Kapitel 49: 154-162 The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]
Chapter 154: Preparing to Depart
Inside the inn, Li Lang and his friends sat around a table in the dining hall with Yun Ming. He was the creator of the Tracing Origin Art that Li Lang bought, and they were having an exchange about the technique until the food arrived. It caused Li Lang to be taken aback, pausing mid-sentence.
However, he was the only one who had such a strong reaction. Wei Ping simply gave it a curious look while Long Yi immediately dug into the food.
"There's rice inside! It is actually pretty good!"
Seeing Long Yi's positive response, Sima Xue quickly dug in too.
"You're right! It is pretty good."
Everyone else began to sample the dish at their words, and Li Lang was no different. After taking one bite, he immediately put his utensil back down and glanced around, looking to flag down one of the staff. That was because he wanted to ask a few questions.
"Is s-something wrong?" Wei Ping asked, noticing Li Lang's strange behavior.
"Hmm, have you seen sauce like in this dish before?" Li Lang asked in return, pointing to the plate.
"No, but it t-tastes pretty good. It w-works up my appetite."
Before their conversation could continue, the innkeeper lady walked back into the dining area.
"How are you kids enjoying our lunch special? Pretty good, isn't it?"
"Yeah," everyone but Li Lang replied cheerfully.
The proprietress smiled and then directed her gaze to Li Lang, asking him for his opinion with her eyes.
"Yes, it is good, but if I may, can I ask where you bought this red sauce?"
He took a spoon and scooped up some of the red rice for the innkeeper to see.
"Oh, ketchup. We made that ourselves for the first time today. Have you had it before?"
"...No. If you didn't buy it, then where did you guys learn to make this?"
"Why, from the chef right beside you, of course."
She grinned as she tilted her head toward Yun Ming, who just sheepishly smiled back.
"It's something I ate since I was little."
"I can see why. It is delicious," the innkeeper immediately approved. "Our dear guest here asked to use our kitchen to prepare his own food yesterday, and the smell that came out made me salivate. He was nice enough to show me how to make it. I never knew you could use…"
As the woman explained the wonders of ketchup, Li Lang kept looking between Yun Ming and the plate of omelet rice before him. It was basically ketchup-flavored rice wrapped in an omelette, with some bits of vegetables and meat added into the mix. It wasn't exactly hard to make, but it still caught Li Lang off-guard.
That was because it was a dish that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to everything else he's seen. It was like nothing like the dishes of this world. Back in Yellow Qilin, the food was similar to Eastern cuisine of his world, with rice as the staple and focusing on steamed food and soy sauce for flavoring.
The food in the Luminescent Domain was mainly roasted protein that had simple spices rubbed on or stir-fried food.
It stood in contrast to the more Western-themed ketchup.
Well, there's no Western or Eastern in this world. So I can't think like that.
Li Lang directed his attention back to the innkeeper, who was still chatting about the new dish. He waited for an opportunity to interject.
"I never heard of this tomato you used for the sauce. Is it something rare?"
Instead of the woman responding as Li Lang expected, Yun Ming answered in her stead.
"It's not that common around these parts, but it's common up north where I'm from. I stocked up on it before I went on my travels. You're welcome to have some if you want."
A few familiar tomatoes appeared at the wave of his hand. It appeared identical to Li Lang's memories.
Hmm, even if it's native to the same Violet Isle we're on, I guess the logistics of goods aren't that developed here. Unless they have help from cultivators… Space rings that can prevent perishables from rotting away within days.
"Thank you. I appreciate it. I guess we're lucky to be able to try this new dish out before you ran out," Li Lang directed the last part to the middle-aged lady.
"Indeed, but I'm looking to see if some of the larger merchant groups are interested in helping me procure them. Hmm, if I get them to transport the sauce itself, it might not take up that much space in their space rings. That is, if you're okay with this recipe spreading, of course," she directed the latter part to Yun Ming.
"Oh no, don't worry about me. I don't mind. It's not exactly any secret back where I'm from."
"Oh geez, thank you."
With the topic of food settled, the innkeeper went to tend to other matters while Li Lang and Yun Ming resumed their chat regarding Qi arts. With something to talk about, time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Li Lang's group parted amiably with the eccentric creator, leaving the inn. They boarded Sima Xue's Skyrunner and slowly navigated through the sea of people.
"So? Which auction do you want to check out today?" the young Nightmoon Valley disciple asked.
"I don't have an opinion except for the one happening at the end of the night. You guys choose the ones for the afternoon, but I do want to get our shopping done first."
Li Lang's words made the other three exchange looks, waiting for each other to make a decision.
He left matters in their hands. As long as he got to all his objectives, he didn't mind how they spent the remainder of the day. However, they needed to go shopping while the stores were still open, as he decided they would be leaving for the province of Vermillion Dragon the next day.
That meant leaving Sima Xue behind. It was too dangerous for her to venture out to the orthodox sect's territory.
In turn, this meant their main mode of transportation would be gone. They still had their cheap Skyrunner in her space ring, but it went too slow for their tastes. Li Lang considered it to be worthwhile to purchase a new one as a replacement. After all, he had come into a great deal of money, and money was most useful when spent.
"Is there a Skyrunner auction, then?" Long Yi muttered. "Maybe we should go check it out?"
"There are," Sima Xue replied, "but the ones found in auctions usually have other functions added to them or are luxuriously furnished, so I doubt it is what you guys are looking for."
"Right. I prefer something practical for now. We don't need anything fancy," Li Lang confirmed.
Skyrunners were vehicles created by woodsmiths. They were significantly more common than artifacts, with their cost mainly being all the time it took to nurture them. That was why the gang's next stop was a shop that dealt with these convenient vehicles. As Polarity City was a place for cultivators, it wasn't particularly hard to find such a store.
To Li Lang, the place looked more like a stable, meant for selling horses rather than the vehicle dealerships he was used to. Still, there were dozens and dozens of Skyrunners, each parked behind a small enclosed room, all with roofing to protect them from the elements.
They found several other guests browsing the vehicles, and each group was accompanied by what appeared to be a staff member of the store. They wore the same beige robes with a red sash, and all were mortals with low cultivation.
Li Lang listened in on the conversations as he walked by, and none of them acted haughtily before the employees. It was evident from this that the store had quite the prestige to have gotten all the cultivators to behave.
Led by Sima Xue, the group entered into the store's main building, which was a stone structure that the stables surrounded. There were just as many people inside, browsing through an assortment of wooden materials laid on dozens of racks.
"Is this where they can pick out the type of wood for their Skyrunners?" Li Lang muttered.
Having received training in the craft of woodsmithing, Wei Ping jumped to answer.
"S-should be. It should take q-quite some time for the order t-to be fulfilled, though."
"What this guest says is generally correct," a female employee stepped in and interjected. "But we can expedite the order if our clients want to shorten the wait time."
Li Lang didn't need to hear from Wei Ping to remember how he mentioned there were heavenly resources that could speed up the process of woodsmithing. He also knew they were usually exorbitantly expensive, to the point it wasn't worth it in most situations.
Seeing how none of the new guests said anything, the employee continued.
"Please forgive me for intruding on your conversation, dear guests. I was too eager to assist you."
"No p-problem. We were looking for help to f-find us a Skyrunner, anyway."
The saleswoman beamed upon hearing that and swiftly stepped closer to Wei Ping.
"Of course. Please tell me more about what you're looking for."
Seeing as Wei Ping was the expert among them, the group left it all to him. Sima Xue even stepped away from the group, browsing the store playfully.
"I'll wait for you guys here. Master usually picks everything for me, so I want to check out what I've been missing out on."
As the saleslady brought the trio back outside where all the Skyrunners were, Li Lang prepared to record everything they would go over. He planned on learning all the crafts eventually, so it was never too early to learn about the topic.
Chapter 155: Shopping Spree
"Dear guests, what is your approximate budget?" the saleslady asked as they walked out to the stables-like warehouse, where dozens of Skyrunners were showcased.
The trio let their smallest member with the mask answer.
"A-about twenty red crystals f-for the Skyrunner with a consumption of n-no more than ten Qi stones per hour."
So far, the Skyrunner Li Lang received from Elder Cao only expended one Qi stone per hour. It was the most basic model there was. In turn, it meant it was slow.
With some wealth under their belt, and Li Lang's ability to earn taken into consideration, they obviously chose something much better than their old one. Still, the group decided not to get ahead of themselves and set a modest budget of around twenty red crystals.
The main consideration behind their decision was the consumption. Ten Qi stones per hour were already quite a bit over their current earning ability, but they didn't travel every day.
