Chapter 161: Killing Them All Is Fine Too, But It Costs Extra!
“Fellow Daoist Ji?”
Upon seeing Ji Qing, Black Water Daoist’s heart filled with joy.
Especially the five golden stripes on Ji Qing’s person, which made him ecstatically happy.
Black Robe Five Stripes!
He was only Black Robe Two Stripes.
Of course, this was also because Black Water Daoist was very steady during his first Rank Assessment, thus only achieving Two Stripes.
With his Strength, Black Robe Three Stripes should be no problem.
As for Four Stripes, that would depend on Luck.
Black Water Daoist hadn’t expected Ji Qing to dare to aim for Five Stripes in his first Rank Assessment and succeed.
And Ji Qing arrived at just the right time.
Otherwise, he truly wouldn’t have known how to deal with these two Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Black Robe Three Stripes and Four Stripes.
There was also a hint of seriousness in the eyes of these two.
They could also see that Ji Qing was Dao Foundation Five Stripes, belonging to the Martial Dao lineage.
But regardless of Immortal Path or Martial Way.
In Wind Thunder Sect, the Rank Assessment was the same.
Ji Qing was Black Robe Five Stripes, so his Strength was greater than theirs.
However, their Materials were ruined, and Black Water Daoist looked like an easy target, with no background, so why not heavily extort him?
Therefore, the two said in a deep voice, “Esteemed Senior Brother, you are from the Martial Dao lineage, are you going to meddle in this?”
Ji Qing took a step forward, arriving before the two, and looked at them coldly, “I am Black Robe Five Stripes, what are you, do you not know the hierarchy of Wind Thunder Sect?”
The two’s expressions changed drastically.
Their expressions immediately became very displeased.
Yes, hierarchy!
Wind Thunder Sect had strict levels, Ji Qing, being Black Robe Five Stripes, naturally had a higher status than their Black Robe Three Stripes and Black Robe Four Stripes.
It was only natural for Ji Qing to reprimand them.
But if they wanted to resist, it would be insubordination.
For insubordination, Ji Qing could even directly take action.
This was also the true reason why Black Water Daoist had been completely controlled by the two before.
Black Water Daoist dared not resist publicly.
“We are stating facts…”
Before the two could finish speaking, Ji Qing directly extended his hand.
Innate Qi Great Capture Hand!
A large hand emitting five-colored light directly grasped the two.
The Magic Power on both of them was immediately sealed.
Within the Innate Qi Great Capture Hand, they didn’t even have the slightest power to resist.
“Scram.”
Ji Qing directly threw them with his hand.
These two were thrown to the ground, even rolling a few times.
The two were thrown out of the courtyard.
For a moment, the two were angry but dared not speak.
In Wind Thunder Sect, one could fight, but not kill.
Excessive injury was also not allowed.
However, one could “punish” their opponents severely, causing them to lose face completely.
Now, these two had lost face completely.
Captured by Ji Qing in one move.
Even though Ji Qing was Black Robe Five Stripes, he shouldn’t have been so easily defeated.
But to others, it just meant these two were too useless.
They couldn’t even withstand one move from Ji Qing.
The two cast a grim glance at Black Water Daoist and Ji Qing.
Now, the two didn’t dare to utter any threats.
They could only coldly snort, “Let’s go.”
The two left dejectedly.
As for any compensation.
They acted as if it never happened.
However, they had completely offended the two.
Seeing this scene, the surrounding people all laughed.
They had come aggressively at first, simply to bully Black Water Daoist who had just arrived and had no background.
Now that Black Water Daoist had a friend who was Black Robe Five Stripes, these two left dejectedly.
It was likely that for a while, these two would become the topic of conversation among many Foundation Establishment disciples.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, please.”
Black Water Daoist knew that Ji Qing must have something to discuss with him, so he immediately invited Ji Qing into the room.
Ji Qing sat down on a chair.
Black Water Daoist saw that the surrounding Foundation Establishment disciples had slowly dispersed, and he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Ji Qing saw Black Water Daoist’s relieved expression and smiled, saying, “Black Water Fellow Daoist, you won’t blame me for offending those two so severely, will you? I see those two hate you to death this time, and they will likely vent their anger on you in the future.”
Hearing this, Black Water Daoist shook his head and said, “Fellow Daoist Ji, what are you saying? You helped me out of a predicament this time, I am immensely grateful, how could I blame you?”
“What is the background of those two?”
Black Water Daoist said, “Those two, the male is named Song Yanchen, and the female is named Zhao Lingxi. It is said that both are disciples of the Golden Core True Person Xu in the inner sect. Originally, they were looking for me to privately refine a Magic Tool, but unexpectedly, it failed, and they demanded triple compensation.”
“This matter is rather strange. I do indeed have excellent refining skills at Northern Mausoleum Immortal Palace. Even if I’m not as good as those Golden Core True Persons, refining a Foundation Establishment Magic Tool should be no problem, so why did it fail this time?”
