Chapter 281: 281. Chapter 278: Shi Qiqiu Heavily Wounded

281. Chapter 278: Shi Qiqiu Heavily Wounded

Ding Huan said, "Seven Swords, we hit it off the moment we met. Do you think I have any reason to lie to you about this?"

Fu Qijian only just managed to calm himself from the shock; he had heard his master speak of it.

Once you enter the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon, coming out is impossible. The only reason his master was able to come out was because he had a pair of Formation-Breaking Shift Talismans.

Without Formation-Breaking Shift Talismans, forget his master—even a true Earth Immortal couldn't get out.

Ding Huan probably hasn't even reached Human Immortal cultivation yet, has he? Someone at that level going into the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon and still getting out—no wonder he doesn't believe it; anyone in his place would find it hard to believe.

Ding Huan raised his hand, pulled out a piece of seabed azure crystal, and said:

"Your master came out of the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon, so you should know about this, right?"

"Seabed azure crystal?" Fu Qijian grew even more bewildered.

After a long while, he finally said:

"My master said there is a Seabed Azure Crystal River in the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon, but the crystals in that river can't be dug up at all—not even a single piece can be taken. How did you get one?"

"It has to do with my divine sense. My divine sense is just rather powerful, I suppose."

Ding Huan didn't mention the Flying Smoke Sword. The Flying Smoke Sword had already acknowledged a master; even if he said so, he couldn't give it to Fu Qijian.

Besides, even with the Flying Smoke Sword, without his powerful, condensed divine sense, he still wouldn't have been able to obtain seabed azure crystal from the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon.

"Phew!" Fu Qijian let out a long breath, seemingly trying hard to digest the shock Ding Huan had brought him.

"Fine, I believe you, and I'm willing to wait for you here." Fu Qijian finally made his decision.

Ding Huan shook his head:

"I've changed my mind again."

Fu Qijian looked at Ding Huan in confusion.

Ding Huan said:

"The reason I came here to borrow earthfire was to refine a batch of talismans, so that when Shi Qiqiu comes to hunt me down, I can finish him off."

"Shi Qiqiu wants to kill you?" Fu Qijian looked at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan nodded:

"Yes, he wants what's on me, so he's set an ambush for me. I've arranged for helpers, and once I refine a batch of talismans, there's a ninety-plus percent chance I can turn the tables and kill him."

Fu Qijian laughed heartily:

"Why bother with all that trouble? I can kill him right now, and I'll go with you when the time comes."

Ding Huan gave a wry smile:

"I'm afraid that won't work. Shi Qiqiu is a sly old fox—if he sees you accompanying me, he definitely won't show himself.

I don't need your help to take care of Shi Qiqiu. You just go to Hidden Jianshan and wait for me. I'll return to the sect first, then head to Hidden Jianshan."

"Go to Hidden Jianshan to do what?" Fu Qijian was puzzled.

Ding Huan said:

"My cultivation isn't enough, and yours isn't either. If we're going back into the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon, we have to raise our cultivation. You need to at least reach Human Immortal Perfection, and ideally Earth Immortal realm."

Fu Qijian shook his head:

"My cultivation can't be raised any further. After I entered Human Immortal, it took me three hundred and twenty-seven years to cultivate from the first layer to the fifth. Before Human Immortal, I only took a hundred and nine years in total.

So even if I go to Hidden Jianshan, my cultivation won't improve in the short term."

Ding Huan had created his own cultivation method, and his cultivation advanced extremely quickly.

He believed no second person could have a chance encounter like his—obtaining a heaven-defying skin scroll and then fusing it to produce a gene spirit root.

Not only that, but by drawing on the scroll's vast, smoke-sea-like knowledge of Dao cultivation, he had been able to create the Grand Cosmos Art right from the start.

The Grand Cosmos Art communes with the vast cosmos, using the Dao laws of the universe from the very beginning to raise one's strength—it would be strange if it weren't fast.

