At last, after a quick discussion, Chai Lingxin and Rongyun decided to bid for a cultivation art called the Plum Blossom Spirit Art from the Profound Spirit Dao Sect.
According to its description, this art could be cultivated all the way to the Mahayana Stage. It required some special resources, but those resources were not particularly difficult for their sects to obtain.
As for cultivation arts that could lead to the Earthly Immortal Realm, they did not even bother looking at them.
Everyone here was no fool. The Profound Spirit Dao Sect had not produced an Earthly Immortal in all these years. Although that was partly due to the restrictions on the number of Earthly Immortals allowed to exist, the fact remained that since they had failed, the cultivation art they possessed was naturally inferior to their own sect’s foundational art.
“If the two of you have chosen this one, the terms can be negotiated,” Long Ling said with a welcoming smile. “I’ve heard that you obtained the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s Artifact-Refining Hall this time, along with quite a few powerful spiritual artifacts and treasures. Of those, we’ll take ten manuals containing the methods for refining artifacts usable by cultivators in the Immaculate Realm. As for the artifacts themselves, five that can be used by cultivators in the Immaculate Realm will suffice.”
Chai Lingxin and Rongyun felt that price was a little steep, so they began haggling with Long Ling.
After all, it would take a long time to master a cultivation art, whereas the artifacts and refining manuals could immediately be exchanged for spirit stones or used to increase their combat strength.
In the end, they exchanged eight refining manuals and four artifacts for the cultivation art.
Long Ling took their storage bag and gave it a cursory scan with her spiritual sense. She was just about to examine it more closely when Xiang Peiyao called out, “Senior Sister Long, it’s our turn.”
With no choice, Long Ling handed the storage bag to the elders beside her and had them inspect it.
[Wow, all these artifacts have flaws, and the refining manuals have had something added to them. They’ll greatly reduce the chances of successfully refining the artifacts. These cultivation sects really have no integrity at all.] The Sword Spirit was utterly astonished. It had thought that passing off inferior goods as quality merchandise was something that only happened to Shu Xin. Now it seemed that everyone in the cultivation world followed the same rules.
“Do you really think there’s nothing wrong with this Plum Blossom Spirit Art?” Shu Xin retorted. “You just said that all these cultivation arts have more or less some problems. So which is it? Were the flaws already there when they were in the hands of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect, or were they added after the Longevity Dao Sect modified them?”
Besides, both Dao Sects understood that if they made drastic changes to the techniques, the alterations would soon be discovered.
But if they merely made minor adjustments, they would only lower the chances of success while leaving the actual power of the art intact.
It was simply a way of artificially increasing the difficulty.
It was like solving a mathematical problem that asked you to add all the numbers from one to one hundred. There was an easy way to calculate it, but instead, the student was forced to add every number one by one. The final answer would be the same, but the process would consume far more time and energy.
Shu Xin suspected that the reason the Earthly Immortals could no longer ascend, and that everyone’s cultivation level was gradually declining, was not solely due to the thinning spiritual energy. There might also be many “man-made factors” involved.
Who knew whether the cultivation arts practiced by those Earthly Immortals had likewise been tampered with by their predecessors, leaving them unable to ascend successfully all this time?
What followed were more scenes much like the previous one.
Those selling the cultivation arts harbored ulterior motives, while those buying them were no pushovers either.
On the surface, the whole affair ought to have looked fairly harmonious.
Yet Shu Xin could not help feeling that something was wrong.
On the territory of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect, which had already been declared destroyed, all the orthodox Dao sects and demonic sects were happily dividing up the spoils together. That was simply too out of character for the cultivation world.
Sure enough, the moment Yin Rushi of the Blood Demon Sect exchanged for a jade slip containing an art called the Wave-Breaking Divine Art, she began making trouble.
“Daoist Long, please return the spirit stones and heavenly treasures I just gave you.” Yin Rushi rose directly to her feet and let out a cold snort. “I thought this cultivation art looked strange the moment I saw it. After examining it carefully following the exchange, I realized that it’s clearly the first seventy percent of my Blood Demon Art, with only a few irrelevant words slightly altered. This is obviously the Profound Spirit Dao Sect stealing my Blood Demon Art. How can you still demand resources from our sect? If anything, the Profound Spirit Dao Sect should be compensating us.”
Here it comes.
Shu Xin almost yawned. She had finally been waiting for the Blood Demon Sect to make its move.
