Immortal Cultivation and Life-Saving Guide

Chapter 238: Sacrifice (Part )
"Xian Hua," the head of the magic sect said happily, "Thank you for your hard work along the way!"

"A few days ago, I made a bet with someone at the mouth of Raohe River and spent two days catching ghost snakes on the mudflats, which delayed my trip." Xian Hua tapped his boots on the remaining threshold before entering Huichao Hall. "I received the letter from the headmaster and rode here at full speed."

At this moment, many disciples in the hall were curiously looking at this "flower" that was famous in the world of immortal cultivation.

He is not only the only Taoist master (designated patron) of the Qingcheng Sect, but also one of the best weapon refiners in the world. Even the Duanye Sect in the Western Regions has no cultivator who can compare with him.

It is said that the current Minister of Works of Ju State received his guidance when he was young, and had considerable experience in smelting. His skills amazed everyone during the official selection process, and he successfully entered the officialdom.

There are not many people like this in the world of immortal cultivation.

However, many of the younger disciples present were somewhat disappointed: "His nickname is 'Flower'! Shouldn't he be a handsome man with a face like a jade?" Now, seeing him, while he wasn't ugly, he looked just an ordinary guy with a slightly more energetic look.

"Greetings, Master," Wei Xi said politely, immediately performing the full disciple's ceremony towards Xian Hua. "I haven't been able to finish the homework you assigned to me these past few days, as I haven't had time to attend to it yet..."

Xian Hua had no idea about this "good disciple" who showed up out of nowhere - the sect leader just sent a message saying that someone was going to bully the disciples in the sect and asked him to come quickly to calm the situation.

Xian Hua was a little confused at first: after all, she only saw a group of people rushing towards the gray-robed monk standing in the middle of the hall, trying to convict her.

Xian Hua is a true Qingcheng Sect member. Although he has not figured out the ins and outs of the matter, he firmly believes that this matter has nothing to do with the Qingcheng Sect.

What a joke! He doesn't even know the strengths and weaknesses of Qingcheng Sect's disciples? What kind of disaster could he possibly cause?
Now that Wei Xi handed over the script, Xian Hua felt even more confident. He waved his hand casually, "Your injury hasn't healed yet, so there's no rush to study! Besides, these people are constantly condemning you, so how can you still focus on your studies? You're so good-natured, no wonder you're bullied!"

"I want to see who dares to throw dirty water on my apprentice today!"

Although Xian Hua did not use spiritual power, he was a middle-aged monk with profound cultivation. He spoke with full energy and his loud voice echoed in the hall.

Uncle Wan, who had originally wanted to drag someone else to take the blame, now wanted to die. Weighing the pros and cons, although he couldn't afford to offend the Yun family, he also had no right to offend this person from the Qingcheng Sect.

After a long while, Uncle Wan Er finally spoke up, "So Wei Xi is the disciple of Master Xian! No wonder he performed so well in the sect competition at such a young age!"

"Just now I just wanted to ask Fellow Daoist Wei to cooperate with our investigation. I didn't mean to wrong her! I hope Immortal Master will forgive me!"

Wei Xi glanced at Uncle Wan Er, who was not good-looking and had sweat on his forehead, and thought that this man's expression-changing speed was comparable to his own. He must be a talented person!
Xian Hua ignored him and walked forward to ask Wei Xi to return to the Qingcheng Sect's ranks.

"Stop!" Patriarch Yun said in a stern tone. He was a powerful figure in the court and a Jindan cultivator himself, so he had some confidence. "My daughter is missing, and Wei Xi's arrow was found at the scene. She is definitely involved in this matter! Not arresting her on the spot is already giving face to the sect!"

"When did you ever give face to the sect?" Xian Hua sarcastically retorted, "Your daughter is missing, go find her quickly. Why are you pestering my good disciple? Do you want her to be your daughter?"

"And you're still saying 'she's inextricably linked to this matter,'" Xian Hua's tone suddenly turned sarcastic. "If you're so good at solving cases, why don't you become the Minister of Justice? Don't treat the sect like a Ju Kingdom court meeting, relying on your master to wag your tail and bark non-stop!"

