Chapter 104: Ambush

Chapter 104: Ambush

Chu Ning was once again warmly received, and after hearing that he only wanted to purchase spirit plant seeds and talismans, he was directly led to the spirit plant area.

Finding the place where Iron Stem Orchids were sold last time, Chu Ning made some inquiries and indeed found a batch of seeds from the same plant.

However, there were only a hundred seeds available.

Chu Ning immediately spent 120 spirit stones to buy all the Iron Stem Orchid seeds.

Then, he wandered around the area, spending several hundred spirit stones on various seeds that he thought might be useful in the future.

Afterward, Chu Ning made his way to the talisman sales area.

He had no interest in the lower-grade intermediate talismans as he could craft the higher-grade basic ones himself.

The intermediate talismans were a significant step up from the basic ones.

A higher-grade basic talisman could roughly match the spells of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Even a powerful spell from a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining might not be able to compare to it.

As for the lower-grade intermediate talismans, they could completely counter the powerful spells of a cultivator at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining.

They could even rival the spells of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As expected, the prices were much higher.

A lower-grade intermediate offensive talisman cost 100 lower-grade spirit stones, while a defensive one was priced at 200 lower-grade spirit stones.

Chu Ning didn't buy any offensive talismans, but he spent 1,000 spirit stones on five lower-grade intermediate defensive talismans for emergencies.

His consistent priority was always defense and survival.

Leaving Yunhai Pavilion, Chu Ning checked the time.

It was still early, an hour away from his appointment.

So he decided to wander around Fengxiafang.

After all, the last time he came here with Lin Changqing, they were in a hurry and didn't have time to look around carefully.

As he strolled, Chu Ning realized that Fengxiafang was indeed much larger than Qinghefang.

What surprised him a little was that there was a special area dedicated to loose cultivators to trade.

Loose cultivators could set up stalls and trade freely on this street.

They offered a variety of items, including talismans, magical artifacts, and pills, among others.

This was something he hadn't seen in Qinghefang, and Chu Ning immediately became interested and started browsing.

However, after a while, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

The items here were too basic for him; most of them were meant for early to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

There were very few items suitable for a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator like himself.

And even if there were, they were quite ordinary.

"I bet they could sell those artifacts that Liu Lao Da and the others had here."

The thought crossed Chu Ning's mind, but he quickly shook his head inwardly.

Yanjifang was still too close to Fengxiafang.

It would be best not to bring out the artifacts that Sun Lao Tou and Liu Lao Da had.

Chu Ning also didn't know if there were any familiar faces around.

He didn't lack for spirit stones at the moment, and he didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble.

As Chu Ning walked, a conversation caught his attention.

"You're asking for a hundred spirit stones for this fragment of a treasure? Are you crazy?"

"What's wrong with a treasure fragment? It's definitely a high-quality material used for crafting treasures.

If you're not buying, then move along. I only sell to those who know their stuff."

Chu Ning followed the voices and saw a skinny old man in his fifties standing in front of a middle-aged man's stall not far from his left.

The voices belonged to the two of them.

The skinny old man didn't leave even after hearing the middle-aged man's words. Instead, he kept shaking his head and smiling. "Crafting treasures indeed requires high-quality materials, but this is obviously a fusion of several materials.

It's meant for crafting specific treasures. Even if the materials are excellent, they're useless to us.

If it were a damaged but complete fragment of a treasure, that would be a different story. Some damaged treasures may not be able to unleash their original power, but under certain conditions, they can still be quite powerful."

Treasure fragment? Damaged treasure? Chu Ning was intrigued and walked over to take a look.

In fact, the conversation between the two had attracted the attention of many people, and quite a few surrounded them.

The middle-aged man scoffed when he heard the old man's words.

"If I had a damaged fragment of a treasure, do you think I'd be asking for just 100 spirit stones?"

The skinny old man had a good temper. Even though the middle-aged man was rude, he didn't get angry.

He just shook his head, smiled, and walked away without another word.

After the skinny old man left, many other cultivators remained, still curious about the treasure fragment.