“Could it be that the Materials themselves had problems? No wonder some Materials inexplicably couldn’t withstand the true fire’s tempering during the refining process. It seems these two had been targeting me for a long time, deliberately setting a trap for me…”
Black Water Daoist gradually understood, and his expression became very grim.
He had been set up.
If Ji Qing hadn’t arrived today, he would have had no choice but to grudgingly pay triple compensation.
Even though he had brought many Spirit Stones from Northern Mausoleum Immortal Palace.
But he couldn’t withstand such harassment.
Moreover, if he gave in this time, what about next time?
Others would only see him as an “easy target” and continue to set traps, not stopping until they emptied his Spirit Stones.
But fortunately, Ji Qing arrived.
Especially since Ji Qing was Black Robe Five Stripes.
This would make anyone hesitate before taking action.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, I finally understand. Wind Thunder Sect appears peaceful on the surface, but in reality, it is also a place where Strength speaks. Next month, I will definitely go for Rank Assessment Three Stripes, but anything more than that, I’m afraid I’ll be unable to cope.”
“As for Fellow Daoist Ji, with your Strength, perhaps next month, Rank Assessment Seven Stripes or even Eight Stripes should be no problem, right?”
Black Water Daoist dared not say too high.
He remained quite conservative.
After all, this was the Barren Domain, where talented and powerful individuals emerged endlessly.
Being able to achieve Rank Assessment Seven Stripes or Eight Stripes at the Foundation Establishment stage was already extremely strong.
What about Nine Stripes?
That would be standing at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment.
And then there was the legendary Ten Stripes, which was even more unimaginable.
It was rumored that Ten Stripes could rival true Heavenly Humans!
Although Black Water Daoist suspected Ji Qing possessed Heavenly Human Combat Power.
But that was just a suspicion, not a certainty.
But even if Ji Qing could only achieve Rank Assessment Seven Stripes or Eight Stripes next month, that would be enough to deter many people.
At that time, Black Water Daoist’s troubles would naturally be resolved.
Having conflicts with others in Wind Thunder Sect was actually this simple.
Either your own Strength is very high.
Or the friends you know have very high Strength.
Recalling that Black Water Daoist had strongly advocated for introducing Ji Qing to Wind Thunder Sect, it was indeed one of the most correct decisions.
Ji Qing, immediately after entering the sect, was able to help Black Water Daoist.
“By the way, Fellow Daoist Ji, you came to see me for something?”
Black Water Daoist asked.
Ji Qing nodded, “I came to find you to inquire about some questions regarding Metal. What Metal is the most resilient, precious, and ideally the best in terms of overall performance…”
“Metal?”
Black Water Daoist was truly perplexed.
Ji Qing simply told him about wanting to cultivate the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law.
This was not a Secret.
Once he cultivated the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law, others would know too.
Hearing this, Black Water Daoist pondered carefully and then asked, “Fellow Daoist Ji, there are actually many types of Metals, and their properties are also different. For example, some Metals have good malleability, some Metals are very tough, and some Metals have various special functions.”
“And the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law you are cultivating requires smelting Metal, preferably the same type of Metal, to avoid mutual repulsion and to reduce the burden on the Physical Body.”
Ji Qing nodded, “Yes, Fellow Daoist is reasonable.”
Black Water Daoist continued, “There is also a very crucial point, and that is the amount of Metal you need to smelt. This is also very crucial. If the amount is large, then you cannot choose a very rare Metal, because you cannot find so much rare Metal. If the amount is not large, then you can seek those very rare Metals.”
Ji Qing fell into thought.
Black Water Daoist had considered everything comprehensively.
He then carefully recalled the contents of the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law in his mind.
It mentioned the Five Elements items that needed to be smelted, and the quantities were very large, by no means small.
This was because it was smelting the essence of the Five Elements items.
Not all Five Elements items.
Therefore, a vast amount of Five Elements items was required.
The same applied to Metal.
Smelting the essence within Metal.
But this small bit of essence might require hundreds or even thousands of pounds of Metal to possibly smelt a small bit of essence.
This quantity was very crucial.
Some special Metals were indeed very strong.
But if the quantity was insufficient, it would be of no use to Ji Qing in cultivating the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law.
After thinking it through, Ji Qing said, “I need a large amount of Metal; this amount should not be small, at least thousands of pounds, and it’s even possible it could be tens of thousands of pounds! Black Water Fellow Daoist, which type of Metal do you think is better to choose?”
A hint of surprise flashed in Black Water Daoist’s eyes.
“Tens of thousands of pounds? Then we must choose a Metal with a considerable mining output, and it must also be a Metal with good overall properties. Let me think…”
Black Water Daoist even took out a Jade Slip.
He carefully examined it within the Jade Slip.
