qi Yuan''s Heavenly Secret Mirror''s shard."
"I have already provided the information in exchange for the Blood Corpse''s intel so...."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Rong finally nodded, "I will have my people take you to where the Blood Corpse is confined."
...
"You have officially initiated the alliance with Zhenjiang Tower."
"You have now established a cooperative rtionship with Yuanshan Tower (a division of Zhenjiang Tower)."
"Yuanshan Tower organization favorability increased by 50."
"Zhenjiang Tower organization favorability increased by 5."
"Yuanshan Tower: Amiable (50) ¡ª¡ª [Initial Cooperation]."
"Zhenjiang Tower: Amiable (5) ¡ª¡ª [Yuanshan Tower Coborator]."
In "Nine Heavens," there are eight levels of faction favorability.
From highest to lowest, they are as follows: Worship (above 2000), Reverence (500 to 2000), Enthusiasm (200 to 499), Amiable (0 to 199), Indifferent (-1 to -199), Aversion (-200 to -499), Loathing (-500 to -2000), Hatred (below -2000).
Chapter 22: The True Blood Corpse
Chapter 22: The True Blood Corpse
Seeing the system prompt that popped up, Lu Qingshan knew he had initiated his first factional camp.
ording to his memory, before the game entered the "Netherworld Shadow" version, there were already quite a few yers who had opened the faction camp of the Tower of Guarding.
The Tower of Guarding was not only a camp with great potential for development, deserving of his efforts to invest a certain amount of energy, to curry favor, and to improve his status within it.
Moreover, in most situations, the Tower of Guarding was also a very trustworthy faction.
¡ª¡ªIn the battles against the Netherworld, many cultivators from the Tower of Guarding had, for the sake of defending the Human Race, courageously sacrificed their very lives without any second thoughts.
Lu Qingshan bowed to Jiang Rong and Dantai Qingrun and said with a cold voice, "Then, esteemed ones, I will take my leave first and go... pay a visit to that Blood Corpse True Person!"
He had done all he could do; the matters that were to follow were not something a Qi Refining Cultivator like himself could be involved in.
However, he believed that the Tower of Guarding, having been able to carry the banner for the Human Race and stand against the Netherworld throughout an entire version in the Netherworld Shadow, would certainly not disappoint him with its capabilities.
The Tower of Guarding was no ce for mediocrity.
With such detailed intelligence provided by him, the Netherworld would likely suffer a significant setback this time.
Lu Qingshan took his leave, turned around, and left the room. When he reached the first floor, a cultivator dressed in a ck robe was already standing at the staircase.
"The deputy tower master has asked me to take you to the Prison Warden Office to see the Blood Corpse True Person," the cultivator in the ck robe said tly, without any hint of emotion.
"Thank you for showing the way," Lu Qingshan nodded.
...
Jiang Rong and Dantai Qingrun exchanged nces and, after a few seconds of silence, Jiang Rong spoke, "Do we need to contact Warden Qi immediately now?"
Dantai Qingrun shook his head, "There''s no rush; we still have time. Uncle Rong, you are a Nether Cultivator with exquisite escape skills. You go first to the location of the Blood Pool mentioned by Lu Qingshan to scout and verify whether what Lu Qingshan has said is true or false."
Jiang Rong agreed, "Alright."
After hesitating for a few seconds, Jiang Rong asked, "What do you think is Lu Qingshan''s purpose in asking us for this Blood Corpse True Person?"
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes remained clear and calm as he slowly said, "Maybe Lu Qingshan and Uncle Rong are the same kind of person. I can feel it; Lu Qingshan had a heavy intent to kill when he mentioned the Blood Corpse True Person."
Sword Cultivators are best at ughtering, and as a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, Dantai Qingrun''s perception of killing intent was particrly sharp.
Since Dantai Qingrun said so, the im that Lu Qingshan desired the Blood Corpse True Person''s life was likely undeniably true.
"Between his words, I can also feel his hatred for the Netherworld, but... He is not like me," Jiang Rong fell silent for a while, rejecting Dantai Qingrun''s statement, "He and I are not the same kind of person. My hatred for the Netherworld runs deep, mainly due to the demon beast turmoil they instigated, which led to the annihtion of my n¡ªa feud that cannot share the same sky. However, with Lu Qingshan, I didn''t feel this kind of personal emotion mixed with killing intent.
His hatred for the Netherworld seems to be a straightforward abhorrence."
A century ago, the Netherworld had caused a demon beast disturbance in Qing State.
Demon Beasts, controlled by Demon Cultivators, rampaged through human cities without restraint.
During that turmoil, two prefecture cities were wiped from the map of the Human Race.
One of those prefecture cities was Northwater City, where Jiang Rong was from.
At that time, since Jiang Rong was not in Northwater City, he fortuitously avoided this massacre, but all his family members perished in this catastrophe, with no survivors.
It was for this reason that Jiang Rong chose to join the Tower of Guarding, dedicating his life to taking revenge against the Netherworld.
Jiang Rong furrowed his brows, "His desire to kill the Netherworld must have another reason, but ording to the data we have gathered, Lu Qingshan is merely fifteen this year, and all his life experiences are clear and traceable.
In his past fifteen years, there has been no sign that he ever had any contact with the Netherworld. I cannot fathom where his grudge towards the Netherworldes from, nor where he obtained such confidential information."
Dantai Qingrun replied unhurriedly, "Uncle Rong, as far as I know, not all of Lu Qingshan''s experiences are traceable."
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Jiang Rong seemed to recall something, "Are you referring to the three months when Lu Qingshan went missing due to an attack?"
What exactly happened during those three months of Lu Qingshan''s disappearance was also unknown to the Tower of Guarding.
"Since in the traceable fifteen years, Lu Qingshan has always been just an ordinary mortal, then all his strangeness should be attributed to those three months after his disappearance. It''s just unknown what exactly happened during those three months that could change a person so drastically," Dantai Qingrun calmly stated, "I even wonder whether he is still the same Lu Qingshan."
"Spirit Possession?" Jiang Rong immediately understood Dantai Qingrun''s implication.
Only Spirit Possession could bring such aplete change to a person.
"His way of speaking doesn''t at all resemble that of a fifteen-year-old youth. Moreover, he knows too many secrets," Jiang Rong added.
"Spirit Possession, that''s a technique only Nascent Soul Cultivators can use, which means this Lu Qingshan might be a Nascent Soul great cultivator?"
Dantai Qingrun nodded, "It''s highly likely, but our current priority is the conspiracy that Lu Qingshan mentioned, the one about the Netherworld''s operations against Qi Prefecture''s defenses. As for Lu Qingshan''s identity, we''ll investigate thoroughly once this matter is settled."
Jiang Rong of course understood this, "Okay, then I''ll take action immediately and check out the area where the Blood Pool is located."
Once the n was set, Jiang Rong didn''t dy any further, casting the Smoke Luo Technique and transforming into a wisp of light smoke that quickly flew away.
...
The Prison Warden Office was the ce where Demon Cultivators were detained.
Such a crucial location wouldn''t be disyed in the open.
In fact, the Prison Warden Office was hidden deep underground, beneath Yuanshan Tower.
The ck-robed cultivator led Lu Qingshan a few more steps inward, finally stopping in front of a wall.
The ck-robed cultivator formed several hand seals with his fingers, then a dark and square spirit seal made of spiritual power emerged from his hands and flew forward, merging into the wall.
A hazy light and shadow appeared on the wall, which then gradually became clear, revealing a long descending corridor.
The ck-robed cultivator stepped into it.
Lu Qingshan, having no reason to doubt, closely followed the ck-robed cultivator''s footsteps.
The walls lining the corridor were made of bluestone and emitted a dim, faint glow.
After walking downwards for a short while, the originally dim environment suddenly brightened.
This was a massive underground facility constructed by the strength of cultivators.
The Yuanshan Tower above ground was like the small portion of an iceberg visible above the water''s surface.
The truly colossal entity was always hidden underground.
This was also consistent with the unobtrusive operations principle of the Prison Warden Office.
Lu Qingshan was already aware of this situation, so he wasn''t particrly surprised.
He also knew that the Prison Warden Office should be situated at the deepest part of this underground facility.
"Follow me, and don''t look around," the ck-robed cultivator said coldly.
Under the guidance of the ck-robed cultivator, Lu Qingshan proceeded towards the depths of the underground facility. They passed by several dark chambers at regr intervals and along the way, they encountered many other cultivators also d in ck robes.
Although the information obtained through the Heavenly Eye Technique was just question marks, Lu Qingshan clearly understood that each of these ck-robed cultivators was at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the air became slightly murky, and finally, two iron doors made of cold iron appeared in Lu Qingshan''s sight.
"What business do you have here?"
A Prison Warden Office cultivator with somewhat cloudy eyes stopped the two of them.
The ck-robed cultivator showed a deep respect for the Prison Warden Office cultivator in front of him, handing over a piece of jade, "The deputy tower master ordered me to bring this man to see the Demon Cultivator ''Blood Corpse True Man'' that we captured today. He also instructed that the Blood Corpse True Man be handed over to this man for him to deal with as he pleases."
The Prison Warden Office cultivator epted the jade, probing it with his divine sense, verifying the information contained within.
Before long, the Prison Warden Office cultivator handed back the jade to the ck-robed cultivator and stepped aside slightly to make way, "Go ahead."
The two iron doors silently opened, entirelycking the sinister grinding soundmon to worldly prison doors.
Under the lead of the ck-robed cultivator, Lu Qingshan quickly found the cell where the Blood Corpse True Man was imprisoned.
Through the bars of the cell, Lu Qingshan gazed at the pale-faced Blood Corpse True Man inside.
A cold smile emerged in Lu Qingshan''s heart.
Just one day ago, he was merely material for the Blood Corpse True Man to refine corpse puppets.
One dayter, the Blood Corpse True Man''s life was in his control.
Such is the ever-changing nature of the world''s vicissitudes.
Chapter 23: Massive Experience Points
Chapter 23: Massive Experience Points
The Blood Corpse Real Person had already noticed someone wasing.
Ever since he had been captured, there had already been two groups of people who came to interrogate him, but it was all in vain.
He hadn''t expected that it would be less than half an hour before someone came again?
It seemed they truly ced great importance on him.
The Blood Corpse Real Person thought bitterly in his heart.
Facing the many interrogation techniques of the Tower of Guardians, he had not said a word.
What puzzled him was how his identity had been exposed in the first ce.
The Blood Corpse Real Person slightly lifted his eyelids to look outside the bars.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
¡ª¡ªOutside the bars was not the Prison Warden Office cultivator he had expected, but an extremely young-looking teenager!
It was impossible for outsiders to be present within the heavily guarded precincts of the Prison Warden Office.
This teenager was an important figure.
The ck-robed cultivator silently opened the iron gate on the bars and said softly to Lu Qingshan, "We''ve ced dozens of restrictions on him, he has no strength left to struggle or resist, please proceed as you wish."
Lu Qingshan nodded and entered the cell.
The Blood Corpse Real Person''s face was pale without a trace of blood, yet his body bore no injuries.
It was clear that the previous interrogation had been conducted on the level of the divine soul.
But it seemed that the Blood Corpse Real Person was indeed quite tight-lipped.
That was also within expectations.
If the Netherworld could exist within the Human Race for so long, how could it be an ordinary organization?
How could the mouths of the members of the Netherworld organization be so easily pried open?
"Who are you?" The Blood Corpse Real Person, gritting his teeth, asked word by word.
Lu Qingshan did not answer the Blood Corpse Real Person''s question, but instead squatted in front of him, looking at his eyes full of dark shadows.
"Do you recognize me now?"
The memory of a cultivator was inherently outstanding, not to mention theirst encounter had been not so long ago.
"Great Xia Commercial Firm...." The Blood Corpse Real Person quickly realized and recognized Lu Qingshan''s face, "It''s you?!"
"It''s me," Lu Qingshan acknowledged.
The Blood Corpse Real Person was silent for a while, then suddenly let out a dry chuckle, "I just can''t understand, we''ve never crossed paths before, just met once at Great Xia Commercial Firm, how did you find out I was from the Netherworld?"
Lu Qingshan looked at the Blood Corpse Real Person indifferently, "Does it matter?"
"It may not be important to you, but it''s very important to me," the Blood Corpse Real Person looked at Lu Qingshan''s delicate face and drylyughed, "If you''re willing to give me an exnation, I might reveal some information about the Netherworld to you."
"Apart from this, you won''t get any information from me by any means," said the Blood Corpse Real Person resentfully, "because from the moment I was captured, I held no hope for survival, I just want to know the answer now."
Lu Qingshan shook his head, unmoved, "I didn''te to extract information from you."
The Blood Corpse Real Person faintly guessed something and swallowed with some difficulty, "Impossible, you went through so much effort to capture me alive, how could you easily give up extracting information from me..."
"The Tower of Guardians indeed would not easily kill you, but I''m not one of the Tower of Guardians," Lu Qingshan said calmly to the Blood Corpse Real Person.
He requested the Blood Corpse Real Person from the Tower of Guardians as a reward for exchanging information for three reasons.
First, the body of Lu Qingshan had died by the hands of the Blood Corpse Real Person, and if this vengeance was not avenged, he would not feel at ease.
Second, the cultivators of the Tower of Guardians were cautious by nature; no one gets pie falling from the sky, and anything given for free always tends to raise suspicions.
Therefore, even though Lu Qingshan''s intent was to divulge information to Yuanshan Tower to stop the Netherworld''s plot, he chose to cooperate in the form of a deal to provide the information, rather than give it for free.
This, in fact, lessened the suspicion of the two Tower Masters of Yuanshan on Lu Qingshan.
Because in their view, Lu Qingshan had requests to make when he disclosed the Netherworld''s information to them.
Third, and most importantly, Lu Qingshan urgently needed Experience Points to enhance his own strength.
Strength is the foundation of everything.
With the impending chaos in Chang''an, he urgently needed a certain level of strength to protect himself in the times of turmoil.
And the Experience Points earned from killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator of a higher rank were generous enough to significantly increase Lu Qingshan''s strength.
Without any further idle talk with the Blood Corpse Real Person, under the resentful gaze of the Blood Corpse Real Person, Lu Qingshan gently ced his palm on the forehead of the Blood Corpse Real Person, and spiritual power surged out from his palm.
Under the control of Lu Qingshan, this spiritual power aimed directly at the divine soul inside the Blood Corpse Real Person''s forehead.
The Blood Corpse Real Person, restrained by numerous restrictions, had no way to block this spiritual power, which he would normally deem negligible.
The spiritual power tore apart the fragile divine soul of the Blood Corpse Real Person.
In an instant, the soul extinguished and the person perished.
...
"Youunched a fatal attack; you inflicted 60 points of damage to the Blood Corpse Real Person (Lv27)!"
"Target deceased, you have in the Blood Corpse Real Person (Lv27), a kill above your rank, granting experience reward, you gained a total of 2100 (Base Experience) x2 (multiplier) = 4200 Experience Points!"
...
Base Experience Points 2100, and double the reward for ying a rank higher, just this once, gave Lu Qingshan a whopping 4200 Experience Points.
This was enough for Lu Qingshan to soar directly to the ninth level of Qi Refinement.
Even the whaling leveling speed of gaming tycoons in the game cannotpare to this.
Lu Qingshan was very satisfied.
Looking at the Blood Corpse whoy on the ground, silent in death, Lu Qingshan felt no psychological fluctuations as he left the cell.
...
Lu Qingshan left Yuanshan Tower and returned to the inn where he was temporarily staying.
Next up was the yers'' favorite activity, the spending spree.
After a brief calction in his mind, Lu Qingshan had a n.
First, he invested experience points into the [Qi Refinement Technique], starting his level grind.
"[Qi Refinement Technique]leveled up to lv3, Spiritual Power Value +10!"
...
"[Qi Refinement Technique]leveled up to lv8, Spiritual Power Value +10, gained 1 Free Attribute Point!"
Spending a total of 2700 Experience Points, he leveled up his [Qi Refinement Technique]from lv2 to lv8, increasing his Spiritual Power Value cap by 60 points and gaining 3 Free Attribute Points.
Without much hesitation, Lu Qingshan added all 3 points to his Strength.
Just two more levels, and he would reach the max level cap for the Qi Refinement stage, ready to advance to Foundation Establishment.
Checking his panel, he still had 1518 Experience Points remaining. Then, spending another 1350 Experience Points {2250*0.6 ([Innate Swordseed] -30% Experience Cost, [Primary Level Sword Technique Affinity] -10% Experience Cost)}, he leveled up his Falling Bright Sword Technique to max Level lv10.
The level of one''s Cultivation is important, but the level of one''s Skills is equally important.
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If one focuses only on increasing Cultivation while neglecting to level up Skills, it leads to a scenario where, despite having a very high level, thebat power isn''t as strong¡ªthese yers are called ''baby giants'' with high level yet lowbat power.
A significant drawback for baby giant yers is that their leveling speed can be greatly slowed down.
With only Cultivation and no Skill Levels, normally, they are no match for NPCs of the same level, and thus they can only bully lower-level lesser creatures. However, in "Nine Heavens", besides the over-level kill experience rewards, there is also an experience penalty mechanism.
Bullying lesser creatures of a lower level means that the Experience Points gained will be pitifully low.
But even if one deliberately doesn''t increase their Cultivation level and focuses solely on boostingbat power, it''s not necessarily a guaranteed win-win situation.
After all, Attribute Values are the foundation of allbat power. Even if you are a Qi Refining Cultivator with all Skills at max level, you can''t win against a Golden Core Cultivator who has all Skill Levels at 1.
It''s about finding a bnce between the two.
But with plenty of experience, none of that is a problem.
Why overthink it?
Just max everything out.
However, after his transmigration, Lu Qingshan was no longer constrained by version limitations on his level cap.
¡ªFor instance, during the Chaos of Chang''an version, the yer''s level cap was 30 (Foundation Establishment).
Speaking of maxing out was naturally out of the question.
As the seemingly vast amount of Experience Points quickly dwindled, Lu Qingshan felt a pang of distress.
The little base Experience that was left was Lu Qingshan''s reserve for learning new Skills in the future.
But the expenditure was worth it, as Lu Qingshan''sbat power soared.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
ss: Sword Cultivator
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Refinement Technique]Lv8 (0/800) ¡ª¡ª [Spiritual Power +80]
Rank: Qi Refinement
Experience Points: 168
Free Attribute Points: 0
Personal Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 1, Mana 1, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 1
Health Points: 20/20
Spiritual Power Value: 80/80
Talents: [Innate Swordseed] (Legendary): As someone with a natural talent far above ordinary people in swordsmanship, you need 30% less Experience Points to learn and level up any Sword Technique. Moreover, you can use any Sword Artifact and learn any Sword Technique without limitations.
[Thick-skinned]: After soaking in the strong liquid of corpses for a long time, it has rotted your Divine Soul but has also greatly enhanced your physical constitution, giving you an extra +10 Health Points and reducing the damage received from First Grade Spells by 20%.
[Specialization]: Without specialization, one cannot be adept. Sword Cultivators who specialize in Sword Dao cannot switch to any secondary profession!
[Trapped in Formation]: With the resolve to infiltrate formations, facing death without fear, the damage dealt by sword cultivators increases: Rank x 5%. To bnce this, Sword Cultivators will not receive any additional bonuses to their Stamina Attribute!
[Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level): As a Sword Cultivator, you need 10% less Experience Points to learn and upgrade Sword Techniques. However, you need 10% more experience to learn and upgrade Skills that are not Sword Techniques, and your Sword Technique damage increases by 5%!
Skills: [Heavenly Eye Technique] (Universal): Detect character information; the greater the Cultivation disparity, the less information is obtainable.
[Falling Bright Sword Technique]lv10 (max): Damage is Strength x2 (1+0.1*Skill Level), and each Sword Technique carries ayer of Power of Dark Erosion, which can slow the target by 1 peryer; Power of Dark Erosion can stack up to threeyers, and upon reaching threeyers, it can be actively detonated to briefly Bind the enemy.
Each Sword Technique costs 2 Spiritual Power to execute, detonating Power of Dark Erosion costs 5 Spiritual Power.
Faction: [Yuanshan Tower]: Friendly (50)
[Chizhou Tower]: Friendly (5)
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
With his current Strength at 5, that means Lu Qingshan''s Falling Bright Sword Technique, without taking into ount defense mitigation and Defensive Spells, theoretically deals 11 points of damage (5*2*110% ([Trapped in Formation] 5% + [Sword Technique Affinity] 5%)).
It''s worth noting that, apart from Body Cultivators, the typical Health Points cap for Qi Refining Cultivators is also 11 points.
That is the essence of Sword Cultivators.
Chapter 24 - 24 Turmoil Begins
Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Turmoil Begins
Myriad Treasures Tower, within the basement.
All the Demon Cultivators, except for the Blood Corpse True Person, gathered together.
The Netherworld acted very cautiously; such meetings, even when carried out as secretly as possible, could hardly avoid leaving some traces.
Therefore, they usuallymunicated through secret messages. Unless it was a major event, they tried to avoid gathering for discussions.
"It''s been only one day since thest meeting, and Rakshasa has summoned us again; could it be that something major has happened?" the Demon Cultivators whispered among themselves.
"Eh, but why isn''t Blood Corpse here?" someone noticed something amiss.
...
Knock¡ª¡ª
The leading elder tapped the table lightly, interrupting everyone''s discussion.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the elder known as Rakshasa.
Rakshasa swept his gaze over everyone in the room and said coldly, "Blood Corpse''s identity has been exposed. This afternoon, he was captured alive in the city by the Human Cultivators of the Watch Guard Tower and is now being held in the Prison Warden Office."
The crowd looked at each other with disbelief, but only Crying Soul True Person''s face turned extremely unsightly. Seeing this, Rakshasa''s eyes flickered, but he said no more.
The room fell into silence until finally, someone spoke up to break the stalemate, "Blood Corpse has always been cautious, and he has been operating in Yuanshan City for decades, with a wless disguise. How was he discovered?"
Rakshasa''s eyes were frosty, "You''re right. If the intelligence system of the Watch Guard Tower is so tight that it could see through Blood Corpse''s disguise, then everyone here should have been executed. How could it be possible for us to gather here?
Therefore, the probability is high that there is more to the exposure of Blood Corpse''s identity."
"Do you mean to say... there is a traitor among us?" a Cultivator asked softly.
Instantly, the room erupted into an uproar.
The meaning of these words cast a shadow of suspicion over everyone present.
People of the Netherworld acted independently, betraying the Human Race for personal gain, banded together only by coercion, with not a shred of trust among them.
Upon hearing that there might be a traitor, the look in everyone''s eyes became guarded as they turned to their fellow conspirators.
Rakshasa spoke slowly, "When the people of the Netherworld join, they all have the Heart Demon Gu nted in their divine souls. Should anyone harbor thoughts of betrayal, the demon gu consumes the soul, causing agonizing pain. Thus, I still trust the loyalty of those present to the Netherworld."
The Heart Demon, one of the eight Eighth Grade Holy Demon Bloodlines of the Demon Race, possesses the unique ability to induce the Heart Demon Gu.
Once imnted in the cultivator''s divine soul, the Heart Demon Gu grows continuously as the Cultivator''s power increases.
The Heart Demon Gu, with simple intelligence, will instantly unleash soul-devouring power at the first sign of betrayal from its host, cruelly consuming the host''s divine soul.
Until the host''s soul perishes.
The agony of soul devouring is one of the most painful things in the world.
Compared to soul devouring, even the sophisticated interrogation techniques of the Watch Guard Tower are nothing.
Therefore, members of the Netherworld captured by the Watch Guard Tower seldom betray the Netherworld due to torture.
Since the Heart Demon Gu merges with its host''s divine soul, it is difficult for anyone besides the one who imnted the gu to remove it,
For the divine soul is the cultivator''s most vulnerable part!
Without this gu, the Netherworld could not have grown powerful.
¡ª¡ªMost members of the Netherworld are treacherous humans pursuing personal gain.
These individuals, who for their self-interest would betray their own races, who can guarantee they wouldn''t betray the Netherworld again for gain?
For these malefactors, only by resorting to coercive measures like the Heart Demon Gu, can they be controlled by fighting fire with fire.
"However...." The cold light in Rakshasa''s eyes red, "I believe you wouldn''t dare betray the Netherworld, but it''s not guaranteed that some fools haven''t done something stupid that implicated Blood Corpse."
"Crying Soul, when I mentioned the capture of Blood Corpse, you looked troubled. Do you know something?" Rakshasa''s expression was as dark as water as he turned his gaze to Crying Soul True Person.
Facing Rakshasa''s questioning, Crying Soul True Person also tensed up, clearly feeling the weight of Rakshasa''s authority.
"Rakshasa, I do know something." At this point, Crying Soul True Person dared not withhold any longer. "Blood Corpse True Person''s Corpse Refining Cave, hidden away in the mountains, was raided a few days ago by Cultivators of unknown identity, and it was for this reason that his female disciple came to Yuanshan City seeking Blood Corpse."
"I didn''t think much of it at first, since aside from a few Corpse Pools, there was nothing else in Blood Corpse True Person''s Corpse Refining Cave."
Although the refining of Corpse Puppets was explicitly forbidden by Great Xia, there have been those among the Evil Cultivators who secretly engaged in such practices over the years, so the reveal of a Blood Corpse did not necessarily lead to exposure.
None of his several disciples were aware of the identity of the Blood Corpse as a Demon Cultivator, simply thinking of him as an Evil Cultivator.
Therefore, I did not treat this matter as a big deal. When my lord inquired about the Blood Corpse and saw that he did not give a straight answer, I also chose not to expose him.
Now that I think about it, the exposure of the Blood Corpse''s identity must be somewhat rted to his Corpse Refining Cave being destroyed.
After all, it''s impossible for such a coincidence to happen¡ªthe destruction of hisir followed by his scandal erupting the very next day."
"Utterly foolish!" Rakshasa raged, "This Blood Corpse, I regarded his activities as meticulous, and I valued him highly on a day-to-day basis. I did not expect him to dare to conceal such a matter!"
Suddenly, something wriggled in Rakshasa''s heart, sending out a message that reached directly to the divine soul between his eyebrows. Rakshasa slightly closed his eyes, lowered his divine soul''s defenses, and received the message.
The gathered Demon Cultivators were silent as the grave, not daring to speak a word.
A few momentster.
Rakshasa opened his eyes, his voice cold as he dered, "The Heart Demon Gu in the Blood Corpse has perished."
The Heart Demon Gu lived symbiotically with its host.
If the Heart Demon Gu of the Blood Corpse was dead, it meant that, unquestionably, the true personage of the Blood Corpse had also met his demise.
"Something is amiss," cried the real person with a deep frown of confusion, "The Prison Warden Office, when capturing someone from the Netherworld, tends to imprison them for an extremely long time. During this period, numerous means are employed to extract some intelligence.
It has only been a few hours since the Blood Corpse was captured; why would the Prison Warden Office act against the Blood Corpse so swiftly?"
"This matter is very strange, and it happens to ur at such a time."
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The words of the real person plunged all the gathered Demon Cultivators into deep thought.
"Then, Lord Rakshasa, should our ns proceed as usual?" finally, someone ventured to ask.
The gaze of Rakshasa drifted, contemting something unknown.
The Demon Cultivators present all fell silent, awaiting Rakshasa''s decision.
After a long while.
A cold light burst forth in Rakshasa''s eyes, "Proceed as usual. We of the Qing State branch have been nning the Corpse Puppet Chaos for many years.
If this matter seeds, amongst the various state branches in the Southern Territory, it will be our Qing State that will lead.
The scheme of taking the Heavenly Secret Mirror in Yuanshan City is an extremely important part of the Corpse Puppet Chaos n; there is no reason for us to give up on it.
With the Heart Demon Gu, the true personage of the Blood Corpse would certainly not reveal our actions this time to the Prison Warden Office.
On the other hand, Qi Yuan might be even more determined to use the subsidiary Heavenly Secret Mirror to investigate the core of the Blood Pool because of the exposure of the Blood Corpse.
No matter what, for the great cause of the Netherworld, I would face death without regret!"
"Let this matter be put aside for now. The priority is to seize the mirror. You all go back and double-check the tasks assigned to you. If there is another mistake, heh, I will not be lenient."
A hint of blood-red light flickered in Rakshasa''s eyes, his demonic qi overflowing.
The members of the Netherworld were of an extremelyplexposition, with a great majority being Human Cultivators controlled by the Heart Demon Gu, as well as many actual members of the Demon Race and those of mixed heritage born of the Demon Race''s bloodline through the Blood Pool Reincarnation.
Rakshasa, he was a demon.
Unlike those Human Cultivators, within the Blood Pool Reincarnation of the Netherworld, he had acquired the bloodline of the Demon Race, and he could already be considered one of the Demon Race.
...
The many Demon Cultivators withdrew one after another.
Looking at the now empty underground chamber, Rakshasa rubbed his brow, feeling an ominous premonition.
This won''t do.
This matter is of great significance and cannot be left to chance. There are many suspicious aspects concerning the capture of the Blood Corpse, and further precautions must be taken.
With that thought, Rakshasa focused his divine sense into the wriggling thing in his heart.
A divine sense imbued with information passed through the wriggling object.
Chapter 25 - 25 War Beast
Chapter 25: Chapter 25 War Beast
```
Sigh¡ª¡ª
Lu Qingshan rose from the bed, stretchingzily.
Having transmigrated just two short days ago, one event followed another, leaving him utterly exhausted.
To arge extent, Qi Refining Cultivators are still just slightly more powerful mortals.
Only after the Foundation Establishment can one truly be considered a genuine Cultivator.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators have the ability to fast, maintaining their vigor without the need for rest. It really is quite carefree.
Finally, when the current matters came to a temporary close, Lu Qingshan quickly took the opportunity to rest.
That sleepsted an entire day.
...
Upon awakening, it was July 15th.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze became solemn.
The plot was about to begin.
It was uncertain whether his interference would create any change in history, or if the powerful inertia of history would correct everything back to its original course.
Lu Qingshan pondered, lost in thought.
tter¡ª¡ª
An unusual noise arose in the quiet room, instantly drawing Lu Qingshan''s attention.
Lu Qingshan turned his head toward the source of the noise.
The woodentticed window in the room was opened slightly at the corner.
A sneaky-looking head cautiously peeked in.
¡ªIndeed, sneaky-looking, because it was none other than the West Mouse Great King.
Lu Qingshan expressed surprise, "Why have youe back?"
From the beginning, Lu Qingshan had no intention of making things difficult for the West Mouse Great King.
In his eyes, it did not matter whether one was a demon or a human; what mattered was their actions.
Some people may appear human, but are far more malevolent than any demon.
If the West Mouse Great King had never killed indiscriminately, then what harm was there in being a demon?
The reason Lu Qingshan kept the West Mouse Great King with him was that he believed the Great King might still be of use.
After all, the West Mouse Great King was the only one who had witnessed the Blood Pool at Yuanshan City... uh, the only demon that did.
He was an extremely important witness.
However, after encountering the Blood Corpse Cultivator at the Great Xia Commercial Firm, Lu Qingshan made up his mind, no longer in need of the West Mouse Great King.
Thus, upon leaving the firm, Lu Qingshan kept his word and let the West Mouse Great King go.
But now, for some reason, the West Mouse Great King had unexpectedly returned.
Upon seeing Lu Qingshan''s figure, the West Mouse Great King patted its chest and exhaled with relief, "It''s good that you''re still here."
Lu Qingshan''s eyebrows furrowed, "What happened?"
With a push from its stubby legs, the West Mouse Great King turned into a shadow to leap from the window to the table.
"Big discovery, big discovery!" whispered the West Mouse Great King mysteriously, "The other day in the Great Xia Commercial Firm, I saw you paying special attention to that female Cultivator, and after running into thedy, as soon as we left the Great Xia Commercial Firm, you suddenly agreed to let me go, so I kept a little eye on that female Cultivator."
The West Mouse Great King was likely referring to Wu Yi.
True to its sly nickname, despite seeming slow-witted, this demon rat was actually quite sharp.
Even such subtle changes in his own expression were noticed by the West Mouse Great King.
Lu Qingshan sighed inwardly but remained silent, waiting for the West Mouse Great King to continue.
The West Mouse Great King rambled on about its experiences over the past two days.
It turns out that after following Lu Qingshan to Yuanshan City and witnessing the prosperity of the human Prefecture City, it had unexpectedly be somewhat reluctant to return to its modest dwelling.
After Lu Qingshan let it go, it didn''t choose to return to the vige, but mustered the courage to stay in Yuanshan City.
The city was, after all, big enough to amodate one demon rat.
```
As it happened, just as the West Rat King was wandering aimlessly around the city, savoring his new-found freedom, he coincidentally bumped into Wu Yi, whose movements were secretive, and whose destination was unknown.
Out of curiosity, the West Rat King followed Wu Yi from a distance for some time.
Fearing discovery, the West Rat King did not dare to follow too closely.
He trailed her until he saw Wu Yi enter a mansion and then she never reemerged.
"Mansion?"
The West Rat King scratched his head, "It seemed to be called the Mansion of Suffering; I can''t recognize your Human Race''s writing, but that''s what people call it."
The West Rat King waved his little paw, "Let''s not talk about that for now. Guess what I found?"
The West Rat King was smug.
Lu Qingshan, without any courtesy, tapped hard on the West Rat King''s head, "Don''t beat around the bush with me."
The West Rat King held his head, looking at Lu Qingshan with an aggrieved expression, "I mustered up the courage to sneak into the Mansion of Suffering. Strangely enough, although I clearly saw her enter the mansion, after I roamed around for quite a few turns, I just couldn''t find that female cultivator; it was as if she had vanished into thin air.
Just when I was about to give up searching, I suddenly smelled a familiar scent."
"A familiar scent?"
The West Rat King exined, "It was exactly like the strange fragrance emanating from the Blood Pool, albeit extremely faint and almost dissipated. But the impression that scent made on me was so profound that I managed to pick it up."
"Following that scent, I found my way to the depths of the mansion and, unexpectedly, came across an underground chamber.
And in that chamber, there was another Blood Pool! Though this one was much smallerpared to the one I had seen before."
The West Rat King, gesturing excitedly, said, "The key point is that inside the Blood Pool, there was a ferocious-looking Demon Beast resembling a lion but without a single hair on its body, with blood-red eyes, and three protruding bones on its spine, those three bones are also quite peculiar, looking like... uh..."
The West Rat King couldn''t find the appropriate words and suddenly got stuck.
"Is it like there are long swords sticking out of its spine?" Lu Qingshan interjected.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Isn''t that odd? I''ve never seen such a creature before," the West Rat King nodded vigorously in agreement.
Then, the West Rat King quickly came to his senses and looked at Lu Qingshan suspiciously, "You haven''t seen it, so how do you know what this Demon Beast looks like?"
Lu Qingshan shook his head, "That''s not a Demon Beast, but a War Beast."
"War Beast?"
Lu Qingshan did not exin much to the West Rat King.
The term ''War Beast'' would only be widespread among the Human Race after several more iterations.
A War Beast, as the name implies, is a beast of the Demon Race, with a variety of Divine Skills.
The creature encountered by the West Rat King was likely a War Beast.
[War Beast]: A beast that contains a diluted essence of the Bing Bloodline (Eighth Grade Holy Demon Bloodline).
The sword-like bones on the spine of the War Beast are its Divine Skills.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
yers refer to them as Sword Bones, which, when deployed, can sever the connection between a cultivator and their Magic Artifact.
The Sword Bone is a one-time Divine Skill; once it leaves the body, it cannot be retracted¡ªuse it once, and it''s gone.
Three Sword Bones mean that it can use its Divine Skills three times.
Lu Qingshan fell into deep thought.
Had War Beasts appeared so early?
What a big ordeal¡ªto seize a shard of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, even a War Beast had been employed.
Even in the Abyss, the numbers of War Beasts were not great, let alone the ones specially brought by the Demon Race to the territory of the Human Race, which were even rarer.
...
Yuanshan Tower had failed to find Wu Yi during their hunt for the Blood Corpse True Person.
Lu Qingshan had thought that the Blood Corpse True Person must have sent Wu Yi away.
Moreover, since Wu Yi was simply an apprentice taken in by the Blood Corpse True Person under the identity of an Evil Cultivator and was not a person of the Netherworld, she knew nothing of Netherworld affairs. Therefore, neither Lu Qingshan nor Yuanshan Tower took Wu Yi''s disappearance seriously.
Unexpectedly, Wu Yi was connected to such important intelligence.
The Divine Skills of a War Beast are unpredictable and profound. Qi Yuan and Yuanshan Tower, even if they were well-prepared, could very likely fail and fall to the Divine Skills of the War Beast, resulting in the theft of a Heavenly Secret Mirror shard.
The question now was whether they could detain the peoples of the Netherworld.
Chapter 26: Sword Slash Foundation Establishment 1
Chapter 26: Sword sh Foundation Establishment 1
King ck Rat, noticing that Lu Qingshan was ignoring him, swallowed nervously and continued, "I saw that the demon beast looked fierce and terrifying, which really scared me. I was about to flee when someone came in.
The neer was an extremely sleazy-looking male cultivator, holding a Spirit Beast Bag. He actually took away the demon beast from the Blood Pool.
Since the beast was taken by the cultivator, I nned to sneak into the Blood Pool to steal some red Spiritual Pearls. Last time I ate a pearl, I turned out like this. This time, eating more might allow me to transform."
But to my surprise, there was a transparent thin shield around the Blood Pool, not only blocking the scent from escaping but also preventing me from entering. So, I had no choice but toe back and look for you."
It seems he came back to seek help only because he failed to steal as he had hoped.
Lu Qingshan understood the situation.
"You are quite bold for a little demon who hasn''t cultivated any Cultivation Technique. You dare to sneak into a cultivator''s home without fear of being caught?" Lu Qingshan clicked his tongue in amazement.
King ck Rat had always seemed timid.
King ck Rat, feeling somewhat embarrassed, hesitantly said, "Ever since I swallowed the Spiritual Pearl from the Blood Pool, I''ve felt as if something dormant inside me is waking up.
Since then, I have been continually acquiring new abilities. Just the other day, I seem to have awakened a new one, which made me dare..."
"Oh?" Lu Qingshan became somewhat interested.
He had assumed that King ck Rat''s Illusive Rat Bloodline had fully awakened.
But ording to King ck Rat, it was still mastering new abilities, indicating that its Illusive Rat Bloodline hadn''t fully revived and still had great potential.
Lu Qingshan used the Heavenly Eye Technique on King ck Rat once again.
Indeed, he discovered a brand new skill on its Attribute Panel.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Sneaky]: Innate skill.
Sneaky entry, silent and traceless. Once this skill is activated, unless he attacks, all his scents will vanish, making him difficult to detect.
Cool down: 3 days.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Sneaky, one of the most mysterious innate skills that the Illusive Rats can master.
It is also a highly practical skill.
With the[Sneaky]innate skill, an Illusive Rat, being secretive, excels in tracking assassinations as well as stealing confidential information.
Unexpectedly, King ck Rat had awakened this skill.
It seems to be quite the European rat, Lu Qingshan muttered.
"Are there other cultivators in that house?" Lu Qingshan asked.
He was indeed curious to explore the secrets of the dwelling, which might yield some unexpected gains.
"Other than that sleazy-looking male cultivator, only some ordinary humans remain." King ck Rat seemed to remember something, speaking in a strange tone, "However, the male cultivator left the house with the demon beastst night and has not yet returned."
Lu Qingshan pondered for a long time and then spoke, "Lead me to that house."
Today is July 15.
The Underworld Cultivators should have all moved out to initiate a long-nned operation.
The fact that the sleazy-looking male cultivator had left and not returned was evidence of this.
Seize the opportunity when the boss is not home to steal a chicken.
Stealing chickens is something yers are particrly good at.
As an elite yer, Lu Qingshan was no exception¡ªhis "Innate Swordseed" was acquired through such a theft.
It could even be considered the most sessful chicken theft in the history of the Nine Heavens game.
Unfortunately, before he had the chance to unt it on the forums, he had arrived in the game world.
This would have certainly made those unlucky yers green with envy.
Lu Qingshan felt a bit of regret.
...
Led by King ck Rat, Lu Qingshan soon arrived at the mansion.
It was a huge estate covering several acres.
Over the ckcquered gate of the courtyard hung a signboard with the words "Mansion of Suffering."
Beneath the signboard, two muscr men stood on either side, apparently the guards of the mansion.
Lu Qingshan''s face twitched slightly.
This Demon Cultivator was indeed very bold; most people from the Netherworld preferred to keep a low profile whenever possible.
For example, Real Blood Corpse arranged his yard in a very remote location and the huge house was upied by him alone.
Yet, the owner of this Mansion of Suffering had acquired such arge property in the busiest area of Yuanshan city.
Yet, on reflection, there was also a bit of reverse thinking involved.
Lu Qingshan circled to the back of the mansion, channeled his Spiritual Power, and directly scaled the wall to enter the back garden of the Mansion of Suffering.
The backyard of the Bitter Mansion was a sizable garden, filled with many exotic flowers, nts, and herbs.
A refreshing fragrance hit them.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but take a deep breath.
"Eh?!" Lu Qingshan involuntarily let out a soft exmation.
"What''s wrong?" ck Rat, extremely cautious, asked.
Lu Qingshan''s expression turned strange, and he shook his head to indicate, "It''s nothing."
The flowers and herbs grown here actually had an aphrodisiac effect.
Merely sniffing the fragrance temporarily, he had felt his body grow slightly hot.
Fortunately, these were just mundane items.
Lu Qingshan stirred the spiritual power within his body, a cooling sensation surged from his dantian, then circted through his body''s meridians.
The feeling of heat instantly dissipated.
Lu Qingshan held his breath, not daring to dy any longer, and following ck Rat''s directions, he infiltrated deeper into the mansion.
The Bitter Mansion was quite interesting; it even had many mortal sentries arranged around, appearing extremely vignt, but to a cultivator, they were undoubtedly just for show.
Lu Qingshan easily bypassed the numerous sentries.
Stopping in front of a three-story building, Lu Qingshan paused.
This building was guarded by at least a dozen people nearby.
With such heavy security, could there be something important inside the building?
"What''s inside here?" Lu Qingshan asked ck Rat.
ck Rat hesitated, unsure of how to start.
Seeing this, Lu Qingshan did not inquire further, and with a movement swift as lightning, he was at the base of the building in a sh, and silently leapt to the second floor.
Lu Qingshan stationed himself against the wall of the second floor''s room and peered inside.
He could see smoke filling the room inside, and Lu Qingshan, sniffing slightly, recognized the scent as simr to the aphrodisiac herbs grown in the backyard, likely made from an aphrodisiac herbal concoction.
In the room''s center was arge sandalwood bed covered by a sheer curtain, through which one could faintly see several women lying on the bed, unclothed, their pale thighs and arms highly alluring.
However, Lu Qingshan frowned.
Because the women on the bed had extremely weak breathing, terribly frail.
¡ª They had been harvested for their Yin Qi by the Technique of Harvesting Qi; these mortal women''s lives were near their end.
No wonder the backyard was nted with aphrodisiac herbs, no wonder ck Rat looked hesitant to speak, so this was the reason.
The demon cultivator here practiced the Technique of Harvesting Qi.
These women in the building were all his furnace cauldrons.
Shaking his head, Lu Qingshan headed to the third floor.
He had roughly guessed why Wu Yi hade here.
Inside the third floor, there was also arge bed, but there was only one woman on it.
n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Lying on her side, her back and buttocks towards Lu Qingshan, her voluptuous and slender curves undted like a mountainousndscape.
It seemed as though she heard something, the woman slightly shifted her body, turning around in a somewhatzy posture, her body uncovered.
It was indeed Wu Yi.
Apparently, ck Rat had discovered that this building contained women harvested for Qi and hadn''t thoroughly checked the third floor before moving elsewhere.
That''s why Wu Yi hadn''t been found within the Bitter Mansion.
The moment Wu Yi turned around, Lu Qingshan had already taken the Peach Wood Sword from his spirit beast bag, pointing its tip directly at Wu Yi''s throat.
Wu Yi, who had been enchanting just the day before, was now utterly pale, with a deathly hue to herplexion.
¡ª Women who had been harvested for their Yin Qi would age rapidly.
Facing the sword tip at her throat, Wu Yi was quite calm, not minding her revealed body, and slightly sat up, "Who are you?"
"I''ve seen you before." Wu Yi, spotting ck Rat on Lu Qingshan''s shoulder, didn''t wait for Lu Qingshan to respond, and suddenly chuckled, "At that time in the Great Xia Commercial Firm, you also had this ck Rat with you. I thought it was odd then, that a cultivator would carry a ck rat around, so I actually remember you quite well."
"Who is the master here, you weren''t following the Blood Corpse Sage, why have you be a furnace cauldron harvested by others?" Lu Qingshan asked.
Hearing Lu Qingshan''s inquiry, a ripple suddenly surfaced in Wu Yi''s otherwise calm expression.
"Are you here to kill Cry Soul Sage?"
"Yes, it must be so, I haven''t heard any noises, and yet you appeared here, surely having bypassed the guards. Your movements are so sneaky, either you''re a thief or a bandit.
If you were a thief, you would certainly avoid me and not expose yourself easily."
Lu Qingshan neither confirmed nor denied, "What if I am a lecher?"
Wu Yi shook her head, "Hehe, impossible. Your eyes don''t have any lust when you look at me. Being a woman like me, I can feel even the slightest desire in a man''s gaze, you can''t hide it from me."
Women''s intuition is sometimes more urate than a cultivator''s spiritual sense, especially in matters between men and women.
Chapter 27 - 27 Sword Slash Foundation Establishment 2
Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Sword sh Foundation Establishment 2
"I''m merely a Qi Refining Cultivist; the Crying Soul you speak of must be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. How could I possibly kill him?" Lu Qingshan very much knew his limitations.
His current achievements weren''t sufficient; the gap in rank between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement was a barrier he was unable to cross.
Wu Yi naturally understood this as well, but at this moment, she was like a person drowning, desperately clutching at any strand of hope within reach.
Now, with Lu Qingshan directly bursting the bubble of hope she had held, the faint glimmer in Wu Yi''s eyes slowly dissipated, gradually turning into a deste void.
There is nothing more sorrowful than a heart that has given up hope.
Looking at Wu Yi, whose life seemed to have been drained from her, Lu Qingshan inwardly sighed.
Shaking his head, Lu Qingshan prepared to turn around and leave.
"The Crying Soul is a Sword Cultivator, infamous for his Life-bound Sword: the Crying Soul Sword," Wu Yi suddenly spoke up. "If you ever face the Crying Soul, remember to protect your Divine Soul. The Crying Soul Sword possesses the ability to shock the soul - one wrong move, and a Sword Cultivator''s blow can kill in an instant."
Lu Qingshan looked at Wu Yi calmly, "The Crying Soul excels in the Flying Sword Technique?"
Wu Yi nodded her head.
"Why tell me this all of a sudden?"
Wu Yi smiled bleakly, "Though I don''t know what you''re nning, your demeanor suggests that you don''t get along with the Crying Soul. Even if this information can''t help you defeat him, what if it could?"
"A few days ago, the Blood Corpse had mee to stay in the Bitter Residence, iming that its master, the Crying Soul, was an old friend of his. But when I arrived, I discovered that the Blood Corpse had actually handed me over to the Crying Soul, to be used as a Cultivator Furnace for his Technique of Harvesting Qi."
"I''ve served him for years, even if I was confined to the gloomy and terrifying Corpse Refining Cave, without anyints. Yet, to him, I was merely an object to be given away without a second thought," Wu Yi sneered at herself, "Men truly are the most unreliable creatures in the world."
Lu Qingshan had no response.
The only thing you can truly rely on in this world is yourself.
Wu Yi, gritting her teeth with venom in her voice, said, "If we''re talking about hate, my hatred for the Blood Corpse exceeds that for the Crying Soul by hundreds, thousands of times. I wish for him to be hacked to pieces and suffer a terrible death."
"You might be disappointed then; the Blood Corpse is already dead, he died quite swiftly," Lu Qingshan said gravely.
"How is that possible? Who killed him?" Wu Yi asked incredulously.
It had only been two days, and the Blood Corpse was dead?
"I killed him," Lu Qingshan said undisturbed.
Wu Yi was startled.
Then, as if possessed, she burst into hystericalughter, "Ridiculous, ridiculous! A Qi Refining Cultivator ys a Foundation Establishment - haha, the Blood Corpse, ever so cautious and valuing his life, to die at the hands of a Qi Refining Cultivator... ha ha ha."
Despite her disbelief, Wu Yi thoroughly trusted Lu Qingshan''s im that he had killed the Blood Corpse.
No particr reason - just an instinct.
An instinct that told her the young man before her was not deceiving her.
Wu Yiughed andughed until herughter no longer made a sound, until herughter turned into tears.
Eventually, she slowly closed her eyes, her breath faded away, and shey down on the bed.
Perhaps the death of the Blood Corpse was thest straw that broke the camel''s back.
Wu Yi died by severing her own heart meridian.
Lu Qingshan took out a piece of clothing from his storage bag and draped it over Wu Yi''s naked corpse.
The silent West Mouse King, looking at the serene-faced Lu Qingshan, suddenly asked, "Why didn''t you stop her just now?"
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The flux of Spiritual Power emitted from Wu Yi severing her heart meridian was quite evident; Lu Qingshan could have stopped her if he wanted to.
"She had long harbored the will to die, what purpose would stopping her serve?" Pausing, Lu Qingshan muttered, "Besides, at this point, it was her choice to make, and the consequences are naturally hers to bear. That is simply the natural order of things."
No more was said.
Lu Qingshan quickly left the small building, heading straight for the Blood Pool mentioned by the West Mouse King.
The basement.
Lu Qingshan looked at the Blood Pool that was close at hand but protected by a transparent thin barrier.
The Silver Frost Formation!
A Second Grade defensive formation.
Normally, as a Qi Refining Cultivator, even a Sword Cultivator known for their offensive capabilities would be unable to break a Second Grade defensive formation in a short amount of time.
However, the Crying Soul was also a Sword Cultivator.
Sword Cultivators generallyck the time to study formations.
The Crying Soul was no exception.
He knew nothing about formations.
This formation was merely set up by the Crying Soul using a set of formation gs he had purchased.
Without someone to control the formation, destroying the formation gs would copse the formation itself.
Of course, since formation gs are so crucial, the Cultivators who make them also consider protecting the gs.
Looking with the naked eye, Lu Qingshan could not see the so-called formation gs.
The formation gse with an Illusion Technique that hides them within the formation, making them hard to trace and continually changing positions.
But such ready-made formation gs, whenpared to those personally arranged by an Array Master, have a substantial weakness, besides reduced power.
They are inflexible.
The formation gs are tidily ced in the most standard manner.
The positions of the changing formation gs also follow a pattern.
The Silver Frost Formation, within the Nine Heavens, is one of the verymon Second Grade formations.
As a top yer who stood out among billions of yers...
Lu Qingshan had mastery over the cement of most of the formation gs within the game.
¡ª¡ªThe gap between a top-tier yer and an average yer is muchrger than most yers imagine.
These disparities are not only evident in skills, levels, and operations, but the gap in the knowledge they possess is even more pronounced.
Anything that bes professional will be far moreplex than ordinary people think, even with games, this is true.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around at the surrounding environment.
This is it!
Lu Qingshan had found one of the many formation points of the Silver Frost Formation.
A formation point is where a formation g will appear.
Holding the Peach Wood Sword, Lu Qingshan shed at the light shield before him.
A huge ripple surged upon the shield.
Aside from that, there were no other anomalies.
The formation g was not in that position.
¡ª¡ªBrute force was not such a simple way to break a formation.
Unperturbed, Lu Qingshan changed positions and shed with his sword once more.
Simrly, the spot where Lu Qingshan attacked with his sword only produced arge ripple.
Lu Qingshan tirelessly switched positions, attacking all possible formation points of the Silver Frost Formation with sh after sh.
Finally.
After dozens of sword strikes.
A formation g emitting silver light emerged within the light shield, then quickly vanished.
Found it, so it was here.
Having located the position of the formation g, Lu Qingshan did not hold back any longer.
After dozens more sword strikes.
Ka-cha¡ª¡ª
Just like the shattering of ss.
The light shield copsed and disintegrated.
The glow from the formation g had already dissipatedpletely, falling to the ground.
Without the protection of the Silver Frost Formation.
A strange fragrance wafted towards him.
The blood pool, scarlet and viscous, looking extremely terrifying, emitted an enticing aroma.
Exceedingly eerie.
Lu Qingshan stepped closer to take a look.
Within the blood pool, there were dozens of red spiritual pearls rolling around.
The blood pool was notrge; it was just a Second Grade blood pool, probably built specifically as a temporary habitat for war beasts.
As pure-blooded creatures of the Demon Race, war beasts had a distinguished status.
At least definitely higher than that of the Crying Soul Sage.
Lu Qingshan picked up a spiritual pearl from the blood pool.
A data prompt appeared before his eyes.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Blood Spirit Bead]
Level: Second Grade
Description: Formed by concentrating the power of essence blood gathered by the blood pool.
Effect: Consuming it can enhance physical constitution, with a slight chance to strengthen the bloodline power within the body.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Thebat power of members of the Demon Racergely depends on the bloodline within their bodies.
Blood Spirit Beads have a chance to enhance the bloodlines of the Demon Race, making them precious to the race.
For demon beasts, consuming Blood Spirit Beads has a chance to awaken the bloodline within them; the higher the rank, the better the effect. If Lu Qingshan wasn''t mistaken, the Blood Spirit Bead that the Rat King had consumedst time should be a Third Grade Blood Spirit Bead.
Because of its unique effect of enhancing the quality of demon beasts, several versionster, Blood Spirit Beads would be a highly coveted treasure for Beast Cultivator yers.
However, only the Demon Race knew how to create blood pools, so before the forces of the Netherworld revealed their fangs officially, Blood Spirit Beads were extremely rare.
Lu Qingshan was not shy.
He collected all the Second Grade Blood Spirit Beads from the blood pool.
A total of fifty Second Grade Blood Spirit Beads.
A significant haul.
The Rat King watched Lu Qingshan wistfully, looking pitiable.
"The blood pool was your discovery, but I broke the formation. We''ll split these Blood Spirit Beads seventy-thirty; I take seventy and you take thirty percent," Lu Qingshan said.
The Rat King was very satisfied with Lu Qingshan''s distribution and did not object.
¡ª¡ªHe didn''t dare to object.
Chapter 28: Sword Slash Foundation Establishment 3
Chapter 28: Sword sh Foundation Establishment 3
At the City Lord''s Mansion in Yuanshan City, within the bright and spacious hall.
"City Lord Qi Yuan, in ordance with your instructions, I have dispatched underling cultivators to search the area around Yuanshan City vigorously, but to no avail," City Lord Luo Yan looked helplessly at Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan waved his hand and said, "On that day, the Heavenly Secret Mirror alerted me that a cmitous event would ur within Zhenjiang Prefecture. I immediately used ''Observing Heaven'' to detect the Heavenly Secrets.
In the Heavenly Secret Mirror, I saw a blood red Blood Pool and the scenery of Yuanshan City. It is beyond doubt that the Underworld has some ns within the region of Yuanshan City."
Luo Yan''s face became solemn, "The ability of the Heavenly Secret Mirror to detect the Heavenly Secrets is known to all in Great Xia; of course, I wouldn''t doubt what City Lord Qi Yuan has said."
"It''s just..." Luo Yan ventured cautiously, "Being such a significant object, the Blood Pool would surely be protected by stringent defenses from the Underworld. So it is indeed difficult for us to achieve any findings. Didn''t even the Yuanshan Tower fail to detect the slightest clue?"
Qi Yuan pondered for a few seconds, agreeing, "I believe the same. The area of Yuanshan City is so vast; if the Underworld cultivators set up a concealed Formation to hide the Blood Pool, making you look for it by manpower is undoubtedly like looking for a needle in the ocean.
Therefore, today I am prepared to use ''Observing Heaven'' again in an attempt to locate the Blood Pool."
Luo Yan''s face revealed a hint of joy, "The Heavenly Secret Mirror possesses the ability to reach the heavens; I suppose the Underworld can''t escape its scrutiny, no matter how secretive they are."
Qi Yuan nodded slightly, his thoughts turning into action.
A sh of golden light passed.
An ancient mirror floated in front of Qi Yuan.
It was the splinter mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
The Heavenly Secret Mirror was divided into two sides, Yin and Yang. The back side appeared as if cast from ancient bronze, engraved with mysterious patterns.
The front was a ze mirror surface, free of any dust; one look and it was hazy, nothing in sight.
This mirror doesn''t reflect people, but it can observe the heavens.
The scenes shown on the ze mirror surface can only be seen by the owner of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan sped his hands into a strange hand seal.
In the void, a faintly discernible line appeared, starting from Qi Yuan''s hand and connecting to the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
This was the line of Qi Yuan''s life force.
A greenish light flowed along that line, continuously surging out from Qi Yuan''s hands before pouring into the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
''Observing Heaven'', trading lifespan for Heavenly Secrets.
The greenish light was none other than Qi Yuan''s lifespan.
The art of ''Observing Heaven'' had many restrictions.
The stronger the object you wanted to investigate and the more precise the information was, the greater the price you had to pay ordingly.
The Blood Pool Qi Yuan wanted to investigate could only be considered a Low Grade Blood Pool, but to pinpoint its exact location, even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he had to sacrifice a portion of his lifespan.
It was visible during the process of the greenish light flowing towards the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
A few strands of Qi Yuan''s ck hair were quickly fading in color, gradually turning gray, and finally bing white.
Qi Yuan seemed unaware.
¡ªFrom the moment he took charge of the splinter mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, he was already prepared mentally.
To protect the peace of the Human Race, none in the Heavenly Secret Pavillion who guarded the mirror were reluctant to give their lives.
A haze of white light gradually covered Qi Yuan''s pupils.
Through this white light, Qi Yuan gazed at the ze mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
To onlookers, the mirror surface seemed shrouded in fog, but in Qi Yuan''s eyes, the mist was slowly dissipating.
Clearing the mist to see the light.
Just as Qi Yuan was about to see the scene hidden behind the fog¡ª
Boom¡ª
An immensely loud roaring sound.
A ck Spirit Light soared into the sky.
Directly breaking through the roof.
Once the Spirit Light reached a certain height, it instantly transformed into a vast curtain, enveloping the entire City Lord''s Mansion within it.
At the same time.
Numerous streams of ck mist appeared out of thin air, twisting and merging together in midair, coiling into three exceptionallyrge ck serpents.
The ck serpents, tens of meters long, their bodies overflowing with ck mist, constantly rolling.
Third Grade Formation: ''Three Spirits Demon Formation''.
The Demon Formation could transform into three Spirit Snakes.
The Spirit Snakes possessed three abilities: to form a Barrier, to Attack, and to Confine the enemy.
These are the Three Spirits.
Unbeknownst to when, within the ck mist, three figures in ck robes emerged, their faces simrly shrouded in swirling mist.
All three ck-robed cultivators held a small ck g in hand.
In the blink of an eye, the three ck-robed cultivators manipted the ck gs in their hands.
¡ª¡ªThis is the banner that controls the three ck snakes.
Hiss¡ª¡ª
Hiss¡ª¡ª
Hiss¡ª¡ª
Driven by the ck banner, the ck snakes simultaneously raised their heads and let out piercing hisses.
Qi Yuan''s face turned pale.
Embedded within the hisses of the ck snakes was a sonic attack that targeted the divine soul.
Qi Yuan, who was using the "Observing Heaven" divine skill without any guard up, was caught off guard and was momentarily stunned.
The Underworld Cultivators naturally would not miss such an opportunity.
Under their maniption, the three ck snakes swiftly lunged towards Qi Yuan, tightly binding him.
As the three ck snakes, each several tens of meters thick, coiled around Qi Yuan, his entire figure was engulfed by the ck mist, making himpletely invisible from the outside. The only thing visible was the golden light of the Heavenly Secret Mirror shimmering dazzlingly within the ck fog.
Upon witnessing this scene, Luo Yan let out a sinisterugh.
His big n had seeded.
Even the Mirror Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, who had ess to the heavenly secrets, couldn''t escape my schemes.
Right then!
ng¡ª¡ª
The clear ringing of a sword reverberated through the air.
Dozens of refreshing cyan sword lights surged forth.
Like an army bearing down.
They glowed faintly within the ck curtain.
The sword lights charged directly at the three ck-robed Cultivators holding the banners amidst the ck fog.
Their presence was domineering.
All three ck-robed Cultivators'' faces changed.
They each promptly activated secret techniques, either defensive artifacts or defensive spells, in an attempt to block the overwhelming sword lights.
However, all their efforts were in vain.
Under the cyan sword lights, the three ck-robed Cultivators, along with their defensive spells and spiritual artifacts,
Melted away like ice and snow.
They disintegrated in an instant.
The might of the sword lights was evident for all to see!
With the death of the three ck-robed Cultivators, the ck snakes that were binding Qi Yuan could no longer hold him.
"Golden Core Sword Cultivator, Sword Light Differentiation, Dantai Qingrun!" Luo Yan''s eyes bulged with anger.
These dozens of cyan sword lights belonged to the unique Sword Technique of the Dantai House, the "Crescent Moon Sword Technique"!
Within Yuanshan City, the only one capable of executing the "Crescent Moon Sword Technique" was the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower, Dantai Qingrun.
Indeed, beneath the ck curtain, high in the sky.
It was as if a door had been opened.
A mystic golden square aura spread out, and a woman in white appeared, floating in midair.
It was the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower, Dantai Qingrun herself!
Dantai Qingrun''s pair of cold eyes scanned the City Lord''s Mansion engulfed in ck fog.
"Rakshasa, your methods are indeed grand," said Dantai Qingrun, her voice serene and chilling.
No wonder since she took over Yuanshan Tower, she always felt as if an invisible hand was blocking their efforts to probe the Underworld, causing them all kinds of misfortune.
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Who would have thought that a Rakshasa from the Underworld would turn out to be Luo Yan, a City Lord of Yuanshan City!
Dantai Qingrun''s murderous intent soared, tinged with a bit of worry.
Has the Underworld''s infiltration within the Human Race reached this extent?
The Rakshasa''s face changed.
Originally bound by the ck snakes, Qi Yuan had already quietly escaped after Dantai Qingrun had in the three Underworld Cultivators controlling the snakes.
Outside the ck curtain, many Cultivators from Yuanshan Tower had already gathered, assaulting the Three Spirits Demon Formation.
Even though the Three Spirits Demon Formation was a Third Grade formation, it couldn''t possibly withstand thebined attack of so many Cultivators for too long.
Inside the formation were Nascent Soul Spiritual Cultivators and a Golden Core Sword Cultivator skilled in killing. Meanwhile, these Underworld Cultivators and their allies at best had reached the Golden Core stage.
They could neither fight nor escape.
A situation with no chance of survival!
Chapter 29 - 29 Sword Slash Foundation Establishment 4
Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Sword sh Foundation Establishment 4
Two days ago.
Inside Yuanshan Tower.
"Tower Master, I have already investigated the matter, and what Lu Qingshan said is true. There indeed is a high-grade Illusion Array set up there. Although I''m not certain if the Blood Pool is within the Illusion Array, the probability is extremely high," Jiang Rong reported the specifics of his investigation to Dantai Qingrun.
Dantai Qingrun''s eyebrows raised, and after pondering for a long time, she finally decided, "Contact Qi Yuan, leave that high-grade Illusion Array alone for now, lest we startle the snake by hitting the grass."
Jiang Rong agreed, "Good, I will contact Qi Yuan right away."
...
"That''s exactly it." Dantai Qingrun described the situation to Qi Yuan withposure and thoroughness.
Qi Yuan, who had been summoned by Dantai Qingrun, seemed to have an epiphany after listening to her narration.
"The Netherworld and our Heavenly Secret Pavilion have been age-old adversaries, and they are well aware of the various techniques Heavenly Secret Pavilion uses. No wonder they have been so careless this time, allowing me to detect a trace of their plot so easily."
"So it seems the real intent of the drunkard isn''t the wine."
"What are your ns to deal with this situation, Qi Yuan?" Dantai Qingrun asked with concern.
Qi Yuan pondered thoughtfully, "There is a doubt in this matter; how could the Netherworld know exactly when I would use the Heavenly Secret Mirror? Unless..."
"Unless there is an insider," Dantai Qingrun provided a definite answer.
She had already figured this out.
If the Netherworld wanted to seize the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror while Qi Yuan was using it, they must ensure that someone from the Netherworld would also be present at the moment Qi Yuan utilized the mirror.
Taking the Heavenly Secret Mirror from Qi Yuan, a Nascent Soul Cultivator, would be no easy task.
With the manpower and strength of the Netherworld in Yuanshan City, they would undoubtedly need to prepare extensively.
If one''s own strength is not enough, external forces must be sought.
A Formation would be the first choice, and only the power of a Formation could allow a Low Rank Cultivator topete with a High Level Cultivator in a short span of time.
But setting up a Formation takes time, and it''s clearly impractical to wait until after pinpointing Qi Yuan''s location.
Therefore, the most practical approach is to set up the Formation in advance at a certain location and somehow manage to have Qi Yuan use the Heavenly Secret Mirror within the area covered by the Formation.
This would facilitate the implementation of the Netherworld''s subsequent ns.
With all these considerations.
"This insider, their status is not low, and they will also find a way to encourage you to use ''Observing Heaven''!" Dantai Qingrun dered with certainty.
Qi Yuan naturally agreed with Dantai Qingrun''s assessment, "This time when I came to Yuanshan City, I only informed you guys at Yuanshan Tower and... the City Lord of Yuanshan City, Luo Yan!"
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A chill shed through Dantai Qingrun''s clear eyes, "Could it be?"
"It''s not yet time for a final judgment," Qi Yuan said gravely, "Let''s wait and watch for the changes. As long as the Netherworld makes a move, they are bound to slip up."
The Netherworld thought they hadid out bait, and Qi Yuan was the plump fish lured by it.
But little did they know, at this moment, both Qi Yuan and Dantai Qingrun were also ying the willing bait.
...
As expected.
As anticipated, the City Lord''s Mansion had already been covered by a pre-arranged Formation.
And Qi Yuan cooperated by deploying the ''Observing Heaven'' Technique within the City Lord''s Mansion.
They nned to lure all the Netherworld''s forces in Yuanshan City into appearance, then capture them all at once.
Under the effect of Qi Yuan''s ''Xuantian Spiritual Technique,'' Dantai Qingrun had been following Qi Yuan in an extremely covert manner.
The moment the Netherworld made their move, she would do so as well.
Dantai Qingrun was confident of her approach.
Seeing the current situation unfold, Rakshasa felt a chill in his heart.
Despite not knowing how their n had been exposed, a crucial setback was now inevitable.
"What are we waiting for? Act now!" Without the luxury of time to ponder further, Rakshasa, driven by the urgency of the moment, was determined to fulfill the mission.
Under the urging of Rakshasa.
Out of the swirls of ck mist, a ferocious behemoth suddenly appeared, its back having three protruding spines that looked terrifying.
Beneath the behemoth stood a Cultivator.
It was none other than the Crying Soul master.
Following the n, he unleashed the War Beast from his Spirit Beast Bag.
Whoosh!
One of the spines on the behemoth''s back detached and flew out.
Darker than night, and shaped like a long sword, the spine flew swiftly towards Qi Yuan, and with a slight sh in the void...
Countless streaks of ck radiance sttered, and within the void, a line of gold appeared.
Then, under the power of the Sword Bone, the line broke.
Qi Yuan''splexion changed.
¡ªHis connection with the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror had been severed at that moment.
He could no longer recall the Heavenly Secret Mirror as easily as before.
Qi Yuan reacted quickly.
He immediately spurred the Spiritual Power within, ready to forcefully reim the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
But it was toote; the instant the Sword Bone had severed the golden thread, the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror had already vanished into thin air.
At the spot where the fragment had disappeared, a nebulous shadow emerged.
¡ª¡ªThe Golden Core Realm Nether Cultivator from the Underworld had been lurking in the dark for a long time.
Waiting for so long was for this moment, once the War Beast severed Qi Yuan''s connection with the subsidiary Heavenly Secret Mirror, he would make his move and snatch the mirror.
"It''s mine!" Seeing the subsidiary Heavenly Secret Mirror being taken into the Nether Cultivator''s Storage Ring, Rakshasa''s face finally showed a hint of joy.
"Do you really think you can still get away?" There was a tinge of rage in Qi Yuan''s voice.
Qi Yuan stretched out his hands forward and pressed down forcefully.
In an instant, winds rose and clouds churned, the sea of fog tumbled!
Within the void, the ck mist that originally belonged to the Three Spirits Demon Formation formed two ck palms, which under Qi Yuan''s control, pressed down towards the Golden Core Realm Nether Cultivator and the War Beast.
Though Spiritual Cultivators are not skilled in offense and defense, Qi Yuan was after all a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and his techniques were not something these Underworld Cultivators, who at most were of Golden Core level, could withstand.
This palm strike possessed immense pressure; the Golden Core Realm Nether Cultivator was directly shaken, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood and copsed on the ground, powerless to move anymore.
However, facing the giant ck palm, the ck skin of the War Beast lit up with a line of golden patterns.
The moment the golden patterns lit up, the already huge body of the War Beast grew evenrger.
At this moment, the War Beast looked fierce and colossal like a prehistoric behemoth.
Roar¡ª¡ª
With an angry roar, the War Beast pushed up with its ws.
Soil and stones flew everywhere.
Arge pit formed at the spot where the War Beast stood, under the force of its tremendous power.
The War Beast actually endured the palm strike by sheer force.
For a moment, the War Beast and the ck palm were locked in a stalemate.
Hm?
A hint of surprise shed in Qi Yuan''s eyes as he let out a light hum.
The beast before him was merely Third Grade, equivalent to a Golden Core Cultivator of the Human Race, and yet it withstood his technique.
Qi Yuan felt a blow to his pride.
Qi Yuan''s left hand executed a spell, and a crimson Fire Ring manifested in response to the spell, quickly moving towards the War Beast under his control.
This was his Magic Artifact, the Vermilion Bird Ring.
As the War Beast watched the Vermilion Bird Ring approaching, its pitch-dark eyes were filled with violent intent.
Swoosh!
All that remained on the spine of the War Beast, the two Sword Bones, flew out.
One Sword Bone shed towards the Vermilion Bird Ring, and the other towards Dantai Qingrun''s Life-bound Sword.
Because, at the same time as Qi Yuan made his move, Dantai Qingrun also showed no weakness, and his Spirit Hidden Sword''s blue light surged, moving in the stance of a Flying Sword towards Rakshasa.
Having been caught off guard once, Qi Yuan and Dantai Qingrun naturally wouldn''t fall for the same trick easily again.
The Vermilion Bird Ring faced the iing Sword Bone.
Crimson light soared into the sky.
Sparks scattered everywhere.
At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Ring was like a fiery ball.
Under Qi Yuan''s mentalmand, in an unstoppable manner, it directly and proactively met the two Sword Bones head-on.
Qi Yuan also intercepted the Sword Bone that was originally aimed at Dantai Qingrun.
With no disruptions, Dantai Qingrun''s Spirit Hidden Sword finally hit Rakshasa with the intention of a thunderous st.
As the Spirit Hidden Sword was about to strike, a burst of blood-red light erupted from Rakshasa''s eyes.
Horrifying blood-red patterns appeared on his face.
Hiss¡ª¡ª
In that instant, Rakshasa''s whole body burst into mes, shooting mes in all directions.
[Refined Demon Bloodline], a Third Grade bloodline of the Demon Race.
Rakshasa activated his Refined Demon Bloodline, transforming into a demon form¡ªthe Demon Refiner.
With the Refined Demon Bloodline enhancing him, Rakshasa''s physical body withstood Dantai Qingrun''s Flying Sword attack.
The mes swirling around Rakshasa''s body, under the pressure of the sword momentum, scattered in all directions, and sparks mixed within the ck mist, looking like a volcanic eruption.
Bang!
A huge gash appeared in Rakshasa''s chest under the attack of the Spirit Hidden Sword.
¡ª¡ªEven with the activation of his Demon Race bloodline, an attack from a Golden Core Realm Sword Cultivator was not something he could easily bear.
Rakshasa''s original n was to take the subsidiary Heavenly Secret Mirror and, with the power of the Three Spirits Demon Formation, briefly trap Qi Yuan, and then they would immediately escape.
But at this moment, there were many Yuanshan Tower Cultivators outside the Three Spirits Demon Formation, and to leave the formation was to walk straight into a trap.
That n was no longer viable.
Rakshasa cast his gaze around.
He saw that the True Person of Crying Soul had already used his Crying Soul Sword to directly sh off the fingertip of the Golden Core Nether Cultivator, who was unconscious on the ground.
The Golden Core Nether Cultivator''s right hand index finger was wearing a Storage Ring.
¡ª¡ªThe Storage Ring containing the subsidiary Heavenly Secret Mirror.
True Person of Crying Soul took the Storage Ring into his hand.
Rakshasa''s heart steadied.
Chapter 30 - 30 Sword Slash Foundation Establishment 5
Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Sword sh Foundation Establishment 5
"The Heavenly Secret Mirror is in our hands, yet we''ve been ambushed and can''t break free."
The Rakshasa sent out a divine sense message, directly transmitted to the writhing entity in his heart.
He had made additional preparations!
Ever since the death of the Blood Corpse True Person, the Rakshasa had felt restless in heart and mind.
After a long period of careful consideration, disregarding everything else, he contacted the leader of the Netherworld forces in Zhenjiang Prefecture ¡ª the [Asura].
Upon being informed of the specifics, the Asura arranged a contingency n for Rakshasa.
It was simply to be safe rather than sorry.
Now, it seemed to be a lifesaving straw.
In the instant the message was sent,
Above the City Lord''s Mansion, within the depths of the obscure void, a single eye abruptly opened.
With deep purple eyelids and an eye that was cold within.
As if a holy demon was watching over all creatures on earth.
Qi Yuan inwardly felt that something was terribly wrong.
Disregarding the War Beast that was still struggling, he manipted the spell in his right hand once again.
The ck palm dispersed, the mist reformed, transforming into a sharp spear that flew towards the Crying Soul True Person.
But it was toote.
In the instant just as the ck mist spear neared,
Ayer of purple radiance enveloped the Crying Soul True Person and Rakshasa.
Suddenly, along with the purple radiance, the Crying Soul True Person and Rakshasa vanished into thin air.
What remained were only the War Beast within the Array and several Underworld Cultivators on different assignments.
Only the Rakshasa and the Crying Soul True Person managed to escape; all others were abandoned.
Dantai Qingrunnded before Qi Yuan.
"Void Demon Child!" Dantai Qingrun said with a grave expression.
Qi Yuan nodded, "I didn''t expect the Netherworld to risk awakening the Void Demon Child to snatch the piece of my Heavenly Secret Mirror."
The Demon Race reveres bloodline above all.
And [Void] is one of the eight most esteemed Holy Demon bloodlines of the Demon Race.
The bearers of the [Void] bloodline need not cultivate nor perceive; they are inherently able to grasp the Space True Intention, and as they grow stronger, their mastery over Space True Intention continuously increases.
It is an exceedingly heaven-defying bloodline ability!
The purple radiance that covered Rakshasa and Crying Soul True Person was the unique space teleportation ability of the [Void].
In the Netherworld of Qing State, the Void Demon Child leads.
To avoid detection by the Heavenly Secret Pavillion,
The Void Demon Child has always been in a dormant state to conceal his aura.
But with the Void Demon Child acting so rashly, even if the aftermath is managed well, the traces of his intervention cannot bepletely erased.
Through these traces, perhaps the Human Race will find a way to locate the Void Demon Child.
Though a piece of the Heavenly Secret Mirror was lost, theypelled the Void Demon Child to act.
Who has the upper hand in the end is still hard to say.
...
In a secluded ce within Yuanshan City,
A ball of purple radiance suddenly appeared.
Then the purple radiance gradually dissipated, revealing the people within.
It was the Crying Soul True Person who had managed to escape thanks to the ability of the Void Demon Child.
Spurting¡ª
The Crying Soul True Person felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.
Although at thest moment, he had sessfully used the Teleportation Technique to escape,
Qi Yuan''s final strike still slightly affected him.
The attack of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even if it was just a slight brush, was not something that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him could withstand.
He was seriously injured.
But that was not important; what mattered was that in this mission, only he and the Rakshasa managed to escape.
Thinking of this, the Crying Soul True Person revealed a self-satisfied smile.
The instant they were ambushed, he understood one thing.
If the Rakshasa had no contingency n, they were certain to be utterly devastated in the Array.
If the Rakshasa did have a contingency n, it could not possibly allow everyone to escape safely.
Therefore, upon noticing the fall of the Golden Core Nether Cultivator, Crying Soul True Person decisively acted, seizing the Storage Ring that contained the piece of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
The ultimate goal of the mission was in his hands.
Then no matter what, he would be the most worthy to be saved among all the Underworld Cultivators present.
Indeed.
Even the War Beast was abandoned, but he was not.
The Crying Soul True Person checked his current location.
He was still within Yuanshan City.
The Void Demon Child, acting from an unknown vast distance, naturally had his divine power substantially weakened.
This Teleportation Technique, not only was the distance exceedingly short, it also couldn''t precisely control thending location.
Therefore, although he and Rakshasa were teleported at the same time, they ended up in different ces.
But it didn''t matter, all that mattered was getting out of the encirclement.
The Netherworld had long prepared a Teleportation Array in the city.
With this thought, the Crying Soul True Person did not dare to dy any longer, and he hurried to the location of the Teleportation Array.
...
After Lu Qingshan and the King of the Western Rats had thoroughly looted the Bitter Mansion, they left contentedly.
Just as they exited the Bitter Mansion, a ck spiritual light shot up into the sky, catching Lu Qingshan''s attention.
"That''s the location of the City Lord''s Mansion," Lu Qingshan murmured.
Lu Qingshan understood that the Netherworld must have begun their action.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Qingshan shook his head.
In this battle, with his Qi Refining Cultivation, there was no ce for him to intervene.
Perhaps it''s better not to concern myself with these matters and just wait for the oue.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
"Lu Qingshan, the person ahead... seems somewhat familiar?!" The voice of King Xishu resounded in his ear.
Lu Qingshan looked ahead and saw a man dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, appearing to hasten with urgency, seemingly preupied with some matter.
This person, Lu Qingshan had not seen before.
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"You are here for the first time from Yuanshan City, how could you possibly know anyone in Yuanshan City?" Lu Qingshan said with a lightugh.
Suddenly, both Lu Qingshan and King Xishu came to a realization.
"Could it be?"
King Xishu vigorously nodded his mouse head, "That''s him, the sleazy cultivator from the Mansion of Sufferings, Real Person Crying Soul."
Indeed, apart from this Real Person Crying Soul, King Xishu had no other acquaintances in Yuanshan City.
A thought crossed Lu Qingshan''s mind.
Why would this person be here at this time?
Without a second thought, Lu Qingshan first cast the Heavenly Eye Technique.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Real Person Crying Soul (Human Race)
upation: Sword Cultivator
Cultivation Technique: [Qi Drawing Technique]Lv10 (max!) / [Soul Leaving Sutra]Lv16 (2000/4600)
Rank: Foundation Establishment
Attribute: Strength 22, ???, ???
Health Points: ? (Severely Injured)
Spiritual Power Value: ??
Skills: ????, ???, ???...
Talent: ???
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
This is a Total Level 26 Sword Cultivator whose Cultivation has reached thete stage of Foundation Establishment.
The moment Lu Qingshan saw Real Person Crying Soul''s attribute panel, he made up his mind.
He was going to kill Real Person Crying Soul.
Firstly, for the massive amount of experience given by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Second, at this particr moment, Real Person Crying Soul''s presence here made Lu Qingshan believe that if he spared Crying Soul, there would definitely be extraordinary gains.
Third, and most importantly,
He wanted to kill!
Since witnessing the numerous female Furnace Cauldrons kept by Real Person Crying Soul in that small building within the Mansion of Sufferings, he had harbored a killing intent for Crying Soul.
Lu Qingshan gave King Xishu a word of caution.
At the same time, he pretended to be an ordinary passerby and casually approached Real Person Crying Soul.
Now within attack range,
Lu Qingshan took out his Peach Wood Sword from his storage bag.
He vigorously channeled all the Thunder Force stored in the Peach Wood Sword.
A thick purple-blue Sword Light shot towards Real Person Crying Soul.
Real Person Crying Soul hurriedly changed his clothes and disguised himself as an ordinary cultivator, preparing to stealthily head to a secret stronghold of the Netherworld in Yuanshan City.
Unexpectedly, while walking calmly on the road, he suddenly came under a mysterious attack.
A chill ran through Crying Soul''s heart, thinking he had been discovered.
Still, his muscle memory kicked in as he controlled his Life-bound Sword from his Dantian, shing towards the iing Sword Light.
Without any effort, the purple-blue Sword Light crumbled under Real Person Crying Soul''s Flying Sword in an instant.
Only then did Real Person Crying Soul notice the attacker, just a very youngd.
A Qi Refining eighth-level cultivator?
Real Person Crying Soul was baffled.
But seeing Lu Qingshan wielding the Peach Wood Sword as if he was about to recklessly strike Crying Soul''s face,
He found it quite ludicrous andughable¡ªwhere did you get the courage?
But there wasn''t time to ponder further. With a thought, after his Flying Sword shattered the Thunder Sword Light, it continued its attack towards Lu Qingshan.
Against a Qi Refining Cultivator, a mere ordinary attack with a Flying Sword would easily kill with a single strike.
Light flickered across Lu Qingshan''s body.
The [Golden Essence Ring]''s Magic Artifact [Golden Light Shield] activated!
"Now is the time!" Lu Qingshan shouted.
King Xishu understood the cue.
[Soul Loss Technique]!
Even though the [Soul Loss Technique] was only Lv1 and even though Real Person Crying Soul was caught off guard, the effect was still weak.
Under the effect of the Soul Loss Technique, Real Person Crying Soul was only briefly stunned for less than a moment.
But for Lu Qingshan, that was enough time.
He released the Peach Wood Sword from his hand, gathered Spiritual Power in his palm, and then grabbed the Crying Soul Sword that was about to strike his face!
Real Person Crying Soul recovered from the trance and found the situation to be quite absurd.
The Crying Soul Sword was his Life-bound Sword. If Lu Qingshan thought he could disarm him so easily, then what was the point of being a Sword Cultivator!
Jun Bujian, didn''t the Netherworld have to use War Beasts to sever the connection between Qi Yuan and the shard of the Heavenly Secret Mirror to snatch the mirror?
And for Sword Cultivators, the connection between themselves and their sword was much closer, countless times more so.
Real Person Crying Soul intended to control the Crying Soul Sword to directly sh Lu Qingshan.
But!
Real Person Crying Soul involuntarily froze for a moment.
The normally smooth-controlled Crying Soul Sword now felt as if it was stuck in a bog, proving incredibly difficult to maneuver!
Real Person Crying Soul was about to exert more force.
But it was toote.
The sword edge was fierce.
A bright, cold gleam flitted before Real Person Crying Soul''s eyes.
Lu Qingshan, holding the Crying Soul Sword, had already shed at Real Person Crying Soul''s face.
Falling Bright Sword Technique!
Chapter 31 - 31 Accidental Gain
Rows of data emerged before Lu Qingshan:
"You have acquired the attribute of the Crying Soul Sword!"
N?v(el)B\\jnn
"The true master of Crying Soul is manipting the Crying Soul Sword... ¡¯Innate Swordseed¡¯ is activated, judgment in progress, judgment passed, the true master of Crying Soul has failed to manipte!"
"The true master of Crying Soul is manipting the Crying Soul Sword..."
"You have activated the Sword Artifact Skill ¡¯Soul Shock¡¯."
"¡¯Soul Shock¡¯ sessfully hits the target, causing the target to fall into a brief Soul Loss State..."
"The true master of Crying Soul¡¯s ¡¯Flying Sword Technique¡¯ gets interrupted!"
"You use the Falling Bright Sword Technique against the target, Falling Bright Sword Technique hits... inflicting 10 points of damage, with an additional bonus of 5 (10*0.5) points of critical damage, causing a total of 15 points of damage to the target!"
"Target has been killed, you have in the true master of Crying Soul (Lv26), achieving an over-level kill and earning experience rewards, receiving a total of 2000 (Base Experience) x2 (Multiplier) = 4000 Experience Points!"
...
Sword shes through Foundation Establishment!
With this strike, a huge gash appeared on the face of the true master of Crying Soul, with blood gushing out profusely, looking extremely grisly.
Until the moment of his death, the eyes of the true master of Crying Soul were still filled with doubt and confusion.
¡ªWhy had he died by the hand of a Qi Refining Cultivator, and why was it that he was killed by his own Life-bound Sword?
For Sword Cultivators, their Life-bound Sword is tied to them; except for the Sword Cultivator themselves, no one else could use it, a well-known iron rule within the Nine Heavens.
However, today, Lu Qingshan had broken that iron rule.
¡¯Innate Swordseed¡¯: You can use any Sword Artifact without restriction.
Any Sword Artifact, naturally including the Life-bound Swords of Sword Cultivators.
Legendary Talent, truly living up to its legendary name.
...
From engagement to the killing of the true master of Crying Soul, it was only a matter of a few moments.
It appeared extremely dangerous and even somewhat reckless.
But everything was within Lu Qingshan¡¯s expectations.
Sword Cultivators inherently have low health pools, even those in the Foundation Establishment Realm cannot change this fact of being inherently frail.
Although due to the rank difference, the Heavenly Eye Technique was unable to urately ascertain the true master of Crying Soul¡¯s health.
But on the Attribute Panel full of question marks.
There was one very important piece of information.
¡ªBehind the health bar of the true master of Crying Soul, there was an additional status: (Severely Injured).
A Sword Cultivator with a low health pool, especially one in a severe injury state, likely had health around just ten points.
In Lu Qingshan¡¯s current state, the output of one Falling Bright Sword Technique was 11 points.
But that still wasn¡¯t enough.
This was only theoretical damage, not taking any Defensive Spells or Defensive Artifacts into consideration.
Luckily, Lu Qingshan remembered what Wu Yi had said, that the Crying Soul Sword possessed the ability of ¡¯Soul Shock¡¯.
This was also the true master of Crying Soul¡¯s signature skill.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Crying Soul Sword (Life-bound Sword¡¤Water)
Description: A sword crafted from Soul Stone.
Sword Master: True Master of Crying Soul
Level: Lv2 (131/2000)
Sword Artifact Effects: Flying Sword Speed +5%, Sharpness +1, Sword Light Differentiation +1
Sword Artifact Skill: ¡¯Soul Shock¡¯
Launches a Soul Shock Technique towards the target, with a chance to put the target into a brief Soul Loss State.
Note: This sword is restricted to the Sword Master¡¯s use only.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The moment Lu Qingshan took control of the Crying Soul Sword, he used the ¡¯Soul Shock¡¯ skill against the true master of Crying Soul.
Secret techniques at the level of the Divine Soul, whether defensive or offensive, are all considered an extremely precious category.
Lower grade cultivators, for the most part, could not possibly possess such skills.
This was also why the true master of Crying Soul, with the Soul Shock Skill of the Crying Soul Sword, was almost invincible in magicalbat with peers of the same level and had made a name for himself.
And the true master of Crying Soul, being a lower grade Sword Cultivator in Foundation Establishment, simrly had not cultivated any Divine Soul Defense Secret Art.
Naturally, he couldn¡¯t resist the Soul Shock Skill of his own Life-bound Sword.
In a state of Soul Loss, he was unable to make any response to Lu Qingshan¡¯s attacks.
In fact, most of the skills of a Sword Cultivator relied on the Sword Artifact for execution.
This was precisely the most seamless and sharp attack routine used by Crying Soul¡ªthe control using Soul Shock to ensure the uracy of the Flying Sword.
Lu Qingshan gave him a taste of his own medicine.
Worried that this strike was not harmful enough, Lu Qingshan aimed his attack at Crying Soul¡¯s head.
Before reaching the Nascent Soul Realm,
The head of a Cultivator was considered a vital part.
Attacking a vital part would result in a 1.5 times damage bonus.
With multiple assurances in ce, Crying Soul couldn¡¯t be more dead beneath this strike.
Looking at the body of Crying Soul lying in a pool of blood,
Lu Qingshan was filled with disdain.
Seizing the sword seemed easy, but the risk involved was actually quite high.
Even with the "Innate Swordseed" as powerful as it was, he was only a Qi Refining Cultivator.
It was highly likely that Lu Qingshan, being a rank below, wouldn¡¯t pass the assessment when seizing the sword from a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
If he failed the assessment, directly holding the opponent¡¯s Life-bound Sword would be giving it away for nothing.
But then, how much effort would a Sword Cultivator who delved into the lowly Technique of Harvesting Qi put into nourishing their sword?
Moreover, he had earlier asked Wu Yi and learned that Crying Soul was skilled in the Flying Sword Technique.
Flying Sword, one of the signature skills of a Sword Cultivator, naturally wasn¡¯t easy to master.
Since Crying Soul wasn¡¯t a yer, he couldn¡¯t use Experience Points to quickly level up his skills. If he wanted to be proficient in the Flying Sword Technique, it would require immense time and effort dedicated to arduous practice.
In that case, it was even less likely that Crying Soul had any time left to nourish his sword.
"Sword Cultivation" suggests that one must cultivate their Life-bound Sword.
Once a Sword Cultivator has chosen their Life-bound Sword, they must spend a great deal of time and effort on its nourishment.
The sword would be progressively stronger through such care, the connection with the Sword Master tighter, and the power wielded correspondingly mightier.
If tranted into game terminology, the Life-bound Sword would be the Sword Cultivator¡¯s growable equipment.
The importance of sword nourishment to Sword Cultivators can¡¯t be overstated.
Considering all these factors, Lu Qingshan was sure that Crying Soul¡¯s mastery over his Life-bound Sword wouldn¡¯t be very strong.
Lu Qingshan was ny percent confident that during the sword seizure, he could at least pass the first assessment.
That was why he chose to take action.
The moment he gained the attributes of the Crying Soul Sword, Lu Qingshan knew he had seeded.
A Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator of level 26, yet with a Life-bound Sword of only Lv2¡ªCrying Soul¡¯s neglect of sword nourishment was even more severe than Lu Qingshan had imagined!
One must know that in the "Nine Heavens" game, an average Sword Cultivator of level 26 would have their Life-bound Sword at least above Lv4.
...
For a Sword Cultivator to die under their own Life-bound Sword is a rather ridiculous matter.
But for a Sword Cultivator like Crying Soul, such a death doesn¡¯t seem strange at all.
Lu Qingshan no longer pondered the matter and shook his head, beginning to take stock of his spoils of war.
In addition to a substantial amount of Experience Points added to his ount, the wealth of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was also a bountiful harvest.
Lu Qingshan bent down to loot the corpse.
A momentter.
Huh?
Lu Qingshan looked at the two Storage Rings he found on Crying Soul¡¯s body and let out a light exmation.
A Storage Ring, unlike a storage pouch, already had a spacious storage space inside.
Therefore, the saying about the Beggars¡¯ Sect elders and their several pouches didn¡¯t apply to Storage Rings.
¡ª¡ªThe storage space of a single Storage Ring could already meet the storage needs of most yers.
So why would Crying Soul have two Storage Rings on him?
Two possibilities: one is that Crying Soul was exceedingly wealthy.
The other possibility is...
With this thought in mind, Lu Qingshan examined the two Storage Rings in his hands.
Afterward, a slight smile crept across Lu Qingshan¡¯s lips.
Chapter 32: The Nascent Soul Old Monster, Lu Qingshan
The West Rat King looked at Cry Soul Real Person, who was now dead beyond any possibility of resurrection.
His eyes were zed over.
Everything had happened too quickly.
Lu Qingshan had merely issued him one instruction¡ªto unleash the Soul Loss Technique in coordination with him when needed¡ªand he had charged towards Cry Soul Real Person without a second thought.
¡ª¡ªHe hadn¡¯t even had time to react, instinctively casting the Soul Loss Technique alongside Lu Qingshan.
By the time he realized what had happened, Cry Soul Real Person was already a corpse.
???
This was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet he had been in with a single sword strike.
The West Rat King began to question his entire existence as a rat.
At the same time, relief washed over him.
It was a good thing that he had cowered quickly; otherwise, he reckoned he¡¯d be a dead rat by now.
"Let¡¯s go," Lu Qingshan called out to the stunned West Rat King.
The West Rat King snapped back to reality and hastily leapt onto Lu Qingshan¡¯s shoulder, appearing obedient.
With a sh, Lu Qingshan swiftly left the area.
...
Inside the inn where Lu Qingshan had temporarily settled.
"What are we doing here now?" The West Rat King looked at Lu Qingshan, who had been quietly drinking tea since returning to the inn, and puzzled.
Seeing Lu Qingshan in this state, there must be something afoot.
"Waiting for someone," Lu Qingshan exined.
"Waiting for whom?" The West Rat King¡¯s confusion deepened.
"Don¡¯t worry, they should be arriving soon," Lu Qingshan said, pouring himself another cup of tea.
Knock¡ª¡ª
There was a knock at the door.
The West Rat King was startled, could it be that someone had reallye?
"Is Lu Qingshan there?" The voice was cool but incredibly mellifluous.
"Come in."
The door to the room was pushed open from the outside.
It hadn¡¯t been locked at all.
The visitors were a man and a woman, both Cultivators. The female cultivator was d in white, her beauty unparalleled, her demeanor icy as if she were a snow lotus from the Heavenly Mountain¡ªnone other than Dantai Qingrun.
As for the male Cultivator, he appeared middle-aged, but his hair was a mix of ck and white, as if it had been highlighted intentionally.
Dantai Qingrun, who had also noticed the door had been left unlocked, cast a meaningful nce at Lu Qingshan: "You¡¯ve been waiting for us for quite some time, haven¡¯t you?"
Lu Qingshan shook his head: "Not long, not long. You¡¯ve been quite swift."
"Not only did you not conceal anything, but you also purposefully left Cry Soul Real Person¡¯s corpse. If we still couldn¡¯t quickly deduce what transpired and trace it back to you, Yuanshan Tower would be no better than garbage." Dantai Qingrun was unimpressed with Lu Qingshan¡¯s praise.
The destructive power wrought by Cultivators during magicalbat was far too terrible, often causing coteral damage to the innocent.
Hence, the Great Xia Imperial n had strictly forbidden Cultivators from engaging in battle within the cities of the Human Race, and they were not allowed to kill at will within the city limits.
After killing Cry Soul Real Person, Lu Qingshan did not deal with the corpse but left it at the scene. Wasn¡¯t it so that Yuanshan Tower could find their way here through this clue?
N?v(el)B\\jnn
Lu Qingshan did not agree or disagree with what Dantai Qingrun said. He took out an item from his storage ring and ced it on the table and then turned to the middle-aged Cultivator and said, "Qi Yuan, you came all this way for this item, didn¡¯t you?"
Because each use of the "Observing Heaven" required a certain reduction in lifespan as a price, the Mirror Masters of Heavenly Secret Pavillion all had to contend with premature graying.
With such a striking feature,bined with the fact that he was apanying Dantai Qingrun, guessing the identity of the middle-aged Cultivator was not difficult.
Of course, it was not by these features that Lu Qingshan had discerned Qi Yuan¡¯s identity.
Qi Yuan was an important NPC in the Corps Puppet Chaos version, and as an experienced yer, how could Lu Qingshan not recognize him?
Qi Yuan looked at the object Lu Qingshan had casually ced on the table, and a barely perceptible glimmer of joy flickered in his eyes.
The item Lu Qingshan had taken out was indeed a fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
Among the two storage rings taken from Cry Soul Real Person, one of them startlingly contained a fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
"What do you want?" Qi Yuan asked in a deep voice, "Spirit Stones, a Cultivation Technique, or a Magic Artifact?"
Lu Qingshan replied calmly, "I need no reward. It¡¯s just a matter of returning something to its rightful owner."
epting the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, Qi Yuan looked at the extremely young face in front of him and fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "Consider it a favor I owe you this time. If you ever need something in the future, I¡¯ll do my best to help you once."
The implication was that he owed Lu Qingshan a favor.
Exchanging a fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, which was useless to a Sword Cultivator, for a favor from the Mirror Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, the guardian of a mansion.
It was naturally a profitable deal.
Lu Qingshan did not stand on ceremony with Qi Yuan and nodded his eptance.
The reason he didn¡¯t ept anypensation from Qi Yuan was partly because he intended to gain more by seeming to decline.
Of course, aside from this, there was another very important reason.
He was not short of Spirit Stones.
The Storage Ring containing the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror had far more treasures than he had expected.
Such a hoard in a Storage Ring could not possibly belong to a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
If he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, the Storage Ring should have originally belonged to a Golden Core Cultivator.
...
Qi Yuan stowed away the Heavenly Secret Mirror and turned to leave.
His sole purpose ining here was simply to retrieve the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
Once Qi Yuan had left, only Lu Qingshan, Dantai Qingrun, and a trembling ck rat, whose teeth wouldn¡¯t stop chattering, remained in the room.
¡ªMy heavens, who are these people?
The incredible instincts of the demon beast allowed the Rat King from the west to sense a deep and terrifying aura emanating from both Dantai Qingrun and Qi Yuan.
I dare not move, I dare not move.
Dantai Qingrun didn¡¯t speak either, silently watching the Rat King from the west.
The Rat King from the west shuddered all over.
"I just remembered that I have a date with Afang in the kitchen, so I¡¯ll head there first," said the Rat King from the west with augh before hastily making its escape, even thoughtfully closing the door behind it.
Lu Qingshan looked at Dantai Qingrun with a slight smile, "Tower Master Dantai, could it be that you have some pressing matter?"
"Who are you?" Dantai Qingrun asked coldly.
"Have I not already said? I am Lu Qingshan of the Lu Family. With the capabilities of Yuanshan Tower, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to verify my identity, right? Why does Tower Master Dantai ask such a question?" Lu Qingshan¡¯s smile faded as he replied seriously.
"Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, just two days ago, you were but a Qi Refinement Second Layer Cultivator. How would you exin this?" Dantai Qingrun shook her head then pressed further, "Moreover, setting aside your explosive increase in cultivation in just two days, Real Man Crying Soul was a Foundation Establishmentte-stage Cultivator.
How did you, a mere Qi Refinement Eighth Layer Cultivator, manage to kill him unscathed?"
Lu Qingshan waved his hand and raised his eyebrows slightly, "It was just luck, not worth mentioning."
Dantai Qingrun, seeing Lu Qingshan¡¯s indifferent demeanor, scrutinized him with a probing gaze.
The atmosphere momentarily turned somewhat eerie.
"Before the Spirit Possession, were you at the Nascent Soul Realm or even higher?" Dantai Qingrun changed the subject and suddenly asked such a question.
Lu Qingshan was taken aback before finally understanding that Dantai Qingrun regarded him as a Nascent Soul old monster who had performed Spirit Possession.
Lu Qingshan chuckled, "What Spirit Possession? I am merely Lu Qingshan."
"If you¡¯re not willing to speak, I won¡¯t force you. This cooperation was rather pleasant, though. Should you have any more information, feel free to seek out Yuanshan Tower," Dantai Qingrun left these words behind before turning to leave.
No matter what Lu Qingshan¡¯s origins were, at least for now, Lu Qingshan was on the side of Yuanshan Tower. The benefits that could be obtained from him were tangible and visible.
She had no reason to refuse cooperation with Lu Qingshan, nor any reason to offend him rashly.
...
"Yuanshan Tower organization goodwill increased by 150."
"Zhishou Tower organization goodwill increased by 15."
"Heavenly Secret Pavillion faction unlocked."
"Heavenly Secret Pavillion goodwill increased by 10."
"Yuanshan Tower: Enthusiastic (200)."
"Zhishou Tower: Friendly (20)."
"Heavenly Secret Pavillion: Friendly (10)."
Chapter 33: Reactions from All Parties
An hour ago.
In a hidden location within Yuanshan City.
Rakshasa¡¯s expression was grave.
The surrounding Underworld Cultivators were silent as cicadas in winter, fearing that they might invoke the ire of Lord Rakshasa.
With the true soul of Kuhun carrying a shard of the Heavenly Secret Mirror still not returned, they had begun to feel a sense of foreboding.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
...
"Evacuate all personnel from Yuanshan City. Abandon all arrangements made within the city," Rakshasa suddenly stood up and ordered.
The hearts of the Underworld Cultivators on the scene plummeted.
¡ªWith the true soul of Kuhun carrying a shard of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, they could not possibly leave without waiting for Kuhun¡¯s return, unless....
Rakshasa¡¯s face was as dark as still water.
Because, just moments ago, he had sensed that the Heart Demon Gu within the true soul of Kuhun had died.
After years of nning, at the cost of exposing his identity as the City Lord of Yuanshan City, which he had long cultivated in secrecy, and even deploying war beasts and risking an appearance of the Void Demon Child, they had achieved nothing.
A dismal failure!
He could already imagine how the other members of the Underworld would view them¡ªthe Underworld faction of Yuanshan City¡ªafter this fiasco.
Everything was supposed to be within the n.
Yet the oue turned out to be this.
It seemed that ever since the true soul of the Blood Corpse was captured, things began to go awry.
Could it be that the Zhengshou Tower had really extracted some intelligence from the Blood Corpse?
Rakshasa found it hard to believe.
But now was not the time to ponder these matters.
The immediate priority was damage control; he had to evacuate the remaining Underworld members from Yuanshan City.
¡ªThis operation had been too great in scale; the traces that had been left behind were too difficult to conceal. Not to evacuate would be to court death.
At Rakshasa¡¯smand, one Underworld Cultivator hurriedly sent out spirit messages, informing the rest of the Underworld members.
An Underworld Cultivator took out a circr disc made entirely of dark metal.
This was an array te, used to activate arrays.
The Underworld Cultivator ced spirit stones into the array te.
Soon, patterns lit up on the ground where they stood, extending and interweaving to form a hexagram array.
[Small Teleportation Array].
"Go!" All the Underworld Cultivators on the field, including Rakshasa, stepped into the hexagram array.
Soon, the light surged.
After the light had dissipated, all the people within the array had vanished.
...
Zhenjiang City.
Within a secluded residence.
The Teleportation Array burst into light.
The Underworld Cultivators who were just in Yuanshan City appeared within the array.
Through the Teleportation Array, Rakshasa and his group instantly traveled from Yuanshan City to Zhenjiang City, thousands of miles away.
"Dismantle the Teleportation Formation," Rakshasa instructed.
Soon, an Underworld Cultivator stepped forward to dismantle the Teleportation Array.
In this way, even if Yuanshan Tower traced the Teleportation Array located in Yuanshan City, they would have no way of knowing the destination it connected to.
...
Within Yuanshan Tower.
Jiang Rong found it extremely amusing to see Dantai Qingrun, who had maintained a frosty expression ever since returning from Lu Qingshan¡¯s ce, "Could it be that little Lu Qingshan has offended our Tower Master Dantai?"
ncing contemptuously at Jiang Rong, Dantai Qingrun replied impatiently, "Uncle Rong seems to be quite idle, to have the leisure to tease me."
Jiang Rong replied calmly, "I am indeed very idle at the moment. In this battle, the Underworld¡¯s influence in Yuanshan City has been decimated, a grand victory the likes of which Yuanshan Tower has never seen before.
If the Underworld isn¡¯t foolish, they should already be fully withdrawn from Yuanshan City by now. Given the situation, not only am I free now, but I expect I¡¯ll have nothing to do for quite a long time toe."
Feeling helpless with what Jiang Rong said, Dantai Qingrun decided toy her cards on the table, "You still refer to Lu Qingshan as a ¡¯little guy,¡¯ but from what I see, calling him an ¡¯old monster¡¯ would be too kind. Two days ago, Lu Qingshan was merely a Qi Refinement second level Cultivator. Do you know what realm he reached when I saw him today?"
Pausing for a moment, Dantai Qingrun¡¯s voice slightly heightened, "Qi Refinement eighth level. In just two days, his Cultivation soared so much. I dare to assert that this Lu Qingshan must be someone who has undergone Spirit Possession; otherwise, how could such an absurd thing happen in this world?"
Jiang Rong was also startled by these words and pondered, "We had suspected this before, and now it seems it must be confirmed."
Dantai Qingrun spoke with indignation, "Yet, when I questioned him, he prevaricated in every possible way, insisting he is Lu Qingshan from the Lu Family."
Spitting contemptuously, Dantai Qingrun added, "Who knows how old this old creature is, yet he has the audacity to be so shameless."
"Perhaps there¡¯s more to it?" Jiang Rong contemted for a while, his wordsden with deeper meaning.
"More to it?"
Jiang Rong nodded and exined, "Think about it, after Spirit Possession, one must start all over again. Even with prior experience, returning to one¡¯s previous level of Cultivation is no easy task. Unless there is no other choice, which Cultivator would willingly opt for Spirit Possession?"
Although Spirit Possession might seem to have many advantages, in reality, it¡¯s rife with limitations.
There are two iron rules that must be followed with Spirit Possession.
First, there is a limitation on Cultivation. Only Cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul Realm or higher can initiate Spirit Possession. And regardless of their level of Cultivation, a Cultivator can undergo Spirit Possession only once in their lifetime, as decreed by the Heavenly Dao.
If this iron rule weren¡¯t in ce, then wouldn¡¯t High-Rank Cultivators be able to escape the limitations of lifespan by repeatedly undergoing Spirit Possession and Cultivating anew? The world would fall into chaos.
Second, only when a Cultivator of higher Cultivation level possesses someone of a lower level is there a chance of sess, and the greater the gap in Cultivation, the safer it is.
Indeed, Spirit Possession is not guaranteed to seed, and the chances of failing are actually quite high.
In order to sessfully possess another, Cultivators generally need to prepare the corresponding support Array and Pills to increase the chances of sess.
Because if Spirit Possession fails, it means both body and soul are destroyed, the spirit dissipated without entering the Netherworld.
Therefore, many Cultivators would rather choose to die a natural death and seek a chance for reincarnation, rather than gamble on the so-called art of Spirit Possession.
Dantai Qingrun quickly understood, "What you mean to say is, Lu Qingshan was forced by an opposing Cultivator to resort to Spirit Possession and is reluctant to admit it for fear of exposing his identity and attracting his enemies."
Jiang Rong nodded, "Moreover, his enemies are very likely to be Underworld Demon Cultivators!"
"First, he knew so many details about the Underworld that even we in the Tower were unaware of.
Secondly, the contempt he holds for the Underworld Cultivators was evident to us both, and yet for such important intelligence rted to the Underworld¡¯s surveince ns, he only asked us for a Blood Corpse real person and made no further demands. Isn¡¯t that almost the same as giving it away for free?
If he didn¡¯t bear a deep and bitter hatred towards the Underworld, why would he be so generous?"
Dantai Qingrun agreed, "Well said. Although we do not know the true identity of this ¡¯Lu Qingshan,¡¯ the enemy of our enemy is our friend.
Therefore, we should try to maintain good rtions with ¡¯Lu Qingshan.¡¯ Putting everything else aside, befriending a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even if he has lost all his Cultivation, would definitely not be a loss for us!"
Jiang Rongughed heartily, "Tower Master Dantai, what you should be most concerned about now is what reward the Tower will grant you.
This time, by virtually uprooting the Underworld¡¯s arrangement in Yuanshan City, you¡¯ve achieved such a monumental victory that you might not have much longer to stay in Yuanshan City."
The Tower has never been an organization that prioritizes seniority.
Within the Tower, promotion is entirely dependent on one¡¯s abilities.
Although Dantai Qingrun had only assumed the position of Yuanshan Tower Master for three years, given such a dazzling triumph, it seemed the time until her next promotion might not be far off."
Chapter 34 - 34 Before Leaving
Lu Qingshan naturally had no idea that after an exquisite analysis, the two Tower Masters of Yuanshan Tower had alreadybeled him as a Nascent Soul Cultivator with a deep hatred for the Netherworld.
Of course, even if he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have admitted it, but he wouldn¡¯t have denied it either.
...
At this moment, Lu Qingshan was located in the busiest street of Yuanshan City.
Across the street, Lu Qingshan gazed at the building bearing the Demon Hunter¡¯s League sign.
The Demon Hunter¡¯s League, an organization both vast and loosely structured.
Its vastnessy in the fact that, simr to Great Xia Commercial Firm and Zhi Shou Tower, it was present in nearly every major city of the Human Race.
The loose structure was reflected in the fact that Scattered Cultivators Tower did not belong to any single power. Its administrators were formed through negotiations among multiple forces.
The Demon Hunter¡¯s League was initially founded by several powerful Loose Cultivators, with the aim of integrating the numerous Loose Cultivators together.
Indeed, among Human Cultivators, Loose Cultivators made up thergest proportion of individuals, and yet they were the least conspicuous.
Without the support of Sect powers, Loose Cultivators often risked their lives to obtain cultivation resources, sometimes in vain.
Hunting Demon Beasts has always been an extremely important way for Loose Cultivators to acquire cultivation resources.
However, due to theck of resources, Loose Cultivators generally have lowerbat power.
And Demon Beasts, relying on their powerful physical bodies and various innate divine abilities, can match several Loose Cultivators of the same level.
This results in many Loose Cultivators falling victim to Demon Beasts during hunts, meeting their end on the spot.
A significant part of the high death rate among Loose Cultivators can be attributed to Demon Beasts.
Yet despite this, Loose Cultivators continue to charge at Demon Beasts, one after another.
The reason is simple, without taking risks, where would resourceless Loose Cultivators find the means for cultivation?
In such a situation, Loose Cultivators forming teams to hunt Demons became a very good method.
But then the problem arises, how do previously unacquainted Loose Cultivators form teams?
And how can they ensure that the Loose Cultivators they team up with are trustworthy, and won¡¯t stab them in the back?
It¡¯s well-known that in the world of Cultivators, oftentimes humans can be more terrifying than demons and monsters.
Those few powerful Loose Cultivators deeply understood the hardship of Loose Cultivators¡¯ lives, so they came together and established the Demon Hunter¡¯s League.
Cultivators could issue team formation tasks through the Demon Hunter¡¯s League to find suitable Loose Cultivators and hunt Demon Beasts together.
For everypleted Demon Hunt task, a certain number of contribution points would be rewarded, and thepleted tasks would be recorded in one¡¯s history.
When Cultivators look for teammates, all they need to do is nce through someone¡¯s history to know if they can be trusted.
Every day, tens of thousands of Cultivators use the Demon Hunter¡¯s League to find tasks suitable for them.
The Demon Hunter¡¯s League is open to all Cultivators of the Human Race, whether Loose Cultivators or Sect disciples, and they can all issue and ept tasks through the league.
For these reasons, the Demon Hunter¡¯s League gradually grew stronger.
What led to a qualitative change for the Scattered Cultivators Alliance was that the Great Xia Imperial n felt that the Demon Hunter¡¯s League¡¯s model greatly benefited the overallbat power level of Human Cultivators, so they intervened and vigorously supported the development of the Demon Hunter¡¯s League.
With the support of the Great Xia Imperial n, the Demon Hunter¡¯s League rapidly branched out in the cities of the Human Race, quickly bing a colossal entity.
Until now, the Demon Hunter¡¯s League has expanded beyond just issuing team hunting tasks; it now epasses tasks rted to all aspects of a Cultivator¡¯s life.
Whether it¡¯s searching for Spiritual Medicines, Spirit Materials, or wanting to form a team to explore ruins, all such tasks can be issued within the Demon Hunter¡¯s League.
Of course, having developed to this extent, the Demon Hunter¡¯s League could no longer belong to just a few Cultivators.
Today, the Demon Hunter¡¯s League is controlled jointly by influential Loose Cultivators, local Cultivator families, and Sects, each checking and bncing the other.
The Great Xia Imperial n, as the highest ruler of the Demon Hunter¡¯s League, does not participate in its management.
...
Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts, Lu Qingshan had already crossed the street and entered the hall of the Demon Hunters League opposite.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
There weren¡¯t many people in the hall at the moment.
That was normal.
Cultivators had exceptionally long lifespans, so their concept of time was also stretched out over longer spans.
A month¡¯s time, to a cultivator, often felt no different from a day to ordinary people.
Therefore, most of the time, the Demon Hunters League in a small prefecture city like Yuanshan was quite deserted.
Lu Qingshan needed to first register an identity as a demon hunter.
To be a demon hunter, one didn¡¯t need to meet any requirements or undergo any sort of strength evaluation.
¡ªCultivators were the most insecure and suspicious group, so how could they be willing to casually reveal their strengths to others?
Bing a demon hunter required only the payment of ten First Grade Spirit Stones.
The wealthy Lu Qingshan naturally didn¡¯t care about this small amount of money.
After honestly paying the ten First Grade Spirit Stones and registering his basic information, Lu Qingshan took a Spirit Seal representing the identity of a demon hunter from the hands of the young female cultivator at the reception.
This was a Spirit Seal made out of Spirit Jade, which would record all of Lu Qingshan¡¯s history within the Demon Hunters League.
Lu Qingshan probed into it with his Divine Sense.
Lu Qingshan (First Grade Demon Hunter)
Points: Zero
History: None
A First Grade Demon Hunter was the lowest level in the Demon Hunters League.
The level of demon hunters was determined entirely by the number and quality of the tasks theypleted, unrted to the hunter¡¯s strength.
Afterpleting each task, hunters would receive a certain amount of points based on the difficulty of the task.
After umting a certain number of points, demon hunters could advance to the next level.
For example, to advance to a Second Grade Demon Hunter, one needed one hundred points.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were diligent could be Second Grade Demon Hunters without much difficulty.
Even Qi Refining Realm cultivators who had gathered enough points for promotion to Second Grade were numerous.
The higher the level of the demon hunter, the higher the corresponding privileges.
The higher-paying tasks often had requirements for the demon hunter¡¯s level.
"Do you have any tasks avable that I can take, with a destination in Zhenjiang City?" Lu Qingshan inquired.
The beautiful receptionist was quite polite and, following Lu Qingshan¡¯s request, started searching through theplex array of task Jade Slips for one that met his criteria.
"Found one!" The receptionist let out a light exmation, picked up a Jade Slip, and handed it to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan felt a surge of joy in his heart.
Zhenjiang City was a thousand miles away from Yuanshan City, and tasks with Zhenjiang City as the destination generally had a higher ranking, not something that he, a First Grade Demon Hunter, would normally be able to take on.
He didn¡¯t have the time to raise his demon hunter level to Second Grade.
He was only trying his luck with the inquiry, not expecting to actually find one.
Lu Qingshan took the Jade Slip.
"Task details: The Lin Family needs to transport a batch of goods to Zhenjiang City to ensure safety on the road. Ten demon hunters are now needed to assist in the escort.
Reward: Thirty First Grade Spirit Stones.
Rating: Simple (Completing will earn ten points reward)."
Chapter 35 - 35 Departure
```
The remuneration wasn¡¯t high, and the points given were not plentiful, but the task¡¯s simplicity was its winning feature.
Lu Qingshan wasn¡¯t here at the Demon Hunter Alliance to take on tasks for the sake of earning rewards.
After killing the Crying Soul Sage and seizing those two Storage Rings, Lu Qingshan¡¯s assets now roughly equaled the entire wealth of a small Cultivator family.
The reason he registered as a Demon Hunter was solely to findpanions who could take him to Zhenjiang City.
Yes, Lu Qingshan was preparing to leave Yuanshan City.
After all, Yuanshan City was just a novice vige, too small for him.
Moreover, he had already gained enough benefits in Yuanshan City.
If not now, when would he leave?
He certainly couldn¡¯t be the Shili Slope Sword God and only leave the novice vige after reaching max level.
His next destination was Zhenjiang City.
That¡¯s right, the very Prefectural City of Zhenjiang that would suffer a massacre five monthster.
However, the problem facing Lu Qingshan was that there was no Teleportation Array set up within Yuanshan City.
Not only are Teleportation Arrays incredibly expensive to build, but the Spirit Stones needed for a single use are also beyond what amon Cultivator can afford.
Thus, you won¡¯t find Teleportation Arrays in County Level cities of the Human Race.
¡ª¡ªIf a Teleportation Array were built within a Prefecture City, it would seldom be used throughout the year,cking practical value.
Between Yuanshan City and Zhenjiang City, the distance spanned over a thousand miles.
To go to Zhenjiang City, one obviously couldn¡¯t just close their eyes and walk outward blindly.
yers have the big map to check, can always know their exact coordinates, and can also infinitely resurrect, so they can fearlessly ze through directly.
Lu Qingshan nowcked these auxiliary functions and his life was singr; he needed to be extremely cautious.
If he were a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue, as he could ignore various terrains and fly straight to Zhenjiang City using Sword Control.
If someone took a straight line and still got lost, then there was nothing Lu Qingshan could do.
But he was currently only a Qi Refining Cultivator, and had to rely on his own two legs to travel.
Rushing off without caution, not to mention getting lost inplex terrains, the mere idents that could happen on the way might cost him his life.
Therefore, he needed to find a squad of Cultivators or a merchant convoy that was extremely familiar with the route between the two cities to follow to Zhenjiang City.
At least they could look out for each other and not identally stumble into a nest of Demon Beasts.
...
Lu Qingshan fiddled with the Jade Slip for the task in his hand for a while before finally deciding, "I¡¯ll take this task."
"Okay, I¡¯ll register you for it right away. This task is quite popr, and you¡¯ve just taken thest spot," the receptionist female Cultivator said as she recorded, then looked up to remind, "The task is rather urgent. You are to gather at the East City Gate tomorrow at noon, remember not to bete."
Lu Qingshan nodded to indicate he understood.
Departing tomorrow afternoon?
The timing is indeed urgent.
Before leaving Yuanshan City, he still had some things to do and some items to prepare.
After leaving the Demon Hunter Alliance, Lu Qingshan quickly disappeared into the crowd.
...
By the time Lu Qingshan returned to the inn.
The King of Western Rats was in the room, looking groggy as if he hadn¡¯t woken up yet.
Ever since eating the two Blood Spirit Beads, the King of Western Rats had been in this state.
Lu Qingshan knew that this was because the effects of the Blood Spirit Beads enhancing the Bloodline Power had been triggered again.
```
¡ª¡ªThe bloodline talent of the King of Western Mice was much higher than he had imagined.
"I¡¯m ready to leave Yuanshan City," Lu Qingshan bluntly told the King of Western Mice.
"Where are you going?" The King of Western Mice was startled and asked eagerly.
"Zhenjiang City."
"Where is that?" A trace of confusion shed in the King of Western Mice¡¯s eyes.
"It¡¯s the prefectural city of Zhenjiang Prefecture, a very distant ce, thousands of miles away from Yuanshan City," Lu Qingshan exined.
"The prefectural city of Zhenjiang Prefecture," the King of Western Mice¡¯s eyes gleamed: "I will follow you there; you can¡¯t leave me behind!"
"Are you sure you want to go with me? It could be very dangerous to apany me," Lu Qingshan wasn¡¯t trying to scare the King of Western Mice.
The things he was going to do in Zhenjiang City indeed posed a great risk.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
"Anyway, I must follow you, Lu Qingshan, you can¡¯t just abandon me! I¡¯ve fought side by side with you against a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, we share a bond of life and death!" The King of Western Mice looked at Lu Qingshan with an aggrieved expression, as if Lu Qingshan was about to abandon his wife and children like a heartless scoundrel.
Lu Qingshan looked at the King of Western Mice with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile: "That¡¯s true, thene with me when it¡¯s time to leave."
The King of Western Mice, seeing that Lu Qingshan agreed to his request to apany him, had a glint of slyness sh through the befuddled eyes he had been disying.
You really think you can fool your King, eh? Who you are, Lu Qingshan, I might not have understood before, but how can I not be clear about it now?
And you, a Qi Refining Cultivator, managed to y a genuine Foundation Establishment expert with your sword, not to mention speaking calmly with those two terrifying cultivators.
Which Qi Refining Cultivator could do as you do?
Though I don¡¯t know your background, you¡¯re undeniably a big thick thigh to cling to, and I must hold on tightly, even if it¡¯s just to rub a few leg hairs.
Besides, you¡¯ve got so many Blood Spirit Beads in your hand; I have to figure out a way to get them; the torment in my heart is real!
The King of Western Mice felt pleased with himself.
...
The King of Western Mice¡¯s little tricks were, of course, all seen by Lu Qingshan.
The reason he didn¡¯t expose them, letting the King of Western Mice y his part, was because Lu Qingshan also had his eyes on the King of Western Mice.
Having awakened the "Sneaky" ability and considering the situation, after consuming a few more Blood Spirit Beads, the bloodline of the phantom mouse inside him was likely to level up.
A stock with true potential, and very naive to boot, incredibly easy to deceive.
And now, having tricked him into following him to Zhenjiang City, this den of tigers and wolves, the King of Western Mice still thought he¡¯d struck it big.
Isn¡¯t this the very embodiment of someone being sold and still happily counting the money for you?
...
The next day.
Lu Qingshan, after several turns, arrived near the eastern city gate of Yuanshan City.
There, at least a dozenrge carts were parked, with quite a number of people gathered around.
There were family cultivators from the Lin Family as well as Demon Hunters who had taken up tasks from the guild.
"You must be Lu Qingshan," a dark-skinned middle-aged male cultivator approached.
Lu Qingshan nodded and handed over his Spirit Seal, which represented his identity as a Demon Hunter.
The middle-aged cultivator took the Spirit Seal, inspected it, then returned it to Lu Qingshan and introduced himself: "My name is Lin He, I am in charge of this caravan. If you have any problems along the way, you cane to me. Now hurry up and join the group; we¡¯re about to set off."
Lu Qingshan pocketed the Spirit Seal and blended into the crowd with the caravan.
Meanwhile, on one of the carriages of the caravan.
Lin He stepped forward and whispered through the curtain of the carriage door, "Miss, everyone has arrived."
"Then let¡¯s not dy; prepare to depart!" a voice with a hint of allure came from within.
Chapter 36 - 36 Strange Discoveries
Yuanshan City, Yuanshan Tower.
An old man d in a grey Daoist robe walked into the tower.
"Senior Fengxing Zi," Dantai Qingrun came forward to greet him with respect, "we¡¯re going to need your expertise with the Illusion Array."
Fengxing Zi was a Fourth Grade Array Master with an esteemed position in the tower, not just for her as the Tower Master of Yuanshan, but even the Tower Master of Zhenjiang Tower would have to treat Fengxing Zi with courtesy.
Fengxing Zi waved his hand casually, "No need for formalities, I just happened to be passing through your Yuanshan City. The higher-ups heard that you were having trouble with a high-rank Illusion Array here and sent me a Spirit Message, asking me to lend a hand."
"Hurry and take me to the site of the Illusion Array. I want to see for myself what kind of Illusion Array those Demon Cultivators from the Netherworld have managed to set up!" Fengxing Zi didn¡¯t bother with more pleasantries with Dantai Qingrun. His eyes were filled with fighting spirit as he urged her on.
Dantai Qingrun naturally did not take Fengxing Zi¡¯s impatience amiss.
It wasmon for Array Masters of Fengxing Zi¡¯s temperament to be consumed with joy upon encountering arrays. If they weren¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t devote themselves to the dry andplex study of formations.
Dantai Qingrun nodded in agreement, ready to lead Fengxing Zi to the location of the Blood Pool outside Yuanshan City.
Just at that moment, a jade pendant at Dantai Qingrun¡¯s waist shed with a ripple of aqua light.
A Spirit Message from Jiang Rong.
Dantai Qingrun immersed her Divine Sense in it, reading the contents of the message.
Afterward, Dantai Qingrun¡¯s expression turned a few shades colder.
"Tower Master Dantai, is there an emergency?" Fengxing Zi, despite being obsessed with formations, was not oblivious to the ways of the world. Seeing Dantai Qingrun¡¯s reaction, he said, "If there¡¯s something urgent, you can just order a subordinate to lead me to the Illusion Array. Your matters are more important."
Dantai Qingrun¡¯s expression returned to calm, "It¡¯s nothing urgent, Senior Fengxing Zi. You¡¯re willing to assist our Yuanshan Tower, I wouldn¡¯t dare to show any negligence."
¡
"Lu Qingshan left the city with the Lin Family caravan at noon today, destination: Zhenjiang City."
That was the message conveyed in Jiang Rong¡¯s Spirit Message.
Zhenjiang City, do you think you can escape the palm of my hand?
Dantai Qingrun chuckled silently to herself, a flicker of smugness in her eyes.
¡
Outside Yuanshan City.
Three hours had passed since Lu Qingshan left, and the Lin Family caravan truly left without dy, not wasting a single moment on the road.
The beasts pulling the caravan¡¯s carts were not horses but ck rhinoceroses with a faint Demon Beast bloodline.
These ck rhinoceroses were entirely ck, with incredibly thick and strong limbs that radiated sheer power.
On the forehead of each ck rhino was a single horn, which glinted with a dark luster under the sunlight.
Despite their imposing appearance, these ck rhinoceroses were actually quite docile, showing not the slightest hint of ferocity.
Thanks to their weak Demon Beast bloodline, not only were the ck rhinoceroses tremendously strong, but they also had remarkable stamina and speed.
In merely three hours, the caravan had already covered a good distance.
The road had changed from the wide avenue with a width of over ten meters when they left the city to a bumpy mountain trail.
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Lu Qingshan sat leisurely at the front of one of the cargo carts in the caravan, his eyes slightly squinted, appearing quite rxed and content.
After receiving his mission, Lu Qingshan had cautiously gathered information about his employer.
The Lin Family, a small cultivator family in Yuanshan City, controlled a vein of qingguang stone.
Qingguang stone, a First Grade ore, wasn¡¯t overly precious, but it wasmonly used in the creation of Magic Artifacts, making it a popr material.
So, with this vein of qingguang stone, the Lin Family had managed to flourish decently well.
The head of the Lin Family was a Foundation Establishment Mage at the initial stage, but his time was nearly up.
If the Lin Family couldn¡¯t produce a second Foundation Establishment Cultivator before the Family Head passed away, the decline of the family would be inevitable.
-- Without a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they couldn¡¯t hold onto the qingguang stone vein.
The Ma Family, not far from the Lin Family, had been coveting the qingguang stone vein for a long time.
As for why the Lin Family needed to transport such arge shipment all the way to Zhenjiang City a thousand miles away, one must mention the origins of the Lin Family.
The Lin Family of Yuanshan City had broken away from the main Lin Family of Zhenjiang City many years ago.
Although they separated from the main family, the two have maintained some faint connections over the years.
For instance, every three years, the Yuanshan City Lin Family would tribute arge quantity of qingguang stone to the main family in Zhenjiang City in exchange for some support.
These dozen or so carts full of goods were all qingguang stones meant for tribute to the main Lin Family in Zhenjiang City.
Due to therge amount but low individual value of the qingguang stones, they had to resort to this mundane mode of transportation for goods to Zhenjiang City instead of using Storage Artifacts.
The reason was simple, the worth of a Storage Artifact capable of holding so much qingguang stone far exceeded the value of the stones themselves.
In previous years, the Lin Family could escort these qingguang stones to Zhenjiang City using their own people.
But with the Family Head¡¯s time drawing to a close and the family urgently needing to cultivate a second Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Family Head along with several elders from the family had recently set out to y a Second Grade Demon Beast in exchange for a few Foundation Establishment Pills.
Although they ultimately seeded in killing the Second Grade Demon Beast, several elders, as well as the Family Head, were seriously injured and now had to recuperate quietly in their caves.
With the tribute matter being of such importance and with no other option avable, Lin Yao, the Family Head¡¯s daughter who rarely made public appearances, had to lead the team personally to escort the qingguang stones to Zhenjiang City.
Due to insufficient manpower, coupled with the urgency of time, they had no choice but to post a hiring mission with the Demon Hunter Alliance.
The rise and fall of such small families are verymon, trivial matters in the cultivator¡¯s world.
Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t care.
As long as they could take him to Zhenjiang City, that would be fine.
...
The caravan had been traveling for a day.
The journey had been extremely peaceful, so peaceful that Lu Qingshan began to feel somewhat idle.
Considering the situation, these thirty First Grade spirit stones were going to be an easy gain.
Perhaps because of this reason, the mood of the other demon hunters apanying the caravan also seemed to improve, and they started to chat andugh.
Lu Qingshan nced back.
There was a carriage there, inside of which was the mysterious daughter of the Family Head of the Lin Family, Lin Yao.
Throughout the day, Lin Yao hadn¡¯t shown herself, leaving all the affairs to be handled by Lin He.
Lu Qingshan would asionally see Lin He, through the curtains of the carriage door, quietly reporting something to Lin Yao.
Thump¡ª
Someone knocked on the side of the cargo truck where Lu Qingshan was located.
Lu Qingshan looked in the direction of the noise and saw it was a middle-aged demon hunter named Mu Shan.
"What is it?" Lu Qingshan frowned and asked.
With such a bold gesture, this Mu Shan obviously came with a provocative intent.
But why?
"Kid, I see you¡¯ve kept silent all the way here, looked pretty suffocated!" Mu Shan¡¯s voice was rough, and his tone was very unrestrained.
Both being Qi Refining cultivators, instead of addressing each other as fellow daoists, calling Lu Qingshan ¡¯kid¡¯ contained a certain disdain.
Lu Qingshan bowed his hands towards Mu Shan: "This ¡¯kid¡¯ myself is reserved by nature. If I have disturbed the fellow daoist in any way, I hope you can be amodating."
While the words sounded extremely polite, the actual trantion meant something like, "None of your business if I don¡¯t talk, right?"
Being countered by Lu Qingshan in such a manner, Mu Shan didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment. Upon noticing the cultivators from the Lin Family snickering, he felt he had lost face: "You little brat, you think you¡¯re worthy to be on par with me? You probably just started cultivating and reached the firstyer of Qi refinement, oblivious to how high the sky and how deep the earth is."
Lu Qingshan smiled without a word, watching Mu Shan with a calm expression.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan was impervious, and not wanting to actually start a fight, Mu Shan could only skulk away in defeat.
Watching Mu Shan¡¯s retreating figure, a hint of suspicion shed in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes.
If he were a spoiled scion from a major family it might make sense, but Mu Shan appeared to be just a demon hunter, evidently a loose cultivator.
Loose cultivators are always characterized by being cautious and painstaking.
What sort of loose cultivator would provoke a stranger over some inexplicable reason like Mu Shan?
How could a loose cultivator with Mu Shan¡¯s disposition have survived until now?
Something was off.
With this thought, Lu Qingshan subconsciously cast a Heavenly Eye Technique towards Mu Shan.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Mu Shan (Human Race)
Profession: Body Cultivation
Cultivation Technique: [Evesting Spring Art]Lv7 (345/700) ¡ª¡ª [Spiritual Power +70, Health Recovery +1]
Rank: Qi Refinement
Personal Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 1, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Stamina 4
Health Points: 48/48
Spiritual Power Value: 70/70
Skills: Segment Intent lv3 (single-target attack skill), Eight Extremes Copse lv1 (single-target attack skill with control effect), ???, ...
...
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Looking at the data information in front of him, Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze sharpened.
It seemed he had discovered something strange.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be?
Lu Qingshan cast Heavenly Eye Technique on several other demon hunters in the caravan to verify his guess.
Afterward, Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.
Indeed, these thirty First Grade spirit stones were not going to be easy to earn.
Chapter 37 - 37 Green Vine Gu
```
After Mu Shan made an embarrassed retreat from Lu Qingshan¡¯s side, he pretended to be nonchnt and casually approached another Demon Hunter.
"Big brother, that kid is slick as an eel. I did as you instructed and provoked him, hoping to force his hand, but not only did he not expose any weaknesses, he also made me lose face," Mu Shanined bitterly in a low voice to the cultivator beside him.
Anyone overhearing their conversation would be extremely surprised.
For the cultivator Mu Shan called "big brother" was also a Demon Hunter, by the name of Wu Xinyuan.
From their conversation, it was clear that the two shared a deep connection.
Yet until then, Wu Xinyuan and Mu Shan had always pretended to be strangers who had never met before.
Wu Xinyuan¡¯s brow furrowed, and a contemtive look appeared in his eyes.
Mu Shan, grinding his teeth in resentment, said, "Big brother, I know you are cautious, but he¡¯s just a greenhorn. How capable could he be?
At most seventeen or eighteen years old, he might not even possess the cultivation of the fourth or fifthyer of Qi Refinement¡ªan overestimation on our part. Why fret over him, as if he could really stir up any trouble!"
Mu Shan, feeling that he had lost face in front of Lu Qingshan, was now filled with hatred towards him. He wished he could y and debone Lu Qingshan right then and there. Seeing Wu Xinyuan still hesitant, he hurriedly urged him on.
After hearing Mu Shan¡¯s words, Wu Xinyuan thought carefully and felt that perhaps he was being overly cautious.
While cultivators have techniques to preserve their youth and thus their age cannot be judged by appearance...
That usually applies to high-level cultivators.
For Qi Refining Cultivators, their apparent age is typically their actual age.
A youth who looked as if he barely had a beard could not be very formidable. He probably just had some luck and found a Cultivation Technique to practice, barely achieving the cultivation of the first or secondyer of Qi Refinement before daring to venture out.
Years of walking on thin ice had made him somewhat jumpy.
Wu Xinyuan chided himself inwardly.
"Big brother, when do we n to make our move?"
Wu Xinyuan hesitated for a moment, then decided, "Let¡¯s do it tonight, lest we leave things to chance."
Throughout the day, he had already gathered all the necessary details.
The Lin Family¡¯s apanying cultivators totaled eleven. Besides Lin He, who possessed the cultivation of the eighthyer of Qi Refinement, the rest were minor cultivators below the fifthyer of Qi Refinement.
Then there was the Lin Family¡¯s young miss, Lin Yao, who had always stayed inside the carriage and never once showed her face.
Though Lin Yao had never appeared in public and was quite mysterious, Wu Xinyuan knew her age¡ªbarely eighteen.
At eighteen, how high could her cultivation be?
On the Demon Hunters¡¯ side, there were ten in total¡ªeight of whom were his own men.
The lowest among these eight had the cultivation of the sixthyer of Qi Refinement, and he himself, with the tenthyer, was more than enough to overpower everyone present.
Of the remaining two Demon Hunters, one had been thoroughly investigated, a mere fifthyer Qi Refining Cultivator, of no concern. The other was that young cultivator whose background was unknown.
With such a huge disparity in strength and the element of surprise on their side, the victory would surely be theirs with a swift attack.
Wu Xinyuan felt assured in his heart, confident of his sess.
...
Although to cultivators, the difference between day and night was not significant...
The ck rhino still needed to rest after pulling a cart full of ore.
Lin He carefully surveyed the terrain and chose a wind-sheltered slope without signs of Demon Beast habitation as their campsite.
Calling it a campsite was really just forming a circle with the carts.
```
Soon, under Lin He¡¯s orders, Lin Family cultivators held formation gs and began to set up a Guardian Formation around.
Once any Demon Beasts invaded, the Guardian Formation would instantly emit a warning.
After setting up the formation, the cultivators leaned against the carts to catch some sleep.
The route chosen by the caravan had been traveled by others before, and even if there were Demon Beasts, they had been cleared out, so it should have been very safe in theory.
However, if one were to embrace this thought and act recklessly in the Wilderness, such people often ended up dying horribly.
Low Grade Demon Beasts didn¡¯t have a strong sense of territory, often wandering in search of prey.
So even if a ce waspletely safe yesterday, there¡¯s no telling if one or two Demon Beasts might appear today.
So this journey might seem calm, but everyone was on edge, always on high alert for the slightest rustle of wind or grass.
Not just the ck Rhinos needed rest; in fact, the cultivators themselves were mentally drained and needed rest as well.
Wu Xinyuan, holding a pouch of Spiritual Wine, approached Lin He and greeted cheerfully, "Manager Lin, I have a jar of Spiritual Wine here, it has a revitalizing effect. Would you like to take a few sips?"
Lin He, with a smile, waved his hand to politely refuse, "No, thank you, Spiritual Wine isn¡¯t cheap. Fellow Daoist, you should keep it for your own enjoyment."
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It was only proper to be wary of cultivators who were not familiar.
Lin He dared not drink the wine carelessly.
Wu Xinyuan didn¡¯t seem to mind Lin He¡¯s polite refusal and turned to leave.
At that moment, Mu Shan came over from the side, pped Wu Xinyuan on the back, and shouted, "Look at you, Wu Xinyuan, that¡¯s not very nice, just asking Manager Lin and not us. What, do you look down on us Loose Cultivators?"
Perhaps because the action was too sudden, it startled Wu Xinyuan.
The water pouch in Wu Xinyuan¡¯s hand slipped and fell to the ground.
The Spiritual Wine spilled from the pouch, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
Wu Xinyuan, looking at the spilled Spiritual Wine, felt a pang of heartache andined to Mu Shan, "This pouch of Spiritual Wine costs five First Grade Spirit Stones, and now it¡¯s all wasted."
Mu Shan promptly offered an apology with a gesture of courtesy.
Lin He sniffed the air filled with the scent of the wine and expressed surprise, "What kind of Spiritual Wine is this? Such a rich fragrance."
A vicious gleam flickered in Wu Xinyuan¡¯s eyes, "This wine is called ¡¯Meng Po Soup.¡¯ When the old fool reaches the Netherworld below, he can drink to his heart¡¯s content!"
Lin He¡¯s expression changed dramatically upon hearing this, "You..."
Wu Xinyuanughed coldly, "Realizing it only now? Then it¡¯s toote!"
As he spoke, Lin He suddenly stiffened, and a shimmering green light shed across his face.
[Green Vine Gu]: A First Grade Gu Insect that emits a strange and unmistakable scent of wine.
Special Effect: Once it parasitizes a cultivator, it can release the poison of the Green Vine, rendering the parasitized cultivator unable to use their Spiritual Power for a period of time.
Among First Grade Gu Insects, the Green Vine Gu is considered quite powerful. The Spirit Banning effect is essentially lethal to Lower Grade cultivators who have limited means at their disposal.
But the w of this Gu is also quite obvious; Green Vine Gu naturally carries a strong scent of wine, which makes it difficult to use except in special circumstances.
With the slightest caution, a fragile poison Gu like the Green Vine Gu, which cannot approach a cultivator, would be ineffective.
But Wu Xinyuan, using the aroma of the Spiritual Wine, covered up the Green Vine Gu¡¯s own scent, catching Lin He entirely off guard.
Wu Xinyuan was a Gu Cultivator.
A Gu Cultivator is a branch of Beast Cultivators. Due to the devious nature of Gu Insects, Gu Cultivators¡¯ methods are particrly insidious and hard to guard against.
Chapter 38 - 38 Phantom Sound
```
Boom¡ª
Just as Lin He was hit, Mu Shan had already unleashed Segment Intent, his fist enveloped in a fine green glow, carrying a fierce punch wind, with a formidable momentum, and unexpectedly mmed towards a Qi Refinement Fourth Grade Cultivator from the Lin Family nearby.
The Lin Family Cultivator never expected the Demon Hunter beside him to suddenly attack, unprepared, he was blown to the side, a spray of fresh blood gushing out, having suffered severe injuries!
It was like a chain reaction.
The moment Mu Shan made his move, the other six Demon Hunters also almost simultaneously struck at the Lin Family Cultivators beside them.
It turned out that these Demon Hunters had somehow already positioned themselves at intervals, so naturally, each one stood right next to a Lin Family Cultivator.
These Demon Hunters were originally of higher Cultivation than the Lin Family Cultivators, and with the added element of surprise, it was only a moment before most of the Lin Family Cultivators had already sustained considerable injuries.
"Lin He has been captured by me. If you surrender, you can avoid death!" Wu Xinyuan shouted across the field, pping his Spirit Beast Bag.
Buzz buzz buzz¡ª
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Apanied by an annoying buzzing sound, a swarm of yellow-brown Gu Insects appeared beside Wu Xinyuan.
These Gu Insects were shaped like wasps, their bodies covered in dense fuzz, with two pairs of jet-ck wings, the forewingsrger than the hindwings, and an ¡¯eight¡¯ shaped waist, but what drew the most attention was their sharp mouthparts. Under the light¡¯s reflection, they shone with a dark golden glow.
The Dark Gold Wasp Gu!
Unlike the Green Vine Gu, the Dark Gold Wasp Gu was an offensive Gu Insect. Its sharp mouthparts were like Silver Needle Magic Artifacts, capable of easily breaking through a Cultivator¡¯s Defensive Spells.
Hearing Wu Xinyuan¡¯s threat, the Demon Hunters also stopped the spells they were casting and did not continue to attack the Lin Family Cultivators.
The Lin Family Cultivators looked at each other.
¡ªThe most powerful among them, Lin He, had been hit by the Green Vine Gu and was powerless to resist.
And each one of these Demon Hunters possessed no small amount of Cultivation; none present could withstand the Dark Gold Wasp Gu.
Perhaps surrender was indeed the best choice?
Some began to waver.
"I surrender, I don¡¯t know anything, I have no rtion to the Lin Family whatsoever," someone pleaded as the Cultivators remained silent at the scene.
It was none other than Liu Ai, the only Demon Hunter present who was not affiliated with Wu Xinyuan aside from Lu Qingshan.
"Fellow Wu, I just wanted to earn thirty First Grade Spirit Stones. Let me leave, and I¡¯ll immediately travel far away, never to step back in Yuanshan City; I absolutely will not leak anything about today," Liu Ai said with a fawning face.
He wasn¡¯t stupid, swiftly making a promise never to return to Yuanshan City,
¡ªOnly by staying away from Yuanshan City could he ensure not to divulge secrets to the Lin Family.
"Do you think that by giving up without a fight, Wu Xinyuan will let you go?" suddenly the curtain of the carriage was lifted.
A female figure emerged, graceful and enveloped in an indescribable aura.
The woman was dressed in a Tian Qing long dress, the slim hem just containing her long and slender legs. The curves of her graceful and voluptuous body were hidden by the dress, but their charm was still evident with every movement.
Moving the gaze up, there was a light veil covering the woman¡¯s face, revealing only eyes filled with a watery autumn gleam.
It was the mysterious daughter of the Lin Family Head, Lin Yao.
At this moment, the Cultivators on the field, including those from the Lin Family, all felt a spell of dizziness and fascination.
It wasn¡¯t because of Lin Yao¡¯s beauty.
```
It¡¯s too exaggerated and ridiculous to say that a mere appearance can stun and silence people. In reality, no matter how beautiful a woman is, how could there be such a ludicrous situation where people be so dazzled and mesmerized that they can¡¯t speak?
The cultivators were struck dumb not because of Lin Yao¡¯s looks, but because of her voice.
That voice clearly came from Lin Yao on top of the carriage, but it sounded ethereal, as ifing from all directions, and it carried a strange magic that made people lose themselves.
Even the Dark Assassination Gold Bee Gu, which had been buzzing nonstop, fell silent for a moment due to its trance.
But it was just a brief moment, Wu Xinyuan quickly snapped out of it and looked at Lin Yao with a guarded expression, "What kind of technique is this? A sonic attack?"
"Wu Xinyuan, or should I call you Ma Yuan?" Lin Yao said quietly as she looked at Wu Xinyuan.
"Ma Yuan is skilled in Gu Art, that¡¯s right, it must be you, you actually came back!" Hearing his miss say this, Lin He finally remembered something and eximed in shock.
Ma Yuan looked at Lin Yao¡¯s veiled face, his expression ferocious, "I didn¡¯t expect you to know so much, yes, it¡¯s me, you probably didn¡¯t expect me to dare to appear."
"Back then, you vited Great Xia¡¯s bans, concocted Evil Gu, and were cast out from the Ma Family, and since then you disappeared without a trace, everyone thought you had fled far away.
Who would have thought that over the years you didn¡¯t actually leave, but rather quietly changed your identity and stayed in Yuanshan City, and have been in touch with the Ma Family all along." The distant voice came from Lin Yao.
Afterward, Lin Yao¡¯s eyes flickered with a watery light as she looked at the surrounding cultivators, "Ma Yuan concocted the Evil Gu, which Great Xia cannot condone, to avoid his identity being exposed, how could he let us go easily?"
Ma Yuan¡¯s face went through a series of changes.
Indeed, he had never intended to let these people go.
The reason he urged them to surrender was merely to have the Lin Family cultivators give up resisting, in order to minimize losses.
The Lin Family cultivators were not fools, after being awakened by Lin Yao¡¯s words, they one by one brought out their magic artifacts, ready to fight to the death.
People are all made of flesh and blood¡ªif there was a chance for them to live by cowering, that would be one thing, but knowing that death was certain, it instead made the Lin Family cultivators determined to fight.
¡ªThey would at least have to tear off ayer of your skin.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, I¡¯ll lend you a helping hand, and we will surely capture all these Lin Family cultivators!" Liu Ai, who had been begging for mercy, struggled internally for a moment before finally making a choice.
The gap in strength between the two sides was obvious, and choosing the Lin Family¡¯s side meant certain death.
If he chose to side with Ma Yuan, however, there was still a glimmer of hope for survival.
¡ªIf he also took part in the action to strike down the Lin Family cultivators, it was almost the same as having submitted his allegiance, bing one of the crew on the ship of thieves. Perhaps then Ma Yuan would spare him.
"Good, Fellow Daoist Liu, you truly are a smart person!" Seeing this, Ma Yuanughed wildly.
"Miss Lin has quite the way with words, but unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, all these struggles are in vain!" Ma Yuan turned back and said to Lin Yao with smug pride.
No sooner had he spoken than Ma Yuan, with a thought, ordered the Dark Assassination Gold Bee Gu, nurtured with his essence blood, to charge at Lin Family cultivators and Lin He, who was temporarily unable to mobilize his spiritual power.
He would kill this old man first to avoid any moreplications.
Just then, red light burst forth, and a fiery red Fire Serpent appeared out of nowhere, flicking its tongue and, with a sh of its form, shot towards Ma Yuan¡¯s Dark Assassination Gold Bee Gu.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle¡ª
A piercing burning sound arose.
Though the Dark Assassination Gold Bee Gu was an offensive Gu Insect with some defensive capabilities, they were no match for the Fire Serpent¡¯s terrifyingly powerful attacks.
Most of Ma Yuan¡¯s carefully nurtured Dark Assassination Gold Bee Gu, umted over many years, was roasted in an instant, turned ck all over, like charred coal, and fell to the ground.
"How is this possible?!" Ma Yuan¡¯s pupils shrank, filled with a look of disbelief.
Chapter 39: The Beginning and the End
Time rewound three hours earlier.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze hardened as he looked at Mu Shan¡¯s attribute panel.
He noticed a small detail.
In the NPC name column, the demon hunter called Mu Shan was disyed as Ma Shan.
Falsifying one¡¯s name was not unusual.
When you¡¯re adrift in the jianghu, who doesn¡¯t prepare a few aliases for protection?
But the issue lies with the surname.
Mu Shan¡¯s real surname was Ma.
It was a curious coincidence that the Lin Family¡¯s longtime nemesis in Yuanshan City happened to be the Ma Family.
Just a coincidence?
Lu Qingshan was not very convinced.
Experiences from the game "Nine Heavens" taught him one thing: any incident that looks like a coincidence is usually a trapid by the game designers for the yers!
Therefore, to confirm his suspicions, Lu Qingshan used his Heavenly Eye Technique to probe each of the remaining demon hunters one by one.
Strangely enough, with the exception of a demon hunter called Liu Ai, the cultivation of all the other demon hunters was above the sixth level of Qi Refinement.
During Lin He¡¯s routine questioning earlier, the highest cultivation level anyone imed to have was the sixth level of Qi Refinement.
¡ªIncluding Lu Qingshan, who also concealed his true cultivation level from Lin He.
Among these cultivators who lied about their cultivation levels, the one who called himself Wu Xinyuan but was actually Ma Yuan, the Gu Cultivator, was the most striking.
Qi Refinement tenth level.
How could a Qi Refining Cultivator at the tenth level still be interested in a mere task offering thirty first-grade spirit stones as a reward?
With suspicions aroused, Lu Qingshan, after a brief observation, easily discovered that these demon hunters who reported false cultivation levels had some private exchanges and movements that revealed one piece of information.
They were acquainted with each other before this, and even seemed to implicitly regard Ma Yuan as their leader.
This situation was clear at a nce.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes flickered.
...
An hour ago.
When Lin He was preparing to survey the terrain to find a suitable encampment spot,
Lu Qingshan unintentionally walked up to Lin He.
Catching sight of Lu Qingshan out of the corner of his eye, Lin He politely asked, "Is there something you need, fellow Daoist?"
"Steward Lin, I have a question. Has the Lin Family recently offended someone?" Lu Qingshan asked with a smile, yet his words were incredibly startling.
Lin He felt a jolt in his heart as he perceived the deeper meaning behind Lu Qingshan¡¯s question, "Why do you ask, fellow Daoist?"
Lu Qingshan responded cheerfully, "It¡¯s nothing serious, I just feel that hiring these high-cultivation demon hunters for a reward of thirty first-grade spirit stones doesn¡¯t seem realistic."
Lin He frowned.
Qi Refining Cultivators haven¡¯t yet mastered the ability of "External Divine Sense", so unless they cultivate a special spell, it¡¯s impossible to know the level of a cultivator¡¯s cultivation.
"What do you mean?"
Lu Qingshan nodded, "I possess a detection spell that can roughly gauge the fluctuation of spiritual power on a cultivator, thereby determining their level of cultivation.
With nothing better to do, I tried the spell on the demon hunters and found their cultivation to be quite high. The spiritual power fluctuation from Wu Xinyuan was even significantly stronger than that of Steward Lin."
Lin He¡¯splexion changed.
With Lu Qingshan hinting so heavily, if he still couldn¡¯t realize the gravity of the situation, he would have lived his years in vain.
Lin He gave Lu Qingshan a slight bow of his hands, "Thank you for the warning, fellow Daoist."
Lu Qingshan nced at Ma Shan and Ma Yuan, who were sneaking around not far away, and said nonchntly, "Manager Lin, you¡¯re too kind."
Lu Qingshan turned and left.
After pondering for a moment, Lin He, appearing as if nothing had happened, walked over to the carriage and whispered something to someone inside.
To the onlookers, this seemed normal, probably reporting something to Miss Lin of the Lin family.
Suddenly, Miss Lin handed a storage bag out of the carriage.
Lin He took the storage bag, took out several formation gs from it, and ordered the Lin family cultivators to set the gs up.
It was just an ungraded Guardian Formation.
Ma Yuan, who had been closely observing Lin He¡¯s movements, somewhat rxed his vignt gaze upon seeing this.
...
...
Lin He, who was supposed to bepletely defenseless, was now holding a formation g, controlling the Fire Serpents, and relentlessly ravaging his covert Golden Bee Gu.
Bright red glows shot up from all around.
They were from a First Grade Formation, the Fire Serpent Formation, that had beenid out in advance.
Ma Yuan couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.
He had no idea when Lin He had set up the Fire Serpent Formation.
Suddenly, Ma Yuan, as if realizing something, shuddered violently and came to a realization, "The formation gs you had your cultivators set up earlier were not some Guardian Formation at all, but the formation gs for this formation!"
Lin He nodded, "You¡¯re right. The Ma Family indeed has deep schemes. If it weren¡¯t for Daoist Lu¡¯s prior warning, which made me take precautions, I¡¯m afraid I would have fallen into your trap by now."
At that thought, a chill shed through Lin He¡¯s heart.
The Ma Family had long coveted the Lin Family¡¯s Green Light Stone veins, and this was, of course, crystal clear to the Lin family.
Although the Ma Family was overall much stronger than the Lin Family, they only had one Foundation Establishment Cultivator, just like the Lin Family, so they did not dare to act rashly.
After all, fighting between Foundation Establishment Cultivators was unpredictable. If both sides were injured in the conflict, it would only benefit other families, akin to ¡¯trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it¡¯.
Moreover, there was also the deterrence of the Lin Family in Zhenjiang City.
Therefore, the Ma Family had suppressed their restless hearts for years.
But now with the impending demise of the Lin Family Head, if the connection between the Lin Family of Zhenjiang City and Yuanshan City could be severed, then the Green Light Stone vein would almost certainly fall into the hands of the Ma Family.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
The Lin Family of Zhenjiang City, with dozens of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and several Golden Core Cultivators, was definitely a behemoth for the Ma Family.
If the Lin Family of Yuanshan City truly held tight to this powerful support, the Ma Family wouldn¡¯t dare to make any reckless moves even if they had a hundred times the guts.
