Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 657 - 648: Extra Release! Happy Birthday to Baibaishou!

Chapter 657: Chapter 648: Extra Release! Happy Birthday to Baibaishou!

Escape?

This thought had just flashed by before Qu Luming dismissed it. As a mere Little Ghost Cultivator in the Soul Refining Realm encountering a Tribulation Crossing Realm expert, how could he possibly escape?

Attempting to escape would only risk angering the other party. With her cultivation, even if her Life Origin was damaged, her strength was still there; it would be more than enough to swat him dead!

Since she didn’t make a move right upon meeting him, she was probably someone who could be reasoned with.

"Indeed, if fortune favors taking it from someone else, so be it; I’ve accepted my loss due to incompetence." Yuan Man stared coldly at him, "A Demon Cultivator’s clone turning out to be a Ghost Cultivator is definitely related to the loss of my Life Origin. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Thanks to your main body’s interference, even though I succeeded in ascending to the Tribulation Crossing Realm, my foundation was damaged, losing nine-tenths of my lifespan. Du Li took advantage and hid away, not daring to show their face. Now tell me, shouldn’t you be held accountable for this?"

Cold sweat ran down Qu Luming’s face.

Wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his green robe, he bent down once more, bowing deeply, "Please forgive me, senior. This junior truly did not know the main body had done such a heaven-defying deed. I am willing to do my utmost to make amends. I ask for a chance to atone for the main body’s mistakes."

Any cultivator who has practiced the Clone Technique knows that the relationship between the main body and the clone is quite awkward.

The main body bears the burden, while the clone carries the blame;

If a clone dies, it doesn’t greatly affect the main body, but if the main body dies, generally, no matter how strong the clone is, it will perish too.

Only until now did Qu Luming realize why the main body always sent him out to wander — he had provoked a Tribulation Crossing Realm expert! He had laid such a huge trap! And had forcibly taken someone’s Life Origin!

To not be swatted dead upon first meeting, this person really had a good temper.

"Oh? Atonement?" Yuan Man, who had always distinguished between love and hate, felt this was the reason she had sensed the enemy’s aura but didn’t immediately attack. At least before killing, she wanted to let the other side die knowingly.

Killing an uninformed clone, what would that change?

It wouldn’t bring any relief, instead allowing the true culprit, Du Li, to escape unscathed.

A separate issue deserves separate handling. She didn’t want to commit unnecessary killings that would add bad karma to her already limited Life Origin.

"I’ve heard that this Treasure Pavilion sells ’Immortal Peaches’ that can extend one’s lifespan. I am willing to search for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to first replenish your lifespan, and thereafter restore your Life Origin."

Qu Luming hurriedly expressed, "The main body has made a grave mistake. Even if you kill me, a mere clone, it would only vent anger, but wouldn’t change anything, and certainly couldn’t return the Life Origin that originally belonged to you. Why not let me try to right the wrongs my main body committed?"

Yuan Man flicked her hand, and a light green vine climbed up his overly pale right hand, creeping up from the wrist out through the collar, and blossomed into a black flower on his right cheek.

"Very well, first replenish the lifespan I lost..." She tilted her head observing, finding it unappealing. The vine moved slightly under the skin, with the black flower blooming by his ear, making it less conspicuous, "This is the vine prison I’ve personally set up. If you disobey, this flower will swallow you whole, turning you into flower fertilizer."

To prove her point, the black flower quickly emerged from beneath the skin, swaying and growing larger and larger until it transformed into a giant black blossom. It rapidly spread its petals, revealing rows of black fangs inside as it roared loudly, demonstrating its threat.

It then returned to its harmless appearance and burrowed under the skin, resting quietly by his ear like a tattoo, unmoving.

"I will do my utmost!" Qu Luming, his legs trembling, had felt the instantaneous killing intent when the flower unfurled, even sensing the breath of death.

Though he had long roamed the Netherworld dealing with ghosts, he never expected to feel such fear in the face of mortal danger!

Aside from the initial chill as the vine crawled from his hand to wrist, arm, and collar, the completed prison brought no other sensation.

But he knew well that his life was now in her hands, subject to her whims, his heart growing heavier.

Damn it, later I’ll settle the score with the main body!

Seize someone’s Life Origin just as they ascend to the Tribulation Crossing Realm? Where did Du Li get the nerve?!

This person is indeed formidable. With the main body’s endless greed, to have struck would mean a full-force attack intended to leave no survivors. Yet even with her Life Origin stolen, she still managed to ascend successfully, which is indisputably impressive.

Oh heavens, oh earth! To encounter such a formidable foe in this vast world!

"Excuse me, are the two of you looking to purchase anything?" Miss Hu Jiu turned and saw a man and a woman standing at the shop entrance.

The man was quite tall but had a kind face; the woman looked gentle, although her expression wasn’t particularly pleasant. She wondered if it was a quarrel between dual cultivation partners, thinking it might be an opportunity to bring them inside and potentially sell some Magical Treasures or other items.

Meanwhile, she naturally continued to quietly cultivate her Charm Technique.

Every night after exchanging Immortal Jade, she would immediately switch to a new work post; with the reputation of Treasure Pavilion drawing many Demon Cultivators, Miss Hu Jiu took advantage of selling goods to simultaneously cultivate her Charm Technique.

She was just waiting for the day her Charm Technique would stun her young admirer, so she could fulfill her initial wish early—to engage in Dual Cultivation with him under the mystic mountains!

"Excuse me, does Treasure Pavilion have Longevity Immortal Peaches for sale?" Yuan Man turned to the inquiry and noticed Miss Hu Jiu, her eyes lighting up—what an adorable little fox!