Finally, Black Water Daoist seemed to have an answer and said, “This old Daoist recommends that Fellow Daoist choose Black Pattern Gold! Black Pattern Gold is tough and has excellent malleability. Any Divine Weapon or Magic Tool, as long as it involves Metal, will have to add some Black Pattern Gold.”
“Better than Black Pattern Gold is Geng Gold. If even a tiny bit of Geng Gold is added to the Flying Swords of many Immortal Dao Cultivators, they will become incredibly sharp. However, the output of Geng Gold is too low. Forget tens of thousands of pounds; even having one pound of Geng Gold is rare and hard to come by.”
“But Black Pattern Gold is different. Although Black Pattern Gold is also very expensive, there are Black Pattern Gold mines that are continuously being mined. As long as there are enough Spirit Stones, purchasing a thousand pounds or even ten thousand pounds of Black Pattern Gold will certainly not be a problem.”
Ji Qing understood.
Black Pattern Gold.
“This old Daoist has about two pounds of Black Pattern Gold here. Fellow Daoist Ji can take it and try it out.”
Black Water Daoist immediately produced a large piece of Black Pattern Gold.
Ji Qing took it and found that the Black Pattern Gold had black stripes on it, hence its name “Black Pattern.”
Ji Qing gently squeezed it.
The Black Pattern Gold did not shatter, but instead, a Mark was imprinted into it.
This was enough to prove that Black Pattern Gold was quite tough.
“Good, this Black Pattern Gold is indeed a superior Metal. However, I still need to test it.”
“This old man has a cultivation Secret Chamber here, Fellow Daoist, please feel free.”
Ji Qing didn’t stand on ceremony and entered the cultivation Secret Chamber.
He immediately circulated the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law, and then held the piece of Black Pattern Gold with both hands.
Immediately, the Black Pattern Gold held by Ji Qing began to “merge” into Ji Qing’s hands little by little, spreading from his hands to his entire body.
Before long, Ji Qing also “forced out” the Black Pattern Gold from his body bit by bit.
The weight of the Black Pattern Gold had decreased slightly.
However, the Black Pattern Gold in front of him had become very brittle.
Ji Qing gently squeezed it with his hand.
“Crack.”
The Black Pattern Gold shattered.
Obviously, the most important essence of the Black Pattern Gold had been smelted by Ji Qing.
Although it was only a mere two jin of Black Pattern Gold, Ji Qing could feel that after smelting the Black Pattern Gold, his physical body, which had always seemed to have reached a bottleneck and could no longer improve, had actually broken through the bottleneck and surpassed its limits once more, growing a sliver stronger.
This made Ji Qing very satisfied.
“Black Pattern Gold is good; it can be used to cultivate the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law. However, I need a large amount of Black Pattern Gold…”
Ji Qing immediately got up and left the cultivation secret chamber.
Black Water Daoist was still waiting outside.
Seeing Ji Qing emerge from the cultivation secret chamber, he quickly asked, “Fellow Daoist Ji, how was the Black Pattern Gold?”
“It’s good. I just need a large amount of Black Pattern Gold. Where can I purchase this Black Pattern Gold?”
“Black Pattern Gold can actually be exchanged within the Wind Thunder Sect, and you can exchange as much as you want, but it requires Merit Points. Currently, one Merit Point can be exchanged for ten jin of Black Pattern Gold. If you need to exchange one thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold, you need one hundred Merit Points.”
Ji Qing shook his head.
He currently had zero Merit Points.
Of course, he could take on tasks, but that would also take time.
“You can also use Spirit Stones to buy it at shops outside, but that would be more expensive, with only ten Spirit Stones needed to buy one jin of Black Pattern Gold.”
Ji Qing heard this and made a slight comparison.
If comparing them this way, was one Merit Point within the Wind Thunder Sect equivalent to one hundred Spirit Stones?
No wonder Merit Points were hard to earn in the Wind Thunder Sect.
Merit Points carried significant weight within the Wind Thunder Sect.
“Spirit Stones?”
“I still have seven or eight thousand Spirit Stones on me, which can only buy seven or eight hundred jin of Black Pattern Gold…”
Ji Qing frowned.
Last time, he had spent ten thousand Spirit Stones to become Elder Qi’s disciple.
It was already quite good to have seven or eight thousand Spirit Stones left.
However, he still had some items in his Storage Bag that could be sold.
He should be able to scrape together ten thousand Spirit Stones, just barely.
Black Water Daoist suddenly spoke, “I have ten thousand Spirit Stones here; consider it a loan to Fellow Daoist Ji.”
“Ten thousand Spirit Stones?”
Ji Qing was a little surprised.
But upon careful consideration, Black Water Daoist came from the Northern Mausoleum Immortal Palace, so he must have had quite a few Spirit Stones.