"Hmm, ten Qi stones, so we'll be taking a look at the most basic Earth-grade Skyrunners or the peak of the Mortal-grade. Personally, I would recommend the latter, because you'll be able to use both red crystals and Qi stones. In the event of an emergency, you'd also be able to power it with your own Qi, unlike the Earth-grade ones."
Earth-grade items required Foundation Establishment level Qi to power. It was something Li Lang had investigated long ago, where he found Qi had a qualitative change once it reached a certain saturation point. Until one of them broke through, they would have to rely on red crystals to power the Earth-grade Skyrunner if they bought it.
No one objected to the salesperson's recommendation, as their safety was on the line, so they soon found themselves inside one of the Skyrunner warehouses. Dozens of small gates decorated both sides, presenting a clear view of the vehicles behind them. The scene still made Li Lang expect a horse's head to come poking out at any time, but that was evidently not going to happen.
"So there are quite a few options that fit your criteria. Most Mortal-grade vehicles don't consume that many Qi stones. There are only about three we have on hand that have such a high consumption."
"We'll t-take a look at those, t-then."
The employee did her job, guiding them to the vehicles, and went over the specifics of each of them. Li Lang was sure she went into such detail because she recognized Wei Ping as someone who knew his stuff. The conversation wasn't exactly hard to follow, except for the various names of materials they mentioned.
Li Lang could have either never come into contact with these wooden resources or they were under unfamiliar names. There was no shortage of data entries within his lab that were placeholder names that consisted of numbers and letters in random sequences.
Either way, with only three candidates to go through, they finished looking over them within the hour.
"So, what do you guys think? If none of them meet your needs, we can continue looking at the others as well."
Wei Ping glanced over at Li Lang for his decision. After all, he was still the one with the purse.
With all three being in the same ballpark in price, their performances understandably didn't differ too much.
The first option was a dark brown vehicle with room for six in the back. It was the same size as the basic Skyrunner they had and cost nine red crystals. The sales lady introduced it as a basic model within the peak Mortal-grade.
The second option was similar, except it was larger, which also meant it was slightly slower. It could carry ten people in the back with room to spare for luggage. It cost fourteen red crystals.
The third option was the most expensive of them all. It was a size between the first two options and made from golden brown material. It didn't have the luggage space like the second one, but could still fit ten people. Its price was justifiably higher because it could not only travel as fast as the first option, but it could also block out the Qi sense from prying eyes. The price tag was twenty-two crystals.
Li Lang didn't have to dwell on the matter for long before he answered.
"We'll take the last one we saw."
His answer made the woman clap her hands.
"Good eye, dear guest. This Skyrunner was made by a talented woodsmith who only came short of nurturing it into Earth-grade due to a certain accident. Still, it should have no problem blocking prying sense from Foundation Establishment experts."
"Where do we pay?" Li Lang asked, not amused by the flattery.
Taking the hint, they were swiftly guided back into the store.
The clerk quickly processed their sale inside the main building, where they fetched Sima Xue and rode back onto the streets of Polarity City on their new vehicle.
"Not bad. It's pretty spacious back here," Sima Xue exclaimed.
Li Lang had opted to drive their new Skyrunner, as Sima Xue would no longer tag along starting tomorrow.
"Yeah, this one is definitely more comfortable for me," Long Yi added.
"That's because mine was only intended for a girl like me. You're just too big,"
Long Yi grinned and raised both hands in surrender. He didn't argue with her accusations. The group of four slowly trekked across the city in silence for some time before Sima Xue got bored.
"Where are we going next, anyway?"
"To buy what you were telling me about yesterday," Li Lang answered.
"Yesterday?"
"Yeah, at the auction."
"Hmmm. I don't remember, just tell me."
"Just be patient. We're almost there. You'll see soon."
"Cheapskate!"
As Li Lang had foretold, they soon arrived at a treasure pavilion. It was a five-story building, much larger than the previous one they had visited. It wasn't a coincidence as they had asked around for the largest one around.
"Treasure pavilion? That doesn't tell me anything," Sima Xue cried.
Li Lang didn't bother to explain as they made their way in. There was an entire crowd inside, all lined up behind a counter. Thankfully, there was a staff member holding a sign at the back of the line, informing them it was for pawning items only.
"Seems like all these independent cultivators are doing their best to gather funds ahead of the auctions tonight," Long Yi commented.
"Good. Hopefully, that means it's more likely for them to have what we want."
Leaving behind those words, Li Lang braved through the sea of people and made a beeline for the staircase. Items were placed on each floor by their respective value. He knew there was no way what he wanted was on the first floor.
The entire place was set up like a mirrored P, with the products displayed behind the counters of the oval area while a straight hallway connected the entrance to the stairway.
Arriving on the second floor, they found the scene much more serene. There were only a few other guests around. The staff members outnumbered the customers.
Looking to save time, Li Lang walked straight to a clerk who appeared free.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find space rings here?"
"Space ring, sir?" the tall clerk parroted as if he thought he had misheard.
"That's right."
"Give me one moment."
The man swiftly retreated into the back of the store for a few minutes before he returned with a much older-looking man who was cleanly shaven. He had an eye-catching scar that ran across his left cheek, all the way down to his chin.
"Greetings dear guest. Welcome to our Golden Beetle Pavilion. I am Tong Wei, one of the managers here. I heard you're looking for a space ring?"
Li Lang nodded.
"Do you have any here?"
"Of course, of course. Our treasure pavilion has a stockpile of numerous valuables thanks to the prospering trade route due to our location. Please follow me up to the third floor."
The middle-aged man walked with an air of confidence. Despite not detecting any Qi from the man, everyone in the group knew he was an expert. He nodded amiably to Sima Xue as he passed her before moving along at a steady pace.
Up on the third floor, the layout appeared the same. It was a simple oval room, filled with various items on the shelves behind the clerks. Manager Tong Wei swiftly got behind the counter and retrieved several boxes from the display.
He placed them on the counter just as Li Lang's group approached.
"Here are the space rings we have on hand. As you would expect, while the auctions are going on, we only have rank one and two space rings on hand."
The manager opened up the boxes, revealing half a dozen silver rings within. Each of them was adorned with a whitish stone that resembled marble. They were so similar that it was impossible for Li Lang to tell which were the rank ones and which were the rank twos.
Finally. It's time for me to get my hands on a space ring. Not only will it help with our logistics, it'll also sate my curiosity as to how they work!
Li Lang wasted no time and went straight to the question that mattered.
"How much are they?"
Chapter 156: Buy Buy Buy!
"How much are they?"
In response to the question, the middle-aged store manager gently took out one of the space rings by wrapping it around a piece of cloth and laying it out before Li Lang's group.
"This one is a rank one space ring. It can hold up to two hundred and fifty shi. This one is twenty red crystals."
Li Lang quickly did the mental math to convert the units of measurement to cubic meters. It came to be around thirty cubic meters. He nodded, as it was quite sizeable despite being the most basic rank. It was comparable to a twenty-foot shipping container.
The shopkeeper, Tong Wei, continued to present the next space ring.
"And this one is a rank two space ring. It can hold up to five hundred shi. It is fifty red crystals."
The group took a moment to appraise the two rings from a distance. They looked similar enough, but one of them had half the capacity of the other. Of course, it came with a heftier price tag.
Everyone stayed silent so that Li Lang could make the decision. As the person with the money, it was his decision to make. It didn't take long for Li Lang to choose, as both were well within his budget.
Rank one space rings were just enough for one Skyrunner and some miscellaneous supplies, so Li Lang thought to get a rank two ring right away. At the same time, rank one space rings were more cost-effective. Faced with this dilemma, he simply chose to go with the best of both worlds.
"I'll take two rank ones and one rank two," he declared.
Only he needed to stow their Skyrunner away, so he decided he would purchase the larger ring while he planned to entrust his two companions with a rank one space ring each. It could help them carry around their weapons and craft materials, allowing them to travel light.
"Of course. Would you like us to package them in gift boxes?"
"No need. We'll wear them directly."
"Understood. If you could just provide me with ninety red crystals, you can take them away."
The exchange of currency for products went through without a hitch. The group soon exited from the treasure pavilion with a new ring on each of the trio's fingers.
The first thing Li Lang did upon exiting was to test out his recent acquisition. They had parked their new Skyrunner just outside, but he decided to test it on something smaller first.
"So what should I do?" He asked the only woman and experienced space ring user among them.
"Simple. Just channel your Qi into the ring and it'll automatically register it. Then, it will automatically listen to your will. Your intended target has to be near you, though."
Li Lang did as instructed. The moment his Qi made contact with the ring, he felt as if something had grabbed onto his energy and violently pulled it in. While violent, it only lasted for a split second before everything returned to normal.
"Good. It should be bound. No one below the late stages of Foundation Establishment should be able to overwrite your ownership of the ring," Sima Xue assured.
