Chapter 442 - 328: A Step Further
Ma Qidong was the most common type of Cultivator in the sect, one with Three Spirit Roots.
With a Middle Grade Foundation Establishment Pill to aid him, he could achieve Foundation Establishment with a fair degree of certainty.
If a Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill were to aid his breakthrough, his success rate would be nearly one hundred percent.
’If I can fail even with a success rate like that, then I might as well just die.’
Elder Fang Yun had even been considerate enough to greatly lower the exchange price for the Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. If it were available for exchange at the normal rate, ordinary disciples wouldn’t be able to afford it.
After calming his excitement, Ma Qidong asked curiously, "Elder, what is this Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object?"
"Jade Dew Spirit Water," Fang Yun replied.
Ma Qidong searched his memory. He quickly recalled the effects of Jade Dew Spirit Water—absorbing it could rapidly advance a Cultivator’s Cultivation.
Now, Ma Qidong understood why Elder Fang Yun had given him such a generous extra reward.
To an elder like Fang Yun, obtaining a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object of this type was second in importance only to obtaining one that could aid in Core Formation.
’Of course,’ he also understood, ’the fact that Elder Fang Yun could produce a Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill meant he had a stock of them.’
’Thinking about it, with Elder Fang Yun’s capabilities, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had three Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, let alone just one.’
After giving his answer, Fang Yun quickly asked, "Are you coming back with me?"
"No, Elder. I still have a mission to complete. Discovering the news of this Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object was an unexpected windfall."
"Alright. Then I’ll escort you out of the Mountain Demon Sect’s territory. It’s not very safe for you here right now."
"Thank you, Elder," Ma Qidong said gratefully once more.
Not lingering, Fang Yun escorted Ma Qidong out of the Mountain Demon Sect’s domain.
...
「Sometime earlier.」
「The headquarters of the Mountain Demon Sect.」
The Mountain Demon Sect Elder guarding the Demon Jars immediately went to report to the Sect Leader.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader! Supreme Elder Lin’s Demon Jar has shattered! He has fallen!"
"What did you say? Supreme Elder Lin has fallen?!"
As the Sect Leader of the Mountain Demon Sect, he was well aware of what Supreme Elder Lin had gone to do.
After the sect received news that a disciple had discovered a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object, he had sent Supreme Elder Lin to acquire it.
But now, before the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object could even be acquired, the man had fallen.
For a Foundation Establishment Influence like theirs, losing a Foundation Establishment Demon was a catastrophic loss.
The only information they had was that the Supreme Elder hadn’t even sent back a message before he fell.
The Mountain Demon Sect Leader began to ponder the situation.
"Sect Leader, when did Supreme Elder Lin leave?" the Elder guarding the Demon Jars couldn’t help but ask.
"Just this morning. News came from a disciple that a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object had appeared in the Dongyue Lake area."
Dongyue Lake was within the territory of their Mountain Demon Sect.
"I see... If another sect were competing with us for this Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object, the Supreme Elder would have sent you a message long before now. After all, Dongyue Lake is our territory."
Prompted by the remark from the Elder guarding the Demon Jars, the Mountain Demon Sect Leader immediately said,
"It seems this wasn’t the work of another sect." The other sects the Mountain Demon Sect Leader was referring to were the Foundation Establishment Influences affiliated with the Demon Spirit Sect, just like them. "It was most likely a Spirit Refiner!"
Having reached this conclusion, the Mountain Demon Sect Leader’s first thought was of the mysterious Spirit Refiner from the Celestial Cloud Sect.
This kind of situation had often occurred in the Celestial Demon Sect’s territory before—a Foundation Establishment Demon would fall without sending back any message.
A situation like this was most likely the work of that mysterious Spirit Refiner.
’The mysterious Spirit Refiner has likely appeared in our Mountain Demon Sect’s territory!’
Realizing this, the Mountain Demon Sect Leader didn’t hesitate and directly activated the sect’s Grand Array.
Although it was only speculation, and the mysterious Spirit Refiner had never appeared in the Demon Spirit Sect’s territory before, they had to take precautions at a time like this.
After the sect’s Grand Array was activated, the Mountain Demon Sect Leader began to send a message.
He transmitted a rough summary of the situation to the Demon Spirit Sect.
Even after simplifying the information, a single transmission was not enough; it had to be sent in two parts.
...
「The headquarters of the Demon Spirit Sect.」
After the Mountain Demon Sect Leader transmitted his message, the one who received it was the Demon Spirit Sect Leader.
As soon as he received the message, the Demon Spirit Sect Leader immediately went to find Pang Feng, a late-stage Core Formation Supreme Elder.
"Supreme Elder, we’ve received a message from the Mountain Demon Sect. A suspected mysterious Spirit Refiner has appeared in our territory."
Upon hearing the words "mysterious Spirit Refiner," Pang Feng’s brow furrowed deeply.
Those three words were no longer a welcome sound to him.
’It has been several years since the end of the great war, and there has been no movement from the Celestial Demon Sect. The mysterious Spirit Refiner shouldn’t appear in our territory without a reason.’
"What are the specific details?"
"Based on the message from the Mountain Demon Sect, this is likely the general situation."
The Mountain Demon Sect Leader hadn’t come in person, and the message he sent was extremely brief, so the Demon Spirit Sect Leader could only infer the general situation from the limited information.
"A Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object appeared in the Mountain Demon Sect’s territory, and it has likely fallen into the hands of a Spirit Refiner. They sent a high-ranking sect member at the early stage of Foundation Establishment after it, but he has now fallen. That’s why the Mountain Demon Sect Leader suspects the Spirit Refiner who appeared is the mysterious one."
"A Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object... a Spirit Refiner." Pang Feng thought for a moment, then immediately gave an order. "Immediately contact our affiliated powers who are located near the Mountain Demon Sect, as well as those who have a neutral relationship with them. Ask if they were responsible for this."