Chapter 100: If You Can't Beat Them, Flip the Table

Chapter 100: If You Can't Beat Them, Flip the Table

"Tell me the truth, my child."

Inside the Heavenward Sect, the sect leader stood solemnly on Zhao Yishi's shoulder, tilting his head towards him, "Did you take Ji Taiping's entry scroll?"

"Don't worry."

"Whether you took it or not, your master will never let you hand it over. If it fell into your hands, it's your fate. How could you just give it back to him because of Ji Taiping?"

"But at least let your master know if you're in the right or not?"

"I didn't take it."

Zhao Yishi, towering like a giant in the Heavenward Sect's backyard, shook his head and replied in a deep voice, "After arriving at Mountain Opening City, I ate some rabbit meat, and then White Robe brought me to Autumn Far City. I didn't take anything."

"That rabbit meat was quite delicious."

"Mhm."

The sect leader nodded in understanding. If nothing unexpected happened, the entry scroll should be in Chen Qiu's possession. After all, if it weren't for that, Chen Qiu wouldn't have needed to flee the scene.

This little one is quite kind-hearted.

Even while fleeing, he didn't forget to bring Zhao Yishi along, but with Zhao Yishi's physique, he could only escape the temple, not the monks.

After roughly understanding the situation.

The sect leader turned towards the giant formation outside the sect's main gate, where Ji Taiping stood in mid-air, and spoke in a loud voice.

"This sect leader has already asked the disciples, and they did not take your so-called entry scroll."

"This is my explanation to you."

"Even children know to report to the officials when something is lost. Go to the government office and ask them to help you find it."

"As for your request to inspect the disciples' Dao Foundation, it's absurd. Your Ji family's influence is not weak, but in recent years, only the younger generation of our Heavenward Sect has been lacking. The Supreme Elder hasn't passed away yet."

". . ."

Ji Taiping stood outside the Heavenward Sect's main gate with a sullen expression, sensing the might of the protective mountain formation. Without saying a word, he turned and left.

At this moment—

In a certain canyon in Xuzhou.

Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on a boulder, had already absorbed the remaining 59 Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and his cultivation progress had reached the 29% of the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. He then turned his attention to the over two hundred people locked up in the disciple dormitory within his small world.

By nightfall today.

This group of people would produce a large number of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills again.

Liu Zide's plan was truly excellent. Even with an abundance of spirit stones, one could only set up an array to gather spiritual energy and accelerate the absorption rate. It was definitely not as fast as the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in increasing cultivation speed.

With so many Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, he could significantly speed up his cultivation progress.

This had given him a sliver of security.

Waiting for nightfall.

With the remaining batch of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, he could break through to the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage.

At this time, Fat Dragon caught several plump yellow fish from the stream and grilled them over the campfire, turning them constantly. The aroma of charred meat wafted through the air, making their mouths water.

Chen Qiu didn't hesitate.

He paused his cultivation, glanced at the sunlight obscured by the clouds, stood up, and sat by the campfire. He picked up a piece of fish, blew on it to cool it down, and then put it in his mouth.

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu, who had only intended to taste the grilled fish, was surprised as the fish entered his mouth. The fish was silky smooth, and its rich meat burst with a slightly charred and spicy flavor on his tongue.

It was truly delicious.

He had tasted Fat Dragon's grilled rabbit before, and the flavor was just average, barely edible.

The deliciousness of this fish had nothing to do with Fat Dragon's cooking skills; it was purely because the yellow fish had such tender meat.

"How is it?"

Fat Dragon, feeling quite proud, picked up a yellow fish pierced by a branch and took a big bite before saying in a daze, "The yellow fish in this stream must be so big because there's no human activity nearby. Each one is huge."

"And there are no bones, just sprinkle some seasoning, and the taste is beyond words. It's perfect."

"Indeed."

Chen Qiu nodded and was about to take another bite when he suddenly noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a yellow fish in the stream leaping out of the water vigorously.

