Luring the enemy
Since Elder Mo Wen took her to heal her injuries, Lan Ci has rarely been seen within the sect. Chen Tian, since breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, has completely forgotten about this cultivation material.
For a time, Lan Ci's safety was actually guaranteed.
Although Lan Ci had lost a lot of weight, his eyes were firm, and upon closer inspection, it was discovered that his cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
"It's only been a month since I last saw you, and you've already reached the Foundation Establishment stage again." Ruan Qingyu had been in frequent contact with this unlucky fellow whose situation was very similar to her own in the past.
Seeing that he was recovering and his cultivation seemed more stable, I couldn't help but feel happy for him, and my expression softened considerably.
Seeing Ruan Qingyu's smiling face, Lan Ci couldn't help but smile as well: "Thanks to the healing herbs you gave me, and Elder Mo Wen's constant search for good doctors to heal my wounds, I was able to recover so quickly."
As she spoke, Lan Ci looked at this somewhat unfamiliar place and asked curiously, "I wonder what brings you here today? Please speak freely, and I will do my best to help you."
Although she knew Lan Ci wouldn't refuse her, Ruan Qingyu couldn't help but smile when she heard him agree so readily.
He immediately transmitted his voice, saying, "The people in this room seem to have some connection with Chen Tian. I would like to ask you to help me put on a show."
Before Chen Tian's name was mentioned, Lan Ci still had a smile on her face. In an instant, as if dark clouds were covering her head, even her voice became deep and somber.
"If that's the case, I will definitely help."
Ruan Tianci woke up with a throbbing pain in his temples, frowning. The decor was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, and he abruptly stood up.
He soon saw stars and shook his head. He instinctively tried to use his spiritual power, and the Cleansing Mantra quickly took effect, but the effect was minimal, only allowing him to open his eyes slightly.
It was at this moment that Ruan Tianci realized that he didn't have much spiritual energy left in his body. When he tried to absorb spiritual energy, he found that there seemed to be no spiritual energy in the room he was in.
This situation can only mean that the room has been deliberately designed with spatial restrictions. Some formations can even extinguish spiritual energy, but who brought me here?
Ruan Tianci's mind raced through a list of his many enemies, but he shook his head. He was clearly in the Xuan Tian Sect's courtyard, and it was unlikely that his enemies would leave him inside the sect.
That can only be someone from the Xuantian Sect. But who exactly is it?
Ruan Tianci's doubts grew stronger, but he couldn't leave. This room not only had a spiritual energy isolation array, but also a barrier that prevented him from entering or leaving.
"Is anyone there?" Ruan Tianci simply shouted at the top of his lungs.
A moment later, he had to sit down. He had been calling out for a long time, his mouth was dry, but no one came. It was clear that the whole place had probably been hidden away.
Fortunately, he didn't have anything on him, except for his token... Thinking of his token, Ruan Tianci reached for his waist, and sure enough, it was empty. His storage pouch, and even the one hidden in his underwear, were gone too.
He sat back down somewhat dejectedly. He had originally thought that he could use the spirit stones to replenish his spiritual energy and perhaps break out on his own.
Looking around, Ruan Tianci lifted his foot and touched the sole of his shoe. His dejection deepened. He smacked his lips, relieved that his golden core was still intact and he wouldn't starve.
Another hour passed, and Ruan Tianci suddenly heard a sound coming from outside the room, growing closer.
"Is anyone there? Can you hear me? I am Ruan Tianci, an outer sect elder." Ruan Tianci became excited again, pacing around the room, and then his eyes fell on the teapot on the table.
With a loud 'bang,' water from the teapot splashed all over the floor. As if the noise wasn't loud enough, Ruan Tianci pushed over all the tables and chairs.
"What's that sound?" a boy asked, seemingly puzzled as to why there was a sound coming from there.
No matter how much Ruan Tianci shouted, he could not get his voice out.
Outside, Lan Ci, following Ruan Qingyu's instructions, continued walking towards the house, making sure her figure was faintly visible outside but not spotted by Ruan Tianci.
"You mean, that Elder Chen Tian treats disciples with fire spirit roots exceptionally well?" Lan Ci deliberately raised her voice, her tone filled with undisguised surprise.
Soon, Ruan Qingyu's deliberately altered voice came out: "Many disciples know about Elder Chen's matter. But I guess he's looking for a furnace/cauldron."
Lan Ci's voice rose a few decibels: "Then wouldn't it be possible for us to cater to their preferences? Elder Chen could give us some resources, enough for us to use for a long time."
Ruan Qingyu's divine sense had been focused on the people in the room, and seeing their focused eyes, she knew they had taken her words to heart.
“Let me tell you, one of my cousins sent his daughter there. Her aptitude was a bit lacking, but Elder Chen still gave her this much.” Ruan Qingyu deliberately lowered her voice, speaking very cryptically.
Inside the house, seeing that no one came looking for him, Ruan Tianci couldn't help but eavesdrop. He had heard of Chen Tian's name, but since the other party was a high-ranking elder of the inner sect, he rarely had the opportunity to meet him.
Even when the mountain was destroyed recently, he was unaware that it was related to this elder.
"These things are fine as long as it's consensual, how can there be people selling people?" Lan Ci's voice was first raised in surprise, and then lowered because of taboo.
