"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Ding Fan disagreed and directly refused everyone: "The quantity of Crimson Flame Bodhi is too small. The more times we go to Daozhen City, the more likely we are to be exposed. I suggest we wait until we have around ten thousand pieces before we go sell them. Besides, I think once we have enough Black Obsidian, we can buy some Tigertooth Apes. With them, the safety of Xinkai Island will be assured!"
"Tigertooth Apes?"
Wu Qingxia murmured softly to herself, and her eyes brightened as she said to everyone: "Yes, we currently don't lack Black Obsidian. The most important thing right now is to ensure the island's safety. Once that's secured, Black Obsidian can continuously be cultivated."
In the past, Ding Fan and Wu Qingxia didn't dare to consider it, after all, Tigertooth Apes were too expensive, raising them would waste Black Obsidian. But now things were different. Since they could earn over ninety thousand Black Obsidian in a matter of days, why not buy them?
After Wu Qingxia discussed this with a group of elders, all of them widened their eyes. With a considerable number of Tigertooth Apes, they would become an invincible presence in this region, as long as Moon Mist Island and those families above Fourth Grade didn't attack them, they wouldn't be at risk.
In Tianmu Sea, there's a rule established by Daozhen Zun, which states that no power should or is allowed to attack forces two grades below them.
Simply put, Fourth Grade powers shouldn't attack forces below Second Grade, and Third Grade forces shouldn't attack First Grade forces.
Xinkai Island currently barely qualifies as a Second Grade power, while Moon Mist Island is a Fourth Grade family. According to the rules, they can't attack the Skeleton Sect on Xinkai Island. Of course, rules are inflexible, but human thoughts are lively. If Moon Mist Island truly wanted to destroy the Skeleton Sect, it'd be a trivial matter. With just one order, any strong individual from a Third Grade family would immediately act, and countless Third Grade powers could easily wipe out the Skeleton Sect without leaving a trace.
However, unless the Skeleton Sect provokes trouble, courting death by antagonizing people from Moon Mist Island, why would those influential individuals on the island allow attacks on the Skeleton Sect? After all, if such a thing were to spread across Tianmu Sea, the real humiliation would be for the family on Moon Mist Island.
Thus, the real danger to the Skeleton Sect comes from the Tie Family. It's known that the Skeleton Sect has robbed Tie Family Island's business, cutting off its financial road and lifeblood. The survival of Tie Family Island depends on the Crimson Flame Bodhi. As soon as this high-quality Crimson Flame Bodhi from Xinkai Island enters the market, Tie Family's income will sharply decline. Then Tie Hualong will try everything to find out what has caused this situation. With thorough investigation, someday the secret of the Skeleton Sect will be discovered.
Once the secret of the Skeleton Sect is uncovered, war will inevitably break out, even if Tie Hualong is loyal, those who killed people of the Tie Family won't let it go.
Anyone capable of being in Tianmu Sea would hardly be a good person.
Even the Second Elder doesn't believe in eternal friends and enemies, only eternal interests. Now the existence of the Skeleton Sect means Tie Family no longer has profits.
At this time, quickly cultivating strong individuals and strengthening the power of the Skeleton Sect is the top priority and cannot be delayed.
The Second Elder and others discussed and quickly made a decision: temporarily stop selling Crimson Flame Bodhi, grow it to a certain quantity, and then take it to Daozhen Trade Firm for sale in one go. Then buy back a batch of Tigertooth Apes. Once the Tigertooth Apes return, they won't fear the secret of the Skeleton Sect being revealed, even if Tie Family Island discovers their secret, they won't be afraid.
In the following days, the Skeleton Sect continued cultivating Crimson Flame Bodhi Fruit, and Ding Fan continued practicing. The Second Elder kept heading to Tie Family Island, crying out for lack of resources, while Tie Haijiao occasionally came to Xinkai Island, his purpose simple: to court Wu Qingxia!
Tie Haijiao has recently increased his visits to Xinkai Island, becoming more apparent in his intentions, clearly wanting Wu Qingxia to be his wife.
Wu Qingxia is currently the leader of the Skeleton Sect. If she were to marry Tie Haijiao, the Skeleton Sect would naturally follow the Tie family name. Needless to say, the Tie family's plans are quite ambitious.
The Skeleton Sect still has more than ten individuals at the Divine Realm Second Level, with two at the Divine Realm Second Level Peak, which constitutes good combat strength. The key is that the Skeleton Sect used to be a Third Grade power, having operated in the Northern Wastelands' Great Python Mountain area for so many years, certainly having some special resources like high-level martial skills and special Secret Techniques, which Tie Hualong is quite interested in.
Swallowing the Skeleton Sect has been the established policy since the Skeleton Sect tribe came to seek aid.
However, this matter cannot be rushed, as Tie Hualong cares about his reputation, fearing that too much pressure or too extreme methods could backfire, leading the entire Skeleton Sect to fight the Tie family desperately, making matters difficult.
Hence, Tie Haijiao has been quite diligent recently, always bringing some unique Tianmu Sea fruit to please Wu Qingxia, hoping to convince her to agree to the marriage.
If it were in the past, Wu Qingxia might have considered it, having to establish some relationship with Tie Haijiao for the Skeleton Sect's future development, seeking benefits from the Tie family.
But now the Skeleton Sect isn't short of Black Obsidian, no need to beg the Tie family. Wu Qingxia's thoughts are firm. Whenever Tie Haijiao comes, she is warm to guests and friendly in attitude, willing to talk about anything but emotions.
Half a month later, the second batch of Crimson Flame Bodhi was ready, and the first batch of Skeleton Sect family members rescued from Great Python Mountain also arrived, including a child with special inheritance and family members of both the Skeleton Sect and Wu Family.
