Chapter 53: 050: Go With the Flow, Difficult for Heaven and Human Alike (Continue reading below) _1 Chapter 53: 050: Go With the Flow, Difficult for Heaven and Human Alike (Continue reading below) _1 Upon seeing the condition of the outskirts of the Clear Cultivation Land, Chen Dengming realized that someone had already been here.
There was even evidence of someone having attempted forced entry.
This wasn’t entirely unexpected.
After all, if Xu Ning and the members of the Iron Forest Hall were still adamant, they would certainly search every corner for him, including the places he had previously been.
However, these people could not possibly remain at this spot long term, waiting for him to fall into their trap.
After all, he had demonstrated the strength of a Qi Cultivation Level Four cultivator, so what level of power would be necessary to guard against him consistently?
Moreover, who would waste their time in such an isolated place at this critical juncture of intense fighting, waiting for someone who might never show up?
...
Chen Dengming was well aware of these possibilities, which is why he dared to return to the Clear Cultivation Land to retrieve his belongings.
But now, he had an eerie feeling that someone was within the Clear Cultivation Land.
He was not the only one who felt this.
The Mini Array Spirit, extremely sensitive to spiritual energy and life essence, felt it even more strongly and was already warning him from within the Array Plate.
“Is it a Loose Cultivator who has temporarily taken shelter here or…”
Chen Dengming hesitated only for a moment before slowly retreating.
For safety’s sake, he was ready to abandon his plan to avoid potentially walking into a trap set specifically for him.
However, just as he was about to leave, a voice carried by concentrated spiritual energy reached his ears.
“May I ask if Daoist friend Chen is present?”
“Huh?”
Chen Dengming narrowed his eyes.
Surprisingly, the voice belonged to Qian Yuan.
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He didn’t stop moving, continuing to retreat, as his vigilance greatly increased and his two Gu Worms were put on standby.
At this moment, the trees ahead shadowed a ripple, and a figure appeared from the Illusion Array.
It was a one-armed elderly man with white hair.
Despite his dull complexion and medicinal scent, his eyes, which were fixed on Chen Dengming’s position a hundred feet away, glowed with intensity.
He gestured at Chen Dengming from afar.
“Daoist friend Chen, why keep people at arm’s length?
We might have held some grudges in the past, but now we are both bereft and stranded.
Why not join forces?
It may give us a chance to break through the blockade.”
“Blockade?”
Chen Dengming paused, stopping in surprise..
Looking around cautiously, he gripped his Ice Spirit Sword tighter.
Qian Yuan caught Chen Dengming’s reaction and shook his head, “It seems Daoist friend Chen is not aware of the recent events, the war between the Zhu Family and Luo Family has not ended.
However, both parties have ceased fighting temporarily.
The Luo Family has chosen to endure, while the Zhu Family has set up blockades at strategic points, primarily to search and capture any escaped individuals…”
Chen Dengming frowned, eventually responding with a chilly snort, “Since it’s so difficult to live outside, why are you hiding here instead of going to the Luo Family?
After all, you are one of them.”
Qian Yuan sighed with relief at Chen Dengming’s response.
With a wry smile, he responded, “Putting aside the fact that the Zhu Family is now at an advantage and have set up checkpoints everywhere, and I would be noticed if I approach them.
Even without this, I’m no longer welcomed by the Luo Family.
For years, Xu Ning and I have worked for the Luo Family, but who, as a leader of a faction, is completely clean?
Xu Ning was secretly supplying the Zhu Family with girls in exchange for assistance.
And though I did not cooperate with the Zhu Family, I collaborated with the Business League and have taken some bribes…
Do you think the Luo Family would let me off?”
After a moment’s silence, Chen Dengming spoke indifferently, “In that case, let’s pretend we never met today.
From this point on, we each go our own way following our Heavenly Destiny.
As for working together to break through a checkpoint, that’s impossible!”
Qian Yuan sighed again, his eyes flickering.
Remembering the rumors about this man, he finally nodded.
“After this place was searched by others, I took shelter here.
The most dangerous place is often the safest.
I later discovered the bag you had hidden here, and thought you might return.
I originally intended to join forces with you.
If you didn’t appear in a few days, I would leave.
But since you don’t want to join forces, fine.
Here are your things.
I only hope that if we meet again in the future, we will be friends and not enemies!”
Having said this, Qian Yuan threw a bag which landed and hung from a branch in the distance.
Chen’s Dengming’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched the bag.
