Chu Yanran

Sun Huowang inspected the wolf pelt and claws, nodded, and said, "One hundred and eighty Spirit Stones. How does that sound?"

This price was slightly higher than the market rate, and Shen Long readily agreed.

Sun Huowang took out one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, which Shen Long put away in his Storage Bag.

"By the way, a Five Poisons Cult has sprung up recently and caused quite a stir. I heard they have harmed quite a few cultivators. Be careful when you enter the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts."

Sun Huowang cautioned him.

"Five Poisons Cult? How strong are they?"

Shen Long asked curiously.

"I heard their leader is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who keeps a second rank Purple-Striped Fire Centipede. This evil cultivator organization has already been uprooted by the Spirit Control Sect, but its leader, the Five Poisons Rogue, has vanished without a trace."

Sun Huowang paused as if recalling something, then continued, "Come to think of it, more than a hundred years ago, another evil cultivator organization appeared. It was also wiped out by the Spirit Control Sect."

"Thank you for the warning, Shopkeeper. I'll be careful."

Shen Long thanked him.

After chatting for a few more moments, Shen Long left.

Upon returning to his residence, Shen Long activated the Soundproofing Array, entered the Spirit Control Tower, and released the Iron Tail Scorpion.

The Iron Tail Scorpion swayed its tail stinger from side to side and let out a piercing hiss.

Shen Long took out a Howling Wind Wolf carcass, drew the Mystic Water Blade, skinned the wolf, and let the Iron Tail Scorpion feast on the flesh and blood.

"Eat your fill!"

After saying that, Shen Long left the Spirit Control Tower.

He took out a Red Storage Bag and gave it a shake with its opening facing downward. After a sweep of red rosy clouds, a pile of items appeared on the stone bed.

After taking inventory, he found one hundred and forty-seven Spirit Stones, two mid-grade Magical Tools, three Jade Slips, and two thirty-year-old Fire Cloud Grass plants.

He picked up a Cyan Jade Slip and sent his divine sense into it.

The three Jade Slips respectively recorded the Earth Spirit Art, Miscellaneous Records of Qin Kingdom, and Record of Hundred Herbs. The Earth Spirit Art was a cultivation technique that could be cultivated up to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. The Miscellaneous Records of Qin Kingdom recorded various strange tales and anecdotes from the Qin Kingdom Cultivation World, with some content overlapping with Travels of Master Azure Cloud. As for the Record of Hundred Herbs, it described the appearances, effects, and growing environments of more than a hundred spiritual herbs.

Shen Long put the items away. His gains this time were considerable. The two mid-grade Magical Tools, the First Rank Talismans, and the Iron Tail Scorpion had all played no small part.

He ate a bowl of spiritual rice, then sat down cross-legged and began cultivating.

A day passed quickly. Shen Long strolled down the street, intending to visit the plaza where rogue cultivators set up their stalls.

As he passed an intersection, Shen Long saw Xu Lei, Sun Yang, Ye Yuqing, and Ye Yutang approaching from ahead.

"Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Sun, Fairy Ye, you're back."

Shen Long greeted them with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, where are Fellow Daoist Qin and the others?"

Xu Lei asked.

"I don't know. I haven't run into them yet."

Shen Long answered truthfully.

"Let's talk at my residence."

Xu Lei said.

The five of them arrived at the Green Bamboo Courtyard and gathered in the stone pavilion.

"Daoist Xu, did you kill Chen Xiong?"

Shen Long asked.

"With Fairy Ye's help, Chen Xiong has already met his end. However, Li Yue escaped. You killed her younger brother, so she may seek revenge on you. Still, you needn't worry too much. With Chen Xiong dead, Li Yue likely won't dare remain here. Just don't enter the mountains alone."

Xu Lei said.

"Li Yue got away."

Shen Long frowned, then nodded.

After chatting for a while, Shen Long and the other two took their leave, while Sun Yang stayed behind.

"Shen Long actually killed a Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator. That kid is far from as simple as he looks."

Sun Yang said grimly.

