Chapter 109: Chapter 107: Earth Evil True Body
It was the end of the month again.
Time for the mission handover.
A haggard-looking Ning Ruxue appeared in the line. When others asked about her, her eyes were filled with a daze.
"She failed?"
The Ding Brothers exchanged a look, and in each other’s eyes, they saw a flicker of relief and barely concealed glee.
It’s human nature to be selfish.
They were no exception.
They had paid lip service to wishing Ning Ruxue success, but in their hearts, they felt otherwise.
Having entered the Immortal Sect together, it would be a blow to them both if someone else was the first to reach the Innate realm.
"Senior Sister."
Despite his inner thoughts, Ding Peng still spoke up to console her:
"Don’t be discouraged. At your age, if you recover well, you still have one more chance before you turn thirty."
"That’s right!" Ding Hu nodded.
"If you stabilize your foundation and get your hands on an Innate Pill, you’ll have a great chance to break through, Senior Sister."
"Hah..." Ning Ruxue lowered her head, her voice desolate.
"There are no more chances."
This breakthrough failed. My Qi Blood is in decline, and my foundation is damaged. Even if I recover, it will be seven or eight years from now.
By then?
I will have long passed thirty.
Even if I manage to reach the Innate realm by then, my Acupoints will have already sealed. There will be no hope of advancing further on the Innate Dao Path.
"Senior Sister."
Ding Peng said with a serious expression:
"Failing isn’t the terrible part. The terrible part is losing your will to fight. You can’t give up over a single failure."
"Of course I won’t," Ning Ruxue said, taking a deep breath.
"Junior Brother, this attempt has cost me dearly. I don’t suppose you have any spare Spirit Crystals to lend me?"
"Uh..." Ding Peng’s expression stiffened slightly.
"As it happens, I just went to the Marketplace a few days ago. I traded all my Spirit Crystals for the supplies I need for my Cultivation."
"Supplies are fine too," Ning Ruxue said, moving closer.
"I urgently need medicine to recuperate."
"Ahem!" Ding Peng coughed dryly, turned, and started to walk away. "Senior Sister Weii was looking for me about something. I’ll go see what’s going on. You should take this time to recover, Senior Sister."
"Farewell!"
Ding Hu had turned away even sooner, his back already to them.
"Sigh!"
Watching the two of them leave in a panic, Ning Ruxue sighed helplessly, her beautiful eyes turning to a person beside her.
"Junior Brother Zhu, I failed my breakthrough. Aren’t you going to say a few words to comfort me?"
"It’s just a temporary setback. I’m sure you’ll be able to rally, Senior Sister," Zhu Ju said after a moment’s thought, then asked, "How exactly did you fail?"
"Don’t rub salt in the wound." Ning Ruxue rolled her eyes, then lowered her voice and asked:
"Do you still want the Calming Incense?"
"I do!"
Zhu Ju’s eyes flickered slightly.
"I’ll still trade Evil Qi for it."
"No." Ning Ruxue shook her head gently.
"Let’s trade for Elixirs. You don’t like to use Elixirs in your Cultivation anyway, Junior Brother, so why not give them to me?"
"My foundation is damaged and I urgently need Elixirs to nourish it."
"Well..." Zhu Ju nodded.
"Alright."
"But you’ll have to give me an extra wisp of Evil Qi, Senior Sister."
"You!" Ning Ruxue’s expression darkened. Seeing Zhu Ju’s adamant, non-negotiable posture, she grit her teeth and said angrily:
"Fine! You can have the Evil Qi!"
"Junior Brother, you’d better hope you never need a favor from me, or else..."
"Hmph!"
"You don’t need to trouble yourself with that, Senior Sister." The deal was made. Zhu Ju smiled faintly, then suddenly asked, "Did you really fail your breakthrough, Senior Sister?"
’Ning Ruxue’s heart dropped.’ Her pretty face paled slightly, and then she turned to him, her expression impassive.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying if I had reached the Innate realm, I’d still be slumming it in this mine?"
"No." Zhu Ju shook his head.
"Just a random question."
He possessed the Profound Light Like Fire Magic Cultivation, which gave him astonishing Perception Power. Furthermore, his Cultivation of the Hidden Element Technique had given him an intuitive understanding of how to conceal one’s aura. Although Ning Ruxue’s aura was scattered and weak, and she appeared seriously injured, her internal Primordial Energy showed no signs of significant depletion. This was inconsistent with the signs of a failed breakthrough and a severely damaged foundation. Hence his question.