Once, twice, three times.

As if it knew no fatigue.

This peculiar sight also caught Chen Qiu's attention. He walked to the stream, squatted down, and carefully observed the yellow fish. Its scales were extremely beautiful, a mix of yellow and some milky white.

Not a single scale was damaged, making it a truly rare, plump yellow fish.

After Chen Qiu approached the stream, the yellow fish stopped leaping out of the water and started swimming upstream, straight into the stream's current. But after not going far, it returned to Chen Qiu, leaped out of the water again, and then swam upstream once more.

After four or five times.

Chen Qiu understood and raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Can a yellow fish have spiritual intelligence? I feel like this fish is guiding us upstream."

"Is that so?"

Fat Dragon, squatting beside him, smacked his lips, "I think it's telling us that it's the fattest and tastiest, and it wants us to eat it first."

"Scholar, where does this stream come from?"

"Upstream is groundwater from the mountains. I'm not sure beyond that."

"Let's go and see. Scholar, you stay here, and your brother will come with me." Chen Qiu felt that the little yellow fish was leading them somewhere, and combined with the legend of a fish leaping over a dragon gate, he felt it might lead to some kind of adventure.

It would be a pity to miss it.

With the scholar's brother, even if they encountered danger, they could return instantly.

Thus, the three of them followed the little fish upstream, soon reaching a small waterfall about three to four feet high, not even as tall as a person, within the canyon. Below the waterfall was a pitch-black pool.

The yellow fish leaped out of the water in front of them, splashed once, and then swam straight into the depths of the pool, wagging its tail.

The group exchanged glances.

Chen Qiu released his spiritual energy, enveloping Fat Dragon and the others, and then slowly dove into the water, following the little yellow fish to the bottom of the pool to investigate. The spiritual energy would isolate the pool water, ensuring their ability to breathe?

They continued their descent, and after a period of time equivalent to the burning of several incense sticks, they had already traveled a considerable distance from the water's surface. The little yellow fish seemed to feel no pressure at all and continued to swim deeper by wagging its tail.

The underwater visibility was exceptionally clear.

However, at this depth, there was no light at all, and the surroundings were illuminated solely by the light emitted from their spiritual energy. Chen Qiu didn't feel much pressure; his spiritual energy was sufficient for him to sleep down here for a while.

The rate of spiritual energy consumption was even lower than what he experienced during the automatic rotation and recovery of his Celestial Path Foundation Establishment cultivation.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Chen Qiu began to feel a slight stuffiness in his chest. They had descended several hundred zhang deep, yet they still hadn't reached the bottom. Just as he was considering retreating, he finally saw the bottom. The little yellow fish turned into a nearby cave.

It was a somewhat cramped cave.

However, it was still wide enough for the three of them to pass side by side.

It seemed like this place led to an underground river.

Chen Qiu, who had already considered retreating, decided to follow once again. This time, after a short while, approximately the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he had passed through numerous winding and complex caves at the bottom of the pool.

After he passed through the last underwater cave wall passage...

Suddenly, everything before their eyes became clear!

Chen Qiu and the others emerged from the water's surface into a massive natural underground cave. The cave's ceiling was adorned with bizarrely shaped stalactites, each with its unique and mysterious form. At a glance, the cave seemed large enough to accommodate an entire small village.

Breathing here was also effortless, indicating that the cave was connected to the outside world, although the exact location of the passage remained unknown.

"Wow!"

Fat Dragon exclaimed in awe as he surveyed the surroundings, "This scenery is like nothing I've ever seen before. Cultivating here would be so discreet; no one would ever find us."

His voice echoed, reverberating in their ears.

At this moment, Chen Qiu noticed that the little yellow fish had disappeared without a trace. It seemed that the fish had led them to this place, but what made it so special?

He carefully examined the cave.

