Chapter 98: Revisiting Old Grounds (Happy Dragon Boat Festival)

Shanawati's disappearance in full view of the crowd still left the believers more awestruck, while the non-believers remained unconvinced.

However, the local power brokers in Gade City who held these meetings were different.

They hadn't successfully bribed the mages, but they still had channels for information, such as the mages' disciples or other servants.

After cross-verifying with these people, a rough scene of what happened appeared in their minds.

As the surrounding light suddenly dimmed, the air turned icy cold, and breathing seemed to become difficult.

The strange screeching of rats rang in people's ears.

It made one dizzy, nauseous, and vomiting...

Then... the Ghost God arrived!

People could not see the Ghost God, yet the Ghost God could influence reality; It opened the main door and directly dragged that Shanawati into the Void, where she vanished without a trace!

This version of the story, already stripped of much of its exaggerated content, still left them unwilling to believe it.

But after verification from multiple sources, one fact remained... Shanawati had indeed disappeared!

More conspirators chose to wait and see, or even withdraw.

And so, on this night, a conspiracy targeting Eastern investors vanished into thin air while still in the intelligence-gathering stage, simply because of the mystery surrounding it...

Jinque City, Linyue Villa.

Su Ping invited that old Talisman Master Luo, the Inspector of Jinyue City.

This old Talisman Master Luo had previously visited the Yun Family auction and, being lucky, had escaped a disaster.

Later, he realized something was wrong; despite being an Inspector, he did not live in Jinyue City, but instead took his beautiful wives and concubines to reside permanently in another Market.

He had decent connections in the Outer Sect, and among his friends, one had even become a confidant to an Inner Sect Disciple.

Thus, the Patrol Envoy turned a blind eye to the matter.

In any case, in this day and age, a city lacking an Inspector was not the only one.

It was just that with so many people living in the Market, life was not easy.

So, old Talisman Master Luo tried to return to his old trade, only to be stunned to find that the talisman-drawing business was becoming increasingly cutthroat.

There was no shortage of young Talisman Masters who, relying on their physical vigor, played the game of small profits and quick turnover.

Old and frail, his Essence, Spirit, and Qi were long past their prime, and having recently indulged in wine and women, his body was severely depleted.

His talisman-drawing efficiency was too low, and selling them was barely enough to make a living.

Thus, after receiving Su Ping's invitation.

After much deliberation, caught between safety and poverty, old Talisman Master Luo decided to take a gamble, bringing only his two most favored wives to Linyue Villa to serve as a Talisman Master instructor.

Old Talisman Master Luo did not know that the true object of his instruction and guidance was not that Inspector of Jinque City.

But rather a Talisman Dao prodigy hidden within the Pot Heaven who had just entered the Qi Refining stage.

Every time this prodigy girl was confused, Su Ping himself often did not know the answer either.

But that did not matter; he would simply go find old Talisman Master Luo to ask for the answer.

He even spent Spirit Stones to have old Talisman Master Luo record his life experience regarding the Talisman Primer in front of a projection stone.

Afterward, Su Ping used Dharma Power to add a common-language voiceover to the projection stone and gave it to Shanawati to watch repeatedly.

Old Talisman Master Luo was a smart man.

He was also a Talisman Master who had seen through the obsession of immortal cultivation and was retiring early.

From the questions Su Ping asked from time to time, he vaguely guessed that a genius who had just started learning the Talisman Dao was on the rise.

This genius could not be Su Ping.

Old Talisman Master Luo had taught him, and although the other party seemed to have a high opinion of himself, the experienced old Talisman Master Luo knew that he was just an ordinary Cultivator with no talent for talismans.

Such a Cultivator could draw talismans for a lifetime and never ask those questions that went straight to the core of the Talisman Dao!

Old Talisman Master Luo had the urge to be a teacher; if possible, he hoped to cultivate a future Talisman Dao prodigy to make himself famous after he passed away.