Seeing the scene, Wei Ping and Long Yi bound their rings too, and the trio began playing around with their new gadgets.
One moment, Li Lang had his spear in his hand, the next it vanished. There was a short delay where he could feel the ring reach out to his intended target. When he tried to summon out the weapon, he experienced the same feeling, but this time, the ring reached out to find a place to spit the item out instead.
Like a child, Li Lang kept stowing and retrieving his spear. Sometimes he would make it appear in his hand while other times, he made it appear a small distance away. He found out that he could control the orientation of the object, but the range was limited.
Hmm, this has a lot of potential.
Before he could continue his tests, Sima Xue cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner.
"Ahem, come on, boys. It's time to move on."
Wei Ping and Long Yi, who had been doing the same thing, instantly stopped. While it was a novel thing for them, their thirst to unravel how it worked paled in comparison to Li Lang's.
Forced to stop, Li Lang took a moment to test out his toy one final time, but with his Skyrunner. The large carriage, which could easily hold ten full-grown men, disappeared just the same way his smaller articles did. It did, however, take slightly longer due to its size, but it was just as effortless.
"Well, what have you guys decided for the afternoon?" Li Lang asked upon getting into the driver's seat.
"Just go take a left there. Let's check out the Pill auction next," Sima Xue answered.
The venue they arrived at was the same one as yesterday's artifact auction. However, there were noticeably fewer people.
Just as they entered the lobby, they happened to run into a group they'd rather avoid.
"Tsch, it's them," Sima Xue voiced in disgust. She didn't care about being overheard, so the other party quickly noticed them.
"Well, well. If it isn't the demonic vixen, Ling Xue," a young man in green robes hastily said as he unfolded a fan. "You're lucky our sect has decided to ignore small fries like you for now, but don't you dare step foot in our territory or I'll make sure you regret it!"
Sima Xue didn't even spare a glance at Lu Hong, choosing to ignore his presence entirely. It made the man further enraged, but he directed it to Li Lang instead, as he was staring at him.
"And you, traitor number two! Don't think I'd forget about you," he said with gritted teeth.
"Hmm, we may have had a misunderstanding here," Li Lang tried to placate. "I plan on explaining myself to Elder Cao after the auctions are over, but I can explain myself to you now, too."
Lu Hong turned to the side and raised his open fan to block Li Lang from view.
"No need. I won't give you the chance to deceive me with your insidious speech techniques."
Before Li Lang could try to defuse the situation further, two new people entered the scene. One was tall and lanky, while the other was short and round. They were Pei Fong and Zhang Bai, Lu Hong's two companions.
"There you are, Young Master Lu. Do you need assistance confronting these villains?" the taller of the two asked, while the other stepped forward protectively.
"How dare you demonic cultivators gang up on our fellow disciple within Polarity City. Are you disregarding the rules set forth by the City Master?"
"Zhang Bai, step back before they cast their illusion Qi arts on you. We're leaving."
Fluttering his sleeves, Lu Hong led the charge up the stairway to the second floor. During the entire time he walked away, he fanned toward Li Lang's group furiously, as if to keep their stench away.
"Well…That could've gone worse," Li Lang muttered.
He glanced back and found Wei Ping tightly holding onto Long Yi's arm while Sima Xue continued to look in the opposite direction from where the three stooges had gone.
These guys are almost full-fledged adults now. Why are they still so temperamental? Let's get into the venue quickly before their mood sours anymore.
The day quickly went by after that. The Spirit Grove disciples no longer bothered them, but it wasn't like they had the chance. Li Lang's group wisely chose to remain as spectators when they knew they were attending the same auction.
The group of four went around various auctions, experiencing what they had to offer. Unlike yesterday, there were a few events for Mortal-grade items, but none of them bid for anything.
For Li Lang, it wasn't that he couldn't afford it. It was just that he chose to save his money. His plans required a lot of funding, so only a fool would splurge it all away now on materials that had questionable uses in his immediate future.
Despite not having any gains, they managed to broaden their horizons. They saw various artifacts, pills, talismans, Qi beasts, craft materials, techniques, and even properties.
Very soon, night approached, and the party went toward the last scheduled event for the day. It was the one Li Lang marked as a must-go because it sold an item that he needed for his plans. He had thought about buying this item ever since he made a discovery within the pocket realm, and now he finally had the chance.
"Greetings everyone. For those who have never seen me before, I am Xia Gao Mei. For those who do know me, hello again. I will be your auctioneer for tonight's Mortal-grade artificer auction!"
Unlike the artifact auctions, the artificer auction focused on the equipment and materials required in the profession instead of just artifacts.
As always, the auction started right away, and Xia Gao Mei brought out a short wooden hammer that was covered in moss.
"This is the Lushfall Hammer, and as you can see, it is a peak Mortal-grade round hammer with great affinity to both the Earth and Wood elements. For those of you planning to work on artifacts with these elements, it will definitely be a huge boon to you! Starting bid, fifty Qi stones!"
With Mortal-grade items, the auction dealt with Qi stones instead of red crystals. With items meant to be used by Energy Gatherers, it was too much to ask for red crystals from them.
"Seventy Qi stones!"
"Eighty!"
This auction was especially popular with independent cultivators. They didn't have the same access to resources as those from sects and organizations. This was one of the few chances they had to procure treasures. Otherwise, they would have to luck out in treasure pavilions, make a deal with sects, or venture into ruins to uncover left-behind valuables of the past. The last method was especially popular owing to the culture of leaving behind inheritances when a cultivator was close to the end of their life.
One item went after the next in a relatively short amount of time. Just as the auctioneer got started on its final leg, the item Li Lang had been waiting for appeared.
Chapter 157: The Vital Component
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the next lot that many have been anticipating. A set of peak Mortal-grade beast cores! Unlike the ones you can rarely even buy just one from your organization, we've gathered an entire set of ten beast cores from the same species of Qi beasts! That means you can attempt to craft a treasured artifact ten times, increasing your familiarity with every try to maximize your chances!" The auctioneer, Xiao Gao Mei, cheerfully announced.
A plate holding ten murky translucent cores was neatly stacked on the pedestal. They were oval with slight bumps across their surface, but for those experienced artificers in the audience, they were unmistakable beast cores.
The size of the core varied from the species it was from. In this case, each core was the size of a grapefruit.
"These cores were taken from Long Neck Turtles, and are relatively neutral in element. It's perfect to create an adaptive type of artifact, capable of invoking any element," the auctioneer continued. "The starting price is one thousand Qi stones!"
Many of the younger people in the crowd were instantly excited. They had little experience handling beast cores, and they offered them an invaluable opportunity. However, the elders beside them quickly reined them in.
"Be patient. This is likely not the last lot of beast cores. Also, they are neutral in elements, which makes them unsuitable if you plan to make weapons. I thought you wanted your first successful artifact to be a treasured blade instead of armor, right?"
Even Li Lang had learned enough from his artificer mentor, Tie Qian, to know the advantages and disadvantages of neutral element materials. They were adaptable, but that meant they were jack of all trades and masters of none.
Against a sword artifact with the fire affinity under the same conditions, it would likely lose even if it invoked an opposing element, such as water, because the effect produced was weaker. These neutral element materials were often reserved for defensive artifacts or other types of utility artifacts.
The young were often hot-headed, so it was understandable novice artificers often focused on weapon artifacts first. For the more experienced bunch, they wouldn't be handling Mortal-grade cores which were known to be defective cores. It was beneath them, which led to the scarce supply of Mortal-grade artifacts.
"Three thousand Qi stones!"
"Three thousand five hundred!"
"Ten thousand!" a voice shouted, silencing the venue.
Everyone turned to find a youth with a head slightly larger than average, but otherwise a plain-looking individual.
Whispering filled the venue, as everyone wondered who he was.
"Where does that guy hail from? He's got the Nightmoon Valley princess beside him, but he's not wearing their robes."
"This young man sure is bold. The equivalent of a hundred red crystals for just a bunch of Mortal-grade cores. He could purchase a genuine set of Earth-grade cores with that kind of money!"
"What's with that arrogant smile? He looks like he believes he's already won with that smug face."
"Let him be, Junior. Us independent cultivators shouldn't go looking for trouble against something affiliated with large factions."
With the sudden large bid, many people gossiped, but no one tried to outbid it. The price range it was now at was no longer worth it. Young Energy Gatherers would normally take years to earn this amount of money, while their mentors refused to pay this large sum for them as well.
Alchemists like Li Lang earned one Qi stone per pill on average. There were difficult-to-refine pills with rare recipes that went for more, but the profits never went beyond a dozen or two Qi stones for Mortal-grade pills. Other professions were in a similar boat. One hundred red crystals were equivalent to one hundred basic Earth-grade pills!
