Chapter 253: Good Intentions

Xiao Hongyi and the others looked at each other in dismay upon hearing this.

Luo Qian's thin, gaunt skin couldn't help but twitch again.

And Luo Mu, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, nearly had her breath caught in her throat upon hearing this.

Heavens, why am I so stupid?

Why did I agree to this huge bet just now!

1.5 million—how long will it take me to save that up!

Wailing in her heart, Luo Mu turned to look at her father.

Where could she possibly come up with 1.5 million?

"Why are you looking at me? You were the one who wanted to fight; if you lose, you naturally have to pay it yourself," Luo Qian looked at the pitiful gaze his daughter was casting his way. His heart softened for a moment, and he almost wanted to help her pay, but in the end, he hardened his heart and said so.

Luo Mu was stunned.

She had never dreamed that her father would actually wash his hands of the matter and stop caring about her.

"But, but, I don't have that many spirit stones," Luo Mu said after a good while, feeling deeply aggrieved.

"Then think of a way yourself. Two Xu Shixiong Brothers, Xia Shidi Xu Shixiong Chi, I am leaving first," Luo Qian said, not even glancing at his daughter, and rolled up a streak of brilliant light to break through the air and leave.

This time, let alone Luo Mu, even Xia Daoming was stunned. He hurriedly shouted toward the direction the brilliant light had streaked: "Hey, Uncle-Master Luo, don't leave!"

However, Xia Daoming's voice was still echoing in the air, but Luo Qian had already vanished.

"Xu Shixiong Sister Luo, you were the one who dueled with me. Uncle-Master Luo can leave, but you cannot leave until you have paid the spirit stones in full," seeing Luo Qian gone, Xia Daoming immediately blocked Luo Mu's path, seemingly afraid she would run away too.

Luo Mu looked at Xia Daoming, who was guarding against her like a thief, and tears almost couldn't help but flow down.

She was the daughter of a Core Formation Elder, a favored daughter of heaven from birth, and now she had cultivated to Foundation Establishment perfection and had long since become a true disciple of the sect and a Core Formation seed. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?

At any other time, she would have long since blasted him with a spell.

But today, she could only endure it.

Her father had already left, and she still owed a massive debt of 1.5 million spirit stones; even if she wanted to be tough, she couldn't.

After a long time, Luo Mu took a deep breath.

Then she took out a pile of spirit stones from her storage ring and placed them in front of Xia Daoming.

There were low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade spirit stones, piled on the ground and refracting a soft luster under the sunlight, which made the eyes of Mo Yongzhi, Shao Shiyu, Wan Yan, and Lan Xue light up.

They had never seen so many spirit stones in their entire lives.

Xia Daoming, however, poked at the spirit stones with disdain and said indifferently: "A total of 380,000. You still owe me 1.12 million."

Luo Mu took another deep breath and took out a pile of pill bottles, spirit herbs, and ores from her storage ring.

"Two Six-Harmony Yuan-Gathering Pills, one Rising Dragon Pill, one Vermilion Cloud Fruit, one fist-sized Crimson Sui Stone..." Xia Daoming counted them one by one, muttering to himself.

Chi Shijian and the other two elders couldn't bear to watch and turned away to go to the side to exchange pleasantries.

Xia Daoming, however, did not let them off and soon took the inventory list and ran over to their side.

"Uncle-Master Xiao, Uncle-Master Chi, you are the head and deputy head of the Law Enforcement Hall. You came here to act as witnesses. You must help me estimate the value of these cultivation resources, lest Xu Shixiong Sister Luo think I am taking advantage of her."

"Xia Shidi Xu Shixiong Chi, you do the valuation; Xu Shixiong Zuo and I still have some matters to discuss," Xiao Hongyi immediately washed his hands of the matter.

Chi Shijian looked at Xiao Hongyi helplessly and then took the list Xia Daoming handed over.

"Uncle-Master Chi, you must act impartially. You cannot sympathize with Xu Shixiong Sister Luo just because she lost and deliberately increase the valuation, nor can you deliberately favor me just because my master is a Xu Shixiong you respect," Xia Daoming said with a serious expression.

Chi Shijian couldn't help but glare at Xia Daoming upon hearing this.