Heh. Other sects might give the Longevity Dao Sect some respect, but the Blood Demon Ancestor was notorious for being unreasonable. Now that the cultivation world was on the verge of descending into chaos, his disciples and descendants were behaving even more according to their nature.
“What exactly are you implying?” Long Ling sneered. “No one has ever seen your sect’s Blood Demon Art. You say they’re the same, so they’re the same? Do you dare take out your sect’s Blood Demon Art and let me compare the two carefully?”
“How could we possibly take out our sect’s foundational art and let you steal it? Why don’t you take out your sect’s Myriad Ages Everlasting Spring Art for us to examine?” Yin Rushi wore an evil smile. “Daoist Long, let’s not damage our friendship. As long as you compensate me with two more cultivation arts, this matter can be put to rest, and you can continue doing business.”
“You’re going too far!” Chai Lingxin shouted angrily. “After saying all that, how can anyone continue doing business? Won’t everyone simply follow your example and start extorting us?”
Wouldn’t that make the honest exchange she and her senior brother had just completed utterly humiliating?
“That’s none of my concern.” Yin Rushi was utterly overbearing. “In any case, you owe us compensation. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
The three others beside Yin Rushi—Yang Fei, Juechen, and Fairy Mochou—also rose to their feet.
“Daoist Yin is right,” Fairy Mochou said, immediately placing a huge accusation on them. “I think your Dao sect is deliberately humiliating us. You actually dared to put our demonic sect’s cultivation art up for sale? At best, this proves that your Dao sect has failed to conduct itself properly. At worst, you’re deliberately provoking conflict between the orthodox and demonic factions!”
“I also think something’s wrong,” Yang Fei said slowly. “How could the Blood Demon Sect’s cultivation art have appeared in the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s Scripture Repository? The Profound Spirit Dao Sect doesn’t have the ability to accomplish something like that. Perhaps someone else is deliberately muddying the waters and pushing the blame onto the Profound Spirit Dao Sect.”
He was clearly implying that the Longevity Dao Sect was the mastermind behind everything.
“Hahaha, your Dao sect is the one bullying others!” Juechen followed up with a loud laugh.
Long Ling’s face had gone deathly pale with anger.
Qu Yougu and the others also shot to their feet, unwilling to back down.
Shu Xin had no choice but to stand as well.
“Looks like you and your companions truly intend to oppose the Longevity Dao Sect to the very end and cause trouble here?” A cold glint appeared in Long Ling’s eyes. She had reached the limit of her patience.
If she said nothing and simply admitted fault, her master would certainly punish her when she returned to the sect.
But if the matter escalated into an all-out conflict, her mission would be ruined all the same.
Damn that Blood Demon Sect!
Long Ling had already cursed them thoroughly in her heart.
The Blood Demon Ancestor was insane, and his disciples and descendants were no better.
“I’m merely protecting my sect’s interests,” Yin Rushi said. Yet the smile on her face made her true intentions perfectly clear. “How could our sect’s cultivation art be allowed to circulate outside?”
The Ancestor had said that if he did a good job—humiliating the Longevity Dao Sect and stirring up conflict throughout the cultivation world—he would be richly rewarded when he returned.
For that reason, Yin Rushi had joined forces with three other cultivators early on, paying a quantity of resources so large that even he felt the pain.
“What are you still wasting time talking for? Let’s settle this with our abilities.” Yang Fei revealed his magical treasure, firing the first shot in the conflict.
Accompanied by the roar of the magical treasure, the scene that had been perfectly normal only moments ago instantly transformed.
Shu Xin nimbly dodged the first wave of attacks, then vanished with a whoosh, using the Sword Spirit to conceal himself.
Qu Yougu grabbed Xie Xianzhi and quickly retreated.
“Fellow Daoist Shu, where are you?” Qu Yougu glanced around. He had no idea why Shu Xin had suddenly disappeared.
“I’m here. Let’s withdraw first.” Shu Xin’s voice sounded beside Qu Yougu’s ear. “The Blood Demon Sect is targeting the Longevity Dao Sect. Let’s grab some cultivation manuals and get out of here immediately!”
Outside the Scripture Repository, the Immaculate Realm cultivators of the Longevity Dao Sect who had been guarding the area suddenly came under attack.
Several Immaculate Realm cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect suddenly emerged from the ground and attacked without the slightest hesitation.
“Blood Demon Sect cultivators? What are you trying to do? Are you declaring war on the Longevity Dao Sect?” one of the Longevity Dao Sect’s Immaculate Realm elders demanded furiously.
