Chapter 72 - Arc 7: Dragon Ascension Gate | Chapter 72: The Follow-Up of Xu Family Affairs
Translator: Lynn
Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but notice the changes in Su Xin. The incident at Shangyan Ridge had allowed Su Xin to successfully break through, opening up two meridians in the past year. With his practice speed, it was considered quite fast. However, Su Xin, who originally had a cultivation base two levels lower than Xu Ziqing, was now on the verge of catching up. He emitted the aura of the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Xu Ziqing, with a single spiritual root, had only reached one level of Qi Refining in two years. Su Xin, on the other hand, had advanced twice in the same timeframe. Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but wonder if there was a special encounter or an unknown incident that caused such rapid progress for Su Xin.
Moreover…
Su Xin himself gave off an extremely subtle feeling as if the spiritual energy surrounding him had become purer and more refined. It seemed as though he had undergone some kind of tempering, making him look exceptionally heroic.
With a gentle smile, Xu Ziqing nodded and said, “Young brother Ah Xin, you have indeed changed a lot. Your cultivation level has greatly improved, and I offer my congratulations.”
Su Xin smiled even more and approached Xu Ziqing, grabbing his sleeve. “You’ve been in seclusion often, and we haven’t had much chance to meet. There are many things I haven’t told you… Let’s sit down and talk.”
Xu Ziqing hesitated briefly but didn’t push Su Xin away. Two years ago, he was also affectionately pulled by Su Xin, but at that time, he didn’t feel any stiffness. Now, however, he felt a slight stiffness and almost missed his opportunity to push Su Xin away.
Secretly sighing in his heart, he followed Su Xin and allowed himself to be pulled onto a stone bench. He spoke in a gentle voice, “I’m all ears.”
As soon as they both sat down, Su Xin got straight to the point. “Have you heard that a member of Loose Cultivator Alliance received a difficult task a year ago?”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback. “I haven’t heard about it,” he replied. “I’d like to know the details.”
Su Xin smiled mischievously. “Speaking of which, this task has something to do with you.” His eyes held a playful glint. “Your surname is Xu, and the employer’s surname is also Xu. Maybe you had some connection tens of thousands of years ago. We could be family.”
Xu Ziqing’s heart skipped a beat. For the past year, he had maintained a stable state of mind, but Su Xin’s words suddenly triggered memories of the past.
The employer’s surname was Xu, and the task released was a difficult one.
It was well-known that those without a cultivation level above the Foundation Establishment stage often ended up losing their lives while attempting difficult tasks.
With these two points in mind, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but form some guesses in his mind.
However, he couldn’t express his thoughts to Su Xin and simply smiled, saying, “Don’t tease me, Brother Ah Xin. Let’s continue.”
Seeing his interest, Su Xin naturally continued, “I wonder if Brother Ziqing has heard of the Xu family in Upper Quzhou?”
Sure enough, it was related to them! Xu Ziqing remained calm and replied, “The Five Great Aristocratic Families?”
Su Xin nodded and smiled. “Exactly. The Xu family and the Tian family in Upper Quzhou had a falling out, and somehow the Tian family got involved with the Golden Core Transformation Stage cultivator from the Leihuo Sect1Previously Thunderfire Sect. I heard they even secretly colluded with the fifth-order demon beasts of Hai Zhong, planning various schemes to annex the Xu family and strengthen their power. Their ultimate goal is to ‘dominate the family.’ Quite ambitious, I must say.” He took a sip of the fragrant tea brought by Miaoyue and continued, “The Xu family lacks an expert in the Foundation Establishment stage. Fortunately, they prepared in advance and spent a significant sum of money to issue this task to all major sects and our Loose Cultivator Alliance, hoping to preserve the Xu family’s foundation.”
“The internal factions within the sects are intricate, making it less than ideal for this task. Many masters are hesitant to take it on. In the end, Xu Zhengtian, the Patriarch of the Xu family, had no choice but to directly seek help from the Loose Cultivator Alliance. The league wasn’t eager to handle this troublesome matter, but Xu Zhengtian offered them a great benefit. That’s when the leader of the Loose Cultivator Alliance took over.”
Xu Ziqing was curious. The Loose Cultivation Alliance accommodated all kinds of casual cultivators and was relatively loose, not prone to trouble. So, what kind of advantage did Xu Zhengtian offer to make the league leader take on the task?
Seeing Xu Ziqing’s intrigued expression, Su Xin became even more complacent. “It was for me,” he said.
Xu Ziqing grew more puzzled.
But Su Xin didn’t hold back any longer. “Xu Zhengtian sent Red Flame Fruit.”
Xu Ziqing was shocked, how could he not know about this Red Flame Fruit!
One could say that Red Flame Fruit was at the root of Xu Ziqing’s current situation. Now, after taking a detour, the Red Flame Fruit had arrived at the Loose Cultivator Alliance and was once again mentioned in Xu Ziqing’s presence. It truly stirred up a whirlwind of emotions within him.
Recalling the illusory realm, it was Xu Ziqing who wake up first and roused the other cultivators. As a result, the Xu family won first place and obtained the Red Flame Fruit. Later, due to Red Flame Fruit, the Xu family abandoned Xu Ziqing, and in gratitude, Xu Ziqing provided them with a tip. Although the Xu family was no longer in danger of extermination, they still desired to distribute the Red Flame Fruit.
