Chapter 112 Fame Returns, There's No Escaping It, So Stay
"What...what's going on?" the people behind Elder Ma asked in trembling voices.
The distance was great, and the two cultivators ahead moved with lightning speed, their movements too fast for the naked eye to follow. The people strained to see, but they couldn't even spot a single sleeve of the cultivators' clothes.
All they knew was that ahead, dark clouds obscured the sun, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the scene was incredibly powerful.
This must have come from that terrifying demonic cultivator from earlier.
The people looked on in fear and anxiety.
In the blink of an eye, a slender fairy, covered in blood, suddenly appeared beneath the thunderclouds.
"Will the fairy be alright? Heavens, is she going to die trying to save us?" the people asked in alarm.
"If even this fairy can't defeat us, what are we going to do?" Some people burst into tears.
The voices of the people behind him grew increasingly agitated and sorrowful. Seeing the atmosphere of grief and despair growing stronger, Elder Ma, who seemed to have lost his soul, opened his mouth, and after a long while, turned around to comfort them, saying in a hoarse voice, "She's alright, everyone can rest assured. She's alright now, look, she's coming over."
Elder Ma was filled with mixed emotions as he watched the young girl slowly approach him.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator defeating a near-Mahayana cultivator. Who could believe it? Who would dare believe it? But the facts were right before his eyes.
She is a true genius, a genius among geniuses.
Elder Ma didn't know how to describe his feelings.
He recalled the day he first met Ji Mingran.
She laughed heartily, declaring that the sect she was going to would be a perfect match for her. The Dingsheng Sect would only grow stronger, complementing her perfectly.
He laughed at her for being so arrogant and ignorant.
He himself was the most ridiculous person.
Without witnessing a truly extraordinary genius, how can one understand the confidence of a genius?
He's the one who can't recognize a great man, a frog in a well.
The blood-soaked girl appeared before him in the blink of an eye, her voice light and cheerful: "Elder Ma, have you seen my fellow disciples? They didn't respond to me; I guess they're entangled in a battle with a demonic beast."
Fellow disciples? Yes, fellow disciples.
A mouthful of stagnant blood welled up in his throat.
He was the first one Jing Shi Sect had met, and she asked him first, yet he didn't take the offer, allowing Ding Sheng Sect to reap a huge benefit for nothing!
Aa ...
Elder Ma beat his chest and stamped his feet in regret, wishing he could bang his head against the ground.
"Elder Ma?" Seeing the man in front of him with a face that was pale, red, and pale, Ji Mingran didn't expect him to remember anything, so he said, "Alright, I'll go look for it myself. There are still some demonic beasts around here, but Elder Ma, you should be able to handle them. I'm leaving now."
Ji Mingran waved his hand and took a step to leave.
Elder Ma then came to his senses: "Hey, alright, Master Ji, you go ahead and do your work, leave this to me."
The people behind him mustered their courage and asked, "We hope that the fairy will tell us your title so that we can worship you in the future and thank you for saving our lives today!"
"Offering?" Ji Mingran seemed to have heard something interesting, and his lips curled up. "Me? My name is Ji Mingran, and I come from the Dingsheng Sect."
“The Dingsheng Sect…” the people murmured, “It’s actually the Dingsheng Sect.”
People living in the spiritual community naturally have some understanding of the various sects.
Dingsheng Sect, a sect that has been in decline for over three hundred years.
"I think I heard that Dingsheng Sect won first place in this year's spiritual cultivation competition."
"First? That must be amazing." The people were overjoyed, and smiles appeared on their faces, which had been filled with despair and fear. "Great, great! It seems we are really saved."
"No wonder! With someone like Fairy Ji, she's bound to win first place."
Ji Mingran seemed to find the reactions of the people present quite interesting, and casually tossed down another protective array: "This array can last for a day, enough to support you to leave this place. Elder Ma, the rest is up to you."
"Thank you, fairy!"
"The fairy is kind-hearted!"
The people expressed their surprise and gratitude endlessly.
"Oh, right." Ji Mingran punched his fist in the palm. "I almost forgot."
She closed her eyes and muttered something to herself.
Gradually, intricate patterns appeared beneath Ji Mingran's feet, spreading outwards. In an instant, the entire area was filled with abundant spiritual energy, and melodious chanting of array patterns resounded.
Platinum-gold light extended along the patterns, shimmering and drifting. The person within the formation was surrounded by the shimmering light, their black hair and robes fluttering wildly due to the flowing spiritual energy.
Elder Ma realized what she was doing and couldn't believe it.
The collapsed protective array of Que Li County is being repaired.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a white-gold shimmering light blended into the air. The flowing black hair and robes of the people in the formation slowly fell down.
The defensive array of the entire Que Li County has been restarted.
“That will make things easier for everyone,” Ji Mingran said to Elder Ma.
What kind of person could so easily complete a protective array that requires at least ten Golden Core cultivators to activate simultaneously?
