chsdbacks Chapter 179: A Series of Twists and Turns, the Demonic Monk Makes His First Appearance
Chapter 179: A Series of Twists and Turns, the Demonic Monk Makes His First Appearance
Chapter 179 A Series of Twists and Turns, the Demonic Monk Makes His First Appearance
Feng Xiansheng's face was gloomy.
Although the Feng family is known for stealing monsters and treasures, they have always acted in secrecy and never leave any evidence.
Today, he originally intended to first reveal the aura of a true core to frighten away the two fake core cultivators, and then follow the faint fluctuations of magical power into the valley.
But that wisp of fluctuation grew weaker and weaker, like a candle flickering in the wind, and even his third-level divine sense could not lock onto it.
In desperation, he released a stream of cyan energy from a distance, but the force was not strong at all.
Let alone a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, even an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would only suffer some injuries and wouldn't easily die if struck.
For someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage, this attack would at most stop them and make it difficult for them to escape.
however,
Feng Xiansheng never expected that this attack would turn out like this.
The moment that burst of energy touched its target, the opponent's protective aura shattered like thin paper.
Feng Xiansheng's pupils contracted sharply as he watched helplessly as the beautiful figure plummeted into the valley like a kite with a broken string, her shrill scream piercing the sky, after a light blow from his internal energy.
When he flew over, he saw that the person's chest and above had turned into blood mist, and her face was unrecognizable. Only her figure and lower body could be identified as a female cultivator.
Moreover, his waist pouch and valuables had long since disappeared.
"We've fallen for their trap!"
Feng Xiansheng knew perfectly well that this was a smokescreen to deceive him; the real "fat sheep" had already run away.
However, he was still being too naive.
at this time,
Feng Xiansheng suddenly sensed something.
He suddenly turned his head and saw a blue light flashing in the valley more than ten miles away, disappearing in an instant.
The speed at which it fled was so fast that it was clearly the authentic Feng family secret technique, the "Clear Wind Escape"!
Although the Gentle Breeze Escape is the signature technique of the Feng family, this skill is not unique to the Feng family in the upper echelons of the cultivation world.
Any cultivator at the Core Formation stage, if they are determined, could potentially obtain this cultivation technique and supernatural power.
It's just that ordinary people can't cultivate it to that level.
Some late-stage Core Formation cultivators or Nascent Soul cultivators can use their magical power to simulate wind-attribute power and switch to cultivating this technique.
However, the cost is too high, the energy consumption is too great, and the escape speed is not as fast as that used by the Feng family members themselves.
It is also rarely used.
But right now, someone is impersonating a member of the Feng family and doing this dirty thing!
Feng Xiansheng was furious.
"Who dares to impersonate my Feng family and commit such a framing act!"
His aura of true core energy erupted, and a streak of azure light streaked across the sky, chasing after the disappearing light outside the valley.
Little did he know that the small wisp of green wind escape light he had seen earlier was merely a simulated light created by Chen Yi specifically to show Feng Xiansheng.
That's why Feng Xiansheng's true escape light was discovered by people dozens of miles away.
Just as Feng Xiansheng chased after him,
In a corner of the valley, Chen Yi lay motionless like a thousand-year-old stone tortoise, revealing no trace of his presence.
After chasing after it, Feng Xiansheng lost sight of the fleeing light again. He swept his divine sense across the surrounding area for miles like a tidal wave, but failed to find anything unusual.
He circled around for a long time like a headless fly, and finally could only vent his anger on the cliff.
"Boom! Boom!"
Several streams of azure energy struck the rock wall, sending fragments of rock flying.
"Damn it!"
Feng Xiansheng's face turned ashen, and he was furious.
This attempt to rob a fat sheep not only failed, but also got them into trouble.
The most troublesome thing is that no one within a dozen miles of the valley witnessed the details. Only cultivators thirty miles away might be able to see the spiritual light fluctuations of the battle in the valley, as well as the escape light of the Qingfeng Escape.
There were also two fake core cultivators who were frightened away by his true core aura.
If anyone investigates this matter, they will most likely pinpoint his involvement.
"That female cultivator probably doesn't have any special background, right?"
Feng Xiansheng was extremely frustrated; he felt he had been unfairly blamed.
He secretly made a mental note of this and decided to get away from this troublesome place first.
Chen Yi never expected things to be so coincidental.
Although he knew he was being targeted by a Core Formation cultivator, he never expected that the other party was a member of the Feng family.
