Chapter 147 |
“I should start preparing to run.”
On Taibai Island, Fang Qing pondered inwardly. ‘Within the next ten years, Xituo Commandery should still be relatively safe. I can use this time to gather as many resources as possible, then attempt to cross through the Blissful Union Sect’s territory and reach the Eastern Supreme Unity Mysterious Gate.’
‘With my external core mana, I can barely be considered a pseudo-core combatant.’
‘According to the information I gathered from the Ancient Shu side, only Purple Mansion cultivators can truly roam the world with ease.’
‘A pseudo-core is still one step short of an early-stage Purple Mansion expert, after all.’
If possible, Fang Qing would naturally prefer to wait until his cultivation broke through to Foundation Establishment perfection, or even Core Formation, before attempting such a long journey.
But at this point he was being forced into a corner.
‘Xu Hei’s side is simple. Just have him pack up and head to Xituo Commandery to await orders.’
‘As for the Fang Clan, leave them be. No one knows of their connection to me anyway.’
After reaching mid-stage Dao Foundation, if he did not restrain himself, faint breezes and mists of water would swirl around him at all times, refracting colorful light and making him look like an immortal descended to the mortal world. He picked up the Miraculous Spring Pure Vase and walked over to the Ice Soul Cold Spring.
Forming the Six-Syllable Great Radiance Mantra, Fang Qing activated the vase’s power. A powerful suction immediately formed, drawing a large volume of Ice Soul spring water into the vase. ‘The space inside this vase can be divided into multiple layers for storing different kinds of spiritual water. Quite convenient indeed.’
His mind stirred. His [Ji Water] mana surged forth, and he instantly sensed an inexplicable force beneath the ground being drawn toward the vase. ‘It can actually pull on the water vein. Does that mean it could even take away a third-rank spiritual spring?’
Fang Qing cut off his mana before making any real attempt.
After all, this Ice Soul Cold Spring belonged to the Blue Sea Sect. He was merely the guardian of Taibai Island.
Outsiders and disciples might call him Island Lord as a polite courtesy, but that was all.
Normally, borrowing the spiritual qi of the Ice Soul Cold Spring to refine pills raised no objections from anyone.
But if he tried to uproot the entire spring and take it with him, Ancestor Ruan and Sect Master Shi would never allow it.
‘In any case, while I am stationed here, this spiritual spring is still mine to use.’
‘I will think about taking a portable spiritual spring with me when it is actually time to leave.’
When he had drawn on the water vein earlier, Fang Qing had discovered that his [Ji Water] mana and cultivation were sufficient to split off a portion of this third-rank spiritual spring’s water vein.
‘Perhaps... I could first separate out a second-rank Ice Soul Cold Spring water vein?’
‘And later, by piecing together bits from various sources, I might even be able to assemble a complete third-rank spiritual spring?’
Having made up his mind, Fang Qing held the Miraculous Spring Pure Vase and walked out of the underground cave.
A female cultivator was walking toward him. It was Bei Lingshu.
The moment she saw him, she felt as though she were gazing upon a pool of clear spring water. When she looked again, she saw a young man in blue robes, surrounded by mist and gentle wind, holding a jade bottle. He looked like an immortal who had descended from the heavens. Her heart trembled and her mind was momentarily seized. ‘Has the island master, already advanced to late-stage Foundation Establishment?’
“Is that you, Lingshu? What is it?”
Fang Qing knew that on Taibai Island he lived exactly as he pleased and had long stopped bothering to restrain his aura. The divine phenomena that occasionally appeared around him meant little to him.
If a local overlord still felt the need to hide his power, what was the point of coming out to enjoy life in the first place?
“The patch of Cold Moon Grass under my supervision has matured. The sect has sent people to harvest it. Nothing major.”
Bei Lingshu thought for a moment, then continued. “However, there has been talk about the Sancai Market. It is said to be bringing in a fortune every day, which has attracted the covetous eyes of several Foundation Establishment forces. Greenwater Rogue Cultivator is stretched thin and has come to our Taibai Island asking for help.”
“A clean transaction of money and goods. What friendship is there to speak of? Asking for help?”
