137-145 The Science of Cultivation

Chapter 137: Beast Cores

Having the elder glare his way, Li Lang bowed politely and acted submissively to prevent worsening her impression of him.

"Elder Tie, I await your instructions."

Hearing his words, the elder seemed to have snapped out of it. She cleared her throat, playing off the astonishment she had just presented.

"Interesting. I've never seen or heard of two affinity tests by the same person, on the same day, producing different results. It must either mean the testing device is defective or you managed to improve within minutes, which is an unprecedented feat in itself."

The elder held up the green bell in curiosity, examining it carefully before striking it with the mallet once more. Just like the first time she had done it, metallic dust descended from the bell.

"Well, I'll take a further look at it later. For now, you have officially passed the affinity test. I welcome you as my student."

With that, the elder quickly explained a few rules and how things worked before retreating with the bell in hand. She had told Li Lang to report to his seniors at the workshop to get things started while she went to attend to her own matters.

Left to navigate through the workshop alone, Li Lang headed back to the work area where Long Yi had once brought him. Inside, he found half a dozen other young cultivators, hard at work in their own task.

He even spotted Long Yi in the corner, sorting through a bunch of cabinets. The entrance of a new person drew everyone's attention, and Long Yi was no different.

"Li Lang, you got accepted?"

"That's right," he nodded. "I was told to find a senior by the name of Jing Dou."

At his words, everyone directed their gaze toward a tall young man at the center of the room. He had a thin frame, but glimpses of toned muscle could be seen from his rolled-up sleeves. Hearing his name, he immediately put down his round hammer and approached Li Lang.

"That's me. New student?"

"Yeah. Elder Tie told me to report to you to get started."

The young man had a serious expression as he nodded several times to himself.

"Understood. I'll walk you through your role in the workshop for the day. I recommend you ask as many questions as you can because you'll be busy starting tomorrow."

Li Lang interpreted the advice as a green light to go wild with questions. He had previously been distracted by the new topic of artificing, but he could now ask about his current main objective.

"Senior Jing, I wanted to ask you to give me a tour of all the materials you use in this workshop. Especially in materials that can power artifacts."

"Okay. Right over here."

Jing Dou led him toward the cabinets where Long Yi was and began bringing out materials from them. The man took his responsibility seriously and got straight to what Li Lang wanted.

"There are various materials that can conduct Qi, but only a few that can actually contain it over a long period. Among this select group, even fewer can manipulate Qi without the active intervention of a cultivator. These materials are all at the pinnacle of mortal grade, so please do be careful with them."

Li Lang's artifice senior spread out two bags of materials for him. Inside the first bag, he found ingots that gave off a dull sheen.

These should be alloys of some sort. Interesting. I'd love to take a few samples.

When Li Lang laid eyes on the contents of the second bag, his eyes widened. He immediately knew the object before him was exactly what he wanted. It was an oval crystal ball-like object but with a murkier coloration. It was the size of a tennis ball and exuded powerful energy.

"This is a Qi beast core!" Li Lang exclaimed.

"That's right. This one is just from an Energy Gathering level beast, so it's incomplete. Proper beast cores are perfectly round."

"Do you think I could purchase a few?"

"Junior…I may have said they were just from Energy Gathering level beats, but I'm referring to beasts at the peak of that realm. Even then, the chance of finding a beast core from these powerful beasts is one in a hundred at best! The market price for these is dozens of red crystals."

"That's fine. Do you think I can buy everything here?" Li Lang said as he smiled cheerfully at the six cores before him.

"What?! Junior, that would cost…" Jing Dou took a moment to re-examine the young man before him, trying to gauge his background. "Nevermind. You can't have any of these cores without Elder Tie's permission. I doubt she would sell you any, as these are valuable resources. Mortal grade artifacts may not be particularly powerful, but it is vital in an artificer's training."

"I heard, but that's fine now, isn't it? I'm an apprentice artificer, and I can pay for it too."

"No, it's for assisting artificers in their studies. It would be a waste for a beginner to use them. Please be patient. There will come a time when you're ready to create an artifact yourself. Familiarize yourself with how we run things around here first," Jing Dou sternly remarked.

He made it clear that he wouldn't budge on the matter and there was nothing Li Lang could do. He could try reaching out to someone at The Orchid Covenant for a chance to purchase these cores instead, but he doubted he would receive a positive reply. It made him curse at his lack of power within his organization. 

As much talent as he displayed with the incident in the pocket realm, it was another matter when it came to artificing. It was known he was new to the craft. Everyone would assume it'd be wasteful to give him strategic materials.

It's so close yet so far!

Left with no choice, Li Lang could only keep himself occupied with learning the other aspects of artificing.

Like that, two weeks passed.

As he returned to his lodging at the end of the day, Li Lang spotted a familiar figure sitting in his room. Both Wei Ping and Long Yi were there, sitting with them.

"Li Lang, you're back!" a cheerful girl called out.

"Yes…I didn't expect to see you so soon, Sima Xue."

"Hey, I told you I'd come as soon as my cultivation stabilizes. I also happen to be running an errand for someone."

Sima Xue grinned as she held up an envelope.

"Errand? From Senior Jian or on behalf of Nightmoon Valley?"

"No silly. For Liang Po. You guys were talking about running an errand for him right? Well, this is the letter he wanted you to deliver."

"Umm…I thought he said he would come deliver it once it's written. Why do you have it?"

"Myriad Bones Pavilion's headquarters is in Nightshade Valley, where I am from. I offered to bring the letter for him since I'm headed to you anyway. Don't tell me you forgot about your promise of tofu pudding, did you?"

"...Of course not. I wouldn't dare."

"Then good. I'm ready to head out for it tomorrow morning."

"We can just go get some tonight, you know?"

"No, no. I don't want the regular kind found around here. I want the best! Let's go to Polarity City! They have the best food around."

"That…is a little sudden."

"You're heading off to deliver the letter for Liang Po anyway, right?"

"Isn't this a little too reckless for you? Polarity City is just on the border of the orthodox sects."

"It's fine. Nothing ever happens in neutral territory. As long as I don't step over into enemy territory, I'm fine. Besides, you're going to accompany me, right?"

Being pressed by an innocent-looking smile, Li Lang glanced at his companions for help. Neither of them dared to meet his eye, abandoning their friend in need.

Li Lang took a moment more to deliberate on the matter. It was true he was planning to complete Liang Po's errand as soon as possible. It was partly because he wanted to complete all his obligations to be able to focus on his research. However, there were several other underlying reasons.

One, he wanted to procure modern orthodox cultivation techniques and materials. The righteous sects had a much larger territory overall, meaning they had a bigger selection of resources. They were approaching the Foundation Establishment realm, so it was vital to stock up on as many materials as possible. The more options they had, the better.

Two, he wanted to start recruiting some young disciples if possible. All the people in Demonic Cultivator Territory were partial to demonic cultivation. Even those with grade two aptitude would rarely pursue orthodox techniques. The mindset they had was deeply seeped into their culture.

As for the final reason, it was the most important of them all. After learning more about how demonic cultivators were organized, and how they weren't a united entity, Li Lang was determined to look into a certain cultivator. A cultivator who had kidnapped his childhood friends and was feared far and wide.

I have to see if any of the sects are behind the Abductress. If she isn't so powerful, I could say for certain a sect is behind her, but with her cultivation, it's hard to say whether she's independent or not.

Zi Xi and Zi Xiao Mei, you both better still be okay…

Chapter 138: Toward Neutral Grounds

The next morning, the trio scrambled to inform their mentors of their abrupt trip. When they were done, they regrouped in front of the inn where Sima Xue awaited. She was lazily sitting in the driver's seat of a Skyrunner.

The exterior of her Skyrunner was painted pitch black in color, while the interior was a dull orange.

"You guys all set?" she asked.

"Y-yes. I got the innkeeper to k-keep our Skyrunner in their s-storage shed, along with our b-belongings," Wei Ping replied.

"Good. Then get on. We're setting off."

The three young men kept quiet despite feeling like they were herded around like sheep. With all said and done, Sima Xue was still a bona fide Foundation Establishment cultivator. It stood to reason that they listened to her.

It wasn't that there were no advantages to having her come along. As a powerful expert from a wealthy background, Sima Xue's Skyrunner could travel much faster than the trio's. Despite all three of them reaching the late stages of Energy Gathering, their Skyrunner was still an entry-level vehicle made by an apprentice. The imposing black Skyrunner, on the other hand, was evidently made by a master woodsmith.

As their ride took off to the skies of the underground city, Li Lang brought their issue up with the only woodsmith among them.

"Wei Ping, do you think you can build us a Skyrunner similar to this? Or anything better than our current one, for that matter."

