darknovel Chapter 294 Moving into Flowing Sand City!
Chapter 294 Moving into Flowing Sand City!
Chen Jinshu moved along the edge of the battle, his Star Moon Guqin occasionally playing, or using his sonic blade to kill enemy elites who tried to flank him, thus relieving the pressure on the secluded rift.
The battle was fierce and swift, with phantom images of military spirits constantly being shattered, turning into wisps of malevolent energy that returned to the heavens and earth, or being devoured by the enemy.
The number of border guards was slowly decreasing, but the enemy's offensive was successfully contained, and the formation quickly collapsed, creating gaps.
"Now! Charge!" Chen Jinshu shouted, seizing the opportunity.
Youxi gritted his teeth and poured most of his remaining ghostly power into the military soul banner. The banner shone brightly with black and red light, and the surviving border guards' souls all released a resolute will, suddenly lunging forward and widening the gap!
With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Jinshu took Jiang Yi with him, and they transformed into a beam of blue light, darting out from the gap in the battle between the military spirits and heading straight for the mist-shrouded valley entrance!
Qingheng timely sprinkled a patch of emerald light, temporarily dispelling the dense deathly mist ahead.
The Gap followed closely behind, retracting the Military Soul Banner; its small figure moved as swiftly as a ghost.
Just as they were about to rush into the valley, the enemy general who had been standing still suddenly threw out the phantom image of the giant axe in his hand!
The giant axe, carrying overwhelming murderous intent and an unwilling roar, spun and slashed towards the dark crevice behind the palace!
The crevices were so frightened that their soul fire almost went out. They felt the giant axe lock onto them, and there was no way to escape!
Chen Jinshu frowned slightly upon seeing this, and then plucked the "Shang" string again with a backhand!
"Boom!"
A solid, moon-white beam of light shot into the sky from the ancient zither, not striking the giant axe, but crashing into the rock wall above the valley entrance!
"Boom!"
The boulders collapsed, and a large number of rocks containing the malevolent energy accumulated from the ancient battlefield fell, hitting the trajectory of the giant axe and temporarily blocking the valley entrance.
The giant axe phantom shattered several boulders, but its power waned, and it finally dissipated about ten feet behind the crevice.
"Hurry up!" Chen Jinshu shouted, and took the lead in rushing into the misty valley entrance.
Still shaken, he darted into the crevice with a whoosh.
Jiang Yi staggered after him.
The valley entrance is not long, only a dozen or so feet.
As they passed through the mist, although the sky was still overcast, the dense, deathly aura of the ancient battlefield suddenly lessened.
"We... got out?" Jiang Yi gasped for breath, almost collapsing from exhaustion.
Youxi slumped to the ground, clutching the dimly lit, shrunken military spirit banner, now only a foot long. Its ghostly form flickered, clearly indicating excessive exhaustion.
"Master... I'm so tired... They... are asleep too..."
Chen Jinshu put away the guqin, her face also somewhat pale.
She quickly took out several pills to restore her spiritual power and swallowed them, then flicked a bottle of Yin-attribute soul-nourishing pills to Jiang Yi and Youxi.
"Hurry up and adjust your breathing. Although we've left the ancient battlefield, it's not necessarily safe. The Blood Fiend Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators may still be searching nearby."
"You did well today. This banner is quite fortunate for you; you should nurture and refine it well in the future."
Upon hearing this, Youxi struggled to lift her small face, the will-o'-the-wisp flickered, and she revealed a tired yet happy expression.
Qingheng materialized from the hairpin, her small hand resting on Chen Jinshu's shoulder, the pure vitality of plants slowly seeping in to help relieve her fatigue.
"Master, where to next?"
"We are near the edge of the Western Regions. Ahead lies Yellow Wind Valley, and beyond that is Flowing Sand City in the Western Regions. Xuan Yinzi's other vessel may be over there."
"Moreover, Flowing Sand City is a melting pot of all sorts of people and is well-informed. Perhaps we can find out the movements of that Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Blood Fiend Sect, as well as... more information about this ancient battlefield and the Military Soul Banner."
After resting for about an hour and recovering somewhat, Chen Jinshu once again summoned the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle.
The shuttle transformed into a streak of emerald light, carrying the two people and the ghost, and carefully sped towards the Western Regions' Flowing Sand City.
……
Three days later, in Yellow Wind Valley.
