Chapter 161: The Idea of Taking Refuge
Chapter 161: Chapter 161: The Idea of Taking Refuge
Standing in the grand hall, Huang Yan froze completely.
For a moment, he didn’t know what he should do.
At that moment, he desperately wanted to roar at Dai Sangyu, who had just humiliated him, "Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west! Never bully a young man for being poor!"
But he quickly remembered that he was over a hundred years old and could no longer be considered a ’young man’.
Besides, if he dared to shout that, he would infuriate a Core Formation Master and might very well lose his life here today.
But just leaving like this would make him seem far too cowardly.
Fortunately, a gentle voice broke the stalemate just then. "Fellow Daoist Huang, my sincerest apologies. I was not aware of your relationship with Senior Sister Dai, otherwise... Senior Sister Dai might be in a bad mood. I hope you can forgive her."
The speaker was Meng Qingyi.
She cursed her luck inwardly. ’Senior Sister Dai just came in, said her piece, and left, not giving me any time to react at all.’
The result was that after Senior Sister Dai’s humiliating words, the Cyan Dragon Mountain lineage had thoroughly offended the Fellow Daoist Huang standing before them.
Huang Yan himself was only a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who didn’t amount to much. But behind him stood the Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator Huang Yunzi, Purple Cloud Valley, and the entire Cultivation Realm of the Yue Kingdom.
Moreover, during the Demon Beast tide twenty years ago, it was thanks to Huang Yunzi’s assistance that the Immortal City had managed to survive the crisis.
In a sense, Huang Yunzi was a benefactor to the Immortal City.
Meng Qingyi privately thought, ’For Senior Sister Dai to do this, showing Huang Yan no respect whatsoever, is going a bit too far.’
Even if Senior Sister Dai wanted to break off the engagement, had she left the matter to her, she would have done her best to find a stable solution acceptable to both sides, rather than creating a scene like this.
But what was done was done, and all she could do was try to make amends.
At this, Huang Yan forced a stiff smile. "This matter is not your fault, Sect Leader Meng. It was I who was presumptuous. Please, see me out."
Hearing this, Meng Qingyi sighed inwardly.
In the end, she still managed a smile. "Seeing you out is the least I can do. If you have any problems, Fellow Daoist Huang, please feel free to seek me out at any time. I have some small influence in the Immortal City and might be able to offer you some assistance."
"Thank you for your trouble!" Huang Yan said, cupping his hands in a salute toward Meng Qingyi, before following her out.
As for the bottle of Essence Yuan Pills on the floor, he didn’t even spare it a glance.
Meng Qingyi noticed this and shook her head inwardly, having no intention of reminding him.
Because in Huang Yan’s eyes, that wasn’t a bottle of Essence Yuan Pills; it was a blatant insult.
...
After seeing Huang Yan off, Meng Qingyi went to request an audience with Dai Sangyu, only to be told that Dai Sangyu was healing her disciple and had no time to see her for the moment.
Meng Qingyi knew that ever since the incident with Ye Chen, Senior Sister Dai had been ordered by their Master to reflect in seclusion. Meanwhile, she had taken over the position of acting Sect Leader, so it was very likely that Senior Sister Dai already resented her.
Senior Sister Dai’s refusal to see her now was probably for this very reason.
If she wanted to ease the tension with Senior Sister Dai, her best course of action right now would be to obediently return to her cultivation and do nothing at all.
But when she thought of the pressure from Purple Cloud Valley, Meng Qingyi’s expression flickered. She gritted her teeth and finally started walking toward the mountain’s peak. She was going to see their Master.
"Hmph!" Dai Sangyu, sensing Meng Qingyi’s movements with her Divine Sense, couldn’t help but snort coldly in her heart.
But she quickly dismissed Meng Qingyi from her mind and turned her gaze to the middle-aged female cultivator before her.
This woman, who looked even older than she was, was none other than her eldest disciple, Lin Yue.
