Chapter 104: Chapter 92: The Water Dragon Sect Selection Arrives Early
Ji Yuan stood by the window, holding a letter, unable to speak for a long time.
Qiu Qianhai disappeared, that’s most likely what happened.
Just like he said himself, Ji Yuan doesn’t know whether he is alive or dead, but it is certain that he has gone missing.
The Qin Family?
The Qin Family is indeed the most likely suspect, especially with the thought of Blind Qin passing away... Could it be that Blind Qin personally went to kill Qiu Qianhai and they both perished together?
Highly unlikely, if Qiu Qianhai had the ability to perish together with someone at the Peak of Qi Refining, then I wouldn’t have needed to save him in the first place.
Blind Qin dying is highly probable, but whether it’s related to Qiu Qianhai’s disappearance, Ji Yuan doesn’t know.
But with Blind Qin gone... it would be easy to eliminate the Qin Family.
Currently, the Qin Family has Qin Long and He Laosan, both at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and Ji Yuan is confident he can take them down.
But to be safe, he thought he’d wait until he himself reached the ninth level of Qi Refining or the Peak of Qi Refining.
After all, as Qiu Qianhai said, if nothing else, they could be worn to death.
If it were another enemy or killed by a demon beast or something else... Ji Yuan wouldn’t know. Regardless of whether it’s the Qin Family, in any case, with Qiu Qianhai gone, this debt must be reckoned with the Qin Family.
Even if not for Qiu Qianhai, for the original host’s deceased parents, the Qin Family must be held accountable.
So in Ji Yuan’s heart, the Qin Family is practically sentenced to death.
He looked down again at the letter in his hand, then flipped it into his storage bag, leaving only the roughly drawn map in his hand.
The Tier Two body technique of the Foundation Establishment Stage... is indeed a good thing.
It could even be said to be the best among good things.
If this magic were some sort of attacking technique or protective technique, Ji Yuan might not care much, but body technique, that’s rare.
If he could learn it, it would be a life-saving method.
Whether in magical combat or escape, it would be quite useful.
In the previous battle with the demon cultivator, Ji Yuan already realized the benefits of the Thunder Falcon Boat... You might not have strong attack power or defense in magical combat, but you must run fast.
Fight when you can, run when you can’t, and come back to fight when you can again.
As long as there’s life, there’s hope.
Ji Yuan wouldn’t be foolish enough to force a fight to the death.
When it’s time to run, he must run.
In that case... should he go to check the island Qiu Qianhai described?
The idea only existed in Ji Yuan’s mind for a moment before he dismissed it. Deep in the Cloud Rain Marsh, where Tier Two demon beasts roam, not to mention on the island where the opportunity lies, it’s confirmed there’s a Tier Two demon beast.
Tier Two demon beast, its strength is equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Even if it’s not a flying demon beast, Ji Yuan wouldn’t dare to risk it... what if it is?
He’s only at the eighth level of Qi Refining now; there’s no need to take that risk. Even if he did take the risk and got the magic, he couldn’t learn it yet.
The third layer of "Explosive Accumulation" from "Water Drop Finger" just barely entered the gate.
He hasn’t even begun to enter the third layer of "Canglang Sword Technique," "Nine Stacked Waves."
For magic, it’s quality, not quantity that matters.
As for whether the magic opportunity has been taken by someone else because he hasn’t gone for so long... if someone else took it, then so be it; it only means that opportunity wasn’t meant for him.
As long as he’s alive, why worry about missing opportunities?
After properly storing the letter and map, Ji Yuan sat by the window for a long time.
For now, whether it’s seeking revenge on the Qin Family or seizing the opportunity, these aren’t secure actions. The most secure thing at the moment is to quickly improve his cultivation strength.
Day by day, time passed.
The battle between the Water Dragon Sect and Joy Palace continued, and rumors had it that Foundation Establishment cultivators had suffered casualties.
But the battlefield was too far from Zengtou City, given that Zengtou City... is already near the Water Dragon Sect, you could say right next to it.
Just crossing the bustling Cloud Rain Marsh, you could reach the Water Dragon Sect by the Starfall River.
So, although the fight continued, Ji Yuan didn’t really feel much of a change.
The only things he felt changed were the ever-increasing prices of Blood Essence and various talismanic elixirs, so he didn’t stay idle. Relying on the aid of architectural effects, he had saved eleven Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Mid-grade Spirit Stones!
Something he wouldn’t have even dared to think of before.
Of course, to earn these eleven Mid-grade Spirit Stones, he practically traveled all over the Cloud Rain Marsh.
Despite his high cultivation, he didn’t dare frequently visit the Hundred Treasures Tower in Zengtou City.
Otherwise, if they saw his high success rate in painting talismans and alchemy, and forcibly recruited him into the Water Dragon Sect, what then?
If caught... oh, recruited rather.
What happens then totally depends on the Water Dragon Sect’s mood.
Only the remaining 30 pounds of Cold Iron Sand Ji Yuan still hadn’t sold because the price... was still rising.
Earlier, a pound of Cold Iron Sand cost 20 Spirit Stones.
Now, over a year later, a pound of Cold Iron Sand has increased to 30 Spirit Stones.
One wonders what the Water Dragon Sect needs it for...
That they require so much.
With the way things are developing, the Clear Wave Pool might end up being "absorbed by the sect."
