txolops Chapter 59 Xie Family Territory
Chapter 59 Xie Family Territory
Nine months later, Zhang Tie's mission finally came to an end.
However, he wasn't idle in the meantime. The evil-breaking golden energy within the golden embryo had condensed into six paths, which could at least put up a fight against a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if they were no match for him.
On the day they left the mine, Tang Zixu and Xie Changkong personally escorted Zhang Tie to the mine gate. Even Xie Changkong, who usually had a cold face, showed a slight smile.
"Junior Brother Zhang, you've worked hard this year!"
Zhang Tie clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Senior Brother Tang, you're too kind. I'm deeply grateful for your care this past year, and I'll remember it forever!"
After exchanging a few polite words, Zhang Tie summoned his flying boat and soared into the sky.
Xie Changkong stood at the entrance of the mine, watching the flying boat disappear into the horizon. The smile on his face gradually faded, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"What a pity!"
Tang Zixu's smile also faded: "What's there to regret, Senior Brother! We couldn't deal with that kid?"
"If it weren't for a Foundation Establishment cultivator dying here and triggering an investigation, I would have killed him long ago. A rogue cultivator like him dares to be an enemy of the Xie family?!"
"Senior brother, why rush things? This mine can still be mined for another three to five years. Once we've settled things here, we can deal with that brat later!" Tang Zixu said, offering a few words of advice before turning back to the mine.
Xie Changkong took one last look at the streak of blue light in the sky, then turned and left.
But what he didn't know was that Zhang Tie on the airship had a smile on his lips.
A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine soul has a detection range of three miles. Even on the flying boat, he could hear every word of Xie Changkong and Tang Zixu's conversation.
"Want to free up your hands to deal with him later? You wish!" Zhang Tie sneered inwardly.
"Let's see who kills whom first!"
...
Spirit Beast Mountain, Spirit Immortal Peak.
Upon Zhang Tie's return, he immediately handed over the mission, and his token gained over four hundred contribution points.
Back in the cave, he first went to check on the Heavenly Crystal Ant eggs that had been nurtured for more than two years. He found that both the surface luster and the life force inside were many times stronger than before.
In particular, the jar containing spirit stones showed a stronger vitality in the ant eggs compared to the other jar, which greatly surprised Zhang Tie.
"It seems that spirit stones can indeed speed up the hatching of these insect eggs!" Zhang Tie did not hesitate and stuffed a few spirit stones into another black jar.
I believe that it won't be long before these dozen or so Tianjing ant eggs hatch successfully.
"I wonder what these little guys eat, spirit stones or ores? Oh well, I'll wait until they hatch to see. I have more important things to do right now!" Zhang Tie's eyes flashed with a cold light.
Zhang Tie never considered himself a kind person, especially after he began cultivating immortality. He didn't immediately cause trouble for the Xie family's Foundation Establishment cultivators only because he was afraid of being discovered by the Enforcement Peak and getting into trouble.
But now that he knows Xie Changkong embezzled spirit stone ore and hid it in the Xie family's territory, how could he miss this opportunity?
According to Zhang Tie's understanding, the Xie family is located in a place called Wutong Valley in the southeast of Danzhou, about seven or eight hundred miles away from the gate of Ling Shou Mountain.
In terms of strength, besides Xie Changkong and Xie Duanfeng, who are both Foundation Establishment cultivators who have entered the sect, the Xie family also has an elderly early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
With three Foundation Establishment cultivators from one family, the Xie family's strength was seen by ordinary cultivators as having an orderly lineage and not to be easily provoked. However, in Zhang Tie's eyes, the Xie family's strength was just so-so!
Before I left, that Deacon Liu had just taken away the batch of spirit stone mines. According to what I had found out before, he should be trading with the people of the Earthly Fiend Village within this month. I have to hurry!
Zhang Tie first took stock of his own methods. He had three top-level magic artifacts, which were enough for his current needs. He also had six Paths of Demon-Slaying Golden Qi, which could catch a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator off guard and even outmaneuver him. Besides, he could deal with an old and frail Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xie family!
"That's enough!" Zhang Tie nodded.
However, we still need to prepare a big surprise for Xie Changkong and Tang Zixu!
Based on his observations and understanding over the past year, apart from the unknown senior brother, the rest of Xie Changkong's group were all Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Spirit Beast Peak, so he could conclude that there were no members of their group from the Law Enforcement Peak.
Zhang Tie took out the recording talisman in his hand, a wicked smile on his face. Since he knew what Xie Changkong had done, how could he not leave evidence?
The recording contained a conversation between Xie Changkong, Deacon Liu, and Tang Zixu during a transaction, which he had intercepted and recorded using the recording.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators of Law Enforcement Peak must desperately need this opportunity to earn merit!
...
In the Spirit Beast Mountain Market, Deacon You was preparing to return to the Enforcement Peak on his flying sword after finishing his business. Before he had flown far from the market, he felt a sharp fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from below.
Deacon You reacted extremely quickly, instantly summoning a golden shield for defense, and then his face showed a look of shock and anger!
Someone actually dared to attack the cultivators of their Enforcement Peak at the gate of Spirit Beast Mountain; they were truly audacious.
But when Deacon You realized that what had attacked him was just a spirit stone, the shock on his face turned into astonishment.
"Which senior brother is playing a trick on me? This joke is not funny at all!" Deacon You looked embarrassed and annoyed. He scanned the peaks below with his divine sense again and again, but still could not find any trace of the person who made the move.
Deacon You, having searched in vain, turned his attention back to the spirit stone. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something attached to the stone. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and summoned it.
Three miles away, a figure with an aura of only Qi Refining Perfection appeared in the market. Sensing that Deacon You was returning to the Enforcement Peak on his spirit sword with a slightly anxious expression, he felt a little relieved!
"Everything is ready, now all that's missing is an excuse to leave the sect!" Zhang Tie smiled and summoned a flying boat, heading towards the Lingxian Peak Affairs Hall.
The most reasonable way to leave the sect is, of course, to go on a mission!
Under the somewhat surprised gaze of the steward of the Affairs Hall, Zhang Tie transformed into the Scroll King and accepted a mission to eliminate a level-two evil demon beast. The mission location was about two or three hundred miles away from Wutong Valley, where the Xie family was located.
...
Wutong Valley, as its name suggests, is full of tall sycamore trees.
Zhang Tie stood on a tall sycamore tree, his divine sense sweeping over the buildings in the valley.
The Xie family has lived and thrived in this place for over two hundred years. The core members of the family often tame a kind of spirit beast, which is the Blood Lion that Zhang Tie killed at the Ascension Assembly.
Under the probing of a late-stage Foundation Establishment level divine sense, the secrets within the valley were laid bare.
Within the valley, there were over a hundred auras unique to cultivators, but most of them were Qi Refining cultivators. What surprised Zhang Tie was that there were actually two Foundation Establishment stage auras, currently in a secret chamber deep within the valley.
Both were in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but one of them had somewhat weakened blood and energy, while Zhang Tie was quite familiar with the other's aura.
"Xie Duanfeng?! Why is this guy back at the Xie family?"
However, Zhang Tie didn't care much. There wasn't much difference between one and two Foundation Establishment cultivators in the early stages. It was a good opportunity to settle old scores and new grudges at the same time!
In the basement next to that secret room, Zhang Tie sensed a rich spiritual energy, which was his target for this trip.