Chapter 54: Risky Escape
Even though she walked, she knew she couldn't ignore the tiredness that weighed on every fiber of her body and mind.
His eyes burned, his vision wavered between reality and darkness.
She knew that couldn't get out of there without resting.
Even with your renewed strength after advancing in level, the mental exhaustion and continuous tension they had exhausted her completely.
She couldn't continue like this.
Before your body gave out for good, she quickly entered his storage ring.
The familiar feeling of transition enveloped her, and when she opened her eyes, she was already inside his safe space.
Your body almost fell to the ground, but managed to stagger to a spot close to the sleeping monkeys.
And then, she fainted instantly.
His consciousness sank into silent darkness.
The last thing that crossed his mind before he succumbed to sleep was:
'I need to find a place to meditate and sleep here...'
Hours later, she woke up.
The soft sunlight inside the ring warmed his face, a feeling so comfortable that, for a brief moment, she just wanted to continue lying down.
But she couldn't.
She got up, feeling the weight of fatigue having almost completely dissipated.
When he looked to the side, he saw that the little monkeys still slept, stacked on top of each other, their little furry arms clasped together as if they were a single creature.
'Cutes.'
If she didn't know the delicate situation she was in, she would just stay there and watch them.
But she had more important things to resolve.
The first of them...
The Condensed Spiritual Liquid.
Tang Chun Xi immediately noticed the difference in the environment.
The aura around you it was denser, more concentrated.
She quickly scanned the ring space, searching for the location of the spiritual liquid.
When she found it, his eyes sparkled with realization.
In the middle of space lay two large pieces of spiritual stone.
The first, a huge mid-level rock, it glowed faintly, giving off a soft and inviting glow.
The second, smaller, but much more precious… Containing the Condensed Spiritual Liquid. Extremely precious a 3rd level resource.
A rock containing high-grade spiritual stones.
Tang Chun Xi opened a huge smile.
It was at first time she made money on my own.
And it wasn't just any money.
"That large chunk must contain at least 2,000 mid-grade spiritual stones…"
"The other one must contain at least 100 high-level spiritual stones."
"Doing the math... that's equivalent to 1200000 low-level stones!"
If it were for the direct conversion value, this would make her incredibly rich.
But she knew it wasn't that simple.
Medium and high level stones were much rarer and more valuable, and almost no one would exchange them for low-level stones.
The concentration and purity of energy in them was superior.
Even so, she felt fulfilled.
Your efforts they were worth it.
Tang Chun Xi checked the external situation before leaving the ring.
As soon as she reappeared in the cave, activated its hiding automatically.
But, something was different.
She looked around and realized that the tunnels had changed.
New tunnels had appeared.
Others had disappeared.
His stomach turned.
The Golems they had modified the mountain.
'They are constantly shaping the terrain...'
That could be a problem.
If they closed the only exit she knew...
She would be trapped forever.
Tang Chun Xi suppressed his panic and concentrated.
Its objective was find the air source.
If she followed the breeze, would find the way out.
Even with a bad feeling, continued advancing.
After a long time exploring, finally felt the draft.
The flow was weaker than before, but it was still there.
Tang Chun Xi followed the path without hesitation.
The further she advanced, the stronger the breeze became.
The walls gradually lost their spiritual stones.
The spiritual energy decreased.
And then...
She saw.
The exit.
But something was wrong.
The tunnel was decreasing.
There were Golems that were closing the passage!
Tang Chun Xi didn't think twice.
She activated the [Wings of the Phoenix] without hesitation.
A burst of heat spread throughout the tunnel, dispelling its concealment.
With a powerful leap, she shot towards the exit.
The passage closed around her like the mouth of a hungry monster.
She pushed her technique to the maximum.
Body Reinforcement Talismans have been activated in your body.
The air burned his lungs.
The pressure of the mountain tried to crush her.
But...
She managed to get out.
And then, it fell.
Tang Chun Xi didn't have time to celebrate.
She was in free fall.
The mountain was quickly left behind.
Your heart went off.
In one quick movement, tied a rope to the Lunar Umbrella and threw it to the mountain wall.
The impact it was brutal.
Your body was thrown violently against the rock, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.
But she stopped falling, a few meters from the ground.
— "Wow...that was painful."
His voice was weak, but full of relief.
Lunar energy flowed through her body, healing your injuries.
With a little effort, she let go of the rope and landed on the ground.
She was finally free.
Tang Chun Xi located himself on the map, which she took from the ring.
"I see... I'm still in the outer part of the forest, close to the inner part." --- she concluded with a sigh, it would be too risky and dangerous in the inner part of the mountains, for her level.
The mountain it wasn't that far from monkey territory.
If she left now, he would arrive before dark.
But before, had something to do.
Took one Communication Talisman and sent a message to his father.
Explained all.
The location of the vein.
What she had found.
The danger of Golems.
If anyone could explore that location, your father.
With everything resolved, she left.
The mountain stayed behind.
And she had no idea of what awaited her next.
But soon, things would get much livelier.
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City Lord's Mansion
The main hall of the mansion was spacious, decorated in shades of red and gold, conveying authority and stability.