Her Realm was low, and her Transformation Technique was haphazardly practiced, yet this slightly flawed Transformation added a touch of innocence, making her even more endearing.

The little fox had a special Spirit Root adept at cultivating the Charm Technique, but unfortunately, her Realm was simply too low to greatly affect either of the powerful individuals present; still, she had already successfully attracted their goodwill.

Yuan Man’s tone was kind, with a smile on her face, which made Qu Luming breathe a sigh of relief in secret, thinking to himself, "Good girl, save me!" If there were Immortal Peaches for sale, regardless of their value, he would first acquire them to appease her, at least ensuring his current life was not threatened.

"Ah, indeed we do. But..." Miss Hu Jiu had encountered many Demon Cultivators searching for Immortal Peaches before, she giggled coquettishly, "However, they are not directly for sale. Instead, they will be auctioned on a date determined by Sister Cang, with the highest bidder winning.

Today, unfortunately, Sister Cang is busy and not in the pavilion. As for when the auction might be, you’ll have to wait for her to set a date before any notification is given."

Upon hearing this, Qu Luming’s heart leapt into his throat again, looking hopefully at the little fox, "Does the young lady have a way to contact Pavilion Master Cang? I am willing to pay a high price to purchase the Immortal Peaches!"

Ever since learning that the Demon Realm Alliance had dispatched Great Demons for secret inspections, the anxious Cang Lingdong devised a solution—avoid staying in the Market until the trouble passes!

With ways to exchange for Immortal Jade and the ability to control the auction of "Immortal Peaches," plus a popular little fox helping to sell goods and keep business booming, she had every reason to be on the move.

As long as she wasn’t caught red-handed in the Market, what difference did it make if she was a Demon Cultivator?

Of course, Cang Lingdong was also cautious, switching her Communication Stone contact information to avoid the awkward deadly situation of being called back forcibly by the visiting Great Demons.

"Unfortunately, no." Miss Hu Jiu shrugged helplessly, smiling, "How about you both leave your contact information, and I will inform you once there’s news of the auction? Besides, methods for extending lifespan are not limited to ’Immortal Peaches’. I know of two other channels; are you interested in hearing about them?"

She secretly activated her Cultivation Technique but found it had no effect on these two, unable to discern whether it was due to their high Realm rendering it ineffective, or because their bond as Dual Cultivation partners was so strong they had enough resistance against the charm.

Determined to win, the little fox thought to herself that the Charm Technique could enchant both men and women. While destroying the partners’ relationship was naturally out of the question, she could aim to gain some admiration from the female cultivator similar to what Pavilion Master Cang felt towards her!

"Please, young lady, do introduce," Qu Luming thought anxiously, finding the little fox’s breaking of their stalemate under such dangerous circumstances endearing, now eagerly hoping she could offer guidance, even if they could not purchase anything immediately at least showing some goodwill.

Yuan Man was greeted by the enthusiastic little fox and seated in the resting area, with Qu Luming following closely, not daring to breathe loudly.

Miss Hu Jiu deliberately served two cups of Spirit Tea to them before proceeding without delay: "The first channel is to find Mr. Jiang; he is exceptional at Alchemy and can concoct Longevity Pills, each capable of extending life by ten years. However, Mr. Jiang is usually very busy and I haven’t seen him in a while. I’m not sure if he is still in the void and hasn’t returned yet; you’ll need to patiently wait for news."

Mr. Jiang? Longevity Pill!

The familiar name gave Qu Luming a sudden premonition—the Mr. Jiang mentioned by the little fox was very likely the same person he had once encountered!

Could he actually concoct Longevity Pills? I heard that the main ingredient, the Centennial Fruit, has long been extinct. Where did he obtain it?

Could it be that somewhere in the vast void, Centennial Fruits still exist?

"Can you provide Mr. Jiang’s contact details?" he hurriedly asked, almost impatient.

Yuan Man glanced at him, then inquired, "What about the second channel you mentioned, young lady?"

Taking a single Longevity Pill to gain ten additional years of lifespan is really negligible. She leaned more towards the "Immortal Peach," which could extend life by a hundred years per piece, or other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

"The second one is actually some news I heard from other Demon Cultivators." The little fox smiled slightly, "Do you know Cloud City? It produces many rare Spirit Medicines; you might find some life-extending medicinal herbs there that you can directly consume."

"Cloud City?" Yuan Man was amused yet incredulous—being the City Lord of Cloud City herself, hearing about it from a little fox in a market... Wait, something’s not right!

She suddenly realized that while Cloud City is indeed known for its Spirit Medicines, no known Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures there could actually extend lifespan; how could a little fox from a market make such a claim?

"Young lady, how did you come to know about Cloud City?" Yuan Man’s expression turned serious, as she exerted control over the fox’s mind.

Miss Hu Jiu was merely a recently established Foundation Establishment little Karami; how could she resist the mental control of a Tribulation Crossing Realm powerhouse? Her eyes glazed over, and she truthfully answered, "A Demon Cultivator from Cloud City once sold slightly damaged rare Spirit Medicines at Treasure Pavilion.

He said he was a guard from the Underground City and sent me a Memory Stone image as proof. According to his description, Cloud City’s largest treasury is the Underground City, and even thousand-year-old Spirit Medicines are found in abundance there. There’s even some rare Spirit Medicine over ten thousand years old, better than Immortal Peaches for extending life..."

As she spoke, she obediently handed over her Communication Stone for Yuan Man to check.

Yuan Man, seeing the leaked images, was suddenly filled with rage—how dare a mere guard, to please a little fox, betray Cloud City’s greatest secret and make exaggerated claims! How many disasters could this bring upon the city!