Unfortunately, the Lin Family of Yuanshan City couldn¡¯t even be considered a branch of the Lin Family in Zhenjiang City.
Their Family Head, Lin Qitian, was originally the son of a Foundation Establishment elder from the Lin Family in Zhenjiang City.
Lin Qitian hadmitted some mistakes and vited family rules, resulting in his expulsion from the family.
After his exile to Yuanshan City, Lin Qitian, through years of hard work, had actually flourished, establishing a not-so-small base of operations rtive to Yuanshan City.
Once he had established a small base, Lin Qitian thought of returning to his roots, so he took Green Light Stone as a knocking brick and went back to Zhenjiang City, reconnecting with the Lin Family there.
The Lin Family in Zhenjiang City, wealthy and powerful as they were, wouldn¡¯t exactly covet Green Light Stone, but they certainly wouldn¡¯t p their own face and readmit Lin Qitian just for some Green Light Stone.
However, with his elder father¡¯s persuasion, even though Lin Qitian¡¯s status was not acknowledged in the end, the Lin Family of Zhenjiang City grudgingly epted the contributions from the Lin Family of Yuanshan City.
Every three years, Lin Qitian contributed arge batch of Green Light Stone to the Lin Family in Zhenjiang City, and in return, the Lin Family would provide the Lin Family in Yuanshan City with some pills and magic artifacts that were difficult to acquire on the market as resource support.
And that was that.
Lin Qitian¡¯s elder father had passed away many years ago, and there were no longer any influential voices in the Lin Family of Zhenjiang City who could speak for them.
If their contribution was disturbed again this time, the already tenuous link between the Lin Family of Yuanshan City and the Lin Family of Zhenjiang City, based on Green Light Stone, would probably break.
At this thought, Lin He couldn¡¯t help feeling a trace of fear and a sense of relief.
Fortunately, it was Lu Qingshan who discovered the oddity with these demon hunters; otherwise, they might have really been doomed this time.
Chapter 40 - 40 Killing Ma Yuan
"Lu Dao You?" Ma Yuan was momentarily stunned, not immediately recognizing who Lu Dao You referred to as mentioned by Lin He.
"Big brother, it¡¯s that yellow-haired brat!" Ma Shan said indignantly from the side.
After that, Ma Shan looked around at the many cultivators on the scene and noticed a detail that he had previously overlooked.
"Where is Lu Qingshan?!" Ma Shan asked in astonishment and uncertainty.
Indeed, it was conspicuous that among the cultivators present, Lu Qingshan was the only one missing.
Triggered by Ma Shan¡¯s remark, Lin He also realized that at some point, Lu Qingshan had disappeared into the crowd.
However, the pressing matter at hand was still to deal with Ma Yuan and hispanions.
Lin He waved the g in his hand,manding the Fire Serpent to spew out a ze, finally capturing all of Ma Yuan¡¯s Dark Stinger Gold Bee Gu insects without sparing a single one.
Seeing the corpses of the Dark Stinger Gold Bee Gu insects all over the ground, Ma Yuan felt a pang in his heart, and a ruthless intent gradually emerged on his face.
Watching Lin He manipte the Fire Serpent to split and charge towards his own party,
Ma Yuan could no longer contain his anger.
"Old fool, you¡¯re pushing me too far!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Yuan¡¯s body suddenly radiated a thick blood light.
Pop¡ª
Pop¡ª
Pop¡ª
A session of sounds of clothes bursting echoed.
Ma Yuan¡¯s body inted like a balloon, his clothing tearing apart in an instant to reveal his muscr body.
Menacing blood-colored patterns emerged on Ma Yuan¡¯s naked body, like magma coursing over a cracked earth.
Facing Ma Yuan¡¯s sudden transformation, Lin He¡¯s face shed with shock, "Blood Frenzy Gu, you¡¯ve actually managed to cultivate it!"
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Blood Frenzy Gu]: First Grade Gu Insect.
Description: Requires human children as the main material for cultivation, taking years to slowly refine. Once sessful, its power is unstoppable.
Refining Requirements: Charm Attribute Points greater than 5
Gu Insect Effect: Upon activation of the Blood Frenzy Gu, the cultivator enters a berserk state, immune to most First Grade spell damage, Strength +n (n = Charm Attribute Points), Health Points +30.
Duration: Three minutes
Cooldown: Sixty days
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
This Gu Insect, once refined within the Qi Refining Realm, was nearly invincible.
The process of refining the Blood Frenzy Gu was extremely cruel, taking one human child as the raw material, paired with a hundred poisonous insects as auxiliary materials, sealed within a closed container for years of refinement.
During this period, not only was it necessary to ensure the survival of the child, but the Gu cultivator also had to continuously nourish it with their own essence blood.
Back then, Ma Yuan was discovered during the process of refining this Gu, and under the pressure from Great Xia, the Ma Family had no choice but to cleanse their household.
Who could have expected that Ma Yuan, pretending to escape, changed his identity andy low in Yuanshan City.
After lying low, Ma Yuan did not give up on refining the Blood Frenzy Gu but instead continued his previous work and eventually seeded in cultivating it!
¡ªThe failure rate of refining Blood Frenzy Gu is very high.
Hiss¡ª
Having activated the Blood Frenzy Gu, Ma Yuan became ferociously vigorous, facing an oing Fire Serpent head-on without dodging. He stretched out his swollen hands and forcefully grasped the Fire Serpent made of spiritual power.
Ma Yuan gave Lin He a sinisterugh as he looked at him, the light shing fiercely on the blood-colored patterns in his hands, and brutally tore the Fire Serpent in two in front of everyone.
Sparks scattered everywhere,nding on Ma Yuan¡¯s body.
Ma Yuan remained unaffected.
To know, a First Grade formation controlled by someone would normally leave a Qi Refining Cultivator utterly powerless to resist.
But at this moment, under the enhancement of the Blood Frenzy Gu, Ma Yuan was not at all afraid of the power of the Fire Serpent Formation.
The terror of the Blood Frenzy Gu was such!
"Miss, you must flee; I¡¯ll stop him! Since the Ma Family has harbored Ma Yuan in cultivating the Evil Gu, we just need to report it to Great Xia, and the Ma Family won¡¯t escape inquiry!" Seeing this turn of events, Lin He realized that there was probably no chance of surviving under the hands of Ma Yuan, now that he had seeded in cultivating the Blood Frenzy Gu.
All he could think of now was using the power of the Fire Serpent Formation to hold Ma Yuan back for a while, to allow Lin Yao a chance to escape.
Lin Yao bit her lip, unsure of what to do.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
In a trance,
Ma Yuan¡¯s figure shed as he charged toward Lin He.
Once Lin He was killed and the formation g seized, with no Fire Serpent Formation for cover, the remaining Lin Family cultivators would be no more thanmbs to the ughter!
"Miss Lin, use your Phantom Sound to control Ma Yuan for a breaths¡¯ time; I can kill him."
A strange man¡¯s voice suddenly came to Lin Yao¡¯s ear.
His tone was calm, but the content of the message left Lin Yao in disbelief.
At this moment, under such conditions, Ma Yuan could be called an invincible existence among Qi Refining Cultivators.
Who would dare to im they could kill him!
Yet the firmness in the man¡¯s voice made Lin Yao unconsciously follow hismands.
"Imperial!" Lin Yao whispered, her lips parting slightly.
Imperial Soul Sound Wave Secret Technique!
Even in his frenzied state, Ma Yuan might be immune to most of the damage from First Grade Spells, but that was limited to those that attacked the physical body.
His divine soul protection had not been strengthened at all by the Blood Frenzy Gu.
And the Imperial Soul Sound Wave that Lin Yao cast targeted his divine soul directly.
Ma Yuan felt only a shock to his divine soul and briefly lost consciousness.
Upon seeing this, Lin Yao sighed internally.
Divine Soul Attack Secret Techniques were too precious and not something a minor Lin family could possess.
The Imperial Soul Sound Wave she emitted, though aimed at the divine soul, was actually not considered a Divine Soul Attack Technique.
Because the Imperial Soul Sound Wave had no lethality, it only momentarily stunned the divine soul, causing Ma Yuan to lose concentration momentarily.
But even the non-lethal Imperial Soul Sound Wave Secret Technique was something her father had sought from the Lin Family in Zhenjiang City.
Such techniques were not avable in Yuanshan City.
In the very moment Lin Yao released the Imperial Soul Sound Wave, a shadow shed by.
It was Lu Qingshan!
The strange man giving orders to Lin Yao was none other than Lu Qingshan, who had vanished from the crowd at some unknown time.
He had disappeared without a trace, only to suddenly reappear.
As Ma Yuan was just recovering from Lin Yao¡¯s Imperial Soul Sound Wave attack, he saw a sh of cold light in front of him.
Then his divine soul shook again.
Again?!
In the moment before losing consciousness, this thought crossed Ma Yuan¡¯s mind.
Crying Soul Sword, "Soul Shock"!
The Soul Shock Technique, difficult for even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to withstand, was obviously something Ma Yuan had no chance of resisting.
Falling Bright Sword Technique!
Crying Soul Sword: Sharpness +1.
Just enough to break defense.
Lu Qingshan moved extremely fast, his swordy swift as the wind, his figure elusive as a ghost. Within the duration of the Soul Shock effect, two cold shes had already passed by.
Lu Qingshan struck with two swords.
By the time Ma Yuan regained his senses, his entire body was already in severe, burning pain.
Ma Yuan felt intimidated.
Years of battle experience allowed Ma Yuan to subconsciously sidestep as Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword descended once more, trying to evade the de¡¯s edge.
Even in a frenzied state, he could not ignore the damage from Lu Qingshan¡¯s Sword techniques.
However, what he expected to be a swift sidestep, evading the attack, did not go as nned.
It was as if he were trapped in a swamp, his movements inexplicably slowed.
Falling Bright Sword Technique: Each sword strike carries ayer of the Power of Dark Erosion, eachyer slowing the speed by 1, stackable.
Twoyers of the Power of Dark Erosion had been stacked on Ma Yuan, reducing his speed by 2.
Not adjusting in time, he was as if dyed, and was struck by another one of Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword techniques.
Explode!
With a thought, Lu Qingshan detonated the threeyers of Dark Erosion Power umted on Ma Yuan¡¯s body.
Ma Yuan fell into a "Bind" state!
Without any mercy, Lu Qingshan delivered another sword strike right at the head.
A series of data information appeared:
"You have activated the Sword Artifact Skill ¡¯Soul Shock¡¯."
"¡¯Soul Shock¡¯ has sessfully hit. The target will enter a temporary Soul Loss State..."
"You have used Falling Bright Sword Technique on the target, Falling Bright Sword Technique hit... causing 10 points of damage!" (x3)
"You detonated Dark Erosion, the target is temporarily bound!"
"You have used Falling Bright Sword Technique on the target, Falling Bright Sword Technique hit... causing 10 points of damage, and an additional 5 (10*0.5) points of vital damage, inflicting a total of 15 points of damage on the target!"
...
"The target has died, you have killed Ma Yuan (Lv10), and gained a total of 100 experience points!"
...
Chapter 41 - 41 Phantom Body Divine Vein (Part 1)
Sword Light shed and Ma Yuan¡¯s head was already severed.
In just a blink of an eye, the once invincible Ma Yuan was headless on the ground, leaving Lin Yao feeling utterly shocked.
"Is this the Falling Bright Sword Technique? Why is it so powerful!"
The Falling Bright Sword Technique was not an umon sword technique, and Lin Yao had seen many Sword Cultivators use it before.
But like Lu Qingshan, to execute this sword technique to such a degree, as if reaching the pinnacle of perfection, she had never seen before.
"Such a strong Sword Cultivator!"
On the other side, Lin He felt even more amazed than Lin Yao, muttering somewhat dazedly.
Having lived to his age, a Cultivator naturally has more experience than Lin Yao.
He could better appreciate the profound mastery of the sword technique Lu Qingshan had disyed.
Falling Bright Sword Technique Lv10 (max!)!
To others, the max level Falling Bright Sword Technique was mysterious and profound, each sh being incredibly exquisite and ultimate swordsmanship.
How could a youth of such an age have researched swordsmanship to this extent?
Lin He was greatly perturbed.
"How is this possible..." Seeing his older brother killed in an instant by the young brat he had always scorned, Ma Shan felt bewildered, his lips trembling, unable to believe it.
"I¡¯ll leave the rest up to you, Steward Lin," Lu Qingshan nced at the dispirited Ma Shan without rushing to make another move, letting Lin He handle the cleanup.
After killing Ma Yuan, among the remaining Demon Hunters at the scene, none could withstand the power of the Fire Serpent Formation set up by Lin He.
It was naturally no problem for Lin He to take down these Demon Hunters.
Though Lu Qingshan could have personally killed these Demon Hunters and gained a batch of Experience Points,
he still handed over the disposal rights of these Demon Hunters to the Lin Family.
After all, it was a dispute between two families, and keeping these people was clearly more useful for the Lin Family.
Besides, he currently had over four thousand Experience Points umted and did not care much for these points.
Upon this reminder from Lu Qingshan, Lin He came back to his senses, reactivated the Fire Serpent, and swiftly moved to attack all the remaining Demon Hunters, including the defector Liu Ai.
...
Lu Qingshan walked leisurely to Lin Yao¡¯s side.
Waves surged in Lin Yao¡¯s crystalline eyes as she slightly bowed toward Lu Qingshan, "I am greatly indebted to Young Master Lu for your assistance this time. The Lin Family will definitely not forget the help you have provided.
Please do say if you need anything, Young Master Lu. If it is within our capabilities, the Lin Family will do our utmost to meet your needs."
Lin Yao¡¯s voice was soft, her words exceedingly polite, but they subtly conveyed an undertone of inquiry.
Ma Yuan and these Demon Hunters concealed their strengths and epted the task published by the Lin Family in the Demon Hunter Alliance.
It was not for the so-called reward but with ulterior motives, trying to intercept the tribute and eyeing the Lin Family¡¯s Qing Light Stone mine.
And you, Lu Qingshan, also concealed your strength and epted the Lin Family¡¯s task, obviously not for the so-called three first-grade Spirit Stones reward.
So, what is your purpose?
Please speak your intentions. If it¡¯s within our means, we are naturally willing to offer, as a way to repay Young Master Lu for your assistance."
Lu Qingshan, understanding the hidden meaning in Lin Yao¡¯s words, smiled serenely and said, "Miss Lin might be mistaken; I was initially just taking advantage of your family¡¯s convenience to travel to Zhenjiang City. Your Lin Family has nothing that I desire."
Hearing this, Lin Yao was neither annoyed nor angry, she chuckled lightly, "Young Master Lu, for someone of your age to have such cultivation, you muste from a distinguished lineage. My humble Lin Family indeed has nothing that could catch your eye."
Lu Qingshan shook his head, his gaze sizing up Lin Yao¡¯s graceful figure, and said leisurely, "However... now there is."
Lin Yao saw Lu Qingshan¡¯s odd expression and seemed to think of something, her brows slightly furrowing as she said, "Young Master Lu, what do you mean by that?"
Seeing Lin Yao¡¯s hedgehog-like defensive stance, Lu Qingshan realized she must have misunderstood something. Finding it somewhat amusing, he exined, "You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m not interested in your beauty."
Lu Qingshan¡¯s words made Lin Yao feel somewhat embarrassed, but it also relieved her slightly.
Her face showed no signs of her thoughts as she dignifiedly responded, "I was being presumptuous. How could Young Master Lu, a young and outstanding figure, be a cultivator who indulges in frivolous pleasures?"
Lu Qingshan saw that Lin Yao¡¯s words and demeanor were very natural, and her reaction calm, he nodded inwardly.
Though still quite naive, she was a clever woman. With proper guidance, her potential could be unearthed, not letting her talent go to waste.
Lu Qingshan chuckled lightly, "However, I am indeed interested in you.
Phantom Body Divine Vein, that is a remarkable talent."
Although her face was veiled with a light scarf, obscuring any detailed expression changes, Lu Qingshan could still feel from her eyes that Lin Yao¡¯s emotions were greatly fluctuating.
"Phantom Body Divine Vein?" Lin Yao murmured. "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Qingshan nodded, "Your unique physique is the Phantom Body Divine Vein."
"What is the Phantom Body Divine Vein?" asked Lin Yao, her eyes rippling like water.
This peculiar physical condition had troubled her for a long time. Her father had even consulted many high-level cultivators and looked through numerous records, all to no avail.
Yet today, she finally heard news about her own constitution from the mouth of this young man before her.
"The Phantom Body Divine Vein is divided into fouryers; Phantom Sound, Phantom Pupil, Phantom Face, and the highest realm, Phantom Body. Currently, you are in the firstyer of the Phantom Body Divine Vein, called Phantom Sound."
After a brief pause, Lu Qingshan continued, "Phantom Sound can greatly enhance the power of your sound-based techniques. Moreover, it possesses a very important ability. You can transform your voice into any sound you have heard before, seamlessly."
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Lin Yao was momentarily startled.
She had just demonstrated the first ability of Phantom Sound, but she had never used the voice-changing ability of Phantom Sound in front of others.
Yet Lu Qingshan spoke of it outright.
Undoubtedly, Lu Qingshan was not deceiving her. He truly knew the specifics of her condition.
Lin Yao pursed her lips and then asked, "Then how should I awaken higher realms of the Phantom Body Divine Vein? What other mysteries will the Phantom Body Divine Vein reveal atter stages?"
Lu Qingshan did not directly answer Lin Yao¡¯s question, but instead asked, "At the beginning, were you unable to control your voice well?"
Lin Yao slightly nodded her head, affirming what Lu Qingshan said.
In her early years, she could not control her Phantom Sound ability, often emitting voices of other family members, which quite frightened her father, making him think she was bewitched.
That was why her father prevented her from appearing in public.
After all, if a young girl suddenly spoke with the voice of a seventy or eighty-year-old male cultivator, anyone would find the scene unsettling.
"Since you started cultivating, as your cultivation improved, were you gradually able to control your abilities?"
Lin Yao nodded again.
Her eyes then shed with understanding.
She quickly grasped the implication in Lu Qingshan¡¯s words.
"You mean, as my cultivation improves, the next realm of the Phantom Body Divine Vein will awaken automatically!" Lin Yao opened her mouth slightly, expressing her conjecture.
She had already noticed that as her cultivation improved, her mastery over the Phantom Sound also became more proficient.
She just hadn¡¯t expected there to be higher realms following Phantom Sound.
Phantom Pupil, Phantom Face, and Phantom Body!
Chapter 42 - 42 Phantom Body Divine Vein (Part 2)
[Phantom Body Divine Vein] (Legendary Talent)
Description: A growth-type legendary talent that automatically awakens new talent effects as the Cultivation level increases.
Talent effects:
Divided into fouryers.
First Layer: Phantom Sound (Qi Refining Realm): 1. Soundwave-ss Techniques skill level +5.
2. Can transform one¡¯s own voice into any sound.
Note: The transformed sound cannot be a figment of the imagination, it must be a sound that one has heard before.
Second Layer: Phantom Pupil (Foundation Establishment Realm): 1. Pupil Skill level +5.
2. Can transform one¡¯s own pupils into those of any creature.
Note: The transformed pupils cannot be a figment of the imagination, they must be pupils that one has personally seen before.
Third Layer: Phantom Face (Golden Core Realm): Can transform one¡¯s facial appearance into that of any creature.
Note: The transformed facial appearance cannot be a figment of the imagination, it must be a face that one has seen before.
Fourth Layer: Phantom Body (Nascent Soul Realm): Can transform one¡¯s body shape into that of any creature.
Note: Must obtain the true essence of the creature one wishes to transform into in order to execute the Phantom Body.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The Phantom Body Divine Vein is a special talent that is not well-known, so it is within reason that Lin Yao¡¯s father had always been unable to ascertain the specific circumstances of Lin Yao¡¯s constitution.
In a previous life, a yer had organized all the known legendary talents in "Nine Heavens" and made a detailed introductory video about them in the game.
Lu Qingshan had naturally watched it, and after doing so, he had most of the attributes of the legendary talents in "Nine Heavens" etched in his memory.
An outstanding memory was one of the reasons why Lu Qingshan managed to stand out from the many yers.
In the game, he had a nickname: "The Encyclopedia of Nine Heavens."
This was also why Lu Qingshan knew so much about the Phantom Body Divine Vein.
...
The Phantom Body Divine Vein is a growth-type legendary talent.
The value of legendary talents, Lu Qingshan was naturally aware of.
Lu Qingshan knew even more that at any other point in time, it would have been utterly impossible to casually encounter a miss from the lesser-known Lin family who possessed a legendary talent, as was the case now.
However, in the game design process of "Nine Heavens," there was a very important design philosophy.
Chaotic times breed heroes.
Great Xia was about to face an unprecedented era of chaos.
This point in time should also be an era where heroes emerge inrge numbers.
Therefore, the game designers significantly increased the chance that NPCs would have legendary talents.
Hence, from the Corpse Puppet Chaos version onward, NPCs of the Human Race with legendary talents would spring up endlessly.
...
Lu Qingshan did not hide anything about the abilities of the Phantom Body Divine Vein from Lin Yao, sharing all that he knew in detail with her.
Lin Yao had a faraway look in her eyes, as if lost in thought.
A momentter.
Lin Yao came back to her senses and murmured to Lu Qingshan, "Only at the Nascent Soul Realm can the Fourth Layer: Phantom Body be awakened..."
Unlike Lu Qingshan¡¯s [Innate Swordseed], not all the talent effects of [Phantom Body Divine Vein] are activated right from the start.
The talent effects of [Phantom Body Divine Vein] will gradually unlockyer byyer as Lin Yao¡¯s level (Cultivation) increases.
Only when the Phantom Body effect is activated, can the Phantom Body Divine Vein truly be considered a legendary talent.
To unlock the Fourth Layer: Phantom Body, one needs the Cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Nascent Soul Cultivators are few and far between even in the vast Zhenjiang Prefecture.
For Lin Yao herself to be a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
It¡¯s very difficult!
The abilities of the Phantom Body Divine Vein are functional.
While it does offer a slight boost to Lin Yao¡¯sbat power, it is not strong and is merely reflected in the so-called +5 to Soundwave-ss Techniques skill level and +5 to Pupil Skill level.
And it offers no advantage in terms of enhancing Lin Yao¡¯s Cultivation level.
The Phantom Body Divine Vein doesn¡¯t provide much help for Lin Yao to be a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Lu Qingshan said indifferently, "At your age, with just the fifthyer of Qi Refinement, you can say your cultivation talent is quite ordinary, and without external assistance, bing a Nascent Soul Cultivator is impossible!"
Lu Qingshan had long used the Heavenly Eye Technique to investigate Lin Yao¡¯s attributes, and knew of her current Cultivation Realm.
Lu Qingshan did not speak recklessly.
He had never heard of the name Lin Yao.
This meant that ording to the original historical trajectory, Lin Yao had not be a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Otherwise, with a fully awakened Phantom Body Divine Vein, Lin Yao could not possibly be unknown.
The fact is supposed to be like this, good talent only makes it easier for a cultivator to rise, but it does not guarantee that a cultivator will definitely grow.
There are many factors that determine the achievements of a cultivator, and talent is just one of them.
Seeing that Lin Yao did not refute, Lu Qingshan continued, "And I, can help you touch upon the Nascent Soul Realm, and even reach higher realms."
"In return, when I need you, you will have to serve me," Lu Qingshan stated bluntly.
He was not lusting after Lin Yao¡¯s body.
In Lu Qingshan¡¯s n, he was definitely going to need to build his ownwork of influence in the future.
In a chaotic world, wanting to change some things is impossible if you are powerless and alone.
And Lin Yao, with her Legendary Talent, was undoubtedly the biggest potential stock he hade across so far.
To not try to bring her under his wing would indeed be a waste of heavenly gifts.
Lin Yao was stunned for a moment and then fell silent for a long time.
In the end, Lin Yao¡¯s eyebrows slightly knit as she looked at Lu Qingshan¡¯s face, shook her head, and said with a lightugh, "Young Master Lu has extended his help this time, and I am deeply moved by your kindness, but for you to think that a few words could persuade me to sell myself, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not very appropriate.
"I¡¯m well aware of my own talent for cultivation, and even a Nascent Soul Real person would not dare guarantee that I could be a Nascent Soul.
"Although Young Master Lu¡¯s swordsmanship is extraordinary, he is still just a Qi Refining Cultivator..."
For a cultivator to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm, it is determined by abination of chance, talent, and mentality, among many other unknowns.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s im to help Lin Yao cultivate to the Nascent Soul seemed utterly preposterous to anyone.
You¡¯re merely a Qi Refining Cultivator yourself, how dare you make such a bold im?
Naturally, Lin Yao didn¡¯t believe it either, but regardless, Lu Qingshan was her lifesaver, so Lin Yao refused very tactfully.
Lu Qingshan was also clear in his mind.
Mere verbal promises were not enough to subjugate a cultivator with Legendary Talent ¨C such a bargain simply didn¡¯t exist in the world.
In the game ¡¯Nine Heavens,¡¯ to bring a Legendary NPC¡¯s favor to an admiring level, one would also need toplete a hundred or so continuous missions, right?
Lin Yao¡¯s disbelief was only logical.
But Lu Qingshan was not in a hurry.
There was plenty of time, and Lin Yao couldn¡¯t escape from his grasp.
So, for Lin Yao¡¯s polite refusal, Lu Qingshan was not annoyed but instead agreed, "Miss Lin speaks the truth."
Lin Yao offered a charming smile, "If Young Master Lu can indeed do as he says, then wouldn¡¯t it be fine for me to sell myself to Young Master Lu?"
Lin Yao¡¯s meaning was simple, if Lu Qingshan could prove to her his ims, she would be willing to follow him.
Who among cultivators could resist the temptation of bing a Nascent Soul Cultivator?
If Lu Qingshan really could assist her in cultivating to the Nascent Soul, what were his conditions inparison?
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...
Lin Yao was someone Lu Qingshan was determined to have.
If the abilities of the Phantom Body Divine Vein were used well, in some situations, it would surpass any other power!
And to bring out the abilities of the Phantom Body Divine Vein.
The foremost and most basic step was to make Lin Yao a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Next, Lin Yao needed enough wisdom to make good use of the Phantom Body Divine Vein¡¯s powers.
The specificity of the Phantom Body Divine Vein meant that its potential ceiling and floor were highly disparate.
It all depended on how its possessor used it.
In the world of the game ¡¯Nine Heavens,¡¯ there was always this saying.
There is no useless skill, only useless yers.
Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t quite agree with this saying, as it did have some truth but on the whole, it was too extreme.
But if the saying were reversed, Lu Qingshan found it quite agreeable.
There was no strongest skill, only the strongest yer.
So whether the Phantom Body Divine Vein was strong or not still depended on how Lin Yao used it.
Fortunately, so far Lin Yao had made a very good impression on Lu Qingshan.
...
Chapter 43 - 43 Zhenjiang City
While Lu Qingshan was conversing with Lin Yao,
under the enhancement of the Formation¡¯s power, Lin He had already captured all of the remaining eight Demon Hunters.
Seeing Lu Qingshan and his young mistress in conversation, Lin He tactfully stood by in silence.
"Cultivator Lu." Finally, after Lu Qingshan and Lin Yao finished talking, Lin He came forward to interject.
Lin He handed over a box made of sandalwood.
Lu Qingshan took it, opened it, and saw inside five Third Grade Spirit Stones.
Lin He exined, "Cultivator Lu, please don¡¯t misunderstand, these mere five Third Grade Spirit Stones naturally can¡¯t properly thank you for saving our lives. They are intended as your remuneration for escorting the Lin Family convoy to Zhenjiang City."
After the recent battle, Lin He was quite clear about Lu Qingshan¡¯s strength.
There was still a long journey ahead, and if they encountered Demon Beasts on the way, they would likely rely on Lu Qingshan.
And given Lu Qingshan¡¯s cultivation, a remuneration of thirty First Grade Spirit Stones would seem rather meager.
Lu Qingshan understood and refused Lin He¡¯s kind gesture, returning the sandalwood box, "Since I have epted the task from the Demon Hunter League, escorting the convoy to Zhenjiang City is already my duty, there¡¯s no need for additional remuneration."
Seeing that Lu Qingshan wouldn¡¯t ept the Spirit Stones, Lin He didn¡¯t dare press the matter and could only take the sandalwood box back into his storage bag.
Lu Qingshan swept his gaze over the scene.
Considering the severe shortage of personnel in the convoy, it would be impossible to manage too many captives.
Therefore, Lin He showed no mercy, and among the eight captured Demon Hunters, only Ma Shan and Liu Ai were spared. The rest were turned to ashes under the Fire Serpent Formation.
Ma Shan and Liu Ai were left as living evidence.
If the collusion between Ma Yuan, who secretly concocted Evil Gu, and the Ma Family were confirmed, the Ma Family would surely be finished.
The night quickly passed.
Although this incident had halved the number of cultivators in the Lin Family convoy and most of the remaining ones were injured,
they still had to continue their journey to Zhenjiang City.
Luckily, there was that Sword Cultivator.
Thinking of this, the Lin Family¡¯s cultivators cautiously nced at Lu Qingshan, who was sitting on arge cart carrying goods.
They immediately felt much more at ease.
Lu Qingshan leaned against the cart, pretending to doze with half-closed eyes.
Seeing this, the entire convoy consciously quieted down, fearing they might disturb Lu Qingshan.
This was a form of respect for the strong.
...
Yuanshan Tower.
Tower Master Dantai Qingrun, Vice Tower Master Jiang Rong, and the management of various departments at Yuanshan Tower were all gathered together.
Two days had passed since the battle at the City Lord¡¯s Mansion.
Given Yuanshan Tower¡¯s efficiency and influence in Yuanshan City, two days was enough for them to clear all involved forces of the Netherworld within the incident.
"Myriad Treasures Tower, Pavilion of Suffering, Earth Fiend Pavilion, ... as well as the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, these are all forces of the Netherworld in Yuanshan City," Jiang Rong reported to Dantai Qingrun, who sat at the head of the table.
Jiang Rong¡¯s gaze was stern, "We have dispatched cultivators to take down these forces.
The heads of these affairs are now imprisoned in the Prison Warden Office, being thoroughly interrogated by its cultivators.
In one or two more days, we should have results. None who are colluding with the Netherworld will escape."
"To think the Netherworld has infiltrated so deeply, involving nearly one-third of Yuanshan City¡¯s cultivator forces!" Dantai Qingrun scoffed.
The cultivators of Yuanshan Tower in the room fell silent, not daring to speak.
Within the region of Zhenjiang Prefecture, among the one hundred and eight Prefecture Cities, Yuanshan City must be the one into which the Netherworld invested the most resources.
Otherwise, the Netherworld wouldn¡¯t have chosen Yuanshan City as the location for their operation, leading Qi Yuan to the city.
"How¡¯s the situation with the Blood Pool?" Dantai Qingrun raised an eyebrow and inquired.
Soon, a middle-aged male cultivator responsible for the matter stood up to respond, "Tower Master, rest assured, once Fengxing Zi broke the Illusion Array, wepletely destroyed the Blood Pool."
Dantai Qingrun nodded and turned to Jiang Rong, "Jiang Rong, expedite the interrogation of these implicated cultivators, and don¡¯t spare a single guilty person."
"Yes, Tower Master!"
"Good, we¡¯ll stop here for today."
"Yes," replied the Yuanshan Tower cultivators.
Soon, the Yuanshan Tower cultivators on the field dispersed one after another.
Only Dantai Qingrun remained.
Dantai Qingrun took out a nk jade slip and, after inserting her divine sense to ponder for a while, finally recorded the beginning and end of the battle at Yuanshan City¡¯s City Lord¡¯s Mansion within the jade slip.
However, Lu Qingshan¡¯s name did not appear anywhere in the record.
After finishing the recording, Dantai Qingrun seemed to remember something else. She hesitated for a moment, then added a small section to the jade slip: "The City Lord of Yuanshan City is a person from the Netherworld. The Netherworld¡¯s infiltration into our Human Race is evident enough.
I suggest a screening of high-level personnel in all cities of the Human Race to prevent such absurd incidents from happening again."
Having added this section, Dantai Qingrun nodded in satisfaction, summoned a cultivator in ck robe waiting outside the door, and handed over the jade slip to him.
"Send it to Zhenjiang Tower as soon as possible," Dantai Qingrun instructed.
Just as Zhenjiang City governed one hundred and eight Prefecture Cities, Zhenjiang Tower was their superior, overseeing these Prefecture Towers.
Such an important matter as the battle of Yuanshan City must be reported to Zhenjiang Tower in detail.
"Wait..." Just as the ck-robed cultivator turned to leave with the jade slip, Dantai Qingrun had a thought and called him back.
"Jiang Rong is exceptionally capable and loyal to the Human Race. He¡¯s suited for heavy responsibilities!" Taking back the jade slip from the ck-robed cultivator¡¯s hands, Dantai Qingrun added this sentence to the slip.
With such great contributions this time, Dantai Qingrun naturally understood that she would definitely be promoted afterwards.
If she received a promotion, then the position of Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower would be vacant.
Although she had worked with Jiang Rong for only three years, Dantai Qingrun was well aware of Jiang Rong¡¯s abilities and character. She also believed that Jiang Rong could maintain the current favorable situation in Yuanshan City.
Thus, she wanted to give Jiang Rong a push as much as possible.
With her rmendation, the likelihood of Jiang Rong ascending to the position of Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower was not one hundred percent, but it seemed very likely, almost a certainty.
As for herself.
Dantai Qingrun smiled slightly.
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She was already the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower, so what could be her next promotion be other than a transfer to Zhenjiang Tower, or some other assignment?
...
Above the wilderness, the Lin Family caravan.
In the following days, everything was extremely calm.
For the Lin Family cultivators, no news was good news.
Because sudden incidents in the wilderness were too unpredictable, not only troublesome but potentially life-threatening.
Therefore, once the Lin Family caravan reached near Zhenjiang City, everyone couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
This was where Lu Qingshan would part ways with the Lin Family caravan.
The Lin Family caravan was heading to Fire Cloud Peak, a hundred miles away from Zhenjiang City.
Fire Cloud Peak was where the Lin Family of Zhenjiang City resided.
However, Lu Qingshan¡¯s destination was Zhenjiang City.
"This is the proof. Young Master Lu can use this to settle the mission at the Demon Hunter¡¯s Guild," Lin Yao handed a jade slip to Lu Qingshan.
After that, Lin Yao hesitated for a moment and pursed her lips before saying, "Although my Lin Family is small, we have been taught to be grateful. Young Master Lu¡¯s life-saving grace is beyond repaying. If there is anything you need in the future, please feel free to instruct us."
Lu Qingshan chuckled in response, "Naturally."
"Miss Lin, if you ever find yourself in trouble, you can alsoe to Zhenjiang City to find me. I will be in Zhenjiang City for a while," Lu Qingshan said to Lin Yao as they were parting.
Watching the figure of Lu Qingshan departing,
Lin Yao¡¯s brows were tightly knitted.
What Lu Qingshan said seemed like the typicalmonce courtesy.
But for some reason, remembering the look in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes when he spoke those words, she had a feeling there was a deeper meaning behind them.
It was as though Lu Qingshan was certain she would encounter trouble.
Chapter 44 - 44 Hidden Task
Zhenjiang City.
As the prefectural city of Zhenjiang Prefecture, its majesty was naturally iparable to that of Yuanshan City.
Even at a distance that was not too far away, Lu Qingshan could already catch a glimpse of Zhenjiang City.
The city walls were majestic, like towering mountain ridges blocking the way ahead.
Constructed from Xuan Gang rock, the walls were pitch-ck, emitting a metallic and austere sheen.
A familiar feeling welled up in Lu Qingshan¡¯s heart.
Zhenjiang City, memories from a long time ago.
Unfortunately, even such a grand city was still unable to stop the Netherworld.
Lu Qingshan strode quickly into the city.
After entering the city, the first thing he did was to settle the task at the Demon Subjugation Alliance within Zhenjiang City.
If he didn¡¯t settle the task, his task record would always disy this unfinished mission.
...
A huge mansion in the west of Zhenjiang City.
It had countless pavilions and terraces, and groups of ves and maidservants.
As a prefectural city where every inch ofnd was worth its weight in gold, the owner of such a grand mansion within Zhenjiang City was clearly not of ordinary status.
Indeed that was the case.
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The master of this mansion was none other than Cai Heng, a steward of Zhenjiang City, and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"Family Head," a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance hurried to the study and stood at the door, calling respectfully.
"Hmm, what is it?" a male voice came from inside the study.
"Reporting to the Family Head, there¡¯s a young cultivator outside asking for an audience," the middle-aged man tentatively probed.
The Family Head seemed to have been troubled by something recently and had be rather unpredictable.
Therefore, these servants had been extremely cautious in their actionstely, fearing they might provoke his displeasure.
"Hmm? Who is the visitor?" Curiosity tinged the voice of the person inside the room.
A young cultivator?
"The cultivator didn¡¯t reveal his name..."
"However, he said he could resolve the current troubles of the Family Head. I dared not make a decision, so I hurried here to ask for instructions..."
The person inside the room did not respond immediately, remaining silent for a long while.
Finally, the person inside made a decision.
"Invite him in. Bring him to the study to see me."
"Yes, your subordinate understands."
...
The middle-aged man went to the front gate.
Outside, a young cultivator was waiting.
It was Lu Qingshan.
"Young Master, please follow me."
Under the lead of the middle-aged man, Lu Qingshan stepped into the Cai residence.
The middle-aged man led Lu Qingshan to the outside of the study and respectfully reported, "Family Head, the person has been brought here."
"Come in."
Lu Qingshan pushed open the door and entered.
Inside the study, there was a tongwood desk with a pile of jade slips on it, which suggested that the master of the room was dealing with official duties.
Sitting there was an elderly cultivator with white hair, his gray-white long hair neatly groomed, not a strand out of ce. He sat upright, like a pine tree.
The elderly cultivator sized up Lu Qingshan for a moment, before finally saying, "You im you can resolve my current troubles?"
Lu Qingshan looked at Steward Cai, who was nearing the end of his lifespan, nodded, and said slowly, "Yes, Steward Cai, I believe you are looking for your only child who has been lost outside."
In a few months, Zhenjiang City would turn into a living hell.
It was imaginable how many demon cultivators from the Netherworld were hidden within the city at this very moment.
Why then was Lu Qingshan taking the risk toe to such a dangerous ce?
Knowing the mountain has tigers, yet still walking towards Tiger Mountain?
Lu Qingshan¡¯s head wasn¡¯t made of iron.
He had two reasons he had toe to Zhenjiang City.
Firstly, he had already umted enough experience points and could break through to Foundation Establishment at any moment.
However, bing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator also required a Foundation Establishment Technique.
During the Qi Refining Realm, in a dire situation, he had no choice but to choose themon "Guiding Qi Technique" as his Qi Refinement Cultivation Technique.
Fortunately, the impact of the Qi Refinement Technique wasn¡¯t very significant.
But for the Foundation Establishment Technique, he couldn¡¯t be so casual.
For the current him, only in Zhenjiang City could he find a high-level Foundation Establishment Technique that suited his wishes.
Another very important point was,
Lu Qingshan needed to build a specializedbat system.
He needed to learn some new skills to enrich his methods.
"Nine Heavens" didn¡¯t limit the number of skills yers could learn.
But yers¡¯ experience points were limited, experience points were needed not only to increase levels but also to upgrade skills, and Sword Cultivators even needed them to nurture their Life-bound Swords.
Master of none is better than being jack of all trades.
So, normally, yers need to control the number of skills they learn and strive to improve their Skill Levels.
The skills avable in those small Prefecture Cities like Yuanshan City simply couldn¡¯t meet his requirements.
Only in a major Human Race city like Zhenjiang could he learn some powerful skills.
And the steward Cai Heng in front of him was rted to a hidden quest, the reward for which was a Secret Sword Technique!
In his previous life, he had only heard about this quest and hadn¡¯t received this opportunity.
Now, without anypetitors, the quest reward naturally seemed tailor-made for Lu Qingshan.
The background of the quest wasn¡¯tplicated:
Steward Cai¡¯s lifespan was nearly depleted, but on the surface, he didn¡¯t have a Dao Companion, nor did he have any children.
But Lu Qingshan knew that in reality, this Steward Cai did have a romantic entanglement when he was young.
At that time, Steward Cai became Dao Companions with a girl from a small family, which should have been a joyous asion.
Latter, an Evil Cultivator vited the Great Xia¡¯s edicts, senselessly ughtering innocent people to craft demonic Magic Artifacts.
Steward Cai, as a member of Great Xia¡¯s Pacification Commissioners, led Cultivators to encircle and exterminate the Evil Cultivator.
Unfortunately, due to carelessness, they allowed the Evil Cultivator to escape.
After fleeing, the resentful Evil Cultivator found an opportunity to ughter Steward Cai¡¯s Dao Companion¡¯s entire family to extinction.
His pregnant Dao Companion, who hade to the city to find Steward Cai, narrowly escaped the family tragedy.
His Dao Companion, grieving for the loss of her family due to Steward Cai¡¯s actions, couldn¡¯t ept what had happened or face Steward Cai and eventually disappeared after choosing to live incognito.
Latter, although Steward Cai personally killed that Evil Cultivator, the reality of his wife scattered and child lost could not be changed.
Now, Steward Cai was over 170 years old.
Qi Refining Cultivators have a lifespan of one hundred years, Foundation Establishment Cultivators two hundred.
In recent times, Steward Cai felt his days were numbered.
As death approached, his greatest wish was to see his estranged Dao Companion and child once again.
In his previous life, this quest involved a Sword Cultivator yer who went through dozens ofplex quests before finally finding Steward Cai¡¯s child.
Of course, such a high-difficulty quest had extraordinary rewards.
The Secret Sword Technique awarded by the quest was nothing short of a Divine Technique.
With this Secret Sword Technique, that Sword Cultivator yer also enjoyed a brief period of glory.
However, unlike that Sword Cultivating yer, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t need to go through those extremely cumbersome and time-consuming serial quests.
¡ª He knew from the beginning who Steward Cai¡¯s child was and where they were currently located.
Steward Cai¡¯s hidden quest was apetitive one although it didn¡¯t restrict the number of participants, only one person could acquire the quest reward.
Once someonepleted the quest, it would permanently disappear.
So, after that Sword Cultivating yer in his previous lifepleted the quest, he generously shared his quest process on the forums.
The specific details of the quest process, after so long, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t remember very clearly.
But the answer to the quest, Lu Qingshan remembered distinctly.
Chapter 45: The Search for a Wife
The map of "Nine Heavens" is enormously vast, reflecting the setting where the human territory is boundless, with endless sprawling mountain ranges, yet many are inhabited by fierce demon beasts.
Apart from the many cities established by Great Xia that gather numerous humans, there are also many cultivation families and sect powers that have set up their gates and human gathering ces in the wilderness, wherever spirit veins are found.
Zi Yang Mountain Range, a mountain range that is not veryrge. Continue reading at §Þ??
It is located more than a hundred miles north of Zhenjiang City.
Within the Zi Yang Mountain Range are many small-scale spirit veins, which make the concentration of spiritual energy nearby denser than usual, and thus it provides a slight benefit to cultivators¡¯ cultivation.
Nourished by these small-scale spirit veins, there are also many unharvested spiritual medicines within the Zi Yang Mountain Range.
These small-scale spirit veins are disregarded byrge sects with significant resources, but for loose cultivators and some small cultivation families, the Zi Yang Mountain Range is like a geomantic treasurend.
Therefore, many lower grade Qi Refining Cultivators have gradually gathered around the Zi Yang Mountain Range.
And Ziyang Town is a small town established with the support of the Zi Yang Mountain Range.
Since it is built in the midst of ancient mountains and the mountain roads that connect it to the outside world are full of wild beasts and birds of prey...
Ziyang Town does not have arge poption, just three or four thousand people, and most of them are cultivators; there are very few ordinary people.
Today, the peace of Ziyang Town was disturbed.
A cry rang through the sky, a terrifyingly prating sound that made the ears of the people of Ziyang Town ache.
The cultivators of Ziyang Town all looked up.
High in the sky, where the wind howled, a giant bird appeared in everyone¡¯s line of sight.
Five or six meters long, with wings that stretched eleven or twelve meters when unfolded, its body covered in ck feathers that shone with a metallic luster, and its hooked beak, ck and sharp, was intimidating to behold.
"Ah... No!"
Someone eximed in terror.
Because after circling in the sky, the giant bird dove straight towards Ziyang Town.
Its momentum was frightening!
Although Ziyang Town had many cultivators, they were all lower grade cultivators. Among the thousands, there was not even one Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
And the aura emitted by this demon beast was definitely that of a Second Grade demon beast.
A Second Grade demon beast - that was the equivalent of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator among the human race.
With the demon beast¡¯s strong body, if this giant bird targeted Ziyang Town, no cultivator would have the power to resist.
What¡¯s more terrifying was that this demon beast was a giant avian.
If it saw the situation turning unfavorable, it could just spread its massive wings and leave.
Flight through the air - that was an ability only Foundation Establishment Cultivators could master.
That is to say, even if the entire town¡¯s cultivators joined forces, they might have no way to deal with this demon beast.
"How could such a terrifying demon beast appear in the Zi Yang Mountain Range?" the people of Ziyang Town all felt a chill in their hearts.
Boom¡ª
A loud booming sound, like a meteorite crashing, the giant bird violentlynded in the middle of Ziyang Town, stirring up a whirlwind and raising a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled and the specific scene became visible...
The people of Ziyang Town couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.
For atop the giant bird¡¯s immense body sat an aged cultivator with a head full of white hair and a young man.
This giant bird was not a ferocious demon beast but a tamed demonic pet!
The people of Ziyang Town were bewildered.
Although the resources within the Ziyang Mountain Range were still considered abundant, they were only low-grade spiritual medicines, which were treasured only by destitute loose cultivators like them. Any cultivator with a bit of background would not deign to pay attention to such trifles.
And yet, the person before them had tamed a Second Grade demon beast, which meant he must be at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Why would hee to a small ce like Ziyang Town?
"Is this the ce?" the elderly cultivator asked.
It was none other than Cai Heng, the steward, and the youth apanying him was naturally Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan took a look around the surroundings and nodded.
Ziyang Town was where the steward¡¯s Dao Companion had chosen to seclude herself.
Only such a remote ce could have eluded the steward¡¯s search for so many years without result.
An urgent look in the steward¡¯s eyes, Cai Heng nced at the cultivators of Ziyang Town, who were as silent as cicadas in winter, and asked in a deep voice, "Is there someone named Cai Xingchao in your town?"
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¡ª Ziyang Town, Cai Xingchao. That was the final result of the mission posted by that Sword Cultivator yer on the forum in his previous life.
The cultivators of Ziyang Town looked at each other, and no one dared to respond.
The steward¡¯s brow furrowed, seeing the fear on the faces of Ziyang Town¡¯s cultivators, he understood something. Cai Heng thought for a moment, then took out a Third Grade spirit stone from his storage ring and said loudly.
"Whoever provides me with information first will get this Third Grade spirit stone."
To these loose cultivators, a Third Grade spirit stone was equivalent to their entire worth.
And now, they only needed to provide a piece of information to get a Third Grade spirit stone.
Wealth moves the heart.
So even though they feared attracting trouble, a bold loose cultivator in yellow clothing quickly stepped forward and said, "Senior, I know there is a small cultivator named Cai Xingchao in the town, but I¡¯m not sure if he is the person you are looking for?"
The steward¡¯s gaze turned sharp: "Lead the way!"
...
Under the guidance of the loose cultivator in yellow clothing, a dpidated small courtyard came into view.
"This is Cai Xingchao¡¯s home," the yellow-clothed loose cultivator said cautiously.
Cai Heng looked at the small courtyard shrouded in gloom and felt a sense of heaviness in his heart.
"Tell me more about the master of this ce," Cai Heng said in a low voice.
The yellow-clothed loose cultivator nced at Cai Heng, unable to grasp the exact rtionship between the steward and the owner of the ce. He had to carefullypose his words: "The master of this ce is quite a tragic figure. The residence was originally inhabited by a couple and their son, a family of three, all cultivators..."
Upon hearing "a family of three," Cai Heng¡¯s eyes twitched slightly.
"But three years ago, the couple ventured deep into the Ziyang Mountains to gather spiritual medicines, where they encountered the demon beast, Vermilion Bead Snake. Although they managed to y the Vermilion Bead Snake in the end, both husband and wife were seriously injured.
Upon returning, the husband died from his grave injuries after just two days, while his wife was poisoned by the snake and has been bedridden for three years, relying on their Qi Refinement thirdyer son, Cai Xingchao, who repeatedly risks his life to venture deep into the Ziyang Mountains to collect spiritual medicines in exchange for the medicine to sustain his mother¡¯s life..."
The voice of the yellow-clothed loose cultivator grew quieter.
That was because he noticed that as he narrated, the expression of the powerful cultivator in front of him gradually turned pale, his lips quivering uncontrobly.
Seeing that Cai Heng¡¯splexion was off, the yellow-clothed loose cultivator was worried that he might have misspoken and panicked, not daring to say more.
"Yun¡¯er, why did you need to endure so much!" Cai Heng nearly burst into tears, and finally unable to hold back, he pushed open the gates of the courtyard and went inside.
The yellow-clothed loose cultivator stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.
Seeing this, Lu Qingshan took out a Third Grade spirit stone from his storage ring and handed it to the yellow-clothed loose cultivator.
"This is your reward. There¡¯s nothing here for you now; you may leave."
The eyes of the yellow-clothed loose cultivator lit up, and he excitedly took the Third Grade spirit stone, repeatedly expressing his thanks: "Thank you, noble sir! Thank you, noble sir!"
Chapter 46: 46ç« This is your grandson
Steward Cai, filled with grief and anger, pushed open the door and entered, casting his eyes about.
On the ancient bedy a woman, her face as pale as golden paper, her breath thin as a thread, with the light in her eyes dim and faint.
Standing beside her, taking care of the woman, was an extremely young man, who appeared to be no more than twenty.
At that moment, seeing their own door suddenly pushed open and a strange old man walk in, both were equally surprised and wary as they looked at Steward Cai.
"Who are you? Why have you barged into my home!" The youth demanded.
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Steward Cai¡¯s face stiffened.
Because the woman lying on the bed, pale and etched with worry, was not his Dao Companion Si Jun.
Steward Cai turned his head to look at Lu Qingshan, who had just sent off the yellow-d Loose Cultivator and had followed him in.
His eyes were filled with questions.
Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t fully understand the detailed situation either.
But after ncing at the appearances of the woman and the young man on the bed, Lu Qingshan roughly guessed the specifics.
Thus, faced with the questioning look in Steward Cai¡¯s eyes, Lu Qingshan wasn¡¯t in a hurry to exin.
Lu Qingshan politely asked the woman on the bed, pointing to Steward Cai, "I apologize for the intrusion; this man is a member of Si Jun¡¯s family. I wonder if the two of you might recognize Si Jun..."
Upon hearing these words, the woman on the bed struggled to sit up.
Cai Xingchao hurriedly supported his mother, "Mother, be careful!"
"My name is Shi Youling. I don¡¯t know what rtion this senior has with my mother-inw?"
"Mother-inw?" Steward Cai was startled.
Lu Qingshan understood and pointed to the bewildered Cai Xingchao, telling Steward Cai, "This is your grandson."
...
Foundation Establishment Cultivators have a lifespan of two hundred years, and Steward Cai, who had established his Foundation, was already nearing his end. His Dao Companion had not established her Foundation, so how could she possibly still be alive at this time?
Many years ago, Si Jun had already passed away, her lifespan exhausted.
And the child Si Jun had carried while living in seclusion in Ziyang Town was the father of Cai Xingchao.
So much time had passed since those days, and Steward Cai¡¯s son had long since grown up, established a household, married, and had children.
This Shi Youling was Steward Cai¡¯s son¡¯s Dao Companion, hence his daughter-inw.
It¡¯s easy to lose rity when one is involved.
Steward Cai, anxious at heart, temporarily failed to realize this.
But he was a shrewd man, and after Lu Qingshan¡¯s exnation, it didn¡¯t take long for him to figure out the connection of events.
"This is the Dao Companion of your mother-inw," Lu Qingshan exined, looking at Shi Youling.
Shi Youling was startled, though she had already vaguely guessed as much, her heart still began to surge with emotion now that it was confirmed.
Her mother-inw hade to Ziyang Town pregnant, andter painstakingly raised her own husband.
Shi Youling had always harbored a measure of respect for her mother-inw.
But as her husband had told her, whenever he asked about his father, his mother would say that his father had long since died at the jaws of Demon Beasts.
Now, the "father-inw" who was supposed to have died at the jaws of Demon Beasts as per her mother-inw¡¯s words had suddenly reappeared, and Shi Youling couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.
But she believed what Lu Qingshan said.
To restrain the Jiaozhu Snake Poison within her, their family was now poor and destitute; what benefit would there be for someone to impersonate her father-inw?
"Do you have any keepsakes that could prove your identity?" Lu Qingshan asked.
To recognize one¡¯s rtive, even if one is already seventy to eighty percent convinced, how could one skip the most important step of recognition ¨C exchanging keepsakes?
Apprentice You Ling reacted swiftly, immediately grabbing Cai Xingchao¡¯s hand and pulling up his sleeve.
On Cai Xingchao¡¯s wrist was a translucent, moist, and exquisitely deep jade bracelet. "This is the magic artifact bracelet left by Grandma..."
Steward Cai¡¯s eyes turned red. "Yun¡¯er..."
Steward Cai slowly extended his left hand and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a dried wrist that also bore a bracelet identical to the one on Cai Xingchao¡¯s wrist. Stay updated with §Þ??
It was their token of love from the past.
All became clear.
Apprentice You Ling hastily struggled to give Steward Cai a kowtow. "Father-inw..."
Seeing Cai Xingchao standing gape-mouthed like a wooden chicken, Apprentice You Ling tugged at his sleeve and said, "This is your grandfather... aren¡¯t you going to greet your grandfather?"
Cai Xingchao looked stunned, and under You Ling¡¯s urging, he moved like a marite, managing to squeeze out the word "Grandfather" with difficulty.
Steward Cai looked at Cai Xingchao, seeing a face that resembled his younger self; he raised his arm, reached out with trembling hands, and it took several attempts before he finally touched Cai Xingchao¡¯s hand.
"Good child, good child... it¡¯s my fault, I have wronged you..." The elderly Steward Cai, with his rough palms, held onto Cai Xingchao¡¯s hand tightly, tears finally streaming from his eyes.
He, Cai Heng, served in Zhenjiang City¡¯s Pacification Commissioner¡¯s office, overseeing and suppressing cultivators who vited the edicts of Great Xia with an iron fist.
But because of his duties, he had caused the annihtion of his Daopanion¡¯s family.
It was a painful memory that he could never erase from his heart.
Looking at Cai Xingchao before him, his eyes filled with love and guilt; he opened his mouth as if to say something, but his chest heaved, and he found himself unable to speak.
"Grandfather, can you save my mother?" Cai Xingchao suddenly thought of something, his eyes brimming with pleading and hope as he looked at Steward Cai.
"The mere poison of a little Red Pearl Snake, what¡¯s so difficult to cure!" At that moment, Steward Cai¡¯s tone carried a hint of his old confidence, "Youe with me back to Zhenjiang City. I¡¯ll make sure your mother is cured of her poison."
The Red Pearl Snake was a First Grade demon beast, its venom extremely potent.
A Qi Refining Cultivator who got poisoned by a Red Pearl Snake could only rely on Spirit Pills to barely suppress the venom;pletely cleansing the toxin was very difficult!
But for Steward Cai, with his present cultivation and status, although it wasn¡¯t effortless, curing this poison certainly wasn¡¯t a difficult task for him.
...
Treating You Ling¡¯s poisoning and injuries was the urgent task at hand, and Steward Cai moved swiftly.
"What is this?!" With a look of rm, Cai Xingchao supported his mother and stared at the immense beast in front of him with a fierce aura.
"This is Grandfather¡¯s demon pet, the ck Feather Eagle. Help your mother onto it, and we¡¯ll rush back to Zhenjiang City to treat your mother¡¯s poisoning and injuries right away."
The ck Feather Eagle was massive in size, yet carrying four people did not hinder its flight speed in the slightest.
Without any dy, the group quickly rushed back to Zhenjiang City.
...
Inside the study.
"How did youe to know about me, and also find Xiao Chao and his mother, when even I couldn¡¯t find a trace of them? How did you manage to locate them?"
"I naturally have my ways." Lu Qingshan remainedposed, not wishing to borate on this point.
¡ªHow to exin having a cheat?
Steward Cai was silent for a long while before speaking again, "If you are unwilling to talk, naturally I won¡¯t force you, but regardless, Xiao Chao¡¯s mother¡¯s life was saved by you."
The venom of the Red Pearl Snake in You Ling was extremely severe, and after a short dy, once the venom reached the heart, even a Golden Core Cultivator would be helpless to save her.
Perhaps the sword cultivator yer from his past life hadpleted the task toote, so by the time he found Cai Xingchao, You Ling had already died from the snake venom reaching her heart. He could only bring back Cai Xingchao.
Now, with Lu Qingshan intervening, the time-consuming running around tasks were bypassed, saving crucial time and finding them before the venom progressed to You Ling¡¯s heart.
Thus, You Ling¡¯s life was saved.
Chapter 47: Secret Sword: Wind Slash
This could be considered another slight change in history under his influence.
Although it was not as profound as the impact of the battle at the City Lord¡¯s Mansion in Yuanshan.
But seeing things take a turn for the better with his own involvement.
It also brought Lu Qingshan considerable joy.
...
As the Steward of the Pacification Commissioner, Cai Heng was incorruptible and iron-blooded throughout his life.
His duty made him different from ordinary cultivators.
Most cultivators prioritize personal gain above all else.
But for cultivators like Cai Heng, often times they would choose to die for their convictions in lieu of personal interest.
Such individuals also have the hardest time epting favors from others.
Cai Heng now felt deeply indebted to Lu Qingshan and consequently found himself lost in thought.
He was considering how to repay the great favor he owed to Lu Qingshan.
"Before I reach the end of my life, finding my daughter-inw and grandson has resolved a great concern of mine, that¡¯s good enough..."
Finally, Cai Heng made up his mind, took out a jade slip from his storage ring, ced it on the tung-wood desk, and gently pushed it in Lu Qingshan¡¯s direction.
Steward Cai said in a deep voice, "Although this item is of no use to me, it is the most valuable thing I possess."
Lu Qingshan knew that this was the reward for the quest.
"This is a technique of Secret Sword, a dharma that sword cultivators find most coveted."
"My ancestor was an extremely powerful sword cultivator, and this is the dharma he passed down.
Unfortunately, with each passing generation, the Cai family¡¯s influence has faded, and by my generation, I am the only one left.
Moreover, I have no talent for swordsmanship, having learned the ways of Beast Cultivation, so this Secret Sword Technique hasin dormant with me."
"Though the Secret Sword Technique is extremely difficult to practice, once mastered, its power is unparalleled.
Thus, all sword cultivators regard it as a precious treasure, whether you keep it or decide to sell it, both are fine, consider it your reward for finding my son and daughter-inw."
There was a hint of reluctance and regret in Cai Heng¡¯s eyes.
It was a pity he would not have the chance to witness this ancestral Secret Sword Technique shine once again.
The Secret Sword is a divine skill belonging to sword cultivators.
Simply put, it is an ultimate move.
The Heaven and Earth Sword that Lu Qingshan mastered in his previous life was one such Secret Sword Technique.
Lu Qingshan reached out to ept the jade slip and probed into it with his divine sense.
Soon a series of data emerged before his eyes:
[Secret Sword: Wind sh]
Learning conditions: Agility greater than 20, possession of a faint [Sword Intent].
Casting conditions: Can only be cast through a Sword Artifact
Skill effects: Consumes up to 10% of maximum Spiritual Power, the next attack will cause two additional attacks, the second attack causing damage at 60% of the original damage value, and the third at 30%.
Additional effects: Both additional attacks will carry the attack¡¯s active effects.
Cooldown time: 3 minutes.
Additional notes: Learning this Secret Sword requires spending 1000 Experience Points.
...
"Detection of Sword Technique [Secret Sword: Wind sh], do you want to spend 1000 Experience Points to learn it?"
"Learn!"
"You do not meet the learning conditions for [Secret Sword: Wind sh], unable to learn the skill!"
"Detection of innate talent [Innate Swordseed], learning [Secret Sword: Wind sh]... Learning progress 15%...50%...99%..."
Lu Qingshan¡¯s head suddenly swelled as a wealth of knowledge flooded in in an instant.
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After a moment, the casting techniques for [Secret Sword: Wind sh] were already imprinted deep within his mind.
"Spending 600 experience points, you have mastered the Secret Sword: Wind sh lv1 (0/2000)!"
...
The powerful burst from Secret Sword: Wind sh had brought Lu Qingshan a direct benefit: his damage per second had now surpassed the Health Points upper limit of a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.
In other words, Lu Qingshan could now kill most cultivators of the same level in an instant with the Secret Sword: Wind sh.
Moreover, its skill effects could bebined with many other skills.
For example, under the effect of casting Secret Sword: Wind sh, Lu Qingshan could instantly stack threeyers of the Power of Dark Erosion from the Falling Bright Sword Technique on his enemy, thereby triggering the Bind effect of the Falling Bright Sword Technique.
This was a sword technique that Lu Qingshan could continue to use from the Qi Refining Realm to much higher levels.
"Sess!"
Lu Qingshan felt much more ted.
His first target in Zhenjiang City could be said to have gone exceptionally smoothly.
Lu Qingshan put away the Jade Slip that recorded the Secret Sword Technique: "Being a Sword Cultivator myself, this Secret Sword Technique is extremely precious to me, and I naturally would not sell away this technique.
I assure Steward Cai that I will diligently practice this Secret Sword Technique and will not let down the trust you have ced in me!"
Lu Qingshan assured with resonating certainty.
Cai Heng was momentarily startled upon hearing this, then smiled with relief: "Though you keep your origins mysterious, and I do not know where youe from, for someone so young to have reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement, you must indeed be a person of exceptional talent.
Perhaps, you really will be able to master this Secret Sword Technique and restore the glory of my Cai Family¡¯s Wind sh Technique.
Regrettably, my time is running short, and I¡¯m afraid I may not have the chance to witness this."
Cai Heng was quite carefree, not at all avoiding talking about his own life and death.
...
Upon leaving the study, Lu Qingshan prepared to depart from the Cai residence.
"Young Master Lu, please wait!"
As he was about to reach the door, an urgent call came from behind.
Lu Qingshan stopped in his tracks and turned to look.
Cai Xingchao hurriedly approached.
"My mother asked me to give this to you," Cai Xingchao said as he handed over a lustrous jade bracelet to Lu Qingshan.
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It was none other than the Magic Artifact Jade Bracelet left by Steward Cai¡¯s Dao Companion, Si Jun!
Lu Qingshan¡¯s brow furrowed, and he pushed back the Magic Artifact Jade Bracelet, refusing: "Steward Cai has already given me a reward as thanks.
Besides, this was left by your grandmother, and even in the most difficult times, you and your mother have never sold it.
How could I rightly im what you hold dear?"
Cai Xingchao scratched his head, looking anxious: "My mother said that although grandfather would certainly reward you to express gratitude, that is from him and it has nothing to do with us.
You saved my mother¡¯s life, and we cannot go without showing our gratitude.
We have nothing else of value, and this Magic Artifact Jade Bracelet is the only thing we can offer. Please, I beg you, do not refuse." (Taskpletion: Excellent, received additional rewards)
All he did was provide a piece of information, allowing them to recognize each other, and he had done nothing else.
Yet whether it be Cai Heng, the Steward of the Pacification Commissioner, or the mother and child of the lowly cultivator Shi Youling, they all offered their most precious possessions as thanks.
Lu Qingshan found himself at a loss for words and could only silently take the Magic Artifact Jade Bracelet that Cai Xingchao handed over.
Azure Water Bracelet
Level: Supreme Quality Mortal Artifact
Description: As the valley benefits the stomach, it is then conveyed to the lungs.
Active Effects of the Magic Artifact: [Azure Water Boundless]
You can store a certain amount of Spiritual Power within the Azure Water Bracelet, and when necessary, release the stored Spiritual Power Value to rapidly restore your own Spiritual Power Value.
Stored Spiritual Power Value: 100/100
...
An incredibly practical Magic Artifact for sustainability; a restoration amount of 100 Spiritual Power Value had already exceeded the current upper limit of Lu Qingshan¡¯s Spiritual Power Value.
In front of Cai Xingchao, Lu Qingshan solemnly wore the Azure Water Bracelet on his left wrist, then bid farewell and left.
Chapter 48: Comprehensive Enhancement
Even in Zhenjiang City, the Great Xia Commercial Firm still stood out as the city¡¯s most conspicuous shop.
It upied a vast area with four stories, one more than its counterpart in Yuanshan City.
The fourth floor catered to Nascent Soul Cultivators.
After leaving the Cai residence, Lu Qingshan headed straight for the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
Upon entering the store, he found the facade stretched nearly a hundred meters, with dozens of clerks in green robes and many customers inside.
It was indeed thergest and most trustworthy merchant in the entire Zhenjiang City.
After killing Crying Soul True Man and seizing two Storage Rings, Lu Qingshan¡¯s assets reached unimaginable levels.
He currently had over twenty Fourth Grade Spirit Stones and more than a hundred Third Grade Spirit Stones on him alone.
As for the remaining handful of First and Second Grade Spirit Stones, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t even bother to consider them anymore.
Keeping the Spirit Stones was not meaningful; instead, Lu Qingshan needed to convert these stones intobat power.
Since Yuanshan City was ultimately just a Prefecture City, he couldn¡¯t acquire top-quality Magic Artifacts, Pills, or Talismans there.
Thus, Lu Qingshan had been waiting until he arrived in Zhenjiang City to indulge in a shopping spree.
After entering the Great Xia Commercial Firm, Lu Qingshan did not linger on the first floor but proceeded directly to the second floor.
The items on the first floor were no longer meaningful for him at this point.
Compared to the first floor, the second floor was noticeably less crowded.
The second floor catered to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Even in Zhenjiang City, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were not amon sight.
Yet as a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, Lu Qingshan quickly drew the sideways attention of some customers upon reaching the second floor.
Could he be a young master from some major family?
A cultivator mumbled to himself.
It wasmonly assumed that Qi Refining Cultivators shopping on the second floor must be wealthy scions of major families.
"Young Master, may I know what you need?" A Qi Refining Level 5 clerk in a green robe approached respectfully.
Lu Qingshan nced at the clerk and said indifferently, "I need to purchase some Magic Artifacts as well as some Talismans and Pills, but I want the best items avable on this floor!"
The green-robed clerk was slightly taken aback but after carefully sizing up Lu Qingshan and confirming that he was not joking, his face immediately broke into a wide smile.
They had caught a big spender¡ªit was just unclear which family¡¯s young master he was.
"Young Master, this way please. Have a seat inside, and I will call the manager to discuss the details with you," the green-robed clerk hastily led Lu Qingshan into one of the elegant private rooms on the second floor.
Many customers on the second floor had already noticed Lu Qingshan¡¯s presence.
Seeing Lu Qingshan being led into a private room reserved for valued clients, some quietly discussed among themselves while others¡¯ eyes flickered craftily, wondering what was being plotted.
Inside the private room.
The furniture was antique and elegant, arranged in afortable and pleasant manner.
There was also an incense burner in one corner of the room, slowly burning a stick of sandalwood incense, filling the room with a faint sandalwood fragrance.
Soon after Lu Qingshan had taken his seat, a genteel middle-aged man apanied by a maid entered.
The maid carried a teapot and several cups.
"I am the manager of the second floor of the Great Xia Commercial Firm, may I know how to address you, Young Master?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
"Lu Qingshan."
"So you are Young Master Lu," the middle-aged man turned and instructed the maid, "Quickly pour some tea for Young Master Lu."
After the maid had poured the tea, Lu Qingshan, without any hesitation, picked up the cup, took a light sip, and politelymented, "Excellent tea!"
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "I heard Young Master Lu is looking for the best Magic Artifacts and Talismans on the second floor. I have already instructed the clerks to bring out a few treasures from our vault that have been in collection for a long time. I assure you that you will not be disappointed, Young Master Lu. Please wait a moment."
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly.
After a while, six or seven clerks entered, each carrying a tray. On each tray was an antique brocade box.
The middle-aged man ced the boxes on the table and opened each one, introducing them to Lu Qingshan one by one.
"Acupoint Sealing King Needle, Low Grade Spiritual Artifact, made from Frost Soul Cold Iron...."
"Skip this; I am not interested in this artifact," Lu Qingshan quickly swept over the needle-like artifact that glistened coldly in the box and said indifferently.
He already had the Crying Soul Sword and did not need another attack artifact.
Moreover, what kind of Sword Cultivator would use needle-like artifacts? Isn¡¯t that embarrassing?
The middle-aged man¡¯s expression remained the same, and he opened another brocade box, revealing yet another Talisman inside.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes lit up.
Because he recognized this talisman¡ªit was a Beast Talisman!
Lu Qingshan picked up the Beast Talisman.
[Beast Talisman: Spirit Leaf Ape]
Level: Second Grade Beast Talisman
Description: Crafted by a Talisman Master by sealing the spirit soul of a demon beast into the talisman.
Talisman Effect: Can summon the spirit soul of the Second Grade demon beast, Spirit Leaf Ape.
Duration: 30 minutes
Usage: 1/1
Basic Attributes of Spirit Leaf Ape: Strength 20, Agility 5,...
Talents: [Exceptionally Strong](Health Points +100), [Spirit Soul Body](Physical damage reduction 20%, increased magic damage taken by 20%), ...
Skills: ... (omitted)
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Beast Talismans are among the most practical and precious talismans. Once used to summon the beast spirit, the spirit will instinctively attack under the cultivator¡¯smand.
It¡¯s essentially a budget version of a demon pet.
That¡¯s why even though it was only a Second Grade Talisman, the Great Xia Commercial Firm took great care to keep it in a brocade box.
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Without waiting for the middle-aged man to exin, Lu Qingshan immediately said, "I¡¯ll take this Beast Talisman."
The middle-aged man¡¯s face twitched slightly: "Young Master Lu is truly generous..."
The middle-aged man then opened another brocade box, which contained yet another Talisman.
"This is the Concealment Talisman, one of the few Third Grade Talismans we have on the second floor..."
[Concealment Talisman]
Grade: Third Grade
Talisman Effect: Can conceal one¡¯s aura, making oneself less detectable. It also greatly shields against the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
...
With this talisman, even the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment Cultivators would find it difficult to detect oneself.
¡ªA life-saving talisman.
Lu Qingshan silently nodded her head.
"I¡¯ll take this Concealment Talisman too!"
...
After a long while, Lu Qingshan emerged from the Great Xia Commercial Firm fully loaded.
This time, he could say he had armored himself with spirit stones from head to toe, inside and out.
He felt that at this moment, his whole body was exuding the fragrance of a whaling tycoon.
...
Besides the "Beast Talisman: Spirit Leaf Ape" and the "Concealment Talisman," he also purchased many attack talismans inscribed with Second Grade Five Elements Magic from the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
As for pills, he didn¡¯t buy many. Somemon healing pills or pills that restore spiritual power were already present in the Storage Ring of True Master Crying Soul, so there was no need for him to stock up on those.
The only pill he bought was the "Snow Lotus Pill."
"Snow Lotus Pill"
Level: Second Grade Pill
Description: Crafted using snow lotus that can heal damage to the Divine Soul, thus it provides certain enhancements to the cultivator¡¯s Divine Soul.
Pill Effects: After consumption, for the next three hours, the Divine Soul will gain ayer of protection, providing some resistance against Divine Soul attack techniques.
...
Anything rted to the Divine Soul could multiply its value many times over.
This bottle of "Snow Lotus Pill" was no exception. Although it was just a Second Grade pill, Lu Qingshan spent five times the usual price of a Second Grade pill to acquire it.
But it was worth it.
Though at the Lower Grade, few cultivators possess the technique of Divine Soul attacks, the "Snow Lotus Pill" might end up being unnecessary.
But Lu Qingshan never relied on luck.
This was his way of preparing a defense against Divine Soul attacks.
Before learning the Divine Soul Secret Art, he could only rely on these external aids to cope with some cultivators¡¯ Divine Soul attacks.
He only purchased one magic artifact.
"Water Cloud Eight Gates Shield"
Level: Low Grade Spiritual Artifact
Description: Crafted by cutting a whole piece of water cloud stone into eight refined pieces, it is extremely sturdy and indestructible.
This magic artifactprises eight water cloud shields that can surround the body for defense once driven by a spell.
Magic Artifact Effects: Durability +4
Active Effects: "Eight Gates Shield Armor"
Driving the eight pieces of water cloud shield to assemble into a piece of shield armor, which has a durability value.
Durability: 100/100
Additional Information: Once the durability value is exhausted, the "Eight Gates Shield Armor" can no longer be used, and the magic artifact effect will also be invalid.
...
With the Water Cloud Eight Gates Shield, Lu Qingshan¡¯s meager health points finally gained a bit more security.
With +4 durability, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would find it quite tough.
The skill effect of the "Eight Gates Shield Armor", if tranted in in terms, is equivalent to giving Lu Qingshan an extra hundred armor.
Last of all, Lu Qingshan spent a vast sum to buy thirteen pill-sized purple Thunder Beads.
"Thunder Bead"
Description: A consumable item, condensed from heaven and earth¡¯s thunder and lightning by Dharma Cultivators using a special technique, it possesses tremendous power.
Effects: Releasespressed Thunder Force, bursting out with immense damage.
...
The power of the Thunder Bead is extremely tremendous; even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if not careful to strongly resist a Thunder Bead, will instantly be obliterated.
Additionally, the Thunder Beads are simple to use, requiring only a slight activation of spiritual power to detonate, practically zero consumption.
Of course, they are not without drawbacks; while the Thunder Bead¡¯s power is great, there is a brief three-second dy from activation to explosion.
To ordinary people, three seconds may not seem like much.
But for cultivators, these three seconds of dy are enough for them to escape the st radius of the Thunder Bead.
A single Thunder Bead costs five Third Grade spirit stones.
The wealthy Lu Qingshan did not hesitate to buy all thirteen Thunder Beads.
These thirteen Thunder Beads could be saved for use as a trump card.
...
The gains were not small, but the cost was not small either.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s massive amount of spirit stone assets was almost entirely depleted.
After organizing his gains, Lu Qingshan turned his gaze to the Attribute Panel.
Without hesitation, he spent all his umted experience points.
"[Qi Drawing Technique] upgraded to lv9, Spiritual Power Value +10!"
"[Qi Drawing Technique] upgraded to lv10 (0/1000), Spiritual Power Value +10!"
"[Qi Drawing Technique] upgraded to lv10 (1000/1000) max! This Cultivation Technique has been upgraded to its maximum level, gaining a special effect: Spiritual Power Value +50!"
"Detectionpleted, you have reached the level cap for your current rank, obtained advancement mission [Foundation Establishment]!"
"[Foundation Establishment]: Learn a Foundation Establishment Technique."
After half a month, it was finally time to make a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Lu Qingshan felt a flood of emotions.
It was not easy.
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
upation: Sword Cultivator
Cultivation Technique: "[Qi Drawing Technique]Lv10 (max!) ¡ª[Spiritual Power +150]"
Rank: Qi Refinement
Experience Points: 968
Spiritual Power Value: 150/150
Talent: "[Innate Swordseed]" (Legendary Talent), "[Expertise]," "[Trapped in Formation]," "[Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level)," "[Thick-skinned]"
Skills: "[Heavenly Eye Technique]" (Universal), "[Falling Bright Sword Technique] Lv10 (max), "[Secret Sword: Wind sh] Lv1 (0/2000)"
Faction:
Yuanshan Tower: Enthusiastic (200)
Guardian Tower: Friendly (20)
Heavenly Secret Pavillion: Friendly (10)
Next, he needed to obtain a Foundation Establishment Technique, then prepare for advancement to Foundation Establishment.
Chapter 49 - 49 Mihe Town
Surrounding Zhenjiang City are hundreds of minor and major Qi Refinement families.
However, only thirty-six of these families possess a Golden Core Cultivator and are known as the ¡¯Great Thirty-Six Qi Refinement Families of Zhenjiang.¡¯
Lu Qingshan¡¯s former household, the Lu Family, was one of these thirty-six esteemed families.
The Lu Family was situated atop Mihe Peak, the main peak of the Qianzhou mountain range.
Even a Qi Refinement family always requires secr forces.
Positioned at the foot of Mihe Peak, Mihe Town was a small, secr town that belonged to the Lu Family.
Due to his responsibility for the family business back then, he frequently traveled between Mihe Town and Zhenjiang City, and he became extremely familiar with the roads in between.
Relying on his memory, Lu Qingshan made his way familiarly and arrived at Mihe Town after a day¡¯s journey.
Having upied Mihe Peak for many years, Mihe Town was in fact quite prosperous after years of development.
The streets in the city were all paved with bluestone, and they were not only clean and neat but also wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. They were bustling with crowds, and the atmosphere was extraordinarily lively.
Houses along the road mostly consisted of two- or three-story buildings, with many structures adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding opulence.
In the western district of Mihe Town, a plethora of businesses was distributed, with good public order and an elegant environment.
In one location of the western district, a clothier¡¯s shop owned by the Lu Family.
"I¡¯ve only tasked you with a little assignment, yet you¡¯re dragging your feet. How can I trust you with the shop in the future!" From a distance, the scolding voice was heard, and a faint smile appeared on Lu Qingshan¡¯s face.
Peering through the door.
Inside the shop, an elderly man with grey hair was seen standing with his back turned, holding a duster, and berating a teenager who appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old.
The boy hung his head as if dutifully epting the scolding, but his eyes were rolling constantly, clearly paying no mind to the elder¡¯s reprimand.
Suddenly, the boy¡¯s wandering eyes caught sight of Lu Qingshan at the doorway, his pupils dted dramatically, and he pointed finger trembling, his voice quivering, "Lu... Lu..."
"Lu what, Lu!" Seeing the boy distracted even while being scolded, the old man puffed his beard and red harder, his tone rising a few notches, "Lu Xun, you scoundrel, you dare to be inattentive?"
"Grandfather, it¡¯s Lu Qingshan!" Lu Xun finally managed to catch his breath.
"What Lu Qingshan..." the elder reflexively turned in the direction pointed by Lu Xun¡¯s hand, and uponying eyes on Lu Qingshan standing at the doorway with a smile, he was taken aback.
Bang¡ª
The elder¡¯s hand loosened, and the duster in his hand dropped to the floor.
The elder, named Lu Zhi, was a coteral member of the Lu Family with a Cultivation of the sixth stage of Qi Refinement. After aging, he retired down the mountain and took charge of this clothier¡¯s shop.
Lu Xun was his grandson, only a mundane person without any Cultivation.
Lu Qingshan used to work in this clothier¡¯s shop before.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s father, Lu Bei, was one of the mere three Golden Core Cultivators in the Lu Family.
Therefore, even though Lu Qingshan had no talent for cultivation and was but an ordinary person, he still held a not-so-low status in this vast clothier¡¯s shop, securing a mid-level managerial position.
...
Inside a secluded room in the back courtyard of the clothier¡¯s shop.
"What happened, what exactly happened four months ago? We all thought you had died, and that boy, Lu Xun, grieved for quite a while..." Lu Zhi looked at Lu Qingshan¡¯s face, unable to believe his eyes.
Four months earlier, Lu Qingshan took three shop assistants with him, escorting arge batch of fabrics on the way to Zhenjiang City, only to mysteriously vanish on the road.
He immediately reported the matter to the family, and the family dispatched people from the Service Hall to investigate, but they found nothing.
All these days had passed, and they hade to ept that Lu Qingshan must have met with an unfortunate mishap.
Yet now, here was Lu Qingshan, alive and well once more.
"Grandpa, you¡¯re one to talk, who was it that spent all that time hidden away in his room, drinking sulkily by himself?" Lu Xun said with disdain, exposing the truth.
"You little rascal, thinking you¡¯re smart, huh? When your grandpa and Qingshan are talking, mind your own business!" Lu Zhi rebuked, pping the back of Lu Xun¡¯s head.
The familiar people and objects around him stirred an inexplicable emotion in Lu Qingshan¡¯s chest.
It was an emotion belonging to the Lu Qingshan of this world.
His father had many affairs and many children; he himself was insignificant among them and had never seen his father since he was born.
His mother had passed away from illness when he was only five years old.
Therefore, he didn¡¯t have much of an impression of his parents.
Ever since he was a child, he had grown up in this ready-made garment workshop; although Lu Zhi had no blood rtion to him, he treated him as his own grandson, and Lu Xun respected him as a big brother.
They were the closest people in the memories of the Lu Qingshan from this world.
"Big brother Qingshan, that¡¯s right, why did you disappear for so long, and what about Ah Long and the others, why did youe back alone?" Lu Xun scratched his head and asked with concern.
Ah Long and the others were workers from the workshop who had escorted goods with Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan chuckled and said, "It¡¯s a long story... We were attacked by evil cultivators, those evil cultivators defied the prohibitions of Great Xia, capturing civilians everywhere to craft corpse puppets."
"Corpse puppets!" Lu Zhi¡¯s face changed dramatically.
As a cultivator, he was well aware of the infamy of corpse puppets.
"What are corpse puppets?" Lu Xun waspletely clueless.
"Don¡¯t interrupt." Lu Zhi scolded, then looked towards Lu Qingshan, "So how did you¡"
The methods of evil cultivators were harsh and ruthless, and he couldn¡¯t imagine how Lu Qingshan, having fallen into the hands of an evil cultivator, managed to escape.
"That evil cultivator was active near Yuanshan City. Somehow, an organization called the Guardianship Tower discovered him, and a cultivator from the Guardianship Tower wiped out the evil ones, also rescuing me in the process.
However, Ah Long and the others didn¡¯t make it until then. I was also seriously injured and had to recuperate in Yuanshan City for a long time. It was only a few days ago that I returned to Zhenjiang City with a merchant convoy..."
This was also the exnation Lu Qingshan had prepared for when he had to confront the family¡¯s cultivatorster.
Lu Xun was left dumbfounded.
Lu Zhi, being a cultivator, could better grasp the peril of the situation and was greatly relieved, "Thank goodness, if that cultivator from Guardianship Tower hade anyter, it would have been unimaginable..."
....
"Big brother Qingshan, grandpa insisted that you weren¡¯t dead because he never saw your corpse, so he kept your position as a steward for you!" Lu Xun suddenly remembered this and mentioned it proudly.
Lu Qingshan looked at Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi affirmed Lu Qingshan with a nod, "What Lu Xun said is right, I¡¯ve kept your steward position avable; you should rest for a few days, and then take up your previous work again."
Lu Zhi was nning to have Lu Qingshan and Lu Xun jointly manage the ready-made garment workshop in the future.
Lu Qingshan shook his head slightly, "Grandpa Lu, I may not be able to continue working at the ready-made garment workshop."
Lu Zhi was taken aback, "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Qingshan extended his right hand and activated the spiritual power within his body. Soon, a misty white light surfaced on his hand.
Lu Zhi, as a cultivator, naturally recognized what it was.
"Spiritual power?! Qingshan, have you be a cultivator?"
Lu Qingshan pursed his lips, "Yes, I was fortunate to have cultivated spiritual power."
"Great! Great! Great!" eximed Lu Zhi excitedly, three times in a row, "A person who survives a great disaster is bound to have good fortune thereafter!"
Lu Xun¡¯s face was also filled with excitement, "Big brother Qingshan, you¡¯ve be a cultivator!"
The status of a cultivator,pared to that of ordinary people, was as different as heaven and earth.
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After bing a cultivator, Lu Qingshan would be able to enter the family¡¯s blessednd to cultivate.
If his cultivation was sessful and he earned a position as a family steward, he would be a highly respected figure in Mihe Town.
Even if he couldn¡¯t be a high-level cultivator, someone like Lu Zhi, who had no ambition in cultivation, would still be designated to take charge of the family¡¯s assets. Discover hidden stories at NovelBin.C?m
Chapter 50 - 50 Service Hall
"You have traveled far and are weary; rest well tonight.
Tomorrow, you shall apany me up the mountain to report in detail the incident of your attack, and then you shall register your cultivator identity at the Outer Hall," Lu Zhi pondered slightly before arranging so.
A quiet night passed, and the next morning dawned.
The Lu family¡¯s blessednd was situated atop Mihe Peak.
Lu Qingshan followed Lu Zhi along the mountain path, ascending for half an hour until they could no longer see the path through the swirling mists, and only then did they stop.
Lu Qingshan knew that these mists were the Lu family¡¯s Gatekeeping Illusion Formation.
Lu Zhi withdrew a bronze-colored token from his chest, magnificently engraved with the character "Lu."
This was the Lu family¡¯s Communication Token.
Lu Zhi tossed the token into the mist.
Under the influence of Lu Zhi¡¯s spiritual power, the token turned into a stream of radiance and flew into the mists.
Hardly a momentter,
a young cultivator emerged from the mist.
Presumably, he was the one responsible for guarding the Gatekeeping Illusion Formation,monly known as the gatekeeper.
"Who approaches and what is your business?" the young cultivator asked, holding the token that Lu Zhi had just thrown.
"Outer Hall Lu Zhi, I have a matter to report to the Service Hall."
The young cultivator nodded and turned his gaze to Lu Qingshan standing beside him.
"And him?"
"His name is Lu Qingshan. He recently cultivated spiritual power, and I am bringing him to register at the Outer Hall,"
The young cultivator¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he couldn¡¯t help but take a few more looks at Lu Qingshan.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
He appeared to be fifteen or sixteen, and although he had only just be a cultivator, it seemed slightlyte.
However, as long as one could cultivate spiritual power before the age of eighteen, one could enter the Outer Hall of the Lu family.
This would be his colleague in the future.
With this thought, the young cultivator¡¯s tone became somewhat more polite, "Very well, pleasee in."
With a wave of his hand, the young cultivator instantly dispelled the mists, revealing a narrow path.
The young cultivator stepped aside, making way for Lu Zhi and Lu Qingshan.
Lu Zhi thanked the young cultivator and then led Lu Qingshan inside.
At first, the path was very narrow, barely wide enough for a person, but after walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up.
Above, auspicious clouds floated, encircled by lush greenery, and the air was much fresher than outside.
Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath, feeling much refreshed.
This was because the spiritual power here was incredibly abundant.
The Lu family¡¯s blessednd was established on a Third-Grade Spirit Vein.
The spiritual power output of a Third-Grade Spirit Vein was limited, so to avoid over-extraction, the Lu family had always controlled the number of people within the blessednd.
Many cultivators like Lu Zhi, who were older and had little chance of advancing to the next stage of cultivation, would be assigned by the Lu family to manage family affairs in Mihe Town to prevent wastage of the blessednd¡¯s spiritual power.
It was Lu Qingshan¡¯s second visit to the Lu family¡¯s blessednd.
The first visit had been to test his Spirit Root.
All offspring of the Lu family, at the age of five, would undergo a test conducted by the family.
The test concerned the Spirit Root within their bodies.
If the test revealed good Spirit Root qualities and excellent cultivation talents, the children would be valued by the family and allowed to cultivate within the blessednd.
If the test showed poor Spirit Root qualities, they could not stay in the blessednd.
However, this did not mean that they werepletely disconnected from cultivation thereafter.
While talent is an extremely important part of cultivation, it is by no means everything.
"Jun Bujian, how many cultivators with average Spirit Root aptitude eventually became powerful cultivators?"
The Lu Family naturally wouldn¡¯t be so short-sighted and was willing to give the family¡¯s descendants a chance to prove themselves through their own efforts.
Descendants with inferior cultivation talents could take home a Cultivation Technique and practice on their own at home on normal days.
If they refined their Spiritual Energy and became a cultivator before the age of eighteen, they would be able to enter the Outer Hall of the family.
It was Lu Qingshan¡¯s first time testing his Spirit Root, and the result was not ideal, so he did not stay in the blessednd of the Lu Family.
Although Lu Qingshan made time to practice the Cultivation Technique asionally, he was ultimately unable to sessfully refine the energy, so he never re-entered the Lu Family¡¯s blessednd.
...
The entire architecturalplex within the blessednd was built from west to east along the mountainside, following the natural contours.
The surrounding mountains curved around like a jade dragon, in a terraced formation.
A river shimmering with silver light twisted down from the mountain top; this was the so-called Mihe River.
Lu Zhi led Lu Qingshan along the Mihe River and soon, a three-story building came into view.
"This is the Service Hall. Go inside, and report the details of your attack to the Service Hall cultivator for record, and then you can leave," Lu Zhi instructed.
Lu Qingshan naturally had no objections.
As soon as he entered the Service Hall, a ck-clothed cultivator with a stern expression approached them and asked, "What is the matter?"
He was a Qi Refining Cultivator of the eighth level.
Even in the Lu Family, where Foundation Establishment Cultivators hold an exceedingly revered status, most of the operatives in various halls are still Qi Refining Cultivators.
Lu Zhi stated their purpose.
The ck-clothed cultivator understood immediately, and without further words, led Lu Zhi and Lu Qingshan into a side room.
Inside the side room, all four walls were fitted withrge cabs divided into numerous smallpartments.
Eachpartment contained a Jade Slip.
All the tasks of the Service Hall were recorded in these Jade Slips.
"What date did the attack ur?" the ck-clothed cultivator asked.
"April 13," Lu Zhi recalled and replied respectfully.
"April 13..." the ck-clothed cultivator¡¯s gaze swept over the cabs, his fingertips continuously touching one Jade Slip after another.
"Here!" Soon, the ck-clothed cultivator took out a Jade Slip from one of thepartments.
"Chang¡¯an, twenty thousand years April 13 ¡ª Lu Qingshan (son of Lu Bei) of the Lu family garment workshop mysteriously disappeared while transporting goods. Reported to the family in hopes of investigating the cause of the incident.
Reporter: Lu Zhi of the Outer Hall
Date of Report: April 17
Processing Result: Unsolved. The Service Hall dispatched personnel on April 18 to investigate but found nothing and no eyewitnesses. Case remains unsolved," the ck-clothed cultivator read slowly from the content of the Jade Slip.
Seeing the note about being the son of Lu Bei, the ck-clothed cultivator couldn¡¯t help but look up at Lu Qingshan for a moment longer.
¡ª It was precisely because Lu Qingshan¡¯s identity was that of the son of the Golden Core Cultivator Lu Bei that the Service Hall went to great lengths to investigate the circumstances of Lu Qingshan¡¯s attack.
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Otherwise, if an ordinary mortal from the Lu Family was attacked and went missing, would the Service Hall even be able to manage?
"Is this the one?"
Lu Zhi nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Alright, now tell me all the details."
Lu Zhi looked at Lu Qingshan, and Lu Qingshan, without much hesitation, recounted his exnation to Lu Zhi once again.
The ck-clothed cultivator, following Lu Qingshan¡¯s ount, first changed the case status from unsolved to solved, then added many more details to the Jade Slip.
"Alright, I have recorded it. With that, this matter is now concluded." After Lu Qingshan finished recounting the incident, the ck-clothed cultivatorpleted the registration and returned the Jade Slip to thepartment, then looked up at the two and said.
Clearly, the ck-clothed cultivator didn¡¯tprehend the significance of the name ¡¯Zhishou Tower;¡¯ otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have so easily glossed over the matter.
Chapter 51: The Son of Lu Bei
The Service Hall, responsible for the many misceneous affairs within the family, had a rather ordinary status within the Lu Family, thus its location was at the lowest part of the Lu Family¡¯s blessednd.
After concluding the matter, Lu Zhi led Lu Qingshan out of the Service Hall and continued walking up along the Mihe River.
A momentter, they entered the core buildings of the Lu Family.
The surrounding houses with their carved beams and jade pirs were much more exquisite than the previous buildings.
Most importantly, the Spiritual Energy around them became increasingly abundant and rich.
All the descendants of the Lu Family who hadn¡¯t passed the Spirit Root test but had seeded in perceiving and cultivating Spiritual Power on their own were assigned to the Outer Hall.
The number of people in the Outer Hall was immense, as one could imagine.
Therefore, the status of the Outer Hall within the Lu Family was considerably significant.
Lu Zhi originated from the Outer Hall.
Lu Zhi, leading Lu Qingshan, entered the architecturalplex of the Outer Hall, and their passage was unobstructed.
Until they reached a grand hall with a family hall name te hung up, Lu Zhi stopped.
"I¡¯ll wait outside for you. Just go in and follow the instructions of Elder Lu. Once everything is concluded, you¡¯ll be a member of the Lu Family¡¯s Outer Hall," Lu Zhi instructed in detail.
Lu Qingshan nodded and stepped into the family hall.
Inside the family hall, Lu Qingshan met the elder who was responsible for guiding the Lu Family descendants into the Lu Family¡¯s blessednd.
He was an old man in a blue robe with a white beard.
Lu Zhi had already introduced him to Lu Qingshan in advance.
The elder was named Lu Yong¡¯an, at the Golden Core Middle Stage, and was already over one hundred and ny years old, making him exceedingly long-lived among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
After asking about Lu Qingshan¡¯s purpose, Lu Yong¡¯an handed over a roster for Lu Qingshan to fill out his personal information.
It included detailed information such as name, background, Spirit Root aptitude, and time of perceiving.
Lu Qingshan carefullypleted his information on the roster and then returned it to Lu Yong¡¯an.
Lu Yong¡¯an took the roster and casually began to check the information Lu Qingshan had filled out.
When he saw the entry for background where Lu Qingshan had written that he was the son of Lu Bei, a trace of surprise shed through Lu Yong¡¯an¡¯s murky eyes.
It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s Qing Ling the real person. There are already three of his progeny in the Outer Hall, and now another one arrives," Lu Yong¡¯an muttered to himself.
Lu Bei, one of the three Golden Core Cultivators in the Lu Family, known as Qing Ling the Real Person.
Lu Bei was the most talented and powerful cultivator among all the descendants of this generation in the Lu Family.
Among the three Golden Core Cultivators in the Lu Family, Lu Bei was the youngest, just over sixty years old, yet his Cultivation had already reached the Golden Core Middle Stage.
The other two Golden Core Cultivators, the Family Head who was at the Golden Core Early Stage, was over two hundred and fifty years old.
The Great Elder was also at the Golden Core Early Stage, and was nearly four hundred years old now.
From this, one can see that at least in Zhenjiang Prefecture, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to describe Lu Bei as a prodigy.
Golden Core life span is five hundred years, and a Golden Core Cultivator in their sixties is indeed very young.
The people of the Lu Family considered Lu Bei the hope for the rejuvenation of the Lu Family, feeling that Lu Bei had the potential to reach Nascent Soul.
But what surprised everyone was,
High-rank cultivators, logically, mostly focused deeply on cultivation, with their minds solely on Cultivation.
¡ªIf one didn¡¯t have such a Dao heart, how could they achieve sess in cultivation?
However, Lu Bei, such a favored son of heaven, with such cultivation, inexplicably had a great fondness for women, naturally flirtatious.
Yet the oddityy in the fact that although Lu Bei fancied women, he never indulged in taking supplements or practiced dual cultivation, nor did he unscrupulously indulge in pleasures using his strength.
"Food and sex are also nature; thus, a gentleman loves beauty but in a principled way."
This was the principle upheld by Lu Bei.
If others were to behave in such a way, they would naturally be disliked.
However, as Lu Bei was the strongest cultivator in the Lu Family and the future Family Head, his status and power were apparent.
Furthermore, Lu Bei didn¡¯t ce much importance on so-called blood rtions.
Thus, the family didn¡¯t need to bias resources towards his progeny, and so Lu Bei¡¯s mboyant actions didn¡¯t interfere with the family¡¯s interests.
Without any conflict of interest, Lu Bei¡¯s behavior became a remarkable tale in the eyes of others.
...
Putting these thoughts aside, Lu Yong¡¯an continued reading.
There was nothing much problematic.
Finally, after verifying the information, Lu Yong¡¯an released a Divine Sense towards Lu Qingshan.
Although the possibility of deceit in this matter was very low, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.
Lu Yong¡¯an needed to confirm that Lu Qingshan had indeed sessfully sensed the Spiritual Energy, cultivated Spiritual Power, and be a cultivator.
Snap¡ª
Suddenly, Lu Yong¡¯an¡¯s hand involuntarily loosened, and the registry in his hand fell onto the table, making a crisp sound.
"Qi Refinement tenth level?!" Lu Yong¡¯an eximed.
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For someone of his age, who was usually veryposed, such behavior showed the extent of his astonishment.
Lu Qingshan seemed to have anticipated Lu Yong¡¯an¡¯s reaction and remained calm andposed.
Lu Yong¡¯an released his Divine Sense again and scanned Lu Qingshan several more times, but the result remained unchanged.
He hurriedly picked up the registry Lu Qingshan had filled out.
In the section where it asked when he first sensed the Spiritual Energy, it clearly stated "three months ago."
Three months, Qi Refinement tenth level?
How was that possible.
Lu Yong¡¯an had never heard of such an absurdity.
Even Lu Bei, who was recognized by the Lu Family as the most likely to achieve the Nascent Soul, had taken five years to progress from sensing Spiritual Energy to the tenth level of Qi Refinement.
"You im you sensed the Spiritual Energy just before March?" Lu Yong¡¯an asked incredulously.
"Yes," Lu Qingshan nodded in confirmation.
Lu Yong¡¯an¡¯s expression darkened, "Do you realize the consequences if you are deceiving me?
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At your age, having the cultivation of Qi Refinement tenth level, no matter how much time it took, you would receive the family¡¯s favor and a tilt in resources toward you¡ªdon¡¯t mislead yourself."
Lu Qingshan spread his hands, "Elder Lu, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and investigate. My experiences in Mihe Town are clear for all to see, and they all leave tracks."
Lu Yong¡¯an, facing Lu Qingshan¡¯s calm andposed demeanor, remained silent for a long time before slowly standing up.
"Stay seated here, and wait for a moment," he said.
This matter was of great importance, and he had to report to the true decision-makers in the family.
The best scenario would be that everything was true, with no tricks involved. That would mean the Lu Family might very likely have another member with better qualifications than Lu Bei.
That would also be a top-priority event for the Lu Family.
But if there was deceit involved, then it would even more necessitate a decision from a Golden Core Cultivator.
Without further dy, Lu Yong¡¯an immediately left the Hall of Names, activated his Flying Spell, and headed straight up the mountain.
Inside the Hall of Names, only Lu Qingshan remained.
Lu Qingshan, however, remained unhurried and calm.
He had anticipated such a scenario might arise.
Indeed, if Lu Yong¡¯an had not noticed his Qi Refinement tenth level cultivation, he would have found a way to reveal it.
Chapter 52: Summoning 52
Lu Qingshan had waited for a long time in the Ancestral Hall, and finally, Lu Yong''an reappeared in the hall.
"Come with me, the Family Head and the others are waiting for you at Qingping Hall," Lu Yong''an said as soon as he saw Lu Qingshan.
Qingping Hall was one of the Lu Family''s three main halls, located at the core of the Lu Family, right at the top of Mihe Peak, the origin of the Spirit Vein.
In the past, it was the ce where the three Golden Core Cultivators discussed matters.
Now, they were about to summon Lu Qingshan in Qingping Hall.
This showed how muchmotion Lu Qingshan had caused within the family.
"The Family Head and the others?" Lu Qingshan noticed how Lu Yong''an phrased his words.
To Lu Qingshan''s inquiry, Lu Yong''an did not hide anything: "The Family Head, the Great Elder, and... your father are currently waiting for you in Qingping Hall."
"You should know that small tricks arepletely visible in front of the three Golden Core Cultivators," Lu Yong''an added meaningfully.
What arge-scale arrangement, having three Golden Core Cultivators involved.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself, smiling but not speaking.
After leaving the Ancestral Hall, Lu Zhi, who was waiting anxiously at the doorway, saw Lu Qingshane out and showed a look of joy, ready to greet him, but then he noticed Lu Yong''an beside Lu Qingshan.
His steps faltered.
"Elder Lu, please wait for a moment," Lu Qingshan said to Lu Yong''an beside him.
Lu Yong''an nodded, "Be quick."
If Lu Qingshan were indeed the so-called favored child of heaven, then in a few decades, Lu Qingshan would be the pir of rejuvenation for the Lu Family.
Thus, giving Lu Qingshan a little bit of privilege was within reason.
Normally, if summoned by the three Golden Core Cultivators, which member of the Lu Family would not hurry there immediately?
Seeing Lu Qingshan approaching, Lu Zhi, looking anxious, grabbed Lu Qingshan''s sleeve: "Qingshan, what''s going on? Why is Elder Luing out with you? Where are you going?"
He had been waiting outside the Ancestral Hall for a long time, first seeing Lu Yong''an rushing out alone from the hall, casting a Flying Spell, and then heading up the mountain.
And Lu Qingshan, who had entered earlier in the morning, had note out, which had already made him feel very uneasy.
After a while, when Lu Yong''an finally returned and soon after brought Lu Qingshan out, it seemed they were heading somewhere.
This made Lu Zhi even more uneasy with spection.
Could it be that Qingshan hadmitted some kind of mistake?
Lu Qingshan patted Lu Zhi''s hand reassuringly, "It''s nothing serious, don''t worry. Father wants to talk to me about something; you go back first, and I''ll exin everything to youter."
"Qing Ling the Real one?" Lu Zhi was stunned.
Although Lu Qingshan was the son of Lu Bei, who did not know of Lu Bei''s reputation in the Lu Family?
In his mind, it was very doubtful whether Lu Bei even knew he had a son named Lu Qingshan.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
He had never imagined it would be Lu Bei who wanted to speak with Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan smiled, "It''s him."
"Really nothing wrong?" Lu Zhi clearly couldn''t set his mind at ease.
"Really nothing wrong. If there were, why would Elder Lu be so polite to me?"
Indeed, if Qingshan had really done something wrong, why would Lu Yong''an let Qingshane to exin it to himself?
Thinking of this, Lu Zhi''s anxious heart finally settled down a bit.
"After you''ve spoken with your father, send me a message as soon as possible," Lu Zhi reminded him: "That''s all for now, you better hurry, don''t keep your father waiting."
Lu Qingshan nodded and turned back to walk towards Lu Yong''an: "Elder Lu, let''s go."
Lu Yong''an looked at Lu Qingshan meaningfully but said nothing else.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan had finished exining the matter, Lu Yong''an didn''t dy any further. He raised his left hand and waved it, and a gust of green wind surrounded Lu Qingshan, howling as it carried both of them toward the summit of Mihe Peak.
Lu Zhi watched as Lu Yong''an took Lu Qingshan away, a hint of daze in his eyes.
He always felt that Lu Qingshan, upon returning after a three-month disappearance, seemed somewhat different from before.
¡ªHe had acquired a very special, indescribable demeanor.
...
Lu Yong''an''s Flying Spell was very fast; in just a moment, they had alreadynded on a huge Qing stone za at the mountain''s summit.
This za, known as Xuan Yue za, was the ce where the Lu Family gathered its members for npetitions or to announce major events.
npetitions were always famously grandiose asions.
A sense of mischief rose in Lu Qingshan''s mind at the thought.
Directly to the north of the za was Qingping Hall.
Lu Yong''an led Lu Qingshan to the front of Qingping Hall.
The hall''s great doors, at least thirty feet high, were made of ancient bronze and were quite imposing. At the top of the door, threerge characters read "Qingping Hall."
But at this time, the bronze doors of Qingping Hall were tightly closed.
"Family Head, Lu Qingshan has been brought here,"
Lu Yong''an respectfully said toward the inside of the bronze doors.
No sooner had his voice faded than the bronze doors silently opened, yet no one could be seen opening them.
"Come in." A faint, ethereal voice came from inside.
"Then I''m going in," Lu Qingshan said to Lu Yong''an, who clearly was not prepared to go inside with him.
"Go ahead," Lu Yong''an nced at Lu Qingshan and unconsciously added another piece of advice, "When speaking with the Family Head, pay extra attention to your words and avoid any taboos."
The conversation between Lu Qingshan and Lu Zhi had not been purposely kept from him, and as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Lu Yong''an had naturally heard everything with his enhanced senses.
Anyway, Lu Qingshan had always shown such respect for his elders.
This was enough to make Lu Yong''an favorably inclined toward Lu Qingshan, so his attitude softened a lot and he subconsciously gave another piece of advice to Lu Qingshan.
After Lu Qingshan entered Qingping Hall, the grand doors closed silently once more.
Therge, bright main hall.
It was constructed of ck Xuan stones, and a solemn, steady aura hit them in the face.
On the high tform, three Golden Core Cultivators were seated.
As soon as Lu Qingshan entered, his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the cultivator seated on the left side of the main seat.
This was a cultivator wearing a dark purple robe, with a stone blue Panli patterned brocade belt tied around his waist.
His hair, long as flowing water, was casually spread out, and he had a pair of charming peach blossom eyes, a tall stature, appearing truly strikingly handsome.
At the moment, this cultivator was using his extraordinarily beautiful peach blossom eyes to look at Lu Qingshan with evident interest.
Lu Qingshan understood in his heart that this must be his father rted by blood¡ªLu Bei.
His mother, being a mortal, must have been extraordinarily beautiful to have caught the eye of Lu Bei, who was in the Golden Core Realm.
Unexpectedly, Lu Bei, despite being a Golden Core Cultivator, turned out to be such a dashing and youthful handsome man.
No wonder he was so pleased with his own face; it turned out his genes were so favorable.
Lu Qingshan found this amusing.
While Lu Qingshan was sizing up his father, the air around him suddenly condensed.
This was the Golden Core Cultivators on the tform releasing their Divine Sense to scrutinize him.
Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Ruin Realm Quota
"Lu Qingshan pays his respects to the Family Head, the Great Elder... Real Person Qing Ling," Lu Qingshan said, disregarding the Divine Sense that continued to scan his body, as he greeted each of the three Golden Core Cultivators in turn.
It was only when calling out to Lu Bei that he hesitated slightly, eventually opting to use Lu Bei''s Taoist title.
The cultivator at the main seat was the Lu Family''s current Family Head, Lu Yuan.
For a very long time, Lu Yuan had been the first among the Lu Family, until Lu Bei appeared, and only then did the situation change.
"Hmm, Lu Qingshan, you are only fifteen this year and during the Spirit Root test at the age of five, you were found to have only an ordinary Mortal Spirit Root.
You have never seeded in Qi Refinement all these years.
However, before disappearing three months ago and upon your return to the Lu Family, you had already be a cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refinement."
Lu Yuan''s gaze was like a sharp knife, seemingly capable of seeing through Lu Qingshan.
"Among all the descendants of our Lu Family over the past few hundred years, your record is indeed unique.
What, is it that the feng shui of our Lu Family is not good?
Did it cause you, a prodigy who could attain Qi Refinement Perfection in just three months, to be an obscured gem all along?
Was it only after leaving the Lu Family that you shed all the dust and shone through, illuminating mountains and rivers alike?"
Though there was no direct interrogation, the questioning tone was unmistakable.
Lu Qingshan remained unruffled and answered calmly, "The Family Head should not jest with me; it was just some fortune during the time I was missing.
The reason I couldn''t Refine Qi before was surely due to my ownck of talent, how dare I me the Lu Family''s feng shui, and even less dare I im the title of a prodigy that you mentioned."
"Heh, just some fortune?" Lu Yuan sneered coldly, "The opportunity that allowed you, a mere mortal, to achieve Qi Refinement Perfection in just three months is no trivial matter."
"I am indeed very curious, and would like to hear about it.
Perhaps there''s something worth emting, so that the younger generation of our Lu Family can also make significant progress in their Cultivation.
If that is the case, I will certainly credit you with a great merit."
"Opportunity is something thates by chance, not by seeking. I was fortunate to encounter this opportunity; it was both timing and fate. To experience it again, I''m afraid, is highly unlikely," Lu Qingshan replied, unfazed by Lu Yuan''s sarcasm, "Since it cannot be replicated, then what good would there be in listening to it, Family Head?"
"Don''t take on such a nonchnt demeanour! When the Family Head asks you something, you answer honestly. Do you think you can muddle through by evading the question and ying little tricks?" the elder sitting to the right of the main seat suddenly said in a raised voice, his color changing.
This was the Lu Family''s Great Elder, Lu Zhou, also the eldest person in the Lu Family currently.
In terms of seniority, it might even trace back to several of Lu Qingshan''s great grandfathers.
Lu Qingshan''s expression turned serious, and he looked steadily at the Great Elder Lu Zhou, retorting, "Could it be that within the Lu Family, if a junior encounters some opportunity, they must report it?
I seem to recall that there is no such rule in the family''s regtions?
If that were the case, if the opportunity turned out to be useful to the Great Elder, should I then offer it up with both hands to you?"
Lu Qingshan''s words were sharp, and he showed no fear of the Golden Core Cultivator Lu Zhou, with no intention of backing down.
With such a rebuttal from Lu Qingshan, Lu Zhou''s face grew somewhat unsightly.N?v(el)B\\jnn
An eerie atmosphere began to brew in the hall.
Suddenly, a gentleugh sounded.
Lu Bei, having observed Lu Qingshan facing three Golden Core Cultivators yet remainingposed, chuckled lightly and said, "He''s not wrong, are we of the Lu Family so devoid of generosity?
If a prominent n like ours cannot tolerate a youngster''s fortune, then what is the point of that family''s existence, what about the sense of unity?"
Afterward, he turned his head towards Lu Zhou, who was ring fiercely, and said, "Great Elder, in my opinion, we should let this matter rest."
Lu Bei''s tone was gentle, without any hint of authority or sense of overbearing presence.
However, Lu Zhou, who had been furious, underwent several changes of expression upon Lu Bei''s words, eventually giving up his interrogation.
Family Head Lu Yuan nced at Lu Bei but ultimately chose not to say much more.
It seems that my father holds a rather high position, the Family Head and the Great Elder are both reluctant to oppose him.
Lu Qingshan took all this in, his understanding crystal clear in his heart.
Suddenly, a Jade Slip appeared out of nowhere in Lu Yuan''s hand.
At the same time, a misty Spiritual Light appeared on Lu Yuan''s hand, and he lightly touched the top of the Jade Slip with his fingertip.
Instantly, the information within the Jade Slip began to appear in the air.
This Jade Slip was the one recorded by the ck-robed Cultivator at the Service Hall, documenting the information narrated by Lu Qingshan.
After disying the information from the Jade Slip to Lu Qingshan, Lu Yuan lifted his robe sleeve and the characters in the air vanished in an instant.
"ording to you, your disappearance was because you were attacked by an evil cultivator, and thereafter your life was saved by Yuanshan Tower?" Lu Yuan asked slowly.
"Indeed that is the case," Lu Qingshan naturally wouldn''t contradict his own words.
"Do you know what Yuanshan Tower is?" Lu Yuan''s gaze hardened as he pressed for an answer.
Given Lu Yuan''s status and position, he naturally understood the existence of Yuanshan Tower and was even more aware of its terrifying aspects.
Therefore, after learning of Lu Qingshan''s contact with Yuanshan Tower, it was certain that he would inquire about the specifics.
"I didn''t know before, butter I came to understand, it''s an immense entity," said Lu Qingshan with a light chuckle.
All this information was deliberately revealed by him.
The questions asked by Lu Yuan were all within his expectations.
Lu Yuan''s eyes flickered with sharp light before he suddenly posed the question, "Is the opportunity you spoke of rted to Yuanshan Tower?"
"You could say that," Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment before answering in a deep voice.
¡ªIndeed, without Yuanshan Tower, he wouldn''t have been able to gain the colossal Experience Points from the Blood Corpse True Person and the Weeping Soul True Person.
If rted to Yuanshan Tower, creating a Qi Refinement level ten cultivator in three months surely isn''t a difficult feat.
Hearing Lu Qingshan''s response, Lu Yuan became thoughtful, his gaze shifting back and forth, scanning Lu Qingshan, and for the moment couldn''t grasp the nature of their rtionship.
If Lu Qingshan indeed had some connection to Yuanshan Tower, they would definitely not want to offend Lu Qingshan; in fact, they would consider him a cornerstone for the family.
Lu Qingshan, observing the Family Head lost in thought, took the initiative to say, "Family Head, I understand your concerns, but no matter what, I, Lu Qingshan, will always be a member of the Lu Family, there''s no doubt about that."
His statement carried an underlying message signaling his stance to Lu Yuan.
As a member of the Lu family, no matter how he turned from an ordinary person into a Qi Refinement level ten cultivator in three months, it was a good thing for the Lu family in any case.
In terms of bloodline, the Lu Family was his, and that couldn''t change.
Moreover, this world''s Lu Qingshan had lived in the Lu family for fifteen years, and there had never been any melodramatic incidents where anyone in the Lu family humiliated him for his mediocre talent.
Thus, barring special reasons, Lu Qingshan had no desire to have conflicts or disputes with the Lu family.
"You haven''t sensed Qi for many years, and ording to you, you fortuitously encountered some opportunity that allowed you to traverse in just three months what would take ordinary people ten or even more years of cultivation.
But how do we ascertain how long this opportunity of yours canst, and to what extent it might go?" Lu Yuan asked the most critical question.
Logically speaking, given Lu Qingshan''s age and his Cultivation of Qi Refinement level ten, and considering he had reached the Perfection stage in just three months, the Lu family should spare no resources in nurturing him.
But the issue was, if Lu Qingshan was like Lu Bei, naturally gifted and cultivated rapidly since childhood, then the family would''nt hesitate to tilt a wealth of resources to nurture him.
Yet, Lu Qingshan had merely been an ordinary person before, bing a cultivator only due to some opportunity.
This raises a possibility:
What if this is as far as Lu Qingshan''s opportunity goes?
What if they invest a massive amount of family resources into Lu Qingshan, but he is unable to continue this astonishing performance and break through to Foundation Establishment and then to Golden Core?
Even saying, what if reaching Foundation Establishment isn''t of much use for Lu Qingshan?
Because for the Lu family, although Foundation Establishment cultivators are the backbone of the family, it''s the high-rank Golden Core cultivators who truly determine the family''s status.
Family resources are always limited.
If arge amount of resources is poured into Lu Qingshan, and he can''t bring the value expected, then the Lu family would enter a prolonged period of decline.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan needed to prove himself worthy of the family''s resource investment.
Only then would they proceed to nurture Lu Qingshan vigorously.
Regarding this, Lu Qingshan simply waved his hand indifferently, "My cultivation doesn''t require the support of family resources, I only have one request, I want a spot in this year''s Ruin Realm."
The Lu family''s resources weren''t what he sought or needed.
His return to the Lu family was initiated not only to visit Lu Zhi and Lu Xun but also primarily for the Ruin Realm quota.
He currently needed a Foundation Establishment Technique to advance to Foundation Establishment.
And this Ruin Realm was directly rted to a Foundation Establishment Technique.
A Foundation Establishment Technique of Taoist Level!
Chapter 54: 54th Chapter: Yuanshan Tower Token
The space currently inhabited by the Human Race is vast,plete with Heavenly Dao and all Five Elements, and thus it is known as "world."
But within the world of the Human Race, there are innumerablerge and small spaces that coexist.
These spaces,ckingplete Heavenly Dao, are called minor realms.
Despite their limitations, minor realms are independent spaces, extremely suitable for magicalbat, testing disciples, or cultivating Spirit nts and Spirit Beasts in Spirit nt Gardens or Spirit Beast Gardens.
In summary, the function of minor realms is quite extensive.
When cultivators reach higher realms, possessing the ability to change heaven and earth, they can even create a minor realm with their own strength.
This is why many powerful Sects possess minor realms exclusive to their own members.
In the Sacred War that took ce twenty thousand years ago, the Demon Race fully invaded the Sky Dome.
In that battle, countless ancient, powerful Sects were obliterated overnight, severing their lineages.
These powerful Sects all owned one or more minor realms.
Some of these minor realms were plundered by the Demon Race, but others were hidden by the mighty powers of those Sects, who did not want to let the Demon Race benefit, using formations or forbidden spells.
However, as time passed, these methods used to hide the Minor Realms either through formations or restrictions gradually became ineffective, revealing these minor realms once again to the public.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Ruin Realm is such a minor realm.
It originally belonged to an ancient Sect called the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
In that battle, Mountain and Sea Pavilion became one of the many Sects that was destroyed overnight.
However, before it was destroyed, the Sect Master of Mountain and Sea Pavilion, hoping to preserve a legacy for the Sect, secretly hid the Ruin Realm, which was used to test lower-grade disciples and bestow inheritance.
Until three years ago, when the high-grade invisibility barrier used to hide the Ruin Realm depleted its Spiritual Power and the Ruin Realm reappeared to the world, within Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Once the Ruin Realm appeared, it drew a crowd.
The thirty-six major cultivation families of Zhenjiang City discussed and formed a Ruin Realm Alliance, forcefully taking control of the Ruin Realm.
¡ª¡ªAn extremely domineering and tyrannical act.
All cultivators not part of the Ruin Realm Alliance voiced their dissatisfaction with this action by Zhenjiang City''s thirty-six major cultivation families.
But what could they do about it?
Just a few inconsequential outcries¡ªthese cultivation families wouldn''t care about such things.
The Cultivation World has always been a ce where survival of the fittest reigns supreme.
To strengthen oneself and suppress others has always been the unwritten rule of survival.
Everyone is well aware that these cultivators, who verbally condemn the actions of the Ruin Realm Alliance, are only able to express moral condemnation privately because their strength is insufficient.
If they were strong enough, you''d see them doing the same as the Ruin Realm Alliance, monopolizing the Ruin Realm.
Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp¡ªthis has always been the nature of things.
Ruin Realm is a secret minor realm used by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion to test its disciples.
It is divided into twoyers.
Oneyer only allows Qi Refining Cultivators to enter, while the other permits only Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Yes, within the major cultivation families, Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who hold a significant status, are considered just lower-grade disciples to the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
The strength of Mountain and Sea Pavilion is reflected in this.
Ruin Realm opens once a year, each time allowing one hundred and eighty Qi Refining Cultivators and forty-eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators to enter.
The quotas are then divided up amongst the thirty-six major cultivation families.
...
"Are you saying that you don''t need any family resources for support and only require a slot for the Ruin Realm?" Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised.
"You must understand that although the inheritance of the Ruin Realm is precious, it is only attainable if you perform exceptionally within the Ruin Realm."
"Mountain and Sea Pavilion is indeed a great sect from ancient times, and their demands on their disciples are extremely high.
Based on the performance of disciples who have entered the Ruin Realm over the past two years, even cultivators who seem outstanding in our eyes often end up receiving only a mediocre evaluation in the Ruin Realm."
Lu Yuan kindly reminded, "Moreover, besides inheriting Cultivation Techniques, resources like Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones are also indispensable. I advise you to think it over carefully before making a decision."
Although Lu Qingshan felt the goodwill in Lu Yuan''s words, he remained unmoved. "This is the decision I have made after much deliberation."
Lu Yuan clearly hadn''t expected Lu Qingshan to make such a decision and was at a loss for how to react momentarily.
His gaze caught Lu Bei, who had been leisurely and seemingly watching a y from the beginning to the end.
A sh of anger crossed his heart.
"Qing Ling, what do you think we should do about this?" Lu Yuan simply threw the question at Lu Bei.
¡ªIt''s your son, you handle it.
Lu Bei, unafraid to avoid responsibility, saw that Lu Yuan wanted him to decide. Looking towards Lu Qingshan, he said indifferently, "Since he wants only the Ruin Realm slot, just give it to him."
"You''re all hesitant to provide him resources for fear of this and that, but now that he wants to give up the family''s resources, you start to hesitate? What, is this like a young girl in love, ying hard to get?" Lu Bei even teased Lu Yuan a bit.
Lu Yuan''s face stiffened, then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Fine then, that''s settled. You want the Ruin Realm token, I will give you one, but as for the family resources, you''ve chosen to give them up yourself. Don''t me the Lu Family for being stingy towards you in the future!"
Lu Qingshan bowed respectfully towards the three Golden Core cultivators, "Of course."
"Alright then, you may leave now, we''ll consider the matter handled for now." Lu Yuan nodded and began to shoo him away.
Lu Qingshan bowed again to the three Golden Core cultivators, then turned and left.
After exiting Qingping Hall, Lu Qingshan stood still, as if he thought of something. From his storage ring, he took out an object and examined it in his hand.
It was a token shaped like dew droplets, round on top and square at the bottom.
The back of the token was engraved with a dragon coiled around a sword, surrounded by thunder rune clouds.
The front was inscribed with two simple, bold characters ¡ª "Yuanshan."
This was a Yuanshan Tower token.
When leaving Yuanshan City, Lu Qingshan had already decided that his Foundation Establishment Technique would be obtained from the Ruin Realm.
And the Ruin Realm could not be entered by anyone other than those from the Ruin Realm Alliance.
Fortunately, he still had an identity within the Lu Family.
However, even for the Lu Family, the slots to enter the Ruin Realm were limited, so without demonstrating certain value, how could he possibly obtain this precious Ruin Realm slot?
A tenth level in Qi Refinement was his key to the door.
He understood, even though he could extend the tenth level of Qi Refinement from half-month to three-months, in reality the difference wasn''t significant; both were exceedingly remarkable.
He had to consider that the Lu Family might force him to reveal how he went from a mortal to the tenth level of Qi Refinement in just three months.
He would not entrust his safety to the conscience of the Lu Family''s Golden Core cultivators, nor would he believe that merely by his own words, he could persuade the decision-makers of the Lu Family.
Therefore, afterpleting the tasks from the Demon Hunting Alliance and leaving, the thing Lu Qingshan had prepared was to go to Yuanshan Tower to get this Yuanshan Tower token from Dantai Qingrun.
[Yuanshan Tower Token]
Description: This token symbolizes the holder''s identity as a member of the Yuanshan Tower.
If Lu Zhou had insisted on pressing Lu Qingshan, he would have presented this Yuanshan Tower token.
The identity of a Yuanshan Tower member was sufficient for Lu Qingshan''s protection.
It was not that there weren''t forces that could disregard Yuanshan Tower''s power, but clearly, the Lu Family was not among them.
Unexpectedly, with Lu Bei''s intervention, the matter had passed so smoothly.
As a result, the token that Lu Qingshan had prepared ended up being unnecessary.
Thinking of this, Lu Qingshan put away the token in his hand, turned to look back at the majestic Qingping Hall, and felt a touch of unexined joy.
Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Opening of the Ruin Realm (Part 1)
Inside Qingping Hall.
After Lu Qingshan left, Lu Zhou, who had been serious-faced, now transformed like a man changing his face, his eyes filled with teasing amusement as he addressed Lu Bei.
"Qing Ling, your son really takes after you. This unyielding spirit is exactly the same as yours back in the day."
Lu Bei''s expression remained unchanged as he retorted, "I wonder if the Great Elder ying the viin is feeling gratified?"
"Back in the day, you failed to intimidate me; now, my son isn''t scared either. All these years and yet, Great Elder, you really haven''t made any progress."
Three or four decades ago, his talent had just be apparent, but he was extremely indifferent to cultivation; he too was summoned to Qingping Hall for a talk by Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou.
The scene that day was just like today: the Great Elder yed the viin, scolding and threatening him while the Family Head Lu Yuan tried to soothe and yed good cop.
Unfortunately, he wasn''t the least bit afraid, putting the two Golden Core Cultivators in a rather awkward position.
The Great Elder Lu Zhou''s face stiffened: "You are in your sixties now, yet you still act so flippantly, with a punchable demeanor that annoys people."
...
Lu Yuan, seeing the verbal spar between the two ending with a minor victory for Lu Bei, promptly interjected to ask, "What do you think this young man meant by saying that he does not need any resources from the family for support?"
Lu Zhou pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps, someone will provide him with the necessary cultivation resources?"
Lu Yuan quickly caught on: "You mean... Zhi Shou Building?"
Lu Zhou nodded: "If Zhi Shou Building provides cultivation resources, he naturally wouldn''t value the Lu Family''s resources."
Lu Yuan hesitated, then asked, "But why would Zhi Shou Building take an interest in this kid?"
Why would Zhi Shou Building, such a powerful force, take an interest in an ordinary mortal with average talent?
He couldn''t understand.
"The three of us, Golden Core Cultivators, stand above him; yet this junior can still speak confidently and respectfully, remainingposed in the face of my anger. With such demeanor, why wouldn''t Zhi Shou Building take notice of him?"
"Lu Yuan, don''t let the fact he is a junior lead you to subconsciously overlook his merits. If you lead the Lu Family with such an attitude, you''ll eventually pay a heavy price for it." Lu Zhou said sternly.
Lu Yuan fell silent for a long while before slowly nodding: "Great Elder''s lesson is well taken; my mindset hasn''t been properly adjusted."
After some thought, Lu Zhou then instructed, "Although this little rascal ims he doesn''t need family resources, there''s no reason for our Lu Family to let down our own. Have someone send him the resources he deservester. The amount should be distributed as per a regr Qi Refining Tenth Layer disciple, no need for special treatment."
...
Lu Qingshan was timing his return to the Lu Family with the opening of the Ruin Realm.
Therefore, after the discussion in Qingping Hall, he only rested for two days at the garment workshop before receiving a message instructing him to gather at Xuan Yue Square within the family''s blessednd in preparation for the journey to the Ruin Realm.
After leaving behind a storage bag filled with Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones, Lu Qingshan bid farewell to Lu Zhi and Lu Xun.
For a lengthy period, he wouldn''t return.
Xuan Yue Square.
By the time Lu Qingshan arrived, there were already seven Lu Family cultivators gathered.
Among them were six Qi Refining Cultivators and one Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
With the arrival of Lu Qingshan, there were a total of eight.
These were all the people the Lu Family was sending to the Ruin Realm this time.
Each time the Ruin Realm opened, it could amodate one hundred eighty Qi Refining Cultivators and forty-eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Meanwhile, the Ruin Realm Alliance consisted of thirty-six cultivator families.
There was no way to distribute the spots evenly.
Even if it was possible to distribute evenly, it wouldn''t be done that way.
Although all referred to as the thirty-six great cultivator families, there are still rankings ording to strength within each family.
If you were to give the same number of spots to the first-ranked cultivator family and thest-ranked, do you think the top family would be pleased?
The number of spots each family receives for the Ruin Realm is determined by the strength of the family.
The Lu Family is a mid-ranking family among the thirty-six and receives seven spots for Qi Refining Cultivators and one spot for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Very much in line with the norm, very close to an average share.
As soon as Lu Qingshan arrived, the other cultivators nced his way.
The Lu Family''s own Ruin Realm spots were allocated well in advance.
Lu Qingshan suddenly jumping the queue two days before the Ruin Realm opening meant that one of the Qi Refining Cultivators who originally had a spot was bumped.
It was natural for everyone to be curious as to who could make the family pull strings for him this way.
Human nature.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan paid no mind to the stares of the others.
...
The wait was not long.
In less than half an hour, a beam of spiritual light shed, and then Great Elder Lu Zhounded in front of the crowd.
He was the one leading the team this time.
Lu Zhou looked around at the people present, and seeing that everyone had arrived,
"The time hase, let''s go," said Lu Zhou, casting an extremely subtle nce at Lu Qingshan with an indifferent tone.
As he spoke, Lu Zhou took out a very mini boat-shaped mold from his Storage Ring, stretched out his hand, and with a flick of Spiritual Power,
the boat-shaped mold grew out of thin air, eventually turning into a giant wooden boat before the crowd.
[Qingxia Wooden Boat], a specialized multi-person Flying Artifact.
Lu Zhou flew onto the boat.
"Everyone,e aboard."
Following Lu Zhou''smand, the other cultivators present leapt onto the boat.
Once everyone was on board, the wooden boat took off into the sky under Lu Zhou''s control, speeding away towards the distant horizon.
The entrance to the Ruin Realm was still quite a distance from the Qianzhou mountain range where the Lu Family was located.
After flying for about two hours, a majestic mountain range came into view.
Dayan mountain range.
The location of the entrance to the Ruin Realm.
Lu Zhou steered the Qingxia Wooden Boat tond before a huge, misty pit.
Once everyone had disembarked, the Qingxia Wooden Boat reverted to a mini wooden boat and was taken back into Lu Zhou''s Storage Ring.
To dominate the Ruin Realm, every family in the Ruin Realm Alliance sent several family cultivators to station here, preventing outsiders from entering.
A Lu Family cultivator stationed here had received news long ago and had been waiting for quite some time for Lu Zhou to lead the team.
When the waiting Lu Family cultivator saw Lu Zhou, he immediately greeted him respectfully, "Great Elder."
"No need for formalities. How many families have arrived now?" inquired Lu Zhou.
"Reporting to the Great Elder, a total of twenty-three families have already arrived; we are the twenty-fourth," replied the cultivator.
Lu Zhou nodded, "Not too early, not toote, just right. Let''s go in then."
Lu Zhou stretched out his finger and gently tapped towards the mist in the front.
Quickly, the mist dispersed to both sides, revealing a small path.
Lu Zhou led the way and was the first to walk in.
Lu Qingshan and the others hastily followed suit.
Once they had entered the pit and saw the scene inside, the Lu Family cultivators beside Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but let out a soft exmation.
The sight before them was indeed a bit mystical.
A giant dark passage, seemingly rotating, stood tall before them.
At this moment, the open space in front of the passage was already bustling, with over a hundred cultivators gathered.
Only Lu Qingshan still maintained an unperturbed demeanor.
Not without reason¡ªas he was very familiar with the ce.
At present, this ce was called the entrance to the Ruin Realm.
But in the game "Nine Heavens," the full name of the Ruin Realm was [Ruin Realm Instance] (Normal/Elite).
The normal difficulty allowed only Qi Refining Realm yers to enter, while the elite difficulty was exclusive to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
And this [Ruin Realm Instance], he had entered at least a dozen times.
If the story unfolded as expected, the Ruin Realm Alliance''s dominance over the Ruin Realm wouldst only three years.
Which meant that this time would be thest asion the Ruin Realm Alliance monopolized the quotas for the Ruin Realm.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
By the end of the year, when the Corpse Puppet Chaos erupted, the major cultivator families would be too preupied to fend for themselves.
Some families with bad luck would suffer heavy losses, with several high-rank Golden Core cultivators dead, leaving them unable to continue dominating the mountain range blessed with high-grade Spirit Veins.
There would also be some families who would annex those who had suffered heavy losses, seizing the opportunity to rise to power.
Then, it would be time for all the major forces to reshuffle, with therge families busy vying for resources such as Spirit Veins and undermining each other. Naturally, the Ruin Realm Alliance would crumble and cease to exist.
Chapter 55 - 55 Opening of the Ruin Realm (Part 1)
Inside Qingping Hall.
After Lu Qingshan left, Lu Zhou, who had been serious-faced, now transformed like a man changing his face, his eyes filled with teasing amusement as he addressed Lu Bei.
"Qing Ling, your son really takes after you. This unyielding spirit is exactly the same as yours back in the day."
Lu Bei''s expression remained unchanged as he retorted, "I wonder if the Great Elder ying the viin is feeling gratified?"
"Back in the day, you failed to intimidate me; now, my son isn''t scared either. All these years and yet, Great Elder, you really haven''t made any progress."
Three or four decades ago, his talent had just be apparent, but he was extremely indifferent to cultivation; he too was summoned to Qingping Hall for a talk by Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou.
The scene that day was just like today: the Great Elder yed the viin, scolding and threatening him while the Family Head Lu Yuan tried to soothe and yed good cop.
Unfortunately, he wasn''t the least bit afraid, putting the two Golden Core Cultivators in a rather awkward position.
The Great Elder Lu Zhou''s face stiffened: "You are in your sixties now, yet you still act so flippantly, with a punchable demeanor that annoys people."
...
Lu Yuan, seeing the verbal spar between the two ending with a minor victory for Lu Bei, promptly interjected to ask, "What do you think this young man meant by saying that he does not need any resources from the family for support?"
Lu Zhou pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps, someone will provide him with the necessary cultivation resources?"
Lu Yuan quickly caught on: "You mean... Zhi Shou Building?"
Lu Zhou nodded: "If Zhi Shou Building provides cultivation resources, he naturally wouldn''t value the Lu Family''s resources."
Lu Yuan hesitated, then asked, "But why would Zhi Shou Building take an interest in this kid?"
Why would Zhi Shou Building, such a powerful force, take an interest in an ordinary mortal with average talent?
He couldn''t understand.
"The three of us, Golden Core Cultivators, stand above him; yet this junior can still speak confidently and respectfully, remainingposed in the face of my anger. With such demeanor, why wouldn''t Zhi Shou Building take notice of him?"
"Lu Yuan, don''t let the fact he is a junior lead you to subconsciously overlook his merits. If you lead the Lu Family with such an attitude, you''ll eventually pay a heavy price for it." Lu Zhou said sternly.
Lu Yuan fell silent for a long while before slowly nodding: "Great Elder''s lesson is well taken; my mindset hasn''t been properly adjusted."
After some thought, Lu Zhou then instructed, "Although this little rascal ims he doesn''t need family resources, there''s no reason for our Lu Family to let down our own. Have someone send him the resources he deservester. The amount should be distributed as per a regr Qi Refining Tenth Layer disciple, no need for special treatment."
...
Lu Qingshan was timing his return to the Lu Family with the opening of the Ruin Realm.
Therefore, after the discussion in Qingping Hall, he only rested for two days at the garment workshop before receiving a message instructing him to gather at Xuan Yue Square within the family''s blessednd in preparation for the journey to the Ruin Realm.
After leaving behind a storage bag filled with Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones, Lu Qingshan bid farewell to Lu Zhi and Lu Xun.
For a lengthy period, he wouldn''t return.
Xuan Yue Square.
By the time Lu Qingshan arrived, there were already seven Lu Family cultivators gathered.
Among them were six Qi Refining Cultivators and one Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
With the arrival of Lu Qingshan, there were a total of eight.
These were all the people the Lu Family was sending to the Ruin Realm this time.
Each time the Ruin Realm opened, it could amodate one hundred eighty Qi Refining Cultivators and forty-eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Meanwhile, the Ruin Realm Alliance consisted of thirty-six cultivator families.
There was no way to distribute the spots evenly.
Even if it was possible to distribute evenly, it wouldn''t be done that way.
Although all referred to as the thirty-six great cultivator families, there are still rankings ording to strength within each family.
If you were to give the same number of spots to the first-ranked cultivator family and thest-ranked, do you think the top family would be pleased?
The number of spots each family receives for the Ruin Realm is determined by the strength of the family.
The Lu Family is a mid-ranking family among the thirty-six and receives seven spots for Qi Refining Cultivators and one spot for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Very much in line with the norm, very close to an average share.
As soon as Lu Qingshan arrived, the other cultivators nced his way.
The Lu Family''s own Ruin Realm spots were allocated well in advance.
Lu Qingshan suddenly jumping the queue two days before the Ruin Realm opening meant that one of the Qi Refining Cultivators who originally had a spot was bumped.
It was natural for everyone to be curious as to who could make the family pull strings for him this way.
Human nature.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan paid no mind to the stares of the others.
...
The wait was not long.
In less than half an hour, a beam of spiritual light shed, and then Great Elder Lu Zhounded in front of the crowd.
He was the one leading the team this time.
Lu Zhou looked around at the people present, and seeing that everyone had arrived,
"The time hase, let''s go," said Lu Zhou, casting an extremely subtle nce at Lu Qingshan with an indifferent tone.
As he spoke, Lu Zhou took out a very mini boat-shaped mold from his Storage Ring, stretched out his hand, and with a flick of Spiritual Power,
the boat-shaped mold grew out of thin air, eventually turning into a giant wooden boat before the crowd.
[Qingxia Wooden Boat], a specialized multi-person Flying Artifact.
Lu Zhou flew onto the boat.
"Everyone,e aboard."
Following Lu Zhou''smand, the other cultivators present leapt onto the boat.
Once everyone was on board, the wooden boat took off into the sky under Lu Zhou''s control, speeding away towards the distant horizon.
The entrance to the Ruin Realm was still quite a distance from the Qianzhou mountain range where the Lu Family was located.
After flying for about two hours, a majestic mountain range came into view.
Dayan mountain range.
The location of the entrance to the Ruin Realm.
Lu Zhou steered the Qingxia Wooden Boat tond before a huge, misty pit.
Once everyone had disembarked, the Qingxia Wooden Boat reverted to a mini wooden boat and was taken back into Lu Zhou''s Storage Ring.
To dominate the Ruin Realm, every family in the Ruin Realm Alliance sent several family cultivators to station here, preventing outsiders from entering.
A Lu Family cultivator stationed here had received news long ago and had been waiting for quite some time for Lu Zhou to lead the team.
When the waiting Lu Family cultivator saw Lu Zhou, he immediately greeted him respectfully, "Great Elder."
"No need for formalities. How many families have arrived now?" inquired Lu Zhou.
"Reporting to the Great Elder, a total of twenty-three families have already arrived; we are the twenty-fourth," replied the cultivator.
Lu Zhou nodded, "Not too early, not toote, just right. Let''s go in then."
Lu Zhou stretched out his finger and gently tapped towards the mist in the front.
Quickly, the mist dispersed to both sides, revealing a small path.
Lu Zhou led the way and was the first to walk in.
Lu Qingshan and the others hastily followed suit.
Once they had entered the pit and saw the scene inside, the Lu Family cultivators beside Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but let out a soft exmation.
The sight before them was indeed a bit mystical.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
A giant dark passage, seemingly rotating, stood tall before them.
At this moment, the open space in front of the passage was already bustling, with over a hundred cultivators gathered.
Only Lu Qingshan still maintained an unperturbed demeanor.
Not without reason¡ªas he was very familiar with the ce.
At present, this ce was called the entrance to the Ruin Realm.
But in the game "Nine Heavens," the full name of the Ruin Realm was [Ruin Realm Instance] (Normal/Elite).
The normal difficulty allowed only Qi Refining Realm yers to enter, while the elite difficulty was exclusive to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
And this [Ruin Realm Instance], he had entered at least a dozen times.
If the story unfolded as expected, the Ruin Realm Alliance''s dominance over the Ruin Realm wouldst only three years.
Read thetest on NovelBin.C?m
Which meant that this time would be thest asion the Ruin Realm Alliance monopolized the quotas for the Ruin Realm.
By the end of the year, when the Corpse Puppet Chaos erupted, the major cultivator families would be too preupied to fend for themselves.
Some families with bad luck would suffer heavy losses, with several high-rank Golden Core cultivators dead, leaving them unable to continue dominating the mountain range blessed with high-grade Spirit Veins.
There would also be some families who would annex those who had suffered heavy losses, seizing the opportunity to rise to power.
Then, it would be time for all the major forces to reshuffle, with therge families busy vying for resources such as Spirit Veins and undermining each other. Naturally, the Ruin Realm Alliance would crumble and cease to exist.
Chapter 56 The Opening of the Ruin Realm (Part 2)
"Real person Lu Zhou, are these the young members of the Lu Family who will be entering the Ruin Realm this time?"
No sooner had Lu Qingshan and his party entered the area than a thin, withered old man also arrived with several cultivators to greet them.
Lu Zhou nodded and introduced to Lu Qingshan and the others, "This is real person Liu Neng of the Liu Family."
Everyone hurried over to pay their respects.
"We''ve seen real person Liu Neng."
"No need for such formalities," Liu Neng waved his hand to signal.
The Liu Family and the Lu Family had been allies for many years, so upon seeing Lu Zhou leading the team here, real person Liu Neng came over to greet them immediately.
...
Liu Neng nced at Lu Qingshan, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes, "Who is this? I don''t recall ever seeing him.
"So young and already at the tenthyer of Qi Refinement, don''t tell me your Lu Family is going to produce another Qing Ling real person."
Lu Zhou''s face bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum, but he humbly replied, "Him? His name is Lu Qingshan, a descendant of Qing Ling.
"However, I wouldn''t darepare him to Qing Ling. For our Lu Family to produce a real person like Qing Ling is already incredibly rare.
"To produce another, our Lu Family isn''t that fortunate!"
Lu Zhou, who usually appeared to disapprove of Lu Bei, was in fact proud of his straightforwardness.
Deep down, he was immensely proud that the Lu Family had produced a real person like Qing Ling.
At this moment, Liu Neng and Lu Zhou chatted idly on the sidelines.
On the other side, the younger members of the two families were naturally striking up conversations as well.
As allied ns, the Liu Family cultivators and Lu Family cultivators often had private interactions, so it was not strange for them to recognize each other.
"Who is that? He looks a bit unfamiliar. I don''t believe I''ve seen him in your Lu Family before?" asked a Qi Refining Cultivator from the Liu Family by the name of Liu Yongnian.
Liu Yongnian eyed Lu Qingshan and quietly asked Lu Xin.
Lu Xin was the only female cultivator among the Lu Family''s group traveling this time.
Both were at the tenthyer of Qi Refinement.
The tests in the Ruin Realm are extremely difficult, thus the younger members brought by each family mostly possess Qi Refinement Perfection.
Lu Xin shook her head and murmured softly, "We''re actually not very clear ourselves, as this is also our first time seeing this person.
"Originally, it wasn''t himing, but Brother Liren. However, just two days ago, the Family Head suddenly sent a message to have him rece Brother Liren''s spot."
"It seems his name is Lu Qingshan, said to be a descendant of Qing Ling real person. I''m not sure if it was Qing Ling real person who asked for this Ruin Realm spot for him."
"That''s unlikely, isn''t it? Isn''t your Qing Ling real person known for not meddling with his many offspring and never taking care of his own descendants? Why would he do such a thing?"
"But he is a cultivator at the tenthyer of Qi Refinement, and so young too. Surely, Qing Ling real person must have some expectations for him."
Suddenly, Lu Qingshan became the focus of conversation among the people from both families.
...N?v(el)B\\jnn
The surrounding mist dispersed once again.
Afterward, arge group of cultivators entered from outside.
Upon counting carefully, there were no fewer than seventeen individuals from just one n, more than twice the number from the Lu Family.
With so many Ruin Realm slots, it was without doubt that this was one of the most powerful ns within the Ruin Realm Alliance.
And indeed, it was so.
"These are the cultivators from the Ke Family," Liu Yongnian muttered softly, "What a grand entrance, I wonder how the Ke Family managed to rise so rapidly in just a few decades."
"Indeed, the Ye Family has upied the top spot among the thirty-six major cultivation ns for who knows how long, and the statuses and influences of the Xiao Family, the Qin Family, and the Su Family have also been deeply rooted.
"The Ke Family was just a very inconspicuous small n before, not even as good as our Lu Family!
"Who would have thought that once they rose, they would be unstoppable.
"Not only did they surpass the Xiao Family, the Qin Family, and the Su Family, but they even pushed the Ye Family from the top spot," Lu Xin couldn''t help but chime in.
...
As time passed, more and more cultivators gathered in the area.
Lots of cultivators, lots of chatter, the ce was abuzz with excitement.
Just then.
"The Ruin Realm is open!" someone shouted from within the crowd.
Lu Qingshan looked toward the passageway.
The once pitch-ck passage began to glow with specks of silver light, with ripples undting within.
This was the sign that the Ruin Realm was opening.
The leader of the Ke Family''s cultivators stepped forward and sent a probe of spiritual power into it.
A momentter.
"The spatial passage is very stable, you all may enter," the Ke Family''s leading cultivator flung his sleeves and spoke with a heavy voice.
The spatial passage into a minor realm can be unstable over time, eventually even copsing outright.
Therefore, each time the Ruin Realm opens, high-rank cultivators will first investigate the stability of the spatial passage and, after ensuring safety, allow the various ns'' youth to enter the Ruin Realm for their trials.
This precaution was also first proposed by the Ke Family.
```
¡ª¡ªThe people of the Ke Family have always been known for their meticulous thoughts and extreme caution.
Soon, the cultivators from the major families entered the Ruin Realm one after another in an orderly fashion through the passage.
Once all the cultivators of the families had entered the Ruin Realm, the silver light inside the passage slowly dissipated.
The rippling waves also stilled.
This signaled that the Ruin Realm had reached its maximum capacity for people, and so the entrance was closed.
With the lower grade cultivators from each family having entered the Ruin Realm, the once bustling scene quieted down significantly.
Only the thirty-six Golden Core cultivators from various families, who led their respective teams, remained on the field.
Golden Core cultivators generally maintain their dignity and are not as noisy and boisterous as lower grade cultivators.
But there are always exceptions.
It was at this moment that Fang Qian, the leading Golden Core cultivator of the Fang Family, stood out and shouted, "The betting starts now, anyone wants to ce their bets?"
...
Upon seeing Fang Qian''s behavior, Lu Zhou felt somewhat helpless: "This old guy, at such an age, yet still acts like this."
Liu Nengughed and said, "Isn''t this just the Fang Family''s style? The reputation of ''Fang the Bluffer'' isn''t unjustified."
Fang Qian kept shouting loudly on the side: "The old rules, the old rules! In the Qi Refining Realm, odds are five to one for the Xiao Family to win, six to one for the Qin Family to win..."
Sure enough, quite a few Golden Core cultivators gathered around to join in.
"I''m going to bet on the Ke Family for fun, do you want to join?" Liu Neng asked with interest.
It was boring to wait idly, so it might be fun to join the crowd.
Lu Zhou instinctively wanted to shake his head and refuse, but just as he was about to speak, the scene above the Qingping Hall suddenly shed across his mind.
Lu Qingshan had calmly asked for a spot in the Ruin Realm from the three Golden Core cultivators.
Could this kid be serious?
A thought stirred in Lu Zhou''s heart.
"Then let''s go have a look."
"I knew you wouldn''t¡ªhuh." Liu Neng paused, surprised as he looked at Lu Zhou.
In the previous two openings of the Ruin Realm, Fang Qian had also set up a betting pool, but each time Lu Zhou had been reluctant to participate.
This time, Liu Neng had asked just casually, not really thinking that Lu Zhou would agree, yet Lu Zhou had unexpectedly decided to join.
"Let''s go, then." said Lu Zhou, his expression calm as he walked toward Fang Qian.
Liu Neng was taken aback for a moment before hastily following.
Once they approached Fang Qian, Liu Neng asked, "Fang Qian, what are the odds for this betting pool?"
Fang Qian cried out, "Isn''t this the real Liu Neng? Same asst time, odds for the Qi Refining Realm, two to one for the Ke Family to win, three to one for the Ye Family to win..."
In the previous two trials of the Ruin Realm, the cultivator with the highest evaluation hade from the Ke Family, so it was natural for the Ke Family to have the lowest odds.
Fang Qian took out two fourth-grade spirit stones from his storage ring: "Qi Refining Realm Ke Family to win, two fourth-grade spirit stones."
For a Golden Core cultivator, two fourth-grade spirit stones weren''t particrly valuable, but they also weren''t something one could easily obtain.
They were just right for a bit of entertainment.
"Alright!" Fang Qian smiled and took the two fourth-grade spirit stones, "I''ll note that down for you. Do you want to bet on the Foundation Establishment Realm as well..."
"What are the odds for my Lu Family to win the Qi Refining Realm trial?" Lu Zhou suddenly interjected.
Fang Qian was taken aback.
He clearly hadn''t expected anyone to bet on the Lu Family''s victory and had only prepared the odds for a few popr families. Caught off guard by Lu Zhou''s question, he was momentarily at a loss for an answer.
"What, there is no betting pool for my Lu Family?" Lu Zhou frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of discontent.
Fang Qian''s face was all smiles: "How could that be? The Lu Family... eh, twenty to one..."
Fang Qian had originally intended to casually offer fifty to one.
After all, it seemed impossible for the Lu Family toe out on top, so setting a high betting ratio didn''t matter.
But subconsciously, Fang Qian felt a pang of caution.
When things deviate from the norm, there must be a demon at work.
Lu Zhou was asking about his own family''s odds, could it be that he had too many spirit stones and wanted to give some away?
That''s unlikely.
He wasn''t that naive.
So in the end, he lowered the odds for the Lu Family to twenty to one.
It was almost the lowest possible ratio.
Any lower would be unreasonable.
Because in thest Ruin Realm test, the results of the Lu Family were very mediocre, ranking around the twentieth ce among the thirty-six families.
Lu Zhou nodded and likewise took out two fourth-grade spirit stones: "Two fourth-grade spirit stones on my Lu Family to win the Qi Refining Realm trial!"
This old fellow couldn''t be about to pull off some big move, could he? There hadn''t been any news of any Qi Refining cultivator genius emerging from the Lu Family recently.
Fang Qian took the two fourth-grade spirit stones from Lu Zhou, feeling a foreboding premonition.
```
Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Mountain and Sea Pavilion
The night was cool as water.
It was like the tranquil world before a storm,pletely silent, brewing the final tempest.
Countless giant mountains stood tall, densely packed like ancient behemoths slumbering in their sleep.
Clouds and fog enveloped everything, the thick mist resembling a sea of fog.
This was the location of the ancient Mountain and Sea Pavilion Sect.
Atop one of the giant mountains.
There was an exceedingly vast tform on the mountain summit.
Tens of thousands of cultivators were gathered in dense crowds.
Yet strangely, the eyes of these cultivators all seemed somewhat vacant.
As if they were no more than the walking dead.
Suddenly, at a certain moment.
Over a hundred streaks of luminescence shed across the sky.
Following that, a sharp gleam flickered through the eyes of some cultivators on the tform, restoring rity to their gaze.
It was as if souls had been injected into walking corpses, reviving them.
The trial of the Ruin Realm had officially begun.
...
Lu Qingshan came back to his senses and slowly opened his eyes.
He first checked his current state; although now he wore the uniform Taoist robe of a Mountain and Sea Pavilion disciple, and had a different appearance and physique,
his cultivation and magic artifacts remained unchanged from when he had entered.
Lu Qingshan nced around, surrounded by Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining Cultivators in blue Taoist robes just like himself.
He understood that amongst these tens of thousands of Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining Cultivators, only one hundred seventy-nine were truly alive.
The rest were merely illusions of the Ruin Realm.
...
The crowd was silent, as if waiting for something.
Lu Qingshan was doing the same.
A momentter.
In the misty distance,
a dazzling blue radiance shed.
In the darkness of night, it was like a shooting star.
And this shooting star was now heading straight for the giant mountain where Lu Qingshan was.
Soon.
The radiance paused above the heads of the cultivators, revealing the figure within.
A middle-aged male cultivator in a white robe, his face weary.
He had an aura as deep as an abyss.
"Sect Master!" all the disciples of Mountain and Sea Pavilion called out respectfully in unison.
The white-robed cultivator addressed as Sect Master nced over all the cultivators present.
He let out a long sigh, and then slowly spoke.
"I presume you all are aware by now,"
"that Mountain and Sea Pavilion is currently surrounded by forces led by the Demon Lord of Myriad Poisons."
"The Demon Lord has sent emissaries to negotiate with our Mountain and Sea Pavilion, demanding our submission to the Demon Race."
"He has given us one night to consider the matter."
"But there is no need to consider it, for cultivators of Mountain and Sea Pavilion can only die standing, not live on our knees in disgrace."
"The legacy of Mountain and Sea Pavilion for ten thousand years may not endure after tonight. As thest Sect Master of Mountain and Sea Pavilion, the only thing I can do now is to lead the cultivators of Mountain and Sea Pavilion in a desperate fight against the Demon Race, to maintain the honor of our name."
"I only hope that the ancestors of Mountain and Sea Pavilion do not me this unworthy descendant."
The Sect Master of Mountain and Sea Pavilion fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.
The cultivators below were all silent as well.
Eventually, some very faint sounds of weeping emerged.
It was like the fuse that ignites a keg of gunpowder.
The sobbing slowly spread.
They had grown up in Mountain and Sea Pavilion and regarded it as their home.
Now, this home was in peril.
How could they not feel heartache?
The Sect Master of Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked at his disciples, weeping increasingly, his eyes filled with profound sadness.
"You disciples are but Qi Refiners; Mountain and Sea Pavilion should have nurtured and protected you for a hundred, a thousand years, until you grew into great cultivators who could support our Mountain and Sea Pavilion."
"Now, you have not yet matured, and the Mountain and Sea Pavilion has not provided you with too many resources, yet you must face such a catastrophe."
"You have a choice now."
"Leave or stay here to die with the Mountain and Sea Pavilion."
"If you stay, given the Demon Race''s cruel methods, there is no possibility of survival; death is almost certain."