While many cultivators carefully saved money over the years for these auctions, that didn't mean they would recklessly spend it all away.
Within all the commotion, one person was unmistakably ecstatic about the turn of events. It was the auctioneer, Xiao Gao Mei. She glanced around the second floor where various Young Masters were for a few more seconds before she began counting down.
"Ten thousand Qi stones from guest twenty-seven. Is anyone else willing to go higher? Going once, going twice, and sold to guest twenty-seven. Congratulations!"
As the audience had suspected, the next few lots were a set of beast cores, too. From lot to lot, they differed in elements, and the bidding war for them heated up. That was unless Li Lang took an interest in them.
"Set of ten water element beast cores, sold to guest twenty-seven for ten thousand Qi stones!"
"Set of ten earth element beast cores, sold to guest twenty-seven for ten thousand Qi stones!"
"Set of ten wind element beast cores, sold to guest twenty-seven for ten thousand Qi stones!"
One after the other, Li Lang bought three additional sets of beast cores, bringing his total to four sets. No one challenged him, half owing to his high prices and half owing to the presence of Sima Xue.
As the auction finished, the group accompanied Li Lang to pick up his trophies, as it was the last auction of the night.
While they waited in a private room for the transaction to be processed, Sima Xue couldn't help but ask about the purchase.
"Are you guys really that eager to craft artifacts? I don't think your chances are too good, even with a set of ten similar cores. It can't make up for the fact you guys haven't practiced enough yet."
"Hmm, yes and no," Li Lang answered. "We are looking forward to creating artifacts, and I'm confident in our chances. However, we aren't planning to rush straight into crafting with them. We plan to study them properly first."
"Well…I guess it's not a bad idea to buy them while you can, then. And I hate to say it, but I believe you when you say you're confident in your chances. After all, you did the same thing with the brushweaver ink, but I've never heard of an alternative way of artificing before. Can you give me a hint about how you plan to go about it? They say artificers have always used similar methods throughout the years, so it can't be an old technique, right?
"If we succeed, we'll show you our artifacts, but for now, there isn't much I can tell you."
"Hmm, fine. Secrets are secrets. I'll be looking forward to seeing the artifacts, then."
Sima Xue shrugged before directing her attention back to the paintings plastered around the walls of their room.
While she did that, Li Lang conversed with his two companions about their ideal artifacts. He wouldn't want to give out information about his upcoming talisman printer project, so he kept the conversation steered toward their future weapon artifacts.
As he waited in the room for his cores, his mind couldn't help but wander toward all his plans. He couldn't wait to have Ruby consume each of the cores, so he could use them infinitely within the artifact space.
He could fine-tune the artificing process before he made his attempt. While the challenge was said to be in how each set of materials differed, Li Lang was confident in making it work. Even when his research produced any results, he still planned to return to Emberglow City first, to obtain the guidance of his mentor before making a real attempt in reality. The wait normally would've been painful, but thankfully, he had Ruby.
His plans to create a printer artifact could now resume in full force.
Previously, the missing vital component was something that acted as a battery but could evoke the Qi at the same time. Qi stones and crystals could only store energy, not manipulate it, which led Li Lang a search for alternatives. Qi beast core was exactly what he needed, and according to his mentor, Tie Qian, it was a crucial component in creating an artifact.
If I can get a working talisman printer, I can build up wealth quickly. It'll allow us to establish a nascent organization that can support more members, even without holding territory. It seems like we'll want to recruit as many disciples as we can during this trip into the orthodox sects' territory.
Then I can focus on creating our weapon artifacts. If Ruby can up my success rate, I can use the extra cores to create more artifacts for our future organization as well. Everything seems to be coming together!
Li Lang's musing was interrupted when they heard knocking at the door to their waiting room. A woman entered, followed by four young teenagers behind her. Each of them held a tray that had Li Lang's beast cores on them. They walked in and placed them on the central table as if setting up a buffet.
"Here are the lots you've won. Please confirm them," the woman said.
Long Yi swiftly stepped toward the table and picked up a core to examine up close, while Wei Ping watched on with a thoughtful expression.
"They look genuine. But are they?" Long Yi directed his question to the Nightmoon Valley disciple.
"Yep. Come on, let's finish up and have dinner."
Hearing those words, Li Lang sighed as settled the payment in red crystals. He didn't have tens of thousands of Qi stones in reserve, and the auction house took it just the same. In fact, they likely preferred it.
With a wave of a hand, Li Lang stowed around all forty cores into his space ring.
Judging from Sima Xue's tone, she will probably be asking for Earth-grade tofu pudding again tonight. I'll have to say goodbye to more of these red crystals.
While they exited the establishment, Li Lang sighed and fell into deep thought. Predictably, his thoughts quickly deviated to the beast cores now in his possession. Thankfully, he quickly caught himself before he got too deep.
He headed to Wei Ping and gave him several red crystals.
"Now then. I'll be busy tomorrow up until when it's time to leave. I want you to stock up our supplies for us."
His words caused the other two in their group to grin while Wei Ping dutifully nodded.
"G-got it, boss. Don't s-stay up too late."
"Yeah, I'd rather not have to carry you tomorrow morning," Long Yi chimed in.
Sima Xue added fuel to the fire by letting out her unrestrained laughter.
"...Yeah, yeah. I get it guys."
Our journey to Vermillion Dragon hasn't even started, and I already want it to end. Let's hope we can get it over with quickly and uneventfully.
Chapter 158: Parting Ways
Li Lang woke up early in the morning and immediately started packing. During the previous night, he irresponsibly ignored everything and dove straight into Ruby's artifact space.
That was because he had fed one of each type of beast core to his artifact, and he got straight to investigating it. As they were items with the main quality in their Qi properties, none of his lab equipment could provide him with satisfactory information. It only gave him the physical composition of the cores. Instead, he played around with the cores, using them as materials in all the crafts he knew about.
Unfortunately for him, his artifice teacher had yet to pass on everything regarding how to deal with beast cores. This wasn't because she was holding out on him, but it simply wasn't something she considered necessary so early on in his education. Beast cores allowed artificers a chance to create an artifact. The value of it meant it was usually afforded to the more experienced students who had studied for at least a year, if not years.
While Li Lang didn't make any startling discoveries, he was still content with knowing the cores in his possession were capable of fulfilling the role he needed to complete his talisman printer.
Setting the matter for when he returned to Emberglow, he swiftly got ready and exited to the first floor of the inn. He found his companions already there in the tea area next to the lobby.
"Wow, I expected someone to have to go get you. Can't believe you showed up on time by your power alone," Sima Xue said mischievously.
Long Yi and Wei Ping simply sipped from their cup, choosing not to comment.
"I'm always on time for important matters like these. I do as promised."
"Hmm, I think I only got three servings of tofu pudding when I was promised more?"
"...When we get back—"
Sima Xue held up a hand to stop him from continuing while struggling to contain her giggling.
"It's fine. That matter is settled. I wasn't serious about making you buy me so much pudding. I'd just get fat."
"Can Foundation Establishment cultivators even get fat?" Li Lang seriously asked, examining Sima Xue's body carefully.
"I don't know, but I'm not putting it to the test! Stop staring at me like that!"
The high-energy morning soon came to an end as the trio wanted to make good distance in their travels before night fell. There weren't many settlements along the path from Polarity City to the province of Vermillion Dragon.
Instead, there were vast mountain ranges and forests filling the void between them. It was a land belonging to Qi beasts, and also a buffer between the two opposing factions of orthodox and demonic.
The group of four boarded Li Lang's new golden brown Skyrunner as they departed from their inn. Even early in the morning, the streets were filled with pedestrians. All the people brought into the city to handle the menial tasks, in turn, birthed a market to address their needs. Food stalls flourished along with all the cultivator-centric stores.
Their speed only picked up when they got onto the main road that led directly to the gates. It didn't take them long to arrive at the edge of the city. However, before they could exit, they spotted two familiar faces standing beside a parked carriage.
They noticed Li Lang in the driver's seat and immediately waved him down.
"Good morning! I'm glad we waited for you at the right gate," the young man known as Gui Hong greeted.
His voice made the passengers inside the Skyrunner stick their heads out the window before exiting the vehicle to greet the two Eroding March Pavilion disciples.
"What do you two want?" Sima Xue questioned, without mincing her words.
"We just wanted to thank you again," Gui Hong's companion, Ning Fei, explained. "We didn't have a chance last time, but now that our business is done, we were able to get gifts for you guys."
The young girl brought her hands together and a red package materialized in her hands. She then presented it to the skeptical Sima Xue. Though she hesitated for a moment, in the end, she still received the gift.
