Big Data Cultivation

Chapter 532: Chapter 532 Agreed to Start at Dawn

The One-Eyed Pixiu learned for the first time that among the three people who had coerced it, the youngest man’s surname was Feng.

Initially, the Pixiu thought only this individual was a cultivator, but later it found out that the woman was also an immortal; and after that… turned out all three of them were immortals?

However, up to now, it had only heard one immortal’s name—or to be precise, just a surname.

Of course, what it was even more eager to know was: immortals are said to have the power to overturn seas and rivers, but could they really destroy the Wonderful Hand Pavilion’s Eastern Sub-rudder with a flick of their wrist?

The estate wasn’t particularly large, but it covered five or six hundred acres. The Pixiu believed that if an immortal applied themself for a few days, they could surely strip the place bare—bringing in an Innate Expert would have almost the same effect.

But to wipe out such a large area in an instant, that it seriously doubted.

...

Certainly, there must be immortals capable of doing this, like a Golden Core Ancestor or something; but the three present… they were probably all in the Qi Refinement Realm, right?

“I have a means capable of causing large-scale destruction,” Feng Jun nodded readily, “but it’s not convenient to use right now. Let’s wait until nightfall.”

Shangguan Yunjin seemed slightly displeased, “You have such a technique and still ask us; Fellow Daoist Feng, you really are…”

“I don’t have that technique,” Feng Jun explained seriously, “What I mean is I have a method… a method that costs money.”

Shangguan Yunjin understood, nodding in realization, “So that’s what it is… talismans, right?”

The power of talismans could be great or small; one that could destroy this large area in a single strike was bound to be pricey.

Feng Jun offered a vague smile in response, “Something like that… it indeed cost me a sum of money.”

Hearing that Fellow Daoist Feng had such a method, everyone quietly settled down, waiting for the night to arrive, even though it was only dawn at the moment.

For the One-Eyed Pixiu, the day dragged on exceptionally long. It was pleased to see someone targeting the Wonderful Hand Pavilion, but at the same time, it worried its subordinates might do something stupid while searching for it.

It never expected that one day, it would so earnestly yearn for night to fall.

The five were hiding in a small grove, not far from a village. People occasionally passed outside the woods, and children entered to gather branches for their homes’ fires.

Thankfully, by the afternoon, the overcast sky began to drizzle slightly, and the area surrounding the woods finally quieted down.

As evening approached and the rain grew slightly heavier, making the roads muddy and the sky further darkened, the three cultivators discussed and then set out again toward the gray mountain ridges.

Once they reached the mountain, the sky grew even darker, and a cool breeze blew.

None of the five were bothered by wind or rain, yet Feng Jun still chose a sheltered spot, took out two large sun umbrellas, and with a portable stove, made two pots of tea for them to sip.

Only when the sky turned completely black did Feng Jun stand up and, like an arrow shot forth, vanished into the vast rainy night.

Shangguan Yunjin, sitting in a chair, spoke lazily, “How strange that Fellow Daoist Feng actually enjoys such hedonistic pleasures… the desires of mortals are the greatest enemy of cultivators.”

The One-Eyed Pixiu and the woman could only listen with perked ears, not daring to make the slightest noise.

“Cultivators are originally humans,” Pan Renjie replied breezily, “The trials of the mortal world refine the heart, isn’t it precisely a mortal’s heart that’s being tempered? Your understanding is just not quite there… you will naturally understand in time.”

The two conversed, completely ignoring the other two mortals present.

After Feng Jun left, there was no reaction from below the mountain. Boredom overtaking him, Pan Renjie took out a jug of wine, “Junior Sister, care for a drink? On a mountain top, listening to the wind and enjoying the rain, it’s just incomplete without wine, no?”

“No, thanks,” Shangguan Yunjin refused flatly, “Who knows when we’ll move? I don’t want to drink too much and have blurred vision, only to let someone take off with my possessions.”

She already considered the Eastern Sub-rudder’s treasures her own.

A woman with eyes only for wealth, Pan Renjie snorted inwardly, but said out loud, “With such an innocent heart, Junior Sister, coming to the mortal world for tempering couldn’t be more suitable.”

The One-Eyed Pixiu was also fond of liquor, especially on a rainy night in the mountains. A few sips would be exceedingly comforting.

It wanted to say, “Let me drink with you,” but it truly didn’t dare.

In the latter part of the night, as Pan Renjie was drinking alone, Feng Jun suddenly reappeared with a flash of movement.

With a sniff and a light chuckle, he said, “Fellow Daoist has quite the taste. May I have a cup as well, if you please?”

“Of course,” Pan Renjie poured him a cup under the faint light of the Cold Light Stick, slightly tipsy, “It’s certainly dull to drink alone at this time; it’s a shame to waste such a fine rainy night… When will you act?”

“Act?” Feng Jun was taken aback, then, wiping the rain from his face, he drained his cup in one gulp with a light chuckle, “Let’s wait until daylight. I’ll still need the help of the two fellow daoists to ensure no fish slips through the net.”

They could call him Fellow Daoist Feng because he was deeply entangled with the Wonderful Hand Pavilion, and with his status, his name was bound to be no secret; but he couldn’t properly address the other two directly by their names, not even their surnames.

