Aside from the three hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones gained from the auction, Song Xianyun also drew another ten thousand from the clan treasury, rounding the sum up neatly. In total, Song Changsheng had four hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones at his disposal.
He also brought along the spoils of the last great battle: wolf pelts, bones, and other materials, as well as some spirit herbs and mineral ores.
This was no small sum of resources, and the great merchant guilds were more than happy to purchase such unprocessed raw materials, for they could turn a higher profit by refining them themselves.
Wolf pelts were not only useful in refining magical artifacts, but with special treatment, they could be fashioned into talisman paper. Talismans inscribed on such paper could be preserved for much longer, making them highly sought after.
As for wolf claws and bones, they were naturally excellent materials for forging artifacts.
Song Changsheng knew very well that processed goods would fetch a far higher price, but the sheer quantity made it impossible to refine them all in a short time. And if he waited too long, once Luoxia City drove back the beast tide, the market would be flooded with monster materials, and his haul would lose much of its value.
Yuan Prefecture lay to the north of Ling Prefecture, under the dominion of the Golden Crow Sect, with a regional governor stationed there.
Wanlong Chamber of Commerce maintained a branch in Yuan Prefecture, located several hundred thousand li away from the Wangyue Mountains. Thankfully, Song Changsheng had a flying vessel; traveling day and night, he crossed the distance in just five days.
Though also part of the southwest, Yuan Prefecture's prosperity far outshone Ling Prefecture's. Having been developed under the Golden Crow Sect's protection for over a millennium, it was densely populated and steeped in the flourishing Daoist arts.
Though the two great sects were still at war, Yuan Prefecture, sitting safely in the rear where the Golden Crow Sect's advance was unbroken, had barely been affected. The flow of cultivators through its skies remained as busy as ever.
Seated cross-legged on his flying vessel, Song Changsheng rested with eyes closed, silently calculating what resources he needed to purchase.
"The clan has no shortage of cultivation manuals for now.
Tier-three talismans are a must.
The clan's spirit plantation needs expansion, so we'll require some rare spirit plants.
The protective formation also has a few damaged nodes that need repairing, which means more formation materials…
And, if possible, I should try to acquire an Azure Sky White Jade Pill..."
Counting item after item, Song Changsheng was shocked to find that even with four hundred thousand spirit stones, he was still stretched thin.
"Indeed, spirit stones are never enough," he muttered with a bitter smile. The clan's needs were far too many; even this vast fortune would only tide them over for a while. It would not grant the Song clan a decisive leap in power.
At that thought, he retrieved a jade tablet from his storage pouch.
This was the relic he had obtained with Zhu Yiqun, Zhuang Yuechan, and others during their exploration of an ancient cultivator's cave, a tablet tied to a Blood Demon Sect treasure trove.
"For the Blood Demon Sect to have gone to such lengths to hunt it down, it must be a fortune of staggering scale. If I can seize it…" Song Changsheng's eyes gleamed as he stroked the jade, strange light flickering in their depths.
Just then, his expression tightened. In a flash, he jerked the flying vessel into a barrel roll through the sky. An instant later, a razor-sharp sword aura slashed through the space he had occupied.
"Who goes there?!" Song Changsheng barked, rising to his feet as the dark Measuring Heaven Ruler appeared in his hand. His eyes locked warily on the direction of the sneak attack.
He had only shouted out on instinct, not expecting an answer. Yet, to his surprise, a streak of sword light swept over from the distance, cutting him off. A figure appeared, a tall, broad-shouldered man in white robes, sword in hand, his bearing as aloof and unyielding as steel.
The man stood a full eight feet tall, his frame solid and imposing. Thick brows slanted upward toward his temples, his eyes filled with disdain as he gazed down upon Song Changsheng.
"Foundation Establishment at the very peak."
Since the man did not attempt to hide his cultivation, Song Changsheng gauged it instantly.
"And who might you be?" Song Changsheng asked coolly from atop his vessel, though his heart grew heavier. The man's aura was powerful; this was no common cultivator.
"I've heard you killed an officer of my Haoran Alliance," the white-robed man said coldly, ignoring the question.
The Haoran Alliance.
Song Changsheng's eyes narrowed. He had been extremely cautious since leaving his clan with such a fortune that only a few elders even knew he had departed. Yet this man had found him with precision.
That could only mean someone had been watching him from the shadows all along. And he had never noticed.
"You've yet to answer me," the man said again, his voice like a drawn blade ready to strike.
"And if I did? And if I didn't?" Song Changsheng replied evenly.
