owlsbooks Chapter 14: First Test of Skill
Chapter 14: First Test of Skill
Fang Yun cleaned up the scene, wiped away all traces of dirt, and put the meteorite box into his storage bag.
He glanced at the grave one last time, then his figure vanished completely, leaving no trace.
Restaurants and inns.
Fang Yun returned to his room, his fingers moving like butterflies flitting among flowers, his inner strength bursting forth as he tapped the surface of the box using a specific technique.
With a click, the meteorite box opened successfully, revealing the treasure inside.
Three volumes of cultivation techniques, five incomplete talismans, and over two hundred and forty low-grade spirit stones.
Besides that, there was only a black, dark gold short spear.
Fang Yun unfurled the silk, and gleaming white spirit stones spilled out, dazzling the eyes.
Even with his current net worth, this is still a huge fortune.
In his previous life, the Duke of Yong, as the patriarch of a feudal family, gathered the power of ten immortal seedlings in his household to collect these items.
Fang Yun flipped his hand and carefully put the spirit stones away.
For the next few years, he won't have to worry about supporting his family.
The remaining treasures seemed much more ordinary.
Three common Qi Refining Techniques and five spirit talismans were barely enough to unleash the power of the first or second level of Qi Refining.
Fang Yun looked at the last black gold spear, which was about the thickness of a finger and the length of a forearm, with both ends showing a sharp spindle shape, and a cold glint flashed.
This is a magical artifact, possibly used for cultivating immortality, that he plundered from a powerful family during his previous life of conquering and exterminating their clans.
No matter how much you chop or slash, it leaves no trace, not even when a martial arts master strikes.
"Hopefully it will bring me a surprise..."
Fang Yun unleashed a burst of magical power, which successfully penetrated the space, leaving behind a control mark.
Splash!
With a soft sound, the black gold spear seemed to come alive, extending to both sides.
Interlocking links, growing longer with the wind, eventually transformed into a chain over ten feet long!
Fang Yun manipulated the black gold chain, which snaked and stretched out like a venomous snake lurking in the corner, its two spindle-shaped tips sending chills down one's spine!
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the chain's surface, which surprisingly revealed a matte finish, making it even more discreet.
"It's at least a high-quality mid-grade magic weapon. Sure enough, my luck has always been good..."
Compared to the Purple Bamboo Sword, Fang Yun preferred this Black Gold Chain, which was truly a powerful tool for fighting and scheming.
He cast a spell to collect the treasure, and the chains rattled as they shrank and wrapped around his arm several times, disappearing into his sleeves and becoming inconspicuous.
……
Once worldly affairs are settled, one can set off to return to Ziqing Lake.
Fang Yun rode at full speed, following the location given to him by Lu Guishou, and found the gathering place of the rogue cultivators.
This place is located on the border of Chen Kingdom, adjacent to two other mortal kingdoms, and is considered a no-man's-land.
The desolate forest is remote and teeming with miasma. In the shadows of the trees, one can vaguely see five solitary peaks jagged together, their shapes resembling the kiss of wolves.
"Five Wolves Mountain, this is it..."
Fang Yun felt relieved upon finding the right location and located the marks left by Lu Guishou and his companion on the outer perimeter.
"They still haven't come out?"
Fang Yun frowned, deciphered the secret message of the mark, pondered for a moment, and then carefully headed towards Five Wolves Mountain.
He activated his wooden armor to protect himself, concealing himself in the mountains and forests, almost blending into the trees.
Fang Yun's powerful physical body gave him exceptionally keen senses.
Soon, he noticed the fluctuations of the cultivators' fighting, with occasional loud booms, indicating that the two sides had been locked in a stalemate for some time.
Fang Yun was hesitating when he suddenly heard a loud shout, like the roar of a bull. He quickly grabbed the golden talisman and rushed over.
The mountainside was a mess, with broken grass and trees, ravaged by magic, and traces of blood were faintly visible.
Lu Guishou and Niu Ben leaned against each other, their bloodied hands gripping their longswords tightly as they looked at the enemy before them with cautious eyes.
