Chapter 105: The Violet Cloud Tragedy
Chapter 105: The Violet Cloud Tragedy
Deep within the Two Realms Mountain, a crowd of monster beasts gathered.
Hundreds of Soul-Concentrating monster beasts, at the late and peak stages of the Concentration Stage, gathered around an oval, crater-covered black meteorite. Their powerful Vital Qi Power rose and fell with each breath. It combined into crimson tides of vital Qi, wave after wave, each larger than the last, surging violently into the black meteorite.
Strange symbols, like pictographs, were scratched onto the meteorite by various claws. Nurtured by the immense power of countless Soul-Concentrating beast’s vital Qi, these symbols began to glow one by one. The brand-new white light gradually changed to light red… crimson… and finally blood red…
Once a symbol solidified into blood red, the life-force energy started on the next one.
This went on for several hours!
The vital Qi of the gathered beasts gradually weakened. They looked exhausted and depleted. Immediately, a new group of Soul-Concentrating beasts emerged from caves around the mountain core. They took the place of the worn-out beasts.
The newcomers positioned themselves without a word, fixed their eyes on the black meteorite, and immediately joined the group pouring out their vital Qi.
A close look revealed the meteorite densely covered with tens of thousands of mysterious symbols. Most were now illuminated. From time to time, an incredibly powerful force flashed abruptly, like the breath of a sleeping god or demon.
Beside the meteorite stood several burly, fierce-looking men with scorpion tattoos. Their gazes were cold and savage, yet they held no trace of a beast’s vital Qi themselves. They merely stood watch silently over the beasts within the mountain’s core, ensuring the meteorite was nurtured.
The number of Soul-Concentrating beasts within the mountain core was unknown…
But whenever one group’s blood energy waned, fresh beasts immediately stepped up to replace them. The supply seemed endless.
More and more bloody symbols ignited!
The smiles on the tattooed men’s faces widened:
“Soon!”
“This awakening of His Highness the Demonic Tiger reaches its end.”
“Heh heh… That Da She guy, he really was a smart fellow. Too bad he was impatient.”
“Indeed. In hundreds of years, he was the first demon tribe member to successfully break through the Two Realms Mountain defenses into the human world of the Barbarian Continent. His talent and strategy were unmatched among our kind… Sadly, his hunger for glory was too great! He couldn’t wait to be the first to step onto the Barbarian Continent officially, couldn’t wait for the Demon Emperor’s rewards.”
“Hmm! Even though he ultimately failed, his contribution to the Demon Race is undeniable! With the current power at the Two Realms Mountain, once His Highness the Demonic Tiger awakens from his dormant state, nothing will stop our demon tribe from conquering and enslaving this continent.”
“Heh heh heh heh…”
Clearly, a barrier of blood Qi shielded the peak, preventing the ritual within the mountain from leaking out. No one was aware of what was happening within.
…
Xuanxin Sect.
Lu Hangzhi sat under a Purple Bamboo in his courtyard, eyes closed, listening calmly to the rustling bamboo leaves around him. His mind was serene and undisturbed.
It had been some time since he naturally comprehended the first layer art technique of the Seven-Seven Sword Formation. After pursuing and wiping out two small groups of monster beasts, the sect had recalled him.
The order came from his Master, Chen Ji…
The purpose was singular!
Breakthrough.
Upon hearing that Lu Hangzhi had achieved a minor breakthrough in his sword formation comprehension, Chen Ji didn’t hesitate. He exceptionally used his master’s privilege, pulling Lu Hangzhi back to the Golden Jade Hall. He commanded that Lu Hangzhi must break through to the Ninth Grade in the shortest time possible. Only then would he be permitted to resume external missions.
Lu Hangzhi had no objections.
First, the monster beasts in the territory governed by the Xuanxin Sect were almost all eliminated; the sect’s defenses could handle any remaining stragglers.
Second, he truly felt he had touched the barrier of the Ninth Grade of the Epiphany Stage. It was time to break through…
This breakthrough was crucial!
