Among the renowned powerhouses of Luoxia City, the public only ever spoke of the Three City Lords.
But anyone with a sound mind knew that was merely the strength Luoxia City allowed others to see.
Otherwise, how could it have held the top position among the Seven Pillars of Great Qi?
Was it all thanks to the First City Lord's power alone?
No people had limits. No matter how strong he was, the First City Lord was still just a Purple Mansion cultivator.
The Blood Demon Sect had factored this in from the very beginning when scheming to seize Luoxia City.
To support their operation, the Thundercry Demon King had deliberately intensified his offensive. His elite monsters had all joined the fray, placing immense pressure on the city's defenses.
The goal: to tie down Luoxia City's peak combat strength.
And, just as they predicted, not only had Zhan Tianxia and the elusive Third City Lord arrived on the front lines, but two more relatively unknown Purple Mansion cultivators had also appeared clearly, hidden trump cards of the city.
That left, by their calculations, only the enigmatic First City Lord still in the city.
But Mu Guibai was the only cultivator in Luoxia City capable of contending with the Demon King. As long as the Thundercry Demon King remained inactive, Mu Guibai couldn't act rashly, meaning he too was effectively restrained.
So, believing everything was going according to plan, the Blood Demon Sect boldly set their plan in motion.
Yet no matter how thorough their calculations, they hadn't accounted for one thing: the hidden strength Luoxia City possessed was far beyond their imagination.
Not only had Bai Zhengchun, the Blood-Clad Asura who had vanished for over a century, resurfaced…
But four more Purple Mansion cultivators had appeared as well.
All of them were once titans of their time.
Two were former City Lords, the previous Third and Fourth. The other two had once been personal disciples under the former Second City Lord.
It wasn't that the Blood Demon Sect lacked intelligence-gathering capabilities. On the contrary, their spies were embedded throughout Great Qi's cultivation world.
But these people shared one chilling commonality with Bai Zhengchun:
They were all supposed to be dead.
That's right, every one of them had been declared dead at various points in the last two centuries. Bai Zhengchun, for instance, had supposedly fallen during a beast siege.
Shen Qingxiu, a female cultivator among them, had allegedly died while forging her Purple Mansion.
Their deaths had been witnessed by many. Who could've imagined that these long-lost souls long thought to have returned to the dust would now stand before them, very much alive?
For a moment, Blood Concubine was filled with dread.
Could Luoxia City have been laying the groundwork for this for hundreds of years?
Had these people faked their deaths, or… had they truly returned from the grave?
Even while fending off the wave after wave of terrifying attacks, her mind raced, desperately calculating a way to escape.
Luoxia City's defenses were notoriously tight. After the lockdown, not even an ant could sneak in.
But Blood Concubine possessed a rare, innate talent. By paying a certain price, she could travel through shadows. With the aid of a treasured artifact from the Blood Demon Sect, she had successfully infiltrated the city.
Using a network of secret outposts the sect had planted long ago, she employed forbidden techniques to gradually smuggle in over a thousand sect members from the border, Spirit, Lin, Yang, and Xiang provinces.
This feat had cost the Blood Demon Sect dearly. And it was a one-way ticket.
In other words, if they failed to carry out their plan, if they couldn't destroy Luoxia City's fourth-grade spiritual vein and lure the beast tide into the city, they'd have no path left but total annihilation.
But Blood Concubine had always valued her life above all else. From the moment she entered Luoxia City, she had been preparing an escape route.
So now, she had no intention of risking everything in a final stand. Instead, she was already plotting how to flee…
The battle between nine Purple Mansion cultivators was nothing short of catastrophic for Luoxia City. In less than half an hour, one-fifth of the city had been reduced to rubble.
Wails of grief filled the streets, and no one could count how many lives had been lost in the chaos.
Before such overwhelming power, low-level cultivators were nothing but fragile ants.
The battle raged from midnight until dawn. Nearly half of Luoxia City lay in ruins.
But Luoxia City had the home-field advantage. Not only did they have superior numbers, but they could also draw upon parts of the city's defensive formation to aid in combat.
The Blood Demon Sect, on the other hand, had fewer forces. Their people had paid a steep price just to sneak into the city, and many were far from their peak condition.
Under these circumstances, Blood Concubine's side began to lose ground.
The Linzhou Branch Master was killed on the spot by the combined efforts of Shen Qingxiu and Bai Zhengchun, body and soul annihilated.
The Xiangzhou Branch Master was also slain, but his soul escaped, hidden within the glob of filthy blood on his shoulder, fleeing the battlefield.