Wei Xi was stunned: This... is Elder Flower so powerful?

Not only Wei Xi was surprised, but everyone in Huichao Hall was shocked by Xian Hua's "frankness", and the hall fell eerily quiet.

"Xian Hua, you country bumpkin!"

Realizing that the other party was calling him a dog, the always shrewd head of the Yun family cursed angrily. Then a black-browed fire leopard as tall as three people appeared behind him, with all four legs stepping on fire and pouncing at Xian Hua with its teeth bared.

Wei Xi, who was standing next to Xian Hua, could smell the fishy stench from the leopard's mouth. She pretended to slide the dagger out of her sleeve and dodged sideways.

Unexpectedly, the leopard shrank in front of Wei Xi's eyes, and its neck was clamped by two scarred fingers.

"Awooo~Meow~" The little black-browed leopard hung in the air, cried out in grievance, and a small flame came out of its mouth.

"Tsk!" Elder Xian Hua was very impatient. He flipped his hand and drew out a stream of spiritual power from the back of the kicking little leopard, and then he crushed it.

"I ruined the contract," Xian Hua threw the black-browed leopard into Wei Xi's arms, "You can play with it!"

Wei Xi was licked by the little black-browed leopard. Looking at the leopard's clearer eyes, she whispered, "I already have a cat and Lingyin in my house. I can't keep any more!"

Xian Hua scratched his head and picked up the howling leopard through the air. "Okay, then I'll adopt it. This thing can spit fire, which is perfect for refining magic tools for me!"

The head of the Yun family, whose contract was forcibly severed, felt a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat.

This black-browed fire leopard is a demon beast contracted by the head of the Yun family after he reached the stage of Dan formation. It is one of the best contracted beasts in the whole Zhongzhou. Now it is easily subdued by a weapon refiner. Where can he put his face?

But the head of the Yun family had been an official for many years, so he immediately calmed down: now is not the time to argue with the Qingcheng Sect, Yun Qing’s matter must be handled properly.

Besides, he didn't even blink, and he lost a contracted beast.

Which is more important, face or life? The head of the Yun family, who has been in the officialdom for many years, can still tell the difference clearly.

The head of the Yun family took a deep breath and sat in his own seat with his guards. His mind started to work better. He greeted the leader of the Wanjian Sect who was sitting above him, then stood up and saluted King Wuyang.

"The two of you have discussed this, and saving people is the most important thing." Gao Mingxian was annoyed, but he still had to take on the responsibility of being the leader of his faction.

Gao Mingxian said to Sect Master Zhu beside him in a gentle voice, "Since people have asked, let's put our manpower into finding someone."

Zhu, the head of the Zhenhai Sect, nodded. "Zheng Duo has been leading people searching for her for several days. We originally wanted to use the Tracking Technique and tried several items on Miss Yun's person, but to no avail."

"I think someone has used a counter-magic spell, or has a magical weapon to hide her tracks," Master Zhu said slowly, "or maybe Miss Yun has left the range of the tracking spell."

"Zheng Duo just sent a message saying that although there were signs of fighting at the scene where the arrow was found, the signs were not numerous. If someone attacked Miss Yun and the others, their cultivation level must be above Foundation Establishment."

"The Yun and Wan families wanted to question our disciples before, but with King Wuyang guaranteeing us, we were able to put our pride aside and send someone over. But... in short, these arrows are just as Elder Xian Hua said, of ordinary shape."

"Besides, Wei Xi's cultivation level is barely at the Qi Refining stage. Even if he dragged Qin Feng away from the team, it's impossible for the two of them to leave so few traces of the fight at the scene."

Sect Leader Zhu's eyes were filled with a hint of condemnation. "Master Yun, Captain Wan, be prepared!"

Uncle Wan, who was always dependent on others for his livelihood, looked dejected. "Master Zhu, how is my nephew... Sigh... It's been three or four days. Could he be in danger? Who could have thought that something could happen at your sect's trial ground?"

Zhenhai Sect bears a lot of responsibility in this matter. Although some of the aristocratic families acted excessively later, the incident at the trial ground was indeed the fault of Zhenhai Sect.

