Chapter 258

"Haha! Good, good! No wonder you have such strength at such a young age!" Upon hearing this, Yue Huang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Xu Shixiong Uncle, you flatter me, you flatter me. I only reached Foundation Establishment at thirty-three; compared to you and all the other Xu Shixiong Uncles, I am far behind. So, since my talent is lacking, I can only rely on hard work and desperate efforts to earn cultivation resources to make up for the gap in talent," Xia Daoming said with a humble face, and after speaking, he stared at Yue Huang with sparkling eyes.

Since things had reached this point, Yue Huang could only point at Xia Daoming with a smile and turn to Zuo Dongge, saying, "This kid is not only ruthless, but his skin is also thicker than yours was back in the day, I don't know by how much."

"Sigh, Xu Shixiong Uncle, I have no choice! If I had even one-tenth of my Master's talent, I wouldn't have to lose face for him by trying to find ways to get cultivation resources everywhere," Xia Daoming said with a sigh and a look of guilt.

"Daoming, you don't need to belittle yourself. Although your Qi Refinement talent is not as good as mine, you still have at least three or four parts of the talent I had back then," Zuo Dongge said, stroking his beard.

When Yue Huang and the many Jin Dan Elders heard this, their mouths twitched, and the looks they cast at Zuo Dongge and his disciple couldn't help but reveal a hint of murderous intent.

Those true disciples clenched their fists even tighter, only to helplessly loosen them again.

Their skills were simply inferior!

"Take this; it's a greeting gift from your Xu Shixiong Uncle." Yue Huang quickly threw a pill bottle to Xia Daoming and then turned and left.

He was afraid that he, the Sect Master, would be unable to maintain his composure.

"Many thanks, Xu Shixiong Uncle!" Xia Daoming hurriedly bowed to Yue Huang's back with a face full of smiles.

Soon, Xia Daoming straightened up and looked toward the other Jin Dan Elders. Just as he was about to cup his hands, those Jin Dan Elders had already turned around one after another, calling out "Xu Shixiong, wait for us" while floating toward the exit, leaving only Xiao Hongyi standing there with a look of helpless laughter.

"Master, your popularity doesn't seem to be very good, does it?" Xia Daoming's expression froze for a moment, then he turned to Zuo Dongge, sighing and shaking his head.

"Experts are destined to be lonely," Zuo Dongge said, shaking his head and sighing.

"Disciple understands—it is lonely at the top!" Xia Daoming was slightly startled, then immediately looked moved.

"Lonely at the top—yes, exactly, lonely at the top! That is very well said!" Zuo Dongge's eyes lit up, and he praised him greatly.

"Xu Shixiong Zuo, Nephew Daoming, I have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave," Xiao Hongyi finally spoke up to bid farewell.

"Lonely at the top indeed!" Zuo Dongge watched Xiao Hongyi's retreating back, his hands behind his back, sighing with emotion.

"Master, there is no one left; we should go too," Xia Daoming reminded him in a low voice from the side.

"Let's go!" Zuo Dongge waved his hand, his gaze sweeping across the dueling arena with a flash of loneliness and sadness.

——

The next day.

Yue Huang ordered someone to deliver two true disciple tokens to Heaven Sword Shanfeng.

Liu Qiaolian and Ji Wenyue officially became true disciples.

They did not go searching for peaks elsewhere, but instead chose two peaks near Red Flame Shanfeng.

These two peaks were also nameless, so the three of them named them Snow Lotus Shanfeng and Spirit Moon Shanfeng, respectively.

In this way, the three people's cave dwellings were connected, occupying quite a large territory.

The spiritual vein that Liu Qiaolian had channeled from the main spiritual vein node happened to pass through the area under the jurisdiction of these three peaks.

Thus, Red Flame Shanfeng could serve as the main cave dwelling, a place for everyone to cultivate and reside, while the other two peaks and their surrounding areas could be used to open up spirit fields and spirit herb gardens.

Such a large territory would certainly require many people to manage.

A few days ago, Xia Daoming had become famous after one battle.

Some inner and outer sect disciples with no background took the initiative to come forward, wanting to submit to him and work under his command.

After looking into it, Xia Daoming selected a few.

Shao Shiyu, Mo Yongzhi, and Wan Yan each selected a few trusted disciples from their own subordinates.

