Chapter 161: The Nine Peaks of He Mountain Vie for the Heavenly Gate

"Croak~"

The familiar golden toad, the familiar croaking sound, the familiar boss.

Chen Ci stood opposite the lotus pond; the Crane Beak Incense Burner on the back of that human-headed golden toad had perhaps had its incense changed, giving off a refreshing sensation this time that eased the slightly anxious mood of Master Chen quite a bit. Just one light sniff told him it was something he could not afford.

It is good to be rich, after all.

Chen Ci felt a small pang of envy in his heart.

"What is it?"

That soft, graceful female voice drifted over: "If you have come for the Supreme True Loach Secret Art, then besides the attempt, you will have to pay an additional price."

Uh.

Chen Ci choked for a moment, thought about it, and then tentatively spoke: "That... Boss, I may be leaving the Sea Market soon to return to Quanzhou, and I felt I should come and bid you farewell."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

The Yongxing Building owner thought for a moment: "If you haven't demonstrated enough value during this time, no one will offend a Dan Realm True Person for your sake, understand?"

"But if you have even a sliver of possibility of cultivating the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art, yet haven't had the time to complete it, heh."

"Hmm, if you can succeed in the Hundred Apertures within thirty years, my attempt will truly begin. If you cannot, then that volume of the Golden Scale Wonderful Method shall be a gift to you, and I will not seek you out again, rest assured."

"The higher the quality of the Dao Foundation and Dharma Power, the longer it takes to condense Sha and form a Dan, and the deeper the resulting Dan Sha will be. Lin Laohu should stay within the Earth Sha Yin Vein for about ten years."

"Your aptitude for cultivation is a bit lacking, but your mind is clear, and you see through other matters better than the average cultivator."

Then, if I, Chen, meet someone better in the future and we both choose each other, you cannot blame me, Boss.

Is that it?

The thin mist was like gauze; the Yongxing Building owner seemed to see the expression on Chen Ci's face and smiled indifferently: "No need to think too much. If you can cultivate the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art to the Hundred Apertures within thirty years... right, does the method you hold have one-third of it?"

The Yongxing Building owner chuckled: "You are a smart person, but limited by your horizons, it is normal that you cannot see through some things. Lin Laohu will inevitably condense Sha and form a Dan in thirty years at the shortest, or sixty years at the longest. With his cultivation, it shouldn't be difficult for him to become a powerful elder in the He Mountain Nine Peaks. By then, if you haven't cultivated the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art and only built a middle or lower grade Dao Foundation, becoming a powerful Deacon under his tutelage wouldn't be bad either."

Chen Ci's heart stirred. As a low-level cultivator, he could only guess and speculate about the situation in the Liang Kingdom. The boss before him could manage a fairly large firm and clearly had an extraordinary background, so she must know much more.

Chen Ci: "."

The Yongxing Building owner's tone revealed a hint of appreciation: "Although the cultivation philosophy of Longhu Mountain has been relatively open and inclusive these years, managing the Liangjiang Sea Market to have some reputation in the East Sea cultivation world, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is pushing their treasure money hard this time. The Longhu Mountain cultivators haven't said anything openly, but they are actually very dissatisfied. A major battle between the two sides is unlikely, as ruining the business atmosphere of the Sea Market would be a lose-lose situation, but they will certainly have a few private skirmishes. The He Mountain Sect also nominally has a share of the Sea Market's profits, so they will likely be dragged into it. Your move, while a bit overly cautious, is not bad; cautious people tend to live longer."

The Yongxing Building owner smiled, though there was a peculiar meaning in the laughter.

After a pause, the Yongxing Building owner said leisurely: "I understand. You may go."

Chen Ci thought for a moment and nodded.

Chen Ci was a bit unsure about the matter of the 'God-Communicating Method', so he simply organized his words and said: "Recently, the Four Seas Ruyi Treasure Money in the Sea Market has been causing quite a stir. I feel that the experts of Longhu Mountain will not sit idly by. If the two sides clash, the Sea Market might not be very safe, so I thought of returning to the countryside in Quanzhou to cultivate in peace and avoid the trouble."

"That is not the case."

Ask?

The Yongxing Building owner was slightly curious: "Lin Laohu shouldn't be leaving the Sea Market in the short term. Why are you going back to Quanzhou? Does he have some assignment for you?"

Chen Ci frowned, as if pondering something.

Chen Ci came back to his senses and raised his hand in a salute.

This convenient boss had been direct enough. If Chen Ci could only strike for a lower or middle grade Dao Foundation, he might as well just hang out with Lin Laohu; she wouldn't care, and Lin Laohu wouldn't care either.

If Chen Ci could truly cultivate the Five Ghosts Method and have a chance to strike for an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, that would be different.

