Chapter 131: The Life-Saver Proposition

Seeing that the sky was already dark, Hua Changxi didn't return to the Medicine Department and instead stayed directly in Lingguang Hall to cultivate.

Once she immersed herself in cultivation, she quickly discovered that her cultivation speed had increased again; now, cultivating for one shichen could increase her spiritual energy by 2 million points.

In May, cultivating for one shichen could only boost her spiritual energy by 1.1 million points, but now, just over a month later, her cultivation speed had increased by 1 million points.

[Realm: Nascent Soul 307.5 million / 1 billion; Divine Sense: 110,000+]

After one night, having cultivated for six shichen, her cultivation base had increased by 12 million points.

When she had woken up from her coma earlier, her attention had been on her divine sense, and she hadn't noticed that her cultivation base had grown by such a large margin.

Was it because she had opened Lingguang Hall?

Hua Changxi was undoubtedly happy that her cultivation speed had improved again, but looking at the empty Lingguang Hall and thinking about having to recruit a hundred thousand troops for the Vermilion Bird Army, she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Moreover, after the life-and-death crisis she encountered in the Ghost Market, she realized once again that she really needed to quickly improve her alchemy skills. Now that she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, first-rank spirit pills were no longer very effective for her.

If she didn't raise her alchemy level, when she got injured or exhausted her spiritual energy in the future, she wouldn't even have the corresponding spirit pills available.

Recruiting the Vermilion Bird Army takes time, alchemy takes time, and cultivation takes time. There really isn't enough time!

Standing atop Lingguang Hall, facing the dawn and looking down at the earth, Hua Changxi felt a surge of ambition continuously sprouting and growing within her. She realized she liked being up high.

"Swoosh~"

She still had to return to the Medicine Department to give lectures, so Hua Changxi rode a cloud back to the city. Flying a few li out of Lingguang Hall, she saw even more soldiers than yesterday.

No, if yesterday's were just some temporarily assembled patrol soldiers, what she saw today could be called troops of the army.

"Is the imperial court preparing to attack Lingguang Hall?"

The imperial court had actually dispatched the army—this was something Hua Changxi hadn't expected.

Seeing many commoners on the official road watching the excitement, Hua Changxi quietly descended to the ground and blended in among the villagers.

"From now on, these intersections won't be passable."

"Why not?"

"See that celestial palace over there? The officials would rather seal off the celestial palace than let us commoners go near and absorb some immortal aura."

"That celestial palace has been around for a few days now. I should have gone earlier to pay my respects."

"Pay respects? As soon as the celestial palace appeared, it was sealed off by the soldiers. We can't get close."

Listening to the villagers' discussions and seeing the army setting up camp by the roadside, Hua Changxi realized that the imperial court intended to block off all the roads leading to Lingguang Hall, preventing anyone from approaching.

Was the imperial court planning to turn Lingguang Hall into an isolated island?

Hua Changxi sneered inwardly. Before the spiritual energy resurgence, that might have been possible, but now that spiritual energy had revived, there were more and more cultivators who could fly through the skies and burrow into the earth. Even if all the soldiers in the army were cultivators, they couldn't stop everyone.

Just then, a few streaks of spiritual light cut across the sky. Hua Changxi looked closely and saw several cultivators flying on swords. Spotting one of them as Gu Jinfan, she quickly left to avoid being seen.

Not long after Hua Changxi left, Gu Jinfan and a few cultivators from the Duke of Xin's mansion landed on the official road where the army was stationed.

Looking at the towering and majestic Lingguang Hall in the distance, Gu Jinfan felt extremely unsettled.

In her previous life, Lingguang Hall had appeared several years later, opened by Liu Yiyun, the senior disciple of Taisu Palace. But Liu Yiyun was still trapped in the Kunlun Secret Realm right now.

Who was it? Who had opened Lingguang Hall ahead of time?

