Chapter 345: Chapter 62: The High-End Circle, Taking Shape
After the Water Viper was slain, Sima Changyan approached the pool and smoothly harvested the hundred-knotted calamus.
What to do next?
If they followed the custom of Loose Cultivators, since Ling Yunpo mainly killed the Water Viper, there was no need to distribute anything; it should go directly to Ling Yunpo.
But…
When he cast a meaningful glance at Duan Fenhai, Duan Fenhai said,
“Ling Junior Brother, since you killed the Water Viper, the hundred-knotted calamus should be yours.”
“There is no need.” Ling Yunpo said with a smile, “Without the help of my Senior Brothers and Sisters to distract it, I would not have been able to kill the Water Viper so smoothly.”
“Let’s allow Senior Brother Duan to keep it for now, and we can distribute it after our venture is over,” he continued.
His words were spoken so gracefully that both Duan Fenhai and Sima Changyan gained a newfound respect for Ling Yunpo.
Goodness gracious, just giving away the Purple Mansion secret medicine like that? And he spoke so flawlessly, his emotional intelligence maxed out. Compared to a certain Senior Sister, the difference was clear.
An Zhisu nodded, showing no objection to her Junior Brother’s stance.
After all, it was her Junior Brother who personally slew the beast, and he always mentioned to her that Qingluo Peak should unite the Various Peaks and change the past situation of isolation. Thus, she only felt moved in her heart, thinking that her Junior Brother had really given a lot for Qingluo Peak, and that he should be well compensated later.
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The others all praised Ling Yunpo’s noble character, and even the Green Duckweed Sword in his Sea of Consciousness couldn’t stop clicking its tongue in admiration. Only the Kunlun Mirror, curious, spoke out,
“Guan Shui, that’s a Purple Mansion secret medicine, and you just generously gave it away like that?”
“First of all, I haven’t given it away,” Ling Yunpo corrected it, “I’ve only suggested adding it to a later distribution.”
“What I’ve given up is merely the right to claim it first, but considering it only offers five years of cultivation, it really isn’t worth my fussing over.”
“Wow,” was all Kunlun Mirror could say, expressing its feelings with a single exclamation.
It suddenly realized that if Chen Guanshui hoarded the secret medicine, it would not be surprised; but if he let it go readily… it would also not be surprised as long as it understood it as a way to win people’s hearts.
It seemed normal behavior on Chen Guanshui’s part either way.
With Ling Yunpo making the gesture of stepping back, the atmosphere instantly became much more harmonious.
Duan Fenhai collected the hundred-knotted calamus. Although he did not give a verbal promise, he had a clear understanding in his mind that he would not let Ling Yunpo lose out during the subsequent distribution.
Otherwise, not to mention what Ling Yunpo would do, if An Zhisu saw her Junior Brother being treated so unfairly, no one could predict how she would feel and what actions she might take.
Duan Fenhai asked himself, he would rather deal with a hundred sociable Ling Yunpos than offend a Weed-Cutting Sword Immortal, who was hard to communicate with—probably only Guan Shanyue could manage to do that (meaning effectively provoke her).
Sima Changyan also saw through Duan Fenhai’s intentions and knew that although this Senior Brother might seem cold and proud, he was actually very upright in nature.
Since he had been a person of the jianghu before cultivating Dao, his actions had a chivalrous flair, and without a doubt, Ling Yunpo’s behavior was very much in line with Duan Fenhai’s temperament.
Compared to An Zhisu, who only knew about competing with swords, Ling Yunpo seemed to be much more adept at dealing with people.
“`
It was said that he had always been on good terms with both Lin Duanshan and Guan Shanyue, and if he were to make friends with Duan Fenhai next, it would mean that the top-ranking Sword Immortals of the Shushan Foundation Establishment Realm on the Immortal Sword Ranking would all be connected through his network of contacts.
And without a doubt, the core of this network was Ling Yunpo, because only he had a close relationship with An Zhisu.
In the past, although Lin, Duan, and Guan knew each other, without the leading figure, An Zhisu, in their circle, it still couldn’t be considered top-tier… Now with An Zhisu joining them, it meant that the most promising Sword Immortals of Shushan were all gathered in this circle.
Daoist practice places great importance on foundation. Only those who stand out in the Foundation Establishment Realm can obtain enough Purple Mansion Secret Medicine from their sect, thereby smoothly forming a higher-grade Golden Core. A stronger Golden Core Realm would follow, with each step interlinked.
Not to mention that the current upper echelons of Shushan, as Sima Changyan had long since found out, whether it was the Jade Capital Sect Leader or other high-ranking elders, had all occupied the top seats of the Immortal Sword Ranking during their Foundation Establishment Realm. They had long been acquainted with each other and had stable social interactions.
In other words, the future high-ranking officials of Shushan were almost inevitably going to emerge from this circle of Ling Yunpo’s!
I must also find a way to join this circle!
The four of them had different thoughts and promptly started to skin and debone the dead Water Viper.
Unfortunately, the Water Viper was not at the Golden Core Realm, so it hadn’t formed a Demon Core. However, its white scales were exceptionally hard, and Duan Fenhai expended a great deal of effort to peel them off intact and weighed them in his hand.
They were very light, yet harder than steel, making them excellent material for refining Inner Armor.
He carefully stored the white scales and then inquired about everyone’s physical condition.
While they had a brief encounter with the Water Viper, they had inadvertently inhaled some toxic air, and now they were all actively using their techniques to expel the poison.
The toxins were particularly troublesome and spread quickly; even a slight touch of True Yuan would be tainted.
Everyone could only gather the poisoned True Yuan as quickly as possible in their hand meridians, then swiftly shoot it out from their fingertips.
After a round of this procedure, they actually used up more True Yuan than during the battle with the Water Viper, which shows that fighting in a toxic environment is truly a dreadful experience.
Ling Yunpo once again appreciated the benefits of Innate Sword Bone. Since his meridians were unobstructed, moving True Yuan was extremely smooth, and he quickly expelled the toxic miasma.
Even so, as he had already formed the Jade Mansion, and with his advanced Breathing and Qi Refining Technique, his True Yuan was far more refined than that of ordinary cultivators. Though he lost some True Yuan, he didn’t feel it was significant.
My blue bar is just too thick!
After a brief respite, they set off once again.
Having faced the Water Viper, they all became more aware of the troublesome nature of the toxic air and proceeded with increased caution.
Even An Zhisu began to stick close to Ling Yunpo, fearing he might suddenly be attacked by some poisonous creature and inhale too much of the toxic air.
After bypassing the deep pool, the streams and standing water ahead began to grow denser.
What made them uneasy was that these streams and pools were all tinged with a faint green color, seemingly containing some level of toxin.
“It seems like a swamp ahead,” Ling Yunpo cautioned, “If we can’t fly with our swords, our movement on foot will be restricted.”
“True,” Duan Fenhai agreed, “If there are snakes, vermin, or other creatures lurking in the swamp mud, we may not even have the chance to react.”
“Do we not enter then?” Sima Changyan asked, “The toxic air seems even thicker ahead; there might be better Spirit Grasses inside.”
“Of course we’re going in,” Ling Yunpo decided after a moment’s thought. “Senior sister, can you use your Fire System Daoist Magic from the Flying Smoke Sword to burn a path for us first?”