Chapter 204 - 186: Trading for Spirit Water, the Le Family, and Wang Hui’s Magical Artifact
Chapter 204: Chapter 186: Trading for Spirit Water, the Le Family, and Wang Hui’s Magical Artifact
Six months later, inside Lu Zhao’s rented Tier Two Cave Mansion in Xuan Yang Immortal City.
Water vapor filled the Cave Mansion. Spiritual Qi meandered through the air, gradually being absorbed by the figure seated upon a meditation cushion. Lu Zhao slowly opened his eyes. A shimmer flashed deep within them before they returned to a profound calm.
He looked inward, inspecting his Dantian, where three new drops of Magical Power True Liquid had quietly formed. Each drop was as heavy and condensed as a bead of mercury, emitting the deep, contained pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
A flicker of barely perceptible satisfaction crossed his eyes. ’My cultivation progress is quite good.’
Before long, however, that satisfaction was replaced by a deeper sense of urgency. Lu Zhao’s Divine Sense swept over the Storage Bag at his waist. Inside lay the last bottle of Unsettled True Water and the bottle of Seven-Star Spirit Water, which he was not to use just yet.
Even his supply of Water Jade Green Radiance Pills was running low.
The thought gave Lu Zhao a faint headache. The resource consumption during the Foundation Establishment Stage was far greater than he had imagined. And yet, at this moment, a gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes—
’The Third Layer of the Thousand Waters Spirit Body is progressing so rapidly!’ Lu Zhao’s thoughts raced. In just a few short years, he had managed to push this Cultivation Technique’s third layer to thirty percent completion! This speed far exceeded his initial estimates.
But Lu Zhao also knew that behind this astonishing speed was an investment of resources that could only be described as extravagant. He had used three whole bottles of precious Tier Two Spirit Water, two of which were Tier Two Middle-Grade Unsettled True Water! If an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to learn of this expenditure, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets.
’I’ll have to count on the Thousand Waters Assembly...’ Lu Zhao calculated inwardly, his brow furrowing unconsciously. ’If I can’t trade for enough Tier Two Spirit Water and suitable Water Attribute Tier Two Pills... my cultivation progress will slow to a crawl, relying solely on absorbing nature’s spiritual energy and my remaining Cultivation Resources. In that case, there’s no telling how long it will take to reach the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment...’
At these thoughts, a sense of urgency coiled around his heart like an icy thread. Lu Zhao lingered no longer. He rose, flicking his sleeve, and instantly swept away the residual water vapor around him. He formed a hand seal to open the Cave Mansion Array, and the heavy stone door slid open without a sound.
When Lu Zhao walked out of his Cave Mansion and onto the streets of Xuan Yang Immortal City’s Marketplace, the moment he crossed the boundary of the quiet cave district, a tumultuous wave of clamoring voices and chaotic Spiritual Qi fluctuations washed over him.
The Thousand Waters Assembly had begun today. The streets were teeming with Cultivators, and even the Water Element Spiritual Qi filling the air was a hundred times more active than usual, flowing and converging through the crowds like countless invisible streams.
Lu Zhao spread his Divine Sense out like a thin veil. With the slightest touch, he could perceive several times more auras of Water-Attribute Cultivators than there had been half a month ago, and he could hear a mix of accents from all corners of the land.
’This Thousand Waters Assembly truly lives up to its name,’ Lu Zhao thought to himself, taking in the lively scene.
He didn’t stop, however. He walked straight through the bustling crowd, heading toward the Inner City where the Spiritual Qi was more concentrated. That was where the Thousand Waters Assembly was being held.
Upon reaching the venue for the Thousand Waters Assembly, Lu Zhao handed a Spirit Stone to the Qi Cultivation Disciple at the gate. As the Spirit Stone flashed, the disciple recognized Lu Zhao’s high Cultivation and his expression immediately turned respectful. He bowed and ushered him inside. Lu Zhao then stepped into the venue, which was lined with stalls.
Once inside, Lu Zhao strolled about, his calm gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of Low-Tier Spiritual Materials. The first few days were mainly for transactions between Qi Cultivators, so Lu Zhao was in no rush. He caught snippets of conversation from the Qi Cultivators, which confirmed the assembly’s schedule: the first seven days were for Qi Cultivation-level trades, the middle seven days featured the main event, the Foundation Establishment exchange meet, and the final day would be Xuan Yang Immortal City’s grand finale auction.
After making a full circuit, Lu Zhao nodded slightly. The selection of Qi Cultivation Stage Water Element Spiritual Materials was comprehensive, and the quantities were ample. He had made a few purchases while walking around, but only to restock some materials for crafting Tier One Puppets. His mind was already focused on the Foundation Establishment exchange meet seven days from now.
And just as Lu Zhao was thinking about the Foundation Establishment exchange meet in seven days, a major event was unfolding 300 li southeast of Xuan Yang Immortal City, where the Le Family, a Foundation Establishment Clan, resided on a Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Vein by Celestial Mirror Lake.
Deep within the Le Family estate, in a secret chamber, the air was stagnant and filled with an oppressive atmosphere. Only the curling green smoke from an Incense Burner in the corner and the restless flickering of a solitary oil lamp on the wall attested to the fact that people were indeed present.
In the seat of honor at the head of the chamber sat Le Zhongshan, the Le Family Patriarch. In the dim yellow light, his grim face looked even more sullen.
His Early-stage Foundation Establishment aura was restrained, yet it made the very air in the chamber feel heavy. To his lower left stood the Le Family’s Third Elder, Le Mingshi, his hair and beard completely white. He looked ancient, and his brow was furrowed with worry.
To his right was another Cultivator—Le Mingshui, Le Zhongshan’s second son. His face bore some resemblance to his father’s, but it was currently taut with anxiety, and his fingers unconsciously clutched at the corner of his robes.
"Second Uncle," Le Mingshi’s voice was hoarse, breaking the suffocating silence. "They’ve sent another message, pressuring us. We are to gather a sufficient amount of Tier Two Spirit Water before the Thousand Waters Assembly ends and transport it immediately..." His Adam’s apple bobbed as he added with difficulty, "’Their’ tone was extremely urgent and allowed no room for debate."
"Hmph!" Le Mingshui finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. He snapped his head up, his eyes filled with suppressed fury and a barely perceptible trace of fear. "This is outrageous! Do they think Tier Two Spirit Water grows on trees? That they can just harvest it whenever they please?"
"The Le Family may have some savings, but Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and the Tier Two Spiritual Objects we need to trade for Spirit Water—wasn’t every single one of them painstakingly accumulated over generations? To satisfy their exorbitant demands last time, the clan treasury... the treasury is almost empty!" His voice rose slightly with agitation.