Chapter 40: Hongmei's Exclusive Wall-Facer! |
His three-hundred-pound master sat in the flying carriage, giving him a meaningful look.
Hongmei was harboring murderous intent. He had looted the Golden Light Pavilion, offending the Immortal Alliance Foundation Establishment cultivator backing it.
Yulou and his brother knew about this, which could become leverage for the Wang Clan to control him in the future!
Under the Immortal Alliance's control, every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Wunan Basin had to enter the regulatory system of the 'Immortal Alliance—Ten Sects'. Hongmei did not want to be constrained by the Wang Clan, so his greed was closely followed by murderous intent.
Murderous intent toward his own two disciples!
Their master-disciple relationship was purely transactional, and Hongmei did not feel secure!
Yulou was absolutely certain he could not withstand a casual strike from Hongmei.
This was a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator on the verge of attempting Foundation Establishment. In the Wunan Cultivation World, as long as he did not provoke the running dogs of the Immortal Alliance or the Ten Sects, he was invincible.
An invincible Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator.
Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator present, Hongmei—a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator with profound mastery of the artificing path and an unknown lineage—was truly invincible!
His red eyebrows relaxed as he smiled, feigning anger.
"What are you two brats doing? I was just wondering if we should pick up your clan uncle before we leave."
He was also absolutely certain he could easily finish off these two disciples. Finish off the two disciples who had witnessed his campaign of murder and arson!
He would not even need to use his trump card, the Golden Jade Splendor Pagoda. With just two flying swords and two breaths of time, these two little brats would die a graveless death.
No one would ever know about the looting of the Golden Light Pavilion.
But...
Wang Rongsheng knew they had come to the Golden Light Pavilion!
Even after reaching the Foundation Establishment realm, Hongmei would still have to make a living under the Immortal Alliance system. He could not kill the children of the Wang Clan!
Unless he could kill Wang Rongsheng as well!
"There is no need, Master. I believe our clan uncle can protect himself."
Yulou had already figured out the crucial point.
Hongmei's hesitation just now was out of apprehension!
If Hongmei killed them, he would not escape death even after reaching the Foundation Establishment realm!
Therefore, even under the formation array, he no longer had to worry about Hongmei suddenly lashing out to kill them.
Under Yu'an's bewildered gaze, Yulou actually boarded the flying carriage.
"Yu'an, get on quickly!" Hongmei urged, feeling stifled in his heart.
The temptation of Foundation Establishment had driven him to take a risk. He wanted to kill these two little brats to eliminate future troubles, but Wang Rongsheng's existence made him hesitate.
It was frustrating, incredibly frustrating.
"Come on up. Clan Uncle told us to find Master, which means he has his own way to survive the chaos. You do not need to worry about Uncle Rongsheng," Yulou added, urging him with a smile.
Hongmei was already beginning to regret it. This little bastard Yulou was too clear-headed, unusually so for a sixteen-year-old.
He understood everything, he knew everything, and that was why he was so fearless!
When his murderous intent suddenly flared up just now, he had failed to hide his intentions well enough.
Now, it was too late.
Out of trust in Yulou, Yu'an suppressed his fear and sat beside his older brother.
With a dark expression, Hongmei deactivated the formation array. He did not know what the future held, and his heart even harbored some fear.
Wang Xianmao was a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator with divine abilities, and Wang Jingyi was a disciple of Xuanzhuan and a Core Disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
Patriarch Mangxiang was attempting to attain Golden Core. With Patriarch Mangxiang's advancement, the Wang Clan, as a vassal of their lineage, would also rise in status.
'Will I successfully reach Foundation Establishment?'
'How will the Wang Clan treat me?'
Greed could blind a person's judgment. Tempted by being just one step away from the Foundation Establishment realm, Hongmei had failed to suppress his greed after taking a risk, giving rise to murderous intent.
Now, regretting it was useless!
As the formation array was removed, the Spirit-Calming Mist outside had thinned considerably. Yulou immediately looked up at the formation array in the sky.
The formation array had already been breached by the people of Gu Shen Sect from the inside out. The Wondrous Peak Mountain cultivator named Jiuqu clearly could not hold on any longer.
However, the chaos in Hidden Dragon Market would be hard to resolve anytime soon. The rogue cultivators trying to take advantage of the chaos would not miss such a good opportunity.
Just as Hongmei was about to drive the flying carriage away, an unexpected person appeared.
"It's good that you are all right!"
Yulou's expression abruptly changed, and Hongmei halted his intention to move the flying carriage.
Looking at Wang Rongsheng appearing before him, Hongmei once again fell into a struggle of hesitation.
Today, Hidden Dragon Market was in utter chaos; afterward, no one would be able to investigate anything!
