The Huo Clan Has It Bad!

"Fellow Daoist Kang, long time no see!" Hearing Luo Chen's familiar greeting, Kang Xianqiong was startled. "You and I... should never have met before, right?" Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Back then, on the second floor of Gold and Stone Pavilion when I was discussing business with Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue, weren't you in the adjacent room?" Kang Xianqiong's pupils constricted slightly. Even though her grandfather had given her repeated instructions before she came, emphasizing that Luo Chen was no ordinary person and urging her to befriend him, she still had not expected his spiritual sense to be so powerful that he had noticed her eavesdropping back then. One had to know that the concealment formation of Gold and Stone Pavilion was by no means some shoddy, minor array. While she was stunned, Luo Chen was also full of emotion. One look at this woman showed she was quite green and inexperienced in the ways of the world. Yet simply because she had been born into a good clan, she had been able to reach Foundation Establishment safely and peacefully at such a young age. Who wouldn't feel a hint of envy toward such a lucky person? "Fellow Daoist has come all the way to Tianlan Immortal City. As a host here now, allow me to show some modest hospitality!" "My Danxia Peak has three major scenic sights." "Why don't we tour them together?" Kang Xianqiong naturally had no objection. Giving an elegant curtsy, she said, "Then the guest shall defer to the host!" Luo Chen smiled slightly and set off. The youthful female cultivator walked beside him, side by side. The two strolled across Danxia Peak, winding upward step by step along the mountain paths. Cultivators of the Luotian Association they occasionally encountered along the way all bowed respectfully to them. Kang Xianqiong observed all the novel sights and people around her with great curiosity. The scenery was secondary. The people were what mattered most. She noticed something. Every single low-tier cultivator of the Luotian Association was full of vigor, with smiles on their faces and bright hopes for the future. Nor did those cultivators merely engage in blind, bitter cultivation or drift along aimlessly. As they moved about, they walked as swift as the wind, each seemingly attending to their duties with tasks of their own. At the very least, she saw a large group of late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators busy working in the scattered spiritual fields across the mountain. *This Luo Chen is truly formidable!* *Clearly this is nothing more than a rogue cultivator faction, yet he has managed it like a small sect with a hundred years of heritage.* *Even compared to my Kang family, it hardly falls short.* While she was inwardly astonished, Luo Chen was also sizing her up out of the corner of his eye. It was not surprising for a cultivator of the Kang clan to come to Tianlan Immortal City. What was strange was that she had actively sought him out. However, this woman seemed rather ignorant of social etiquette. After strolling for so long, she had yet to state the purpose of her visit. As if realizing that this sort of aimless wandering was pointless, Kang Xianqiong gave a soft cough. "Fellow Daoist must be curious why I came to Tianlan Immortal City right after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, right?" "A little." "My primary purpose in coming here is for the immortal city auction half a year from now." *The auction?* Luo Chen's heart stirred as he recalled the invitation inside his storage bag. It was the one Xuan Yunzi of Azure Pill Valley had given him. Counting the days, it indeed was set to take place in roughly six months. This was not some petty auction like the ones in Dahe Market or Taishan Market. It was a grand decennial auction held by Tianlan Immortal City. When the time came, attendees would arrive from all over the world, with cultivation realms spanning Qi Refinement all the way to Golden Core. Innumerable treasures would be involved. "Is there an item Fellow Daoist is determined to obtain?" Kang Xianqiong sighed. "Indeed. I desperately need a third-rank healing spirit herb!" "A healing spirit herb? A third-rank one at that!" Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, sensing that something terrible had happened to the Kang clan. "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue was injured?" Kang Xianqiong's expression dimmed slightly. Seeing this, Luo Chen knew his guess was right. "Did something happen in Taishan Market?" Kang Xianqiong bit her rosy lips and said, "Fellow Daoist guessed correctly. A major disaster truly did occur in Taishan Market." "Not long after you all left, a third-rank demonic beast crossed the river and attacked the Huo clan of Red Toad Mountain. Mount Taishan, where our Kang family resides, borders Red Toad Mountain, so we were caught in the fallout as well." "To protect the clansmen, Grandfather was severely injured and left bedridden." "It was precisely because of this that I risked making a push for Foundation Establishment, solely to gain sufficient strength to travel out and search for healing spirit herbs for him." "Fortunately, I succeeded, and by chance learned that Tianlan Immortal City would soon hold an auction, which is why I rushed over." Her following words carried lingering emotion and a sense of good fortune. What caught Luo Chen's attention, however, were her first two sentences. "A third-rank demonic beast? It attacked the Huo clan of Red Toad Mountain?" "Yes. It was a Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad with the power of the mid-tier third rank. It was simply not something our Foundation Establishment clans could contend with." Luo Chen asked in puzzlement, "The River-Swallowing Toad is gentle by nature. Why on earth would it attack the Huo clan?" Faced with this question, a blush rose to Kang Xianqiong's cheeks. Under Luo Chen's bewildered gaze, she lowered her head and murmured, "According to my grandfather, it seemed to have entered its mating season..." *Mating season!* Subconsciously, Luo Chen swallowed hard. Could this have been caused by him throwing countless pills to feed the River-Swallowing Toad back then, casually tossing in three supreme-grade Myriad Wonders Pills along the way? Vaguely, he recalled the time the Luotian Association left Taishan Market. He had indeed sensed the released aura of the River-Swallowing Toad upstream along the Lancang River. Logically speaking, a sated River-Swallowing Toad would not act like that in the short term. Could it be... "Red Toad Mountain, where the Huo clan resides, is called Red Toad precisely because a colony of Red Fire Toads breeds within its first-rank earth fire vein. One of the Red Fire Toads even advanced to the second rank and was tamed by the Huo clan as their clan-protecting spirit beast." Kang Xianqiong spoke with some indignation. "It was that rank-two Red Fire Toad that lured the Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad over." "Strange thing is, the River-Swallowing Toad's mating season usually occurs once every hundred years, and in the past it always swam upriver toward the Great Snow Mountain to seek out those Extremely Frigid Ice Toads." "Who could have expected that this time, it would arrive more than a decade early?" "Because of that, the Huo clan had no precautions in place whatsoever, and even dragged our Kang family down with them." Luo Chen's expression turned slightly unnatural. The reason the River-Swallowing Toad's mating season had arrived early was very likely his three supreme-grade Myriad Wonders Pills. A single pill might not have done it. But three was somewhat terrifying. Although it was merely a first-rank supreme-grade pill, the River-Swallowing Toad itself was already approaching its mating cycle. Thus, it had been drawn out ahead of time. In other words... He, Luo Chen, was the true culprit behind the tragedy of Taishan Market! Luo Chen asked tentatively, "Is Fellow Daoist Kang Dongyue's injury very severe?" "Very severe! He has been bedridden for a long time, and even when he occasionally steps outside, he is confined to his own little acre on Mount Taishan. Grandfather is completely incapable of traveling far." Kang Xianqiong sighed. "That is why I had to make this trip myself!" "What about the Huo clan?" This was what Luo Chen cared about most! He had quite a deep grudge with the Huo clan. Even Huo Hu, the Huo clan's newly ascended Foundation Establishment cultivator, was still held in his custody. "The Huo clan?" Kang Xianqiong smiled with schadenfreude. "They've got it bad!" ... As Kang Xianqiong recounted the tale in detail, Luo Chen finally learned what had happened to the Huo clan. The Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad had descended abruptly from the sky, directly detonating that first-rank earth fire vein. Red Toad Mountain was originally an active volcano, and under such severe provocation, it erupted instantly! Over a hundred cultivators and more than ten thousand mortal clansmen of the Huo clan all perished in the mountain-engulfing sea of fire. Huo Quan, that Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, was forced to end his secluded cultivation prematurely. At first, he forcefully wielded a magic treasure to resist the River-Swallowing Toad. Yet how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator resist a third-rank demon king? It was nothing more than an ant attempting to shake a giant tree! With just a single strike, his efforts were completely shattered, and he was blasted straight into the raging fire vein of Red Toad Mountain. It could be said that simply because the River-Swallowing Toad entered rut and went searching for a mate, the Huo clan had suffered an undeserved catastrophe and was wiped from existence. *To destroy you—what does that have to do with you?