bookbashuk Chapter 135 Next Step
Chapter 135 Next Step
Chapter 135 Next Step
In the quiet room of Li Qingyi on the top floor of Huanzhu Tower.
Today, he unusually lit an incense burner, and wisps of smoke curled and filled the entire room.
Amidst the swirling smoke, his gaze fell upon the three makeshift soft couches placed beside him, and he couldn't help but rub his temples.
"That unlucky Han Feiyu—where did he pick up this little girl from?"
Li Qingyi examined the two men's injuries; they had only been stunned by the shockwave, and their internal organs had been slightly shaken.
After Li Qingyi fed them the Five-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, their breathing became steady and long, and it was estimated that they would be lively and energetic again after sleeping for two days.
The red-robed monk standing to the side had a bit of a headache.
His red clothes were tattered and stained with dust, his eyes were closed, his face was as pale as gold paper, and his breath was so faint as to be almost nonexistent.
Li Qingyi probed with her divine sense and her heart sank.
The five internal organs were displaced, the meridians were burned and broken in many places, and the mind was dull and lifeless.
The explosion of the Immortal Fury Lotus would have killed him instantly had he not possessed a life-saving treasure.
Fortunately, the treasure was slowly healing its injuries; otherwise, Li Qingyi would have wasted a Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill.
Li Qingyi muttered to herself, "He should be a core disciple of the Three Sects and Six Schools—and his status is definitely not low."
Bringing them back was a last resort.
How could someone of such status be left to rot in the wilderness?
I'm afraid that within half a day, a powerful being from the Purple Mansion will use their supernatural abilities to track them down, and that will be the real catastrophe.
As it turned out, Li Qingyi's intuition was indeed correct.
On the way back, Ye Tianyu's body shone brightly, and a majestic middle-aged cultivator's phantom suddenly appeared, blocking Li Qingyi's way.
Although the other party was just a phantom, Li Qingyi still dared not be careless and immediately explained the whole story to the other party.
After listening, the illusory figure's sharp gaze lingered on Li Qingyi's face for a moment before it let out a hearty laugh: "So that's how it is! Young friend, your fire element skills are quite profound! Young Ye is used to being arrogant, but learning this lesson might not be a bad thing."
He did not pursue the matter further, but only told Li Qingyi that the Thunder-Protecting Heart Jade was enough to protect Ye Tianyu's life, and that he only needed to rest.
Finally, the illusory figure gave Li Qingyi a deep look: "Thank you so much for today's events, young friend. I, Lei Yuanzi, will remember this."
At this moment, Li Qingyi felt utterly overwhelmed.
He didn't recognize the cultivator, but he could sense that the other party was most likely at the Purple Mansion level.
"Thank goodness, he's a reasonable person—" He exhaled a breath of stale air and sat back down in his chair.
Looking at the three people on the couch, he shook his head helplessly, "It's not a good idea to leave them here."
Li Qingyi immediately sent a telepathic message to Yue Chi and Leng Qiuyi.
Before long, Yue Chi and Leng Qiuyi quietly entered, and Yue Chi, as usual, knelt on one knee and said, "Master."
Li Qingyi sized up the two of them.
Yue Chi's eyes were slightly dark, clearly indicating that managing the building's affairs had taken a toll on his mental energy; Leng Qiuyi's aura, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly refined, and he had already reached the peak of the first level of Qi Refining.
With a slight thought, he took out six spirit stones from his storage ring and sent them to the two of them in mid-air.
"Take it and cultivate diligently."
Their eyes lit up instantly. Leng Qiuyi was doing well; she could obtain a spirit stone from Tingyu Pavilion every month to cultivate, and she was now just one step away from reaching the second level of Qi Refining.
But Yuechi is different.
He was of average talent and had no extra income, relying entirely on Li Qingyi's occasional rewards for his cultivation. These three spirit stones were a godsend.
He accepted the spirit stone, feeling the pure spiritual energy within it, and was thrilled: "Thank you for your generous gift, Master! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" However, he couldn't suppress the smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Leng Qiuyi remained relatively calm, accepted the spirit stone and put it away, then bowed and said, "Thank you, Pavilion Master."
"Qiuyi, you are just one step away from breaking through. For now, Yuechi will take over the miscellaneous tasks in the building. You should focus on breaking through."
Leng Qiuyi responded, "Your subordinate obeys."
Li Qingyi nodded, feeling that the two of them were far too weak in cultivation.
If they are still at this cultivation level when they reach the Foundation Establishment stage and start developing the immortal cultivation industry, it might be a bit troublesome.
Li Qingyi then looked at Yue Chi and instructed, "Yue Chi, you must not slack off either. Some trivial matters should be delegated to capable subordinates. Cultivation is the foundation."
Yue Chi scratched his head and chuckled, "Master, you know my aptitude. How about I give these spirit stones to Vice Master Leng? With you here, Huanzhu Tower is as stable as Mount Tai. It doesn't matter if my cultivation is a little lacking."