Chu Ning was about to step forward out of curiosity to see what this so-called treasure fragment looked like when a young man quickly squeezed his way through the crowd and picked up a gray-black object from the middle-aged man's stall.

"Fellow Daoist, is this treasure fragment really 100 spirit stones?" the young man asked.

After the middle-aged man confirmed, the young man quickly took out some spirit stones and handed them over before turning and leaving swiftly without a second glance.

His speed was so fast that he didn't give anyone else a chance to react.

Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

He hadn't even gotten a good look at the so-called treasure fragment.

100 spirit stones was not a small amount, but to him, it was just the price of a few talismans.

It was a pity that he had missed the opportunity.

Shaking his head, Chu Ning could only sigh that the treasure fragment was not meant for him.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Chu Ning continued browsing.

After walking for a while, he saw the skinny old man from earlier walking back.

Chu Ning turned slightly and was surprised to see the skinny old man approaching the middle-aged man again.

Then, the middle-aged man took out a few spirit stones and handed them to the old man.

This scene caused Chu Ning to subconsciously widen his eyes.

What a surprise! The skinny old man was actually a shill? He had seemed so amiable and experienced earlier, which was quite misleading.

Chu Ning couldn't help but sigh for the young man who looked like he came from a cultivator family.

At the fourth layer of Qi Refining, a hundred spirit stones was no small sum for him.

With that, Chu Ning turned to leave.

Just then, his eyes swept across the crowd, and he unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar face.

It was the spiritual farmer he had met on the first day of the market, the one who had traded Qinglingguo seeds for his purple sweet potatoes.

At this moment, the man was squatting with a gloomy expression, his stall displaying several low-quality spirit plants.

"Life in the lower rungs of the cultivation world is actually quite difficult. People only talk about the benefits of cultivation, but without talent and opportunities, it's a challenging path..."

Chu Ning sighed inwardly and decided not to walk further, lest the spiritual farmer spot him and feel embarrassed.

As the appointed time drew near, he began to make his way towards the entrance of the market.

Chu Ning was the first to arrive. After a while, Shen Zhengquan and Gu Xiaoqing joined him one after the other.

The group chatted casually until Luo Yiping and Lu MiaoYing arrived.

"Oh, you're all here early," Luo Yiping said with a joyful expression, his face beaming with excitement. "Since we're all here, let's get going."

Gu Xiaoqing and Shen Zhengquan readily agreed, but Chu Ning's face darkened as he spoke up:

"Wait!"

Hearing this, the others looked at him in confusion.

At that moment, Chu Ning's heart was filled with astonishment.

And no wonder—for just then, a figure had flashed by.

He had caught a glimpse of the same black-robed figure he had seen outside Qingxi Fubang on the day of the beast tide.

Given what had transpired during the beast tide, Chu Ning deduced that this person was most likely from the Yin Demon Sect.

"Why would someone from the Yin Demon Sect be here? Are they specifically targeting us, or is this person not from the sect, which is why they weren't eradicated before?"

For Chu Ning, regardless of the situation, the moment he saw that figure, he instinctively felt danger.

"Chu Ning, what are you trying to say?"

As Chu Ning pondered this, he didn't immediately continue.

Luo Yiping grew impatient and snapped at him.

Ignoring the impatience in the other's tone, Chu Ning replied in a low voice, "I think I just saw someone sneaking around and following you."

"What?" Luo Yiping exclaimed, turning sharply at Chu Ning's words.

Gu Xiaoqing and Shen Zhengquan also reacted, and the three of them looked towards the market.

However, at that moment, the market was bustling with people coming and going, making it difficult to spot anything amiss.

Luo Yiping turned back, a puzzled expression on his face, and asked, "Where is this person you're talking about?"

"He saw me looking and walked away," Chu Ning replied, his brows furrowed slightly. The figure had only passed by from a distance and was now gone.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yiping immediately wore a dismissive expression.

"You must have imagined it. Why would anyone be following me here in Fengxiafang? And even if they were, how could you have seen them?"

At Luo Yiping's words, Shen Zhengquan also looked at Chu Ning with suspicion.

