“You!!”
That Spirit Water Cultivator’s expression instantly changed drastically.
His magical power churned all over his body, releasing an intense, overbearing pressure.
—A Third-Rank Spirit Cultivator!
Lu Chen gave a cold snort.
A Third-Rank Spirit Cultivator acting this arrogant?
He had noticed earlier that this guy wasn’t holding back his magical power at all, and it vaguely gave off a Third-Rank vibe.
Now that he was unleashing it fully, it was indeed confirmed.
Man, it’s only Third-Rank.
I have four people as strong as you!
No, five!
Now, Sun Yourong counts as one too.
And Sun Yourong had actually already promised to act as his bodyguard before he even got here.
Then came a “swish” sound.
A black, mysterious light, as sharp as a blade, sliced across the entire meeting room in an instant.
Looking at Sun Yourong again, she now held in her hand a magnificent, domineering, Hua Xuan-styled broad axe, even taller than she was.
Wow, what a stunning contrast—a girl who looks like a mighty deity!
This move by Sun Yourong truly impressed Lu Chen.
Turns out a girl holding a broad axe can be this cool!
Sun Yourong then glared at the Spirit Water Cultivator with a hostile look.
And Spirit Water clearly hadn’t expected that this young girl, who seemed not very old, was also a Third-Rank Spirit Cultivator, and what’s more, she worshipped a famous martial deity known for its strength—the Mighty Spirit God!
He twitched his mouth, and after his brain frantically calculated the situation, he also became a bit hesitant.
“Alright, alright, for the sake of my face, let’s all calm down.”
Secretary Wang and Clan Leader Chen, seeing both sides on the verge of a fight, quickly stepped in to mediate.
Spirit Water’s eyes darted around, then he snorted, took the chance to back down, and withdrew his magical power.
“Brat, you’ve got some nerve. I’ll remember you!”
“Hmph, you’d better not make so many threats.”
Lu Chen didn’t care at all.
Sun Yourong also put away her Hua Xuan broad axe.
“Sister Sun, that was so awesome!” Lu Chen gave her a thumbs up. “Incredibly cool.”
Sun Yourong rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.
“Niece Sun, you two sit down first. Let me finish talking with this cultivator, then we can catch up.”
Secretary Wang clasped his fists apologetically.
Sun Yourong nodded and sat down together with Lu Chen.
Then the Spirit Water Cultivator said, “Secretary Wang, Clan Leader Chen, I’ve said everything I need to say. I can first give you a demonstration so you can see the goods. If you agree, then the things I want must be given to me first. Otherwise, no deal.”
“Well…” Secretary Wang looked over at Clan Leader Chen, only to see the latter’s brows furrowed deeply again.
“Cultivator, forgive my bluntness, but our clan has rules: the Unicorn Blade and the Mystical Text of Communing with Spirits are absolutely not to be passed outside. Please change your terms. Even a Sixth-Rank heavenly treasure, as long as you can resolve the great disaster facing our Dragon Tiger County, we would be willing to exhaust our family fortune and offer it to you with both hands!”
“What? The Unicorn Blade? The Mystical Text of Communing with Spirits!?” Sun Yourong’s expression changed drastically upon hearing this. “This guy really dares to ask for those!”
“What’s wrong?” Lu Chen saw her intense reaction.
Sun Yourong lowered her voice: “These two items are the ultimate treasures of the Chen Clan. I told you earlier that Dragon Tiger County is extremely skilled at making divine statues. I was actually referring to the Chen Clan. The reason their divine statues are so effective is because of these two items. The Mystical Text of Communing with Spirits contains the secret art of inviting spirits. Learning this art increases the effectiveness of invoking spirits into a finished statue by thirty percent. If paired with the ancestral Unicorn Blade, that’s another twenty percent. Rumor has it, if you combine these two items with Tengyun Wood, the resulting divine statue can invite any deity, whether they achieved sainthood through merit or are primordial spirits. However, there are only two exceptions…”
“Which two?” Lu Chen asked curiously.
“First are the Sages. A Sage’s essence exists in infinity. Simply put, their level is too high for mortals to request an audience with. The second type: deities who achieved sainthood through their own physical cultivation. These types of deities don’t need incense offerings and don’t like being worshipped. Even if you make a statue for them, you can’t sense the corresponding deity, let alone obtain their consent to send down a wisp of their spirit to reside within and form a divine seat.”
“Attaining sainthood through physical cultivation?!” Hearing these four words, Lu Chen’s gaze sharpened, naturally thinking of a few specific individuals.
While they were talking,
the Spirit Water Cultivator snorted again, then shook his head. “No, while a Sixth-Rank heavenly treasure is indeed precious, what I want is the Unicorn Blade and the Mystical Text of Communing with Spirits.”
Clan Leader Chen narrowed his eyes, his voice somewhat cold as he asked, “Cultivator, why are you so insistent on having these two treasures of my Chen Clan? If you need to worship some deity, just tell me. Except for the Three Pure Ones, the Six Imperial Rulers, and deities who attained sainthood through physical cultivation, I can make any deity you want. I can make as many as you need!”
