Free Web NovelChapter 411: Chapter 312: Cleansing the Spirit Root
Upon hearing her words, the two Elders glanced at Fang Yun. Even Ruan Hanfan, who was helping Chen Daguan heal, briefly turned his attention to Fang Yun.
Hong Jinxing turned back to Lin Ke and gestured for her to give a rough account.
Lin Ke then briefly recounted what had happened.
If Fang Yun hadn’t saved her, she would have died at the hands of that Blood Spirit Sect Inner Sect Disciple.
After listening to the full story, Hong Jinxing nodded. He now understood that he had underestimated the strength of this Elder from the Celestial Cloud Sect.
’If Fang Yun really succeeds in reaching Core Formation, the Celestial Cloud Sect could become one of the top Core Formation Sects. That would bring a number of benefits to our Purple Mist Sect as well. In the Qionglin Domain, Cultivators like us who cultivate Spiritual Power are truly at too much of a disadvantage.’
As the only Nascent Soul sect that cultivated Spiritual Power, the strengthening of other Core Formation influences also served to expand their own influence.
"So, Fang Yun played a significant role," Han Fengwen, the late-stage Core Formation Elder, spoke up. "The Blood Spirit Sect lost an Inner Sect Disciple early on, which gave you the opportunity to injure them. Only three of them came out, which means the other one who died was likely the one you all killed."
If it had been five against four, you wouldn’t have had the advantage.
"Killing an important Inner Sect Disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect is a meritorious deed. After we return, these contributions will be tallied." Hong Jinxing looked at Fang Yun again. "Fang Yun, before you leave the Purple Mist Sect, you can make use of these merits."
Hong Jinxing had decided to reward Fang Yun.
None of the Purple Mist Sect Elders or disciples present had a problem with this.
Fang Yun’s reward for his contributions would most likely be approved, but it wasn’t something Hong Jinxing could decide directly. After all, Fang Yun was not a Cultivator of their Purple Mist Sect, so the matter would have to be discussed thoroughly upon their return.
By saying this in front of Fang Yun, Hong Jinxing was committing to giving Fang Yun a reward himself, even if he couldn’t secure one from the sect.
"Thank you, Elder Hong!" Hearing there was an extra reward, Fang Yun immediately expressed his thanks.
"You’ve earned it."
Afterward, the small Spirit Ship, controlled by Elder Han Fengwen, headed back to the Purple Mist Sect. Meanwhile, Hong Jinxing continued to chat with the three Purple Mist Sect Inner Sect Disciples.
They discussed matters concerning the Blood Spirit Sect and also mentioned the Black Dragon Hall.
The Black Dragon Hall had sent four Demons, and one of them had died inside. As soon as Fang Yun heard this, he knew the deceased Demon was the one who had died at his hands.
’Before the offer of an extra reward, I might have brought it up myself,’ he thought. ’But if I say something now, I might seem greedy.’
The main issue was that he hadn’t mentioned it to Lin Ke inside the "Land of No Master" Secret Realm. If she had known, given her personality, she would have certainly blurted it out just now.
’My gains from this trip have been substantial enough.’ Fang Yun didn’t feel it was a great loss to miss out on this particular reward; he was already very satisfied.
When the conversation turned to the mission, the Purple Mist Sect Inner Sect Disciples reported first, and then it was his turn.
"Fang Yun, you must have completed your mission, right?" Hong Jinxing finally looked at Fang Yun. He couldn’t think of any reason why Fang Yun would have failed.
When he had first learned that Fang Yun had saved Lin Ke and killed a Blood Spirit Sect Inner Sect Disciple, his confidence in Fang Yun completing the mission had jumped from about seventy or eighty percent to a solid hundred percent.
’His powerful concealment techniques would have made it easy to acquire the Celestial Spring Clear Liquid,’ Hong Jinxing thought. ’And with his own considerable strength, even if he were besieged by Mirror Beasts, he could have taken the liquid and still survived.’
"Yes, Elder Hong. I have completed it."
As Fang Yun spoke, he took a small, pale-gold bottle from his Storage Pouch. The Celestial Spring Clear Liquid was inside.
"After we return to the Purple Mist Sect, someone will deliver the Purifying Spirit Fruit to your temporary cave residence. You’ll need to stay there for a short while."
During that time, they needed to hold a small council of Elders, gathering a few of the sect’s most influential Elders to settle the matter of rewarding Fang Yun for killing the Blood Spirit Sect Inner Sect Disciple.
"Elder, I think I might need to stay a bit longer."
"Oh?" Hong Jinxing was a little confused.
At that moment, Gao Tianxing immediately understood the meaning behind Fang Yun’s words.
"Fellow Daoist Fang, you successfully obtained the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object for purifying your Spirit Root! Congratulations!"
