Chapter 153: Chapter 110: Making Plans_1

Translator: 549690339

What secret?

He didn’t know either.

But according to experience, there were only a few possibilities.

It was either a hidden Immortal Fate or an old monster lying dormant.

Or perhaps there was a predecessor’s Cave Mansion or a secret domain fraught with danger.

All were great opportunities!

They were also great perils!

That was why he felt so uneasy.

One after another, over a hundred Cultivators had fallen and disappeared into Dongting Lake.

Among them were no lack of experts in the late stages of Qi Cultivation.

Although the youth also had late-stage Qi Cultivation, he didn’t think he was much stronger than those who had gone missing.

Therefore, he had never dared to venture deep into Dongting Lake but instead set up his base in Mansion City, ordering his subordinates to probe around cautiously with all sorts of methods. Only after several months of careful investigation did he finally confirm the location.

“Whether it’s an Immortal Fate Men in hiding or a Cultivator lying dormant, they both need Spiritual Energy to cultivate,” he said.

“Without Spiritual Energy, even if one obtained an Immortal Fate treasure, it would be difficult to advance in cultivation, let alone achieve Perfect Qi Refinement.”

“That Dongting Lake can cause even late-stage Qi Cultivators to fall and get buried indicates that the forces within are at least at the level of Perfect Qi Refinement.”

“In the mortal world, Perfect Qi Refinement is such an extraordinary event that it’s already worth the involvement of Foundation Establishment practitioners!”

“I hope that once the news is sent back, the ancestors will act promptly. The powers eyeing Dongting Lake now are not limited to our Wang Family!”

The youth muttered to himself, sighed, then took out a Spirit Stone and prepared to sit down and cultivate.

In the mortal world, Spiritual Energy was thin, almost non-existent.

If one wanted to cultivate, they had to rely on Spirit Stones or Spiritual Medicine.

Directly absorbing Spirit Stones was a very extravagant affair for a Qi Cultivation practitioner.

But he had no choice.

The path of Cultivation, Yuan Spirit is the foundation!

If one didn’t absorb Spiritual Energy for a long time, not only was there a risk of cultivation regression, but it could also cause the Spiritual Root to wither and shrink, lowering the qualifications for Cultivation, and making further advancements impossible.

He was already at the late stage of Qi Cultivation and had a future prospect of achieving Perfection and challenging the Foundation Establishment threshold; he couldn’t afford to lose out because of a short-term setback.

However…

The moment he closed his eyes, he felt uneasy.

With a jump in his heart, the youth hurriedly opened his eyes.

Then he saw that an additional figure had appeared in the brightly-lit study.

The youth’s pupils constricted and, without thinking, he tried to activate his Magic Artifact and Talisman for protection and to fend off the enemy.

But before he could act, the figure standing in the middle of the study moved like a ghost, instantly closing the distance.

Approaching him, a hand reached out and grasped his throat directly.

The youth was terrified, quickly trying to summon his Mana, but he felt a pain in his neck, as if struck by lightning, and his body immediately became numb.

Only then did the person let go, looking down at him from above and asked, “Who are you people?”

In the middle of the night, breaking into someone’s home and asking who they are was indeed a bizarre scene.

But the youth understood what he meant and was even more aware of what was happening, filled with horror and despair in his heart.

Fortunately, his mentality was exceptional, and he quickly regained his composure, respectfully saying, “Senior, I come from the Wang Family of Red Maple Mountain. The Foundation Establishment Ancestor in my family is Wang Tianling. We came to the mortal realm for some mundane affairs. May I ask where we have offended the senior?”

The way he spoke was watertight – responding to the other’s question, revealing his own background, and subtly highlighting his family background while showing respectful attitude to indicate no malicious intent, presenting himself as the innocent and weaker party.

Such skill in speaking was something ordinary people might not learn in a lifetime.

This was the advantage of being born into a prominent family; their starting point was where others might never reach.

Unfortunately…

Xu Yang shook his head as he looked at him.

A moment later, having obtained all the information, Xu Yang dumped a bloodied and terribly mutilated corpse into Storage Bag number thirty-one and immediately turned to leave, vanishing in an instant.

This person was named Wang Haishi, a member of the Red Maple Mountain Wang Family.

The Red Maple Mountain Wang Family was a Foundation Establishment family, with a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Ancestor at its helm.

Such a person, such a force, Xu Yang had dealt with more than just one tonight.

After all, over the years, he had buried the bodies of hundreds of Cultivators on the island as fertilizer for the land.

Not to mention other gains, at least a hundred Cultivators had fallen directly into Dongting Lake.

The disappearance of so many Cultivators, followed by the chain reaction of their network of relationships, inevitably exposed the abnormalities of Dongting Lake, bringing it into the sight of various powers.

The Wang Family was one of them, or rather, just one of them.

Apart from the Wang Family, there were other forces, other stronger Foundation Establishment forces.

Xu Yang selectively targeted a few soft targets to extract a series of intelligence.

But this did not solve the problem.

The exposure of Dongting Lake was inevitable. The scrutiny and coveting of those Foundation Establishment powers would not cease due to the loss of a few pawns but would intensify, pulling out all the stops to compete for what they perceived to be an opportunity.

What to do?

Abandon Dongting Lake, this old haunt that has been operated over many years?

It’s meaningless, in the Cultivation World, it’s the survival of the fittest.