After all, there were no bad feelings between them. She was only suspicious of them during their meeting, and unhappy that Li Lang had been so reckless.
"Thank you."
"I have something for the rest of you as well," Gui Hong chimed in, bringing gifts of his own for the three young men.
"Wow, thanks. The Eroding Pavillion disciples sure have money, even after spending so much on that sword artifact," Long Yi muttered.
"L-Long Yi, it's Eroding March Pavilion," Wei Ping corrected. "Sorry a-about him, he's n-not the best with words, but he m-means well."
"Don't worry about it," Gui Hong responded while scratching his cheek. "And our pavilion isn't as wealthy as you think. It's just that I received some funds from an elder to buy presents for my cousin."
"To congratulate him for his results in the pocket realm?" Li Lang interjected.
"Well, I guess it's fine to say. It's for his inevitable breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."
Does that mean he hasn't broken through yet and they're getting gifts ready already? Man, that's a lot of pressure on Gui Tianzi's shoulders. And I'm the one who started it. I'm starting to feel a little sorry for him.
"Is something the matter?" Gui Hong asked.
"Oh, no. I was just wondering what it's going to be like when it is our turn."
Gui Hong took a moment to examine Li Lang and his companions and nodded.
"You three do have pretty good chances, seeing you're even younger than me and already nearing the next major realm. At the end of the day, if you're fated to achieve greatness, you will. Be confident…is what my elders always say."
"Thank you for your encouragement. Anyway, we have to get going and take advantage of the sun still being up. I hope to see you again."
"I guess this is it," Sima Xue sighed. "I'll head back to Nightshade Valley, then. Do you two want to tag along?"
Gui Hong and Ning Fei were both taken aback at the question, but they recovered quickly.
"No, thank you. We have an elder nearby who has agreed to pick us up. After all, we're carrying items bought with the pavilion's wealth, so it's better we stay cautious around the border areas."
The two Eroding March Pavilion members waved on as Li Lang's group left. Sima Xue had gotten onto her own Skyrunner and made their way out the gate side by side.
Once they cleared the gate, they stopped on the side of the road for one last farewell.
"I've got to go back to continue my training or my master will start nagging at me again, but I'll try to convince him to attend the final auction next month. If you guys don't come, then you likely won't see me for at least a year."
"We planned to broaden our horizons and attend that auction if we could anyway," Li Lang replied.
"Ha, I'm sorry, but attending the main auction isn't as easy as these auctions we've been to. Still, you should be able to see the proceedings, though." Sima Xue didn't elaborate before directing the boys to follow her. "Come on, we're both heading east, so I'll guide you partway."
The province of Vermillion Dragon was located east of Yellow Qilin, where Li Lang was initially from. Polarity City was south of Yellow Qilin, located just on the border of the orthodox and demonic territories. Both parties needed to head east, but to be precise, one going northeast while the other was going southeast.
Still, the group could head together in the same direction for some time before they needed to veer off to their own destinations, so they did just that. Having the guidance of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was better than not when cutting through Qi beast-infested forests.
A towering mountain range soon came into view, cutting off parts of the forests into sections and making it into a maze. It marked the point where the two groups finally had to separate.
"Stay safe, guys. Bye!"
Only Sima Xue's voice, empowered by her cultivation, could reach Li Lang's group over the high winds. Her black Skyrunner quickly picked up pace and turned into a tiny dot before disappearing entirely.
This left the three young men to adjust their own heading, but not before taking out a talisman.
"I'm not one to question you guys, but are you sure that warding talisman is enough to deter all the threats on the way?" Long Yi asked. "Didn't they say Foundation Establishment-level beasts were common around the mountain ranges? They say there's even Violet Core-level ones."
"They are, but the direct route from Polarity and Vermillion Dragon should be safe. Experts have already dealt with any threats, so their disciples and merchants can safely come and go. Isn't that right, Wei Ping?"
The man in question nodded.
"I've i-interviewed several merchants who a-all said the same thing. As long as w-we don't fly too high, n-none of the stronger beast s-should spot us."
"Yeah, but didn't Gui Hong and Ning Fei also get attacked despite being so close?" Long Yi continued to worry.
"Those birds were at the peak of Energy Gathering at best. I'm sure those mighty experts didn't bother eliminating everything on the path, or else they should've just built roads."
"R-right. The warding talisman s-should be enough."
"Well, I guess you guys did thoroughly investigate. Don't mind me for asking."
"Hmm, I would've thought you'd want a challenge to stimulate your breakthrough."
"Yes, but I also want to live, too!"
The three soon got on their way while remaining vigilant. They didn't fly too high and kept themselves between mountain ranges. They could hear a lot of activity from the Qi beasts down below, but otherwise kept moving unhindered.
That was until they suddenly heard a loud thump from above. It was followed by vibrations that told them something had hit their roof. Then, their Skyrunner abruptly came to a halt, throwing the three young men off their balance.
"So you guys finally decided to leave the city, huh?"
Chapter 159: Stalked
"So you guys finally decided to leave the city, huh?" an unfamiliar man's voice resounded clearly from above the trio. It sent shivers down their spines as the newcomer unleashed their aura at the same time.
Under this pressure, it became a herculean task for Li Lang to just turn around and look up at the intruder standing on their vehicle.
A Foundation Establishment expert, and not a weak one either! Could it be a rogue demonic cultivator?
"Senior, I'm not sure if you have the right people. We are simple members of The Orchid Covenant," Li Lang proclaimed while unpinning his badge from his belt for the man to see.
He wanted to ensure he knew they were demonic cultivators, so they wouldn't become sustenance for some demonic cultivation technique.
"Hmm, I don't really care where you're from. Even if you're from Nightmoon Valley, we would've still come. In fact, my brother is dealing with whoever is driving that pitch-black Skyrunner right now."
His words made the trio to grimace. It meant whoever their assailants were, this attack was targeted, and they had been monitoring them, too. It made the possibility of talking their way out of this way more unlikely.
Li Lang had been hoping their assailant was a simple demonic cultivator as they usually were in a weak mental state if succumbed to their inner demons. He was confident of getting away, if that was all they encountered. If the perpetrators were acting with a purpose, it meant they were sound in mind and able to resist what he had prepared.
He exchanged a quick look with his two companions through the window before glancing up at the man on their roof. His mind raced as he thought up a plan. While his means weren't enough to allow them to escape entirely, it was still enough to give them a chance at survival.
As if the assailant could read his mind, he wasted no time and swiftly appeared right beside Li Lang. He stood straight as a rod, standing on the edge of the driver's seat. He then poked his head through the window to inspect its interior, leaving his side open to Li Lang without a care.
"Hmm, I guess they're not here. Oh well, you don't always get what you want. Maybe you three can help me have a good time instead."
It was at this moment the three young men decided to act. They all tapped into their space ring at the same time, materializing several talismans in their hand. They quickly activated them all at once.
However, the Foundation Establishment cultivator had a reaction time that couldn't be underestimated. Just as Li Lang got his talismans off, he felt a sharp pain in his left hand. Before he could realize what happened, the effects of the talisman came into effect. Smoke engulfed them while the three boys disappeared from their assailant's sight. At the same time, Li Lang deactivated the effects of the warding talisman, making the attacker lose track of them.
The man didn't seem to mind as he nonchalantly remained on the Skyrunner.
"Oh, concealing talisman? I wonder what other goodies are in here? I guess I'll have to find out once this game of hide-and-seek is over. I'd like to gamble that you have enough in here to reimburse me for the fee to crack it open."
He wore a wide smile as he held up a space ring to the sun before looking down at all the greenery below him.
Meanwhile, Li Lang was free falling down into the forest below. Thankfully, they hadn't been flying too high. Combined with the physique of someone in the late stages of Energy Gathering, dedicating their energy to defense, he was able to land without serious injuries. The fall had still knocked the wind out of him, but it strangely produced no sound thanks to the talisman.
Shit, shit, shit. I have to act fast. First, I have to regroup with Long Yi and Wei Ping! And—ouch! Is my finger broken?
He glanced down when he felt a sharp pain upon trying to move his left hand. His index finger was unresponsive, limping down listlessly. It made his heart skip a beat. Not because of the injury, but because it was the finger where he wore his space ring on.
This… is pretty bad, isn't it?
Thanks to the convenience of a space ring, Li Lang placed most of his belongings in it. That included the Recovery Pills he needed to heal from his injury, talismans to keep up the concealment, and all his other items.
Forget finding Wei Ping and Long Yi. At this rate, that guy will find me!
The sense of urgency within Li Lang began climbing up rapidly. He glanced around at all the trees and bushes surrounding him and began running toward the thickest part of it. He only ran for a dozen seconds before he abruptly came to a halt.
