Chapter 1258
Apology and Explanation, Changes in the Merchant Alliance
"Qingyu, are you all alright?"
This person who suddenly appeared was none other than...
It was Song Qingming, who had just returned from the cultivation world of "Donghuang Kingdom" not long ago.
Seeing Song Qingyu approach him excitedly, Song Qingming nodded slightly in response, then quickly glanced at the crowd in front of him.
"Husband!"
"Senior Brother Song!"
".
Huang Siyuan, Li Xuanyi, Zhou Ziyang, and "Ice and Fire Dragon" all came forward to greet Song Qingming when they saw that he had returned safely.
More than 30 years have passed since Song Qingming left "Qingyun Mountain" to explore the secret realm in the north, and he has not seen the people in front of him for a long time.
Unexpectedly, just as he returned, he sensed Song Qingyu and the others fighting with someone outside the mountains, and the commotion was quite significant.
He thought the demon army had marched south ahead of schedule, which made Song Qingming very worried.
In order to quickly reach the battlefield, he even used a high-level talisman that temporarily increased his escape speed, which allowed him to appear in front of everyone much earlier than expected.
They stopped the white-clad man and others who were about to leave.
Meanwhile, the man in white looked at Song Qingming, who had suddenly appeared before him, and was surprised to find that the aura emanating from him was far superior to his own.
"A Nascent Soul peak cultivator! Could this person have already stepped into the half-step Deity Transformation realm?!"
"Strange, the highest-level cultivator in the Free and Unfettered Sect isn't just the late-stage Nascent Soul stage. When did such a formidable expert appear?"
The man in white and his companions had already scouted the area before arriving at Qingyun Mountain.
They knew that the "Xiaoyao Sect" was only a Nascent Soul sect that had risen to prominence in the last few hundred years, and that the most powerful person in the sect was only a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Faced with the sudden appearance of Song Qingming, the man in white and the others all wore solemn expressions.
Unexpectedly, the "Free and Unfettered Sect" had such a master hidden within its ranks, catching them completely off guard.
While Song Qingming and Song Qingyu were greeting each other, the man in white quickly adjusted his expression, put on a kind face with a smile, and took the initiative to step forward and cup his hands.
"I am Luo Ziliang, an elder of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance."
"I wonder if this fellow Daoist is from the Free and Unfettered Sect?"
"Song Qingming of the Free and Unfettered Sect!"
"Hehe! So it's Fellow Daoist Song. I am extremely honored to meet you today."
We have come here today on the orders of the Grand Elder to track down a traitor within our alliance.
I have important matters to attend to and cannot disturb you further, so I will take my leave now.
"Wait a minute!"
Luo Ziliang and Song Qingming slightly raised their hands, about to turn around and leave with the others beside them, but unexpectedly a flash of light appeared beside them and a figure appeared in front of the four of them.
Looking at Song Qingming blocking his way, Luo Ziliang's expression changed slightly, and he immediately asked, "Fellow Daoist Song, what do you mean by this?"
"I, Song, have only just returned today, and I have already encountered you all causing such a disturbance at Qingyun Mountain. Shouldn't you give me an explanation first!"
"Fellow Daoist Song, what just happened was just a misunderstanding."
It's one thing that your sect is unwilling to help our alliance find the missing person, but now you're asking us for an explanation? You're really showing a complete disregard for our Four Seas Merchant Alliance.
If the Grand Elder were to learn of this, it might provoke a major war between our alliance and your sect. I urge you to reconsider, fellow Daoist.
Hearing Song Qingming's unfriendly words, Luo Ziliang's gaze did not waver at all, and he brought up the "Four Seas Business Alliance" behind him.
Although the appearance of Song Qingming, a half-step Nascent Soul realm expert, caused them to misjudge the strength of the "Free and Unfettered Sect".
However, the strength of the "Four Seas Merchant Alliance" behind these people should not be underestimated. Its influence extends to several continents of the cultivation world, and there are even merchant alliance shops in the "Qingyun Mountain" below.
In Luo Ziliang's view, Song Qingming's "Xiaoyao Sect" was, after all, from a barren small cultivation world like the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range," and was not a top-tier force.
