novelraw Chapter 606 - 605: Could it be pointing at me?
Chapter 606 - 605: Could it be pointing at me?
To be cautious, Bai Yunqi did not stay in the courtyard Jiang Yuan specially arranged, but instead booked two upper rooms at the nearby Yuelai Inn.
By the time they left the City Lord’s Mansion, the sun was already high in the sky.
The spiritual energy above the Wilderness is richer during the day than at night. It used to be a great place for cultivation, but now it has unconsciously been overshadowed by the small courtyard.
There were not many cultivators on the street, as most of those who needed protection from the city were ordinary demon cultivators who dared not walk in the day wilderness.
They usually hide during the day and come out at night; at this time, except for a few who were still busy, most were resting or cultivating at home.
"It’s strange, with so many demon beasts and demon cores hunted and sold daily in Carefree City, how is it there are still so many demon beasts enduring year after year of slaying?" Bai Yunqi used a fan to block the glaring sunlight, squinting at the boxes of demon cores in the street shops, feeling curious.
After a tough battle, one should be exhausted and in urgent need of rest, but thanks to the venerable family, after following the old dragon Zhou Jian to study the complete version of the Devouring Technique, he continuously activated the cultivation technique.
The enormous creatures he devoured turned into strands of abundant energy that integrated into his body. His condition gradually improved, and he did not feel fatigued even without resting.
Moreover, refining the remnant soul of the flood dragon had enhanced his strength to a higher level, bringing him closer to transforming into a flood dragon. With a good mood, everything seemed pleasing, and he felt the world broad and had no intention of resting.
"Brother Bai only sees the surface and not the deeper secrets within the city."
Xie Chenyuan, in high spirits, walked with the fresh breeze brushing his face without any worries, smilingly explained, "Indeed, demon beasts are densely packed near Carefree City, but they could not withstand such prolonged slaughter over so many years.
Especially those demonic beasts that have lived hundreds or even thousands of years, they have long been exterminated when hunted together. Nowadays, those being hunted are either demon beast groups with high reproductive rates and short growth spans or foreign demon beasts attracted here."
"Attracted?" Upon hearing this, Bai Yunqi became even more curious; could living demon beasts also be ’stocked’?
Seeing nobody around, Xie Chenyuan lowered his voice: "I once talked about the struggle between the human race and the demon race above the Wilderness. To retaliate, human cultivators turned the hunting of demon beasts and the extraction of demon cores into a business, pushing demon cultivators to become the main force sharpening knives against demon beasts.
Carefree City was one of the first cities to grow and prosper by riding this wave.
Many, many years ago, the demon beast groups near the cities that first engaged in the demon beast business were almost obliterated.
Firstly, the trend was unstoppable; secondly, the overbreeding of demon beasts indeed brought many troubles, so those lords collaborated to create many arrays for luring and transporting demon beasts.
If Brother Bai is interested, someday we can go deep into the forests together to see those giant arrays firsthand."
A little surprised, Bai Yunqi casually remarked, while shaking his fan, "I must visit for a firsthand look when I get a chance. It is intriguing that even the lords of the Wilderness would assist in doing such things."
"Even more intriguing is—I heard those lords seem to have discovered that unrestrained breeding of demon beasts is the root cause of the Wilderness’s downfall, and they are trying all ways to rectify it.
However, the Wilderness is vast, and there are countless demon beasts; Carefree City is but a drop in the ocean. For such an enormous number of demon beasts, demon cultivators are like a needle in a haystack; resolving the issue through slaughter alone is futile.
Strangely, the Demon Realm Alliance spreads the absurd notion that the downfall of the Wilderness was caused by ordinary humans of the Human World, inciting those mindless demon cultivators to target emerging human cultivators, leading to increasing chaos."
Xie Chenyuan snorted coldly: "Little do they know, without the Human World sustaining the Wilderness, who knows where this world would have sunk."
