Fire Monster

Chapter 184 Heart to Heart
“Not launching anymore?”

Three hours later, everyone in the Second Pioneer City, who had been well prepared, was surprised to find that the demonic energy was not released as usual.

"The Zhang family is quite sensitive."

Zhao Guanshan's statue's field of vision quickly swept across the other nine pioneering cities, and he found that all the pioneering cities had stopped their deployment.

"It's a pity that we're only starting to stop now. It's too late. Moreover, how can this kind of investment be stopped permanently just because of the will of the Zhang family? They can only tamper with the amount of investment."

Zhao Guanshan was not worried at all.

The Taoist temple and the provincial government are training new soldiers. They have this need, and the Zhang family has no choice.

I just wonder how much sunk cost the Zhang family is willing to pay to deal with him?

At that moment, he returned to the room and was about to cultivate the third breath of innate pure yang energy when there was a knock on the door.

But it was Xiao Chengyun who came in a hurry, with a serious expression, and even a little anger in her eyes, so who made her angry again?
Zhao Guanshan was quite curious.

"Brother, the Zhang family is playing dirty tricks again. They actually want to bribe me through Xiao Huai'en. It's ridiculous!"

"Xiao Huai'en? The third seal of the governor! Your distant cousin? How did he get involved with the Zhang family?"

"That's not the point. Xiao Huai'en somehow found out that I have advanced to the third-level Qi Refiner, so he hopes that I can return to the Xiao family and serve them. However, the Xiao family is not qualified at all, except for the Zhang family. Someone from their family can intercept the footage of me killing the two eighth-level evil demons in the Dao Palace, so that the footage can be leaked."

Xiao Chengyun said angrily, feeling extremely disappointed.

Her identity jade token was bestowed by the Taoist Palace, and the kill record used to prove her military exploits was also guaranteed by the reputation of the Taoist Palace.

She didn't even dare to think about it. If she disagreed, if she insisted on staying in the Second Pioneer City, could the Zhang family take advantage of this loophole and ambush and assassinate her?

Looking at Xiao Chengyun, Zhao Guanshan's eyes moved slightly. He had guessed that there would be such a possibility, but he did not expect that the Zhang family would be so impatient. If they knew that he had secretly killed three eighth-level evil demons, would they go crazy and collapse?

"So, what do you think, Junior Sister?"

"Me? Why would I think that? It's up to you, brother, to think that. I am your junior sister. How can you bear to see me being bullied like this?" Xiao Chengyun said resentfully. She was not a child anymore. The reason why she came to Zhao Guanshan angrily was to prove her attitude.

"Of course we can't bear it. How about we kill another eighth-level evil demon to vent our anger?" Zhao Guanshan said with a smile.

"Forget it. Since the Demon Suppression Division won't release demonic energy, we can enjoy some peace and quiet. I need to hurry up and practice. Once I advance to the fourth level of Qi Refiner, all the actions against the Second Pioneer City will stop. How about I protect you, brother?"

"Not really, I should be the one protecting you."

"Well, we have a deal." Xiao Chengyun suddenly smiled slyly, stretched out his little finger and thumb, and made a half-seal gesture.

That’s right, this is half a mark. It doesn’t have any special function, but it is commonly used among Qi Refiners. Its name is the Seal of a Thousand Gold Promises.

At that moment, Zhao Guanshan also stretched out his hand, with his thumb facing Xiao Chengyun's little finger, and the little finger the other way around. The moment the mark was formed, he immediately sensed the power fluctuation of the Qianjin Taoist Talisman, like a needle prick, but affected by this, his Lihuo Taoist Talisman was also automatically sensed.

"what!"

Xiao Chengyun called out softly, "Brother, it's a little hot! What are you doing?"

After saying that, she quickly pulled her hand back and blew continuously, and her fingers were really scalded and turned red. But this was not right. Was the reaction so big?

"Wait, Brother, there's something wrong with your Lihuo Dao Talisman. It feels like it can burn me to ashes. This isn't right!"

Xiao Chengyun grabbed Zhao Guanshan's wrist, and after a few seconds, he became shocked.

"I see. You have already cultivated a second breath of pure yang energy. This cultivation speed, well, I admit that I am jealous."

"That shouldn't be the case. You are already a third-level Qi Refiner and you are telling me this." Zhao Guanshan didn't believe it.

"It's different. I have been practicing for twelve years, and you, when we first met, you were just a liberal arts student who wanted to transfer to the martial arts department. It's been less than three months, from entering Taoism, to cultivating the first breath of innate pure yang energy, to cultivating the second breath, it took less than three months in total. With this speed of practice, if you were in the Taoist department, the head of the Taoist academy would take the initiative to accept you as a disciple." Xiao Chengyun said seriously.

But at this point, Xiao Chengyun put on a smiling face and took Zhao Guanshan's arm, "Brother, your Zhao family's foundation is really strong. I used to be blind, but now I know I was wrong. Does your Zhao family still need a daughter? From now on, I will also have the surname Zhao, okay? My name is Zhao Chengyun."

"Um, don't you consider becoming the daughter-in-law of the Zhao family?" Zhao Guanshan was also very serious. He had to leave bloodlines and descendants for the Zhao family.

What if he has bad luck in the future?

Xiao Chengyun blushed instantly, but quickly regained his senses, "Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? We are not immortal cultivators, so we are not so willful. We will not start a family, get married, or think about leaving behind a bloodline unless we are sure that we have no more potential for growth and advancement."