"Yes, but my method of storing it is a bit crude. It needs to be used soon."
From this simple exchange, Hong Jinxing completely understood the situation.
"Which type of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object for purifying a Spirit Root is it?" Hong Jinxing asked.
Fang Yun answered immediately, "The Burning Spirit Clear Flame."
"The Burning Spirit Clear Flame... Excellent! For you, combining it with the Purifying Spirit Fruit will produce an even better effect."
Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects that purify Spirit Roots all have their own unique properties. If their properties overlap, using two different ones won’t be as effective.
For Fang Yun, with his Five Spirit Roots, the combination of the Purifying Spirit Fruit and the Burning Spirit Clear Flame was a good one.
"I will arrange for you to receive the Purifying Spirit Fruit as soon as possible. You can rest assured and enter seclusion within our Purple Mist Sect to purify your Spirit Root."
Hearing this, Fang Yun once again expressed his thanks.
...
In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere aboard the Purple Mist Sect’s small Spirit Ship, the mood on the Blood Spirit Sect’s vessel, which had departed earliest, was extremely oppressive.
The Core Formation Elder leading the Blood Spirit Sect now had an understanding of some of the events that had occurred inside the "Land of No Master" Secret Realm.
It could be said that their losses this time were disastrous. In the past, they had lost at most two Inner Sect Disciples, making this their most severe loss to date.
One Inner Sect Disciple’s death was indirectly caused by the Purple Mist Sect’s Spirit Refiners. He wasn’t the one who was initially injured, but that person’s injury affected the rest of the mission, ultimately leading to this disciple’s death.
The cause of death for another Inner Sect Disciple was unknown; it was unclear whether he died at the hands of an Inner Sect Disciple from another sect, or due to traps or monsters within the Secret Realm.
There wasn’t much information, but judging by the probabilities, the latter was unlikely. There was a ninety percent chance he had died at the hands of an Inner Sect Disciple from another sect.
And within that ninety percent, the Purple Mist Sect was undoubtedly the most likely culprit.
"Gao Tianxing of the Purple Mist Sect... our information on him was wrong. It’s highly likely that Jinghui was..."
Based on the information from the sect disciples, Gao Tianxing from the Purple Mist Sect was the most likely suspect. Of course, it was also possible Jinghui had been ganged up on and killed.
"Elder, it was mainly because the Blood Shadow Sect and Ten Thousand Ghosts Mountain clashed early on. Otherwise, the situation definitely wouldn’t have turned out like this."
Plans can’t keep up with change.
If the plan had proceeded normally, even with one less person—Ye Jinghui—things wouldn’t have ended up like this.
"Consider the Purple Mist Sect lucky."
...
Compared to the Blood Spirit Sect, the atmosphere in the Black Dragon Hall was slightly better.
The Blood Spirit Sect’s leader was wrestling with many problems; the Black Dragon Hall was only fixated on one: How did their Inner Sect Disciple die?
"Elder, Junior Brother Wei never even made it to our rendezvous point."
"Which sect do you think is the most likely culprit?"
"Well..."
That was a truly difficult question to answer.
The conflict between the Purple Mist Sect and their Black Dragon Hall wasn’t the most severe. Their relationship with the Celestial Ghost Mansion was merely average, and things were similar with the Blood Spirit Sect. Even though the Blood Spirit Sect and the Purple Mist Sect were at odds, that didn’t mean the Black Dragon Hall was on good terms with the Blood Spirit Sect.
Without enough information, any sect besides the Demon King Valley was a possibility.
"Forget it. Let’s drop the matter. At least you all did a decent job completing your missions."
...
「Purple Mist Sect.」
Inside his temporary cave residence, Fang Yun was currently resting with his eyes closed, waiting for the Purifying Spirit Fruit to be delivered.
The reward for exploring the map had been agreed upon early on. Back on the small Spirit Ship, after he presented the supplementary map he’d drawn, he had received 8,500 special Contribution Points.
These so-called special Contribution Points were different from the Purple Mist Sect’s own Contribution Point system and were mainly for use by Cultivators from other sects.
Because a part of the area he explored overlapped with Gao Tianxing’s, the special Contribution Points for the overlapping section were halved. Otherwise, he might have received over nine thousand.
He would use the special Contribution Points when he left the Purple Mist Sect, so there was no rush for now.
A knock sounded from outside the cave residence.
Fang Yun immediately went out to greet the visitor.
The one delivering the Purifying Spirit Fruit was Lin Ke.
This time, Lin Ke didn’t chat with him for long.
"Hee hee, Fang Yun, I won’t disturb you any longer."
The stone door of the cave residence closed, and Fang Yun immediately began his seclusion.
In one hand, the Burning Spirit Clear Flame; in the other, the Purifying Spirit Fruit.
The purification of his Spirit Root officially began!