Because he cultivated The Path to Divinity, his mere Peak Eighth Grade cultivation was equivalent to a Ninth Grade peak cultivator. His combat power already surpassed ordinary Ninth Grade peak cultivators. Now, if he successfully broke through to Ninth Grade, it would place him half a step into the Mind Focusing Stage. He could even forsake The Path to Divinity, causing his magic power to be re-invested into his cultivation, allowing him to leap into the Mind Focusing Stage and truly possess the strength of a Mind Focusing Cultivator.
However.
Lu Hangzhi didn’t intend to do that.
He actually knew many Xuanxin Sect Elders also cultivated The Path to Divinity. But on the path to the Spirit Condensation Stage, they had all struck their heads and bled profusely, met failure… or harsh consequences.
Even using The Path to Divinity to forcibly increase the chance of Spirit Condensation success resulted in very few ultimately succeeding!
Lu Hangzhi decided to continue cultivating. After breaking through to Ninth Grade, he would keep cultivating!
Though scaling higher after reaching a bottleneck would be extremely difficult, Lu Hangzhi firmly believed that to build a tower high, the foundation must be strong. Only a deeper, stronger base could support a grander tower.
Cultivating to the Peak Eighth Grade of the Epiphany Stage, the Ninth-Grade Monster Cores now offered only a very weak effect… Even when used with Immortal Liquid and Spirit Honey, the daily gain remained extremely limited.
Two days passed.
Lu Hangzhi still hadn’t broken through. He felt strange within. His Spiritual Power Pool brimmed to capacity, magic power even starting to overflow, like when a cup overflows its brim. Yet, he couldn’t push past that imposing thick barrier of the Ninth Grade…
“What exactly must I do?” Lu Hangzhi felt a headache coming on.
“Hangzhi.”
“There’s a guest.”
Lu Hangzhi opened his eyes. A faint smile appeared as he saw who it was. He stood up to greet them. “Senior Brother Wuya, Sister Fuqin… Welcome. What brings you here?”
Leng Wuya had already broken through to the Seventh Grade and remained as relaxed and amiable as always. He chuckled, “Your Sister Fuqin heard you were back. She asked me to bring her to find you. Said she had something she needed to tell you face-to-face…”
“Oh?” Lu Hangzhi turned to Zhu Fuqin.
Only then did he notice.
After just a few months apart, Zhu Fuqin’s cultivation hadn’t noticeably advanced. Instead, she looked much more haggard.
“Senior Sister, you don’t look well. What happened?”
Zhu Fuqin stood at the doorway, staring at Lu Hangzhi. Words wouldn’t come; tears flowed first. This startled Lu Hangzhi.
“Senior Sister! Senior Sister! What’s wrong? Just tell me.” Lu Hangzhi sensed something truly serious.
He glanced at Leng Wuya.
The latter sighed.
“It’s that Jiuyou…”
“Jiuyou?”
“Jiuyou claims we, someone from Xuanxin Sect, took something from him. He said it was lost at Violet Cloud Town. When they attacked our sect, they conveniently seized all cultivators in Violet Cloud Town. The Zhu Residence… your Senior Sister’s family property… it’s all gone.”
“……”
Lu Hangzhi drew a sharp breath, cold air filling his lungs. The first image that flashed into his mind was a face, grinning innocently, a trace of snot hanging down. His gaze turned icy as he fixed Zhu Fuqin. “Is… is Da Niu caught up in this?”
Zhu Fuqin trembled, shaken by the pressure Lu Hangzhi unconsciously leaked. “Hangzhi… I’m so sorry… I couldn’t protect Da Niu…”
Lu Hangzhi’s heart squeezed painfully. His face paled slightly. Flashbacks of Da Niu’s innocent, guileless voice and expressions played like a film before his eyes:
“Hangzhi! Since you’ve sold all your Spirit Spring water, help me sell these Spirit Fruits too, alright? Later, I’ll take you to the Purple Bamboo Forest to catch Snow Rabbits.”
……
“What does… ‘diddle’ mean?” breathed Da Niu through his runny nose.
……
“I sold ninety fruits today! The master promised to reward me two spirit coins! Thanks so much, Hangzhi! Later, I’ll treat you to rabbit meat!”
……
“Let’s go! To the Purple Bamboo forest to catch Snow Rabbits!”
“Ordinary rope won’t work…”
“I can do it with just my hands!”
