Chapter 156: Invitation, Ambush, Dragon-Vein Locating, and the Divine Travel Technique

"So that's how it is. I wouldn't have expected that even the Water Cloud Pavilion only has twelve quotas."

Zhou Changwang nodded with a sudden realization.

Although the Water Cloud Pavilion only appeared as a single shop within the market, it ultimately belonged to the Water Cloud Immortal Sect, and its assets within the market were quite substantial. For instance, his own Lesser Peak Spiritual Land actually fell under the jurisdiction of the Water Cloud Pavilion.

Beyond that, there were the spiritual lands occupied by Jiang Yu, Zhang Shaohan, Fang Zhiqing, and others, as well as the Heavenly Lake Mountain mentioned just moments ago by Shen Xinyi.

In addition, there were trade caravans and herb-gathering groups...

Compared to some immortal cultivation families, it was hardly inferior at all.

"Indeed. Speaking of these quotas, Daoist Zhou, would you have any interest in participating as well?"

Shen Xinyi seemed to recall something and hurriedly asked once more.

"Hmm? I think I'll pass. I am merely a spiritual plant master, and I am not particularly skilled when it comes to combat."

Zhou Changwang was slightly startled, but he quickly shook his head and replied.

"This upcoming hunt in the Divine Wind Valley actually requires a certain number of spiritual plant masters. You must understand that the Divine Wind Valley is shrouded in toxic mist year-round, giving rise to countless spiritual plants, rare treasures, and even supreme natural resources. It is said that in the Divine Wind Valley hunt of the previous decade, a total of seven or eight foundation-establishing spiritual treasures were discovered, and the actual number was certainly higher. However, many of those spiritual plants are not yet at maturity. If left unattended in the wild, they naturally will not belong to us. Therefore, we need spiritual plant masters to step forward and transplant those spiritual plants back. I have heard that Senior Sister's Twelve-Colored Flower was saved and healed with your assistance. Surely, your methods regarding spiritual plants are far from ordinary."

The more Shen Xinyi thought about it, the more feasible the proposal seemed, and she eagerly continued.

"It was merely good fortune and happening to have read relevant records concerning it."

Zhou Changwang waved his hand dismissively and said.

"If you agree to participate, there will naturally be compensation. First of all, among the spiritual plants that need to be transplanted this time, you may select three to take away. Furthermore, although I do not know what you require monster cores for, any monster cores we acquire during our entry into the Divine Wind Valley can also be used as your remuneration. Any excess can be offset with spiritual talismans."

Shen Xinyi pressed on without hesitation.

Hearing this, Zhou Changwang's expression stirred slightly.

Being able to choose spiritual plants was appealing, but the most important part was obtaining monster cores. If it were merely spiritual plants, while he would feel a certain degree of interest, it wouldn't be enough to spur him into action. However, coupled with monster cores, he had to admit that he was tempted.

After all, his demand for monster cores was simply too great.

"Additionally, within my Water Cloud Pavilion, we happen to have stored a certain number of monster cores. If you need them, it wouldn't be entirely impossible to provide them to you in advance..."

Seeing this, Shen Xinyi seized the momentum and added further persuasion.

"How many are there?"

Zhou Changwang's breathing grew slightly heavier as he promptly asked.

"Second-tier monster cores are relatively scarce, with only fifteen pieces. As for first-tier monster cores, we have accumulated quite a few over the years through continuous collection. After all, although monster cores can be used for alchemy, they place high demands on an alchemist's proficiency, and Master Zhao of our Water Cloud Pavilion specializes in aqueous refinement methods. The rest of our personnel lack the necessary skill, so monster cores are rarely used in our alchemy, leaving them to pile up over time..."

With that, Shen Xinyi could not help but sigh softly and continued, "To be frank, inviting you to join the Divine Wind Valley hunt is also a measure born of helplessness. To hide nothing from you, I have been at odds with Spiritual Plant Master Jiang for several years. Since he is, after all, the chief spiritual plant master of the Water Cloud Pavilion and has a senior martial brother who is an early second-tier grandmaster of spiritual plants, I have developed some estrangement with the other spiritual plant masters within the pavilion. This upcoming Divine Wind Valley hunt is a grand event. Although I could use my position as pavilion master to compel them, compared to them, I am naturally much more familiar with you and Spiritual Plant Master Lu Yun. Therefore, I must ask Daoist Zhou to do me this favor."