"Before that, the body of a virgin boy is just as important as the body of a virgin. It is so difficult for us to cultivate the innate pure yang energy. Once we get married and have children, this first breath of innate pure yang energy will be broken immediately."

"But, Senior Brother, I do like you very much. Let's talk about this when neither you nor I can break through."

"So there is such a saying. This is the first time I've heard of it." Zhao Guanshan touched his nose awkwardly, thinking back to the ancestors of the Zhao family that he had seen in the Lihuo Dao Fu. It seemed that most of them had never married. They were the brothers with the most potential among their generation, leaving behind to continue practicing, while the rest got married and had children.

"Brother, I think your cultivation potential is correct, even stronger than mine. You definitely have the chance to become a fifth-level Qi Refiner in this lifetime, but I can't. I have a feeling that I may only be able to reach the fourth level at best. If you don't mind, then..."

Zhao Guanshan looked at Xiao Chengyun who suddenly became depressed, and sighed with empathy. Indeed, cultivation was too difficult.

"Senior brother, you are so annoying. Why are you sighing? I am really hurt by you. It hurts here! It hurts my heart!" Xiao Chengyun was angry. What a ruthless senior brother.

Zhao Guanshan had no choice but to say, "Don't worry, opportunities will come slowly. When the second-level spirit supply tower in the second pioneer city is upgraded and has enough self-defense power, we will go to the first line of defense to earn merits and Dao Palace contribution points, and exchange them for the realm-breaking elixir. I will give priority to upgrading you to the fourth-level Qi Refiner. Then you will be the boss, and find two more Qi Refiners, and we can form a team of five-element Qi Refiners."

"Brother, that was just an unrealistic idea of ​​mine. It's nonsense and doesn't count. I was young and ignorant. How could cultivation be that easy? That Xiao Huai'en, the third seal of the governor, was already good enough. One of his younger brothers gathered the strength of the Xiao family and accumulated merits and contributions to the Dao Palace. Now he is fifty years old and has only cultivated the eleventh innate pure Yang Qi. He is still a third-level Qi cultivator."

"Our Linjiang Prefecture Taoist Palace is inherently deficient. On the one hand, cultivation requires resources, on the other hand, we have to maintain the living conditions of mortals, and on the other hand, we have to resist the invasion of evil demons. Under such circumstances, most of the Qi Refiners are actually cattle and horses, and they are all expendable soldiers."

"Look at the hundreds of years it took the Zhang family to train a fifth-level Qi Refiner. You can see that in fact, in the Dao Palace, competition is also very fierce, and it is also difficult to obtain resources."

"So on this point, Senior Brother, I admire you very much. Really, you can actually think of building a city and forming your own power. This is not easy, you know?"

"With my own power, I don't have to do everything myself. I also have enough time to meditate and practice. If necessary, it would be fun to fight against powerful evil spirits."

"Take the two eighth-level evil demons I killed for example. Even though I took all the credit and I am a third-level Qi Refiner who sounds very powerful, if I really had to face an eighth-level evil demon one-on-one without a chariot and the assistance of a martial artist, I would definitely die."

"The Zhang family actually thought that they could deal with the Second Pioneer City by using a tactic to alienate me. Little did they know that it was not me who made the Second Pioneer City, but the Second Pioneer City that made me."

"In short, Brother, let me tell you something from my heart. From now on, as Qi Refiners, we should try not to attack on the front lines. Because after consuming the innate pure Yang Qi, even if you have the 90th grade marrow cleansing spirit fluid to recover, there will still be accumulation of polluting toxins in your body. In other words, the longer the battle lasts and the more times you fight on the front lines, the harder it will be to advance."

“Look at the four or five hundred level three Qi Refiners on the front line who are assigned to the Demon Suppression Division. They look very strong and have captured a large amount of spoils in every battle. They have obtained almost half of the merits, but with so many resources, they can barely maintain their current realm.”

“Those who really have a family background go to the frontline just to comprehend, or those who are extremely talented. The former have their families supplying resources, and the latter have the Dao Palace openly supplying resources. They are the ones who will be able to break through the fifth level in the future and advance to the sixth level of Qi Refiners, or even the seventh level of Qi Refiners.”

At this point, Xiao Chengyun almost shed tears, "I know it myself. I knew it the last time I was injured and almost died. I am just an ordinary Qi Refiner. If you hadn't taken me in and deliberately used the family heritage to help me advance, I would never have been able to advance to the third level of Qi Refiner. Everything I have was given to me by you."

"How could I not remember my senior brother's kindness?"

"If you plan to have a family and children in the future, I am willing to marry you, woooo!"

"Stop! Stop being so pessimistic!"

Zhao Guanshan helplessly looked at Xiao Chengyun who was hugging his arms and crying. Is it that necessary?
Well, as for that, this is the cruel reality.

"Can I use the Imperial Seal Oil Lamp to dispel the polluted toxins accumulated in your body?" Zhao Guanshan asked. He himself did not have this problem because the Lihuo Dao Talisman would refine every portion of the Marrow Cleansing Spirit Liquid he took, and later with the addition of the fifth-level dispelling rune in his body, he never worried about this problem now.

"No, Brother. This kind of contamination toxin has actually been accumulating since I first entered the Dao. It is something that every low-level Qi Refiner cannot avoid. The longer you practice, the deeper the contamination toxin becomes. Although your family treasure is powerful, it cannot be dispelled, unless a Level 5 Qi Refiner can help alleviate it. But that is basically impossible, because magical powers of that level consume a lot of energy."

(End of this chapter)