Thinking about the help provided by the venerable family for human cultivators, Bai Yunqi questioned, "As fellow humans, haven’t the top ten sects of ancient times considered helping those emerging cultivators in the Human World?"
"The Cloud Concealment Sect is not good at fighting, so it rarely participates in the front-line battlefield, but I’ve heard that sects like Qingfeng Hall and Black Tortoise Pavilion have actually sent emissaries to conduct large-scale deterrence against the Demon Realm Alliance’s assassinations targeting weak human cultivators, or else they wouldn’t have had any chance to grow."
While explaining, Xie Chenyuan suddenly had an epiphany—Could Brother Bai be hinting at me?
Ah! During the last contact, I heard Senior Jiang and the members of the small courtyard participated in some activities in human cultivators’ sects, could it be...
Ah, yes! Shuiyun Lake is indeed located in the Human World! Senior Jiang is also human, surely he supports human cultivators! All makes sense—Brother Bai didn’t rest after a long day but brought me around the city to subtly hint that the Cloud Concealment Sect should do something!
Convinced he had deciphered the mystery, he thought of returning to the inn immediately to send a communication to his master, knowing a battle between the human race and the demon race was inevitable, and the Cloud Concealment Sect must seize the opportunity to do something and align themselves with Senior Jiang!
"Let’s not stroll anymore, let’s return to the inn to rest. Most shops in Carefree City are closed in the day; it’s not interesting," Bai Yunqi, who had no idea that his offhand question led Xie Chenyuan to overthink so much, affecting two worlds’ future directions.
Lazily waving his fan, he felt displeased by the glaring sunlight and suggested going back to the inn to rest.
Indeed, once the suggestion was given, there was no more strolling! This affirmation further convinced the other, filled with gratitude towards Brother Bai and eager to send a communication to his master.
Far away in the Cloud Concealment Sect, Que Qing suddenly received a brief communication from his disciple, feeling utterly baffled.
Why suddenly propose participating in the covert war between the two races?
Our sect is not proficient with fighting; some shady tricks with the Divination Technique might work, but formally engaging in a conflict between the two races is not something to say lightly.
However, Sect Leader Cang Rui had specifically reminded that any news delivered by the disciples must be informed to him immediately.
Que Qing speculated that it must be related to the disciples’ fortunes. Recently, even the ancestors of the Sect, who had been dormant for years, were mobilized and have not returned yet. He could vaguely sense that a major event was about to happen in the chaotic world!
He dared not delay and immediately ran off to find the Sect Leader.
"Bang!"
The door of the quiet chamber was slammed open, and Cang Rui, without even lifting his eyelids, knew for sure that it was the reckless Third Elder. After all, the divination had just shown that there would be visitors, but not external ones. Throughout the Sect, only this Third Elder would panic and rush to find him.
"Third Elder, please close the door." He calmly circulated his cultivation technique, unaffected in the slightest.
"Chenyuan has sent a brief message; Sect Leader, take a look quickly!" Que Qing indeed did not bother to close the door and ignored the prompt, directly rushing to the table to hand over the Communication Stone.
No wonder the Master appreciates the Third Elder, saying he has the liveliness of his own youth—just reckless, really.
Cang Rui was already used to it and focused on the message transmitted by Xie Chenyuan.
He should not be convenient to deliver more specific news now, only sending such a brief message in words. After reading it, Cang Rui casually performed a divination.
"Oh dear, this divination..." Que Qing also leaned over to look and quietly asked, "Has the timing matured so soon? It shouldn’t be, right?"
"The turning point for the Wilderness World has not arrived, but our Sect’s timing has!" Cang Rui stared at the divination for a while, performed another divination, and instructed, "Go invite several Elders to the Council Hall; we need to select a group of disciples to assist the death warriors of the Black Tortoise Pavilion.
The Demon Race must be secretly plotting again. With the Cloud Concealment Sect joining, it can allow the cultivators from the Human World some breathing space. Eventually, more and more new talents will join the Human Race lineup, and at least, a hope for a brighter future can be seen."
