Chapter 76
Chapter 76
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Two Hundred Spirit Stones
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Brother Daniu, why don't I see Xiaoniu?"
"Why would we want that little brat here while we're catching up?" Yu Daniu laughed heartily, a look of pride in his eyes.
"When I left, Xiaoniu was just a little kid. Nine years have passed, he must have started cultivating by now," Gao Peiyao said with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, he started a few years ago."
Yu Daniu instructed a nearby maidservant, "Go and bring the young master here."
Chen Jianghe watched this unfold with a smile. He could tell that Gao Peiyao was trying to get closer to them, to bridge the gap of the nine years they had lost.
But this puzzled him.
Logically, Gao Peiyao shouldn't be acting this way. She carried a great secret, had joined the Tiannan Sect, and had become a disciple of an immortal sect.
Her status was now noble, leaving them far behind. There was no need for her to deliberately foster their relationship.
After learning about the requirements for Foundation Establishment, Chen Jianghe understood its difficulty; it was nothing like his naive assumptions from the past.
On the surface, it seemed only Gao Peiyao had any hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Furthermore, it would be very difficult for the three of them to help her with matters concerning it.
Before long, Yu Daniu's eldest son, Yun Xiaoniu, arrived at the Mirror Moon Immortal Pavilion. The thirteen-or-fourteen-year-old young man was already two meters tall.
He had completely inherited Yu Daniu's genes, growing up tall and formidable.
His cultivation had also reached the second level of Qi Refining.
Indeed, the Yun Clan did not lack cultivation resources, and the annual stipend Yu Daniu and his wife received was more than enough to support him.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes.
While reminiscing, Gao Peiyao put on no airs. The atmosphere at the table was joyful and filled with laughter.
After an hour of pleasant conversation, Yu Daniu had Yun Xiaoniu return home first.
"I never expected Peiyao to be part of the Demon Extermination Squad. After nine years, we can finally gather together again."
Zhou Miaoyun said with a gentle smile.
"Everyone, please keep the news of the Demon Extermination Squad's arrival in Mirror Moon Market City a secret, so as not to startle that demon."
Gao Peiyao naturally understood the underlying meaning of Zhou Miaoyun's words. She put away her smile and spoke seriously.
"The sect has dispatched my master and two senior brothers at the Foundation Establishment stage to slay Lan Tianxiang."
"The four of us late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, including myself, are to deal with Lan Tianxiang's nephew, Lan Yunyi."
"Lan Yunyi? Is he one of the two survivors from the Lan Clan back then?"
Back then, when the Lan Clan had fled after their rampage, the Yun Clan had intercepted and killed over thirty of them, but two had escaped.
One was the demonic cultivator Lan Tianxiang, who had already reached Foundation Establishment. The other must be him.
Chen Jianghe now understood why Gao Peiyao had come.
The Tiannan Sect's purpose in sending four late-stage Qi Refining cultivators was likely for training, and to eliminate Lan Tianxiang's nephew, Lan Yunyi, in the process.
"Is Lan Yunyi also a demonic cultivator?"
Chen Jianghe asked.
Gao Peiyao nodded. "For someone with mixed five-element spiritual roots like Lan Yunyi to go from the fourth to the ninth level of Qi Refining in just twenty years, he must have cultivated a demonic art."
"Ninth level of Qi Refining!"
Chen Jianghe, Yu Daniu, and Zhou Miaoyun were all taken aback.
Reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining in twenty years was not unheard of, but it required three-element true spiritual roots, like Yun Bufan.
Clearly, Lan Yunyi was not such a person.
Moreover, it required abundant cultivation resources.
Of course, Lan Tianxiang and his nephew wouldn't be short on that, considering how many spirit stones they had taken from the Qiyun Market City.
The crucial factor was the spiritual roots, which limited Lan Yunyi's cultivation speed. Therefore, for him to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining in twenty years, the Tiannan Sect directly concluded he was practicing a demonic art.
"A ninth-level Qi Refining demonic cultivator..."
Chen Jianghe murmured thoughtfully, then said, "Back when Lan Tianxiang was still at the ninth level of Qi Refining, he managed to escape from a Foundation Establishment Ancestor. Demonic cultivators have numerous tricks up their sleeves. Peiyao, you must be careful."
"Our cultivation is low, so we can't help you exterminate the demon, but we can provide you with spirit stones to increase your means of dealing with him."
Hearing Chen Jianghe's words, Gao Peiyao rose to her feet, clasped her hands towards the three of them, and said sheepishly, "I need to purchase a magical artifact for protection, and I was indeed hoping for your help."
"How many spirit stones do you need, Little Sister Peiyao?" Yu Daniu asked directly.
Zhou Miaoyun also said, "How much is the shortfall? We can all chip in."
"Two hundred spirit stones, and I can only pay you back in ten years."
"That many!"
The number Gao Peiyao stated stunned Chen Jianghe and the others, leaving them somewhat astonished.
If it were a hundred spirit stones, they might have been able to scrape it together, but two hundred was far too much.
Chen Jianghe immediately guessed that the magical artifact Gao Peiyao wanted to buy was likely for defense, not offense.
At the same time, he also surmised that joining the Tiannan Sect didn't mean she had resources aplenty.
Seeing the shocked expressions on their faces, Gao Peiyao looked embarrassed.
She had only been in the Tiannan Sect for a short time and was merely an outer disciple. Her basic annual stipend was only five spirit stones. To earn more, she had to make contributions to the sect.
Although she had a Deacon for a master, she also had several senior brothers and sisters. It was impossible for her master to bestow large amounts of spirit stones on each of them.
Furthermore, her master was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment and was already striving for Core Formation. Naturally, he had to save up spirit stones and sect contribution points to exchange for opportunities to break through.
However, when she broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, her master did grant her a high-grade flying sword.
This time, her master had come to exterminate the demon to accumulate contribution points for his Core Formation opportunity, while she was here to accumulate points for her own Foundation Establishment opportunity.
Facing a demonic cultivator, even a disciple from an immortal sect needed to be cautious, which was why she wanted to buy a high-grade defensive magical artifact.
She had saved up over a hundred spirit stones but was still short by two hundred, so she had thought of Chen Jianghe and the others.
"I can give you thirty spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe calculated his profit from talisman-making this year. After splitting it with Talisman Master Chu Lang, he would have thirty-one spirit stones left.
He currently had three spirit stones and fifty grains of spirit sand on him.
As for the six spirit stones for purchasing talisman materials, he couldn't touch them; that was his capital for next year.
Moreover, with six Spirit Accumulating Pills and five Spirit Nurturing Flowers in his possession, he didn't need to buy any cultivation resources.
Therefore, he could spare thirty spirit stones.
"I... I just bought a Calamity Dispelling Pill to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining. I don't have many spirit stones left. I can only offer twenty-five."
Zhou Miaoyun gave Gao Peiyao an apologetic look.
Gao Peiyao nodded at Chen Jianghe and Zhou Miaoyun in thanks, then turned a hopeful gaze toward Yu Daniu.
Yu Daniu pondered for a moment before asking, "How many spirit stones do you have on you?"
"One hundred and thirty."
"One hundred and thirty plus fifty-five makes one hundred and eighty-five. A high-grade defensive magical artifact costs three hundred and fifty spirit stones, but I can get it for three hundred through Huizhen."
After some calculation, Yu Daniu fell into deep thought, seemingly trying to figure out a way to gather the remaining spirit stones.
"That leaves a shortfall of one hundred and fifteen spirit stones. I'll find a way to take care of it."