txolops Chapter 11 Cultivators Battle! Will the Fisherman Benefit?
Chapter 11 Cultivators Battle! Will the Fisherman Benefit?
Chapter 11 Cultivators Battle! Will the Fisherman Benefit?
His divine sense sank into the jade slip containing the record of the Awakening Insect Divine Sword, and the profound and difficult incantation resurfaced.
This technique is far more difficult than ordinary martial arts.
It requires practitioners to use strong will and precise control to forcibly compress and condense the formless and intangible divine consciousness into a "spiky" with substantial offensive power, and then nurture it in the Shen Ting acupoint.
Lin Chuan tried the first level of the method, concentrating all his mind and guiding his consciousness to slowly gather and compress.
In just a moment, he felt a throbbing pain between his eyebrows and his spiritual energy was being severely depleted, and the nascent form of the "spiky" had not even been formed.
"It's indeed extremely difficult!"
He stopped trying and rubbed his temples. "Cultivating spiritual awareness is inherently slow, and this technique is even more difficult. It seems that it cannot be accomplished in a day; one must persevere and proceed slowly."
The night passed quietly in cultivation and contemplation.
The next morning, Lin Chuan finished circulating his energy and felt the spiritual power within his body improve slightly. He sighed softly, "This divine sense technique can only be learned slowly."
He composed himself and looked at the divination results updated today.
Golden light appeared:
[Today’s hexagram: Zhongji. 】
[The divination reads: On your way back to Yellow Maple Valley, you encounter two cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining fighting. Both are severely injured, but you reap the benefits and gain a considerable reward.]
Cultivators fighting?
A lose-lose situation?
Fisherman profit?
Lin Chuan frowned slightly and pondered for a moment.
Although the hexagram indicates "moderately auspiciousness," this "auspiciousness" is based on the outcome of "the fisherman reaping the benefits."
However, whenever cultivators fight to the death, there will always be a brutal aftermath.
What exactly constitutes a "lose-lose" situation?
Is there still any fighting power left?
A near-death counterattack is the most terrifying. If you rashly show yourself to take advantage of the situation, you might become the target of the other party's mutual destruction.
Even if I succeed and gain something, will I get hurt in the process?
Cultivators value their time. If they get injured, their cultivation will be delayed, and the cost of elixirs and medicines will be significant.
Is it worth taking this risk for some unknown gain?
Furthermore, the commotion from the battle would be considerable, and might it attract other passing cultivators?
At that time, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; the one who is supposed to be the "fisherman" may become the "benefit" of others.
"inappropriate."
Lin Chuan slowly shook his head, suppressing the primal greed that rose in his heart: "I'm not in dire need of resources right now. I have enough magic tools and pills for the time being, and while my spirit stones aren't a fortune, they're enough to sustain my cultivation for a while. There's no need to risk injury or something even more serious for this uncertain windfall."
Stability is the foundation of longevity.
This is a deeper understanding he gained from Ren Qing's death, from handling the Crimson Flame Fox incident, and even from interpreting the divination.
"It seems we need to stay in the market for another day."
To avoid this potential risk, Lin Chuan decided to change his plans.
He left his temporary cave dwelling and paid for another day's rent.
Today, I'll wander around this market again and explore the shops I haven't looked at closely before. Perhaps I'll find something else worthwhile, which is better than getting involved in that mess.
The hustle and bustle of the market could be faintly heard through the barriers, but Lin Chuan's heart remained clear.
Some opportunities, though seemingly within reach, are actually fraught with hidden thorns.
Only by knowing how to choose can one go far and achieve steady progress.
Having decided to avoid the risks on his return journey, Lin Chuan focused wholeheartedly on comprehending the "Awakening of Insects Divine Sword" in his temporary cave dwelling.
The divine sense at the center of the forehead is constantly condensing and compressing. Although the progress is slow, each attempt can be felt as a slight increase in the divine sense and a gradual improvement in control.
The following morning, the faint light from the cave's protective barrier shone brightly along with the rising sun.
