https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-48-Puppet-Beasts-and-Spirit-Sense/12831521/
Chapter 49: A Sword from the West, Suppressing the Great River
Chapter 49: A Sword from the West, Suppressing the Great River
"Just beat them up, and that's it!"
Qin Liangchen spoke with great confidence, his words radiating self-assuredness.
Luo Chen was only half-convinced.
But upon deeper reflection, Qin Liangchen had risen from humble beginnings and established himself in the challenging and complex environment of the Great River Market. He had even managed to send his son to the prestigious Luoyun Sect, which was only second to the Jade Peak Sword Sect.
Clearly, he had his own exceptional qualities.
The rules for the eighteen-man duel between the two factions had been widely circulated and were now fully known.
The duel was limited to cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage, with no restrictions on the methods used.
The only limitation was the number of talismans, strictly capped at ten.
This rule was proposed by Uncle Mi from the Mountain Breaking Gang.
He was likely concerned that the Great River Gang, backed by the Lianyun Merchant Alliance, might shower their combatants with a plethora of talismans due to their vast wealth.
Compared to spells and magical artifacts, talismans activated quickly and had comparable power to spells of the same level.
If someone were to prepare dozens of talismans and engage in a fierce battle, the scene would be nothing short of spectacular.
No cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage could withstand a barrage of talismans and mount a counterattack.
Luo Chen had already given his warning, and he wasn't about to nag further.
As an outsider, he couldn't possibly know more than the high-ranking members of the Mountain Breaking Gang.
Even the insider information Sun Shou casually shared might not be entirely accurate.
After chatting for a while, the kitchen wafted with a delightful aroma.
"Let's eat!"
Luo Chen hurried home, bringing out the braised pork leg he had been simmering all morning. Today, he wasn't just freeloading; he had contributed the dish.
"Come, try your sister-in-law's cooking. Little Hu was most reluctant to leave his mother's home-cooked meals when he entered the sect."
Qin Liangchen warmly invited him, and Luo Chen didn't hesitate, immediately picking up his chopsticks for a piece of meat.
"Mm, it's great, delicious!"
Moyang Qinglian smiled and shook her head, pouring a cup of water wine for the two men.
Qin Liangchen took a sip of the wine and then picked up the meat Luo Chen had prepared.
"You live alone, so I bet you just eat whatever you can get by with. In the future..."
His eyes widened, as if the meat lacked flavor.
He quickly grabbed another large piece, chewing it carefully this time.
"Melt-in-your-mouth, rich but not greasy, with a faint medicinal aroma, like the refreshing scent of mint."
"Madam, Xiao Luo's cooking seems even better than yours!"
Praise flowed continuously, and Qin Liangchen didn't know the meaning of politeness, frequently reaching for more.
Moyang Qinglian was quite surprised. These days, it was rare to find a wandering cultivator who put effort into cooking.
She took a bite of the meat Luo Chen had prepared and closed her eyes in satisfaction.
"Xiao Luo Daoist's meat is truly delicious."
Luo Chen chuckled, not at all modest.
In fact, his cooking skills were genuinely exceptional.
Perhaps it was due to his mixed Sichuan background in his previous life, where he had honed his culinary skills under his mother's guidance.
While he might not be the best at handling ingredients, his use of various seasonings and spices was deeply rooted in the essence of Sichuan cuisine.
Later, he even won the heart of a beautiful girlfriend with his cooking.
Unfortunately, life in the big city was more than just food.
Sigh, the past is like the wind, best left unspoken.
After crossing over, Luo Chen discovered that the ingredients in the cultivation world were truly top-tier.
Various kinds of spirit beast meat, demon beast meat, vegetables, and fruits, all imbued with spiritual energy, had unique flavors.
The original owner of this body also had a keen understanding of certain herbs.
Combining these insights, he could occasionally use limited resources to improve his meals.
Occasionally, he would prepare snacks like beef jerky or stir-fried bitter hazelnuts, which were highly praised by Wang Yuan, Chen Xiuping, Gu Caiyi, and others.
In theory, cultivators didn't place much importance on their diet.
But in reality, this was only true for high-ranking cultivators.
Low-ranking cultivators couldn't subsist on wind and dew, fasting for a hundred years.
Due to the constant absorption of violent external spiritual energy, they often suffered from meridian damage.
Therefore, dietary supplements were quite popular among low-ranking cultivators, second only to elixirs and medicinal baths.
Luo Chen was no exception. Even in the most difficult times, he never went without spirit rice and demon beast meat.
Without these spirit-infused foods, his already mediocre body would have long been unable to withstand the rigors of cultivation.
As they ate and drank, they chatted.
