57: Chapter 57 Struggle Amidst Bloodshed: Family Members Not Allowed to Accompany?

Second floor of Qiwu Pavilion.

Ye Linchuan stood before a wooden rack.

A row of wooden boxes was neatly arranged on the rack.

Each wooden box had a label attached, indicating the Materials.

To make a second-tier Puppet, quite a few Materials were needed.

Superior quality Ironwood, Beast Soul Crystal Cores, Snow Spider Silk... There were dozens of Materials, and none of them were cheap.

Ye Linchuan only bought four sets.

His Spirit Stones were limited, so he had to use them sparingly.

For an ordinary Cultivator, becoming a second-tier Puppeteer required years of hard work.

Only when they felt their skills were sufficient would they dare to attempt it.

Ye Linchuan was different; his insights came quickly, which saved him a great deal of time.

Returning to his residence, Ye Linchuan began to get busy.

With only two months left until the end of the year, he had to hurry with Talisman Making and Puppet crafting.

Consequently, he also reduced the time he spent interacting with Luo Yu and Pang Shiliu.

He even had to force out time to sit and Cultivate.

All the saved time was used to make Puppets.

No matter how busy he was, he would still go to Qiwu Pavilion every few days to sit for a while.

It was mainly to scout for information.

If Qiwu Pavilion had a way to leave, that would naturally be the priority.

One month later.

The sky over the market was still shrouded in blood-colored light.

The Loose Cultivators seemed to have gotten used to it and returned to their daily lives.

In secret, however, more and more Cultivators were teaming up to go to the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Although no one had been seen returning, people kept going in a steady stream.

Every Loose Cultivator had their own thoughts.

Perhaps some believed the Xuanming Sect, but most would not gamble their lives on a promise.

On this day, the cold wind howled, and the first snow of winter fell on Yunxi City.

Ye Linchuan was busy in his Talisman Making room when he unexpectedly received an invitation from Shopkeeper Chen.

He put down his talisman brush and headed to Baibao Pavilion.

The shop entrance was desolate and quiet.

Walking inside, the shop was completely empty.

Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, talismans, Formation Plates... all were gone.

Shopkeeper Chen was not at the counter either.

Ye Linchuan felt puzzled and walked towards the backyard.

He saw Shopkeeper Chen sitting alone under the old locust tree, quietly drinking tea.

"Fellow Daoist Ye has arrived."

Ye Linchuan sat down.

Shopkeeper Chen raised his hand in a salute, a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of bitterness, "The owner is leaving at the end of the year, but I... I cannot leave."

The words Ye Linchuan was about to speak were swallowed back.

Not knowing what to say, he could only listen quietly.

At this moment, Shopkeeper Chen lacked his usual shrewdness and slickness.

He was like an ordinary old man, recounting the bits and pieces of his life with Baibao Pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, you are a person with good fortune, so go."

"No matter what method you use, you must find a way to leave."

He swayed as he stood up and walked into the room, "These old bones of mine, I can no longer move."

Ye Linchuan stood up and watched Shopkeeper Chen's retreating figure.

A Late Stage Cultivator actually appeared somewhat unsteady.

He stood in the courtyard for a moment, feeling only heaviness in his heart.

"The world is cold and fickle!"

He finally gritted out these four words before turning and walking out of Baibao Pavilion.

Returning from Baibao Pavilion, Ye Linchuan called for Luo Yu and Pang Shiliu, and they drank all the spirit wine in his Storage Pouch.

He did not use his energy to neutralize the alcohol, letting the intoxication spread.

In a haze of Divine Sense, he pulled the two women beside him into his arms and removed their robes.

A period of intimacy followed, a fusion of spirit and flesh.

He did not know how long they lingered together.

Only then did the knot in his heart slowly dissipate.

Upon sobering up, he looked at Luo Yu and Pang Shiliu and sighed softly, "I lost my composure."

"Husband, do not say such things," Luo Yu said softly.

Pang Shiliu also rarely revealed a hint of tenderness.

Since the blood-colored sky had descended, they both understood that their husband was carrying a heavy burden in his heart.

"I will go to Qiwu Pavilion again to inquire for news!"

Ye Linchuan felt he could not wait any longer.

Regardless of whether Qiwu Pavilion had any information, he had to take the two women and leave before the end of the year.

Every extra day spent in Yunxi City meant one more point of danger.

He no longer wanted to delve into what the Xuanming Sect was really planning.

Only by staying far away from this place could he truly be at ease.

Ye Linchuan hurried to Qiwu Pavilion.

Upon seeing Shopkeeper Su, the other party's expression was grave, "Guest Elder Ye, you have come at the right time. The Nascent Soul Elder has important matters to announce."

The two stepped into the inner courtyard.

Shortly after, the other Foundation Establishment Guest Elders arrived one after another.

At this moment, the Nascent Soul Elder's voice rang out.

"Everyone, come in."

Inside the hall, they saw the purple-robed Elder again.

His expression was not as composed as before, and his tone was much colder, "At the end of the year, Qiwu Pavilion will withdraw from Yunxi City along with the Disciples of the Xuanming Sect. Stewards and Guest Elders may accompany us."

As soon as the words fell, a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder asked anxiously, "Elder Yi, may the Guest Elders bring their family members?"