He could kill the three of them, flee far away, and attempt Foundation Establishment in a place far from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
But if he didn't kill them, his looting of the Golden Light Pavilion would become leverage for the Wang Clan to bind him!
One at early Qi Condensation, and two at the Qi Induction realm.
Three breaths. It would only take three breaths!
To kill, or not to kill. That was the question.
"Uncle Rongsheng, watch out for him!"
Just as Hongmei began to hesitate, Yulou had already raised his Escape Talisman, signaling Wang Rongsheng to be wary of Hongmei.
Wang Rongsheng froze for a moment, and Hongmei was also taken aback.
The Wang Clan's heritage was not some Daoist technique or a magic treasure, but it was highly useful—or more accurately, extremely useful.
At Yulou's warning, Wang Rongsheng flashed backward, instantly retreating ten zhang away.
Wang Rongsheng's subconscious retreat bought him time to think, and it also dispelled Hongmei's hesitation.
"Why watch out for me? Fellow Daoist Rongsheng, let's leave together."
Looking at the dryly chuckling Hongmei, the blazing Golden Light Pavilion, and the Escape Talisman in Yulou's hand, Wang Rongsheng understood everything.
With a slight tremble, he revealed his cultivation base at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, and he also drew out a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman, leaving Hongmei dumbfounded.
Yulou and Yu'an were also somewhat dumbfounded. Uncle Rongsheng actually wasn't at the early Qi Condensation stage?
This...
An early Qi Condensation cultivator was nothing but an appetizer in front of a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator—the only difference being whether they were chewed twice or swallowed whole. But the sixth layer of Qi Refining was different. Wang Rongsheng could at least hold out for a few exchanges.
One had to know that the Wang Clan's Qi Refining disciples were all equipped with Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talismans as a standard!
The Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman used treated eighth-grade donkey hide as a base, mixed various spiritual materials for ink, gathered multiple types of spiritual energy, and was finally drawn by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The crafter of this batch of Wang Clan talismans was Wang Xianmao. Once activated, the user could fly for a hundred li at the speed of a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
And just over a hundred and thirty li away from Hidden Dragon Market was the clan estate of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan affiliated with the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
This speed gap during a hundred-li flight was the death-exemption medallion that guaranteed the survival of Wang Clan Qi Refining cultivators against peers of the same realm!
As long as you didn't leave the territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, you could use the Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman freely. Once used, your enemies would be left speechless!
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Hongmei, you go first. I will follow behind you," Wang Rongsheng replied calmly.
He did not know Yulou well, but he trusted his own family's child much more than an outsider!
"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand, I—"
Yulou directly interrupted Hongmei!
"Clan Uncle, just follow slowly behind the flying carriage. We will fly thirty li first, then take a break. We'll take our time, there's no rush!"
'Master, stop acting. Enough is enough!'
'My Clan Uncle is at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. If you still want to successfully attain Foundation Establishment, you can only listen to us!'
'Yes, you have profound mastery of the artificing path and could easily start over somewhere else.'
'But to reach Foundation Establishment, you must submit to the Immortal Alliance's system!'
'You have no choice!'
Wang Rongsheng and Yulou both looked at Hongmei, and Hongmei could no longer bring himself to smile.
Wang Rongsheng had hidden his cultivation base; he was not at early Qi Condensation.
Even Wang Yulou and Wang Yu'an had Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talismans.
He messed up. He completely messed up!
A Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator leading the way, with a sixth layer Qi Refining cultivator bringing up the rear—no rogue cultivator would be willing to provoke such a lineup.
Though there were few of them and their overall strength wasn't overwhelmingly high, compared to them, isolated soft targets were much more appealing.
Driving the carriage in silence, the group quickly flew out of Hidden Dragon Market.
After flying for about twenty-something li, Wang Rongsheng took the initiative to speak.
"Fellow Daoist Hongmei, stop. Let us rest for a while."
He needed to ensure he always retained enough magical power—he had understood Yulou's words!
As long as he, the clan uncle, had a chance to escape, Hongmei wouldn't dare strike to kill them all!
Left with no choice, Hongmei landed the magic treasure flying carriage on the ground. Pretending to be low on magical power, he began to replenish it.
But soon, he realized his disguise was entirely useless.
Wang Rongsheng seemed to possess a wood spirit root as well. Using a spell, he conjured a high stool as tall as a three-story building, sitting in mid-air in the distance while coldly staring at Hongmei.
At this moment, he was no longer Wang Rongsheng; he was Hongmei's exclusive wall-facer!
'If Hongmei dares to act out of line, I, Wall-Facer Wang Rongsheng, will definitely let you know what it means to be doomed!'
The Wang Clan was just too damn steady!
Hidden Dragon Market was in utter chaos today; no one would be able to investigate anything in the aftermath!
