Chapter 185
Chapter 185
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Border Army Garrison
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The散人 gathering finally dispersed, with the last batch of散人 leaving on their own. Chen Shi and Li Tianqing set off on their return journey. Along the way, Li Tianqing remained silent, still immersed in the shock from the散人 lectures. Every now and then, he would leap out of the wooden cart and practice a spell or two.
Whenever this happened, Chen Shi would stop the cart and wait, neither interfering nor joining in, simply letting Li Tianqing practice and comprehend on his own.
He could tell that Li Tianqing had absorbed too many散人 ideas and was now at a critical stage of digesting that knowledge for his own use. Disturbing him would only disrupt his train of thought and inspiration—practically ruining his future.
At such times, all he needed was to provide a quiet environment as much as possible.
Li Tianqing's practiced spells grew more powerful and complex.
At first, he was just modifying the Li family spell Six Yin Jade Ring. Later,
gradually, shadows of Young Master Xiao's swordsmanship appeared. By the midpoint of their journey, the Six Yin Jade Ring and Young Master Xiao's swordsmanship had incorporated elements from many others.
First came the five elements spells of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, then thunder spells, talisman spells, formation and escape arts, sacrificial battle arts, close-combat spells—even traces of Granny Sha's soul arts.
He had learned too杂, accumulating more and more spells, but struggled to integrate them.
Yet as they drew closer to Archzhou, Chen Shi noticed Li Tianqing's spells becoming ever more proficient, refined, smooth, and fluid.
He wielded various spells effortlessly, as naturally as flowing water.
Chen Shi's heart stirred:
Tianqing executes every spell so smoothly—does that count as true integration?
He rejected the notion. Li Tianqing, like himself, was still just learning—studying spells from different schools.
Only when their knowledge accumulated enough would they discern the essence of Daoist transformations within those spells, thereby comprehending
their own path.
That was when one became a grandmaster,
a true散人.
Li Tianqing snapped out of his contemplation, realizing they had delayed three or four days on the road. He apologized profusely.
Chen Shi laughed:
As your friend, it's only natural to wait for you.
Li Tianqing sighed with emotion:
Young Master Xiao taught me so much before, benefiting me greatly and giving me the correct method to cultivate my spirit embryo. He strongly recommended I attend the散人 gathering, and now I see just how vast the world's Daoist arts truly are.
Little Ten, what have you learned these past days?
Chen Shi shook his head:
I haven't learned anything new—just comprehending that divine ability from Cold Mountain散人, refining my soul on the side.
Li Tianqing felt even more guilty:
I've delayed you far too long. You could have left ahead.
By the way, that spell Cold Mountain散人 taught us—I feel like something's missing.
I'll pass it on once I've figured it out.
Chen Shi laughed:
I've already got it. Just reverse the transformation, and that breath of true qi can become sword qi or other spells.
No need for paper cranes or treasures—you can transform treasures directly, storing that breath of true qi within.
As he spoke, he demonstrated, turning his small knife into a flying bird that circled them before reverting to a knife.
If you can multitask, you can divide your mind, splitting your consciousness into many parts.
My limit recently was ninety-seven parts.
Chen Shi stirred his mind slightly, and stones around the wooden cart transformed under his spell into frogs croaking and hopping about the cart.
Now that my soul is stronger, I don't know how many I can split into.
Li Tianqing leaned out to look and was stunned. Frogs blanketed the area around the cart—hundreds at least!
The two exchanged insights. Li Tianqing discovered Chen Shi had mastered only this one move but refined it to perfection, with immense power. He was filled with admiration.
Tianqing, do you know about the Soul-Returning Lotus?
Chen Shi asked.
I do!
Li Tianqing replied solemnly.
A sacred soul medicine from the underworld, a rare spirit root! It treats soul injuries and elevates soul cultivation.
Most techniques don't cultivate the soul. Those that do are closely guarded secrets of great families or held by prestigious sects.
Soul-Returning Lotuses are thus extremely precious—even usable for nascent soul cultivation.