It was a pure and pristine cave, devoid of any signs of human activity or artificial carvings. It was indeed like a paradise, but what did this have to do with a fortuitous encounter?

Just then—

From the distant cave passage, voices of conversation and scattered footsteps gradually grew louder as they approached.

"Those fellow disciples who went to the Poisonous Thunder Swamp a few days ago all died, and the murderer hasn't been found yet. Even the Poisonous Thunder Old Ghost, who was at the Golden Core Stage like our Sect Leader, is dead."

"Who in Xuzhou could have silently killed a Golden Core cultivator?"

"Could it be those reclusive old monsters?"

"That's highly unlikely. The Sect Leader said that those reclusive old monsters have all entered closed-door cultivation, leaving only a thread of spiritual energy to sustain their lives. They are not doing anything else that consumes spiritual energy, just waiting for a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. It's unlikely that those old monsters would take action."

"That's true. It's really strange."

Soon—

Four or five disciples wearing the sect's standard robes emerged from a narrow passage beside the cave and entered the cave. They chatted casually while carefully knocking down a stalactite that had fallen from the cave's ceiling. Then, they retraced their steps and left.

After the disciples left...

Fat Dragon and the others reappeared from the small world.

Chen Qiu gazed thoughtfully at the departing figures of the disciples. He was surprised to realize that this cave was actually part of the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's territory, and it was so close to them.

The Ten Thousand Toxins Sect was not a small sect; it ranked 78th on the sect rankings, which was quite high, even surpassing the Heavenward Sect.

However, none of that mattered.

What was important was that while in the small world, he had witnessed the disciples of the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect carefully knocking down the stalactites from the cave's ceiling and taking one with them. Although he didn't know what it was, their cautious and solemn demeanor suggested that it wasn't an ordinary item.

"Hehe."

Chen Qiu laughed and waved his hand, "Let's pack it up!"

Within the time it takes to burn several incense sticks, the cave, which was once filled with stalactites, was now completely empty. Even the newly formed stalactite with a sharp tip was knocked down and packed away by them, and they had collected over two hundred stalactites in total.

Just as they were about to explore the surroundings for more heavenly materials and treasures...

"Damn it!!"

Perhaps their actions had triggered a seal, as a terrifying aura of a Golden Core cultivator rapidly approached the cave from a distance. Without hesitation, Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon grabbed the scholar's younger brother's shoulders.

The next instant, the three of them disappeared from their original spot.

A red-haired middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the cave, floating in mid-air. He glared at the cave, which had been thoroughly ransacked, and roared furiously, "Damn it! Damn it!!"

"Whoever dares to trespass into the forbidden grounds of the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect and steal our sect's century-old accumulation, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth once I discover your identity!"

No matter who the culprit was, since they had taken the "Dragon Vein Stone," they would surely appear in the Heaven's Pride Ranking Competition, and the truth would be revealed then!

"Dragon Vein Stone?"

The scholar looked at the pile of stalactites that Chen Qiu had taken out, his face filled with disbelief. "A single one of these is a supreme treasure for forging spiritual artifacts. Just adding one to the forging process allows your spiritual energy to flow more smoothly within the artifact."

"And it strengthens the connection between you and the artifact."

"For example, I can still maintain a spiritual energy connection with Qingfeng even if he's hundreds of li away. This is because a Dragon Vein Stone was added during the forging of Qingfeng."

"And you have hundreds of them here."

"Although only nine are fully mature, the rest were still in a seedling state when they were uprooted. They still have some effect, just not as strong. The growth environment for this genius-level treasure, the Dragon Vein Stone, is extremely demanding."

"It must be located on a dragon vein, and that dragon vein must be immersed in underground water. Only after years of collision between sha qi and the positive energy of the dragon vein can it be born."

"This mature Dragon Vein Stone requires three hundred years to form."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu's face turned slightly odd as he turned around and looked at the stream behind him, "It's so rare, I followed that yellow fish all the way, and then I found so many of them."