No center, Feng Zhan, the lord of the city, was sitting upright, his sharp eyes fixed on the man in front of him.
Feng Zhan's expression was neutral, but inside his mind there was deep questions.
— "Are you sure you will give up your mining rights to the Spiritual Black Iron Mine?" — His voice echoed through the room, filled with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
The man before him, Tang Wei, kept his expression firm.
Tang Wei's presence had always been a mystery to Feng Zhan.
When he arrived in town fourteen years ago, no one knew its origin.
Many tried to stop him from establishing himself.
Nobody made it.
He settled in the city as if it had always belonged to him.
And now, he was leaving in the same way—suddenly, without a trace of hesitation.
Tang Wei didn't seem shaken.
— "Yes. In return, I want you to guarantee the safety of some people in the city."
Feng Zhan narrowed his eyes.
That was interesting.
Tang Wei was leaving everything behind...
But still, he worried about those who stayed.
After a brief silence, Feng Zhan let out a low-key sigh.
— "Okay, then we have completed the negotiation."
Tang Wei nodded, keeping your unshakable stance, and turned to leave.
Feng Zhan watched him leave.
But even after Tang Wei's figure disappeared down the hall, he remained silent, lost in thought.
Feng Zhan always had a certain caution towards Tang Wei.
From the moment he arrived in town, there was something different in it.
Your strength, your posture, your unshakable aura—everything reminded someone of noble origin.
Not just common nobility, but a powerful lineage.
Your behavior resembled that of the direct children of large cultivating families.
Even more suspicious was the fact that Tang Wei's cultivation level was equivalent to his, although much younger than him.
Feng Zhan was not mistaken.
Tang Wei was dangerous.
But at the same time, he never demonstrated political ambition or interest in challenging his power.
He seemed just want to live in peace.
Until now.
Now, he was leaving.
Tang Wei was no longer a concern, but others emerged.
Had something bigger happening.
First, the mysterious phenomenon.
Various forces were moving to discover its cause, but until now, no clear answer had emerged.
Of course, that didn't mean no one knew the truth.
There was always the possibility that some great force had discovered something and was hiding the information.
But the simple fact that no one has spoken out yet...
It was an ominous sign and a few days later another question arose.
The Valley of Spiritual Herbs and the Heavenly Sword Sect were calling cultivators to the Clearwater Mountains to find the killer.
Rewards were announced.
This made countless cultivators gathered together, each with their own interests and goals.
The situation could easily get out of control.
His son had sent him a message earlier, reporting the movement.
"No clear clues have been found yet."
"They only know that he died in Montes das Águas Claras."
It should be the same for the Valley of Spiritual Herbs. The Elder Ki had left, if not he could try to see if he could find something.
Without concrete answers, They used the bounty as a means of attracting hunters and mercenaries.
Feng Zhan felt a weight in my chest.
—"With so many cultivators entering there at the same time... I feel like something bad is going to happen."
He hoped was wrong.
But...
If something got out of control while still in town, this could directly affect he.
And, most importantly...
It would affect your child.
He could only hope that nothing would go wrong.
Little did he know that his intuition was more than right, it would be much worse.
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In the Tang Carriage
Tang Wei watched the city passes by the window of his carriage.
The familiar streets, the buildings he knew well...
He lived there for fourteen years.
Now, he was leaving everything behind.
The peace and simple life he built with his daughter would soon be shattered.
But he was prepared for this.
Always has been.
But now, he planned to contact his daughter to tell her about the news he will receive of the cultivators entering the Mountains in large numbers…
While waiting to arrive to talk to her, felt something in the storage bag.
The Communication Talisman of your daughter has been activated.
One Tang Chun Xi's message had arrived.
Your heart momentarily accelerated, an instinctive concern arising before even listening to the content.
He heard every detail of your daughter's message.
And then...
A smile formed on his lips.
Tang Wei didn't expect this news.
But...
She arrived at an opportune time.
A vein of spiritual stones... protected by Rock Golems.
This could be a problem...
But for him, it was an advantage.
The Rock Golems they weren't a real threat...
As long as they didn't feel threatened.
And, most importantly...
They could be useful.
Unlike other spirit creatures, Golems they were not greedy for spiritual energy.
If he knew how to negotiate with them, they could even be manipulated to help with extraction.
Tang Wei knew exactly what to do.
As the carriage headed towards the mansion, Tang Wei remained lost in thoughts.
Your eyes shone with pride and satisfaction.
Your daughter not only survived alone in Montes das Águas Claras, without your help...
But his look of pride was replaced by concern as he remembered how hectic the mountain would soon be.
So, he sent a message to his daughter responding and informing her about it.
He at that moment wanted to tell his daughter to finish her training early, but he hesitated and didn't speak but only warned her to be more cautious...
And so, lost in thought, he headed towards the mansion.
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Meanwhile, throughout the valley's and the sect's sphere of influence, diverse cultivators, bounty hunters, etc; continued to head to the mountains, some for rewards, others for dark purposes...
But everyone couldn't imagine the mistake they were making, some wouldn't come out alive, others would be traumatized...