Chapter 4, Later Period of Taiji

I do not have any essence stones, but I have gathered some people to go to the Black Dragon Valley in the north of the city to hunt some black dragons in exchange for essence stones. Li Yi quickly blocked Hong Lian, who was about to leave

Xuanyuan Yuer caught up, not knowing where she summoned a hammer, which was similar in color to the shield, indicating it was likely part of a set of magical artifacts. Holding the hammer, she unleashed a flurry of strikes against the Black-hearted Wolf. One minute later, Honglian approached to take a look, and found that the Black-hearted Wolf's head was covered in lumps, having long since perished

Now that the defense is in place, the use of the aura vortex has significantly enhanced the power of the attacks. There is no need to be overly cautious while venturing out. Hong Lian laughed heartily.

"Indeed, it is quite good, but it is more suitable for a wolf's burial here," Li Yi said with a smile

The Black-faced Deity continuously curses Honglian, causing him to be hunted down. Wherever he stays for a while, cultivators will come knocking, creating a state of chaos.

Hong Lian looked at the utterly lewd Nangong in silence, unable to suppress a bitter smile

In terms of magical artifacts, there is no need to think too much; Honglian only has one Yuli Hammer, and it has only one activation left. Once the last activation is used, it will be rendered useless. In terms of magical artifacts, Honglian feels like a pauper.

After wandering around, they arrived at an open space by the city wall, where three individuals stood. All were elegantly dressed young cultivators, around sixteen or seventeen years old. Two were at the mid-stage of the Heart Movement realm, while one was at the late stage, indicating that Li Yi was not deceiving them

Hong Lian entered the canyon and turned around to make some arrangements at the entrance, which is a common practice among hunters to alert them of any external threats. A child remained inside, and although it was not too cramped, he gritted his teeth and found a clean spot to sit down, feeling waves of intense pain in his feet and hands

As they were approaching Heijiao Valley, they finally encountered a difficult problem. A master from the early stage of spiritual tranquility appeared, possessing a cultivation level higher than that of anyone present, causing Hong Lian to tense up.

Spirit stones are mined from certain spiritual veins and contain spiritual energy. They are classified into three levels based on the purity of this energy: upper, middle, and lower. The grading system is based on a factor of one thousand, meaning one product-grade spirit stone is equivalent to one thousand middle-grade spirit stones, and one middle-grade spirit stone is equivalent to one thousand lower-grade spirit stones. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy contained within spirit stones cannot be absorbed and is not usable for cultivation

This time, encountering an ordinary cultivator is no longer a cause for fear, at least there is defensive capability. Hong Lian stretched lazily

Hong Lian changed her clothes and left Qingxu Town, heading east until she arrived at the renowned Donghuang City in the eastern part of the Eastern Continent, where the cultivation sect Donghuang Sect is located

The shield, a shade of blue, appeared to be covered in verdigris, adorned with patterns resembling those of a tortoise. The shield expanded and was thrust directly at the black-hearted wolf. The tornado struck the shield as if an egg had hit a rock, causing it to lose all luster and fall to the ground, while the white bone spikes met the same fate.

We certainly know that this is the seventh time you have deceived us in this manner. Do you take us for fools?" The monks rolled their eyes.

"Then why did you stop me? I thought you were going to borrow something from me." Hong Lian's face was filled with frustration as she turned to leave.

Hong Lian arrived in this realm of capable individuals to see if she could undertake tasks here to acquire some magical treasures. In terms of offense, Hong Lian felt the need for certain magical treasures to enhance the diversity of her attacks, making it difficult for her enemies to discern her true capabilities and allowing her to catch them off guard during confrontations

Controlling the spiritual energy to converge around the heart, it failed, and then tried again. Finally succeeded, the spiritual energy began to rotate around the heart, with a range only the size of a basketball, completing one rotation in exactly three seconds

Hong Lian walked along the magnificent East Emperor City street, where cultivators were everywhere, and it was impossible to see a single commoner. He sighed, "The great city in the east is indeed different, but the decorations in this city are truly grand. The purple qi barrier envelops the entire East Emperor City, indicating that a powerful being has set up a formation to create this defensive barrier, something beyond the capabilities of ordinary people."

The spiritual energy was retained, and Honglian exhaled a breath of malice. The pores continued to open, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy, extracting its essence before expelling it outward. The swirling spiritual energy changed slowly at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. Its color deepened, and its power gradually increased. With the pores able to remain open all day, one could achieve an enhancement in cultivation without the need for active practice, which could be considered an unexpected gain

Over the course of two years, Hong Lian not only became familiar with the circulation of spiritual energy within her body but also developed a unique set of self-defense techniques.