This place is a long, narrow valley stretching for hundreds of miles at the border of southern Xinjiang and western Xinjiang. The cliffs on both sides are as red as blood, and the valley floor is covered with fine yellow sand.
The area is constantly swept by howling winds, which whip up sand and dust that blot out the sun, hence the name "Yellow Wind".
As the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon shuttle entered the valley entrance, the sky suddenly changed color.
The once clear sky turned gloomy in an instant, and the gale-force winds whipped up sand and gravel that struck the protective aura of the flying shuttle like thousands of steel needles, producing a dense "crackling" sound.
Chen Jinshu's vision was obstructed, and his divine sense was scattered by the raging sandstorm after only ten feet.
"Master, there's a demonic aura in the wind! And... the smell of blood!"
Chen Jinshu extended his divine sense to the fullest extent and finally saw the situation ahead thirty feet to his left.
In the sandstorm, the remains of three cultivators were swept up by the wind, their clothes torn and their flesh mangled.
“The bandits’ ‘Blood Silk Dart’.” Chen Jinshu looked surprised upon seeing this.
"The symbol of the 'Sand Scorpion Alliance,' the largest sand bandit gang in Yellow Wind Valley. They actually dared to make a move during a sandstorm..."
The next instant, a jet-black chain shot out like a venomous snake, its head adorned with rusty barbs, piercing straight at the side of the shuttle!
"clang--!"
The hook struck the protective aura, causing the azure light to tremble violently.
The shuttle suddenly tilted to the left, and Chen Jinshu and Jiang Yi inside the cabin swayed.
"Mid-stage Golden Core!" Chen Jinshu instantly judged the cultivation level of the chain's owner, and his heart sank.
A sinister laugh echoed through the sandstorm:
"Fellow Daoist, you have come from afar as a guest. Why not disembark and have a chat? Our Sand Scorpion Alliance is the most hospitable, and we will make sure you feel right at home!"
Before long, the sand curtains in front, behind, left, and right tore apart simultaneously, and seven figures appeared!
They were all dressed in yellowish-brown leather armor, their faces covered with scarves, revealing only their fierce-looking eyes.
The seven people connected their auras and formed a kind of combined attack formation, firmly trapping the flying shuttle in the center.
“Two early-stage Golden Core cultivators and five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.” Chen Jinshu’s divine sense swept over them, his expression turning cold.
"The Sand Scorpion Alliance is really going all out, mobilizing such a force just to hijack one of my flying shuttles."
"Fellow Daoist, your flying shuttle is extraordinary, it must be a fourth-tier magic weapon, right? And on your body... hehe, the murderous aura hasn't dissipated, you must have obtained something good from the ancient battlefield."
"Hand over the shuttle and storage bag, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse!"
Chen Jinshu remained silent, his hands quickly forming a hand seal.
The Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle shone brightly with emerald light, its body trembled slightly, and it emitted a clear and melodious phoenix cry!
"Trying to run?" the leader grinned maliciously, the chains writhing like pythons as they coiled around the tail of the shuttle.
"Brothers, form the 'Yellow Sand Dragon Trapping Formation'! Capture her, and the Alliance Leader will reward you handsomely!"
The seven people simultaneously made hand seals, and the yellow sand beneath their feet surged and transformed into seven earth-yellow sand pythons, raising their heads and hissing as they pounced on the flying shuttle from all directions!
"Master, the formation is complete, and the space is locked!" Qingheng said urgently.
A cold glint flashed in Chen Jinshu's eyes, and he shouted sharply, "Sit tight!"
She pointed her fingers like a sword and pressed them hard against her brow.
"Burning Elixir Technique! Three-Breath Extreme Speed!"
"boom!"
The spiritual power within the Golden Core erupted suddenly, and the azure spiritual flames on the surface of the shuttle burned fiercely. Its speed soared to its limit in an instant, transforming into a streak of azure lightning that crashed violently into the two sand pythons in front of it!
"Pfft! Pfft!"
The sand python exploded, scattering yellow sand everywhere.
The shuttle continued its momentum, heading straight for the leading cultivator!
"You're courting death!" the leading cultivator roared, his chains whipping into a black vortex to protect him.
Chen Jinshu curled a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, raised his right hand, and the Star Moon Ancient Qin appeared out of thin air.
She controlled the shuttle with her left hand and stroked the strings with her right hand.
