Chapter 71: Mu Renjie

Early the next morning, Ruan Qingzhu came with Zhu Pill Master to find Xiao Zhangqing and express thanks.

With the help of the Demon-breaking Talisman and the Stabilizing Soul Talisman, the evil aura entangling He Liang was finally eliminated.

Last night He Liang fell asleep peacefully and was not plagued by nightmares again.

Next, he will replenish with Pill and Spirit Food, slowly restoring his vital energy.

"Xiao Symbol Master, could I ask you to find time today to draw two more entry-level Demon-breaking Talismans and Stabilizing Soul Talismans? The price is negotiable. I'm worried that the evil specter on my son now seems suppressed and removed, but the situation might recur later, so keep two Talisman Scripts as a reserve for emergencies."

Ruan Qingzhu wore a bright red robe, vivid yet not gaudy; born of Baihua Valley, she possessed an extraordinary, refined temperament, her skin as fair as frost against snow, showing no signs of aging despite her years and having borne children.

Instead, she was even more mature and curvaceous, with a few enchanting charms that ordinary female cultivators lack.

According to rumors, Baihua Valley selects disciples with the first criterion being innate spiritual roots, the second being appearance.

If one's looks are not high enough, it is harder to become an inner-door disciple in Baihua Valley.

No wonder Zhu Youlong, as a first-rank superior Pill Master, can freely pick from the many young female cultivators in Nanshan Fang; he is only enamored with Ruan Qingzhu, willingly giving his all unilaterally.

However, Xiao Zhangqing is not Zhu Youlong; he would unconditionally agree to Ruan Qingzhu's request.

"I sincerely apologize; this is not a matter of price. Yesterday, Shopkeeper Ruan's young master's life was in imminent danger, and with Zhu Pill Master pleading, I made an exception and drew talismans on my own. Now the evil specter is gone; if I were to draw talismans privately again, it would violate Lingfu Pavilion rules. If Shopkeeper Ruan still wants Demon-breaking Talismans and Stabilizing Soul Talismans, you may go to Lingfu Pavilion, consult with our Shopkeeper Zhou, and see if they can be purchased from Lingfu Pavilion."

Xiao Zhangqing said.

Given Xiao Zhangqing's strength and mastery of talisman arts, he is already capable of establishing his own sect, unafraid of Lingfu Pavilion's sanctions.

But since he is still within Lingfu Pavilion, he will continue to abide by its rules.

Moreover, the current situation is turbulent; no one knows when Demon Sect Evil Cultivators might launch a massive invasion. In such chaotic times, having the backing of Luoxia Sect could prove useful in a crisis.

"I was presumptuous."

Ruan Qingzhu did not press further, stating she would find time to consult Zhou Changkong and see if a batch of Demon-breaking Talismans and Stabilizing Soul Talismans could be purchased.

Afterward, Xiao Zhangqing inquired about the specific circumstances of Silver Leaf Peak and He Liang's mishap.

Yesterday Zhu Pill Master came and went in haste, and he himself was not clear on some matters.

"The trouble my son faced should not be a Demon Sect Evil Cultivator, but the legendary evil specter. The specter's methods are far more bizarre than those of an Evil Cultivator. Moreover, if a Demon Sect Evil Cultivator possessed such wicked and bizarre means, they would not let my son return to Nanshan Fang alive," Ruan Qingzhu recounted everything she knew, "Legends say that in the ancient age of cultivation, evil specters once ravaged the world, posing a threat to cultivators even greater than beast demons. By the middle era, the powerful specters had been almost entirely eradicated, leaving only a few weak specters. Today, even the weak specters are nearly extinct. Unless one is as unlucky as my son, one might never encounter one in a lifetime…"

"So, Shopkeeper Ruan thinks that my son's case is merely a coincidence, purely bad luck?" Xiao Zhangqing asked.

Ruan Qingzhu thought for a moment, then cautiously said, "In principle, that is correct. Yet personally I feel the matter is not that simple... Regardless, as long as one carefully avoids the specter and promptly flees when encountering bizarre situations, the specter usually does not pursue. Having Demon-breaking Talismans, Stabilizing Soul Talismans, or other Talisman Script Magic Treasures that counter unclean specter influences makes one even safer."

"For us cultivators, the greatest current threat still seems to be the Demon Sect Evil Cultivators who appear to be inciting war."

Xiao Zhangqing nodded in agreement.

By comparison, the mysterious and bizarre evil specter, though frightening, is encountered less frequently and does not specifically target cultivators.

