Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 480: Chapter 406: Sang Chen_2

After exchanging a few jokes, Han Yan continued:

"Junior Brother Ji contributed a lot, so this Grotto Void Stone should go to him. Junior Brother Liu, what do you think?"

"I have no objections, of course."

Liu Yu replied, acknowledging that Junior Brother Ji had single-handedly taken down three cultivators and decapitated four Black Corpses, contributing the most in battle.

Besides, obtaining the Grotto Void Stone requires figuring out how to open it, which involves additional resources.

With no disputes over the distribution, Ji An kept the Grotto Void Stone, and everyone continued inventorying their spoils.

The resources from the enemy’s storage bag were divided into four portions, with Ji An taking two and the others one each.

There were also a few Corpse Nourishing Bags, which Liu Yu took to a distant spot and burned.

The Corpse Nourishing Bags are similar to Spirit Beast Bags, but they can only nurture and store refined corpses, not other living creatures, so keeping them is a hazard.

They started chatting about their cultivation during the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stages, and before they knew it, more than two double hours had passed, and a wailing wind sounded from outside the grotto mansion.

Liu Yu had never been to this mountain range, but he stepped out of the grotto mansion for a moment to feel the bone-chilling cold, and returned smiling:

"Indeed, the Qi Mechanism is interconnected, and the Spiritual Mechanism is indistinguishable."

He put his mind at ease completely; even if cultivators from the Earth Evil Sect could find this place, tracking their traces would be like fishing for a needle in the ocean.

Han Yan said:

"Junior Brother, stay here for a few years, avoid the limelight, and then venture out. Here, you don’t need to run around while practicing Earth Eating Qi."

Liu Yu politely asked:

"Is that convenient?"

He was worried about disrupting the other’s Qi Eating practice, which would be discourteous.

"Of course it’s convenient; Junior Brother Ji doesn’t need to practice Earth Eating Qi right now, and this mountain range can support two cultivators without any issue.

Besides, this is an ownerless place anyway; even if unfamiliar cultivators come for Qi Eating, we wouldn’t drive them away."

"Thank you, Senior Sister, for facilitating this."

Liu Yu gladly accepted the kindness, seeing it as a chance to settle down for a while.

...

Inside the grotto mansion, the lamp burning Demon Beast Oil emitted an eerie blue light.

Sang Za clutched his thigh in pain. Although the severed limb was reattached, the piercing pain hit him like waves by the river, crashing repeatedly.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and his lips were pale.

The enemy’s Spiritual Artifact had burned part of the flesh and bone around his wound, now making his legs uneven in length.

Even if his injury healed, he’d be lame, and this very thought fueled his rage.

In the Southern Continent, he never imagined a cultivator wouldn’t show Earth Evil Sect due respect; accustomed to wielding power, he never considered it before.

Another wave of pain surged, causing his lips to twitch:

"Li Ergou and those useless fools, it’s been three days, and still no word. Could they have lost the target and dared not return to us?

Father, you must avenge me!"

Sang Chen’s expression was grim; a cultivator wounded his son, which was akin to slapping him in the face.

The moment he got the news, he dispatched his personal disciples to track him down.

Earth Evil Sect cultivators have special tracking Dharma Gates to trace each other’s whereabouts.

Had his son’s rescue not been more urgent, he would have pursued personally.

Hearing his son’s wails made him feel both pained and furious:

"You idiot, a Chao Origin Stage Third Transformation cultivator, with a top-grade defensive magical artifact in hand, yet you allowed yourself to be ambushed successfully. Are you trying to anger me to death?"

He regretted spoiling this child too much, as it fostered an arrogant and domineering nature.

To prevent trouble-seeking, he even gave him two Golden Core Stage talismans for protection, one offensive and one defensive, but to no avail as he lost a leg before using them.

"You’re too arrogant; reflect upon this well when you return. If the enemy you encountered days ago had been any stronger, you’d be dead!"

Sang Za wailed more miserably:

"Father, no matter my faults, I am your flesh and blood, you must avenge me."

"You don’t need to say it; your two Fourth Transformation of the Chao Origin Stage brothers will definitely kill the enemy to avenge you."

