Free Web NovelChapter 400: Chapter 383: A Rather Good Demon
"What are you looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman before?" The Female Cultivator had quite a temper. "So, are you buying or not? Ten thousand apiece. They’re all the same price."
"Top-Grade Spirit Stones?"
"Obviously! Why else would I want a pile of useless rocks? But looking at you, it doesn’t seem like you can afford them."
Her words hit a sore spot. Wang Meng really was flat broke. He’d had some savings, but they were all refined away in the Celestial Fire Cauldron. The mask looked a lot like the ones he’d seen in the Extreme Dao Alliance. If he had something like it, life would certainly get a little easier.
Wang Meng picked up the mask and felt it. The texture was similar to those from the Extreme Dao Alliance. ’Could there really be something from the Ghost Axe Divine Skill Sect in a place like this?’
The stall owner snatched the mask back from Wang Meng. "Kid, you’ve got a good eye! This is a quality piece from the Ghost Axe Divine Skill Sect. Ten thousand is an absolute steal for you. Got the money? If not, go borrow, steal, or rob someone! This kind of deal is a limited-time offer, you know."
A few Cultivators nearby couldn’t help but laugh. "Items from the Ghost Axe Divine Skill Sect are priceless. Selling one for ten thousand? That must be a real bloodletting clearance sale."
One look at her wares and they knew she was a con artist.
"Tsk. You have no taste. I only sell my things to those who can recognize quality."
The Female Cultivator crossed her legs and looked at Wang Meng. "How about this? I’ll give you one ancient hour to scrape the money together. I’m telling you, pal, you have a prominent forehead—your future is limitless. But the path of Cultivation is fraught with peril. If you don’t gear up, you might just die an early death."
Wang Meng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This sales pitch was just ridiculous. He wasn’t even sure if the mask was genuine. Besides, even if it was the same type as the Extreme Dao Alliance’s, it would be useless to him. It felt like an unfinished product; it might hide his face, but everyone would know he was wearing a disguise. What he needed was something that could truly change his aura and appearance.
But forget ten thousand; he couldn’t even come up with a hundred Spirit Stones.
"No, thanks." Wang Meng stood up.
"Hey, hey! Friend, don’t be in such a rush to leave! We can talk about it. Look, I’ve been setting up my stall here for days and haven’t made a single sale. Let’s negotiate. How about eight thousand?"
Wang Meng shook his head with a wry smile. "If I had the money, I’d buy it. The problem is, I don’t have a single coin on me."
The roguish Female Cultivator’s eyes darted. "Well, do you have anything valuable on you? We could trade. I promise, my goods are the real deal."
’Aside from this mask, which is half-real at best, everything else you have is certifiably fake,’ Wang Meng thought.
"Take a look at me. Do I look like I have anything valuable?"
Wang Meng spread his hands.
The roguish Female Cultivator looked Wang Meng up and down, then pinched her nose. "Well... you have a faint glow about you. You must have something valuable. Why not take it out? I might be interested."
Wang Meng was exasperated. ’Is this woman a professional thief?’ Her perception wasn’t entirely off, though... He did have a Dragon Crystal in his Sea of Fate, but there was no way she could see that.
"If I manage to scrape together the Spirit Stones and you still haven’t sold it, you can sell it to me then."
Wang Meng waved dismissively. The Female Cultivator reluctantly released her grip. "Hey, poor kid! In any case, you’re the first person to show any interest in my stuff. Leave your name."
"Wang Meng."
Wang Meng waved again and walked away. He decided to stop browsing. No matter how cheap things were, they still cost Spirit Stones, and he wasn’t about to start robbing people.
A group of splendidly dressed Cultivators approached, radiating brilliance from a distance. They were none other than the disciples of the Cyan Cloud Sect.
The moment the Cyan Cloud Sect members appeared, the surrounding vendors erupted in excited shouts, as if they’d been shot with adrenaline. Disciples from a Major Sect like this were always big spenders.
"Yi Fan, there’s nothing interesting in a place like this. Let’s just go to the auction tonight. If you see something you want, we’ll just buy it. I still owe you a gift for reaching Minor Perfection, after all."
