goodnovel Chapter 320 : Encountering Calamity Cultivators by Chance
Chapter 320 : Encountering Calamity Cultivators by Chance
As night fell, the Chen Clan’s Core Formation Grand Ceremony came to an end, and the once lively and clamorous Chen residence gradually returned to tranquility.Only the last few distant relatives, their faces flushed red from drink, remained, still discussing the arrival of the Tianyan Commandery Governor, their tones tinged with lingering disbelief.
Chen Beiwu politely declined his parents’ invitation to attend the subsequent private banquet and returned to the newly built Third-Tier Cultivation Room of the Chen Clan.
Removing the custom Daoist robe specially made by Huang Xiaoling, Chen Beiwu sat in the center of the quiet chamber. With a turn of his palm, a pair of peaches appeared in his hand.
These two peaches were entirely purple-red, their flesh plump and about the size of a fist, exuding an enticing fragrance. They were precisely the congratulatory gift presented earlier that day by the Tianyan Commandery Governor—Five-Thousand-Year Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches.
‘A Divine Transformation True Venerable is indeed extraordinary. Even a casual gift is an irresistible treasure.’ Chen Beiwu murmured softly.
Although Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches were Third-Tier treasure herbs, they were among the rarest longevity-enhancing treasures of that tier.
In particular, Five-Thousand-Year Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches could purge a cultivator’s hidden injuries, reverse fate against the heavens, extend one’s lifespan, and increase longevity by eight hundred years.
What did that mean?
The upper limit of an ordinary Golden Core True Person’s lifespan was merely between eight hundred and one thousand two hundred years.
This meant that if a cultivator consumed such a peach, they would gain a lifespan comparable to that of a Golden Core True Person.
For some Golden Core Cultivators whose lifespan limit was approaching yet had no path to further breakthrough, this peach was tantamount to a second life—calling it an invaluable fortune was no exaggeration.
‘This favor is worth owing.’
Chen Beiwu lightly tapped the peach with his fingertip, his gaze seeming to pass through the walls of the cultivation chamber, seeing his parents’ proud expressions before their relatives and friends.
His Golden Core had only just formed; his lifespan was long, and he had no immediate concerns about longevity.
To him, the Purple-Pattern Coiling Peach was merely icing on the cake. With or without it, it made little difference—hardly a true treasure in his eyes.
But in his father Chen Dong’s early years, he had worked at a tile factory, his vitality prematurely declining due to the侵扰 of fire toxin. Coupled with advancing age, even though cultivation resources were now sufficient, advancing to the peak of Qi Refining remained difficult.
His mother Huang Xiaoling had suffered considerable cold-toxin hidden injuries from her failed Foundation Establishment breakthrough years ago. Her cultivation speed had been greatly reduced, and she was presently only at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining.
Because of this, these two Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches were precious treasures capable of reversing time itself and allowing the two elders to step once more onto the path of cultivation.
With this thought, Chen Beiwu carefully stored the peaches away, planning to have his parents consume them before he returned to the Yuqing Immortal Sect.
As for the two Earthly-Sha Treasure Beast cubs—the Summoned-Qi Tiger and the Nether Abyss Turtle—since they had only recently been born, although forming contracts with them was somewhat difficult, his parents could gradually nurture affection through years of feeding and companionship and eventually establish a Companion Contract. He need not interfere too much.
“Na?”
At that moment, the Five Qi Vine wrapped around Chen Beiwu’s neck and acted coquettishly.
It understood priorities and had no intention of asking for the Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches. Instead, it wanted two peach pits, intending to cultivate and plant two peach trees in the Five Qi Grove itself.
“No problem.” Chen Beiwu readily agreed.
The Five Qi Vine was a natural spirit-plant cultivator.
If it could grow two peach trees, that too would be a joyous matter for him.
“When are we going to the Tianyan Immortal Sect to recruit disciples?”
The Golden Egg raised its head slightly, curiosity evident in its expression.
“No rush. We’ll wait for the Immortal Sect Exchange Conference.” Chen Beiwu’s expression remained calm.
