A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 212 Tonight at You Shi (5-7 PM)
Human nature is, in fact, universal.

Moreover, cultivators are not much more virtuous than ordinary people; on the contrary, their desires are a hundred times stronger than those of ordinary people because of their great strength.

Human nature is thus put to the test.

Su Wansu was known for her tough methods and her upright and unyielding character.

For a female cultivator to possess such a famous scenic spot is the very foundation upon which Qingshui City was founded.

However, she is still a long way from achieving the level of self-affirmation and understanding that Situ Qingyue possessed.

Su Wan's fingertips landed on the ledger on the table, where the words "loss" marked in red ink felt like a red-hot branding iron, making her fingertips numb.

This is the account book sent by Xuantianlou. Every page records phrases like "price suppression in the Five Elements Sect Market" and "loss of customers"...

The Xuantianlou shops, which were once impossible to book, have recently become quite vacant and unrentable.

This was simply unimaginable in the past.

She looked up at the window. Although the blue light of the spiritual veins of Qingshui City was bright, it could not penetrate the desolation in her heart.

Once upon a time, Qingshui City was the market center for the Five Elements Sect, covering thousands of miles. Cultivators from all directions would stop here to rest, and merchants made a fortune.

However, ever since the Five Elements Sect opened its market, spiritual herbs and pills have become cheaper than in Qingshui City, while the price of recycling spiritual beasts has become higher.

The cultivators bypassed Qingshui City and headed straight for the Five Elements Sect. The prosperity of Qingshui City dissipated little by little, like sand blown away by the wind.

"As long as it's the Five Elements Sect..."

Su Wan murmured unconsciously, "As long as their market suffers a calamity, as long as the great formation is damaged and the myth of safety is broken, then the cultivators will return, the merchants will survive, and Qingshui City will be glorious again..."

These words, like a curse, swirled in her mind again and again.

She could even imagine the scene of Qingshui City's streets and alleys bustling again after the Five Elements Sect Market was burned down.

Her father's dying wish was for Xuantian Pavilion to become as powerful as the three major merchant alliances.

Although she cannot take charge of the Xuantian Pavilion, she can make Qingshui City the number one city in the Northern Spirit City!
This was a wish she had made since she was old enough to understand.

but……

How Qingshui City was built is something others can pretend not to know, but can she pretend not to know?

Qingshui City was built in reliance on the Five Elements Sect.

Most importantly, if she's willing to risk everything for profit, then what kind of person is she?

Morality, virtue, fairness—all those things that people used to praise her for have become a joke, haven't they?
She remembered her father teaching her when she was very young that small fortunes depend on luck, while great fortunes depend on virtue.

If Xuantian Pavilion wants to become like the three major merchant alliances, it must be fair and righteous!
Taking a deep breath, Su Wan opened her eyes, her gaze now resolute.

As cultivators, we should act in accordance with certain principles and refrain from certain actions.

If Xuantian Pavilion relies on hoping its rivals will suffer misfortune to compete, then even after ten thousand years, it will never become a force that surpasses the three major merchant alliances.

She picked up the communication talisman, gathering spiritual power at her fingertips, intending to send a message to Tian Ru, but quickly remembered Xuan Yangzi's warning...

With Xuan Yangzi's cultivation level, if he were to send a message using a flying sword or a communication talisman, it would certainly not escape his notice.

However, she still had a way.

Su Wan got up and went to the backyard, where she released a spirit pigeon from its cage.

This was the "emergency carrier pigeon" she had made an agreement with Tian Ru years ago, and only the two of them knew about it.

She wrote a line of small characters on the silk cloth: "Three days later, either sin or divine intervention, be careful. Keep it a secret."

She tied the silk cloth to the spirit pigeon's leg, gently stroked its feathers, and whispered, "After taking off, fly thirty miles east, circle around, and then go to the Five Elements Sect. Go quickly and return quickly; do not linger on the way."

The spirit pigeon flapped its wings and flew out of the backyard. Sure enough, it flew eastward for thirty miles before heading towards the Five Elements Sect.