Therefore, Master Zhu repeatedly promised to do his best to help. He wanted to see the person alive or the body dead.

The head of the Yun family, however, had other ideas. He took advantage of the opportunity to stir up trouble again. "Although our Yun Qing can't compare to the disciples of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, she is a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage after all." "I didn't expect the trial field to be so dangerous this time. So many outstanding young people have died here. It's such a pity. I'm actually a little relieved that Yun Qing hasn't been found yet. Perhaps she's still alive!"

This time, the head of the Yun family learned his lesson. He used a roundabout way to let others take the lead in the battle, while he just played the role of a sad old father, so that he could deceive himself and others.

As soon as these words were spoken, the whispers in Huichao Hall increased, with occasional sobs and curses.

Wei Xi, who was watching coldly, stared at the old face of the head of the Yun family. The delicate appearance of Yun Qing appeared in front of him, and he could not tell the father-daughter relationship between the two.

Finally, a girl with red eyes from Linchuan Pavilion stood up and loudly demanded, "Excuse me, Sect Leader Gao! Sect Leader Zhu! Is there something else going on at this trial site? Why are over half the people dead or injured?"

"Zhang Yuwen! Don't be rude!"

The elder's angry shout could not stop the sad girl.

Zhang Yuwen's best friend and fiancé both died in this trial. Her suppressed grief simmered into a flame of rage. She suddenly raised her head, her gaze like an arrow, "They're all saying privately that the yin-yang boundary is hidden beneath the Zhenhai Sect trial field, and this time they're using the winners of the sect competition to fill the formation!"

Wei Xi, standing in the Qingcheng Sect's ranks, felt a surge of unease. She shook her head slightly, focusing her attention on the farce before her.

Like the aristocratic families, the sects themselves were not monolithic. The elders of Linchuan Pavilion stopped scolding Zhang Yuwen; the elders of Wanfa Sect closed their eyes and drifted off into space; and the leader of Duanye Sect remained silent...

"Rumors stop with the wise," he said. It was the Tiandi Sect's master, Tuoba, who had double pupils, who spoke unexpectedly. Behind him were only three people, probably cultivators from the same batch as Wei Xi. "Using people to fill in the formation is against the harmony of nature, so don't speak lightly."

Sect Leader Tuoba's words were so light and casual that they sounded like perfunctory words to the ears of these young and energetic disciples. Huichao Hall was like a pot of boiling water, and it completely exploded.

Gao Mingxian never imagined that the biggest trouble today would come from the sect. However, he did not say anything to stop them, but quietly watched the disciples from various sects below the stage.

Among the red and deformed faces, there were two faces that looked out of place.

One was Shen Fu's face: his sensible, upright, and selfless disciple. The self-blame and regret that had shrouded her face for the past few days finally dissipated, revealing the face of a disciple of the Wanjian Sect.

The other one was Wei Xi's face: another disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, with his dark eyes motionless and his sharp eyebrows drawn downwards, as if he was thinking about something.

Everyone gets tired of arguing, even monks are no exception.

The quarrels in Huichao Hall gradually died down, losing their excitement, and the accumulated anger was defeated like a mountain.

"There are already monsters in the trial field, but the trial field is just a trial field."

Strictly speaking, Gao Mingxian's words were not lies.

"As for those rumors flying around," Gao Mingxian knocked on the sandalwood armchair, "why don't you verify them for yourselves?"

After hearing these words, the crowd who were originally filled with righteous indignation suddenly lost their arrogance and lowered their heads. Occasionally, their eyes met, and they immediately looked away as if they had violated some taboo.

"If cultivators want to form spirit beads and enter the stage of Dan Jin, they must undergo the cleansing of their bones and muscles by the yin and yang energies. If you are not strong enough, you can practice slowly. But if you are a fool who is afraid of death, it is better for you to return home early."

Only Zhang Yuwen was left standing stubbornly in the middle, tears streaming down her cheeks.

An old man with a haggard appearance from Linchuan Pavilion stepped forward and said, "Gao, our disciples are hard to find, but they are quite capable. Two of them died in the trial field this time, and another is so injured that he can't get out of bed. You have to give me an explanation!"