". "

Even the scholar fell silent, turning his head to look at the stream. Was that yellow fish really a lucky encounter? He had lived there for a long time before, but why didn't the little yellow fish guide him then?

Moreover, why would the little yellow fish bring lucky encounters to Brother Qiu?

It had just eaten quite a few of its clan members, and now it was treating its clan's enemy so well?

After a long silence, the scholar spoke softly, "Brother Qiu, this is your opportunity. Since you have this opportunity, it means that your trip to the capital is inevitable."

"I'm not going."

Chen Qiu shook his head firmly, "No Golden Core, no stepping into the capital, this is a rule. Opportunities come and go, but life is only one."

"This opportunity may not always be there."

The scholar's face was filled with complexity as he explained, "Why are the younger generation so eager for the Heaven's Pride Ranking? Aside from the Heavenly Blessing rewards and fame, the most important thing is the reward given when the Heaven's Pride Ranking is finalized."

"The Heaven's Pride Ranking is finalized and a new ranking begins at the end of each year."

"It is updated annually."

"In a few days, it will be the first day of the new year, which is the time for the Sect Ranking, Heaven's Pride Ranking, and other rankings to be refreshed and finalized."

"On this day."

"The Heaven's Pride gathered in the capital will enter a special Celestial Path Secret Realm. Only cultivators under the age of 50 and above the first layer of Foundation Establishment can enter this secret realm."

"Within the secret realm, various trials and challenges will determine the top three positions on the Heaven's Pride Ranking for the new year."

"After the ranking is finalized, it will remain fixed for the entire year unless someone in the top ranks unexpectedly dies; otherwise, the rankings will not change."

"And after the ranking is finalized."

"Those who rank within the top thousand on the Heaven's Pride Ranking will receive Heavenly Blessings, and the top three will have the opportunity to receive a Heavenly Treasure."

"In simple terms, you provide the materials for forging a Spirit Treasure, and then the Celestial Path will help you forge a Spirit Treasure that is most suitable for you."

"This Spirit Treasure is known as a Heavenly Dao Artifact."

"Even the peak Artificers of Great Xia cannot create such effects. It perfectly matches your personal characteristics and is a Spirit Treasure that can grow with you, accompanying your cultivation and enhancing as you progress."

A trace of indulgence appeared on the scholar's face as he looked down at the miniature longsword in his sleeve, "This Qingfeng of mine is a Heavenly Dao Artifact, and it has a strong spiritual consciousness."

"The Dragon Vein Stone is a rare Heavenly Material, and you mentioned that you haven't found a suitable Spirit Treasure for your cultivation, right?"

"This Heaven's Pride Ranking is your opportunity, Brother Qiu. With your abilities, securing a spot in the top three should be no problem."

"Top three?"

Chen Qiu frowned and remained silent. This Heavenly Dao Artifact was indeed very attractive to him. Although he had decided not to pursue the Golden Core or step into the capital, he did need a Spirit Treasure that was especially suitable for him.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Is the selection for the Heaven's Pride Ranking held within the Celestial Path Secret Realm, not on some arena?"

"No."

"Can the Golden Core old monsters interfere with matters within the Celestial Path Secret Realm?"

"No, but the Celestial Path Secret Realm used for selecting the Heaven's Pride can be observed from the outside."

Chen Qiu nodded, indicating his understanding. The winter solstice had just passed a few days ago, and in seven days, it would be the new year, which meant there were still seven days until the start of the Heaven's Pride Ranking.

After some hesitation, he raised his head and looked at the scholar.

"Let's depart."

At night, during the hour of the boar.

In a side city named 'Daming City' near the capital of Capital State, in a private room of a brothel called 'Apricot Flower Pavilion'.

Chen Qiu sat by the window, overlooking the bustling and prosperous streets below. From time to time, he could hear the madam's shouting and the girls' laughter from downstairs. He casually picked up a roasted peanut from the table and popped it into his mouth.