And Zuo Dongge, on the side, couldn't help but let a faint, imperceptible smile appear at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's call it 380,000!" Chi Shijian deliberated for a moment and said.

"Many thanks, Uncle-Master," Xia Daoming bowed slightly to thank him, then turned to Luo Mu on the side and said: "Xu Shixiong Sister, you heard it too. Uncle-Master valued it at 380,000. How about this: I'll round it up for you, wiping off 20,000 to make it 400,000. You only owe me 700,000 now. See how loyal I am?"

Hearing this, Chi Shijian silently turned around and walked over to Xiao Hongyi and Zuo Dongge.

Luo Mu gritted her teeth and took out four magic tools, two of which were her personal magic tools: the Crimson Flame Python rope and the Crimson Dragon Flame Bead.

"Take these too."

"Forget it, I can't use your magic tools. How about this: you write an IOU. With Xu Shixiong Sister's strength, if you really work hard, earning 700,000 spirit stones should still be easy," Xia Daoming looked at the four magic tools and waved his hand.

Luo Mu was on the verge of tears.

Her father refused to help her; where would it be easy to earn 700,000 spirit stones?

However, Xia Daoming allowing her to write an IOU was better than having to pawn her personal magic tools.

"Fine, I'll write the IOU," Luo Mu gritted her teeth.

Xia Daoming then drafted an IOU, stating that Luo Mu owed him 700,000, to be repaid at 100,000 per year, to be paid off in seven years.

Luo Mu gritted her teeth and signed it.

Xia Daoming specifically took the IOU and asked Chi Shijian to sign it as a witness, which almost made Chi Shijian want to learn from Luo Qian and just roll up a streak of brilliant light and leave.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master. With you as a witness, I don't have to worry about Xu Shixiong Sister Luo reneging on the debt," Xia Daoming said while happily putting the IOU away.

Chi Shijian looked up at the sky, speechless.

Luo Mu was so angry that she directly released the Crimson Flame Python rope, stepped on the fire python, and left at high speed.

"Take care, Xu Shixiong Sister. If you have confidence another day, you are welcome to come back for another duel. The appearance fee doesn't need to be 1.5 million; 1 million will do," Xia Daoming shouted as he saw her leave.

Luo Mu, standing on the flame python, nearly fell off upon hearing this.

"You brat, provoking Luo Mu like this—aren't you afraid she will hold a grudge against you for the rest of her life?" Xiao Hongyi looked at Xia Daoming, speechless.

"If I don't enter hell, who will? I am doing this to stimulate and motivate her. Otherwise, if she just hides in the sect all day gnawing on her father, even if her talent is great and her cultivation resources are plentiful, I estimate she will never reach Core Formation in this lifetime!" Xia Daoming said earnestly.

Xiao Hongyi and Chi Shijian were greatly moved.

Xiao Xuan and the others looked on with reverence.

Only Zuo Dongge curled his lips in disapproval.

"I never expected you to have such good intentions! It's just that Luo Mu reached Foundation Establishment perfection over thirty years ago. If she really is stimulated by you and reaches Core Formation in the coming years, and she holds a grudge, I'm afraid you will have trouble," Chi Shijian said, a trace of worry on his face.

"It doesn't matter. At worst, we can just duel again. Once she reaches Core Formation, she will definitely have more spirit stones on hand," Xia Daoming said with an indifferent expression.

Xia Daoming's performance this time made Xiao Hongyi, Chi Shijian, and the others appreciate him even more.

"Don't worry. If Luo Mu really reaches Core Formation, I, your Uncle-Master, will definitely step forward for you and have her come to your door to thank you, rather than duel you," Xiao Hongyi said with a serious expression.

What could Xia Daoming say while looking at the serious-faced Xiao Hongyi?

He couldn't very well say that he had been telling the truth just now, and that even if she reached Core Formation, he would still suppress her all the same.

Therefore, Xia Daoming honestly bowed to Xiao Hongyi to thank him.

Xiao Hongyi, his son, and Chi Shijian soon left.

Xia Daoming and his group followed Zuo Dongge back to the back hall of the Elder's residence.

Upon returning to the Elder's residence, Zuo Dongge called Xia Daoming aside for a private conversation.

