Eternal Sacred King Chapter 271 to 280
Chapter 271: A Private Visit
Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop.
Su Zimo walked out of his room and squinted his eyes at the noonday sun high in the sky. The sleepiness in his eyes gradually dissipated.
Shuddering momentarily, a series of crackling sounds came from within his body. It was as though he was frying beans as his tendons and bones sounded together while his blood churned like a tsunami!
Swoosh!
When Su Zimo opened his mouth, he breathed out a long stream of white gas that was solid like a sword. The stream shot out for a few meters before dissipating gradually.
In the folklore of mortals, immortals could soar through the skies and spit out flying swords, slicing the heads of their enemies from thousands of miles away!
The scene that had just happened was extremely similar to the flying swords that were spat out in the folklores. If any mortals who did not know about cultivation were to catch sight of it, they would be shocked to death.
In reality, that stream of white gas was no flying sword.
It was because after refining the Organs Refinement section, Su Zimo’s organs turned stronger and resulted in the phenomenal sight of him exhaling his breath like a sword.
Of course, that stream of white gas did not have any killing power, let alone kill anyone from thousands of miles away.
After the assassination attempt of the previous night and refining a supreme-grade spirit weapon for the bearded man, Su Zimo did not sleep for an entire night and was mentally exhausted.
He rested for the entire afternoon and had only just gotten up. The wound on his arm had healed and his spirit had recovered as well.
The moment Su Zimo sat down on the stone bench in his courtyard, the door of the entrance was pushed open.
Nian Qi was eating a string of candied hawthorns as she entered merrily with smiles on her face, seemingly having encountered something fun.
“Sir, you’re awake!”
The moment Nian Qi caught sight of Su Zimo, she greeted him with bright eyes.
Nodding, Su Zimo asked with a smile, “What’s the matter? Look at how you’re smiling.”
“Hehe, I can’t hide anything from you, sir.”
Nian Qi ran over with a smile and sat beside him.
In two years, Nian Qi had changed a lot and it wasn’t only in terms of her cultivation.
Two years ago, when Nian Qi had just moved in, Su Zimo could sense that she was still extremely guarded against him.
As time went by, she was less guarded as well.
At the same time, Nian Qi became more cheerful and lively.
Mysteriously, Nian Qi remarked, “Sir, guess what I saw at Yongxing City earlier on?”
“Something related to last night?” Su Zimo raised his brow and asked.
Nian Qi’s eyes widened and she nodded her head repeatedly, revealing the emperor’s notice.
“Sir, you didn’t see the look on the face of that elder from True Fire Weapon Workshop. It was truly exciting. Hmph, how satisfying!”
A look of surprise flashed in Su Zimo’s eyes.
He had not expected that the Emperor of Great Zhou would express his stance at this moment.
“Sir, all the cultivators in the capital are discussing this right now. They’re saying that you can do whatever you want in the capital from now on...”
Nian Qi mimicked the tone of others and said it in a rough voice, looking rather comical.
Su Zimo smiled.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Right then, a series of knocks rang from the entrance.
Su Zimo exchanged glances with Nian Qi, both confused.
It was already in the middle of the month now. If anyone wanted to customize supreme-grade spirit weapons, they would have to wait for the following month – why would anyone turn up now?
Nian Qi dashed over and opened the door.
Two cultivators stood at the entrance. One of them was a middle-aged man in yellow robes. He had a wide forehead, a deep gaze and an extraordinary aura.
The other person was more scholarly, standing behind the first person as his white clothes fluttered in the wind.
Nian Qi frowned.
She could not detect the cultivation realms of the two of them using her Spirit Peering Art!
There were only two possibilities.
First, the two people in front of her had cultivated some sort of a cultivation realm concealment technique.
Second, the cultivation of the two people had already surpassed Golden Core and were at Nascent Soul realm!
Instantly, Nian Qi eliminated the second scenario.
As Nascent Souls, there was no reason for them to be here.
While Su Zimo could refine supreme-grade spirit weapons, he would not attract the attention of Nascent Souls.
“Fellow Daoists, what brings you here today?” Nian Qi stood at the entrance and asked the both of them, blocking their way.
The yellow-robed man smiled and said, “Young lady, that’s not the right way to treat guests, right? To speak to us while blocking us from entering?”
“What do you have to say that you can’t say from out there?” Nian Qi tilted her head and asked in seriousness.
The two men outside exchanged glances speechlessly.
The yellow-robed man smiled. “Young lady, I came here today due to the reputation of Mr. Mo. I wish to see him and ask for a favor to refine a supreme-grade spirit weapon...”
“No.”
Before the yellow-robed man could finish, he was interrupted by Nian Qi.
Nian Qi continued, “Our young master only refines a single supreme-grade spirit weapon every month and we’ll sell that offer through an auction at the start of every month. If you wish to customize a supreme-grade spirit weapon, you’ll have to come for the auction next month.”
The yellow-robed man was stunned for a moment.
For such a long time, there had been no one dared to interrupt him or turn him away.
The scholarly man behind him showed a look of anger. Frowning slightly, he said in a seemingly reprimanding tone, “Girl, you...”
“Hmm?”
The yellow-robed man glanced sideways slightly and stopped the scholarly man.
Turning back, the yellow-robed man smiled. “Young lady, tell me. What’s the highest bid for a supreme-grade spirit weapon at this month’s auction?”
Without thinking, Nian Qi blurted out, “1,200,000 superior-grade spirit stones.”
“Alright.”
The yellow-robed man nodded. “I’ll offer twice that amount for Mr. Mo to help me refine a supreme-grade spirit weapon personally!”
“2,400,000!”
Nian Qi was shocked.
That was a frightening amount and most Golden Cores would not be able to produce it.
Unable to make up her mind, Nian Qi turned back to Su Zimo who was in the courtyard instinctively.
Su Zimo had a calm expression as he sipped his tea slowly. Placing the teacup down, he nodded. “Let them in.”
Nian Qi gave way and the two of them entered Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop.
The moment they entered, the yellow-robed man’s gaze landed on Su Zimo with a look of interest as he nodded in acknowledgment.
“Sit.”
Su Zimo did not stand up and pointed to the stone bench opposite him with that single comment.
The yellow-robed man sat down while the scholarly man stood at the side, surveying the surroundings. His gaze lingered on Night Spirit for a brief moment and lit up.
Su Zimo looked at the yellow-robed man and asked in a seemingly casual manner, “How may I address you, fellow Daoist?”
“My surname is Zhou,” The yellow-robed man’s expression did not change.
Su Zimo nodded, not saying anything.
With a faint smile, the yellow-robed man asked, “I’ve heard a lot about Mr. Mo. I wonder what sect you’re from and who your master is for your splendid weapon refinement skills.”
Raising his head, Su Zimo played with the teacup in his hands and looked at the yellow-robed man with a fake smile, asking instead, “Weren’t you here to refine weapons, fellow Daoist? What’s your motive for checking up on my background now?”
“You’re overthinking it, Mr. Mo. I was merely curious and asked out of instinct,” The yellow-robed man’s expression was the same, as if he had truly asked it casually.
He nodded to the scholarly man beside him.
Instantly, the scholarly man retrieved 30 sets of materials from his storage bag and 2,400,000 spirit stones. He put them all into a storage bag and placed it in front of Su Zimo.
Chapter 272: The Emperor’s Thoughts
“Mr. Mo, do check through it.”
The yellow-robed man raised his chin and glanced, signaling for Su Zimo to take stock of the materials and spirit stones in the storage bag.
A faint smile hung on Su Zimo’s lips as he said nonchalantly, “You sure are generous, fellow Daoist. Most cultivators wouldn’t be able to produce this much materials and spirit stones.”
The yellow-robed man’s expression remained unchanged and he did not explain himself either, merely repeating his specifications.
After a moment of silence, the yellow-robed man continued, “After this supreme-grade flying sword is forged, we’ll leave it with you, Mr. Mo. Someone will come for it when the time is ripe.”
“One year at most. Nothing later will be entertained.”
Su Zimo said indifferently.
The sect competition was due to start in less than a year. By then, he would definitely have left the capital.
The yellow-robed man stood up and bid farewell, leaving with the scholarly man.
After leaving Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop, the yellow-robed man finally turned back on the main street and looked in the direction of Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop with lit up eyes of great interest.
The yellow-robed man was none other than the Emperor of Great Zhou!
The scholarly man behind him was Perfected Lord Ming Ze.
“If I hadn’t seen it personally, it would be truly hard to believe that the person who could refine supreme-grade spirit weapons would be such a young junior,” The emperor lamented as he could not conceal the admiration in his eyes.
Perfected Lord Ming Ze nodded. “That person’s cultivation is indeed only at late-stage Foundation Establishment and he hasn’t cultivated any cultivation concealment techniques. There was no one else in that residence too.”
There were many mysteries surrounding Mo Ling, but what the emperor was most curious about was the assassination attempt of the previous night.