However, since she was unwilling to speak of it, Zhu Ju couldn’t be bothered to press the issue.
It didn’t take long for the news of Ning Ruxue’s failed breakthrough to spread. Many people gave her all sorts of looks.
Looks of pity, mockery, disdain...
Mu Tian, in particular, whose love for her had turned to hate, even walked over to mock her to her face.
*
*
*
The Mine.
A dozen shadowy figures pushed heavy minecarts, urged on by sharp commands until they reached a remote, deserted area.
"Steward."
Huang Er, holding a long whip, trotted over from behind and gave a fawning smile to Cao Xiong, who stood with his hands behind his back.
"We brought the goods."
"Mm."
Cao Xiong turned and looked at the minecarts, filled with top-grade Iron Evil Ore, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.
"No one else saw you, right?"
"Absolutely not!"
Huang Er pounded his chest and swore an oath:
"I led them on the back trails. Besides these miners, absolutely no one else knows."
"Good." Cao Xiong nodded and beckoned behind him.
"Come on out."
"Hee hee..." A delicate laugh rang out.
"Steward Cao, you truly are a man of your word. It seems I was right to make a deal with you. It certainly makes giving my little sister to you worthwhile."
As the voice drew nearer, several figures emerged in single file.
"Sister."
Weii Fei, standing beside Cao Xiong, was delighted to hear this and hurried forward to greet them.
The newcomers wore black robes embroidered with patterns of venomous insects and were wreathed in a strange mist.
"Poison Cultivators!"
"People from the Five Poison Sect!"
The miners pushing the carts paled when they saw the newcomers.
"Steward Cao, you’re actually colluding with Poison Cultivators..."
PSST!
Before the miner could finish speaking, several shadowy projectiles shot out from the darkness, piercing the throats of a few of the men at an astonishing speed.
THUMP!
THUMP!
The dozen or so miners fell one after another.
Their corpses began to emit white smoke, dissolving at a visible rate until they became pools of viscous liquid.
"Brother-in-law," the Poison Cultivator giggled.
"None of your men were in that group, were they?"
"No," Cao Xiong said, his expression unchanged.
"Just some materials."
People die in the mines every day from collapses, plagues, and brawls... No one will even notice a dozen men gone missing. And even if they did, Cao Xiong’s status would allow him to cover it up easily.
"Good."
The Poison Cultivator nodded and waved her fair hand.
"Pack it up."
"Yes."
The group of black-robed figures leaped forward and quickly packed the Iron Evil Ore from the carts into their Qiankun Bags.
"Here!"
"Your payment."
"I’m going to have a few private words with my sister."
The Poison Cultivator tossed a bulging cloth pouch to Cao Xiong, then pulled Weii Fei into a corner.
"Little sister, how are your preparations?"
"Cao Xiong already helped me get an Innate Pill, but I’m... a little worried." Weii Fei’s eyes showed her anxiety.
"After all, my foundation is a bit lacking."
"Breaking through before thirty and breaking through after thirty are two completely different things," the Poison Cultivator said sternly.
"You now have a top-level technique and an Innate Pill. You have to give it a shot, no matter what."
"Yes."
Weii Fei nodded and said in a low voice:
"Last month, an Inner Qi Disciple from the Sect failed to break through to the Innate realm. That person was about my age."
"Sister..."
"I’m still scared."
"Don’t be scared." The Poison Cultivator frowned.
"Fear in your heart means you’re already at a disadvantage. You’ll never succeed with that mindset."
"Sister," Weii Fei whispered.
"If only I had one more Innate Pill."
"What are you thinking?" The Poison Cultivator shook her head. "Innate Pills are priceless. You can’t just buy them. Even for a disciple of your Bright Void Sect, it would take ten years of hard labor just to earn one."
"Be content with the one you have!"
"I know where there’s another one," Weii Fei said, looking up.
"An Outer Sect Disciple has it."
"Oh?" The Poison Cultivator raised an eyebrow, her lips twisting into a smirk.
"Little sister, so this is what you were waiting for me for. However, the Dragon Head Lineage’s Cultivation Techniques counter poison methods."
"So I, of all people, cannot make a move against them."
"You don’t need to act, Sister," Weii Fei said urgently.
"Although that person is an Outer Sect Disciple, he hasn’t reached the Innate realm yet. I just need you to find two people to help me."
"The weather is cold now, and the Fierce Beasts in the mountains are becoming frenzied as they store up food for winter. It’s perfectly normal for a few disciples to die in the mountains."
