Chapter 1263
Farewell to Senior Brother, Moon Spirit Sect Master
On the west side of Yueyang City, in the Gaoshan Stone Pavilion.
As the light of escape approached from afar, it landed and revealed two figures, namely Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi, both dressed in green robes.
As soon as the two entered the stone pavilion, they saw a gray-robed man already waiting there. He stood up, smiled, and waved to them.
"Greetings, Senior Brother!"
"Qingming, Junior Sister, you've arrived!"
The gray-robed man before them was none other than Fu Jinglong, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi's fellow disciple in the "Tai Xu Sect".
After the battle to destroy the demon, the Taixu Sect went into seclusion and became a recluse. Song Qingming had not seen the other party for hundreds of years.
Unexpectedly, while leading his people to Donghuang Kingdom to support the "Dangmo Palace" in fighting against the Falling Star Sea Demon Clan, he happened to meet Fu Jinglong, who had also been invited, in "Yueyang City".
Three hundred years ago, when Master Lingxuzi broke through the boundary and ascended to immortality, Senior Brother Fu Jinglong had already reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm and had taken over the position of Sect Leader of Taixu Sect.
At that time, Song Qingming had only recently condensed his Nascent Soul, and his cultivation level was far behind that of Song Qingming.
Over the years, Fu Jinglong has inherited the strict orders left by his master, Lingxuzi, and chosen to remain secluded in the mountains to guard the seal of the true demon on the island. He has basically never left Yuxuan Island.
The reason they came to help this time was because He Yuliang, the head of the "Dangmo Palace", received the approval of the patriarch Chen Qingxuan and was personally invited to visit.
Fu Jinglong then brought the sect's most precious treasure, the "Four Symbols Divine Fire Diagram," to provide support.
The "Four Symbols Heavenly Fire Diagram" is a special and powerful spiritual treasure left by Ling Xuzi in the sect. It can activate heavenly fire to imprison the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and it also poses a great threat to Nascent Soul cultivators.
Fu Jinglong, with the help of the "Four Symbols Heavenly Fire Diagram" and the ambush laid by four half-step Nascent Soul realm experts including Song Qingming, was able to defeat Ao Lie, the Demon Saint, head-on.
They successfully helped the human cultivators' alliance repel the invading demon army.
Although the victory over the demon army was due to the efforts of Song Qingming and others who came from afar to provide support, as well as the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain" and "Divine Gu Sect," all of whom played crucial roles in the great battle.
However, if He Yuliang hadn't brought Fu Jinglong and the "Four Symbols Heavenly Fire Diagram" from the Taixu Sect, defeated "Ao Lie Demon Saint," and forced him to withdraw from the battlefield ahead of schedule...
The human alliance is unlikely to win this battle so easily; it is unknown how long they will be locked in a stalemate and how many sacrifices they will have to make.
"Senior Brother, didn't you say before that you weren't in a hurry to leave?"
The great battle has only just ended, and the Demon-Slaying Palace hasn't even finished tallying the battle merits and spiritual rewards yet. Why are you in such a hurry to return? Is there something urgent at the sect?"
Despite having made the greatest contribution on the battlefield, Senior Brother Fu Jinglong remained extremely low-key and did not reveal his identity to others.
The battle had just ended when he took the initiative to bid farewell to everyone, intending to return directly to "Jade Mystic Island".
Upon hearing the news that the other party was leaving, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi immediately rushed to the city gates to see them off.
Seeing the lingering doubt and worry on Li Xuanyi's face, Fu Jinglong quickly smiled and waved his hand, explaining:
"Don't worry, junior sister, nothing has happened in the sect."
"When Fellow Daoist He invited me here before, he said that it was only to deal with Demon Saint Ao Lie."
Now that the Falling Star Sea Demon Clan has retreated, there's nothing for me to do staying any longer. I should return to the sect as soon as possible so I can feel more at ease.
As for my share of the battle merits, I had already arranged with Fellow Daoist He to give them directly to my junior brother and junior sister.
When you two held your grand ceremony, I was still in seclusion and unable to attend in person to offer my congratulations. Consider this my way of expressing the sect's sentiments.
"Well, Senior Brother, you gave me a magic weapon last time, how could I, your junior sister, dare to accept such a gift?"
