FFSC_16.2
Three days later, Qingluan Prefecture.
Above a vast plain, an ancient city of bluish-gray stone floated in the air. Countless spatial folding arrays overlapped like giant arms, lifting this ancient city and casting a massive shadow that nearly covered the entire plain.
This was the largest city in Qingluan Prefecture—Kurong City. Entry was permitted only by flight; mortals were barred, and Foundation Establishment cultivators had to detour.
[There is blood-bale qi here]
As soon as they entered the city, Chen Moqing heard Cang Shun's indifferent voice.
He asked, "Its source is within the city?"
[No]
Cang Shun's gaze swept past the towering city walls that pierced the clouds, looking toward the boundless horizon.
[The entire prefecture is]
Dense, indelible blood-bale qi covered the entire prefecture.
The snow-white little beast twitched its nose, looking somewhat disdainful, and immediately buried its head in the chest of the human beside it.
It smells nice.
Chen Moqing raised a finger and brushed through the soft fur. He did not sense the blood-bale qi. Perhaps due to the cultivation gap between him and this Demon Emperor, or perhaps because that baleful aura originated from a demon, from thousands of years ago, from the fallen Qingluan.
The middle prefecture's prosperity far surpassed that of the lower prefectures. The wide main street could accommodate dozens of carriages side by side, and shops lined the thoroughfare like clouds. The array of magic treasures and spiritual items for sale was dazzling. After Chen Moqing walked around once with the snow-white little beast in his arms, many pieces of information had already reached his ears.
One week later, the Wanhua Sect—the largest sect specializing in arrays in Qingluan Prefecture—would publicly recruit disciples.
Tonight, there would be an auction in the city.
The young cultivator strolled along the long street. Passersby only heard the occasional 'meow' and 'murmur' from the snow-white little beast in his arms.
[To obtain the inheritance of the secret realm, skill in array formations is required. How is your level?]
Chen Moqing, "I know a thing or two."
Back when he was studying the talisman path in Tianshu Sect, he had discovered that talismans and arrays shared the same origin and could complement each other. His sword arrays also incorporated the fundamentals of array formations—though, truly, he only had a basic understanding and was not yet proficient.
"Later, I plan to go to the Wanhua Sect."
[Oh]
Cang Shun lazily flicked his tail, showing no particular reaction.
Anyway, wherever this person went, he would follow.
Anyway, he had nothing better to do.
Chen Moqing lowered his gaze. This Demon Emperor had not mentioned the contract between them for a long time. Perhaps he no longer cared at all, or perhaps—
The snow-white little beast suddenly leaped onto his head.
Slipping underfoot, but reacting swiftly, it managed to cling to his hair crown with a paw.
The hair crown tilted, his hair became disheveled, and the snow-white little beast scrambled with its hind paws on his head, finally regaining balance.
Chen Moqing: "......"
Perhaps he was waiting to secretly get back at him, like now.
Lifting a hand, he swiftly ruffled the fur on the noble Demon Emperor's head.
Cang Shun: "......"
Petty!
Refusing to come down, he sprawled right on top of the person's head.
Jinyin Pavilion, the largest auction house in Kurong City.
Due to the auction scheduled for tonight, the auction house was bustling with a continuous stream of guests today. A magic treasure appraiser had just seen off the previous guest when a servant ushered in a new one.
This was a masked figure draped in a black cloak, tall and slender, with a few strands of raven-black hair spilling from beneath the cloak.
Such attire was not uncommon at auctions, so the appraiser paid it little mind. Casually, he asked what the guest wished to consign, when suddenly a flash of light appeared before his eyes.
A cyan talisman hovered in the air, entwined with fierce lightning that snaked like thin serpents across the paper.
The appraiser, who had been leaning back, immediately straightened his spine.
A fourth-grade Thunderstrike Talisman! Flawless, tenfold potency!
It should be known, although there is only one grade of difference between fourth-grade and third-grade talismans, the difficulty in crafting them is worlds apart. Achieving superior quality is even more challenging—this Thunderstrike Talisman is considered a low-grade among the fourth-grade talisman. Its power can withstand an early-stage Nascent Soul strike, but because of its flawless, tenfold potency, it can unleash even greater force!
Being able to refine a talisman of such quality means this person must be a Nascent Soul mid-stage, or even late-stage, talisman master!
—Although array masters and talisman masters have long been at odds, if it's a Nascent Soul great master, then they are a respected senior fellow Daoist.
