Beiluo Lake Island.
The heavy mist enshrouded the island.
Everyone on the island had been cultivating strenuously, except for Ni Yu, who was making elixirs with a black cauldron.
Painstaking cultivation was the norm for cultivators.
One had to make Spirit Qi swirl to reach the Internal Organs Realm from the Qi Core Realm, and the internal organs could only be tempered after that. It was a complicated and tedious process.
Therefore, real cultivators were people who could withstand boredom and solitude.
Jing Yue was practicing his sword technique.
The sword practice was also monotonous. He had to thrust again and again in the lake. Because Jing Yue comprehended the sword spirit, the force of his sword strike improved greatly. His sword could reach the water almost 500 meters away with one move.
The distance factored in the water resistance. If not for that, the force of the sword would be powerful enough to penetrate the city walls.
The cultivation methods of Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao were different. They needed to evolve and produce elemental Spirit Qi through enlightenment.
It was a confusing and mind-numbing process since it was an unknown path.
On the second floor of White Jade City Pavilion.
Lu Fan held a bronze liquor cup in which the warm green plum wine was swirling.
Fluffy snowflakes swirled in the air, yet they changed the direction whenever they came close to Lu Fan’s body.
The Spirit Pressure Chessboard floated in front of Lu Fan. Rays of light transformed into chess pieces and played on the other side against him.
As the game went on, countless pictures flashed one by one before Lu Fan’s eyes. Every picture was a person’s life.
Lu Fan released a deep breath when the final chess piece was settled and the game ended.
The system page popped up in front of his eyes.
[Host: Lu Fan]
[Title: Qi Practitioner (Permanent)]
[Refined Qi Level: 3 (To Level 4: 5,012/10,000 wisps)]
[Soul Strength: 108 (Convertible: 21)]
[Physique Strength: 10 (Convertible: 10)]
[Spirit Qi: 4,011 wisps]
[Available Points: 1083]
Lu Fan’s lips curled up while reading the system page.
Because the Origin of Heaven and Earth coalesced and transfigured, the numbers of cultivators in the Great Zhou reached at least 3,000 in the past half month. On top of the commission Lu Fan received for the increase of the Spirit Qi of the public, he currently had more than 5,000 wisps of Spirit Qi.
He was only 5,000 wisps short from the fourth level.
Besides, Lu Fan’s Soul Strength was also improved quite a bit since he had been studying the Buddhist Cultivation and mastered the Wind Rain Strategy in the past half month.
Lu Fan took care of the souls of the Lord of Xirong and the blonde man. He practically experienced their lives.
He had to admit that both the blonde man and the Lord of Xirong were people who had stories to tell.
However, there were so many more people in the world who had interesting pasts.
Lu Fan didn’t care for their stories, nor was he too deeply involved in extricating himself.
After the souls were obliterated…
Lu Fan finally finished the quest.
The system message popped out.
[“Appraisal quest: Withstand the invasion of four wanderers from the alien world and a Spiritual Sense duplicate of a Lord of the Plane from the Mid Level Martial World. (Rate of progress of current quest: 5/5)”]
[“Congratulations on finishing the appraisal quest. Gained quest reward ‘Trial Pagoda’.”]
Lu Fan was shocked by the system prompt this time. He thought the reward would be substantial this time. Much to his surprise, the reward for this quest was so… scanty. He didn’t even get Available Points!
“Trial Pagoda… This appraisal quest was at a difficult level, so the reward should also be at the same level. It appears that this is probably not an ordinary pagoda.”
Lu Fan’s consciousness flickered.
He opened his hand. There was a small pagoda with a jadelike luster floating above his palm.
It was a strange pagoda that seemed to be made of jade. It looked dreamy with a soft sheen.
Lu Fan used his consciousness to materialize the Trial Pagoda and put it aside.
The small pagoda gave Lu Fan a strange feeling as if it bore the weight of a mountain and was heavy enough to crush anything.
Lu Fan read its description in the system.
[“Trial Pagoda: A Spirit Tool of Ground Level Low Grade. Has 100 levels in total. Made by merging a Spirit Stone with an Origin force of the Mid Level Martial World. Use it to nurture people with talents.”]
The description in the system was straightforward.
Yet it made Lu Fan frown.
The Trial Pagoda didn’t seem to be an item for offense or defense, as Lu Fan anticipated. On the other hand, it appeared to be a precious device to train people with talents.
That was… intriguing.
A precious device to train people with talents, which meant that it would be much easier to push someone to enter the Golden Elixir Realm or Heavenly Lock Realm with the help of the Trial Pagoda.
Lu Fan’s eyes brightened up.
For Lu Fan, the easier and faster to raise powerful cultivators, the sooner he could level up the world.
It filled Lu Fan’s heart with eager anticipation.
He raised his head and looked around.
Where should he put this little pagoda?
