Fortune Returns

The next day, Jiang Fu'an slept until the sun was high in the sky before he slowly woke.

When he opened his eyes, the world beyond the window was already bright. Sunlight streamed through the lattice, casting slanted squares across the floor.

He propped himself up, feeling a dull soreness in his back and waist. As he rubbed his shoulders, the door creaked open.

Miao Ruolan walked in. Seeing that he was awake, a teasing gleam flashed in her eyes.

"Did you tire yourself out last night? Couldn't your old bones take it?

"How about I cook you a bowl of pig kidneys to nourish you?"

Jiang Fu'an was rendered speechless.

Who knew who had been begging for mercy again and again last night? In the end, she had been so exhausted that she could barely form a complete sentence before falling asleep early.

Now that he had learned the experience contained within the Dragon-Locking Secret Art, and his cultivation had broken through to the Qi Refining First Layer, his body was far beyond what it had once been.

Handling both her and Su Wanqing at the same time was no challenge at all.

He shot Miao Ruolan an annoyed glare and warned in a low voice,

"Just wait... I'll settle accounts with you tonight!"

This little minx knew he would not do anything to her during the day, so she acted like a mischievous kitten, stretching out her claws now and then to tease him.

But when night truly came, she turned into a startled rabbit and only knew how to beg for mercy.

She was terrible at it, yet loved playing all the same.

Jiang Fu'an shook his head. Once he had dressed, he went to the Hall of Sacrifice first, as usual, to check on things.

The result did not disappoint him.

A white orb of light floated quietly above the offering table.

Joy stirred in Jiang Fu'an's heart.

The Azure Spirit Fruits had already been eaten, and he had been worrying that his cultivation speed would slow. This fortune had come at exactly the right time.

He strode forward and reached out to touch the orb.

The instant his fingertips made contact, flowing light spread up his arm and surged into his mind.

A vast flood of information unfurled like a painted scroll. He closed his eyes and focused, carefully receiving it all.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, surprise flickering within them.

It turned out that the previous earthquake had not merely destroyed several mineral veins in the Mizhang Mountains.

A Third-Order Spiritual Vein, one capable of supporting Core Formation cultivators, had also been severed by the quake.

The demon beasts in the mountains that relied on spiritual energy to cultivate had abruptly lost their nests. They were now roaming in packs, restless and agitated.

According to the information revealed by this fortune, in roughly three months, high-level demon beasts would take the lead and gather great numbers of low-level demon beasts into a Beast Tide that would sweep outward.

Their objective was clear: seize the Spiritual Vein territories guarded by human cultivators.

If they won, they would occupy the land and cultivate.

If they lost, the deaths of those demon beasts would ease the problem of there not being enough Spiritual Veins in the Mizhang Mountains.

As for ordinary villages such as Xu Family Village, which possessed no Spiritual Veins at all, they were not targets of the demon beasts.

At most, a few scattered Half-Spirit Beasts might wander over to harass them.

When that time came, the villagers would only need to hide in their cellars and bar their doors tightly to weather the danger safely.

The fortune indicated that he could take this opportunity to strike first and hunt those isolated Half-Spirit Beasts. The risk was within an acceptable range.

Jiang Fu'an stroked his chin, his thoughts beginning to stir.

Half-Spirit Beast meat was rich in spiritual energy. Eating it could not only strengthen the body, but also accelerate cultivation.

Their hides were even superb materials for making talisman paper.

Now that both he and Stone had entered the Qi Refining First Layer, they could wield spiritual energy to perform the Wind-Thunder Saber Technique, Cloud-Soaring Steps, and Heaven-and-Earth Toss. Their combat power was no longer what it had once been.

If they could also draw some Lightness Talismans and Giant Strength Talismans for support, dealing with isolated Half-Spirit Beasts should be no problem.

However, having the ability to hunt them did not mean there was no danger at all.

The Half-Spirit Beasts of the Mizhang Mountains were entirely different from those raised in captivity. Their ferocity ran deep.

