Chapter 51 " The Black Sword's Call"

...

Since Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying planned to spend the next few years in seclusion—especially with the looming threat of the Beast Tide—proper preparation was essential.

The most critical task was securing enough supplies. He needed to purchase large quantities of spirit rice and jade wheat, along with an assortment of spirit fruits such as melons, peaches, apples, and oranges. In addition, procuring high-quality beast meat was a necessity, as well as other essential cultivation resources.

With so much to buy and organize, handling everything alone would be too time-consuming. Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng took out his communication talisman and sent a voice transmission to Liu Ying.

"Liu Ying, I need your help. Come to the market when you're free."

Now, all that remained was to wait for her response.

Jiang Cheng also took the opportunity to browse the market for materials needed to brew his own wine.

He made his way to the cultivator market and purchased a batch of raw ingredients for brewing Cold Spring Nectar. Most of the materials were relatively inexpensive, but the key components—Frost Spirit Spring and Manna Flower—were significantly pricier.

Frost Spirit Spring was a highly versatile resource. It could be used not only for brewing spirit wine but also in alchemy and even weapon refinement. A single jar of it cost around ten low-grade spirit stones, making it a valuable yet costly investment.

Manna grass is a rare elixir. Brewing Cold Spring Manna requires at least ten years of manna flowers. One plant requires a hundred low-grade spiritual stones and can brew two to three jars of spiritual wine.

Contract for thirty pots of spirit wine.

"A pot of cold spring nectar sells for fifteen low-grade spiritual stones, and the profit is nearly half. Even if there is some loss during brewing, the profit is still high enough."

Jiang Cheng made a rough estimate in his mind: "Brew thirty or forty jars of cold spring nectar, and you can earn back the spiritual stones you purchased for the formula."

As it turns out, he was naive.

He walked around the market several times and asked several shops selling elixirs, but he couldn't buy a single manna flower.

According to the owner of the spiritual medicine shop, the growth environment of nectar flowers is harsh. They can only grow in an environment with abundant spiritual energy and rich in water-attributed spiritual energy.

The spiritual medicine shop can only collect one or two nectar flowers a year, and sometimes even not collect one for several years.

Jiang Cheng now understood why Taoist Yan was so decisive in selling the brewing method to him, because nectar flowers were too scarce in this area.

But he didn't care about it. For him, the gains and losses of spiritual stones in front of him were not important.

As long as the time is extended, the lost spiritual stones can be earned back.

Besides.

"Nectar flowers are rare in the market, I can grow them myself."

Jiang Cheng bought some nectar flower seeds and water spiritual stones at the spiritual medicine shop,

When he finds a suitable place, he can plant them.

After a few minutes looking around, he saw someone selling nectar flowers, so he bought them immediately and gathered the materials for brewing cold spring nectar.

Soon, Liu Ying arrived and asked Jiang Cheng what he needed.

He explained everything in detail and tasked her with visiting various shops, stalls, and markets to purchase large quantities of supplies and seeds of spirit medicine and Rice and Foods.

They needed hundreds of pounds of spirit rice, jade wheat, and various spirit fruits such as melons, peaches, apples, and oranges. Additionally, they stocked up on beast meat, fasting pills,Essence Condensing Pills, Qi Gathering pills etc, and body-refining resources.

Since body refinement required a large amount of blood essence , they focused on acquiring high-quality blood essence from powerful spirit beasts.

The two of them shopped until nightfall, moving from vendor to vendor, haggling for the best prices, and selecting the finest materials. By the time they were done, they had spent thousands of spirit stones, but their storage bags were now filled to the brim.

Just as Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying were about to leave town, a sudden wave of unease washed over them. Their hearts skipped a beat.

The two exchanged glances.

They immediately understood—someone was watching them. No, countless people were. Hidden gazes, prying eyes lurking in the shadows, and—most notably—two unconcealed, piercing stares locked directly onto them. Both belonged to cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining.

Jiang Cheng was no fool, and neither was Liu Ying. Court death? Absolutely not. That was why Jiang Cheng always called Liu Ying the perfect tool for escaping—why fight when you could slip away like a ghost?

Without hesitation, they spun on their heels and marched straight into the nearest inn.

Jiang Cheng casually tossed a few spirit stones to the innkeeper and led Liu Ying upstairs as if they were just an ordinary couple looking for a place to stay.

Once inside their room, the door slammed shut behind them.

Jiang Cheng turned to Liu Ying with a smirk. "Alright, it's your turn to shine."

Liu Ying pouted, crossing her arms. "You really do treat me like a tool! Where are my rights? My dignity? My—"

Jiang Cheng ignored her complaints and took out a formation disk, placing it down to block out spiritual senses.