Lingguang Hall had appeared early, a great chaos had broken out at Genmen Pass, the Demon-Suppressing Army had captured Genmen Bridge; things were changing, and the trajectory of the previous life was shifting again.

In her previous life, there had never been a major upheaval at Genmen Pass. Genmen Pass had always been under the control of demon beasts, to the point that later, the demon race used Genmen Pass to launch a massive attack on Fu Sheng Pavilion, one of the four great array eyes that suppressed the Demon Imprisonment Prison. If not for Hua Shiniang, Yan Xiaoyang, and Chu Junyi's desperate resistance, Fu Sheng Pavilion would have nearly disappeared from the Central Continent.

Now, the Demon-Suppressing Army had taken Genmen Bridge. Given their methods, they would surely conquer the territories of other demon beasts at Genmen Pass step by step.

In this way, the crisis that had befallen Fu Sheng Pavilion in the previous life would cease to exist.

The Five Holy Lands of the Central Continent each possessed two supreme treasures: one was the Demon-Slaying Sword that suppressed the Demon Imprisonment Prison, and the other was the holy land's divine artifact.

The divine artifact of Fu Sheng Pavilion was a talisman brush. Unfortunately, the brush had been lost, and the people of Fu Sheng Pavilion had never been able to find it.

In this life, the crisis at Fu Sheng Pavilion would most likely not occur, and the talisman brush would probably not be lost either.

At this moment, a cultivator from the Duke of Xin's mansion walked over to Gu Jinfan and said in a low voice, "I've found out. The day Lingguang Hall appeared was the same day the chaos broke out at Genmen Pass."

"A man in a black robe rushed into Lingguang Hall, drove away Prince Fu and his group, and then Lingguang Hall emerged."

"That black-robed person hasn't moved for days, but yesterday he made a move and drove the soldiers stationed outside the Lingguang Hall several li away, then left."

"Now that the black-robed person should be gone, should we take the chance to go in and take a look?"

Gu Jinfan's expression stiffened on hearing this, and then her gaze flickered continuously.

There was no need to guess—the black-robed person who opened the Lingguang Hall was that female cultivator who could summon the Vermilion Bird Flame and severely wound the Nether Dragon.

With the Vermilion Bird Flame, the fire lotus, and all the things she had probed about Hua Changxi, she already had a guess in her heart.

"Is it her?"

"Could it be her?"

Just thinking that someone who had died early in the previous life had changed the trajectory of so many events in that life, Gu Jinfan felt a mixture of emotions, but mixed among them was some self-satisfaction.

In her view, if she hadn't appeared on the underground transmission platform of Lingguang Hall, Hua Changxi would definitely have died early at the hands of the Prefect of Jingzhao's father, just like in the previous life.

In this life, the direction of the Four Spirit Realm had been changed, and ultimately it was she who had pushed it.

"Let's go, back to the Medical Department."

"Going back just like that? Not going to take a look inside that palace?"

"No, I need to go back to the Medical Department to confirm some things."

Gu Jinfan summoned her flying sword and left without looking back.

Watching her leave, the cultivator from the Xinguo Duke's Mansion sighed: "She just came back from the Gen Gate Pass, and Seventh Miss doesn't even think to go back to the mansion to rest."

On her way back to the Medical Department, Hua Changxi thought the whole way. She felt that she should change her schedule slightly.

Before, she wanted to quickly increase her cultivation, so she was eager to improve her cultivation speed.

Now, she was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, and her cultivation speed had reached 2 million points per hour—not slow anymore. She felt she should make up for what she had previously neglected.

The first thing was to improve her alchemy skills!

Also, she had lost her Buddhist prayer beads at the Niutou Mountain in the Ghost Market, and the wooden token was no longer in her hand. Even if she taught at the Qihuang Hall again, she wasn't sure if it could still increase her cultivation speed.

So, she wanted to stop all her teaching at the Qihuang Hall and focus on alchemy.

Although recruiting the Vermilion Bird Army wasn't urgent, she still needed to pay more attention to suitable candidates in her daily life.