"No matter who this person is, since they dare to plot against the cultivators, they should be prepared to take the blame."
In addition,
On this trip, Chen Yi purchased a Core Formation spiritual item, [Spirit Purification Liquid], in Red Maple Immortal City for a premium price of 18,000 spirit stones.
Although this item is genuine,
However, the price was 30% higher than the market price, and Chen Yi was truly ripped off.
Furthermore, after selling his goods at a high price, the other party would send people to chase him down and steal the goods back.
I wonder how many times this [Spirit Purification Liquid] has been used by the local forces here.
"Let's note this down for now."
Chen Yi took out a jade slip and wrote down the name of the top merchant guild in Red Maple Immortal City. After it, he wrote down two fake Core Formation cultivators and one Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator, clearly marked with their magical power aura.
The path to immortality is long, so there's no need to rush to settle this small grudge.
When his cultivation improves in the future, he can find an opportunity to get revenge.
Let's go back to the beginning.
Just as Feng Xiansheng's wind-attribute pill power crashed down, Zhou Zihan's chest and above instantly turned into a bloody mist.
Just as her soul was about to dissipate, Chen Yi quietly flicked a wisp of purple lightning from his fingertip, precisely striking the wisp of foul black energy deep within her soul.
"Sizzle—"
The black mist, as white as snow, vaporized instantly upon encountering the blazing sun.
Zhou Zihan's remnant soul suddenly became clear, and in the final moment, he broke free from some kind of restraint.
Her gaze toward Chen Yi was complex and unfathomable, as if she had a thousand words to say, which ultimately turned into a wisp of gratitude that dissipated with her soul.
Meanwhile, thirty thousand miles away, in a dark cave.
Lin Fan was sitting opposite the black-robed cultivator, plotting something, when suddenly his expression changed.
He patted his storage bag and took out a soul tablet covered in cracks—it was Zhou Zihan's natal soul tablet!
"Oh no! That bitch Zihan is dead!"
Seeing this, the black-robed cultivator beside him also became serious and began to cast spells by making hand seals.
Streaks of black energy coiled like venomous snakes, outlining eerie runes in the air.
Ten breaths later, the black-robed cultivator's forehead was beaded with sweat, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"It was the power of a wind-attribute true core that killed her."
At the same time, Lin Fan had finished casting his spell and located the direction and distance of Zhou Zihan's death.
"Twenty-eight thousand li to the southeast—near Red Maple Fairy City."
"Wind Attribute True Pill. Red Maple Immortal City"
A cold glint flashed in the black-robed man's eyes.
"Very well! I'd like to see which blind fool dares to touch my woman and steal my things!"
Chen Yi hadn't killed Zhou Zihan earlier because the cultivation world had all sorts of strange and secret techniques that could trace the scene before the deceased died.
Even if Chen Yi changes his appearance, he may still be branded with an indelible mark by the secret technique.
If the caster gets too close to him in the future, it is very likely that his location will be pinpointed.
However, it seems that the secret technique has not had this effect—at least Chen Yi is certain that he has not been marked.
I wonder what happened to Feng family's Zhen Dan, who delivered the final blow.
After this matter was over, Chen Yi quickly used the Wind and Thunder Escape Technique to travel back day and night at twice the speed he had come from.
In just two days, they rushed back to the Thousand Sounds Mountain Range and quietly infiltrated the mountain-protecting formation from above the Wonderful Sound Peak.
The day after he returned to his cave, the Miaoyin Sect summoned all the remaining disciples to a meeting to assign tasks and allocate resources.
Chen Yi appeared in his true form, personally deploying tasks and allocating resources.
Lin Xiaoyu secretly made a note of it and sent a message to her father, Lin Fan, that evening: to confirm again that Chen Yi had been at home recently and had not left the mountain gate.
At the sect mission meeting,
A disciple specializing in communication arrays handed over a communication jade tablet.
Chen Yi opened the communication talisman engraved with secret protective array patterns. The talisman lit up, and the contents were the first battle report sent by Qin Chengcheng, who was hundreds of thousands of miles away.
Qin Chengcheng has been at the front lines for several months.
The battle there was extremely fierce.
With several Nascent Soul cultivators holding their ground and refusing to engage, most Core Formation cultivators also opted for a conservative strategy, relying on formations for defense and reluctant to venture out to fight.
Under the siege of the monster horde, the Lianqi Clan and Lianqi Market either fled in panic or were completely wiped out.
Both Foundation Establishment families and cultivators suffered heavy losses, with most survivors retreating to the Immortal City.
