Great Immortal With Boundless Mana

Chapter 176: Critical Situation

100,000 spirit stones!

Gao Xian could actually produce that many spirit stones, but he couldn't possibly use so many to buy the Qinglian Law Robe.

Perhaps the Qinglian Law Robe was worth that price, but only for him.

For others, the Qinglian Law Robe was just a second-tier robe. A second-tier top-quality robe would cost around 50,000 to 60,000 spirit stones.

100,000 spirit stones was too exaggerated.

Gao Xian's expression immediately turned sour. He didn't need to hide his emotions in front of a Foundation Building cultivator in their hundreds.

"Pang Lao, I sincerely want to buy it, but your price is a bit too expensive."

Gao Xian felt that Pang Su had no sincerity. This price wouldn't sell in the Lianyun Sect.

Foundation Building cultivators could make money, but their consumption was equally high.

His teacher, who was a stingy person, had only saved up 200,000 to 300,000 spirit stones over a hundred years.

Not to mention that he was a Qi Refining cultivator. Why should he take out 100,000 spirit stones?

Gao Xian stood up and said, "Pang Lao, it's getting late. We won't disturb you any longer."

Pang Su was a little surprised to see Zhu Qiniang also standing up. The impression this female Foundation Building cultivator gave him was that she was very tough and strong-willed. He didn't expect her to listen to Gao Xian in private.

He thought Gao Xian was just a figurehead, but seeing their attitude, it wasn't that simple.

Pang Su had originally wanted to talk to Zhu Qiniang, but since she remained silent, he didn't want to take the initiative to pry.

Seeing that the conversation was about to break down, Pang Su could only reach out and stop them. "Don't be in a hurry, everything in this world can be negotiated. If you're not satisfied with the price, we can discuss it."

Gao Xian asked somewhat puzzled, "Can we really negotiate?"

Pang Su shook his head helplessly. "I'm already so old, can I still deceive you?"

Gao Xian and Zhu Qiniang exchanged glances and sat down again.

Gao Xian said, "Pang Lao, we young people don't understand much. If you want something, just say it."

The old man was also a little embarrassed. He wasn't good at communicating with people.

After pondering for a moment, Pang Su said, "I can sell the Qinglian Law Robe to you at a cheaper price, 30,000 spirit stones. Isn't that reasonable?"

Gao Xian nodded. This price was about right, although it was still very expensive, it was within his acceptable range.

"And, I can accept deer horn powder and tianguidan instead of spirit stones. We can calculate it based on the price of ten pills for one spirit stone." Pang Su said.

This time, Gao Xian didn't make the decision on his own. He looked at Zhu Qiniang.

After all, Changsheng Hall belonged to Zhu Qiniang. Deer horn powder and tianguidan were not a big deal, but they were related to Changsheng Hall's sales strategy and other issues.

However, Gao Xian felt that Pang Su's approach was more like an olive branch, expressing a friendly gesture.

Deer horn powder and tianguidan had been sold for so long that other medicine halls had already found countermeasures.

Pang Su, as an elder of the inner hall and a Foundation Building cultivator, didn't need to go out of his way for such low-level pills.

In Gao Xian's opinion, Pang Su's meaning was clear. He was saying that past grievances should be forgotten, and that they should be friends and live in peace in the future.

Zhu Qiniang was a little confused at first, but when she received Gao Xian's eye signal, she understood that the other party was using this method to make peace.

She didn't want to fight with the elders of the inner hall. It was the other party who was being aggressive. Since the other party was willing to make amends, there was no problem.

"Alright, it's a deal," Zhu Qiniang said happily.

"A deal," Gao Xian echoed.

Pang Su also breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Yun Feiying rising rapidly and trying to win over Zhu Qiniang, he had no interest in continuing to fight with her.

Xu Lingyun had died, and his Lingyun Hall had become ownerless, naturally falling into their hands.

Now that Zhang Chunjiang had also died, the interests of the Zhang family naturally belonged to them.

On the other hand, the rapidly rising Yun Feiying also made them feel the pressure. Moreover, Yun Feiying was trying to win over Zhu Qiniang, so they couldn't let them get together.

More importantly, the Seven Evil Sect colluded with the Yao Clan, causing Pang Su to worry about the future and not have the mind to continue internal strife.

Considering various factors, Pang Su took the initiative to show goodwill.

For this reason, Pang Su even handed the Qinglian Robe to Gao Xian, expressing his trust in Zhu Qiuniang.

Gao Xian and Qiuniang returned to their room and used a soundproof charm to prevent others from eavesdropping.

Qiuniang carefully examined the Qinglian Robe inside and out, "What does Pang Su mean by showing goodwill? Is he admitting defeat?"

She could understand the goodwill expressed by Pang Su, but she didn't understand why the old man did it.

Gao Xian speculated, "It's possible that Xu Lingyun and Zhang Chunjiang are both dead, and with a strong enemy outside, they don't have the mind to fight internally. Anyway, this is a good thing."

Qiuniang nodded, this speculation was reasonable.

The appearance of the Yao Clan was not a trivial matter.

One Yao Clan alone didn't mean much, but the problem was that there was a huge organization behind the Yao Clan.

If the Yao Clan really invaded, the first to be crushed would definitely be the Lianyun Sect.

Why was Wang Chuan so anxious? It was because this matter was too important and related to the survival of the sect.

After more than two months of searching without any discoveries, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

They privately discussed and said that the appearance of that Yao Clan might have been a random intrusion and didn't mean anything.

"What are your plans?" Qiuniang asked.

Gao Xian said, "Of course, we need to prepare an escape route. Tomorrow, I will go find Old Zhou and persuade him to leave Feima Town. This place is too dangerous."

"If Old Zhou listens to advice, let him go to Qingyun City to explore the situation."

Qiuniang frowned slightly, "Zhou Ye is a true disciple, can he just wander around?"

"Old Zhou is old and not many people care about him. Besides, there's also Nanping Song to help cover for him. Old Zhou is more slick and good at making talismans, so he can establish himself in Qingyun City..."

After killing the Rat Demon, Gao Xian began planning his retreat.

He met Yun Qiushui and the other party gave him a Qingyun Token. With this thing, he had the opportunity to become a true disciple of Qingyun Sect.

Gao Xian wasn't very interested in joining a sect organization, but the problem was that it was too difficult to be a wandering cultivator.

As an alchemist, without a reliable background, it would be difficult for him to establish himself anywhere.

Places like Qingyun City, even Foundation Building cultivators would not be considered much.

The sect also had an advantage, which was a complete Body Refining system, with experts and abundant cultivation resources.

If one wanted to go further on the path of cultivation, the major sects were undoubtedly the first choice.

Lianyun Sect was out of the question, at most, they had Gold Core cultivators, and they were also on the edge of Mingzhou. If something really happened, they would be the first to suffer.

Gao Xian had already discussed these thoughts with Qiuniang, but he didn't go into too much detail.

Qiuniang pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, if Zhou Ye is willing, let him go to Qingyun City to see the situation."

Although she had many subordinates, they were all members of the Zhu family. These people had relationships with each other.

If a little bit of news leaked out, the whole family would know.

Qiuniang had a gloomy and indifferent personality, coupled with the death of her parents, she didn't have much affection for the Zhu family members.

At critical moments, having a large family of thousands of people was a huge burden.

Although Zhou Ye was an outsider, he only had two people. Coupled with Zhou Yuling's relationship with Gao Xian, he was indeed a good candidate.

Qiuniang handed the Qinglian Robe to Gao Xian, "I've checked it several times, there shouldn't be any problems."

She was afraid that Pang Su had tampered with the robe, so she carefully checked it several times and used several talismans to test it, confirming that there were no curses, Yin Qi, or poisonous substances on the robe.

Gao Xian happily took the Qinglian Robe and looked at it before immediately putting it on.

Gao Xian tried to use his divine sense to activate the Qinglian on the robe, but there was no response.

That Qinglian was actually composed of densely packed tiny runes.

These runes looked like cloud patterns, but Gao Xian didn't recognize any of them. He took out the "Cloud Pattern Secret Explanation" and compared it, but it was still difficult to identify these cloud patterns.

The structure of the Qinglian cloud pattern is very simple and different from the current cloud pattern.

It's like the difference between simplified characters and oracle bone script. Although they are derived from the same characters, the changes are enormous.

After studying for a long time, Gao Xian gave up on the idea of deciphering it.

But he wasn't discouraged. If it could be easily deciphered, Pang Su, such a person, would have deciphered it long ago, and it wouldn't be his turn.

