novelraw Chapter 239 : Righteous Cultivator!
Chapter 239 : Righteous Cultivator!
Chapter 239: Righteous Cultivator!
Clear Wind Island.
Kong Xifeng had already stood up, but after seeing the situation outside, she sat back down.
Indeed, the moment Ji Yuan arrived near the Ancestral Hall, she had already seen him. And upon seeing the one behind him… Kong Xifeng immediately understood what was going on.
That kid had been targeted by the Shang Court. He knew it too, which was why he came here to seek her help.
Should she help him?
Of course she should. If that kid were to die right before her eyes… Kong Xifeng believed that even without the demonic forces of Western Shang, Hua Yaoyue alone would be enough to wipe out the entire Water Dragon Sect.
So no matter what, he had to be saved.
But just as Kong Xifeng was about to act, she noticed that the kid was fine.
Not only was he unharmed, he had even made that Qu Old Demon somewhat hesitant.
The two of them were communicating via sound transmission.
That kid had said something to make Qu Old Demon waver.
Seeing this, Kong Xifeng instantly understood… this kid had a way to hold Qu Old Demon in check. He came here only as a precaution, worried the old demon might go berserk, so he sought her as a backup.
‘Heh, so cunning at such a young age.’
Kong Xifeng scoffed internally, yet couldn't help but be curious about what the two were saying.
“What Plum Manor? Junior Brother Ji, what are you talking about? I don’t understand,” came the puzzled voice of Island Lord Yun Miao in Ji Yuan’s mind.
But Ji Yuan?
The moment this person tried to hypnotize him, Ji Yuan had already made the judgment—this person was definitely the Shang Court’s old monster reincarnated and re-cultivated!
Let alone his soul-hypnotizing technique, which was unheard of.
More telling was how he instantly ceased all actions the moment he heard the words “Plum Manor.”
Ji Yuan chuckled and stopped transmitting sound.
“Senior Plum said Situ Feng cannot be trusted and should be eliminated as soon as possible.”
Situ Feng—who was he?
He was the Shang Court’s old monster who had seized Feng Yichen’s body.
And how did Ji Yuan know?
Naturally, it was Han Feiyu who told him.
Why did Ji Yuan dare say he wanted to kill Situ Feng?
Because those of the Shang Court… were infamous for internal strife.
As expected, upon hearing this, Island Lord Yun Miao immediately stepped forward, and the voice in the sound transmission was no longer hers, but became that of a hoarse… man.
“Truly?! Plum Manor Lord actually said that?”
…Wait, bro, you’re a dude, and you seized the body of a young female cultivator?
What the hell kind of kink is this?
Ji Yuan was momentarily dumbfounded, unable to respond.
But his brief silence made the one who had possessed Island Lord Yun Miao—Qu Old Demon—suspicious.
“You’re really from our Shang Court?”
“I am.”
Ji Yuan responded with calm confidence.
At the same time, he learned another title of Plum Manor—Plum Manor Lord.
So, he had an estate called Plum Manor?
“You say so, and that makes it true?”
Qu Old Demon stared at the person before him and asked.
Ji Yuan, unfazed, simply glanced over the body of Island Lord Yun Miao, then stepped back and gave a slight bow before speaking:
“Plum Manor Lord is the sworn brother of the Shang Court’s Holy Lord. Since he’s willing to take me in, I naturally feel I’m qualified to enter the gates of the Shang Court. What do you think, Senior?”
Qu Old Demon fell silent.
The fact that Plum Manor was the sworn brother of the Holy Lord was known to many in the Shang Court.
But in today’s world, very few still knew this. Yet this person in front of him could speak it… Qu Old Demon grew suspicious.
He doubted, but lacked solid proof.
So much so that this old demon who had lived over a thousand years felt… like making a move but holding back?
“Where did you meet Plum Manor Lord?”
“Mirror Lake.”
“What does he look like?”
“Clad in white robes, jade pendant at his waist, young and handsome, elegant and dashing.”
“……”
Qu Old Demon fell silent for a long time. “One last question—why would he take you into the Shang Court?”
Plum Manor was always a lone wolf. After the internal conflict in the Shang Court back then, he had even left for the overseas realms and no longer meddled in worldly affairs. Aside from the one disciple he took in back then, he had no other followers.
When Ji Yuan heard this question, his expression turned a bit somber, and he fell silent.
Seeing this, Qu Old Demon laughed.
Now this seemed right.
Could someone really catch Plum Manor’s eye without paying a price?
“I gave up… everything.”
Ji Yuan didn’t elaborate further, letting Qu Old Demon interpret the meaning himself.