Given Mo Ling’s cultivation, he should have died – how did he manage to last for ten breaths of time and even kill a Golden Core instead?
Initially, the emperor had two speculations.
First, Mo Ling had cultivated some sort of cultivation concealment technique and his actual cultivation was at Golden Core.
Second, there was an expert hidden in Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop.
On the one hand, their visit today was to check out Mo Ling. On the other hand, they wanted to unravel this mystery.
However, after leaving Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop, the two of them were even more puzzled.
Neither speculation fit the bill.
They made a sudden visit and both of them scanned Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop entirely with their spirit consciousnesses. However, there were no signs of any third party.
In other words, they were back to where they had started.
Two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and a black dog at Foundation Establishment realm – how did the three of them manage to last ten breaths against the combined assault of two Golden Cores?
“Interesting, a mysterious person.”
The emperor chuckled and asked, “What else did you discover?”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze replied in a low voice, “That black dog is not simple. Even though it was lying far away looking like it was asleep, I could sense that it was watching us!”
“Can you tell what spirit demon that is?”
“No. It might be a variant spirit demon born from the fusion of two different spirit demon races.”
The both of them conversed and arrived at the palace before long.
At the entrance of the palace, a black-armored guard quickly walked up and knelt on one knee, saying in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, I’ve already investigated the background of Mo Ling. However, there’s little to be known.”
The emperor asked, “Oh? Tell me everything that you found out.”
The guard replied, “Two years ago, Mo Ling appeared outside the capital seemingly out of thin air. No one saw how he arrived.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
The emperor frowned – this was as good as having found out nothing.
All of a sudden!
A thought flashed through the emperor’s mind as he suddenly asked, “The day that Mo Ling appeared in the capital two years ago! Was that the same day of the dragon’s attack?”
“Yes!”
The guard nodded. “Not long after Mo Ling appeared, the divine dragon descended. Thereafter, a mysterious expert showed up and pushed back the divine dragon.”
When he heard that, Perfected Lord Ming Ze came to a gradual realization as his eyes lit up. “Your Majesty is guessing that Mo Ling is related to that mysterious expert?”
“Yes. Mo Ling... might be the disciple of that mysterious expert!”
The emperor said in a low voice, “Given the methods of that mysterious expert, even if his disciple is only at Foundation Establishment realm, there’s a high possibility he could hold out ten breaths against the assassination of two Golden Cores.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze nodded. “The mysterious expert appeared suddenly and was definitely not someone of the capital of Great Zhou. In that case, Mo Ling might truly be related to that mysterious expert.”
The emperor laughed. “Someone like that is definitely a talent in cultivation, much stronger than any Tom, Dick or Harry. Right, when is Xue’er returning?”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. The sect competition will start in less than a year. The third princess will definitely return prior to that,” Perfected Lord Ming Ze consoled.
Furrowing his brows, the emperor said, “Because of that Su Zimo or whoever, Xue’er has been fighting with me all these years. She hasn’t even bothered to come home at all, really now...”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze seemed to have thought of something and asked, “Your Majesty, for you to suddenly mention the third princess, are you thinking of introducing Mo Ling to her and matchmake them to be Dao partners?”
“I do have that intention.”
The emperor continued, “At least to me, this Mo Ling is worthy of Xue’er and he’s much stronger than that so-called Su Zimo she mentioned previously. Fufu, the son of a general of a vassal state and a trash without a spirit root. Someone like that wishes to join the Ji Family?”
“Yes, the two of them are similar in terms of age and cultivation. Furthermore, Mo Ling is a top-notch Weapon Refinement Master, he’s rather fitting,” Perfected Lord Ming Ze nodded.
The emperor scoffed coldly, “Xue’er is pure and innocent with a narrow vision, that’s why she was hoodwinked by some scheming people! Once she returns, I’ll have her meet with Mo Ling. Even if they’re not compatible, it’ll open her eyes to what a true genius is really like!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze commented, “Your Majesty is not stingy with praising him. Seems like you truly have high hopes for this person.”
“Yes.”
The emperor nodded. “You heard my conversation with him earlier too. I wanted to check out his background but he was so vigilant. Not only did he handle it with ease and not let anything slip, he even tried to check out my identity in reverse, fufu.”
The emperor laughed. “It’s truly remarkable for someone his age to have that sort of mentality and wisdom.”
“That’s right.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze agreed. “That lad is composed, calm as a lake despite containing boisterous thunder within. He’s truly quite a character.”
The emperor continued, “Furthermore, that Su Zimo was chosen by Xue’er herself after all. If he could be half of what Mo Ling is, or even one-tenth, I don’t mind letting him be her Dao partner.”
“By the way, do you think he saw through our identities?” The emperor asked in a seemingly joking manner.
“How is that possible?”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze shook his head with a smile. “If he could tell of Your Majesty’s identity through just that brief contact, he wouldn’t be a genius. He would be a demon instead...”
Chapter 273: Greater Mastery of Organs Refinement
Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop.
Nian Qi sat opposite Su Zimo and praised, “Sir, you’re amazing. Even cultivators from afar are coming because of your reputation.”
“How do you know that they’re from afar?” Su Zimo asked with a smile.
Nian Qi replied, “Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop has been open for two years now. The fact that those two turned up in the middle of the month means that they don’t know our rules. It’s likely that they’re cultivators from outside of the capital.”
“Fu, you’re truly mistaken then.”
Su Zimo smiled faintly and shook his head. “Not only are they from the capital, they’re from the palace!”
“The palace?”
Nian Qi was shocked and probed, “Could they be royalty?”
Su Zimo nodded. “The yellow-robed man in front is not simple. He carries a majestic aura that most cultivators do not possess. Not only that, he’s extremely generous and can offer 2,400,000 superior-grade spirit stones right away. How can normal cultivators possess such a capability?”
Nian Qi nodded, not fully understanding.
Su Zimo continued, “Furthermore, that person exuded a domineering presence. While he was trying his best to conceal it intentionally, that sort of presence is formed after a long time of being at the top. It’s something that’s difficult to hide entirely.”
“Oh.”
Nian Qi let out a look of realization. “No wonder I felt that the yellow-robed man had a strong aura. Every single word and action of his carried authority with it.”
Rubbing her chin, Nian Qi seemed to have thought of something inexplicable as she fell into deep thought.
Su Zimo smiled and did not say anything to interrupt her. Dipping his finger in tea, he wrote a word on the table and stood to leave.
“The royal family’s surname is Ji. However, that person said that his surname was Zhou. Was he lying?”
Seemingly in deep thought, Nian Qi mumbled, “Zhou, Zhou, Zhou...”
After a while, her gaze turned around and landed on the table inadvertently where she caught sight of the word that had yet to dry up and emitted a faint fragrance of tea.
“Emperor!”
Nian Qi exclaimed, seemingly realized something.
...
After the emperor’s notice, the capital indeed calmed down.
No faction dared to be stupid enough to challenge the royal family’s authority at a time like this.
As for Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop, its status in the capital grew daily and so did their reputation.
Every auction at the start of the months would attract many Golden Cores and most of them were at late-stage or perfected Golden Cores.
The Golden Cores were either extremely strong or had powerful backgrounds. Otherwise, they would not have been able to gather that many spirit stones.
A few months later, even cultivators from outside the capital rushed thousands of miles over just to auction for a supreme-grade spirit weapon at Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop.
Naturally, the guesses and rumors about Mo Ling’s identity, appearance and background had never stopped.
Many cultivators claim to have seen Mo Ling personally and were proud of it. However, their descriptions of Mo Ling varied completely.
There were all sorts of versions and all kinds of strange.
Only a few pieces of information were widely accepted by the masses.
First, Mr. Mo was a Golden Core and was strong.
The reason for this piece of information, apart from the description of some cultivators, was due to the assassination on a night a couple of months ago.
Second, Mr. Mo had a unique technique for spirit gathering that had a high success rate!
That was something everyone acknowledged with ease.
Not only that, the masses even came up with a name for that spirit gathering technique – Mo Clan’s Spirit Gathering Technique.
Third, Mr. Mo was definitely someone not to be offended in the capital.
Even the Emperor of Great Zhou had specially issued a notice to refer to him as a virtuous talent.
Because of this, even True Fire Weapon Workshop which was backed by True Fire Sect was utterly defeated – who else would dare offend Mr. Mo in the capital of Great Zhou?
Furthermore, one could dream of customizing a supreme-grade spirit weapon in Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop once they offended Mr. Mo.
Regarding the rumors out there, Su Zimo could not be bothered to clarify things.
Naturally, he was not hiding his identity intentionally.
It was just that he had been well-off and rarely appeared for the past two years, therefore giving off a sense of mystery to everyone.
Su Zimo had reaped a lot from his two years of cultivation.
Thanks to the large amount of spirit stones replenishment, Su Zimo’s cultivation was already approaching perfected Foundation Establishment!
While his cultivation speed was a little terrifying, it was understandable as well.
For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it would be fortuitous enough for them to have sufficient spirit stones to cultivate with.