"Not y-yet. It takes a l-long time to grow something without h-heavenly resources to accelerate the p-process. By the time I c-create one for us, we'd be l-looking into getting an Earth-grade one."

"Why don't you guys just buy a new one? You earned a fortune with the betting, didn't you?"

The last part was directed at Li Lang. He knew his betting wasn't anything confidential, but it didn't feel comfortable that the news of his wealth was out there. The only solace he had was that the same knowledge would deter those from official organizations from robbing him. 

While some unsavory characters may still appear, none who valued their position in the Luminescent Domain would want to offend Nightmoon Valley.

With the safety of knowing that in mind, the group nonchalantly soared out from the underground city of Emberglow, and into the blazing sun once more. Skyrunner traffic was moderate. Unlike roads, there was so much more space around. Thanks to the third dimension, it was especially uncommon to see traffic jams.

The dark Skyrunner took to the skies, flying straight for the clouds. As their altitude and speed rose, the winds grew sharper. In response, each of the cultivators had a thin layer of Qi defending them from the elements.

Like this, their flight began to pick up speed.

"So," Li Lang said, breaking the silence, "I remember Senior Jian being worried about traveling this route. Particularly during the evening. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Sima Xue took a brief look around before glancing back at the window that connected the driver's seat to the inside of the vehicle.

"This area is approaching the border. Rogue demonic cultivators like to congregate around here. They usually only operate under the cover of night."

"Rogue cultivators just hanging around here? Why don't they head elsewhere or you guys send someone to root them out?"

"They're like cockroaches. They have dozens of holes to hide in," Sima Xue explained, her face souring upon thinking of the hideous pest. "When things don't go too well for them, they jump across the border to provoke those simple-minded righteous sects to distract us. They do the same after hunting down orthodox cultivators on the other side, using us as shields against the sects."

"Hmm, sounds like you'll need to work on both sides to snuff them out."

"You know that's not happening," Sima Xue immediately quipped. "This place is just too perfect for them. They are close enough to prey on cultivators in neighboring territories and know how to stay out of sight enough to not provoke a large response from the official organizations. Not even my Nightmoon Valley can extinguish their presence here indefinitely."

It's good to know as strong as cultivators can be that they're not omnipotent and omniscient.

A few moments went by as the helpless mood took over the group. That was until Li Lang resumed firing off questions to sate his curiosity.

"We've been around long enough to learn a few things, but just to confirm, the rogue cultivators usually don't prey on other demonic cultivators, right?"

"Yeah. Rogue cultivators, by default, mostly comprise Qi pilfering users," Sima Xue thoughtfully explained. "And most Qi pilfering techniques do not work well against those who practice possession-type demonic cultivation. The spiritual contamination is known to get too messy, and even those who lost themselves to greed are averse to using them as cultivation resources. It's smarter to target orthodox cultivators that don't come with any extra drawbacks. Even then, it's dangerous enough, trying to keep one's sanity and emotions in check."

"Aren't you and your organization Qi pilfering users, too?" Long Yi interjected.

"Yes, but we've been through a strict selection process to find those who are strong of the mind. The strict requirements are why the majority of organizations that practice Qi pilfering are powerhouses. With proper screening and training, groups like my Nightmoon Valley are the role models of how to do it right," the young girl proudly proclaimed. "The typical rogue cultivator is another story. They aren't vetted and are likely unprepared to step onto such an arduous path. It may have the potential to great power, but there are always equal drawbacks."

"I don't think possession techniques are any weaker, though," Li Lang commented as he thought back to his fight with Bai Yuchen.

Bai Yuchen had taken snake-like characteristics. It even allowed him to use a sharp sense of smell and vibration detection. Li Lang could imagine an expert who could stay rational while benefiting from these boons.

"They're not, but it does take more time to achieve the same heights. Overhunting a certain type of Qi beast is an issue. As they progress, their rationality also becomes more beast-like, making their thinking abilities weaker if they're not careful. In contrast, Qi-pilfering techniques only have the possibilities of rejection and increase in violent tendencies."

As the group was merrily chatting, Sima Xue suddenly stopped talking and narrowed her eyes. An ear-piercing screech swiftly followed, alerting everyone to a bird of some sort. 

It didn't take long for Li Lang and his companions to spot the new intruder. It was a colossal bird of some sort, with a wingspan the length of a bus. It had metallic grey feathers and a yellow crown around its head. It was obvious from its demeanor that it wasn't happy to see the young cultivators.

"Well, rogue cultivators may know to stay away from Nightmoon Valley-marked vehicles like mine, but Qi beasts don't have the same intelligence. These dumb aerial Qi beasts truly live up to their reputation if they are dumb enough to attack me with their measly strength."

Despite the sudden appearance of a foe, no one in the Skyrunner panicked. From the aura the beast let out, they all knew they were only dealing with a beast with strength equivalent to a peak Energy Gatherer. With a Foundational Establishment expert around, the bird didn't pose a threat.

Sima Xue materialized a sword from thin air, and just when she was about to act, a voice called out from behind her.

"Wait, Lady Sima! Please allow me to fight it!"

The entire group turned to the speaker, Long Yi, with a questioning look.

"Long Yi, a-are you serious? We're i-in the air right now. I don't t-think you can fight t-this bird without being able to f-fly yourself."

"Umm, let me give it a try. The kind lady here wouldn't stand by and watch if I fail, right?"

Sima Xue blinked blankly at the sudden proposal thrust upon her. She slowly nodded after some time. She may have been newly ascended, but she knew the power difference between her and the bird was enormous. Taking responsibility for their lives against an opponent of such a level was a piece of cake for her.

"That's still a bit risky," Li Lang interrupted. "If you're going to do it, let the three of us work together. We should be able to put up a better fight if we worked together."

Long Yi simply wanted to test out his new strength. After having cultivated diligently for years, he was itching to put himself to the test. He didn't mind his friends joining at all.

"All right. Let's do it then."

The trio then prepared their weapons. They had yet to obtain an artifact, so their weapons were still mundane weapons. It was one of their weaknesses and something Li Lang planned to address during this trip.

He was carrying around a lot of cash, and he couldn't bring his Skyrunner around like most people did. Now that he would be taking some time off from his training, he fully intended to go on a shopping spree. After all, even Jian Beiyun had advised him to purchase a space ring.

Li Lang shook off his idle thoughts as he moved to match Long Yi's movements. While none of them could fly, as late-stage Energy Gatherers, they were all capable of range attacks. The three leaped up to the roof of the Skyrunner and took up their stances.

As if to answer the trio's challenge, the large grey bird screeched and was soon upon them. It didn't attack them immediately and instead circled around them. It flew right below them, entering their blind spot before unleashing a tackle on the hull.

Sima Xue didn't let that happen, though. She adjusted their course to match the bird. With her superior cultivation, the beast's movements were in the palm of her hand. Their Skyrunner easily got right next to the aggressive bird. Immediately, the three began channeling their Qi arts.

It was time to unleash their honed techniques out in the real world.

Chapter 139: Bird Strike

Li Lang and his two friends each sized up the Qi beast flying parallel with their Skyrunner. It tried to swerve left and right to lose them, but Sima Xue followed along its movements with ease. The bird visibly got frustrated and tried ramming them again and again with abrupt movements, but even then, the vehicle expertly mimicked its motion.

This brusque action got the trio looking to stabilize their footing.

"Careful there!" Li Lang shouted out.

The speeds they were traveling meant the wind was whistling their ears, but it posed no problem for those with their cultivation.

"I know what I'm doing!" Sima Xue yelled back. "Don't worry and fight freely. I'll catch you if any of you fall."

Li Lang could tell she said the last part with a mischievous smirk. He chose to ignore it, as the star of the current show was not him. 

Despite having reached the eighth stage of Energy Gathering, he would normally not be a match against a beast at the peak of the same realm. This was doubly true against an aerial beast. He knew his role was that of a supporting one. Long Yi would be their main force. After all, he was the one who suggested they take on the challenge instead of having Sima Xue swiftly deal with it.

"Terra Moon Slash!" the sizable man in question cried out.

Staying true to the principle of honing a few techniques to perfection rather than becoming a jack of all trades, Long Yi had tirelessly trained the same Qi art for years. It could be said the current Terra Moon Slash had undergone a transformation compared to the time he first revealed it at the tournament. It was that tournament that earned him a spot to the pocket realm, so it was vivid in his memories for him to compare to.

Time waited for no one. The ranged attack, which consisted of a sharp stone shaped into a crescent moon, swiftly flew toward the Qi bird. From how close they were flying together, the beast didn't even get the chance to react before it landed squarely on its side.

