Chapter 44: The Desperate Zhao Xuhe

Outside the market of Skull Mountain’s White Bone Cave.

Streaks of escaping light concealed themselves within the mountain forest, revealing three figures. Two of them were Wu Zhichong and Duanmu Yuan, who had previously attacked the market but fled back in wretched defeat.

The third person was a white-haired old man.

“Elder Ouyang…”

Wu Zhichong spoke cautiously, afraid that this Elder at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining would do something irrational. Ahead lay a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den.

“Rest assured, this old man knows the gravity of the situation.”

Ouyang Feng’s expression was grim. Although his eyes were filled with deep-seated hatred as he looked toward the market, his tone was extremely calm, without the slightest fluctuation.

“That demon is a Grade 9 Formation Master. He has laid down both internal and external formations in this market, which are not something ordinary people can break. It is no wonder he has been able to remain at large until now and even earned the so-called reputation of ‘Master of the Blood-Clad Tower’. However, he is not truly at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.. ultimately, it is a castle in the air.”

“But Elder Ouyang, the Supreme Sky Mirror also fell into that person’s hands.”

Wu Zhichong hurriedly chimed in, then whispered, “The Supreme Sky Mirror is mysterious and unfathomable. If that demon can control it, he might not lose to a Great Perfection of Qi Refining cultivator…”

“Naturally, I have considered this matter.”

Ouyang Feng sneered. “The Supreme Sky Mirror is a Spirit Treasure of my Divine Martial Sect. How could a demon just take it and use it? If he dares to use it, all the better!”

“I have already invited Grandmaster Yang Yezi, who originally refined the Supreme Sky Mirror. He was also furious that the Supreme Sky Mirror fell into the hands of a demon and has agreed to come to Skull Mountain to reclaim the Spirit Treasure and restore order. With him here, if that demon dares to use the Supreme Sky Mirror to fight me, he will be seeking his own death.”

Although Ouyang Feng was angry, he had not lost his reason.

Moreover, with Ouyang Haoze’s lesson in mind, he would not possibly try to storm the formation again. After much thought, it was better to lure Lu Yang out of the formation.

“When does this person usually leave the market?”

“Uh…”

Facing Ouyang Feng’s inquiry, Wu Zhichong and Duanmu Yuan looked at each other, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ouyang Feng immediately frowned and said with dissatisfaction, “Haven’t you been staking out the market for a long time? How can you not even know such a small thing?”

“Answering the Elder, this person has not left the market at all so far.”

“…He hasn’t?”

Ouyang Feng was stunned. “Did you not spread the news about the Shaman-Ghost Secret Realm inside? Does he not know that Skull Mountain is currently full of opportunities everywhere?”

The two looked aggrieved. “We spread it long ago.”

“Then is it because the Primordial Saint Demonic Sect’s reinforcements haven’t arrived yet, and the Demonic Path is weak, so he doesn’t dare to leave?”

“In fact, the Demonic Sect’s reinforcements arrived three months ago and are acting brazenly in Skull Mountain. Only this person has never left from beginning to end.”

“Ah?”

Listening to the report, Ouyang Feng finally revealed a look of bewilderment.

…

“Go out? I will not go out.”

Inside the Blood-Clad Tower, Lu Yang and Fairy Feixia sat opposite each other. While politely declining Fairy Feixia’s invitation, he handed a cup of spiritual tea to her.

“Junior Brother, you really are…”

Fairy Feixia looked at Lu Yang, her beautiful face suddenly somewhat dazed.

Once upon a time, she had been disappointed by this Junior Brother’s timidity. Yet, the result was that he advanced step by step, forging the illustrious reputation of the ‘Master of the Blood-Clad Tower’.

One must know that all immortal cultivators struggled against heaven for their lives. One slow step meant the end of one’s lifespan and death.

Even if there was so-called reincarnation, first, one might not have immortal destiny after reincarnation, and second, one might not be oneself after reincarnation, so it was hard to rely on.

But seeing him again this time, Lu Yang was just as he had been in the past.