Taking disciples concerned the inheritance of his Dao path and was also the core of the future power he intended to establish.
He would not tie himself lightly to the Tianyan Commandery Governor’s faction over merely a pair of Purple-Pattern Coiling Peaches.
Whether Wei Qing could ultimately enter under his tutelage depended on fate and even more on temperament. Being the great-granddaughter of the Tianyan Commandery Governor alone was far from sufficient.
“Tiedan, how goes the comprehension of those two evolution methods?”
Chen Beiwu turned his gaze toward Tiedan, who lay prostrate on the ground.
To maximize the enlightenment power of the Yuanshi Golden Core, he intended to form the Companion Contract at the crucial moment of Tiedan’s bloodline evolution and accomplish everything in one decisive effort.
But this approach had its cost. Without his assistance, Tiedan’s speed in comprehending the evolution methods was extremely slow.
“Woof.”
Tiedan let out a low growl.
It had already successfully comprehended the Zhu Zhao Radiant Sovereign Evolution Method but had yet to grasp the true meaning of the Pure-Karma Burning Long Evolution Method.
At this rate, it would need at least two to three months to complete the preparations prior to evolution.
Chen Beiwu nodded slightly and turned his gaze toward the Five Qi Vine.
“Na?”
The Five Qi Vine felt a jolt in its heart. In Chen Beiwu’s eyes, it saw an unprecedented seriousness.
“There is something I must tell you,” Chen Beiwu said solemnly.
The Five Qi Vine tilted its head, curiosity piqued.
“But this concerns a tremendous secret. Once you know it, you and I will share glory and ruin alike. The Companion Contract between us will never be dissolved.”
At this point, Chen Beiwu paused, giving it time to consider.
“So the choice is yours now. Do you wish to know this secret and fully join us, or dissolve the Companion Contract and return to the Yuqing Mountain Range?”
The Five Qi Vine froze, its gaze drifting. It glanced at the Golden Egg on its left, who seemed eager, then at the stern-faced Tiedan, feeling both shock and a trace of disappointment.
Good grief—Chen Beiwu had a great secret. Even that foolish, simple dragon knew it, yet it had been excluded.
“Na!” (Speak!)
The small flower atop its head drooped as it glared fiercely at Chen Beiwu.
If binding meant binding, so be it!
It wanted to know what secret could make Chen Beiwu so cautious that he would even consider dissolving the Companion Contract to keep it safe.
Could it be that Chen Beiwu was the reincarnation of an immortal cultivating anew?
Seeing such an intense reaction, Chen Beiwu had long expected it. He extended his hands and pulled the Five Qi Vine into his embrace.
The Five Qi Vine, which had been baring its fangs and claws, intending to demand an explanation, suddenly stiffened. Its expression gradually softened, and even the corners of its mouth lifted slightly.
Angry though it was, it also understood how important a secret must be to make Chen Beiwu this cautious.
Especially that sentence—‘the Companion Contract will never be dissolved’—which secretly delighted it.
Treasure herbs were precious, and freedom was more valuable.
That was true. But it had long grown accustomed to following at Chen Beiwu’s side.
“This isn’t something easily explained. I’ll let you experience it personally, and then you’ll understand.”
As soon as the words fell, Chen Beiwu activated the Spirit-Nourishing Ring, storing the Five Qi Vine and the others within, then opened the Gate of Ten Directions.
…
Southern Wastes, Biyuan Mountain Range, a crude cave dwelling.
Chen Beiwu activated the Spirit-Nourishing Ring, and the figures of the three companions slowly appeared.
“Na!”
The moment it manifested, the Five Qi Vine sensed that something was off about this world.
The spiritual activity permeating heaven and earth not only carried an inescapable aura of desolation and primordial wildness, but also caused the bloodline within its body to become markedly more active.
The Five Qi Vine swallowed, then extended its small hand and gently pointed forward.
“Buzz.”
A wisp of Five-Elements treasure light instantly condensed at its fingertip.
Seeing this, the Five Qi Vine could not help blinking, an incredulous expression appearing on its face.
