Chapter 502 - 359: Chu Wuying Appears (2)
Fang Qingyuan had run a Marketplace before and knew the fortune it would take to build one from scratch, to say nothing of constructing a new Immortal City in the Barbaric Land.
He estimated that without accumulating Spirit Stones for several decades, Lechuan would probably lack the resources to do it.
’One step at a time. As long as Master achieves Nascent Soul Transformation, all of this will be possible in the future.’
"Alright, stop trying to sweet-talk me. If you really meant it, you brat, it would be more practical to show your respect with a few more Spirit Stones."
At the mention of Spirit Stones, Fang Qingyuan could only manage an awkward laugh. If Spirit Stones weren’t part of the equation, they were the very model of a benevolent master and a filial disciple.
Lechuan glanced at Fang Qingyuan and waved him away. Just looking at Fang Qingyuan irritated him now; the boy had just shamelessly pried a huge sum of Spirit Stones from him. ’And that was *his* money!’
After Fang Qingyuan left, Lechuan chuckled and cursed under his breath:
"He’s just like me."
.....
After leaving Lechuan, Fang Qingyuan sensed the aura of another Golden Core Cultivator within the sect. To his spiritual sense, this aura had a somewhat sweet "scent."
The spiritual soul itself doesn’t distinguish between colors or flavors. Any information it perceived had to be processed through his sea of consciousness, then compared against his existing knowledge before it could form a concrete image.
This sweet, fragrant aura was a piece of information that Fang Qingyuan had dredged up from the countless bits of data stored in his consciousness, which then materialized in his mind.
This was the characteristic scent of Tu Dai’Er. Now that he had identified this "scent," even if Tu Dai’Er were to use a Scented Powder Pouch to change her fragrance, she likely wouldn’t be able to escape his spiritual perception in the future.
This could be considered one of Fang Qingyuan’s minor Divine Techniques. Perhaps because he cultivated the Soul Dao, his spiritual sense had always been exceptionally keen.
He glanced briefly in Tu Dai’Er’s direction, then turned and left the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect.
After leaving the sect gates, Fang Qingyuan circled around twice. Once he sensed no one was following, he transformed his appearance and headed straight for the Nanchu Sect.
There were some things he wanted to confirm with Chu Hongshang in person.
The Nanchu Sect wasn’t too far from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect, but it still took Fang Qingyuan several days of travel to arrive.
This wasn’t because his flying speed was too slow. It was because the Spirit Wood Alliance and the Li Huo Alliance had blockaded the surrounding routes, forcing Fang Qingyuan to find the right opportunity to pass through.
The blockade wasn’t limited to the ground. Using detection Arrays, they monitored the skies up to ten thousand meters high. As they had to guard against sneak attacks from the Pill Alliance, the two alliances meticulously scrutinized every Cultivator passing through.
This was especially true for Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Cultivators. Anyone who reached this level was a relatively well-known figure. With the resources of the Spirit Wood and Li Huo Alliances, it was easy to distinguish who was connected to the Pill Alliance and who was simply passing by.
During his journey, Fang Qingyuan saw on more than one occasion Cultivators being singled out by members of the Spirit Wood and Li Huo Alliances. They were forced to open their storage bags on the spot, revealing large quantities of military supplies.
For example, stacks of Talismans, piles of Puppet Components, and various Magical Artifacts.
Clearly, the quantities were far too large for an ordinary Cultivator’s personal use. They were carrying so much with the clear intent of selling the goods to the Pill Alliance to profit from the price difference.
This was a practice the Spirit Wood and Li Huo Alliances obviously wanted to prevent. Thus, they set up roadblocks and checkpoints, determined not to let even a single Talisman slip into Pill Alliance territory.
This was, in effect, a blockade and sanction. The three major powers had not yet officially declared war, but with such incidents piling up, a state of paranoia had set in. The entire Southern White Mountain region felt as tense and suppressed as a volcano on the verge of eruption.
However, for Fang Qingyuan, all this was at most an inconvenience, forcing him to spend more time and energy to get past the checkpoints.
After finally getting through, Fang Qingyuan pushed aside any thoughts about the blockade’s implications. He had arrived at the Nanchu Sect, and as he took in the bustling, prosperous scene before him, his heart suddenly felt lighter.
Just moments ago, all he had seen was oppressive tension. Now, the atmosphere was completely different. Separated only by the Death Swamp, the Nanchu Sect was bathed in brilliant sunshine, its streets teeming with people.
Most people had smiles on their faces. Even those who looked troubled lacked the sense of constant, looming dread so prevalent in the Southern White Mountain region.
Fang Qingyuan took a moment to appreciate the local scenery before sending in a formal request for an audience with Chu Duo.
Chu Hongshang was a Nascent Soul Ancestor; even as a Golden Core Cultivator, he couldn’t just meet her whenever he pleased. As for using the life-saving favor from years ago as his ticket in, that would be far too wasteful.
Fang Qingyuan was confident that Chu Duo would be unable to ignore his arrival.
Sure enough, only a short while later, Chu Duo emerged with a sullen expression. He looked at Fang Qingyuan and squeezed out a smile.
’Well, that just makes him look even uglier.’
Unaware of Fang Qingyuan’s internal critique, Chu Duo motioned for him to follow and headed straight for the back of the mountain.
Upon reaching his personal domain, Chu Duo’s expression relaxed slightly. He led Fang Qingyuan into his residence and prepared to question him.
Chu Duo’s residence had no Servants. It seemed as if he was the only person in the entire courtyard.
However, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was hidden in the shadows to the side.
"Sect Leader Fang, is there some important matter for your visit this time?"
Fang Qingyuan pulled his gaze away from the shadows in the room, looked at Chu Duo, and stated his purpose in a soft voice:
"I wish to have an audience with the Red Robe Ancestor. There are some matters I must report to her."