"If you decide to leave, the Demon Race has already amassed countless forces outside our Mountain and Sea Pavilion, sealing the space, and ordinary Teleportation Arrays are utterly useless."
"Only the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation'' can still function, but the destination of the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation'' ispletely out of control, it''s random teleportation. The elders are currently constructing the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation'' at Flying Peak."
"So far, the Demon Race hasn''t gained knowledge of this method; the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation'' can still wield the power to teleport, but it''s highly likely to experience mishaps."
"Moreover, within ten thousand miles, the Demon Race is ubiquitous, so even if you manage to escape through the Teleportation Formation, you might leap out of the wolf''s den and directly into the tiger''sir."
"Therefore, even if you choose to escape through the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation,'' it is a situation of escaping death by a hair''s breadth, but it is still better than the certain death of staying behind."
"You need not feel ashamed for choosing to flee; as Qi Refining Cultivators, even if you stay, your significance to the Mountain and Sea Pavilion is not that great."
"However, if you choose to flee and actually manage to survive, you might still leave a sliver of hope for the continuation of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s legacy."
"If that is to be the case, you would be the heroes of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion."
"Take your time to think about it, to leave or to stay."
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion flourished his robes.
A deep blue radiance pattern emerged above the group of cultivators, lingering for a long time.
"Those who choose to stay stand to the right of this blue light; those who choose to flee stand to the left of this blue light...," the voice of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Sect Master began to tremble, growing lower and lower until it finally fell silent.
For as he finished speaking about choosing to stay on the right side of the blue light,
The dense crowd, as if controlled by something,
Without any discussion, without any hesitation,
All moved to the right side of the blue light at that moment.
In the darkness of the night, thousands of lower-grade Qi Refining cultivators gathered together, some of whom were still sobbing softly.
Their faces in the shadows were not very clear to the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
An inexplicable, strange feeling battered back and forth in his heart.
"Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, all willing to die with the Mountain and Sea!"N?v(el)B\\jnn
In the crowd, someone shouted out first.
Then, the voices rose one after another, gradually bing orderly.
The voices soared into the sky.
"Die with the Mountain and Sea!"
"Die with the Mountain and Sea!"
"Die with the Mountain and Sea!"
...
Flying Peak.
Several Mountain and Sea Pavilion Formation Masters, along with the disciples skilled in arrays, were here constantly tracing Formation Patterns, constructing the ''Heavenly Transfer Formation''.
Suddenly, one of the Formation Masters lifted his head.
"Is there a sound?"
"What sound...,"
"Shh, listen!"
Faint and intermittent voices floated through the mist.
Atst, the sound became increasingly clear.
"Die with the Mountain... and Sea!"
The eyes of the Formation Master lit up as they looked in the direction of the sound.
"That is..."
The Formation Master quickly took out the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Token from his Storage Ring.
The Token was constantly glowing.
The Formation Master plunged his Divine Sense into it.
The serene voice of the Sect Master came through.
After receiving the message from the Sect Master, the Formation Master''s spirit was roused.
"Everyone, stop for a moment!"
All the people looked up at the Formation Master.
"Take down these Formation Patterns," the Formation Master ordered.
"But we are about toplete the construction..." someone eximed with shock and doubt.
"Take down these Formation Patterns and use the materials to set up a killing array; ughter a few more of the Demon Race!"
"This time, we of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, the whole sect, shall meet our end together and fight these demon beasts to the death!"
Chapter 58 Great Expansion Formation
```
As all this happened, every cultivator who entered the Ruin Realm from the outside world seemed to have their souls controlled.
Like marites on strings, consciousness was sealed within the bodies of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s Qi Refining Cultivators.
They could only be spectators, watching the plot unfold with wide eyes, unable to choose.
In game terminology, this would be called a dungeon''s cutscene, meant to borate the dungeon''s storyline background.
During the time Lu Qingshan couldn''t control his current body, he went over the relevant information of the Ruin Realm dungeon again in his mind.
After all, it was a game experience from a very long time ago.
The trial of the Ruin Realm was to reenact the entire process of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s annihtion battle from those years.
And the role of the cultivators undergoing the trial was that of the Qi Refining Cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Their goal was to perform as well as possible from the beginning of this battle until their own death.
Once dead within the Ruin Realm, the trial would end.
After the trial ended, the Ruin Realm would give an evaluation based on each person''s performance and assign inheritance rewards ordingly.
The evaluations from highest to lowest were Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D.
The highest, Grade A evaluation, granted the inheritance reward of a Taoist Level Foundation Establishment Technique from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
This reward was unique.
If someone obtained this unique reward, those who cameter, no matter how well they performed, could at most receive a Grade B evaluation and could never obtain a Grade A again.N?v(el)B\\jnn
In his previous life, this Taoist Level Foundation Establishment Technique reward did not belong to any yer.
¡ª¡ªIt was taken by an NPC.
Because an NPC obtained this unique reward, no yer knew the exact steps to achieve the highest evaluation.
What the NPC did within the Ruin Realm was also unknown to Lu Qingshan.
However, as a top yer, Lu Qingshan was different from those newbie yers who could only follow guides or average yers imitating expert strategies.
Often, he was the one writing the guides, the so-called expert.
Even by himself, he had the ability to perfectly clear a dungeon.
In his previous life, Lu Qingshan had entered the Ruin Realm dungeon more than a dozen times.
He had alsoe up with his own set of strategies for perfectly clearing this trial.
However, ultimately he was one step too slow to verify the viability of his own strategy.
This had always been something he greatly regretted.
But now, the highest evaluation in the Ruin Realm was still up for grabs.
He finally had the chance to test the ideas from his previous life.
See if following his own strategy could indeed earn the highest Grade A evaluation.
In Lu Qingshan''s strategy,
to gain the highest evaluation possible,
one thing was very important.
Find a way to surpass the threshold of the Qi Refining Realm rank.
In this battle of annihtion, Qi Refining Cultivators weren''t even cannon fodder.
Only Foundation Establishment Cultivators were fit to be called cannon fodder.
For these disciples of the Qi Refining Realm in the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, once the Demon Race broke into the pavilion, no ce was safe.
Lu Qingshan was well aware that with thebat power of a Qi Refining Cultivator, no matter how well he did, the evaluation wouldn''t be high.
He had to possess a higherbat power.
For a cultivator, the fastest shortcut to demonstrating strength far beyond one''s own in a short period was inevitably...
Formation!
...
Finally, Lu Qingshan was in control of his body once again.
Looking up, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion still stood hovering above the crowd.
Standing silently in the sky, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion then raised his robe''s long sleeves.
Spirit Stones appeared in the sky, matched by countless Array tes and Array gs.
The Sect Master swung his hand, and the Spirit Stones along with the Array gs and Array tes dispersed, flying towards all the Qi Refining Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion on the field.
"This is our Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s ''Great Expansion Formation'' Array g. Each person should take one, and thirty-six people can form one Great Expansion Formation. You may form your own teams."
"Under the power of the Great Expansion Formation, you''ll be able to fight against low-rank demons."
An Array g and several dozen high-rank Spirit Stones flew towards Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan reached out to receive them, and the information about the Array g appeared before his eyes:
```
[Great Expansion Formation]Formation g (1/36)
Description: Holding this formation g, at least thirty-six people can form a Great Expansion Formation.
Formation Effect: The Great Expansion Formation can condense the spiritual power of all thirty-six cultivators into one force, and any damage sustained will be evenly distributed among these thirty-six cultivators.
This is a very strong battle formation.
Battle formations are special formations created specifically forbat.
Ordinary formations require a certain amount of time to be set up in advance.
Moreover, once a formation is established, its effective range is fixed and cannot be moved, which is extremely rigid.
But battle formations are different from those ordinary formations.
Cultivators only need to hold the formation g to establish a formation at any time.
Furthermore, battle formations can move and are infinitely variable.
Even during ancient times, battle formations were extremely rare.
And only an ancient sect like the Mountain and Sea Pavilion could master such powerful formations.
Under the effect of this formation, thirty-six Qi Refining Cultivators will possess thebat power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
They can barely fight against lower-grade members of the Demon Race rather than beingpletely at their mercy.
However, if things continue this way, it is impossible to receive a high evaluation.
Because the Great Expansion Formation only qualifies Qi Refining Cultivators as cannon fodder, and that''s all.
And if it''s just cannon fodder, no matter how well they perform, it''s obviously impossible to receive a high evaluation.
Lu Qingshan shook his head as he looked at the formation g in his hand.
The formation he was relying on in his heart was not the Great Expansion Formation.
His target was the Sect Protection Array of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
The Eighth Grade Formation [Mountains and Seas Formation].
The problem is that the controllers of the Mountains and Seas Formation are all Formation Masters of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and high-rank cultivators.
How could he, a Qi Refining Cultivator, participate in it?
...
After the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion issued the formation gs and Spirit Stones to all the Qi Refining Cultivators, his figure transformed into a blue radiance and swiftly moved to the next peak.
As the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, he needed to visit every peak of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and see all its cultivators in one night.
Then he would resolutely meet his death.
The Qi Refining Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion took the formation gs and quickly began to look for acquaintances to form teams.
And after seeing the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion leave, a sharp light shed in Lu Qingshan''s eyes as he quietly disappeared into the crowd.
...
The Mountains and Seas Formation, as an Eighth Grade Formation, nearly possesses the great power to reach the heavens.
Such a powerful formation cannot be simply established using so-called formation gs and Spirit Stones.
The Mountains and Seas Formation uses countless Spirit Mountains of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion as formation points, the boundless sea of mist as formation patterns, powered by the Spiritual Power provided by the Spirit Veins of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Once the Mountains and Seas Formation is activated, it will call upon the full Power of the Mountains and Seas.
The giant peak where Lu Qingshan currently was, is known as Endless Peak.
The Spirit Vein of Endless Peak is a Fourth Grade Spirit Vein.
It is considered one of the middle to lower-grade Spirit Veins within the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
It''s not surprising, after all, Endless Peak is just a cultivation ground for Qi Refining disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Although it is only a Fourth Grade Spirit Vein, when the Mountains and Seas Formation is fully activated, it will also be one of the sources of strength for the Mountains and Seas Formation.
Chapter Explore:
The Demon Race are not fools, they are even quite cunning.
In fact, the Spirit Veins will be the primary targets of the Demon Race''s attacks.
The space of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion has been sealed by the Demon Race.
Without the ability to use the Teleportation Formation, all Qi Refining Cultivators on Endless Peak will not be able to leave the peak without the guidance of a powerful cultivator.
And on Endless Peak, the most important thing, obviously, is this Fourth Grade Spirit Vein that can provide Spiritual Power for the Mountains and Seas Formation.
So, to get a Grade A evaluation, in Lu Qingshan''s view, depends on this Spirit Vein.
...
By the time Lu Qingshan arrived at the Spirit Vein point on Endless Peak.
The barrier that had sealed the Spirit Vein was already opened, and now a Void Refining Cultivator was leading many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, guarding the spot.
Void Refining is the realm just above Nascent Soul, the fifth rank of cultivation.
Chapter 59 Soul-Departing Miasma
"Who goes there!"
As Lu Qingshan approached the area, he was immediately stopped by a Golden Core Cultivator.
The importance of the Spirit Vein was well understood by both the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and the Demon Race.
Therefore, although Lu Qingshan was a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, he was stopped before he got too close to the Spirit Vein.
"Qi Refining disciple Lu Qingshan, here to support the uncles in guarding the Spirit Vein."
The Golden Core Cultivator frowned, about to refuse, but before the cultivator could speak, Lu Qingshan quickly added.
"Although my cultivation is modest, I have some knowledge of the methods of the Demon Race, which might provide some assistance in guarding the Spirit Vein."
The Golden Core Cultivator hesitated, scrutinizing Lu Qingshan, "You know something about the methods of the Demon Race?"
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"How can you prove it?" The methods of the Demon Race were not even clear to the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion; he had no reason to believe a Qi Refining Cultivator making such bold ims without proof.
Chapter Discover:
"Uncle, please introspect your Divine Soul, and you will see that what I say is true."
The Golden Core Cultivator was startled.
Instinctively following Lu Qingshan''s instructions, he quickly examined the Divine Soul within the Divine Pce at the center of his forehead.
"What is this?!"
The Golden Core Cultivator eximed in shock.
It turned out that his seemingly unharmed Divine Soul was now enveloped in a thinyer of ck mist that could not be dispelled.
"The method of the Poisonous Demon Lord, Soul-Departing Miasma," Lu Qingshan spoke gravely.
"What is the Soul-Departing Miasma?" The Golden Core Cultivator''s expression turned solemn as he looked at Lu Qingshan. "What else do you know?"
"I suspect that not only you, uncle, but also the other uncles guarding the Spirit Vein have been affected by this miasma," Lu Qingshan warned.
The Golden Core Cultivator''s expression darkened, realizing the gravity of the situation, "Wait here for a moment."
Immediately, the Golden Core Cultivator turned and hurried inside.
He needed to report this information to the lead Void Refining Cultivator.
Lu Qingshan stood still, quietly waiting for news.
Without surprise, with this, he was definitely going to join the team guarding the Spirit Vein at Wuya Peak.
In a previous life''s Ruin Realm instance, he had verified the feasibility of this method several times.
As for the ck mist in the Golden Core Cultivator''s Divine Soul, it was indeed the Soul-Departing Miasma of the Poisonous Demon Lord, just as he had imed.
How did he know this?
It was not difficult; when the Ruin Realm instance was first opened, "Nine Heavens" had also released the background information of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion on their official website.
Among these materials were detailed ounts of the event where the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was destroyed.
"In the battle where the sect was destroyed, not a single cultivator of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion chose to flee; the entire sect perished together."
"At its peak, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion fell in less than a day under the Poisonous Demon Lord, not only because of the strength of the Demon Race but also because of their treacherous methods."
"The Poisonous Demon Lord was cunning, superficially offering the Mountain and Sea Pavilion one night to consider surrendering, seemingly giving them ample time to organize forces for a final resistance."
"In actuality, the Poisonous Demon Lord never believed that the Mountain and Sea Pavilion would surrender to the Demon Race; this move was only to buy enough time for his Soul-Departing Miasma to infiltrate the entire Mountain and Sea Pavilion."
"The Soul-Departing Miasma is colorless, odorless, and non-poisonous, with an extremely wide range of transmission. The Mountain and Sea Pavilion was almostpletely unaware of the methods of the Poisonous Demon Lord, nearly all of them were infected."
"¡"
To Lu Qingshan, this was akin to an official guide disclosed by the game designers of "Nine Heavens" to the yers.
It wasn''t very straightforward; yers had to analyze and extract useful information on their own before they could use it.
Unfortunately, most yers didn''t have the inclination to read the dull, dry textual background provided by the official sources.
Even those who did, wouldn''t think about these deeper issues.
At most, they would skim through quickly, and people like Lu Qingshan who would study and think through deeply were rare indeed.N?v(el)B\\jnn
For ny percent of the yers,
when running dungeons, brute force was the answer.
Without experiencing a thorough thrashing, they wouldn''t learn to y the game with their brains.
...
Due to the special non-toxic effects of the Soul-Departing Miasma and theck of preparedness for it, even the high-level cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had not noticed that the Soul-Departing Miasma had silently infiltrated all the cultivators of the sect.
The function of the Soul-Departing Miasma was to increase the damage from demonic attributes received by the cultivators by 20%.
This was one of the signature skills of the Demon Lord of All Poisons.
It was also one of the reasons why the Mountain and Sea Pavilion quickly fell into disarray.
As one of the ancient major sects that first confronted the invasion of the Demon Race, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was, due to ignorance of the Demon Race''s tactics, manipted by the Demon Race from start to finish.
.....
"Come in with me," the Golden Core Cultivator said, his face already darkened and looking quite grim when he reappeared in front of Lu Qingshan.
Clearly, he had verified the truth of what Lu Qingshan had said.
Under the guidance of the Golden Core Cultivator, Lu Qingshan passed many high-level cultivators and headed deep into the Spirit Vein.
Until in Lu Qingshan''s attribute panel, a new status appeared, "Spiritual Power Abundance" - Practicing cultivation techniques here would greatly increase the experience points gained.
"Are you Lu Qingshan?" A middle-aged male cultivator with brows full of worry looked at Lu Qingshan and asked.
This was the Void Refining Cultivator guarding the Fourth Grade Spirit Vein at Wuya Peak, True Venerable Yuan Yang.
Seeing Lu Qingshan nod, True Venerable Yuan Yang asked again, "What exactly is this Soul-Departing Miasma you speak of?"
Lu Qingshan honestly told True Venerable Yuan Yang about the effects of the Soul-Departing Miasma.
"Is there any way to get rid of this Soul-Departing Miasma?"
"The Soul-Departing Miasma itself is not toxic, so cultivators only need to slowly erase this miasma using the power of their Divine Souls.
The strength of the Soul-Departing Miasma lies in its stealth and widespread transmission; I estimate that at this moment, most of the cultivators in our Mountain and Sea Pavilion have been affected by it. Please inform the Sect Master as soon as possible, Uncle Master Yuan Yang.
Moreover, the Soul-Departing Miasma is not dominant; if one is vignt, it can easily prevent the invasion of the Divine Soul."
With time pressing, Lu Qingshan did not wait for True Venerable Yuan Yang to ask further and introduced him in detail to the situation of the Soul-Departing Miasma.
Upon hearing this, True Venerable Yuan Yang also understood the urgency of the situation, without further ado, he took out a sect token from his storage ring.
The token shed with light.
A divine sense emitted from it.
He needed to transmit this information swiftly.
His status did not allow him to contact the Sect Master directly.
Therefore, he could only ry the message through intermediaries,yer byyer, which required more time and allowed no dys.
"Send the order down, tell everyone to act quickly to expel the Soul-Departing Miasma," True Venerable Yuan Yangmanded in a low voice, regaining hisposure.
True Venerable Yuan Yang gave Lu Qingshan a meaningful look, finally adding without further questions, "Since you have some understanding of the methods of the Demon Race, stay here for now; you might still be of useter."
¡ª The situation was urgent, he had no time to waste.
Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 1)
Under themand of Yuan Yang True Venerable, cultivators guarding the Spirit Vein sat cross-legged and began to use the power of their Divine Souls to drive out the Soul-Departing Miasma that lingered around their spirits.
This was also purposefully done by Lu Qingshan.
As he hurried towards this Spirit Vein, he slightly slowed down his pace to allow enough time for the Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivators to dispel the Soul-Departing Miasma, but not enough for them to ask more questions.
Thus, without anyplications, he sessfully managed to stay at the location of the Spirit Vein.
The area fell silent, filled with a tense atmosphere.
All the cultivators were striving hard to expel the Soul-Departing Miasma within them.
Eventually, individuals began opening their eyes and standing up one after another.
After everyone had gotten up, Lu Qingshan looked towards the horizon.
There, a hint of dawn''s light was already appearing.
Dawn was breaking.
...
Atop Endless Peak.
Lu Xin nced at her teammates around her.
In such circumstances, she quickly found her teammates for setting up the formation.
"Set up the formation!" someone yelled, holding an Array te in the center.
Lu Xin hurriedly took out her array gs and channeled her Spiritual Power into them.
A white Spiritual Light spread out from the array gs in her hands.
Simultaneously, the array gs held by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining disciples beside her also emitted a white Spiritual Light.
These white lights quickly connected together, converging towards the cultivator with the Array te in the middle.
Thirty-five white lights convergedpletely and then slowly faded away.
But Lu Xin had already felt an inexplicable connection forming between her and her teammates.
The Great Expansion Formation was sessfully assembled.
"Is this the Great Expansion Formation? What a marvelous formation," Lu Xin couldn''t help but click her tongue in wonder.
Although Lu family cultivators who had entered the Ruin Realm for trials in the past two years had already shared details about the trials,
hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand were ultimately different.
...
Meanwhile, a Qi Refining Cultivator from Ye Family, Ye Yu, looking at his own Array te and the thirty-five Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining disciples surrounding him, felt immensely proud.
This time, the Qi Refining Realm trial in the Ruin Realm would definitely be won by the Ye Family!
A total of thirty-six people are needed to assemble the Great Expansion Formation, where thirty-five hold array gs and one holds the Array te, positioned at the central strategic spot.
The strategic spot is the core of the Great Expansion Formation; once the cultivator at this spot perishes, the Great Expansion Formation will naturally fall apart.
Therefore, the cultivator holding the Array te is also the one who will be targeted most duringbat.
At the same time,
Thebined Spiritual Power of the thirty-six people requires a suprememander to coordinate it.
And the cultivator at the strategic spot is the one responsible for directing the Spiritual Power of the Great Expansion Formation.
The heavy responsibility resting on the person at the strategic spot is evident.
This holding the Array te must necessarily be the one among the thirty-six who has the most abundantbat experience.
Although he originally received only an array g, after finding his teammates, he volunteered to take the Array te and position himself at the strategic spot.
The result was just as he expected.
At this moment of collective grief and unity of spirit, when he dered his extensivebat experience and desire to upy the strategic spot, the original holder of the Array te hesitated only for a moment before handing it over to him.
¡ªAt such a time, surely no one would fail to understand the greater good and choose to show off, right?
Since someone volunteered, it must be with some level of confidence.
Ye Yu, holding the Array te, felt a surge of excitement.
After the Qi Refining Cultivators from the Ye Family who participated in the Ruin Realm assessment two years ago reported in detail about the trials,
he noticed a very important point.
Although these were only the illusions of the Ruin Realm, their actions were not rigid but instead felt like real people with whom interaction was possible.
At that moment, this idea subtly arose in his mind.
Upon entering, he decided to give it a try and, to his surprise, it actually seeded.
The other cultivators participating in the assessment were just ordinary members of the Great Expansion Formation, while he was at its core.
In terms of the final performance ranking, they couldn''t possiblypare with him.
In this test, the importance of one''s intellect was to surpass that of one''s strength!
Thinking this, Ye Yu felt full of confidence.
...
What was that?!
Lu Xin''s pupils contracted as he watched ayer of grey-ck fog rolling in from not far away, instantly engulfing the sea of fog that seemed like a fairnd on earth.
The sky was filled with grey-ck fog!
Dense crowds of the Demon Race continuously pushed out from within the fog.
"They''re here! The Demon Race!"
Countless members of the Demon Race surged towards the peaks of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion like a nket covering the sky.
"Since the Mountain and Sea Pavilion refuses to surrender, then let them all die!" a malicious voice spread throughout the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Then, in the distance, countless spiritual lights soared into the sky.
Those were the powerful cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion confronting the high-rank demons.
Lu Xin could not afford to observe the battle scene in the distance.
Because by now, many of the lower-grade demons had reached their Endless Peak.
The high-rank demons had been blocked by the High Level Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion with all their effort.
But with a huge disparity in strength, it was not possible to hold them off for long.
ording to the cultivators who had participated in the previous two assessments,
this was the time to strive for a high evaluation because the demons they were facing were still the lower-grade ones, manageable in battle.
In just a little while, as the high-ranking cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion failedyer byyer, they would no longer be able to hold back all the high-rank demons.
At that time, just letting one high-rank demon slip through would easily spell instant death for them.
And this gap would only growrger!
"Kill!" The one holding the Array te in the Great Expansion Formation where Lu Xin was located roared with rage, leading everyone to charge at a fierce spider-like demon.
This was a Second Grade spider demon, and the six spider spears on its back were its weapons.
...
At the Spirit Vein of Endless Peak.N?v(el)B\\jnn
The battle here was even fiercer.
Rain of fire continually fell from the sky, surrounding the area with sparks everywhere.
Numerous demon refiners wereunching an attack on the Spirit Vein of Endless Peak.
These demon refiners, covered in ming, steaming fur and sporting horns like a bull''s on their heads, had eyes that burned with fire.
With hulking bodies, streaks of fiery red that looked like flowing magma shone red on their surfaces.
Lu Qingshan was concealing himself deep within the Spirit Vein, his gaze directed towards the location of Yuan Yang True Venerable.
At that moment, green and blue lights were continuously intersecting around Yuan Yang True Venerable, who was surrounded by seven Fifth Grade demon refiners.
Seven against one.
The situation looked extremely perilous.
Yet the reality was not so.
Because at that moment, the aura on Yuan Yang True Venerable far exceeded that of a Void Refining Cultivator.
He was currently manipting part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas from the Mountains and Seas Formation to augment himself.
At that moment, although hisbat power had not reached the level of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, it had far surpassed the limits of a Void Refining Cultivator''sbat power.
Using this small part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he was single-handedly contending against seven Fifth Grade demon refiners without falling behind.
Suddenly, during a sh, Yuan Yang True Venerable seized an opportunity, activating his Magic Artifact, a crystalline jade fan made of an unknown substance, and directed a Taoist Spell at two of the demon refiners he had just repelled.
A grey-yellow Spiritual Light shot out from the jade fan, swiftly splitting into two and striking the two demon refiners.
The demon refiners, their bodies aze, suddenly turned into stone statues under the Taoist Spell of Yuan Yang True Venerable, motionless.
With his richbat experience, Yuan Yang True Venerable naturally did not miss such an opportunity. Despite enduring the attacks from the other five demon refiners, he strained to cast another Spell on the two temporarily petrified demon refiners.
Crack¡ª
Under Yuan Yang True Venerable''s Spell, the two petrified demon refiners disintegrated into dust, scattering in the air as if weathered by the wind.
And Yuan Yang True Venerable, having borne an attack from the five demon refiners, although his glow faded somewhat and he spat out a mouthful of blood, was forcibly pushed back several meters.
But it was clear that he was not seriously injured.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Eighth Grade Mountains and Seas Formation; merely an extremely small part of its force could grant Yuan Yang True Venerable such fearsomebat power.
Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 2)
Atop Endless Peak.
"sh!"
A giant sword, formed by Spiritual Power under the control of the cultivator holding the Array te, shed towards a Second Grade spider demon in front of him.
A deafeningly loud crash echoed.
The ferocious Second Grade spider demon was instantly split in half by the strike from the Spiritual Power sword, and its severed remains were forcefully rolled backwards by the immense force.
Lu Xin gasped for breath, feeling the Spiritual Power remaining within her body, even though she kept replenishing it with Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones since the battle began.
But this amount of recovery was undoubtedly like trying to douse a carriage with a cup of water in such fiercebat.
At this moment, the Spiritual Power in her dantian was also nearly depleted to the breaking point.
Although the Great Expansion Formation endowed them with thebat power of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the amount of Spiritual Power in their dantians was still only at the level of Qi Refining Cultivators.
This was something even the Great Expansion Formation couldn''t change.
Therefore, their effectivebat time was only this brief moment.
She looked around her surroundings.
The numbers of the Demon Race, instead of decreasing under their desperate offenses, were continually increasing.
A sense of powerlessness couldn''t help but rise in Lu Xin''s heart.
She seemed to feel the utter despair once experienced by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion when confronting the Demon Race.
"Harness the residual Spiritual Power inside you, let us kill one more Demon Race!" A decisive voice from a Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivator came to her ears.
Lu Xin quickly followed themand, mobilizing the scarce Spiritual Power within her.
The cultivators participating in the trial could die in the Ruin Realm, but it was not real death.
However, as sheunched this final charge against the Demon Race with her teammates, illusions from the Ruin Realm,
a sense of sadness and sorrow inexplicably rose in her heart.
This was the tragic honor of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Yet, in this short trial of the Ruin Realm,sting less than a day,
she felt a certain empathy.
...
Elsewhere.
Seven!
Ye Yu felt the dwindling Spiritual Power inside him, but his heart was filled with intense excitement.
No venture, no gain.
As he said, he truly excelled in battle.
Thus under hismand and leadership, and before the Spiritual Power of the Qi Refining disciples forming the formation was exhausted, they had already in seven Second Grade demons.
This was indeed an exceptional performance.
Not to mention that he was the one holding the Array te, which was sure to give extra points in the final evaluation.
He was already eagerly anticipating what reward he would receive this time.
Suddenly!
Ye Yu''s expression changed.
Because in his line of sight appeared a humanoid demon with arms like sickles and enveloped in dark ckness.
This was the Saber Demon.
The aura it emitted far surpassed the previous demons.
Third Grade Demon!
Ye Yu was shocked.
He realized that the front line of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s high-level cultivators had been breached!
Looking around, he saw one after another, Third Grade demons continuously emerging.
Under these circumstances,
their Ruin Realm trial was almost considered over.
Moreover, there was hardly any Spiritual Power left in him.
Even if these high-rank demons hadn''t attacked, they couldn''t have fought much longer.
Sure enough.
One of the Saber Demons, in a flicker, transformed into a faint afterimage, charging straight at them.
Using its arms as weapons.
A glint of cold light shed.
Although Ye Yu immediately conjured a Spiritual Power Light Shield,
under the charge of the Third Grade Saber Demon''s arms, the light shield crumbled instantaneously, like it was made of paper.
Subsequently, Ye Yu was severed into two at the waist.
With Ye Yu''s death, the Great Expansion Formation also copsed.
The Saber Demon, dismissing the remaining thirty-five Qi Refining cultivators, charged towards another group.
Without the Great Expansion Formation, these Qi Refining cultivators could easily handle a Second Grade demon.
The mission of the Saber Demon was to decapitate the core cultivators of the Great Expansion Formation and break their formation.
...
When Ye Yu regained his senses, he found himself in a pavilion.
Cabs stood on all sides, one after another.
Above these cabs, a transparent light shield enveloped each one.
Countless Jade Slips were ced on top of the cabs.
Ye Yu, still frightened, touched his waist to make sure it was still intact, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he knew it was just an illusion, the illusion was so realistic that he felt terrified when facing being cut in half.
Then, images suddenly appeared in the air in front of him.
They were all his experiences within the Ruin Realm.
The scenes yed back quickly, and in a moment, they reached the scene where he was shed at the waist.
Subsequently, the image paused.
Lines ofrge characters emerged.
"Final Rating: Third Grade Lower!"
"Reward: Choice of one Mortal Level Technique."
...
Ye Yu''s face turned extremely unsightly.
Third Grade Lower.
How could it be Third Grade Lower?N?v(el)B\\jnn
If he remembered correctly, thest time a member of the Ye Family participated in the Ruin Realm trial and received a Third Grade Middle rating, they had only killed six Second Grade demons.
This time, not only had he killed seven Second Grade demons, but he had also done so as the core cultivator of the Great Expansion Formation.
Why didn''t he receive at least a Third Grade Middle rating, and why was his final rating even lower than that!
"Could there be some mistake?"
"Give me an exnation!"
Ye Yu''s face was as dark as water, and he roared angrily.
However, he received no response.
Finally, after venting his frustration, Ye Yu calmed down and looked at the surrounding cabs.
A few cabs no longer had their light shields.
This indicated that the Jade Slips on these cabs were avable for him to choose.
Although reluctant, Ye Yu gritted his teeth and walked over to these cabs to start his selection.
...
In the same loft.
Lu Xin appeared out of thin air.
She couldn''t help but wipe her eyes, looking at the moisture on her hands.
Apparently, her eyes had be wet without her noticing.
"It''s just an illusion," Lu Xin mocked herself, "and yet I took it seriously."
But it felt so real, that feeling.
Although it represented a tragedy thousands of years old, her heart was still engulfed by those emotions.
If one day, her own Lu Family faced such a situation,
she thought she would likely act as these Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivators had.
...
Simrly, all of Lu Xin''s experiences in the Ruin Realm also appeared in front of her.
The scenes rapidly yed.
Thest scene froze at the final moment.
The Saber Demon, known for his speed and attack power, shed the head of their Array te handler, who was the core of their Great Expansion Formation.
Without the core cultivator, their Great Expansion Formation naturally ceased to exist.
Even though the remaining thirty-five cultivators immediately reorganized and fought back with all their might,
without the boost of the Great Expansion Formation, they were quickly killed one by one by the Second Grade demons.
Four Second Grade demons.
That was her finalbat aplishment.
Two lines ofrge characters emerged.
"Final Rating: Third Grade Upper!"
"Reward: Choice of one Spirit Level Technique."
...
As Ye Yu and Lu Xin''s Ruin Realm trials came to an end, more and more Cultivators participating in the Ruin Realm assessment were also concluding their assessments.
...
At the Spirit Vein of the Endless Peak.
The seven Fifth Grade Demon Refining who were besieging the True Venerable Yuan Yang were now reduced to three.
Correspondingly, the High Level Cultivators defending this Spirit Vein had also suffered heavy losses.
Lu Qingshan had been hidden in the depths of the Spirit Vein for quite some time.
As the Qi Refining Cultivators participating in the Ruin Realm assessment gradually finished their trials,
hisbat record remained at zero.
Chapter 60 - 60 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 1)
Under themand of Yuan Yang True Venerable, cultivators guarding the Spirit Vein sat cross-legged and began to use the power of their Divine Souls to drive out the Soul-Departing Miasma that lingered around their spirits.
This was also purposefully done by Lu Qingshan.
As he hurried towards this Spirit Vein, he slightly slowed down his pace to allow enough time for the Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivators to dispel the Soul-Departing Miasma, but not enough for them to ask more questions.
Thus, without anyplications, he sessfully managed to stay at the location of the Spirit Vein.
The area fell silent, filled with a tense atmosphere.
All the cultivators were striving hard to expel the Soul-Departing Miasma within them.
Eventually, individuals began opening their eyes and standing up one after another.
After everyone had gotten up, Lu Qingshan looked towards the horizon.
There, a hint of dawn''s light was already appearing.
Dawn was breaking.
...
Atop Endless Peak.
Lu Xin nced at her teammates around her.
In such circumstances, she quickly found her teammates for setting up the formation.
"Set up the formation!" someone yelled, holding an Array te in the center.
Lu Xin hurriedly took out her array gs and channeled her Spiritual Power into them.
A white Spiritual Light spread out from the array gs in her hands.
Simultaneously, the array gs held by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining disciples beside her also emitted a white Spiritual Light.
These white lights quickly connected together, converging towards the cultivator with the Array te in the middle.
Thirty-five white lights convergedpletely and then slowly faded away.
But Lu Xin had already felt an inexplicable connection forming between her and her teammates.
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The Great Expansion Formation was sessfully assembled.
"Is this the Great Expansion Formation? What a marvelous formation," Lu Xin couldn''t help but click her tongue in wonder.
Although Lu family cultivators who had entered the Ruin Realm for trials in the past two years had already shared details about the trials,
hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand were ultimately different.
...
Meanwhile, a Qi Refining Cultivator from Ye Family, Ye Yu, looking at his own Array te and the thirty-five Mountain and Sea Pavilion Qi Refining disciples surrounding him, felt immensely proud.
This time, the Qi Refining Realm trial in the Ruin Realm would definitely be won by the Ye Family!
A total of thirty-six people are needed to assemble the Great Expansion Formation, where thirty-five hold array gs and one holds the Array te, positioned at the central strategic spot.
The strategic spot is the core of the Great Expansion Formation; once the cultivator at this spot perishes, the Great Expansion Formation will naturally fall apart.
Therefore, the cultivator holding the Array te is also the one who will be targeted most duringbat.
At the same time,
Thebined Spiritual Power of the thirty-six people requires a suprememander to coordinate it.
And the cultivator at the strategic spot is the one responsible for directing the Spiritual Power of the Great Expansion Formation.
The heavy responsibility resting on the person at the strategic spot is evident.
This holding the Array te must necessarily be the one among the thirty-six who has the most abundantbat experience.
Although he originally received only an array g, after finding his teammates, he volunteered to take the Array te and position himself at the strategic spot.
The result was just as he expected.
At this moment of collective grief and unity of spirit, when he dered his extensivebat experience and desire to upy the strategic spot, the original holder of the Array te hesitated only for a moment before handing it over to him.
¡ªAt such a time, surely no one would fail to understand the greater good and choose to show off, right?
Since someone volunteered, it must be with some level of confidence.
Ye Yu, holding the Array te, felt a surge of excitement.
After the Qi Refining Cultivators from the Ye Family who participated in the Ruin Realm assessment two years ago reported in detail about the trials,
he noticed a very important point.
Although these were only the illusions of the Ruin Realm, their actions were not rigid but instead felt like real people with whom interaction was possible.
At that moment, this idea subtly arose in his mind.
Upon entering, he decided to give it a try and, to his surprise, it actually seeded.
The other cultivators participating in the assessment were just ordinary members of the Great Expansion Formation, while he was at its core.
In terms of the final performance ranking, they couldn''t possiblypare with him.
In this test, the importance of one''s intellect was to surpass that of one''s strength!
Thinking this, Ye Yu felt full of confidence.
...
What was that?!
Lu Xin''s pupils contracted as he watched ayer of grey-ck fog rolling in from not far away, instantly engulfing the sea of fog that seemed like a fairnd on earth.
The sky was filled with grey-ck fog!
Dense crowds of the Demon Race continuously pushed out from within the fog.
"They''re here! The Demon Race!"
Countless members of the Demon Race surged towards the peaks of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion like a nket covering the sky.
"Since the Mountain and Sea Pavilion refuses to surrender, then let them all die!" a malicious voice spread throughout the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Then, in the distance, countless spiritual lights soared into the sky.
Those were the powerful cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion confronting the high-rank demons.
Lu Xin could not afford to observe the battle scene in the distance.
Because by now, many of the lower-grade demons had reached their Endless Peak.
The high-rank demons had been blocked by the High Level Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion with all their effort.
But with a huge disparity in strength, it was not possible to hold them off for long.
ording to the cultivators who had participated in the previous two assessments,
this was the time to strive for a high evaluation because the demons they were facing were still the lower-grade ones, manageable in battle.
In just a little while, as the high-ranking cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion failedyer byyer, they would no longer be able to hold back all the high-rank demons.
At that time, just letting one high-rank demon slip through would easily spell instant death for them.
And this gap would only growrger!
"Kill!" The one holding the Array te in the Great Expansion Formation where Lu Xin was located roared with rage, leading everyone to charge at a fierce spider-like demon.
This was a Second Grade spider demon, and the six spider spears on its back were its weapons.
...
At the Spirit Vein of Endless Peak.
The battle here was even fiercer.
Rain of fire continually fell from the sky, surrounding the area with sparks everywhere.
Numerous demon refiners wereunching an attack on the Spirit Vein of Endless Peak.
These demon refiners, covered in ming, steaming fur and sporting horns like a bull''s on their heads, had eyes that burned with fire.
With hulking bodies, streaks of fiery red that looked like flowing magma shone red on their surfaces.
Lu Qingshan was concealing himself deep within the Spirit Vein, his gaze directed towards the location of Yuan Yang True Venerable.
At that moment, green and blue lights were continuously intersecting around Yuan Yang True Venerable, who was surrounded by seven Fifth Grade demon refiners.
Seven against one.
The situation looked extremely perilous.
Yet the reality was not so.
Because at that moment, the aura on Yuan Yang True Venerable far exceeded that of a Void Refining Cultivator.
He was currently manipting part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas from the Mountains and Seas Formation to augment himself.
At that moment, although hisbat power had not reached the level of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, it had far surpassed the limits of a Void Refining Cultivator''sbat power.
Using this small part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he was single-handedly contending against seven Fifth Grade demon refiners without falling behind.
Suddenly, during a sh, Yuan Yang True Venerable seized an opportunity, activating his Magic Artifact, a crystalline jade fan made of an unknown substance, and directed a Taoist Spell at two of the demon refiners he had just repelled.
A grey-yellow Spiritual Light shot out from the jade fan, swiftly splitting into two and striking the two demon refiners.
The demon refiners, their bodies aze, suddenly turned into stone statues under the Taoist Spell of Yuan Yang True Venerable, motionless.
With his richbat experience, Yuan Yang True Venerable naturally did not miss such an opportunity. Despite enduring the attacks from the other five demon refiners, he strained to cast another Spell on the two temporarily petrified demon refiners.
Crack¡ª
Under Yuan Yang True Venerable''s Spell, the two petrified demon refiners disintegrated into dust, scattering in the air as if weathered by the wind.
And Yuan Yang True Venerable, having borne an attack from the five demon refiners, although his glow faded somewhat and he spat out a mouthful of blood, was forcibly pushed back several meters.
But it was clear that he was not seriously injured.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Eighth Grade Mountains and Seas Formation; merely an extremely small part of its force could grant Yuan Yang True Venerable such fearsomebat power.
Chapter 61 - 61 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 2)
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Atop Endless Peak.
"sh!"
A giant sword, formed by Spiritual Power under the control of the cultivator holding the Array te, shed towards a Second Grade spider demon in front of him.
A deafeningly loud crash echoed.
The ferocious Second Grade spider demon was instantly split in half by the strike from the Spiritual Power sword, and its severed remains were forcefully rolled backwards by the immense force.
Lu Xin gasped for breath, feeling the Spiritual Power remaining within her body, even though she kept replenishing it with Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones since the battle began.
But this amount of recovery was undoubtedly like trying to douse a carriage with a cup of water in such fiercebat.
At this moment, the Spiritual Power in her dantian was also nearly depleted to the breaking point.
Although the Great Expansion Formation endowed them with thebat power of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the amount of Spiritual Power in their dantians was still only at the level of Qi Refining Cultivators.
This was something even the Great Expansion Formation couldn''t change.
Therefore, their effectivebat time was only this brief moment.
She looked around her surroundings.
The numbers of the Demon Race, instead of decreasing under their desperate offenses, were continually increasing.
A sense of powerlessness couldn''t help but rise in Lu Xin''s heart.
She seemed to feel the utter despair once experienced by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion when confronting the Demon Race.
"Harness the residual Spiritual Power inside you, let us kill one more Demon Race!" A decisive voice from a Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivator came to her ears.
Lu Xin quickly followed themand, mobilizing the scarce Spiritual Power within her.
The cultivators participating in the trial could die in the Ruin Realm, but it was not real death.
However, as sheunched this final charge against the Demon Race with her teammates, illusions from the Ruin Realm,
a sense of sadness and sorrow inexplicably rose in her heart.
This was the tragic honor of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Yet, in this short trial of the Ruin Realm,sting less than a day,
she felt a certain empathy.
...
Elsewhere.
Seven!
Ye Yu felt the dwindling Spiritual Power inside him, but his heart was filled with intense excitement.
No venture, no gain.
As he said, he truly excelled in battle.
Thus under hismand and leadership, and before the Spiritual Power of the Qi Refining disciples forming the formation was exhausted, they had already in seven Second Grade demons.
This was indeed an exceptional performance.
Not to mention that he was the one holding the Array te, which was sure to give extra points in the final evaluation.
He was already eagerly anticipating what reward he would receive this time.
Suddenly!
Ye Yu''s expression changed.
Because in his line of sight appeared a humanoid demon with arms like sickles and enveloped in dark ckness.
This was the Saber Demon.
The aura it emitted far surpassed the previous demons.
Third Grade Demon!
Ye Yu was shocked.
He realized that the front line of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s high-level cultivators had been breached!
Looking around, he saw one after another, Third Grade demons continuously emerging.
Under these circumstances,
their Ruin Realm trial was almost considered over.
Moreover, there was hardly any Spiritual Power left in him.
Even if these high-rank demons hadn''t attacked, they couldn''t have fought much longer.
Sure enough.
One of the Saber Demons, in a flicker, transformed into a faint afterimage, charging straight at them.
Using its arms as weapons.
A glint of cold light shed.
Although Ye Yu immediately conjured a Spiritual Power Light Shield,
under the charge of the Third Grade Saber Demon''s arms, the light shield crumbled instantaneously, like it was made of paper.
Subsequently, Ye Yu was severed into two at the waist.
With Ye Yu''s death, the Great Expansion Formation also copsed.
The Saber Demon, dismissing the remaining thirty-five Qi Refining cultivators, charged towards another group.
Without the Great Expansion Formation, these Qi Refining cultivators could easily handle a Second Grade demon.
The mission of the Saber Demon was to decapitate the core cultivators of the Great Expansion Formation and break their formation.
...
When Ye Yu regained his senses, he found himself in a pavilion.
Cabs stood on all sides, one after another.
Above these cabs, a transparent light shield enveloped each one.
Countless Jade Slips were ced on top of the cabs.
Ye Yu, still frightened, touched his waist to make sure it was still intact, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he knew it was just an illusion, the illusion was so realistic that he felt terrified when facing being cut in half.
Then, images suddenly appeared in the air in front of him.
They were all his experiences within the Ruin Realm.
The scenes yed back quickly, and in a moment, they reached the scene where he was shed at the waist.
Subsequently, the image paused.
Lines ofrge characters emerged.
"Final Rating: Third Grade Lower!"
"Reward: Choice of one Mortal Level Technique."
...
Ye Yu''s face turned extremely unsightly.
Third Grade Lower.
How could it be Third Grade Lower?
If he remembered correctly, thest time a member of the Ye Family participated in the Ruin Realm trial and received a Third Grade Middle rating, they had only killed six Second Grade demons.
This time, not only had he killed seven Second Grade demons, but he had also done so as the core cultivator of the Great Expansion Formation.
Why didn''t he receive at least a Third Grade Middle rating, and why was his final rating even lower than that!
"Could there be some mistake?"
"Give me an exnation!"
Ye Yu''s face was as dark as water, and he roared angrily.
However, he received no response.
Finally, after venting his frustration, Ye Yu calmed down and looked at the surrounding cabs.
A few cabs no longer had their light shields.
This indicated that the Jade Slips on these cabs were avable for him to choose.
Although reluctant, Ye Yu gritted his teeth and walked over to these cabs to start his selection.
...
In the same loft.
Lu Xin appeared out of thin air.
She couldn''t help but wipe her eyes, looking at the moisture on her hands.
Apparently, her eyes had be wet without her noticing.
"It''s just an illusion," Lu Xin mocked herself, "and yet I took it seriously."
But it felt so real, that feeling.
Although it represented a tragedy thousands of years old, her heart was still engulfed by those emotions.
If one day, her own Lu Family faced such a situation,
she thought she would likely act as these Mountain and Sea Pavilion cultivators had.
...
Simrly, all of Lu Xin''s experiences in the Ruin Realm also appeared in front of her.
The scenes rapidly yed.
Thest scene froze at the final moment.
The Saber Demon, known for his speed and attack power, shed the head of their Array te handler, who was the core of their Great Expansion Formation.
Without the core cultivator, their Great Expansion Formation naturally ceased to exist.
Even though the remaining thirty-five cultivators immediately reorganized and fought back with all their might,
without the boost of the Great Expansion Formation, they were quickly killed one by one by the Second Grade demons.
Four Second Grade demons.
That was her finalbat aplishment.
Two lines ofrge characters emerged.
"Final Rating: Third Grade Upper!"
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"Reward: Choice of one Spirit Level Technique."
...
As Ye Yu and Lu Xin''s Ruin Realm trials came to an end, more and more Cultivators participating in the Ruin Realm assessment were also concluding their assessments.
...
At the Spirit Vein of the Endless Peak.
The seven Fifth Grade Demon Refining who were besieging the True Venerable Yuan Yang were now reduced to three.
Correspondingly, the High Level Cultivators defending this Spirit Vein had also suffered heavy losses.
Lu Qingshan had been hidden in the depths of the Spirit Vein for quite some time.
As the Qi Refining Cultivators participating in the Ruin Realm assessment gradually finished their trials,
hisbat record remained at zero.
Chapter 62 - 62 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 3)
```
But Lu Qingshan seemed not the least bit hurried.
Instead, it was as if he was waiting for something, his gaze wandering as he continuously observed and paid attention to something.
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ng!
A sharp sound rang out.
A white barrier appeared not far in front of Lu Qingshan, bursting forth with a blinding white light that flickered intensely.
At the same time, a faint shadow emerged outside the barrier.
The shadow held a weapon resembling a long spear, which, like its form, was also somewhat indistinct.
The sharp sound just now was the collision of the long spear attacking the defense formation protecting the Spirit Vein.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze hardened.
It¡¯s here!
This was a Shadow Demon from the Demon Race.
Expert in stealth, with a powerful burst attack.
...
With the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, thebat power of True Monarch Yuan Yang could be described as top-notch in the Void Refinement Realm.
If the Demon Race wasn¡¯t foolish, they would not choose to engage True Monarch Yuan Yang, augmented by the Power of the Mountains and Seas, in a fight to the death.
In a change of perspective, the optimal choice would undoubtedly be to find a way for one to keep True Monarch Yuan Yang upied at the front, while another effort was made to destroy the power source of the Mountains and Seas Formation¡ªthe Spirit Vein.
Lu Qingshan had also considered this point, which was why from the start, he had always concealed his form deep within the Spirit Vein, within the defensive formation.
Aside from the fact that the intensity of the current battle far exceeded his cultivation, and even the mere spillover effects were more than he could bear, forcing him to hide within the Spirit Vein¡¯s defensive formation, another important reason was to wait for the members of the Demon Race preparing to shift the battle to the Spirit Vein.
True Monarch Yuan Yang, who was far away, saw the defensive formation of the Spirit Vein shaking on the verge of copse under the Shadow Demon¡¯s attack.
Feeling that the situation was not good, he hurriedly prepared toe to the rescue.
The Demon Race, of course, would not let True Monarch Yuan Yang have his way.
The remaining three fifth-grade Demon Refiners, who had been dodging True Monarch Yuan Yang¡¯s attacks, now burst into mes, as if they were ready toy down their lives, and surrounded him.
They just needed to dy for a moment!
The Power of the Mountains and Seas on True Monarch Yuan Yang relied on the Spirit Vein to supply Spiritual Power; if the Shadow Demon destroyed the Spirit Vein, the Power of the Mountains and Seas on True Monarch Yuan Yang would naturally dissipate.
Without the grandeur of the Mountain and Sea¡¯s augmentation, True Monarch Yuan Yang would surely not be their match.
The Demon Refiners were very clear on this point.
True Monarch Yuan Yang looked around, looking for someone who could stop the Shadow Demon.
But their power disparity with the Demon Race was already quite stark to begin with, and the other cultivators were already too preupied with their own survival to be of any help at the Spirit Vein.
Is this the end?
This thought shed through True Monarch Yuan Yang¡¯s mind.
If the Spirit Vein was destroyed, their annihtion would not be far off.
He sighed inwardly, preparing to use a secret technique to burst out and attempt to kill all three of the fifth-grade Demon Refiners in front of him before the Spirit Vein was broken.
"Uncle Master Yuan Yang, lend me a part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas!"
Just as True Monarch Yuan Yang was channeling his Spiritual Power, preparing for his final burst of effort, the voice of Lu Qingshan came from the direction of the Spirit Vein.
True Monarch Yuan Yang¡¯s eyes paused.
He had almost forgotten about Lu Qingshan within the formation at the Spirit Vein.
At this moment, Lu Qingshan was the cultivator closest to the Shadow Demon and the only one who could feasibly stop the Shadow Demon in time.
However, True Monarch Yuan Yang hesitated.
While the Power of the Mountains and Seas could greatly enhance a cultivator¡¯sbat power, the question was whether Lu Qingshan could control this power.
Allowing a Qi Refining Cultivator to suddenly possess power far exceeding his own might be too much; it was very possible he wouldn¡¯t be able to exert even a tenth of it.
If Yuan Yang shared a portion of the Power of the Mountains and Seas with Lu Qingshan, his ownbat strength would be greatly diminished, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the three fifth-grade Demon Refiners in this brief interval.
If Lu Qingshan failed to use the Power of the Mountains and Seas to stop the Shadow Demon, it would be a terrible loss.
But if Lu Qingshan really managed to stop the Shadow Demon, then drawing on the continuous supply of the Power of the Mountains and Seas from the Spirit Vein, he would be able to kill even more of the Demon Race.
Much more than just the three fifth-grade Demon Refiners in front of him.
Should he take the gamble?
True Monarch Yuan Yang was somewhat indecisive.
"Uncle Master Yuan Yang, trust me!"
Lu Qingshan seemed to understand True Monarch Yuan Yang¡¯s concerns and shouted again.
Well then, since he is a disciple of my Mountain and Sea Pavilion, I will trust him this once¡ªif we die, we die together!
True Monarch Yuan Yang steeled his heart, his Divine Sense stirring as he transferred half of the Power of the Mountains and Seas that the Endless Peak¡¯s Spirit Vein could provide to Lu Qingshan.
Instantly, the glow surrounding True Monarch Yuan Yang dimmed significantly.
Simultaneously, ayer of green and blue light appeared around Lu Qingshan.
"You have been augmented with the Power of the Mountains and Seas!"
"During the duration of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, your Rank will be raised to [Void Refining]."
"Your primary Attribute has been increased: Strength+500."
"Your Health Points upper limit has been increased: Health Points+2000."
"During the duration of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, any damage you take will be reduced by 80% (this amount of damage must not exceed the upper limit of Health Points, otherwise the effect is nullified)."
```
"During the Power of the Mountains and Seas¡¯ duration, your Spiritual Power Value will depend on the reserves of the Spirit Vein¡¯s Spiritual Power. As long as the Spirit Vein isn¡¯t exhausted, neither will your Spiritual Power cease."
"..."
"..."
...
Innumerable streams of data cascaded down like a waterfall, rushing swiftly.
An endless array of enhancement effects swiped across the screen so rapidly that Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t possibly read them all.
He didn¡¯t have the time to look closely at this information either.
Lu Qingshan took out the Crying Soul Sword from his Storage Ring, holding it in his hand and gently swinging it to familiarize himself with the strength he possessed at the moment.
ng!
ng!
ng!
Lu Qingshan slightly raised his eyelids, ncing at the Shadow Demon still attacking the Spirit Vein Formation, and sighed softly.
"Although I haven¡¯t reached my full strength, it¡¯s enough to kill you!"
With sword in hand, Lu Qingshan¡¯s figure shed, darting out of the Formation.
Seeing Lu Qingshan emerge from the Formation, a trace of disdain appeared on the Shadow Demon¡¯s face.
If he thought that with the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he could defeat him, that would be far too naive.
The reason why Yuan Yang True Venerable was so unstoppable under the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, aside from the strength of the Mountains and Seas Formation, was another very important factor.
Yuan Yang True Venerable was inherently strong!
And a Qi Refining Cultivator, even with the augmentation of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, was nothing in his eyes!
The Shadow Demon¡¯s heart stirred, and its body, originally revealed in its true form, faded away in an instant and mysteriously vanished from the air.
This was the racial talent of the Shadow Demon: "Shadow Escape".
In the face of this situation, Lu Qingshan was utterly unflustered.
He tilted his body to one side, holding the sword in both hands, closing his eyes as if sensing something.
Whoosh¡ª
An extremely faint fluctuation.
I¡¯ve found you!
Lu Qingshan whispered softly.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Falling Bright Sword Technique!
In an instant, the Power of the Mountains and Seas enveloping him surged forth, converging at the tip of Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword.
In just a moment, the momentum at Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword tip had escted to its peak.
Surging Spiritual Power roiled around the long sword.
Lu Qingshan gripped his sword and shed towards his left side.
There, emptiness prevailed; nothing existed.
But the moment Lu Qingshan¡¯s Crying Soul Sword swept down, a faint shadow squeezed out from the Void as if revealing its form; its expression full of shock as it looked at the sword bearing down on it.
Boom¡ª
The moment the sword struck the Shadow Demon, Spiritual Power exploded wildly.
In an exceedingly brief sh, two sword shadows could be seen erupting simultaneously upon the Shadow Demon.
This was the additional attack effect of Wind sh.
Burst!
Lu Qingshan roared mightily!
Under the effect of Secret Sword: Wind sh, Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword had already stacked threeyers of the Power of Dark Erosion effect on the Shadow Demon.
With the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, the Power of Dark Erosion within Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword at this moment was no doubt many times more potent than it had been in the Qi Refining Realm.
The Shadow Demon was bound in ce.
Spiritual Power quickly umted on Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword, and he thrust forward, piercing directly through the head of the Shadow Demon, now unable to move.
Subsequently, rich Spiritual Power coursed through the Shadow Demon¡¯s body and then detonated.
As if blown apart, the Shadow Demon¡¯s body emitted white light and, following a deafening boom, dispersed into ash and vanished.
Such might was the hallmark of a Sword Cultivator!
...
An ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator suddenly endowed with such incredible power would normally be unable to control it.
Simr to a normal person whose strength increased a hundredfold or a thousandfold, they might simply step forward and crack the ground, creating a deep pit, rendering them unable to move an inch.
ording to Lu Qingshan¡¯s expectation, if he wanted to obtain a Grade A evaluation in the Ruin Realm dungeon in his previous life, the biggest challenge would be how to swiftly acquaint himself with and master this suddenly augmented power within a short time.
This would require an extremely high level of skill.
Even he could not guarantee he would be able to do so.
But now, this issue had be the easiest to solve.
¡ªIn his previous life, at the peak of his strength, he was a Great Sword Cultivator withplete Integration Perfection.
Merely the Power of the Mountains and Seas at the Void Refinement Realm was naturally a trifle to him.
Chapter 63 - 63 Foundation Establishment (Part 1)
Ignoring the astonishment of the Demon Race and Yuan Yang True Venerable, Lu Qingshan leaned forward, hurrying forward to meet those Third Grade and Fourth Grade demons that were currently surrounding and attacking the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Taking advantage of the Shadow Demon¡¯s carelessness, Lu Qingshan seized the opportunity and instantly killed the Shadow Demon.
However, Lu Qingshan did not be arrogant. He was very aware of his own shorings.
Although he could perfectly control his own strength, this did not change the fact that his foundation was that of a Qi Refining Cultivator.
The skills such as "Sword Control," "Flying Sword," "Sword Intent," "Sword Light Differentiation," and so on, that high-rank Sword Cultivators could master, were all skills that he neither knew at the moment nor had learned.
At this point, if he were to directly confront a Fifth Grade of the Demon Race, he truly would not be a match.
This was not a gap in strength, but a difference in skill and realm.
But when fighting these Third and Fourth Grade demons, under the powerful strength augmented by the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he could entirely achieve victory through brute force, pushing through destructively.
Yuan Yang True Venerable, under the enhancement of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, fighting three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners, was evidently not a problem.
Thus, supporting Yuan Yang True Venerable didn¡¯t require immediate urgency.
...
Sword Lights constantly shed.
Lu Qingshan, holding a sword in the Demon Sea, kept weaving through, lunging left and then charging right.
At this moment, he was like a ghost reaping lives¡ªcruel, resolute, with a killing intent that soared to the skies!
His movements were clean and efficient, without a trace of superfluity. Every thrust of his sword was aimed toward vital spots like the demons¡¯ necks and heads.
Wherever the long sword reached, flesh and blood flew.
The damage inflicted by a Void Refining Sword Cultivator, even if it was just a in sh, was not something these Third and Fourth Grade demons could withstand.
Exhrating!
The scent of blood on Lu Qingshan had already be so dense that it couldn¡¯t be waved away.
His killing intent grew stronger, and his pupils turned even redder, yet his mind became clearer and clearer.
This was a true Sword Cultivator, a cold-blooded killing machine.
The stronger his killing intent, the calmer his heart became.
...
Soon, what seemed like an endless number of demons, began to show signs of not having enough sessors under Lu Qingshan¡¯s rapid clearance.
Lu Qingshan did not stop as he saw the situation was temporarily under control.
His form surged explosively.
With a fierce momentum and soaring killing intent, he charged towards where Yuan Yang True Venerable was.
There were still three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners there.
"You¡ª" Seeing Lu Qingshan, who carried the unique piercing aura of a Sword Cultivator, joining his battlefield, Yuan Yang True Venerable didn¡¯t know what reaction was appropriate.
It was really because Lu Qingshan¡¯s performance far exceeded his expectations.
Even he was not confident that he could do better than Lu Qingshan had done.
But now was not the time to express astonishment.
Seeing Lu Qingshan supporting him, Yuan Yang True Venerable, who was rich inbat experience, immediately reacted and coordinated with Lu Qingshan.
Originally evenly matched despite being outnumbered three to one, Yuan Yang True Venerable, upon Lu Qingshan joining the battle, quickly turned the fight one-sided.
...
After about ten breaths of time, a massive head flew off, and a rain of blood sprayed through the air.
Three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners, dead!
Lu Qingshan stood quietly in the same spot, scanning the surroundings.
The area, as far as the eye could see, was surprisingly empty.
Although Yuan Yang True Venerable looked thoroughly exhausted, a smile couldn¡¯t help but surface on his face as he was just about to step forward and say something to Lu Qingshan, when¡ª
A thunderous booming sound came from far away.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable simultaneously turned their gaze towards where the booming sound wasing from.
In the distance, atop a sky-piercing mountain that was originally shrouded in ck mist, an intensely bright and dazzling light burst through, breaking the mist.
In that moment, the entire world between heaven and earth was filled with dazzling spiritual light.
Immediately following, there was a disturbance in the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth, and a ck, mile-high tornado cyclone arose out of nowhere!
Afterward, the tornado released sky-covering spiritual energy, and although the energy was incredibly vibrant, it was unattainable and impossible to absorb, quickly dispersing into the environment and blending with this world.
Magnificent yet tragic.
This was a Heavenly Dao phenomenon.
Only when a tremendously powerful Cultivator died, such a scene would appear.
These Cultivators had grown so powerful by devouring countless amounts of Spiritual Power from the world.
If not returned, over time, the Spiritual Mechanisms within the world would gradually fade away and eventually turn into a barren wastnd.
Thus, upon their death, powerful Cultivators would return the Spiritual Power to the world in the form of a Dao-vanishing celestial phenomenon.
This was thew of Heavenly Dao.
Only the death of one person from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion could create such an astonishing Dao-vanishing celestial phenomenon.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable both understood what it signified.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had died in battle!
"Your Sect Master is dead!" A sinister and dull voice came from between the Giant Peak and Spirit Mountain, "You disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion should stop struggling in vain."
This was meant to dissolve the remaining will to fight of the Cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Lu Qingshan looked nearby.
Wave after wave of the Demon Race was rushing toward them.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable exchanged a nce.
Their will to fight did not diminish with the passing of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion; instead, it grew even more intense.
Facing the surging Demon Race, Lu Qingshan and True Venerable Yuan Yang did not retreat but advanced instead.
Following closely behind them were all the surviving Cultivators defending the Spirit Vein.
...
...
When Lu Qingshan came back to his senses.
He had already moved from the Wuya Peak Spirit Vein battlefield filled with the Demon Race to an attic.
The surroundings were empty.
Lu Qingshan was startled.
This was different from the scene he remembered.
This final instance settlement scene should have been surrounded by cabs filled with Cultivation Techniques and Techniques jade slips.
As Lu Qingshan looked around uncertainly.
A figure of a middle-aged man in a white robe quietly appeared before Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan looked at the man¡¯s face, as if understanding something, and slightly bowed to the middle-aged Cultivator.
"Sect Master."
Indeed, the figure in front of him was the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Lu Qingshan had seen from a distance at the Wuya Peak summit.
"The Mountain and Sea Pavilion has long been destroyed, what kind of Sect Master am I now?" came a very gentle voice.
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was unconcerned about Lu Qingshan¡¯s silence.
He stretched out his hand, and with a light touch in the air.
Images that had never appeared in the Ruin Realm floated in the air.
...
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
That night, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had traversed all the mountains of the Pavilion and met all its disciples.
The sky was still dark as he stood motionless in the air, his mind wandering beyond the heavens.
After a long, long time, when the day was about to dawn.
He finally came back to his senses, as if having decided on something, he slightly grasped at the void, and a ck orb of light appeared in his hand.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked at the ck orb in his hand, pondered for a moment.
Finally, he confirmed his thoughts, and gently swiped over his brow, a shallow Soul Body appearing in front of him.
At the same time, the face of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion turned deathly pale in that instant.
He had split off a small part of his Divine Soul.
The separated Soul Body, looking at the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, humanly nodded its head, and then plunged into the ck orb of light in the hands of the Sect Master.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion saw this scene, and slightly nodded his head.
Afterward, he suspended the ck orb in mid-air, and with both hands made Seal Gestures, casting one spell after another onto the ck orb.
At the break of dawn, he waved the ck orb, sending it shooting straight down below the grounds of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, where it instantaneously vanished any trace of its presence.
Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Power of the Mountains and Seas (Part 3)
```
But Lu Qingshan seemed not the least bit hurried.
Instead, it was as if he was waiting for something, his gaze wandering as he continuously observed and paid attention to something.
ng!
A sharp sound rang out.
A white barrier appeared not far in front of Lu Qingshan, bursting forth with a blinding white light that flickered intensely.
At the same time, a faint shadow emerged outside the barrier.
The shadow held a weapon resembling a long spear, which, like its form, was also somewhat indistinct.
The sharp sound just now was the collision of the long spear attacking the defense formation protecting the Spirit Vein.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze hardened.
It''s here!
This was a Shadow Demon from the Demon Race.
Expert in stealth, with a powerful burst attack.
...
With the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, thebat power of True Monarch Yuan Yang could be described as top-notch in the Void Refinement Realm.
If the Demon Race wasn''t foolish, they would not choose to engage True Monarch Yuan Yang, augmented by the Power of the Mountains and Seas, in a fight to the death.
In a change of perspective, the optimal choice would undoubtedly be to find a way for one to keep True Monarch Yuan Yang upied at the front, while another effort was made to destroy the power source of the Mountains and Seas Formation¡ªthe Spirit Vein.
Lu Qingshan had also considered this point, which was why from the start, he had always concealed his form deep within the Spirit Vein, within the defensive formation.
Aside from the fact that the intensity of the current battle far exceeded his cultivation, and even the mere spillover effects were more than he could bear, forcing him to hide within the Spirit Vein''s defensive formation, another important reason was to wait for the members of the Demon Race preparing to shift the battle to the Spirit Vein.
True Monarch Yuan Yang, who was far away, saw the defensive formation of the Spirit Vein shaking on the verge of copse under the Shadow Demon''s attack.
Feeling that the situation was not good, he hurriedly prepared toe to the rescue.
The Demon Race, of course, would not let True Monarch Yuan Yang have his way.
The remaining three fifth-grade Demon Refiners, who had been dodging True Monarch Yuan Yang''s attacks, now burst into mes, as if they were ready toy down their lives, and surrounded him.
They just needed to dy for a moment!
The Power of the Mountains and Seas on True Monarch Yuan Yang relied on the Spirit Vein to supply Spiritual Power; if the Shadow Demon destroyed the Spirit Vein, the Power of the Mountains and Seas on True Monarch Yuan Yang would naturally dissipate.
Without the grandeur of the Mountain and Sea''s augmentation, True Monarch Yuan Yang would surely not be their match.
The Demon Refiners were very clear on this point.
True Monarch Yuan Yang looked around, looking for someone who could stop the Shadow Demon.
But their power disparity with the Demon Race was already quite stark to begin with, and the other cultivators were already too preupied with their own survival to be of any help at the Spirit Vein.
Is this the end?
This thought shed through True Monarch Yuan Yang''s mind.
If the Spirit Vein was destroyed, their annihtion would not be far off.
He sighed inwardly, preparing to use a secret technique to burst out and attempt to kill all three of the fifth-grade Demon Refiners in front of him before the Spirit Vein was broken.N?v(el)B\\jnn
"Uncle Master Yuan Yang, lend me a part of the Power of the Mountains and Seas!"
Just as True Monarch Yuan Yang was channeling his Spiritual Power, preparing for his final burst of effort, the voice of Lu Qingshan came from the direction of the Spirit Vein.
True Monarch Yuan Yang''s eyes paused.
He had almost forgotten about Lu Qingshan within the formation at the Spirit Vein.
At this moment, Lu Qingshan was the cultivator closest to the Shadow Demon and the only one who could feasibly stop the Shadow Demon in time.
However, True Monarch Yuan Yang hesitated.
While the Power of the Mountains and Seas could greatly enhance a cultivator''sbat power, the question was whether Lu Qingshan could control this power.
Allowing a Qi Refining Cultivator to suddenly possess power far exceeding his own might be too much; it was very possible he wouldn''t be able to exert even a tenth of it.
If Yuan Yang shared a portion of the Power of the Mountains and Seas with Lu Qingshan, his ownbat strength would be greatly diminished, and he wouldn''t be able to kill the three fifth-grade Demon Refiners in this brief interval.
If Lu Qingshan failed to use the Power of the Mountains and Seas to stop the Shadow Demon, it would be a terrible loss.
But if Lu Qingshan really managed to stop the Shadow Demon, then drawing on the continuous supply of the Power of the Mountains and Seas from the Spirit Vein, he would be able to kill even more of the Demon Race.
Much more than just the three fifth-grade Demon Refiners in front of him.
Should he take the gamble?
True Monarch Yuan Yang was somewhat indecisive.
"Uncle Master Yuan Yang, trust me!"
Lu Qingshan seemed to understand True Monarch Yuan Yang''s concerns and shouted again.
Well then, since he is a disciple of my Mountain and Sea Pavilion, I will trust him this once¡ªif we die, we die together!
True Monarch Yuan Yang steeled his heart, his Divine Sense stirring as he transferred half of the Power of the Mountains and Seas that the Endless Peak''s Spirit Vein could provide to Lu Qingshan.
Instantly, the glow surrounding True Monarch Yuan Yang dimmed significantly.
Simultaneously, ayer of green and blue light appeared around Lu Qingshan.
"You have been augmented with the Power of the Mountains and Seas!"
"During the duration of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, your Rank will be raised to [Void Refining]."
"Your primary Attribute has been increased: Strength+500."
"Your Health Points upper limit has been increased: Health Points+2000."
"During the duration of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, any damage you take will be reduced by 80% (this amount of damage must not exceed the upper limit of Health Points, otherwise the effect is nullified)."
```
"During the Power of the Mountains and Seas'' duration, your Spiritual Power Value will depend on the reserves of the Spirit Vein''s Spiritual Power. As long as the Spirit Vein isn''t exhausted, neither will your Spiritual Power cease."
"..."
"..."
...
Innumerable streams of data cascaded down like a waterfall, rushing swiftly.
An endless array of enhancement effects swiped across the screen so rapidly that Lu Qingshan couldn''t possibly read them all.
He didn''t have the time to look closely at this information either.
Lu Qingshan took out the Crying Soul Sword from his Storage Ring, holding it in his hand and gently swinging it to familiarize himself with the strength he possessed at the moment.
ng!
ng!
ng!
Lu Qingshan slightly raised his eyelids, ncing at the Shadow Demon still attacking the Spirit Vein Formation, and sighed softly.
"Although I haven''t reached my full strength, it''s enough to kill you!"
With sword in hand, Lu Qingshan''s figure shed, darting out of the Formation.
Seeing Lu Qingshan emerge from the Formation, a trace of disdain appeared on the Shadow Demon''s face.
If he thought that with the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he could defeat him, that would be far too naive.
The reason why Yuan Yang True Venerable was so unstoppable under the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, aside from the strength of the Mountains and Seas Formation, was another very important factor.
Yuan Yang True Venerable was inherently strong!
And a Qi Refining Cultivator, even with the augmentation of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, was nothing in his eyes!
The Shadow Demon''s heart stirred, and its body, originally revealed in its true form, faded away in an instant and mysteriously vanished from the air.
This was the racial talent of the Shadow Demon: "Shadow Escape".
In the face of this situation, Lu Qingshan was utterly unflustered.
He tilted his body to one side, holding the sword in both hands, closing his eyes as if sensing something.
Whoosh¡ª
An extremely faint fluctuation.
I''ve found you!
Lu Qingshan whispered softly.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Falling Bright Sword Technique!
In an instant, the Power of the Mountains and Seas enveloping him surged forth, converging at the tip of Lu Qingshan''s sword.
In just a moment, the momentum at Lu Qingshan''s sword tip had escted to its peak.
Surging Spiritual Power roiled around the long sword.
Lu Qingshan gripped his sword and shed towards his left side.
There, emptiness prevailed; nothing existed.
But the moment Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword swept down, a faint shadow squeezed out from the Void as if revealing its form; its expression full of shock as it looked at the sword bearing down on it.
Boom¡ª
The moment the sword struck the Shadow Demon, Spiritual Power exploded wildly.
In an exceedingly brief sh, two sword shadows could be seen erupting simultaneously upon the Shadow Demon.
This was the additional attack effect of Wind sh.
Burst!
Lu Qingshan roared mightily!
Under the effect of Secret Sword: Wind sh, Lu Qingshan''s sword had already stacked threeyers of the Power of Dark Erosion effect on the Shadow Demon.
With the aid of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, the Power of Dark Erosion within Lu Qingshan''s sword at this moment was no doubt many times more potent than it had been in the Qi Refining Realm.
The Shadow Demon was bound in ce.
Spiritual Power quickly umted on Lu Qingshan''s sword, and he thrust forward, piercing directly through the head of the Shadow Demon, now unable to move.
Subsequently, rich Spiritual Power coursed through the Shadow Demon''s body and then detonated.
As if blown apart, the Shadow Demon''s body emitted white light and, following a deafening boom, dispersed into ash and vanished.
Such might was the hallmark of a Sword Cultivator!
...
An ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator suddenly endowed with such incredible power would normally be unable to control it.
Simr to a normal person whose strength increased a hundredfold or a thousandfold, they might simply step forward and crack the ground, creating a deep pit, rendering them unable to move an inch.
ording to Lu Qingshan''s expectation, if he wanted to obtain a Grade A evaluation in the Ruin Realm dungeon in his previous life, the biggest challenge would be how to swiftly acquaint himself with and master this suddenly augmented power within a short time.
This would require an extremely high level of skill.
Even he could not guarantee he would be able to do so.
But now, this issue had be the easiest to solve.
¡ªIn his previous life, at the peak of his strength, he was a Great Sword Cultivator withplete Integration Perfection.
Merely the Power of the Mountains and Seas at the Void Refinement Realm was naturally a trifle to him.
Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Foundation Establishment (Part 1)
Ignoring the astonishment of the Demon Race and Yuan Yang True Venerable, Lu Qingshan leaned forward, hurrying forward to meet those Third Grade and Fourth Grade demons that were currently surrounding and attacking the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Taking advantage of the Shadow Demon''s carelessness, Lu Qingshan seized the opportunity and instantly killed the Shadow Demon.
However, Lu Qingshan did not be arrogant. He was very aware of his own shorings.
Although he could perfectly control his own strength, this did not change the fact that his foundation was that of a Qi Refining Cultivator.
The skills such as "Sword Control," "Flying Sword," "Sword Intent," "Sword Light Differentiation," and so on, that high-rank Sword Cultivators could master, were all skills that he neither knew at the moment nor had learned.
At this point, if he were to directly confront a Fifth Grade of the Demon Race, he truly would not be a match.
This was not a gap in strength, but a difference in skill and realm.
But when fighting these Third and Fourth Grade demons, under the powerful strength augmented by the Power of the Mountains and Seas, he could entirely achieve victory through brute force, pushing through destructively.
Yuan Yang True Venerable, under the enhancement of the Power of the Mountains and Seas, fighting three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners, was evidently not a problem.
Thus, supporting Yuan Yang True Venerable didn''t require immediate urgency.
...
Sword Lights constantly shed.
Lu Qingshan, holding a sword in the Demon Sea, kept weaving through, lunging left and then charging right.
At this moment, he was like a ghost reaping lives¡ªcruel, resolute, with a killing intent that soared to the skies!
His movements were clean and efficient, without a trace of superfluity. Every thrust of his sword was aimed toward vital spots like the demons'' necks and heads.
Wherever the long sword reached, flesh and blood flew.
The damage inflicted by a Void Refining Sword Cultivator, even if it was just a in sh, was not something these Third and Fourth Grade demons could withstand.
Exhrating!
The scent of blood on Lu Qingshan had already be so dense that it couldn''t be waved away.
His killing intent grew stronger, and his pupils turned even redder, yet his mind became clearer and clearer.
This was a true Sword Cultivator, a cold-blooded killing machine.
The stronger his killing intent, the calmer his heart became.
...
Soon, what seemed like an endless number of demons, began to show signs of not having enough sessors under Lu Qingshan''s rapid clearance.
Lu Qingshan did not stop as he saw the situation was temporarily under control.
His form surged explosively.
With a fierce momentum and soaring killing intent, he charged towards where Yuan Yang True Venerable was.
There were still three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners there.
"You¡ª" Seeing Lu Qingshan, who carried the unique piercing aura of a Sword Cultivator, joining his battlefield, Yuan Yang True Venerable didn''t know what reaction was appropriate.
It was really because Lu Qingshan''s performance far exceeded his expectations.
Even he was not confident that he could do better than Lu Qingshan had done.
But now was not the time to express astonishment.
Seeing Lu Qingshan supporting him, Yuan Yang True Venerable, who was rich inbat experience, immediately reacted and coordinated with Lu Qingshan.
Originally evenly matched despite being outnumbered three to one, Yuan Yang True Venerable, upon Lu Qingshan joining the battle, quickly turned the fight one-sided.
...
After about ten breaths of time, a massive head flew off, and a rain of blood sprayed through the air.
Three Fifth Grade Demon Refiners, dead!
Lu Qingshan stood quietly in the same spot, scanning the surroundings.
The area, as far as the eye could see, was surprisingly empty.
Although Yuan Yang True Venerable looked thoroughly exhausted, a smile couldn''t help but surface on his face as he was just about to step forward and say something to Lu Qingshan, when¡ª
A thunderous booming sound came from far away.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable simultaneously turned their gaze towards where the booming sound wasing from.
In the distance, atop a sky-piercing mountain that was originally shrouded in ck mist, an intensely bright and dazzling light burst through, breaking the mist.
In that moment, the entire world between heaven and earth was filled with dazzling spiritual light.
Immediately following, there was a disturbance in the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth, and a ck, mile-high tornado cyclone arose out of nowhere!
Afterward, the tornado released sky-covering spiritual energy, and although the energy was incredibly vibrant, it was unattainable and impossible to absorb, quickly dispersing into the environment and blending with this world.
Magnificent yet tragic.
This was a Heavenly Dao phenomenon.
Only when a tremendously powerful Cultivator died, such a scene would appear.
These Cultivators had grown so powerful by devouring countless amounts of Spiritual Power from the world.
If not returned, over time, the Spiritual Mechanisms within the world would gradually fade away and eventually turn into a barren wastnd.
Thus, upon their death, powerful Cultivators would return the Spiritual Power to the world in the form of a Dao-vanishing celestial phenomenon.
This was thew of Heavenly Dao.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Only the death of one person from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion could create such an astonishing Dao-vanishing celestial phenomenon.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable both understood what it signified.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had died in battle!
"Your Sect Master is dead!" A sinister and dull voice came from between the Giant Peak and Spirit Mountain, "You disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion should stop struggling in vain."
This was meant to dissolve the remaining will to fight of the Cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
Lu Qingshan looked nearby.
Wave after wave of the Demon Race was rushing toward them.
Lu Qingshan and Yuan Yang True Venerable exchanged a nce.
Their will to fight did not diminish with the passing of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion; instead, it grew even more intense.
Facing the surging Demon Race, Lu Qingshan and True Venerable Yuan Yang did not retreat but advanced instead.
Following closely behind them were all the surviving Cultivators defending the Spirit Vein.
...
...
When Lu Qingshan came back to his senses.
He had already moved from the Wuya Peak Spirit Vein battlefield filled with the Demon Race to an attic.
The surroundings were empty.
Lu Qingshan was startled.
This was different from the scene he remembered.
This final instance settlement scene should have been surrounded by cabs filled with Cultivation Techniques and Techniques jade slips.
As Lu Qingshan looked around uncertainly.
A figure of a middle-aged man in a white robe quietly appeared before Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan looked at the man''s face, as if understanding something, and slightly bowed to the middle-aged Cultivator.
"Sect Master."
Indeed, the figure in front of him was the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Lu Qingshan had seen from a distance at the Wuya Peak summit.
"The Mountain and Sea Pavilion has long been destroyed, what kind of Sect Master am I now?" came a very gentle voice.
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was unconcerned about Lu Qingshan''s silence.
He stretched out his hand, and with a light touch in the air.
Images that had never appeared in the Ruin Realm floated in the air.
...
That night, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had traversed all the mountains of the Pavilion and met all its disciples.
The sky was still dark as he stood motionless in the air, his mind wandering beyond the heavens.
After a long, long time, when the day was about to dawn.
He finally came back to his senses, as if having decided on something, he slightly grasped at the void, and a ck orb of light appeared in his hand.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked at the ck orb in his hand, pondered for a moment.
Finally, he confirmed his thoughts, and gently swiped over his brow, a shallow Soul Body appearing in front of him.
At the same time, the face of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion turned deathly pale in that instant.
He had split off a small part of his Divine Soul.
The separated Soul Body, looking at the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, humanly nodded its head, and then plunged into the ck orb of light in the hands of the Sect Master.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion saw this scene, and slightly nodded his head.
Afterward, he suspended the ck orb in mid-air, and with both hands made Seal Gestures, casting one spell after another onto the ck orb.
At the break of dawn, he waved the ck orb, sending it shooting straight down below the grounds of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, where it instantaneously vanished any trace of its presence.
Chapter 64 - 64 Foundation Establishment (Part 2)
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
If he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, the ck sphere hidden by the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was the Ruin Realm.
This segment of the image must be the story of how the Ruin Realm continually exists. Find exclusive content at NovelBin.C?m
As for the remnant soul of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion before him, it could be considered as the Sect Master himself from another perspective without any problems.
Because the remnant soul of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, split by secret technique ten thousand years ago, possesses all the memories and thoughts of the Sect Master, along with an independent consciousness.
The doubts in Lu Qingshan¡¯s heart finally got rified.
It¡¯s no wonder that a mere replica illusion could feel so real, and the storyline of the Ruin Realm could vary so much.
It turns out the development of the Ruin Realm¡¯s plot does not rigidly follow a preset direction, but is controlled by a soul split with independent consciousness.
The existence of the soul split of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion allowed for slight variances in the Ruin Realm¡¯s storyline, based on the different actions of the cultivators participating in the trial.
"The only reason why this remnant soul has managed to survive until now is the obsession lingering in my heart."
The soul split of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion spoke faintly, "The inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was ruined overnight, and my heart couldn¡¯t ept this.
So that night, I concealed the Ruin Realm with a hidden barrier and split a soul part, which is now standing in front of you, to oversee the Ruin Realm.
I hoped that if the Human Race were not annihted by the Demon Race, after ten thousand years, once the Ruin Realm reappeared in the world, it could continue the legacy of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion through the trials of the Ruin Realm."
Even at the level of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, a normal soul split was still a considerable harm to him.
Let alone splitting off a soul with its own thought and intelligence.
This soul split required him to recover for decades before he could fully recuperate.
Yet, on the eve of the great war, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion chose to split a conscious soul part.
Merely to leave a glimmer of hope for the legacy of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
It showed how deep his attachment to the inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was.
...
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had a gentle smile on his face as he extended his left hand and slightly lifted it.
All of Lu Qingshan¡¯s experiences in the Ruin Realm turned into flickering lights and shadows, continuously manifesting in the air.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The scene paused at Lu Qingshan¡¯sst stand, outnumbered and overwhelmed by the numerous Demon Race.
After watching Lu Qingshan¡¯s performance in the Ruin Realm together,
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion eximed, "I have never seen a Qi Refining Cultivator like you."
"The Sect Master overpraises me," responded Lu Qingshan, taking themendation in stride.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked intently at Lu Qingshan¡¯s face and said solemnly, "Among the ancient sects, what our Mountain and Sea Pavilion is most famous for is our Taoist-Level Foundation Establishment Technique, the ¡¯Returning Ruins Scripture.¡¯
"The Taoist arts are not to be imparted lightly, so even though I urgently wish to pass on the Returning Ruins Scripture,
if I cannot find the right person, I would rather the Returning Ruins Scripture be buried in obscurity, than to impart it carelessly to others."
"I have seen all of your performances within the Ruin Realm, and I think even across the Seven Domains of the Human Race, there are few Qi Refining Cultivators who could surpass you."
"Based on this, if you were to practice the Returning Ruins Scripture, it would certainly not be wasted."
"But that is not enough because the Returning Ruins Scripture is a very special cultivation technique.
If the person who masters it does not exercise restraint, and misuses its abilities, it would cause extremely severe damage to the world of heaven and earth."
"Therefore, in my trial of the Ruin Realm, besides the performance within the Ruin Realm, there¡¯s also a hidden criterion for the final evaluation, which is the participant¡¯s willpower."
"If you acted in the Ruin Realm merely to obtain a high evaluation, regardless of how well you performed, you would not receive a Grade A evaluation from me."
"Only when you truly put yourself in the shoes of a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and I confirm that you possess this empathy, then you would be the qualified person in my heart to ept the legacy."
"Because only such a person would understand the value of cherishing the mountains, rivers, andkes."
"And you, whether in terms of performance or willpower, have met my requirements. Therefore, I would like to ask you, are you willing to practice the ¡¯Returning Ruins Scripture¡¯ of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion?"
...
The purpose of Lu Qingshan¡¯s journey to the Ruin Realm was precisely for this, so naturally, he had no reason to object.
Seeing Lu Qingshan nodding, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion showed a slight smile and gently touched Lu Qingshan¡¯s forehead with his finger.
A multitude of information surged into Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
In what was initially an empty space, at that moment, vigorous spiritual energy emerged, ferociously rushing into Lu Qingshan¡¯s body.
The force was fierce, yet its nature was exceedingly gentle, not causing the slightest harm to Lu Qingshan.
"Foundation Establishment Technique ¡¯Returning Ruins Scripture¡¯ detected!"
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Returning Ruins Scripture] (Foundation Establishment)
Level: Taoist Level
Description: Truly an abyss without a bottom, so deep that it has no bottom, named the Returning Ruins. Ancient great sect Mountain and Sea Pavilion¡¯s Foundation Establishment Technique, with a maximum of 20 levels.
Technique Effect 1: Each increase by 1 level, Spiritual Power Value ceiling increases by 100 points.
Technique Effect 2: Spiritual Power Recovery Speed +100%
Technique Effect 3: The Spiritual Power Quality cultivated by Returning Ruins Scripture is extremely high, and when it collides with any attribute Spiritual Energy, it will not be inferior in terms of quality.
Technique Effect 4: Upon achieving Returning Ruins Scripture to level 20, additionally obtain a Spiritual Power Value ceiling boost of +1000.
Technique Effect 5: Upon achieving Returning Ruins Scripture to level 20, you will master the Divine Skill [Power of the Mountains and Seas].
[Power of the Mountains and Seas]
Description: Seize and devour the Mountain/Sea Strength within a ten miles radius, augmenting oneself. However, as a price, the Mountain/Sea from which the strength is taken will lose all vitality, turning into a wastnd.
Supplementary Description: The range of Power of the Mountains and Seas¡¯ seizure will increase along with the Cultivator¡¯s Rank advancement.
Spell Consumption: None
Cool Down Time: 1 day
Technique Effect 6: The experience points needed to upgrade Returning Ruins Scripture increase by +100%.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
"Now epting [Returning Ruins Scripture] inheritance... Learning progress 15%... 40%... 99%..."
"For this process, outside source Spiritual Energy provides experience points, there is no need to consume any of your own experience points!"
"Learning sessful! You have mastered [Returning Ruins Scripture]!"
"Detection of advancement task [Foundation Establishment] has beenpleted, your rank has been upgraded to Foundation Establishment!"
"Due to the presence of the talent [Trapped in Formation], your Stamina addition will not be increased!"
"You receive the [Foundation Establishment] rank bonus: Health Points limit +50."
"Youprehend the skill [Divine Sense Perception]!"
"You open a new Attribute row: Divine Sense!"
"You gain the talent [Leakproof Body]!"
"Your Spiritual Power Value limit exceeds 200, you acquire the talent [Spiritual Power Control] (Primary Level)!"
"You obtain a Life-bound Sword slot! Please confirm your Life-bound Sword as soon as possible."
......
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
upation: Sword Cultivator
Techniques: [Qi Refinement Technique] Lv10¡ª[Spiritual Power +150]/[Returning Ruins Scripture] Lv1 (0/4000)¡ª[Spiritual Power +100, Spiritual Power Recovery Speed +100%]
Rank: Foundation Establishment
Experience Points: 968
Health Points: 70/70
Spiritual Power Value: 250/250
Divine Sense: 10/10
Talents: [Innate Swordseed] (Legendary Talent), [Specialization], [Trapped in Formation], [Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level), [Thick-skinned]
[Leakproof Body]: Having built your Foundation Establishment, you have stepped out of the realm of mortals, your Lifespan is extended (to 200 years), and at the same time, you will have the ability to Fast.
[Spiritual Power Control] (Primary Level): With the advancement of your Cultivation, your control over Spiritual Power will no longer be limited to the most superficial Object Control but will develop into a more refined level. Your use of Spiritual Power is elevated by one level.
Skills: [Heavenly Eye Technique] (Universal), [Falling Bright Sword Technique] Lv10 (max), [Secret Sword: Wind sh] Lv1 (0/2000)
[Divine Sense Perception]: You can project your Divine Sense outward, perceiving the surroundings through Divine Sense.
Life-bound Sword Slot: Empty (You can add a Life-bound Sword to this slot).
Faction:
Yuanshan Tower: Enthusiastic (200)
Guardian Tower: Friendly (20)
Heavenly Secret Pavillion: Friendly (10)
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Chapter 65 - 65 Life Forbidden Zone
A powerful force spontaneously emerged within his body.
Lu Qingshan introspectively examined his Dantian.
At the moment of his advancement to the Foundation Establishment, the fog-like Spiritual Power within his Dantian had transformed into a higher quality liquid form of Spiritual Power.
At the same time, a wealth of knowledge and experience about the application of Spiritual Power was infused into his mind. ([Spiritual Power Control])
Under the effect of the innate Spiritual Power Control (Primary Level), his use of Spiritual Power had transcended mere Object Control, and it was no longer limited to monotonously consuming Spiritual Power to cast Skills.
He could now flexibly use Spiritual Power in battle.
Lu Qingshan shifted his gaze to the Attribute Panel, looking at the detailed description of the Returning Ruins Scripture in the Cultivation Technique section.
He finally understood what the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion meant when he said that the Returning Ruins Scripture was a very special Cultivation Technique.
¡ªThe Divine Skills obtainable after fully cultivating the Returning Ruins Scripture, the Power of the Mountains and Seas, was indeed a Divine Skill contrary to the natural order.
For Cultivators to engage in Magical Combat, overturning mountains and seas was nothing out of the ordinary.
However, such actions only superficially damaged the continents and waters¡¯ topography; they did not actually cause real damage to this world.
But the Power of the Mountains and Seas was different, as any mountains and seas whose strength was consumed by the Power of the Mountains and Seas would lose all of their vitality, truly dying.
In other words, Magical Combat among Cultivators was akin to the bombing raids of his previous life; although they caused significant destruction, life would still grow from the ruins after some time.
However, mountains and seas whose power was consumed by the Power of the Mountains and Seas were like those that had endured a nuclear st; the resulting damage was irreversible, and for years nothing would grow there.
Since passing the Returning Ruins Scripture to Lu Qingshan, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion¡¯s soul fragment began to fade increasingly.
Taoist knowledge should not be passed on lightly; he had transmitted the Returning Ruins Scripture to Lu Qingshan with a simple gesture, but it had cost a significant amount of spiritual power from this soul fragment of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
After consuming a great amount of his own origin power, the Sect Master¡¯s soul fragment was also in an extremely weakened state now.
Seeing Lu Qingshan standing up, the air around him also changed to that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion silently praised Lu Qingshan¡¯s talent once again in his heart before slowly speaking to Lu Qingshan.
"Any powerful bursting spell will have a corresponding immense casting cost, and the Power of the Mountains and Seas is no different,"
"But unlike other bursting spells, which have casting costs that affect the caster themselves,
usually, under normal circumstances, no one would use bursting spells recklessly unless necessary.
Yet the casting cost of this Divine Skill of the Power of the Mountains and Seas is borne by the mountains and seas themselves."
"This is a terrifying thing."
"The world of the Human Race is vast, and it might be manageable at a low realm, but once a Cultivator¡¯s Cultivation is high, the range of devastation caused by the Power of the Mountains and Seas also increases significantly.
If Cultivators who practice the Returning Ruins Scripture do not know moderation, sooner orter, this world will turn into a wastnd because of it."
"Therefore, even in my Mountain and Sea Pavilion, only a few Cultivators are qualified to learn the Returning Ruins Scripture.
Even if you are outstanding, if you do not meet the required disposition, my Mountain and Sea Pavilion will never pass on the Returning Ruins Scripture to you."
"Returning Ruins signifies the destination and end of all things; once the power of the Returning Ruins Scripture is misused, then this world will be barren and meet its end."
"So I have one request for you, once you harness the Power of the Mountains and Seas, do not misuse this power unless it is a matter of life and death."
The voice of the Sect Master¡¯s soul fragment was very serious.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression grew solemn as he earnestly promised, "I assure the Sect Master that unless it is absolutely necessary, I will never use the Power of the Mountains and Seas."
Sword Cultivators never make promises lightly; once they do, they swear to follow through to the death.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion gave Lu Qingshan a slight nod.
Looking at the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, a hint of hesitation flickered in Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression, but he eventually tentatively spoke up, "Sect Master, may I inquire where the Returning Ruins Scripture came from?"
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was no wonder Lu Qingshan was curious; indeed, the capabilities of the Returning Ruins Scripture were too sinister.
He initially knew only that the highest reward in the Ruin Realm would be a Taoist Level Foundation Establishment Technique, but he had not expected it to be such an evil technique capable of plundering the power of mountains and seas.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion did not answer Lu Qingshan¡¯s question immediately.
Only when his figure began to flicker, like the dying light of a templemp, did he sigh and speak, "Ites from the Divine Forsaken Land."
"The Divine Forsaken Land?"
Lu Qingshan¡¯s brows furrowed.
He searched through his own memories, but came up empty-handed.
This was a term that had never appeared in his ten years of gaming experience.
His innate sensitivity to game narratives made him realize that he might be encountering a monumental secret at this moment.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion nodded slightly, as if the term was taboo and chose not to name it directly, "That is a Life Forbidden Zone, a ce I dared not explore even at my peak..."
After adding this, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion dared not say more.
...
At the entrance to the Ruin Realm in the Great Words Mountain Range.
The scene, quiet for a long time, started bustling again as the cultivators participating in the test returned one by one.
Lu Zhou checked the scores of his family members, his face filled with joy.
"Seeing your expression, it seems your Lu Family has achieved quite a bit this time, hasn¡¯t it?" Liu Neng, not far away, saw Lu Zhou¡¯s expression and hurriedly came over to ask.
Lu Zhou pointed at Lu Xin andughed, "This is Lu Xin. She was the best performer in our Lu Family this time. She received a Grade C Plus in the Ruin Realm."
Liu Neng looked at Lu Xin in surprise.
Among the group of cultivators from the Lu Family who took part in the test of the Ruin Realm, Lu Xin was not the most outstanding, yet she ended up with the highest score.
"How about your Liu Family?" Lu Zhou asked caringly.
Liu Neng waved his hand, "We¡¯re far behind your Lu Family this time. The best score among our cultivators who took part in the test was just a Grade C Middle."
After a pause, Liu Neng suddenly realized something, his voice filled with shock and suspicion, "If I remember correctly, thest time there was a test in the Ruin Realm, the highest rating was just a Grade C Plus from the Ke Family.
"Could it be that this time, it¡¯s your Lu Family¡¯s turn to take the lead?"
Lu Zhou smiled modestly, "It¡¯s not that simple. Everyone is still exploring the Ruin Realm tests, and each year our experience grows richer and our scores improve. If the Lu Family is making progress, how could the Ke Family remain stagnant this year?"
No sooner had he spoken than
"Grade B Minus!"
Amotion erupted not far away.
Lu Zhou and Liu Neng both turned their gazes in that direction. Experience more tales on NovelBin.C?m
It turned out that a Qi Refining Cultivator from the Ke Family, who had just emerged from the Ruin Realm, had achieved a Grade B Minus in the test, stirring up excitement at the scene.
Lu Zhou and Liu Neng exchanged nces and couldn¡¯t help but exim, "Indeed the Ke Family..."
This was their Ruin Realm Alliance¡¯s first time achieving a Grade B in the Ruin Realm tests.
An achievementpleted by the Ke Family.
Lu Zhou looked around at the various major families whose cultivators had alreadye out from the Ruin Realm.
Some families, after gathering their members, were even ready to start their return journey.
A hint of confusion flickered in Lu Zhou¡¯s eyes.
¡ªLu Qingshan had not yet emerged from the Ruin Realm.
What was thisd doing in the Ruin Realm that took him so long and still hadn¡¯t finished?
Lu Zhou pondered silently.
...
"Fang Qian, the results of this Ruin Realm trial have settled. You should close this betting pool," said a Golden Core Cultivator who had participated in the betting pool initiated by Fang Qian. "I previously bet two Fourth Grade Spirit Stones on the Ke Family to win."
Fang Qian, beaming, replied, "Excellent, excellent. This time in the Ruin Realm trial, at the level of Qi Refinement, the Ke Family achieved a Grade B Minus and took the crown, while at the Foundation Establishment level, it was the Ye Family with a Grade C Plus who eclipsed the others.
All the honored masters who ced their bets with me shoulde and settle their ounts now! If you miss this moment, don¡¯t me me for turning my back on you, I won¡¯t acknowledge the bets anymore!"
Lu Zhou frowned, ncing at the entrance to the Ruin Realm where there was still no movement, and interrupted Fang Qian¡¯s calling out, "Real Man Fang Qian, we still have cultivators from the Lu Family taking the test in the Ruin Realm who haven¡¯te out yet.
How can you conclude so definitively that the Ke Family has won in the Qi Refinement level?"
Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Foundation Establishment (Part 2)
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
If he hadn''t guessed wrong, the ck sphere hidden by the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was the Ruin Realm.
This segment of the image must be the story of how the Ruin Realm continually exists.
As for the remnant soul of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion before him, it could be considered as the Sect Master himself from another perspective without any problems.
Because the remnant soul of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, split by secret technique ten thousand years ago, possesses all the memories and thoughts of the Sect Master, along with an independent consciousness.
The doubts in Lu Qingshan''s heart finally got rified.
It''s no wonder that a mere replica illusion could feel so real, and the storyline of the Ruin Realm could vary so much.
It turns out the development of the Ruin Realm''s plot does not rigidly follow a preset direction, but is controlled by a soul split with independent consciousness.
The existence of the soul split of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion allowed for slight variances in the Ruin Realm''s storyline, based on the different actions of the cultivators participating in the trial.
"The only reason why this remnant soul has managed to survive until now is the obsession lingering in my heart."
The soul split of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion spoke faintly, "The inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was ruined overnight, and my heart couldn''t ept this.
So that night, I concealed the Ruin Realm with a hidden barrier and split a soul part, which is now standing in front of you, to oversee the Ruin Realm.
I hoped that if the Human Race were not annihted by the Demon Race, after ten thousand years, once the Ruin Realm reappeared in the world, it could continue the legacy of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion through the trials of the Ruin Realm."
Even at the level of the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, a normal soul split was still a considerable harm to him.
Let alone splitting off a soul with its own thought and intelligence.
This soul split required him to recover for decades before he could fully recuperate.
Yet, on the eve of the great war, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion chose to split a conscious soul part.
Merely to leave a glimmer of hope for the legacy of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
It showed how deep his attachment to the inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion was.
...
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had a gentle smile on his face as he extended his left hand and slightly lifted it.
All of Lu Qingshan''s experiences in the Ruin Realm turned into flickering lights and shadows, continuously manifesting in the air.N?v(el)B\\jnn
The scene paused at Lu Qingshan''sst stand, outnumbered and overwhelmed by the numerous Demon Race.
After watching Lu Qingshan''s performance in the Ruin Realm together,
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion eximed, "I have never seen a Qi Refining Cultivator like you."
"The Sect Master overpraises me," responded Lu Qingshan, taking themendation in stride.
The Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked intently at Lu Qingshan''s face and said solemnly, "Among the ancient sects, what our Mountain and Sea Pavilion is most famous for is our Taoist-Level Foundation Establishment Technique, the ''Returning Ruins Scripture.''
"The Taoist arts are not to be imparted lightly, so even though I urgently wish to pass on the Returning Ruins Scripture,
if I cannot find the right person, I would rather the Returning Ruins Scripture be buried in obscurity, than to impart it carelessly to others."
"I have seen all of your performances within the Ruin Realm, and I think even across the Seven Domains of the Human Race, there are few Qi Refining Cultivators who could surpass you."
"Based on this, if you were to practice the Returning Ruins Scripture, it would certainly not be wasted."
"But that is not enough because the Returning Ruins Scripture is a very special cultivation technique.
If the person who masters it does not exercise restraint, and misuses its abilities, it would cause extremely severe damage to the world of heaven and earth."
"Therefore, in my trial of the Ruin Realm, besides the performance within the Ruin Realm, there''s also a hidden criterion for the final evaluation, which is the participant''s willpower."
"If you acted in the Ruin Realm merely to obtain a high evaluation, regardless of how well you performed, you would not receive a Grade A evaluation from me."
"Only when you truly put yourself in the shoes of a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and I confirm that you possess this empathy, then you would be the qualified person in my heart to ept the legacy."
"Because only such a person would understand the value of cherishing the mountains, rivers, andkes."
"And you, whether in terms of performance or willpower, have met my requirements. Therefore, I would like to ask you, are you willing to practice the ''Returning Ruins Scripture'' of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion?"
...
The purpose of Lu Qingshan''s journey to the Ruin Realm was precisely for this, so naturally, he had no reason to object.
Seeing Lu Qingshan nodding, the Sect Master of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion showed a slight smile and gently touched Lu Qingshan''s forehead with his finger.
A multitude of information surged into Lu Qingshan''s mind.
In what was initially an empty space, at that moment, vigorous spiritual energy emerged, ferociously rushing into Lu Qingshan''s body.
The force was fierce, yet its nature was exceedingly gentle, not causing the slightest harm to Lu Qingshan.
"Foundation Establishment Technique ''Returning Ruins Scripture'' detected!"
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Returning Ruins Scripture] (Foundation Establishment)
Level: Taoist Level
Description: Truly an abyss without a bottom, so deep that it has no bottom, named the Returning Ruins. Ancient great sect Mountain and Sea Pavilion''s Foundation Establishment Technique, with a maximum of 20 levels.
Technique Effect 1: Each increase by 1 level, Spiritual Power Value ceiling increases by 100 points.
Technique Effect 2: Spiritual Power Recovery Speed +100%
Technique Effect 3: The Spiritual Power Quality cultivated by Returning Ruins Scripture is extremely high, and when it collides with any attribute Spiritual Energy, it will not be inferior in terms of quality.
Technique Effect 4: Upon achieving Returning Ruins Scripture to level 20, additionally obtain a Spiritual Power Value ceiling boost of +1000.
Technique Effect 5: Upon achieving Returning Ruins Scripture to level 20, you will master the Divine Skill [Power of the Mountains and Seas].
[Power of the Mountains and Seas]
Description: Seize and devour the Mountain/Sea Strength within a ten miles radius, augmenting oneself. However, as a price, the Mountain/Sea from which the strength is taken will lose all vitality, turning into a wastnd.
Supplementary Description: The range of Power of the Mountains and Seas'' seizure will increase along with the Cultivator''s Rank advancement.
Spell Consumption: None
Cool Down Time: 1 day
Technique Effect 6: The experience points needed to upgrade Returning Ruins Scripture increase by +100%.
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"Now epting [Returning Ruins Scripture] inheritance... Learning progress 15%... 40%... 99%..."
"For this process, outside source Spiritual Energy provides experience points, there is no need to consume any of your own experience points!"
"Learning sessful! You have mastered [Returning Ruins Scripture]!"
"Detection of advancement task [Foundation Establishment] has beenpleted, your rank has been upgraded to Foundation Establishment!"
"Due to the presence of the talent [Trapped in Formation], your Stamina addition will not be increased!"
"You receive the [Foundation Establishment] rank bonus: Health Points limit +50."
"Youprehend the skill [Divine Sense Perception]!"
"You open a new Attribute row: Divine Sense!"
"You gain the talent [Leakproof Body]!"
"Your Spiritual Power Value limit exceeds 200, you acquire the talent [Spiritual Power Control] (Primary Level)!"
"You obtain a Life-bound Sword slot! Please confirm your Life-bound Sword as soon as possible."
......
Lu Qingshan (Human Race)
upation: Sword Cultivator
Techniques: [Qi Refinement Technique] Lv10¡ª[Spiritual Power +150]/[Returning Ruins Scripture] Lv1 (0/4000)¡ª[Spiritual Power +100, Spiritual Power Recovery Speed +100%]
Rank: Foundation Establishment
Experience Points: 968
Health Points: 70/70
Spiritual Power Value: 250/250
Divine Sense: 10/10
Talents: [Innate Swordseed] (Legendary Talent), [Specialization], [Trapped in Formation], [Sword Technique Affinity] (Primary Level), [Thick-skinned]
[Leakproof Body]: Having built your Foundation Establishment, you have stepped out of the realm of mortals, your Lifespan is extended (to 200 years), and at the same time, you will have the ability to Fast.
[Spiritual Power Control] (Primary Level): With the advancement of your Cultivation, your control over Spiritual Power will no longer be limited to the most superficial Object Control but will develop into a more refined level. Your use of Spiritual Power is elevated by one level.
Skills: [Heavenly Eye Technique] (Universal), [Falling Bright Sword Technique] Lv10 (max), [Secret Sword: Wind sh] Lv1 (0/2000)
[Divine Sense Perception]: You can project your Divine Sense outward, perceiving the surroundings through Divine Sense.
Life-bound Sword Slot: Empty (You can add a Life-bound Sword to this slot).
Faction:
Yuanshan Tower: Enthusiastic (200)
Guardian Tower: Friendly (20)
Heavenly Secret Pavillion: Friendly (10)
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Chapter 66 Gaining Fame
Fang Qian was taken aback, "Even at this time, are there still people from the Lu Family who haven''te out of the Ruin Realm?"
The Lu Family, being a middle-ranking family in the Ruin Realm Alliance, was unassuming and usually did not attract attention.
If it hadn''t been for Lu Zhou''s mention, no one would have even realized that there were still members of the Lu Family in the Ruin Realm.
Suddenly, the Lu Family became the focus of everyone present.
Upon closer inspection, the Lu Family was indeed still missing one person.
The Ruin Realm was a realm where life was not in danger.
So, Lu Qingshan couldn''t have died in the Ruin Realm.
The only possibility was that this member of the Lu Family was indeed still in the Ruin Realm, having notpleted the Ruin Realm trial.
Cultivators who had participated in the Ruin Realm trial immediately began to discuss fervently.
When they had died in the Ruin Realm, the scenario in the realm had progressed to where the high-level cultivators werepletely overwhelmed, and countless high-ranking demons were ughtering these lower-grade cultivators.
It was a massacre.
So much time had passed, and they couldn''t imagine how Lu Qingshan, who had not yete out, managed to not yet finish his trial under such circumstances.
Hearing the fervent discussions among the surrounding cultivators, Fang Qian''s heart skipped a beat.
He thought of Lu Zhou''s earlier, uncharacteristically bold move of betting on the Lu Family to take the lead at his ce.
If he still couldn''t realize what was happening now, then he truly was living his years in vain.
That old bastard nearly fooled him; fortunately, he was cautious enough, or else he would have lost everything this time.
Fang Qian''s teeth were clenched in hatred.
...
Time dripped away moment by moment.
Initially, some people doubted that Lu Qingshan''s final rank would surpass the Ke Family''s Grade B.
After all, the Ruin Realm trial was not determined by the length of time one survived within it.
But the length of time Lu Qingshan had spent in the Ruin Realm had already far exceeded anyone''s imagination.
Surviving in the Ruin Realm for so long, regardless of how he managed it, there was no doubt that the rank Lu Qingshan would eventually receive would surpass all others.
The cultivators present were filled with curiosity in addition to being shocked.
All were Qi Refining Cultivators; there was no reason for Lu Qingshan to be so much stronger than anyone else.
Clearly, Lu Qingshan must have discovered something special in the Ruin Realm.
And such a discovery was very likely replicable.
Golden Core Cultivators, who were leaders of the major families, suddenly became very thoughtful.
In their minds, they wondered how to negotiate with the Lu Family in exchange for firsthand information about the Ruin Realm.
Ancient high-grade Cultivation Techniques and Methods were extremely tempting for them.
Thinking this, a few Golden Core Cultivators who had this thought looked meaningfully at the Lu Family''s group.
A lot more time passed, so much so that the cultivators at the scene began to wonder if there was another way out of the Ruin Realm.
The entrance channel to the Ruin Realm finally stirred once again.
Everyone quickly directed their gaze toward the entrance.
A ripple appeared, followed by a figure stepping out from the dark channel.
It was Lu Qingshan.
All eyes were on Lu Qingshan as he emerged, causing the hearts of the leading Golden Core Cultivators to tremble intensely.
Lu Zhou''s pupils also sharply constricted.
Because as he instinctively extended his Divine Sense onto Lu Qingshan.
He had already discerned Lu Qingshan''s current realm.
Foundation Establishment Cultivator!
Before entering the Ruin Realm, Lu Qingshan was only at the tenth level of Qi Refinement.
But upon emerging, he was now at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The leading cultivators of the families in the Ruin Realm Alliance all shed a hint of surprise.
Weren''t the rewards of the Ruin Realm only Cultivation Techniques and Methods?
No one had ever heard that the Ruin Realm could also aid in advancing a cultivator''s Cultivation.
Could it be that there was something about the Ruin Realm they hadn''t grasped?
But at present, that was secondary.
The most important thing was, they were now looking at a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was exceedingly young.
Not even twenty?
Some wondered internally.
...
The Lu Family might be on the rise.
The same thought shed through everyone''s hearts.
Already, waves of shock had swept through Lu Zhou''s heart.
Others might not know, but Lu Qingshan was a member of his family. How could he not understand Lu Qingshan''s age?
This was a fifteen-year-old Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly, had it only been three months from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment for Lu Qingshan?
He couldn''t begin to imagine the significance of this.
Perhaps in another decade or so, the Lu Family would produce another Golden Core Cultivator?
And even a Nascent Soul Cultivator was highly probable?
...
Qi Refining tenth level and Foundation Establishment might seem only a tiny realm apart, but the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Even Lu Bei, previously considered the most talented in the Lu Family, had been stalled at this threshold for two years before crossing it.
As for why he said "previously."
A slight smile rose unconsciously at the corners of Lu Zhou''s mouth.
Qing Ling, this time the title of the Lu Family''s number one genius cultivator, I''m afraid you must hand it over to your son.
Perhaps, it wasn''t just within the Lu Family. Even if the scope was widened to include Zhenjiang Prefecture, wouldn''t it still hold?
The same thought surfaced in Lu Zhou''s mind again.
Because, upon reflection, it seemed that he had never heard of a fifteen-year-old Foundation Establishment Cultivator within Zhenjiang Prefecture before Lu Qingshan?
...
"Master Lu Zhou, it seems that in this Ruin Realm trial, the Qi Refining Realm champion should be from your Lu Family," Fang Qian said, his eyes gleaming as he stepped forward to greet him. "It''s fortunate that Master Lu Zhou showed restraint, betting only two fourth grade Spirit Stones; otherwise, my family''s fortune might have been emptied by you."
After saying this, Fang Qian turned his gaze to Lu Qingshan and smiled. "I wonder what grade this young friend achieved in the Ruin Realm trial? Could you share it with me so I could settle the bets with your Great Elder?"
It was a greeting in appearance but a probe in reality.
Fang Qian appeared all smiles, exceedingly polite, but his intentions were anything but benevolent, voicing the question that all other families'' cultivators present were most concerned about.
Old fox!
Lu Zhou cursed silently in his heart, feeling a slight regret.
Why had he, greedy for a few Spirit Stones, approached Fang Qian to ce a bet on his own family?
And at the moment when everyone was preparing to leave, had he not opened his mouth to stop them?
But he couldn''t really me himself.
After all, he hadn''t anticipated such a performance from Lu Qingshan in the end.
Being a little better than others was eptable, but being too much better might make you a target in others'' eyes.
The Cultivation World had always been like this, filled with thew of the survival of the fittest.
"Master," Lu Qingshan''s expression remained calm as he politely addressed Fang Qian, smiling. "What''s there to hide? My final evaluation in the Ruin Realm was Grade A, so please settle the bets with our Great Elder as soon as possible."
The surrounding cultivators were all shaken by these words.
Although many had already spected, hearing the result spoken by Lu Qingshan himself still left them immensely surprised.
Fang Qian, still smiling, clicked his tongue in admiration. "Grade A, this is indeed significant.
But words alone are not proof. As the initiator of the bets, I need evidence to ascertain the final oue, right?
While I naturally wouldn''t doubt the Lu Family, if there''s no evidence, and I dere your family as the winner, others might not ept this oue willingly.
I wonder if this young friend could show us the reward they received in the Ruin Realm?"
Fang Qian naturally did not doubt what Lu Qingshan had said, knowing that Lu Qingshan, having stayed so long within the Ruin Realm before returning, must have achieved the highest final grade.
His manner of speaking was purposeful, merely a ploy to learn what rewards Lu Qingshan had gained within the Ruin Realm.
Especially if it was rted to his advancement to Foundation Establishment.
The reasoning he provided was perfectly justified, as the legacy Jade Slips awarded by the Ruin Realm could be identified by their exterior colors to indicate their grade.
The Jade Slips of those who attained Grade D were white.
Grade C was green.
Grade B was blue.
As for Grade A, they were not yet sure.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
This was also the previous criterion they used to determine which family had won.
Aside from Fang Qian''s spontaneous betting, the winning family in each Ruin Realm trial would also receive extra slot rewards for the next trial.
And the family that performed the worst would have their slots correspondingly reduced.
So in every Ruin Realm trial, no family would hold back, all striving for a higher ranking.
Chapter 67 She Arrived (Part 1)
Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "Master Fang Qian, it''s not that I''m unwilling to prove it to you, but the Grade A reward isn''t a Cultivation Technique Jade Slip..."
Upon hearing this, a gleam shed in Fang Qian''s eyes, but he continued to probe, "If it is not a Cultivation Technique Jade Slip, then could it be?"
Lu Qingshan understood the underlying meaning in Fang Qian''s words and nodded, "Just as you have discerned, before entering the Ruin Realm I was merely in the Qi Refining Realm. Within less than a day in the Ruin Realm, I had advanced to Foundation Establishment.
This is the reward for the Grade A evaluation in the Ruin Realm. As for the specifics of what it is, I am not at liberty to disclose."
He was not willing to reveal the existence of the "Returning Ruins Scripture".
But he didn''t mind trying to secure an extra Ruin Realm spot for the Lu Family.
Fortunately, no one knew the exact process of Foundation Establishment within the Ruin Realm.
Thus, advancing to Foundation Establishment became his best pretext.
He was not afraid of being exposed, because the rule in the Ruin Realm was that only one Grade A would emerge.
Once he secured Grade A and received the inheritance of the "Returning Ruins Scripture," no matter how well the cultivators performed afterward, at most they would achieve just below Grade A.
If no one else could receive Grade A evaluation thereafter, then no one would be able to verify what he had imed.
That is to say, there was no possibility of his pretext being debunked.
...
All the cultivators who were paying attention to Lu Qingshan were moved by his words.
The highest rating reward in the Ruin Realm, which could help a Qi Refining Cultivator break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, carried a significance that caused great upheaval in their minds.
At any time, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were the backbone of their respective families.
Moreover, the more Foundation Establishment Cultivators in a family, the higher the probability of producing a Golden Core Cultivator.
Golden Core Cultivators were the crucial criteria for determining a family''s strength.
The reward for Grade A evaluation in the Ruin Realm trial could directly influence the rise and fall of a family.
"Young friend, your words are indeed true, at least in my view, without a doubt, this Qi Refining Realm trial in the Ruin Realm is dominated by your Lu Family. and I think no one here disagrees," Fang Qian, quick-witted, seeing his concern addressed, was the first to speak up in favor of the Lu Family.
He nned in his heart to seek the Lu Family privately and ensure a thorough deal to extract the key information about the Grade A evaluation from the Lu Family''s hands.
So he was also willing to show some favors toward the Lu Family.
¡ªIn his heart, Lu Qingshan''s attaining the Grade A evaluation must be due to some shortcut he discovered.
Otherwise, how could this youngd overpower so many cultivators from thirty-six families by such a margin?
He certainly didn''t believe it.
The leading Golden Core Cultivators from each family were also astute, reacting quickly and echoing in agreement.
Their thoughts were aligned with Fang Qian''s.
After all, they couldn''t win the championship anyway, so letting the Lu Family take the crown wouldn''t hurt their interests¡ªthe Ke Family would be the losers.
Since it wouldn''t be their turn anyway, they might as well curry favor with the Lu Family now and thenter approach them to discuss the Ruin Realm, which would also make it easier.
The leading Golden Core Cultivator from the Ke Family, regarding the Ruin Realm spot slipping through their fingers, showed no irritation or urgency, but rather smiled, "If a cultivator from the Lu Family could survive so long within the Ruin Realm, let alone breakthrough to Foundation Establishment with the help of the Ruin Realm''s reward, even if there was no breakthrough, my Ke Family would have no objections to the Lu Family iming victory."
It''s hard to fight against public anger, and even the powerful Ke Family did not want to go against so many families present at that moment.
Besides, the Ke Family also had ns to negotiate with the Lu Family regarding the Ruin Realm, and giving up a few Ruin Realm spots to the Lu Family was hardly a concern.
Even the Ke Family, the only one with conflicting interests, stating that the Lu Family won the Qi Refining Realm trial in the Ruin Realm meant that the matter was settled.
...
Fang Qian cheerfully took out forty Fourth Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to Lu Zhou, "Master Lu Zhou, this is your winning bet."
With a pay-out of twenty to one, as Lu Zhou had bet two Fourth Grade Spirit Stones, naturally, he ended up winning these forty Fourth Grade Spirit Stones.
Under normal circumstances, Fang Qian would certainly be sore at heart.
But now, not only did he give up the forty Fourth Grade Spirit Stones readily, but he even felt somewhat pleased.
Lu Zhou, that old fellow, had profited from this transaction of Spirit Stones and, with this connection, he would have more confidence when privately dealing with the Lu Familypared to others.
...
After confirming the Lu Family''s victory, everyone seemed to leave nonchntly.
As for the subsequent petty squabbling, only the respective families were clear.
The Qingsha Wood Boat.
Lu Qingshan stood outside Lu Zhou''s room.
"Great Elder?"
"Come in," came the muffled voice from inside the room.
Lu Qingshan gently pushed the door open and realized it wasn''t locked at all, understanding dawned on him.
The Great Elder was intentionally waiting for him.
Seeing Lu Qingshan enter, Lu Zhou didn''t speak. He looked left and right, then finally spoke sarcastically, "No wonder you dared to im you didn''t need the Lu Family''s resources to support you. It''s because your capabilities are quite significant.
Grade A, dominating over all Qi Refining Cultivators of the thirty-six great families. No, not just dominating, more than just a rank above.
To advance to Foundation Establishment at the age of fifteen, a hundred days to establish foundation, impressive indeed.
Could it be that in a little while, you will advance to Golden Core?"
In response to Lu Zhou''s mockery, Lu Qingshan was not embarrassed, "Great Elder, you tter me too much. Such praise might not be appropriate."
Lu Zhou looked frustrated and exasperatedly said, "Not appropriate, you also know it''s not appropriate!
I can understand a young man''s desire to stand out, but do you realize that a tree that stands out in the forest might be easily blown down by the wind?
Once the families return and investigate, finding out you''ve reached Foundation Establishment at just fifteen, then you will be a thorn in their eyes.
Although on the surface, the thirty-six Cultivator families of the Ruin Realm Alliance appear united, the dirty tricks behind the scenes are inevitable, do you understand?
There''s only so much resource in Zhenjiang Prefecture; if the Lu Family bes stronger, then it will upy more resources, naturally other families will have to give up some of theirs.
This is a battle of interests, in the face of such conflicts, no one would want to sit by and watch your rise, even the Liu Family, who has good rtions with our Lu Family, would feel the same.
The wolves circle, and themb has long been devoured. In the Cultivation World, no powerful force is truly benevolent.
Your brilliance is too pronounced, soon enough, various schemes from different families both overt and covert might target you!"
Lu Zhou furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment then said, "For the following period, I think it''s best for you to stay and cultivate in seclusion within our Lu Family''s blessednd, and momentarily refrain from leaving the Lu Family.
Let the situation calm down a bit before we discuss further matters."
Although Lu Zhou appeared to be chastising him, Lu Qingshan understood the concern in his words.
However, he couldn''tply with Lu Zhou''s words, so he could only apologetically say, "Great Elder, I came here to tell you that I will not be returning with you to the Lu Family this time."
Lu Zhou''s face stiffened, "What do you mean by this? Do you understand how dangerous your situation is now, if not returning to the Lu Family, where will you go?"
Lu Qingshan smiled slightly, "Great Elder, I''m fully aware, as you said. However, I do have my own reliance, and not returning to the Lu Family because I have important matters to attend to in Zhenjiang City."
"Zhenjiang City?" Lu Zhou frowned, examining Lu Qingshan, "Have your own reliance?"
Lu Qingshan with a mysterious face, "Great Elder, could it be that you forgot what I mentioned earlier about the Knowledge Guard Pavilion..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhou was visibly shaken and murmured, "If it''s the Knowledge Guard Pavilion... no wonder you, normally so calm, would disy such sharpness this time..."
Lu Zhou was very aware of the strength of the Knowledge Guard Pavilion, if Lu Qingshan had their protection, then there indeed wasn''t much to worry about.
Seeing Lu Zhou thinking along the lines he had intentionally suggested, Lu Qingshan nodded in satisfaction within his heart.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Alright, since you have your own ns, I won''t say more. I will take it upon myself to deliver you to Zhenjiang City on my way," Lu Zhou finally decided very straightforwardly.
On the journey back to the Lu Family from the Grand Speech Mountains, where would it possibly pass by Zhenjiang City?
Lu Qingshan knew Lu Zhou was worried, fearing something might go wrong on the way, and thus made a detour to send him to Zhenjiang City himself.
As for Lu Zhou''s kindness, Lu Qingshan did not refuse.
Chapter 68 She Arrives (Part 2)
Upon seeing Dharma Cultivation''s agreement, Lu Zhou steered the flying ship on a detour toward Zhenjiang City.
The flying ship was incredibly fast, and in no time, they had already arrived outside Zhenjiang City.
Dharma Cultivation cupped his fist, ready to bid farewell to Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou nced at Dharma Cultivation and casually tossed a storage bag toward him.
Dharma Cultivation caught the storage bag and probed it with his Divine Sense.
Inside the storage bag were forty Fourth Grade Spirit Stones and several Pill bottles.
For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, this was definitely considered a substantial amount of money.
Dharma Cultivation raised his head, his gaze shifting toward Lu Zhou.
"Take it, these Spirit Stones were won from Fang Qian based on your performance in the Ruin Realm," said Lu Zhou, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Don''t overthink it, I just don''t want to take advantage of the younger generation."
Without exposing Lu Zhou''s tsundere demeanor, Dharma Cultivation tucked away the storage bag and smiled. "Then, I thank the Great Elder.
Lu Zhou took another look at Dharma Cultivation, and then added, "Although you are young, you are not a shallow person, so there is no need for me to exin some things; you understand them yourself.
But no matter what, you, Dharma Cultivation, are a member of the Lu Family. If you really encounter any difficulties, just return to the Lu Family; for now, the family can still shelter you."
Upon hearing this, Dharma Cultivation realized that Lu Zhou had seen through his intention not to return to the Lu Family.
However, Lu Zhou did not try to stop him¡ªthose Spirit Stones were provided out of concern for his expenses when he was alone outside, as a special subsidy.
He truly was rather endearing, this old man.
"Aren''t you going to ask how I managed to secure a Grade A evaluation in the Ruin Realm?" Dharma Cultivation asked with interest.
Lu Zhou''s expression was very calm: "If you wish to tell me, you will do so. If it''s inconvenient to reveal, my asking will be useless and only serve to increase conflict."
Although Lu Zhou''s response seemed rxed, Dharma Cultivation understood that the matter was not as simple as Lu Zhou made it seem.
At the entrance to the Ruin Realm, the envy in the eyes of other family cultivators was not lost on Dharma Cultivation.
If the Lu Family itself did not know how Dharma Cultivation obtained the Grade A rating in the Ruin Realm, then in dealing with other families seeking to trade, the Lu Family would have no choice but to withstand the pressure passively.
Even so, Lu Zhou still did not intend to coerce Dharma Cultivation into revealing his experiences in the Ruin Realm using force or temptation.
Even for someone as dispassionate as Dharma Cultivation, this warmed his heart.
Yet, he had never intended to hide these details from Lu Zhou from the start.
Thus, he straightforwardly shared everything about his experiences in the Ruin Realm with Lu Zhou.
As for what the next steps in the family''s strategy and the alliances and pressures between the different powers would be, that was for the three Golden Core Cultivators to worry about.
Considering the current situation and both Lu Zhou''s and Lu Yuan''s meticulous minds, the Lu Family should not end up at a disadvantage.
...
Nearly ten days had passed, and Dharma Cultivation finally returned to Zhenjiang City once again.
In less than ten days, he had crossed from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment.
As he told Lu Zhou, the reason he dared to be so striking in the Ruin Realm trial was because he had a reliance.
However, his reliance was not what Lu Zhou thought¡ªthe Scripture Pavilion, but himself.
A month ago, he was merely a mortal without any mana in the Corpse Refining Cave, and a monthter, he had be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
This was his confidence.
Others y the pig to eat the tiger.
Facing the Netherworld, this giant tiger, one indeed needs to keep a low profile; but in Dharma Cultivation''s eyes, how could the major families of the Ruin Realm Alliance be considered as tigers?
Thus, he naturally saw no need to keep a low profile.
Sword Cultivators are by nature spirited and unreserved, following their own desires.
He was not willing to endure the aggravation, trotting on eggshells everywhere.
...
Lu Qingshan had always been adept at strategic nning.
This time returning to Zhenjiang City, he naturally had his ns.
The strength of a Sword Cultivator lies in a single sword.
Once a Sword Cultivator advances to Foundation Establishment, a qualitative transformation follows.
There are two reasons.
First, a Sword Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm will unlock their first life-bound sword slot.
This life-bound sword slot allows a Sword Cultivator to possess a top-grade attack magic artifact that can be upgraded and wielded as an extension of their arm.
The importance of a magic artifact to a cultivator is self-evident, and the life-bound sword to a Sword Cultivator is as vital as water is to fish.
With a life-bound sword, thebat power of a Sword Cultivator immediately doubles.
Secondly, Sword Cultivators at Foundation Establishment Realm can begin training in the two most important and iconic skills:
"Sword Control Technique" and "Flying Sword Technique".
...
As for the life-bound sword, Lu Qingshan currently didn''t give it much thought.
It''s not that he wasn''t in a hurry, but once a life-bound sword is chosen, it cannot be changed, and considering its great importance to Sword Cultivators, he preferred tock than to make do.
And in the Zhenjiang jurisdiction, based on the information he had, there were no sword artifacts enticing enough for him, so he had to temporarily put aside the matter of the life-bound sword.
Fortunately, for now, the Crying Soul Sword was sufficient for his use.
However, learning the "Sword Control Technique" and "Flying Sword Technique" couldn''t be dyed any longer.
Before mastering these two skills, one couldn''t really be considered a true Sword Cultivator.
The Lu Family was a lineage of Dharma Cultivators, so their family''s Scripture Pavilion did not have the manuals for the "Sword Control Technique" and "Flying Sword Technique".
Nevertheless, Lu Qingshan had already figured out where he would learn these two skills.
After returning to Zhenjiang City, Lu Qingshan, through a broker, rented a quaint little courtyard where he temporarily settled down.
In addition, he also paid some extra spirit stones and instructed the broker on some matters.
After temporarily settling in Zhenjiang City, Lu Qingshan did not allow himself to idle, roaming around Zhenjiang City''s various shops selling spiritual medicines and materials.
If his predictions were correct, it wouldn''t be long before someone would deliver the manuscripts of the two skills he required.
Exchange of favors required preparations for some gifts in return, to rightfully ept the two skill manuscripts, didn''t it?
The third day after returning to Zhenjiang City.
Lu Qingshan left the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, which specialized in spirit materials, and returned to his temporary residence.
Pushing open the house door and entering the hall, Lu Qingshan saw a familiar tall figure inside the hall.
They finally arrived.
A hint of a smile curved the corners of Lu Qingshan''s mouth.
Although the person in the hall was facing away from Lu Qingshan, clothed in snow-white robes, with a chilly demeanor, who else could it be but Dantai Qingrun?
"It''s been a while since west met, Dantai Tower Master still carries such a spirited demeanor," Lu Qingshan said with a smile.
Dantai Qingrun replied coldly, "Howe, it seems you''re not at all surprised to see me, Lu Qingshan?"
"Surprised perhaps not, but delighted somewhat," Lu Qingshan said nonchntly.
Dantai Qingrun turned around, her gaze falling on Lu Qingshan, as if discovering something, her brows sharply raised: "Before you left Yuanshan City, you were only at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, and now, not even half a monthter, you have already be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Clues
"It''s just a minor fortune, hardly worth mentioning, hardly worth mentioning," Lu Qingshan said with a chuckle.
Regarding Lu Qingshan''s dismissive response, Dantai Qingrun couldn''t be bothered to argue and instead changed the subject, "Were you waiting for me toe find you?"
Dantai Qingrun''s expression was as cold as frost, contrasting sharply with Lu Qingshan''s grinning facade.
Lu Qingshan took out his Yuanshan Tower Token and tossed it back to Dantai Qingrun, shrugging his shoulders, "I''m now under themand of you, the Dantai Tower Master, so shouldn''t I be at the ready for your call at any time?"
Dantai Qingrun caught the Yuanshan Tower Token that Lu Qingshan threw over and put it away.
At Lu Qingshan''s jest, Dantai Qingrun''s eyelid twitched, then she said coldly, "You also know you are my person now, so how dare you leave Yuanshan City without saying a word on your own ord?"
"I was negligent, my apologies to the Dantai Tower Master, I hope for your leniency," Lu Qingshan replied with ease to Dantai Qingrun''s countering move.
He quickly found an excuse to return, "However, even though I''m now serving under Dantai Tower Master, this doesn''t seem to justify the Tower Master''s intrusion into someone else''s residence, does it?"
...
Seeing the aura of rejection from Dantai Qingrun intensifying, Lu Qingshan tactfully refrained from further provoking the Tower Master.
Even though teasing a stoic NPC felt really good.
Lu Qingshan''s expression turned serious as he asked, "What matter brings the Dantai Tower Master to my doorstep this time?"
Dantai Qingrun nced sideways, "Aren''t you, Lu Qingshan, supposed to be prophetically knowledgeable?
Then why don''t you divine for yourself why I am looking for you, there''s no need to ask me, is there?"
Lu Qingshan didn''t get annoyed and chuckled lightly, "The Tower Master tters me too much. I''m not the Qi Guard; how could I possibly foresee everything?"
Seeing that Lu Qingshan was acquiescing, Dantai Qingrun stopped being mysterious, "After the battle at Yuanshan City''s City Lord''s Mansion, the arrangements of the Netherworld in Yuanshan City have mostly been removed.
Three days ago, I was reassigned to the position of Zhenjiang Tower''s Deputy Tower Master at the Zhenjiang branch of the Guard Tower."
Lu Qingshan congratted her with a bow, "Then here I wish the Dantai Tower Master a promotion!"
Dantai Qingrun nced at Lu Qingshan with an expressionless face, then continued, "On the very first day I arrived at Zhenjiang Tower, I received an order from the Tower Master.
He instructed all levels of personnel in the Guard Tower to pay extra attention to the movements of the Netherworld during this period.
The reason was that the Qi Guard had conveyed to us at Zhenjiang Tower that he vaguely sensed through the fragment of the Heavenly Secret Mirror that there may be an ominous event happening in Zhenjiang City''s region.
He suspected that the Netherworld was plotting another scheme targeting Zhenjiang City."
"Afterward, I reviewed all the intelligence reports consolidated by Zhenjiang Tower over this period.
On the surface, these reports seemed to have no abnormalities, but I couldn''t shake the feeling that there were hidden undercurrents I was overlooking.
Haven''t you imed to have many secrets of the Netherworld, and if I needed, I could seek you out for cooperation?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Lu Qingshan was nomittal, producing a Jade Slip from his Storage Ring and handing it to Dantai Qingrun.
Dantai Qingrun epted the Jade Slip with surprise and probed it with her Divine Sense, discovering that it contained records of price changes over the past twenty years for three First Grade Spirit Materials:
Silver Bone Flower, which had remained stable at five First Grade Spirit Stones per nt for the past hundred years.
Yet, in the recent short span of twenty years, its price had shot up by twenty percent, the current market price reaching six First Grade Spirit Stones per nt.
Soul Vanishing Sulphur had remained stable at six First Grade Spirit Stones per nt from Chang''an year 19920 to Chang''an year 19980, a full sixty years.
But in thesest twenty years, the price had risen to seven First Grade Spirit Stones per nt.
Ghostly Spirit Grass, which had a stable price of four First Grade Spirit Stones per nt for nearly a hundred years before Chang''an year 19980.
Also, within this short span of just twenty years, the same price point started to rise, and now the market price is at five First Grade Spirit Stones per nt.
Dantai Qingrun''s brows furrowed as she looked at Lu Qingshan with questioning eyes.
Lu Qingshan began to exin, "These three Spirit Materials¡ªthe Silver Bone Flower is the main ingredient for crafting the Silver Bone Pill, the Soul-Harrowing Sulfur is the primary material for making Soul Driving Pills, and the Ghost Grass is used for concocting the Ghostly Spirit Pill.
The Silver Bone Pill is a Body Cultivation aidmonly taken by Qi Refinement cultivators during their Body Refinement, the Soul Driving Pill is a pill used by Beast Cultivators to nurture Spirit Beasts, and the Ghostly Spirit Pill aids Nether Cultivators in practicing their Cultivation Methods.
Making these three types of pills is the primary use for these three Spirit Materials.
Although they can be used to craft other pills,pared to the consumption for these three, those other uses are not worth mentioning.
All three pills are First Grade pills of low price yet extremely high demand.
Correspondingly, the main Spirit Materials for making them are also produced in veryrge quantities.
Many Sects or Spirit nt Masters rely on cultivating these three Spirit Materials for their livelihood.
Therefore, with such arge base, the prices of these three Spirit Materials have always been very stable.
However, what''s odd is that within these short twenty years, the prices of these three Spirit Materials have all increased substantially."
Upon hearing this, Dantai Qingrun felt a premonition but couldn''t immediately grasp the point, "What do you mean by this?"
Lu Qingshan spread his hands, continuing, "The increase in the price of Spiritual Medicines, generally speaking, has two reasons:
One is a decrease in production, and the other possibility is an increase in demand."
"I have inquired at nearly all the shops selling Spirit Materials in the city, and found that there hasn''t been a noticeable decrease in the production of these three types of Spiritual Medicine over the past twenty years."
"So, that leaves only one possibility, which is that over these past twenty years, the demand for these three types of Spiritual Medicine among the Cultivators within the Zhenjiang City region has increased."
"What''s strange is that there hasn''t been anything particrly notable happening in the Zhenjiang City region over these twenty years.
As such, the demand for Silver Bone Pills, Soul Driving Pills, and Ghostly Spirit Pills hasn''t increased by a great margin."
"Not to mention, these three pills each cater to a different faction¡ªBody Cultivation, Beast Cultivation, and Nether Cultivation."
Dantai Qingrun''s expression turned contemtive, and after a moment she spoke, "Are you suggesting that these three Spirit Materials aren''t used for concocting these three pills but have been directed elsewhere instead?"
Lu Qingshan pped his hands, praising, "Tower Master Dantai is indeed sharp as ice. That''s what I thought too.
So, I made a special effort to look into other uses for these three Spirit Materials and found a very interesting point."
Hearing the praise of being sharp as ice, Dantai Qingrun''s eyes twitched imperceptibly, but she was too preupied to dwell on it further with Lu Qingshan and pressed for answers, "What did you find?"
"All three Spirit Materials have one use inmon¡ªthey are all primary ingredients for crafting Strong Corpse Liquid," Lu Qingshan revealed the answer.
A shock went through Dantai Qingrun''s heart.
Although as a Sword Cultivator, she didn''t have extensive knowledge about secondary professions like Spirit Materials and Pills.
Yet how could she, a Golden Core Cultivator, not know the name of Strong Corpse Liquid?
It was a Spiritual Liquid used by Evil Cultivators to enhance their Corpse Puppets.
"Tower Master Dantai, when you captured the Blood Corpse Daoist, you must have found something on him, right?" Lu Qingshan asked.
Dantai Qingrun nodded, "Indeed, we found a Spirit Beast Bag on him that contained many First and Second Grade Corpse Puppets.
But Underworld Cultivators are already known to be depraved. Having such methods from Evil Cultivators wasn''t that surprising, so we didn''t think much of it at the time."
Chapter 70 Guard Awareness
Lu Qingshan smiled faintly, and said slowly, "The three main ingredients of the strong corpse liquid have coincidentally seen a surge in demand over these past twenty years.
Interestingly, the strong corpse liquid is an auxiliary spiritual liquid used in the refinement of corpse puppets.
At the same time, Dantai Tower Master, you have coincidentally seized a corpse puppet from an Underworld Cultivator.
A single coincidence can happen to anyone, and two is still within the realm of normalcy.
But when it happens three times, Dantai Tower Master, do you think there might be some underlying factor at y here?"
Facing Lu Qingshan''s question, Dantai Qingrun remained silent for a moment before finally nodding to Lu Qingshan, "I see."
Then, Dantai Qingrun scrutinized Lu Qingshan with an inspecting gaze and said calmly, "Given that you have prepared so thoroughly, it seems you not only predicted my visit and its purpose, but you even guessed that I woulde to you."
Lu Qingshan smiled sheepishly and denied, "Not at all, I just prepared well in advance to avoid disappointing the Tower Master if you came for nothing."
Dantai Qingrun chuckled, "Since we''re talking about cooperation, there''s no need for sweet talk between us, let''s just say we each take what we need.
You''ve given me such crucial information, I wouldn''t take advantage of you. So tell me, what do you want this time?"
Lu Qingshan no longer held back and replied honestly, "Tower Master, as you have seen, I have just advanced to Foundation Establishment.
As a Sword Cultivator, after advancing to Foundation Establishment, one needs to start practicing Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Technique.
Thus, I urgently require the Dharma for Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Technique.
The techniques avable for purchase within themercial sectors are all very basic, and none too impressive for my taste."
Dantai Tower Master,ing from a Sword Cultivator background, and with the Dantai Family being a lineage of Sword Cultivators, I presume the techniques you could provide must surely far exceed thosemonly found."
A flicker of suspicion crossed Dantai Qingrun''s mind.
In her heart, she had assumed Lu Qingshan to be a cultivator who had undergone spirit possession.
Such a person,cking anything might be possible, but notcking cultivation techniques.
After all, bing a powerful cultivator means already having a set technique system for cultivating; to cultivate anew, one would simply follow the previous path.
While there might be improvements to be made, how could a powerful cultivatorck fundamental techniques like Sword Control and Flying Sword Secret Technique, ande to ask for them?"
Subconsciously, Dantai Qingrun''s suspicion towards Lu Qingshan''s identity and background surfaced once again.
...
Without thinking too long, Dantai Qingrun took out two jade slips from her storage ring and threw them to Lu Qingshan.
"The family''s inherited Sword Control and Flying Sword techniques are secret and not to be privately shared with outsiders.
Even I dare not break this rule.
These are the Liuyan Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Technique, and although they cannotpare to our family''s secret techniques, these are also exceptional techniques I have gathered over the years, and there is much to learn from them.
I often refer to these two methods when practicing my sword and flying sword skills, to reflect on my own deficiencies," Dantai Qingrun exined softly.
Lu Qingshan received the jade slips, but did not rush to learn the skills.
After storing the jade slips in his storage ring, Lu Qingshan spoke to Dantai Qingrun again, "I would like to ask the Tower Master for something else."
Dantai Qingrun frowned slightly, "Go ahead."
"The Zhenjiang Tower token," Lu Qingshan said with a smile. "Moreover, I would like to be involved in Zhenjiang Tower''s uing operations."
Dantai Qingrun seemed to have realized something, suddenly understanding everything, and eximed, "The moment we met, you returned the Yuanshan Tower Token to me, and I thought you no longer needed it.
Now it seems that from the beginning, you were intent on switching to the Zhenjiang Tower Token.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
In that case, it appears that you even anticipated my transfer to Zhenjiang Tower."
Lu Qingshan exined calmly, "It''s not hard to guess, after you cleared the Netherworld forces from Yuanshan City with such an aplishment, a promotion was undeniable.
At that time, you were in the position of Yuanshan Tower Master, and in a county-level Tower where you could rise no further. Where else could you go, if not a transfer to the Prefectural City?"
At this, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but add, "Look, I left Yuanshan City without saying a word.
But wasn''t that also out of a desire to scout out Zhenjiang City for the Tower Master Dantai? My intention is clear!"
Already bing ustomed to Lu Qingshan''s temperament, Dantai Qingrun ignored hisst sentence and turned to ask, "Are you saying you want to participate in the uing operations of Zhenjiang Tower?"
Lu Qingshan nodded, "Yes, and I hope you can ce me with the Guards."
The Tower oversees four agencies.
The Prison Warden Office, which manages prison affairs.
The ck Ice tform, which gathers and organizes intelligence.
The Guards, responsible for capturing, the most dangerous of tasks, but where cultivators have the strongestbat power.
And the Spiritual Supplies Department, dedicated to forging Spiritual Artifacts, Spirit Pills, and other logistics services for the Tower''s cultivators.
"Why?" Dantai Qingrun squinted at Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan had previously obtained a Yuanshan Tower Token from her to gain the identity of a member of Yuanshan Tower, but that was it.
He never truly joined the Yuanshan Tower, had no tasks as a member to perform, nor could he enjoy the monthly supplies and benefits of the tower''s members.
It was merely obtaining a title.
Yet now, Lu Qingshan was, uncharacteristically, asking to formally join Zhenjiang Tower, which was no wonder Dantai Qingrun felt surprised.
Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "There is no particr reason. I am a man of Tower Master Dantai, naturally following in Tower Master Dantai''s steps and vigorously fighting against the Netherworld forces."
Though he said this, Lu Qingshan''s actual motive was of course not as such¡ªhe simply wanted to join Zhenjiang Tower to fight monsters and gain experience.
Once he joined the Guards, he could team up with other cultivators from the Tower to hunt down Underworld Cultivators.
Wouldn''t the experience points soar?
"With my authority, cing you in any of the other three agencies wouldn''t be a problem,
but the Guards are different, crowned with the duty of Guarding, they are the most important duty within our Tower.
The tasks undertaken by the Guards are always extremely dangerous, and the rate of sacrifice is very high.
The Guards usually operate in small, highly coordinated teams, each a group that can trust each other implicitly.
Even if a team needs to recruit a new member, the team members themselves carry out the assessment.
Only if they are satisfied can you join their team.
After all, choosing arade to fight alongside in life and death is a matter of vital importance. Naturally, they must vet it themselves and not just be assigned arbitrarily by us in the higher-ups.
If your strength is not adequate, even I cannot justifiably ce you in the Guards, neither inpassion nor in reason," said Dantai Qingrun, frowning lightly as she exined.
Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Technique
"You only need to rmend me, and everything else will proceed ording to the rules. I am quite confident in my own strength," Lu Qingshan said leisurely.
Dantai Qingrun looked at Lu Qingshan with skepticism.
¡ªA Sword Cultivator who hasn''t mastered the Sword Control Technique and the Flying Sword Technique, where does this confidencee from? Don''t you have a realistic assessment of your own abilities?
"Fine, I''ll arrange it as soon as possible. Prepare yourself, and once it''s ready, I''ll notify you." Dantai Qingrun flicked out a token, which flew towards Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan took a look at it as he caught it, and it was indeed the Zhenjiang Tower token.
Saying it was one thing, but Dantai Qingrun was very keen to keep Lu Qingshan at Zhenjiang Tower, so she was quite straightforward in giving the token.
After all, as far as she was concerned, Lu Qingshan was like a never-ending treasure trove in her eyes.
Having achieved her purpose in seeking Lu Qingshan, Dantai Qingrun naturally did not engage in idle chatter with him.
With amand of the Spirit Concealment Sword, she leapt into the air and transformed into a streak of cyan sword light, disappearing in a sh.
...
Seeing Dantai Qingrun leave, Lu Qingshan took out the jade slip given by Dantai Qingrun from his storage ring.
A row of data information appeared before his eyes.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Liuyan Sword Control Technique]
Casting Requirement: Can only be executed using a Sword Artifact
Description: An Escape Skill for Sword Cultivators, maximum level 20
Skill Effect: Sword Control flight, extremely fast, at a certain speed, it will appear as a streak of Liuyan.
Additional Description: The more spiritual power consumed, the faster the Sword Control speed.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Indeed, the Sword Control Technique is not an attack spell.
In the traditional sense, the Sword Control Technique should be referred to as an Escape Skill, reserved for Sword Cultivators.
In fact, Cultivators from different sects master different types of escape skills.
Each Escape Skill also has its own characteristics.
For example, Dharma Cultivators'' Five Elements Escape Technique is versatile and adaptable to various terrains.
Nether Cultivators'' Shadow Escape Technique and Smoke Escape Technique are hidden and unpredictable, difficult to guard against.
Spiritual Cultivators'' Teleportation Technique is connected to the spirituality of heaven and earth, profound and unfathomable.
Each has its own strengths.
As an Escape Skill for Sword Cultivators, the Sword Control Technique, like the Sword Cultivator profession itself, is extremely unique.
Its biggest and sole advantage is "speed"!
The ultimate in speed,pared to other escape skills, there is no contest in how much faster Sword Control Technique is.
Beyond that, the Sword Control Technique doesn''t have any additional functions.
However, this also aligns with the upational traits of Sword Cultivators.
Sword Cultivators typically have twomon attack strategies.
One is to stay within the effective range of the Flying Sword and continuously harass the enemy with attacks.
The other is to charge in explosively and use Sword Techniques to swiftly y the enemy.
Both of these attack strategies rely heavily on speed.
Speed is the Sword Cultivator''s tool for traversing the battlefield sessfully.
Naturally, the importance of the Sword Control Technique to Sword Cultivators, being on par with the Flying Sword Secret Technique,es as no surprise.
In Lu Qingshan''s memory from his previous life in the game, there were some Sword Cultivator yers who took an unconventional approach, focusing mainly on mastering the Sword Control Technique. Among the brutish Sword Cultivators, they pioneered a "guerri warfare" ystyle.
The essence of guerri warfare is retreating when the enemy advances, harassing when the enemy is stationary, striking when the enemy is exhausted, and pursuing when the enemy retreats.
These Sword Cultivator yers fully embraced the profound mysteries of "retreat when the enemy advances, pursue when the enemy retreats."
In every battle, they would approach the enemy using the Sword Control Technique, and when within range for the Flying Sword attack, they would activate their Flying Swords to strike.
As soon as the enemy countered and the situation turned unfavorable, they would immediately use the Sword Control Technique to flee.
After the enemy pursued for a while and gave up, these Sword Cultivators would shamelessly turn around and continue provoking with their Flying Swords.
...
In truth, Sword Cultivators who specialized in the Sword Control Technique didn''t deal much damage with their Flying Swords.
But these yers didn''t care about that¡ªwhile they might not kill you, they could certainly annoy you to death!
For some "mentally twisted" yers, irritating others was the ultimate pleasure.
Although these yers glorified their style of y as "guerri warfare," there was another name that was more widely known and better captured the essence of their approach¡ª"Sneaky Style."
In the subsequent versions, "Sneaky Style" Sword Cultivators also became a trend in "Nine Heavens" for a while.
This also made the disdain that "Nine Heavens" yers had for Sword Cultivators rise another notch.
The Sword Control Technique was thus listed as one of the most cancerous skills in "Nine Heavens".
Although its reputation wasn''t very pleasant, this also reflected the speed and power of the Sword Control Technique from another perspective.
...
Lu Qingshan''s Divine Sense prated the Jade Slip, and the various Dharma and techniques of the Liuyan Sword Control Technique were imprinted in his mind.
"Skill detected: [Liuyan Sword Control Technique], would you like to spend 500 Experience Points to learn?"
"Learn!"
The not-so-abundant Experience Points that Lu Qingshan had quickly decreased by another 300 points.
"Learning in progress, please do not interrupt...1%...55%...¡99%"
"Learning sessful! You have mastered [Liuyan Sword Control Technique]!"
After mastering the Sword Control Technique, Lu Qingshan took out another Jade Slip.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Flying Sword Technique]
Activation condition: Can only be executed through a Sword Artifact
Description: A Sword Cultivator''s offensive technique, maximum Level 20
Skill effect: Command the Flying Sword to attack the enemy from thousands of miles away.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The name of this Flying Sword secret technique wasn''t as shy as the Liuyan Sword Control Technique, even appearing somewhat in.
However, the tier of this Flying Sword secret technique wasn''t high, which matched its straightforward name.
As signature skills of the Sword Cultivator, the Experience Points of Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Secret Technique could be inherited.
This meant that if Lu Qingshan learned higher-tier Sword Control Techniques and Flying Sword Techniques afterwards, the newly learned techniques would override the old ones and inherit all the Experience Points of the previous ones.
And not open a new skill altogether.
This also made perfect sense.
For instance, if you have already practiced a Sword Control Technique to a high level, there is no reason you''d have to start from scratch like a beginner if you were to learn a more advanced Sword Control Technique. Naturally, you would be able to pick it up much faster than a Cultivator who has never learned Sword Control Technique.
It was for this reason that Lu Qingshan could, at this stage, invest arge number of Experience Points into low-grade Sword Control Techniques and Flying Sword Secret Techniques without any concerns.
Lu Qingshan then allowed his Divine Sense to explore the contents of the Jade Slip, and with a boom, the techniques for operating the Flying Sword emerged as images before his eyes.
Spiritual Power flowed from the Dantian, swirling within the body, charging toward the Niwan Pce at the center of the forehead with an imposing momentum, blending into a strand of Divine Sense within the Niwan Pce, then attaching to the Flying Sword and charging at the enemy.
This move gathered the Spiritual Power from within the Sword Cultivator''s Dantian, the power of the Divine Soul between the eyebrows, and the inherent strength of the Flying Sword itself.
Once the Flying Sword is deployed, it''s an invincible force.
"Skill detected: [Flying Sword Technique], would you like to spend 500 Experience Points to learn?"
"Learn!"
"Experience Points -300, learning in progress, [Flying Sword Technique], please do not interrupt...1%...55%..."
"Learning sessful! You have mastered [Flying Sword Technique]!"
The killing ability of the Flying Sword, apart from the level and tier of the Flying Sword Technique itself, depends on three fundamental values.
The quality of the Flying Sword itself, the Spiritual Power of the Sword Cultivator, and the Sword Cultivator''s Divine Sense.
Only when the Spiritual Power attached to the Flying Sword is sufficiently pure and profound will its power and speed be sufficient to deter others.
And the Flying Sword, unless guided by Divine Sense, can only make rigid and straightforward movements without the ability for nuanced control or change.
The effective attack range of a Flying Sword is determined by Divine Sense.
The Flying Sword is an animated weapon of ughter only within the range of the Cultivator''s Divine Sense.
Divine Sense is an attribute column that Cultivators start to develop from the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Whether in the arena of Magical Combat or in the myriad arts of Cultivation, Divine Sense ys a vital role.
In the Cultivation World, Divine Sense is considered an important attribute on par with Spiritual Power when measuring the strength of a Cultivator.
To strengthen Divine Sense, there are two approaches.
The first is to wait for your own advancement in Cultivation. Whenever a Cultivator''s Spiritual Power Value reaches a certain fixed level, Divine Sense will naturally strengthen with the improvement of the Cultivator''s power.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
This method is too passive though, as the rate of enhancement is slow and the degree of improvement is very limited.
The other pathway to strengthen Divine Sense is to practice spells that can train Divine Sense.
While Cultivation Techniques that train Spiritual Power are easy to find, spells for training Divine Sense are exceedingly rare and only possessed by some powerful forces.
Hence, most Cultivators have no way to acquire systematic Divine Sense training spells.
For Cultivators, although strengthening Divine Sense is just as important as cultivating Spiritual Power, most Cultivators can only rely on advancing their Cultivation to enhance and strengthen their Divine Sense.
Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Test
With Lu Qingshan''s extensive gaming experience, he naturally knew several methods to train his Divine Sense.
However, those methods were time-consuming and some distance away from Zhenjiang Prefecture, and at the moment, he simply couldn''t spare the time for them.
After all, one must eat one bite at a time, and such matters could not be rushed; he still had many more important things to do.
Lu Qingshan turned his gaze to the two new skills in the skill bar.
[Liuyan Sword Control Technique]lv1£¨0/600£©
[Flying Sword Technique]lv1£¨0/600£©
Although he had initially mastered these two skills using experience points and various casting techniques had lingered in his mind, it was still not enough.
There were many details that Lu Qingshan needed to test and understand.
For example, at what height Flying Sword Technique was mostfortable to fly.
For instance, with his current cultivation level, how high he could fly using Sword Control Technique, how long he could maintain it, or which angle was most energy-efficient to ascend, among other things.
He needed to constantly explore and familiarize himself with these aspects, as the system could not teach him that.
If a critical moment came and he found himself ignorant of these abilities, it would be toote.
Lu Qingshan naturally would not let such confusion happen to him.
The difference between a high yer and a regr yerrgelyid in these details.
...
The boundless mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, a lush green expanse like an endless ocean.
This was a mountain range outside Zhenjiang City.
Lu Qingshan, having left Zhenjiang City, flew directly to this mountain range with his Sword Control Technique.
This mountain range was deste, and after being scoured by cultivators from Zhenjiang City in recent years, no ferocious demon beasts lingered, making it ideal for Lu Qingshan to test his Sword Control and Flying Sword Techniques.
...
Lu Qingshan first ascended in spirals at a forty-five degree angle, which was the mostmon ascent angle for sword cultivators.
Looking up at a ny-degree angle and ascending vertically was quick but challenging and extremely draining on spiritual power. At his current level of spiritual robustness, he was not yet capable of it.
Lu Qingshan slowly increased his altitude to about four thousand zhang, at which point the rapid depletion of his spiritual power became unbearable for him.
He promptly reduced his altitude.
At a height of four thousand zhang, if his spiritual power was depleted and could no longer support his Sword Control Technique, falling from such a great height would surely turn him into a pile of mush.
In the earlier stages of the "Nine Heavens" game, incidents where sword cultivators fell to their deaths had urred.
Some sword cultivator yers, who had just mastered the Sword Control Technique, took too much risk without testing their limit, recklessly soaring thousands of zhang high, also not monitoring their spiritual power consumption, calling themselves Ghost Fire Sword Cultivators.
It was thrilling, but once their spiritual power depleted, they exited the Sword Control state, resulting in a free fall from thousands of zhang high.
Generally speaking, when sword cultivators used the Sword Control Technique for travel, maintaining a height of a thousand zhang was most appropriate.
Firstly, the viewpoint was sufficiently broad and unobstructed, avoiding the awkward situation of crashing head-on into a mountain peak without time to react.
Secondly, this height allowed for a consumption of spiritual power that was in an optimal state.
Lastly, at this height, they remained unseen by ordinary people on the ground, avoiding some troubles.
Additionally, given his current level of Sword Control Technique and cultivation, a speed of thirty meters per second was the optimal speed for travel.
This speed tranted to one hundred and eight kilometers per hour, not too slow for travel.
Most importantly, the rate of spiritual power consumption at this speed, offset by Lu Qingshan''s own spiritual power recovery rate, could allow him to fly smoothly for ten hours without needing to take a pill to replenish his spiritual power.
For a cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, this was considered quite enduring.
It also owed thanks to the Returning Ruins Scripture effect of +100% Spiritual Power Recovery Speed, which significantly enhanced Lu Qingshan''s endurancepared to other cultivators of the same level.
At this stage, Lu Qingshan also tested the limit speed of the Liuyan Sword Control Technique, which was about one fifth the speed of sound.
However, if he controlled the sword at this speed, his spiritual power would be quickly depleted.
With his current maximum spiritual power value, he could support his sword control technique at its limit speed for about the duration of half a cup of tea.
It was only in the most intense battles that one would use the Liuyan Sword Control Technique at its limit speed, it was certainly not feasible to use such speed for regr travel.
Given the current skill level, the performance of the Liuyan Sword Control Technique was enough to show that Dantai Qingrun had not treated him perfunctorily, the technique was indeed a decent Sword Control Technique.
As for the Liuyan effects that appeared when the Liuyan Sword Control Technique reached a certain speed, they were just shy without any additional effects, not worth mentioning.
...
After testing the Sword Control Technique, Lu Qingshan switched to the Peach Wood Sword to support his own sword control state and used the Crying Soul Sword to test his own Flying Sword Technique.
This was also a characteristic of a Sword Cultivator.
Any high-rank Sword Cultivator would start with at least two swords.
One to maintain the Sword Control Technique, and another to employ the Flying Sword.
If there was a Sword Cultivator who had learned the Cloning Soul Technique, then the number of Flying Swords they could control was innumerable.
With a single thought, dense swarms of Flying Swords would emerge like a gue of locusts, capable of forming various sword arrays, unpredictable and mystifying.
Of course, these were considerations forter stages, Lu Qingshan didn''t need to think about that just yet.
Lu Qingshan slowly descended, maintaining himself at a low altitude, his gaze fixed on an ancient sky-reaching tree not far away.
The robust trunk was as thick as three people could encircle, shooting straight into the sky, with enormous nt roots intertwined on the ground.
With a thought, Lu Qingshan divided a stream of spiritual power from his Dantian toward the Niwan Pce in his brow, carrying a hint of Divine Sense, quickly attaching it to the Crying Soul Sword.
A misty blue light flickered over the Crying Soul Sword, and with a whoosh, it shot out, heading straight for the ancient sky-reaching tree.
Boom¡ª
Wood chips flew everywhere.
An opening the size of a fist appeared on the trunk of the ancient sky-reaching tree.
The trunk, thick enough to require three people to encircle, was prated instantaneously.
And the Crying Soul Sword still had power to spare.
If this sword were to be used on a human body, one could imagine its power.
Lu Qingshan didn''t stop the testing, his fingers remotely directed the Crying Soul Sword as it rampaged back and forth through the forest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Boom¡ª
Boom¡ª
Boom¡ª
After a series of ferocious attacks ravaging a small area in the Primordial Ancient Forest, Lu Qingshan finally understood the upper limits of his current Flying Sword Technique.
The effective attack range was forty Zhang, beyond that distance, he could not precisely control the Flying Sword.
When fully activated, the speed of the Flying Sword could reach up to one-third the speed of sound, far surpassing any projectile spell from the same level of Dharma Cultivator.
This was while he had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and his Flying Sword Technique was only at level 1.
One could imagine, if the skill level of the Flying Sword Technique increased, the speed of the Flying Sword would reach astonishing levels, easily breaking the sound barrier.
But this was normal, speed was inherently a feature of the Flying Sword.
Lu Qingshan nced at his own depletion, his spiritual power consumption was still bearable, but the consumption of Divine Sense was quite substantial.
With his current 10 points of Divine Sense, even in his best condition, if he fully activated the Flying Sword, he could onlyunch ten Flying Swords before running out of energy.
...
Havingpleted the tests for both the Sword Control Technique and the Flying Sword Technique, Lu Qingshan finally withdrew contentedly.
A typical Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, would at least need one to two years to practice the Sword Control Technique and the Flying Sword Technique before initially obtaining thebat power of a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
However, with experience points, Lu Qingshan couldplete in one day the journey that would normally take a conventional Sword Cultivator one to two years.
Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Tiger Squad
Lu Qingshan waited two days in the small courtyard he had rented temporarily.
On the third day, the token given by Dantai Qingrun vibrated.
It had finallye.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Lu Qingshan''s gaze shed as he took out the token, probed into it with his Divine Sense, and received the message from Dantai Qingrun.
The message was very brief, just like Dantai Qingrun''s personality¡ªsimple and clear.
"The matter entrusted to you has been arranged;e to Zhenjiang Tower."
Just this short sentence, not even mentioning the specific location of Zhenjiang Tower to Lu Qingshan.
As if it were certain that Lu Qingshan certainly knew where Zhenjiang Tower was located.
However, Dantai Qingrun had not guessed wrong; Lu Qingshan did indeed know the specific address of Zhenjiang Tower.
...
This was a tower entirely d in ck.
The tower was four stories tall, with each higher floor being narrower than the one below, with ovepping rooftops of various sizes and upturned corners soaring up as if they were the wings of a crane poised for flight.
At the top of the tower, there was also something very strange¡ªit was without any hanging signs or markers.
Lu Qingshan stood outside thecquered doors of the tower.
A young male cultivator had already been waiting there and immediately greeted Lu Qingshan upon seeing him: "You must be Lu Qingshan, right?"
"Yes, that''s me." Lu Qingshan understood that this person must be the guide arranged for him by Dantai Qingrun.
"I''m Fei Wa, the Deputy Tower Master asked me to wait here for you, to take you inside once you arrive," Fei Wa introduced himself.
"Alright, thank you, Brother Fei," Lu Qingshan said with gratitude.
"There''s no need for formalities,e with me." Fei Wa turned and walked toward the tower, with Lu Qingshan following closely behind.
...
So young?
Fei Wa muttered to himself internally.
ording to Dantai Qingrun''s instructions, he was to take Lu Qingshan to the guard and have Lu Qingshan undergo the Tiger Squad''s recruitment assessment.
The guard duty was different from other responsibilities in Zhenjiang Tower. To join the guard, one had to rely on actual robustbat power.
It was not that he was underestimating Lu Qingshan, but with such a young face, even if he were a genius, how muchbat power could he really have at this time?
However, even though Fei Wa had many doubts about Lu Qingshan, he was very courteous to him on the surface.
¡ª¡ªRegardless of whether Lu Qingshan had the strength or not, he was someone specially looked after by the Deputy Tower Master. Just for that reason alone, Lu Qingshan was someone he couldn''t afford to offend.
...
Like Yuanshan Tower, the real core of Zhenjiang Tower was located underground; the four-story building above was just a facade.
Fei Wa stopped in front of a thoroughly ck wall inside the tower, took out a token from Zhenjiang Tower, and swiped it across the wall, much like how one would use a key card.
The wall suddenly rippled, and a passage appeared.
Lu Qingshan followed Fei Wa into the passage.
Not long after, a spacious area opened up before their eyes.
They were greeted by a bustling wide hall, bright with light, showing no signs of the gloomy atmosphere that one would expect from being underground.
The headquarters of Zhenjiang Tower, hanging upside down underground, had, just like the tower above, a total of four floors.
The guard, as the premier division of the four divisions of Zhenjiang Tower, upied a separate underground floor.
The third underground floor.
Fei Wa brought Lu Qingshan to an extremely spacious underground za.
Five cultivators had been waiting there for a while.
Four men and one woman.
"This is Lu Qingshan, the team member rmended to you by Deputy Tower Master Dantai," Fei Wa introduced to the five cultivators.
He then turned to Lu Qingshan and continued, "This is the Tiger Squad you will be joining. They just lost a Sword Cultivator in theirst mission, so..."
Lu Qingshan understood that it was precisely because the Tiger Squad was short of a Sword Cultivator that he got the opportunity to enlist.
It''s a bit sad to say, but Sword Cultivators, being among the six main professions with the highest aggro, are often the first target enemies wish to eliminate.
Therefore, during these team missions, the mortality rate of Sword Cultivators is typically the highest.
After the introductions, Fei Wa stepped back into the shadows.
The matter was now left for them to decide.
...
A tall and slim female cultivator stood up and circled around Lu Qingshan, clicking her tongue in astonishment.
"So you''re the sword cultivator specially rmended by the Deputy Tower Master? Aren''t you a bit too young? But I won''t say anything about anything else, you do look pretty handsome."
"Just afraid that it''s all for show and no substance," a male cultivator, d in Daoist robes, muttered softly to the side.
"Su Shu!" The most robust male cultivator among the five frowned and chided lightly.
Called by name, Su Shu rolled her eyes at the towering man, "I know, I know, the important thing is important."
Regaining a serious expression and shedding the frivolous look on her face, Su Shu addressed Lu Qingshan, "Although you have been rmended by Deputy Tower Master Dantai, everything still needs to go by the rules. You must undergo our test.
"Only if you pass can you join our team; otherwise, we can only apologize to Tower Master Dantai."
Lu Qingshan''s expression remained calm, "Naturally, what kind of test do you have in mind?"
"Fight me. If I think you''re good enough, then you''re in," the brawny male cultivator stood up and cracked his knuckles.
Great, it''s really just as simple and brutish as it gets.
Lu Qingshan criticized in his mind but outwardly agreed, "Then let''s begin."
.....
Despite the spaciousness of the za, it was still underground and had a very limited area.
For a sword cultivator like Lu Qingshan, who had just entered Foundation Establishment, his flying sword could reach as far as forty yards.
Adding to that his sword control technique, which could reach one-fifth the speed of sound, he would need a muchrger area for a proper fight - this za, no matter how big, wouldn''t suffice.
Therefore, the fight suggested by the muscr man was, indeed, a bit informal.
Thisbat restricted the use of flying spells, ensuring that the entirety of the fight took ce on the ground, without aerial maneuvers.
The limitation was obviously greater for Lu Qingshan than for the brawny man.
After all, speed is a sword cultivator''s forte. With no sufficient space to leverage their speed advantage, the sword cultivator''sbat power would naturally be reduced by a considerable margin.
On the za, Lu Qingshan and the muscr cultivator distanced themselves, taking positions at diagonally opposite ends.
"My name is Xu Hao, Body Cultivation!" the hulking man introduced himself to Lu Qingshan.
"Lu Qingshan, Sword Cultivation."
Before the fight began, Lu Qingshan used the Heavenly Eye Technique on Xu Hao.
A total level 26 cultivator in Body Cultivation, he was the strongest member of the Tiger Squad.
This was an opponent Lu Qingshan could not possibly defeat at present.
Fortunately, he didn''t have to beat Xu Hao to meet the Tiger Squad''s requirements.
After all, no one in the Tiger Squad could best Xu Hao in a head-on battle.
Lu Qingshan just needed to make a satisfactory impression.
"Here Ie!" Xu Hao bellowed.
Immediately, Xu Hao charged towards Lu Qingshan like a ferocious tiger, with a wild and intense momentum.
Facing the fiercely aggressive Xu Hao, Lu Qingshan kept his calm, swiftly shifted towards another corner of the za, and with a thought, his Crying Soul Sword shot out.
Body cultivation, especially at the lower grade,cked long-range attack capabilities.
Increasing the distance and using the Flying Sword Technique to whittle down Xu Hao''s Spiritual Power was undoubtedly a wise choice.
Seeing Lu Qingshan''s flying swordunch.
"Thisd, at least in terms of the speed of the flying sword, he''s got some skills."
"But the problem is, for the captain, this mere flying sword is nothing to be concerned about," said a skinny, tall male cultivator who had been watching with lightughter.
Just as the tall, skinny man had said,
Facing the flying sword that came straight at him, Xu Hao didn''t bother dodging. Spiritual Power surged, and his whole body quickly lit up with golden radiance.
Layers uponyers of phantom scale-like armor attached to Xu Hao''s body, as if he was d in a set of golden armor.
ng!
The flying sword, fast as lightning, struck Xu Hao''s golden armor, creating an ear-grinding metallic friction sound.
"The captain''s ''Golden Scales Body'' is unparalleled in defense. How could a flying sword from an initial stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator possibly harm the captain?" said the tall, skinny male cultivator animatedly, "If this Lu Qingshan wants to be our teammate, just this flying sword technique is far from enough."
A man with a somewhat round face beside him nodded in agreement, "It''s quite impressive for such a young one to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"But we in the defense need more than just a genius; we needrades who can fight together. If he doesn''t show us something more convincing, no matter how young he is, it won''t cut it."
Chapter 74 Joining
Having blocked Lu Qingshan''s flying sword, Xu Hao remainedpletely unharmed.
Xu Hao continued to advance without slowing down, his momentum unabated, grinding towards Lu Qingshan.
ng!
ng!
ng!
Even though the flying swords did not harm Xu Hao, Lu Qingshan never stopped attacking from the beginning until the end.
As he kept moving, he stubbornlyunched continuous attacks at the scale armor on Xu Hao''s chest with the flying sword.
Without using sword control techniques, Lu Qingshan''s speed was obviously no match for Xu Hao.
Even as he kept moving in the opposite direction to open up the distance, the gap between the two was getting smaller.
Seeing that Xu Hao was within thirty feet of Lu Qingshan, Su Shu shook her head and sighed softly, "He is going to lose."
If Xu Hao seeded in closing up the distance to this extent, from her understanding of him, Lu Qingshan would stand no chance of fighting back.
Although sword cultivators have melee sword techniques besides flying sword technique and are among the best in closebat abilities of the six major professions,
it all depends on who theparison is with.
Body cultivators are the kings of closebat among the six major professions.
Not to mention Xu Hao''s cultivation was far superior to Lu Qingshan''s.
The disparity was clear at a nce.
Seeing Lu Qingshan was now almost within reach, Xu Hao''s slightly surprised heart settled.
Earlier, facing several of Lu Qingshan''s flying swords, he seemed unharmed, but the astonishment in his heart was known only to him.
¡ª Each of Lu Qingshan''s flying sword attacks was precisely targeting the same spot on the scale armor on his body under his control.
The damage was cumtive; had Lu Qingshan''s cultivation not been shallow, by this moment, the scale armor protecting his chest would have already been broken.
Of course, this was also why Xu Hao did not pay much attention to Lu Qingshan''s attacks.
He estimated that before he could get to Lu Qingshan, thetter''s attack would never be able to break through his defense.
Therefore, he did not bother to defend or dodge Lu Qingshan''s flying sword and instead chose to relentlessly barrel through.
This was also giving Lu Qingshan a chance.
If he had any real ability, he might as well show it.
"Fierce Tiger Seal!" Noticing the distance was right, Xu Hao roared inwardly.
A burst of me suddenly surged up on his right fist, and the fiery mes leaping and dancing made it look as if a fierce tiger made of mes appeared on Xu Hao''s right fist.
Xu Hao did not hesitate, his right fist with violent force, pounded towards Lu Qingshan''s face.
Roar¡ª
The me tiger seemed as if it couldn''t wait to devour its prey, roaring as it charged towards Lu Qingshan.
"It''s over!"
The other four cultivators watching the battle saw Lu Qingshan confronting Xu Hao''s overwhelmingly powerful punch by simply thrusting out the Crying Soul Sword dryly at Xu Hao, all thinking this thought.
In their eyes, Lu Qingshan''s sword strike seemed like a futile struggle.
In a head-on collision, how could Lu Qingshan''s sword possibly stand a chance against Xu Hao''s punch?
On the field.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze intensified, fixed on the fist that was already bearing down on his face.
I''ve been waiting for you!
A divine light imperceptibly shed across the Crying Soul Sword as he swung it out.
"Soul Shock!"
In the eyes of the astonished crowd, the me tiger that Xu Hao''s fist was about to unleash suddenly halted, then like a me being extinguished, turned into a few sparks and disappeared into nothing.
This was because Xu Hao had been affected by Soul Shock, his skill disrupted.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Falling Bright Sword Technique!
After obtaining the talent of Spiritual Power Control, Lu Qingshan''s skills were no longer limited to simple numerical damage calctions.
The ability granted to him by Spiritual Power Control was to enhance the power of his sword techniques by using spiritual power in his sword moves.
That is, increasing spiritual power consumption to deal additional damage.
Spiritual power burst out from within Lu Qingshan''s body, and instantly two-tenths was gone.
This 20 percent of Spiritual Power was all attached to his sword, enhancing its damage.
It was the most powerful burst damage that the primary level "Spiritual Power Control" could confer at present.
¡ªHe could instantaneously use a burst of 20 percent of his inner Spiritual Power.
In a split second.
Just when everyone thought Xu Hao was about to easily take down Lu Qingshan and the battle was about to end, the situation on the field took a surprising turn.
Xu Hao''s Fierce Tiger Seal was inexplicably interrupted, and then, in what they thought was a futile struggle by Lu Qingshan, a sword shed towards Xu Hao''s chest.
This sword was not only unpredictable but also produced two phantom afterimages at the same time it reached Xu Hao''s chest, extremely mysteriously.
It was as if Lu Qingshan had shed three swords in an instant.
Everyone''s pupils shrank sharply.
What kind of sword technique was this?
They quickly began to search their memories, but Lu Qingshan''s sword move did not match any swordsmanship they knew?
...
The golden scale armor on Xu Hao''s chest, under this sword, turned into specks of golden light and dissipated.
Xu Hao, who should have reacted immediately, stood eerily still in his original ce.
This was because Lu Qingshan had detonated the Power of Dark Erosion that had already umted threeyers on Xu Hao''s body.
The Crying Soul Sword once more flickered with a thick blue light.
Lu Qingshan thrust out his sword, piercing directly into Xu Hao''s chest, now unprotected without the golden scale armor.
Bang!
Xu Hao was sent flying backward,nding on the ground with a loud noise.
"How is this possible?!" Su Shu eximed in surprise, her mouth agape.
Just a moment ago, Lu Qingshan seemed about to be taken down, but in an instant, he had sent the captain, whom they believed held the winning ticket, flying out.
Xu Hao climbed up from the ground somewhat embarrassedly.
With his strong physique from Body Cultivation,bined with his vast difference in cultivation level from Lu Qingshan, even Lu Qingshan''s fierce attack only inflicted a minor injury on him.
"Secret Sword?!" Xu Hao, his tiger eyes fixed on the buzzing Crying Soul Sword in Lu Qingshan''s hand, spoke in a halting manner.
"That''s right, it''s a Secret Sword, he actually knows a Secret Sword Technique!" At Xu Hao''s words, the tall, thin male cultivator immediately realized and eximed softly.
Upon hearing this, everyone at the scene was shocked.
The power of Lu Qingshan''s previous sword technique had been clearly perceived by everyone, but they had never imagined it to be a Secret Sword Technique.
The art of the Secret Sword, a divine skill exclusive to Sword Cultivators, was not something any ordinary person could master.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Lu Qingshan, so young and already possessing a Foundation Establishment Cultivation, had already astounded them immensely.
Yet they had not realized that Lu Qingshan''s talent in swordsmanship even surpassed his cultivation talent.
It''s known that even among Golden Core Sword Cultivators, the Secret Sword Technique is rare.
And Lu Qingshan, merely a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, had mastered a Secret Sword Technique, which was understandably shocking to them all.
Without saying a word, Lu Qingshan watched Xu Hao slowly get up and prepared to unleash his Flying Sword for another attack.
Xu Hao, looking at the trembling Crying Soul Sword, waved his hand and said gruffly, "No more fighting."
Lu Qingshan''s inquiring gaze turned to Xu Hao.
Although he currently had a slight upper hand in the situation, he also understood that the actual circumstances were not as advantageous as they appeared on the surface.
After his sessive attacks, it was like Cheng Yaojin''s three-pronged axe tactic, with all means exhausted.
He had used close to fifty percent of his inner Spiritual Power, while Xu Hao had only suffered a minor injury, hisbat powerpletely intact.
"If a Sword Cultivator who has mastered the Secret Sword Technique cannot pass our test, then if the Deputy Tower Master learns of it, he might personallye to settle ounts with us."
Xu Hao walked up to Lu Qingshan, patted his shoulder, and extended his hand, "Let me introduce myself again. Xu Hao, Body Cultivator, and also the captain of Tiger Squad. Wee to the Tiger Squad."
"I''m Su Shu, a Spiritual Cultivator." Su Shu stepped forward, casually hooking Lu Qingshan''s shoulder and said with a lightugh.
The thin and tall male cultivator smiled broadly, "Zhong Jing, a Nether Cultivator, and your swordsmanship is quite remarkable!"
"I''m from the Li Zu, and I''m the Dharma Cultivator of Tiger Squad." The male cultivator in the Taoist robe, who initially had a slight animosity towards Lu Qingshan, now finally smiled warmly.
Dharma Cultivation and Sword Cultivation have always been the two professions with the highest damage output.
"Just call me Xiao Zhi, I''m a Beast Cultivator." The round-faced male cultivator was sparing with his words.
Lu Qingshan shook hands with Xu Hao and introduced himself to everyone, "Lu Qingshan, as you''ve seen, a Sword Cultivator."
Chapter 75 The First Task
The structure of the guards is such that teams are formed, generally consisting of six cultivators, and the six cultivatorse from the six major sects.
Fei Wa, hiding in the shadows nearby, saw that the test matters were settled and stepped out with a smile, "Captain Xu, congrattions to your Tiger Squad for gaining another able member."
After a pause, Fei Wa flung a jade slip from his hand towards Xu Hao, "This is the task assigned by the deputy tower master."
"I have now briefed you on everything, so I will take my leave first."
Xu Hao caught the jade slip and greeted Fei Wa, "Then, thank you, Daoist Fei."
"Don''t mention it, I''m just following orders." Fei Wa couldn''t resist taking another look at Lu Qingshan before turning to leave.
He remembered what Dantai Qingrun had said when entrusting the jade slip to him.
¡ªAfter Lu Qingshan passes the Tiger Squad''s assessment, hand over this task to the Tiger Squad.
He had found it odd then; Dantai Qingrun hadn''t exined what to do if Lu Qingshan failed the assessment.
Now, it all made sense.
How could a sword cultivator, who had mastered the Secret Sword Technique during the Foundation Establishment stage, possibly fail the Tiger Squad''s assessment?
Surely, he was someone specially looked after by the deputy tower master, truly remarkable indeed.
Fei Wa marveled inwardly.
...
Xu Hao held the jade slip and motioned to everyone, "Let''s get spirited, work hase."
Su Shuzily stretched and exined to Lu Qingshan, "This must be the deputy tower master''s arrangement, to allow us to consolidate the new team through this mission."
Lu Qingshan understood.
¡ªSince it was just to consolidate the team, surely the task would not be too difficult.
Xu Hao explored the content of the jade slip with his divine sense.
"The tower has discovered that the high ranks of the Feiyun Sect and the Netherworld have been secretly colluding. They''ve been covering for the Netherworld, and we''re to eradicate the Feiyun Sect to set an example.
Orders are to kill the high ranks of the Feiyun Sect without negotiation, and if the lower-grade disciples dare to interfere, there is no need to spare them either."
Zhenjiang Tower is not a charity organization; although not typically bloodthirsty, it does not condone leniency during missions.
If the lower-grade disciples of the Feiyun Sect dare resist them and hinder the mission,
even if these disciples are unrted to the Netherworld and merely uninformed, they may still strike them down. Killing these disciples will not bring about any penalties from Zhenjiang Tower afterward.
Nether Cultivator Zhong Jing said indifferently, "The Feiyun Sect is merely a weak Second Grade sect.
If I remember correctly, the entire sect only has four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, except for the Sect Leader who is in the mid-stage, the others are all in the initial stage.
I don''t know what gave them the audacity to defy the Great Xia decree and collude with the Netherworld."
Li Zu rubbed his hands together eagerly, "When do we depart?"
Xu Hao put away the jade slip, and spoke sinctly, "We''ll leave after Lu Qingshan has recovered to his prime condition. We''ll make it quick and decisive!"
Xu Hao might appear rugged, but he was actually a man of meticulous thoughts, and he instantly considered Lu Qingshan''s condition.
After all, being able to be the captain of the Tiger Squad wasn''t just because of his high cultivation level.
...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
After Lu Qingshan meditated and restored his Spiritual Power to its optimal state, the Tiger Squad officially set out, ready to embark on their first mission.
They left the tower of Zhenjiang Tower.
The group paused and turned their gazes toward the team''s Beast Cultivator, Xiao Zhi.
Xiao Zhi released a giant avian from his Spirit Beast Bag.
The beast was seven to eight meters long with a wingspan of twenty meters when they were spread, its red beak flickered with mes, and white feathers inteced with tinges of brownish-yellow light.
"This is the Red Rock Goose, Xiao Zhi''s flying demon pet," Su Shu introduced to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan''s heart stirred.
The strength of a Beast Cultivator can be glimpsed from his demon pets.
Red Rock Goose, a Second Grade demon beast with dual Earth and Fire attributes.
Dual-attributed beasts were already considered to have great potential among Second Grade demon beasts, not to mention it being avian, enhancing its rating even more.
The Red Rock Goose was definitely a supreme quality Spirit Beast for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
To have tamed such a supreme quality beast, Xiao Zhi''s strength was evident.
Indeed, there are no weak cultivators in Zhenjiang Tower.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
With a sh, Xiao Zhi appeared on the back of the Red Rock Goose and called out to everyone below, "Come on up."
Everyone leaped onto the back of the Red Rock Goose, and seeing this, Lu Qingshan did not hesitate and followed suit.
"Little Red, off we go!" Xiao Zhi patted the neck of the Red Rock Goose.
The red rocks beneath the slender legs of the crane tensed and forcefully leaped up, its wings suddenly pping and stirring up a big wind from the t ground.
Some of the dust on the ground was swept up, creating a gray storm.
Carrying six people, the red rock crane charged directly into the clouds, and even though it was carrying a heavy load, its flying speed was not affected at all. Under Xiao Zhi''smand, it flew towards the outskirts of the city.
Lu Qingshan stood on the back of the red rock crane, squinting as he watched the buildings of Zhenjiang City gradually turn into ck dots as they ascended.
Naturally, the speed of the red rock crane was no match for his Liuyan Sword Control Technique, but its advantagey in carrying multiple people without expending his own Spiritual Power.
This was also the advantage of a Beast Cultivator; they had demon pets for transport when flying or traveling, sparing them from the hardships of travel.
Interestingly, in the "Nine Heavens" game, Beast Cultivators were always heavily affected by whaling.
A demon pet for transport was like a luxury car in reality; tycoons were especially willing to spend big on such vanity projects.
The requirements for flying demon pets were extremely high; they needed to be fast, strong inbat, and have an eye-catching appearance.
Wouldn''t it be delightful to ride a high-grade demon pet with a cool appearance, pulling one or two cultivator sisters into the high skies for a ride?
.....
"We''re here. Up ahead is the Feiyun Sect," Xiao Zhi said after flying for a long time, controlling the gradually descending red rock crane onto a low mountain peak, and pointing to a towering peak not far ahead.
That peak was Feiyun Peak, where the Feiyun Sect was based.
Though the Feiyun Sect had only been established for a hundred years and, unlike other Second Grade sects that upied Second Grade Spirit Veins, the Feiyun Peak they upied did not contain a Second Grade Spirit Vein, but rather had three First Grade Spirit Veins.
The purity of the Spiritual Energy produced by First Grade Spirit Veins was far inferior to that of Second Grade Spirit Veins.
Even though there were three First Grade Spirit Veins, the quantity could not make up for the quality.
Thus, the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Feiyun Sect had always progressed very slowly in their cultivation.
For this reason, the upper echelons of the Feiyun Sect, blinded by greed, had ndestine dealings with the Netherworld to exchange for rare cultivation resources.
Xu Hao nced at Feiyun Peak, his brows furrowing: "Although the Feiyun Sect is not strong, we should still proceed with caution and make sure not to let anyone escape."
Xiao Zhi nodded, pped the Spirit Beast Bag, and a small, slender mongoose with extremely short limbs appeared in front of him.
The mongoose had a brownish back and a snowy white belly, but what was most striking were its emerald eyes, deep as jewels.
"Emerald Mongoose," Xiao Zhi introduced to Lu Qingshan, "A Second Grade demon beast. It doesn''t have much attack capability, but it''s very agile and adept at the Earth Escape Skill, making it a great hand for scouting enemy camps."
After introducing his demon pet to Lu Qingshan, Xiao Zhi pointed at the Feiyun Sect in the distance and waved his hand, "Little Green, off you go!"
Lu Qingshan''s mouth twitched a little.
Little Red, Little Green ¨C so, is this the Rainbow Squad or what?
...
The Emerald Mongoose, receiving its master''smand, saw a sh of light in its green eyes, and then it merged eerily into the ground beneath it, disappearing on the spot.
This was the Earth Escape Skill.
"Wait a moment," Xu Hao turned to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan nodded; he understood that this was an old member of the Tiger Squad showing him the team''sbat method.
After about half an hour.
A small mound formed on the soil in front of Lu Qingshan.
Suddenly, the Emerald Mongoose emerged, constantly calling out to Xiao Zhi and incessantly scratching something on the ground with its toes.
"You''ve worked hard, return now," Xiao Zhi said after listening for a while and nodding.
After feeding an Qi-Consuming Pill to the Emerald Mongoose from his Storage Ring, he then put it back into the Spirit Beast Bag.
This was another characteristic of Beast Cultivators¡ªdragging the family along, with a whole family''s stomachs depending on the Beast Cultivator to be filled.
Unlike other branches of Cultivators, if a Beast Cultivator wished, they could be an army unto themselves.
If there were no certain restrictions on Beast Cultivators, the profession would be so strong as to be seriously unbnced.
Therefore, firstly, Beast Cultivators could not tame demon beasts of a higher rank than their own cultivation.
For example, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Xiao Zhi could currently only tame First and Second Grade demon beasts, and to tame a Third Grade demon beast, he could only do so after advancing to the Golden Core Stage.
Furthermore, Beast Cultivators need to spend a lot of resources on training and feeding their demon pets.
If a Beast Cultivator recklessly tamed arge number of demon pets, even a wealthy person could be bankrupted by these big appetites.
Not to mention, if a lot of resources were spent on demon pets, that would greatly hinder the progress of the Beast Cultivator''s own cultivation.
This was all about trade-offs.
Therefore, while it seemed wonderful for a Beast Cultivator to be an army unto themselves, it was actually a huge trap, not for the frugal.
...
"Little Green says that there are currently four Foundation Establishment Cultivators inside the Feiyun Sect, which means all the higher-ups of the Feiyun Sect are present and none are absent; we can capture them all at once," Xiao Zhi said while pointing at the sketch drawn on the ground by the Emerald Mongoose, which also marked four big dots: "This is a roughyout of the Feiyun Sect''s buildings, and these four points are the current locations of the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators."
Chapter 76 Instant Kill
"The only Foundation Establishment mid-stage Cultivator in Feiyun Sect is here," Xiao Zhi pointed to the westernmost point on theyout sketch drawn by the green-eyed weasel.
"The other three points are where the remaining three Foundation Establishment Cultivators are located."
Xu Hao rubbed his index finger over the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "This mission is very simple, the only slightly troublesome aspect is that there are four targets, each at a somewhat distant point from one another.
Once we take action, if the other three Foundation Establishment Cultivators see themotion and choose to run, it will also be quite troublesome for us to chase them down.
However, resolving this problem is not difficult, as ourbat power far surpasses these four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
In that case, we will split into four groups and act simultaneously. This way, we will certainly be foolproof.
I''ll take on the mid-stage Cultivator, Su Shu, you and Lu Qingshan will team up to deal with the initial-stage Cultivator to the north, Zhong Ming will handle the target to the south, and Li Zu, you and Xiao Zhi will take care of the target to the east."
"No problem."
"Received."
"Alright."
Everyone agreed with Xu Hao''s judgment and decisions, responding in turn.
With the strength of Tiger Squad, they could easily crush the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Feiyun Sect, even blindfolded.
...
The entire Feiyun Sect was protected by twoyers of arrays.
The first arraybined the functions of sensory perception and early warning, defending against Cultivators with ulterior motives.
The second array was the real deal, protecting the Sect''s entrance. If activated, it would take considerable effort and time to breach.
Although strong, the second array also required a substantial amount of spirit stones to operate.
Feiyun Sect, being a small sect, had to split a spirit stone in two to make ends meet, unlike the wealthyrge ns and businesses that could disregard such expenses.
Therefore, most of the time, Feiyun Sect would only activate the firstyer of the array, with the secondyer remaining idle for most of the year.
Only when the firstyer of the array issued a warning, would the secondyer be activated to repel enemies.
Xiao Zhi''s green-eyed weasel roamed around the Feiyun Sect unnoticed by the array.
This made it clear that, in reality, the sensory and warning capabilities of the firstyer were not very strong.
The higher-ups of the Feiyun Sect were also aware of this fact, but some things could not be changed merely by knowing.
¡ªThe Feiyun Sect could scarcely afford the extravagance of always having the secondyer of the array active, which is why things stayed as they were.
...
The Tiger Squad found a secluded area outside the Feiyun Sect.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Su Shu formed a Dharma Seal with her fingers, silently channeling her mana, and a point of spiritual light condensed in the palm of her hand.
She then projected this point of spiritual light forward.
The Forbidden Breaking Technique, one of the signature support Skills of Spiritual Cultivators, could prate various barriers and arrays, allowing Cultivators to stealthily infiltrate many well-defended locations.
Just as the Flying Sword Technique is to a Sword Cultivator, the Forbidden Breaking Technique is one of the essential Skills for Spiritual Cultivators.
A swirl of ethereal Spiritual Power flickered and twisted.
The Feiyun Sect''s already unimpressive firstyer array, like melting winter snow, was breached without causing the slightest disturbance by Su Shu''s efforts.
Seeing a passage wide enough for one person to pass through, Lu Qingshan nodded inwardly.
This is the advantage of team operations.
Among the six major schools of Cultivators, each has its strengths.
For example, Spiritual Cultivators are mysterious, with a myriad of peculiar Skills that have infinite uses, but their directbat capabilities are slightly inferior to those of other professions.
If fighting alone, this disadvantage can be fatal, but in teambat, Spiritual Cultivators can inherently y to their strengths and better utilize their abilities.
Many tasks that seemplicated can be easily aplished when Cultivators from different schools leverage their strengths and coordinate effectively.
For instance, if Xu Hao were to undertake this mission alone, hisbat power would certainly be more than enough to face the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Feiyun Sect.
The problem is, the mission cannot bepleted so easily by one person.
First off, Xu Hao wouldn''t be able to ovee Feiyun Sect''s Sect Protection Formation.
If the Feiyun Sect''s higher-ups detected Xu Hao, and the secondyer of the defensive array was activated, that alone would be a major headache for Xu Hao.
Moreover, it isn''t as if the higher-ups of the Feiyun Sect are just bosses waiting to be defeated.
If they decided to escape after activating the defense array, Xu Hao would find it difficult to manage both fronts.
Now, with Tiger Squad, Xiao Zhi dispatched a Spirit Beast to ascertain the locations of the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, then Su Shu broke through the array, and everyone infiltrated quietly.
Once in position and ready to strike, their assault would be as swift and unstoppable as thunder.
...
The six Cultivators from Tiger Squad quickly entered through the opening Su Shu had breached in the array.
"Head to the targets'' locations in their respective caves, and we will act together in a moment''s time!" Xu Haomanded decisively.
The others nodded, then scattered in different directions toward their respective targets.
```
Lu Qingshan and Su Shu''s team included the time-honored practice of veterans leading neers, yet it was also considered a ssicbination.
The main offensive Sword Cultivator paired with a supportive Spiritual Cultivator was a ssic pairing that had stood the test of time and was prevalent in many games.
The two made their way up the mountain. Though there were many Qi Refinement disciples from the Feiyun Sect along the way, with the ability of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to project their Divine Sense, Su Shu and Lu Qingshan detected these low-rank disciples early and easily avoided them.
The Feiyun Sect was notrge, and Lu Qingshan and Su Shu quickly reached the cave dwelling of their target.
The two hid outside, waiting quietly for the time agreed upon with Xu Hao.
...
A momentter, the time hade.
Su Shu lightly pursed her lips, "Let''s move!"
As her words fell, Su Shu pointed a finger, and a light of spiritual energy lightly touched the air in front of her.
Forbidden Breaking Technique!
The cave dwelling of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would certainly be guarded with a Barrier.
But Su Shu''s Forbidden Breaking Technique could silently solve even the Sect Protection Formation of the Feiyun Sect.
How could a Barrier set up by an initial-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation be stronger than the Formation established by their own sect at great expense?
The Barrier protecting the cave dwelling crumbled in an instant.
In that same moment, Lu Qingshan, sword in hand, burst forth and rushed into the cave dwelling.
At the same time, Su Shu''s hands didn''t stop forming spells, and two streaks of spiritual light, one red and one yellow, almost instantly attached to both Lu Qingshan and his sword.
[Fire Copse]: Temporarily endows the target''s attacks with extra fire attribute magic damage.
[Hardness-Breaking]: Temporarily grants a magic artifact with sharpness +2.
These were two Supportive Spiritual Arts that could increase the damage for Lu Qingshan.
Inside the cave dwelling.
The violent fluctuation of spiritual power jolted Zhu Quan, who was cultivating his technique inside, causing him to be immediately rmed.
He instinctively projected his Divine Sense to investigate the situation but found this action somewhat redundant.
For in his line of sight, a figure had already appeared.
Following it was a glint of cold light.
This was the Crying Soul Sword''s Soul Shock Skill, which had never failed to this day.
This time was no exception.
In the brief moment before he lost consciousness, Zhu Quan quickly cast a Defensive Spell.
A door-shaped shield made of thick rock appeared between Lu Qingshan and Zhu Quan.
This was the Rock Shield Technique of Dharma Cultivation.
Given its thickness, the Skill Level was definitely not low.
Lu Qingshan''s expression did not change.
The Crying Soul Sword did not hesitate; it struck the rock shield.
A line of frost appeared at the midpoint of the shield, and then the Rock Shield was cleaved cleanly in two, its edges neat and devoid of serration.
The inherent sharpness of the Crying Soul Sword, +1,bined with the +2 sharpness from the Hardness-Breaking Spiritual Art.
The thick Rock Shield, like paper mache, was utterly defenseless against the might of Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword.
Breaking through the Rock Shield, and seeing a glimmer of rity return to Zhu Quan''s eyes, Lu Qingshan did not hold back, gathering his spiritual power and swinging the Crying Soul Sword across Zhu Quan''s neck at an angle.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Even though Zhu Quan had quickly mobilized his internal spiritual power, forming ayer of spiritual shield to block Lu Qingshan''s attack, it was already toote.
The spiritual power flowing in Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword shed with the spiritual shield at Zhu Quan''s neck.
Without causing even a ripple, Zhu Quan''s spiritual shield dissipated quickly.
This was not only a gap in the quantity of spiritual power but also a crushing qualitative difference.
The spiritual power cultivated from the Returning Ruins Scripture was not something that could be contested by the spiritual power produced by ordinary Cultivation Methods.
Two afterimages of sword techniques appeared.
The sh of cold light that passed by decapitated Zhu Quan.
By the time Su Shu followed Lu Qingshan into the cave dwelling, all she saw was Zhu Quan''s head shing through the air.
The head rested for a moment before dropping right in front of Su Shu, rolling a few times by her feet beforeing to a halt.
Su Shu''s lips parted slightly.
This... was it over?
```
Chapter 77 Changes
Sword Cultivators'' capability inbat was esteemed as the best among the six cultivations, and Su Shu had no objections to this.
Lu Qingshan, a genius Sword Cultivator who mastered the Secret Sword Technique at the Foundation Establishment Stage, had defeated Zhu Quan. Su Shu was not surprised by this.
But was it not too fast?
From the moment Lu Qingshan made his move to Zhu Quan''s beheading, the interval might have been just a few breaths.
Su Shu''s astonishment was beyond words.
Lu Qingshan sheathed his Crying Soul Sword and seeing Su Shu standing dazed beside him, he chuckled, "What''s the matter?"
He naturally knew the reason behind Su Shu''s distraction, but it was nothing to boast about.
The prowess of the Secret Sword Technique, along with the boost from a Taoist-level Cultivation Technique and the augmentation of Su Shu''s two Spirit Arts.
His ability to instantly kill a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator within a few breaths seemed like a remarkable feat, but it actually fell within expectations.
However, he could only use this burst ability once in a while.
After all, the Secret Sword: Wind sh had a cooldown period.
Coming back to her senses, Su Shu smiled wryly, "It seems our Tiger Squad really picked up a treasure this time."
Lu Qingshan''s mouth twitched.
Su Shu moved gracefully and walked over to Zhu Quan''s headless body.
The thick scent of blood filled the air.
Su Shu did not even frown at this; instead, she bent down and plucked a Storage Ring from Zhu Quan''s finger, tossing it to Lu Qingshan.
"Here, your loot."
As guards on a mission, they did not need to turn over the possessions of the Cultivators they had killed and could dispose of them freely.
Therefore, these type of extermination missions that were not too challenging were always favorites of the guards.
¡ªAn officially sanctioned opportunity to make a quick profit.
Lu Qingshan received the Storage Ring and sent his Divine Sense into it to check Zhu Quan''s collection.
The Storage Ring containedmon Magic Artifacts, Pills, and a small portion of Spirit Stones; beyond that, there were no other special items.
Lu Qingshan took out two-thirds of the Spirit Stones and then handed the Storage Ring back to Su Shu.
"These Magic Artifacts and Pills are of little use to me, and they are rather troublesome to deal with. I''ll just take some Spirit Stones," Lu Qingshan said calmly.
The value of the remaining one-third of the Spirit Stones and other items would definitely exceed the two-thirds of the Spirit Stones he had taken.
But Lu Qingshan was not concerned about that.
The forty Fourth-Grade Spirit Stones that the Great Elder Lu Zhou had given him were enough for him to squander for quite a long time; he really did not care about these few Spirit Stones.
Su Shu received the Storage Ring, her eyes gleaming as she chuckled, "Qingshan, you really are generous."
"Since we finished here so quickly, why don''t we go and support our captain?" Ignoring Su Shu''s tease, Lu Qingshan suggested proactively.
This was also the reason why he had gone all out from the start.
His strategy was quick resolution, hoping to scoop up a few more kills.
"Target is deceased, you have killed Zhu Quan (lv16), earning a total of 1000 Experience Points!"
This was the data disyed on the panel following Zhu Quan''s death.
Zhu Quan, who seemed easy to defeat, had given him a whopping 1000 Experience Points; the Experience Points had indeede quickly.
But then, who would everin about having too many Experience Points?
Interestingly, in the game "Nine Heavens," the mechanism for distributing Experience Points was very detailed.
Normally, if they were teaming up to fight monsters, even if Lu Qingshan killed Zhu Quan, the Experience Points would have to be shared with his teammate, the Spirit Cultivator Su Shu.
But now, the situation was that in this world, only Lu Qingshan had a yer''s Attribute Panel.
This meant that no one else in this world could take any of Lu Qingshan''s Experience Points.
As long as the target was killed by Lu Qingshan, he would receive the full amount of Experience Points.
This was almost like a bug, wasn''t it?
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
But regardless, it was undoubtedly a good thing for him.
Su Shu''s face showed a thoughtful expression, then she decisively said, "Alright, let''s head over and have a look."
...
Having made their decision, the two did not dy and moved very quickly. They left the cave abode, preparing to rush to the cave abode of a Mid Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator of the Feiyun Sect.
Upon stepping out of Zhu Quan''s cave abode,
they could see that the originally calm Feiyun Sect was now plunged into chaos.
There were three locations within Feiyun Peak where the sounds of fierce Magical Combat continuously emerged.
But no low-ranking disciples approached to check the situation.
After all, themotion caused by the Tiger Squad''s Cultivators was quite significant, and these Feiyun Sect disciples had also realized that these battles all originated from the cave abodes of their Sect''s four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Although their cultivation wasn''t high, their minds were certainly not dull.
Since it was an operation targeting Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the attacking cultivators of unknown origins must also be at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Wouldn''t they be courting death if they participated in such a level of battle?
So, it was wise for them to hide aside and watch the situation from a distance.
If their side was at a disadvantage, it was about time to pack up and prepare to flee, to avoid getting involved.
As for whether there were one or two bold and meticulous disciples who, before fleeing, would sneak something from the sect''s treasury to seize a chance for a journey of cultivation from mortal to immortal, that remained unknown.
...
Hissss!
A sharp roar came from the west, deafening to the ears.
The roar was full of brutality and eeriness.
Su Shu''s expression tightened upon hearing this sound.
"What is that?!"
The moment the roar ended, Lu Qingshan had already deployed the Liuyan Sword Control Technique, flying towards the direction of the sound.
"The captain is in danger; I must hurry over to support him!"
Watching Lu Qingshan, who had already turned into a streak of afterimage speeding into the distance, Su Shu reacted quickly, immediately deploying a flying Spirit Art and following closely behind.
But in the blink of an eye, she was left a significant distance behind by Lu Qingshan.
Su Shu bit her lip lightly, somewhat annoyed.
This damn Sword Cultivator, his Sword Control Technique is unreasonably fast!
...
Lu Qingshan was anxious in his heart.
He was all too familiar with that roar.
Thus, he could guess what situation Xu Hao was in at the moment.
Worried, Lu Qingshan did not care about the consumption of his Spiritual Power and pushed the Liuyan Sword Control Technique to its fastest speed.
Feiyun Peak wasn''trge, and under extreme conditions, the Liuyan Sword Control Technique was incredibly fast, so in just a moment, Lu Qingshan had already arrived above the battlefield.
Fortunately, he had arrived in time.
Lu Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked around.
Xu Hao''s body, covered in the Golden Scales Body golden armor, was supposed to look majestic, but at that moment, he was in extreme pain, curled up on the ground, continuously twisting his body.
Upon closer observation, one could see an extremely eerieyer of ck mist entwining his face.
This ck mist, like floating threads, moved continuously across Xu Hao''s face and quickly spread towards his entire body.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Even more bizarre was that sharp, piercing screams were continuously emanating from inside Xu Hao''s body.
The scream reached deep into the soul, causing severe headaches to anyone who heard it, and the closer one got, the more intense the headache.
One could imagine the torment Xu Hao must be enduring as the source of the sound.
Not far from Xu Hao stood the only mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Feiyun Sect.
Lu Qingshan cast the Heavenly Eye Technique on him.
"Wen Guang [Demonic Transformation: Crimson me Demon] (lv21)."
....
At that moment, Wen Guang was surrounded by fire and mist, his eyes blood-red, barely resembling a human; calling him a demon would be more apt.
But for some reason, he seemed to have lost consciousness, ignoring the debilitated Xu Hao, instead continuously shaking his head looking for something, while repeatedly emitting beast-like roars.
The sound that Lu Qingshan and Su Shu had just heard hade from him.
This Sect Leader of the Feiyun Sect had not just been covertly dealing with the Netherworld to exchange resources for cultivation but had even joined the Netherworld and be a Demon Cultivator.
However, his current state clearly showed that he had yet to fully control the Demonic Qi in his body and had recklessly performed the Demonic Transformation, causing the Demonic Qi to go berserk and lose his mind.
Wen Guang was so unfamiliar with the power of Demonic Transformation, he must have recently joined the Netherworld and be a Demon Cultivator.
This also led to a certain dy in the intelligence from the Tower of Knowledge.
What was supposed to be an easy task for the Tiger Squad had now turned into the current situation.
Lu Qingshan''s expression was solemn.
The situation was more severe than he had anticipated!
He quickly took out a Snow Lotus Pill from the Storage Ring and swallowed it, a cooling sensation spreading throughout his body.
The difort from the piercing screams, under the effect of the Snow Lotus Pill, finally dispersed.
First deal with Wen Guang, then save Xu Hao.
Lu Qingshan immediately decided!
Chapter 78 Slaying Demons (Part 1)
At the first moment, Lu Qingshan had invested the newly acquired experience points into the Flying Sword Technique.
"Experience Points -360 (600*0.6), Flying Sword Technique upgraded to lv2!"
"Experience Points -600 (1000*0.6), Flying Sword Technique upgraded to lv3!"
Although the Flying Sword Technique had only been raised by two levels, the improvement was already significant enough.
If lv1 Flying Sword Technique was something that Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivators could master after a year or two of study.
Then the lv3 Flying Sword Technique was already at a standard that Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivators would reach after five or six years of practice.
Looking at Wen Guang, who was still roaring in the distance, a cold light shed in Lu Qingshan''s eyes.
The Crimson me Demon, is one of the mostmon Demonic Transformations among Netherworld Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Golden Core Stage.
In the ten-year gaming experience of "Nine Heavens", the number of Crimson me Demons that had died by Lu Qingshan''s hand was definitely in the thousands if not tens of thousands.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan was extremely familiar with the tactics of the Crimson me Demon.
With a thought, Lu Qingshan mobilized the overwhelming Spiritual Power from within his body, channeling it onto the Crying Soul Sword.
Whoosh!
Under Lu Qingshan''s control, the Crying Soul Sword, like a bolt of lightning, whistled with a fierce wind, and shot towards Wen Guang''s forehead.
Bang!
It was as if something had exploded.
The moment the Flying Sword was about to hit, the fire mist enveloping Wen Guang''s body gathered quickly at his forehead.
Fire Mist Bodyguard!
The Crying Soul Sword collided with this dense cloud of fire mist.
The fire mist exploded instantaneously, scattering sparks all over the sky.
The Flying Sword, having pierced through the fire mist, had lost most of its potency, its Spiritual Light dimmed.
The tip of the Crying Soul Sword touched Wen Guang''s forehead, leaving only a shallow white mark.
Although he had lost his senses, Wen Guang, driven purely by instinct, was more powerful inbat because all his responses were instinctive, bypassing any need for judgment or thought.
Lu Qingshan summoned back the howling Crying Soul Sword.
Another Spirit-powered Flying Sword wasunched again towards Wen Guang''s forehead.
Roar¡ª
The incarnation of the Crimson me Demon, feeling the pain in his forehead, issued a ferocious roar like that of a provoked beast.
¡
In the distance, Su Shu, who was hastening to the battlefield using her Flying Spirit Art, heard this sound from the mountain peak and unconsciously frowned.
Although she didn''t know the specifics, the urgency of Lu Qingshan''s departure made her realize that the situation at Xu Hao''s side must not be ideal.
Now that the sound was so loud, it only added to her worries. She gritted her teeth and sped up even more.
I must catch up!
Su Shu shouted in her heart.
....
The sparks scattered in the sky quickly gathered back onto Wen Guang''s body.
Then, a more vigorous and scorching me burst forth from Wen Guang''s body.
Wen Guang seemed to be donned in a suit of ming armor.
With a wave of his right hand, a small cluster of fire mist shot out from his body, rapidly expanding in the air into a huge spherical mass, confronting the iing Flying Sword.
Boom!
Another deafening explosion ensued.
The Crying Soul Sword shed fiercely with the fireball.
Under the force of the Flying Sword, the fireball was quickly extinguished, but the momentum of the Crying Soul Sword was also depleted.
Lu Qingshan''s expression remained unchanged.
The Flying Sword swung again, charging towards Wen Guang.
This time, as the Flying Sword faced the fireball attack conjured by Wen Guang, it chose not to meet it head-on but instead moved agilely to the left just before colliding with the fireball.
Boom!
The fireball missed its target and hit the ground not far away.
Under the immense force of the fireball, a deep pit instantly formed on the ground, its center already scorched into barren earth.
Seeing that the fireball hadn''t stopped the Flying Sword, the me Demon waved his left hand again, and another huge fireball flew towards it.
Lu Qingshan kept controlling the Flying Sword, constantly moving and dodging Wen Guang''s fireballs.
Strangely though, Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword seemed to always threaten the me Demon but never actually struck him.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sessive explosions reverberated, stirring up clouds of dust, with dozens of deep pits from the fireballs surrounding Wen Guang.
Roar!
Seeing the Flying Sword still moving unrestrainedly and his fireballs achieving nothing, Wen Guang let out a roar of impotent fury.
Though it seems a long time, in reality, only a few moments had passed.
The dust in the air might have hindered visibility, but cultivators don''t rely solely on their eyes; they also have Divine Sense.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Lu Qingshan''s Divine Sense prated the dust and reached the Crimson me Demon incarnated by Wen Guang.
He could feel that the fiery mist surrounding him had thinned considerably, hardly enough to cover Wen Guang''s body.
The me Demon naturally has extremely high fire control abilities, but the fireballs he had released all depended on this fiery mist.
Releasing so many fireballs in such a short time indeed showed terrifying explosive power, but it also pushed him near his limits.
This was the drawback of losing consciousness.
If Wen Guang were not in an uncontroble state and had his normal judgment, he would definitely not keep meaninglessly casting fireballs to block Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword, which would put him into a weakened state.
Lu Qingshan knew this, which is why he was not afraid at all of Wen Guang, even though Wen was of much higher level and enhanced by demonic transformation.
Just like taming a beast, first hitting Wen Guang with a solid attack to let him feel the lethality of the Flying Sword, then facing Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword, Wen would instinctively do his utmost to prevent the Flying Sword from striking him.
Such a simple trick was all it took.
This battle was even easier for Lu Qingshan than the previous one against Zhu Quan.
...
Noticing that the protective fiery mist around Wen Guang''s body was extremely thin.
Lu Qingshan did not dy any longer because he could feel that Xu Hao''s presence was getting weaker.
Twisting his body, Lu Qingshan rushed towards Wen Guang with a whooshing sound.
Before his Flying Sword Technique reached level ten, his strongest damage capability still came from his sword techniques.
The Crying Soul Sword, twisting left and right in the air, suddenly flew towards Lu Qingshan.
Running at full speed, Lu Qingshan did not slow down; as the Flying Sword approached, he reached out his right hand and grabbed the Crying Soul Sword.
Azure Water Tidal Wave!
At the same time, Lu Qingshan activated the active effects of the Azure Water Bracelet.
The abundant Spiritual Power he had previously stored in the Azure Water Bracelet surged into his body.
In his Dantian, the Spiritual Power, which was nearly depleted from a previous battle and executing the Liuyan Sword Control Technique, was finally replenished.
The moment his Spiritual Power was replenished, Lu Qingshan piloted the Spiritual Power onto the Crying Soul Sword without hesitation.
A dense blue glow gathered at the tip of the sword.
The sword''s edge thrust forward, stirring up a roaring wind.
Lu Qingshan''s figure pierced through the swirling dust, charging headfirst at Wen Guang.
The de transformed into a streak of frost, aiming squarely at the center of Wen Guang''s forehead and cleaving downwards.
Lu Qingshan''s speed was unimaginably fast, Wen Guang had no escape; with just a thinyer of fiery mist to protect him, he could not block Lu Qingshan''s sword.
A cloud of blood mist filled the air.
"Target deceased. You have killed Wen Guang [Demonic Transformation: Crimson me Demon] (lv21), earning a total of 1500 Experience Points!"
Chapter 79: Killing Demons (Part 2)
Rushing desperately, Su Shu finally arrived at the battlefield only to see the vicious-looking Wen Guang sliced neatly into two halves.
But she had no time to concern herself with this scene, for her attention was drawn to Xu Hao, whoy on the ground, writhing in agony.
Xu Hao had lost consciousness due to the pain, and his Golden Armor had faded away quietly without notice.
"Big Brother Xu?!" The Xu Hao who had always been invincible in her heart was now curled up like a shrimp, continuously letting out low, hoarse groans, and Su Shu couldn¡¯t believe it.
Piercing shrieks emanated from Xu Hao¡¯s body.
As this high-pitched squeal entered her ears, an indescribable piercing pain spawned in Su Shu¡¯s mind.
Su Shu quickly sealed her ears with Spiritual Power in pain, but found the action utterly useless.
The shrill squeal did not weaken at all, still attacking her Divine Soul relentlessly.
Ah¡ª
Xu Hao¡¯s pained and muffled cries rose again.
Su Shu¡¯s expression changed, and she could no longer heed the prickling pain in her Divine Soul, flying straight to Xu Hao¡¯s side.
Under the influence of the shrieking sound, Su Shu¡¯splexion turned deathly pale, but her eyes were filled with defiance.
Struggling to rally her spirits, Su Shu joined her hands in front of her chest to form a strange seal with great difficulty; Spiritual Power erupted from within her body.
The next moment, a peculiar six-petaled flower appeared before her, formed of green Spiritual Power, flickering with Spiritual Light, looking incredibly extraordinary!
[Rejuvenation Spirit Art]!
This was a healing Spirit Art for Spiritual Cultivators, aimed at treating the injuries suffered by cultivators and also had a detoxifying effect.
The six petals indicated that Su Shu¡¯s Rejuvenation Spirit Art had reached level 6.
"Go!" Su Shu murmured.
The green Spirit Flower flew straight towards Xu Hao and merged into his body.
The originally dark mists enveloping Xu Hao suddenly shed with green Spiritual Light, which quickly suppressed the dark mists.
A glimmer of joy appeared on Su Shu¡¯s pale face.
But this joy did notst long because the next second, a denser ck mist burst from Xu Hao¡¯s body and swallowed the green Spiritual Lightpletely in a single breath.
What is this?!
Noticing that Xu Hao¡¯s breath had weakened further after this event, a fine cold sweat involuntarily appeared on Su Shu¡¯s forehead.
It was due to the pain brought by the shrieking sound, as well as the panic in her heart.
Tiger Squad had gone through many changes in membership due to sacrifices since its very beginning.
Of the six cultivators who were with it at the start, only two are still alive to this day.
¡ªHer and Xu Hao.
With the many years of life-and-death experiences, the tacit understanding and feelings between her and Xu Hao needed no expression.
Now, with Xu Hao in mortal danger and her Rejuvenation Spirit Art ineffective, how could she not panic?
With trembling hands, Su Shu took out a variety of Healing Pills from her Storage Ring, hoping to feed them to Xu Hao.
"The pills are useless."
Lu Qingshan¡¯s voice rang out.
Su Shu turned to see Lu Qingshan, who had arrived by her side without her knowing when; she froze for a moment, then quickly came to her senses.
"Do you know what¡¯s wrong with Big Brother Xu? You must save him!" Su Shu pleaded uncontrobly.
Ever since they had met, while often teasing Lu Qingshan, Su Shu had also taken care of him during their missions, adopting an elder sister¡¯s attitude. Now, finally, due to Xu Hao¡¯s condition, she revealed a vulnerable side.
Seeing Su Shu looking as pale as death from the impact of the shrieking sound, Lu Qingshan furrowed his brows, took out a Snow Lotus Pill, and ced it in Su Shu¡¯s mouth.
Under the effect of the Snow Lotus Pill, Su Shu¡¯splexion finally improved slightly, but the urgency and helplessness in her eyes did not lessen in the slightest.
"Don¡¯t worry, I will do my utmost to save the captain," Lu Qingshan assured Su Shu.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s voice was not loud, but his tone was very determined, as if carrying some strength that unconsciously steadied Su Shu¡¯s frantic heart slightly.
...
Bang!
Dust flew in all directions.
The massive Red Rock Goosended nearby, and Xiao Zhi and Li Zu leaped down from the beast¡¯s back.
They, too, had heard themotion here; without any dy, they swiftly dealt with their targets and rushed over immediately.
"It¡¯s a Divine Soul Attack!" Li Zu¡¯s face changed as he felt the impact of the sonic attack and dared not approach any closer.
"Su Shu, what¡¯s happened to the team leader?" Xiao Zhi asked anxiously.
Lu Qingshan paid no attention to Li Zu and Xiao Zhi who were following behind, silently bowing his head as he scanned Xu Hao¡¯s body with his Divine Sense.
Through the ck fog, Lu Qingshan¡¯s Divine Sense probed into Xu Hao¡¯s body, heading straight for Xu Hao¡¯s heart.
Hiss¡ª
Lu Qingshan winced in pain.
Just as his Divine Sense was about to touch Xu Hao¡¯s heart, something out of nowhere devoured his Divine Sense.
Although his Divine Sense had suffered a heavy blow, Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression did not change.
So it¡¯s in the heart after all.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Having confirmed the situation, Lu Qingshan drew the Crying Soul Sword, its sharp tip aimed at Xu Hao¡¯s chest, poised to stab down.
Su Shu¡¯s face changed instantly.
"What are you doing?!" Li Zu, who had been deterred by the screeching sound and hadn¡¯t dared to approach earlier, saw the scene and shouted angrily.
Instinctively, an Ice Arrow shot out in an instant, aiming directly at Lu Qingshan.
He was trying to stop Lu Qingshan!
A shield of Spiritual Light appeared, deflecting the Ice Arrow sent by Li Zu.
It was a Spirit Art cast by Su Shu.
"Su Shu, why? This kid is going to kill the team leader, and instead of stopping him, why are you blocking me?" Li Zu¡¯s eyes reddened with anger, unable toprehend Su Shu¡¯s actions.
Given that Lu Qingshan had only joined the team for half a day, it was not very realistic for a usually cautious and suspicious Cultivator to develop trust in Lu Qingshan in such a short time.
Therefore, it was not unreasonable for Li Zu to believe that Lu Qingshan¡¯s actions were an intent to harm the team leader.
Su Shu shook her head at Li Zu, "Lu Qingshan is trying to save the team leader, don¡¯t make trouble."
"But this¡" Li Zu tried to argue further.
Xiao Zhi raised his hand to stop Li Zu and advised, "No one here is more concerned about the team leader¡¯s safety than Su Shu. So if Su Shu didn¡¯t stop Lu Qingshan, there must be a reason for it... let¡¯s just watch and see what happens."
Persuaded by Xiao Zhi¡¯s words, Li Zu gradually calmed down.
This little hup had no effect on Lu Qingshan¡¯s movements.
The tip of the Crying Soul Sword pierced into Xu Hao¡¯s chest.
The body of a Body Cultivator is extremely strong. Even with Xu Hao unconscious and offering no resistance, Lu Qingshan still had to use a bit of strength to drive the Crying Soul Sword in.
Like a skilled surgeon, Lu Qingshan opened Xu Hao¡¯s chest with a few movements of the Crying Soul Sword.
Ah!
Su Shu couldn¡¯t help eximing in shock.
It turned out not just the surface of the body but Xu Hao¡¯s insides were already filled with ck fog. As soon as Lu Qingshan cut open Xu Hao¡¯s chest, the ck fog, as if finding an outlet, began to spill out continuously.
Once the ck fog dissipated, Lu Qingshan could see Xu Hao¡¯s still faintly beating heart.
A Body Cultivator¡¯s heart should beat strong and forcefully, but now it could only flutter weakly as seen, indicating just how dire Xu Hao¡¯s condition had be.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression was stern, a cold light shing in his eyes. An outpouring of Spiritual Power surged, pressing towards Xu Hao¡¯s heart.
That¡¯s when a pitch-ck imp, no bigger than a fingertip but hideously grotesque, crawled out from Xu Hao¡¯s heart, opening its densely fanged mouth and emitting a screech that was sharper than any before.
Even with the protection of the Snow Lotus Pill safeguarding his Divine Soul, under this piercing screech, Lu Qingshan¡¯s Divine Soul still suddenly felt a burst of sharp pain.
This pain was far greater than the earlier devouring of his Divine Sense.
Under this sonic attack, Li Zu and Xiao Zhi, who had not taken the Snow Lotus Pill and were not far away, cked out for a moment, losing consciousness and slumping to the ground.
Lu Qingshan, gritting his teeth, endured the pain in his Divine Soul as he flicked the Crying Soul Sword.
With a sizzling sound.
The imp was skewered like a candied haw on a stick on the tip of Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword.
The imp struggled fiercely, opening its mouth to bite the Crying Soul Sword, creating a series of metallic nging sounds.
Lu Qingshan shook his head.
Having caught it, there was no reason to let it go.
Lu Qingshan twisted the sword, churning within the imp¡¯s body. The imp screamed miserably and finally fell silent.
"Target has been in. You have killed the Ghostly Scream Imp (lv15) and gained 900 experience points!"
Chapter 80: The Woman Entering the City
"This is a Ghost Sound Demon, a demon pet bred by the Demon Race, capable of constantly emitting sonic attacks that target a cultivator¡¯s Divine Soul," Lu Qingshan exined to Su Shu.
The mode of action of the Ghost Sound Demon was usually to release an extremely powerful Ghost Sound Wave attack, and while the cultivator was stunned, it would turn into a clump of ck mist, enter through the cultivator¡¯s ears, and burrow into the cultivator¡¯s heart.
After that, it would reside inside the cultivator¡¯s heart, continuing its relentless Ghost Sound attacks until itpletely crushed the cultivator¡¯s Divine Soul.
Then, the Ghost Sound Demon would upy the cultivator¡¯s heart and naturally take control of the cultivator¡¯s Physical Body, turning the cultivator into a Puppet under itsmand.
This was a demon pet with extremely strange abilities, but if one knew how to deal with it, it was not difficult to eliminate.
Generally, these types of demons that parasitize someone else¡¯s body all share onemon characteristic: they are extremely fragile by themselves.
It is precisely because of their fragility that they need a sturdy shell.
...
If it were anyter and the Ghost Sound Demon had fully taken over Xu Hao¡¯s body, the situation would have been different.
With non-stop sonic attacks coupled with Xu Hao¡¯s strong Physical Body, this Ghost Sound Demon, despite only being level 15, would be exceedingly troublesome and difficult to deal with.
Fortunately, Xu Hao was still struggling fiercely, so the Ghost Sound Demon couldn¡¯t manipte Xu Hao¡¯s body to mount an effective resistance.
In such a state, the Ghost Sound Demon was practically a pushover, so Lu Qingshan dealt with the Ghost Sound Demon with rtive ease.
Once the Ghost Sound Demon died, the piercing scream that caused headaches and shortness of breath also dissipated.
Xu Hao, who had just been gasping for air and whose chest had been opened by Lu Qingshan, also stabilized his breathing very quickly.
This was not surprising.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already beyond the realm of ordinary people, with a Recovery Power far exceeding that of normal people, let alone Xu Hao, who was renowned among the six cultivators for his powerful Physical Body.
Li Zu and Xiao Zhi also hurried over.
"Is Big Brother Xu alright?" Su Shu¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Lu Qingshan with hopeful eyes.
Lu Qingshan nodded.
Su Shu¡¯s chest heaved dramatically; the heart that had been hanging finally settled down.
Lu Qingshan nced at Xu Hao and then said, "Now we can treat our captain¡¯s injuries."
The external injuries suffered by Xu Hao were actually not severe, and they were not inflicted by the enemy.
¡ªThey were all caused by Lu Qingshan¡¯s chest-opening surgery.
Su Shu hurriedly made a Seal Gesture with her hands, and another blue six-petal lotus appeared.
With the Ghost Sound Demon no longer obstructing, the effects of the Rejuvenation Spirit Art were extremely significant.
The wound on Xu Hao¡¯s chest was visibly healing at a rapid pace.
A trace of color also gradually returned to Xu Hao¡¯s pallid face.
After sweeping his Divine Sense over Xu Hao to check his condition, Lu Qingshan said, "The captain should wake up soon."
Indeed, just a momentter,
Xu Hao¡¯s fingers twitched slightly, followed by his eyes slowly opening.
Xu Hao, who had just awakened, was still a bit confused and wasn¡¯t clear about the situation when he felt a fragrant breeze and was then tightly embraced by a soft body.
Noticing that Xu Hao had awakened, Su Shu could no longer suppress her emotions and threw herself onto Xu Hao, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, sobbing softly in grievance.
Xu Hao, who had just narrowly escaped death¡¯s door, was taken aback and stiffened.
The face that had just regained a flush of color as if rejuvenated, now turned red as a monkey¡¯s buttocks in an instant.
It seems that the healing effect of a woman¡¯s embrace far surpasses that of High Level Spirit Arts.
Seeing this scene, Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.
After a brief stiffness, Xu Hao came back to his senses, hesitated a bit, and then tentatively extended his hand, gently patting Su Shu¡¯s back.
"I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? No need to cry and whine like a woman..." Xu Hao said, his voice awkward and cautious as heforted her.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
...
Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Cough¡ª
Li Zu, too, couldn¡¯t control himself and let out an awkward cough.
Then Li Zu felt a chill down his spine.
He saw Xu Hao with eyes wide open, ring fiercely at Li Zu.
Li Zu touched his nose awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, "It¡¯s been so long, and we haven¡¯t seen Zhong Ming. He might not have solved it yet, should Xiao Zhi and I go and check?"
Xiao Zhi quickly nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. I¡¯ll go with you then."
The two reached an understanding and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Lu Qingshan called out to them, and they turned back, looking at him with questioning eyes.
"I¡¯ll go with you and take a look as well," Lu Qingshan said earnestly.
...
He still had enough sense to realize that now was the time to leave the captain and Su Shu alone; he shouldn¡¯t stick around and spoil the mood.
...
The trio, apanied by others, had just flown towards the south for a short while when they saw a ck light shoot towards them rapidly.
The ck light stopped in front of the three and revealed its figure¡ªit was Zhong Ming.
Looking puzzled, Zhong Ming gazed at them, "Where are you heading? I just heard several strange howls; did something happen?"
"Seeing that you were taking so long, we feared you might have encountered some trouble, so we were just about to look for you," Xiao Zhi exined.
Waving his hand in annoyance, Zhong Ming said, "No need to talk about it. The Foundation Establishment Cultivator I was supposed to kill was very well-equipped, with several defensive artifacts, tough as a turtle shell¡ªit took me quite an effort."
"Luckily, I finally dealt with him. Now that the mission isplete, how about we find the captain to report back, and then prepare to return?" Zhong Ming suggested.
Li Zu, Xiao Zhi, and Lu Qingshan exchanged nces. Finally, Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow, smiling lightly, "I think we should linger around Feiyun Peak a bit longer."
"What¡¯s there to see on this run-down mountain range¡" Zhong Ming was clueless, but before he could finish, Xiao Zhi pulled him away.
"If we say we¡¯re going for a stroll, you¡¯ll go for a stroll. We three will apany you, so quit your useless chatter."
The trio took Zhong Ming, who was unaware of the situation, and flew off into the distance.
...
The fournded halfway up the mountain.
From there, they could clearly see the lower-grade disciples cleaning up and continuously fleeing because of the recent turmoil.
"Feiyun Sect is finished," sighed Xiao Zhi upon seeing this scene.
"All brought upon themselves. When they chose to betray the Human Race and secretlymunicate with the Netherworld, they should have foreseen this consequence," Zhong Ming said coldly.
"Only those four Foundation Establishment Cultivators colluded with the Netherworld. These disciples knew nothing and are innocent.
Because of the higher-ups¡¯ wrong decisions, the sect has been destroyed. Without the protection of the sect, the life of a Loose Cultivator is not easy," said Xiao Zhi with some emotion.
The group fell silent.
Such is the way of the world; there is no absolute right or wrong.
Although Xiao Zhi felt emotional, he did not harbor any thoughts of changing the situation.
¡
"I was rash just now." Li Zu, wrestling with his thoughts for a long time, was somewhat embarrassed but eventually approached Lu Qingshan, offering a sincere apology.
Lu Qingshan had already noticed Li Zu¡¯s difort and, seeing himing to make amends, merely waved his hand indifferently, saying calmly, "It was nothing major, and besides, you acted out of concern for the captain. I didn¡¯t mind at all."
Li Zu observed Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression and, reassured that Lu Qingshan genuinely didn¡¯t take the earlier Ice Arrow attack to heart, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the future, he and Lu Qingshan were to fight together on the same team, so it was best to address and resolve any conflicts directly to prevent small grievances from festering and leading to greater disasters.
He understood this principle.
...
After wandering around Feiyun Peak for quite some time and noticing that it was gettingte, the four finally returned.
Back with Xu Hao, Zhong Ming was stunned by the sight of the devastated battlefield.
Was the fight on the captain¡¯s side really that intense?
Xu Hao had regained some of his Element Qi by now and seemed unperturbed, while Su Shu stood beside him, her face yful as ever, revealing no signs of the ordeal.
Yet, somehow, the atmosphere felt different from when they arrived.
What was different?
Perhaps the air held a hint of strangeness.
Zhong Ming felt confused, wondering to himself.
¡
Despite some twists and turns, the first mission had been perfectly executed, and Lu Qingshan managed to establish a modicum of trust with the other team members.
After gathering and tallying the spoils of war, the group rode on Xiao Zhi¡¯s Red Rock Goose back to Zhenjiang City.
The demise of the Feiyun Sect, which had upied Feiyun Peak, and the ensuing scramble of small families and sects for the territory, were now beyond their knowledge.
Once in Zhenjiang City, everyone exchanged addresses, made ns to visit one another when free, and after bidding farewell, they went their separate ways.
Lu Qingshan returned to his own small courtyard.
As for Xu Hao, he needed to return to Zhenjiang Tower first to hand in the mission.
¡ and also to settle ounts with ck Ice tform, the department responsible for intelligence.
If it hadn¡¯t been for Lu Qingshan, he might have capsized in the gutter, all because of ck Ice tform¡¯s dyed intelligence.
For such a massive blunder from ck Ice tform, thinking they could get away without paying any price was wishful thinking!
.....
A woman with a veil covering her face and a graceful demeanor looked up at the iron-hooked silver writing of the "Zhenjiang City" sign on the city wall.
She fondly recalled the profound words the young man had said to her not long ago, "If you ever run into trouble, feel free to find me in Zhenjiang City."
Biting her snow-white teeth against her lower lip, she made up her mind and stepped into the city.
She hoped that the young man would truly be able to solve her troubles as he promised.
Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Lu Qingshans Foresight
As soon as the woman entered the city, her first priority was to find thergest broker organization in Zhenjiang City.
Seeking an individual in the vast expanse of Zhenjiang City by herself would be akin to finding a needle in the ocean, thus she needed some external help.
The brokers'' business spanned the entire city, offering a variety of services, including the asional task of locating people.
Of course, locating those with secretive whereabouts through the broker organization was hardly feasible.
However, since Lu Qingshan had told her that should she encounter any trouble, she coulde to find him in Zhenjiang City, he obviously wouldn''t be hiding his whereabouts much.
Therefore, ording to her expectations, she should quickly locate Lu Qingshan through the broker organization.
What she didn''t expect was that after she exined her purpose and provided information about Lu Qingshan to the middle-aged broker responsible for reception, the broker looked her up and down and suddenly asked, "Are you Miss Lin Yao?"
Yes, the woman who entered the city was none other than Lin Yao, who had parted ways with Lu Qingshan a month ago.
Seeing the unfamiliar broker call out her name, a sh of surprise crossed Lin Yao''s face, hidden behind the light veil, "How do you know my name?"
The middle-aged broker exined, "The Young Master Lu you''re looking for had passed through our organization when he first entered the city and found a good courtyard to rent.
At that time, he also paid a significant sum of money, specifically instructing us that if a young and beautifuldy named Lin Yao came looking for him, we were to guide Miss Lin to him.
He even promised additional payment for this, and given Young Master Lu''s generous spending, everyone has been looking forward to Miss Lin''s arrival. It seems my luck is quite good today."
Pausing briefly, the middle-aged brokerughed heartily and praised Lin Yao without leaving any trace, "I''ve been in this line for many years, and while I may not see through people as if by fire, I do have some insights.
Though thedy covers her face with a veil and her specific features are unknown, judging by your demeanor, I dare say you must be extraordinarily beautiful¡ªwho else could you be if not Lin Yao as Young Master Lu described?"
Lin Yao was stunned, and then, remembering the always confident appearance of that handsome youth, she also came to terms with the situation.
Considering the young man''s way of doing things, this was indeed typical of him.
"Then please lead the way," said Lin Yao politely.
The middle-aged broker stood up, leading Lin Yao to the courtyard where Lu Qingshan was temporarily staying.
...
Zhenjiang Tower.
Dantai Qingrun extended her Divine Sense into the Jade Slip in her hand.
It was the mission report submitted by Xu Hao.
After fully understanding the details of Tiger Squad''s Feiyun Sect mission, Dantai Qingrun put down the Jade Slip and unconsciously fell into deep thought.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Xu Hao had not concealed the mission process, so Lu Qingshan''s crucial role in the affair was clear at a nce.
Connecting this to what Fei Wa had reported about Lu Qingshan''s impressive performance during the Tiger Squad assessment,
Dantai Qingrun''s slender jade fingers lightly tapped on the desk, furrowing her brows slightly.
There were too many suspicious points.
Just entering the Foundation Establishment and mastering a Secret Sword Technique that even a Golden Core Sword Cultivator might not be able to grasp,
clearly matched her previous suspicion that Lu Qingshan was a major cultivator undergoing Spirit Possession.
Yet, in a strangely contradictory manner, Lu Qingshan had also previously sought from her the Dharma of Sword Control Technique and Flying Sword Technique.
This conflicted irreconcbly with her conjecture.
Furthermore,
Zhenjiang warred against the Netherworld for years, documenting the methods of Demon Cultivators extensively.
Forms like the Crimson me Demon weremon transformations, recorded and memorized by every guardian cultivator.
Yet the ghostly demon pet was a being she had never heard of before.
Lu Qingshan, however, was highly knowledgeable about this ghostly demon''s techniques.
Remembering the secret information about the Netherworld that Lu Qingshan had previously provided,
it seemed as if countless tumultuous secrets were hidden within this youth.
Lu Qingshan, just how many secrets are you still hiding?
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flickering in her pupils.
Coming to her senses, Dantai Qingrun looked towards Xu Hao, standing upright like a pine tree in front of the desk.
"You have worked hard on this mission. I will pursue thepse at ck Ice tform for you and ensure a satisfactory resolution for your Tiger Squad," despite Dantai Qingrun''s calm expression, her tone carried a hint of coldness.
Xu Hao respectfully bowed to Dantai Qingrun, "Thank you, Vice Tower Master."
...
Lin Yao, following the middle-aged broker, arrived at a serene courtyard.
"This is where Young Master Lu is currently residing."
The middle-aged broker introduced Lin Yao and then walked forward, lightly knocking on the courtyard gate and calling softly, "Is Young Master Lu here?"
It was only a moment before the gate was opened from the inside.
Lu Qingshan looked at Lin Yao outside the door, his face showing no surprise, but rather a smile emerged, "Miss Lin has arrived."
This attitude and tone were as if he was greeting an old friend who had informed him of their visit in advance.
Lin Yao greeted Lu Qingshan with a slight bow, her face smiling slightly, "It''s been a long time, Young Master Lu."
Lu Qingshan took out a few spiritual stones from his Storage Ring and handed them to the middle-aged broker, politely saying, "Thank you for your efforts."
The middle-aged broker joyfully epted the spiritual stones, showing keen judgment, and immediately took his leave, saying, "Thank you, Young Master Lu. I will take my leave and not disturb you and Miss Lin from catching up."
Lu Qingshan nodded.
After the middle-aged broker had left, Lu Qingshan stepped aside, making way for Lin Yao, "Come in and let''s talk."
...
Inside the room.
Lu Qingshan calmly brewed a cup of spiritual tea for Lin Yao,
Lin Yao took the teacup, hesitated for a moment, and then gently lifted her veil she had worn since childhood.
Below the veil was a face of stunning beauty.
This was expected, for anyone discerning enough could guess from Lin Yao''s graceful figure and beautiful eyes that beneath the veil was a striking beauty.
However, Lu Qingshan''s expression was still, like a monk detached from desires.
¡ªIn the game, female NPCs who hold any significance, unless they have a specific design, are generally beauties beyondpare, which seems to have be amon urrence.
After all, ny-nine percent of yers are visual creatures.
And catering to the consumer market has always been an iron rule to be followed in game production.
Even a blockbuster like "Nine Heavens" is no exception.
Thus, in the game of his previous life, seeing women NPCs with extraordinary beauty like Lin Yao was nothing unusual for Lu Qingshan.
Having been influenced over many years, Lu Qingshan found Lin Yao''s beauty astonishing, but to say it caused any emotional disturbance, was in fact hardly significant.
Lin Yao''s beautiful eyes flickered as she picked up the teacup and sipped the spiritual tea, then slowly began, "Young Master Lu, you previously mentioned that I could seek your help if I faced any troubles. I wonder if that offer still stands?"
Lu Qingshan also took a small sip of the tea and calmly responded, "It certainly stands. Just, how big is this trouble?"
"If it involves a Golden Core Cultivator, I wonder if Young Master Lu can handle it?" Lin Yao put down her teacup, her gaze intensively fixed on Lu Qingshan''s face, as if trying to see any change in his expression.
"Oh?" Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow slightly, "Is it Daoist Qianhe from the Qianhe Sect or True Person Xing Yu from the Xing Family?"
Lin Yao looked somewhat bewildered, "Young Master Lu truly anticipated this."
Lu Qingshan kept his expression unchanged but did not borate to Lin Yao how he had foreseen the trouble she would encounter.
Since he wanted Lin Yao to serve him, maintaining a certain air of mystery in front of her was necessary.
As for the specific cause, it was not particrly clever.
Being one of the key strategists behind the scenes at the City Lord''s Mansion of Yuanshan City, he was naturally clear about the multitude of sects in the vicinity of Yuanshan City involved with the Netherworld.
These sects that had once connected with the Netherworld would inevitably not escape the purge by Zhenjiang Tower.
With so many sects and families falling, correspondingly, a batch of new sect powers would rise immediately.
The turnover of power in the Cultivation World is just so cruel and swift.
Under the previously stable situation in Yuanshan City, some powers, although always harboring ambitions, ultimately did not dare act recklessly to break the bnce.
¡ªOnce they became the target of public criticism, without absolute strength, it would definitely not bode well.
Thus, the Lin Family was still able to live safely in their own corner, managing their Blue Light ore mine.
But now, with all the major blessednds around Yuanshan City facing redistribution and a reshuffling of powers,
In such chaos, a small family like the Lin Family with only one Foundation Establishment Cultivator, hoping to still live peacefully was absolutely impossible.
Not to mention, the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Lin Family was nearing his end.
The Lin Family then undoubtedly became a tempting piece of fat meat, something everyone wanted to bite into.
Given Lu Qingshan''s understanding of the Cultivation World, it was without doubt that the Lin Family was facing a great disaster.
This was why he had left such words for Lin Yao initially.
As for being precise about Daoist Qianhe and True Person Xing Yu, there was really nothing more to say about that.
Apart from the Myriad Treasures Tower and Earth Fiend Pavilion involved with the Netherworld, only Qianhe Sect and the Xing Family each had a Golden Core Cultivator around Yuanshan City.
Daoist Qianhe and True Person Xing Yu were the only two surviving Golden Core Cultivators amongst the overt sect powers in Yuanshan City.
Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Lu Family Makes a Move
Lu Qingshan set down his teacup and said to Lin Yao, "Let''s discuss the details."
Lin Yao gritted her teeth with hatred, "It''s Xing Yu of the Xing Family..."
It wasn''t much different from what Lu Qingshan had expected.
As many sect powers in Yuanshan City toppled, the surrounding area has been in a state of chaos for some time, with various forces vying for resources and spirit vein blessednds.
With a Golden Core Cultivator each, Qianhe Sect and Xing Family naturally became the two titans of Yuanshan City.
These two giants devoured a massive amount of resources from the fallen sect powers, growing rapidly in strength.
Ordinarily, the Lin Family''s modest assets shouldn''t be coveted by these two great powers.
But human greed knows no bounds.
Besides, both the Xing Family and Qianhe Sect were well aware that if they missed this opportunity to expand their power without restraint, they might have to wait indefinitely for another such chance.
Therefore, both powers would definitely want to take full advantage of this golden opportunity to make a fortune.
¡ªWhether they could digest these resources was another matter; securing them was certainly the right move.
And in the Cultivation World, if one wanted to annex other weaker families, resorting to force was always the most basic approach.
Apart from overwhelming military strength, there were many ways to take over without shedding blood.
Consequently, the Xing Family sent a marriage proposal to the Lin Family, expressing Xing Yu''s desire to take Lin Yao as his concubine.
"They say they want to take me as a concubine, but their true intentions are elsewhere.
Once our Lin Family agrees to this marriage proposal, then the Xing Family will naturally take over our nest and seize control of our assets," Lin Yao said, clearly understanding the hidden implication of the proposal, and added indignantly, "Besides, that Xing Yu is already an old Golden Core of more than four hundred years¡ª who would want to be his concubine!"
"But the Xing Family is much more powerful than the Lin Family, so we dare not refuse them, and that''s why..." Lin Yao''s moist eyes turned to Lu Qingshan.
"They want to reap both people and wealth; the Xing Family sure is ying a good game.
But they''re just a small family with a single Golden Core after all," Lu Qingshan said indifferently, "It''s not hard to resolve; just leave it to me."
The Xing family might be one of the two titans in Yuanshan City, but in his eyes, they were truly not worth much.
At present, he had at least three strategies in mind to deal with Lin Yao''s problem.
After a brief consideration in his mind, Lu Qingshan quickly settled on a n.
...
At the Lu Family on Mihe Peak.
Inside Qingping Hall.
"What disaster has the Great Elder brought upon us this time?" Lu Bei entered the hallst, his brow furrowing upon seeing Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou already seated.
Lu Zhou raised his eyebrows slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction, and with a wave of his hand, he sent a Jade Slip toward Lu Bei as a streak of green light.
"It''s your son''s handy work!" Lu Zhou said.
Surprised by Lu Zhou''s words, Lu Bei caught the Jade Slip casually and probed it with his Divine Sense.
It turned out to be a message from Lu Qingshan, sent from Zhenjiang City, seeking help.
Lu Qingshan was asking the Lu Family to intervene and subdue the Xing Family of Yuanshan City in order to make Xing Yu retract his marriage proposal.
Lu Yuan exined in a solemn voice, "We inquired about the details. Lin Yao, the daughter of the Lin Family head, arrived in Zhenjiang City from Yuanshan City yesterday to find Lu Qingshan.
After meeting with Lu Qingshan, he sent us this message requesting help, and then Lin Yao stayed at Lu Qingshan''s ce."
"Lu Qingshan had spent a brief period in Yuanshan City; that must be when he formed some bonds with the Lin Family."
Lu Bei''s gaze flickered.
"So your son really is your flesh and blood, eh? Ready to have our family face off against a Golden Core Cultivator over a woman¡ªyour roguish streak seems to have been inherited by him," Lu Zhou said with a sneer.
Lu Beiughed nonchntly, "So, are you going to help or not?"
After a moment of silence, Lu Yuan spoke up, "Real Person Xing Yu is nothing but a weak Golden Core. If our Lu Family steps in, I doubt he would dare not to give us face."
Lu Zhou snorted coldly and continued, "Since it''s just a simple effort to lift a finger to help him, it''s not a bad idea to do so.
It also will serve as a lesson to that young man who doesn''t know the immensity of heaven and earth, and make him realize not to look down on his own family just because he has some skills.
He was so arrogant in front of us the other day, iming that he didn''t need the resources of the Lu Family. Now that he''s in trouble, he still needs to ask for help from the family, doesn''t he?"
Lu Bei showed a knowing expression, "Since you''ve already made your decision, why did you even call me here?"
Naturally, Lu Bei knew Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou''s temperament quite well.
With Lu Qingshan''s performance, although it wasn''t openly acknowledged, they surely regarded Lu Qingshan as the future cornerstone of the Lu Family.
But facing Lu Qingshan, who seemed even harder to handle than himself, Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou were indeed very worried in their hearts.
To make a future great Cultivator willingly wield his power for the family, it couldn''t be achieved through force but rather had to be done by granting favors like this, tying him to the family through bonds of affection, so Lu Qingshan would volunteer his strength for the Lu Family in the future.
This rare opportunity for Lu Qingshan to actively seek their help¡ªhow could they not extend a hand?
Seeing Lu Bei growing somewhat impatient, Lu Yuan chuckled, "The reason we called you is, of course, that we have a task for you. Since it involves your son, you, Qing Ling, might as well make a trip to Yuanshan City."
With that, Lu Yuan, without waiting for Lu Bei to react, waved his long sleeve and left along with Lu Zhou.
Watching the quickly departing figures of the pair, Lu Bei felt somewhat helpless.
Those two old foxes sure had a lot of sly thoughts.
Fiddling with the Jade Slip in his hand, Lu Bei''s gaze drifted, lost in thought.
After a while, Lu Bei chuckled to himself, "Well then, I might as well take this trip. This bottleneck at the Golden Core Middle Stage has held me back for quite some time now.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Meditating in seclusion probably won''t solve the issue, so perhaps a walk about could lead to some fortuitous opportunity that might just break through this bottleneck."
Lu Bei''s hands radiated Spiritual Light, clearly indicating he had already reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core Middle Stage.
...
The day after Lu Qingshan reached out for help from the Lu Family, he received a reply from them.
"Real Person Qing Ling has already set out for Yuanshan City."
Lu Qingshan smiled slightly.
This was the method he felt most at ease with for resolving his problem.
If the Lu Family could tolerate a flirtatious person like Real Person Qing Ling, Lu Bei, they could certainly tolerate Lu Qingshan.
There was no likelihood that the Lu Family would refuse to stand up for Lu Qingshan.
Besides, while the Xing Family in Yuanshan City was a giant entity, it truly wasn''t much in the eyes of the long-established Lu Family.
The Golden Core Cultivators of the Lu Family have never ceased for nearly a thousand years; they''re a family with profound capabilities to nurture Golden Core Cultivators.
In contrast, the Xing Family had to rely on immense luck to asionally produce one or two Golden Core Cultivators.
The two were not even in the same league.
Given the nature of that old fox Lu Zhou, he would definitely not turn away an affair that was just a simple effort to make yet would owe the Lu Family a big favor.
.....
The next day.
Lin Yao left Lu Qingshan''s courtyard and went to the Great Xia Commercial Firm in Zhenjiang City.
She nned to use the firm''s channels to rapidly send a message back to Yuanshan City, informing her father that she had found powerful support in Zhenjiang City and that he need not worry.
But before she could send her message, the Great Xia Commercial Firm presented her with thetestmunication from the Lin Family in Yuanshan City.
Immediately, Lin Yao''s heart skipped a beat.
Nothing has happened to the family during these few days of her absence, has it?
Chapter 83: Chapter 83 New Skills
Lin Yao''s heart was uneasy, fearing it might be bad news. With an anxious expression, she took the jade slip that contained the message from an attendant of the Great Xia Commercial Firm and read the information inside.
Afterward, an extremelyplex expression appeared on Lin Yao''s face, which contained joy, surprise, and other indescribable special meanings.
Regaining herposure, Lin Yao quickly paid a sum of Spirit Stones and left a message, entrusting it to the Great Xia Commercial Firm.
The Great Xia Commercial Firm would use its own channels to quickly send this message back to Zhenjiang City.
Later, personnel from the Great Xia Commercial Firm in Zhenjiang City would personally deliver Lin Yao''s message to the Lin Family.
...
Shortly after Lin Yao had left, Lu Qingshan''s courtyard weed a new group of visitors.
It was Tiger Squad''s Su Shu and Xu Hao.
Lu Qingshan looked meaningfully at the man and woman in front of him, whose hands were intertwined in what seemed like an excessively intimate gesture.
Under Lu Qingshan''s scrutinizing gaze, Su Shu still maintained herposure with a smile.
On the other hand, the tall and burly Xu Hao felt very ufortable under Lu Qingshan''s intense gaze, and his face even stiffened a bit.
Nevertheless, Xu Hao didn''t dare to withdraw his hand, which was being held, and he just awkwardly touched his nose.
Su Shu rolled her eyes at Xu Hao and exined to Lu Qingshan, "Xu Big Brother and I specially came here to thank you for saving our livesst time."
Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow nonchntly and teased, "Apart from being your captain, he is also my captain."
"When the captain is in trouble, helping out is just part of being a team member. There''s nothing to thank me for."
Xu Hao, who was straightforward by nature, didn''t bother with formalities with Lu Qingshan and took out a green jade slip from his storage ring, handing it to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan was somewhat surprised, "What is this?"
Xu Hao said in a grave voice, "After I reported the details to the Tower, the vice Tower Master personally stepped in to support us and confronted the ck Ice tform for ountability."
"Under pressure, the ck Ice tform had to bleed heavily this time to settle things down. This is one of the costs they had to pay."
"It''s a technique that I think you will like."
"Oh?!"
A thought crossed Lu Qingshan''s mind.
Currently, his sword technique system, at least in his own view, was extremely rudimentary and simplistic.
As of now, what he could boast about the most was his explosive power, which far surpasses that of cultivators of the same cultivation level.
The Crying Soul Sword''s ability of Soul Shock, coupled with the instant binding effect produced by the Secret Sword: Wind sh and the Falling Bright Sword Technique, formed a series of chain control that would allow Lu Qingshan to instantly kill most cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.
Powerful as such!
This set of explosive techniques for ying could already be considered an independent system of offensive techniques.
However, Lu Qingshan also knew that although his sword technique system seemed invincible for now, he still had many major issues to resolve when facing cultivators with different approaches.
His battles during this period seemed very smooth, but that was only because he had not encountered any cultivators who could exploit his weaknesses.
In fact, even in his best area of offense, there were still many deficiencies.
Firstly, all his skills were single-target attacks, making him extremely fearful of being ganged up on.
In the Cultivation World, not to mention others, just speaking of Beast Cultivators, they werergely considered his natural nemesis.
If it were like Xiao Zhi from the Tiger Squad, who followed a route of having fewer but stronger beast pets, he was not particrly afraid; at worst, he would just end it with one strike.
But once he encountered a Beast Cultivator who used the swarm approach, with strange tactics like swarms of bees, insects, or simr creatures overwhelming by their numbers, Lu Qingshan would really be at a loss.
¡ªNo matter how strong his sword techniques were, or how fast his Flying Swords were, he simply could not sh through swarms thatrge.
Therefore, learning a group attack technique to deal with this kind of situation was an essential requirement for a Sword Cultivator.
The best and mostmon mass attack skills for Sword Cultivators totaled two.
Sword Light Differentiation, and Sword Qi into Threads.
The issue was that to reach such a level with Sword Light and Sword Qi, the Sword Cultivator''s Divine Soul must not be weak, nearly needing to meet the standard of a Golden Core Cultivator.
Before obtaining the spell to train one''s Divine Sense, or reaching Golden Core, researching Sword Light and Sword Qi would be extremely inefficient and the gains would notpensate for the losses.
Thus, he could only put aside these two skills for the time being.
Beyond this, he alsocked an Escape Technique.
Although he already possessed the Sword Control Technique, an Escape Technique, it was mainly used for kitingbined with Flying Sword Technique.
What he needed was a specialized close-range Escape Technique to fulfill the mobility requirements when executing closebat sword techniques.
Last and most importantly, he needed a set of Defensive Sword Technique.
If anyone believed that as a Sword Cultivator, the best at fighting among the six types of Cultivators, one could neglect defense and devote oneself entirely to offense, they certainly hadn''t been brutalized by the real world yet.
In his past life, Lu Qingshan had seen plenty of such people.
At the start of the game''s public test, there was a considerable number of Sword Cultivator yers who advocated one view: as a Sword Cultivator, even if it means death, one should not learn defensive skills, as it went against a Sword Cultivator''s faith.
The result was that these yers, after dying dozens of times, finally admitted, "Ah, it''s really necessary for a Sword Cultivator to learn a defensive skill."
...
Generally speaking, professions with low health, like Dharma Cultivation and Spiritual Cultivation, have one thing inmon: during Magical Combat, they need to control the distance, attacking from afar with Techniques and Spirit Arts to avoid damage.
But Sword Cultivators are different.
In "Nine Heavens", Sword Cultivators are seen as a major trap for rookie yers because, as frail as they arepared to Dharma and Spiritual Cultivators, they often need to recklessly engage enemies up close to deal damage.
Moreover, unlike assassins who sneak up silently behind their target and strike, sessful or not, to then quickly escape thousands of miles, Sword Cultivators tended to dive headlong into throngs of enemies.
As long as the target isn''t dead, there is no talk of retreating.
The difficulty of these operations goes without saying.
Sword Cultivators, with their low health and often dancing on the edge of a knife, has made them one of the most highlighted and skilled sses in "Nine Heavens".
But, for this reason, defensive swordsmanship became critically important for Sword Cultivators.
If you want to show off, first get your Defensive Sword Technique to max level.
It might be manageable in singlebat, but once ites to massive battles,cking a refined Defensive Sword Technique would only describe a Sword Cultivator''s participation with two words:
Aplete waste!
So it''s strangely enough that, as a profession known for high damage output, the depth of defensive skills paradoxically became a crucial yardstick to differentiate rookies from advanced yers.
Merely attempting to initially build a swordsmanship system showed just how many Techniques needed to be learned.
Moreover, considerable time was required daily to practice Cultivation Techniques, enhance Cultivation level, and also to spend time nurturing one''s Life-bound Sword.
Thus, most Sword Cultivators faced a severe issue¡ªthere simply wasn''t enough energy to go around.
And for yers, the problem transformed into¡ªnot having enough Experience Points.
To cover all aspects and strengthen oneself in every area, one needed too many Experience Points; thus, yers generally had to make sacrifices among these various skills.
...
Lu Qingshan received the Jade Slip and sent his Divine Sense into it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
A row of data information came into view.
Chapter 84 Formless Sword Escape
"Formless Sword Escape"
Activation Condition: Can only be activated through a Sword Artifact.
Description: A Sword Cultivator''s escape technique, a dash skill, with a maximum level of 20.
Pre-requisite for learning: Cultivation must reach Foundation Establishment, must have mastered Flying Sword Technique.
Skill Effect: After activating this skill, the Sword Cultivator can briefly fly a short distance alongside the flying sword.
Additional Exnation: The speed of Formless Sword Escape depends on the Sword Cultivator''s own flying sword speed; the skill level only affects the distance of flight apanying the flying sword.
...
This was a close-range escape technique, an essential skill for Lu Qingshan as he sought to build aplete system of swordsmanship.
As Xu Hao had said, Lu Qingshan indeed liked this skill a lot.
Formless Sword Escape was also somewhat renowned in his previous life.
Once this escape technique was deployed, a cultivator could fly closely adherent to the sword under the cover of sword light, giving this skill another nickname¡ªthe budget version of ''Unity of Body and Sword.''
The might of Unity of Body and Sword naturally went without saying.
The Formless Sword Escape could momentarily elevate a Sword Cultivator''s speed to the same level as the speed of the flying sword.
What was this concept?
With Lu Qingshan''s current cultivation, even if he deployed the renowned Sword Control Technique for speed, the limit of his speed was only one-fifth the speed of sound.
Yet his flying sword''s speed had already achieved a third of the speed of sound.
That meant, under the effect of Formless Sword Escape, his speed would reach the terrifying realm of sixty percent of the speed of sound.
Even if it was only moving a short distance, it was still extremely practical.
To surge forward at a speed faster than any technique to close in on an opponent, among his peers, only an extraordinary cultivator could have measures to cope.
After mastering this skill, his system for instant kills would also be more perfect.
Of course, if this speed were used to suddenly break away from closebat and then to employ Sword Control Technique to flee, it would also certainly be incredibly sharp.
Xu Haoughed, "The ck Ice tform, to suppress this matter, not onlypensated me with many Spirit Stones but also allowed me to select a technique from the Tower''s treasury. I just happened to see this Dharma."
"For a cultivator practicing this Dharma, the more profound their Flying Sword Technique, the stronger this Dharma bes. We have all seen your flying sword''s speed; you are definitely extremely suitable for this technique.
"Furthermore, considering that your Secret Sword Technique also requires closebat to deploy, if you master this close-range escape technique, it will certainly add wings to the tiger, so I conveniently secured it for you."
As a top force within the Human Race, the Tower''s treasury had an extremely rich storage of Cultivation Techniques and techniques.
But Dharma is not lightly bestowed; only Tower cultivators who have established great achievements or umted enough contributions were allowed to choose one or two divine techniques from the treasury.
"Then, thank you, Captain," Lu Qingshan formally expressed his gratitude to Xu Hao.
Such a fitting Dharma was clearly not as Xu Hao had said, just conveniently obtained.
It was definitely specially chosen by Xu Hao for him.
To select a divine ability technique from the Tower''s precious treasury, Xu Hao did not choose a desired Dharma for himself but used the opportunity for him, choosing this "Formless Sword Escape" for him.
This was already a very great gesture.
"What''s there to thank me for, it''s just a trivial matter. It''s nothingpared to your life-saving grace." Xu Hao casually waved his hand.
...
Lin Yao left the Great Xia Commercial Firm with a heavy heart and made her way back to Lu Qingshan''s courtyard.
She lingered outside the gate of the courtyard for a long time and, finally making up her mind, she gritted her teeth and pushed the door open.
All eyes in the room simultaneously turned towards her.
Lin Yao was taken aback.
She hadn''t expected there to be others present.
Apart from Lu Qingshan, there was unexpectedly another man and woman in the room.
The three were sitting at the table, sipping Spiritual Tea, looking as if they were enjoying a pleasant conversation.
From the looks of it, this man and woman were likely friends of Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan was receiving visitors.
Lin Yao felt somewhat embarrassed about her abrupt intrusion.
The three of them hadn''t deliberately concealed their voices or movements. With the senses of a Qi Refining Cultivator, she should have realized at the door that there was more than one person inside.
However, preupied with concerns, she had failed to notice this situation and had recklessly barged in.
Su Shu nced at Lin Yao and silently praised her appearance, then with a teasing look toward Lu Qingshan, she joked, "Is this Qingshan, your Dao Companion? She''s really pretty, indeed a good match for you, Qingshan."
Upon hearing Su Shu say this, Lin Yao, who had intended to leave, blushed and hurriedly exined, "I''m not his Dao Companion..."
Lu Qingshan''s expression remained unchanged as he calmly took a sip of Spiritual Tea and asked, "Captain, when do you and Su Shu n to announce your Dao Companion ceremony? I need to prepare a gift."
Exining things to Su Shu would provoke her more.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan, sparing no feelings, dealt a finishing blow.
Hearing Lu Qingshan''s question, Su Shu was stunned, and she stole a nce at Xu Hao, who was as expressionless as a piece of wood. Biting her lip, she stuttered unusually, "It''s not what you think between the Captain and me..."
¡ªAlmost identical to Lin Yao''s terrible line.
Seeing Su Shu looking so carefully nervous, Xu Hao stroked his chin and took the initiative to reply in a gentle voice, "It will be a while yet. There''s a major operationing up soon in the Tower; it seems there will be a big action soon.
Once this is over, I will formally establish the Dao Companion bond with Su Shu."
"Don''t worry, your congrattory gift won''t be overlooked."
Xu Hao and Su Shu had harbored feelings for each other for a long time.
Previously, Xu Hao had hesitated to act, uncertain of Su Shu''s feelings toward him.
Although Su Shu appeared bold, in reality, she was like an ostrich regarding her own emotions.
Thus, these two lovers had been interacting as teammates and friends for so long.
It was not until a life-and-death crisis a few days ago, when Su Shu inadvertently revealed her feelings, that the thin barrier between them was finally pierced.
After this incident, Xu Hao realized the importance of cherishing those close to him.
As a Cultivator, one faced countless dangers. Lu Qingshan had saved him thest time, but would there be another Lu Qingshan to save him next time?
If there was something he wanted to do, he should not hesitate, lest he regret itter.
And now, what he wanted most was to establish a Dao Companion bond with Su Shu.
Without hesitation, Xu Hao gave a formal promise.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Hearing Xu Hao''s promise, Su Shu remained silent for a long time.
Xu Hao looked at Su Shu in confusion and noticed that her eyes had inexplicably reddened at some point
Xu Hao immediately became flustered, unsure of what to do.
...
"Oh right, the Captain and I came to see you also to talk about this," Sniffing her nose, Su Shu finally exined to Lu Qingshan, "The Dantai Tower Master said we will have a new mission in a few days.
Though we don''t know the specific details of the mission, it''s a group task involving all the watch guards.
Such arge-scale mission must be something significant. Prepare well and be ready to move at any moment."
Lu Qingshan''s mind stirred, and he nodded in response, "I understand."
Although the two of them didn''t know the specifics of the mission, Lu Qingshan was fully aware.
¡ªHe had been passing on information to Qingrun Dantai for so long about the price increase of the three First Grade Spirit Materials needed for refining the strong corpse liquid. With the power of the Dantai Tower, they should have looked into the matter thoroughly by now. It was time to prepare for the roundup.
Having exined what needed to be addressed, Su Shu stood up with Xu Hao and took their leave, "Then the Captain and I will leave now and not disturb you."
Lu Qingshan nodded in agreement.
As they were leaving, Xu Hao nced at Lin Yao and unexpectedly added, "Seeing how things are, I seem to need to prepare a gift for you too, Qingshan."
With the shrewdness of Xu Hao and Su Shu, they could naturally see that Lin Yao and Lu Qingshan did not have that kind of rtionship.
The reason they teased Lin Yao and Lu Qingshan was...
Su Shu did it merely because she found it amusing and wanted to tease Lu Qingshan.
As for Xu Hao, he was clearly doing it to vent on behalf of Su Shu.
Lu Qingshan smirked and didn''t take the matter further with Xu Hao.
Chapter 85 Seeing Qi Yuan Again
Su Shu and Xu Hao left, leaving only Lu Qingshan and Lin Yao, who was visibly uneasy due to Xu Hao''s words, in the room.
The atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat eerie.
Still too young, ah, not mentally tough enough.
Lu Qingshan silently shook his head, assessing in his mind.
As the possessor of the Phantom Body Divine Vein, Lu Qingshan had high expectations for Lin Yao: the acting skills of an Oscar-winning actor and the mental fortitude to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai were to copse in front of her.
Lin Yao currently possessed neither of these qualities.
...
"I was distracted just now¡ that''s why I didn''t notice the situation and barged in," Lin Yao''s exnation carried a trace of panic.
"What happened?" Lu Qingshan asked intently, staring at Lin Yao''s face.
A troubled look like Lin Yao''s was a clear sign to anyone that something was amiss.
But, wearing one''s heart on one''s face like that simply wouldn''t do.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
Given his expectations for Lin Yao, she was currently far too naive.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Lin Yao bit her lower lip gently, "My father sent word to tell me that the trouble at home has been resolved.
He said that a Golden Core Cultivator from the Lu Family of Zhenjiang City, Qing Ling, paid a visit to the Xing Family yesterday, and afterwards, Real Person Xing Yu retracted the marriage proposal."
Retracting the proposal meant the Xing Family had abandoned their n to merge with the Lin Family.
Moreover, once word spread about the Lu Family''s backing of the Lin Family, even if the power re-shuffling within Yuanshan City turned chaotic again, the Lin Family would remain unscathed.
Even utilizing the tiger''s skin that was the Lu Family, it was not impossible for the Lin Family to reap some benefits from the situation.
Lu Family, Lu Family, and Lu Qingshan, who also bore the surname Lu¡ªthe connection between them was self-evident.
Lin Yao simply hadn''t expected Lu Qingshan''s standing within the Lu Family to be so high?
That he couldmand the intervention of a family Golden Core Cultivator without even showing up in person.
And the Lu Family''s response was so swift; she had reached out to Lu Qingshan for help in Zhenjiang City the day before yesterday.
And just one dayter, the Lin Family''s crisis was effortlessly averted.
Lu Qingshan was reassured in his heart.
The Lu Family''s actions were indeed efficient.
After a long silence, the spiritual light in Lin Yao''s eyes finally focused, and she bowed gently to Lu Qingshan, softly saying, "Young Master Lu''s intervention this time will be forever remembered by the Lin Family.
If Young Master Lu does not despise me for my low cultivation, I am willing to serve Young Master Lu to repay the kindness of saving me twice."
Some things don''t need to be spelled out too explicitly.
There is no free lunch in the world, and Lu Qingshan is no saint; he wouldn''t exhaust his personal connections for Lin Yao for nothing.
Since Lin Yao sought Lu Qingshan''s help, she naturally had to pay a price.
With Lu Qingshan''s wealth, apart from Lin Yao, who possesses the Phantom Body Divine Vein, what else could make Lu Qingshan interested?
Not to mention that Lu Qingshan had already revealed his intention to recruit Lin Yao to his service earlier that morning.
Lin Yao also understood this principle, so she had been prepared for this from the beginning.
Watching Lin Yao bowing, Lu Qingshan nodded slightly and smiled lightly, "In my eyes, even a Golden Core Cultivator is far less valuable than you."
Lin Yao pursed her lips, unsure how to respond to Lu Qingshan''s affirmation.
Lu Qingshan tapped his fingers on the table, pondered for a moment, and then spoke, "Come with me to meet someone tomorrow."
Lin Yao nodded in agreement without inquiring who they were going to meet.
Having submitted to Lu Qingshan, she needed to maintain the proper attitude; whatever Lu Qingshan arranged would be epted without question.
After arranging what needed to be instructed, Lin Yao withdrew.
Lu Qingshan did not linger in the room for long but shed into the backyard and took out the Jade Slip given by Xu Hao from his Storage Ring.
"Skill detected [Formless Sword Escape], would you like to spend 500 Experience Points to learn it?"
"Learn!"
"Experience Points -500, learning [Formless Sword Escape]... Progress 15%...50%...99%..."
In an instant, he mastered the Formless Sword Escape.
With a thought from Lu Qingshan, the Crying Soul Sword emerged from the Storage Ring, his finger flicking slightly.
Whoosh!
The Flying Sword shot out, with the Spiritual Light flickering.
What was astonishing was that the moment the Flying Sword was released, Lu Qingshan, standing in the courtyard, instantly vanished without a trace.
After a breath''s time, in the mid-air where the Flying Sword had reached, Lu Qingshan''s figure then appeared.
This was the effect of the Formless Sword Escape, unseen and swift!
Twenty zhang?
Lu Qingshan murmured.
After a brief test, he had obtained urate information.
The Level 1 Formless Sword Escape allowed him to move along with the Flying Sword for a distance of twenty zhang.
A distance that was neither long nor short but decidedly significant.
Although he was keen on improving the Flying Sword Technique and the Formless Sword Escape Skill Level further, he restrained the thought after ncing at the remaining 2,500 Experience Points in the experience bar.
Compared to Skill Level, what he needed more at the moment was to enhance his Cultivation.
The reason was simple: as his Skills increased, his Spiritual Power was no longer sufficient; he needed to level up to increase his Spiritual Power.
With every level advanced in the Foundation Establishment Stage, one could increase the maximum Spiritual Power Value by 100 points, which was almost equivalent to the total Spiritual Power Value provided by the entire Qi Refinement Realm.
This was also the strength of the Returning Ruins Scripture as a Taoist Level Cultivation Technique.
One should know that with ordinary Cultivation Techniques, advancing a level in the Foundation Establishment Stage would only increase the maximum Spiritual Power Value by about 50 points at most.
Of course, as a trade-off, the Experience Points required for Lu Qingshan to level up also doubled. Merely to advance the Returning Ruins Scripture from Level 1 to Level 2 required a full 4,000 Experience Points.
...
This was a high building constructed in an ancient and unique style, facing east with its foundation encircled by elongated stones and the whole building made of pure wood. The entire structure used not a single nail or rivet but relied solely on interlocking woodenponents.
The roof eaves stretched out far, supported by square wooden blocks.
These square blocks, known as Dou Gong, had aplex structure and exquisite craftsmanship, almost beyond human capabilities.
Lu Qingshan looked up at the que hanging high on the top of the building.
Zhenjiang Guardian, four mboyantly written gilded characters were engraved upon it.
This was the Heavenly Secret Tower unique to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, a distinctive architectural integration of Formations and ingenious designs, and also Qi Yuan''s Daoist site in Zhenjiang City.
The Heavenly Secret Tower provided a significant boost not only to cultivation but also to divination.
Lin Yao, who stood half a step behind Lu Qingshan, gazed at the Heavenly Secret Tower before her, her red lips slightly parted, utterly stunned in her heart.
Lu Qingshan had said he would take her to meet someone, and she hadn''t thought much of it, just followed Lu Qingshan as he set out.
Who could have imagined, after numerous twists and turns, that Lu Qingshan would eventually bring her here?
The Zhenjiang Guardian was among the very top echelons in all of Zhenjiang City in terms of both status and Cultivation!
She had thought that the Lu Family backing was the most conspicuous aspect of Lu Qingshan, but now it seemed that might just be the tip of the iceberg?
"Is it Lu Qingshan?" A young Cultivator in a green Taoist robe came out from the tower.
Lu Qingshan nodded, "It is I."
The young Cultivator nced at Lin Yao, a hint of surprise in his heart.
Given Lin Yao''s position, she was obviously in the role of a maidservant or something simr to Lu Qingshan.
Just the looks of a mere maidservant were already amongst the rarest beauties he hade across in his life.
To have such a follower, Lu Qingshan''s background seemed to rise another level in the young man''s mind.
Though his heart fluttered with many thoughts in an instant, the young Cultivator''s hands did not cease his duties: "Come inside with me, the True Person has been waiting."
Without any doubt, Lu Qingshan called out to Lin Yao, "Come, let''s go in and meet Guardian Qi."
Lin Yao hurriedly followed.
After traversing through theplexyer of cloisters, the young Cultivator led Lu Qingshan and Lin Yao to the western hall.
In the hall, a middle-aged male Cultivator with a unique presence sat quietly.
It was none other than Qi Yuan, the Mirror Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
"You''ve arrived?" Qi Yuan''s deep voice sounded.
The young Cultivator respectfully saluted Qi Yuan and then silently withdrew.
Lu Qingshan looked at Qi Yuan, who sat in the main seat of the great hall, and remained silent for a long time.
Thest time they met, Qi Yuan had just been a figure of minor concern, but now he was a man with a full head of white hair!
A heavy, inescapable sense of twilight enveloped Qi Yuan.
Chapter 86: 86 chapters The human feelings of Qi Yuan
My time is nearing its end!
Qi Yuan must have used the split-mirror ability "Observing Heaven" of the Heavenly Secret Mirror at all costs, causing his lifespan to slip awaypletely.
Coming to his senses, Lu Qingshan sighed and respectfully said, "When I saw Qi Yuan guarding the city of Yuanshan, he was still full of vigor, but in just over half a month, Qi Yuan has be like this, as if three thousand troubles have suddenly arisen out of nowhere!"
Qi Yuan spoke indifferently, "The moment I took the Mirror Master''s mantle, I had already anticipated this day, this is both the Mirror Master''s destiny and responsibility."
After pausing, Qi Yuan looked at Lu Qingshan with a gentle gaze andmented, "Yet when I saw you back in Yuanshan City, you were merely an eighth level Qi Refinement cultivator, who would have thought that in just over half a month of not seeing each other, you would have already established your Foundation?"
Lin Yao, who stood behind Lu Qingshan, silent and head bowed, was shaken by these words and nced at Lu Qingshan out of the corner of her eye.
Her own father had barely managed to advance to Foundation Establishment when he was almost a hundred years old.
Young Master Lu is still so young, and he has already be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?
Qi Yuan''s eyes were intense as he scrutinized Lu Qingshan, "Thest time in Yuanshan City''s Netherworld scheme, it was you who returned the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s split-mirror to me.
This time, it was also you who discovered the inklings of the Netherworld''s plot, providing us with the opportunity to break the situation.
You certainly don''tck secrets!"
Lu Qingshan did not reply.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan did not continue the conversation, Qi Yuan did not pursue the matter further.
No matter where Lu Qingshan got his information from, at least everything he had done indicated that he was standing on the opposite side of the Netherworld.
Qi Yuan nced at Lin Yao standing behind Lu Qingshan and asked, "Have youe to me this time for her?"
Lu Qingshan nodded and replied, "Yes."
Lin Yao looked up in astonishment, puzzled.
For me?
Lu Qingshan made his request, "I hope Qi Yuan can help me arrange for her to be ced in a sect far away from Zhenjiang Prefecture."
Back in Yuanshan City, due to the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s split-mirror, Qi Yuan owed Lu Qingshan a favor.
It was for this reason that Lu Qingshan could easily meet Qi Yuan, who was a city guardian, and put forward his request.
Qi Yuan was surprised and asked back, "Are you sure you want to use the favor I owe you on her?"
As the Mirror Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, although he dared not boast too much, Qi Yuan believed his favor held a certain value.
If it were not for Lu Qingshan''s overly important retrieval of the Heavenly Secret Mirror''s split-mirror, he would not have easily promised to owe Lu Qingshan a favor.
But he never imagined that what Lu Qingshan would ultimately ask for would be such a request.
Requesting him to ce a woman into a high-ranking sect?
Lu Qingshan did not hesitate, affirming again, "That''s my request."
"Why?" Qi Yuan, by nature, would not usually pry, but he was indeed intrigued.
If it was for a Dao Companion, it could be understood, Lu Qingshan seemed young and vigorous, and doing something youthful for the sake of a beauty was not impossible.
But with his insight, he could clearly see that Lu Qingshan had no romantic feelings towards Lin Yao.
In this case, Lu Qingshan''s request became very intriguing.
Lu Qingshan chuckled without further exnation and called to Lin Yao, "Show your Phantom Sound ability to Qi Yuan."
"Ah?!" Still in shock from the conversation between Lu Qingshan and Qi Yuan, Lin Yao finally snapped back to reality.
Without doubting Lu Qingshan''smand, Lin Yao turned her eyes, respectfully addressing Qi Yuan, "Junior Lin Yao, greets Qi Yuan."
Qi Yuan looked at Lin Yao with an astonished gaze.
There was nothing wrong with the lines she spoke, yet the voice that emanated from Lin Yao was identical to Lu Qingshan''s?
Thinking back to what Lu Qingshan had said.
This was Phantom Sound?
While Qi Yuan was pondering uncertainly in his heart, Lin Yao continued, "The Phantom Sound ability that Young Master Lu spoke of is just like what I''m doing now..."
Lin Yao''s voice then changed to that of the young male Cultivator who had guided them in.
"As long as I have heard a voice before, I can easily imitate it," Lin Yao exined, her voice now warm and rich, which caused a stir in Qi Yuan''s heart.
¡ªThat was his voice.
From the beautiful Lin Yao''s mouth emerged the voices of three different male Cultivators of different ages and Cultivations, an intensely eerie scene.
After disying her Phantom Sound ability, Lin Yao silently stepped back to stand behind Lu Qingshan.
"If she bes a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, she will master the Phantom Pupil ability, at Golden Core she will develop Phantom Face, and at the Nascent Soul stage, it will be Phantom Body. By then, she can transform into anything, an ability with endless variations," Lu Qingshan exined to Qi Yuan.
Lu Qingshan knew that with Qi Yuan''s character, he would not do a perfunctory job in what he had been entrusted with.
But he also understood that only by making Qi Yuan aware of Lin Yao''s value would Qi Yuan truly leverage his utmost capabilities to arrange a good cement for her.
And only in this way could Lin Yao be advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage as soon as possible.
That was why Lu Qingshan hade to find Qi Yuan.
Given Lin Yao''s current level of Qi Refinement, she would never catch up to Lu Qingshan in her lifetime; instead, Lu Qingshan would continue to leave her further behind.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan never expected Lin Yao to be of help to him in battle.
But Lin Yao''s Phantom Body Divine Vein was a unique talent that could transcend Cultivation levels.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
However, although Lin Yao was willing to serve him, her usefulness would indeed be limited until her Phantom Body Divine Vein abilities fully awakened.
So, to quickly realize Lin Yao''s value, the immediate priority was to help her fully awaken the Phantom Body Divine Vein.
After hearing Lu Qingshan''s introduction, Qi Yuan''s expression turned solemn.
With his experience, he almost instantly recognized Lin Yao''s worth.
"I understand. Rest assured, I will send a Spirit Message to the Heavenly Secret Pavillion to have Miss Lin inducted into Heavenly Secret Pavillion," Qi Yuan said gravely.
A hint of a smile crept onto Lu Qingshan''s lips.
Things were progressing even smoother than he had expected.
The Heavenly Secret Pavillion, one of the seven great Taoist Sects¡ªif Lin Yao could enter the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, there could be no better arrangement.
"Then I will trouble you, Qi Protector," said Lu Qingshan.
"For now, Miss Lin will stay in my Heavenly Secret Tower while waiting for news. With her unique talent, I expect she will receive a response from the Pavillion very soon."
Lu Qingshan naturally had no objections: "You may arrange it as you see fit, Qi Protector."
Qi Yuan waved his hand, summoning the young male Cultivator who had retired earlier, and instructed him, "You take Miss Lin down first, treat her well and do not neglect her."
The young male Cultivator respectfullyplied, and while Lin Yao had many questions for Lu Qingshan in her heart, she didn''t say more and withdrew very tactfully.
Clearly, Qi Yuan had something to discuss privately with Lu Qingshan, and that was why he had dismissed her.
Lin Yao was astute enough to understand this.
Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Lu Qingshans Divine Skills
"The Netherworld has made an extremelyrge move this time, targeting our Zhenjiang Prefectural City." As soon as Lin Yao left the hall, Qi Yuan spoke to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
The Corpse Puppet Chaos was the main plot of the first game version of "Nine Heavens", naturally it was considered a big move.
"For this operation, they first nned for a long time, aiming to snatch my Heavenly Secret Mirror''s sub-mirror.
Although the mirror-snatching n in Yuanshan City failed, from that time on, I felt uneasy.
The Netherworld never acts without purpose. Since they wanted to snatch my Heavenly Secret Mirror''s sub-mirror, they must have had some special reason, fearing that the ''Observing Heaven'' from the Heavenly Secret Mirror would detect something, and that''s why they took such action.
So aftering back, I pondered for a long time and finally used the ''Observing Heaven'' ability of the Heavenly Secret Mirror again.
At first, all I saw was a mass of fog."
This must have been the scene caused by the Netherworld paying some price to cover the heavenly secrets.
"This mass of fog made me realize that the matter was not simple. Then, regardless of the cost, I fully stimted the ability of Observing Heaven. Do you know what I saw?" Qi Yuan asked.
Qi Yuan spoke lightly, but the implications behind his words were far from being so light.
His disregard for cost had consumed almost all of his lifespan.
Lu Qingshan sighed inwardly but asked aloud, "What?"
"Throughout the entire region of Zhenjiang Prefectural City, from the Prefecture City to the Prefectural City, all was enveloped in an unbreakable shroud of ck fog and blood light."
Qi Yuan''s tone was indifferent, but the words he spoke were earth-shattering.
Lu Qingshan was moved.
The development of the situation had changed.
This time, Qi Yuan did not lose the sub-mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror and through ''Observing Heaven,'' having spent nearly all his lifespan, he had obtained information he had not noticed in his past life.
This was a turning point.
Lu Qingshan frowned, intentionally leading the conversation, "Does this mean the Netherworld''s operation will sweep through the entire Zhenjiang Prefectural region?"
Qi Yuan nodded, "That''s what I think too, but we still can''t know what means the Netherworld will prepare to use.
The Netherworld has nned this operation for who knows how long; we simply have no starting point."
The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed; being able to see even a hint through ''Observing Heaven'' is already snatching a glimpse from heaven. To truly unravel the Netherworld''s plot?
It can only be man conquers heaven.
Qi Yuan continued, "It wasn''t until you reported to us the information about the surge in prices of three types of Spirit Materials used in strong corpse liquid that we found a breakthrough."
Qi Yuan and the Heavenly Secret Tower''s capabilities were not weak, the reason Lu Qingshan often noticed information they were unaware of was simply that Lu Qingshan knew the direction of the plot.
Making predictions after the event is not difficult.
Your adventure continues at empire
He could deduce the Netherworld''s operation process through the event results he already knew.
The Corpse Puppet Chaos, the Netherworld deployed an incalcble number of corpse puppets.
And to refine such a massive quantity of corpse puppets, the raw materials used would also be incalcble.
Thus with a bit of thought, it could be guessed that in recent decades, in the Zhenjiang Prefectural region, the raw materials for refining corpse puppets would surely rise in price.
This was trivial in the eyes of Lu Qingshan.
But to Qi Yuan and the Heavenly Secret Tower, not knowing that the Netherworld would stir up such a huge disturbance by deploying corpse puppets, who would notice the price changes of a few First Grade Spirit Materials in the vast Spirit Material market?
Therefore, to Qi Yuan and Dantai Qingrun, Lu Qingshan discovering this was astonishing, and they inevitably raised their appraisal of Lu Qingshan to a certain level in their hearts.
"During this period, we investigated cultivators who had purchased the main materials for strong corpse liquid inrge batches over the past twenty years, and then through these cultivators, followed the vine to find the people behind them.
As expected, though well-hidden, traces linking them to the Netherworld were found on these people.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
We have already spread this, just in case, and Zhenjiang Tower has also applied for reinforcements from Qing State''s main tower. Once reinforcements arrive, it will be time to close the."
Qi Yuan sighed deeply, "But although we guessed that the Netherworld''s pration in Zhenjiang Prefectural City was very deep, we never imagined that just the tip of the iceberg that was revealed would already be so immense."
...
After finishing the conversation, Lu Qingshan slowly exhaled, feeling somewhat puzzled.
¡ªHe wondered for what purpose Qi Yuan had detailed the specific proceedings and ns of this operation to him.
As Lu Qingshan mulled this over, he prepared to leave the Heavenly Secret Tower.
As he stepped out of the western hall, it took only a few steps before he saw Lin Yao, who had been waiting for him for an unknown amount of time.
"Young Master Lu." Lin Yao, upon seeing Lu Qingshan approach, quickly came forward and called out to him.
"Hmm?"
Lin Yao met Lu Qingshan''s gaze, which were peach blossom eyes inherited from the true cultivator Lu Bei. Her eyelids grew heavy; she pursed her lips and asked, "Why did you use the favor Qi Yuan owed you on me?"
Lin Yao felt somewhat apprehensive inside.
Since they had met, Lu Qingshan had already helped her twice. Now, Lu Qingshan had given her such a great opportunity.
Lu Qingshan casually said, "It was merely to fulfill a promise I had made."
Lin Yao was taken aback; she remembered.
Originally, Lu Qingshan had told her that he would help her be a Nascent Soul Cultivator. In return, she would have to serve him when he needed her.
At the time, she didn''t take it seriously, and the matter was glossed over.
Later, as a price for Lu Qingshan''s help to the Lin Family, she had willingly pledged allegiance to Lu Qingshan, but did he still remember that?
Seeing the confusion in Lin Yao''s heart, Lu Qingshan chuckled softly and exined, "Moreover, you are only useful to me after you fully awaken your Phantom Body Divine Vein, I don''t need just a decoration."
Lin Yao was silent for a while before finally promising with a firm tone, "I will definitely cultivate diligently to repay Young Master Lu''s kindness as soon as possible."
Lu Qingshan epted Lin Yao''s promise with a nod, without any formalities.
Cultivators must strive.
This was the greatest opportunity Lin Yao had ever encountered since her birth; so, despite feeling a bit fearful, she wouldn''t reject this chance.
Suddenly remembering something, Lu Qingshan took out a jade slip from his storage ring and handed it to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao was startled, took the jade slip and asked, "What is this?"
Lu Qingshan''s face bore a mysterious smile, "This is a Divine Skill I have specificallypiled for you.
It will maximize the potential of your Phantom Body Divine Vein. Remember to practice it frequently."
Lin Yao''s expression turned solemn, "I dare not take the Divine Skills gifted by Young Master Lu lightly."
...
Lu Qingshan left the Heavenly Secret Tower.
Lin Yao was currently a piece that might not be very useful, but in the future, she could be a cunning move to y as a general.
To enable her to be effective, he needed to let her develop peacefully for some time.
He had already done everything he could at the moment.
The Heavenly Secret Pavillion, there was no sect in the entire Human Race that could surpass it. As long as it values someone, even if it has to pile up vast resources, the Heavenly Secret Pavillion can promote Lin Yao to the Nascent Soul Stage.
Moreover, by avoiding Zhenjiang Prefecture, she could also steer clear of the end-of-year Corpse Puppet Chaos.
That Lin Yao, who was most likely killed during the Corpse Puppet Chaos in his previous life leaving no trace, could now change her fate.
The current time waste August, and there were only three to four months left until the end-of-year Corpse Puppet Chaos.
Ultimately, the time was too short.
Lu Qingshan sighed deeply in his heart.
If he could have shifted his time travel a few decades earlier, giving him time to develop, he was confident and capable of easily stopping this chaos with his own abilities.
Now, he could only take one step at a time and do his best when the timees.
However, no matter how things progressed, Lu Qingshan had already set a bottom line for himself.
He must leave Zhenjiang City before November to avoid the ughter of the Corpse Puppet Chaos by the Netherworld.
...
After Lu Qingshan had left, Lin Yao quickly checked the content of the jade slip.
She was very curious about the Divine Skills Lu Qingshan had left for her.
What could it be?
Seven big characters appeared in her mind.
"The Self-Cultivation of an Actor?"
Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Trouble Brewing
After the matter with Lin Yao had settled, Lu Qingshan finally experienced a brief period of peace thatsted about seven or eight days.
During this short span of time, Lu Qingshan had be more familiar with his own strength.
Based on his vast experience in gaming from a previous life, Lu Qingshan rapidly integrated his own skill system.
It is worth mentioning that, just five days after meeting Qi Yuan, Lu Qingshan received a Spirit Message from Lin Yao.
Under Qi Yuan''s introduction, she had already passed through the Teleportation Array to leave Zhenjiang Prefecture, ready to head to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion located in the Central Heavenly Realm.
¡ªThe Heavenly Secret Pavilion was very interested in Lin Yao''s abilities and had already prepared to admit her into their sect.
Even in his previous life''s experiences in "Nine Heavens," such mysterious abilities as the Phantom Body Divine Vein were something he had only heard about, never witnessed personally.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Lu Qingshan was very much looking forward to the day Lin Yao would fully awaken her Phantom Body Divine Vein.
...
Just as Lu Qingshan felt he could no longer stay idle and was preparing to get involved in something, he finally received a Spirit Message from Xu Hao.
"There''s a major operation at the tower, gathering everyone. Come to the Zhenjiang Tower immediately, no dys,"
Lu Qingshan''s pupils constricted.
The winds of change were blowing!
...
Lu Qingshan made his familiar way to the underground headquarters of the Zhenjiang Tower.
On the square.
By the time he arrived, the ce had already gathered many cultivators.
What was strange, however, was that it was clearly discernable that the cultivators on the field were divided into two distinct groups of unequal numbers.
In situations where cultivators gathered like this, casually using Divine Sense to probe others was considered a reckless behavior that could offend people.
Hence, Lu Qingshan could only scan the entire venue with his eyes, searching for the Tiger Squad.
Your journey continues with empire
"Lu Qingshan, over here!" Before Lu Qingshan saw the Tiger Squad, it was Su Shu, who had been paying attention to the neers, who spotted him first and called out to him from a distance.
Lu Qingshan quickly rejoined his team.
ncing at the other group of cultivators on the opposite side, who were significantly fewer in number than his own, Lu Qingshan had an idea.
These people must be the reinforcements from Qing State''s main tower, as Qi Yuan had mentioned.
It was evident that the aura of these cultivators was far superior to those on his own side.
With a casual sweep of his Heavenly Eye Technique, Lu Qingshan instantly confirmed his spection.
All these cultivators from Qing State''s main tower were at the Golden Core Stage.
Most were in the early stages of Golden Core, but there were also five cultivators in the Golden Core middle stage.
...
After a while, as everyone waited and more cultivators gradually arrived, the three directors of Zhenjiang Tower finally showed upte.
The Tower Master of Zhenjiang Tower was an old cultivator with white hair and a frame as skinny as dead wood.
But if someone underestimated him based on his old and frail appearance, they would surely experience the terrifying explosive power contained within his withered body.
With a brief probe using the Heavenly Eye Technique, although Lu Qingshan could not obtain much useful information due to the difference in cultivation levels, he at least understood that the elder before him was a Nascent Soul stage Body Cultivator!
This was a prime example of appearances being deceptive.
Who would have thought that this seemingly fragile old man was in fact a powerful Body Cultivator?
As for the two deputy tower masters of Zhenjiang Tower, one was Lu Qingshan''s old acquaintance, Dantai Qingrun, a Golden Corete stage Sword Cultivator, a young female cultivator with a slender figure and a frosty expression.
The other deputy tower master was a middle-aged male cultivator dressed in a ck Taoist robe, a Golden Core Dharma Cultivator who could arrange for Nascent Soul formation at any time.
Chu He, the Tower Master of Zhenjiang, surveyed all the cultivators present with an eagle-like gaze. Under his scruitinising eyes, everyone felt a chill in their hearts and quickly fell silent.
"This operation mobilized all cultivators from our Zhenjiang Tower, as well as five guard squads dispatched from the main tower of Qing State, and this time it will be personally led by me and two vice tower masters,"
This scale of mission, for Zhenjiang Tower, is the first of its kind in a century!
The importance of this mission, you should also be able to glimpse a part of it," Chu He said gravely.
At this point, everyone''s expression turned serious.
"Although we are acting simultaneously, each squad has different tasks, and the targets are also far apart.
The details will be distributed to you by the leading tower masters; I won''t go into it further."
"Now let''s proceed with personnel assignment, Zi Rat Squad, Chen Dragon Squad, ..." Chu He listed seven squad names from the Zhenjiang Tower guards, then gestured toward three cultivator teams from the main tower of Qing State: "Additionally you, led by me,"
"Yes!" The named squad cultivators responded respectfully and quickly gathered in front of Chu He.
Next, the two vice tower masters each took a portion of the cultivator squads.
Lu Qingshan''s Tiger Squad naturally fell under Dantai Qingrun''smand.
...
As the captain, Xu Hao took the mission Jade Slip from Dantai Qingrun, inserted his Divine Sense into it to retrieve the information, then coughed lightly and began, "Our mission this time is to assist in capturing alive two Golden Core Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley, as for our partners."
Xu Hao nced at the only squad from the main tower of Qing State under Dantai Qingrun''smand, he said, "It''s them, Jiazi Squad, and...Vice Tower Master Dantai."
This was indeed a stroke of great fortune.
Everyone thought this to themselves.
Dantai Qingrun personally took to the field, along with six Golden Core Cultivators from the main tower of Qing State.
With such a lineup, the task they were in charge of was surely the most arduous and important among the cultivator squads under Dantai Qingrun.
"ording to the intelligence from ck Ice tform, the reason for taking action against Xuan Ming Valley is that hidden within the valley is arge Corpse Pool used for refining Corpse Puppets.
Xuan Ming Valley, a Third Grade sect, is considered quite powerful within the Zhenjiang Prefecture district, home to two Golden Core Cultivators."
Xu Hao passed the Jade Slip around, while sinctly introducing, "First is Sect Master Xuan Ming, a Golden Core Late Stage Nether Cultivator with extremely mysterious methods.
Sect Master Xuan Ming rarely makes moves in public, or rather, whenever he does make a move, it is certain to be lethal, thus there isn''t much information about him.
This person will be handled by Vice Tower Master Dantai, so we only need to understand a little about him."
The cultivators of Tiger Squad nodded silently, memorizing the specific details of Sect Master Xuan Ming.
Although it was unlikely they would act against Sect Master Xuan Ming, nothing was absolute. Inbat, who knew what could happen, so keeping his information in mind was absolutely beneficial.
"The other is Sect Master Xuan You, Golden Core Late Stage Body Cultivator, known for his killings and notorious reputation, also the openly public figure in charge in Xuan Ming Valley.
Sect Master Xuan You will be handled by Jiazi Squad."
The image of Sect Master Xuan You shown in the Jade Slip depicted a bald, burly cultivator, his face expressionless yet overall emitting a stern aura.
"Besides these two Golden Core Late Stage cultivators, there is a significant talent gap among the cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley.
The remaining cultivators rank no higher than Foundation Establishment Stage. Our task is to block all these other cultivators, supporting Vice Tower Master Dantai and Jiazi Squad, preventing interference from these lesser cultivators."
Xu Hao also instructed on some precautionary measures, then changed the topic, adding, "Our mission this time seems very challenging..."
¡ªindeed, having only six of them block dozens of Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley was indeed a daunting task.
"But there is good news, these Foundation Establishment Cultivators, unlike the two Golden Core Cultivators, do not need to be captured alive, so we can fight without restraint."
In battles between cultivators, killing is much easier than capturing alive.
If being able to kill only requires being slightly stronger than the opponent,
then capturing alive requires one to be a whole level stronger than the enemy.
Lu Qingshan even breathed a sigh of relief.
Only with killing could he gain experience, for him, capturing cultivators alive was truly a thankless task.
Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Xuan Ming Valley
After integrating all the cultivator teams, following themand of Tower Master Chu He, all cultivators surged out of Zhenjiang Tower like a mighty torrent, rushing towards their respective destinations.
Tiger Squad followed the Golden Core Cultivators, and even though they merely dealt with misceneous tasks, the pressure was still immense.
Thus, even Su Shu, who was usually the most vivacious, remained silent at this moment, silently following behind Dantai Qingrun and the Tiger Squad.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Upon exiting Zhenjiang Tower, a sh of blue light appeared, followed by the clear sound of a sword cry, and a flying sword materialized in front of Dantai Qingrun.
This was Dantai Qingrun''s life-bound sword, Spirit Concealment.
"Depart. Head for Xuan Ming Valley!" Dantai Qingrun said in a cold voice.
After issuing themand, Dantai Qingrun rode the Spirit Concealment Sword, turning into a streak of blue sword light, and flew towards the direction of Xuan Ming Valley.
From Tiger Squad, a Beast Cultivator quickly summoned a hawk with twin wings from his Spirit Beast Bag.
The six cultivators of Tiger Squad promptly leaped onto the back of the hawk, and under themand of the Beast Cultivator, as the hawk spread its wings, a surge of wind arose.
Tiger Squad also boarded the Red Rock Goose summoned by Xiao Zhi, closely following the sword light transformed by Dantai Qingrun.
.........
For a long time, cultivators have been divided into righteous and evil, with both sides standing in opposition to each other.
Evil Cultivators are those who practice forbidden cultivation techniques.
Evil Cultivators are known for being ruthless and indifferent to right and wrong, focusing only on one''s cultivation level. This has been their longstanding principle.
Therefore, the techniques of the Evil Path generally focus on practicalbat ability and are extremely efficient in advancement. However, in order to enhance the power of their techniques, the cultivation of the Evil Path is generally cruel and devoid of taboos.
For instance, Corpse Puppets are a product of Evil Cultivators, refined from living humans.
There is also the infamous magical artifact of the Evil Path¡ªthe Soul Banner, which requires souls for its refining process.
Even the simplest Hundred Souls Banner requires at least a hundred souls, which means that behind every sessfully refined Soul Banner, at least a hundred people have lost their lives.
For these reasons, before the invasion of the Demon Race, Evil Cultivators had always been themon enemy of the Human Race.
It was only after the great war twenty thousand years ago, that Ancestral Daoist Xia single-handedly saved the Heavens and established the Great Xia Dynasty.
To establish order, Ancestral Daoist Xia unified the Human Race and also set forth rules for all major sects.
While holding the belief that people can be good or bad and techniques neither righteous nor evil, Ancestral Daoist Xia did notpletely exterminate all Evil Cultivators, but he personally executed several tyrants of the Evil Path to set an example and established extremely strict regtions for all Evil Cultivators.
The core point of these regtions is that Evil Cultivators must not harm innocent civilians to practice techniques or refine Evil Path magical artifacts. Anyone found doing so would be pursued and killed.
The Great Xia does not forbid the life-and-death struggles between cultivators, nor can it.
However, ordinary civilians, being the foundation of the Human Race, are strictly protected by the Great Xia from indiscriminate killing by cultivators.
While the Evil Cultivators were reluctant, in the Cultivation World, the mightiest fist dictates the rules; thus, they had no choice but to ept thews of the Great Xia.
Of course, the reason the Evil Cultivators were willing topromise is because practicing their techniques did not necessarily require the ughter of ordinary people; there were other alternative methods.
Like the refining of Soul Banners, besides using human souls, using beast souls was also possible, although the power would be slightly inferior to those refined with human souls.
They could make do with this, and life could still go on, so the Evil Cultivators continued to survive in this way.
Of course, although the Great Xia explicitly prohibited it, there were definitely Evil Cultivators who secretly vited the regtions.
Some Evil Cultivators held firm, unwilling topromise.
This came down to individual power; those petty and low acts, as long as they weren''t discovered by the Great Xia, these Evil Cultivators would appear honorable in public.
If found, however, don''t me the Great Xia for their ruthless and merciless methods.
...
Although they weren''tpletely exterminated, the lives of Evil Cultivators were definitely not easy.
Twenty thousand years ago, the Evil Cultivators, who could once stand toe-to-toe with the orthodox Taoism sects, had gradually declined, bing a minor lineage that could no longer stir up significant turbulence.
One could deduce from the fact that the Xuan Ming Valley, a well-known Evil Cultivator sect within the boundaries of Zhenjiang Prefecture, had its sect''s blessednd established in an extremely remote and spirit-vein-impoverished valley.
When a group of people rushed to the outside of Xuan Ming Valley, it was alreadyte, and the bright moon hung high.
Xuan Ming Valley was vast, endlessly deep at a nce.
The cold moonlight spilled over the valley, shrouded in ayer of grey mist, making it appear extremely eerie.
Dantai Qingrun nced at the unimpressive Mountain Protection Array of the valley''s sect gate and felt a stir in his heart, standing high above on the Spirit Hidden Sword, and coldly said, "Prepare to break the formation!"
Attacking a sect''s Mountain Protection Array, which took a vast amount of resources and effort to establish, was by no means an easy task.
For Dantai Qingrun and his group, though breaking this sect gate''s Great Formation wasn''t difficult, it inevitably could trap them in a prolonged tug-of-war.
And knowing the actions of Zhenjiang Tower, they often valued efficiency very highly, well aware of the principle that lengthy dys breed risks.
Thus, Zhenjiang Tower typically adopted more flexible approaches such as sneak attacks and covert infiltration when carrying out gate-assault missions.
This time was no exception.
Following Dantai Qingrun''smand, a cultivator flew out from the Jiazi Squad.
It was the captain of the Jiazi Squad, Liu Xuan, a middle-stage Golden Core Spiritual Cultivator.
Liu Xuan brought out a small Array te, which had been refined in advance, pinched a technique with his left hand, and swiftly activated the array.
Numerous spiritual lights, fine as fments, shot out from the array te, swarmed forward, and attached themselves atop the Mountain Protection Array of Xuan Ming Valley.
For a moment, undting ripples continuously appeared on the array.
"Forbidden Breaking Disc!" Su Shu murmured as she watched the small array te in Liu Xuan''s hand.
The Forbidden Breaking Disc, an essential auxiliary magical artifact for high-rank Spiritual Cultivators, greatly enhanced the effectiveness of their inherent "Forbidden Breaking Technique."
This was an extremely costly and difficult-to-craft magical artifact.
As a fellow Spiritual Cultivator, Su Shu neither had the capital nor the confidence to acquire a Forbidden Breaking Disc for herself.
So, upon first sight of the coveted Forbidden Breaking Disc, Su Shu couldn''t help but feel a bit jealous.
However, even with the aid of the Forbidden Breaking Disc, breaking the Mountain Protection Array of Xuan Ming Valley was by no means an easy task.
Under the constant dissipation of the spiritual lights, a barely audible fine crack slowly appeared on the array.
Dantai Qingrun squinted slightly, watching the crack on the formation, a cold light shed through his eyes.
He didn''t want to waste any more time here!
With a flick of his slender finger in the void, the Spirit Hidden Sword beneath his feet instantly shot out, and simultaneously, hundreds of minute sword lights suddenly emerged on the Spirit Hidden Sword.
Crescent Moon Sword Technique!
The signature sword technique of the Dantai House, renowned among many Sword Cultivator families for its unique apanying sword lights.
Boom!
The Spirit Hidden Sword, carrying a hundred sword lights, struck the crack opened by Liu Xuan.
In an instant, the ground shook and the mountains trembled.
Under this assault, following the crack on the Mountain Protection Array of Xuan Ming Valley, an enormous breachrge enough for a person to pass through, suddenly broke open!
Without hesitation, Dantai Qingrun dashed in first, his figure swift as lightning.
Jiazi Squad and Yin Hu Squad followed closely without any hesitation.
Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Stone Giant Dharma Aspect
After entering the array, Lu Qingshan turned to look back.
The gap in the grand formation of Xuan Ming Valley''s gate had already closed silently.
How could the Sect Protection Array be fully deciphered so easily?
The reason Dantai Qingrun could break the formation with a single sword strike was not only because her cultivation was astonishing, but also because no formation is without its ws.
Just now, she had taken advantage of a moment when this incredibly sturdy formation revealed a w under Liu Xuan''s Forbidden Breaking Technique, seizing the opportunity to widen the gap and thus making her way inside.
The formation had only faltered for an instant before it returned to its original state.
However, now that she was inside the valley, Dantai Qingrun had achieved her goal.
This happened exactly as Dantai Qingrun violently disrupted the formation using the Crescent Moon Sword Technique.
In two of the most spiritually enriched caves within Xuan Ming Valley, the Golden Core Cultivators, Xuan Ming and Xuan You, who were deeply engrossed in cultivation, almost simultaneously opened their eyes.
With such amotion, it was impossible for the two Golden Core Cultivators not to notice.
The instant they opened their eyes, an aggressive and piercing Divine Sense swept over them recklessly.
This was Dantai Qingrun''s Divine Sense.
So arrogant!
Both Evil Cultivators snorted coldly in their minds and likewise released their Divine Sense to probe the outside situation.
People from the Guardian Tower?
Once their Divine Sense caught sight of the intruders'' formation, they quickly guessed the identities of the neers.
In the Cultivation World, although there isn''t a visible hierarchy of strength among the six paths of cultivation, there is always a significant difference in their numbers.
For example, Dharma Cultivation, being the mostmon among the six paths, easily ounts for half of all cultivators.
Yet, the attackers were an equally sized group from all six paths, a configuration that only the Guardian Tower would employ, defying norms but maximizingbat power.
But why were they discovered?
Xuan Ming Valley was in a remote location, barely interacting with the outside world, thus making exposure unlikely.
Moreover, he was well aware that the activities performed here were not tolerated by Great Xia, so he was always cautious and low-profile.
Even the disciples of his own sect were not fully trusted by him; the vast Xuan Ming Valley secretly housed a Corpse Pool and the creation of Corpse Puppets, known only to Xuan You.
Xuan Ming''s brow furrowed, instinctively harboring a trace of suspicion in his mind.
Could it be Xuan You?
While Xuan Ming''s suspicions suddenly surged, on the other hand, Xuan You''s heart was filled with a brutal desire to kill.
They thought they could provoke my Xuan Ming Valley just because they are at thete stage of the Golden Core?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
As an Evil Cultivator, practicing techniques that are significantly lethal and vicious, Xuan You had always had some confidence in hisbat power.
Add to this that in recent years, Xuan Ming rarely took action personally; he was generally in charge when dealing with external cultivators.
Having had the upper hand in numerous encounters with cultivators from the outside world, his confidence had only grown.
Golden Core Late Stage cultivators? I''ve killed them before!
This was what Xuan You thought, dismissing the twelve cultivators from the Jiazi Squad and Tiger Squad as something he hardly took seriously.
Without any hesitation, Xuan You''s legs generated wind as he stepped out of his cave dwelling, leaping up, standing in the air without any Spiritual Light or the aid of an auxiliary magical artifact.
[Air-walking Skill]!
This was the ability of Body Cultivation reaching the Golden Core Stage.
Relying solely on his own Qi-Blood and physical body, he could fly through the air.
Xuan You''s figure turned into an afterimage and arrived in an instant, surging with roiling Qi-Blood, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Lu Qingshan and his group.
"Who dares to trespass against my Xuan Ming Valley unprovoked?" Xuan You''s presence was overwhelming, his voice booming like a great bell.
Dantai Qingrun''s brow slightly furrowed.
Although Xuan You''s real person appeared reckless and highly arrogant, he was actually very astute, seeking to dy the conversation by a little.
In Dantai Qingrun''s Divine Sense, she had already seen that the lower grade cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley were rapidly heading towards various positions in the sect''s Great Formation, preparing to activate it to confront them.
The majority of the sect''s main gate Great Formation''s abilities were to iste and defend from outside, but once the formations were truly activated, they generally possessed a certain lethality to the cultivators within the formation as well.
If they allowed these Foundation Establishment cultivators to take their positions and fully stimte the formation, although it wouldn''t be too difficult to handle, it would definitely create some disturbances for them.
"Tiger Squad, stop the lower grade cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley from activating the formation. Jiazi Squad, deal with Xuan You," instructed Dantai Qingrun swiftly, without engaging in a war of words with the real person Xuan You.
Immediately after, Dantai Qingrun turned towards the direction of Xuan Ming''s real person, not even ncing at Xuan You as she flew away with her sword control.
Lu Qingshan, seeing Dantai Qingrun''s actions, couldn''t help but marvel in his heart.
Look at this mockery, as light as the breeze and the clouds, seamless; this is truly high-level mockery.
As expected, upon seeing his shouts ignored in such a manner by Dantai Qingrun, Xuan You''s real person''s face turned from blue to red as he ultimately let out an angry roar.
"You insolent woman, you are too arrogant!"
As this roar echoed, Xuan You''s body began to increase rapidly in size, transforming into a giant several times the height of a normal person in the blink of an eye.
While increasing in size, his body also transformed into blocky, green steel rock-like substances, with his skin turning to a stone-like brown color.
