Xu Sheng's previously indifferent face flushed slightly upon hearing this. She repeatedly shook her head, indicating that she had no such thoughts in her heart.
After explaining for a long time, Xu Yan still didn't believe her. Xu Sheng simply stopped explaining, to save her breath.
Later, Xu Sheng, thinking of something, couldn't help but gaze blankly in the direction Wu Tao had left, but Wu Tao had long since disappeared.
…
On the other side.
After leaving the exchange, Wu Tao pondered for a moment before immediately returning to his temporary residence, a cave dwelling.
Over these three years, through continuous consumption of various spirit pills and diligent cultivation without any slack, Wu Tao had finally elevated his realm to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, just one step away from the middle Foundation Establishment stage.
In the process, the spirit stones in Wu Tao's storage bag were long depleted. For the remaining insufficient amount, Wu Tao gritted his teeth and sold unnecessary magical artifacts such as the Yin Yang Twin Thunder Pearls and the Soul Falling Bell to gather spirit stones.
Relying on the power of the several top-tier magical artifacts in his possession, Wu Tao could safely escape even when encountering cultivators at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage.
Similarly, if cultivators at the early or middle Foundation Establishment stage encountered Wu Tao, they would naturally have no power to resist and would die under his hand.
Of course, when it came to monstrous existences like Lin Yue'er, Zhang Wan'er, Wang Meng, Duan Yuhang, Yu Xiangyu, Liu Weilin, and Xu Shuai, who were at the Foundation Establishment stage, Wu Tao could only employ one strategy: the thirty-six stratagems, with "fleeing" being the best.
…
Over the past few years, not only had Wu Tao himself undergone significant changes, but several of his friends around him had also changed considerably.
After Hua Chen advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, he lost his ambition. He found a beautiful female Dao companion at the Qi Refining stage, had a child, and honestly bribed the managing inner sect elders, then was sent out to become the lord of a mortal realm country.
Although Hua Chen's future cultivation path would be difficult, it was at least a great fortune.
In any case, he could live to old age safely, holding the lives and destinies of hundreds of thousands of mortals in his hands, living a good life with great power.
Hua Chen's life was ordinary, but it was also free from danger, peaceful, and happy.
Long Ao Potian, like Wu Tao, was now on this meat grinder-like battlefield. His ambition was no less than Wu Tao's.
He also possessed the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment stage.
Chang Pingqian was considered to be doing quite well among them. Not only had he also advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, but he had also been taken in by a Golden Core stage artifact refining hall elder as a registered disciple, becoming an artifact refining apprentice.
Now, Chang Pingqian had also arrived at this meat grinder-like battlefield with his senior brothers.
However, he was in the logistics and maintenance department and did not need to go to the front lines.
…
Speaking of which, the main reason Chang Pingqian was noticed by a Golden Core stage artifact refining hall elder was that he had, by chance, obtained a mid-grade Yellow-tier spirit fire—the Beiming Blue Flame.
Another day.
Wu Tao arrived at the shop opened by the Taiyi Immortal Sect's artifact refining hall.
Chang Pingqian was currently standing in the shop, attending to other guests. Upon seeing Wu Tao, his eyes lit up.
After all the guests had left, Chang Pingqian laughed and asked, "Are you here to have me refine magical artifacts, kid?"
Hearing this, Wu Tao patted Chang Pingqian's shoulder and said teasingly, "Heh heh, senior brother, you guessed wrong. I'm here to ask for your help in maintaining a few magical artifacts."
Chang Pingqian rolled his eyes, punched Wu Tao's chest, and cursed, "What the hell is the difference?"
Then, the two sat down together and chatted about the interesting events that had happened over the years.
…
An old man with half-white hair, possessing a cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, walked out from the back of the shop. Seeing the two in the shop, he asked Chang Pingqian, "Who is he?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Pingqian waved his hand slightly and introduced the old man, "Senior Brother Yixi, this is a friend of mine, also an inner sect disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. He just happens to be here to have us maintain his magical artifacts."
Yixi didn't continue Chang Pingqian's sentence. Instead, he directly asked, "What magical artifacts need maintenance? Bring them out for me to see."
Wu Tao took out the slightly damaged Armor-breaking Dragon Cone and the Dragon-piercing Ice Horn Bow from his storage bag.
Yixi's eyes lit up, and he said, "Oh, these are indeed two excellent magical artifacts. Leave them to me, there will be no problem. I will definitely repair these two magical artifacts."
He paused, then Yixi spoke again, "I can provide the spirit materials for the repairs, but you will have to exchange them for spirit stones. Including the labor fee, it will be three hundred and thirty spirit stones in total."
"However, you are my junior brother's friend, so I will give my junior brother some face today and waive the odd amount, making it three hundred spirit stones."
Wu Tao nodded and handed over three hundred spirit stones, thinking to himself, this path of artifact refining is also a highly profitable business.
