"Unless a powerhouse of the Thousand Tripods Realm intervenes..."
Watching Dao Twelve, several martial artists already harbored the urge to retreat.
They had realized that Dao Twelve possessed two terrifying martial conceptions and seemed to wield a secret method capable of freezing even experts of the Hundred Tripods Realm in absolute stillness for an instant.
On top of that, Dao Twelve's raw physical strength was appalling, easily reaching hundreds of tripods of force and closing in on a thousand tripods.
Against such a martial artist, who had practically no weaknesses, how could anyone fight?
"Zhanhai City actually held such a mighty warrior? Keeping a low profile all this time, only to reveal his edge now."
Many martial artists felt their hearts sink.
They weighed the gains against the risks, measuring their odds.
After all, three people had already died.
Three Hundred Tripods Realm martial artists—none of them inferior to anyone present—had perished.
Was it worth it for the Yunying ore mother?
"Gang Leader, shall we..." Zhu Qingshan hesitated, asking softly.
"Withdraw,"
the leader of the Four Seas Gang answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
A strange glint flickered across Zhu Qingshan's eyes.
With that, the people of the Four Seas Gang took their leave.
"The Four Seas Gang pulled back?"
Members of the Three Dragons Association and the Blood-Oath Gang were caught off guard.
Yet as longtime rivals of the Four Seas Gang, they grasped the gang leader's reasoning at once.
"Unless a Thousand Tripods Realm powerhouse steps forward, no one can stop Dao Twelve!"
"We're pulling back too!"
The Three Dragons Association and the Blood-Oath Gang retreated as well.
Experts of the Thousand Tripods Realm stood at the pinnacle of the Divine Strength Realm; each was a cornerstone and pillar of stability for their respective factions.
Such luminaries could not be mobilized lightly.
Moreover, a deeper concern lingered in their minds.
Even if a Thousand Tripods Realm master did intervene, could they truly halt Dao Twelve?
With the departure of the three great gangs, many realized the tide had turned. By tacit consensus, the Yunying ore mother now belonged to Dao Twelve.
Such was the jianghu.
Strength reigned supreme above all else.
Lu Changsheng did not need to slaughter everyone; from beginning to end, he had slain only three.
Yet the deaths of those three were enough to make the martial artists and factions understand that they stood no chance against Dao Twelve. Naturally, they withdrew.
The street, so lively moments ago, turned desolate in the blink of an eye.
Even the prying gazes watching from the shadows vanished without a trace.
"They certainly cleared out fast."
Lu Changsheng withdrew his gaze.
He looked ahead toward the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary.
Last time, he had wished to enter the sanctuary but was unable to do so, failing to meet Immortal Master Shangyuan.
Now, he could finally enter and meet him.
Perhaps many of the questions weighing on his mind would at last be answered.
With steady strides, Lu Changsheng made his way toward the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary.
This time, he met no obstacles whatsoever.
Outside the sanctuary gates, a Daoist acolyte was already waiting for him.
"The Immortal Master awaits within. This way, layman."
The acolyte bowed slightly.
They had witnessed the fierce clash outside.
They knew this Dao Twelve was a ruthless figure.
Though they belonged to the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary, they had no desire to offend such a formidable personage, treating him with utmost deference.
Lu Changsheng said nothing, quietly following behind the acolyte.
Before long, they arrived before a pavilion.
Standing outside, the acolyte murmured, "The Immortal Master is inside. Please enter, layman."
Lu Changsheng nodded. Approaching the pavilion door, he pushed it open and stepped inside.
The pavilion was brightly lit.
Spacious, simple, and naturally arranged, the interior offered an immediate sense of bodily and mental ease upon stepping across the threshold.
In the center of the pavilion sat an elderly man in Daoist robes, cross-legged.
His complexion was ruddy and his spirit vigorous.
Clearly, this was Immortal Master Shangyuan!
Lu Changsheng walked forward step by step.
Swish.
Immortal Master Shangyuan opened his eyes.
"Sit,"
Immortal Master Shangyuan said, gesturing toward a prayer mat before him.
Lu Changsheng sat down directly.
"You have obtained the Yunying ore mother. What do you seek from this old Daoist?"
Immortal Master Shangyuan asked straightforwardly.
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I wish to learn pill refinement!"
He had harbored this thought ever since learning of the Blood Exchange Pill.
Later, upon learning that advancing from the Hundred Tripods Realm to the Thousand Tripods Realm likewise required pills, his resolve had only hardened. He wanted to learn pill refinement.
Moreover, Lu Changsheng had no fear of failing to master it.
With his comprehension exceeding a thousand points, there was no way he could not learn.
Lu Changsheng understood well that giving a man a fish was never as good as teaching him how to fish.
He had no desire to merely trade the Yunying ore mother for a single pill that boosted his strength by a hundred tripods.
He wanted to master the art of pill refinement himself!
"Pill refinement?"
Immortal Master Shangyuan paused slightly.
Soon, however, a faint smile appeared on his face.
In truth, Dao Twelve was far from the first to make such a request.
