The Daoist solemnly picked up the emerald-green gourd. Only after stroking it for a while did he reluctantly hand it to Wang Yu.
"Autumn Leaf, listen carefully. Although I founded White Cloud Abbey, I only took you and Qingfeng as disciples, so it hardly counts as a true cultivation sect. In truth, I came from the Li Household in Liang Province of the Wu Kingdom, tens of thousands of miles away. Later, I offended a powerful enemy over a spiritual treasure for Foundation Establishment. He had others plot against me, greatly diminishing my cultivation, and that was why I fled to Yellowstone City to escape disaster. But I never expected my enemy's reach to be so vast. He sent people who tracked me here, and even bribed the Rogue Cultivators of Yellowstone City to launch a surprise attack on me. I only used half of the spiritual treasure I obtained back then. The other half is here. Keep it safe."
"Master, what is a spiritual treasure for Foundation Establishment? And what exactly is Foundation Establishment?" Wang Yu took the gourd, looking utterly bewildered.
"Qingfeng and I are only in the first major realm of Immortal Cultivators, the Qi Refining Realm. The Yin Water Art has twelve levels in total, and the Qi Refining Realm is likewise divided into twelve minor levels. Once you cultivate a Qi Refining Realm art to the tenth level or higher, you can attempt to break through into the second major realm, the Foundation Establishment Realm. Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm do you truly set foot on the great path of immortal cultivation. Your lifespan will also increase greatly, to over two hundred years."
"For us Immortal Cultivators, the earlier we break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the better. Otherwise, once age weakens the body and our vital blood runs thin, the chances of successfully establishing our foundation will plummet."
"As for spiritual treasures for Foundation Establishment, they are aids that Qi Refining Realm Immortal Cultivators use when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. They are exceedingly precious, or I would never have ended up like this over one. Remember, until you begin attempting to break through that bottleneck, you must never open the gourd. The Clear Spirit Liquid inside dissipates upon contact with air. You would waste it for nothing," Daoist Chongyun warned solemnly.
"Clear Spirit Liquid..."
Wang Yu murmured the name, unable to resist stroking the jade-green gourd in his hands. Its surface felt mildly warm, yet seemed exceptionally hard. The stopper sealed its mouth tightly, allowing not the slightest trace of its contents to escape.
"Yes, this gourd is called the Clear Spirit Gourd. It is itself a rare spiritual material that can be refined into a Magical Artifact, but fewer than one in ten thousand can produce Clear Spirit Liquid. Oh, and these are my notes. The first half records some common knowledge about the cultivation world. The latter half contains the cultivation formulas for all twelve levels of the Yin Water Art and several useful medicinal recipes. The recipe for Blood-Refining Soup is among them." After a moment's thought, the Daoist also picked up the black-bound book from the bundle and handed it to Wang Yu.
"Thank you, Master."
Wang Yu perked up slightly and accepted the black-bound book. With it, he could deepen his understanding of the mysterious powers of Immortal Cultivators.
"As for these last two things, the jade pendant is a token of my Lineage. If you ever have the chance to go there, you can deliver it to the Li Household. As for this box, in a certain sense, it is worth even more than this half-gourd of Clear Spirit Liquid. I also prepared it for a dear friend who has come to see me off. Isn't that right, Fellow Daoist Huang? You've gone to quite some trouble, following us for so long." As the Daoist picked up the iron box covered in Talismans, he suddenly turned toward the entrance to the cave passage and spoke coldly.
Wang Yu jumped in fright at his words. He hurriedly tucked the gourd and black-bound book inside his clothes, drew the slender silver sword with a swish, and stared nervously at the entrance.
The passage entrance was dimly lit, but it was completely empty. Where was anyone hiding?
Seeing this, Wang Yu gave the Daoist a doubtful look.
"Even now, you refuse to show yourself, Fellow Daoist Huang? Then forgive me for being impolite." Daoist Chongyun ignored Wang Yu, raised a palm, and slowly thrust it toward the passage entrance.
