Finding the Loose Cultivator Assembly Remnants

Back at his residence, Shen Long sat cross-legged on a Blue Prayer Mat and closed his eyes to rest.

The next evening at dusk, Shen Long arrived at Bai Yuyan's residence on time. Two Qi Refining Cultivator were guarding the door. Bai Yuxian had already informed them, so they did not stop him. One of the Qi Refining Cultivator personally led the way.

More than thirty Foundation Establishment Cultivator, including Bai Yuxian, Su Jianghai, Xu Yue, and Xu Wen, gathered in a Cyan Stone Pavilion to enjoy tea and discuss the Dao.

"Fellow Daoist Shen has arrived."

Bai Yuxian smiled slightly, stood up, and introduced Shen Long to the other cultivators.

"My name is Shen Shi, and I greet you fellow Daoists."

Shen Long clasped his hands in a fist salute and said.

The cultivators introduced themselves, thus becoming acquainted.

Bai Yuxian invited Shen Long to sit down, and the group enjoyed tea and discussed philosophy together.

Most of the cultivators present were Artifact Refiner, and their conversation mainly revolved around weapon refining, leaving Shen Long unable to join the conversation.

"By the way, Fairy Xu, aren't your Spirit Insect sick? Fellow Daoist Shen is skilled in insect-repelling techniques; you could consult him."

Bai Yuxian said to Xu Yue.

Xu Yue looked at Shen Long and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Shen, the Golden Moon Silkworm I'm raising is currently at the early stage of the second tier. No matter what kind of spirit mulberry leaves I feed it, it just won't eat. I don't know why."

"Before it started behaving abnormally, did it consume a high-grade fire-attribute spirit medicine?"

Shen Long asked.

Xu Yue asked in surprise, "That's right, how did Fellow Daoist Shen know?"

"Based on your description, I'm guessing. Give it this bottle of Clear Spirit Liquid, but don't do that again. Its rank is too low; it's not suitable for consuming high-grade fire-attribute spirit medicine."

Shen Long took out a Cyan Porcelain Bottle and handed it to Xu Yue.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, how many Spirit Stone did this bottle of Clear Spirit Liquid cost? Where did you buy it?"

Xu Yue asked curiously.

"Fellow Daoist Shen is Alchemist, so naturally he refined it."

Su Jianghai said.

"Fellow Daoist Shen is Alchemist!"

Most of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator were somewhat surprised.

"I refined it myself; it's not worth much. But since we met, Fairy Xu, please accept it!"

Shen Long said.

"Then I'll accept it. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Shen."

Xu Yue thanked her and accepted the item.

The Artifact Refiner present were all quite wealthy and kept Spirit Insect and Spirit Beast. They chatted with Shen Long about the situation of their Spirit Beast Spirit Insect. Some Spirit Beast had poor appetites, and some Spirit Insect laid very few eggs. Shen Long answered their questions one by one and took out some pills for them to feed their Spirit Beast Spirit Insect.

As a result, these Foundation Establishment Cultivator' goodwill towards Shen Long increased significantly.

After chatting for most of the hour, Shen Long said, "I'm stuck at a bottleneck. My master said that sparring with fellow cultivators can help break through it. I'd like to spar with you all. I wonder if you would be willing to grant my request?"

He actually wanted to spar with Xu Yue and Xu Wen to see their Cultivation Method Divine Ability abilities, but that would be too obvious. So he decided to use the guise of sparring first, then spar with other Foundation Establishment Cultivator before sparring with Xu Yue. This way, he could achieve his goal without arousing Xu Yue's suspicion.

"Being stuck at a bottleneck is indeed troublesome, Fellow Daoist Shen. It's been many years. How about we have another spar?"

Su Jianghai was the first to stand up, eager to try.

"Okay! But this isn't suitable, shall we go outside and spar?"

Shen Long suggested.

Foundation Establishment Cultivator possess the Spirit Eye Technique, allowing them to see clearly even in the darkness of night.

"Let's spar again tomorrow morning! It's not good to do it so late at night, lest people misunderstand."

