Spell Duel (Please Bookmark)

A few hours later.

Red Maple Valley, Sky Maple Tower, where the patriarch cultivated.

Cups clinked at the banquet, shimmering lights danced in dazzling colors, and dancers and musicians performed. The atmosphere was one of perfect harmony.

Li Rulong sat high in the seat of honor, carrying an air of crouching dragons and coiled tigers. He said to Fang Qing in the guest seat, "Let me introduce you, Brother Fang. You've met my younger sister before. These are Madam Miaoyi, Chun Yun, Zhang Hefang..."

Fang Qing greeted each of them, then noticed two mortals seated at the very end. He couldn't help but smile. "So it's you two..."

"This humble one greets the immortal master!" Liu Wansu and Zhu Zhenheng, both clad in armor, rose and bowed.

They were Li Rulong's sworn brothers, yet neither possessed the aptitude for immortality.

When Li Rulong decided to establish the Rebel Army, they had followed him after selling off everything they owned. By now, they had become mortal commanders within the Rebel Army.

Seeing this gathering of immortals feasting and drinking, who knew what they felt inside?

"By the way, Brother Li, why did you suddenly decide to raise a Rebel Army?"

Fang Qing was somewhat curious.

Given how the people of Ba Commandery could barely survive, it was perfectly normal for bands of displaced refugees to arise. Back when he hadn't encountered supernatural power, even he had wanted to raise the pole banner and rebel. To hell with it all.

But now that he knew the truth of this world, he no longer had that kind of nerve.

"Alas... I bear the fate of [Kangjin]. That fortune-telling master said I possessed Dragon Aura and was destined to overturn the cauldron and forge a new one..."

Li Rulong sighed. "I didn't believe it at first. But after I cultivated my way into the Dao and reached Mid Qi Ingestion, the Lesser Geng Metal Sword Art became harder and harder to advance... Then, by chance, I met the mother and daughter of the Pu Family in Yulin Commandery. Remembering my earlier life-saving favor, they introduced me to the Pu Family head... The Pu Family is a prominent clan in Yulin Commandery, with considerable strength. They, too, could no longer tolerate the chaos next door in Ba Commandery and wanted to settle the turmoil... We hit it off at once. They gave me some support, and with several fellow Daoists and brothers aiding me, I raised the Rebel Army..."

Fang Qing listened, his expression turning strange as he stared at Li Rulong.

Why was this man starting to look more and more like the protagonist of a novel? The mother and daughter he happened to save were from a Purple Mansion family... He carried Dragon Aura, then encountered an age of chaos? And his cultivation was advancing so fiercely?

It seemed cultivation in the Breath-Nourishing Dao had much to do with walking the path dictated by one's own fate?

But... Ba Commandery was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Never mind Dao Foundation families—the Black Blight Sect had a Purple Mansion patriarch. How did he dare?

Fang Qing thought this inwardly, but his face showed admiration. "Brother Li, I admire such ambition beyond measure. But I wonder... how do you plan to deal with the Black Blight Sect?"

"You may not know this, Fellow Daoist, but Lord Pu, the Purple Mansion patriarch of the Pu Family in Yulin, has already met with the Black Blight Sect's patriarch. Both sides agreed that cultivators above Dao Foundation would not intervene in this matter, leaving us juniors below to settle it ourselves..."

Madam Miaoyi, whose features resembled those of a young girl, covered her lips and laughed.

"So that's how it is..."

Fang Qing understood. "If I became a Purple Mansion patriarch and had five hundred years of lifespan, I certainly wouldn't casually fight cultivators of the same realm either... Leaving it to those below is quite a good idea."

"The rise and fall of these two commanderies, the livelihoods of millions of people—for Dao Foundation and Purple Mansion cultivators, was it all nothing more than a game?"

Li Rulong's cultivation had surged by leaps and bounds. First, because it matched his own destined fate; second, because he had gained support and cultivation resources!

