Chapter 171: Testing the Waters
Upon entering the divine mountain, one truly comprehends its vastness.
As they reached four thousand meters, the path suddenly narrowed, and the temperature dropped significantly. Frost covered the surroundings, freezing all vegetation. The demonic blood horses continued onward, exhaling white mist with each breath.
“Why are there two additional Foundation Establishment cultivators now?” demanded a menacing-looking male Foundation Establishment cultivator from one of the three rear carriages, communicating via divine sense to those ahead. “The agreed price we discussed initially didn’t account for this change. With these extra variables, you must compensate us further!”
“Wu Tiande, don’t push it too far! The price we’ve already offered is quite generous!” responded the female cultivator from the middle carriage through a voice transmission.
“The value of the Blackstone Secret Technique needs no explanation, right? If Fellow Daoist Wu isn’t willing to bear even this minor inconvenience, consider my proposal withdrawn,” replied the young Foundation Establishment cultivator from the lead carriage via voice transmission.
For over a month, these three had been planning something meticulously. Today’s venture into the mountains was the culmination of their careful deliberations, only to unexpectedly encounter two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
“These two aren’t like those useless Qi Refinement trash before; dealing with Foundation Establishment cultivators is quite troublesome.” Wu Tiande remained cautious and continued his response.
“They’re merely early Foundation Establishment cultivators. Blackstone Mountain is vast; how many have already been buried here? Worst-case scenario, I’ll handle them personally.” The young cultivator at the front interrupted Wu Tiande, revealing a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment aura.
Seeing this display, Wu Tiande, who was about to propose raising the price further, swallowed his words.
“I hope nothing unexpected occurs,” said the female Foundation Establishment cultivator in the middle carriage, casting a concerned glance at the dark forest outside.
She had invested too much in this plan, and failure was not an option.
Inside the second carriage, another solo Foundation Establishment cultivator similar to Chen Luo extended his finger, allowing a tiny black insect to land on its tip.
As bits of information flowed through his fingertip, a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face.
“That old ghost Han didn’t deceive me after all! The Blackstone Secret Technique, one of the pinnacle divine sense secret arts for the Foundation Establishment stage. With this technique, my Bug Control Technique can advance further, potentially even reaching Late-Stage Foundation Establishment someday.”
As he spoke, the solo Foundation Establishment cultivator’s index finger twitched slightly, and the black insect dispersed once again.
Under the cover of darkness, countless tiny black insects blended seamlessly with the environment. Combined with the concealment provided by the divine sense secret technique, they were nearly perfectly hidden, making detection virtually impossible. Unless someone of a higher realm was present, but such powerful beings hardly ever traveled via relay station carriages.
“It seems I’ll need to use my prized bug.”
The solo Foundation Establishment cultivator retrieved a bamboo tube, from which emerged a jet-black beetle. Approximately the size of a baby’s fist, it had four pairs of wings on its back, compound eyes filled with red specks, and mandibles resembling gleaming iron, distinctly different from ordinary insects at first glance.
“Go, keep a close watch on the woman in the middle carriage.”
He took out two black pills and placed them in his palm.
The black beetle opened its mouth, swiftly devouring the pills, then spread its wings and disappeared into the night.
Half a day later.
The relay station convoy reached an altitude of five kilometers, where the cold intensified significantly. The ground was covered in snow, thick frost freezing the entire path solid, causing the wheels to emit crisp sounds as they rolled over the icy surface.
Following the icy mountain road for some distance, they spotted a snow-covered cave.
This was a transfer relay station. The staff from the lower station would only bring travelers to this point, with the remaining journey handled by personnel from the Inner City. This arrangement prevented potential adversaries from seizing control of the relay stations and gaining access to Blackstone City.
All the carriages came to a halt at the cave entrance.
The passengers disembarked, gathering twenty-plus Qi Refinement cultivators who awaited instructions from the relay station.
“Shiver, it’s freezing!”
“I can’t even shield against this cold with spiritual energy; something is not right!”
“The formation protecting Blackstone City is a high-tier, third-rank array. Qi Refinement cultivators without significant spiritual power cannot resist such forces.”
“Hey old man, when are we moving on? I’m gonna freeze my ass off here.”
Despite their resilience, the chilled Qi Refinement cultivators began grumbling loudly.
“Stop whining! Just wait!” bellowed the Inner City relay station attendant, clad in thick clothing after his shift change, impatiently scanning the group of Qi Refinement cultivators.
At that moment, Chen Luo and the other four individuals from the rear carriage also emerged.
The five Foundation Establishment cultivators met for the first time officially.
Chen Luo discreetly observed the group; apart from the three Foundation Establishment cultivators traveling together, both the solo Foundation Establishment cultivator and Chen Luo had concealed their true appearances.
“Esteemed seniors, we may need to wait here for some time,” said the relay station cultivator, quickly stepping forward with deferential nods towards Chen Luo and the other four Foundation Establishment cultivators.
His attitude was markedly different from how he treated the Qi Refinement cultivators earlier.
Strength and status were clearly evident in Blackstone City.
“Lead the way.”
Among the trio of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the youngest-looking male spoke up.
Upon hearing this, the relay station cultivator promptly guided the five towards the mountain cave entrance.
To traverse the final three kilometers into the Inner City, they needed to await a specialized carriage, which would take at least half a day. Naturally, such important guests could not be neglected during this lengthy wait.
“P-Predecessors, can I become your disciple?” As the group passed by a cluster of Qi Refinement cultivators, one individual mustered the courage to address Chen Luo and the other four Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The speaker was a young man with a determined expression, his eyes flickering with an ambition not seen in others. He firmly believed himself to be a genius and envisioned a day when, just like the protagonists in stories, he would catch the eye of a powerful cultivator and soar to greatness.