A faint, mocking smile touched Fang Qing’s lips, but inwardly he thought, ‘As expected. Wherever a child of destiny appears, peace never lasts. That Zhan Hongxiu is probably about to encounter another tribulation, after which her strength will surge once more.’
Sanyuan Island.
Zhan Hongxiu’s nostrils flared as two long streams of white qi flowed from her mouth and nose, curling around her like a tortoise and a crane.
Beside her, a massive green turtle the size of a millstone lay sprawled on the ground, greedily absorbing the aura of mana.
A long while later, she opened her eyes. “Finally... Qi Refining ninth layer.”
The Tortoise and Crane Longevity Art was a health-preserving technique with a relatively slow cultivation speed. Her current progress was already extremely fast, no slower than the sect’s heaven-chosen geniuses.
The Myriad Longevity Turtle beside her had clearly encountered some extraordinary fortune as well. It now faintly radiated the aura of a first-rank superior demon beast.
“After reaching Qi Refining ninth layer, the rest is simply accumulating mana. It is time to consider Foundation Establishment.”
Zhan Hongxiu pondered slowly.
When it came to Foundation Establishment, the first choice was naturally the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Unfortunately, most rogue cultivators were poor. Even reaching Qi Refining ninth layer was rare, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was something they could only dream of.
They usually exhausted their entire life savings just to obtain a single Foundation Establishment spiritual item—perhaps some fiendish qi or a spiritual liquid beneficial to the divine sense.
The luckier ones might manage to acquire something like the Iceheart Meridian Protection Pill.
As for the Foundation Establishment Pill itself?
Even when one appeared at an auction, it was fought over madly by the various Foundation Establishment forces. Rogue cultivators never stood a chance.
Some even attempted to break through on their own without any resources, risking their lives. The vast majority simply died in the attempt.
Therefore Zhan Hongxiu did not even consider that option.
She possessed considerable wealth and had her master as a backer. As a direct-line member of a Foundation Establishment force, she could consider bidding for a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill at auction. ‘If no Foundation Establishment Pill appears, then I will have to take the risk of hunting a second-rank demon beast to obtain its demon core and ask a master alchemist to refine it.’
Zhan Hongxiu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly at the thought.
Second-rank demon beasts lived in the deep sea and were extremely rare. Ever since the Overturning Sea Turtle had triggered the beast tide, they had become even scarcer.
Even if one did appear, it was not guaranteed to have formed a second-rank demon core.
With her current strength, hunting a second-rank demon beast would be extremely dangerous.
‘If only that talisman treasure were still with me...’
‘Or, perhaps I can ask Master to help? But the market is under heavy scrutiny right now. Master probably cannot free herself easily.’
Thinking of the recent changes in the market, Zhan Hongxiu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Sanyuan Island occupied a prime location. There were no other spiritual-vein islands nearby, so traveling cultivators looking for a cave to rest had no choice but to stop here. In the past, even simply renting out caves had allowed the Jiang and Lu Clans to amass a fortune.
After her master took control, her fair handling of affairs drew even more traffic. The island gradually earned the nickname “holy land for rogue cultivators.”
Greenwater Rogue Cultivator understood perfectly well that this was merely jealous forces trying to flatter her to death.
Without reaching late-stage Foundation Establishment and becoming a great cultivator of the same realm, no one could truly hold down a so-called “holy land for rogue cultivators.” She had therefore politely declined the title and secretly ordered her people to trace the source of the rumors.
In recent months, a band of bandit cultivators had appeared outside the market. Their leader was said to possess Qi Refining great perfection cultivation, along with high-quality magical artifacts and two first-rank superior refined corpses for assistance. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators were no match at all. The bandits had committed several major crimes in a row, leaving everyone on edge.
Foot traffic at the market dwindled. The disciples under Greenwater were growing anxious. One junior brother had rashly gone out to fight and ended up beheaded, his head tossed at the market gates. Greenwater Rogue Cultivator flew into a rage and left seclusion to hunt down the bandits herself.
‘I have now reached Qi Refining ninth layer. With my magical artifacts and high-quality talismans, I am no weakling in combat. I can lend Master a hand.’
