Chapter 12 Another Sacrifice
Zhong Cai released the altar, which landed on one side of the cultivation room.
Clusters of shimmering, colorful clouds floated above the altar's pool of fire, creating a beautiful sight.
Zhong Cai pointed to the colorful clouds and said, "There are now a total of 3,634 strands of cinnabar charm."
Wu Shaogan composed himself and smiled at him, saying, "So you want to try everything you can."
Zhong Cai burst out laughing: "You really know me!"
Sure enough, Zhong Cai then pulled Wu Shaogan to stand together on the altar.
Zhong Cai shouted, "The Azure Flame Pool, with its hundred strands of cinnabar fragrance, ten times in a row!"
As these words were spoken, the flames in the crater, which was burning with raging white flames, began to crackle, as if they had been tainted by something invisible. Starting from the tip of the flames, they changed color, and after a few flickering flames, they turned completely blue.
A small clump of light separated from the colorful clouds and plunged into the blue flames.
The cyan flames flickered continuously, and each time a flame rose, several cyan orbs of light would pop out.
After several times, a row of ten neatly arranged blue light clusters, each containing a blue seal with strange patterns, floated in front of Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai rummaged through the envelopes, gave five to Wu Shaogan, and said excitedly, "Quick! Each of you open five, let's see who's the luckiest!"
Wu Shaogan smiled and took it, and he and Zhong Cai actually started taking it apart together.
A wisp of profound energy/a stream of profound power was injected...
Neither of their envelopes displayed any golden light.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance, both understanding.
It's probably not very good anymore.
really.
Inside Zhong Cai's sealed package, a second-grade rare medicinal herb, the Rainbow Phoenix Flower, burst forth.
A mysterious pearl burst forth from Wu Shaogan's sealed envelope.
Zhong Cai curled her lip: "Yours is the most common, but the Xuanzhu is worth a fortune! My Cailuan Flower is not common, but it's only worth eight gold."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Looks like I'm luckier?"
Zhong Cai snorted at him: "Next time might be different."
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but chuckle as he poured his profound energy into the second seal.
Zhong Cai also quickly opened her own envelope.
This time, the seal still didn't emit any golden light.
So Zhong Cai opened a mysterious pearl, and Wu Shaogan also opened a mysterious pearl.
The third time, the two opened the package together.
A thin golden light circled around Zhong Cai's seal, and he took out a sword, a low-grade level three Xuan weapon.
Wu Shaogan's seal burst forth with a burst of golden light, revealing a level-four rare herb, Maple Red Grass—this should be the guaranteed resource.
The fourth time.
Zhong Cai burst out with golden light.
"I've got it all!" Zhong Cai stared excitedly at the floating Qingfeng, an SSR from the Azure Flame Pool!
After several sacrifices, the two understood that if the golden light was at its peak when opening the seal, it would definitely be the highest-grade resource available from that level of sacrifice. Then, the golden light would circle around the seal, and with each additional circle, the resource obtained would be of a higher grade.
After the smoke cleared, what appeared in front of the two was a fourth-tier secret technique called "Tianxuan Sword Manual," which could be cultivated all the way up to the Suspended Illumination Realm.
It is indeed quite good.
Zhong Cai smiled and looked at Wu Shaogan, saying with a grin, "It seems I'm still luckier."
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow. A golden light spun around on the green seal in his hand, revealing a mid-grade level three dagger.
Zhong Cai was even more pleased with herself.
Wu Shaogan snorted, "We'll see next time."
The fifth time, the two of them, holding the ordinary-looking Qingfeng, each opened a Xuanzhu (mysterious pearl).
Ten consecutive sacrifices, in addition to the guaranteed minimum, can also yield level 4 resources, which is quite good.
With a third-grade low-level sword in his left hand and a third-grade mid-level dagger in his right, Zhong Cai said in a great mood, "I remember Xiang Lin has practiced swordsmanship, right? And he's good at stealth. Perfect, I can give him this sword, dagger, and sword manual."
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's suitable."
—A level three Xuan weapon corresponds to the Enlightenment Realm, but Xiang Lin has already reached the Palace Opening Realm, so he can barely use it beyond his level. He can start practicing using it from now on. And a mid-grade level three dagger is always better than a level two one.
·
Zhong Cai thought for a moment, then took out a table and placed it on the stone platform of the altar. She then put all the items that had been opened on it, placing the three items for Xiang Lin on the left and the others on the right, making it clear at a glance.
