Chapter 115: 115 Spell to Communicate with Gods
Zhou Yi nodded slightly, as Fang Chengfeng seemed much better off with his senses.
However, Fang Chengfeng\'s arrival made Black Wind Cave feel somewhat oppressive, and the three people inside and outside fell to silence, only the howling of the black wind could be heard.
Jiang Kang was too lazy to bother, while Zhou Yi was reluctant to make contact.
The son of an ancestor, no matter the nature of his talent or cultivation level, was always the center of trouble.
Fang Chengfeng, however, was of a lively disposition; not daring to provoke the sinister Jiang Kang, he kept trying to strike up a conversation with Zhou Yi. It ended up as though he was talking to a slippery loach, all hmm and hahs which seemed like agreement, but were actually hollow words without any substance.
Zhou Yi\'s professional smile, honed in the Sky Prison, was impeccable, leaving no room for fault-finding, yet it felt distant.
Fang Chengfeng felt quite stifled, possibly troubled by the Black Wind Poisonous Fire, or perhaps because he was often snubbed in normal times.
"I never commit evils for others, nor do I have any sect privileges; just because my father is a Nascent Soul ancestor, why do so many people dislike me? It\'s utterly suffocating!"
A month quickly passed by, and Fang Chengfeng left safely.
Zhou Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief, stopped the formation and prohibition, and turned into an escape light flying back to Xiaoquan Peak.
The cave dwelling\'s formation remained intact, and he checked the spiritual medicines underground. He used the Jade Dew Art to hasten their ripening and then set up several warning prohibitions.
After that, Si Guo Cliff returned to its usual tranquility.
Whenever Zhou Yi encountered doubts in his cultivation, he would buy a jar of Danxia Drunkenness to consult with Jiang Kang, often obtaining enlightenment.
Especially in the aspect of the Lightning Method, Zhou Yi had been devoted to the Five Thunder Technique for a hundred and thirty years. Since reaching nearly instantaneous casting, he had seen no further progress, but with pointers from Jiang Kang, he learned the direction for further in-depth study.
"Casting a spell instantly signifies mastery and is something quite a few have accomplished," Jiang Kang said after seeing Zhou Yi instantly cast several thunders, praising him, "In terms of talent for the Lightning Method, you have surpassed ninety percent of people!"
"Just average, average."
Zhou Yi looked embarrassed, as just about any cultivator could reach mastery in a spell after a hundred years.
"Beyond mastery lies embodiment, which is also called control by some; it\'s all the same despite different names. Take this Five Thunder Technique, for example..."
In Jiang Kang\'s hand appeared over ten thunders, coalescing but not releasing, changing forms in his hand, now forming a net, now turning into knives and swords, and finally weaving back and forth into a human face.
"When a spell embodies, it\'s no longer confined to its original form and can change at will. The power of individual thunders doesn\'t increase much, but when combined, such as a thunder net casting down over one\'s head, it\'s especially effective against enemies with elusive escape skills!"
"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother," Zhou Yi said with a bow, asking, "Beyond embodiment, is there a higher realm?"
"Certainly," Jiang Kang nodded and said, "When I cultivated the Five Thunder Technique, it took me ten years to reach mastery, ten years for embodiment, and another ten years to step into the divine understanding realm. When a spell reaches divine understanding, it\'s mysterious beyond mysterious, as innate as the talents of the demon races!"
"..."
Zhou Yi always felt that Jiang Kang was a \'Versailles\' master, always able to belittle others unintentionally.
Comments about casually using the Lightning Method three times or killing a few more Demon Heads really drove home how great the natural talent gap could be between people.
Zhou Yi tried to change the form of the Five Thunder Technique, but the thunders simply wouldn\'t cooperate, dissipating into the wind with the slightest twist.
"Luckily I have time, I\'ll take it slow!"
Time flowed like water, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Shanyin was cold like winter in its middle age, while Shanyang was hot with blazing sun; outside Black Wind Cave, goose feather-like snow fell, covering thousands of peaks and valleys.
During this period, two Qi Refinement disciples were punished for quarreling. They harbored resentments in their daily interactions and recklessly engaged in a fight using spells. Disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall arrived in time, subdued them on the spot, and took them to Si Guo Cliff to be punished for a month.
These two individuals were also considerable figures among Qi Refinement disciples, each having gathered a circle of friends.
But once they arrived at Black Wind Cave and heard that the old Daoist next door was named Jiang Kang, they wilted like frostbitten eggplants.
A Foundation Establishment true person dying at the hands of a peer caused quite a stir, especially since Yang Hua\'s cultivation had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, holding a glimmer of hope for condensing the inner core.
Deaths in sect conflicts are inevitable, but they usually happened between equals, accidentally killing an opponent when unable to hold back. However, someone like Jiang Kang, who could summon thunder from a clear sky and turn his peers to ash with a wave of his hand, was unheard of in decades.