Lu Fan pondered for a while. He first thought about displaying the pagoda outside of Beiluo City as a sign of a “miracle.” But after thinking about it, he found the trouble unnecessary. Additionally, the Trial Pagoda needed to be under the control of White Jade City. Therefore, he decided to place the Trial Pagoda inside Beiluo City.
Sitting in the Thousand Blades Chair, Lu Fan went down the pavilion.
“Old Lv,” Lu Fan spoke.
In the distance, Lv Dongxuan, who was brewing his tea in a leisurely pace with his eyes closed, opened his eyes in haste.
He vaguely heard the Young Master was calling for him?
He flicked off the snow on his body and hurried to Lu Fan, who just went down White Jade City Pavilion.
“Why did you come down the pavilion?”
Lv Dongxuan smiled, puckering up his wrinkled face. With the golden chains swaying around his neck, he looked charmingly goofy.
Lu Fan glanced at Lv Dongxuan and smiled.
The Old Lv’s smile was infectious.
“Follow me. Let’s have a walk around Beiluo City,” Lu Fan said.
Lv Dongxuan paused for a moment as though he didn’t understand what Lu Fan said.
To have a walk around Beiluo City?
Were they going to… shop?
Why was the Young Master in such a leisurely mood?
Nevertheless, Lv Dongxuan didn’t say no. Of course… he had to have the courage to say no in the first place.
They went aboard the wood canoe and slowly rowed away from the Beiluo Lake Island.
As a savant of the former Tianji School, Lv Dongxuan was exceptionally articulate and talked a lot with Lu Fan on their way to the city. Of course, Lv Dongxuan did most of the talking while Lu Fan only nodded in response.
Enjoying the picturesque scene of Beiluo Lake Island, Lu Fan felt quite at peace.
Many cultivators were staying on the bank of Beiluo Lake.
These were the cultivators who listened to Lu Fan’s lecture last time. They received a great deal of help from that lecture.
Besides, there was plenty of Spirit Qi around Beiluo Lake. It was all right for these people to cultivate here.
Lu Fan’s eyes swept around. The cultivators were devoid of common courtesy. Some people even set up their beds by the lakeside with their toiletries prepared as though they were going to settle down there.
Lv Dongxuan and Lu Fan got off the canoe.
Many people looked at their direction and noticed Lu Fan. Sitting in a wheelchair, Lu Fan immediately reminded them of the Young Master Lu of Beiluo.
Rumor had it that only the Young Master Lu used a wheelchair.
For a while, numerous talented cultivators stood up and saluted Lu Fan.
“Young Master Lu.”
“Greetings, Young Master.”
“It is a huge honor to meet with the Young Master.”
******
The unceasing sounds of the cultivators’ greetings made Lu Fan feel uncomfortable.
Lu Fan nodded slightly nonetheless.
He left the bank along with Lv Dongxuan.
It was much quieter when they were inside Beiluo City. The Thousand Blades Chair could move and turn smoothly as Lu Fan wished without being pushed by anyone.
It looked extremely comfortable.
Lv Dongxuan was a little envious. The Young Master was the only one in the world who could sit in a wheelchair so elegantly.
Befuddled, Lv Dongxuan asked, “Young Master, why did we come to Beiluo City?”
He would never believe Lu Fan came here only for fun.
Even if he did, he wouldn’t ask an old man like Lv Dongxuan as his company.
Wouldn’t it be a pleasure if the Young Master traveled with beautiful women like Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, or Mingyue? Even Ni Yu, at the very least, was better than him.
It didn’t make sense for Lu Fan to have a walk with an old man like Lv Dongxuan.
“Can’t you tell fortune? Why don’t you make some calculations?”
Lu Fan smiled faintly.
Lv Dongxuan waved his hands hastily and said, “I’ll pass. It’s all right to calculate other people. But my life span would be discounted if I make calculations about the Young Master. I want to live a little bit longer to witness the prosperous future of cultivators.”
Lu Fan leaned in the wheelchair and didn’t respond. The wheelchair glided in Beiluo City in a leisurely way.
Upon hearing the news, Luo Yue came with the Dragon Blood Army but was dismissed by Lu Fan when he waved his hand.
Eventually, Lv Dongxuan and Lu Fan moved to a more remote area.
They arrived at the West Mountain of Beiluo City.
West Mountain was a wasteland behind Beiluo City that was covered with winter snow for now. The solid ground at the foot of West Mountain would reveal itself when spring came.
West Mountain was barren and deserted.
Lv Dongxuan walked for quite some distance with Lu Fan. He had been paying attention to Lu Fan’s expression yet only saw his emotionless face.
Emotionlessness meant that he wasn’t satisfied.
Yet now, Lu Fan finally squeezed a smile as they climbed on top of West Mountain.
Lv Dongxuan was relieved. It seemed that Lu Fan was pleased with West Mountain.