But thinking of how Su Ping had made things so complicated, clearly wanting to hide it, he extinguished this unrealistic thought.

To live a little longer, it was better to know less.

With the addition of Divine Sense, Su Ping was no longer afraid that an old Cultivator in the villa who had entered the aging phase of Mid-stage Qi Refining would discover anything.

Moreover, there was nothing wrong with Linyue Villa itself.

All the good things were in the Pot Heaven; at most, there was just one more old Cultivator studying the question of why the Jinque City Inspector loved Fishing so much.

The Immortal Sect territory was generally peaceful, with nothing happening, so Su Ping continued his cultivation with peace of mind.

He even wrote a letter hoping that an acquaintance in the Outer Sect would introduce another old Cultivator skilled in alchemy to him.

So that the alchemy progress of the young Daoist Zhou Xuan could also be slightly accelerated.

Then, after another Fishing cycle ended, Su Ping obtained a total of 120 points of Fishing Experience from the Linyue Lake and reservoir fishing spots.

Su Ping suddenly learned that more than a dozen cities in the northern territory of the Immortal Sect had been wiped out overnight by an Evil Spirit outbreak.

It was rumored that an Avatar of an Evil God had appeared over one city and led hundreds of evil cultivators to raid a large Market the Immortal Sect had there.

And then, as if it had been agreed upon.

The Demon Beasts of the Ten Thousand Mountains launched a fierce offensive once again, and many defensive lines were in critical condition!

Although the Immortal Sect quickly issued a notice that the Chiyuan Immortal Sect had reached a cooperation agreement with the Great Golden Light Temple, and from today on, cultivators from the Great Golden Light Temple would head north to help Seal the Evil Spirits and drive away the Evil God.

The entire Immortal Sect territory remained in a state of panic.

At this time, even the elders in the wealthy households who shouted every day that good days were coming realized that the era had changed.

Under the sword edge of Chiyuan Xianren, the prosperous age of the Immortal Sect where all under heaven were at peace... seemed to be coming to an end?

During this period, Ancient Relics continued to be affected by the Evil Qi Tide, their Seals disappearing as they reappeared in the world.

In every location, there were still Cultivators who feared not death, rushing in to seek Immortal Fate.

It was just that, as the days went by.

Cultivators gradually discovered that the more recently appeared Ancient Relics were, the more treacherous and dangerous they became.

In the case of the most recent Ancient Relic, cultivators discovered after entering that it had long been occupied by Evil Spirits.

Once the monsters awoke, they instead wreaked havoc on the surrounding city territories.

So much so that the Elders of the Immortal Sect repeatedly issued strict orders forbidding various cultivation families from venturing to investigate those newly emerged Ancient Relics on their own.

Yet, how many of these cultivation families were willing to listen was something no one knew.

Amidst the great chaos, there were always those unwilling to be pawns or cannon fodder.

There were also always those who felt they would be the Child of Destiny, capable of obtaining Immortal Fate to defy the heavens and change their destiny.

They might even, if they were not careful, emerge suddenly like the first-generation Chiyuan Xianren and establish a grand Immortal Sect!

And subsequently leave behind the myth of ascension!

Most of the letters Su Ping sent to acquaintances in the Outer Sect gradually stopped receiving replies.

On the contrary, Su Ping himself received no shortage of letters from fellow disciples who had finally learned of his Body Refining Small Success, inviting him to go on missions together.

One Outer Sect senior brother even came looking for Su Ping, and failing to find him, left a message hoping Su Ping could join them in exploring a certain small-scale relic.

According to that senior brother's account, he had encountered a fortuitous opportunity and obtained quite a few secrets, making the exploration of that small-scale relic a sure thing!

He didn't even need Su Ping to go inside; he only needed him to help channel Dharma Power from the outside.

To this, Su Ping naturally declined everything.

However, that Array Master senior brother, perhaps coveting Su Ping's Spirit Stones, persisted in writing back.