"If you didn't, you would die. If you did… perhaps you'll have a sliver of a chance." The man's tone was calm, as though pronouncing judgment over some trivial matter.
"Heh." Song Changsheng nearly laughed aloud at his arrogance. "My head is right here. If you have the ability, come and take it."
Though his opponent was one stage higher, Song Changsheng's disdain was clear. Threats meant nothing. Once the blades crossed, only the battlefield would decide who lived and who died.
A flicker of killing intent flashed in the white-robed man's eyes as he slowly raised the longsword in his hand. An indescribable aura gathered around him, radiating endless sharpness.
Shua!
Song Changsheng only saw a blur before his eyes. The man in white had vanished without a trace.
At once, his heart rang with alarm. He hastily put away his flying vessel into his storage pouch, then mounted his sword and shot straight upward, vanishing into the clouds.
Hum!
Suddenly, the white-robed man appeared directly above him, sword aura so fierce it made Song Changsheng's scalp prickle.
[Flickering Shadows]
Song Changsheng immediately darted sideways, causing the white-robed man's strike to miss.
When it came to movement arts, his Flickering Shadows was no less refined!
"Hah!"
With a sharp shout, Song Changsheng swung the Measuring Heaven Ruler, which erupted with ten thousand rays of light, crashing down at the white-robed man.
Clang!
Sword light flashed, and the Measuring Heaven Ruler was knocked back in an instant. The white-robed man blurred and vanished once more.
His footwork was exquisite. Even with his divine sense spread to its fullest, Song Changsheng could not track his position; the man seemed to have merged with heaven and earth, able to strike from any direction.
But Song Changsheng was not about to sit and wait for death. With a cold smile, he said, "Hmph, hiding in the shadows? Let me show you something!"
The Soul-Slaying Gourd spun into the air above his head, releasing a tide of azure flames. Within moments, a hundred-zhang radius was engulfed in the chilling blaze of the Earthfire Coldflame.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the flames at his feet were disturbed. A dazzling sword light tore through the sea of fire, aiming straight for his head.
"What a fierce sword intent!" Song Changsheng's face darkened. With a wave of his hand, yin and yang energies condensed into a shield before him, only to be shredded in an instant.
Fortunately, the Measuring Heaven Ruler intercepted the strike just in time.
Crackle, crackle!
Within the flames, the white-robed man's figure gradually emerged. A nearly transparent membrane shimmered around him, and wherever he passed, the Earthfire Coldflame recoiled as though meeting its natural nemesis.
"A fine treasure you've got there." Song Changsheng's gaze landed on the jade pendant at the man's waist, his tone calm.
With a single glance, he recognized it as a top-grade spirit artifact of the same rank as the longsword in his hand.
This opponent was not only powerful but also richly equipped.
Song Changsheng himself carried many artifacts, yet not a single one reached the grade of a supreme spirit artifact. His adversary, however, revealed two in the opening exchange alone.
And he was no fool; these could hardly be the man's only trump cards.
"If this is all you've got, then today will be your grave." The white-robed man stood proudly with his sword, his voice icy cold.
What had just transpired was, to him, nothing more than a warm-up. Now, he would fight in earnest.
"Come then," Song Changsheng answered evenly, his gaze calm, sword aura coiling around him. He, too, had grasped the power of sword intent; he was no inferior.
Clang!
The white-robed man said no more. Sword in hand, he lunged at Song Changsheng.
In an instant, sword light blazed, a rainbow storm of sword qi filling the skies.
Shua!
Unwilling to yield, Song Changsheng charged head-on. The two clashed violently, unleashing a storm of sword qi that swept away every cloud for miles around.
From afar, one could see two figures, one white, one green, colliding again and again within the raging tempest, sparks of sword energy erupting with each exchange.
The battle raged on for nearly half an hour.
The white-robed man's sword aura was savage and unpredictable, his movements supported by several exquisite spirit artifacts.
Song Changsheng, though slightly inferior in both cultivation and swordsmanship, compensated with superior battle instinct, his dual cultivation of body and Dao, and his collection of artifacts. For a time, he held his ground without faltering.
At this point, Song Changsheng no longer wished to drag things out. His hands flew through a series of seals as he bellowed:
"Mountain-Flipping Seal!"
A phantom seal engraved with rivers and mountains appeared before him. The white-robed man's eyes finally showed surprise.
He hurriedly summoned a scaled shield, yet another supreme spirit artifact that made Song Changsheng's eyes burn red with envy. This opponent was obscenely well-equipped!
Boom!
The great seal slammed into the shield. The white-robed man felt an indescribable weight crush down upon him, forcing his body into a rapid descent.