Su Wan stood there, looking in the direction where the spirit pigeon had disappeared, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She did everything she could.

Regardless of the outcome, at least she has a clear conscience.

Hopefully, the Five Elements Sect can overcome this difficulty.

……

Six dragon-patterned bamboos on Qingmu Peak soar into the clouds; these rare species are imbued with rich wood-elemental spiritual energy.

Morning dew still clung to the tips of bamboo leaves. Tian Ru sat cross-legged on a blue stone, surrounded by a pale green aura.

After taking the Qingyuan Pill, his cultivation, which had not progressed for many years, finally began to move forward.

Suddenly, a very faint flapping sound of wings swept through the bamboo forest.

Tian Ru frowned slightly, and the spiritual aura around her instantly subsided.

She opened her eyes and saw a bluish-gray spirit pigeon land on the blue stone in front of her, with a neatly folded piece of silk cloth tied to its claw.

Upon seeing the spirit pigeon, Tian Ru's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately knew something was wrong.

Originally, the spirit pigeon was a method of communication that the two had planned to use only in emergencies.

She knew that Su Wan would never use this carrier pigeon unless it was a matter of life and death.

Tian Ru's heart tightened. She carefully untied the silk cloth, and the moment she unfolded it, a line of small words pierced her like needles chilled to ice, causing her pupils to shrink sharply: "Three days later, either a sinful attack or a celestial spirit. Be careful. Keep it a secret."

"Or a fairy..."

She whispered those three words, her voice trembling, and the silk almost slipped from her fingers.

The wood-elemental spiritual energy suddenly became chaotic in her meridians. She quickly closed her eyes and regulated her breathing, taking about half a cup of tea's time to stabilize her breath.

The previous invasion by the Sin Clan had already put the Five Elements Sect under immense pressure, and now they have even mobilized Immortal Spirit Realm experts?
Immortal Spirit True Lord, is he trying to uproot the Five Elements Sect completely!
Tian Ru dared not delay. She got up and hurried towards Xuanjin Peak without even bothering to wipe the morning dew off the corner of her clothes.

Inside the Xuanjin Hall, Zhou Yueniang sensed Tian Ru's hurried arrival and quickly went out to greet her, asking, "Master's wife, why are you in such a rush? What happened?"

Tian Ru clutched the silk cloth and handed it to her, her voice still catching her breath, saying, "Yue Niang, Su Wan sent word that in three days, the Sin Clan will launch a sneak attack on the Five Elements Sect, and... there might be a powerful cultivator at the Immortal Spirit Realm involved!"

When Zhou Yueniang took the silk cloth, her face instantly darkened when her gaze fell on the words "Fairy Spirit".

She repeatedly checked the handwriting, and her aura became turbulent, so strong that even Tian Ru was moved and turned her head to look at her.

How could it be so powerful?! Zhou Yueniang, disregarding all else, asked, "Master's wife, is this news reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable!"

Tian Ru nodded, her tone firm, "It might not be the Immortal Spirit Realm, but it's highly likely the Sin Clan is attacking! She used spirit pigeons and instructed me to keep it a secret, which means the news came from the Xuan Tian Pavilion. And now, Su Wan can't leave the house. A big shot from the Xuan Tian Pavilion must have come to Qing Shui City. Yue Niang, we can't be careless! No matter what, Wei Zhou must emerge from seclusion in two days! Otherwise, something terrible will happen!"

Zhou Yueniang remained silent, while Tian Ru said anxiously, "Yueniang, don't be confused! It's only because your master is still in a semi-crippled state that he has recovered to the seventh level of the Spirit Realm. Otherwise, I would have dragged him out too..."

Before the words were finished, a lazy, chuckling voice came from behind: "What's the big deal that even my master has to be involved?"

Zhou Yueniang's amber eyes brightened instantly, and she looked towards the palace gate with delight: "You're back?!"

