The Road Narrows

"This man is somewhat strange. That is why I invited you to lend us a hand, Fellow Daoist."

Meng Shan the First spoke vaguely. Naturally, he did not mention a word about Fang Yu's thunder-element variant spiritual root, lest it create further complications.

"Very well. This humble Daoist understands."

Seeing this, Daoist Azure Pattern did not press the matter further and merely nodded in agreement.

"Once the Tainan Gathering ends, the two of you may inform this humble Daoist."

"Good. Rest assured, Daoist. That is only natural."

Meng Shan the First nodded with a smile.

"Mm! This humble Daoist shall take his leave."

With that, Daoist Azure Pattern departed, leaving behind only Meng Shan the First and Meng Shan the Second, the man in yellow robes.

"Big Brother, I fear we must still be wary of Azure Pattern. Not the slightest mistake can be allowed."

Meng Shan the Second spoke in a low, grave voice.

"Of course. If that boy did not have too many strange things about him, I would never have asked Azure Pattern for help."

Meng Shan the First nodded in agreement.

"Once we kill that boy, immediately preserve his body. Then find a place to seize it. When the time comes, I will stand guard for you to prevent any accidents."

"Understood, Big Brother. Please rest assured, I will not disappoint you. So long as I can seize that boy's body, I will certainly be able to join an immortal cultivation sect. Given time, I will surely obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill as well. Once I become a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, I will bring all of you into an immortal cultivation sect and find a way to help you obtain Foundation Establishment Pills to achieve Foundation Establishment."

Meng Shan the Second stated his promise.

"Mm."

Meng Shan the First merely nodded. Then he took out a bottle of pills from his robes, handed it to Meng Shan the Second, and instructed him, "Have Third Brother deliver this bottle of pills to that boy, then watch him take them. That way, nothing can go wrong. Among the five of us, that boy likely trusts Third Brother the most."

"Big Brother, you did not tamper with the pills he had been taking before?"

Meng Shan the Second's expression changed slightly, and he asked in surprise.

"How could I? What if it prevented that boy from breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining? Then all our efforts would have gone down the drain."

Meng Shan the First shook his head.

"Big Brother is right. Still, that boy truly is worthy of being someone with a thunder-element variant spiritual root. His aptitude is far better than we expected. He reached the fourth level of Qi Refining in just a few short months. Even Third Brother took two or three years to cultivate to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

Meng Shan the Second agreed, though his voice carried a trace of envy.

"That is nothing. Once your body seizure succeeds, all of it will be yours. There is nothing to envy."

Hearing this, Meng Shan the First nodded and smiled. Though he said so, a few traces of envy still seeped into his tone.

"Mm, Big Brother is right. I truly look forward to that day arriving soon!"

Meng Shan the Second's face was filled with eager delight.

"That should be enough, right?"

Inside the stone house, Fang Yu had once again exhausted all the true essence and spiritual power within his body, leaving his face slightly pale. Yet his face was full of gratified joy.

After all, he had drawn more than a hundred talismans this time. If he scattered them all at once, even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators would likely have to avoid their edge.

It was admittedly rather wasteful, but he had the capital to be wasteful.

"I hope it does not truly come to that."

As Fang Yu placed all the completed talismans into his storage bag, the smile on his face faded, and he murmured softly to himself.

He did not have much goodwill toward the Five Friends of Mount Meng, but they had helped him enter the world of immortal cultivation. Unless he had no other choice, he truly did not want to turn against them.

Thus, he hoped they would not make the road too narrow for themselves.

After putting away the talismans, Fang Yu took out two thunder-element spirit stones he had obtained from Han Yunzhi and used them to restore his depleted true essence and spiritual power.

It had to be said that Han Yunzhi really was a little rich girl—at least among independent cultivators.

An hour later, when Fang Yu felt that the true essence and spiritual power within him had mostly recovered, he put away the thunder-element spirit stones, rose, and left the stone house, returning to the plaza.

The moment he entered, someone called out to him.

"I finally found you! Where did you run off to?"

Meng Shan the Third, dressed in blue, appeared in Fang Yu's sight, panting for breath.

When Fang Yu stopped, he hurried forward, carefully took a jade bottle from his robes, and handed it to Fang Yu. With a hint of envy in his voice, he said, "Big Brother asked me to give this to you. He told you to take it as soon as possible. It will be enough to ensure that you can advance another step in a short time."

Hearing this, Fang Yu sighed inwardly. Then he accepted the jade bottle and asked, "How much longer until this gathering ends?"

"Probably today?"

Meng Shan the Third blinked, answering uncertainly.

"It ends today. No wonder..."

Fang Yu muttered under his breath.

"No wonder what? Big Brother told me to watch you take it, in case you were reluctant and wanted to save it for later."

Meng Shan the Third asked curiously. At the same time, his eyes remained fixed on Fang Yu without blinking.

He gave the impression that if Fang Yu did not take it, he would not leave.

"Fine. I'll take it now. Thank Big Brother for me."

Fang Yu gave a light laugh. His gaze imperceptibly swept toward a familiar figure within the crowd not far away, and then he opened the jade bottle.

He immediately poured all the pills inside into his mouth, chewed them a few times, then clenched the jade bottle in his hand and smiled. "All right. I need to find a place to refine the medicinal power, so I will not keep you company any longer."

"Fine, fine, fine. No problem. Hurry and go."

Meng Shan the Third frowned and urged him on.

For some reason, he felt vaguely uneasy. Something was wrong, but he could not say what it was.

It felt as though something was about to happen.

Yet he truly had no idea what that something might be.

Seeing Meng Shan the Third's expression, Fang Yu sighed inwardly as well.

Then he turned and left, leaving Meng Shan the Third standing there in a daze with furrowed brows, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"That boy seems to have noticed something. But since he swallowed the pills, everything you have will belong to me from now on."

Within the crowd, Meng Shan the Second did not look at Meng Shan the Third. Instead, his eyes burned with desire as he stared at Fang Yu's retreating back, gradually vanishing into the crowd.

What he did not notice was that Fang Yu had never put away the jade bottle in his hand. He had kept it clenched in his grip from beginning to end.

Nor did he notice that someone beside him had been watching him all along.

After he left, that person also silently disappeared into the crowd without a trace.

After returning to the pavilion where they had rested before, Fang Yu greeted Meng Shan the Fourth and Meng Shan the Fifth, who were tired from wandering around, then returned to his room to rest.

"They truly intend to make the road narrow."

Looking at the jade bottle in his hand and the pills within it, Fang Yu sighed helplessly.

In the end, it had come to this. It was just as well to settle their grievances, lest he owe anything in the future.