"It’s you again, Lin. I appreciate the sentiment..."
Zhong Shenxiu casually cast a spell, helping Xu Shaoling to his feet, and looking at his now more matured face, smiled and said, "Now that I’ve come out of seclusion, you all should leave, and by the way, notify Lin about it."
Several minor officials of the Mystic Sky Bureau verbally agreed but their feet seemed rooted to the spot, and they didn’t move for a long time.
Xu Shaoling felt a bit disheartened, aware that he truly had no destiny with this Immortal Master, and prepared to leave.
Zhong Shenxiu thought for a moment and said, "Our meeting again must mean we share some minor fate. I have a Condensing Method Pill here that can help an Innate Martial Practitioner concentrate their mana, taking a step towards the Dao..."
Before he finished speaking, the eyes of those minor officials lit up like lanterns.
"But to expect me to give it away for nothing, that’s impossible... I will rest here for several days, and it would be difficult for you to find the heavenly and earthly treasures necessary for cultivation to exchange with. Nevertheless... If you can bring me ten thousand White Emperor Coins, or a hundred Red Emperor Coins, or a bushel of pearls, I will grant you one."
At these words, the several officials all gave wry smiles.
The trading conditions were clearly meant for Xu Shaoling alone; the others had no part in it.
Even if it were otherwise, they didn’t have that amount of gold and silver!
"Ten thousand White Emperor Coins..."
Xu Shaoling inhaled sharply, "Even my family couldn’t produce so much silver at a moment’s notice..."
"Otherwise, do you think the pursuit of immortality, the path to the Dao, would be so easy?"
Zhong Shenxiu sneered coldly.
Xu Shaoling shivered all over, as if he’d been hit with a sudden realization. Without another word, he bowed and then quickly went on his way.
His colleagues immediately followed, exchanging glances with each other.
None of them could produce ten thousand White Emperor Coins all at once, but if each family pooled their resources, it was still possible.
However, they faced two major challenges, the first being that Xu Shaoling held the rights to the exchange, and the second being the distribution problem of the Condensing Method Pill even if they managed to bring their resources together.
Such matters, if not handled carefully, could lead to a violent outbreak.
Zhong Shenxiu, after making an idle promise without concern for the future troubles it might bring Xu Shaoling, went straight to the shopkeeper and, tossing over a few White Emperor Coins, had him prepare a fine table of wine and dishes to be brought to his small courtyard for a hearty feast.
Although having reached the Divine Power Realm, where one could fast for long periods or consume Fasting Pills.
But the pursuit of immortality was about seeking freedom.
If one were to forsake these worldly pleasures, then there really wasn’t much point to it all.
Zhong Shenxiu sat beneath a grape arbor, slurping a mouthful of wine and picking up a chopstick full of sweet and sour pork. He was enjoying himself when he saw Lin Xunyi’s fleeing light descend.
As a Law Enforcement Envoy of the royal court, it was rare for him to use spells in front of the common people in the city.
This man coming in such a rush must have urgent business.
"Disaster has struck." Lin Xunyi’s face was filled with urgency. "Three hundred miles away, within Colorful Cloud Mountain, a Black Lotus Sect stronghold has been found. The Mystic Sky Bureau has ordered nearby Daoist Officials to rush to support, to exterminate demons! It is my duty to go, and Brother Su, I fear you might also..."
"Haha, since it’s the Emperor’s command, naturally, I must go. Why don’t we go together?"
Zhong Shenxiu laughed heartily.
In reality, he had another mission, and pretending ignorance could easily get him through this situation.
Even if there were investigations later, having powerful backers meant there wasn’t much to worry about.
He had been waiting for the Black Lotus Sect for a while now, so when he heard the news, how could he resist joining in on all the commotion?
Outside Colorful Cloud Mountain.
A dilapidated temple stood with broken doors and a leaky roof; the statues of deities no longer existed, and it was unclear how long it had been deserted.
At that moment, streaks of light descended, revealing the figures of cultivators.