If the Northern Mausoleum Immortal Palace wasn’t such a large and influential family, and if he didn’t have to leave most of the Spirit Stones for others in the Northern Mausoleum Immortal Palace, he would definitely be able to bring even more Spirit Stones.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, please don’t refuse. When it comes to cultivation, a fast start means a fast pace; there’s no room for sloppiness.”
Ji Qing nodded and said, “Then I won’t be polite. Thank you, Fellow Daoist!”
Ji Qing cupped his fists in thanks.
Afterward, Ji Qing accepted the ten thousand Spirit Stones.
“Fellow Daoist Black Water, farewell.”
Ji Qing took his leave.
He immediately headed to Heavenly Desolation City, and after looking around Heavenly Desolation City, Ji Qing inquired about some of the merchant guilds.
He finally settled on the “Myriad Treasures Pavilion Merchant Guild.”
This merchant guild was said to have a deep background and its business spread across the continent, not just in the Barren Domain; Myriad Treasures Pavilion had businesses in other domains as well.
Its reputation was extremely good, and it was well-regarded.
The only issue was that it was expensive!
Of course, that was only relatively expensive.
But it could guarantee quality.
Ji Qing did not want to buy inferior Black Pattern Gold.
Thus, Ji Qing walked into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
A female Qi Refining cultivator received Ji Qing.
Cultivation had its benefits.
Cultivators were generally handsome men and beautiful women. Even if their facial features weren’t outstanding, the aura of cultivation made their skin fair and their temperament refined.
In short, there were no truly ugly people among cultivators.
Even if someone had an ugly face, it was likely due to cultivating some special Cultivation Technique.
Therefore, these merchant guilds generally employed cultivators as receptionists.
Martial Dao Cultivators could never compare to this.
“Distinguished Guest, you are a Dao Foundation Senior; do you require a Divine Weapon?”
The woman asked.
“How do you know I’m Dao Foundation?”
Ji Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The other party was merely a Qi Refining cultivator, yet she could casually discern that he was a Dao Foundation Martial Artist?
It was important to note that Ji Qing had not intentionally emitted any aura.
“Senior, our Myriad Treasures Pavilion has a Great Formation. As long as you step into the Great Formation, we can generally discern your approximate cultivation level.”
The woman explained with a smile.
Ji Qing pondered this thoughtfully.
This made sense; if the Myriad Treasures Pavilion didn’t know its customers’ cultivation levels, how could they recommend various treasures?
“I’m not here for a Divine Weapon; I’m mainly here to purchase Black Pattern Gold.”
“Black Pattern Gold? So you intend to forge a Divine Weapon yourself?”
The woman mistakenly thought Ji Qing wanted to forge a Divine Weapon himself, but he did not explain.
“What are your prices for Black Pattern Gold?”
“The prices for Black Pattern Gold are transparent; it’s ten Spirit Stones per jin.”
Ji Qing believed this.
Generally, the price of Black Pattern Gold in Heavenly Desolation City shops was the same.
“Then I’ll take two thousand jin first. There should be a discount, right?”
“How much? Two… two thousand jin?”
The woman’s eyes widened, incredibly surprised.
A Dao Foundation Martial Artist, wanting to buy two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold at once?
What kind of Divine Weapon was he going to forge?
“What, does your Myriad Treasures Pavilion not have it?”
“Yes, of course we have it! For two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold, our Myriad Treasures Pavilion can offer a discount, costing only nineteen thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. This is the biggest discount we can give.”
The woman gritted her teeth and quoted a price.
This price was quite sincere.
Saving five hundred Spirit Stones was very good.
“Alright, then at this price.”
“Distinguished Guest, please wait a moment.”
The woman immediately hurried into the deeper parts of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
Ji Qing was arranged to wait in the lounge.
Not long after, the woman returned.
“Senior, here is the two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold you requested.”
The woman produced a Storage Bag.
Ji Qing scanned it with his spiritual sense and nodded.
He then produced eighteen thousand Spirit Stones.
Plus some items to offset the cost.
After both parties reached an agreement, Ji Qing put the two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold into his Storage Bag.
“Senior, my name is Yan Liu Qing. If you have any further needs, please be sure to find me. I will certainly offer you further discounts!”
Yan Liu Qing was extremely respectful towards Ji Qing.
After all, he was a “Distinguished Guest.”
He had purchased two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold in one go.
Such generosity meant he might have further needs in the future.
Yan Liu Qing had to make sure to secure such a distinguished guest.
Ji Qing nodded and then turned to leave.
Ji Qing even deliberately took a few detours.
Just in case he was being followed, it would be easier to shake them off.
However, the facts proved that he was overthinking.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion wasn’t that short-sighted; they didn’t care about a mere two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold.
Still, being careful was always wise.
Ji Qing successfully returned to his residence.
He did not delay and immediately went to the cultivation secret chamber, took out the Black Pattern Gold, and began smelting it.
