Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Please become Daoist companions quickly!
Editor: Henyee Translations
A few hours later, Xu Yinglian regretted her decision at light speed.
Where did all these bootlickers come from?
The mission that Qiu Changtian had taken on this time was because an outer disciple from Kunlun had serendipitously discovered a suspected entrance to an Earth Vein on the western side of Long Mountain.
The so-called Earth Vein was a branch of the Nine Provinces Dragon Vein, usually a place full of abundant spiritual energy, apt for cultivation.
There were often ancient cultivators who built thatched cottages to reside in; the benefits of their left-behind relics need not be mentioned, but there could also be treacherous mechanisms and Demonic Beasts lurking, presenting an equal measure of risks and rewards.
This particular Earth Vein didn’t have much spiritual energy, and if there were ancient relics, they would most likely only benefit disciples at the Foundation Establishment Rank; even Golden Core True Persons wouldn’t be willing to come.
The Kunlun disciples who had invited Qiu Changtian were somewhat apprehensive, fearing that the Chief Disciple would be concerned about the paltry rewards compared to the risks, and might not come on account of putting on airs.
However, upon receiving a positive response to their communication, they were moved to tears, praising the Chief Disciple’s righteousness continuously.
By the time Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian arrived by Sword Control, more than a dozen Kunlun disciples had gathered to greet them, calling out “Senior Brother” and “Junior Sister” and trying to get familiar.
Xu Yinglian had no patience for these bootlickers and responded with just a cold nod.
Qiu Changtian, on the other hand, was not at all arrogant, nodding to each person in turn with a greeting, his demeanor and tone as gentle as a spring breeze, making everyone feel close and not neglected, immediately raising their good impressions of him.
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[Invincible Character Setting, Synchronization Value +1.]
Kunlun Mirror said indifferently.
As the Synchronization Value continued to surge, the quality of Daoist Heart Clarity was also able to perform stably at 100%, making his practice during this period incredibly strong, quite like a leveling accelerator.
“Senior Brother, please look, this here is the entrance to the Earth Vein.” The disciple who had taken on the task, named Duan Tianbao, assumed the responsibility of leading the way without hesitation.
Qiu Changtian looked closely and indeed, behind the vines on the crevice of the mountain rocks, there was a small opening leading inside.
“The spiritual energy here is quite weak, it’s remarkable that it was discovered,” Qiu Changtian said with a warm smile, “but because it’s so hidden, there might not be any remnants of cultivators inside, perhaps just a natural and empty Earth Vein. Everyone should brace themselves for this possibility on our journey.”
“Of course. If there really are no ancient relics, we will report back to our sect and have this location swapped for Spirit Stones, but we surely won’t leave out Senior Brother’s share,” said everyone all at once.
“That’s unnecessary. My role in coming here is to ensure your safety.”
“If it turns out to be just an empty Earth Vein without any place to exert our strength, then I will not accept Spirit Stones,” Qiu Changtian declared with a laugh, raising his hand to cast the “Universal Pure Tone Minor Illumination Technique,” dispersing the darkness before them as he took the lead inside.
Xu Yinglian followed silently, thinking to herself that her Senior Brother was quite the character, always presenting this scholarly and pleasant demeanor to the outside world. Who could know his true nature was not like that at all?
She should really record him scolding her using a Shadow Stone and let these bootlickers listen to it properly.
The others closely followed behind, through the tortuous and difficult paths of the cave, slippery with moss and unstable underfoot.
After descending more than two hundred meters, the path ahead was still pitch black, and the disciples who had not yet undergone Marrow Cleansing clambered down unceasingly, already gasping for air from exhaustion, casting hopeful glances towards the majestic figure of the Senior Brother ahead.
Faced with so many silent pleas, Qiu Changtian also had no choice but to stop the advancing Xu Yinglian and signaled for everyone to rest.
The air in the cave was humid, with no light penetrating its depths, and echoes reverberated continuously, becoming eerier the longer they stayed. Hence, many disciples began harboring thoughts of retreat, afraid to venture deeper, and they sent Duan Tianbao to voice their concerns.
However, facing the warm smile of Qiu Changtian, Duan Tianbao couldn’t bring himself to speak, and upon returning to the others, he snapped irritably:
“Those who want to leave can break away from the group on their own. Don’t waste Chief Disciple’s effort by making him come here for nothing!”
The rest were left speechless, exchanging looks of hesitation.
After resting for a short while, they continued onward.
A few hundred meters further down, light finally appeared, coming from Luminous Pearls embedded in the walls.
