Because the mine was so far from Cyan Yang City, the miners couldn’t return home even for the New Year. They all celebrated right there. The mine, of course, had to be decorated to give them a taste of the festive atmosphere.
But of course, the main event was the Elder’s inspection.
「Three days later.」
Several fine horses pulling a carriage stopped at the mine’s entrance, followed by a convoy of carts that had come to transport the Profound Iron Ore.
The door curtain was lifted, and a handsome, middle-aged man with a commanding presence stepped out of the carriage.
He was incredibly burly. Beneath his wide robes, the bulging contours of his muscles were faintly visible. His immense aura was like a great mountain stepping down from the carriage.
It was none other than Elder Gong Shu, one of the four great elders of Li Fire Peak!
Li Fire Peak had a Forged Soldier legacy, but within this legacy, there were different specializations. Elder Huoyun and Elder Tie Fu, for instance, were skilled at forging Weapons like sabers and swords.
This Elder Gong Shu, however, specialized in forging things like armor and bows.
Xu Yang suppressed his aura completely, then led Zhou Jiang, Zhao Qing, and the others in a deep bow. "This disciple greets Elder Gong Shu!"
"Dispense with the formalities."
Elder Gong Shu strode down from the carriage and walked directly into the mine. Not daring to delay, Xu Yang and the others hurried to follow. The supply convoy behind them also drove into the mining area.
"Go about your business. There’s no need to follow me," Elder Gong Shu said.
Since there was nothing to hide, Xu Yang and the others stopped following Elder Gong Shu upon his command and went to find Zhu Yuan’s group.
"Senior Brother Zhu, when you get back, please tell Master that I wish to return to the Sect for a period of seclusion. Ask him to send someone to take my place."
’He’d been garrisoning Moon Lake for three months now; he was allowed to return to the Purple Sun Sect.’
’Most importantly, the Dragon and Tiger Great Gold he’d brought would only last another month. He needed to go back and refine a new furnace-full.’
"Alright. I’ll find Master when I get back and pass the message along for you," Zhu Yuan nodded.
The garrison duty at Moon Lake was typically rotated among Elder Huoyun’s disciples, and they had originally had plenty of people for the job.
But after the battle at the Earth Vein Fire Valley, Elder Huoyun’s third and fourth disciples were both killed. Then, just over a month ago, his fifth disciple, Guan Du, had also been slain by Xu Yang.
Finding someone to replace Xu Yang now would be truly difficult.
The supplies were quickly stored in the warehouse. Xu Yang then checked the accounts with Zhao Qing while the Profound Iron was loaded onto the carts. By the time they were done, Elder Gong Shu—who had wandered off somewhere—had also returned, and the so-called inspection was officially over.
"You must be Xu Yang," Elder Gong Shu said, looking at him.
Xu Yang clasped his hands. "This disciple is Xu Yang."
Elder Gong Shu’s gaze fell on the Red Blood at Xu Yang’s waist. "Huoyun even gave you Red Blood. He must hold you in high regard."
"It is only due to Master’s favor," Xu Yang said humbly.
Elder Gong Shu shook his head. This wasn’t just favor; if Xu Yang were his disciple, he would probably value him just as much.
The other elders were incredibly envious that Elder Huoyun had managed to recruit a genius like Xu Yang.
"I heard you killed the Tuo Dragon in Moon Lake. Its hide is prime material. Are you planning on selling it?"
Everyone looked at Xu Yang with envy. Anything that caught Elder Gong Shu’s eye was bound to be incredibly valuable.
"Reporting to the Elder, the battle was too fierce. The Tuo Dragon’s hide was almost completely ruined," Xu Yang said with a helpless expression.
’During the battle, he had considered preserving the Tuo Dragon’s hide, but the creature had been too difficult to kill. He simply hadn’t had the luxury of worrying about keeping the hide intact.’
Upon hearing this, Elder Gong Shu looked disappointed. He didn’t linger at the mine any longer and soon departed with Zhu Yuan and the others.
...
Purple Sun Sect, Li Fire Peak.
Gao Lin walked into Elder Huoyun’s grand hall and clasped his hands. "Disciple greets Master!"
Elder Huoyun slowly set down the book in his hands. "How long has Xu Yang been at Moon Lake?"
Gao Lin replied, "Master, it’s been over four months now."
"So it’s already been four months."
Elder Huoyun frowned. "Has the Song Family really not sent anyone to Moon Lake for revenge?"
He had been waiting for the Song Family to send experts to Moon Lake to act as a whetstone for Xu Yang’s skills. Yet, nearly two months had passed, and it seemed nothing had happened at all.
He knew these great families too well; they would never swallow such an insult. Even with his backing, the Song Family should have dared to take revenge on Xu Yang. For them to make no move at all was highly abnormal.
