Chapter 97
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Chapter 97: Gathering of Jade Symbol Disciples
The poison dragon eel is toxic and, while it might not claim dominance, few dare to provoke it near the coastal waters.
Li Hui indeed possessed numerous ancient texts in his mind, but most of them were outdated. After five hundred years of immense change, he found himself puzzled, eventually locating the right place.
The journey was relatively safe, but he found an island reef and fed the poison dragon eel once more.
This great creature had a huge appetite; when it burrowed into the seabed, it expended almost no energy. However, using it for a sea voyage was exceedingly draining, and it only consumed toxic substances, refusing anything else.
Linggui City was similar to Giant Shell City; the latter served as a habitat for countless giant clams, producing large pearls known as battle pearls, while Linggui City was close to the nesting grounds of spirit turtles.
Every summer, countless spirit turtles crawled onto the shore to lay their eggs, shedding tears from the pain of doing so. Once these tears dried, they crystallized into a substance called "spirit salt," which, when sold outside of Dalong, could easily yield profits of twenty to fifty times.
Salt merchants accumulated wealth, and while Giant Shell City catered to the Concentrating Spirit stage, Linggui City drew closer to the Condense Essence Stage. Sea area practitioners seldom visited Giant Shell City but frequently flocked to Linggui City. Over time, this accumulated development made Linggui City increasingly vast.
Although this city fell within the influence of the Jade Symbol Sect, it was never governed by them. Instead, multiple salt merchants created a commercial alliance which occasionally offered discounts when the Jade Symbol Sect opened shops.
Thus, Linggui City wielded dominance, with intricate ties among various forces. Even though the Three Sects and Four Sects could easily eradicate the Jade Symbol Sect, they became cautious when facing Linggui City…
Li Hui gazed from afar at Linggui City, resembling a giant turtle lazily basking in the sun, with eyes full of awe; none of the cities in Dalong he had seen could compare.
In fact, even from a distance, he could not see the end of its walls. Suddenly enlightened, he understood why Bai Yulian and Mo Xinghe came here to seek sea vessels—only cities of this scale could provide ships for long voyages.
After landing, Li Hui turned back to the poison dragon eel, grinning, “Embroidered Ball, wake up! Quickly help me shrink Chongguang down to the size of my belt.”
“Are you daydreaming?” Embroidered Ball almost exploded with rage.
“I’m not! I wasn’t asleep; what dream? I just want to split the monthly assistance into four times! I’m trying to help you complete your quest, which means you’ll gain your freedom next month.”
“No way, not a chance! You’re too crafty!”
“Crafty? You are a senior of the Jade Symbol Sect. During this critical time, shouldn’t you help the juniors a little? I’m not asking for the restoration of the sect; I merely wish to leave its legacy in the world before my time is up!” Li Hui spoke earnestly, even heroically; this was from his heart.
No matter what, he was a member of the Jade Symbol Sect. Even if the higher-ups treated him unfavorably and showed him no kindness, he benefited from the kindness of the elder Chen Mengde, allowing him to find a way out in times of crisis.
Thus, on behalf of the once glorious Jade Symbol Sect, Li Hui wanted to ensure the perseverance of the previous generations’ hard work.
“Alright, quit with the melodrama in front of me! It’s just about shrinking a mud eel. Just make good use of the storage talismans,” Embroidered Ball appeared impatient, yet felt quite moved, knowing that the glorious era of the Jade Symbol Sect was established by his efforts.
The talisman light touched the center of the poison dragon eel’s forehead, and Li Hui witnessed it in fascination.
In an instant, the poison dragon eel, which could reach a length of a hundred feet, began to sway uncomfortably, its surroundings expanding while it shrank rapidly, stopping at the thickness of an adult arm and could contract no more.
Embroidered Ball commented, “Put it in the bag of treasures. Don’t use it often, and within a few expansions and contractions, the seal on its forehead will collapse.”