No, I can't outrun a Foundation Establishment cultivator in just the few minutes the concealing talisman gives me. I need help. Whether it be from Wei Ping, Long Yi, or a passerby.
Li Lang quickly placed a hand on a tree and began invoking his heavenly fire. The Primordial Star Fire within him responded to his calls and immediately began enveloping the tree. Under his control, the bluish-white light flared up, engulfing a large section of the trunk before fading as quickly as it appeared, leaving a normal orange-red fire to burn in its place.
Repeating the same thing on other trees, Li Lang successfully set fire to a small part of the forest. Smoke began rising up, acting as a signal to everyone nearby.
Before Li Lang could relax, the ground beneath him quaked and the earth around him flew up up into the sky. It was followed by a loud sound, like an explosion. He was knocked forward but managed to keep running by using his hands for support.
Glancing back, he made it just in time to see a large boulder floating up toward the lone cultivator hovering in the air. It then suddenly accelerated, catapulting it toward the burning trees.
Well, of course, this is also giving away my position.
Having done everything he could, he kept running further into the forest. It was too predictable to go toward Polarity City, and it was too far in the first place for him to reach on foot.
While on the run, he continued to try his hardest to think up a plan.
The only other items on him were a few red crystals he tucked into his shoe for emergencies. Everything else had been lost in the space ring.
Like that, he soon became helpless as the effects of the concealment talisman faded. He was exposed alone in a forest filled with vicious Qi beasts. While he still had the foliage to hide under, it didn't help if he came within range of his assailant's Qi sense.
The only thing he could do was wait and hope. Hope that someone had seen his smoke signal or he could at least rendezvous with his companions so he could use another concealment talisman to gain more distance.
Hmm, Wei Ping and Long Yi may not know I lost my space ring, though. They may be doing as we had agreed upon, lying low and meeting up back in the last city we were in later.
With a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator searching around, Li Lang's time was quickly dwindling. It would be foolish of him to try to reach out with his Qi sense, so he didn't even know how close his hunter was.
For better or worse, the suspense didn't last long. The sound of hearty laughter soon reached Li Lang's ears.
"Hahaha. It seems I already found you! Is it because you're missing this?" the man said, hovering in the air, looking down on his newfound prey.
He provocatively held out a space ring and wore it on his middle finger. However, Li Lang didn't give him the reaction he wanted because that was the last thing he cared about right now. He was more worried about how to get out safely from this situation.
The more he thought about it, the less likely he believed his chances of getting away alone were, so he unleashed his Primordial Star Fire without any restraint. The area around him quickly caught on fire, but it wasn't particularly hot in Li Lang's vicinity.
The point was to simply create a spectacle so even those in the distance could see.
"Oh, a heavenly fire? Interesting. We can play a nice and long game, then. Let's see if your pet fire is willing to submit to me instead?"
Just as the attacker was about to act, smoke suddenly gushed out from Li Lang, swiftly obscuring the area even further. Gases from the burning trees and from his Qi art were enough to force mortals to run lest they breathe in too much smoke.
However, the attacker wasn't a mortal. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his body simply shone within the smoke. A thin coating of Qi protected his clothes from contacting any of the gases, and he could breathe just fine. In fact, he could even keep track of Li Lang as he ran. The smoke was entirely useless against him.
A sword instantly materialized in his hand, and he slashed upward. Instead of sending out any Qi attacks, the ground beneath trembled before sharp pillars of earth burst out, reaching so high in the air it almost reached its user. In the aftermath of the chaotic scene, Li Lang could be seen lying on the ground, coughing up all the dust he breathed in.
"Any other tricks? Or shall we proceed to play with your fire now?"
The man slowly descended and Li Lang could only helplessly look up at him. That was until he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, he didn't hide his surprise well enough. The assailant instantly caught on and turned around to check out what he had seen.
Instead of saying anything, he ascended back into the air at a rapid pace, with his sword tightly gripped in one hand. Both he and Li Lang had the same question going through their minds.
Who is it?
Chapter 160: The Giant Cicada
Off in the distance, a small dot rapidly grew larger as it encroached on the area where Li Lang and his attacker were.
They both stared on, awaiting the new arrival for different reasons. For Li Lang, he hoped an expert had seen his signal fire and would rescue him. For the assailant, he was being cautious toward the new party, not wanting to give them any opening. Li Lang was nothing but an ant in his eyes, and he only bothered with him for fun. He didn't mind handling him later.
The newcomer only took a few seconds before they reached them. It was so fast that Li Lang could only make it out to be a blur until it came to a full stop.
That's…not a Skyrunner. Is that a tamed Qi beast?
Memories flooded his mind regarding the fateful day when the Abductress had attacked. The Clear Heart elder back then also had a tamed Qi beast as a means of travel, but until now, he had rarely seen others in possession of a tamed beast.
Qi beasts were wild animals that were naturally aggressive. Their body was also filled with valuable materials to be used in crafting, so it was understandable that they were normally killed.
Only very rarely did one find an infant Qi beast to tame. To find one capable of flight was even rarer and exponentially more valuable due to its usefulness as a mount.
And now, the new arrival to the scene was riding on one of these exceptional specimens. Li Lang didn't need an expert to be here to tell him that the colossal cicada Qi beast was one of the rarest among rare mounts a cultivator could have.
What was even more surprising was the rider, who was now alternating between looking at Li Lang and his ambusher with a confused expression on his face.
"Li Lang? What's going on here?"
Before the man could get an answer, his figure suddenly blurred as he locked swords with the only other Foundation Establishment cultivator at the scene.
The sound of their metal swords striking each other loudly resounded throughout the area as they exchanged blows after blows. The scene grew more chaotic with every second that passed.
Their exchange of sword strikes swiftly came to an end when the assailant found himself being pushed back. He faltered after receiving each counterblow, and it quickly added up as they exchanged dozens of strikes within a second.
However, the newcomer didn't push his advantage aggressively enough. He was still confused at the sudden conflict, which allowed his foe to create some distance and invoke his Qi arts.
In one smooth motion, pillars of earth rose from the ground and formed into spears and shot off at the newcomer. Instead of relying on his sword to defend himself, the man jumped back on his Qi beast and summoned forth dozens of naked blades around him. The blades shot out explosively to intercept the spears, nullifying the attack, but not without creating a dust cloud covering the entire area.
Taking advantage of the dust cloud, the newcomer sent his blades through the smog, hunting down the enemy to prevent him from pulling any more tricks. At the same time, he landed his mount right next to Li Lang.
"I don't know what's going on, but it seems to be nothing good. Get on and hold on to me!"
It was only then that Li Lang got a closer look at the newcomer and confirmed his identity. He had his suspicions, but the fast-paced action prevented him from getting a good look. Having recognized the other party, he didn't hesitate to take his hand and got on top of the giant cicada that was easily as tall as two grown men.
Once he got seated behind the rider, they didn't wait a second before taking to the skies again.
"Thank you, Yun Ming. I can't believe you're the one who showed up. You really saved me there."
"Can't say that was my intention, haha. No need to thank me. I was just helping Glimmer here, get some exercise," Yun Mind replied while lovingly caressing the cicada. "Anyway, we have to get back fast. Whoever that guy is, he is a lot stronger than he looks…wait, you're injured?"
While glancing back, Yun Ming didn't fail to spot his new passenger's awkward grip on his shoulder. The index finger on his left hand was listless while the other four fingers held on tightly.
"Yeah, he caught us off-guard and took my space ring, too."
"Here," Yun Ming quickly handed him a pill bottle.
Before Li Lang could open it, he felt his vision shift drastically as they abruptly lurched to the side.
"Just hold on tight for a second. He's trying to hit us down!"
Glancing back, Li Lang spotted the skies behind them filled with hundreds of shadows. It didn't take long for him to realize it was a rain of stone spears launched directly at them. It made them swerve left and up, up and down. The scene made his heart skip a beat, but thankfully, they successfully escaped the volley.
Their success had earned them a moment of respite, but only a short one.
"I think he's still coming!" Li Lang exclaimed as he continued to keep watch of their rear.
It caused Yun Ming to lean forward to hug his mount as he muttered something. Glimmer, the Qi beast responded to its rider's whispers by suddenly picking up speed.
"He's still gaining on us!"
This caused Yun Ming to glance back himself, and he grimaced upon verifying Li Lang's words.
"That's not good. He'll be able to catch up before we reach the vicinity of Polarity City."
"But you can fight him off, right?"
"That guy is likely in the middle stages of Foundation Establishment. While that is only a step above me, it's not a gap that can be easily surmounted. I only put up a fight earlier because he underestimated me due to my cultivation and let me get close despite him being more proficient at range."
