Before Su Yu could speak, the old man began scolding the young men and sent them away. Then he humbly apologized to Su Yu.
"I am Zhang Wu. Some of the young people around here see that I'm old and call me Fifth Master Zhang. These young men don't know any better, so I hope you won't hold it against them, Immortal Master.
"Also, one of my ancestors truly was a Source Heavenly Master, but the Source Heaven Book was lost long ago. If you've come for it, Immortal Master, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The book was lost in Demon Mountain, and no one can retrieve it." The old man revealed quite a lot at once.
Clearly, Su Yu was not the only one who had come looking for him...
Su Yu paid it no mind and stated his purpose directly. "There's no need to say more. I came for the Source Heaven Book, and I know it isn't here. I'm here for the Stone Garment. If I succeed, I will reward you generously."
Fifth Master Zhang understood what Su Yu had in mind. He also sensed a trace of Dragon Qi that Su Yu had deliberately released. Its pressure far exceeded that of any cultivator he knew, so he could only agree.
Even though Su Yu's presence was powerful, however, he still didn't think Su Yu had much chance of success in Purple Mountain. There were demons in that Demon Mountain, and evil creatures underground. Many who had relied on their profound cultivation and entered Purple Mountain had never returned.
After trying to dissuade Su Yu and seeing that he was unmoved, Fifth Master Zhang could only sigh helplessly. "Please wait a moment, Daoist Master."
He turned and entered the stone house. Before long, two strong young men carried out a large wooden chest with brisk, sure steps. It was yellowed and plainly an ancient object of considerable age.
Fifth Master Zhang then took out a key and opened the iron lock on the yellowed chest. As he did, he explained to Su Yu, "The Stone Garment you want is inside, Daoist Master."
Fifth Master Zhang pushed the iron lock aside and opened the large chest. A smell of rotten wood immediately wafted out. No one knew how many years had passed, but the inside of the chest had begun to decay, and a few wood chips fell to the ground. A Stone Garment made of countless stone pieces strung together lay folded inside.
Fifth Master Zhang lifted out the Stone Garment and stone helmet, running his hand along the lines of the garment. There was remembrance in his eyes, as well as reluctance to part with it. Then he handed the Stone Garment to Su Yu.
Su Yu took the Stone Garment and stone helmet and examined them with his divine sense. He found that the Stone Garment could block divine sense. It was the stone skin of Divine Source, and it carried the same wondrous presence as Divine Source.
Poverty was the word for it: he didn't have a single piece of Divine Source on him, only variant Source and ordinary Source.
Su Yu put the Stone Garment away and said to Fifth Master Zhang, "I've taken a Stone Garment from you. If you have any difficulties, tell me, and I'll do my best to help. If there's nothing you need, I'll give you a hundred jin of Source in exchange for it."
This time, he had genuinely received a favor, so Su Yu said a few more words than usual.
After hearing Su Yu's offer, Fifth Master Zhang did not answer. He remained silent, his bright eyes moving slowly, as though weighing the pros and cons.
A young man standing nearby, however, could hardly contain himself. Seeing that Fifth Master Zhang remained silent, he dropped to his knees before Su Yu.
"Please, Immortal Master, destroy the bandits." Looking at the young man weeping in anguish, Fifth Master Zhang merely sighed. Then he told Su Yu about the bandits.
This place was close to the Primordial Ancient Mine and had quite a few Source mines. Bandits and horse thieves ran rampant here, oppressing the people and demanding that every village hand over a fixed amount of Source each month.
If a village couldn't pay, they seized its women and able-bodied men. The women were taken for their pleasure, while the men were sent to mine. The kneeling young man's younger sister had been taken by the bandits and had died at the hands of those beasts.
Su Yu took out a hundred jin of Source and gave it to Fifth Master Zhang. Then he told the young man to rise and asked whether he knew where the bandits were.
The young man, who had begun to lose heart when he saw Su Yu take out the Source Stones, instantly brightened.
He staggered to his feet and wiped away his tears, stammering, "Immortal Master... tomorrow... those beasts will come to our village tomorrow to collect this month's Source. You only need to wait one day, Immortal Master."
Fifth Master Zhang looked at the young man, whose eyes were blinded by hatred, and said to Su Yu, "You may stay the night, Daoist Master. I know something about Purple Mountain that might be of help to you."
"Then I'll defer to my host!"
Soon, everyone in the village knew that the Immortal Master would help them wipe out the bandits the next day. They all treated him with great warmth, bringing out meat they only ate on holidays and festivals to serve Su Yu.
Su Yu looked at these unfortunate people and shook his head. Though conditions in the Northern Region were harsh, it was rich in Source mines. They could originally have lived prosperous lives by mining Source.
Unfortunately, oppression and slavery were unavoidable anywhere in the cultivation world.
More despairing still, the oppression here was outrageous, yet resistance achieved nothing. Cultivators and mortals belonged to two different worlds. To resist was an ant trying to shake a tree: an absurd overestimation of one's own strength that only drew laughter.
These people were oppressed by the bandits, while the bandits had the backing of minor sects. Those scattered minor sects, in turn, paid Source and rare treasures to the greater holy lands and Desolate Ancient Families.
A pyramid of layers was arranged in strict order, with a rigid hierarchy.
How many of those Desolate Ancient Families had clean backsides?
Though he sympathized with their plight, Su Yu had little inclination to change these people's future.
He opened his divine eyes and examined everyone's body. The people of this village had extremely poor aptitude, and the vast majority had no talent for cultivation. The exceptions were Wang Shu, Lei Bo, and Lei Bo's older sister. They were of mixed Silver-Blooded Royal Clan blood, but he did not know how to open the locks on their bloodlines.
As for the others, he had no interest in nurturing a few Sea of Bitterness Secret Realm cultivators...
That night, Fifth Master Zhang told Su Yu a great deal about methods of finding Source, as well as what he knew of Purple Mountain. Perhaps having seen Su Yu's true nature, Fifth Master Zhang took out the hundred jin of Source Su Yu had given him and placed it before him.
"Daoist Master, I cannot accept a reward I haven't earned. Since you've agreed to help the village wipe out those bandits, please take these hundred jin of Source back. Also, Purple Mountain is a land of death. It would be best not to go there; it's far too dangerous. One of my ancestors entered Purple Mountain hoping to bring back the Source Heaven Book, but never returned."
Looking at Fifth Master Zhang's frown and hearing his sigh, Su Yu did not take the Source back. Instead, he said confidently, "This Stone Garment is worth that much. If you really don't feel right about it, you can give me a few of your stone mills and tools. These stone implements were also passed down from my ancestors. If you want them, Daoist Master, just take them."
Fifth Master Zhang seemed unaware of how precious the stone implements left behind by the Source Heavenly Master were, and generously made the promise.
"Then let's wait until I return from Purple Mountain." Su Yu laughed heartily and drank with great good cheer, as though he didn't care at all about the dangers of Demon Mountain.
Fifth Master Zhang could only shake his head helplessly and offer Su Yu a few more words of advice on avoiding sinister things.
After a sleepless night, the sound of hooves came from outside the stone village early the next morning. Men shouted and horses neighed, throwing the villagers into a panic.
"Old people and children, hide! The bandits are here! Everyone else, grab your weapons and follow me!" Many able-bodied men organized the elderly and children to hide, then grabbed sharp knives and rushed to the village gate.
The young man, who had likewise spent the night awake, saw the leader on horseback. His eyes went blood-red, and he ran to Su Yu. "Immortal Master, it's them! The one in the lead is Li Daming. He oppresses several villages around here..."
As Su Yu listened to the young man's account, his formerly somewhat casual attitude grew grave.
He had originally intended only to repay a favor, but now he changed his mind. He intended to wipe out these minor sects outright, even if it would only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. But by the time new powers appeared, Ye Fan would have more or less arrived.
Outside the stone village, dust rose to the sky. Several dozen mounted men reached it in the blink of an eye, shouting as their horses neighed and waves of killing intent rolled off them. All wore armor, and even the horses beneath them were extraordinary.
The able-bodied men of the village were all tough. Seeing the bandits approach, they showed no fear. Every one of them took up a weapon and stood ready to face them.
Every one of the bandits rode a Dragon Scale Horse. The horses stood eight chi at the shoulder, with gleaming azure scales that gave them a ferocious appearance. Every rider carried the smell of blood and wore an exceedingly cruel smile.
They were clearly a gang of vicious killers who wouldn't blink at murder. They had killed many people and were far more brutal than ordinary horse thieves.
Seeing the petty leader swaggering about, Su Yu had originally intended to send them off to the Western Paradise with a single strike of Chaos Dragon Qi. But then he glanced at the young man, whose heart was full of hatred and darkness.
Then I'll take the trouble!
Thanks for the recommendation votes, Book Friend 20190426221453012,
Long Moon, Sun Desiring to Weep,
A North Star,
Wind Delights Dawn,
Time Patch,
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And thanks to A Different Yan and Faraway Original Source Wish Fate for the encouragement!
Thank you very much.
Thank you all!!!!!
Chapter 21: Corpse-Refining Water, Defying the Peak of Four Extremes
The vicious bandits were still sneering. Their leader wore a tight black robe, and his features were sharp and fierce. A saber scar ran across the entire right side of his face, and a bright yellow gourd hung at his waist. The Dragon Scale Horse beneath him was also more magnificent than those of the other bandits. He was loudly calling Zhang Wu's name.
"Hand over this month's Source at once, or bear the consequences!"
"Shut up!"
Before Fifth Master Zhang could come out to answer, a shout like a dragon's roar rang out from the village. It sounded as though a true dragon were giving a long cry, seizing hearts and souls and instantly suppressing everyone's spirits.