Just for repairing two top-tier magical artifacts, it cost so many spirit stones; it might as well be robbery.
…
Wu Tao chatted with Chang Pingqian for a few more words and then intended to leave.
Before leaving, Wu Tao asked again, "When can I come to pick up these two magical artifacts?"
Yixi calculated the time and said, "I still have a few artifact repair orders on hand. With that said, five or six days should be fine."
Wu Tao nodded and said, "Then I will wait for seven days before coming to pick them up."
…
Another week passed.
On the sandy seabed of the deep East Sea, Wu Tao was locked in a stalemate with Xu Liang, an inner sect disciple of the Han Shui True Spirit Sect. Xu Liang, relying on the terrain advantage and his mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, with his extremely exquisite water attribute magic, temporarily suppressed Wu Tao.
However, it was also not realistic for Xu Liang to easily eliminate Wu Tao.
The primary reason Wu Tao had ventured deep into the East Sea this time was because he had discovered a clue to a priceless treasure: "Water Soul Heart Marrow."
Unfortunately, Xu Liang of the Han Shui True Spirit Sect had also discovered a clue to this Water Soul Heart Marrow at the same time.
Water Soul Heart Marrow was a precious ore that occasionally formed from the condensation of water attribute spiritual energy in the deep seabed over ten thousand years. Typically, a small piece of Water Soul Heart Marrow could fetch a thousand spirit stones, illustrating its preciousness.
…
The fated rivals, Wu Tao and Xu Liang, immediately began to fight in the next second. After hundreds of intense exchanges, neither could defeat the other. Wu Tao and Xu Liang then entered a state of confrontation and stalemate.
On the sandy seabed of the deep East Sea, Xu Liang activated the surrounding dense water attribute spiritual energy, condensing it into mermen warriors clad in armor and wielding weapons. They formed battle formations and pressed closer and closer to Wu Tao.
Seeing this, a cold light flashed in Wu Tao's eyes, and a powerful spiritual force erupted from his body. The Immortal Slaying Demonic Blood Saber in his left hand instantly flared with bloody light, cutting down all the mermen warriors who approached him, forcing Xu Liang to retreat repeatedly.
However, Xu Liang was not to be trifled with. With a furious roar, he conjured hand seals and shot out countless water attribute spells, attacking Wu Tao from all directions.
Standing in place, Wu Tao continuously swung the Immortal Slaying Demonic Blood Saber, destroying wave after wave of water attribute spells. The significant consumption of spiritual energy and blood essence in his body made him feel extremely strained.
On the other hand, although Xu Liang's spiritual energy consumption was also severe, he possessed a top-tier auxiliary magical artifact, the Spirit Gathering Sea God Pagoda. If he persisted, he would ultimately be stronger than Wu Tao.
However, to avoid prolonging the fight and potential unexpected complications, Xu Liang directly used his trump card. With the help of the top-tier magical artifact, the Spirit Gathering Sea God Pagoda, he used a water attribute summoning secret technique to conjure a giant whale-like creature over eighty zhang in size, blotting out the sky.
The sky-obscuring giant whale-like creature roared towards the sky, its deafening sound echoing in all directions. The colossal fish, several times larger than a mountain, leaped up, unleashing an incredibly powerful force.
The giant whale-like creature's massive body slammed towards Wu Tao, instantly making Wu Tao feel as insignificant as an ant. He had no choice but to hastily and miserably dodge.
…
The giant whale-like creature relentlessly pursued Wu Tao. Its thirty-odd zhang wide mouth suddenly opened, and in the next second, it was about to swallow Wu Tao whole.
Wu Tao could only retreat in a panic, looking for an opportunity to counterattack…
After a period of intense fighting, Wu Tao's body finally began to falter. He gritted his teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes, and consumed the Purple Essence Dragon Blood Pill.
Under the intense stimulation of the potent toxins, Wu Tao's divine sense and spiritual energy instantly surged. The blade of the Immortal Slaying Demonic Blood Saber in his left hand trembled, and a world-shattering saber cry instantly spread in all directions.
Following that, a flash of white saber light gathered above his head. Hundreds of saber energies merged into one, forming a fifty-odd zhang long blood-red saber aura that stood still before Wu Tao.
With a roar from Wu Tao, the fifty-odd zhang overwhelmingly powerful blood-red saber aura sliced the giant whale-like creature in half and, in passing, killed Xu Liang behind it.
Extremely weakened, Wu Tao plundered Xu Liang's storage bag, then collected the piece of Water Soul Heart Marrow, and stumbled away from the scene.
…
Returning to his cave dwelling, Wu Tao went into seclusion for another half a month before recovering from his injuries.
In Xu Liang's storage bag, Wu Tao found three or four top-tier magical artifacts, two to three thousand spirit stones, over a dozen bottles of various pills, and more than a hundred talismans.