Soon, Ruan Qingyu continued, "Who is Elder Chen? He's a high-ranking elder, and it's said that he has a backer who is at least at the Nascent Soul stage. What else do you think?"
"But where can we find disciples with fire spirit roots? These days, disciples with good aptitude are all closely watched by the sect, so it's absolutely impossible for them to be sent over." With a long sigh, Lan Ci was clearly very disappointed.
Finally, Ruan Qingyu sighed as well: "Well, if it's like my cousin, with some family disciples who have decent aptitude, sending them there wouldn't be bad, a win-win situation..."
The conversation gradually faded away. Although Ruan Tianci was still unable to leave, he suddenly had an idea about the matter.
Once he leaves, it'll be clear that while others may not have disciples with fire spirit roots, the Ruan family certainly has quite a few. It's unclear what bloodline the Ruan family's ancestor inherited, but in the past, many of the family's most brilliant geniuses possessed fire spirit roots.
Ruan Tianci himself also possessed a small amount of fire elemental root, but his aptitude was poor, so he didn't primarily utilize it. However, by sending him over to an easily manipulated disciple, he might be able to reap considerable benefits.
Half a month later, Ruan Tianci initially resisted, but as his spiritual energy continued to drain away, he finally became obedient.
He smashed everything he could in the house, but few people came by. He figured this was probably some abandoned mountain within the Xuan Tian Sect's inner sanctum, otherwise no one would have come here to discuss secrets that day.
A month later, Ruan Tianci suddenly discovered that he could absorb spiritual energy. The array that suppressed spiritual energy seemed to be weakening? Overjoyed, he absorbed a considerable amount of spiritual energy one night.
He broke the formation inside the house in one fell swoop. He escaped under the cover of night, but in his eagerness to flee, he didn't notice that a person, concealing their presence, was standing in the shadows watching him from outside the house.
Wutong asked curiously, "Miss Ruan, how did you know he would send you there?"
How could she know? Naturally, this person had done the same thing in his past life; it's just that this time, her cultivation was higher. There was a possibility that other disciples might be persecuted. Thinking for a moment, Ruan Qingyu plucked out another feather.
He brought it to his lips and blew on it gently; soon the feather followed Ruan Tianci.
Now she just needs to wait for Ruan Tianci to come to her, and then she will have a way to get him to help her solve her biggest problem.
Under the moonlight, Ruan Qingyu's face was a blur of light and shadow, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Half a month passed quickly, and Ruan Tianci lived up to Ruan Qingyu's long-awaited expectations. He actually kidnapped a disciple with a fire spirit root at the eighth level of Qi Refining from the Ruan family, and coincidentally, she was also a woman.
After carefully reviewing the information she had gathered, Ruan Qingyu's expression turned complicated for a moment. This woman named Ruan Zhishu was actually her cousin.
It's just that the kinship is too shallow, and there's no resemblance in their appearances. But the blood ties are a fact.
It is said that the phoenix bloodline is as dazzling as a beacon for those with fire spirit roots, and can always be easily seen.
Ruan Qingyu quickly followed Ruan Tianci's footsteps and arrived at the small peak where Chen Tian was.
Since the basement was destroyed, Chen Tian has become quite settled.
Or rather, he had to calm down. In recent days, he had a feeling that he was being watched, and even the person who had been in contact with him for a long time had stopped instructing him to continue.
Without that person's help, Chen Tian's cultivation materials were dwindling. Having finally reached the Nascent Soul stage, he naturally wouldn't give up.
Now that he's embarked on this path of primitive life, there's no turning back. Thinking of the feeling he had when he broke through to the Golden Core stage, Chen Tian's eyes gleamed red, and he looked thoroughly enjoying himself.
It's true that it's only useful to use cultivators with higher cultivation levels; those scumbags would just taint his spiritual power.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Chen Tian put away the undigested golden pill in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Come in."
"Elder Chen, there is a junior elder from the outer sect requesting an audience."
Upon hearing this, Chen Tian was somewhat surprised. A junior elder from the outer sect? Just as he was about to say he wouldn't see him, a thought suddenly struck him, and he waved his hand: "Let him in."
A moment later, Ruan Tianci walked in. He kept his eyes straight ahead, perhaps because he knew that this senior elder had a powerful backer, Ruan Tianci unconsciously adopted a more humble attitude.
Chen Tian sat upright in his chair, looking down at Ruan Tianci. He didn't know him, but seeing the eagerness in Ruan Tianci's eyes and the fleeting greed, Chen Tian suddenly became interested.
Over the years, he had seen countless fearful and terrified eyes, and even more greedy ones like this. But the greedier a person is, the more they will pay the price for meeting him.
"I wonder why an outer sect elder has come to my place? Is there something wrong with the sect?" Chen Tian's voice was extremely kind, and those who did not know him would only think he was an extremely kind elder.
Ruan Tianci, remembering what he was about to say, suddenly straightened up: "I've come to deliver something; Elder Chen should like it."
Immediately, Chen Tian narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Ruan Tianci up and down again. He was once again certain that he had never seen this person before, and that he exuded an aura of a petty person.
"I don't know why you've come to give me these things. After all, I've always done my best for the sect, so I don't deserve these things." Chen Tian's words were very high-sounding, which made Ruan Tianci hesitate.
“Elder Chen, you must have seen this before. I just happened to have some and sent it over. I hope it can help your cultivation.” Ruan Tianci said cautiously, weighing his words carefully.
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