Hearing that her senior brother Fu Jinglong had already given her the battle merits, Li Xuanyi was a little embarrassed to accept, but he stopped her.
"Sigh, last time it was a personal gift to you, this time it's on behalf of the sect, how can it be the same?"
Junior Sister, before Master left, he instructed us, his fellow disciples, to take good care of you. These are just worldly possessions, so please don't stand on ceremony with me.
As early as when Li Xuanyi joined the sect, her senior brother Fu Jinglong had already taken good care of her and regarded her as half a disciple.
Although it included instructions from her master, Lingxuzi, Li Xuanyi deeply understood her senior brother's intentions and nodded slightly in agreement.
"Xuanyi, thank you, Senior Brother!"
“Junior Brother Song, Junior Sister Song, although you are no longer in the sect, your master and I have never considered you as outsiders.”
Now that our master is gone, the sect still has the heavy responsibility of guarding the True Demon Seal, and we are unable to take care of you for the time being.
I hope my junior brothers and sisters won't hold any grudges against me.
"We have received the deep gratitude of our master and the sect for passing on their knowledge and teachings. How could we dare to have such an ungrateful heart?"
"Don't worry, Senior Brother. If the sect ever needs anything in the future, just send a message, and even if I'm far away, I'll do my best to come back."
"Yes! It's good that you two have the intention."
Hearing Song Qingming's sincere reply, Fu Jinglong nodded slightly and continued, "Since I was a disciple of this sect at a young age, I have been able to achieve this thanks to my master's dedicated support."
Unfortunately, he lacks talent and opportunities in this life, and despite years of seclusion and arduous cultivation, he has made no progress and is afraid that he will be unable to reach the Nascent Soul realm.
Now, my prospects in the path of cultivation are not as good as those of my junior brother.
"From now on, the legacy left by our master will likely need the care and support of my junior brothers and sisters."
Fu Jinglong, as the chief disciple of "Lingxuzi", has a lifespan of over 1,400 years.
Although he completed the "Qi Tempering" and advanced to the half-step Divine Transformation realm hundreds of years earlier than Song Qingming, Fu Jinglong's path to enlightenment was already on a downward trend compared to the younger Song Qingming.
If one's cultivation level cannot be successfully advanced within two hundred years, there is basically no possibility of further progress.
Having spent hundreds of years in seclusion without ever reaching the barrier to the Nascent Soul realm, Fu Jinglong couldn't help but feel a hint of envy when he saw the younger Song Qingming and the other two.
"Qingming is dull-witted, but he will do his best."
"Alright! That's enough for today. Don't see me off any further. I hope you two junior brothers and sisters take care."
I'll see you again sometime!
"Take care, senior brother, and have a safe journey!"
Hearing Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi's sincere farewell, Fu Jinglong nodded slightly, then cast a spell to release a flying sword, riding on the sword light as he disappeared into the distance.
After seeing off their senior brother Fu Jinglong, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi lingered for a while to admire the scenery before turning back to "Yueyang City".
The great battle had just ended, and the entire city of Yueyang had not yet fully recovered. Only a few shops in the city were open for business.
The streets were filled with patrolling guards from the "Demon-Slaying Palace," as well as numerous cultivators carrying spiritual objects and materials from demonic beasts.
In the previous great battle that repelled the demon army, the human cultivator alliance killed 200,000 demon beasts on the battlefield and seized countless demon beast materials.
They have now all been transported to Yueyang City, awaiting the next step of the Demon-Slaying Palace cultivators to tally merits and distribute spiritual items.
After walking around the streets for a while, seeing that there was nothing interesting to see, the two returned together to their temporary lodging on the mountain.
Upon returning to her cave, Li Xuanyi saw a communication talisman left at the entrance. Upon opening it, she discovered that Song Qingyu had come to visit them not long ago.
Seeing this, Song Qingming immediately sent a telepathic message, summoning her back.
"Qingyu, how are Fellow Daoist Fu and Fellow Daoist Luo's injuries? Have you arranged for healing pills?"
"Seventh Brother, Fellow Daoist Luo's injuries are not serious. The people from the Demon-Slaying Palace have already sent over healing pills. I have checked and there is nothing seriously wrong. It shouldn't have too much of an impact."
However, the situation for Fellow Daoist Fu is not good; the toxins have already eroded his internal organs and meridians.
