Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 521: Teacher Tao
“Here, your spirit stones.” After leaving the merchant guild, Lu Yang handed the storage ring from the merchant guild to Squire Song.
Squire Song nearly dropped the storage ring in shock. This is six million spirit stones! Yet he’s giving it to me just like that?!
“No no no, I can’t possibly accept so much. Ten thousand, ten thousand is enough.” As a mortal, Squire Song dared not gamble on whether Great Xia’s law enforcement could intimidate those who would covet his sudden wealth if word got out.
Declining wouldn’t be appropriate either. I’ll just accept a teeny bit.
Seeing Squire Song’s reaction, Lu Yang knew the latter had his own concerns. He didn’t press the matter and sent him back to Yuanhe County. He then split the remaining sum, giving two million to each of his two junior sisters.
Lu Yang had never placed much importance on spirit stones. Between his patent royalties and barbeque shop dividends, only ancestral wealth like Meng Jingzhou’s or visionary entrepreneurs like Tao Yaoye could rival his financial standing among the younger generation.
Moreover, he had little use for spirit stones.
For magical treasures, he possessed the Qingfeng Sword gifted by Yun Zhi and the Mingyue Sword once wielded by the Qilin Immortal.
For cultivation items, such as natural treasures, great pills, and spirit soils, he could redeem them anytime at the Great Mission Hall or pluck a few root whiskers from the ginseng doll. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
For cultivation techniques, the scripture library had everything he needed.
Such were the privileges of being in a major sect. Cultivation resources were abundant, allowing disciples to focus solely on cultivation.
The Great Mission Hall was set up not to burden disciples with tasks, but to send them down the mountain and wander the world to punish evil and uphold justice, preventing them from losing their emotions due to endless cultivation. The Dao-Seeking Sect had never advocated the concept of supreme detachment—transcending all emotions and being unruffled by them.
Judging by the Ancient Five Immortals, especially the Qilin Immortal, Lu Yang doubted any had achieved the state of supreme detachment.
The most prominent faction preaching supreme detachment was the Heartless Creed.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy shared, “I’ve met several individuals who claimed to follow the path of supreme detachment. They say their heart and mind are wholly devoted to the Dao, but their actions are really ruthless. Three killed their wives or children to prove their Dao, and two refined entire clans into magical treasures, sparing none of their family members. Furthermore, their faces were perpetually emotionless, as if everyone owed them spirit stones. However, they were frail in battle—one self-detonation from me was all it took to wipe them out.
“In my opinion, they hadn’t achieved true supreme detachment.”
“That doesn’t count?” Lu Yang was puzzled. What they did already sounds ruthless enough.
“Of course not. For starters, would they dare go naked? Wearing clothes means they still have a sense of shame. How can one be considered to have achieved supreme detachment if they still feel shame?”
Lu Yang mulled over it. That’s indeed the case. I didn’t expect the seemingly guileless, adorable, and dimwitted Everlasting Immortal Fairy to offer such penetrating insights.
~~~
On the way to Qingshui Commandery after departing Yuanhe County, Lu Yang remembered he was a sword cultivator who could fly on swords instead of riding horses.
The Qingfeng Sword hovered three feet off the ground. Lu Yang jumped onto it with hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering as he stood there in all his glory. “Now this looks more like a sword immortal.”
He had heard of a special duel format between sword cultivators. Two sword cultivators would stand face to face and charge at each other while flying on their swords, with the one knocked off losing. He felt he could probably only use a flying carriage if he participated.
“Lu Yang, a Divine Transfiguration cultivator has set their sights on you all,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy warned.
“A Divine Transfiguration cultivator?” Lu Yang braked his flying sword, hairs standing on end.
With a thunderous explosion, a figure dispersed the smoke and dust, blocking the trio’s path.
“Such audacity! How dare you sell this esteemed one’s magical treasure to the merchant guild?! Are you tired of living?!”
The figure’s aura waves made the three of their hearts tremble. Even the Unbeatable Golden Core was blaring warnings for Lu Yang to flee immediately. From their chilling aura, matching that of the painting scroll’s lineage, it was clear they were a seasoned old monster who had secretly slaughtered countless lives.
“Your magical treasure?” Tao Yaoye was bewildered. If the painting scroll has a master, how could it be stored in a storage ring?
