Without further ado.
With no further activity from the great pit, the Abyssal Demon Tide was declared over. The cleanup was left in the hands of Wo Yun Peak, with Celestial City Peak providing assistance.
The other seven peaks returned to Zhenyuan Hall and went their separate ways.
Fang Cheng had gained a great deal this ti. Upon returning to Canglan Cave on Demon Lion Peak, he shared a few tender monts with Ye Yan and the other won before going back into seclusion to nurture his Life Talisman.
The Resentnt Demon Bead had accumulated a massive amount of Spiritual Qi. However, because his Life Talisman was not yet sufficiently refined, his Qi Sea couldn’t accommodate any more Magical Power, preventing the energy from surging out.
Thus, the first thing he did upon his return was to nurture his Life Talisman and advance his Cultivation Realm.
The ancients once used a clever analogy to describe the growth of Magical Power: "The path of cultivation must be walked with perseverance. It is like planting a tree or raising an animal; it grows larger by the day, yet the change is imperceptible."
However, this was not the case for Fang Cheng.
Every day, he could feel his Magical Power growing and changing. This palpable progress made him feel confident and assured about his future.
Over the next few days, news of the events in the Earth Abyss spread rapidly, both within and beyond the Yinluo Sect. Even the prominent families and Loose Cultivators in the Abyssal Marsh had heard whispers that sothing major had happened in the sect’s forbidden land—that a Tier Three Demon from deep underground had nearly broken through to the surface.
And in the circles of the core disciples and Inner Sect Elders, "Suanni of the Law Enforcent Hall" beca a na that inevitably ca up in conversation whenever they gathered to visit friends and discuss the Dao.
The power displayed by this Seventh Fierce of the Law Enforcent Hall had truly stunned the Nine Peaks.
Every branch of the sect was abuzz with discussion: if they ever encountered Suanni of the Law Enforcent Hall on official business, they would have to be exceedingly careful and could not afford to offend him lightly.
「This day.」
Fang Cheng was in secluded ditation inside a private chamber in Canglan Cave when Ye Yan woke him with the sound of a Jade Chi. She entered and said, "Husband, the Sect Leader’s Daoist Child from Celestial City Peak is here. He’s waiting in the front hall to see you."
Fang Cheng nodded. "I understand. Please serve him so tea and keep him company. I’ll be there in a mont."
With that, he slowly drew in his power. The sound of a great, rushing river filled the private chamber before slowly fading away.
「A mont later.」
He walked out of the private chamber and into the front hall of the Cave Mansion, where he found Ye Yan making small talk over tea with a boy of about ten dressed in ornate robes.
The boy’s eyes were bright and his features were refined. He did his best to put on a mature air, but his youth made the attempt feel slightly odd and unnatural.
When he saw Fang Cheng erge, the boy rose and greeted him. Then, puffing out his chest, he said in a comically solemn tone, "Senior Brother Fang, you turned the tide during the battle against the demons in the Earth Abyss and rendered a great service. The Sect Leader is extrely pleased. He has specially bestowed upon you one hundred eighty thousand rit Points and ordered to oversee the transfer."
Fang Cheng cupped his fist in thanks and smiled. "My thanks to the Sect Leader. And I appreciate you making the trip, Junior Brother."
The boy took out a Jade Ruyi and had Fang Cheng present his Identity Token. With a wave of the Ruyi, he sent a streak of spiritual light into the token, instantly increasing Fang Cheng’s rit Points by a full one hundred eighty thousand!
Fang Cheng was overjoyed. He quickly asked Ye Yan to have Die’Er and Dong Qing prepare a lavish banquet of Spiritual Cuisine in the boy’s honor.
The boy had cultivated under the Sect Leader since childhood, so his innate talent and Dao Heart were naturally exceptional, and his future prospects were boundless.
’After all, hadn’t Sun Fuguo also started out as a Daoist Child back in the day?’
Fang Cheng made a point of befriending the boy, and his hospitality was so impeccable that the boy gradually dropped his proud facade and let his true, childlike nature show through.
Before his visit, the boy had assud a genius like Fang Cheng would be arrogant and aloof. To his surprise, he found Fang Cheng to be pleasant and engaging. He couldn’t help but open up, sharing many of Celestial City Peak’s secrets with him.
He said, "Brother Fang, your lineage has been led astray by Master Sun. You insist on pursuing the nigh-unreachable Life Soul and Dharma Realms, wasting precious ti. There are countless cultivators in this world, but how many can actually break through to Life Soul? Let alone the Dharma Aspect."
He paused, then sighed. "My master often says that for most cultivators in the world, ’Where there is benefit to be had, they will scale the highest mountains and plumb the deepest trenches.’ In the end, don’t people cultivate the Daoist arts for the sake of personal gain? You mustn’t mistake the ans for the end and beco a pure Ascetic Practitioner."
Fang Cheng smiled. "It sounds like you’re alluding to sothing specific, Junior Brother."
The boy lowered his voice and said, "Within the vast expanse of the Abyssal Marsh, Celestial City Peak is where all the real benefit lies."
"The Yinluo Sect’s rit Points are incredibly valuable, but my master can give them to whover he wishes, in whatever amount he wishes!"
"And besides that, is there a single hall on any of the other eight peaks that doesn’t answer to my master?"
"Most importantly, the Yinluo Sect’s Scripture Hall, rit Pavilion, and Ancestral Hall are all on Celestial City Peak. And one of the two Fourth-rank Magical Artifacts that anchor the sect’s destiny—the Bone Daoist Palace left behind by the founding patriarch—is on Celestial City Peak as well!"
"Whether Master Sun can break through to the Life Soul realm is up to fate. But my master, with the help of the Bone Daoist Palace, can guarantee his ascension to beco the second reigning Life Soul Master in the entire Abyssal Marsh."
Fang Cheng’s mind reeled. The ’Master Sun’ the boy spoke of was, of course, Sun Fuguo, the Peak Master of Demon Lion Peak.
’Judging by the boy’s tone,’ he thought, ’it seed there had been so friction with the Celestial City Peak faction back when Sun Fuguo snatched up as his disciple.’
’Perhaps the Sect Leader of the Yinluo Sect, despite holding the most authority and resources, was no match for Sun Fuguo in terms of combat prowess, which is why he gave up on the idea of recruiting .’
’It was only today,’ Fang Cheng realized, ’that I learned the Fourth-rank Magical Artifact left by the founding patriarch was actually a Bone Daoist Palace.’
’And this Bone Daoist Palace possessed the miraculous ability to allow a Peak Life Talisman Cultivator to reliably break through to the Life Soul realm.’
’No wonder there’s never been a generational gap among the Yinluo Sect’s Life Soul Masters...’
’But as heaven-defying as this Magical Artifact was, it must have so major limitations. Otherwise, the Yinluo Sect wouldn’t be left with just a single Life Soul Cultivator.’
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