These four individuals indeed exhibit somewhat abnormal behavior, as if they find it amusing that someone would come to rob them, showing no awareness of the possibility of death in battle. Moreover, their magical artifacts seem to be of a relatively high grade, and they appear to have little interest in the items being robbed.

As Hong Lian was about to make a move, a graceful figure flashed by and stood in front of Xi Menyue.

Ximen Yue's cultivation level is one rank lower than that of the Black-hearted Wolf, yet he is able to effortlessly withstand the Black-hearted Wolf's attack without any harm. It seems that Ximen Yue's sword is not an ordinary treasure; it must be at least a notch above the Bone Fan. Ximen Yue does not appear to be an ordinary cultivator; he should have some background. " Hong Lian thought as she observed the battle

The Eastern Emperor Sect is renowned for its defensive capabilities, particularly the bell-type defensive magical treasures, which are highly coveted by cultivators. The sect's treasured artifact is said to be the Eastern Emperor Bell, classified as a celestial-grade magical treasure. The number of disciples under its banner has reached several thousand, including many powerful cultivators at the Golden Core stage and several scattered immortals and ancient beings at the Integration stage. The sect leader, Eastern Emperor Feiyu, is a remarkable figure on the verge of transcending tribulation. He practices an earth-level technique known as "Purple Qi from the East." When this technique is invoked, purple qi envelops him, truly a spectacle akin to a celestial being's exhalation—extraordinary and unparalleled.

Honglian stopped at a secluded canyon on the edge of the forest. This canyon is peculiar, as if a mountain had been artificially split in two, and only three people can barely pass through it at once. There is no vegetation around, likely due to the geological conditions being unsuitable for plant growth. Perhaps there are other reasons as well

Hong Lian scrutinized the female cultivator, who was sixteen years old and had already matured. Although she was not particularly beautiful, she exuded a unique aura, likely due to her cultivation methods. Her gaze was clear, occasionally revealing a hint of cunning.

Having become familiar with the manipulation of the internal spiritual energy, Hong Lian controlled the vortex of spiritual energy remaining within her body to spin rapidly and gradually expand to the surface. A nearly transparent barrier of spiritual energy formed on the surface of her body, with the energy swirling at high speed. In the event of an external attack, the rapidly spinning surface barrier would deflect the incoming object.

Hong Lian smiled with satisfaction, it seems that this Tai Chi is not too bad after all. Having just broken through, I will take some time to familiarize myself with my current body and cultivate here for a while. I have been here for so many days without any desire to eat, which is probably related to the spiritual energy remaining in my body. Therefore, I can cultivate without any concerns.

Struggling to take off the shoes, he casually grabbed the medicine for bruises as he took them out. After spending more than a year living the life of a hunter with the old man, he still knew how to bandage with the red lotus. After much effort, he finally managed to apply the medicine to his hands and feet, tearing a piece of cloth to wrap it up. With three rice dumplings hanging from his feet and hands, the red lotus couldn't help but find it amusing

The medicinal properties of the thousand-year-old fo-ti are still unclear, and it cannot be recklessly refined. If the properties are mild, it may be acceptable, but if they are potent, it could lead to serious consequences. Given the current physical condition, there is a possibility of suffering from complete meridian destruction and paralysis, or even a fatal rupture of blood vessels. Additionally, the nature of its medicinal properties is also uncertain, and any conflicts would be unacceptable.

Aren't you afraid that I truly do not possess any true essence?" Hong Lian asked Li Yi along the way

Hong Lian came to her senses, feeling both amused and exasperated, realizing that this little girl had mistaken her for a beggar

"I ask you, are you not tired of this? Everyone says I have not obtained the thousand-year-old goji berry, why do you not believe me? Fine, I did have the thousand-year-old goji berry for a while, but it was only for a short time, and before I could even warm it up, it was taken away by a little brat who lacks true essence." The black-faced deity looked helplessly at the pursuing cultivator.

"Sister, this is where you are wrong." Li Yi quickly waved his hand and recounted the encounter with Hong Lian. After listening, the three of them stopped talking nonsense; it seemed that Li Yi's logic was quite effective among these three individuals.

Two years have passed, and the pursuit continues, while Hong Lian's cultivation is also ongoing. A voice echoed from within the canyon, saying "It has become." From the outside, the canyon is completely enveloped by grass, and those who are not aware would have no idea that there is still a canyon here.