Its perception was not mistaken. It had already left the Immortal Alliance and arrived at a mysterious Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land.
The heavenly and earthly laws of this Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land differed from those of Sky Abyss Star. Not only was it far easier to mobilize spiritual activity here, even the might of bloodline-based mystical abilities could surge by five to seven tenths out of thin air.
What did this mean?
It meant that within this world, even if its realm did not change, it could unleash strength far surpassing that within Immortal Alliance territory—enough to fight two versions of itself from the Immortal Alliance at once and defeat them with overwhelming superiority.
“Do you understand now?”
Chen Beiwu’s voice suddenly sounded from behind the Five Qi Vine.
“Na.”
The small flower atop the Five Qi Vine’s head trembled slightly.
Without exaggeration, an undiscovered, resource-rich Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land was sufficient for Chen Beiwu to attain the rank of Divine Transformation True Venerable, or even the Dao Venerable realm that it had never dared to dream of.
Yet after the shock passed, an instinctive, indescribable excitement and longing surged within the Five Qi Vine.
The Five Qi Vine itself was transformed from an innate spiritual entity, its perception of precious and mystic medicines far exceeding that of any human cultivator.
Although the spiritual activity of the land it now stood upon was inferior to that of the Yuqing Mountain Range, it still exuded faint traces of an extremely subtle, unfamiliar medicinal fragrance.
There was no doubt that this Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land was vast and boundless, containing precious and mystic medicines unrecorded by the Immortal Alliance—perhaps even Fortune-Origin Medicines.
If it could gather them all and plant them within the Five Qi Grove, what an astonishing opportunity that would be!
No wonder Chen Beiwu had been so cautious, even choosing to keep it hidden from it.
“Na.”
The Five Qi Vine turned around and nodded solemnly toward Chen Beiwu.
You do not fail me, and I shall not fail you.
Since Chen Beiwu was willing to share such a world-shaking opportunity with it, even death would not make it betray this trust.
Sensing the Five Qi Vine’s sincerity through the Companion Contract, warmth arose in Chen Beiwu’s heart. He extended his right hand and gently stroked the little fellow’s head.
As he had expected, Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beasts transformed from such natural spiritual entities were mostly pure of mind. Upon recognizing a master for the first time, they were often even more reliable than human cultivators who swore Dao-Heart oaths.
Of course, purity of mind did not mean they could never betray. That usually occurred only with Companion Beasts that had contracted with multiple cultivators over time.
Chen Beiwu possessed the Nine-Breath Chaos supreme treasure and divine abilities, and after more than ten years together, he naturally knew whether the Five Qi Vine was trustworthy.
The Golden Egg yawned, stepped forward, and patted the Five Qi Vine on the shoulder, saying that Chen Beiwu held high status in the Southern Wastes as a sect Dao Child. If it wanted any precious medicine, it could simply have subordinate cultivators gather them.
Hearing this, the Five Qi Vine’s eyes lit up, and it instinctively looked toward Chen Beiwu.
“These are precious and mystic medicines I obtained in the Southern Wastes. I’ll entrust them to you for safekeeping.”
Chen Beiwu smiled slightly and took out Golden-Thunder Bamboo, Soul-Devouring Flower, Bodhi Vine, and Soul-Nourishing Lotus one by one from his storage ring, leaving the Five Qi Vine ecstatic.
“It’s about time to return to the sect.”
Having settled matters with the Five Qi Vine, Chen Beiwu raised his head and looked in the direction of Biyuan Market.
After secluded cultivation and Core Formation for fourteen years, if he did not return soon, the sect might assume he had failed in forming his Golden Core and perished—or even that he had defected.
With that in mind, Chen Beiwu neither activated escape light nor rode the Golden Egg. Instead, he walked toward Biyuan Market with his three companions.
Returning to familiar ground, his state of mind was different.
Taking the opportunity to roam mountains and rivers and sense the workings of heaven and earth was also a rare experience for Chen Beiwu.
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, a somewhat hurried and flustered escape light swept past overhead.
Its aura was chaotic, its strength roughly at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.