However, Lv Dongxuan was more intrigued now. What was so good about the barren West Mountain?
Why did it attract the Young Master’s attention?
“Old Lv, what do you think of this land?” Lu Fan said with a smile.
Lv Dongxuan glanced around and reckoned on his fingers. His eyelid twitched a little…
Because he sensed that the land was shrouded by a thick fog and made him unable to calculate anything.
Lu Fan stayed silent.
Lv Dongxuan’s pupils contracted as Lu Fan raised his hand.
Because a delicate white jade tower somehow appeared in Lu Fan’s palm.
The little tower pagoda floated above his palm, emitting a white radiance.
“Young Master… This is…” Lv Dongxuan opened his mouth.
Lu Fan didn’t reply.
He tossed it gently, and the white jade pagoda instantly flew into the air.
Bang!
With deafening thunder, the white jade pagoda spun and enlarged, blotting out the sky and the sun.
The pagoda tore the thick, leaden clouds from which the snow was falling.
The top of the tower even bore through the clouds!
Bang!
With the piercing sound of a whistle…
The white jade pagoda was about to fall.
Using his consciousness, Lu Fan took Lv Dongxuan and vanished from West Mountain.
The white jade pagoda smashed hard on the peak the mountain. The entire West Mountain let out an ear-splitting roar like a fierce lion was suddenly woken from its sleep.
Everyone in Beiluo City was dumbstruck.
Both commoners and cultivators raised their heads and looked into the direction of West Mountain.
They saw a tall, white jade tower that appeared at the peak of West Mountain. Mist floated around the tower as its top penetrated the clouds.
“What was that?!”
“What… What a tall tower!”
“What a horrifying tower. I feel breathless from simply looking at it.”
******
There was an uproar in Beiluo City. A pagoda manifested itself out of thin air. The miraculous scene shocked the entire city.
On Beiluo lake Island.
Both Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao opened their eyes.
Jing Yue stopped practicing his sword techniques. A puff of black smoke came out of Ni Yu’s cauldron, following a loud bang. The Body Tempering Elixir failed again.
However, everyone stared at the west in astonishment. A magnificent white jade pagoda towered up with grandeur.
They exchanged a look and gasped as they recalled that Lv Dongxuan and Lu Fan just left the island.
Then, everyone on the island glided over the surface of the lake and left.
The cultivators on the lakeside of Beiluo Lake were dumbfounded.
However, they were even more shocked when they saw the disciples of White Jade City were walking on water.
It was the first time they witnessed so many disciples of White Jade City come out together.
The disciples of White Jade City left the island and went directly to West Mountain, where the white jade pagoda attracted the masses.
At the foot of the mountain…
Lv Dongxuan was transfixed with amazement.
He saw it with his own eyes that the lofty white jade pagoda was only a small, exquisite toy in Lu Fan’s palm.
The skills of the Young Master….
He was like an Immortal!
******
Capital city.
Imperial Garden.
The Black Dragon stopped moving with its mouth wide open. It stared at the yellow ball above Jiang Li’s head—the fluffy baby chick that was staring back at the black dragon.
Jiang Li was stunned. The familiar scene made him think of Bai Qingniao.
Bai Qingniao should be nearby since the baby chick was here!
Jiang Li wasn’t too surprised. Per Bai Qingniao’s temperament, she had shown quite some self-restraint as she didn’t break him out of prison herself ever since she learned about his imprisonment.
The entrance of the baby chick rendered everyone in the imperial garden speechless.
Yuwen Xiu knitted his eyebrows tightly.
Where did the chicken come from?
Suddenly…
He lifted his head and looked at the sky in the distance. A flash of fire came into sight abruptly.
A resonant crow resounded.
The black dragon heard the crow, raised its head, and roared back.
Above the Black Dragon…
Two giant flaming birds were flying in the sky.
One of the birds carried a person—Bai Qingniao dressed in plain clothes like an ordinary farm girl.
Her face, however, was filled with indignation and rage.
This f*cking Black Dragon… wanted to swallow her uncle Jiang!
Bai Qingniao ate a Gathering Qi Elixir and shouted in the air, “Lil Phoenix One, fight for me!”
Lil Phoenix Two and Lil Phoenix Three landed on the ground.
Bai Qingniao and Luo Cheng got off the phoenixes.
The two brazenly landed in the imperial garden under everyone’s watch.
Luo Cheng’s face turned ashen as he looked at the Black Dragon Guards around.
Bai Qingniao said that they planned of breaking him out of prison. However, Jiang Li had been transferred to the imperial garden by the time of their arrival.
They had no choice but to rush to the imperial garden.
But Jiang Li would have been dead cold by the time they reached the imperial garden if they relied on ordinary transportation.
Therefore, they could only use an unorthodox method and fall from the sky.
And now…
They seemed to be in trouble.
