Chapter 184: The Mutated Little Thick Earth Realm

These are simple offensive implements; they have sharp, pointed tips. Though they cannot crawl, when thrown onto an opponent they can pierce ordinary armor or beast hide, cling tightly, and then unleash an attack of freezing or flame magic.

Very practical offensive implements.

After making a round of inspection, Wei Yuning nodded with satisfaction and then asked Hai Yan behind the counter, "Junior sister, why does the shop have so many magic pearls for sale?"

"Master Cheng Xin sent someone to deliver them. Recently, many corpse demons have appeared in the Black Water Nation, and many cultivators have rushed there; the output of magic pearls has surged, and they can't fetch a price in the south, so he stored them in our shop to sell, splitting the profit fifty‑fifty!" Hai Yan said.

So many corpse demons in Black Water Nation? Wei Yuning immediately thought of the demonic qi in the Black Water River.

However, corpse demons aren't hard to deal with, especially ordinary ones; they're the favorite of low‑level cultivators, particularly those in the Refining Qi stage. Even a few village men can handle a corpse demon.

As long as the beasts along the Black Water River haven't been corrupted, it's no big deal; the truly troublesome ones are the immensely strong beast‑type corpse demons. Still, a corpse demon is just a corpse demon— even the highest‑rank Qing Corpse Demon is still a corpse demon. They are a completely different kind from demonic cultivators, have growth limits, and can't cause major upheavals.

Moreover, the nearest point of Black Water Nation to the Yun Yin Sect is over three thousand li, so even beasts can block those corpse demons.

"Master Cheng Xin? Why did he suddenly think of contacting you?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Did you forget? Master Cheng Xin is a member of the Bai Lian Shangmei network; he can ship at cost through their channels! Also, he has offered us a high price for 'Crimson Dreamscape'; if the boss has stock, we can ship it directly to Master Cheng Xin!" Xue Ying said.

Since the unpleasant separation last time, the two haven't met. He didn't expect Master Cheng Xin to still be in contact with the Secret Medicine Pavilion.

"I have plenty of stock; if he wants it, tell him he can come straight to me to get it!" Wei Yuning said, a little irritated.

"Oh, got it, I'll ask him later!" Xue Ying replied perfunctorily. At this point, even a fool could see that Wei Yuning seemed a bit displeased with Master Cheng Xin, and it would be better not to get involved.

"By the way, what's your current monthly salary? Is it enough to spend?" Wei Yuning suddenly recalled this. He remembered they'd only gotten a raise once, but couldn't recall the exact amount.

Xue Ying smiled but said nothing; Feng Ci coughed once and also ignored him.

Hai Yan was the more straightforward of the two; she laughed, "Sister Mei Xuan gave us a share; it's a high cut, so it's enough to spend!"

Wei Yuning wondered, "How come I didn't know about this?"

But since Mei Xuan is in charge, he didn't press the issue; after all, all the spirit stones on him were given by Mei Xuan, often three to fifty high‑grade spirit stones at a time, and now he's become a hands‑off shopkeeper.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Feng Ci and Xue Ying chuckled beside him.

At that moment, Wei Yuning twitched his nose and said abruptly, "I'll be going now, farewell!"

Then his body flickered and vanished from the shop; Feng Ci rushed to the doorway and saw Wei Yuning's form already appearing in the middle of an alley about ten zhang away.

"What a remarkable spatial evasion technique; Junior Brother Wei Yuning's strength may already have surpassed Uncle Yun Yan!" Feng Ci muttered to herself.

"The boss is in the dual Foundation Establishment Heart‑Moving stage; cultivators of this type are rare, and among peers he has few rivals!" Xue Ying nodded in agreement.

"It's nothing special; Yun Yin Sect disciples have the advantage of abundant spiritual qi. As long as they break through to a great realm, the realm itself isn't an issue. Our Qing Luan Sect cultivators actually aren't much inferior; now that we share the treasure of Jiuyun Peak, they may not be worse in the future!" Hai Yan said.

Xue Ying and Feng Ci both turned to Hai Yan, curious how she suddenly spoke so sensibly.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with what I said? Uncle Yun Yan is exactly like that with me!" Hai Yan opened her eyes wide.

The two shook their heads simultaneously, "Junior sister is absolutely right!"