At this point, Zhou Changwang naturally had no reason to refuse, though he still asked aloud, "If I were to take all of these monster cores, I wonder what price I would need to pay?"

"May I ask what you need these monster cores for?"

Shen Xinyi asked with natural curiosity upon hearing this.

"Cultivating spiritual plants."

Zhou Changwang remained silent for a moment, yet he saw no reason to conceal the answer.

"I see. Then the previous condition stands: you may offset the cost with spiritual talismans."

Shen Xinyi did not press for details, satisfied simply knowing that Zhou Changwang was not using them for any heinous or destructive purposes. She quickly continued, "As for these elixirs—pardon me, these monster cores—you may take them all with you right now."

As she spoke, a thought flickered in her mind, and she retrieved a pouch directly from her storage bag, placing it squarely before Zhou Changwang.

"Many thanks, Sister Shen!"

Zhou Changwang was genuinely startled.

To carry such a large quantity of monster cores around on her person clearly indicated that she had long since prepared to hand them over to him.

A genuine sense of gratitude stirred within his heart.

Without further hesitation, he reached into his own storage bag and produced a stack of spiritual talismans, saying, "Since Sister Shen is so forthright and generous, I certainly cannot be petty. These are the spiritual talismans I have crafted during this period; consider this an initial delivery. As for the rest, we can settle it in the future."

Thus it was.

It was only past noon when Zhou Changwang finally stepped out from the Water Cloud Pavilion.

However, upon leaving the pavilion, he did not head straight back to the Lesser Peak Spiritual Land. Instead, he sought out a spiritual mineral shop and purchased a generous supply of spiritual energy ores.

Just now, a sweep of his spiritual sense had allowed him to calculate the exact total of the monster cores Shen Xinyi had given him.

Among them were fifteen second-tier monster cores, one hundred and seven high-grade first-tier monster cores, one hundred and twelve mid-grade first-tier monster cores, and ninety-five low-grade first-tier monster cores.

Such a vast quantity of monster cores was already sufficient for him to cultivate the Star Source Spirit Fruit Tree all the way from a mere seed to full maturity once again.

Naturally, he needed to prepare other materials necessary for cultivating spiritual seeds.

Half an hour later, Zhou Changwang emerged from a small spiritual seed shop.

Aside from the Star Source Spirit Fruit, he also intended to cultivate several other spiritual materials.

After all, one mu of early third-tier spiritual land within his spiritual field currently remained vacant.

Since he had no immediate plans to plant more Thunder Spirit Rice Trees, he naturally needed to replenish his crops with other materials.

As it happened, he recalled a certain pill recipe he had acquired previously...

With his mind at ease, Zhou Changwang strolled out of the market.

Perhaps because the market was far livelier nowadays, teeming with all sorts of powerful figures and a complex mixture of people, certain rogue cultivators had also become exceedingly cautious.

Consequently, when Zhou Changwang cleansed himself with a Cleansing Spell, he detected no traces of pursuit whatsoever.

Maintaining a tranquil state of mind, Zhou Changwang activated his Lightness Spell and headed directly toward his own Lesser Peak Spiritual Land.

The span of a single incense stick later.

Just as Zhou Changwang was about to cross a gentle slope, he suddenly felt his body grow heavy.

Immediately afterward, a swirling mist rose up all around him.

A formation? A gravity spell?

In the next instant, Zhou Changwang saw a barrage of talismans shooting through the air toward him, accompanied by various Dharma treasures hurtling in his direction.

Among those talismans, a few were actually the Hairy Zombie Talismans and Evil-Faced Ghost Talismans that he himself had previously sold.

Under the control of several cultivators, a few hairy zombies and evil-faced ghosts rapidly surged forward to slaughter him.

"Daoist Zhao, is this the extraordinary person you spoke of? He doesn't look like much to me—trapped just like that, isn't he?"

"Indeed. To think Daoist Zhao was so cautious about a mere spiritual plant master, forcing us to wait a whole month just for this opportunity. If we had known, we could have simply charged straight into his spiritual land and killed him—wouldn't that have been much simpler?"