“Thank you, senior!” Li Hui clasped his fists in gratitude.
This poison dragon eel was crucial for him. Having set his sights on the vast ocean, he couldn’t afford to be caught unprepared by unexpected circumstances; without the power to navigate through the sea, he would be extremely passive.
“Chirp, chirp…” The poison dragon eel cried out, suddenly hoisted into the air by a unique aura, immediately feeling a sense of relaxation and comfort.
Having settled the poison dragon eel, Li Hui adjusted his attire and strolled leisurely forward. If he had a fan instead of a sword in his hand, he would look like a graceful young master. Compared to the previously frail monk, he now radiated an entirely different style, with his demeanor naturally transforming.
Entering Linggui City for the first time, he needed to acquire a spirit lure, spending the last of his scant wind-milled copper to obtain a palm-sized wooden token, which was coarse and a bit rough. It turned out to be a product of the Jade Symbol Sect. His sect’s mission required him to check stocks in Linggui City, relating to the shop that created wooden tokens for spirit lures.
Since the Jade Symbol Sect had even lost its main gate, the task was naturally nullified.
Upon arriving in an unfamiliar place, Li Hui felt unusually handsome, seemingly even more so than during his time at the Jade Symbol Sect. Regardless of whether it was an effect of his revitalization, he noticed that female cultivators looked his way in unison, giving his somewhat thick-skinned self an added touch of bashfulness. Thus, he didn’t dare to flaunt as he strolled down the main street, instead opting to find a quiet inn to stay.
“Tsk tsk, it’s no wonder they say there are only mistakenly given names but never wrongly assigned nicknames! Just think of me, the esteemed Li Yingjun of the Jade Symbol Sect; I really do have some justification for my pride! I remember my mother was exceptionally beautiful, but I can’t quite recall my father’s appearance, so I must have followed my mother.”
Li Hui missed his hometown; however, that place had suffered a plague and was likely now desolate and unrecognizable. Putting aside distractions, he began to focus on his work.
What was he busy with? He studied books to design talisman formations, seeking to construct a treasure cabinet.
Though his mind was filled with many texts, referencing them was exceptionally convenient, and relevant materials would spring to mind at the mere thought. However, to achieve something grounded upon this foundation, he needed to start from scratch again.
Fortunately, with the Dragon Horn pattern boosting him, his learning speed was remarkably quick, allowing him to confirm many points in comparison, bringing him closer to the answers. Li Hui felt his mind ablaze as he summoned more talisman methods, notes, and texts, until night fell and he had to pause for rest.
The more he pondered, the deeper he delved, as if facing a bottomless pit where he could never know how deep it truly was.
As the moon reached its zenith and night grew deeper, a roaring sound echoed, and a glaring light shot up from Linggui City, forming a massive jade token amid the rumbling.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz…” The buzzing continued, as dozens of blinding lights soared into the air, forming numerous giant jade tokens above.
Even the slowest to react would know something was amiss. Li Hui pushed open the window to take a look and couldn’t help but gasp in shock. So many jade symbol legal documents represented at least three sect elders, six true disciples, and over thirty Inner Sect Disciples gathered, alongside new legal documents rising into the air, quickly surpassing a hundred.
Receiving a legal document from the Jade Symbol Sect was a privilege exclusive to core disciples. Out of the nine true disciples, six had appeared, along with three elders and a hundred Inner Sect Disciples, amounting to nearly twenty percent of the Jade Symbol Sect’s strength, perhaps even more as it remained unknown how many disciples without legal documentation had also gathered.
A booming voice announced, “All Jade Symbol disciples, gather at Langhuan Street immediately! Mo Xinghe, Bai Yulian, Gao Yuhu, Zhang Tianhua, Li Hui, Lian Luosha, you six are especially summoned. The sect will not treat you poorly. This is an Oath. Anyone who betrays this vow will face heaven’s punishment and lose their souls.”