However, when Demon Sect Evil Cultivators launch a massive invasion, cultivators of Da Yu nation become singled out for pursuit and killing.

"After Silver Leaf Peak falls, what about Nanshan Fang? Does Shopkeeper Ruan think it remains safe?" Xiao Zhangqing asked again, wanting to know the perspective of a Baihua Valley disciple on the matter.

Ruan Qingzhu couldn't help but smile at the remark, saying, "Xiao Symbol Master, rest assured: Nanshan Fang and Silver Leaf Peak are entirely different. In the past, without a Mu family head whose strength had reached the late Foundation Establishment, Nanshan Fang might have faced some danger. But now, with the Mu family head stationed there, Nanshan Fang is as impregnable as a fortified stronghold, facing no danger. Moreover, even before, without a Mu family head, Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley would dispatch elders to assist Nanshan Fang in its defense."

"Therefore, Nanshan Fang will certainly remain safe. If Nanshan Fang ever became endangered, it would mean the Demon Sect Evil Cultivators are representing a full declaration of war against the Da Yu cultivation world, preparing for a massive invasion."

It seems the situation is somewhat better than he imagined? Xiao Zhangqing still places some trust in Ruan Qingzhu's viewpoint.

But he does not believe it completely.

The preparations that need to be made must still continue.

……

Cave Residence A-1.

As the cave residence with the highest spiritual vein level and strongest spiritual energy in Nanshan Fang, only Mu Renjie can reside here; naturally, no one else can.

Moreover, Mu Renjie's strength has already reached the late Foundation Establishment, and the spiritual vein level required for his cultivation has risen to the late second stage.

Throughout Nanshan Fang, only Cave Residence A-1 meets this standard.

After absorbing the XU family and Zhang family, two major Foundation Establishment clans, and crushing the Cao family's two Foundation Establishment branches without any resistance, Mu Renjie ceased most activities, spending most of his time in Cave Residence A-1 in seclusion to cultivate.

He almost completely neglects family affairs; when senior elders within the clan approach him with urgent matters, he simply disappears.

Whenever forced to appear, he shows displeasure, hurriedly deals with it, and then it's over.

Now not only does no one outside dare to oppose Mu Renjie, but even within the Mu family, no one dares to dissent or voice opposition.

In short, Mu Renjie says "one", and no one dares to say "two".

The only somewhat better voice is his daughter Mu Chunfeng; occasionally he can hear her words and reluctantly accept them.

Thus, gradually, the Mu family got used to handling matters through the clan elders and Mu Chunfeng, trying not to disturb Mu Renjie.

After all, as long as the Mu family bears Mu Renjie's name, they are unstoppable in Nanshan Fang; no one dares to slight them.

Cave Residence A-1 thus became a 'restricted zone'; no one dares to enter.

Inside the cave residence at this moment, Mu Renjie's entire body was shrouded in black mist, and a power capable of unsettling even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators permeated the space; a fist-sized, round black‑gold jade orb floated above his head.

Within the jade orb seemed countless wails, emanating waves of evil aura.

Yet Mu Renjie appeared to be using the jade orb to cultivate, increasing his own cultivation and strength.

Boom! After an indeterminate amount of time, the jade orb was absorbed into Mu Renjie's body; his face then showed pain and a ferocious expression, which faded after a half‑second.

But his aura remained grim, his eyes filled with malice.

"Why? I have clearly fully refined the Nether Saint Stone, yet I do not possess strength comparable to the Core Fusion Realm, only that of the late Foundation Establishment?"

"Could it be that my transformation cultivation is insufficiently thorough? Or perhaps I have not consumed enough souls?"

"If the souls of Qi Refining Realm cultivators are too few, they are of little use to me. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators, whose Soul Transformation has been washed and tempered by Heaven and Earth's power, undergo a fundamental change; devouring one can greatly strengthen the Dark Saint Stone's power."

"The Cao family has two Foundation Establishment members, especially Cao Hao, who has even broken through to the mid Foundation Establishment; his Soul Transformation must be considerably stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage…"

"What a pity. Cao Hao is far too timid; for the past two years he has remained hidden within the Cao family's formation, and even with mediation from Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley, he dares not emerge…"

"Hmph! Once I attain Core Fusion Realm strength, even if Cao Hao curls up like a turtle, the Cao family's formation cannot stop me!"

"But how can I match the Core Fusion Realm? Where is my cultivation wrong, or is my refining method incorrect?"

