Chapter 63

The thinking of this young lady is indeed different from that of a small person like him. Such a grand mobilization, just to see Gu Yueming’s one move.

"Knowing Gu Yueming’s sword skills is certainly good, but it is still a minor path!"

Gu Yu did not think so, pondering and saying, "To defeat Gu Yueming, your own cultivation and strength are the fundamentals. Wudao, have you heard of the Xuan Yuan Pavilion?"

"I have heard of it!"

Zhuang Wudao was somewhat curious. The Xuan Yuan Pavilion was one of the merchants in Yuecheng that specialized in the business of cultivators, trading various heavenly materials, treasures, spirit artifacts, and talismans.

Few people in the city knew about it, but he was different. He had always been quite concerned about matters in the cultivation world, so he knew about it.

What puzzled Zhuang Wudao at this moment was the intention behind Gu Yu mentioning the Xuan Yuan Pavilion.

"Legend has it that the Niumo Yuanba Body was created by a powerful figure from the ancient Lichen Sect, who analyzed the primordial magnetic power of the ancient divine rhinoceros. According to my knowledge, in a few days, the Xuan Yuan Pavilion will have a gathering of cultivators—"

Before he finished speaking, Beiting Wan'er had already understood, her eyes brightening, "You mean the first-stage dragon rhinoceros crystal core?"

Seeing that Zhuang Wudao was still confused, Beiting Wan'er explained in detail, "The Xuan Yuan Pavilion holds a gathering of cultivators in Yuecheng every year, auctioning various spirit items. A few days ago, they sent the detailed list of all the auction items to our Beiting family. Among them was a first-stage dragon rhinoceros crystal core. The late first-stage realm is equivalent to the tenth level of a cultivator, which is extremely rare."

Zhuang Wudao's heart trembled slightly, and the decaying sword on his back also emitted a warm current.

A dragon rhinoceros crystal core? The so-called dragon rhinoceros is one of the descendants of the ancient divine rhinoceros, a variant with dragon blood. Its lineage is extremely pure, almost completely inheriting the primordial magnetic power of the ancient divine rhinoceros.

With this first-stage dragon rhinoceros crystal core, it might enable his Niumo Yuanba Body to advance further.

However, he soon became disheartened. A first-stage spirit beast crystal core, especially a rare dragon rhinoceros, was invaluable.

Even a thousand taels of gold might not be enough to buy it. Should he seek the Beiting family for this item?

Zhuang Wudao knew that if he asked, Beiting Wan'er would certainly not refuse. However, he had his own pride and did not want to easily accept such a favor.

The spirit room was silent for a moment. After a dozen breaths, Beiting Wan'er smiled again, "By the way, I recently heard something. The senior Zhuang Tong from the academy is preparing to move his entire clan. Even the few mines they own have been sold, and they will leave Yuecheng in a few days. This news, I believe, you, Senior Wudao, might not know yet?"

Zhuang Wudao's eyes also turned cold. The Zhuang family? Before the battle in Dongchuan Alley, Zhuang Xun, the father of Zhuang Tong, personally sent his beloved daughter to Shen Quan as a concubine. This was not a secret, causing a stir in the northern part of the city, and there was no need to deliberately inquire about it.

The ambush by the Iron Knife Society in Dongchuan Alley, though initiated by the Gu Yue family, was unrelated to the Zhuang family. However, the intentions of the Zhuang father and son at that time were clear to Zhuang Wudao.

With vast wealth and a desire to kill him—

Zhuang Wudao had long harbored the intention to eliminate this hidden danger and find a way to make the Zhuang father and son suffer. During the small competition, he did not go too far, ultimately showing mercy and not completely crippling Zhuang Tong's legs. Letting this person avoid the major competition was because this major competition was extraordinary, not out of kindness, but without any ill intent. However, the Zhuang family already saw him as an enemy.

Recently, Qin Feng and his brothers had been busy taking over the two streets of the Jade Bear Garden, leaving him no chance to speak up.

He did not expect that these two were already preparing to flee from Yuecheng.

He instantly understood Beiting Wan'er's deeper meaning and looked back at her with a slight sense of gratitude.

He had no wealth, but the Zhuang family did.

The Zhuang father and son had been abandoned by Shen Quan and the Gu Yue family, likely as part of the price paid to the Beiting family. In other words, the Zhuang clan was now his meat on the chopping block, ready to be cut as he pleased.

※※※※

The beast tide raged for a whole day before gradually subsiding. By evening, the blood-sucking mosquitoes that had been circling over Yuecheng had disappeared.

The blood-sucking mosquitoes had no intelligence and would bite any living thing to suck blood. However, during the beast tide, they did not harm the ferocious beasts outside the city.

Legend had it that there were several second-stage demonic beasts deep within the forest, and the blood-sucking mosquitoes were controlled by these demonic beasts. These demonic beasts were wary of the human race's expansion into this area, hence the monthly beast tide attacking Yuecheng. Without the presence of a foundation-establishing cultivator like the Southern General to deter them, Yuecheng would have been flattened countless times.

Zhuang Wudao was personally escorted back to the Sword Robe Hall by Gu Yu. From today onwards, until the major competition, he would be guarded by this elder of the Beiting family.

Sitting in the Beiting family's luxurious carriage, Zhuang Wudao stared out the window, lost in thought. In the distance, smoke billowed, and the red flames were particularly glaring in the night. It was not the mugwort used to drive away the blood-sucking mosquitoes, but the fires from several houses on the street, hit by the flames spewed by the demonic birds in the sky. No one went to save them, and the fires raged.

