Chapter 87: Conflict Intensifies, Loose Cultivator

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Conflict Intensifies, Loose Cultivator

"My squad’s captain was the only one who had just entered the Vein Condensation Realm; the rest of us were at the Qi Cultivation Stage. The Patrol Guard, however, had two Vein Condensation Realm Cultivators, one of whom was even at the Mid-Meridian Condensation stage..."

As she said this, a venomous look appeared in Dong Yao’s eyes. "Although the Marketplace explicitly forbids killing each other, as long as you don’t cripple someone’s cultivation or kill them, they turn a blind eye..."

"In a single confrontation, our captain was grievously wounded and forced to flee. The rest of us had our Spiritual Power sealed. After being imprisoned and tortured for a while, they healed our external injuries and dumped us at the Marketplace gate..."

The veins on Dong Yao’s hand bulged, her face twisting slightly as she spoke with pure hatred, "If I can’t make them taste death by a thousand cuts and the agony of being devoured by ten thousand insects... I won’t be able to rest in peace."

Hearing this, a chill ran down Li Changsheng’s spine.

He blurted out, "Wait, doesn’t... doesn’t anyone do anything about this?"

"Heh..."

Dong Yao sneered. "Do anything? Who would dare?" She paused, then said grimly, "He’s one of the three great Stewards. Besides an Elder, who could possibly control him!"

Li Changsheng frowned. Changing the subject, he asked, "You were tortured like that, and the Demon Hunting Corps didn’t respond?"

A complex look filled Dong Yao’s eyes. In a low voice, she said, "Vice Commander Ming skinned a squad of Patrol Guards alive and hung them at their headquarters, leaving them in a state that was neither human nor ghost..."

Li Changsheng’s pupils constricted, his mind reeled.

At this point, he finally understood.

To put it bluntly, it was all a messy dogfight over the new Spiritual Land.

And low-level Cultivators like Dong Yao were the ones who got caught in the crossfire.

Li Changsheng hesitated for a moment, then with a flip of his hand, he produced two Magic Jade Scrolls and placed them on the table.

He said to Dong Yao, who could barely contain her excitement, "These are two different Insect Control Techniques."

"One is a complete First-rank Middle-grade Technique, the Five Poisons Spirit Refinement. It allows you to bind five Five Poisonous Spirit Insects and also has the effect of speeding up your cultivation."

"The other is an incomplete First-rank top-grade magic, Insect Seal, which is the technique I cultivate. The number of Spirit Insects you can bind is limited by the strength of your mind. But since it’s incomplete, there’s no guarantee you can successfully cultivate it."

After finishing his explanation, Li Changsheng asked, "Which technique do you want?"

Dong Yao looked up at him without hesitation and said seriously, "I want both techniques. Senior Brother, name your price."

A thought occurred to Li Changsheng, and he asked, "You must frequent the Wanzhong Mountains Range. Do you encounter many insects?"

Dong Yao nodded, her voice grave. "The most common things in the Wanzhong Mountains Range aren’t demons, but rather the ubiquitous insects. There are even some powerful ones that our captain is wary of."

After speaking, she seemed to guess Li Changsheng’s intention and asked, "Senior Brother, are you asking me to help you catch some insects?"

Li Changsheng nodded. "If you can find me five Low-Grade Five Poisonous Spirit Insects, I’ll trade you both techniques for them." He paused, then added, "Of course, you can also buy them with Spirit Stones. Five hundred will be enough."

Dong Yao thought for a moment, then smiled. "A trade would be best. I’m also in desperate need of Spirit Stones to buy pills for my cultivation."

She then gave a slight bow. "I’ll take my leave for now. I will return to trade with you, Senior Brother, once I’ve found the five Spirit Insects." With that, she stood up to leave.

"Wait..."

Dong Yao paused, turning back with a puzzled look in her eyes.

Li Changsheng pointed at the two Magic Jade Scrolls on the table and smiled. "You forgot the jade scrolls."

Dong Yao looked slightly stunned.