Knowing this, Fang Qing had no intention of joining the Rebel Army.

"Though there are benefits to being a pawn or a vanguard, and even being used has its value... I now hold precious treasures in my hands and lack none of these things. I've already put on shoes; I can't act like someone barefoot."

He sighed inwardly.

To be fair, Fang Qing truly wanted to slaughter some Black Blight Sect cultivators and avenge his family's blood feud.

But now? He chose the steadier path. Once he reached Dao Foundation or Purple Mansion, he would come back and exact ruthless revenge!

When Fang Qing firmly refused Li Rulong's repeated invitations to join them, the atmosphere at the banquet immediately cooled considerably.

Li Rulong, however, displayed the bearing of a great general. "Haha... everyone has their own aspirations. Since Brother Fang is unwilling, I won't force you... By the way, you mentioned earlier that you came to Maple Leaf Valley to exchange for Spirit Assets? What would you like to exchange for? I'll see whether the army has it..."

"That's right... I wish to refine pills, but I'm missing one ingredient—Seven-Star Grass."

Fang Qing spoke honestly.

"Fellow Daoist, you're actually an alchemist?"

Chun Yun, who had previously been rather arrogant, immediately changed expression. "I happen to have several stalks of Seven-Star Grass..."

Li Rulong nodded, then looked toward the Ye Family patriarch.

"My family's herb fields have this spiritual grass."

The Ye Family patriarch answered through gritted teeth, afraid Li Rulong would simply declare it confiscated.

"Excellent... I have several hundred jin of Spirit Grain, as well as several bottles of spiritual water suitable for increasing the cultivation of Early Qi Ingestion and Mid Qi Ingestion cultivators. All can be used for exchange."

Fang Qing was delighted inwardly.

The Spirit Grain he had brought out had been blended here. Qi Ingestion cultivators could consume Spirit Grain daily to improve their cultivation, making it a cultivation resource.

"Good, good, good..."

Chun Yun hurriedly made the exchange, then asked whether Fang Qing could help refine pills for him. His words carried more than a trace of fawning, enough that even Madam Miaoyi beside him furrowed her lovely brows.

"It seems the inheritance of the Hundred Arts of Immortality is quite lacking here in Ancient Shu... Or perhaps it's because I haven't joined a major Purple Mansion sect?"

Fang Qing recalled that the foundations of his own alchemy had been laid at the Core Formation sect Azure Sea Sect, and realization immediately dawned on him.

I couldn't out-compete those senior brothers and junior brothers within the sect, yet over here, I'm considered top-tier talent among Rogue Cultivators?

Joy rose in his heart as he completed the trade with the Ye Family patriarch.

"Very good. With this Seven-Star Grass, I refuse to believe I can't refine Spirit-Concentrating Powder..."

"Come, everyone, drink together..."

Seeing this, Li Rulong's lips curled upward as he raised his cup once more.

Suddenly!

The expressions of everyone present changed slightly. Only the few mortals remained clueless.

"A cultivator is approaching. It should be a Qi Ingestion cultivator from the Black Blight Sect..."

Li Rulong rose to his feet, his expression grave.

The Ye Family patriarch's expression immediately changed drastically. "Disciples of such a great sect—this old man is afraid he couldn't defeat even one of them... Even if he could, who would dare kill them?"

He felt bitter inside. The Pu Family of Yulin wants to enter Ba Commandery, yet doesn't want a direct conflict with the Black Blight Sect. That's why they support several Rebel Armies just putting on a show... I've truly had eight lifetimes of rotten luck for you people to take a liking to me. Now I can neither advance nor retreat.

"I dare kill them!"

With a long howl, Li Rulong merged man and sword into one, transforming into a radiant streak of golden sword light that shot into the sky.

At some point, a layer of dark clouds had appeared overhead.

The sword light plunged into them like a single sword splitting the dawn.