Wherever you hide, it’s the same; conflicts are inevitable, you just change the opponent.

His cultivation also requires resources; without resource support, progression is bound to slow down.

Not to mention, the Spirit Land of Dongting Lake is also involved in the cultivation of the Earth Deity Law.

Therefore, unless it’s absolutely necessary, he won’t abandon Dongting Lake.

Moreover, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator hiding in the mundane world all day is truly too unusual.

Over time, there will inevitably be rumors, and it might even draw the attention of Golden Core sects.

The loss is not worth the gain, and it’s even more dangerous.

So, the correct approach is not to shrink back and flee, but to face it openly, taking this opportunity to reveal the Spirit Land of Dongting to the public, integrating it into the Cultivation World, and developing it as a legitimate foundation.

This is what it means to hide in plain sight!

How should this be done?

Xu Yang had already made a plan in his heart.

Three days later, within Dongting Lake.

Two streaks of escape light came tearing through the sky, penetrated the sea of clouds over Dongting, and descended onto an island at the heart of the lake.

As the escape lights landed, two figures materialized; they were, indeed, two cultivators.

One of them was a middle-aged man, with temples already greying, but who did not show signs of old age, still exuding sharpness, with a piercing gaze, and a tall and straight figure, like a sheathed divine sword, capable of intimidating even when its edge was not revealed.

The other person was also middle-aged, wearing a green robe embroidered with jade, emanating an air of an otherworldly being.

“Is this the Spirit Land belonging to the Taoist Friend?”

“Indeed… where there are outstanding people, there is a sacred Spirit Land!”

Having crossed the array, and stepping onto the island, the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, observed for a while, and gave a thought-provoking appraisal.

“I appreciate the Immortal Envoy’s visit.”

Xu Yang smiled, producing a Storage Bag and handing it to the middle-aged man: “Please inspect the Spirit Land.”

“Hey, how can this be right? It must not, must not!”

“Ah… Taoist Friend, you’re putting me in a difficult position!”

“Enough, enough. Since it’s a kind gesture from Taoist Friend Li, I shall accept it humbly, ah…”

After a round of customary refusal, the middle-aged man happily accepted the Storage Bag, nodding inwardly.

This Li Jianchen also knows the ropes, not putting on any airs that Sword Cultivators are known for.

But that’s only to be expected, given that he, Bai Yunzi, represented the dignity and prestige of the Green Jade Sect as the Searching Immortal Envoy—who would dare put on airs with him?

In the path of cultivation, one should not only know how to fight and kill, but also understand the ways of the world.

Even Sword Cultivators are no exception.

If one is too proudly aloof, ignorant of when to advance or retreat, then they are bound to end up “too rigid and easily broken.”

This Li Jianchen gets it, which is very satisfying.

Bai Yunzi smiled as he pocketed the Storage Bag and then began to tour the island with Xu Yang.

They first visited the rice fields, then the fish ponds, and eventually came to the herb fields.

The herb field was not large but was the essence, where Spiritual Energy from all directions converged.

Sighting that the field was mostly common herbs with only a few Spiritual Medicines, Bai Yunzi nodded secretly and then said to Xu Yang, “The Spiritual Energy here is not abundant, barely qualifying as first-tier!”

After speaking, he glanced at the surrounding area, noting the distinctly evident Gathering Spirit Array, and lamented, “Taoist Friend must have put in a lot of effort, right?”

Xu Yang nodded, speaking calmly, “Having drifted through life, my potential is exhausted, with no hope for further progress in cultivation, so my greatest wish is to have a place of my own, to pass on what I’ve learned to the next generation. In doing so, even if I have merely passed through this life, it was not in vain.”

“Taoist Friend’s earnestness is moving, but…”

Bai Yunzi shook his head, showing a possibly genuine look of helplessness and a wry smile, “The dispute over Spirit Lands is a rule of the sects; we must go by the book, and I’m helpless in this matter. I hope Taoist Friend can understand.”

“I understand,”

Xu Yang didn’t mind at all, continuing calmly, “The Immortal Envoy only needs to be fair and impartial. I will do my best; the planning lies with us, but the outcome is in the hands of fate. If I’m not up to the task, then losing is just losing; there’s no resentment to be felt.”

“Taoist Friend is open-minded, truly worthy of being a Sword Cultivator!”

Bai Yunzi smiled, then without further ado, he declared, “Since that’s the case, I will go back and report to the sect, to inform all cultivators and initiate the competition for the Spirit Land.”

“At that time, as the discoverer, Taoist Friend only needs to defend for three rounds on the stage to claim this Spirit Land and establish it as the foundation for your family lineage.”

After speaking, he pondered for a moment, “This whole affair will take some time; how about we schedule it for three months from now?”

“Three months?”

Xu Yang mused at the suggestion, then nodded, “Let’s go by what the Immortal Envoy says.”

“Hmm!”

Bai Yunzi nodded and asked, “The time is set, but the location…”

Mid-sentence, he looked towards Xu Yang, pausing briefly.

Xu Yang smiled, taking over the conversation, “Let’s have it at Dongting Lake. It’s straightforward and won’t cause any trouble.”

“Great!”

Bai Yunzi reciprocated the favor, “Let’s do as Taoist Friend suggests. In three months, at Dongting Lake, we’ll initiate the competition for the Spirit Land. I wish the Taoist Friend every success.”