Chapter 348 : Advance and Retreat Together with Fairy of Rainbow Skirt
Chapter 348: Advance and Retreat Together with Fairy of Rainbow Skirt
The summit of Celestial Spring Peak was shrouded in drifting clouds and mist, while the sound of flowing springs echoed softly like the resonance of a zither.
A simple and ancient pavilion stood on the cliff’s edge. The bronze bells hanging from the corners of the pavilion were occasionally stirred by the mountain wind, producing two or three clear and ethereal chimes.
“Yun Yao.”
Looking at the concealed letter from Yun Yao, Lin Chang’an—dressed in a robe as white as snow, with flowing cloud patterns embroidered in silver thread along the sleeves and hem—could not help but reveal a smile on his face.
Yun Yao’s letter was very simple. It only mentioned that over the years her cultivation had advanced greatly, and within the demonic sect her strength now ranked second only to the old demon.
The final four words, “May your heart be at peace,” instantly swept away the worries Lin Chang’an had carried for many years.
Next came Old Hu’s letter.
The first part made Lin Chang’an chuckle with amusement, but the later contents gradually caused his expression to grow serious.
“The Beast Sea Abyss truly is becoming increasingly turbulent.”
In his letter, Hu Jin clearly stated that in recent years nearly half of the waters among the Seventy-two Outer Islands had experienced unrest, and that there were manipulators behind it.
While reminding Lin Chang’an to remain cautious, he also subtly hinted that these were merely minor skirmishes stirred up by various factions. In recent years, the Sixteen Sects of Zhenhai in the outer sea had secretly begun contacting one another in private.
Many other factions were also being drawn into these hidden connections.
If the two Palace Masters of Bihai Palace still did not emerge from seclusion, then after the secret realm concluded, the greatest upheaval would likely occur.
“In other words, if the Beast Sea Abyss is to face its greatest turmoil, it will probably happen after the secret realm.”
Of course, if the two Palace Masters of Bihai Palace were to emerge from seclusion and suppress everything again with thunderous force, that would be another matter entirely.
“However, once I come out of the secret realm, regardless of whether I gain anything or not, I will need to begin preparing for forming the Nascent Soul. Whatever turmoil arises in the Beast Sea Abyss will no longer matter.”
Holding the letter, Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered. Preparing for forming the Nascent Soul, and then temporarily avoiding the storm together with Yun Yao.
After a long while, the letter in his hand turned to ashes. Finally, Lin Chang’an’s gaze shifted to the three letters that had come from the Yue Kingdom.
The Zhou Family’s letter was as it always had been, expressing gratitude for the care he had shown their disciples in the Beast Sea Abyss over the years, while periodically sending spirit stones as tokens of thanks.
Then there were the letters from Wei Yingying, Shen Fan, and Li Yifan.
“Without realizing it, I have already left the Yue Kingdom for nearly a hundred years. Time truly slips away quickly.”
Holding the two letters, Lin Chang’an gazed toward the peach blossoms blooming once again outside the pavilion. Though there was not the slightest ripple in his eyes, a faint loneliness rose from the depths of his heart—the loneliness that accompanies standing at great heights.
Over the past century, as Xuanyin Pavilion’s connections with the homeland grew increasingly frequent, news about him had gradually reached his old acquaintances.
His cultivation had grown stronger and stronger. Even Wei Yingying, who had once been a mischievous girl, had gradually reduced the teasing tone in her letters over the years.
In its place was something invisible, yet perceptible—a sense of reverence toward the strong.
When he had stepped onto this endless road of cultivation, he had already been prepared for this.
But when he personally experienced it, there was still a trace of indescribable loneliness within his heart.
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an turned his gaze toward the Sword Attendant beside him, and a faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
“No wonder those old monsters with higher cultivation only cultivate talented juniors. Aside from matters of benefit, it is probably also because they wish for someone who can accompany them on the path ahead.”
Even for blood relatives, Golden Core or Nascent Soul old monsters in the World of Cultivation tended to spoil those with exceptional talent.
Perhaps this was precisely the reason.
Great talent meant the ability to go farther—and the longer one could accompany them on the road ahead.
“Master!”
Facing her master’s gaze, the Sword Attendant felt puzzled. Her master’s eyes seemed far gentler than before, and there even appeared to be a hint of expectation.
“Cultivate diligently. With your talent, reaching the Nascent Soul may not be impossible.”
Before forming the Nascent Soul, the advantage of a Heavenly Spirit Root was faster cultivation, granting more time than ordinary cultivators to break through.
The Sword Attendant’s spiritual body advantage, however, lay in a higher probability of overcoming the heart demon during the Nascent Soul breakthrough.
Combined with the long lifespan of her human-beast hybrid bloodline, her chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul were not small.
This was one of the reasons Lin Chang’an had devoted so much effort to nurturing her.
However, the Sword Attendant did not know any of this. She only saw her master’s expectations for her, which made her nod firmly.
“This servant will definitely not disappoint Master.”
For the Sword Attendant, although the Nascent Soul realm was unimaginably difficult to reach, she would never give up easily.