Zhan Hongxiu was just about to leave seclusion when the ground suddenly shook violently.
Her expression changed drastically. She took out a token, only to see its light fade away completely.
“The second-rank grand array guarding the market, has been deactivated?”
If the array had been broken through by force, the token should have shattered into countless fragments.
The fact that it had simply gone dim meant the array had been stopped from the inside.
“Senior Sister!”
A streak of light landed outside the cave. It was the young scholar-dressed junior brother, his face filled with terror. “Senior Brother, Senior Brother has gone mad. He colluded with the bandits and shut down the market array!”
“What?”
Zhan Hongxiu recalled the Myriad Longevity Turtle, stepped onto a red silk magical artifact, and flew out. Seeing the market already descending into chaos, confusion filled her face. “How could he dare? Is he not afraid of Master...”
“Haha, so you are here after all?”
Before the words even finished, several streaks of escape light chased after her. At the lead was none other than Lu Lingfeng.
“Senior Brother. You betrayed the sect!”
Zhan Hongxiu’s expression twisted violently. She glanced at the unfamiliar bandit cultivators beside Lu Lingfeng and felt a faint sense of recognition. “Jiang Clan cultivators?”
“Haha, exactly... Our ancestor has just achieved Foundation Establishment and has gone to claim Greenwater Rogue Cultivator’s head. We were only waiting for you.”
The Jiang Clan cultivators burst into loud laughter, and the information they revealed was even more shocking.
‘That’s right. Since Senior Brother has become a traitor. Master must have been deliberately lured out of the array. There is probably an ambush waiting.’
‘Lu Lingfeng’s betrayal. Is it because the Jiang Clan remnants have produced another Foundation Establishment ancestor?’
Zhan Hongxiu’s mind spun rapidly as she pieced together the truth.
In the end, this was still Fang Qing’s fault. Back then he had only eradicated the main branch and left far too many remnants alive.
The Jiang Clan had always kept several direct-line members away from the island for training, and they maintained several secret vaults outside. One of those vaults held a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, preserved as the foundation for the clan’s future resurgence.
Coincidentally, a supremely talented Jiang Clan cultivator had recently reached Qi Refining perfection. After consuming the Foundation Establishment Pill and successfully breaking through, he immediately set his sights on reclaiming the ancestral territory. He and Lu Lingfeng had reached an instant agreement.
After all, the Jiang and Lu Clans had cooperated for many years and were connected by marriage.
Greenwater Rogue Cultivator had only accepted Lu Lingfeng as her senior disciple out of obligation. She had never shown him any real affection. The Jiang Clan, however, promised to return the Lu Clan’s island and grant them thirty percent of the market’s profits.
“Senior Sister... be careful!”
While Zhan Hongxiu’s mind was reeling, a loud shout rang in her ear.
A beam of light pushed her several zhang away. It was the scholar-dressed junior brother.
The young junior brother had shoved her aside and flashed her a brilliant smile. Then several bloody holes suddenly appeared across his body.
“Flying needle artifact? A sneak attack?”
Zhan Hongxiu stared at her junior brother’s corpse. For a moment she felt as if she were looking at her grandfather once more.
“Jiang Clan... Lu Clan...”
She murmured the names, then reached up and touched the hairpin on her head.
Two talismans activated, transforming into azure thunder light that swept in all directions.
“Second-rank low-grade. Armor Wood Yang Thunder Talisman?”
Lu Lingfeng let out a strange cry and pulled out a pitch-black shield to protect himself, retreating frantically. “This woman is carrying quite a few treasures. Where is your ancestor?”
“Still dealing with Greenwater Rogue Cultivator. That woman is rather formidable, but the ancestor called in a few helpers.”
The Jiang Clan cultivator answered.
At that moment, a Foundation Establishment escape light sped toward them, radiating the mana fluctuations of an early-stage Foundation Establishment expert.
Sensing that the aura was completely different from her master’s, Zhan Hongxiu finally gave up all hope. She raised her hand and activated a high-quality second-rank low-grade escape talisman. “Just you wait!”
The escape talisman activated. She transformed into a streak of flowing light and shot out of the market with incredible speed. Even the Foundation Establishment escape light could not catch up.
