Chapter 52: Conditions

Sang Zhenren waited for Jiang Yu to speak again, and Jiang Yu finished with a single sentence, cautiously waiting for her to speak, and the scene became a bit awkward.

Fortunately, an Eclipse Tiger strutted in with its head held high, looking like its master, "Hehe, Jiang Yu, you come up as a guest without even a greeting, so I, the king, will go down to fetch you."

"How could I dare trouble you," the other, now a battle beast of the Enforcement Hall, was stronger than a human in strength, and Jiang Yu's words softened a bit.

"No need for politeness, in a few days we'll go to that Ten Thousand Swords Sect, and along the way you must search the markets for me for delicacies.

Rest assured, spirit stones and the like, I have them; the Enforcement Hall's salary is generous." The Eclipse Tiger adapted quickly to human life; with both pills and delicacies it was far more comfortable than its previous hard cultivation in the mountains.

The only drawback is the lack of freedom, and in the Spirit Beast Valley the Yao Race are all soft and pliant; without their wild nature they're not fun.

But never mind, once I quickly take a form I can leave the Grand Void Sect and head to other Yao territories.

"Going to Ten Thousand Swords Sect?" Jiang Yu thought inwardly, could it be that Master Hu had also sent a message about this?

At this moment, Sang Zhenren cleared her throat lightly; she wasn't good at beating around the bush, so she took the opportunity to speak plainly, "The Ten Thousand Swords Sect has sent an invitation, holding a trial‑sword tournament for the Foundation Establishment period.

Although your cultivation level isn't high enough, you have a slot to select a sword from the Sword Pool, so you can go with everyone and pick a suitable sword to use.

I approached you because I want to borrow that slot from you; within reasonable bounds, the conditions are up to you."

Jiang Yu thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Disciple, may I exchange for a top‑grade Foundation Establishment pill?

Also, please help me obtain the two pills I applied for, to receive them soon.

"Sure, I'll also give you a Purple Marrow Pill; when you pass the barrier it can relax tendons, expand meridians, and dispel pill toxins." Sang Zhenren could understand the young cultivators' obsession with Foundation Establishment.

Back then, when she established her foundation, she also kept three or four pills nearby, so she could seal herself in peace to advance.

Her disciple recently succeeded in Foundation Establishment, and the extra pill she had prepared happened to be one left over.

If her outstanding disciple were to obtain the Spirit‑Communicating Treasure Sword, it would be far more valuable than any pill.

"Then, take it. I'll make introductions at the Internal Affairs Hall, and tomorrow at noon you can go redeem it.

But you should ideally reach the Great Fullness of Refining Qi, then Foundation Establishment will be more secure." She flashed a spiritual light, and two bottles of top‑grade pills flew to Jiang Yu's front, still uncapped for inspection.

"Thank you, Elder." Jiang Yu held one in her hand; upon smelling the pill fragrance she knew one of the bottles was a top‑grade Foundation Establishment pill.

She took it and immediately presented the sword‑shaped wooden token given by the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, regardless of who went.

And Sang Zhenren, fully in the manner of a sword cultivator, saw the transaction through and then saw the guest off.

Having watched the whole scene, the Eclipse Tiger voluntarily escorted them down the mountain path, and said, "You don't know, Ye Lin was originally assigned to mine for ten years."

"His ancestor has emerged from the barrier." Jiang Yu had recently heard that Elder Ye had appeared, but so far the Ye family hasn't taken any action toward her.

The Eclipse Tiger said coolly, "When your human race gathers together, it's too troublesome.

Unlike us Yao Race, we fight outright; whoever is stronger becomes the leader, without any sentimental ties."

"So which powerful one poisoned you?" Little Turtle Jiang Tu couldn't help but stick his head out.

"Bored." The conversation died, the Eclipse Tiger flapped its wings and flew away; during its medicinal bath it had once been shortchanged by a Little Mystic Turtle, and not knowing its background it paid it little mind.

Jiang Yu stared at its silhouette for a while before withdrawing her gaze.

Jiang Tu, puzzled, asked, "What are you looking at it for?"

"Perhaps something major happened among the Er Mountain Yao Race, causing it to willingly stay."

"Even a powerful Seventh‑Stage Yao would need to survive a period before taking form." Jiang Yu would never have thought that a group of Yao that migrated from the Yao Court included a transformed Ninth‑Stage.

Equivalent to a late Nascent Soul‑stage Yao king, its mind more like a human's; failing to subdue local Yao, it naturally resorted to other means.