It's estimated that I won't recover in a short time, and I shouldn't easily get into fights with others anymore.
I've also compiled the casualty figures for the remaining individuals; they're all here.
In the previous battle at Yueyang City, the human cultivator alliance achieved a great victory, but also paid a considerable price.
Of the eight Nascent Soul cultivators who followed Song Qingming from the Floating Cloud Mountains to provide support, Ye Linyuan, Luo Qianyun, and Fu Yungui were all injured on the battlefield.
Ye Linyuan and Luo Qianyun were not seriously injured, and their conditions stabilized after taking the healing pills sent by the "Dangmo Palace".
Fu Yungui, on the other hand, was attacked by a late-stage Nascent Soul Demon Emperor during the pursuit of the demon race, and his physical body was struck by the opponent's poisonous attack.
If it weren't for the fact that there was a Nascent Soul cultivator nearby helping to cover him, Fu Yungui would have almost perished on the battlefield.
Although he survived by sheer luck, Fu Yungui's physical body was also severely injured, and he had lost his fighting ability and could not easily move with others.
Even if he takes a miraculous elixir to heal, it is estimated that it will take at least several decades to recover.
In addition, more than a dozen of the two hundred Golden Core cultivators who came with them also perished on the battlefield.
Some others were seriously injured and urgently needed to return to their sect for secluded recuperation.
Seeing this, Song Qingming immediately arranged for Luo Qianyun to take Fu Yungui and the others who were more seriously injured to set off first to return to the cultivation world of "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".
Song Qingming and the others stayed in the city first.
Firstly, they still had to wait for the promised rewards of merit from the "Demon-Slaying Palace" and the distribution of the spoils from the battlefield.
Secondly, the war in the north of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" has not yet ended.
Next, the group will need to head north to support the Tianyu Sect and other sects that are currently fighting against the demons of the "Northern Frontier".
Having just seen off Fu Yungui and the others, Song Qingming soon received a message from a disciple of the "Dangmo Palace," asking them to go to the main hall for a "meeting."
Just when Song Qingming and the others thought that the "Demon-Slaying Palace" was about to send troops north.
To his surprise, after everyone arrived at the council hall of "Yueyang City",
However, they suddenly learned that the "Tianyu Sect" on the northern battlefield had reached a ceasefire agreement with the demon race of the northern frontier, and both sides withdrew their troops and returned to their respective territories.
Currently, the demon army has begun a full-scale withdrawal from all battlefields in the northern part of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.
Upon hearing the news that the "Northern Frontier Demon Clan" army had retreated, although everyone was somewhat surprised, they did not show too much astonishment on their faces.
The "Northern Frontier Demon Clan" army currently has some advantages on the battlefield.
However, without the southern "Falling Star Sea" demon race to restrain them, the human race's north-south allied forces joined together, and the "Northern Frontier Demon Race" alone could no longer gain any advantage.
Upon learning of the defeat of the "Falling Star Sea" demon race, the Northern Frontier demon race immediately made a ceasefire with the "Heavenly Imperial Sect," which was an extremely reasonable choice.
With the ceasefire in the north, the turmoil in both the north and south of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" has now been quelled.
Upon hearing this somewhat unexpected news, Song Qingming and the others sitting in the main hall were overjoyed. They had previously thought the great battle wouldn't end so quickly, but they hadn't expected things to change so rapidly.
This once-in-a-century "monster turmoil" has finally come to an end, and we can finally have some peace and quiet for a while.
In addition to announcing the ceasefire in the north, He Yuliang, the leader of the "Dangmo Palace," also announced the merits of each sect on the battlefield.
Next, once all the spoils have been tallied, the spirit items can be distributed according to merit.
In this great battle, Song Qingming, Song Qingyu, and others traveled thousands of miles from the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains" to provide assistance.
The Demon-Slaying Palace certainly wouldn't treat them unfairly. All the major sects, including the Free and Unfettered Sect, were on the list and received their due merits.
Before long, everyone exchanged all their merits for numerous spiritual items, monster materials, and spirit stones.
In this battle, almost all the cultivators who followed them and participated in the battle gained something, more or less.
The living Golden Core cultivators below each received an average of about eight thousand spirit stones in merit.
