Chapter 172

Lou Lou Shiyuan flipped his palm, and a crystal-clear flying sword appeared in his hand; he swept it toward the two Qi Refining cultivators, and the sword transformed into a thousand blade shadows, engulfing them both.

At the same time, he tapped his toe against the ground, his body whipping up a gust of wind as he shot swiftly toward the empty space beside them.

"Trying to run?"

The two Cultivation Base cultivators sneered; one narrowed his eyes and summoned a curved blade.

The curved blade screamed through the air.

"Clang!"

The blade struck Lou Lou Shiyuan's Ice Sword with pinpoint accuracy.

Almost simultaneously, the other man flashed forward, unleashing another curved blade that sliced horizontally toward the rapidly retreating Lou Lou Shiyuan.

Seeing this, Lou Lou Shiyuan's face turned pale; he had no choice but to halt, flinging a talisman upward with his hand.

The talisman transformed into a shield, blocking the curved blade.

But the blade's power was immense—the talisman shield could barely hold, and would surely shatter after just a few more strikes.

Lou Lou Shiyuan now had to control both his Ice Sword and the talisman shield to fend off the curved blade, leaving him no chance to escape.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the bald man and the peach-blossom woman were delighted—not only had they found prey, but now this fool Xia Daoming had charged straight toward them; clearly, their mood was excellent, and they didn't immediately unleash their killing techniques.

On the contrary, seeing his wife in high spirits, the bald man deliberately pulled out a mirror with a flourish.

The mirror emitted a faint glow; when he turned its surface toward the wildly growing green grass, beams of rosy light shot forth, instantly freezing the grass in place, halting its wild growth.

The woman, graceful and alluring, plucked the red flower from her hair, flicked it toward Xia Daoming with a delicate motion, and whispered with parted lips: "Little—"

But before she could finish, her eyes suddenly widened in shock.

A blinding blade aura sliced through the air like lightning, striking straight at the bald man.

The bald man's face turned ashen; instinctively, he raised his mirror toward the dazzling blade aura—but suddenly realized this wasn't a spell, but pure force channeled through a divine weapon; his Xiao Xuan Meng realm could not possibly freeze it. He had no time to change tactics—only time to dodge frantically while shouting.

"Grand Master! Stop him!"

As the bald man realized his mistake and shouted, the red flower the woman had flicked moments earlier transformed into countless petal-blades, whirling and screaming as they cut toward Xia Daoming.

But just as the petal-blades hurtled toward Xia Daoming, a dragon surged forth.

The dragon lifted its massive claw and slammed it down hard into the air.

The countless petal-blades shattered into fragments, dissolving into streams of red light that coalesced back into a single red flower.

But now the flower had lost its glow, spinning helplessly as it fell—its owner, meanwhile, spat a gush of blood skyward and was flung backward.

As the woman reeled backward, another dragon claw reached through the void and came down upon her chest.

Five sharp, razor-like dragon fingers pierced clean through her body, spraying blood everywhere.

The woman died instantly, eyes bulging, unable to believe any of this was real.

As the woman fell, the bald man, still dodging, barely managed to summon his curved blade to block Xia Daoming's swift slash.

But only once.

His curved blade was instantly shattered and flung away.

Simultaneously, his true qi and magic power surged chaotically, as if his meridians were about to rupture; blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth.

Amid the spattering rain of blood, a blade-light radiating boundless slaughter surged into the bald man's pupils.

His pupils dilated endlessly, filled with terror beyond measure.

The power of that single slash far exceeded the range of a Grand Master.

In fact, the bald man believed even a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak could not have delivered such a blow.

Instinct told him this slash's power approached that of a False Core Ancestor.

Though he had never fought one before.

In truth, at such close range—nearly hand-to-hand combat—Xia Daoming, whose meridians had been strengthened to the ninth level, unleashed a slash whose full power even he himself could not fathom.

"Ssshh!"

The magical energy barrier the bald man had hastily summoned shattered like paper before this slash.

Then, a gleaming, bald head shot skyward.

As the head flew upward, on the other side, the two Cultivation Base cultivators were still desperately attacking Lou Lou Shiyuan, while Lou Lou Shiyuan struggled to break through.

Because from the moment Xia Daoming suddenly erupted—killing the peach-blossom woman, then the bald man—in one seamless motion, too little time had passed.

The three on the other side hadn't reacted yet.

Until—"Boom!"

The bald man's headless body toppled over; only then did the three on the other side snap back to reality.

The two Cultivation Base cultivators were paralyzed with terror; without thinking, they turned and fled.

Xia Daoming smirked coldly, didn't chase them, and simply raised his left hand, thrusting his spear through the air.

The spear shot out like a dragon.

His right hand swung his blade, slashing through the air.

The blade struck like a tiger.

Dragon's roar, tiger's bellow.