The commander of Yangzhou had made a pact with the Blood Concubine to self-destruct together, hoping to take Shen Qingxiu and the others down with them. However, at the crucial moment, he was betrayed and used by the Blood Concubine as a tool for her escape.
In this battle, four commanders of the Blood Demon Cult were involved: the Linzhou commander was slain, the Xiangzhou commander lost his physical body and fled the city as a wandering soul, the Yangzhou commander self-destructed, and the Blood Concubine used a secret technique to flee, though she was severely wounded by a single strike from Bai Zhengchun.
Over a thousand cultists who had entered the city were like fish in a barrel. Under Zhuang Yuechan's command, the majority were slaughtered, with only a few stragglers managing to cling to life and escape.
Although Luoxia City had prepared in advance, the cost was steep. Nearly half the city was destroyed, and no one could say how long it would take to rebuild.
Among the five Purple Mansion cultivators, one fell in battle and two were critically wounded. Only Bai Zhengchun and Shen Qingxiu remained to hold the city together. As for the disciples of Luoxia City, the casualties were devastating. It was a victory, yes, but a bitter one.
The only solace was that the Blood Demon Cult's conspiracy had been crushed. A small blessing amidst great misfortune.
Still, the cult's plan wasn't a complete failure. Over a thousand blood spears forged from Soul-Devouring Meteorite Iron had absorbed massive amounts of spiritual energy from the fourth-grade leyline, destabilizing the city's protective formation.
At one point, the chaos even allowed demonic beasts to breach the walls and engage in close combat with the city's defenders.
Fortunately, Bai Zhengchun and the others acted swiftly. By removing each of the blood spears one by one, they managed to stabilize the formation again and repel the beasts' assault...
...
After the battle, Zhuang Yuechan stood blankly before a pile of rubble. Before her lay a shattered plaque, upon which two barely discernible characters remained: "Wang Yue".
"Senior sister, we've recovered all the bodies, twelve in total. None survived," a young man stepped forward and reported respectfully.
"Gather their remains and take good care of them," Zhuang Yuechan said softly. "Don't bury them just yet."
The youth hesitated. "Senior sister, that zombie we encountered earlier still hasn't been captured. The elders suggest cremating the bodies now and returning the ashes to their families later to avoid giving the zombie any chance to exploit them.
Are you sure this is the right call?"
Zhuang Yuechan shook her head gently. "I'll speak to the elders about it. You go and keep searching for survivors elsewhere."
Once the youth had left, Zhuang Yuechan took out a porcelain jar and whispered, "I'm sorry, Daoist Song… Yuechan has failed to uphold your trust…"
At that very moment, far away in Xuzhou, Song Changsheng remained unaware that Luoxia City had just endured a life-and-death battle. He sat cross-legged atop a Taiji diagram, forming seals with his hands as his entire body was shrouded in the energies of Yin and Yang.
His cultivation state had long reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, so this breakthrough was simply a matter of course. After consuming a dose of Thousand-Year Spirit Marrow Liquid, he successfully advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage in less than half a day.
Now, he was merely stabilizing his new cultivation realm.
A late Foundation cultivator under thirty years old, such talent was rare, not just in Lingzhou, but even across the entire Qi Dynasty's cultivation world.
After some time, Song Changsheng slowly ended his cultivation session, exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, then opened his eyes and glanced out the window.
"It's already this late?" he muttered. "I almost missed my meeting with Daoist Peng."
With a wave of his hand, he dissolved the formation and wards around the room. After greeting Song Qingxi and the others, he rushed to the black market to rendezvous with Peng Siying.
Upon meeting her, his face concealed behind a monkey-faced mask, Peng Siying immediately shared some bad news.
"Daoist Song, after returning, I looked into it. The merchant guild does indeed possess a piece of arm armor forged from one hundred and eight flood dragon scales.
If it were a typical magical item, I could've gifted it to you without issue. But this is a top-grade magic treasure. It's beyond my authority to handle."
She looked sincerely apologetic as she spoke.
Though he had mentally prepared for this outcome, Song Changsheng still felt a pang of disappointment. If even a colossal organization like Wanlong Merchant Guild couldn't help him, where else could he look?
"Sigh… perhaps this was never meant to be my fortune."
With a soft sigh, he gave a sincere bow and said, "Thank you, Daoist Peng, for running around on my behalf. I'm truly grateful."
"Tch, don't get so discouraged," Peng Siying said, slapping his shoulder with mock seriousness. "I'll introduce you to someone who might be able to help."
"Oh? I'd appreciate any advice you can offer," Song Changsheng perked up, unable to hide his renewed hope.
