txolops Chapter 47 Heart-to-Heart Talk
Chapter 47 Heart-to-Heart Talk
Han Li, whose cultivation level was the lowest, similar to Luo Ming's (both were in the early Foundation Establishment stage), was assigned to patrol work alongside Luo Ming.
In the months that followed, Luo Ming and Han Li often patrolled the mine together. Their previous encounter in the Crimson Forbidden Land had already given them some connection, and after several trips together, their relationship grew increasingly familiar. Luo Ming knew Han Li's secret about the little green bottle and disliked others disturbing his cave dwelling, so he often invited Han Li to his residence under the guise of exchanging cultivation techniques.
Both were at the early Foundation Establishment stage, ranking at the bottom among the cultivators stationed at this spirit stone mine, and each had no support or background within their sect. In addition, Luo Ming had taken the initiative to get close to them, and now they were close friends who could talk about anything. However, their most core secrets remained hidden in their hearts, and they had never revealed a single one to each other.
That day, inside Luo Ming's cave, the aroma of tea filled the air as the two sat facing each other, sipping tea. Their conversation gradually turned to the situation in the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.
"Who would have thought that my Spirit Beast Mountain was actually a spy planted by the Demonic Spirit Control Sect thousands of years ago?" Luo Ming put down his teacup, his face full of bitter smiles. "If Spirit Beast Mountain had truly betrayed the seven sects of Yue Kingdom, my life would probably have been taken by all of you fellow cultivators long ago."
Just thinking about the looks other sect cultivators gave him when the news spread through the mine two days ago—looks that contained suspicion, vigilance, and even a hint of killing intent—made Luo Ming feel lingering fear.
Fortunately, the situation unfolded as he knew it from the original plot; otherwise, he would have already been taken into custody to await judgment from the higher-ups of the six sects. He knew very well that with his early Foundation Establishment cultivation, there was absolutely no way he could withstand the combined attack of several late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Currently, eight Foundation Establishment cultivators have gathered within this spirit stone mine, three of whom are in the late Foundation Establishment stage: Xuan Le from the Hidden Moon Sect and Lü Tianmeng from the Spirit Beast Mountain. Looking around, only he and Han Li are at the lowest level, in the early Foundation Establishment stage.
"Brother Luo, I trust your character," Han Li said slowly, trying to comfort him. "You are definitely not a demonic cultivator. Besides, whether Spirit Beast Mountain obeys the orders of the Spirit Control Sect is ultimately the decision of the Nascent Soul Ancestors. You and I are just ants following orders." He paused, then added, "Now that Spirit Beast Mountain has already abandoned the demonic path, it seems they are going to completely sever ties with it."
Cutting off? Luo Ming thought to himself. In less than two years, you'll find out what Spirit Beast Mountain is really up to. Of course, he didn't dare say this aloud; even if he did, no one would believe him, and it might even bring him death.
His only thought at this moment was to cultivate a good relationship with Han Li before Han Li completely transformed into the ruthless, cautious, and suspicious "Old Devil Han." This friendship would be his biggest bargaining chip for paving the way for the future.
"Brother Han should also know that you and I are the two with the lowest cultivation levels here, and almost all the hard and tiring work in the mine falls on our shoulders." Luo Ming sighed softly, his tone becoming more sincere. "Now that the demonic invasion is imminent, all the important resource points will inevitably be their targets. Although this spirit stone mine is not the largest, it is still very likely to be besieged by the demonic army. We must prepare in advance."
Han Li's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Brother Luo, do you mean the demonic path will definitely attack this place?"
Luo Ming remained silent for a moment, as if he had made up his mind. He looked up and stared intently at Han Li: "Once a resource point like a spirit stone mine reaches a stalemate, the other side will definitely try to sabotage it. If Brother Han trusts me, please make some preparations so that if the mine is attacked by the demonic army in the future, you can deal with the danger calmly."
Although he had not yet found the hidden teleportation array, he knew in his heart that by following Han Li, the "protagonist of destiny," he would surely find a way to escape.
Seeing Luo Ming's concern for him, Han Li felt a warmth in his heart. Having been betrayed by his master, Doctor Mo, in his youth, he was always wary of others and found it difficult to fully trust anyone. Luo Ming's unreserved kindness eased his tense guard. The two discussed the details of their escape in detail before returning to their respective caves.
Back in his cave, Han Li pondered the conversation over and over, thinking to himself, "This Senior Brother Luo from Spirit Beast Mountain seems to be alright; I was just being too paranoid."
Ever since being nearly killed by Doctor Mo's scheme, Han Li has never dared to easily trust anyone again. In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, aside from his closest relatives, he never believed in unprovoked kindness. Luo Ming's enthusiasm for him initially seemed unreal to him. Now, he thinks it might be because he has experienced too many dangers and lost his composure.
Han Li chuckled self-deprecatingly, putting the matter aside for the time being, and took out his newly acquired "Puppet Manual" to study. Since he was currently stuck at a bottleneck in his cultivation, the only way to improve his strength was to focus on other areas, studying puppetry techniques to enhance his power and thus have a better chance of self-preservation in the future chaos.
On the other side, Luo Ming was also seizing every moment to cultivate. His cultivation level was nearing the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, and he was faintly touching the threshold of the middle stage. He was confident that he could complete the breakthrough before the demonic army arrived.
Time passed quietly, and as the cultivators responsible for transporting spirit stones brought back news from the outside world, the atmosphere within the spirit stone mine grew increasingly tense. Apart from completing necessary patrol tasks, all cultivators secluded themselves in their caves, devoting themselves to arduous cultivation, hoping to increase their strength even further before the chaos of war arrived.
Judging from the information coming from the outside world, the seven factions of Yue Kingdom have fallen into a state of decline. If it weren't for their local advantages and the stubborn resistance they have achieved by setting up forbidden formations in various key locations, they would probably have been defeated by the demonic army long ago.
At this critical juncture, the neighboring Yuanwu Kingdom and Zijin Kingdom finally dispatched a large army of cultivators to their aid, doubling the strength of the resistance against the demonic path. Meanwhile, the demonic army, having expanded its territory, had become dispersed and unable to mount an overwhelming offensive, leading to a stalemate between the two sides.
In the rest area outside the mine, a Qi Refining stage disciple from Spirit Beast Mountain with a full beard was excitedly recounting the war to his companions: "Let me tell you, when the reinforcements from Yuanwu Kingdom and Zijin Kingdom arrived last month, the scene was truly spectacular! There were seven or eight Nascent Soul Ancestors and dozens of Golden Core True Persons!"
"The reinforcements launched a surprise attack from the flank of the demonic army. That battle was so fierce that the heavens and earth changed color, and rivers of blood flowed! Two Golden Core cultivators alone perished, and the corpses of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators piled up like mountains. If I hadn't been quick-witted and carried a pangolin with me, digging a hole and hiding underground in the critical moment, I would have been chopped into mincemeat by the sword lights flying through the air!"
"You're such a coward! Just go and chop those demonic brats up with your sword!" someone sneered from the side.
"Exactly! This is a golden opportunity to make a name for yourself!" another person chimed in. "I heard that as long as you accumulate enough battle merits, you can exchange them for precious pills and magical artifacts at will, and you might even have a chance to get a Foundation Establishment Pill!"
The moment the words "Foundation Building Pill" were uttered, a burning desire flashed in the eyes of the surrounding cultivators. For those cultivators who had been stuck in the Qi Refining stage for many years, the Foundation Building Pill was the key to unlocking a higher realm of cultivation.