Chương 211: A Word of Advice

I slowly turned to look at her. She tilted her head a little.

"I've equipped many promising disciples for valley trips over the years. Not all came back."

"Thanks for your concern. I'll be careful." I nodded slowly as I gently broke her tight grip. Without a doubt, her cultivation was beyond the Qi Condensation Realm. Either that, or I really needed to work more on body cultivation...

"One more thing," she added, lowering her voice a bit.

"The Holy Light Sect bought similar items yesterday. Premium illusion talismans, spatial anchors, even a Spirit Eye. Their disciples seem really determined this cycle." This was useful info. It confirmed at least one major sect was using a similar plan to ours. But I was suspicious about why she was telling me this.

'Nothing good came ever came free' was a phrase that popped to mind, it was especially true in this world. So, the question was, what did she want in return?

"Thanks for the information..."

"I only mention it because they specifically asked about Azure Peak disciples," she said with a meaningful look.

"Seems you might be of special interest to them." That was concerning. Why would the Holy Light Sect be tracking our movements?

"Did they say why?" I asked.

"No," She shook her head.

"But their manner suggested it wasn't friendly interest. Watch your back, Azure Peak disciple."

"While I do appreciate the warning," I said carefully, "I don't exactly see how that benefits you." The unspoken question hung in the air, but the lady turned her attention back to the strips of paper. Clearly, the conversation was over. With a sigh, I left the shop with lots on my mind. Had news of our fight with Ke Jun somehow reached the Holy Light Sect? Or was there some other reason they were interested in our team?

Or were they interested in the young cultivator who just happened to successfully cultivate the World Tree Sutra? Without more information, it was impossible to tell. I shook the thoughts out of my head and decided to head to the central fountain to meet Su Yue. On the way, I stopped briefly at a food stall to buy some steamed buns filled with spiced meat. The shopping had taken longer than expected, and I hadn't eaten since morning. The fountain itself was impressive.

It was a huge stone basin with a central sculpture showing what looked like the city's founding. Water flowed from various points in the sculpture, creating patterns that kinda resembled the spatial fluctuations visible in the distant mist above the valley. Su Yue was already waiting, her face calm as she scanned the crowd. When she saw me, she gave a tiny nod.

"Any luck?" I asked through spiritual message as I joined her.

"Mixed results," she replied.

"I got four high-quality spatial anchors. They should handle the valley's fluctuations better than standard ones." She discreetly showed me small, metal devices shaped like long pyramids, each carved with complex formation patterns.

"They're designed to create a stable zone about two meters across. Not big, but enough for emergency stabilization if needed."

"Great," I nodded.

"And the illusion detection tools?" Her expression tightened a little.

"Less luck there. Most vendors were sold out. The Morning Star Sect bought nearly everything yesterday. I managed to get one detection medallion, but it's only moderately sensitive." She showed me a small jade disc with a spiral pattern etched into its surface.

"It will heat up when exposed to illusion techniques, but it won't identify the specific type or source."

"Better than nothing," I said. It was no surprise our competitors were buying out the useful resources.

"We'll need to rely more on our own senses and judgment." But what I actually meant was we would need to rely on Azure.

"How about you?" she asked.

"Did you find a good substitute?" I briefly explained my plan.

"It won't be an exact match, but with some creative formation work, I think we can create a convincing fake, at least long enough to complete the switch and exit the valley." Su Yue nodded thoughtfully.

"A solid plan. When we get back to the inn, we should start preparing the formation right away. The sooner we have our decoy ready, the more time we'll have to test and improve it." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As we started walking back toward the inn, I noticed a subtle but distinct ripple in the crowd a short distance ahead. People were moving aside, creating a path for someone coming from the opposite direction.

The look on their faces told me what was coming.

"Trouble," Su Yue murmured, having noticed the same thing.

"Black Palm disciples." Sure enough, coming through the parting crowd was a group of four cultivators wearing the dark crimson robes of the Black Palm Sect. Unlike regular disciples, these robes had black trim with special insignias that marked them as inner disciples. They moved with the confident arrogance of people used to being feared, barely noticing the cultivators who quickly stepped out of their way.

In the center walked a broad-shouldered young man whose right arm looked noticeably bigger and darker than his left. Probably a side effect of the sect's signature cultivation technique, the Black Palm Desolation Art.

"Lu Fang," Su Yue whispered.

"Inner disciple of the Black Palm Sect. Ninth stage Qi Condensation." I wasn't familiar with the name, so Su Yue filled me in. Lu Fang had a reputation for brutality even by Black Palm standards. He was known for crippling opponents rather than killing them outright. It was a way to make them suffer before delivering the final blow. Not unusual for a member of a demonic sect.