Mu Renjie pondered deeply.

But as he kept thinking, an inexplicable violent rage rose from the depths of his heart, making him want to kill, to urgently devour souls.

"Damn it!"

"I can't break the Cao family's formation for now, and now within Nanshan Fang, the only remaining Foundation Establishment cultivator is Zhou Changkong of Lingfu Pavilion..."

"If I absorb Zhou Changkong's soul, perhaps my compatibility with the Nether Saint Stone will improve, allowing me to truly reach strength comparable to the Nascent Soul Realm. Then I can shatter the Cao family's shell, achieving three gains at once!"

Unwittingly, Mu Renjie's eyes turned black, as if stained with ink, the whites invisible.

Nanshan Fang originally had six major Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus Zhou Changkong who came from Luoxia Sect. The Zhang family ancestor Shou Yuan exhausted himself and died; the Xu family's Foundation Establishment was cut down and devoured by Mu Renjie; the two Cao family Foundation Establishments are hiding and not emerging.

The last Foundation Establishment, the boss behind Lai Feng Lou, is a female Foundation Establishment.

During the original Nanshan Fang Foundation Establishment clan war, this female Foundation Establishment did not take part, standing neutral, helping neither side.

After the war's outcome, the Mu family achieved total victory, leaping to become Nanshan Fang's overlord; this female Foundation Establishment even proactively courted the Mu family, willing to give them twenty percent of the profits.

It was thought this would allow a peaceful passage.

But outsiders didn't know that half a year earlier, this female cultivator was ambushed and killed by Mu Renjie without any defense.

So now within Nanshan Fang, the only cultivator 'missing' outside is Lingfu Pavilion Shopkeeper Zhou Changkong.

"No. Zhou Changkong belongs to Luoxia Sect. Even if I act most covertly, once he dies in Nanshan Fang, Luoxia Sect will surely send people to investigate..."

Mu Renjie muttered to himself, as if consulting someone.

In the next instant.

His body jolted, a cold, fierce smile resurfaced on his face, as if he were a different person: "What are you afraid of? As long as the Nascent Soul Sect Leader of Luoxia Sect doesn't come to Nanshan Fang personally, any number of Foundation Establishments they send over will merely become my 'food'..."

Immediately after, a look of pain flashed on Mu Renjie's face before he returned to normal: "No, no. Killing Zhou Changkong carries too high a risk; if discovered, I'd be labeled an Evil Cultivator, and from then on Da Yu Cultivation World would have no place for me!"

The grim visage reappeared: "Being an Evil Cultivator is actually quite nice. Unrestrained, no longer bound by moral codes, I do as I please; as long as I can boost my cultivation strength, everything is worthwhile! Isn't that the original intention of my practice? With overwhelming power, wherever I go is the same!"

The pained face struggled: "No. If I become an Evil Cultivator, what of the Mu family? The whole Mu clan would be implicated, left with no place to be buried!"

The grim visage: "Do you really need to worry about those Mu people? What does their life or death have to do with me? Have you forgotten how they treated me back then? If I hadn't had a great opportunity and succeeded in Foundation Establishment, I would still be the Mu family member scorned and overlooked! Now they all see me as the family's hope, flattering me... just a disgusting bunch!"

The pained face: "I could disregard the rest of the Mu family, but my daughter—I cannot ignore her!"

The grim visage: "Then send the daughter away in advance! She's already beginning to plan her Foundation Establishment, needing to purchase Foundation Establishment pills; perhaps that's a perfect chance to send her out of Nanshan Fang..."

The two faces, like opposing personalities within Mu Renjie, continuously clash.

But in the end, the grim visage dominated, and Mu Renjie was enveloped by an evil black aura.

He truly could not bear his rightful strength being blocked, unable to manifest, which was extremely painful.

Moreover, more than half a year had passed since the last time he killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

During this period, his endurance was very hard.

……

……

Two blossoms bloom, each showing its own branch.

At the same time.

Outside Nanshan Fang city, in a valley two hundred li away, a heap of corpses lay scattered in disarray.

These bodies were not ordinary mortals in life; they were cultivators who had achieved mastery.

Most of them were in the Qi Refining Realm, and among them was even a Foundation Establishment!

Regardless of Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment, their deaths were tragic; they had barely experienced a proper battle before being slain outright.

The culprits were two Evil Cultivators with overwhelming aura and unfathomable strength!

