Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 411: Bravery, Black Mountain Market

The world of earthly immortals is vast and boundless. Even the human forces are just human settlements built around a few powerful sects.

Because the area that can be expanded and explored is vast, there are no extreme conflicts among the nine sects and thirty-six schools. It can even be said that they are of the same blood and support each other.

This is true for any race. When there is no external threat, there are many factions within the race and they fight each other. Once there is a strong external threat, they may unite to resist foreign aggression.

Although the Taiqing Sect has lacked high-level cultivators for ten thousand years, its sphere of influence has not been eroded too much by other alien races. This is why the Shangqing Sect and Yuqing Sect, which are still strong, have received a lot of help. As the saying goes:
"Red lotus, white lotus root, green lotus leaf, the three religions are actually one family."

But in any case, the long-term weakening of power will lead to a weak trunk and strong branches, a decline in the prestige of the sect, and a reduction in the tax collection capacity of various places.

The establishment of the Black Mountain Market was an attempt by the sect to open up external sources of income.

This place is located in a borderland, bordering the Black Sea to the north and the Demon Kingdom and several foreign forces to the south. Most importantly, it is located in a remote area, and even there are very few Yuanshen cultivators. If a market town can be established, a source of income can be opened up for the sect at a very low cost to provide for the sect's true practice.

The preparations and investments in all aspects in the early stage were excellent. A sixth-level spiritual vein was built, formations were arranged, and a market town was established. However, they did not expect the sudden black water disaster that occurred once in a thousand years. The tsunami was thousands of feet high and destroyed everything.

If not for this, with the Taiqing Sect's emphasis on and early investment in the Black Mountain Market, Lu Cheng, a true disciple with no background, would not be able to occupy this place no matter what.

Lu Cheng wants to leave an impression of "courage to take on responsibilities" to the sect through this Black Mountain Market.

Instead of leaving an impression of incompetence, which would be very disadvantageous for him in the future competition for true inheritance and cultivation of Taoism.

In Xuandu City, in the courtyard of the Guilanfang mansion, under the illumination of the green jade talisman lamp, Lu Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over Zhou Zijing, Chu Yibai and Yan Xiao.

These three people have followed him for sixteen years and should be his confidants and trustworthy people.

"Although the Black Mountain Market is remote, it may not be a place where opportunities for cultivation are available." Lu Cheng's tone was calm, but contained a deep meaning:
"If you are willing to go with me, I will prepare the necessary materials for the Core Formation, and I can even fight for the opportunity of the Nascent Soul Formation."

In the world of earthly immortals, it is much easier for cultivators to obtain resources for cultivating golden elixirs and primordial infants than in the mortal world, but this is only relatively speaking.

Although the spiritual energy in the earthly immortal world is strong and there are many spiritual creatures, there are also many cultivators.

The female cultivator Chu Yibai's fingertips gently stroked the jade plate on her waist, and her eyes flickered with stars. After a moment, she took two steps forward and raised her head and said, "Since Senior Brother has such aspirations, Yibai will follow."

At the same time, on the other side, the red-haired Taoist Yan Xiao had already thought about it and said solemnly with a Taoist salute: "I am grateful for the support of Senior Brother Lu. Even if there are mountains of swords and seas of knives ahead, there is no reason to retreat."

"Zijing?"

Lu Cheng's gaze fell on the young monk.

Zhou Zijing hesitated, but finally smiled bitterly and bowed: "Brother Lu, Zijing's talent is mediocre, and my parents are old and sick. I have already spent a huge amount of money to ask for a deacon job for me..."

When Lu Cheng heard this, a hint of understanding flashed across his eyes, but he did not show any anger. Instead, he said gently: "Everyone has his own aspirations. Since Zi Jing has something to worry about, he should put filial piety first."

After that, he took out a Qiankun bag and handed it over: "There are some spirit stones and elixirs in it, just as a parting gift." Zhou Zijing looked ashamed, took the Qiankun bag with both hands and bowed deeply: "Senior brother, you are so kind, Zijing is really unworthy!"

After Zhou Zijing left, the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Chu Yibai shook his head and sighed: "Sixteen years of life and death friendship is not as good as a safe and stable position as a deacon."

Taoist Yan Xiao snorted coldly: "In those sixteen years, Senior Brother Lu has protected him from so many disasters. Is this how he repays Senior Brother? Why not let me..."

"Yan Xiao." Lu Cheng interrupted calmly.

"There are rules in the Taiqing Sect."

The reason why Lu Cheng wanted to take over the Black Mountain Market was that he planned to activate the market through trade between the two worlds, using the basic resources of the mortal world and the spiritual objects of the spiritual world, and make huge profits by reselling.

But Zhou Zijing didn't know this. The Zhou family also had several generations of cultivators in the Taiqing Sect. Although they were all outer disciples, they could see clearly that Lu Cheng's move was really risky.

Even if it succeeds, how much profit can a market run by a Jindan cultivator and several Zifu cultivators make?

Or, the greater the profits of the market, the more dangerous it becomes.

Chu Yibai has no background, and Yan Xiao has put all his resources on Lu Cheng. In a sense, they are not as steady and rational as Zhou Zijing.

Proceed step by step, accumulate resources, accumulate savings from generation to generation, until a Taoist genius appears in the family. This may be the right way for a Taoist family.

Because Yan Xiao had spent sixteen years getting to know a new true disciple of the Taiqing Sect and became his confidant, the Yanhuo Clan also increased its investment in Yan Xiao, and seven Jindan cultivators of the Yanhuo Clan came to serve Yan Xiao.

Different from Zhou Zijing's perspective, although the Yanhuo tribe is a weak tribe, they are still willing to give this capital and invest in multiple parties. Even if this investment is lost, they can use this to express their loyalty to the sect. If the investment is successful, it will be even more like taking advantage of the situation.

Just like going to Mulongling to garrison, the group first went through the teleportation array and teleported to Danxia City, which was the closest to Heishanfang, and then used Danxia City as the starting point to go to Heishan.

During this process, Lu Cheng also asked the seven Jindan cultivators of the Yanhuo Clan to practice the combined attack formation. After watching it, he shook his head secretly:

'The Yanhuo Clan is born with special spiritual roots, and with the spiritual environment of the Earthly Immortal Realm, they don't need too advanced Taoist methods to cultivate the third-grade golden elixir. However, this is their success and failure. Their understanding of the Taoist methods is too low, and the Taoist methods of the clan are not well inherited. It's okay to encounter foreign races with similarly shallow Taoist methods, but when encountering cultivators from the nine sects of the human race or even the thirty-six sects of the side sects, cultivators of the same realm are no match at all, and may even be defeated by the counterattack.'

The so-called defeat by counterattack refers to the defeat of a high-level cultivator by a low-level cultivator who has crossed a major realm. In the world of earthly immortals, there are many high-level talismans and spiritual treasures with their own spiritual powers, and there are also cultivators from major sects who have to overcome tribulations and start their cultivation again, so this kind of thing may be more common than in the mortal world.

That was why the seven Jindan cultivators from the Yanhuo Clan were so respectful and humble towards Lu Cheng, without any demeanor of a normal Jindan cultivator. What they feared was not Lu Cheng's cultivation level, but his identity as a true disciple of the Taiqing Sect.

Lu Cheng did have several sixth-order protective amulets on him, and with the help of the Great Light Talisman Pill magical power, it was not difficult for him to defeat these seven people.

(End of this chapter)