Many people had also fallen on the streets, some killed by the demonic birds, others drained of blood by the blood-sucking mosquitoes. The entire city was in chaos.

Life here was precarious, but Yuecheng was still one of the few major cities in the Eastern Wu Kingdom. The three layers of inner and outer city walls were the result of the city's continuous expansion over a hundred years.

Zhuang Wudao was already accustomed to the beast tide and did not care about the scene before him. He appeared lost in thought but was actually talking to the sword spirit Yun'er.

"Yun'er, do you really think my Niumo Yuanba Body is so inadequate?"

Gu Yu's evaluation was fair, but it did not mean he was completely indifferent.

"How could it be? Don't you still have the Dragon Seizing Tiger Shaking technique?"

Zhuang Wudao shook his head, "Not everyone can break free from my primordial magnetic force. Once encountered, wouldn't this mystical technique become useless?"

"How can a body that is invulnerable to blades and swords, and immune to all methods, be considered useless? The Eighty-One Palm Great Mountain Shaking is just an embellishment, and you didn't even take it seriously. At the time, your resolve was firm, but now you regret it?"

Yun'er sneered, then said lightly, "This person's knowledge is limited, and his evaluation is shallow. Why should the sword master care? Without knowing the true essence of the spirit realm, how can a single Great Mountain Shaking shake the mountains and rivers? Even now, if you learned the Air-Splitting Palm, the Thousand-Mile Fist, or the technique of striking a cow through a mountain, you could injure someone from a distance of a thousand miles. If someone can retreat a hundred paces in ten breaths, can they retreat a million paces? I think the sword master's cultivation of this mystical technique is quite good. Moreover, there is still room for improvement within your spirit orifices."

Zhuang Wudao smiled, finally understanding why Yun'er did not point out and stop him at the time.

The Air-Splitting Palm and the Thousand-Mile Fist were techniques he had never heard of, but he knew the technique of striking a cow through a mountain, which could injure someone from a distance or through an object, transmitting the palm or fist force over a thousand miles. It could even kill a cow through a mountain!

This was not a cultivation technique but a skill, similar to an auxiliary cultivation method.

However, according to Yun'er, this technique seemed to be useful only before the spirit realm.

This meant he would have to add another task to his list. He needed to practice the Niumo Yuanba Body until it had no obvious weaknesses.

Then he thought of the first-stage dragon rhinoceros crystal core.

"Would the dragon rhinoceros crystal core be useful to me?"

"It should be beneficial, enhancing your Niumo Yuanba Body. Your immortal bone is slightly weak, and without the help of external objects, it would be difficult to advance your Niumo Yuanba Body to the second stage. However, the extent to which it can be improved depends on the quality of the crystal core."

Yun'er said firmly, "However, if you want to quickly establish your foundation, you should consider accumulating more resources. Cultivators need methods, companions, wealth, and territory. You now only have the 'method.' Without the others, you will likely turn into a pile of dry bones in at most two hundred years."

Zhuang Wudao tugged at the corners of his mouth, thinking of who had said that practicing the sword would make him a supreme immortal king in at most ten thousand years.

He had already made up his mind, discarding the last bit of hesitation.

In the past ten years, he had done many things that went against his conscience. Now, one more thing wouldn't matter. For that person, he could resort to any means, sacrificing anything. Besides, the Zhuang family already saw him as an enemy.

When he returned to the hall on Yuhua Street, he saw that the number of guards at the gate had increased several times compared to a month ago.

With control over three streets and the protection of the Beiting family, the newly established Sword Robe Hall had rapidly expanded like a balloon.

Most of the people there were unfamiliar to Zhuang Wudao, but fortunately, they all recognized him.

Zhuang Wudao went directly to find Qin Feng and found him in the main hall. He then noticed that Qin Feng and the others were wrapped in bandages, tightly bound, with blood seeping through.

Qin Feng had the most bandages, his face as pale as paper. There were also several bodies in the hall, covered in white cloth.

Zhuang Wudao only glanced once and knew that these people had just experienced a fierce battle. Judging from Qin Feng's injuries, the battle must have been extremely dangerous. He couldn't help but change his expression, feeling a hidden anger.

"What happened? Why didn't you come find me?"

Ma Yuan and Lin Han were intimidated by Zhuang Wudao's aura and dared not speak. Only Qin Feng was unconcerned, "It was a group of Iron Knife Society remnants who were still discontent. They have been dealt with."

Seeing that Zhuang Wudao was still angry, Qin Feng laughed normally, "Wudao, to be honest, the three streets now managed by the Sword Robe Hall were all won by your fists alone. We are just reaping the benefits, which we feel ashamed of. With the Lichen Competition approaching, this is a critical time for you. We brothers wouldn't dare to bother you with such minor matters. Do you want us to lose face in front of you in the future?"

Zhuang Wudao looked at the expressions of everyone in the room, and his anger instantly dissipated.

Then he felt something was wrong, "Where is Lian Jiu? Why isn't he here?"

'Chi Diaoliao' Lian Jiu was a Marrow Refinement Realm cultivator that Qin Feng had recently recruited, previously a local boss on Yuhua Street.

"He was stabbed with over a dozen knives and is now dead."

Wang Wu's face was expressionless, "Seven people died in this battle, and he had the highest status."

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