At Celestial Spring Peak, cranes cried clearly among the distant clouds. The mountain wind stirred several strands of Lin Chang’an’s black hair across his forehead. The pavilion formed a tranquil scene, spirit tea accompanied him, and the Sword Attendant stood at his side.
Meanwhile, the Azure-Horned Ox occasionally raised its head, gazing at its master in confusion.
This caused Lin Chang’an to laugh openly.
“The path of cultivation is so brilliant and colorful—it truly makes one unable to stop.”
Though there were many regrets along the road, when one looked back, even those regrets seemed like colors that could never be removed from the canvas of one’s life.
At that moment, Lin Chang’an’s mind became perfectly clear. Although the Sword Attendant did not know why her master was laughing, as long as he was happy, she naturally felt delighted as well.
……
With his mental state now clear, it felt as though he had drawn one step closer to heaven and earth itself. When Lin Chang’an looked again at the mountains, they were still mountains—but the feeling had changed.
The improvement of his mental state also made his cultivation feel much lighter.
One month later.
Cultivators from the Four Seas Merchant Guild came to pay him a visit.
“Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lin on emerging from seclusion.”
Lin Chang’an smiled as he returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute. Guests were guests after all—over the years, the Four Seas Merchant Guild had sent him quite a few spirit stones.
“To be honest, Fellow Daoist Lin, I have come on behalf of the Four Seas Merchant Guild with a request. Our earlier investigation was not in vain—we have already uncovered the situation of this group of cultivator robbers…”
The cultivator surnamed Zhu from the Four Seas Merchant Guild was straightforward and immediately explained his purpose.
In recent years the outer seas had been turbulent. After one of their merchant ships had been robbed, the Four Seas Merchant Guild invited many cultivators to investigate. They had finally discovered the truth.
However, for the guild to be this anxious, the stolen cargo must have been extremely valuable.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, you are the most skilled formation master in Five Dragon Island when it comes to formations.”
In the end, the cultivator surnamed Zhu clasped his hands helplessly and revealed his request.
“This group of cultivator robbers comes from the outer sea and acts extremely boldly. Over the years they have robbed and killed countless fellow cultivators. Our Four Seas Merchant Guild has already gathered many fellow Daoists.
But the island where these robbers reside is protected by a formation…”
Listening to this, Lin Chang’an frowned. Before he could refuse, the other party offered a reward that immediately caught his attention.
“As long as Fellow Daoist can help us break the formation, the matter of killing will be left to us. Our Four Seas Merchant Guild is willing to pay in advance a late-stage third-rank earth-attribute demon core.
Of course, if Fellow Daoist Lin and Fellow Daoist Qiu are willing to assist in battle as well, our Four Seas Merchant Guild is willing to provide clues regarding a late-stage third-rank wind-attribute demon beast.”
“A wind-attribute demon beast!”
Lin Chang’an hesitated.
If it were merely breaking a formation and offering assistance in battle, the problem would not be too great.
After all, he had searched for years for a wind-attribute demon core without finding any trace of one.
However, the fact that the Four Seas Merchant Guild was offering such a heavy reward showed just how troublesome their opponents were.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, please be assured. For this operation, we have also invited the Long Clan and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt from Xuanyin Pavilion.”
Good heavens—even the Long Clan had been mobilized.
Lin Chang’an was somewhat surprised. The Long Clan had been extremely low-key in recent decades. Just what reward had the Four Seas Merchant Guild offered them?
“Fellow Daoist Zhu, this matter is significant. I need some time to consider it.”
The alliance of three major factions was something Lin Chang’an had not expected beforehand, but he naturally could not agree rashly.
After all, he did not yet know the full situation and could not rely solely on the words of the Four Seas Merchant Guild.
Seeing Lin Chang’an hesitate, Fellow Daoist Zhu seemed to realize something and slapped his forehead with a laugh.
“I was too rash.”
When asking someone for help, no matter who it was, careful consideration was always necessary.
Especially now that the outside world was filled with turmoil—it was even more important to remain cautious.
After seeing Fellow Daoist Zhu off, Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.
“Ling’er, have you heard any recent rumors?”
The Sword Attendant frowned slightly before replying in a serious tone:
“Master, the Four Seas Merchant Guild seems extremely anxious. Perhaps some important item was lost among the merchant ship’s cargo. However, I previously heard that the merchant ship came from Sea Abyss City.”
She hesitated before voicing her guess.
“Sea Abyss City!”
Lin Chang’an narrowed his eyes.
The Four Seas Merchant Guild was not foolish. To pay such a price, something must truly be at stake.
It seemed he would need to pay a visit to Fairy of Rainbow Skirt.
……
Mystic Sound Peak.
“Fellow Daoist Lin’s visit truly makes you a rare guest.”
Inside the pavilion chamber, a cup of spirit tea emitted curling white steam. When she saw him arrive, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt smiled and gestured toward the spirit tea she had personally brewed.
Lin Chang’an smiled and sat at the table, taking a sip.
A refreshing and elegant fragrance filled the air, clearing the mind and even causing the spiritual power within his body to become slightly more active.
“Fellow Daoist Rainbow Skirt, this kind of spirit tea is something you rarely bring out.”