Just from the appearance alone, it was clearly very tough.
"Stone Giant Dharma Aspect!" Xu Hao evidently recognized the quality, immediately identifying the state of Xuan You''s real person.
Body cultivation schools can be broadly categorized into three types.
One type is the purest form of martial technique type body cultivation.
They train and master Divine Martial Techniques, coupled with a robust physical body, their skills are extraordinary, truly unparalleled.
Xu Hao was a cultivator of this kind.
Another type was Dharma Aspect type body cultivation.
This type of body cultivator practiced various Dharma Aspects, such as Buddhist Vajra or other Dharma Aspects like Azure Dragon, Fierce Lion, and other mythical creatures.
Once their Dharma Aspect was aplished, and bestowed upon themselves, they would receive immense attribute enhancements and could even master various powers of Dharma Aspects, using strength to break all techniques.
As for Xuan You''s real person right now, with the Stone Giant Dharma Aspect, not only was his strength attribute greatly enhanced, but he also acquired remarkable resistance, immune to most spells and physical attacks.
This was also why Dantai Qingrun did not want to confront Xuan You''s real person directly.
Facing this turtle shell, even if she could defeat it, it would take a very long time to wear down this old turtle.
Annoying!
Thest type of body cultivation was more mysterious, known as Divine Ability type body cultivation.
This type of body cultivator practiced specific Cultivation Techniques, and each time their cultivation increased, there was a certain chance of awakening divine body abilities.
If a powerful divine ability was awakened, they would be extraordinarily brilliant, overpowering cultivators of the same level.
If no divine ability was awakened or if the awakened divine ability was quite useless, then they could easily be weak cultivators, not matching up to the other two types of body cultivation.
Due to the uncertainties and randomness in awakening divine abilities, and in controlling which type might be awakened, Divine Ability type body cultivation was known in the "Nine Heavens" as ''the gambler''s path'', not for the faint-hearted.
Of course, these categories are so divided, but there aren''t strict barriers between the three, and they are interchangeable.
That is to say, if willing, you can cultivate martial techniques, Dharma Aspects, and divine abilities all at once.
The advantage is that the more skills mastered, the stronger thebat power.
The disadvantage is that it will dy a lot of energy and time, likely leading to neglecting some aspects, causing cultivation tog, and eventually failing to advance beyond a lower grade.
The choices among the paths depend entirely on the cultivator''s own decision.
Chapter 91 Snatching the Kill
Transformed into a Stone Giant, the true person Xuan You swelled immensely, let out a viciousugh, and leaped high into the air, his mountain-like figure charging straight towards Dantai Qingrun in the sky.
Dantai Qingrun nced indifferently at the approaching true person Xuan You, his expression unwavering.
A serene blue light shed by, and suddenly, a three-foot-long sword radiating a chilling light appeared in Dantai Qingrun''s hand.
With the long sword in hand, Dantai Qingrun simply waved it lightly through the void.
A wave of piercing cold sword Qi materialized out of thin air, stretching dozens of feet and shot out rapidly, apanied by a hissing wind noise, directly towards the true person Xuan You.
Bang!
The mountain-like Stone Giant turned into a mere afterimage as Dantai Qingrun''s sword Qi struck him from midair, creating a thunderous noise.
Dust filled the air, and a deep pit appeared on the ground.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but let out a soft chuckle.
Since Dantai Qingrun held the position of vice tower master of Zhenjiang Tower, it was not to say that he was invincible amongst his peers, but at least hisbat power was formidable, beyond the reach of ordinary people.
To think you, the true person Xuan You, with such a sturdy shell, wouldn''t be proactively shaving you down, you would even feel secretly relieved, and instead, you turn around to provoke Dantai Qingrun, who holds the top inheritance of the Zhenjiang Tower.
What gave you the courage, the Stone Giant?
As for the long sword with the chilling glow in Dantai Qingrun''s hands, Lu Qingshan understood it must be Dantai Qingrun''s second life-bound sword.
Sword cultivators, from the moment they establish their foundation, open up a life-bound sword slot with each rank advancement.
Thus, Dantai Qingrun, at the Golden Core stage, naturally possessed two life-bound swords.
...
Having dispatched true person Xuan You with a single sword stroke, Dantai Qingrun stopped paying him any attention, and went straight for true person Xuan Ming.
The true person Xuan You struggled out of the deep pit in utter disarray. With his astonishing resistance, he was actually not very injured, and hisbat power was almostpletely unscathed.
However, upon ncing at the afterimage left by Dantai Qingrun in midair, true person Xuan You''s eyes filled with shock.
[Stone Giant Dharma Aspect: Strength +50, reduction of spell and physical damage by 50% (damage cannot exceed 50% of the health points limit, otherwise this effect is nullified)]
His cultivated Stone Giant Dharma Aspect was well-known for its boundless strength and durability, but Dantai Qingrun had just used a single sword Qi to crush his strongest aspect head-on.
It''s no wonder he was extremely shocked.
But he had no time to think further, as the six cultivators of Tiger Squad quickly took over and entangled him.
Xuan You hastily gathered his spirits to face the six cultivators of Tiger Squad.
I can''t handle Dantai Qingrun at the Golden Core Late Stage, but surely I can defeat a few of you at the Golden Core Early Stage?
...
"Action!" Seeing everyone engaging in battle, Xu Hao also issued an order, and all members of Tiger Squad immediately followed suit, attacking the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley who were gathering at the battle positions.
The quickest to react was Su Shu.
As a Spiritual Cultivator, Su Shu was the first to form seals and cast spells, her fingers moving so quickly that afterimages appeared.
Various colors of spiritual light flickered continuously from Su Shu''s hands, as spectacr as fireworks.
These were the supportive spiritual arts mastered by Su Shu.
In an instant, five supportive spiritual arts rapidly clung to the other five cultivators of Tiger Squad.
[Fire Copse]: Endows the target''s attacks with temporary additional fire attribute spell damage.
[Prate]: Temporarily enhances the sharpness of the target''s magic artifact by +2.
[Spirit Wind]: Greatly increases the target''s speed.
[Blood Fury]: Blood Qi goes berserk, temporarily enhancing both damage capability and speed.
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[Nourish Qi]: Slightly elerates the target''s speed of mobilizing spiritual power (speeds up the casting of spells).
The green Nourish Qi spiritual art was first bestowed upon the Dharma Cultivation member of the Li Zu.
"Ice Wind Snow Field!" Under the enhancement of [Nourish Qi], Li Zu''s left hand formed seals, and his right hand executed seal gestures, casting arge-scale control spell quickly in front of him.
The rich water attribute spiritual power rapidly gathered and transformed, crystallizing into icy snowkes while bone-chilling wind appeared out of nowhere.
Any cultivator within this field of Ice Wind Snow would experience a decrease in both agility and the speed of circting spiritual power.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Four Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley were caught in this technique.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes lit up.
This kind ofrge-scale control spell has always been extremely difficult to master.
The fact that Li Zu could cast such a spell was enough to prove his worth as a guardian cultivator.
On the other side, [Blood Fury] attached itself to Xu Hao.
The crimson glow filled the air, instantly steaming upwards.
Enveloped in the Blood Qi, Xu Hao felt his body had grown significantly stronger and charged at a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Xuan Ming Valley with astonishing speed and momentum, as ayer of golden scale armor appeared on his body where his Spiritual Power surged.
What boosted Lu Qingshan was the [Fire Copse] and [Piercing Solidity] he was all too familiar with.
Lu Qingshan advanced with his sword, shooting forward like a streak of lightning toward a mid-Foundation Establishment Cultivator affected by the icy wind snow technique of Li Zu.
A look of slight resentment crossed Zhong Ming''s face, as he had been granted a [Spirit Wind], his form transforming into a faint shadow that silently vanished.
As for why the resentment?
Su Shu has had a change of heart¡ªthe [Fire Copse] Spirit Art used to be mine!
A touch of sourness lingered in Zhong Ming''s heart.
Xiao Zhi, however, remained tranquil as he had already begun directing Red Rock Goose to support the assault, indifferent to Zhong Ming''s decline in status, with no desire to care.
¡ªNo matter what, you at least have [Spirit Wind] as a base. As for me, I didn''t get a taste of any Spirit Art!
The Red Rock Goose spread its wings and circled in mid-air.
Its beak quivered, and its entire body immediately radiated red waves. Opening its beak, the Red Rock Goose shot a fiery missile at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator Xu Hao was attacking.
By coordinating, they created situations where the strong strike at the weak and the many attack the few, allowing them to swiftly reduce the enemy''s numbers¡ªan unbeatable strategy when facing greater numbers with fewer forces.
That''s exactly what they were doing.
The targets of Lu Qingshan and Zhong Ming were both Foundation Establishment Cultivators affected by Li Zu''s spell, plus each received the enhancement of Su Shu''s Spirit Arts; it was almost like three against one in that instant.
With Zhong Ming''s already rapid speed, plus the buff from [Spirit Wind], it took but a moment for him to appear beside his target.
[Nether w]!
Zhong Ming inwardly shouted, his right hand violently reaching out to strike at the chest of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator in front of him; a misty giant w swept across the void.
This was a spell he had mastered by collecting Nether Qi in the Netherworld, and its lethality was self-evident.
The cultivator under his attack was also a Dharma Cultivation.
Impacted by the icy winds and snow, the Dharma Cultivator from Xuan Ming Valley found his Inner Spiritual Power obstructed and murky, barely managing to cast a Low Grade [Golden Light Shield] to fend off Zhong Ming''s attack.
How could a hastily cast Low Grade spell withstand the meticulously cultivated spell of Zhong Ming?
Crack! The [Golden Light Shield] shattered instantly under the misty giant w, with a sound like breaking porcin.
The Nether w''s momentum did not lessen, striking directly at the Dharma Cultivator''s chest.
In a sh, the Dharma Cultivator flew backward like a kite with a broken string, a streak of blood spurting from his mouth, severely injured!
Zhong Ming was quite pleased with his performance, his heart swelling with pride.
Su Shu, now you see who truly deserves the [Fire Copse] Spirit Art boost, right?
Just as Zhong Ming was about to supplement his attack with another move,
Whoosh!
All he saw was a sh of cold light.
The head of the Xuan Ming Valley Dharma Cultivator, still in midair yet to hit the ground, had suddenly flown off, spurting blood gruesomely into the air.
What''s this?!
Humming¡ª
Apanied by a clear sound of a sword''s cry, Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword stood in the void.
Zhong Ming turned his head to look.
He saw Lu Qingshan shing his pearly white teeth at him, his face full of a smile, "You''re wee!"
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator targeted by Lu Qingshan had been beheaded before anyone knew it.
And it was precisely because of this that Lu Qingshan had the spare strength to help him with an additional strike.
Do you have to be that fast?!
Zhong Ming''s heart was shaken to its core.
Chapter 92 Myriad Ghost Robe
Witnessing the entire process, the Li Zu''s shock surpassed even that of Zhong Ming.
At the moment when Zhong Ming and Lu Qingshan simultaneouslyunched attacks toward the cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley.
Considering that Lu Qingshan was still a neer, the Li Zu instinctively wanted to take care of him and thus directed his first spell toward the Xuan Ming Valley cultivator that Lu Qingshan was facing.
It was an ice sword formed from concentrated Water Attribute Spiritual Power, emitting a bone-chilling coldness.
Under his control, the ice sword shot straight at Lu Qingshan''s opponent, much like a Sword Cultivator''s flying sword.
Although its speed wasn''t quite on par with the flying sword.
But Li Zu was confident that its power was no less than that of a Sword Cultivator''s flying sword.
However, what he hadn''t anticipated was that in an instant, Lu Qingshan''s flying sword burst out like a streak of lightning, and Lu Qingshan''s figure mysteriously vanished.
When Lu Qingshan appeared again, he had already confronted the Xuan Ming Valley Dharma Cultivation right in the face with his sword.
Immediately afterward, the Xuan Ming Valley Dharma Cultivator copsed.
Upon closer inspection, his forehead had been split open by one of Lu Qingshan''s shes, with fresh blood continuously streaming out.
It was at this moment when the Xuan Ming Valley Dharma Cultivator fell that his ice sword finally whooshed through the air and horizontal impaled itself into the chest of the now-dead Xuan Ming Valley cultivator.
This ice sword appeared quite superfluous, just like his own interference.
Lu Qingshan''s escape speed had already surpassed the velocity of his own spell''s trajectory?
Li Zu found it hard to believe in his heart.
With such incredible speed, the Dharma Cultivation in the icy, snowy terrain had no time to react and couldn''t even cast a defensive spell before falling to Lu Qingshan''s sword.
...
The Formless Sword Escape was indeed useful!
Lu Qingshan, looking at the freshly gained two thousand experience points on his attribute panel, felt thoroughly satisfied.
Using the Formless Sword Escape, he not only killed his opponent instantly but even managed to steal a kill from Zhong Ming using his Flying Sword Technique.
Taking advantage of the momentarypse of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators, he had already taken down two of them in an instant!
But such good fortune was only once.
Because at this moment, the remaining two cultivators within the icy, snowy terrain, witnessing the tragic state of their fellow sect member, had already deployed multipleyers of Defensive Artifacts and cast various Defensive Spells around themselves.
The task of killing these cultivators wasn''t going to be as easy as before and would require actual contact.
Lu Qingshan scanned the area.
On the left, Xu Hao, relying on his thick skin, was single-handedly engaging four Foundation Establishment cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley inbat.
Xiao Zhi''s beast pet, the Red Rock Goose, was assisting Xu Hao in the battle.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhi summoned his third beast pet.
The Green Scaled Leopard!
An exotic leopard demon covered in green scales.
Fast and with amazing defensive power.
Its agile form immediately leaped out, lunging at a Xuan Ming Valley cultivator. Its ws, sharp as des, gleamed with a metallic luster, continuously shing at the critical areas of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivator.
Su Shu and Xiao Zhi took positions in a V-formation, supporting each other while casting Spirit Techniques to aid the cultivators of Tiger Squad in their offense and defense.
Coming back to their senses, Lu Qingshan and Zhong Ming exchanged nces, and with a shared look, they assigned their targets and, with a flicker of their forms, charged into action.
Li Zu was supporting them from a distance, at the same time controlling the battlefield.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
...
Not far from the battlefield at another location.
Dantai Qingrun had already approached the Xuan Ming Master.
"The Cultivator of the Tower of Guarding...." Seeing Dantai Qingrun''s proud stance appear before him, Xuan Ming Master cackled and was about to utter some harsh words.
But before he could finish his trash talk, a burst of azure light erupted within Xuan Ming Master''s line of sight, sending out an astonishing wave of energy.
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Sword light flickered, and the Spirit Hidden Sword, in its Flying Sword pose, surged forward, tracing a cyan trail as it shot towards the location of his dantian''s Golden Core.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
A deafening st resonated by Xuan Ming Master''s ear.
This was the sound of a sonic boom created by Dantai Qingrun''s Flying Sword Speed, which had already exceeded supersonic speed.
On the supersonic Flying Spirit Hidden Sword, hundreds of fine strands of sword light attached themselves.
Within Xuan Ming Master''s pupils, a hint of sword light coiling around the Spirit Hidden Sword quickly split in two, which then split into four, and in the blink of an eye, turned into one hundred twenty-eight sword lights.
Those shards of sword light immediately merged into this vast river of sword light.
In the differentiation of sword light, they integrated Dantai House''s unique Crescent Moon Sword Light.
This was Dantai Qingrun''s secret Flying Sword Technique.
With just this technique of Sword Light Differentiation, it was enough to make most Golden Core Sword Cultivators feel inferior.
With the speed of the Flying Sword, if one wants to block the attack through Defensive Techniques, aside from deploying Defensive Techniques in advance, there was no other way.
For Cultivators, casting a sufficiently high-level Defensive Technique in the brief moment between the Flying Swordunching an attack and reaching the targets was virtually impossible.
And those instantly castable lower-grade Defensive Tactics obviously could not withstand the Flying Sword of a Sword Cultivator.
However, although Xuan Ming Master''s expression was unsightly, he did not show much panic, seemingly having some confidence.
Sure enough, more than a hundred ferocious-faced resentful spirits suddenly scattered from Xuan Ming Master''s robe.
These resentful spirits, emitting piercing screams, viciously met the long river of sword light.
Sizzle!
The two collided, and the resentful spirits melted away under the sword light, immediately burning and disintegrating, leaving only wisps of light smoke floating in the air.
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes were deep and intense as he stared fixedly at the ck Taoist robe on Xuan Ming Master.
Vaguely visible on the robe were numerous ghostly faces, all ferocious and tormented.
"With the Myriad Ghosts Robe protecting my body, what can you do to me!" Scared by Dantai Qingrun''s sudden attack, Xuan Ming Master regained hisposure, his voiceing out hoarse and unpleasant.
The Myriad Ghosts Robe, an infamous defensive artifact within the Evil Cultivation Faction, yet also quite rare.
Because in addition to the extremely precious materials required to forge it, it also required the incorporation of human spirits during the forging process.
The more human spirits merged into the robe, the higher the quality of the souls, the stronger the Myriad Ghosts Robe.
Oncepleted, the robe protected one from myriad evils, impervious to all malevolent forces.
This was Xuan Ming Master''s confidence.
But at this moment, a chill suddenly rose in Xuan Ming Master''s heart.
Having taken Dantai Qingrun''s Flying Sword, the encounter seemed effortless, but the truth was¡ªhe was in considerable pain.
In just that instant, more than a hundred of the resentful spirits in his Myriad Ghosts Robe had been annihted.
Although called the Myriad Ghosts Robe, through years of umtion, he had barely managed to gather about three thousand souls, far from ten thousand.
In a situation where the surveince in Great Xia was so strict, the effort he had taken nearly a hundred years to carefully umte the number of resentful spirits on his robe to what it was today¡ªto not let his massacre ofmon people for forging evil artifacts be discovered.
Just this one encounter had cost him one-thirtieth of his effort, equating to several years of arduous work gone up in mes; how could he not feel heartache!
"Myriad Ghosts Robe." Dantai Qingrun muttered quietly, then a murderous intent surged in his eyes: "You deserve to die!"
Dantai Qingrun was well aware that given the number of resentful spirits on Xuan Ming Master''s Myriad Ghosts Robe, Xuan Ming Master''s hands must be covered in blood, having ughtered countless innocentmoners.
Chapter 93 Autumn Pool
Xuan Ming, upon hearing Dantai Qingrun''s words, was filled with contempt and disgust, "You so-called Righteous Cultivators, who exactly are you putting on this sorrowful andpassionate act for?
Should I die? Very well, let''s see who dies this time!"
"Three Thousand Soul Kill!" Xuan Ming''s voice screeched like that of a Resentful Spirit, harsh and unpleasant to hear.
At the moment his words fell, Xuan Ming raised his hand mightily. As he waved his robe sleeve, the Resentful Spirits from within the Myriad Ghost Robe immediately howled out, lunging ferociously towards Dantai Qingrun with bared teeth and ws.
Dantai Qingrun frowned.
At the very moment the Resentful Spirits appeared, Xuan Ming transformed into a streak of ck smoke, blending in with the three thousand spirits in the blink of an eye, making his trace difficult to discern.
Nether Cultivators are inherently adept at concealment, not to mention now with so many Resentful Spirits as cover.
Trying to quickly locate Xuan Ming among these ubiquitous spirits was extremely difficult.
If Dantai Qingrun did not know where Xuan Ming was, she not only had to deal with the three thousand Resentful Spirits, but also be always ready for Xuan Ming''s sudden assaults.
Nheless, block these Resentful Spirits first.
This was what Dantai Qingrun thought.
ng! ng! ng!
Apanied by an intense, metallic nging, ayer of Golden Thread Apparel mixed with Sword Qi and Golden Essence appeared around Dantai Qingrun''s body.
[Golden Sword Apparel]!
An extremely unique Technique.
To practice this Technique, one must first refine metalic Spirit Material and extract the Golden Essence within them, storing it in the 360 acupuncture points around the body.
Then, it would take a great amount of time to continuously route the Life-bound Sword through these 360 points, allowing the Golden Essence to gradually imbibe the essence of the Life-bound Sword. During this process, the refinement of Sword Qi merges into the Golden Essence.
Sword Qi and Golden Essence differ, with Sword Qi being an energy by nature, transformed by Sword Cultivators using Spiritual Power, and not a material substance.
However, the art of Golden Sword Apparel partially materializes the Sword Qi through Golden Essence, thus forming unique Golden Essence Sword Qi.
Since this Golden Essence Sword Qi also retains some properties of Sword Qi, and Sword Cultivators manipte Sword Qi as naturally as moving their own limbs, it is extraordinarily effective.
Once mastered, the Sword Cultivator can freely mobilize the Golden Essence Sword Qi to form an impregnable attire of swords, its defensive power being exceptionally astonishing.
The higher the quality of the Golden Essence and the stronger the Sword Qi, the more impressive the protective ability of the formed Sword Apparel.
Once the Golden Sword Apparel ispleted, it can also be enhanced by integrating higher quality Golden Essence over time, or as one''s Cultivation increases, by infusing more powerful Sword Qi, thus strengthening the protective capability of the Golden Sword Apparel¡ªa truly peerless defensive Subtle Technique rarely seen even among Sword Cultivators.
Such a Subtle Technique, not even the Dantai Family with a thousand years of inheritance in Sword Cultivation possessed it.
This was a heritage from the Knowledge Tower, given to Dantai Qingrun who was highly esteemed by the Knowledge Tower, indeed a top-tier secret technique for Sword Cultivators.
...
Three thousand Resentful Spirits charged towards Dantai Qingrun in waves.
Yet against this continually swirling Golden Sword Apparel on the surface of Dantai Qingrun''s body, these ferocious spirits were like facing a curled-up hedgehog,pletely unable to find a point of attack.
Clink!
At that moment, a grating sound of metal colliding arose.
It turned out that Xuan Ming, hidden among these many spirits, could no longer restrain himself andunched an attack.
This was apletely dark dagger, a Magic Artifact with blood-red patterns all over it.
Xuan Ming gripped the dagger, and Spiritual Power surged explosively from within him.
The dagger, concentrated with Spiritual Power, targeted Dantai Qingrun''s slender neck and stabbed fiercely.
This dagger was named Soul-Shocking Dagger, and like the Myriad Ghost Robe, it was a famously known Magic Artifact within the Evil Cultivation Faction.
This was another major trump card of Xuan Ming aside from Myriad Ghost Robe.
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However, the usually invincible Soul-Shocking Dagger finally met its match this time.
Against Xuan Ming''s painstakingly refined Soul-Shocking Dagger, the Golden Sword Apparel demonstrated its power as a top-tier defensive Technique.
Under this stab, the apparel only indented slightly for a moment, then quickly returned to its original form and repelled the Soul-Shocking Dagger.
Dantai Qingrun was unscathed, with the Golden Sword Apparel also remainingpletely intact.
Dantai Qingrun gave a coldugh.
It was not easy to find Xuan Ming, and now that she had witnessed Xuan Ming revealing himself voluntarily, how could she possibly let go of this opportunity for battle?
With a slight movement of her mind, the Spirit Hidden Sword once again flew out, carrying a vast expanse of sword light, and attacked Xuan Ming.
Xuan Ming''s expression changed, and the resentful spirits surrounding him hurriedly met the flying sword.
Once again, more than a hundred resentful spirits turned to ash.
Ignoring the pain, Xuan Ming transformed into a wisp of ck smoke and merged back into the crowd of resentful spirits, then, under the astonished gaze of Dantai Qingrun, the hoard of resentful spirits turned around and fled in the opposite direction.
Though it had only been two moves, Xuan Ming had already realized that he was no match for this Sword Cultivator.
A real man knows when to fold and when to hold; facing an undeniable defeat, why wouldn''t he flee quickly rather than wait for death?
His head was not made of iron.
Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west; never underestimate the poverty of a youth!
Xuan Ming was running away while roaring inwardly in his mind.
Once my cultivation technique is fully refined, I must avenge today''s humiliation!
Watching Xuan Ming flee with a sky full of resentful spirits, a look of disdain appeared on Dantai Qingrun''s frost-like cold face.N?v(el)B\\jnn
In her right hand, the second Life-bound Sword suddenly appeared.
Dantai Qingrun held the sword and gently swung it forward, a seemingly careless and nonchnt stroke.
Yet this seemingly carefree stroke seemed to trigger something, as countless dazzling specks of light burst forth from the de.
These specks of light floated weightlessly, flickering dimly and brightly, shining in red, blue, green, and purple colors.
The specks of light coalesced into lines, the lines formed light, and the light gathered into a sparkling river of stars.
This magnificent and captivating spectacle left all onlookers dazzled and mesmerized.
No one could have imagined that such a beautiful scene could be a hidden, cunning sword technique.
This river of light surged forth with a tremendous momentum, and in an instant, a torrential wave overwhelmed Xuan Ming''s crowd of resentful spirits.
Under the river of light, the resentful spirits slowly vaporized, and instinctively, they hurried back into the Myriad Ghost Robe to seek refuge.
With no cover from the resentful spirits, Xuan Ming hiding within them was inevitably exposed and could not escape.
The tide receded.
Xuan Ming, pale-faced, fell from the sky, faintly shrouded in a thin mist around his body.
Dantai Qingrunnded in front of Xuan Ming, facing the now powerless Xuan Ming, she pulled out a golden rope from her Storage Ring: "Spirit Binding Rope"!
With a motion of her spiritual power, the rope shone brightly with golden light, quickly extending and winding around Xuan Ming, executing rope techniques to tightly bind him, preventing him from mobilizing any spiritual power.
"What sword technique was that?" Xuan Ming stared intently at the sword in Dantai Qingrun''s hand, his words clipped and teeth gritted as he asked.
The extremely dazzling sword stroke by Dantai Qingrun had left him with a profound shock that lingered on, and even though he was now captured, he was still preupied.
"The sword is named Qiuhong, the technique is ''Gathering the Starry River,''" Dantai Qingrun''s cherry lips lightly parted.
[Qiuhong] (Water Attribute ¡¤ Life-bound Sword)
Level: High-grade Spiritual Artifact
Description: In what year did this coiled dragon, thus became the autumn water profound
Magic Artifact Effect 1: Attacks carry an additional frost effect
Magic Artifact Effect 2: Power of water attribute sword techniques cast using this sword is increased by 20%
Magic Artifact Effect 3: Sword Qi damage +20%
Active Effects: [Gathering the Starry River]: Holding autumn water to gather the starry river. Waving the sword of Qiuhong summons the power of the starry radiance to aid oneself. The higher the level of the Qiuhong Sword and the stronger the cultivation of the Sword Master, the more powerful the starry radiance that can be summoned.
Cool down time: 3 days.
Chapter 94 Thoughts
After effortlessly capturing Real Man Xuan Ming with the Artifact Skill of the Qiuhong Sword, Dantai Qingrun turned his attention to the other two battlefields.
The Jiazi Squad, which served as reinforcements from the main tower of Qing State, although the highest cultivation among the six Cultivators was only at the Golden Core Middle Stage, they were all strong Cultivators within their realm, and the coordination among the squad members was exceptionally tacit.
Under the orderly and exquisite cooperation of the six Cultivators, Real Man Xuan You, who was at the Golden Core Late Stage, appeared as if stuck in a swamp, unable to exert his power effectively and was firmly restrained.
As one of the strongest Golden Core Cultivators, Dantai Qingrun''s perspective was naturally extraordinary.
With just a nce at the overall situation on the field, Dantai Qingrun hade to a conclusion.
¡ª¡ªThe Jiazi Squad only needed to grind it out for another hour or two, and Real Man Xuan You would fall due to insufficient Spiritual Power.
After confirming that there was no problem on the Jiazi Squad''s side, Dantai Qingrun shifted his focus to the battle situation of the Tiger Squad.
More precisely, he directed his attention to Lu Qingshan.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
...
In such a meticulously prepared operation, following the style of Zhi Shou Tower, they naturally would send an absolutely assured lineup to secure the mission target with a fail-safe stance, rather than engage in equal or even underdog battles.
That''s not called bravery, it''s called stupidity.
Yet they had sent out the Jiazi Squad, consisting of five Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators and one Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator, along with the entirely Foundation Establishment Tiger Squad, to meet the luxurious lineup of two Golden Core Late Stage Cultivators, more than twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and hundreds of Qi Refining Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley.
It seemed highly irrational and contradicted the philosophy of Zhi Shou Tower.
But in reality, theparison of strength between the two sides presented a typical crushing force.
All because of one person.
¡ª¡ªDantai Qingrun.
Yes, with just Dantai Qingrun alone, the Zhi Shou Tower, which appeared weaker on paper, could easily crush Xuan Ming Valley.
Within the same Golden Core Realm, the gap between the strength of strong Golden Core Cultivators and that of average Golden Core Cultivators can stretch into a chasm insurmountable!
Dantai Qingrun was such a Sword Cultivator at the pinnacle ofbat power among Golden Core Cultivators.
The task in Xuan Ming Valley was initially assigned only to require the participation of Dantai Qingrun and the Jiazi Squad.
The Jiazi Squad was even just sent to assist Dantai Qingrun, in case the two Golden Core Late Stage Cultivators had some tricks up their sleeves, and to prevent them from slipping away one by one.
As for the Tiger Squad, they were ast-minute addition by Dantai Qingrun on a whim.
As for the purpose?
Dantai Qingrun''s gaze was profound as he looked at the figure on the other side that had gradually be the focus of Tiger Squad''s attention.
Lu Qingshan''s expression was solemn.
Although the Cultivators of the Tiger Squad were all strong Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley were numerically superior, making it difficult for them to address all fronts.
So, after the initial explosive phase passed, it wasn''t long before a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley sessfully entered their formations and began to mobilize the Formation''s power to attack them.
"Activate the Formation!" shouted a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the stage of Perfection from Xuan Ming Valley as he entered the key position.
Immediately, the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the formation echoed in unison.
The previously ignored Qi Refining disciples on the outermostyer of Xuan Ming Valley had already taken their positions at the outer formation, waiting for a High Level Cultivator to enter the core position and activate the Formation.
Upon hearing the shouting voice of their fellow Sect Uncles echoing throughout the valley, these Qi Refining disciples closed their eyes in unison.
In just a moment, the Spiritual Power within them seeped out and surged into the Formation.
Though their Spiritual Power was not strong, the sheer number of them umted a terrifying Spiritual Tide.
A light shield covering the entire Xuan Ming Valley gradually emerged.
The Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator who first gave themand naturally became the leader of the Formation.
A trace of ruthlessness shed in his eyes, and he quickly made a decision. Find more chapters on empire
First, eliminate the Tiger Squad, then assist Uncle Xuan You in defeating the enemy!
He raised his right palm and pressed down.
A ball of Spiritual Power, gathered from a fraction of power from all the Xuan Ming Valley disciples, hurtled with terrifying speed towards Lu Qingshan, who was constantly moving and dodging.
Yes, this indeed was the Sword Cultivator with a built-in max level taunting aura, predictably bing the first target the Xuan Ming Valley Cultivators wanted to kill!
The speed of the Spiritual Power orb was extraordinarily terrifying, and its might even more astounding.
Wherever the Spiritual Power orb passed, it left behind an obvious trail over ten feet long.
This was because the air had beenpressed and annihted, forming a brief vacuum.
"Lu Qingshan, be careful!" The moment the Spiritual Power orb appeared, Xu Hao sensed the danger and shouted nervously to warn.
With the prowess of the Spiritual Power orb, even his thick-skinned self would have to lie in state for quite some time if he were to take the hit.
A Sword Cultivator, fragile as a sheet of paper, had no reason to withstand such an attack!
He couldn''t even begin to imagine the sorry state Lu Qingshan would be in if he were hit.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes fixated on the iing Spiritual Power orb, but his expression grew increasingly calm as he made up his mind.
Eight palm-sized jade stones flew out instantly, emitting a serene blue light, and in the blink of an eye, they expanded several times in size, transforming into shields.
ng!
That wasn''t all; the eight shields were different in shape, with twisted patterns along their edges.
But despite their odd shapes, the patterns on the shields matched up perfectly and assembled together at high speed, forming an airtight barrier around Lu Qingshan.
Water Cloud Shield Artifact Skill "Eight Gates Shield Armor"!
It was precisely at the moment the Water Cloud Shield appeared that Dantai Qingrun, who had been ready to intercept the Spiritual Power orb, quietly withdrew her hand.
Boom!
The Spiritual Power orb crashed against the Eight Gates Shield Armor, producing a thunderous sound that echoed in the ears!
Under the watchful eyes of all, the remnants of the Spiritual Power dissipated, revealing the unharmed Lu Qingshan within.
Lu Qingshan''s eyelids grew heavy.
With that single strike, the durability of the Eight Gates Shield Armor decreased by half!
As for Dantai Qingrun''s demeanor towards Lu Qingshan''s situation, she remainedpletely nonchnt.
With her discerning eye, she immediately noticed that with the Water Cloud Shield artifact protecting him, the Spiritual Power orb couldn''t harm Lu Qingshan, which is why she had held back.
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes shone brightly, her curiosity about the ever-mysterious Lu Qingshan piqued tremendously.
She had specifically brought the Tiger Squad this time, partly hoping to probe into Lu Qingshan''s motives through this opportunity.
She also had ample confidence and strength to control the scene.
Should Lu Qingshan encounter a situation he couldn''t resolve, she would step in immediately to take charge of the situation.
Lu Qingshan, let me see what tricks you have up your sleeve.
Dantai Qingrun murmured in her heart.
And as for now...
While keeping an eye on Lu Qingshan''s condition, Dantai Qingrun also diverted part of her attention to face True Person Xuan You.
A hundred beams of Sword Light burst forth from the Spirit Hidden Sword, loaded with lethal intent, and suddenly shed down towards True Person Xuan You.
Dantai Qingrun was prepared to settle scores with this True Person Xuan You, who had dared to provoke her earlier.
Given that True Person Xuan Ming had been dealt with and she wasn''t one to idly stand by, she decisivelyunched a fierce attack on True Person Xuan You.
The hundred beams of Sword Light swept past True Person Xuan You''s body, and in an instant, his rocky skin was marked with a densework of fine white lines.
In pain, True Person Xuan You''s face suddenly changed, and a sense of ominous foreboding shed through his mind.
Dantai Qingrun had clearly gone after True Person Xuan Ming just moments ago, so why now...?
Could it be that True Person Xuan Ming had been dealt with by her in such a short span of time?
He was somewhat familiar with the strength of True Person Xuan Ming, who was several magnitudes stronger than himself.
Is this Sword Cultivator from the Zhi-Zhi Pavilion this powerful?
With many thoughts racing through his mind, True Person Xuan You felt both shocked and fearful.
Chapter 95 Timing
Xuan You''s various psychological activities will not be mentioned here.
On the other hand, Lu Qingshan had fallen into the most troublesome situation he had encountered so far.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Xuan Ming Valley, who was in charge of the formation, looked at the Eight Gates Shield Armor continuously circling around Lu Qingshan''s body and sneered.
"No matter how strong this magic artifact is, how many times can it withstand the attacks of the great formation?"
With a wave of hisrge hand, a spiritual power ball, both more powerful andrger than before, instantly condensed.
The surface of the spiritual power ball was overflowing with spirit, emitting terrifying fluctuations.
"Go!"
The Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator sneered viciously, and with a fierce push of his palms, the spiritual power ball, apanied by an irresistible thunderous roar, shot towards Lu Qingshan.
Xu Hao, who had just rxed, immediately felt his heart leap to his throat again.
Without hesitating, Xu Hao burst forth, lunging at the Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator positioned within the formation.
It was essential to disrupt the Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator from manipting the formation; otherwise, under the power of the formation, each and every one of them from the Tiger Squad would have to fall here today.
Xu Hao immediately made the most correct judgment.
...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan, facing the attack of the formation, clenched his teeth and stared intently at the spiritual power ball that kept erging in his pupils.
The spiritual power ball was rapidly approaching Lu Qingshan.
"Not enough, even closer!" Lu Qingshan''s heart grew colder.
Until the spiritual power ball was almost upon him, and Lu Qingshan could even feel the violently surging spirit on its surface.
A streak of sword light whistled out.
Formless Sword Escape!
Apanying the sword light, Lu Qingshan instantly disappeared from the spot.
But under the spiritual light of the spiritual power ball, no one noticed this scene.
Except for Dantai Qingrun, who was remotely using his Divine Sense to keep an eye on the situation here.
Seeing this, Dantai Qingrun quietly suppressed the Qiuhong Sword that was circling overhead, ready to strike over Lu Qingshan.
The Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator, seeing that the spiritual power ball had enveloped Lu Qingshan, did not hesitate any longer, and the spiritual power ball suddenly exploded, releasing a massive burst of spiritual power.
The dazzling spiritual light instantly submerged the location where Lu Qingshan was, also reflecting the terrified faces of the Tiger Squad Cultivators.
"Could Lu Qingshan have fallen just like that?" Everyone''s mind was upied with this thought.
...
Time turned back a moment before.
The instant the spiritual power ball wasunched, Lu Qingshan immediately made a judgment.
The Eight Gates Shield Armor absolutely could not withstand this attack!
So, he couldn''t resist head-on; dodging was the only way to respond.
But dodging, though easy to say, was not easy to execute.
The difficultyy in grasping the timing.
If he moved too early, the Xuan Ming Valley Cultivator could manipte the spiritual power ball to follow Lu Qingshan''s form, continuing the previous attack with uninterrupted force.
If he moved toote, given the power of the spiritual power ball, once he failed to escape its range of attack, he would suffer severe injuries if not death.
Thus, only by using the Formless Sword Escape in the instant before the spiritual power ball exploded could he ensure the ball released its inherent power fruitlessly, while he himself remained unscathed.
Even in Dantai Qingrun''s view, this was an operation of extremely high difficulty.
Yet, Lu Qingshan calmly seized that practically fleeting moment, executed the Formless Sword Escape, moved away, and emerged without a single injury.
Only leaving behind a mess of a site to demonstrate the ferocity of the spiritual power ball.
Several thoughts of admiration arose in Dantai Qingrun''s mind, and he gradually became more certain of his previous conjecture.
Such precise timing, along withposure and calmness even as Mount Tai crumbles before him.
This was something that could not be exined by talent alone but had to be honed through countless life-and-death battles.
How could a Cultivator of such a young age have such extensive battle experience?
It could only be exined by a great Cultivator performing a spirit possession.
...
Lu Qingshan, of course, was not what one would call a grand cultivator engaged in spirit possession.
Ten years of experience in "Nine Heavens" not only endowed Lu Qingshan with prescient abilities but also provided him with a wealth of battle experience, which was his most critical asset.
Generally speaking, cultivators wouldn''t easily ce themselves in a life-or-death battle.
While it''s true that such battles can stimte one''s potential and refinebat skills, the problem is that one only has one life, and death means the end of everything.
So, apart from a few madmen, who would willingly risk their lives like this?
However, for yers, none of these problems exist.
¡ªAlthough there are penalties, yers can, after all, resurrect infinitely.
In any game where resurrection is possible, yers are always particrly eager to court death.
Not to mention that in "Nine Heavens," there''s a saying: without a sufficient number of deaths, one cannot be a top yer.
As one of the top yers at the pinnacle of the yer pyramid, Lu Qingshan had his share of innate talent, yet the hundreds to thousands of deaths were also inevitable.
Ten years of gaming experience, not to mention leveling up and defeating monsters, but just the thousands of PVP battles in the arena against yers of all sses had granted Lu Qingshan a near-unparalleled battle experience among the human cultivators.
Moreover, with the possibility of resurrection, Lu Qingshan also had many foolhardy experiences.
Defeating monsters above his level had be a routine affair, and although it often resulted in more losses than gains, with leveling down and resurrection, it also cultivated in him a big heart unfazed by life-and-death situations.
This was an enviable and precious experience that many cultivators would covet.
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...
He dodged another attack from the violent ball of Spiritual Power.
Lu Qingshan watched as Tiger Squad began to move, preparing to interfere with the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators conducting the Formation, his eyes slightly narrowing.
If merely Tiger Squad could prevent the power of the great Formation in Xuan Ming Valley,
it would indeed be underestimating Xuan Ming Valley significantly.
Lu Qingshan felt the fleeting sword aura in the air.
That familiar aura, if not Dantai Qingrun''s second life-bound sword previously used to defeat Xuan You, then what could it be?
Dantai Qingrun might have hidden well,
but with the boost from "Innate Swordseed," Lu Qingshan''s perception of and affinity for all types of Sword Artifacts had reached a level unimaginable to the average person.
Hence, Lu Qingshan instantly recognized the Qiuhong Sword hovering in the air.
Did he think he could just watch the y?
Lu Qingshan snorted displeasedly.
Using the Formless Sword Escape, Lu Qingshan, controlling the Crying Soul Sword, soared with undiminished speed towards Qiuhong.
ng!
The crisp sound of jade colliding.
The Sword Momentum swirling around Qiuhong repelled the Crying Soul Sword.
Was he discovered?!
A thought shed through Dantai Qingrun''s mind.
Since Lu Qingshan had noticed her, she could no longer keep hiding.
Whoosh!
The dawn''s light twinkled, and Qiuhong, like a meteor, broke through the sky, trailing a tail, and with a vast sword light that lit up the sky, it shed towards the Xuan Ming Valley cultivator heading the Great Formation.
The Xuan Ming Valley cultivator''s face changed, he concentrated the Spiritual Power of the formation, struggling to resist.
The brilliant beams of Spiritual Power burst forth incessantly, fiercely shing with the sword light, resembling two armies battling at the front lines.
Apanied by a series of metallic sounds, the Spiritual Power beams were finally extinguished, unable to continue.
Pfft!
The face of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivator still wore disbelief, but Qiuhong had already prated his Dantian, bursting his body with a surge of overwhelming Spirit Power in an instant.
Blood rained down.
It was as effortless as lifting a feather.
For Dantai Qingrun, killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even with the boost of a Great Formation, was like flipping her hand.
This sword not only crushed the body of the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was controlling the Formation but also shattered the will of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators to resist.
Chapter 96 Harvest
```
Under the strike of Dantai Qingrun, the resistance of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators seemed utterly meaningless.
Even Xuan You Zhenren, who had been desperately holding on with the Stone Giant Dharma Aspect, felt a touch of despair in his heart.
He knew that regardless of whether Xuan Ming Zhenren was defeated or fled, he could not change one fact¡ªhe was already caught in an isted and embarrassing situation.
Merely facing the encirclement of the Jiazi squad''s cultivators had left him overwhelmed.
And now, with Dantai Qingrun boosting the formation on the side, his fierce flying sword assault rendered Xuan You Zhenren utterly defenseless.
His defeat was just inches away.
Although the Stone Giant Dharma Aspect gave him high resistance, to withstand Dantai Qingrun''s flying sword attacks, the consumption of Spiritual Power every moment was immense.
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Moreover, judging by Dantai Qingrun''s rxed and effortless manner, it was clear that he had not yet gone all out.
Like a blunt knife cutting through flesh, Dantai Qingrun was slowly but surely eroding hisbat power.
A resolute glint shed in Xuan You Zhenren''s eyes.
He knew that with the actions he had taken, he had already vited the edicts of Great Xia and there was no possibility of being spared; even if he gave up resistance, death would be inevitable.
Considering the current situation, if things were dragged out further until his Spiritual Power ran dry, he would truly have no choice but to surrender.
He might as well take advantage of the little strength he had left and make a desperate attempt¡ªthere might still be a tiny chance of escaping this cmity.
Thinking this, Xuan You Zhenren finally made up his mind.
In an instant, as if triggering something, Xuan You Zhenren''s eyes emitted a faint red glow, and his body abruptly erupted in a wave of fiery, blood-colored mes.
His already mountainous figure grew several sizes in an instant.
At this moment, the aura of Xuan You Zhenren reached an unprecedented peak.
Blood Burning Technique!
A secret technique that Xuan You Zhenren possessed and would not use unless he faced a life-or-death situation¡ªan explosive technique.
By burning his own Essence Blood, he exchanged it for a brief surge in power.
Once the duration of the Blood Burning Technique ended, Xuan You Zhenren would fall into a state of unparalleled weakness.
This was a do-or-die attempt that would result in either sess or martyrdom.
Experienced cultivators facing such a situation would generally not choose to confront Xuan You Zhenren in his bursting state head-on but would engage in a battle of attrition to wait out his explosive phase.
The six members of the Jiazi squad, seasoned and cunning, immediately took the most correct countermeasures.
The defensive power of Xuan You Zhenren, now enhanced by the Stone Giant Dharma Aspect, had reached a new level, making ordinary attacks ineffective against him.
The Dharma Cultivation members of the Jiazi squad understood this as well and ceased casting Attack Spells, instead switching to Earth-based gravity spells to disrupt Xuan You Zhenren''s movements.
The Body Cultivation cultivators also avoided head-on confrontation with Xuan You Zhenren, instead shifting to his side.
"Shake!" Spiritual Cultivator Liu Xuan let out a soft chant, his left hand forming seals and his right forming a gesture, as he sent out a semi-circr arc of visible sonic waves from his mouth, shaking towards Xuan You Zhenren.
This was the sonic attack of the Spiritual Cultivator.
Although the Spirit Arts of Spiritual Cultivators were mostly auxiliary in nature, it didn''t mean theycked offensive capabilities.
Indeed, a cultivation path without the ability to attack could not have existed so long in the survival-of-the-fittest Cultivation World, continuously growing and developing for so long.
The Attack Spirit Spells of Spiritual Cultivators were known for being unpredictable and came in various forms and abilities.
Dharma Cultivation''s Spells might be nothing but a nuisance to Xuan You Zhenren, bolstered by the Stone Giant Dharma Aspect.
But Liu Xuan''s sonic attack, upon touching Xuan You Zhenren''s body, silently pierced through his rock-hard skin and infiltrated the inside of his body.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
A strange vibrating sound emanated from within Xuan You Zhenren''s body.
This Spirit Art targeted directly at Xuan You Zhenren''s internal organs.
Puff!
Xuan You Zhenren felt a surge in his Qi-Blood, a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out from his mouth.
An attack with a significant effect!
Xuan You Zhenren, seriously injured, tried to suppress the faint chaos in his Qi-Blood, his eyes the size of copper bells scanning the six members of the Jiazi squad who were scattered around him, maintaining a certain distance.
He needed to break through; he had to choose a direction as his breakout point.
Without much consideration, Xuan You Zhenren made his decision.
Mobilizing the boiling Spiritual Power within his body at full force under the effect of the Blood Burning Technique, Xuan You Zhenren''s legs pushed hard, and he leaped towards the position of the Sword Cultivator within the Jiazi squad.
As he soared into the air, Xuan You Zhenren swung his massive right fist.
On his right fist suddenly appeared a ck gauntlet with sharp spikes.
This was his magic artifact, a Middle-Grade Spiritual Artifact!
Xuan You Zhenren seemed prepared to take on everyone''s attacks head-on, exchanging blows with the Sword Cultivator at the cost of injury.
How could the fragile Sword Cultivator dare to trade blows with him?
Faced with his punch, the Sword Cultivator would surely choose to dodge aside.
Just as he expected, Xuan You Zhenren saw the Sword Cultivator from the Jiazi squad shifting to the side to evade.
```
An opening had thus emerged.
This was the opportunity!
Real Master Xuan You''s eyes lit up!
Hiss¡ª
Just as he was overjoyed in his heart, a somewhat familiar voice reached Real Master Xuan You''s ears.
What was that?
Before Real Master Xuan You could react,
an irresistible force came from his back.
Under this formidable strength, he fell from midair in a vertical drop and crashed to the ground.
Bang!
A loud impact resounded, stirring up clouds of dust everywhere.
Real Master Xuan You struggled to his feet, watching the graceful figure standing in midair.
"Still trying to flee?"
Dantai Qingrun held the Spirit Hidden Sword and snorted coldly.
It was her who had just released a sh of Sword Qi that knocked Real Master Xuan You out of the sky.
This scene felt strangely familiar.
Not long ago, Real Master Xuan You had been smashed to the ground by Dantai Qingrun''s sword in exactly the same way.
Real Master Xuan You had never imagined that even after using the Blood Burning Technique, he still couldn''t withstand Dantai Qingrun''s Sword Qi.
He had greatly overestimated Dantai Qingrun, but her strength still far exceeded his expectations.
With such a powerful Dantai Qingrun suppressing him from the side, he saw no hope at all.
The Jiazi Squad adjusted their positions swiftly like sticky candy, quickly enclosing him once more.
The duration of the Blood Burning Technique was rapidly fading.
At this moment, Real Master Xuan You felt overwhelmed by despair.
...
A momentter,
without the slightest suspense, the bloody mes on Real Master Xuan You gradually extinguished, and his momentum weakened.
The effect of the Blood Burning Technique had worn off, leaving Real Master Xuan You in a weakened state.
Liu Xuan brought out the Spirit Binding Rope, tying up the powerless Real Master Xuan You securely.
With this, the mission was easily aplished.
¡
On Lu Qingshan''s side, with Dantai Qingrun''s support using the Flying Sword Technique, it took just an instant to y seven or eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley.
The remaining cultivators lost their courage, and as soon as Real Master Xuan You started to resist, they quickly gave up.
Although several Xuan Ming Valley cultivators perished on the spot under Dantai Qingrun''s flying sword,
Dantai Qingrun was mainly focused on Real Master Xuan You, and her attacks on these Foundation Establishment Cultivators were casual.
So, some of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators managed to cling onto half a life thanks to the power of their formations, surviving under Dantai Qingrun''s flying sword.
Lu Qingshan was more than happy with such situations.
Without any hesitation, he sent the Crying Soul Sword shooting out.
The severely injured Xuan Ming Valley cultivators, who had already been half-killed by Dantai Qingrun''s flying sword, were all finished off by Lu Qingshan one by one, sent on the road to the Netherworld.
Once all these Xuan Ming Valley cultivators stopped resisting, Lu Qingshan ceased his harvesting momentum.
He opened the data panel to check his gains from this expedition.
"...Target is dead!"
"You have in the target!"
"...You have gained 1100 Experience Points!"
...
Rows of data neatly lined up on the panel.
This expedition was basically monopolized by Dantai Qingrun in battle.
Yet, merely following along and picking off what was left, Lu Qingshan still obtained a substantial amount of Experience Points.
His total Experience Points had now reached 9500.
Is this what it feels like to ride on coattails?
Lu Qingshan felt quitefortable.
Chapter 97 Undercurrents Surge
Dantai Qingrun controlled her sword in midair, her divine sense released, enveloping the entire valley.
"We are here only for the two Golden Core Cultivators, Xuan You and Xuan Ming; it has nothing to do with the rest of you.
The Pacification Commissioner willeter to take charge of you. As long as it is determined that you have notmitted any transgressions against thews of Great Xia or the ughter of mortals, you will be safe and sound,"
Dantai Qingrun''s frosty voice spread throughout the valley.
Hearing these words, the expressions of the Xuan Ming Valley cultivators who chose to give up resistance varied.
Some breathed a sigh of relief as if a great burden had been lifted, some looked worried, already thinking about how to pursue their cultivation after their sect had fallen.
Among them were a few cultivators whose faces showed panic.
These were the unclean-handed evil cultivators.
Hearing that the cultivators from the Pacification Commissioner would take charge of them naturally made them extremely nervous.
Yet these cultivators carefully nced at Dantai Qingrun, who hovered in midair, and dare not make any slight movements.
Facing the scrutiny of the Pacification Commissioner, there was still a slim chance to deceive, to gamble for a glimmer of survival.
But if they tried to make any small movements under the watch of this female sword cultivator, their heads would likely fall immediately.
Not to mention, there were six Golden Core Cultivators from Tiger Squad watching them closely.
So even though they were anxious, they did not dare to act rashly.
¡
Dantai Qingrun''s brows suddenly twitched, a thought crossing her mind.
Found it!
Dantai Qingrun''s figure flickered as she dashed toward the location her divine sense had detected.
There was a barrier set up there, blocking the pration of her divine sense.
With one sword thrust, she broke the barrier, and a pitch-dark cave entrance appeared in front of Dantai Qingrun.
Dantai Qingrun stepped in.N?v(el)B\\jnn
The damp air carried an almost imperceptible scent of decay.
A chill and viscid breath met her face.
Dantai Qingrun surveyed the dim cave.
What caught her eye were the distinctly separate Corpse Pools.
In the Corpse Pools, there were numerous Corpse Puppets.
The reason she had released her divine sense over the Xuan Ming Valley was to search for these Corpse Pools, essential for the making of Corpse Puppets.
Now the evidence was crystal clear, the two Golden Core Cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley were indeed refining Corpse Puppets in secret.
It is the responsibility of the Pacification Commissioner to capture and kill the evil cultivators who break thew.
Zhenjiang Tower would naturally not go to such lengths just to help the Pacification Commissioner eradicate evil.
It is not strange for evil cultivators to engage in forbidden acts, but if arge number of cultivators were secretly refining Corpse Puppets within the entire region of Zhenjiang Prefecture, the machinations behind it would be undeniable.
The goal of Zhenjiang Tower was to capture those cultivators with ties to the Underworld.
Of course, in the process, by also helping the Pacification Commissioner root out the evil cultivators whomitted transgressions in Zhenjiang Prefecture, it was hitting two birds with one stone, an added bonus.
Yet at the sight of the Corpse Pool, a chill ran through Dantai Qingrun''s heart.
For just one Xuan Ming Valley, the production of Corpse Puppets was already at an rming number.
Over the past twenty years, what would be the terrifying number of Corpse Puppets refined across the whole prefecture?
The thought alone was chilling.
After wandering in the cave for a while, a sh of spiritual light crossed Dantai Qingrun''s eyes¡ªher divine sense picked up a vast and lively spirit from the outside.
They''vee?
...
A colossal wooden boat stopped above Xuan Ming Valley.
The moment the wooden boat stopped, hundreds of spiritual lights leapt out and materialized into over a hundred cultivators after they revealed their forms.
Lu Qingshan nced at these suddenly appearing cultivators.
The cultivators were uniformly dressed.
Those were the garments of the Pacification Commissioner''s cultivators.
¡
Dantai Qingrun walked out from the underground cave, showing no surprise at the sight of the hundred-plus cultivators from the Pacification Commissioner.
Because these cultivators from the Pacification Commissioner were precisely the ones she had personally notified to be dispatched by the Pacification Commissioner to take over and wrap things up before she took action.
The Cultivator leading the Pacification Commissionernded in front of Dantai Qingrun and greeted him with a bow, "Dantai Tower Master."
Dantai Qingrun nodded in acknowledgment, "No need for formalities. Xuan Ming Valley has vited the Great Xia''s prohibition, refining Corpse Puppets, and the Corpse Pool is right here within this underground cavern; the evidence is conclusive.
These lower-grade Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley will be handed over to your Pacification Commissioner for your own investigation and handling."
The Cultivators from the Pacification Commissioner naturally had no objections, "Understood, your intervention was much appreciated this time, Dantai Tower Master."
The conspiracy of the Netherworld is of great significance and, given that many mouths make light work, to maintain secrecy, it''s natural that the lower-grade Cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley are unaware of their Sect''s collusion with the Netherworld.
As for the Corpse Pool, hidden by the efforts of Xuan Ming Zhenren, these lowly Cultivators are even more oblivious.
Zhishoulou''s mission this time was clear and concise, focused solely on the two Golden Core Cultivators from Xuan Ming Valley.
But it''s certain that these lower-grade Cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley couldn''t just be let off the hook.
As the Sect''s high-ranking Xuan Ming Zhenren and Xuan You Zhenren are so cruel and bloodthirsty, it''s unreasonable to expect that all the lower-grade Cultivators of the Sect would remain untainted.
Among these people, there must be Cultivators who have disregarded thews of the Great Xia.
But such matters should be handled by the Pacification Commissioner.
Zhishoulou has never been one to meddle in unnecessary affairs.
...
The many wicked Magic Artifacts of Xuan Ming Zhenren could not have been crafted in a short period of time.
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This shows that Xuan Ming Zhenren didn''t start ughtering mortals only aftering into contact with the Underworld Cultivators.
It is a cause, not an effect.
The Underworld valued Xuan Ming Zhenren''s method of crafting wicked Magic Artifacts without detection over the years, despite being drenched in blood. That''s why they contacted Xuan Ming Zhenren and coborated with him,missioning the crafting of Corpse Puppets.
In fact, the coborators sought out by the Netherworld are all simrly evil Cultivators, filled to the brim with wicked deeds.
The reasons are simple and two-fold:
First, these evil Cultivators, with their hands stained in blood, once discovered by Great Xia, are beyond redemption.
Therefore, there''s no possibility for these practicers of the dark arts to betray¡ªthey would only harm themselves and benefit others.
Why would such Cultivators possess the nobility to sacrifice their own wealth and lives to expose Underworld Cultivators?
Furthermore, the creation of Corpse Puppets requires the physical bodies of the Human Race.
This means that a significant number of mortals need to be abducted.
With so many mortals going missing, if the ends are not tied up neatly, it could attract the attention of Great Xia and risk exposure.
These evil Cultivators, who have long operated in the gray areas, ughtering innocents to refine wicked Spells or Magic Artifacts without being detected by Great Xia, must have their ways and means.
To the Netherworld, these practitioners are undoubtedly excellent partners.
In fact, in the Corpse Puppet Chaos unleashed by the Netherworld in Zhenjiang Prefecture, most of the Corpse Puppets were crafted by the hands of these evil Cultivators. Only a very small portion were actually made by Underworld Cultivators themselves.
Having handed over the lower-grade Cultivators of Xuan Ming Valley to the Pacification Commissioner, Dantai Qingrun was no longer concerned with the matter at hand.
Taking the Xuan You Zhenren and Xuan Ming Zhenren, both bound by Spirit Binding Ropes, Dantai Qingrun returned to the Tower swiftly with the Jiazi Squad and Tiger Squad in tow.
...
Although they had set out almost simultaneously, under the guidance of Dantai Qingrun, Lu Qingshan and his group were the first among the Zhishou Guards toplete their mission.
After returning to the Tower and handing over Xuan You Zhenren and Xuan Ming Zhenren to the Prison Warden Office, Lu Qingshan''s mission was consideredplete.
Even so, Lu Qingshan and his group were not allowed to leave but had to gather in the Tower, waiting for the nextmand.
¡ª While the capture mission at Xuan Ming Valley hase to an end, the assignment of Zhenjiang Tower has actually just begun.
The captured evil Cultivators are not considered members of the Netherworld, and they are not the true targets of Zhishoulou.
The reason for taking action against these individuals is simply because the Underworld Cultivators have hidden themselves too well, out of reach.
But with these evil Cultivators apprehended, it bes possible to interrogate them and extract information about the Underworld Cultivators with whom they''ve been in contact.
Then by tracking down these leads, they can uncover the actual Underworld Cultivators.
...
As time passed, the dispersed Zhishou Guards gradually returned, one team after another.
Each returning team of Cultivators brought with them a few Cultivators they had personally captured and handed them over to the Prison Warden Office.
Given the distribution of personnel on this mission, it was feasible for the Cultivators dispatched by Zhishoulou toplete their respective tasks.
But there are no guarantees of 100% sess in this world.
So, inevitably, one or two teams of Cultivators failed to capture their targets or could not apprehend them alive, bringing back only a corpse instead.
But this didn''t affect the bigger picture.
Overall, the surprise capture missionunched by the full force of Zhenjiang Tower''s Zhishou Guards went exceedingly smoothly.
What remains is to await news from the Prison Warden Office.
Chapter 98 Chess
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Cultivators'' time is precious, yet not so precious.
Cultivators'' cultivation contends with heaven for fate.
Foundation Establishment has two hundred years, Golden Core has five hundred years.
For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they must break through to the Golden Core Stage within two hundred years to gain the additional three hundred years of life, which naturally means they cannot afford to waste a single second.
However, whether cultivators are practicing Cultivation Techniques or refining Magic Artifacts, it is often measured in months and years.
Thus, in a sufficiently long span, cultivators are also the ones whock the concept of time the most.
Just like now.
All the guards in the tower are gathered here, quietly waiting for the interrogation results from the Prison Warden Office, oblivious to the passage of time.
...
Prison Warden Office.
Unlike the gloomy secr cells one might imagine, this ce is clean and bright, untouched by dust.
Today''s Prison Warden Office is more bustling than ever.
In one of the scattered rooms equipped with Spirit-restricting Formations, at this very moment, cultivators captured by the guards are imprisoned.
Inside one of the prison rooms, smoke fills the air, and the oddly scented sandalwood continues to burn.
This is the Soul-bewitching Incense, which has a significantly enhancing effect on the Soul-bewitching Technique used on cultivators.
Members of the Prison Warden Office have many varied methods of extracting information from cultivators.
The mostmon is to use some unique Techniques to torture the captured cultivators, who naturally confess everything when they can no longer endure the pain.
Yet among cultivators, many have firm wills and often endure pains that ordinary people cannot withstand.
At this time, more advanced methods are needed, such as Illusion Techniques, Soul-bewitching Techniques, and Soul Searching Techniques among others.
Liu Mi is a Spiritual Cultivator within the Prison Warden Office skilled in the Soul-bewitching Technique.
Liu Mi quietly sized up Xuan Ming, whose face was covered with terrifying blood spots.
Being familiar with his colleagues'' methods, he immediately recognized these as traces left by bloodthirsty ants.
The bloodthirsty ants are exceptionally small and enter the cultivator''s body through every pore, moving continuously inside, consuming blood until the cultivator is drained dry, turning into a mummified corpse.
During this process, the affected cultivator not only feels intense itching all over but also unbearable pain, certainly qualifying as a form of torture.
Yet, Xuan Ming faced such brutal torture and still did not speak up, so they had handed Xuan Ming over to him.
Thinking this, Liu Mi sighed, "To have such resolve, why then engage in such forbidden acts."
Xuan Ming looked at Liu Mi expressionlessly, "The Evil Cultivation Faction has always been this way; this is a natural and justified act, where does the talk of prohibitione from?"
Liu Mi shook his head, no longer speaking to Xuan Ming.
Arguing over whose beliefs are correct has always been a meaningless endeavor.
Mentally stirring, Liu Mi''s immense Divine Soul power poured out from his forehead, surging towards Xuan Ming.
Xuan Ming''s cold eyes gradually lost their light, his pupils moving upward, leaving only the whites visible.
This was the sign that the Soul-bewitching Technique was taking effect.
Suddenly, Liu Mi''s expression changed, and then his steps faltered, nearly causing him to stumble and fall.
"You!" Stabilizing himself, Liu Mi pointed at Xuan Ming, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Just when the Soul-bewitching Technique took effect, Xuan Ming, disregarding the restrictions of the Spirit-restricting Formation, employed some peculiar spell to dissolve his own Divine Soul.
The fluctuation from the copse of his Divine Soul also gave Liu Mi, who had sent his Divine Soul power into Xuan Ming''s Divine Soul, a harsh blow.
Yet Xuan Ming''s situation was worse, as blood continuously seeped from all seven apertures of his head.
Once the Divine Soul copses, it truly means the soul is scattered and there is no chance for reincarnation.
Xuan Ming''s resolute action caught Liu Mi off guard.
"You so-called righteous people think you can get the information you want from me? Dream on!"
Seeing Liu Mi''s gloomy expression, Xuan Ming chuckled darkly and then slowly closed his eyes.
His body, showing no signs of life, could no longer support him standing; it fell directly to the ground like a pool of mud.
ck!
A chess piece heavilynded on the board.
The yer, a burly man looking about thirty years old, wore a gray robe; his high nose and broad mouth underlined by arge, square face that showed signs of weathering.
"Have you still not found the reason for the failed plot to seize the mirror in Yuanshan City?"
Two cold, electric-like gazes swiftly circled the face of the man opposite him.
Sitting across from the burly man was an old man with white hair and beard.
If Dantai Qingrun were here, he would certainly recognize that this old man was Luo Yan, the former City Lord of Yuanshan City, who had vanished without a trace after the battle there.
Luo Yan looked at the two cannons that had crossed the river on the chessboard, his expression darkened as he lightly moved a piece, positioning a knight defensively.
"Lord Asura, I have thoroughly investigated all those involved in the Yuanshan City operation and found no clues.
However, having strategized in Yuanshan City for many years, meticulously nning every detail, I can find no other reason for the failure of the mirror-snatching n aside from there being a traitor within."
It turned out the burly middle-aged man was indeed Asura, who supervised the Zhenjiang region for the Prison Warden Office.
"If you have yed chess for an hour and still don''t know who the lousy yer is," Asura responded indifferently, advancing his chariot into the camp, the pieces on the board¨Dchariot, horse, cannon¨Daligned to the edge in a three-piece retreating movement.
"Then you are that lousy yer!"
Luo Yan fell silent for a long while, his voice hoarse: "Your subordinate understands."
Asura made a killing move, capturing Luo Yan''s flying horse in one bite.N?v(el)B\\jnn
"News just came in, it''s unknown where the leak happened, but Zhenjiang Tower mobilized all its guarding cultivators, rounding up those evil cultivators who coborated with us and were involved in crafting corpse puppets for us."
Luo Yan''s hand, which was lifting a piece, trembled slightly but eventually steadied as he ced a bishop in the diagonal to thwart Asura''s continuous attacks.
"Our people, in contact with those evil cultivators, never revealed their true identities nor their faces.
Even if Zhenjiang Tower goes to great lengths, forcing those evil cultivators to open up, they shouldn''t be able to obtain any meaningful information, right?"
Asura, expressionless, moved his chariot across, capturing the bishop: "Among all the Hall Masters, you are the most cautious and thorough in your actions, meticulously nning everything. I had the greatest respect for you.
But doesn''t the current situation look familiar to you?
In Yuanshan City, you were just as self-deceptive, neglecting the signs even though you found them, stubbornly sticking to the original n and causing years of arrangements in Yuanshan City to go to waste.
Is that not enough, having gone through that battle, for you not to learn your lesson?"
Feeling the dissatisfaction in Asura''s words, Luo Yan broke out in a slight cold sweat on his back, hurriedly moving his chariot back in defense: "You''re right in your reprimand, sir. So now?"
Asura made a cannon jump, capturing the chariot Luo Yan had pulled back: "Do you know what is most taboo in ying chess?"
Without waiting for Luo Yan to answer, Asura spoke with a cold tone: "The most feared thing in chess is falling into the opponent''s rhythm.
Just like you are now, being passive, continually moving pieces in defense against my attacks, yet every step you take is within my expectations.
ying chess like this, there''s no chance of winning."
Luo Yan, taken aback as if enlightened, gradually changed his movements, isting a pawn: "So, what we need to do now is to disrupt the rhythm of Zhenjiang Tower''s actions."
Asura nced at the direction of Luo Yan''s pieces, chuckling coldly: "Good understanding, but by the time you realized this and decided to take the initiative to disrupt my arrangement, I see it as merely futile struggling."
Luo Yan''s expression became somewhat embarrassed, mixed with a bit of confusion: "Then... what should we do?"
Asura reached out, crossed the boundary of Chu and Han, gently picked up Luo Yan''s general piece, then suddenly flipped the chessboard.
Pieces scattered, rolling onto the ground.
Asura tightly held onto the general in his hand, his tone full of murderous intent: "Paying respect to the gods relies on incense; ying Chinese chess relies on the general!
As long as the general is still in y, no matter how poor the game, it''s not considered a loss yet.
Since facing off directly has already put us at a disadvantage, why not just flip the chessboard!"
Chapter 99 Calling for Help
Beneath Zhenjiang Cityy a bizarre, unknowable area of distortion.
A massive assembly of cultivators gathered, each emanating a distinct aura, but all mixed with a chilling air.
If any outsider had witnessed this scene, they would have been utterly terrified.
Because the gathered crowd of over a hundred were all Golden Core Stage cultivators.
What a horrifying concept!
Just to illustrate, the Lu Family, with merely three Golden Core cultivators, could rank among the middle tier of Zhenjiang''s thirty-six major cultivator families.
All these Golden Core cultivators were respectfully gazing at the burly cultivator leading them.
Thisrge-framed cultivator was none other than the ''Asura'', whomanded all Underworld members in the prefectural region of Zhenjiang City ¡ª under hismand were a hundred Golden Core Stage Hall Masters, thousands of Underworld Demon Cultivators, always a thorn in the side of Zhenjiang Tower.
Rakshasa respectfully approached Asura, "Reporting to Lord Asura, all 108 Hall Masters of Zhenjiang Underworld, four Yaksha Lords, and two Lords of the Impermanence have arrived, not a single absence."
"Good!" the imposing Asura began, his voice thundering, "I have summoned you here today to have you immediately prepare and enterbat readiness, awaiting further instructions.
Soon, we will initiate the Corpse Puppet Chaos, establish the Asura Blood Formation, and wee the birth of the Demon Child."
Instantly, the eyes of the surrounding cultivators lit up with fervor.
"After years of keeping a low profile, perhaps Zhenjiang Tower thinks we Underworld will only back down continuously. It''s time to show them what we''re made of!"
To wee the Demon Child, they had been nning for too long.
Over the years, for the sake of their grand n, they had made countless concessions, avoiding conflict with Zhenjiang Tower as much as possible, causing the naturally violent Underworld Demon Cultivators to fume with repressed anger.
Now that Asura was preparing to unleash the Corpse Puppet Chaos and ughter throughout Zhenjiang, they felt like warriors who finally see the clearing skies after persistent gloom.
"But, Lord Asura, isn''t the originally scheduled time still three months away?"
Among the fervent stares, a gray-robed cultivator stepped forward, hesitantly asking, "Why start earlier...."
"Hm?" Asura''s gaze was electric as he swept over the gray-robed cultivator.
"Your subordinate obeys." Under Asura''s hawk-like, sharp gaze, the gray-robed cultivator felt a chill in his heart, no longer daring to question, he respectfully responded.
"Move out!"
With Asura''smand,
all the Hall Masters quickly shed into the distorted area, which immediately began to show enigmatic Formation Patterns.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Spiritual Light radiated, and those who entered the distorted area turned into shadows, gradually disappearing.
Meanwhile, all 107 prefecture cities under the jurisdiction of Zhenjiang, excluding Yuanshan City, contained unknown secret ces.
The figures of the Underworld cultivators who had vanished beneath Zhenjiang City began to reappear gradually.
The distorted area was actually a high-level Teleportation Array set up long ago, connecting Zhenjiang City to its 108 subordinate prefecture cities.
The Underworld Hall Masters, upon returning to their respective halls within each prefecture city, did not dy. They swiftly sent out Spirit Messages, mobilizing and organizing their forces.
Undercurrents surged, a storm was silently brewing.
Rakshasa watched as the Hall Masters disappeared into the Teleportation Array, but his mind was reying his earlier conversation with Lord Asura.
...
Tap! Tap!
Chess pieces scattered across the ground, rolling about.
Rakshasa felt his heart leap, "Is the master preparing?"
The light in Asura''s eyes burst forth fiercely, his tone grim, "Zhenjiang Tower is nning to swallow our pieces one by one.
So far, their moves in Yuanshan City have resulted in ourplete loss of those pieces.
This time, they seem to have subtly touched upon the secret of the Corpse Puppets.
But it''s toote, 20 years toote, as we have already set up our killing game."
And for him to devour our pieces, he needed time.
"Then I''ll simply flip the chessboard and not give him that time. What use are the talents of Zhenjiang Tower if it can''t defend against this?"
"But hasn''t Lord Wuchang''s arrangements on his side still not been fully prepared?" Rakshasa spoke cautiously.
"We can''t wait any longer!"
Asura spoke firmly, "Where in the world is there a sure-win strategy in chess? As long as the odds of winning exceed fifty percent, it is enough to make a move.
Moreover, even we are not fully prepared yet, so what preparations could Zhenjiang Tower have?
With years of nning, even if Iunch the Corpse Puppet Chaos prematurely, how could the odds of winning be just fifty percent?
You go and send out the Spirit Message, summon all the Hall Masters!"
Since Asura had already made a decision, how could Rakshasa dare to question? He respectfully said, "Understood, my lord!"
...
Zhenjiang Tower.
The interrogation work by the Prison Warden Office cultivators was proceeding smoothly.
The cultivators captured by the Zhenjiang guards were different from the Underworld cultivators.
Underworld cultivators have the Heart Demon Gu imnted in their Divine Souls, limited by the Heart Demon Gu, it was extremely difficult to extract any useful information from them.
But with these cultivators, just a few techniques were needed. Apart from extremely rare cases like True Person Xuan Ming, usually, it wasn''t hard to obtain the required intelligence.
Chu He, the Tower Master of Zhenjiang Tower, looked at the intelligence reported by the Prison Warden Office, furrowed his brows lightly, and asked a steward cultivator in charge of the ck Ice tform below.
"Are you saying that the identities used by these Evil Cultivators tomunicate with the Underworld cultivators were all fake, so currently we still can''t trace these people''s origins?"
The steward of the ck Ice tform exined, "The Underworld Office is meticulous in its actions; they always use disguise before making contact with the Evil Cultivators.
Thus, the portraits of Underworld cultivators drawn based on the descriptions from the Evil Cultivators do not match any of the cultivators in Zhenjiang City.
However, even if these Underworld cultivators have disguised themselves, there are still traces to follow; we just need some time to investigate."
Chu He tapped the desk lightly with his finger, "How much time is needed?"
The steward cultivator stretched out his right palm and said emphatically, "Five days! Within five days, we will definitely have some leads."
The wrinkles on Chu He''s aged face were clearly visible. After pondering for a moment, he finally said decisively, "Alright, then give you five days!"
"Then, I shall take my leave first!" The steward cultivator bowed respectfully and then exited the room.
"What are your thoughts?" Chu He turned his head and asked the two deputy tower masters standing beside him.
As the more senior deputy tower master, Gao Tian spoke first, "Underworld cultivators are definitely disguised in various identities, infiltrating Zhenjiang City.
With the caution of the Underworld, once they receive news of our actions against these Evil Cultivators, they might very likely withdraw silently from Prefectural City.
So I have already sent a message to City Lord Lin, asking him to send cultivators to strictly inspect any cultivator leaving the city."
Chu He nodded, saying approvingly, "That is appropriate."
Dantai Qingrun furrowed his brow tightly, "From the current situation, the Underworld has spent huge resources over the years, creating countless Corpse Puppets.
Combined with what Supervisor Qi reported, he saw blood light spread from Prefecture City to the entire Prefectural City in the Heavenly Secret Mirror.
The primary purpose of these Corpse Puppets is most likely topensate for theirck of manpower and to make a move against our Prefectural City.
Such grand movements from the Underworld suggest a well-thought-out n with great confidence.
Although we have made some gains, I still have a bad feeling. To be on the safe side, I propose we send a Spirit Message again to the Qing State main tower, asking them to dispatch arge number of elite cultivators to aid us in Prefectural City."
Dantai Qingrun''s words plunged Chu He and Gao Tian into deep thought.
After a moment, Chu He rubbed the bridge of his nose and said decisively, "Indeed, we must not take Supervisor Qi''s words lightly.
Let''s follow Deputy Tower Master Dantai Qingrun''s suggestion and request assistance from the Qing State main tower again!"
Chapter 100 Corpse Puppet Chaos
Great Capital City.
One of the prefecture cities under the jurisdiction of Zhenjiang.
This month, the duty to guard the northern district fell to Qin Tianhan, a cultivator at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment.
Hemanded a City Guard Army squad consisting of twenty men.
Every city established by Great Xia was protected by the presence of the City Guard Army.
The City Guard Army recruited from all cultivators of good standing, regardless of whether they were loose cultivators or came from family backgrounds. All were eligible to join the City Guard Army.
After joining the City Guard Army, as long as one fulfilled their responsibilities and took turns on duty, they could enjoy a fixed quota of cultivation resources such as Spirit Stones and Pills distributed by Great Xia.
The duty of the City Guard Army was to protect the humans within the city.
They had to guard against demon beast attacks from the wilderness outside the city as well as oversee the disputes among cultivators within the city.
As on any other day, Qin Tianhan stood atop the city wall, gazing into the dark wilderness beyond.
All was calm and quiet.
To such circumstances, Qin Tianhan had grown ustomed.
He had been part of the Great Capital City Guard Army for sixty years and had yet to encounter any major chaos. He''d never even seen a demon beast attack the city.
At most, he encountered cultivators taking action within the city, requiring his intervention for discipline.
If not for specific reasons, Great Xia strictly forbade cultivators from engaging in magicalbat within the city.
But cultivators, as a group, were known to be unrestrained by rules.
Thus, incidences of cultivators fighting within the city urred every couple of days.
As long as no ordinary people were identally harmed, a stern reprimand from them and a fine of some Spirit Stones would usually settle the matter.
The job was much easier than one might imagine.
Involuntarily, Qin Tianhan''s gaze wandered as he began to calcte in his mind.
After his fortuitous advance to Foundation Establishment as a loose cultivator, the resources required for a Foundation Establishment cultivator''s practice were beyond what he, as a loose cultivator, could afford.
Feeling the difficulty of cultivation for loose cultivators, he pondered deeply before ultimately deciding to enlist in the Great Capital City Guard Army.
Although the rules of the City Guard Army were strict and did not allow for the same freedom as a loose cultivator, the benefits were good.
Not to mention the fixed supply of resources, only four months out of the year required active duty, leaving the remaining time for him to allocate freely.
Under these conditions, he had steadily cultivated to the realm of Perfection in Foundation Establishment.
He was now just over a hundred thirty years old. With careful nning for another decade or two, there was a chance to attempt the breakthrough to Golden Core.
Once one became a Golden Core cultivator, that was like leaping over the Dragon Gate, making one a significant figure within the Great Capital City.
For a loose cultivator to achieve this was exceedingly rare.
Thinking of this future prospect, Qin Tianhan''s face couldn''t help but reveal a bit of smugness.
"Hm? What''s this? Has something gone bad?" the absent-minded Qin Tianhan''s nose twitched subconsciously.
A faint stench of decay and putrescence mixed into the air, and he caught its scent.
Humans possess six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and Divine Sense.
Each sense has its wonder, but the most important, the Divine Sense, requires exceedingly precious Spells to practice, beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Aside from Divine Sense, practicing the other five senses takes an inordinate amount of time and does not provide as direct a boost tobat power as Spells do.
Generally, cultivators would prefer to spend their time practicing Cultivation Techniques to umte Spiritual Power or learning Spells to increase theirbat abilities.
Very few people would choose to cultivate the Five Senses Technique.
However, Qin Tianhan was an exception.
The reason he was able to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage as a loose cultivator was due to the fact that he had practiced a supplemental Technique that strengthened his sense of smell.
After practicing this Technique, although hisbat power did not increase, his sense of smell was far superior to that of ordinary cultivators. In the wilderness, he frequently could detect the scents of demon beasts, allowing him to avoid danger.
He could even locate deeply hidden Spiritual Medicine through their unique scents.
This was how he managed to gather enough resources on his own to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Realizing the extraordinary use of his sense of smell, he continued to cultivate it even after bing a Foundation Establishment cultivator and gaining the ability to project his Divine Sense.
This choice proved to be correct.
Because the reach of Divine Sense was limited, often things that his Divine Sense could not detect, his sense of smell could.
Like now.
"This isn''t right!" Qin Tianhan''s expression darkened.
Because this scent of decay wasn''t like the usual smell of things rotting¡ªit was more like... the stench of a corpse!
Qin Tianhan''s background as a loose cultivator made him exceedingly cautious in his actions.
Perhaps others would not take this scent seriously, as in a vast city, the emergence of the smell of corpses was not particrly strange, right?
But Qin Tianhan would not let it go.
"Follow me," Qin Tianhan said with a stern face, leading his subordinates in the direction from which the stench of decay was emanating.
The City Guard Army cultivators, although somewhat perplexed, would not defy orders and hurriedly followed along.
As he searched for the source of the putrid smell, Qin Tianhan was taken aback.
The decay he was tracking had be increasingly intense, indicating he was nearing its origin.
But, Qin Tianhan sniffed lightly.
At this moment, the air was permeated with the same noxious odor of decaying from all directions.
In just a short while, it seemed the entire city was engulfed with this pungent stench of rot.
What rattled him even more was the faint scent of blood mingling with the heavy odor of decay.
A foreboding feeling surfaced in his heart.
They didn''t stop their pace, continuing to rush toward the initial source of the rot,
What kind of evil spirit was causing this mischief!
"What is...that?!" A cultivator, his teeth chattering, pointed to something not far off and said.
In the darkness of the night.
A monstrous, human-shaped figure stood in the distance, its face smeared with blood, theplexion a ghastly pale and twisted.
The eyes atop its head were emitting an incredibly ferocious, blood-red light, its mouth full of sharp fangs gleaming with a metallic luster.
Its skin resembled ayer of pure ck carapace, looking exceptionally tough.
Even from a distance, not just Qin Tianhan, but other cultivators could smell the thick stench of rot and the foul odor of blood emanating from it.
This colossus was clutching a mortal, its fangs pierced into the mortal''s throat, guzzling and sucking the blood within.
The mortal withered at a visible rate, turning into a dried-up corpse.
"Blood...Blood Stiff!" A City Guard Army cultivator, who came from a family skilled in cultivation and with a broader view, answered with a trembling voice.
One Blood Stiff naturally wouldn''t frighten him so much.
¡ªBehind the Blood Stiff, there were countless shadows, which although smaller in sizepared to the leading Blood Stiff,
the number was simply too great.
The houses in this area had already copsed, shattered, turning the ce into ruins, the ground littered with desated corpses of mortals.
The reason there had been no noise before was that, at some unknown time, a rough soundproof barrier had been cast over the area.
The scene before him was like hell on earth, chilling and shocking Qin Tianhan to the core.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators seemed rather insignificant in front of such a multitude of Corpse Puppets.
At that moment, when the Corpse Puppets saw the squad of the City Guard Army led by Qin Tianhan, they instantly swarmed over in a frenzied tide.
Their instincts drove them towards the cultivators, drawn by the stronger and more enticing blood that flowed through their bodies.
The essence blood of the cultivators would have an even more pronounced effect on their evolution.
For Qin Tianhan, the sight of countless Corpse Puppets lunging at him was like being plunged into an ice cave, a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life.
"Light the beacon smoke!" Faced with the horrifying scene before him, Qin Tianhan''s face contorted violently as he bellowed.
Immediately, Qin Tianhan quickly retreated, while pulling out a Spirit Talisman from his Storage Ring, channeling his Spiritual Power to toss it into the air.
The Spirit Talisman burst into light, transforming into a surge of red smoke shooting into the sky.
Despite the cloak of night, the brilliance of the red smoke could not be concealed.
Beacon Smoke Talisman!
A Talisman used to send warning signals.
Upon joining the City Guard Army, Qin Tianhan had received this Talisman.
It would only be used in grave situations like a massive demon beast attack on the city.
For many years, this Talisman had not been used, but tonight, for the first time, the Beacon Smoke Talisman was activated!
Reacting to Qin Tianhan''s roar, the City Guard Army cultivators finally snapped to attention, also taking out their Beacon Smoke Talismans, sending out warning signals.
Before long, beacon smoke rose in all directions.
...
Corpse Puppet attack on the city!
An uncountable number of Corpse Puppets attacking the city!
This was chaos; this was a disaster!
Apanying the night were thousands upon thousands of Corpse Puppets of unknown origin.
Among them were First Grade Corpse Puppets, equivalent to Qi Refining Cultivators: Iron Stiffs and White Stiffs, as well as Second Grade Corpse Puppets, equivalent to Foundation Establishment Cultivators: Roaming Corpses and Flying Stiffs, and there were even Third Grade Corpse Puppets¡ªBlood Stiffs and Indestructible Bones¡ªwhich could contend with Golden Core Cultivators!
While they varied in rank and kind, these Corpse Puppets all possessed pairs of red, ferocious eyes.
In the veil of night, they were like red stars, but the sight would send shivers down one''s spine and make one''s scalp tingle.
The Corpse Puppets swept over like a tide, covering the city and mortal dwellings.
Corpse Puppets drew strength from blood and could even evolve and increase their own strength by consuming a certain amount of it.
Ruthlessly, they rolled over each human being, heedless of their struggles and screams, biting through their throats and voraciously devouring the essence blood within their flesh.
Chapter 101 Miscalculation
"True Monarch, within the one hundred and eight Prefecture Cities of Zhenjiang, a total of ny-seven Prefecture Cities have sent Spirit Messages.
The content of the Spirit Messages is consistent, all informing us that they have encountered a ughter by Corpse Puppets, with countless lives lost, and they are requesting us to dispatch Cultivators to pacify the chaos!"
In the ancient and elegant hall, a Cultivator reported the current situation to the assembly with a grave tone.
At this moment, the hall was filled with dozens of Cultivators, all with extremely solemn expressions.
The Cultivators present were all high-ranking members of Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Sitting at the highest seat, the Prefectural City Master of Zhenjiang, True Monarch Yuanming Lin Lang, had a gloomy expression like still water.
"After receiving the Spirit Messages, I immediately had someone contact the remaining eleven Prefecture Cities that had not sent out a call for help to inquire about their specific situations.
Apart from Yuanshan City, which replied that they were safe and sound, the other ten Prefecture Cities have not yet responded at all up to now.
Under such circumstances, it''s clear that these ten Prefecture Cities are not unscathed by the attack of Corpse Puppets, but rather, the situation has deteriorated to the point where they are unable to send out a call for help to us!"
The already heavy atmosphere in the room became even more oppressive.
"This move is too big, to target so many Prefecture Cities at the same time!" someone eximed with a gasp, utterly shocked.
"Now is not the time toment over these things!
True Monarch, we cannot dy any further, as with every moment we waste, countless more lives are lost!
We must dispatch Cultivators to provide support immediately," a Cultivator stood up and said.
Lin Lang nodded and issued a decisivemand, "Indeed, support is of the utmost urgency!
True Monarch Qi Sha, I entrust you to lead the team and immediately take all of Zhenjiang''s military Cultivators to support all the Prefecture Cities except Yuanshan City!"
"Yes!" The Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator Qi Sha True Monarch, who was in charge of Zhenjiang''s military, answered.
"Tie Guan True Person, you must immediately send out Spirit Messages to the various prefectures of Qing State, informing them of our situation and asking them to dispatch Cultivators to support Zhenjiang City," Lin Lang continued giving orders.
The Golden Core Cultivator Tie Guan True Person, dressed in a ck robe, quickly epted themand.
"All remaining members, temporarily suspend your personal cultivation practices, focusing your attention on Zhenjiang City. Patrol the city constantly without interruption, and stay alert for any unusual incidents urring within the city!" Lin Lang spoke with a deadly serious tone.
"We obey!" All the remaining Cultivators responded in unison.
In the one hundred and eight Prefecture Cities, only Yuanshan City remained unscathed.
Who else could be orchestrating this Corpse Puppet Chaos besides the Netherworld?
The influence of the Netherworld in Yuanshan City had been eradicated not long before by the Heavenly Secret Tower, which is why they were spared from the chaos that enveloped all the Prefecture Cities of Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Qi Yuan had previously given him a prophecy: a great turmoil would arise in the entire Zhenjiang Prefecture.
Now the prophecy had alreadye true by half.
As the Prefectural City, Zhenjiang City might currently be calm, but there was no reason it would escape the chaos.
Indeed, the more peaceful Zhenjiang City is now, the more terrifying the brewing disturbance will be.
Although Zhenjiang City is strong and powerful, to support the Prefecture Cities within the prefecture after dispatching Zhenjiang''s military, it inevitably falls into a vulnerable state internally.
Under these circumstances, Lin Lang should not have been deploying the main force of Cultivators from Zhenjiang City.
However, with his Prefecture Cities undergoing ughter by Corpse Puppets, he truly had no choice but to act.
This was the Netherworld''s open strategy.
Either he did nothing and let the lives within Zhenjiang Prefecture suffer,
or he risked leaving Zhenjiang City vulnerable to an ambush by dispatching Cultivators to quell the Corpse Puppet Chaos outside.
As the master of Zhenjiang Prefecture, ruling over the whole prefecture, his choice was obvious.
Even knowing that the Netherworld was likely setting a trap to lure them out, they had to steadfastly follow the path set by the enemy.
The only hope was that reinforcements from the other prefectures could arrive swiftly.
With this thought, Lin Lang sent out two more Spirit Messages.
One to Zhenjiang Tower and the other to the Heavenly Secret Tower where Qi Yuan was.
¡
Zhenjiang Tower.
Inside the cultivation secret chambers built specifically for Sword Cultivators.
The ck Ice tform still required five more days to gather intelligence, and it was not viable for the guarding Cultivators to just wait.
Zhenjiang Tower''s facilities for various Cultivators'' practices were highlyprehensive.
With nothing else to do, everyone entered their respective cultivation secret chambers to practice their Techniques.N?v(el)B\\jnn
The Sword Cultivator''s training chamber was exceedingly vast, filled with a multitude of low-level puppets that were constantly shifting and dodging.
These puppets were specially prepared for Sword Cultivators to practice their Flying Sword Technique.
Lu Qingshan concentrated his mind, controlling the Crying Soul Sword to weave in and out among the continuously moving puppets.
Through the myriad flowers he passed, not a leaf sticking to his clothes.
As soon as the mana on the Crying Soul Sword neared depletion, he would recall it, then strike forth anew.
He repeated this process over and again, a hundred times, a thousand times, until his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense were exhausted.
This long and tedious process was actually the correct posture for a Sword Cultivator''s practice of the Flying Sword Technique.
Not just for Flying Sword, by practicing countless times, enhancing one''s Skills, that is the universal way for all Cultivators to increase the power of their Techniques.
Lu Qingshan''s method of advancing Skill Levels through Experience Points, like an epiphany, instantlyprehending, was a truly unique and cheat-like experience.
In the current situation where tasks could arise at any moment, Lu Qingshan naturally would not deplete all his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense for the sake of practicing the Flying Sword Technique.
He practiced merely for half an hour, and when major part of his internal Spiritual Power was consumed, he somewhat reluctantly ceased his practice.
Subconsciously, Lu Qingshan nced at the Skills column.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but be startled.
The experience bar for the Flying Sword Technique, originally at Level 3, had increased by one percent simply through half an hour of practice.
If he remembered correctly, under normal circumstances, it would take a Sword Cultivator two to three years of diligent practice to advance the Flying Sword Technique from Level 3 to Level 4.
But at his current pace, he only needed to practice the Flying Sword Technique for two to three hours each day.
In less than half a month, the Flying Sword Technique could advance to the next level.
What''s going on?!
Lu Qingshan quickly came to his senses, then turned his gaze to the Innate Swordseed in the Talent column.
There were two lines of introduction above that he had not taken seriously before.
"As an Innate Swordseed, your talent for the Sword Dao far surpasses that of ordinary people!"
"Being a born knower of the Sword Dao!"
Is this what a Legendary Talent is?
Lu Qingshan murmured to himself.
The overt benefits of the Innate Swordseed had already proven to be of immense value to him.
But he had not expected the real strength of a Legendary Talent to be encapsted in those two seemingly inconsequential lines of introduction.
Regarding the intrinsic benefits of the Innate Swordseed, he had actually felt them indistinctly before.
Back in Xuan Ming Valley, Dantai Qingrun had concealed the Qiuhong Sword amidst the clouds.
Normally, as one of the few Strong Cultivators among Golden Core Cultivators, with Dantai Qingrun''s skills, there was no reason for Lu Qingshan to discover the Qiuhong Sword.
But discover it he did
What he relied on was not his Divine Sense or Spiritual Sense but that innate perception and affinity for Sword Artifacts in the void.
Within a certain range, no Sword Artifact could escape his detection.
And now, Lu Qingshan discovered another significant enhancement from the Innate Swordseed.
With the boon of a Legendary Talent, he seemed to have be a true Seed of the Sword Dao.
His mastery speed for Sword Techniques had reached the terrifying realm of advancing a thousand miles in a single day.
It meant that, apart from using Experience Points to level up his Skills, relying on his own Cultivation to advance Skill Levels would also be an effective method for him.
... Find exclusive stories on empire
Hum hum hum¡ª¡ª
Suddenly, a dense and abrupt humming sound echoed throughout the chamber.
Sitting cross-legged while quietly circting his Cultivation Technique, having already restored his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense to the optimal state, Lu Qingshan quickly stood up.
This sound was from a device set up outside to call Cultivators from within the chamber.
A thought shed through Lu Qingshan''s mind.
It must be that the ck Ice tform had found some useful information, hence they notified him.
The efficiency was quite high, having arrived two days earlier than the expected five days.
Chapter 102 Mutation
Vessels gleaming with blue radiance, massive in size, materialized above the skies of Zhenjiang City.
The appearance of the flying vessels resembled whales from the deep sea, indeed a sight of profound mystery.
These were the Giant Whale Skyships, the standard-issue flying artifacts of the Zhenjiang military.
Not only were they incredibly fast, but the interior of these ships also had powerful attack arrays inscribed within.
Once Spirit Stones were ced into these arrays, they could harness the Spiritual Power within the stones to unleash terrifying Water Attribute Spiritual Power waves.
The Giant Whale Skyships had always been the ultimate weapons of the Zhenjiang military for expeditions to annihte the enemy!
Of course, powering such mighty artifacts required a massive number of Spirit Stones, too.
Therefore, unless necessary, Zhenjiang City would not easily deploy the Giant Whale Skyships.
But now, Zhenjiang City did not hesitate in the slightest to use up Spirit Stones, summoning all of the Giant Whale Skyships at the military''s disposal.
With an aura of grim solemnity, the uniformly robed Zhenjiang military cultivators entered the various vessels in an orderly manner.
Not a sound was made through the process.
For cultivators who were by nature untamed, one could imagine how extraordinary this was.
Only the Great Xia Imperial n could nurture and afford an army of cultivators like this.
In just a moment, every Giant Whale Skyship was brimming with cultivators.
"Depart at once!"manded the Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, Seven Kills True Monarch, his voice booming like thunder.
At the order of Seven Kills True Monarch, the Giant Whale Skyships instantly transformed into streaks of blue Radiance, sweeping out of Zhenjiang City and flying toward various Prefecture Cities in different directions.
....
Inside Zhenjiang City.
Gazing at the fading blue Radiance of the Giant Whale Skyships, Rakshasa spoke, "Asura lord, the Zhenjiang army has boarded the Giant Whale Skyships and haspletely left Zhenjiang City."
Asura merely nodded, his voice ferocious, "Good! Good!
Issue themand, and after an hour when the Zhenjiang army is sufficiently far away, immediatelymence the operation!"
"Yes, subordinate will prepare now!" Rakshasa said with fervent eyes, respectfully responding.
...
Among the urgent humming alert tones, Lu Qingshan rose and walked toward the chamber''s sealed door.
But before he could manually open the door to the chamber, the heavily warded door had already slowly begun to open outward.
This was someone activating the gate from the outside world, using mechanisms set up earlier.
"What''s the hurry?" Lu Qingshan was taken aback.
The purpose of such a mechanism was solely for emergencies during cultivation when someone might need assistance at greatest speed.
Disturbance during cultivation was greatly taboo for cultivators, so unless it was an urgent matter, this mechanism would not be triggered.
If it were merely the ck Ice tform identifying the true identities of the Underworld Cultivators, requiring their intervention to capture the enemy, while urgent, it wouldn''t be to this extent.
Could it be that some major incident has urred?!
A sense of foreboding shed through Lu Qingshan''s mind.
The door opened, and what came into Lu Qingshan''s view was the face of Xu Hao, except his expression was filled with urgency.
Behind Xu Hao stood all four members of Tiger Squad.
"Captain, what has happened?"
"The Netherworld has incited the Corpse Puppet Chaos in the major Prefecture Cities within Zhenjiang Prefecture. While the Mansion Master dispatched the Zhenjiang army to quell the chaos in the various Prefecture Cities, the Netherworld seized the opportunity tounch an attack on Zhenjiang Prefecture!"
Xu Hao sinctly exined the current situation.
Corpse Puppet Chaos?!
His wordsnded like a boulder in Lu Qingshan''s heart, stirring up a storm of shock.
ording to the course of history, the Corpse Puppet Chaos was not due to happen until the end of the year.
Now it was only September, and the Corpse Puppet Chaos had already erupted?N?v(el)B\\jnn
This timing was a full three months earlier than the original trajectory!
```
This sudden change instantly disrupted all of Lu Qingshan''s original arrangements.
He had intended to use his foreknowledge of future events to eliminate the Netherworld''s arrangements and weaken its influence in Zhenjiang City by leveraging Zhenjiang Tower during thest period before the outbreak of the Corpse Puppet Chaos.
As the timing of the Corpse Puppet Chaos approached, no matter the situation, he would have left Zhenjiang City, the ce of trouble, to safeguard his own wellbeing.
But now, everything had changed.
The premature outbreak of the Corpse Puppet Chaos also meant that he, who thought the chaos wouldn''t ur until the end of the year, had not left Zhenjiang Prefecture and thus failed to avoid this significant plot event.
"Stop dazing, the Tower Master has ordered us to assemble and protect the evacuation of the citizens from Zhenjiang City!" Seeing Lu Qingshan lost in thought, not knowing what he was pondering, Xu Hao called out to him.
Evacuate?
Hearing Xu Hao''s words, Lu Qingshan''s mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
Having already experienced the Corpse Puppet Chaos once in his previous life, Lu Qingshan knew all too well that the Netherworld''s plot against Zhenjiang City this time far exceeded what anyone else could imagine, both in scale and means.
Evacuation was just a naive thought at the start of the chaos.
The entire Zhenjiang City was enveloped by the Asura Blood Fiend Formation, a demon formation the Netherworld had set up at an unknown time and presumably for quite a while.
Under the huge barrier, not a single person could escape from Zhenjiang City.
It wasn''t until a dayter when the cultivators from Qing State rushed to Zhenjiang City after learning about the situation, that the chaos finally came to an end.
But it was already toote.
Zhenjiang City had turned into scorched earth.
If he remembered correctly, after this great chaos, the number of humans who survived in Zhenjiang City, including yers, was less than one-tenth of the number before the chaos began.
It was a devastation, a blood-soaked massacre, a painful disaster!
Zhenjiang City would flow with rivers of blood, and all of this was just for the birth of a demon child.
Even as someone with a firm will like Lu Qingshan, facing such a prospect, his heart couldn''t help but feel somewhat disheartened.
...
Putting aside theplex feelings in his heart for the moment, Lu Qingshan realized the urgency of the situation and did not dare to hesitate, following Xu Hao and the others immediately to head outside.
He quickly forced himself to adjust his mindset.
Let''s first assess the current situation!
As that thought crossed his mind, Lu Qingshan also harbored another thought.
¡ª¡ªWith the change in the timing of the Corpse Puppet Chaos, could the situation within Zhenjiang City also have changed ordingly?
Perhaps, things are not as bad as they were in his previous life?
Following the crowd, Lu Qingshan, who still couldn''t quite believe the situation, arrived above ground.
By this time, this ce was already brimming with guards and cultivators.
This was also somewhat of good news. Explore more stories with empire
If it weren''t for this mission, normally, the guards would be scattered in different ces and would not have gathered in Zhenjiang Tower like they were now.
If it were thetter case, let alone thinking about reasonably allocating guards for various actions, even getting the six cultivators of the small teams to meet up would not be an easy feat.
A single cultivator acting alone is always less secure than several people looking out for each other.
The first thing Lu Qingshan did aftering up from the underground headquarters of Zhenjiang Tower to the surface was to quickly survey the current situation.
Under a dark and unclear sky, a gloomy firmament enveloped Zhenjiang City, beneath which swirled a denseyer of blood-red fog, constantly rolling and flowing.
Looking further into the distance, there once stood a district of densely-packed buildings.
But at this moment, those pavilions and buildings had turned into ruins, aplete mess.
Among the debrisy the bodies of dozens of fierce-looking beasts with blood-red pupils scattered haphazardly.
Blood-pupiled Demon Wolf, Eight-eyed Demon Spider, Twin-winged Demon Mantis...
With just a nce, Lu Qingshan recognized the names of these monsters.
All were demonic beasts raised by the Underworld Cultivators using Fiendish Demonic Qi!
But even though they were demonic beasts filled with malevolent energy, daring to wreak havoc around Zhenjiang Tower, a ce crowded with strong cultivators, being beheaded was a just fate.
```
Chapter 103 Selection
Next to the group of guardian cultivators, who had already gradually assembled, were thousands of ordinary people dressed in different clothes but with expressions of panic on their faces, cautiously observing them.
These were ordinary people saved by the cultivators of the guard tower after they had in the demonic beasts.
Undoubtedly, in the eyes of these survivors of the cmity, the cultivators of the guard tower had be their protective deities.
The sobbing of these ordinary people, their soft whispers, mixed with the constant violent fluctuations of magicalbat from all over the city and the intermittent roars of demon beasts,posed a scene of apocalypse.
In just such a brief moment, the atmosphere of destion and silence pervaded this once thriving prefectural city.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed slightly.
His entire attention was on the ruins.
In the ruins, one could see the crimson blood flowing out from beneath the bodies of the demonic beasts, already forming rivulets and incessantly trickling across the ground.
It seemed nothing out of the ordinary.
However, Lu Qingshan, who was well aware of the sequence of this great chaos, was staring intently at those pools of blood.
Upon closer observation, one could see a faint, barely perceptible red gleam shimmering on the surfaces of the blood.
It was eerily strange.
The flowing blood then seemed to be absorbed, slowly seeping into the earth below and gradually vanishing without a trace.
Lu Qingshan looked up at the sky, where theyer of blood-red mist under the canopy of heaven grew thicker.
It was the same tactic as in the previous life!
The Asura Blood Fiend Formation, the terror-inducing demon formation of the Demon Race.
Formations were originally a high art exclusive to human cultivators.
But who could have imagined that the Demon Race, while building the Netherworld forces within the Human Race, hadin hidden for ten thousand years, causing trouble and chaos everywhere with the creation of killings, was also continually absorbing and learning the strengths of the Human Race!
Formation techniques were one such strength that the Demon Race had absorbed from the Human Race.
After learning and mastering the art of formations, the great monarchs and demon lords of the Demon Race integrated their own race''s cultivation system into the basic framework of human formations and thus created many powerful demon formations.
The Asura Blood Fiend Formation was the first of the demon formations toe into the view of the Human Race.
Aside from its conventional function of constructing barriers and sealing space, it also has an incredibly bizarre divine skill.
Combined with the Demon Race''s unique Blood Pool Reincarnation Technique, the demon formation achieved a unique ability that no human formation had ever possessed.
The demon formation could absorb all the essence blood within the formation and transform it into the blood mist above the sky.
Once it absorbed enough essence blood, the blood mist could transform into a blood river hanging inverted in the sky, thereby enacting the Blood Pool Reincarnation Technique.
That was also the ultimate goal of the Demon Race this time.
To use the essence blood of the entire city''s Human Race to resurrect the Asura Demon Child.
Thus, the Netherworld did not spare its own losses at all; after triggering the Asura Blood Fiend Formation to seal Zhenjiang City, it released the demonic beasts it had umted over the years, ughtering wildly within Zhenjiang City without any scruples.
The Netherworld didn''t worry about the loss of demonic beasts.
Even if all these demonic beasts died, the Underworld Cultivators wouldn''t be distressed because the essence blood of the demonic beasts, just like that of the Human Race, would be nourishment for the Asura Blood Fiend Formation and part of the Blood River.
The Netherworld had nned for so many years, and the Demon Formation they deployed was not something that could be broken in a short time.
Guarding the city and evacuating the citizens from Zhenjiang City was an utterly impractical idea.
With this thought, Lu Qingshan nced at Dantai Qingrun and Gao Tian, who were standing in front of the city guards, and a thought struck him. Silently, he took out the token that Dantai Qingrun had given him from his Storage Ring, his Divine Sense stirred, and a Spirit Message was sent.
He hoped that after the numerous coborations over time, Dantai Qingrun would have a certain level of trust in his words.
...
Dantai Qingrun and Gao Tian, as they observed the situation unfold, both frowned deeply.
The Tower Master, Chu He, had received a Spirit Message from True Monarch Lin Lang not long ago, and had immediately gone to meet Lin Lang. He was not in the tower at present, which made the two deputy Tower Masters the acting heads of Zhenjiang Tower.
Although they had already agreed that the safety of the human race within the city was the most urgent matter and that the citizens needed to be evacuated from Zhenjiang City as soon as possible,
how to evacuate them was a huge problem facing them.
Suddenly, Dantai Qingrun seemed to sense something, his eyebrows slightly raised, he took the token out from his Storage Ring, on which waves of light shimmered.
"Is it a Spirit Message from the Tower Master?" Gao Tian asked eagerly upon seeing the misty green light on the token.
After realizing the situation in the city, they had immediately sent a Spirit Message to Chu He, asking for specific countermeasures.
However, after the Spirit Message was sent, there had been no response.
It was unclear whether the Spirit Message could not be delivered to Chu He or whether Chu He could not reply to them.
Dantai Qingrun shook his head and looked over the gathered city guard cultivators, quickly locating Lu Qingshan within the crowd.
With the situation being so urgent, Dantai Qingrun didn''t bother with propriety and, not worried about shocking or appalling anyone, directly flew up andnded in front of Lu Qingshan.
The cultivators surrounding Lu Qingshan immediately stepped back a few paces, including those from the Tiger Squad.
"Is what you said true?" Dantai Qingrun asked in a cold voice, with a grave expression.
"The Demon Formation set by the Netherworld is indestructible; evacuation is not feasible.
The only n now is to find the Underworld Cultivators lurking within the city, kill them, and only then can we break the Formation!" This was the Spirit Message that Lu Qingshan had sent to Dantai Qingrun.
Lu Qingshan firmly nodded his head: "This Demon Formation simply cannot be broken in a short period of time!"
Gao Tian, who saw Dantai Qingrun unexpectedly seeking out a city guard Foundation Establishment Cultivator, was extremely astonished, but immediately followed to find out the specifics.
Hearing what Lu Qingshan had to say, Gao Tian instinctively questioned, "With so many Spiritual Cultivators skilled in Forbidden Breaking Techniques gathered here in Zhenjiang Tower, along with the rest of the cultivators taking action together, would we really not be able to break through this Barrier?"
Lu Qingshan knew he had to stop their evacuation n.
Just as he had said, with their current arrangement of cultivators, violently breaking the Formation was not feasible. The correct choice was to seek out and kill the Underworld Cultivators who maintained the Formation.
The Demon Formation required the maintenance of the Underworld Cultivators, and with their deaths, the Demon Formation would naturally fall apart on its own.
If they wasted a lot of time and effort escorting the citizens to the edge of the Barrier, only to find out after attempting that they couldn''t break the Formation and then have to react and adjust their strategy to search for and kill Underworld Cultivators within Zhenjiang City, it would be toote.
Finding Underworld Cultivators hidden within the vastness of Zhenjiang City was not an easy task and would take a lot of time.
Perhaps by the time they found the Underworld Cultivators, the Asura Blood Fiend Formation would have already absorbed the necessary Essence Blood.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
We must search for and kill the Underworld Cultivators with all our might from the get-go, that''s the only way we have even a slight chance of preventing this descent of the Demon!
Chapter 104 Black Impermanence
Lu Qingshan looked up at the roiling blood-red fog beneath the sky and did not directly answer Gao Tian''s retort, "Deputy Tower Master Gao, are you aware of the origin and function of this blood Qi?"
Without waiting for Gao Tian to reply, Lu Qingshan pointed at the blood on the ground nearby that was disappearing.
"That blood Qi is transformed from the essence blood within the range of the Great Formation, whether ites from the Human Race or demons. As for the function of the blood Qi..."
He paused, then counterquestioned, "Do the two Tower Masters not find this process eerily familiar?"
"Ah, could this be... Blood Pool Reincarnation!" Dantai Qingrun was the first to realize.
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"All this blood Qi covering the entire city''s sky is actually being used for the Blood Pool Reincarnation Great Technique?!" Gao Tian was utterly horrified.
This was an incredibly horrifying matter.
A Blood River running through the entire Zhenjiang City, suspended in the sky - any person with clear vision could imagine what kind of tremendous demons it would reincarnate.
Because Dantai Qingrun and Gao Tian had arrived, surrounding guards who had made room for them, now all inhaled sharply.
If what Lu Qingshan said was true, it was indeed too terrifying.
"We must stop the Netherworld from using Zhenjiang City as a sacrifice for the Blood Pool Reincarnation, or else the consequences would be unthinkable," Dantai Qingrun dered resolutely.
Gao Tian, looking at the bloodstains on the ground disappearing in a very eerie manner, finally began to believe some of what Lu Qingshan had said.
After a moment of silence, Gao Tian suddenly asked, "Tower Master Dantai, is what he says... reliable?"
Given the gravity of the situation, Gao Tian did not understand why a Foundation Establishment Cultivator knew so much, but seeing the familiarity between Dantai Qingrun and Lu Qingshan, he could only seek confirmation from Dantai Qingrun to solidify his own thoughts.
Dantai Qingrun hesitated, his gaze moving over Lu Qingshan''s face for a moment before he finally nodded and said, "Yes, it''s reliable!"
With Dantai Qingrun''s affirmation, Gao Tian''s mind was set, and he no longer hesitated.
With the situation being so urgent, the most precious thing now was time.
"Command the Spiritual Supplies Department to bring out the set of Positive and Negative Nine Pces Formation gs and use Zhenjiang Tower as the center to turn the surrounding area into a safe zone, gathering the city''s refugees," Gao Tian ordered.
The Positive and Negative Nine Pces Formation was a set of formation gs treasured by Zhenjiang Tower, a Fourth Grade defensive formation. If presided over by a cultivator, even a Nascent Soul Cultivator would need to spend a fair amount of time to break through.
Although there were ns to abandon the city and evacuate, with the chaos inside the city, Gao Tian could not neglect themon people. Therefore, the temporary measure was to set up a Great Formation to protect the civilians as much as possible.
"Yes!" A guard immediately responded to themand.
"Have ck Ice tform bring up the intelligence investigated these past two days for us," Dantai Qingrun also rapidly issued orders.
It was impossible to find the Underworld Cultivators lurking in Zhenjiang City by hard work alone ¨C it was like finding a needle in a haystack.
They needed to rely on some intelligence information to trace their steps.
ck Ice tform had previously made a military decree iming that within five days, they would definitely find some clues by using information provided by evil cultivators.
Although only two days had passed in terms of time, due to the current chaos, the investigation could no longer continue.
But in the past two days, ck Ice tform had still gained some results.
These were now their breakthrough points.
Soon, a cultivator from ck Ice tform presented the jade slip containing the collected information, and Gao Tian and Dantai Qingrun immediately started to review the contents within the jade slip.
As they read the detailed contents of the jade slip, both of their expressions grew more unsightly.
The investigative method of the ck Ice tform starts with a rough collection of arge number of suspected cultivators, then, by elimination, excludes those who are unrted, one by one, until only the most suspicious cultivators remain.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
However, over these two days, the work of ck Ice tform had only reached the first step.
Therefore, in the current intelligence documents, the list of cultivators provided by ck Ice tform, who might be Netherworld personnel, is surprisingly lengthy.
With their manpower, it is definitely impossible to investigate the whereabouts of all these individuals in a short period of time.
This called for a difficult decision.
But what should be the basis of this choice?
By character? Or by intuition?
¡
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Dantai Qingrun''s cold eyes swept over Lu Qingshan and then passed the jade slip to him.
Gao Tian saw Dantai Qingrun''s action and pondered thoughtfully, his gaze toward Lu Qingshan acquiring a more meaningful nuance.
Lu Qingshan was initially taken aback by the jade slip handed over by Dantai Qingrun but quickly grasped Dantai Qingrun''s intention.
He didn''t decline, and quickly epted the jade slip, immediately probing it with his divine sense to read the information inside.
Images of cultivators and their detailed data from the open surfaced in Lu Qingshan''s mind.
Lu Qingshan skimmed over these profiles as if browsing, and eventually, his attention settled on one particr cultivator.
This cultivator had an extremely tall and lean figure, like a bamboo pole, with a slightly sunken forehead resembling a dish.
This man was known as Five Thunder Child, a loose cultivator of foundation establishment cultivation, who was somewhat famous in Zhenjiang City for practicing thunder spells, known to be the most powerful among all Dharma cultivation spells.
For Lu Qingshan, the Corpse Puppet Chaos was a story he had experienced a very long time ago.
Furthermore, in this version, the yers'' role in the main storyline was only as cannon fodder, so regarding this plotline, Lu Qingshan had no strong recollection aside from a few core characters.
But this Five Thunder Child happened to make an unexpectedly deep impression on him.
His real identity was one of the two ck Impermanences of Zhenjiang Netherworld.
As for why he had such a strong memory of this ck Impermanence.
The reason was quite peculiar.
For yers, the more special and annoying the boss, the more memorable it bes, and as such, the easier it is to deal with,
These troublesome bosses often have countless counter-strategies developed by yers.
On the other hand, the low-profile, inconspicuous bosses often cause yers to meet unexpected failures.
This ck Impermanence was just such a boss in the Corpse Puppet Chaos version, with disgustingly irritating skills.
ck Impermanence, a Netherworld cultivator with golden core perfection in Dharma cultivation, was an expert in thunder spells just like his surface identity indicated.
His trademark thunder spell was named Earth Yin Thunder.
It was a crafty thunder spell forged from the gloomy and resentful qi gathered from the heart of the earth, with extremely strong corrosive properties.
Be it a Vajra body or stone, upon encountering Earth Yin Thunder, both would be instantly corroded, and what''s more, Earth Yin Thunder specialized in contaminating flying sword magical artifacts, effectively making it the bane of sword cultivators.
As a sword cultivator, it was no wonder that Lu Qingshan deeply remembered ck Impermanence, a sword cultivator''s nemesis who mastered Earth Yin Thunder.
Chapter 105: Blood-pupiled Demon Wolf
"The true identity of Wu Lei Zi is ck Impermanence from the Underworld, and we can use him as a breakthrough point!" Lu Qingshan asserted confidently.
If it were a normal day, his behavior of identifying the identity of an Underworld Cultivator without being able to exin the source of his information would be extremely reckless and would certainly be met with a lot of questioning.
But given the urgency of the situation, he could not afford to care too much.
Aside from other factors, just for the sake of his own life and property, there was no need to keep hiding what he knew.
As expected, Dantai Qingrun did not inquire much about how Lu Qingshan knew of Wu Lei Zi¡¯s identity, but instead turned around and swiftly ordered, "Organize all the information rted to the Cultivators associated with Wu Lei Zi in the Jade Slip immediately."
With such a high status as ck Impermanence, it is enough to rely on him to extend and reach out to other Underworld Cultivators.
The Steward Cultivators of ck Ice tform were ordered and quickly busied themselves within the vast intelligence library of the ck Ice tform.
Meanwhile, the Cultivators of the Spiritual Supplies Department had already taken out the formation gs, using them to set up the Defensive and Offensive Nine Pces Great Formation.
After cing the formation gs at the designated Nine Pces Formation points, the Steward Cultivator of the Spiritual Supplies Department pointed with both hands, lightly pinching the spell.
A faint line of Spiritual Power shot out rapidly from each formation g, these lines interweaving into aplexwork.
Continue your adventure at empire
The moment thiswork took shape, a wall-like light barrier slowly rose and then slowly closed up like an overturned bowl, enveloping the entire area around the Zhenjiang Tower within it.
The Defensive and Offensive Nine Pces Great Formation was set.
...
"Vice Tower Master, this is the information we havepiled!" An hourter, the Steward Cultivator of ck Ice tform presented a Jade Slip once again.
"However, the true strengths of these Cultivators are unknown.
The information we provided only shows the strengths they disy publicly, which are unreliable," the Steward Cultivator of ck Ice tform solemnly cautioned.
The identities of the Underworld Cultivators on the surface are a mix of truth and deception, not to be trusted.
Just like ck Impermanence, whose public identity is just a Foundation Establishment Stage Loose Cultivator, who would have thought he was a Golden Core Stage Cultivator?
If we were to confront ck Impermanence with the standard for dealing with Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it would definitely be like sending themb into the tiger¡¯s maw,pletely devoured.
Dantai Qingrun nodded to indicate his understanding, took the Jade Slip, examined the intelligence within, then passed the Jade Slip to Gao Tian, and fell into deep thought.
The many suspicious Cultivators pointed out in the Jade Slip were scattered throughout various ces in Zhenjiang City.
At this time, Zhenjiang City was filled with groups of ferocious beasts, and a slight inattention might lead to attack; it was not as free of obstacles as usual.
Small teams maneuver fluidly and are highly agile, and if they encounter groups of beasts, they can choose to avoid them. However, if it is arge troop, encountering a group of beasts does not afford them the luxury of avoidance.
Therefore, acting separately became the most suitable approach.
Dantai Qingrun and Gao Tian quickly reached a consensus.
"Guarding Cultivators, each team should act independently, and Vice Tower Master Gao, you coordinate the distribution of tasks for each team!"
"Cultivators of the Spiritual Supplies Department are responsible for overseeing the formations, protecting the civilians, and gather the city¡¯s civilians as much as possible!"
"Leave ck Impermanence to me!" Dantai Qingrun said coldly.
As we must anticipate the possibility that Underworld Cultivators conceal their true strengths, those dispatched must automatically be considered a level higher.
That is, if the data shows a Cultivator is at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, then we must treat them as a powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and those shown asplete in Foundation Establishment should be treated as Golden Core Cultivators.
Furthermore, even though a screening has been done, among these suspicious Cultivators, there will definitely still be a number unrted to the Underworld, which inevitably leads to a waste of manpower.
Thus, they are now severely understaffed.
Dantai Qingrun simply took on the task of dealing with ck Impermanence himself, which was due not only to theck of manpower but also to Dantai Qingrun¡¯s extreme confidence in his own abilities.
Watching Dantai Qingrun, who was about to set off after giving the orders, Lu Qingshan called out to her, "Dantai Tower Master."
"Hmm?"
"ck Impermanence is proficient in Earth Yin Thunder, a type of Thunder Spell that can corrupt Flying Swords. When battling him, be sure to guard against his Earth Yin Thunder!"
Dantai Qingrun nced at Lu Qingshan and nodded slightly, "I understand."
As soon as her words fell, Dantai Qingrun moved, utilized the Sword Control Technique, transformed into a beam of Sword Light, and in the blink of an eye, charged out of the light barrier of the Defensive and Offensive Nine Pces Great Formation, quickly disappearing from everyone¡¯s sight.
Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in his heart.
What a fierce Sword Cultivator!
At this moment, the sky above Zhenjiang City was swirling with flocks of demon birds.
Which ordinary cultivator would dare to fly in the sky at such a time?
Flying so conspicuously in the sky would instantly make one a target for the flocks of demon birds, leading to a brutal encirclement and attack, even a Body Cultivator might not withstand it.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
Yet for a Sword Cultivator, as fragile as they are, only the extremely confident and powerful Dantai Qingrun would dare to navigate through the air under such conditions, unafraid of the demon beasts¡¯ siege.
The mission assigned to Lu Qingshan¡¯s Tiger Squad was to investigate three suspicious cultivators in the western part of the city.
"Are youing with us?" Su Shu hesitantly asked after just witnessing Lu Qingshan directly interacting with the two Vice Tower Masters.
"Without me, wouldn¡¯t the Tiger Squad be missing a Sword Cultivator?" Lu Qingshan spread his hands.
Su Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said no more.
Hearing this, Xu Hao nodded vigorously, "Then let¡¯s prepare to move out immediately!"
"Understood, Captain!" the cultivators of the Tiger Squad responded in unison.
Before the team set off, Lu Qingshan enhanced himself once again.
In such a situation, any increase inbat power was valuable, and he was no longer saving his experience points.
"[Returning Ruins Scripture] upgraded to lv2, Spiritual Power Value +100!"
"[Returning Ruins Scripture] upgraded to lv3, Spiritual Power Value +100!"
"Flying Sword Technique upgraded to lv4!"
The recently umted 9500 experience points were instantly depleted.
But the enhancement it brought was tremendous; although the Returning Ruins Scripture had only advanced by two levels, his Spiritual Power Value limit had almost doubled.
Feeling the surging Spiritual Power in his Dantian, Lu Qingshan felt more confident.
....
Unlike the skillful and daring Dantai Qingrun, they had to opt for walking on the ground to reach their target location.
Passing through the light shield of the Nine Pces Great Formation, beyond guarding cultivators on simr missions, there were hardly any people or demon beasts near Zhenjiang Tower, only ruins everywhere.
Dantai Qingrun had already cleared the nearby area in no time, resulting in such a scene.
Xiao Zhi pped his Spirit Beast Bag, releasing a green-eyed weasel to scout the path ahead.
The six followed the route checked by the green-eyed weasel, which appeared rtively safe, and moved continuously forward.
As they moved farther from Zhenjiang Tower, the scenes they encountered grew increasingly horrifying.
Mortal remains and dismembered limbs were everywhere, a heavy scent of blood lingered in the air, the roads were stained with fresh blood, and ferocious demon beasts asionally prowled the streets.
Demon birds circled and cawed in the sky.
Everyone was careful not to make too much noise, and the atmosphere turned somewhat oppressive.
Suddenly, Xiao Zhi, who was leading the way, stopped.
Xu Hao furrowed his brows tightly, "What¡¯s the matter?"
"Little Green says all paths ahead are swarming with demon beasts; we can¡¯t circumvent them anymore."
"If we can¡¯t find a way around, then we¡¯ll fight through!" Xu Hao decisively dered.
The Guarding Cultivators never shied away from battle; they simply chose to avoid demon beasts along the way to save time and preserve theirbat strength.
Blocking their path was a group of about seven or eight Blood-pupiled Demon Wolves, Second Grade demon beasts.
"Quick battle, quick decision, otherwise the noise might attract other demon beasts, and we won¡¯t be able to escape easily," Xu Hao said in a grave voice.
Chapter 106 Peril
Everyone understood this principle and nodded in agreement.
The road ahead was still long, and no one knew what might happen.
Therefore, they not only tried to avoid meaningless battles but also made efforts to conserve their Spiritual Power as much as possible, ensuring there were no idents.
Su Shu formed her Dharma Seal with a light gesture, swiftly bestowing two Spirit Arts upon Xu Hao and Lu Qingshan, while the others did not receive this privilege.
Among the six cultivators, Body Cultivation who were responsible for closebat and attracting attacks, and Sword Cultivation who were the main offensive force, were always the primary targets for the Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s Supportive Spiritual Art.
With Spirit Arts preemptively bestowed upon them, Tiger Squad continued to move forward, slightly rounding a corner.
As they walked on, they saw a pack of Demon Wolves in the center of the street, six of them in total, each with a massive frame, feasting on the corpse of a child.
The scene was drenched in blood and unspeakably horrifying.
"Howe... there are only six?" Xiao Zhi furrowed his brows, his gaze scanning the wide, gstone-paved street, "Little Green clearly said there were seven beasts in this pack..."
A sense of dread flickered in Lu Qingshan¡¯s heart.
This is bad!
"Hiss!"
From the ruins of a copsed tavern beside them, a figure with ck, sharp fur suddenly sprang out.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s pupils constricted, an image rapidly erging in his sight.
It was a colossal head with a pair of green eyes filled with ferocity, his gaping jaws slightly open, four intimidating fangs glinting coldly, and a blood-tainted tongue dripping with blood, evidently from the feeding earlier.
This was the alpha of the Blood-pupiled Demon Wolves, the Green Scaled Wolf!
A terrifying creature that only appeared in Demon Wolf packs of thirty or more!
The Green Scaled Wolf¡¯s sharp fangs gleamed with a green light as it lunged towards Lu Qingshan¡¯s neck.
If it mped down, Lu Qingshan would undoubtedly be killed on the spot.
The Green Scaled Wolf, with intelligence of its own, not only understood the tactics of stealth and ambush but also knew to target the most dangerous Sword Cultivator first.
This scene unfolded so suddenly, and the Green Scaled Wolf¡¯s speed was shockingly fast!
None of the cultivators present could react in time.
Except for Lu Qingshan himself!
The moment Xiao Zhi mentioned a missing Demon Wolf, Lu Qingshan had realized something was amiss.
Years of gaming experience, coupled with a measure of caution, saved Lu Qingshan¡¯s life.
At the instant of the sudden change, his body also simultaneously emitted a sudden burst of quiet blue light.
Eight Gates Shield Armor activated!
ng, ng, ng!
The sound of metal colliding rang out, as the ferocious attack of the Green Scaled Wolf was blocked by the Eight Gates Shield Armor.
Sparks flew in all directions.
The Green Scaled Wolf¡¯s onrushing form violently collided with the Water Cloud Shield.
Under the force of the impact, Lu Qingshan staggered, his form wavering as he stumbled several steps backward.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
The Green Scaled Wolf fared no better, having bitten down on the extremely hard Water Cloud Shield and suffering pain even with its sturdy fangs.
Its body was flung aside.
But in midair, the Green Scaled Wolf immediately regained its poise, adjusted, andnded firmly on the ground.
The Green Scaled Wolf¡¯s eerie green eyes were fixed intently on the Tiger Squad cultivators.
Its body bristled with murderous intent, its gaze piercing like darts, akin to an unsheathed treasured sword, and its massive form took up a high-and-mighty stance as if an arrow nocked on a bowstring.
Ao¡ª¡ª
Seeing its sneak attack fail to achieve sess, the Green Scaled Wolf let out a dissatisfied howl.
The six Demon Wolves that had pretentiously been busy eating on the street, meant to bewilder the Tiger Squad, received their alpha¡¯smand and immediately pounced into action.
Instead of gaining an advantage by striking first, the Tiger Squad found themselves in a rather awkward predicament.
But after all, the Tiger Squad wasposed of cultivators who were adept at battling.
Facing such peril, everyone reacted without dy.
"I¡¯ll hold off the alpha wolf. You guys quickly take out the remaining six Demon Wolves, then we¡¯ll join forces to deal with this alpha wolf!"
Xu Haoid out the strategy, his body swiftly covered in ayer of Golden Scale Armor as he entangled himself with the Green Scaled Wolf.
"Ice Sculpture Technique!" Li Zu uttered lightly, and a cascade of ice-blue spiritual light shot out from his hands!
Zhong Ming, on the other hand, transformed into a wisp of ck smoke and vanished on the spot.
Crack!
Li Zu¡¯s technique struck a Blood-pupiled Demon Wolf that was lunging straight for him. Enjoy new tales from empire
A thinyer of frost instantly formed on the entire body of the Blood-pupiled Demon Wolf.
The moment the frost appeared, the wolf¡¯s figure hesitated, awkwardly pausing in ce.
Zhong Ming, now converted into ck smoke, had silently appeared beside the Demon Wolf.
A ghostly w, condensed from the ck mist, instantly tore through the wolf¡¯s abdomen, which was covered by soft fur.
Blood sprayed out.
With that strike, the Blood-pupiled Demon Wolf stood no chance of survival.
Through seamless cooperation, the two who swiftly killed a Second-Grade magical beast were ready to address the other Demon Wolves.
ncing over, they noticed two more Demon Wolves had already fallen to the ground.
The mastermind behind this carnage was none other than Lu Qingshan.
After leveling up the Returning Ruins Scripture to Lv3, thanks to the substantial enhancement from the Taoist-level "Returning Ruins Scripture," his Spiritual Power had be nearly indistinguishable from that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, thus hisbat power had also climbed a notch.
While a Demon Wolf was temporarily held at bay by Su Shu¡¯s controlling Spirit Art, with the additional power from the Hardness-Breaking Spiritual Technique, a simple Heart Piercing Sword from him was enough to dispatch one wolf.
Then, utilizing the Soul Shock effect of the Crying Soul Sword, he controlled another Demon Wolf that had drawn close and swiftly eliminated it with a sh across the throat.
Xiao Zhi¡¯s summoned Green Scaled Leopard was busily engaging the remaining wolves.
After Lu Qingshan, Li Zu, and Zhong Ming swiftly dispatched three Demon Wolves, dealing with the remaining three proved to be not much of a challenge.
Momentster,
The corpses of the six Blood-pupiled Demon Wolvesy sprawled across the ground.
Four out of the six had been finished off by Lu Qingshan.
In just this short time, Lu Qingshan had gained close to four thousand Experience Points.
In his previous life during the Corpse Puppet Chaos in Zhenjiang City, the yers virtually went through a round of mass death.
An incident that was not yer-friendly did not lead to their protest, but why?
That was because, at that time, Zhenjiang City was teeming with beasts of all levels.
As long as the yers were diligent and formed parties to hunt beasts amidst the chaos in the city, they could reap a bountiful harvest of Experience Points. Even death did not dampen their spirits.
To the NPCs, this scenario was a terrifying ordeal, a living hell on earth.
But for the yers, as long as they didn¡¯t empathize too deeply, it was simply a typical instance for farming Experience Points.
This time, however, Lu Qingshan was no longer a yer.
Even though his identity had changed, the abundance of Experience Points provided by the monsters during the great turmoil remained the same.
Looking at the steadily increasing bnce of Experience Points, Lu Qingshan chose not to hoard them¡ªnow was not the time to save Experience Points.
Lu Qingshan invested all the freshly acquired Experience Points into his Flying Sword Technique, bringing it up to Lv7.
At Lv7, the Flying Sword Technique reached a level of proficiency that sword cultivators would typically achieve only after decades of dedication.
Chapter 107 Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (Part 1)
As he watched the blood of the Blood Maned Demon Wolves seep into the soil below and vanish, Lu Qingshan''s mood grew heavier.
Killing six Blood Maned Demon Wolves seemed like a significant victory on the surface.
But in reality, the essence blood of these wolves was elerating the formation of the Blood River above the sky.
They had to speed up.
After dealing with these six Demon Wolves, Lu Qingshan and his group prepared to turn around and rush to Xu Hao''s aid.
Roar¡ª
The Green Savage Wolf, seeing its subordinates ughtered in moments, let out a frustrated roar of impotence.
This human cultivator in front of it clung to it like a stubborn candy, refusing to let go.
The Golden Scale Armor on its body was extremely hard, impervious even to its sharp fangs and ws for the time being. Discover more content at empire
Its fierce wolf eyes saw Lu Qingshan and the othersing towards it after dealing with its wolf underlings.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The Green Savage Wolf, having developed a certain level of intelligence, suddenly shed a eerie green light in its pupils.
Aware of the Green Savage Wolf''s skills and habits, Lu Qingshan, seeing this, cursed inwardly, "Captain, be careful of its attack!"
As soon as he spoke, a sinister green magical light surged from the wide-open mouth of the Green Savage Wolf.
The intense light caused Lu Qingshan''s eyes to sting unbearably.
Lu Qingshan quickly closed his eyes.
A meteor-sized, emerald green fireball burst from the mouth of the Green Savage Wolf and shot directly towards Xu Hao.
Bang!
The st sounded thunderous.
When Lu Qingshan opened his eyes again, there was already a huge deep pit on the stone floor, with green mes flickering around its edge.
Xu Haoy beside it, quite embarrassingly, the glow of his Golden Scale Armor somewhat dimmed.
If it weren''t for hearing Lu Qingshan''s warning, he would have moved aside in time, avoiding the direct hit from the fireball, fearing that it would have cost him half of his life.
Thinking about this still gave Xu Hao the shivers.
"Captain, where''s that Demon Wolf?" Li Zu, on high alert, noticed that the terrifying attacking Green Savage Wolf had vanished and feared that it might be lurking in some corner, waiting to ambush them.
"Seems like it ran away?" Xu Hao struggled to stand up, unsure.
"It did run." Lu Qingshan nodded, "This beast, having developed a certain intelligence, knew it couldn''t withstand ourbined strength of six, so fleeing in panic isn''t surprising."
Su Shu, full of worry, rushed to Xu Hao''s side to check his injuries, and once she confirmed that Xu Hao was alright, she let out a sigh of relief.
"It''s good that it ran away. Otherwise, even if we managed to defeat the beast, we would definitely have expended a lot of Spiritual Power.
Right now, our Spiritual Power is more precious than water in the desert; it''s always good to avoid pointless battles."
Lu Qingshan''s heart was not rxed, "It''s not that simple. Demon Wolves are naturally vindictive and are good at tracking. We''ve ughtered all of its underlings; it''s unlikely to let this go so easily.
If I''m not wrong, it will continue to follow us and look for a chance to exact revenge!"
Xiao Zhi''s expression changed, and he quickly scanned the surroundings, but he could not find any trace of the Green Savage Wolf.
"Should we take the initiative to find this beast and deal with it first?
If this beast keeps lurking in the shadows, eyeing us menacingly, it''ll also be a great psychological burden for us."
Xu Hao shook his head, dismissing Xiao Zhi''s suggestion, "There''s no need. You must remember what our mission here is!"
What''s most important now is to find the Underworld Cultivator hosting the Asura Blood Formation, destroy the formation, and thwart the grand schemes of the Netherworld.
This beast is so cunning, not to mention whether we can find it, but even if we can, it will certainly waste a lot of time, and our mission cannot afford any dys."
"The captain is right," Lu Qingshan agreed with a nod.
"We must leave this ce quickly. With such amotion, I''m afraid it will attract other demon beasts. If we''re surrounded by them, it will be difficult for us to escape!" Zhong Ming warned aloud.
"Zhong Ming is right. Let''s leave here quickly!"
...
After leaving the street where the fierce battle had just urred, everyone reverted to their previous cautious progression.
However, the thought that a green savage wolf might still be lurking in the shadows, eyeing them ominously,
made everyone''s heart shroud in ayer of gloom, knowing that any slip could lead to a sudden attack from the green savage wolf.
"Lu Qingshan, since you have a deep understanding of the Netherworld and these demon beasts'' tactics, you will be in charge of leading andmanding us from now on." After pondering for a long time, Xu Hao walked up to Lu Qingshan and said earnestly.
Lu Qingshan was taken aback, then he looked into Xu Hao''s serious eyes and slowly nodded in agreement, "Alright."
The other four cultivators of the Tiger Squad, although their expressions flickered, wondering what was on each other''s minds, none voiced any objections.
Whether it was the battle at the Feiyun Sect or the recent brief encounter with the Demon Wolf, Lu Qingshan had demonstrated his profound understanding of the demon beasts'' tactics.
Not to mention, not long before, Lu Qingshan had engaged in a thorough discussion with Dantai, the Deputy Tower Master, that had guided their course of action.
With Lu Qingshan in charge ofmanding their movements, naturally, none could have any objections.
...
The sky grew increasingly dark, resembling the dense clouds that gather before a storm, making it impossible for the city''s residents to discern day from night.
The air was thick with a nauseating scent of blood, oppressive and stifling as if blocking one''s breath.
In a once luxurious estate in the western part of Zhenjiang,
hundreds ofpletely ck avian creatures with monkey faces and dual wings on their backs circled endlessly around the estate, emitting harsh and hoarse sounds.
These were Monkey-faced Demon Crows, First Grade demon beasts.
Inside the estate, hundreds of ordinary citizens trembled as they looked up at the avian demons, sobbing quietly.
These hideously ugly Monkey-faced Demon Crows eyed the humans inside the estate with their malicious and bloodthirsty gaze.
The reason they continually circled above the estate without taking action was that they were being confronted by a significantlyrger bird with an imposing presence.
The astounding aura of the giant bird restrained the natural ferocity of the Monkey-faced Demon Crows.
"Grandfather, the number of these demon birds is increasing, and soon, even the ck Feather Eagle might not be able to deter them!" Cai Xingchao expressed his concerns with a worried look.
Cai Heng looked troubled as well, his usually spotless white robe now stained with dark blood patches.
Clearly, Cai Heng had already been through a fierce battle.
A ck silhouette stood quietly beside Cai Heng.
This was an ape beast, just over two meters tall, covered in half a foot of ck fur, terrifying to behold, with white fangs and standing upright like a human. In its fur-covered hand, it held a dark iron rod.
This was another of Cai Heng''s beast pets, a Second Grade violent ape demon, naturally strong and powerful inbat.
Cai Heng looked around at the many citizens sheltered within his family''s estate and sighed helplessly.
Chapter 108 Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (Part 2)
Since the Netherworld broke into chaos, and demon beasts started to rampage within the city, he had immediately started sheltering and protecting themoners around him who had been ughtered by the demon beasts.
To rescue thesemoners from the ferocious demon beasts, he had already fought a fierce battle with arge number of them earlier.
However, no one knew exactly how many demon beasts were actually in the city.
Even though he had just cleared the surrounding demon beasts momentarily, more kept continuously gathering around.
With his strength, if he were only protecting Cai Xingchao and his mother, he might have had a chance to save their lives and survive.
But to protect so manymoners on his own was nothing but a fool''s dream.
Yet, to abandon thesemoners and ignore them was something he simply could not bring himself to do.
Just the thought of Teacher Youling and Cai Xingchao filled him with guilt.
He had gone through so much effort to find them both, intending to make amends, but he hadn''t expected that they would encounter such a predicament so soon.
Had he not found them, perhaps Xingchao might have been able to avoid this disaster and live?
"I''m sorry to you both," Cai Heng said, looking at Teacher Youling standing behind him, his tall figure finally stooping slightly.
"The emperor guards the national gates, the monarch dies for his state.
As a Pacification Commissioner of Great Xia, and for protecting the citizens of Great Xia without cherishing my own life, it''s both my duty and righteousness. What fault is there in that?
Neither my wife nor Xingchao me you; on the contrary, we are full of admiration and share in the honor.
Since we both belong to the Cai Family, dying with the Cai Family is our rightful duty!"
Teacher Youling, who had just recovered from the red pearl snake''s venom and was still somewhat weak, spoke in a soft but incredibly firm voice, her words ringing with conviction.
"Mother is right! How can we stand by and watch as these ferocious beasts ughter our own kind?" Cai Xingchao clenched his fist, his young face resolute.
Such good children of the Cai Family they are!
Seeing the resolute expressions on Teacher Youling and Cai Xingchao''s faces, Cai Heng felt a surge of warmth, his eyes reddening.
...
The sounds ofmoners being bitten and screamed by demon beasts echoed intermittently by his ears.
In a building within sight, a demon hyena was gnawing on a man''s arm.
Bloody.
Lu Qingshan, silent, led the Tiger Squad cultivators forward.
Along their journey, they had witnessed numerous scenes like this, and it could be said that nearly every corner of Zhenjiang City was disying these kinds of scenes.
Yet, the Tiger Squad had not made a move even once during their journey.
Too many.
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Just the six cultivators of the Tiger Squad couldn''t possibly take care of all of them.
Moreover, they needed to preserve their spiritual power for dealing with Underworld Cultivators.
And they were distinctly aware that even if they managed to save thesemoners temporarily, given the city was swarming with all kinds of demon beasts, thesemoners would inevitably encounter another demon beast attack.
So, they could only choose to ignore these scenes.
¡ª
¡ª
Sounds of hoarse cries, carrying from far anding closer together, came from the sky.
Hearing this sound, Lu Qingshan''s expression changed, and he called out to his team, "Quick, hide!"
Immediately after, Lu Qingshan''s figure darted into a nearby standalone building in a sh.
Without any doubt, the members of the Tiger Squad followed Lu Qingshan and hid inside the building.
After concealing themselves and facing the puzzled looks of his team, Lu Qingshan with a grave expression said, "That was the cry of a Ghostly Specter."
"Ghostly Specter?"
Lu Qingshan exined, "A type of demon beast that is exceedingly cunning and generally moves in groups in dark environments, a group of Ghostly Specters numbers at least a thousand.
Although individually weak, they act purely on their bloodthirsty instincts. If they discover us, they will swarm.
With their numbers, handling them would certainly not be quiet.
However, aside from their sight, their other senses have degenerated. Thus, if we just hide here in the building for a while and wait for this flock of Ghostly Specters to pass, we should be okay."
Xu Hao suddenly understood and couldn''t help but feel a bit relieved.
Xiao Zhi''s green ferret could only detect conditions on the ground; they had no good way to defend against these airborne demon birds.
Lucky for them, the Tiger Squad had Lu Qingshan, a unique cultivator who could discern detailed information about the arrivals just from hearing their cries.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Yet, who exactly was this Lu Qingshan, and why did he know so much about these demon beasts?
This question rose in the minds of the Tiger Squad cultivators almost simultaneously.
"Why is there a smell of blood?" Xiao Zhi suddenly eximed.
Su Shu sniffled and said, "It seems to being from inside."
Lu Qingshan nced around.
The small building they had hurried into wasn''trge, just a single story.
It appeared to be a small business selling low-grade talismans, with the front serving as the business area and the backprising of what were supposedly the storage and living quarters, separated by a curtain.
However, the counters that should have disyed various talismans were insteadpletely empty.
Recalling the faint scent of blood drifting in the air, Lu Qingshan furrowed his brows, lifted the curtain, and looked inside.
He saw the body of an elderly man, pierced through the chest, sprawled on the floor, with a little girl who appeared to be no more than seven or eight years old lying beside him.
The little girl''s features were delicate, but her eyes were closed, and her face was frozen in an expression of shock and pain, with blood continuously flowing from the back of her head, her life force already extinguished.
The blood was rapidly being absorbed by the Asura Blood Formation, yet the blood scent it released into the air was not so easily dispelled.
Beside these two bodies, two young male cultivators were rummaging through the storage, their cultivation not high, one at the Qi Refinement fifth level, and the other at the fourth level.
"Big brother, what''s that sound?" the Qi Refinement fifth-level man in ck clothes asked, hearing the ghostly bats'' squeakinging from outside, looking slightly panicked.
It was this intermittent sound that had masked the noises made by the Tiger Squad as they entered the shop.
"Probably just some ferocious beast, forget about it, let''s quickly gather these materials, and once this chaos is over, we can sell them off discreetly.
With these resources, it''s not impossible for us both to attempt the Foundation Establishment."
"Big brother, is it really okay for us to do this?"
"What could go wrong? The city is in such chaos, people are dying every moment, who can tell if these two died from beast attacks or were murdered?"
"But Mr. Li used to take care of us too, purchasing our demon beast blood at prices ten percent higher than others, and Xiuxiu is still so young..."
The leading man''s eyes filled with ferocity as he smacked the back of the head of the man in ck, "Are you regretting this now?"
The man in ck stumbled verbally when faced with the leading man''s questioning, "I..."
The leading man''s tone turned sinister and venomous, "A cultivator must strive for these so-called resources.
We, as loose cultivators, are battling with our lives, yet we can hardly ever earn enough resources in an entire lifetime to make progress. If this continues, how can we ever hope to achieve Foundation Establishment?
Now, with the city in chaos, opportuning in these muddy waters can grant us the cultivation resources we wouldn''t earn in our lifetimes; this is the greatest chance we have ever encountered!"
The man in ck muttered, "But why did we have to strike Mr. Li and Xiuxiu? It would have been better to target someone else..."
"You only have the Qi Refinement fourth-level cultivation, and I am only on the fifth level. If it truly came to a fight, what chances would we have?
It was only because Mr. Li, a foolish Qi Refinement ninth-level cultivator, had no defenses against us in such times, was willing to shelter us, and allowed me to strike him down easily.
As for Xiuxiu, I didn''t want to kill her either, but you should know, if we didn''t, our act against Mr. Li could have been exposed.
I had to eliminate all evidence!
..."
Thud!
An ice de pierced through the throat of the leading man, cutting off his words.
The leading man clutched his bleeding neck, eyes widening, staring at the six cultivators of the Tiger Squad who had appeared at the curtain without notice.
Li Zu''s expression was icy cold.
Unable to endure the beastlike justification of the leading man any longer, he had decisively struck.
ncing at the ck-clothed man who was still lost, unable toprehend the situation, a look of disgust filled Li Zu''s eyes.
"Though you did not act directly, knowing your brother wasmitting evil without intervening also makes you deserving of death!"
Li Zu waved his left hand, another ice de, emitting chills, shot forth, slicing through the ck-clothed man''s neck.
Even being a simple spell from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could two minor Qi Refinement cultivators withstand it? They died instantly.
Looking at the two men''s bodies next to the corpses of the old man and the girl, though he had anticipated such an event, witnessing it firsthand still stirred aplex emotion in Lu Qingshan''s chest.
In the midst of great chaos, some fought desperately to save the city, while others unleashed the monsters within their hearts, no different from Underworld Cultivators, perhaps even more frightening.
Lu Qingshan peeked outside from the shop.
Beneath the gloomy sky, countless pitch-ck ghostly bats swarmed, their round heads only featuring tworge ears, their fine, sharp teeth revealing a thirst for blood, their hairless wings like thin membranes through which their bone structures were clearly visible.
The ghostly bats'' crimson eyes were strikingly conspicuous against the dark canopy, densely packed, utterly horrifying.
They formed a dark tide covering the sky.
Their raspy screeching, their frenzied search for food, painted this city as a human hell.
The scene resembled a night parade of a hundred ghosts.
Lu Qingshan turned back to look at the bodies inside the shop, his heart chilling.
A myriad of ghosts and specters took the stage.
Yet the most terrifying were not these beasts, but rather the ghostly specters of human nature.
Look at that night parade of a hundred ghosts; there are people among them, happier than the ghosts themselves.
Chapter 109 Butterfly
```
Mute¡ª
The ghost bats that were hunting in the sky fluttered their wings and gradually drifted away.
"Let''s go," Lu Qingshan said softly after confirming the situation.
The members of the Tiger Squad nodded and quickly followed Lu Qingshan out of the small trading post.
The scene they had just witnessed was but a minuscule reflection of the disaster unfolding.
If the cultivators within Zhenjiang City had been willing to protect the civilians, then even without the Zhenjiang military, the Netherworld would never have been able to gather enough essence blood to perform Blood Pool Reincarnation in less than a day.
Zhenjiang City was, after all, a prefectural city of Great Xia, located deep within the territory of the Human Race.
As long as they could dy the Netherworld''s progress for a little while, there would soon be powerful cultivators of the Human Race receiving the news anding to the rescue, thus foiling the Netherworld''s scheme.
But such a simple condition proved to be a mission impossible.
Cultivators were the most selfish of people, sparing no thought for the unrted civilians of the Human Race, even if they were kin and kind. But how many would truly bother?
The Netherworld knew this well and used the Corpse Puppet Chaos to draw away the Zhenjiang military.
Then, by using the Asura Blood Formation to create a barrier, they sealed off Zhenjiang City''s contact with the outside world, turning it into an isted stronghold.
By creating this short time discrepancy, they picked chestnuts out of the fire within the territory of the Human Race.N?v(el)B\\jnn
And ording to the original course of history, the Netherworld''s actions were sessful.
Even if one couldn''t agree with the Netherworld''s stance, or even detested it intensely, Lu Qingshan had to admit that in terms of both means and nning, the Netherworld was inscrutable andmendable.
And yet...
Lu Qingshan raised his head to look at the sky.
Though the Netherworld had acted more decisively than he had expected,unching their assault as soon as they sensed something was amiss, thus disrupting his ns.
But after arriving in this world, he had after all fluttered his wings a few times. It remained to be seen if this energy was enough to stir a tornado capable of shattering the Netherworld''s schemes.
...
Outside Zhenjiang City.
Three Golden Core cultivators of the Lu Family gathered, suspended in midair, intensely observing the iron curtain-like barrier that enveloped the entire city.
"What did the other families say?" Lu Zhou asked, massaging his brow.
Lu Yuan replied with a look of indignation, "Aside from the Ke Family, who expressed willingness to send aid the moment they were informed, the rest are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. It seems they intend to stand by and watch."
"Only the Ke Family?" Lu Zhou''s expression darkened.
Lu Bei paid no heed to the two family elders'' resentment, his hands quickly forming seal gestures.
He wanted to test the power of this barrier!
In Lu Bei''s hands, a flowing luminescence moved, and a profound blue light gradually enveloped his body. Enjoy more content from empire
Behind him, a ferocious blue giant serpent was slowly taking shape.
The giant serpent finally formed, and with a sweeping nce, its figure slowly broke free from Lu Bei''s back.
After breaking free, the giant serpent rapidly swelled, instantly growing to a thickness of ten feet and a length of over a hundred feet, turning into an enormous creature.
Wrapped in a cloud of blue mist, its body was covered with mysterious and intricate Taoist runes that shimmered with light.
Lu Yuan and Lu Zhou both felt their hearts skip a beat.
```
This was the Qing Ling True Monarch''s signature Spell, the Qing Jiao technique, which they naturally recognized.
However, the power of this Qing Jiao technique had increased significantlypared to before.
They had no idea when Lu Bei had made such progress in his Cultivation.
Is this what a genius looks like? So terrifyingly powerful!
"Go!" Lu Beimanded in a low shout.
The giant Jiao roared, its howl like thunder, and under Lu Bei''s control, it dove toward the iron curtain in front of them, shaking the Spiritual Light flickering around it.
The vast body of the Jiao covered a wide expanse of the sky, whipping up a great gust of wind as it crashed against the barrier as if it were an eggshell.
Bang!
The tremendous sound echoed like thunder throughout Heaven and Earth, causing a painful ringing in the ears. The Qing Jiao''s light shattered, turning into a dense rain of light.
Once the light dissipated, the expressions of the three of them grew even graver.
The iron curtain was emitting a faint halo of light, effortlessly blocking the astonishing strike from the Qing Jiao formed of Spiritual Power summoned by Lu Bei.
Lu Bei had anticipated this, so he wasn''t overly disheartened, but he made a judgment, "The power of this Barrier has surpassed the realm of a Golden Core Cultivator.
If all the ns were willing to send reinforcements to join forces, there might be a slight chance of breaking through the Barrier. Relying solely on the power of the Lu Family and the Ke Family, it is beyond our capabilities."
Lu Yuan''s voice was hoarse as he eximed, "How can these fools be so shortsighted? When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If Zhenjiang City falls into great disaster, how can we, the ns that depend on Zhenjiang City, not decline?"
Lu Bei, on the other hand, was more philosophical, "As long as it doesn''t happen to them personally, most people choose silence. It''s just human nature."
"Lu Qingshan is still in the city. He is the foundation of our Lu Family''s resurgence. I should not have agreed so readily to let the boy leave the Lu Family!" Lu Zhou sighed deeply.
"How about the reinforcements?" Lu Bei didn''t pick up on Lu Zhou''sment, instead, he turned to ask.
Lu Yuan exined the current situation, "Although we sent a Spirit Message to the Zhenjiang forces at the first opportunity to report the current state of Zhenjiang City, the Corpse Puppet Chaos in the various Prefecture Cities has not yet been quelled, and the Zhenjiang forces cannot abandon these Prefecture Cities and rush back to Zhenjiang City immediately."
Lu Zhou fell silent upon hearing this.
The logic was simple.
The lives of the Xia n people in Zhenjiang City mattered, but did the ordinary people in the various Prefecture Cities not?
Since the Zhenjiang forces had already arrived at these Prefecture Cities, they could hardly be faulted for not abandoning the safety of the Human Race in those Prefecture Cities to rush back to aid Zhenjiang, could they?
This was the Netherworld''s open strategem.
Once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back; as long as the Zhenjiang forces were in the Prefecture Cities, they had no excuse to return and support Zhenjiang City before the chaos was quelled.
"As for the cultivator reinforcements sent by the other Prefectural Cities, since the Teleportation Array leading to Zhenjiang City has been sealed, they were unable to teleport directly and had to rely on flight to hurriedly make their way here," Lu Yuan added.
After pausing for a moment, he continued, "However, there is some good news. True Monarch Yuanming seems to have anticipated this situation and sent out requests for support to the Prefectural Cities of Qing State quite early.
Unfortunately, it took too much time for the other Prefectural Cities to receive the Spirit Messages, make decisions, and dispatch cultivators, which resulted in them not arriving at Zhenjiang Prefecture before the Teleportation Array was sealed.
The early dispatch of the request for aid Spirit Messages did save us about half a day, though. The first batch of powerful cultivators is estimated to arrive at Zhenjiang City in about half a day."
"This Barrier is not only powerful but even prevents the pration of Divine Sense. Right now, no one can know the exact situation inside the city, which is truly frustrating!"
Lu Yuan intensely despised the this Barrier forged by the Asura Blood Formation, yet he was helpless against it.
"But Zhenjiang City is such a prosperous ce, with many cultivators. It shouldn''t be so weak as to not withstand half a day, right?" Lu Zhou tentativelyforted.
"That''s the logic." Lu Yuan nodded.
Chapter 110 Ximen Zi
"We''re almost there." Xu Hao sighed deeply, his expression showing some exhaustion from the continuous battles they had fought.
Having Lu Qingshan lead the team was undoubtedly the right decision.
Despite their efforts to avoid conflicts along the way, some battles were simply unavoidable in the presence of demon beasts.