* Such was the terrifying might of a third-rank demon king. Annihilating a cultivation clan was accomplished with nothing more than a flick of its fingers. *No wonder after we captured Huo Hu, nobody from the Huo clan ever chased after us.* *Even after being in Tianlan Immortal City for so long, not a single trace of a Huo clan cultivator could be seen.* *To think such a wonderful thing actually happened!* After hearing Kang Xianqiong's account, the heavy stone hanging in Luo Chen's heart finally fell to the ground. With Huo Hu in hand, he had never truly feared Huo Quan. Still, the man was a grand cultivator of the mid-stage, or perhaps even the late-stage, of Foundation Establishment. Having such an entity remain unaccounted for had felt like a thorn in his back. Now, the threat was gone entirely! Before they knew it, the two had reached the mountain peak. Further up stood a single green thatched hut. Kang Xianqiong looked at the thatched cottage above with curiosity. "Does someone live up there?" "Yes, a friend of mine." Luo Chen stopped in his tracks, gazing from afar at the solitary thatched hut perched high above. This thatched cottage was the very one that had sat atop the peak of Mount Xiaohuan. When he left Dahe Market, Luo Chen had dismantled it and brought it along. Strictly speaking, it counted as a magical tool, possessing three major functions: guiding spiritual energy, gathering spiritual energy, and restraining spiritual energy. In the past, it had been used to restrain the spiritual energy emanating from the Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring. After moving to Danxia Peak, Luo Chen rebuilt the hut atop the summit and handed it over to Wang Yuan for his use. Wang Yuan had long since reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, so his need for spiritual energy was not particularly high; his primary focus remained on the path of body refinement. The reason he yearned for Foundation Establishment was not for its realm or combat prowess, but simply because reaching Foundation Establishment would grant a massive leap in lifespan, providing him ample time to push toward the third realm of body refinement. According to Wang Yuan, once a body cultivator reached the third realm of body refinement, a qualitative transformation would occur. His lifespan would change for the very first time! It was precisely for this reason that Wang Yuan had not been in any rush to establish his foundation over the years. He still had plenty of lifespan remaining. Furthermore, he had suffered the consequences of haste in the past. Laying a firmer foundation now would allow him to progress faster in the future! Hearing Luo Chen mention that a friend lived above and seeing him halt his steps, Kang Xianqiong tactfully refrained from walking further. "Fellow Daoist Luo, walking along this path, Danxia Peak is indeed scenic. But it hardly qualifies as exceptional, does it?" "I wonder, where is the wonderful sight you spoke of?" Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Why don't you turn around and look?" Kang Xianqiong turned as told, standing shoulder to shoulder with Luo Chen as she looked out across the mountain. As far as the eye could see, a vast sea of clouds had gathered beneath their feet at some unknown point. She froze. "A sea of clouds?" "No, not just a sea of clouds!" With his hands clasped behind his back, Luo Chen cast his gaze far into the distance. The boundless clouds rolling beneath their feet seemed like the shore of an endless ocean, waves surging and crests peaking, foam spraying and billows crashing against the cliffs. Dusk had already fallen. Far across the horizon, a round sun was slowly sinking. A dim golden twilight illuminated the world between heaven and earth. Beyond the furthest reaches of the cloud sea, the sky seemed to catch fire. The entire expanse of clouds took on the undulating hue of dusk-lit waves, like an aged, yellowed scroll unrolling for thousands upon tens of thousands of miles beneath their feet. Kang Xianqiong stared blankly at the scene, feeling an unprecedented peace settle over her heart. In the past, sheltered by her grandfather, she had lived a carefree, untroubled life. Once her grandfather fell, she finally understood how difficult it was to bear the burden of a clan alone. Especially after reaching Foundation Establishment, she had run ragged traveling in all directions just to search for healing spirit herbs. Only at this very moment did her restless heart find a fleeting breath of serenity. Suddenly, she spoke. "Brother Luo Chen!" *From 'Fellow Daoist' to 'Brother'?