These people were all Qi Refinement realm cultivators.

On this day, Xia Daoming and Watching Lan Xue specifically went to the outer sect to visit Meng Manyun of the Spirit Field Hall.

Now, Xia Daoming and Watching Lan Xue were not only a true disciple and a personal disciple respectively, but they were also already Foundation Establishment cultivators.

When Meng Manyun saw the two of them coming to visit, he was so shocked that he hurriedly called them Xu Shixiong Uncle.

"Meng Manyun, the sect rules are there, so I won't be modest with you regarding the address. My peak cave dwelling is still being developed, and I estimate it will be finished in two or three months. Would you be willing to come work for me? If you go, I dare not promise you the Jin Dan Great Dao, but given our friendship, Foundation Establishment will certainly be no problem," Xia Daoming said with a smile.

"I naturally want to reach Foundation Establishment, but at my age, if I still want to reach it, the resources consumed would be staggering, and even if I did reach it, I wouldn't have much ability. The two Xu Shixiong Uncles should consider this carefully," Meng Manyun said, initially extremely excited upon hearing this, but quickly calming down and speaking with a solemn face.

"We have already considered it very carefully. Compared to our friendship, those few resources are nothing at all," Xia Daoming said sternly.

"This disciple is willing to follow the Xu Shixiong Uncles!" Upon hearing this, Meng Manyun knelt on one knee.

"Haha, don't worry, soon you will have to change your address and call me Xu Shixiong," Xia Daoming said with a smile, helping Meng Manyun up.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, another three months passed.

The cave dwelling was completed.

On this day, the array was officially fully activated.

Flames soared into the sky from Red Flame Shanfeng, illuminating the heavens in a sea of red.

The surrounding spiritual energy gathered in clouds, making the area within a radius of more than ten miles centered on Red Flame Shanfeng drift with spiritual energy.

Soon, faint spiritual mist formed, lingering around Red Flame Shanfeng.

Jin Dan Elders had keen senses.

Soon, Jin Dan Elders were alarmed, thinking that some strange object had been unearthed in Qingyuan Mountain, and they all rushed over.

A streak of brilliant light descended, landing in mid-air about a mile away from Red Flame Shanfeng, revealing a tall, thin man—none other than Luo Qian.

"Eh, it's a cave dwelling. Which true disciple has such vision and means to develop this mountain ridge? Not only is it a good place for alchemy, but there is actually a third-rank spiritual vein flowing through it." Luo Qian soon discovered that this was a newly developed cave dwelling and couldn't help but show a look of shock.

However, Luo Qian soon sensed a familiar aura.

"It's actually him!" Luo Qian's heart shook, and he hurriedly turned to leave.

But before Luo Qian could leave, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

"Oh my, on the day my nephew's cave dwelling opens, Xu Shixiong Uncle Luo has graced us with his presence; it truly makes our humble abode shine. Please, come in, come in; this disciple has already prepared a banquet, and my Master is inside as well." Xia Daoming was already bowing and saluting Luo Qian with a face full of smiles.

Luo Qian looked at the smiling Xia Daoming, feeling incredibly depressed and disappointed.

Why did he have to come join in the fun for no reason!

Now it was too late; if he just turned and left, it would truly damage his dignity as a Xu Shixiong Uncle. People who didn't know better would think he couldn't afford a gift!

But if he didn't leave, since it was the day the cave dwelling opened, he had to give a gift!

But at the thought of giving a gift, Luo Qian remembered how this brat had once forcibly extorted 1.5 million spirit stones from his daughter.

1.5 million spirit stones—even now, Luo Qian felt a pang of heartache just thinking about it.

And because of this matter, his daughter still wouldn't talk to him, and she would go out on missions from time to time. Every time he saw her, she looked travel-worn, which made his heart ache while inevitably breeding resentment toward Xia Daoming.

Fortunately, some time ago, even the Sect Master's disciple and the disciple of the Hall Master of the Merit Hall had been extorted in public, and no one dared to say a word, which made Luo Qian feel much more balanced.

While Luo Qian was still hesitating, a streak of red light broke through the air from Red Flame Shanfeng, turning into a red dragon rainbow bridge that landed at Luo Qian's feet.

"Xu Shixiong Uncle Luo, please!"

