Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Stone Meditation Hut

Fang Cheng walked up to the Red-haired Giant Ape’s corpse. A speck of dark green light flew out from the woods and vanished into his sleeve.

Then, two points of golden light emerged from the Giant Ape’s corpse and flew back to him in succession.

Liu, Yang, and Chen stared at the massive Demon Beast’s corpse on the ground, hardly able to believe their eyes. For a moment, they couldn’t contain their profound shock.

This was a Tier Two Demon Beast!

Senior Brother Liu watched Fang Cheng’s back with a complicated expression, laughing at himself inwardly.

He had thought the rumors were exaggerations, that the name "Cyan Profound Sword Fang Cheng" was not well-earned. Now, it seemed the rumors hadn’t been exaggerated at all; in fact, they fell far short of describing Fang Cheng’s true power.

To slay a Tier Two Demon Beast while only at the Late Sensing Stage... such power was exceedingly rare, even among the Inner Disciples of the Yinluo Sect.

And he had only just entered the Outer Sect!

It was truly unimaginable.

He cupped his fists and said, "Junior Brother Fang, thank you for saving us just now."

His tone and expression were earnest and sincere, without the slightest hint of falsehood.

Fang Cheng stored the Giant Ape’s corpse and smiled. "You’re too kind, Senior Brother. It was nothing, really. Please don’t give it a second thought."

The corner of Senior Brother Liu’s mouth twitched into a wry smile. "If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word. I would go through fire and water for you without a moment’s hesitation."

Just then, Dong Qing approached, accompanied by a strikingly handsome male cultivator.

When the group first saw this person, even Fang Cheng nearly mistook him for a Female Cultivator. Only after taking a closer look did he realize his mistake.

Dong Qing curtsied gracefully to Fang Cheng and said, "Senior Brother Fang, we meet again."

Then, she introduced the male cultivator beside her. "This is my clan cousin, Dong Fangyu. He’s an Inner Sect Disciple."

Dong Fangyu cupped his fists. "Junior Brother Fang, Qingqing has mentioned you often. I never thought we’d meet here today. I am indebted to you for your help. Once I return to my family, I will be sure to prepare a generous gift for you."

His face was round, his features delicately handsome, and his skin as fair as jade. His voice, however, was deep and powerful, creating a strange and striking contrast.

After speaking, he looked at Dong Qing and nodded slightly.

Dong Qing took a Talisman from her storage bag and presented it to Fang Cheng. "Senior Brother, you can take this distress signal talisman to the Outer Sect Merit Pavilion and exchange it for ten thousand merit points."

Fang Cheng accepted the Talisman and glanced at it, noticing a crack across its surface. Its Spiritual Mechanism was completely gone, rendering it useless.

He put the Talisman away and smiled faintly. "Senior Brother Dong, you’re too kind. We are all disciples of the Yinluo Sect, so it’s only right that we look out for one another. If you don’t mind my asking, how did you end up provoking that fierce ape?"

Dong Fangyu came from a top-tier aristocratic family and cultivated in the Yinluo Sect’s Inner Sect, so he naturally had high standards. Towards Fang Cheng, however, he was exceptionally courteous. In a mild tone, he explained, "That fierce ape noticed the recent influx of cultivators into the Southern Wilds. It has been hiding in the forest, specifically ambushing and killing Sensing Realm cultivators. I was careless for a moment and fell for its trick."

After a pause, he asked, "Are you a Gu Cultivator, Junior Brother?"

’With his discerning eye, he could naturally tell that the Gu Insects Fang Cheng used to kill the Red-haired Giant Ape were ones he had personally refined, not ones he had acquired from someone else.’

’Otherwise, in the Gu Dao, it is a great taboo for the weak to try and control the strong. The backlash from the Gu Insects would be unbearable!’

This was the true reason he held Fang Cheng in such high esteem!

Fang Cheng nodded. "Just a few minor tricks."

Dong Fangyu chuckled at his response. "You’re being too modest, Junior Brother. Aside from a handful of Magical Artifacts and Divine Techniques designed specifically to counter Gu Insects, the Gu Dao has virtually no weaknesses. With your accomplishments on this path, you are destined to make a brilliant name for yourself in the sect."

At the same time, he secretly lamented, ’Such a talent has been snapped up by the Ye Family, leaving the Dong Family to simply look on with envy.’

