Chapter 334 Setting up a trap
Chaoyang Peak.
The luminous pearl in the cave shone with a soft light, and True Man Zhengyang and True Man Yuxiao sat facing each other around the table.
“Junior brother, Li Haoran bid me farewell today, but the turbulent situation in the Western Continent makes me uneasy.”
"Senior brother, you are worrying too much. We can't protect our disciples forever."
Just let your disciple venture out boldly; otherwise, even if he breaks through to the Golden Core stage and then goes out to travel, you won't feel at ease.
Because there are still Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Transformation Stage demon beasts in the outside world.
Staying in the sect is safe and secure, but how can disciples shoulder great responsibilities if they don't experience the hardships of the outside world?
Master Yuxiao took a sip of spiritual tea, nodded contentedly, and continued:
"Traveling abroad may bring unexpected rewards."
My senior brother used to say that if you hadn't obtained treasures while traveling and exchanged them for the Golden Core, you probably wouldn't have been able to become a Golden Core cultivator.
The disciples were searching for places to absorb vital energy, and at the same time, they were seeking opportunities.
Disciples with good fortune can naturally gain far more than they would from peaceful cultivation within the sect.
He was able to become a Golden Core cultivator because he discovered a Golden Core main ingredient that was old enough during his travels.
Otherwise, the minor merits he accumulated in the sect would not be enough to ask the sect to help him exchange for a Golden Core.
The Golden Spirit Sect does not have a formula for forming the Golden Core. To obtain pills, they can only trade resources with cultivators in the Central Continent.
Master Zhengyang sighed almost imperceptibly and chuckled:
"I am really old, and the years have worn away my former fighting spirit."
Back then, he was the sect's first Golden Core cultivator. When he achieved his Golden Core, he was full of vigor and felt that he could become the first Nascent Soul cultivator in the Western Continent.
I never imagined that I would be so anxious about gains and losses when doing things now, and I suddenly felt a sense of impending aging.
Master Yuxiao scratched his head and comforted him:
"Senior brother has become more mature; how can you say he's old?"
Master Zhengyang waved his hand and said:
"Junior brother, you don't need to comfort me. I'm not sad."
Looking back on his life, it was not in vain; he made great contributions to the development of the sect.
I have a premonition that before I pass away, I will witness the emergence of more than one Golden Core cultivator in the sect.
"Oh? Senior brother is so confident?"
Master Yuxiao was puzzled; breaking through to the Golden Core stage was not easy.
Aside from Li Haoran having a very high chance of making a breakthrough, he didn't have much confidence in Lin Qiubai and Lin Jiuxiao.
The Golden Spirit Sect's foundation is too shallow; it lacks many secret methods to increase the success rate of Core Formation and has not yet established a complete Golden Core inheritance.
Both his senior brother and he himself had a great deal of chance in achieving the Core Formation.
Master Zhengyang smiled and nodded, "The progress of my disciples' cultivation has given me enough confidence."
A smile appeared on Master Yuxiao's face, but it quickly turned serious again. He said:
"Buying three Golden Core Pills is quite expensive."
The Golden Core is a third-tier early-stage pill, but it is much more expensive than the third-tier late-stage pills used by late-stage Golden Core cultivators to improve their cultivation.
Master Zhengyang's expression also turned solemn, but he said firmly:
"Even if it means emptying the sect's secret treasury, they still want to buy Golden Core pills."
As the sect leader, I don't want to give up on any promising talent that has the potential to form a core.
The sect's custom is to provide resources on credit to outstanding disciples and then let them repay the debt gradually.
Sometimes doing this might result in a complete disaster, but more often than not, it has positive effects.
Master Yuxiao nodded slightly, recalling the support his senior brother had given him when he was forming his core.
At this moment, True Man Zhengyang sensed a peculiar fluctuation of energy outside his cave.
He broke the spell barrier, and the golden sword that sent the message flew in.
After reading the information, he immediately applauded.
"What happened to make Senior Brother so happy!"
"Haha, Ji An, a disciple of Crimson Flame Peak, has cultivated a second-grade superior spiritual plant."
Although it was a lower-value Emerald Mulberry, it gave me hope that the other party could cultivate more high-grade spiritual plants.
Master Yuxiao said in astonishment:
"If I remember correctly, all the spiritual plants in Crimson Flame Peak were planted after Ji An moved in, right?"
He also keeps track of information about the sect's disciples.
Master Zhengyang nodded and said:
"That's right, this disciple did not rely on the legacy of any predecessor."
All his achievements today are the result of his own hard work, which is why I say I see hope.
After touring Crimson Flame Peak, he discovered that it was planted with the Azure Jade Tree of the Moon, the Bodhi Tree, the Silver Hair of the Cloud Peak, the Blood Soul Profound Origin Tree, and the Profound Leaf Sword Bamboo, all of which are relatively rare spiritual plants in the sect.
If these spirit trees are cultivated to the second-tier high-grade, the sect's treasury will be greatly enriched.
Master Yuxiao murmured:
"Can a Spirit Farmer in the Chaoyuan stage really have such a powerful effect?"
"The effects of the Spirit Farmer during the Chaoyuan stage wouldn't be this strong, otherwise the number one sect in the Central Continent would be the Divine Wood Sect."
However, a cultivator who has mastered planting techniques to their fullest extent in less than ten years since breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage can indeed play such a powerful role.
A spirit boat slowly landed on the top of White Stone Mountain, and Master Nanshan jumped off the spirit boat with his eyes half-closed.