……

After a short while, Li Weizhou asked, "Master's wife, is it possible that the Sin Clan might send out... like the three great spirit emperors of the demon race, or those supreme-level immortal spirit lords of the human race?"

After a moment of silence, Tian Ru said irritably, "If there really were such powerful figures, the Sin Clan wouldn't have to be treated like rats, constantly hunted down. Alas, it's also the fault of the Xuanlei Sword Sect; they were too ruthless in their killings. Many people, although born into the Sin Clan, had never cultivated, yet they were all slaughtered..."

Zhou Yueniang said angrily, "Then let them go find the Xuanlei Sword Sect."

Li Weizhou scratched his chin and said, "You know what, you really have to believe it... this might not be just a feint. If they really wanted to send a True Monarch of the Immortal Spirit Realm to attack us, the news wouldn't have spread so far in advance. I reckon the Sin Clan might be planning something big. Master's wife, you're right. The Xuanlei Sword Sect went too far in killing the Sin Clan members who hadn't cultivated, which is why they alarmed the Sin Clan's Great Cultivators at the Immortal Spirit Realm. It's not worth it for those two guys from our Five Elements Sect to kill. Of course, we can't be careless either."

Situ Qingyue and the other two also arrived and looked at Li Weizhou, asking, "Is it true that a Celestial Spirit True Monarch is attacking? Are you confident?"

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, "Before I went into seclusion, I was still a bit lacking. Now that I've come out of seclusion, unless those top old bones come in person, I can still protect myself."

Unlike the remaining forms of the Blood Eye, Tai Chi Diagram, Small Sword, and Small Mirror, although the Eastern Emperor Bell was completely broken and would shatter into pieces with the slightest force, however…

It wasn't broken after all!

Given its level of power, Li Weizhou could only barely manage to ring it once, even with all his might.

But that one shout was enough to destroy all the enemies opposite him!
Of course, Donghuang Zhong also clearly told him that if he did this, he would be completely targeted by the Heavenly Dao of this world, and divine punishment would befall him, destroying everything within a radius of 100,000 li.

Moreover, it's the kind that marks the soul; as soon as it appears, divine punishment will follow, and there's no escaping it.

However, Li Weizhou doesn't need to completely activate it; using it as the array's core can increase the spacetime power of the Five Elements Array!
Leaving aside the power of time, Li Weizhou hadn't even scratched the surface of it, and could barely apply it.

However, by simply adding a little spatial power to the Five Elements Grand Array, the grade of this level-six grand array can be raised by another level!
This is still limited by the Earth-level spiritual veins. If it were replaced by five Heaven-level spiritual veins as the foundation and sustenance, then this Five Elements Revolving Array would be the most powerful array in the Spirit Realm!
Even so, it's enough for now.

With their own safety assured, upgrading the sect's spiritual veins is of course an urgent matter.

Upon hearing this, Tian Ru exclaimed in surprise, "Wei Zhou, you've entered the Spirit God Realm?"

Li Weizhou clasped his hands together, raised his right hand in front of him, and exclaimed with gratitude, "I am grateful for the generous legacy left by our ancestor, which has enabled me to ascend to heaven in one step and enjoy lasting blessings. True Lord of the Five Sacred Mountains, you are truly great!"

Zhou Yueniang, Situ Qingyue, Feng Biwu, and Qi Erniang knew he was talking nonsense and couldn't help but laugh.

Tian Ru was genuinely jealous and said, "What's so great about you? You didn't leave a single word behind. If you had, we might have broken up long ago!" Then she said, "Alright, since you know what's going on, I won't nag anymore. In the blink of an eye, you've become a True Person, even more powerful than me, your master's wife. The Ancestral Master really... left a huge backup plan. As your master's wife, I'm just hoping you'll enter the Immortal Spirit realm soon, then I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and stop worrying!"

……

The family returned to the Five Elements Hall on Hunyuan Peak. In front of the four of them, Li Weizhou used a secret technique to integrate the illusory image of the Eastern Emperor Bell into the dome of the Five Elements Hall.