Then, Zhong Cai sacrificed himself to the Azure Flame Pool again, achieving another ten consecutive kills.
As before, there were ten clusters of blue light and ten blue seals.
Zhong Cai still gave half of the work to Wu Shao and they dismantled it together.
This time, Zhong Cai took out two Xuan Pearls, a level four Lingxue Grass, a level four mid-grade jade gourd with flowing light, and a level three cultivation technique, "Lan Le Jing".
Wu Shaogan took out three Xuan Pearls, a Grade 4 superior medicine box with one hundred inner compartments, and a Grade 3 mid-grade pill called the Youth-Preserving Pill.
Zhong Cai murmured, "We're both lucky! We both managed to get full gold!" He handed the jade gourd to Wu Shaogan and said excitedly, "Take this to store your pills. It's very spacious inside. Different pills seem to float inside without mixing up their properties. It can hold up to fifty different kinds, and can hold up to level five pills!"
Wu Shaogan handed the medicine box to Zhong Cai and said with a smile, "Keep this. Most of the pills you get from drawing cards are of relatively high quality, so you can put them in here."
Because each compartment can hold one type of elixir, with a maximum capacity of level seven elixir.
The jade gourd and the medicine chest are actually both types of mystical artifacts. Their different grades usually limit the number of pills they can hold and their maximum grade. Now they have arrived at just the right time, each perfectly suited for the two of them.
The two immediately exchanged two level-four mystic artifacts.
Wu Shaogan put all twelve top-grade Qi-replenishing pills into the gourd, and sure enough, they floated in a corner of the gourd without any of their medicinal properties leaking out, much better than the small box.
Zhong Cai also put the Youth-Preserving Pill into a small compartment in the medicine box, and then placed the other items on the right side of the table.
Next, it's time to try the Crimson Flame Pool.
Zhong Cai showed a slightly pained expression: A thousand Dan Yun can only be sacrificed once!
Wu Shaogan patted him on the shoulder and said very casually, "With your alchemy skills, ten consecutive draws won't be difficult for you in the future. Go ahead and try."
Zhong Cai relaxed and grinned, "You're right."
·
At Zhong Cai's command, the flames in the crater transformed from blue to red. After a large ball of crimson clouds was thrown into it, the light that spewed out from it was also a brilliant crimson.
Zhong Cai took out the red envelope, her fingers trembling slightly, and muttered, "If I can't pull out something good..."
Wu Shaogan interrupted him, laughing, "Think of something positive."
Zhong Cai quickly agreed: "Yes, we can't be discouraged!"
Wu Shaogan found it amusing and encouraged him to dismantle it quickly.
Zhong Cai suddenly poured in his profound energy.
In an instant, the seal burst forth with dazzling golden light—
Zhong Cai was overjoyed.
Full gold! A legendary gold item! This is a miracle from a single pull!
The seal quickly turned into smoke, revealing what was inside.
Round and smooth...
Pale blue...
Rare animal eggs?!
Zhong Cai was stunned for a moment: "I don't recognize what kind of beast egg this is either."
Wu Shaogan took it down, examined it carefully for a while, and pondered, "Pale blue eggshell, all the same color, palm-sized, it seems to be the egg of the Azure-Winged Roc... No, that's not right. The Azure-Winged Roc is only a fourth-tier creature, this should be a sixth-tier resource."
"...The top of the eggshell has a pale gold tinge; it's the egg of a sixth-tier rare beast, the Azure Roc!" At this point, Wu Shaogan couldn't help but show a hint of joy. "This kind of rare beast egg is extremely rare and valuable, renowned for its incredible speed of flight. It's said that it contains a trace of the Nine Heavens Cloud Roc's bloodline; if carefully nurtured, it might have a chance to evolve. Legend has it that a true Nine Heavens Cloud Roc, as long as it doesn't perish halfway through, can reach at least the eighth tier, or even the ninth!"
Wow! Zhong Cai blinked, instantly beaming with pride: "I knew my luck was the best! The resources you can draw in the Crimson Flame Pool range from level two to level six, and I drew a level six one right away! And it has so much potential, I'm so amazing!"
Wu Shaogan wanted to laugh again, but he also said sincerely, "Your luck is indeed the best."
Zhong Cai: "..." It's a little awkward that they suddenly stopped competing with me!