Pan Renjie raised his glass to join him for a drink.

“Wait until daylight?” Shangguan Yunjin yawned lazily, “I’m looking forward to seeing Fellow Daoist Feng’s method.”

“Before we proceed, I need to make something clear,” Feng Jun said with a smile, “both of you fellow daoists need to erect your protective barriers.”

“Erect protective barriers?” Shangguan Yunjin was somewhat perplexed, “Aren’t we more than a mile away from this estate?”

“Junior Sister, don’t argue,” Pan Renjie couldn’t bear it any longer, “If Feng Daoist advises us to erect our barriers, then we should just do it.”

He knew all too well that once a cultivator used extraordinary techniques, the consequences could be terrifying. What was five or six hundred acres? There had been a cultivator in the Innate Expert realm who, upon sacrificing a Golden Core cultivator’s talisman, reduced everything within a hundred miles to ruin.

As a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm, he was merely qualified to hear about such rumors, much less investigate them for himself—Shangguan Yunjin of her level truly didn’t even have the privilege to hear of them.

The sky soon grew slightly lighter, and Feng Jun stood up, folding away his sun umbrella.

Seeing this, Pan Renjie and Shangguan Yunjin also erected their protective barriers.

Just as Feng Jun was about to make his move, he turned his head to glance at the One-Eyed Pixiu and the woman, and spoke with a grave tone, “Stand behind me.”

Neither dared to speak, and both quickly took refuge behind him, exchanging glances with each other.

In the next moment, a large burst of white light suddenly flared, followed by a deafening explosion. The sound was so loud it seemed to pierce the soul. For a moment, everyone was rendered blind and deaf.

Before the noise had even ceased, the ground suddenly shook, then shook violently again, making it nearly impossible for the group to keep their footing.

Almost simultaneously, a barrage of bricks, tiles, and stones flew towards them with formidable force.

Though Pan Renjie and Shangguan Yunjin had already erected their spiritual energy shields, the commotion still made them instinctively draw forth objects to guard themselves.

A piece of rubble, as large as a human head, struck the jade-colored lotus in Shangguan Yunjin’s hand forcefully, making her retreat two steps.

After the wave of stones had passed, the group looked again to see the once sprawling estate now shrouded in a vast cloud of dust and smoke.

Pan Renjie, too, had been hit by several stones, but the black iron shield he drew out stood firmly in front of him.

He took a deep breath, his face turning somewhat pale, then turned to glance at Feng Jun, “Daoist Feng… truly an impressive technique. I fear no one below the Innate Expert realm could withstand that strike.”

Shangguan Yunjin hurriedly examined her own shield, relieved to find it undamaged, then looked down at the ground beneath her feet, feeling a chill of fear, “It’s fortunate you prompted us to use protection in advance, otherwise we surely would have suffered some losses.”

Feng Jun simply smiled nonchalantly, “It was a mere external force, only useful as a surprise.”

He had labored throughout the night, planting nearly eighty tons of explosives within the estate, averaging over a hundred kilograms per acre—enough to annihilate the entire property.

However, as he said, “taking advantage by surprise,” was no overstatement; in this realm where mobile phones, and therefore high sensitivity, were prevalent, the might of explosives, no matter how great, would struggle against these cultivators who moved like the wind.

As they spoke, the dust and smoke began to spread and also started to dissipate, gradually revealing the tragic scene within to the spectators.

Yesterday’s orderly estate was gone without a trace, all that remained were ruins and rubble, and while all the trees had vanished, a few tree stumps still stood on the ground.

The One-Eyed Pixiu and the woman were trembling, exchanging glances with eyes filled with intense terror.

Could the interventions of immortals be this terrifying?

Shangguan Yunjin blinked and turned her head to look at Feng Jun, asking in amazement, “What is the silver coin cost for such a technique?”

Feng Jun replied with a smile, “Not much money was involved, but it’s inconvenient to disclose.”

“But you…” Shangguan Yunjin began, then glanced at the One-Eyed Pixiu and the woman, and scolded with a stern face, “Why haven’t you hurried down to clean up the battlefield?”

Both exchanged a look and nodded in agreement, too scared to say anything more, and threw themselves towards the foot of the mountain.

Feng Jun and the others also rushed down following them.

The tremendous noise had also alarmed the residents of the town, and even caused seven or eight houses to collapse partially.

Luckily, the Eastern Sub-rudder’s estate was some distance from the town, or it’s hard to imagine how many innocents would have been affected.

After the shock, people began running towards the estate to find out what had happened and, secondarily, to seek compensation for their own losses.

However, yesterday’s high walls had vanished without a trace, rubble everywhere, and the sight slowed the approaching villagers down, their hearts uneasy—what on earth had happened here?

After watching for a while, the bolder ones began to cautiously move forward again, eyes darting around, clearly ready to turn and flee should the situation turn sour.

Just then, a cold snort sounded, followed by a woman’s voice, “Immortal Family’s affairs—if you’re not afraid to die, come on over.”

At her words, those bold ones were scared out of their wits, turning to flee while shouting, “Please spare us, Immortal!”

(Updated, calling for monthly tickets.)