Chapter 145: Oops, I Went Too Far!

Chapter 145: Oops, I Went Too Far!

July 28th, evening, Huangque Valley.

Huangque Valley lay 1,200 li northwest of the Lihuo Sect. Originally, a cultivation clan had thrived here, sustained by a hidden first-tier spirit vein that provided a comfortable livelihood. However, internal strife erupted, leaking the valley’s secret and sparking a brutal conflict. Soon after, several Bandit Cultivators at the Great Perfection stage mysteriously descended upon the valley, looting it completely.

By the time the Lihuo Sect’s elders arrived, they found only a bloodbathed massacre scene—and the immovable spirit vein, now unclaimed. The Sect claimed the vein, though its modest output—yielding just 1,300 spirit stones annually—merited only a single Foundation-Building cultivator to oversee operations. This cultivator was tasked with managing the vein and submitting 1,000 spirit stones yearly to the Sect.

The arrangement was carefully calculated. While ambitious Foundation-Building cultivators might scoff at such a meager income, others welcomed the steady, effortless revenue. After all, the overseer need not dig themselves; most of their time could be spent cultivating, with only occasional checks on their disciples.

Currently, the valley’s guardian was Su Dechang, a member of the Su family’s branch lineage.

“Master, when will you take me back to Nanhu Lake?” a coquettish female cultivator purred, nestled in Su Dechang’s arms within the valley’s courtyard. Before them, a lavish feast of twenty-eight dishes lay untouched.

Su Dechang chuckled, his hands wandering. “Patience. In six months, I’ll have saved enough spirit stones for a spirit pill. Once I break through to Foundation-Building Fourth Layer, I’ll bring you home openly—no more whispers behind our backs. Who knows? If the old man’s in a good mood, he might even let you pay respects to the family elders.”

As they laughed, a sudden black gale erupted outside. The wind howled, hurling branches and stones that shattered windows, tiles, and flowers in a chaotic barrage. Su Dechang froze, startled. After nearly a decade here, he’d never seen such a storm—no omens, no warnings. Years of indulgence had dulled his vigilance, and without sensing any mana fluctuations, he initially dismissed the threat.

Only when he belatedly realized the valley’s defensive formation had failed did a crimson beam of light pierce the door, skewering his chest.

“Cough!” Su Dechang spat blood, eyes wide. “No spell fluctuations… how?!”

The blood light recoiled, slicing through his abdomen and the female cultivator beside him. It arced into the hands of an old man outside.

“Told you so,” a masked man beside him smirked. “Orthodox sects? Just gluttonous good-for-nothings. You’re only worse off because you weren’t born into one. Why should those wastes hoard spirit veins and resources while you toil endlessly? Take back what’s yours.”

The old man stared at his bloodied flying shuttle, eyes blazing. “Right. Just taking back what’s mine.”

Inside Huangque Valley, crimson light blazed across the sky as screams echoed. The slaughter spread from the paths to the spirit vein’s depths, claiming every Lihuo Sect disciple and hired solitary cultivator. Even the seven mortal villages within thirty li were wiped out to silence any witnesses.

The masked man led the old man to Su Dechang’s courtyard, retrieving the Shiguang stone used to contact the Sect. “Inject mana at the Chen, noon, and You hours daily to maintain contact,” he instructed. “I’ll rescue more allies. You consolidate here. We’ll meet at Nanhu Lake on the tenth day of the tenth month for the spirit fish banquet.”

---

“You’re saying the Shiguang stone lit three times?” Xiao Chen asked, standing in the Sect’s star-observing hall. “Isn’t that normal? The manual requires three daily check-ins.”

The hall’s duty manager glanced around, ensuring only Xiao Chen and his trusted disciples were near. “This stone connects to Huangque Valley’s spirit vein. Su Laoye’s nephew oversees it—never punctual, especially in the mornings. Yet the past two days, check-ins were perfect. That’s… suspicious. I sent a friend to check nearby villages. They’re all gone.”

The manager grimaced. “Even if the valley’s under attack, Su Dechang—Foundation-Building Second Layer—should handle Lian Qi-stage demons. Only a Foundation-Building cultivator could kill him.”

Xiao Chen nodded. The logic was shaky, but plausible. To investigate, he departed for Huangque Valley that night.