What if they were surrounded, or accidentally drew the attention of a First-Order Spirit Beast that even Qi Refining Late-Stage cultivators would have to fight bitterly against?

He paced several steps through the Hall of Sacrifice. After pondering for a while, three countermeasures gradually emerged in his mind.

First, have Yue'er take the two Blazing Fire Eagles and patrol the area around Xu Family Village from the skies, keeping watch over demon beast movements at all times.

Second, learn to draw Quicksand Talismans as quickly as possible.

Most Half-Spirit Beasts could not fly. This talisman could turn the ground to sand, trapping their feet and pinning down enemies. It was an excellent tool for delaying and maneuvering.

They needed to prepare plenty before the Beast Tide arrived.

Third, use his trump cards.

He still had over twenty First-Order mid- and high-grade talismans obtained from the Storage Ring. Their power was considerable.

Even if he encountered a First-Order Spirit Beast, he would have the strength to fight it.

With the plan decided, Jiang Fu'an did not hesitate any longer. He turned and headed toward the rear courtyard.

He had to explain this to Stone first. If they truly came to blows, Stone would be the main force.

Before he even reached the entrance to the rear courtyard, he heard the howl of wind from within, mixed with faint rumbles of thunder.

Jiang Fu'an lightened his steps and peered inside through the crack in the door.

In the open space of the courtyard, Stone held a long saber. His body shifted and darted, while his saber light flashed like a flowing ribbon.

Every slash carried a heavy force, whipping up fallen leaves from the ground.

As his footwork moved, there seemed to be wind and thunder following in its wake.

This power had already far exceeded the limits of mortal martial artists.

If they encountered that group from Mountain-Calming Martial Hall again, even if ten of them attacked together, they might not be able to get close to him.

Jiang Fu'an watched quietly. Only after Stone sheathed his saber and exhaled did he push open the door and enter the courtyard with a smile.

"Good lad, you're getting more and more formidable. Your father is far, far beneath you now."

He was speaking the truth.

Though they both possessed the Devouring Physique and cultivated the same techniques and martial skills, Jiang Fu'an was already older, and his muscles and bones had long since settled into shape.

Stone, on the other hand, had trained in martial arts and tempered his body since childhood.

Moreover, Jiang Fu'an was usually tied down by countless chores. Unlike Stone, who practically spent all his time in the training ground, their progress naturally could not be mentioned in the same breath.

Stone felt a little embarrassed by the praise. He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head and gave a simple, foolish grin.

"Dad, don't say that. What little skill I have, didn't you teach it all to me..."

In his heart, his father had always been the tallest mountain. He had never thought of climbing over it.

Jiang Fu'an asked again,

"After completing a full saber routine just now, how much spiritual power did you use?"

"About half."

After sensing it briefly, Stone answered.

Jiang Fu'an nodded, reasonably satisfied.

A complete saber routine took a quarter of an hour and consumed half his spiritual power. That meant Stone, at full strength, could keep fighting for half an hour.

Even if actual combat drained him faster, it would still be enough to handle a fierce battle.

He paused, stared into Stone's eyes, and asked solemnly,

"Stone, if I asked you to enter the mountains and fight those Half-Spirit Beasts in the Mizhang Mountains face-to-face, would you dare?"

Before his words had even faded, Stone's eyes lit up. He leaned forward half a step, his entire body brimming with excitement.

"Really?! Dad, when are we going?"

Jiang Fu'an froze, then laughed.

He had truly asked a foolish question.

Stone had always been single-minded since childhood. When it came to fighting, he had never known how to write the word "fear."

Back when he was only seven, he had dared to fight three grown martial artists from Mountain-Calming Martial Hall to the death.

Now that his strength had grown so much, how could he possibly fear a few Half-Spirit Beasts?

Seeing Stone practically itching for battle, Jiang Fu'an immediately explained,

"Don't rush off yet! We still need to make preparations. You and I must practice coordinating and familiarize ourselves with our tactics.

"Remember, no matter when, you must put your life first. Never do anything unless you are sure of it."