As for Su Zimo, he had a constant supply of superior-grade spirit stones and as such, his efforts were naturally halved.
It was also partly due to his weapon refinement.
To outsiders, Su Zimo could only refine a single supreme-grade spirit weapon once a month.
But in reality, he would spend every single afternoon refining supreme-grade spirit weapons to hone his skills!
As time passed, alongside the continuous practice, Su Zimo’s weapon refinement technique was at a point of proficiency where it was difficult to improve further.
At this point, Su Zimo also realized that it was immensely difficult to refine perfect spirit weapons!
Success was only possible when technique, mental state and environmental factors were interlinked seamlessly.
Since it was called perfect, it meant that there could not be any flaws right from the very first step of weapon refinement – materials selection!
Up till the very last step of quenching, any single slight mistake in the middle would fail to make things perfect.
Initially, Su Zimo intended to create a set of perfect grade flying swords for his sword formations.
However, now that it seemed impossible, Su Zimo could only compromise and refine a set of supreme-grade flying swords.
Of course, Su Zimo’s ‘compromise’ was something that could not be better in the eyes of outsiders!
A supreme-grade spirit weapon was enough to attract countless top-tier Golden Cores to fight for it; a set might attract a massacre!
This day, Su Zimo came forth from his room with a faint smile on his face.
There was slightly more than a month to the sect competition and the dragon egg’s essence energy in his body had been refined and absorbed completely!
He was at greater mastery of his Organs Refinement section!
His five organs qi circulated continuously, nourishing his skin, flesh, tendons, bones and marrow and forming a minor Heavenly Cycle in his body.
Prior to his, at lesser mastery of the Organs Refinement section, Su Zimo had killed the blood-robed youth who was at four-meridian Foundation Establishment back in Dongling Valley when he released all his might with the power of blood qi!
Now, Su Zimo estimated that even if he did not reveal his demonic qi or channel his bloodline, his physical strength alone would be enough to suppress four-meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators!
If he were to channel his bloodline, it would be more than enough to take down five-meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
If he were to release it together with his blood qi, Su Zimo’s combat strength would be even more terrifying!
Of course, that was referring to the difference in strength.
After all, there were way too many variables that affected the outcomes of fights on the battlefield.
Now that he had refined the dragon egg’s essence energy completely, he had also removed the latent danger of being hunted down by the dragon race.
Prior to this, Su Zimo did not even dare to step out of the capital.
But now, he felt as though he was relieved of a huge burden and broken free of his shackles – he could not help but feel delighted.
“Sir, what are you so happy about?”
Nian Qi sat on the grass and hugged her knees, turning to ask with her clear eyes.
In the past three years, this was a rare time that Nian Qi had seen Su Zimo reveal such a smile.
Waving his hand, Su Zimo said, “Let’s go out for a walk and get some fresh air.”
“Sure!”
Nian Qi clapped and smiled like a flower, jumping up from the ground.
Chapter 274: Meeting Xiaoning Again
Ever since Nian Qi moved in, this was the first time the two of them had gone out together.
After three years, there hadn’t been much changes in the capital. However, as the sect competition was approaching, there number of cultivators going about had increased significantly.
For the past three years, Nian Qi’s hair had been yellowed, withered and curled up, looking disheveled.
However, she was more beautiful. Slim and elegant, her skin was fair and tender, looking delicately sweet.
While Su Zimo could not be considered as extremely handsome, he had delicate features and a steady aura. His green robes fluttered in the wind and he exuded an extraordinary aura, emitting a unique sense of charisma.
The woman was beautiful and the man was charming.
Walking on the streets of the capital, the two of them looked like a match made in heaven and attracted everyone’s attention.
“Eh? Isn’t that the maidservant called Nian Qi from Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop?”
In the crowd, some of the cultivators that had seen Nian Qi before recognized her.
“It really seems like her. Who’s the guy beside her? He looks unfamiliar and I’ve never seen him before.”
“I’ve got it!”
A cultivator said hatefully, “That green-robed cultivator must have gotten close to Nian Qi because he wants to approach Mr. Mo! What a scheming person!”
“Yes, that seems to be the case.”
Enlightened, everyone agreed readily.
“That’s not a bad idea. To think that he beat me to it!”
Even though the surroundings were bustling with noise, Su Zimo and Nian Qi’s ears were extremely strong and could hear the discussions of those people.
“Sir, they’re so stupid.”
Nian Qi whispered and pursed her lips, smiling.
Suddenly, a weak voice rang from the crowd. “Actually, I feel that the green-robed cultivator could be Mr. Mo.”
The moment that voice sounded, it caused a burst of ridicule.
“Fellow Daoist, you’re an outsider, right? Don’t talk if you don’t know anything lest you embarrass yourself.
“Fellow Daoist, don’t tell me you don’t know how to use Spirit Peering Art at all. Can’t you tell the cultivation of that green-robed cultivator? Fufu, everyone in the capital knows that Mr. Mo is a Golden Core!”
“Furthermore, Nian Qi is Mr. Mo’s maidservant. Have you ever seen a maidservant that walks side by side with her master while chatting and laughing without any respect?”
For the past three years, Su Zimo spent every day with Nian Qi.
Outsiders thought that she was his maidservant, but Su Zimo had never seen her as one.
The reason why he was willing to take in Nian Qi initially was out of compassion.
The two of them continued strolling idly. Before long, a young Foundation Establishment Cultivator popped out of nowhere. He lifted his hair and smiled to Nian Qi, saying in a gentle voice, “Miss Nian Qi, please don’t be taken in by the sweet nothings of this man. He has a purpose for wanting to get close to you!”
The young cultivator pointed at Su Zimo with conviction and an unfriendly expression.
Su Zimo even suspected that if they were not in the capital, this cultivator might have rushed up and challenged him to a life and death duel.
“None of your business, go away!”
Nian Qi berated him as she pulled Su Zimo around this person and continued forward.
“What’s interesting about the capital today? Let’s go take a look,” Su Zimo glanced sideways and asked.
“Interesting things...”
Pondering for a short moment, Nian Qi said, “There’s an elixir competition at Yongxing City today! I heard that two cultivators from True Fire Elixir Workshop and Azure Frost Elixir Workshop got into a conflict and both parties decided on today to determine who is better in elixir refinement by comparing to see who can refine higher graded elixirs.”
The security in the capital was extremely tight as the sect competition approached.
From a single guard squad shift, it was now two guard squads on a single shift.
In other words, there would always be two guard squads on patrol in the capital daily and they could arrive immediately should any trouble arise.
Under such circumstances, no cultivator or faction dared to start a fight in the capital.
If they wanted to resolve grudges, a way of doing so was to compete in elixir and weapon refinement.
Furthermore, this was a grudge between two major elixir workshops in Yongxing City to begin with and a competition in elixir refinement was the most logical way of settling things.
“True Fire Elixir Workshop, Azure Frost Elixir Workshop...”
Su Zimo murmured softly and smiled. “Let’s go and check it out.”
True Fire Elixir Workshop was backed by True Fire Sect while Azure Frost Elixir Workshop was backed by Azure Frost Sect.
Those were two of the five major sects and furthermore, Su Zimo had dealings with both of them.
There was not much to say about True Fire Sect. In the past three years, they suffered a huge loss in his hands.
As for Azure Frost Sect...
Ji Yaoxue was in Azure Frost Sect and had even invited Su Zimo to join back then but was rejected by him.
Su Xiaoning was also cultivating in Azure Frost Sect.
Before long, the two of them arrived at Yongxing City.
“Hurry, let’s go take a look! It’s already begun!”
“I heard that this person from True Fire Elixir Workshop is a talent in True Fire Sect in recent years. His name is He Xing and he’ll definitely have a spot in the elixir rankings of the sect competition!”
“I heard that the Elixir Refinement Master from Azure Frost Sect is a young lady but she isn’t famous. I wonder how she got the courage to compete against He Xing.”
Su Zimo and Nian Qi quickly reached their destination as they followed the flow of the crowd.
In a corner of Yongxing City, there was an empty space in the middle of a dense crowd. At that moment, a man and a woman were wielding Elixir Furnaces in their hands while pouring materials into it.
The man had a dignified appearance but his lips were extremely thin, as if symbolizing that he was a heartless person.
The man was smelting the materials but his gaze was on the woman beside him. He had a relaxed expression and he was smirking with a flash of mockery in his eyes.
Su Zimo looked at the girl and could not help but shudder, almost exclaiming.
While it was only a side profile, Su Zimo recognized the woman instantly.
It was Su Xiaoning!
The young lady that was competing against True Fire Sect’s He Xing in an elixir refinement competition was none other than his sister that he had not seen for many years – Su Xiaoning!
Su Zimo initially thought that he would have to wait for the sect competition to begin officially before he could see his sister again.
He did not expect to meet her here today.
“What’s wrong, sir?” Nian Qi was the closest to Su Zimo and she asked hurriedly when she noticed something amiss with his reaction.