"Compared to Silver Leaf Peak, attacking Nanshan Fang is far more difficult. The two of us cannot act personally, so we rely on those third‑rate, nine‑sect rabble to see how they can breach it. That pawn you set up back then, the guy called Mu Renjie, his power growth is barely acceptable, already comparable to the later stages of Foundation Establishment. But this guy, breaking his word and getting fat, refuses to join us! Now he has become the hardest bone to gnaw at while guarding Nanshan Fang..."

Speaking was a seductive female cultivator with a pale face and dark red lips; she wore revealing attire, a large gap in her robe exposing a swath of snow‑white skin and a bottomless cleft.

At her feet, a black giant python coiled, its serpentine offspring devouring the corpses of cultivators on the ground.

One person, one snake—extraordinarily terrifying.

The other male cultivator, however, was fair‑faced, his robes fluttering, holding a folding fan, looking like a dashing gentleman of the righteous path.

He said calmly: "Breaking a promise and getting fat? Heh, Snake Concubine, you overthink. Wait a bit longer and you'll see the subtlety. You only succeeded in Foundation Establishment with my help, then took my Nether Saint Stone, and now claim to act for the righteous path—far too fanciful."

The seductive female cultivator dubbed 'Snake Concubine' turned her head slightly, her smile bewitching: "Oh? Looks like White‑clothed Yin San Gongzi still has a trump card."

White‑clothed Yin San Gongzi, looking as if everything were under control, sighed: "No one can resist the lure of the Nether Saint Stone, let alone someone already cunning, ever‑changing, and willing to use any means to grow stronger. After tasting its sweetness, how could one stop? Not only Nanshan Fang, but Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley might also have to pay the price for this pawn of mine!"

"Then that's good. After all, we still can't act directly, and the South Wilderness's conditions are worsening; the time left for us is dwindling..."

……

……

Yi Shi Cave Residence.

Inside the studio.

Holding the Silver Moon Wolf Hair Brush, Xiao Zhangqing traced fluid, cloud‑like strokes on a specially crafted Talisman Paper.

Under the control of a powerful divine consciousness, each stroke landed with flawless precision, the infusion of magical power exact to the smallest fraction.

Buzz! When the final stroke was completed, the entire Talisman Script linked end to end, instantly a luminous aura flickered on the Talisman Paper, all the strokes seemed to come alive, subtly drawing the forces of heaven and earth, the vast, scorching aura finally concealed within the paper.

"Second‑tier Calming Spirit Talisman, complete!"

Xiao Zhangqing looked at the freshly forged Talisman Script on the desk, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Nearly a month had passed since Ruan Qingzhu's son returned to Nanshan Fang, and the news that Silver Leaf Peak had been breached by Demon Sect Evil Cultivators gradually reached Nanshan Fang.

Ordinary Scattered Cultivators were cut off from news, still unaware of what had happened.

But the cultivators residing in the Yi Character Cave largely knew.

In an instant, anxiety spread, fearing that Nanshan Fang might soon follow Silver Leaf Peak's fate.

However, everyone's thoughts were much like Ruan Qingzhu's words to Xiao Zhangqing: worried, yes, but not believing Nanshan Fang would truly be breached.

First, Nanshan Fang and Silver Leaf Peak differ in geography and strategic position, shielded by the two great Nascent Soul sects Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley; moreover, Nanshan Fang also has a late‑stage Foundation Establishment master, Mu Renjie.

Unless a Core Formation Evil Cultivator personally comes to kill, Nanshan Fang is as stable as a moat of boiling gold.

Xiao Zhangqing doesn't care how outsiders view him; he is merely making his own preparations in secret, just in case.

Yesterday Lin Ziyu had just finished gathering the materials needed to craft a second-rank Talisman Script, and today he expended a second-rank Calming Spirit Talisman.

"One is definitely not enough; draw a few more!"

"He Ling brought upon himself unclean evil qi; although it was dispelled by a first-rank Demon-breaking Talisman and a first-rank Calming Spirit Talisman, he never truly came into contact with the evil entity, and his retreat was timely enough. However, if he were to encounter the evil entity's true form, a single second-rank Talisman Script might not be effective."

After resting for a quarter of an hour, Xiao Zhangqing adjusted his condition to optimal, then picked up his talisman brush and began drawing again.

Nowadays his Soul Transformation has already reached the strength of an external projection of thirty zhang, which is considered quite good among Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivators.

So he no longer needs to, as he did a year ago, draw a second-rank Talisman Script and become exhausted to the point of requiring a long rest; he can continue drawing.

(End of Chapter)