’Among the current younger generation of the four great families of the Abyssal Marsh, the Wang Family’s Wang Yuntian is the most prominent, hailed as the number one Sensing Realm cultivator among the four families.’

’Next is the Feng Family’s Feng Ling!’

’As for the Ye Family and his own Dong Family, although they had plenty of disciples cultivating in the Inner Sect, they seemed mediocre in comparison to the two prodigies from the Chixia Wang Family and the Flame Demon Feng Family.’

’This son-in-law of the Ye Family, on the other hand, faintly exuded the air of a Demon Dao prodigy. It’s only a matter of time before he soars to unimaginable heights.’

The two of them chatted for a bit longer before Dong Fangyu announced their departure. He then left gracefully with Dong Qing.

In the forest, Chen Yu Yan’s beautiful eyes shimmered. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue.

’She had just seen it clearly—Fang Cheng’s Li Hen Demon Light had reached an incredibly profound level. The Divine Technique was so wondrous that he had effortlessly neutralized a strike from a Tier Two Demon Beast.’

’How did he refine the demonic intent?’

’Chen Yu Yan herself cultivated the Nine Heavens Cold Ice Technique. Even with the aid of the Profound Yin Ice Fiend, giving her uniquely advantageous conditions, she still struggled to overcome the hurdle of refining demonic intent.’

’Fortunately, the demonic intent from the Nine Heavens Cold Ice Technique wasn’t as potent as that from the Joyful Zen Skill or the Li Hen Demon Light, making the early stages less perilous.’

’But as her Magical Power grew, the demonic intent grew stronger in turn, and the pressure on her mounted day by day.’

Ye Yan’s thoughts were the most straightforward. Seeing Fang Cheng battle the Tier Two Demon Beast, she was at first incredibly worried, ready at a moment’s notice to use the trump card her mother had given her to help her husband.

When she saw Fang Cheng slay the Demon Beast, her heart filled with a sweetness, an inexpressible joy and pride.

After Dong Fangyu and Dong Qing left, the five of them saw that it was getting late, so they found a hollow in the mountains to rest for a while.

Senior Sister Yang tugged on Chen Yu Yan’s sleeve and said softly, "Junior Sister Chen, we’ll need to use your Stone Meditation Hut again."

Chen Yu Yan gave a slight nod. She took out a palm-sized piece of blue stone, channeled her Magical Power, and recited a short incantation. The stone flew from her hand, instantly expanding in mid-air until it became a boulder about ten feet tall. It landed steadily amidst a pile of jagged rocks in the hollow.

From a distance, it looked completely ordinary and was indistinguishable from a normal boulder.

Then, Chen Yu Yan formed a Spell sign with her hands. The surface of the boulder flashed, and countless streams of light appeared, tracing the outline of a door.

She said to the other four, "Let’s go inside and rest."

Senior Brother Liu and Senior Sister Yang had clearly known about this treasure of Chen Yu Yan’s for some time, as they walked through the glowing doorway with practiced ease.

Chen Yu Yan followed, glancing back at Fang Cheng and Ye Yan with a gentle smile before she too stepped inside.

This was the first time Fang Cheng had seen such a treasure. Feeling rather curious, he also walked in with Ye Yan.

After the five of them entered, the light patterns on the boulder slowly dissipated, and its surface returned to normal, showing no trace of anything unusual.

Upon stepping inside the boulder, Fang Cheng found himself in a circular, domed hall roughly five zhang in diameter. It looked as if it had been carved directly from the stone in a rough-hewn style, with bas-reliefs of birds and beasts adorning the dome and stone walls.

The hall was inlaid with jade stones that emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire area brightly.

There appeared to be some form of ventilation, as the air was fresh and not at all stuffy.

The hall contained a good deal of furniture, and several stone rooms lined the perimeter. It was, for all intents and purposes, a small, mobile Cave Mansion.

"Sister Chen, I’ve heard that the Stone Meditation Hut is an exclusive Magical Artifact of the Spirit Moon Sect from Jin Country. They’re extremely rare here in Yun Country. I never imagined you’d actually have one," Ye Yan said with a sigh of admiration, her almond-shaped eyes taking in the surroundings.

Chen Yu Yan replied calmly, "I came across it by chance at a Loose Cultivator trade meet. This treasure can only be used for rest and concealment and has no other functions, so the price wasn’t exorbitant."

Ye Yan curiously asked a few more questions, obviously very interested in this Stone Meditation Hut.

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