The purple-robed Elder's face sank, "Did you not hear clearly? Only Stewards and Guest Elders may accompany us; those who do not wish to leave may stay behind!"

"That is all, get out!"

The Nascent Soul aura permeated the room, and all the Guest Elders turned pale.

Ye Linchuan steadied his body, circulating his spiritual energy to barely stand firm.

The few Foundation Establishment Guest Elders beside him all looked terrible.

Shopkeeper Su's brows were tightly locked.

Seeing Ye Linchuan looking at him, he shook his head slightly, "I fear the negotiations at headquarters did not go smoothly; they suffered some losses."

A Guest Elder surnamed Zhao's expression shifted, and he finally sighed, "If family members cannot accompany us, are we not just leaving them behind to wait for death?"

"Shopkeeper Su, you have extensive connections; could you plead with the Golden Core Steward to allow us to bring our family members?"

Shopkeeper Su said helplessly, "I can barely protect myself, I can only inquire on your behalf. Guest Elder Zhao, do not hold too much hope."

"Sigh... our pavilion has many externally hired Cultivators; now, none of them can leave."

"Later, I will go and probe for news again."

Ye Linchuan, Guest Elder Zhao, and the others did not leave, waiting in a private room on the second floor.

They drank cup after cup of spirit tea.

It was not until dusk that Shopkeeper Su appeared.

Everyone's eyes converged on him.

Seeing Shopkeeper Su's expression, everyone's hearts sank.

Shopkeeper Su entered, first drank a cup of spirit tea, and then sighed repeatedly, "The specific situation... could not be ascertained."

"I only know that to bring one more person, one must pay an extra price. Qiwu Pavilion can only prioritize the Stewards and Guest Elders first."

Although Ye Linchuan had expected this, hearing it still made his mind buzz.

He could leave.

But what about Luo Yu and Pang Shiliu?

How could he rest easy letting them go to Chunxiao Pavilion?

Not to mention Pang Shiliu, but Luo Yu...

Returning to the small courtyard in Yunxi Alley.

The sky had already darkened, with only the blood-colored light shrouding Yunxi City.

Ye Linchuan stood before the courtyard gate, gazing at the lights shining from the bedroom and the side room.

He took a deep breath.

He clenched his fists, then loosened them, then clenched them again, and finally slowly released them.

"Eighth Level of Qi Refining—in the end, it is still too weak."

Looking up at the blood-colored sky, he wished he could shatter it with a single punch.

But that was only a delusion.

Facing such a massive formation, let alone him—even if several Nascent Soul Cultivators joined forces, they would likely be helpless.

He took ten deep breaths in a row.

His expression returned to calm, and a hint of a smile even appeared at the corners of his eyes.

He stepped into the small courtyard.

He first went to the side room to chat with Luo Yu for a few sentences, then went to the bedroom to check on Pang Shiliu, before finally entering the Talisman Making room to sit cross-legged.

In the Immortal Cave ruins within the underground vein of Cold Fiend Valley, the traces of Cultivators had long since vanished.

On the fifth level.

Chunxiao Pavilion was still transporting Loose Cultivators in black robes and masks, ordering them to stand on the circular platform stained with mottled blood.

Sizzle~

The circular platform rotated.

The black-robed Loose Cultivator let out a shrill scream.

Some people's blood burned, and in an instant, they turned into ashes.

The withered Nascent Soul Elder was expressionless, the disappointment in his eyes deepening, "None of them will do. How did Ancestor Blood Fiend succeed back then? Continue!"

"There is not much time left."

"Wait another half a year; if still no one succeeds, destroy this place!"

Just as he was speaking, a Cultivator beside him suddenly pointed to the circular platform, "Elder, someone is holding on!"

The Nascent Soul Elder's expression brightened, and he flashed over, "Finally, one has succeeded; I can finally report back."

"Continue, if there can be one or two more..."

One month later.

The blood-colored sky became increasingly dark and dim, sometimes looking quite eerie.

The number of Loose Cultivators leaving Yunxi City had already exceeded several thousand and was still increasing.

The Xuanming Sect's outer gate enforcement team not only did not stop them but, on the contrary, intentionally allowed it.

In the Talisman Making room of the small courtyard in Yunxi Alley.

Ye Linchuan looked at the lively Puppet before him, a smile appearing on his weary face.

After consuming four sets of Materials and pondering day and night without rest, he had finally barely managed to craft a second-tier Puppet.

Come to think of it, he owed it to Luo Yu.

Although her white Puppet was only Medium Grade, the crafting technique was unique.

Especially the mechanism joints, which were neat and uniform, gave him quite a bit of inspiration.

Puppet crafting was different from Talisman Making.

Besides skill, it also required inspiration and immersion.

A flash of spiritual light appeared at Ye Linchuan's fingertips.

The Puppet seemed to gain life, flicking its tongue and coiling around his arm.

Although it was just a simple snake-like Puppet, its various functions were stronger than Luo Yu's white Puppet.

The best part was that it could be hidden in his sleeve.

If one did not use the Puppet Art, it would be difficult for Divine Sense to detect it.

It was most suitable for surprise attacks.

He controlled it for a moment and put it away with satisfaction.

Afterwards, he left the Talisman Making room and went to the quiet room to sit and regulate his breath.

Suddenly, Luo Yu's voice came from outside, "Husband, there is a female Cultivator outside the courtyard gate who says she is looking for you."