37: Chapter 37 Surrounded by Tigers and Wolves

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chu Feng finally obtained some leisure time.

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the quiet room, where the scent of spiritual incense curled in the air.

His gaze turned toward the volume of the Heavenly Talisman Scripture on the table.

This scripture was a parting gift from Luo Feng. It was bound in dark cyan silk and rolled on a spindle made of millennium-old spiritual wood; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, with faint talismans shimmering on its surface.

Chu Feng unfurled the scroll, seeing talismans densely packed upon it like stars in the sky or the veins of a river; at first glance, he felt dizzy.

He focused his mind, calmed his Qi, and slowly probed the scripture with a wisp of his Divine Sense.

Before long.

A scene woven entirely from talismanic Dao patterns appeared in his eyes.

It was a vast Void Realm where countless golden talismans darted about like swimming fish, connecting, intertwining, separating, and recombining with each other; every change aligned with the supreme principles of heaven and earth.

These patterns, which appeared chaotic to others, were merely seven structural diagrams of the Beast Spirit Talisman in Chu Feng's eyes.

Each diagram was exquisite and peerless, far surpassing any Profound Rank talismans he had ever seen.

"This... is this not too simple?"

Chu Feng murmured aloud, his voice echoing in the quiet room.

He clearly remembered that when Luo Feng gifted the scripture, he had said it was profound and obscure, requiring ten years of diligent study.

Yet, he had only glanced at it once, and he had already fully grasped all seven of its core talismanic structures.

This is not right, is it?

Chu Feng stood up and went to the front of Jiang Miaoyi's quiet room.

He was just about to knock on the door.

The door opened automatically.

Jiang Miaoyi wore only a simple white Daoist robe, her long hair loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of black hair fell beside her temples.

"What is the matter?"

Her voice was calm, like an ancient well without ripples.

Chu Feng hesitated slightly and said, "Immortal Master Miaoyi, this Heavenly Talisman Scripture seems... not quite in line with what Elder Luo Feng said."

Jiang Miaoyi thought Chu Feng was finding it difficult to comprehend and said softly, "The Heavenly Talisman Scripture is indeed profound; do not be anxious."

"A Heavenly Talisman Master dispatched from headquarters will arrive in a few days; he is coming to guide you."

"Chu Feng, you must cherish this Opportunity. Heavenly Talisman Masters hold a lofty status in the pavilion; even ordinary Nascent Soul Elders must show them a degree of deference."

Chu Feng opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

He had intended to say that he seemed to have already fully understood the scripture, but he swallowed the words back.

After all, if he were to bluntly state that he had fully comprehended the core talismanic patterns of one volume of the Heavenly Talisman Scripture in just a few dozen breaths, it would be far too shocking.

It is better to be prudent.

"I... understand."

Jiang Miaoyi nodded slightly, said no more, turned, and returned to the quiet room. The door closed gently, cutting off the sounds from inside and outside.

...

Inside Xiaoyao Tower.

Deep within the winding corridors, there was a secluded pavilion surrounded by water on all sides, connected to the outside world only by a bamboo bridge.

Fairy Jiumiao leaned against the carved wooden window, gazing into the distance at the shadows of the green bamboo forest.

The bamboo leaves swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound like weeping and pleading.

Sorrow swirled in her eyes, and her slender white fingers unconsciously stroked the delicate wood grain on the window lattice.

A bronze mirror was placed on the table beside her, its surface clear, reflecting a face of peerless beauty.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains dusted with black, her eyes like ripples on autumn water, her nose exquisite, her lips like cherries, and her skin like congealed fat.

Such beauty, let alone in Nanshan Prefecture, would be considered top-tier even in Nanyun Continent.

But for the first time in her life.

She felt a bit uncertain about her own appearance.

"If I cannot even meet him once..." she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Suddenly.

The Spiritual Qi in the pavilion rippled slightly, and a figure appeared like a ghost.

The person was dressed in a black robe, their face hidden in the shadow of a hood; only a pair of eyes shone like cold stars, and the aura around them was as deep as an abyss. It was none other than the Master of Xiaoyao Tower.