Bai Yuxian said.

If a magical duel takes place in the middle of the night, people who don't know the situation might think that an enemy is about to attack the Golden Tangerine Marketplace! It's not a good look.

"Yes! During the day, we can invite more fellow cultivators to have a martial arts competition. We'll send people to build an arena."

Bai Yuyan said.

"What does Fellow Daoist Shen think?"

Su Jianghai asked.

"What Fellow Daoist Bai and Fairy Bai say makes sense, let's do it tomorrow then!"

Shen Long agreed.

After chatting for a while, Bai Yuxian suggested exchanging cultivation resources, which all the cultivators agreed to. They brought out items to exchange, mostly refining materials.

Shen Long used Second-tier Medicinal Pill to exchange for some refining materials, which he used to feed the Gold-Eating Ant Queen.

More than an hour later, the cultivators returned to their respective homes.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Shen Long left his residence and arrived at a vast Bluestone Square. There were more than twenty Blue Stone Arena there, all set up overnight by the Bai Clan disciples.

Many Foundation Establishment Cultivator had gathered here, including Xu Yue and others.

Bai Yuxian stood on a Blue Stone Arena and said loudly, "Fellow Daoists, you are welcome to spar and compete here. Please stop when you have made your point, and make friends through martial arts. Under no circumstances should you harm anyone's life."

This segment wasn't part of the Flying Cloud Assembly before. After all, swords and spears have no eyes, and if someone gets killed during the sparring, it would be difficult to handle the situation.

Shen Long walked to a Blue Stone Arena, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "My name is Shen Shi. May I ask which fellow Daoist would be willing to offer me some guidance?"

"Fellow Daoist Shen, I've come to have a go at you."

Su Jianghai said, and walked onto the Blue Stone Arena.

A Cyan Light Screen then appeared, covering the entire arena.

As soon as the competition began, Shen Long raised both hands, and two Giant Fireball, each five zhang in diameter, shot out and crashed towards Su Jianghai.

Su Jianghai reacted quickly, summoning a Blue Shield to block in front of him, while simultaneously taking out a Banner Flag with constantly flowing blue light, infusing it with Law Power, causing the banner to emit a dazzling blue light.

He held the Blue Banner Flag in both hands and waved it gently. Blue Water Wall more than ten feet high appeared and blocked his way.

Two Giant Fireball slammed into the Blue Water Wall one after the other, exploding instantly and turning into billowing flames that engulfed the Blue Water Wall, sending up a cloud of white mist.

Before the white mist had even dissipated, a massive Cyan Tornado came crashing into the blue Blue Water Wall Blue Water Wall, shattering it instantly.

The Cyan Tornado struck the Blue Shield Blue Shield with a muffled thud, leaving several small cuts on its surface.

Shen Long made a hand seal, and specks of red light appeared in the void behind him. After blurring for a moment, they transformed into Giant Fireball with a diameter of about ten feet. This was the Second-Rank Spell, Meteor Fire Rain, a wide-range attack Law Technique.

Shen Long was stuck at a bottleneck. He couldn't break through it through arduous cultivation. After leaving the sect for more than ten years, he spent a lot of time cultivating Second-Rank Spell and successfully cultivated Meteor Fire Rain to the Great Perfection.

Hundreds of Giant Fireball floated in mid-air, a truly spectacular sight.

Shen Long lightly tapped his finger towards the opposite side, and hundreds of Giant Fireball streaked across the sky, crashing one after another into the area where Su Jianghai was located.

With a deafening roar, rolling flames engulfed Su Jianghai's figure. The intense heat caused the Cyan Light Screen to distort and deform, and the ground showed signs of melting. Most of the arena turned into a Crimson Sea of Fire.

Shen Long made a hand seal, and hundreds more Giant Fireball floated in the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, stop! I concede."

Su Jianghai's voice rang out.

Shen Long changed his technique, and all the hundreds of Giant Fireball disappeared.

A blue light shone from the sea of fire, and the flames dissipated, revealing Su Jianghai's figure. He was shrouded in a faint Blue Light Screen, and several cracks appeared on the surface of his Blue Shield, its spiritual light dimming.

