Yuanshan City, Yuanshan Tower.
An old man dressed in a gray Daoist robe walked into the tower.
"Senior Feng Xingzi." Tantai Qingrun stepped forward to greet him and said respectfully, "I'll have to trouble you with the illusion array."
Feng Xingzi was a Fourth-grade Array Master of lofty status within the tower. Forget her, the master of Yuanshan Tower—even the master of Zhenjiang Tower would have to show him some courtesy upon meeting him.
Feng Xingzi waved a hand and said casually, "No need for formalities. I merely happened to be passing through Yuanshan City. Those above heard that Yuanshan Tower had encountered a high-grade illusion array you couldn't resolve, so they sent me a message and asked me to lend a hand."
"Hurry and take me to where the illusion array is. I'd like to see what sort of illusion array those Demon Cultivators from the underworld can set up!" Feng Xingzi did not exchange further pleasantries with Tantai Qingrun. His eyes burned with fighting spirit as he urged her on.
Naturally, Tantai Qingrun was not displeased by Feng Xingzi's urging.
Array masters with temperaments like Feng Xingzi's were exceedingly common. If they did not delight in arrays whenever they encountered them, how could they devote themselves wholeheartedly to researching the dry and obscure path of arrays?
Tantai Qingrun nodded in agreement, preparing to lead Feng Xingzi to the blood pool outside Yuanshan City.
Just then, the jade pendant at Tantai Qingrun's waist flashed with a ripple of emerald light.
A spirit message from Jiang Rong.
Tantai Qingrun sent her Spiritual Sense into it and read the message.
Afterward, Tantai Qingrun's expression turned somewhat colder.
"Tower Master Tantai, do you have some urgent matter to attend to?" Though Feng Xingzi was engrossed in arrays, he was not an inflexible man. Seeing Tantai Qingrun's reaction, he said, "If it is something important, simply order a subordinate to take me there. Tower Master Tantai's business takes priority."
Tantai Qingrun's expression returned to calm. "It is nothing important. Since Senior Feng Xingzi is willing to help Yuanshan Tower, how could I dare neglect you?"
"Lu Qingshan left the city at noon today with a Lin Family convoy. Destination: Zhenjiang City."
That was the information contained in Jiang Rong's spirit message.
Zhenjiang City... Do you think you can escape the palm of my hand?
Tantai Qingrun chuckled inwardly, a trace of smug satisfaction flickering through her eyes.
Outside Yuanshan City.
Three hours had passed since Lu Qingshan left. The Lin Family's convoy truly departed the moment they said they would, without wasting a single moment on the road.
The beasts pulling the cargo carts were not horses, but Black Rhinoceroses with faint Demonic Beast bloodlines in their bodies.
These Black Rhinoceroses were pitch-black all over, with astonishingly thick limbs that made them seem immensely powerful.
A single horn also grew from each Black Rhinoceros's forehead, gleaming with a dark, shadowy luster beneath the sunlight.
Though they appeared imposing, these Black Rhinoceroses were in fact extremely docile, without the slightest trace of savage ferocity.
Because they possessed faint Demonic Beast bloodlines, these Black Rhinoceroses were not only immensely strong, but also possessed astounding endurance and great speed.
In merely three hours, the convoy had already covered a considerable distance.
The road had changed from the broad avenue over ten meters wide outside the city into a rugged mountain path riddled with potholes.
Lu Qingshan sat atop the front of one of the convoy's cargo carts, his eyes slightly narrowed as he appeared utterly relaxed and at ease.
After accepting the mission, Lu Qingshan had cautiously investigated the employer's background.
The Lin Family was a small cultivation lineage in Yuanshan City that controlled an Azure Stone mine.
Azure Stone was a first-grade ore. It was not especially precious, but it was frequently used in the refinement of Spirit Artifacts, making it a relatively popular mineral.
Thus, relying on this Azure Stone mine, the Lin Family had developed fairly well.
The Lin Family head was a Magic Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Early Stage, but his lifespan was nearing its end.
If the Lin Family could not produce a second Foundation Establishment cultivator before the family head died of old age, the family's decline would be unavoidable.
—Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they could not hold on to the Azure Stone mine.
The nearby Ma Family had coveted the Lin Family's Azure Stone mine for a long time.
As for why the Lin Family was escorting such a large batch of goods to Zhenjiang City, a thousand li away, that required mentioning the Lin Family's origins.
The Yuanshan City Lin Family was a branch that had separated from the Zhenjiang City Lin Family many years ago.
Though it had split from the main family, the two had still maintained certain faint, intermittent ties over the years.
For instance, every three years, the Yuanshan City Lin Family had to offer a large batch of Azure Stones to the main family in Zhenjiang City in exchange for some support from them.
The goods in these dozen or so carts were all Azure Stones intended as tribute for the Zhenjiang City Lin Family.
Because the quantity was enormous while each individual Azure Stone was not worth much, the stones could only be transported to Zhenjiang City through this sort of mortal cargo convoy, rather than using storage Spirit Artifacts.