"You brat are more formidable than I was back in the day; not only did you earn the spirit stones, but you also made people owe you a favor. If I had had your mouth back then, I wouldn't have ended up making enemies everywhere in the sect," Zuo Dongge said, shaking his head repeatedly as he looked at Xia Daoming.

"Master, this disciple truly has good intentions!" Xia Daoming said with a serious expression.

"Bullshit. What is there about Luo Mu that you appreciate, that you would specifically have such good intentions for her?" Zuo Dongge said with a look of contempt.

"She is, after all, a fellow sect Xu Shixiong Sister. Isn't this disciple considering the development of our Qingyuan Sect?" Xia Daoming continued with a serious expression.

"That logic actually holds a bit of water. Very well, regardless of whether you have good intentions or not, what you did today might truly be of help to Luo Mu. Your Uncle-Master Luo probably saw this point too, which is why he just washed his hands of the matter and left. You brat actually coordinated quite well with him," Zuo Dongge said.

"Master, did you suppress Uncle-Master Luo many times in your early years? Is that why he holds a grudge against you?" Xia Daoming's heart stirred, and he asked.

"In my early years, there were many people in the sect who were suppressed by me. Therefore, you brat must be careful when walking around the sect in the future. Who knows, those guys might not be able to do anything to me, so they might indulge their disciples to find trouble for you," Zuo Dongge said. Recalling the majesty of his early years, he felt both pride and an indescribable sense of loss for the twilight of a hero.

"Really? That's great! In the next few days, if I have nothing to do, I'll go wander around the Qingyuan main peak and the caves of those true disciples," Xia Daoming said, his eyes lighting up.

Where in this world are spirit stones so easy to earn? Just one duel and you get over a million!

Zuo Dongge looked at Xia Daoming, feeling somewhat stunned.

What kind of disciple have I taken in?

"Get out!" Zuo Dongge finally couldn't bear it anymore.

Not far away, Mo Yongzhi and the others saw Zuo Dongge actually reprimand Xia Daoming to get out, and they were so frightened they didn't dare to breathe, their faces turning white.

"Yes!" However, Xia Daoming was completely fine; he immediately stood up, bowed, and left.

"Get back here." Seeing Xia Daoming leave, Zuo Dongge suddenly called out again.

"Master, is there anything else you need?" Xia Daoming had no choice but to turn back.

Zuo Dongge took a deep breath and said: "I have nothing to do today, so I will give you some guidance on your cultivation!"

There was no helping it; if he didn't give guidance, in the future, when Xia Daoming defeated other true disciples again, he wouldn't even have the face to say he was his master.

"Thank you, Master. You finally remembered to give me guidance on my cultivation," Xia Daoming hurriedly bowed.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Dongge almost wanted to draw his broken sword.

However, in the end, Zuo Dongge took a deep breath, stroked his beard, and said: "Your spiritual sense is powerful. When you dueled Luo Mu earlier, your magic tools and tactical coordination were all very good.

It's just that your ability to control magic tools is truly very average. You can set up a sword formation merely by relying on your powerful spiritual sense. If we really talk about the changes in the sword formation, you can only trap Foundation Establishment perfection cultivators like Luo Mu. If you really encounter someone formidable, your sword formation will be as if it were non-existent."

Hearing this, Xia Daoming was somewhat unconvinced; he raised his eyebrows and said: "Master, please enlighten me."

Seeing this, Zuo Dongge smiled and said: "Give me that sword formation of yours."

Xia Daoming then took out the nine Millennium Profound Bamboo Swords.

Zuo Dongge took them, and without even needing to refine them, he stroked them a few times, attached a wisp of magic power and spiritual thought, and then flicked his hand.

The nine Millennium Profound Bamboos broke through the air.

In the blink of an eye, the air was filled with green light.

In the green light was a sea of green bamboo covering the sky and blocking the sun.

In the blink of an eye, the bamboo sea transformed into green dragons, twisting and turning.

And in another blink, the green dragons transformed into thick and flexible green ropes, crisscrossing and setting up a net of heaven and earth.

The nine Millennium Profound Bamboo Swords landed in Zuo Dongge's hand, suddenly as if they had vitality and spiritual energy, changing infinitely, no longer dead, lifeless flying swords.