A sharp, piercing screech rang out as the move managed to draw blood, but the wound was shallow. The plumage had softened the blow. Still, the creature evidently suffered as it flew around erratically from pain. Sima Xue decided to simply hover their carriage a short distance from the spectacle.

"W-we should act. Or e-else it may r-recover," Wei Ping advised.

Li Lang nodded in response and attacked. His Qi art ended up being just a second slower than Wei Ping's. The trio hadn't practiced their teamwork much, having secluded themselves in solo training for years. That was why they allowed Long Yi to take the opening hit first, as he would be the most powerful among them.

"W-Wind Shattering Claws!" Wei Ping cried out.

With the pocket realm having blessed every participant with techniques that fit the user, Wei Ping no longer used basic techniques. Previously, he found all the martial arts in the repositories wanting. His smaller stature and unfamiliarity with combat meant carrying heavy weapons while performing a series of physical and Qi techniques to be too much.

Thankfully, the pocket realm had just the right martial art for people like him. Instead of the dagger he once wielded, he now used a sharp pair of claws attached to the back of his hand. It was light and not intrusive. He could still freely use his hands for grappling or movement.

Unfortunately, the claws were weapons meant to take advantage of their user's swiftness and agility. With them being in the air and on the roof of a Skyrunner, Wei Ping could only let out an unimpressive Qi attack.

The sharp winds shot out from his claws, only stripped some plumage off the giant bird.

However, another attack sneakily followed right behind the sharp winds, traveling on the same trajectory. If one witnessed the scene from start to finish, one could observe this second attack adjusted its trajectory as if it was alive.

This was a characteristic ability of late-stage Energy Gatherers and a Qi art that Li Lang employed.

Under Li Lang's guidance, the small projectile flew straight toward the wound Long Yi had opened up. It used Wei Ping's wind attack as cover, striking the complacent Qi bird. However, when the attack did land, nothing particular happened. The projectile was simply a needle with the thickness of a finger. It could hardly do much damage to the carriage-sized bird.

However, that changed very quickly within a dozen seconds. 

The thrashing around ceased. The Qi beast became lethargic and drooled at its mouth as it glided in the air. The parts near the wounds twitched. It evidently had difficulty breathing. While it looked like it was on death's door one second, it suddenly recovered. 

It flapped its wings with power, stabilizing its flight. It prepared to do combat with its assailant to take revenge for the pain it suffered. Unfortunately, just as it turned toward the Skyrunner, its movement began to slow again. This transition wouldn't be the last time that it happened. 

The group of four watched on as the bird went through several cycles of pain and relief.

"Did you get it?" Long Yi commented with a blank look on his face.

"Hmm, probably not," Li Lang muttered as he carefully observed the bird. "It's at the peak of Energy Gathering. It's good enough to disrupt its movements, though. Prepare to finish it off."

With those words, Li Lang threw out another needle. Despite the added distance to the target this time, it still managed to strike its target with ease. That was thanks to the target being distracted from its own suffering.

Qi beasts were still animals. They practiced no techniques and relied on their natural gifts. That meant they simply relied on their instincts to flush out any poisons from their bodies. With no refined techniques to rely on whatsoever, it was left to suffer the effects of Li Lang's poison. While their natural constitution was significantly stronger, they couldn't avoid the fast-acting poison entirely.

Seems like the Qi beasts outside the pocket realm are no different. Thanks to the Vengeful Leaf Compendium, the Qi aspect of the poison is able to put up a fight before it succumbs to the defenses.

The reason why Li Lang's needle caused the bird to suffer from the effects of the poison again and again was thanks to the same principle as his spear. The specially made needle had a compartment in it that was hollowed out. It contained a sizable payload that constantly leaked out of the needle until it ran out.

It was all thanks to this new poison, needle, and delivery method that Li Lang successfully crippled the beast to the point it became unable to formulate any counterattacks.

Li Lang's new Qi art enabled this delivery method. Once again, the new Qi art he learned wasn't a flashy attack of any sort. Its name was Gossamer Knife Dance. It simply allowed its users to control knives remotely, as if they had strings attached to them. It required great control of one's Qi but produced low-power attacks. Many would consider this technique to be subpar in frontal combat.

The most useful environment for such a technique would usually be indoors when used for an ambush. The core principle behind the Qi art was to catch foes off guard, with sudden attacks from unexpected angles. It was something assassins would use. However, in Li Lang's case, he made a slight change to it.

Combining the Qi art with these custom-made needles, it became a force to be reckoned with. While a decent number of other poison users also employed needles, they usually used much thinner ones that were difficult to see in motion. They often were enough to keep the enemy on their toes while they had to deal with other attacks. This was because poisons weren't substances that could kill within a few seconds. Even with the most deadly substances, it was difficult for it to kill the infected before the cultivator flushed it from their system.

Poisons were used in a supplementary capacity in combat. A distraction and a nuisance. Few used it for anything more.

As someone who wasn't well-versed in fighting, Li Lang sought to challenge that. He aimed to create a poison and delivery system that he could rely on entirely in combat. So far, the results seemed promising, but much still needed to be improved on. 

The lethality is lacking and didn't completely subdue the opponent either. I'll need another move to deal damage if I am to use it as it is.

Li Lang shoved aside the thoughts irrelevant to the moment as he witnessed Long Yi send out yet another attack.

After his first move, he realized his regular Terra Moon Slash was lacking in penetration power to finish the beast off. That was why, starting from the second move, he slashed downwards instead of horizontally.

He manipulated the form of his Qi art, changing from the crescent slash form into a rock spear. Evidently, just that alone was enough. He didn't even need to put any extra power into it. One after the other, spears pierced through the disoriented Qi beast. A third stone spear pierced straight into the chest of the Qi beast. It only embedded itself halfway until it was stopped, but it did the job.

After being skewered three times, the Qi beast finally lost its capability to maintain flight, nosediving straight to the ground.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Long Yi commented as soon as the trio returned inside the Skyrunner.

"Is t-that surprising?" Wei Ping chimed in. "With L-Lady Xue here, was there e-ever any doubt?"

"That's that, but what the hell was that, Li Lang?" Long Yi yelled, almost tongue-tied. "I know I made those needles, yet I didn't expect it to work that well. When did your poison manage to do that?"

With those words, the two young men and one woman glanced over at Li Lang with a giant question mark on their faces.

The man being glared at scratched his cheek and looked out the window in the other direction. Sima Xue didn't let him escape just like that. Her hands stretched through the window and a finger repeatedly tapped on Li Lang's shoulder with enough force that it couldn't be ignored.

"Hey, answer us! What did you use?"

Chapter 140: Precursor

Li Lang could feel his companion's gazes that urged him for an explanation regarding his poison. He didn't want to delve too deep into it, so he brought up another urgent matter at hand. He stuck his head out the window, glancing downward and scanning the area below for a few moments before turning to address his peers.

"Hey, shouldn't we go retrieve the body of that bird? It could contain a beast core!"

The three other people present were all knowledgeable in their own way. Wei Ping made it a habit to gather information and often picked his friends' brains. He learned about the value of beast cores the same day Li Lang had. Long Yi was an apprentice artificer himself, and Sima Xue was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a deep background. Retaliation set in and they unanimously came to a decision. Their Skyrunner began to descend.

The view of the grassy plain below grew larger. There was nothing nearby except the mountains in the distance. It made it particularly easy to spot the body of the large bird lying in the field.

Sima Xue landed the Skyrunner right next to it, and the group began to examine the body.

"It's dead, isn't it?" Long Yi asked, not speaking to anyone in particular.

"It is," the lone Foundation Establishment cultivator in the group confidently answered.

She dauntlessly moved closer. When she was right before the corpse, she waved her hand at the body and the bird was cleanly bisected. Then she simply stood there for a few moments before turning back to the group.

"It's a dud. No cores at all."

"I guess we can't be that lucky," Li Lang muttered.

"We c-can still salvage the body f-for meat, feathers, and other resources," Wei Ping encouraged.

"Okay, I can carry it for you, then."

Before anyone could react, Sima Xue waved her hand again, causing the remains to disappear. It drew Li Lang's attention to the ring on her finger.

How marvelous and useful. I definitely have to buy one during this trip. As a center of trade, the prices in Polarity City should be reasonable.

Li Lang slightly regretted not making the time to purchase a space ring back in Emberglow. He had gone off track with his studies and had forgotten about it. It was only when they traveled that it highlighted its convenience by an order of magnitude.

With the matter promptly settled, the group quickly ascended once more, heading north toward their destination. Not even a minute had passed since they took to the skies when they found Sima Xue poking her head back into the interior of the carriage.

"So, as Long Yi was asking, what's that poison you used back there?" she mischievously grinned.