He saw Qian Yuan head back towards his dwelling as the Illusion Array reappeared, concealing his figure.
Chen Dengming wore an odd expression as he tapped his ear.
The Blood Centipede Gu buzzed as it flew out and drilled into the bag for a moment before flying back with a buzz.
The glint in Chen Dengming’s eye shifted slightly as he used the Control Device Tactic to bring the bag back to him.
He opened the bag from his position ten zhang ahead to find over thirty lower-grade Spirit Stones bundled together using a special method.
The Spirit-stone Gu inside remained undisturbed.
As for the other Soul Snatching Array Disk, he was unsure if Qian Yuan intended to keep it or if it had been taken away by others searching the area.
After retrieving the Spirit Stones, Chen Dengming tossed aside the bag filled with other miscellaneous items.
Utilizing the Godspeed Skill, he swiftly departed.
…
Running into Qian Yuan in the Clear Cultivation Land was completely unexpected.
Chen Dengming figured that this man must have had nowhere else to go, otherwise he wouldn’t have invaded his territory to hide.
As for the man’s willingness to give him his belongings at the end, it made sense.
It was to leave a positive impression on him, turning hostility into friendship to prevent Chen from betraying him, or obstructing him if he didn’t get what he wanted.
On the other hand, as the leader of Hutong Street, the man must have brought quite a lot of rations with him when he fled.
It was not worth keeping the few clearly tampered Spirit Stones.
He might as well go with the flow.
Chen Dengming then went to two other locations where the luggage was hidden.
He successfully obtained one set of belongings, but an accident occurred when he accessed the second set.
This set of luggage had been tampered with by more than one person who had all died because of the Gu poison from the Spirit-stone Gu.
Chen Dengming frowned and walked around two corpses buried in the accumulated snow, picking up his Spirit Stones scattered all over the ground.
Upon careful count, a few were missing.
However, the two Spirit-stone Gu were still clutched in the hands of the two dead bodies.
“Daoist friend…”
The Mini Array Spirit suddenly slightly vibrated at his waist.
The moment Chen Dengming’s gaze flickered and he was about to retreat, a very faint sound of a windbreaker suddenly came.
He was prepared and sidestepped rapidly to avoid it.
He swung his sword at random, and it clashed against the invader’s magic artifact with a ‘clang.’ The impact brought about gusts of cyclonic wind, causing Chen Dengming’s clothing to flutter and rustle loudly.
“Third-level Qi Cultivator!”
The face of the attacker from the dark changed, and he immediately tried to retreat.
But he saw Chen Dengming casually throw his sword.
Under the control of the Control Device Tactic, it immediately transformed into a streak of cold light, drawing a beautiful arc in the sky beyond the ordinary, piercing through a large tree and heading straight for the attacker.
The attacker shouted loudly, and an ancient bell suddenly appeared outside his body, blocking the flying sword in an instant.
It set off a deep and muffled sound of thunder that was heard far and near.
“Boom!
——”
The golden ancient bell cracked a bit, but also managed to deflect the flying sword.
However, in that instant, a shadow rushed past the small gap.
With a flutter of its thin, moth-like wings, it pounced on the attacker.
“Ah!
——”
A scream began, only to be abruptly cut short.
Chen Dengming’s face was calm, and he floated over.
From behind his hat, his gaze watched the middle-aged man who had fallen to the ground.
His neck and face were bitten to a ghastly black, and he was breathing his last.
He was also a third-level Qi Cultivator, it was no wonder he dared to use a body and Spirit Stones as bait for ‘hunting’.
Unfortunately, he ran into Chen Dengming, a monster who was about to reach the fourth level of Qi Cultivation and had deadly weapons like Gu worms.
Loose Cultivators, let alone pets like Gu Worms, rarely have magic artifacts.
Chen Dengming looked around and vaguely sensed a presence in the distance, which quickly dispersed, as if retreating in fear.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he quickly collected the items on the ground, summoned the Blood Centipede and the Golden Silkworm, which had been feeding on the spiritual energy in the cultivator’s blood, and quickly left.
The sky was heavily snowing, and many ordinary people were freezing and starving to death.
Many cultivators, forced by the threat of demonic beasts, were struggling to survive in the wild.
Some even took advantage of the chaos to harm others.
But who can be certain, who is the hunter and who is the prey?
Chen Dengming didn’t want to be a hunter, nor did he want to become prey.
After taking his cultivation resources, he quickly returned to the valley.
This time, he decided not to go out until he had exhausted all his resources through cultivation…
…
…
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