Chapter 133: Spreading Rumors

Qian Huixian stamped her foot in a fit of pique, her frame trembling with a mix of laughter and annoyance. "Fo Yaxin, you scoundrel! You wouldn't even undo your 'Great Demon Seal of Buddha-Light' when you were injured, yet to avoid me, you actually broke one? You fool, don't you know the side effects of that seal? But don't think you're shaking me off today!"

With that, she took a finely crafted set of armor from her storage bag. Casting a spell and pointing a finger, the armor glowed brilliantly, hovering into the air and draping over her delicate, shapely figure. It did not make her look bulky at all; rather, it added to her allure, accentuating her fiery curves. A pair of crystalline wings unfolded from her back, shimmering with wind-elemental energy. With a forceful flap, two powerful gusts propelled her into the sky with a boom.

Ge Qian shouted, "Fellow Daoist Qian, I'll lend you a hand! Remember, you owe me a favor!"

He quickly cast a spell, using the "Destined Triple-Life" technique to lock onto Fo Yaxin's aura, followed by the "Whirlwind Great Displacement." A fierce gale whipped around Qian Huixian, and with a sudden turn, she vanished into the air.

Ge Qian finally shook off the trouble. Let them chase and bicker; Sanlong City had an aerial restriction, so Fo Yaxin couldn't fly high, and his speed would be hindered. Qian Huixian would catch up to him soon enough.

Ying Xue watched Qian Huixian leave and remarked, "That vixen is truly strange. She actually likes a monk? Interesting."

Ye Feng asked gratefully, "Brother Ge, I wonder if my sister is doing well?"

Ge Qian looked around and said, "Your sister is not only well, she has gained a tremendous fortune. This is not the place to talk. Let's find a quiet inn, recover your spiritual energy, and then return to the sect."

Bai Ruyu nodded, "Correct, let's recover our strength first. Being out in the world without spiritual energy is a very dangerous thing."

The group found an inn and settled in temporarily. Ge Qian recounted what had happened, omitting the parts that needed to remain secret. Ying Xue marveled with envy, "Sister Ye Yu is truly lucky. Her cultivation speed will surely advance by leaps and bounds; we can hardly keep pace. In a few hundred years, she might even reach the Infant Transformation stage!"

Bai Ruyu nodded with a sigh of agreement. Ye Feng was happy for his sister, saying, "My sister has always sought the end of the Great Dao and immortality. Now that she finally has the chance, I am truly happy for her."

Ge Qian handed a jade bottle to Ye Feng. "This is the Seven-Orifice Pill your sister obtained from her master. Keep it; it will be very useful for your breakthrough to the Core Formation stage."

Ying Xue and Bai Ruyu were both incredulous. The Seven-Orifice Pill was legendary; it offered a ninety percent success rate for reaching the Core Formation stage and was hailed as a sacred medicine. Even the Tianxing Sect likely couldn't produce such a thing. That Ge Qian didn't hoard the pill for himself raised their opinion of him significantly.

Ye Feng smiled slightly and pushed Ge Qian's hand back. "Brother Ge, if it weren't for you, my sister and I would have perished in the Red Fiend Desert, let alone reached our current levels. Please take this pill as a token of my gratitude for saving our lives."

Ge Qian shook his head. "I cultivate the 'Six Paths Sword Technique,' so the Seven-Orifice Pill is of little use to me. Do not decline it. Only by working hard together can we survive the coming storm on the Xuanwu Continent."

Bai Ruyu nodded and said to Ye Feng, "Just take it. Ying Xue and I have both established our foundations, and we have a better chance of reaching Core Formation than you do. Don't be so modest."

Ye Feng realized she was right; his aptitude was the lowest among them, so he accepted the pill.

The rest was simple: the group consumed their pills to recover their spiritual energy. The next day, Ge Qian led the three of them through a teleportation array to Tianding City. Ge Qian was already well-acquainted with the elder guarding the array—a thin, wizened old man with a face full of wrinkles, a cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Seeing Ge Qian appear, he smiled. "Kid, did this trip go smoothly?"

Ge Qian and his companions had already returned to their original appearances, and Ge Qian was back to his Qi Refinement stage aura. Ge Qian respectfully presented a storage bag, which Wu Jiang accepted without ceremony. "Junior Brother Liu Jie has been looking for you. Wait a moment."

After sending a sound-transmission talisman, the two chatted about various news and anecdotes. Wu Jiang asked curiously, "Kid, you came from Sanlong City. Do you know what happened in the Red Fiend Desert? I heard a Spirit-Refining stage cultivator made a move, using supreme Daoist arts to flatten the place. The Red Fiend Old Monster didn't even manage to escape with his Nascent Soul!"

Ge Qian feigned mystery. "I heard from some well-informed friends that it was because Ren Guyue, the closed-door disciple of the Renyi Sect's supreme ancestor He Changqi, was training in the Red Fiend Desert and was hunted by the Red Fiend Old Monster. This infuriated He Changqi, who joined forces with other cultivators of the same rank from different continents to destroy the desert and steal the treasure within—rumored to be a fragment of a Heaven-Penetrating Spirit Treasure."

Ge Qian had no love for the Renyi Sect. Since Ren Guyue was so arrogant, Ge Qian decided to pit the Renyi Sect against the Myriad Demon Mountain. With two such behemoths clashing, it would surely provoke a backlash from other righteous and evil sects, allowing the Tianxing Sect to fish in troubled waters, survive in the cracks, and gain the space to grow stronger.

He deliberately spread the rumor so the powerful figures would speculate and shift their attention. Sure enough, Wu Jiang's expression changed. He thought this was explosive news; if he reported it to the Great Elder of the Beast Taming Sect and it proved true, he would surely be rewarded. This kid was his lucky star.

Wu Jiang asked excitedly, "Is this true?"

Ge Qian spoke with gusto, "I'd say it's nine-tenths certain! My friends are people of status. Think about it: the Red Fiend Old Monster was heavily wounded by He Changqi years ago and must have held a grudge. Seeing his closed-door disciple, he surely wouldn't let him go. If it were you, could you watch your enemy's beloved disciple swagger before you and remain indifferent? He definitely tried to kill Ren Guyue, and the result is obvious. You don't touch a tiger's backside!"

Wu Jiang frowned and pondered for a moment. "It makes sense. Kid, has this spread throughout Sanlong City?"

"I don't know why, but the Lord of Sanlong City ordered the news to be sealed, so few people know about it," Ge Qian said earnestly.

Just then, Liu Jie walked in, gave Ge Qian a look, and said to Wu Jiang, "Senior Brother, wait a moment. I'm going out to discuss some business with a friend, and I'll be right back."

Wu Jiang looked troubled. "Go and return quickly. The Great Elder might come for an inspection today."

"Understood, it won't take long," Liu Jie said, walking out of the teleportation hall with Ge Qian.

Outside, Liu Jie whispered, "My sister has time today and wants to discuss something with you. Follow me."

Ge Qian nodded and followed closely. They walked through an alleyway and entered a private room in a spirit tea house. Liu Qian was dressed in a pale purple court gown that highlighted her alluring, curvaceous figure. Her beautiful face was stunning, and she sat there with a calm expression.

Seeing Liu Jie bring Ge Qian, she could no longer hide her agitation. She stood up gracefully and offered Ge Qian a charming smile. "It has been a long time, benefactor. This young woman thanks you for gifting us the 'Whirlwind Great Displacement,' which allowed my brother and me to escape the clutches of the devil."