“The Ancestor has ordered me to bring him the head of an Immaculate Realm cultivator. If I fail, I’ll be the one who dies.” The Blood Demon Sect elder’s expression was grim. “So I’ll just have to borrow your life.”
“How outrageous!”
The Immaculate Realm elders outside the Scripture Repository had originally intended to charge inside and help Long Ling. They had never expected the Blood Demon Sect cultivators to launch a surprise attack on them instead.
Qu Yougu and the others immediately sent messages to their masters and elders, hoping they could hurry over to provide assistance.
Fortunately, they had been lying in wait nearby. After realizing that something was wrong, their reinforcements should arrive very soon.
They simply had not expected the Blood Demon Ancestor to act so recklessly at a time like this.
Then again, it made sense. He was already an earthly immortal, and the more chaotic the cultivation world became, the greater the benefits would be for him. In the past, he had been too wary of the Dao Sect’s strength to make a move. But now that the Dao Sect had already lost an Archspirit Sect, if he still did not seize the opportunity to act, was he really supposed to wait until the Longevity Dao Sect gained two more Mahayana cultivators?
“Sword Spirit, take the cultivation manuals away first,” Shu Xin hurriedly said. “We can’t come back empty-handed at a time like this.”
[Understood.]
The Sword Spirit immediately tried to collect the cultivation manuals.
However, all those manuals were stored inside the treasured book in Long Ling’s hands, and Yin Rushi and Long Ling were currently fighting fiercely over it.
“You’d better hand the cultivation manuals over to me.” As a disciple of the Blood Demon Sect, Yin Rushi possessed terrifying blood energy. Under the attacks of all these people, the entire Scripture Repository soon exploded from within.
The magnificent Scripture Repository was reduced to ruins in the blink of an eye.
Beyond the ruins, many Immaculate Realm cultivators were already locked in fierce battle.
Only then did Long Ling understand why the elders guarding the Scripture Repository had not rushed in to help her immediately.
“You Blood Demon Sect truly harbor ulterior motives!”
Yin Rushi laughed loudly. “And do you think your Longevity Dao Sect has any good intentions?”
“Yin Rushi, why are you still wasting time talking? Kill these Dao Sect disciples! The Ancestor will certainly count it as a great merit for you!”
They had come not only for the cultivation manuals, but also to kill these core disciples of the Dao Sect who possessed boundless potential.
In the future cultivation world, these disciples would be the ones most likely to influence the course of the conflict.
If they were killed, the young cultivators of all the major Dao Sects would suffer a severe blow.
Yang Fei, Juechen, and Fairy Mochou also attacked the Dao Sect cultivators closest to them without delay.
Qu Yougu, Xie Xianzhi, and the others were no pushovers either. They retreated while fighting, waiting until they reached a more open area before beginning their counterattack.
The righteous cultivators outnumbered their opponents. They had merely suffered from being caught off guard—surely they would not fear these demonic heretics.
Meanwhile, the battle between Long Ling and Yin Rushi had already reached its climax.
The two fought over the treasured book containing countless cultivation manuals. Neither of them wanted to destroy it, however, so both were somewhat restrained in their attacks.
Yin Rushi cultivated the Blood Demon arts. His attacks were forceful and sweeping, with a vast sea of blood surging behind him. Any ordinary cultivator who released their divine sense would have their mind disturbed by the blood energy.
Long Ling, on the other hand, cultivated the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Technique, which could only be learned by direct disciples of the Longevity Sect. Her foundation was exceptionally solid, and the immense spiritual energy within her seemed completely unlike that of a Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator.
When they fought, Long Ling instead gained the upper hand little by little.
Yin Rushi felt that Long Ling was even more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
However, he had plenty of ways to deal with sect disciples like her.
“Long Ling, look who this is.” As they fought, several human figures emerged from the sea of blood behind Yin Rushi.
Their expressions were miserable, as though they were filled with endless resentment.
“Senior Sister Long.”
“Senior Sister Long, save me.”
…
Long Ling’s face went pale. “Junior Brother, Cousin… weren’t you out on an expedition?”
“Hahaha, after hearing about your relationship with them, I went looking for them myself.” Yin Rushi threw his head back and laughed. “I sacrificed their blood and cast them into my sea of blood, turning them into my strength. In a way, they can also enjoy eternal life just like me. Long Ling, they all died because of you.”