Yet his strength was formidable. Before being completely suppressed, he managed to resist the Mountain-Flipping Seal. For the first time since mastering this divine ability, someone had taken it head-on and emerged unscathed.
"Excellent," the man said, his arrogance finally replaced by solemn respect. "You've given me many surprises. Now… withstand my final sword. If you can, you may walk away alive."
At last, he began to take Song Changsheng seriously, truly acknowledging him as a worthy opponent.
Song Changsheng's gaze was cold, his lips sealed. This man was indeed the most troublesome adversary he had yet faced: not only formidable in strength, but wealthy beyond measure.
The white-robed man seemed unconcerned by Song Changsheng's attitude. He slowly closed his eyes, and in that moment, the world itself seemed to fall still.
A crushing sense of danger wrapped itself tightly around Song Changsheng.
Murderous intent gathered into a single point. The white-robed man raised his sword and swung it slowly, and that one stroke seemed enough to dim the blazing sun.
"Minor Divine Ability Sword That Shakes the Nine Heavens!"
The boundless killing intent locked onto Song Changsheng, sealing off every avenue of escape. This time, he could not rely on speed and footwork to slip away.
It was the first time he had ever faced a minor divine ability head-on.
Yet his eyes held no fear; he had his reliance.
Before him, a Taiji Diagram slowly unfurled. It looked fragile, glowing softly with white radiance, as though it might be torn apart with the gentlest touch.
Boom!
The surging sword qi crashed against the three-foot-wide diagram, only to stir a ripple before calming again to perfect stillness.
From beginning to end, Song Changsheng had not taken a single step back; not even the hem of his robe stirred.
A flicker of surprise crossed the white-robed man's eyes. This was the first time he had failed in front of a peer.
After crossing blows with Song Changsheng, he already knew the man's strength was no less than his own. He had imagined many possible ways his opponent might block this strike, yet he had not expected it to be so effortless, so unshaken.
The man prided himself on his word. Fixing his gaze on that Taiji Diagram, he sheathed his sword and lifted his chin slightly.
"Remember this name: Yu Dongyang. From this day forth, you have the right to be considered my equal. Whatever grudge lies between you and the Haoran Alliance, consider it erased."
Song Changsheng arched a brow, a hint of surprise flashing in his heart. He hadn't expected this fellow to have such a sense of principle. Still, that worked to his advantage.
Yu Dongyang's treasures were tempting indeed, but his strength was formidable. Song Changsheng was not confident he could defeat him outright.
Of course, Yu Dongyang could not press him either. If cornered, Song Changsheng had a devastating trump card hidden within his body; at worst, they could perish together.
Once he was certain Yu Dongyang had no further intent to attack, Song Changsheng retrieved his flying vessel and departed at speed.
When he was far beyond sight, ripples stirred faintly in Yu Dongyang's eyes.
He was of exalted birth, blessed with extraordinary talent. Long ago, he had been chosen as the future successor of the Haoran Alliance. Along the way, he had crushed countless so-called geniuses, never once tasting defeat.
Years back, he had heard Song Changsheng's name, but at the time, he dismissed him as far too weak, unworthy of attention.
It was only recently, when Alliance spies reported that one of their stewards had been cut down by Song Changsheng in public, and that throughout the duel he had not even revealed his face, that Yu Dongyang's interest was piqued.
Thus, he had volunteered to come demand justice.
But he had not expected Song Changsheng's strength to far exceed his estimations: exquisite footwork, endless techniques, mastery of both sword intent and a minor divine ability, and, according to intelligence, his physical strength was also astonishing.
Coupled with an arsenal of treasures, the man's body seemed to have not a single weakness. For the first time, Yu Dongyang had met someone truly difficult to handle.
"He's only in late Foundation Establishment now, and yet he fought me to a standstill. If his cultivation were equal to mine…" Yu Dongyang's expression shifted. "This Song Changsheng is a true monster."
"Next time we meet," he vowed, clenching his fist, eyes burning with unrestrained battle spirit, "I will defeat you openly, with honor!"
It had been a long time since he had felt such excitement.
...
Miles away, Song Changsheng knew nothing of Yu Dongyang's roiling thoughts. Yet in his own heart, he felt something much the same.
Since his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he had slain countless foes. Among his peers, no one could stand against him; even the older generation of Foundation Establishment cultivators found it hard to match him.
But today, he had met a peer who could fight him as an equal. That, too, stirred his fighting spirit.
He was young, still in the prime of his years. And at such an age, there was only one path: to press ever forward, without hesitation!
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 260+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader