Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 175 - 173: Testing the Sharpness of My Sword? [Additional - Sponsored by Bookmate Ji Ye Feng Yu]
Chapter 175: Chapter 173: Testing the Sharpness of My Sword? [Additional Chapter Sponsored by Bookmate Ji Ye Feng Yu]
At the break of dawn, the caravan escorted by Zhouyang and the others finally escaped the last wave of demon beast pursuit.
The entire night had been spent in combat.
Initially, two Tier Four demon beasts led a group of flying demon beasts in a chase, delaying their departure. Later, when some land demon beasts caught up, their path to breaking through became difficult.
Although the "Six-winged Flying Centipede" could fly, carrying such heavy cargo limited its flight altitude to only over seven hundred zhang. In an hour, it could only fly over a thousand li, a height and speed clearly insufficient to escape the attack range of the land-based Tier Three demon beasts.
Thus, Zhouyang and the group’s task changed from intercepting the pursuing flying demon beasts to helping the "Six-winged Flying Centipede" fend off magical attacks coming from the ground.
Of course, given the huge size of the "Six-winged Flying Centipede," they certainly couldn’t intercept all the magic attacks, only those from Tier Three top-grade demon beasts that could cause severe injuries. The other attacks had to be endured by the centipedes themselves.
At this point, the centipede’s characteristic of "endurance" became evident. After enduring countless attacks, the three "Six-winged Flying Centipedes" managed to pull through under the magical and elixir healing of the three Beast Tamers, without failing once.
Ironically, because the centipedes bore the brunt of many attacks, Zhouyang and the other escort cultivators standing on their backs hardly faced any attacks from below.
This overnight pursuit, stretching a few thousand li, finally saw the chasing land demon beasts decrease in numbers, with the last of them being wiped out by Zhouyang and the others.
"Thanks to all fellow daoists for the escort through the night. Now that the pursuers are eliminated, let’s land to rest a while and let the three flying centipedes recover their strength while we wait for Elder Jia to catch up."
At sunrise, after discussing amongst themselves, the Divine Weapon Workshop cultivators on the centipedes had Hua Yuerong communicate with Zhouyang and the escort cultivators, deciding to land and rest.
Zhouyang and the escort cultivators were being paid for their work, and unless it involved personal safety, they wouldn’t question or oppose the employer’s decision. Thus, the three "Six-winged Flying Centipedes" soon landed in a mountain clearing under the Beast Tamers’ guidance.
"Fellow Daoist Hua, the nearest sect to Zhenyue Immortal City is the Mirror Profound Sect by White Water Lake, but it seems the direction we’ve been flying doesn’t follow that route?"
While resting, Zhouyang was meditating to restore his magical power when he heard one of the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivators among the guards asking Hua Yuerong about their route, making him perk up his ears to listen.
"Fellow Daoist He, it seems you’re unaware that the Mirror Profound Sect has sealed its mountain for self-preservation due to the beast tide. Going there now would be like walking into a trap, handing ourselves over to the demon beasts!"
"So, we’re heading to Jade Dragon Country this time by bypassing Mirror Profound Sect’s route, detouring through Bitaoling and passing through Biyun Sect’s territory."
Hua Yuerong glanced at the inquisitive cultivator named He, then at Zhouyang and the others who were listening intently, smiling gently as she explained the caravan’s travel plan.
"I see, Fellow Daoist He understands now, thank you Fellow Daoist Hua for the clarification."
The cultivator named He nodded with an enlightened expression, saying no more, seemingly accepting the caravan’s plan.
Zhouyang noticed this and wore a thoughtful look on his face.
Since he was set to enter the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, he had researched the routes from Zhenyue Immortal City to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and the Beast Taming Sect. He knew that starting from Zhenyue Immortal City, only the two routes mentioned by Hua Yuerong would have cultivator marketplaces along the way for resupply.
As for the true Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, it actually lay thirty to forty thousand li away from Zhenyue Immortal City!
This thirty to forty thousand li region was actually a buffer zone between human cultivators and demon beasts of the Broken Cloud Mountain Range.
Otherwise, if human cultivators settled too close, relocating their sect clans’ mountain gates right into the Broken Cloud Mountain Range, it would force the Tier Six Demon Kings inside the range to lead all demon beasts in a full-scale attack against the entire Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm.
This expanse of thirty to forty thousand li buffer could only exist in this Immortal World. Zhouyang was amazed when he first learned of it.
Moreover, he knew that this buffer zone was gradually being developed by mortals and some low-tier loose cultivators. Dong Jianping had told him that when he later established the Dong Family, the clan site would be in this area.
