txolops Chapter 138 Draining the Bone Marrow, the Golden Elixir Knocks on the Door
Chapter 138 Draining the Bone Marrow, the Golden Elixir Knocks on the Door
The backyard of Tianzihao Inn in Changning County.
Zhao Hai leaned against the manger, clutching his still-heaving chest, his face ashen.
He looked at the IOU in front of him, which was filled with densely written clauses, and picked up the pen shakily, his hand shaking as if it were trembling.
Gu Yan stood to the side, holding a basin of lukewarm water, his smile warmer than a spring breeze.
"Senior Brother Zhao, it's really not expensive. Look, this Purple Gold Bone-Regenerating Ointment is a treasure we keep hidden away in the Demon Suppression Bureau's treasury. And this doctor is the best healer in Changning County; everyone in Medicine King Valley speaks highly of him."
He kindly added:
"Your meridians are damaged. If you don't treat them in time, it may affect the foundation for your future core formation. I only took out this spiritual medicine because I felt sorry for you, Senior Brother."
Gu Yan sighed, looking compassionate and sympathetic.
"As for the interest, it's nine out of 13, that's the hard rule of the Flowing Cloud Sect's bank. I'm just a small commander, how dare I break the sect's rules? Once you sign, this medicine will be applied to you immediately. I've also hired a second-tier spirit beast, a blue mule, for you outside the stable, so you can return to the sect to recuperate comfortably."
Zhao Hai gritted his teeth, staring intently at Gu Yan's honest face, wishing he could bite a piece of flesh off it.
The top-grade jade sword was destroyed, more than a thousand mid-grade spirit stones were gone, and even the healing pills he carried with him were used to fill that damned array eye.
He, once a proud prodigy of the inner sect, is now penniless and unable to even afford a spirit horse.
Zhao Hai took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to vomit blood, and pressed his bloody handprint onto the IOU.
"Gu Changsheng, you're very kind. I, Zhao Hai, will remember this favor. There's plenty of time for us to meet again."
Zhao Hai snatched the ointment from Gu Yan's hand and walked out of the inn without looking back.
Gu Yan watched Zhao Hai's limping figure, carefully blew dry the IOU worth five hundred low-grade spirit stones, folded it neatly, and put it away close to his body.
"Senior brother, take care. If you encounter any bandits on the road, mention the name of the Demon Suppression Division of Changning County, and you might be able to get a discount."
Gu Yan waved towards the entrance of the inn, which earned him a furious shout from Zhao Hai on his blue mule, and the mule galloping away in fright.
Song Hong climbed over the courtyard wall and, seeing this scene, couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.
"Junior brother, you're too heartless. That Purple Gold Bone-Regenerating Ointment was clearly a expired product you bought from that rogue cultivator's stall last night for ten low-grade spirit stones. You immediately made him sign an IOU for five hundred low-grade spirit stones and even confiscated his jade pendant as collateral. If Zhao Hai finds out the truth when he gets back, he'll be so angry he'll go into a qi deviation."
Gu Yan put away his folding fan, his shrewishness vanished, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"He's ungrateful, so I'll teach him to be. He doesn't understand the rules, so I'll teach him the rules. Letting him go back and report is more valuable than killing him. The people of the Flowing Cloud Sect know he suffered a great loss here, and given the previous incident involving a powerful demonic cultivator, they will be even more wary of the strength of Changning County."
Gu Yan turned and walked towards the county government office, casually instructing, "Sister Song, keep an eye on the market. There will be even more people today. Tell the brothers to continue accepting spirit stones. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the city, no matter who their father is, throw them all in the dungeon."
Song Hong nodded and turned to arrange the defense.
Gu Yan returned to the steel-framed secret room beneath the county government office.
The bluestone floor felt cold and damp, while the luminous pearl in the dome emitted a faint, cold light.
The sandalwood incense in the corner had burned out, leaving behind a small clump of grayish-white ash.
Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the white jade futon, and with a flick of his wrist, the three-zhang-tall Xuanwu stone tablet crashed down in the center of the secret chamber, causing the entire underground space to tremble.
This was his biggest find from the underground of the City God Temple last night.
Upon closer inspection, the surface of this Xuanwu stone tablet is covered with traces of the passage of time, with not a trace of spiritual energy leaking out, just like an ordinary piece of bluestone.
Under Gu Yan's divine sense, which was at the peak of the Divine Demon Foundation Establishment stage, and under the vision of the Paper Realm, the inside of this stone tablet was like a vast ocean, containing extremely terrifying and pure earth elemental power.
"This thing could never have been born in a small place like Changning County. It's more like the foundation of an ancient formation that was broken and scattered here."
