60: Chapter 60 Pan Ping Launches an Attack, Using the Tiger's Power as a Pretext

Inside the Inner Sect of Xuantian Sect, Nether Grass Field.

Qi Yang was squatting in the field, slowly loosening the soil for the nether grass.

In the secret room fifteen zhang deep underground, however, it was piled high with spoils looted from Blood Bone Forest.

"This wave is truly rolling in wealth."

Qi Yang was tallying his Storage Pouch in the secret room, his mouth split nearly to his ears.

There were fully tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and various poisonous herbs were piled up into a small mountain.

But what excited Qi Yang the most was an ancient Jade Slip dug out from the thin middle-aged man's personal secret box.

The Jade Slip was battered beyond recognition, but the contents recorded inside made Qi Yang's heart beat wildly without stop.

"earth core jade marrow!"

Qi Yang stared fixedly at the four characters on the Jade Slip.

In the Cultivation World, the Qi Condensation 9th Layer to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer is a watershed.

Qi Refining Tenth Layer means that the gaseous Spiritual Qi within the body begins to transform into a liquid state.

This is a perilous process; with the slightest carelessness, the Meridians will snap inch by inch, and one's cultivation will be completely ruined.

Those Prodigies with Three Spiritual Roots and Dual Spiritual Roots can forcefully liquefy it relying on Heaven-Defying Aptitude.

But for someone like Qi Yang who possessed a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots, his Meridians were as fragile as noodles; wanting to liquefy Spiritual Qi, the success rate was practically zero!

But this Jade Slip recorded that earth core jade marrow was a supreme spiritual object nurtured deep within the earth.

As long as one swallowed a drop during a Breakthrough, it could greatly stabilize the Meridians and raise the success rate of liquefying Spiritual Qi by at least fifty percent!

"This is simply a treasure tailor-made for me!"

Qi Yang rubbed his hands together in excitement.

The Jade Slip not only recorded the function of the earth core jade marrow, but also came with a fragmentary map.

The end point of the map pointed to a perilous Forbidden Ground outside the jurisdiction of Xuantian Sect, Ten Thousand Snake Valley.

"Ten Thousand Snake Valley... It's a bit tricky, but for a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer, I'll fight it out!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Qi Yang's eyes.

His current cultivation had just broken through the Qi Condensation 9th Layer not long ago, and he still had some distance to go before reaching the Peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation.

He had to plan in advance to get his hands on this earth core jade marrow.

Just as he was calculating, the sensory net on the ground suddenly transmitted a wave of fluctuation.

A cold, clear sword light landed outside the Nether Grass Field.

Su Qinghan had returned.

Her clothes were somewhat damaged and carried a faint smell of blood, but her entire Aura grew increasingly sharp, clearly having received great tempering from the slaughter in Blood Bone Forest.

Qi Yang immediately returned to the thatched cottage from the tunnel, put on that subservient, old farmer appearance, and walked out to greet her with a hunched back.

"With the Fairy returning in triumph, this old man's hanging heart can finally be put at ease!"

Qi Yang smiled with his face full of wrinkles, his gaze sizing up Su Qinghan all over.

"Fairy, you weren't injured, right?"

Su Qinghan looked at Qi Yang's concerned appearance, her icy gaze softening slightly by a fraction.

She fished out a small cloth bundle from her Storage Pouch and tossed it to Qi Yang.

"The mission went smoothly. When passing by the market town, I casually bought a few centuries-old wild ginsengs. Your old bones are severely deficient in vital energy and blood; take them to make soup and nourish yourself, lest you die in this grass field one day and I have to collect your corpse."

Su Qinghan's tone remained cold and detached, but the meaning behind her words made Qi Yang freeze slightly.

This lass would actually bring him tonic supplements?

It seemed that in her heart, he was no longer that burden who could be discarded at any time.

"Many thanks to the Fairy for the reward! The Fairy is truly a living Bodhisattva in Reincarnation!"

Qi Yang held the wild ginseng with both hands, putting on an appearance of deep gratitude to the point of tears.

Su Qinghan did not stay long; she still needed to return to Jianzhi Peak to report back on her mission, turning into a sword light and leaving.

Watching Su Qinghan's retreating figure, Qi Yang weighed the wild ginseng in his hand and smiled slightly.

"This lass is indeed becoming more and more humanly warm, but the storms of the inner Sect are not over yet."

...

Blood Bone Forest's smuggling stronghold was uprooted by Su Qinghan, and this news swept through the Xuantian Sect inner Sect like a hurricane.

Deacon Pan Ping of the Materials Hall was currently sitting in his Immortal Cave, trembling all over with anger, and kicked the red sandalwood table in front of him into powder with one foot.

"Trash! You're all trash!"

Deacon Pan Ping's eyes were scarlet, resembling a beast about to choose someone to devour.