This is Nangong Hong, at the mid-stage of her cultivation. Li Yi then pointed to a very short male cultivator beside the female cultivator

Ximen Yue's gestures were unceasing, as the flying sword struck directly at the face of the Black-hearted Wolf. The Black-hearted Wolf used the bone fan in his hand, which was infused with dark energy, to block the attack, causing the flying sword to return without success. The bone fan spun like a wheel in mid-air, pursuing the flying sword. Ximen Yue immediately urged his true essence as the flying sword returned, positioning the sword horizontally in front of his chest. The sword's body radiated a brilliant jade light, and a completely white lotus platform appeared to block the bone fan. The bone fan attacked the lotus platform like gears, yet the lotus platform showed no signs of movement.

Little brat, you have caused me great trouble. When will this pursuit end? The flying sword is lost, the thousand-year-old goji berry is lost, and I won't even mention that. I am seriously injured and still being hunted. What is going on? If I had known, I would not have gone to retrieve the thousand-year-old goji berry. Big brother little brat, please come out and clarify the facts.

Many years later, this sentence saved the family of the little girl. When Hong Lian said this sentence, she did not think too much; she simply felt that she would achieve something in the future, which is why she said it.

Li Yi, where did you abduct this child from? He is at most ten years old. You wouldn't just randomly grab someone to fill in, would you? Such a little one, he doesn't seem to possess any true essence at all. Don't tell me you caught him from a commoner's house outside the city. Xuanyuan Yuer's expression was strange, as if they had done such things quite a few times.

"Little sister, take this bun. If anyone bullies you in the future, just say you are the sister of King Yu and Honglian." Honglian looked at the little girl, her gaze clear, and simply said, then vanished in an instant

In the few days of Honglian's cultivation, a minor upheaval occurred in the cultivation world. The whereabouts of the escaped black-faced deity were revealed, and those cultivators who had come to seize treasures immediately followed the trail in pursuit.

It is like this, there are four people this time, and with you, there will be five. As for your cultivation level, I cannot discern it, but it should be concealed by your techniques; otherwise, it would be impossible for you to have no trace of true essence. My cultivation level is at the initial stage of Heart Movement, which is the lowest, while two are at the mid-stage of Heart Movement, and one is even at the late stage of Heart Movement. With you included, you should be able to deal with the black flood dragon.

"Wang Yu, I hope everyone will take care of me." Hong Lian smiled innocently.

"Young men, where are we going? Why not stay here and rest forever? The feng shui here is quite good." The black-hearted wolf chuckled.

I know you don't have any precious stones either, and I don't have any either. Li Yi said decisively

"The more I look, the more it resembles a pimp," Hong Lian thought, breaking out in a cold sweat

Brother, my name is Li Yi. Without the precious stone, I cannot accept the task, right? Honest lad

This is the infamous master Black-hearted Wolf from the early stages of Lingji, well-known on the outskirts of Eastern Emperor City, a ruthless killer who does not blink when taking lives. He has robbed numerous cultivators and possesses a magical artifact known as the Bone Fan, which can summon a black wind and launch poisoned hidden weapons.

He was directly knocked to the ground, lying in a large character shape, with his hands and feet twitching incessantly. After a while, he jumped up like a cockroach and continued to flee. This situation has occurred many times, and he is almost immune to it

A little girl handed a steamed bun to Hong Lian

I have arrived. Xuanyuan Yuer struck out a shield, without any visible incantation, merely muttering words under her breath

Ximen Yue stepped forward, her face revealing a hint of solemnity as she summoned a flying sword that was entirely white like jade. She continuously waved her hands to cast a spell, and the flying sword emitted a stream of sword energy that surged straight into the howling wind. The sword energy sliced through the wind, which swept past the five individuals.

This is Xuanyuan Yuer, who is at the mid-stage of her Heart Movement cultivation. Li Yi pointed at the youngest-looking female cultivator.

Do not truly take me for a fool; an ordinary person without true essence arriving in the Eastern Emperor City would already be terrified upon seeing so many cultivators, let alone going to the Realm of Capable Beings to accept tasks.

Qingxu Town remains the same as it was two years ago, yet the number of people has significantly decreased. Upon scanning with my divine sense, I surprisingly found not a single cultivator. It is no wonder, as this is originally a small town; it would be more accurate to describe it as a larger village. If it were not for the emergence of the millennium-old spiritual mushroom, it would not be surprising to see no cultivators here for a decade.