The shock left Elder Ma speechless.
The person who activated the formation has disappeared from the spot.
The faint array still lingered around them, and the people felt an unprecedented sense of security. They looked at each other, their faces beaming with joy.
Dingsheng Sect, that's great! It's Dingsheng Sect! They've finally revived and are they going to come back?
The once glorious Dingsheng Sect, whose glory has faded for three hundred years, has been forgotten and disappeared from the memories of people in all walks of life in spiritual cultivation.
Today, its fame has risen again.
......
The twin swords in Shen Qingluo's hands suddenly felt lighter, and the long-nosed demonic beast with green teeth, which had been biting the blades, suddenly fainted and fell to the ground.
Her gaze shifted, looking towards the sky above the county town.
"Protective formation."
"The protective formation has been restarted?" Guan Wangzhen asked, instantly appearing beside her after defeating another demonic beast.
"I feel..." Zhu Shibai also dealt with another demon beast and gathered together. He picked up the sect's jade token and smiled, "It was Granny Ming's doing."
"Wow!" Guan Wangzhen grinned. "You're getting more and more impressive, Grandma Ming."
"I'm glad you're alright." Shen Qingluo said to the jade tablet, "Mingran, we're in the restaurant corridor in the northeast corner of Queli County."
"Okay." A clear voice echoed from the other end of the jade pendant.
The three members of Dingsheng Sect looked at each other and smiled.
......
After three days and three nights of battling various deep-sea monsters and demons teleported out of the prize pool secret realm, the cities and counties finally calmed down and stabilized.
Currently, array cultivators and artifact cultivators are taking turns assisting in repairing the protective arrays of various prefectures and the damaged houses. Magic cultivators, military cultivators, and body cultivators continue to finish off the remaining demonic beasts and fleeing demonic cultivators, while alchemy cultivators, medicine cultivators, and other medical cultivators are responsible for treating the injured civilians or cultivators.
After finishing their work, Dingsheng Sect counted the number of people, and all the disciples were present and accounted for.
“Junior Uncle, it’s time,” Dong Lu said to Ji Mingran.
She turned to Qin Danniang, who was standing to the side, and said, "Young friend Qin, I am grateful for your help these past few days. I hope we will meet again someday." Her clear, cool voice revealed her kindness.
Qin Danniang hurriedly waved her hand, "Master Donglu is too kind. Saving lives is the duty of a healer, and it is what I should do. I have benefited greatly from being by your side these past few days. Thank you for answering my questions."
Both of them were medical practitioners responsible for treating the wounded and sick. On their way to treat the people in the Eastern Continent, they met Qin Danniang, who was distributing medicines. The two decided to cooperate and gradually became acquainted.
"See you again someday." Ji Mingran and his fellow disciples also bid farewell to Dan Niang. "If you can't stay in Liuhuan Valley, why not come to our sect?"
Qin Danniang seemed startled by Ji Mingran's words and quickly said, "Thank you all for your kindness, but the sect has been incredibly kind to me. No, no."
"Alright." Ji Mingran said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, hurry up."
The members of Dingsheng Sect nodded and quietly retreated from the county city, appearing at the Luoshui Cape.
Zhu Shibai had been waiting there. Upon seeing his fellow disciple appear, he greeted him and said, "The ship is ready and can depart at any time."
With the spiritual cultivation competition over and the calamity of the demonic beasts resolved, they must hurry and leave.
The reason is simple: they all have treasures they brought back from the Prize Pool Secret Realm, and they need to quickly send them back to the sect for safekeeping.
Ding Shengzong and his group hurriedly boarded the ship.
The sails were hoisted, but a shout came from behind.
"Fellow Daoists of Dingsheng Sect, please wait."
Along with the call to arms, several streaks of sword light, like rainbows, arrived. Several disciples of the Hongqi Sect appeared on the deck of the cargo ship.
The leader was Mu Huanhui, whom I had met during the competition.
Mu Huanhui bowed to Donglu and said with a warm expression, "True Man of Donglu, fellow Daoists of Dingsheng Sect. Now that the demonic beasts have been destroyed, the fleeing demonic cultivators have been captured, and order in our sect has been restored. As usual, a celebration will be held after the Grand Competition for all cultivators to enjoy together. I hope you will all participate."
Celebrations are a tradition. And the various stories that unfold during celebrations are even more so. Few sects participate in celebrations out of genuine desire to celebrate and enjoy themselves, and sects that win prizes in competitions are even less likely to join in the fun.
Honestly, who would want to go to a Feast at Hongmen?
However, the celebration is indeed a traditional custom, and the Daoist sect is responsible for organizing it. The Hongqi sect is the main organizer of this year's spiritual cultivation competition. If no one participates in the celebration they organized, how can they save face?
Although they hated the Dingsheng Sect to the core, they had to invite them to the celebration. If the champion, the Dingsheng Sect, didn't appear, could the celebration still be called a celebration?