Xia Daoming said, and the red dragon rainbow bridge carried Luo Qian as it retracted toward Red Flame Shanfeng.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Qian landed on the summit of Red Flame Shanfeng, in front of a magnificent palace.

Standing at the entrance of the palace to welcome guests were Wan Yan and Mo Yongzhi.

Seeing Luo Qian approach, the two hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and saluted, saying, "Welcome, Xu Shixiong Uncle Luo, for gracing us with your presence."

Seeing this, what else could Luo Qian do? He had no choice but to take a Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage ring, hand it to Mo Yongzhi, and say, "This is a congratulatory gift from your Xu Shixiong Uncle."

"Xu Shixiong Uncle Luo, one Foundation Establishment Pill!" Wan Yan immediately announced.

Luo Qian glanced at Wan Yan, his feelings complicated.

"Eh, Luo Shidi, I really didn't expect that you would personally come to offer congratulations today; it is truly rare, truly rare!" Inside the palace, Zuo Dongge came to greet him with a look of surprise.

"Daoming found such a good cave dwelling, so naturally, I, as his Xu Shixiong Uncle, must offer my congratulations," Luo Qian said with a dark face.

"Haha, didn't expect it, did you? Jealous, aren't you!" Seeing Luo Qian's dark face, Zuo Dongge was not annoyed, but instead laughed heartily.

"Jealous my foot! If I were willing to spend the effort, I could also help Luo Mu get such a cave dwelling," Luo Qian said irritably.

"Luo Shidi, saying it like that is meaningless. Do you think that with my personality, I would help him get a cave dwelling?" Zuo Dongge curled his lips and said.

"He found it himself? He got it himself?" Luo Qian was so shocked he almost jumped up.

Seeing this, Zuo Dongge stroked his beard triumphantly.

Outside Red Flame Shanfeng.

Several more streaks of brilliant light arrived one after another.

Xia Daoming naturally took the initiative to step forward to welcome and invite them.

Later, even the Sect Master and Xu Shixiong Uncle, Yue Huang, came.

Originally, when a true disciple's cave dwelling opened, generally only disciples of the same generation would come to offer congratulations.

As a result, because the commotion at Red Flame Shanfeng was too great, it attracted many Jin Dan Elders to take the initiative to come and offer congratulations.

So much so that those true disciples who had received invitations and eventually came were shocked to see so many Jin Dan Elders and even the Sect Master present, while secretly rejoicing that they had come to offer congratulations.

Xu Shixiong Xia is deeply loved by his elders; I must try my best to befriend him in the future!

As for the large portion of true disciples who were unwilling to come, they couldn't recover their senses for a long time after hearing about it later.

After the cave dwelling opening was lively for a while, Xia Daoming's life returned to peace.

Every day was spent cultivating, contemplating the Great Dao, occasionally going out to travel, doing some sect missions, and of course, every few days, he couldn't avoid discussing the Great Dao of life and sparring in card skills with his two beautiful wives.

As for the matter of cultivation resources, he didn't need to worry.

He himself was loaded with wealth; the Wanluo Immortal Mountain had annual income, and the Qingyuan Mountain cave dwelling had a third-rank spiritual vein flowing through it, with the income from spirit fields and spirit herb gardens also being quite considerable.

Shang Rui was a third-rank alchemist. In her spare time from guiding Ji Wenyue, Watching Lan Xue, and other disciples in alchemy, she would collect some medicinal herbs that replenished blood and vital energy, specifically to refine pills for Xia Daoming.

Xia Daoming's blood sea was a boundless sea of blood, not inferior to the cubs of the most powerful pure-blooded divine beasts of ancient times.

The blood sea seemed as if it could never be filled, and the resources consumed were the most massive, not losing to the consumption of Jin Dan cultivators.

If it weren't for a third-rank alchemist like Shang Rui specifically serving him, even if he had plenty of resources on hand, he wouldn't be able to withstand his consumption.

As for the Qi Refinement path, his consumption was nothing compared to his blood sea.

Time flew by, and two years passed.

This year, Xia Daoming was thirty-five, and he specifically went to the Ancient Desolate Ruins of the Dragon Fish Sea.

Because of the unearthing of the True Dragon Blood Pearl more than two years ago, it had set off a craze for cultivators from all over to enter the Dragon Fish Sea to seek opportunities.

