Chapter 00125: Kunxu Square (Extra Chapter for the Silver Alliance)
# Kunxu Square (Extra Chapter for the Silver Alliance)
Chapter 125
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 125: Kunxu Square (Extra Chapter for the Silver Alliance)
"One must thank the Sect Master for helping Qianyue protect the Silver Glimmer Fish back then. Otherwise, Senior Elder would still be severely injured," Wen Xinran, who rarely spoke, stepped forward and bowed slightly, his words brimming with gratitude.
He was very satisfied with this Sect Master, especially in how the matter concerning Shan Qianyue was handled.
A cultivation sect that feared death regularly was on the brink of collapse.
The old Sect Master acted too cautiously, which led to the sect’s precarious state.
If the old Sect Master had dealt with the issue concerning Shan Qianyue, it likely would have ended with him apologizing to the Crescent Moon Pill Tower to retrieve her.
Such actions, though they would ensure survival, had little difference compared to being dead for a cultivator.
How did the new Sect Master handle it? The Crescent Moon Pill Tower was apologized to, the shopkeeper who insulted Qianyue, Yu Ke, was killed, and Gu Hai Zhao of the Guihai family was heavily injured, returning with a clear conscience.
"Ah, I’m getting old," observed Shan Changxiu as he looked upon the decisive and straightforward Lan Xiaobu, realizing that he was indeed unfit for the position of Sect Master any longer.
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, "Senior Elder has recovered from his serious illness, and he can soon step into the Spirit Refining Realm. I’d like to congratulate Senior Elder in advance."
In cultivation, there were four stages: Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Qi into Spirit, Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness, and Merging Emptiness with the Dao.
Lan Xiaobu was currently at the second stage of Refining Qi into Spirit, while Shan Changxiu was at the first stage of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness.
Lan Xiaobu's words implied that Shan Changxiu could soon break through to the next realm.
Hearing this, Shan Changxiu, leading several other elders, bowed in respect, saying, "Sect Master, without your bringing back the true Golden Crow Technique, we would have no hope of advancing further. Although I, Shan Changxiu, am too old to make any progress, these three elders still have a chance to reach Spirit Refining."
Lan Xiaobu’s mind sensed that Shan Changxiu’s vitality was waning, indicating a physical deficiency that prevented him from cultivating further.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Senior Elder, what spirit herb do you most need if you wish to reach Spirit Refining? Perhaps I can assist you during my trip to Kunxu."
Sighing, Shan Changxiu responded with a rueful smile, but before he could elaborate, Cheng Yixi interjected, "The best would be Longevity Fruit; three pieces in a set can completely restore the Elder’s vitality and might allow for a leap into the Spirit Refining Realm. But even within Kunxu, Longevity Fruit is extremely rare; just one would provoke countless competitors, let alone three."
In the cultivation world, fruits that could extend one’s lifespan were immensely valuable; many were merely a breath away from breakthrough but fell short due to lack of life essence.
Longevity Fruit? Lan Xiaobu had plenty of those in his ring.
Without hesitation, he produced three pieces and handed them to Shan Changxiu, saying, "Senior Elder, do these Longevity Fruits meet your needs?"
A faint fragrance wafted from the fruits, and even without eating them, just smelling the aroma greatly cleared the mind.
When Lan Xiaobu presented the three Longevity Fruits, everyone present, including Shan Changxiu, seemed momentarily dumbfounded.
After a pause, Shan Changxiu murmured, "These really are Longevity Fruits…"
"Then it's settled. Senior Elder, prepare to break into the Spirit Refining Realm. Qianyue, have several disciples successfully condensed their core?" Lan Xiaobu pressed, placing the fruits into Shan Changxiu's hands.
As Lan Xiaobu left the Qianyun Immortal Sect with Shan Qianyue and the two newly advanced disciples, the old Sect Master, Shan Changxiu, remained in a daze.
He actually obtained three Longevity Fruits; with his foundation and level of strength, supplemented by these fruits, he had nearly a ninety percent chance of successfully reaching Spirit Refining.
"Senior Elder, our Qianyun Immortal Sect has done well this time," even Situ Tong couldn’t help but remark.
With Lan Xiaobu's arrival, the entire Qianyun Immortal Sect underwent a transformation.
Besides the changes brought about by the new Sect Master, the more significant aspect was the twenty True Essence Pills.
With over a hundred foundation-building disciples, every single one desired a True Essence Pill, creating a surge of motivation among them.
While Lan Xiaobu remained in closed door training, as an elder, Situ Tong understood very well how monumental this increase in strength was for the Qianyun Immortal Sect; they gained eighteen more core-condensing disciples in one go.
It was important to note that Elder Cheng Yixi had only just succeeded in condensing her core, and now they had suddenly added eighteen successful disciples—what an astounding concept!
This was also possible because the Qianyun Immortal Sect had such a solid base of foundation-building disciples.
If the two had not been overly eager, those twenty True Essence Pills could have easily resulted in twenty more core-condensing disciples.
At last realizing the depth of his error, Shan Changxiu sighed, "I was wrong."
Cheng Yixi quickly added, "Senior Elder, your previous considerations were also valid, and you later agreed to Sect Master Lan taking over as leader of the Qianyun Immortal Sect."