The Meteor Fire Rain was quite powerful; it damaged a high-grade defensive magic Law Artifact with a single strike. If it were to happen a few more times, the high-grade defensive magic Law Artifact would be rendered unusable.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Su."

Shen Long clasped his hands in a fist salute and said.

"It's been a few years since we last met. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Shen to have also cultivated Meteor Fire Rain to the Great Perfection. My defeat is not unjust."

Su Jianghai said solemnly and stepped off the stage.

Shen Long looked at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surrounding the arena and said, "Is there any other fellow cultivator willing to offer their guidance?"

"This humble sister has come to experience Fellow Daoist Shen's superior skills."

Xu Yue jumped onto the Blue Stone Arena.

A Cyan Light Screen then appeared, covering the arena.

As soon as the competition began, Shen Long raised both hands, and two Giant Wind Blade shot out, instantly arriving in front of Xu Yue.

A red light shone from the Red Jade Lock on Xu Yue's chest, and a thick red light screen appeared, protecting her entire body.

Two Giant Wind Blade struck the red light barrier in succession, producing two muffled thuds.

Xu Yue raised her right hand, and a Giant Fireball shot out, crashing towards Shen Long.

Shen Long flicked his sleeve, and a several-zhang-high Cyan Wind Wall appeared, blocking his way.

The Giant Fireball slammed into the Cyan Wind Wall, and like an egg hitting a rock, it instantly disintegrated.

A loud clap of thunder echoed from high above, and a Black Thunder Cloud appeared above Shen Long. A thunderclap resounded, and a thick bolt of silver lightning struck down.

Shen Long reacted quickly. With a flick of his wrist, the Five Spirit Beads emitted a dazzling spiritual light, and a thick Five-Colored Light Screen appeared, protecting his entire body.

A silver lightning bolt struck the Five-Colored Light Screen with a muffled thud. Soon after, a second silver lightning bolt struck, followed by a third and a fourth.

A series of silver lightning bolts struck down, causing the Five-Colored Light Screen to tremble slightly, but nothing serious happened.

Xu Yue unleashed nine Flying Dagger that shimmered with red light; this was a complete set of Law Artifact.

With a flick of her hand, the nine red-glowing Flying Dagger burst forth with dazzling red light, merging into one and transforming into a Red Giant Blade over ten feet long, which slashed towards Shen Long.

Shen Long also unleashed his Parent-Child Blades, Child Blade merged into one, transforming into a Yellow Giant Blade, and charged forward.

The Red Giant Blade and Yellow Giant Blade giant blades collided, producing a muffled clang of metal striking metal, sparks flying everywhere.

Shen Long made a hand seal, and a large amount of crimson flames surged from the void. After blurring for a moment, they transformed into Giant Fireball that hurtled towards Xu Yue.

Xu Yue quickly conjured a red shield and held it in front of her.

With deafening roars, Giant Fireball slammed into the red shield, instantly exploding and turning most of the arena into Crimson Sea of Fire, engulfing Xu Yue's figure.

Shen Long flicked his sleeve, and more than 30,000 Gold-Eating Ant flew out, instantly condensing into a Golden Spear several meters long, which headed straight for the other side.

A swirling Circular Wheel shot out and collided with the Golden Spear. The Golden Spear shattered instantly, turning into hundreds of Golden Arrow that plunged into the sea of fire with a muffled thud.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, stop! I admit defeat."

Xu Yue's terrified voice came from within the sea of fire.

Shen Long then stopped. The flames dissipated, and the red shield was destroyed. Xu Yue was wearing a red armor that protected her entire body, with a flame pattern on its surface.

She has a Fire-Repelling Talisman that can weaken Fire Element Law Technique, but Shen Long also possesses Insect Control Technique and is incredibly powerful. If the fight continues, she is no match for him.

"Blazing Treasure Armor!"

Shen Long remained calm, but a surge of secret joy welled up inside him.