Ji Qing circulated the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law to smelt the Black Pattern Gold, and the speed was very fast.
In just a few days, the two thousand jin of Black Pattern Gold was completely smelted.
And Ji Qing could feel that his physical body had become much stronger.
“My Strength has finally improved again. Once the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law reaches the beginner stage, I can use Origin Points to upgrade it…”
Ji Qing knew very well that the step of reaching the beginner stage for the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law was very important.
If a Martial Art didn’t reach the beginner stage, even with Origin Points, it couldn’t be improved.
However, although Ji Qing felt his physical body had greatly improved, he still hadn’t felt the limit of what his physical body could bear.
He seemed to be able to continue smelting Black Pattern Gold.
Perhaps he would need another two thousand jin, or even three thousand jin.
Ji Qing himself had underestimated the Foundation of his physique; it was actually so profound.
However, this was a good thing.
The deeper the Foundation, the more Black Pattern Gold he could smelt, and the stronger he would be after breaking through to the Heavenly Human Realm!
His path in the Martial Way would also go further in the future.
But now, there was a problem.
Ji Qing was out of Spirit Stones.
Earning Spirit Stones wouldn’t be possible in a short time.
After much thought, Ji Qing decided to go to the Mission Hall to see if there were any suitable tasks for him.
Once he completed the tasks and obtained Merit Points, he could directly exchange them for Black Pattern Gold.
Ji Qing visited the Mission Hall for the first time.
There were many people inside.
Both Outer Sect and Inner Sect disciples could pick up tasks.
However, the Merit Points earned by Outer Sect disciples were too few.
They were mostly for dirty and tiring jobs, took a very long time, and yielded very low returns.
This was also normal.
Outer Sect disciples were very weak and couldn’t handle many tasks.
Slightly more difficult tasks could not be handled by the Outer Sect and had to be given to the Inner Sect.
However, not everyone could undertake Inner Sect tasks.
A certain level of Strength was required.
Ji Qing took a cursory glance.
He noticed that many tasks required at least Black Robe Seven Stripes to accept.
Ji Qing was Black Robe Five Stripes.
He met the requirements for many tasks.
But the rewards for these tasks were very small.
They generally only offered a few dozen Merit Points.
Tasks occasionally offering a hundred Merit Points required at least Black Robe Seven Stripes, or even Black Robe Nine Stripes to accept.
Ji Qing frowned.
It seemed he would have to undergo the Rank Assessment next month.
And he had to achieve a very high rank.
Black Robe Seven Stripes?
Perhaps even Black Robe Nine Stripes?
He would decide during the specific Rank Assessment next month.
“Senior Brother Ji.”
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind Ji Qing.
Ji Qing turned his head.
He saw his female neighbor, Ling Shuang Ren.
“Senior Brother Ji is also in the Mission Hall, looking to take on a task?”
“That’s right.”
Ji Qing nodded.
“The tasks in the Mission Hall, with Senior Brother Ji’s current Black Robe Five Stripes, only offer rewards of tens of Merit Points. I have a privately commissioned task that, if successful, directly pays ten thousand Spirit Stones!”
“Moreover, if the task is truly completed, there might be other gains, possibly exceeding ten thousand Spirit Stones in rewards, twenty thousand, or even thirty thousand is not impossible.”
Ling Shuang Ren said.
“Ten thousand Spirit Stones?”
Ji Qing thought for a moment; ten thousand Spirit Stones were equivalent to one hundred Merit Points.
Of course, there was no direct exchange between the two.
But with ten thousand Spirit Stones, he could buy another thousand catties of Black Pattern Gold.
However, Ji Qing also knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
If there was such a good thing, why didn’t Ling Shuang Ren look for disciples with Black Robe Seven Stripes or higher?
Ji Qing directly asked this question.
Ling Shuang Ren looked around and then whispered, “Disciples with Black Robe Seven Stripes or higher are too strong; I don’t dare to invite them. Senior Brother Ji’s strength, being Black Robe Five Stripes, is just right.”
“If Senior Brother Ji is interested, you can come back and we can talk more.”
After speaking, Ling Shuang Ren turned and left.
Ji Qing watched Ling Shuang Ren’s retreating figure and finally followed her out of the Mission Hall.
Soon, Ji Qing returned to his dwelling.
Ling Shuang Ren was standing by the door.
However, there was also another person standing by the door, also Ji Qing’s neighbor, Chu Xiong, a Dao Foundation Disciple living to Ji Qing’s right.
Both of their faces looked very grim.
Ji Qing stood outside the door, glanced at the two, but said nothing.
But Chu Xiong sneered, “What, you still want him to go? Even if he’s also Black Robe Five Stripes, my strength has improved, reaching Black Robe Six Stripes, and I’ll be able to undergo Rank Assessment next month!”