This allowed Su Ping to understand the recent situation in the Immortal Sect's Outer Sect.

According to this senior brother's observations, after major problems occurred in the north, many Elders and True Disciples had vanished from sight.

Instead, the Merit Hall had suddenly issued many missions with generous rewards, and quite a few Outer Sect Disciples were tempted to team up and leave.

Furthermore, he mentioned that the Punish Evil Alliance was becoming increasingly aggressive, warning Su Ping to be careful and avoid conflicts with people from the Punish Evil Alliance.

"The Punish Evil Alliance?"

Su Ping recalled those people he encountered at Nine Leaves Mountain who were surrounding and attacking the hawk-faced cultivator, and who had harmed innocent Loose Cultivators to keep their secrets.

Su Ping did not have a good impression of them.

However, he naturally would not go out of his way to provoke them now.

Behind the Punish Evil Alliance were at least True Disciples, and those were Great Cultivators who had at least reached Foundation Establishment!

If there was to be a conflict, it would have to wait until he had reached Foundation Establishment and could take on ten at once!

"Sigh, Foundation Establishment!"

"After the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, the cultivation speed has slowed down..."

"And yet, for pills for the Qi Refining Late Stage, even if they are Waste Pills, I have no channel to purchase them!"

After reading the letter, Su Ping felt a greater longing for Foundation Establishment in his heart, yet he still had no intention of rushing to take on missions to accelerate his cultivation.

"Wait, if I don't take missions, I can still use Superior Pills to exchange for Merit, right?"

"As for my identity, the Immortal Sect's recruitment order is still hanging at the mountain gate!"

"If I take the Avatar of the exorcist youth Yun Kong, my Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation should be enough to enter the Outer Sect and gain access to the Merit Hall, right?"

"Then I can just take a random mission and leave."

"The Immortal Sect won't feel cheated after receiving Superior Pills, so they shouldn't care if I leave and never return, right?"

"Even if they do care, that is the business of the exorcist family's Yun Kong, what does it have to do with me, Su Ping!"

After thinking it through, this path seemed to have no trouble.

Moreover, Su Ping discovered this during the tests that followed after he obtained Divine Sense.

After disguising himself as a Memory Illusion, under the protection of the memory Artifact, his own Divine Sense and Body Refining Late Stage cultivation could also be protected from discovery, revealing only the cultivation and aura of the Memory Illusion's true form.

This made Su Ping realize that when he reached Foundation Establishment in the future, he could also rely on this disguise to become someone who looks like a Qi Refining cultivator, feels like a Qi Refining cultivator, and only reveals himself to be a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator when fighting!

Thereby letting those attackers know what it means to play the pig to eat the tiger!

…………

One day later, the Yunshan Market, hidden within a bamboo forest, welcomed a handsome young mage with short white hair.

Although the Yunshan Market, which possessed a Second Tier low-grade Spirit Vein, was an official Immortal Sect market.

A young cultivator at the Qi Refining Late Stage still attracted the gazes of many.

And they secretly guessed which cultivation family's genius talent this might be.

The white-haired youth looked at the market street and declined the greeters who came to say hello.

He then headed straight for the Immortal Sect's stronghold within the market.

The Outer Sect Disciple in the stronghold was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer; seeing this white-haired youth, a trace of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

He dared not act recklessly, especially after hearing that the other party was a Loose Cultivator coming to respond to the recruitment order.

Although he did not quite believe it in his heart, his actions became even more humble.

Given the other party's cultivation, if he joined the Immortal Sect and chose to stay behind, he would likely be a Deacon, and he might even end up managing him, a lowly Outer Sect Disciple.

"Thank you, senior brother!"

The white-haired youth cupped his hands and bowed to the Outer Sect Disciple, his demeanor and tone sincere.

This caught the Outer Sect Disciple off guard; perhaps he had not expected a heaven-gifted talent to be so polite.