The path ahead, unbeknownst to them, had transitioned from a natural cavern to a squared-off corridor of an underground palace.
Seeing the grey walls and green bricks, the disciples’ hearts were torn between excitement and fear.
The excitement stems from the discovery that this place is not an empty Earth Vein, but instead, it was once occupied by cultivators.
The fear arises from the green bricks and grey walls, which emit an eerily sinister and chilling vibe?
Qiu Changtian watched coldly, casually picking something out of the wall.
Hmm, as expected, there was bone ash mixed in. Others might not notice, but after studying for so long at Yuqing View, how could Luo Yan fail to recognize this kind of evil sect’s artifact refining method?
Given the style, it appears to be the artifact-refining approach of the early Nether Ghost Path, shortly after the split of the Intercepting Cult in ancient times.
It seems that this Underground Palace must be related to the ancient Nether Ghost Path.
Still, as always, given the quality of the Spiritual Energy in these veins, it’s unlikely that the ancient cultivators who occupied this place were very formidable.
Qiu Changtian silently reviewed his spells, realizing that both the Jade Smoke Sword and the Jade Pivot Thunder had their advantages against creatures like Nether Ghosts, so he beckoned his group to continue moving forward.
As they ventured deeper, the temperature grew colder and ghastly rustles could be heard sporadically.
After a while, a shadow suddenly pounced from the darkness at a terrifying speed. Before the Kunlun Disciples could react, Qiu Changtian swiftly raised his hand and sent out a stream of jade light, nailing the shadow to the wall, and calmly warned:
“This is a Low Rank Corpse Spider. Everyone, be careful.”
Hearing the Chief Disciple’s warning, everyone drew their Flying Swords and braced themselves with focus.
With another raise of his hand, Qiu Changtian retrieved the Jade Smoke Sword from the corpse and recalled it to him.
The group watched the Corpse Spider’s body with excitement, thinking that the Chief Disciple indeed deserved his title, as his swordsmanship was much more exquisite than theirs, and they grew even more admiration and respect for him.
[Invincible Character Setting, Synchronization Value +1.]
Only Xu Yinglian felt somewhat discontented.
Her Feather Jia Sword was even faster than the Jade Smoke Sword, but she was a beat slower than her senior brother in both reaction and attack speed, leading to a complete defeat.
The team continued on their way, clearing out any Corpse Spiders they encountered.
This area seemed to be their nest, and after killing more than seventy of them, there still seemed to be no end in sight.
Not long after, strange wails suddenly arose from both ahead and behind. A massive wave of Corpse Spiders surged from both directions toward the Kunlun Disciples at the center!
Qiu Changtian, unafraid in the face of danger, loudly roused the stunned crowd and ordered them to form a battle array to meet the enemy.
Over there, about a dozen disciples, some crouching and some standing, formed three rows, each maneuvering Flying Swords, trying to repel the approaching Corpse Spiders.
These Corpse Spiders were covered with tough bristles, formidable in defense, and usually impervious to a single strike from an ordinary Flying Sword. It would take three or four strikes before one could be killed.
In just a few moments of combat, the disciples’ defensive line started to falter, nearly being breached several times.
On the other side, Qiu Changtian alone controlled the Jade Smoke Sword, slaying the incoming Corpse Spiders.
The Jade Smoke Sword was a Seventh Rank Metal System Flying Sword, and he himself had mastered the essence of the Shushan Sword Mastery. Thus, his Flying Sword cut through the horde effortlessly, with no spider able to withstand; they were almost instantly pierced by the golden light and killed on the spot.
While he managed this side effortlessly, he hurriedly asked Xu Yinglian to support the other disciples who were having a hard time maintaining their formation.
Compelled by him, Xu Yinglian immediately became competitive, her Feather Jia Sword flying faster and faster, weaving non-stop through the spider horde.
In that moment, both of them displayed exquisite swordsmanship on either side, locking all the Corpse Spiders several meters away.
[Invincible Character Setting, Synchronization Value +1.]
The onlookers were dumbfounded. The tide of spiders on just one side had already overwhelmed them when working together, yet Senior Brother Qiu and Senior Sister Xu could each fend off on their own with such ease, truly demonstrating their formidable strength.
Again, they saw Qiu Changtian control his sword with composure and grace; Xu Yinglian, composed as she channeled her energy, her clothes fluttering with elegance. This only made the surrounding people feel even more inferior.
What a perfect pair of cultivators, a match made in heaven!
Just become Daoist companions already, please!