Even if we don't take them seriously, we still have to give the "Four Seas Business Alliance" some face.
It's not worth openly antagonizing the "Four Seas Business Alliance" because of what just happened.
"Misunderstand!"
"You just openly attacked one of our sect's elders, which was witnessed by all. I, Song, see no misunderstanding in this matter."
"If Fellow Daoist Luo truly believes I'm so easy to deal with, then you won't be leaving so easily today."
Having said that, Song Qingming's eyes turned cold, and a powerful pressure instantly enveloped the four people in front of him.
Faced with Song Qingming's sudden change of expression, Luo Ziliang and the other three were all taken aback.
Unexpectedly, the person in front of him still spoke in such a tough tone, showing no regard for the "Four Seas Business Alliance" behind him.
"Seventh Brother, this Luo fellow just launched a sneak attack and almost hurt Senior Sister Li. We can't let them leave like this."
Just as Luo Ziliang looked grim, Song Qingyu, who was standing to the side, also surrounded him, holding a flying sword and speaking with displeasure.
Seeing this, Huang Siyuan, Li Xuanyi, Zhou Ziyang and others also took out their magical treasures.
"This! Fellow Daoist Song, it was indeed because we were in a hurry to do something that we offended your sect."
Mr. Luo is willing to apologize to his fellow Daoists and asks them not to hold it against him.
Seeing that the other side had a large number of people and was also supported by Song Qingming, a half-step Nascent Soul expert, their side was clearly at a disadvantage.
After a moment's thought, Luo Ziliang suppressed his displeasure and chose to apologize by bowing and taking a step back.
When Luo Ziliang apologized, Song Qingming's expression softened slightly, but the cold glint in his eyes still hadn't completely disappeared.
"Since Fellow Daoist Luo is willing to admit his mistake and apologize, and Qingyun Mountain is not an unreasonable place, I will not hold it against you any further."
However, since they are going to apologize in person, they should at least show some sincerity.
Otherwise, where would the reputation of my Xiaoyao Sect be? How could I, Song, explain this matter to the elders and disciples of the sect?
Fellow Daoist Luo, what do you say?
"this.."
Upon hearing Song Qingming's words, which were clearly pointed at something, Luo Ziliang couldn't help but feel a flash of annoyance.
Before he could even speak, an unhappy voice rang out beside him.
"What do you mean by that? Do you really think we're afraid of you?"
"Senior Brother Luo, now that they've apologized, there's no need for us to stay here and waste our breath talking to them!"
The burly man in yellow who was speaking had already reached the peak of the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage. After glancing at Song Qingming not far away, he called his companions to leave together.
But before the man in yellow could leave his spot, a powerful aura locked onto his location.
"Golden Palace Cloud Light Sword!"
"careful!"
As Luo Ziliang shouted, several golden sword lights flew rapidly from the front and arrived in front of them in an instant.
Seeing this, Luo Ziliang activated an iron plaque magic weapon to block the opponent's attack.
Just as the golden sword light struck the iron plate, Luo Ziliang instantly felt a powerful force above him, which knocked him back.
The magical artifact in front of him was completely unable to withstand such a powerful attack, and the outer shield was quickly pierced by the sword light.
"This is... how is this possible!"
Although his cultivation level was inferior to his opponent's, he was still a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and the iron plaque magic weapon in his hand was also a high-grade fourth-level magic weapon with considerable defensive power.
However, when faced with the golden sword light unleashed by Song Qingming, the magic weapon in his hand couldn't even stop a single blow from the opponent.
Song Qingming's strength truly exceeded Luo Ziliang's expectations.
But before he could recover from his surprise, the sword light had already pierced through the escape light and landed on the iron plaque magic weapon in front of Luo Ziliang.
"not good!"
Seeing that the magical artifact in front of him could no longer withstand the attack and was beginning to shatter, and that the golden sword light was about to engulf him entirely.
At this moment, Luo Ziliang couldn't care less about anything else. He quickly cast a spell to activate a talisman in his hand, which transformed into a beam of light and instantly disappeared from the spot.
Thanks to a high-level, precious life-saving talisman on his body, Luo Ziliang barely managed to dodge the sword light, and cold sweat was already breaking out on his face.