…
“Hehe, brother, you’re great to me. I know your target is Sister Lü’e, but I like the one with freckles on her face. Her smile is just too adorable…”
Thinking about this, Lu Hangzhi suddenly realized that he had lost the first good friend he made after arriving in this world.
“Hangzhi, are you okay?”
Leng Wuya and Zhu Fuqin looked at Lu Hangzhi with concern:
“Don’t worry too much! Although everyone from Zhu Residence was captured, Da Niu has never practiced any magic arts, so he might be fine.”
“I understand, Senior Brother Wuya, Sister Fuqin. I want to be alone for a while.”
Lu Hangzhi spoke to see them out.
Leng Wuya and Zhu Fuqin exchanged helpless glances, then turned and left.
At that moment, Lü’e and Cong Fang came out of the room, looking worried as they watched Lu Hangzhi walk absently toward the backyard.
“Is Hangzhi okay?”
“How could he be okay? Da Niu was his best friend in Violet Cloud Town. When he left Violet Cloud Town, he repeatedly urged Sister Fuqin to take good care of Da Niu. Who would have thought…”
“What should we do?”
“…Sigh.”
The two women were deeply concerned.
…
In the backyard.
Lu Hangzhi silently took out a small Jade Box from his Qiankun Pouch. He opened it, picked up a very ordinary Spirit Fruit, and slowly put it in his mouth.
After getting used to eating five-hundred-year Essence Spirit Fruits, going back to ordinary Spirit Fruits made the flesh and juice feel less full.
But remembering that the first time he ate a Spirit Fruit was when Da Niu treated him, Lu Hangzhi couldn’t help but curl his lips into a nostalgic, emotional smile.
“That silly boy, just a poor guy but pretending to be rich.”
“Why not come with me to Xuanxin Sect? He had to stay in a place like Violet Cloud Town for a girl with a freckled face.”
“Is this fate?”
Lu Hangzhi sighed as he picked up the remaining fruits in the Jade Box one by one, stuffing them into his mouth, chewing and tasting them carefully.
As he spoke, his tone gradually turned cold.
“Da Niu, maybe it’s better that you’re gone.”
“With the current state of Two Realms Mountain, it’s only a matter of time before it falls. When Monster Beasts crawl everywhere, where will you ordinary people find a safe haven? Rather than living a life worse than death and becoming food in a Monster Beast’s belly, it’s better to be a clueless ghost.”
“But don’t worry…”
“Before I die, I will surely burn Jiuyou’s head for you, so he can serve you like a slave in the underworld.”
“Rest in peace.”
After saying this, Lu Hangzhi performed an Art Technique he hadn’t used in a long time!
Activation Art!
This Art Technique was the hope for Zhu Residence’s rise, but on Two Realms Mountain, everyone needed to recover Magic Power. Using this Art Technique was suspected of plundering and slowing others’ recovery.
Now, as he performed it again, this Art Technique, which became more effective with increased cultivation, immediately erupted with astonishing force!
Whoosh!
A massive presence accompanied by a terrifying Spiritual Energy Vortex suddenly descended, covering the entire yard. It rapidly pulled the Magic Power from the yard, stirring the air and Spiritual Energy visibly, dragging them into the vortex around him.
In the yard, the Purple Bamboo rustled loudly;
Dozens of fruits on the Spirit Fruit Trees shattered one after another, turning into the purest Magic Power, then rushed into the Spiritual Energy Vortex, swarming toward Lu Hangzhi at the center of the vortex.
Lu Hangzhi’s gaze was resolute. He took out the Inner Core of the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast that Revered Qin had given him a few days earlier and sucked on it without hesitation. The Magic Power inside him wildly expanded, continuously overflowing…
Magic Power was rapidly draining!
However…
Under the terrifying pull of the Spiritual Energy Vortex formed by Activation Art, it was constantly drawn back and gathered around him.
Lu Hangzhi remained calm, sitting cross-legged in the Spiritual Energy Vortex. He began practicing “The Path to Divinity,” continuing to refine and accumulate Magic Power. The density of Magic Power soared madly, and the air quickly became thick, much more potent than the effect of a Spirit Gathering Array.