Xiao Jingting’s group walked toward the swamp. On the road, Xiao Jingting unexpectedly encountered Qu Tao.
“Senior Brother Qu, what are you doing here? Haven’t you gone to the inner city yet?” Xiao Jingting asked in confusion. According to what he knew, the Qingyun Immortal Sect people should have already set out.
Qu Tao waved his hand somewhat dejectedly and said, “Don’t mention it. I barely managed to escape.”
Xiao Jingting looked at Qu Tao with confusion and said, “Escape?”
Qu Tao nodded and said, “Yes! Escape. The miasma in the swamp far exceeded expectations. We hadn’t walked long before becoming dizzy and disoriented. The Fanxing flowers we prepared weren’t enough. If you weren’t careful, poisonous insects would emerge, plus there were some man-eating plants.”
“These were manageable, but there were also mud monsters that would drag people into the mud pits. These mud monsters move in groups, and no matter how you kill them, they won’t die. The deeper into the swamp, the stronger the mud monsters become. I heard a team encountered a Golden Core stage mud monster – only one out of seven people escaped.”
Xiao Jingting blinked and said, “Really dangerous indeed!”
Qu Tao scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said, “Yes! So I retreated halfway through. Better to live poorly than die well! Although I heard there are many good things in the inner city, it’s really too dangerous.”
Xiao Jingting smiled and said, “Right! I heard many famous Foundation Establishment experts died silently in the swampland.”
“Although great opportunities are all in the inner city, you need to be alive to obtain them! Really speaking, there are quite a few benefits outside too, just not easy to get.” Qu Tao sighed, looking somewhat dejected, but as if thinking of something, he perked up again.
“Junior Brother, did you hear? That mysterious cultivator who previously killed quite a few Yingui Sect people struck again. This guy really doesn’t act often, but when he does, it’s earth-shattering. Last time he killed many Yingui Sect cultivators. This time, he directly killed several Foundation Establishment cultivators from Tianshen Sect.”
Xiao Jingting looked at Qu Tao’s full-blood revival appearance whenever gossip was mentioned and said helplessly, “This matter is causing such an uproar that probably not many people don’t know about it already.”
“I heard this guy stole Tianshen Sect’s supreme treasure. Tianshen Sect is currently issuing a warrant for his arrest. If they catch that person, the reward is eleven high-grade Spirit Stones. Tianshen Sect is really wealthy! Using high-grade Spirit Stones as bounty,” Qu Tao said with drool.
Xiao Jingting: “……” When did he steal Tianshen Sect’s supreme treasure? Could it be that those few people he killed had supreme treasures? Probably not – they were all ordinary goods, far from supreme treasures.
“Eleven high-grade Spirit Stones? Wasn’t it five?” Xu Mu’an asked in confusion.
“Junior Brother Xu, your information is outdated. The price increased, long ago! Doesn’t Tianshen Sect have two geniuses? One offered five, the other offered six. Together that’s eleven.”
Xiao Jingting: “……” All wealthy people!
Xiao Xiaodong: “……” The price increased again. Dad is becoming more and more valuable.
“Is it appropriate to offer such a high price in high-grade Spirit Stones for one cultivator?” Xiao Jingting said.
“Of course it’s appropriate. The other party produced so many Heavenly Fire Thunder, and I heard he easily penetrated Wind Refining Cliff and entered inside. Without some secrets, no one would believe it. The secrets on that person definitely exceed those few Spirit Stones,” Qu Tao said.
“The other party entered Wind Refining Cliff?” Xiao Jingting asked.
Qu Tao nodded and said, “Yes! Tianshen Sect people wanted to hide it, but simply couldn’t. Tianshen Sect people died right outside Wind Refining Cliff. Anyone can figure out that if that person hadn’t entered Wind Refining Cliff, Tianshen Sect people wouldn’t go to such great lengths to track him down.”
Xiao Jingting: “……”
“People from other sects aren’t blind. How could they believe Tianshen Sect’s nonsense about stealing their supreme treasure? A simple investigation revealed the truth,” Qu Tao said.
Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Right! There are many smart people in the secret realm.”
“I heard Wind Refining Cliff’s fierce winds can tear through space. Even Golden Core cultivators might not escape unharmed. I wonder which guy entered and found supreme opportunities,” Qu Tao said.
Xiao Jingting said with admiration, “That guy is really amazing…”
“Yes! To be a cultivator like him – sweeping across all directions, invincible under heaven, acting with complete freedom and fearlessness – that’s what makes life worthwhile!” Qu Tao said with envy.
Xiao Jingting: “……” Acting with complete freedom and fearlessness – Qu Tao really overestimated him. The bounties from two major sects had turned him into a street rat who could only hide. He really couldn’t live up to Qu Tao’s praise.
Qu Tao looked at Xiao Jingting’s group and suddenly said, “Junior Brother Xiao, are you going to the inner city?”
Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Yes! I was injured earlier, so I was delayed for a while. Now I want to go see the inner city.”
Qu Tao looked at Chen Xu and Xiao Xiaodong beside Xiao Jingting and sighed, “Junior Brother Xiao, you must think carefully! The inner city is extremely unsettled now, and you’re traveling with family.”
Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Mm, I know. But if I don’t try, I really won’t be reconciled!”