This statement made Qu Old Demon believe… thirty percent.
To believe entirely? Impossible. Even halfway—still not doable.
Besides, even if Ji Yuan had really joined the Shang Court, was he expected to fully trust him?
Impossible.
Granting thirty percent trust—for someone who had died once like Qu Old Demon—already counted as accepting him as one of their own.
“Good. Since you’re of the Shang Court, then you’re one of us.”
Qu Old Demon clearly relaxed. “Plum Manor Lord previously ordered me to capture you alive. I didn’t expect him to act personally—well, that saves me a big task.”
“Heh heh.”
Ji Yuan forced a few laughs.
Then Qu Old Demon shifted the topic, “You just said, Plum Manor Lord thinks Situ Feng is untrustworthy and should be killed?!”
“Mm.”
Ji Yuan nodded, then hesitated a bit.
“If you’ve got something to say, say it! Why the hesitation?”
Qu Old Demon pressed.
“Plum Manor Lord seemed undecided. After saying that, he mentioned we need to take our time to plan. He just told me to return to the Water Dragon Sect and keep an eye on him.”
As Ji Yuan said this, his voice wavered slightly.
As if he couldn’t grasp Plum Manor Lord’s true intentions.
“No matter, no matter. As long as Plum Manor Lord has that thought, that’s good enough.”
Qu Old Demon gave Ji Yuan an approving look, then said, “Since we’re on the same side, things will be much easier in the future. Next time I send a message, you better remember to reply.”
There was an undertone of warning in his words.
Ji Yuan quickly nodded. “Certainly, certainly.”
“Heh heh.”
Now it was Qu Old Demon’s turn to chuckle.
Thankfully, after laughing, he rode a beam of white light and left the area.
Ji Yuan waited in place for three seconds, then his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already on Clear Wind Island.
But this time, it was not Wen Ling’er he saw—it was the Water Dragon Sect’s Supreme Elder, Kong Xifeng.
Her first words upon seeing Ji Yuan were…
“You really joined the Shang Court?”
Hearing this, Ji Yuan finally felt a slight sense of relief.
Even Kong Xifeng believed he might have joined the Shang Court. Let alone those Shang Court old monsters outside who knew nothing.
“Does Supreme Elder think that if I truly joined the Shang Court, I’d still need to use a Fixed-Point Teleportation Token to flee?” Ji Yuan said with a helpless wry smile.
“That’s true.”
Kong Xifeng nodded after hearing Ji Yuan’s direct words.
“Then the things you said to Qu Old Demon earlier…” Kong Xifeng paced back and forth in front of Ji Yuan a few times, then slowly said, “You’re placing a bet.”
Those words made Ji Yuan fall silent.
Because what Kong Xifeng said was partly true—but now was not the time to admit it—so Ji Yuan firmly replied, “I just wanted to see if I could gain some benefits from Qu Old Demon.”
“Heh, a Foundation Establishment cultivator daring to seek benefits from a Nascent Soul—should I call you bold, or just reckless?”
Kong Xifeng sneered.
Ji Yuan’s expression remained calm. He wasn’t hurt or irritated by her sarcasm. He simply said quietly:
“When there’s no other path available, one must carve a path out themselves.”
Kong Xifeng abruptly turned her head to look at him, staring for a long time before finally saying, “That’s because your master is backing you.”
“Supreme Elder is absolutely right.”
Ji Yuan didn’t deny it.
There was no point in arguing with a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Go.”
Kong Xifeng waved him off impatiently.
Though a new Nascent Soul had appeared within the Water Dragon Sect, she couldn’t control him nor manipulate him. This feeling of powerlessness made her unhappy—and that unhappiness extended to Ji Yuan himself.
“Farewell, Senior.”
Ji Yuan, of course, could sense Kong Xifeng’s displeasure toward him. So he didn’t bother asking about Wen Ling’er’s situation and promptly left Clear Wind Island.
After leaving, he boarded the Fenghuai Flying Boat and headed straight for Forgotten Worry Island.
‘The reason Kong Xifeng dislikes me is likely related to Master or Wen Ling’er. But that’s only natural. I, Ji Yuan, am not a spirit stone—how could everyone possibly like me?’
Half a day later—
Ji Yuan once again set foot on Forgotten Worry Island.
Feng Zhi Tao and Yun Qianzai had already been waiting here for a long time, and both of their expressions were rather unpleasant… whatever had happened earlier, Ji Yuan took a step forward, bowed to Hua Yaoyue, and then transmitted a message:
“Master, I think I’ve… joined the Shang Court.”