Long Ling gritted her teeth. Her hands moved constantly as she formed seals, and without the slightest hesitation, she shattered the figures emerging from the sea of blood.
“Bah! You demon, don’t even think about disturbing my Dao heart.”
“Hahaha, as expected of a direct disciple of the Longevity Dao Sect. Your heart really is made of stone.” Yin Rushi laughed loudly, increasing the intensity of his attacks as he continued trying to seize the treasured book from Long Ling.
Long Ling was forming seals and unleashing divine abilities to defend herself, doing everything she could to keep Yin Rushi from taking the book.
Then, an unexpected change occurred!
Just as Yin Rushi and Long Ling were locked in fierce combat, a flash of light swept up the treasured book and darted away.
“Don’t even think about it!”
“Thief, stop!”
In the same instant, Yin Rushi and Long Ling both attacked the person who had stolen the book.
Yet they could not see anyone at all. They only saw their attacks strike the beam of light, where they quickly vanished.
The treasured book disappeared along with them.
Long Ling tried to contact the treasured book, which she had personally refined through a blood ritual, only to discover that her connection to it had somehow been severed.
What exactly was that thing?
Long Ling’s face turned deathly pale.
It would not matter if she had merely been attacked by the Blood Demon Sect. But now that the treasured book was gone, she feared she would not be let off so easily when she returned.
“The treasured book must still be here. There are Immaculate Realm cultivators stationed outside, so no one could have escaped.” Yin Rushi immediately shouted, “Someone stole the treasured book, and that person is among us! Don’t let a single one of them get away!”
Hearing this, everyone’s thoughts began to churn.
Who exactly had stolen the treasured book?
Qu Yougu turned his head, just about to speak, when Yang Fei’s attack had already arrived.
The clash of weapons rang out.
It was Shu Xin who blocked Yang Fei’s attack, appearing between Qu Yougu and Xie Xianzhi with a cheerful smile.
“Fellow Daoists, this is hardly the time to let your guard down.”
“Daoist Shu, you’re back.” Xie Xianzhi did not suspect a thing. “What did you go off to do just now?”
“I originally wanted to go help Senior Sister Long, but she didn’t seem to need my help. At this point, she suspects anyone who comes near her.” Shu Xin shrugged. “There was nothing I could do, so I came back to fight alongside you.”
Qu Yougu noticed that Shu Xin now had only one sword left in her hands.
He frowned slightly but said nothing, pretending not to have noticed.
The treasured book had been stolen, and the thief was hiding among them.
Their earlier exchange of blows could still be described as somewhat restrained. Now, however, everyone was fighting with the clear intent to kill.
“Shu Xin of the Seeking-God Sect?” Yang Fei looked at Shu Xin, who had blocked his attack, his expression turning grim as well. “You come from nothing more than a fallen sect, yet you still have the nerve to involve yourself in the conflict between the Nine Sects and Ten Schools?”
“I don’t want to either, but you wouldn’t let me leave now even if I asked.” Shu Xin shrugged. “If you’re willing to let me go, I’ll turn around and leave without the slightest hesitation.”
All she wanted was to take her gains and leave.
What did the conflict between the Nine Sects and Ten Schools have to do with her?
Yang Fei sneered. “I often hear my Martial Uncle mention how Xu Guan, your master, gave our Fiend Demon Sect quite a surprise. If I kill you and present you to him, he might be so pleased that he’ll reward me with a strand of fiendish energy.”
“Oh, you mean that skinny little old man with the big beard?” Shu Xin snorted. “A few days ago, he led his disciples in an ambush against my master and me. My master killed him so thoroughly that he had no choice but to abandon his body and flee. As for your fellow disciples, they’ve all been reduced to bones. If you were close to them, I can send you down to keep them company.”
Yang Fei was horrified, but Shu Xin’s words did not sound like a lie.
Taking advantage of his shaken state of mind, Shu Xin swung her long sword even more fiercely, driving it straight toward his face.
“I hate female cultivators who use swords.”
At the critical moment, Juechen blocked the strike and switched places with Yang Fei.
“Yang Fei, let’s trade opponents.”
Juechen had originally been handling Chai Lingxin and Rongyun with ease. But when he caught a glimpse of Shu Xin’s familiar sword technique from the corner of his eye, a thought suddenly arose in his mind. For some reason, the scar at the corner of his eye—which had already healed—began to ache faintly.
Besides, he had observed the battle between Long Ling and Yin Rushi, and Long Ling clearly did not use a sword.