But they're rare and expensive.
Chen Shi produced several blooms and laughed:
We're brothers, so these five—I'll sell them to you for a thousand taels of silver.
Li Tianqing jumped in shock:
How can I accept that? Treasures like this cost four or five hundred taels each. A thousand isn't nearly enough! And even if sold, I'm not worth that much!
Chen Shi stuffed them into his arms and laughed:
Eat them yourself, compound them into medicine, or sell them—whatever. I've got more; I'm sick of them already.
Remember, you owe me a thousand taels.
And my clothes these days...
Li Tianqing hurriedly pocketed the white lotuses:
I'll wash them!
Overjoyed, he laughed:
You can't just eat treasures like this raw! Compound them into pills, of course! Soul-Returning Pills can save lives—one lotus yields nine pills, each worth five hundred taels!
Chen Shi's heart stirred:
You know alchemy?
Li Tianqing said proudly:
A little.
To be honest, in Quanzhou, besides washing clothes for pocket money, I refine pills for others too. I'm a minor celebrity alchemist there.
I charge ten taels per batch!
Chen Shi's eyes lit up:
Tianqing, refine... a hundred batches for me, and forget the thousand taels you owe.
Really?
Li Tianqing was ecstatic. His monthly stipend was only fifty taels. Pill-refining earned money, but Quanzhou cultivators didn't always seek him out—one or two jobs a month was good.
In foreign lands, other alchemists dominated—no business.
A hundred batches, a thousand taels—an unprecedented windfall!
Still, he felt for Chen Shi's spending:
Little Ten, what pills? Won't you lose money?
No loss.
Chen Shi hauled out the chest, opening it to reveal hundreds of Soul-Returning Lotuses crammed inside. He laughed:
Just Soul-Returning Pills—one batch nets me four thousand five hundred taels.
Work hard, Tianqing. Oh, and wash my clothes.
Little Ten, have you been raiding the King of Hell's treasury these days?
Li Tianqing suddenly felt like a serf on a landlord's estate, eyeing Chen Shi not as a brother but as an exploitative old moneybags.
But I'll get five batches of Soul-Returning Pills!
He perked up again:
One batch is four thousand five hundred taels—hold on, compounding deducts a few hundred.
His heart tensed.
A batch's raw materials alone cost over a thousand taels. Ruining one would bankrupt him, indenturing him to Chen Shi for life!
Pressure mounted.
Could a minor alchemist like him handle this?
It should be fine.
He calculated mentally:
I'm just a small alchemist, but few in Quanzhou surpass me.
The two returned to Archzhou City, finding many散人 still lingering. From the distant eastern coast came waves of terrifying spell fluctuations that gripped the heart.
Panic gripped the city as people packed to flee Archzhou.
Chen Shi visited Red Mountain Hall headquarters, finding it deserted—not a soul, not even Crane Boy or Red Mountain Lady's true body.
Even the kitchen cooks and stone lions at the gate were gone.
He inquired hurriedly. Someone explained:
Sea demons landed. Border armies held them back before the demonic shift, but most perished in it. After probing, the demons began landing.
Jade Hall Master led the talisman masters to the coast to resist.
Canal Elders Association and Salt Elders Association went too—many dead, they say.
Chen Shi's heart chilled, recalling Qianyang Mountain Lord's revival: possessing him, arriving at Xinduo Province City's border outpost.
There, insurmountable walls rose high, giant bronze mirrors atop them illuminating the sea, repelling marine demons.
Xinduo hugged the coast; Archzhou lay over a hundred li inland, shielded by Henggong Mountain's spurs—a natural barrier to hold demons briefly.
But without governors or generals, the shattered border army was scattered sand—unable to stop the sea demons' invasion!
Chen Shi asked where Jade Tiancheng and others fought, startled:
Sea demons landing at Smoke Ridge? Isn't that the Mazu Temple site?
No time to rest, they drove straight for Smoke Ridge.