The appraiser rose with a beaming smile, served fine tea, and invited this distinguished guest to wait a moment—soon, a composed and elegant woman in splendid attire arrived, introducing herself as Gong Xuan, the deputy manager here.
"Honored guest, choosing the Jinyin Pavilion is our honor. Please accept this jade token."
Gong Xuan, gentle and poised in demeanor, neither haughty nor humble, handed an exquisite jade token to the cloaked guest.
"With this token, you are a distinguished guest of our Jinyin Pavilion. You will enjoy a ten percent discount on all treasures you take a fancy to. Ordinary guests who consign items with us are subject to a twenty percent commission, but for treasures you consign, we will only take ten percent."
From beneath the cloak, a slender hand reached out to accept the jade token. The lustrous jade reflected fair fingertips before turning over, revealing a corner of the rosewood table.
On the glazed porcelain plate atop the rosewood table lay petal-shaped pastries, their subtle fragrance wafting gently, lingering in the private room on the second floor where only one person sat. From here, one could overlook the vast auction venue below, already ablaze with lights and teeming with cultivators.
The draped cloak shifted slightly, as if something were wriggling beneath it. Soon, a small snow-white beast poked its head out from under the cloak, sniffed around, and moved closer to the table.
Chen Moqing picked up a pastry shaped like a flower petal and placed it on that furry little paw.
The snow-white little beast took a bite, chewing away.
[Not as good as osmanthus cake]
Chen Moqing, "Sugar cake likes osmanthus cake, that's understandable."
Cang Shun: "?"
The snow-white little beast let out a loud 'meow'. Chen Moqing calmly gathered the cloak, covering the noisy little fluffy ball.
The auction had not yet begun. The private room on the second floor was spacious, and one could still hear the idle chatter of cultivators from the first floor.
"Have you heard? A few months ago, a secret realm left by a Soul Formation expert appeared in a lower prefecture! Its inheritance was claimed by some Foundation Establishment brat! I think his name was Jiang-something-Yu?"
"Hah, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator. What does it matter even if he obtained the inheritance? Let's see if he can form a Golden Core first."
"Just a stroke of luck. If I had been there, that Foundation Establishment brat wouldn't have had a chance."
Another small, snow-white head emerged from beneath the cloak, glaring darkly in that direction.
Chen Moqing calmly extended two fingers, gently rubbing the little head before nudging it back under the cloak.
The auction began in a flash, with magic treasures and spiritual artifacts flowing by one after another. Soon, it was the turn of the talisman he had refined using the power of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Lightning.
"Thunderstrike Talisman! A fourth-grade, low-grade offensive talisman. Tenfold potency!"
"I believe you all know what tenfold potency signifies. Such a treasure is exceedingly rare. Starting bid: 50,000 spirit stones!"
The moment the words fell, someone immediately called out, "53,000!"
"56,000!"
"60,000!"
"70,000!"
As one of the three thousand middle prefectures, Qingluan Prefecture may have Golden Core cultivators common as dirt, but Nascent Soul cultivators are not overflowing. The sect leaders or elders of some sects in Qingluan Prefecture are mostly at the Nascent Soul stage, so the price of this Thunderstrike Talisman soared rapidly and soon reached 170,000 spirit stones.
A leisurely voice drifted down from the second floor, "200,000."
Chen Moqing slightly turned his head. In the private room diagonally opposite sat a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious attire. Several beautiful women by his side were massaging his shoulders and legs. He opened his mouth to accept a peeled grape, casting a sidelong glance at the stage below.
"It's Elder Duan Ya from the Wanhua Sect!"
Whispers spread across the first floor. The moment the man named Duan Ya placed his bid, many of the bidders immediately withdrew, leaving only a few guests also on the second floor continuing the auction, driving the price up to two hundred and seventy thousand.
Finally, that fourth-grade Thunderstrike Talisman was won by Duan Ya for 280,000 spirit stones.
Beneath Chen Moqing's cloak, a snow-white little beast poked its head out again, looking at him.
It raised a paw and lightly patted the human twice.
To see if it could knock some spirit stones loose.
Chen Moqing: "......"
Chen Moqing said: "Half of this sum of spirit stones will go to you."
If this Demon Emperor hadn't delayed the heavenly tribulation for him, he wouldn't have passed through it so easily, nor would he have had the extra energy to refine the Thunderstrike Talisman using the tribulation lightning's power.
