A Countermeasure: The Strong Bullying the Weak

Seven days later, at Fortune Star Market.

Zhou Ning used the Flowing Light Concealing Shadow Technique to disguise himself as Qi Refining cultivator.

After all, the market was not large, and as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he did not want to attract attention for everything he did.

As soon as he entered the market, he noticed that the atmosphere was unusual. Many Qi Refining Qi Refining looked anxious and walked hurriedly, as if something big had happened.

"Have Demon Beast invaded?" Zhou Ning used his Spirit Eye Technique to look towards the Heavenly Ridge Mountain Range.

All that could be seen was a scene of tranquility and peace.

He casually grabbed a Qi Refining cultivator who was walking briskly. The man was furious and about to curse him out, but then, sensing Zhou Ning's powerful aura at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer Great Perfection, he immediately became respectful.

"I've come to ask you, what happened?" he said.

"Fellow Daoist, you must be a recluse, right? Yesterday, the Lei Household patriarch broke through to the Late Stage of Core Formation, led a group of array masters, breached the Jade Countenance Sect's grand array, killed the Jade Countenance Sect Master, and declared that he would switch allegiance and join the Myriad Peace Valley!"

Zhou Ning was shocked. "The Jade Countenance Sect is gone? All those beautiful and charming fairies are gone?"

Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining immediately cursed, "The Lei Household cultivators are indifferent to women and ruthless. Only a few female cultivators escaped! Alas!"

His face was filled with grief, as if the Lei Household had killed his own female relatives.

Zhou Ning asked the man a couple more questions before letting him go, his expression gradually becoming serious.

The Lei Household has always been domineering. If they join Myriad Peace Valley now, they will definitely have to work for Myriad Peace Valley. The Han, Duan, and Ye families, those False Core Lineage, will be in danger.

The entire Leping Commandery will likely be thrown into turmoil.

Zhou Ning he hadn't placed the Spring of the Spirit Eye in Little Willow Marsh; otherwise, if war broke out, he wouldn't be able to move the Spring of the Spirit Eye and it would inevitably be discovered.

"We need to think about a way out. Ideally, we should find a powerful force to protect us and cultivate our alchemy in peace."

He had no desire to risk his life on the front lines.

In the past month, Zhou Ning has been busy. Since killing Su Baoqing, he wanted to continue targeting the Su Household. However, their outer outposts were either completely deserted or protected by a top-tier second-order formation.

Even though Zhou Ning is incredibly powerful, capable of killing Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

However, the defensive array must have been set up with the help of Su Youyou from the Su Household, and it was extremely sturdy.

Even if he used the Thunderfire Awl, it would take him a very long time to break through it.

If the Su Household sends people to surround him, and seven or eight Foundation Establishment arrive, he will have no choice but to make a strategic retreat.

"That wretched Su Youyou, I'll drag you over to set up my formation sooner or later!" Zhou Ning was both angry and resentful, and wanted to take her away.

As for Luyou Island and Long Mountain Island in Cuiwei Lake, he didn't even consider them. As expected, they were set up with a third-order array based on a third-order Spirit Vein. He didn't have any special array-breaking treasures, so he couldn't open them at all.

Just as Zhou Ning moved the Spring of the Spirit Eye, he spread rumors in Forget-Return Market, Fortune Star Market, and several other markets, claiming that the Su Household possessed a third-tier Spirit Vein and that Su Changshuo wolfish ambitions.

He had assumed that once the news broke, the various powerful Aristocratic Clan would immediately launch an attack, and the Su Household, outnumbered, would be overwhelmed and destroyed on the spot.

As a result, nobody believed it at all.

The Su Household then spread even more false information, such as claiming that they could provide fourth-order Spirit Vein for the Nascent Soul Realm stage cultivators, in order to cover up the truth.

They even went so far as to smear him, claiming that Zhou Ning had gone to a secret realm and possessed Core Formation fortuitous opportunity, urging everyone to capture him.

"Damn it!" The Su Household is numerous and powerful, and they can talk a better game than him.

Damn it, the people in this world also understand propaganda warfare; they're not brainless. The cultivators didn't pay much attention to the Su Household, nor did they believe he had a chance to Core Formation fortuitous opportunity.

"They're tough to deal with!"

Zhou Ning sighed, realizing that his strength was still insufficient. If he were at the Purple Mansion Purple Mansion, no, even at the Foundation Establishment Perfection.

With that kind of strength, and carrying a Spirit Treasure Embryo, they could easily invade Cuiwei Lake and annihilate the Su Household with ease.

Knowing that he couldn't deal with the Su Household for the time being, he took the opportunity to condense the "Jade-Casting True Gold Talisman" in Little Willow Marsh as a trump card, and then used the opportunity to improve his alchemy skills so that he could refine a second-tier Great Pill as soon as possible.

As Zhou Ning walked along the streets of the market, he even saw familiar proclamations posted on the walls.

It seems someone is helping me spread a proclamation condemning the Su Household. What is their intention? Could it be to offend Qingxuan?

Would the Azure Mystic Sect care about such things?

Zhou Ning couldn't quite figure it out.

