Chapter Fifty-One: Strategies for Future Survival

What a bloody scene for advancing—how on earth did she cultivate? When she advanced from the sixth to the seventh level of Qi Refining years ago, it was nothing like this. She had even mastered a strange spell, casting it several times in succession; not only did it completely suppress Jian Hui, but even her own "Demon-Subduing Vine" withered at an alarming rate, causing her true essence to drain much faster than usual.

Shi Qingxiang was astonished, but quickly regained his composure. He gazed at Hongjian, who was deep in meditation, his mind suddenly flooded with thoughts.

It took Hongjian more than an hour to stabilize her seventh-level Qi Refining realm, from suffering serious injuries to breaking through her barriers. Fortunately, she and Shi Qingxiang had chosen a secluded spot to lure Jian Hui, so no one intruded upon their mountain hollow to disturb them.

Hongjian opened her eyes, momentarily unable to distinguish reality from illusion. In the dream when she first entered the secret realm, it had taken her eight years to break through the bottleneck between the sixth and seventh levels, but the sensation of growing stronger then was nowhere near as vivid as now. With this step forward, she felt as if she had been reborn; even her previously battered body was greatly restored. Staring at the chaos around her, her pupils suddenly contracted, and she took a long moment to process what had happened.

Shi Qingxiang looked somewhat grave. Seeing her awaken, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You..." Asking about someone’s cultivation method was quite rude, so he hesitated.

Hongjian jumped up without a word, hurried away from the area, bent over, and began to vomit. As she retched, she realized something was wrong and frantically stripped off her blood-soaked robe. She had led a peaceful life since childhood, never encountering such gore. The more she thought about the fact that her advancement had drawn in such things, the harder it was to endure. Cold sweat drenched her, her undergarments were soaked through, and her skin was smeared with dried blood, making her utterly miserable.

Shi Qingxiang saw her pallid, bluish face and her body trembling uncontrollably. He knew now was not the time for further conversation and simply said, "There's a pond nearby—go wash yourself, heal your wounds, and then we’ll deal with everything else."

Only then did Hongjian notice Shi Qingxiang. Realizing he had endured this nightmare of a scene to guard her, she shot him a grateful look, nodded hurriedly, and said, "Thank you," before rushing out of the hollow.

A bath was essential. Her clothes were in tatters, but thankfully she had prepared well and brought spare garments in her spatial pouch. Otherwise, when everyone was transported out and only Jian Hui was missing, her appearance would surely arouse suspicion.

As for her injuries, after advancing so much, her internal wounds were nearly healed. Taking a healing pill, by the next morning she would appear perfectly normal.

Once she had washed and adjusted her mood, sitting by the pond and consoling herself that what was done was done, and at least she was alive—and quite well at that—she saw branches stirring from the direction of the mountain hollow. Shi Qingxiang approached, deep in thought.

This time, she couldn't let gratitude be as perfunctory as before. Hongjian stood up, saying earnestly, "Senior Brother Shi, I truly owe you. After what we've done, if you ever need my help, just ask—Hongjian will never refuse, even at the cost of her life."

Shi Qingxiang gave a wry smile. "Yes, from now on you and I are bound together." He raised his hand to show what he held, adding, "I’ve tidied up a bit—these items shouldn't reappear. I suggest we dig a random hole and bury them." He was holding Jian Hui’s "Shadow Mirror" and "Flowing Water Melody"—two magical artifacts.

Hongjian nodded, admiring his foresight. "You always think ahead."

Shi Qingxiang disposed of the two artifacts.

Hongjian watched him fill the hole, her mind pondering the reason for Jian Hui's sudden self-destruction. She hesitated, then asked, "I just scared him a little—does your Talisman Sect really have that 'Rebirth Talisman'?"

Shi Qingxiang seemed to hesitate. "I was only trying to cooperate with you—how was I to know he'd react so dramatically?" He handed "Blessed Territory" back to Hongjian, praising, "This artifact is truly useful when wielded properly. Both of us can use it without difficulty; seems any type of true essence can activate it, which is rare." He had managed to evade Jian Hui’s divine sense thanks to this artifact, so it left an impression.

Hongjian accepted "Blessed Territory," and Shi Qingxiang produced a spatial pouch, saying, "Your senior brother's. I looked through it—he was quite wealthy. Inside is a jade slip inscribed with the 'Thousand Herbs, Thousand Prescriptions Sutra.' That’s likely how he managed to concoct a false pill. I’ll hold onto the book for now; the rest is yours."

Hongjian’s mouth opened—so this was the legendary divvying of spoils. He was efficient, she thought. Unable to resist, she warned, "Just be careful. Don’t follow his example blindly—he advanced to mid-Foundation Establishment only to collapse and regress, never making progress for over a decade."

Shi Qingxiang smiled. "Don’t worry, I know my limits." He hesitated, then finally said, "As for you—when you advanced, did you notice? Your breakthrough from six to seven was much more difficult than others’. Neither Jiang Yan nor I experienced anything like this. When you leave here, if you get the chance, find a master and ask about it—otherwise, future cultivation may be tough."

Hongjian exhaled heavily; what Shi Qingxiang said was nothing she hadn’t sensed herself. With Jian Hui dead in the secret realm and Yao Zhen slain for whatever reason, she had finally settled a lingering concern, and no one would plot against her again. At last, she could cultivate in peace. She nodded and smiled, "I'll quietly ask Second Senior Brother when I get the chance—it was thanks to him that I got the spot to enter the secret realm this time."

Shi Qingxiang frowned. "No one dares touch you on Late Tide Peak. Who knows if that opportunity was meant for you or your Senior Brother Jian Hui?"

All color drained from Hongjian’s face. Her mind raced through memories of her interactions with Qin Baoxian, and she had to admit she wasn’t worth such a favor. The more she thought, the more anxious she became, unable to help but voice her concern, "But my master... he didn’t object either. Does he know?"

Shi Qingxiang looked at her calmly. Hongjian suddenly felt a splitting headache and said irritably, "What’s happening—who can I trust?"

Shi Qingxiang’s expression remained steady as he replied, "I don’t know. I’m not familiar with the people of your Alchemy Cliff Sect. If it were me, I wouldn’t trust anyone—only myself. But as for you, since no one dares harm you at Late Tide Peak, someone must be watching over you, or they believe someone is protecting you. At the Hua Hall that day, your sect’s Elder Sun seemed to have a favorable impression of you."

Hongjian replied gloomily, "That’s my grandmaster—he’s not someone I can easily meet." Thinking of Fang Zheng, she forced herself to perk up, "No matter, however difficult it is, I have to find a way to curry favor with the old man."

Shi Qingxiang laughed and nodded approvingly.

Having made up her mind, Hongjian pushed those worries aside for now. She sized up Shi Qingxiang as if meeting him for the first time, inwardly remarking, "I never noticed before, but this fellow is pretty shrewd."