Gu Yan placed his hands on the cold surface of the stone tablet.
Within the Qi Sea, the Tower of Heaven shone brightly, and two streams of power, one golden and one black, surged into the stone tablet through the arms.
As the divine and demonic energy continued to invade, the bluestone outer shell on the surface of the stone tablet began to crumble inch by inch, turning into stone dust all over the ground.
In the center of the stone powder, a fist-sized earth bead emitting a rich yellow light floats.
The surface of the soil bead naturally formed a pattern of intertwined tortoise and snake. Even though it was just quietly floating there, it made Gu Yan feel a sense of heaviness, as if he were carrying an entire mountain on his back.
"Black Tortoise Earth Vein Pearl"
A fervent glint flashed in Gu Yan's eyes.
After confirming there was no danger, he opened his mouth and swallowed the soil bead.
The earth bead entered the body and transformed into an extremely thick yellow torrent that surged straight into the dantian.
The Tower of Babel emitted an excited hum.
The white jade-like tower began to absorb this earth elemental energy.
The tower base, which had initially appeared somewhat unstable due to the rapid breakthrough, gradually became indestructible under the infusion of this power.
Even the black demonic dragon coiled around the tower became more restrained under the nourishment of the earth bead, no longer as ferocious as before.
What surprised Gu Yan the most was that the Xuanwu Earth Vein Bead actually fused with his Paper World ability in an extremely wonderful way.
He raised his right hand, and a pale yellow piece of paper materialized at his fingertips.
The paper no longer had the light and airy feel of before, but instead exuded a weight as solid as metal.
"Black Tortoise Paper Armor"
With a thought, Gu Yan's pale yellow paper instantly split into countless tiny scales that adhered to his skin, forming an extremely close-fitting, invisible armor.
He drew the dagger from his waist, gathered all the strength of his Foundation Establishment stage, and stabbed it fiercely into his own arm.
"when."
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.
The dagger, which could cut through iron like mud, didn't even leave a white mark on Gu Yan's skin. Instead, it made Gu Yan's hands go numb.
"What terrifying defensive power. With this Xuanwu paper armor, plus my Foundation Establishment Perfected Divine Demon Body, even if I stand still and let a Golden Core early stage cultivator attack me, he might not be able to break through my defense."
Gu Yan dismissed the paper armor with satisfaction.
Moreover, because he has refined the Xuanwu Earth Vein Pearl, the flow of the earth veins beneath the entire Changning County is now completely under his control.
The paper-based array he set up throughout the city was no longer water without roots.
Instead, it is inextricably linked to the earth's veins in Changning County.
As long as he stands on the land of Changning County, he is the absolute master of this land.
After half a day of seclusion, Gu Yan exhaled a breath of stale air and stood up.
He knew that the real test was just beginning.
……
Outside Changning County.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and dew clung to the tips of the withered grass.
The once silent wilderness was now covered in blood and remains.
The corpses of the rogue cultivators lay scattered in the mud and water, and fragments of broken magical artifacts littered the ground, attracting a pack of scavenging wild dogs with glowing green eyes.
In the sky, a huge shadow broke through the clouds and slowly descended.
It was a huge flying boat, hundreds of feet long, made entirely of green spirit wood.
The bow of the flying boat was carved with a ferocious blue dragon head, spewing clouds of mist from its mouth, its imposing presence extremely terrifying.
The Azure Dragon Sect's warships.
On the deck of the flying boat stood dozens of elite disciples dressed in cyan outfits.
At the very front stood a thin, elderly man with high cheekbones, his hands behind his back.
The old man had white hair and beard, and his cloudy eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
His spiritual energy was contained to the extreme, and as he stood there, it subtly caused ripples in the surrounding space.
That was Qingmu Zhenren, an outer sect elder of the Azure Dragon Sect, who was at the early stage of the Golden Core realm.
"Elder, Changning County is just below. According to our scouts, the earth's veins erupted last night, giving birth to countless magical treasures, most of which fell into the hands of rogue cultivators. And those rogue cultivators, in order to escape the pursuit of the Blood Swordsmen of the Demonic Sect, all took their treasures and hid in this county town."
A steward respectfully reported to Aoki Masato.
Aoki Jin looked down at the small county town below, which seemed exceptionally peaceful in this chaotic world, and a look of disdain flashed in his eyes.
"A mere Demon Suppression Division dares to swallow up all this wealth. The Flowing Cloud Sect has certainly raised a good dog, knowing how to reap the benefits without lifting a finger."
Aoki Masato sneered.
