Chapter 85: Chapter 83: Taking Stock of the Harvest

Song Ciwan vanished from the Escort Team. She left of her own accord.

Showing off her power was exhilarating, but the aftermath was bound to be a troublesome affair.

Song Ciwan considered herself still quite weak. Thus, rather than basking in the glory of the Mortal World, it was better to make a timely exit.

A wipe of her hand, a new face, and a new life began!

What Song Ciwan didn’t know was that just after she left, in the middle of the Escort Team, Third Master Luo, who was mingling with the crowd, was pinching his fingers together in a divinatory gesture, his brow furrowed in frustration.

He discovered he was utterly unable to divine Song Ciwan’s origins or destination!

Third Master Luo stroked the gourd at his waist with one hand while slowly tapping his other on the cart shaft before him.

The gourd suddenly twitched. A thin, ethereal voice that only Third Master Luo could hear whispered by his ear, its tone sharp and mocking. "Some people are so amusing. No matter what they see, they simply must divine its entire history, or they can’t rest easy. Go on, keep trying... You’ll never figure it out!"

Third Master Luo’s expression immediately shifted. He sent a telepathic message: "Are you casting a spell to cloud my senses?"

The ethereal voice from the gourd giggled. "So what if I am? Come and get me, tee-hee..."

Third Master Luo: ...

’This mischievous little thing infuriates me every single day. I’ll die of anger sooner or later!’

In Cangling County, between the beautiful and vast mountains south of Pinglan City and north of Suiyuan City, a Fox Demon was strolling through the wilderness.

He wore a simple, wide-sleeved Daoist robe. Despite having the head of a fox and the body of a man, he exuded a gentle, scholarly aura. The sight was surprisingly harmonious, making him seem more like a mountain spirit than a demon of the Mortal World.

His pace seemed slow but was deceptively fast. With every step, his figure flickered, reappearing over three hundred yards away in an instant.

This fantastical scene startled not a single creature in the mountains. The Fox Demon moved faster and faster. At first, he covered three hundred yards with each step, but soon he was crossing a thousand yards, then fifteen hundred, and eventually over three thousand yards in a single stride!

The magnificent peaks, beautiful ravines, and sprawling mountains beneath the Fox Demon’s feet seemed to shrink into a miniature diorama.

Just a few more steps, and the Fox Demon would have entered Pinglan City. Suddenly, from the gathering clouds ahead, a tall figure materialized. He wore a Seven-star Daoist Robe, and the Duster in his hand fluttered sharply in the wind.

This man walked upon the air, crossing hundreds of yards with each step. In an instant, he had blocked the Fox Demon’s path.

"Tushan Clan, Pinglan lies ahead. It is not a place for you to tread. Turn back at once. I do not wish to quarrel with you!"

The Fox Demon floated gracefully to a halt atop a mountain peak. Far from being agitated, he cupped his hands in a slight bow. "So it is Daoist Brother Duan Xinghun. Back in my clan, I heard that you were ranked thirty-sixth on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List. I have long admired you from afar. In fact, my long journey to Pinglan was precisely to meet you."

Duan Xinghun, the top personal disciple of Ye Lingguan of Pinglan City, a Celestial Pride of the Divinity Transformation Stage!

Standing amidst the clouds, he flicked his Duster lightly, his expression unchanging. "You came to see me for a challenge?"

Although the number one spot on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List was held by the Six-tailed Celestial Fox Tushan Jing, not every Fox Demon in the world was a celestial fox, not every Fox Demon was Tushan Jing, and certainly not every Fox Demon could make it onto the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List.

Tushan Jing was one of a kind in the entire Fox Race.

As for this member of the Tushan Clan, he was ranked seventy-ninth on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List!

His name was Tushan Keji.

Tushan Keji replied with perfect courtesy, "I did indeed come seeking a challenge. However, I just had an encounter with a certain teacher who taught me that ’The Dao of Heaven is to benefit, not to harm. The Dao of the Saint is to act, but not to contend.’"

