Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 70 - 68: Junior Brother Zhang, What’s the Rush?
By a riverbank at the foot of the Li Huo Sect’s mountain.
Unaware that he was already being targeted, Xiao Chen was focused on practicing his newly acquired magic.
Each of the five Purple Gold Bamboo Scrolls recorded a top-tier Yellow-level Technique, corresponding to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, respectively.
He had previously chosen to cultivate the Cyan Thorn Technique because, as a Wood Spirit Root Cultivator, he had been coveting a Wood Element Technique for a long time.
But now that he had some free time, his attention turned to the defense-focused Golden Armor Technique. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
As its name implied, this technique condensed a phantasmal suit of armor on a cultivator’s body.
As long as the Golden Armor remained intact, one would be impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire.
Moreover, this Golden Armor was like real armor; even if one part was broken, the rest would still function.
During a chaotic battle or a surprise attack, it could simultaneously defend against several scattered attacks.
This was unlike the Golden Light Technique, which, once broken, would leave the entire body exposed.
Xiao Chen was very pleased with this feature. It meant his survivability had once again increased.
At the same time, with the bonus from his "Featherweight" title.
The Golden Armor he condensed was not just a thin illusion. It was ten layers of normal Golden Armor stacked together, appearing almost solid and emitting a golden glow.
Xiao Chen walked to the river’s edge, looked at his reflection in the water, and nodded in satisfaction. "Very nice. Damn, I look cool."
He simply decided to stay by the riverbank for several days, practicing the other three techniques as well.
He used this as an opportunity to avoid the endless stream of invitations on Bishui Peak.
Ever since he became famous, not only did junior brothers he had only met once come looking to treat him to a meal,
but even many junior sisters he had never met before popped out of nowhere, saying they wanted to go to the Marketplace with him.
Some people even came to visit him directly with all sorts of gifts, hoping to build a connection in advance.
Overwhelmed by the nuisance, Xiao Chen simply decided to lay low outside for a while and not go back for the time being.
He ended up staying out for a whole month.
He cultivated all five techniques to the Entry Realm, thoroughly enriching his arsenal of skills.
After being unable to find him several times in a row, the other disciples gradually stopped coming to Bishui Peak. After all, everyone had their own business to attend to.
Only Junior Brother Zhang from the Fourth Division wasn’t very proactive at first.
But in the latter half of the month, he started coming to check twice a day, showing an incredible amount of concern.
On this day, seeing that Xiao Chen was gone again, Junior Brother Zhang returned to his room, disappointed and fuming internally. ’This damn Xiao Chen, where the hell is he hiding?’
’Can’t find him all day. He might as well just drop dead outside for all I care.’
He was the mole who had been bought by the Azure Flame Sect’s Dark Hall.
He was the one who had provided all the previous intelligence on Xiao Chen.
Therefore, when the Tian Family’s Three Brothers arrived near the Li Huo Sect, they contacted him immediately, demanding he help them by providing Xiao Chen’s itinerary.
If possible, it would be best to use false information to lure Xiao Chen out.
But Junior Brother Zhang couldn’t even see the man, giving him no opportunity to carry out the deception.
As time went on, the Tian Family’s Three Brothers began to suspect he wasn’t doing his job properly. After repeated threats and inducements, they even forcibly fed him poison.
If he couldn’t provide any useful information within the next three days, they wouldn’t give him the antidote and would simply let him die from the poison.
Junior Brother Zhang was frantic with anxiety.
On the one hand, he regretted how he had been blinded by greed for a few Spirit Stones. On the other, he repeatedly cursed Xiao Chen, hating him for hiding away—it was as if Xiao Chen was deliberately trying to get him killed.
That evening, his heart pounding with panic, Junior Brother Zhang ran back to Bishui Peak.
This time, at the foot of the mountain, he finally ran into the returning Xiao Chen.
"Xiao, you’re finally back!"
Junior Brother Zhang ran over excitedly, his eyes red. "I’ve been waiting for you for so long! If you hadn’t come back, it would’ve been too late!"
Xiao Chen was a bit baffled. "Junior Brother, calm down. What would have been too late?"
Junior Brother Zhang had already prepared what to say.
He immediately lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Xiao, a while ago, I stumbled upon some news about a Five-Colored Golden Lotus."
"A friend of a childhood friend from my hometown wants to sell a Five-Colored Golden Lotus for some cash."
"Xiao, I can take you to meet him."
The Five-Colored Golden Lotus is an extremely rare Spirit Flower.
Its five colors correspond to the Five Elements, and it is an essential main ingredient for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill.
In theory, this item is a controlled substance.
The Li Huo Sect publicly offers to buy them for one thousand Spirit Stones each and strictly forbids cultivators from trading them privately.
However, a considerable number of cultivators are unwilling to abide by this rule.
After obtaining a Five-Colored Golden Lotus by a stroke of luck, they are willing to take risks just to sell it for a few more Spirit Stones.
They will seek out private buyers despite the risk of being discovered by the Li Huo Sect or being cheated by the buyer.
After all, in many cases, a Five-Colored Golden Lotus can fetch a premium price of up to two thousand Spirit Stones.
Such a large price difference is definitely worth the risk.
Many buyers are, in fact, members of large families, and they are also willing to pay a high price.
For an individual cultivator, two thousand Spirit Stones is a lot.
But for a family—especially one with only a single Foundation Establishment ancestor, facing the risk of a break in their line of Foundation Establishment Cultivators—
a mere two thousand Spirit Stones is nothing. They would accept an even higher price.
As long as they get their hands on a Five-Colored Golden Lotus, they will naturally have ways to circumvent the Li Huo Sect’s regulations.
The reason Junior Brother Zhang chose to use the Five-Colored Golden Lotus to lure Xiao Chen out was that he considered Xiao Chen was already at the ninth level of Qi Refining and lacked a Foundation Establishment Pill.
He persuaded in a low voice, "Xiao, I’ve already thought it all through for you. Since you’ve become Elder Chen’s disciple, you don’t have to fear the sect’s punishment."
"As long as you can get the Five-Colored Golden Lotus, with the Chen Family’s connections, why would you need to worry about not getting a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
"You don’t understand. The seller is also in urgent need of a large sum of Spirit Stones; otherwise, they wouldn’t be willing to part with something like this. Where else would you find such an opportunity?"
"Xiao, this is all from the bottom of my heart. You absolutely must seize this chance."
Persuaded by him, Xiao Chen was actually a little tempted.
Although he already possessed three of the Spiritual Objects for Celestial Dao Foundation Establishment, getting a Foundation Establishment Pill early as a safety net would give him peace of mind while he collected the remaining two.
Moreover, if Junior Brother Zhang’s information was true, he really wouldn’t have to worry about the sect’s punishment.
He just had some doubts about whether this Junior Brother Zhang was reliable.
"How about this, Junior Brother Zhang? Wait for me to prepare the Spirit Stones. We can go in a couple of days."
He planned to use the next two days to inquire about Junior Brother Zhang’s usual conduct.
"That won’t work!"
Hearing this, Junior Brother Zhang immediately grew anxious. "In two days, it’ll be too late!"
Xiao Chen looked at his anxious expression, somewhat puzzled. "Junior Brother Zhang, you seem very anxious. What are you in such a rush about?"