Cang Shun turned his head away, his face full of disdain.
[Benzun doesn't want these worthless things.]
Chen Moqing's tone was calm, "With spirit stones, you could buy an endless supply of dried fish."
Cang Shun looked even more disdainful.
[If Benzun wants something, why should Benzun spend money?]
Then he spread his paw toward Chen Moqing.
Chen Moqing picked up a pastry and gently placed it there.
Cang Shun took a bite and snorted with satisfaction.
Got it without spending money.
The auction atmosphere was at its peak. That Wanhua Sect elder named Duan Ya was extremely extravagant, acquiring two more treasures in succession at high prices. He laughed heartily, put his arms around several female attendants, and left.
Chen Moqing watched the entire auction, incidentally purchasing thirty sheets of Cloud Silk Paper—a higher-grade talisman paper material compared to ordinary yellow paper, costing one thousand spirit stones per sheet.
For mid-grade of fourth-grade talismans and above, ordinary yellow paper can hardly bear their power. Later, if he were to refine high-grade of fifth-grade talismans, he would need an even higher grade of White Jade Paper, which costs nearly ten thousand spirit stones per sheet.
The higher the grade of the talisman, the more expensive the materials required.
After the auction, there was another segment where cultivators exchanged goods among themselves. Chen Moqing observed for a while, then casually packed the pastries from the table. Tucking the little fluffy ball under his cloak, he rose to leave.
A female cultivator stood up from the crowd and said, "I have a millennium Sacred Sparrow feather and wish to exchange it for any talisman formula of fifth-grade or above."
[Wait.]
Cang Shun suddenly spoke. Chen Moqing lowered his gaze to see the Demon Emperor lifting the cloak, staring intently at the female cultivator, though his crimson demonic pupils reflected no emotion whatsoever.
The Sacred Sparrow clan was an ancient, major lineage among the demon race. Five thousand years ago, they followed the Demon Emperor in sealing the Demon Abyss. Over the past millennium, they gradually withdrew from the world, rarely appearing anymore. A millennium Sacred Sparrow feather is a true treasure of heaven and earth, extremely rare.
—Despite this, the female cultivator received no response.
Fifth-grade magic treasures are already considered mid-to-high grade and can withstand Soul Formation-level power. Even talisman formulas of this grade are exceedingly valuable. Qingluan Prefecture has only three Soul Formation experts and is predominantly a land of array masters, so talismans and magic treasures circulate less frequently. As a result, despite the female cultivator asking several times, no one responded. Occasionally, someone offered to exchange with other magic treasures, but all were refused.
Her sleeve was gently tugged. A low, emotionless voice sounded in Chen Moqing's ear: [Help me obtain it. Use something of mine to exchange.]
He lowered his lashes, glanced at Cang Shun's expressionless face, and calmly spoke, "I can exchange, but we must find another location."
The female cultivator immediately turned to him, "I need to verify the goods first."
"Fine."
Thus, the two left the auction and headed straight for the outskirts of the city.
The moon hung above the treetops in an uninhabited area. The female cultivator cautiously watched as the tall, cloaked man lifted a slender finger. Above his palm, a translucent talisman formula appeared.
A fifth-grade Thunder Tribulation Talisman formula!
The female cultivator's expression flickered with surprise. Offensive magic treasures are the most powerful among all treasures, and lightning-attribute treasures are the strongest within the five elements... To start with the most valuable right away!
Her voice suddenly grew hesitant, "I... only have this one Sacred Sparrow feather. Can I still exchange?"
A clear, calm voice drifted over on the night breeze, "This item, how did you obtain it?"
The female cultivator answered without hesitation, "It was passed down from my family's ancestor! A thousand years ago, my ancestor was fortunate enough to befriend a Sacred Sparrow lord, formed a friendship with them, and received this feather as a gift. My family has preserved it ever since."
"An ancestral relic should be treasured. However... lives are at stake. The person who can save them requires a fifth-grade talisman formula in exchange. My family has long declined, and the only thing we can offer is this..."
As she spoke, the female cultivator lowered her head in sorrow. Then she heard the other party's calm reply, "Let us exchange."
A fifth-grade Thunder Tribulation Talisman formula for a slender, beautiful golden-green sparrow feather. The feather was soft, each strand distinct, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.
