Chapter 343

Chapter 343: The Great Earth of Humanity Holds the Yao Pool

“Xun Maodong, Xun Zuoyuan, I have noted them down!”

As the calamity clouds dissipated, with Li Maocai gone, there was no longer any calamity to heed.

Li Hui entered Mirror Lake, tears in his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings, wrapped in a haze of pink, with the Peach Blossom Mist thick around him. The peach trees lay flattened, as if mowed down. There were traces of thunder strikes, signs of heavenly fire burning, and evidence of fierce winds wreaking havoc, creating a mess beyond imagination.

The All-Manifestation Realm’s tribulation surpassed the Monster Tribulation by far; although the calamity had quieted down halfway, it still destroyed the peach forest at the bottom of the lake.

“Father, Master bless us! Four segments of the immortal peach tree core have appeared!” Yao’er exclaimed excitedly, thinking about it day and night. She approached the Golden Jade Peach tree mother body on Flying Peak, and after such a great tribulation, she found a chance at the lake’s bottom.

“Great! Let’s head to Cui Wei Peak,” Li Hui thought, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. Yet, the enemy remained, so he swiftly released the Mysterious Pearl and allowed Yao’er to collect the Peach Blossom Mist and the peach tree cores while he strode toward Water Moon Palace.

Because the calamity had struck so suddenly, most of the palace walls were collapsed, many areas turned into tribulation soil, and his Master’s retreat was empty, devoid of any aura; he could only sigh into the void!

After a moment of silence, the Mysterious Pearl returned.

Outside Mirror Lake, the sounds of battle roared; Xun Maodong’s disciples were breaking the formation. The Mirror Lake faction’s treasury, passed down through generations, was no longer in Water Moon Mirror Sky. Li Maocai had made arrangements long ago; as long as Li Hui wished, he could go there. But he chose not to, leaving it for the next generation of disciples!

“Let’s go!” There was no joke about sealing off the Mirror Lake faction’s disciples!

Li Hui had entered the Haotu Sect to seek opportunities, wanting Yao’er to rebuild her foundation. With his Master gone, his heart was no longer burdened…

Half an hour later, Huo Qiniang arrived at Cui Wei Peak holding a segment of the immortal peach tree core, expertly navigating her surroundings and whispering to two important female disciples.

“Oh! Qiniang, there will be a chance in half a month; during the elders’ transfer, there will be about a stick of incense’s time. We are not foolish sisters; we know your backer has been secretly acquiring peaches, trying to take from our Cui Wei Peak. Truly daring!”

“Ha ha!” Huo Qiniang laughed lightly, “Senior Sister, as far as I know, every time the sect holds the Peach Conference, the peaches presented are just leftovers you all didn’t choose. We are like sisters, so let’s speak frankly. It’s not unusual to steal peaches; I’ve heard that the area around the peach trees is full of restrictions. Even if we were allowed to pick, how many could we actually take? My sister just wants to get her share of peaches in advance, risking everything; this immortal peach tree core seems crucial for your cultivation methods.”

“Clever little girl!” The two female disciples exchanged smiles and said, “You’ve found the right people! If we had known you needed peaches, we could have saved more over the last ten years. Outside, they are incredibly rare; here on Cui Wei Peak, every disciple has tasted them. But let’s make one thing clear: there’s only a stick of incense to do this, and how many you can pick depends on your skills. Stick to those green peaches.”

“What? Green peaches?” Huo Qiniang gasped, incredulous. Wasn’t this cutting her own roots?

“Yes, three green peaches equal one mature peach. After you pick them, if you focus on nurturing them for half a year, they can regrow fruit.”

Huo Qiniang understood now; these two had clearly perfected the art of monitoring and thievery. No wonder ordinary benefits did not impress them; it appeared they were used to doing such things.

“Alright, then let’s wait half a month.”