This craze showed no signs of abating.

When Xia Daoming revisited the old place, he found that there were many more people than when he had come back then.

There were even many people talking about Tuoba Kui.

Because Tuoba Kui had still not been seen, many people suspected that Tuoba Kui had been killed by demon beasts while fleeing, and the True Dragon Blood Pearl had been lost in the sea again.

This was also one of the reasons why this craze had not abated.

Xia Daoming just smiled freely upon hearing these claims, then headed straight for the depths of the northern sea area.

He had now opened up a boundless blood sea, and his Qi Refinement path had already reached Foundation Establishment, making his strength much greater than it was back then, and he no longer feared fourth-level demon beasts.

The further one went into the northern sea area, the fewer people set foot there.

And nearly half of the northern sea area was almost never visited by anyone because it was a place where many fourth-level dragon fish demons often moved and resided.

Even if bold people had set foot there, no one had been able to walk out of that area alive.

Therefore, the innermost half of the northern sea area was known as the Sea of Death, and no one had dared to step into it for many years.

However, Xia Daoming was bold because of his high skill.

He only lingered briefly in other areas of the northern sea before heading straight for that Sea of Death.

In the Sea of Death, there were many high-year spirit herbs that were useless to the demon race but useful to human cultivators, as well as some precious ores that could be used to refine magic treasures.

But because no one set foot there, these expensive resources went ignored.

Xia Daoming stepped into this Sea of Death and searched extensively; in just a few days, he had harvested many precious resources.

During this period, he naturally alarmed many third-rank high-tier and top-tier demon beasts.

These third-rank high-tier and top-tier demon beasts were extremely dangerous existences for other cultivators, but for Xia Daoming, some were cultivation resources delivered to his doorstep, just waiting to be harvested.

A single Fuhu Hand Seal could kill one.

Of course, a considerable number of demon beasts were of no benefit to his cultivation; he would avoid them if he could, and if he couldn't, he had no choice but to kill them directly.

Xia Daoming's unscrupulous searching finally alarmed the fourth-level dragon fish demons residing in this sea area.

Fourth-level demon beasts were equivalent to Jin Dan cultivators.

And just like Jin Dan cultivators, they were only divided into three realms.

Fourth-level early-stage, mid-stage, and high-stage; there was no top-tier realm.

The first one Xia Daoming alarmed was a fourth-level early-stage dragon fish demon.

Deep in the North Sea, Xia Daoming had no need for caution. Seeing the fourth-level early-stage dragon fish demon, he was not afraid, but instead pleasantly surprised, fully unleashing the power of his blood sea.

The blood sea surged, whipping up giant waves.

Extremely terrifying force surged out.

The dragon fish demon did not know how to dodge and fought Xia Daoming head-on.

As a result, it was killed by Xia Daoming's terrifying strength in just two moves.

The dragon fish demon was a treasure from head to toe.

The value of a fourth-level dragon fish demon was even more immeasurable.

The dragon fish scales on its body were one of the materials for refining some magic-treasure-level water-type immortal armor.

Any fish tooth or fish bone thorn could be used to refine a top-tier magic tool.

The flesh and blood of the dragon fish demon could be processed by Shang Rui for Xia Daoming to consume, strengthening his blood sea.

Fourth-level dragon fish demons possessed demon cores.

There were many types of spiritual pills that helped Foundation Establishment perfection cultivators form their cores.

The highest grade was the Four Symbols Pill, refined with the essence blood of the four ancient divine beasts as the main medicinal ingredient.

And some were refined using the demon cores of various fourth-level demon beasts as medicine to help with core formation.

One could imagine how precious the demon core was.

After killing a fourth-level early-stage dragon fish demon, Xia Daoming continued to go deeper.

He harvested many more precious resources one after another.

During this period, he also killed three fourth-level early-stage dragon fish demons and two fourth-level mid-stage dragon fish demons.

PS: I recommend the new book "Weird Cultivation, I Have a Five-Viscera Temple" by the great god author Wuzhi. He is an old author; like me in the past, many of his books are of the urban cultivation and traditional Chinese medicine type, which are very worth reading. Now he is also writing pure Xianxia and taking the weird route. The book is already quite substantial; friends who like this type can go over and read it. There is a link to the book in the author's note below; just click to enter.

(End of chapter)