The female cultivator examined the formula repeatedly before carefully storing it in her storage pouch. She raised a pair of bright eyes, "My name is Ling Xiao! A disciple of the Liandao Sect! Fellow Daoist, if you ever encounter difficulties in the future, you can directly send a message to the Liandao Sect. I will come to assist!"
She raised her hand again, and a translucent talisman floated before Chen Moqing, "This is the Seven Emotions Ignition Talisman formula! Consider it my gift to you, Fellow Daoist!"
With a sweep of his divine consciousness, Chen Moqing saw it clearly: Seven Emotions Ignition Talisman, a fourth-grade talisman. It could ignite emotions, amplify feelings, and stir the seven passions and six desires.
Although only fourth-grade, it was extremely unique. Attacking emotions was hardest to guard against and could achieve unexpected effects.
He directly accepted the talisman formula, "Thank you. This will be of great use to me."
Ling Xiao cupped her fists firmly, "It is I who should thank you, Fellow Daoist! I will remember today's kindness. May we meet again if fate allows!"
Under the bright moon in the empty forest, a golden-green Sacred Sparrow feather drifted lightly into Cang Shun's hand.
He gazed at it for a moment, then casually reached aside—the Sacred Sparrow feather vanished into the void.
[Do you want a few feathers, or my blood?]
Chen Moqing replied calmly, "Copying a talisman formula isn't troublesome."
Most of the talisman formulas he possessed were of the offensive type. For lightning-attribute offensive talisman formulas, he had them from second-grade to fifth-grade.
Cang Shun fell silent.
Two seconds later, a sentence emerged: [You're not going to ask why?]
Chen Moqing, "No need."
Cang Shun fell silent again.
He trusts me so much.
And even helps me.
The fluffy, snow-white little beast began lightly nudging the young human beside him again, pressing its head against his finger, rubbing back and forth.
Chen Moqing: What is it doing now?
Casually, he flicked the pair of round, soft beast ears and saw the snow-white little beast give a quick shake.
Cang Shun: "......"
A certain Demon Emperor immediately opened his mouth, then slowly closed it.
A few seconds later, his voice finally sounded.
[This is the tail feather of my lieutenant's descendant. Its aura tells me it is here in Qingluan Prefecture.]
"Is it related to the blood-bale qi in this place?" Chen Moqing asked, "Are you going to investigate?"
[No] Cang Shun replied indifferently: [The affairs of the Peacock clan are for them to handle themselves.]
Seeing that he did not wish to discuss the matter further, Chen Moqing said nothing more and, along with this Demon Emperor, returned to the Jinyin Pavilion to purchase some talisman-crafting materials.
The 280,000 spirit stones from the sale of the Thunderstrike Talisman, minus the ten percent commission and deducting the thirty sheets of Cloud Silk Talisman Paper and other refining materials he had bought, netted him a total of 200,000 spirit stones.
He usually spent little, with spirit stones mostly used for cultivation. Recently, just refining talismans and cultivating had consumed a significant portion of the spirit stones he had saved earlier. Now, he had a total of 270,000 spirit stones on him.
Such wealth for a Golden Core cultivator was practically overflowing. For Chen Moqing, however, it could only sustain his cultivation for a limited time.
After all, he could now refine third-grade talismans with ease and could begin considering regularly refining fourth-grade ones, which would double the spirit stones consumed.
Chen Moqing directly reached an agreement with the Jinyin Pavilion: all future talismans he refined would be sold through them. Gong Xuan smiled as she escorted him to the door, saying, "From now on, for every auction, our Jinyin Pavilion will reserve a private room on the second floor for our esteemed guest. If there are any treasures you need, you may also inform us in advance, and we will be sure to keep an eye out for you."
She watched the cloaked guest walk into the distance. A subordinate approached and whispered, "Deputy Manager, could he be Jiang Yu from that lower prefecture?"
Gong Xuan shook her head, "Jiang Yu was only at mid Foundation Establishment several months ago when he obtained the inheritance. Although this person's cultivation is hard to discern, being able to refine a fourth-grade talisman—even as a talisman genius—requires at least peak Golden Core strength."
"The Nine Thousand Prefectures are vast beyond measure, with countless geniuses. A single Jiang Yu is not particularly remarkable."
"However, this distinguished guest is truly extraordinary. We must foster a good relationship with him."
"Understood."
...
A crescent moon hung outside the window, its frosty light spilling into the guest room.