It reignited the curiosity of Li Lang's companions, causing him to sigh.

"It's just something I was recently able to recreate based on the technique I received from the pocket realm. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Oh, keeping secrets, are we? How crude."

Wei Ping and Long Yi seemed to enjoy the teasing, so they jumped at the opportunity to join in.

"B-boss is always like that. He won't t-tell us anything until it's settled."

"You know what they say about a man who keeps secrets."

Li Lang held his gaze at Long Yi for a few moments before looking away.

"What? You're not going to ask?" Long Yi cried out, looking like he had been wronged.

"I'd rather not."

With those words, Li Lang glanced out the window and kept to himself. It caused the lone girl in the group to chuckle at the scene.

"Haha, you guys got him pouting like a little kid."

With that, Li Lang no longer paid any attention to their conversation. He silently entered Ruby's artifact space and began recording his observations. This was the first time he used his poison against that species of Qi beasts. He needed to record everything and monitor his new creation.

Once he was done, he stared blankly at the lab refrigerator, that was holding a sample of his new poison.

How can I possibly explain the process of synthesizing the poison? It'll just bring up a bunch of other questions that I'd rather not get into.

Li Lang thought back to the time he spent in the pocket realm. He had spent years experimenting and developing various poisons and finally decided on one he was satisfied with.

Synthesizing poison wasn't as straightforward as it was for him in the past, even without taking equipment into account. With the added variable of Qi added to the mix, he needed to perform thorough tests after each minor change was made. 

Poisons that only caused diarrhea in the past could mutate into something that only caused rashes. Only a few among what he could produce with the materials on hand remained relatively the same.

However, there was one thing that remained relatively constant. The onset time.

Most poisons usually did not take effect instantly. Poisons that took five minutes to two hours to take effect were classified as short-term poisons. Only a few had an onset time measured in seconds. That was why you often heard of antidotes and other ways to deal with poisons.

When you combined that fact with the miraculous ability of Qi to cleanse away all foreign elements from the body, it made the selection particularly hard for Li Lang. In order for his poison to be effective in combat, he would have to discover one of these immediate poisons.

He had spent quite a long time reviewing the Vengeful Leaf Compendium to no avail. All the formulas within its text were meant for a supporting role in combat. That meant its potency was nowhere near enough. Paralysis was the name of the game. It highlighted how poison users in this world still relied on brute force at the end of the day. Rarely did anyone rely on poison in isolation. It was used to gain an advantage during intense melees.

With no interest in forcing himself to become a close combat expert, Li Lang continued his research for a long time. It was no surprise that he looked at what was familiar to him first. Instead of synthesizing something completely new from the exotic materials he now had access to, he recreated everything that he could within his means.

On one particular day, while they were still in the pocket realm, Li Lang placed a bottle of every poison he could reasonably make without advanced devices in front of him.

"Hmm, almost all of these are a pain to synthesize without any tools. At least I don't have to worry about the safety factor when I make it. I can just cleanse it away with Qi at any time."

"Master, shouldn't you create the poisons according to the method you learned instead?" Ruby asked. "Testing these mundane ones wouldn't be helpful to your cause."

"I want to use these as a benchmark, so I can observe how Qi affected it."

"Observe? You would have to make it in reality to test it, master. Nothing living can be replicated within my space."

"That's not exactly true. I'm standing right here, aren't I?"

"Master, that's…ridiculous!"

"What? If you can simulate how the materials interact with each other, you can simulate my bodily functions too, right?"

"...Normally, the sense of pain, or even just the ability to be harmed, is disabled. It's that way for good reason. Even if what happens here won't physically harm you, intense pain could still scar your mind! I'd advise against doing something so reckless, master!"

"Hmm, it should be fine. I received training in how to deal with pain before. I won't go crazy over it."

"Master…"

Ruby was speechless upon hearing her master's words. It wondered where in the world could Li Lang possibly receive such training, but more importantly, why. When it had first met its master, he had still been a child. She couldn't even fathom the conditions that would lead a child to receive such training.

Without Li Lang revealing it himself, there was no way the artifact spirit would realize he meant from his previous life. As a scientist who worked for the Federation of Humanity, Li Lang naturally had received training befitting his position.

Torture resistance training was mandatory after he had received a high enough clearance level. These courses included dealing with various drugs, truth serums, and a plethora of other methods to extract intel from him.

This caused Li Lang to have the confidence to test his own creations on himself.

If Ruby can just reset everything in an instant, there should be no danger at all. I can even take this opportunity to test out how to defend against poisons myself.

Like that, Li Lang spent months testing various poisons and compared them to the mundane version. While he did this, he continued working toward the various trials, training in both martial and crafting pursuits.

During one combat trial that led him outside, he set foot in a new area to hunt down some Qi beasts. As usual, he collected every new specimen within sight. It was one of these materials that caused a new breakthrough within his research.

This branch contains traces of amygdalin, prunasin, and sambunigrin!

Chapter 141: Cyanogenic Glycosides

Li Lang struggled to contain his excitement as he stared down at the auto-analysis report. It had an exhaustive list of names, including amygdalin, prunasin, and sambunigrin. They were all cyanogenic glycosides and were exactly what Li Lang wanted. That was because they were the ingredients for making cyanide. It was a poison with an onset time measured in seconds rather than minutes or hours and would be his first choice if he had access to any material he wanted.

He couldn't be happier at having attained a natural source of these cyanogenic glycosides. Extracting these cyanide compounds from raw materials was much easier than synthesizing them from simpler substances. This was especially so for Li Lang, who did not have access to any industries.

As Li Lang analyzed the details of the report, his excitement died down. The unnamed branch he found contained very small traces of these precursor materials to cyanide. With the concentration too low, it became a problem to produce useable quantities. It simply wasn't realistic to harvest the vast portion of the forest for a small supply that he would struggle to replenish.

"Ruby, bring out samples of this tree branch for me."

"Right away, master!"

Blinking once, Li Lang could see the branch he had harvested during his adventures out in the pocket realm. Its appearance wasn't anything special. It had a rough texture and a particularly dark shade of brown. Taking a sniff, the tree had a faint almond-like scent. Other than that, it appeared like a branch from any regular tree.

Hmm, too bad the tree was withered. There aren't any leaves or anything else to examine. How should I proceed to extract sufficient hydrogen cyanide?

With one question answered, Li Lang was rewarded with several new ones. It became the new topic that would occupy most of his free time.

Thankfully, plants and faunas were something Li Lang had dealt with all his life. It didn't take long for him to come up with several ideas to increase the concentration levels of the cyanogenic glycosides.

As always, the easy part was done in Ruby's artifact space. The difficult part was to do the same in reality.

One evening, when Li Lang's group gathered once again in the mess hall, everyone surprisingly discovered that Li Lang was the first one there. He stood over their usual table, which now had several clay jars. He was wrapping them with large pieces of cloth.

The second person only frowned at the scene for a split second before greeting his friend.

"H-hey boss. What a-are you doing?"

Li Lang continued to busy himself with the jars, answering with his back turned to the person he was conversing with.

"Hmm, just preparing to ferment something nice," 

"What? D-don't tell me you're making f-food," Wei Ping cautiously glanced around for any eavesdropped before leaning in to continue his next part in a whisper. "Even i-if you have c-control of the artifact spirits now, shouldn't y-you avoid doing something so e-eye catching?"

"No, it's nothing like that. This isn't food, but something I will use to aid me in combat."

Before Wei Ping could ask for further clarification, another person entered the hall. They turned to find Long Yi walking in, staring at them with a curious gaze.

"What are you two doing, whispering away in the corner like that?"

"Just preparing to ferment something nice," Li Lang answered once more.

"What? Don't tell me you two are making food of all things. How can you leave me out like this?! And didn't we say not to draw any attention to—"

Wei Ping cut him off with a raised palm as Long Yi was getting riled up.

"Boss s-said it's not f-food."

"If not food, then what? Is it some alchemy material then?"

"Nope. It has nothing to do with alchemy, either. As I was saying, it's for—"

Another person walked in, cutting Li Lang short.

"What are you three doing, whispering like you're deviously plotting something? And what's that?" Sima Xue pointed toward the jars on the table.

"...It's to ferment something. Don't worry too much about it."

"What? You three are taking it so easy that you're fermenting food now? How—" Sima Xue stopped mid-sentence on her own initiative. It was because the trio were all giving her a strange look. "What?" she repeated.

Li Lang used every fiber of his being to suppress a sigh.

"Don't worry, it's not food. We're not leaving you out. And before you ask, it's not for alchemy, either."

