Chapter Seventy-Four: Opening a Small Dojo

Ge Qian recognized Liu Jie at a glance. He had once refined the Water Spirit Pill for Liu Jie’s sister, who was reputed to be an outstanding talent in her family, exceptionally gifted in the comprehension and application of formations. She was a rare genius, possessing an innate affinity for the arcane arts.

To his right was a woman dressed in white, beautiful and composed, pure as a lotus freshly emerged from water; yet her face bore a faint melancholy, as if she was weighed down by heavy thoughts. From time to time, Liu Jie would glance at her with concern.

Ge Qian pondered for a moment and surmised that the woman Liu Jie cared for was likely his sister, that rare formation prodigy. The elite disciple of the Heavenly Scholar Sect must surely be relying on this woman’s formations to seize the Spirit Communication Fruit King by surprise. Otherwise, with her extraordinary gift, how could the sect bear to risk her in such a venture? From this, Ge Qian deduced that the identity of the sect’s elite disciple was far from ordinary.

He reminded himself to be cautious if they were ever to face each other in the future. Just then, Liu Jie noticed Ge Qian, smiled faintly, and gave him a thumbs-up in greeting. After the battle at Mount Five Peaks, Liu Jie had been thoroughly convinced by Ge Qian’s prowess, and today’s meeting was merely a cordial acknowledgment.

Ge Qian returned the smile with a slight nod, returning the courtesy.

At this moment, the pointer on the compass aimed toward the eastern void and came to a stop. The six late-stage Core Formation cultivators looked at one another with delight; in the past, it would have taken a full day and considerable spiritual power to pinpoint the location.

Without delay, each of the six made hand seals and channeled vast amounts of spiritual energy into the compass. Immediately, the compass flared with light, sending a beam of blue light crashing into the void.

A thunderous roar shattered the silence, rippling the very air before returning to stillness.

Once more the compass shone, this time casting forth a blue pillar of light three times thicker than before. This time, the six Core Formation cultivators poured in all their power, no longer holding back, and the force was far from ordinary.

With a muffled thud, a rift the size of a person was torn open in the void. The spiritual energy within was so dense it formed a white mist that was instantly absorbed by the compass.

Gu Tian shouted, “All disciples, heed my command! Enter the Minor Training Ground without delay—this rift will not last long. After three months inside, you will be transported out automatically.”

Bai Ruyu twisted her graceful figure and soared forward on her sword, vanishing into the rift in a flash. The disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect followed, mounting their swords and streaming in one after another.

Inside the training ground, whether one entered first or last, they would appear at random locations, preventing anyone from forming alliances to ambush those who entered later.

Once all the Heavenly Star Sect disciples had entered, the same was true for those of the Wind Moon Sect. In a short while, all the disciples of every sect had disappeared without a trace.

The six Core Formation elders exhaled in relief, immediately swallowed pills to recover their energy, and watched as the compass split itself into six, each piece returning to its owner.

They stowed away their keys, and Jiu Hua remarked with satisfaction, “Entry into the Minor Training Ground went smoothly this time—no accidents. Last time, Fellow Daoist Hong Shalin and the others lost many disciples as soon as they entered.”

Wuchen recited a Buddhist verse and replied, “We have exhausted ourselves. Let us meditate and recover for a few days. After three months, we shall see what fortune awaits.”

The others agreed, each seeking a quiet place to meditate and restore their strength.

Inside the Minor Training Ground, Ge Qian felt a wave of dizziness. Fortunately, his spiritual awareness was strong, and with a brief circulation of energy, he quickly recovered.

Looking around, he seemed to have arrived in another world: mountains, rivers, and every plant was strange and unrecognizable, with countless blossoms everywhere. The spiritual energy here was twice as rich as in the Heavenly Star Sect. Cultivating here would certainly yield double the results with half the effort.

Ge Qian drew several deep breaths of the potent energy, confirming that the ancient texts were true. Without lingering to admire the scenery, he hurried toward the Valley of Resentment to harvest the essential Reviving Grass for the Lifespan Pill.

Just then, a shrill and excited screech rang out. More than a dozen long-armed demonic apes, swift as lightning, leapt toward him, as if they had found a delectable treat.

A cold glint flashed in Ge Qian’s eyes. He flung out the Purplewood Ruler, which turned into a streak of violet light and looped around the neck of the burliest ape at the front. With a gurgle, its head rolled to the ground. The remaining apes, seeing their leader slain, immediately scattered in terror.

These apes were intelligent. Realizing they had encountered a formidable foe, they knew better than to throw their lives away.

Ge Qian spoke coolly, “Now that you wish to flee, it’s too late.” With that, he unleashed the Demon Gourd.

The gourd instantly expanded to seven feet, spewing a cloud of shadowy mist that engulfed all the apes. In moments, the mist churned, dissolving them into a bloody vapor.

The blood mist spun and was quickly sucked back into the gourd, which then shrank and was stowed away by Ge Qian.

Outside, Ge Qian had to act with caution for lack of backing, but inside this self-contained space, there were no such concerns. No matter how many he slew, there would be no proof once they left.

Thus, Ge Qian revealed his true strength, dispatching the dozen or so first-rank apes in an instant. Though individually they were not much, taken together they would have been formidable for any other lone cultivator.

After confirming his direction, he used the Cloud-Stepping technique and sped away. Along the way, he encountered several spirit herbs but paid them little heed—securing the three main ingredients was paramount, for his own life was still in Cui Yun’s hands.

Ahead, the sound of battle thundered. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Ge Qian saw that disciples of the Beast Taming Sect and the Heavenly Scholar Sect were locked in fierce combat over a spirit herb, neither side gaining the upper hand.

Ge Qian swiftly bypassed the scene. The two combatants breathed a sigh of relief; had someone taken advantage of their exhaustion at that moment, they would have been hard-pressed to defend themselves. Thankfully, the newcomer was not interested.

The battle between them resumed, each unleashing their prized techniques, determined to settle the fight quickly.

Scenes like this played out all across the Minor Training Ground—bloody and brutal, with cultivators constantly falling.

As he pressed on, Ge Qian saw a tall, thin man at the peak of the Qi Drawing stage, dressed in the Heavenly Star Sect’s robes, gathering spoils from the battlefield.

The man swaggered over, kicking aside the bodies of a man and woman from the Wind Moon Sect, and plucked a fragrant Begonia Grass from the ground. Judging by its age, it must have grown for five centuries—an herb of great value.

He cheerfully placed it in a jade box and stowed it in his storage pouch, muttering to himself, “Fools who don’t know their place. Have they never heard of Zhang Jiu? I could easily rank among the top ten in the Heavenly Star Sect—if only I had a powerful artifact, I might even make the top five.”

Suddenly, he looked up and spotted Ge Qian speeding past. He burst out laughing, exclaiming, “This Minor Training Ground truly is my lucky place—first I find rare herbs, and now someone comes to deliver more treasures?”

With that, he leapt onto his sword and, with a few flashes, blocked Ge Qian’s path. Folding his arms behind his back, he sneered, “Ge Qian, with your strength, coming here is nothing but a death sentence. All your possessions are destined for others anyway—why not let me have them? After all, it’s best to keep wealth within the family. Hand over your storage pouch and get lost.”

Ge Qian steadied himself, his voice cold. “Zhang Jiu, we are fellow disciples, yet you’d kill me for treasure? If you know what’s good for you, get out of my way—or I will show no mercy.”