“It’s nothing.”
He had a smile and his gaze lingered on Su Xiaoning, warm and tender.
After not seeing her for a few years, Su Xiaoning had grown up quite a bit. She had a slim figure and her long hair was draped over her singlet, tied up with a blue ribbon. Wearing white robes, she was immaculately clean and bore the demeanor of an immortal cultivator.
Actually, Su Zimo had been thinking about Xiaoning all these years.
She had a poor spirit root and even with Ji Yaoxue’s help, she might suffer from endless bullying and trampling in the sect.
If not for the fact that his own future was uncertain back then, Su Zimo would have definitely brought Xiaoning with him.
Taking a close look, Su Zimo saw that Xiaoning had only just entered Foundation Establishment realm.
She had a pseudo spirit root and it was already remarkable for her to reach this realm within a few years.
It was not hard to imagine that Xiaoning must have suffered a lot in this process.
Song Qi had a pseudo spirit root and he had cultivated for most of his life but he was still unable to attain Foundation Establishment realm.
What surprised Su Zimo the most was that Xiaoning was an Elixir Refinement Master!
He had some knowledge of elixir refinement and could naturally tell that Xiaoning’s was proficient in it. Furthermore, she was extremely focused throughout the entire process and was completely unaffected by her environment, possessing the mental fortitude required of an Elixir Refinement Master.Chapter 275: This Is Truly Elixir Refinement
There was only a single word of difference between elixir and weapon refinement on the surface, but in reality, there was a huge difference.
Weapon refinement required a high level of spirit fire.
The higher the level of spirit fire, the higher the efficiency and outcome of the smelting process where impurities were purged.
However, it was different for elixir refinement.
Elixir refinement placed a huge emphasis on the mastery of spirit fire.
That was because spirit herbs were different from the materials used for weapons and they had a low burning point. Even a Level 1 Spirit Fire could refine most of the spirit herbs.
In elixir refinement, there were two extraction processes which required a precise mastery of the spirit fire’s temperature.
If the temperature was too high, the spirit herbs would be burned to a crisp.
If it was too low, one would not be able to extract the essences of the spirit herbs.
While elixir refinement did not require spirit gathering, it required an in-depth knowledge towards the thousands of spirit herbs out there.
The higher the grade of the elixir, the more complex the recipe was and the more things one would be required to remember. The true top-tier Elixir Refinement Grandmasters even had to memorize millions of spirit herbs.
In the empty space, the Elixir Refinement Master from True Fire Elixir Workshop, He Xing, had a Level 2 Spirit Fire and a proficient mastery of it as well.
Su Xiaoning only had a Level 1 Spirit Fire but she was not weaker in terms of temperature control.
The two of them were refining an extremely common elixir – Spirit Regeneration Elixir.
There were three grades to the Spirit Regeneration Elixir and it was used for recovering spirit energy. Naturally, the difference in grade affected the effect of the elixirs.
Both of them were refining Grade 2 Spirit Regeneration Elixirs and there were up to 28 different types of spirit herbs required in the recipe!
Of the 28 herbs, a mistake in a single stalk of herb would result in a failure of elixir formation.
He Xing’s technique was evidently slightly more brilliant.
However, that person’s gaze was extremely evil and would fall on Su Xiaoning’s body from time to time, scanning her from head to toe boldly.
Su Zimo narrowed his eyes and a killing intent flashed.
Sensing something, Nian Qi looked at Su Zimo with a strange manner before turning to Su Xiaoning in deep thoughts.
“He Xing’s elixir refinement techniques are decent but his methods are somewhat despicable.”
A cultivator from the crowd muttered.
Someone else covered the former’s mouth immediately. “Hush! Softer, lest you get yourself into trouble!”
The spectators were clear.
Most cultivators could tell that He Xing’s intention of looking at Su Xiaoning that way during elixir refinement was to disrupt her mental state!
The greatest taboo of elixir refinement was to get distracted.
Be it during extraction or formation, one’s efforts would go to waste the moment they were slightly distracted.
However, Su Xiaoning was seemingly oblivious to He Xing’s provocation as she extracted the ingredients in her hands with focus meticulously. She was careful and her focus moved the crowd.
To everyone, it was clear that Su Xiaoning’s technique in elixir refinement was inferior to He Xing’s.
However, her focus was countless times stronger than his!
Su Zimo nodded silently in satisfaction.
“What grudge do these two have with one another? Why are they challenging one another in elixir refinement here?”
Su Zimo glanced at a cultivator beside him and asked softly.
The person answered, “Actually, it’s nothing much either. I heard that it’s because of an Elixir Furnace. This lady cultivator from Azure Frost Sect took a liking to it first and had already paid for it in spirit stones. However, He Xing came across it and insisted on paying double to buy the Elixir Furnace. Because the lady cultivator was unwilling, both parties bore a grudge then.”
“Later on, He Xing kept trying to cause trouble for this lady cultivator time and again. Annoyed by it, she agreed to this elixir refinement challenge.”
Su Zimo frowned. “That lady is an Elixir Refinement Master from Azure Frost Sect, but her sect mates are alright with her being bullied by someone from True Fire Elixir Workshop?”
“I don’t know about that.”
The person shook his head. “However, He Xing comes from a strong background and he’s the most promising Elixir Refinement Master of his generation in True Fire Sect. His brother, He Jiang, is said to be extremely strong and is the number one of all Foundation Establishment Cultivators in True Fire Sect. He’s definitely going to make the top ten of the spirit ranking list in this sect competition!”
“Of the He Brothers, one is strong in elixir refinement and the other has terrifying combat strength. They are famous and hold a high status in True Fire Sect. I reckon that the head of Azure Frost Elixir Workshop must be trying to avoid trouble between the two sects and does not want to offend He Xing.”
Su Zimo nodded expressionlessly.
In this short while, He Xing and Su Xiaoning were already at the fourth step of elixir refinement, the secondary extraction.
Seeing that Su Xiaoning was indifferent, He Xing’s gaze got even more daring and he gave off a series of strange laughters.
Su Xiaoning seemed oblivious to it and stared at the Elixir Furnace before her intently, using her spirit fire to control the temperature of the flames before purging the impurities in the combined essence of the spirit herbs bit by bit.
He Xing stood there laughing non-stop.
Su Xiaoning remained silently, merely focusing on her elixir refinement. It was as if she was immersed in her refinement process and had forgotten that she was surrounded by people.
The difference in strength between the both sides was obvious!
He Xing was stronger than Su Xiaoning in terms of elixir refinement technique.
But now, in everyone’s eyes, He Xing was just like a clown.
The warm sunlight shone on the girl’s body, as if she radiated with a glow as colorful lights appeared.
The girl’s nose was sharp and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead that glistened in a beautiful manner.
At this moment, a thought flashed through everyone’s minds.
This was truly elixir refinement.
This was how Elixir Refinement Masters should be like.
In the hands of that lady, elixir refinement seemed to possess a soul and a life of its own.
She was not refining elixirs, but giving birth to a brand new life.
Looking at the lady refine elixirs, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of gratitude as they found themselves immersed in the world of Elixir Refinement Masters, witnessing the birth of a new life.
Right then, Su Zimo smiled.
He smiled brightly.
Xiaoning had finally found her path.
Su Zimo had dabbled in elixir refinement as well and had even obtained number one of Elixir Peak back in Ethereal Peak.
But at this moment, he could not help but admit that he was far inferior to his sister in terms of elixir refinement!
What he knew was the basics of elixirs.
However, what Xiaoning knew was the truth of elixirs!
Gradually, an invisible aura formed around Su Xiaoning, growing stronger by the moment.
This was the aura of a top-tier Elixir Refinement Master!
He Xing’s expression changed.
Under the repression of Su Xiaoning’s aura, his heart was in a mess and his flames fluttered, almost burning the herbal essence in his Elixir Furnace!
Taking a deep breath, He Xing composed himself and focused on his elixir refinement.
However, it was too late by then.
Su Xiaoning was a step faster in ending the secondary extraction!
A fragrant medicinal aroma wafted out of the Elixir Furnace. Everyone around them could feel invigorated and the spirit energies within their bodies stirred.
Su Xiaoning closed her eyes and rested for a while. By the time she opened them, her gaze was resolute as she began on elixir formation.
At that moment, He Xing was just done with his secondary extraction.
While there was also a medicinal aroma floating out of He Xing’s Elixir Furnace, it was faint and no one felt anything from sniffing it.
If nothing unexpected happened, Su Xiaoning’s elixir would definitely be better than He Xing’s after the formation process!
Through the medicinal aroma, the surrounding Elixir Refinement Masters could already vaguely tell that Su Xiaoning’s elixir might even be a perfect elixir with five elixir patterns!
Chapter 276: Unforeseen Situation
“Junior Sister Xiaoning is going to win!”
“Yes, this will count towards improving Azure Frost Elixir Workshop’s reputation as well.”
Within the crowd, a couple of disciples from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop discussed softly with excited expressions.