He forced a smile and hurriedly handed the registered Wooden Tablet to Su Ping.

At the same time, he rang a bell to transmit the information out.

Following that, Su Ping only waited a moment before being summoned into the inner hall ahead of time.

One Inner Sect Disciple and two Outer Sect Deacons interviewed Su Ping together.

The Inner Sect Disciple, surprised by the white-haired youth's temperament, learned that this cultivator named Yun Kong, who came from an exorcist family in a small northern country, was quite skilled in combat.

The Inner Sect Disciple felt a sliver of calculation, and using the assessment as an excuse, he challenged Su Ping to a duel.

Su Ping glanced at the other party indifferently.

The other party had not undergone Body Tempering; he was merely at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, on par with himself.

Judging by his age, he was at least forty; with this cultivation at this age, it seemed he had no Spirit Body enhancement either.

In the eyes of these people, the white-haired youth who called himself Yun Kong hesitated for a moment before nodding shyly.

Just as the surrounding Cultivators heard the news and felt that this time they would be able to see an Inner Sect senior brother display Immortal Sect techniques and show off his great might.

Both sides arrived at the drill ground.

And then... it was just one move!

The Inner Sect Disciple, who had just summoned two short swords, had his protective Golden Light shattered, and then his face was grabbed by the white-haired youth.

Boom!

Before anyone could react, the Inner Sect Disciple's entire head was buried into the stone tiles of the drill ground.

The shockwave even caused spiderweb-like cracks to appear across the surrounding ground with a clatter.

This was the first time Su Ping had sparred with a non-Dongtian Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.

And then Su Ping discovered that this Inner Sect Disciple was truly far too inferior compared to White Crane Boy!

Is this the level of an ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage disciple of the Immortal Sect?

Even without using Dharma Artifacts and Spirit Talismans... it was still a bit too weak!

With Divine Sense and Body Tempering enhancement, the opponent was completely... full of openings in front of him!

There was no need to use other trump cards; he only needed to use the pure strength brought by his Body Refining Late Stage and Saint Body to first strike the opponent's weak point to break his protective defense, and then grab his face and smash him down!

It seemed... the battle was over?

Does this count as bullying a child?

After the trial...

The white-haired youth Yun Kong was very "friendlily" sent directly out of Yunshan Market, and then he took the Wooden Tablet pass and headed toward a high mountain shrouded in clouds and mist not far away.

That was the location of the mountain gate where the Outer Sect Disciples recruited from the Ascension Meeting of the hundreds of cities in the vicinity would all gather.

Chiyuan Immortal Sect only had four such mountain gates.

They would only receive Immortal Sect disciples.

Now, however, there were extra outside Cultivators who had been recruited.

And because of this, Su Ping was able to step into this familiar place once again.

This place full of memories where he had bitterly cultivated for twenty years.

Revisiting an old haunt, yet his state of mind was already vastly different.

Su Ping looked straight ahead, and only after sighing in his heart did he head toward the Merit Hall.

Not long after Su Ping left.

Several white-robed Cultivators flew over, searching for a white-haired youth, but they searched everywhere to no avail.

They were members of the Punish Evil Alliance, and this time they had learned from an insider that an outside Cultivator with extremely formidable combat techniques, suspected of practicing both Dharma and body, had accepted the recruitment order and joined the Immortal Sect.

The Punish Evil Alliance, which urgently wanted to improve its combat power, naturally would not let such a talent go, and they had sent people to try to recruit him.

Yet they did not expect that someone had a clear goal and left immediately, causing these people to miss their chance.

In the outer courtyard of the Merit Hall, at a counter specifically responsible for the acquisition and exchange of rare treasures and Superior Pills.

An old Cultivator, whose entire body was withered and whose skin resembled tree bark, observed the dozen or so Superior Pills that Su Ping had taken out.