Lin Yue was already fifty-two this year. Without having reached Foundation Establishment, she had naturally begun to show her age.
Seeing her disciple’s face look even more aged than her own, a look of pity appeared in Dai Sangyu’s eyes. This pity then swiftly turned into killing intent. ’If it weren’t for that hidden Demon Cultivator, Yue’Er would have reached Foundation Establishment long ago! How could she have ended up like this!’
’Fortunately... at Yue’Er’s age, it’s still not too late for Foundation Establishment!’
For a cultivator, the best time to attempt Foundation Establishment is generally before the age of thirty. As one gets older, the success rate slowly decreases, even with a Foundation Establishment Pill in hand.
Lin Yue was fifty-two, but she had a Dual Spirit Root, so her chances of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment were still acceptable.
Dai Sangyu said slowly, "Yue’Er, during my travels this time, Master found a bottle of ’Ice Frost Milk.’ It can mend your Origin and give you the qualifications to attempt a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
Hearing this, Lin Yue looked up and said, a little embarrassed, "But Master, the damage to my Origin has already healed."
"Healed?" Dai Sangyu was somewhat surprised.
A healthy flush appeared on Lin Yue’s face. "It was Musician Qi. He returned to the Immortal City from Jixia a while ago and specially brought me a ’Chixiao Pill.’ After I took it and refined it, the damage to my Origin completely recovered."
"Musician Qi... the young man Mr. Yan took as a disciple." Dai Sangyu immediately recalled which Musician Qi her disciple was talking about.
Back then, Lin Yue had suffered both spiritual and physical trauma. It was Musician Qi who had healed her spiritual wounds. During the treatment process, he earned Mr. Yan’s appreciation and was accepted as a Direct Disciple.
During those years of treatment, she knew her disciple had developed a one-sided affection for Musician Qi, but he had adhered strictly to his duties as a Musician and never once overstepped his bounds.
Thinking about how he had gone all the way to Jixia and yet hadn’t forgotten his patient, even making a special trip to deliver a Chixiao Pill for Lin Yue, Dai Sangyu couldn’t help but admire his character.
’He is worthy of being Mr. Yan’s disciple!’ she thought with a slight nod.
She smiled at her disciple. "Yue’Er, you should still take and refine this bottle of Ice Frost Milk, and then attempt your breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
"Yes, Master," Lin Yue agreed quietly.
...
In the cultivation room of the Immortal Peach Mountain cave residence.
Li Ping, covered in sweat, slowly lifted his hand from the Celestial Profound Crystal.
After more than a year of continuously feeding it Nourishing Life Skill Power, the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s life force was now clearly much stronger.
If before it was like a Plant Demon, completely unresponsive to external stimuli, then now it was like a fully paralyzed being. Although it still couldn’t move, its consciousness had begun to recover.
For example, during this treatment session, after Li Ping infused four wisps of Nourishing Life Skill Power, the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly used its faint consciousness to transmit feelings of desire to him, ’I want it, I want more.’
But of course, Li Ping wasn’t going to spoil it. ’Ten years means ten years, not a single day less.’
With today’s "clock-in" task complete, he decisively stopped.
Seeing that Li Ping had finished the treatment, Yu Menghan, who was standing to the side, quickly extended her Divine Sense into the Celestial Profound Crystal to check on the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly. After her inspection, she revealed a satisfied expression.
’At this rate, it won’t be long before my spirit insect makes a full recovery.’
She took a Jade Box from her Storage Bag, placed it in front of Li Ping, and opened it. Inside lay a cyan fruit about the size of a fist.
The moment the Jade Box opened, a unique fragrance filled Li Ping’s nostrils.
Yu Menghan said with a smile, "This Cyan Bud Fruit has a refreshing and invigorating effect. Please consider it a small token of my gratitude."
Li Ping nodded and accepted the Jade Box without ceremony.
By now, he had grown accustomed to this Fairy Yu’s generosity.