Two forces—dragon and tiger—roared forth, instantly overtaking the two Cultivation Base cultivators.

The two cultivators, helpless, summoned defensive magic treasures to block them.

But the dragon claw and tiger claw came down and smashed them aside.

There was no help now—Xia Daoming was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak.

The power gap was too vast.

They were terrified, barely able to summon even half their treasure's power in their panic.

Once the defensive treasures were knocked away,

the dragon claw and tiger claw came down again.

Both cultivators died.

The world fell utterly silent.

A breeze blew, carrying the scent of blood.

Lou Lou Shiyuan involuntarily shuddered, feeling his breath grow labored, as if even his heart had stopped beating.

Four Cultivation Base cultivators.

One Foundation Establishment, one Qi Refining peak, two Qi Refining ninth-layer—gone in an instant, corpses littering the ground.

Was this even a Grand Master of Martial Dao?

"T-this, this Xia, Master, no—no, Elder Xia, I didn't mean to flee just now—I was just… I was just going to run!" Seeing Xia Daoming turn toward him, Lou Lou Shiyuan's legs trembled uncontrollably; he stammered to justify himself—but halfway through, seeing the bloody corpses at his feet, he finally lost all courage to lie and blurted out the truth.

As for how to address him—

Lou Lou Shiyuan couldn't imagine a young man being this powerful; he was certain this was some ancient immortal in disguise.

"Opportunities vanish in an instant. Even if we had deep ties—which we don't—in that situation, fleeing was the wisest choice. Besides, I was the one who told you to split up."

"So don't overthink it—just help me clear the battlefield," Xia Daoming said, offering a casual reassurance as he crouched and began expertly looting the corpses.

Seeing Xia Daoming first loot the bald man's body, then the peach-blossom woman's, Lou Lou Shiyuan suddenly snapped to attention and rushed over to loot the two Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators.

Soon after,

a cloud of mist rose from the Shanhu lake, flying swiftly over ten miles toward Baicui Valley before gently landing atop a mountain peak.

"You did lend a hand—take this," Xia Daoming said, stowing his flying vessel and casually tossing a shield-shaped defensive magic treasure to Lou Lou Shiyuan.

Earlier, when discussing the price of the Jin Ling eagle egg, Lou Lou Shiyuan had mentioned he lacked a defensive magic treasure.

"T-this… this is for me?" Lou Lou Shiyuan stared at the treasure, unable to believe his eyes.

"Don't want it? Then give it back," Xia Daoming said.

"Ah, no, no—I want it! Thank you, Elder! Thank you, Elder!" Lou Lou Shiyuan clutched the treasure tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch it away, then bowed repeatedly to Xia Daoming.

"Enough. I'm not your Elder. And when we reach the marketplace, I'm just a Qi Refining third-layer cultivator—your peer, your junior." Xia Daoming said.

"I—I dare not!" Lou Lou Shiyuan's heart jolted at the words.

Come on—he was the one who'd cut down a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single slash! To call him a peer? Was he trying to die early?

"Then give the treasure back," Xia Daoming said.

"Alright, give me back my defensive magic treasure," Xia Daoming said.

Lou Lou Shiyuan was speechless.

After a long pause, to keep the treasure, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly accepted the role of elder brother.

He agreed—but as they walked, he kept a respectful distance, never daring to step ahead.

Xia Daoming found this absurd.

Fortunately, just before reaching the Baicui Valley marketplace, Lou Lou Shiyuan finally gathered the courage to walk beside him.

"By the way," Xia Daoming asked, curious now that Lou Lou Shiyuan had the nerve to walk beside him, "what's this 'Mirror and Flower Twin Cultivators' thing? How do you know them?"

"I never had the chance to meet them—once, in a teahouse at the marketplace, I overheard people talking about this Cultivation Base couple.

One was bald and ugly; the other was stunningly beautiful, wearing a bright red flower on her head—the flower was her magic treasure. The bald man's was a mirror.

Supposedly, the mirror can briefly freeze magic treasures and spells—extremely mysterious. Hence, outsiders nicknamed them the Mirror and Flower Twin Cultivators.

Worse still, this couple is twisted: they don't just rob and kill, but if the woman finds a male victim she likes, she forces him to sleep with her first.

Afterwards, her husband slashes the man's face to ruin, then kills him." Lou Lou Shiyuan said, and as he spoke, he nervously touched his own face.

It is said that the mirror can briefly freeze magical artifacts and spells, making it exceedingly mysterious; thus, outsiders gave the two the nickname Mirror Flower Twin Cultivators.

Moreover, it is said this couple is utterly perverse—they not only engage in banditry and murder, but if the woman finds a robbed man appealing, she forces him to bed with her first.

Afterwards, her husband strikes first, slashing the robbed man's face to ruin, then kills him." Lou Lou Shiyuan said, and as he spoke the last part, he instinctively touched his own face, still shaken.