“It’s just a Grade 2 Elixir. Even if she wins this, what does this have to do with our reputation? The reputation of Azure Frost Elixir Workshop has been built up over thousands of years. What has it got to do with her!”
The person who spoke was a female cultivator in a long, yellow dress. She had a voluptuous figure and her chin was slightly raised, revealing her neck that was slender and fair as a swan’s with a haughty expression.
It was obvious that the yellow-dressed woman held a high position in Azure Frost Elixir Workshop as the few cultivators who were discussing earlier shut up immediately in fear after hearing her speak.
“Senior Sister Yang is absolutely right.”
A disciple from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop replied with a smile.
On the other side, a group of disciples from True Fire Elixir Workshop were also watching the situation unfold with grave expressions.
“The situation’s not good. Senior Brother He’s going to lose.”
“Don’t worry, there’s no way that woman from Azure Frost Sect is going to win today. Wait for Senior Brother He’s gaze to act.”
The person who spoke wore a faint red rob and his lips were slightly curled with a cold expression. His name was Pang Ming and he was a perfected Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Beside him was a ferocious-looking spirit lion. Digging into the ground with its feet, the beast’s mouth was opened slightly, revealing its sharp fangs within!
In the empty space, the Elixir Furnace in front of Su Xiaoning exuded a fragrant medicinal aroma that grew richer by the moment, spreading through the crowd.
White smoke wafted through the holes of the Elixir Furnace, changing the mist of the surroundings while shrouding Su Xiaoning within. The vague concealment of her body made her seem like a fairy that had descended on the mortal realm.
A white-haired elderly man sniffed the fragrance that drifted over and closed his eyes in an intoxicated manner. “Based on my experience, this girl from Azure Frost Sect should have refined a perfect Spirit Regeneration Elixir!”
Upon hearing that, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.
That elderly man was the most famous Advanced Elixir Refinement Master in Yongxing City – the result wouldn’t be much different from his claim.
He Xing could also tell that if this continued, he would definitely lose.
A glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Pang Ming who was in the crowd while condensing his elixir.
Pang Ming understood and nodded the head of the spirit lion beside him.
With a swift motion, the spirit lion growled deeply and leaped forward, waving its paw while slapping towards Su Xiaoning’s Elixir Furnace.
The change was way too sudden such that even the onlookers did not expect it, let alone Su Xiaoning who was focused on her elixir refinement.
This was the capital of Great Zhou after all where fighting was prohibited.
Now that they were close to the sect competition, the atmosphere was even more tense. Not far away, a guard from one of the three great guard squads, Scarlet Vulture, rode on his Scarlet Vulture and patrolled in midair while wielding a dagger-axe in his hands with a stern expression.
However, no one expected that this spirit lion from True Fire Elixir Workshop would leap out at a moment like this!
Piak!
With ease, the spirit lion sent Su Xiaoning’s Elixir Furnace flying with a single slap.
It fell to the ground with a bang and the elixir within the Elixir Furnace erupted, causing black smoke to billow out – it was clear now that the elixir formation had failed.
The greatest taboo of the elixir formation process was for one to be disturbed. A slight fluctuation in one’s mental state could cause elixir formation to fail, let alone having their Elixir Furnace knocked away!
“Ah!”
Su Xiaoning shrieked and blood flashed on her arm.
When the spirit lion knocked the Elixir Furnace flying, Su Xiaoning sustained a scratch from the spirit lion on her arm because she had reacted slower. While it was not a serious injury, her shirt was stained red.
After knocking the Elixir Furnace and injuring her, the spirit lion ran back under Pang Ming’s reprimand.
Coughing gently, Pang Ming gave a fake smile, “Fellow Daoist from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop, how sorry. I have failed to control my beast properly, to think that it would have ran out and shocked you. I’ll punish it right away!”
With that said, Pang Ming tapped the spirit lion on the head lightly.
It shrugged its head indifferently before rubbing against Pang Ming’s body.
“Haha!”
A burst of laughter broke out from the crowd of True Fire Elixir Workshop.
Everyone could naturally tell that Pang Ming had ordered the spirit lion to hurt the girl and knock the Elixir Furnace over!
Looking at the Elixir Furnace that had fallen not far away on the ground, Su Xiaoning pursed her lips. She had forgotten about the pain on her arm and her eyes were reddened, slightly teary.
At that moment, the first emotion that gushed into Su Xiaoning’s was not anger, but sadness.
Right from the beginning, she had not been distracted at all and was wholeheartedly focused on refining her Spirit Regeneration Elixir.
She was not wrong.
She was extremely focused.
However, it was destroyed by others and her efforts were in vain.
She was just a little short.
“Sigh!”
A perfect Spirit Regeneration Elixir was just about to be born but it was gone just like that... everyone shook their heads and sighed in unison.
Su Zimo’s gaze turned cold. Because the spirit lion was not targeting him, his spirit perception had no reaction.
Furthermore, he had not expected that cultivators of True Fire Elixir Workshop would dare command their spirit lion to attack someone in front of everyone in the capital!
Looking at Xiaoning who was standing on the spot tearfully, the killing intent in Su Zimo’s heart surged and it was almost impossible to contain!
Nian Qi, who was standing beside him, was the first to notice it.
She felt an unprecedented sense of trepidation coming from Su Zimo.
Glancing askance, Nian Qi’s heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of Su Zimo’s gaze.
She had witnessed that terrifying gaze one other time.
That was the same gaze that Su Zimo had during that night half a year ago when he was faced against two Golden Cores.
It was cold, indifferent and calm like a sea of extermination!
Nian Qi pondered for a moment before leaving the crowd silently. She looked around and sped off to somewhere nearby.
...
When faced with such an unforeseen situation, Su Zimo did not appear right away. Instead, he was calm and looked on coldly.
He was waiting...
Waiting for the reaction from both factions.
At this moment, the ones who should have the biggest reaction should be the Scarlet Vulture guards who were patrolling and Azure Frost Elixir Workshop that Xiaoning was from.
However, Su Zimo was disappointed.
He personally witnessed the gazes of two Scarlet Vulture guards staring at this place. Lingering shortly, they chose to turn their heads away and pretend as though they did not see anything!
“True Fire Elixir Workshop is really too much!”
“That’s right! It’s obvious that the spirit lion was deliberately causing trouble but they’re pretending to be innocent?”
Among the crowd, a cultivator frowned and asked, “The Scarlet Vulture guards are nearby. They seem to have witnessed everything, why aren’t they rushing here yet?”
“I think you don’t know, right?”
An elderly man said, “It’s said that the commander of the Scarlet Vulture guards, the Golden Core with the nickname of Bald Vulture, once stayed for a period of time in True Fire Sect and as such is considered as half a disciple of theirs. Since these Scarlet Vulture guards are his underlings, they’ll usually give True Fire Sect some face.”
“Furthermore, this matter is not a big deal. Even if anyone chooses to pursue it further, it’ll most likely go unresolved.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The spirit lion came out to create trouble by knocking the Elixir Furnace away. If He Xing and the others insist that they failed to control it properly and the spirit lion did it on its own accord, what can anyone do to them?”
Chapter 277: Overbearing
It was as the crowd had said, the Scarlet Vulture guards were clearly biased and chose to be oblivious towards everything that was happening.
Some of the cultivators from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop were furious and were about to step forth to argue when they were held back by the sharp gaze of the yellow-dressed woman and retreated helplessly.
The majority of disciples from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop were indignant but none of them dared to speak against the authority of the yellow-dressed woman.
Su Xiaoning turned back instinctively and saw the cold face of the yellow-dressed woman.
At this moment, the two factions that should have stood out chose to remain silent.
In the middle of the crowd, Su Xiaoning appeared lonely and helpless – she was at a loss.
“Done!”
Right then, He Xing shouted softly.
An elixir with a refreshing medicinal aroma burst out from his Elixir Furnace and spun in midair.
Everyone focused their attentions – three elixir patterns.
A superior-grade Spirit Regeneration Elixir.
“Fufu.”
He Xing waved and pinched the elixir on his fingertips and chuckled at Su Xiaoning who was not far away. “You’ve lost, Junior Sister Su.”
“Bravo, Senior Brother He!”
“I guess that Senior Brother He only used 70% of his skills this time round!”
“70%? No way! 30% at most!”
The cultivators from True Fire Elixir Workshop praised shamelessly but cheers from the surrounding crowd were sparse and almost non-existent.
Everyone was not blind.
While superior-grade elixirs were rare, Su Xiaoning would have most likely created a perfect elixir with five elixir patterns if not for the unforeseen situation.
It was obvious who would have won.
Now that He Xing had the cheek to speak of such words, everyone cursed internally that he was shameless. However, they had their reservations and nobody would stand out blatantly.
“Junior Sister Su, since you’ve lost, we’ll follow our initial agreement. Hand that Elixir Furnace over,” He Xing smiled smugly.
“I didn’t lose.”
Su Xiaoning was fearless. She did not retreat and her voice was firm.