However, several immortal cities are now in grave danger, either besieged by demonic beasts or occupied by demonic beasts in some spiritual fields and lakes outside the cities, further shrinking their living space.
but,
There is still a group of young cultivators who are passionate or have ideals for the path of immortality, and they have taken the initiative to go to the front line of the demon beast battlefield.
They would not confront the beast tide head-on, but instead roam the flanks of the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to hunt down lone monsters or intercept small groups of beasts.
Qin Chengcheng led dozens of cultivators from the Miaoyin Sect, employing this tactic.
With her powerful mid-stage third-order divine sense and array formation skills, the Miaoyin Sect cultivators formed a mobile battle formation, nimbly traversing the battlefield and delivering precise strikes against the demonic beasts.
Qin Chengcheng, in particular, displayed the power of her newly advanced Purple Extreme Golden Core, which, combined with the Thunder Soul Sect's inherited secret technique—Heavenly Thunder Qin Sound, made her shine on the battlefield.
They even managed to kill three early-stage Tier 3 demonic beasts within a month, but this also attracted the attention of a mid-stage Tier 3 Xuanming Demonic Python.
Facing this mid-stage third-tier demonic beast containing a trace of ancient ferocious beast bloodline, Qin Chengcheng was still able to contend with it using the Heavenly Thunder Qin Melody, even counter-injuring and repelling it, and killing an ordinary third-tier demonic beast that was with the Xuanming Demon Python.
After this battle, the Miaoyin Sect reaped considerable gains.
Aside from keeping some materials that were useful to himself, Qin Chengcheng exchanged most of his spoils for the official government of the imperial city in exchange for elixirs, spiritual items, and other resources needed for cultivation.
Having been tempered on the battlefield, Qin Chengcheng and the other elite cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect gradually developed a stronger aura of killing intent, and their magical power became more refined.
These experiences greatly benefited their subsequent spiritual practice.
Of course, this is all predicated on them surviving this calamity of monsters.
The above is a brief introduction to the situation from the previous part by Qin Chengcheng.
Chen Yi did not approve of this method of obtaining opportunities and improving cultivation through war.
Because in this war between demonic forces and the invasion of monsters, the Qi Kingdom cultivators were not fighting with an easy advantage.
For ordinary cultivators, especially those in the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stages, they are no different from cannon fodder.
In the early stages of the battle, facing a vast tide of demonic beasts, coupled with the possible presence of lurking demonic cultivators, the survival rate of these low-level cultivators was probably less than one in ten.
Even a Core Formation cultivator like Qin Chengcheng faces a considerable risk of death.
Of course, Chen Yi's unwillingness to participate in the war was not solely due to the unfavorable situation of the war.
Even if his identity were switched to the opposing camp, making it a favorable war for Chen Yi, he still wouldn't want to fight.
Chen Yi had no interest in anything that carried even the slightest risk.
Although Qin Chengcheng and the cultivators of the Miaoyin Sect seemed to have tasted success and made repeated victories on the battlefield.
Chen Yi also planned to tug at their sleeves and whisper in their ears in his reply.
"The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. Low-level demonic beasts are nothing but consumables; your lives as cultivators are more valuable. There's no need to risk your lives."
In addition, Qin Chengcheng also mentioned some news about other prodigies in the letter—
Characters like Qi Wuba, Qi Yourong, Qi Yunxi, Feng Qingjun, and Gong Quanhui were active in almost every corner of the monster battlefield.
After experiencing the baptism of the secret realm, these people all made gains on the initial battlefield.
At the same time, Qin Chengcheng specifically emphasized that
Ning Bu'er, who had an ambiguous relationship with Chen Yi, disappeared without a trace; she did not appear anywhere on the main battlefield of the demon beasts.
Qin Chengcheng didn't know whether he had retreated to cultivate like Chen Yi or gone on a secret mission.
However, Ning Bu'er, like Qin Chengcheng, accepted the inheritance of the Thunder Soul Sect and swore an oath. In terms of stance, Qin Chengcheng believed that she would not change and become a member of the demonic path.
In addition, Qin Chengcheng also provided an unconfirmed message:
One day, on a battlefield of demonic beasts, she vaguely glimpsed the figure of a bald little monk flashing through the horde of demonic beasts from a distance of several miles away.
Strangely, the young monk was not enveloped in the golden light of Buddhism, but rather in a chilling demonic aura.
Because of the distance, Qin Chengcheng was not sure if it was the little monk Linghui, but he had a vague intuition that they looked familiar.