Today, he went out to collect the supplies owed by the families that were affiliated with the sect. Wherever he went, those families obediently handed over the supplies and offered an apology.
The Zhang family at Baishi Mountain was the last stop on his journey. He glanced at the waiting crowd and said coldly:
"Is that the patriarch of the Zhang family?"
The Zhang family of Baishi Mountain was a family from the Chaoyuan period, so of course he knew who the clan leader was.
However, in order to give the other party a warning, he pretended not to know.
He smelled a rich fragrance of laurel blossoms, and felt a sense of comfort wash over him.
A robust middle-aged man stepped out of the crowd, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:
"My name is Zhang Jian, and I pay my respects to the esteemed master."
Master Nanshan, still with his eyes narrowed, said coldly:
"Clan Chief Zhang, why has your clan been refusing to hand over the supplies owed to Yuanhe Mountain?"
He was slightly puzzled. He had met Zhang Jian several times, and in his memory, Zhang Jian had gray hair and his skin was starting to sag.
When I saw him again today, I found that he had a full head of black hair and his skin had become stronger and more elastic.
"Reporting to the Master, I have spent a great deal of my family's resources in order to purchase a second-grade top-quality longevity pill."
"We simply don't have enough supplies to hand over. Could you please grant us some more time?"
Zhang Jian bowed slightly, adopting an extremely humble posture.
"Grace period? Heh, you want a grace period, and other families want a grace period too."
If everyone thinks this way, when will the resources to be offered as tribute be paid?
Master Nanshan's lips curled into a ruthless smile as he said in a deep voice:
"Today, I don't care what method you use, you must collect the tribute."
The fact that the other party could afford a second-grade top-quality longevity pill means their family is incredibly wealthy.
Longevity pills at this level can have a certain effect on Golden Core cultivators.
Zhang Jian's face showed a bitter expression, and he forced a smile:
"Sir, the Zhang family truly has no surplus grain."
Master Nanshan interrupted him without any politeness, and rebuked him:
"That's enough, I'm not here to listen to your complaints."
To tell you the truth, I have already collected all the tributes owed by the other families.
"Today, the Zhang family must gather all the tribute, no matter what. Otherwise, what will the other families think of me? Where will Yuanhe Mountain's authority be?"
Zhang Jian's face flushed red and then turned pale. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Please come to the living room and sit for a while. I will go and gather the resources immediately."
"That's right! Lead the way."
Zhang Jian led the way, and they arrived at a cave dwelling:
"Please, Master."
As Master Nanshan and his two disciples stepped inside, they immediately smelled a faint fragrance that was hard to describe.
A yellowish-brown light suddenly appeared behind him.
He turned around abruptly, his face darkening. This was the spiritual light of the activation of the magic array; judging from the fluctuations in its aura, it was a sealing array.
The Zhang family wanted to trap them here.
Master Nanshan immediately took out his magic weapon and said sternly:
"You bastard who ate bear heart and leopard pills, how dare you?"
"Of course he wouldn't dare, but if I supported him, it would be different."
Master Nanshan was startled; he hadn't even noticed that there were other people in the cave.
He turned around and saw a cultivator dressed in blue robes suddenly appear on the chair in the main seat of the room.
His divine sense swept over the area without hesitation, and Master Nanshan's heart skipped a beat. The enemy's aura was as vast as the sea, far surpassing his own.
Today's events are a trap, a trap targeting Yuanhe Mountain!
Perhaps all the families that owed tribute were involved.
In that instant, he understood everything perfectly, and his magical power surged wildly from his golden core, causing his spiritual artifact to glow with golden light.
At the same time, his bones cracked and popped, and his body suddenly swelled up to a size of over ten feet.
At this moment, he abandoned all wishful thinking, knowing in his heart that if someone dared to set up a trap, it must be because they believed they were strong enough to defeat him.
The monk in blue robes grinned maliciously, his skull elongated, and he quickly transformed into a camel-like head with two short black horns on his head.
His hands stretched out and became powerful claws, while his feet joined together to form a thick, snake-like tail.
"You are the Azure Dragon who attacked and killed Master Qingxu?!"
Master Nanshan roared and charged forward, brandishing his magical weapon.
As the Azure Dragon stretched its body, the top of the cave immediately exploded.
Lines of magic array patterns appeared on the ground. This was a huge sealing array that could resist the attack of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator for a short period of time.
The loud noise of the Azure Dragon's appearance attracted the attention of the Yuanhe Mountain cultivators who remained on the spirit boat.
They heard Master Nanshan's roar, and their hearts were filled with turmoil. To attack and kill the Master?!
A black, demonic wind swept around the spirit boat, and the oppressive aura of the Golden Core level spread in all directions. A wild laugh rang out:
"Haha, I, Chen Sheng, will send you cultivators of Yuanhe Mountain on your way!"
From the swirling wind, a massive hand, several feet in diameter, emerged and slammed heavily onto the spirit boat.
The first blow caused more than a dozen cracks to appear on the spirit boat; the second blow shattered the spirit boat.
While fighting the Azure Dragon, Master Nanshan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his dantian, and the flow of his magical power suddenly became sluggish.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he roared:
"Despicable! A dignified Golden Core demon actually poisoned someone."
The Azure Dragon exhaled a cloud of smoke as bright as the sunset, and said slowly and deliberately:
"Being highly toxic is one of my skills."
(End of this chapter)
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