"His name is Shen Yin. Bit of a mysterious guy, he's from the Qi Dynasty's cultivation world, just like you. He's a broker of information. As long as you're willing to pay, there's little he can't find out.
Don't ask me how he does it, but I've tested him, he's the real deal. If anyone can help you locate those dragon scales, it's him."
Song Changsheng was overjoyed. "Do you know how I can find him?"
Peng Siying snorted. "That guy's a bit... undisciplined. He lives in brothels. Who knows where he's messing around these days? But take this"
She handed him a colorful... uh, chicken feather?
"This thing will guide you to him as long as you get close enough."
Song Changsheng looked down at the flamboyant feather in his hand. "So… you don't know where he is either?"
Peng Siying nodded. "That's right. But that guy's pretty cautious about his safety. The north of the Qi cultivation world is in chaos right now, and the southwest isn't much better. You'd have better luck searching the major cities in the south, start with the brothels."
Hearing this, the corner of Song Changsheng's mouth twitched.
The South is way too big, and there are far too many brothels. Am I supposed to check them one by one?
If word got out, wouldn't his lifetime of honor go down the drain?
With a quiet sigh, Song Changsheng could only comfort himself that at least there was still a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist Peng. I'll take my leave now."
After exiting the black market through a special passage, Song Changsheng strolled down the wide street, pondering how he was going to track down that brothel ghost.
Suddenly, a faint fragrance drifted through the air and lingered at the tip of his nose, stirring something deep in his blood.
Song Changsheng's heart tightened. He quickly recited the Clear Heart Mantra, and soon the boiling blood within him calmed down.
"It can affect one's mind—who dares to use something like this inside Wanjian City?"
He frowned slightly and, driven by curiosity, followed the trail of the fragrance.
Soon, he found the source of that scent.
Staring at the entrance, crowded with scantily clad, charming women and filled with teasing laughter, Song Changsheng's face instantly darkened.
Looks like... I've ended up at a brothel?
He glanced up at the sign framed in peony flowers. Sure enough, the characters read "Red Sleeve Invite", one of the four must-visit spots in Wanjian City, according to his guide.
"Fellow Daoist Peng said that Shen Yin is likely somewhere in the South. Wanjian City ranks among the top three southern cities, and 'Red Sleeve Invite' is the most lavish brothel here. Maybe he's inside?
Hmm... I should at least go in and check."
Clutching the feather in his hand, Song Changsheng stepped inside without hesitation.
But less than fifteen minutes later, he came running out in a mess.
The reason? The girls inside were just too enthusiastic.
With his good looks and unique aura, the moment he entered, he was swarmed by a flock of flirtatious women.
Although he had lived two lifetimes and seen countless "films", he had zero real experience. The moment the feather didn't react, but his other self did, he bolted.
It wasn't that he was pretending to be upright. The real reason was that he didn't want to lose his yang essence at this critical moment.
Keeping one's yuan yang intact was immensely beneficial for cultivation. That's why most young cultivators avoided women. Only those who had given up on advancement would seek wives and concubines to continue their lineage.
What's more, a cultivator's essence, whether yin or yang, could be highly beneficial to the opposite sex. With his level of cultivation, if a Foundation Establishment-level female cultivator had intercourse with him, she could break through on the spot.
As night fell, Song Changsheng leisurely made his way back to the inn. After all, tomorrow was the seventh day of the month, and he still needed to take Song Qingxing and the others to the Heavenly Sword Sect for the stele ceremony.
When he returned, he found Song Qingxi and the others gathered for dinner. After all, Qi Refining cultivators still needed to eat every few days; they hadn't yet mastered complete fasting.
Taking the main seat, Song Changsheng looked at the two calmly eating their spirit food and said, "Rest early tonight and gather your strength. Tomorrow, we'll ascend to the Heavenly Sword Sect for the stele ceremony."
Song Qingxing remained silent, focused on the spirit rice in his bowl.
Song Qingxi wrinkled her nose slightly, then looked at Song Changsheng with a suspicious gaze. She even leaned in and sniffed him.
"What kind of behavior is this?" Song Changsheng frowned and scolded. This girl is getting more and more unruly.
But Song Qingxi wasn't the least bit afraid. Instead, she asked curiously, "Uncle, why do you smell so nice?"
As soon as she said this, Redfire, the old ghost, let out a knowing laugh, his expression full of meaning.
Song Changsheng suddenly felt a wave of guilt for no reason. He immediately pulled out his authoritative tone and said with a stern face, "No talking during meals or before bed. Finish eating and go rest."
With that, he hurriedly left the room.
He had no way to explain it.
What was he supposed to say?
"I went into a brothel, but I didn't do anything."?
Who'd believe that?!
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