The smile on He Xing’s face froze momentarily before returning to normal in an instant. “Don’t worry, Junior Sister Su. Even though you’ve lost, I’ll still fork out double the price to purchase that Elixir Furnace. I won’t take advantage of you as long as you hand it over.”
“I didn’t lose,” Su Xiaoning repeated the three words.
Instantly, He Xing’s expression darkened.
“Su Xiaoning, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Azure Frost Elixir Workshop’s reputation is going to be affected because you went back on your words and have no credibility!”
He Xing’s words not only turned the facts upside down, it even laid down a huge burden for her.
Su Xiaoning raised her head with an unyielding expression, showing no signs of bowing down.
“Xiaoning.”
Right then, the yellow-dressed woman from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop stood out and said indifferently, “Hand that Elixir Furnace over to Fellow Daoist He.”
Frozen, Su Xiaoning’s eyes were filled with disbelief.
A stir broke out amongst the crowd as well.
Su Zimo watched everything quietly with a dark gaze.
There was another doubt in his heart – why was this yellow-dressed woman targeting Xiaoning?
He was waiting for an answer.
The yellow-dressed woman continued slowly, “Since you chose to make a bet with him, you should admit your defeat. How can a disciple of our Azure Frost Sect renege on our words?”
“But, I didn’t lose at all! If he hadn’t...”
Su Xiaoning was about to defend herself when the yellow-dressed woman cut her off. “I don’t want to hear of your excuses! I only care about the results and the result is that you’ve lost!”
The yellow-dressed woman’s voice was laced with a hint of sternness as the coldness in her eyes intensified.
Su Xiaoning’s figure swayed and the color from her face drained instantly.
Earlier on, even when He Xing was being overbearing, Su Xiaoning did not show the slightest bit of fear.
But now, when even her own sect mates chose to stand against her, Su Xiaoning’s final pillar of support had collapsed.
The yellow-dressed woman glared at Su Xiaoning coldly and said in a deep voice, “Azure Frost Sect has always been on good terms with True Fire Sect. It’d be best if our relationship isn’t affected because of you. Hand over the Elixir Furnace and apologize to Fellow Daoist He and we’ll let the matter end here.”
“Apologize?”
Su Xiaoning gave a wretched smile, her eyes filled with mockery. “May I ask Senior Sister Yang, what did I do wrong?”
“You dare to disobey my orders?”
The yellow-dressed woman’s expression darkened as she spoke sternly, “Don’t think that you can be so impudent just because Yaoxue is backing you! Let me tell you, putting aside the fact that she hasn’t returned yet, even after she returns, I, Yang Yu, will be the one calling the shots here in Azure Frost Elixir Workshop within the capital of Great Zhou!”
While outsiders would not be the wiser, Su Zimo caught a few pieces of information from that.
First, Ji Yaoxue had yet to return to the capital.
This was normal. There was more than a month left before the sect competition and most sects had yet to move.
Second, there must be a feud between Yang Yu and Ji Yaoxue. Furthermore, Yang Yu did not know of Ji Yaoxue’s true identity.
If Yang Yu knew of Ji Yaoxue’s true identity and dared to be so brazen, it would only mean that this woman was an idiot.
Back when the two of them first met, Ji Yaoxue hid her surname and identity.
That was indeed her style of doing things.
Third, Yang Yu was most likely targeting Xiaoning because of Ji Yaoxue.
In Yang Yu’s eyes, Xiaoning was on good terms with Ji Yaoxue and was an enemy, hence the reason why she kept making things difficult for Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning pursed her red lips with tears that brimmed in her eyes but refused to fall.
Slowly, she took out an Elixir Furnace from her storage bag.
It was a small furnace and seemed a little old. Extremely worn out, it was covered in mottled bronze.
There was nothing special about that Elixir Furnace just by looking at it simply.
However, at that moment, fresh blood dripped onto the bronze furnace from Su Xiaoning’s previously injured arm.
The moment it made contact with Su Xiaoning’s blood, the Elixir Furnace illuminated with a dazzling glow that made everyone gasp in shock!
Right after, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out from the Elixir Furnace.
This time, even a fool could tell that the Elixir Furnace was definitely a treasure!
He Xing’s eyes lit up as greed flashed past his eyes and he licked his lips.
Back then, he could vaguely tell that the Elixir Furnace resembled something that was described in an ancient book in True Fire Sect. That was why he pestered Su Xiaoning multiple times to try and buy it.
This was also because they were in the capital. If they were outside, He Xing would have killed her and stole the treasure!
Now, it was clear that the Elixir Furnace was indeed not ordinary and could highly likely be that item described in the ancient book!
The thought of it being described in the ancient book caused He Xing’s heart to burn with passion – he was even more determined to get his hands on the Elixir Furnace no matter what!
Yang Yu looked at the Elixir Furnace in Su Xiaoning’s hands and froze for a moment as astonishment flickered in her eyes.
She had obviously not expected that Elixir Furnace to be a treasure!
For a brief moment, a trace of regret flashed past Yang Yu’s eyes.
If she had not allowed Su Xiaoning to hand that Elixir Furnace over, given her authority in Azure Frost Elixir Workshop, she would most likely be able to claim that Elixir Furnace for herself!
Under countless greedy gazes, Su Xiaoning felt as if she would be torn apart at any moment. She was frightened and helpless while her limbs went cold.
For some reason, a figure suddenly flashed across Su Xiaoning’s mind.
That figure was dressed in green robes. While he was not tall, bulky nor stalwart, he could shelter her from wind and rain.
At that moment, Su Xiaoning seemed to have heard a gentle voice, “Xiaoning, don’t be afraid.”
Chapter 278: Ruptured!
That figure appeared in her mind and that voice reverberated in the depths of her memories, giving Su Xiaoning a sense of warmth.
Right after, Su Xiaoning caught sight of someone.
A man in green walked over slowly.
His figure was not tall, bulky nor stalwart.
However, it overlapped gradually with the figure in Su Xiaoning’s memories.
When she caught sight of that person, Su Xiaoning’s lips opened slightly. Her body trembled and her eyes were filled with disbelief.
How was that possible?
How was that possible?
It was a hallucination, right...?
Su Xiaoning could not believe it.
She raised her sleeves and wiped away the tears in her eyes, looking at the approaching person with widened eyes.
Even though they hadn’t met in years, the green-robed man’s gaze was still warm as before.
Su Xiaoning clutched her cherry lips with her petite hands and her body shuddered slightly. Once again, her eyes were covered in a misty fog.
Coming before Su Xiaoning, the green-robed man smiled and extended his slender fingers to try and wipe away the tears on her face, saying in a tender voice, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”
At this moment, Su Xiaoning was finally certain that everything before her was not a hallucination.
Su Zimo had truly appeared!
He did not descend from the skies nor did he arrive with rainbow colors and an imposing grandeur. While it was just him, Su Xiaoning felt a sense of warmth that she had not experienced in a long time.
She could no longer control herself and was at a loss for words while tears gushed down her face.
At that moment, all the grievances in her heart seemed to have been vented out.
“Who are you? This is none of your business, don’t cause trouble for yourself!”
He Xing frowned and berated Su Zimo with a cold gaze.
Su Zimo turned askance and eyed He Xing indifferently.
While his gaze was calm as water, for some unknown reason, He Xing’s heart throbbed with a sense of fear!
Pointing at the Elixir Furnace in Xiaoning’s palm, Su Zimo smiled. “Keep it. You didn’t lose, so why are you giving that to someone else?”
“Yes!”
Su Xiaoning nodded heavily and put the Elixir Furnace back in her storage bag with a flip of her palm.
She did not want to give in.
However, no one had ever helped her right from the beginning or even spoke up for her.
Even her sect mates from Azure Frost Elixir Workshop were forcing her to hand over the Elixir Furnace.
At that moment, Su Xiaoning felt cold and helpless. Her path forward was dark and she had no other choice but to give in.
But now that Su Zimo was standing beside her, she possessed immense courage.
She had not been in the wrong and there was no need for her to compromise!
He Xing’s expression darkened and he said in a gruff tone, “Su Xiaoning, what’s the meaning of this! Are you going back on your words after losing?”
Su Xiaoning replied, “He Xing, I will say it again, I did not lose! Everyone present witnessed what happened earlier on and you know it best as well. My conscience is clear!”
Su Xiaoning’s words were firm and powerful, causing Su Zimo to nod with a look of approval flashing in his eyes.
Xiaoning’s personality had grown much stronger after cultivating in Azure Frost Sect for the past few years.
“So, you’re telling me that you don’t want to be let off?” He Xing clenched his fists tightly with a fierce gaze.
Su Zimo turned around and strolled in front of He Xing, asking expressionlessly, “This is the Great Zhou Dynasty. What do you want to do under the nose of the emperor?”
“Hahahaha!”
He Xing burst out in laughter and pointed at Su Zimo with mocking eyes. “You’re truly way too naive.”
“Oh?” Su Zimo raised his brow.
