Chapter 159: Changes (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader 'Shi Na Na Ya 056' 1)

Xu Chen said with a face full of surprise, "Daoist Friend Lan, why have you come?"

Lan You hurriedly bowed and said, "I am to depart with my Master tomorrow along with some senior and junior fellow disciples for the Ming Kingdom, so I will be unable to escort Daoist Friend Xu back to the Taiyuan Sect. The journey back spans ten thousand miles, and I fear the road may not be peaceful, so I have brought this Spirit Fox, a Spirit Sparrow, to send you back!"

"Coo, coo, coo, coo..."

Before Xu Chen could even feel surprised, the Spirit Sparrow was already squatting on the ground, opening its basket-sized mouth and emitting the sound of a hen begging for food.

Xu Chen's face instantly turned dark. Lan You covered her mouth and giggled softly, then handed a green Jade Slip to Xu Chen, saying, "This is the technique for summoning and controlling the Spirit Sparrow. Daoist Friend Xu only needs to learn it simply to master it. Furthermore, this Spirit Sparrow was raised by the Yuqing Hall since it was small, and it is a Spirit Beast urged to grow with various Spirit Pills and Spirit Medicines. It is not as wild as ordinary demonic birds and is quite docile, so there should be no trouble."

Xu Chen took the Jade Slip and his face twitched as he said, "It is indeed docile, but this way of eating is far too unsightly. Even a landlord's family couldn't afford to raise it; a single Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill is worth two hundred Spirit Stones."

"Koo, koo, koo, koo..." Lan You laughed until her delicate body trembled, even revealing a rare hint of charming petulance as she scolded, "If that is the case, then in the whole world, only Daoist Friend Xu can afford to raise it. So, I don't intend to keep this Spirit Sparrow either; I will give it to you. I worry that it will eat me into poverty in the future!"

Xu Chen was stunned for a moment and hurriedly shook his head, saying, "No, no, a Third-Tier flying Spirit Beast is not a cat or a dog; its value is too great. I dare not accept it."

Lan You's expression slowly returned to calm, and she said earnestly, "I do not know how long this Soul Beast catastrophe will last. I have been strictly ordered by two Supreme Elders not to act alone and can only follow my Master and several senior brothers and Elders. Not only is this Spirit Sparrow useless to bring along, but it is also a burden. Even if Daoist Friend Xu does not want it, you can help me keep it for the time being. It is more convenient for going out on ordinary days. When I return one day, I will go to the Taiyuan Sect to retrieve it!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chen nodded and said, "That will work. Daoist Friend Lan, be careful on this trip. I hope that when we meet next time, you will have successfully reached the Golden Core stage and become an Elder of the Yuqing Hall."

Lan You's cheeks flushed slightly as she said, "I accept your kind words, Daoist Friend Xu. When we meet next time, you will certainly be a True Person of the Zhenyuan Realm as well!"

"Haha, that is certain. My advancement will definitely be faster than yours, Daoist Friend Lan!"

Xu Chen laughed heartily, then remembered something and waved his hand gently. Five bottles of Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill floated in front of Lan You, and he said, "Daoist Friend Lan, please trouble yourself to pass these bottles of Spirit Pills to the five fairies, Yun Xi, Ling Shuang, and the others. Consider it my thanks for their care and company during these days!"

Lan You looked at him with a strange expression and said, "I thought you would take these Spirit Pills with you, Daoist Friend Xu. But since you want to give them away, why not deliver them yourself?"

Xu Chen smiled awkwardly and said, "I just don't want to cause trouble. Just knowing you alone has made me a target of public criticism in the Yuqing Hall, and I have nearly been surrounded and unable to escape several times. If I were to go and deliver Spirit Pills to a group of beautiful female fairies, I fear I would become the public enemy of the Yuqing Hall if word got out. I wouldn't dare to come here ever again!"

"Koo, koo, koo, koo..." Lan You covered her mouth and laughed until her delicate body trembled again. Finally, she put away the five bottles of Spirit Pills and said, "Since that is the case, I will help you deliver the gifts, Daoist Friend Xu. Remember to thank me next time!"