Luckily, Lu Qingshan, an expert in handling these beasts, was with them.
Under Lu Qingshan''s guidance, they handled the demon beasts with surprising ease.
However, what amazed Xu Hao was that he felt Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword Technique seemed to be growing stronger as they proceeded.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
How could there be such an absurd phenomenon? It must be an illusion.
"There is onest stretch to go. Let''s not drop our guard," Lu Qingshan warned the seemingly relieved members of the Tiger Squad. "Our task has only just begun. Stay sharp and don''t skimp on the Pills."
While speaking, Lu Qingshan took out a Qi-Recovery Pill that helped restore Spiritual Power and consumed it.
They had fought nearly ten battles, big and small, along the way. Even with the Returning Ruins Scripture doubling his Spiritual Power Recovery Speed, he still needed to consume Healing Pills continuously to maintain his condition.
Despite the hardships, the gains were significant. Lu Qingshan looked at his skills panel, now showing his Flying Sword Technique at level 10, and could not help feeling astonished.
Not counting the losses, Zhenjiang City was truly a once-in-a-century prime spot for getting experience.
Such a high skill level had advanced his mastery of the Flying Sword Technique to perfection.
The power he now unleashed with just a third of his strength wasparable to the full power of his Flying Sword Technique back when it was still at level 3.
"What is that?!"
Suddenly, Su Shu''s eyes widened, pointing at a spot far in the sky and eximing.
The others followed the direction Su Shu was pointing.
There was a massive vortex appearing in the distant blood-colored river in the sky.
The edges of the vortex had a gigantic belt of Blood Qi emitting a faint red light, resembling a funnel, with other Blood Qi crazily rushing into this terrifyinglyrge funnel.
The giant funnel was spinning rapidly, its speed making it dizzying to watch.
Moreover, the previously indestructible sky suddenly rippled like water, turning into a glistening ck jade water wall.
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A massive ck hole eerily opened on the water wall, and a breakthrough appeared in the originally solid Barrier, with Blood Qi gushing out through this opening.
But this was only a momentary vista; the next second, the ck hole quietly closed back up, the Barrier reverted to its original state, and the massive vortex instantly dissipated.
As for the Blood Qi that had leaked out, although it was a significant loss to the river of Blood Qi, it was still bearable.
That direction was where Qingrun Dantai had headed.
Lu Qingshan was certain and said softly, "It must be Dantai Tower Master who has seeded, killing ck Impermanence and destroying the Formation Point controlled by ck Impermanence, thus causing substantial damage to the Asura Blood Formation.
However, that is not enough. Such a Great Formation cannot be broken by destroying just one Formation Point. Only by destroying many can the Asura Blood Formation bepletely shattered.
We also need to speed up now. Such a powerful Cultivator as ck Impermanence has already been killed by Dantai Tower Master, and we have yet to find a single Underworld Cultivator!"
"You''re right, let''s pick up the pace!" Xu Hao said gravely.
...
"It seems this first target is the right one," Xu Hao stared at the intact courtyard before him and said word by word.
Zhong Ming nodded, "All the surrounding houses have turned into ruins, clearly ravaged by demon beasts.
Yet, this cluster of buildings so close by remains untouched, without any trace of magicalbat."
This sort of vition ofmon sense could only make sense if an Underworld Cultivator were hidden here.
And this ce happens to be Ximen Zi''s Dao field, what a coincidence!"
Ximen Zi was one of the three cultivators they were investigating, ostensibly a Loose Cultivator at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.
When inspecting through the breakthrough point of the ck Ice tform using Hei Wu''s incarnation, the Five Thunders, they discovered that although Ximen Zi and Five Thunders seemingly had no connection on the surface, there was a very peculiar point.
The two of them had been purchasing their medicines from the same Spirit Medicine Pavilion for over a decade.
Not only that, but five years ago, when Five Thunders switched to a different Spirit Medicine Pavilion to buy his pills, coincidentally, in the same year, Ximen Zi also abandoned his usual Pavilion and switched to the new one that Five Thunders was using.
Of course, this connection is not too significant on its own, and suspecting Ximen Zi solely based on this would seem rather far-fetched.
However, unfortunately, ording to the confession of an Evil Cultivator they captured, the first Jade Slip provided by the ck Ice tform also prominently listed Ximen Zi''s name.
Taken together, the possibility that Ximen Zi was an Underworld Cultivator had be significantly substantial.
Not worrying about rming their suspect, Su Shu released her Divine Sense, sweeping through the courtyard where Ximen Zi resided.
"No one is around, nor is there anything abnormal!" Su Shu spoke solemnly.
"As a Formation Point of the Asura Blood Formation, it would be hard to escape discovery over so many years without some means of concealment."
Xu Hao was unsurprised, "We''llb through this courtyard, and whether there is any ghost will soon be crystal clear. Xiao Zhi, have Xiaolu perform a thorough check!"
"Understood!" Xiao Zhi responded, pulling out a Qi-Consuming Pill and feeding it to the green-eyed weasel after petting its soft fur on its small head, "You will have to work hard today."
The green-eyed weasel was not a powerful Demon Beast by any means, and its Earth Escape Technique was entirely reliant on its innate abilities, which also consumed a significant amount of energy.
Along the way, the Tiger Squad had depended solely on the green-eyed weasel using its Earth Escape Technique to scout ahead, which had already pushed it to its limits.
Asking the green-eyed weasel to perform the Earth Escape Technique again would indeed cause substantial damage to its foundation.
On regr days, Xiao Zhi was exceedingly caring towards his Beast Pet, treating it almost like a Dao Companion.
But given the current circumstances, Xiao Zhi could no longer afford to worry about his beloved pet.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The green-eyed weasel quickly devoured the Qi-Consuming Pill and squeaked, merging with the earth in the next moment.
It was only a little whileter.
Thud, thud, thud!
An extremely eerie sound suddenly transmitted to everyone''s ears.
Bang!
Subsequently, the ground in the courtyard suddenly swelled, forming a small mound from which a small brown object shot out.
Xiao Zhi''s figure shed as he rushed forward to catch the small object, his expression agitated, "Xiaolu!"
This object that had shot out was none other than the green-eyed weasel, but at this moment, its fur was scorched ck, and its breath was faint, clearly having sustained serious injuries.
The green-eyed weasely in Xiao Zhi''s hands, its emerald-like eyes looking at Xiao Zhi as it weakly squeaked twice.
Xiao Zhi''s expression changed, and he immediately activated his Defensive Artifact, enveloping his entire body in a red-glowing Protective Light Shield.
Almost simultaneously, a strangely shaped Golden Wheel Magical Artifact, carrying a dense ck halo, fiercely struck Xiao Zhi''s Protective Light Shield.
Crack!
The shield emitted a sound of porcin shattering.
Under the tremendous impact, Xiao Zhi''s body was sent flying back several steps, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his mouth.
Upon steadying himself, Xiao Zhi, disregarding his own injuries, immediately took out Healing Pills and quickly administered them to the green-eyed weasel, then stored it safely into his Spirit Beast Bag. Only then did he collect his senses and fix his gaze on the green-robed cultivator who hadunched a sneak attack with the Golden Wheel Magical Artifact.
Chapter 111 The Sword Slashes the Spring Mud
This was a male cultivator with a scar on his face, surrounded by five golden wheels. These wheels varied in size and weight, spinning unevenly, some upright and some askew, whirling as if they were flying.
"Foundation Establishment Perfection!" Xiao Zhi''s expression turned solemn.
The cultivator who appeared was none other than Ximen Zi, but his cultivation level was not at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment as the data suggested.
However, everyone had anticipated this, so they remained quite indifferent.
As long as it was still a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, he was not an opponent they couldn''t handle.
¡
Ximen Zi''s decisiveness far exceeded everyone''s expectations. He immediately chose tounch a surprise attack on the distracted Xiao Zhi, whose beast pet had been injured.
If it weren''t for the green-eyed ferret warning Xiao Zhi, Ximen Zi''s surprise attack would have most likely seeded. Even though Xiao Zhi used his defensive artifact in haste, he still sustained considerable injury.
Seeing that his surprise attack had not seeded, Ximen Zi did not show any signs of frustration, nor did he waste words with the cultivators from the Tiger Squad. Instead, heunched another attack.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The five golden wheels aligned in a line, dragging a long ck tail me, shining with a dazzling ck light, like a python with sharp fangs, aiming a bite at Lu Qingshan.
In mostbat situations, targeting a Sword Cultivator first was never the wrong choice.
Thus, Ximen Zi immediately shifted from the now-alert Xiao Zhi to attack Lu Qingshan instead.
Against the imposing Golden Wheel Magical Artifact charging towards him, Lu Qingshan remainedposed.
Hey!
A flicker of glowing light shed and shot forward¡ªit was Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword.
Ximen Zi''s eyes sparkled with amazement, thinking to himself, "What a fast Flying Sword! This Sword Cultivator is no ordinary one."
The speed of a Flying Sword has always been an important measure of its power.
However, if a cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment thinks he can block my magical artifact with his Flying Sword, he is sorely underestimating me!
Ximen Zi sneered inwardly, confident as his Golden Wheel Magical Artifact surged forward with the momentum of cavalry charging into battle toward Lu Qingshan.
"Where is he?" Suddenly, Ximen Zi showed a look of shock and his eyes began shifting.
It was then that he realized that at the moment the Flying Sword surged, the figure of Lu Qingshan had also disappeared.
Whoosh!
Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword was already close by, its sharp aura striking forth.
"Trivial tricks!" No longer bothering to look for the now-missing Lu Qingshan, Ximen Zi summoned a round, brownish-yellow, crystal-clear bead above his head.
The bead shone gloriously, emitting a ring of light, and instantly produced an earth-yellow zed shield, protecting Ximen Zi.
This was his Defensive Artifact, the Spring Mud Bead! Your next read awaits at empire
Made from various rare materials and refined over nearly ten years, he had repeatedly refined it, and now, when activated, it operated smoothly.
Not to mention the attack from a mere initial-stage Sword Cultivator''s Flying Sword, even if a Sword Cultivator at the perfection of Foundation Establishment tried, it likely couldn''t break through his Spring Mud Bead in a single strike.
What is this?!
Ximen Zi''s pupils suddenly dted.
He realized that the fierce Flying Sword was not acting as he had imagined; instead of attacking him directly, it stopped abruptly in front of him.
Shortly thereafter, a young man with a stern face appeared.
Formless Sword Escape!
A close-range escape technique incredibly sharp for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Especially since Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword Technique had already advanced to lv10, the terrifying power of the Formless Sword Escape was fully apparent.
Lu Qingshan, holding the Crying Soul Sword, flicked his wrist, and the sword de reflected Ximen Zi''s profile, invoking a trace of chill in his heart.
The next moment, a cold sh burst from the Crying Soul Sword, and Ximen Zi felt as though he fell into an abyss, his sea of consciousness sank, and he was dazed and disoriented.
Soul Shock!
The cultivators from the Tiger Squad, who had coordinated with Lu Qingshan in many battles, were definitely familiar with his technique of Soul Shock.
Seizing the opportunity created by Lu Qingshan, those adept atbat weren''t going to easily miss it.
By the time Ximen Zi recovered from his brief Soul Loss State, he was already confronted with several unavoidable Spirit Techniques shining upon him.
Chii!
The glow on the Spring Mud Bead intensified.
But as the Protective Light Shield flickered continuously under the spell attack, it didn''t shatter.
Good artifact!
Lu Qingshan inwardly praised.
Ximen Zi looked at Lu Qingshan with a slightly wary gaze.
"A Divine Soul Attack, huh? Indeed, very hard to defend against, but sadly, my Spring Mud Bead is not so easily broken!" Ximen Zi''s voice dripped with mockery, aiming to agitate Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan paid him no heed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ximen Zi swiftly recalled the Golden Wheel Magical Artifact that had missed its mark.
The five golden wheels spun rapidly, creating a halo-like effect; three targeted Lu Qingshan, while the other two were aimed at Xiao Zhi''s summoned demon beast and Xu Hao, who was preparing to close in.
The first profound mystery of dealing with multiple attackers is always to focus one''s efforts on a single person, seeking to diminish their numbers in the shortest time.
Ximen Zi was well-versed in this principle.
His strategy was also crystal clear, focusing his power on Lu Qingshan.
A Sword Cultivator, with only an Initial Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, although his recent tactics were somewhat unexpected, they were odd but ultimately caused no significant harm to himself.
Lu Qingshan stimted the vast Spiritual Power within his body.
Under his control, the Spiritual Power surged toward the Crying Soul Sword in his hand like a tidal wave.
And on the Crying Soul Sword, twoyers of dense rosy light had unknowingly formed.
That was Su Shu''s Spirit Art.
[Piercing Solidity]and [Fire Copse]!
But these two Spirit Arts were not the most crucial.
Lu Qingshan gazed deeply at the fleeting green light above the Spring Mud Pearl.
In the recent multiple Techniques assaults, Su Shu had quietly deployed her own Magic Artifact, subtly adhering it to Ximen Zi''s protective shield.
Using other people''s Spells for cover,bined with Su Shu''s Magic Artifact being just a fine Silver Needle, so small and subtle, Ximen Zi did not notice it.
"Deploy the strongest attack, I have a way to briefly reduce the power of his Magic Artifact significantly!" This was a message sent by Su Shu.
After transmitting the message to Lu Qingshan, Su Shu then focused on the sword in Lu Qingshan''s hand.
She vividly remembered Lu Qingshan''s stunning disy of the Secret Sword Technique!
Upon receiving the message from Su Shu, without any doubt, Lu Qingshan thrust out a sword strike, aiming it at the Spring Mud Pearl hovering above Ximen Zi''s head.
The moment of close quarter shes, a small Silver Needle radiated a bright light, instantly permeating with a green glow, even the previously solid protective shield was tinged with green light and suddenly thinned into a membrane.
Intense sparks sprang from the collision between the Crying Soul Sword and the protective shield, splendidly radiant.
Two remnants of sword movements shed.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
His most powerful burst technique at the moment.
This time, the protective shield could no longer maintain its former might, crumbling like paper mache under Lu Qingshan''s sword.
The Sword Momentum continued downward.
Crrrack!
A frosty line appeared on the Spring Mud Pearl.
The sword split the Spring Mud.
The once spherical Spring Mud Pearl was cut into two neat halves.
The Crying Soul Sword, undiminished in its course, struck downward from above.
Ximen Zi, like the Spring Mud Pearl, could not withstand a single blow, his frontal bone cleaved, blood sttering.
The five howling Golden Wheels, due to their master''s death,nded vertically on the ground, making nging sounds.
Ximen Zi, dead!
Looking at the panel and seeing another two thousand Experience Points in hand, Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but feel, the guardian Cultivators indeed were Strong Cultivators.
If it were a one-on-one fight, a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator like Ximen Zi, he surely wouldn''t be able to defeat, and even breaking through Ximen Zi''s Defensive Artifact would be highly challenging.
But with the assistance of the Tiger Squad Cultivators, Ximen Zi had be easily defeated.
Seeing Ximen Zi''s unresigned death, it was clear how reluctant his heart was.
But he couldn''t me him, as Su Shu''s trick of using fake for real was brilliantly yed.
Blending her own Silver Needle Magic Artifact among several offensive Techniques, mixing the false with the real, Ximen Zi, in a state of Soul Loss, failed to see Su Shu activating the Magic Artifact and unless one was incredibly meticulous, it indeed was hard to detect Su Shu''s subtle action.
Coupled with Lu Qingshan''s close proximity and powerful Explosive Power, it culminated in a remarkably sudden lethal attack.
Of course, for Lu Qingshan, what was more important was that, although it was a coborative kill, the Experience alone was his to keep. Was there anything more opportunistic than this in the world?
Seeing Ximen Zi''s bowed head, Su Shu couldn''t help but marvel in her heart.
Her surprise had umted too much.
"Thisd, too much, isn''t it? If I remember correctly, it was just about ten days ago that we taught him the Formless Sword Escape Technique."
How long had it been, and he could master this technique to such an extent?
Isn''t that beyond genius?"
No wonder Su Shu was so astonished; Lu Qingshan''s speed in learning and mastering new Techniques was unimaginable. Before this, she had not only never seen such speed, she hadn''t even heard of it.
Su Shu seemed to recall something else, "And when did his mastery of the Flying Sword Technique be so profound?
Compared to when he joined the Tiger Squad a month ago, it is simply like heaven and earth.
It couldn''t possibly be that he made such progress in this short time, could it? Perhaps he was hiding his real strength all along?"
Biting her silver teeth, Su Shu felt indignant, "But however it might be, having Foundation Establishment Cultivation at such a young age, in addition to the Secret Sword and such adept Flying Sword skills, learning Techniques so rapidly, isn''t that a bit too exaggerated, making one feel utterly inferior?"
"Only, thisd, although he has a smart mind and great potential, seems to have a bit of a heavy killing intent?" Remembering Lu Qingshan''s behavior during previous battles with Demon Beasts, where he often seemed to intentionally steal kills, such a thought surfaced in Su Shu''s mind.
Lu Qingshan, unaware of the various thoughts in Su Shu''s mind, crisply sheathed his sword and walked over to where Ximen Zi had suddenly appeared.
That was a dark entrance, leading to the underground.
Lu Qingshan unconsciously clicked his tongue.
Nothing original, always the underground for misdeeds, like a rat.
Lu Qingshan automatically ignored the fact that the Knowledge Protector Tower was also hidden underground.
Xu Hao, d in Golden Scale Armor, took the lead and entered.
Given the caution of the Underworld Cultivators, such an important Formation Point wouldn''t be without arrangements.
And exploring the rough and exhausting path naturally fell to the cultivators practicing Body Cultivation.
Chapter 112 Awakening
Xu Hao led the way, and everyone closely followed, walking nearly seventy feet through the dim underground passage.
On both sides of the passage, the walls were engraved with profound and mysterious Taoist patterns.
Lu Qingshan nced briefly and understood that these patterns were used to conceal Spiritual Power, no wonder Su Shu had swept the area several times with her Divine Sense and hadn''t discovered anything.
However, now that they were inside the passage, these patterns naturally could no longer obstruct their Divine Sense.
Lu Qingshan sent his Divine Sense downward and discovered that the passage had reached its end; the long-sought Formation Point was right in front of them.
Readtest stories on empire
As they were so close to their goal, Tiger Squad became even more cautious.
They all understood that it was often at the moment of sess and rxation that one was most likely to fail and lose everything.
Su Shu, feeling uneasy, added another Defensive Spirit Technique to Xu Hao.
A massive stone door stood before everyone.
This was a specially arranged stone door, which could have been easily opened with just a Dharma Seal if Ximen Zi were here.
Their only option now was to forcefully break through the door.
Li Zu activated his Spiritual Power, transforming it into arge hand, and pushed hard.
The stone door did not budge.
Xu Hao frowned, stepped forward without another care, took a deep breath, his muscles bulged and veins popped as he ced his palms on the stone door, channeling his Spiritual Power and pushed hard.
Although Xu Hao''s arms were trembling, apanied by creaking noises, the stone door finally began to move under his immense strength, revealing a slight gap.
Once the gap in the stone door was wide enough for a person to pass through, Xu Hao withdrew his hands and cautiously leaned in to probe.
Before he could get a clear look at the situation inside, everyone heard an extremely piercing sound.
Sizzling¡ª¡ª
A shing purple light burst forth, and before Xu Hao could react, it struck him.
Boom!
Under the attack of the purple light, Xu Hao''s figure flew backward and crashed into the wall of the passage, where he finally came to a stop.
Dust rose, and everyone felt a violent tremor in the passage.
Xu Hao clutched his chest, supported himself on the floor, and struggled to get up.
"The people from the Netherworld are indeed cunning. If it weren''t for Su Shu''s Spirit Art, that attack would have certainly shattered my Golden Scales Body!" Xu Hao extended his right hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing that Xu Hao was not severely injured, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let''s not move yet, I''ll try again to make sure there''s no further danger," Xu Hao stopped Zhong Ming who was about to act.
Hearing this, Zhong Ming immediately halted.
Xu Hao stood up, adjusted the somewhat boiling Qi-Blood inside him, and then resolutely stepped into the stone chamber again.
This time, they encountered no further attacks.
Seeing it was safe, Lu Qingshan and the others followed Xu Hao inside too.
The interior space of the stone chamber was notrge and extremely simple, with not much inside; more precisely, there was only one thing.
In the center of the stone chamber stood a stele surrounded by ck mist, engraved with numerous Taoist patterns, all of which glowed with a crimson blood light, like flowing blood, terrifying and shocking.
In the center of the stele, where the mysterious Taoist patterns converged, a blood-red hexagonal crystal was embedded.
Thump, thump, thump!
The eerie sound they had heard earlier was emanating from this crystal.
The sound felt very strange, like the beating of a heart at the junction of blood vessels, oppressive and unsettling.
"This is one of the Formation Points of the Asura Blood Formation," Lu Qingshan murmured.
"Shouldn''t we destroy it now?" Li Zu was eager to act but also apprehensive about proceeding rashly.
"Hmm," Lu Qingshan nodded. This object was foreign even to him, and whether it possessed other mysteries, only time would tell.
With Lu Qingshan''s consent, Li Zu had no more reservations, and a powerful Ice Arrow was shot towards the crimson crystal in the center of the stele.
¡ªUnknowingly, Lu Qingshan''s influence within this squad had be equivalent to that of Xu Hao.
Clink¡ª
The sound of shattering jade echoed.
The blood-red crystal was exceedingly fragile; under the attack of Li Zu''s Ice Arrow Spell, it immediately shattered into pieces.
The debris scattered on the ground, emitting a strange and unique fragrance.
Lu Qingshan sniffed, feeling somewhat familiar.
The scent seemed identical to the smell of the Blood Pool.
And just as the crystal shattered, the mysterious thudding sound disappeared, and all the patterns on the stele instantly lost their luminescence, dimming down, surely not disying the marvels from before.
Meanwhile, outside Zhenjiang City.
A surge of ck light rose upon the Heavenly Curtain Barrier, rippling once before fading.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Here ites again," Lu Zhou said, unable to help himself at the sight, "This happens from time to time; I wonder what the issue is."
"Great Elder," Lu Bei suddenly spoke.
"Hmm?"
"Have you noticed, this Barrier seems considerably weaker than before," Lu Bei carefully surveyed the Barrier before him, speaking slowly.
"Hmm?!" Lu Zhou quickly projected his Divine Sense, roaming over the Barrier.
"It really has weakened considerably from before!"
Lu Bei spoke solemnly, "I noticed before, every time the ck light shes over the Barrier, it weakens a bit, though it wasn''t very apparent, so I wasn''t quite sure.
Now, after several urrences, the gap in the power of the Heavenly Curtain Barrier from its initial state is visibly apparent."
"Could it be?" Lu Zhou thought aloud.
Lu Bei nodded, "Perhaps, someone inside the city is deciphering this Formation!"
A hint of joy appeared on Lu Zhou''s face, "In that case, the situation inside the city might be much better than we anticipated!"
Lu Bei was not as optimistic, "Perhaps, but regardless, the weakening of the Barrier''s power is always a good thing¡ªthe weaker the Barrier, the easier it is for those of us outside to break through it!"
...
Li Zu''s mouth hung open in utter astonishment.
"Is that it?"
After much trouble, they had found a Formation Point, only to discover its unexpected fragility, leaving Li Zu somewhat incredulous.
Clearly, Li Zu had entirely overlooked the effort spent in locating this Formation Point.
Swoosh¡ª
An eerie sound, akin to a rat scurrying, suddenly echoed in the quiet Stone Chamber.
Everyone''s hairs stood on end as their alertness reached its peak.
I knew it wouldn''t be that simple!
While everyone was on high alert, Lu Qingshan was somewhat astonished as he nced toward his waist.
That sound, could it havee from here?
There, attached was a Spirit Beast Bag.
"What a wonderful scent, what is this? Oh, it smells a bit familiar... Huh? Lu Qingshan, you haven''t found another Blood Pool, have you?" a mischievous voice rang out.
Chapter 113 Shortsighted
"Is this... the Great King of the Western Rats?"
Hearing this familiar voice, Lu Qingshan was also startled.
The night before leaving Yuanshan City, the Great King of the Western Rats had taken the Blood Spirit Bead and stimted the bloodline power within it, falling into a state of awakening his bloodline.
Seeing that the Great King of the Western Rats was continuously in a dazed state, Lu Qingshan simply ced him inside the Spirit Beast Bag.
After arriving in Zhenjiang City, within just over a month''s time, many things had happened. Amidst the busy schedule, Lu Qingshan had even forgotten about the Great King of the Western Rats, who unexpectedly awoke at this time.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, a burst of silver light leaped from the Spirit Beast Bag at Lu Qingshan''s waist.
When the silver light dispersed, everyone finally saw what was inside.
It was a quite extraordinary-looking Demon Beast, but still vaguely resembled a giant rat.
After the Great King of the Western Ratsnded on the ground, it squinted its eyes and twitched its nose, exhibiting an extremely human-like expression of delight.
"What kind of Demon Beast is this?!" Xiao Zhi, who was knowledgeable about various Demon Beasts, was dumbstruck.
Even Lu Qingshan felt extremely surprised.
For the Great King of the Western Rats in front of them truly looked somewhat divine.
Its fur had changed from the previous ck to an extremely striking silver-gray, and on the top of its head grew a tuft of blood-red mane that was drastically different from its other fur.
Just by its appearance alone, the Great King of the Western Rats no longer retained the dark and sly demeanor typical of rodent Demon Beasts but had a spiritual aura that made it seem extraordinary and transcendent.
Of course, from its appearance alone, the transformation of the Great King of the Western Rats was indeed drastic.
But the moment it opened its mouth, its true nature was revealed, as a thievish aura hit them square in the face.
"Eh? Where is this?" The Great King of the Western Rats nced around with its simrly silver-gray eyes, realizing that it was in a closed stone chamber and not the Blood Pool it had deeply desired.
However, with just a quick flick of its eyes, the Great King of the Western Rats immediately spotted the Crystal Fragments scattered on the ground.
In an instant, its eyes lit up, and with a quick dash of its legs, it excitedly scurried around the stone chamber and quickly collected all the Crystal Fragments.
With a bountiful haul, the Great King of the Western Rats contentedly tossed a fragment into its mouth and chewed it with relish as if it were munching on nuts.
After crunching noisily through a piece of the blood-red crystal remains, the Great King of the Western Rats sashayed its buttocks and forcefully shook its head, flinging around that tuft of blood-red mane, then arrogantly said, "Lu Qingshan, who are all these people, won''t you introduce them to your Great King?"
Xiao Zhi twitched the corner of his mouth, "Lu Qingshan, your Demon Pet is quite unique..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Hearing Xiao Zhi''s words, the Great King of the Western Rats, who did not recognize its own kin, immediately burst into fury, "You''re a Demon Pet, your whole family is Demon Pets! Where do I, Lord Rat, look like a Demon Pet?"
Lu Qingshan looked at the hopping mad Great King of the Western Rats with a half-smile, "Oh, getting bolder, aren''t we?"
Lu Qingshan''s lingering authority made the Great King of the Western Rats instinctively stiffen its neck.
No way, I''m now a Second Grade Demon Beast and have awakened new powers, it''s time to be the master, I must not be timid!
The Great King of the Western Rats cheered itself up inwardly, and the next second, it boldly straightened its neck.
"A lot can happen in three days, look at me with new eyes!
Lu Qingshan, times have changed; I''m no longer the little demon I once was, please treat me with some respect!"
Knock!
A crisp explosion sounded.
King West Mouse clutched his head, looking very wronged.
The Crying Soul Sword, like a slithering snake, wandered around Lu Qingshan, causing the stone chamber to flicker brightly and darkly with its spiritual light.
Lu Qingshan had just wielded the flying sword, tapping the tip of the Crying Soul Sword on King West Mouse''s head.
This casual lesson for King West Mouse had amazed the cultivators of the Tiger Squad.
Disciplining King West Mouse with a flying sword without causing substantial harm demonstrated Lu Qingshan''s precise control over his own strength and his mastery in handling the flying sword.
Such skill in flying sword techniques was generally seen only among veteran Sword Cultivators of the Foundation Establishment level, and who would have thought that such a young man could possess such a skill?
"Flying Sword!" King West Mouse couldn''t believe it, staring at the Crying Soul Sword that flicked like a Spirit Snake''s tongue, finally snapping out of his inted state.
Once he calmed down, King West Mouse finally noticed something that he had overlooked.
"You''ve reached Foundation Establishment too..."
King West Mouse''s small eyes bulged, his fingers trembling as they pointed at Lu Qingshan.
He clearly remembered that before he fell asleep, Lu Qingshan was still a Qi Refining Cultivator.
Thanks to the awakening of his Bloodline Power, he had advanced to a Second Grade Demon Beast as if cheating, without needing any cultivation. He had nned to make a grand disy of power to make up for the humiliation he had felt in front of Lu Qingshan.
But who would have thought that Lu Qingshan had also be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?
How could this be possible? Lu Qingshan wasn''t like him, able to enhance his Cultivation Realm through Bloodline Power. How could he advance to Foundation Establishment in such a short time?
I don''t ept this!
"Master, I have missed you so much; it''s been a long time!" King West Mouse eximed as he leaped forward and hugged Lu Qingshan''s left leg, his face full of fawning.
Thirty years pass as the river flows east, then west; don''t bully the poor because they''re young. Once I advance to Third Grade, I''ll reim my honor. It''s not being cowardly, it''s that a true man knows when to bend and when to stretch!
King West Mouseforted himself inwardly, instantly moved by his own impassioned thoughts, his mouse eyes slightly moist.
Lu Qingshan kicked away King West Mouse, who clung like an ornament, and asked, "What are those crystal fragments for?"
He had seen King West Mouse collecting the crystal fragments as if they were treasures.
King West Mouse became wary, his eyes flitting as he muttered, "They... they''re not of much use..."
Experience tales at empire
Lu Qingshan saw right through King West Mouse''s hesitation. "Spill it, I won''t take them from you, otherwise, hehe."
With Lu Qingshan''s assurance, King West Mouse rxed and hastily exined, "I don''t know exactly what they are, but I felt a substance simr to the Blood Spirit Bead, which is extremely helpful for awakening the bloodline inside me.
However, the energy contained in these fragments is far superior to that of the Blood Spirit Bead, so I only dare to consume a small piece at a time."
After a moment''s thought, King West Mouse pointed to the blood-red mane on its head and sneaked in, "But, probably only I can consume these fragments. It''s my special ability."
"Oh?" Lu Qingshan looked King West Mouse up and down several times.
Advancing from First Grade to Second Grade, an entire rank''s promotion, even the appearance had undergone such a radical change; naturally, King West Mouse had also awakened some new abilities.
Chapter 114 The Deluge
```
...
A silvery-gray light flickered, and the ethereal figure of the Western Rat King appeared before everyone in the Tiger Squad.
"Lu Qingshan, your demon pet is quite extraordinary, indeed. Not only can it speak the humannguage without having transformed, but it also moves through the monster-infested Zhenjiang City as if it were t ground..." Xiao Zhi couldn''t help but click his tongue in wonder.
Lu Qingshan let out a lightugh, neither confirming nor denying.
After advancing to a Second Grade demon beast, the Western Rat King not only awakened new talents, but its existing abilities also enhanced.
And once it used its enhanced Sneaky Talent, unless the Western Rat Kingunched an attack, it would almost remain undetected by the demon beasts of Zhenjiang City.
Most importantly, one of the newly awakened talents of the Western Rat King allowed it to sensitively perceive spiritual objects that were beneficial to its own bloodline evolution nearby.
This perception couldn''t be blocked by formations or runes, because it was an instinct emanating from its bloodline.
And the blood-red crystals in the Formation Points of the Asura Blood Formation just happened to be such spiritual objects.
For the Tiger Squad, this was undoubtedly terrific news.
As a matter of course, relying on its unique abilities, the Western Rat King became an essential member of the Tiger Squad''s mission.
The Western Rat King nced at Lu Qingshan and shook its little head at the crowd, saying, "No."
It did not sense the presence of the Asura Blood Formation Points nearby.
Lu Qingshan''s brow furrowed, "It seems our second target is not an Underworld Cultivator."
"After all, the intelligence was gathered in haste; it is inevitable to miss something. Let''s not dy any further and quickly head to the third target''s location!"
Xu Hao looked up at the barrier, which appeared to have weakened a fraction, and said, "It seems that the other squads are also making smooth progress."
Lu Qingshan didn''t respond; he had a nagging feeling that things would not be so simple.
If the Underworld had started the Corpse Puppet Chaos in advance, then how could they not adjust ordingly in the face of the continuous destruction of the Asura Blood Formation Points?
"Why are there so many demon birds gathering over there?" Li Zu suddenly spoke up, interrupting Lu Qingshan''s thoughts.
Lu Qingshan looked up to see a swarm of demon birds gathered in the sky not far away.
"What ce is that?!" Lu Qingshan''s heart jolted.
He had been to the ce where the demon birds were gathering before.
...
...
Pfft!
The ck Feather Eagle''s ws, shining with a metallic luster, like sharp iron hooks, easily pierced through the flesh and bones of the monkey-faced demon crow, turning its heart into mush.
Hiss!
Another p of its wings, like the sh of a knife, immediately split several demon crows surrounding it into pieces.N?v(el)B\\jnn
One after another, demon crows fell from the sky.
Already, the ground was littered with the mangled corpses of monkey-faced demon crows.
Yet, despite having killed so many demon crows, their number in the sky showed no signs of diminishing.
More terrifying was that the ughter by the ck Feather Eagle seemed to have triggered the ferocity of the crows.
Facing the death of theirpanions, these monkey-faced demon crows became even more desperate, fearlessly diving towards the ck Feather Eagle.
Streaks of Hei Mang shot out from the mouths of these demon crows, striking against the ck feathers of the ck Feather Eagle.
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```
The nging of metal was ear-piercing, with sparks flying in every direction.
Protected by their ck feathers, the ck Feather Eagles were not significantly harmed by the attacks of these First Grade demon beasts.
But these demonic crows had grown cunning, and many ck shes targeted the unprotected vital areas of the ck Feather Eagles, such as their eyes.
Faced with this overwhelming assault of ck shes, the ck Feather Eagles inevitably found themselves stretched too thin to defend every attack.
One such ck sh struck the pupil of a ck Feather Eagle, which started bleeding profusely from the corner of its eye¡ªa conspicuous sight.
Birds are inherently fierce, and even though they had been tamed as demon pets, it couldn''t change the nature of their bloodline.
The injury,bined with the gradually umting wounds on its body, incited the beast''s ferocity.
The ck Feather Eagle raised its head and let out a piercing cry, madness flickering in its blood-soaked eyes. With a single beat of its wings, it whipped up a violent gale and threw itself into the throng of Monkey-faced Demon Crows.
On the ground, there was an equallyrge and diverse assembly of demon beasts.
their eyes brimmed with bloodlust and insanity.
Cai Heng''s other demon pet, the Rampaging Ape, held a ck iron rod and fought like a skilled Body Cultivator among the horde of demon beasts, charging left and right unpredictably.
The iron rod was incredibly forceful, leaving behind a trail of blood and gore.
Bang!
With a swing of his iron rod, the Rampaging Ape smashed it into the skull of a Demon Wolf, which instantly burst open, spraying a mixture of brain matter and blood¡ªthe nauseating sight of white and red intertwined.
Although the Rampaging Ape was dominantly fierce, his body was already covered in wounds, and the situation was grim.
"Grandfather, the number of these ferocious beasts is increasing..." Cai Xingchao said, supporting the pale-faced Cai Heng who was bleeding continuously from the mouth, his voice tinged with panic.
Shiyu Ling controlled a Fragrant Handkerchief Magic Artifact, vigntly scanning her surroundings, fearing that a demon beast might suddenly leap out from an unexpected quarter.
Cai Heng had just suffered a severe injury from an ambush by a demon beast that was adept at hiding.
Most of a Beast Cultivator''sbat poweres from carefully nurtured beast pets, making their personalbat power seem somewhatcking inparison.
Cai Heng looked at his two demon pets struggling in battle amidst the beasts and felt a sense of helplessness.
At this moment, Cai Manor was like a small boat, and these demon beasts were like tides, relentlessly pounding against this tiny vessel, threatening to overturn it at any moment.
The numerousmoners sheltered within the manor could also see the direness of the situation, their faces filled with despair, and some couldn''t contain their fear and broke down crying.
"We can''t hold out any longer, cough cough..." Cai Heng barely got two words out before he couldn''t help but cover his mouth and cough lightly. When he lowered his hand, his palm was stained with a bright red patch of blood.
Cai Xingchao''s eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth, "Grandfather, why can they be so heartless, so cowardly, watching their kin being ughtered without lifting a finger to help..."
As the Pacification Commissioner''s Steward, Cai Heng used to maintain numerous Cultivators and servants in the manor, a force not to be underestimated.
But as soon as Cai Heng decided to shelter manymoners, attracting arge number of demon beasts to surround the manor, some Cultivators within began to stealthily flee.
Discovering this situation, Cai Heng did not try to keep these Cultivators, allowing them to choose their own fate freely.
Who would have thought that in the end, only a meager handful of three or four Cultivators chose to stay behind in the manor.
If everyone was willing to stay and work together, perhaps there could''ve been a chance to hold back these demon beasts, given Grandfather''s ability to withstand them for so long on his own.
Thinking this, Cai Xingchao involuntarily clenched his fists.
Cai Heng seemed to sense Cai Xingchao''s resentment and patted his hand, softening his voice tofort him, "Xingchao, in the midst of a deluge, some choose to stand up while others are overwhelmed by the fear of oing waves.
There''s no need to ridicule the passionate as foolish or castigate those who flee in fear as cowards. In the end, we''re all just droplets in the flood."
"But..." Cai Heng, nearing the end of his life, had a drifting gaze, as if he had thought of something but ultimately let out a sigh, "When the whole city is submerged, where will they have left to flee to?"
Cai Heng was unaware of the Asura Blood Formation''s existence, nor did he know that his act of sheltering themon people was dying the formation of the Blood River, a genuinely correct choice that could save the city.
All he knew was that when the flood surged forward, if everyone chose to flee and no one stood up to build the levee, then there would inevitablye a day when there would be no ce left in the world to call home.
Chapter 115 Chapter Wind Slash
The cries of mortals, their sobs, their wails, the sounds of demon beasts chewing, tearing flesh, a cacophony of noises melded into a scene of purgatory.
Even the mighty Violent Ape and the ck Feather Eagle could not withstand a horde of such immense size and fearless ferocity.
In the end, they couldn''t stop these frenzied demon beasts.
Once the bloodthirsty demon beasts entered the Cai residence, they rampaged like wolves among sheep, savagely preying and gnawing on the mortals, leaving the ground strewn with fresh blood and dismembered corpses.
Cai Heng could only look on at this hellish scene on earth, feeling powerless despite his desire to help.
Cai Xingchao and his teacher Yu Ling were closely guarding Cai Heng.
Many demon beasts around them were eyeing them greedily.
Their bloodthirsty instincts, deriving from their bloodlines, allowed them to sense that the flesh of these three seemed even more sulent.
However, Cai Heng''s earlier disy of divine might still left them with some trepidation.
Whoosh!
Finally, unable to restrain itself any longer, one demon beast, its body shing with ck light, was the first to pounce.
Cai Heng summoned his magic artifact, a fan emitting a crimson glow.
With a gentle wave of the fan, a burst of mes sprang forth from within it and shot towards the oing Demon Wolf.
Boom!
Under the assault of the mes, the Demon Wolf''s fur caught fire instantly, its form crashing to the ground, emitting agonized howls as it writhed and struggled on the earth.
Even though he was severely injured, Cai Heng found it easy to deal with these First Grade demon beasts.
Howl!
Though the Demon Wolf had fallen instantly, its act seemed to have blown the charge for the others; the next moment, countless shadows pounced, engulfing the three of them.
...
"What?!" Su Shu eximed in shock at the sight of the residence now a den of demon beasts.
Lu Qingshan''s expression was as dark as still waters.
It was as if a grand banquet was being held, with these various demon beasts gleefully sharing in the feast of mortals, irrespective of gender, age, or status.
Screech!
A mournful cry came from the sky, followed by arge flying creature plummeting down.
With just a nce, Lu Qingshan recognized the origin of the fallen bird.
The ck Feather Eagle, Cai Heng''s powerful Beast Pet.
Under the relentless attack of the Monkey-faced Demon Crows, even the imposing ck Feather Eagle was exhausted and fell from the sky.
Witnessing the ck Feather Eagle lose its ability to resist, the Monkey-faced Demon Crows emitted a cacophony of unpleasant screeching sounds the next moment, swarming over andpletely overwhelming the ck Feather Eagle.
Screech! Screech!
The ck Feather Eagle made itsst stand, pping its wings, knocking several Demon Crows off itself.
But merely in a moment, the ck Feather Eagle''s angry screeches grew weaker and weaker until finally, there was no sound at all.
As Lu Qingshan witnessed this, he remained silent.
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Su Shu nced at Lu Qingshan and carefully probed, "Qingshan, do you know someone here?"
Lu Qingshan looked at the Azure Water Bracelet magic artifact on his wrist, a gift from Yu Ling and her son, and the memory of that somewhat stubborn old man, Cai Heng, surfaced in his mind; he nodded slowly.
Even though his encounter with Cai Heng and Yu Ling could only be described as a brief encounter, Lu Qingshan always had a favorable impression of them.
But faced with such a massive horde of demon beasts, even if he wanted to help, there was no way he could.
After all, he was merely a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
Heaving a deep sigh, Lu Qingshan said, "Let''s go, don''t bother with other matters now, the mission is what''s important."
"Lu Qingshan, it looks like there are people trying to make their way over here," the eagle-eyed Rat King suddenly spoke out.
Among the demon beast horde, four individuals were cutting through the tide-like swarm of beasts, making a breakout towards their direction.
Two men, one woman, and a ck ape.
The ck ape, wielding an iron rod magic artifact, led the way, with the two men and the woman close behind.
The ck ape was covered in wounds, its whole body drenched in blood, some from its own injuries, some from the demon beasts.
Blood pooled into rivulets, continually dripping down from the ape''s fur.
"It''s Cai Heng and Yu Ling with her son," Lu Qingshan recognized the identity of the arrivals quickly.
"Wait!" Xu Hao also called out to stop those ready to leave, ncing at Lu Qingshan before saying, "Let''s wait a moment to see the situation. If they can make it through, we''ll go and save them."
Lu Qingshan was taken aback.
"A cultivator willing to help mortals is someone I would also like to rescue if possible," Xu Hao exined.
...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Cai Heng drove his magic artifact, defending against beast attacks from both sides, while the Violent Ape led the charge at the front, as the three of them steadily fought their way out.
Although the fierce beasts were fearless, they ultimately acted on instinct.
They didn''t organize to besiege Cai Heng''s trio; only the demon beasts around them would pounce to hinder their escape.
Cai Heng''s eyes were as somber as dead ash, despair overwhelming him as the ck Feather Eagle met its end at the jaws of the fierce beasts, and the mortals he protected failed to escape the ughter¡ªall these events left him utterly hopeless.
```
He never imagined that these fierce beasts would gather in such growing numbers.
Feeling his spiritual power nearly depleted, Cai Heng bit his teeth and took out a pill to consume.
The Blood Coagtion Pill, which exchanged a burst of immense strength for the burning of one''s essence blood.
Already of advanced age and nearing the end of his life, his essence blood was nearly spent.
For an average cultivator, recovering from the effects of a Blood Coagtion Pill would require a long period of rest, but for him, it demanded his life.
Once the effects of the pill subsided, he knew he would likely die right there.
However, by burning his essence blood, Cai Heng seemed to be revitalized, hisbat power surged, and he sped up his breakout attempt once again.
...
The Violent Ape at the forefront let out a feeble whimper, suddenly stumbled, and fell to the ground.
It was too tired.
Ever since the demon beasts began their assault, it hadn''t stopped fighting, and even for a beast of great physical strength, this exceeded its limits.
Long before, its hands had already started to tremble, hardly able to grip its iron rod, relying solely on willpower and determination to keep going until now.
Now, it was so exhausted that it could hardly stand.
Leaning on its iron staff, the Violent Ape gasped for air, struggling to keep its body from copsing, but facing the demon beasts that lunged at it with gaping maws, it no longer had the energy to resist.
All it could do was look at Cai Heng with bloodshot eyes, filled with a violent gaze that brimmed with reluctance.
In the next instant, the frenzied demon beasts overwhelmed and devoured it.
Cai Heng''s eyes were about to burst from their sockets, filled with murky tears of sorrow.
The Violent Ape had been a beast pet given to him by his father when he was but a child.
At that time, the Violent Ape was a newborn cub his father had taken from a beastir.
They grew up together.
He had gone from a carefree child to a Foundation Establishment cultivator with the weight of years upon him.
And it had grown from a demon beast cub to a top Second Grade demon beast.
Theirpanionship over so many years was so profound it even surpassed that of kin by ordinary standards.
Now, as the Violent Ape died in battle for him, he couldn''t even preserve its entire body, which left Cai Heng with an unbearable grief in his heart.
But under these circumstances, Cai Heng could only suppress his immense pain to protect Su Shu and her son as they continued their escape.
They were almost safe!
Seeing that the number of surrounding demon beasts had significantly decreased, Cai Heng felt a slight sense of relief.
Aooo!
Suddenly, apanied by a howl, an enormous Demon Wolf emerged from nowhere and pounced toward them.
Cai Heng''s breathing hitched.
The approaching Demon Wolf was a Second Grade Rank beast!
Already on hisst legs, Cai Heng had lost the ability to contend with a Second Grade demon beast after the deaths of his two beast pets.
And Xu Hao and Cai Xingchao, being mere Qi Refining Cultivators, had even less capability to stop this Second Grade Demon Wolf.
The oue seemed all but certain.
...
Whoosh!
A sh of sword light apanied by a clear ringing of a sword from emerged.
What is this?!
In the throes of despair, Cai Heng had no time to react before seeing the figure of a youth appear where the sword light hadnded.
The youth held his sword, its spiritual essence rampaging, as it cleaved toward the Demon Wolf''s head.
Cai Heng''s eyes widened, a spark of life shing through their otherwise stagnant depths.
As the youth''s sword struck the Demon Wolf''s jawbone, in the brief moment of their sh, he distinctly saw two shadowy figures mysteriously emerge on the sword.
This sword technique, this scene, he had heard of it from his father when he was young.
It was a family secret sword technique from the Cai Family that hadn''t been mastered in many generations.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Under the might of this sword technique, the Demon Wolf''s jaws were severely deformed, and at the same time, the enormous spiritual power on the sword invaded the Demon Wolf''s mouth with a domineering force, shredding through its internal organs.
The Demon Wolf perished instantly.
The youth turned around.
"Lu Brother!" Cai Xingchao eximed in shock.
The unexpected savior who had rescued them from the maw of the Demon Wolf was none other than Lu Qingshan, who had arrived using the Formless Sword Escape technique.
Lu Qingshan nodded at the three of them but had no time for further exnation. "Go!"
They had not yet made a sessful escape.
"Protect Lu Qingshan!" Not far away, Xu Hao saw this and maintained a calm expression,manding sternly.
```
Chapter 116 Change Formation
....
Originally close to a sessful breakthrough, the trio led by Cai Heng, with the cover from Tiger Squad and the protection of Lu Qingshan, managed to shake off the crazed Demon Beasts and moved to a ce of safety.
The three, having escaped from danger, all felt as though they had survived a disaster. However, the loss of essence blood caused by Cai Heng''s consumption of the Blood Coagtion Pills was irreversible.
Their steadfast belief in protecting themoners was destroyed by the Demon Beasts, and their deeply cherished Beast Pets had all been killed in action, while the young mother and child had only just managed to escape the peril.
Cai Heng, weak of breath, had not much left to hold onto, and only one thought remained in his heart.
His clouded eyes, filled with hope, looked towards Lu Qingshan, "The sword technique you used just now, was it Wind sh?"
His initial reason for passing the Wind sh technique to Lu Qingshan was not only to show his gratitude but also because he saw Lu Qingshan''s extraordinary talent and hoped that the technique would shine even brighter in his hands.
But ording to his thinking, even if Lu Qingshan were to truly master Wind sh, it would be something that would happen many yearster, something he was certain he would not live to see.
Yet, he could never have imagined that in less than a month, he would actually witness the Wind sh technique from Lu Qingshan''s own hands.
Lu Qingshan gave a gentle nod to Cai Heng, who was already at the end of his life.
"Good! Very good! I never expected to witness the Wind sh technique of my family right before I die... I die without regrets... die without regrets..." Cai Heng couldn''t help but let out a heartyugh.
What concept is a Sword Cultivator who can master a secret sword technique within a month?
Cai Heng already had a clear answer in his heart.
Sword Dao True Seed!
In Lu Qingshan''s hands, the family''s Wind sh technique would surely bloom with even more splendid radiance, and that was the true reason for his joy.
Cai Heng''sughter grew weaker and weaker until finally, there was no sound at all.
His dry and frail hand fell limply, and the weak breath fadedpletely.
"Grandfather..." Cai Xingchao held onto Cai Heng''s gradually cooling hand, unable to utter a single word.
....
"Big brother Lu, how did these fierce beastse about?" Cai Xingchao bit his lip tightly, his eyes filled with towering hatred.
The bashful youth from before, that very young face, was now covered with a resolute expression.
This was the growth brought about by hardship.
"The Netherworld," Lu Qingshan uttered slowly.
"The Netherworld... The Netherworld..." Cai Xingchao kept repeating these two words, as if trying to deeply engrave this name into his mind.
To save them, Tiger Squad had already dyed much time.
Although Xu Hao and the others did not urge them, Lu Qingshan was aware of the urgency of the situation and dared not dy any longer.
He sighed softly and took out two Talismans from the Storage Ring to hand to the equally red-eyed young mother.
"These are Concealment Talismans. If you''re careful, they should be able to keep you safe. Hide well, do not engage directly with these Demon Beasts. If all goes well, it won''t be long before Zhenjiang City returns to how it was."
Patted Cai Xingchao''s hand gently, Lu Qingshan said softly, "Take good care of your mother."
...
In a hidden location within Zhenjiang City.
Complicated lines inteced into an extremely mysterious formation map, with hundreds of dark crystals embedded at various nodal points throughout the map.
Standing within the formation map was a burly middle-aged male cultivator.
"Lord Asura, six more auxiliary formation points have been damaged," Rakshasa reported incredulously to the middle-aged male cultivator. "The Asura Blood Formation consists of twelve main formation points, and one has already been destroyed, out of the three hundred and sixty auxiliary formation points, thirty-seven have been sabotaged.
But with the city in such chaos at this moment, how exactly did the cultivators of the defensive tower manage to find the locations of the Asura Blood Formation''s formation points?"
Asura''s expression was gloomy, "Had we not made a decisive move and acted immediately, our century-long n would have already been a wasted effort by now, wouldn''t it?"
Rakshasa''s withered face looked extremely ugly, and he expressed his shame, "Lord Asura is astute, it is my fault for underestimating the defensive tower." Experience new stories on empire
The Netherworld had spent an unimaginable amount of effort nning for this rebirth of the Demon Race''s scion.
Not to mention the century spent infiltrating a prefecture, or the suppressed grievances during that time, just the demon beasts all over the city alone were the result of countless resources they had spent to cultivate.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
These demon beasts were originally just ordinary demon beasts native to the territories of the Human Race.
They exhausted all efforts, either through subjugation or purchase, to amass such arge number of demon beasts.
At the activation of the Asura Blood Formation, they used the unique methods of the Demon Race to stir the inherent instincts for ughter and wildness within these demon beasts, turning them into monstrous beasts.
As these monstrous beasts fell into a state of irrational frenzy, they were stealthily released throughout the city, madly attacking and devouring any humans in sight, creating one bloodbath after another.
Asura brushed his sleeve, "How the defensive tower found the formation points is no longer important, and we don''t have the luxury of time to delve into such meaningless matters.
What''s crucial now is how to stop the defensive tower''s formation-breaking efforts."
"Lord Asura, at least forty percent of the formation points of the Asura Blood Formation must be destroyed for the Great Formation to copse.
And now, the Blood Qi we have gathered has already reached the pre-determined fifty percent. At this rate, we will certainly be able toplete the rebirth of the Demon Race''s scion before the Asura Blood Formation is broken, so there seems to be no need for excessive worry," Rakshasa interjected.
Asura gave Rakshasa a scornful look, his tone chilling, "Only fools would harbor such wishful thinking. The closer we are to sess, the more cautious we must be.
I will not allow a momentary oversight to result in a total loss at the veryst step."
If this operation fails, the Human Race, now forewarned, would never stumble in the same ce twice, and the difficulty of making a move then would be exponentially harder.
Thus, for the Netherworld, this n could only seed, not fail.
"Issue themand to have the cultivators at the main formation points withdraw from those points and move to the auxiliary formation points," Asura said, his eyes shadowed with darkness.
Rakshasa''s heart skipped a beat, intimidated by Asura''s boldness, "Won''t the main formation points then be left in an unguarded state of vulnerability?"
The significance of the main formation points far exceeded the auxiliary ones; if their number of damages surpassed half, even if all auxiliary formation points remained intact, the Asura Blood Formation would copse.
Asura''s face was expressionless as he said in a deep voice, "Throughout this period, more auxiliary formation points have been continuously destroyed by the defensive tower.
Yet the main formation points have not suffered any attacks since the first one was breached early on.
What does this signify? It indicates that aside from the first main formation point, the defensive tower''s intelligence does not cover the remaining main formation points!"
"If that''s the case, then simply leave the main formation points empty and concentrate our forces on the auxiliary formation points, to catch the defensive tower byplete surprise."
"Yes!" Even though Rakshasa internally felt that Asura''s idea was overly risky, he dared not defy Asura''s orders, and could only respond respectfully.
Chapter 117 Golden Core Cultivator
The once bustling streets are now dyed with fresh blood, and from time to time, one can still see ghastly white bones and reddish chunks of flesh.
It''s an image that will suffocate anyone at a nce.
Even Cultivators used to grand scenes, upon seeing such a horror, felt endless dread and sorrow in their hearts.
"These beasts!" Xiao Zhi couldn''t help but curse softly.
...
The Tiger Squad moved very quickly.
After bidding farewell to Master You Ling''s mother and son, they took nearly an hour to pass through three massive areas of ruins that had been reduced to rubble.
The final target location finally came into view.
Before them was a courtyard whose houses had long been destroyed by monstrous beasts, leaving behind only debris and severely damaged broken walls.
Seeing this, Li Zu frowned, "It looks like we''re going toe up empty-handed, just like before."
The monsters pervading the city were all from the hands of the Underworld Cultivators; although these beasts had fallen into a state of frenzied insanity. The members of the Tiger Squad had a good idea¡ªthe Underworld Cultivators must have some means of avoiding the beasts'' attacks.
This could be deduced from the fact that the courtyard under Ximen Zi''s responsible Formation Point was leftpletely intact.
For others, moving around in Zhenjiang City at this time meant proceeding with extreme caution, but for Underworld Cultivators, it was like fighting on home ground, where they moved unimpeded.
"Not necessarily. We''ve made such big moves, and our victories have been quite remarkable.
Given the cunning of Underworld Cultivators, after realizing that we are seeking to destroy the Great Formation Points, they would certainly not reveal such obvious ws as before.
They might even deliberately destroy their own courtyards to mislead us, after all, the Formation Points are hidden away in stone chambers underground," Xu Hao spoke up.
Lu Qingshan nodded in agreement with Xu Hao''s opinion.
If it was as Xu Hao said, and the Cartographer Cultivators chose to change their tactics in time, creating illusory appearances to conceal themselves, then the difficulty of investigation by Zhi Shou Lou would undoubtedly increase significantly.
However, for the Tiger Squad, this didn''t have much impact.
Because, at this time, their teamposition contained an additional unexpected element.
Lu Qingshan''s gaze shifted to the Rat King of the West.
With one cold nce from Lu Qingshan, the Rat King of the West shuddered, and very consciously, his figure shed, quickly scurrying through the ruins filled with broken walls and wreckage.
Suddenly, the Rat King of the West stopped, shook its head on the spot as if confirming something, and quickly ran back, nodding its little head at everyone, "There''s a situation!"
The Cultivators of the Tiger Squad looked at each other and found that the eyes of the others also twinkled with a bit of excitement.
"Let''s hit them with a surprise attack when they least expect it!" Lu Qingshan made the decision.
....
Within the secretive stone chamber underground.
A stele enveloped in ck mist stood at the center of the Formation Map, with blood-red Taoist Patterns flickering on it.
Almost sixty percentplete, the Blood River was about to take form!
Daoist Jian Mu watched the blood-red crystal at the center of the stele, his eyes filled with fanaticism. However, for some reason, he kept subconsciously ncing at the dark corners of the stone chamber.
Boom!
An immense explosion awakened Daoist Jian Mu from his frenzy.
The stone door of the stone chamber, extremely thick, had turned into dozens of pieces of rubble, flying in all directions and striking the walls, creating a continuous tter.
Daoist Jian Mu was shocked to his core, his eyes wide as he looked at where the stone door had once been.
Five Cultivators, each with a distinctive presence, appeared in his field of vision.
It was the Tiger Squad.
Using the Rat King of the West''s ability to sense the blood-red crystal, they had silently approached the location of the Formation Point outside the stone chamber without making any noise.
Li Zu, as a Dharma Cultivation, wielded his own Magic Artifact and took the lead inunching an attack that broke through the stone door.
In the instant the door was breached, before Daoist Jian Mu could make sense of the situation, a Flying Sword shot out from Lu Qingshan.
A dazzling Sword Light appeared in the pupils of Daoist Jian Mu.
Daoist Jian Mu reacted swiftly, summoning a round shield that appeared to be made of interwoven vines to meet the assaulting Flying Sword.
Hmm!
Lu Qingshan''s normally unstoppable Flying Sword, upon hitting this Vine Shield, was as if a fist had been thrust into cotton, causing not even a ripple.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes held a subtle expression, as with his experience, a single collision was enough for him to understand the profound mystery of the Vine Shield.
It was a method that diffused the force, distributing the attack of the Flying Sword across the entire shield.
Unless the power of the Flying Sword was great enough to instantly destroy the Vine Shield, with this magic artifact, Dharma Cultivation could easily handle Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword.
This Vine Shield magic artifact was extremely effective against Sword Cultivators who excelled in singling out a target.
The best way to deal with such a magic artifact would be the wide-area spell attacks of Dharma Cultivation.
Despite his attacks making no headway, Lu Qingshan revealed no hint of discouragement.
Seeing a sudden swirl of ck mist appearing beside Dharma Cultivation, Lu Qingshan''s heart settled.
This killing move was not his, but that of Zhong Ming, who was skilled in concealing his presence!
That was why from the beginning, Dharma Cultivation could only see five people.
The moment the stone door shattered, Zhong Ming had taken advantage of the immense noise from the flying stones to silently transform into a wisp of light smoke and drift towards Dharma Cultivation.
And Lu Qingshan, seizing the initiative,unched his Flying Sword at the first opportunity.
Faced with such a swift Flying Sword attack, how could Dharma Cultivation have any attention left to spare for other matters?
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Using the great noise of the broken stone door to cover Zhong Ming''s entry into stealth, and distracting Dharma Cultivation with Lu Qingshan''s lightning-fast Flying Sword, this series of underlying moves could be said to be interlinked perfectly.
And what these arrangements brought about was this one attack from Zhong Ming.
A dagger made of ck mist appeared in Zhong Ming''s hands, piercing straight toward Dharma Cultivation''s brow.N?v(el)B\\jnn
There was no blood, nor any visible wound.
The Mist de, the moment it touched Dharma Cultivation''s brow, wentpletely inside from the eyebrow, disappearing without a trace.
The next moment, Dharma Cultivation''s entire face turned pitch ck instantly, and merely after a single breath, he toppled backward.
This Mist de was crafted by Zhong Ming using the Yin Qi from the Land of Extreme Yin, a half-Techniques, half-magic artifact entity, which diminished with every use¡ªa killer move of his.
He would not resort to using this fatal maneuver unless absolutely necessary, but under the current circumstances, he had no choice but to indulge.
However, the sacrifice brought rewards.
To instantly kill a Foundation Establishmentte-stage Cultivator, even under the protection of hisrades, could be regarded as an extremely astonishing feat.
Previously, in many battles, Lu Qingshan had indeed stood out, and though as a teammate, he was happy for Lu Qingshan''s strength, he inherently had apetitive spirit.
This time, surely Lu Qingshan would feel inferior, right?
Thinking thus, Zhong Ming couldn''t help but reveal a smug expression on his face, turning his head to look in Lu Qingshan''s direction.
What is that?!
The moment he turned, Zhong Ming''s eyes widened in horror.
"Li Zu, be careful!" Zhong Ming bellowed out, trying to warn Li Zu.
But it was already toote.
Dozens of slender ck needles, appearing out of nowhere, shot towards thepletely unguarded Li Zu.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and Li Zu, who had just utilized his magic artifact to break open the stone door, was caught between the old force fading and the new force yet to emerge.
Moreover, he could never have expected that another person was concealed within the stone chamber, leaving him utterly defenseless with numerous vulnerabilities exposed.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
ck needles pierced through the body, puncturing Li Zu into a sieve in an instant, with blood spraying from the tiny needle holes.
Xiao Zhi, standing next to Li Zu, had no time to react as Li Zu''s blood already sttered onto his face.
Li Zu had fallen!
In the moment of the sudden change, Lu Qingshan immediately activated the Eight Gates Shield Armor state of the Water Cloud Shield while also turning his gaze towards the shadow that had abruptly appeared.
It was a short male Cultivator.
With malicious intent flickering in Rainstone''s narrowed, triangr eyes, he looked at the remaining five members of Tiger Squad and cackled, "A Foundation Establishmentte-stage Cultivator has been killed in one round by several Cultivators of the same Foundation Establishment Realm. Worthy of the Cultivators of the Guardian Tower, truly cunning means.
But whether your tricks will work on me, that remains to be seen."
Lu Qingshan paid no mind to the male Cultivator''s mockery; his expression, however, became extremely solemn.
This Cultivator, who suddenly appeared and killed Li Zu in an instant, was actually in the Golden Core Early Stage!
Chapter 118 Sword Collapse (Part 1)
How can this be?
For a small auxiliary formation point like this, having ate-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was already considered to be a top-tier setup, so how could there be a Golden Core Cultivator appearing?
Oveing a tier is like ascending to the heavens.
The Tiger Squad had been unstoppable against Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but to think about defeating a Golden Core Cultivator, that was undoubtedly a fantasy!
Lu Qingshan felt a chill in his heart.
Realman Yushi, on the other hand, nced at the members of the Tiger Squad, and murderous intent surged in his heart.
The Asura Blood Formation consisted of twelve main formation points, and he was one of the two Golden Core Cultivators responsible for the ninth main formation point.
However, not long ago, he had suddenly received a Spirit Message from Lord Rakshasa, stating that Cultivators from the Knowledge Guarding Pavilion were sabotaging the Asura Blood Formation, and he was to immediately go to support the auxiliary formation point and ambush the Knowledge Guarding Pavilion Cultivators.
Keep in mind, he had been in hiding in Zhenjiang City for nearly a hundred years, all in the hopes that upon the sess of their grand n, he would tower straight up into the high clouds.
When the time came for rewarding contributions, whether it was power or various cultivation resources, he would certainly not becking.
But all of this was based on the sess of the grand n.
If it failed, then his hundred years would have been utterly wasted.
The Knowledge Guarding Pavilion Cultivators'' actions to break the formation were tantamount to ruining his path to power, so how could he not be furious?
"You could have taken action just now to save him, but you chose to attack us instead," Lu Qingshan said, his voice filled with a trace of coldness.
As he spoke, Lu Qingshan had his hands behind his back, quietly taking an item out of the Storage Ring and handing it over to the King of the West Mice, who had gone unnoticed all along due to his bloodline talent. Stay updated through empire
"A mere waste, why would he be worth my effort to save?" Realman Yushi said with disdain.
Underworld Cultivators were mostly extremely vicious and ruthless; they could even turn their backs on their own blood kin, so naturally, they would be even colder toward their colleagues.
As a Golden Core Cultivator, Realman Yushi could have intercepted Zhong Ming''s attack to save Daoist Jianmu, and then teamed up with Jianmu to fight them head-on. Having an extra Foundation Establishment Cultivator for assistance would undoubtedly have been more prudent. Yet, he chose to stand idly by instead.
His intentions were exceptionally malevolent.
If the Demon Child''s reincarnation seeded, then during the subsequent reward distribution, one fewer participant in this grand scheme meant more benefits for himself.
Dealing with six Foundation Establishment Cultivators was a piece of cake for him, so it would be better if Daoist Jianmu died!
This was an Underworld Cultivator.
But often, it was these kinds of Cultivators who were the hardest to deal with because such people didn''t have normal weaknesses. Their principle of action was to put self-interest above all else.
The brief standoff between Lu Qingshan and Realman Yushi gave those immersed in the sorrow of the Li Zu''s death a bit of a respite.
Xu Hao was the quickest toe around, taking a pill out of his Storage Ring and swallowing it.
In the next moment, a violent aura erupted from Xu Hao.
Disaster Averting Elixir, it burned thirty years of one''s lifespan to gain incredibly powerful explosive strength for a short time.
This was a Third Grade Spirit Pill that Xu Hao had exchanged for a considerable amount of Contribution Value from the Knowledge Guarding Pavilion''s treasury, and today it was finally put to use.
Feeling Xu Hao''s action, everyone else snapped out of it and began to bring out their own Spiritual Artifacts.
Their hearts were resolute.
Even if they weren''t a match for the Golden Core Cultivator before them, they were determined to fight with all their might regardless.
This was especially true for Xiao Zhi, who had the deepest ties with the Li Zu. In just a blink of an eye, the Li Zu had been killed right beside him.
Xiao Zhi''s eyes were bloodshot.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The true master Rain Stone did not wait for everyone to fully arrange their formation, he waved his hand mightily, and the flying needle magic artifact that had just killed Li Zu''s men shot towards Lu Qingshan instantly, dense as pouring rain, and airtight.
After dealing with the Cultivators from the Defense Tower at hand, he still needed to hurry to the next auxiliary formation point to continue ambushing other Cultivators from the Defense Tower.
Therefore, he did not want to dy too much time on Tiger Squad.
ng ng ng ng ng!
The continuous sound of metal shing rang out.
The ck needle artifacts that the true master Rain Stone had unleashed were all blocked by the Water Cloud Shield summoned by Lu Qingshan, and they had not caused any real harm to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan quickly retreated.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Although this attack had beenpletely blocked by the Water Cloud Shield, just this collision alone had depleted three and a half tenths of the Eight Gates Shield Armor''s durability!
The attack of a Golden Core Cultivator was simply not something he could withstand head-on at this moment.
The moment Lu Qingshan retreated, Xu Hao stepped forward to fill the gap left by Lu Qingshan''s withdrawal.
It was impossible not to feel intimidated by a Golden Core Cultivator, but as a Body Cultivator, he needed to stand his ground, to resist the direct attack of true master Rain Stone, and thereby buy time for his teammates.
Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed slightly, his right hand waved gently, and a Dharma Seal emitting a blue-green glow ignited in midair.
Beast Talisman: Spirit Leaf Ape!
The image of a massive shadowy ape several meters tall emerged and quickly solidified.
Roar!
As soon as the Spirit Leaf Ape appeared, its roar, like thunder, echoed non-stop within the confines of the stone chamber.
Under the drive of Lu Qingshan''s Divine Sense, the Spirit Leaf Ape fiercely pounced towards the true master Rain Stone.
With the Spirit Leaf Ape''s spirit present, it should be able to relieve a lot of pressure for Xu Hao.
Seeing that his strike had missed, the true master Rain Stone looked at the Water Cloud Shield circling around Lu Qingshan with interest, his eyes shining, "A mere Foundation Establishment initial stage Cultivator actually possesses such a high-grade Defensive Artifact!"
Lu Qingshan''s assets had always far exceeded those of his peers. The Water Cloud Shield was a Defensive Artifact he had acquired at a great expense, a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact, which even made the true master Rain Stone, a Golden Core Cultivator, a bit envious.
Only a Defensive Artifact of such a grade could fend off the attack of a Golden Core Cultivator.
Although his desire to kill Lu Qingshan in an instant was unsessful, the true master Rain Stone did not take it to heart. With a wave of his hand, the ck needle artifact split into two groups, one tangled with Xu Hao, and the other went after the spirit of the Spirit Leaf Ape.
Everyone was ying theirst cards.
The space of the stone chamber severely limited the effectiveness of the massive Demon Beasts, so Xiao Zhi was unable to summon his Red Rock Goose to battle.
Although Beast Cultivators often rely on their Beast Pets for a major part of theirbat power, they still possess a certain level of strength.
Xiao Zhi then summoned his own magic artifact, a total of thirty-six Fire Attribute Spirit Pearls.
These Spirit Pearls, like pearls, strung together and flew towards the true master Rain Stone.
Each Spirit Pearl erupted with a surge of fierce me, intertwining midair, forming a zing serpent.
Zhong Ming concentrated all the Yin Qi he had left into a Short Sword, turned into a wisp of ck smoke, and vanished from sight again.
Su Shu gave Lu Qingshan a meaningful nce, and her hands formed aplex Dharma Seal. At her fingertips, a stunningly beautiful red flower appeared.
Su Shu tossed it into the air and the flower spun around once. The next moment, numerous petals detached and each petal, like a sharp de, sliced towards the true master Rain Stone. Amidst the brilliant flurry of petal des, a barely noticeable green light shed by.
Whoosh!
Lu Qingshan immediately caught on, and in the next moment, the Crying Soul Sword turned into a shadow streak, rubbing against the air with a piercing sound, and shot towards the true master Rain Stone.
Even in the midst of battle, the Flying Sword unleashed by Lu Qingshan still managed to draw a sidelong nce from the true master Rain Stone.
Chapter 119 The Collapse of the Sword (Part 2)
The first realm of the Flying Sword is supersonic speed.
When the speed of the Flying Sword exceeds the speed of sound, its power undergoes a qualitative transformation, increasing exponentially.
Generally speaking, only a Golden Core Sword Cultivator can train the Flying Sword to surpass the sound barrier.
At this moment, the speed of Lu Qingshan''s Flying Sword had already reached eighty percent of the speed of sound.
Though it gets increasingly difficult to improve as one approaches the speed of sound, one must realize that Lu Qingshan is still just a Cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.
"To possess such a level of Cultivation at this age is impressive enough, but to master such a terrifying Flying Sword Technique is truly enviable.
However, such a genius is destined to die by my hand today, which is quite a delightful thought!" A malevolent smile appeared on Rain Stone''s face.
The assault from Tiger Squad''s Cultivators swept out like a torrential storm.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Trivial trickery!"
In the next moment, a dense ck light emerged around Rain Stone.
No matter if it was a Magic Artifact attack or a spell attack, once it struck this ck light, it would dissolve as if snowkes meeting boiling hot water, all melted away.
For the Tiger Squad, just breaking through the defenses had be an insurmountable challenge.
Su Shu had been psychologically prepared for this, knowing that they were facing a Golden Core Cultivator.
But she still had another trick up her sleeve!
Sizzle!
Upon Su Shu''s mentalmand, ayer of azure light abruptly burst forth within the ck light protecting Rain Stone.
A slender silver needle appeared within the ck light.
This was a Silver Needle Magic Artifact secretly released by Su Shu under the cover of the de Rain, meant to weaken the defense of a Defensive Artifact or a Spiritual Power Light Shield.
Not long ago, Su Shu used this Magic Artifact in conjunction with Lu Qingshan to y Ximen Zi with a single strike.
Under the impregnation of the azure light, the ck light instantly diminished to a thin film.
"Die!"
Zhong Ming, who was already in close proximity, had bloodshot eyes, seized the opportunity when the azure light surged and stabbed out with the short sword formed from Yin Qi.
Thud!
The short sword prated the protective ck light around Rain Stone, then aimed straight for the center of his forehead.
Not good!
As the short sword was about to touch Rain Stone, Zhong Ming felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, a chill spreading up his spine.
Because there was not a trace of panic on Rain Stone''s face, but rather a hint of a sessful plot.
Thud thud thud thud thud...
Dozens of ck needles appeared out of nowhere, and small, dense puncture wounds appeared on Zhong Ming''s face.
His head was thoroughly pierced by these ck needles!
Where did these ck needlese from?
Even in his dying moments, Zhong Ming was filled with this doubt.
"Zhong Ming!" Su Shu eximed in horror.
In just an instant, the Tiger Squad, which hadunched the swift attack, had its numbers reduced once more.
"Did you think those were all my ck needles?" Looking at the lifeless body of Zhong Ming falling to the ground, Rain Stone sneered disdainfully.
The reason why he was called Rain Stone was precisely because of these ck needle Magic Artifacts.
The ck needles were named Rain Stone Needles, a set of three hundred and sixty in total; he had only released three hundred to face the enemy.
These hidden sixty Rain Stone Needles were specifically reserved for Zhong Ming.
He had even noticed the silver needle Magic Artifact that Su Shu had hidden among the various spells from the very beginning. The reason he had not revealed it was because he had deliberately left a gap, aiming to attract Zhong Ming into close quarters and strike him down in one fell swoop.
Otherwise, with Zhong Ming always lurking in the shadows, he indeed wasn''t that easy to kill.
But something seemed off, as if something was missing?
The real person Yushi, who had just in Zhong Ming, was notcent but rather furrowed his brow, feeling something was amiss.
In the next moment, real person Yushi abruptly realized what was wrong.
It was that sword cultivator''s flying sword!
Among the numerous attacks he had blocked, there was no presence of the flying sword.
Given the speed of the flying sword, it should have been the first to arrive.
Where did this flying sword go?
Hiss!
The sudden whooshing sound by his ear made real person Yushi, who had finally remembered what he had neglected, feel a chill in his heart.
Lu Qingshan, who had feigned a flying sword attack and actually approached Yushi''s rear using the Formless Sword Escape, held his sword in both hands, channeling his entire momentum into it; the spiritual power within him surged out like a flood breaching its banks, converging on his sword.
Blood oozed from the corners of Lu Qingshan''s mouth.
This was due to the overexertion of maneuvering spiritual power, causing damage to his body''s meridians.
Lu Qingshan unleashed his strongest sh yet. Read new chapters at empire
Real person Yushi, who had deliberately exposed a w to lure out Zhong Ming, had never anticipated that this very vulnerability would be his death curse.
Caughtpletely off guard, real person Yushi could only manipte the sixty Rain Stone Needles that had in Zhong Ming to block in front of Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword, while frantically forming spell gestures, attempting to use a defensive spell.
At that very moment, in a corner of the stone chamber, the Rat King Ximen Zi, whose Sneaky Talent had kept him unnoticed by real person Yushi, had a silver-grey light sh within his eyes, staring straight at real person Yushi.
A direct attack on the divine soul with an illusion technique!
The Rat King Ximen Zi''s bloodline originated from the Illusionary Mouse, which excelled at illusion techniques.
For the Rat King Ximen Zi, who was merely at the Second Grade level, to plunge real person Yushi into a world of illusions was not realistic, but there was no problem in interrupting Yushi''s defensive spell in this moment of haste.
Distracted by the Rat King Ximen Zi''s illusion technique, real person Yushi''s Dharma Seal formation slowed by a beat, and it was this slight dy that prevented him from casting his defensive spell when Lu Qingshan''s Crying Soul Sword came shing down.
Boom!
The Crying Soul Sword, like a massive hammer, struck down upon the Rain Stone Needles.
In the midst of the fierce collision sounds, sparks flew and a continuous crackling echoed in the air.
The Crying Soul Sword broke through theyers of Rain Stone Needles and struck Yushi''s chest with immense difficulty.
ng!
A dazzling spiritual light shed again from real person Yushi''s waist, gathering at his chest, warding off Lu Qingshan''s onught.
Lu Qingshan was not surprised that real person Yushi had an automatically-triggered defensive artifact.
Wind sh!
Lu Qingshan let out a low shout, spiritual power erupting recklessly from the sword, as two ethereal afterimages emerged.
The Returning Ruins Scripture, a Taoist Level Cultivation Technique, provided spiritual power of extremely pure quality; that was the confidence behind Lu Qingshan''s sword.
With the blessing of Returning Ruins spiritual power, the Crying Soul Sword once again broke through Yushi''s finalyer of defense, shing onto his chest.
Under this one strike, real person Yushi flew backwards like a kite with its string cut.
For this attack, Lu Qingshan had also paid a hefty price.
Numerous cracks crept along the de of the Crying Soul Sword, which had endured the fierce collision, emitting sounds like ice breaking.
The Crying Soul Sword, crafted from soul stone, though capable of Soul Shock, was somewhat more fragilepared to other sword artifacts.
This intense collision had indeed exceeded the limits of the Crying Soul Sword.
Crack!
With a intive light snap, the Crying Soul Sword shattered into hundreds of fine fragments, scattering everywhere.
The sword, destroyed!
Even though the Crying Soul Sword was not his life-bound sword, seeing the sword he had used for so long turn into fragments, with only the hilt left in his hand, Lu Qingshan still felt a pang of loss.
Chapter 120 Breaking the Forbidden Disk
"Leave the Stone Chamber, quick!" The moment True Master Rain Stone was sted away, Lu Qingshan shouted loudly to the people around him.
The advantage of Xu Hao surrenderingmand to Lu Qingshan was manifested at that moment.
Even though they hadn''t figured out the specifics yet, Su Shu and Xiao Zhi, who had grown ustomed to Lu Qingshan''smands along the way, subconsciously obeyed and deployed their escape techniques to flee quickly.
Lu Qingshan''s figure was also in a frenzied retreat, and at the same time, his mindmanded the Spirit Leaf Ape''s soul to entangle the already rising True Master Rain Stone.
"Damn it!" Caught off guard and sent flying by Lu Qingshan''s sword, True Master Rain Stone was furious, his anger mixed with a hint of dread.
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator was pushing him to this point; this Sword Cultivator must not be left alive!
In the moment of his staggering rise, True Master Rain Stone used three hundred and sixty Rain Stone Needles. They filled the sky, shooting towards Lu Qingshan with a massive ck glow.
Formless Sword Escape.
As the ck needles neared him, Lu Qingshan took out his Peach Wood Sword and disappeared from the spot along with the sword light.
Phut phut phut phut phut phut!
All the Rain Stone Needles struck a rock on the chamber''s wall. The hard rock, under the attack of the Rain Stone Needles, instantly turned to powdered dust, scattering with the wind.
Lu Qingshan was certain in his heart.
The indignation in True Master Rain Stone''s subconscious reaction caused him to miss the chance to escape the Stone Chamber initially.
Lu Qingshan looked back. Unlike Su Shu and Xiao Zhi, who stood back and attacked with magic artifacts, Xu Hao, as a Body Cultivator, was naturally positioned at the forefront from the start.
While retreating, Su Shu and Xiao Zhi had already left the Stone Chamber without any problems, but because of his position, Xu Hao was naturally thest to leave.
Hurry!
Lu Qingshan was frantic, finally losing his usual calm at this life-or-death moment.
Initially clouded by rage, but after the attack of the Rain Stone Needles missed, True Master Rain Stone finally realized something was off as he noticed Lu Qingshan and the others withdrawing.
"Scram!" True Master Rain Stone roared. His Rain Stone Needles shattered the Spirit Leaf Ape''s soul into a shower of Spirit Power light, like a pear blossom storm.
After dispatching the obstructive Spirit Leaf Ape soul, True Master Rain Stone didn''t hesitate. Tremendous dark mes emitted from his body as he deployed his escape technique and immediately moved to escape outside.
Just as True Master Rain Stone was about to escape, a corner inside the Stone Chamber suddenly burst forth with misty purple light, and several arcs of lightning crackled loudly, exceptionally dazzling and striking in the dim chamber.
The Lightning Orbs, thirteen in total, which Lu Qingshan had spent a great deal of money on.
Just the explosion of a single Lightning Orb could annihte a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, let alone thirteen stacked together?, the sheer terror was unimaginable, a force even a Golden Core Cultivator could hardly withstand!
This was truly Lu Qingshan''s trump card.
Lu Qingshan, whose cultivation had once reached the Integration Realm, knew all too well the strength of a Golden Core Cultivator.
With theirbined strength, attempting to ovee a Golden Core Cultivator through conventional means was a fool''s dream.
From the beginning, he had understood that to kill True Master Rain Stone, they must rely on these thirteen Lightning Orbs.
And his devastating strike that even shattered the Crying Soul Sword was from the start only meant to buy the three breaths'' time needed to trigger and detonate the Lightning Orbs, not aimed at killing.
The thirteen Lightning Orbs were quietly handed over to King West Rat when he was verbally sparring with True Master Rain Stone.
As theyunched their attack on True Master Rain Stone, King West Rat took the opportunity to set up the Lightning Orbs; indeed, among them, only King West Rat could set up the Lightning Orbs silently without the Golden Core Cultivator noticing.
As Lu Qingshan sted True Master Rain Stone away with a sword, King West Rat immediately triggered the Lightning Orbs, thus creating the current situation.
The building surge of the Lightning Orbs grew increasingly fierce, causing even True Master Rain Stone to feel frightened.
Not good!
He silently cursed in his heart, quickly stirring the Spirit Power inside his body, and his dark mes surged upward, elerating his speed slightly, actually overtaking Xu Hao.
Xu Hao shifted his gaze forward. He saw the anxious look on Lu Qingshan''s face, and then saw Su Shu who had already escaped to the exit.
A veryplex expression shed through his eyes, filled with guilt, attachment, and helplessness.
In the end, all other emotions dispersed, leaving only a resolute determination in his eyes.
The next moment, Xu Hao resolutely turned around, his golden light reflecting off his body, like a sacred Golden Armor General.
"Stop right there!" Xu Hao roared as he positioned himself in front of the ck-me-transformed True Master Rain Stone and spread his arms wide as if wrestling with a bull, blocking True Master Rain Stone, "Let''s die together!"
His eyes were full of resolve.
Understanding Xu Hao''s intent, Lu Qingshan gritted his teeth and didn''t waste Xu Hao''s sacrifice. Withstanding the searing pain in his meridians, he deployed the Formless Sword Escape again, quickly leaving the area.
"Damn it! Damn it!" True Master Rain Stone panicked, the dark mes bursting forth, trying to shake off Xu Hao.
But Xu Hao''s resolve far exceeded his expectations.
Ignoring the scorching dark mes, Xu Hao''s robust hands, veins bulging, actually locked him tightly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A continuous series of loud booms echoed, carrying a sensation of the heavens splitting and the earth shattering, reverberating within the cramped Stone Chamber.
Lightning intermingled, the Purple Thunder surged, and the Stone Chamber copsed instantly. Rocks turned to dust, scattering into the air.
A wave of powerful Spirit Power rippled outward.
Thump!
Even though they were far from the center of the explosion, Lu Qingshan, Su Shu, and Xiao Zhi, affected by the Spirit Power wave, all felt a massive shock, stumbled back several steps, and each spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The mere shockwaves alone were this terrifying, what kind of damage then must True Person Rain Stone and Xu Hao, who were at the center of the explosion, have sustained!
Su Shu, barely aware of her own injuries, stared at the copsed underground stone passage in front of her, lips trembling, her face pale, "Brother Xu, he..."
Lu Qingshan didn''t know what to say, he could only sigh softly.
The dust gradually dispersed, and Su Shu still stood motionless.
Xiao Zhi''s eyes flickered, hesitated for a moment, wanting to step forward and say something.
Just then, Su Shu suddenly moved.
Bang! Bang!
Su Shu summoned her Spiritual Power, moving one massive stone after another, throwing them aside, almost crazed.
"Alive, I must see the person, dead, I must see the body..." Su Shu murmured incessantly, her eyes red.
Lu Qingshan stayed silent for a while, then without saying a word, began searching through the ruins with Su Shu.
Xiao Zhi, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly joined their effort.
A momentter.
Whoosh¡ª
Lu Qingshan heard an extremely faint breath.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly sped up.
After carefully clearing away arge pile of scattered boulders, the barely breathing form of True Person Rain Stone appeared in front of Lu Qingshan.
The bloodied face, muddled with flesh, was filled with hatred.
As expected of a Golden Core Cultivator, his life was indeed tenacious, having not perished directly under such a massive explosion.
Whiz!
A cold glint shed in Lu Qingshan''s eyes, not giving True Person Rain Stone a chance to speak, the Peach Wood Sword turned into a sh of Sword Light, shing through the air.
St!
The sword was incredibly sharp, and True Person Rain Stone''s round head immediately rolled aside, eyes wide with reluctance.
As a True Person of the Golden Core, to die at the hands of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, how could he be willing?
...
A momentter.
"Found him!" Xiao Zhi called out softly, then fell silent again.
In front of them, Xu Hao''s body was gray-ck, like charred wood, clearly devoid of any sign of life.
Under the Thunder Bead''s wrath, even Golden Core Cultivators were left clinging to theirst breath, how could Xu Hao, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, possibly still be alive?
Su Shu staggered, stumbling over, and embraced Xu Hao''s corpse, her eyes losing their sparkle, utterly gloomy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"What''s this?"
The sharp-eyed Lu Qingshan noticed an Array te scattered next to Xu Hao''s body and bent down to pick it up.
The tremendous force of the Thunder Bead explosion had even damaged Xu Hao''s Storage Ring.
Once a Storage Ring is damaged, most of the items inside usually vanish into spatial cracks, with only the rare asional item being left intact.
This Array te must be one of the rare items fortuitously preserved from Xu Hao''s Storage Ring.
"Array Breaking te!" Lu Qingshan''s eyes narrowed, recognizing the item.
But, why would there be an item used by Spiritual Cultivators in the Storage Ring of a Body Cultivator like Xu Hao?
Could it be?
Lu Qingshan suddenly realized, his Divine Sense reached upwards and touched ayer of restriction.
A light curtain of Spiritual Power flickered into existence, hovering above the Array Breaking te.
A record restriction that could capture a brief clip and y it back once triggered.
The image of Xu Hao appeared on the light curtain, his rugged face filled with a gentle smile, "Su Shu, the Array Breaking te is one of the most important Magic Artifacts for Spiritual Cultivators. You''ve had your eye on it for a long time, but couldn''t quite save enough Spirit Stones. So I thought I''d just quietly buy one to give you, making your first Array Breaking te a gift from me.
But let''s be clear, it took all my savings to get this Array Breaking te, so now I''m broke, and you can''t resent me for that.
Su Shu, after thatst brush with death, I''ve been thinking, it would be such a regret if I died without expressing my feelings for you.
Su Shu, you always say I''m not romantic, let''s see what you say this time.
Su Shu, ¡
...
Su Shu, it''s really wonderful to have met you.
Su Shu, let''s be Dao Companions!"
Su Shu''s body trembled uncontrobly as she took the Array Breaking te which Xu Hao hadn''t been able to give her personally from Lu Qingshan''s hands.
Crying uncontrobly.
Chapter 121 Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage
Reflecting back on that day, the normally straightforward Xu Hao made a clear and firm promise in front of him, dering that after this matter was settled, he would take Su Shu as his Dao Companion.
This rugged man showed rare delicacy, purchasing the Restriction Breaker that Su Shu had been longing for without her knowledge.
He even went so far as to record the words he was too shy to say in person, using a Sound Sealing Spell, waiting for the day he and Su Shu would be Dao Companions to give it along with the Restriction Breaker to her.
But now, they were separated by life and death.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Looking at the dispirited Su Shu, Lu Qingshan could only sigh softly in his heart.
Xu Hao''s body, when he chose to sacrifice himself to block the strike from True Person Yushi, was burned to char by the furious True Person Yushi''s ck me, unrecognizable in its features.
Yet on his charred skin, one could still see the fresh crimson flesh underneath, wounds caused by the explosion of the lightning beads.
Droplets of blood continued to seep from the wounds, scattering on the ground, then swiftly being devoured by the Asura Blood Formation, disappearing without a trace, much like Xu Hao''s life.
Xu Hao''s burly body, due to the devouring of his essence blood, gradually withered away.
...
Cough, cough!
Lu Qingshan covered his mouth and gave a light cough twice, unfolding his hand to reveal a crimson palm.
Severe burning pain was being transmitted from within his body''s meridians, causing Lu Qingshan''splexion to turn quite unsightly; he hurriedly took out a Healing Pill to consume, and only then did the pure potency of the medicine provide some relief.
This time, in order to kill this mysteriously appearing Golden Core Cultivator, the losses were heavy indeed.
Firstly, the Crying Soul Sword that Lu Qingshan used as a convenient tool shattered; furthermore, his meridians had incurred great damage from the overload of channeling Spiritual Power, and it would require a long period of rest to recover.
And the lightning beads, which Lu Qingshan had reserved for a long time hoping to use as his most powerful trump card, were alsopletely consumed in one go.
The most painful loss of all, however, was that half of the Tiger Squad members perished here after this battle.
But even after paying such a heavy price, Lu Qingshan still felt a little lucky in his heart for being able to kill a Golden Core Cultivator.
Had it not been for everyone being in a tight, enclosed stone chamber, which allowed them to fully exploit the power of the lightning beads.
Had it not been for the King of West Mice just happening to awaken today, the sneakiness of its ability setting up the lightning beads silently.
Had it not been for True Person Yushi showing a slightpse in concentration due to overconfidence, giving him a chance to seize the opportunity and to gain the time needed for the detonation of the lightning beads.
If any of these three conditions had been missing, even if he had a hundred more lightning beads, the one dying would not have been True Person Yushi, but them.
That is the might of a Golden Core Cultivator.
Stillcking in strength.
Lu Qingshan, having survived the cmity, was filled with mixed feelings, knowing that only with substantial strength could there be a margin for error, unlike now, where any unforeseen event could mean a difference between life and death.
Xiao Zhi was still moving rubble in the ruins, searching for something over and over.
He was looking for the bodies of Li Zu and Zhong Ming.
As for the Formation Point, after the bombardment of the lightning beads, it was already reduced to dust, much to the King of West Mice''s chagrin.
"You go and scout around, if there''s any situation, notify me immediately," Lu Qingshan instructed the King of West Mice.
Although he knew that staying here was not wise at this time, Lu Qingshan did not stop Xiao Zhi''s actions.
If he were the one to die today, Xiao Zhi would definitely do the same as now, striving to retrieve his body.
Therefore, he had no reason to stop him.
However, at this moment, neither of the three were in good condition; he himself felt a suffocating anger in his chest, so the task of staying alert naturally had to be handed over to the King of West Mice, the one without any emotional fluctuations.
The joys and sorrows of people are inherently isted from each other. Apart from Lu Qingshan, the King of West Mice was not close with the others; therefore, the death of Xu Hao and the two others indeed had no reason to be sad for it.
Let alone considering the racial differences, as a Demon Beast, the King of West Mice had seen the horrifying scenes of various monsters devouring humans in Zhenjiang City, and unlike the heavy hearts of the Tiger Squad cultivators, it had always felt nothing.
The King of West Mice nodded obediently, about to move, when suddenly, a fierce roar pierced through the air.
Hiss!
A dark figure, apanied by a massive emerald fireball, shot towards the soul-lost Su Shu.
The air was thick with a murderous aura.
Green Cang Wolf!
It had trailed them for a long time, not daring to draw close, but upon hearing the booming noise from the thunder bead explosion, the Green Cang Wolf cautiously approached and witnessed the scene before it.
For some unknown reason, Tiger Squad, which initially had six members, was now down to three.
One stood still as if he''d lost his soul, another was frantically busy among the ruins, his mind unsettled, and the sword cultivator, who failed to ambush them, had disordered breathing, clearly suffering significant injuries.
Realizing the situation, the Green Cang Wolf immediatelyshed out.
Wolves, vengeful by nature, have great patience. It finally had its chance for revenge.
Whoosh!
Like slicing through a breeze, a flying sword shot through the air at lightning speed, unleashing a chilling might that dominated the sky and earth.
Pop!
The flying sword cleaved straight through the exploding green fireball, scattering it apart.
The momentum of the flying sword, unfazed by the fireball, sliced into the body of the Green Cang Wolf as it leapt into mid-air, sending a massive shock from the sword and flinging the beast away.
Arge gash appeared on the neck of the Green Cang Wolf, from which fresh red blood gushed out.
The fatally attacked Green Cang Wolf tried to unleash an angry roar but couldn''t. The severe pain from deep within its throat mercilessly stifled its cries.
The Green Cang Wolf red at Lu Qingshan, who managed the flying sword by harnessing spiritual power, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, its ferocious eyes filled with confusion and unwillingness to concede.
It hadn''t been wrong; the sword cultivator was indeed seriously injured. But how could he stillunch such a fierce attack?
The Green Cang Wolf couldn''t figure it out.
But it no longer had the chance to ponder, for blood gushed from its neck wound ceaselessly. The massive loss of blood made its vision darken, its body convulsed once, its legs gave way, and it fell lifeless onto the ground.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The dawn''s light flickered as the Peach Wood Sword danced in the air, leaving trailing shadows, its presence astonishing.
"A beast trying to ambush like a human? Merely adds to the ridicule." Watching the massive form of the Green Cang Wolf fall, Lu Qingshan let out a cold snort and retracted the Peach Wood Sword.
¡
"[Returning Ruins Scripture] upgraded to lv4, spiritual power value +100!"
...
"[Returning Ruins Scripture] upgraded to lv7, spiritual power value +100!"
"Your rank has been raised to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, divine sense +10!"
The moment the Green Cang Wolf sprang into action, Lu Qingshan allocated all the substantial experience gained from killing the Golden Core Cultivator into the Returning Ruins Scripture, instantly raising the level of the cultivation technique by four.
The Foundation Establishment stage cultivation technique has a total of twenty levels, aligning with the four sub-stages of Foundation Establishment: the initial stage, mid-stage,te stage, and perfection.
With the perfection as the final two levels, each sub-stage is marked by six levels. Lv7 in Returning Ruins Scripture allowed Lu Qingshan to advance his rank to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
The promotion of rank first brought about an increase in divine sense, doubling his initial ten points immediately.
Beyond that, as his cultivation steadily improved, the power of his Taoist-level cultivation technique began to unfold.
For each level the Returning Ruins Scripture ascended, the increment of spiritual power was almost double that of ordinary cultivation techniques.
Though Lu Qingshan had only just broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, the depth of his spiritual power was alreadyparable to ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In terms of divine sense, Lu Qingshan was weaker than ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, in the purity of spiritual power, due to the Returning Ruins Scripture, Lu Qingshan was even more superior.
Overall, merely discussing cultivation, he who had just entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment was now no different from ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In such a situation, the potency of the Flying Sword Technique at lv10, when unleashed by him, goes without saying.
That a sword strike would fell the unguarded Green Cang Wolf came as no surprise.
Chapter 122 Blood Qi River
Heavenly Secret Tower, "Protector of Zhenjiang".
The city was riddled with savage magical beasts, and pavilions and decorated columns were all reduced to ruins, with mes bursting forth in most areas.
In such chaos, only this ce remained a sanctuary of cleanliness.
A faint golden light enveloped the entire tower, and all the magical beasts felt the terrifying aura emanating from inside the tower and retreated.
Inside the tower, in Qi Yuan''s Taoist field.
Numerous Taoist runes tumbled and drifted, weaving together to form eight massive rays of divine light. Arranged ording to the eight points of apass, each performed its duty, creating an extremely mysterious formation.
At the center of the formation stood a cultivator with a head full of white hair.
An ancient yin-yang mirror floated in front of the cultivator, its body emitting a ze-gold light, mysterious beyondpare.
A blue-green line emerged from Qi Yuan, connecting with the body of the mirror. The blue-green light flowed like water, continuously streaming from Qi Yuan into the yin-yang mirror.
However, the originally vibrant blue-green light now appeared very dim.
"Qi Yuan, he..." Tower Master Chu He, seeing the blue light fade and Qi Yuan''s vitality transitioning to deathliness, felt indescribable emotions.
Mansion Master Lin Lang also could not bear to watch this scene any longer.
But this was indeed the most reasonable n they could conceive of at present. Discover stories with empire
In the past, the Asura had lurked in the shadows, hidden and unmanifested. Even though the Heavenly Secret Mirror possessed the ability to connect to heaven, it could not conjure up the Asura out of thin air.
It was now, with the Asura actively causing ughter and even managing the Demon Formation personally.
And while everyone was in the Demon Formation, suppressed by its power, locating the Asura''s position had be a viable option, though the cost was very heavy.
Crack!
A sudden strange noise from the formation caused Chu He and Lin Lang to immediately focus their gaze on Qi Yuan.
The brilliantly shining eight divine lights suddenly dispersed.
Qi Yuan looked at the two calmly and whispered, "I have found the Asura''s location."
Chu He and Lin Lang both felt their hearts skip, a hint of joy appearing on their faces, "Where is it?"
Qi Yuan waved his left hand, and a beam of golden light shot out from a divided portion of the Heavenly Secret Mirror, disying a painting scroll before the two men.
The scenery on the painting scroll was lifelike, with detailed carvings and painted columns of various buildings. However, upon closer inspection, it would be found extremely familiar.
The painting disyed the original scene of Zhenjiang City, downsized thousands of times, but it was Zhenjiang before the chaos started.
Qi Yuan stretched out his right finger and lightly tapped a small corner of the painting, "Here."
Lin Lang carefully confirmed the location mentioned by Qi Yuan, then nodded, his eyes filled with murderous intent, "Tower Master Chu, please apany me on this journey.
ording to Protector Qi, the ce where the Asura resides is the heart of the Demon Formation. It seems that if we destroy this heart, the Demon Formation will naturally copse, and Zhenjiang City can once again see daylight."
Chu He nodded firmly, "Let''s go then. I''m eager to see what kind of demon or monster this Asura, who has been our rival for a century, really is!"
As the chaos in the city began, Lin Lang had tried to test the power of the barrier, and found that even with the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was not possible to break the Demon Formation''s barrier in a short period of time.
He and Chu He had immediately sought out Qi Yuan.
In the current confusing situation, only Qi Yuan among the city''s cultivators had the ability to prate the fog and propose a n to end this turmoil.
The result had not disappointed them.
Fully aware that each moment''s dy meant countless more of the Human Race would die, the two decided on their course of action and immediately prepared to move.
"Wait!" Qi Yuan called to the two Nascent Soul Cultivators who were about to set off.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Does Supervisor Qi have any further instructions?" Lin Lang was very attentive to Qi Yuan''s words.
"I''ll go with you," Qi Yuan said evenly.
"Supervisor Qi, in your current state..." Chu He hesitated slightly.
Once they found the Asura, a fierce battle was inevitable.
Already cloaked in a somber aura of death, Qi Yuan had disregarded his own condition and overdrawn his lifespan by once again using the Observing Heaven Divine Skill. Now, the presence of death was visibly imminent, and he was on the verge of falling at any moment.
In such a state, whatbat power could Qi Yuan possibly have? They couldn''t bear to see him join the intense battle in such condition.
A flicker of light passed through Qi Yuan''s inscrutable eyes as he softly said, "I will assist you from the side. After all, I am a disciple of the Heavenly Secret Pavillion, and my techniques might help you somewhat."
Upon hearing this, Lin Lang''s expression flickered, and he replied, "If Supervisor Qi insists, then let''s go together."
The Heavenly Secret Pavilion, one of the only seven Taoist Sects of the Human Race, was renowned for its strength.
No one doubted the methods of the Spiritual Cultivators from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
Since Qi Yuan had said so, despite their concerns for his health, Lin Lang found no reason to decline any further.
...
Having just dealt with the Green Vast Wolf, Lu Qingshan was about to speak when he suddenly frowned, his expression turning grave.
The river of Blood Qi hanging in the sky had been growing increasingly dense with the passage of time, constantly umting, which kept Lu Qingshan on edge.
At this moment, the river of Blood Qi suddenly surged, raising monstrous waves.
The entire river of Blood Qi glowed as the dense Blood Qi gathered towards one spot, continuouslypressing and transforming into a liquid state.
This was the prelude to initiating the Blood Pool Reincarnation!
How could this be? The umtion in the river of Blood Qi was still some distance away from that of the past incarnation, and the Barrier had not yet been broken. Why would the Netherworld initiate the Blood Pool Reincarnation prematurely?
There must have been some major change, forcing the Netherworld to make such a decision.
Lu Qingshan quickly made a reasonable guess.
"I''ll go over there and see what''s happening; you all be careful," Lu Qingshan decided, turning to Xiao Zhi who was about to speak, "You are responsible for taking care of Sister Su Shu and for the burial of the bodies of the Li Family and Zhong Ming."
Xiao Zhi was taken aback, looked at Su Shu who was barely recovering next to him, and held back his desire to apany Lu Qingshan.
Indeed, someone needed to stay here.
"Youe with me," Lu Qingshan brought along the King of Western Rats.
His meridians were severely damaged, and hisbat power was less than thirty percent of its peak.
Making this journey, he did not know what dangers he might encounter; at this time, he could only rely on the abilities of the King of Western Rats to avoid demons as much as possible.
"You need to use all your skills; after this matter is over, all the remaining Blood Spirit Beads in my possession will be yours," Lu Qingshan said, eyeing the cunning-looking Western Rat King, adding this line.
The formerly reluctant Western Rat King immediately lit up, vigorously nodded his small head, and patted his chest, promising, "No problem, leave it to your King of Western Rats."
Lu Qingshan was aware that making such a choice in his current state was very reckless, and even if he reached the scene, his strength would likely be insufficient to make a difference.
But still, he set off resolutely and determinedly toward the source of the umting Blood Qi, bearing severe injuries.
The reason was simple: the river of Blood Qi was tied to the lives of all the Human Race in Zhenjiang City, including his own, Lu Qingshan''s.
In Lu Qingshan''s eyes, there was never a reason to sit around and wait for death.
Chapter 123 Reinforcements
Within a mysterious formation map, an imposing Asura stood silently.
ck radiance continually flowed, shielding both the formation map and the Asura within.
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Boom!
A small mountain, shing with arcs of lightning, crashed onto the ck radiance ahead, producing loud booms of thunder.
In the fierce collision, arcs of lightning overflowed from the mountain, but the ck radiance remained utterly unmoved.
Lin Lang''s anger boiled over, yet his heart sank even further, "Damn it, the Asura is in the heart of the formation, able tomand the power of the formation. We simply cannot break through this ck light to confront him!"
Chu He also looked gloomy. Qi Yuan had overdrawn his own lifespan to find out where the Asura was. However, upon arriving, they faced such a dilemma.
They had tried various methods, but the ck radiance was like a tortoise shell, indestructible and immovable.
Sizzle¡ª
Qi Yuan held a ze array te in his hand, his breaking panel.
Spiritual light emerged from within the breaking panel, striking the ck radiance.
It too was dissolved and neutralized by the ck radiance.
Qi Yuan shook his head helplessly, "The power of this demon formation is too powerful. Even my forbidden breaking technique is utterly ineffective."
"Your Human Race''s formations are indeed exquisitely unmatched." The Asura looked at Lin Lang and Chu He, who were fuming with rage, and chuckled sinisetrly, "You''re right, this demon formation, by your Human Race''s ssification, is as powerful as a Fifth Grade Formation. Who in Zhenjiang City has the capability to break this formation? Just the three of you, Nascent Soul Cultivators?"
"Tower Master Chu, you have swallowed insults and borne heavy burdens these years. You don''t really think I was afraid of you, do you?" the Asura mocked.
A century of endurance finally turned into a moment of exhale and pride.
Chu He''s face was grim, and he did not respond to the Asura''s ridicule.
This time, they had indeed lost to the Asura, but the cost seemed too harsh.
"Asura, in your wholesale ughter of innocent mortals, what exactly are you trying to achieve? Once the powerful cultivators of our Human Race arrive, where will you flee?" Lin Lang, frantic, demanded angrily.
Protected by the ck radiance within the heart of the formation, the Asura was confident and fearless. He sneered disdainfully at Lin Lang, and even though he was sure of his victory, he did not reveal his ns carelessly.
He merely looked up at the river of blood qi in the sky, murmuring to himself, "Soon, soon. A hundred years of nning is finallying to fruition!"
¡
Outside Zhenjiang City.
The number of people had slightly increased from before, but the atmosphere was very tense.
"How long has it been?" Lu Zhou''s voice was low.
"Almost an hour," Lu Yuan replied.
"Previously, almost every quarter hour, ck light would sh on the barrier, weakening it each time. But now, it''s been nearly an hour without any activity."
Lu Zhou''s expression was as still as water, "I don''t know what has happened that caused the city''s cultivators to be interrupted in breaking the formation."
"The situation is worsening," Lu Bei nodded, agreeing with Lu Zhou''s statement.
"Even with twenty percent of its power weakened, this barrier is still indestructible to us.
Seeing such a grand structure of the formationid out, the person behind it certainly has no trivial motive.
We need to be mentally prepared. Perhaps this cmity that has befallen Zhenjiang City is more severe than we had anticipated!" Lu Zhou remarked.
The two Golden Core Cultivators from the Ke Family, Ke En and Ke Lai, also sighed on hearing this.
Despite knowing the logic that when a nest is overturned, no eggs remain unbroken, the situation before them was still beyond their capacity, and they could only leave it to fate.
"Someone ising!" Amidst the silence, Lu Bei''s face showed a trace of surprise as he whispered.
Ke Lai frowned, "What person? I didn''t perceive..."
Before he could finish, a mist of rosy light, the Spirit Cloud, suddenly appeared within his divine sense.
Ke Lai, surprised, nced at Lu Bei, feeling somewhat wary.
Sure enough, the renowned Qing Ling, although only at the Golden Core Middle Stage, had a divine sense stronger than his own, a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator.
The Spirit Cloud moved quickly. Initially very distant, within a few moments, it had already shimmered before them.
The Spirit Cloud dispersed, transforming into a ze bracelet, which a cultivator dressed in a ck robe caught on his wrist.
Behind the ck-robed cultivator, stood a dozen grey-robed cultivators.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Senior!" The Golden Core cultivators present all shivered and respectfully saluted the ck-robed cultivator.
These dozen grey-robed cultivators, having the lowest cultivation at Golden Core Late Stage, even included three Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
The most terrifying was the leading ck-robed cultivator, whose aura was deep as an abyss, and his exact cultivation level was beyond their ability to sense.
But being able tomand so many Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, they all had a suspicion in their hearts¡ªcould this ck-robed cultivator possibly be a....Fifth Realm Great Cultivator?
"Just call me Beiming," he addressed the crowd as he nced at the barrier enveloping them like a dome, "What is the current situation?"
Reinforcements? Weren''t they supposed to take half a day to arrive? How could they have arrived so much earlier?
Although Lu Zhou was surprised, he quickly stepped forward and briefed him on the current situation with great speed.
During Lu Zhou''s ount, Beiming learned the specifics and, with a thoughtful look,manded, "Fengxing Zi."
Among the group of grey-robed cultivators behind him, a middle-aged male cultivator stepped out immediately.
Fengxing Zi, holding an array te, flew above the Heavenly Curtain Barrier, continuously forming hand seals and calcting something. From the array te, streaks of spiritual light shot toward the barrier intermittently, quickly disappearing afterward.
After a moment.
"Beiming True Venerable, this barrier''s power isparable to a Fifth Grade Spirit Formation," Fengxing Zi reported solemnly as he returned to Beiming True Venerable''s side.
Upon hearing Fengxing Zi''s address, the cultivators from both the Lu Family and Ke Family were visibly shaken.
Their suspicions were confirmed.
In the Cultivation Realm, Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Golden Core Cultivators could be addressed as True Person, Nascent Soul Cultivators as True Monarch, and True Venerable referred to a Void Refining Cultivator!
This mysterious Beiming cultivator was indeed a mighty being from the Void Refining Realm.
Beiming True Venerable furrowed his brow and murmured, "A Fifth Grade Spirit Formation, huh? That''s indeed problematic."
"However, after numerous weakenings, this barrier''s power has fallen to Fourth Grade," Fengxing Zi added. "I have identified several weaker points in the barrier. If True Venerable and the rest strike together, perhaps we can break through within an hour!"
At this, a sharp light shed in Beiming True Venerable''s eyes, "There''s no time to waste; let''s act immediately!"
"Yes!" the other grey-robed cultivators responded in unison.
...
With Fengxing Zi forming hand seals, five spots pulsating with spiritual light immediately appeared on the ck barrier.
The grey-robed cultivators each took their positions, exhibiting their divine skills, whether by controlling swords, activating magic artifacts, or casting exquisite spirit arts and mysterious techniques on those light-marked spots, bombarding them wildly.
Layers of light waves rippled across the barrier.
Beiming True Venerable also gave a shout and stretched out his left hand; inside his palm, the crackling sound of thunder resounded.
With a loud thunderp, an arc of electric light flew out, transforming into a zing purple lightning serpent in the sky, surrounded by fearsome, destructive light. The energy fluctuations disrupted the natural order of heaven and earth.
Boom!
The purple lightning danced, unleashing the grand might of thunder as it struck the barrier.
In that moment, the previously immovable Heavenly Curtain Barrier finally trembled under the strike of the lightning serpent, even emitting a faint crackling sound.
The barrier was shaken!
"It''s merely this," Beiming True Venerable''s eyes shed with pride.
Among the myriad Taoist practices and Seven Attribute Spells, the Thunder Spell reigns supreme in terms of offensive power!
And he was a master of Thunder Spells, a Dharma Cultivator.
Now that he had seen its effect, Beiming True Venerable no longer hesitated to use his power, sending out dense, sweeping bolts of lightning that shook the heavens and earth.
...
Watching the sky like admiring a piece of artwork, filled with fanatic devotion, the expression of the Asura suddenly changed.
The ck Radiance that shielded him began to flicker mysteriously, bright then dim, like a me in a wild wind.
"The barrier of the Asura Blood Fiend Formation faces a tremendously powerful attack!" The Asura''s heart sank to the depths, furious beyond measure. "How could this be? How could their reinforcements have arrived so quickly? It defies logic!"
The human territories were vast, and after the Teleportation Array was sealed, it was estimated that it would take a day for reinforcements from other regions to gather and arrive upon receiving the message.
The speed at which the reinforcements appeared far exceeded his expectations!
But no matter how unbelievable he found it, the damage to the barrier steadily continued, showing irreversible progress.
Lin Lang and Chu He also felt the intense fluctuations from the barrier; exchanging nces, their faces were full of joy.
Feeling immensely relieved, Chu He dered, "Asura, I''d like to see if you still have the audacity to be arrogant before the great cultivators of my human race!"
"One hour¡ªto proceed at this rate, in another hour, the barrier will be breached!" Ignoring Chu He, the Asura began to analyze the current situation internally.
"And within one hour, there''s no way to gather sufficient Blood Qi," facing this dire situation, the Asura cooled down from his fury, "there''s only one option left."
As soon as he made up his mind, hundreds of shadowy crystals within the formation map immediately released ck mist, enveloping the Asura.
With the swirling ck fog, the Asura''s long hair flew wildly, as if mad, "Then let''s begin."
The next moment, the River of Blood Qi surged dramatically.
He decided to initiate the Blood Pool Reincarnation early, before the barrier could be breached, to facilitate the birth of the Demon Child.
Chapter 124 Flaw
...
Lu Qingshan executed a nimble sidestep, dodging a massive bear paw that shimmered with ck light.
Bang!
The bear paw struck a thick column behind Lu Qingshan, instantly severing the two-person girth beam and scattering wood chips everywhere.
This enormous demon bear.
Lu Qingshan inwardly groaned.
His injuries were severe. Using the Flying Sword to its full extent would only worsen them. Yet, the demon bear''s robust body meant that holding back would fail to prate its defenses.
For the moment, he was entangled by the demon bear and unable to break free.
"King Rat of the West, why don''t you show some of your famous skills?" Lu Qingshan, somewhat annoyed, shouted at King Rat of the West, who stood aloof to the side.
"Damn it, it''s probably because it has no brain. My Illusion Technique has no effect on this creature," King Rat of the Westined with a look of grievances. "My signature skill is this Illusion Technique. I haven''t learned any other Divine Skills."
King Rat of the West really was unreliable.
Lu Qingshan couldn''t helpining in his heart.
Whoosh!
Themotion in the Blood Qi River above the sky grew louder, with the sound of surging Blood Qi continuouslying through.
There wasn''t much time left!
Lu Qingshan gritted his teeth and decided to deal with the demon bear quickly, even at the cost of aggravating his injuries.
Crack!
Just as Lu Qingshan was about to make his move, a whistling bang sounded, and a streak of blue light shed, charging towards the demon bear.
In the blink of an eye, where the chest of the previously arrogant demon bear used to be, there was now a fist-sized hole from which blood spurted. Weakened by the strike, the demon bear fell backward powerless.
"To be put in such a sorry state by a demon beast? That doesn''t seem like something that would happen to you, Lu Qingshan," a young woman, riding on her sword in midair, said with a cold face and slightly curved lips, disying a faintly discernible mocking smile.
The Spirit Hidden Sword that had just turned into a blue streak to kill the demon bear swiftly shed back and joyously circled around her.
"Is the Tower Master also drawn here by the changes in the Blood Qi River?" Lu Qingshan pulled at the corner of his mouth and asked the young woman softly.
Dantai Qingrun nodded, her expression bing more serious and with a hint of inquiry, "This situation doesn''t look very good, does it?"
Cough, cough, cough!
Lu Qingshan felt a sweetness in his throat and coughed twice, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
This was due to the revival of old wounds suppressed by the Pill as he made his way towards the source of the Blood Qi amid multiple battles and exertions of his Spiritual Power.
Dantai Qingrun frowned, "How did you get such severe injuries?"
Lu Qingshan waved his hand, "Let''s not talk about that now. Are you heading to the source of the Blood Qi, Tower Master?
I might be useful. Take me with you to have a look at the situation."
Dantai Qingrun paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "Get on."
With Dantai Qingrun''s consent, Lu Qingshan, without any hesitation, leapt up and stood on the Qiuhong Sword, just behind Dantai Qingrun.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan was steady, Dantai Qingrun did not bother with idle chatter. Her Spiritual Power stirred, and the sword turned into a cold light, whizzing towards the source of the Blood Qi with Lu Qingshan.
The fierce momentum made the many demonic birds hovering in the sky recoil in fear.
...
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The Blood Qi River that engulfed the entirety of Zhenjiang City had gradually shrunk in size, condensing from a vast, sprawling blood river into the size of a Blood Pool, while simultaneously, its concentration had grown richer.
Within the dense blood mist, several traces of water vapor faintly appeared.
Drip.
A sound, which should have been barely audible, eerily spread throughout the entire city.
Within the dense blood qi, the first droplet of liquid Blood Bead finally formed.
Like the first drop of spring rain, following this dripping sound, the rustle of something beginning started intermittently.
Having once again activated the Yuanming Mountain Magic Artifact to m against the protective dark light of Asura, yet turning out futile, Lin Lang watched the gradually liquefying blood qi in the sky, a sh of rity appearing in his eyes.
At this moment, he had finally understood the purpose behind the Netherworld''s scheme.
"I want to see if this Blood River can stop me!"
Lin Lang roared, the Yuanming Mountain Magic Artifact surged in size, transforming into a Giant Mountain that blotted out the Sun. Threads of lightning fell from it, their fierce might shaking the surroundingnds.
With a thunderous boom, the Yuanming Mountain, like the Thunder God making a strike, rapidly traversed directly toward the center of the Blood River where the Blood Bead was forming.
Bang!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
At the moment of collision, the Blood River shot out countless scarlet beams of light, the Yuanming Mountain Magic Artifact was immediately catapulted backward, the surrounding lightning turning into light smoke and quickly dispersing.
"Heh heh heh, after so many years of nning, did you really think I''d leave such aughable w?" Asura scoffed ceaselessly at Lin Lang''s attempts.
Throughout the numerous trials by Lin Lang and Chu He, Asura constantly exhibited a demeanor as stable as Mount Tai.
The Blood Pool, suspended in the sky, took shape gradually, forming a terrifying vortex that spun rapidly, and alongside it, a strange fragrance began to drift throughout Zhenjiang City.
Under the influence of this strange fragrance, the demonic beasts in Zhenjiang City became even more frenzied.
Whoosh!
Under the leadership of Dantai Qingrun, Lu Qingshan, who had just arrived at this turbulent scene with unimaginable speed, personally witnessed the scene of Lin Lang''s Magic Artifact being thrown back.
"Qi Guardian..." Seeing Lin Lang''s effortse to naught, Chu He gasped for breath, not paying attention to Dantai Qingrun''s arrival but instead looked toward Qi Yuan with a hint of pleading in his eyes.
Qi Yuan, however, shook his head slightly at Chu He and sighed, showing his helplessness. "This time, we''ve lostpletely..."
Hearing Qi Yuan say this, the glimmer in everyone''s eyes dimmed, overwhelmed by despair.
However, contrary to everyone else''s despair, Lu Qingshan''s eyes flickered persistently, quickly contemting something.
Of all the people present, aside from Asura, only he knew a fact:
ording to the original historical course, the Corpse Puppet Chaos by the Netherworld was not supposed to be triggered until the end of the year.
The reason for waiting until the end of the year wasn''t to choose an auspicious day; there was only one reason¡ªonly by the end of the year had the Netherworld prepared everything needed to trigger the Corpse Puppets'' uprising and the reincarnation of the demon child.
Now, the Corpse Puppet Chaos had been moved up by three months.
This revealed a piece of information.
In this hastily initiated Corpse Puppet Chaos, there must be some aspects that the Netherworld still needed time to prepare, yet due to the early initiation, there were still some minor oversights.
But where exactly was this w?
Lu Qingshan was frantic, rapidly searching his mind for all the information he knew regarding the plot of the Corpse Puppet Chaos.
But this plot was too long ago.
Moreover, he never imagined that he would experience this plotline again, so he hadn''t paid too much attention to it.
This resulted in even his familiarity with the plot; recalling this first main plotline at this time, many of the nodes were vague, and he couldn''t recall any details.
Chapter 125 Luohu Incarnation
A vast and iparable Blood Pool appeared before everyone''s eyes.
Gurgling, gurgling, gurgling¡
With the rotation of the vortex, the blood, like flowing sludge, continuously churned, and a crimson blood light lingered, brewing something ominous.
After a while,
a bizarre bulge emerged from the Blood Pool.
It was an exceedingly ugly flesh egg, closely resembling a centa, with thick blood incessantly dripping down from it.
Since the appearance of the flesh egg, the blood in the Blood Pool had been rapidly decreasing at a rate visible to the naked eye, all of it absorbed by the flesh egg.
Simultaneously, a bright red glow intensified atop the flesh egg.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
A suffocating heartbeat rhythmically emanated from within the flesh egg.
The heartbeat, brimming with a majestic life force, yet caused the cultivators present to feel a sinking feeling in their hearts.
Thud, thud, thud¡
But after only a few tremors, the deafening heartbeat gradually subsided.
"Cursed! Cursed!" Seeing this scene, the Asura''s face was filled with unwillingness and annoyance.
The premature arrival of the Human Race reinforcements forced him to initiate the Blood Pool Reincarnation before he had gathered sufficient Blood Qi.
The drawback became apparent at this moment, as the Blood Pool could not provide the Essence Blood needed for the Demon Egg to form.
The heartbeat emanating from the flesh egg grew weaker and weaker.
Finally, a sinister look shed in the Asura''s eyes, as if he had made a difficult decision.
"Sacrifice the blood of my Underworld Cultivators to wee the descent of the Luohu Demon Child," the Asura silently recited in his heart.
A pure white Gu Insect, no longer than a finger, appeared in his hand.
This was the Heart Demon''s mother Gu, entwining the Soul Split Gu within all the Underworld Cultivators in Zhenjiang Prefecture.
The Gu Insect, held between the Asura''s fingers, writhed continuously.
The Asura pinched the Gu Insect between his fingers, revealing a ferocious smile, then squeezed it forcefully.
The pure white Gu Insect instantly transformed into a mist of blood and vanished into the air.
With the death of the mother Gu, the child Gu too must die.
But before dying, the child Gu would frenziedly devour its host''s Divine Soul, dragging the host down to death with it.
¡
At the moment the Asura crushed the Heart Demon mother Gu,
Inside Zhenjiang City,
Mu Ke, filled with despair, stared at the cultivator d in ck robes before her.
At her side, five corpsesy scattered in disarray.
As a Guard of the Tower, she and her teammates were responsible for checking four suspected Underworld Cultivators in the southern part of the city and had sessfully disrupted a Formation Point of the Demon Formation.
But she could never have expected that during their investigation of the third cultivator, they would encounter a Golden Core Stage Underworld Cultivator.
Even though all six of them were strong Foundation Establishment Cultivators and coborated exquisitely,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
the gap between a Golden Core Cultivator and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still an insurmountable chasm.
The Underworld''s Golden Core Cultivator, with devastating ease, had promptly in them one by one.
And now, out of the six, only she was left.
Once again, a ck me rose in the hands of the ck-robed Golden Core Cultivator.
"Such is the prowess of a Tower Guard cultivator¡" the ck-robed Golden Core Cultivator sneered, waving his left hand, readying to direct the ck me towards Mu Ke.
Ahh!!!
The Golden Core Cultivator in ck suddenly let out a scream like that of a ghastly demon, the ck mes in his palm dissipating instantly. He clutched his head with both hands and copsed to the ground, his body convulsing ceaselessly.
Each scream was more miserable than thest; one could feel the immense pain he was enduring.
However, in a moment, the screams subsided and the body of the Golden Core Cultivator in ck no longer twitched.
Mu Ke, who had been prepared for death, was taken aback and tentatively extended his Divine Sense towards the body of the Golden Core Cultivator.
There were no wounds on the physical body; however, his facial expression was so distorted and convulsive it was grotesque.
There was no sign of life left.
Dead.
A moment before, this Golden Core Stage Underworld Cultivator''s demeanor was incredibly ferocious and his aura imperious, but in the blink of an eye, he had be a corpse.
Quite bizarre.
What happened?
Surviving the ordeal, Mu Ke was utterly baffled.
...
In every corner of Zhenjiang City and even across the distant 107 Prefecture Cities under its jurisdiction, the same scene was ying out simultaneously.
Many cultivators, after inexplicably letting out agonized screams, turned quite bizarrely into corpses.
...
The Asura watched the blood pool in the sky that had nearly dried up, and his face twisted into a ferocious expression as ayer of crimson blood began to appear again.
This is what you forced me to do.
The Asura muttered repeatedly in his mind.
The Heart Demon Gu, of which each Heart Demon can only birth one in a lifetime, is a strategic resource.
He willingly killed the Heart Demon Gu, even at the cost of the lives of all Underworld Cultivators affiliated with the Zhenjiang Prefecture region, employing such grandiosity and insane methods, solely to replenish the nearly dried blood pool.
Experience more content on empire
The number of Underworld Cultivators in Zhenjiang City wasn''trge, but each possessed profound cultivation. The Essence Blood they could provide was potent enough that a single individual could equal thebined essence of thousands, even tens of thousands, of mortals.
Thump, thump, thump!
Under the influence of the Underworld Cultivators'' Essence Blood, the heartbeats from within the demon egg, which had almost stopped, once again began to pulsate.
Finally, after absorbing enough Essence Blood,
Thump!
A blue-ck giant hand pierced through the outer flesh membrane of the meat egg and stretched out.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
One after another, the sounds of the flesh membrane being pierced echoed as three more blue-ck giant hands followed, making a total of four arms visible to the spectators.
Once the flesh membrane was breached, it deted swiftly like a burst balloon, revealing the entity incubated inside.
Four arms, a fierce and ugly head with four tightly shut blue eyes, and rather than legs, several tail-like structures resembling snake tails.
Luohu Incarnation.
Viewing the demonic creature causing goosebumps to rise on his skin, Lu Qingshan murmured.
The Demon Race, unlike the Human Race, holds their Bloodline in the highest regard, with the strongest being the Eighth Grade Bloodline, also known as the Holy Demon Bloodline.
The leader of the Qing State Underworld, the Void Demon Child, possesses one of the eight great Holy Demon Bloodlines of the Demon Race, the Void Bloodline.
The Heart Demon capable of birthing the Heart Demon Gu also possesses one of these Holy Demon Bloodlines.
The eight great Holy Demon Bloodlines of the Demon Race, besides the Void and Heart Demon, include one known as Asura.
Unlike the Void Bloodline, which masters the True Intent of Space, Asura boasts extreme strength as its bloodline talent; all Asuras possess supernatural strength beyond mortals.
The battle-hardened and valiant Asuras have always been among the most warlike and skilled fighters in the Demon Race.
Among the Asura lineage, there have been four Asura Kings, namely Po Zhi Asura King, Luo Qiantuo Asura King, Vimozhiduoluo Asura King, and Luohu Asura King.
Luohu, meaning ''covering barrier'', is so named because of his ability to cover the light of the sun and moon with his giant hands, a show of power that inspires awe and fear.
The Luohu Incarnation is shaped by the power of the Blood Pool, forming a Physical Body that contains a trace of the Luohu Bloodline, allowing it to amodate the possession of a Luohu Soul Split.
Chapter 126 Volume 1 Summary and Shelving Remarks
Yes, the first volume of Chang''an Chaos has only a few chapters left before it ends.
Personally, I''m not very satisfied with the first volume.
First off, I fell into themon pitfall of newbie authors by throwing out a bunch of unappealing settings right from the start.
Then there''s the issue of writing. Some readers feel that there''s too much pointless chatter, too verbose. I admit to this, have reflected upon it, and am actively trying to streamline my writing.
Actually, this problem arises because when I write, I always want to exin everything clearly to everyone, fearing that readers might have doubts. For example, I feelpelled to justify every decision made by the characters, but in reality, most of the time, you would understand without my exnation, and sometimes my boration even spoils the experience.
This has given me a significant insight: an author shouldn''t write down everything. In fact, for both readers and authors, having the readers imagine and ponder some of the plot themselves is often more interesting than covering every single aspect as an author.
Thest major issue is with the settings.
The settings were all prepared in advance, but what often happens is, some of those settings that I thought would be fine turn out to be inappropriate after dozens of chapters have been written.
For instance, the Heavenly Eye Technique skill¡ªsome might have noticed that I barely mention it anymore, not because I''ve forgotten but because this skill is just too overpowered.
When I first designed this skill, it was meant to be a trump card. As long as Lu Qingshan had this skill, it meant that any disguise by Underworld Cultivators would be futile in front of him¡ªno more writer''s block, and a bonus of a pretty long word count on the information panel.
As I continued writing, I realized that while it was easy to write, it also made the story less interesting.
I still want Lu Qingshan to use his brains to solve problems, not to rely on such a brainless skill, so I had to subtly phase out this skill in theter parts of the story. (Just pretend the designer has deleted this overly powerful skill...)
I''d also like to take this opportunity to rify some controversial aspects of the book.
First is Lu Qingshan''s Legendary Talent "Innate Swordseed." Many people feel it''s too weak to be considered a Legendary Talent.
In my setting, this talent is truly powerful, but its strength lies more in its hidden aspects than in the data, and I can only exin this much for now because going further would lead to spoilers.
The power of "Innate Swordseed" will start to be apparent in the uing second volume.
Regarding the main plot of the second volume, attentive readers should be able to guess what it is, after all, there are quite a few hints, to the point that the Crying Soul Sword was killed off by the plot. Enjoy new stories from empire
Then there''s the matter of Attributes. In a nutshell, Attributes aren''t that important. They were only ever meant to differentiate between the six careers, so let''s not get hung up on why Sword Cultivators have the Strength attribute.
Some readers also feel that there are too many female characters? There''s no need to worry about that¡ªthese female characters aren''t the main heroines, they''re just characters who happen to be female. Why does it matter? Nobodyins about there being too many male characters, so why the fuss when a few extra female characters appear?
After all, this is my first book, and admittedly, there are quite a few issues, but I won''t borate on them all for now.
Looking back at earlier chapters now, it''s clearly evident that there are many areas in need of improvement, from word choice and sentence construction to plot design.
But to me, this is a good thing, as being able to see past shorings at least shows I''m making progress.
...¡
...¡
...¡
Now, about the book getting published. It''s going live on Labor Day, which is tomorrow. Following tradition, I want to first thank my editor for agreeing to sign this book.
Then, I hope those of you who can will support the subscription. For those who are students or tight on funds, I understand if you can''tmit to a full subscription; try to at least support with an initial subscription, after all, it''s only ten cents for a chapter.
Last of all, about the updates, I admit I don''t update often. Apart from my ownziness and procrastination, there are indeed some objective difficulties.
First, this is my initial foray into writing, with no previous experience, and I''m not yet ustomed to the rhythm of web novel writing. I tend to overthink when writing, often wasting a lot of time revising word choice, sentence orders, and tones.
Second, being a graduate, I''m dealing with things like thesis papers and job hunting, which make it hard to focus solely on writing. With the defense and other errandsing up in May and June, updates may still not speed up for a while. I apologize for that in advance, but I promise to increase my update rate once this period is over!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Last but not least, though there are still many issues, I will continue to correct and improve. Thank you all for your patience and support, bowing!
Chapter 126 Primordial Spirit Possession (Part 1)
A single Void Demon Child was enough to wreak havoc in Qing State, stirring the winds and clouds¡ªshould another Luohu Demon Child emerge, what then would be of not just Qing State, but beyond?
Merely thinking about such consequences sent chills down one''s spine.
The birth of Luohu''s Incarnation began to cause even Asuras to tremble faintly; half of this was due to an uncontroble frenzy within their hearts, while the other half stemmed from the suppression of their bloodlines.
Asuras were called as such because they belonged to the Asura n.
Now, facing the pressure of the supreme King''s Bloodline within the Asura n was unimaginable for ordinary people.
...
The four eyes of Luohu''s Incarnation remained tightly shut.
At this moment, it was nothing more than a powerful physical body without consciousness.
Following the birth of Luohu''s Incarnation, the Asura''s demeanor became increasingly insane, "I beseech the Asura King Luohu to descend and split his soul!"
Such meticulous nning to create an incarnation with Luohu''s bloodline was all for this moment.
Using the unique methods of the Demon Race, the Asura King Luohu''s Soul Split would transcend spatial limits and descend upon the Human Race''s domain, then make use of Luohu''s Incarnation to resurrect the Asura King Luohu in the form of a Demon Child.
ck ck ck ck ck ck!
As the Asura''s thoughts moved, consecutive sounds of crystal shattering arose.
At this moment, all the ck crystals within the Formation Map beneath him shattered violently, releasing a thick ck fog that was nearly solidified.
All the ck fog, once emerged, scrambled frantically to burrow into the Asura''s body.
As if under immense pressure, the Asura''s clothes burst open on the spot, revealing his upper body with cyan-ck skin.
Terrifying blood vessels bulged on his body, snaking over the Asura''s entire body like earthworms; densely packed, twisting Demonic Patterns appeared on the Asura''s flesh, emitting a sinister ck radiance.
The next instant, the Asura''s entire form began to swell and mutate at a rapid pace, and his back bulged with four tumor-like protrusions, from which four misshapen arms grew out abruptly.
Ahhhhhh...
Even in his true form, the Asura could not suppress the deep, oppressive wails he emitted, as if he were an evil spirit being tortured on a mountain of knives and a sea of fire in hell, filled with immense pain. Along with the wails, streams of crimson fire spray continuously from his mouth.
Despite such pain, the Asura''s expression was weirdly filled with a sickly joy, and in the end, it seemed as though he reached a euphoric climax, trembling incessantly.
Trembling.
The Asura''s body trembled slightly and continuously.
Bang!
Finally, one of the many protruding blood vessels on the Asura''s body burst open.
Drops of ck blood fell to the ground.
An extremely demonic and strange light began to flicker.
In those flickers, within the indistinct shadows behind the Asura, a twisted Soul Shadow gradually solidified.
It was a Soul Shadow that resembled the mold of Luohu''s Incarnation, with a blue-ckplexion that was extremely ugly, having four eyes, four arms, and eight intertwining snake tails.
The moment the Soul Shadow appeared, the insolent and sinister Asura immediately knelt deeply on the ground, uttering respectfully, "King Luohu."
"Is this the Human Race''s domain?" Luohu opened his four eyes, his gaze cold and haughty, treating the Asura as if he were nothing. He looked up at the sky, at Luohu''s Incarnation in the Blood Pool, revealing a sinister smile, "Is this the physical body I am to use? How weak this bloodline power is."
Luohu''s voice was very cold, chilling to the bone.
Luohu, one of the Demon Race''s many kings.
Such a terrifying existence, in such a manner, crossing over the iron wall barrier of Heavenly River City to descend into the Human Race''s territory¡ªwhat a horrifying event!
"Come!" A voice filled with demonic power issued from the mouth of Luohu, his blue-ck pupils emanating a faint light.
The next moment, Luohu''s Soul Shadow burst forth from the ck Radiance, shooting straight toward Luohu''s Incarnation in the sky.
Whoosh!
A sharp and insubstantial ck needle abruptly appeared at this moment, shooting towards the soul shadow of Luohu.
This was the Soul Devouring Needle, a high-rank Spirit Art designed specifically to target the divine soul. Attacking the soul split of Luohu, whocked the protection of a physical body, should have been quite effective.
However, under the attack of the Soul Devouring Needle, Luohu''s soul shadow merely flickered slightly, with no significant fluctuations urring, while the ck needle disintegrated as if hitting a stone with an egg. Enjoy more content from empire
The momentum of Luohu''s soul shadow was undiminished, utterly unaffected by this attack, and it merged at great speed into the incarnation of Luohu within the Blood Pool.
"Sigh..." Qi Yuan, who had unleashed the Soul Devouring Needle Spirit Art to intercept Luohu''s soul shadow, saw the light fade from his face.
His timing had been extremely clever, yet it still had no effect whatsoever.
At this moment, it seemed the overall situation was settled, and even Lu Qingshan felt an overwhelming sense of despair.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
This isn''t right!
Lu Qingshan''s eyes widened in frustration as he stared at the sky, where Luohu''s incarnation was on the verge of revival.
Everything went too smoothly, far too smoothly.
The Netherworld had initiated the Corpse Puppet Chaos three months ahead of schedule, so why did everything proceed so smoothly without a single hup?
Could it be that his own arrival had a negative butterfly effect, causing the Netherworld to have everything prepared three months in advance, perfectly set up?
"Die!" Lin Lang refused to give up so easily and burst forth once again. The Spiritual Power within his body poured out generously. The Magic Artifact of Yuanming Mountain immediately shed with dazzling thunder, and the vast strength spread out in ripples, filling arge area of space with the eerie aura of thunder.
The Yuanming Mountain Magic Artifact rolled with might towards the incarnation of Luohu in the Blood Pool.
This time, a dense blood light erupted from the incarnation of Luohu, once again sending the Yuanming Mountain Magic Artifact flying away.
The oue remained unchanged.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lin Lang still wouldn''t give up, repeatedly urging the Yuanming Mountain to bombard the incarnation of Luohu, shielded by blood light.
Chu He clenched his teeth and also activated his Magic Artifact,unching an attack at Luohu.
Around the Luohu incarnation, ck qi swirled, his face etched with many dense and sinister marks, while strange patterns climbed up his four arms. His four eyes were tightly closed as Demonic Qi surged to the skies.
Lu Qingshan stared unblinkingly at the Luohu incarnation sitting still beneath the blood light shield, like an old monk in meditation, unmoved by everyone''s attacks. Yet, a thought suddenly rose in his heart.
Could it be?
After eliminating all the wrong answers, the remaining possibility had to be the correct one.
Since all the steps required for Luohu''s reincarnation had been carried out smoothly and urately, it meant that all the prior phases were wless.
The expected error, then, could only possibly ur in thisst remaining step.
The fusion of Luohu''s soul split with Luohu''s incarnation!
It must be so.
Luohu''s intention to descend into the Human Race realm through Blood Pool Reincarnation essentially entailed the technique of creating an incarnation.
The art of creating an incarnation has always been one of the top and extremely difficult Divine Skills to master.
For Luohu to have an incarnation of his own could not be that easy.
From shaping a suitable physical body, to creating a soul split, and then allowing the soul split to traverse unimaginable distances to descend here and merge with the crafted body¡ªthe series of processes involved were all extremely challenging, requiring stringent conditions and thorough preparation.
The Netherworld had been preparing for a full century before taking action.
However, in the final step of the soul body merger, Lu Qingshan had not witnessed any auxiliary measures provided by the Netherworld.
And indeed, the fusion of Luohu''s soul split with his incarnation had been unsessful for a long time.
Recalling how Luohu''s soul split faced Qi Yuan''s Soul Devouring Needle attack without summoning any protective measures, and merely relied on the strength of the soul body to withstand that blow,
Lu Qingshan became slightly more certain of his spection.
Chapter 127 Primordial Spirit Possession (Part 2)
"Tower Master Dantai, do you have any means to attack the Divine Soul?" Lu Qingshan turned to ask Dantai Qingrun, who was levitating beside him, in a soft voice.
Whether his conjecture was correct, he would know after trying!
Dantai Qingrun was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding Lu Qingshan''s intention, but seeing his serious expression, she subconsciously nodded, "There are some means, but they are rtively ordinary."
"Please then, Tower Master Dantai, try using your method to attack Luohu''s incarnation," Lu Qingshan said.
The trust they had established through numerous coborations prevented Dantai Qingrun from hesitating any longer.
"Release!"
With a soft cry from Dantai Qingrun, a tiny Sword Light shot forth from between her brows.
Unlike the ordinary Sword Light that shimmered with special effects at full strength, this Sword Light was in and colorless, almost imperceptible.
The Soul Hosting Sword Light attaches the Sword Light to the Divine Soul after prolonged refining, endowing it with the properties to attack the Divine Soul.
The Soul Hosting Sword Light flew towards Luohu''s incarnation, passing silently without any disturbance or ripple, hidden amidst the fierce attacks of the two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, appearing very inconspicuous.
Yet, this attackunched by a Golden Core Cultivator, uponing into contact with Luohu''s incarnation, ignored the protective Blood Light shimmering on its body and entered into Luohu''s incarnation.
Though the attack didn''t make much noise, Lu Qingshan, who had been focusing intently on Luohu''s incarnation, immediately noticed a mark on the incarnation''s arm flickering once, half disappearing in that instant.
"Lu Qingshan, Luohu''s Soul Split fluctuated just now; that attack affected it!" said the King of the Western Rats, who had remained silent since arriving and realizing that there were formidable opponents on the field.
The Illusion Rat''s innate ability to sense fluctuations in the Divine Soul was incredibly keen, and the words of the King of the Western Rats confirmed Lu Qingshan''s suspicion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Indeed!
"Tower Master Dantai, the w in Luohu''s incarnation lies within its Divine Soul; his protective Blood Light can''t block the Divine Soul Attacks!" Lu Qingshan stated firmly.
Upon hearing his words, a divine light shed in Dantai Qingrun''s eyes, and she immediately raised her voice to alert the others, "Qi Yuan, Tower Master, True Monarch Yuanming, attack Luohu''s Divine Soul!"
Qi Yuan was the first one to respond to Dantai Qingrun''s words.
Oblivious to the call, Qi Yuan''s eyes shut slightly as he formed a Seal Gesture, and the Soul Devouring Needle Spirit Art made its move again, hurtling towards Luohu''s incarnation.
The methods of a Nascent Soul Cultivator were naturally notparable to those of Dantai Qingrun.
Futhermore, specializing in a field, unlike Dantai Qingrun who regarded the Soul Hosting Sword Light as an additional method, Divine Soul Attack Spells were one of the primary disciplines of high-rank Spiritual Cultivators. Qi Yuan''s research on Divine Soul Attack Spells was many times more advanced than Dantai Qingrun''s.
Under the onught of Qi Yuan''s Soul Devouring Needle, the marks on Luohu''s incarnation''s arm, including the one that had already faded by half, instantaneously vanished into several others.
Seeing such effectiveness, Chu He and Lin Lang immediately switched tactics.
As Cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, their spell systems were alreadyplete; naturally, they would notck Divine Soul Attack Spells.
With a Taoist Sword Gesture by Chu He, a glittering radiance emerged in his palm,plex and mysterious patterns manifesting. His arm trembling lightly, he uttered a softmand, and a streak of zing light moved forth, entering Luohu''s incarnation''s body with a hiss.
Several intricate marks disappeared, and the dark aura enveloping Luohu''s incarnation thinned slightly.
Chu He was extremely excited, "It''s really working; this demon can''t defend against Divine Soul Attacks!"
The Asura within the formation''s core, witnessing this scene, had their expression change dramatically, their eyes ring fiercely.
Yes, the only loophole in the entire process was there.
In the original n, during the Blood Pool Reincarnation, there should have been auxiliary Spiritual Liquid, the Souls'' Ghost Lotus Liquid, to help Luohu''s Soul Split quickly take over the incarnation.
The Ghost Lotus Liquid could form a lotus membrane to protect the Soul Body, and besides, it also had a beneficial effect on the fusion of Soul Body and Physical Body.
Ghost Lotus Liquid was refined using Ghost Lotus as the main material; the problem was that Ghost Lotus grows in the Demon Abyss and matures only once every thousand years, having matured just a few days ago.
And bringing the Ghost Lotus from the Demon Abyss to the Human Race territory would take some time.
Not to mention that refining the Ghost Lotus Liquid was an extremely time-consuming task.
In his estimation, preparing the Ghost Lotus Liquid would take close to three months.
The aggressive actions of the Zhenjiang Tower forced the Asura tounch the Corpse Puppet Chaos prematurely, and as such, the Ghost Lotus Liquid naturally wasn''t ready.
While the Asura found an alternative quickly, an alternative was just that, an alternative; its effectiveness was much weaker than the Ghost Lotus Liquid, and itcked the defensive capability against Divine Soul Attacks.
He thought that such a minor loophole would be very difficult to detect in a short time.
Yet the oue was contrary to his wishes.
The Asura''s eyes emitted a bloody red light, his palms in front of him shing together while the four arms behind him each held a dark Magic Wheel, leaping out from the core of the formation, directly assaulting Chu He, Qi Yuan, and Lin Lang.
Without the protection of the Formation''s power, taking the initiative to provoke the three Nascent Soul Cultivators was undoubtedly a suicidal move.
But he could no longer care about that; he had to interfere with the three of them.
If he could just dy for a little while until Luohu could control the Physical Body, what would three Nascent Soul Cultivators matter then?
Qi Yuan could naturally tell what Asura was thinking.
"You all continue, leave Asura to me!" Lin Lang took action in an instant, summoning Yuanming Mountain and crashing it down towards Asura with a rolling thunderous sound.
"Hidden within the formation, I was unable to reach you, but now you''ve voluntarily left its protection. Let''s see what tricks you have left." Lin Lang''s voice was ice-cold, clearly having been irritated earlier, and he immediately dashed, seeking out Asura.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lin Lang and Asura tangled in battle, with the sound of thunder and lightning explosion, the ng of magic artifacts colliding continuously emanating, and waves of mana dispersing all around.
On the other side.
Sssss¡ª
Under Chu He and Qi Yuan''s relentless attacks, the dense web of marks covering Luohu''s incarnation had faded by twenty percent.
Just then.
Thump!
An intensely strong heartbeat sounded.
Engaged in a prolonged struggle with Lin Lang and unable to extricate himself, Asura''s face unexpectedly revealed a hint of joy upon hearing this sound.
The uppermost eye of Luohu''s tightly closed four eyes suddenly opened abruptly.
It was a blood-red pupil, a vicious aura lurking within it.
Luohu''s incarnation surveyed the Human Cultivators with its single eye, as though looking down on ants, filled with brutality and coldness.
Qi Yuan and the others'' continuous attacks had thoroughly enraged the quick-tempered Asura King, Luohu.
"Once Luohu opens all four eyes, it means he haspletely taken control of this physical body. If we don''t hurry to stop him, it will be toote!" Lu Qingshan was burning with anxiety.
Qi Yuan and Chu He also understood the urgency of the situation and quickly intensified their offensive. Dantai Qingrun alsounched all of the dozens of Soul Hosting Sword Lights he had painstakingly refined after long cultivation.
It was only a moment before the marks on Luohu''s body had been reduced by another ten percent, yet his second pupil struggled to open under such dire circumstances.
At this pace, it would be toote.
Lu Qingshan drew this conclusion in an instant.
A sense of powerlessness surged in his heart.
After all that had been done, was the oue still unchangeable?
The demonic nature and ferocity of Luohu were unimaginable; once he revived, not a single cultivator on the field would be able to escape a demise.
In the past life''s storyline, after Luohu''s resurrection, he wiped out Zhenjiang Citypletely with a wave of his hand.
Luohu''s third eye had also begun to crack open a slim gap.
"Qi Yuan, there''s no more time. Do you have any other methods left..." Chu He''s aged face wrinkled into a tight bunch, anxious as ever.
Qi Yuan ceased his Spirit Art and, looking at the extremely anxious Chu He, suddenly spoke, "I have onest method, though I don''t know if it will be sessful."
Upon hearing this, Chu He''s face immediately showed a glimmer of joy, "Whether it seeds or not, let''s try first. If we dy any further, we won''t even have a chance to try!"
Qi Yuan nodded, replying, "You''re right."
In the midst of this turbulent battlefield, Qi Yuan eerily closed his eyes, calming his spirit and steadying his mind.
A phantom Soul Shadow flew out from the crown of Qi Yuan''s head.
Then, Qi Yuan''s body, suspended in mid-air, began to fall straight down.
Dantai Qingrun quickly moved, catching Qi Yuan''s falling physical body.
Chu He''splexion changed, "Qi Yuan, you...!"
He never imagined that Qi Yuan''s so-called final method would actually be this.
Primordial Spirit Possession!
A secret technique that a cultivator could use only once in their lifetime.
The second irond rule of Possession: Only those with higher cultivation can possess those with lower cultivation.
And Luohu''s split soul was clearly stronger than Qi Yuan''s.
This meant that Qi Yuan''s attempt at possession was doomed to fail from the start.
Qi Yuan surely understood this principle as well.
But Qi Yuan''s purpose in using Spirit Possession was to sacrifice his life, bearing the price of his spirit dissipating and not entering the cycle of reincarnation, tounch a suicidal Divine Soul Attack on Luohu!
Chapter 128 Breaking Boundaries
Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit moved with extreme speed, carrying a resolute momentum, and charged straight into Luohu''s incarnation.
For cultivators, the Primordial Spirit is the most vulnerable part, regardless of how advanced their cultivation might be.
Normally, cultivators would never dare to expose their Primordial Spirits this way, for even a slight attack could lead to the destruction of both body and spirit.
However, in this battlefield, Luohu''s Soul Split was restrained by the physical body and couldn''t make a move, and the Asura was entangled by Lin Lang.
With no one able to intervene, in the blink of an eye, Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit entered Luohu''s incarnation.
The eyes of Luohu''s incarnation, already opened, suddenly distorted and immediately lost focus, then disyed a vast expanse of pale whiteness.
At this moment, Luohu''s Soul Split was too weak to control his incarnation. He needed to deal with the intruder first.
Inside Luohu''s body, a fierce battle of Primordial Spirits had already begun.
...
As soon as Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit entered Luohu''s incarnation, what he saw was a vast Blood Sea.
This was the Sea of Consciousness of Luohu''s incarnation.
In the crimson blood of the Blood Sea, there were countless distorted human faces, wailing, raging, and seeking life.
Qi Yuan looked around, and a chill instantly hit him.
Before him stood a terrifying and daunting specter.
It was Luohu''s Soul Split.
Before Qi Yuan could react, Luohu''s Soul Split already let out a grimugh and pounced on him. The next moment, Qi Yuan felt an overwhelming pressure engulfing him like a tide.
Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit immediately entered a flickering state, greatly weakened.
Luohu, the Asura King, is one of the most terrifying and powerful rulers of the Demon Race. Even being just a Soul Split, he was still too much for Qi Yuan to handle.
"Bound by this physical body, I can''t make a move and let you attack at will. Yet you can''t do anything to me. In a direct confrontation, your weak Primordial Spirit is no different to me than an ant," said Luohu''s Soul Split in a cold voice full of mockery.
Uh...
Qi Yuan groaned, with his fluttering Primordial Spirit almost dissipating.
Read exclusive chapters at empire
"Die!" Qi Yuan bellowed desperately.
Defeat was inevitable, but he refused to be defeated so easily.
Numerous zing mes burst forth from Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit, immediately turning it into a fiery sphere.
This was the burning of the Primordial Spirit Fire.
Ahhhhh!
The most extreme pain in the world always stems from the level of the Primordial Spirit.
Even with Qi Yuan''s resilience, faced with the torment of burning the Primordial Spirit, he couldn''t help but shout and howl in pain.
But Luohu''s Soul Split was also suffering. He tried to quickly annihte Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit with an overwhelming attack, intending to devour Qi Yuan''s spirit with his powerful soul body.
In this forceful approach, the soul bodies of both intertwined almostpletely, so the mes on Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit spread to Luohu''s Soul Split in an instant.
"Damn!" Luohu''s Soul Split seemed quite agitated and furious, having not expected Qi Yuan to be so decisive. Mere moments into their closebat, Qi Yuan had chosen the most ruthless method.
His soul body might be extremely powerful, and the onught of the Primordial Spirit Fire wasn''t fatal to him, but he needed time to extinguish it.
...
After Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit entered Luohu''s incarnation, Chu He stoppedunching Divine Soul Attacks against Luohu''s incarnation.
Because in such a situation, an attack might not ensure whether it hit Luohu''s Soul Split or Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit.
With hands free, Chu He immediately turned his attention towards the Asura by his side.
Zhenjiang Tower and the Asura''s controlled Netherworld of Zhenjiang had been rivals for hundreds of years, harboring countless new and old grudges. This was a rare opportunity for Chu He to settle past conflicts with the Asura!
"True Monarch Yuanming, I am here to aid you!" Chu He cried out, as countless wooden spikes burst from his hands like torrential rain, shooting towards the Asura who was continuously shing with Lin Lang from Yuanming Mountain.
The Asura''s expression changed, his heart secretlymenting.
The title of True Monarch Yuanming originated from his Magic Artifact, the Yuanming Mountain.
This artifact, which he''d created by spending most of his fortune and gathering various rare materials, was eitherrge or small, astonishingly heavy, and contained a rare and powerful Yuanming Lei seed within the mountain. Under the force of Spiritual Power, it could continuously emit Yuanming Divine Thunder.
The power of thunder-attributed spells had always been top-notch.
If not for the Asura''s equally formidable physical prowess, he would have likely been defeated long ago.
He was already struggling to fend off just the magic artifact from Yuanming Mountain; now, with Chu He adding pressure from the side, how could he not suffer?
The four arms emerging from the Asura''s back each held a magic wheel, two of which flew out immediately towards the cluster of wooden spikes.
Seeing the Asura distracted, Lin Lang instantly surged forward, and the might of Yuanming Mountain rose tremendously.
Bang!
Under the bombardment of Yuanming Mountain, the Asura staggered backwards several steps, spewing out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The battle of Nascent Soul cultivators was not something ordinary people could partake in; even Dantai Qingrun, a powerful Golden Core cultivator, could only spectate, and Lu Qingshan was even less likely to get involved.
He remained focused on the incarnation of Luohu within the Blood Pool.
How long Qi Yuan could persist was the real concern; the life or death of the Asura was actually trivial.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
...
Boom!
Mu Ke shot out a beam of Spiritual Light from her hand, shattering the blood-red crystal on the stele.
The survivor, after gathering her teammates'' bodies, immediately proceeded with their squad''s mission alone.
After a thorough search, she discovered this new Formation Point.
With the Asura killing the Heart Demon''s mother gu, leading to the death of all the Underworld cultivators in Zhenjiang City, destroying the Formation Points had be easier.
And simr scenes were happening consecutively in other parts of Zhenjiang City.
With no Underworld cultivators to hinder them, the speed at which the cultivators of Zhenjiang Tower destroyed the Formation Points increased greatly.
...
Outside Zhenjiang City.
Countless cracks spread across the iron curtain above, making the barrier appear on the verge of copse.
This was just over an hour after they started breaking the barrier.
"Apart from us working hard to break the barrier, there are also people inside the city continuously destroying the Formation Points,"
"As a result, the power of the barrier is weakening, and our speed in breaking this barrier has significantly increased with the inside-out cooperation," Fengxing Zi exined to Beiming True Venerable, "The copse of this barrier is now within reach!"
Beiming True Venerable nodded to show he understood.
"Since it''s within reach, let''s speed up the process a bit more," Beiming True Venerable said softly.
