Chapter 323: Chapter 40 Disaster Strikes the Southern March
Soon, Luo Yan and Shi Liuli were sent to the Golden Core True Person, Shui Lian, by Elder Shi Ding.
This Golden Core True Person was a man of few words—a silent cultivator, which was unsurprising since many cultivators at the Penglai Yuqing View were of the type who were reticent and immersed in their scholarly pursuits.
Accompanying them were two more Golden Core True Persons, along with five Refining Mansion Grade cultivators.
Luo Yan briefly recognized them as fellow disciples he had met before but was not particularly close with.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s set off,” Shui Lian True Person nodded towards Elder Shi Ding, conveying “I will look after them,” and then called for everyone to depart.
All rose on their Sword Control, Luo Yan and Shi Liuli suddenly looked back, only to see Elder Shi Ding standing at the peak of Mount Penglai, anxiously watching the two leave.
Luo Yan couldn’t help but sigh: Elder Shi Ding, a towering figure of a Nascent Soul Cultivator and an artifact-refining mogul, was also troubled and anguished over the safety of his own daughter and disciple. It appeared that even those who pursued the Dao would be encumbered by mundane concerns unless they underwent Feather Transformation and ascended to immortality, unable to freely wander at ease.
Shi Liuli felt a bit sad too, but this was soon replaced by the thought of becoming stronger.
If I could become as formidable as Kunlun’s Chief Disciple Qiu Changtian, surely my father would no longer be burdened by me…
The team flew south on their swords, the journey mostly over the glittering expanse of the sea, occasionally assaulted by aquatic demonic beasts leaping up from the water but swiftly eradicated through various means.
Luo Yan discreetly noticed that Shui Lian True Person wielded a horsetail whisk magical treasure. With each wave, countless silver bristles shot out, capable of cleaving mountains and parting seas, penetrating gold and splitting stones, immensely powerful.
As for the others, their magical treasures and Flying Swords were nothing exceptional, merely relying on their grade rank to manifest power, not worth mentioning.
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Everyone says that cultivators from Penglai Yuqing View are not adept at magical competition, but this is not just a lack of skill, it’s utterly weak.
In terms of cultivation realm, they don’t match Kunlun; in battle experience, they don’t compare to Shushan.
In the end, those who belong to a production profession should not engage in a combat profession’s work, a clear case of not specializing in their craft, wasting it completely.
He shook his head unceasingly, while Shi Liuli beside him also started to murmur to herself.
If it were the past, she wouldn’t have been able to discern the strength of her colleagues, only seeing the rotation of the Flying Swords, the rapid spinning of the magical treasures, flashy and dazzling… as long as it looked impressive, it was powerful!
After such a long seclusion and cultivation in the Kuocang Mountain Secret Realm, and being bullied by Luo Yan for quite a while, Miss Shi had broadened her horizons.
Now watching these same realm cultivators fight, they lacked precision, physical strength, and even the capturing of opportunities wasn’t done well.
Rubbish!
As for Shui Lian True Person, it was only the horsetail whisk magical treasure that was somewhat effective, when activated it shot out large numbers of silver bristles like a sudden downpour or a quick purple lightning… yet it was bluntly used against magical treasures like the Heaven-flipping Seal, whacking heads without any skill involved.
However, seeing that Shui Lian True Person seemed to be mainly an alchemy cultivator with scarce experience in combat, this was somewhat normal.
At that thought, Shi Liuli suddenly felt something amiss.
In this team, aside from me and my junior brother, the combat strength of the rest seems to be not very high, doesn’t it?
No, I have to perform a divination.
Without attracting attention, she maneuvered her flying sword behind Luo Yan, flipped her right hand in her sleeve, and pulled out six Copper Coins, swiftly placing them in the palm of her left hand before showing them.
Shi Liuli: ……….
Her face turned pale in an instant.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Yan noticed her sneaky act and turned to ask.
“Junior brother,” Shi Liuli whispered, “let’s make a run for it.”
Luo Yan: ???
“I just did a divination,” Shi Liuli continued, “our team is bound for more misfortune than fortune!”
“What divination?” Luo Yan asked blankly.
“It’s the Copper Coin Six Lines Method that the recluse from Kuocang Mountain Secret Realm, the Hidden Xuan Tian Element Commander, taught me last time!” Shi Liuli hurriedly explained.
Luo Yan was stunned for a while (After all, with several personas switching among one another, he had somewhat forgotten about the events in Kuocang Mountain Secret Realm), before he roughly remembered that Miss Shi seemed to have obtained a treasure in the secret realm, an Immortal Sword, and a secret Art Calculation technique.
“What did it say?” he asked in a low voice.
“Heading south leads to military disaster, bleeding, it’s inauspicious,” Shi Liuli replied.
Luo Yan became puzzled at once. He wasn’t completely ignorant of Art Calculation; after all, he had the talent of understanding immediately upon hearing, and he had dabbled in all sorts of miscellaneous studies in Yuqing View.
In the path of Art Calculation, most of the time the results are quite ambiguous.
Art Calculation outcomes like Shi Liuli’s “Do not head south, seeing blood will be extremely ominous” – that’s like laying the answer out plainly on your face… truly a rare occurrence.
If it were indeed true, then so be it, but what if you, Miss Shi, miscalculated, huh?
“Why not calculate it again?” Luo Yan suggested cautiously, “Just one Art Calculation result, even Real Person Shuili wouldn’t be convinced, right?”
“You don’t calculate the same divination twice, do you understand?” Shi Liuli scolded him, “If Real Person Shuili won’t listen, we’ll just run away!”
“But senior sister,” Luo Yan patiently reasoned, “although I don’t understand Art Calculation, if we just run away like that, it would make master even more passive within the sect.”
Shi Liuli was at a loss for words.
Indeed, Art Calculation is one thing, politics is another.
An ominous Art Calculation result cannot be a legitimate reason to flee, unless they could convince Real Person Shuili. Otherwise, with one letter from the opposition sent back to Yuqing View, Elder Shi Ding would truly be at a loss for words.
“I’ll go and talk to Real Person Shuili!” Shi Liuli refused to give up.
“Alright, senior sister, I support you!” Luo Yan said disingenuously.
Thus, Shi Liuli went to find the leading Real Person Shuili and recounted the divination to him.
“Heavenly Craft Workshop is also adept at the path of Art Calculation?” Real Person Shuili asked, frowning.
“No,” Shi Liuli hastily clarified, “The secret Art Calculation technique I have was learned from a secret realm…”
Luo Yan shook his head as he listened on the side.
This Miss Shi is still too naive in her speech. You should just say it came by chance, why tell them it was obtained from a secret realm?
What if they covet your secret realm information and harbor ill intentions toward you?
Luckily, Real Person Shuili did not show any signs of covetousness, only shaking his head and saying:
“In Art Calculation, encountering an ominous result is common.”
“Although Moon Island lacks high-rank cultivators, it is not entirely without the power to fight back.”
“Furthermore, the goal of this mission is of utmost importance. I cannot simply alter the strategic plan set by the sect because of one Art Calculation result.”
Shi Liuli still wanted to persuade him further: “But…”
“You and Luo Yan, my nephew, just stay at the back of the group for now,” Real Person Shuili decided without further discussion, “You two don’t need to join the battlefield for the time being.”
Shi Liuli finally had no choice, turning to Luo Yan with a look of seeking help.
Luo Yan responded with a look of helpless love.