"Oh!" The Poison Cultivator rubbed her smooth chin.
"Very well."
"As it happens, I have some people looking for a big job."
"What’s his name?"
"I knew you were the best, Sister." Weii Fei smiled, her expression sweet and enchanting.
"His name is Zhu Ju."
...
As winter approached, the weather grew colder and colder, but strangely, it hadn’t snowed at all recently, though the bone-chilling cold grew ever deeper.
SWOOSH!
Zhu Ju’s figure leaped among the rocks. The Profound Light between his brows throbbed, and all the surging Evil Qi in the surroundings flowed into his perception.
Then, at a certain moment...
’Found it!’
Sensing a dense concentration of Evil Qi, his figure flashed through the air, landing in front of a giant boulder.
A crack had appeared under the boulder at some unknown time. Dense Evil Qi billowed out from it like smoke and mist.
Zhu Ju sat cross-legged near the Evil Qi and silently circulated the Five Peaks True Form Force. With every breath, he absorbed the dense Evil Qi.
By now, the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill had been completely integrated into his Five Peaks True Form Force.
Even a Core Disciple of the Dragon Head Lineage would not notice anything amiss.
’No!’
’Core Disciples cultivate the Celestial Spirit Technique; their understanding of the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill might not even be as good as an Inner Sect Disciple’s.’
After a long while,
He slowly stopped circulating the technique, took out a porcelain vial from his waist, tapped out a blue pill, and swallowed it.
HISS...
A long gray snake appeared nearby, its tongue flicking in and out.
"Is that him?"
Behind some rocks nearby, several figures were huddled together. One of them asked in a low voice.
"It’s him," another person nodded.
"That’s Zhu Ju."
"Good."
Except for one who stayed put, the other three put on cloaks and silently melted into the cold wind.
The mountains were full of strange rock formations and teeming with venomous creatures.
Before long, snakes, centipedes, and scorpions had appeared around Zhu Ju, closing in on his seated form.
SWISH!
A flash of cold light suddenly appeared.
The flash of cold light instantly pierced Zhu Ju’s figure. At the same time, the venomous creatures spewed a toxic mist that completely enveloped an area ten feet wide.
"We got him!"
"Wait, no!"
The cry of joy stopped abruptly.
"It’s an afterimage!"
"Who are you?" Zhu Ju’s figure had appeared behind the three of them, and he looked at them with a surprised expression.
"Why did you attack me?"
The three exchanged glances, and one of them suddenly broke into a sinister grin.
"Hand over the Innate Pill, and we’ll spare your life!"
"Innate Pill?" Zhu Ju’s expression darkened.
"How do you know I have an Innate Pill?"
"That’s none of your business." One of them brandished his weapon and motioned for his companions to surround Zhu Ju.
"Are you going to hand it over nicely, or do we have to kill you and search your corpse?"
"What if..." Zhu Ju rubbed his chin.
"I choose neither?"
SHING!
Hearing this, the attackers wasted no more words and lunged.
As the three men’s robes shook, dozens of black lights shot out like lightning, almost impossible to dodge at such close range.
Zhu Ju didn’t dodge.
He narrowed his eyes, the Profound Light between his brows throbbed, and everything in his perception seemed to become extremely slow.
Cross and Vertical Saber!
SHIING!
The light from the blade flashed and vanished.
Dozens of venomous insects fell from mid-air all at once.
"How can this be?"
The expressions of the three men in front of him changed drastically. Then, billowing clouds of poisonous smoke surged out, enveloping the entire area.
But what happened next made their hearts sink into the abyss.
Standing in the poisonous smoke, Zhu Ju’s expression was normal. He even took a deep breath, savoring the poison gas.
He then gave them a strange look.
"You came here to commit murder, but you don’t know that the Bright Void Sect’s Dragon Head Lineage’s Earth Evil Mysterious Skill suppresses all poisons in the world?"
"Impossible!"
One of them shrieked.
"The Earth Evil True Body! You clearly haven’t reached the Innate realm yet, how could you have cultivated the Earth Evil True Body?"
"Nothing is impossible," Zhu Ju sighed lightly.
"It seems I won’t get any answers out of you."
"Be on your way."
Slash!
The blade flashed, tracing a graceful arc in the air. Three heads slid cleanly from their necks as blood fountained.
In the distance, a figure fled in panic.
And high up in the sky, an eagle was staring at the figure below.
Soul Control Technique!
Third Realm, Divine Thought Eagle Transformation!