Between the five divine swords that rotate according to the five elements!

The five divine swords that were originally fixed on the dome of the main hall began to slowly rotate around the Eastern Emperor Bell the moment the illusory image of the Eastern Emperor Bell was embedded in the center.

Li Weizhou exclaimed with delight, "This divine bell moves these five swords like it's nothing!"

Situ Qingyue stared intently at the broken and mottled bell and slowly said, "Just looking at it gives me a sense of impending destruction and collapse. Li Lang, where did you find this bell?"

Li Weizhou then recounted what had happened in the mortal realm, especially describing in detail the Empress Dowager's reckless actions, and finally recounted the discovery of the royal treasury.

Qi Erniang said in surprise, "Such a secret vault should be guarded by royal officials..."

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "They were all dealt with by the Empress Dowager, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to take treasures out of there to win people's hearts."

Situ Qingyue exclaimed in amazement, "Such a treasure exists in the lower realm!"

Li Weizhou reminded them, "The spirit of the artifact told me that this is a primordial treasure from another world, which is actually incompatible with this world, so it cannot be exposed to the light of day. You should keep this in mind and not spread it outside. This treasure is close to collapsing, but its remaining divine power is enough to increase the power of the Five Elements Grand Array tenfold. So, unless those old fogies come, no matter how the world collapses outside, our family will continue to live our lives as usual."

Situ Qingyue let out a breath, looked at Li Weizhou and smiled, saying, "You really are... a person born with good fortune."

Li Weizhou retorted unhappily, "What are you saying? I owe everything I have today to my hard work and struggle!"

Zhou Yueniang smiled and touched Li Weizhou's face, her eyes hinting at something.

Li Weizhou chuckled, took out a letter and a stack of photos from his personal space, handed one to Zhou Yueniang, and another to Situ Qingyue.

He also gave the two photos of places where he had met Feng Biwu and Qi Erniang, such as Zuixianglou, and places where he had lived.

While the four of them were looking at the photos of their hometown with great interest, Li Weizhou went to find Ximei and share in her joy.

Unlike the other four, Li Weizhou also took a picture of the dilapidated house where the two of them used to live, which was the same dilapidated house he had just entered from.

After Xi Mei was moved to tears and hugged her brother for a long time, she went to share her feelings with Tao Ling'er. Li Weizhou then went to talk to Hou Haikun, Wang Kui, and others, asking them to inform the tenant area that the outer vein array would be reactivated starting at 5 PM tonight and would be deactivated in ten days.

Since everyone knows it's three days from now, it can only mean that this timeframe may not be accurate.

So let's take precautions and start early.

As for whether it will alert the enemy and cause them to retreat...

Wouldn't that be better?
……

The rented courtyard in the southwest corner of Qingshui City looks no different from an ordinary cultivator's residence.

Half-withered vines climbed the courtyard wall, two pots of wilted insect-repelling plants sat at the door, and even the teacups inside were the most ordinary coarse porcelain.

However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that the rim of the rough porcelain cup was shrouded in a faint black glow, and hidden beneath the floor tiles at the corner of the table was a "spirit-blocking stone" capable of isolating divine sense.

Three elderly people dressed in gray cloth jackets sat around the table, holding teacups in their hands. The withered marks on their fingertips were truly frightening.

The old man on the far left took a sip of tea, his voice as erratic as the sound of sandstorms outside the courtyard, and said, "We need to make a big show of force with the Five Elements Sect. We need to set up the Soul Devouring Array and the Spirit Corpse Puppet, and attack from afar. Let everyone in the Northern Spirit Region know that we are here to raze the Five Elements Sect to the ground."

"rest assured."

The old man in the middle had eyes that were entirely grayish-white, without a trace of black. He said calmly, "This time, everyone will pay the price. According to the plan, we will begin the killing at three-quarters past dusk tonight!"

Regardless of whether the Five Elements Sect has received the news or not, they will be given a surprise!
……

(End of this chapter)