Upon learning that Luo Chen was an alchemist, Qin Liangchen and his wife were greatly surprised.
Luo Chen was also curious about their current occupations.
After some inquiry, he learned that they were also in business.
"The Ancient Plain Mountains are rich in resources. Back then, we led a team and secured the Purple Moon Lake, which is abundant in a type of spirit fish."
"Although most of the profits go to the gang, the remaining portion is more than enough to support our family's cultivation."
The boastful words were laced with pride from their mountain hunts in the past.
From this small glimpse, Luo Chen roughly understood why the Great River Gang and the Lianyun Merchant Alliance coveted the Broken Mountain Gang's safe passage into the mountains so much.
Just a single source of spirit fish allowed the Qin family, both at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, to live a prosperous life.
And that was after the Broken Mountain Gang took the lion's share, leaving the Qin family with only a fraction.
On a larger scale, the Broken Mountain Gang, with over a thousand members, had been deeply rooted in the Ancient Plains Mountains for over a century.
Wave after wave, they had undoubtedly mastered countless spirit herb sources and the patterns of beast appearances.
These were all highly coveted interests!
As the three of them chatted, they suddenly looked up simultaneously.
A sharp whistle, like a thunderclap in clear skies, echoed through the air.
Then, in the distance, a golden streak shot from the west like a meteor, heading straight for the Great River Market.
"What is that?"
The golden streak was so fast that it was far away one moment and right in front of them the next.
Luo Chen hastily got to his feet, his gaze fixed on the golden streak.
After about five breaths, the golden streak slowed down, trailing a faint streak in the air as it dove into the depths of the market.
The Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion!
Qin Liangchen walked up beside him, looking at the white streak left in the sky, and took a deep breath.
"A sword cultivator, a sword cultivator of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. And it's a Golden Core cultivator who has upgraded their sword pill to a magical treasure, capable of flying on sword light!"
Sword pill as a magical treasure, flying through the air.
A sword from the west!
Luo Chen was deeply shaken.
This was the first time he had witnessed the power of a high-level cultivator in this world.
Even a brief glimpse left him in awe, the thunderous sound and the swift, powerful momentum lingering in his mind.
"Among peers, sword cultivators have the strongest attacks and the fastest escape speeds. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect has a large number of such high-level combatants, which allows them to establish themselves on the fringes of the Great Mountains."
Qin Liangchen gestured grandly, then stroked his chin and said, "This Golden Core elder must have come to oversee the opening of the Great River Market's Dao Discussion Platform."
Luo Chen was curious, "Is a mere Dao Discussion Platform worth the mobilization of a Golden Core elder?"
"Haha, little Luo, you don't know this," Qin Liangchen laughed, pointing to the small mountain behind the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, which was sealed off. "The Dao Discussion Platform is one of the few major assets of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. If managed well, it can earn a lot of spirit stones."
"Moreover, although each market only has a Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing it, the facilities are built to accommodate Golden Core cultivators."
"For example, the city defense array in the inner city of the Great River Market can defend against Third-Stage Beast Kings, which is a Golden Core-level array."
"It's just that it's difficult for sword cultivators to advance, so the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect can't station a Golden Core cultivator in every market."
I see, the configuration is at the Golden Core level.
But the sect has too few members, so they can only station Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"This Golden Core elder must have arrived first because of their incredible speed."
Qin Liangchen gazed into the distant sky, lost in thought. "The opening of the Dao Discussion Platform should bring many inner and outer sect disciples responsible for various tasks."
Indeed, a Ninth-Level Qi Refinement cultivator who had traveled to other regions had much more knowledge than ordinary low-level cultivators.
As he predicted, about half an hour later, several streaks of light appeared on the western side of the Great River Market.
About seven streaks of light in different colors escorted a massive flying boat, slowly approaching the Great River Market.
This "slowly" was only relative to the speed of the sword from the west.
In reality, their speed was still very fast.
From the moment they were first seen to when they stopped above the Great River Market, it took less than half an incense stick's time.
Such an unhidden and grand entrance naturally drew the attention of everyone in the Great River Market.
Countless people looked up, their gazes fixed on the seven figures riding flying swords and the massive flying boat hovering above like a shadow.
Then, numerous figures appeared on the flying boat.
One by one, Qi Refinement cultivators, either riding flying swords and magical tools or using wind-riding techniques, emerged from the boat.
They then entered the inner city like tiny insects.
Once everyone had left, the flying boat slowly shrank, as if being recalled, and shot into the towering Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.
Thus, the sky was once again empty.
It was as if the previous scene had been an illusion.
But everyone in the Great River Market, whether local scattered cultivators or visiting cultivators, knew that the true masters had arrived.
The name of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
(End of Chapter)
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