Feng Xixi, donning a Five-Colored Feather Robe, looked at the mountain range enveloped in a colorful haze and couldn’t help but feel a tremor in her heart.
She wasn’t a Daoist Official, but Master Ming Xue’s presence was so formidable that even Great Protector Yan Beiling could be scolded at will, and she offered no face to the old ancestors of Cloud Mirror Sect. Every cultivator who had participated in the siege on Poison Dragon Cave that day had been summoned to Luo State to serve as cannon fodder against the Black Lotus Sect.
As far as she knew, there had already been numerous casualties.
It seemed that the Daoist Officials of Fufeng Protectorate were quickly withering away.
But what could they do when the other party oppressed them with their powerful strength? There was no one to turn to for grievances.
Thinking this, she glanced to the side and saw a young nobleman dressed in fine clothes. It was unclear why he was also here, surrounded by a protector in the Divine Power Realm and three Gangsha Daoists.
This young man, the Heir of Duke Yingwu—Zhu Lie, used to be very arrogant back in the Fufeng Protectorate.
For some reason, as soon as Master Ming Xue arrived, this person was also sent to the battlefield, ostensibly to temper the young one.
But he was completely ignorant and unskilled; if he went to the frontlines, he was likely to be killed in action immediately!
It forced Yan Beiling to specially assign a Divine Power Realm Daoist Official, who was guarding the scripture library, to protect him in order not to offend Duke Yingwu or the Prince lurking in the background.
’It seems that Zhu Lie was influenced by a certain Prince to court Great Protector Yan Beiling... But the Primordial Pill Ancestor should know this and still gave him such a hard time... This must be... the Emperor’s intention...’
Feng Xixi only thought for a moment before she dared not contemplate any further, quickly lowering her head.
Having seen someone in an even worse situation than herself, she felt a great deal of relief in her heart.
’In the midst of Colorful Cloud Mountain lies an altar of the Black Lotus Sect... Such altars are not only troublesome to set up and difficult to relocate, but they also require a specific terrain and environment... it’s extremely hard to abandon, so a fierce battle is likely.’
Feng Xixi was just at the Gang Sha Realm; she hadn’t even completed her "Nine Yin" training, and at this moment, she felt incredibly uneasy.
Just then, two more lights came down from a hundred feet in the sky, presumably Daoist Officials of the Gang Sha Realm converging nearby.
One of them had an extraordinary charm and a leisurely demeanor, as if he were a noble young master out on an outing, accompanied by a large yellow dog.
When Feng Xixi saw him, her beautiful eyes couldn’t help but widen in surprise: "Su Daoshi?"
Zhong Shenxiu glanced over and was surprised to see some familiar faces from the Fufeng Protectorate. He smiled and moved forward to greet them.
Besides Feng Xixi, he recognized Zhu Lie, the gentleman who had been taught a lesson by Lu Huolong. The elderly man by Zhu Lie’s side was the very Divine Power Realm Daoist Official who had not made things difficult for him when selecting spells but had also not given him any hints, deliberately watching him fall into a trap!
Looking back, the silent pressure he had felt at that time was probably due to this Princely Heir’s secret instigation, on top of his status as a former commoner.
"How did you end up here, too? Alas... it seems I can’t escape this ordeal after all."
Feng Xixi sighed, then whispered, "Heir Zhu Lie from Duke Yingwu is here as well; you have to be careful!"
’The one who should be careful has never been me...’
Zhong Shenxiu muttered to himself internally, only to catch a provocative glance from the finely dressed young man.
One of the servants, who was evidently in the Gang Sha Realm, knew that his young master had some grievances with this Daoist Official and wanted to show off in front of his master. He immediately took a step forward and pointed at Zhong Shenxiu’s nose: "You little official, you don’t know the first thing about manners. Don’t you see the Princely Heir? Aren’t you going to come forward and pay your respects?"
The next moment, a yellow flash streaked by.
The servant cried out in pain, falling to the ground and wailing, "Ah! My hand..."
His whole palm, which he had pointed at Zhong Shenxiu, had been bitten clean off by the golden-furred dog.