"Pass down the order: warships are to press on. I want to see if the walls of Changning County can stop the advance of my Azure Dragon Sect. Once inside the city, seal all four gates. All storage bags of cultivators within the city must be handed over for inspection. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot."
In the eyes of a Golden Core cultivator, worldly rules and the lives of those lower-level cultivators are as worthless as weeds.
The enormous Azure Dragon Flying Boat slowly descended and hovered in mid-air less than ten feet from the top of Changning County.
A massive shadow loomed over the entire city gate.
The wind howled, making the white flag with the words "May wealth come from the ground" flutter loudly on the city gate tower.
The rogue cultivators queuing at the city gate turned ashen-faced with fear, and fled in panic, trembling under the city wall.
Standing atop the city wall, Song Hong's face flushed red under the immense pressure of the Golden Core technique, which felt like a mountain.
She gripped the throwing knife tightly, her fingers turning white from the force.
Xiao Chen stood beside her, his black clothes fluttering wildly in the wind.
The sword in his arms emitted an extremely high-pitched sword cry.
Even when facing a Golden Core cultivator, this pure swordsman showed no sign of backing down.
"Listen up, you people on the city walls!"
On the flying boat, the Azure Dragon Sect deacon focused his energy in his dantian, and his voice boomed like thunder over Changning County.
"Elder Qingmu has arrived. You shall immediately open the city gates and kneel to welcome the elder into the city. All defensive formations within the city shall be immediately deactivated. Anyone who disobeys this order shall be deemed to have provoked the Azure Dragon Sect, and when the city is breached, not a single chicken or dog shall be spared."
"Elder Qingmu has arrived. You shall immediately open the city gates and kneel to welcome the elder into the city. All defensive formations within the city shall be immediately deactivated. Anyone who disobeys this order shall be deemed to have provoked the Azure Dragon Sect, and when the city is breached, not a single chicken or dog shall be spared."
These words were extremely domineering and left no room for negotiation.
Beneath the city wall, the rogue cultivators who had already paid their spirit stones and were preparing to enter the city were filled with despair.
With Golden Core cultivators pressing in from the front and demonic cultivators chasing from behind, it seems Changning County can no longer protect them.
Xiao Chen slowly pulled out the broken sword.
Frosty white sword energy swirled around him as he adjusted his breathing, preparing to draw his sword.
Even if he would die after casting this sword strike, he had to cast it.
At this critical moment.
A leisurely voice came from the city gate, clearly drowning out the rolling thunder in the air.
"No wonder the magpies were calling from the branches all morning; it turns out we have a distinguished guest arriving."
Gu Yan, waving his tattered folding fan, walked slowly and steadily up the city wall.
Today, he specially changed into a Taoist robe symbolizing an inner disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect. He walked to the edge of the city wall, looked up at the Azure Dragon Flying Boat in mid-air, and wore his signature honest smile.
"This junior, Gu Changsheng, is an inner disciple of the Liuyun Sect and the commander of the Demon Suppression Division of Changning County. I greet Senior Qingmu. Senior, you must be tired from your long journey."
Gu Yan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, his attitude extremely humble.
Master Qingmu stood at the bow of the ship, looking down at this junior whose cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and snorted coldly.
"Stop trying to get close to me. Now that you know I'm here, get down there and open the door to welcome your guest."
"Your advice is correct."
Gu Yan's smile remained unchanged, but he never straightened his back.
"However, senior, you may not know this. This Changning County was personally designated as a quiet place by Chief Ye of Lingjian Mountain in my Liuyun Sect. Before he left, Chief Ye instructed that no matter which deity comes to Changning County as a guest, they must follow the rules of Changning County."
As Gu Yan spoke, he took out a price list that he had prepared in advance from his sleeve, and used his spiritual power to carry it lightly onto the deck of the flying boat.
"Senior, please take a look. The entrance fee for a Golden Core cultivator is ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Your flying boat is too large; the docking fee is three thousand spirit stones per day. As for your elite disciples, I'll give them a friendly price of five hundred spirit stones each. The total is..."
The way Gu Yan counted on his fingers was so serious that it made people want to laugh, yet it also sent chills down their spines.
"Hiss~"
Whether they were rogue cultivators below the city wall or disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect on the flying boat, they all stared wide-eyed at Gu Yan as if he were a madman.
How dare a Foundation Establishment cultivator charge a Golden Core cultivator an entrance fee? And by the head?
Does he think he has too much time on his hands?
Aoki Jinshin's face was gloomy, and he laughed in extreme anger.
"Hahaha! Excellent! What excellent rules of Changning County! What excellent inner disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect!"
Master Aoki's laughter abruptly ceased, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.