By dawn, he slipped into the valley. Corpses littered the ground, their blood drained, leaving shriveled husks. The worst-case scenario: a Foundation-Building demonic cultivator had struck. Yet why hadn’t the defensive formation activated? Even if inactive to save spirit stones, it could’ve been triggered during the attack, buying time to signal the Sect.

“Whoever did this was fast,” Xiao Chen muttered, activating the Golden Armor Technique as a precaution. Though cautious, he wasn’t reckless—his secret trump card, the Zongdi Jinguang, gave him confidence.

Reaching the spirit vein’s depths, he found no demonic cultivators or signs of theft. “Already left?”

Returning to Su Dechang’s courtyard atop the valley, he used the Star-Gazing Aura-Reading Technique. The aura detected was weak—barely Foundation-Building Initial Stage, fluctuating between Sixth Layer and First Layer.

“This cultivator couldn’t kill Su Dechang alone,” Xiao Chen reasoned. “They must have an accomplice.”

He deployed the Seal Acupoint and Conceal Breath Technique, hiding outside the courtyard to ambush the missing ally. For two days, he watched the demonic cultivator refine Vital Blood to cultivate. Their realm—Foundation-Building Fourth Layer—was newly attained, their aura unstable, suggesting a recent breakthrough via demonic methods. Definitely not a Divine Flame Cult elite, but a local solitary cultivator turned demonic.

Yet no accomplice appeared. As the cultivator neared Foundation-Building Fifth Layer, Xiao Chen grew impatient.

“Enough waiting.” As the cultivator refined Vital Blood again, Xiao Chen stepped forward, summoning the Radiant Golden Light Pearl to block escapes. He kicked open the broken door: “Are you from the Divine Flame Cult or Luotian Sect?”

The cultivator reacted instantly, raising a protective aura. Dipping his fingers into a bowl of Vital Blood, he smeared his eyes, activating a crimson-sight technique. Spotting Xiao Chen’s Foundation-Building Sixth Layer, he sneered: “Another Lihuo lackey! Perfect—your blood might improve my Vital Blood’s quality!”

He drew a flying shuttle, channeling it as a blood beam toward Xiao Chen’s heart. Prepared, Xiao Chen unfurled the tasselled brocade handkerchief he’d readied earlier.

The flying shuttle landed on the brocade handkerchief, not only being halted midair but instantly ensnared within its folds.

No matter how desperately the opponent struggled, they remained firmly suppressed, unable to move an inch.

Xiao Chen, mindful of the enemy’s accomplice, didn’t rush to kill them outright. Instead, he aimed to capture a living target.

“Green Thorn Technique!”

At his command, thorny brambles erupted from the ground, coiling toward the trapped figure.

Unfortunately, the Green Thorn Technique was merely a first-tier spell. The brambles were blocked by the opponent’s protective body aura, failing to impose any effective restraint.

This brief delay, however, gave the enemy a chance to assess the situation. Seeing Xiao Chen’s overwhelming strength, they decisively pulled out a strange talisman and flung a vial of pre-prepared Vital Blood.

A surge of crimson light erupted as the elder transformed into a blood-colored streak, bursting through the brambles and fleeing.

Seeing the blood-escaping technique activated, Xiao Chen’s mind shifted. The radiant golden light pearl above immediately descended, shattering the escaping crimson light.

The demonic cultivator’s body disintegrated on the spot.

“Damn, I hit too hard!”

Frowning, Xiao Chen approached and retrieved the enemy’s storage bag. He had tried to hold back, but two factors worked against him: the opponent’s sudden escape attempt left no time for alternative spells, and their surprisingly weak defense—a mid-grade defensive robe that couldn’t withstand even a single strike from the Golden Light Pearl.

“Let’s see if there’s any new clue.”

Xiao Chen first scoured the courtyard but found nothing useful. He then refined the storage bag with practiced ease. Inside were only 285 spirit stones and a pile of useless trinkets. The enemy’s most valuable artifact was that superior-grade flying shuttle.

The only clue linking them to the demonic cultivators was a manual titled Blood Refinement Divine Manual. Xiao Chen had previously acquired a similar Demon Cultivation Technique from an assassin of the Cangyan Sect, which he suspected belonged to the divine flame cult.

In short, the trail had gone cold.