Qu Tao looked at Xiao Jingting’s determined expression, sighed, and said, “Since that’s the case, I won’t try to dissuade Junior Brother Xiao. Take care on your journey, Junior Brother.”
Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Senior Brother, take care too.”
……
Xiao Jingting’s group quickly reached the swamp’s edge. Xiao Jingting took out a bottle of pills and said, “Everyone share these.”
“What are these?” Chen Xu asked.
“Pills that can resist miasma,” Xiao Jingting said simply.
Chen Xu received the pill and swallowed it without suspicion.
Xiao Jingting smiled, becoming more satisfied with Chen Xu. This pill was refined according to a formula that appeared in his jade pendant space. This pill’s ability to resist miasma should be several times better than Fanxing flowers.
“Let’s go,” Xiao Jingting said.
The four people attached Fuxing(floating) talismans to their feet. Flying wasn’t possible above the swamp, but the Fuxing talismans allowed the four to float above the swamp and walk.
Xiao Jingting released several Golden-Topped Red-Tailed Scorpions. With the Golden-Topped Red-Tailed Scorpions leading the way, poisonous insects along the route automatically detoured around them.
Dense miasma drifted above the swamp. Although the group had taken Poxhang (Miasma-Breaking)pills and wouldn’t let miasma enter their bodies, the dense miasma seriously affected their vision, and their soul power observation range was also impacted.
Xiao Jingting thought to himself: If their soul power was restricted, others were the same. This way, if he did something in the swamp, the probability of being discovered would also decrease.
Xiao Jingting walked in front, Chen Xu and Xiao Xiaodong walked in the middle, and Xu Mu’an walked at the back.
A mud claw extended from underground and wrapped around Chen Xu’s foot.
Xiao Jingting’s scorpion quickly expanded several hundred times and snapped off the mud claw monster’s arm with one pincer.
Over ten mud claw monsters emerged. Everyone summoned their magical artifacts and battled the mud claw monsters.
After considerable effort, the group finally scattered the mud claw monsters.
Xiao Jingting took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go quickly.” It was said that the mud monsters in this swamp would automatically recover after a while, even if beaten to pieces.
Chen Xu nodded with lingering fear and said, “Okay!”
Along the way, they encountered many troublesome mud monsters. Xiao Jingting used all his methods and fought his way through.
“Your father is very capable,” Chen Xu said, walking beside Xiao Xiaodong.
Along the way, they had encountered many dangers. Xiao Jingting had no choice but to reveal many of his hidden methods, leaving Chen Xu amazed.
“Father was always very capable. But I’ll become even more capable than him in the future,” Xiao Xiaodong said earnestly.
Chen Xu smiled brilliantly and said, “You definitely can.”
After crossing the swamp, the group finally reached their destination. Xiao Jingting couldn’t help feeling somewhat fortunate – their luck wasn’t too terrible. Although they encountered many Foundation Establishment stage mud monsters, and once were even surrounded by over twenty Foundation Establishment stage mud monsters, they didn’t encounter any pseudo-Core Formation stage mud monsters.
“Such dense heaven and earth spiritual energy!” Xiao Xiaodong said.
No wonder people would enter the inner city early. Even if this place had no opportunities, with such dense heaven and earth spiritual energy, cultivating here for a while would be beneficial.
The arrival of Xiao Xiaodong’s group still attracted quite a bit of attention. Opportunities in the inner city were limited – one more person meant one more to share opportunities with.
After Xiao Jingting’s group arrived, people came to greet them, but everyone’s target for greetings was Chen Xu.
Chen Lifeng had gone to great lengths for Chen Xu to enter the secret realm. So although people wondered why Xiao Jingting’s group with such low cultivation could enter, they ultimately attributed it to the trump cards Chen Lifeng had prepared for Chen Xu.
……
Qiao Xiang looked toward Chen Xu’s direction with surprise. “Chen Xu actually came in too.”
Previously on the island covered with Fanxing flowers, seeing Xiao Xiaodong and Chen Xu had already surprised Qiao Xiang enough. Qiao Xiang never thought he could see Xiao Xiaodong and Chen Xu here.
Having crossed the swampland, Qiao Xiang naturally knew how dangerous it was. Seeing the four appear here, Qiao Xiang couldn’t help frowning.
“Looks like Senior Chen really gave Chen Xu many trump cards. For Xiao Xiaodong and the others to appear here, they must have relied on Chen Xu,” Qiao Xiang said.
Qiao Xiang thought to himself: Xiao Jingting’s group had low cultivation and few people. Under normal circumstances, they couldn’t possibly reach here. But Chen Xu was Chen Lifeng’s grandson. Chen Lifeng should have given him many good things, so these people could arrive safely. This idiot Chen Xu was being used by others and was still helping them count money.
“Having a Nascent Soul stage grandfather is really nice!” Luo Yuting said sourly.
Qiao Xiang narrowed his eyes, thinking: Perhaps he shouldn’t have declined the marriage arrangement with Chen Xu. Although the sect also had Nascent Soul stage elders, one was about to die of old age and stayed in seclusion daily, and one was newly entered Nascent Soul with far less wealth than Chen Lifeng. Although the sect valued him highly, they equally valued other elite disciples. Chen Xu was different – Chen Lifeng gave all his good things to this guy.
“Yes! Before Chen Xu entered, who knows how many good things Senior Chen gave him,” Qiao Xiang said.
