In the early morning, rays of sunlight pierced through the dense foliage and cast dappled shadows into the cave.
The cave remained very dark.
call...
Chen Changming let out a soft breath, ending his night of cultivation. He stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and gazed at the rising sun in the distance, his feelings complicated.
He has been hiding in the Cloud Mist Mountain for seven days.
In these seven days, I believe that astonishing changes must have taken place at the Lingxiao Sect.
Chen Changming decided to go to Lingyun City today to find out about the Lingxiao Sect.
He left the cave and came to a nearby stream. Gazing at his reflection in the water, the muscles on his face twitched, and he gradually transformed into the appearance of an ordinary-looking young man.
"Not bad."
Chen Changming smiled slightly, then turned and left.
After practicing the Heavenly Furnace Body-Forging Art for seven consecutive days, he became increasingly adept at controlling the alteration of his muscles and bones. Now, the changes to his appearance looked more and more natural, unlike the stiffness he had before.
Chen Changming activated the Dragon Glide Step, achieving astonishing speed.
He was very vigilant the whole way, seeking out secluded mountain paths to avoid being seen. If he spotted someone, he would slow down and try to avoid them.
It was already afternoon when he finally arrived Lingyun City.
A reward notice was posted on the city wall at the entrance, and a large crowd had gathered around it.
" The Xiaguang Sect is really generous, offering a reward of 10,000 Spirit Stone for providing clues."
Someone clicked their tongue in amazement.
Someone sneered, "You should take a look at this person's cultivation level. He's a Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator! Such a person is definitely worth ten thousand Spirit Stone."
Chen Changming also joined in.
When he saw that the ugly man's portrait on the notice was actually himself, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
Has the Xiaguang Sect joined forces with the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion?
Otherwise, how would the Xiaguang Sect know that he had once changed his appearance?
The thought of the two major forces joining forces weighed heavily on Chen Changming's mind.
The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion lost a manager, and the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect they had almost obtained flew away. With such a huge loss, how could they not hate him to the bone?
The loss of over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Xiaguang Sect, including Huang Zhenzhen, the daughter of the Deputy Sect Master, was even greater!
Chen Changming guessed that not only were reward notices posted throughout the Yue Kingdom, but also in major cities in the surrounding countries.
The Xiaguang Sect suffered such a great loss that they were determined to kill him and avenge themselves.
Chen Changming let out a soft breath. He felt as if an invisible net had been drawn, waiting for him to fall into it at any moment.
"It's alright. No one recognizes my appearance or voice now, and my cultivation level has been reduced to the eighth level of Qi Refining using Breath Concealment Technique. Even someone as familiar as my Senior Sister wouldn't be able to recognize me..."
Chen Changming silently analyzed the situation and followed the flow of people into Lingyun City.
He first found a tavern, ordered a few dishes and a pot of wine, and began to drink by himself.
This tavern is very popular, bustling with people coming and going.
More than half of the diners were monks.
While drinking, the group chatted about recent major events, with the most discussed topic being the invasion of the Lingxiao Sect by an ominous force, resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Chen Changming listened attentively.
Through fragmented conversations with different people, he roughly understood the current situation.
A few days ago, a Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator arrived at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. After selling the Demon Beast corpses, he secretly released the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect. One of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's managers died on the spot, and the young lady in charge of patrolling Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was also attacked by the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect. In the end, she had no choice but to cut off her arm to survive.
This matter alarmed the higher-ups at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, who dispatched a deputy head of the pavilion and a newly appointed manager.
Upon hearing that some Foundation Establishment cultivators had died at the Lingxiao Sect, the deputy sect leader went to the Lingxiao Sect to investigate and discovered that these Foundation Establishment cultivators had also died from the mouths of the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect. He then immediately notified Xiaguang Sect.
After the high-ranking members of the Xiaguang Sect arrived, they unanimously agreed with the deputy head of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion that the instigator of this incident was the Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator who sold Demon Beast. Therefore, they issued a nationwide reward notice to apprehend or kill this person to avenge their fellow disciples.
The reward notice had been posted for several days, but there was still no clue. The diners in the tavern were all discussing where this Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator was hiding.
The group discussed the hiding place with great enthusiasm, coming up with all sorts of guesses. Chen Changming, listening from the side, couldn't help but marvel at their imagination.
After finishing a pot of wine, Chen Changming left the tavern.
He glanced at the golden signboard of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion from afar, then walked indifferently into another street next to it, eventually arriving at the market where independent cultivators set up stalls.
This place is crowded and lively, and although things are cheap, there are traps everywhere, making it easy to be fooled. Sometimes, if you show off your wealth, you're likely to be targeted.
Chen Changming stopped in front of a stall.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man wearing a gray robe, with a cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining.
The stall owner looked familiar, but I didn't know his name.
Chen Changming had met this person twice before; he was inner disciple of the Lingxiao Sect.
He had learned from the diners at the tavern that all the disciples of the Lingxiao Sect, including both inner and outer sect members and menial disciples, had fled, and the Xiaguang Sect was simply letting them go unchecked.
It seems that the higher-ups of the Xiaguang Sect have abandoned the Lingxiao Sect.
According to the diners, all the valuables in the Lingxiao Sect were looted by the Xiaguang Sect, and now the place is starting to fall into disrepair; the vast six peaks are deserted.
Many people are afraid to go there, fearing the sudden appearance of the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you wish to buy?"
The middle-aged man, all smiles, bowed to Chen Changming.
"Just browsing..."
Chen Changming's gaze wandered aimlessly across the stall, and he casually pointed to a booklet, saying, "What's this?"
"This is the Evergreen Art, Foundation Establishment stage version. Are you interested, fellow Daoist?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
"It's alright, how many Spirit Stone?"
Chen Changming asked.
"Not much, a thousand Spirit Stone."
The middle-aged man raised one finger.
Chen Changming turned and left.
"Fellow Daoist, wait a minute! Make an offer!" The middle-aged man was anxious and rushed over to grab Chen Changming's clothes.
One hundred Spirit Stone.
Chen Changming said with a stern face.
Evergreen Art is one of the popular Cultivation Method in the world, and it is not a rare thing. Many sects have this kind of mainland-made Cultivation Method.
Because it's so common, it's already quite good if it sells for a hundred Spirit Stone. This is only because we're both disciples of the Lingxiao Sect; Chen Changming gave it a special friendly price.
"Fellow Daoist, you're a straightforward person. Deal!"
The middle-aged man was overjoyed and immediately stuffed the booklet into Chen Changming's hands.
Chen Changming took out one hundred Spirit Stone and gave them to him, thus completing the transaction between the two.
The reason for buying this booklet is that Chen Changming is only practicing the Qi Refining version of the Evergreen Art. If he were still in the Lingxiao Sect, he would need to go to the Scripture Library to exchange for a higher-level Evergreen Art after he breaks through to the Foundation Establishment.
Chen Changming continued strolling around and spotted several familiar faces; these were all disciples of the Lingxiao Sect.
He felt a deep sense of melancholy.
It seems that many fellow disciples were stranded in Lingyun City, and now these people have also become rogue cultivators.
but.
These people can take care of each other and stick together for warmth in Lingyun City, so they won't be bullied by others.
"Um?"
Chen Changming, who was walking, suddenly stopped and his gaze fell on a stall.