The Spirit Water Cultivator smiled and said, “Clan Leader Chen, no need to ask so many questions. Since I want them, I naturally have my uses. Give me a straight answer. Do you agree or not? If not, my wife and I will leave right now.”
With that, the two of them got up.
The woman with the red spots picked up the Spirit Water Cultivator as if he were her own son.
“Wait!”
Seeing that they really were about to leave,
Secretary Wang immediately called them to a halt and said to Clan Leader Chen, “Old Chen, why don’t we… give it a try first? A trial doesn’t mean we have to give him the items.”
Clan Leader Chen thought for a moment, then sighed. “Well… alright, let’s try first and then talk.”
“Now that’s more like it. Agree or not, let’s be quick about it.” The Spirit Water Cultivator curled his lips into a smile, but it looked uglier than most people crying.
“Come, let’s go outside. I’ll give you a demonstration right now!”
With that, the group filed out.
Lu Chen and Sun Yourong exchanged a glance and naturally followed.
At the county government office.
Everyone gathered in a line.
The Spirit Water Cultivator and his wife stood at the front.
“Secretary Wang, Clan Leader Chen, I’ll start with a small demonstration. I’ll use my arts to make it rain within a hundred meters of here. If you’re satisfied, once the materials are gathered, I’ll use my arts to make it rain over the entire Dragon Tiger County!”
“Then we’ll trouble you, Cultivator!”
As soon as he finished speaking,
the woman with the red spots was the first to offer up a small blue flag. The patterns and words drawn on that flag were actually a shocking crimson red. From a distance, it looked like there were patches of un-dried bloodstains on the flag.
“This is!!”
The moment they saw this flag, both Lu Chen and Sun Yourong’s expressions turned serious at the same time.
Secretary Wang and Clan Leader Chen also exchanged a glance, their faces changing color.
Even Secretary Wang, who had been so enthusiastic before, put away his smile and looked grave.
After the Spirit Light Cultivator murmured something to himself,
he suddenly shouted, “Wind, rise!”
“Whoosh~”
A fierce wind suddenly picked up, whipping up clouds of dust and sand, blinding everyone.
“Clouds, gather!”
At his next command,
Lu Chen felt the sky above him suddenly darken. He looked up and indeed saw a mass of black clouds gathering!
“Look! Black clouds!”
“It’s raining! It’s really going to rain!!”
“Heavens! Could the calamity of our Dragon Tiger County truly be lifted?”
Just seeing the black clouds
sent the people from the county office into indescribable excitement. What might seem ordinary to outsiders was, in their eyes, a miracle!
The Spirit Water Cultivator looked pleased with himself. He changed his finger gestures, cast a spell into the small flag, and shrieked sharply, “Rain, come!!”
In an instant, raindrops began to fall from the sky, pattering down onto this parched land.
“Hiss!”
Rain after a long drought.
Countless plumes of white steam rose instantly. This land seemed like a fish dying of thirst, desperately absorbing the moisture.
That white steam was actually water vapor, instantly forming rolling waves of heat that spread outward.
Fortunately, Secretary Wang was quick. He used a magical art to form a light shield in front of everyone, blocking the steam.
At that moment, aside from Lu Chen and Sun Yourong, everyone else fell into unprecedented frenzy!
“It’s raining!! Our Dragon Tiger County is finally raining!!!”
“Ah!!! After three years, I finally see rain again!!”
Suppressed cheers erupted like a volcano. Some people even rushed into the rain, opening their mouths to drink freely.
After the white mist cleared,
the Spirit Water Cultivator and his partner walked over with their hands behind their backs. They, too, had a protective shield around them.
“So, Secretary Wang, Clan Leader Chen, are you satisfied?”
Lu Chen noticed that the two men’s faces showed no sign of joy. Instead, they were more serious than before, with a hint of hostility in their eyes.
“It seems they’ve noticed too,” Sun Yourong whispered.
Lu Chen nodded slightly.
Secretary Wang then narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: “So this is the source of your confidence, sir. Forgive my frankness, but you are far too audacious!”
The Spirit Water Cultivator laughed heartily. “Secretary Wang, no need to be so tense. Since I dared to come, I’m naturally not afraid of you seeing through me. Besides, since I arrived, I’m confident I can leave!”
He changed his tone, his voice laced with persuasion: “Dying from poison is better than dying from thirst. Besides, this water has no strong poison. Other than not being able to nurture life, what difference is there between it and ordinary clean water? You should think twice, don’t miss this golden opportunity.”
As Lu Chen listened, he thought to himself.
Earlier, Sun Qingcang was always going on about heretical cultivators.
He never thought he’d actually encounter one today.
This so-called “rain-summoning art” of his was clearly a heretical technique.
Rain is the essence of heaven and earth, a blessing to all life, nourishing everything!
It contains infinite vitality.
But what he had just brought down wasn’t rain at all; it was a puddle of stagnant, lifeless water.
What’s more, that lifeless water was tainted with a trace of evil energy.
Drinking this water for a long time would be like quenching thirst with poisoned wine!
“Geez! I can’t believe a criminal would dare to show off his skills right in front of the cops!”
Lu Chen had seen it all now.
“Whose man is this guy? How can he be this brave?!”