Chen Moqing set aside 130,000 spirit stones and placed them before Cang Shun.
Cang Shun lay lazily on his lap, showing no intention of reaching out to take them.
Chen Moqing said, "I beseech the generous and selfless Demon Emperor to safeguard these on my behalf."
Only then did Cang Shun lazily utter an 'mm', casually waving a hand to sweep the pile of spirit stones into the void.
He looked up again to find the human beside him already closing his eyes, concentrating, and resuming his cultivation.
Thus, the snow-white little beast also slowly shifted to a comfortable spot on his lap, closed its eyes, snuggled close to him, and curled into a small, fluffy ball.
Seven days later.
Towering, majestic mountains. Blue-white stone steps stretched downward, their end disappearing amidst layers of clouds.
Today, the Wanhua Sect, the number one major sect in Qingluan Prefecture, was openly recruiting disciples. The first test was to walk ten thousand and nine hundred ninety-nine steps of the sect's mountain stairs on foot.
Gathered at the foot of the mountain were nearly a million people. The grand path of seeking immortality stretched far and wide; viewed from the Wanhua Sect's mountain gate, they appeared as small as a swarm of ants.
At the rear of the crowded, jostling long staircase, a young cultivator ascended the steps at a measured pace, dressed in simple green robes, his raven-black hair tied back with a wooden hairpin.
Cang Shun lay on his shoulder, poking his head out to stare unblinkingly at his profile.
He had changed his face before boarding the Flying Kite, and now here was yet another new one.
—In Cang Shun's eyes, no matter how this person's appearance altered, its underlying essence remained unchanged.
He extended a paw, playfully winding it through the soft black hair hanging before his eyes. Seeing Chen Moqing glance at him, he nonchalantly withdrew his paw.
Long before leaving the Dongzhou Prefecture, Chen Moqing had already heavily bribed this Demon Emperor with two pieces of dried fish to cast an illusion on himself.
To others, Cang Shun would appear only as a white spirit cat. But in Chen Moqing's eyes, this Demon Emperor still looked like a young beast, part cat, part leopard.
The long staircase rose and fell along the mountain, its end out of sight. Cang Shun caught a falling leaf and casually toyed with it, glancing at the flowing crowd ahead.
[Should Benzun get down and walk on his own?]
Chen Moqing, "No need."
So small, he might be accidentally stepped on and squashed flat—then, this Demon Emperor would be howling again.
Cang Shun fell silent once more.
Does he prefer that I stay on him?
Well, then... fine.
The snow-white little beast remained expressionless, its round, soft ears perking up slightly.
In the shade beneath the trees, a young man stood halfway up the steps, leisurely reciting, "Once atop the mountain's peak, one sees how small all other hills appear."
He elegantly unfolded a folding fan, fanning himself with a whir.
Chen Moqing passed by him, leaving behind two words, "Fine poetry."
The young man's eyes lit up, "Brother, shall we walk together?"
The previously leisurely lying Cang Shun immediately raised his head, looking at Chen Moqing, then at the young man.
Chen Moqing's tone was calm, "Very well, may I know your name, sir?"
The young man fanned his folding fan, "My name is Xiao... Mo!"
Cang Shun looked at Chen Moqing again, only to see him give a faint smile, gentle as a spring breeze, "I am Chi Fei."
Cang Shun: "......"
The snow-white little beast immediately leaped onto Chen Moqing's arm.
[Which one of your good old acquaintances is this this time?]
A cool voice sounded in his ear.
[Are you two on very good terms?]
Chen Moqing did not answer. Instead, he casually caught a falling leaf and gently placed it on top of that furry little head.
The snow-white little beast, now leaf-topped, remained motionless for two seconds, as if a pause button had been pressed.
Suddenly sensing something amiss, he quickly shook his head, grabbing the leaf as it fluttered down.
The young man glanced over, thinking to himself: Treating an ordinary spirit cat as a pet, even if this person is a cultivator, his strength must be lacking.
"Don't worry, System."
He smiled as he spoke words that others could not hear into the air.
"I, Xiao Jibai, have come here precisely to seize this opportunity, to make all of Qingluan Prefecture tremble before me—and bow their heads in submission!"
In Chen Moqing's arms, the snow-white little beast suddenly shivered, then shivered again.
He lowered his gaze, hearing Cang Shun's merciless laughter.
[He's got a screw loose.]
[Stay away from him.]
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