Lin Qinhu: Little Chen, I see you have a rebellious bone at the back of your head. How about you take it off and let me examine it closely?

Only then would this convenient boss truly help him and protect his safety.

"Boss, the subsequent cultivation techniques for the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art?"

Chen Ci pondered for a moment and tentatively asked.

"Do not worry. What Lin Laohu cannot give you, I can give you. What Lin Laohu can give you, I can give you more."

The Yongxing Building owner thought for a moment: "However, if you have the heart, you could try to win over your fellow disciples from Xishan Prefecture. Although they are all Outer Transmission, they still count as a not-insignificant force. If you have the chance to return to He Mountain in the future, they might be of great use."

Chen Ci: "." Return to He Mountain?

"You don't understand?"

The Yongxing Building owner said faintly: "If you truly cultivate the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art, a Condensed Sha Virtual Dan is inevitable. Naturally, you will also control one of the He Mountain Nine Peaks. You must build your own team, otherwise, how will you hold power and deal with those aristocratic cultivators?"

Wait, wait a moment.

Chen Ci calmed the inexplicably excited thoughts in his heart and subconsciously clicked on his panel to take a glance.

Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art (Fragmentary): 43/100

He hadn't misread it. With his Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation, how had this pie already skipped Foundation Establishment and been drawn all the way to forming a Dan, building a team, controlling the He Mountain Nine Peaks, and becoming a big shot in the He Mountain Sect?

Let Master Chen slow down; he was a bit dizzy from the pie.

"Although Ancestor Feng Jiu was a founder of a side sect, his descendants are disappointing. For an eon, they have been living off the ancestor's legacy, and the Feng family has controlled He Mountain for too long."

The Yongxing Building owner's gaze seemed to pass through the smoke and land on Chen Ci's face, with interest: "Lin Laohu is actually also an attempt, but I am not optimistic about him. If you can control one of the Nine Peaks, I would rather you be this attempt, how about it?"

Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?!!

Chen Ci walked through the Sea Market in a daze, unable to recover for a long time, just like a security guard who was suddenly patted on the shoulder by a director one day and told: I believe in you, work hard, and when you become the general manager, I will take you to list the company together.

Absurd.

"There is always a stronger one among the strong, and one pie is higher than the next."

Chen Ci touched his head and let out a turbid breath. He hadn't gained any benefits or information from this trip; besides a few promises, he had just eaten a big pie.

But don't say it, this pie was truly fragrant, allowing Master Chen, who dreamed of advancing even in his sleep, to suddenly find a direction for progress. His whole body felt like it had been injected with chicken blood, somewhat surging with hot blood.

"Ahu, let's have less contact in the future; I'm afraid the boss will misunderstand."

Chen Ci eased his heartbeat, somewhat sighing: "Someone else's pie is bigger and more fragrant than the one you drew, sigh..."

He also hadn't expected that the meaning in this new boss's words actually contained an intention to control He Mountain. This thigh was probably not much thinner than True Person Jiao Fei's. What kind of family condition was this? Was she True Person Jiao Fei's mistress in He Mountain? Or some big shot from the other four families besides the He Mountain Feng family?

Rich woman, I'm hungry.

However, the prerequisite for clinging to this thigh is to cultivate the current Five Skandhas Yin Demon Method to the Hundred Apertures within thirty years; it is exactly the time for the river to flow east for thirty years.

Only with such cultivation progress can he, Chen, prove to this cheap employer that he also has the opportunity to cultivate the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Method to the point of being able to certify an Upper Grade Dao Foundation.

"Thirty years shouldn't be much of a problem; how could I not grind the Five Ghosts Possession Great Method to Great Accomplishment?"

Chen Ci pondered for a moment, cheering himself on.

"Junior Brother Chen."

Just as he was looking toward the future, someone suddenly spoke from the side: "What are you standing here for?"

Chen Ci turned his head subconsciously; it was actually the cheap Lin Shixiong he had just prepared to have less contact with.

"Lin Shixiong, you..."

Chen Ci stood dazed for a moment, looked around, and only then realized he had actually wandered to the entrance of Pingkang Ward; looking at the sky, it was also nearly time for a meal, and he had happened to run into Lin Laohu on the road.

"Let's go, don't be too late and lose decorum."

Lin Qinhu was clearly in a good mood; he looked Chen Ci over a few times and walked forward with his hands behind his back. Having received the invitation, Chen Ci naturally followed behind him, heading toward Bazhen Tower.

"Right, Junior Brother Chen."

Lin Laohu walked half a step ahead, then suddenly asked casually: "Looking at your physique and Qi and blood, it seems you have already entered the gate of the Force Path; which lineage of Force Path method are you cultivating?"

(End of this chapter)