However, after he took the initiative to retreat, the burly man in yellow behind Luo Ziliang was the first to be hit, facing the sword light that was flying towards him with almost no diminished power.
The man in yellow was terrified and had no time to dodge the powerful attack that was already close at hand. He could only desperately cast a spell to activate a tortoise shell to block in front of him.
"Junior Brother Lin!"
"what."
But faced with the two surging sword lights, the yellow-robed man tried his best to activate his magic weapon, but he couldn't stop them at all.
In an instant, the yellow-clad man and the magical artifact in front of him were pierced by the golden sword light.
In the blink of an eye, his body was cut into several pieces and floated in mid-air.
The lingering power of the sword light pierced the sky, and the few people standing in the middle of the battlefield stared in disbelief at what was happening before them, their eyes frozen in place.
A moment later, a flash of light appeared in mid-air, and a "storage artifact" landed in Song Qingming's hand.
Not far from him in mid-air, there was a three-inch-tall child, who was the "Nascent Soul" who had just escaped from the broken part of the yellow-robed giant's body.
At this moment, he had long lost the sharpness he had shown earlier.
Staring in shock at the powerful opponent who had just destroyed his physical body with a single blow, he dared not move an inch.
"Fellow Daoist Song, please show mercy! We are willing to apologize!"
Just when the yellow-clad man's "natal nascent soul" thought he was doomed, Luo Ziliang flashed in front of him.
Upon seeing this, the yellow-clad man's "natal nascent soul" immediately flashed into the other party's sleeve and hid.
Watching everything unfold before him, Song Qingming did not intervene, but kept his eyes fixed on Luo Ziliang in front of him.
Having witnessed Song Qingming's powerful abilities, Luo Ziliang no longer had the courage to continue fighting him, and his eyes were filled with fear.
Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Ziliang used magic to take out a jade box from in front of him and handed it directly to Song Qingming.
"Fellow Daoist Song, this is a high-grade fourth-level spiritual herb that I obtained a few years ago. How about we offer it as an apology to you fellow Daoists?"
He used magic to open the jade box and glanced inside. Seeing that it indeed contained a high-grade spiritual herb, Song Qingming's expression changed, and a smile appeared on his face. "It's rare to see Fellow Daoist Luo so agreeable. Let's call it even. I'll accept this apology on behalf of my fellow disciples!"
"However, I would like to remind you fellow Daoists that the Floating Cloud Mountains are not the territory of your Four Seas Merchant Alliance, and you can cause trouble here at will."
If this happens again, it won't be something a single medicinal herb can quell.
A top-grade fourth-level spiritual herb would be worth no less than a million spirit stones at an auction.
Seeing that Luo Ziliang was willing to offer such a precious spiritual plant as an apology, Song Qingming did not continue to make things difficult for him and simply waved his hand.
"Fellow Daoist Song, rest assured, we understand!"
Luo Ziliang and his companions had already witnessed Song Qingming's formidable strength, and now, facing him nodding repeatedly, they dared not utter a single word.
Before long, Luo Ziliang and his three companions transformed into streaks of light and quickly fled from Qingyun Mountain.
".
Only after Luo Ziliang and the other three left did Song Qingming turn around and return to the group.
"Seventh Brother! I didn't know when you would be able to emerge from seclusion. I didn't expect you to be back so soon. Qingyu congratulates you on your further advancement in cultivation."
Previously, when Song Qingming followed Chen Qingxuan to the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom", he had already sent a message to Song Qingyu and others, informing them that he was preparing to go into seclusion at "Tianyun Mountain" to break through to the half-step Nascent Soul realm.
Now that Song Qingming has returned, not only has his aura changed, but his supernatural powers are also greater than before.
Everyone present could see that he had successfully reached the "half-step into the Divine Transformation" realm, and they all stepped forward with Song Qingyu to offer their congratulations.
Congratulations, Senior Brother Song!
".
"Thank you for guarding Mount Ling all these years while I was away."
After nodding to everyone, Song Qingming smiled and handed the jade box he had just received to Li Xuanyi beside him.
"This is what they're offering as an apology; please accept it!"
“If my husband hadn’t returned in time, how could we have stopped them and made them apologize?”