The Dragon Scale Horses all panicked and went wild, their four hooves stamping in confusion. The frightened herd began to flee into the distance.
Bandits fell from their mounts one after another. The leader's expression changed drastically as soon as he heard the sound, but he managed to keep control of his mount. Then he dismounted, forced himself to remain calm, and said respectfully,
"I don't know which immortal has graced us with his presence. I am an outer disciple of the Wind Feather Sect, and my master is a steward of the sect. Could there be some misunderstanding..."
Before he finished, he saw a divine figure appear in midair, standing atop a long dragon of chaos and looking down at them with cold eyes. He knew that look well. He had looked at the villagers in just the same way.
It was the indifference of someone who could take their lives on a whim, the look one gave the dead. He had worn that same look when he abducted women from the villages.
"This is bad. Disaster is upon us!"
"Immortal, spare me! I'm willing to offer all my Source Stones in exchange for my-"
At this point, the petty leader hurriedly dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. He would never dare use the Wind Feather Sect behind him to threaten the other party. The man's presence was simply beyond his imagination; even the sect master of the Wind Feather Sect, the strongest cultivator he had ever seen, fell far short of him. How could he dare make threats?
Su Yu didn't wait for the petty villain to finish. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and he breathed out a mouthful of Chaos Qi. Instantly, the true Qi split into dozens of fine, incomparably sharp threads and shot toward the bandits.
The terrified bandits fled for their lives. The leader, however, gritted his teeth, a mad look crossing his savage face. He flung the gourd out behind him, then flicked the riding whip in his hand and rode his Dragon Scale Horse away.
The bright yellow gourd spun in the air, growing from the size of a palm to the height of a person. Foul, ink-black corpse water poured from its mouth and surged toward the village.
"Corpse-refining water." Su Yu snorted coldly and swept his sleeve, taking the corpse water away. Then he waved it toward the petty leader. In an instant, the foul, bone-eating corpse water drenched him, and screams rang out across the barren land.
The bandit chief, who had been full of life moments ago, had most of his flesh and blood corroded and melted away by the corpse water. He still howled in the stream.
The remaining bandits had all been pinned to the ground by the fine threads of true Qi. Their bodies trembled constantly as they begged for mercy.
Without looking at the villagers' joy at seeing their great grievance avenged, he flew before the leader and directly used a secret art to search his soul. This method caused immeasurable harm to the person searched; one could basically say farewell to the world afterward. A mortal who hadn't even opened his Bitter Sea was unworthy of Su Yu using the Deity-Deliverance Art.
After learning from the man's memories about three minor sects on the outskirts of the Primordial Ancient Mine, he swept his great sleeve and flung the bandit chief, now reduced to a skeleton covered in flesh and blood, behind him.
"I'll leave these people to you." Su Yu had no interest in watching the young man's revenge play out. To him, all of this was illusory. His true objective was the Wushi Emperor Jade.
The Wushi Emperor Jade was in the possession of a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. The Wind Feather Sect, the Azure Cloud Sect, the Mysterious Moon Grotto, the Lihuo Sect.
There were only four sects in the surrounding area, yet two of them possessed priceless treasures: the Wushi Emperor Jade and the Lihuo Divine Furnace.
Su Yu rode a Divine Rainbow toward the Wind Feather Sect.
The Divine Rainbow was swift, and he soon reached the sect's mountain gate. It was a divine mountain upon which stood a cluster of palaces.
Eighteen spirit mountains towered within the Grotto-Heaven, wreathed in a faint, pure-white mist. A thousand-chi waterfall hung from every peak, its torrent plunging amid curling spray. Green water wound in trickling streams around the mountains, coloring the wooded slopes.
A spring gurgled nearby, with flowers spreading beside it like brocade, lively and beautiful. Such scenery was rare in the Northern Region: a true immortal Grotto-Heaven, a pure land in the mortal world.
The once-magnificent mountain gate was now a ruin.
"Who goes there?" Having sensed the presence of Great Dao Dragon Qi, a decayed, aged voice sounded from a hall halfway up the mountain. An old man in a crimson robe, jade belt, and crown then streaked across the sky like a meteor and landed before the Wind Feather Sect's mountain gate, followed by a group of Daoists.
A Peak of Four Extremes cultivator? Su Yu narrowed his eyes and sized him up. He found the man deathly still, his presence utterly decayed. It seemed he had used some netherworldly spirit medicine to cling to life until now.
This old Daoist should already have died before Ye Fan arrived, and Su Yu had just happened to catch him.
Seeing the hostility in Su Yu's eyes and the immense presence he carried, the old Daoist sighed. "Your Qi and blood are vigorous, sir. I truly envy you. I don't have many days left to live. How has my sect offended you, fellow Daoist? Could you speak plainly so we can make amends? Why must we come to blows?"
Su Yu did not answer. He sent out another Chaos Flying Dragon strike. A phenomenon unfolded, and dragon-shaped golden light flew into the heavens. Dragon Qi surged, tyrannizing heaven and earth.