However, what surprised Li Ping was that after the treatment, Yu Menghan put away the Celestial Profound Crystal with the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly inside but did not seem to be in a hurry to leave.
Instead, she asked with a charming smile, "Fellow Daoist Li, you live in the Immortal City, but you shouldn’t have any connection to the Cyan Dragon Mountain lineage, correct?"
Li Ping nodded, confused. "I am but a Loose Cultivator, so naturally I have no connection to the Cyan Dragon Mountain lineage. But why does the Fairy ask this?"
"That’s good." After a moment of contemplation, Yu Menghan reminded him, "I’ve heard that the Immortal City’s Fairy Dai has recently gotten into some sort of dispute with Huang Yunzi of Purple Cloud Valley. It might cause the situation to spin out of control."
"Oh?" Hearing that Dai Sangyu had provoked a powerful enemy, Li Ping was immediately interested and began to ask Yu Menghan for the details.
...
Several hours later, after watching Yu Menghan leave, Li Ping stood in the pavilion with a thoughtful expression. ’To think it’s a cliché plot like breaking off an engagement...’
But even if the plot was cliché, its ability to stir up hatred was not the least bit weak.
From Yu Menghan’s description, he learned that after Huang Yan returned to Purple Cloud Valley and explained the situation to his ancestor, Huang Yunzi became so enraged that he crushed the Jade Cup in his hand on the spot.
He then immediately dispatched people to the Immortal City to demand an explanation from Fenglan Master and Dai Sangyu.
Huang Yunzi declared that if Fenglan Immortal City didn’t give him a satisfactory answer, he would sever all traffic between the Immortal City and the Western Wilderness, turning it into a completely isolated island.
This was no empty threat. Purple Cloud Valley was the hegemon of the Western Realm of the Western Wilderness. As the Grand Elder of Purple Cloud Valley, Huang Yunzi had the authority to command the Yue, Ji, and Chi Kingdoms.
Once traffic was cut off, people would be allowed to leave but not to enter.
The Immortal City was not self-sufficient and would inevitably fall into dire straits.
In fact, Li Ping had learned from Yu Menghan that Fenglan Immortal City had a close relationship with Jixia and was under the protection of the Daoist Guardian Alliance. Huang Yunzi was wary of the Daoist Guardian Alliance’s intervention, which was why he hadn’t taken any drastic measures yet.
But even if Huang Yunzi didn’t resort to drastic measures and only implemented a blockade of supplies and personnel, the Immortal City wouldn’t be able to withstand it for long.
After all, the Immortal City had a distorted economy. Its main pillar industry was hunting Demon Beasts, and it relied on the Western Wilderness for many of its resources.
Most importantly, the materials from Demon Beasts hunted by the Immortal City’s cultivators, as well as the resources gathered from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, also needed to be consumed by cultivators from the Western Wilderness.
The Immortal City was, in effect, the oil-producing nation of the Western Wilderness.
The reason Yu Menghan told Li Ping about this was to advise him to lay low and not get caught up in the conflict between the Immortal City and Purple Cloud Valley.
And even if he really had to "make waves," she hoped he would at least wait until after the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly was healed.
Li Ping wholeheartedly agreed with her advice. As a Loose Cultivator who could make his home anywhere, what happened to the Immortal City had little to do with him.
If the two sides really started fighting, he would consider leaving for Jixia to take refuge.
Over in Jixia, the great war between the four sects of the Demon Dao and the Daoist Guardian Alliance had already subsided. Peace had become the prevailing theme, which was suitable for his own development.
After thinking it over, Li Ping ultimately ordered Bai Lin to invite Zhang Tie and Gumu Sheng to Immortal Peach Mountain to see him.
Although Yu Menghan had a profound background—she even knew about Huang Yunzi crushing the Jade Cup, as if she had been there herself—she was ultimately an outsider and didn’t have an insider’s thorough understanding of the matter.