txolops Chapter 42 Return Chapter
Chapter 42 Return Chapter
"That person's spirit beast was entirely crimson gold, and its breath was such scorching golden spiritual fire... what kind of demonic bird was it?"
Outside the market, a black-robed cultivator stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on Luo Ming's direction. His brows were furrowed, and he muttered to himself, full of confusion. As a steward of the Secret Hall of the Spirit Control Sect, he had been immersed in the way of spirit control for decades. He had long been familiar with the sect's collection of "The Thousand Birds Manual" and "The Record of Strange Beasts," but he had never seen such a spirit bird before.
"Hmph, if you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore." The black-robed cultivator let out a cold sneer, the confusion in his eyes vanishing abruptly, replaced by a sinister ruthlessness. "As long as I kill him, this spirit bird will be mine for the taking, won't it?"
Meanwhile, the turmoil in the market has gradually subsided.
After the demonic beasts retreated, Luo Ming stayed for three more days. It wasn't until the three cultivators who had gone out to investigate the trail of the raiding cultivators returned a few days earlier, and after everyone verified the information, that they realized they had fallen for a diversionary tactic.
As for subsequent adjustments to the defense of the market and the investigation of the mastermind behind it, these matters will be discussed jointly by the three people in charge of market affairs.
After all, since the three sects jointly established this market, there has never been such a blatant attack by a monster on the market. If not handled properly, it will not only shake the trust of the rogue cultivators in the market, but may also cause the three sects to lose face in the surrounding area.
It was somewhat fortunate that the monster attack lasted very short, and the market's grand formation remained unbroken throughout. The disciples of the three sects and the market guards suffered only a few casualties, a negligible loss.
On the contrary, those daring rogue cultivators took advantage of the monsters' retreat to pursue and kill them bravely, and each of them reaped a great harvest, either obtaining rare monster blood essence or valuable monster materials, making a fortune.
This sight made those rogue cultivators who had missed the opportunity by hiding inside the formation out of cowardice regret their actions immensely.
No one expected that after this matter spread, instead of causing business in the market to decline, it acted like a magnet, attracting even more rogue cultivators to flock there. Some wanted to try their luck, hoping to encounter another monster attack and snatch some survivors;
Secondly, it also gave them a direct understanding of the protective strength of the three sects, making them feel that this market was safe enough. If the mastermind behind the attack knew this outcome, they would probably be so angry that they would vomit blood on the spot, truly suffering a double loss after trying to steal a chicken.
Of course, these are things to follow.
At this time, Luo Ming had been away from the market for a day.
He wielded the Water Nether Sword, flying swiftly at low altitude, the sword energy slicing through the air with a soft hissing sound. His divine sense remained like an invisible net, covering a radius of one mile around him, and no movement could escape his perception; his expression was extremely vigilant.
For some reason, from the moment he left the market, a chilling feeling lingered in his heart, as if an invisible eye was watching his every move.
This intuition of cultivators is called spiritual perception, which is what ordinary people call the sixth sense.
In my past life, this feeling was vague and mostly just a figment of my imagination; but in this world of cultivation, spiritual intuition can sometimes be very accurate and cannot be taken lightly.
"It seems I am indeed being watched." Luo Ming's mind raced, his face darkened, and the speed of his flying sword unconsciously increased. "With my spiritual sense strength, which is comparable to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, I still can't pinpoint the other party's location... Either this person's cultivation is far superior to mine, or he has mastered an extremely sophisticated method of concealment, or even possesses a treasure of concealment."
Luo Ming acted decisively, without hesitation. He slapped his flying sword, and his body plummeted like an arrow, plunging into the rippling blue lake below with a "plop," creating a huge splash.
Taking advantage of the momentary disruption of spiritual energy upon entering the water, Luo Ming unhesitatingly summoned the Wind Spirit Veil. This extraordinary treasure emitted a barely perceptible layer of pale blue spiritual light, completely concealing his figure, aura, and even the fluctuations of his spiritual energy. The next moment, the figure in the lake vanished without a trace, as if evaporated into thin air.
Ten breaths after Luo Ming entered the water, a black figure appeared without warning above the lake, hovering in mid-air. He wore a large black cloak, the hood covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with greed. He stared with great interest at the area where Luo Ming's aura had disappeared, and the lingering light of tracking magic still remained on his fingertips.
"Hmm?" The man in black robes let out a low exclamation of surprise. His fingertips formed a hand seal, and a divine sense far more powerful than Luo Ming's spread out like a tide, completely enveloping the area. "With my divine sense, comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage, I can't even detect a trace... Could this kid really have some hidden treasure?"
He followed Luo Ming all the way from the outskirts of the market to this place, intending to find a secluded and deserted place to kill him, but Luo Ming's keen vigilance repeatedly disrupted his rhythm, and he was never able to find the perfect opportunity to strike.
"With a mysterious spirit bird that's entirely golden and can breathe golden spiritual flames, and such a wondrous hidden treasure... this kid certainly has quite a few secrets hidden within him." The black-robed man pursed his lips, the greed in his eyes burning even brighter. "Could he be a personal disciple of some elder from Spirit Beast Mountain?"
He pondered for a long time, then chuckled and slowly shook his head: "No matter what his identity is, he's just a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator. Let's let him off the hook for now and let this kid run wild for a few more years. The treasures he has will be mine sooner or later."
As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden burst of spiritual light flashed around the man in black robes, and his figure changed dramatically. The black cloak receded and disappeared like a tide, replaced by a moon-white scholar's robe. His originally hunched body suddenly became tall and slender, and his face under the hood was revealed—he was a handsome scholar with a face like jade and eyes like bright stars.
He examined his new appearance with satisfaction, gently smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes with his fingertips, then turned around and flew slowly towards the market, his figure gradually merging into the sky.
Beneath the lake, however, lay a dark and tranquil scene, with only aquatic creatures occasionally swimming by, leaving behind fleeting glimpses of light and shadow.
Under the cover of the Wind Spirit Veil, Luo Ming was fully controlling the Water Nether Sword to travel rapidly underwater. This top-tier water-attribute magic weapon possessed remarkable water-repelling abilities. Enveloped in its eerie blue light, the surrounding lake water was automatically pushed aside, forming a neat vacuum channel. This channel not only allowed Luo Ming to breathe freely underwater but also enabled him to travel at a speed no less than that on the surface.
However, simultaneously activating both the Wind Spirit Veil and the Water Nether Sword consumed a great deal of magical power. Luo Ming gritted his teeth, and the magical power in his dantian surged out like flowing water. He remained submerged for several hours before daring to slow down and float to the surface.
"So... we're back in Qingjiang?"
Luo Ming gazed at the vast expanse of water before him, the river shrouded in mist, a gentle breeze rippling the surface. Just as he had seen it before, near the shore, large boats could be vaguely seen moving back and forth, their sails dotting the water, and the faint sound of oars cutting through the water could be heard.