"I didn't imagine it. There really was a black-robed man following you," Chu Ning asserted, his face serious and determined. This was not the time to argue.

If it truly was someone from the Yin Demon Sect, their best chance was to work together to get through this crisis.

He even tried to guide the others to consider this possibility, saying, "Remember the last beast tide when disciples of the Yin Demon Sect attacked you? Could it be them again?"

"The Yin Demon Sect?" At Chu Ning's words, the faces of the others changed slightly.

During the previous beast tide, they had indeed suffered greatly at the hands of the Yin Demon Sect disciples.

However, Luo Yiping soon scoffed and said, "That's even more unlikely. After the last beast tide, our sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators joined forces with the Wind Canyon to clear out the surrounding areas. There shouldn't be any remaining Yin Demon Sect members."

At this moment, Gu Xiaoqing's face turned solemn as she said, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Let's not delay; we should leave immediately. We'll fly at full speed and not worry about consuming spiritual energy.

I have some Recovery Pills here, which I can distribute to everyone to replenish your spiritual energy.

Let's be careful on the way and look out for each other."

As she spoke, Gu Xiaoqing took out several pills from her storage bag and handed them to the others.

Chu Ning sighed inwardly. At this point, it seemed this was their only option.

He thought about finding a Core Formation cultivator in the city to escort them, but it was clear that not only would they be unable to find one in such a short time, but even if they did, there was no guarantee that they would agree to help.

As for Lin Changqing and Duhan, they were impossible to contact.

Gu Xiaoqing's suggestion was the most reasonable—their top priority was to return to Yanji Fang as quickly as possible.

"There are too few teleportation formations near Qingxia Mountain. They are only set up for long-distance travel.

It all comes down to the fact that among the seven sects in the Qingxia Mountains, none of them specialize in formation techniques."

Chu Ning couldn't help but complain in his heart.

Seeing Gu Xiaoqing's determination, the others didn't say anything further.

They all took out their magical treasures, flying swords, and soared into the sky, speeding towards Yanji Fang.

The five of them maintained the same formation as when they had arrived.

Gu Xiaoqing, the strongest among them, took the lead, her flying sword streaking through the sky like a dazzling rainbow.

Shen Zhengquan piloted his flying boat, carrying Lu MiaoYing, right behind her.

Chu Ning, riding his Chasing Wind Shuttle, took the middle position. His magical treasure was of a higher grade than Shen Zhengquan's, making it easier for him to control his speed.

If he weren't afraid of being alone, he would have left them far behind.

As a result, Luo Yiping ended up bringing up the rear.

He pushed his flying sword to its limit but still couldn't catch up to Chu Ning, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

After flying for a while, he consumed a Recovery Pill, but Chu Ning showed no signs of doing the same, which only added to Luo Yiping's frustration.

Flying with a sword consumed far more spiritual energy than using a magical treasure.

Finally, the frustrated Luo Yiping couldn't contain himself and shouted, "Chu Ning, did you really see clearly just now?

Seeing this, Luoyiping became even more convinced that Chu Ning had something to hide.

He abruptly stopped and shouted, "Hey, Chu! Are you messing with us? Explain yourself!"

Chu Ning never expected Luoyiping to be so arrogant and foolish.

When he saw that Gu Xiaoqing and Shen Zhengquan were also slowing down, he continued flying forward, piloting the Chasing Wind Shuttle.

"I'm not risking my life just because I have lower cultivation," he said, leaving Gu Xiaoqing behind and maintaining his speed.

Upon seeing this, Gu Xiaoqing and Shen Zhengquan had no choice but to continue flying forward as well.

Luoyiping, feeling pressured, followed suit, gritting his teeth.

After flying about five li ahead, Chu Ning slightly reduced his speed.

Being at the forefront made him feel unsafe.

He intended to reposition himself back to the middle of the group.

Just then, Chu Ning's instincts kicked in, and he felt a sense of danger.

Without hesitation, he immediately activated the Silver Crystalfrost Bamboo Shield in his hand, holding it in front of him.

At the same time, four figures suddenly rose into the air in front of Chu Ning.