Luo Cheng could almost feel the presence of the Black Dragon Guard and the crack troops of the Great Zhou in the capital city…
There were only three of them in addition to three baby chicks that only barely had any combat capability. It was exceedingly difficult for them to escape.
Lil Phoenix One above Jiang Li’s head heard Bai Qingniao’s order.
It stood up, flapped its wings, and let out a resounding and energetic crow.
Then, the flames burned brightly.
Lil Phoenix One transformed into a blazing phoenix and dashed toward the Black Dragon.
Even the scales on the Black Dragon seemed to contract under stress.
The tail of the dragon flung out abruptly.
Bang!
The blazing Lil Phoenix One was hit by the Black Dragon’s tail and spun in the air.
Bai Qingniao’s face changed at once.
A black mist had enveloped the Black Dragon. Red flames flickered in its eyes as its body slithered like a long snake.
Although Lil Phoenix One transformed into a Fire Phoenix, it was fully suppressed by the domineering Black Dragon.
What should she do?
Bai Qingniao was out of her wits.
The Black Dragon was… was… so savage!
Luo Cheng pulled out his knife solemnly when he felt the enormous pressure from the Black Dragon Guard around him. The several Black Dragon bodyguards were particularly terrifying as though they were duplicates of the black dragon.
Jiang Li also stood up, and the three of them gathered together.
“Qingniao, control your Fire Phoenixes. We need to choose our attack,” Jiang Li said calmly.
Being a legendary general, he quickly regained his composure and made the best decision.
“We will leave the way you came!” Jiang Li said.
Flying out of the Imperial City was the only way possible.
Although it was easy to become a moving target of the archers when flying in the air, it was still better than being surrounded by the enemy.
In the distance…
The Black Dragon let out a frightening howl. Frosty condensation was sprayed out of its nose.
The snowflakes were blown away.
The Black Dragon’s claws pressed on the ground and suddenly shot its body at Lil Phoenix One like a bolt of black lightning. Lil Phoenix One dashed forward fearlessly with an angry snort.
Bang!
Sparks flew in the air. The Black Dragon’s sharp, hard scales withstood the impact from Lil Phoenix One. It clawed at Lil Phoenix One and smashed the phoenix on the snowy ground.
Bai Qingniao was heartbroken.
The Black Dragon was too powerful.
Jiang Li and Luo Cheng fought madly against the Black Dragon Guard to force them to retreat.
Yuwen Xiu watched the fight from afar.
His eyes sparkled when he saw Luo Cheng.
“Beiluo City?”
He had more reasons not to let them go if he was really from Beiluo City…
If they left and brought the news to White Jade City, by that time… The situation would become even worse for Yuwen Xiu if White Jade City joined the war.
“Kill!”
That was why Yuwen Xiu shouted out the order with anger.
“Leave no one alive!”
The Black Dragon Guard around him held their sharp weapons and charged at Luo Cheng and Jiang Li again.
With a deep roar, Luo Cheng released the Dragon Blood Qi.
Bai Qingniao controlled the three phoenixes to fight against the Black Dragon.
She kept taking elixirs to replenish the Spirit Qi.
If not for the Gathering Qi Elixirs Ni Yu gave to her… then she wouldn’t have lasted this long at all in this fight.
The forceful dragon had an advantage over Bai Qingniao’s three phoenixes.
Moreover, the Black Dragon became a heavenly dragon descendant, which could be likened to a cultivator entering the Internal Organs Realm. Bai Qingniao’s three phoenixes wouldn’t be a match for it even if they activated the Fire Element.
Bai Qingniao’s face was ashen. Looking around her, she understood that she couldn’t fail. If she failed…
Luo Cheng, Jiang Li, and she would all die here.
Clenching her teeth, she kept reciting the Nine Phoenixes Transformation in her head.
She was as pale as a ghost. Blood came out of her eyes, nose, and mouth.
The blood had stained her clothes while she was still taking the elixirs.
As the Nine Phoenixes Transformation set in motion, the feeling she had when she was fighting the Lord of Xirong on the battlefield of North County rushed to her head again!
It was a feeling of transfiguration!
She was only a little short from a breakthrough before the Lord of Xirong retreated on the battlefield of North County. Yet now…
Bang!
Finally, it was like she just threw off the shackles.
Bai Qingniao’s vision was blurred. She could only hear the extremely vibrant crow reverberating across the sky.
The Spirit Qi swirl appeared above her head with warmth and sheltered her body that was too feeble to sit up.
“Nine Phoenixes Transformation… The second transformation!”
Bai Qingniao muttered on the ground.
Engaging in the fight, Lil Phoenix One suddenly made a piercing squeal.
It became fiercer and stronger as flaming feathers grew from its body one after another.
It spread its wings and soared into the air.
The sharp claws left bloody marks on the body of the roaring Black Dragon.