Never mind, once I hear the news of Su Changshuo's breakthrough, I'll flee immediately. The phenomenon of Core Formation can't be concealed, not even by a third-tier formation.

Zhou Ning possesses the legacy of the Daoist Mu, High Antiquity concealment talisman, and Myriad Streams Escape Talisman, so he is not in immediate danger.

Zhou Ning also reconnected with Old Jia, urging him to leave the Su Household and join his cause.

Old Jia has already gone to another market to buy materials for him.

Zhou Ning came to Fortune Star Market today at the invitation of Black Husband, who claimed that he had gathered all the necessary elixirs and could open a refining town.

"Thunder Solidification Pulse Pill" has been obtained.

Fortunately, Black Husband still had a portion of Jade Marrow Ganoderma, which allowed Zhou Ning to gather enough for another batch of Foundation Establishment Pill.

He could make three Foundation Establishment Pill in the last batch, and this batch will only make more, which is a lot of money.

"Hmph, if this person dares not give me the Jade Marrow Ganoderma, I'll pick her up and beat her to a pulp!"

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Zhou Ning was confident of victory in cooperating with a Qi Refining cultivator, and there was no need for him to panic in the slightest.

He entered the small courtyard with red bricks and green tiles as promised. The courtyard was planted with many bamboos, making it elegant and quiet.

Zhou Ning immediately thought of the loquat tree in his yard.

He realized he had forgotten something: the last time he saw Lin Qing, he had actually forgotten to ask him for money, after all, he had taken care of Lin Qing's deceased wife for so many years.

Even if they didn't achieve great things, they certainly put in a lot of hard work!

"Next time you catch them, don't forget!"

It wasn't that Zhou Ning was greedy; rather, it was only after he studied the Foundation Establishment Realm pills of the He Household in Land of Wei that he realized how terrifyingly expensive Foundation Establishment Realm pills were.

The Great Replenishment True Pill that can increase cultivation speed costs a whopping seven Spirit Stone per pill!

Taking three pills a month costs twenty Spirit Stone, totaling over two hundred a year.

The spiritual Spirit Stone he possessed were only enough to last him two years.

Even the direct descendants of aristocratic Aristocratic Clan probably couldn't afford it.

Currently, Zhou Ning can only consume lower-grade True Essence Pill. These pills are popular in the Chen State, and the cost of consuming them for a year is higher than that of Great Accumulation Pill.

"Fellow Daoist Ma has arrived." Black Husband was still wearing a cloak, completely covering himself up.

Zhou Ning always felt that this widow was a bit strange; he never actually saw the eight male lovers she claimed to have.

Now that he has entered the Foundation Establishment, he is no longer ordinary. He released a little of his Divine Sense and charged directly and forcefully towards Black Husband.

Black Husband sensed this domineering Divine Sense, and her heart tightened. Her hoarse, deep voice carried a hint of anger. "Fellow Daoist, we are merely partners. You have overstepped your bounds!"

Zhou Ning used one percent of his Divine Sense, but he still couldn't see through her disguise. She remained a dark figure, as if she were hidden inside a box.

He let out a soft "hmm" in his heart, but said outwardly, "Fellow Daoist, you also know that this matter is of great importance. I, Old Ma, have shown my true face, but you have been hiding your face. Are you perhaps too ugly to be seen by others?"

"I'm not ugly!" Black Husband remained hoarse.

"Have you prepared the main ingredients for your Foundation Establishment Pill?" Zhou Ning asked.

"One hand delivers the pill, the other delivers the goods," Black Husband said.

"Become."

Without further ado, Zhou Ning entered the Alchemy Chamber, turned on a small fire, and began heating the black iron Pill Furnace.

Black Husband then took out a series of wooden boxes, opened them one by one, and found various materials such as Ice Lotus and Meridian Continuation Flower, especially the "Golden Well Thunder Ginseng" and the thousand-year-old stone honey, which were no less rare than the Jade Marrow Ganoderma.

Watching him process the medicinal herbs one by one, Black Husband finally couldn't help but say, "I hope you succeed in purifying the pill; I will surely repay you handsomely."

"Hehe, let me see your male concubine, I'm quite curious."

"That won't do."

Zhou Ning threw the processed Ice Lotus into the Pill Furnace, controlled the spiritual fire, and slowly removed impurities.

Black Husband was tense and anxiously watching.

The medicinal herbs, including the 'Meridian Continuation Flower' and 'Lei Shen', gradually transformed into clumps of medicinal liquid.

The alchemy techniques of the Land of Wei were not only ingenious, but their precision in managing resources was also outrageous.

Several clumps of liquid medicine smoothly merged into a dark blue mass. Tiny bubbles began to hiss on the surface of the mass, like boiling oil, extremely intense, and a large amount of liquid medicine began to splatter.

Black Husband's heart pounded, her hands, hidden inside her cloak, clenched until they turned white. She had studied elixirs and knew that this step was the most difficult; if the medicinal liquid spread too much, all her previous efforts would be in vain!

Even for her, it would take at least ten years to gather enough for another batch, and even if she did, probably no one could successfully refine it.