* Luo Chen felt a sudden prickle of caution. He turned to look into those pitiful, pleading eyes. "Could your little sister ask a favor of you?" "Fellow Daoist, please speak freely!" Luo Chen maintained his firm resolve. He was not about to be swayed by mere feminine wiles! Biting her lip, Kang Xianqiong carried a hint of supplication in her voice. "The immortal city auction will be packed with formidable experts, and countless people will compete for every treasure." "With my own strength, I might not be able to win the healing spirit herb I need." "I heard from Grandfather that you are thoroughly versed in auctions, Brother Luo. When the time comes, could you please help me?" *So that's what this is about!* Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief, though for some inexplicable reason, he felt a faint twinge of disappointment. He had intended to agree readily, but a thought suddenly struck him, and his words took a different turn. "It's not impossible to help you. After all, I have quite a good relationship with your grandfather." Kang Xianqiong sighed in relief. This was the primary reason she had come looking for Luo Chen! She truly had zero confidence in winning the third-rank healing spirit herb she sought. After all, it was a third-rank spirit herb! With Luo Chen's promise of aid, her chances would be vastly improved. Back at the Taishan Market auction, Luo Chen had bid only a handful of times, yet he had rarely failed to secure his target. Her grandfather had praised him lavishly for that afterward. Yet judging by Luo Chen's tone, did he have something else in mind? "Brother Luo, whatever requirements you have, I will do my utmost to fulfill them!" Luo Chen smiled faintly. "There's no need for you to go to any great trouble!" "Your Kang clan's Golden Quality Jade Liquid doesn't seem to sell very well, does it?" Kang Xianqiong was taken aback. Subconsciously, she nodded. "How about our two sides establish a partnership?" "For Golden Quality Jade Liquid?" "Precisely!" ... Kang Xianqiong departed. She was currently staying at an inn within Tianlan Immortal City, rarely stepping outside to wander, doing nothing but waiting for the auction to begin. Luo Chen stood halfway up the mountain, a broad grin on his face. In just a few words, he had negotiated a business deal for the Luotian Association. In truth, Luo Chen had realized long ago that the Kang clan's Golden Quality Jade Liquid did not sell particularly well. This was evident from how easily he had been able to trade for a batch of supreme-grade Golden Quality Jade Liquid of equal value from Kang Dongyue back then. The Kang clan had a massive stockpile of inventory! Hampered by the sparse population of cultivators in Taishan Market—most of whom had no demand for body refinement—the liquid simply did not move. Yet that hardly meant Golden Quality Jade Liquid was useless! Having consumed supreme-grade Golden Quality Jade Liquid over an extended period, Luo Chen's physique had grown increasingly formidable, and he was on the verge of completely completing his transition to golden muscle and jade bone. In other words, he would soon break through to the second realm of body refinement. Such a spirit medicine was bound to have a market! Just because the Kang clan could not sell it in Taishan Market did not mean his Luotian Association could not sell it in Tianlan Immortal City. At the very least, it would diversify the selection of pills in Danxia Hall! *Years ago, back when I was in the Qi Refinement stage, Kang Dongyue wanted to act as an agent to sell my Myriad Wonders Pills.* *Who would have thought that after all these years, the tables would turn and I would become the agent selling his Kang clan's spirit medicine?* *Haha, such are the unpredictable turns of the world!* After a soft chuckle, Luo Chen turned around. Stepping onto an auspicious cloud, he headed straight for the green thatched hut at the summit. Arriving outside the hut and facing the howling mountain wind, Luo Chen wore a face full of smiles. "Brother Wang, if you don't break through to Foundation Establishment now, then when?"