A cultivator who uses an ordinary cultivation method and reaches Human Immortal in a hundred and nine years is absolutely a genius among geniuses.

Such a genius couldn't possibly have spent three hundred and twenty-seven years going from Human Immortal Layer One to Human Immortal Layer Five—there's definitely a problem somewhere.

After hearing Fu Qijian out, Ding Huan finally understood why Fu Qijian was in such a hurry to go to the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon of the Opening Heaven Battlefield.

Apparently, knowing his cultivation couldn't advance, he simply went into the Opening Heaven Battlefield to seek an opportunity.

Ding Huan suddenly thought of Fu Qijian's master, who also didn't seem to have reached Earth Immortal. Could there be a problem with the Fu Xu Seven Swords they cultivated?

Ding Huan stood up:

"Seven Swords, if you trust me, go to Hidden Jianshan and wait for me. The fact that I can enter the Opening Heaven Battlefield and even come out of the Fourth Fold Sea Canyon means I do have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Fine, I trust you." Fu Qijian didn't ask further, just nodded and stood up as well.

He wasn't a man of many words. Once he decided Ding Huan was a friend worth trusting, he never felt the need to ask for a clear explanation of everything.

If Ding Huan said it that way, there must be a reason.

Liu Yinyu, waiting anxiously at the Thunder Rhythm Elixir Workshop, widened her eyes—she could hardly believe Ding Huan had actually come down from the upper floor of the Thunder Rhythm Elixir Workshop.

It seemed Fu Qijian was even standing at the doorway to see him off.

Ding Huan hadn't let Fu Qijian escort him down; he was worried that if Shi Qiqiu saw this scene, he wouldn't dare come to hunt him.

"Sect Leader Ding, are you alright?" The moment Liu Yinyu saw Ding Huan, she asked urgently.

Ding Huan spread his hands:

"What could possibly happen to me? Let's go, we'll head back to the rest stop first."

"Alright." Liu Yinyu also knew this wasn't the place to talk.

After the two returned to the Ancient Jade Rest House, Liu Yinyu's first words were to ask: "Sect Leader Ding, that Thunder Rhythm Elixir Workshop collapsed by half—that wasn't your doing, was it?"

Ding Huan gave an awkward smile: "It really does have something to do with me. I honestly didn't expect it either."

"And Fu Qijian let you go?" Liu Yinyu looked at Ding Huan with some doubt.

She knew Fu Qijian's character very well—gentle and refined, never showing his anger on the surface.

But anyone who truly crosses his reverse scale, he will kill cleanly, and absolutely will not leave loose ends.

"I hit it off with Steward Fu at first sight, so we chatted a bit more. He gave me the Earth Fire Vein, and I gave him a little something in return."

Ding Huan spoke the plain truth.

Liu Yinyu was a bit speechless—Fu Qijian would give away the Earth Fire Vein? Stop joking around…

Wait, that's not right. Liu Yinyu suddenly thought of it—the collapse of the Thunder Rhythm Elixir Workshop, wasn't that exactly the scene after the Earth Fire Vein was drawn away?

"Ding Sect Master, I'll be cultivating right next door. When you leave, you can give me a call."

She knew there must be a reason behind this; she didn't plan to keep asking.

"Good, I happen to be refining a few things."

Ding Huan nodded. Half of the Earth Fire Vein was still on him; he planned to refine some talismans, then leave Myriad Treasure City.

Returning to his room, the first thing Ding Huan did was take out that flame.

The flame was still in a weakened phase; clearly it still needed the nourishment of the Earth Fire Vein to continue growing.

As for what this flame would ultimately grow into, there was simply no way to tell right now.

Ding Huan also knew that the most important factor in a flame's growth was its master's ability. So next time he went to the Opening Heaven Battlefield, he had to find a new Earth Fire Vein.

Looking at the flame leaping in his hand, Ding Huan said:

"The Earth Fire Vein isn't convenient to take out right now. Once we reach Hidden Jianshan, I'll let you absorb the Earth Fire Vein and grow."