Thus, Red Flame Fruit had been acquired and lost by Xu Ziqing. The complex web of connections and entanglements left Xu Ziqing at a loss for how to account for it all.
Letting out a sigh in his heart, Xu Ziqing decided to stop dwelling on it. However, if it was indeed the Red Flame Fruit, it wasn’t difficult to understand why the Loose Cultivator Alliance accepted the Xu family’s request. It was undoubtedly for Su Xin, but it also served the interests of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
Su Xin, the young master of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, was known to possess two spiritual roots, one strong and one weak. The strong root was none other than the fire spiritual root. By consuming the Red Flame Fruit, Su Xin could eliminate the weaker spiritual root, instantly transforming into a peerless genius with a single spiritual root. Furthermore, Su Xin’s affiliation with the Loose Cultivator Alliance meant that any achievement he attained would bolster the league’s influence.
All of this made the actions taken by the Loose Cultivator Alliance worthwhile. Moreover, Su Xin had garnered affection from the leader and the elders over the years. They were willing to take action for the sake of their beloved junior and fulfill their long-standing love for Su Xin.
Noticing Xu Ziqing lost in thought, Su Xin assumed he hadn’t fully grasped the situation. With patience and no sign of impatience, Su Xin explained in detail. As he finished speaking, he opened his palm, revealing a ball of blue flames that quickly transformed into various shapes. It was evident that his control over Blue Flames had greatly improved compared to before.
“Under the leadership of our master, the inner alliance members took action and requested the intervention of the Supreme Elder to resolve the matter, retrieving Red Flame Fruit,” Su Xin said, admiration gleaming in his eyes. “I immediately received it, and after retreating for several months, my stagnant cultivation broke through one layer after another, allowing me to reach my current state within a year!”
If Su Xin was able to obtain the Red Flame Fruit, it meant that the Xu family’s crisis had been resolved. With the intervention of the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s elders, preserving the Xu family would not be difficult.
At that moment, Xu Ziqing felt a sudden brightness in his heart. A blockage that had weighed him down was released, and spiritual power surged through his meridians, unblocking several half-opened acupoints before he realized it.
In that instant, Xu Ziqing realized that his previous intention to repay the Xu family’s support after his questioning was not the real reason. Deep down, he still held concerns for the Xu family and worried whether he had truly received their summons and whether he could escape impending calamity.
With Su Xin’s news, he finally felt relieved. From now on, the Xu family had no connection to him.
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly, clasped his hands, and said, “Congratulations, Brother Ah Xin. Your path to immortality will be bright in the future.”
Su Xin, in his increasingly joyous mood, remarked, “I knew you were different from others, and I didn’t mistake you, brother!” He grinned, a little embarrassed. “I’ve acquired some good items recently. Why don’t you come and take a look? I’ll borrow flowers to present Buddha and share them with you, Brother Ziqing.”
Curious, Xu Ziqing asked, “What is it?”
Brimming with excitement, Su Xin winked, retrieved a bottle from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Xu Ziqing. “Take a look for yourself.”
Xu Ziqing opened the bottle, and a dominantly spicy scent rushed into his nostrils, nearly causing him to sneeze.
Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was an elixir, dark red in color like blood. Unlike ordinary pills, it lacked a subtle aura and had a slightly rough appearance, giving it a peculiar quality.
Observing Xu Ziqing’s perplexed expression, Su Xin burst into laughter. “This is called the Lingling Pill, confiscated from the Tian family.”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback by the revelation. A panacea?
He immediately recalled the incident in the secret realm when Tian Liang, a member of the Tian family, consumed an elixir that resulted in a rapid surge in his cultivation and nearly killed him. Could this Lingling Pill be the same elixir he had heard about in the Lingyuan Small Realm? Unexpectedly, Su Xin obtained it and even revealed it right in front of him.
Although the pill was undoubtedly useful, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. However, Su Xin appeared oblivious to any concerns.
Fortunately, Su Xin proceeded to provide further explanation, which somewhat relieved Xu Ziqing’s worries.
Su Xin smiled and said, “This spirit-enhancing pill is derived from deep-sea black coral polyps, which are consumed by sea creatures. These polyps are typically filled with poison, capable of rapidly boiling a person’s blood and causing it to explode. The sea creatures consume these poisonous polyps and refine them with a symbiotic grass to create this panacea.”
“Taking this pill may initially seem harmless, but with each consumption, toxins accumulate within the body. Eventually, the effect of the symbiotic grass will diminish, leading to the direct combustion of the monk’s blood and resulting in death.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing was astonished. He held the bottle and cautioned, “This is meant for entertainment, not for consumption. Brother Ah Xin, please be careful.”
Touched by Xu Ziqing’s sincerity, Su Xin ceased his jesting and spoke earnestly, “Don’t worry, I won’t be so careless. You, too, should exercise caution.”
The two continued conversing, and Su Xin suddenly added, “Brother Ziqing, I believe your cultivation level surpasses mine. You’re at the ninth level of Qi refining, right?”
Unsure of Su Xin’s intentions, Xu Ziqing saw no reason to hide the truth. He nodded, saying, “Yes, I am indeed at the ninth level of Qi refining.”
Su Xin exclaimed happily, “That’s perfect!”
Puzzled, Xu Ziqing inquired, “Why is that?”
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1Previously Thunderfire Sect