As Jiang Kang\'s ferocious reputation spread, at some point, rumors began to circulate about him "falling into demonhood."
These two disciples were also influenced by the rumors, believing that Jiang Kang killed excessively and was eroded by demonic energy, turning into a blood-handed butcher, which terrified them into silence.
When the punishment ended, the two of them felt as if they had been reborn and fled from the Cliff of Reflection as if they were flying.
Seeing Jiang Kang still leisurely drinking wine, Zhou Yi asked in confusion, "Senior brother, aren\'t you concerned about the rumors outside?"
"There are quite a few little demons mixed in our sect, it must be one of them spreading the rumors."
Jiang Kang changed to a comfortable position to lie down and said, "The old Dao won\'t live another two or three years, so instead of worrying about these things, I might as well read some tales... Where did you get this tale book with illustrations?"
The whispers within the sect grew louder, and Zhou Yi felt that someone was fanning the flames.
...
At the end of July.
Zhou Yi had observed for over half a year and inquired about a lot of information concerning the Ziyun Association.
The Ziyun Association had a history of more than sixty years and had attracted attention since its establishment, with countless eyes watching over it in the open and in secret, and no bad rumors had ever arisen.
Instead, many amusing stories circulated, such as the debacle of Fang Chengfeng being tricked by his fellow disciples in last year\'s competition.
"Even if there is the suspicion of buying a horse\'s bones for its thousand gold price, it is very effective and demonstrates the Ziyun Association\'s financial strength and reputation."
Today, Zhou Yi decided to go and take a look, selling his Foundation Establishment Pills for Spirit Stones and then quickly earning merits. Meritorious Jiang Kang was defamed as a demon-possession case, giving Zhou Yi a sense of unease.
"Exchange for the Blood Burning Escape Technique first!"
This technique is simple to cultivate, most suitable for saving one\'s life.
Early in the morning.
Zhou Yi used the Shape-Shifting Technique to turn into a white-haired old Daoist and rode a beam of escaping light to Ziyun Peak.
The mountain\'s peak was shrouded in clouds and fog, concealing the details within. He took out a purple Jade Token and urged it with mana, and a beam of spiritual light descended, parting the clouds and fog to reveal a path.
Zhou Yi flew into the Formation, immediately sensing that the density of Spiritual Energy far exceeded the outside. His gaze swept over the methodically arranged Jade Stone pavilions and terraces, constructed similarly to the positions of the Spirit Gathering Array flags.
The pavilions and terraces were connected by corridors, and upon closer inspection, the bases of the pavilions and corridors were inscribed with Formation and Prohibition symbols.
A large Spirit Gathering Array drew the nearby Spiritual Energy, which was already extremely dense, and gathered it together. It condensed into clusters of white mist, falling on both sides of the pavilions and corridors, making the entire peak seem like an Immortal Realm.
"What a grand scale!"
Zhou Yi landed his escaping light and had just sat down at an unoccupied pavilion.
A procession of palace-dressed maids, carrying Jade trays, approached and bowed slightly. They placed Spiritual Wine and Spirit Fruits on the table before respectfully departing.
By now, there were thirty to forty people on the peak, mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators, and a few in purple robes who were true inheritors. When Zhou Yi arrived, many cast curious glances at him.
Zhou Yi tasted the Spiritual Wine and quietly waited for the host to arrive.
By noon, nearly a hundred disciples had gathered at Ziyun Peak, and Fang Chengfeng finally made an appearance.
"Yesterday, the old man summoned me for a scolding and I returned late, I\'ve just finished my cultivation and made you all wait for a long time..."
After saying a few polite words, Fang Chengfeng went straight to the point, "Zhi Mo, please preside."
With that, he found a pavilion to sit down.
The maid named Zhi Mo, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, activated a scroll Magic Artifact.
The scroll swelled in the wind. Its surface sparkled with spiritual light revealing lines of text.
"Buying top-grade Magic Artifacts, Gold Attribute, no specific category required..."
"One thousand Spirit Stones for buying a Demon Beast inner core, fire and lightning attributes preferred..."
"Buying large quantities of Yellow Dragon Pills, nine Spirit Stones each..."
"Forging high-grade Magic Artifacts, customizable type, no attribute restrictions..."
"Selling Pure Yang Pills..."
Zhou Yi quickly scanned through and noticed that the prices for low-tier pills and Spiritual Objects were slightly lower than the general marketplaces\'. The advantage was the unlimited buying quantity, suitable for cultivators in a hurry to exchange for Spirit Stones.
Among them, there were several offers to buy Foundation Establishment Pills, the prices ranging between sixty to seventy thousand Spirit Stones, which were quite a bit higher than expected.