Ling Shuang Ren said coldly, “Chu Xiong, no matter who I ask to go with me, it definitely won’t be you. Everyone knows what you’re thinking; I can tell you, it’s not happening!”
“You…”
Chu Xiong’s face turned red.
He did have some feelings for Ling Shuang Ren.
But that was all.
He was a Dao Foundation Expert; what kind of woman couldn’t he find?
It was just that female martial artists were rare, and Dao Foundation female martial artists were even rarer.
He had only tried to mention his thoughts to Ling Shuang Ren.
To his surprise, Ling Shuang Ren had such a strong reaction.
Now, seeing Ji Qing’s faint smile, Chu Xiong felt a bit embarrassed.
“Hmph. Someone who got in through the back door, how much talent can they have? It’s probably Five Stripes at most, while my limit is not just Five Stripes, but Seven Stripes or even Nine Stripes, and eventually advancing to Heavenly Human!”
Ling Shuang Ren only had one word.
“Scram.”
Chu Xiong’s eyes darkened.
But he didn’t continue to pester and directly returned to his courtyard.
“Senior Brother Ji, would you dare to come in for a chat?”
Ling Shuang Ren turned and smiled at Ji Qing.
Ji Qing glanced at Ling Shuang Ren, knowing she wanted to annoy Chu Xiong.
But Ji Qing didn’t care about Chu Xiong.
“What is there to not dare?”
Ji Qing immediately entered the room with Ling Shuang Ren.
Chu Xiong watched the two enter the room together, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
“Bitch!”
Chu Xiong cursed and then returned to his room.
Ji Qing didn’t care about Chu Xiong’s thoughts.
Although Ling Shuang Ren’s actions were a bit like using him.
But Ji Qing didn’t care.
He cared more about Ling Shuang Ren’s task.
If Ling Shuang Ren’s task was real, it wouldn’t be a big deal for Ji Qing to be her shield.
The furnishings in the room were very simple.
The two sat opposite each other.
A man and a woman alone in a room, but Ling Shuang Ren’s heart was devoted to the Martial Way, unlike ordinary women, so she said generously, “Senior Brother Ji, this task is actually an invitation from a Foundation Establishment Disciple of the Immortal Path.”
“That Foundation Establishment Disciple is Black Robe Five Stripes and accidentally found an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion. But he can’t break the formation of the cave mansion alone, so he is preparing to recruit cultivators. She is looking for one Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and also asked me to find a Dao Foundation Martial Artist. Two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, two Dao Foundation Martial Artists, will go to the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion together.”
“Each person’s reward is ten thousand Spirit Stones, with a deposit of two thousand Spirit Stones. The rest will be given after the task is completed.”
“Furthermore, once the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion is opened, apart from some Immortal Path treasures that must be given to her, the rest of the items will be split equally between the two of us, and the harvest then could be huge. What do you think, Senior Brother Ji?”
Ji Qing pondered.
Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion?
And there were only four people in total, none exceeding Black Robe Six Stripes.
In fact, although there was a gap in strength between Black Robe Four Stripes and Black Robe Six Stripes, they were still at the same level, and the gap was not too large.
Clearly, the other party did not want to find excessively strong experts, lest they usurp the host’s position.
Ling Shuang Ren was the same.
She didn’t want to find someone too strong.
That’s why she found Ji Qing.
“Can that person be trusted?”
Ji Qing asked.
“I have been through life and death with her several times, we are sworn to each other, very reliable,”
Ling Shuang Ren said solemnly.
“Alright, notify me when it’s time to depart.”
Ji Qing agreed.
“Okay, I’ll go discuss the specific departure time with her now.”
Ji Qing got up and returned to his courtyard.
Ji Qing sat down cross-legged.
Ji Qing believed Ling Shuang Ren’s words.
Her cautious attitude was not wrong.
As for Ling Shuang Ren’s so-called sworn friend, Ji Qing was not afraid.
On the surface, he appeared to be Black Robe Five Stripes.
But in reality?
Ji Qing felt he might have the strength of Black Robe Seven Stripes or higher.
Perhaps even Black Robe Nine Stripes!
But others didn’t know.
Therefore, others should be the ones to be afraid.
And this mission indeed had generous rewards, and Ji Qing needed Spirit Stones right now, so he naturally wouldn’t refuse.
Soon, Ling Shuang Ren returned and told Ji Qing they would depart in three days.
Three days later, Ling Shuang Ren waited outside Ji Qing’s courtyard.
Ji Qing left the courtyard.
Chu Xiong, standing nearby, saw this, his face darkened, but he said nothing and quickly left.
“Let’s go, we’ll rendezvous at Heavenly Desolation City.”
Ling Shuang Ren and Ji Qing traveled together.
The two arrived at the agreed-upon location in Heavenly Desolation City.
After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators arrived.
Ji Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was somewhat unexpected.
Both Foundation Establishment Cultivators were women.