He Xing grinned hideously. “Indeed, I wouldn’t dare to kill anyone here. But do you believe that I’ll slap you a few times right here and even when your dignity is trampled on, the Scarlet Vulture guards aren’t even going to care?”
When they heard that, the crowd shook their heads and sighed.
This was a complete act of bullying.
Since Su Zimo’s life would not be endangered even if he was slapped a couple of times by He Xing, the Scarlet Vulture guards would turn a blind eye to it and ignore everything completely.
However, if Su Zimo were to retaliate, the Scarlet Vulture guards would definitely step in.
By then, Su Zimo would definitely be the one in the wrong.
Upon hearing He Xing’s words, Su Zimo’s expression was calm as usual. “You don’t dare to kill, but I do. Do you believe that I’ll kill you on the spot if you dare lay a finger on me?!”
The moment he said that, the crowd fell into an uproar!
That was tit for tat!
What did the green-robed man mean by that?
He was declaring that he dared to kill under the nose of the emperor in the Great Zhou Dynasty?
This person was either a lunatic or someone that was spouting nonsense!
“Fufu... trying to scare me?”
After a brief silence, He Xing suddenly laughed.
He could tell that Su Zimo was the same as him and was only at late-stage Foundation Establishment.
Notwithstanding whether or not Su Zimo dared to attack, even if he truly did not care about his life and tried to attack, He Xing knew he could definitely back off right away!
By then, the Scarlet Vulture guards would step in and suppress that person!
At that thought, He Xing extended his palm and slapped towards Su Zimo’s cheek with a cold scoff.
At the same time, Su Zimo made his move.
It was the exact same motion and stance.
However, Su Zimo’s speed was much faster than He Xing’s!
He Xing merely extended a palm, but for Su Zimo, the end of his palm seemed as if it was a millstone moving with a sharp killing intent that arrived instantly!
He Xing’s face was met with a gust of evil wind!
He could not dodge it at all.
The aura of death enveloped him, almost suffocating him!
He Xing had miscalculated something.
At this distance, he would not be able to escape at all if Su Zimo made a move!
Bang!
Su Zimo’s palm landed heavily on He Xing’s cheek with a dull thud.
Poof!
Under countless gazes, He Xing’s gigantic head was ruptured by Su Zimo’s palm!
His brain juice splattered everywhere as blood flowed out.
He Xing’s headless corpse was still standing on the spot, convulsing uncontrollably.
The crowd instantly went silent.
Everyone watched the unbelievable scene with disbelief in their eyes.
While Su Zimo had already laid down his warning, nobody expected him to really make a move.
Furthermore, he was so decisive and merciless!
The feeling was as though the green-robed cultivator was looking for a random excuse just to kill He Xing!
As one of the most promising Elixir Refinement Masters amongst the younger generation of True Fire Sect, He Xing was still in high spirits and looked down on everything moments earlier. In the blink of an eye, he was turned into a headless corpse against a single slap from this unknown green-robed cultivator.
Everything had happened too quickly!
Everyone looked at Su Zimo as though they were looking at a dead man.
If this was a fight and the Scarlet Vulture guards stepped in, the most that would happen was that the party in the wrong would be kicked out of the capital.
But if someone died, the murderer would have to pay with his life!
That was also the reason why even He Xing had to acknowledge that he could not kill within the capital despite having the Scarlet Vulture guards as backing.
“Murder!”
A shriek broke out from the crowd.
Not far away, two Scarlet Vulture guards witnessed everything that happened and their eyes flashed with disbelief. Taken aback for a brief moment, they shouted before rushing over furiously on their Scarlet Vultures while wielding their dagger-axes!
Everyone from True Fire Elixir Workshop looked murderous as fire spewed from their eyes.
Pang Ming said coldly, “It’s over for you, lad! No one can save you today!”
The spirit lion beside him lowered its body and roared at Su Zimo angrily as well.
Su Zimo’s gaze was cold as he said indifferently, “Worry about yourself first.”
Chapter 279: Massacre
Pang Ming’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Su Zimo’s words.
What did that mean?
Did it mean that this green-robed cultivator still dared to...
Before Pang Ming could finish his thoughts, Su Zimo’s figure flashed with a swift motion of Divine Steed Fleeting and appeared before the former instantly. He said coldly, “Since you can’t keep your beast in control, I’ll control it for you!”
A ferocious aura engulfed him, suffocating him as his heart trembled.
Suddenly, Pang Ming felt like it wasn’t a human who had charged at him, but a demon beast that was even scarier than the spirit lion beside him!
The spirit lion seemed to have sensed danger as its fur stood on end. Its already huge body expanded once again, looking extraordinarily brave!
“Roar!”
It hollered towards Su Zimo, trembling the void as its bared its fangs in a feral manner.
The lion’s roar was extremely powerful and carried an immense might – the sudden burst of power would indeed be shocking to ordinary cultivators.
However, Su Zimo did not seem to have heard anything.
It was no exaggeration to say that after cultivating The Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness, Su Zimo was much stronger than this spirit lion in all aspects of his body.
It wasn’t just an ordinary spirit demon, even the roar of an ancient remnant beast might not be able to shock Su Zimo!
At the same time as its roar, the spirit lion leaped into the air and waved its paws, opening its mouth to chomp down on Su Zimo’s neck viciously!
“You must be courting death!”
Su Zimo scoffed coldly and extended his arm, pressing the lion’s head down to the ground heavily with a backhand palm strike!
This was not any exquisite move, but a battle of brute power.
The spirit lion made use of power from all limbs and leaped up. Coupled with its powerful body as a demon, it should have the upper hand.
However, in front of everyone, the moment the spirit lion leaped up, Su Zimo pushed it down in an even more ferocious manner!
Bang!
Pressing down on the spirit lion’s head, Su Zimo smashed it into the ground barbarically as the stone slabs shattered and fresh blood spilled everywhere.
A large crater was formed on the ground and the lion’s skull was completely shattered – it was clear that it died.
Psst!
All the cultivators witnessing the scene gasped in shock.
How strong was this person’s body?
He had actually crushed a spirit demon to death with a single palm!
“That person must have cultivated some powerful body tempering technique. He looks frail but his body’s burst power is too immense.”
“Could he be from Southern Mountains Sect? I heard that they have the strongest body tempering techniques amongst the five major sects.”
“He doesn’t seem to be from our Southern Mountains Sect. Has anyone seen this guy before?” A Southern Mountains Sect cultivator asked puzzledly.
Just as Pang Ming pulled out a middle-grade flying sword, the spirit lion in front of him was already dead.
It was too fast!
“Ah!”
Pang Ming shivered in fear when he saw Su Zimo’s gaze as his scalp tingled while his legs went weak.
At that moment, he finally realized that the green-robed man had no intention of letting him off at all!
“Stop!”
Not far away, two Scarlet Vulture guards hollered and charged over. The Scarlet Vultures they were riding on gave off a sharp and piercing screech, glaring at Su Zimo intently with ferocious intent.
Pshew! Pshew!
The two Scarlet Vulture guards wielded a dagger-axe in one hand while slapping their storage bags with the other, summoning their flying swords that shot towards Su Zimo when they pointed it forward.
“Go!”
At the same time, Pang Ming composed his mind and injected spirit energy into the flying sword in his palm crazily. It shone brightly and stabbed forward with a whoosh.
Three flying swords tore through the air at the same time in three different directions!
Su Zimo gave a slight sneer and bent down, almost sticking to the ground as he slithered forward.
His body contorted to an unimaginable degree like an anaconda, barely dodging the three flying swords without any injuries!
The next moment, Su Zimo stood up before Pang Ming and extended his arm, grabbing the latter’s throat with a tight squeeze!
Snap!
Pang Ming’s Adam’s apple was shattered and his eyes nearly popped out. With a tilted head and outstretched tongue, he collapsed limply to the ground, already dead.
In the blink of an eye, Su Zimo had already killed two men!
The crowd was in chaos.
This was the capital of Great Zhou! In broad daylight, under the circumstances where the Scarlet Vulture guards were nearby, no one had expected that this green-robed cultivator had dared to murder not one, but two people!
“That person is crazy.”
That was the thought that flashed through the minds of most cultivators as they quickly scattered, afraid that they would be implicated.
“How dare you act so brazenly in the capital, ruffian!”
Within that short period of time, the two Scarlet Vulture guards had arrived.
Off in the distance, other Scarlet Vulture guards were speeding towards this place with some other white spots rushing over like lightning.
Today was Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk’s turn to patrol the capital.
The white spots in the skies were White Hawk guards.
Su Zimo looked at the Scarlet Vulture guards that rushed over and scoffed coldly with mocking eyes. “So, you two aren’t blind after all. You came in time this time.”
Everyone present could hear the sarcasm in Su Zimo’s tone and were secretly shocked.
This man was truly audacious and dared to provoke anyone!
At the next moment, an even more shocking scene happened!