While Hua Changxi was thinking about all this, she arrived at the Medical Department. After returning to the Chores Hall, she originally thought that since she hadn't taught for seven days, the enthusiasm for attending class in the Chores Hall would have cooled down. But when she reached the Qihuang Hall, she saw many people already waiting with their books.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi sighed. Her personal energy was simply too limited; she really couldn't cope with such a great enthusiasm for learning from so many people.

"Manager Hua."

Zhou Qiuyu walked over, greeting Hua Changxi with a smile.

Seeing her, Hua Changxi suddenly slapped her head: "I've been too busy lately and forgot about you and Fifth Sister. How is my Fifth Sister's health?"

Zhou Qiuyu smiled: "Concubine Hua's health has been regulated, and the young master's health is also very good."

Hua Changxi nodded: "The He family hasn't been making things difficult for my Fifth Sister?"

Zhou Qiuyu shook her head: "No. Over this past month, Third Master He has come to see Concubine Hua and the child almost every day. The Marquis' wife and the Hereditary Prince's wife also frequently send things to Concubine Hua."

Hua Changxi was relieved to hear that Hua Wuniang was doing well: "You've worked hard during this time. Go home and rest for two days. After you've rested, come back and help me compile the Complete Manual of Common Plants and the Classic of Herbal Processing. I won't be giving lectures often in the future. Let those who want to study medicine buy the books directly."

Hearing this, Zhou Qiuyu's expression stiffened. You could say she was the biggest beneficiary of Hua Changxi's lectures, so naturally, she hoped to attend as many classes as possible. Learning that Hua Changxi would no longer teach in the future, her heart was filled with disappointment.

Hua Changxi looked at her: "I need to focus on other things; I simply can't spare the time for teaching. However, I will find time to guide you, Wang Yunchu, and the others in alchemy."

"Of course, if I teach you alchemy, you'll have to work for me as well. I have ten medicine shops on my hands. Once you learn alchemy, you'll need to work at those shops."

"About this, let me know what you and Wang Yunchu and the others think—whether you're willing or not."

Zhou Qiuyu quickly said: "Everyone will definitely be willing. Ever since we started studying medicine and cultivation under Manager Hua, we've considered ourselves your people. Whatever orders you give, we naturally obey."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Since you trust me so much, I certainly won't let you end up empty-handed."

Seeing that the number of chores outside the Qihuang Hall was growing, Hua Changxi didn't say more to Zhou Qiuyu and walked straight into Qihuang Hall No. 6. The chores followed her in one after another.

"Everyone, I have something to announce."

"From now on, I won't be teaching every day. However, I will periodically guide everyone in alchemy at Qihuang Hall No. 6."

"Today counts as my last unified lesson for everyone. I will fully demonstrate the steps of alchemy for you all to see."

Hearing that Hua Changxi would no longer teach in the future, the menial workers were filled with disappointment. But Hua Changxi had always taught them for free, so no matter how unwilling they were, they had no position or reason to keep her.

"Alright, don't be sad. I will have Zhou Qiuyu organize all the lessons I've taught in class before. You can buy the books and study according to your own situations."

"Today's alchemy steps, I will demonstrate several times. Even if you don't understand something, it's best to write it down and take it back to slowly study."

"Today, besides refining mortal pills, I will also demonstrate the process of refining spirit pills. Everyone, watch carefully."

Just as Hua Changxi began her lesson, Gu Jinfan also returned to the Medical Bureau.

Although she urgently wanted to confirm whether Hua Changxi was the one who severely injured the Nether Dragon and opened the Lingguang Hall, she held back and first summoned the person she had planted in the Apprentice Hall.

"Greetings, Seventh Lady."

Lu Qingling was somewhat nervous; this was the first time she had been summoned since defecting to Gu Jinfan.

Gu Jinfan looked at Lu Qingling: "I told you to keep an eye on Hua Changxi. Has she had any unusual movements during this time?"