Thus the dissatisfied Eclipse Tiger and other Yao attended the grand banquet, were elegantly poisoned, but it seized the chance and fled.

But the Ninth‑Stage didn't gain any advantage; after running to the Eclipse Tiger's lair, it triggered a hidden restriction.

This caused a massive explosion, injuring even the Grand Void Sect's Nascent Soul Elder, who was alarmed and went to Er Mountain to investigate.

Jiang Yu and the other were also fortunate, rescued by Elder Fu Ju who happened to pass by.

And this elder, together with Sui Lv Zhenjun, located that Ninth‑Stage and engaged it.

Unfortunately, just as they were about to capture the creature, the Ninth‑Stage Yao cultivator turned out to possess a human‑space teleportation talisman, causing the effort to collapse.

But the two Nascent Soul Zhenjuns, to prevent the Seventh‑Stage Yao from causing trouble after migrating from the Yao Court, also kept watch for that Ninth‑Stage returning to Er Mountain, patrolling the mountain ever since.

However, the truth was that the two elders discovered the "Luring Yao Powder" incident was a collusion between humans and Yao.

Elder Fu Ju Zhenjun could barely hide his fatigue: "Senior brother, we've already questioned all local Seventh‑Stage Yao, and none have seen a human cultivator who has met both the Eclipse Tiger and the Ninth‑Stage Single‑Horned Fire Ox."

But the Eclipse Tiger couldn't have fabricated a cultivator out of thin air who both met Ye Lin and resembled him.

"Hmm, their private contacts are certainly more secretive."

I learned from the Sixth and Seventh‑Stage Yao that the Single‑Horned Fire Ox ordered all subordinates to seal the gates for ten days.

Counting the time, it happens to be the day before the disciples entered the mountain.

That person even deliberately left a flaw at Ye Lin's place, likely intending to provoke us.

"Let's go, there's nothing more to investigate here." There are many Nascent Soul cultivators in the cultivation world, and Sui Lv Zhenjun couldn't immediately guess who it was.

From now on, we will meet each move with a counter: "The sects have reported that the Ten Thousand Swords Sect suddenly convened a trial‑sword conference, inviting foundation sword cultivators from all sects to perform martial displays at Ten Thousand Demon Mountain."

Presumably, they also discovered some anomaly among the Yao on their side.

The Ten Thousand Swords Sect, the Beast Taming Sect, and the Returning Origin Sect, three human sects, form an arc from east to south, separating the human races from the southeastern Yao Court.

Just as the Profound Heaven Sect and the Spiritual Ruins Sect stand at the forefront of the Demon Gate in the north, if these three sects discover that the Yao Court has signs of a great beast tide, they will also send letters to all factions, urging them to go and guard.

Elder Fu Ju Zhenjun, unwilling to fly again, stepped onto his senior brother's evasion light to borrow some illumination, "The war between Dao and Demons has just eased, and the Yao Race is stirring again."

I reasonably suspect they are colluding, deliberately striking the Dao Sect.

"Ten Thousand Swords Sect, have they invited the Demon Gate?"

If the beast tide fully awakens, the Demon Gate cannot escape trouble.

Sui Lv Zhenjun had the same speculation: "Most likely there is an invitation; we'll go back to see the specifics and see which elders are being sent."

I have strong objections to this generation's De Zhang's lukewarm handling of matters.

Moreover, De Zhang and a few from Baili are overly concerned with personal connections.

"Dao Void is just a name; the Daoist sect must preside over the Enforcement Hall, and the administrative affairs are not bad," Elder Fu Ju Zhenjun raised an eyebrow, indicating that some rumor had reached his senior brother's ears.

She slightly moved her sleeve, using the messaging jade to ask disciple Xia Bing.

"But she is Lin Quan's direct junior sister, and the two have been dithering for a hundred years without formally becoming partners, so many things cannot be spoken of."

"We should find an opportunity to disrupt the original rotating eight‑person group." Sui Lv Zhenjun, the sect head, will change it if dissatisfied.

When entering the mountain gate quickly, he added, "Tell Lin Quan, if a wedding should be held, hold it; thereafter Ling Zhang should no longer take part in the rotation."

"I obtained a Hundred Saint Fruit this time; give it to the two to consume, and if they try hard they can have a child."

Fu Ju Zhenjun: …

And her messaging jade displayed a line: Ye Lin's ten‑year punishment reduced to five years.

The other party's junior disciple applied for a Foundation Establishment Pill, but was postponed.