Xiao Chen had a premonition: failing to capture the accomplice meant trouble ahead. But for now, there was little he could do. If the enemy appeared before him, he could obliterate them with a top-grade magic artifact. Yet they’d fled, robbing him of the chance to act.

“Annoying. Can’t that damned divine flame cult stop causing me trouble?”

Still, since he was already there, Xiao Chen circled the entire Huangque Valley. His search uncovered a hidden underground cellar.

The cellar was expertly concealed—undetectable by ordinary probing spells. But Xiao Chen’s Star-Gazing Aura-Reading Technique, enhanced tenfold, excelled at sensing spiritual energy anomalies. He noticed irregular energy flows here.

Inside, a tunnel led to a nearby spirit vein, lined with dozens of mining tools. Clearly, someone had been illegally harvesting the vein.

Su Dechang must have known, and indeed, he had tacitly approved. Xiao Chen found an artificial chamber containing five massive chests. Opening them revealed 4,600 spirit stones—Su Dechang’s hoarded stash.

“These stones probably aren’t on the account ledger,” Xiao Chen mused. With the witnesses gone, he took the stones and destroyed the tunnel and cellar himself.

Activating the prearranged time-stone signal, a group of cultivation disciples soon arrived at Huangque Valley, led by three Foundation Building Great Perfection cultivators tasked with guarding the outpost. Their mission was to hold the resource point until the sect’s next move.

The Lihuo Sect was stretched thin, unable to spare more Foundation Building cultivators for rotation. While not entirely without options, no suitable replacements existed. Traditionally, the Su family would have sent their own, but their current manpower shortage left them unable to do so.

Upon confirming Su Dechang’s death, the Su family mourned collectively. Even Su Wanning returned to the clan, leaving Shen Simyue to assist with tending the spirit flowers.

Returning to Cuiwei Valley, Xiao Chen almost called out to his senior apprentice sister before catching himself.

Seeing him, Shen Simyue rose politely. “Greetings, Master Xiao.”

“Since Junior Sect Sister Wanqing is occupied, I’ll assist with the spirit flowers temporarily if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Xiao Chen waved. “Your help is greatly appreciated.”

Over the next few days, he focused on pill forging. The Spirit Origin Sect had ordered 100 bottles of Blood Piercing Pills, offering 2,000 spirit stones in return—a tempting deal Xiao Chen seized entirely. His storage bag now held 150 bottles.

“I’ll need to exchange these for spirit stones. Selling pills directly earns more than the forging fee.”

Yet no auctions or black markets were forthcoming, leaving him disappointed. “Why not host more auctions? Ten or eight events a year, with rare materials like five-color golden lotus—now that would be profitable.”

As he daydreamed, a disciple from the Weapon Forging Hall arrived. “Master Xiao, Elder Chen requests your presence.”

Following him to the hall’s inner chamber, Xiao Chen found Chen Tianfeng examining an indigo-blue flying sword. The blade emitted faint vapor, swirling in a loop around it—a peculiar sight.

“Take a look,” Chen Tianfeng said, handing him the sword. “The Spirit Origin Sect actually had an ice-type flying sword. It arrived with the ore shipment this morning.”

Xiao Chen inspected it: a translucent blade radiating cold, its hilt etched with intricate patterns. A mana scan revealed its power. “A top-grade magic artifact?”

“Correct,” Chen Tianfeng nodded. “Ice-type swords are rare. They couldn’t find a superior-grade one, so this top-grade model was the best available. If you’re not satisfied, we can return it.”

“No need,” Xiao Chen replied quickly. Acquiring this blade completed his Lesser Trinity Sword Array, capable of autonomously hunting a Foundation Building Late Stage cultivator.

“How much?”

“Originally 24,000 spirit stones, but they added 3,000. Total: 27,000.”

Xiao Chen hesitated. Though he’d earned thousands, debts lingered.

“Pay later,” Chen Tianfeng offered. “Your uncle mentioned your tight finances.”

Grateful, Xiao Chen nodded. “I’ll settle it as soon as I can.”

Watching him leave, Chen Tianfeng wondered if Xiao Chen’s eagerness stemmed from the credit offer. But with Chen Tianyuan’s instructions to cover the cost, the matter was settled.

Meanwhile, the Weapon Forging Hall, swamped with new orders, prioritized production over financial details.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end