Still grumbling, Liu Ying took out a small formation disk and placed it in the center of the room. With a flick of her fingers, she activated it—a thin veil of spiritual mist spread outward, forming a Concealed Breath Formation that instantly masked their presence.

Then, without hesitation, Liu Ying grabbed Jiang Cheng's wrist and infused her spiritual power.

"Hold on tight."

Before Jiang Cheng could react, space twisted around them, and the world blurred into a swirl of colors.

Half a mile away from the town, the air shimmered briefly before Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying reappeared.

Without missing a beat, Liu Ying grabbed Jiang Cheng's wrist again, and with a flash of light, they vanished once more, reappearing another half mile away in the dense forest.

Jiang Cheng, his brows raised in surprise, looked around at their new surroundings. "You can now teleport us further than before, as expected of you." He shook his head with a smile, clearly impressed by her progress.

Liu Ying, her chest puffed out with pride, flashed him a teasing grin. "Of course! I'm growing stronger every day. Soon, I'll be able to teleport across entire continents with a single step!"

She immediately stuck out her tongue, a playful gleam in her eyes. "You'll see, I'll make it happen!"

Jiang Cheng chuckled at her confident demeanor. "Alright, alright, I'll believe it when I see it."

Liu Ying's smile widened. "You'll be begging for me to take you on one of my grand teleportation adventures!"

That's a big claim," Jiang Cheng teased, narrowing his eyes at her. "I think I'll need to prepare some way of catching up if you get any faster!"

Liu Ying rolled her eyes but kept grinning. "Keep dreaming, you'll be the one holding on to my sleeve, begging me to go faster!"

As Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying continued their journey towards the cave, the mood between them was light. The day's events, their quick escape, and playful banter had lifted their spirits.

....

Meanwhile in the outer town of Puchan, just moments after Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying had left, a group of ruthless figures gathered around the inn where the two had just been. Their eyes, sharp and calculating, stayed fixed on the building, their intentions clear.

One of the men, a burly figure with a jagged scar running down his face, excluding the peak aura of Qi Refining stage, sneered. "Those two must be worth a fortune.

His partner, exuding the terrifying aura of a peak Qi Refining cultivator, emanated a murderous intent so thick it seemed to weigh the air. He sneered coldly, "Our path to Foundation Building lies with them. Those fat sheep must be worth a lot." He let out a deep, ominous laugh, his eyes glinting with a dark satisfaction.

After midnight fell, the two exchanged a look. One of them spoke urgently, "We have to be quick, and make sure we don't alert the Foundation Building Elder responsible for Guarding over the town."

The other sneered, a mocking grin on his face. "Even if something does happen, he wouldn't care as long as we're done it Quietly.

The two moved in complete silence, their speed nothing short of terrifying as they made their way to Jiang Cheng's room. Without hesitation, they exchanged a glance and struck the door with all their strength. The moment it shattered, the surrounding rooms in the Inn were affected by the defense formation that protect the rooms. The noise jolted everyone awake, the sense of danger instantly palpable.

As the door crashed in, the two murderers rushed in. But before they could react, several Fireball Talismans exploded, sending violent shockwaves throughout the room. The blasts weren't meant to kill—Jiang Cheng's intention was to disgust them, to show just how useless they are. A middle-grade talisman like this wouldn't hurt a peak Qi Refining cultivator, but that was the point. His intention was to make them feel like fools, and as expected, it worked.

The two attackers staggered back, their faces twisted in rage, their murderous intent surging. One of them roared at the sky " don't let yourself fall in my hands otherwise I will make sure to torture them to death and drink their blood.

The other let out a harsh laugh, equally bloodthirsty." Courting death, how dare you treat us lake this "

While the murderers were still fuming with rage, Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying had long since returned to the cave, sitting in their designated spots, deep in meditation. Their focus was unbroken, unaware of the chaos that had just unfolded in the town. The quiet hum of spiritual energy surrounded them, their minds completely absorbed in refining their cultivation.

...

Early the next morning, they both opened their eyes. After washing up and having breakfast, Jiang Cheng looked at Liu Ying and said, "Liu Ying, let's open a spirit field here and plant some medicinal herbs and Spirit Rice. With the abundant spiritual energy in this place, it would be a waste not to use it."

Liu Ying nodded thoughtfully. "That does make sense. With the abundance of spiritual energy here, crops will grow faster and stronger. It'll also help us sustain ourselves during our seclusion."

Without further discussion, they got to work.