"You're hopeless!" Li Qingyi cursed, but there was nothing she could do about his lazy and listless appearance.
Yue Chi is thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and he has only just reached the first level of Qi Refining. This will probably be his life for the rest of his days.
"Hehe————" Yue Chi still had that same playful grin on his face.
Leng Qiuyi's face showed worry. She exchanged a glance with Yue Chi, and finally asked, "Master, there are two things that are making headlines in the city today—" She paused, "about our tower forming an alliance with the Zhao family, and formally declaring war on Zhenyang Tower. Is it true?"
Yue Chi also stopped smiling and looked nervously at Li Qingyi.
"That's what I meant. What's the situation inside the building?"
Upon hearing Li Qingyi's admission, the two felt a great weight lifted from their hearts, but then a hint of worry rose again.
"Master, aren't you being too hasty?" Leng Qiuyi carefully considered her words: "After all, Zhenyang Tower has a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge, and it has been operating for many years, so it is deeply rooted."
Although we have received the Zhao family's declaration of protection, the Zhao family is far away in Zichuan, beyond our reach. If the Lord of Zhenyang were to launch an attack regardless of the consequences—”
Li Qingyi waved her hand to interrupt: "With the Zhao family's reputation, that's enough to keep them from acting recklessly in the short term. If the Lord of Zhenyang dares to attack in person, I have my own countermeasures."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "The day I establish my foundation will be the day Zhenyang Tower changes hands."
You just need to keep things stable inside the building, maintaining a relaxed exterior but a tight interior, and not give the other side any excuse to cause trouble.
Yue Chi and Leng Qiuyi had followed him for a long time and knew that Li Qingyi never spoke recklessly. If he said he could handle it, then he probably really had a trump card.
The worry on their faces faded considerably.
"Don't worry, Master!" Yue Chi patted his chest. "It's true that some brothers left the building after the declaration of war, about one-fifth of them."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he made a throat-slitting gesture. "Should I take some men and go—"
"No need," Li Qingyi shook her head.
Everyone has their own ambitions, and forcing them to stay is pointless. It's better that they left, so they won't stab you in the back later.
"Pass down the order: all brothers must keep a low profile and avoid conflict in the near future."
"Yes!" the two replied in unison.
Li Qingyi turned her gaze to the three people on the bed: "Qiuyi, take that girl to the guest room in the west wing and take good care of her."
"Yue Chi, take these two to the quiet room in the east wing, settle them separately, and take good care of them. Their identities are likely not simple."
Yue Chi and Leng Qiuyi exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled. But seeing that Li Qingyi didn't seem inclined to say anything more, they tacitly refrained from asking further questions.
Yue Chi stepped forward and carefully carried Han Feiyu and Ye Hongyi, one in each hand.
Leng Qiuyi gently helped the girl in the white dress up.
After the two left, the door closed, and the room returned to silence, with only the faint sound of burning incense.
Li Qingyi focused her mind on her storage ring. Inside lay sixty-nine spirit stones.
After settling the three people in, he went to the Tingyu Pavilion branch to submit the mission and exchanged two thousand contribution points for a new bottle of Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill.
On the way back, I went to Lingbao Pavilion to dispose of the remaining Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill.
I never expected that after selling more than sixty spirit stones, and after deducting the six that were given as a reward, I would still have so many left.
"That's a possible approach—" Li Qingyi said thoughtfully.
The contribution point exchange system of Tingyu Pavilion often differs from the prices in the outside market. If used well, it can generate considerable profits.
Hunting specific demonic beasts and eliminating wanted demonic cultivators can earn contribution points that can be exchanged for resources, and these resources can then be converted into spirit stones.
Perhaps, I can think about this more in the future.
Give me a simulation —
Li Qingyi silently recited a phrase in her heart, but unfortunately, there was no response.
Li Qingyi suddenly realized that the simulator would not start unless she shouted the slogan in its entirety.
Li Qingyi shook her head and smiled, suddenly feeling that her system seemed a bit rigid.
His thoughts unconsciously drifted back to Han Feiyu and the other two.
"Now that there are three more variables, what will happen after the simulation?"
Li Qingyi couldn't help but become curious.
Han Feiyu and the girl in the white dress are not worth mentioning; one is at the first level of Qi Refining and the other at the third level, so they can't cause any trouble.
However, the red-robed cultivator was a genuine ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and he had a powerful backer. If he were also dragged into the Zhao family's affairs—
In the last simulation, I was defeated by Zhao Jingci's fierce counterattack. I was indeed a bit too overconfident and my handling of Li Xuance was too aggressive.
It only tormented Li Xuance for a while; he went crazy—this time—perhaps a safer method should be used.
Having roughly clarified her thoughts, Li Qingyi calmed her mind, cleared her mind of distractions, and silently recited in her heart: "Deep Blue, simulate for me."
[Simulation begins, 60 spirit stones consumed, 9 spirit stones remaining.]