Wu Shaogan handed the Azure Roc egg to Zhong Cai, reminding her, "Before it hatches, you should quickly perform a blood oath ceremony to bind it to you. After it hatches, it will become even closer to you..."
Zhong Cai interrupted him, saying, "Wait a minute, this thing is a level six resource, can we protect it?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, reassuring him, "Don't worry about that. I mistook it before because it looked too much like the Azure-Winged Roc. After the Azure-Winged Roc hatches, its appearance remains exactly the same as the Azure-Winged Roc until it reaches the fourth rank. The only way to recognize it is when it's still an egg—the top of the eggshell has a few more golden spots than the Azure-Winged Roc egg. It's difficult for us to protect the Azure-Winged Roc, but if it's the Azure-Winged Roc, people will only envy your good luck."
Zhong Cai's expression softened as she continued to ask, "The Azure Roc is so rare, are there any precautions to take when it hatches? How fast can it fly? Can it fly right after it hatches?"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and racked his brains for everything he knew.
"The Azure Roc hatches just like any other beast egg, so you just keep it close to your skin. Once it hatches, it will be at the second level and can fly immediately. Moreover, if you let it fly freely, even those at the Enlightened Realm or the Suspended Illumination Realm might not be able to catch up with it..." As he was speaking, he suddenly felt a pain in his hand and subconsciously looked down. He saw that the Azure Roc egg was emitting a faint blue light and felt warm to the touch.
This is a sign that the animal egg has successfully recognized its owner.
At the same time, something fell to the ground with a crisp sound. The next instant, Zhong Cai rushed over and hurriedly took out a bottle of hemostatic powder.
The short knife on the ground bounced, and a trace of bright red blood slid down.
Wu Shaogan: "..."
...It was obvious that Zhong Cai had deliberately asked him a lot of questions to distract him so that she could take the opportunity to stab him.
The knife sliced from the tiger's mouth to the wrist, and bright red blood spurted out, smearing onto the rare beast's egg.
If it were anyone else, Wu Shaogan wouldn't have been distracted no matter what, but he had never been on guard against Zhong Cai... So at this moment, his hands were covered in blood, and blood was still gushing out from the torn cut. A small puddle of blood had already accumulated on the ground, making it look rather gruesome.
Zhong Cai applied several clumps of hemostatic powder to the wound. Seeing that the bleeding had stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That was close, I almost killed you."
Wu Shaogan: "That's not necessarily true."
The two looked at each other silently.
Wu Shaogan asked, "Why did you give it to me?"
The two of them have never been, are, or will never be polite to each other. Besides, he could naturally leave his inheritance to his friend before he died, so there was no need to argue. However, Wu Shaogan was confident that he had his own bodyguards protecting him, while A Cai was still a novice and his bodyguard Zhong Da was not strong enough. Logically, it would be more appropriate for A Cai to become his master.
Zhong Cai blinked.
"If I say I'll take care of you from now on, you'll be my gigolo..."
Wu Shaogan's expression gradually turned helpless.
Zhong Cai waved her hand and said, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."
"Was the one who attacked you a Fusion Realm expert?" He grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, a rare, sinister sneer on his face. "Besides giving you a male wife as compensation, the Wu family showed no intention of avenging you. The force that harmed you must be quite powerful, right?"
Wu Shaogan was taken aback when Zhong Cai said those words.
·
Zhong Cai is very vengeful. His closest friend was harmed like this, how could he be satisfied with just saving his life? Impossible.
I didn't press the matter, partly because I didn't want to reopen old wounds for Wu Shaogan, but more so because it would be pointless to ask. It's obvious to everyone that he's someone they can't afford to offend—if you're incompetent, all your grand pronouncements are just empty talk.
After discovering his talent as an alchemist, Zhong Cai had a new idea. As long as he worked hard to digest the inheritance, he would eventually be able to refine a fifth-grade pill that would be sought after by even Fusion Realm cultivators. It would be better if his buddy was still alive by then. But if... something happened to him, he could use the pill to hire someone to avenge his buddy.
But now, the situation is different.
Zhong Cai said slowly, "Old Wu, you can take revenge yourself now."
Wu Shaogan's expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly understood Zhong Cai's meaning.
·
After You Tianqingpeng recognized Wu Shaogan as its master, it was personally trained by Wu Shaogan, which was no different from its own cultivation. Moreover, this kind of rare beast has a powerful bloodline, and as long as it is fed enough resources, it will grow much faster than the Death Guard Xiang Lin.