Indifferent, tranquil, as if nothing in the world weighed on his mind.

With such a rare temperament among immortal cultivators, a phrase suddenly came to Fairy Feixia’s mind— Water benefits all things without contending, thus nothing can contend with it.

But living a life, if you do not contend, how can you seek the Dao?

In the next life?

Thinking of this, Fairy Feixia couldn’t help but sigh. “…I am ashamed. I fear I will never reach such a superb state of mind as Junior Brother in this lifetime.”

“Senior Sister praises me too much.”

Lu Yang smiled faintly. “Didn’t I say before coming here? This time we will discuss neither major events nor anything else, only the Dao. I will teach Senior Sister formations, and Senior Sister will teach me talismans.”

“I will naturally teach everything I know.”

Fairy Feixia pursed her red lips slightly. Her pale hand lifted her veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face capable of toppling cities.

Under her thin rosy robe, peaks rose, and the curve of her hips was like the moon.

Even her voice unconsciously became soft and tender. “Speaking of which, I have not yet thanked Junior Brother for saving my life before…”

The next day, the sun was three poles high.

Inside the market, a young man with a wretched appearance was pacing in his cave abode, his face full of struggle. It was none other than Lu Yang’s old friend, Zhao Xuhe.

“How could it be like this? How could it be like this?”

At this moment, Zhao Xuhe’s desperation had reached a peak. “The news of the Shaman-Ghost Secret Realm is now known to everyone. If I don’t act now, I will have no chance!”

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuhe’s aura suddenly exploded. He was no longer at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining as when he first arrived at the market, but had broken through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, the Late Stage realm.

It was precisely because he had broken through the bottleneck that had trapped him for many years that he had the thought of going to the secret realm to explore and gamble for opportunities.

But having the thought did not mean having the strength.

Without the opportunity from [Coiled Dragon Island], he could only cultivate the Ode of Yin-Yang Great Bliss from [Heaven-Mending Peak]. His True Qi was no better than Grade 5, and his Divine Abilities and Artifacts were inferior in every way.

Under these circumstances, fighting for opportunities was seeking death.

After thinking it over, Zhao Xuhe finally gritted his teeth, took out a jade slip that had been sealed for a long time, injected spiritual power into it, and contacted that person he hadn’t seen for a long time.

The jade slip glowed with a halo. After a long time, a voice came out: “Who is it?”

The voice carried a lazy tone, along with a bit of parched dryness, yet it made Zhao Xuhe miss it terribly. He couldn’t help but whisper, “Feixia… it’s me, Xuhe.”

That’s right, he had a history with Fairy Feixia.

Although they had a history, they were actually just acquaintances from the past. However, after he was chosen by the Peak Master of [Heaven-Mending Peak] as a son-in-law, they cut off contact to avoid suspicion.

He thought the two sides would never cross paths again, but he didn’t expect to be begging her now.

Zhao Xuhe gritted his teeth and whispered, “Feixia, I want to ask you for a favor… My path is hopeless now, and I plan to leave the market for one last gamble.”

He knew that Fairy Feixia most admired the act of burning one’s bridges to seek the Dao.

So only by saying this could he move her.

“But I have no Contribution Points now and am unable to purchase Artifacts and Divine Abilities. Under these circumstances, even if I have the heart to burn my bridges, I fear I will die in vain.”

“So… so… for the sake of our past feelings, lend me a little…”

As he spoke, Zhao Xuhe couldn’t help but recall bits and pieces of the past with Fairy Feixia in his mind, and some unspeakable hope arose in his heart.

However, in the next second, a basin of cold water was poured down.

“Sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

The tender voice that originally carried intense warmth instantly turned icy cold. She said indifferently, “Also, please do not contact me again in the future.”

“I am discussing the Dao with Junior Brother Lu, and I don’t want him to misunderstand.”

Crack!

In the next second, the jade slip shattered.

Zhao Xuhe stood blankly in place. He didn’t recover for a long time. Only after a long while did his face gradually twist, and a roar escaped from his teeth—

“No—!!!”

Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com