"Running a black-hearted inn and harming countless people, and you still want to flee?"
Blade Breaking Swordsman sneered coldly. The other patrons scattered in terror, while the escort party also hurried away. Before long, only Lu Wangchuan and Blade Breaking Swordsman remained in the inn.
The other man stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Lu Wangchuan.
"Your skills are exceptional, sir. Let us be friends. I am Deng Sanxi, successor to the Water Severing Draw. May I ask where you are from?"
"Chance meetings need no names."
Lu Wangchuan did not wish to make too many friends. One or two true confidants were enough; any more would be useless.
Just as he was about to leave, the other man stepped forward and blocked him again.
"Brother, please stay."
Lu Wangchuan raised a brow, somewhat displeased. The other man hastily explained.
"I mean no offense. I merely have a matter to discuss. Brother, you are not in such a hurry that you cannot hear me out before deciding whether to leave."
Lu Wangchuan pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Keep it brief. I am in a hurry."
"It is like this. A friend of mine discovered several Black Scale Pythons in a gorge a hundred li from here. These creatures have already become spiritual beasts, their bodies filled with abundant vitality, blood, and spiritual energy. Eating them is a tremendous tonic.
"But the Black Scale Python's hide is hard as iron, and it possesses boundless strength, comparable to a Bone Forging expert! Seeing that your skills are extraordinary, brother, if you are willing to hunt the Black Scale Pythons with us, we can give you a share as well."
Lu Wangchuan's eyes flickered. Lu Xianyuan had told him before that spiritual creatures were also greatly beneficial to cultivation.
Some heavenly and earthly spiritual treasures could not only replenish vitality and blood, but also raise one's spiritual energy cultivation. They were rare and precious supreme tonics.
This was also one reason why most people did not cultivate the Life Nurturing Art—there truly were many things that could replenish vitality and blood.
And for him, the more vitality and blood he gained, the stronger he would become.
He did not want to miss such a good opportunity.
As for whether the other man might deceive him, Lu Wangchuan did not need to worry too much. So long as the man was not a Celestial Human Realm expert, no one could suppress him.
Strength was his greatest reliance.
"I can go take a look. But let me make this clear first—if you dare deceive me, I will not show mercy."
Deng Sanxi was overjoyed.
"Rest assured, brother. Ask around the martial world about the name Blade Breaking Swordsman Deng Sanxi. If anyone has a single bad word to say about me, you will not even need to act—I will chop off my own head and give it to you."
"Enough. Lead the way."
"Please."
With Deng Sanxi leading the way, the two headed swiftly north. Lu Wangchuan was in no desperate rush to reach the Divine Water Sect. So long as he could improve his strength, anywhere was good.
"By the way, I have yet to ask your name, brother."
"Lu Jingchuan, from Daze City."
When traveling abroad, human hearts were unfathomable. An alias was necessary.
"So you are from Daze City. Something major happened in your city recently. A Grand Commander from a military camp was killed, leaving the place leaderless, and the Radiant Light Society wiped it out."
"The Radiant Light Society?"
Lu Wangchuan raised a brow slightly. Naturally, he knew the Grand Commander had been killed by him, but where had this Radiant Light Society come from?
"Indeed, the Radiant Light Society. It is a newly risen force that has reportedly been expanding rapidly, with the momentum to become a second Black Lotus Society."
Lu Wangchuan's thoughts grew heavy. Perhaps another sect was backing them from behind. Da Qian was becoming increasingly chaotic; heroes rose together, and its downfall could come overnight.
He felt no sympathy. An Imperial Court that had lost the people's hearts deserved its destruction.
It only made him yearn even more for strength. If he was not strong enough, sooner or later he would be beaten.
A journey of a hundred-odd li was not difficult for either of them, especially Lu Wangchuan. To him, it was practically child's play. If he had not wanted to expose too much of his strength, he could have let Deng Sanxi run ninety li ahead first!
When they arrived at the place Deng Sanxi had described, several martial artists had already gathered there.
There was an elderly man with silver hair and a youthful face, a plainly dressed middle-aged couple, a lanky man with shifty eyes, and a muscular giant standing a full two meters tall.
"Deng Sanxi, why the hell are you so slow?"
The muscular giant immediately shouted impatiently.
Deng Sanxi promptly cupped his hands and offered an apologetic smile.
"Do not be angry. Something delayed me on the road."
The others turned their gazes toward Lu Wangchuan behind him.
"Old Deng, who is this?"
"Oh, let me introduce everyone. This is Brother Lu Jingchuan, an expert from Daze City. His skills are extraordinary, so I invited him to hunt the Black Scale Pythons with us.
"Brother Jingchuan, these are Dust Floating Old Man, the Mandarin Duck Blades couple Lan Cheng and his wife, Iron Spear He Liubi, and Vajra Fist Ao Hu. They are all Bone Forging experts. Senior Dust Floating in particular has reached the peak of Open Source, only half a step away from entering the dantian!"
Lu Wangchuan nodded. He Liubi narrowed his eyes and said.
"Old Deng, this is not child's play. Not just anyone can join us. If he wants in, we need to see whether he has the qualifications."
Deng Sanxi glanced at Lu Wangchuan, his meaning obvious—he hoped Lu Wangchuan would display a little of his skill.
Lu Wangchuan shifted his foot and gave a light stomp. Cracks instantly spread across the stone ground.
"Bone Forging Realm!"
The crowd was shaken and withdrew the contempt from their eyes.
Dust Floating Old Man then spoke.
"Since he is in the Bone Forging Realm, he is qualified to hunt with us. But let this old man make it clear beforehand: when we hunt the Black Scale Pythons, he will receive a share, but he will receive no share of that map."
Lu Wangchuan raised a brow slightly.
"What map?"
Deng Sanxi explained.
"It is a map of the mechanisms and formations within the Ancient Expert Fallen Tomb. Senior Dust Floating initiated this hunt to replenish his declining vitality and blood. Senior Dust Floating will take forty percent, on the condition that he lets us see the map."
"No matter. I only want the Black Scale Pythons' flesh and blood."
Greed would not lead to a good end. It was best to secure the benefits within reach first. Lu Wangchuan had always been clear about his goals and distinguished what mattered from what did not.
Hearing this, Dust Floating Old Man nodded.
"Good. Then it is settled. Let us go."
The group immediately entered the gorge. Walking behind him, Deng Sanxi explained.
"There were no Black Scale Pythons in this gorge in the early years. Someone spotted traces of them a century ago, though no one knows who released them. Later, whenever people wanted to replenish their vitality and blood, they formed groups to hunt Black Scale Pythons.
"For us Rogue Cultivators, this is a natural treasure vault. But it is also extremely dangerous. After entering, the death rate is very high."
"So that is how it is. But why not join a sect? Do sects not have many pills?"
Deng Sanxi gave an embarrassed smile.
"Sects are not so easy to enter either. We Bone Forging experts are already remarkable outside, but within a sect, we are only middle- to lower-ranking figures. The competition is no easier than outside. Without connections, every step is difficult.
"Brother Ao Hu used to belong to the Heavenly Martial Sect. He only left because he could not endure the exclusion."
"So that is how it is."
Lu Wangchuan could not help feeling a trace of relief. Thankfully, he had Lu Xianyuan; otherwise, entering an immortal sect would not have been easy for him either.
However, this only made him yearn for immortal sects even more.
Even Bone Forging cultivators were merely middle- to lower-ranking members. Just how strong was a sect's upper limit?
I hope everyone can vote more. Thank you, everyone.
Before you continue