According to the intelligence he had gathered, the Master Golden Centipede's cultivation Cultivation Method included this Divine Ability. It was not easy for Rogue Cultivator to obtain a high-level Cultivation Method; most of them only acquired ordinary ones.

The Master Golden Centipede cultivates the "Blazing True Scripture," which is said to be able to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. Therefore, the chances of him switching Cultivation Method are very low.

Changing one's Cultivation Method takes a considerable amount of time, and the higher one's cultivation Cultivation Method, the more troublesome it becomes. This is one of the reasons why countless Rogue Cultivator want to join major cultivation sects.

"You flatter me, Fairy Xu. Is there any other fellow Daoist willing to offer their guidance?"

Shen Long said.

The cultivators exchanged bewildered glances. Shen Long possessed a complete set of Law Artifact, tens of thousands of Gold-Eating Ant, and had cultivated multiple Law Technique to Great Perfection, making him incredibly powerful.

This was, after all, Bai Clan territory. The Bai Clan sent several Foundation Establishment Cultivator to compete with Shen Long. Shen Long defeated two of them but lost to Bai Yuting.

Bai Yuting is Bai Yuxian's cousin, a cultivator with the Lightning Spirit Root, and is proficient in Thunder Method.

In this sparring match, Shen Long stole the show, and the Bai Clan also gained a lot of face.

After the sparring session, Shen Long received invitations from several Foundation Establishment Cultivator to enjoy tea and discuss the Dao.

Over the next two days, Shen Long attended several gatherings and got to know many Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Three days later, as night fell, Shen Long, disguised, arrived at Chen's General Store and met Chen Ying in the backyard.

"Madam Chen, where is what I asked for?"

Shen Long asked.

Chen Ying took out a Cyan Storage Bag and handed it to Shen Long.

Shen Long scanned the contents with his divine sense and found seven portraits and seven jade slips. He took out the seven portraits and examined them one by one.

He frowned. None of these seven people were the ones he was looking for. Had he mistaken them for someone else?

Xu Yue is a disciple of Master Golden Flame. Since she has mastered the Blazing Treasure Armor, Master Golden Flame must Cultivation Method Divine Ability his possession.

There are two possibilities: one is that Shen Long has made a mistake and that Master Golden Flame is not the Master Golden Centipede that Shen Long is looking for; the other possibility is that Master Golden Centipede has changed his appearance and is calling himself Master Golden Flame.

If you're talking about coincidences, this is too much of a coincidence. Both the Flying Golden Flame Centipede and the Blazing Treasure Armor originated from the Golden Flame Sect.

Shen Long put away the portrait, turned around, and left.

He turned and left, walked around the street twice to make sure no one was following him, and then returned to his residence.

He took out Cyan Storage Bag, shook it with the opening facing down, and a cyan glow swept across, revealing seven Jade Slip of different colors on the ground.

Shen Long picked up a Cyan Jade Slip, placed it between his eyebrows, and immersed his Divine Sense into it.

After reviewing the contents of the seven Jade Slip, his expression turned cold, and he muttered to himself, "It really was them."

One of the Dharma Protector of the Golden Flame Sect is left-handed and currently has the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. His Divine Ability are exactly the same as those of a remnant of a certain Loose Cultivator Assembly.

If the Flying Golden Flame Centipede and the Blazing Treasure Armor are coincidences, then the Dharma Protector is left-handed cannot also be a coincidence.

Just as he expected, the remnants of the Master Golden Centipede had changed their appearance. No wonder the Tang Clan couldn't find them. Or perhaps they had been using fake appearances before and were now using their true forms.

Of course, confirming that these people are remnants of the Loose Cultivator Assembly does not mean that they are the murderers of Shen Long's parents. The Green Lotus Pendant may have been stolen from other cultivators by the Loose Cultivator Assembly members, and the real culprit may be someone else.

Shen Long needs to investigate further. His parents have been dead for decades, making it extremely difficult to find the murderer. However, he believes that with enough time and effort, he will surely be able to get to the bottom of this.

Shen Long put away all the Jade Slip and closed his eyes to rest.