"Then what? Don't tell me you're coming up with some new ink for brushweaving? I've been—"

As if Li Lang was stuck in some nightmarish loop, yet another person walked in with impeccable timing. It made Li Lang particularly irritated. So irritated that he didn't even stop to consider the status of the other party. He simply yelled out the reply he had been repeating.

"Before you ask, these jars are for fermenting something. And it's not food, alchemy materials, or brushweaving ink!"

Tang Yulian, a high and mighty Foundation Establishment cultivator, was stunned at the sudden outburst. She tilted her head slightly and looked toward her close friend, Sima Xue. Unfortunately, the group was not fated to have a proper conversation, as the last regular in their usual group walked in.

"What is all the commotion about fermenting? I could hear you guys all the way out in the hallway. I was conversing with a junior out there," Huang Si indignantly bellowed. "If you guys are so curious, then stop playing word games and just go take a peek. Why are you guys raising your voices over it?"

As the Bloodwave Conclave disciple spoke those words, he walked straight to the table and stretched out a hand to uncover the mystery. Everyone watched on curiously. Everyone except for one person.

Without any hesitation, Li Lang instinctively reached and grabbed Huang Si's hand, stopping him from touching the lid. The sudden move had taken Huang Si aback.

"Umm, sorry? Is this something you want to keep to yourself? I was just curious. I didn't want to take any. I'm not much of a glutton."

"No," Li Lang interrupted. "It's not that…it's just that opening it could ruin all of it."

Having some time to calm down, Li Lang realized he had acted on impulse. It was a normal reaction considering the dangerous substances he was handling. His mind failed to consider how harmless mundane poison was to cultivators, which made him embarrassed about his overreaction.

However, it was too late for him to explain.

All his companions gave him looks before they collectively dropped the issue. They each had their own thoughts as to why Li Lang was being so secretive about his actions, but they didn't want to agitate him any further.

It wasn't for another few weeks until the group found out what was in those jars. Then he would be terrorizing the Qi beasts of the pocket realm with its contents for a good part of the year.

Having finished a trip down memory lane, Li Lang massaged his temples. While his journey of synthesizing his new poison by using Qi techniques recorded within the Vengeful Leaf Compendium combined with his cyanide was not a short ordeal, the result more than spoke for itself.

He had created a poison that was truly combat-worthy. He had yet to test it on any cultivators, for obvious reasons, but knowing it worked against Qi beasts was good enough for the moment. Five years had already passed by while he trained in the pocket realm. The more time that went by, the less likely his childhood friends from the Zi family would be in one piece.

There was also his lifespan to consider. After all these years, he was still in the same major realm of Energy Gathering. While it would appear he still had a long life ahead of him, the delays added up. As someone who began at such a low starting point, there was even less time for him to waste. While breaking through could extend his lifespan, it wasn't something to get complacent about.

It was one of the major reasons why Li Lang forwent recreating any major technological tools from his own world. The plethora of innovations in his mind would take too long to implement. He didn't have access to any familiar materials. All electronic devices hinged on the support of an entire industrial nation. As one man alone, it would take too long. 

Even a steam engine would take months of testing and fine-tuning. Just because you knew how something was made didn't mean you could easily recreate it from scratch. In fact, steam engines were so out of date that few people in Li Lang's old world would have memorized any blueprint designs, adding to the delay.

As technology advanced, people slowly forgot many older skills. It was like how no common person would know how to be a blacksmith. They may have heard that it involved ores, a forge, and some hammering on an anvil, but the particulars were unknown to them. While some knowledge had been lost entirely over time due to them being obsolete.

I have to hurry up and come up with a concrete plan. To do that, I'll need to find news about Zi Xi and Zi Xiao Mei first. Once that's found, I'll have more options.

Beg or trade, I can petition an expert to assist me. Thankfully, I've made the perfect connection for that.

Exiting out of Ruby's artifact space, Li Lang opened his eyes and glanced at his current chauffeur. A woman of extraordinary background. If anyone could help, it would be from her organization.

Chapter 142: Assistance

Li Lang's group continued their travels toward Polarity City. It was a neutral territory that belonged to neither the righteous sects nor demonic sects. Cultivators from both factions didn't dare to feud within its territory.

"We should be donning some disguises before we get too close," Li Lang declared.

His two companions, Long Yi and Wei Ping, nodded, while Sima Xue looked on in bewilderment.

"Disguises? For what?" 

"Nothing too serious. Just some cloaks and straw hats. We'd rather not flaunt our presence entering from Demonic Cultivator Territory. It would give the righteous sect a reason to find issues with us later on."

"Hmm, I'd say just forget about those stuck-up fools."

Li Lang simply let out a chuckle and didn't elaborate. There were too many reasons why he would continue visiting the orthodox sects' territories. Not only did they possess the greater community of cultivators on Violet Isle, but they also had access to the most resources. Even if he now possessed the pocket realm, now known as the Crucible, Li Lang still desired access to modern cultivation techniques and more materialistic resources. 

Then there was the issue of finding the Abductress, which was another can of worms that Li Lang wouldn't want to share.

Silence permeated through the Skyrunner as Li Lang stayed silent. Before any of its occupants could strike up another conversation, Sima Xue suddenly snapped to their right. She wore a deep frown and began steering them to a higher altitude.

The trio could sense the seriousness in her demeanor and Li Lang stepped forth as their representation for clarification.

"Something wrong?"

"Hm, not for us. Another group over there seems to be having some trouble."

"Explain trouble."

"Just a fight between cultivators and Qi beast. Both parties are at the upper stages of Energy Gathering, but the human party is struggling because they can't fly while they're up against an aerial Qi beast at the peak of the realm."

It took a second for Li Lang to process what was happening. That was because Sima Xue was so nonchalant about the matter. She only kept an eye on the situation and went on her way, like a driver going around a site of collision.

"Shouldn't we go help?"

Those words earned Li Lang a strange look from his chauffeur.

"Why?"

Li Lang took a second to glance over at his other companions to see their reaction. Long Yi gave him a firm look that yelled, "We should help," while Wei Ping left the decision up to him.

"Because there's someone there that needs help and you have the power to do it."

Sima Xue blinked blankly at those words, taking a long moment to consider them.

"Um, I thought those values were just something the righteous sects spew. I guess some of them actually carry them out."

"Is it against your rules to help or something? Your senior, Jian Beiyun, selflessly helped us when we first arrived at Polarity."

"That's different. I heard he met you at the alchemy guild so he could confirm your identity and cross out any ill intent. We're taught not to assist in situations like this when we're out in the wild. They could be malicious parties pretending to be in need only to strike us in the back. I'm sure every disciple in our valley is taught to steer clear of conflicts that they have no part in."

The pragmatic words dazed Li Lang for a second. It had such an effect because he somewhat resonated with it. He knew what the Nightmoon Valley taught was the safer course of action and likely what most residents of this world would choose. 

In a way, all cultivators were competitors. They all competed for a finite amount of resources, whether they cultivated orthodox or demonic techniques. There were no reasons to lend a hand to a complete stranger. Doing so recklessly would only put you in danger. While it may sound cruel, it was also this self-reliance that made those who survived that much stronger. It was the cultivation world's survival of the fittest.

I knew those flowery words I heard back in Spirit Grove sounded too good to be true. It was all textbook good samaritan crap, while many disciples behaved arrogantly. The pragmatic demonic cultivators, huh? My quest to find someone amongst them to help rescue the Zi siblings is starting to look less and less probable…

"Wait," Li Lang said as he placed a hand on Sima Xue's shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"We should go help anyway. We're so close to the city that it's unlikely to be anything nefarious, right?"

"Well…we should be in the detection range of the city master, at the very least. Still, why would you want to help them?"

"I'd be lying if it wasn't based on my emotions, but that's not entirely it. Saving them in their time of need would make them owe us a debt. I don't know about you, but making connections isn't something I'd be averse to."

Despite realizing the dangers and lack of benefits from assisting others, Li Lang still couldn't completely ignore the situation at hand. He was someone from a peaceful world of law and order. Watching someone within arm's reach fall into a precarious situation and leaving them to be wasn't something he could do without feeling anything.

I don't want to lose sleep over something entirely within our power to change. Especially when the risks are so low. I wonder if I could make the same decision if this took place further away from any civilization, though…

"I completely agree with Li Lang!" Long Yi righteously jumped into the decision.

It gave them the majority, pressuring Sima Xue to go along with it.

"Come on," Li Lang continued. "I know you want to do it too. You tried to warn me too back at Spirit Grove when you didn't have a reason to back then, either. You want to help."

"That's because… I didn't want any more young children to fall into the hands of the righteous sects. I—I don't know…" Sima Xue's face went through a plethora of emotions within a split second. "You know what? Fine! Let's do it. Let's just hope it doesn't come back to bite us."