Whoosh!
A mass of white, misty cold air swept from the Daoist's hand and surged toward the passage.
"Ah, my old friend Chongyun, why must you do this?" A faint figure emerged amid the rolling cold mist. With a sigh, crimson flames rose from his body and swept in every direction, clearing away all the cold air. At the same time, the cave's temperature soared, becoming unbearably hot.
"So it is you, Fellow Daoist Huang. When I was attacked, I wondered how those Rogue Cultivators dared join forces against me so openly without the Huang Household's permission," Daoist Chongyun said expressionlessly, staring at the newly appeared figure.
The man wore yellow robes and had a pale face. He was none other than Uncle-Master Huang, who had visited the abbey not long ago. Now, however, flames wreathed him like a god or devil, making the heart tremble at the sight.
"Fellow Daoist Chongyun, although I am the lord of Yellowstone City, I am no longer the one who truly makes the decisions in the Huang Household. The Lineage decided to befriend that man, and I could not defy them. However, I took no part in Old Xu and the others joining forces against you. I only followed you here out of consideration for our friendship, hoping to help settle your final affairs," the yellow-robed man replied, his expression unchanged.
"Hmph. Settle my final affairs? You mean get your hands on the treasure that man wants." The Daoist stared at the yellow-robed man with a gaze as sharp as a blade and sneered.
"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. But I truly never expected the treasure that forced you to flee so far from home to be Clear Spirit Liquid, that renowned spiritual treasure for Foundation Establishment. I hear that although it cannot compare to a Foundation Establishment Pill, it still offers a ten-percent chance of establishing one's foundation. Quite a few people have successfully done so with its help." The yellow-robed man gave these noncommittal replies, then turned his gaze straight toward Wang Yu, no longer able to hide the greed on his face.
Wang Yu had already been greatly alarmed to hear that the man was the lord of Yellowstone City. Seeing the hostility in his gaze, he tightened his grip on the slender silver sword.
A cold gleam flickered through the city lord's eyes at this, but he addressed Wang Yu in a gentle voice.
"Little fellow, that flexible sword in your hand is a weapon specially made by my Huang Household. It seems my nephew must have died at your hands. How interesting. My nephew had second-level Qi Refining cultivation. Although he had yet to forge his spirit root, he had mastered one or two low-level Parlor Trick Arts. What's more, he had a Profound Wind Fan to protect himself. Very well. So long as you hand over the Clear Spirit Liquid, I can decide to spare your life."
Like hell I'd believe you, Wang Yu thought, paying no attention to the yellow-robed man's words. Still, he was rather surprised to learn that the white-robed young man he had killed was this man's nephew. With Daoist Chongyun gravely wounded and this man arriving with such obvious ill intent, however, things were looking very bad indeed.
"So you've stopped pretending, Fellow Daoist Huang? Good. Then I won't hesitate at all when I kill you." Watching all this, Daoist Chongyun's face filled with disgust. He swept one hand over the Iron Casket, and amid flashes of white light, the Talismans on its surface fluttered down one after another.
Clang!
A soft ringing came from the Iron Casket, clear and melodious, like immortal music descending from the nine heavens.
"A Spirit Sword ringing of its own accord? Impossible! How could a cultivator cast out by his Lineage possess a Spirit Sword? Even if it really is one, how could you wield it with your cultivation?" The yellow-robed man's expression shifted slightly. He fixed his eyes on the Iron Casket, bracing as though facing a formidable enemy.
"You're welcome to try!" Daoist Chongyun sneered and pressed a finger against one corner of the Iron Casket.
With a click of its mechanism, the Iron Casket slowly opened.
Whoosh!
The lord of Yellowstone City, who had been standing at the entrance, lunged into the passage behind him without looking back and vanished.
Wang Yu blinked, scarcely able to believe his eyes.