Hearing Lin Chang’an’s teasing remark, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt simply laughed lightly and replied with a meaningful tone:
“Fellow Daoist Lin, you haven’t visited my cave abode even once in over ten years. Surely you didn’t expect me to carry spirit tea to your cave abode just to brew it there?”
The remark left Lin Chang’an speechless. He raised his cup helplessly.
With his daily bitter cultivation, how could he possibly have the leisure to visit other people’s cave abodes?
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt poured herself another cup of tea and smiled.
“This spirit tea was sent by the Four Seas Merchant Guild.”
With that single sentence, she directly revealed that she already knew why Lin Chang’an had come.
At the same time, she seemed to hint that although they had known each other for many years, she had always been the one visiting Celestial Spring Peak—while Lin Chang’an only came to her when he needed something.
“On the other hand, Junior Sister Qiu comes by occasionally.”
The Sword Attendant’s real name was Qiu Ling’er.
The two of them sat calmly in the pavilion chamber, sipping spirit tea.
After a long while, Lin Chang’an finally explained his purpose.
“This matter is really the Four Seas Merchant Guild’s own greed coming back to haunt them.”
When mentioning this, the usually gentle Fairy of Rainbow Skirt unexpectedly showed a trace of schadenfreude.
“In recent years the outer seas have been turbulent. Though dangerous, it also brings opportunities. The Four Seas Merchant Guild has expanded greatly in the surrounding sea regions, and their courage has grown larger and larger.
Previously in Sea Abyss City, they purchased a large batch of goods from a merchant guild under a Nascent Soul elder. Who would have thought that they would encounter cultivator robbers on the journey back…”
Hearing this explanation, Lin Chang’an finally understood why the Four Seas Merchant Guild was so anxious.
All the major families involved had invested heavily. If the cargo were completely lost, no one would be willing to accept that outcome.
“I heard there are also several extremely precious items among that cargo.”
“So that’s the case. No wonder the Four Seas Merchant Guild is in such a hurry.”
Lin Chang’an nodded in realization.
“The Long Clan possesses a spirit beast with an extremely keen sense of smell, and it has also been invited. Of course, the Four Seas Merchant Guild paid a considerable price for that as well.”
“As for me…”
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt smiled as she revealed the reward she had received.
“What about the origins of those cultivator robbers? And their cultivation levels?”
Lin Chang’an asked directly.
After all, clues about a wind-attribute demon beast were extremely rare. He did not want to give them up.
Moreover, with the three factions of Five Dragon Island joining forces this time, Lin Chang’an felt somewhat reassured.
“There are six Core Formation cultivators among the enemy. However, the Four Seas Merchant Guild can only dispatch two—and those two are the ones who previously abandoned the spirit ship and fled when they encountered the robbers…”
Two?
Lin Chang’an felt speechless.
But thinking about it, it made sense. The Four Seas Merchant Guild was composed of various families.
For those False Core and Core Formation cultivators, they were essentially the only pillars supporting their clans.
Naturally, they dared not risk their lives lightly.
In other words, everyone in the guild was happy to earn spirit stones together.
But if it required risking their lives?
Not a chance.
Listening to Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s explanation, Lin Chang’an finally understood why the merchant ship had been robbed so easily.
After all, the cargo belonged to everyone—not just those two individuals. In the face of danger, preserving one’s life naturally came first.
Thus the current situation had arisen. Everyone would rather bleed a little more and offer greater rewards to hire external help.
“This really is…”
Lin Chang’an did not even know how to describe it.
The Four Seas Merchant Guild worked well when cooperating to earn spirit stones, especially against weaker cultivator robbers.
But if it were a family or sect bearing full responsibility, the situation would have been completely different.
“No wonder the Four Seas Merchant Guild is being so generous. In the end, most of their helpers are actually hired outsiders.”
When people’s hearts were not united, everyone wanted to step back and let others take the risk.
How could anything succeed like that?
“Merchant guilds like this are common in the World of Cultivation,” Fairy of Rainbow Skirt said calmly. “But how many of them truly rise to prominence in the end?”
Lin Chang’an understood.
Such guilds began like this, but over time, if one or two families within them grew strong enough to become the core pillar, everything would change.
Afterward, Lin Chang’an gathered more information from Fairy of Rainbow Skirt and also investigated the marketplace himself before confirming that the intelligence was largely accurate.
However, after discussing with Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, they decided to impose conditions out of caution.
The two main families of the Four Seas Merchant Guild must each send one additional Core Formation cultivator, five False Core cultivators, and no fewer than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Moreover, these cultivators must come from the guild’s internal families.
Including the two who had previously abandoned the ship and fled, this would create a fairly strong force.
Among them, the strongest was Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
Then there was Lin Chang’an, a third-rank formation grandmaster, whose price matched that of Fairy of Rainbow Skirt.
Along with the Long Clan and several other hired cultivators, the lineup made Lin Chang’an nod inwardly.
This arrangement was much safer.
Privately, he and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt also secretly agreed to advance and retreat together. If the situation became impossible to handle, the two of them would join forces and escape.
Unless a Nascent Soul cultivator personally intervened to block them.
Cough, cough… requesting some monthly votes.