Ignoring the young man as if they hadn’t heard him, the other four Foundation Establishment cultivators swept past and entered the mountain cave.
However, Chen Luo paused, studying the youth briefly.
Ambitious! That was his first impression, but then…
His interest waned immediately. Without acknowledging the young man further, Chen Luo followed the other Foundation Establishment cultivators into the cave.
“Just Foundation Establishment, nothing special!” thought the young man, feeling deeply aggrieved that none of them acknowledged him. “One day, once I reach Foundation Establishment - no, Core Formation…”
Seeing the indifference from all five Foundation Establishment cultivators stung him; it felt like a great insult. Despite having shown humility, why were these Foundation Establishment cultivators unwilling to help him? Holding power yet failing to uplift the less fortunate was, in his mind, their fundamental sin!
The fellow Qi Refinement cultivators watched him with cold smirks on their faces.
They had encountered numerous fools like him, each believing themselves to be destined protagonists. In reality, few of such individuals could survive in Blackstone City.
“A bunch of useless trash!”
The aura around the young cultivator surged, revealing him as a Late Stage Qi Refinement practitioner. However, among his fellow Qi Refinement companions were three at the Peak stage. As soon as he spoke, they glared back with discontent.
“Who are you calling useless?”
Sensing their formidable presence, the young cultivator faltered, quickly suppressing his aura and retreating sheepishly to the side.
“Trash!” The three Peak Qi Refinement cultivators echoed his words back at him.
Inside the mountain cave, the setting was opulent. Upon entry, a wave of warmth greeted them, featuring redwood walls, jade stone carvings, and a blind girl playing a zither—a scene of exquisite beauty that felt like stepping into another world compared to the exterior.
When Chen Luo arrived, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators ahead had already entered their resting quarters.
“Esteemed senior, please follow me; your rest area is this way.” A hurried relay station attendant promptly guided Chen Luo towards the fifth immortal’s cave.
Guided by one of the relay station cultivators, Chen Luo swiftly arrived at an opulent immortal’s cave. Upon entering, he was greeted by a flowing bamboo garden with decorative pet birds perched on nearby stone walls, their vibrant fire-red feathers creating a striking visual.
“Please leave now.”
Once seated, Chen Luo closed his eyes and dismissed the guiding cultivator. This was merely a temporary resting place; half a day would pass quickly as he adjusted his breathing.
Meanwhile, in another room, three Foundation Establishment cultivators were gathered together.
“Yue-shimei, since we’re almost at Blackstone City, can you finally reveal the exact location to me?” asked the young male cultivator among the trio.
This Foundation Establishment cultivator was named Lin Feng, a disciple of Patriarch Yin Gui. His female companion was Yue Qingping, the direct descendant of Blackstone City’s Yue Clan. Sixty years ago, the entire Yue Clan suffered a tragic massacre at the hands of the Sow Demon Sect, with only her managing to escape.
After enduring hardships for six decades, Yue Qingping recently achieved Foundation Establishment. With newfound strength, she naturally sought revenge. The incident unraveled the events leading up to the extermination of the Yue Clan, with the most crucial aspect being their divine sense secret art—the Blackstone Secret Technique.
The Blackstone Secret Magic was a top-tier, specialized cultivation method for enhancing divine sense. If practiced by a Peak Foundation Establishment great cultivator, it could grant them near-Core Formation power, akin to a False Core realm.
Such a potent secret technique naturally attracted covetous eyes.
To seek revenge and reclaim her clan’s legacy, Yue Qingping enlisted Senior Brother Lin Feng and the solo cultivator Old Devil Wu Tiande. Together, they planned to slaughter the Sow Demon Sect and recover the lost secret technique.
“That is precisely why I brought you both here,” Yue Qingping said with a cold glint in her eyes.
“This resting room is specially designed by Blackstone City to shield against divine sense intrusion. Our conversation here will remain completely private.”
“You’re concerned about those two newcomers?” With just this hint, Lin Feng understood her apprehensions.
“I suspect they might be from the Sow Demon Sect. They are notoriously cunning, having operated in Blackstone City for years. My return would undoubtedly have caught their attention.” Yue Qingping’s gaze flickered, growing more certain of her suspicion.
It was this very cautiousness that had allowed her to escape the Sow Demon Sect earlier in her life.
She had unwavering confidence in her intuition.
“Why would these two just happen to appear now? Coincidence?”
“Fellow Daoist Wu is right; we can easily test if they’re Sow Demon spies,” Lin Feng nodded in agreement with Wu Tiande’s suggestion.
He too was eager to conclude this matter swiftly. Acquiring the Blackstone Secret Magic sooner rather than later was crucial, as delays only increased unpredictability. If higher-ranked cultivators like Late or Peak Foundation Establishment greats became involved, his Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment prowess might prove insufficient.
“Let’s rely on Fellow Daoist Wu then.”
“No problem at all! You pay, I deliver. I’ve dealt with Early-Stage Foundation Establishment fellows before.” Wu Tiande grinned menacingly and reached into his robes, producing a palm-sized vermilion mirror.
As soon as the mirror appeared, the surrounding air began to distort, faintly revealing countless wailing vengeful souls trapped within its surface.
“Resentful Souls Mirror, impressive! With this artifact, we can proceed without any worries.”
Lin Feng’s eyes flickered momentarily, expressing his admiration with these words.
Wu Tiande smiled smugly.
The Resentful Souls Mirror in his hand was no ordinary magical artifact but a top-tier tier-2 item. This mirror served as Wu Tiande’s greatest confidence, allowing him to remain unscathed despite offending numerous individuals and living life carefree.
“Activate.”
Wu Tiande bit his index finger, drawing blood, and gently touched it to the mirror’s surface.
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