This was indeed a necessary choice, for in the actual Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm beyond, the various forces had long divided the land. For a Foundation Establishment loose cultivator to establish a clan there, just overcoming the resistance from established cultivator families would be beyond a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s capabilities.
Conversely, establishing a clan in this buffer zone eliminated such concerns, leaving only the need to worry about how to defend against beast incursions from the Broken Cloud Mountain Range and how to ensure the safety of clan members during a "beast tide."
Subsequently, after waiting for about half an hour, Jia Yunzhen, who had intercepted two Tier Four demon beasts, finally caught up.
Seeing Jia Yunzhen’s icy expression, Zhouyang knew the two Tier Four demon beasts hadn’t gained any advantage.
Aside from the initial flicker of surprise in his eyes upon seeing Zhouyang also in the escort team, he and Jia Yunzhen hadn’t exchanged a single word the entire way, as if they didn’t know each other at all.
"Elder Jia, the flying centipedes will need to rest for two or three hours to regain strength. Why don’t you have a cup of tea and rest, recover your magical power?"
With a face full of hospitality, Hua Yuerong approached to offer Jia Yunzhen a freshly brewed special flower tea from the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, her attitude markedly different from her demeanor toward Zhouyang and the others.
Zhouyang and the others had no qualms about this; everyone knew Jia Yunzhen’s prowess was unmatched in Zhenyue Immortal City, making his receiving special treatment seem well deserved.
Jia Yunzhen accepted the tea without politeness or fear of any tricks from Hua Yuerong, downing it in one go before sitting cross-legged to hold a piece of middle-grade spirit stone, meditating to recover his magical power.
After nearly half an hour passed, with Zhouyang having recovered about sixty percent of his magical power, Jia Yunzhen, while meditating, suddenly opened his sharp eyes and shouted towards a direction, "Who’s sneaking around there? Get out!"
Before the shout ended, a silver light shot from his body, straight towards a distant grove.
"Hahaha, truly, Fellow Daoist Jia lives up to his reputation, I never expected a friend to find me despite hiding this far!"
Amidst a burst of laughter from the grove, Jia Yunzhen’s sword returned to his front, having achieved nothing.
Hearing the warning, Zhouyang and the others stopped meditating and vigilantly faced the direction of the laughter.
In the midst of that laughter, an old man with white hair and a youthful face, clad in a purple robe, flew out of the forest on a white cloud, entering everyone’s view with a broad smile on his face.
Soaring Through the Clouds?
Zhouyang watched the old man in purple robes ride a cloud out of the forest, and the first thing that came to mind was the signature divine technique "Soaring Through the Clouds" of a Golden Core Stage cultivator.
However, after taking a closer look at the white cloud beneath the old man’s feet, he let out a sigh of relief, realizing it wasn’t the "Soaring Through the Clouds" divine technique, but a peculiar Tier Four flying spiritual artifact.
This cloud-shaped flying artifact, in terms of flying speed, might not be faster than the sword flight of a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator, but it added much more flair that a flying sword could never compare to.
No need to say more, just see how Zhouyang and the others, upon seeing the old man in purple robes approaching on a cloud, immediately thought they were facing a Golden Core Stage cultivator, each one of them was greatly shocked. How could mere sword flight compare to that?
Compared to their great astonishment, Jia Yunzhen remained exceptionally calm throughout. Upon seeing the old man in purple robes approach on a cloud, his face immediately darkened, and he coldly said, "So it’s Fellow Daoist Zhu from the Purple Star Pavilion, what brings you here sneakily following the Divine Weapon Workshop’s caravan? Could it be that the business at the Purple Star Pavilion has not been going well lately, and Fellow Daoist Zhu is thinking of changing careers to do an unprofitable trade?"
Purple Star Pavilion? It seemed to be a shop selling elixirs inside Zhenyue Immortal City.
Upon hearing Jia Yunzhen’s words, Zhouyang’s heart jolted as he immediately recalled the name of this shop. He had been there before to buy healing spirit pills for his father Zhou Xuanhao.
However, what he never expected was that the old man in purple robes, after hearing Jia Yunzhen’s words, suddenly shifted his gaze onto him and spoke in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Jia is joking; even if Zhu had the courage of a god, I would not dare to lay a hand on the Divine Weapon Workshop’s caravan. Zhu is here entirely because of this boy; he has something that Zhu must claim!"
Zhouyang’s face immediately changed.
He looked at the old man in purple robes in shock, unable to suppress an exclamation, "What do you mean, Senior? I have never met you, Senior, before, so how could I possibly have something that you covet?"
"Oh, is that so?"