Bu Qingyun said.
Like cyan mountains and flowing clouds, the disciples of the Cyan Cloud Sect were truly representatives of the Saint Cultivator path. Their very appearance was pleasant to behold.
"I’m just browsing," Yi Fan replied. "If everyone is watching the items at the auction, you can sometimes find unexpected treasures here instead."
"Haha, finding a hidden gem, you mean. Sure, why not? This trip is mainly to celebrate your achievement, so we’ll do whatever you want."
Bu Jingyun, for his part, was indifferent, though he found the commotion everyone else was making a bit tiresome. The other disciples of the Cyan Cloud Sect, however, were thrilled. Their faces beamed with pride. They usually spent their days cultivating within the sect, so it was a rare chance to come out. Seeing the envy and respect from the crowd, they truly savored the glory of being a Cyan Cloud Sect disciple.
The crowd surged forward, and Wang Meng, shaking his head, was jostled to the back. The roguish Female Cultivator had already darted out, joining the chorus of self-promoting vendors, leaving Wang Meng at a loss for words.
As Wang Meng backed away from the crowd, the hairs on his arms suddenly stood on end. A familiar, unforgettable figure in the distance had caught his eye.
Zheng Dasheng!
He was here too!
For an instant, Wang Meng felt the urge to attack, but Zheng Dasheng hadn’t noticed him. He forced himself to suppress the impulse.
’Until I reach Minor Perfection, I’m no match for Zheng Dasheng. I have to hold back.’
Zheng Dasheng suddenly whipped his head around, feeling as if someone was staring at him. But when he turned, he only saw a crowd of people. ’Was I imagining it?’
Zheng Dasheng had completely ignored Mingren’s words, treating them like a fart. That damn bastard was just lucky; he’d barely formed his Holy Statue and he was already bossing him around. He, Zheng Dasheng, had killed Wang Meng with his own two hands—what was there to question? In any case, Zheng Dasheng was just using this as an excuse to come out and handle his own affairs.
The opening of the Dragon Cave was a huge opportunity for him. A Holy Statue’s advantage lay in its powerful abilities, but a Life Artifact had its own perks, especially when it came to advancement. A Life Artifact could draw upon external forces to increase its power.
In the Cultivation Realm, true dignity wasn’t determined by reputation, but by actual combat strength.
Now that Zheng Dasheng had the Celestial Fire Cauldron, it was like he possessed half a Life Artifact, giving him even more reason to venture into the Dragon Cave.
His gaze swept across the crowd again, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. He shook his head slightly.
Out here, Zheng Dasheng’s cover was that of a Loose Cultivator, but the cold arrogance on his face was no less than that of the Cyan Cloud Sect disciples. He scoffed at the adulation they received.
’One day, when the Holy Daughter deems the time is right, the entire world will kneel at the feet of the Extreme Dao Alliance.’
He looked forward to that day.
Wang Meng returned to his inn, doing his best to calm down. ’Is the Extreme Dao Alliance really this pervasive? I just arrived in Thousand Dragons Undying City, and Zheng Dasheng is already here.’ The brief hint of hostility in his gaze had nearly gotten him discovered.
Regardless of whether Zheng Dasheng knew he was alive, it seemed this trip to the Dragon Cave would be a case of Taking Chestnuts from the Fire.
Having fought an expert of the Minor Perfection realm once, Wang Meng had a clear understanding of his own strength. And last time, that guy had even used a Life Artifact, which was the most devastating part. Still, Wang Meng could sense that his opponent hadn’t been able to completely dodge his blade. What he needed most right now was to raise his cultivation realm.
Speaking of swords... Broken Heaven Edge was gone too. The power of a Life Artifact was truly fearsome; Broken Heaven Edge had been melted down in the Celestial Fire Cauldron. For Wang Meng, it felt as though he had shed a part of himself and, in doing so, advanced. He had gone from an obsession with various Skill Techniques, to an obsession with Broken Heaven Edge, and now, to a state of release. It was a cycle of attachment and release, then re-attachment and release once more.