The smuggling chain he had painstakingly operated for three years was completely severed!

The two trusted aides sent to assassinate Qi Yang had also vanished into thin air, leaving no trace alive or dead!

Cutting off someone's financial path was akin to killing their parents. Deacon Pan Ping had been stuck at the Qi Condensation 11th Layer for so many years, relying solely on this batch of supplies to exchange for a Barrier-Breaking Pill, but now it was all ruined!

"That old trash who grows nether grass! He definitely cannot escape involvement!"

Deacon Pan Ping gnashed his teeth.

Although reason told him that a Qi Condensation Third Layer with a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots couldn't possibly kill two practitioners of the Qi Condensation 9th Layer, he was naturally suspicious; he would rather kill by mistake than let anyone go!

Early the next morning, Deacon Pan Ping brought over a dozen Disciples from the Materials Hall and aggressively stormed the Nether Grass Field with a formidable Aura.

"Surround this patch of grass field for me! Do not let a single fly escape!"

Deacon Pan Ping shouted sternly and fiercely.

Qi Yang was holding a water ladle to water the plants. Seeing this battle array, he sneered inwardly, but outwardly put on an appearance of extreme panic, running up in front of Deacon Pan Ping.

"Deacon Pan... What are you doing? This old man's nether grass has been delivered in full quota on time!"

Qi Yang trembled all over, his voice even shaking.

"Stop playing dumb with your old man!"

Deacon Pan Ping stepped forward, releasing the terrifying coercion of the Qi Condensation 11th Layer, pressing down on Qi Yang like a massive mountain.

"I suspect you of hiding contraband Sect supplies, and today I must search your thatched cottage and grass field!"

The coercion of the Qi Condensation 11th Layer was indeed terrifying, but Qi Yang was now at the Qi Condensation 9th Layer; this bit of coercion was merely like a gust of wind to him.

Yet he still very cooperatively started coughing violently, even coughing up a few wisps of black blood.

"Search? Deacon Pan, this... this is not according to the rules!"

Qi Yang covered his chest, his cloudy old eyes staring fixedly at Deacon Pan Ping. Although his back was hunched, his tone did not yield an inch.

"Rules? Right here, I am the rules!"

Deacon Pan Ping gave a ferocious smile and waved his hand to signal his subordinates to make a move.

"Wait!"

Qi Yang suddenly raised his head, fished out two tokens from his bosom, and held them high.

One was the Personal Disciple communication Jade Slip given to him by Su Qinghan, and the other was the red sandalwood tablet for absolute autonomy over the Special Grade Herb Garden bestowed by Outer Sect Grand Elder Great Elder Li Changyuan!

"Deacon Pan! Though this old man's life is cheap, this wooden tablet was personally bestowed by the Grand Elder! Anyone holding this tablet is forbidden to enter without a written decree! If you forcefully search, you are showing contempt for Great Elder Li!"

Qi Yang's voice was hoarse yet resonant.

He paused for a moment, then shook that communication Jade Slip again.

"Moreover, this old man's wife is the Jianzhi Peak Personal Disciple Su Qinghan! If you dare to touch a single blade of grass in this grass field today, this old man will immediately crush the Jade Slip! At that time, when Elder Peak Master Wu Lie of Jianzhi Peak holds you accountable, can you afford to bear the responsibility?!"

Deacon Pan Ping's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, his complexion turning iron-blue.

He stared fixedly at the two tokens in Qi Yang's hand, the corners of his eyes twitching frantically.

Grand Elder Great Elder Li Changyuan was a powerhouse of the Foundation Establishment Stage; he could not afford to offend him.

Su Qinghan was currently the precious darling of Jianzhi Peak; he could afford to offend her even less!

"Good... What a sharp-tongued old thing!"

Deacon Pan Ping crunched his back molars to pieces, the murderous intent in his eyes almost condensing into substance.

"Let's wait and see! This old man doesn't believe that these two tokens can protect you for a lifetime!"

Deacon Pan Ping waved his large hand and retreated from the Nether Grass Field with his subordinates in dejection.

Watching Deacon Pan Ping's departing figure, Qi Yang patted the dirt off his body.

He knew that Deacon Pan Ping would definitely not let the matter rest.

The look in Deacon Pan Ping's eyes when he left just now clearly revealed a determined will to kill him!

Sure enough, late that night.

Qi Yang sat cross-legged in the secret room fifteen zhang deep underground, refining poisonous herbs.

Suddenly, his acute perceptual power captured a cryptic yet extremely violent fire-attribute Spiritual Qi fluctuation.

This fluctuation did not come from the ground, but from the rock strata deep beneath the grass field!

"Someone is setting up a formation underground!"

Qi Yang abruptly opened his eyes, cold radiance bursting forth from them.

He immediately extended his perceptual power downward along the rock strata.