NOVEL NEXT Chapter 115: The Journey
Chapter 115: The Journey
“Before I go to Yuanfu County, I need to make some preparations!”
Xu Lian was a man who preferred to plan carefully before taking action. He would first outline his plans and then adjust them based on the situation. This was his usual approach.
Plan 1: Use the Purple Jade Badge to report to the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector about his intention to go to Yuanfu County to find the Nightbloom Flower. The White Fox had already taken ten Heavenly Serpent Grass worth ten billion from him… If the White Fox had a Nightbloom Flower, perhaps she would give it to Xu Lian, saving him the risk of traveling to Yuanfu County. This was the best strategy.
Plan 2: If the White Fox didn’t have the Nightbloom Flower, Xu Lian would ask if the White Fox was interested in traveling to Yuanfu County. If the White Fox agreed to accompany him, the risk would be greatly reduced. This was the middle strategy.
Plan 3: The worst case scenario was that the White Fox didn’t have the Nightbloom Flower and refused to go to Yuanfu County. In that case, Xu Lian would have to go alone. Before leaving, he would need to maximize his strength as much as possible. Since his rank couldn’t be improved, he would focus on enhancing his skills and equipment.
Execution:
Xu Lian immediately took out the Purple Jade Badge and concentrated his thoughts on it, activating the communication function.
Soon, he heard the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector’s voice, which sounded like that of a young girl. “What is it?”
Xu Lian’s eyes flickered with curiosity. If he hadn’t seen the White Fox, just hearing this voice would have made him imagine all sorts of things. “I’m reporting to the quarry patrol inspector that my cultivation requires the Nightbloom Flower, which isn’t available in Pingyang County. Therefore, I plan to go to Yuanfu County. I wanted to inform you in advance.”
The White Fox replied, “Go ahead.”
Xu Lian continued, “I am not familiar with the situation in Yuanfu County. Does the quarry patrol inspector have any advice for me?”
The White Fox said, “No need for advice. Go ahead.”
Xu Lian decided not to beat around the bush. He asked directly, “Does the Quarry Patrol Inspector have any Nightbloom Flowers? If so, I would like to buy some from you… and I wouldn’t have to go to Yuanfu County.”
The White Fox replied, “I do have one, but I don’t intend to give it to you.”
Xu Lian was speechless for a moment. This wasn’t what he had planned. He hadn’t expected the White Fox to have the Nightbloom Flower but refuse to give it to him.
The White Fox continued, “A cultivator must not only cultivate, but also have enough experience and training to become a true powerhouse. The time you spent traveling from Green Bamboo Town to Pingyang County can’t really be considered training.
You had my Purple Jade Badge and the Inspector’s Badge, so you were bound to have a smooth journey in Pingyang County. You need real training.
Yuanfu County is a good place. There’s no dominant power there, and various factions are intertwined, creating chaos in the long run. Demons, monsters, and other strange creatures roam free. It’s an excellent place to train.”
Xu Lian felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed that Yuanfu County was even more chaotic than what he had heard.
Just as he was about to ask more questions, the Purple Jade Badge went silent. Obviously, the White Fox had ended the communication, leaving Xu Lian feeling helpless.
“The best and middle strategies are out of the question. I can only go with the worst-case scenario.”
Xu Lian began to think of ways to enhance his strength.
He took out paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, and began to transcribe the Seven Styles of the Primordial Gang.
After completing the transcription, he went to the spirit residence on First Street and found Lin Wan. He suggested that they exchange techniques with the Lin family.
Of course, the Lin family’s inherited techniques were not something they would give to Xu Lian. What he wanted was the boxing manual that the Fang family of Green Bamboo Town had gifted to the Lin family.
Lin Wan took the transcribed Seven Styles of Primal Gang to Lin Yue and Hua Rongjun and discussed the idea of exchanging techniques. Lin Yue agreed.
As a result, Xu Lian successfully obtained the boxing manual Short Fist – Shadow Pursuit.