Yang Fei steadied his mind, only then realizing that Shu Xin had seized an opening by unsettling him with a few words.
Their cultivation levels were roughly equal. Whoever allowed their state of mind to waver could very well be the one to lose.
“All right. Thank you. I’ll remember this favor.” Yang Fei breathed a sigh of relief and immediately exchanged opponents with Juechen.
As soon as he began fighting Chai Lingxin and Rongyun, Yang Fei felt the pressure lessen considerably.
That Shu Xin was truly strange. Whenever he fought her, he felt as though she suppressed him so thoroughly that he could barely fight back.
Dealing with these Daoist sect disciples was much easier.
“You hate female sword cultivators?” Shu Xin heard what he said and smiled. “What, were you defeated by some female swordswoman? I’m not trying to be rude, but you’re a grown man. At least have some dignity. If you lost, then admit it honestly. Taking your anger out on others isn’t a good look.”
Juechen fixed her with a deadly stare and asked, “Thirty years ago, did you ever visit a demonic cavern in the northwest?”
Back then, that female cultivator had not only destroyed the demonic cavern he had painstakingly constructed, but also ruined the corpse puppet he had borrowed from his sect. When he returned, he had been forced to offer the corpses of his own clansmen as compensation. He had even had to surrender the corpse puppet of one of his younger sisters.
For the past thirty years, he had been forced to make up for that loss, and his cultivation had consequently advanced at an extremely slow pace.
After suffering such a tremendous setback, Juechen had never been able to let go of it. He had even deliberately left his scar untreated so that he would never forget the humiliation.
Shu Xin thought seriously for a moment. “Thirty years ago? I seem to have traveled to quite a lot of places. Could you be more specific?”
“Looks like you won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. You refuse to admit it, do you? You escaped me last time, and I’ve remembered it for thirty years. This time, I absolutely won’t let you leave alive.”
Juechen released his corpse puppets. In an instant, they densely filled the entire space.
There had to be several hundred of them at the very least.
Even the weakest had reached the Core Formation realm, while there were more than a dozen corpse puppets at the Grotto-Heaven realm.
Most terrifying of all was the fact that he actually possessed a corpse puppet belonging to a cultivator of the Immaculate realm.
Although a corpse puppet’s power was inferior to that of the living cultivator, a single Immaculate-realm corpse puppet was still enough to change the course of the battle.
It seemed Juechen had brought out every trump card he possessed.
When Yin Rushi saw Juechen release so many corpse puppets at once, she could not help feeling a chill run through her.
Was Shu Xin really that powerful? Had she actually forced Juechen to bring out every corpse puppet he had?
The others also realized that something was wrong.
“This is bad. I’m going to help Daoist Shu.” Seeing the countless corpse puppets, Xie Xianzhi immediately moved to assist Shu Xin.
Qu Yougu also quickened the pace of his battle, unwilling to remain entangled with his opponent any longer.
No one had expected that the strongest person here would not be Yin Rushi, who had launched the first attack, but Juechen, who had kept such a low profile.
The disciples of the Yin Corpse Demon Sect were truly abnormal.
Seeing the densely packed corpse puppets, Shu Xin felt somewhat helpless.
“Come on, brother, is this really necessary? You’ve brought out so many corpse puppets. If they’re destroyed, won’t you cough up three pints of blood and die on the spot? With this many Grotto-Heaven-realm corpse puppets—and even one from the Immaculate realm—you must have borrowed them from your sect. Given the way your sect operates, won’t they make you pay with your own life afterward?” Shu Xin could not resist teasing him. “Don’t blame me if they get damaged.”
Juechen stared coldly at Shu Xin. “If you have the ability to destroy all my corpse puppets, then you’ll have earned the right to boast.”
“Oh? In that case, I won’t hold back.” Shu Xin grinned at him. “I originally intended to keep a low profile, but unfortunately, my strength won’t allow it. What can I say? I’m like a massive chunk of gold—wherever I go, I shine.”
With that, Shu Xin crooked a finger.
The sword called “Wait” had previously carried the treasured book to Xu Guan aboard the flying boat.
Now that it had hurried back, it had arrived just in time for Shu Xin to use it.
I came back at exactly the right moment.
The Sword Spirit looked at the countless corpse puppets, especially the one from the Immaculate realm, and nearly drooled.
What had it said before?
With Shu Xin’s luck, it never had to worry about failing to encounter an Immaculate-realm demon cultivator.
And now, one had practically delivered itself to them.
