Purple Cloud Palace

Fang Zhuo slowed his pace. With a flash of the red jade token at his waist, he had already passed through an invisible barrier.

Carefully avoiding the various mountain peaks and the cranes between them, even with his Fourth Level of Qi Condensation cultivation, he had to dodge the Body Refinement Realm cranes. Occasionally, when sword light flashed past, he had to stand still and bow his head.

Stopping and starting like this, after an hour and a half, he finally arrived before a mountain peak shaped like swirling clouds, its entire body a purple-gold color.

"Uncle-Master Fang?" A young attendant on the mountain saw Fang Zhuo, waved, and asked, "Didn't you go to Ascension Academy to be the Dean? Why do you have time to come back?"

Seeing the attendant's bright eyes and brisk speech, a sharp glint flashed in Fang Zhuo's eyes, and he smiled, "I have something to see Young Master Ming. Is the master on the mountain?"

"Yes!" The attendant nodded, "I'll go and inform him!"

"Good!" Fang Zhuo nodded and watched as the attendant somersaulted on the spot, transforming into a white crane and flying towards the summit.

Not long after, the white crane returned. Without transforming back into an attendant, it directly called out, "Uncle-Master Fang, come up. Young Master is here."

"Thank you!" Fang Zhuo carefully sat on the immortal crane. In a few minutes, man and crane arrived at the summit.

A palace stood here, its main color still purple-gold. The palace was built against the mountain, blending perfectly with the peaks. At the entrance of the palace was a plaque with the three large characters "Purple Cloud Palace" written on it, surprisingly in Dragon Script.

Fang Zhuo dismounted from the immortal crane and stood at the palace gate, about to call out, when he saw the palace gate open on its own. A clear voice came from within, "Since you're here, just come in directly. Why be so formal!"

"Yes!" Fang Zhuo quickly nodded and then stepped into the palace. He saw a purple-haired youth, who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, sitting cross-legged in the spacious hall. Before him was a table, and beneath the table, a furnace fire glowed, as if cooking something.

Fang Zhuo's mood soured for a moment. We're the same age, yet one looks forty-something and the other looks underage.

But this hint of sourness was suppressed in an instant.

"You're lucky. I just got a Jade Treasure Black Chicken. It's said to be best for making soup. You can have a taste!" The youth, who knew Fang Zhuo's mood changes like the back of his hand, didn't seem to care.

"The Jade Treasure Black Chicken, ranked thirteenth among the Eighteen Treasures. It's said to take three days and three nights to stew before it can be drunk. This must be just the beginning. It seems I have no fortune to enjoy it," Fang Zhuo shook his head.

"How did you become so polite after becoming a Dean?" the youth chuckled and said, "If you don't want to drink it, then don't. I wouldn't give it to you anyway. Tell me, you were doing fine as Dean, why did you suddenly come back?"

Fang Zhuo didn't answer. Instead, he first took out a bow and handed it to the youth.

"Hmm?" The youth took it, examined it for a moment, and then casually pulled on it. "Not bad. Using these wheels to distribute the force can unleash four times the effect. Did you make it?"

"If only I had!" Fang Zhuo shook his head. "It's a new student at Ascension Academy named Yang Ning. He's said to be extremely fond of craftsmanship. He hasn't cultivated for a single day in two months, either reading or forging artifacts. It's said that he improved the plow used for farming at the age of two and is a famous prodigy!"

"Hmm, not bad. Then I'll invest in his name!" The youth rummaged in his pocket, found a porcelain bottle, and handed it over. "Being fond of artifact forging will delay his cultivation. Give this to him."

"No!" Fang Zhuo was speechless. "It's like this, his ship encountered Lin Tianheng blocking the way during the Foundation Establishment process. He might have experienced something. Later, Lin Tianheng wanted me to kill everyone on that ship!"

"Is there such a thing?" The youth was stunned, his expression immediately turned cold, and then he shook his head, putting the pill away. "That's a pity. Lin Tianheng is at the peak of his power right now!"