"Daoist Zhao has always been prudent; we cannot afford to be careless either."

...

The moment the attacks manifested, a flurry of conversational voices echoed through the air.

"Hmph!"

Zhou Changwang let out a cold snort. Almost instantaneously, a golden armor manifested around his body, shrouding him completely from head to toe.

It was precisely the Grand One Golden Armor Technique.

The Grand One Golden Armor Technique, which he had already cultivated to the realm of perfection, materialized almost the moment the thought crossed his mind.

It was even faster than instantaneous casting.

Directly following that, he felt a flurry of attacks land upon his body.

However, whether it was talismans or Dharma treasures striking the armor upon him, they merely caused the armor to ripple slightly without inflicting the slightest damage.

Only then did Zhou Changwang employ his Spiritual Eye Technique, instantly piercing through the surrounding mist.

Five people.

Four of the cultivators were relatively unfamiliar: one at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, two at the sixth layer, and one at the fifth layer.

As for the last one, his memory of him was profound.

It was none other than 'Ghost-Eye' Zhao Shanhe, who had previously been his neighbor in the Fengmingwu Market and whom he had encountered fleeing from zombies on his way out of the market.

Back then, in order to escape the pursuit of the pseudo-copper armored corpse, that fellow had no choice but to throw a foundation-establishing spiritual treasure—the third-tier spiritual plant Earth-Yin Ganoderma—to him, before escaping with the aid of a Ground-Escaping Talisman.

Now, it was glaringly obvious that he had called upon these accomplices precisely because of that Earth-Yin Ganoderma, intending to make a move against him.

At this thought, his gaze turned frosty. With a flick of his finger, a flash of golden light vanished and reappeared directly before the fifth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator.

Seeing this, the man hurriedly brandished a defensive Dharma treasure to block it. However, his defensive Dharma treasure was merely a mid-grade artifact, and under the impact of Zhou Changwang's Gengjin Finger, it shattered instantly.

*Puff!*

With unstoppable momentum, the golden light struck squarely between the man's brows.

Dead!

Given the current power of Zhou Changwang's Gengjin Finger, a casual strike possessed the full force of a cultivator above the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.

That man possessed a mere fifth-layer Qi Refinement cultivation, and his defensive artifact was hardly exceptional; naturally, he could not withstand a casual finger strike.

Having dispatched a cultivator with a single finger, Zhou Changwang did not even glance at the corpse as his gaze immediately locked onto the two sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators.

A primal chill gripped the pair, though they felt a brief confusion when they saw their target make no further move. The next instant, however, they abruptly sensed a layer of dark clouds inexplicably gathering in the void above their heads, enshrouding them.

Thunder magic?

Their hearts skipped a beat. As they scrambled backward, they hurriedly raised their respective defensive artifacts above their heads!

*Boom! Boom!*

Two consecutive bolts of falling lightning crashed down instantly.

The two men possessed not the slightest scrap of resistance; the descending thunder tore through their defensive artifacts like dry wood and withered weeds, scorching both of them pitch-black.

Yet, even as those two were blasted to death, the remaining hairy zombies and evil-faced ghosts charged forward.

At this, Zhou Changwang's expression remained unchanged.

His figure blurred.

Right where he stood, an identical figure flickered into existence, while his actual body vanished entirely.

It was the Light-Splitting Shadow-Transforming Technique and the Invisibility Technique.

Though both spells had only been cultivated to the stage of major accomplishment, executed with his current late Qi Refinement cultivation, their speed was astonishingly swift.

The incantations were completed in the blink of an eye.

When the hairy zombies and evil-faced ghosts slammed into the afterimage, no matter how frantically they slashed and tore, they could not cause him the slightest harm.

Having rendered himself invisible, his gaze instantly locked onto the seventh-layer Qi Refinement cultivator.

"W-what kind of monster is this?!"

The man was utterly dumbfounded.

So much for a sixth-layer cultivator! So much for a mere spiritual plant master!

Why was this person so ferocious?

He had obliterated one companion with a single finger, killed two sixth-layer cultivators back-to-back with two bolts of falling lightning, and even mastered illusion techniques that rendered the summoning talismans completely ineffective.

And his true body... his true body had vanished entirely?