"My lord, you should keep this for yourself!" Faced with Song Qingming's offer of a gift, Li Xuanyi glanced at the people beside her and waved her hands repeatedly, refusing to accept it.
Seeing this, Song Qingming also did not take back what he was holding.
"If you hadn't stopped Luo Ziliang, I probably wouldn't have been able to get back in time, and I don't know what would have happened."
You've done a great service this time, so please don't refuse anymore.
Qingyu and the others will also receive rewards later. Let's all go back and discuss it further!
Having said that, Song Qingming produced another "storage artifact" in his hand, which he had just snatched from the man in yellow.
The opponent's supernatural abilities have reached the peak of the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage, so he should have a considerable amount of spiritual items on him.
"Little Gold also has a gift, thank you, Master!"
Upon seeing the "storage artifact" that Song Qingming took out, the "Ice and Fire Dragon," which had transformed into a golden dragon, revealed a hint of excitement in its eyes.
After decades of absence, the "Ice and Fire Dragon" has also made progress in its cultivation. It has now reached the peak of the fourth level of the Nascent Soul realm and is not far from breaking through to the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm.
"Yes! You'll definitely get your share."
Upon seeing the spirit beast that had followed him for many years, Song Qingming immediately nodded slightly to it and led everyone to its back.
As the "Ice and Fire Dragon" passed through the mountain-protecting formation, the group quickly returned to the "Meeting Immortals Pavilion" on the mountaintop.
Just as Huang Siyuan finished brewing a pot of spiritual tea and brought it up, before the people sitting to the side had even had a chance to take a sip, they saw a burst of white spiritual light emanating from Song Qingming's hand not far ahead.
The next moment, as Song Qingming probed the "storage artifact" in his hand with his divine sense, countless spiritual lights shot out from it and landed on the wooden table in front of him.
Spirit stones, magical treasures, talismans, and elixirs—a multitude of spiritual items piled up before the crowd, instantly attracting the attention of those nearby.
"Wow! There are quite a few good things here."
Upon seeing this scene, Song Qingyu and the others immediately surrounded them, their faces filled with excitement.
The yellow-robed giant's "storage artifact" contained over 300,000 spirit stones alone.
There are also two mid-grade level four magic treasures of considerable quality, four spirit talismans of level four or above, and some high-grade materials, elixirs, and medicinal herbs.
All the spiritual items combined amount to approximately 1.2 million spirit stones.
Such wealth did not disappoint Song Qingming and the others; each of them would receive a considerable amount of spirit stones.
Just as everyone was organizing the "storage magic items", a rather strange black bag caught Song Qingyu's eye, and she took it into her hands.
Just as Song Qingming's magic power covered it, a humanoid figure suddenly appeared in front of everyone, which surprised them all.
"This is, Fellow Daoist Qi!"
At first glance, everyone thought the hunchbacked old man was a puppet he had created.
It wasn't until Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan saw each other clearly that they recognized him immediately. This person was none other than Qi Rong, the elder of the "Four Seas Business Alliance" that they knew.
Even before he reached the Nascent Soul stage, Song Qingming had known Qi Rong, who was then one of Long Ziyun's personal guards.
Later, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan went to the cultivation world of Donghuang Kingdom to participate in the "Donghuang Sword Gathering". They even did a business deal with each other at the trade fair.
Although it had been many years since they last met, Song Qingming never expected that the person in front of him would be a corpse when they met again.
"This is Elder Qi. So what they just said was true. Those people from the Four Seas Merchant Alliance really did come to capture Fellow Daoist Long."
Since meeting Long Ziyun, she has frequently visited the cultivation world of "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" and has had many business dealings with the Xiaoyao Sect.
Not only Song Qingming, but also Bai Yuxian, Song Qingyu, Huang Siyuan and others in the sect were familiar with her and knew that Long Ziyun held a high position within the "Four Seas Business Alliance".
Previously, when Luo Ziliang and others claimed that Long Ziyun had stolen the Merchant Alliance's spiritual artifacts and fled to the Floating Cloud Mountains, they were ordered to come and apprehend her.
Everyone was puzzled and some couldn't believe what the other person was saying.