Even more strangely, after that figure spotted Qin Chengcheng, the elite demon beasts that were originally moving changed direction slightly, bypassing Qin Chengcheng's location and attacking other areas.
This intelligence was of great value to Chen Yi.
In the great war of the cultivation world, this kind of information involving the overall trend can often reveal the outline of the entire battle.
The battlefield remains unpredictable, with only Core Formation cultivators and early to mid-stage third-tier demons clashing.
As for late-stage third-order demons, fourth-order demon kings, and even Nascent Soul cultivators, none of them have truly made a move yet.
The demonic cultivators lurking behind the monsters are even more enigmatic, and their true purpose has yet to be revealed.
Based on his observations so far, Chen Yi judged that the entire Qi state was not yet doomed to collapse in an instant.
Since all sides are holding back, he needs to remain calm even more—in this defensive war, those who hide the deepest are often the ones who survive to the end.
When the situation changes, it will be a better time to decide whether to stay or leave.
Chen Yi harbored doubts about the possibility that the young monk Linghui might have fallen into demonic ways.
That little monk has an endless stream of trump cards, and his strength is comparable to geniuses like Qiu Li and Ji Wuchen. How could he easily abandon his Buddhist foundation?
With insufficient evidence at present, he dared not draw any conclusions.
Just keep this in mind, and verify it when you have the chance in the future.
After a moment's thought, Chen Yi repeatedly urged Qin Chengcheng in his reply to be extremely cautious in his actions and not to become a prime target for assassination by the demons and monsters due to his overly sharp and outspoken nature.
Finally, in his reply, Chen Yi hinted that his preparations for forming his core were nearly complete and asked Qin Chengcheng when he would have time to return to the mountain.
Chen Yi needs someone to protect him in order to form his core.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Qin Chengcheng should understand after reading it.
The matter concerning Zhou Zihan's death has been largely resolved.
Chen Yi only needs to gradually refine and absorb the spiritual energy of the more than twenty third-tier Xuanyin Spirit Bamboos in his storage bag.
After he finished absorbing the remaining spirit bamboo that had lost its level, he didn't plan to deal with it for the time being.
This is the best way to avoid Lin Fan and the mid-stage Core Formation cultivator behind him finding any clues.
However, things took an unexpected turn for the better.
He was fine, but Feng Xiansheng ran into trouble first.
A month later, a great battle that shook all sides broke out in a valley in the southern part of the Qi Kingdom's cultivation world.
Feng Xiansheng, a True Core cultivator from the Feng family, was ambushed by Lin Fan, the former sect leader of Miaoyin Pavilion, and a heretical cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation. A fierce battle of life and death erupted in a desolate valley.
Although Feng Xiansheng possessed powerful escape techniques, he was ultimately not good at direct combat and suffered a great loss when fighting two opponents at once.
Rumor has it that his natal core was injured by that evil cultivator. In the end, he gritted his teeth and used several third-tier talismans to tear open a gap and barely escaped by using the Qingfeng Escape technique, which he temporarily upgraded to the peak of the mid-third tier, at the cost of his own life.
Feng Xiansheng's exposure was bad news for Chen Yi.
Chen Yi originally wanted to find someone to take the blame, at least to buy him some time before he reached the Core Formation stage.
Unexpectedly, Feng Xiansheng has already clashed with Lin Fan and the demonic cultivators so quickly.
It seems that the demonic cultivator must have extraordinary abilities, otherwise even if he knew it was Feng Xiansheng, he wouldn't have been able to stop him so quickly.
However, Feng Xiansheng was not one to suffer in silence.
After escaping, he immediately spread rumors that Lin Fan was colluding with demonic cultivators, and even showed several wounds caused by demonic energy as evidence.
Unfortunately, due to his notorious reputation, he ultimately dared not go to the official institutions in the capital to examine his injuries, and this evidence could only circulate by word of mouth in the cultivation world.
Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle, and neither gained any advantage.
Feng Xiansheng was seriously injured and disappeared after the battle.
Lin Fan and the evil cultivator, Cold Crow Master, also concealed their whereabouts.
Although the two successfully intercepted Feng Xiansheng, no matter how they interrogated him, Feng Xiansheng insisted that he had only killed a headless female corpse and had not obtained any treasures, and that he had been framed.
After using his secret technique to investigate, Master Hanya confirmed that Feng Xiansheng did not have any traces of a large amount of third-tier spirit bamboo. In the end, under the desperate counterattack of the opponent who used several third-tier spirit talismans, he had no choice but to let him break through.