Where was he?

Was he brewing the next wave of attacks?

Panic surged wildly within his breast.

Without the slightest hesitation, he wheeled around and bolted.

He understood all too well that he could never afford to provoke such an entity; the opponent's terrifying might was greater than anything he had ever sensed, even from certain ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators.

Yet, the moment he turned to run, he abruptly felt his body grow heavy. Under an unimaginably terrifying gravitational pressure, the stride he had just taken hitched, causing him to stumble awkwardly and crash headlong to the ground.

Simultaneously, a cage rose silently from the earth, encasing him completely within its bars.

"Senior, spare my life! Senior, all of this has nothing to do with me! It was Zhao Shanhe—Zhao Shanhe is the one who brought us here, claiming that an enemy had stolen his belongings and asking us to help him exact revenge... None of this has anything to do with me..."

"Is that so?" Zhou Changwang murmured softly.

The cultivator was struck with sudden dread as he realized the voice was uncomfortably close—practically within a yard of him.

In the next breath, just as he tried to react, he saw a small sword materialize in the void, blossoming into intricate, deadly patterns of sword light.

That sword light was profound, beautiful, and seemed like the only thing left in heaven and earth.

By the time he snapped to his senses, that blossoming sword light had already reached his face.

*Puff!*

It pierced straight through his skull.

"This—how is this possible?"

Zhao Shanhe was utterly stunned.

Although he knew Zhou Changwang was far from ordinary—having witnessed with his own eyes how the insect king Xue Tong leaped into the man's courtyard and never emerged—he had never expected the opponent to be *this* strong.

The four good friends he had invited, despite setting up a formation trap, launching a full-scale assault, and including a seventh-layer Qi Refinement cultivator among their ranks, had all been completely counter-killed within the span of a few breaths.

Leaving only him alive.

Was this person even human?

Was he truly just a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator?

What kind of terrifying existence had he provoked?

Panic seized him!

A profound, suffocating terror gripped his heart, bringing with it an overwhelming premonition of impending doom.

Without a shred of hesitation, he too turned and fled.

Moreover, proving far more astute than the seventh-layer cultivator, he seized a massive stack of talismans before making his escape, hurling them toward Zhou Changwang without a second thought in hopes of buying a brief moment of delay.

Among those talismans, aside from conventional offensive ones, were the Hairy Zombie Talismans and Evil-Faced Ghost Talismans crafted by Zhou Changwang himself, and even sealed thunder talismans.

One had to admit that the talismans produced by Zhou Changwang were exceptionally useful to many cultivators.

Some people bought talismans in the black market and resold them to other cultivators at a markup. They had acquired these very talismans through such channels.

"Do you really think you can escape?"

In response, Zhou Changwang's expression remained calm as three flying swords shot forth with lightning speed.

As for the incoming talismanic barrage, Zhou Changwang shifted his stance slightly, executing the Light-Splitting Shadow-Transforming Technique while treading upon the Seven Stars and Piercing Moon footwork.

Even though a handful of attacks landed on him, shielded by his golden armor, they failed to cause him the slightest hindrance.

"Thirty zhang. No matter how strong this person's strength is, he is ultimately just a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator. Whether it's spellcasting or artifact attacks, their effective range tops out at ten zhang at best. How could he possibly strike from this far away? Even a seventh-layer Qi Refinement cultivator can only project their attacks within thirty zhang. I must be safe by now. It's a pity my Ground-Escaping Talisman was used up last time; otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

As Zhao Shanhe sprinted using his movement technique, his ghost eyes whirled, 'seeing' that Zhou Changwang had yet to catch up, remaining more than thirty-five zhang away—well beyond thirty zhang.

At such a distance, he should be safe.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he abruptly sensed a bone-chilling cold throughout his mind and body, accompanied by a visceral premonition of inescapable catastrophe.

He hurriedly activated his ghost eyes to scan backward, immediately catching sight of Zhou Changwang's figure still lingering thirty-five zhang away.

At such a vast distance, he should be secure.

Yet the moment that thought formed, he abruptly noticed that the three flying swords were now merely three zhang away from him.

*Three zhang?*

*How is that possible?*

Weren't they already over thirty zhang away from Zhou Changwang?