Upon hearing this, Que Qing’s expression turned serious.
The Cloud Concealment Sect excels at peering into heavenly secrets, but every time it divines for the Human Race, it sees no dawn of hope. Those human cultivators who rely on the nighttime arrival of the Wilderness to revive their spiritual energy are also frail, unable to bear heavy responsibilities.
Has the divination suddenly changed?
Within the Cloud Concealment Sect, disciples hurriedly made their way, and soon, selected teams split into two groups headed for the battlefield.
At the same time, Bai Yunqi and Xie Chenyuan had just returned to the inn and unexpectedly encountered the waiting City Lord.
"Both of you, I considered worrying the longer I waited, so I came to intrude unexpectedly, not anticipating you two were not in the guest room." Gongxi Yanchang spoke while his eyes darted over Bai Yunqi, thinking how formidable this one is!
Originally thinking that swallowing the remnants of the Flood Dragon under bloodline pressure was fierce enough, surely he needed to rush back to his place to rest?
Even if beaten to death, he couldn’t believe that Bai Yunqi had gone for a leisure stroll energetically!
If it weren’t for seeing him transform into his true form of a White Snake, anyone could tell him this story, and Gongxi Yanchang wouldn’t believe it.
Stories don’t tend to be this outrageous, but reality slapped him in the face, making him exclaim that there are always people better than others beyond the sky and among humans.
"City Lord, are you looking to order three Soul Nourishing Pills?" Xie Chenyuan, responsible for this aspect of business, immediately enthusiastically introduced, "Soul Nourishing Pills are rare; we don’t have stock on hand. We need to send a message to the Senior Alchemist to request help in refining. Thus, according to the rules of alchemy, besides the refinement fee, City Lord must also personally prepare the necessary herbs."
Alchemists among the Demon Cultivators are extremely scarce, and even Lords in need must search for the best human alchemist in Otherworld. Encountering a wild alchemist in the Wilderness is like hitting a windfall!
The rarer it is throughout history, the more valuable it becomes, so naturally, the price can’t be bargained down, hence the unspoken rule: requesting an alchemist to refine pills requires preparing the herbs yourself. If only one set of herbs is prepared and the refinement fails, the requester bears the loss without compensation. Preparing two sets even if both are successful, the employer only gains one pill, the other remains with the alchemist.
If you have your own Pill Formula, you can offset some remuneration; using someone else’s formula means accepting the alchemist’s pricing.
Gongxi Yanchang naturally did not have the formula for the Soul Nourishing Pills. His daughter needs three Soul Nourishing Pills, requiring six sets of herbs, plus the alchemist’s commission, he was prepared for a costly ordeal.
Then, he heard the quote—the alchemy service fee, two million Spirit Stones!
"City Lord, Senior Jiang is kind-hearted; generously helping only requires a friendship price." Xie Chenyuan noticed the gleam in the other’s eyes, aware Senior Jiang quoted low, and quickly coughed to remind, "Meeting in the Wilderness is destiny; we might need the City Lord’s assistance in the future, let’s be friends."
"Naturally! Naturally! Welcome all of you to stay at the City Lord’s Mansion when passing through Carefree City!" Gongxi Yanchang’s prior mood of losing the Key was immediately comforted, surprisingly avoiding the usual exorbitant pricing, joyfully and eagerly said, "Please trouble the benefactor to provide a list of herbs, I will immediately send someone to seek them, following the norm to prepare six sets and deliver them, but I’m unsure how long it will take for the refinement to succeed?"
Six sets?
Xie Chenyuan thought, it was you who said it, Senior Jiang only asked for four sets, indeed another shortage!
"Here’s the list. From the day City Lord prepares the herbs and delivers them, three days later I will bring the pills to the mansion." He copied the herb list cleanly and handed it over, "The sooner the better, your beloved daughter’s soul is damaged and shouldn’t be delayed too long."