For now, the main thing is to resonate the Qinglian robe with other magical instruments.

Gao Xian used his divine consciousness to activate the crown on his head, the belt around his waist, the sword, and even the boots on his feet. The runes that make up the Qinglian on them faintly shimmered with spiritual light, in an excited state.

Several Qinglian magical instruments formed a subtle resonance due to their delicate connection with each other.

Under this resonance, the Qinglian mark on the chest of the Qinglian robe gradually flashed with a bit of spiritual light, forming an elegant and exquisite blue lotus flower.

During the shimmering of this blue lotus flower, Gao Xian discovered that the runes that make up this lotus flower were densely packed and countless. In his experience, this was the most complex and exquisite rune structure he had ever seen.

The blue lotus flower on the robe, like a naked-eye 3D image, emerged from the robe and bloomed petal by petal around Gao Xian.

There were a total of nine petals, and when the seventh petal opened, the blue lotus suddenly collapsed and dissipated silently.

Gao Xian was stunned. He had a feeling that once all nine petals fully extended, he would truly master the Qinglian robe.

He didn't understand why he suddenly failed.

After several attempts, no matter how he used his divine consciousness to guide the resonance of the Qinglian magical instruments, he couldn't fully open that lotus.

Zhu Qianniang watched Gao Xian's struggles and said, "It seems that relying on brute force won't work. There must be something missing. Don't be impatient..."

Gao Xian nodded. He also felt that there was a crucial step missing, and no matter how he struggled, it was useless.

Putting away the Qinglian robe, he and Zhu Qianniang slept until noon.

After so long in the underground ruins, everyone was tired. A good sleep refreshed them, and Gao Xian and Zhu Qianniang also harmonized their Yin and Yang.

Changing into the Qingyuan Ruyi robe, Gao Xian cleaned it with a purification charm before stepping into Zhou's house under the slanting sun.

Gao Xian didn't rush to find Zhou Yuling, but instead talked with Zhou Ye for a long time.

After hearing Gao Xian's plan, Zhou Ye fell into contemplation. It involved life and death, so it had to be carefully considered.

Gao Xian wasn't in a hurry either. Although the old man was a true disciple of the sect, he was not well-regarded in Nanping Song. When Nanping Song was gone, the old man would have no support.

The old man valued his own daughter. Even if he didn't consider himself, he had to consider Yuling's future.

"I'll talk to my teacher and give this opportunity to someone else."

After considering it for a long time, Zhou Ye finally made up his mind. He then asked, "What about Yuling if I go to Qingyun City?"

"Let Yuling follow me. I won't let her suffer." Gao Xian said firmly.

Zhou Ye shook his head decisively, "No, you are Zhu Qianniang's person. You are not qualified to take care of Yuling."

"Uncle Zhou, my relationship with Qianniang is not an ordinary man-woman relationship." Gao Xian explained, "I believe you can see that."

"Forget it, it's better for Yuling to stay by my side."

Zhou Ye knew how powerful Gao Xian was, and even Zhu Qianniang, though she was at the Foundation Building stage, would probably listen to Gao Xian.

However, it was still not appropriate for his daughter to stay at Zhu's house. He couldn't bear to be separated from his daughter.

"We don't know the situation in Qingyun City. Why risk taking Yuling with you, Uncle Zhou?"

Gao Xian couldn't understand Zhou Ye's thinking. It would be safer for Yuling to follow him.

Before Zhou Ye could speak, Zhou Yuling, who had been eavesdropping, ran out and said seriously to Gao Xian, "Brother Xian, I'll go with my dad."

In her bright eyes, there was an unwavering determination. Gao Xian immediately understood Zhou Yuling's thoughts. She didn't want to be subordinate to others, let alone stay with Zhu Qianniang.

The question was, why bother? Endure for a few more years. As long as she could reach the Foundation Building stage, these small sacrifices would be nothing.

Before Gao Xian could persuade her, Zhou Yuling whispered, "Brother Xian, you don't need to persuade me. I love you more than anything, but I can't lose myself for you. In that case, I won't be myself anymore."

Although her words were a bit convoluted, Gao Xian understood.

Whether it was Zhu Qianniang or Zhou Yuling, they both had their own independent personalities. No matter how much they loved him, they wouldn't let him manipulate them.