"Ah!"

A scream rang out, followed by a venomous female voice. "Junior Brother Miao has been killed... How bold!!"

Buzz, buzz!

At some point, clusters of earthy yellow insects had appeared in the air. Only upon closer inspection could one see that they were formed from countless bugs joined together, enough to make one's scalp go numb.

"Kill!"

A willow branch appeared in Guo Tianhong's hand, and she swept it toward the sky.

A layer of emerald radiance appeared. The glow from the willow branch scattered into the insect swarm, then quickly dissipated on its own.

"Black Blight Sect cultivators primarily cultivate [Di Earth]. This earth governs plague and can spread pestilence..."

Madam Miaoyi shouted, "Everyone, be careful."

The insect swarm in the sky parted, revealing several Black Blight Sect cultivators with indigo headscarves, black vests, leg bindings, and bare feet. One female cultivator formed hand seals as she rode an earthy yellow beetle toward Li Rulong.

The other cultivators each chose Guo Tianhong and the others as opponents.

Though Fang Qing immediately put everyone behind him, he was still targeted by a triangular-eyed cultivator.

He sighed, steered the Green Leaf Boat, and slowly retreated beyond the valley in search of a suitable battlefield. "Fellow Daoist, I only came here to trade. I'm not part of the Rebel Army..."

"Hehe... do you think I'd believe that? Besides... you call these refugee bandits a Rebel Army. Clearly, you've already chosen your side."

The triangular-eyed cultivator sneered.

"Fair enough..."

Fang Qing gave a mute laugh. He truly had no good feelings toward these Black Blight Sect cultivators.

Never mind that he had just bought Seven-Star Grass from Li Rulong. Even for the sake of his family's enmity alone, he couldn't let such an opportunity slip away.

"Fine. Let's end this quickly."

Having made up his mind, he brushed his right hand over his storage pouch, and three Fireball Talismans appeared.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three massive fireballs exploded, their temperature and range far surpassing what Fang Qing had tested on Jade Island.

"Damn it... so many fire-attributed talismans?"

The triangular-eyed cultivator's face changed drastically as he waved his hand and produced a jet-black shield.

The enormous flames burst apart, leaving black, uneven pits across the shield.

"Huff..."

The cultivator narrowly escaped disaster. Relief and venom appeared on his face as he shot Fang Qing a vicious glare, took out a bamboo tube, and released from it a crimson double-tailed centipede. He was about to use Blight Arts.

The Black Blight Sect was famous for its Blight Arts, most skilled in all kinds of sinister and poisonous techniques. They could poison their opponents without their knowledge, even take their lives!

But before he could use his Blight Arts, he saw Fang Qing produce another gold-attributed talisman.

Whoosh!

A flash of golden light appeared in the air, forming an enormous golden blade covered in intricate patterns. Its sharp aura spilled in every direction, not inferior to Li Rulong's sword cultivation in the slightest!

The blade flashed past, cleaving the black iron shield directly in two. The severed surface was bright as a mirror.

"Damn it... just who is this person? A direct descendant of a Dao Foundation family?"

The triangular-eyed cultivator already wanted to flee. He had no idea how strong the cultivator opposite him was, but this set of talismans alone was enough to rival the sect's True Disciples.

"Firecloud Talisman!"

At that moment, Fang Qing intended to root out evil completely and activated his trump card: the First-Order High Grade Firecloud Talisman.

The instant he activated the talisman, he felt a full thirty percent of the spiritual power in his dantian vanish!

"This level of consumption? If I were still at early-stage cultivation, my dantian would probably be drained dry... No wonder Qi Refinement cultivators find it difficult to use Second-Order talismans—the gap is simply too great."

Fortunately, Fang Qing had always paid attention to body tempering and spiritual cultivation, allowing him to control the formation of that violent spell.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Endless fire clouds gathered like raging waves, instantly swallowing the triangular-eyed cultivator...