Shen Long's strength was too formidable, indirectly threatening Sun Yang's position. If Shen Long advanced to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, he would then stand on equal footing with Xu Lei.

"He spends several hours every day practicing spells. For all we know, he may have cultivated several First Rank spells to Great Perfection. For now, he's still easy enough to talk to and hasn't turned against us."

Xu Lei said.

His bottleneck had yet to be resolved. In the battle to kill Chen Xiong, Ye Yutang and Ye Yuqing had contributed greatly.

"At the end of the day, it all comes down to strength. I hope you resolve your bottleneck soon."

Sun Yang said.

After chatting for a few more moments, Sun Yang took his leave.

In a vast bluestone square, many small stalls had been set up. Shen Long wandered around, looking as he went.

Shen Long saw Chen Yishan accompanying a beautiful white-skirted girl as she browsed the stalls. Her clothes bore the pattern of a purple maple leaf.

This was the mark of the Chu Clan of Purple Maple Valley. The Chu Clan had a Golden Core Cultivator in residence and stood backed by the Mystic Yang Sect, making it immensely powerful.

"Fairy Chu, we've been walking around for so long. You must be tired. Why don't we go to a Teahouse for some tea and rest awhile?"

Chen Yishan said with an ingratiating smile.

"No need. I'm a little tired. We can have tea another day."

The white-skirted girl refused.

"Then let me escort you back."

Chen Yishan said enthusiastically.

"No need. My residence isn't far from here. I can return on my own. Daoist Chen, you should attend to your own business."

The white-skirted girl declined tactfully.

Chen Yishan smiled faintly and agreed.

Shen Long made a round of the plaza but found nothing worth buying, so he returned to his residence.

He activated the Soundproofing Array, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and began cultivating.

Within a secluded blue-tiled courtyard stood a three-story Cyan Pavilion and a Cyan Bamboo Pavilion.

A refined-looking white-robed scholar sat in the bamboo pavilion while the white-skirted girl reported to him.

"Eighth Uncle, Chen Yishan is far too irritating. He's like dog-skin plaster—wherever I go, he follows. I have no way to investigate the Blood Blade Rogue's whereabouts."

The white-skirted girl complained.

"Yanran, have a little patience. If he keeps pestering you, can't you think of a way to shake him off? This isn't a place with only one lineage."

The white-robed scholar advised.

"It wouldn't be difficult to shake him off, but did the Blood Blade Rogue really come here?"

The girl in the white skirt asked doubtfully.

Their true purpose in coming to Thousand Bamboo Valley was to search for the Blood Blade Rogue. The Blood Blade Rogue was a Golden Core Cultivator who had been active more than two hundred years ago.

"According to your Eighteenth Uncle's investigation, he once appeared in Qing Prefecture. As for whether he ever came to Thousand Bamboo Valley, that is difficult to say. All we know is that he possessed a Blood Jade Toad, and a Blood Jade Toad has appeared in the Thousand Bamboo Mountain Range. That is why I brought you here."

The white-robed scholar said.

Chu Wenbin, Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

"The Blood Jade Toad is an exotic insect on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking. Its appearance in the Thousand Bamboo Mountain Range is indeed strange, but that doesn't prove the Blood Blade Rogue is in Qing Prefecture, does it?"

Chu Yanran asked doubtfully.

"That is true. But clues are hard to come by, so we had to investigate. Hopefully, we can find traces of him. If we can obtain that item, that would be wonderful indeed."

Chu Wenbin's face was filled with longing.

From his words, that item was evidently something extremely precious.

"We've already stayed here so long without finding any clues. The spiritual energy here is impoverished, cultivation resources are pitifully scarce, and swindlers abound. Someone even used Fire Cloud Centipede eggs to pass them off as Purple-Striped Fire Centipede eggs. That might fool only those ignorant fools who have never seen the real thing."

Chu Yanran said disdainfully.

"Stay a while longer. If we still cannot find any further clues, we'll leave. This trip will not have been in vain—you at least obtained a Snow Cloud Fox."

Chu Wenbin said with a smile.

"Yes, Eighth Uncle!"

Chu Yanran was overjoyed and readily agreed.