"Should we avoid them?" I asked, figuring out the easiest path to slip away unnoticed. I had no intention of drawing any attention during this mission, especially not before it even began. But before Su Yue could answer, Lu Fang's group suddenly stopped. The Black Palm disciple's gaze had fixed on something or someone further down the street. Following his line of sight, I spotted the cause of his sudden interest. Liu Chang.

Our senior brother was checking goods at a talisman stall with his back partly turned to us. He didn't seem to notice the Black Palm group, but knowing how sharp Liu Chang was, this was probably just for show. Not many could catch him off guard.

"This won't end well," Su Yue said softly.

"Lu Fang and Liu Chang have bad blood between them." I wanted to ask more, but Lu Fang was already marching towards Liu Chang. His followers spread out behind him like a formation. People scattered from their path, feeling the brewing storm.

"Liu Chang of Azure Peak," Lu Fang called out. His voice carried across the market.

"Still buying trash talismans? Your sect must be poorer than I thought." Liu Chang turned around slowly. His face revealed nothing as he faced the Black Palm disciple.

"Lu Fang. I heard Black Palm was sending people for the harvest. Though I admit, I expected someone of higher caliber." The insult was wrapped in such a polite tone that the people around us took a moment to react. Then whispers spread through the crowd causing Lu Fang's face to darken, and his strange right hand to clench.

"Have you really forgotten our last meeting?" Lu Fang growled, taking a step forward.

"The scars on your back should remind you."

"Some things are too small to remember," Liu Chang answered.

"Though I do recall someone running away with their tail between their legs." The air grew thick with tension. Su Yue and I edged closer, trying not to draw attention while getting close enough to help if needed.

"Hope they don't start fighting here," I whispered.

"Watch, but stay back," Su Yue replied.

"This is politics. How Liu Chang handles this will set our standing for the whole harvest." Lu Fang stepped even closer, stopping just out of striking range.

"Always hiding behind clever words when your skills fail you," he sneered.

"Do your new teammates know the truth about the great inner disciple of Azure Peak?" At this, Liu Chang's expression shifted ever so slightly, a barely perceptible hardening around the eyes that most would miss but that signaled genuine irritation.

"Speak plainly if you have something to say," Liu Chang said.

"Or is making vague hints all you can do now?" Lu Fang bared his teeth in what might pass for a smile.

"Fine. Truth it is." He looked around at the watchers.

"One year ago, Liu Chang challenged me to a duel in the Northern Border Territory. He lost… badly. And would have suffered permanent cultivation damage had his senior brothers not intervened." Whispers erupted through the crowd. If true, this would hurt Liu Chang's reputation badly. Cultivators took the result of duels seriously, which probably explained why some were crazy enough to use techniques that sacrificed their lifespan just to get a competitive edge.

An action they usually regret later on their cultivation journey.

"Is that true?" I asked Su Yue quietly. Liu Chang was powerful, and if someone could almost cripple him then that didn't bode well for our mission.

"A bunch of half-truths," she whispered.

"They fought, but it wasn't that simple." Liu Chang stayed unnervingly calm.

"What an interesting story," he said.

"Creative. But you forgot some important details. Like the three Black Palm disciples who 'happened' to help you when you started losing." Lu Fang looked uncomfortable for a second before his face twisted into a scowl.

"Those who lose always have excuses."

"Not excuses. Facts," Liu Chang corrected.

"But this isn't the time or place to argue about old fights. We all need to prepare for the valley."

"For once you're not wrong," Lu Fang agreed, his voice suddenly pleasant, which somehow felt even more threatening.

"I look forward to seeing how Azure Peak fares in the valley depths. With no senior brothers to save you this time." The threat hung in the air. From the murmurs around us, everyone understood. Liu Chang just tilted his head slightly, neither accepting the challenge nor backing down.

"We all face the valley's trials according to our strength," he said calmly.

"May you find what you deserve there, Lu Fang." The ominous tone must have got to him because for a moment, Lu Fang looked ready to attack despite the city laws. His oversized hand tensed and dark qi gathered around it before he visibly forced himself to stop.

"Until the valley," he said coldly. He shot one last hateful look at the crowd, then turned away. His followers fell in line behind him as he left. The crowd broke apart. People started talking again, but now they were just gossiping about what they'd just seen. Su Yue and I approached Liu Chang, who greeted us with a slight nod.

"You heard all of that?" he asked.

"Enough," Su Yue said, looking a little worried.

"Will it cause any problems?" Liu Chang thought for a moment.

"Not problems, just complications. Lu Fang will target me in the valley. We just need to adjust our plans." I looked around at the cultivators from other sects who were still watching us, then nodded toward a nearby teahouse.

"We should talk somewhere private. I think we all have a lot to share."