The old man in purple robes looked at him coldly, and his voice suddenly changed. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Upon hearing this voice, Zhouyang’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but cry out, "So it’s you!"
Cultivators have good memories, not to mention it’s only been over two years since that underground exchange meeting; how could Zhouyang not recognize the voice of the Purple Mansion Stage alchemist he dealt with that day?
What he never expected was that after more than two years, the old man in purple robes still remembered that matter and had somehow found out his identity, pursuing him all the way here.
In fact, it wasn’t just him; upon hearing the old man in purple robes’ voice, Jia Yunzhen also recognized his identity and quickly guessed why he was targeting Zhouyang.
Zhouyang also slightly altered his voice at that time to mask it, so Jia Yunzhen never recognized Zhouyang as the person who exchanged secret techniques with him. But once the old man in purple robes brought it up, he instantly put two and two together.
At this moment, his gaze towards Zhouyang also turned bizarre.
Seeing this, the old man in purple robes couldn’t help but feel overjoyed, fearing that Jia Yunzhen would wholeheartedly protect Zhouyang. In such a case, he truly might not have been a match for Jia Yunzhen.
Now seeing that Jia Yunzhen also seemed to have some discontent towards Zhouyang, how could he not be pleased?
His eyes flashed coldly, and with a sinister gaze he coldly issued an ultimatum to Zhouyang: "Very well, it seems you have remembered. Now, will you hand over the storage bag yourself, or shall I personally take it from your corpse?"
Upon hearing these words, Zhouyang’s heart sank to the bottom.
He looked at Jia Yunzhen, then glanced at Hua Yuerong and the other cultivators from the Divine Weapon Workshop. Yet, they all either had expressionless faces, lost in their thoughts, or gave him a helpless look, or simply turned their heads away, refusing to meet his eyes.
This chilled his heart, knowing it would be difficult to get help from these people.
But asking him to hand over the storage bag like this was worse than asking him to be killed outright!
So, gritting his teeth, with a fierce expression, he couldn’t help but glare at the old man in purple robes and angrily shout: "Senior, aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed if you do this? Grabbing items back after an underground exchange meeting like some demonic cultivator. What would Elder Tian Wenxuan, who organized the exchange meeting, think if he knew about your actions?"
"A sharp-tongued brat; how I conduct my matters is none of your concern! You dare wield Fellow Daoist Tian to suppress me — you truly don’t know what the word ’death’ means!"
The old man in purple robes was furious, utterly provoked by Zhouyang’s successive questions.
With an angry flash across his face, he immediately swung his hand, releasing a scarlet flying sword toward Zhouyang, intent on killing over a disagreement.
Due to the suddenness of the attack, Zhouyang was caught off guard by his determination and had no time to dodge or defend, watching helplessly as the scarlet flying sword flew toward his neck, his eyes filled with unwillingness and shock.
However, at this critical moment, a silver flying sword arrived first, intercepting the scarlet flying sword and knocking it aside — it was Jia Yunzhen who had suddenly intervened.
The old man in purple robes was both shocked and angry upon witnessing this, and he hastily shouted, "Fellow Daoist Jia, what does this mean? Do you really intend to fight me over this boy?"
Jia Yunzhen ignored him, simply looking at Zhouyang coldly and asking, "Boy, have you learned my sword technique?"
Zhouyang, having narrowly escaped death, was drenched in cold sweat and secretly relieved. Upon hearing Jia Yunzhen’s question, he was momentarily surprised, unable to comprehend the reason for such a query.
But considering Jia Yunzhen had just saved his life, and the situation couldn’t get much worse, he decided to go all in, no longer hiding anything, and nodded in reply: "After half a year of diligent practice, I have fortunately learned the first level of the sword technique and am currently studying the Four Symbols Demon-Slaying Sword Array!"
Hearing this, Jia Yunzhen was taken aback as well and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Is that true?"
After saying this, he seemed to realize he had misspoken, then nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad; not only have you mastered the first level of the sword technique so quickly, but you have also learned three basic sword array variations. It seems my sword technique has not gone to waste in your hands!"
He then shifted his gaze back to the old man in purple robes and coldly said: "You Zhu Ziyu may not care about appearances, but I do. Even if you genuinely suffered a loss in the exchange meeting, that’s your misjudgment; who else is responsible? This boy has learned my sword technique; I cannot stand by while he is slain before me. Either return to Zhenyue Immortal City right now, or test the sharpness of my sword first!"
"You..."
The old man in purple robes began, both shocked and furious, and then shouted, "Jia Yunzhen, are you really ready to make an enemy of me and the Purple Star Sect for the sake of some unknown Foundation Establishment boy?"
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