Smoke Ridge was Red Mountain Lady's birthplace. Nearby mountains split, her body emerging to absorb moonlight uncontrollably, polluting severely—killing all life within ten li.
Chen Shi had found the Mazu Temple in Smoke Ridge's grand canyon before.
Arriving, they saw talisman masters and cultivators racing along coastal hills, retreating while casting spells.
The forests shook with an oceanic tang.
Suddenly, massive trees uprooted as arrows, shooting at the talisman masters and cultivators—a colossal octopus-like demon!
They unleashed sword qi, splintering trees, but boulders rained down next.
Master Lu burst from the side, deploying his nascent soul. Its field held the massive stones aloft, but a dozen more whistled in.
Master Lu grunted; the nascent soul field strained under a small hill's weight.
His nascent soul shot forth like lightning, piercing the demon's head clean through.
The demon crashed down.
Master Lu's field buckled under stacked boulders; his legs trembled. Cultivators charged in; he flashed away, letting the hill drop, stones tumbling wildly.
Scholar, why are you here?
Spotting Chen Shi and Li Tianqing, he skipped greetings:
Sea demons ashore! Can't watch you—fend for yourselves!
Chen Shi assented loudly:
Where's Hall Master?
Up front!
Master Lu dashed into the woods, leaping like flight to battle other demons.
He slew several, charging the mountaintop garrison.
The garrison swarmed with over ten demons. The few remaining border soldiers died in the assault.
Master Lu stormed in, fending off a dozen demons—immense pressure.
Suddenly, birds flocked in, brushing past him to become daggers and shortswords, stabbing demons amid sprays of blood.
Master Lu started:
Which expert aids me?
No time to ponder, he reached the garrison's top floor—blood everywhere, fierce fighting evident. The massive bronze mirror dismantled, tossed aside.
Master Lu summoned his nascent soul, heaving the mirror upright onto its frame, straining to activate the mirror and pedestal's talisman patterns.
嗡!
A beam shot out, repelling giant demons rampaging the woods. Smaller ones exploded under the light, stench filling the air.
Countless demons crawled from the sea, locust-like up the mountain toward the garrison.
Master Lu spun the mirror madly, bursting demons with beams, roaring insanely:
Men! Help! Hold the garrison!
Red Mountain Hall, Salt Elders, Canal Elders' talisman masters and cultivators fought to seize passes to the garrison, holding chokepoints against surging demons.
Screams punctuated—someone snatched and devoured.
咻! 咻! 咻!
Birds flew in, turning to shortswords, daggers, and iron skewers, piercing landing demons—bolstering the first wave defense.
Aided, they fought fiercely; demons gradually retreated seaward.
In the dark ocean, huge eyes gleamed, fixated on the seaside garrison atop the peak—but no further attack.
Relief washed over them as they scanned for their savior.
Such exquisite spellwork—who helped us survive this crisis?
They inquired everywhere.
Chen Shi and Li Tianqing had driven deep into the mountains, demons occasionally lunging from the woods.
Li Tianqing leaped out, joining Chen Shi to slay several demons, carving toward the sea.
The wooden cart gaped wide, lashing with long tongues.
When overwhelmed, mirror light beamed from above, exploding assailants—Master Lu aiding from the peak, escorting them deeper.
Others unaware, Master Lu guessed the bird-to-sword expert was Instructor Chen, so he helped all the way to the coast.
There, demons blanketed other peaks, assaulting garrisons madly!
Many coastal garrisons fallen; some peaks flashed mirror light, repelling waves—but the demonic tide overwhelmed another in moments!
Chen Shi and Li Tianqing watched aghast—so many demons, impossible to hold.
At the cliff edge, Chen Shi peered down: canyon walls crawling with demons racing for the Mazu Temple atop the cliff. Among them, freakishly huge ones towered, roaring thunderously—matching Jade Tiancheng and others' nascent souls!
Chen Shi's heart jolted:
The demons' target is the Mazu Temple!
Chapter End.