Afterwards, Lin Fan and Han Ya Zhenren looked at each other in bewilderment: If what Feng Xiansheng said was true, then who was the mastermind behind it all?
Master Hanya confirmed through a secret method that Zhou Zihan was indeed killed by Feng Xiansheng.
But if Feng Xiansheng was also being manipulated, the matter becomes even more perplexing.
"Given the current unfavorable situation, we should lie low for now."
Master Hanya's expression darkened slightly. "When our Demonic Sect elders arrive, they may be able to help us uncover the truth."
That elder is skilled in high-grade third-tier divination techniques; he will surely be able to deduce the whereabouts of that batch of third-tier spirit bamboo.
Upon hearing this, Lin Fan pressed further, "When will your sect's diviner arrive?"
"It could take several months, or as long as a year."
"Alright! Then we'll wait a year and then make further plans."
Lin Fan sneered, "So many spirit bamboos, even if they fall into the hands of a Core Formation cultivator, it's impossible for them to be exhausted in a short period of time."
Lin Fan and Han Ya had no choice but to abandon the small-scale third-tier spiritual vein and go underground.
Because Feng Xiansheng spread rumors that they were demonic cultivators.
Although there was no evidence, they couldn't withstand the official investigation by the royal family, so they naturally had to go from overt to covert operations.
This result also made them curse inwardly.
They spent a lot of effort trying to contain Feng Xiansheng, but ended up gaining nothing and getting themselves into trouble.
Once we find the mastermind behind this, we will not let them off easily!
The news of the life-or-death battle between the three Core Formation cultivators has spread like wildfire among the upper echelons of the cultivation world.
In the last hundred years, such life-or-death battles between True Core Formation cultivators have become extremely rare.
At this level, even the greatest conflicts can be resolved through martial arts exchanges, ultimately leading to resource negotiations.
Unexpectedly, not long after the monster invasion, real people appeared and fought to the death.
This is not good news for the cultivation world.
When Chen Yi learned that the True Core cultivator who had chased him that day was none other than Feng Xiansheng...
The slight guilt he felt when he impersonated an elder of the Feng family in the capital of Qi has also dissipated.
On that day in the capital, Chen Yi did hesitate, after all, he had a somewhat distant but not close relationship with Feng Qingjun, a member of the Feng family.
But at this moment, he had no moral or psychological burden.
"Feng Xiansheng was never a good person to begin with."
This person must have done his fair share of bullying, murder, and robbing. If it had been an ordinary cultivator who spent 18,000 spirit stones to buy the Core Formation item that day, he would have at least been robbed by Feng Xiansheng. If he had resisted, he would have been silenced.
In this incident, Lin Fan and the demonic cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation reacted so intensely.
In just two or three months, they tracked down Feng Xiansheng and nearly killed him on the spot.
This indicates that the batch of third-tier spirit bamboo, worth 200,000 spirit stones, stolen by Zhou Zihan was of great importance to them.
For Chen Yi, the battle between Feng Xiansheng and Lin Fan was a mixed bag of good and bad news.
The good news is that these two were forced to abandon a small third-tier spiritual vein 20,000 miles away, and now, suspected of being "accomplices of demonic cultivators," they can no longer operate openly.
Moreover, once they leave that spiritual vein, their daily cultivation and other activities will take them further away from Chen Yi's Miaoyin Sect.
It's like having one less pair of enemies snoring beside your bed.
This will allow Chen Yi to be better prepared when dealing with certain matters.
The bad news is that the two Core Formation cultivators have gone from the open to the shadows, like venomous snakes lurking in the grass, posing an even greater threat.
"If they find out the truth, they will definitely take crazy revenge on me."
Even with the anti-calculation tortoise shell given to Chen Yi by the old tortoise, he might not be completely safe.
The methods in the cultivation world are incredibly diverse.
He must act quickly to transform these resources into strength.
The safest approach is to improve one's own capabilities.
Everything we're doing now is just a stopgap measure.
Chen Yi estimated that he would be able to absorb all the spiritual energy of the spirit bamboo in a few more months.
With the addition of the newly acquired water-attribute Core Formation artifact, the chances of breaking through this time are over 90%.
Now all we have to do is wait for Qin Chengcheng to rest on the front lines, then sneak back to the mountain gate to protect him, and then we can choose an opportunity to break through to the Core Formation stage.
(End of this chapter)