Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Mountain Flower blooms brightly, and in the blink of an eye, another spring has arrived.
Throughout the entire winter, the Demon Sect did not cause any disturbances, allowing the Nine Li Sect to enjoy a rare period of rest. As the weather began to warm, the mysterious shadows of the Demon Sect started to appear again near Luliang. Everyone prepared for battle once more.
Li Hong was summoned to the Chengxian Pavilion The Abode of the Sect Leader on the Twenty-Eighth Floor.
This was Li Hong's first visit. As he walked across the corridor bridge, he couldn't help but glance at the towering Heaven and Earth Platform opposite him. The Heaven and Earth Platform stood silently atop the mountain, eerily still.
At the end of the corridor bridge, the Crimson Gate was tightly closed, with two tall Black Jade sculptures of a Dragon and Phoenix standing at the entrance. These sculptures were extraordinary, their surfaces shimmering with Black Light, and there were signs of spiritual energy fluctuations within.
"Tsk tsk, these two treasures are truly underutilized being left here by that old man Seasoned Master!" Suddenly spoke Heavenly Torch, who had been silent for a long time.
Li Hong had grown accustomed to Heavenly Torch's sudden appearances. Upon checking inward, he found that Heavenly Torch had indeed awakened, lazily leaning against the light green transparent shell of the Fire Separation Pearl, his small dragon head bobbing slightly, looking quite lethargic.
"How was it? After sleeping for so long, what have you gained? How much Dragon Power have you absorbed?"
"About half."
Li Hong raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."
"Where, where," Heavenly Torch humbly replied, though he clearly felt quite pleased.
Looking at the two sculptures before him, Li Hong asked, "What exactly are these two?"
"Do you remember the Celestial Mansion Map from the Ancient Celestial Field? Weren't there two long rows of things at the entrance? Heh heh, it's pretty much the same; both are works of the Ancient God. However, that old man Seasoned Master found two similar ones to place here. This kind of Forbidden Stone Beast... tsk tsk, just for guarding the gate; what a waste!"
Equivalent to divine artifacts, these Forbidden Stone Beasts! Li Hong suddenly understood. He immediately felt that Heavenly Torch was right; it truly was a waste.
"Ling Xuzi is out! I won’t say much; just wanted to greet you. Hehe, I’m going back to my 'cultivation sleep' now to try and wake up earlier to help you out." With that, Heavenly Torch curled up again and resumed his so-called "cultivation sleep."
Li Hong smiled.
The Crimson Gate opened automatically, and at the end of the corridor, Ling Xuzi waved and said, "Come in."
Li Hong's figure flashed and he leaped to Ling Xuzi's side, while the door behind him closed tightly.
In the reception room, Ling Xuzi gestured for Li Hong to sit beside him. Li Hong was not overly polite and sat cross-legged on the soft, cool fire-patterned carpet, feeling quite comfortable.
On the small table in front of them was a white jade teapot. Inside the transparent teapot was more than half a pot of strange liquid, a fiery red that bubbled and rolled within. A mass of red steam gathered at the spout, resembling a small dragon made of fire.
Li Hong recognized it; he had heard his master Spirit Stone mention it before. This was Fire Dragon Tea! It came from a peculiar tea tree that grew around the Fire Cave, made from the tips of Fire Dragon Tea leaves. It was said to be a great tonic for replenishing energy, and there was only a small patch of it in the entire Nine Li Sect, reserved exclusively for the sect leader.
Seeing Li Hong's gaze fixed on the Fire Dragon Tea, Ling Xuzi smiled and said, "Pour yourself some. Be careful when drinking; this is something that tests your cultivation."
Li Hong poured himself a small cup and slowly drank it down. He felt the intense heat swirling in his abdomen, as if all thirty-eight thousand pores in his body had opened up, providing an indescribable sense of comfort and benefit.
Ling Xuzi watched Li Hong's unhurried movements with admiration, thinking that his cultivation might soon surpass that of his master Spirit Stone. Spirit Stone truly had a promising successor. Unfortunately! Why didn’t he have such an outstanding and pure-hearted disciple? Thinking of Chu Huai made Ling Xuzi's heart heavy. But then an uncontrollable thought surged up.