"Clang!" The invisible blade pierced precisely through the gaps in the chain vortex, heading straight for the leader cultivator's brow!
"Ah!" The leading cultivator was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his soul trembled violently, and his chain attack faltered.
In that instant, Chen Jinshu immediately spurred the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle to whiz past him, the azure flames scorching his leather armor black!
"Chase!" The leading cultivator roared, his eyes bloodshot, as the seven of them used sand escape techniques to give chase.
As the shuttle darted left and right through the sandstorm, Chen Jinshu's face grew increasingly pale, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his lips.
The Burning Elixir Technique causes immense damage to the Golden Elixir, and she has reached her limit.
"Master, three miles ahead is the eye of a sandstorm!" Qingheng suddenly pointed to the right front.
The sandstorm subsided, revealing a calm area no more than ten feet in diameter, a rare "eye of the storm."
Chen Jinshu's eyes lit up, and he steered the shuttle into the eye of the storm. Then, he flicked his hands, and seven array flags shot out, nailing to the edge of the eye of the storm.
"Minor Sumeru Illusion Array, activate!"
The banners shimmered with light, the scene at the eye of the storm slightly distorted, and the aura of the flying shuttle was completely concealed.
A few breaths later, the seven leading cultivators caught up and lingered outside the eye of the storm for a while. They scanned the area with their divine senses but found nothing, so they could only curse and turn to search elsewhere.
Inside the shuttle, Chen Jinshu groaned and slumped to the ground, swallowing several pills to forcefully suppress his churning blood and qi.
Jiang Yi rushed forward to help her, but she waved him away.
"It's alright." She caught her breath and looked at the sandstorm gradually dissipating outside the shuttle.
"Since the Sand Scorpion Alliance has set up an ambush here, the Flowing Sand City is probably not safe anymore."
"Jiang Yi, we don't need to travel together after we enter the city. You secretly gather information, while I, as a pill refiner, will find another place to stay."
"Yes." Jiang Yi nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with even deeper worry.
……
Half a month later, on the edge of the Western Regions, in the city of Liusha.
This city is located at the junction of the deadly desert and the ancient riverbed. The city walls are built of giant yellow sandstone, which have been eroded by wind and sand, and the surface is pitted and mottled.
The buildings in the city are low and crowded, and the streets are narrow.
Chen Jinshu, dressed in a plain blue Taoist robe and with a light veil covering his face, walked alone in the "Gravel Alley" in the south of the city.
This place is remote, frequented mostly by low-level cultivators or ordinary merchants, making it suitable for hiding.
She stopped in front of a stone house with a wooden sign that read "rent".
The stone house was small, consisting of only one courtyard and one room. In the courtyard was a dry well, the well rim of which was covered with withered vines.
The landlady was a thin old woman with a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation. Her eyes were cloudy, and she spoke with a lisp: "The monthly rent is thirty spirit stones, three months' deposit and one month's rent in advance. The well has long since dried up, so you have to buy water from 'Shaquanfang' three streets away. It costs half a spirit stone for a bucket."
Chen Jinshu paid the spirit stones and took the key.
The old woman weighed the money pouch in her hand, grinned, revealing her yellow teeth: "Fellow Daoist, are you an alchemist? If this old woman is so bold as to say something, being an alchemist in Liusha City is not easy."
"The 'Miaodan Pavilion' and 'Baicao Hall' control the pill market. Newcomers wanting to set up stalls have to pay an 'entry fee' of fifty spirit stones, and they also take a 30% cut of the profits each month."
"Thank you for reminding me," Chen Jinshu replied casually, pushing open the door to enter the courtyard.
The stone house was simply furnished with only a bed, a table, and a chair, and the floor was covered in dust.
With a flick of her sleeves, a gentle breeze swept away the accumulated dust, and she set up two simple soundproofing and warning barriers.
“Jiang Yi should have already entered the city by now…” she murmured to herself, her divine sense quietly spreading out, leaving behind secret marks in several hidden corners of the city that only Jiang Yi could recognize.
……
Three days later, in the western part of Liusha City, at the "Sand and Gravel Tea House".
Chen Jinshu sat in the corner, with a pot of inferior spiritual tea in front of him.
She had already "encountered" three rogue cultivators seeking elixirs here, and sold several bottles of fasting pills and qi-restoring powders at prices slightly below market value, thus initially establishing her persona as a "down-on-her-luck alchemist".
A commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the teahouse.
Four men dressed in brown leather armor with sand scorpion patterns embroidered on their chests strode in. The leader was a bald man with a face full of scars, and he was at the early stage of the Golden Core realm.
The teahouse fell silent. The rogue cultivators all lowered their heads, not daring to meet the gazes of the Sand Scorpion Alliance cultivators.
The bald man looked around, his gaze settling on Chen Jinshu, and grinned:
"This must be Master Chen Dan? Our Alliance Leader invites you to come to the 'Sand Scorpion Pavilion' for a chat."
Chen Jinshu put down his teacup and looked up: "I have no dealings with your alliance. What brings you here, Alliance Leader?"
The bald man clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone seemingly polite but conveying an air of unyielding authority: "The Alliance Leader has heard that Master Chen's alchemy skills are extraordinary, and has specially ordered me to come and invite you to discuss important matters."
As for the specifics… Master Chen will find out when he goes there.”
Chen Jinshu was silent for a moment, then stood up: "Lead the way."
……
Located in the center of Flowing Sand City, the Sand Scorpion Tower is the tallest building in the city, with five floors. It is carved from a single block of rock and is shaped like a crouching sand scorpion.
In the top-floor reception room, Chen Jinshu met "Sand Scorpion," the leader of the Sand Scorpion Alliance.
This person was of medium build and had an ordinary face, except for his long, narrow eyes that gleamed with a sharp light when they opened and closed.
He was dressed in a dark gold brocade robe, leaning back on a wide chair covered with animal skins, toying with a pair of pitch-black iron balls in his hands.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, please have a seat."
"Fellow Daoist, you have already established yourself in the West Market since you first arrived in Liusha City. Your alchemy skills must be extraordinary."
Chen Jinshu took his seat at the lower end of the table, his expression indifferent: "Alliance Leader, you flatter me. These are just some crude pills, enough to make a living."
Sha Xie laughed heartily, Iron Gallbladder spinning in his palm: "Fellow Daoist Chen is too modest. I invited you here today to discuss a cooperation."
He leaned forward, his gaze intense: "Fellow Daoist, are you aware of the 'Ancient Cultivation Relics Palace' that opens once every thirty years in Flowing Sand City?"
Chen Jinshu's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained expressionless: "I've heard a little about it."
"That ancient mansion is located in the 'Illusory Sand Valley', thirty miles outside the city. It contains ancient cultivation traditions, rare spiritual materials, and even... a chance to form a Nascent Soul."
"The next opening will be in three months."
"What is the alliance leader's intention?"
"The entrance to the ruins has a natural maze that can only be opened with a 'Quicksand Token.' I have one, which can bring five people in." A glint of light flashed in Sand Scorpion's eyes.
"I wish to invite fellow Daoist to accompany me. The ruins are rife with poisonous miasma and malevolent spirits. If a master alchemist were to accompany us, our safety would be greatly guaranteed."
In return, you may take 20% of the proceeds from the legacy.
Chen Jinshu lowered his eyes and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "The Alliance Leader has many Golden Core cultivators under his command, why did you choose me?"
Sand Scorpion's smile faded slightly, and he sighed, "To be honest, both the Blood Fiend Sect and the Five Poisons Sect sent people to the opening of the Lost Palace this time. The leader of the Blood Fiend Sect was 'Blood Hand Old Demon'."
He observed Chen Jinshu's expression and, seeing that she showed no sign of anything amiss, continued:
"The Blood Hand Demon has a past relationship with the Yin Sha Sect. This time, he ostensibly explores the Lost Mansion, but in reality, he is searching for someone."
Rumor has it that the man is a traitor to the Yin Sha Sect, possessing valuable treasures, who fled to the Western Regions. The Blood Hand Demon has already spread the word, offering a reward of five thousand mid-grade spirit stones for his capture.
Chen Jinshu raised his teacup and took a sip: "Is the Alliance Leader worried that his subordinate cultivators might be involved with the Blood Hand Demon?"
"One should always be wary of others," Sand Scorpion nodded.
"Fellow Daoist, you are new here and have a clean background, making you the perfect candidate."
Furthermore, given your status as a pill refiner, you have great potential within the Lost Mansion. What do you say? Would you be willing to cooperate with me? (End of Chapter)