With this boxing manual in hand, Xu Lian could now focus on enhancing his skills and preparing for the journey to Yuanfu County.
He turned the pages one by one.
[Currently recording…]
By the time he finished reading, the recording process was complete, and he had gained a new skill.
Short Fist was a major category within melee combat.
Shadow Pursuit was a sub-category within this major category, indicating that it specialized in speed in close combat.
“You’ve already finished reading it so quickly?” Lin Wan asked, a bit surprised when Xu Lian handed the manual back. “There’s no rush to return it. You can take your time and read it at your leisure.”
“No need. I’ve already memorized it,” Xu Lian replied. Then he informed her that he would be away from Pingyang County for a while. To prevent her from worrying, he didn’t mention his destination: Yuanfu County.
Of course, Lin Wan was reluctant to part with him.
Xu Lian decided to ease her longing in advance.
After leaving First Street, Xu Lian went to the Spiritual Essence Tower. On the first floor, he purchased some healing pills and antidote pills for self-defense. He didn’t know what he might encounter in Yuanfu County, so it was better to be prepared.
Next, he went to the second floor and spent over 5,000 spirit stones to buy a 3-star long sword.
His previous 1-star sword had only cost him one spirit stone on the black market. A true 1-star weapon usually cost between 70 and 80 Spirit Stones. A 2-star weapon started at around a thousand spirit stones, while a 3-star weapon cost over 5,000. A 4-star weapon would set him back tens of thousands, which he couldn’t afford.
As for 5-star weapons, the Spiritual Essence Tower didn’t sell them. It was said that they were only available in big cities.
Given his current strength at the Bright Strength Rank, 9th Stage, a 3-star weapon was more than sufficient.
Higher-grade weapons might be overkill, and he wouldn’t necessarily be able to fully utilize their power, making them a waste of resources.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Bright Strength Rank, 9th Stage]
[Skills: Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volume 123), Seven Styles of Primal Gang (Complete), Short Fist – Shadow Pursuit]
[Items: Longsword (3-Star, sturdy, sharp, boosts qi by 30%. Piercing attacks carry lightning effects; slashing attacks carry burning effects; vertical cuts carry freezing effects.)]
[Note 1: You have already allocated progression points to your rank. Add one Nightbloom Flower to advance to Dark Strength Stage, 1st Stage.]
[Note 2: You currently have 3 unused progression points.]
Xu Lian checked the information carefully and was satisfied with the results.
Although he had only gained one new skill and one new item compared to before, his overall strength had improved significantly. The powerful boost from the 3-Star Weapon allowed him to dominate most Bright Strength 9th Stage cultivators.
This was the charm of spending spirit stones.
After leaving the Spiritual Essence Tower, Xu Lian went to the Mountain-Shaking Martial Arts Academy to see Little Pepper Pei Zhaoxi. He informed her that he would be away from Pingyang County for a while.
Before leaving, he decided to enjoy a spicy meal with her. After all, it wasn’t too much to ask for.
With everything prepared, Xu Lian went to the Transit Guild.
The Transit Guild, as the name suggested, was an organization responsible for transportation and logistics.
Unlike Green Bamboo Town, where leaving required a ferry and a permit, Pingyang County had no such restrictions. People could go wherever they wanted. However, once they were outside, the Yi Sect wouldn’t be responsible for their safety.
“If I go to Yuanfu County with others and encounter demons or monsters, I don’t need to outrun the monsters. I just need to outrun the others… having someone to take the fall reduces the risk,” Xu Lian thought.
Dressed like a wandering swordsman, Xu Lian held his long sword in his left hand and rode his black horse to the Transit Guild. The rest of his belongings were stored in the white spatial pouch given to him by the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector. The Town Guard Commander’s pouch was left empty as a backup.
From the outside, his longsword hidden in its scabbard appeared unremarkable and wouldn’t draw attention. After all, it was common for cultivators to carry weapons with them.