"You said it was only a Qi beast in the Energy Gathering realm. I doubt it could hurt you, even if it did bite you."

Sima Xue crossed her arms and scoffed, turning her head toward the scene of the nearby battle.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to go a little faster."

With her deep cultivation, the Skyrunner abruptly sped up in a way that none of the trio had ever experienced before. If it wasn't for the warning, they may very well have lost balance.

A distance away, a young man and woman were currently fighting for their lives. Unbeknownst to them, a rescue party heading their way.

"Ning Fei, we have to land the Skyrunner if we want to have a chance! None of my familiars can do anything up here!"

"I know, I know. You've said that five times already! It's not so easy when that stupid bird is blocking our path!"

Every time they tried to steer their Skyrunner down, the Qi beast would sweep down for an attack. It appeared to be intelligent enough to know that they would be vulnerable during their descent. After all, if the bird simply pressed them down during it, it could smash them against the ground instead of the gentle landing they were hoping for.

Still, that would allow them the opportunity to jump off before that came to be, but neither of them wanted to proceed with that. Skyrunners were expensive, and the journey back to their hometown was too far to safely traverse on foot. 

It was this dilemma that kept them in a stalemate against the Qi beast.

"Maybe try speeding up. We're so close to Polarity City, and the guards are bound to do something if we get close enough."

"Gui Hong, have you gone crazy? Inciting a Qi beast to attack the city, regardless of its strength, is a major offense! We'd be lucky if they just locked us in a cell for that."

"Hey, at least there's a way to talk out of that situation. Or maybe one of our elders could smooth things over?"

"You're going with diplomacy being our pavilion's strong suit now?"

"I…"

The young man known as Gui Hong didn't have time to ponder further before being forced to swing out his sword, launching a Qi art for the umpteenth time to keep the bird at bay. After sending out his blows, he still kept a careful watch of where it would dodge. 

Qi beasts, especially those in the lower realms, were still beasts by nature. Their intelligence wasn't anything to speak of, so it was a viable plan to observe and study their movements. It was their weakness, while their superior physical capabilities were their gift. Regardless of how strong they were, beasts often still had habits.

However, the Qi beast didn't dodge in any direction the boy had presumed. In fact, it hadn't dodged at all. His wave of Qi landed squarely on its chest, scattering its plumage through the air.

Gui Hong stared at the scene with wide eyes. It wasn't due to his attack, but because of the lone girl who was currently floating in the air beside the bird. She was holding it by its throat while the beast tried to flap its wings in defiance. The beast managed to strike the girl multiple times, but it had absolutely no effect.

The gulf between a major realm was vast. Once a cultivator had shed their mortality and truly stepped forward onto the path of cultivation, many of their previous weaknesses were gone. No longer could they be caught off guard with an expected blow. There was no need to direct Qi to the area they were defending. Simply their entire body was one entity. Every part of it was better protected than if they were to channel all their Qi into defense during their previous stage.

"A…a Foundational Establishment expert," he muttered in fear.

Few good things ever came from a powerful expert approaching you out in the wilderness. It was fear born from all the lectures he had throughout the years. He wanted to slap himself for not forcing his companion to speed toward the city sooner. Trouble had come to find him.

Chapter 143: Eroding March Pavilion

A shadowy figure sat on a vantage point that overlooked a beautiful landscape. Their eyes were shut as they tightly held onto a talisman. Whatever they were doing was draining stamina as sweat began to build up on their brows as time passed.

They remained completely still even when a sparrow flew onto their shoulder. The bird made itself comfortable and chirped to its heart's content. Like that, time flowed, with the winds bustling and sounds of life from the forest giving off a vibrant atmosphere.

After some time, the figure finally opened their eyes. Eyes were called the windows of the soul for a reason, because right now, they fully displayed the shadowy figure's anger. As if able to sense the human's emotions, the bird swiftly darted away.

Despite the person's anger, they still moved in a calm manner, slowly taking out a purple jade from within their robes.

"Master," the figure let out a distorted voice. "I have an update."

It took a full ten minutes before the figure received a response.

"Speak."

"The plan failed. Someone from Nightmoon Valley intervened."

"...Have you been discovered?"

"No, I made sure to erase any traces."

"Then it's fine. No big deal, but come back anyway to be safe. I'll send someone else to take over."

The mysterious disciple hesitated for a split second, wanting to overturn his master's order, but his rationality won out.

"Understood."

Placing the jade away, the figure finally stood up. He was on top of a thick tree branch that was a few stories above ground. He gave one final glance toward a distant black Skyrunner before sighing to himself.

"Nightmoon Valley," the figure muttered hatefully. "I thought they only acted when injustices occurred, not normal engagements with Qi beasts. They're making our people soft. What they are doing is harmful to the Luminescent realm!"

Back in the airspace near Polarity City, a black Skyrunner made steady progress toward the city. Various other vehicles flew past them as they cruised.

"Thank you for saving us again. You're even giving us a ride. I don't know what to say," Gui Hong politely said.

"You don't need to say anything. You've said your thanks like five times already. I don't need any more of your thanks," Sima Xue cried out, evidently annoyed.

"Now, now. Let's get along," Li Lang mediated. "It's not long before we arrive."

"Umm, is there a reason why we're moving so slow?" the only other girl in the Skyrunner sheepishly asked.

The words provoked an immediate response from her fellow disciple.

"Ning Fei, these people are our benefactors! What are you doing complaining to them?"

"Still…We could reach the city within a few minutes if we sped up."

"You can't be so—"

"Stop right there guys," Li Lang interjected himself again. "I asked Sima Xue to slow us down so we can have some time to chat. If you're in a hurry, then I apologize. We'll stop delaying right away."

The two disciples from Eroding March Pavilion exchanged looks. Through communicating with only their gaze, Ning Fei relinquished the decision-making power to her fellow disciple.

"We're happy to follow your arrangement," Gui Hong happily declared. "I'd love to get to know more about the famous young lady from Nightmoon Valley and her companions."

Sima Xue only spared him a disinterested glance before bringing her full attention back to operating the Skyrunner.

Wei Ping didn't let that stifle the mood and jumped on the question train.

"So, y-you said you guys were f-from the Eroding March Pavilion, you say? Isn't that where Gui Tianzi is from?"

"That's right. He's my cousin," Gui Hong replied with a shy smile.

"Then y-you must also be as talented as him."

"Senior Gui Tianzi is so much more amazing!" Ning Fei jumped to talk answer. "Not only is he humble, having kept a low profile throughout the years, he's unchanged even now. He still treats us the same as he used to, even people like us who have only just reached the seventh stage. That's pretty commendable considering how everyone in the realm now recognizes his talents after the pocket realm."

From her gaze alone, it was easy to tell how enamored she was with him. It was what Wei Ping loved to see. People ran their mouths about things they were passionate about. Her talking without being urged made intel gathering easy.

"I s-see. Well, his humbleness is n-not surprising, considering y-your pavilion's reputation."

"Yea…" the girl smiled with a tinge of red coloring her cheeks. "As you may have heard, our techniques are not the most…elegant. We like to keep to ourselves."

Wei Ping didn't press any further into their organization's techniques. It wasn't a secret in the past, and definitely common knowledge now. With the rise of a new genius that supersedes Sima Xue, Tang Yulian, and Liang Po, everyone in the Luminescent realm had heard of Gui Tianzi and the organization he hailed from by now. 

They were well known for using various insects and invertebrates as their familiars. It gave others the image of grotesque possibilities. While many claimed not to fear death, few had the same tune when told their death would be subjected to being eaten alive by numerous insects from the inside out. Their gruesome techniques were why everyone steered clear of them until now.

As they grew closer to the city, the two parties got more and more familiar with each other. The only exception was Sima Xue, who abstained from the conversation and was entirely focused on driving. However, the journey was so short that no hostility was felt. 

Once they landed outside Polarity City, the Eroding March Pavilion duo swiftly departed.

"Thank you guys so much for your help. We'll be sure to pay you back once we get the chance."

Li Lang's group watched them pass through the city gates as they prepared to enter themselves.

"Should we head in too, now?" Li Lang directed a questioning look at Sima Xue. She was the reason they were standing there, as the group waited for her to drive the Skyrunner into the city.

"Why did you offer them to ride along with us?"

"What? We already saved them, and their Skyrunner was damaged. Isn't it the right thing to do to give them a lift? I mean, it was just for a short while."

"Them being so close was exactly why we should've just left them be. Their Skyrunner was damaged, but still working. Even if they didn't want to risk it, they could've made it here by foot before night fell."

"Like we said before deciding to help them, we wanted to make a connection with them. What better way than having a cordial chat?"