Li Changsheng picked up the Magic Jade Scrolls, walked over to her, and handed them to her, warning, "It’s best not to form contracts with too many insects, lest your mind be unable to bear the strain..."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." A warmth spread through Dong Yao’s heart. She bowed, accepting the Magic Jade Scrolls. "Don’t worry, Senior Brother. In a few days, I will bring you the Five Poisonous Spirit Insects."

She then quickly departed.

Li Changsheng saw her to the door.

After she was long gone, Li Changsheng sighed softly and turned back to the kitchen.

「Day after day passed.」

Li Changsheng expanded the beast pens to five stalls.

The six Red Fox cubs were moved into the new stalls. Under his care, the cubs grew as if they were being inflated.

The four snow goats also grew stronger and stronger under his care.

When Li Changsheng wasn’t farming or feeding his Spirit Beasts, he was cultivating and studying the Three-leaf Spirit Absorption Vein Map. He would also occasionally step out to chat with other senior brothers.

His main purpose was to gather clues about the Insect Seal. His secondary goal was to keep an eye on the Marketplace and the situation with the new Spiritual Land.

There were still no leads on the Insect Seal.

As for the Marketplace, things were escalating.

The conflict between the Demon Hunting Corps and the Patrol Guard grew more intense. Although no one had died, the injured were a common sight.

Many of the Loose Cultivators trying to make a living in the Marketplace were also caught in the fallout.

If not for an Elder who couldn’t stand to watch any longer and issued an order forbidding anyone from dragging the Loose Cultivators into it, most of them on Miscellaneous Peak would have likely become cannon fodder in the clash.

But the escalating situation in the Marketplace rattled the Loose Cultivators, and they no longer dared to stay.

The more powerful Loose Cultivators who were confident in their abilities went directly into the Wanzhong Mountains Range to hide.

The remaining weaker Loose Cultivators either took on odd jobs in the beast pens or went to the Spirit Field Zone to get by.

The previously somewhat deserted Spirit Field Zone became bustling with the arrival of the Loose Cultivators.

A small, open-air market even sprang up between the four sections of the Spirit Field Zone.

Li Changsheng would go for a stroll there from time to time, hoping to score a bargain or two.

A few days passed, but he didn’t find any bargains.

He did, however, spend fifty catties of Yellow Seed Spirit Rice to trade with a Loose Cultivator for a piece of first-rank, low-grade Profound Iron Spiritual Ore. He used it to augment Little Xiaohua’s magic to the level of steel armor.

Compared to the impure ore Xiaohua had used, after being augmented with the Profound Iron Spiritual Ore, Little Xiaohua’s body swelled up a bit more. Its steel armor looked ferocious, dark, and heavy.

Even Li Changsheng’s Sharp Metal technique, used at full power, could only chip off a few tiny fragments.

Using the Rune Hoe only left a moderately-sized gash on Little Xiaohua’s steel armor. Its defense was off the charts.

「On this day.」

As usual, Li Changsheng fed his Spirit Beasts, then mounted Xiaohua and headed out towards the open-air market.

As they passed Dong Xing’s small courtyard.

Looking at the tightly shut door, Li Changsheng sighed softly and urged Xiaohua to move on.

Since Dong Yao left, he had run into Dong Xing a few times, but each time the old man would only exchange a few pleasantries before hastily returning to his wooden house.

It seemed he had suddenly become much more distant.

Li Changsheng didn’t know why, but he couldn’t be bothered to care, busy as he was with his own affairs.

As for Dong Yao, he hadn’t seen her since giving her the Magic Jade Scrolls. He didn’t know if she was alive or dead. When he asked Dong Xing, the old man just said she was out on a mission.

’I hope it wasn’t all for nothing...’

Xiaohua ambled out of the small path and continued up the main road.

「A Cup of Tea’s Time later.」

At the central intersection connecting the four Spirit Field Zones, a crude, bazaar-like Marketplace had appeared.

The Marketplace was centered on the intersection, stretching out along the four main roads to the north, south, east, and west.

Crude, simple wooden huts lined both sides of the roads.

Even before he got close, he could hear the lively shouts from within the Marketplace.