"Today I'll see what makes your little Changning County think it can take my spirit stones. Is it your mouth, or the name of that young upstart Ye Gucheng?"
Before he finished speaking, Aoki Jinshin raised his right hand.
A massive amount of azure spiritual energy condensed in mid-air into a giant dragon claw that was ten zhang long.
The dragon claw descended from the sky with a sonic boom that tore through the air, slamming down on Gu Yan on the city wall.
This attack showed absolutely no mercy.
The power of the Golden Elixir was enough to reduce this section of the city wall, along with Gu Yan, to dust.
Song Hong and Xiao Chen's expressions changed drastically, and they were about to forcefully intervene.
Gu Yan stood still, his eyes unblinking, and simply closed the folding fan in his hand.
"Senior, even if a deal falls through, we can still be on good terms. Your temper is a bit too fiery."
Gu Yan pursed her lips.
"Xuanwu, activate the formation."
"Buzz".
The ground of the entire Changning County suddenly sank.
Immediately afterwards, an extremely thick, dim yellow light curtain rose from the base of the city wall and hung upside down over Changning County.
On the surface of the light screen, countless illusory images of Xuanwu tortoise shells were faintly visible and flowing.
This is no longer the paper-based maze that trapped people last night, but a city-protecting formation with absolute defensive power after being integrated with the Xuanwu Earth Vein Pearl.
"Boom!"
The giant cyan claw slammed down on the yellow light screen.
A deafening roar erupted.
The shockwave shattered the clouds within a radius of several miles.
However, the yellow light screen, which at first glance appeared as thin as a cicada's wing, only caused a tiny ripple.
That powerful strike from the Golden Core, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, vanished without a trace on the light screen, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.
On the contrary, the enormous recoil force flowed upstream along the trajectory of spiritual energy.
The Azure Dragon Flying Boat, hovering in mid-air, shook violently, and a piercing cracking sound came from the side of the boat.
Caught off guard, the Azure Dragon Sect disciples on the ship fell to the ground like dumplings being dropped into a pot, tumbling and crashing over each other.
Caught off guard, Aoki Jinshin staggered and took a half-step back.
He stared intently at the yellow light screen, a strong shock flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"This is definitely not something the Flowing Cloud Sect could have set up!"
A storm raged in Aoki Masato's heart.
Although he didn't use his full strength in that attack, it was still enough to instantly kill any Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator.
But this formation not only easily blocked it, but the recoil even caused his blood and qi to churn.
Something's not right in Changning County! A huge secret is hidden there.
Gu Yan stood atop the city wall, his smile unchanged.
He reopened the folding fan and fanned himself gently.
"Senior Aoki, as I've already said, this is a quiet place personally reserved by Chief Ye. If you'd like to pay some spirit stones to enter the city and have a cup of tea, I'll gladly welcome you."
Gu Yan's eyes gradually deepened, and his voice was no longer humble, but instead revealed a coldness of arrogance.
"If you insist on forcing your way in, and the earth vein formation of Changning County retaliates and injures your precious body, I cannot bear the responsibility."
Aoki Masato's face turned ashen.
He's now in a difficult situation.
If he were to retreat now, the Azure Dragon Sect would lose all face, and he would inevitably be punished by the sect.
However, if he continued to launch a strong attack, he had no confidence that he could break this strange formation in a short time.
If the situation drags on for too long, and Golden Core cultivators from the Flowing Cloud Sect or other sects arrive, the situation will be extremely unfavorable for him.
Just then, a rogue cultivator below the city wall mustered his courage and shouted:
"Lord Gu is mighty! The rules of Changning County are paramount!"
That shout was like a spark falling into an oil drum.
Those originally desperate rogue cultivators were greatly encouraged when they saw that even Golden Core cultivators had been thwarted by this formation. They all joined in the commotion, trying to hold Gu Yan back and protect their own interests.
"Lord Gu! We've already paid! We can't let outsiders bully Changning County!"
The shouts grew louder and louder.
Gu Yan paid no attention to the petty schemes of the rogue cultivators, listened with satisfaction to the shouts below, and calmly looked at Master Qingmu in mid-air.
He knew that the old man had already lost today.
Master Aoki stared at Gu Yan for a while, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.
"Good, very good. The Flowing Cloud Sect has produced a remarkable figure."
Master Aoki flicked his sleeve.
A heavy storage bag fell from the airship and landed precisely on the crenellations of the city wall in front of Gu Yan.
"Entrance fee. Open the gate."
Even a Grandmaster of the Golden Core stage ultimately bowed to the rules of Changning County.
Gu Yan put away the storage bag, and the smile on his face turned obsequious again.
"Alright. Open the city gates and welcome our distinguished guests."