Chapter 456: Chapter 441: Seclusion!
We agreed to leave together, but Zhouyang left first.
Seeing this, Zhao Hao, who was still on the battlefield, was naturally extremely upset.
Though he felt displeased, facing Li Yuan, who was dead set on stopping him from slaying the flood dragon, he actually knew it was impossible to achieve his goal today.
So he did not say much, but after Zhouyang left, he suddenly unleashed his full strength and fiercely slashed at the Ink Flood Dragon with a few consecutive strikes, directly severing two of its claws to collect them, then struck Li Yuan’s Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, the Golden Cauldron, sending it flying. He watched as the severely injured Ink Flood Dragon plunged into the Long River and escaped via water escape, before coldly laughing at Li Yuan and sword-controlling his way off the battlefield.
He truly wanted to leave, and Li Yuan couldn’t catch up, nor did he dare to chase.
Thus, this grand operation to slay the flood dragon ended in such a sloppy manner, with no clear conclusion.
Speaking of Zhouyang, after fleeing the battlefield, he did not wait anywhere to rendezvous with Zhao Hao; instead, he fled straight to Jinyang Country.
It wasn’t until Zhao Hao chased after him in the direction he escaped and sent a Flying Sword Communication to contact him that he met up with him at a certain place on the escape route, then traveled together on Zhao Hao’s auspicious cloud to Jinyang Country.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you’re really not acting in good faith. Why did you leave without warning when we agreed to go together?"
On the auspicious cloud, Zhao Hao looked at Zhouyang beside him with displeasure and directly questioned him about leaving without notice.
However, Zhouyang was well-prepared for this accusation and immediately responded, "Elder Zhao, don’t blame Zhou for leaving without notice. You know the situation at the time; Li Yuan wouldn’t even accept your proposal to give him the entire Ink Flood Dragon’s body. Even if this junior hadn’t left, there was no chance you could have slain that Ink Flood Dragon!"
"Since you had no chance to slay the flood dragon, there was naturally no need for me to help you stop the fleeing flood dragon. In that situation, if I hadn’t escaped first, it would have only hindered the elder’s retreat."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao narrowed his eyes.
How could he not hear the hidden implications in Zhouyang’s words, that there were more layers to what Zhouyang was saying?
He narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "The situation was urgent then; I could only try to temporarily appease Li Yuan. Once we successfully slew the flood dragon, the distribution afterwards wouldn’t be for him to decide!"
"Of course, it was inappropriate for me not to discuss this with you beforehand. Your leaving without notice was justifiable, and I won’t pursue the matter."
"However, we agreed beforehand that if the flood dragon wasn’t successfully slain, all gains should be used to compensate for the losses I incurred buying the Dragon Luring Pill. Shouldn’t you hand over the flood dragon spirit blood you’ve taken first?"
Zhouyang certainly didn’t believe his words.
If Li Yuan had agreed to Zhao Hao’s terms at that time, what could Zhouyang possibly get in the distribution? At most, each party would just pay him off with some spirit stones.
Suppose the scenario was worse: after Zhao Hao took the most important Flood Dragon Pill from Li Yuan, Li Yuan couldn’t vent his anger on Zhao Hao, but wouldn’t he still dare to vent it on Zhouyang, a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator?
Though Zhouyang didn’t believe it, since Zhao Hao, a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, was willing to personally lower himself to explain, Zhouyang had to show some consideration, otherwise, he would be putting Zhao Hao in an awkward position.
"I see! It was this junior who mistakenly blamed you, Elder Zhao. I hope you are generous and forgive this junior’s ignorance."
"As for the flood dragon spirit blood, by agreement, it naturally belongs to you, Elder Zhao. Please assess how many spirit stones it would take for me to take this flood dragon spirit blood away."
Zhouyang first cupped his hands in a gesture of apology and then raised his hand to hand over the flood dragon spirit blood he collected to Zhao Hao for assessment.
Naturally, he had already tampered with the total amount of the flood dragon spirit blood inside, secretly taking away nearly thirty percent beforehand.
It was true that Zhao Hao had paid a great price to buy the Dragon Luring Pill, but Zhouyang had also risked his life to capture this flood dragon spirit blood and consumed seven or eight Tier Four Lower-Grade Spirit Talismans, so he also deserved compensation.
Zhao Hao was well aware of this, so after inspecting the quantity of flood dragon spirit blood Zhouyang handed over, he didn’t question if it was all handed over, tacitly allowing Zhouyang to keep some of it secretly.
"The spirit blood from a Tier Five Lower Grade flood dragon is worth about five hundred low-grade spirit stones per ounce in the market. You have about eleven pounds here, so let’s call it fifty-five thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
The spirit blood of an ordinary Tier Five Lower Grade demon beast can be purchased for five hundred low-grade spirit stones per pound, which shows the preciousness of flood dragon spirit blood.