Was the radiation range of his spiritual sense truly that vast?

Just as terror gripped his heart and he tried to react, he saw those three small swords flash simultaneously.

All three blades thrust forward in unison, shattering his defensive aura instantly before churning violently inside his skull as they soared upward into the air.

*That figure... why does it look so familiar?*

As his severed head flew through the air, his eyes caught sight of his own headless torso plummeting below. A final thought flickered across his mind, but it was quickly swallowed by an endless, absolute darkness, plunging him into eternal silence.

Several breaths later, Zhou Changwang's figure materialized beside Zhao Shanhe's corpse. "You tried to shift disaster onto my shoulders last time, and I let you escape. I didn't expect you to have the audacity to ambush me again today. Did you really take me for someone easy to bully?"

With a cold glint in his eyes, Zhou Changwang retrieved the man's storage bag before casting two Fireball Spells to reduce the corpse to ashes.

...

"Master Zhou, you've returned."

An incense stick of time later, Zhou Changwang's figure appeared at the foot of the Lesser Peak Spiritual Land.

One of the spiritual farmers greeted him warmly.

Zhou Changwang nodded in acknowledgment.

He remembered this particular spiritual farmer.

A few days in the previous month, the man had approached his doorstep looking deeply hesitant, explaining that his crops had suffered from pest infestations and asking for assistance in exterminating the bugs.

Zhou Changwang had gone down the mountain to handle it on the spot, taking less than the time it took to burn an incense stick. Sensing the man's straitened circumstances, he hadn't charged any spirit stones.

It was no wonder the man regarded him with considerable respect now.

Returning to his spiritual land, Zhou Changwang walked directly to the courtyard entrance and seated himself in a chair.

"A thief you guard against is less troublesome than a thief who harbors a grudge. I knew long ago that Zhao Shanhe wouldn't be reconciled to losing the Earth-Yin Ganoderma foundation-establishing treasure to me, and that he would eventually come looking for trouble. Though I remained on guard, I couldn't constantly live on the defensive. Now that he's taken the initiative to jump out and I've completely eliminated him, one major burden has finally been lifted from my mind."

A trace of reflective emotion touched Zhou Changwang's face, though genuine amusement lingered in his heart.

The fellow's past actions had truly provoked his anger. If Zhao Shanhe had simply stayed hidden or holed up within the Fengmingwu Market, Zhou Changwang would have been helpless and certainly wouldn't have wasted the effort to hunt him down.

To his surprise, rather than him seeking out the man, Zhao Shanhe had actually dared to set an ambush for him along the road. Naturally, Zhou Changwang had no reason to stand on ceremony and simply beat him to death to clear the ledger.

"Five people, five storage bags."

With a light heart, Zhou Changwang turned his thoughts to his newly acquired spoils of war.

He immediately retrieved the storage bags one by one, employing the Golden Light Talisman-Breaking Technique to dismantle the restriction seals upon them.

Before long, all five storage bags cracked open.

"Spirit stones from all five combined: seventeen thousand three hundred low-grade spirit stones. This certainly makes my personal wealth quite a bit more substantial."

A bright gleam lit up Zhou Changwang's eyes.

His wealth had been nearly depleted due to purchasing spiritual energy ores, materials, and seeds, not to mention owing a significant debt of spiritual talismans to Shen Xinyi of the Water Cloud Pavilion, placing him under considerable financial pressure.

To his unexpected delight, these five individuals had stepped forward to pad his pockets considerably.

Those seventeen thousand low-grade spirit stones alone would easily alleviate a large portion of his financial strain.

Not to mention the other liquid assets.

"Spiritual talismans are relatively sparse—only a dozen or so remain, likely consumed prior to the ambush; they're worth roughly a thousand low-grade spirit stones. Artifacts, however, are abundant, numbering over twenty pieces. Most are low-grade or mid-grade artifacts, with only two high-grade items. They aren't of much use to me personally, but selling them off should fetch around five or six thousand low-grade spirit stones. That brings us to seven thousand low-grade spirit stones. Add in some spiritual materials, mineral ores, and miscellaneous items worth another two or three thousand, and we're looking at a total of twenty-seven thousand low-grade spirit stones. Finally, there are the jade slips. Across all five people, there are over three hundred jade slips in total. And wait... are these ancient slips?"