"Damn, that's really twisted!" Xia Daoming said, as if remembering something, glancing sideways at Lou Lou Shiyuan and said seriously: "Old Lou, you've got a decent face and aura—you're probably her type."

"Xia Ye, don't tease me!" Lou Lou Shiyuan touched his own face again, fearful yet slightly proud.

Seeing this, Xia Daoming smiled, then pulled out the mirror and examined it back and forth.

Without activation, the mirror looked no different from an ordinary bronze mirror, only with an ancient, weathered feel.

On the mirror's handle were carved the characters: Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror.

Watching Xia Daoming inspect the mirror, Lou Lou Shiyuan's eyes filled with intense envy.

Most magic treasures are either offensive or defensive; the Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror, capable of briefly immobilizing another's magic treasure or spell, is a rare type with special functionality.

Such magic treasures have no direct killing or protective function, yet often produce unexpected effects.

For instance, that bald man could use the Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror to catch his opponent off guard, immobilizing their magic treasure, then suddenly unleash his curved blade—even if the opponent matched his cultivation level, a moment's hesitation could mean death.

But few can forge such magic treasures, and the required materials are usually rare and scarce, making their price far higher than ordinary magic treasures of the same level.

"Briefly immobilize an opponent's magic treasure or spell! Hah, interesting, very interesting." Soon, Xia Daoming happily tucked the Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror away.

His martial techniques naturally executed faster than a cultivator's spells.

And he was a dual cultivator of Dao and Martial Path.

If he caught his opponent off guard—using the Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror to freeze their magic treasure and spell while simultaneously launching his martial killing technique—he could unleash devastating, unforeseen power.

Seeing Xia Daoming put away the Xiao Xuan Meng Mirror, Lou Lou Shiyuan reluctantly tore his gaze away.

But barely had he looked away when he seemed to remember something, his eyes snapping back to Xia Daoming.

This time, they burned with eagerness and hope.

"What?"

Xia Daoming felt a chill run down his spine under Lou Lou Shiyuan's stare.

"This, Xia Ye—since we're both cultivators from Mangzhou, could the Bi Luo Valley come under your protection? We'll offer you twenty percent of our annual income as tribute!" Lou Lou Shiyuan said with a forced smile.

Huh!

Xia Daoming's face showed surprise.

The world had changed too fast.

But soon, Xia Daoming dismissed it: "Do you think I care about your Bi Luo Valley's meager income?"

"This..." Lou Lou Shiyuan froze.

Right—just now, that casual counter-killing alone had yielded more than Bi Luo Valley might accumulate over generations.

Would he even care about twenty percent of their pitiful annual income?

"Of course not, of course not. But Xia Ye, you're still a Mangzhou cultivator—surely you won't stand idly by as Mangzhou's cultivation world declines and gets bullied?"

I know you're a man of benevolence and righteousness; otherwise, with your strength, why would you even care about the lives of ordinary folk?

In Li City, we offended you terribly—any other powerful figure would've wiped us out immediately. But you first tried reasoning with us; only when we were too blind did you give us a lesson.

That's why I dare to beg to come under your protection. Though the twenty percent is small, it's a token of our sincerity." Lou Lou Shiyuan's tone turned solemn.

"Benevolence? You overestimate me. I simply follow one principle: never abuse power, never kill the innocent, and do good when I can. I didn't kill you because you never truly sought to kill me—you still had some human decency. Otherwise, I'd have crushed you with one palm!"

"Yes, yes! Rest assured, if Bi Luo Valley submits to you, we'll follow your rules strictly—never overstep." Lou Lou Shiyuan hurried to say, his desire to submit growing even stronger after Xia Daoming's blunt honesty.

Xia Daoming glanced at Lou Lou Shiyuan—he was slightly swayed.

To the Great Liang imperial court, Mangzhou was a remote exile land.

To the Great Liang cultivation world, it was barren, a wasteland where few cultivators or sects ever came to develop.

For them, Mangzhou offered too few opportunities—unlike the great cultivation provinces, where opportunities abounded.

For example, tending spirit fields, summoning clouds and rain—each year brought spirit stones and spirit rice, plus free access to spiritual energy.

Or working as shop assistants in markets—earning spirit stones while soaking in spiritual energy.

Those who wanted freedom could venture into mountains or great lakes and swamps to hunt spirit herbs and sell them.

The skilled could craft talismans or elixirs to sell for spirit stones.

The most powerful could own mines and spirit mountains, with hundreds of disciples.

Those with greater ability can claim mines and spiritual mountains, with hundreds or thousands of disciples under them.

But what did Mangzhou have? Even the chance to work in a market was gone. Even if one could craft talismans or elixirs, there was no one to sell them to.

Forget owning mines or spirit mountains.