Given the size of that Ink Flood Dragon, if it could be slain and all its blood drained, one might obtain over a hundred pounds of flood dragon spirit blood!
The value generated from just this spirit blood would far surpass even that of a Tier Five Lower Grade Demon Pill, easily explaining why cultivators are so enthusiastic about slaying flood dragons.
For Zhouyang, being able to buy the flood dragon spirit blood he had always coveted using some spirit stones was indeed a profitable situation.
So he very happily paid the spirit stones and took back the flood dragon spirit blood from Zhao Hao.
After paying the spirit stones and retrieving the flood dragon spirit blood, Zhouyang felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.
With this flood dragon spirit blood, he could settle down somewhere and cultivate quietly for ten or eight years. He was confident of cultivating the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique" to the second layer, thereby showcasing the true might of this body refining divine technique.
In a buoyed mood, recalling the primary purpose of this trip to Jinyang Country, he couldn’t help but look at Zhao Hao for advice, saying, "Elder Zhao, since obtaining the flood dragon spirit blood this time, I want to find a place to cultivate in Jinyang Country for a while. In your opinion, where would be the best place for me to cultivate?"
"Additionally, this junior also wishes to purchase a portion of [Purple Heart Jade Marrow] for my little disciple to use in establishing a Purple Mansion. Could you advise where I might acquire this item?"
The Cyan Origin Sword Sect, where Zhao Hao belonged, is one of the Thirty-Six Middle Gates of the Anti-Light Alliance and ranks among the top three within Jinyang Country.
Moreover, the Cyan Origin Sword Sect’s survival in Jinyang Country undoubtedly had ties with the true ruler of Jinyang Country, the Haoyang Sect.
This was why Zhao Hao wasn’t afraid of Li Yuan’s threats and wasn’t worried about Li Yuan really coming to Jinyang Country to trouble him.
Upon hearing Zhouyang’s questions, he thought for a moment before responding, "If you just want to find a place for secluded cultivation, any Immortal City in Jinyang Country has suitable cave mansions for rent."
"But if you want to purchase [Purple Heart Jade Marrow], you can only try your luck at the Haoyang Immortal City. They hold an auction once every ten years, where there is a high chance of it appearing. Some high-tier cultivator exchange meetings occasionally have someone offering it as well."
Haoyang Immortal City is the largest Immortal City in Jinyang Country, established by the Haoyang Sect. Zhouyang was originally planning to go there.
When he asked Zhao Hao this question, it wasn’t to hear such common knowledge.
He frowned and said in a deep voice, "I naturally know that the auction might feature the Purple Heart Jade Marrow, but the cost to acquire it at the auction is indeed too high. Elder Zhao, you have extensive connections in Jinyang Country; could you possibly provide a letter of introduction for me, allowing me to try my luck at some underground exchange meetings or high-tier cultivator exchanges?"
"Provide you with a letter of introduction?"
Zhao Hao’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at Zhouyang sharply, full of scrutiny.
Under his scrutinizing gaze, Zhouyang remained calm and nodded slightly, saying, "That’s right, I am willing to use the favor you promised at the time in exchange for a letter of introduction from you!"
Zhao Hao had promised back then that as long as he helped deal with Li Yuan and others from the Celestial Cauldron Sect, he would promise to help him once in the future.
However, with the failure of the slaying of the Flood Dragon, Zhouyang wasn’t certain at all whether Zhao Hao would still be willing to honor his original promise.
After all, the agreement at the time was strictly based on the success of slaying the Flood Dragon.
Therefore, he thought it might be better to use this favor now to get a letter of introduction from Zhao Hao rather than risk Zhao Hao using it as an excuse to refuse to help when he actually needed it in the future.
Issuing a letter of introduction was just a small task for Zhao Hao, a much lighter price to pay than helping him once.
It seemed as long as the other had any demeanor of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, they shouldn’t refuse this matter.
Sure enough, upon hearing him mention the favor, Zhao Hao’s eyes revealed a trace of awkwardness and unease.
He actually hadn’t intended to repay this so-called favor anymore.
If Zhouyang hadn’t brought it up, it wouldn’t have been long before he forgot about it.
As a Golden Core Stage cultivator, he had the privilege to default, and he also had a reasonable excuse for defaulting.
Nonetheless, since Zhouyang brought up this matter and was willing to exchange the favor for a small letter of introduction, Zhao Hao had no reason to refuse his request.
He actually wasn’t sure of Zhouyang’s background because, during the battle with the Celestial Cauldron Sect earlier, Zhouyang’s combat ability did catch his attention somewhat.