"Seeking death!" The black-hearted wolf suddenly changed its expression, wielding a skeletal fan, which it swung with force. A fierce wind arose, carrying debris that rushed directly towards the five individuals

This person is quite formidable, especially after being moved by Brother Ximen Yue in the later stages. Li Yi pointed at the cold and imposing high-level cultivator, who exuded a fierce aura, revealing himself to be a sword cultivator

The Black-hearted Wolf's skeletal fan could not return in time, so he casually summoned a patterned flying sword, which erupted with a surge of black light, directing it straight towards Ximen Yue. The Black-hearted Wolf was not a sword cultivator, lacking sword intent, and only possessed a layer of black sword aura. The tips of the two swords collided, pausing for a moment, before the black flying sword shattered completely.

How did you know? Yes, that's right. Those who understand me. The black-faced deity was pleasantly surprised

Blood flowed profusely from his mouth, and he crashed for several dozen meters before coming to a stop. With a sudden retraction, the black-hearted wolf fell down, breathing in but not out, clearly on the brink of death.

"Alright, I can join, but I need to see the people you have gathered before making a decision," Hong Lian calculated for a moment.

Hong Lian calmed her mind, and scenes of her battle with the Black-faced Deity continuously flashed through her mind. In terms of attack and evasion, there were no apparent shortcomings for the time being. The greatest deficiency lay in defense; both the defensive capabilities of her magical artifacts and her own physical defense were utterly dismal

Hong Lian smiled gently. Logically speaking, Li Yi's words are reasonable. Inviting cultivators without spirit stones to join in front of the Heavenly Gate of the Capable is indeed the most correct approach, yet there happens to be an anomaly like Hong Lian.

"Well, you are quite foolish," the dark-faced deity lowered his voice.

The red lotus ignited, directly controlling the spiritual energy to compress, expand, disperse, and converge within the body. Continuously attempting, the excessive use of spiritual awareness left the mind weary, with sweat streaming down. Just as patience was wearing thin after repeated failures, in a fit of anger, the spiritual energy was controlled to spin, seeking to vent the frustration within.

In the Eastern Emperor City, there is a club named "Nengzhe Tiandi," which is directly affiliated with the Eastern Emperor Sect. It specializes in providing tasks for cultivators to complete. Upon completion, they can submit the tasks to receive rewards, which may include spirit stones, other magical treasures, or elixirs. Cultivators can also post tasks within the club.

What kind of combination is this? I feel as if I have entered a den of thieves, thought Hong Lian.

"Oh, my name is Wang Yu. Do you have something to discuss?" Hong Lian looked at Li Yi and provided a false name.

Ximen Yue noticed that the impact of the Bone Fan had weakened, and with a push of his sword, the Bone Fan was sent flying back. In a flash, Ximen Yue pursued it closely, the flying sword radiating brilliant light accompanied by a piercing sound, directly aimed at the Black-hearted Wolf

The Red Lotus Spirit Sense glanced around and discovered that Li Yi was a practitioner in the early stage of Heart Movement. It is quite commendable to reach the initial stage of Heart Movement at the age of seventeen or eighteen.

Since there are no issues, let's set off. Since everyone is short on money, there's no need to prepare items like healing pills and gold sore medicine, nor can we prepare them. Regarding the reward for defeating the black dragon, I will take a slight loss and we will split it among the four of us. If there are no objections, let's depart. Xi Menyue seems to be a person who acts decisively.

The Black-hearted Wolf glared at the five individuals with malice, biting his finger to draw blood and making a mark on the bone fan. The already eerie bone fan was enveloped in swirling black mist, clearly laced with poison. He shouted, "I want you all dead; after I grow tired of you, I will send you off as companions in the afterlife." As he simultaneously performed a hand seal, five bone fans appeared, forming a tornado that rushed towards the five. This tornado was more than ten times larger than the last one. Taking advantage of the five's moment of distraction, the Black-hearted Wolf launched five bone nails from his hand, following closely behind the tornado, intending for the tornado to draw the group's defenses while the bone nails struck directly.

"Little brother, how old are you this year? Do you have a significant other? Would you like me to introduce someone to you? I guarantee you will be satisfied; if not, you won't have to pay a dime." Nangong Hong chuckled as she walked over to Hong Lian.

"Alright, I will take you there." Li Yi, overjoyed, led Hong Lian to their gathering place

She is still a violent woman. A girl using such a heavy set of magical tools should be proportional to her level of violence. Hong Lian looked at Xuanyuan Yuer's back, breaking into a cold sweat and bitterly smiling.

On the way to Heijiao Valley, we encountered several interceptions. However, we managed to drive them away, even killing two and obtaining a flying sword and a small cauldron, both of which are offensive magical treasures. The other four seemed uninterested in these inferior magical treasures and directly handed them over to Honglian. Throughout the journey, Honglian had no opportunity to take action; whenever Li Yi and the others encountered attackers, they would engage in battle, leaving Honglian confused about which side were the bandits.

