Chapter 153: Chapter 152: Flame Spirit Gold Water
The incident involving Wen Qingye and Lu Fangliang grew larger and larger, gradually spiraling out of control. Legends of the Blood-clothed Swordsman and the Ice Divine Spear spread like wildfire through the streets.
People were used to hearing about bloody struggles after an auction, but this was the first time anyone had heard of someone daring to rob the Divine Wind Auction House itself.
The audacity of those two was unbelievable. After all, an entire country backed the Divine Wind Auction House.
Rumors also circulated that the Blood-clothed Swordsman had been grievously wounded and died a miserable death. The people of the Divine Wind Country naturally believed this without a doubt. Considering how severe Wen Qingye’s injuries were at the time, no one would have believed he was still alive.
The people of Divine Wind Country, for their part, spared no effort in their search for Lu Fangliang, but he had long since vanished.
The matter slowly faded from the public eye. After all, the Divine Wind Auction House in Qiyang City was merely the smallest one established by the Divine Wind Country in the Celestial Martial Country. Moreover, all the top experts had been away from Qiyang City at the time, allowing the two to take advantage of the opening. The incident simply became a topic of idle gossip for the people of the Celestial Martial Country.
.......
Wen Qingye sat on the edge of a cliff, gazing at the sea of clouds, as ethereal as smoke. He sat cross-legged with the One Thought Sword resting on his knees. The Cyan Mist Sword lay beside him. With star-like eyes, Wen Qingye stared into the vast expanse before him.
A gentle breeze brushed past, making his hair dance. Wen Qingye slowly closed his eyes.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
The One Thought Sword on Wen Qingye’s knees began to hum and tremble, as if trying to resonate with the great power of the world.
An unknown amount of time passed before Wen Qingye slowly opened his eyes.
Wen Qingye looked at the One Thought Sword in his hand and sighed, "This Heavenly Dao Swordsmanship is truly difficult to comprehend. I still don’t have the slightest clue."
For countless years, Wen Qingye’s swordsmanship had been stuck at a certain level of the Heavenly Dao Swordsmanship, never breaking through or improving. Even after being reborn, he still couldn’t overcome this barrier.
By now, Wen Qingye’s injuries had mostly healed. With a little more time, he would be fully recovered. This was all thanks to the Meridian Nourishing Pill and the miraculous effects of the Longevity Technique. Otherwise, it would have taken him half a year to get better.
Wen Qingye stood up. Just then, several figures approached from a short distance away.
"I knew he’d be here cultivating! HAHAHA!" Wei Qiutong laughed as he walked over quickly.
Guu Lei also spoke up, "Strength doesn’t just come from talent; diligence is indispensable."
SHING!
Wen Qingye executed a casual, flashy flourish before smoothly sheathing his sword. He simply smiled without saying a word.
’Guu Lei is right. There’s no shortage of true chosen ones in this world, but very few ever reach the summit. Being a genius only means you have a higher starting point than others; it doesn’t guarantee anything.’
Ren Hua walked up, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said directly, "Have you heard? The Flame Spirit Gold Water in the Flame Spirit Waterfall, at the base of Fenghua Mountain, is about to erupt. The Flame Spirit Gold Water is a famed treasure on the list of the Waters of Heaven and Earth."
"I’ve heard," Wen Qingye nodded. "The Flame Spirit Gold Water is ranked 274th among the Waters of Heaven and Earth. Its value lies in its ability to stimulate the body’s latent potential and increase one’s cultivation. However, the average person cannot withstand its energy. It takes five days to refine even a single drop. Furthermore, once it appears, it cannot be stored in large quantities. So, although it’s only ranked 274th, the Flame Spirit Gold Water is more precious than some of the Waters of Heaven and Earth ranked in the top one hundred."
Hearing Wen Qingye’s words, the three of them looked at him in surprise. They hadn’t expected him to be so knowledgeable about the Flame Spirit Gold Water.
Wei Qiutong clapped his hands and said with a laugh, "I didn’t expect you to have researched it so thoroughly. It seems you’ve already made preparations for the eruption at Fenghua Mountain’s Flame Spirit Waterfall."
"That’s good. Then you should also know that not much Flame Spirit Gold Water erupts at a time, and it only happens once every three days. Everyone will be waiting at the foot of the Flame Spirit Waterfall. As a group of newcomers, we won’t have an advantage over the senior Inner Courtyard disciples. That’s why we plan to team up."
After Ren Hua finished speaking, he stared intently at Wen Qingye. Of everyone present, Wen Qingye had the highest cultivation and strength. If he agreed, their chances would increase significantly.