"Didn't your Purple Cloud Golden Cauldron Qi reach minor success already, Young Master?" Fang Zhuo asked.

"It's only minor success. His Calamity Annihilation Heavenly Origin Steps are at great success!" the youth said irritably. "And there's a whole realm difference!"

"But Lin Tianheng is over a hundred years old, and you are only forty. This small gap will be closed quickly!" Fang Zhuo said quickly.

The youth nodded. "I think so too, but not yet. I still have to endure. Forget about that Yang Ning. However, I will mention this matter to my friends. A dignified Golden Core cultivator has to bully a bunch of elementary school students. I'll make everyone despise him together!"

"Uh..." Fang Zhuo's mouth twitched. He asked again, "Is there really no other way?"

"Do you value that Yang Ning highly?" the youth countered.

Fang Zhuo nodded and let out a sigh. "I just feel it's too much of a pity!"

The youth propped his chin, tossing a piece of charcoal into the furnace fire, and asked, "You rarely ask me for help, so it doesn't feel right to just refuse. How about this, you said Lin Tianheng asked you to kill people. Did he say it in person? Where did he say it?"

"Not in person, he didn't even come himself!" Fang Zhuo said quickly. "It was his attendant, Wang Yi, who came to find me and asked me to send everyone on that ship into Demon Subduing Valley!"

"Oh?" The youth was surprised. "What did she say?"

Fang Zhuo quickly reenacted the scene.

"If you put it that way, he didn't intend for these people to die!" the youth said.

"Demon Subduing Valley has Fierce Beasts at the Fourth and Fifth Levels of Body Refinement aplenty. Sending them in would be sending them to their deaths, wouldn't it?" Fang Zhuo asked.

"So Lin Tianheng did intend to kill those people, but since he sent Wang Yi to say it and didn't state it clearly, it means he still has some shame! We can use this to our advantage!" the youth said.

Fang Zhuo blinked. "How can we use it?"

"It's simple. I'll call Lin Tianheng then, and invite a few more friends to watch!" the youth smiled. "As long as Yang Ning can come out of Demon Subduing Valley alive, and we say a few more sarcastic words, he won't be able to make a move to kill people anymore!"

"But how can he possibly come out of Demon Subduing Valley alive?" Fang Zhuo asked. "He's only at the Second Level of Body Tempering!"

"Didn't he invent the Pulley Bow, which allows him to fight above his level? How do you know he only invented one bow?" the youth smiled. "Perhaps there are others?"

"Inventions aren't like cabbage, how can they be made so casually?" Fang Zhuo said. "Artifacts that can allow someone at the Second Level of Body Tempering to defeat a Fierce Beast at the Fifth Level of Body Refinement, can they really exist?"

"It all depends on human effort. You can only pray he can make it!" the youth spread his hands. "After all, even I can't directly refute him!"

"I understand!" Fang Zhuo nodded. "I'll go back and have Yang Ning prepare himself!"

"You'd better not do anything unnecessary!" the youth said softly.

Fang Zhuo was stunned. The next second, cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

That's right, how would I dare to remind him?

If he can come out alive, it's because he's lucky. But if I interfere, I'll be going against Lin Tianheng!

"I understand!" This time, he truly understood.

"Glad you understand. Want some chicken soup?" the youth asked.

"Hmph! Anyway, I'm not in a hurry to go back. I definitely have to try the Eighteen Treasures!"

"Now that's more like it!" the young man chuckled. "In this world, only cultivation and good food are not to be missed! Oh, and this bottle of medicine. If Yang Ning really makes it out alive, secretly give it to him!"

"Okay!" Fang Zhuo took the medicine bottle, opened it to take a look, and then started complaining again. "This is a Golden Cauldron Pill? I haven't even had one!"

"Aren't you cultivating the Purple Cloud Golden Cauldron Qi? We made a lot of these!" the young man spread his hands. "If you want some, take a gourd when you leave!"

Fang Zhuo was speechless. Why would he need so many pills for the Body Refinement Realm? And the key thing was, they weren't even sweet!