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Right after the New Year, news suddenly spread through Zengtou City, or should I say through the Cloud Rain Marsh... The Water Dragon Sect’s selection process was moved up!
It’s a whole year earlier!
The Water Dragon Sect selection, originally scheduled for next year, has been moved up to this year.
Moreover, the timing is very tight. The news hasn’t even spread completely, yet the "enrollment army" of the Water Dragon Sect has already settled in various markets.
If Wen Lin hadn’t happened to go to Zengtou City to buy herbs that morning and brought back the news, Ji Yuan wouldn’t have known.
This sudden news disrupted all of Ji Yuan’s plans. He originally thought that by the time the Water Dragon Sect held its selection next year, he would have reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
At that time, with the help of the Yin Ghost Array, he dared to fight even at the peak of Qi Refining.
Even joining the Water Dragon Sect, he would have a foothold.
If his breakthrough was a bit earlier, he could even take a trip to the island depicted by Qiu Qianhai, and see if he could seize that opportunity before going to the Water Dragon Sect.
But now... it’s not just a lack of preparation in cultivation, but even the construction around his home is incomplete.
The construction effects can be turned off, but the Spirit Fish and Spirit Chickens inside... forget it!
Perhaps it’s better to just leave them. After all, they’re not worth much, let the Lin and Wen families handle it.
Joining the Water Dragon Sect takes precedence, and if he doesn’t join today, he might have to wait another three years. Ji Yuan can afford to wait a year, but not three.
Let’s go!
With a thought, Ji Yuan called Tu Yue and placed her into the storage bag. Fortunately, this corpse puppet was just an unintelligent body, not a living thing, otherwise, it would have been troublesome to handle.
But why did the Water Dragon Sect suddenly advance the selection?
And it’s so rushed, not giving people time to prepare. The news spreads today, the selection is today... Normally, a few days for preparation would suffice.
After all, many cultivators in the late stages of Qi Refining are still scattered across Cloud Rain Marsh or outside the markets.
Even receiving the news and returning would take some time.
"Dong—"
"Dong dong—"
There was a knock at the door outside the courtyard. Ji Yuan went to open the door and saw... quite a few people standing there.
The families of Lin and Wen were all present. Lin Hu even brought his one-year-old daughter, six people in total, standing at the door looking at him.
This made Ji Yuan feel a bit embarrassed.
Before he could speak, the closest friend, Lin Hu, proactively asked, "Brother Ji, are you going to the Water Dragon Sect?"
"Brother Ji’s strength is enough. Staying in Zengtou City doesn’t mean much anymore; it’s time to go to the Water Dragon Sect."
Wen Lin spoke with a slight sigh.
There was reluctance towards this neighbor and friend. After all, during the past months, Ji Yuan, who had recently been promoted to a middle-grade Alchemist, frequently shared alchemy experiences with him.
In the process, Ji Yuan even gave him a lot of guidance, improving his alchemy skills.
But Ji Yuan caught a hint of something else from Wen Lin’s words. He was worried that after joining the Water Dragon Sect, Ji Yuan would forget his promise to him.
"I’m preparing to check it out first." Ji Yuan didn’t want to speak too definitively, in case something unexpected happened, he didn’t want to backtrack on his words.
"If I really join at that time..."
Before Ji Yuan could finish, he suddenly looked up.
A water blue light streaked across the sky, followed closely by a white light dropping straight down, aiming directly at his courtyard.
"Not good!"
Instinctively thinking it was an attack, Ji Yuan raised his hand and summoned the Hundred Fish Shield. The shield expanded in the wind to six feet, protecting the people outside the courtyard.
Then, he raised his hand again, and the Cyan Cicada Sword appeared.
The cyan and blue lights reflected each other, and mirrors appeared over the small courtyard.
But as the white light drew closer, Ji Yuan could see it more clearly – it looked like no attack method, but rather a letter with spiritual qi attached to it, making it appear like a spell.
Who sent the letter?
Ji Yuan leaped into action. The Thunder Falcon Boat flashed away, and as the mirrors disappeared, he took the letter.
After landing in the courtyard again, he looked up at the sky. The water blue light that streaked before had vanished... The person was gone, and Ji Yuan didn’t know who it was.
After confirming no one else was around, he retracted the Hundred Fish Shield.
"It’s okay now."
Lin Hu and others finally raised their heads, each with a hint of lingering fear in their eyes, "Brother Ji, this is..."
"Not sure, you all go back first. I’ll explain if there’s anything." Ji Yuan’s expression was somewhat grim.
The others nodded repeatedly. Among them, the highest cultivator, Wen Lin, was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. If Ji Yuan really had a conflict with someone...
Qi Refining late-stage spells meant little to Ji Yuan, but they would be fatal for them.
So after Ji Yuan returned inside, Lin Hu and Wen Lin exchanged a glance, and both families silently set out for Zengtou City.
It’s not about abandoning a friend, but if a fight occurs, they wouldn’t contribute and might distract Ji Yuan.
Back in his room, Ji Yuan immediately took out the letter. After scanning it with spiritual qi several times, ensuring there were no issues, he called out Tu Yue to help open it.
The corpse puppet could be replaced, but if he died, that would be the end of everything.
Fortunately, the letter contained no other tricks and had only a short line.
The handwriting was rushed and messy.
But Ji Yuan managed to decipher the contents, noting the signature at the bottom.
The signature read "Xu Fugui".
The contents were:
"Trap, don’t go. Everyone joining today will be sent to the front line."