Immortal Creation.

Chapter 685 Ning Zhuo, you'd better step up!
Rock Cave.

Yu Heye sat cross-legged on the futon, meditating in peace.

Suddenly, his skin glowed with a five-colored halo, irregularly shifting between red, yellow, blue, white, and black. His aura became extremely unstable, sometimes violent and sometimes weak.

His brows were furrowed, he was sweating profusely, and he gritted his teeth to stabilize the turbulent magical power within him.

Finally, his persistence paid off.

With a muffled groan, he spat out a small mouthful of blood, slowly opened his eyes, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

After a while of recuperation, someone outside the door reported: "Master, the matter has been settled. The newlyweds have chosen twelve mid-grade spirit stones and, under my supervision, moved out of the Stone Spring Cave on the spot."

"Hmm." Yu Heye forced himself to breathe and nodded slightly. "The Flying Cloud Tournament is approaching, and similar situations may occur again. You are in charge of this matter. Don't let any unnecessary people rent cave dwellings here. I need some peace and quiet!"

"Understood, Master." The sound of a Foundation Establishment cultivator leaving came from outside the door.

Yu Heye finally let out a breath of stale air, looking utterly dejected.

He didn't care at all who the newcomers he ordered to be expelled were.

The fact that they were able to rent a cave dwelling here indicates that they lack connections within the Myriad Manifestations Sect. And what strength could a mere Foundation Establishment youth possibly possess?
There are indeed many Foundation Establishment geniuses who can cross borders to fight Golden Core cultivators. But will he ever encounter such a genius?

That's highly unlikely.

Besides, would a genius cultivator so easily bow down for just twelve mid-grade spirit stones?

For most cultivators, moving away from their cave dwellings would allow them to earn money, so why not?

Yu Heye quickly put this trivial matter out of his mind.

Zuixianju.

A private room on the top floor.

The round table, made of thousand-year-old koi wood, is so smooth it reflects light and exudes a subtle, calming fragrance.

Shen Xi sat upright in the main seat, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the warm jade cup. His cousin, Su Lingkou, was looking out the window, her eyes sparkling, captivated by a large group of flying shuttles racing.

It was nighttime, and these flying shuttles, carrying cultivators, emitted colorful lights as they swiftly circled between the mountain peaks, displaying extraordinary agility.

Opposite the two sat a young monk.

He wore a dark blue robe with gold trim. His features were well-defined, and his eyes were calm and deep, like those of a secluded valley filled with ancient trees.

His surname is Lin, and his given name is Jinglong.

He glanced out the window and said with a smile, "I remember when Brother Situ was young, he also enjoyed this kind of competition. Every time, his shuttle would rush to the front, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky."

Shen Xi was also reminded of his memories: "Judging by the time, Brother Situ should be arriving soon."

“When I was in the Nine Palaces Immortal City, I had already exchanged messages with Brother Situ and discussed the matter of joining forces. Now that you are in seclusion for cultivation, we can discuss it further first.”

Lin Jinglong nodded, and before Shen Xi could continue, he answered in advance: "This Flying Cloud Assembly is a gathering of heroes. All cultivators in the Flying Cloud Kingdom who are willing and able will gather here to strive for the opportunity to join the Myriad Manifestations Sect in a high position."

"Although the three of us are exceptionally talented and outstanding among our peers, it might be risky for us to fight alone."

"Joining forces is inevitable!"

Shen Xi smiled; Lin Jinglong's response was exactly what he expected.

Su Lingkou then looked away and complimented Lin Jinglong.

Lin Jinglong picked up the jade cup and took a sip of spiritual tea: "However, to succeed, we must first gather strength. You, me, and Situ Xing can be the core. In addition, we still need more support."

"After all, the tasks in the Flying Cloud Assembly are all accumulated by the Myriad Manifestations Sect, and they are incredibly diverse. Only by uniting more talents can we more likely to solve the most tasks as quickly as possible."

"I am traveling north with twenty-eight people, all of whom are reliable. Among them are three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, five mid-stage cultivators, eight early-stage cultivators, and the rest are elite Qi Refining cultivators at the peak."

Shen Xi leaned back in his chair and looked at Su Lingkou sitting beside him: "Lingkou is my closest relative, and she is willing to stay by my side. I didn't bring anyone else with me."

Lin Jinglong: "Every family has its own troubles. The Shen family definitely needs to do everything they can to protect the Nine Palaces Immortal City."

Shen Xi tapped his fingertip lightly on the smooth tabletop: "However, I've already noticed a talent. His name is Ning Zhuo..."

Just then, the door to the private room was silently pushed open, and a young man with an air of aloofness strode in.

His silver hair cascaded down his back, his deep blue robe shimmered with starlight, his nose was high and straight, and his eyes were long and narrow: "Brother Shen, Brother Lin, I've kept you waiting."

Shen Xi nodded, smiling broadly: "It's good that Brother Situ has arrived."

