53: Chapter 53 I owe spirit stones, not my life.

Anning Prefecture, Lingran Realm.

This was the Bai family's residence in Anning Prefecture; of course, it was also a branch of the Bai family.

In a secret chamber, the Soul Transformation Cultivator Bai Yucheng had a face full of fury.

"How bold! The Bai family at the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine has been exterminated?"

"Ye Qingyang, you have failed the Bai family's cultivation."

With a single thought, a Soul Transformation Cultivator can sense heaven and earth; Ye Qingyang was transported to a different place in an instant.

"Old Ancestor."

Bai Yucheng didn't waste words; he grabbed Ye Qingyang's head and used his massive Divine Sense to perform a soul search.

A moment later, Ye Qingyang became dull and senseless.

"Xiao Hei!"

A black shadow flashed and devoured Ye Qingyang's Nascent Soul.

Poor Ye Qingyang had cultivated bitterly for nearly a thousand years and worked diligently at the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine for centuries, yet he could not escape ending up in a demon's belly.

In the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, Zhao Yi cautiously deactivated the Immovable Void Technique, feeling the lingering pressure of a Soul Transformation Cultivator.

"Run!"

"Run quickly!"

"I can't stay in this place anymore."

Fortunately, he was alone now and had no luggage, so he could run immediately without any delay.

In Pingcheng County.

Zhao Yi's figure suddenly appeared in the Teleportation Array.

"Anning Prefecture, hurry up and teleport!"

He tossed a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone into the hands of the teleportation official.

"A... a Nascent Soul True Monarch!?"

The teleportation official trembled and, without any hesitation, activated the Formation.

The light flared, and Zhao Yi's figure disappeared into the Teleportation Array.

Just as Zhao Yi's figure vanished, Bai Yucheng's voice echoed from mid-air.

"Seal all Teleportation Arrays immediately."

"A... Soul Transformation Old Ancestor?"

The teleportation official's eyes rolled back, and he fainted from sheer terror.

"Useless!"

Bai Yucheng reached into the void and grabbed a Cultivator dressed in official robes, pulling him over directly.

The Cultivator pulled over was none other than the Pingcheng County Magistrate, an early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator named Jian Zhen.

"Seal all Teleportation Arrays within Pingcheng County. Without my decree, no one is allowed to activate them."

"May I ask if your Excellency holds an official position?"

"According to the Great Yin Immortal Laws, ordinary Cultivators cannot interfere with the operations of the Immortal Dynasty."

A bronze seal floated above Jian Zhen's head, inscribed with 'Seal of Pingcheng County,' emitting a thick aura of Luck. With this seal, he had enough power to protect himself in front of a Soul Transformation Cultivator.

"A mere County Magistrate, laughable!"

With a slap, Bai Yucheng sent Jian Zhen flying several hundred meters.

A bronze seal, slightly larger than the Pingcheng County Magistrate's seal, appeared before Jian Zhen.

When Jian Zhen saw it, his expression changed.

"Yes, yes, this lowly official will comply immediately."

Bai Yucheng snorted coldly and his figure vanished, reappearing at the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine.

"Zhao Yi."

His cold voice resounded throughout the entire Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, but there was no response.

"What an exquisite concealment technique."

"But before absolute cultivation, all is in vain."

Bai Yucheng stepped on the Eight Trigrams, moving continuously in mid-air and chanting under his breath. After a moment, he shouted,

"Nine Chapters of Great Derivation."

"Where is Zhao Yi?"

There was no response from the void.

Bai Yucheng asked again, "Where is Zhao Yi?"

"Interesting."

The Nine Chapters of Great Derivation was a divination technique. Not to mention Nascent Soul Cultivators, it could even deduce things about Soul Transformation ones. Yet now there was no information, which indicated that Zhao Yi was either accompanied by a Cultivator above the Soul Transformation Stage, or he had entered a place of flourishing Luck that blocked the divination of the Nine Chapters of Great Derivation.

In either case, it meant that Zhao Yi should be far away from Pingcheng County by now, making Bai Yucheng's sealing of the Teleportation Arrays a joke.