The sect also received a substantial compensation for the fallen.
For a Golden Core cultivator, coming to this place was somewhat risky.
But to receive so many spirit stones in just a few months is quite a reward.
On average, Nascent Soul cultivators like Song Qingyu earned over 100,000 merit points.
As the leader, Song Qingming received 400,000 spirit stones as merit, which he easily exchanged for a Nascent Soul Pill from the "Demon Suppression Palace" treasury.
Of all the people, Li Xuanyi reaped the greatest rewards.
Because he had received the merit bonus from his senior brother Fu Yungui beforehand, Li Xuanyi suddenly had 800,000 spirit stones, which drew envious glances from the cultivators present.
Having made such a fortune, Li Xuanyi also went to the "Dangmo Palace" treasury to purchase a lot of pills needed for cultivation.
Only after dealing with the merits they had accumulated did Song Qingming and the others embark on their return journey.
Compared to when they were rushing on their way, everyone's expressions were much more relaxed now, with a few easy smiles on their faces.
Shortly after the flying boat left Yueyang City, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the group and blocked their way.
The newcomer was dressed in a green robe, with several strangely colored runes painted on his face. His cultivation level had reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage.
"Fellow Daoists, please wait!"
"Fellow Daoist Liu, may I ask what brings you here?"
Previously, Song Qingyu and others had seen the other party on the battlefield and recognized him at a glance as a Nascent Soul Elder surnamed Liu from the "Divine Gu Sect".
Although they knew the cultivators of the "Divine Gu Sect," they had never had any direct contact with them.
Moreover, the cultivators of the "Divine Gu Sect" have always acted mysteriously and do not like to talk to people.
After participating in the Battle of Yueyang, the other party never attended any meetings and was not familiar with the people present.
For a moment, it was unclear what the visitor's purpose was.
Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the crowd in front of him, Elder Liu of the "Divine Gu Sect" quickly cupped his hands in greeting to Song Qingming, who was standing at the very front.
"Fellow Daoist Song, my sect leader invites you to meet; he has something to discuss with you!"
"Find me?"
Upon hearing that the other party specifically requested to see him, Song Qingming, who had never had any direct contact with the other party before, also looked very puzzled.
After thinking for a moment, Song Qingming nodded to the other party.
"Qingyu, wait for me a moment, I'm going to meet them."
“Strange, we’re not familiar with them, why would the Divine Gu Sect seek out Seventh Brother for no reason?”
"Seventh Brother, how about I go with you?"
Seeing that Song Qingyu seemed a little worried, Song Qingming quickly waved his hand and said, "This is Yueyang City after all."
Don't worry, everything will be fine!
Although he didn't know why the people from the "Divine Gu Sect" were suddenly looking for him, they were, after all, members of a righteous human sect with whom he had fought side by side not long ago, so there was no reason for them to attack him here.
Moreover, Song Qingming's cultivation has now reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, and his supernatural abilities are far beyond those of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.
It's not that bad; they wouldn't be afraid of a Nascent Soul sect like the "Divine Gu Sect."
After giving a few instructions to the people beside him, Song Qingming stepped forward and followed them to a low hill not far away.
There was only one person waiting here, the same green-robed woman whom Song Qingming had seen before, who had represented the "Divine Gu Sect" in the Eastern Phoenix Sword Tournament.
However, like Xia Mo, she wore a veil on her face and was wrapped in a thick robe.
All that could be seen were the other person's very bright eyes, from which one could vaguely discern that it was a woman.
"Fellow Daoist Song, this is our sect leader."
After bringing Song Qingming here, the man surnamed Liu took the initiative to introduce him and then turned and left.
The woman in green robes stepped forward and bowed to Song Qingming.
"Yue Ling from the Divine Gu Sect greets Fellow Daoist Song."
"Greetings from Song Qingming, Sect Master Yue, of the Free and Unfettered Sect!"
"Sect Leader Yue, is there something you wish to discuss with me? Please speak frankly."
Although Song Qingming had seen this member of the "Divine Gu Sect" before him back then at the "Sword Tournament Arena".
But it was the first time I had heard the other person's voice, and it was very light and pleasant to listen to.
However, Song Qingming, who was in a hurry to return and reunite with the others, did not want to waste time with Yue Ling here, so he went straight to the point and asked her about her purpose.
