Chapter 128: We Had Better Go All Out

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: We Had Better Go All Out

"The light pillar is activated. I’m taking my leave."

Within Dragon Head Hall, a pillar of light shot skyward. The token representing Liu Chen detached itself from the pillar and fell into Xie Xichen’s hand. Without a moment’s pause, he uttered this phrase to Yu Haoyong, who was meditating nearby, and flew directly out of the lava.

In the central area, along with this special pillar of light, thirteen others shot into the sky. Apart from the five pillars Purple Cloud Valley had obtained by trading Spiritual Cuisine, the remaining eight were now held by Qingxu Hall.

Immediately after, another pillar of light rose from the largest hot spring area in the distance, echoing the one Xie Xichen had just activated. This, too, was a special pillar, and it belonged to Thunder Mountain.

’Interesting. Once Thunder Mountain activates the last pillar, all forty pillars in the central area, plus the two hidden ones, will have been activated. The final eighteen pillars must correspond to the eighteen volcanoes in Fire Dragon Valley.’

Xie Xichen watched this unfold in silence. Purple Cloud Valley had provided the Array Plate, which gave them a natural advantage in locating the pillars. Thunder Mountain’s recent quietness, on the other hand, clearly meant they had found the other hidden pillar.

By that logic, it was Qingxu Hall that was now lagging behind in the number of activated pillars.

"Inform the wavering Loose Cultivators that we’re pulling out of Fire Dragon Valley tonight. They need to decide quickly whether they’ll join the Black Feather Dynasty."

Down in the lava, having received the report from his Guard, Yu Haoyong knew full well that the final trial was imminent. The Black Feather Dynasty had to withdraw before then, or the Black Feather Royal Family would be unable to make a graceful exit.

"As you command."

The Guards scattered immediately. Yu Haoyong glanced one last time at the pillar of light in Dragon Head Hall, then rose and slowly departed.

Two hours later, the last seven pillars of light in the central area rose up, and all forty of the central area’s theorized pillars were now activated.

Fire Dragon Valley contained a total of three hundred sixty pillars of light. To date, three hundred pillars had been activated in the outer regions, while the forty in the central area, plus the two hidden pillars, had also just been fully activated.

That brought the total to three hundred forty-two activated pillars, with only the final eighteen remaining to complete the trial. And since Fire Dragon Valley had exactly eighteen volcanoes, it wasn’t so much a hint as a neon sign; anyone with a functioning brain could deduce where the last pillars would appear.

The central area became much more active, teeming with Cultivators. Disciples from the Three Immortal Sects, members of the various Noble Families, and even many Loose Cultivators who had been in hiding all started to emerge.

However, this didn’t affect Liu Chen’s business. At noon, all fifteen portions of Spiritual Cuisine were bought up by Noble Family Disciples and Loose Cultivators with solid Spirit Stones. Purple Cloud Valley’s disciples didn’t continue buying on credit, and neither Thunder Mountain nor Qingxu Hall came to purchase any more Spiritual Cuisine.

"The Fire Wolf Gang has disbanded. Jackal kept a dozen or so people, while the rest followed their former second-in-command and pledged allegiance to the Black Feather Dynasty."

In the courtyard, Yang Haichen handed a Storage Ring to Liu Chen and spoke with a hint of resignation. He had thought more of the Fire Wolf Gang’s Loose Cultivators—the ones who assumed they wouldn’t be held accountable—would remain, but it turned out to be only a dozen or so.

"Can we still keep selling the Spiritual Cuisine?"

Liu Chen asked nonchalantly as he accepted the Storage Ring. ’The activation of the next eighteen pillars has nothing to do with me. What follows is a series of arena battles between the chosen geniuses of the Three Immortal Sects.’

’The Loose Cultivators will gradually vanish from Fire Dragon Valley, turning this bloody trial into a series of battles fought before an audience. In that kind of situation, no one will land a killing blow.’

"We probably could, but I’m not sure those disciples from the noble families can afford the price."

Yang Haichen recalled what Jackal had told him. ’Most of the Loose Cultivators just ran for it. The Fire Wolf Gang had to eat, too, so their leftover ingredients can last for a bit. But the real question is, can any of those Noble Family disciples actually cough up five thousand Spirit Stones on the spot?’

"Then let’s forget it. Senior Brother Yang, please hold onto the remaining Spiritual Cuisine. Use it to help the Purple Cloud Valley disciples fighting for the pillars restore their Spiritual Power."

Liu Chen thought for a moment. ’It’s true I can’t compete for the pillars myself, but there’s no issue with using the Spiritual Cuisine to help Purple Cloud Valley’s disciples recover their Spiritual Power. You need a certain level of strength to even participate in the coming struggle, so the amount of Spiritual Cuisine consumed shouldn’t be too great.’

"You have a kind heart, Junior Brother."

Yang Haichen’s eyes lit up. ’Only those at the Meridian Passage Realm will be able to join the fight for the upcoming pillars. With the help of Spiritual Cuisine, Purple Cloud Valley will have an advantage every time. Our chances of securing those pillars will be huge!’

That afternoon, two paths, unsealed by any arrays, appeared in Fire Dragon Valley. They led to two different exits and were meant for the Loose Cultivators.

After the paths appeared, the number of Loose Cultivators in the central area of Fire Dragon Valley visibly dwindled. A mere four hours later, all Loose Cultivators had vanished from Fire Dragon Valley, except for those who had made deals with disciples from the Three Immortal Sects.

The once-bustling Fire Dragon Valley now seemed unusually quiet. In the courtyard, Yang Haichen stared at a list in his hands, lost in thought, while Xie Xichen, sitting opposite him, wore an awkward expression.

"Senior Brother, are you saying that all thirty of these fellow disciples will be competing for the remaining eighteen pillars?"

Yang Haichen was silent for a moment before he couldn’t resist asking. He had to discuss the Spiritual Cuisine with Xie Xichen, of course; Xie Xichen had been coordinating most of their efforts recently, and even the disciples who had newly broken through to the Meridian Passage Realm were willing to follow his lead.

’But isn’t having thirty of our disciples compete for the pillars a bit much? Are you planning to just swarm the disciples from Thunder Mountain and Qingxu Hall?’

"The final eighteen pillars have yet to appear, and we haven’t yet decided on a strategy to compete for them. Among these thirty, five have already advanced to the Meridian Passage Realm, while the remaining twenty-five are in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough."

"The slots we secure this time aren’t the official quotas for when Fire Dragon Valley opens in the future. However, the more slots Purple Cloud Valley controls now, the greater our profits will be later on. It’s best that we go all out."

’And this was after he had already pared down the numbers. Purple Cloud Valley had the most disciples participating in the trial. Even without the Spiritual Cuisine, many of them were eager to use this opportunity to make a name for themselves. If they didn’t need to leave a few pillars for Thunder Mountain and Qingxu Hall, the disciples of Purple Cloud Valley could have taken every last pillar in the central area.’

"Let’s discuss the slots later, then."

Yang Haichen placed the list squarely on the table. ’There was no way he could agree to this number. If these people had actually gone out and fought, providing Spiritual Cuisine would be no problem. But to just hand him a list before the pillars had even appeared... The audacity of it left little room for consideration.’

"Frankly, I also think it’s inappropriate," Xie Xichen said. "But the life-and-death crisis has passed, and now everyone wants to show off what they can do. Especially with a Second Grade Spirit Chef potentially watching these fights. Perhaps they think that if they perform well, they might have a chance to become Junior Brother Liu’s Guardian."