Why couldn’t he spit it out?
Because Liu Xiaolou’s cultivation was weak and his true qi wasn’t sufficient enough. When it ca to forcing out sothing alive like a demon vine seed, he just didn’t have what it took. Before he could expel the seed from his body, it had already dissolved into blood and scattered inside him.
Liu Xiaolou looked like he was about to cry but couldn’t. “Brother Tan, if I die, please bury on Qianzhu Ridge, deep in the bamboo forest. Let rest near my master…”
Tan Bajhang yanked him up and started dragging him away. “Save it. We’re leaving. Talk later!”
Liu Xiaolou kept mumbling: “There’s no one left to carry on the Sanxuan Sect. Only Big White remains. Please take care of it…”
Tan Bajhang jabbed a tal staff through Liu Xiaolou’s collar and slung him over his shoulder. He took off running, charging up hills and wading through rivers faster than ever.
“I’ve got the Sanxuan Sect’s sect leader token, and the Purple Pole Sect’s too. I’ll pass them both to you…”
“Would you quit talking? It’s just a seed. It’s not even poisonous!”
“It’s a demon vine seed… a demon…”
“Then it’s a dead demon. Dead ans it’s just a vine. Just think of the seed like a lon seed and crack it!”
“It’s not a lon seed… it moves… like a bug…”
“Didn’t it already turn into blood? What’s moving now? Does your stomach hurt?”
“A little…”
“Are your ridians blocked?”
“For now… they’re still flowing…”
“Can you still manipulate your true qi?”
“It’s like... the poison hasn’t kicked in yet?”
“Poison? What poison? If it were real poison, you’d be dead already. Honestly, it might be so kind of crazy energy booster!”
“If it’s a booster, then why’d you spit it out?”
“Because I was blind and didn’t recognize a treasure when I saw one. Now I’m kicking myself!”
“I don’t feel any power boost though… Wait... huh?”
“What is it?”
“The Daling acupoint… it’s opened!”
Liu Xiaolou had been working on unlocking the Daling acupoint for nearly a month. He’d already dumped two spirit stones into the effort, and it was right on the verge of breaking through. Based on his calculations, he figured he’d need another seven or eight days and most of a spirit stone to finish the job. But after hearing Tan Bajhang’s comnt, he tried it without thinking. And it just opened up, smooth as anything.
That one seed was worth at least half a spirit stone. No. Better than a spirit stone. With spirit stones, you still have to slowly convert the spiritual energy into true qi. But this seed? It was pure qi, already refined and ready to use. It had saved him a week or more of effort.
Could this be a blessing in disguise?
Liu Xiaolou’s mood lifted imdiately. “Brother Tan, I can walk on my own now.”
He struggled down off Tan Bajhang’s iron staff and took off running toward the edge of Wulong Mountain. His stomach didn’t hurt anymore, his true qi was flowing smoothly, and everything felt completely normal.
“Brother Tan… that demon vine seed... it's actually a good thing.”
“Huh? We can talk about it once we’re back.”
“After the Qingyu Sect leaves the mountain, will any of those seeds be left behind?”
“Didn’t you see? They dissolved as soon as they hit the wind.”
“Ah… yeah, you’re right…”
Wulong Mountain was now blanketed in violet light, thunder rumbling nonstop; it was an awe-inspiring sight. Outside the mountain, the Zhanglong Sect had already taken notice, and they were caught between shock and uncertainty.
Since this was three sects attacking one, the Dongyang Sect and the Lu clan of Tianmu Mountain were naturally coordinating with each other. Positioned on different sides of the mountain, the three groups had ford a near-complete encirclent. But now, the leaders of Dongyang and Tianmu had co over to the Zhanglong camp to discuss their next move together.
After receiving detailed intel from Liu Xiaolou and Tan Bajhang, Zang Baili rushed to the eting with the three sect leaders and reported word for word:
“It’s been confird. The Qingyu Sect is deep inside Wulong Mountain at the Sky Pit Drum Site, fighting a massive demon vine that appeared out of nowhere. The vine is dozens of feet tall, with hundreds of writhing tendrils. It’s terrifying to even look at. But the one fighting on Qingyu’s side was just a single man. When he revealed his divine form, he wore a golden crown of fla and wielded a phoenix-winged gold glaive. He used a purple-light technique to incinerate the vine demon. That violet glow and the thunder; that’s the might of his technique.”