After Situ Xing sat down, he asked, "Just now outside the door, I heard Brother Shen mention Ning Zhuo?"

"Ever since you sent me a message expressing your opinion on this person and your desire to invite him to join us, I have sent people to investigate him."

"Just this evening, he had just rented the cave dwelling when he was evicted."

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Xi's eyes.

Situ Xing said, "Yu Heye, a Golden Core cultivator from the Rock Cave, began assembling his team several years ago in order to make a name for himself in this Flying Cloud Tournament."

“He drove away many cultivators who rented cave dwellings near him; Ning Zhuo is the most recent example.”

"Yu Heye sent someone to give Ning Zhuo ten mid-grade spirit stones, and he obediently took them away."

"How can someone with such a mindset be considered an equal to us?"

Lin Jinglong remained silent and looked at Shen Xi.

Shen Xi frowned slightly. This news was unexpected and he fell into deep thought.

Su Lingkou then hurriedly shook the magical bell and urged, "Shopkeeper, bring the food."

Several servants immediately filed in, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and presented a series of delicacies to the table.

There is a soup made with golden sparrow tongues.

Inside the delicate white porcelain bowl, the broth was clear and golden, like melting sunlight. The delicate sparrow tongues floating in it were as tender as jade. Just smelling its aroma made one feel the spiritual energy within their body begin to grow.

There is an Ice Soul Silver Scale Fish.

Taken from the depths of a frigid pool, this exotic spirit fish, with its shimmering silver scales, is instantly frozen in its freshest moment by the most superior ice magic.

The fish is placed on a bed of century-old ice, and each slice of fish is as thin as a cicada's wing, crystal clear, and the swirling cold air seems to have ice crystals flowing through the texture of the fish flesh.

There is also Caiyun Lingbao Rice.

The spirit rice itself comes in three colors—Crimson Cloud Rice, Dark Jade Rice, and Azure Cloud Rice—each grain plump and jewel-like. It is steamed in a specially crafted spirit cauldron using water from dozens of spirit springs and steamed with top-grade spirit stones. The rice grains are distinctly colored, radiating a spiritual aura, as if a tangible, colorful mist were swirling around them.

……

Lin Jinglong savored the Colorful Spiritual Treasure Rice. The spiritual energy brought by the food was gentle yet immense, flowing continuously. After a while, he sincerely exclaimed, "As expected of Drunken Immortal Abode. Such high-quality spiritual food cannot be provided by anyone but a top-tier sect."

Su Lingkou praised the Golden Feather Sparrow Tongue Soup highly: "It melts in your mouth, your thoughts transform into birds, and your consciousness is as swift as lightning—it's wonderfully extraordinary." Situ Xing ate the most Ice Soul Fish Slices. Each slice of fish, once placed in the mouth, instantly exploded with extreme sweetness and icy coldness on the tongue, bringing diners a refreshing and invigorating taste experience while also enhancing their spiritual foundation.

"The Ice Soul Silver Fish, though cold, is harmless. This dish of spiritual food has increased my soul power by a full fifteen years!"

Situ Xing looked at Shen Xi: "This time, Brother Shen, you've gone to a lot of trouble, haha."

Shen Xi smiled, exchanged a few polite words, and then brought up Ning Zhuo again, indicating that he thought highly of this person and feared there might be some hidden story.

Situ Xing sneered: "Brother Shen, you know my temperament. I, Situ Xing, despise stupidity the most and have the utmost contempt for weaklings who lack self-awareness."

"I began to cultivate Qi at the age of seven, and starlight would spontaneously emerge with each breath. At the age of nine, I broke through the third level of Qi Refining—at that time, mediocre people were still identifying meridians."

"It only took 140 days to cultivate the top-tier technique, 'Divine Sea Star Sword Guide,' and thus establish the foundation for my Dao."

"I observe the stars at night and cultivate my spirit during the day. When I reached the age of sixteen, my spirit and energy merged, and the precious medicine in my middle dantian sprouted like a galaxy bursting forth!"

"At the age of twenty-one, my divine sea spontaneously generated the Divine Will Star-Guiding Talisman. Now at the age of twenty-eight, I have already formed the Void Core."

Situ Xing glanced at Su Lingkou, his gaze lingering on Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong's faces: "Only the strong are worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with me! Only the elite are worthy to travel with me. Those who are not even up to par and are not worthy of being called trash should not try to curry favor with me, lest they only arouse my disgust."

Shen Xi remained silent, and the atmosphere became awkward once again.

This time, Su Lingkou also felt Situ Xing's disdain and couldn't help but get angry.

Seeing this, Lin Jinglong gave a wry smile and interjected, "Brother Situ is right. Ning Zhuo's retreat does indeed show weakness. However, Yu Heye is no ordinary Golden Core cultivator."

"This person is at the late Golden Core stage, specializing in the 'Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art,' and possesses outstanding combat strength. At one time, he was widely regarded as the cultivator with the best chance of obtaining the sect's true disciple status."