During this half month, Li Hui did not show himself, and Huo Qiniang, being extremely cautious, stayed on Cui Wei Peak, presenting herself as if she had joined. Strangely, even though Li Maocai had died, there was no stir in the sect, as if they were unaware of the situation.

Until a miscellaneous disciple, Lin Er, from the Rare Birds Pavilion brought a note, revealing the reason.

“Lin Er, well done!” Qiniang praised, “Quickly leave; don’t come to Cui Wei Peak under the pretense of delivering spiritual birds. I will transfer all my sect points to you, keep the change, and give the whole amount to Brother Yuan. This is my Master’s intention; be cautious in and out.”

“Yes, I see something is off; someone is searching for Junior Sister in the market. It was Brother Yuan who wisely anticipated this, leaving a note for me to find you here; otherwise, how would I know where to find you?” Lin Er, daring yet cautious, had made a good amount but did not show it. He spent his days feigning poverty with his brother Lin Da, content to be a little errand boy at the Rare Birds Pavilion, a person dependable for important tasks.

Receiving significant points did not cause Lin Er to be ecstatic; his brother Lin Da had always robbed him fiercely since childhood, so his first thought was how to hide any good fortune he received.

After Lin Er left, Huo Qiniang heard Li Hui’s voice.

“Now I understand; Brother Yuan foresaw this situation. Once our Master fell, the sect would definitely appear calm on the surface. This is a deliberate cooling of the situation regarding Master’s passing; he had many enemies in the sect but also many old friends outside. If they hold a funeral, it would alarm many hidden masters and uncover many issues, tarnishing the sect’s reputation.”

Li Hui smirked: “They are really underestimating others while overestimating themselves. This Haotu Sect is bleak and stagnant, all in collusion with each other, showing no signs of hope. I wonder what the Great Xia Jin Tian Sect is like.”

The Great Xia was the center of the cultivation world on Wutu Continent; compared to it, Dalong was nothing but an isolated corner. The Haotu Sect claimed to be the fifth sect on the outskirts of the Jin Tian Sect, but in reality, it was very far from it. What did the outskirts mean? It meant working in menial jobs like a miscellaneous disciple.

With Yuan Ciheng’s reminder, Li Hui felt reassured that for the time being, the sect wouldn’t dare to move against him, and might secretly protect him, yet they wouldn’t let him leave easily either.

“Qiniang, you have already exposed yourself, thankfully I have the Mysterious Pearl. No one at Cui Wei Peak knows I am by your side. The sect is purposely creating opportunities to force me to reveal myself; how could I comply with their wishes? My Master had a foreboding; Brother Yuan has made arrangements. You need to act carefully…”

Half a month passed in a flash. When Huo Qiniang saw her sister flowers again, the others clearly paused, frowning as they asked, “Did your backer make you take risks to enter the restrictions? Since the peaches are so important to him, why doesn’t he come to get them himself?”

“Senior Sisters, you don’t know, my Master is injured. After I pick the peaches, I will immediately join him; his recovery relies on the peaches.”

“Oh? He’s injured?” The two sisters raised their eyebrows and smiled: “Great, Junior Sister, hurry along! Time waits for no one; you only have a stick of incense!”

“Thank you, Senior Sisters, for your assistance!” Huo Qiniang hurriedly followed their directions through the formation, only to see auspicious light erupting, radiant colors bursting forth as golden spiritual energy converged into rivers, radiating a massive spiritual pressure that stirred the mist, creating a vast expanse of water that resembled a lake, from afar, she could see trees adorned with precious blossoms, branches rich with leaves, exhaling emerald hues; just a glance left her feeling refreshed.

In the pool, golden lotuses bloomed, forming a path; suddenly, they heard the joyful calls of spiritual birds, truly a spectacle of the Yao Pool, with the clouds and rainbows flickering, revealing another world, breathtaking and enchanting.

Qiniang quickened her pace, her expression suddenly changing as she hurried to take out her divination tool!