He chewed slowly, savoring the taste.

Then he picked up a cup of clear liquor and took a small sip, the spicy sensation soothing his mood. Outside the window, the city was filled with the lively voices of vendors hawking their goods, creating an atmosphere of vibrant life.

The scholar sat directly across from him, a smile on his face as he also looked down at the scene below.

At this moment, only the two of them were in the private room.

Fat Dragon and the scholar's brother had gone out to gather information, with Fat Dragon responsible for intelligence gathering and the scholar's brother for making a quick escape if needed.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

The madam entered with a playful smile, waving her handkerchief. Behind her, seven or eight girls followed in a line, standing in front of Chen Qiu and the scholar with their hands clasped in front of them, their movements synchronized, and their voices filled with allure.

"Greetings to the two young masters."

"How are they?"

The madam looked at Chen Qiu and the scholar with eager eyes, "These girls are all from the capital, and each of them has a hundred skills. Many officials and nobles come here to indulge in the pleasures of the mortal world. What do you think, young masters?"

The scholar, sitting cross-legged on the chair, had a slightly flushed face. He turned his head towards the window and coldly snorted.

"Red Powder Skeletons."

"As a Sword Cultivator, no matter how many Red Powder Skeletons I see, my sword will only become harder."

Chen Qiu picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth. After finishing the cup of liquor in his hand, he propped up his cheeks and turned his head to scan each of the seven or eight girls, then waved his hand dismissively.

"Change them."

"Okay."

Soon, the madam led another group of girls into the room.

"How about these?"

". "

Chen Qiu, expressionless, took out several Spirit Stones from his pocket and threw them over, "Aren't these the same girls from before? Just changing their clothes doesn't make me not recognize them. Bring some real top-notch girls."

The madam's face showed no embarrassment, and her eyes lit up as she picked up the Spirit Stones from the ground and tucked them into her chest, then she excitedly said, "Understood, understood."

"This time, Madam only brought in three."

"But each one is a top-tier celestial beauty in the eyes of mortals, whether it's their temperament or fashion sense, they are the best of the best."

"Young Master, what about this time?"

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and waved his hand, "Let's keep all three of them."

"The one on the far left, take my brother to the side room. He's a bit shy, so you take the initiative."

"Brother Qiu!"

The scholar, who had been pretending to remain calm, could no longer hold back his seriousness, "I am a Sword Cultivator! Sword Cultivators do not indulge in mortal pleasures!"

"Not indulge in mortal pleasures?"

Chen Qiu shook his head, "I don't understand Sword Cultivators, but you've been crippled for so many years, and you must be feeling frustrated. As your Sect Master, it's my duty to help you release some of that frustration."

With some reluctance, the scholar was led by the tall girl on the left into the side room of the private room, his neck turning slightly red.

"Keep these two, I have two more brothers coming later, and I'll give them to them."

"Then..."

Madam tentatively asked, "Young Master, aren't you going to join in the fun?"

"I do not indulge in mortal pleasures."

"Oh."

Madam, understanding the situation, closed the door and left.

"Do you play any instruments?"

Chen Qiu tilted his head, holding a wine cup as he glanced at the two girls in the private room, asking casually.

Both girls wore light silk skirts, the one on the left in pink and the other in rose red. Their faces were naturally exquisite, and even their movements carried a hint of shyness, making them appear like innocent young ladies.

"Yes, I can also dance. Would you like to watch, Young Master?"

"Watch."

Soon, the girl in the pink skirt sat on a high chair, cradling a pipa, her face filled with sorrow as she sang softly while gazing out the window. The other girl in the rose-red dress danced gracefully in the dimly lit room.

Her dance was very graceful.

Chen Qiu's thoughts began to wander as he tilted his head to look out the window at the bustling street. He didn't know what he was thinking, but he felt a sense of tranquility, similar to the peace he had experienced by the creek in the canyon.