"With the same amount of magic power and spiritual thought, you need to exert twice, three times, or even more power to be considered capable; otherwise, it is nothing more than brute force," Zuo Dongge said, beckoning with his hand, and the nine Millennium Profound Bamboo Swords flew into his hand.

"No wonder, even though Master's Core Formation has cracks and you can only exert the force of the early Core Formation stage, you are confident of defeating Luo Qian. Master does not win by force, but is prepared to win by skill," Xia Daoming looked at Zuo Dongge, his eyes filled with admiration.

"That's right," Zuo Dongge nodded.

"I ask Master to teach me!" Xia Daoming knelt on one knee.

His cultivation journey had basically been self-taught.

His true essence, magic power, and spiritual thought were powerful, but he lacked many tricks on how to truly control and use them.

Shang Rui had given him a pointer or two in this regard.

But Shang Rui's true prowess was in alchemy; when it came to the realization of the Qi Refining Dao and the techniques of spellcasting, she was far behind Zuo Dongge.

Zuo Dongge was truly a genius rarely seen in the Qingyuan Sect in a thousand years; he saw the problem with Xia Daoming's Qi Refining Dao at a glance.

Of course, when it came to the martial arts aspect, he had no way to give guidance, nor did he know that if Xia Daoming were to exert the power of his martial arts, he could easily crush Luo Mu.

"Get up!" Zuo Dongge waved his large hand, finally feeling refreshed in his heart.

"You all come and listen too," Zuo Dongge soon beckoned to Mo Yongzhi and the others.

Mo Yongzhi and the others were immediately incredibly excited.

At Zuo Dongge's level, the tricks he spoke of must be extremely mysterious and profound; if they could grasp even one-tenth, it would be a lifelong benefit.

Soon, Zuo Dongge began to lecture, occasionally demonstrating a move or two.

As Zuo Dongge began to lecture, Xia Daoming finally understood what it meant to say that hearing one lecture from a master is better than reading books for ten years.

He felt as if he had been enlightened, his mind suddenly opened.

He listened with great focus and intent.

One force overcomes ten techniques.

This is established on the condition that one's power greatly exceeds the opponent's; if they are equal, or if one only wins by a little, the technique of using power is the key to victory.

Moreover, when facing a strong enemy, his true trump card was in his body-refining strength, while his Qi Refining magic power mainly played an auxiliary role.

Under these circumstances, if his spell usage was clever, he could entangle the opponent to the maximum extent, creating opportunities for his body-refining strength.

Therefore, the application of spells was of great significance to Xia Daoming, as it could exert unexpected effects.

Two hours later, Zuo Dongge stopped lecturing.

Everyone bowed respectfully.

Zuo Dongge waved his hand, leaving only Xia Daoming behind to give him instructions.

"You brat, don't go looking for trouble. Of course, if others really want to come to your door, you don't have to be polite; just happen to use them to practice your hands, so you don't win too quickly and attract attention.

However, there are two people you must be careful of. One is Li Tinggui, the third disciple of Qu Dongyan, the head of the Transmission Hall. He had a fortuitous encounter in his early years and practices the 'Ten Thousand Mountains Technique,' which few people are willing to practice.

This cultivation technique levels up the slowest, and every step of the foundation is very solid; very few people can cultivate to Foundation Establishment perfection before their lifespan ends, let alone reach Core Formation.

But Li Tinggui had a fortuitous encounter in his early years; he cultivated to Foundation Establishment perfection just as his lifespan reached one hundred, and now he has been tempering himself in this realm for fifty years; he should have hope of reaching Core Formation before his lifespan ends. His true essence and magic power are estimated to be at least three times more vigorous than Luo Mu's.

There is also Shang Yiyang, the fifth disciple of Xing Zhan, the head of the Protection Hall. This child has a natural talent for fire-type Dao techniques, and like you, his spiritual sense is quite powerful, and he can control magic treasures.

It just so happens that by chance, this child obtained a fire-type magic treasure, the Fire Feather Sword. This sword has extraordinary power and can injure Core Formation cultivators."

"Did Master suppress the head of the Transmission Hall and the head of the Protection Hall many times in your early years?" Xia Daoming asked.

"Basically, all the Core Formation Elders of the same generation were suppressed by me, even your Sect Ma... cough, cough. So, you brat, be careful," Zuo Dongge said.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 254 =====

(End of chapter)