"Now that his lifespan is coming to an end, he has been accumulating strength, waiting for this Flying Cloud Conference to seize the last opportunity of his life."

"Ning Zhuo is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Facing such an old monster who has been around for many years, and whose opponent is using force and spirit stones to pave the way rather than fighting to the death, it is only reasonable for him to choose to temporarily avoid the limelight."

Situ Xing sneered: "So what if he's a Golden Core cultivator? So what if he possesses the 'Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art'? If he dares to seize it by force, I dare to draw my sword! Even if I'm no match for him, I'll test the mettle of this Golden Core cultivator! Let him know that Foundation Establishment cultivators are not to be trifled with!"

"If you don't even have this much courage and spirit, how can you compete in a battlefield like the Flying Cloud Tournament? How can you be worthy of Brother Shen's special regard, and how can you be worthy of being our companion?"

Shen Xi shook his head: "Brother Situ is as bold and forthright as ever, sharp and strong. But please forgive my bluntness, how many people in the Foundation Establishment stage can directly confront a late-stage Golden Core cultivator?"

"Those who can achieve this, like the three of us, are all blessed by heaven and earth, one in ten thousand."

Lin Jinglong nodded: "Nine Palaces Immortal City is one of the top five cities in the Flying Cloud Kingdom, but in the past sixty years, only Brother Shen Xi has emerged as a genius who can face off against a Golden Core cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage."

“Cultivators like us are truly rare.”

Situ Xing snorted coldly, no longer arguing: "Suit yourself. But if it's someone I've chosen, they would never act so cowardly!"

"besides."

"Even if the three of us join forces, we still need to determine who is superior and who should go first."

"In my opinion, after we finish this meal, let's go to the martial arts hall tonight and have a good match!"

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong's attention was immediately drawn to it.

Both of them had long harbored a fighting spirit.

The three competed until the morning of the following day.

As they parted, Lin Jinglong instructed, "According to the established rules of the Myriad Manifestations Sect, the three of us should join forces, not only to recruit soldiers and horses, but also to establish a mountain and encompass all the caves on that mountain."

"Only by demonstrating such strength can we inspire others to join us."

"That's exactly what Yu Heye did."

Situ Xing nodded: "I will go and find a mountain peak and contact them immediately via SMS."

He won first place in the competition, full of vigor and high spirits. His sword flashed like starlight, piercing the sky and disappearing in an instant.

Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi bowed and said goodbye.

Su Ling hooked her arm around her cousin's and said somewhat indignantly, "It was clearly you who let him win, cousin. Did that Situ Xing really think he won first place? Humph!"

Shen Xi shook his head: "His combat strength in direct combat is indeed outstanding. If I want to fully unleash my power, I must set up a formation in advance."

"Losing to him was also part of my plan."

"We need to borrow his sharp sword to overcome all obstacles and ride the waves."

“It’s not just me, Lin Jinglong has the same plan. I can also sense that he’s holding back.”

Su Lingkou's eyes lit up immediately: "So, cousin, you deliberately fought Lin Jinglong to a draw?"

Shen Xi frowned slightly, sighed, and admitted, "Neither of us wants the leadership position, but we are both interested in being second."

"After the competition, everyone realized that they needed to bring out more cards to their deck to have any chance of winning. But that would be going too far."

"Therefore, Brother Lin and I stopped at the same time, without prior arrangement."

At that moment, a letter arrived by teleportation and landed in Shen Xi's hands.

Shen Xi opened the letter, smiled slightly, and then handed it to Su Ling: "Let's go, let's go see Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo."

Upon seeing the information in the letter, which only mentioned Ning Zhuo's current location, Su Ling asked in confusion, "Cousin, why do we still need to meet this outsider? Situ Xing has already clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Ning Zhuo. Why should we damage our relationship with Situ Xing just to recruit an outsider?"

"After all, he is now our leader."

Shen Xi: "I don't think Ning Zhuo is someone who backs down easily."

"And do you think that Situ Xing's immediate disparagement of Ning Zhuo upon meeting him was simply because he disliked Ning Zhuo's retreat?"

Su Lingkou: "Huh?"

Shen Xi's gaze was deep and unfathomable: "He's using the guise of putting Ning Zhuo in a bad light to undermine my authority. After all, in our last encounter, he didn't break through my siege formation at the agreed time."

"If I give up on Ning Zhuo now, it is more likely to become a reason for him to suppress me in this temporary alliance in the future."

Su Ling exclaimed again, sounding somewhat anxious: "Then what do we do?"

Shen Xi smiled and said, "Let's go, maybe we can give our friend a little help."

After being enlightened by Shen Xi, Su Lingkou understood the current situation.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.

Even alliances among friends have varying degrees of importance. Moreover, the relationship between Shen, Lin, and Situ is primarily competitive, with friendship playing a secondary role.

Ning Zhuo has become a key point in the power struggle between Situ Xing and Shen Xi.

Su Lingkou said worriedly, "Sigh, I hope Ning Zhuo can stand up for himself."

(End of this chapter)