Chapter 254 - 179: Warning, Ascetic, Contact

Chapter 254: Chapter 179: Warning, Ascetic, Contact

Along the way, Zhao Zuo kept replaying the failed fusion from before. This had happened in the past, and he was well aware of the reason: all things in heaven and earth have their own nature. Fusion was the process of adjusting two materials with similar properties to make them even more alike.

A fusion failed because a disparity still existed between the two materials after they were adjusted. Perhaps the gap wasn’t large, but it was enough to shatter the fragile stability between them.

This led to resistance, instability, and ultimately, an explosive outburst.

At that moment, Zhao Zuo had used his powerful Mana to forcibly suppress the eruption of Fire Series Energy. In truth... destroying that balance was an incredibly dangerous act. A Cultivator in the Middle Period of Qi Cultivation would likely have been severely injured.

Zhao Zuo guessed that the reason for his failure was the massive amount of energy he had expended during the first Refining attempt.

Wildflowers bloomed wantonly on both sides of the path, a riot of colors. Slender blades of grass were a vibrant green, seemingly unaffected by the cold weather. A faint, intermittent floral scent hung in the air.

He was often overtaken from behind, catching only glimpses of cyan figures flashing past at great speed. From them, Zhao Zuo caught the scent of Spiritual Medicine, a clear sign they were disciples of the Core Heart Hall.

About a dozen meters away from Zhao Zuo, a square platform had been carved into the cliff face. Upon it sat a massive black boulder, engraved with the words: "A Cultivator must contend with heaven and earth for their fate."

Not far from there was the boundary between the Outer Sect and the Inner Sect.

At this moment, on that small platform, a different youth in cyan robes stood holding a canvas. Even Outer Sect disciples needed time for Cultivation, so it was impossible for one person to spend an entire day on surveillance. As Zhao Zuo drew closer, he could hear the youth muttering complaints under his breath.

Zhao Zuo thought for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his face had changed, and his figure had become thinner and more slender. He strode forward and stopped in front of the young man...

"You, you, you... are?" Zhang Fugui stared at the face that was a perfect match for the one on the canvas. He was finally certain he had actually managed to find the person Lord Meng was looking for.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother Meng would like to renegotiate the matter of you joining the Mutual Aid Association." Zhang Fugui’s tone was exceedingly polite and respectful. He knew he was out of his league and couldn’t afford to offend the person before him.

"Relay a message for me. If I receive another invitation to the Life and Death Platform, he will die."

With that, Zhao Zuo turned and walked toward the Inner Sect area without waiting for a reply. Sending that message had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was another chance for Meng Tianhua, and also a way to avoid exposing his true strength.

Zhang Fugui certainly didn’t dare to block an Inner Sect Disciple. He had been cautious since childhood. Instead of rashly taking out a Communication Jade, he stood in place thinking for a few seconds before finally pulling out a Sound Transmission Talisman and repeating the target’s words, word for word.

Apparently, Meng Tianhua was in the Inner Sect area at that very moment, as a reply came back not long after.

"I understand. You don’t need to keep watch anymore."

Zhang Fugui watched Zhao Zuo’s retreating back. For some reason... he had a feeling Lord Meng was going to die. It was a Spiritual Sense that arose from nowhere, with no logical basis, but it was rarely wrong.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zuo had already stepped into the Inner Sect. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, he changed his appearance and build once more. The Moyun Sect was actually enormous. It was built into a mountain and encompassed nearly the entire peak. After entering the Outer Sect, the path narrowed to a winding trail only wide enough for one person.

To celebrate his successful Refining of a Middle Grade Magical Artifact, Zhao Zuo headed to the Ruyi Pavilion. The restaurant wasn’t particularly large and had a quaint, antique look, as if it had weathered many years of wind and rain. It was now evening, dinnertime, and the restaurant was crowded with patrons.

Zhao Zuo found a random corner to sit in and ordered a few simple Spiritual Food dishes. Among them was a dish called Nine Treasures Eight Treasures Chicken, which was said to help those in the Qi Cultivation Stage break through bottlenecks if consumed over a long period. It cost fifty Spirit Stones.

Before long, a waiter brought over the dishes Zhao Zuo had ordered. These waiters were actually Outer Sect disciples, working here on one hand to earn contribution points, and on the other to absorb the ambient Spiritual Power of the Inner Sect. There was fish and meat. While eating, Zhao Zuo eavesdropped on the conversation of several disciples at nearby tables.

First, Chen Xiaorong was missing.

Apparently, she hadn’t been seen in public for a month. Some guessed she was in hiding, while others speculated she had already perished in the Outer Sect. People wrung their hands and sighed, lamenting the fall of a generational talent.

As Zhao Zuo listened, he calculated the timing. It seemed Chen Xiaorong had disappeared right after he took the Suwen longsword. ’She’s probably already preparing to make another attempt at Foundation Establishment.’

Next came some idle gossip about the Moyun Sect. After a while, Zhao Zuo also heard news about himself. In their words... he was a pitiful soul targeted by the Mutual Aid Association, destined for a fate of "paying to avoid disaster." And from their words... Zhao Zuo felt, again and again, their gloating.

Zhao Zuo’s mood grew a little heavy. Today, he had confirmed something once again.

’I don’t really like this world. People are just too cold to one another.’

Not long after, Zhao Zuo returned to his Cave Mansion. He first cleaned himself up, then fed the Fire Spirit Snake a Fire Element Seed. Perhaps because the scent of Spiritual Food still clung to him, the Fire Spirit Snake, as it ate, gave him a look like a wife staring at a husband who’d been snacking out.

Zhao Zuo’s expression didn’t change. He simply fed it another Fire Element Seed as compensation.

Afterward, he returned to his Cave Mansion, took out the engraving method for the Thick Earth Spirit Patterns, and began to read. While the Heavy Mountain patterns increased the hardness of a Magical Artifact’s material and could thus be used in offensive artifacts, the Thick Earth Spirit Patterns were purely defensive.