This Granny Yin Chen is a Taoist cultivator. She is already 200 years old this year. Her mutated mud root bones are extremely rare in Linchuan Pavilion. She is a cultivator with peculiar tricks. She is of the same generation as Master Gao Mingxian, so it is not wrong to call him "Gao Boy".

With the Linchuan Pavilion, the heads and elders of several other major sects also echoed. After all, the death of their most highly trained disciples, the geniuses that the sect had placed great hopes on, and their deaths in a trial field, how could they possibly be upset?

No matter how they spread the story about the boundary between Yin and Yang, rumors can only be rumors. Once Gao Ming tells the truth first, the matter will be completely exposed.

At this time, Shen Fu pushed away his fellow disciples, and Wei Xi was shocked to find that she had lost a lot of weight in the past few days. The black Taoist robe of Wanjian Sect made her look even thinner, like a dried flower.

"Shen Fu, a disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, misjudged the issue and, driven by his eagerness for merit, failed to detect the abnormalities in the trial field in time and recklessly advanced. He was defeated by the demonic beast, resulting in the deaths of sixteen cultivators from various sects. I deeply regret this and am willing to accept the sect's punishment!"

"Senior Sister!" "Shen Fu, you are sick and confused!"

Shen Fu ignored the dissuasion of his fellow disciples, knelt down firmly, and kowtowed to Gao Mingxian.

Everyone present who had heard Wei Xi's confession knew that the responsibility did not lie with Shen Fu, and even if it was far-fetched, it was not tenable.

However, apart from the anxious voices of the Wanjian Sect disciples, there was no response from other sects.

Qin Feng couldn't help himself any longer. He released his grip on Wei Xi's sleeve and pleaded, "Senior, please be wise! The incident at the trial grounds was ultimately caused by a demonic beast. Shen Fu fought to the bitter end and dedicated herself to treating the wounded. How can we allow her to be punished?"

"If you hadn't told us, we would have forgotten," Lin Qinwei said, his tongue spitting out poisonous words. "It was your sect's Wei Xi who only brought back a few wounded soldiers. It's a pity that several other fellow Taoists died in the dark beast tide."

"It was also Wei Xi who accidentally fed the magical instrument used to subdue the Swallowing Sky Beast to the monster, causing the trial field to collapse. If not for that, perhaps so many people wouldn't have died..."

Wei Xi stretched out his legs to stop Lian Gouqie who was about to pounce and hit someone, and looked in the direction of Huaixin Sect with a cold look.

Lin Qinlan, who was standing next to her brother, shrank back, but Lin Qinwei looked back with a smile.

"When I took the stage, they were all dead. It was a stroke of luck that I was able to save the others. Master Lin, it's easy for you to talk without any pain in your back. Then please ask the Zhenhai Sect to open another trial ground, and you go and bring back their bodies, so that you won't regret it for the rest of your life!"

"Shen Fu of the Wanjian Sect was careless and reckless, resulting in casualties, but he made amends in time. Considering his original offense, he will be punished to face the wall in the Yin-Yang Gorge for five years to reflect on his mistakes!" Gao Mingxian announced the punishment for Shen Fu without any emotion.

"Disciple accepts the punishment!"

"Grandma Yinchen," Gao Mingxian said in a cold tone, "Cultivating immortals is not an easy journey. Ever since I joined the sect, there have been countless deaths in the sect competitions over the years. Now that the punishment has been meted out, if Linchuan Pavilion still has any objections, the Wanjian Sect will also give you a few coffins!"

"The old woman has one foot halfway into the coffin. What's the point of scaring me? When I die and disappear, if I meet your master, it will be shameful to tell others about what happened today." Grandma Yin Chen was not in a good mood and immediately retorted.

"Disciple greets the Sect Master and all the seniors!" Zheng Duo hurried into the hall, followed by the Yun family members. "We found three bloody corpses on a secluded cliff. One of them, after undergoing the Tong Qi Jue test..."

Zheng Duo paused, his face showing reluctance, "It's the bloodline of the Yun family master."

　Countdown to Volume 2! All the words I owed in July have been caught up!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)