"The words of the sages are subtle and profound. Though I have grasped but a sliver of their meaning, I feel I must put it into practice today."

"Daoist Brother, a physical duel will inevitably harm our cordiality. Why don’t we engage in a battle of wits instead?"

Duan Xinghun pondered for a moment, then flicked his Duster. "Very well."

...

Atop the peak, the man and the fox sat cross-legged, facing one another in their battle of wits. They debated the Dao, expounded on Dharma, demonstrated techniques, and veiled their cunning stratagems. Before long, they were completely engrossed.

The wind that blew past seemed to be sighing in admiration for this spectacular, unwatched contest.

In this world, there is so much splendor that never reveals itself to mortal eyes.

「Meanwhile」 Song Ciwan had burned several sets of clothes and changed her face and form multiple times before finally stopping about ten miles from Pinglan City.

The area wasn’t particularly remote. On one side was the vast Hengshui river, and on the other, sprawling fertile fields.

Farmsteads dotted the fields, their cyan tiles echoing the blue-green shadows of the distant mountains, creating the image of an idyllic landscape sketched in ink wash.

Song Ciwan adhered strictly to a few taboos she’d learned from the Escort Team: never enter the woods, and never cross open water.

Thus, she avoided secluded wilderness areas entirely.

Of course, while she avoided secluded locations, she could still employ a Blinding Technique.

The Sun and Moon Transformation Skill was, in essence, a profound Blinding Technique. Song Ciwan used this Blinding Technique’s illusions for cover, then employed the Fetal Transformation and Shape-shifting technique to mold her features into those of a handsome young man.

After changing her face, she used an Illusion Technique and the cover of the Duality Heart Protection Array to change her entire outfit, from her clothes down to her shoes and socks.

Finally, she sat cross-legged. She used the Dream-Entering Technique to soothe Big White Goose into a deep, sweet slumber, then summoned the Heaven and Earth Scale to take stock of her recent gains.

Though the Fox Demon was gone, the Heaven and Earth Scale had collected something wondrous for Song Ciwan.

[Fox Charm, the seeking of a Core Formation Stage Great Demon. Composed of anger, obsession, and epiphany. Weight: twenty-three taels. Can be traded.]

Resting on the Balance Plate was a mass of energy, pale green and white with a faint purple glow. Just looking at it for a moment made Song Ciwan’s eyes ache.

She quickly averted her gaze, her heart pounding in her chest.

’This thing... it has to be worth something incredible!’

Unfortunately, she had already used up her trades for the day. She would have to wait until Midnight to uncover the mystery.

Song Ciwan swallowed a Fuyuan Pill and regulated her breathing to recover her energy. At the same time, she pulled up the Insight Technique panel to check her current status.

She skipped to the important part:

Side Door Taoist Skill: Dharma Transmission (First Layer, Mastery 1106/10000)

Dharma Transmission had reached the Mastery level!

Debating the Dao with the Fox Demon had caused her proficiency in this Daoist Technique to improve by leaps and bounds.

Furthermore, during the half-month journey, Song Ciwan had sold the batch of [Great City Level Mutated Mysterious Ghost Spirit] she had obtained back in Huailing City.

Aside from the Sun and Moon Transformation Skill, her other gains had been substantial.

These included: [You have sold a Great City Level Mutated Mysterious Ghost Spirit, composed of confusion, joy, and sorrowful hatred. Weight: thirty-three taels. You have obtained the Marvel: Celestial Net Shield.]

Celestial Net Shield: A Four-star Level Marvel. After binding with its owner, it can automatically block any three attempts at divination. The item becomes inert after the third use.

[You have sold a Great City Level Mutated Mysterious Ghost Spirit, composed of sorrowful hatred, suffering, and joy. Weight: forty taels. You have obtained the Marvel: Purple Gold Sea-Swallowing Gourd.]

Purple Gold Sea-Swallowing Gourd: A Four-star Level Marvel. It can contain the water of an entire sea, which can be unleashed in an instant. Once the seawater has been unleashed, this item cannot be used again.

...