"That should've taken place another time, within the city. Li Lang, you need to take safety into consideration. Allowing others to get so close to you is dangerous. Even if my cultivation is higher than theirs, it's hard to say what kind of items they carried in their space ring."

Li Lang frowned at her words. Upon reflection, he found her words to be true. Talismans that were an entire grade ahead of a cultivator's strength could not be activated, but there were other treasures in the world that didn't have that limitation. Artifact was the obvious one. Even he could control Ruby and the Crucible somewhat due to cooperation with the artifact spirit. There was also the possibility of something akin to a bomb. 

The existence of a space ring made transporting dangerous items especially easy.

"Sorry, I should've consulted with you more."

Seeing how sincere his apology was, Sima Xue sighed.

"It's fine. It's not your fault. It wasn't that big of a deal or else I would've stopped you. These are things I learned over the years with my master, so I shouldn't keep you to the same standards. Just know that Nightmoon Valley's protocol on this is there for good reason. We're known to stick ourselves into other's business within the Luminescent realm. That means we're experienced enough to know how to deal with people."

Li Lang took a brief glance back at the reaction of his two male friends to check if they were enjoying his lecture. He found their gaze wandering around, not wanting to be part of the ongoing conversation.

These traitors. It's Long Yi's idea originally to get involved and I have to suffer for it.

Before Li Lang could sulk, Sima Xue finally steered the Skyrunner forward. The now-turned carriage made its way to the city gates and was immediately greeted by a guard.

"Friends from Nightmoon Valley, please feel free to enter straight away," a guard politely gestured for them to walk on through, cutting ahead of the line.

Seeing this preferential treatment, no one in the party corrected the guard and proceeded as instructed.

The onlookers in the line watched on quietly as they allowed them to pass. Li Lang spied a person handing over a red Qi crystal as an entry fee when he arrived at the front.

Hmm, it should be ten spirit stones per month. A red crystal is a hundred stones, so the price differs. Probably based on the cultivation level. I guess there are downsides to everything, after all.

Those idle thoughts were quickly shelved as the group entered the city proper. The streets were bustling with numerous cultivators wandering about. One thing immediately stood out to Li Lang, that left him stunned.

Chapter 144: Lively City

"There are regular folks around now?" Li Lang muttered as he watched the lively streets of Polarity City.

It caused his two companions to take a second look at all the people around.

"You're right," Long Yi agreed. "There was barely anyone here the last time we were here. I can't believe it's changed so much over the years."

"Hmm? It's always like this whenever I come," Sima Xue said.

The contradictions caused the group to fall silent for a brief moment before Li Lang made a sound that indicated he remembered something important.

"That's right! They said mortals were usually not allowed in here unless there were events going on where menial workers were needed."

"I'll g-go inquire about it l-later," Wei Ping offered.

"Event?" Sima Xue muttered. "Oh, you mean the annual auctions? It happens over two months out of the year. I guess I normally only do come around this time."

"Auction? Care to elaborate?"

"Sure, let's get to our inn first, okay?"

With the explanation delayed, the group slowly traveled through the busy streets. Once they got off the central road, the smaller streets were so crowded that the carriages moved at the same pace as the pedestrians.

It gave ample time for the trio to witness the city in its new form.

As expected from a young princess from a major organization, Sima Xue brought them to a luxurious inn. They had an entire driveway for carriages, and then a large shed to park them away as well. In between the entrance to the street, there were several finely sculpted marble art pieces. To Li Lang, they were of unfamiliar creatures and symbols.

Sima Xue opted to stow her vehicle into her space ring before they made their way up the steps.

"Welcome to Serene Retreat, Young Lady Sima. We have your rooms already prepared," the hostess greeted.

"You made reservations ahead of time? How? You dropped by before coming to fetch us?" Long Yi tactless asked, right before the staff.

"Of course not. I had the sect communicate to the proprietress here about my visit."

"Communicate how?" Li Lang asked without missing a beat.

He immediately realized she referred to a prompt method of communication. As a modern person, he knew exactly how vital that was to civilization. The only question left was whether it was through means like messenger pigeons, smoke signals, or a novel method involving Qi.

"With a transmission jade, of course. The big cities have one paired with each other."

"Is it possible to buy these jades for myself?"

From the corner of his eye, Li Lang caught sight of the staff bringing up her sleeve to hide her smile. It was then that he knew he had asked a stupid question. Sima Xue blinking blankly had confirmed this.

"Umm, probably not? They're valuable treasures that only large organizations have. Even my Nightmoon Valley doesn't have one to every city in the Luminescent Domain."

"I see…Well, why don't we get settled into our rooms first before continuing our chat?"

From context alone, Li Lang could surmise that this transmission jade wasn't as convenient as the phones he was familiar with. They appeared to be paired with each other, much like the quantum communicators the space force used on their capital ships. He only noted it down in the corner of his mind to keep an eye out for it before checking into their rooms.

This time, the group of four were each shown to their own rooms. Unlike in the past, Li Lang's wallet was now much healthier. He didn't protest the arrangement, as he had already embarrassed himself with his questions. He'd rather not be remembered by the staff as the country bumpkin.

While he didn't care for his reputation or the likes, his current goal was to create his own organization. He had heard enough gossip about people in important posts to know the importance of a reputation for any respectable organization. These small matters appeared insignificant, but it affected one's credibility.

Li Lang knew that trust was the most importance currency between groups. It took a long time to build, but only one misstep to ruin.

After putting away their luggage, the group quickly assembled in the tea lounge next to the lobby. Further in was a proper restaurant, much classier than the pubs Li Lang had frequented. He would soon explore the eatery soon enough. For now, they occupied the lounge.

They all assembled and resumed their earlier conversation.

"So, where do I begin?" Sima Xue pondered while holding her cup of tea with both hands.

"H-how about the o-organizer and when it s-starts?" Wei Ping suggested.

"Well, the organizer is Polarity City itself. That's why it draws such a huge crowd. Both righteous snobs and our demonic cultivators will be participating."

"I've never heard anything about it during my time in Spirit Grove," Li Lang commented.

"Well, yeah. The righteous sects want to keep up the image of us as unreasonable brutes. Only their elders, established clans, and powerful wandering cultivators would know about it. After all, only these powerful people have the wealth to participate."

"Then why are there so many people here? They can't all be wealthy, can they?"

"What I explained is for the main event only. There are many other auctions happening at the same time, catering to different needs and price points. Many cater to the numerous scions from the established cultivator clans."

"So…That means this secret auction is only secret to the regular folks without a background?"

"Generally, yes. The historic clans all know about the true nature of us demonic cultivators, of course. It's not exactly easy to keep it a secret for eternity. They only do it to keep their regular folks in check."

What a way to keep people in line with fear. Was I really living under such horrible people? No, I can't just take Sima Xue's side of the story at face value. Just like with demonic cultivators, the orthodox sects must have good and bad apples as well.

Their afternoon discussion continued over the next hour. Li Lang and Wei Ping teamed up to barrage Sima Xue with questions while Long Yi busied himself with the snacks. As expected, it wasn't long before Sima Xue threw up the white flag.

"Guys, can we save the talks for another time? I'm sure you'll learn a lot on your own if you spend a day or two here. You still have an entire month and a half before the auctions are over. Unless you're in a hurry to deliver that letter."

"Yeah, let's go check out the city while the sun's still up," Long Yi supported the young princess.

Li Lang surveyed his surroundings and noticed the establishment had gotten busier as night approached. 

"Hmm, I guess we can stay for a bit," Li Lang pondered to himself for a brief moment. 

Seeing the place was starting to become too rowdy for a proper conversation, he stood up and stretched his back.

"Yeah, let's go take a walk and check out this auction. We sat for long enough."

With those words, the group began to wander the streets to appreciate the city proper.

"I still got to say again, this place is unrecognizable from when we came," Li Lang muttered.

"Y-yeah. It's incredible."

Previously, there were only stores catered to cultivators, and the streets were sparse. Now, they were dozens of carts parked on both sides of the streets that sold food and drinks. It had a festive atmosphere, with a mix of people. It was easy to tell there was some tension between different groups, but they expertly ignored each other's existence and kept their distance. However, there were a few people that treated everyone equally.

"How does the general demonic cultivator see orthodox independent cultivators that aren't affiliated with any sects?"

"Hmm? They're just people, I guess. It varies from person to person. Unlike the arrogant sects, we don't discriminate based on their cultivation method. Otherwise, we wouldn't have an organization like the Peerless Gate in our domain."

"It seems like they're smart enough to play both sides, becoming merchants."

Following Li Lang's gaze, Sima Xue looked over at the people he was talking about.

"Oh, those are actual merchants from our domain. We don't restrict information or anything, so our regular merchants can come and go as they like. Those guys around them are the independent cultivators you're talking about. They act as the merchant's bodyguards."