Jiang Cheng used his sword to clear away rocks and tough roots, while Liu Ying manipulated water techniques to soften the soil, making it easier to till. The two worked in harmony, reclaiming a large patch of land.

Once the ground was ready, they began planting—Spirit Rice, Jade Wheat, and a variety of medicinal herbs. Jiang Cheng carefully placed the Spirit Rice seeds in neat rows, while Liu Ying, with her precise control, ensured that the seedlings received just the right amount of moisture.

As they worked, Liu Ying wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and looked at Jiang Cheng. "You're making me work too hard. You really do treat me like a tool woman."

Jiang Cheng chuckled, his tone light but undeniably smug. "You need to experience the dangers of society to grow up strong and healthy. So, you should work hard."

Liu Ying froze mid-action, her red eyes narrowing as she turned to glare at him. "You're just making me do all the work, aren't you?"

Jiang Cheng nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

"You—!" She huffed, cheeks puffing out in indignation, but in the end, she didn't argue.

Satisfied with his shameless victory, Jiang Cheng leisurely watched as she continued working, occasionally pretending to be deep in thought whenever she shot him a glare.

By the time the sun reached its peak, the two of them had successfully set up a small spirit field—though Liu Ying was clearly the one who did most of the labor.

Just as they were about to rest, feeling satisfied with their progress, Liu Ying suddenly froze, her red eyes narrowing as she gazed up at the sky with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Cheng, who had just settled into a comfortable position, immediately sat up, startled. His hand instinctively moved toward his storage bag. "What happened? Is there an enemy?"

Liu Ying shook her head firmly. "No, I feel like something that belongs to me is coming… from the sky."

Jiang Cheng was puzzled. He thought to himself, Impossible. The author wouldn't be shameless enough to just throw an opportunity like this right at her face. That would be too much… right?

His expression turned skeptical as he studied her face. "Maybe your feeling is wrong?" he suggested, trying to inject some reason into the situation.

Liu Ying gave him a side-eye. "You think I'd mistake something like this?"

Jiang Cheng wanted to argue, but he knew better than to question a protagonist-like intuition. He sighed and glanced toward the sky.

Jiang Cheng muttered under his breath, his expression full of grievance,

"This is unfair to the Taoist priests and the people of the cultivation world! Where are our rights? Where is our dignity? Where is the author.

In the vast, endless void beyond the galaxy where Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying resided, an ominous black sword, sheathed yet exuding an unspeakable pressure, tore through space with terrifying speed. Its path left behind fractured rifts in the cosmic fabric, as if the universe itself struggled to contain its presence.

A colossal Void Beast, its form stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, lazily drifted through the void. Its massive, grotesque eyes flickered with greed the moment it caught sight of the incoming sword. A low, guttural laugh rumbled from its maw, shaking the space like a distant thunderstorm rolling across the void.

""Such a treasure... and it's heading straight for me. It would be rude to refuse such a gift

" the beast mused, its voice reverberating across the silent expanse.

Its eyes gleamed with insatiable greed, and with a deafening roar that reverberated through the void, it reached out with a colossal hand—billions of miles long—an appendage so vast it seemed to consume entire star systems in its path. The beast's massive fingers flexed, preparing to snatch the sword from the heavens themselves.

"Such a powerful sword... it will be mine!" it bellowed, its voice like the grinding of ancient stones, shaking the very core of the Void.

With an explosive surge of energy, the giant hand surged forward, blotting out the stars as it stretched across the cosmos, distorting space with its unimaginable size. The Void Beast was sure of taken the sword.

But just as its colossal fingers were about to close around the blade—

BOOM!

A terrifying energy surged forth from the sword, an ancient, boundless will awakening. The very fabric of space distorted violently, and the black sheath erupted with ominous void energy. The cosmos howled.

a ripple that threatened to undo everything in its path. Then, a cold voice emerged, cutting through the chaos:

Roll!

In that instant, the sword erupted with a terrifying burst of power. The black blade glowed with an ancient, void-like aura, and the space around it cracked and warbled. The energy from the sword surged outward in an unstoppable wave, annihilating the monstrous hand as if it were nothing more than paper.

CRACK!

The hand, which stretched for billions of miles, was torn apart in a single, catastrophic instant. Energy and matter evaporated, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake. The Void Beast howled in agony, its form violently shaking as the destruction tore through its massive body. The power of the sword was absolute.

With a final, terror-filled scream, the beast turned tail and fled, its once invincible form crumbling under the weight of its fear.

The black sword, undeterred, continued its journey, cutting through space with impossible speed, heading directly toward Liu Ying—an unstoppable force in the vastness of the void.