Seeing this, Yue Ling's eyes flickered slightly. She raised her hand and used magic to take out a motionless seven-colored spirit insect from her body and placed it in front of him.
"Fellow Daoist Song, the reason I invited you here today is to ask if this item belongs to you?"
"Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly!"
Upon seeing the corpse of the spirit insect in the other party's hand, which was none other than one of his own "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterflies," Song Qingming immediately showed a hint of surprise.
"This thing is indeed a spirit insect on my body, but it is not a particularly precious item. I wonder why Fellow Daoist Yue asks this question?"
Could it be that you, fellow Daoist, are also interested in this seven-colored illusionary butterfly?
Previously, after defeating "Ao Lie Demon Saint", Song Qingming did use the spirit insects on his body to chase after demonic beasts when he was tracking demonic cultivators.
However, he was somewhat puzzled as to why the other party wanted to inquire about the "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly" on his body.
Although the "Seven-Colored Illusion Butterfly" is difficult to cultivate, this insect is not considered particularly rare in the cultivation world.
As the top Nascent Soul sect in the entire Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent, the "Divine Gu Sect" should theoretically have no shortage of such high-level items.
Moreover, the "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly" is a spiritual insect that can be used to deal with the Golden Core cultivators below.
However, in the face of powerful late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, no matter how many there are, they cannot play a crucial role.
Seeing that the other party had come for this item, Song Qingming's doubts deepened.
It's truly baffling what the leader of the "Divine Gu Sect" is trying to achieve with this action.
Upon hearing Song Qingming acknowledge the item in his hand, Yue Ling, standing opposite him, showed a hint of satisfaction in her eyes before gently shaking her head.
He then raised his hand and cast a spell to summon another spirit insect that looked similar. Its aura was even stronger than Song Qingming's "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly".
Clearly, he hadn't been wrong; the "Divine Gu Sect" did indeed possess such a spirit insect, and its cultivation was even stronger.
"Fellow Daoist Song, please don't misunderstand. I'm not interested in the seven-colored butterfly on your body, but rather I want to ask you about something."
When I saw the corpse of this spirit insect on the battlefield, I smelled a trace of the Myriad Spirit Dew on it, so it must have consumed this substance before advancing in rank.
Previously, I didn't know whose it was and had never visited the place.
After searching for a long time, it was finally confirmed that the source was from Fellow Daoist Song, which is why I came here specifically to seek his guidance.
The Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterflies are usually cultivated in groups. Fellow Daoist Song should have a considerable amount of Myriad Spirit Dew. Am I mistaken?
After Yue Ling finished speaking, she looked at Song Qingming again, her eyes still filled with a hint of expectation.
Seeing this, Song Qingming remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"What the Moon Gate Master said is correct. When I was nurturing them before, I did feed them some spiritual liquid, but I don't know if it was the Myriad Spirit Dew you mentioned."
To be honest, I obtained this item by chance, and I don't have much left.
If you've come for this item, I'm afraid you'll be somewhat disappointed.
Hearing Song Qingming's words, which seemed to be an attempt to evade the request, indicating that he did not have much of what the other party needed, he realized that Song Qingming was trying to avoid the issue.
Yue Ling's face did not show too much disappointment; instead, she smiled and said to him:
"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Song's cultivation has already reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, so stop beating around the bush with me."
There are still people waiting for you over there, so let's not waste any more time.
Ten bottles of Myriad Spirit Dew, valued at one million spirit stones, should be enough, right?
"Fellow Daoist, please feel free to suggest anything else you wish to exchange, and our sect will do its best to fulfill your request."
"Ten bottles! You want that much spirit liquid?"
Although he was prepared in advance, what he said before was just to increase the value of the spiritual items he possessed during the transaction.
But when he heard the other party ask for ten bottles, a hint of surprise flashed across Song Qingming's face.
"What, fellow Daoist, do you still think the price I offered was too low?"
"To be honest, while this item is relatively rare, it's not exactly a high-grade rare treasure. In the entire Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, apart from me, it would be very difficult for anyone else to offer this price."
Seeing the slight embarrassment on Song Qingming's face, Yue Ling assumed he was dissatisfied with the price she had offered, and a complex expression flashed in her eyes. (End of Chapter)