Wang Meng was not Moo Shan; he had already begun to search for his own path. He might not find it right away, but now, he was free to experiment as he wished.
’Before entering the Dragon Cave, I’d best find myself a suitable sword.’
But Zheng Dasheng’s arrival meant that other members of the Extreme Dao Alliance were likely lurking about as well. The real headache was that he was exposed while his enemies were hidden. He’d learned from Mo Chen that the Extreme Dao Alliance was incredibly secretive, especially its core members. Anyone could be one of them.
For those who passed their tests, the Extreme Dao Alliance used both threats and temptations—they would stop at nothing to get someone to join. As long as you had a desire, be it for beautiful women, resources, or power, they could fulfill it. They could even make you the Sect Leader of a Sect, if you wished. Of course, the level of your reward depended on your abilities.
What was the point of the path of Cultivation, anyway?
It was for exactly these things. And the Extreme Dao Alliance could satisfy those desires to the fullest extent, which was the very reason for its existence.
"Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." Wang Meng was going up against the Extreme Dao Alliance, a completely unequal fight. That meant he had to do his homework. But even though the Extreme Dao Alliance was massive, Wang Meng felt no fear.
’He who is not afraid of death by a thousand cuts dares to unhorse the emperor.’ They’d better hope he never found a chink in the Extreme Dao Alliance’s armor, or he would make them regret it for the rest of their days.
Wang Meng circulated the Five Elements Technique for another full Circulation. Thanks to Old Mo’s care, his injuries had fully healed. Sometimes, Wang Meng wondered who had saved him. But Mo Chen, who had been the one to find him, hadn’t discovered any clues. ’Or was it the Godhood at work?’
After completing a Circulation, Wang Meng felt refreshed and clear-headed. He had also calmed down from the agitation of seeing Zheng Dasheng.
He began to study the Dragon Crystal in his Sea of Fate. ’Is this thing really so mysterious?’
Anything that could be placed in one’s Sea of Heart had to possess a considerable Spiritual Attribute. The Dragon Crystal rested quietly at the bottom of Wang Meng’s Sea of Fate. If it was a treasure, it was one that didn’t seem to do anything at all.
’That middle-aged man, the Dragon Race... That doesn’t seem like something I need to worry about right now.’ What he needed to figure out was how to slip into the Dragon Cave during the commotion and evade the Extreme Dao Alliance’s hunt.
Staying cooped up in the inn wasn’t an option. Wang Meng put on a felt hat, changed his clothes, and suppressed his aura. He figured that as long as he didn’t run into an acquaintance, he shouldn’t be easily recognized.
’Either way, I need to get my hands on a sword before this all starts.’
Four more young people arrived in Thousand Dragons Undying City. Compared to the Cyan Cloud Sect, their arrival was indeed very low-key.
Ling Fei remained as cold as ever, but Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan were visibly excited. This trip to the Dragon Cave was crucial for them too; if they were lucky, it could truly change their destinies.
To put it another way, compared to advancing a Holy Statue, there were far more opportunities when it came to Life Artifacts.
Lin Jinghao, meanwhile, fanned himself with an exquisite fan. "The scenery here is quite nice. Sister Ling Fei, perhaps I’ll go sightseeing tomorrow?"
Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan looked at each other, at a loss for words. This Lin Jinghao... they really didn’t know what to make of him. The kid had one of those faces that just begged to be punched, and yet... seriously, what part of him, from head to toe, looked like an expert who possessed a Holy Statue?
He flicked open his fan, revealing two large, ink-black characters: "Good Person."
"Jinghao, can you please put that fan away!"
Even though she was used to it, Ling Fei still found Lin Jinghao’s personality unbearable at times. He was born a Demon Cultivator, and not just any Demon Cultivator—he was the Young Sect Leader of the No Illusion Demon Sect, the largest Demon Cultivation Sect in the Star Alliance. And yet... he went on and on every day about wanting to be a good person. The guy even practiced what he preached, trying to join a Saint Cultivation Sect, only to be rejected by every single one in the Star Alliance.
Unless they were insane, what Saint Cultivation Sect would dare accept a Demon like him?