The relief Li Lang had been feeling from being rescued quickly dwindled as he realized the implications of their situation. Yun Ming was only in the early stages of the same realm. It would be foolish to believe he could fight off their attacker if he was now taking it seriously.
"You should still be able to hold him off long enough for us to get near the main lanes of traffic, right? Or if you have some way of contacting anyone, it's now or never."
"Umm, I don't exactly have anything like that."
This made Li Lang do a double take on the encroaching enemy. He could now make out a pale purple Skyrunner close on their tail.
"Bring us closer to the ground!"
"We'll attract every Qi beast we fly over, then!"
"That's even better. We need something to keep him occupied while I—." Li Lang suddenly fell silent.
"Hmm? While you what?" Yun Ming glanced back to check on his passenger, only to find him deep in thought. He decided against interrupting him and took out another pill bottle instead.
He then fed his mount some stimulant pills in hopes it could buy them more time. Unlike Skyrunners, Glimmer was a living, breathing creature. It suffered from fatigue, so the pills were critical in keeping up their pace.
When Yun Ming had fed a third pill to his beast, Li Lang finally broke his silence.
"Do you think you have a better chance if we can keep his attention divided?"
"Umm, if you're thinking of taking advantage of the wild Qi beasts down there, it's not so easy. They're hard to predict, and I would have to be on guard against them, too."
"That may be so, but your partner here is another story, right? Do you think Qi beasts would fight against each other when humans are intruding on their territory?"
"Hmm, I don't know."
"Let's give it a shot."
Staring into Li Lang's confident eyes, Yun Ming slowly nodded.
While Li Lang appeared to be confident, he was also unsure inside. Qi beasts weren't something he had the chance and resources to study yet. They were commonly traded among the demonic cultivator community, but the Foundation Establishment level ones found nearby were something he had rarely seen. That was because he was still an Energy Gathering cultivator.
The only reason he believed the nearby Qi beast would prioritize targeting humans was because of the history of demonic cultivators hunting them down. Many animals were both observant and intelligent. Matriarch elephants could memorize routes to guide their herd around so they could have ready access to food sources.
Li Lang had learned that as Qi beasts became more powerful, so too did their intelligence. That made him suspect the nearby Foundation Establishment-level beasts would be able to identify the dangers of humans throughout their long years of hunting. He believed it was reasonable for them to target humans over other beasts and decided to gamble on it.
"If this works, can you prioritize retrieving my space ring? I may be able to actually help if I get it back."
"You? Help?"
Despite the skeptical looks Yun Ming cast onto him, Li Lang still nodded with confidence again.
"I may not be able to do much, but slowing him down shouldn't be an issue."
Yun Ming remained silent for a while, so Li Lang continued.
"Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but my life is on the line too. It's in my interest to increase our odds too, so I just ask that you place some trust in me."
Having said all he could, Li Lang could only nervously await his reply.
Chapter 161: Stalking the Cicada While Aware of the Oriole
"Please tell me what you consider help can be done from range?" Yun Ming finally asked, upon thinking through the proposal from the Energy Gatherer he had saved. His claim of being able to assist him against someone in the middle stages of Foundation Establishment was perplexing, but he could not spot any traces of deceit in his words. He could see that the young man truly believed in what he said.
"Yes, that's what I intend to do," Li Lang replied. "Don't worry, I'm not suicidal. I am fully aware of how dumb it would be for me to get close. I just need my space ring back first, though."
"Hmm, do you know which ring it is? I saw him wearing two."
"It should be the one on his middle finger."
The two quickly settled on a course of action and moved to carry it out. The cicada they were riding quickly dipped down to the treeline. As they suspected, their pursuers followed hot on their tail.
Their altitude went lower and lower until, finally, the canopy of the trees stretched above them. Their speed barely slowed down, and the roars of various beasts could be heard off in the distance upon detecting these new intruders.
The rustling of leaves was the only thing that could be heard as they continued zipping through the forest. Their persistence in staying at such a low altitude made their pursuers frown. He sucked in a deep breath and channeled a Qi art to project his voice across the distance.
"You two! You should know that these little tricks you're coming up with won't save you. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, right? Do you really want to continue with your plan if I already know about them?"
No answer came as the giant cicada continued its flight. He couldn't even catch sight of anyone on its back, which caused him to momentarily suspect they may have gotten off with the use of a concealment talisman or something similar.
While the boy he was chasing wasn't his target, he preferred to eliminate those who had witnessed his attacks. He was fully confident in his ability to chase down his prey, even with the new Foundation Establishment cultivator added to the mix. The only problem was the time limit. Polarity City was near, and while he had items to counter their use of stealth implements, they were too costly to be used lightly.
Just as he was weighing the benefits of employing his trump cards, he sensed movement to his side. He turned just in time to see a badger-like Qi beast lunge out at him from some tree branch.
If he hadn't noticed the Qi beast, he might have been in trouble, but now that he did, he simply waved his sword and a wall of stone blocked its path. After dealing with the badger, he made sure to keep his guard up against any follow-up sneak attacks too, which further added to the delay.
The momentary lapse in the chase caused the distance between him and his prey to grow.
"These stupid brats!" he spat out aggressively.
He then retrieved some red Qi crystals and shoved them into a compartment just under his seat. His pale purple Skyrunner almost shone in response before it suddenly sped up.
The distance once again shortened with each passing second at his newfound speed. That was until he was jumped by yet another Qi beast. This time, it was a colossal alligator that leaped at him from below. Its jaw was wide enough to easily fit his entire Skyrunner into it.
Having been on guard against these attacks by now, the man driving the purple Skyrunner immediately sent out a palm strike at the incoming foe. Nothing came out of his hand, but instead, the earth around the alligator started moving. It twisted together, twining around the Qi beast's tail before it hardened into stone. It completely killed the momentum of the jump, pulling the large beast back down on the ground.
Distracted once more, the pursuer cursed out and forced even more red crystals into his Skyrunner. He had already gone well past the recommended consumption amount. While it was a viable way to force more power into his vehicle, there was a limit. There were real risks of his entire vehicle exploding right now if it failed to contain all the energy.
However, he didn't care. He continued to abuse his vehicle, allowing him to catch up once again. This time, no Qi beast came to interrupt as he got closer and closer.
He could see his targets start to panic now, seeing them veering left and right, trying to use trickery to gain some distance. They even circled around a large tree back the way they came. In fact, they were heading straight back at the alligator.
With the surprise factor completely out of the window, the attacker was fully prepared to swat away the Qi beast. He channeled energy into his sword, preparing to maim the beast who dared to attack him. Before the alligator could even jump, a large spike erupted from the ground, impaling the beast and causing it to let out an agonizing wail.
Still, a Qi beast wasn't so easy to deal with. It managed to spin around, breaking off the entire pillar of stone while it still impaled it. The man in the purple Skyrunner shook his head at the resilient beast before beginning to channel yet another move.
The moment he started it, he sensed multiple objects rapidly heading for him from all directions! He had been on the lookout for this type of sneak attack the entire time, so he instantly noticed.
Dozens and dozens of blades flew toward him, but even then, he knew he couldn't dodge in time. He canceled his move so he could employ another one to counter the incoming attack. His skin began to turn brown, and a layer of earth started coating his entire body.
With his new defense deployed, the blades that made contact with his skin all shattered upon impact. However, the attacks didn't stop there. A figure once again leaped out from the trees, closing the distance while he was preoccupied with his defensive Qi art.
He barely made it in time to intercept Yun Ming's downward swing with his own sword.
"Is that all you got? You may be pretty strong among those in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, but you're powerless against me! You better use everything you have soon because that alligator behind you may turn on you at any moment. These childish distractions won't do you any good."
Instead of replying, Yun Ming simply smiled.
It caused the man to knit his brows as he sensed something strange. It took him a second to realize what that strange sensation was as he watched Yun Ming retreat into the distance.
The attack he blocked just now had been too weak. He could see that Yun Ming had only held onto his sword with one hand. That was because, in his other hand, Yun Ming was currently holding onto a shiny object.
The assailant quickly checked his own hand to find one of the rings missing. He stared at his hand for a full second before he erupted into hysterical laughter.
"Haha haha, truly amusing. The ants I was hunting had the gall to take from me during the hunt. You sure are something else! I do have to compliment you for coming up with futile ways to resist until the end. It worked even though I knew it was coming, but I'll have you know that it was the last clever trick you'll ever be able to pull. Getting so close to me by your own initiative will be your last mistake!"
Ignoring his words, Yun Ming continued to dash back to his mount. The cicada was also headed for him, but before they could reunite, a large wall suddenly extended out from the ground. It separated Yun Ming from his mount.