When he finished, Sect Leader Qu looked grim. “Sect Leader Han, Brother Lu… we’re surrounding the mountain, and they’re in there sharpening their disciples. We’ve been played!”
Sect Leader Han frowned deeply. “Was this all for training their inner disciple, Jing Zhao? Could Jing Zhao really be so heaven-sent prodigy? If that’s the case, then we sects here in Jingxiang may never get our mont in the sun.”
Sect Leader Lu added, “That’s very possible. But how did Qingyu Sect know the demon vine would appear on Wulong Mountain in the first place? Still, I don’t completely agree with you, Brother Han. Qingyu Sec is one of Jingxiang’s sects too. If they’ve truly brought forth a prodigy, we may all benefit from their rise.”
Sect Leader Han shook his head. “That depends on Qingyu Sect’s intentions. If they plan to use this as leverage to throw their weight around, then forget about sharing any glory.”
“Let’s wait and see how it plays out,” replied Sect Leader Lu.
As they were speaking, soone ca to report that an inner disciple from Qingyu Sect was requesting an audience. The three sect leaders imdiately gave permission to let him in.
The visitor was Dongfang Yuanying; he ranked last among his sect's inner disciples. Still, he was the youngest son of Sect Leader Dongfang. Sending him at a ti when relations were tense clearly showed good faith.
The young man had a radiant complexion, with a soft, glowing sheen to his skin. Sect Leader Qu couldn’t help but remark, “It’s been a while, Nephew. Looks like your Qi Refinent is nearly complete; you’re about to begin true cultivation?”
In a major sect like Qingyu Sect, “beginning cultivation” referred specifically to Foundation Establishnt. That Dongfang Yuanying was about to reach that stage before the age of sixteen was indeed impressive. Yet there was no arrogance in his deanor. He bowed respectfully and said, “This junior’s ager skills are nothing compared to the three Sect Master Uncles, just a flicker of firelight next to the sun. I’ve co on my father’s behalf to offer his greetings. He would like to et with you in person, if you have the ti.”
The three sect leaders exchanged glances. “Where is Sect Leader Dongfang? We can go et him ourselves.”
Dongfang Yuanying lowered his head. “He wouldn’t dare impose. He said that if the three Sect Master Uncles are willing, he’ll co pay his respects in person.”
....
The defensive formation was still active, but at so point, the various clans and sects maintaining it had begun to slack off, including the Zang clan, where Liu Xiaolou belonged.
By late afternoon, the sumr heat still lingered. The cultivators of the Zang clan lounged around, so sitting, so lying down, each finding whatever shade or breeze they could. Servants moved through the camp, serving tea and attending to their masters.
Zang Baili suddenly rembered that the tigerhead dragon still hadn’t co back. He called Liu Xiaolou and Tan Bajhang over to ask about it. When he heard that he had been captured by one of the Qingyu Sect’s mountain patrol gods and its fate was unknown, he nodded and sighed.
“Tough luck.”
More news kept rolling in. Word was that the four sect leaders were eting in secret aboard Sect Leader Qu’s boat on Wuchao River…
Then the Qingyu Sect released over a dozen people; sons of noble families and disciples from various sects aligned with the three major sects. Even the Zang family got one back: a nephew of Zang Baili’s, who returned with tears in his eyes, claiming he’d nearly died and lost his cultivation. Zang Baili rushed to serve him spirit rice, spirit wine, and spirit at, much to the envy of Liu Xiaolou and Tan Bajhang, who stood to the side, swallowing their drool.
Soon after, more than ten stakes were erected at the foot of Wulong Mountain, each with a corpse hanging from it. Supposedly, these were rogue cultivators, leaders of the outlaw groups in the mountain, executed as part of Qingyu Sect’s sweeping victory.
Late that night, Qingyu Sect officially declared total success in the Wulong Mountain campaign. They announced that the remaining bandits had already been punished and confessed their cris. Showing the virtue of rcy, the sect stated that they would execute only the ringleaders and spare the followers. Nearly a hundred rogue cultivators were then released and allowed to leave the mountain. They scattered the mont they got out.
And just like that, the grand battle of “three sects against one” ended before it even really began. Loud and dramatic at first, but ultimately fizzling out.
Zang Baili disbanded his forces on the spot and led the Zang family cultivators back to Ewe Ram Mountain, leaving Liu Xiaolou and Tan Bajhang staring at each other, dumbfounded.
What about the promised bounty?
That was a whole spirit stone!
....
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