"Alright."
Wen Qingye didn’t refuse. When the Flame Spirit Gold Water erupted, there would be many senior disciples, and he could use some help. Besides, these three hadn’t complained to him when their cultivation resources were withheld, which suggested they were trustworthy people.
"Excellent! With you on our side, I think we’ll be able to gain something this time," Wei Qiutong said, overjoyed.
Wen Qingye’s strength was not to be underestimated. On Duyun Mountain, he had first defeated Wang Chong and then single-handedly thwarted four other experts from Duyun Mountain, which was a clear testament to his formidable power.
Ren Hua nodded, then suddenly remembered something and said with concern, "By the way, I heard that Wang Chong has broken through to the Refining Spirit Realm. In the Inner Courtyard, he’s notorious for being vengeful over the smallest slight and incredibly narrow-minded. I’m afraid that when the time comes..."
"It’s only the Refining Spirit Realm," Wen Qingye said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, the three of them could feel the profound confidence radiating from the corner of Wen Qingye’s smile. For some reason, they all felt an inexplicable trust in him. It was as if he was meant to possess such self-assurance.
Wei Qiutong said indignantly, "That Wang Chong just got lucky. A few days ago, he and Yann Xiangyang’s group discovered a Hundred Spirits Fruit in the Hundred Break Mountains. Everyone fought for it, but Duyun Mountain clearly had more experts than Cliff Mountain—three or four of them were in the Refining Spirit Realm. In the end, Duyun Mountain seized the Hundred Spirits Fruit, which is how Wang Chong managed to break through."
"Competing with Yann Xiangyang?" Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh.
Wei Qiutong nodded and said with a sigh, "Yeah. Quite a few experts from both mountains were mobilized. The battle was quite a spectacle. In the end, the Cliff Mountain experts were all injured and couldn’t match those from Duyun Mountain. Yann Xiangyang had no choice but to retreat with deep resentment."
Wen Qingye shrugged, a smile on his face, but said nothing.
Guu Lei frowned. "That’s not what’s really important. I’m more interested in the recently vanished Inner Courtyard prodigy, Lu Fangliang, and this ’Ice Divine Spear.’"
Ren Hua was clearly intrigued as well. "Me too. Lately, it’s been rumored throughout the Inner Courtyard that Lu Fangliang is the Ice Divine Spear. Lu Fangliang was already a master of the spear, and his Spear Skill carried a hint of icy energy. The strangest part is that he suddenly disappeared recently. It all perfectly matches the profile of the Ice Divine Spear."
A sharp glint appeared in Guu Lei’s eyes. "The Blood-clothed Swordsman might know the Ice Divine Spear, so..."
Wei Qiutong slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "Damn it all, those two are incredible! They actually robbed the Divine Wind Auction House, killed everyone inside, and left so calmly. The only shame is that the Blood-clothed Swordsman died. I, Wei Qiutong, truly admire men like that!"
Wen Qingye stood to the side, smiling without a word. He naturally wouldn’t say anything.
....
「Celestial Martial Country, Imperial City. The Jia Family Estate.」
Jia Lu lay on his bed, staring blankly ahead. At this moment, he was like a walking corpse.
"Wen Qingye, you are truly ruthless," Jia Lu muttered, his tone thick with intense hatred and a deep sense of helplessness.
"Young Master, Young Master Wen has arrived," a maidservant said, hurrying into the room.
Jia Lu seemed not to have heard, his gaze remaining fixed on the ceiling beams.
A moment later, a young man walked in. He had bright eyes and a handsome face tinged with arrogance. Dressed in magnificent purple robes that bespoke his noble status, he entered with his brow tightly furrowed.
If anyone from the Wen Family were present, they would have recognized him instantly, for this was the hope of their family, Wen Tongyu.
Wen Tongyu’s brow furrowed as he asked, "Jia Lu, what in the world happened? You were actually crippled by Wen Qingye?"
"Yes, I was crippled by Wen Qingye," Jia Lu said, utterly dejected. "I even took an Eighth Grade pill, but it still didn’t help."
Upon hearing this, Wen Tongyu’s eyes suddenly lit up, flashing with an incredible light. "Wen Qingye?"
Unable to move, Jia Lu could only stare at the ceiling beams, his eyes lifeless. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and said, "Brother, you have to get revenge for me! I..."
Wen Tongyu was silent for a long moment before saying, "Don’t worry, I understand. As for your... condition, I will definitely find a cure for you."