So for him, if he could use a small effortless task to dissipate the potential negative consequences of defaulting on a promise, it was naturally a very good thing.
"Since Fellow Daoist Zhou has such a request, naturally, I have no reason to refuse."
Zhao Hao nodded slightly, agreeing to Zhouyang’s request in one go, then flipped his hand to take out a Cyan Jade Sword and a Jade Scroll to hand them to Zhouyang: "This is a token of mine; after you arrive at Haoyang Immortal City, use this token to find the shopkeeper in the Cyan Yuan Pavilion within the city. He will help you arrange entry into underground exchange meetings and some high-tier cultivator exchanges!"
"Thank you, Senior."
Zhouyang put away the token and sincerely expressed his gratitude.
With this token in hand, after arriving in Haoyang Immortal City, he no longer needed to painstakingly think about how to integrate into the local high-tier cultivator circles, which at least saved him several years of effort.
Thereafter, under Zhao Hao’s guidance, Zhouyang took only a day to traverse Great Yun Country and enter Jinyang Country.
Upon reaching Jinyang Country’s territory, Zhao Hao set Zhouyang down and returned to his sect first.
Meanwhile, Zhouyang activated the guiding function of the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Pendant to direct his Dao companion Xiao Ying and niece Zhou Guangxiang, who were still traveling in Great Yun Country, to meet up with him.
After waiting for two days, Zhouyang successfully reunited with his Dao companion Xiao Ying, and the three traveled through various market immortal cities in Jinyang Country, eventually reaching their destination — Haoyang Immortal City.
As one of the considerable large-scale immortal cities within the Anti-Light Alliance, Haoyang Immortal City was indeed no less prosperous than those immortal cities Zhouyang had visited in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm.
This immortal city was built in a valley surrounded by mountains, and within the city, numerous Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands suitable for various cultivation techniques were established according to the geographical features.
For instance, the caves suited for Water Element cultivators were located on an island at the heart of a lake within the city, where the abundant Water Spiritual Qi highly benefited Water Element cultivators below the Golden Core Stage.
Meanwhile, the caves for Wood Element Technique cultivators were located in a vast primitive forest covering tens of thousands of acres, filled with trees, vines, shrubs, and other plants that were low-tier spirit plants imbued with Spiritual Qi.
These might not hold significant value in alchemy and artifact refining but could absorb various Spiritual Qi, converting it into Wood Spirit Qi needed for Wood Element cultivators, and could even be used to collect Wood Essence Qi.
Other locations suitable for Gold Element Technique cultivators, Fire Element cultivators, and Earth Element cultivators could also be found within Haoyang Immortal City.
The unique cultivation environment of Haoyang Immortal City attracted many high-tier Loose Cultivators and even some senior members of Cultivation Clans from surrounding countries to travel long distances to rent caves here for closed-door training.
Naturally, this resulted in extremely high prices for a good cave, ones that were hard to acquire even with a hundred thousand gold.
Back in Immortal Sun City, Zhouyang could enjoy various discounts and prioritize the selection of good caves for rent, thanks to the Profound Sun Order bestowed by Master Cyan Yang.
But in Haoyang Immortal City, he had no such connections and could only choose from the remaining caves just like ordinary cultivators.
After a thorough selection, he only managed to find a Tier Four Cave Mansion for his Dao companion Xiao Ying in the Ten Thousand Woods Spiritual Land, while he chose an ordinary Tier Four Cave Mansion.
Though both were Tier Four Cave Mansions, the one in the Ten Thousand Woods Spiritual Land had an annual rent of 4,000 low-grade spirit stones but only contained one usable cultivation chamber.
In contrast, the ordinary Tier Four Cave Mansion Zhouyang rented had an annual rent of only 2,800 low-grade spirit stones and was equipped with various alchemy rooms and artifact refining chambers.
Even so, caves like those in the Ten Thousand Woods Spiritual Land, a Cultivation Spiritual Land, were often in short supply, requiring one to queue to purchase.
After selecting the caves, Zhouyang did not rush into closed-door training for the Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique but first visited the Cyan Yuan Pavilion, a shop industry of the Cyan Origin Sword Sect in Haoyang Immortal City. He used the token Zhao Hao gave him to visit the shopkeeper and explained his intention to participate in underground exchange meetings and high-tier cultivator exchanges in Haoyang Immortal City.
With Zhao Hao’s token, the shopkeeper of the Cyan Yuan Pavilion was easygoing, promptly agreeing to inform him whenever there was an underground exchange or high-tier cultivator meeting held in the city and promised to keep an eye out for information regarding the Purple Heart Jade Marrow.
Thus, Zhouyang returned to the cave satisfied and entered closed-door training to cultivate the Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique.