Chapter 542: Healing and Probing, Other Ways to Enter the Upper Realm

Chapter 542: Healing and Probing, Other Ways to Enter the Upper Realm

"This woman..."

Everyone was shocked when they saw Qiu Rong's face half crushed by Mo Hongyun's palm, leaving him unconscious.

Mo Hongyun, with a face still dripping with icy coldness, seemed far from satisfied.

Everyone was taken aback, especially the Tianji Shopkeeper and the others, who felt a chill run down their spines.

They knew that this woman now harbored deep resentment towards them.

If not for the City Lord's reluctance to cause more bloodshed, their fates might not have been much better.

After knocking Qiu Rong unconscious, Mo Hongyun did not let him off easily. She unleashed another burst of magical power, even more powerful than the last, which shattered Qiu Rong's head.

Red and white matter splattered everywhere, and a mid-stage Core Formation expert died in humiliation while unconscious.

This scene sent a shiver down the spines of the Tianji Shopkeeper and the others, making them realize once again just how ruthless this woman could be.

As for the Canglan City Lord, his expression did not change in the slightest.

To him, the death of a Core Formation expert was nothing, especially since this one deserved it. He did not care at all.

After Mo Hongyun finished off Qiu Rong, he said, "Are you done? Then come with Uncle to the City Lord's Residence.

Once Gongshu Yu's death is known, the Gongshu Clan will likely send someone down to the Xiaocang World soon.

Follow me to the City Lord's Residence so I can protect you."

"Yes, Uncle."

Mo Hongyun did not object; she knew this was not the time to be stubborn.

"However, I need to tidy up and finish the matters at the Treasure Pavilion before I can come."

"Fine, but don't take too long. Although it takes time to descend from the Upper Realm to the Xiaocang World, the Gongshu Clan will likely send someone down within a day. You have only half a day to deal with the Treasure Pavilion."

The Canglan City Lord warned.

"I understand."

After instructing Mo Hongyun, the Canglan City Lord turned to Lu Qing, "What are your plans, Daoist friend?"

Everyone immediately looked at Lu Qing.

This turmoil, after all, had its roots in Lu Qing, and he was the one who ultimately resolved the situation.

Yet, no one knew his background.

Now, everyone was eager to hear what Lu Qing would say.

Especially Mo Hongyun.

She was now certain that Lu Qing was the one who could help her break free from her fate.

Thus, she was extremely concerned about where Lu Qing would go next.

Lu Qing was not foolish enough to reveal his plans in front of so many people.

He smiled slightly, "I still have some matters I wish to discuss with the City Lord. May I also visit the City Lord's Residence?"

"Of course", the Canglan City Lord said with some surprise, "I was also hoping to discuss the Dao with you."

The rest of the matters were simple.

Mo Hongyun went to handle the affairs at the Treasure Pavilion, while Lu Qing accompanied the Canglan City Lord to the City Lord's Residence.

He also acted as a bodyguard, as the Canglan City Lord's current condition was not good.

If anyone with ill intentions were to attack him, he might not be able to defend himself.

As for Xiao Li, Female, and Wu Xing, Lu Qing had already sent them into the Cosmic Qi Sack from the beginning.

Since the Cosmic Qi Sack had been refined to have a spirit, its internal space had greatly expanded.

It could now accommodate Core Formation-level beings, just like the Lyric Fire Cauldron.

However, due to the limited spiritual energy within the space, Xiao Li, Female, and the others could only stay inside and could not cultivate.

So unless there was an emergency, Lu Qing generally did not let them enter the spirit artifact.

Although Canglan City was vast, the distance was nothing to Lu Qing and the other experts.

Soon, he escorted the Canglan City Lord back to the City Lord's Residence.

"Master! Are you alright?"

At this moment, an old servant rushed out, looking worried at the Canglan City Lord, who was still covered in wounds.

"I'm fine. How are the guards?"

The Canglan City Lord waved his hand and asked.

The old servant's expression darkened, "About half of the guards were severely injured and are unconscious from the backlash of the formation. The rest have damaged cores and are unable to fight."

"Good that no one died. Minor injuries will heal in time", the Canglan City Lord said without concern. "Take those people outside and lock them in the Blackstone Prison.

Then go to the storeroom and fetch some healing pills for the guards to take, so they can recover quickly."

"Yes, Master."

After the old servant left, the Canglan City Lord noticed Lu Qing's surprised expression.

He pondered for a moment and then explained, "I apologize, Fellow Daoist. The guards at my residence are not very reliable. I had them manage the great array to assist me in battle, but I didn’t expect that a mere backlash from the array would leave them all injured and unable to fight. Otherwise, those scoundrels from the Tianji Shop would never have been able to gain the upper hand."

Lu Qing nodded in understanding.

He had been puzzled earlier, wondering why, as the ruler of Canglan City, the City Lord had come out alone to face the enemy, and why no one from the City Lord’s residence had come to his aid after he was severely injured.

It turned out that during the battle with the three Primordial Soul Experts from the Gongshu Clan, all of his guards had been injured by the array’s backlash and lost their ability to fight.

"It’s a pity that when I came down to the Xiaocang World, I didn’t bring many people. The guards at my residence were all trained after I took control of Canglan City. Otherwise, if the elite guards from my Nangong Clan were here, the array would not have been so easily broken!"

The Canglan City Lord said with some regret.

When he first came to the Xiaocang World to take control of Canglan City, he had actually intended to spend his remaining days in peace.

After all, at the time, he was facing the Primordial Soul Tribulation, and he had no confidence in passing it.

Moreover, some unpleasant matters within his clan had left him deeply dissatisfied.

So, he had simply taken a position to find some tranquility in the Xiaocang World.

Therefore, when he came down, he didn’t bring many people, only a few Core Formation Realm followers who had been with him for a long time.

If he had brought the elite guards from his clan, the battle today might have turned out differently.

Of course, the Canglan City Lord didn’t elaborate too much on these matters, just mentioning them briefly to Lu Qing.

After chatting with Lu Qing for a while, the City Lord’s vital energy improved somewhat.

He then took out a jade box from his storage treasure, opened it, and revealed a purple pill that emitted a fragrant medicinal aura.

The aroma was so potent that even Lu Qing felt a surge of energy, and his magical power circulated more smoothly.

He immediately realized that this pill must be of extremely high quality.

The Canglan City Lord looked at the pill in his hand with a pained expression.

He had originally kept it for the next Primordial Soul Tribulation, but his injuries were so severe that it would take decades of normal recovery to fully heal.

The Gongshu Clan could come down at any time, and he simply didn’t have the time. He had to use this precious pill.

After a moment of hesitation, the Canglan City Lord’s eyes hardened, and he swallowed the pill, beginning to channel his energy to assimilate it.

Soon, his originally pale complexion improved significantly, and his complexion regained some color.

His wounds, visible to the naked eye, began to heal rapidly.

After a quarter of an hour, the external injuries on his body had completely disappeared.

The Canglan City Lord opened his eyes, his gaze bright and no longer showing any signs of weakness.

"Is the City Lord’s injuries healed?"

Lu Qing was secretly amazed. What kind of pill could heal the City Lord so thoroughly in such a short time?

Unfortunately, the Canglan City Lord had swallowed the pill too quickly, and he hadn’t had time to use his ability to check the pill’s information.

"It’s not that simple; only the external injuries are healed", the Canglan City Lord waved his hand. "The Primordial Soul injuries are much more complicated and will take some time to recover. But it’s fine; by tomorrow, I should be able to recover most of my strength."

"That’s excellent. With the City Lord’s strength restored, we will have more confidence", Lu Qing said with a smile.

"You flatter me. I just have a bit more experience in cultivation. What truly surprises me is you, Fellow Daoist. Gongshu Yu, no matter how weak he may be, is one of the direct-line disciples of the Gongshu Clan. He has passed the Nine Heavens Tribulation and condensed a flawless high-grade Core Formation. He cultivates the extremely profound technique, the Imperial Heart Technique, and his cultivation has reached the Eighth-stage Core Formation Realm. His strength, while not unmatched among the young generation, is formidable in the Core Formation Realm. Yet, you defeated him easily, and he never had a chance to fight back. To me, you are the one who is truly profound and unpredictable. May I ask where you come from, and which great world you hail from?"

The Canglan City Lord finally voiced his curiosity.

"Master’s orders are hard to disobey. When I set out on my travels, my master strictly forbade me from revealing his name. Therefore, I cannot disclose my lineage. I hope the City Lord will understand."

Lu Qing didn’t reveal his true origins.

"Your master must be an extraordinary senior cultivator. Otherwise, how could he have taught a disciple as talented and brilliant as you?"

The City Lord of Canglan didn’t seem displeased by Lu Qing’s vague response. On the contrary, he became even more convinced that Lu Qing’s lineage was extremely powerful. It was likely that Lu Qing’s master was a formidable Primordial Soul Expert.

Otherwise, why would Lu Qing deliberately conceal his master’s identity and avoid revealing it casually?

"If my master knew of your praise, he would be very pleased", Lu Qing said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. I can’t accept such high praise."

The City Lord of Canglan waved his hands repeatedly.

He was joking. If such a senior cultivator knew that a mere First Tribulation Primordial Soul dared to comment on him, who knew if he might get angry. Though he was a member of the Nangong Clan, he didn’t want to offend such a powerful being for no reason.

So, the City Lord of Canglan quickly changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist Lu, you mentioned earlier that you had a question for me. What is it?"

"It’s like this", Lu Qing said, his expression turning serious. "I originally wanted to enter the Tianyuan Great World to train, but after today’s incident, I’m not sure if I can still enter the Upper Realm."

"You want to enter the Tianyuan Great World to train?"

The City Lord of Canglan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Lu Qing to ask about this.

"Yes, the reason I’ve been lingering in the Xiaocang World is that I didn’t have enough spirit stones to pay for entry into the Upper Realm. Now, I’ve managed to gather the required spirit stones, but I’ve also had a conflict with the Gongshu Clan. So, I would like to ask Senior, in this situation, can I still enter the Upper Realm? If not, how can I leave the Xiaocang World?"

Lu Qing knew that one could leave the Xiaocang World via the teleportation array in the City of Canglan. However, he wasn’t sure if the powerful Primordial Soul Realm guardian of the City of Canglan would allow him to leave, given his conflict with the Gongshu Clan.

However, instead of answering immediately, the City Lord of Canglan asked, "If you want to enter the Tianyuan Great World, you should know the rules, right?"

"I do know", Lu Qing nodded. "To enter the Tianyuan Great World, one must go to Tianxin City in the center of the Xiaocang World and use the Realm-breaking Teleportation Array. Each use costs one hundred medium-grade spirit stones."

"The high cost is just a rule set for you outsiders", the City Lord of Canglan laughed. "The Realm-breaking Teleportation Array does consume a lot of energy, but it’s not as much as you think. If it really cost that much, even the top forces in the Upper Realm wouldn’t be able to afford it. In reality, each use of the teleportation array in Tianxin City only requires one medium-grade spirit stone. The distance between the Xiaocang World and the Tianyuan Great World isn’t that far, so the energy consumption isn’t excessive."

"Of course, I know that, but I have no choice but to follow the rules."

Lu Qing knew that the teleportation array’s actual energy consumption wasn’t that high. After thoroughly understanding the secrets of the teleportation array in the City of Canglan, he was even more certain of this. The high fees in Tianxin City were simply a way to exploit outsiders.

But what could he do? The world power of the Tianyuan Great World was too formidable. The world membrane was incredibly resilient and could isolate space, making it impossible for even ordinary Primordial Soul Experts to break through. His Void Boat was also powerless against it. So, like other outsiders, he had to endure the high fees to gain the opportunities within the Tianyuan Great World.

"Ordinary outsiders can’t avoid this issue, but Fellow Daoist Lu, you don’t have to be one of them."

At this point, the City Lord of Canglan smiled.

"What do you mean, Lord City Lord?" Lu Qing was slightly taken aback.

However, the City Lord of Canglan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Lu, do you think that we, who originally come from the Upper Realm, need to spend how many spirit stones to use the teleportation array?"

"I don’t know", Lu Qing shook his head. But he knew the cost must be minimal.

Still, the City Lord of Canglan’s next words surprised him.

"Not a single spirit stone", the City Lord of Canglan said. "At our level, the Thirty-six Upper Clans, we have other methods to travel between the Tianyuan Great World and the Xiaocang World, without needing to go through Tianxin City."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end