"Hmm, my point still stands. The independents are profiting from being neutral. Not bad."

"Well, we need someone to carry out the logistics of trade."

"Right. The profits of trade are hard to ignore."

"Yep. It's why we still trade with them despite everything they have done to us."

Li Lang continued to walk, refusing to comment on historical grudges. While he heard some of it from Jian Beiyun about how the Demonic Cultivator Territory was originally a place of exile, he wasn't knowledgeable enough on the matter to comment.

As the group merrily sampled the food stalls and took in the jovial atmosphere, they suddenly froze upon making eye contact with one of the passersby. In fact, both parties were frozen. The only exception was Wei Ping, who alternated glances between his friends and the stranger, befuddled at their reactions.

Li Lang would've preferred if they hadn't seen each other. Even if it was inevitable, he would've preferred if only one party spotted the other. That way, they still had the option to ignore and leave. Now that both parties made eye contact, it became extremely challenging to just walk away.

As if compelled by a mysterious force, both sides closed the distance.

Li Lang's group of four each awkwardly clasped their fist to the middle-aged woman before them.

"Greetings, Senior Cao."

Chapter 145: Tofu Pudding

With the greeting out of the way, the awkwardness between the four young cultivators and the middle-aged woman took hold of them again. Li Lang's group looked around, with no one wanting to have the first word. The elder just stoically stood there like a statue.

After some time, the elder broke the silence.

"It's been some time, Li Lang, Long Yi. I can't say I'm happy about our reunion considering who you're with," the elder's last words were said while pointedly staring at Sima Xue.

"Elder Cao, I hope you are in good health," Li Lang replied with a bow. "You may be jumping to conclusions. It's a long story, after all."

"Well, I have some time to listen to your excuses as to why you're associating with this demonic cultivator that allegedly framed you. That, plus the fact of your rapid progress is especially concerning. Just so you remember, I put myself on the line to defend you. Have you forgotten my warnings?"

The elder's stark contrast of tone almost made Li Lang flinch. Elder Cao had always been so kind to him during his time in Spirit Grove. It felt weird that she acted so hostile, but also understandable at the same time, considering she found him associating so closely with demonic cultivators. The fact their cultivation had skyrocketed since she last saw them was the last nail in the coffin. It left no question in Elder Cao's mind that they had gone against her warnings and dabbled in demonic cultivation.

"Elder Cao, I can't exactly tell you everything here. I ask that you consider where we are. There's no point in holding any enmity here," Li Lang tried to explain.

He couldn't exactly tell her everything, especially because they were currently posing as people who had switched over to demonic cultivation to blend in. It was what they decided to explain why they had progressed so rapidly in their cultivation. Otherwise, even demonic cultivators would be alarmed at the fact two boys with grade-one aptitude had reached the late stages of Energy Gathering before the age of twenty.

Protecting this information caused Li Lang to make an on-the-spot decision. A decision to lie.

"The only thing I can tell you is that we no longer have any animosity toward Ling Xue. There's no point considering we live in Polarity City now. It's neutral grounds, after all. I still respect you, Elder Cao and Spirit Grove."

The elder grunted and looked away. She didn't say anything in particular, but for those who knew her, her stern expression softened.

Before their conversation could continue, Elder Cao suddenly glanced in one direction down the street. She spotted her companions who had likely just finished their errands.

"In that case, I hope we have the opportunity to sit down and have a long chat once this auction is over. I'm staying at the Haze Mist Inn. Come find me after the event if you want to explain yourselves."

With those words, the elder swiftly moved to regroup with her fellow sect members. From the distance, Li Lang could make out the green robes of the other Spirit Grove cultivators. He even spotted a few familiar faces who he couldn't put a name to right away.

"Let's go," Li Lang urged his group to keep moving. "The elder excused herself so we wouldn't come into conflict with the other members, so we shouldn't let her efforts go in vain."

Just as Li Lang had noticed the other party, the Spirit Grove disciples noticed him as well. More specifically, only a select few did. Those who had spent some time with him. That was because Li Lang no longer had the characteristics of a large head. It wasn't so easy to recognize him.

"Is that who I think it is?" a young master with green robes exclaimed, increasing the intensity of his fanning to match his emotions.

"What are you looking at, Lu Hong? I don't see anything," a portly young man inquired.

"That's because you're too short, Zhang Bai. Of course, you're not seeing anything past this crowd," another person interjected on behalf of the first man. "I believe Lu Hong is talking about that brat with the big head. Though it doesn't seem like his head is that large anymore."

"Hmm, are you guys sure? It's been years since we last saw him. If that guy doesn't have a large head, it could just be a lookalike."

"Don't be stupid. I, Pei Fong, may be mistaken, but how could Young Master Lu Hong of the Lu Clan be mistaken?"

The trio didn't get to argue long before Elder Cao reunited with the group. She was the elder responsible for watching over them, and none dared to talk over her.

"What are you all standing around for? If you're done, then let's start heading back."

"Yes, elder!" all the Spirit Grove disciples, not just the young master trio, replied with vigor.

Meanwhile, Li Lang's group had already evacuated the area. They were currently sitting down inside a large restaurant. It spanned several floors, and the aroma that seeped out from the kitchen made one's stomach grumble. It wasn't just because their chef were skilled, but because of all the valuable ingredients they used.

These ingredients came with a corresponding price. It was high enough to make Li Lang drop the menu upon reading it.

"You're kidding, right?" he whispered over to Sima Xue with a strained tone. "A hundred and twenty Qi stones for a simple bowl of rice? That's daylight robbery!"

Having read the same menu, even Wei Ping and Long Yi gave questioning looks at Sima Xue.

"M-maybe we should go elsewhere? This p-place seems to c-cater to those in a higher realm," Wei Ping said, as he glanced around at the other customers.

Everyone else in the restaurant was an adult. They were all at least in the Foundation Establishment realm. It was a scene that befitted the name of Polarity City as a cultivator center.

"Oh, come on, guys. The food they serve here is all made from Earth-grade ingredients, at the very least!"

"A luxurious feast is the last thing we need to indulge in right now," Li Lang quipped. "There's still an auction on the horizon. Why would I waste my money here?"

"Earth-grade ingredients aren't just for pleasure! Not only do they nourish the soul, they also relieve you of cultivation fatigue. Many say regularly eating these high-quality foodstuffs aids in cultivation as well!"

"We aren't in the position to rely on something so expensive, yet can't be verified for its efficacy!"

"You promised me tofu pudding, and I want the tofu pudding from here."

Having been reminded of his promise, Li Lang lost some wind in his sails. At the time he requested her help in the pocket realm, he knew he had to pay a price.

Well, if it's just once, I can still handle it. Plus, I can investigate if these foods actually have an effect on cultivation.

"Fine, fine. I'll order your tofu pudding, but nothing else."

Having gotten her wish, Sima Xue quickly switched over from tantrum mode to satisfied mode. The table of four placed their order for one serving of tofu pudding and it instantly came, as if to tell them to hurry up and relinquish their table.

The pudding they brought came in a wooden bucket the size of a jug. Sima Xue got straight into it and scooped some into her bowl.

"Can you three not stare at me like that when I'm eating?"

Immediately, the gaze of the three boys scattered.

The sound of other customers filled the room, as Li Lang tried to think up a way to ask her to share some of it. He needed to place it into Ruby for further analysis, but with how excited she seemed, he hesitated.

Instead, he spent his time observing the other guests. All their meals appeared normal, with roast poultry and fine wines, but the aroma was much more fragrant than normal. It had a charm to it that made one salivate. All the high and mighty cultivators around him were stuffing themselves full at a rapid pace.

"Hey!" a voice shouted, waking the three young men from their thoughts. "You guys can have some, you know?"

"Are you sure?" Li Lang asked.

"Yeah, it's no fun eating by yourself. Come on and try it out. It's as good as I remembered it to be."

Seeing her push the tub of tofu pudding toward them, the trio relented and partook in some pudding. Li Lang swiftly used his spoon to break up the pudding and had Ruby absorb some at the same time. Then, he finally tried some, and the moment it entered his mouth, he was stunned.

The experience wasn't simply just food. A warm flow of Qi traveled down his stomach, along with the food. Unlike during cultivation, his body didn't resist it, causing no pain or discomfort. Instead, he felt the energy slowly being distributed to every single one of his cells. It felt his body glowing, releasing that rush of energy back into the world.

He took another take at the other guests after his discovery. He found many among them had an older appearance. It was hard to tell their age from that alone, but the consistency did not escape his attention.

They're not just stuffing themselves for pleasure. Could this really be helpful in one's cultivation somehow?