Xu Chen hurriedly nodded and said, "I certainly will, I certainly will. When you return next time, Daoist Friend Lan, I will definitely treat you to a meal!"

"That's more like it!" Lan You gave him a coquettish glare.

Xu Chen thought for a moment, waved his hand, and two more bottles of Spirit Pills floated in front of Lan You: "Please trouble yourself to pass these two bottles of Spirit Pills to senior brothers Yi Zhen and Han Qing respectively."

Lan You was immediately extremely surprised and said, "It is only natural to give them to junior sisters like Yun Xi and Ling Shuang, but that you would also give them to senior brothers Yi Zhen and Han Qing is something I do not understand."

Xu Chen smiled and said, "Although both senior brothers have caused me trouble, they were always targeting the matter and not the person, and I suffered no losses. Senior brother Yi Zhen has a straightforward temperament, and his victory or defeat was always honorable, which is truly admirable. Moreover, he even brought me a piece of Red Cloud Gold Sand worth over a thousand Spirit Stones, which is worth my friendship and gratitude."

Lan You asked, "And what of senior brother Han Qing?"

Xu Chen shook his head and said, "Senior brother Han actually lost somewhat unjustly. You know my background, so in that round of alchemy, unless the Second Elder stepped in personally, it was impossible for me to lose. This competition might have been a heavy blow to him, and I still feel guilty. I hope this bottle of pills will be of help to him. If he can become a master alchemist of the Danyuan Realm for the Yuqing Hall in the future, it can be considered a benefit to the Great Song Immortal World!"

Lan You said with a face full of surprise, "This doesn't sound like your style?"

Xu Chen picked at his nose and laughed dryly, "People change. To be honest, I previously had no good feelings toward the Yuqing Hall, especially after meeting Yulong Zhenren in Jingshi; my aversion was even stronger. However, from the Yuqing Hall going to Black Wind Ridge to suppress the Netherworld Passage and exterminate Soul Beasts, to the two True Monarchs issuing orders today for all Disciples to go down the mountain to slay Soul Beasts and eliminate demons to defend the Dao, the actions of the Yuqing Hall have shocked and impressed me greatly. Those who achieve great things do not fuss over trifles. The reputation of the Yuqing Hall in the Great Song Immortal World may have ten thousand flaws, but the fact that it can stabilize the foundations of both the immortal and mortal worlds of the Great Song like a needle in the sea is its greatest merit. Relatively speaking, the Taiyuan Sect has done much worse. Perhaps this is a cognitive barrier; only after traveling and gaining more experience does one's mindset become more mature. This trip to the Yuqing Hall has given me great insight. Aside from thanking the two True Monarchs, the person I need to thank most is you, Daoist Friend Lan, for your meticulous care and company day and night during these days, which has made my harvest this time very bountiful."

Lan You's cheeks turned completely red, and she lowered her head, saying, "I didn't do anything; these were all things you obtained through your own ability, Daoist Friend Xu. Besides, the Yuqing Hall is not as good as you say. Only by being in it does one know that some things are not as simple as they appear."

Xu Chen nodded slightly and said, "Perhaps. But we must always think of the good side of things, right? For example, in this Soul Beast catastrophe, the Yuqing Hall has paid a huge price in casualties and effort, which is worthy of the gratitude of both the immortal and mortal worlds. Alright, the situation is urgent, and I cannot stay long. I will take my leave now. I hope everything goes smoothly for you on this trip, and that you return safely!"

Lan You also knew the moment of parting had arrived, and with a face full of reluctance, she said, "Alright, I hope you have a smooth journey back to the mountain, Daoist Friend Xu!"

Xu Chen raised his hand and tossed a Spirit Pill into the bird's mouth, which had been waiting for a long time. At the same time, he stepped onto the back of the Spirit Sparrow in one stride. With a pull of his Divine Sense, the Spirit Sparrow flapped its giant wings and soared into the sky.

"Daoist Friend Lan, take care on your journey, farewell!"

"Take care, Daoist Friend Xu!"