Given Wu Shaogan's current lifespan, Xiang Lin may not be able to break through to the Fusion Realm before he dies, but You Tianqingpeng has a very high chance of reaching the fifth rank, or even the peak sixth rank!
In that way, no matter which force in or around Kunyun City wronged Wu Shaogan, You Tianqingpeng could avenge him.
This is equivalent to Wu Shaogan taking revenge himself.
·
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but grab Zhong Cai's shoulders, a hint of urgency on his face: "I—"
Zhong Cai suddenly opened his arms and gave Wu Shaogan a tight hug, saying excitedly, "Old Wu! Don't hold back! We'll get our revenge sooner or later!"
Wu Shaogan abruptly closed his eyes: "You... Ah Cai, you're right! Thank you."
Zhong Cai let go of him and punched him hard again: "We're like brothers, why are you thanking me?"
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but laugh.
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes at him, her eyes showing a rare hint of genuine anger.
"Still laughing? Do you think I don't know? You just don't want to drag me down, that's why you haven't mentioned it to me at all. Now, the Qingpeng you're using for revenge was given to you by me. It's too late to avoid dragging me down now."
"Tell me, who is the bastard who harmed you?!"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Then, as Zhong Cai had mentioned before, he pulled out a white handkerchief from somewhere and flicked it at Zhong Cai.
This signifies surrender.
Zhong Cai glanced at him sideways.
"Alright, I'll tell you," Wu Shaogan sighed softly, "It was the Meng family who attacked me."
·
The Meng family is the largest family in Jinchang City.
Jinchang City is also a level-five city, but it is larger and has a larger population than Kunyun City. The Meng family has a great deal of influence in Jinchang City, with three experts at the Fusion Realm, making them significantly stronger than the Wu family overall.
Since the arrival of Wu Shaogan, a top-tier talent, the Wu family has seen its development flourish. He is like a living advertisement, attracting many benefits to the Wu family and bringing them many hidden advantages.
Young Master Wu was already at the Enlightenment Realm before he was even eighteen. No one doubted that he could advance and merge with the realm. In fact, many people thought that he could bring the Wu family to another level, and that the Wu family could dominate the world because of him in just a few hundred years!
However, Jinchang City and Kunyun City are tens of thousands of miles apart, and both control the resources of nearby villages, counties, and towns. The interests of the Meng family and the Wu family do not conflict. Even if Wu Shaogan is outstanding, he will start by annexing the surrounding areas, which has nothing to do with the Meng family. In particular, the Wu family has limited manpower. Wu Shaogan cannot stay in the Wu family for long in order to expand into a wider world, and the Wu family will not blindly expand for the long term.
What reason does the Meng family have to insist on deposing Wu Shaogan?
Moreover, crippling Wu Shaogan wouldn't be easy. Every time he goes out, he wears a protective robe that can defend against the Suspended Illumination Realm, which would take even a peak Suspended Illumination Realm expert a while to break. That would be enough time for the Wu family patriarch to arrive—only a Fusion Realm expert could break through the defense quickly.
·
Zhong Cai gritted her teeth and said, "As expected, it was someone at the Fusion Realm who did it. Such a high level of cultivation, yet such a shameless scum, actually dared to attack a junior like you at the Enlightenment Realm. This Meng family... I spit on them!"
Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai sat side by side on stone seats.
"I've already said that the Meng family has no reason to cripple me. You didn't even ask me how I determined that it was them."
Zhong Cai pursed her lips: "You recognize that Meng, the one at the Fusion Realm, right?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly. Now, recalling the scene from back then, he no longer felt despair.
“I don’t know that person, but he suddenly appeared in front of me,” he said softly. “A young cultivator who was originally near me turned to ashes and was replaced by that person.”
“It just so happens that the Meng family has a secret technique. As long as the secret technique is cultivated, the younger generation can resonate with the bloodline when they encounter danger. After the elders sense this resonance, they can consume a certain amount of their lifespan to teleport themselves to the younger generation’s side.”
"The more lifespan an elder consumes, the greater the difference in strength between him and a junior, and the more accurate the teleportation. The more severe the junior's injuries, the faster the elder's perception will be."
·
Many people know that the Meng family has this secret method, and the Meng family has not deliberately hidden it.
Therefore, many people don't target the younger generation of the Meng family too much, because no one knows if a powerful elder will suddenly come and kill that junior.
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