Seeing Qi Rong's corpse before her, Huang Siyuan thought of Long Ziyun, who was close to him, and understood what was going on.
Upon seeing Qi Rong's corpse, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
"Could it be that something has happened within the Four Seas Business Alliance?!"
Although the "Four Seas Business Alliance" appears to be a business-oriented alliance, it not only has many Nascent Soul experts but also half-step Divine Transformation experts, making it no less powerful than the top Nascent Soul sects in the cultivation world.
Although Long Ziyun's cultivation level was only average in the "Four Seas Merchant Alliance", her master, "Jin Chen Dao Ren", was the Grand Elder of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance.
Logically speaking, his status and position within the business alliance should be quite high.
Moreover, based on Song Qingming's understanding of Long Ziyun, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would commit such a treacherous act.
This matter is truly bizarre.
"Qingyu, have you been able to find out anything about what happened at the Four Seas Merchant Alliance headquarters recently?"
"Seventh Brother, the shops of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance here are all run by disciples in the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages. They don't even know where the Alliance headquarters is, so they can only contact the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom."
However, I have just sent someone to contact Fellow Daoist Long via telepathy, but there has been no news yet.
Hearing what was said today, it seems that Fellow Daoist Long has already escaped to the vicinity of the Floating Cloud Mountains, but we haven't seen her recently.
I wonder where she is now?
Hearing a hint of worry in Song Qingyu's tone, Song Qingming's expression remained perfectly calm.
"The Four Seas Business Alliance has shops all over Donghuang Prefecture and Leiyuan Sea, and its influence is far beyond that of ordinary business alliances."
The situation is unclear right now, so we should not interfere in their internal affairs. This matter should be kept confidential and not disclosed to outsiders.
Tell Yamashita Kageyun and the others to keep a close eye on those shops of the Four Seas Business Alliance.
If you discover anything unusual, or if you see Fellow Daoist Long in person, please immediately send a message to inform us.
Although he and Long Ziyun had known each other for many years and had a fairly good relationship,
Upon hearing that the other party was currently on the run, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel some worry, just like Song Qingyu.
However, the situation is unclear. Song Qingming doesn't know what happened to Long Ziyun or why she is wanted by the "Four Seas Business Alliance," so he doesn't want to get involved rashly.
After all, he is not alone now; he has many ties to him, including his Daoist partner, disciples, family, and sect.
Even though Song Qingming has now reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, he still cannot act as freely as a rogue cultivator.
Seemingly understanding his elder brother's concerns, Song Qingyu, standing still, didn't say much, but simply nodded calmly.
"Don't worry, Seventh Brother, I'll arrange it right away."
"Stop looking around, just pick something you like!"
After Song Qingyu left, a smile quickly returned to Song Qingming's face as he beckoned the people in front of him to come forward and take the spiritual items from the table.
The crowd, whose expressions had been somewhat solemn just moments before, instantly showed excitement upon hearing this.
".
"Qinghe County", Funiu Mountain.
A figure quickly entered the main hall at the top of the mountain and bowed to Song Yushan, who was seated at the head of the table.
"Greetings, Ancestor. A caravan has come down from the mountain, saying they are here on orders to transport goods from Chiyun Mountain."
"Red Cloud Mountain!"
"That's strange. I didn't hear the Grand Elder mention anything about Chiyun Mountain sending anything over recently. Why would a caravan suddenly be here?"
Upon hearing the report from the family disciple before him, Song Yushan, who was sitting at the head of the "Council Hall," couldn't help but show a hint of doubt on his face.
After sitting there for a moment and thinking, Song Yushan looked up at the people coming down and said, "Notify the enforcement team to check what came down from the mountain."
Tell them not to worry, I'll be there soon.
"Also, send someone up the mountain to inform the Grand Elder that I have something to discuss with him!"
After issuing several orders, Song Yushan got up and walked out of the "Council Hall," then led a few people to the entrance of the great formation at the foot of the mountain.
Looking at the massive caravan parked not far from the mountain gate, Song Yushan, who had just stepped out of the protective array, quickly stopped again.
The next moment, Song Yushan's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately flashed back into the great formation on his body.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a beam of light suddenly blocked his path. (End of Chapter)