Oh? How many people have you gathered? The black flood dragon is quite treacherous and unpredictable. Can you find the black flood dragon? Moreover, given your and my cultivation levels, do you think we can defeat the black flood dragon?

A filthy figure moved within the canyon, having trained here for two years, Hong Lian's clothes were tattered beyond recognition, resembling that of a beggar.

Three seconds have passed, and the spiritual energy miraculously has not dissipated, instead rotating around the dantian as its center. However, due to the large size of the body, the spiritual energy failed to complete a full cycle within ten seconds, leading to its subsequent loss. If the spiritual energy cannot circulate a full cycle within ten seconds, it will dissipate. This is a good omen, as the time before dissipation has increased by more than three times. Since the entire body cannot complete a full cycle, could it not be possible to reduce the range of the spiritual energy's rotation to achieve a full cycle?

Let’s call it Tai Chi Dominance. This time, in addition to the enhancement of defensive capabilities, I unexpectedly gained a ranged attack, not bad at all. Hong Lian looked at the protective barrier surrounding her body with great satisfaction

A red lotus, feeling dejected without a single precious stone, walked away, realizing that it was difficult to make any progress without money. As he reached the door, a seemingly honest young man intercepted him.

One's own defenses are currently in the greatest need of improvement. Without true essence, one cannot use it to protect the body, and the physical strength is also very poor. Among the two, physical strength requires the cleansing of true essence or the consumption of miraculous elixirs to enhance the body. Honglian touched the thousand-year-old He Shou Wu in her bosom, contemplated for a while, and ultimately abandoned the idea of using the thousand-year-old He Shou Wu to strengthen her body

May I ask how I can take on tasks here? Hong Lian approached the counter

A magical treasure struck the slightly distracted black-faced deity on the head

After everyone tidied up, they casually tossed the black-hearted wolf's treasures into Honglian's hands and continued on their way. It seems that the four of them still looked down upon these treasures.

The Black-hearted Wolf watched as his treasured artifact was destroyed, and he exerted all his energy to mobilize his true essence, causing his robe to billow open. He performed a hand seal, drawing a large black magic array to counter the attack of the shield. The shield collided with the black magic seal, pausing for just a moment before the seal shattered and struck the Black-hearted Wolf.

You need to register and pay ten low-grade spirit stones in order to lead the junior regulations, after which you will be able to accept tasks

Hong Lian shifted her focus to the aspect of True Essence protecting the body, as this was the only direction that might offer a breakthrough. With all her pores open, spiritual energy flowed in from all around, but after three seconds, it vanished without a trace. Hong Lian activated her spiritual consciousness to control the True Essence, intending to condense the spiritual energy in her abdomen. The condensation was successful, yet the condensed spiritual energy still dissipated after three seconds.

In fact, a child with such temperament and courage is truly one in a million

When we play the white mouse, let's chop this bastard up. The crowd of cultivators surged forward.

The five individuals formed a group and walked out of the city gates. Inside the city, private duels are prohibited, so there are no acts of robbery or schemes to harm and kill for wealth. However, once outside the city gates, such restrictions no longer apply, and many cultivators have fallen victim to ambushes. The number of cultivators killed by others is several dozen times greater than those who die from accidents during their cultivation.

The Red Lotus has been stirred, and now there are no essence stones available to complete the tasks. One must first obtain ten essence stones before proceeding.

The white jade flying sword pierced through the protective true essence barrier of the Black-hearted Wolf, causing it to be sent flying back at an even greater speed than before. Although the true essence barrier blocked the flying sword, it could not withstand the fierce sword energy, which evidently injured its body. If the sword energy is not expelled quickly, it will affect its future cultivation.

The vortex of true energy within the red lotus continuously shrank, and when it reduced to the size of a heart, it suddenly opened its eyes. A sharp gaze shot out, and at the same time, a blade of energy expanded outward from the center of the red lotus's body. Wherever the energy blade passed, fragments of stone flew, leaving half-meter-deep grooves on the surrounding walls, demonstrating its formidable power.

"A little brat? Not yet possessing true essence? Appears to be around six or seven years old, yet possesses a rather peculiar set of skills? He injured you and even took away the thousand-year-old goji berry. You were beaten to the point of fleeing and dared not attempt to reclaim the thousand-year-old goji berry, correct?" The group of cultivators responded in unison.

The cultivation world also requires currency to serve as a general equivalent. A long time ago, a conference was held specifically to designate a currency for the cultivation world. The conference designated spirit stones as the currency universally accepted in the cultivation world