In short, to cultivators, Qingzhou was like the center of Xia Daoming's old world—a bustling metropolis full of jobs and wealth, drawing every young person and rich soul.

Mangzhou, meanwhile, was like a fifth- or sixth-tier city—unable to attract outsiders, and even locals fled.

But for Xia Daoming, Mangzhou was his birthplace of power, his foundational territory.

Moreover, Xia Daoming had always believed that if properly developed, Mangzhou still held great potential.

For instance, Li City had Yun Cui Mountain; outside Luo Gui City lay Gengyun Valley.

Who knew if other places didn't harbor small spirit veins, minor spirit mountains or valleys?

Little by little, they accumulate.

Sand gathers into a tower.

Major sects ignored Mangzhou, too lazy to invest effort in developing it.

Smaller sects and lone cultivators all dreamed of thriving in the great cultivation provinces or secondary ones, where spirit stones were everywhere and opportunities abundant—hardly anyone would turn back to seek fortune in Mangzhou.

"I have no roots elsewhere—if I rashly intruded into another province to claim a share, I'd trigger bloody battles.

Better to deeply develop Mangzhou, turn it into my rear base, a supporting force for my cultivation at Qingyuan Sect.

Plus, I already have some roots here. With my strength, I can walk freely without fearing conflict with powerful factions.

If Bi Luo Valley is willing to submit, through them and the forces in Li City, I can gradually expand my influence across Mangzhou—it's still very promising."

Xia Daoming's mind raced through his analysis, and he quickly made his decision.

"We'll discuss this in detail after we return from Bai Cui Valley." With his decision made, Xia Daoming looked at Lou Lou Shiyuan.

"Yes!" Lou Lou Shiyuan replied at once, face solemn.

He felt no disappointment that Xia Daoming hadn't immediately agreed—in fact, he respected the young man even more.

This was true composure, true respect for Bi Luo Valley.

Now that he truly intended to establish roots in Mangzhou, Xia Daoming decided to ask Lou Lou Shiyuan about the state of Mangzhou's cultivation world.

What he learned shocked him: Mangzhou's cultivation world was pitifully weak, concentrated almost entirely near the provincial capital—and even then, only near the border with Lingzhou.

Elsewhere in Mangzhou, there were virtually no cultivation sects—only a few scattered families, lacking ambition, content to tend two or three mu of spirit fields, seeking only self-cultivation, longevity, and peace.

These scattered families typically had only two or three cultivators, mostly at Qi Refining Stage One, rarely reaching Qi Refining Stage Two.

When Lou Lou Shiyuan first met Xia Daoming, he assumed he was just such a lone cultivator.

According to Lou Lou Shiyuan, in the provincial capital, only two families—including his own—had a Qi Refining Stage Nine cultivator as their pillar.

Besides these two, there were only six minor cultivation families in the capital.

"Sixty years ago, there were seventeen or eighteen cultivation families in the capital. But some were exterminated after offending powerful figures during travels; others saw their spirit veins depleted over generations, forcing them to relocate to Lingzhou or other provinces for survival and opportunity.

Some lost their lineage entirely—no spiritual roots appeared in later generations, and they became secular families. Alas, even our Bi Luo Valley's spirit vein is gradually drying up; our disciples' cultivation grows slower each year—we don't know how many more years we can sustain."

Watching Lou Lou Shiyuan's worried expression, Xia Daoming internally scoffed.

So this wasn't about submitting—it was about mooching off a big house!

But even as he scoffed internally,

Mangzhou's cultivation world was like a blank sheet—perfect for him to lay his foundations.

Otherwise, with tangled factions and complex ties, Xia Daoming would've had no interest in meddling in the provincial capital.

Better to focus quietly on the northern regions and develop them properly.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the Bai Cui Valley market.

Under Lou Lou Shiyuan's guidance, they headed straight for the shop selling Jin Ling Eagle eggs.

The shop's name: Bai Lie Xiao Xuan.

It primarily sold items related to demonic beasts: sharp fangs and claws for forging magic treasures, tough hides, wind-attribute feathers…

Also demonic beast meat for direct nourishment or medicinal use.

And demonic beast hatchlings and eggs.

But nearly all these items were from Level Two Gao Jie demonic beasts or lower; items related to Level Two Gao Jie were rare.

Xia Daoming saw no Level Three demonic beast items—he didn't know if they were simply not displayed.

But Xia Daoming didn't care—he walked in, glanced around, and fixed his gaze on a bird's nest woven from special fur and spirit herbs.

Before it sat a sign: Jin Ling Eagle Egg.

Though covered, faint golden glimmers shone through the gaps.

Moreover, the nest emitted a faint, icy Geng Metal killing aura.

Xia Daoming's spiritual sense probed slightly—he sensed nine eggs remained.

Xia Daoming's spiritual sense sensed slightly and found nine still remaining inside.

Free to read.

Free to read.