"Magistrate Jian, lift the restrictions on the Teleportation Arrays."

At the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, Bai Yucheng looked at the devastated mountain.

"Without realizing it, this mine has been excavated for over eight hundred and forty years, providing my Bai family with a vast amount of Spirit Stones. Now, it's tasteless to keep but a pity to discard."

Otherwise, Bai Yucheng wouldn't have killed Ye Qingyang without hesitation.

After some thought, Bai Yucheng's figure slowly vanished from the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yi, whom Bai Yucheng was searching for, was currently being blocked by a group of Cultivators in the Anning Prefecture First Cultivation Academy.

"Zhao Yi!"

"We thought you were hiding?"

"Wasting our time, making us wait in your hometown for four years for nothing."

"Hurry and return the Spirit Stones."

"You went to my hometown?"

After thirty years of cultivation, although he no longer had any relatives at home, Zhao Yi didn't want to ruin his reputation.

Cultivating for decades only to end up with a pile of debt—it really wouldn't sound good if word got out.

"We did!"

"Inside and outside the village, inside and outside the township, inside and outside the county, we searched for you for a full four years."

Zhao Yi...

No need to ask; he must be a celebrity in his hometown now.

"Hurry up and return the Spirit Stones today."

"Four years, with twenty-four percent interest each year. Now you owe a total of 9,456 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. We'll waive those eighty-five purple gold coins."

"Hurry and give us the Spirit Stones..."

The leading Cultivator, unshaven and with early-stage Golden Core cultivation, thrust his hand in front of Zhao Yi, looking like he'd deal with him if he didn't have the Spirit Stones.

"H-how much?"

Zhao Yi was a bit dazed. He thought he had only borrowed four thousand; how did it more than double in the blink of an eye?

"9,456 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Come, come, let me calculate it for you."

The Golden Core Cultivator's finger glowed, and a series of numbers appeared in the air,

4000×1.24×1.24×1.24×1.24=9456.85504

"See? No mistake, right?"

Zhao Yi...

"No Spirit Stones?"

"How have you been living these past four years?"

"Have you been working hard? Have you been frugal?"

"Did you never even think about returning these Spirit Stones?"

"You penniless Cultivators."

"Seize him."

The several Cultivators who were behind Zhao Yi pounced like wolves and tigers, pinning his arms.

"Wait, wait."

"I remember I owe Spirit Stones to the academy. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with you guys, does it?"

"Who says?"

"Look at this, isn't this what you signed?"

The Golden Core Cultivator took out a piece of white jade paper; it was indeed the contract signed with the academy back then.

"That's not right. I don't remember the interest being this high."

"Look here..."

The Golden Core Cultivator pointed to a gap in the contract, where there was a line of small print: Annual interest rate 24%.

"Holy shit!"

"I don't accept this. I want to see Elder Bai."

Mentioning Elder Bai, Zhao Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Fuck...

Bai...

He had a bad premonition.

"In your dreams. Is Elder Bai someone you can see whenever you want?"

"Search him!"

"How dare you!"

Seeing that he was about to be body-searched by several men, Zhao Yi got anxious.

He was afraid; these guys looked so wretched, clearly up to no good.

"Dare?"

The Golden Core Cultivator released his full cultivation, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify.

He smiled half-heartedly and said, "Let me reintroduce myself: Golden Core Cultivator, Hui Peng."

"So you're at the Golden Core stage."

Zhao Yi pretended he had just found out.

"I owe Spirit Stones, not my life. There's no need for this, right?"

Zhao Yi twisted his waist, revealing the Cultivator behind him, whose hand was currently on Zhao Yi's buttocks.

"Dammit, I'm a man."

"Hehe, we happen to like male Cultivators. Female Cultivators aren't interesting anymore."

"What the hell!"

Zhao Yi's worldview shattered.

"I intended to talk to you as an ordinary person, but I didn't expect you to be such perverts. I'm laying my cards on the table."

"I, Zhao Yi..."

"am a Nascent Soul True Monarch!"