"We really should cultivate diligently. I have a secret to tell you; you must never reveal it. Uncle Xing Shuang, to remain in the Yun Yin Sect long‑term, has become partners with Wei Yuning!"

"Ah! Isn't he the Dao partner of Qiu Hu and Thus line: Ye Ying?" Xue Ying shrieked, then quickly covered her mouth!

"I heard Uncle Yun Yan say that Qiu Hu and Thus line: Ye Ying went on a long journey far away, perhaps not returning for decades! Junior Brother Wei Yuning would surely be lonely, and he happened to meet Uncle Yun Yan at the old home of the uncle in Black Water Nation; they got up, and the two seem quite fated!" Feng Ci said mysteriously.

"Sister Feng Ci, you still don't have a Dao partner, do you? Would you consider Junior Brother Wei Yuning?" Hai Yan suddenly laughed, though there was a hint of seriousness in her expression.

"I… I'll pass. If it were before, I might have considered it, but Uncle Xing Shuang is more beautiful than a fairy; I'm far inferior to her!"

"Hehe, so Sister Feng Ci really likes Young Master Wei Yuning!" Xue Ying laughed.

"Junior Brother Wei Yuning has high cultivation, looks good, is wealthy, and has helped many Qing Luan Sect sisters; Uncle Yun Yan often praises him! Who wouldn't like a person like that?" Feng Ci said naturally.

"Indeed, our foothold in the Yun Yin Sect is thanks to Young Master Wei Yuning! Moreover, Senior Brother Wei Yuning once saved my life! I'm afraid he might disdain me; otherwise, I'd even volunteer for a pillow‑share!" Hai Yan sighed.

"Don't worry, men certainly won't reject someone who comes to them! As long as you don't cling to him, he'll have no objections!" Feng Ci laughed.

"I'm dying! I'm just being casual!" Hai Yan said shyly.

"Junior sister is absolutely right! Even if Junior Brother Wei Yuning gets a little advantage, it's fine; I've thought that way too! However, though Young Master Wei Yuning seems frivolous and unserious, he's a good person and would never do that!" Xue Ying said.

Feng Ci paused, then nodded, "Since the marriage alliance gathering until now, so much time has passed; among the Yun Yin Sect disciples back then, Young Master Wei Yuning truly was the best. Uncle Yun Yan's eye was indeed sharp!"

Leaving the Secret Medicine Pavilion, Wei Yuning fully activated his nasal passage technique, following the lingering scent of the woman in the purple robe.

The reason is that the woman in the purple robe emitted an unusual fragrance, extremely similar to the scent on Qiu Hu that day. He hadn't understood before, but later realized it was the scent of immortal qi, a level above ordinary spiritual qi.

After wandering around, he finally found the last trace at the tower structure on the north side of Ke Lai Peak.

Not far away was the teleportation array leading from Ke Lai Peak to Lotus Flower Peak.

They actually went to Lotus Flower Peak? Isn't that a sect stronghold? The two girls' clothes bore no markings; he had thought they were from an outer sect!

"Immortals in the Yun Yin Sect? How could that be?"

Returning to the Liuyun Plaza near Ke Lai Peak, he found nowhere else to go.

With Mei Xuan present, he truly didn't need to intervene in that part of the business. With Feng Ming there, the Hundred Flowers Garden is on track. Only the still‑under‑construction Fei Lai Peak requires him, but in fact it doesn't need him; the workshop has Qing Chou overseeing production, the plantation is staffed entirely by veterans, and the furnace construction has professional craftsmen. His only job now is to pay everyone on time.

Returning to Feng He Garden, the Thick Earth Realm remained rock‑solid, yet he noticed an odd phenomenon: moonlight stones, pine trees, and lake mud, during his absence, had somehow merged into a new whole.

The lake mud had fully fused into the pine roots, while the once‑elevated moonlight stone had lowered, settling atop a slightly taller pine.

They not only gathered together, but a brown aura ring appeared around them, identical to the outermost ring; within the large ring lay another ring, forming a perfect "Thick Earth Realm".

Now Wei Yuning could no longer sit still; this strange change far exceeded what Master Hong Le had originally taught him.

"No, I have to go ask Uncle Hong Le!"