Fairy Jiumiao hurriedly stood up and bowed, "Master of Xiaoyao Tower."

The Master of Xiaoyao Tower's expression was solemn; his gaze swept over Fairy Jiumiao's slightly haggard face as he said in a deep voice, "Tomorrow is the wine tasting banquet hosted by the Deputy City Lord of Red Moon City. I have secured a seat for you; this is your last chance."

He paused, his voice turning colder, "If you fail again, the tower will not waste another bit of resources on you. Jiumiao, you should understand that Xiaoyao Tower does not support useless people."

Fairy Jiumiao's body trembled slightly, her fingertips digging deep into her palms.

She bit her lip and whispered, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible choking, "As long as I can meet True Disciple Chu once, I will definitely... do my utmost."

Seeing this, the Master of Xiaoyao Tower sighed softly, his tone softening slightly, "Jiumiao, with your appearance and figure, you are considered outstanding in Nanshan Prefecture. If it were not for that previous misunderstanding, I believe you would surely have caught the eye of True Disciple Chu."

"Jiumiao... understands!"

The woman raised her head, and light reignited in her eyes.

That was the determination for a final struggle, the last vine grasped by someone falling off a cliff.

...

The night was already deep.

On the East Street of the First Ring of Red Moon City, in the residence next to the small courtyard where Chu Feng lived, Master Luoli sat alone on a high chair in the main hall.

She did not light any lamps or candles, relying only on the faint moonlight filtering in from outside the window for illumination.

She held a white jade wine pot in her hand, pouring and drinking aged spiritual wine by herself.

The fragrance of wine filled her body, permeating the silent hall.

Yet, there was not a trace of drunkenness in her eyes; instead, they were terrifyingly clear, like the deep water of a cold pool, without a single ripple.

She had been quietly waiting for a visit from that True Disciple Chu next door.

She believed that Chu Feng had understood the hints she gave in the small courtyard that day.

She had temporarily set aside the dignity of a Golden Core Immortal Master and the status of a branch head of Duobao Pavilion, seeking only an Opportunity.

But she waited and waited, and there was always silence before the courtyard gate.

"I do not have much time left..."

Master Luoli murmured to herself, tilting her head back to drink the remaining wine in her cup.

She had been stuck at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core for a hundred years; if she could not achieve a Breakthrough, her Lifespan would soon end.

Competition within Duobao Pavilion was fierce; her branch was weak, and the resources she could secure were limited.

And Chu Feng was her hope.

She stood up, walking barefoot on the cold stone floor, and entered the bedroom.

In front of the bronze mirror, she slowly removed her outer robe, revealing the simple white undergarment beneath.

The person in the mirror still possessed a face of peerless beauty.

At tomorrow's wine tasting banquet.

She must display her most magnificent side.

No matter the outcome.

She must struggle with all her might.

Master Luoli took out a purple-orchid long dress from her storage bracelet.

The dress was woven from millennium-old ice silkworm silk and adorned with 999 tiny moonstone gems; as she moved, it shimmered with brilliant colors, like a galaxy draped over her body.

This was a dharma robe she had treasured for many years, a rare Earth Rank Low Grade protective Magic Treasure.

She also took out a purple jade hairpin, the head of which was carved into the shape of a Phoenix spreading its wings, with two rice-grain-sized "Soul-Capturing Stones" embedded in its eyes, which could make others unconsciously focus their gaze upon it.

"The Golden Core Dao, the path of the Nascent Soul..."

Master Luoli looked into the mirror, slowly inserted the hairpin into her hair bun, and a complex smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Most Sect Cultivators in Nanshan Prefecture had to fight for their lives, engaging in open strife and veiled struggles, just to barely earn a sliver of resources.

Loose Cultivators were even more miserable; for a single Spirit Stone or a bottle of Medicinal Pill, they might be buried in the belly of a demon or die from the schemes of fellow Cultivators.

Now, there was no need to risk one's life; one only needed to pay a small price, and anyone would be willing to give it a try.

The longer one lives, the more one wants to live even longer.

This is human nature and also the fundamental driving force of cultivation.