Putting away the newly sprouted flame, Ding Huan began refining talismans.

Originally Ding Huan had planned to use seabed green crystal to refine talismans, but unfortunately he had no Earth Fire now. His own true fire still fell a bit short of melting seabed green crystal to refine talismans.

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He could only use the materials on him to continue refining ordinary Grade-6 attack talismans and killing-restriction talismans.

Two days later, while Ding Huan was still researching new talismans, the room's restriction was tapped.

Ding Huan opened the restriction, looked at Liu Yinyu standing at the door, and asked in confusion:

"Palace Master Liu, is there something you need from me?"

Liu Yinyu said:

"I'll tell you something major—Shi Qiqiu of Changyan Academy almost got killed."

Ding Huan was stunned, and quickly asked:

"Palace Master Liu, what's going on?"

Liu Yinyu smiled:

"Shi Qiqiu was ambushed in his own cave abode. If he hadn't had a Void-Breaking Talisman, he would already be dead in Myriad Treasure City. Rumor has it the one who gravely wounded Shi Qiqiu was a sword Dao powerhouse…"

Ding Huan immediately understood—it was absolutely Fu Qijian's doing.

Fu Qijian wasn't a flashy person; he acted extremely low-key. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't ambush Shi Qiqiu.

Fu Qijian knew Shi Qiqiu was going to ambush him, Ding Huan, so he wanted to take Shi Qiqiu out ahead of time.

He didn't expect Shi Qiqiu to have a Void-Breaking Talisman, which let him escape with his life.

While secretly grateful to Fu Qijian in his heart, Ding Huan also understood that even if he had used talismans to lock down Shi Qiqiu, he probably wouldn't have been able to kill him either.

This guy had a Void-Breaking Talisman—no matter how many talismans he used, he couldn't lock down the other's escape.

Unless his talismans were of a higher grade than the other's. In fact, Ding Huan knew this wasn't very likely. The best talisman on him was only one Grade-7 Hell Vine Talisman.

Shi Qiqiu's Void-Breaking Talisman couldn't possibly be only Grade-7.

Liu Yinyu must have guessed who had assassinated Shi Qiqiu. After delivering this news, she asked:

"With Shi Qiqiu's threat gone, do you need to return to Blue Star Sect early?"

Ding Huan nodded:

"Right, then I'll be leaving now. Regardless, thank you, Palace Master Liu. If in the future the Palace Master needs my service, please don't hesitate to command me."

This time Shi Qiqiu was gravely wounded by Fu Qijian and escaped; Ding Huan hadn't been able to kill the guy as planned. But Liu Yinyu had agreed to help, and he had to thank her for it.

Liu Yinyu smiled: "You really don't need to thank me. You saved my life; I haven't even helped you with anything yet.

Rather, it's Lou Fenyan, the Tower Master of the Mandrake Duck Dual Cultivation Tower, who helped you twice—you really should thank her."

Twice? While Ding Huan was puzzled, Liu Yinyu continued:

"The first time, when Shi Qiqiu borrowed Qingyu to slander you, it was she who exposed Qingyu's lies…"

Hearing Liu Yinyu's words, Ding Huan realized that the woman who had deliberately spoken in reverse to help him was called Lou Fenyan.

Ding Huan didn't know why Lou Fenyan had helped him, but the favors from her two helps were something he had to remember.

There was also that Pang Xiangxiang. Ding Huan had met this woman once, at the auction; he hadn't expected she would help him once too.

Regardless of the reason, anyone who had helped—whatever their purpose—the grace needed to be repaid.

"Palace Master Liu, farewell here. If you need my help in the future, just send word to Blue Star Sect."

Ding Huan decided not to linger in Myriad Treasure City any longer.

Before leaving, Ding Huan didn't go looking for Fu Qijian. Whatever the reason, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go looking for Fu Qijian now.