Many had asked before.
"Pill refinement is not something you can learn."
Immortal Master Shangyuan extended his hand.
Hum.
The next instant, a white flame materialized in his palm.
What was more, the white flame began to shift, turning cyan, then red, and finally gold.
"This is..."
Lu Changsheng could not help but ask.
"This is spiritual fire!"
"Only an Immortal Master channeling spiritual power can conjure such fire."
"Only with this spiritual fire can one refine various pills, including those required by you martial artists..."
"Therefore, unless you become an Immortal Master, learning pill refinement is out of the question. Yet the talent required to become an Immortal Master is extraordinarily rare; in the entire Great Fish Dynasty, scarcely a handful can be found..."
Immortal Master Shangyuan's words sent a jolt through Lu Changsheng's mind.
As expected, the so-called Immortal Masters were immortal cultivators.
"I would like to try,"
Lu Changsheng said in a deep voice.
Who wouldn't want to become an immortal cultivator?
Immortal Master Shangyuan waved his hand.
A peculiar stone appeared before them.
"Place your hand upon the stone. Remember, do not resist with your qi and blood."
Lu Changsheng placed his hand on the stone. Instantly, a peculiar cool aura emanated from it.
And then, nothing happened.
The stone remained completely inert.
After a long pause, Immortal Master Shangyuan let out a long sigh. "You have seen it yourself. The spirit-testing stone showed no reaction. You possess no talent for spiritual roots, nor can your body refine a shred of spiritual power. You cannot become an Immortal Master..."
Immortal Master Shangyuan placed his own hand upon the spirit-testing stone.
Instantly, the stone radiated a faint cyan glow.
Though dim, the light was undeniable.
And Lu Changsheng?
Not the slightest stir!
Lu Changsheng understood: he truly possessed no talent for it.
And throughout the Great Fish Dynasty, this seemed to be the norm.
"Now then, do you desire pills or something else?"
"State your request!"
Immortal Master Shangyuan looked at Lu Changsheng.
Countless thoughts raced through Lu Changsheng's mind.
In truth, he still had many questions.
Yet Immortal Master Shangyuan clearly lacked the patience to answer them one by one.
Nevertheless, Lu Changsheng had clarified the most crucial matter;
the remaining questions were secondary.
"I need a pill—one capable of increasing my physical strength by a hundred tripods!"
Lu Changsheng stated his choice at last.
Since he could not refine pills himself, trading the otherwise useless Yunying ore mother for a pill to bolster his strength was undeniably the best alternative.
"This old Daoist agrees."
"The usual rules apply: I shall provide you with the names of several key ingredients required for the refinement, and you must gather them yourself."
"Once the materials are assembled, I shall refine the pill before your very eyes."
"However, for a martial artist, a pill of this kind is effective only upon its first consumption."
"Remember well: the pill I shall refine this time is called the Divine Strength Great Pill!"
Lu Changsheng understood.
He then produced the Yunying ore mother, which Immortal Master Shangyuan collected with a flick of his sleeve.
Immortal Master Shangyuan soon presented a list detailing the necessary ingredients.
Lu Changsheng recognized most of them; they were exceedingly precious.
However, none were extinct or impossible to find. Gathering them was feasible—it would simply take time.
Afterward, Immortal Master Shangyuan closed his eyes, signaling that the audience had concluded.
"Immortal Master, Dao Twelve takes his leave."
With that, Lu Changsheng rose and exited the pavilion.
The acolyte was still waiting outside. Seeing Dao Twelve emerge, he respectfully led the way, escorting Lu Changsheng out of the sanctuary.
Lu Changsheng glanced back at the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary.
Immortal Master Shangyuan merely sat within his sanctuary—without fighting, without scheming, without even lifting a finger—and the Yunying ore mother had fallen into his hands.
All he offered in return was a modest expenditure of spiritual power to refine a pill.
Even the ingredients had to be supplied by martial artists themselves.
This truly was aloof detachment from worldly affairs!
Yet what could be done when others lacked spiritual roots and could not walk the immortal path?
"The martial path has a long and storied heritage."
"Reaching the peak of martial arts might not be inferior to walking the path of immortals."
"My comprehension can still increase; how could I fail to reach the pinnacle of the martial path?"
Lu Changsheng gazed at the sanctuary.
The immortal path was enviable, to be sure.
Yet since he could not set foot upon it, he would dedicate all his efforts toward reaching the martial peak!
The next moment, Lu Changsheng turned away, dissolving into the night and disappearing from sight.
Lu Changsheng returned to the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
He figured that gathering the materials for the Divine Strength Great Pill would still depend on the sect's network.
Upon his return, Yun Haitang came to see him without delay.
"Brother Dao, I heard you displayed immense prowess down the mountain and seized the Yunying ore mother?"
Evidently, Yun Haitang had been closely tracking news of Dao Twelve.
"Indeed. I have handed the Yunying ore mother over to Immortal Master Shangyuan so he may refine the Divine Strength Great Pill. However, I must trouble the Heavenly Maiden Sect to help me gather the required materials."