Su Zimo did not avoid or dodge against the incoming Scarlet Vulture guards. His eyes lit up as he extended his arms and leaped, grabbing the claws of the two spirit vultures that were in midair.
The spirit vultures were shocked and flapped their wings, causing strong gusts to blow and gravel to fill the skies – they were using all their might to fly upwards.
On the other hand, the two Scarlet Vulture guards riding on the spirit vultures were indifferent. Their eyes gushed with killing intent as they stabbed their dagger-axes towards Su Zimo viciously!
“Come on down!”
Su Zimo gave a loud shout and exerted strength in both arms, yanking the two spirit vultures down from midair in an unreasonable manner!
The strength of two spirit vultures could not compare to this seemingly frail scholar!
Bang! Bang!
Almost at the same time, the two spirit vultures landed heavily on the ground, letting out mournful wails as dust swirled around them.
As for the two Scarlet Vulture guards, they lost their balance and they nearly ended up stabbing one another with their dagger-axes.
Immediately, the two men leaped down from their spirit vultures, looking extremely pathetic.
Poof!
Su Zimo took a big step forward and trampled the spirit vulture beneath him to death immediately. With a flip of his body, he plunged straight into the arms of a Scarlet Vulture guard and leaned in fiercely!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The person stumbled back three steps before stopping.
Immediately, the blood on the person’s face faded. While the armor he was wearing was still intact, his body within had already exploded into a blood mist as his limbs flew everywhere!
That seemingly simple lean contained all of Su Zimo’s strength.
Although that Scarlet Vulture guard was at perfected Foundation Establishment, there was no way his body would be able to endure such a terrifying burst of power.
The other Scarlet Vulture guard had just channeled his spirit energy and his dagger-axe shone with a bright light. He was about to go forward when he caught sight of what happened and hesitated, shuddering.
The nearby Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk guards were rushing over – there was no need for him to risk his life against this lunatic just for a moment of anger.
When everyone arrived, this person would naturally be executed!
Su Zimo’s gaze was deep and unfathomable. It was as if he had seen through the man’s intentions instantly as he stepped forward and said indifferently, “Don’t think about leaving, hand your life over!”
Chapter 280: Two Commanders
“Ah!”
The remaining Scarlet Vulture guard let out a loud roar and a vicious light flashed through his eyes.
From the way Su Zimo attacked earlier on, there was no way he could escape at this distance!
The only shot he had at living was to contend with Su Zimo for a couple of rounds while waiting for the reinforcements of the other Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk guards.
In the blink of an eye, Su Zimo was already before him.
The dagger-axe in the hands of the Scarlet Vulture guard shone brightly. Exerting strength in both arms, it shook and the Scarlet Vulture guard drew a semicircle in midair, slicing towards Su Zimo with chilling intent.
Spirit energy surged and the dagger-axe seemed to have gathered a typhoon of spirit energy that was extremely terrifying!
Su Zimo’s expression remained unchanged as he extended his palm in a simple manner, welcoming the incoming dagger-axe without any perceivable force – a coil and a tremble like a tongue!
The typhoon of spirit energy surrounding the dagger-axe dissipated instantly.
“Buzz!”
The dagger-axe vibrated immensely and the Scarlet Vulture guard could no longer hold it. His palm cracked and was filled with fresh blood as he let out a pained shriek.
Under the watchful gaze of countless people, the moment both sides made contact, the weapon of the Scarlet Vulture guard was already taken away by the unknown green-robed cultivator!
Everyone’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He was only a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but he was able to go head on with a spirit weapon using his body alone?
Just how strong was this person’s physique?
Su Zimo’s gaze was cold as he gripped the dagger-axe he snatched over and stabbed it upwards in reverse!
Poof!
Flashes of blood appeared.
The throat of the Scarlet Vulture guard opposite was pierced and his eyes dimmed as he collapsed to the ground in a thud.
Everyone looked on in shock as their jaws dropped open in disbelief.
The situation had changed way too quickly that many people were unable to react to it yet.
From the time Su Zimo attacked till now, four people had already died on the spot in no time!
It was already shocking enough for everyone when Su Zimo killed two cultivators from True Fire Elixir Workshop.
When he decisively suppressed two Scarlet Vulture guards with extreme dominance later on, everyone was horrified!
“Decisive to kill. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a ruthless cultivator,” Within a crowd, an old man lamented and was secretly shocked.
“Hmph, so what if he’s decisive to kill? He’s still a dead man.”
“That’s right. That person might have a chance of surviving if he had only killed disciples of True Fire Elixir Workshop. But now that he even killed the Scarlet Vulture guards, that’s akin to openly challenging the authority of the royal family!”
Everyone’s gazes were fixed tensely on Su Zimo as they conversed, afraid that he would rush into the crowd and kill them wantonly.
After all, Su Zimo was already a dead man in their eyes.
Since he knew that he was going to die, it was only normal for him to kill a couple more people.
Unexpectedly, Su Zimo placed his hands behind his back with a nonchalant expression after killing the four people without any other extreme actions.
The Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk guards had already arrived and were forming an encirclement. Su Zimo did not escape either, as though he had already given up.
However, what puzzled everyone was that there was no trace of panic or fear in Su Zimo’s eyes – they were deep and dark like ancient wells without the slightest bit of fluctuation.
At that moment, the green-robed cultivator with four corpses surrounding him turned into a mystery.
No one could read him at all.
Initially, everyone was unprepared over how sudden that man had attacked.
In the end, his calmness confused everyone.
Suddenly, an old man said in a low voice, “Actually, that green-robed cultivator... might not die.”
“What do you mean?” Someone asked.
The old man continued, “Did you guys notice that the real fault does not lie in that person since He Xing was the one who struck first? If we look at things from that perspective, it would be a reasonable explanation for the man’s actions thereafter even if they may be extreme.”
While fighting was not allowed in the capital, if someone strikes another person, it was impossible for the latter to receive the attacks motionlessly on the spot – he was definitely free to retaliate.
The old man’s intentions were simple – if everything was established on the premise that He Xing struck Su Zimo first, Su Zimo’s actions later on would be considered as self-defense.
“That’s not going to help. This person is dead for sure.”
“That’s right. Even if he has the side of reason, he’s faced against the two powerful factions of True Fire Sect and the Scarlet Vulture guards. What status does he have to contend against those two factions?”
“Unless this person’s status is so high that even the Emperor of Great Zhou has to give him some face, there’s no way he’s going to survive from this!”
Not far away, Su Xiaoning had just snapped out from her shock and was about to run towards Su Zimo when she stopped.
Su Zimo’s eyes were narrowed as he shook his head imperceptibly with a sharp gaze.
The situation was complicated and uncertain right now – he was not sure what would happen in the end either.
Given such circumstances, Su Zimo did not want Xiaoning embroiled in it.
The siblings’ hearts were closely linked and Xiaoning understood. Even though she did not step forward, her eyes revealed a deep worry.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Before long, the Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk guards closest to the place arrived. Looking at the few corpses on the ground, most of the guards had cold expressions as their glared at Su Zimo with boundless killing intent.
“What’s going on?”
Right then, a cold and sinister voice was heard.
In front of everyone, a figure flew over with lightning speed and appeared in midair in the blink of an eye, standing upright in the air without anything beneath his feet.
It was a Golden Core!
The person wore scarlet robes and had a bald head. Carrying a cold aura, his gaze was sharp as an eagle’s.
“Greetings, commander!”
In midair, many Scarlet Vulture guards called out in unison.
The person who had arrived was the commander of the Scarlet Vulture guards, the man nicknamed ‘Bald Vulture’ with vicious methods and a violent temperament.
Bald Vulture had a unique set of torture that would ensure living hell for any cultivators that fell into his hands!
It was said that some cultivators who had offended Bald Vulture previously were tormented by it for an entire month until their minds broke down into insanity. Finally, they were killed bit by bit in a miserable manner without resting in peace.
There was a saying in the Great Zhou Dynasty that one would rather commit suicide than land in the hands of Bald Vulture!
Right after Bald Vulture arrived, another figure descended as well. Wearing a pure white shirt, the woman had extraordinary features as a long sword hung on her waist – she was graceful as a feather.
“Greetings, commander!”
Upon seeing this person, the numerous White Hawk guards in midair cupped their fists and bowed.
The White Hawk guards were all female cultivators. Now that they shouted in unison, their clear voices attracted the attention of everyone present.
The person who had arrived was the commander of the White Hawk guards, Bai Yuhan.
As the sect competition approached, the capital had two guard squads patrolling in daily shifts, leaving the other guard squad to rest before rotating.
The guard squads that were on patrol in the capital today were the Scarlet Vulture and White Hawk guards. Now, the two commanders of the squads had arrived.
As she looked at the four corpses on the ground, Bai Yuhan frowned slightly. Her gaze scanned Su Zimo before she shook her head.
To her, this green-robed cultivator was unfamiliar and did not carry a sect badge on his waist – it was highly likely that he was an itinerant cultivator from out of the capital.
If so, that person’s fate was already decided.
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