And looking at their Black Robes, one was Black Robe Five Stripes, and the other was Black Robe Six Stripes.
On the other hand, Ji Qing and Ling Shuang Ren were slightly lower.
Especially Ling Shuang Ren, who was only Black Robe Four Stripes.
The female cultivator with Black Robe Six Stripes frowned, “There’s also a Dao Foundation with Black Robe Four Stripes? We’re going to break open an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion; if the strength is too weak…”
The female cultivator with Black Robe Five Stripes smiled, “Fellow Daoist Ling is my sworn friend; we’ve undertaken several tasks together, and she’s trustworthy! Moreover, Fellow Daoist Ling’s strength is not bad.”
“Is that so?”
The Black Robe Six Stripes female cultivator was still skeptical but said nothing more.
After all, the person who initiated the mission was the Black Robe Five Stripes female cultivator.
The four of them introduced themselves briefly.
Ji Qing also learned the names of the two female cultivators.
The Black Robe Five Stripes female cultivator was named Zhao Xiaozhu, the initiator of this mission, and a friend of Ling Shuang Ren.
The Black Robe Six Stripes female cultivator was named Mu Yunxia; she had the highest cultivation level present, appeared somewhat arrogant, and had a very cold personality.
“Everyone, this task is not considered dangerous, so please cooperate sincerely.”
Zhao Xiaozhu finished speaking and took out a Flying Boat.
The few of them jumped into the Flying Boat.
Then, the Flying Boat turned into a streak of light and flew out of Heavenly Desolation City.
……
In a barren mountain, thousands of miles without a single soul.
Ji Qing and his group of four arrived in this barren mountain.
Zhao Xiaozhu took out a tattered map and carefully compared it with this location, nodding with satisfaction, “That’s right, it’s here.”
Ji Qing frowned slightly, “Fellow Daoist Zhao, is this your first time here?”
“Yes.”
Ji Qing didn’t quite know what to say.
Based on a tattered map, she could determine there was an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion here?
So confident?
What if there was no Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion…
Seemingly sensing Ji Qing’s concerns, Zhao Xiaozhu said with a smile, “There’s definitely an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion here, but we need to wait. The Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion has a very powerful concealment formation set up. Forget us, even Golden Core True Persons can’t detect it.”
“We can only wait until a certain time node when the concealment formation’s effect disappears, and then the cave mansion will appear. That will be the time for us to break the formation and enter the cave mansion.”
“To be safe, let’s set up a formation nearby first.”
Zhao Xiaozhu and Mu Yunxia began to busy themselves.
Setting up a formation was the responsibility of the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
As for Ji Qing and Ling Shuang Ren, they were on perimeter guard duty.
After about several hours, the formation was successfully set up.
Zhao Xiaozhu said happily, “We’ll wait here for a while. Only I know this place, and this area is deserted and not a famous mountain or river, so no cultivators will come here year-round, allowing us to wait with peace of mind.”
Ji Qing and Ling Shuang Ren both entered the formation.
The two sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
It was just a matter of waiting a few days.
They were all cultivators, so a few days was insignificant.
“Fellow Daoist Ling, are you sure Zhao Xiaozhu is reliable? Is she so certain that there is indeed an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion here? If there’s no Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion, then our reward…”
Ji Qing transmitted his voice to Ling Shuang Ren.
“Senior Brother Ji, don’t worry. Zhao Xiaozhu always acts with discretion. Since she says there’s a cave mansion here, it’s highly likely. We just need to wait patiently. Besides, even if the intelligence is wrong and there’s no Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion, Zhao Xiaozhu won’t shortchange us on the promised reward,”
Ling Shuang Ren transmitted her reply.
This somewhat put Ji Qing’s mind at ease.
Time passed slowly.
Soon, the next day arrived.
“Swoosh.”
In the distant Void, a streak of light actually flew over.
It was a Flying Boat.
Subsequently, five cultivators descended from the Flying Boat.
Two Foundation Establishment, three Dao Foundation.
The other party wore cloud patterns, and their attire looked quite luxurious.
“There are people here?”
The other party seemed equally surprised to see Ji Qing and the others.
Zhao Xiaozhu was even more surprised to see the five people.
Ji Qing frowned.
This was the place Zhao Xiaozhu had confidently declared no one could find?
As a result, five people had arrived.
“They are Inner Sect Disciples of the Divine Immortal Sect, wearing cloud-patterned robes. The highest have six cloud patterns, equivalent to our Black Robe Six Stripes!”
Ling Shuang Ren transmitted her voice to Ji Qing.
“So you’re Inner Sect Disciples of the Wind Thunder Sect. Are you also here to look for the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion?”
The other party spoke first.
Zhao Xiaozhu, however, did not speak.
It seemed she still felt something was amiss.
She was clearly the only one who knew about the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion, so how did people from the Divine Immortal Sect arrive?
The five people from the other side were not going to give up.