The Skull Clan has thousands of women and children, and this batch alone numbered six to seven hundred people. When they arrived at Xinkai Island, the island became lively instantly. Many well-trained children were sent over, bringing hope to both the Skeleton Sect and Wu Family people. These children are the reserve force for the future development and growth of the Skeleton Sect.
Seeing the Skeleton Sect suddenly bring so many people, the Tie Family members were instead pleased. With so many elderly, women, and children coming at once, they were happy. With this many people, the Skull Clan cannot escape, and with so many mouths to feed, wouldn't the Skull Clan have to obediently listen to the Tie Family in the future?
Ding Fan did not bother with these matters, but every few days he would go to the valley and throw his bone pendant into the blood pool to enhance the composition of the blood.
Besides this, he exerted all his efforts in cultivation, consuming Yuan Multiplying Pills like water. His previous realm was the Divine Realm Second Level Elementary Stage, but due to the Sirius legacy, he could kill at a higher level. However, his foundation was still too weak.
The cultivation with Yuan Multiplying Pills was indeed gratifying. After nearly a month, his power was nearing the threshold to break through to the Divine Realm Second Level Intermediate Stage. If he reached that stage, plus the support of the Legacy Warrior, he could leap to kill cultivators at the Divine Realm Third Level Elementary Stage.
However, what troubled Ding Fan was Sirius. This fellow had consumed a lot of amethyst ore. Its body shape remained unchanged, but recently its spirit was excellent and it stopped sleeping daily.
Since it didn't sleep, it had to play, right? Ding Fan was afraid of injuries and refused to let it leave the castle.
Sirius was bored, so it sought out Ding Fan for entertainment, scratching here and biting there, preventing Ding Fan from meditating. Ding Fan was quite troubled, rebuked it twice, making Sirius sulk in the corner, looking pitiful.
Under such circumstances, Ding Fan had no better solution, so he moved out of the stone castle where he had been living.
He built a small house on a small hill at the north of the Crimson Flame Bodhi Canyon, named "Tieling." Nobody lived there, and Tieling housed many animals called stone rabbits. The place was fairly large, with a big river and a few fishes and shrimps. Typically isolated from people, it allowed Sirius to run freely, catch stone rabbits and fish and shrimp in the river to play with them, sparing him from disturbance.
Ding Fan usually cultivated quietly in the castle, not interacting with the Skull Clan people. Hence, his cultivation had little impact on the Skull Clan. Yet he went to the valley every few days to change the blood pool's blood.
Regarding Ding Fan's blood enhancement secret technique, the Second Elder approached Wu Qingxia several times, urging her to find a way to obtain it, even if it meant stooping low.
After all, this matter was the Skull Clan's lifeline. It would be safer in Wu Qingxia's hands. What if Ding Fan suddenly left?
Wu Qingxia knew well there's no secret technique other than the beast bone pendant left by Xia Mengqing to Ding Fan. However, that beast bone pendant held significant meaning for Chi Fan. How could Ding Fan hand it over to the Skull Clan?
Sirius seemed extremely happy to be in Tieling. Although Ding Fan warned it not to leave Tieling and to return immediately upon seeing people, it still felt very excited, spending days running, chasing stone rabbits rampantly throughout the valley.
Half a month later, Ding Fan's inner strength was sufficient to reach the Divine Realm Second Level Intermediate Stage. He emerged from seclusion. The Skull Clan was no longer lacking black obsidian and could buy plenty of medicine pills. He wouldn't have to endure pain foolishly like before to break through to the Divine Realm Second Level Intermediate Stage.
He sought out Sirius, headed for the Skull Clan headquarters, intending to ask Wu Qingxia for some medicine pills to prepare for his breakthrough. However, he couldn't find Wu Qingxia in the Skull Clan headquarters. After some inquiries, he learned that Tie Haijiao had visited again, and Wu Qingxia accompanied him to play in the south of Xinkai Island.
This matter of acquiring medicine pills made Ding Fan uneasy to ask the Second Elder. Upon learning Wu Qingxia had accompanied Tie Haijiao twenty miles away from the main hall, he decided to find her. With his current speed, he'd find them within just a few minutes.
He strode toward their direction, intending to talk to Wu Qingxia, explain things, then return to the hill to continue his cultivation.
After less than a half-hour walk, he was nearing the place when suddenly a person rushed forward and, upon seeing Ding Fan, immediately yelled.
This was someone from the Skull Clan. Ding Fan recognized him and remembered his name was Gui Wu. He frowned, "Gui Wu, what's the matter?"
The man ran over at the fastest speed, out of breath. After several breaths, he said to Ding Fan, "Young Master Ding, hurry over there; something's wrong, Tie Haijiao seems to be using force on the Sect Master!"
Ding Fan's expression immediately chilled. In the Skull Clan, Wu Qingxia was his only friend and had previously helped him. Their relationship was delicate now; how could he watch Wu Qingxia encounter trouble?
At this moment, his inner strength operated at its limit. He held Gui Wu and asked him to lead the way while racing forward and inquiring about the situation.
Ding Fan's physical strength was terrifying, carrying a person without affecting his traveling speed. Gui Wu quickly explained the matter and directed Ding Fan.
Today, Tie Haijiao had brought several underlings to find Wu Qingxia, saying he wanted to see the scenery on Xinkai Island. Tie Haijiao had become a frequent visitor recently, so the Skull Clan people paid no attention. Although Wu Qingxia didn't want to go in her heart, she couldn't offend the Tie Family, so reluctantly went with Tie Haijiao, but hadn't expected trouble to arise.