Zhou Changwang mentally tallied his inventory.

Calculating the seventeen thousand three hundred spirit stones alongside the ten thousand estimated from selling the goods brought his total to twenty-seven thousand low-grade spirit stones.

It was a substantial sum indeed, perfectly capable of plugging his current financial deficit.

Finally, as his attention shifted toward those jade slips, a bright light flickered in his eyes.

He discovered that among the numerous slips, five or six were sealed with special restrictions—unmistakably ancient jade slips.

Recalling Zhao Shanhe's profession, he couldn't help but harbor high expectations for these particular ancient slips.

However, he refrained from immediately using the Golden Light Technique to break the seals, choosing instead to examine the three hundred-odd standard jade slips one by one.

While ancient slips might harbor wondrous divine abilities and legacies, ordinary slips were far more likely to contain practical, everyday treasures.

After all, these were items carried on the persons of active cultivators; if they were completely useless, they would have long since been discarded to gather dust in some forgotten corner.

" *Ghost Eye Technique*, *Spirit-Sensing Method*, *Dragon-Locating & Point-Seeking*, *Geomancy*, *Donkey Hoof Crafting Method*, *Array-Breaking Formula*, *Golden Needle Body-Refinement Art*, *Mountains and Rivers Topography Map*, *Fleetfoot Spell*..."

A long while later, Zhou Changwang finally snapped out of his focus after reading through the contents of those slips.

Then, a look of profound astonishment crossed his face.

He had always assumed that the most valuable spells and techniques would naturally belong to the seventh-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, given his superior cultivation and strength.

To his surprise, virtually every spell and technique that caught his eye actually belonged to Zhao Shanhe.

Among them, the *Ghost Eye Technique* was Zhao Shanhe's signature art. Once activated, it allowed the user to 'borrow vision from the empty air,' granting a complete three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the surroundings without needing to turn one's head.

In particular, its sensitivity to ghosts and specters was supreme, enabling the caster to clearly 'see' all hidden spectral entities within a certain radius.

"For me, this spell holds no small utility. Though its long-distance vision falls short of the Spiritual Eye Technique, it serves as a wonderful supplementary ability."

Zhou Changwang developed a keen interest in this spell.

Aside from the Ghost Eye Technique, the Spirit-Sensing Method, Dragon-Locating & Point-Seeking, and Geomancy were foundational secret arts practiced by tomb-robbing experts.

Through these arts, one could accurately locate spiritual lands, secret realms, and naturally, the burial grounds of ancient cultivators and powerful figures...

Zhou Changwang held no taboos against such arts; as long as they were useful, that was enough.

Consequently, he resolved to practice them when time permitted.

"As for this *Donkey Hoof Crafting Method*... though it's mainly useful against zombies and similar entities, it truly qualifies as a wonderful item."

Zhou Changwang still vividly remembered how Zhao Shanhe had used those donkey hooves to force the pseudo-copper armored corpse to retreat repeatedly, thereby escaping numerous mortal crises.

He could not guarantee that he would never encounter powerful zombies in the future; having such an item on hand provided an extra layer of security.

As for the *Array-Breaking Formula*—tomb-raiders inevitably encountered numerous mechanical traps and arrays within tombs, and this formula was created precisely for that purpose.

Though Zhou Changwang had no immediate intention of hunting tombs for treasure, possessing this array-breaking formula meant that should he ever be trapped within a formation, he could successfully extricate himself.

It was likewise an exceptionally fine technique.

As for the *Golden Needle Body-Refinement Art*, true to its name, it was a physical refinement technique of little utility to Zhou Changwang personally.

The *Mountains and Rivers Topography Map* was a topographical record compiled by Zhao Shanhe over many years of surveying various terrains and mountain ranges, having ventured deep into hazardous secret realms and dangerous zones.

Certain locations bore special markings noting local forces and fierce beasts, expanding Zhou Changwang's understanding and awareness of the surrounding environment.

Crucially, it even contained an introduction regarding the Divine Wind Valley, bringing a pleasant surprise to his heart.

Perhaps when the time came to enter the Divine Wind Valley, this *Mountains and Rivers Topography Map* would come in handy after all.

***