The grades were not very high, and most were not even ranked, but they were undoubtedly Superior Pills, which could be taken to those budding geniuses who had just entered Qi Refining.

Looking at the white-haired youth again and guessing that the other party should be one of those outside Cultivators, the old Cultivator accepted everything and exchanged them for Merit.

Then the old Cultivator heard the white-haired youth's request to exchange for Pills that could be used by those at the Qi Refining Late Stage or Body Refining Late Stage.

He was not surprised by this; the Immortal Sect dared to issue recruitment orders precisely because they had Pills or auxiliary secret techniques that could be used by the Qi Refining Late Stage to lure these outside Cultivators to risk their lives.

It was just that he had not expected the other party to state that he knew his Merit was insufficient.

Therefore... he did not want Superior Pills, only Middle-grade or even waste ones!

The reason was also very direct: they knew that non-Superior Pills had problems, but at a time like this, enhancing one's own strength was the most important thing.

"What a pity!"

Watching the white-haired youth who was determined to consume Middle-grade or even waste Pills, a trace of cherishing talent flashed in the old Cultivator's eyes.

In his view, this white-haired youth had joined the wrong sect.

With such natural talent, if he were in the Chiyuan Immortal Sect, he would at least be an Inner Sect Elite Disciple by now.

He wouldn't dare say Superior Pills were provided in abundance, but there would always be a monthly quota.

Why suffer to eat Middle-grade or waste Pills and thus cut off one's Dao path?

It was just that in the current situation, it was impossible for the Immortal Sect to let outside Cultivators become the core.

Being willing to trade fairly was already a last resort forced by the situation.

And he, this old Cultivator, was truly just old in seniority; he was no Great Ability playing in the mortal world!

"Peishen Pill usable by the Qi Refining Late Stage, Body Tempering Spirit Marrow usable by the Body Refining Late Stage... the effects are powerful, but the impact on the Dao path is also extremely great."

"Eat one Middle-grade, and the probability of Foundation Establishment drops by at least one layer!"

"One waste pill, and it is best not to attempt Foundation Establishment for the rest of your life!"

The old Cultivator gave his final warning.

Seeing the white-haired youth still nod firmly.

He sighed, and according to the white-haired youth's Merit and Spirit Stone, he took out several wooden boxes.

Unlike the previous Peiyuan Pill and Blood Qi Pill.

The efficacy of Pills for the Qi Refining Late Stage is stronger, and those who consume them generally already have a solid cultivation foundation and will not suffer serious side effects before breaking through a major realm, so their value increases accordingly.

For example, those Outer Sect Deacons who basically have no hope of advancing usually purchase a Medium Pill or even a waste-grade Pill to consume to enhance their cultivation.

Although their path to the Dao is hopeless after eating a few more, the advantage is that their Dharma Power will be much more robust, and they can also learn more money-making crafts and self-preservation skills.

Fortunately, as long as it is not a Superior Pill, although the Medium and waste-grade Pills for the Qi Refining Late Stage are not cheap, they are still within Su Ping's ability to afford.

Having spent all his Merit, Su Ping had five Medium Pills and fifteen waste-grade Pills added to his possession.

Afterwards, Su Ping scanned the task board, chose a task at random, and then left in a hurry.

To the point that a thought vaguely flashed through the mind of the old Cultivator watching his back.

Did this youth come running with a recruitment order actually just to exchange for those dozen or so Qi Refining Late Stage Pills?

"Even if that is the case, it is not strange; in any case, we are not paying out for nothing, as they must always exchange Merit and Spirit Stones for them."

Thinking of this, the old Cultivator shook his head and stopped paying attention to this white-haired youth.

Although similar matters are rare, they are not non-existent.

However, this bit of cleverness is nothing in the eyes of the Immortal Sect.

Even those outsiders from other sects who exchanged for secret techniques will always be unable to resist coming back to obtain subsequent cultivation methods and Pills, and will obediently serve the Immortal Sect for the sake of Merit!