He had called Li Hong here for another matter, but this new thought captivated him. The more he thought about it, the more irresistible it became. He decided to first probe Li Hong's thoughts. With a meaningful smile while stroking his beard, he said, "Nephew, you like Fire Dragon Tea, don’t you? Hehe, this is something reserved for the sect leader. However, you do have a chance to drink it." He emphasized the words "do have a chance" particularly strongly.
Li Hong put down the white jade cup and chuckled, "Disciple just plays with these rare treasures for fun. If Sect Leader Uncle lets me hold an exquisite teacup every day to drink this world-renowned Fire Dragon Tea, I’m afraid I’d get tired of it in less than three days." He scratched his head awkwardly and laughed.
Seeing that he did not grasp the deeper meaning behind his words, Ling Xuzi pressed on indirectly: "You currently have two masters; would you mind having one more?"
"Ah?" Li Hong's mouth formed an O shape as he faced Ling Xuzi's eager gaze, feeling a sudden jolt in his heart.
No way! Please don’t entertain thoughts of making me some kind of sect leader; not even as a successor! Thinking of Shibo’s constant worries since becoming sect leader—never having a peaceful day and always wearing a troubled expression—had become his trademark image. I certainly don’t want to spend my later years like that!
Li Hong quickly replied, "Disciple is rough and carefree; I prefer straightforward fighting rather than scheming and manipulating power. Sect Leader Uncle, if you want me to learn from you, I’d rather be placed in Heavenly Pill Hall or Artifact Hall; refining tools or pills is much better than playing mind games!"
"Hehe," Ling Xuzi laughed. The more Li Hong expressed disinterest, the more he appreciated him. After some thought, he straightforwardly suggested: "You don’t need to worry; when that day comes, won’t you find someone to help you? For example, your junior brother Chuxuan is quite good; he has no grudges against you now and listens to you well. If you ask him for ideas, would he dare refuse? With him helping you play mind games, one person is worth thousands."
This is the way Professor Li Hong understands and utilizes people.
However, Li Hong was still very reluctant, shaking his head vigorously and saying, "Old Eight may be unmatched in cunning and strategy, but he has a flaw: he is too obsessed with power tactics. If I consult him for everything, I might not be able to control things in the future. So I still have to rely on myself. I'm really not cut out for this."
Ling Xuzi's eyes brightened further. Li Hong had pinpointed Chuxuan's character flaw, indicating that he was not oblivious to worldly affairs; he just didn't want to engage his mind in them, which proved he had the capability! Thinking about it made him even more eager, but at that moment, he felt it was not the right time to continue the conversation. There would be opportunities in the future.
He smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that. Shibo wants you to come out of retirement again."
"Where to?" Li Hong asked anxiously. This was exactly what he wanted. Now that he had achieved the Golden Core stage, reaching the Nascent Soul stage was still a long way off. Although his cultivation was increasing every moment, it would take ages to reach ten Nascent Souls! He really didn't know when that would happen. Time in cultivation seemed irrelevant; now that he was on the path of the Golden Core, with a lifespan of a thousand years, there was no rush. He just hoped for more practical experience or to travel around and see things. Ling Xuzi sending him out was truly in line with his wishes.
Ling Xuzi stroked his long beard thoughtfully and said, "Have you heard of Demon Cultivators?"
Li Hong's eyes lit up. "I've heard of them! By the way, during my recent mission to Lin'an, I even encountered one! Her name is Li Xiaolou; she claims to be a Demon Cultivator. From my perspective, she is... heh heh, a vixen."
"Fox Cultivator?" Ling Xuzi became curious and asked for details. After listening carefully, he nodded and said, "Your analysis is correct. It seems that Li Xiaolou is not only a Fox Cultivator but also an extraordinary Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. Only Nine-Tailed Celestial Foxes are born spirit beasts skilled in Transmutation, capable of transforming into forms indistinguishable from their true selves. It appears her cultivation has reached at least a thousand years and has attained the level of a celestial beast."
"A Nine-Tailed Fox..." Li Hong thought about how such a beautiful woman could have once been one of those stinky foxes he often saw in the mountains and felt somewhat regretful.