Li Lang, who was still on the cicada, could only stare with wide eyes at the wall. It was so wide and tall that Yun Ming could only try to break through it, or else he would have to kill his momentum.
A loud crashing noise resounded as he impacted the thick walls. A crack appeared before some small pieces of debris scattered on both sides of the wall, revealing a small hole. However, it wasn't large enough for Yun Ming to fit through.
"Shit! Take it, Li Lang! Things are going to have to go faster than we thought!"
Something shiny came sailing through the hole, straight toward the giant cicada. As if able to read its master's intentions, the cicada positioned itself so Li Lang could catch the item.
The moment he caught it, the intense sound of fighting could be heard from the other side of the wall. He spotted Yun Ming's figure trying to fly over the walls, only for it to extend upward, closing off the path. It was apparent their assailant didn't plan to let him go.
Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, Li Lang only spotted the colossal alligator in the distance, but it was just standing there.
Shit, we'll have to adjust the plan on the fly.
The original plan was to retrieve the space ring before performing their hit-and-run tactic again. They would flee until another Qi beast kept their attacker occupied, so the two of them could then launch another ambush.
With Yun Ming locked into a fight now, they had to make do with what they had.
Li Lang stared down at his space ring and began retrieving his belongings. It was time for him to get involved. He didn't know exactly how useful he would be, but every bit helped. He just had to tip the scale in their favor.
Chapter 162: Keep it Up
The fight between Yun Ming and the mysterious assailant continued to rage on. Li Lang was still separated from the chaos by the colossal earthen wall the enemy had conjured. Time was ticking. Every second that passed by was priceless as Yun Ming struggled to keep his foe at bay.
The difference in power between an early-stage and middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could not be understated. The only reason Yun Ming was still holding his own was because he specialized in close-range combat, while his opponent didn't. However, he had to stick close to Yun Ming in order to keep him confined. Otherwise, it allowed for too many opportunities to escape.
Hmm, if only I could get this cicada Qi beast to listen to my commands. It's just sitting there right now.
Determined to help, Li Lang quickly retrieved several items from his space ring.
He knew his first objective was to rendezvous with Yun Ming, and the main obstacle to that wasn't the wall before him, but the attacker himself. He was fighting while shutting down any of Yun Ming's attempts at approaching Li Lang and his mount.
The only offensive talismans I have are explosive ones, but they are only Mortal-grade. And I'll need to get in range for them to even serve as a distraction…
Another loud impact sound rang out from the other side of the barrier as if to urge Li Lang to make his move quickly.
Fine, let's do this. It does more harm than good if I just sit around indecisively here.
Taking a deep breath, Li Lang activated another concealment talisman and began to scale his way up the wall. He took out the two large needles he used for his Gossamer Knife Dance technique and used them as ice picks. Empowered by his Qi, it had no problem digging deep into the wall despite Li Lang's strength. After all, the only reason Yun Ming had trouble getting through it was due to the active intervention of his opponent.
Very soon, he made it to the top, where he got a clear view of the fighting below. They moved at speeds that were hard for him to keep track of, but Li Lang could at least read the general direction of the fight.
Having realized he wouldn't be able to get away, Yun Ming had been working to close the distance, while his foe kited him around. Numerous rock spears were constantly being conjured and shot toward Yun Ming before they would be sliced apart. It resulted in a constant barrage of debris all over the area.
Without any other choice, Li Lang started scaling his way down into that chaos.
Unbeknownst to both Foundation Establishment cultivators, the young man got closer and closer. Li Lang got down in a prone position to avoid the debris and inched closer.
Finally, he grabbed a handful of talismans and threw them out.
Despite it having appeared from nowhere, they only traveled as fast as he could throw it, allowing the target to react. Their assailant instantly turned to the new objects entering the fray and only needed to spend a split second to recognize them as Mortal-grade talismans.
"Ha, so you couldn't wait to join in on the fun? Come on now, do you really think these low-level talismans will even serve as a distraction?"
The man easily swatted away the talisman at the wave of his hand. The earth rose to form a small wall, intercepting its trajectory and causing explosions to rock the scene. However, he only formed a wall to intercept the talisman that was headed toward him. Several of them flew in a different direction, heading to Yun Ming instead.
It caused the assailant to sneer at the horrible aim Li Lang displayed. A moment later, another round of explosions rang out around Yun Ming as the talisman made contact.
"Ha, Energy Gatherers shouldn't interfere in our fights. It's way beyond you. Look, your attacks are even hitting your allies."
The mysterious man's delight only lasted for a moment when he suddenly realized his Qi senses had lost track of Yun Ming. He quickly scanned his surroundings, being on the lookout for any sudden attacks.
He then retrieved a talisman of his own from his space ring and threw it into the air while pointing two fingers at it.
"Break!"
At his beckoning, the talisman exploded into countless tiny motes of light, raining down as far as the eye could see. It quickly reached the ground level, where it then disappeared. The only exception was at a small area in front of the towering wall. The lights hovered in place before it exploded violently. It didn't cause the wind to blow or any physical damage to that area, but it revealed the figure of two people in its place.
"Did a mighty Foundation Establishment expert as young as you really have to resort to running with your tails between your legs using the help of an Energy Gatherer? I was thinking of letting you go if you just ran away quietly, but now that you made me use a revealing talisman, that's not going to happen. You better hope you have enough on you to compensate me, or I'll make your death a painful one!"
Instead of replying, the two young cultivators quickly darted in two different directions. One went up the wall while the other headed straight for their attacker.
The assailant didn't even bother with Li Lang scaling the wall and resumed his cat-and-mouse dance with Yun Ming. He slammed a palm at the ground beneath him, causing the earth to soften to a mud-like state where Yun Ming was.
In response, he leaped high into the air and prepared to bring his sword down onto his foe.
The unknown man performed another swatting motion with his sword hand, making dozens of stone spears to pelt Yun Ming from his right side. Despite parrying the attacks, it pushed him off course.
"I was taking it easy on you so I could capture you alive, but I think I've changed my—"
Before the attacker could continue, he suddenly dove to the ground. However, it was too late. Two long needles had embedded their way into his shoulder. They were each as thick as a finger, causing the man to grunt out in pain.
"You and your slippery tricks! Be proud that you were able to draw my blood at—"
Once again, the man stopped mid-speech as he stumbled forward. Yun Ming didn't let this chance go and closed the distance in an instant. He slashed out with his sword, right at the man's neck. Just as the blade made contact with his skin, a layer of rock appeared out of nowhere. Thankfully, Yun Ming was able to overpower the makeshift defense, scattering blood over the scene.
The assailant's expression finally soured. He swiftly jumped back while pressing against his wound. While Yun Ming tried to press the attack, a combination of earthen walls and stone spears blocked his path.
Seeing this scene, both Li Lang and Yun Ming couldn't help but smile.
It worked!
He had handed off his poison needles to Yun Ming. They had discussed the plan in haste, but Yun Ming decided to put his trust in him. He happened to practice a Qi art that was similar to Li Lang's Gossamer Knife Dance, allowing him to control dozens of blades remotely. As Li Lang had suspected, it was Qi art with an affinity with metal, which meant it worked with his needles as well.
It allowed them to deliver cyanide into the assailant's system. As expected, it only worked for a split second due to the disparity in cultivation, but that was all they needed to create an opening. Having proven it worked once, the duo strove to repeat it again.
The cat-and-mouse chase between Yun Ming and the mysterious attacker resumed, but this time, it was in Yun Ming's favor. That was because the other party was injured and was attempting to eat a pill while dodging the attacks.
Having reached the top of the wall, Li Lang decided to join the fray as well. He sent his own needles at their common enemy, despite knowing he wasn't powerful enough to penetrate the defenses of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He did so anyway, just to pressure their assailant even more.
He would have to pay more attention to what had once caught him off guard. At any moment in time, Yun Ming could take control of the needles Li Lang controlled, allowing them to have enough power to be a threat. That possibility forced him to defend against all needles headed his way.
Being pressed by numerous projectiles, the assailant was soon hit by another needle.
Yun Ming grinned as he moved in to do some damage, but his expression quickly changed to that of alarm. That was because his opponent reacted to his charge, even though he had been hit with another dosage of cyanide. The poison should've at least hindered his movements.
Having been caught off guard, Yun Ming was forced away, allowing the man to create adequate distance to consume a recovery pill. The duo was forced to watch on and reassess the situation.
"So it isn't as effective against a cultivator, after all," Li Lang muttered.
He knew, unlike Qi beast, intelligent cultivators must have had their own methods to deal with poisons. Still, seeing his creation turn useless so quickly made him frustrated.
"Li Lang!" Yun Ming cried out, "Keep it up!"
What? Keep going, even if he has found a way to neutralize it?
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein