Arrangements, Bandit Cultivators on the Move

After dinner, Li Yunjing returned to his cave abode.

Over dinner, Mo Xuan had told Li Yunjing.

Everything had been arranged.

All that remained was to wait for the Foundation Establishment banquet to begin the day after tomorrow.

Leaning back in his chair, Li Yunjing took out the Golden Yang Lingzhi and Azure Flame Flower he had bought that day.

Li Yunjing wondered whether to plant the two spirit medicines in the medicinal field in his cave abode.

But on closer thought.

His cave abode had shown no effect of increasing the medicinal age of plants.

It only shortened their growth cycle.

If he wanted to increase the medicinal age of the two spirit medicines,

He had to plant them in the medicinal garden.

So Li Yunjing put the two spirit medicines away.

Taking out the Jade Lingzhi Pill Formula,

Li Yunjing studied it carefully.

Refining Jade Lingzhi Pills required three spiritual materials.

Besides Golden Yang Lingzhi and Azure Flame Flower,

It also required a first-grade spiritual material called Moon Flow Radiance.

As luck would have it, the Luozhen Sect still had a stock of Moon Flow Radiance.

After all, it was one of the spiritual materials used to refine Jade Lingzhi Pills.

Back when Nangong Chengyu was still around,

Nangong Chengyu had mainly refined Jade Lingzhi Pills and other spirit pills,

Selling them for Spirit Stones to make a living.

Only later, because of an accident, Li Yunjing sold all the Golden Yang Lingzhi, Azure Flame Flower, and other spirit medicines.

He also sold quite a bit of the Moon Flow Radiance.

But the stock had been large, so even after he sold quite a bit, some remained.

Li Yunjing planned to try refining Jade Lingzhi Pills the next day.

Tonight, he would study the Jade Lingzhi Pill Formula carefully.

Sleep?

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator,

It was not necessary.

Even after going without sleep for three days and three nights,

A circulation of Law Power would make fatigue vanish at once.

Only after going without rest for half a month or even a full month

Would a Foundation Establishment cultivator's body feel tired.

A single night was no problem at all.

The next day,

Li Yunjing walked out of his cave abode.

His eyes were bright and full of vigor.

A night of study

Had given Li Yunjing a little more confidence in refining Jade Lingzhi Pills.

After breakfast, Li Yunjing planned to go to the Alchemy Chamber to refine pills.

But just then, a warning came from the mountain gate.

Someone wanted to enter the Luozhen Sect.

But the mountain gate was now level 4.

Even a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator could not force their way into the Luozhen Sect through it.

"Hanpeng, someone is coming to visit the Luozhen Sect. Go take a look."

Li Yunjing spoke to Zhang Hanpeng, who was practicing nearby.

Zhang Hanpeng bowed respectfully, then walked out of Serene Valley.

Before long, Zhang Hanpeng returned, bringing someone with him.

It was Wang Shanming.

When Wang Shanming saw Li Yunjing, he immediately rushed over in agitation.

"Sect Leader Li, Sect Leader Li, please help the Wang Household!"

Wang Shanming knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

Li Yunjing raised his right hand slightly and used his Divine Sense to pull Wang Shanming to his feet.

"What has you so panicked?" Li Yunjing asked.

Wang Shanming looked anxious. "It's the Zhao Household. They're planning to make a move against the Wang Household."

Li Yunjing fell into thought at his words.

Naturally, Li Yunjing wanted to protect the Wang Household.

But the Immortal Alliance had yet to finish investigating whether Seven Ingenuities Mountain had ties to bandit cultivators.

Li Yunjing did not dare act rashly, lest he bring trouble upon himself.

But the Zhao Household's move put Li Yunjing in a difficult position.

If he did nothing, the Wang Household would likely be swallowed up by the Zhao Household.

Then Li Yunjing's plan would go up in smoke.

If he intervened, Li Yunjing feared the Wang Household might have some murky connection to the bandit cultivators.

Looking at Wang Shanming, Li Yunjing motioned for him to follow him into Luozhen Hall.

Wang Shanming followed Li Yunjing into Luozhen Hall,

And Li Yunjing stood with his back to Wang Shanming.

"I have already investigated the matter. The Zhao Household planted Illusory Spirit Flowers, and they are in league with bandit cultivators, aren't they?"

At those words, Wang Shanming's expression changed drastically.

Although Li Yunjing was not looking directly at Wang Shanming,

He had kept his Divine Sense fixed on him.

Sensing this, Li Yunjing understood.

The Wang Household definitely knew something.

Wang Shanming's expression changed again and again, finally settling into resignation.

"That's right."

