Zhao Yu's Decision

Several days later, in the meditation chamber, Jing Wen slowly opened his eyes. An eerie black gleam flashed through his pupils.

"The eleventh level of the Fiendish Demon Art." He murmured to himself, sensing the spiritual power within him, which had now been completely transformed.

The Burning Blood Art's spiritual power, once crimson as blood, had all become baleful Qi as black as ink, surging ceaselessly through his meridians.

Jing Wen took out a bottle of Blood Pills and tipped one into his palm.

The pill's color was somewhat paler than before, and its spiritual power fluctuations had noticeably weakened.

"As expected, Blood Pills lose their potency over time..." He frowned slightly and swallowed the Blood Pill without hesitation.

As its medicinal power dissolved, a bloody, sweet sensation rushed straight into his spirit terrace.

Jing Wen's brow creased slightly. He sensed his divine sense beginning to scatter faintly, making it difficult to concentrate during cultivation.

"So this is the drawback of Blood Pills." He calmly assessed his condition.

With his current cultivation, this slight effect was still manageable, nowhere near the point of cultivation deviation.

Jing Wen took a small green jade bottle from his Storage Bag. The instant he removed the stopper, a cool aura spread through the air.

He carefully tipped out a translucent Iceheart Pill. Its surface shimmered with a faint blue glow, like congealed cold dew.

"Fortunately, I prepared ahead of time." Jing Wen placed the Iceheart Pill in his mouth.

The pill dissolved as soon as it entered his throat. A cooling sensation swept through his entire body, clearing his spirit terrace.

The agitation and haziness caused by the Blood Pill vanished like smoke and clouds, leaving his divine sense clearer than ever.

He closed his eyes and settled back into meditation, finding that his cultivation efficiency had improved considerably.

The Iceheart Pill's mind-clearing, calming effects precisely neutralized the Blood Pill's side effects. The two supported each other, forming a perfect balance.

In the meditation chamber, fine black scale patterns began to appear all over Jing Wen's body, gleaming with a dim, cold light.

His breathing gradually resonated with the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, each inhalation and exhalation making the air in the room tremble faintly.

The Ascension to Immortality Conference had ended. Its bustle and splendor had dissolved like dreams and bubbles, leaving only endless melancholy and disappointment.

Inside a restaurant not far from the conference grounds, the atmosphere was oppressive enough to be almost suffocating.

Four people sat by a window in the restaurant.

Zhao Yu wore blue robes and sat tall and straight. Spiritual power fluctuations at Qi Refining Level Twelve radiated from him, marking him as the strongest of the four.

The other three were all at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. Some frowned in thought, while others drank gloomily, each burdened by their own worries.

Two of them were discussing where to go next in fits and starts, their words filled with helplessness and indecision.

One spoke first in a low voice. "How about we go mining? I heard they recently discovered a new mine, and the returns are really high right now. Maybe we could save up enough cultivation resources that way."

The other disagreed, shaking his head slightly. "Mining might bring in money quickly, but it's dangerous too.

"If you ask me, gathering herbs would be better. A senior rogue cultivator is offering a hefty reward for medicinal herbs. The returns aren't bad, and more importantly, the risk is relatively low."

They argued back and forth until their faces flushed, but never reached a conclusion.

At that moment, the last of them, a female cultivator, sighed softly. Her voice caught slightly as she said mournfully, "Senior Brother Zheng Xiao was already chosen by the Covering Moon Sect, but all of us failed this time.

"If we still can't distinguish ourselves at the next Ascension to Immortality Conference, reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime will probably be as hard as climbing to heaven."

Her words struck their hearts like a heavy hammer, making the already oppressive atmosphere even heavier.

For a time, everyone fell silent. Only the clinking of wine cups remained, sounding especially jarring in the stillness.

Suddenly, one of the two who had been discussing their options slammed his hand on the table. A trace of madness flashed through his eyes as he declared loudly, "If nothing else works, we'll turn to robbery!

"With our cultivation, we could target cultivators traveling alone. Maybe we could haul in a fortune."

Everyone was startled by his words, hesitation appearing on their faces.

Robbery was a grave taboo in the Cultivation World. Once exposed, they would be hunted by every faction and doomed beyond redemption.

Fortunately, they had activated a soundproof barrier. Otherwise, they would probably have had trouble leaving the Market.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yu seemed detached from the discussion, idly fingering a Sound Transmission Talisman.

"Senior Brother Zhao, what do you think we should do?" One of them broke the silence and looked expectantly at Zhao Yu, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The other two turned as well, their gazes settling on Zhao Yu as though he were the last straw that could save them from fire and flood.

Zhao Yu slowly raised his head and swept his gaze over them. His expression was grave as he said, "Let me tell you something. I met someone that day."

He then recounted his encounter with Jing Wen in full, leaving out nothing-from Jing Wen's mysterious black robes to his unfathomable cultivation, and even their brief conversation.

Once they had heard him out, the group erupted into a clamor, talking over one another.

"Who exactly was that man in black? Why did he suddenly appear in Jia Yuan City and invite Senior Brother Zhao to seek him out? What does he want?"

"Exactly. What if he has bad intentions? We can't let him lead us into a trap."

"What could he offer us if we went to see him? Surely he couldn't help us reach Foundation Establishment?"

For a time, all manner of speculation and worry filled the table.

Zhao Yu carefully tucked the Sound Transmission Talisman into his robes and looked over his three companions. "If we stay here, this may be as far as we ever get."

His voice was quiet, but every word weighed a thousand pounds. "None of us has anywhere good to go right now. Rather than sit here fretting, we might as well visit the Capital. Perhaps we really will find an opportunity there."

The female cultivator suddenly rose, tapping the table with her slender hand. "I'm going! At worst, we'll run if things look bad. There are four of us at Late Qi Refining. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have to weigh things carefully before attacking us!"

The remaining two exchanged a glance, as though carrying out a silent yet profound conversation.

In that brief exchange, the hardships of cultivating together, the bitterness of failing at the Ascension to Immortality Conference, and their deep uncertainty about the future all flashed through their eyes.

At last, they reached an unspoken understanding. As though they had made a momentous decision, they raised their wine cups together.

Four wine cups met beneath the dim lamplight, seemingly sealing an agreement.

And so, within that oppressive restaurant, a plan to travel to the Capital and seek out the mysterious man in black quietly took shape...