"Break!"
Beiming True Venerable bellowed. Purple light shed through both hands as he unleashed two bolts of lightning that flew forward. In midair, they quickly grew into lightning serpents over ten meters long, collided, merged rapidly, and then smashed fiercely against the weak point of the barrier specified by Fengxing Zi.
...
An extremely brilliant light shed into Lu Qingshan''s eyes.
What''s this?
Since the Asura Blood Fiend Formation began, a dark sky had enveloped Zhenjiang City.
The entire city had hence been shrouded in darkness and blood-red hues.
This unusual sunlight left Lu Qingshan somewhat baffled,
like the sky after a torrential rain, with heavy clouds dispersing under the rising sun.
He saw above the once gloomy sky, the dark sky quietly disappearing, and countless streams of sunlight finally unobstructed by the barrier, began to sprinkle over Zhenjiang City again.
The barrier was broken!
Lu Qingshan finally realized, and in the next moment, he couldn''t help but be moved.
Because, from the direction of the rising sun, he saw dozens of cultivators with powerful auras.
"Beiming True Venerable..." Dantai Qingrun, spotting the leader among the cultivators, uttered with a hint of excitement, "It''s reinforcement from Qing State''s main tower, they''re here!"
It was reinforcement; the reinforcements had finally arrived!
Chapter 129 Quelling the Rebellion
The disaster that struck Zhenjiang City was entirely unexpected. Moreover, the preparations by the Netherworld were so meticulous that they had considered nearly every detail. Therefore, it would take quite some time for other prefectural factions in Qing State to send reinforcements.
The variable arose when the three Tower Masters of Zhenjiang Tower made the decision to send a Spirit Message to the main tower of Qing State again, just in case, requesting reinforcements once more.
Zhenjiang Tower had sought help from the main tower twice, and shortly after the second Spirit Message was sent, the teleportation array in Zhenjiang City became inoperative.
Such a peculiar situation made the tower defense immediately realize the urgency of the matter and dispatch reinforcements right away.
Beiming True Venerable, the vice Tower Master of the main tower in Qing State, personally led the team, a testament to the resoluteness of the tower defenses.
Under thebined efforts of Chu He and Lin Lang, the Asura, already nearing the end of his strength, found his expression dark as water the moment he realized the barrier was broken, and reinforcements for the Human Race had arrived.
He still couldn''t understand why his n, which he had believed to be foolproof after a century of preparation, was now unexpectedly filled with setbacks, ending up in such a dire situation?
On further reflection, it seemed that all these turning points originated from the failure of the Rakshasa''s mirror-stealing n.
This useless individual, who was only good at ruining things, really had been a misjudgment on his part to entrust him with such a critical task!
Asura was filled with hatred and gloom.
If he didn''t leave now, it would be toote.
Asura looked at the still unconscious incarnation of Luohu, thinking this very thought.
The Primordial Spirit Possession by Qi Yuan indeed worked wonders and bought a lot of time. Even now, it seemed that Luohu''s Soul Split had not yet eradicated Qi Yuan''s Primordial Spirit.
sh!
Suddenly, a towering me of blood erupted from Asura''s body, his fierce might astonishingly overwhelming.
It seemed that Asura was about to utilize some explosive technique.
The two experienced Nascent Soul True Monarchs immediately became more cautious and slightly shifted from offense to defense.
But in the blink of an eye, the expressions of Lin Lang and Chu He abruptly changed.
Ayer of purple Radiance appeared mysteriously, enveloping Asura along with the demonic mes surging around him.
Whoosh!
The next moment, Asura vanished into thin air.
Simrly, the incarnation of Luohu, shrouded in swirling ck mist within the Blood Pool, was also enveloped by ayer of purple Radiance and disappeared from the Blood Pool.
"Void Demon!" Chu He spat out these words through gritted teeth.
This was the Space Shifting Divine Skill of the Void Demon.
Only the Void Demon had the ability, under the watchful eyes of many, to make someone disappear into thin air.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Holy Demon Bloodline.
Space True Intention was a supreme domain that only powerful cultivators could touch upon, but for the Void Demon n, it was an innate ability.
With this move executed, not a single cultivator in the entire Zhenjiang Prefecture had any countermeasures.
Whoosh.
Beiming True Venerable, who was flying at high speed, halted his movement.N?v(el)B\\jnn
"We will have to drag him out sooner orter!" Having witnessed the Void Demon personally rescuing Luohu''s incarnation and Asura, Beiming True Venerable dered coldly.
The traces left by the Void Demon''s two interventions were the key to finding the leader of the Qing State branch of the Netherworld.
Seeing that Asura and Luohu''s incarnation had escaped and the reinforcements for the Human Race had already arrived, Lu Qingshan knew that the turmoil in Zhenjiang Prefecture was nearing its end.
...
...
Half a dayter, personnel from other prefectures in Qing State also arrived in Zhenjiang City.
With the Asura Blood Fiend Formation broken and the barrier gone, Beiming True Venerable organized the cultivators quickly and soon led the mortals out of Zhenjiang City.
Once Zhenjiang City was cleared, the cultivators formed small teams and began an organized hunt for the vast and uncountable demonic beasts wandering through the city.
By the third day, the Zhenjiang forces dispatched from Zhenjiang City had finally seeded inpletely suppressing the Corpse Puppet Chaos within the various prefecture cities.
Without any dy, the Zhenjiang army hurried back to Zhenjiang City at the fastest speed to join the ranks sweeping the demon beasts.
The demon beasts in the city were cultivated by the Netherworld using unimaginable resources. Although there were many, they were ultimately a finite resource, diminishing one by one, so the cleanup proceeded very smoothly.
All the cultivators, with great patience and care, plowed through Zhenjiang City back and forth several times to ensure that no stragglers were missed.
The continuous sounds of bombing and fighting echoed from every corner of Zhenjiang City and persisted for ten days before the city finally calmed down.
However, though the demon beasts were dead, this once bustling prefectural city had died as well, never again to see its former glory, utterly transformed, full of scars.
All buildings were destroyed, broken walls and ruins everywhere, debris scattered all around.
Countless bodies and remains were hidden under copsed buildings, yet to be discovered and cleaned up.
Streaks of dry, dark red blood stains turned Zhenjiang City into a red city, where countless people had buried their lives forever.
Lu Qingshan stood midair on his sword looking down on Zhenjiang, his eyes met with a bleak scene.
"You are seriously injured; why still insist on joining in the cleanup of demon beasts in Zhenjiang City? Aren''t you afraid that your injuries will re up again?" a sh of Sword Light passed, and Dantai Qingrun, riding the Spirit Concealment Sword, stopped beside Lu Qingshan, softly asked.
Dantai Qingrun''s voice was unusually soft.
"It''s just a minor injury," Lu Qingshan shook his head, offered no further exnation, and sighed, "How are the casualties?"
"Of the more than four million people in Zhenjiang City who faced this cmity, only a little over one million survived. Sixty percent of our deployed guards sacrificed their lives, including Qi Yuan..."
Lu Qingshan remained silent. In reality, although the loss was shocking,pared to his past life, the situation was already much better.
In his past life, Luohu faced little resistance and very smoothly took over the incarnation of Luohu.
Once awakened, Luohu, before the human cultivators'' reinforcements could arrive, ruthlessly ughtered his way through Zhenjiang City. Nearly no high-level cultivators survived, and ultimately only about two hundred thousandmon people survived. Discover exclusive tales on empire
"Great Xia intends to relocate the people of Zhenjiang City to various ces in Qing State. However, it is not mandatory; they can voluntarily choose to stay or leave," Dantai Qingrun said.
"What are their decisions?" Lu Qingshan asked.
"Many people''s rtives and friends died in this city; for these people, this ce is and of heartache, so most have chosen to leave Zhenjiang Prefecture, hoping to start anew.
However, a small number of people feel that fallen leaves should return to their roots and do not wish to leave their homnd amid upheaval; they choose to stay and rebuild Zhenjiang and their homes," answered Dantai Qingrun.
Lu Qingshan nodded; the situation was much as he had anticipated.
"Are you preparing to leave without saying goodbye again?" Dantai Qingrun stared intently at Lu Qingshan''s face, suddenly throwing out this question.
"Is it that obvious?" Lu Qingshan was startled, then spread his hands, somewhat helplessly.
Dantai Qingrun gave no reply, her eyes sparkling with an unusual light.
Lu Qingshan nodded then shook his head, exining, "I am leaving, but not without saying goodbye. I was nning to exin the situation before I left."
After a pause, Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "After all, I now belong to Zhenjiang Tower, and just leaving without a word wouldn''t be right."
Dantai Qingrun''s eyes lingered on Lu Qingshan''s face for a moment before she inexplicably chuckled, holding out a storage bag that she tossed to Lu Qingshan.
"What is this?" Lu Qingshan asked, puzzled.
"In quelling the chaos in Zhenjiang, you yed a vital role. The Tower always rewards based on contributions; naturally, you won''t be shortchanged. This is your reward," calmly said Dantai Qingrun. "As for leaving, I''ll handle the details in the Tower."
Before Lu Qingshan could express his gratitude, Dantai Qingrun had transformed into a beam of blue light and left on her sword.
Watching Dantai Qingrun''s departing figure, Lu Qingshan touched his nose.
This woman truly knows how to handle things cleanly.
No longer dwelling on it, Lu Qingshan started to examine the contents of the storage bag.
Oh?
Lu Qingshan couldn''t help but exim softly.
The reward from Zhenjiang Tower was indeed substantial.
Chapter 130 Sword Cultivator
---
...
Outside the city, a temporary camp had been set up for the citizens of Zhenjiang City.
Tent after tent, each very rudimentary, lined up. From above, they looked like numerous small mounds scattered across the ground.
On an open space, a row of wooden tables was set up, with a bustling crowd of people forming neat lines in front of the tables, monitored by cultivators in charge of maintaining order.
After a few simple questions from the cultivators, everyone received a small wooden token.
This was an initiative by Great Xia, where the cultivators organized the data, distinguishing those citizens who wished to leave Zhenjiang for other prefectures from those who wanted to stay.
Only the cultivators, with their strength alone, could maintain order among such arge gathering of ordinary people without chaos ensuing.
Reverence for the cultivators was deeply ingrained in the blood of themon folk.
Apart from the number of ordinary people who had survived being much greater, everything else was almost exactly the same as it had been in the past.
In the past life after the Corpse Puppet Chaos, it was through this plotline that yers from Zhenjiang Prefecture were able to ess therger map of Qing State and spread out into its thirty-six prefectures.
Back then, Lu Qingshan had gone to Taiyuan Prefecture in Qing State with a group of yers.
From the end of the main storyline of the Corpse Puppet Chaos to the beginning of the next main storyline, there would be an extraordinarily long buffer period.
This period was specifically designed to give yers time to discover andplete various side quests to enhance their strengths.
...
Cai Xingchao was seriously recording information, distributing wooden tokens to the people of Zhenjiang.
Zhenjiang City had survived with a poption of a million; categorizing such a massive number of humans was a huge project.
Therefore, Great Xia had temporarily summoned many cultivators from Zhenjiang City to assist, and quite a few members of the Lu Family were also involved.
Cai Xingchao was one of the many cultivators called upon from Zhenjiang City.
After being busy for a long time, a somewhat weary Cai Xingchao twisted his neck and looked up slightly, catching a glimpse of a tall, exceptionally handsome man standing to the side out of the corner of his eye.
"I need to leave for a bit, please can you watch over things for me?" Cai Xingchao quickly requested the cultivator beside him.
The cultivator next to him nodded, "Go ahead,e back as quickly as you can."
"Lu Brother, how long have you been here?" After handing over his tasks, Cai Xingchao approached apologetically.
Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "I''ve also just arrived not long ago. How is your mother doing?"
"She''s not too bad, it''s just that she had only recently recovered from the venom of the Red Pearl Snake, and then this incident happened. After all the ordeals, she''s still weak and needs to rest and recuperate for a while before she can recover."
"What are your ns next, to go to another prefecture, or...?"
Cai Xingchao shook his head, smiled shyly, and said firmly, "I want to stay in Zhenjiang. Grandfather died for this city, and I think he would be happy to see Zhenjiang rebuilt if he could witness it from the Netherworld."
Lu Qingshan looked at the young man before him and approvingly said, "That''s good."
"Lu Brother, are you leaving then?"
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"I guessed as much. My mother told me that for someone like Lu Brother, Zhenjiang Prefecture is too small." Cai Xingchao said with understanding, a hint of longing in his eyes, "The world outside must be fascinating..."
...
Atop a low hill outside Zhenjiang City stood three fresh mounds of earth.
When Lu Qingshan arrived, two people were already standing in front of the graves.
Xiao Zhi and Su Shu.
Both appeared calm, but Lu Qingshan knew that as the deaths of Xu Hao, Zhong Ming, and Li Zu had only urred ten days ago, their sorrow could not possibly have faded so quickly. They simply kept their emotions buried deep inside.
Lu Qingshan stood quietly with them in front of the graves for a long time.
"Su Shu Sister decided to leave the Knowledge Guard Tower, and you''re leaving Zhenjiang, too. In the end, only I will be left from the Tiger Squad..." Xiao Zhi said wistfully.
---N?v(el)B\\jnn
"Do a good job," Lu Qingshan patted Xiao Zhi on the shoulder with encouragement.
The once lively Su Shu of the Tiger Squad was now silently staring at Lu Qingshan.
This disaster had changed too much.
Lu Qingshan sighed, walked over, and gave Su Shu a slight hug before whispering to her with somewhat moist eyes, "Sister Su Shu, you must understand that life is not the way we''ve lived it, but rather, the way we remember it."
Su Shu was stunned for a long time, staring straight into Lu Qingshan''s handsome but youthful face.
At that moment, the youngster''s eyes seemed to hold deep ravines.
...
At the Lu family of Mihe Peak, the clothing workshop.
In the battle with the Golden Core Cultivators from the Netherworld, Lu Qingshan had been seriously internally wounded, and to recuperate, he returned to the Lu Family to rest for half a month.
At this time, the atmosphere inside the clothing workshop was quite tense and edgy.
"Do you really have to go?" Lu Zhou said with indignation.
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"For what reason?"
Lu Qingshan candidly replied, "To increase my cultivation."
This experience had made it all the clearer to Lu Qingshan how important strength was in the Nine Heavens.
If one''s own strength wasn''t enough, even if they knew how things would unfold, they still couldn''t change anything.
"Can''t your strength be increased by staying with the Lu family? With your talents, we could give you all of the Lu family''s resources without reservation," Lu Zhou said in a deep voice.
Lu Qingshan shook his head calmly and said softly, "Great Elder, I am a Sword Cultivator."
Lu Zhou was taken aback and didn''t speak for a long time. After a while, he sighed lightly and took out a storage bag, handing it to Lu Qingshan.
"If you are determined to leave, I can''t stop you. However, venturing out there without the protection of the family means you have to be very careful. Consider these for your expenses outside."
Lu Qingshan silently epted the storage bag, cupped his hands towards Lu Zhou, and said, "I thank the Great Elder in advance, then. Qingshan will take his leave first."
Lu Zhou waved his hand, "Go on, go on, just don''t forget toe back and visit."
...
At the summit of Mihe Peak, two Golden Core Cultivators watched as a sword light dashed from the foot of Mihe Peak, quickly soared, and then vanished into the horizon.
"Did you already guess that the Great Elder couldn''t keep him here?" Lu Yuan asked the stunningly handsome male Cultivator beside him.
"Sword Cultivators are naturally free-spirited; how could they ever be confined to one ce?" Lu Bei responded calmly.
"Indeed, other Cultivators might be able to advance through seclusion and hard training, but Sword Cultivators can''t achieve that through mere diligence," Lu Yuan nodded in agreement, then said, "That''s your son, and with his departure, who knows when he''ll return. Don''t you n to see him off?"
Lu Bei shook his head, his figure shed, and he became a streak of blue light that sped away, "I''m on the verge of a breakthrough and nning to go into seclusion. During this time, don''t disturb me."
Watching the blue light fade away, Lu Yuan shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "This father and son pair..."
...
Under the sky as blue and clear as water, a streak of elegant sword light passed by, leaving a very faint trail in its wake.
"Lu Qingshan, where are we heading?" a sly voice rang out among the clouds.
"The South Sea."
"I hate the sea. Can we go somewhere else?"
"No."
"Then what are we going to do there?"
"Search for a sword!"
Chapter 131 - 130 Sword Cultivator
---
...
Outside the city, a temporary camp had been set up for the citizens of Zhenjiang City.
Tent after tent, each very rudimentary, lined up. From above, they looked like numerous small mounds scattered across the ground.
On an open space, a row of wooden tables was set up, with a bustling crowd of people forming neat lines in front of the tables, monitored by cultivators in charge of maintaining order.
After a few simple questions from the cultivators, everyone received a small wooden token.
This was an initiative by Great Xia, where the cultivators organized the data, distinguishing those citizens who wished to leave Zhenjiang for other prefectures from those who wanted to stay.
Only the cultivators, with their strength alone, could maintain order among such arge gathering of ordinary people without chaos ensuing.
Reverence for the cultivators was deeply ingrained in the blood of themon folk.
Apart from the number of ordinary people who had survived being much greater, everything else was almost exactly the same as it had been in the past.
In the past life after the Corpse Puppet Chaos, it was through this plotline that yers from Zhenjiang Prefecture were able to ess therger map of Qing State and spread out into its thirty-six prefectures.
Back then, Lu Qingshan had gone to Taiyuan Prefecture in Qing State with a group of yers.
From the end of the main storyline of the Corpse Puppet Chaos to the beginning of the next main storyline, there would be an extraordinarily long buffer period.
This period was specifically designed to give yers time to discover andplete various side quests to enhance their strengths.
...
Cai Xingchao was seriously recording information, distributing wooden tokens to the people of Zhenjiang.
Zhenjiang City had survived with a poption of a million; categorizing such a massive number of humans was a huge project.
Therefore, Great Xia had temporarily summoned many cultivators from Zhenjiang City to assist, and quite a few members of the Lu Family were also involved.
Cai Xingchao was one of the many cultivators called upon from Zhenjiang City.
After being busy for a long time, a somewhat weary Cai Xingchao twisted his neck and looked up slightly, catching a glimpse of a tall, exceptionally handsome man standing to the side out of the corner of his eye.
"I need to leave for a bit, please can you watch over things for me?" Cai Xingchao quickly requested the cultivator beside him.
The cultivator next to him nodded, "Go ahead,e back as quickly as you can."
"Lu Brother, how long have you been here?" After handing over his tasks, Cai Xingchao approached apologetically.
Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "I¡¯ve also just arrived not long ago. How is your mother doing?"
"She¡¯s not too bad, it¡¯s just that she had only recently recovered from the venom of the Red Pearl Snake, and then this incident happened. After all the ordeals, she¡¯s still weak and needs to rest and recuperate for a while before she can recover."
"What are your ns next, to go to another prefecture, or...?"
Cai Xingchao shook his head, smiled shyly, and said firmly, "I want to stay in Zhenjiang. Grandfather died for this city, and I think he would be happy to see Zhenjiang rebuilt if he could witness it from the Netherworld."
Lu Qingshan looked at the young man before him and approvingly said, "That¡¯s good."
"Lu Brother, are you leaving then?"
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"I guessed as much. My mother told me that for someone like Lu Brother, Zhenjiang Prefecture is too small." Cai Xingchao said with understanding, a hint of longing in his eyes, "The world outside must be fascinating..."
...
Atop a low hill outside Zhenjiang City stood three fresh mounds of earth.
When Lu Qingshan arrived, two people were already standing in front of the graves.
Xiao Zhi and Su Shu.
Both appeared calm, but Lu Qingshan knew that as the deaths of Xu Hao, Zhong Ming, and Li Zu had only urred ten days ago, their sorrow could not possibly have faded so quickly. They simply kept their emotions buried deep inside.
Lu Qingshan stood quietly with them in front of the graves for a long time.
"Su Shu Sister decided to leave the Knowledge Guard Tower, and you¡¯re leaving Zhenjiang, too. In the end, only I will be left from the Tiger Squad..." Xiao Zhi said wistfully.
---
"Do a good job," Lu Qingshan patted Xiao Zhi on the shoulder with encouragement.
The once lively Su Shu of the Tiger Squad was now silently staring at Lu Qingshan.
This disaster had changed too much.
Lu Qingshan sighed, walked over, and gave Su Shu a slight hug before whispering to her with somewhat moist eyes, "Sister Su Shu, you must understand that life is not the way we¡¯ve lived it, but rather, the way we remember it."
Su Shu was stunned for a long time, staring straight into Lu Qingshan¡¯s handsome but youthful face.
At that moment, the youngster¡¯s eyes seemed to hold deep ravines.
...
At the Lu family of Mihe Peak, the clothing workshop.
In the battle with the Golden Core Cultivators from the Netherworld, Lu Qingshan had been seriously internally wounded, and to recuperate, he returned to the Lu Family to rest for half a month.
At this time, the atmosphere inside the clothing workshop was quite tense and edgy.
"Do you really have to go?" Lu Zhou said with indignation.
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"For what reason?"
N?v(el)B\\jnn
Lu Qingshan candidly replied, "To increase my cultivation."
This experience had made it all the clearer to Lu Qingshan how important strength was in the Nine Heavens.
If one¡¯s own strength wasn¡¯t enough, even if they knew how things would unfold, they still couldn¡¯t change anything.
"Can¡¯t your strength be increased by staying with the Lu family? With your talents, we could give you all of the Lu family¡¯s resources without reservation," Lu Zhou said in a deep voice.
Lu Qingshan shook his head calmly and said softly, "Great Elder, I am a Sword Cultivator."
Lu Zhou was taken aback and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. After a while, he sighed lightly and took out a storage bag, handing it to Lu Qingshan.
"If you are determined to leave, I can¡¯t stop you. However, venturing out there without the protection of the family means you have to be very careful. Consider these for your expenses outside."
Lu Qingshan silently epted the storage bag, cupped his hands towards Lu Zhou, and said, "I thank the Great Elder in advance, then. Qingshan will take his leave first."
Lu Zhou waved his hand, "Go on, go on, just don¡¯t forget toe back and visit."
...
At the summit of Mihe Peak, two Golden Core Cultivators watched as a sword light dashed from the foot of Mihe Peak, quickly soared, and then vanished into the horizon.
"Did you already guess that the Great Elder couldn¡¯t keep him here?" Lu Yuan asked the stunningly handsome male Cultivator beside him.
"Sword Cultivators are naturally free-spirited; how could they ever be confined to one ce?" Lu Bei responded calmly.
"Indeed, other Cultivators might be able to advance through seclusion and hard training, but Sword Cultivators can¡¯t achieve that through mere diligence," Lu Yuan nodded in agreement, then said, "That¡¯s your son, and with his departure, who knows when he¡¯ll return. Don¡¯t you n to see him off?"
Lu Bei shook his head, his figure shed, and he became a streak of blue light that sped away, "I¡¯m on the verge of a breakthrough and nning to go into seclusion. During this time, don¡¯t disturb me."
Watching the blue light fade away, Lu Yuan shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "This father and son pair..."
...
Under the sky as blue and clear as water, a streak of elegant sword light passed by, leaving a very faint trail in its wake.
"Lu Qingshan, where are we heading?" a sly voice rang out among the clouds.
"The South Sea."
"I hate the sea. Can we go somewhere else?"
"No."
"Then what are we going to do there?"
"Search for a sword!"
Chapter 132 - 1 Tianyuan
"Above the archipgo of the South Sea, the most illustrious sword-casting family is none other than the Dragon Spring¡¯s Mo Family.
The swords forged by the Mo Family, each one capable of matching the Sword Qi with Fighting Bulls, are thus widely sought after by Sword Cultivators throughout the world.
For a millennium, the Mo Family had crafted countless famous swords, but thirty years ago, the current Family Head cast a Treasured Sword that even attracted Heavenly Punishment, aiming to destroy this sword.
The day the Treasured Sword came into existence, lightning zigzagged across the sky, and thunder rumbled. A single gesture scattered spirits and specters; thunder and lightning roared moving Heaven and Earth, with hundreds of meters long lightning serpents slithering through the air.
That could truly be described as the Heavenly Thunder lighting up the Qingming in the Nine Heavens, its brilliance shining over the South Sea. The Mo Family exerted all their strength and only managed to preserve this Treasured Sword amidst the vast Heavenly Thunder Tribtion.
Since then, the name of the Mo Family echoed even louder across the South Sea, with their reputation unmatched for a time.
But the world is unpredictable, and thus a sword-casting noble family that had reached its zenith was obliterated overnight twenty years ago! Do you know why?"
Inside an ancient and elegant tea house, tea patrons gathered, and an old storyteller spoke with humor and grace, but he stopped right at the climax, sitting up straight, taking a subtle sip of tea, and teasing the audience with a cliffhanger.
Ahem.
Suddenly, an object shing with silver light was thrown onto the table in front of the storytelling old man, who, upon closer inspection, was startled to see a full ingot of silver.
"What¡¯s this for? Old mister, do tell the tale properly, and if it¡¯s good, there¡¯s more where that came from," came a gentle voice from a corner of the tea house.
The old storyteller¡¯s dim eyes sparkled uncontrobly with joy as he quickly pocketed the silver, while his gaze turned towards the generous patron.
What a handsome young man; from which noble family might this master be!
The storyteller wondered in his heart.
Catching his eye was a tall and elegant youth, umonly handsome, with piercing, clear eyes full of spirit, sitting in one corner of the tea house, a smile ying on his lips.
It was none other than Lu Qingshan who had left Zhenjiang Prefectural City!
"Many thanks to the young master for the reward," the storyteller hastened to continue, "Sess because of the Treasured Sword, downfall also because of the Treasured Sword."
"The Mo Family once reached the pinnacle because they forged this sword that drew down Heavenly Punishment, but peak inevitably leads to decline, and the Mo Family¡¯s downfall was precisely due to this sword as well."
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"This sword is called the Three-feet Edge, with a poem saying, ¡¯With the Three-feet Edge in the scabbard on his back, wherever Jiaolong dwells, it shall sh the Jiaolong,¡¯ describing the might of this sword, iming it could drink the blood of the Jiaolong n. Though the Mo Family kept silent about it, such rumors still widely circted."
"But one must know that the sea has always been the domain of Water Demons.
Among the Water Demon n, the Jiaolong n is the most powerful. When the tale that the Three-feet Edge could sh the Jiaolong spread far and wide, how could the fierce and stubborn Jiaolong n tolerate the Mo Family?
Overnight, a thousand Jiaolong stirred the sea, rising waves of horror, and in the blink of an eye, the millennium-old sword-casting family was wiped out, along with the ind they inhabited, which sank into the sea."
The storyteller, with ups and downs in his voice, finished this part of the tale in one breath, his eager eyes returning to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t disappoint him and, with a flick of his wrist, another ingot of silver was thrown out.
Seeing the storyteller receive two hefty ingots of silver in the blink of an eye, other patrons in the tea house felt envious. Immediately, someone tapped their wooden chopstick against their tea bowl, grumbling discontentedly, "Storyteller, do you have anything new? You¡¯ve told this sword-casting family tale who knows how many times.
This handsome young master is new and finds it fresh, but we regrs won¡¯t be so easily amused."
"Indeed, bring on something new; this is getting dull..." theints gathered and soon many other tea patrons joined in the grumbling.
The storyteller joyously pocketed the silver and, with a clever spin of his eyes and a smile stered on his face, addressed the crowd, "Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ve got a fresh one for you."
He wasn¡¯t a fool; such lucrative generosity from patrons was clearly a rare urrence, and he still relied on these regrs in the tea house for his livelihood--he couldn¡¯t afford to offend them.
After a bit of thought, the storyteller gently waved his fan and began to narrate anew, "They say that within the Boundless Sea Area, there exists an Eternal Whale Species, of massive size and a fondness for slumber, floating on the sea¡¯s surface, where a single sleep couldst an age. Unmoved by wind or rain, it gradually evolved into an ind..."
"Whale turned ind? Storyteller, we asked for something fresh, and if you don¡¯t have any substance, stop babbling and pulling the wool over our eyes!" the patron who spoke up earlier immediately expressed dissatisfaction.
The storyteller¡¯s eyes widened, "How can you so groundlessly tarnish someone¡¯s reputation..."
"Reputation? The Eternal Whale bing an ind¡ªjust how enormous must that whale be? Go on, tell me. If you do a good job, I might not be asvish as this young master here, but I can still reward you with a bit of money, even if it means getting a scolding from the wife back home," the tea drinker said loudly.
The storyteller hemmed and hawed for a long time but failed toe up with an estimate.
The tea drinker seized on the storyteller¡¯s words, "As expected, it¡¯s all nonsense. You can¡¯t even make it sound usible before being exposed!"
The storyteller¡¯s face instantly turned red, with veins popping out on his forehead as he argued, "Artistic embellishment can¡¯t be considered fabrication... embellishing! Can the tales of a storyteller be considered nonsense?"
The crowd couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, and the teahouse was suddenly filled with a merry atmosphere.
After a while, theughter of the tea drinkers quieted down, and the storyteller¡¯splexion gradually returned to normal. He waved his hand, "Enough, enough. This time I¡¯ll tell you all something absolutely fresh."
Another round ofughter erupted in the teahouse.
"Have you heard about the events at Zhenjiang Prefectural City in Qing State?" the storyteller asked with a solemn face.
"I¡¯ve heard a bit of news. It seems that about three months ago, a major upheaval happened there. The casualties throughout the prefecture were severe, and Zhenjiang City itself was reduced to ruins..." said a well-informed tea drinker.
Gasps!
At those words, the other tea drinkers all sucked in a breath of cold air.
"The Prefectural City turned to ruins?"
"How is that possible? How many people must have died?"
"..."
Onement stirred up thousands of waves.
Lu Qingshan hadn¡¯t expected that so far from Zhenjiang Prefectural City, he would still hear news of it.
The storyteller was clearly very pleased with the reaction of the tea drinkers, shaking his paper fan proudly as he said, "You heard right. Over three months ago, Zhenjiang experienced an unprecedented upheaval. Of the more than four million people in Zhenjiang City, only about one million survived after the catastrophe."
"What¡¯s more important is the aftermath that this incident brought about." The storyteller paused, took a sip of tea to catch his breath, and then continued with animation, "Great Xia has held on to the era name of Chang¡¯an for a whole twenty thousand years.
However, after the turmoil in Zhenjiang Prefectural City, the Grand State Preceptor, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master, performed a heaven-defying act and stole a glimpse of the heavenly secrets.
It is said that this glimpse of the heavenly secrets predicted that our Great Xia would fall into an unprecedented turmoil, with Zhenjiang Prefectural City being just the beginning.
And thus, after twenty thousand years of Chang¡¯an, Great Xia changed the era name to ¡¯Tianyuan¡¯!"
At the end of his story, the storyteller gently struck the pper.
"Tianyuan? Old sir, are you saying the new era name is Tianyuan?!" Surprised by the storyteller¡¯s tone, the generous young gentleman stood up and asked in amazement.
The storyteller was somewhat puzzled, but he nodded, "Yes, young master. Three days ago, Great Xia already announced to the world that the new era is named Tianyuan."
Tianyuan!
Lu Qingshan was extremely shocked in his heart.
ording to the original plot development, the new era name should be Immortal Martial.
How did it change to Tianyuan?!
Chapter 133 - 2 Bibo City
It was only the era name that changed from Immortal Martial to Tianyuan, a seemingly trivial alteration in name that appeared to be no big deal.
But one must understand, the range of impact thates with a change in the era name epasses the entire Human Race.
Given such a broad scope of influence, even the smallest change is enough to stir up a storm, let alone the change of something as deeply significant as the era name.
How could such a phenomenon be merely summed up by the so-called ¡¯butterfly effect¡¯?
After receiving confirmation, Lu Qingshan was quite astonished as he sat back down on the wooden chair.
This interlude did not interrupt the leisurely mood of the patrons, nor did they take seriously the storyteller¡¯s im that the world would fall into chaos.
Setting aside whether it was true or false, simply the daily concerns of firewood, rice, oil, and salt were already enough for themon folk to worry about; the turmoil of the world seemed too distant, seemingly of little relevance to them.
The storyteller continued to delve into his repertoire, speaking until his mouth was dry and his tongue parched, but he persisted in his enthusiastic narration. During this, he asionally cast furtive nces at Lu Qingshan.
He was still hoping to receive another tip or two from Lu Qingshan.
But to his disappointment, that handsome young lord had been motionless ever since sitting down, as if deep in thought.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s emotions were somewhatplex, containing both surprise and worry.
The joy stemmed from the fact that if history could undergo such a major shift, it indicated that his desire to alter the predetermined course of the storyline was entirely feasible.
The so-called predestined force that would correct history back to its original track was nothing but baseless talk, a non-existent notion.
The worry was because he had only been in this world for half a year, and his own strength was still very weak, which meant he was unable to stop the destruction of Zhenjiang City or the revival of Luohu, despite numerous attempts during the Corpse Puppet Chaos.
The only thing worth mentioning was that the number of survivors from Zhenjiang City was over eight hundred thousand more than in the original history.
Yet such an insignificant change had already caused history to veer so greatly off course.
Continuing like this, unless he did nothing at all, the course of history would inevitably develop into a situationpletely different from his previous life.
This meant that he would lose his most important reliance.
Indeed, in Lu Qingshan¡¯s heart, his greatest Golden Finger had always been his thorough familiarity with the storyline.
After a long period of contemtion, Lu Qingshan finally snapped back to reality, picked up the teacup, and drank all the tea in a single gulp.
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Why bother with so much fuss? Just get it done first. Isn¡¯t what he wanted just to change the predestined development of the storyline?
Having thought it through, Lu Qingshan was no longer troubled. He called out to West Rat King, who was using Illusion Technique to obscure mortal vision, and unabashedly eating and drinking at the table, and stood up to leave.
...
Upon exiting the teahouse, what greeted him was a street far wider and brighter than those of Zhenjiang City, with the salty scent of the sea wafting through the air.
This was Bibo City, the Prefectural City of Jian State¡¯s Jianan Prefecture, and also thergest seaport city in the Southern Territory. It served as the transport hub connecting the Southern Territory with the inds of the South Sea, and its prosperity ranked first among all the prefectural cities in the entire Southern Territory.
"Lu Qingshan, what sword are you really looking for?" West Rat King asked from its perch on Lu Qingshan¡¯s shoulder, tirelessly repeating the question it had asked for the past three months.
"Didn¡¯t you hear just now in the teahouse?" For once, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t keep West Rat King in suspense and answered frankly.
"What?" The Western Mouse King was taken aback and hurriedly began to search through his memories. He quickly came to a realization, "Are you talking about the Three-feet Edge?!"
"Yes." Lu Qingshan nodded.
"Wasn¡¯t it said that the Mo Family was annihted twenty years ago?" The Western Mouse King was very puzzled.
"The Mo Family was indeed annihted, but the Mo Family Head survived, and he has the Three-feet Edge in his hands," Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes shed with a strange light.
This was the purpose of his journey all the way to the South Sea.
For a Sword Cultivator to choose a Life-bound Sword, it is often more cautious than choosing a Dao Companion.
After all, a Dao Companion may not apany you for a lifetime, but a Life-bound Sword can.
With Lu Qingshan¡¯s discernment, he naturally wouldn¡¯t settle for an ordinary Sword Artifact.
But the mystery of the Three-feet Edge had even him, deeply moved, because the Three-feet Edge was a Heaven Rank Sword Artifact!
"Do you know where the Mo Family Head is staying now?!" The Western Mouse King was quite astute, immediately making the most reasonable guess.
Lu Qingshan slightly shook his head, "He¡¯s disguised and his whereabouts are elusive, how would I know where he is?"
The Western Mouse King¡¯s voice rose a few notches, "You don¡¯t know where he is? Then how are you going to find the sword? You can¡¯t possibly be searching for a needle in a haystack, can you?!"
Hearing this, Lu Qingshanughed and nodded earnestly, "You guessed right. I¡¯m indeed looking for a needle in a haystack."
"..."
"We¡¯ve arrived," Lu Qingshan said softly as he looked at the enormous port in front of him.
The port of Bibo City, Bibow Port.
Huge merchant ships, cargo ships, and passenger ships crammed the port space, bustling with people.
The daily throughput of ships at Bibow Port was an astonishing number, virtually every hour there were numerous fleets either setting sail from Bibow Port or returning.
In a world where Cultivators existed, the shipbuilding industry was far more advanced than in ancient Huaxia, as evidenced by the fact that thergest merchant ship in the port could reach up to one or two thousand zhang in size. Of course, such merchant ships couldn¡¯t possibly have been built by mere mortals alone; they must contain more or less Cultivation techniques.
Over the South Sea, inds were scattered like stars across the sky. Except for truly powerful Cultivators or those whose minds had gone astray, no one would choose flying as a means of travel.
Because the distance between each ind in the South Sea was vast, and unlike onnd where one couldnd at any time to replenish Spiritual Power, once a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power was exhausted mid-flight, it would mean falling into the sea.
And even for Cultivators, it was impossible to stay soaked in the sea for too long, not to mention that there were often bloodthirsty Water Demons lurking, presenting immense danger.
Therefore, Lu Qingshan, preparing to go to sea to find the sword, had to travel by ship.
Lu Qingshan roamed around Bibow Port and found a medium-sized fleet that was about to set out to the Poseidon Archipgo among the fleets nning to head there.
It was originally a merchant fleet and didn¡¯t take passengers. But as the saying goes, ¡¯Money makes the mare go.¡¯ As long as the price is right, these merchants would haul a ship of monkeys if asked to, let alone people.
Lu Qingshan offered a good price, negotiated the time with the ship¡¯s captain, and thus set his schedule.
The Poseidon Archipgo was a good eight or nine thousand kilometers away from Bibo City, thergest archipgo within ten thousand kilometers outside the city.
Chapter 134 - 3 The Five Elements Sword Armor
One day remained before the fleet was scheduled to set sail, and Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t just wait around, he began to tour Bibo City with the King of Western Rats.
Before leaving Zhenjiang Prefecture, Dantai Qingrun and Lu Zhou each gave him a storage bag.
Lu Zhou was very straightforward and simple; aside from Spirit Stones, there was nothing else in the storage bag, though the quantity was indeed sizable.
As for Dantai Qingrun, he was quite particr, having stored two Jade Slips in the given storage bag.
One of the Jade Slips was for the "Five Elements Sword Armor" Dharma.
Men¡¯s armor and women¡¯s clothing.
The Five Elements Sword Armor and the Golden Sword Apparel that Dantai Qingrun cultivated were actually top-notch defense techniques inherited from the same lineage.
Unlike the Golden Sword Apparel, the Five Elements Sword Armor epassed the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, making it moreplete and more powerful, but also more difficult to sessfully cultivate.
Because the Five Elements Sword Armor should actually be considered as five separate Techniques.
The Sword Garment also involved five elements, but the materials required for cultivating the Sword Garment were so expensive, the energy consumed so immense, and the Contribution Value needed to exchange for aplete Five Elements Sword Garment Dharma so high, that Dantai Qingrun could only choose to first cultivate the Golden Sword Apparel, the most widely applicable Technique of the Five Elements Sword Garment.
Lu Qingshan had made significant contributions during the Corpse Puppet Chaos, allowing the Knowledge Defense Tower to directly bestow upon him theplete Five Elements Sword Armor Dharma, something even Golden Core Cultivators found hard to possess.
For such a top-notch defense technique, there was no reason for Lu Qingshan not to cultivate it.
However, unlike ordinary Techniques, its cultivation also required the additional help of Spirit Materials.
After leaving Zhenjiang Prefecture, Lu Qingshan traveled far and wide, first passing through various prefectures in Qing State, and then using a Teleportation Array to cross over Jian State, finally reaching Bibo City.
Along the way, he entered every new city to search for and purchase the Spirit Materials needed for the Five Elements Sword Armor.
He had spent nearly all the Spirit Stones given by Lu Zhou, but in the end, he still hadn¡¯t managed to gather any of the Spirit Materials required for any Attribute of Sword Armor.
As a coastal city, Bibo City naturally had a far superior Water Element affinitypared to other attributes, and ordingly, the variety, quality, and price of Water Attribute Spirit Materials also surpassed those of the ind areas.
Lu Qingshan was hoping to gather all the Spirit Materials required for the Water Walking Sword Armor in such a ce.
Even just to initially form the Water Walking Sword Armor, it required a total of eighteen kinds of Third Grade Water Element Spirit Materials and one Fourth Grade Water Element Spirit Material.
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Of the eighteen Third Grade Spirit Materials, Lu Qingshan had already collected sixteen. He nowcked only the remaining two Third Grade and that single Fourth Grade Spirit Material.
Usually, Fourth Grade Spirit Materials are the main materials used by Nascent Soul Cultivators in refining Magical Artifacts.
Considering the cultivation cost, the Five Elements Sword Armor should indeed be a Technique suitable for Golden Core Sword Cultivators to learn.
Fortunately, Lu Qingshan was quite wealthy, even more so than ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, which allowed him to start cultivating the Five Elements Sword Armor during the Foundation Establishment Stage.
...
The Great Xia Commercial Firm in Bibo City, whenpared to other Commercial Firms in prefectural cities, could only be described as extraordinarilyvish; the high-rise building was tens of meters tall and grandly decorated.
Lu Qingshan casually walked into the grand entrance of the Great Xia Commercial Firm and was immediately greeted by a beautiful blue-robed maid with a smile.
"I need a standard lot of Third Grade Water Element Spirit Material Xuan Water Jade, over three taels of Cang Wave Root, and more than one tael of Fourth Grade Water Element Spirit Material Sea Blue Marrow," Lu Qingshan stated straightforwardly.
"Spirit Materials above Third Grade are on the third floor, please follow me," the maid led Lu Qingshan to the third floor.
As he stepped onto the third floor, Lu Qingshan immediately sensed waves of inexplicable Spiritual Power fluctuations in the air.
This ce was littered with various formations, and once someone dared to act wildly here, the formations would immediately activate with the force of thunder, killing the offender on the spot.
The maid walked over to an old man on the third floor and whispered a few words to him.
The elderly man nodded, rose, and said to Lu Qingshan, "Young master, please wait a moment."
Lu Qingshan gestured his understanding.
The elderly man walked deeper into the third floor, and soon returned with three jade boxes, which he handed to Lu Qingshan, exining, "Xuan Water Jade and Canng Root are not rare in Bibo City and are even a tenth cheaper than in other ces.
However, this Sea Blue Marrow is different; it has always been an excellent spirit material for refining Water Element Magical Artifacts.
Even here, it is perpetually out of stock. You are in luck, young master, as our firm just recently acquired a batch of Sea Blue Marrow; otherwise, we really wouldn¡¯t have been able to satisfy your needs.
However, as such a sought-after spirit material, I¡¯m afraid we cannot offer any discount on the Sea Blue Marrow."
Lu Qingshan opened the jade box, and a rich Water Element spiritual essence burst forth, making one feel as though they were amidst the ocean waves. The translucent, liquid-like, magnificent crystals caught his eye.
This was the Sea Blue Marrow.
A thought crossed Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
He hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly; he had visited the Great Xia Commercial Firm and managed to gather thest three spirit materials needed for the Water Walking Sword Armor.
This meant he could begin the refining ritual for the Water Walking Sword Armor.
Lu Qingshan joyfully said, "It should indeed be so. The price is not an issue; I¡¯ll take all three spirit materials."
After nearly depleting his remaining savings and paying an amount of Spirit Stones that even a Golden Core Cultivator would find painful, Lu Qingshan left the Great Xia Commercial Firm, satisfied with the three spirit materials.
...
The fleet Lu Qingshan boarded set sail the next morning. Composed of ninerge ten-thousand-material ships, these merchant ships had very deep drafts because most of their cargo was food, with only a small portion being tea,cquerware, spices, and other rare items.
Due to his generous spending, Lu Qingshan was allotted the most luxurious cabin, which was not only spacious and bright but also came with meticulous service.
The wind direction on the sea often changed. There were favourable winds, but headwinds were not umon, yet for wooden sailboats still reliant on wind power, the fear wasn¡¯t a headwind but rather no wind at all.
During headwinds, by steering the ship in a zigzag pattern, the headwind could be turned into a sidewind, and the stronger the wind, the faster they would travel.
ording to the seasoned captain¡¯s years of sailing experience, it would take more than a month to reach Poseidon Archipgo from the day they set sail.
This length of time was not long for Lu Qingshan, especially since he had tasks to attend to.
Refining the Water Walking Sword Armor.
The Five Elements Sword Armor was quite special, being both a magical artifact and a technique. Lu Qingshan could not simply master this technique by consuming Experience Points; he had to earnestly devote himself to the slow and arduous refining process.
It is worth mentioning that in the course of over three months of travel, mostly by using the Sword Control Technique, this high-frequency usage had naturally enhanced his originally level 1 Sword Control Technique to level 5.
The speed of this skill level upgrade might seem exaggerated, but it wasn¡¯t because the Sword Control Technique was too simplistic; rather, it was due to the innate Sword Dao talent bestowed upon Lu Qingshan by the Innate Swordseed, far surpassing ordinary people.
For a regr Sword Cultivator to elevate their Sword Control from level 1 to level 5 normally required seven to eight years of continuous effort.
With the enhancement from the Innate Swordseed, Lu Qingshan¡¯s mastery speed of sword techniques had reached an extremely exaggerated level.
In the realm of the Sword Dao, the importance of innate talent far outweighs diligent effort.
Chapter 135 - 4: Sword Qi
gurgle... gurgle... gurgle...
Groups of seagulls flew through the sky, issuing high and clear cries.
The merchant ship sailed smoothly with the wind, the waves pped against the bow, raising heaps of white foam, making a sshing sound.
At the rear of the fleet, the azure sea was dragged into nine long, rolling silver ribbons.
What a beautiful sight to behold... if it weren¡¯t the same every day.
This was the eleventh day the merchant ship had been at sea, and they hadpleted less than a third of their journey.
Knock knock knock!
The door to the cabin where Lu Qingshan was located was knocked.
"Come in." Lu Qingshan responded.
The person who entered was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, holding a food container.
He was assigned by the ship to deliver meals specifically to Lu Qingshan, their important guest.
"Young Master Lu, here is your lunch for today," the old man called out.
Lu Qingshan nodded to indicate acknowledgment, and the old man, knowing his ce, set down the food container and quietly exited.
"Sigh!" Once the old man had left, the Rat King lying on Lu Qingshan¡¯s bed sighed listlessly.
Lu Qingshan teased somewhat mischievously, "What now, aren¡¯t you always greedy? Why thismenting when it is time to eat?"
The Rat King rolled his eyes and sniffed, and mumbled discontentedly: "Steamed baby squid, mixed steamed shells, steamed pomfret, steamed Japanese sea bass, steamed...."
"The moment I smell it, I know it¡¯s these few kinds,ing and going since we got on board, all steamed, my mouth is bing tasteless."
It was no surprise, since seafood was the mostmon staple at sea, and due to the cost of spices, steaming naturally became the chef¡¯s preferred cooking method.
Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t tease the Rat King any further; after a couple more quips, he took a jade slip and quickly sat down again beside the table.
The Rat King nced at Lu Qingshan who was engrossed in the jade slip, feeling extremely wronged as it muttered, "Here I am, doing nothing on this ship every day, almost dying of boredom, while you, on the other hand, are happily engrossed in that jade slip."
Demon beasts actually need to cultivate too; although Lu Qingshan had intended to find a cultivation technique for the Rat King, demon cultivation techniques were not easily obtained, and so far, he had found nothing.
This had caused the Rat King¡¯s strength to grow solely dependent on the awakening of its own bloodline to date.
Basically, it was a "demon second-generation."
Unable to cultivate and naturally detesting water, it, now trapped on the ship with nowhere to go, found it understandably boring.
At those words, Lu Qingshan actually chuckled and shook the jade slip in his hand at the Rat King, teasing, "As they say, ¡¯Read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles.¡¯ There¡¯s nothing wrong with reading some books when you¡¯re idle.
Look at you, this appearance of yours does seem somewhat mystical, but it¡¯s justcking a bit in temperament.
¡¯Knowledge renders the spirit sublime;¡¯ read more books, make up for thatcking part, and I think no one would disagree if you were called a spirit beast."
Hearing Lu Qingshan say that, the Rat King immediately got so angry it started hopping, and exploded, "What¡¯s wrong with my temperament, isn¡¯t it majestic?
Spirit beast, pfft, I don¡¯t care about that title, let whoever wants it have it! Forget it, I won¡¯t waste more words with you, I¡¯m going for a stroll."
The Rat King¡¯s figure shed, turning into a grey shadow and left the cabin.
But the moment it stepped out of the cabin, a trace of peculiar light flickered in the Rat King¡¯s pupils, and it mused thoughtfully, "Spirit Beast, huh? Is what Lu Qingshan said about reading more really useful..."
Clearly, the Rat King was just being stubborn in front of Lu Qingshan.
In fact, it was not only not dismissive of the title of spirit beast as it appeared, but it even harbored some anticipation for it.
"However, the problem is, I can¡¯t read human script," it thought, feeling a bit troubled.
......
Seeing that the King of the Western Rats had left, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t say much.
Although the King of the Western Rats had no means of attack, his natural talents granted him strong self-preservation capabilities, so there was nothing to worry about.
Shaking his head, Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind once again submerged into the jade slip in his hand.
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Sword Qi True Understanding¡ªthat was the jade slip in his hand, and also the second jade slip in his storage bag.
This was not a reward from Zhi Shou Tower, but rather something Dantai Qingrun had prepared from his own experiences and understanding of the Sword Qi Condensation and Strike Technique, and then gifted to Lu Qingshan.
Sword Qi is not a spell; it is merely a high-level method of utilizing Spiritual Power exclusive to Sword Cultivators.
Sword Cultivators channel Spiritual Power onto their swords and use a unique technique to transform it into a more solid form, incorporating sharp traits of sword artifacts, resulting in more powerful specialized Spiritual Power.
After mastering the technique of Sword Qi Condensation and Strike, a Sword Cultivator¡¯s closebat abilities would leap significantly.
However, to evoke Sword Qi, Sword Cultivators need to make countless attempts and continuously explore.
The understanding Dantai Qingrun had provided as a Golden Core Sword Cultivator could undeniably spare Lu Qingshan from many detours.
The most important aspect was that the cultivation of the Five Elements Sword Armor required Sword Cultivators to master the technique of Sword Qi.
...
Unlike Sword Techniques, which require both enlightenment and practice, releasing Sword Qi solely depends on enlightenment.
Coincidentally, for Lu Qingshan, enlightenment on the Sword Dao was as natural and easy as eating and drinking.
Just on the fourth day of his journey at sea, he already could evoke a strand of Sword Qi using a Peach Wood Sword.
To ensure that the Sword Armor could be manipted as easily as one¡¯s own limbs, the mostmon and effective method was to refine the Sword Armor using the Sword Qi generated from one¡¯s Life-bound Sword.
However, at this moment, Lu Qingshan did not have a Life-bound Sword, and the Sword Qi stimted through other sword artifacts could not flow from the body as naturally as from a Life-bound Sword, making it wed for training in the Five Elements Sword Armor.
There was still a solution, though.
Lu Qingshan extended his palm, a strand of tangible yet intangible gray-white air de appeared at the tip of his index finger, flickering briefly before dissolving into the air again.
Although he could already solidify it, he was still unable to maintain its form.
Lu Qingshan was not very satisfied with this.
This was the Sword Qi condensed out of thin air without relying on a sword artifact.
In terms of power, although it differed from Sword Qi stimted through a Life-bound Sword, since it was Sword Qi condensed using his own body as a sword, it waspletely feasible for refining Five Elements Sword Armor.
The problem was that condensing Sword Qi out of thin air was many times more difficult than stimting Sword Qi with the aid of a sword artifact.
Even with Lu Qingshan¡¯s insight, he had been stuck on this step for nearly a week.
But if other Sword Cultivators were to know about Lu Qingshan¡¯s progress in exploring the technique of Sword Qi, they would definitely be green with envy.
¡ªFor ordinary Sword Cultivators, even with Dantai Qingrun sharing Sword Qi striking techniques, a quick learner still required one to two years of continuous practice and trying to sessfully stimte the first strand of Sword Qi.
The slow ones might need to grind for about seven or eight years, and there were not a few dim-witted Sword Cultivators who were stuck at this step for several decades.
......
Although innate talent is extremely important in the cultivation of truth, there is no insurmountable barrier set by heaven, and cultivators can ovee the hurdles of talent through effort and opportunities to be great cultivators of ordinary human stature.
But Sword Cultivation is different; it is extremely harsh.
Sword Cultivation is the only one among the six paths of cultivation where without absolute talent, one simply cannot continue.
Because some swords, if you are not born able to wield them, you will never be able to for the rest of your life.
Chapter 136 - 5 Zang Xiaojian
After idly wandering around the ship for a long while, the King Rat, touched his little belly and felt peckish once again.
"I refuse to believe such arge ship doesn¡¯t have any decent food aboard. These crew members must be hiding something!"
Thinking this, King Rat¡¯s eyes rolled around swiftly, and he immediately began to search each cabin on the ship.
Uh?
Once againing up empty, King Rat was about to leave this exceptionally tidy cabin when out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted a few books carelessly ced next to the pillow on the bed, and Lu Qingshan¡¯s words involuntarily came to his mind, sparking a little idea.
Without further hesitation, King Rat immediately hopped onto the bed and flipped through the documents.
The cover of the first ancient book had a few curved characters written in tiny script.
Although he did not specifically study the Human Race¡¯s script, having loitered in human cities for a while after his intelligence awakened, he had picked up a few simple characters from what he heard and saw.
"Uh,... Swordsman¡¯s Tale? I don¡¯t recognize the first two characters, but it looks like some kind of ranger biography.
I don¡¯t know what these humans are thinking; why do they love swords so much? Even writing a ranger¡¯s biography has to involve swords.
Swords are cold, utterly boring, I thought only Lu Qingshan would be interested in them."
King Rat muttered a few words, then ignored it, tossing aside the ¡¯Swordsman¡¯s Tale¡¯ and picked up another slightly thinner ancient book.
"South... Sea... Spirit... Beast Diagram!" This time, he recognized all five big characters on the cover.
Spirit Beast!?
After stumbling through the title word by word, King Rat¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, and he began to flip through it as if he had found a treasure.
As soon as he turned the first page, a detailed drawing of a grey-white Longevity Whale filled his view.
This whale was mountain-sized, with a blowhole on top of its head that opened like a volcanic crater; its tail fins were heart-shaped, broad and t, emitting an ancient and vicarious aura.
Below the image was a detailed description; King Rat, mixing guesswork with his poor reading skills, read haltingly, "Longevity Whale...the oldest Spirit Beast in the South Sea...lifespan...almost unlimited... size boundless...always in slumber...inside the whale is a small world..."
Uh? Could this be the transforming ind whale that the storyteller spoke of?
So such things really exist? Is this what a Spirit Beast is?
King Rat pondered for a moment, shook his little head, licked his paw, and eagerly turned the next page.
A picture of a dragon d in scale armor, with whiskers, horns, and five ws, looking majestic and fierce, appeared on the page.
King Rat was instantly immersed in this bizarre and curious world, oblivious to his surroundings.
After a long while, as he carefully turned thest page of the thin ancient book, he still felt somewhat unsatisfied.
"I¡¯ll take it back with me, to savor it slowly!"
In a sh, King Rat made up his mind, grabbed the book with his paw, and prepared to make a run for it.
"You¡¯re done reading, but are you nning to take it away too?"
The sudden voice gave King Rat a fright.
Bing too engrossed in the Spirit Beast Diagram, King Rat had failed to notice that at some point, a young girl had appeared in the cabin.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The girl¡¯s clear eyes revealed curiosity as she sized up King Rat and clicked her tongue, "That¡¯s quite rare, a book-loving giant rat?"
How careless!
King Rat inwardly cursed in dismay.
If it had been amon human, it would have been fine, being discovered wouldn¡¯t have mattered much.
But the girl before him was indeed a Cultivator, and though she appeared very young, her Cultivation had already reached thetter stages of Foundation Establishment, surpassing Lu Qingshan.
As for himself, the King of the Western Rats had a clear understanding. Even though he was a Second Grade Demon Beast, he actually had no decent means of attack and hisbat capability was basically nil. This girl, she was an existence he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke!
In the midst of his panic, an idea suddenly shed through the mind of the King of the Western Rats.
Squeak¡ª
The King of the Western Rats lifted his tiny head, gazing at the girl with a look of confusion in his eyes, emitting a series of squeaks.
Watching the King of the Western Rats squeaking at her, the girl couldn¡¯t help but pause, a curious expression shing across her eyes, and she said, "You can¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying?"
The King of the Western Rats had just thought about nodding his tiny head vigorously when, in a sh of inspiration, he hurriedly began to shake his head chaotically, continuing to squeak incessantly.
"Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. How could there be a Demon Beast aboard the ship? And one that can read?" Seeing the behavior of the King of the Western Rats, the girl seriously nodded her head.
Seeing that the girl no longer doubted him, the nerves of the King of the Western Rats finally rxed.
That was a close call. Good thing I¡¯m sharp and quick-witted.
The King of the Western Rats thought to himself.
"It seems you¡¯re just an ordinaryrge rat. Since that¡¯s the case, you may leave," said the girl, her tone revealing a hint of cunning.
Granted permission by the girl, the King of the Western Rats forcefully suppressed the joy in his heart, hopped on his legs, and left the cabin with the calm demeanor of an ordinaryrge rat, not showing any slip as he inwardly gave himself a thumbs-up for his quick thinking.
Close to vermilion, one gets stained; close to ink, one is dyed. After being with Lu Qingshan for so long, my intelligence clearly has grown!
But something feels a bit off?
Before he could figure out what was wrong, the King of the Western Rats had just slipped to the cabin door only to find a shadow engulfing him.
Looking up, there stood the girl, blocking the cabin entrance, tilting her head, with a look that was somewhere between smiling and not smiling, "Oh?"
It was only then that the King of the Western Rats realized, and his face turned pale as chalk.
Humans are too cunning!!!
.....
Knock, knock, knock¡ª
Inside the cabin, Lu Qingshan, who was engrossed in studying Sword Qi, was interrupted by a knocking sound.
"Come in," said Lu Qingshan as he regained hisposure and put away the Jade Slip.
The cabin door was gently pushed open, and a girl in a light green dress entered.
The girl looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with curved eyebrows, a slightly upturned nose, dimples asionally appearing on her cheeks, and ck, lively eyes.
In the girl¡¯s hands, she carried the King of the Western Rats, who wore a sullen face.
"Um, Lu Qingshan, I¡¯m back," said the King of the Western Rats, hanging in mid-air by the neck, awkwardly waving a small paw at Lu Qingshan, "and I also brought back a fellow Daoist."
Seeing Lu Qingshan, the girl then released her grip on the King of the Western Rats.
Free from captivity, the King of the Western Rats instantly dashed, frantically scampering back to Lu Qingshan¡¯s side, and started toin pitifully, "Lu Qingshan, she is a bad woman, she tricked me¡"
Lu Qingshan¡¯s mouth twitched involuntarily.
"My name is Zang Xiaojian," said the girl, cutting straight to the point, her voice extremely clear and sweet.
"Lu Qingshan."
Chapter 137 - 6: Water Walking Sword Armor (Part 1)
"Your Beast Pet snuck into my room when I was away and I caught it," Zang Xiaojian pointed at the Western Mouse King hiding behind Lu Qingshan.
"I¡¯m not a Beast Pet..." the Western Mouse King murmured subconsciously.
"Right, I forgot to ask you, what¡¯s your name?" Zang Xiaojian heard the Western Mouse King¡¯sint.
Seeing Zang Xiaojian asking about himself, the Western Mouse King immediately stood up straight from behind Lu Qingshan, straightened his back, and thumped his chest with his tiny paws, "I am the mighty Western Mouse King!"
Zang Xiaojian nodded seriously and, wrinkling her nose, said to Lu Qingshan, "Since it says it¡¯s not your Beast Pet, sorry, I must have misunderstood. I¡¯ll take it away and settle our scores properly, shall I?"
As she spoke, Zang Xiaojian winked at Lu Qingshan subtly.
Lu Qingshan caught on and decided to scare the increasingly troublesome Western Mouse King, cooperating by saying, "Sure, take it away. Do whatever you want, kill or cut."
Zang Xiaojian made a throat-slitting gesture toward the Western Mouse King and chirpily said, "Western Mouse King, huh? Come, let¡¯s settle our ounts properly."
Just a moment ago, the once ferocious Western Mouse King turned into a defeated eggnt, his spirits deted, and heined bitterly, "Lu Qingshan, you heartless man!"
After teasing the Western Mouse King, Lu Qingshan then seriously turned to Zang Xiaojian and apologized, "It¡¯s my negligence for not keeping it under control. I canpensate you with some Spirit Stones to show my sincerity. What do you think?"
Eager to resolve any trouble, as stirring up conflicts wasn¡¯t Lu Qingshan¡¯s way, he was very polite.
Zang Xiaojian waved her hand generously, "I lost nothing, no need for anypensation.
Actually, I never intended to do anything to it. It tried to fool me by pretending to be a normal giant mouse when I caught it, so I decided to teach it a lesson. That¡¯s why I came looking for it."
This foolish mouse, not only did it try to be sly but getting caught in the act was a grave mistake.
Lu Qingshan red at the Western Mouse King, annoyed.
"Are you a Sword Cultivator?" Zang Xiaojian tilted her head, looked deeply into Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes, and suddenly asked.
Before Lu Qingshan could ask, Zang Xiaojian went on to exin, "Just now outside, I felt the presence of Sword Qi in the room."
Lu Qingshan was startled and finally began to take the young girl seriously.
For Zang Xiaojian to possess such advanced Cultivation at her young age was no small feat.
But being someone who had witnessed many greater events in the game¡¯ster stages¡ªwhere talented NPCs in the Nine Heavens sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain¡ªZang Xiaojian¡¯s talent only slightly surprised him.
However, he had tried to condense Sword Qi inside the cabin earlier and had only mobilized a minimal part of his Spiritual Power, which was barely detectable. Under such circumstances, Zang Xiaojian was still able to sense the Sword Qi inside the room from a distance, which was truly astonishing.
There could be two possibilities for this, one being that Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Divine Soul was far stronger than ordinary people, giving her superior perception abilities.
The other possibility was that Zang Xiaojian was extraordinarily talented.
The next second, Lu Qingshan knew it must be thetter.
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Because Zang Xiaojian extended her right hand toward Lu Qingshan, and a strand of sharp Sword Qi suddenly burst forth from her fingertips.
The delicate fingers of the girl flicked, and the strand of Sword Qi shot straight toward the Western Mouse King, dissipating abruptly three inches in front of him.
Zang Xiaojian looked at the startled Western Mouse King, smileced with mischief, her eyebrows curved, "I am a Sword Cultivator too!"
Not to mention anything else, just being at the advanced stage of Foundation Establishment and being able to emit detached Sword Qi without relying on a Sword Artifact indicated an exceptional talent for the Sword Dao, something Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t exin otherwise.
"Yes," the identity of a Sword Cultivator wasn¡¯t something secretive. Lu Qingshan readily nodded in acknowledgment. Simultaneously, a simr strand of Sword Qi appeared on his fingertip, which flickered a few times before dispersing quickly. Shaking his head, Lu Qingshan said, "Still no good, I¡¯m far behind you."
Zang Xiaojian looked at the dissipating Sword Qi at the tip of Lu Qingshan¡¯s finger and said seriously, "The reason your Sword Qi can¡¯t maintain its form for a long time is not because there¡¯s a problem with your skills."
Lu Qingshan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
One of the challenges he faced after his rebirth to the Nine Heavens was that, although this world was like a game world, it was not actually a game, so there were many differences in reality.
For instance, Sword Qi ¡ª he had mastered the Sword Qi Silk Transformation in the game, but the problem was that, in the game, it was only a set of data, a buff effect he obtained after passing the Sword Dao tutor¡¯s test.
After crossing over, he could only inherit how to match and apply these skills at a tactical level, but how to cast the skills must be learned from scratch.
This was also why, even though he had been a Great Sword Cultivator who could sh with overwhelming Sword Qi in the game, after his rebirth, he had to consult and research the true essence of Sword Qi provided by Dantai Qingrun and try to condense Sword Qi.
In such circumstances, if it were not for the unmatched Sword Dao talent bestowed by the Innate Swordseed, he couldn¡¯t imagine spending decades mastering theunch of Sword Qi.
Perhaps by then, he would have already advanced his Cultivation to the Golden Core Stage using Experience Points?
A Golden Core Sword Cultivator who couldn¡¯t release Sword Qi?
That would be quite ridiculous.
Lu Qingshan sped his hands together and said, "Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."
"My mother once said, ¡¯There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world,¡¯" Zang Xiaojian paused, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face, and finally, as if making a big decision, he giggled, revealing a row of shiny white teeth, "But since you are the first Sword Cultivator I¡¯ve met since I... came out, this time, consider it a freebie."
Came out? The first Sword Cultivator?
Lu Qingshan noticed the peculiar words in Zang Xiaojian¡¯s speech and subconsciously matched them with a suitable family or sect in his mind.
A surname Zang with a powerful Sword Cultivator family was unheard of, so they must be from a sect.
Sword Sect, Nascent Soul could leave the sect, Sword Cleansing Pool...
The information revealed by Zang Xiaojian was too scarce; Lu Qingshan searched his mind but couldn¡¯t immediately determine Zang Xiaojian¡¯s origins.
"Your problem is that your Cultivation is not enough, and your control over Spiritual Power is insufficient, so you cannot maintain the form of Sword Qi.
Even I could only achieve this in thete stages of Foundation Establishment without relying on a Sword Artifact to condense Sword Qi!" Zang Xiaojian said cheerfully, with a bright tone.
Is it because my Cultivation is not enough?
Hearing Zang Xiaojian say this, Lu Qingshan was taken aback.
The Jade Slip with "True Essence of Sword Qi" given by Dantai Qingrun only detailed the experiences with condensing Sword Qi using Sword Artifacts and did not mention anything about condensing Sword Qi out of thin air, so he had no choice but to bury himself in research.
Actually, this was not Dantai Qingrun¡¯s fault.
For, the Sword Qi formed out of thin air, in terms of power, is much inferior to the Sword Qi emitted by a Sword Artifact.
Besides being a shy skill, it was not very useful; instead of spending time on this, one might as well nurture one¡¯s Life-bound Sword and practice Sword Techniques. Lu Qingshan wouldn¡¯t have spent his effort researching this if not for the desire to practice the Five Elements Sword Armor.
Normally, which Sword Cultivator would specifically research condensing Sword Qi out of thin air? Most often, this skill was mastered naturally as one¡¯s understanding of the Sword Dao increased.
But usually, it was only Sword Cultivators in the Golden Core or Nascent Soul Stage who could achieve this realm.
When the Sword Qi he condensed out of thin air couldn¡¯t maintain its form, Lu Qingshan had always thought there were some special tricks he hadn¡¯t grasped, but he never expected the reason to stem from his own level of Cultivation.
Chapter 138 - 7: Water Walking Sword Armor (Continued)
After Zang Xiaojian left, Lu Qingshan opened the Attribute Panel.
In the Experience Points section, there was a storage of nearly sixty thousand.
Dantai Qingrun didn¡¯t understand why, despite his severe injuries, he still insisted on participating in the monster hunt and cleanup in Zhenjiang City; this was his reason.
Such a rare opportunity to gain experience points, how could he afford to miss it?
Let¡¯s give it a try and see if the problem really lies in the level of cultivation.
Thinking this, Lu Qingshan then invested more than thirty thousand experience points into the Returning Ruins Scripture.
"Returning Ruins Scripture upgraded to lv8, Spiritual Power Value +100!"
...
"Returning Ruins Scripture upgraded to lv10, Spiritual Power Value +100!"
"Your Spiritual Power Value has exceeded 1000, Talent ¡¯Spiritual Power Control¡¯ (Primary Level) upgraded to ¡¯Spiritual Power Control¡¯ (Intermediate Level)!"
¡¯Spiritual Power Control¡¯ (Intermediate Level): With another increase in your cultivation, your control over Spiritual Power will be even more precise. Spiritual Power Control +2.
...
After the Returning Ruins Scripture was upgraded to lv10, Lu Qingshan¡¯s Spiritual Power Value limit sessfully broke through 1000.
Ordinary cultivators generally only have such robust Spiritual Power when their cultivation reaches the Perfection of Foundation Establishment, but with the bonus from the Taoist Level Cultivation Technique, Lu Qingshan at the mid stage of Foundation Establishment already possessed the Intermediate level talent of Spiritual Power Control.
As for the High Level Spiritual Power Control talent, it requires the Spiritual Power Value limit to break through 3000. Generally speaking, unless there is a special opportunity, a cultivator needs to break through to the Golden Core Stage to advance this talent to the High Level.
ording to what Zang Xiaojian said, he should now be able to maintain the Solidifying Form of Sword Qi for a long period.
Feeling his control over Spiritual Power had climbed another step, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately began a new attempt.
He once again mobilized the Spiritual Power within his body.
With a swish, just like usual, a wisp of Sword Qi appeared at his fingertip.
He was already very skilled at this step.
However, different from before, this time the Sword Qi was unexpectedly dense and no longer flickering.
It was a sess, what Zang Xiaojian had said was true!
Lu Qingshan rejoiced in his heart.
...
Now that the issue with the Sword Qi was resolved, there was no reason to dy.
Lu Qingshan immediately took out a Jade Box from the Storage Ring, opened the lid, and a block of deep blue jade came into view.
Blue Sea Jade, one of the eighteen Third Grade Spirit Materials required for practicing the Water Walking Sword Armor.
Lu Qingshan clenched the Blue Sea Jade tightly, and the Spiritual Power in his body surged out, enveloping and slowly infiltrating into the Blue Sea Jade.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s Divine Sense closely followed, observing the situation inside the Blue Sea Jade.
Among the vast patches of grey mottled energy, strands of blue-green Water Elemental Qi swam about.
What he needed to do was to extract these pure strands of Water Elemental Qi.
Lu Qingshan focused his mind, controlling the Spiritual Power, which converged into arge hand and hastily reached for a moving strand of Water Elemental Qi.
This movement was extremely fast, yet the strand of Water Elemental Qi slipped away like a fish, easily dodging Lu Qingshan¡¯s capture.
Again!
Lu Qingshan was not discouraged at all. Highly concentrated, he aimed at the strand of Water Elemental Qi and chased it persistently.
....
After countless attempts, Lu Qingshan had gradually figured out the habits of the Water Elemental Qi inside the Blue Sea Jade and got used to its swimming rhythm.
His Spiritual Power hand was as quick as lightning, covering a strand of Water Elemental Qi once more. This time, he did not miss.
But before Lu Qingshan could rejoice, the Water Elemental Qi that he had caught unexpectedly dissipated into specks of starlight and then slowly reassembled into Water Elemental Qi.
This was because the force was too great, so he dispersed the Water Elemental Qi.
Lu Qingshan was not discouraged.
Training the Sword Armor was indeed a meticulous task, and he had been mentally prepared for it.
He quickly regrouped and once again headed towards another wisp of Water Elemental Qi within the Blue Sea Jade.
...
Hu¡ª
Finally, Lu Qingshan sessfully captured the first wisp of Water Elemental Qi. He focused his mind on this wisp of Water Elemental Qi, pulling it outward, carefully controlling the force, afraid of dispersing it again.
Under Lu Qingshan¡¯s gentle offensive, this wisp of Water Elemental Qi slowly separated from the Blue Sea Jade.
With a "pop".
Lu Qingshan exerted a flick, pulling this wisp of Water Elemental Qi away from the Blue Sea Jade.
This wisp of Water Elemental Qi was very fine, shing with a dazzling, brilliant azure light.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
And on the tips of Lu Qingshan¡¯s left hand fingers, a fine stream of Sword Qi suddenly surged out.
"Go," Lu Qingshanmanded the wisp of Water Elemental Qi to entwine around the Sword Qi. The originally tangible yet formless fine Sword Qi, after a moment, transformed into a wisp of azure-colored Water Elemental Sword Qi.
Lu Qingshan nodded in satisfaction, as the wisp of Water Elemental Sword Qi swiftly darted into one of his acupoints.
The beginning is always the hardest.
With the sessful experience of the first time, the following steps became much quicker.
....
In the following days, Lu Qingshan devoted himself to the cultivation of the Water Walking Sword Armor.
It is worth mentioning that the Rat King, for some unknown reason, initially quite fearful of Zang Xiaojian, seemed to have taken a liking to him or something, as after a few days, he started visiting Zang Xiaojian every day, shrouded in mystery without exining why.
Lu Qingshan, busy extracting Spirit Materials, did not bother to delve deeper.
...
Inside the cabin.
Whoosh!
A wisp of azure Water Elemental Sword Qi formed at the tip of Lu Qingshan¡¯s finger.
In his palmy a gray-white crystal, faintly visible¡ªit was the Fourth Grade Spirit Material Sea Blue Marrow he had purchased at great expense in Bibo City, now looking faded.
This was because all the Water Elemental Qi from the Sea Blue Marrow had been extracted, leaving behind only useless impurities.
Spending twenty days, Lu Qingshan had finally extracted all the Spirit Materials needed to form the Water Walking Sword Armor.
He also drew this fine wisp of Water Elemental Sword Qi into one of his acupoints.
Then, Lu Qingshan introspected his own acupoints.
One could see, in each acupoint, a wisp of azure Water Elemental Sword Qi intertwined.
No longer hesitating, Lu Qingshan drove all the Water Elemental Sword Qi flowing throughout his body from the acupoints. These wisps of Water Elemental Sword Qi quickly mingled and merged with one another.
Even though they all belonged to Water Elemental Qi, the characteristics and strength of the Water Elemental Qi extracted from different Spirit Materials varied.
Water Elemental Qi from the Sea Blue Marrow was naturally the purest, but the characteristic of the Sea Blue Marrow was its great expansiveness, meant to allow the Sword Armor to cover the whole body, but it was not sufficient to support the formation of aplete Sword Armor.
The formation of the Water Walking Sword Armor required neen different Water Attribute Spirit Materials, each with its own role, indispensable.
Among them, the Blue Sea Jade was highly inclusive, able to harmonize the merging of various Water Elemental Qi; the Billow Root excelled in recovery; the Mysterious Water Jade for its hardness; the Sky Wave Crystal had a strong weakening effect on spell attacks...
Such variations,bined with the Sword Qi driven by the Sword Cultivator as if it were an extension of his arm, perfectly formed a piece of Protective Sword Armor.
Once the different characteristic Water Elemental Sword Qi within each acupoint mingled together, forming a river, Lu Qingshan¡¯s thoughts stirred, and the river churned up, circting around his body harmoniously andfortably.
"Out!"
Under themand of Lu Qingshan¡¯s mental focus, all the Water Elemental Sword Qi flowed out from the acupoints, constantly moving around his body.
Rippling blue waves, with a slight glow intertwining.
Water Walking Sword Armor,plete!
Chapter 139 - 8 Jiaolong Island
```
After sailing at sea for over thirty days, Lu Qingshan left his cabin for the first time.
With some rare leisure time, Lu Qingshan remembered the mysterious West Mouse King who had been secretive during this period.
She was not in her room early in the morning, and nine times out of ten, she had run off to find Zang Xiaojian again¡ªit was time to see what she had been up totely.
Lu Qingshan stopped a passing crew member and asked, "Is there a girl about fifteen or sixteen on the ship?"
"You mean Miss Zang?" the sailor blurted out without much thought, evidently leaving a deep impression of Zang Xiaojian.
"Do you know where shees from?"
The sailor shook his head, "All I know is that she, like you, paid a hefty price to take this ship to the Poseidon Archipgo."
He didn¡¯t learn much, but that was normal. Lu Qingshan got the location of Zang Xiaojian¡¯s cabin, thanked the sailor, and went looking for it.
"...Thunder faintly rumbling, fog all around. Under the sun, opposing the sky..." As soon as he arrived at the door of the cabin, Lu Qingshan faintly heard the West Mouse King muttering inside.
???
Lu Qingshan knocked on the door.
"Come in," came the crisp voice of Zang Xiaojian.
Pushing open the door, Lu Qingshan was met with an extremely odd scene.
The West Mouse King, with its paws holding a bookrger than its body, looked like an absent-minded schr, shaking his head and continuously reading something.
Lu Qingshan nced at it, and the cover of the book read "Lisao Consonance" in bold letters.
"What are you doing..." Lu Qingshan rubbed his forehead, unable toprehend the West Mouse King¡¯s behavior.
"The West Mouse King likes to read, but doesn¡¯t recognize the characters of the Human Race, so seeing its eagerness to learn, I thought I¡¯d teach it," Zang Xiaojian exined on behalf of the West Mouse King, her spirits high and tone cheerful. "This was the book my dad used when he was teaching me to read. I brought it along, and believe it or not, it¡¯s learning quite fast.
It¡¯s only been a little while, and it¡¯s already got to phics and prosody."
Praised by Zang Xiaojian, the West Mouse King immediately set down the book it was holding, hands on hips and dered proudly, "The mere characters of the Human Race are nothing to this lord."
Lu Qingshan tentatively guessed why the West Mouse King had suddenly be studious but decided not to point it out directly and said to the West Mouse King, "Alright, then continue your studies."
He then turned to Zang Xiaojian and said, "I appreciate the trouble you¡¯re taking."
Zang Xiaojian waved her hand at Lu Qingshan dismissively, indicating it was no bother, and turned her head to watch the West Mouse King that had resumed its shaking and swaying study session.
She found it amusing!
...
Three dayster, at the hottest part of the day, the vast silhouette of Jiaolong Ind appeared on the horizon within everyone¡¯s view.
Jiaolong Ind, the main ind of the Poseidon Archipgo, was asrge as a mid-sized prefecture in Great Xia. Its contour resembled that of an imposing, winding mountain ridge; it was extremely long, with its mid and head parts being quite wide. But as one traveled eastward, it became increasingly narrow, especially toward the tail end of the ind, where it was particrly cramped.
The journey thus far had been very calm; they hadn¡¯t encountered demon beasts, pirates, or storms.
This was not surprising; after all, the fleet had been sailing this route for over a decade and had always been safe. There was no reason for trouble to start just because Lu Qingshan was aboard.
If anything was to be considered unusual, it was the encounter with the young girl Zang Xiaojian, who seemed to have an extraordinary background, and under her guidance, sessfully performed a Refining Ritual for the Water Walking Sword Armor.
Mountains seem close when viewed from a distance. Jiaolong Ind, seemingly near, required the fleet to sail for nearly another hour before they entered the broad and straight waterway of Jiaolong Ind.
After traveling about two or three miles further, the docks of Jiaolong Ind, stretching a kilometer long, came into view.
Once the fleet docked at the pier, three Qi Refining Cultivators d in green gowns with Jiaolong w prints approached them.
The fleet¡¯s captain immediately went up to them with a big smile on his face. He exchanged words with the three cultivators, who asionally swept their nces back and forth over the fleet.
After some muttering, the captain slipped a small bag of silver taels to them, and the three green-gowned cultivators finally departed.
This was probably what was referred to as customs duty in ancient times.
```
Lu Qingshan pondered inwardly.
However, Great Xia¡¯s influence didn¡¯t extend to the inds of the South Sea, and Jiaolong Ind wasn¡¯t under Great Xia¡¯s jurisdiction, so who was the power responsible for collecting tariffs?
With that thought, Lu Qingshan began to inquire with a dark-skinned, stout sailor standing beside him.
"On Jiaolong Ind, aside from the Sea God Sect, who else has the strength to monopolize Jiaolong Port, this gold mine?" The stout sailor nced at the dock to make sure the three cultivators in blue robes had gone far away, then spit a mouthful of saliva contemptuously, "These beasts that betray their own kind to please demon beasts, of all the inds in the South Sea, their tariffs are the highest.
I don¡¯t know why the boss is so set on doing business here."
"Betray their own kind?" Lu Qingshan frowned.
The stout sailor hurriedly made a silencing gesture to Lu Qingshan, "I only dare to say this much here. Young master must remember, these words cannot be carelessly spoken on the ind.
On Jiaolong Ind, the Sea God Sect covers the sky with one hand. If someone with intentions overhears this, young master, you may lose ayer of skin at least, and if your luck is poor, you might not keep your life!"
Seeing the stout sailor¡¯s cautious demeanor, Lu Qingshan also tactfully refrained from asking more questions.
After all, as long as he set foot on the ind, he would sooner orter learn this information.
After the ship¡¯s captain had managed the rtions, everyone began to disembark and unload the goods.
Lu Qingshan walked leisurely away from the merchant ship, and at the same time, was calcting something in his mind.
...
To acquire Three-feet Edge, he must find the incognito Family Head of the Mo Family.
This was a straightforward causality.
Lu Qingshan hadn¡¯t lied to the King Rat; he truly didn¡¯t know where the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head might be, and even before arriving at Bibo City, he was oblivious to the Heaven Rank Sword Artifact named Three-feet Edge.
But to say it was like looking for a needle in a haystack wasn¡¯t entirely true either.
He did have a piece of information rted to the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head.
It was during the game¡¯s closed beta test, while reviewing the update logs, he briefly came across an interesting entry in the historical narrative records:
In the first year of Immortal Martial, in the third month, on Jiaolong Ind of the South Sea, the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head, who should have perished on Dragon Spring Ind twenty years earlier, reappeared. Wielding a Heaven Rank Sword Artifact, he fought against the Jiaolong Demon King, died on the ind, and with his death, the Heaven Rank Sword Artifact disappeared, never to be seen again.
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Immortal Martial had turned into Tianyuan, and Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t be certain whether the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head would appear on Jiaolong Ind as scheduled in Tianyuan¡¯s first year in March.
He guessed that the probability was high that the Family Head would still appear, perhaps the timing might change by a few days, earlier orter?
However, he didn¡¯t n to just wait for the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head to show up.
Because at the time of his appearance, it would be an earth-shattering struggle. In that situation, the chances of acquiring Three-feet Edge were slim.
His n was to find the reclusive Mo Family¡¯s Family Head before the intense battle with the Jiaolong Demon King.
Of course, even if he found the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head, acquiring Three-feet Edge would still be extremely difficult.
But it was definitely more practical than waiting for the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head to appear.
Moreover, in Lu Qingshan¡¯s view, how to obtain Three-feet Edge from the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head was a matter to consider after finding him.
...
Lu Qingshan had checked the nautical charts; the Poseidon Archipgo was the closest cluster of inds to Dragon Spring Ind, where the Mo Family was situated.
Following the destruction of Dragon Spring Ind, the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head, who had fortunately escaped, would have first stopped at the Poseidon Archipgo.
Furthermore, people all have a sense of attachment to their homnd. Living in seclusion on the Poseidon Archipgo, which was nearest to Dragon Spring Ind, was likely for the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head.
Additionally, three monthster, the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head would appear on Jiaolong Ind to fight against the Jiaolong Demon King.
Taking these two points together, at this moment in time, the likelihood of the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head being on the Poseidon Archipgo was not a hundred percent but at least seventy to eighty percent.
So, the next step was to figure out how to find traces of the Mo Family¡¯s Family Head on the Poseidon Archipgo.
Chapter 140 - 9 Sea God Sect
Among the mundane, inn waiters are inevitably the most well-informed group of people. As long as you¡¯re willing to spend a little money, there is nothing you can¡¯t find out.
So the moment he set foot on Jiaolong Ind, Lu Qingshan headed straight for the harbor tavern in Jiaolong Port.
In a ce like Jiaolong Port, bustling with such arge flow of people, the taverns were naturally doing very brisk business. Therge three-story tavern was already near full capacity even before mealtime.
Lu Qingshan found a private seat by the window on the third floor and, after ordering avish spread of food and drink, stopped the waiter who was serving him and slipped him a small piece of silver. "Little brother, I¡¯d like to enquire about something."
Instead of immediately epting the silver, the waiter politely asked, "What would you like to know, young master?"
"I¡¯m new to the ind and would like to understand a bit about the local situation. Could you enlighten me?" Lu Qingshan said with a smile.
Once he understood what Lu Qingshan was seeking, the waiter dly epted the silver, carefully wiped it clean with his sleeve, and tucked it into his pocket. With a lifting and falling intonation, he said, "You¡¯ve asked the right person, young master. I¡¯ve been working at this tavern for five or six years.
I might not know everything down to thest detail, but I know eight or nine out of ten things about the ind..."
Although Jiaolong Ind isrge, because of its unique topography, ny-nine percent of the poption actually resides in the southern coastal areas around Jiaolong Port; the further north you go, the sparser the poption.
"Moreover, curiously enough, there is an active volcano crater in arge portion of the southern ind that erupts periodically..." said the waiter with a suspenseful tone.
Lu Qingshan calmly waited for more, "What¡¯s so strange about a volcano crater?"
Seeing Lu Qingshan take the bait, the waiter excitedly continued, "The strange thing is that what this volcano spews is not magma, but a sky full of mist."
"Oh?"
"Even more bizarre is that this volcano crater is dark and bottomless, without visible edges, and it possesses an incredibly strong absorption force, like an abyss that devours everything.
It is said that even cultivators, who have the ability to fly through the sky and escape through the earth, would have no ability to resist if they identally fell into this volcano, immediately being sucked deep inside and vanishing!" the waiter added.
This piqued Lu Qingshan¡¯s interest; a volcano crater that could devour even cultivators was indeed worth noting.
After talking about the ind¡¯s geography and customs, the waiter introduced the power dynamics on the ind to Lu Qingshan.
Above Jiaolong Ind, thergest force was the Sea God Sect, which could be described as all-powerful, controlling the only city on Jiaolong Ind, Jiaolong City.
And Sea God Sect got their name because of the "Sea God" who stands behind them.
"Sea God?" Lu Qingshan frowned.
The waiter exined, "That refers to the Jiaolong n. The waters near the Poseidon Archipgo are inhabited by the Jiaolong n. Their king ims to be the Sea God, and the whole Poseidon Archipgo is under their rule. The Sea God Sect is a sect supported by the Jiaolong King¡¯s favor."
"I¡¯ve just heard a saying that the Sea God Sect betrays their brethren to please demon beasts..."
The waiter looked as if struck by lightning, his whole body shook, but he didn¡¯t reply.
The influence of the Sea God Sect on Jiaolong Ind was indeed very formidable.
Seeing this, Lu Qingshan secretly noted it and discretely handed over a whole ingot of silver.
Hesitation shed in the waiter¡¯s eyes. He struggled for a while, but ultimately couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the silver.
Gritting his teeth, he took the silver from Lu Qingshan¡¯s hand and lowered his voice a few notches, saying, "On the surface, the Sea God Sect is a sect supported by the Jiaolong n, but in fact, they are nothing but the Jiaolong Demon Race¡¯spdogs, the executioners over our human race!
The Jiaolong Demon King, self-styled as the Sea God, is cruel by nature. Every year, they hold a grand ritual in which ny-nine pairs of boys and girls are sacrificed.
This task is carried out by the Sea God Sect, and this tradition has continued for hundreds of years. Countless families on the ind have been destroyed because of it."
Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression grew grim. "Has no one tried to resist?"
"Dare they?
Not to mention the Jiaolong n¡¯s ability to turn rivers and seas upside down in their own waters, just the sheer power of the Sea God Sect alone is not something an ordinary person would dare to challenge." Just as the waiter finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, "However, it seems that in recent decades, there have been cultivators on the ind who disapprove of the Sea God Sect¡¯s tyranny.
They¡¯ve secretly organized a force in an attempt to overthrow the rule of the Sea God Sect. It¡¯s just unknown whether they will be sessful..."
Lu Qingshan thoughtfully asked onest question, "When does this year¡¯s ritual take ce?"
"Young master, you¡¯re in luck. In five days, it will be the day of this year¡¯s grand ritual."
...
After asking about the specific situation of the ind, Lu Qingshan gradually fell into deep thought. When he came back to his senses, wanting to eat some food and wine, he discovered the table was already a mess.
It wasn¡¯t all down to the Great King of Western Mice because, this time, Lu Qingshan had an additionalpanion by his side¡ªZang Xiaojian, who had suggested they travel together after disembarking.
Lu Qingshan looked helplessly at the young girl sitting in front of him, who was digging into the food with eyes shining as bright as the Great King of Western Mice.
"On the boat, it was nothing but seafood. This, now, is what people are supposed to eat!" Zang Xiaojian, realizing Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze, exined.
The Great King of Western Mice nodded hard a few times, deeply rting to her words and feeling a kinship with Zang Xiaojian.
Lu Qingshan thought for a moment and then asked Zang Xiaojian, who was busily munching away, "What brings you to Jiaolong Ind? Visiting rtives? Friends?"
Zang Xiaojian had been of some assistance to him, and it seemed she would be apanying him for a while. He couldn¡¯t really refuse her, but it was important to rify her intentions.
Zang Xiaojian shook her head and said vaguely, "No... um, wait for me a moment."
She was stuffing arge meat bun into her mouth with her chopsticks, having only taken a small bite, exposing the steamy, oily filling; the girl clearly didn¡¯t n to give up the bun yet, but was eager to answer Lu Qingshan. So, she put down her chopsticks, disregarding the heat and manners, and shoved the rest of the bun into her mouth, puffing her cheeks out like a steamed dumpling.
After struggling to swallow the meat bun, Zang Xiaojian quickly picked up a teacup, gulping down a mouthful of tea, then patted her chest and caught her breath, "I almost choked..."
Then, the girl¡¯s piercing ck eyes stared straight at Lu Qingshan, and she said candidly, "I¡¯m here for the same reason as you, to find my Life-bound Sword!"
Lu Qingshan was startled and nced at the Great King of Western Mice, who was busily eating at the table, oblivious to the world outside.
Zang Xiaojian immediately understood Lu Qingshan¡¯s thoughts and waved her hand to rify for the Great King of Western Mice, "The Great King didn¡¯t tell me.
I was born with an ability to extraordinarily sense Sword Artifacts.
In your Dantian, I didn¡¯t sense the presence of a Life-bound Sword."
"Later, I asked the Great King where you came from and learned that you and the Great King are from Qing State¡¯s Zhenjiang Prefecture."
"My father once told me that seven years ago, near the South Sea, he sensed an extremely powerful Sword Artifact. I just happen to need a Life-bound Sword, so my father let me try my luck in the South Sea."
Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t tell the whole story, but her meaning was clear: A Sword Cultivator without a Life-bound Sword had traveled thousands of miles across two states to the South Sea, where a powerful Sword Artifact had once appeared. What else could she be seeking but this powerful Sword Artifact?
The deduction was very reasonable.
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The Great King of Western Mice, hearing its name, looked up with a puzzled face at the two of them.
Lu Qingshan said irritably, "Just eat."
He wasn¡¯t surprised by Zang Xiaojian¡¯s actions. Just as he had tried to figure out Zang Xiaojian¡¯s background, it was only natural for her to casually inquire about his own circumstances.
Just that he didn¡¯t expect Zang Xiaojian to have such a special ability to easily deduce his purpose.
However, the girl was very candid about her purpose for seeking a sword, which undoubtedly prevented any resentment from arising in Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
Such a clever girl!
The extraordinary sensory ability for Sword Artifacts was indeed a peculiar talent, albeit one that didn¡¯t seem to be very useful. Even with Lu Qingshan¡¯s knowledge of the Nine Heavens, it was something unheard of.
Since Zang Xiaojian was so forthright, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t hold back either and nodded, "Yes, I am here to find my Life-bound Sword."
Zang Xiaojian said with a giggle, "I saw you head straight for the tavern to gather information as soon as you arrived on the ind, so you definitely don¡¯t have a confirmed direction either.
Like you, I¡¯m in the same situation. Maybe we can exchange the information we have and find the location of this Sword Artifact."
"As for who gets the Sword Artifact¡" Zang Xiaojian cocked her head and looked at Lu Qingshan, her tone rising yfully, "Let¡¯s see who has the better ability when the timees, what do you think?"
Chapter 141 - 10 Worldly Trends
The girl looked at Lu Qingshan with big, clear, and limpid eyes that resembled two clear springs, her gaze filled with sincerity.
Facing Zang Xiaojian¡¯s request, Lu Qingshan thought briefly before agreeing to it.
Currently, the information he possessed about the Three-Feet Edge was too scarce, and he was not very confident about finding the Mo Family Head before March.
If he could add the information known by Zang Xiaojian, the likelihood of finding the Mo Family Head would indeed increase, and he had no reason to refuse Zang Xiaojian¡¯s suggestion.
As for the issue of the ownership of the Three-Feet Edge by then,
the same phrase applied¡ªif they could not find the Mo Family Head, everything was void, and thinking more was useless.
"I¡¯ll go first," seeing that Lu Qingshan agreed to exchange information, the young girl generously began, "My dad told me that this Sword Artifact has appeared more than once. He sensed it seven years ago when he left, and again five years ago on his way back, while passing through the South Sea, he sensed this Sword Artifact once more.
Moreover, the locations where the Sword Artifact was sensed both times were on this Jiaolong Ind."
Lu Qingshan was shocked. If what Zang Xiaojian said was true,bined with the information he already knew, it was easy to deduce that the Mo Family Head had not just arrived at Jiaolong Ind during the Tianyuan Year, but had always been in hiding there!
Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment and then fully disclosed his deductions about the Mo Family Head and the Three-Feet Edge.
"Even knowing that he is hidden on the ind, Jiaolong Ind is vast, and with just the two of us, it¡¯s hard to begin searching; we need the help of local powers," Lu Qingshan said solemnly.
"ording to what the innkeeper said, the Sea God Sect dominates the ind and is thergest cultivator force, so should we seek help from the Sea God Sect?" Zang Xiaojian asked.
Lu Qingshan shook his head, "Not the Sea God Sect. With their overwhelming power, how would they care about two outsiders like us?"
"Then?"
"Didn¡¯t the innkeeper also mention that there might be a second force of cultivators on the ind?"
"You mean the one trying to overthrow the Sea God Sect¡" Zang Xiaojian hesitated.
"Exactly, that¡¯s the one," Lu Qingshan confirmed, "Moreover, if this force intends to overthrow the Sea God Sect, they surely need resources desperately. We might only need to spend some Spirit Stones to get them to help."
"But if this force is hidden in the shadows and even the Sea God Sect, a local strong force, hasn¡¯t been able to find and eliminate them, how can we, who are unfamiliar with this ce, find them?"
"There are things the Sea God Sect can¡¯t do, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t," Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze deepened, he lightly tapped his fingertips on the table, deciding, "Next, we will go to Dragon City to see what this sacrificial ceremony is all about and...look for this mysterious force that stands against the Sea God Sect!"
"Alright, then I¡¯ll listen to you!" Zang Xiaojian had no objections.
¡
The sky was clear and bright, and two rainbows created by Flying Swords swept across the sky.
It was Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian, leaving the port and heading to Dragon City using Sword Control.
However, as they traveled, Lu Qingshan suddenly stopped, frowning as he looked down at the ground, where a chase was taking ce.
More than a dozen men in cloth shirts were chasing a woman who was desperately running along a path while carrying a child.
The woman, naturally weaker than the men and burdened with the not-so-light weight of a child, was significantly slowed down.
Soon, the woman was caught.
The woman looked at the men surrounding her with fearful eyes.
"Erniu¡¯s mom, you took Erniu and ran, this is breaking the rules."
The woman, holding her child, knelt down and kept kowtowing to the crowd, "Please, spare my child, I beg of you, please..."
The crowd, faced with the woman¡¯s pleas, all remained silent.
Momentster, an old man riding a mule caught up from behind.
"Vige chief," the crowd called out.
The old man known as the vige chief jumped down from the mule¡¯s back and walked into the circle formed by the men.
Upon seeing the vige chief appear, the woman hurriedly crawled over from the ground, clutching at the hem of the vige chief¡¯s trousers while desperately pleading, "Vige chief, my child¡¯s father died early, and Erniu is thest of our family¡¯s bloodline. Vige chief, please spare us¡"
The vige chief¡¯s aged face wrinkled deeply as he looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, a trace of pity shing in his eyes.
Human hearts are made of flesh. In the past two years, since Erniu¡¯s father died by the jaws of wild beasts, leaving behind only the mother and her orphaned child dependent on each other. Now another priceless possession of a mother is about to be taken away, how could he not feel a pain in his heart!
Some spotted the vige chief¡¯s hesitation and stepped forward, shouting at the woman, "Erniu¡¯s mother, the Sea God Sect requires our vige to sacrifice a child each year to worship the Sea God. These are the rules, and we cannot defy them. If we do not offer up Erniu, the entire vige will suffer.
It¡¯s a matter of trading the life of one for the lives of all the vigers ¨C understand what¡¯s more important."
With tears streaming down her face, the woman didn¡¯t know what to say, and kept bowing her head, begging, "I just want my child¡ I just want my child¡"
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Soon, the woman¡¯s forehead was already covered in blood.
"Vige chief!" Another person began to urge the vige chief.
The vige chief hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, gritted his teeth and helplessly waved his hand, "Take Erniu away!"
Upon receiving the order, a dozen strong men immediately surged forward.
The woman hurriedly clung tightly to her child, but how could a woman withstand the strength of a dozen men? Soon, her hands holding her child were pried apart, and the child was snatched away from her.
"No¡ªmy child¡ª" the woman cried heart-wrenchingly.
The child was also extremely scared, crying out for his mother.
With a cry of anguish, the woman was so heartbroken that she fainted on the spot.
"It truly is a sin¡" murmurs of sigh filled the crowd.
Looking at the woman who had fainted, the vige chief sighed, "Put Erniu¡¯s mother on the mule and take her back."
Immediately, vigers came forward and carried the woman onto the mule the vige chief had ridden.
"For over two hundred years, this cannibalistic world, when will it ever end!" the vige chief eximed, his tone both frustrated and deste.
...
Although Lu Qingshan had already heard about this matter from the innkeeper, witnessing it firsthand had a far greater impact than merely hearing about it.
Even though Lu Qingshan was usually calm, at this moment, he felt a surge of nameless anger rise in his heart.
Zang Xiaojian, who usually had a smile on his face, now looked as if ayer of frost had covered it; he gritted his teeth and cursed, "This damn Sea God!"
"Damn, am I starting to think of myself as human?" standing on Lu Qingshan¡¯s shoulder, the Great King of the Western Rats couldn¡¯t help but mutter, quickly shaking his little head to cast off the thought.
As a member of the Demon n, he was supposed to be devoid of empathy for such a scene, but for some reason, he felt somewhat depressed involuntarily.
...
"Let¡¯s go." After a moment of silence, Lu Qingshan sighed softly and then moved forward through Sword Control.
He was trying hard to stop remembering this incident.
With his ability, it would have been easy to save a child from the hands of those dozen or so mortals, but the consequence would be that all the vigers would have to pay with their lives.
These actions of the vigers, seemingly cruel and merciless, were in fact the best choice for them.
While it was pitiful to think of the children, saving these children wasn¡¯t something he could achieve with just his passionate blood and a sword.
Because his sword was not sharp enough yet.
Chapter 142 - 11 Testing the Waters
As dusk approached, Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian finally arrived outside Jiaolong City.
In cities controlled by a sect, flying directly into the city was a very reckless act, so the two of them descended slowly, nning to enter through the city gate in a proper manner.
Lu Qingshan stored his Peach Wood Sword into his Storage Ring, and Zang Xiaojian also put away the Sword Artifact she was temporarily using.
A Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact Sword Artifact.
For a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, having a Life-bound Sword of Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact quality as a starting point was already considered a stroke of incredible luck.
Yet, for Zang Xiaojian, such a Spiritual Artifact was merely a temporary substitute.
The origins of Zang Xiaojian were evident.
Upon entering the city, Lu Qingshan once again felt the greed and tyranny of the Sea God Sect.
Because at the city gates, there were actually City Guards affiliated with the Sea God Sect, collecting a hefty entrance fee from people entering the city.
This was unthinkable in the cities under the jurisdiction of Great Xia.
Yet, even with such an oppressive policy, as the only city on Jiaolong Ind, it was still bustling with people, and the shops along the roads on both sides were lined up, no less prosperous than the prefecture cities of Great Xia.
This was a monopoly.
...
After entering the city, Zang Xiaojian¡¯s big eyes were rolling around, scanning the environment inside the city while she asked, "Where shall we go next?"
"How about we go to eat first? We¡¯ve been on the road for so long, aren¡¯t you all hungry?!" The Rat King was the first to stand up and propose, while showing off with a shake of his head, "As the saying goes, the most basic desires are food and sex... "
Zang Xiaojian couldn¡¯t help but smile, her eyes filled with amusement, and she gave the Rat King a thumbs up, "That was quite a schrly quote!"
Praised by Zang Xiaojian, the Rat King became even morecent, the red mane on his head nearly standing on end.
"Let¡¯s attend to important matters first, see if we can find any traces of that underground force." Lu Qingshan, however, chose to ignore the Rat King¡¯s words.
...
This was a square located at the most central and bustling area of Jiaolong City.
"Isn¡¯t this a bit too showy?" As soon as they arrived, the Rat King couldn¡¯t help but exim.
Because at the center of the square stood a colossal iron Jiaolong statue, a hundred zhang tall, cast from molten iron, its entire body a deep ck, shimmering with a dark light.
The Jiaolong statue had sharp ws that exuded a faint coldness, two very short horns were cast above its head, and its eyes featured prominently fierce bulges.
This was the Jiaolong Demon King who ruled over the Poseidon Archipgo, known as the ¡¯Sea God¡¯.
Lu Qingshan looked up and gazed for a long time at this ferocious iron Jiaolong statue.
"This is where the sacrifice ceremony will be held. Sea God Sect cultivators will offer young children before the Jiaolong statue to show their respect to the Sea God," Zang Xiaojian said.
"Lu Qingshan, weren¡¯t you looking for that underground force? What are we doing here?" asked the Rat King, puzzled.
"Getting a feel for the ce," Lu Qingshan replied.
"Testing the waters?" King Xi Rat became even more puzzled.
Lu Qingshan withdrew his gaze that had been fixating on the Jiaolong statue and looked around before exining, "If you have an enemy, you would always be paying attention and bearing them in mind."
"It¡¯s a subconscious human behavior that won¡¯t change no matter what."
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King Xi Rat¡¯s mind was filled with confusion; its small brain couldn¡¯tprehend the meaning of Lu Qingshan¡¯s words.
"So if there really is an underground force wanting to overturn the Sea God Sect, then they would definitelye to secretly watch the ceremony on the day of the ritual that has stirred up public resentment¡ªeven if they don¡¯t n to make a move then," Zang Xiaojian instantly grasped the implications of Lu Qingshan¡¯s words.
"Yes, and if it were just an individual, they might be able to suppress the urge to attend in person, but if it¡¯s arge organization with many members, it would be impossible to keep everyone away from the scene of the ceremony," Lu Qingshan nodded and added.
After carefully observing the surrounding buildings, Lu Qingshan finally fixed his gaze on a four-story restaurant at a diagonal angle and said to King Xi Rat, "Aren¡¯t you hungry? Let¡¯s go eat!"
King Xi Rat was stunned, not quite able to keep up with the rapid pace of Lu Qingshan¡¯s thoughts, but upon hearing that they were going to eat, it abandoned all else.
...
In a private room on the fourth floor of the restaurant, the table was in disarray with dishes and cups.
However, this time Zang Xiaojian wasn¡¯t carefree like King Xi Rat. Instead, he looked out the window and said softly, "Although the location of this restaurant is out of the way, the view from the rooftop here gives one a clear view of the entire square. But because it is tucked in a corner, it isn¡¯t conspicuous."
¡ªFor the underground forces¡¯ cultivators, this ce is undoubtedly one of the best spots to observe the ritual on the day of the ceremony.
King Xi Rat looked up at the two, feeling that their conversation had some deeper meaning, but it couldn¡¯t understand and, shaking its little head, went back to focusing on its food.
Zang Xiaojian showed a contemtive expression, "Moreover, even if they are not here at the time but instead mingling in the crowd watching the ritual on the square, this vantage point is still the most convenient ce for observation."
Working with someone smart certainly saves a lot of worries. Lu Qingshan nced at Zang Xiaojian with approval and nodded, "Indeed."
Lu Qingshan called over the waiter and handed over a hefty amount of silver pieces, making an advance reservation for a table on the fourth floor for the day of the ritual.
...
In the following three days, Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian roamed around the city, blending in at various restaurants, picking up a multitude of information and interesting anecdotes.
For example, the most talented family head of the Mo Family from Dragon Spring¡ªknown for their genius once every millennium¡ªhad inexplicably developed a drinking addiction a hundred years ago and couldn¡¯t be happy without alcohol.
There were also rumors about the Jiaolong n, iming their king, after lying dormant for a thousand years, was nearing the transformation of its fifth w.
The Jiaolong n¡¯s name for themselves was just a boast; without five ws, they weren¡¯t considered dragons.
With four ws they were Jiao, and only upon the transformation of the fifth w would they truly be termed Jiaolong.
The demon n naturally had extremely long lifespans, and once the Jiaolong Demon King sessfully grew its fifth w, its lifespan would extend even further, leaving the people of the Poseidon Archipgo with truly endless days of hardship.
Then there was the volcanic crater that even cultivators could not withstand, named the Spiritual Abyss by the inders, located fifty li north of Jiaolong City.
When it erupted and the sky was filled with mist, a spectacr rainbow could be seen from within Jiaolong City itself, truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be¡ªthe air above the Spiritual Abyss is a no-fly zone for birds; getting close to the airspace above the abyss would subject one to the enormous suction force emanating from the Spiritual Abyss.
And in thousands of years, no one who has fallen into the Spiritual Abyss was known to have escaped from it unscathed.
With these rumors, true or false, Lu Qingshan finally acquired a systematic understanding of the situation on this ind.
Chapter 143 - 12 The Grand Sacrificial Ceremony
The sacrificial ceremony was today.
In the early morning, before the sun had fully risen, themoners of Jiaolong City were already sshing water and sweeping the streets, leaving them sparkling clean.
Under the rule of the Sea God Sect, the sacrificial ceremony was the most important day of the year for Jiaolong City. Even though themoners held resentment in their hearts, they only dared to be silently indignant, carefullyplying with the demands set forth by the Upper Sect¡¯s cultivators.
A solemn and spectacr harmony of music emanated from the za where the Jiaolong statue stood, produced by dozens of different instruments such as tuned stone chimes and bronze bells.
An hour before the sacrificial ceremony was due to begin, Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian had already arrived at a tavern, having reserved their ces in advance.
Having ordered some of the tavern¡¯s signature dishes, the two savored their meal and conversed quietly, appearing to be ordinary diners.
From their current position, looking toward the za, one could see that in front of the giant Jiaolong statue, a circr altar had already been set up for sacrifice, with Heaven Lanterns hanging in the southwest quadrant, burning incense amidst a misty haze.
In the center of the circr altar, instead of a divine seat or ques, there was a massive deep pit that dipped downward, with many pieces of fragrant sandalwood, which when burned emitted a peculiar scent. On top of the sandalwood, a dazzling array of precious jewels, pearls, and silks were umted.
On both sides under the altar, the City Guards of Jiaolong City stood quietly, maintaining order.
In the southeast corner of the altar, many ritual instruments were ced, with musicians skilled in their art ying continuously, and it was from here that the ceaseless bell tones originated.
The viewing area on the za was by then packed with onlookers, easily numbering in the thousands. Each had a mysterious symbol painted on their face, and around their left arm, they all wore a white and blue intertwined ribbon. Despite the immense gathering ofmoners, the za was devoid of any noise, highly solemn.
These were the citizens whom the Sea God Sect had forcibly required to attend the sacrificial ceremony, and as ordinary mortals, who would dare defy themands of the Upper Sect? Intimidated by the authority of the cultivators, they naturally did not dare to make a fuss.
...
Lu Qingshan sipped his tea lightly, his gaze wandering across the various tables.
At a window seat, an elderly man with a bright spirit had already been seated before Lu Qingshan¡¯s arrival. Numerous Spirit Beast Bags hung from the elder¡¯s waist, suggesting he was a Beast Cultivator with no low level of cultivation.
The elder drank alone, his gaze unfocused, his attention obviously on the sacrificial ceremony in the za. Yet after Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian¡¯s arrival, he asionally nced towards Lu Qingshan¡¯s table.
In the southeast corner sat two burly men, who had ordered a table full of hearty dishes, drinking heartily fromrge bowls; they seemed thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Next to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian sat a family of three, a young husband and wife; a boy about three or four years of age was sitting beside his mother, quite well-behaved.
The wife spooned steaming meat porridge, feeding her child with eyes full of tenderness.
...
After some time,
"They¡¯re here," Zang Xiaojian whispered.
In the distant sky, three shes of blue light streaked by.
n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The blue lights gradually approached the altar, finallynding in front of it, revealing the figures within.
Three cultivators from the Sea God Sect dressed in blue robes, a Golden Core Cultivator and two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they were the ones tasked with presiding over this sacrificial ceremony.
Hiss¡ªBoom!
As the three cultivators descended, the bell sounds abruptly stopped, and the sound of drums surged. The sacrificial ceremony officially began.
As soon as the real Golden Core of the Sea God Sect arrived on the scene, he raised a me in his left hand and flung it towards the pile of firewood in the center of the pit. Following a sharpmand, "Summon the God!"
sh!
Inside the deep pit in the very center of the altar, the firewood immediately sent up towering mes and smoke.
A sacrificer, who had been waiting on the side, cradled the sacrificial text in both hands and approached in a quick stride, respectfully bowing down before the Golden Core Cultivator.
The Golden Core Cultivator received the sacrificial text, and with Spiritual Power umting in his voice, he loudly chanted it, his voice resonating in all directions.
After the chant waspleted, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Sea God Sect had already led ny-nine boys and girls each up to the altar from both sides.
Bound by Techniques, these children were motionless, like puppets on strings,pletely under others¡¯ control. Yet, in their eyes was filled with fear and panic.
The Golden Core Cultivator¡¯s expression was serene as he quietly uttered three words, "Sacrifice the children!"
Upon receiving the order, the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Sea God Sect formed hand seals and the children involuntarily and orderly stepped onto the altar.
Above the smoking and ming altar, the children did not hesitate or pause. They jumped straight into the fire pit, one after another, without looking back.
The firewood burned with fierce mes. As the children entered it, they were instantly engulfed by the ze, twisting in agony. However, the children whose movements were sealed by the Cultivators¡¯ Spells couldn¡¯t even let out a cry of pain.
Their tender faces flickered within the mes and gradually turned to charred remains and disappeared.
Beneath the stage, amongst the watching crowd, some wore looks of outrage, some held sadness in their hearts, and some had eyes red with tears, but most appeared numb.
The sacrificial ceremony continued.
...
Atop the tavern.
Lu Qingshan gently tapped the head of King Xishu and whispered to a family of three who had just settled their bill and were about to leave, "Follow them, see where they settle down, but don¡¯t get noticed."
King Xishu, still relishing the grease on its paws, appeared reluctant to move, seemingly still wanting to enjoy the moment.
"Do it well, and you get two Blood Spirit Beads," Lu Qingshan said nonchntly.
Immediately, King Xishu perked up, patting its chest and promising, "Just following some humans, right? For Tiger, it¡¯s as easy as eating bean sprouts, leave it to me!"
With a leap, King Xishu quickly vanished inside the tavern.
King Xishu wasn¡¯t boasting. Though itcked offensive means, its ability to conceal its presence was indeed extraordinary, making tracking others a forte.
"Why them?" Zang Xiaojian asked, puzzled, "That cultivator who was constantly paying attention to us and the sacrificial ceremony seems more suspicious, right?"
Lu Qingshan shook his head and exined, "Due to the regional characteristics of Jiaolong Ind, the locals have a distinct ent, speaking in a clipped tone, as if talking with pursed lips. However, that elder¡¯s ent when speaking to the server was heavy, clearly not a local but like us, from elsewhere.
This organization intending to overthrow the Sea God Sect is clearly a local power; the likelihood of foreign Cultivators is not high.
Moreover, see how the elder carries a total of four Spirit Beast Bags at his waist, indicating he is a Beast Cultivator with no low Cultivation. It¡¯s no wonder then that he could see through King Xishu¡¯s rather clumsy Illusion Technique.
Being a foreigner and a Beast Cultivator, it is understandable that he¡¯d show some curiosity towards the sacrificial ceremony and King Xishu."
"As for this family of three," Lu Qingshan chuckled lightly, "have you ever seen a mother who feeds her child scalding porridge? And which child can eat hot porridge straight from the stove without flinching?
Also, you might not have noticed, but from start to finish, the husband only once voluntarily looked at his wife, and there was virtually no real eye contact with the child. With such an absence of affinity, does that resemble a family of three?"
"If the husband and wife are fake, and the child is also fake, then the only truth left is ghosts."
Chapter 144 - 13 Contact
Inside a separate courtyard in the southeast of Dragon City, three Foundation Establishment Cultivators sat in defined positions, discussing matters with grave expressions.
These three Cultivators were unmistakably the family of three who had just been in the restaurant.
"Fa Shui, are you sure no cultivator has followed us?" asked Fa Shui Zhenren, who yed the role of the husband among the three.
The cultivator addressed as Fa Shui was the one who had previously impersonated a child.
He was a dwarf, naturally suited for the role due to his stature, making his impersonation of a child wless.
Confident, Fa Shui Zhenren said, "Rest assured, I have checked repeatedly, no cultivator is tailing us.
Besides, why be so cautious? Over the years, you and I have always been responsible for overseeing the ritual ceremonies, and nothing has ever gone wrong.
With our art of concealing our aura and disguises, not to mention the pliant cultivators of the Sea God Sect, I believe even if it were Master Mo himself, he might not see through us!"
Meanwhile, on the streets outside the courtyard,
Lu Qingshan stood shoulder to shoulder with Zang Xiaojian, as King West Mouse pointed towards the courtyard and said, "This is it; I saw all three of them enter this courtyard."
"Those three acted like thieves, extremely cautious, using little spells and sweeping Divine Sense around, but before King Mouse here, it¡¯s all child¡¯s y; they couldn¡¯t even detect a single hair of mine!" boasted King West Mouse with grandiosity.
Lu Qingshan patted King West Mouse on the forehead, "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be short of your Blood Spirit Bead."
¡
"Fa Shui, the Cultivator the Sea God Sect deployed for this year¡¯s ritual ceremony is Han Lang Zhenren, who just broke through to the Golden Core a year ago," said the young female Cultivator ying the role of the wife, New Moon Zhenren, with a grave face.
"Yes, normally, it is customary for a Cultivator to seclude themselves to stabilize their cultivation after breaking through to the Golden Core and not appear in public easily.
The fact that Han Lang Zhenren has been put forward by the Sea God Sect so soon after his breakthrough implies they must be short on personnel; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t let him make an appearance. It seems likely the high-rank cultivators of the Sea God Sect are preupied with the Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s transformation into a dragon," Fa Shui Zhenren added.
With a hint of hesitation and worry, Fa Shui Zhenren said, "If the Jiaolong Demon King seeds in transforming into a dragon, we will never have another chance to turn the tides. We must strike before its transformation, and judging by the circumstances, the final battle seems imminent."
Fa Shui Zhenren was also very uneasy, "It¡¯s just uncertain how well-prepared the senior cultivators are; after preparing for so many years, I hope it won¡¯t all be in vain and that we can bring daylight to our Human Race again¡"
Knock¡ª
Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Why would someone knock on our door? Could it be someone from the Sea God Sect?!" eximed New Moon, particrly cautious.
Shaking his head, Fa Shui Zhenren said, "It¡¯s unlikely. If it were someone from the Sea God Sect, they wouldn¡¯t knock so gently."
Nodding in agreement, Fa Shui Zhenren responded, "What Fa Shui said is right; since it¡¯s a knock, it suggests no hostility. Let¡¯s go see who it is."
The three got up, approached the door together, and released their Divine Senses to scan the person outside. After a brief exchange of looks, theymented, "One mid-Foundation Establishment, e-Foundation Establishment; the Sea God Sect wouldn¡¯t send such personnel to trouble us, but it¡¯s hard to say who else it could be."
New Moon Zhenren abruptly opened the door.
Standing at the doorstep were an extraordinarily young man and woman. Upon recognizing their faces, all three¡¯s expressions darkened.
The man and woman were the same individuals who had been sitting at the next table in the restaurant. Their sudden appearance here could hardly be a coincidence,
On Jiaolong Ind, who else but the Sea God Sect could be responsible for this?
Not willing to risk any chance, Fa Shui Zhenren, without giving it much thought on how they were discovered, immediately decided, "We¡¯ve been exposed, let¡¯s escape!"
Hiss!
The moment after Fa Shui Zhenren¡¯s words had fallen, he felt a chill on his head.
A sharp Sword Qi swept past above his hair, causing a strand of hair to silently fall.
Too fast!
It was so fast that he didn¡¯t even have time to react, and one could imagine the consequences if the Sword Qi had targeted his neck.
At this thought, Fa Shui Zhenren¡¯s body trembled involuntarily, and cold sweat seeped out on his back.
Zang Xiaojian retracted her right hand and looked at Fa Shui Zhenren with a smile, "There¡¯s no need to panic so much, why don¡¯t we first listen to our purpose here, how about that?"
Whenever Zang Xiaojian smiled, two attractive dimples appeared on her cheeks, which looked very cute, but in Fa Shui Zhenren¡¯s eyes, Zang Xiaojian¡¯s smile at that moment seemed exceedingly creepy.
Because the Sword Qi that had instantly shed at the top of his head had burst forth from the index finger of the right hand of the smiling girl before him.
Not only were the three men extremely shocked in their hearts, even Lu Qingshan, standing by, felt a hint of admiration.
Using her finger as a sword to emit Sword Qi with such speed was astonishing; what would the power be like if the Sword Qi had been emitted from a sword?
This Zang Xiaojian, not only was her cultivation outstanding, but herbat power could also be considered top-notch.
Intimidated by Zang Xiaojian, the three men who had initially nned to flee, saw that Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian did not make another move. After hesitating for a moment, they stopped.
"What do you seek?" Wu Ai Zhenren asked with a wary look at Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian.
Lu Qingshan pointed inside the house, "Shall we not talk inside?"
The three men were silent for a moment, and Fa Shui Zhenren made a decision the quickest. He gestured invitingly, "Please inside!"
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian casually stepped inside the courtyard, Wu Ai quickly closed the door, and Xin Yue Zhenren weed them into the hall.
"We are cultivators from outside the area," Lu Qingshan stated straightforwardly as he found a seat in the hall alongside Zang Xiaojian, "We havee to Jiaolong Ind with the aim of finding someone. However, being unfamiliar with the ce, we would like to ask for your help, and we can negotiate the reward."
Wu Ai and Xin Yue looked to Fa Shui Zhenren with questioning eyes.
Upon hearing this, Fa Shui Zhenren scanned Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian back and forth for a long time before slowly nodding to Wu Ai and Xin Yue, "Poseidon Archipgo isn¡¯trge, and there aren¡¯t many cultivators here. I am fairly familiar with the local cultivators¡¯ appearances and backgrounds, and I have indeed never seen you two before.
If you were from Poseidon Archipgo, I would definitely not have no impression of you."
Upon hearing Fa Shui Zhenren say this, Wu Ai and Xin Yue rxed slightly, relieved that their identity hadn¡¯t been exposed to the Sea God Sect.
"If it¡¯s about finding someone, we might be able to offer some minor help. However, this isn¡¯t something we three can decide on alone; we need to consult with higher authorities," Wu Ai Zhenren said hesitantly.
Lu Qingshan was nomittal, "I understand; you may go ahead and consult."
Lu Qingshan was not afraid that the three men were merely pretending to consult, only to actually call for reinforcements to ambush them.
Because they were in Dragon City, right on the territory of the Sea God Sect, in such a ce, even a slightmotion would attract the attention of the Sea God Sect.
And given their rtionship with the Sea God Sect, how could they dare cause trouble in the city?
As for this so-called consultation, Lu Qingshan understood that it was not just about consulting but likely also involved verifying his and Zang Xiaojian¡¯s backgrounds.
How could such a covert organization trust them just from their few words?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Chapter 145 - 14 Master Mo
Having obtained permission, Xinyue Zhenren quickly withdrew, leaving only Wuai Zhenren and Fashui Zhenren forpany.
The four sat facing each other, and as for King Xishu, he had already consumed a Blood Spirit Bead and was hiding in the Spirit Beast Bag to digest the energy of the Blood Spirit Bead.
"What is the name of your organization?" Lu Qingshan, looking at the slightly uneasy duo, asked curiously, "Of course, if it¡¯s something you can¡¯t disclose, feel free to not answer. I¡¯m just a bit curious."
Fashui and Wuai hesitated for a moment, but eventually, Fashui took the initiative to speak up, "It¡¯s just a name and hardly a secret, so naturally, there¡¯s no need to hide it."
Wuai continued, "We cultivators call ourselves the Dragon ying Saber, symbolizing the intention to y the Jiaolong Demon King."
"Ahem¡ª" Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly twice, praising, "Not bad, the name is quite cool."
Fashui looked a bit puzzled and didn¡¯t understand the meaning of ¡¯cool¡¯, but judging from Lu Qingshan¡¯s tone and expression, he guessed it was apliment and thus modestly responded with a smile, "It¡¯s just averagely cool, an overstatement, really."
Wuai struggled internally for a while, his face showing hesitation, but eventually, he couldn¡¯t resist asking, "Can I ask how exactly you managed to find us?"
"We, the Dragon ying Saber cultivators, always act with discretion and caution, maintaining seemingly reasonable facades. The cultivators of the Sea God Sect are aware of our existence, engaging in various investigations that ultimately lead to nothing.
I really can¡¯t understand how two strangers, unfamiliar with the ce, managed to aplish what even the local toughs of the Sea God Sect could not?"
Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze shifted to Zang Xiaojian, who immediately understood and cheekily replied, "Secret, can¡¯t tell."
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Having Zang Xiaojian y the bad guy naturally helped prevent Wuai from feeling too dissatisfied.
"Since arriving on the ind, what we have seen and heard about the Sea God Sect has given us some understanding of its absurdity. Can you borate more on the Sea God Sect for us?" Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t give Wuai much time to ponder and steered the conversation in a new direction.
In fact, Lu Qingshan was more interested in the so-called Dragon ying Saber; however, asking about the specifics of their own organization would neither be appropriate nor would they be willing to disclose that.
However, inquiring about the situation of the Sea God Sect was not a major issue, so Lu Qingshan opted for the next best thing.
Furthermore, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t mind slightly expressing his distaste for the Sea God Sect just after Zang Xiaojian had yed the bad guy.
Although it was unlikely that this alone would make Fashui and the otherspletely trust him, getting somewhat closer to them was feasible.
"The Sea God Sect has stood atop Jiaolong Ind for hundreds of years, growing continuously powerful with the backing of the Jiaolong Demon Race.
Today, the Sea God Sect boasts eleven Golden Core Cultivators, hundreds of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and over a thousand Qi Refinement disciples. The Sect¡¯s Great Elder is even a Golden Core Perfection Great Cultivator, truly a dominant force on Jiaolong Ind." Speaking of the Sea God Sect, Fashui did not hold back, detailing the situation of the Sea God Sect.
Zang Xiaojian appeared thoughtful, "Eleven Golden Core Cultivators, no wonder they hold such dominance on Jiaolong Ind."
Zang Xiaojian¡¯s remark seemed to open the floodgates for Wuai Zhenren, who immediately said indignantly, "What¡¯s so great about eleven Golden Core Cultivators? At its peak, our Jiaolong Ind had sixty Golden Core Cultivators.
Back then, the Sea God Sect was just a minor sect on Jiaolong Ind, not even called the Sea God Sect then, but the Spirit Snake Sect.
Later, when the Jiaolong n wanted to take over the Poseidon Archipgo, how could our Human Race¡¯s ind tolerate the coveting of the Demon n?
Therefore, the major powerful sects of the Poseidon Archipgo organized to resist harshly. Unexpectedly, these small mudfish were the first to capitte to the Jiaolong n for power.
As a result, due to the formidable strength of the Jiaolong Demon King, the sects that chose resistance were sessively defeated, with the Jiaolong n ultimately triumphing and taking control of the Poseidon Archipgo."
Because of this, the Spirit Snake Sect naturally received their support to be the strongest and only cultivator¡¯s sect on the ind, subsequently renamed the Sea God Sect, governed by the Jiaolong n over the Human Race."
"The most malicious part is, to ensure that the Sea God Sect wouldn¡¯t harbor any thoughts of rebellion and secretly defy them, the Jiaolong n made the Sea God Sect responsible for organizing an annual sacrificial ceremony, during which ny-nine pairs of boys and girls were sacrificed to show respect to the Jiaolong Demon King," Wu Ai gnashed his teeth and said.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan finally understood the true purpose of this so-called sacrificial ceremony¡ªit was secondary to establishing their own authority, the real aim was to divide the Sea God Sect from the rest of the Human Race on the ind.
The consequence of the Sea God Sect managing the sacrificial ceremony was that it ced thempletely at odds with the ind¡¯s Human Race, with no possibility of reconciliation.
And with the ind¡¯s Human Race hating the Sea God Sect to the bone, the Sect had no choice but to cling tightly to the Jiaolong n.
This Jiaolong Demon King indeed had deep and cunning ns¡ªwhat a well-yed strategy!
Lu Qingshanmented in his heart.
Fa Shui pointed at Wu Ai, exining his righteous indignation: "Wu Ai, because he was small and looked just like a child, was selected at the age of twelve when his vige had no eligible boys. After deliberations, they decided to use him to make up the numbers.
Had Wu Ai not heard the news early and fled the vige, he would have been sacrificed to the mes that year, so his hatred for the Sea God Sect is even greater than ours."
Wu Ai gave a bitter smile and said, "I don¡¯t me those vigers; they were also forced into a corner. Moreover, had it not been for that incident, I wouldn¡¯t have met my master and wouldn¡¯t have be a cultivator."
"Still," Wu Ai paused, his expressionplex, "I and the Sea God Sect are irreconcble. If I could tten the Sea God Sect, my life would be without regrets."
...
After chatting with Fa Shui and Wu Ai for about an hour, Real Person Xinyue walked in from the main gate with a somewhat solemn expression.
"What¡¯s the situation?" Fa Shui, seeing the gravity on Xinyue¡¯s face, quickly asked.
Xinyue said gravely, "Master Mo hase in person."
"What?!" Both Fa Shui and Wu Ai were shocked upon hearing this.
Seeing the trio¡¯s reaction, Lu Qingshan grew curious about this yet unseen Master Mo.
It seemed he must be a Great Cultivator of the Dragon ying Saber, but who exactly was he?
Soon, the answer was revealed.
Real Person Xinyue stepped aside, and another person walked in from outside.
This was a lean young man, not particrly handsome, but enveloped in a very special aura, like a smooth and polished gemstone. However, he was not a Great Cultivator but just had Foundation Establishment Cultivation like Fa Shui and the others.
"Master Mo." Upon seeing the young mane in, Wu Ai and Fa Shui quickly stood up and respectfully greeted him.
Zang Xiaojian rolled her big eyes, sizing up the young man who came in, finding him quite peculiar.
Master Mo. Hearing this title, an image of a very old, white-haired elder had always lingered in her mind¡ªwho would have thought that this Master Mo would be a young man?
Chapter 146 - 15 Cold Spirit Fire
"Greetings Lu Daoist, Zang Daoist," the youth known as Master Mo greeted both parties as he entered.
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian stood up and returned the gesture, "Greetings, Master Mo."
Master Mo waved his hand, speaking amiably, "You tter me too much. Just call me Mo Yan."
Lu Qingshan nodded without saying much.
Mo Yan then continued, "I¡¯ve heard from Xinyue that you seek our help in locating someone?"
Zang Xiaojian nodded, "Indeed, as long as you¡¯re willing to help, the reward is negotiable."
Mo Yan spread his hands with a light chuckle, "Our Dragon ying Saber faction isn¡¯t currently in need of spirit stones."
A trace of surprise flickered through Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
What Mo Yan had said was at odds with his expectations.
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In his mind, given the pressure from the Sea God Sect, all actions taken by the Dragon ying Saber faction had to remain ndestine, making it impossible for them to own overt assets like spirit ore mines or spirit medicine gardens.
Moreover, considering they were plotting to overthrow the mighty Sea God Sect, an endeavor that would surely drain resources, they should be in great need of spirit stones.
Unless the Master Mo before him was lying, it meant that the Dragon ying Saber faction had a very special means of generating wealth.
Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t be certain which case it was just yet, but either possibility suggested the situation was less than ideal.
"If there¡¯s anything you need, Master Mo, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask. If it¡¯s within our capabilities, we will try our utmost to assist," Lu Qingshan replied politely, showing no signs of discouragement.
For he understood that if the Dragon ying Saber had no intention of helping, they would have outright refused his request rather than dragging their feet. And Master Mo certainly wouldn¡¯t havee to meet them in person.
This could only mean that Master Mo must have an ulterior motive.
Mo Yan said with a smile, "Actually, there is a small favor I¡¯d like to ask of you two for assistance."
Lu Qingshan gave the impression of being all ears.
Mo Yan carefully articted his words, "The Sea God Sect has opened a market in Jiaolong City, catering to cultivators, which naturally includes their own shops.
Within one of these shops, they sell an item that I happen to need.
However, as you know, given our adversarial rtionship with the Sea God Sect, having someone from our side attempt to purchase from them would be exceedingly risky.
I was hesitating over what to do when you arrived. Since you are cultivators from afar..."
"So, you want us to step in and buy this item for you?"
"Exactly, and don¡¯t worry about the reward. I will not only have the organization assist you in your search, but I will also offer you a substantial payment."
Great, originally you nned to give them spirit stones, but now they don¡¯t want them and instead want to give some to you.
Lu Qingshan found the situation somewhat amusing.
"What do you think?" Lu Qingshan looked toward Zang Xiaojian, for they were travelpanions, and it would be best if both agreed on any decision.
Zang Xiaojian replied unconcernedly, "I¡¯ll follow your lead."
"Then we agree to this task," Lu Qingshan said without further hesitation, epting Mo Yan¡¯s proposal.
The smile on Mo Yan¡¯s face became warmer, "Let me exin the details to you¡"
What Mo Yan wished to acquire was a fire seed named Cold Spirit Fire, a Netherfire seed that originated from the depths of the sea. Its power was arcane and if refined, one could wield the Cold Spirit Fire itself, a true treasure for those who practice fire attribute Dharma Cultivation.
"An item like a Netherfire seed is rare, and conventionally, no sect would offer it for sale, typically keeping it for internal use.
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But as you know, due to regional constraints, the local cultivators on the inds are mostly practitioners of the water element essence, and the Sea God Sect is no different."
In the Five Elements, the many ovee the few, thus the Water Element trumps the Fire Element. On the ind, most cultivators practice Water Attribute Techniques, so even if there are cultivators who practice other attributes, none would be foolish enough to choose the Fire Element.
As such, this Cold Spirit Fire Seed became something tasteless to eat, yet too wasteful to discard, a true chicken rib. The Sea God Sect simply put it away in the attic and decided to sell it in their own shop."
"So, why would you take an interest in this Fire Seed?" Zang Xiaojian asked bluntly, seemingly without any ulterior motives.
Mo Yan wasn¡¯t in a hurry and replied slowly, "It just so happens that I am one of those who would be foolish enough to choose to cultivate a Fire Element Technique."
...
"Qingshan, that Mo Yan has especially strong Divine Soul Power, far surpassing ordinary people." After leaving the other courtyard, the Western Rat King immediately slinked out of the Spirit Beast Bag and leaped onto Zang Xiaojian¡¯s shoulder, looking at Qingshan with amazement.
"Is that so?" Qingshan pondered thoughtfully, piecing together all the information, and seemed to find an answer to a particr doubt in his mind.
"What do you think of what Master Mo said? How much truth is in it?" Zang Xiaojian asked.
After thinking for a moment, Qingshan answered frankly, "Nine parts true, one part false, I suppose. Their reluctance to purchase this Fire Seed themselves must not be as simple as he described.
If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s very likely a trap deliberately set by the Sea God Sect, designed to lure in Master Mo, and he understands this, which is why he doesn¡¯t dare to act hastily."
"A trap?"
"Master Mo must be a top-notch Artifact Refiner, and which Artifact Refiner could resist the temptation of a Netherfire Seed?"
"Why do you say that?" Zang Xiaojian widened her eyes upon hearing this.
She was very curious, as to how Qingshan derived information she didn¡¯t know from the same conversation.
"Firstly, as he said himself, on the ind where most cultivators practice Water Attribute Techniques, only those who have lost their minds would choose to cultivate a Fire Attribute Technique which is countered by Water." Qingshan looked at Zang Xiaojian, who was listening to his analysis intently, and counter-questioned, "Do you think that Master Mo is one of those who have lost his mind?"
Zang Xiaojian shook her head, "No, he seems very shrewd to me."
"If he¡¯s not one who has lost his mind, then he must have somepelling reasons to cultivate a Fire Attribute Technique." Qingshan paused for a moment before voicing his own thoughts, "And Artifact Refiners are precisely the type of cultivators who must practice Fire Attribute Techniques."
"Moreover, you must have noticed how the Foundation Establishment cultivators Fa Shui, Five Dwarfs, and New Moon¡¯s reverence toward Mo Yan was genuine, with no sign of pretense, indicating that Mo Yan¡¯s status within the Dragon ying Saber is probably quite high.
However, his cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment, and with that alone, he shouldn¡¯t have such a high status, which leaves one possibility: in other areas, this Mo Yan must possess an exceptional talent."
"Also, the three of them address him as ¡¯Master Mo,¡¯ a title generally reserved for cultivators who have certain achievements in Formations, Alchemy, or Artifact Refining."
"Furthermore, as the Western Rat King said, Mo Yan¡¯s Divine Soul Power is extraordinarily strong, which is also a characteristic of a top-notch Artifact Refiner."
"Most importantly, Mo Yan has disyed the demeanor of someone from the Dragon ying Saber who is not short of Spirit Stones, suggesting they must have some means of acquiring arge influx of Spirit Stones to sustain their organization¡¯s operations.
With strategic resources like Spirit Stone mines and Spirit Ores monopolized by the Sea God Sect, Artifact Refining, which values skill, is undoubtedly the most likely way for them to generate wealth."
Zang Xiaojian¡¯s face lit up with sudden understanding, "Going by what you said, this Mo Yan seems to be up to no good, wanting us to bite the baitid by the Sea God Sect to hook him."
"You can¡¯t say he¡¯spletely ill-intentioned. His goal is to obtain the Fire Seed, not to entrap us.
In fact, it¡¯s quite unlikely that the Sea God Sect would target the two of us foreigners for purchasing the Fire Seed." Qingshan said calmly, "That¡¯s also why I agreed to help him."
Zang Xiaojian clenched her little fist and bared her teeth grimly, "That¡¯s good then, otherwise, I, Zang Xiaojian, would have made sure he regretted it!"
After listening to Qingshan¡¯s analysis, the Western Rat King struck a thoughtful pose, looked at Qingshan with a serious expression, and said, "I think that Master Mo and you are quite alike."
"How so?" Zang Xiaojian couldn¡¯t help but interrupt and ask.
The Western Rat King nodded solemnly, "He¡¯s like Qingshan, always giving me the impression of being scheming, with a calm and collected facade, but in reality, he¡¯s full of cunning ns."
Qingshan smacked the Western Rat King¡¯s head with annoyance, "Watch your words."
The Western Rat King, holding his little head and feeling indignant, sought support from Zang Xiaojian, tugging at the strands of her hair that fell over her shoulders, and asked defiantly, "What do you think?"
"Not at all," Zang Xiaojian decisively shook her head, her bright and spirited eyes carefully observing Qingshan¡¯s face for several moments, her lips pursed with a faint smile, eyes curved, "He¡¯s not nearly as good-looking as Qingshan."
Chapter 147 - 16: Killing Move
"Master Mo, do you really trust these two people so readily? To hand over such a massive amount of spirit stones to them just like that? Aren¡¯t you afraid they might be tempted by the wealth, take off in hiding, or even betray us?" asked Fa Shui inside the courtyard, puzzled.
The other two also harbored simr doubts.
Master Mo¡¯s expression remained calm, and he spoke in an even tone, "These two appear young, yet possess such cultivation and carry themselves with an extraordinary demeanor, clearly they are the outstanding disciples of some prestigious sects.
You must have noticed their attitude that they are notcking in spirit stones. The huge amount of spirit stones you are thinking of, in their eyes, might not be insignificant, but it definitely isn¡¯t to the extent that they wouldmit acts of treachery for it.
Moreover, they have expressed their intention to seek our help to find someone. They haven¡¯t found the person yet, so how could they possibly take off? As for betraying us, we haven¡¯t revealed too much information. If he wanted to betray us, he could have done so when he discovered you three, rather than waiting until now."
A glint of firmness shed in Mo Yan¡¯s eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, "What¡¯s most important is, obtaining this Cold Spirit Fire Seed is akin to a gamble.
Having members of the Dragon ying Saber go out to shop might mean gambling with our brothers¡¯ lives. Aspared to that, entrusting them to help with the purchase is merely risking a batch of spirit stones at most. What¡¯s there to hesitate about? For me, earning spirit stones is no difficult task!"
...
In the marketce of Jiaolong City, inside Myriad Treasures Tower.
Myriad Treasures Tower is a shop set up by the Sea God Sect and is also the most prestigious shop in this market.
However.
"That¡¯s it?" Western Rat King looked somewhat disinterested at the two-story wooden building in front of him andined, "This is way too inferiorpared to the Great Xia Commercial Firm."
"The Great Xia Commercial Firm is thergestmercial firm within the territories of the Human Race. This is just a small sect¡¯s shop; how could itpare?" Lu Qingshan wasn¡¯t surprised and stepped into the building.
But Zang Xiaojian, standing next to a human and a mouse, contrasted notably with their calm and disdain; as soon as she entered Myriad Treasures Tower, she began to look around at the items and decorations inside the shop, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and wonder.
Was this youngdy confined in some deep mountain or dense forest before this?
Lu Qingshan recalled when they first entered Jiaolong City, Zang Xiaojian also had the same first-time-in-the-city look, her gaze sweeping everywhere, and he couldn¡¯t help but specte.
Compared to the Great Xia Commercial Firm, Myriad Treasures Tower wasn¡¯t just less imposing in stature, but also far behind in terms of hospitality.
It was a long while after Lu Qingshan entered before an attendant btedly came to greet him.
"I heard that there is a Cold Spirit Fire Seed avable in your store. I wonder if it¡¯s still here, and if it is, may I take a look?" Lu Qingshan asked straightforwardly.
The attendant, upon hearing this, instantly turned serious from a somewhat ck expression, "Esteemed guest, the Cold Spirit Fire Seed is still in our shop and has not been sold.
However, the Cold Spirit Fire Seed is one of our shop¡¯s treasures. If you want to purchase it, I can¡¯t make that decision myself¡ªI need to ask the manager, so please wait a moment."
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Lu Qingshan smiled and said, "Understood."
The attendant hurriedly walked into the back of the shop.
"Could there be a trick?" Zang Xiaojian tugged at Lu Qingshan¡¯s sleeve, somewhat doubtful.
"Let¡¯s see how it goes," Lu Qingshan said gravely.
Seeing Lu Qingshan¡¯s confident demeanor, Zang Xiaojian, unconsciously, also felt a sense of security.
It took a long while.
The manager of Myriad Treasures Tower finally appeared leisurely, holding a jade box made of mysterious ice, with a talisman attached to it.
"Is it this young master who wishes to see the Cold Spirit Fire Seed?" asked the manager.
"Yes," Lu Qingshan smiled.
The manager of Myriad Treasures Tower approached Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian, removed the talisman from the jade box, and opened it before them to show the contents.
A faint blue light shed.
Inside the jade boxy a deep blue seed that looked profoundly mystical, its surface rippling with ripples like clear sea water. The aura was immensely gentle¡ªwho could imagine that this seed could provoke a wildly violent Netherfire?
Lu Qingshan was not unfamiliar with the Cold Spirit Fire Seed. In the game, Netherfire Seeds had always been a major cost center for "Fire Attribute" Dharma Cultivation, and he had seen many different kinds of Netherfire Seeds.
Because Cold Spirit Fire belonged to the lower end of Netherfires, there were many yers who owned this fire seed.
Lu Qingshan released his Divine Sense, probing towards the Cold Spirit Fire Seed.
Just a yard away from the seed, he felt an extremely suffocating heat, as if it could turn his Divine Sense to ashes.
Lu Qingshan quickly withdrew his Divine Sense and, after verifying the authenticity of the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, inquired, "How is this Cold Spirit Fire Seed priced?"
The eyes of the manager shed oddly as he exined, "As the young master surely knows, Netherfire Seeds are precious. So, even though the Cold Spirit Netherfire doesn¡¯t appear on the list of Netherfires, the price, as a Netherfire, will certainly not be low."
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly, "Naturally."
"Fifty fifth-grade Spirit Stones, and I will not ept low-grade Spirit Stones for payment. You can only pay with fifth-grade Spirit Stones," said the manager of Myriad Treasures Tower, stating a startling amount.
This was a sum that not even a medium or small Cultivation family could afford without exhausting all their resources.
Yet, Lu Qingshan¡¯s expression remained unchanged; he casually handed over a storage bag containing the Spirit Stones given by Master Mo, "Please verify these, manager."
The Myriad Treasures Tower manager took the storage bag, confirmed the number of Spirit Stones, nodded slightly, and handed Lu Qingshan the jade box and the talisman that had been removed, "This is a Fire Suppression Talisman.
The Cold Spirit Fire Seed appears gentle, but it is extremely unstable; therefore, it needs to be kept in a jade box made of cial ice and suppressed with a Spirit Talisman to contain its violent strength. Both of these are given as extras, at no additional cost to you for the Spirit Stones."
Lu Qingshan took the jade box and Fire Suppression Talisman, "Thank you, manager."
...
After Lu Qingshan left the Myriad Treasures Tower with the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, the manager, who had beenposed, immediately straightened up, hurriedly pulled out a paper kite from his storage ring, attached a message to it, and threw it out.
The paper kite came to life in the air, turning into a stream of light that faintly flickered and quickly flew away, heading straight for the Sea God Sect.
...
Three Cultivators turned into streaks of blue light shing across the sky. Suddenly, one of the zes of blue light seemed to sense something and let out a voice of astonishment, "What is this?"
The blue light paused and came to a stop, revealing the figures within.
It was none other than the Golden Core Cultivator Han Lang, who had just finished presiding over a sacrificial ceremony and was on his way back to the sect. He used his Spiritual Power to form arge hand and reached out into the void, capturing a streak of radiance.
It was a paper kite.
"It¡¯s an urgent Spirit Message from the Myriad Treasures Tower to the sect. Could something have happened?" a flicker of doubt crossed Han Lang¡¯s mind as he received the message from the paper kite.
"The Cold Spirit Fire Seed has been sold; the buyers were two foreign cultivators who arrived on the ind just five days ago." A single sentence, sinct yet rming, made a dangerous glint sh through Han Lang¡¯s eyes. Continue reading on empire
He recalled the day he was promoted to Golden Core, the moment when the Sect Master had shared some of the sect¡¯s secrets with him.
...
"Do you know that, for the past few decades, there have been cultivators on the ind secretly organizing a force against our sect, known as ¡¯Dragon ying Saber¡¯?" the Sect Master said with a chilling expression.
"I¡¯ve heard of it." It wasn¡¯t a big secret; even ordinary people had heard of it, and it was impossible for Han Lang not to know, "Why hasn¡¯t the sect found them and eliminated them?"
"Their actions are very secretive. Although we are trying hard to investigate their identities, we haven¡¯t had much sess yet. However, we have discovered some news," said the Sect Master grimly. "Within Dragon ying Saber, there is a top Artifact Refiner known as ¡¯Master Mo,¡¯ who provides a tremendous amount of Spirit Stones for Dragon ying Saber."
"A top Artifact Refiner?" Han Lang eximed softly.
A top Artifact Refiner was always greatly respected and weed by Cultivators, holding a prestigious status and being amongst the wealthiest.
"Yes," the Sect Master nodded, "Eliminating this Master Mo would undoubtedly be cutting off one of Dragon ying Saber¡¯s arms.
Therefore, we specifically ced the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, considered a treasure for Artifact Refiners, for sale in the Myriad Treasures Tower to lure Master Mo into buying it."
"Are you nning to capture him when Master Mo buys the Fire Seed?" Han Lang asked.
"No," the Sect Master shook his head, "Dragon ying Saber acts cautiously and would not be so rash.
Given Master Mo¡¯s esteemed status, it is highly unlikely he would personally appear to buy the Fire Seed. It is too presumptuous to try capturing him this way; acting rashly could either alert our target or catch only small fish.
That¡¯s why, during the sale of the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, we did not set any traps."
"Then?" Han Lang seemed to guess something.
"However, I can assert that given an Artifact Refiner¡¯s interest in unusual Fire Seeds, Master Mo will, by all means, attempt to secure this Cold Spirit Fire Seed.
As for the process, I¡¯m not concerned about the specifics, as long as the Cold Spirit Fire Seed ultimately ends up in Master Mo¡¯s hands, because the real deadly strike is concealed within this very Cold Spirit Fire Seed!" the Sect Master¡¯s intent to kill was palpable.
...
"It went smoother than expected," Zang Xiaojian wrinkled his nose, raising a doubt, "Isn¡¯t it a bit too smooth?"
"Indeed," Lu Qingshan agreed, "Even if the Myriad Treasures Tower verified our backgrounds as foreign Cultivators without suspecting our identities, logically, the Cold Spirit Fire Seed should have been bait left by the Sea God Sect for ¡¯Master Mo¡¯; how could they have let other small fry get it so easily?"
"Unless my guess is wrong and the Cold Spirit Fire Seed is not intended as bait for Master Mo, or perhaps...."
"Or perhaps the measures set by the Sea God Sect aren¡¯t located within the Myriad Treasures Tower, but somewhere else!" Zang Xiaojian hit the nail on the head, instantly grasping Lu Qingshan¡¯s meaning.
"Where would that be?" West Rat King indicated that he understood but was still very puzzled.
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian looked at each other and simultaneously said, "The Cold Spirit Fire Seed."
Chapter 148 - 17: Turning the Tables
Inside the inn.
Zang Xiaojian, utterly bored, tossed the jade box containing the Cold Spirit Fire Seed up and down, back and forth, making the Western Rat King beside him twitch nervously.
It clearly remembered being cautioned by the shopkeeper of Myriad Treasures Tower that the Cold Spirit Fire Seed was extremely unstable and could erupt at any moment.
It quickly turned its small eyes toward Lu Qingshan, its gaze full of pleading, hoping that Lu Qingshan would speak up and stop Zang Xiaojian¡¯s dangerous behavior.
Lu Qingshan nced at the anxious Western Rat King and remained indifferent.
"Why didn¡¯t this Master Mo arrange a meeting ce earlier? Instead, he has us waiting here indefinitely," grumbled Zang Xiaojian irritably.
"It¡¯s quite normal. If he had told us the time and ce in advance, if we had second thoughts, we might have made arrangements against him.
But if he says nothing, then the initiative is in their hands. They can appear to meet us after ensuring everything is safe," Lu Qingshan spoke reassuringly.
Zang Xiaojian wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction and muttered softly, "He¡¯s full of tricks."
Lu Qingshan heard Zang Xiaojian¡¯sint, chuckled lightly, and said nothing more.
The girl was not stupid, quite the opposite, she was very clever, understanding many things at a point.
She justcked some experience, after all, many things in life can only be understood through experience.
Suddenly, the Western Rat King¡¯s eyes lit up, showing a relieved expression, and he called out, "Someone¡¯sing!"
The next moment, a shadow shed, and a very short cultivator appeared in the room.
Real Person Wu Dwarfy.
"Greetings to Lu Daoist friend, Zang Daoist friend," as soon as Real Person Wu Dwarfy appeared, he first greeted the two, then asked, "Has the Cold Spirit Fire Seed been obtained?"
Zang Xiaojian waved the jade box in hand toward Real Person Wu Dwarfy, "Here it is!"
"Since the Cold Spirit Fire Seed has been obtained, Master Mo should havee in person to find you. However, his circumstances are special, and it¡¯s not convenient for him to show himself," Real Person Wu Dwarfy said gravely, "You¡¯ll both have toe with me to meet Master Mo."
Lu Qingshan waved his hand, "No problem, just lead the way."
¡
In a quiet courtyard south of the city.
Under the lead of Real Person Wu Dwarfy, Zang Xiaojian and Lu Qingshan arrived at the courtyard¡¯s main entrance.
Knock¡ªknock knock¡ª
Real Person Wu Dwarfy stepped forward to knock on the door. His knocking rhythm was meticulous, clearly some specific code.
The courtyard door opened silently.
"Master Mo is waiting for you inside," said the person who opened the door, Real Person Xin Yue.
Wu Dwarfy led Lu Qingshan and the others directly into the hall.
"Daoist friends Lu, Zang," Mo Yan, who had been waiting in the hall, immediately stood up, greeted them respectfully yet confidently.
Zang Xiaojian, without much ado, took out the jade box containing the Cold Spirit Fire Seed from the Storage Ring, removed the Fire Suppression Talisman from the top, opened the jade box, and showed the Cold Spirit Fire Seed to Mo Yan.
"This is what you asked for." After giving Mo Yan a quick look, Zang Xiaojian promptly closed the jade box and put it away, "What about our demands?"
Mo Yan, clearly understanding Zang Xiaojian¡¯s intention, gestured, and Fa Shui hastily stepped forward a few steps, "Master Mo."
Mo Yan turned to Zang Xiaojian and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Zang Xiaojian looked at Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan had prepared in advance, "The specific name and appearance are also unclear to us."
Upon hearing this, Fa Shui¡¯s face instantly revealed a troubled expression, "If we have no information at all, I don¡¯t know where to start..."
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Lu Qingshan said calmly, "It¡¯s naturally impossible to have no information at all. You just need to help me find out who, in thest twenty years, has purchasedrge quantities of Sangluo wine or has frequently bought Sangluo wine on Jiaolong Ind."
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He and Zang Xiaojian had learned an extremely interesting tidbit while scouting in Jiaolong City.
The Family Head of the Mo Family of Dragon Spring, had been addicted to alcohol for a century now.
After all, an addiction to alcohol is extremely hard to quit once acquired.
Not to mention the Mo Family Head had also faced the cmity of his n¡¯s overthrow. In such cases, even those who normally wouldn¡¯t drink might very likely start drinking to drown their sorrows. So, how could someone who was already deeply addicted to alcohol possibly quit?
During his inquiries, he had also learned that the most famous type of alcohol on Dragon Spring Ind was Sangluo wine.
From the information avable so far, it was easy to conjecture that if the Mo Family Head really was hiding on Jiaolong Ind, there would likely be traces of him buying Sangluo wine.
"Moreover, this person would have appeared on Jiaolong Ind very abruptly during these twenty years," Lu Qingshan added.
"Did you hear clearly?" Mo Yan said solemnly, showing his authoritative side for the first time in front of Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian.
Fa Shui replied respectfully, "Understood, I will begin investigating immediately."
Mo Yan nodded, "Good, go ahead. Find out as soon as possible, and do not make the two cultivators wait too long."
Fa Shui hurriedly left.
"There should be some results within a day," Mo Yan told Lu Qingshan.
Even though Lu Qingshan¡¯s request was unusual, Mo Yan did not ask any further questions.
Lu Qingshan bowed as a sign of gratitude, "Thank you for your efforts."
After thinking for a moment, Mo Yan turned to Zang Xiaojian, who was holding the jade box, and said, "Friend Zang, now that I have given the order, may I have the Cold Spirit Fire Seed?"
After a pause, Mo Yan exined, "It¡¯s not that I am in a hurry, but having the Cold Spirit Fire Seed in your possession might bring danger upon you."
"It would be most dangerous in your hands..."
Zang Xiaojian was about to retort when Lu Qingshan stopped him from saying any more. Observing Mo Yan¡¯s calm demeanor as though understanding something, he asked, "Did Master Mo already know there was an issue with this Fire Seed?"
Mo Yan candidly replied, "After you took away the Cold Spirit Fire Seed from Myriad Treasures Tower, I had someone closely watch and found that not a single cultivator from the Sea God Sect paid any further attention or followed up in any way."
"I didn¡¯t tell you before, but indeed, this Fire Seed was probably a trap set by the Sea God Sect to lure me into action.