But he was mistaken about this matter. Everyone should be the master of their own destiny.

Gao Xian sighed deeply and said softly, "You're right, I was too selfish, it should have been like this."

Zhou Yuling didn't expect Gao Xian to be so considerate and understanding. She wanted to say something, but tears flowed out before the words could come out.

She didn't care that her father was right beside her, she hugged Gao Xian tightly and cried bitterly...

Gao Xian comforted her for a long time before her excited emotions gradually calmed down.

He gained a lot this time, picking out some suitable artifacts, spiritual objects, elixirs, and talismans for Zhou Yuling, and also giving her a lot of spirit stones.

Qingyun City was too far away, and Zhou Yuling didn't know how long it would take to meet again. He couldn't help much, so he could only provide support in terms of resources.

Zhou Yuling didn't hesitate to accept everything. Her logic was simple, she took these things in order to quickly advance to Foundation Building.

She said to Gao Xian with special seriousness, "When I reach Foundation Building, I will snatch you back!"

Gao Xian didn't say anything, but he remembered Zhou Yuling's bright eyes and her stubbornness as she tightly bit her lip.

On the third day, Gao Xian returned to Lianyun City with Qiniang.

Including Wang Chuan, Pang Su, Yun Feiying, and many other cultivators, they all returned together.

Only Lu Lingfei was unlucky. He stayed at Feima Gathering with a group of Qi Refining cultivators and couldn't come back for a while.

When he returned home, Gao Xian's first task was alchemy.

For him, alchemy was the fastest way to obtain human spiritual light and upgrade.

After being away for more than two months, most of the pills he had refined had been consumed. He needed to replenish them as soon as possible.

According to his agreement with Pang Su, he needed to use thirty thousand Deer Horn Powder and Tian Gui Pill to offset the debt, and he needed to deliver a batch of pills to the other party as soon as possible.

During the New Year, Gao Xian only rested for two days on New Year's Eve and the first day. Compared to the quietness of last year's New Year's Eve, Lianyun City was very lively this year.

On the first day, Gao Xian visited Nanping Song. After not seeing each other for a few months, Nanping Song seemed to be filled with gloom, as if his vitality had been exhausted.

Seeing Nanping Song's aging appearance, Gao Xian also felt heavy-hearted.

As a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator, he hadn't even lived to be three hundred years old, and his life force was already exhausted, with little time left.

Compared to mortals, three hundred years was an unimaginably long time. For Foundation Building cultivators, three hundred years was just ordinary.

Gao Xian talked to Nanping Song about Zhou Ye's situation and gained his support.

This elder who transmitted techniques, although his life was short, it was easy for him to mobilize Zhou Ye.

What surprised Gao Xian was that this mobilization was very difficult. Obviously, Nanping Song, who had little time left, had lost his deterrent power and his authority.

In early March, bad news came from Feima Gathering. The Seven Kill Sect sent people to attack Feima Gathering again, causing many casualties.

Fortunately, Zhou Ye and his daughter were safe.

Gao Xian was very anxious. The problem lay in Zhou Ye's identity as a true disciple. Without the sect's order, Zhou Ye couldn't leave Feima Gathering.

Especially now that the situation at Feima Gathering was not good, Zhou Ye couldn't leave on his own.

Gao Xian couldn't do anything about it, so he could only patiently wait for news from Nanping Song.

On the fifth day of May, it was the day to eat zongzi in the previous life. In the world of cultivators, there was naturally no Dragon Boat Festival, let alone zongzi.

Gao Xian didn't need to argue with anyone about sweet or savory zongzi, or whether it brought happiness or good health. He just needed to quietly watch Da Niu refining pills.

A crimson figure suddenly broke into Gao Xian's divine sense, and the image of Qiniang immediately appeared in his mind.

Gao Xian looked up and saw Zhu Qiniang, dressed in a crimson robe, flying rapidly from the sky.

He couldn't help but be surprised. It must be something serious, otherwise Qiniang wouldn't be flying openly in the sky.

Zhu Qiniang's flying speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, she arrived.

She solemnly said to Gao Xian, "Something happened at Feima Gathering. It is said that some demonic cultivators attacked Feima Gathering, causing a large number of casualties.

"The Sect Master urgently ordered the mobilization of Foundation Building cultivators, and I am also among those being mobilized..."

(End of this chapter)