"What about the Wang Household? Are you connected to either of these matters?" Li Yunjing asked.

Wang Shanming hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.

Li Yunjing said, "If you won't tell me, that's fine too. Please leave."

Wang Shanming grew anxious at once. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to plead.

Li Yunjing used his Divine Sense to seal his mouth shut.

"There is no way the Luozhen Sect will shelter accomplices of bandit cultivators.

If the Wang Household has ties to them, do you think the Luozhen Sect will protect you?"

After saying this, Li Yunjing released Wang Shanming's mouth.

Wang Shanming closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his expression was utterly resolute.

"Sect Leader Li, if I tell you the truth, I hope you will protect the Wang Household."

Li Yunjing did not reply.

Wang Shanming said, "It's the Heavenly Star Bandits. Someone in the Zhao Household established a connection with them, and at their direction, planted Illusory Spirit Flowers.

"To make a huge profit, the Zhao Household also dragged other lineages into it.

"The Wang Household was no exception, but we knew the harm of planting Illusory Spirit Flowers, so we didn't agree right away.

"Besides, the Wang Household had obtained that beast-taming method, so we had no need to take the risk.

"Because of this, the Zhao Household joined forces with the other lineages to pressure the Wang Household into agreeing.

"In the end, some members of the Wang Household couldn't withstand the pressure and, tempted by the enormous profits, began planting Illusory Spirit Flowers in secret.

"The Wang Household expelled all those people and severed ties with them, but this brought even greater pressure upon us.

"And the Heavenly Star Bandits also sent people over, intending to wipe out the Wang Household."

Li Yunjing was surprised to hear this.

The Heavenly Star Bandits were notorious, and Li Yunjing knew of them too.

They were a gang of bandit cultivators who roamed the area around Heavenly Star Mountain.

Heavenly Star Mountain lay north of the Luozhen Sect, tens of thousands of li away.

It was a chaotic, lawless place.

The Immortal Alliance had not intervened to govern it either.

As a result, it had become a gathering place for major wanted criminals and bandit cultivators.

The Heavenly Star Bandits were reaching their hands over here,

And Li Yunjing did not know where they got the nerve.

Did they really think that throwing their weight around on Heavenly Star Mountain made them the boss?

"When does the Zhao Household plan to make its move?" Li Yunjing asked.

Wang Shanming was taken aback. "If the information is reliable, tonight."

Li Yunjing thought it over carefully.

Then he nodded lightly. "All right, the Luozhen Sect will intervene."

Since the Wang Household had no ties to the Heavenly Star Bandits, Li Yunjing had nothing to worry about.

Wang Shanming was overjoyed to hear this.

"Thank you, Sect Leader Li! Thank you, Sect Leader Li!

"From this day on, the Wang Household will surely follow the Luozhen Sect's lead!"

Li Yunjing waved for Wang Shanming to leave first,

Then called Mo Xuan in.

Turning to look at Mo Xuan, Li Yunjing said:

"Junior Brother Mo, the Wang Household is in trouble. I need you to go help them."

Li Yunjing first told Mo Xuan about the Wang Household's situation.

Mo Xuan was also startled to learn that the Luozhen Sect was actually going to take in a subordinate sect.

Given the Luozhen Sect's current state, it was truly rare for a small lineage to acknowledge it as its superior sect.

"First, make a trip to Xunxian Town and tell Deacon Wang about this. Then just follow the Immortal Alliance's lead. Be careful," Li Yunjing instructed.

Mo Xuan smiled confidently. "Senior Brother, you can rest assured."

Having received his assignment, Mo Xuan soon left the Luozhen Sect with Wang Shanming.

Li Yunjing stood before Luozhen Hall, watching their retreating figures.

He prayed silently.

After standing there for a while, Li Yunjing withdrew his gaze.

He first went to the Patriarch Hall and took the Moon Flow Radiance out of the incense burner.

Not many treasures remained inside the incense burner.

Aside from the Moon Flow Radiance he had just taken out, there were only three treasures left.

Li Yunjing would not take them out unless he had absolutely no choice.

The incense burner appeared to be the Luozhen Sect's storage Law Treasure.

Yet things could only be taken out of it, not put in.

The treasures placed inside the incense burner back then

Had all been put in at the same time.

Since then, no treasures could be placed inside it.

The only option was to take all the treasures out of the incense burner.

Otherwise, Li Yunjing would long ago have hidden some things inside it.

Taking the Moon Flow Radiance, Li Yunjing went to the Alchemy Chamber.

He inserted three Spirit Stones, activating the Alchemy Chamber's formation.

A tongue of spiritual flame shot out and began heating the Pill Furnace...