Lu Qingling: "Reporting to the Seventh Lady, Hua Changxi has not come to the Medical Bureau these past few days."

Gu Jinfan's expression perked up: "From which day did she stop coming?"

Lu Qingling: "Starting from the seventh day of the sixth month until yesterday, the fifteenth, in between Hua Changxi did not appear in the Menial Hall."

Gu Jinfan abruptly stood up: "Are you sure?"

Lu Qingling nodded: "Ever since I received the Seventh Lady's orders, I go to the Menial Hall every day to find my younger sister. My sister loves listening to Hua Changxi's lectures. I can guarantee that Hua Changxi has not been in the Menial Hall these past few days."

Gu Jinfan took a deep breath. If Hua Changxi really hadn't been in the Menial Hall these past few days, then she could almost be one hundred percent certain that the one who opened the Lingguang Hall was her.

"You may go now. Continue to keep an eye on Hua Changxi."

"Oh, and since your younger sister once shared a room with Hua Changxi, you should urge her to get closer to Hua Changxi. I want to know everything about Hua Changxi."

Lu Qingling's expression changed. Although she didn't want to involve her younger sister Lu Qingluo, to take revenge on the Lu family for their mother's murder, the sisters could only rely on the Seventh Lady: "Yes."

After Lu Qingling left, Gu Jinfan immediately rushed straight to the Menial Hall.

Since Hua Changxi was the master of the Lingguang Hall, she could arrange many things. The Vermilion Bird Divine Art was the most powerful fire technique in the Four Spirit Realm. She could arrange for cultivators with fire spiritual roots from the Gu family and those who had defected to the Duke of Xin to cultivate the Vermilion Bird Divine Art.

In time, she would be able to form a supremely powerful Vermilion Bird Army.

The Vermilion Bird Army...

The thought of being able to establish a Vermilion Bird Army excited Gu Jinfan immensely. Unable to wait to see Hua Changxi immediately, she directly summoned her flying sword and rode it to the Menial Hall.

"Hua Changxi."

When Gu Jinfan charged into the No. 6 Medical Hall, Hua Changxi was demonstrating the process of refining spirit pills to the menial workers. Gu Jinfan's sudden appearance almost caused Hua Changxi to blow up the furnace.

Hua Changxi extinguished the alchemy fire and then said in an aggressive tone: "Gu Seventh Lady, is there something wrong with your eyes? Can't you see I'm alchemizing?"

Gu Jinfan knew she had been rash, but she had no intention of apologizing. She looked around at the menial workers in the hall: "Hua Changxi, make them leave. I have something to tell you."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi laughed in anger: "Gu Jinfan, don't you even understand the most basic respect for others? I am teaching. Please leave."

Gu Jinfan hadn't expected Hua Changxi to have this attitude. In her view, she was Hua Changxi's savior. Even if Hua Changxi didn't grovel in gratitude, she should at least show basic thanks: "Hua Changxi, I really have something very important to tell you."

Hua Changxi's face went completely cold: "Don't you understand human speech? Who do you think you are? Just because you have something to tell me, do I have to listen?"

Gu Jinfan also became angry: "Hua Changxi, I never expected you to be such an ungrateful person."

Hua Changxi was bewildered. Yes, on the Vermilion Bird teleportation platform, Gu Jinfan had untied the ropes on her hands. But if that made her a lifesaver? Sorry, but she didn't acknowledge it.

She had survived at the hands of the demonic cultivator by her own efforts.

Hua Changxi didn't want to waste words with her: "Please leave."

Gu Jinfan's face turned cold, and she sneered: "I just returned from Nanxiang County and saw the imperial army sealing off the Lingguang Hall. I know who the master of the Lingguang Hall is. What do you think, should I tell the court?"

Hua Changxi stood up with a start. Hearing the threat in Gu Jinfan's words, killing intent surged in her heart. Suddenly, a pain shot through the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw a black fish pattern appearing.