This made Hua Yaoyue, who had been somewhat angered just now, pause. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him and then replied via sound transmission, “We’ll talk later.”
That’s what she said via transmission, but aloud, she said:
“Your two senior siblings are both planning to go guard Shang Mountain. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
Her tone was extremely calm as she spoke.
But beneath that calm tone, Ji Yuan could still hear her anger… she didn’t just care for him, her final disciple—she cared equally for her other disciples as well.
This much Ji Yuan had long since noticed.
The situation now was that Shang Mountain was so dangerous, yet Feng Zhi Tao and Yun Qianzai both insisted on going.
How would that make Hua Yaoyue feel?
To put it bluntly—were they both rushing off to die?
As the youngest disciple, Ji Yuan first cupped his hands to Yun Qianzai and Hua Yaoyue, then asked, “Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister are both going to Shang Mountain?”
Dressed in fluttering white robes, Yun Qianzai clasped his hands behind his back and slightly raised his chin as he said, “The demonic path is about to invade. As righteous cultivators, we are duty-bound to resist.”
“After all…”
“At the pinnacle of immortality, we stand proud in the world—Heaven Pivot comes before Heaven itself!”
…Alright, we get it. You’re dying to act cool atop Shang Mountain.
Despite the snarky thought, Ji Yuan could understand Yun Qianzai’s mindset. Normally, showing off within the sect was about his own ego—he was putting on a show for himself.
But going to Shang Mountain?
That was for all righteous cultivators across the entire Cangluo Continent!
It wasn’t just self-aggrandizing—it was self-sacrifice for the sake of the righteous path!
To someone like Yun Qianzai, the satisfaction derived from the two situations was vastly different—worlds apart, even.
So he wanted to go—that was entirely within Ji Yuan’s expectations.
However… Ji Yuan turned his gaze to Feng Zhi Tao.
“Senior Sister, why do you want to go?”
Feng Zhi Tao lowered her head slightly, then said in a hoarse voice, “I also want to do my part for the righteous path.”
After saying that, she suddenly looked up, “Everyone knows Shang Mountain can’t be held this time, but everyone still wants to go defend it. So do I.”
“Go on, all of you!”
Hua Yaoyue waved her hand in frustration. After speaking, she even rose from her soft chair. “What are you still standing around here for? Go already!”
“Master, I…”
Feng Zhi Tao stepped forward, wanting to say something more, but Ji Yuan had already given her a look.
Right now, Hua Yaoyue was already angry—she wouldn’t listen to reason.
Whatever Feng Zhi Tao wanted to say, she could say it later.
Yun Qianzai had already made up his mind to go, so he said no more. He just gave Hua Yaoyue a deep bow.
It was the first time Ji Yuan had seen this Second Senior Brother perform such a formal salute toward Hua Yaoyue, and he couldn’t help showing a slightly shocked expression.
“Master, when I arrive at Shang Mountain, I’ll stay with First Senior Brother. When it’s time to rotate the defense, I’ll definitely bring him back!”
Upon hearing this, Hua Yaoyue’s expression finally softened a little.
“If nothing went wrong, he should’ve already formed his Core. After the two of you get there, just stay with him. With you two by his side, he wouldn’t dare go all out.”
Having said that, she waved her hand again and lay back down.
Feng Zhi Tao and Yun Qianzai exchanged a glance and took their leave one after the other.
Ji Yuan, however, remained standing.
Hua Yaoyue glanced at him but said nothing.
Ji Yuan naturally understood what she was asking and hurriedly cupped his hands. “This disciple isn’t going.”
“Then how did you end up joining the Shang Court?”
“Well, it’s like this…”
Ji Yuan immediately recounted everything that had happened between him and Island Lord Yun Miao—from their first encounter at Liancheng Mountain, all the way to his recent parting with Qu Old Demon.
After hearing it all, Hua Yaoyue gave her assessment immediately.
“At first, he wanted to kill you because you exposed their method of stealing the spirit vein. Then they got busy and forgot about it—until Plum Manor met you again and reconnected with him.”
“This disciple thought so as well.”
“Mm. Now that the Righteous–Demonic War has begun, they won’t have the time to bother with a mere ant like you. And even if they do seek you out, it’ll probably come with some benefits.”
Hua Yaoyue spoke casually.
But to Ji Yuan, her entire statement distilled down to just two words:
Ant.
It made sense—if he were in the Golden Core Stage, they might give him a second glance. Take Qu Old Demon, for example. Plum Manor had probably told him about Ji Yuan long ago.
But for years, he never made a move.