It was a tranquility, yet not quite the same.

Just then—

The scholar's brother emerged from the side room with a blank expression, followed by Fat Dragon, who looked embarrassed. Behind them, the scholar's angry scolding could be heard.

"I told you not to misuse your Entry."

Fat Dragon awkwardly tugged at the scholar's brother's clothes, "Your brother needs his personal space too. We can just walk back, it's not that far. Don't scare your brother, it would be a sin if you ruin his mood."

The scholar's brother remained silent, standing expressionless by the side.

Fat Dragon didn't say anything further and quickly ran over to Chen Qiu's side, pulling out a large piece of parchment from his pocket, "Brother Qiu, the names written here are all strong contenders for the top three spots in the competition. They pose a serious threat to you."

Chen Qiu waved his hand, indicating for the two girls to go to the side room and wait, before frowning at the list on the parchment.

"So many names?"

"There must be seventy or eighty of them."

"Yes."

Fat Dragon nodded helplessly, "Brother Qiu, although your cultivation has been improving rapidly, you're only at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment Stage. This time, there are even several Heaven's Pride Cultivators with Golden Core Stage cultivation among the competitors."

"Plus, there are many Heaven's Pride Cultivators with cultivation at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment Stage and above."

"Most of the Heaven's Pride Cultivators' information is hard to come by, and only a few have their Entries available."

"For example, the true disciple of the Puppet Sect is considered by the outside world to be a strong contender for the top ten spots. He practices a rare and long-lost Puppet Cultivation Technique."

"Using the blood and flesh of demonic beasts and malevolent spirits, he fuses various heavenly materials to create powerful puppet constructs."

"He controls these puppets with his spiritual energy, making them fight for him."

"It's rumored that he has prepared a large number of genius treasures, aiming to win one of the top three spots and craft a Celestial Dao Artifact puppet for himself."

"He can control the puppets from a distance with his spiritual energy or sit inside the puppet to directly control its actions."

"The puppet is crafted from the extremely rare Black Radiant Stone, which can absorb a significant amount of damage from spells, making it one of your most formidable opponents, Brother Qiu. It's a particularly challenging match-up for you."

"All the information is here, but these are mostly public knowledge. Others can find out the same information, and there are just too many people gathering intelligence. There's not much secret information available."

"Take a look, Brother Qiu."

Chen Qiu didn't speak further, waving for Fat Dragon and the two girls to go to the side room and entertain themselves. Then, he frowned as he looked at the stack of intelligence Fat Dragon had handed over.

Indeed, the competition was fierce.

Each Heaven's Pride Cultivator on this list had the full support of their sect and family, and none of them were weak. Their Entries were well-matched and complementary.

In this situation, Chen Qiu felt that even with his Self-Destruct Entry, breaking into the top twenty would be challenging.

He didn't have that many Entries to use for self-destruction.

There were only seven days left until the official start of the competition.

In these seven days, he should be able to raise his cultivation to the seventh or eighth layer of Foundation Establishment Stage using the Celestial Path Cultivation Pill. With his Thunder Summoning Art and the newly learned Nine Toxins Dark Soul Technique, he should be able to compete with those at the Foundation Establishment Peak.

However, the Golden Core Initial Stage Heaven's Pride Cultivators would be a tough challenge.

He did have a Golden Core Initial Stage malevolent spirit on him, and if he could snowball his advantages, there might be a chance. But those Heaven's Pride Cultivators were the very best of Great Xia's young generation.

It would undoubtedly be difficult to handle.

Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes, contemplating whether there was an opportunity to disrupt the competition before it even began.

The Celestial Dao didn't seem to care how many people entered the Celestial Path Secret Realm for the selection of Heaven's Pride.

It would open and close on time, regardless.

If he couldn't win, he would cause a scene.

If he were the only one to enter the Celestial Dao Secret Realm, he would undoubtedly be the undisputed first place.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end