Sang Za gritted his teeth, his contorted face revealing his savageness:

"That’s too easy for him; he should be captured alive and tortured to death gradually."

"Only a fool would hold back during a fight, I’ve instructed them to bring back the enemy’s corpse.

If preserved intact, it can be used for corpse refining."

As the father and son were discussing, a voice came from outside the grotto mansion:

"Master, disciple Ahu requests an audience."

Sang Chen’s face showed a slight smile, "Your brother has returned, surely bringing good news."

He opened the Dharma Prohibition, "Come in."

"Greetings, Master."

The two tall, similar-looking cultivators spoke in unison, their ears and noses pierced with golden rings, looking quite fierce.

"Rise, is the enemy’s corpse well-preserved?"

Sang Za’s eyes burned with anger, interrupting:

"Where are Li Ergou and the others?"

Not seeing the cronies enter, and sensing no one outside the grotto mansion, he felt even more furious.

Had the others been more vigilant and fulfilled their protective duties initially, he wouldn’t have been injured!

Liu A’hu lowered his head, speaking sullenly:

"Master, I am incompetent. Abao and I tracked them to the Qianren Mountain Range, where the Qi Mechanism was chaotic, losing the trail.

We searched the mountains for two days, found no fellow disciples, nor any other clues, so we returned to report to you."

Sang Za roared in exasperation, "The place I was attacked was over eight hundred miles from Qianren Mountain Range, and Li Ergou and the others chased them that far but still couldn’t catch up!"

His emotions were so agitated that his violent movements disturbed the wound, causing him to scream like a slaughtered pig.

He was well aware of the situation in the Qianren Mountains, now hoping Li Ergou and others caught up with the enemy.

Ahu remained silent, thinking:

’You fool, being ambushed successfully, and yet you dare to blame others? Moreover, the cultivators mingling with you must surely be a bunch of misfits.’

He held disdain in his heart but showed no trace of it on his face, maintaining a respectful demeanor.

The master doted on this only son, so Ahu preferred keeping a respectful distance.

Abao’s eyes rolled a few times before he said:

"Master, I think it’d be wise to inquire at the Sect, to see if Li Ergou and the others have met with trouble."

In his view, a few fellow disciples pursuing a cultivator with depleted magical power, yet the target escaped to Qianren Mountain Range, should have had someone reporting back after a night’s time.

Since there was no news here, it was likely there had been issues already on the fellow disciples’ side.

Sang Chen’s eyes burned ominously, and he said in a deep voice:

"Later I’ll personally take a trip to the Qianren Mountain Range to see if I can find any clues.

Zha’er, carefully recall the appearance of the cultivator who ambushed you and record it in the Jade Slip, detailing any features and aura characteristics."

The enemy managing to escape into the Qianren Mountain Range essentially meant the pursuit action failed.

In that environment, surviving one night was enough for any human presence to dissipate.

Sang Za began recalling Liu Yu’s face to record in the Jade Slip, revising it dozens of times before feeling it was accurate.

He handed the Jade Slip to his father, spitting words of hatred:

"Father, if you track them down, you must capture them alive."

Sang Chen received the Jade Slip, pressing it against his forehead, imprinting the appearance into his mind, then duplicated a copy and gave his token to his disciple.

"Ahu, send a message to the Sect to inquire about Li Ergou and the others’ Soul Lamps’ status.

If my tracking fails, you two take my token and personally visit all affiliated factions of the Sect and ask for assistance in recognizing whether they know the recognizable features of this cultivator."

He couldn’t care about losing face now; he had to find the cultivator who hurt his son.

Searching merely by appearance meant many innocents may be dragged into this, but he couldn’t afford to consider this now.

After thinking it over, Sang Chen added:

"Mark down that this cultivator is a Chao Origin Stage cultivator."

"As you command," Ahu agreed.

"Father," Sang Za trembled as he spoke, "the cultivator who ambushed me, judging by the accent, wasn’t from the Southern Continent."

He understood his father wanted to unmask the target’s identity, but since the opponent wasn’t from the Southern Continent, useful information might be hard to pin down.

Sang Chen’s eyes widened sharply, slapping his son fiercely.