The lingering echoes of their parting conversation remained as the Spirit Sparrow let out a long cry and turned into a stream of light heading southeast. In an instant, it pierced through the clouds and mist, reaching several miles away, and then quickly turned into a five-colored dot of light and disappeared.

Lan You gazed into the distance for a long time before finally withdrawing her Divine Sense and gaze, then cast her Flying Sword and soared into the sky.

This journey would be long and filled with dangerous storms, and she did not know if there would be another chance to meet.

And the words Xu Chen said before leaving had a profound impact on her.

It seemed that in this very moment, she felt that Xu Chen had completely changed into a different person, filled with a fearless aura of compassion for the world, possessing a greatness and stature that made her heart tremble in admiration, a transformation that seemed to have shed his old skin and bones compared to the little cultivator of the Taiyuan Sect she had known before.

Ever since the Soul Beasts of Black Wind Ridge broke the formation and rampaged for a while, the Great Song Immortal World had ushered in several months of tranquility.

Yet, within this tranquility, there was a fervor that had not been seen for thousands of years.

A large number of cultivators responded to the call of the eight great Immortal Sects, flocking to the once-barren Southern Border region, beginning to station themselves near Wild Wolf Valley and the Taiyuan Sect to encircle and suppress the Soul Beasts that were still continuously rushing out of the earth caves, in order to exchange Soul Beads for large amounts of Spirit Stones from the several great Immortal Sects.

Cultivators who had made a fortune were also able to purchase and trade for large quantities of Spirit Pills and Magic Treasures, causing both their cultivation and strength to have an overall rapid improvement in recent months.

Although casualties still occurred occasionally, both great formations had Danyuan Realm experts sitting in command, and the two great dojos of the Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain were respectively responsible for clearing the core areas, reducing the danger coefficient of hunting Soul Beasts to the minimum. Under such constant fighting and the support of large amounts of Spirit Pills and Magic Treasures, almost every day someone was breaking through their own cultivation realm.

Even among the loose cultivators and family cultivators, where those in the late Kaiyuan Realm were once rare, several True Persons of the Zhenyuan Realm had advanced in the last few months.

As for the cultivators of the Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain guarding the two great formations, their breakthrough speed was even faster. Many inner and outer sect Disciples who had previously been stagnant for a long time in the late Kaiyuan Realm or early Zhenyuan Realm were also breaking through rapidly, and their strength was growing very quickly.

It was precisely the stimulation of hearing news of cultivators breaking through their realms from time to time that made all the cultivators who came to hunt Soul Beasts even more high-spirited. Every day, they would go in groups to search and hunt Soul Beasts within the Black Wind range covered by the two great formations, and in the scramble, it felt as if there were not enough Soul Beasts to kill.

This was because as the great formations were sealed again, the number of Soul Beasts coming out through the gaps was limited.

This also caused many cultivators to have conflicts and even fight on the spot due to scrambling for Soul Beasts. Although such matters generally did not escalate under the suppression of the Danyuan Realm experts, the conflicts caused by "stealing kills" were becoming more and more frequent, giving the several Elders in charge quite a headache.

However, just as the conflicts caused by stealing kills were increasing and the tempers between cultivators were growing hotter, a shocking piece of news suddenly spread to the two gathering places of cultivators at Black Wind Ridge and Spirit Fox Valley.

Soul Beasts were rampaging in the neighboring Ming Kingdom, Shu Kingdom, Wu Kingdom, and other places, and the casualties in both the immortal and mortal worlds were heavy. The four True Monarchs of the Yuqing Hall, Longmen Mountain, and the Taiyuan Sect had jointly issued an Immortal Sect decree, calling on the cultivators of the Great Song territory to go to the borders of the neighboring countries of the Great Song to hunt Soul Beasts, eliminate demons, defend the Dao, and maintain peace in the mortal world.

Once this news came out, there was an immediate uproar. While shocked, the reaction of all the cultivators was more of surprise and excitement than fear.

A large number of loose cultivators and cultivators from small, unknown sects who were scrambling for kills here every day immediately began to form cliques and teams, wanting to go to the neighboring countries to farm Soul Beasts and make a fortune.

(End of chapter)