Just one day after Xu Ping left, a piece of news suddenly spread in the market.
The Longevity Sect was finally sending someone.
Countless people, upon hearing the news, were first stunned, then filled with joy.
This life of constant fear was finally coming to an end.
When the Longevity Sect was around, though it was like being beasts of burden, at least life was manageable.
Without the Longevity Sect, even being a beast of burden was impossible.
Zhang Chenyu, upon hearing the news, immediately went to find Xu Ping, but after calling for a long time, no one answered.
"Could he have gone out?"
"Never mind, he probably already knows this news. I’ll talk to him about leaving this damn place when he returns."
He had indeed had enough of this place and had long wanted to leave this damn place.
Time quietly passed amidst the anxious waiting of many.
Eight days later, in the morning.
A gigantic shadow suddenly enveloped Dongwu Market.
Countless people looked up.
They saw high in the sky, a menacing flying ship coming from the west, just blocking the sun.
This flying ship stretched a hundred zhang long, its entire body a light golden hue, with countless complex and mysterious runes inscribed on the surface.
On the prow, a golden banner fluttered fiercely in the wind!
"The Longevity Sect has arrived!!"
Countless people beamed with excitement and began to cheer.
"Grandson, you say you’ve awakened the blood rune spirit body?" An elder in a Daoist robe exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, forefather, I just recently awakened it." Zhang Changqing nodded respectfully.
"Good, my good grandson, hahahaha..." The elder in the Daoist robe burst into laughter.
The blood rune spirit body was powerful even in the Qi Cultivation realm, but it would be even stronger in the Foundation Establishment realm.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, it could even draw third-level talismans, which were exceedingly rare throughout Yue Country.
As long as the sect wasn’t foolish, they would pile resources to make his grandson a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
By then, his status would probably be second only to the two Golden Core patriarchs.
"I will personally take you back to the sect. You’ve endured hardship, but the sect will surely compensate you well," the elder in the Daoist robe said with a smile, "You’ll definitely get a share of the next batch of Foundation Establishment Pills."
Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely difficult to craft; even with the Longevity Sect’s resources, they can only refine them once every ten years, and the quantity is limited.
Countless sect disciples in the ninth layer of Qi Refining eagerly await the decadal opportunity for Foundation Establishment.
"I understand, forefather." Zhang Changqing also smiled.
Though he had anticipated it, he couldn’t help but be excited.
After all, it was a Foundation Establishment Pill!
"No, to avoid any long nights with dreams, I’ll take you away now." The elder in the Daoist robe hurriedly prepared to leave with Zhang Changqing.
"Forefather, wait a moment, I have important matters to report."
"What matters could be more important than my grandson? You can talk about it on the way," the elder said indifferently.
"It’s very important; among the loose cultivators in the market, there’s a fellow named Bai Zhiyuan, who despite only being in the Qi Cultivation realm, has already comprehended the Sword Qi Thunder Sound."
The elder’s voice abruptly stopped, and he suddenly turned his head in shock, staring at Zhang Changqing, "You... you said someone in the Qi Cultivation realm has understood the Sword Qi Thunder Sound!?!"
With a loud noise, the door was violently pushed open, and a middle-aged man in a richly embroidered robe rushed in, shouting at Zhang Changqing’s grandfather Zhang Boxi:
"Old Zhang, something’s wrong! There’s a loose cultivator in the market who comprehended Sword Qi Thunder Sound while still in the Qi Cultivation realm!!"
His voice was as loud as a bell, causing people’s eardrums to throb in pain.
"I know." Zhang Boxi regained his composure, though a trace of shock lingered in his eyes.
"This matters so much we can’t handle it! We must inform the sect!" The middle-aged man shouted urgently, lacking any demeanor of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"Informing the sect is a must, but since the news has already spread, we should seal the market first; no one is allowed to leave." Zhang Boxi calmly analyzed.
"Grandson, that friend Bai Zhiyuan of yours, are you familiar with him? Can you find him?" he turned and asked Zhang Changqing again.
"Not very familiar," Zhang Changqing admitted, nine parts truth and one part lie, about his dealings with Xu Ping.
After hearing, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators fell silent.
Especially when Zhang Changqing mentioned how he cut down a possessed black snake’s Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator and even a Golden Core Demon Cultivator with one sword stroke, both were astounded beyond words.
To defy a Demon Cultivator with the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation, this is the Sword Qi Thunder Sound!!
"But, that friend Bai Zhiyuan most likely already left the market," Zhang Changqing suddenly added amidst their shock.
Hearing this, they were both startled and quickly asked, "What happened?"
"About half a month ago, that friend Bai asked me for a map of Yue Country and its surroundings. I didn’t dare refuse; after he took the map, he hasn’t been seen for half a month," Zhang Changqing said, half-true, half-false.
Hearing this, both furrowed their brows and fell silent.
If this world-class sword cultivator had left, it would be much more complicated to deal with.
The news might not stay contained.
"Alas, better notify the sect and let the two patriarchs decide," Zhang Boxi sighed.
"That’s all we can do," the middle-aged man nodded.
A message from the sect arrived.
"What do the patriarchs say?" the middle-aged man asked anxiously.
Without speaking, Zhang Boxi handed him the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman.
The middle-aged man penetrated it with his Divine Sense and read through in a moment’s time.
"What does the patriarch mean by sealing the market and searching thoroughly, I can understand, but why announce the news if we don’t find him in a month?" the man frowned.
Zhang Boxi didn’t answer, instead, he asked, "Do you think, after we find that sword cultivator, our sect can keep him?"
"What’s so hard about it? Just kill everyone who knows," the middle-aged man blurted out.
Zhang Boxi shook his head helplessly, "Not to mention the nearly ten thousand loose cultivators in the market; we have quite a number of disciples in our sect who know, too! Kill them all?"
"We can implant restrictions in the Sea of Consciousness of the sect disciples," the man pondered and suggested. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⟡fire.net
"What if the news still gets out?" Zhang Boxi countered.
"That loose sword cultivator’s talent is indeed unprecedented; without any guidance, he managed to understand the Sword Qi Thunder Sound at the Qi Cultivation realm."
"It’s almost certain he’ll reach the second realm of swordsmanship, the Sword Light Soaring, and even the third realm, the Sword Rainbow Splitting Light, isn’t off the table."
"You have to know, the third realm of swordsmanship is a domain even Nascent Soul cultivators aspire to reach!"
"Do you think if the news gets out, the Luoyun Sect would let us be?"
"We can’t gamble with the whole sect! The patriarchs wouldn’t wager their lives either!"
Zhang Boxi’s words were like needles, piercing into the middle-aged man’s heart; though he opened his mouth, he said nothing in the end.
The Luoyun Sect was all-powerful in Yue Country, and it wouldn’t allow any force to threaten it.
Not even a hint of potential could be permitted.