Who was it that said he didn't believe it just now?
"Master, he..."
"Don't speak."
Wang Yu had barely opened his mouth before Daoist Chongyun waved him silent. Still holding the Iron Casket in one hand, he continued staring expressionlessly at the entrance.
Wang Yu stood where he was, not daring to do anything else. Yet his eyes instinctively flicked into the Iron Casket a couple of times, and his expression turned rather peculiar.
There was no "flying sword" inside the Iron Casket at all, only an apparently ordinary, battered sword sheath. It was barely half a foot long, scorched yellow on the surface, and riddled with several holes.
Daoist Chongyun was actually pulling an empty-fort bluff.
Time passed little by little.
A figure flickered at the cave entrance, and the tall form of Yellowstone City's lord appeared once more. This time, however, the red flames around his body were gone. Instead, a faint layer of golden light enveloped him, and he held a small, dark iron shield only a little over a foot across.
"A Golden Light Talisman."
Seeing the golden light around the city lord, Daoist Chongyun raised his brows slightly.
"My old friend Chongyun, you nearly fooled me. If you really had a Spirit Sword, why would you have let me leave just now? Even if you still have the strength for one strike, what can you do against the double protection of my Golden Light Shield and Magical Artifact? You'd best surrender quietly."
As soon as he finished speaking, the city lord held the iron shield before him and strode toward Daoist Chongyun. In two or three steps, he came within about ten feet of the Daoist. Muttering an incantation, he spread his large hand and clawed at the Daoist through the air, flames wreathing his five fingers. A large fireball could faintly be seen forming in his palm.
"Heh heh. Fellow Daoist Huang, have a pleasant journey to the afterlife." The Daoist chuckled, abruptly bit the tip of his tongue, and spat a mouthful of fresh blood over the battered sword sheath.
Bang!
The sheath trembled slightly, then shot out a misty-white sword several inches long. After circling once, it transformed into a three-foot streak of silver light and swept toward the yellow-robed man.
"Sword light!"
A chill instantly ran through the city lord's entire body. No longer able to concern himself with the Daoist, he slapped the small shield before him with one hand. Three white patterns lit up on its surface, conjuring a thick white glow as it moved on its own to meet the incoming sword light. The man himself retreated rather than advancing, flying backward toward the passage entrance to flee for his life.
Clang!
The three-foot streak of silver light flashed once, piercing straight through the iron shield as though it did not exist. Swift as wind and lightning, it caught up with the city lord, then circled his body beneath his terrified gaze.
The yellow-robed man screamed. The golden light around him shattered, and a raging pillar of fire erupted skyward. But after the silver sword light flashed around it several times, it swept away the pillar and extinguished it, leaving only the yellow-robed man's wretched corpse, cut into several pieces. His intestines and other innards spilled across the ground in a gruesome mess.
After circling several times near the ground, the silver light returned to the form of a small white sword and flew back on its own. In a fleeting flash, it vanished into the battered sword sheath.
Puff!
The instant the small white sword entered it, the battered sheath crumbled to dust and scattered.
Wang Yu stared at everything, utterly dumbstruck.
"Good, good, good! To witness the might of a Spirit Sword with my own eyes, even if it was only a strand of Shadow-Splitting Sword Light, means I didn't squander most of my wealth after all! Hahaha..." Daoist Chongyun laughed wildly several times, then his head lolled to one side and he stopped breathing, a trace of a smile still on his face.
"Master, don't scare me. You can't have just left like this, can you?" Wang Yu had been rejoicing at how easily their powerful enemy had been slain. Seeing the Daoist like this gave him another fright. He hurried over and placed a finger beneath his nose.
A moment later, Wang Yu's expression became quite a sight.
After thinking for a moment, he took hold of one of the Daoist's wrists and quietly felt it for a while. There was not the slightest beat of a pulse.
Daoist Chongyun really had breathed his last, just like that.
Before you continue