Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 429: Drawing a Pie in the Sky (Third Update!)

After resolving the situation with Qingli, Zheng Que then headed towards the spirit stone mine where Kulan was located.

Spirit stone mines can be mined in the open, but the area is densely covered with vegetation and shrouded in blood mist, which obscures the figure of Ku Lan. Zheng Que took a detour before arriving at the place where Ku Lan was mining spirit stones.

clang... clang... clang...

As Zheng Que approached, he heard the clanging and clattering sounds of gathering. He peeked out and saw that Ku Lan was also perfectly fine, with her head down, diligently cutting the spirit stones she had just collected.

Looking at the other person's focused work, Zheng Que couldn't help but feel a little strange.

Kulan's side didn't stop either. Why did the spirit stones that were just being transported back to the base break?

As he pondered, he turned and left, beginning to inspect the transport routes of the temporary ghost servants.

However, no sooner had Zheng Que left than the logging activity abruptly ceased.

Noticing this, Zheng Que frowned, turned around, and walked back towards Kulan. As soon as he got close to Kulan, the tinkling sound started again, as if it were extremely busy, hardworking, and down-to-earth.

After several attempts, Zheng Que quickly realized that Ku Lan was also slacking off!
Unlike Qingli, Kulan would immediately start working as soon as she sensed his approach; and stop working without hesitation the moment she sensed his departure...

After figuring out the situation, Zheng Que was not happy at all, and he walked towards the withered orchid again.

Clang... clang clang clang... clang clang...

Suddenly, the sound of busy hammering filled the air. Ku Lan was focused on her work and didn't notice Zheng Que's arrival at all.

Zheng Que walked directly to her side, and before he could speak, Ku Lan said first, "Young master, I am focused on serving you."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Que did not expose her, but only said, "Kulan, I have an imperial edict here..."

He repeated to Kulan what he had just said to Qingli.

After listening, Ku Lan said excitedly, "Young Master, that Qing Li is rebellious by nature and is clearly not a good ghost servant. She is not worthy of your high regard at all!"

"This imperial edict, young master, is fine with me, but please don't give it to Qingli!"

As she spoke, Kulan's figure swayed, revealing countless clones, which began to work diligently.

Ding ding ding ding ding...

※※※

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Xue Tong Pass, beneath a sheltered rock face, a newly built stronghold was bustling with noise, interspersed with ghostly wails, creating a lively atmosphere.

In the center of the stronghold stood a newly built earthen house, its doors wide open, yet without windows or doors, revealing it to be completely empty. The only furnishings were a dozen or so straw-woven cushions.

On either side of the earthen house were several similar houses, which were more orderly. Signs hung at the door, but they were shops. Temporary shelves inside were filled with all sorts of spiritual materials and ores, and they were already open for business.

At the entrance of the shop, several ghost servants with stone rollers hanging on their bodies were working hard to compact the road, kicking up clouds of dust.

At this moment, inside the earthen house, more than a dozen cultivators were surrounding a young cultivator in brocade robes, engaged in a heated discussion.

"We already have fifteen ghost servants at Blood Pass, and the third caravan will be assembled soon."

"There are now eleven shops in the stronghold, and most of the resources should be available for trading."

"We have enough shops now. The focus now is on the caravans!"

“That’s right! We’re too close to the edge of Xue Tong Pass, and the resource points are too scattered. So if we want to get enough resources, we still have to trade with people in other strongholds.”

"The problem now is that the establishment of outposts in other state capitals is too slow..."

Amidst the cacophony of voices, the young cultivator in the center simply sat quietly, saying nothing.

The young man was handsome, wearing a purple robe with white flowers and deer fetus, a wide white jade belt with pine and deer motifs around his waist, and a black jade pendant with a landscape, pavilion, old pine, and bright moon in the sky on the corner of his robe. He also wore a pine green sash with pearls. His aura was only at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, while the cultivators surrounding him were all at the Foundation Establishment stage or above.

However, the Foundation Establishment cultivators looked at the boy with fear in their eyes, without the slightest hint of disregard.

Noticing the boy's silence, the previously lively discussion grew increasingly subdued, until finally no one dared to utter a word. After a long silence, the cultivator closest to the boy cautiously spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Yin, shall we now proceed to seize the next resource point, or begin expanding our caravan?"

"We all follow Fellow Daoist Yin's lead. Please give us your guidance."

The young man's gaze swept over the crowd, and he slowly shook his head, saying in an icy voice, "My goal is not the Earth Ranking, but the Heaven Ranking."

"So, the next target is the 'strange' place in the southwest."

"also……"

Before he could finish speaking, a figure rushed in, bringing with him a cloud of dust that immediately covered everyone in the room.

The newcomer appeared extremely flustered. Upon entering, he disregarded everyone else and immediately knelt down on one knee before the young man, urgently saying, "Young Master, something terrible has happened!"

"A [Iron Tree Prison] ghost has appeared in front of the mine we have captured."

"The great formation there has been breached, but that [Iron Tree Prison] demon has not yet left. Judging from its direction of travel, its next target is likely our stronghold!"

what? !

The ghosts of the Iron Tree Prison?

Everyone was shocked. Under normal circumstances, the location they had chosen should not be a place where the ghosts of the Iron Tree Prison could appear!

Just as everyone was stunned, the young man in the brocade robe smiled knowingly and clapped his hands, saying, "This must be a play specially arranged by the imperial court."

“That’s what makes it fun!”

"Retreat first."

"Abandon this stronghold and head deeper into Blood Pass!"

※※※

High above the snow-capped mountain, in a small red clay stove, the spiritual spring water boiled five times, but the examiner preparing the tea had no interest in tasting it at all.

Like the other examiners at this moment, his gaze was fixed on the raging blood mist below the mountain, his brows furrowed.

The two Iron Tree Prisoners who entered Blood Pass earlier weren't there to fight for territory; they were there to cause trouble!

That ghost bride would snatch any resource points she saw, even though there were plenty of resources that a ghost like her couldn't possibly use, but she showed no intention of letting go.

As for the "Painted Skin," it specifically targets candidates with outstanding appearances. It doesn't directly attack, but it drives away ghosts from other places to surround those candidates.

Once the examinee she desires dies at the hands of other ghosts, this "Painted Skin" will happily peel off her skin...

Two days have passed since the Immortal Examination, and more than a dozen names were originally listed on the Earthly Ranking.

But now, the stone tablet on the Earthly Ranking has once again returned to its blank state.

As a result, Yin Congyi, who was the first to appear on the Earth Ranking, also fell to the Human Ranking because his resource points were taken away.

Now, almost all the examinees who were originally staying on the outskirts of Xue Tong Pass have been forced to flee deeper into Xue Tong Pass by those two [Iron Tree Prisons]!

At this moment, the examiner sitting on the soft couch couldn't help but speak up, "Lord Ning, those two [Iron Tree Prisons] might affect this immortal examination..."

Ning Jiushan gazed into the depths of the blood mist, then shook his head slightly and replied calmly, "No."

"Those two Iron Tree Prisons are clearly very afraid of our court, and so far they have not dared to take the initiative to harm a single person."

"That's good."

"This move has actually helped our dynasty's upcoming imperial examination, further stimulating the potential of the candidates!"

(End of this chapter)