Lu Changsheng pulled no punches with Yun Haitang.
As her Dao Protector, they shared both glory and ruin.
Where the Heavenly Maiden Sect's resources could be used, they ought to be used!
"That will naturally be no problem. Our Heavenly Maiden Sect will do everything in our power to collect the materials you need, Brother Dao,"
Yun Haitang agreed immediately.
Lu Changsheng handed the list of ingredients to her.
Afterward, he returned to his room to rest.
Days slipped by.
Gathering the refinement ingredients indeed required time for the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
None of the materials were ordinary.
Lu Changsheng also took time to return to the Four Seas Gang.
He made arrangements there to avoid being struck from the rolls of the Medical Hall after a prolonged absence.
During this period, he had to remain at the Heavenly Maiden Sect,
closely monitoring the progress of the ingredient search.
One day, Yun Haitang came before Lu Changsheng.
"Brother Dao, I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
Yun Haitang gritted her teeth and said, "I have only just become the Heavenly Maiden, and my standing within the sect is not yet secure."
"Recently, a disciple of our sect encountered trouble. By our rules, we must assist in resolving it. However, the matter is somewhat unusual; ordinary people likely cannot handle it. Therefore, I intend to go in person to solidify my position."
"Yet I fear I must trouble you to accompany me, Brother Dao."
Lu Changsheng understood.
Yun Haitang wanted him to lend his strength.
This was only natural.
He was her Dao Protector, and having asked the sect to gather ingredients for the Divine Strength Great Pill at great cost to their manpower and resources, internal harmony was surely strained. Yun Haitang was under pressure.
Now that the sect faced trouble,
resolving it would naturally alleviate much of that pressure.
Lu Changsheng could have refused.
Yet in the jianghu, many things were reciprocal.
To receive, one had to give.
If he wanted to rely on the Heavenly Maiden Sect's influence to collect his materials, he had to handle matters for them.
It was that simple.
"Very well. When do we set out?"
Lu Changsheng agreed.
"As soon as possible."
Lu Changsheng nodded.
Yun Haitang left immediately to make preparations.
By the very next day, she had everything arranged and departed down the mountain with Lu Changsheng and a contingent of Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples.
Their destination was Taoyuan Prefecture!
Being martial artists, the group traveled swiftly, pushing through day and night for several days before arriving at the Tao family of Taoyuan Prefecture!
White lanterns hung outside the gates of Tao Manor.
This indicated that someone within was holding a funeral.
At that moment, in the mourning hall of Tao Manor.
The members of the Tao family wore hemp garments and mourning garb.
A band of burly, robust martial artists stood by, each wearing an attitude of complete indifference.
They were desperate men,
fearing neither heaven nor earth, interested solely in pocketing silver and reaping benefits.
Though fully aware of the disaster that had struck Tao Manor, they had still accepted employment.
Provided the silver was plentiful enough!
It was no trivial sum, either—rates started at tenfold the usual wage!
Even so, the experts they managed to recruit were exceedingly few.
"Husband, I have already sent word to the Heavenly Maiden Sect. They should send people,"
a pretty woman murmured softly to Tao Shen.
Tao Shen's eyes were bloodshot, showing he had gone without proper rest for a very long time.
In truth, he held little hope regarding the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
Even if they did dispatch people, how many could they possibly send?
This was Taoyuan Prefecture, not Zhanhai Prefecture; the Heavenly Maiden Sect's influence did not extend this far.
And the trouble the Tao family had provoked this time was truly lethal.
"Young Master, Madam, people claiming to be from the Heavenly Maiden Sect have arrived outside!"
Just then, a servant rushed in with the report.
"The Heavenly Maiden Sect is here? How many?"
Tao Shen bolted to his feet.
"Not many, only seven or eight."
"Seven or eight?"
Disappointment surfaced on Tao Shen's face.
Indeed, he should not have harbored high expectations.
What could a mere seven or eight people from the Heavenly Maiden Sect accomplish?
Still, having traveled thousands of li, they had shown far greater loyalty than other factions allied with the Tao family.
The Tao family could not be discourteous.
"Go, invite them in."
"No, I shall welcome them personally."
After a moment's thought, Tao Shen decided to go out and greet them himself.
"No need. We have already arrived!"
A cool, clear woman's voice drifted in from outside the mourning hall.
Whoosh.
Everyone snapped their heads up.
Even the wandering martial artists looked toward the doorway in curiosity.
They naturally knew of the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
In fact, they had been rather looking forward to this.
After all, the Heavenly Maiden Sect was composed entirely of women.
Rumor had it that every disciple was a peerless beauty.
Of all the sects in the jianghu, rumors surrounding the Heavenly Maiden Sect were the most abundant.
Many salacious tales were linked to them in one way or another.
Yet for such a peculiar sect, very few had ever seen its members in person.
Now, the chance had arrived.
Sure enough, as the voice faded, several women of exceptional grace and beauty filed into the room.
Yet sharp-eyed onlookers noticed something odd: how was there a man mingled among these women of the Heavenly Maiden Sect?
Chapter 108