Upon discovering that the members of Dingsheng Sect were missing, Hongqizong hurriedly came to search for them.
"Our sect has important matters to attend to, and we cannot trouble you for too long. We appreciate the kindness of the Hongqi Sect," Donglu said slowly.
The other disciples of Dingsheng Sect did not stop what they were doing and continued to prepare for the departure of the ship. With the sails hoisted, the ship slowly started moving.
The disciples of Hongqi Sect grew anxious, and Mu Huanhui stepped forward and continued, "True Man of the Eastern Route, this celebration is not only for the ten cultivators of the Dao Sect, but also for all the other participating sects that have entered the final competition. Dingsheng Sect has not participated in such a grand event for a long time, why not join us?"
He added, “My venerable master specifically instructed me to invite you all to attend. I hope the True Man of the Eastern Continent will do me the honor.”
Venerable Chongjue. If he hadn't mentioned it, things would have been fine, but once he did, Dong Lu's calm expression became turbulent.
"We're leaving, we're leaving, we're leaving!" Guan Wangzhen shouted. "Don't try to stop us, we have to go first."
Before the Hongqi Sect members could leave, the small cargo ship sped off. A short while later, the Dingsheng Sect's ships had already drifted away from the cape and headed out to sea.
Hong Qizong looked troubled, unable to stop them, but he did not leave either.
Judging from their posture, they were determined to keep them here.
The disciples of Dingsheng Sect steered the boat even faster.
"Would you all like to come and visit my sect? My sect welcomes you all to come and visit." Ji Mingran, who was not assigned to the boat affairs and was already standing with Dong Lu, joked upon seeing this.
The disciples of Hongqi Sect looked anxious. Seeing that the Dingsheng Sect's ships were sailing further and further away, they knew that if they didn't leave soon, it would take them a lot of effort to fly back to their sect on their swords.
Otherwise, we would really have to go to Dingsheng Sect with their ship.
Mu Huanhui wanted to persuade him again. Suddenly, a powerful pressure descended from the sky, stirring up huge waves that pushed the Dingsheng Sect's ships back dozens of miles.
"I'm sorry." A booming voice came from the sky, and the next second, a majestic cultivator appeared on the ship.
Dong Lu's eyes narrowed slightly: "Venerable Chongjue."
The disciples of Hongqi Sect were in high spirits and repeatedly shouted "Sect Leader".
Venerable Chongjue seemed to be in a good mood. After exchanging greetings with his disciples, he said to Donglu, "When I came here, I didn't pay attention to the sea conditions and failed to control my spiritual pressure. I accidentally pushed your ship back."
"It's alright," Ji Mingran said. "Anyway, this isn't the first time." A look of worry appeared on his face as he asked with feigned concern, "Venerable Chongjue, I heard you went to the Abyss Sea. Were you injured? And why is your spiritual pressure out of control again?"
Knowing it was sarcasm, Venerable Chongjue remained unfazed and laughed heartily, "It's alright, thank you for your concern, young friend Ji. We had just arrived when we heard that Dingsheng Sect had won first place in the Spiritual Cultivation Competition, so we turned back. The journey was fraught with danger but we escaped unscathed. It's already a joyous occasion that you all returned safely, and now that you've won first place, it's even more gratifying. How could the celebration be complete without you all?"
Dong Lu said, "Our disciples are focused on cultivation and do not enjoy celebrations. Venerable Chongjue is very kind. We will return to our sect first."
Venerable Chongjue replied cheerfully, “There’s no need to rush. The Spiritual Cultivation Competition only comes once every few decades or even a hundred years. It’s a rare opportunity for all the sects and families to gather together. Why not take this chance to let all of you young friends get to know each other and exchange ideas? It’s also an excellent opportunity for cultivation.”
Before the words had even faded, a whirlpool swirled around the ship. In the next instant, the Dingsheng Sect's ship was carried back to the Luoshui Cape of the Hongqi Sect by the whirlpool.
A group of Hongqi Sect disciples waiting at the ferry rushed forward, cheering for their sect leader's return and also warmly welcoming the Dingsheng Sect disciples.
Venerable Chongjue waved his hand and said without warning, "Why didn't you take good care of the fellow Daoists of Dingsheng Sect? Of course, Dingsheng Sect will participate in such a celebration. Quickly take them to get some rest, and they can come to the banquet together tonight."
This time, his gaze did not fall on Donglu, but instead turned to Ji Mingran.
"What do you think, young friend Ji?"
Among the current members of Dingsheng Sect, Ji Mingran is the most senior, and when she speaks, she represents the sect.
Ji Mingran smiled.
Judging from Venerable Chongjue's attitude, even if they wanted to leave, they would be forcibly sent back.
Do they have other options?
Ji Mingran stepped forward, smiling brightly: "It's hard to refuse such kindness. Venerable Chongjue is so generous, so our Dingsheng Sect will naturally participate."
Since that's the case, she should stay here properly.
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