Since the Sea God Sect wanted to use the Cold Spirit Fire Seed to plot against me, yet they showed no concern for the two who bought the Fire Seed, it only implies that the Cold Spirit Fire Seed is not as simple as it seems," Mo Yan stated profoundly, also attempting to persuade Zang Xiaojian to hand over the Fire Seed.
"If everyone now knows that this Cold Spirit Fire Seed is not straightforward, why would you still want it?" Lu Qingshan asked meaningfully.
"If the Sea God Sect intends to ensnare me, why don¡¯t I use their n against them and turn the tables?" Mo Yan said with a sparkling look of strategy. "I desire the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, and the lives of the Sea God Sect¡¯s cultivators as well. I want to make them lose both their schemes and their forces."
"Lu Friend and Zang Friend, are you interested in staying to watch a good show?" Mo Yan invited.
Lu Qingshan was initially taken aback. Facing Mo Yan¡¯s confidence, he indeed developed a fair amount of interest, "That¡¯s possible. We also need to wait for the news."
Seeing Lu Qingshan agree, excitement shed in Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyes, and she appeared eager to see what was toe.
The girl¡¯s curiosity was always strong.
Chapter 149 - 18: Incinerate Body
"Here." Zang Xiaojian casually tossed it, nonchntly throwing the jade box to Mo Yan.
Mo Yan caught the jade box and immediately took out a storage bag from his bosom, handing it to Lu Qingshan, "As we agreed earlier, for helping me acquire this Cold Spirit Fire Seed, I will pay you an additional amount of Spirit Stones as a reward."
Lu Qingshan, in order to gather materials for the Five Elements Sword Armor, had spent most of his fortune, and was quite strapped for cash, so he did not bother with further pleasantries, casually epting the storage bag. He reached in with his Divine Sense, finding it packed with many Third Grade Spirit Stones. After counting, there were a total of two hundred.
Indeed, this was quite generous.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself, swiftly pocketing half of the Spirit Stones into his own storage ring, then threw the remaining one hundred Third Grade Spirit Stones along with the storage bag to Zang Xiaojian.
Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyebrows raised in delight, and he chuckled gleefully as he took it.
Mo Yan gestured invitingly, drawing aside a curtain, ushering the two men into the inner hall, "Please, this way."
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian stepped leisurely into the inner hall, and upon seeing the scene within, both could not help but feel a touch of surprise.
Inside the room sat three middle-aged male cultivators, with profound aura, clearly Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators.
What was even more peculiar was that the three men¡¯s physiques and appearances were exactly the same, as if cast from the same mold.
Triplets, perhaps?
For triplets to both cultivate to the Golden Core Stage was indeed a rare urrence in the Cultivation World.
After all, cultivation is a matter with too many variables and no fixed oues.
Moreover, though these three Golden Core cultivators were merely separated by a curtain from them, both he and Zang Xiaojian had failed to notice their presence, not to mention the West Mouse King, who was exceptionally sensitive, had also not detected anyone inside the hall.
With this thought, Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but turn around to take another look at the curtain which seemed ordinary at first nce, only to discover a faint shimmer flowing over it.
This curtain turned out to be a high-quality Magic Artifact capable of isting aura and the five senses!
Using a Magic Artifact as a curtain, such spending was indeed extravagant.
Lu Qingshan eximed.
"Master Mo." The three Golden Core cultivators saw Mo Yan enter and quickly stood up to greet him, very courteously.
This made Lu Qingshan slightly narrow his eyes, his mind brimming with thoughts.
The status of this Master Mo seems to be much higher than expected?
"These are the three Golden Core great cultivators of our Dragon ying Saber, Elder Lian State, Elder Lian Cheng, and Elder Lian Jun," Mo Yan first introduced the three Golden Core cultivators to Lu Qingshan, then pointed to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian and said to the three cultivators, "These two are my friends."
The three Golden Core cultivators nodded, acknowledging the introduction.
In front of everyone, Mo Yan opened the jade box, revealing the Cold Spirit Fire Seed inside. Spiritual Power burst forth from within him, levitating the Cold Spirit Fire Seed in mid-air, then he stretched out his left hand, slightly opening it.
Whoosh!
In his palm, a strand of zing red me surged up, grew rapidly, and spread, morphing into a raging fireball thatpletely enveloped Mo Yan¡¯s left hand.
"Merge!" Mo Yan controlled the Cold Spirit Fire Seed to drill into the me rising from his left hand.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡ª
Like water meeting hot oil.
The moment the Cold Spirit Fire Seed touched the mes in Mo Yan¡¯s hand, it immediately emitted a series of crackling and popping sounds.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A deep blue me emerged from the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, abruptly rising and mingling with Mo Yan¡¯s zing red me, yet clearly distinct, presenting an incredibly mesmerizing beauty.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s gaze sharpened, his heart somewhat shaken.
Red Lotus Netherfire!
The zing red me emitted by Mo Yan turned out to be Netherfire!
Cold Spirit Fire wasn¡¯t particrly strong among Netherfires, but regardless, as the king of all mes, ordinary mes would have no effect on Cold Spirit Fire.
Only the scorching of another Netherfire could stir the defense mechanism of the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, erupting with strength to protect itself.
Mo Yan stared intently at the deep blue me in his hand, spotting a faint grey line within it.
"There¡¯s a seal hidden inside," Lu Qingshan also noticed the grey line, thinking to himself.
"Come out," Mo Yan¡¯s eyes shone brilliantly as he called out lightly, gently drawing the grey line out of the Cold Spirit Fire like unraveling a cocoon.
This seal had two purposes: one was to parasitize on the Cold Spirit Fire Seed, allowing its owner to sense the location of the Fire Seed at any time; the second was to burst forth during the refinement of the Fire Seed, thereby disrupting the seed and throwing it into chaos.
Netherfire is the most ferocious and wild entity, and refining a Fire Seed involves drawing the seed into one¡¯s own Dantian, operating Spiritual Power to slowly tame it.
If the Fire Seed within the Dantian falls into a state of chaos, with the Netherfire running wild, the consequences would be unimaginable. At the least, the refiner would be severely injured and their cultivation foundation destroyed, and at the worst, they would be reduced to ashes and dust.
From this, one could see the viciousness of Sea God Sect¡¯s n.
Unfortunately, Mo Yan had seen through and dispelled this malicious n in an instant.
After extracting the seal, Mo Yan slowly withdrew the Red Lotus Fire from his palm.
With the absence of the Red Lotus Fire¡¯s scorching heat, the Cold Spirit Fire atop the Fire Seed also gradually extinguished, and the ripples that had been flowing on the surface of the burst Cold Spirit Fire dimmed significantly.
Mo Yan held the now somewhat wilted Fire Seed and pped it fiercely towards his lower abdomen Dantian, directly assimting the Fire Seed into his Dantian!
This caused even Lu Qingshan, who was watching, to shudder.
When refining a Fire Seed, it¡¯smonly necessary to prepare many Pills and Spirit Materials to assist in suppressing the violent power within the seed and to restrain the eruption of mes. Read new adventures at empire
But Mo Yan, as if drinking water, effortlessly brought the Cold Spirit Fire Seed into his Dantian.
Moreover, it is worth noting that there was already one type of Netherfire existing within Mo Yan¡¯s Dantian.
When Netherfire faces another Netherfire, there¡¯s a very high chance of it falling into a state of chaos and madness, and it could even be said to inevitably lead to conflict.
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This shows that Mo Yan was using the scorching of the Red Lotus Fire to stimte the Cold Spirit Fire, and thus extract the seal deeply embedded within the core of the Cold Spirit Fire Seed.
Mo Yan¡¯s actions were daringly excessive.
However, Mo Yan didn¡¯t seem to mind, and after absorbing the Cold Spirit Fire Seed into his Dantian, he seemed to notice Lu Qingshan¡¯s amazement and took the initiative to exin, "I have a unique physique, naturally highlypatible with Fire Seeds.
The Red Lotus Fire Seed even burrowed into me on its own when I first made contact with it. That was when I discovered my high capacity for housing Netherfire."
Incinerate Body!
Hearing this, Lu Qingshan came to a sudden realization, and his gaze toward Mo Yan couldn¡¯t help but grow more scrutinous.
Incinerate Body, a Legendary Talent, functions to make Mo Yan¡¯s affinity for mes reach an exaggerated level.
With the enhancement of Incinerate Body, refining a Fire Seed bes a matter as easy as flipping one¡¯s hand for its bearer.
But that is not where the strength of Incinerate Body truly lies.
What truly makes Incinerate Body powerful is that it greatly reduces the dangers of Netherfire Fusion.
Given that Netherfire is one of the most powerful forces in Heaven and Earth, the power that multiple Netherfires can release when fused together is unimaginable, enough to be called divine, forbidden power.
However, due to the conflict between different Netherfires, attempting to fuse Netherfire is a feat only those with a death wish would attempt, with very few sessful cases.
But for the bearers of Incinerate Body, this attempt is merely a trivial matter.
This is the domineering nature of a Legendary Talent.
Incinerate Body is the third Legendary Talent Lu Qingshan has encountered in this world, aside from his own Innate Swordseed and Lin Yao¡¯s Phantom Body Divine Vein.
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 150 - 19 Luring the Snake out of Its Hole
In the historical development of the Nine Heavens, just how many cultivators with legendary talents perished before they could grow?
Such thoughts flitted through Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
If all these cultivators with legendary talents had sessfully grown into great powers, perhaps the human race wouldn¡¯t have had such a hard time back then...
Mo Yan, who possessed a legendary talent, the peak-level skills of an Artifact Refiner, and equally extraordinary cultivation aptitude, was indeed a favored child of heaven. However, before this, Lu Qingshan had not heard of him.
This indicated one possibility: Mo Yan had most likely met an early demise, and the odds were that he had fallen at Jiaolong Ind.
Could it be that, in the end, the Dragon-ying Saber did not y the vile dragon?
Such a possibility suddenly urred to Lu Qingshan. As he gazed at Mo Yan, a few traces of scrutiny emerged in his eyes.
Of course, Mo Yan was unaware of these intricacies. Clutching the gray seal, a trace of coldness flickered in his eyes. He said to everyone, "Next, we just wait for the snake to leave its hole."
...
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Inside the Sea God Sect¡¯s deliberation hall.
"The mark in the Cold Spirit Fire Seed has appeared once again and has stayed in the same ce for quite some time. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should have reached its rightful owner by now." Having sensed the location of the mark, Real Person Han Bo opened his eyes, his voice hoarse.
That mark was left by him, and the n to lure and kill Master Mo with the Cold Spirit Fire Seed was also his suggestion.
He was the head of the Sea God Sect¡¯s Law Enforcement Hall. Eradicating external enemies was part of his duties, and his cultivation at the Golden Core Middle Stage also ranked him among the top five within the Sea God Sect.
"Shall we set out then?" Real Person Han Lang, who had received an urgent Spirit Message halfway and had hurried back to the sect to inform his fellow senior cultivators, spoke up.
"Yes, this time my Law Enforcement Hall will eradicate this disaster for the sect!" Real Person Han Bo¡¯s gaze turned fierce as he swept it over the other three Golden Core cultivators in the hall and said sternly, "Han Lang, Han Qing, Han Yi, the three of you will depart with me. Today, we¡¯ll let these petty people understand that the Sea God Sect is not to be trifled with!"
All cultivators of the Sea God Sect with the "Han" prefix were Golden Core cultivators.
Real Persons Han Lang, Han Qing, and Han Yi were all at the Golden Core Early Stage.
The Sea God Sect had a total of eleven Golden Core cultivators, and this time four were being dispatched, which could be considered a major operation. In Real Person Han Bo¡¯s eyes, the sess of this mission was almost certain.
To capture Master Mo alive, and perhaps follow the trail to uncover the secret of the Dragon-ying Saber, thereby eliminating it in one fell swoop.
This was the scheme nned by Real Person Han Bo.
"Understood." The three Golden Core Early Stage cultivators responded in unison.
...
Four serene beams of blue light silently shed out of the Sea God Sect¡¯s deliberation hall, inconspicuously flying towards Jiaolong City.
However, in the dwelling of a core disciple of the Sea God Sect, a cultivator was staring fixedly at the deliberation hall.
When he saw the four blue lights shoot up from the Sea God Sect, he immediately took out a Spirit que from his Storage Ring. Divine Sense probed into it, and with a flicker of light, a message was transmitted elsewhere.
"Four Spirit Snakes have been released."
...
Inside a separate courtyard, the Spirit que hanging at Mo Yan¡¯s waist suddenly stirred.
Mo Yan sent his Divine Sense into the Spirit que to receive the message, then softly said, "The Sea God Sect¡¯s cultivators areing."
Hearing Mo Yan say this, the three Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators from Lian Cheng, Lian State, and Lian Jun swiftly rose to their feet, clenching their fists in anticipation and showing eager expressions. A very faint hint of bloodthirstiness even mixed within.
As for Lu Qingshan, he casually nced at the Spirit que Mo Yan had put away, a gleam of sharpness passing through his eyes.
It seemed that even the Sea God Sect had been infiltrated by the Dragon-ying Saber. Otherwise, how could Mo Yan be so well-informed about such a secret operation by the Sea God Sect?
Considering the depth of the three Golden Core Middle Stage cultivators and their pration into the Sea God Sect, the foundation of the Dragon-ying Saber appeared to be extremely profound, not at all like a trivial mob.
...
Four streaks of blue light rapidly soared through the sky, hovering mid-air.
The four cultivators from the Sea God Sect had arrived.
"This is the ce," said Han Bo, gazing down at the courtyard below with a harsh tone, "My mark has been here for quite a while now.
Han Bo released his Divine Sense without any restraint, scanning the courtyard below.
The presence of four Golden Core cultivators filled Han Bo with confidence.
"It seems I¡¯ve made a fuss over a few Foundation Establishment cultivators," said Han Bo coldly after probing the courtyard with his Divine Sense, "However, among these Foundation Establishment cultivators, there must be one who is Master Mo. Given his status, he must know many secrets of the Dragon ying Saber."
"Capture him alive!" Han Bomanded, then with the intimidating presence of a senior cultivator, he dashed toward the courtyard, his cold and arrogant voice booming, "Thinking of escaping? Did you obtain my permission to leave on the Sea God Sect¡¯s territory?"
In his Divine Sense, he sensed that several Foundation Establishment cultivators were fleeing rapidly.
Han Bo didn¡¯t hesitate and, with an attitude like a cat toying with a mouse, he charged into the courtyard.
The other three Golden Core cultivators followed closely behind.
Inside the courtyard.
Perceiving that the four Golden Core cultivators of the Sea God Sect had plunged into the courtyard, Mo Yan, who deliberately revealed his presence, sneered, "I¡¯ve been waiting for you!"
Since Jiaolong City was built by the Sea God Sect, their sect gate was extremely close to the city, a mere step away for Golden Core cultivators.
Therefore, the core point of the n to lure the snake out of its hole was just one word.
Quick!
It had to be swift enough
that the Sea God Sect hadn¡¯t yet detected the disturbance here toe to their support before the battle was over.
Mo Yan opened his mouth and spit out a sparkling and translucent Spiritual Pearl that floated up in the air and radiated five-colored Radiance.
In the blink of an eye, the five-colored Radiance spread out, enveloping the entire courtyard.
"This magic artifact shouldst a moment. During this time, no movement can be detected from the outside, and no Spirit Messages will be transmitted," said Mo Yan in a chilling voice. "I¡¯ll trouble the three seniors to take over from here."
"Rest assured, Master Mo, leave this ce to us. We three have been waiting for our day of revenge for a long time!" Lian Cheng agreed, his eyes shing with contempt, "If not for our fear of the Jiaolong n, we would have annihted the Sea God Sect long ago; why would we have left them till now?"
"Do you think we need to escape?" Lian State sneered coldly, his voice carrying a killing intent that echoed throughout the courtyard.
As Mo Yan activated the Spiritual Pearl to raise the Radiance, the courtyard was sealed off. The Golden Core cultivators from the Sea God Sect would be trapped here for a short time. Thus, Lian State no longer held any reservation and openly mocked them.
Shriek! Shriek! Shriek!
The three Golden Core cultivators from the Dragon ying Saber, with a flick of their left hands, released colossal waves of water towards the Golden Core cultivators of the Sea God Sect.
The Sea God Sect, facing the mighty water waves, hurriedly summoned their own Magic Artifacts in defense.
"This is bad! The three Golden Core cultivators!" Han Bo¡¯s expression changed. Just from this encounter, he had already sensed that something was amiss, "Call for reinforcement from the sect immediately!"
Whether it was the rising Radiance or the three Golden Core cultivators concealed within the courtyard with hidden auras, it was clear that not only had their n failed, but they had actually fallen into an ambush and were trapped in a kill zone!
Boom!
A loud collision echoed through the air, scattering blue Spiritual Light.
The four Golden Core cultivators from the Sea God Sect managed to block the three water waves, but as the Spiritual Light faded, before their eyes stood Lian Cheng, Lian State, and Lian Jun, positioned in a triangr formation.
A faint glow encircled the three men, moving back and forth across their bodies as if one entity.
"A Combined Attack Formation!" Han Bo recognized the scene in an instant and, on seeing the identical figures and faces of the three men, his heart skipped a beat, "The Three Heroes of Lianyun Sect! You¡¯re not dead!"
Chapter 151 - 20: Merge and Slash the Golden Core
Lianyun Sect was once one of the three most powerful sects on Jiaolong Ind and one of the main fighting sects when the Jiaolong nunched an invasion on the Poseidon Archipgo.
And the Lianyun Trio were the most outstanding disciples of Lianyun Sect, already at the Foundation Establishmentter stage at that time.
Even more terrifying was the fact that the Lianyun Trio were triplets with telepathic understanding, proficient in the Combined Attack Formation.
It was said that under the Combined Attack Formation, the Lianyun Trio once fought briefly with a Golden Core Cultivator and tied.
During that battle, the sects on Jiaolong Ind were all burnt to the ground, leaving only the Sea God Sect to dominate alone.
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Who would have thought that the Lianyun Trio didn¡¯t perish along with the disappearance of Lianyun Sect but rather survived, and over two hundred yearster, even advanced to the Golden Core Middle Stage.
At the Foundation Establishmentter stage, the Lianyun Trio could rely on the Combined Attack Formation to temporarily elevate theirbat power to the Golden Core Stage.
Now that the three of them were at the Golden Core Middle Stage and deploying the Combined Attack Formation, what level of power would they reach?
Thinking of this, Real Person Han Bo couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill down his spine.
But there was no time for Real Person Han Bo to think further, as a massive spear made of Water Elemental Spiritual Power had rapidly condensed and formed, bringing with it an intimidating chill and killer intent, streaking straight towards Real Person Han Lang.
The shrewd and ruthless Lianyun Trio spotted the weakest point of the four Golden Core Cultivators from the Sea God Sect in an instant.
Real Person Han Lang, having just broken through to the Golden Core a year ago, was now facing a concerted attack from three Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivators.
In an instant, Han Lang was terrified, and in the next moment, he resorted to hisst card, with several streaks of Spiritual Light shing on his body.
But it was no use; the spear was unstoppable, effortlessly breaking through all his spell defenses, then destroying his Protective Magical Artifact, and finally, melting his Spiritual Power barrier.
With no ce to hide and no defense to offer, the spear plunged into his Dantian, and in an instant, a white light flickered, followed by a burst of blood, as Real Person Han Lang turned blue and fell straight backward, his Elemental Spirit scattering from his Dantian.
This Water Spirit Sharp Spear had directly shattered the Mud Pellet Golden Pill that he had cultivated for a hundred years!
The decisive and vicious actions of the Lianyun Trio resulted in the immediate loss of one member from the Sea God Sect Cultivators.
Real Person Han Bo watched this happen with fury in his eyes.
"Real Person, the Spirit Message can¡¯t be sent out; thisyer of Spiritual Light is blocking the transmission of the Spirit Message!" Han Qing hurriedly informed Real Person Han Bo at this moment.
When it rains, it pours!
This news made Real Person Han Bo even more desperate, but having cultivated to the Golden Core Realm, his mind was naturally extraordinary.
"Han Qing, you go and kill that Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Han Yi, you stay with me and hold off this Lianyun Trio!" In just an instant, Real Person Han Bo¡¯s gaze shifted, and he saw the only way out of the crisis, immediately transmitting the message.
If the Foundation Establishment Cultivator controlling the Spiritual Pearl was killed, theyer of Radiance that was hindering their escape would naturally break by itself!
Real Person Han Bo stood in the air, his robe fluttering, not minding the expense, and in an instant, the Spirit Talismans umted over many years in his Storage Ring poured out.
The dense, rain-like magical lights of spells immediately shot towards the Lianyun Trio.
Han Yi also activated his Magic Artifact, pinching a spell, and attacked the Lianyun Trio.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the order, Han Qing took advantage of the Lianyun Trio being temporarily held back by Real Person Han Bo and Han Yi, unable to get away, and his figure violently shot towards Mo Yan, who was controlling the Spiritual Pearl.
Golden Core against Foundation Establishment, Han Qing was full of confidence.
He also knew how urgent the situation was, so he made no reservations, using his strongest methods right from the start.
Like fine rain but numerous, fast, and powerful, the Water Arrow Technique indiscriminately enveloped Mo Yan.
Observing this situation, the Lianyun Trio merely nced sideways at the scene without a trace of panic.
This caused Real Person Han Bo, who was struggling against the Lianyun Trio, to have a bad premonition.
Could it be...
Seeing the sky-filled Water Arrowsing, Mo Yan disyed a confidently prepared posture, scoffing, "Is that all."
Then, he lifted his left hand, and a mboyantly fiery red Netherfire Red Lotus Fire roared out, circling in front of him, keeping him within its protection.
All the Water Arrows instantly hissed upon contact with the fire, turning into steam and evaporating.
Clouds and mist steamed up!
In the Five Elements, the Water Element inherently counters the Fire Element.
However, Mo Yan¡¯s me was the Netherfire Red Lotus Fire, while the Water Arrowsunched by Real Person Han Qing were merely the mostmon Water Element Spells.
With such a significant qualitative difference, the supposed counter rtionship naturally ceased to exist.
After effortlessly neutralizing Real Person Han Qing¡¯s spells, Mo Yan did not stop there; the Fire Ring around him rose, condensing into an extremely long Fire Spear in mid-air, with sparks flying in all directions.
"Kill!" With a light tap of his finger, Mo Yan sent the Red Lotus Fire Spear shooting towards Real Person Han Qing.
Confident and domineering!
Mo Yan, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, blocked Han Qing¡¯s attack and then took the offensive against Han Qing, who was in the initial stage of Golden Core.
Feeling the terrifying aura from the Fire Spear, Han Qing¡¯s face turned pale, and he quickly summoned a spell to block the Fire Spear.
A Water Spirit Shield appeared before the Fire Spear.
ng!
A metallic collision rang out.
Then came the sound of crackling, as spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the Water Spirit Shield, spreading rapidly.
Hiss!
The Water Spirit Shield shattered into specks of Spiritual Light that fell away as the Fire Spear broke through the Water Cloud Shield, taking advantage of the opening to stab into the chest of Han Qing.
There, a dazzling blue light shed once again.
That was Han Qing¡¯s Protective Magical Artifact, hisst line of defense.
No matter how strong the Red Lotus Fire was, the gap between the ranks of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was ultimately there.
This time, after grinding away most of the Spiritual Light of Han Qing¡¯s Protective Magical Artifact, the spear formed by the Red Lotus Fire eventually ran out of momentum and slowly dissipated.
Whoosh!
Just as Han Qing had barely heaved a sigh of relief, a piercingly swift sound suddenly reached his ears.
What was that?!
In his field of vision, a sword shadow was growingrger.
Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword!
Following closely behind Mo Yan¡¯s Netherfire spear, it arrived precisely when Han Qing¡¯s old strength had waned and new strength had yet to surface, the timing exquisitely perfect.
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s Flying Sword is something that a Golden Core Cultivator would normally not fear.
But Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword was simply too fast.
It was a terrifying Flying Sword that was only a whisker away from the speed of sound.
Han Qing dared not underestimate it, forcibly gathering his breath to activate his Protective Magical Artifact once more.
Boom!
This time, the Protective Aura mostly dissipated, and Han Qing spat out blood in distress. Looking at the Flying Sword whose momentum was fading, he was greatly relieved, "I¡¯ve finally blocked it."
"It¡¯s not over yet," a voice with a hint of mockery reached his ears.
Han Qing¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and in front of him, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had suddenly appeared.
It was Lu Qingshan, following closely behind Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword using the Formless Sword Escape, arriving only a half-breathter.
After realizing Lu Qingshan¡¯s attack was iing, Han Qing only had time for a hasty rotation of his Spiritual Power, barely maintaining a thinyer of it around his body... Mo Yan and Zang Xiaojian¡¯s sessive attacks left him, in this brief moment, unable to summon a significant amount of Spiritual Power...
But unsure of where Lu Qingshan¡¯s attack wouldnd, he could only brace himself and spread the scant Spiritual Power he could muster around his entire body, hoping to protect himself.
Han Qing held onto a sliver of hope.
Though the tactics of those two Foundation Establishment Cultivators were heaven-defying enough, surely a third monstrously talented Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn¡¯t exist?
Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator before him was only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
Perhaps, I can withstand it?
Han Qing didn¡¯t realize that he, who had started with full confidence, was now beginning to doubt himself.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s sword was aimed at the head of Han Qing.
Secret Sword: Wind sh!
Two afterimages appeared, carrying the fierce Sword Qi, and directly shed onto Han Qing¡¯s skull.
A vast spray of blood burst forth, and Han Qing¡¯s skull exploded, leaving a massive gash!
Watching the substantial experience gain notification pop up on his data panel, Lu Qingshan confirmed that Han Qing, at the initial stage of Golden Core, was dead!
...
It was not unjust for Han Qing at the initial stage of Golden Core to die.
Though Han Qing did not hold back, his underestimation of Foundation Establishment Cultivators led to him not anticipating Mo Yan¡¯s counterattack, resulting in insufficient preparation on his part.
This oversight allowed him to fall instantly under the nested attacks of these three exceptional Foundation Establishment Cultivators: Mo Yan who wielded Netherfire, Zang Xiaojian whose Flying Sword was nearing the speed of sound, and Lu Qingshan who could use Secret Sword Technique even at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Lu Qingshan slowly sheathed his sword.
Curiously enough, he had had nomunication with Zang Xiaojian, yet they had cooperated tacitly, both choosing to strike at the same time.
This was the tacit understanding between Sword Cultivators.
After jointly witnessing the atrocities of the Sea God Sect on the ind and the so-called sacrificial ceremony, both he and Zang Xiaojian had been enduring, but the resentment had been echoing in their hearts.
Now facing the cultivators of the Sea God Sect, both of them chose to help Mo Yan without hesitation and killed Han Qing.
The reason was simple: for the most free-spirited Sword Cultivators, if one held resentment but did not act upon it, how could one¡¯s heart remain unobstructed thereafter?
Chapter 152 - 21 Mrs. Mo
"What?!" As they saw Han Qing switch his attack to Mo Yan, yet still showing a calm demeanor, even the Lianyun Triplets couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft cry at that moment.
They knew of Master Mo¡¯s abilities.
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And precisely because they understood how extraordinary Master Mo was, even when they discovered that a Golden Core Cultivator was confronting Mo Yan, they remained unflustered and weren¡¯t too worried.
But the Lianyun Triplets had never imagined that Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian, these two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, would be so formidable. They were not inferior to Master Mo in the slightest and, after coordinating their efforts, they instantly decapitated Han Qing.
...
The death of Han Qing was like thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, causing both Han Yi and Han Bo, the Golden Core Cultivators, to lose all their will to fight instantly.
They couldn¡¯t understand why a cultivator at the early stage of the Golden Core, in just a blink of an eye, would die at the hands of three Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
They were even more baffled by how their carefullyid n had taken such a turn.
The situation had evolved into Han Yi and Han Bo battling alone against the Lianyun Triplets.
There was already a significant gap in theirbat power, and under the enhancement of the Combined Attack Formation, the Lianyun Triplets were even more overwhelmingly powerful.
In just a brief moment, they beheaded the two Golden Core Cultivators without any hitch.
ncing over the corpses of the four Golden Core Cultivators from the Sea God Sect, a look of satisfaction shed across the faces of the Lianyun Triplets.
"I¡¯ll handle the aftermath; you prepare to move out." Seeing that the cat-and-mouse y had concluded, Mo Yan crumbled the mark that had been attracting the cultivators of the Sea God Sect and said softly.
Lian State nodded and responded, "Then we¡¯ll leave this to Master Mo, and the three of us will take our leave now."
Mo Yan¡¯s gaze became slightly intense. His right hand holding the Spiritual Pearl shed a faint light, immediately revealing an opening in the boundary of the courtyard.
The Lianyun Triplets, without further words, transformed into Escaping Light and swiftly departed.
"The Lianyun Triplets, seeking revenge for their Sect being destroyed, changed their identities on Jiaolong Ind and hid their names for a century." Watching the disappearing figures of the Lianyun Triplets, Mo Yan¡¯s eyes conveyed a peculiar meaning as he spoke to himself, exining, "The members of the Dragon ying Saber, much like the Lianyun Triplets, bear a deep-seated grudge against the Sea God Sect and the Jiaolong n, which is why they resolutely embarked on this path of opposition."
"Well, let¡¯s not talk about that now." Mo Yan sighed, then turned to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian and asked, "Do you want toe with me? It will be convenient to inform you as soon as there is news of the person you are looking for."
Mo Yan was still his usual self, speaking with a smile and without revealing anything unnecessary.
However, Lu Qingshan could clearly feel that Mo Yan seemed more sincere than before.
Perhaps it was because he and Zang Xiaojian had just chosen to help out?
Regardless, Lu Qingshan was not averse to further interactions with Mo Yan, so he didn¡¯t refuse Mo Yan¡¯s invitation and agreed, "Okay."
Xin Yue had, ording to Mo Yan¡¯s instructions, tidied up the courtyard, and respectfully reported to Mo Yan, "Master Mo, everything is ready."
Mo Yan nodded, "Good, thank you for your hard work. If there are no other issues, you should also move out as soon as possible."
"Understood." Xin Yue replied and quickly turned to leave.
Mo Yan took a look around the courtyard to ensure that there were no oversights, flicked his fingertips, and a small me fell in a corner of the courtyard, gradually spreading, and the fire quickly grew fiercer.
"We should leave too," Mo Yan whispered. Then, he put away the Spiritual Pearl, and the five-colored radiancepletely vanished.
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian followed Mo Yan and also evacuated the courtyard.
Soon after, mes soared into the sky, engulfing the quiet courtyard located in a secluded corner of Jiaolong City and burning it to ashes, leaving no trace behind.
...
"Here we are." Mo Yan led Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian to a courtyard within Jiaolong City itself, "This is where I live."
The courtyard they faced was modest with only one doorway, appearing much smaller than the previous courtyard. Its only advantage might be its environment, far from the bustling streets, and very tranquil.
Mo Yan stepped forward and tapped lightly on the door.
Could it be that this young-looking Master Mo already had a Dao Companion?
Seeing Mo Yan¡¯s action, Lu Qingshan mused to himself.
The courtyard was notrge, so the likelihood of hiring servants or attendants was low, especially since too many people could lead to aplicated situation. Moreover, given Mo Yan¡¯s need for secrecy, it wouldn¡¯t be suitable to have strangers at his residence.
Clearly, anyone who would live with Mo Yan must be exceptionally close to him.
Soon, the gate was opened from the inside.
The door was opened by a woman dressed in a light green silk blouse, approximately thirty years old, with a sharp face and long eyebrows, very beautiful in appearance.
"Mother, I¡¯m back," Mo Yan said, his face breaking into a very gentle smile.
The beautiful woman immediately excited, stepped forward, grasping Mo Yan¡¯s left arm while pouting andining, "You haven¡¯t been back for nearly half a month, huh!"
Mo Yan, unusually, showed an embarrassed expression and pointed to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian behind him, saying, "I¡¯ve brought two friends home."
Upon this reminder from Mo Yan, the beautiful woman then noticed the outsiders present.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mo," Lu Qingshan was also taken aback for a moment, as he genuinely didn¡¯t expect the young and beautiful woman before him to be Mo Yan¡¯s mother, but he quickly recovered, giving Mrs. Mo the respects due to an elder.
Zang Xiaojian also followed Lu Qingshan¡¯s lead, greeting the beautiful women with respect.
Mrs. Mo was delighted, weing the guests inside while warmly inviting, "Alright,e in and let¡¯s talk first."
...
Inside the living room.
Mrs. Mo carried out tea and pastries from the kitchen, serving the two guests.
"Mother, this is Lu Qingshan," Mo Yan introduced, pointing to Lu Qingshan, then pointing to the little girl who was enjoying the pastries, "This is Zang Xiaojian."
Mrs. Mo looked at Zang Xiaojian with eager, round eyes, asking, "Do you like it?"
Zang Xiaojian, her cheeks puffed up, nodded her little head, mumbling, "Mmm... Delicious..."
Mrs. Mo immediately beamed with pride, "I made these myself!"
Helpless in face of his mother¡¯s character, Mo Yan spread his hands in resignation towards Lu Qingshan.
"Squeak!" The King Rat, who had been hidden in the Spirit Beast Bag all this while, couldn¡¯t resist jumping out and looked eagerly at Mrs. Mo, asking, "Can I have a piece too?"
Mrs. Mo was initially stunned but quickly smiled and said, "Of course you can."
With Mrs. Mo¡¯s permission, King Rat no longer hesitated and quickly joined in the feast.
Mo Yan was quite surprised, "Is this Young Master Lu¡¯s Beast Pet? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it."
Lu Qingshan shook his head, "Barely, it has no other skills besides eating, that¡¯s why I never called it out to embarrass us."
"Young Master Lu, what is your opinion of the Sea God Sect?" Mo Yan chatted with Lu Qingshan for a bit, eventually steering the conversation back to the main topic, asking formally.
"With the strength of your Dragon ying Saber, wiping out the Sea God Sect doesn¡¯t seem difficult, does it?" Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t directly answer Mo Yan¡¯s question but instead countered.
With just the Lian Yun trio alone, they were more than enough to keep the Sea God Sect busy. ording to what Mo Yan said, there were many others like the Lian Yun trio in the Dragon ying Saber, clearly showing that, in terms of strength, the Dragon ying Saber was at least equal, if not superior, to the Sea God Sect.
Mo Yan pondered for a moment, then said, "I won¡¯t hide it from you, in reality, our Dragon ying Saber¡¯s strength far surpasses that of the Sea God Sect."
"However..." Mo Yan¡¯s gaze deepened, "the real problem isn¡¯t with the Sea God Sect itself. Destroying the Sea God Sect isn¡¯t difficult, but as long as the Jiaolong n exists, even if we exterminate the Sea God Sect, there will be a second and a third Sea God Sect to emerge."
"Therefore, the aim of our Dragon ying Saber, as the name suggests, has always been the Jiaolong n!"
Lu Qingshan was silent for a while before answering Mo Yan¡¯s earlier question, "A traitor to one¡¯s kin is no different from beasts."
Mo Yan nced at his mother.
Mrs. Mo was chatting amiably with Zang Xiaojian about something on the side.
"Young Master Lu, may we step outside for a talk?" Mo Yan hesitated for a moment, but finally made up his mind and asked.
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Chapter 153 - 22 Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique
Lu Qingshan gave Mo Yan a slight nod and stood up to leave the hall.
Neither of them noticed that just as they rose to their feet, Mrs. Mo, who was in conversation with Zang Xiaojian, cast an inadvertent nce at the two men preparing to depart, her brows slightly furrowed.
The two men quietly left the hall.
"Does Master Mo have something important?" Lu Qingshan was indeed quite curious about why Mo Yan had called him out alone.
"It¡¯s not exactly a big deal, but it is very important to me," Mo Yan stared intently into Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes and asked, "You¡¯ve seen my mother, what do you think of her personality?"
After contemting for a moment, Lu Qingshan objectively responded, "She¡¯s like a young girl, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with that."
"That¡¯s right," sensing the sincerity in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes, Mo Yan nodded earnestly and began to exin, "ording to what our Dragon ying Saber knows, the Jiaolong Demon King is currently nning to transform into a dragon.
If the Jiaolong Demon King sessfully transforms, the millions of the Human Race living on the Poseidon Archipgo will have no chance of turning the tides and will be plunged into shadows.
Although for a Jiaolong, transforming into a dragon is an extremely difficult task with a high chance of failure, we cannot take that risk. Therefore, we must eliminate the Jiaolong Demon King before it transforms.
The day we have prepared many years for to strike is now close at hand, and time is of the essence. This is also why we have endured for so long and suddenly decided to move against the Sea God Sect."
"However," Mo Yan looked somewhat troubled and hesitated to say, "although this strike has been nned for many years, the Jiaolong Demon King is after all a Fourth Grade demon beast, and we are not very confident. We can only say we will give it our best shot."
"If we win, we secure a bright future for our people, which is naturally good. But if we lose, we will be unable to escape our fate.
I can put life and death out of my mind if need be, but if we identally fail, when the Jiaolong n settles ounts with the people of the Dragon ying Saber, I fear my mother..."
Lu Qingshan faintly understood Mo Yan¡¯s thoughts, "You mean..."
Mo Yan nodded and said with some emotion, "My mother may not look young, but to me, she is just like a young girl, innocent and cheerful.
I can hardly believe that such a person with her temperament managed toe to Jiaolong Ind alone twenty years ago with me in her womb and raise me."
"Perhaps this is the strength of a mother," Lu Qingshan offered.
Mo Yan spoke somewhat indignantly, "Butter, when I grew up and asked about my father, she always gave vague and unclear responses, never providing a straight answer. One moment she would say my father had long since died, the next that he disappeared...
I¡¯ve always suspected that she might have been deceived by some smooth-talking scoundrel..."
Facing the topic of his own mother, and uncharacteristically beginning to ramble andin endlessly, Lu Qingshan found this side of Mo Yan much more approachablepared to the previously watertight Mo Yan.
After talking at length, Mo Yan suddenly realized he had digressed, and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I¡¯ve gone off-topic.
In short, I haven¡¯t discussed the Dragon ying Saber¡¯s affairs with my mother, and she has no connection with the Dragon ying Saber.
So to speak, even if things are exposed in the end, she should not be implicated.
But as you know, a son always worries more and wants to consider everything thoroughly.
With my mother¡¯s personality, if I¡¯m gone, she is likely to suffer. If I can¡¯t take care of her myself when that timees and can¡¯t find a trustworthy person to help, I just can¡¯t be at peace. But finding that person is incredibly difficult..."
"My mother is actually quite wealthy," Mo Yan said somewhat embarrassingly, "In the Cultivation World, where interest prevails, I can¡¯t trust others who might be greedy for her wealth at that time.
Dragon ying Saber people are trustworthy, but given their status, no matter how well they handle things, traces are inevitable to be left. I fear that it might backfire and inadvertently implicate my mother.
So I¡¯ve been troubled about this for a long time, until I met you and Daoist Zang."
```
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"You¡¯ve only had contact with us twice, yet you trust us so much?" Lu Qingshan said with a half-smile.
Unperturbed by Lu Qingshan¡¯s teasing, Mo Yan spoke his heart sincerely, "The first time we met, I gave you arge sum of Spirit Stones to help me purchase the Cold Spirit Fire Seed.
You kept your word and brought back the Cold Spirit Fire Seed for me, which shows that you, Lu Qingshan, are not a person who forgets righteousness at the sight of profit. That established a certain level of trust in my heart.
The second time we met, you noticed the issue with the Cold Spirit Fire Seed and had no intention of hiding it. Instead, you were ready to tell the truth. I could sense some of your high righteousness even if only a little.
After that, when luring the four Golden Core members of the Sea God Sect to their assassination, you and Zang Xiaojian took the initiative to assist us in killing a Golden Core Cultivator from the Sea God Sect. This also indicates that you could not possibly stand on the Sea God Sect¡¯s side, which lessened my concerns."
"The most important thing is..." Mo Yan said gravely, "with the methods the two of you employ, you are clearly rare talents among cultivators, born into prestigious sects. Such individuals are likely to be more upfront and righteous than other cultivators."
"Therefore, I earnestly request that, should we fail in ying the dragon, Young Master Lu, you would take my mother away from the trouble-filled Jiaolong Ind."
After stating his request, Mo Yan took out a Jade Slip from his Storage Ring and handed it to Lu Qingshan.
"What is this?" Lu Qingshan asked as he took the Jade Slip.
"Since I am entrusting such an important matter to you, it is only natural that I provide Young Master Lu with adequatepensation.
Ordinary Spirit Stones and Magic Artifacts may not catch Young Master Lu¡¯s eye. However, having just seen you and Zang Xiaojian in action, I noticed you are both Sword Cultivators. Therefore, you might find some interest in this item," Mo Yan exined.
"If it reallyes down to the scenario I have anticipated, then I will have to trouble Young Master Lu to take good care of my mother. This Jade Slip can be considered aspensation.
Even if our Dragon ying Saber is fortunate enough to kill the wicked dragon, this Jade Slip will still belong to Young Master Lu, as a gift to a friend."
"You have a look at the content, then tell me your decision," Mo Yan said with pursed lips.
Curious about Mo Yan¡¯s confident demeanor, Lu Qingshan let his Divine Sense probe into the Jade Slip:
[Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique]
Learning conditions: Normal Sword Control Technique level greater than 10
Casting conditions: This skill can only be cast through a Sword Artifact.
Description: An advanced Sword Control Technique, with a maximum level of 20.
Skill effects: Wield the sword with the Primordial Spirit, increase the speed of Sword Control by consuming additional Divine Sense, and temper the Divine Soul to enhance the Divine Sense. However, cultivation is extremely difficult.
Supplementary exnation: The stronger the Divine Sense, the more Spiritual Power is consumed, and the faster the speed of Sword Control.
Additional exnation: Learning this skill requires the expenditure of five thousand Experience Points.
Additional exnation: From level 1 to level 5, for every level the skill is increased, Divine Sense +2
From level 6 to level 10, for every level the skill is increased, Divine Sense +5
From level 11 to level 15, for every level the skill is increased, Divine Sense +10
From level 16 to level 20, for every level the skill is increased, Divine Sense +20.
...
```
Chapter 154 - 23: The Gift
This was an extremely precious Sword Control Technique, possessing both Escape Technique and Soul Tempering effects.
However.....
"Why, as a Dharma Cultivation, do you possess such a precious Sword Cultivation Method?" Lu Qingshan asked with keen interest.
Advanced Sword Control Techniques were always the closely guarded secrets of major Sword Cultivation Sects.
Even Dantai Qingrun, who hailed from a Sword Cultivation Noble Family, practiced Sword Control Techniques that were inferior to this Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique.
"Actually," Mo Yan said with a smile, "I¡¯ve also wanted to ask this question because this Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique isn¡¯t mine; it belongs to my mother."
"Mrs. Mo?" Lu Qingshan eximed in surprise.
"For some reason, my mother possesses many Sword Cultivation items, and," Mo Yan said with a shrug and a sense of helplessness, "every time I inquire about the origins of these Sword Cultivation items, my mother never gives me a straight answer.
What¡¯s more peculiar is that, although she possesses so many Sword Cultivation items, she, who generally does not interfere with my decisions, was extremely serious on the day I started learning Artifact Refining. She explicitly made three agreements with me, strictly forbidding me from crafting any Sword Artifacts."
Lu Qingshan was pensive, as the specific circumstances indeed seemed quiteplicated.
"It seems that you are very satisfied with this Dharma method." Mo Yan brought the conversation back to the main topic.
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly.
He had always been in need of a spell for Soul Tempering.
The Divine Soul, Spiritual Power, and Physical Body are the three directions of a Cultivator¡¯s cultivation.
Enhancing the Divine Soul provides extremelyprehensive benefits for a Cultivator, as soul tempering can greatly bolster one¡¯s abilities.
The importance of the Divine Soul cannot be overstated; feeling deeply moved by such a Dharma method was absolutely inevitable.
Lu Qingshan pondered deeply for a while before he slowly said, "Since you are willing to trust me, I cannot promise much, but taking good care of it is absolutely no problem."
If he really was to look after Mrs. Mo, he wouldn¡¯t have the time or energy, but he was not alone; he had his family.
If it indeed reached the situation Mo Yan anticipated, he would just bring Mrs. Mo back to the Lu Family; considering the character of those two old men in his family, Mrs. Mo would not suffer any grievance whatsoever, and he would definitely not let Mo Yan down.
"However," Lu Qingshan thought very thoroughly, "what if Mrs. Mo refuses to leave Jiaolong Ind with me when the timees?"
"I¡¯ll naturally handle that," Mo Yan said, visibly cheered by Lu Qingshan¡¯s agreement.
With that said by Mo Yan, Lu Qingshan no longer had any objections.
When Lu Qingshan and Mo Yan returned to the hall, the tray of pastries that Mrs. Mo had prepared had already beenpletely devoured by Zang Xiaojian and the King of Western Rats.
...
Mo Yan arranged for him and Zang Xiaojian to stay in the eastern guestroom for the night.
Lu Qingshan was sorting out his thoughts.
If things went well, once the news about the Dragon ying Saber arrived, he should be able to locate the head of the Mo Family.
However, if things did not go as he expected, where should he start then?
Knock... Knock...
Lu Qingshan gently tapped his fingers on the desk, muttering to himself.
The head of the Mo Family... Mo Yan... The connection between these two was obvious, but there were still some gaps that were hard to bridge.
Creak.
The noise from the wooden window interrupted Lu Qingshan¡¯s thoughts.
The wooden window moved up and down a bit, and a nimble figure jumped in.
Seeing who it was, Lu Qingshan somewhat helplessly touched his forehead, "Why can¡¯t you use the front door? Do you have to enter through the window like a thief? Did you learn this from the King of Western Rats?"
"How did the King of Western Rats disappear again?" Zang Xiaojian looked around the room, asked cheerfully while walking up to the desk to sit opposite Lu Qingshan, and took something out from his sleeve to hand to Lu Qingshan.
"He¡¯s been eating too many Blood Spirit Beads recently, seems like he¡¯s about to awaken his powers again? He¡¯s been very drowsy every day, now hiding in the Spirit Beast Bag to rest," Lu Qingshan replied, then looked at the golden, exquisite pastry in Zang Xiaojian¡¯s hand, and curiously asked, "What is this?"
"Delicious! I specially saved a piece for you," Zang Xiaojian pursed his lips, his ck eyes surveying Lu Qingshan, looking very animated, "What did Master Mo talk to you about outside?"
Lu Qingshan took the pastry, tasted a bite, and indeed found it delicious and sweet, with a hint of Spiritual Energy embedded inside, no wonder Zang Xiaojian was so happy eating it.
After some thought, Lu Qingshan told Zang Xiaojian about his trade with Mo Yan.
Just as Zang Xiaojian was about to say something, a sudden knock at the door interrupted him.
Lu Qingshan frowned slightly and walked to the door to open it.
"Mrs. Mo." Seeing the visitor clearly, Lu Qingshan¡¯s confusion grew, "What can I do for you?"
"Oh, Zang Xiaojian is here too," Mrs. Mo peeked inside and saw Zang Xiaojian sitting in the room and cheerfully said, "That saves me another trip."
"Pleasee in," Lu Qingshan invited Mrs. Mo into the room.
"Yan¡¯er told me, both you and Xiaojian are Sword Cultivators?" Mrs. Mo blinked as she looked at them, asking.
Lu Qingshan nodded, "Yes."
Seeing Lu Qingshan¡¯s affirmation, a candid smile appeared on Mrs. Mo¡¯s face and she quickly pulled out many Jade Slips from her Storage Ring, piling them into a small mountain on the table.
"What are these?" Lu Qingshan asked, puzzled.
"They are all experiences and insights from Sword Cultivators, merely decorations to me, but they should be very useful to you Sword Cultivators, right?" Mrs. Mo said softly.
Lu Qingshan casually picked up a few Jade Slips and sent his Divine Sense into them.
Misceneous Sword Qi Discussions, Sword Qi Fment Annotation, Sword Intent ssification, Flying Sword Amplification, ¡
They were a dazzling array; although none were Dharma spells or Sword techniques, these records of experience were extremely valuable to Sword Cultivators, capable of saving them many detours.
"What does Mrs. Mo mean?"
Mrs. Mo was very pleased, pushing the small mountain of Jade Slips towards them, "They¡¯re all for you."
Faced with Mrs. Mo¡¯s generosity, Lu Qingshan hesitated slightly.
Seeing Lu Qingshan¡¯s confusion, Mrs. Mo took the initiative to say, "This is the first time Yan¡¯er has brought friends home!"
Hearing Mrs. Mo say this, an image of Mo Yan spontaneously emerged in Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind.
It matched his own thoughts; people like Mo Yan, warm and pleasant to others, seemed easy to get along with but were actually the hardest to befriend.
Because such people kept all their emotions inside, making it hard for others to grasp their true thoughts.
Since Mrs. Mo was so straightforward, Lu Qingshan nced again at Zang Xiaojian, who seemed very interested in the Jade Slips, and no longer held back, "These Jade Slips are indeed very useful to me, I will gratefully ept them."
"Are Yan¡¯er and the others nning to take action soon?" Mrs. Mo suddenly changed the topic, catching Lu Qingshan off guard.
Lu Qingshan was startled, "Why do you say that, Mrs. Mo?"
Mrs. Mo huffed slightly in displeasure and said, "Yan¡¯er always thinks I don¡¯t understand anything, but say what you will, don¡¯t I know my own child?
He has never told me anything, but he never brings outsiders home, and every time he leaves home, he¡¯s gone for half a month, rarely staying at home, sneaking around, he used to be closest to me when he was little, but now he never even goes shopping with me.
I realized long ago that he must be involved in something extremely dangerous, and he acts this way to avoid involving me."
"On Jiaolong Ind, what else could make Yan¡¯er so cautious if not being enemies with the Jiaolong n?"
"Today, however, he has unusually brought you two friends home, and I heard that the Jiaolong Demon King is about to transform into a dragon, so I guess, they must be getting ready to make a move."
Mrs. Mo, you¡¯re far more astute than you appear.
Faced with Mrs. Mo¡¯s well-reasoned analysis, Lu Qingshan muttered to himself.
Mrs. Mo had guessed almost correctly, denying it didn¡¯t make much sense, and it wasn¡¯t exactly a secret, so Lu Qingshan straightforwardly admitted, "Yes, Mo Yan and the others are nning to y the demon before the Jiaolong Demon King transforms."
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Receiving Lu Qingshan¡¯s confirmation, Mrs. Mo didn¡¯t say much more and left worriedly.
Turning to look at the mountain of Jade Slips piled on the table, Lu Qingshan suddenly realized that Mrs. Mo¡¯s gesture had hidden intentions of obliging him to speak.
First, she gave him arge gift, and then when asking questions, he felt ufortable evading the topic. Having realized this, Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, "There¡¯s quite a lot on her mind..."
Meanwhile, Zang Xiaojian, who just a moment ago seemed uninterested and set down the Jade Slip in his hand, his behavior starkly different from when Mrs. Mo was present.
"These types of Jade Slips, I have plenty at home, and have seen many; I¡¯m just not that interested anymore." Facing Lu Qingshan¡¯s surprised look, Zang Xiaojian pointed to the Jade Slips on the table and exined to Lu Qingshan, "But since Mrs. Mo kindly offered us a gift, I had to appear happy, so she would feel happy too. So, you keep these Jade Slips."
Chapter 155 - 24: Furious Rage
"Your family seems quite extravagant," Lu Qingshan said straightforwardly, seeing that Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t need it, he put all the jade slips on the table into his storage ring.
"What do you think is the rtionship between Mo Yan and Madam Mo with the Mo Family Head we are looking for?" Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyes sparkled with a hint of smugness, "I probed Madam Mo, and she came to settle on Jiaolong Ind twenty years ago while pregnant. This timing is very odd."
"It seems you¡¯re not just busy eating; you also know how to gather information," Lu Qingshan chuckled. The issue Zang Xiaojian raised was naturally not overlooked by him, not to mention, he had much more information than Zang Xiaojian.
Lu Qingshan pointed out, "Three points¡ªfirst, they all share the Mo surname. This point is a bit far-fetched but worthy of note is Mo Yan¡¯s identity as an Artifact Refiner.
Artifact refining, aside from talent, heritage is extremely important. For Mo Yan to be a master, there must be either an Artifact Master guiding him or aplete artifact refining heritage behind him.
The second point is about the timing you mentioned¡ªtwenty years ago, the Dragon Spring Mo Family was destroyed, and Madam Mo coincidentally appeared on Jiaolong Ind at that time, which is too much of a coincidence.
Thest point, neither Madam Mo nor Mo Yan are Sword Cultivators, yet they possess so many items associated with sword cultivators, which is peculiar.
But if they are from a Sword Casting Family, these three points can all be reasonably exined."
"Bam!" Zang Xiaojian excitedly knocked on the table.
"However," Lu Qingshan continued, "Now, a major question remains¡ªif it¡¯s as we suspect, why do we only see Madam Mo and not the Mo Family Head.
Furthermore, it¡¯s clear that Mo Yan is unaware of his origins. Why would Madam Mo not reveal the matters of the Mo Family to Mo Yan? What exactly happened?"
"Indeed, it¡¯s very strange." Hearing Lu Qingshan put it that way, Zang Xiaojian frowned, looking expectantly at Lu Qingshan, "Do you know the reason?"
Lu Qingshan shook his head, "To find out the underlying reasons, we might only discover them once we meet this Mo Family Head."
"However," Lu Qingshan paced gracefully, "I always feel that Mo Yan and Madam Mo will be crucial in acquiring the Three-feet Edge."
...
The young girl rambled on for a long while before finally leaving Lu Qingshan¡¯s room.
With matters concluded, Lu Qingshan took out the Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique given by Mo Yan.
"Would you like to learn the skill: ¡¯Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique¡¯?"
"Yes!"
"Detected ¡¯Liuyan Sword Control Technique¡¯ (lv5) does not meet the learning conditions, unable to learn this skill!"
"Detected talent ¡¯Innate Swordseed¡¯, spending three thousand experience points, learning ¡¯Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique¡¯...."
"You have sessfully mastered ¡¯Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique¡¯, Divine Sense +2!"
"Detected that the yer has mastered a Sword Control Technique, higher tier Sword Control Technique will automatically overwrite the lower tier Sword Control Technique, ¡¯Liuyan Sword Control Technique¡¯ has been overridden, Liuyan Sword Control Technique experience points automatically converted to Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique."
"Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique upgraded to lv2 (300/7500), Divine Sense +2!"
After mastering the Primordial Spirit Sword Control Technique, Lu Qingshan felt a mysterious and profound power merging into his Divine Soul. In that instant, his Vital Essence surged, reaching a new peak.
This was the impact of his Divine Soul strength increasing by twenty percent.
Lu Qingshan nced at his attribute panel again.
After ying a Golden Core Cultivator of the Sea God Sect, his experience points once again reached fifty thousand.
After a brief contemtion, Lu Qingshan left ten thousand experience points as a base and allocated the remaining forty thousand into the Flying Sword Technique, raising the level of his Flying Sword Technique to sixteen.
In the moment his experience points were allocated, Lu Qingshan had a burst of rity in his mind, and insights spontaneously emerged, allowing him to feel his control over the Flying Sword climb another level.
A momentter, Lu Qingshan¡¯s closed eyes slowly opened.
Phew!
Lu Qingshan extended a hand, and the Peach Wood Sword shot out horizontally, moving around the room like a fish swimming through water, incredibly fast yet exceedingly nimble.
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95% of the speed of sound.
After receiving a significant upgrade in his Flying Sword Technique, the speed of Lu Qingshan¡¯s flying sword had increased slightly again, inching closer to the supersonic speed, the first realm of the Flying Sword.
He was currently only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Even though increasing the speed of the flying sword closer to the speed of sound became more challenging, he should be able to break through to the firstyer realm before reaching the Golden Core stage at this rate.
If he really managed to achieve this step, by then, with just his Flying Sword Technique alone, Lu Qingshan could almost dominate amidst the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
The next day.
Mo Yan handed a jade slip to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian.
"This contains the information you requested. In the past twenty years, there were four individuals who purchasedrge quantities of Sangluo wine on the ind, all from sizable merchant families, which isn¡¯t surprising.
In addition, there were over three hundred individuals who purchased Sangluo wine continuously over these twenty years. Each person¡¯s detailed information is recorded in this jade slip."
"However," Mo Yan paused and hesitated, "among these people¡¯s names, there isn¡¯t anyone who suddenly appeared on Jiaolong Ind in thest twenty years as you mentioned.
Everyone on the list has a clear origin and background, visible at a nce, all natives born and bred on the ind."
"Oh?" A glint shed in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes.
Indeed, the progress of the matter was not as smooth as he had hoped.
"Then, thank you very much, Master Mo." Lu Qingshan bowed to Mo Yan.
Mo Yan nodded, "Now, you discuss."
...
"What should we do next?" Zang Xiaojian sniffled, quite vexed, "As Mo Yan said, if all the people on the list are citizens of Jiaolong Ind, surely there can¡¯t be the existence of the Mo Family Head."
"Or could it be that Mo Yan is hiding something?"
Lu Qingshan shook his head, "Unlikely. If he intended to hide something, he wouldn¡¯t have revealed so much information, allowing us to infer his rtionship with the Mo Family. Such a foolish act of trying to hide the sky with one hand."
"Then?"
"Identities and origins can be faked," Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes gleamed, "Hearing is falsehood, seeing is believing, we should go through this list exhaustively!"
...
In the main hall of the Sea God Sect.
The Great Elder of the Sea God Sect, his hair fully white, stood above the main seat, his face grim.
The atmosphere inside the hall was oppressively tense.
"Han Bo, along with Han Qing, Han Lang, and Han Yi, four Golden Core Cultivators, went to y the Dragon ying Saber Cultivator but died tragically without even sending a spirit message for help," the Great Elder of the Sea God Sect said angrily. "The power of the Dragon ying Saber far exceeds our expectations.
Right now, as the Demon King is preparing for his transformation into a dragon, they have already begun to stir."
"Great Elder, should we report this to the Demon King?" the Sect Master of the Sea God Sect asked anxiously, "We are in the open, they are in the shadows. They know everything about our Sea God Sect, yet we know nothing about the Dragon ying Saber. This is not advantageous for us."
"The Demon King is currently fully upied with preparing for his transformation and can¡¯t spare concern for us," the Great Elder shook his head, "Moreover, if the Demon King sessfully transforms into a dragon, what does the Dragon ying Saber amount to? Therefore, the most crucial concern right now can only be the Demon King¡¯s transformation."
"The Dragon ying Saber may very well be trying to provoke us into action. We will meet constancy with change, give themand for the sect to be on high alert during this period, and everything will be fine once we get through this," the Great Elder said coldly, his gaze stern, "If we are not anxious, then the anxious ones should be those bearing the Dragon ying Saber."
Chapter 156 - 25 Xue Zhuyong
Jiaolong City, a mundane martial arts school.
Lu Qingshan took a good look around at the martial arts master reeking of liquor and shook his head slightly toward Zang Xiaojian at his side.
"It¡¯s not him either," seeing Lu Qingshan shake his head, Zang Xiaojian felt somewhat disheartened and listlessly said, "Searching one by one like this isn¡¯t going to work either, we¡¯ve been at it for half the day and only checked five people, when will this end?"
"You¡¯re right, we need to think of a way to increase our efficiency." Lu Qingshan agreed, and after pondering for a moment, he suddenly had an idea and lightly patted the Spirit Beast Bag, summoning the Great King of Western Rats.
The Great King of Western Rats hadn¡¯t even grasped the situation when Lu Qingshan tossed the Jade Slip to it. The Great King of Western Rats hurriedly hugged the Jade Slip, which was almost asrge as itself, looking perplexed, "What is this for?"
"Pick a name from inside," Lu Qingshan said emotionlessly.
"Huh?" Both the Great King of Western Rats and Zang Xiaojian were confused.
"This kind of luck-based task might work wonders if it does it," Lu Qingshan muttered, "It¡¯s always been very lucky."
"Lucky?" Zang Xiaojian stared at Lu Qingshan with wide eyes.
"...It means ¡¯where Heaven¡¯s Mandate lies.¡¯" Lu Qingshan thought for a moment and gave an exnation that fit the world¡¯s context.
"That¡¯s a nice way to put it, I am indeed where Heaven¡¯s Mandate lies." Hearing Lu Qingshan¡¯s remark, the Great King of Western Rats immediately squinted its eyes, puffing up in pride, and very casually picked a name from the Jade Slip, "Then let it be him."
"Xue Zhuyong..." Zang Xiaojian uttered thoughtfully, "He is a carpenter, running a wood carving shop in a remote corner of the city¡¯s west side, been at it for over thirty years, an old carpenter indeed."
"Let¡¯s go have a look," Lu Qingshan said calmly, unhurried.
...
"It¡¯s nearly noon, and the shop still hasn¡¯t opened for business?" The Great King of Western Rats gazed at the tightly shut door of the wood carving shop, ceaselesslyining, "The shopkeeper is evenzier than me."
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"Lu Qingshan..." Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t respond to the Great King of Western Rats.
"Hmm?"
"Seems like you were right, the Great King of Western Rats might really be where Heaven¡¯s Mandate lies," Zang Xiaojian swallowed, excitedly stating, "Didn¡¯t I tell you, my perception ability for Sword Artifacts is extremely strong..."
"You mean?" Lu Qingshan grasped Zang Xiaojian¡¯s implication.
Zang Xiaojian nodded her little head, pointing at the tightly shut door of the wood carving shop, "I sensed it, the Three-feet Edge, it¡¯s inside the shop."
After many twists and turns, they finally saw a glimmer of hope. Even Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help feeling a surge of joy as if after longst the clouds had cleared to reveal the moon.
Yet even with the Three-feet Edge right before his eyes, Lu Qingshan was not in a hurry but instead surveyed the surroundings and led Zang Xiaojian into a tailoring shop next to the wood carving shop.
"Young master, are you here to have clothes tailored?" The tailor shopkeeper came up to greet the guests with great eagerness.
Lu Qingshan waved his hand and smilingly inquired, "Shopkeeper, I¡¯d like to ask about the wood carving shop next door? Why hasn¡¯t it opened for business at this hour?"
The shopkeeper oh¡¯ed and exined, "You mean Manager Xue¡¯s wood carving shop.
Manager Xue has a strong liking for liquor, must have drunk too muchst night and hasn¡¯t woken up yet."
"I see," Lu Qingshan pondered, then asked again, "Has Manager Xue always been like this?"
The tailor shopkeeper shook his head, a nostalgic look on his face, and sighed, "It wasn¡¯t like this earlier. In earlier years, when I was younger, although Manager Xue liked to drink, it wasn¡¯t to this extent."
It¡¯s probably after the demise of Manager Xue¡¯s wife that he began to indulge more deeply in drinking.
Sigh, life must go on, but drowning one¡¯s sorrows in liquor every day isn¡¯t the way either."
"When did Manager Xue¡¯s wife pass away, do you remember?" A glint shed in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes as he spoke again.
"It was about when I started taking over our family¡¯s tailor shop," the tailor shop owner pondered and casually answered, "specifically around seventeen or eighteen years ago."
After getting the tailor shop owner¡¯s answer, Lu Qingshan first felt relieved, but then a hint of suspicion flickered in his eyes.
...the matter seemed to be even moreplicated and elusive.
"Thank you, shopkeeper," Lu Qingshan thanked the shopkeeper and turned to Zang Xiaojian, "Then let¡¯s wait here for Shopkeeper Xue for a while."
Zang Xiaojian naturally had no objections.
And so they waited until the hour of Shen.
When it was close to the time other shops were shutting down, the door of the wood carving shop slowly opened amidst the creaking friction.
"Oh, do we have some distinguished guests today?" Shopkeeper Xue, his face still showing signs of fatigue from a hangover, held a liquor gourd in his hand, nced at Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian who had been waiting at the door for a long time, and took another sip from his jug.
"Shopkeeper Xue, your business hours really do make one wait," Lu Qingshan nced at the thin middle-aged man with a full beard in front of him, chuckled lightly, and with Zang Xiaojian, stepped into the small wood carving shop.
Inside the wood carving shop, numerous shelves held life-like, densely packed wood carvings, most of which were ferocious demon beasts, extraordinarily ferocious and vivid.
Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes shone as he looked at a wood carving on the left shelf.
It was a dragon wood carving, identical in appearance to the dragon statue at the center of Jiaolong City¡¯s square.
This dragon curled its body, every single scale on its body was clear and lifelike.
What shocked Lu Qingshan even more was that although it was just a wood carving before him, he felt as if he saw a dragon roaring in front of him as if the carving hade to life.
Turning decay into magic!
Apart from these demon beast carvings, there were also a few human figures, be they elderly, young women, or middle-aged men, all ordinary-looking bystanders with nothing mysterious, yet there was a subtle and marvelous feeling enveloping these human figurines.
Intent!
Lu Qingshan¡¯s mind jolted, finally realizing why these wood carvings seemed so "vibrant."
It was because each of these carvings was fused with Intent.
However, his current realm was not enough, and he could only faintly sense the extraordinariness of the carvings without being able to feel the spirit of Intent.
Intent is a transformation produced at the pinnacle of art and skill, or alternatively, an understanding of the Heavenly Dao, mastered only by high-level cultivators.
The Intent of a Sword Cultivator is known as Sword Intent.
Why is the Wind-Cutting Secret Sword so hard to cultivate?
The reason is nothing else but the conditions of Wind sh cultivation, which require mastering a faint Sword Intent, and yet Intent is the hardest toprehend.
Thebat power boost provided by Intent is immensely significant, allowing those whoprehend Intent to easily overpower ordinary cultivators under the same level of cultivation.
Xue Zhuyong, or perhaps the Mo Family Head, had his strength reached such a terrifying realm?
The moment he realized this, Lu Qingshan glimpsed at Xue Zhuyong, who did not emit any sign of Spiritual Power fluctuations, and a sense of awe suddenly surged in his heart.
Although Zang Xiaojian was observing the wood carvings like Lu Qingshan, she was not captivated by them; she merely nced over them briefly, her gaze wandering constantly around the shop.
Suddenly, her eyes stopped abruptly and then grew brighter, excitedly tugging at Lu Qingshan¡¯s sleeve.
Lu Qingshan followed Zang Xiaojian¡¯s gaze.
On the west wall of the wood carving shop hung a ck sword, its luster subdued, looking very unadorned and simple.
Chapter 157 - 26 Three-feet Edge
Three-feet Edge, a Heaven Rank Sword Artifact, was just casually hung on the wall in a small wood carving shop.
"Shopkeeper, how much for this sword?" Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyes shifted, and she asked aloud.
Xue Zhuyong picked up the wine pot, took arge sip, rolled his eyes, and disdainfully replied, "This is a wood carving shop, I only sell wood carvings, not swords."
"I can offer a lot of Spirit Stones, just name your price." Zang Xiaojian wasn¡¯t discouraged and continued to up the ante.
"Stop the nonsense, I said I¡¯m not selling, and I won¡¯t sell no matter how many Spirit Stones you offer." Xue Zhuyong¡¯s tone became hostile and impatient, "If you really want it, try to take it from me; otherwise, forget about it."
Xue Zhuyong¡¯s response was blunt, but it was within Zang Xiaojian¡¯s expectations; her question was merely an attempt to probe Xue Zhuyong¡¯s intentions.
She naturally knew that a Heaven Rank Sword Artifact couldn¡¯t possibly be bought with just Spirit Stones.
"How much for this wood carving?" Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan seemed utterly uninterested in the Sword Artifact and nonchntly pointed at a figure wood carving on the wooden rack.
"Why would you buy a wood carving..." Zang Xiaojian turned her head, puzzled, but as soon as she clearly saw the wood carving Lu Qingshan was pointing at, her words suddenly stuck, "This?!"
Lu Qingshan nodded at Zang Xiaojian, indicating she was correct.
The wood carving was lifelike, depicting a woman of exquisite beauty, looking youthful and stunning. Yet, Zang Xiaojian felt the features all too familiar.
On closer inspection, wasn¡¯t this Mrs. Mo?
Though the age seemed different, as Mrs. Mo was older than the statue depicted, the facial features were strikingly simr.
Noticing their strange reactions, Xue Zhuyong¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He nced at them and calmly said, "The figure wood carvings on this rack are also not for sale."
"Not selling this, not selling that, what do you even sell here, a lousy wood carving shop even more particr than the Great Xia Commercial Firm," grumbled the King of Rats, dissatisfied; Xue Zhuyong, however, acted as if he heard nothing.
Lu Qingshan wasn¡¯t bothered by Xue Zhuyong¡¯s attitude, instead, he became interested in the figure wood carvings on the rack that Xue Zhuyong refused to sell.
The rack had three levels, and the middle one disyed all figure wood carvings.
In the center of the middleyer, the wood carving disyed a woman with a gentle face and a bright smile, her eyes sparkling, and she was quite beautiful, but only quite, markedly less sopared to the stunning Mrs. Mo.
On the left side of this young woman was a wood carving of a middle-aged woman, her face marked by the harshness of time and her features reflecting a hint of misery and fragility.
On the right, there was a pair of old spouses cuddled together, their faces covered with intricately carved wrinkles.
Looking further, there were many more figure statues of varying ages and appearances, but these wood carvings,pared to the clean three in the centre, seemed somewhat dim, with a thinyer of dust almost visible on them.
It was as if thezy shop owner only cleaned the most noticeable wood carvings when tidying up.
Mrs. Mo¡¯s wood carving was carelessly ced in the far left corner, seemingly neglected.
However.
A spark of insight shed in Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes.
It didn¡¯t seem so neglected after all.
Because, on Mrs. Mo¡¯s wood carving, there was also not a speck of dust.
After carefully observing all the figure wood carvings on the rack and firmly memorizing their features, Lu Qingshan finally shifted his focus from the wood carvings and nced at the Sword Artifact hanging on the wall, pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked, "Shopkeeper, although this Sword Artifact is not for sale, may I have a closer look and handle it for a moment?"
Xue Zhuyong nced at Lu Qingshan, his voice somewhat in, "Go ahead."
"Then, thank you, Shopkeeper." Lu Qingshan politely thanked Xue Zhuyong, then took the long sword hanging on the wall, holding the hilt and lightly swinging it, apanied by a faint sound of the sword¡¯s hum, and the information about the Three-feet Edge also came into view.
[Three-feet Edge](Water)
Level: Low Grade Heavenly Artifact
Description: Contained within the box is the Three-feet Edge, ready to rectify inequity.
Magic Artifact Effect 1: Break Defense +4
Magic Artifact Effect 2: Sword Qi Damage +25%
Magic Artifact Effect 3: Flying Sword Speed +20%, Attack Speed +10%
Special Effect: [ying Demons](Passive): The Three-feet Edge can y giant serpents. It inflicts +20% damage on demon beasts.
[Hidden Edge](Passive): Ten years to sharpen a sword, its frost de untested. When not inbat, the damage inflicted by the next attack of the Three-feet Edge will increase over time, up to a maximum of 100% (ten days are needed to reach the full bonus).
[Three-feet]: When a sword strikes, it can consume 30% of the wielder¡¯s maximum Spiritual Power to instantly deliver two additional identical attacks.
Cool down period: Three days
...
This was indeed a Heavenly Rank Sword Artifact, its power manifestly evident.
Having the Three-feet Edge as his life-bound sword,bined with his Wind-Cutting Secret Sword, he could unleash nine strikes in an instant.
If he also added the strongest state of the Hidden Edge effect, he was even confident he could y the true man Han Qing in one strike, without the groundworkid by Mo Yan and Zang Xiaojian.
"What a fine sword!" Lu Qingshan eximed with great admiration, before putting the Three-feet Edge back in its original ce and pointing at the ferociously carved wood sculpture of the giant serpent on the wooden stand, he asked, "Is this wood carving for sale?"
"Ten silver coins." Xue Zhuyong nced at the wood carving of the giant serpent and muttered, "Each person can only buy one wood carving per day."
"It is as so, such a masterfully crafted wood carving being limited is understandable." Lu Qingshan replied politely yet very seriously, while handing over the ten silver coins.
Xue Zhuyong took the coins, without a nce, and casually tossed them into a dusty bamboo basket in the corner.
Although Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t grasp what Lu Qingshan¡¯s intent was, he also chose a demon beast wood carving, following Lu Qingshan¡¯s example, and said to Xue Zhuyong, "I¡¯ll buy one too."
After acquiring the wood carving of the giant serpent, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t linger any longer at the sculpture shop and quietly left.
...
As they left the wood carving shop, Zang Xiaojian followed closely behind Lu Qingshan, his eyes locked on Lu Qingshan¡¯s back, opening and closing his mouth several times as if wanting to speak, yet each time, the words would retreat back to the tip of his tongue.
Faced with Xue Zhuyong¡¯s unyielding demeanor, his first instinct was to seek Lu Qingshan¡¯s ideas and thoughts.
However, they had initially agreed that once they found the Mo Family head, the ownership of the Three-feet Edge would be up to their own abilities.
Owing to theirpetitive rtionship, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to ask this question.
ncing back at Zang Xiaojian¡¯s hesitant demeanor, Lu Qingshan found it slightly amusing.
He understood the young girl¡¯s thoughts.
But the situation was indeed as Zang Xiaojian had feared; he now stood as apetitor to Zang Xiaojian.
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Even though he got along well with Zang Xiaojian, the Three-feet Edge was after all just one artifact, and he had no reason to share his thoughts with hispetitor.
Chapter 158 - 27: Loose Ends
With that thought, Lu Qingshan suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Following closely behind him and lost in her own thoughts, Zang Xiaojian was caught off-guard and bumped straight into Lu Qingshan¡¯s back.
"What are you doing?!" Zang Xiaojian, holding her nose, stared at Lu Qingshan with wide innocent and aggrieved eyes.
"Still following me, huh? We¡¯ve found the person we were looking for, and it¡¯s about time we went our separate ways," Lu Qingshan said with a lightugh.
"Ah?" Zang Xiaojian blinked several times before it dawned on her, and she mumbled somewhat embarrassingly, "I just got used to it..."
"Then, let¡¯s part ways here. From here on out, everyone relies on their own abilities," Lu Qingshan said, then turned and walked away cleanly and decisively.
"Wait!" Zang Xiaojian instinctively grabbed Lu Qingshan, who was about to leave.
Lu Qingshan turned around, "Hmm?"
The young girl looked up and fixed her gaze on Lu Qingshan¡¯s eyes without blinking, thought for a moment, and then said earnestly, "Finding Xue Zhuyong was mostly thanks to you. I, Zang Xiaojian, won¡¯t take advantage of others. Consider this as owing you a favor."
Seeing the seriousness on Zang Xiaojian¡¯s face, Lu Qingshan smiled slightly and nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll remember that."
This time, Lu Qingshan really left.
Watching Lu Qingshan¡¯s figure grow distant, Zang Xiaojian clenched her fist and pumped herself up, "Though you, Lu Qingshan, are full of tricks, I, Zang Xiaojian, won¡¯t admit defeat easily, and besides... hmph, just you watch!"
Lowering her fist, Zang Xiaojian¡¯s thoughts returned to Xue Zhuyong¡¯s mocking tone, and her spirits instantly fell to rock bottom, her brow furrowed in frustration, "But how am I supposed to do it?"
...
"So we¡¯re really splitting up, huh?" The Rat King found it hard to part with Zang Xiaojian.
He had always regarded Zang Xiaojian as a confidante.
"It¡¯s because we both want the Three-feet Edge," Lu Qingshan was quite philosophical about it.
"It¡¯s just a sword, is it really necessary..." muttered the Rat King, who in his view, valued a hearty meal over any sword.
"Huh?" The Rat King looked up and around at the surroundings, puzzled, "Are we heading back?"
"Yes," Lu Qingshan nodded.
To obtain the Three-feet Edge from Xue Zhuyong, first of all, a direct robbery would definitely not work.
Just the fact that Xue Zhuyong could imbue intent into mundane wood carvings suggested that at least on Jiaolong Ind, his strength ranked among the top three, or he could even be the leader.
That Xue Zhuyong hung the Three-feet Edge casually on the wall didn¡¯t mean he undervalued it, but rather that he was confident no one could take the sword from him.
That left only one option, a trade.
Although Xue Zhuyong clearly stated that the Three-feet Edge was not for sale, Lu Qingshan knew well that if it¡¯s material, nothing in the world is not for sale.
The so-called non-sale items are simply that the buyer¡¯s offer is not sufficient.
To meet Xue Zhuyong¡¯s price, first, one must understand his needs, then tailor the solution ordingly.
If he has no other desires, then it¡¯s necessary to create a need for him.
The very ambiguous origin of Mo Yan and Madam Mo, and the carving of Madam Mo disyed in Xue Zhuyong¡¯s shop, suggested a very likely breakthrough.
Moreover, the strange thing the tailor shop owner mentioned also gave Lu Qingshan a vague idea.
Among all these, he was justcking one thread; once he found it, he would be able to understand the entire storyline and the truth behind the Mo Family¡¯s downfall.
...
"Young Master Lu, your return was quite quick. It seems you have gained a lot?" Mo Yan opened the door, saw Lu Qingshan standing at the doorstep, and jokingly remarked in a leisurely tone. Then he peeked outside and noticed that Zang Xiaojian, who usually followed closely behind Lu Qingshan, hadn¡¯t returned with him, which led him to exim in surprise, "Where¡¯s Miss Zang?
Why didn¡¯t shee back with you?"
"Let¡¯s not worry about her for now," Lu Qingshan raised his hand and began, "I¡¯m here on serious business this time, I¡¯ve got some questions I hope to get answers to from Mrs. Mo."
"You mean my mother?" Mo Yan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, sensing something unusual from Lu Qingshan¡¯s casual remarks.
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Lu Qingshan nodded, "Yes, if it¡¯s convenient."
Silence.
Mo Yan remained silent for a long time, eventually rxing his brows and agreeing, "Come in."
Less than a dayter, Lu Qingshan entered Mo Yan¡¯s home again, but his state of mind this time waspletely different from thest.
"I¡¯ll go speak to my mother." Having brought Lu Qingshan to the hall, Mo Yan left first.
In order to prevent Mrs. Mo from having many concerns due to the presence of the King of the Western Rats, Lu Qingshan first returned the King to the Spirit Beast Bag, and then began to leisurely sip clear tea, quietly awaiting news in the hall.
In less than a moment.
Mrs. Mo, dressed in a light green silk shirt, walked gracefully into the room.
"Yan¡¯er said you had something to discuss with me?" Mrs. Mo¡¯s tone full of curiosity, she scrutinized Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment, finally deciding to cut straight to the chase, "Mrs. Mo, could you speak about your identity in the Mo Family at Dragon Spring and your rtionship with the current Family Head of the Mo Family?"
As soon as Lu Qingshan¡¯s question was voiced, Mrs. Mo¡¯s expression immediately stiffened.
"Why this sudden question?" Mrs. Mo understood that Lu Qingshan must have some basis for his question and thus didn¡¯t deny his statement.
"I met the Mo Family Head," Lu Qingshan said, "but the circumstances were so peculiar that I became very curious about the events of those years."
Upon hearing that Lu Qingshan had seen the Mo Family Head, Mrs. Mo¡¯s expression grewplex. After hesitating for a moment, she struggled to speak, "How is Zhuyong doing?"
Lu Qingshan noted Mrs. Mo¡¯s reference.
Zhuyong.
So the name Xue Zhuyong wasn¡¯t an alias after all?
Then why had the Mo Family Head not changed his first name but had instead changed his surname from Mo to Xue?
"He seems to be doing quite well," Lu Qingshan recalled Xue Zhuyong¡¯s daily life and thus said.
As soon as Lu Qingshan finished speaking, Mrs. Mo seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, patted her chest, pondered for a moment, and then shook her head apologetically towards Lu Qingshan, "I prefer not to talk about the events of those years.
Lu Qingshan was not in a hurry, nodded and replied, "If Mrs. Mo is not willing to discuss the past, so be it."
"Young Master Lu, could you please not mention this matter to Yan¡¯er," Mrs. Mo bit her lip and said, "I have never spoken to him about the affairs of the Mo Family."
"Naturally," Lu Qingshan promised with a bow, "I¡¯ll keep this confidential."
This trip to see Mrs. Mo did not yield any meaningful answers, but it couldn¡¯t be said to be entirely unfruitful either.
Because in many cases, it isn¡¯t necessary for the respondent to provide a specific answer to make sense of an issue; simply understanding their attitude towards the matter can already reveal a lot.
Chapter 159 - 28 Serial Links
Sea God Sect.
As the most prestigious Sect on Jiaolong Ind, it recently kept its Great Formation fully activated, waves shimmering as it strictly prohibited its Cultivators from leaving.
Within the main hall of the Sect.
"Great Elder, thest batch of Spirit Materials and Spirit Stones required for the Dragon Transformation Pool has also been collected," Sect Master Han Qiu said with a worried look in his eyes as he reported to Great Elder Hanyuan, "We cannot dy matters concerning the Demon King."
"Indeed, we cannot afford to dy matters concerning the Demon King," Hanyuan frowned deeply and after a long period of thought, he said, "I will make a personal trip and deliver this batch of Spirit Materials to the Demon King."
Han Qiu¡¯s face showed pleasure; this response was exactly what he hoped for. "Then I¡¯ll have to trouble the Great Elder."
...
"Sword Master, these little snakes are indeed cautious," a barely audible murmur came from somewhere above the skies outside the Sea God Sect. Mo Yan¡¯s sneaky ambush resulted in the fall of four Golden Core Cultivators from their Sect, yet instead of escting into a full-blown conflict, they chose to shut their Sect and fortify their defenses."
Hidden within the dense clouds, two figures were concealed, staring intently at the Sea God Sect¡¯s gate enveloped by the Great Formation.
"No rush, ording to our intelligence, within a few days, they will inevitablye out," said the Cultivator known as Sword Master in a deep voice.
The Sword Master was a middle-aged male Cultivator, standing no taller than five feet, with a hint of gray visible on his head. Yet, he exuded amanding presence, his aura as deep as an abyss, clearly a Great Cultivator of the Nascent Soul Early Stage.
What was surprising was that the right sleeve of the Sword Master was empty.
For a Nascent Soul Cultivator, being one-armed was extremely rare, since for Great Cultivators of the Nascent Soul stage, regrowing limbs was by no means a difficult feat.
The Cultivator who had been grumbling to the Sword Master was a tall and lean strong man, with a beard like iron spikes and thick, untamed hair that looked like wild grass.
He was the second-inmand of the Dragon ying Saber, next to the Sword Master¡ªCultivator Tongzheng, with the Cultivation of Golden Core Perfection.
From these two, it could be seen that Mo Yan¡¯s statement about the Dragon ying Saber being far superior to the Sea God Sect was indeed unquestionably true.
With the Sword Master¡¯s Cultivation at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, he could almost obliterate the Sea God Sect single-handedly.
"They¡¯vee out indeed!" Tongzheng suddenly said, spotting an extremely faint and barely visible blue light escaping from a hidden corner of the Sea God Sect, which was the Escaping Light of a Sect Cultivator.
The Escaping Light just flew below them, but it did not notice the two people hidden above.
"Big catch, it is Old Hanyuan himself who has taken action," the Sword Master, seeing the face of the Cultivator steering the Escaping Light, his eyes gleaming sharply, quickly instructed, "Follow him, we¡¯ll make our move out on the sea!"
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"Understood," replied Tongzheng.
Out at sea, where the terrain is wide open and unobstructed, that was the best time to make a move and ensure a near-certain kill.
The two silently tailed the Sea God Sect¡¯s Great Elder, following closely behind.
It was only because they were Great Nascent Soul Cultivators that they had such means to conceal their presence from the Great Elder¡¯s Divine Sense, allowing them to follow the Golden Core Perfection Cultivator Hanyuan without detection.
...
The Hidden Reef Jiao n was the most numerous among the Jiao ns in the coastal region of the South Sea, with the n nearing a thousand Jiao in number.
Due to the presence of the Jiaolong Demon King, the Hidden Reef Jiao n was also implicitly considered the most powerful Sea Demon n in this part of the South Sea.
Hidden Reef was the name of the domain where the Jiao n lived; it was a vast area below the sea surface concealing colossal underwater caves.
The Jiao n made their homes in the underwater caverns of the sea.
Jiao, a member of the dragon family, looks simr to a snake with four limbs, known for their fierce temperament and carnivorous nature. Indolent and resistant to control, they have always been ipatible with the Human Race, often resulting in conflicts.
In the Hidden Reef Domain, the waters were as smooth as ss, tranquil beyondparison.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a loud boom exploded above the Hidden Reef Domain, followed by a ck shadow plummeting straight from the sky at a tremendous speed. Upon hitting the surface of the sea, it caused a huge sound and stirred up towering waves.
This great disturbance immediately attracted over a dozen Second Grade Jiao Beasts who hurriedly swam out from the underwater caverns to investigate the situation.
Within the sight of the Jiao Beasts, there was a corpse slowly sinking.
Moo Moo Moo!
When the Jiao Beasts approached and clearly saw the corpse¡¯s face, they all let out furious roars.
...
Inside the cavern, within a stone cave brimming with Spiritual Power, there coiled a terrifying Jiao Beast of unfathomable length, pitch-ck in color with an especially fierce and vicious appearance.
Its enormous eyes were fixed on its trembling fellow Jiao Beasts under its suppression, and the corpse of the Human Cultivator, with a chilling tone, "Who is it! Who is it! Someone had the audacity toy hands on Hanyuan, knowing full well that he is one of our Jiao n.
To kill Hanyuan is one thing, but to throw his body into our Jiao n¡¯s waters is an outright provocation of the Hidden Reef Jiao n¡¯s might!"
Its voice boomed like thunder, causing the stone cave to tremble slightly.
"Lord Jiao Yan, the Demon King has been preparing for the Transforming into a Dragon for so long, and yet this incident urs right at the climactic moment. In my opinion, it is very likely a conspiracy against the Demon King," a fellow Jiao Beast said with a trembling voice.
Boom!
The terrifying Jiao Beast known as Lord Jiao Yan, swept his tail in anger. His tail struck the hard stone wall, immediately causing it to crack and stones to fly.
"I don¡¯t care about any conspiracy. My father needs to build the Dragon Transformation Pool to assist his transformation, and a vast portion of the Spirit Materials required cannot be found in the sea but must be prepared by the Sea God Sect for us.
The person who struck down Hanyuan even took the Spirit Materials Hanyuan was delivering for the Dragon Transformation Pool.
If we do not retrieve these materials, the Dragon Transformation Pool cannot be fully formed. Not to mention the dy in my father¡¯s transformation, there is a great possibility that it could affect the sess rate of his transformation!"
"The Sea God Sect Cultivators must know the origin of the person who took action. I myself shall visit the Sea God Sect and rify the situation, to help my father retrieve these Spirit Materials," Jiao Yan dered furiously.
The fellow Jiao Beasts dared not say any more.
Neither of the two Jiao Beasts in the stone cave noticed that, in the seemingly lifeless yet wide-open left eye of Hanyuan, the pitch-ck pupil was flickering with an imperceptible glimmer.
In a secluded ce, the Sword Master, who personally killed Hanyuan and threw his body into the Hidden Reef Domain, stood side by side with the True Cultivator Tongzheng. In front of them, a watery screen materialized out of thin air, disying a scene that showed the conversation between the two Jiao Beasts inside the stone cave.
"Sword Master, just as you predicted, Jiao Yan has decided to take matters into his own hands," True Cultivator Tongzheng said excitedly, "This baiting strategy is brilliant!"
"It¡¯s all within expectations. Jiao Yan is brutal and excessively arrogant. Given our tant provocation, how could he possibly not react?" The Sword Master¡¯s eyes shed with a fierce light, "Jiao Yan is the only direct descendant of the Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s bloodline.
If we manage to capture him alive and then use him to lure the Jiaolong Demon King into action, even if the Demon King is usuallyposed, he surely won¡¯t be able to stay put in hisir this time!"
Above the Hidden Reef Domain, a ck Jiao Dragon, over thirty feet in length, leaped from the sea, soaring into the sky and causing countless white foam as it headed straight for Jiaolong Ind.
Chapter 160 - 29: Thunderous Measures
As ck Jiao set out to sea, the Sword Master extended his sole arm, brushing gently over the water curtain in front of him, whereupon all the images instantly transformed into illusions and vanished from sight.
"Return to Jiaolong Ind," the Sword Master said in a deep voice.
Upon receiving themand, the Taoist Tongzheng sent out several Spirit Stones from his hand, embedding them into the Formation under their feet.
Stimted by the Spirit Stones, several patterns within the Formation began to emerge and connect, and two beams of Spiritual Light enveloped the figures of the Taoist Tongzheng and the Sword Master.
A sh of white light flickered, and after the Spiritual Light dissipated, the Taoist Tongzheng and the Sword Master had also vanished within the Formation.
In Jiaolong Ind, within a hidden cave situated a hundred miles away from the Sea God Sect, white Spiritual Light appeared, and the Taoist Tongzheng and the Sword Master slowly materialized.
This was a small Teleportation Array that the Dragon ying Saber had already set up, connecting Jiaolong Ind with the Hidden Reef Domain, aimed at gaining a brief advantage in time.
At this moment, within the cave, many Cultivators had already been waiting, including the Lianyun Trio that Lu Qingshan had once encountered. Besides them, there were seven Golden Core Cultivators, five of whom were at the Golden Core Early Stage, and two had reached the Golden Core Late Stage.
These were all the high-ranking Cultivators of the Dragon ying Saber, most of whom, like the Lianyun Trio, were the outstanding disciples earnestly protected by the Sect during its downfall, who had undergone two hundred years of arduous Cultivation, and under the spur of hatred, had reached their current levels of Cultivation.
"Sword Master!" Upon seeing the Sword Master and the Taoist Tongzheng appear, all the Cultivators showed their respect.
"Time is of the essence, Jiao Yan has already set off. With his speed, it will take less than half a day to travel from the Hidden Reef Domain to Jiaolong Ind. We must fight swiftly and decisively, Tongzheng!"
"Present!" Taoist Tongzheng replied solemnly.
"Notify Han Jiu to get ready to make a move immediately. Today we will strike the Sea God Sect first to alleviate the pent-up anger in everyone¡¯s hearts."
"Yes!" the Taoist Tongzheng responded.
All the Cultivators present, upon hearing the Sword Master speak, had a fiercely eager light sh in their eyes.
...
Sea God Sect.
In a cave dwelling situated above the Sect¡¯s Spirit Vein, a skinny male Cultivator silently put away the Spirit que in his hand that was shing with blue light, his eyes disying a hint of vengeful intent as he murmured to himself, "After lying low for so many years, the day has finallye."
He was a Golden Core Cultivator of the Sea God Sect, True Monarch Han Jiu, renowned for his proficiency in Arrays and also the chief in charge of the Sect¡¯s Great Formation at the mountain gate.
Who would have thought that someone with such an esteemed status as his would be an inside agent for the Dragon ying Saber within the Sea God Sect, holding a grudge against the Sect.
True Monarch Han Jiu shed out of the cave dwelling and headed straight for the central hub of the mountain gate¡¯s Great Formation.
"Uncle-Master." When the disciples of the Sea God Sect guarding the central hub saw True Monarch Han Jiu, they all called out respectfully.
True Monarch Han Jiu¡¯s expression was unchanged. As usual, he nodded slightly to the Sea God Sect disciples, acknowledging their greeting before entering the heart of the Formation.
Inside the hub, three Foundation Establishment Cultivators were responsible for maintaining the operation of the Formation and, through the alert capabilities of the Great Formation at the mountain gate, monitored for any intruders.
If any abnormality was detected, they would immediately inform the high-level Cultivators of the Sect.
"Is Uncle-Master Han Jiu here to inspect and maintain the Formation?" one of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators stepped forward and asked.
"Mhm," True Monarch Han Jiu replied calmly, forming Seal Gestures with his fingers and cing several Dharma Seals on the light screen in front of him, causing the light screen protecting the heart of the Formation to slowly unfold.
At the heart of the Formation, one could control the power of the Formation.
Stationed at the center of the Formation, True Monarch Han Jiu unleashed his Divine Sense, starting to inspect the Sect¡¯s mountain gate Great Formation.
Everything seemed normal, but no one noticed that True Monarch Han Jiu had quietly obscured the Great Formation¡¯s monitoring capability over a certain area, cutting off the flow of Spiritual Power to that corner and rerouting it elsewhere.
With such maniption, the overall flow of Spiritual Power would not change, making it extremely difficult for other Cultivators to notice.
...
Outside the mountain gate of the Sea God Sect.
Ten figures had already been waiting here for a long time.
Finally, in front of them, the tenacious shimmering light silently opened a narrow crack that slowly widened, eventually bing an entrancerge enough for a person to pass through.
"Go in!" The Sword Master led the way, shing into the entrance, with the rest of the Dragon ying Saber Cultivators following suit.
"Han Jiu has informed us of the locations of the five remaining Golden Core cultivators of the Sea God Sect; those are their cave dwellings." As soon as all ten entered the formation, the Sword Master pointed to several locations within the Sea God Sect and instructed, "Follow the assignments we previously agreed upon, perform each of your duties.
You must overpower them with absolute strength instantly without causing too much of an uproar."
"Understood!" The Dragon ying Saber Cultivators replied quietly.
"Then let us begin!" The Sword Master waved his hand grandly, his figure swooped tendentiously, and he stealthily darted toward one of the cave dwellings.
That was the cave dwelling of the Sect Master of the Sea God Sect, Han Qiu!
The Sea God Sect had a total of eleven Golden Core cultivators. First, four were ambushed by Mo Yan, then the most powerful Great Elder was personally pursued and killed by the Sword Master. Now, within the Sea God Sect, only six Golden Core cultivators remained.
Among the six Golden Core cultivators, Han Jiu was an insider for the Dragon ying Saber, making it a scenario where ten Dragon ying Saber Cultivators were set against five Golden Core cultivators of the Sea God Sect. Not to mention, the cultivation of the ten Dragon ying Saber Cultivators far surpassed those of the Sea God Sect¡¯s Golden Core cultivators.
It was almost a certainty!
The key was to act quickly and quietly.
...
Inside the cave dwelling, Han Qiu sat cross-legged, hands forming a seal gesture, circting his cultivation technique to swallow and breathe out spiritual power, deeply engrossed in cultivation.
As the Sect Master of the Sea God Sect, his cave dwelling was located at the site where the spirit vein¡¯s spiritual power was most abundant; cultivating in such an excellent spot doubled the speed of his cultivation progress.
That was also why he managed to reach thete stage of the Golden Core with his ordinary talents within two hundred years.
Boom!
Suddenly, a booming noise from the cave dwelling¡¯s barrier jolted Han Qiu from his meditative state.
"What¡¯s going on?" Han Qiu was startled, but before he had time to think further, there was a crackling sound, and the barrier he had set up shattered.
A seven-foot Full Moon Saber, glowing blood-red, shot into the cave from the outside, heading straight for his face with such force that chilled his spine.
N?v(el)B\\jnn
What was happening?!
Han Qiu felt a chill surge in his heart and hastily brought out his protective magical artifact¡ªa formation made up of five Spirit Banners.
"Water Ripple Realm!"
Han Qiu activated the Spirit Banners, which immediately shone brightly, emitting pale blue waves of spiritual light and forming a barrier in front of him.
Zi!
The Full Moon Saber collided fiercely with the barrier, causing all five Spirit Banners to tremble, while the Blood Qi on the Full Moon Saber grew even more intense.
The stand-offsted only a moment before the Water Ripple Realm barrier, made from the banner formation, suddenly dissolved. The Full Moon Saber¡¯s momentum undeterred, struck Han Qiu head-on.
Han Qiu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood; he was seriously injured from the attack.
Like adding fuel to the fire, the Sword Master¡¯s figure followed closely behind the Full Moon Saber, bursting into the cave dwelling. On his sole arm was already condensed a blood-red Dharma Seal, which the Sword Master hurled toward Han Qiu, who hadn¡¯t had the chance to recover from the blow.
At that moment, the small cave dwelling was filled with the oppressive Blood Qi emitted by the Sword Master, a dense and oppressing atmosphere that made the cirction of spiritual power within Han Qiu extremely difficult.
Despair filled Han Qiu¡¯s face as he murmured in disbelief, "Nascent Soul True Monarch..."
The Sea God Sect had dominated Jiaolong Ind for over two hundred years, possessing the most cultivation resources, yet they had never produced a Nascent Soul cultivator.
He found it hard to believe that a Nascent Soul cultivator could exist on Jiaolong Ind.
...
Chapter 161 - 30 The Dove Occupies the Magpie’s Nest
The Sea God Sect¡¯s grand hall, signifying the pinnacle of its power, now disyed a scene quite unlike its usual sight.
Ten Golden Core Cultivators of the Dragon ying Saber had gathered within the hall, and before themy a cultivator firmly bound and immobilized.
Upon closer inspection, one would abruptly realize that the person in question was none other than Han Qiu, the Sect Master of the Sea God Sect.
"Sword Master, the other four Golden Core Cultivators have all been executed by us," Tong Zheng Daoist reported as he stepped forth.
The Sword Master nodded, "Well done!"
The Sea God Upper Sect, which had dominated Jiaolong Ind for more than two hundred years, was now in an instant overtaken.
"What Sea God Upper Sect? They are nothing but a few small snakes," said the Sword Master, his gaze falling disdainfully upon the captured Han Qiu: "The foundation of a sect is always its own strength. Your Spirit Snake Sect has dominated Jiaolong Ind for more than two hundred years with the support of the Jiao n. And yet, how is it that I can obliterate you in just the blink of an eye?"
As hey on the ground, Han Qiu faced the Sword Master¡¯s scorn with a venomous re and a sinister smile: "We of the Sea God Sect may not be a match for you, but what of it?
Can you contend with the Jiaolong Demon King? The moment the Jiao n discovers the Sea God Sect has been toppled, with a thousand Jiaos descending upon the ind, what can you do then?
For your momentary satisfaction, when the Jiaolong Demon King erupts in fury, you will have dragged the entire Human Race of Jiaolong Ind into your graves!"
N?v(el)B\\jnn
The Sword Master¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he responded coldly, "Jiaolong Demon King? Not even Fifth Grade, and he dares to call himself a dragon? Moreover, the Dragon ying Saber is precisely here to cut down this vile Jiao!"
"With just you? The Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s cultivation has reached the peak of Fourth Grade. Given the might of the Jiao n¡¯s bloodline, even an Upper Cultivator at Nascent Soul Perfection would not dare im they could y the Jiaolong Demon King.
You¡¯re merely at Nascent Soul Early Stage, what makes you think you have the capital to speak such words?" Knowing his situation was dire and without any reservations, Han Qiu retorted mockingly, "Do you really think you can disrupt the Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s ns for Transforming into a Dragon?"
The Sword Master swept an indifferent gaze at Han Qiu and did not reply again.
Silence suddenly fell within the grand hall, and everyone remained quiet, as if waiting for something.
Momentster, the doors of the great hall slowly opened, and a cultivator walked in.
Han Qiu, who had once given up struggling andy motionless on the ground, upon seeing the neer¡¯s face, suddenly began to twist his body.
"Han Jiu, it¡¯s you! No wonder the Dragon ying Saber Cultivators could enter the sect without our sect¡¯s grand formation stirring. Why, why did you betray the sect, after all it has done for you?" Han Qiu¡¯s voice was as bitter as that of a malevolent spirit.
Han Jiu, kneeling in front of him, wore an enigmatic smile. Looking into Han Qiu¡¯s hate-filled eyes, he asked, "Sect Master, do you still remember the Dikun Sect?"
Han Qiu was taken aback, then as if realizing something, "You¡ are from the Dikun Sect?"
Han Jiu let out a bitterugh, "The Dikun Sect¡¯s second elder, Dikun, was my father. As a mere child, I was lucky to survive under my father¡¯s arrangements.
The Jiao n destroyed our sect, killed my father, and yet the Sea God Sect willingly became the running dogs of the Jiao n. I joined the Sea God Sect precisely for this day!
Why would I betray the Sea God Sect? Answer me!"
"A good bird chooses a tree to nest in," Han Qiu was silent for a long while before squeezing out these words with difficulty.
Having vented the frustration in his heart, Han Jiu paid no further heed to Han Qiu. He stood up and said to the Sword Master, "I have met the Sword Master."
The Sword Master nodded, his left arm lifting, and tossed out dozens of Array tes and hundreds of Array gs toward Han Jiu.
"These are Binding Spirit Formation gs. Arrange them as soon as possible. When the timees, in conjunction with the Sea God Sect¡¯s grand formation, we must capture Jiao Yan alive!" the Sword Master instructed.
"I will start arranging now," Han Jiu epted the gs and responded respectfully before quickly turning around to leave the grand hall.
Time was of the essence!
Looking at the grand hall doors that had closed again, the Sword Master¡¯s gaze was deep as he muttered, "The inescapable is ready, all that¡¯s left is for Jiao Yan to fall into it."
Jiao Yan, as the direct descendant of the Jiaolong Demon King, was already a Fourth Grade Demon Beast himself.
Although he had just entered the Fourth Grade and was not as strong as the Jiaolong Demon King at the peak of the Fourth Grade¡¯s power, Jiao Yan was indeed capable of sweeping through the cultivators of the Human Race on Jiaolong Ind with such battle strength, which formed the foundation of his arrogance and fearlessness.
With the cultivation of a Nascent Soul in the early stage, Sword Master had no confidence in capturing Jiao Yan alive.
In a standoff of equal strength, if one side was set on escaping, it was typically difficult for the other to have any countermeasures, a characteristic of cultivator battles.
Under such circumstances, if one wished to capture Jiao Yan, outside forces would be required, such as an overwhelmingly powerful Formation.
The problem was, Formations were difficult to deploy in the midst of battle; they required time to set up beforehand, and once established, could not be moved, which was a significant limitation.
Although Jiao Yan was conceited, he was not a fool. To entice him into a Formation that had been arranged without raising his suspicions was exceedingly difficult.
This method being impractical, they racked their brains and came up with another n.
Luring Jiao Yan into the Formation was problematic, so why not let Jiao Yan walk into the trap himself?
Above the entire Jiaolong Ind, the Sea God Sect was precisely the ce where Jiao Yan would let down his guard and enter, right?
With this thought in mind, the Sea God Sect became a ughterhouse in the eyes of the owners of the Dragon ying Saber, who resentfully schemed, provoking Jiao Yan, luring him to leave the sea, and then quietly usurping his position, all to create the situation that now unfolded.
They used a Sea God Sect that seemed to have no issues and operated normally to deceive Jiao Yan into the pot.
...
Moo!
Lu Qingshan, who hade out of the hall with Madam Mo, suddenly heard a loud noise like the bellowing of a cow.
He hurriedly looked up and saw a huge ck Jiao flying low in the sky with reckless abandon, its body enveloped in ck demon qi that hissed continuously, the formidable and terrifying aura chilling to the bone.
The ck Jiao flying low in the sky, its massive eyes suddenly shing with blood-red light as if it had spotted something intriguing, abruptly halted mid-flight, then diving swiftly downwards.
By the time the ck Jiao reemerged in the low sky, it was seen clutching two children in its ghastly jaws, its sharp teeth slowly tearing and chewing their bodies as the vile Jiao saliva mixed with chunks of flesh and blood dripped down.
This scene made Lu Qingshan¡¯s face stiffen instantly, as he involuntarily clenched his hands into fists, anger surging in his heart.
"Since the cultivators on the ind were defeated by the Jiaolong Demon King two hundred years ago, the Jiao n has always been this arrogant,ing to the ind from time to time to hunt humans.
In the absence of any cultivator daring to oppose the Jiao n and stand up for the humans, the only thing themon folk can do is silently endure the torment inflicted by the Jiao n," exined Mo Yan, who had appeared beside Lu Qingshan at some point, in a soft voice.
"Apart from the Jiaolong Demon King, how many Fourth Grade Jiao Beasts are there within the Jiao n?" Lu Qingshan asked.
"There¡¯s no need to overthink it. Although the Jiao n has an extraordinary bloodline, reaching the Fourth Grade is not that easy.
This ck Jiao is the direct descendant of the Jiaolong Demon King and is the only other Fourth Grade Jiao Beast in the Jiao n besides the Demon King himself."
Lu Qingshan nodded slightly and retorted, "Master Mo, however, seems quite calm about the ck Jiao¡¯s violent acts."
"After seeing it so many times, it bes normal. Besides," confronting Lu Qingshan¡¯s probing, Mo Yan waved his hand and a glint shed in his eyes, "this ck Jiao won¡¯t be able to be arrogant for much longer."
Chapter 162 - 31: Subduing the Flood Dragon (Part 1)
Mo Yan did not borate, but the implication was very clear, and Lu Qingshan suddenly understood.
Although he was somewhat interested in the methods of the Dragon ying Saber, Lu Qingshan was also tactful and chose not to probe any further.
This was the scheme of the Dragon ying Saber, and it was not proper for him, an outsider, to ask too many questions.
The figure of the ck Jiao gradually receded until it disappeared from view.
"Mrs. Mo, please forgive the intrusion. I have other matters to attend to today, so I must take my leave now. I¡¯lle for a visit when I have the chance," Lu Qingshan did not linger at the Mo Family but bade farewell to Mrs. Mo and Mo Yan, then quickly left.
His objective in seeking Mrs. Mo had only been half-achieved due to her reticence.
The remaining half might only be resolved by using Xue Zhuyong as a breakthrough.
...
Jiao Yan abducted two Human Race children in Jiaolong City and brutally chewed and swallowed them.
Such ferocious behavior might seem as ordinary to the Jiao n as the Human Race casually picking wild fruit by the roadside to quench thirst.
How could this not make themon people loathe the Jiao n to the bone?
In Jiao Yan¡¯s eyes, the flesh of Human Race children was the most delicious, yet those two children were merely appetizers for him and hardly filling.
But no matter what, Jiao Yan understood that more pressing matters were at hand, so he did not continue to satisfy his appetite and, with a flick of his tail, he shot straight towards the Sea God Sect.
In front of the thick light curtain emitted by the great formation of the Sea God Sect¡¯s mountain gate, Jiao Yan suddenly stopped.
"As expected, something¡¯s up; even the mountain gate¡¯s great formation has been activated," Jiao Yan confirmed his spection upon seeing the Sea God Sect in this state of heightened alert.
The moment Jiao Yan appeared outside of the Sea God Sect, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were maintaining the monitoring formation immediately spotted him.
They shuddered and promptlymunicated the arrival of Jiao Yan upward. Not waiting for a response, they immediately began controlling the formation, withdrawing the light curtain that isted the outside world.
It wasn¡¯t that they dared to act rashly, but they understood that within the Sea God Sect, the Jiao n always held the highest status. The price of irritating the Sect Master by acting on their own was nothingpared to the cost of slighting Jiao Yan.
The light curtain slowly opened, revealing a huge gap.
Jiao Yan did not hesitate and darted in.
The moment he entered the Sea God Sect, Jiao Yan shook his enormous body, and in the blink of an eye, his figure abruptly shrank, and he ultimately transformed into human form.
Jiao Yan¡¯s human incarnation was a young man dressed in ck, with an exceptionally sinister appearance. His eyes were full of ferocity and the wildness unique to demon beasts. The most eerie feature was an extremely ugly and fierce protrusion on the man¡¯s forehead.
This wasmon when demon beasts took on human form: distinctive racial features, such as the tail of a fox demon or the ears of a cat demon, would not disappear even after transformation.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Sea God Sect had no time to lose and hurried to greet him, "Lord Jiao Yan!"
Jiao Yan¡¯s voice was exceedingly cold, "Where is Han Qiu? Why hasn¡¯t hee to meet me?"
"Please forgive us, Lord! The Sect Master has just convened all the Golden Core Elders in the Sect¡¯s main hall for a meeting not long ago. He might not have received the news of Lord¡¯s visit and hence the dy," the Foundation Establishment disciple responded to Jiao Yan¡¯s inquiry with a trembling voice, carefully exining.
"In the Sect¡¯s main hall?" Jiao Yan¡¯s demeanor was exceedingly cold. He ignored the trembling Foundation Establishment Cultivators, surrounded by swirling ck demonic energy, transformed into a cloud of ck mist, and flew straight toward the Sea God Sect¡¯s main hall.
Seeing Jiao Yan depart, the Foundation Establishment disciples finally wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, not knowing when it had appeared, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
It¡¯s no wonder they were so fearful; the prestige of the Jiao n was indeed formidable.
Despite the Sea God Sect¡¯s dominance on the ind, they were no different from others in the face of the Jiao n.
Especially when facing the most ferocious Lord Jiao Yan, whose temper was unpredictable, and acted wholly on a whim. There had been instances where he treated the Sea God Sect cultivators like mere sheep, devouring them whole on a sudden fancy.
...
When Lord Jiao Yan arrived at the main hall of the sect, Real Person Han Jiu, d in a Sea God Sect robe, had already been waiting for him.
"Lord Jiao Yan," Real Person Han Jiu greeted respectfully.
Lord Jiao Yan certainly recognized Real Person Han Jiu. However, instead of feeling pleased by the respectful greeting, he nced at the still closed doors of the hall and suddenly erupted, "Where is Han Qiu? You came alone to wee me? Has the Sea God Sect be so brazenly bold, no longer considering me important, daring to treat me so casually?"
Bang!
Before Han Jiu could offer a detailed exnation, Lord Jiao Yan erupted in anger, lifted his hand, and a ck seal flew from his palm. The seal swelled rapidly in the air to the size of a small mountain and crashed towards the main hall doors with an rming momentum.
In Lord Jiao Yan¡¯s eyes, no matter the reason, the fact that the Sea God Sect cultivators did not ce him in the highest regard, greeting him immediately, was an offense to him.
The main doors, crafted from high-quality spirit material, were no match for the seal as massive as a peak; they were instantly reduced to dust, scattering everywhere.
The doors were broken, and the inside of the main hall came into Lord Jiao Yan¡¯s view, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Inside the main hall, it was indeed crowded, but not a single familiar face from the Sea God Sect could be seen... Perhaps it can¡¯t be said there weren¡¯t any familiar faces if one counts Han Qiu, sprawled on the ground like a lifeless corpse.
"Such impulsive behavior hardly seems fitting for Lord Jiao Yan," the Sword Master said, locking eyes with Jiao Yan and initiating an offensive remark.
"It¡¯s you!" Hearing the familiar voice and seeing the Sword Master¡¯s face, Jiao Yan¡¯s pupils constricted sharply.
"It is me." The Sword Master, grasping a blood-red Full Moon Saber in his one arm, exuded a chilling intent to kill.
"As the Sect Master of the Blood de Sect, my father bit off the arm with which you wielded your saber and you fled in disarray," Jiao Yan scoffed, "And now you dare return? Did you reach the Nascent Soul Stage in your cultivation and think you¡¯ve be capable once more?"
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In the face of Jiao Yan¡¯s mockery, the Sword Master gripped the Full Moon Saber in his hand even tighter, his eyes brimming with hatred.
"Fight!" No more patience to endure, no necessity to withhold.
As soon as the Sword Master finished speaking, Real Person Han Jiu received themand and immediately formed a seal gesture with his hands.
A dense fog rose from nowhere, swiftly enveloping the area, infused with an extremely oppressive aura.
Behind the Sword Master, all the Golden Core cultivators of the Dragon ying Saber were now holding a golden Array te, channeling spiritual power into them.
Countless golden threads surged from the Array tes, shining brightly within the dark fog and sparkling brilliantly.
This was the Golden Silk Mist Formation, ready by the Dragon ying Saber specifically for subduing Jiao dragons.
The moment the golden threads detached from the Array tes, they spread like agile serpents, enveloping Lord Jiao Yan from all directions.
Lord Jiao Yan¡¯s demon aura surged mightily, attempting to repel the golden threads immediately.
But the golden threads proved impervious to both water and fire, remaining unaffected as the demon aura passed over them, not even causing the slightest ripple.
Chapter 163 - 32 The Subdued Flood Dragon (Part 2)
The golden threads moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, under the precise control of the Dragon ying Saber Cultivator, they hadpletely ensnared Jiao Yan.
"Damn it!" These golden threads bound Jiao Yan tightly and kept constricting, seemingly intent on strangling him, which left Jiao Yan seething with anger.
Jiao Yan knew he had to break free from the golden threads¡¯ restraint urgently. With a roar, he transformed back into his true form, a giant ck Jiao over thirty zhang long.
For the Demon Beasts of the Jiao n with their extraordinary bloodlines, their true form is where theirbat power is at its strongest.
The golden threads that had trapped Jiao Yan snapped as he reverted to the ck Jiao, his burgeoning form stretching them taut, the golden light on the threads trembling incessantly.
"Snap already!" Madness filled Jiao Yan¡¯s massive eyes as his body thrashed violently.
Crash!
Under Jiao Yan¡¯s fierce struggle, the golden threads finally reached their breaking point, sounding like a snapping bowstring as Jiao Yan tore them apart.
As the golden threads snapped, the Array te in the hands of the Dragon ying Saber Golden Core Cultivator was also covered in web-like cracks.
But Jiao Yan wasn¡¯t in good shape either; as the price for tearing apart the golden threads, his body was sliced open, flesh torn and indistinct with blood flowing profusely outwards, carrying a strong scent of blood.
The Sword Master, of course, would not miss this opportunity. With his one arm, he gripped the Full Moon Saber tightly and pressed forward, his figure transforming into a bloody arc of light, an imposing sight to behold.
Yet, the attack from the Golden Silk Mist Formation was far from over. Although the golden threads had been torn, the dense ck mist had not dissipated.
Under the control of the Dragon ying Saber Golden Core Cultivator, the ck mist invaded Jiao Yan¡¯s body frantically through his wounds.
As he activated the Golden Silk Mist Formation, a chill shed through Han Jiu¡¯s eyes.
He had another formation at his disposal besides this one.
The Sect Protection Array of the Sea God Sect.
As the maniptor of the Sect Protection Array, Han Jiu unfurled arge aquamarine Array g, through which he could control the Sect Protection Array.
The Spiritual Power from the Spirit Vein of the Sea God Sect surged like a tide into the Sect Protection Array.
Under Han Jiu¡¯s maniption, the nearly tangible Spiritual Power formed a zing beam of Spiritual Light, shooting towards the bloodied Jiao Yan, almost in unison with the Sword Master¡¯s action.
Bellow!
Jiao Yan raised his dragon head and extended his ws, hard as magic artifacts, to meet the onught of attacks.
Thud!
Boom!
Two markedly different but equally thunderous sounds of impact resonated.
The left w, which was resisting the Spiritual Light, sent a sharp tingling pain through Jiao Yan, causing him great anguish, but this was the better oue.
Because the right w, which was meant to fend off the Sword Master¡¯s Full Moon Saber, was torn further along an existing wound, creating an evenrger gash, revealing bright red flesh. The intense pain drove Jiao Yan into an even more frenzied rage.
"The Jiao n may have strong bodies, but how many ws do you have? How many shes can you withstand?" Seeing the effectiveness of the strikebined with the Sect Protection Array, the Sword Master taunted coldly.
Jiao Yan remained silent, his tail whipping fiercely like a whip toward the Sword Master. As heunched the attack, Jiao Yan also threw his Magic Artifact seal, blocking the Sword Master¡¯s retreat.
The next moment, Jiao Yan¡¯s expression changed.
¡ªConfronted with his tail sweep, the Sword Master had no intention of dodging. Instead, he brought the Full Moon Saber down upon it with a sh.
ng!
The piercing sound of metal colliding echoed, and the huge recoil from the collision between the Full Moon Saber and the Jiaolong¡¯s tail made the Sword Master feel as if his internal organs were about to shift positions. With his Qi-Blood boiling, a fresh trickle of red blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth.
And in such a fierce head-on sh, Jiao Yan¡¯s tail was also shed open with a huge gash, blood gushing out as if it cost nothing.
It must be said, the physical bodies of the Demon n are indeed strong, as Jiao Yan had already lost count of how much blood he had shed since the beginning of the battle.
Yet, Jiao Yan¡¯s ferocity had not diminished by a fraction.
"Thrilling!" The Sword Master spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva,ughing wildly, "Come again!"
His figure as quick as lightning, his saber technique like thunder, bringing a terrifying rumble, the Sword Master once again swung his saber at Jiao Yan.
Han Jiu also manipted the Sect Protection Array once more, refining Spiritual Light and coordinating with the Sword Master to attack Jiao Yan.
The omnipresent ck fog also began to show its effects, slowly paralyzing Jiao Yan¡¯s physical body as it merged into his blood, causing his movements to be increasingly stiff.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of attacks bombarded Jiao Yan relentlessly.
Even with his frenzied rage and desperate struggles, he had no chance of escaping in the face of the Sect Protection Array operated by Han Jiu, the Golden Silk Mist Formation held by ten Golden Core Cultivators of the Dragon ying Saber, and the incessant assaults of the Nascent Soul Early Stage Sword Master who seemed to be in a frenzy.
As tough as Jiao Yan¡¯s body was, it couldn¡¯t withstand the continuously worsening injuries, and the blood pouring from his body had already formed a small pool on the ground.
Finally, Jiao Yan¡¯s resistance grew weaker and weaker, and atst, under the Sword Master¡¯s downward sh, Jiao Yan¡¯s body swayed and fell straight from the sky.
With a booming sound, the ck Jiao¡¯s massive bodynded on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust, and the wild Jiao Yan nowy powerless to move, his breaths weak.
The Sword Master unleashed several golden ropes, binding the incapacitated Jiao Yan tightly.
Jiao Yan still had his uses for the Dragon ying Saber; naturally, the Sword Master wouldn¡¯t kill him but merely incapacitate him to vent the anger in his heart.
With Jiao Yan subdued, what followed was the most important, most difficult, and the step that left no room for error¡ªusing Jiao Yan as bait to lure the Jiaolong Demon King into the trap they had so intricately woven in advance!
Cold light flickered in the Sword Master¡¯s eyes as he held the Full Moon Saber, dragging it along the spine of the ck Jiao.
The sharp saber de, following the already torn and ragged wounds, carved a deep cut across Jiao Yan¡¯s back, revealing a darkly glowing long sinew hidden within.
The Sword Master grabbed the sinew and cruelly yanked it out from Jiao Yan¡¯s body.
This was a dragon sinew several zhang long.
"First, the Sea God Sect, then Jiao Yan, andstly, it will be the turn of the Jiaolong Demon King," the Sword Master pocketed the dragon sinew, stepped in front of Real Person Han Qiu, and uttered, deliberately pausing between words, "Do you know why your life was spared until now?"
Husky with emotion, the Sword Master continued, "It¡¯s to let you witness with your own eyes how the Jiao n is annihted. Then, you will be ced before the statue of the Jiaolong to experience the torment of being sacrificed to the fiery ze."
Han Qiu found it difficult to ept the situation of Jiao Yan¡¯s defeat, twisting on the ground and muttering, "It¡¯s useless, useless... You could capture Jiao Yan with the formation because he had just entered the Fourth Grade. But the Jiaolong Demon King, who is on the verge of Transforming into a Dragon¡ªhow could you be a match for him?"
"Then watch carefully how we y the dragon," the Sword Master asserted, addressing Han Qiu and bolstering the confidence of himself and the Saber Cultivators.
Jiao Yan had just reached the Initial Stage of the Fourth Grade, and with his Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivation as a foundation, the n targeting Jiao Yan was nearly foolproof.
But the Jiaolong Demon King was different, hisbat power astonishing; if they were to confront him directly, the Sword Master would not be his match. Considering the vast disparity in strength, even the most perfect strategy would not have a high chance of sess.
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However, with the arrow already nocked, they had no choice but to proceed. They had reached this point, and there was no turning back now.
Chapter 164 - 33: The Beginning
```
In the depths of the Hidden Reef Domain, within the deep cavern of the Dragon Pool.
A Jiao Beast, over sixty zhang in length with a body cast from molten iron, coiled there.
The beast¡¯s body was pitch-ck, its surface covered with ayer of dark, lustrous Dragon Scales, the edges of the scales sharp as des, sending chills down one¡¯s spine.
Beyond that, the beast possessed four massive ws beneath its belly, akin to Divine Weapons, exuding a prating chill, while atop its head, a pair of Jiao horns were crystal clear. Itsrge eyes were slightly closed as if it were resting, but even without anger, an oppressive and terrifying might exuded, leaving one gasping for breath.
At that moment, the enormous eyes of the Jiao Beast suddenly snapped open.
Malice and icy coldness lurked within those eyes.
This was the king of the Jiao n, on the verge of breaking into the Fifth Grade, about to Transform into a Dragon, an existence of terror.
The eyes of the Jiao Dragon Demon King stared intently at the entrance of the cave.
An old man with a face full of white beard stood there with respect.
"Jiao Lao, what brings you here?" the Jiao Dragon Demon King asked, his brows slightly furrowed, his voice cold as ice.
Jiao Lao respectfully bowed his head, his hands lofting an object high, "My Lord, a Human Cultivator has brought this... this."
In Jiao Lao¡¯s hands was a dark ck sinew, overflowing with Spiritual Light, obviously no ordinary thing.
Boom!
The moment he saw the sinew, the Jiao Dragon Demon King¡¯s ws crushed a piece of rock on the cave wall into powder with rage, "This is Yan¡¯er¡¯s Dragon Sinew. What has happened to him?"
Not daring to conceal anything, Jiao Lao informed the Jiao Dragon Demon King of the entire situation, "Yesterday, the corpse of Hanyuan from the Sea God Sect appeared mysteriously within our domain, and thest batch of Spirit Materials for the Dragon Transformation Pool sent by the Sea God Sect was also stolen.
To retrieve these materials for your Majesty, the Lord went alone to Jiaolong Ind, then this situation urred."
"Furthermore, the one who brought the Lord¡¯s Dragon Sinew also had a message for your Majesty..." Jiao Lao looked hesitant.
"What message?" The Jiao Dragon Demon King gradually calmed down from his rage.
"He said that if the King wishes to save the Lord¡¯s life, then he should go for a meeting on Jiaolong Ind," Jiao Lao spoke with some reluctance, "My King, this is clearly a scheme by the Human Cultivators..."
"So you think I should just ignore Yan¡¯er?" The Jiao Dragon Demon King¡¯s icy eyes nted toward Jiao Lao.
Jiao Lao quickly bowed his head, "I wouldn¡¯t dare!"
"And the Human Cultivator who brought Yan¡¯er¡¯s Dragon Sinew? You didn¡¯t let him go, did you?"
"Of course not," Jiao Lao quickly answered, "It¡¯s just that..."
"It¡¯s just what?"
"The one who brought the Lord¡¯s Dragon Sinew was but a puppet fashioned by a Human Artifact Refiner. Although we managed to capture it, we couldn¡¯t get any information out of it," Jiao Lao exined.
"Good, good, worthy indeed of someone who¡¯d dare harm Yan¡¯er. How thorough they are," the Jiao Dragon Demon King said with augh that contained no anger, "Since they wish to lure me to the ind, I shallply with their wishes. I¡¯d like to see just how big the appetite of these Human underlings is, and how they n to swallow me!"
"Jiao Lao!" The Jiao Dragon Demon King roared.
"I am here."
"Assemble the n¡¯s warriors¡ªwe¡¯re heading to Jiaolong Ind together!"
"As youmand," Jiao Lao acknowledged.
Although the Jiao Dragon Demon King prided himself on his unparalleled strength, he was inherently cautious and cunning. Unlike Jiao Yan, he did not choose to go to Jiaolong Ind alone.
After all, how many of those who could rise to be Great Demon Kings were fools?
...
Shortly after.
At the bottom of the sea, outside the cave, massive waves of light parted the waters.
The mighty Jiao n assembled, and leading the massive army of Jiao beasts was the towering, immense figure of the Jiao Dragon Demon King.
```
```
Jiao Lao stepped out of the cave and approached the Jiaolong Demon King, reporting, "Demon King, most of our n¡¯s strongest warriors are here, totaling five hundred battle generals."
These five hundred Jiao beasts represented the strongestbat power that the Jiao n could muster.
With a booming voice, the Jiaolong Demon King dered, "More than two hundred years have passed since Ist visited Jiaolong Ind, and it seems the Human Race has forgotten the might of our n. It looks like I was too merciful back then. This time, I shall lead you to tten Jiaolong Ind and give the Human Race a bloody lesson."
Moo! Moo! Moo! Moo! Moo!
The Jiao beasts were brimming with fighting spirit, all of them roaring in response. Their voices melded into one, shaking the waters outside the light waves into rising billows.
"Follow me, we will retrieve my son and tten the Human Race!"
The Jiaolong Demon King let out a fierce shout.
Afterward, the Jiaolong Demon King burst forth through the sea, countless droplets showering down from his powerful and awe-inspiringly beautiful Jiao body.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Following behind the Jiaolong Demon King was Jiao Lao. Then came more than twenty Third Grade Jiao beasts, andstly, hundreds of Second Grade Jiao beasts. The calm of the sea domain was instantly shattered by the grandmotion of the Jiao n, with waves rising and a mist filling the air, where a faint rainbow light could be seen.
The scene and the momentum were truly magnificent.
...
"Sword Master, no more than half an hour after we delivered Jiao Yan¡¯s dragon sinews, the Jiaolong Demon King has already set out, apanied by five hundred Jiao beasts with a mighty approach!"
Inside the grand hall of the Sea God Sect, all the high-ranking cultivators of the Dragon ying Saber were present, the atmosphere extremely tense. The cultivator Tong Zheng stepped forward to report thetest intelligence to the Sword Master.
"Notify Mo Yan to start taking action on his side," the Sword Master said with a grave expression. "As for us here, we¡¯ve prepared everything we can. Whether we seed or fail, it all depends on Heaven¡¯s Mandate now."
"What of failure? I consider it a great honor to join this endeavor with all of you, and to meet death together in the end!" Seeing the heavy and even somewhat pessimistic mood of the crowd, the eldest of the Lian Yun trio from Lian State was the first to stand, his face full of determination, "A life cowering in servitude to the Jiao n as their dogs is no different from death itself!"
"Big brother is right," Lian Cheng and Lian Jun immediately chimed in, "We wish to join this endeavor with everyone!"
"Well said, it¡¯s just a life to lose! The Jiao n destroyed our sect, killed our kin, and tormented our Human Race. If we don¡¯t avenge this grievance, we will never be able to move past this grudge in our lives, let alone talk about cultivation!"
"Yes, it¡¯s just a measly life. In a hundred and eighty years, we will be vigorous men again!"
"..."
The Dragon ying Saber cultivators, who had initially harbored panic and concern, were instantly roused by the Lian Yun trio¡¯s provocation. Their gloom was swept away as they all roared in agreement.
Seeing everyone¡¯s fighting spirit soar, the Sword Master felt a surge of boldness swell in his chest, "Good, then let¡¯s take Jiao Yan with us and set off immediately!"
...
Wood Carving Shop.
Lu Qingshan returned here once again after a day¡¯s absence.
However, seeing the situation in the wood carving shop, Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
A girl who appeared quirky and spirited was holding a wood carving in the shop, looking utterly fascinated by it, as if lost in her own world, deep in thought.
"What are you doing?"
Zang Xiaojian, engrossed in the wood carving, hadn¡¯t initially noticed Lu Qingshan¡¯s arrival. Upon hearing the familiar voice, she swiftly turned her head to see Lu Qingshan standing at the doorway, smiling and watching her obliquely.
The girl¡¯s face immediately lit up with joy. She put down the wood carving and was about to speak, but suddenly remembering something, her nose twitched slightly, and she straightened her face, saying, "It¡¯s a secret, I can¡¯t tell you!"
Priorities being priorities, Zang Xiaojian understood that Lu Qingshan¡¯s decision to part ways with her the day before was reasonable, but that didn¡¯t prevent the slight indignation in her heart.
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Lu Qingshan just shrugged his shoulders and leisurely stepped into the wood carving shop.
His gaze swept around the shop and he noticed Xue Zhuyong lying on a rattan chair, reeking of alcohol. His hands hung loosely, the right hand still clutching a wine jug, his eyes half-closed, muttering deliriously as if he hadn¡¯t yet woken up. He was either unaware of Lu Qingshan¡¯s arrival or toozy to care.
The Three-feet Edge hung on the wall as regally as the day before.
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Though Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian had initiallye for the Three-feet Edge, they were now, with exceptional tacit understanding, ignoring itpletely, their attention instead focused on the wood carvings disyed around the shop.
```
Chapter 165 - 34 Meeting
Zang Xiaojian noticed that after Lu Qingshan had entered the wooden sculpture shop, he began to look at the wooden carvings attentively, pondering something to himself.
Suddenly, she recalled Lu Qingshan¡¯s special attention to the wooden carvings yesterday. If she hadn¡¯t mimicked his actions and taken a wooden sculpture when leaving the shop, she wouldn¡¯t have found the secret hidden within the carvings.
She restrained herself for a long time but finally couldn¡¯t hold back. Throwing aside her intent to ignore Lu Qingshan for a while, she leaned closer and asked softly, "Lu Qingshan, did you also discover¡"
"Fellow cultivator Lu, Fellow cultivator Zang." A very gentle voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Zang Xiaojian before she could finish.
"How did you get here?" Zang Xiaojian turned and looked at the speaker with extreme surprise.
In the small wooden sculpture shop, a third visitor had arrived.
Mo Yan.
Looking at Mo Yan¡¯s very familiar face, Lu Qingshan also covertly nced at Xue Zhuyong who seemed to still be sleeping on the rattan chair, his mind abuzz with thoughts.
This should be the first meeting between these two who were supposed to be very close.
However, clearly, at this moment, neither of them was aware of the bond between them.
...
"Master Mo, what urgent matter brings you to us?" Lu Qingshan asked unhurriedly.
People don¡¯t visit without a reason. Mo Yaning here definitely meant something was up.
Mo Yan looked around and, noticing Xue Zhuyong resting on the rattan chair, said without much thought, "Let¡¯s talk outside, shall we?"
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian followed Mo Yan, leaving the wooden sculpture shop.
"The Jiaolong Demon King, along with five hundred Jiao Beasts, is already heading straight for Jiaolong Ind; they are currently en route," Mo Yan began explosively.
Lu Qingshan frowned slightly, "Have you started to act?"
Mo Yan nodded, acknowledging, "Yes, but as you might expect, we also aren¡¯t very confident.
So, besides the nning against the Jiaolong Demon King, we also have an additional n."
Lu Qingshan nodded in understanding. "Is this why you havee to find us?"
"Exactly," Mo Yan exined in detail, "The Jiaolong Demon King wants to break into the Fifth Grade and transform into a dragon.
But as we know, transforming into a dragon isn¡¯t that easy, even with the Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s bloodline, the chances of sessfully transforming are not high."
"The Jiaolong Demon King is well aware of this. Thus, he has gathered many rare spirit materials in hisir to construct a Dragon Transformation Pool to aid in his transformation."
"Are you nning to strike at the Dragon Transformation Pool?" Zang Xiaojian had also grasped Mo Yan¡¯s intent at this point.
"Correct, this time we have prepared on two fronts," Mo Yan nodded, admitting, "On one hand, our Great Cultivator with the Dragon ying Saber will confront the Jiaolong Demon King, trying to y the vile Jiao.
On the other, while the Jiaolong Demon King leads most of the Jiao Beasts away from the Hidden Reef Domain, we¡¯ll send someone to sneak into hisir and destroy the Dragon Transformation Pool."
"By then, if we fail on the front lines with the Dragon ying Saber, at least we could hope that the Jiaolong Demon King, having lost the aid of the Dragon Transformation Pool, would fail to transform and perish on his own."
"Of course, this is the most helpless and passive option, but as things stand, we won¡¯t give up any viable options," Mo Yan said with a firm gaze.
"So, what do you need us for?"
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"Although the Jiaolong Demon King has taken most of the Jiao Beasts away from theirir, there are still hundreds of Jiao Beasts circling in the Jiao n sea domain.
All our Golden Core Cultivators from the Dragon ying Saber are currently gathered on the front lines, so we can¡¯t muster anybat power above the Foundation Establishment level at the Dragon Transformation Pool.
In such a situation, we have no choice but to opt for an undercover mission, diving deep into Dragon Pool to destroy the Dragon Transformation Pool.
"Such undercover operations require quality over quantity, and having too many people could actuallyplicate things," Mo Yan paused, then exined, "As the strongest Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Dragon ying Saber, I am responsible for dealing with the Dragon Transformation Pool."
"My original intention was to go alone, but the Jiao n¡¯s habitat is vast, and I¡¯m not confident I couldplete the mission quickly.
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Lately, I thought of you. When you ambushed the Golden Core Cultivators of the Sea God Sect, you all demonstratedbat power far beyond ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators, so I want to invite you to explore Dragon Pool with me."
"Of course, this endeavor is not without risk, but first, I will provide magical artifacts to conceal our aura, to minimize the risks as much as possible." Mo Yan took out two green jade pendants from his storage ring and handed them to Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian.
"These are Hidden Spirit Pendants, Middle Grade Spiritual Artifacts. These artifacts can erase the aura of Foundation Establishment Cultivatorspletely. However, they are not capable of concealing Golden Core Cultivators, whose aura is too strong. This is also one of the reasons this operation is primarily for Foundation Establishment Cultivators," Mo Yan exined.
Zang Xiaojian, intrigued, took the Hidden Spirit Pendant from Mo Yan and channeled some Spiritual Power onto the pendant. A transparent ripple immediately emanated from the pendant, quickly enveloping Zang Xiaojian¡¯s entire body.
Lu Qingshan released his Divine Sense and scanned Zang Xiaojian.
Even though Zang Xiaojian was right before his eyes, in his Divine Sense perception, the ce where Zang Xiaojian stood appearedpletely empty.
"Excellent artifact!" Lu Qingshan couldn¡¯t help but praise.
Mo Yan humbly replied, "Lu fellow cultivator tters me. While it does deserve some praise for its ability to hide aura, it is still quite limited and only suitable for Foundation Establishment Cultivators."
"Did you craft this artifact?" Zang Xiaojian, holding the Hidden Spirit Pendant, shook it towards Mo Yan.
Mo Yan nodded slightly, then said, "If you are willing to apany me to Dragon Pool, first and foremost, I won¡¯t take back these Hidden Spirit Pendants. Additionally, I will pay arge sum of Spirit Stones aspensation for your assistance.
Lastly, whether we seed in our mission or not, once a day has passed, you can immediately withdraw from the Jiao n sea domain. I absolutely won¡¯t let you face the risk of encountering the Jiaolong Demon King. What do you think?"
As soon as Mo Yan finished speaking, an excited sparkle immediately shed in Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyes.
An adventure into Dragon Pool was extremely attractive to a young girl new to the world.
However, despite her excitement, Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t immediately agree to Mo Yan¡¯s invitation but instead looked expectantly at Lu Qingshan.
She didn¡¯t know why, but she truly felt that if Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t go, she wouldn¡¯t either.
Lu Qingshan nced at Zang Xiaojian, whose face all but screamed "Let¡¯s go!" He rubbed his forehead somewhat helplessly, pondered for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and eventually epted Mo Yan¡¯s invitation, "Then Zang Xiaojian and I will join you on this trip."
Seeing that Lu Qingshan had agreed, Zang Xiaojian immediately began rubbing her hands together excitedly, "So when do we set off?"
Mo Yan said gravely, "Now."
Chapter 166 - 35 Dragon Pool
Waves of blue, spiritual light twinkling, several figures gradually emerged within this tranquil seabed.
It was Lu Qingshan, Zang Xiaojian, Mo Yan... and a rat, who had swiftly arrived near the Hidden Reef Domain through the Teleportation Array set up by the Dragon ying Saber from Jiaolong Ind.
Though the Rat King¡¯s ability in head-onbat was virtually nil, he excelled in skills such as sneaking and tracking, making him the ancestor of the three present in such sneaky matters.
In this aspect of talent, not even the three of thembined could match up to him, and the ability to conceal his aura from his bloodline awakening was far superior to that of the Hidden Spirit Pendant.
Thus, when faced with the Rat King¡¯s adamant refusal using fear of water as an excuse, Lu Qingshan didn¡¯t hesitate to pull out three Blood Spirit Beads to entice him, smoothly oveing the Rat King¡¯s fear and disgust of water, persuading him to follow along.
However, after several uses of Blood Spirit Beads as incentives, Lu Qingshan found that the beads in his possession were dwindling, which left him somewhat mncholic.
¡ªWithout the Blood Spirit Beads, the Rat King would not be so easily fooled.
After stabilizing his form, Lu Qingshan¡¯s first reaction was to quickly survey his surroundings.
This teleportation array was cleverly hidden inside a cave formed by strange rocks on the seabed, shielded from water by a Water-Repelling Pearl and concealed by an Illusion Array¡ªclearly a meticulously arranged setup.
"We are only fifty miles away from the Jiao n¡¯s Hidden Reef Domain," seeing Lu Qingshan¡¯s caution, Mo Yan took the initiative to exin their current location, openly and honestly, "The Teleportation Array is one of the greatest assets of my Dragon ying Saber."
The construction of a Teleportation Array has always been a high-level secret technique.
Only a few sects and powers have had the capability to possess such a method, yet a small Dragon ying Saber was capable of constructing a Teleportation Array. Even though it was a small one with extremely limited distance and capacity, it indeed deserved some praise.
"Water-Repelling Pearls." Mo Yan tossed a blue spiritual pearl to each of them, including the Rat King, who was so pleased that the tuft of red hair on his head even perked up.
With the water repelled by the Water-Repelling Pearls, the three rushed towards the Jiao n¡¯s territory under Mo Yan¡¯s guidance.
A momentter.
"Is this the territory of the Jiao n?" Zang Xiaojian gazed at the scene before him, feeling somewhat dazzled.
Even Lu Qingshan was slightly startled by the beauty before him.
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Numerous towering crimson water lilies were blooming and growing on the seabed of this domain.
With the surging undercurrents at the seabed, the water lilies¡¯ roots slightly swayed, causing the uppermost lilies to dance as well, resembling butterflies fluttering,bining to appear like a continuous, passionate sea of fire burning on the seabed.
And within this dazzling, bright sea of lilies, there was a giant cave entrance that appeared now and then.
"Through that cave entrance is the Jiao n¡¯s dwelling ce, which the n calls the Dragon Pool," Mo Yan pointed at the cave entrance and transmitted his voice.
"Dragon Pool, quite the grand name for just a few small Jiao, isn¡¯t it?" The Rat King was the first to speak disdainfully.
Mo Yan shook his head, "The name Dragon Pool does hold some reason behind it, though it¡¯s not because of these Jiao n members."
"Initially, the Jiao n¡¯s territory was not located here, but was discovered by the Jiaolong Demon King by chance.
The Jiaolong Demon King, driven by curiosity, decided to explore this cave.
Unexpectedly, once he entered, he found that for some reason, there was a very faint Dragon Breath permeating throughout the cave."
"Dragon Breath?!" Lu Qingshan frowned.
True Dragons held one of the most revered bloodlines among Demon Beasts, anything remotely rted to True Dragons often saw its value skyrocket tremendously.
"Yes, Dragon Breath," Mo Yan spread his hands, "The Jiao n inherently harbors a very weak Dragon n bloodline, and living in a ce imbued with Dragon Breath could potentially stimte the awakening of their Dragon n bloodline.
Since then, the Jiao n moved their dwelling to this ce.
The Jiaolong Demon King¡¯s awakening of part of the Dragon n bloodline was due to the Dragon Breath in the Dragon Pool, thereby achieving his current Fourth Grade Cultivation.
And for the Jiao n, it was also because of the Dragon Pool that they gradually grew stronger and ultimately became a dominant Demon n in the nearby seas."
"Dragon Breath does not appear without a source," Lu Qingshan was not too concerned with the rise of the Jiao n, but directly addressed the core issue.
"The Jiaolong Demon King thought the same, but as he ruled over the entire Jiao n, he turned the Dragon Pool inside out, top to bottom, for thousands of years, and ultimately failed to find the source of the Dragon Breath. This matter eventually fizzled out." Mo Yan gratefully said, "Fortunately, the Jiaolong Demon King found nothing.
Had he really found the spiritual object that produced the Dragon Breath, our Human Race would have had no room to struggle."
Lu Qingshan was silent, but his mind became increasingly interested in this Dragon Pool.
Zang Xiaojian didn¡¯t care about the so-called Dragon Breath and asked with a pout, "There are guards by the entrance, how are we supposed to get in without making a sound?"
At the entrance of Dragon Pool, there were two Second Grade Jiao Beasts on guard.
Killing them was not difficult, but Zang Xiaojian also understood that once they engaged them, it would be difficult to deceive the rest of the Jiao n, and then their movements in the cave would be extremely challenging.
Mo Yan confidently said, "This is not difficult, we just need to lure the tiger away from the mountain. My Dragon ying Saber has been quite active in the Jiao n territory these past few days, which hasid a foundation for our actions today. These Jiao Beasts are surely still on edge and won¡¯t be hard to deceive."
After saying this, Mo Yan immediately took out an extremely small puppet in the shape of a lion beast from his Storage Ring. Explore more stories at empire
"Go." Mo Yanmanded softly, maneuvering the lion beast puppet to swim in the sea.
The speed of the lion beast puppet was incredibly fast, and in a few moments, it reached the surface of the sea, burst forth violently, and flew into the sky.
"The lion beast puppet has nobat ability, but it can emit extremely loud thunderous roars," Mo Yan mentioned with pursed lips. "It¡¯s a little toy I forged during my leisure time for amusement."
Boom, boom, boom!
A deafening thunderous roar exploded above them.
The three carefully concealed individuals intently watched as the Jiao Beasts guarding the cave entrance moaned and swam out towards the surface to inspect the situation.
"These big foolish creatures, all brawn and no brains, were deceived so easily?" Lord Xi Mouse couldn¡¯t help but unleash a sharp tongue.
In fact, this was a fairly normal scenario.
The intelligence of Jiao Beasts was not very high.
And over these two days, there had been two major disturbances in the territory of the Jiao n.
The first disturbance had caused Lord Jiao Yan to furiously leave the Dragon Pool.
The second disturbance led their king to lead five hundred Jiao Beasts to march towards Jiaolong Ind.
Now, hearing such arge disturbance again, the Jiao Beasts were naturally very anxious, fearing another major event, and hurried to check the situation without dy.
"Let¡¯s go, into the Dragon Pool." Seeing the Jiao Beasts guarding the entrance of the Dragon Pool leave, Mo Yan spoke, not wanting to waste any time, and immediately dashed out as swiftly as a swordfish, moving towards the Dragon Pool.
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian followed suit.
The three of them jumped into the vast entrance of the Dragon Pool, one after another.
It was like the Water Curtain Cave ¡ª the interior of Dragon Pool was a world of its own.
From the outside, the entrance to Dragon Pool looked as dark and ominous as the gaping maw of an ancient behemoth, yet the environment inside was unexpectedly bright and spacious.
The most peculiar aspect was the absence of any seawater inside Dragon Pool.
Only the air, filled with an extremely rich Water Element Spiritual Qi, proved that this was indeed under the sea.
An extremely oppressive and forceful breath greeted the three as soon as they entered the Dragon Pool. Fortunately, this breath was very weak and had little impact on them.
It was Lord Xi Mouse who suffered a great deal under this presence, starting to tremble all over.
The suppression between the bloodlines of Demon Beasts has always been quite severe.
"This is the Dragon Breath," Mo Yan said with some concern, frowning. "Lu, can your Spirit Beast hold on? If it can¡¯t, it would be best to keep him in the Spirit Beast Bag."
"Pah, don¡¯t listen to him," Lord Xi Mouse, with a quivering tooth, struggled to calm his voice and stubbornly said, "Lu Qingshan, I¡¯m perfectly fine. Lord Mouse won¡¯t be affected by a mere Dragon Breath!"
Chapter 167 - 36 Awakening
Seeing the usually obedient Rat King behaving so stubbornly, Lu Qingshan let it have its way and didn¡¯t return it to the Spirit Beast Bag.
Being tempered under the pressure of the Dragon Breath was indeed a good thing for the Rat King; it was an excellent opportunity to strengthen its courage.
...
Before the trioid a nearly vertical passageway leading downward.
"Beyond this passageway, we should truly be entering the interior of the Dragon Pool," Mo Yan said gravely, "There¡¯s no time to waste, I¡¯ll take the lead."
Mo Yan leaped decisively, transforming into an Escaping Light, and was the first to move downwards.
Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian naturally did notg behind, following close behind, the three of them plummeted downward like shooting stars, heading deeper into the Dragon Pool.
They could clearly feel that the further down they went, the more intense the pressure from the Dragon Breath became.
It also indicated that they were getting closer and closer to the source of the Dragon Breath that the Jiao n had been desperately seeking.
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It¡¯s worth mentioning that the Rat King, which initially trembled and could not stabilize its form due to the pressure of the Dragon Breath and clung to Lu Qingshan¡¯s shoulder, contrary to expectations, gradually adapted and calmed down as the pressure of the Dragon Breath increased.
This coward really does have quite the potential.
Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
The trio descended around twenty breaths¡¯ time, and the vertical passageway turned into a slope, a change that didn¡¯t affect Lu Qingshan and the others; they continued without pause.
As they moved forward, the angle of the slope became smaller and smaller, until atst, the slope leveled out into a t road, and the true appearance of the Dragon Pool unfolded before their eyes.
It resembled a vast continent hidden beneath the sea, with rolling hills and ins, and a variety ofndscapes intermingling, stretching far beyond sight.
On both sides of the continent stood colossal and curiously shaped cliff walls peppered with countless holes.
The Jiao n favored darkness and moisture, and those holes were their dwellings.
Whew!
A very faint breeze brushed against Lu Qingshan¡¯s face.
"This ce is indeed somewhat extraordinary," Lu Qingshan whispered.
Where could the wind being from underwater?
And what colossal force could create such and without water on the ocean floor?
These remained mysteries.
But right now, Lu Qingshan, Zang Xiaojian, and Mo Yan didn¡¯t have the luxury to solve these riddles; under the protection of the hidden Spirit tokens, they carefully concealed their forms.
Mo Yan, like a treasure trove, took out three cloak Magic Artifacts from his Storage Ring and distributed one to each.
The trio clung to the rock wall, and the moment they draped the giant cloaks over them, they immediately took on the same color as the wall. From a distance, the three wrapped in cloaks merged seamlessly with the rock wall, like strange protruding stones.
Without close inspection, it would be impossible to detect their disguise.
Although they dared not fly, the trio moved very quickly.
Time was of the essence for them, for they needed to find the Dragon Transformation Pool established by the Jiaolong Demon King as quickly as possible!
The Dragon Pool was vast, and despite the hundreds of Jiao Beasts still circling around, it was only after traveling several miles that Lu Qingshan and the others saw their first Jiao Beast.
It was a Third Grade Jiao Beast, but its age seemed quite advanced, close to the end of its life, appearing very decrepit.
The old Jiao flew over their heads leisurely, entering a cave in the rock wall, and failed to notice the three concealed within it.
For the first time in a thousand years, Human Cultivators had entered the Dragon Pool.
A thousand years of peace had numbed the vignce of these Jiao Beasts.
However, due to the unfamiliarity with the area, everything was a challenge for Lu Qingshan and the others, akin to feeling the stones to cross the river.
After a short while.
Lu Qingshan stopped, furrowed his brow, and said softly, "This won¡¯t do, the Dragon Pool is far bigger than we imagined.
If we continue to scurry around like headless flies, the chances of finding the Dragon Transformation Pool are very slim."
Mo Yan too realized this problem, "You make a sound point."
"How about," Zang Xiaojian¡¯s eyes twinkled as a n formed in his mind, and he made a throat-slitting gesture to the others, "we catch a Jiao Beast and interrogate it thoroughly about the Dragon Pool?"
Lu Qingshan and Mo Yan exchanged a look and surprisingly nodded in perfect sync, "That¡¯s feasible."
...
They retraced their steps following the way they came.
First and Second Grade Jiao Beasts were at the bottom of the Jiao n hierarchy and couldn¡¯t provide valuable information; capturing them would be pointless.
To truly uncover the secrets of the Dragon Pool, they needed to target a Third Grade Jiao Beast; only then would they find sess.
Third Grade Jiao Beasts corresponded to Human Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage.
Lu Qingshan, Zang Xiaojian, and Mo Yan, when joining forces, certainly had some confidence in capturing a Third Grade Jiao Beast just entering its rank.
However, they must keep in mind that they were in the territory of the Jiao n, and if they made too much noise or took too long, they could very likely attract other Jiao Beasts.
If they were surrounded by numerous Jiao Beasts, the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, no matter how against the heavens they were, would also find themselves without recourse.
To avoid causing a disturbance and to swiftly capture a Third Grade Jiao Beast, the most rational and optimal choice was to pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.
And the aged Third Grade Jiao Beast they had just encountered seemed to be as soft as they could get.
They also happened to know the location of its cave.
With the time and ce to their advantage, it was only a pity for the old Jiao, whose fate had turned sour, as it seemed unlikely to enjoy its twilight years in peace.
In front of the old Jiao¡¯s cave, Mo Yan first carefully observed the surroundings, ensuring there were no other Jiao Beasts wandering nearby, then immediately spat out a Spiritual Pearl from his mouth.
The Spiritual Pearl was crystal clear, the same Magic Artifact Mo Yan had used when ambushing the cultivators of the Sea God Sect days ago.
Above the Spiritual Pearl, five-colored Radiance quickly rippled out, enveloping the cave.
"This Magic Artifact can shield all noise and presence for a moment, let¡¯s move quickly!" Mo Yan urged, his voice urgent.
All three figures dashed into the cave sessively, without regard for order.
An old Jiao coiled in the cave, looking at the three invaders with sheer bewilderment.
The old Jiao¡¯s already somewhat sluggish mind didn¡¯t react at first, just instinctively astonished.
Human Cultivators in the Dragon Pool, from whence did theye?
Mo Yan¡¯s left hand suddenly condensed a deep blue me, while his right hand ignited a zing red me.
Netherfire Red Lotus and... Cold Spirit Fire.
In just a few short days, Mo Yan had already refined the Cold Spirit Fire and could use it with ease!
The might of Incinerate Body was beginning to show.
The two bundles of Netherfire tumbled in Mo Yan¡¯s hands, their intense heat making the space around them seem almost illusory.
With a fierce push of his hands, the two tumultuous and fierce Netherfires shot towards the old Jiao with the speed of thunder.
Whoosh!
Quicker than Mo Yan¡¯s Netherfire was Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword, which was nearing the firstyer of the Flying Sword realm: sound speed.
Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword assaulted powerfully and furiously, striking directly at the spine of the old Jiao.
Boom!
The intense collision generated a visible shockwave, radiating outwards in all directions.
With age, the body the old Jiao had once taken pride in had also weakened substantially, and under the attack of Zang Xiaojian¡¯s Flying Sword, a wide gash now appeared on its back.
This injury and pain finally brought the old Jiao to its senses.
The old Jiao¡¯s somewhat murky eyes stared directly at the two approaching bundles of Netherfire.
Bellow!
With a roar, the old Jiao spit out a thick water column from its mouth, hoping to extinguish the two bundles of Netherfire.
But it was useless!
Under the power of the Netherfire, the water column burned and evaporated into steam, filling the cave with rolling mist.
Having burnt the water column to nothing, the two bundles of Netherfire, still mighty, crashed onto the old Jiao¡¯s body.
Sizzle!
There was a piercing sound of flesh roasting, and on the old Jiao¡¯s ten-foot-long body, two hideously charred wounds appeared; with the burnt skin around them as contrast, the inner flesh appeared especially bright red.
At that moment, using the Formless Sword Escape, Lu Qingshan had already moved beside the old Jiao.
Spiritual Power transformed into rampant Sword Qi, enveloping the Peach Wood Sword and striking heavily on therge gash created by Zang Xiaojian¡¯s previous attack.
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Rip.
The gash expanded into a very long wound, through which the old Jiao¡¯s vertebrae were faintly visible.
......
In a secluded and deep part of the Dragon Pool, a ce unvisited by anyone,
The moment Lu Qingshan employed the Formless Sword Escape, a pair ofcquer-like eyes slowly opened, flickering with a bright and resplendent light, like the stars in the sky.
"This aura, it seems to be..." A whisperden with surprise resonated through this hidden ce for a moment.
Afterward, the secret location returned to calmness, and moreover,pared to before, it seemed to have lost something...
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