Chapter 343: Chapter 183: Obtaining a Core Formation Spiritual Object: The Turmoil in Hezhou (Part 2)
If the Huidong Commerce Association were to discover that the Spirit Lake Wanderer had lost contact, it could lead to complications.
So, Xiao Chen immediately dealt with the Spirit Lake Wanderer, changed direction, and headed for Guardian Immortal Mountain to the southeast.
Guardian Immortal Mountain was where the Huidong Commerce Association’s headquarters was located. It was about 1,800 li from his current position, situated at the border between the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers and the Lingyuan Sect.
Speaking of which, it was actually quite close to the territory now controlled by the Divine Fire Sect.
However, it was not on their invasion route because it only had a Tier One Spirit Vein and no important Spirit Ore mines.
The occasional scattered Demon Cultivator raids were no match for the Commerce Association’s guards.
People had originally been curious why the Huidong Commerce Association hadn’t relocated. Now, it seemed its proximity might be convenient for their secret dealings with the Divine Fire Sect.
To conceal his presence along the way, Xiao Chen once again donned his Stealth Cloak.
This time, he chose to fly along the southern edge of the Black Flame Mountain Range without actually entering it.
As expected, he encountered no other passing Cultivators along the way.
At a quarter past three in the morning, he arrived at Guardian Immortal Mountain.
Looking down from the mountain, he saw a large estate stretching for several li under the shroud of night.
Some of the courtyards within were still adorned with lanterns, burning brightly through the night.
A few Cultivators could be seen entering and leaving, carrying various items in their hands.
But now that large quantities of supplies were no longer moving in and out, the place seemed somewhat deserted.
.
In the rear hall of the Huidong Commerce Association’s headquarters, President Li Yongfeng sat in a grand armchair, his eyes closed in concentration.
On the table before him lay numerous intelligence reports from various sources.
With the current turmoil, sorting through this mix of true and false information was becoming increasingly difficult.
But as their leader, he couldn’t afford to miss a single report, lest he overlook a crucial piece of information.
Using the Sealing Acupoint Concealing Qi Technique, Xiao Chen silently crept up to a window of the rear hall.
According to his rough reconnaissance, there were a total of seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the Huidong Commerce Association headquarters.
One had just departed by Sword Control, one was resting in a side room, and three were guarding the warehouse in the northwest corner.
The last one, holding a Jade Token, had come to the rear hall to report to Li Yongfeng.
Xiao Chen had followed this person here. However, he didn’t reveal himself immediately, instead hiding outside to eavesdrop.
"President, we’ve received an urgent report. The Divine Fire Sect has taken control of the Yellow Springs Traveling Palace relic."
"Two hours ago, the Spiritual Qi fluctuations from that area ceased."
"Now, diffusing Demonic Qi fills a hundred-li radius around the site, and the area is still expanding."
HISS!
’The Divine Fire Sect won?’
Listening from outside, Xiao Chen was secretly alarmed. This was not good news.
But if the Demonic Qi was truly spreading, then the news was almost certainly true.
Having now obtained the Yellow Springs Secret Scripture, he had a multifaceted understanding of Demonic Qi.
According to the Secret Scripture, Demonic Qi was divided into two types.
One was the strange red mist Xiao Chen had seen in the bead from Xianghe Market, which could significantly amplify the Magic Power of Demon Techniques.
The other was the kind found in the Yellow Springs Traveling Palace.
It could block a Cultivator’s Divine Sense and would spontaneously dissipate nearby Spiritual Qi.
In any area corroded by this Demonic Qi, the concentration of Spiritual Qi would drop significantly, and any Spirit Fields would be completely destroyed.
Under normal circumstances, the Righteous Dao factions would never allow the Demonic Qi to spread unchecked.
Unless they had already lost control of the area.
"Most of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Lingyuan Sect and the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers have also retreated to Elemental Magnetic Peak. Our people saw Gong Lingfeng make an appearance at the base of the mountain."
The person inside continued to report, "As of now, there is no definitive news about the Golden Core True Men."
"However, there are rumors that Master Yaohua of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers has fallen."
Ah?
Li Yongfeng was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What happened? What are the specifics?"
Xiao Chen also pricked up his ears and heard, "It’s said that many Loose Cultivators saw Fairy Yaohua’s Brocade Flower Basket shatter."
"According to the rumors, a few Cultivators were bold enough to rush in and managed to snatch some of the fallen Spiritual Artifact’s fragments."
The Brocade Flower Basket was Master Yaohua’s signature item and also a legacy Spiritual Artifact of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers.
Xiao Chen had seen it once before, outside the Thousand Bamboo Tower.
At the time, he hadn’t known it was a Spiritual Artifact. He only remembered that the flower basket was as large as a house.
He later heard that the Spiritual Artifact had belonged to the Valley of Ten thousand Flowers for over two thousand years, passed down from one generation to the next.
An item like that was practically a Cultivator’s lifeblood.
If the Brocade Flower Basket had truly been shattered, Master Yaohua’s fate was likely grim.
"Send more people to the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers. Don’t get too close, just focus on monitoring the supplies within the Ten Thousand Flowers Market."
Li Yongfeng commanded, "Pay special attention to funeral items like incense, candles, and white lanterns. Report immediately if there are any large-scale purchases."
"Also, send people to keep an eye on Luoyan Mountain."
"If the Divine Fire Sect launches an offensive, we need to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire."
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator asked, "President, are we still going ahead with the trade tomorrow night?"
"Two Defensive Arrays still haven’t been set up at the new station’s warehouse. We’d have to pull people off other tasks if we need to move things there."
Hearing this, Li Yongfeng pondered for a moment before directing, "The trade definitely can’t be abandoned. You will go with the Xu Family Brothers later."
"As for the new station, I will personally take some men and oversee it."
"If any new intelligence comes in during your trip, seal it in a confidential message and have Xu Er bring it to me."
What followed were more arrangements regarding the specific deployment of Huidong Commerce Association personnel.
Xiao Chen also learned from this that those left at the Huidong Commerce Association headquarters were basically from the Neutral Faction.
Aside from a few individuals who remained, most members of the Trade Faction were busy fishing in troubled waters, capturing sacrificial offerings.