So they also found a place to rest.
Anyway, the cave mansion hadn’t appeared yet, so they would continue to wait.
As a result, two hours later, another Flying Boat arrived.
However, this time, four figures flew out of this Flying Boat.
The aura emanating from them was terrifying.
They were actually four cultivators at Late Foundation Establishment.
These were similar to Inner Sect Disciples of Black Robe Seven Stripes or higher.
“It’s disciples from the Soul Banner Demonic Sect! How did they find this place too? Are they also here for the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion?”
Zhao Xiaozhu exclaimed.
Ji Qing frowned and asked, “Fellow Daoist Zhao, didn’t you say that only you knew about this place? What’s going on now?”
One from the Divine Immortal Sect, then one from the Soul Banner Demonic Sect, arriving one after another.
It was unlikely they were all here to admire the scenery.
Zhao Xiaozhu’s expression was also very grim. She took out the incomplete Treasure Map and examined it repeatedly, muttering as she looked, “This is strange. After I got this Treasure Map, I haven’t shown it to anyone. Only I knew about it.”
Ji Qing’s heart stirred, “Is there a possibility that your Treasure Map is incomplete, and the other party also has an incomplete Treasure Map?”
Zhao Xiaozhu’s eyes lit up, and she immediately said, “Yes! This incomplete Treasure Map should have been divided into three parts. I got one part, so they must have obtained the other two parts.”
As expected, the people from the Divine Immortal Sect and the Soul Banner Demonic Sect also took out incomplete Treasure Maps.
For a moment, the three parties looked at each other awkwardly.
At this time, the people from the Soul Banner Demonic Sect spoke, their voices incredibly sharp.
“Heh heh, it seems fate has brought us together effortlessly. This Treasure Map was split into three parts, not only recording the specific location of the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion but also some of the Formation nodes within the mansion.”
“We originally thought it would take some effort to break the formations, but with the complete Treasure Map, it will be much simpler.”
“We’ll give you a chance. Hand over your Treasure Maps, and we can spare your lives! Otherwise, you will all enter our Soul Banners…”
The four people from the Soul Banner Demonic Sect waved their hands, and four Soul Banners, surging with black qi, appeared in the Void.
Instantly, the Void seemed to turn black.
And there were waves of ghostly wails, making one’s scalp tingle.
“Soul Banners…”
Ling Shuang Ren, Zhao Xiaozhu, and even Mu Yunxia’s faces turned grim upon seeing the Soul Banners.
Those were Soul Banners!
The most infamous Magic Tools in the Barren Domain.
They could capture and enslave souls and Primordial Spirits, making them subject to control and manipulation.
Once one entered a Soul Banner, life would be worse than death.
Moreover, these four people were at Late Foundation Establishment, their Cultivation higher than Zhao Xiaozhu’s and the five from the Divine Immortal Sect.
At this moment, the five people from the Divine Immortal Sect made their move.
They approached Ji Qing and the others.
“Fellow Daoists of the Wind Thunder Sect, the Soul Banner Demonic Sect is pushing their luck too far. Why don’t we join forces to fight them? After we drive away the Soul Banner Demonic Sect, we can then divide the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion equally, how about it?”
Zhao Xiaozhu’s eyes lit up.
Although the Soul Banner Demonic Sect had four Late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
They had a numerical advantage, and she had also set up a Great Formation in advance. If they truly allied with the Divine Immortal Sect, there might still be a chance to repel the Soul Banner Demonic Sect.
But before Zhao Xiaozhu could speak, Ji Qing spoke.
He said meaningfully, “Fellow Daoist Zhao, you mentioned earlier that this Task was to open the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion and that there wasn’t much danger. Now, however, we are about to fight, and against such powerful Late Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Soul Banner Demonic Sect.”
Zhao Xiaozhu’s heart skipped a beat.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, are you planning to withdraw?”
Zhao Xiaozhu’s expression was grim.
If Ji Qing withdrew, the morale of the team would crumble.
Then what would be the point of competing for the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion?
Even Ling Shuang Ren’s expression was grim.
After all, Ji Qing was someone she had found.
And now he wanted to withdraw from the team at the first sign of danger?
She would lose face too!
Upon hearing this, Ji Qing shook his head. His gaze fell upon the four Soul Banner Demonic Sect cultivators in the Void, and he said word by word, “No, Fellow Daoist Zhao has misunderstood. What I mean is, if you want to kill them all, that’s also possible.”
“However, it will cost extra!”
As soon as his words fell, the entire Mountain Forest fell silent, utterly quiet.
Everyone widened their eyes, as if they had heard a joke, and looked at Ji Qing with strange expressions.
They even wondered if Ji Qing had gone mad.
Saying such nonsense here?
ps: It’s mid-month. Where are your monthly votes? I’m asking for monthly votes, monthly votes, monthly votes!