The only reason he acted today was due to an accidental encounter on Water Dragon Island.
So going forward, it was unlikely they’d bother him again.
“When the tides of fate shift, each must fend for themselves. Contact with the Shang Court is both danger and opportunity. How much you can grasp depends on your own ability.”
“Yes.”
“Since Yun Qianzai and Feng Zhi Tao are going, let them go. Plus, with Ran Kui having guarded Shang Mountain for who knows how many years, my lineage has contributed more than enough. So your Martial Uncle Sect Master won’t make things too hard on you.”
“Even if you're assigned a task, it likely won’t be anything too dangerous. Just focus on cultivating properly.”
“If you need to break through to the Peak of Foundation Establishment, come find me—I can protect you during the breakthrough.”
Perhaps because of her care for Yun Qianzai and Feng Zhi Tao, Hua Yaoyue was quite thorough in her advice to Ji Yuan this time.
“Disciple thanks Master.”
Hua Yaoyue said no more, but Ji Yuan had already learned from her the true name of the Shang Court remnant possessing Island Lord Yun Miao—
Qu Luohun.
This reminded Ji Yuan of Han Feiyu’s Luohun Island.
Suddenly, the connection between everything became clear in Ji Yuan’s mind.
The person Han Feiyu feared was most likely this Qu Luohun, and the two probably had deeper ties. Perhaps… the first person Qu Luohun ever tried to seize might have been Han Feiyu?
Ji Yuan then asked many more questions about the Shang Court, which Hua Yaoyue answered one by one. Only then did he take his leave.
But upon leaving Forgotten Worry Island, he immediately sensed a change in the Water Dragon Sect… flying boats were shuttling between locations, and most of them were being piloted by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
As for those Qi Refining cultivators, though they were driving flying boats, they only dared to fly close to the lake surface—
Leaving the “aerial passage” clear.
Now that Ji Yuan was at least a “Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment” cultivator, flying close to the lake surface would be inappropriate. He flew his boat in mid-air and encountered many unfamiliar senior brothers and sisters.
Most of them appeared to be quite advanced in age.
As one of the Six Immortal Sects of Eastern Shang, the Water Dragon Sect truly had deep foundations, with over a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators within its ranks.
One day later.
Ji Yuan returned once again to Fox Moon Island, where he met Dong Qian.
Only today, neither of them was in the mood for dual cultivation—their expressions were rather heavy.
“Do we have enough people?”
Ji Yuan asked as soon as they met.
“Yes. Many senior brothers and sisters in closed death-seclusion have come out. The first group of defenders is nearly assembled. They even drove out some younger disciples who had already signed up—saying that if anyone’s going to die, it should be them first.”
Hearing this, Ji Yuan’s expression changed slightly.
No matter what he thought, here in Eastern Shang… there were still plenty of true righteous cultivators.
They might have indulged in petty behavior in peacetime, but when it came to matters of true principle, they had clear priorities.
“Truly righteous cultivators.”
Ji Yuan couldn’t help but sigh.
To march toward certain death—that already took an extraordinary kind of courage.
“Yes.”
Dong Qian nodded slightly. “Once this first group departs, within two or three days, the sect should issue a new defense map.”
As she spoke, she flicked her right hand, and a map of Eastern Shang appeared between them.
“Before you arrived, Martial Uncle Sect Master already gave us a rough briefing.”
“He said the Six Immortal Sects of Eastern Shang have formed an alliance atop the Sword Ruins. All decisions regarding the Righteous–Demonic War will be made by this alliance.”
“All cultivators of Eastern Shang must follow the alliance’s orders.”
Dong Qian pointed toward several glowing dots east of Shang Mountain, along both banks of the Falling Star River.
“These mark our spirit veins and critical cities. They’re sure to be prime targets for demonic infiltrators, so we must heavily guard them. And apparently, Eastern Shang will also set up several large markets to support the Four Paths of pill, formation, talisman, and artifact crafting… all cultivators skilled in these arts must contribute fully. The materials produced will be delivered directly to the Shang Mountain front lines.”
“If nothing changes, I’ll be stationed in one of the Pill-Path markets.”
“What about you, Junior Brother?”
Ji Yuan stared at the map, momentarily unsure how to respond.
“I’ll wait for the sect’s arrangements. Talking about this now feels premature.”
“True.”
Dong Qian put the map away.
They chatted for a while longer before Ji Yuan stood to leave.
After departing, he headed straight south toward Misty Island. Thanks to Dong Qian’s reminder, he had just recalled—
His four buildings for 【Pill, Formation, Talisman, Artifact】 could now be combined into a new structure!