Lin Chuan emerged from his deep meditation and looked at the hexagram that had appeared as expected:
[Today’s hexagram: Zhongji]
[The divination text reads: While wandering in the market, you bought a book made of animal hide from the stall of the wandering cultivator Li Ming. You discovered that it contained a secret technique for concealing one's breath.]
Secret Technique of Concealing Breath!
A glint of light flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes.
In the perilous world of cultivation, a skillful technique for concealing one's aura is sometimes more valuable than a powerful offensive method.
It allows you to better conceal yourself, avoid danger, gather intelligence, and even launch surprise attacks.
Without further delay, he got up and left the cave, took off his cloak, reverted to his ordinary disciple attire, and once again entered the unaffiliated cultivator stall area in the western part of the market.
After making a few inquiries, they quickly found Li Ming's stall.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a slightly weathered face. He was at the eighth level of Qi Refining and his spiritual energy was mottled. He was obviously a common ascetic among rogue cultivators, whose lack of resources led to an unstable foundation.
His stall displayed several rusty and broken ritual implements, a few ordinary pieces of ore, and a few scattered books and scrolls, some new and some old.
Lin Chuan scanned the area with his divine sense, his gaze locking onto a dark yellow animal hide book with worn edges.
The book is very thin, and the cover is blank.
He picked it up and looked through it. Inside, in neat but slightly old-fashioned characters, was a technique called "Concealing Breath Technique." The content was simple, and it was indeed a low-level concealing breath technique that was widely circulated in the cultivation world. Its effect was ordinary, and it could only slightly conceal one's own spiritual energy fluctuations. If one encountered someone with a higher cultivation level or a slightly stronger spiritual sense, it would be easily seen through.
"Fellow Daoist, have you taken a fancy to this Concealing Breath Technique?"
Upon seeing a customer arrive, Li Ming hurriedly and enthusiastically introduced the item: "This is an old artifact passed down from my ancestors. Although it's only a basic spell, the lineage is intact and the incantation is authentic! Only five spirit stones!"
Lin Chuan's face showed a hint of criticism as he pointed at the animal hide book and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, this is nothing more than a common concealment technique, and its content is nothing special. The hide is of acceptable quality, but it is very old, and its spiritual power has long since dissipated. It's not worth five spirit stones."
Li Ming's face stiffened, and he argued, "This...this is, after all, a tradition passed down from our ancestors..."
"Two spirit stones."
Lin Chuan quoted a price directly: "I've recently become interested in old books and would like to buy them to study them. If it doesn't work out, then forget it."
He pretended to put it down.
"Sold! Deal!"
Seeing Lin Chuan's resolute attitude, Li Ming was afraid that this small business deal would fall through, so he quickly agreed.
It was just a book made of animal hide, which was practically free for him.
After the transaction was completed, Lin Chuan put the animal hide book into his storage bag, secretly pleased but outwardly remaining calm as he continued to stroll casually through the market.
As they walked along the main street, they passed a three-story shop called "Bao Gong Pu" and found a group of monks gathered in front of the shop, pointing and whispering about a newly posted notice next to the door.
Lin Chuan approached and saw that the notice was written in cinnabar:
[Reward Offered for Manhunt]
Huang Xuan, the owner of this shop and a direct descendant of the Huang family of Yue Kingdom, was attacked and murdered by villains at noon yesterday on the eastern foothills of the Taiyue Mountains. Anyone who provides useful clues to help the Huang family capture or identify the perpetrator will be rewarded with two hundred low-grade spirit stones! The Huang family will be eternally grateful!
Posted by: Huang Family of Yue State, Huangfeng Valley Treasure Shop.
The notice also bears the Huang family crest and the shop seal of Baogongpu in the lower right corner.
"Killed yesterday? A direct descendant of the Huang family..."
Lin Chuan's heart stirred. Yesterday's divination indicated that "two Qi Refining Perfection cultivators fought and both were injured." Could one of them be Huang Xuan?
The other person is very likely the murderer!