He could kill all three of them, fly far away, and attempt Foundation Establishment somewhere far from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
If he didn't kill them, his looting of the Golden Light Pavilion would become leverage for the Wang Clan to control him!
One was at the early Qi Condensation stage, and two were at the Qi Induction realm.
Three breaths. He only needed three breaths of time!
To kill, or not to kill—that was the question.
"Uncle Rongsheng, watch out for him!"
The moment Hongmei began to hesitate, Yulou had already raised his escape talisman and warned Wang Rongsheng to be careful of him.
Wang Rongsheng was stunned, and Hongmei was equally taken aback.
The Wang Clan's family tradition was not some Daoist spell or magic treasure, but it was useful. To be precise, it was extremely useful.
Prompted by Yulou's warning, Wang Rongsheng flashed backward, instantly retreating thirty meters.
Wang Rongsheng's subconscious retreat bought him time to think and shattered Hongmei's hesitation.
"Why be careful of me? Fellow Daoist Rongsheng, let us leave together."
Looking at the awkwardly smiling Hongmei, the raging inferno of the Golden Light Pavilion, and the escape talisman in Yulou's hand, Wang Rongsheng understood everything.
He gave a slight shudder as he revealed his cultivation base at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Then, he produced a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman, leaving Hongmei completely dumbfounded.
Yulou and Yu'an were also somewhat astounded. Uncle Rongsheng wasn't at the early Qi Condensation stage?
This...
An early Qi Condensation cultivator facing someone at the Peak Qi Condensation realm was just a side dish—merely the difference between chewing twice and swallowing whole. But the sixth layer of Qi Refining versus the Peak Qi Condensation realm was different; Wang Rongsheng could at least hold his own for a few rounds.
Furthermore, every Qi Refining disciple of the Wang Clan was equipped with a Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman as standard issue!
The Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman used processed eighth-grade donkey hide as its base, a mixture of various spiritual materials for ink, and a blend of spiritual energies. Finally, it was drawn by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The creator of this batch of escape talismans for the Wang Clan was Wang Xianmao. Once activated, the user could fly a hundred miles at the speed of a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
And just over a hundred and thirty miles away from Hidden Dragon Market lay the ancestral land of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan affiliated with the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
This hundred-mile burst of speed was the death-exemption medal that made the Wang Clan's Qi Refining cultivators virtually unkillable by peers of the same realm!
As long as one did not leave the territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, using the Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman was a surefire way to escape without a trace!
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Hongmei. You go first, and I will follow behind you," Wang Rongsheng replied calmly.
He did not know Yulou well, but he trusted a child of his own clan far more than an outsider!
"Fellow Daoist misunderstands, I..."
Yulou directly interrupted Hongmei!
"Clan Uncle, just follow slowly behind the flying carriage. We will fly fifteen miles first, then take a break and proceed slowly. No rush!"
'Master, stop acting. Enough is enough!'
'My clan uncle is at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. If you still want to successfully reach Foundation Establishment, you have to listen to us!'
'Yes, you are an expert in the artificing path and can easily start over somewhere else.'
'But if you want to reach Foundation Establishment, you must submit to the Immortal Alliance's system!'
'You have no choice!'
Wang Rongsheng and Yulou both looked at Hongmei, and Hongmei could no longer manage a smile.
Wang Rongsheng had hidden his cultivation base; he was not at the early Qi Condensation stage.
Even Wang Yulou and Wang Yu'an had Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talismans.
He had ruined it—completely overplayed his hand!
Led by a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator and backed by a sixth layer of Qi Refining cultivator, no rogue cultivator would dare provoke such a group.
They were few in number and not overwhelmingly strong, but compared to them, solitary, softer targets were far more appealing.
Driving the carriage in silence, the group quickly flew out of Hidden Dragon Market.
After flying about ten miles, Wang Rongsheng took the initiative to speak.
"Fellow Daoist Hongmei, please stop. Let us rest for a while."
He needed to ensure he always maintained enough magical power—he had understood Yulou's underlying message!
As long as he, the clan uncle, had a chance to escape, Hongmei would not dare strike to exterminate them all!
Helpless, Hongmei landed the flying carriage on the ground. He pretended to be low on magical power and began replenishing it.
But he soon realized his disguise was utterly useless.
Wang Rongsheng seemingly also possessed a wood spirit root. He used a spell to create a three-story-high stool, sat down in midair in the distance, and stared coldly at Hongmei.
At this moment, he was not Wang Rongsheng; he was Hongmei's exclusive Wallfacer!
'If you dare try anything funny, Hongmei, I, Wallfacer Wang Rongsheng, will definitely show you what inescapable doom means!'
The Wang Clan was just too damn cautious!
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