Though its speed was fast, it clearly carried a sense of waning momentum, revealing that the cultivator was seriously injured.
“A Foundation Establishment cultivator being hunted down?”
Chen Beiwu’s divine sense was exceedingly sharp. With a casual sweep, he grasped the strength of the one controlling the escape light and even detected three more streaks of escape light charging from several thousand zhang away, filled with baleful killing intent. Their auras were also at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.
Without question, several Foundation Establishment cultivators were jointly intercepting and killing a lone Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator.
Chen Beiwu withdrew his divine sense, uninterested in meddling in such trivial matters.
With the Five Great Sects presiding, the upper levels of the Earth Proliferation Territory were relatively stable.
But in the lower levels, many cultivators would fight and pursue one another over a single spiritual herb, a spiritual artifact, or even a fragmentary Golden Core cultivation method.
Only cultivators from the Five Great Sects and their affiliated sects could remain aloof, with no one daring to provoke them.
‘Should we intervene?’
The Golden Egg felt somewhat eager.
No matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat. A Third-Realm Beast General might disdain the opportunities of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, but it did not.
With the Three-Aspect Smelting Furnace Mystical Ability, devouring Foundation Establishment-level opportunities could still grant it a trace of negligible progress.
Chen Beiwu shook his head, rejecting the Golden Egg’s thought.
The auras of the pursuers and quarry were chaotic, all rogue cultivators with no connection to the Mirror Moon Sect. Most likely it was a case of black-on-black. There was no need to waste time interfering.
At that moment, the three escape lights suddenly accelerated, blocking the one that had flown overhead and rapidly descending.
“Little handsome, why run? Big sisters won’t eat you.”
“That’s right. With skin so delicate and tender, you’re even more supple than a woman. If you obediently submit to us sisters, you won’t miss out on benefits.”
“Behave yourself. Hand over your storage ring, then accompany us sisters for a month of pleasure, and we’ll let you go. How about it?”
Chen Beiwu had not intended to pay attention, but upon suddenly hearing such filthy words, he could not help feeling surprised.
In broad daylight under the open sky, three Foundation Establishment female cultivators were jointly committing robbery and sexual coercion!
One had to know that Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators in the Southern Wastes were not bottom-tier figures.
If willing, they could even become elders of low-tier cultivation families. At that point, what Dao Companions would they lack? There was no need to risk committing such crimes in the wild.
‘Damn it!’
Facing the three scantily clad, heavily made-up beautiful female cultivators before him, Li Senyi’s heart sank, his scalp tingling.
These three women were no ordinary Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even around the Biyuan Mountain Range, they were somewhat well-known—calling them notorious was no exaggeration.
Rumor had it that the three had originally been Qi Refinement rogue cultivators who had somehow obtained a set of incomplete dual-cultivation charm techniques and a joint-attack art.
They then turned to murder and robbery, harvesting primal yang for supplementation. They styled themselves the “Peerless Three Beauties,” but cultivators familiar with their deeds around the Biyuan Mountain Range all called them the Bone-Eroding Three Fiends.
The Bone-Eroding Three Fiends were infamous, yet they bullied the weak and feared the strong, knowing their limits. They never acted against cultivators of the Five Great Sects’ affiliated sects or families, and at times even proactively offered tributes in exchange for protection.
Otherwise, mere Foundation Establishment cultivators would never dare be so arrogant; they would have long since been annihilated under Biyuan Market’s heavy hand.
Li Senyi watched the three female cultivators press closer step by step, his gaze struggling violently.
Then he clenched his teeth and shouted hoarsely, “I have an opportunity to offer. Will you spare my life in exchange?”
“Little handsome, at death’s door and still trying tricks? The Li Clan has long fallen. Reaching Late-Stage Foundation Establishment was already no small feat for you. What opportunity could you possibly have? Or are you just trying to stall for time?”
The red-clad female cultivator in the lead paused slightly, blinking seductively at Li Senyi as she spoke in a teasing tone.
The other two exchanged glances and also slowed their assault slightly, yet did not withdraw. Clearly, they intended to capture Li Senyi alive and drain him to death.