Shan Changxiu nodded, "That's true, but I've also been too conservative. After Qianyue returned, her rapid progress showed that her internal barriers had been resolved. I thought preserving the sect for a few more years was wise, but that path would only lead to our demise. Sect Master Lan's approach may invoke thunderous wrath, but it has granted us confidence and a sense of direction."
"Senior Elder, the best way we can help Sect Master now is to work on improving our strength," Wen Xinran added in reassurance.
Shan Changxiu nodded, glancing at the Longevity Fruits in his hands, resolutely stating, "The Guihai family won't let this go quietly. They will wait until Kunxu is over to target Qianyun Immortal Sect. I must enter closed door training to strive for the Spirit Refining Realm."
… Sitted aboard the Qianyun Zhou, the sect’s only flying treasure, Lan Xiaobu was aware that eighteen disciples had successfully condensed their cores this time.
This knowledge lifted his spirits; although True Essence Pills helped foundation-building cultivators reach core condensation, the success rate didn’t reach nine in ten, and sometimes it barely exceeded six in ten.
The Qianyun Immortal Sect's impressive success rate stemmed from their disciples’ exceptionally solid foundations.
Moreover, these disciples struggled financially, making it difficult to acquire pills, relying solely on years of accumulation.
Many disciples had been stuck in core-condensing for years, and now with the True Essence Pills in hand, they regarded this opportunity as the singular chance on their journey of cultivation, which naturally led most to breakthrough in one go.
"Sect Master Senior Brother, if it weren't for the True Essence Pills you offered, I, Xuanfu, would never dream of succeeding in condensing my core," Xuanfu exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
He had been selected along with another new core-condensing disciple, Qiu Liguang, for the trip to Kunxu.
Sitting beside Xuanfu was the youthful Qiu Liguang—the young man hadn't been at Qianyun Immortal Sect for the longest time, yet his time was nearing twenty years.
Spending twenty years in pursuit of core-condensing would be considered a joke in a five-star sect, but in Qianyun Immortal Sect, it was a fortuitous chance.
All of this good fortune had come from the new Sect Master, who was even younger than them.
Qiu Liguang's respect and admiration for Lan Xiaobu matched Xuanfu's in earnestness.
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, "I was just like you back then. If I hadn’t encountered my own opportunity, I probably wouldn’t have succeeded in core-condensing in my entire life. Fortune is a tricky thing. If we get the chance to enter Kunxu, perhaps everyone can form Golden Cores."
The Qianyun Zhou was swift; it was the only low-grade flying spirit tool of the Qianyun Immortal Sect, making it one of their most valuable possessions.
Gu Dao had been left behind at Qianyun Peak; though he was reluctant, it was inconvenient for Lan Xiaobu to bring him along given the unknown dangers of this trip to Kunxu.
The four chatted amiably on their way, not feeling bored as the Qianyun Zhou traversed the vast grasslands of Northern Yuan Continent.
…
Yuan Continent’s most prosperous area lay in the center, housing nearly seventy percent of the five-star sects, as well as a large portion of the four and three-star sects.
The most prestigious five-star sects such as the Tianyuan Sword Sect, Western Kunlun Sect, Ancient Star Mountain, and Jiu Dao Temple were all situated here.
Moreover, the upcoming Kunxu Mystic Ravine would likewise be located in the central Yuan Continent.
As Kunxu Mystic Ravine neared its opening, over ninety percent of the cultivation sects were gravitating towards Kunxu Square in the Yuan Continent.
The largest secret place on Yuan Continent was Kunxu, which opened once in three thousand years.
Consequently, many didn’t have even a single memory of it ever being opened.
No one knew when Kunxu Square was established; it simply existed alongside the Yuan Continent, seemingly built specifically for the Kunxu secret realm.
Before the Kunxu Mystic Ravine opened, entry to Kunxu Square was restricted.
In the two weeks leading up to the opening of Kunxu Mystic Ravine, Kunxu Square would allow entry at any time.
The area of Kunxu Square extended around a thousand zhang.
Don’t think that it’s spacious; once all the sects gather, along with a host of merchants, there wouldn’t be much room left.
Given that Kunxu opened only once every several thousand years, one could imagine how many treasures lay within.
Once Kunxu closed, everyone would gather in Kunxu Square to trade.
Many merchants arriving early hoped to secure good spots.
Lan Xiaobu was unaware of this practice, but as an old sect, Qianyun Immortal Sect was well aware of these rules.
As a result, they had set off nearly a month in advance.
Their early departure wasn’t because they wanted to secure a stall for selling spirit herbs; rather, it was due to the absence of any resting pavilions near Kunxu.
Any sect heading to the Kunxu Mystic Ravine had to wait at Kunxu Square.
Waiting carried two meanings: firstly, to participate in the selection for entry into Kunxu, and secondly, to find a place to stay within Kunxu Square.
On paper, any sect could participate in the Kunxu Mystic Ravine, but merely arriving didn’t grant automatic entry.
A sect must undergo a selection process, and only those who passed could enter.
Some sects trekked for months to arrive at Kunxu Square only to fail the selection and had to return to where they came from.
No one disputed this; with cultivation resources growing scarcer throughout Yuan Continent, places like Kunxu naturally served individuals of ability.
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(End of Chapter)