"One thing you must remember," Ling Xuzi said solemnly, "never mention their true forms or use the word 'demon' in front of those Demon Cultivators! This is their greatest taboo, especially for those who have taken on human forms and possess great abilities. We can refer to them as 'Demon Cultivators' when speaking privately, but in their presence, you must use their titles or refer to them as 'certain Beast Cultivators.' For example, you should call a Nine-Tailed Fox 'Fox Cultivator' and a Divine Dragon 'Dragon Cultivator' if you do not know their title. If you know their title, always use it; never directly call them Demon Cultivators or demons. Most Demon Cultivators are very sensitive about this; encountering a Nine-Tailed Fox who identifies as a Demon Cultivator is quite rare and indicates she has a gentle personality and self-awareness."
Li Hong had heard Spirit Stone mention this point before and immediately nodded, saying, "Disciple has noted it down."
"Good," Ling Xuzi continued seriously. "Listen carefully. I want to send you to find the Demon Cultivator to assist our Nine Li Sect. Here is a map; memorize it and then burn it afterward. You must never disclose the location of the Demon Cultivator's hideout, especially not to the Demon Sect." He paused before adding, "Also, when you go out this time, be sure to keep a low profile and avoid provoking the Demon Sect. You must try your best to recruit any Demon Cultivators who can be persuaded to join our Nine Li Sect by any means necessary. I can tell you that most Demon Cultivators still admire our Nine Major Sects of the Immortal Sect; use the invitation for them to join Nine Li Sect as your banner. If that doesn't work, then use both soft and hard tactics—coercion and inducement. Most Demon Cultivators love our human cultivators' Spirit Elixirs; I'll bring you a batch of Elixir stock to take with you. Additionally, go to Artifact Hall and ask your master Yue Changzi for some magical artifacts to take along. Remember, you must recruit all possible Demon Cultivators into our Nine Li Sect!"
Li Hong listened with bright eyes and couldn't help but exclaim internally: Sect Leader Uncle's plan is brilliant! Right now, there are no reinforcements available for our Nine Li Sect within the entire Immortal Sect; we can only seek out Demon Cultivators!
Ling Xuzi continued in a low voice with an air of mystery: "Although this method may seem somewhat despicable as it takes advantage of them, I believe if I don't act quickly now, sooner or later others from Immortal Sect will think of this strategy too. At that time, our Nine Li Sect will be completely isolated without any reinforcements!"
Li Hong couldn't help but clap his hands: "Great! This plan is truly clever! Let's first recruit a large number of Demon Cultivators into our Nine Li Sect!"
Ling Xuzi smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "However, this way, sooner or later, news will leak to those in the Immortal Sect, and then it might stir up a lot of trouble."
Li Hong dismissed it, saying, "What are we afraid of! Besides, there are already Demon Cultivators affiliated with our Immortal Sect."
Ling Xuzi's gaze flickered slightly as he coughed and said, "Listen carefully, I am inviting them to join our Nine Li Sect; it's completely different from 'affiliation.' They will become honorary elders of our Nine Li Sect."
Li Hong laughed, "So what! The Demon Cultivators' cultivation is not inferior to that of humans. Moreover, many of them are quite charming! I have always had a good rapport with spirit beasts; this time, I'm definitely going!"
"Good! Hurry up and pack your things. By the way, who do you want as your assistant?" Ling Xuzi asked with a smile.
Li Hong pondered for a moment and immediately thought of someone: "Hehe, Ling Yi Zi, Master Uncle!"
"Wonderful! Just as I thought! With our master-disciple bond—well, more like uncle-nephew—we will surely achieve great success!" Ling Xuzi clapped his hands and laughed, sweeping away the gloom from his brow.
Three days later, Li Hong and Ling Yi Zi set off. The Cosmic Bag was filled with a large number of Spirit Elixirs, and he had already memorized the map; the location of the Beast Cultivation retreat was deeply etched in his mind.
Li Hong exclaimed inwardly: "In the deep mountains and vast marshes, the legendary retreat of spirit beasts, I, Li Hong, am coming for you!"
Comment 0 Comment Count