Lu Yang thought about it from another perspective and pieced things together. “You feared Great Xia would track you down through the magical treasure, so you erased your imprints from it. After the magical treasure refines people, you plan to appear to reap the benefits?”
“You’re a clever one.” The chilling figure was surprised at how quickly Lu Yang had figured out the truth.
Though that won’t change their impending fate.
“Judging by the jade pendants at your waists, two of you are from the Dao-Seeking Sect and one is from the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace?”
“You recognize our identities, yet you still dare attack us?”
The chilling figure chuckled darkly. “So what if you’re from immortal sects? Even if you die here, no matter how mighty they are, the immortal sects won’t be able to detect me!”
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes. Is this genuine ignorance or bravado? When something befalls immortal sect disciples, immortal sects can calculate their karma; there’s no way the culprit can get away.
Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting silently gripped their weapons like they were facing a formidable foe, preparing to launch an assault at any moment.
“You dare harm our boss’s guests? Die!” Another icy voice rang from above.
It was a figure wielding a nine-section whip[1] that was ablaze with eerie ghost fire. The nine-section whip lashed toward the chilling figure, the azure ghost fire pursuing its target relentlessly like maggots clinging to bones.
Both parties engaged in a fierce battle, dishing out various magical treasures. Under a hundred exchanges, the nine-section whip’s wielder subdued the chilling figure.
“The few of you, come with us. Our boss would like to meet you.” The nine-section whip’s owner stared at Lu Yang’s trio coldly, his tone brooking no refusal. Though he was also at the Divine Transfiguration Stage, the ease with which he defeated the chilling figure showed he was outstanding even among cultivators of the same realm.
Tao Yaoye’s hands grew clammy. I’ve seen this person with the nine-section whip before. It was when I visited the barbeque shop with Senior Brother Lu Yang. He was standing behind Vice Creed Leader Shi, likely his right-hand man.
I think he was called... Huo Huashen?
Why would people from the Nine-Netherworlds Creed seek us out? What do they want with us? Tao Yaoye dared not continue down that line of thought.
Although Lan Ting didn’t know Huo Huashen, she could sense from his aura that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. Should we run? But he’s clearly much more powerful than we are. How could we escape?
“Who’s your boss? What do you want with us?”
Huo Huashen shot Tao Yaoye a frosty glance. “You’ll know when you’re there.”
Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting looked at Lu Yang with pleading eyes, and the latter nodded. “Let’s go see.”
~~~
The journey passed in suffocating silence. Huo Huashen walked at the front, leading the three to a small pavilion. It was extremely isolated, with no nearby villages, shops, or even passers-by.
In the small pavilion sat a lone figure, dressed in black like a bottomless abyss. A single glance at him felt like plunging into a frozen pit; he was truly like a great devil with countless lives on his hands.
He was none other than Shi Huagu, one of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s three vice creed leaders.
“Boss, they’re here. I’ve already verified that no one else will come.”
“Got it. Stand behind.”
Huo Huashen gave an affirmative reply and stood behind Shi Huagu, as quiet as a statue.
“You must be Teacher Tao,[2] the creator of Dreamlike Bubble Mirage. Your reputation precedes you. I finally get to meet you in person today. With the Dreamlike Bubble Mirage’s insane popularity, you must have earned a great deal of spirit stones, truly a cause for celebration.”
Tao Yaoye’s blood ran cold, and her back was drenched in cold sweat. So I was the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s target all along?
Are they targeting the Dreamlike Bubble Mirage? Are they trying to rob me or demand the patent?
“It’s just mortals watching, so the earnings aren’t much,” Tao Yaoye said, bracing herself.
“The earnings aren’t much? Teacher Tao, you shouldn’t say that.”
“What exactly do you want?”
”Humans die for wealth; birds perish for food. With your intelligence, Teacher Tao, surely you can guess what I want?” The corners of Shi Huagu’s mouth curved upward into a cold smirk.
“Teacher Tao, can you use the Dreamlike Bubble Mirage to help us promote our barbeque business? We have sufficient budget, and the price is negotiable.”
1. The jiujie-bian is a soft weapon in wushu. ☜
2. The term ‘xiansheng’ can have multiple meanings, such as teacher, mister, or a master in an arts-related field. ☜