At this moment, Zhou Ning applied a drop of honey from the millennium stone to the medicinal liquid, instantly enveloping the scattering liquid and calming it down.

"Fall!"

Zhou Ning closed the lid and breathed a sigh of relief; it was actually quite difficult.

Fortunately, he was highly skilled.

The next step is condensing the pill, which is extremely simple and doesn't even require separation, because this mass of medicinal liquid is only enough to form one pill.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhou Ning made a Method Formula, and a pill with a surface resembling a spherical lightning bolt flew out of the furnace.

Black Husband made a move to grab it.

Zhou Ning pressed down with his Law Power, stopping his movements, and said in his voice, "Fellow Daoist, Jade Marrow Ganoderma."

The next moment, a wooden box appeared in front of him.

Zhou Ning opened it and saw that inside was a milky white jade-colored Jade Marrow Ganoderma.

He was very satisfied. With this, he would have at least three Foundation Establishment Pill. He could give one to Xiangning, and wouldn't she be clamoring for him as her "good big brother"?

Whoever I want to Foundation Establishment, I can make them Foundation Establishment!

So he handed the "Thunder-Suppressing Meridian-Continuation Pill" to Black Husband.

Zhou Ning could certainly take it all for himself, but there's no need. In this world, one must keep their promises. If one resorts to any means necessary, what's the difference between him and Devil Cultivator?

After obtaining the precious elixir, Black Husband carefully placed it into the jade bottle. Her gentle movements were unlike those of Black Widow; rather, they resembled those of a young girl who had received a priceless treasure.

Black Husband said, "Fellow Daoist Ma's skills are truly superb. I wonder where he learned them?"

"I am self-taught!" Zhou Ning said proudly.

Can Dao of Alchemy alchemy be learned on one's own?

Zhou Ning glanced at her. "How will I know if such a person exists in the world if I don't try?"

Black Husband listened, remained silent for a few moments, seemingly moved, lost in thought.

After a while, she escorted Zhou Ning to the courtyard gate before saying, "Fellow Daoist, you do bear a resemblance to someone I know."

Zhou Ning was no one's substitute. His expression suddenly changed; someone was lying in ambush outside.

Could it be that Black Husband hired them, intending to double-cross them?

He left with the words, "Heh, I am who I am. Let's not say anything more like that."

"Until we meet again." Zhou Ning waved his hand and walked away.

"Wait, Fellow Daoist Ma, I'll be looking for you again in two years—"

Before he could finish speaking, two bright lights suddenly burst forth from the sky. "Fellow Daoist Black Husband, please come to my residence for a chat!"

A black rope lashed out, passing Zhou Ning and wrapping around the massive, Black Husband.

Another person in the sky, standing on a fan-shaped magical Law Artifact, dressed in a pink turban, with an icy expression, was none other than Zhao Ruoxue.

She also took out a magical Law Artifact and used it to illuminate Black Husband's figure, causing his movements to slow down considerably.

Zhou Ning was shocked. These two Foundation Establishment cultivators were so unethical, ambushing Black Husband, a Qi Refining cultivator?

They have the very demeanor of cultivators from the Land of Wei.

With his superior skills and daring, Zhou Ning stood still, prepared to defend and observe the battle.

He was actually very curious about what trouble Black Husband had gotten into that would make two Foundation Establishment cultivators serve her one Qi Refining.

Black Husband was tightly bound by the rope, and his body was pulled towards Sun Gui.

Seeing this, Zhao Ruoxue's face showed a hint of joy, but she also felt a little contempt for Sun Gui. This guy was too spineless, insisting that she help him. Luckily, there were no other cultivators of the same level nearby, or he would have lost face big time!

As a result, Black Husband's body suddenly lit up, and an oval-shaped cover appeared on her body with array patterns on its surface. She fell down and instantly broke free from the control of the black rope.

Then, the array patterns around his body continued to change, from ovals to squares, like a mechanism swinging, and then turned into rhombuses.

Zhou Ning frowned. He sensed at least several Spirit Stone stones emanating from Black Husband, as if he were activating an array.

A loud "boom" resounded on the ground.

Black Husband's figure suddenly shot out, his speed astonishing.

The spot where she had been standing had been blasted into a crater.

Seeing that things were going badly, Sun Gui and Zhao Ruoxue quickly chased after them, stepping on their Law Artifact.

The array patterns on the surface of the Black Husband cloak flowed powerfully, and her spiritual energy flashed. Each flash was accompanied by a loud bang, and she moved a great distance away.

It looks like a giant flea!

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the market gate, and a few moments later, they turned into a black dot on the ground in the distance, then grew smaller and smaller, at an absurdly fast pace.

That speed was probably only something Zhou Ning could barely catch up to if he used all his strength to push the Flowing Plainness Boat.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Sun Gui and Zhao Ruoxue returned, their faces slightly dark, clearly in a bad mood.

Upon running into Zhou Ning, Zhao Ruoxue took out her mirror Law Artifact and coldly demanded, "Are you Black Husband's accomplice?"

Zhou Ning immediately dispelled the concealment spell and laughed, "Fellow Daoists, you've certainly given me quite a show!"