Simultaneously, three beams of reddish-black light shot toward them.

And as the one at the forefront, Chu Ning bore the brunt of the attack.

The intense offensive power startled him.

He maneuvered the Chasing Wind Shuttle to veer to the side and swiftly activated a mid-grade defensive talisman to shield himself.

At the same time, he channeled the Nine Transformations Body Tempering Technique to its fullest.

Chu Ning's reaction was swift, but the reddish-black beams of light were faster.

By the time he had barely moved, the three beams had already flashed toward him.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two beams struck the mid-grade lower-tier defensive talisman in front of Chu Ning, shattering the shield that could withstand attacks from a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining.

Immediately after, the remaining reddish-black beam hit the Silver Crystalfrost Bamboo Shield in front of Chu Ning.

The next moment, Chu Ning's expression changed drastically.

The shield only held for a brief moment before it was penetrated.

The weakened reddish-black beam struck his body.

"Boom!"

Hit by the beam that had broken through multiple layers of defense, Chu Ning's body emitted a dull sound as he was knocked flying backward.

By the time Gu Xiaoqing, Shen Zhengquan, and the others reacted, they saw Chu Ning being knocked down, falling toward the ground.

Without hesitation, they descended to the ground, only to face another wave of attackers rushing toward them.

"Be careful!" Gu Xiaoqing shouted, her fingers pointing at a flying sword that shot toward a tall, skinny man in black.

At the same time, she formed a hand seal, and a crimson blade of light flew toward another attacker.

Surprisingly, two of the enemies targeted Gu Xiaoqing, the strongest among them.

The remaining two assailants went after Shen Zhengquan and Lu MiaoYing, respectively.

Bringing up the rear, Luoyiping landed on the ground and was about to assist Lu MiaoYing when a reddish-black beam of light suddenly appeared from behind, aiming straight at him.

It was the same highly destructive attack that had struck Chu Ning earlier.

Luoyiping, now on guard, quickly activated a defensive measure.

A layer of cyan shield enveloped him, and he channeled his spiritual energy, seemingly casting a body protection spell.

However, he had underestimated the power of the reddish-black beam.

Even Chu Ning's mid-grade lower-tier defensive talisman and the Silver Crystalfrost Bamboo Shield, a mid-grade defensive artifact, had failed to withstand it.

With only two layers of defense, Luoyiping stood no chance.

The reddish-black beam penetrated his protective shield and then his body protection spell, leaving him with a look of panic on his face as he tried to flee.

But it was too late.

The reddish-black beam mercilessly pierced through his defenses and his body.

The next moment, a figure in black appeared—the same black-robed figure who had shown himself outside Chu Ning's shop.

After signaling his companions to ambush the group, he had been trailing behind, waiting for the right moment to strike.

He had chosen his moment well, delivering a fatal blow to Luoyiping.

Then, the figure in black flashed forward, joining the ongoing battle.

Holding a pitch-black staff in his hand, he was about to strike again.

Seeing this, Gu Xiaoqing, Shen Zhengquan, and Lu MiaoYing's faces paled with fear.

The reddish-black beam's power was immense, filling them with dread.

The only consolation was that their attackers seemed to have limitations in using that powerful attack.

Each person could only unleash one such beam, and none had used another since the initial strike.

Nonetheless, the trio felt uneasy.

After the first exchange, they had already lost two members of their group, and now, facing three enemies, they had little chance of victory.

Lu MiaoYing, in particular, wore a desperate expression.

Being only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, she was already struggling against one attacker.

With another enemy joining in, her defeat seemed inevitable.

However, at that moment, she was astonished to see the black-robed man who had just killed Luoyiping suddenly cry out in alarm and warn her of an incoming attack.

"Watch out!"

The gray-clad man fighting Lu MiaoYing was taken aback, unsure why his companion was shouting at him.

Nonetheless, he instinctively activated a defensive shield.

Just then, a sword-shaped beam of cyan light flew toward him, striking his protective shield.

The shield began to dissipate at a visible rate, while the cyan sword glowed even brighter.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end