Chapter 470 - 346: Aberration in Awakening Lion Valley
Fang Qingyuan was horrified by the sudden surge of greed that washed over him. Having cultivated Mind Divine Techniques and experienced the great tide of emotions in the Nine-star Marketplace, he was all the more vigilant against such feelings arising within himself.
This was the second time this had happened. He remembered feeling it once before, back in the Nanchu Sect’s Earth Fire Palace when he and Lechuan had sought out Chu Hongshang to trade for the Immortal Phoenix Feather.
But the feeling hadn’t been nearly as profound then as it was now. ’What’s happening to me?’
’Could it be that after reaching the Golden Core realm, I can no longer suppress my true nature?’
Fang Qingyuan discreetly glanced around. Everyone else seemed perfectly normal. Lechuan was chatting cheerfully with Gu Hong, and the other two Golden Core Cultivators also appeared quite placid.
Situ Jingyu was no exception. She had led Fang Qingyuan to the seats on the right, and the two took their seats, one behind the other.
Only now did Fang Qingyuan have the presence of mind to reflect on his earlier emotional turmoil.
Fang Qingyuan admitted he was a man who appreciated beauty, but no matter how gorgeous Chu Hongshang was, that alone couldn’t have provoked such a reaction. His century of cultivation hadn’t been for nothing. When it came to beautiful women, given his current status, he could find almost any type he desired.
Carefully recalling the recent shift in his state of mind, Fang Qingyuan keenly detected a subtle distinction. When he first laid eyes on Chu Hongshang, his Immortal Mansion had trembled. Only after that did his own emotions surface.
’Could it be that my Immortal Mansion sent out a wave of desire, which then triggered my Mind Divine Techniques, and *that’s* what made me want to possess Chu Hongshang?’
’What about Chu Hongshang could possibly attract the Immortal Mansion?’
’Why didn’t I have this reaction to Yuan Duo, another Nascent Soul Cultivator?’
For the moment, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t figure it out. But a warning bell sounded in his heart: Chu Hongshang was definitely hiding a massive secret.
Yuan Duo sat cross-legged. It should have been a quiet, demure posture, but with her temperament, it came off as bold and unrestrained. Propping her chin on one hand, she cast a sidelong glance, secretly sizing up Chu Hongshang.
Evidently, with her keen perception, she seemed to have noticed something.
"Sect Leader Le must have a lot of face to be able to invite even Sister Chu. It’s been over a hundred years since we last saw each other after parting at Yuan Lake."
Yuan Duo was the first to speak. At her words, the six Golden Core Cultivators below them all knew to keep silent.
Chu Hongshang offered a gentle smile. In a setting like this, her lazy demeanor from the Earth Fire Palace was gone.
"Indeed. In the past century or so, Sister Yuan’s cultivation has advanced remarkably. Your Yuan-Fixing Hammer technique must have reached the eighth level by now, I presume."
"Still not as good as Sister Chu, who has already reached the mid-stage of Nascent Soul. No wonder you felt like coming out for a breath of fresh air..."
Seeing the tension quietly escalate between the two great beauties after just a few exchanges, Lechuan felt a headache coming on. He quickly interjected:
"Uncle Yuan, Elder Chu, perhaps we should discuss how to coordinate our attack on the Cloud-Clawed Lizard?"
Yuan Duo shot Lechuan a look, picked up the wine goblet before her, downed it in one gulp, and then slowly rose to her feet.
"What’s there to discuss? It just comes down to who’s the better fighter. I’ve been at White Mountain for three months, and my hands have been itching for a fight. I’m going to go test that big lizard’s mettle. Sister Chu, I’ll be on my way."
Yuan Duo tossed the goblet aside, and with a single stride, she was out of the Grand Council Hall. An astonishing aura then shot into the sky, rocketing toward the distant Cloud-Clawed Lizard in the blink of an eye.
"This... Uncle Yuan is a bit too hasty."
"Elder Chu, what are your thoughts?"
Chu Hongshang said nothing more. She gave Lechuan a slight nod, then rose gracefully and walked out of the hall.
After both Nascent Soul Cultivators had departed, Lechuan addressed those who remained.
"I’ll ask you all to guard this position and prevent the beasts from breaking through our battle lines. Qingyuan, you’re with me."
Fang Qingyuan had barely warmed his seat before he was on his feet again. He knew the critical moment had arrived.
As he was about to leave his seat, Fang Qingyuan felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Situ Jingyu clutching his robe, her face full of hope. It was clear she wanted to take part in the Nascent Soul-level battle as well.
Recalling Situ Jingyu’s temperament, Fang Qingyuan gave a slight nod. Situ Jingyu let out a joyful cheer and took her place behind him, just as she had all those years ago in Black Sand City.
Lechuan saw this but said nothing. He turned and walked out of the hall. Fang Qingyuan and Situ Jingyu followed close behind, leaving Gu Hong, Long Shan, and Zeng Ran to stare at one another in bewilderment.
.....
Venturing into the wilderness, the trio sped into the distance. They had gone no more than seven or eight li when immense waves of Spiritual Power rippled from far away. One source was extremely rhythmic, while the other was utterly savage.
’They’ve clashed already?’
Fang Qingyuan and Lechuan exchanged a glance, each seeing the delight in the other’s eyes. Yuan Duo’s ability to find the Cloud-Clawed Lizard’s true location so quickly was indeed impressive.
However, judging by the fluctuations, although Yuan Duo could fight the Cloud-Clawed Lizard to a standstill, subduing it would be another matter entirely.
This was where Chu Hongshang came in. Her True Meaning of the Fire Destruction Dao would surely be able to inflict severe damage on the Nascent Soul Ancient Beast.
.....
Several thousand li away in Awakening Lion Valley, a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators were cheerfully harvesting all kinds of Spiritual Medicine. The cultivator in the lead looked at the ground, covered with various Spiritual Medicines hundreds of years old, and his heart filled with joy.
’It was worth venturing so deep into this place,’ he thought. ’It was dangerous, to be sure, but fortune favors the bold. And now, it’s time for the harvest.’
"Hurry it up, everyone! It’ll be dark soon, and the Barbaric Wilderness is even more dangerous at night. The girls at Yihong Garden are waiting for you!"
"HAHAHA! When I get back, I’m going for three hundred rounds! I heard that in the Marketplace, there’s something called Spring Breeze Extreme Dew refined by someone named Jiuyan. They say it works wonders, just a bit pricey. Once I’m rich, I’ll buy two bottles and down them both in one go!"
After making this grand declaration, the man waited for his companions’ cheers. But after a few breaths, there was only silence. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and branches only made the quiet more profound.
"Where the hell did everyone..."
Before he could finish, his body slumped to the ground. A dazed-looking soul emerged, but the instant it left his body, it was sucked into a silver, flying insect.
After devouring the soul, the silver insect’s glow intensified. It circled a few times, then shot rapidly up into the sky.
Once it was gone, all living things within a hundred-meter radius of the spot fell into an eternal slumber.
One, two, three...
Thousands of silver insects took to the air, coalescing into the illusory shape of a silver lion’s paw print. It flashed forward one step at a time, heading toward the Cloud-Clawed Lizard’s territory in the distance.
A muddled consciousness was distributed among the silver insects. Each insect was a single node of thought, and only when all the nodes connected did the consciousness become clearer.
’Who’s disturbing my sleep again? This is the second time. How tiresome. I should just eat them all.’