Chapter Nineteen: Passing Through the Mortal World
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Yuedong looked at Qinglan and couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re really living carefree now.”
Qinglan munched on a candied hawthorn stick, murmuring, “I’m just curious, want to taste it.” She glanced at Yuedong with a playful glint in her eyes. “Isn’t this your first journey far from home? Don’t you find it all new and exciting?”
Yuedong, clutching the formation map tightly all along, smiled softly at her words. “It is indeed quite interesting.”
...
On the continent, cultivation is rooted in spiritual energy. Humans awaken their spiritual roots and harness spiritual power to embark on the path of cultivation. The demon race, on the other hand, descends from beast demons, inheriting demonic magic through bloodlines. Only a rare few are formed from spiritual creatures of heaven and earth, shaped over the ages.
Countless years have seen endless conflicts and wars between the two races, with humans enduring great suffering.
Relatively speaking, demons are more numerous, and human cultivators are few. Mortals cannot contend with demons, so the main theme in the cultivation world is the opposition between cultivators and demons.
Five thousand seven hundred years ago, as demon incursions grew rampant, the sages of the cultivation world rose to the challenge. With wisdom surpassing the mortal realm and profound cultivation, they united to build an impregnable barrier, completely severing the conflicts between the two races.
Across the vast lands of the Eastern Wilderness, the boundless waves of the Western Sea, and the deep, secretive forests of the Coldwood, mighty passes and perilous strongholds rose like mountains, winding and stretching over thousands of miles.
Disciples and elders from various sects often appeared here.
Yet these defenses could not block everything. Momentous battles still erupted during critical moments. Therefore, major sects joined forces and, based on the distribution of the continent’s spiritual energy sources, boldly delineated the Human Realm. Since then, the Human Realm became the cradle where humanity flourished, with about seventy percent of the populace living in peace and prosperity, enjoying the harmony and tranquility forged by cultivators with their own flesh and blood.
However, not all cultivators wished to be constrained by sect rules. Some, adhering to the independence of heritage and bloodline, chose a different path.
It was these individuals who founded the great clans. They refused to spread their arts beyond their families, giving rise to the clans and the supreme ruler of humanity—the Human King.
The Human King represents the pinnacle of secular power and serves as a bridge connecting commoners, clans, and sects, maintaining harmony and prosperity in this sacred land.
The Mu family is one of the five great clans of the present era, and the place Qinglan and her companions had arrived at was Chiyun City, the closest major city to the Zhu family.
Qinglan’s emotions fluctuated; this was an area heavily influenced by clan power, and she had a bad feeling.
...
Soon, lively noise came from nearby.
In front of a weapons shop, a crowd gathered, and among them two figures clad in blazing red stood out prominently.
A middle-aged man in plain gray robes stood inside the shop, his face tired and helpless. “Miss Zhu, this Azure Shadow Whip is the treasure of my shop. I truly can’t bear to part with it.”
Before him stood a girl named Zhu Ning, a descendant of the Zhu family’s head lineage. She wore a fiery red dress and held herself proudly, her gaze firm and passionate. “This treasure can only be wielded by me. Why insist on keeping it?”
Looking down on the shopkeeper, she continued, “If you think me insignificant and unworthy of this spiritual weapon, then let my aunt discuss it with you.”
At her words, a middle-aged woman in a splendid golden silk robe stepped forward—Zhu Yue. An aura of unyielding authority and mild dignity radiated from her brows.
Zhu Yue smiled faintly, her tone gentle but commanding, “This whip truly complements Ning’er perfectly. Currently, such spiritual weapons fetch around a thousand lower-grade spirit stones on the market. We can pay you now.”
Seeing the shopkeeper silent and struggling, her smile vanished, and her tone shifted, “Or do you think the Zhu family temple is too small to hold your spiritual weapon?”
The shopkeeper’s expression darkened. He sighed deeply and entered the shop. Shortly after, he returned holding a shimmering green glow and an ancient, simple box.
Qinglan was momentarily stunned, her eyes immediately drawn to the whip.
It was a whip imbued with the essence of wood.
The whip’s body flowed with deep green hues, wrapped in delicate vine patterns. In the mottled sunlight, it shimmered mysteriously and vividly.
Yuedong asked, “Interested?”
Admiration flickered in Qinglan’s eyes. “This Azure Shadow Whip is indeed a rare spiritual weapon, and I do enjoy wielding a whip.”
Yuedong chuckled softly.
In the vast weapon hierarchy of the cultivation world, Dao Devices reign supreme, dominating all others. Only those at the Dao Mystic level of the fourth realm can wield such powerful weapons. Spiritual weapons follow, suitable for cultivators from the Initiate Spirit stage to the Spirit Origin stage.
Both Dao Devices and spiritual weapons are divided into four grades: lower, middle, upper, and supreme.
Like the Thorn Blood Spike—though extraordinarily sharp—it is merely an ordinary weapon as it emits no spiritual energy.
Spiritual weapons, a special category among cultivator arms, are meticulously carved and repeatedly forged by skilled craftsmen. They can amplify a cultivator’s spiritual power release far beyond ordinary weapons.
Yet Qinglan couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Most spiritual weapons are valued at the upper range of lower-grade spirit stones, worth several thousand or more. This aunt and niece duo immediately pushing the price to the lowest level and pretending to be generous—it’s quite laughable.”
...
Zhu Ning’s eyes sparkled with longing for the spiritual weapon. She eagerly said, “You really know when to advance and retreat. In that case, I will—”
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Before she could finish, a calm male voice abruptly interrupted.
“I want this spiritual weapon as well.”
A man in dark robes approached steadily, his steps measured and demeanor refined.
Zhu Ning’s expression changed instantly, casting him a displeased look. “But... you’re from the Wen family?”
A faint smile curved the man’s lips. “Yes.”
Zhu Ning raised an eyebrow, displeased yet puzzled. Why had the Wen family come to Chiyun City?
The man’s gaze was calm as he spoke evenly, “Since you have not yet paid the spirit stones for this weapon, I naturally have the right to join the bidding.”
Zhu Ning exchanged a slightly resentful glance with her aunt. The atmosphere turned tense. They had pressured the shopkeeper for half a month and were about to succeed when an opponent they could not ignore appeared.
The shopkeeper smiled bitterly, already resigned. Today, it seemed unlikely the weapon would remain in his hands.
“Forget it. This whip will not be exchanged for spirit stones today.”
He slowly drew from behind his back an ancient, simple box and gently lifted the lid. A cold gleam flashed, revealing a bow and several arrows resting inside.
Qinglan’s eyes brightened slightly.
This was even better!
“This is my most cherished creation, but unfortunately, over the years I have never mastered the ultimate forging that balances offense and defense, so it remained incomplete.”
“This is a lifelong regret,” the shopkeeper said, gazing at the bow and arrows with deep sorrow. “Today, whoever can complete this spiritual weapon shall have the Azure Shadow Whip as well.”
Outside the shop, the crowd gradually fell silent.
...
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