The reason was simple. The storage Spirit Artifacts required to hold so many Azure Stones would be worth far more than the Azure Stones themselves.
In previous years, the Lin Family only needed to rely on its own people to escort these Azure Stones to Zhenjiang City.
But because the family head's lifespan was nearing its end, the Lin Family was desperate to nurture a second Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Not long ago, the Lin Family head had taken several of the family's elders out to slay a Second-grade Demonic Beast in exchange for several Foundation Establishment Pills.
Though they had ultimately succeeded in killing the Second-grade Demonic Beast, the family head and several elders capable of making decisions within the family had all suffered serious injuries. At present, they could only recuperate within their cave dwellings.
Yet the tribute was a matter of great importance. Left with no other choice, the family head's daughter, Lin Yao—who had never shown herself before others—had to personally lead the team escorting the Azure Stones to Zhenjiang City.
Due to their shortage of manpower, coupled with the urgent schedule, they had posted an employment mission with the Monster Hunter Alliance.
The rise and fall of such a small lineage was merely an exceedingly common, insignificant matter in the world of cultivators.
Lu Qingshan did not care.
As long as they could take him to Zhenjiang City, that was enough.
The convoy had already been traveling for a day.
The journey had been exceptionally peaceful, so peaceful that Lu Qingshan was beginning to feel rather idle.
At this rate, those thirty First-grade Spirit Stones would come into his hands with ease.
Perhaps for that reason, the other monster hunters accompanying the convoy also seemed to be in better spirits, chatting and laughing among themselves.
Lu Qingshan glanced toward the rear.
There was a carriage there, and inside it was the Lin Family head's mysterious daughter, Lin Yao.
Throughout the day, Lin Yao had never shown herself. Lin He had handled all matters from beginning to end.
Every now and then, Lu Qingshan could see Lin He speaking quietly to Lin Yao through the carriage curtain, reporting something to her.
Thud—
Someone knocked on the cargo compartment of the cart Lu Qingshan was sitting on.
Lu Qingshan looked toward the sound. It was a middle-aged monster hunter named Mu Shan.
"Is something the matter?" Lu Qingshan asked with a frown.
Making such a conspicuous move, Mu Shan had clearly come looking for trouble with a hint of provocation.
But why?
"Kid, you haven't said a word all along the way. It's stifling as hell!" Mu Shan's voice was rough, and his tone was utterly unrestrained.
They were both Qi Refining cultivators, yet instead of calling him Fellow Daoist, Mu Shan called Lu Qingshan "kid," carrying a clear note of contempt.
Lu Qingshan cupped his hands toward Mu Shan. "This kid is naturally reserved. If I have disturbed Fellow Daoist in any way, I hope you will be magnanimous."
The words sounded exceedingly polite, but what they truly meant was: I'm not talking. What the hell does that have to do with you?
After Lu Qingshan rebuffed him so directly, Mu Shan did not know how to respond for a moment. Seeing Lin Family cultivators around them snickering, he felt he had lost face. "You little brat, do you deserve to travel alongside us? You're probably just some Qi Refining first-layer novice who has barely begun cultivating, yet you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth."
Lu Qingshan merely smiled without speaking, watching Mu Shan with a calm expression.
Seeing that Lu Qingshan was utterly unmoved, and unable to truly make a move, Mu Shan could only slink away in disgrace.
As Lu Qingshan watched Mu Shan's departing back, a trace of suspicion flashed through his eyes.
It would have been one thing if Mu Shan were some arrogant scion born into a great family, but judging by his appearance and his identity as a monster hunter, he was clearly a Rogue Cultivator.
Rogue Cultivators had always been synonymous with advancing step by step and acting with utmost caution.
What Rogue Cultivator would provoke an unfamiliar cultivator over some inexplicable reason, like Mu Shan had?
How could a Rogue Cultivator with Mu Shan's temperament possibly have survived until now?
Something was very wrong.
With that thought in mind, Lu Qingshan subconsciously cast the Heavenly Eye Technique on Mu Shan.
------ Ma Shan (Human) Class: Body Cultivator Cultivation Art: Evergreen Art Lv. 7 (345/700) -- [Spirit Power +70, Health Regeneration +1] Rank: Qi Refining Personal Attributes: Strength 1, Agility 1, Mana 1, Divine Soul 1, Charm 1, Endurance 4 Health: 48/48 Spirit Power: 70/70 Skills: Segment Intent Lv. 3 (single-target attack skill), Eight Extremes Collapse Lv. 1 (single-target attack skill, has a control effect), ???. ------
Looking at the information before him, Lu Qingshan's gaze sharpened.
It seemed he had discovered something strange.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be...?
Lu Qingshan cast the Heavenly Eye Technique on each of the other monster hunters in the convoy, one by one, to verify his suspicion.
Afterward, Lu Qingshan could not help but smile bitterly.
As expected, those thirty First-grade Spirit Stones would not be easy to earn.
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