The three cultivators from the settlement were the ones who had their eyes on them.
Two are at the third level of Qi Refining, and one is at the second level of Qi Refining.
Such cultivation level would be nothing more than a roadside figure in Ziqing Lake.
But in the eyes of ordinary, unaffiliated cultivators, he could be considered a master.
The reason they were still delaying was because they were wary of the mid-grade spirit talismans held by Lu Guishou and his companion, fearing that they would lose their lives because of them.
When Fang Yun arrived quietly, this was the scene of confrontation he witnessed.
"A mere cultivator who has undergone tribulation, is that all?"
Fang Yun was speechless, feeling that he had overestimated the enemy, and released the Purple Bamboo Sword.
call out! !
The flying sword streaked through the air, as fast as a shadow.
The three rogue cultivators couldn't even gather enough defensive magic artifacts, and one of them was killed, his body severed from his head.
The remaining Qi Refining Level 3 cultivators were terrified and were just about to flee for their lives.
Suddenly, a black gold chain emerged from the bushes, binding his legs tightly. The sharp end instantly pierced his chest, severing his heart meridian.
"Young Master!"
The two were overjoyed to see divine soldiers descend from the sky and resolve the crisis as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
"Did you two lose money?"
Fang Yun emerged from the forest, tore open a mid-grade rockfall talisman, and used it to kill the last person.
"Um……"
Lu Guishou nodded with a wry smile, his tone helpless: "I never expected that a few bottles of Huangya Pills and thirty catties of spirit rice would be enough to tempt them to kill."
To prevent others from coveting them, they even tethered their spirit steeds in a valley.
"Consider it a lesson learned. From now on, I'll be more obedient and focus on cultivating until I reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining."
Fang Yun flicked out several balls of flame, completely destroying the body and erasing all traces.
The spoils were pitifully small, just a few spirit stones and one and a half old, worn-out magic weapons; they looked rather shabby.
Fang Yun didn't think much of them and told them to break up on their own.
They wanted to return the mid-grade spirit talisman, but were refused; they were told to keep it for self-defense.
Lu Guishou and his companion were on edge and left with Fang Yun.
Just as they were about to leave the dense forest, a middle-aged man of about forty years old suddenly blocked their way.
He had a refined and scholarly air, but his face was weathered by time.
"He's the owner of this gathering place for independent cultivators!"
Lu Guishou suddenly tensed up, his whole body stiffening.
"Level 5 Qi Refining..."
Fang Yun remained expressionless, his hand poised to unleash a talisman, but the other party tossed a brocade pouch from afar.
The bag fell to the ground, the knot opened, and it emitted a rich spiritual energy, its light dazzling.
"A few stupid dogs, blinded by greed, deserve no pity. I apologize to you on their behalf."
After saying that, the middle-aged man's figure blurred, he stepped aside, and disappeared from sight.
"I didn't expect this guy to be such a nice person..."
Niu Ben picked up the brocade bag from the ground and handed it to the young marquis.
Fang Yun counted them; there were a total of sixty low-grade spirit stones, which was indeed generous.
Unfortunately, the person in question may not be a good one; he simply failed to achieve his goal of being the one whooping on the cicada's back.
He gave ten spirit stones to Lu Guishou and ten to San Niuzi, and kept the rest for himself.
Fang Yun was in a good mood.
Currently, he has over three hundred low-grade spirit stones in his storage bag alone.
Add to that the magical artifacts, talismans, pills, and elixirs, and his wealth is already comparable to that of a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
The three found their respective mounts and, without further delay, began their journey home.
The return journey was much faster, and after two months, the vast and misty Ziqing Lake was already in sight.
Fang Yun went to see his wife immediately. He was still worried about the child in Fang Zhiqing's belly, as she was close to giving birth.
To his surprise, Fang Zhiyu was also pregnant in the backyard of the mansion.
More than five months ago, on the night before Fang Yun left, he worked hard all night and actually succeeded in hitting the target.
This led to Fang Zhiyu becoming pregnant with her second child.