Last month, his disciple Zhu Yuan had returned from Moon Lake saying Xu Yang wanted to come back to the Sect for a period of seclusion. He had put a stop to it, precisely to give the Song Family more time. He never expected them to remain so quiet.
Now, another month had passed. Even as his master, he couldn’t keep preventing Xu Yang from returning.
Gao Lin smiled. "They probably don’t have the luxury of thinking about revenge on Junior Brother Xu right now."
"What do you mean?" Elder Huoyun asked, puzzled.
"I’ve heard rumors that the Song Family’s eldest son, Song Wenshan, led three Marrow Cleansing Great Success Martial Artists into the Yunling Mountain Range to hunt down the Wushan Four Fiends. It’s been over two months, and they still haven’t returned. It’s very likely they died in there," Gao Lin said with a smile.
With four Marrow Cleansing Great Success masters missing, including the young lord who was to be the next family head, how could the Song Family possibly have the energy to bother with Xu Yang?
If they couldn’t find those men, the loss of four Marrow Cleansing Great Success Martial Artists is something that even the Song Family, one of the ten great families, cannot afford.
"That damn lucky kid." Elder Huoyun was at a loss for words.
If he wasn’t mistaken, these were the same people the Song Family had arranged to kill Xu Yang. He hadn’t expected them to meet with a mishap.
"And Liu Qingyuan? He hasn’t made a move either?" Elder Huoyun asked.
Gao Lin nodded. "A few of Elder Liu’s disciples are in the Sect. He was probably waiting for the Song Family to make the first move, but he never expected this to happen."
"In that case, let him come back for a while. He can use up the contribution points he’s earned, and then we’ll arrange another assignment for him. Go to the Task Hall and have them arrange for someone to take his place at Moon Lake," Elder Huoyun said with a sigh.
’Since the Song Family couldn’t be bothered with Xu Yang, he might as well let the boy come back for a bit.’
’Posting the replacement task at the Task Hall would also serve as a notice to anyone with a grudge against Xu Yang. It would tell them to make their move now, or they’d lose their chance once he was back in the Sect.’
"Yes!"
Gao Lin clasped his hands and departed.
「A short while later, on Tianquan Peak.」
"Go tell the Song Family that Xu Yang is coming back. If they don’t make a move now, they’ll lose their chance," Liu Qingyuan ordered.
He Song clasped his hands. "Master, the Song Family has run into trouble. I hear their experts have all gone to the Yunling Mountain Range to find Song Wenshan’s group. I’m afraid they can’t spare anyone. Why don’t I go myself?"
’Although he wasn’t a genius on the Ten Heroes List, he was still talented enough to have a chance at reaching the Celestial Essence Realm. He was simply too old to be ranked on the list.’
"That old bastard Huoyun is definitely watching my every move. You can’t be the one to act. Just notify the Song Family. With what’s happened to Song Wenshan’s group, I’m sure they’re more eager than ever to kill Xu Yang," Liu Qingyuan said.
He Song nodded and departed.
...
The weather gradually warmed. Before he knew it, another month had passed, but Xu Yang still hadn’t seen the replacement Elder Huoyun was supposed to send.
[Fuyue Bear Scripture·Great Success (2327/12000)]
[Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture·Minor Achievement (4985/10000)]
[Bright King Unmoving Body·Minor Achievement (2313/8000)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 106]
[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 767]
’My progress has sped up considerably since reaching Marrow Cleansing Great Success. Before, even with Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pills, I’d only gain about 1,200 points of progress a month. Now, I can gain nearly 2,000.’
"’At this rate, it’ll take about five more months to complete my cultivation in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm,’ Xu Yang mused."
He could speed up the process by frequently consuming Spirit Medicine, but he didn’t have much to spare. As for the remaining Eight Treasure Lotus Seeds, he didn’t want to use them just yet.
The faint trace of Spirituality about his person was also growing stronger.
The progress on his Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture and Bright King Unmoving Body was also good. The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture would reach Great Success in about four more months.
If he were back cultivating in the Purple Sun Sect, his progress would be even faster.
In an unsecure place like the mine, he didn’t dare push his cultivation of the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture too far.
’The Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pills are all gone!’
The problem was that his Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pills were completely gone. If Elder Huoyun didn’t send a replacement soon, his cultivation progress would be delayed.
He still had some Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pills, but at his level of Gang Qi Great Success, they were only useful for restoring his Gang Qi, not for advancing his cultivation.
Even for just restoring his Gang Qi, his Marrow Cleansing Great Success cultivation required him to take three pills at a time.
For him, the Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill had effectively become a Low-Level Elixir.
’If it really comes to it, I’ll have to use the Eight Treasure Lotus Seeds to cultivate.’ He really didn’t want his progress to slow down.
"Brother Xu, are you in?"
Suddenly, Zhou Jiang’s voice came from outside. Xu Yang looked up to see Zhou Jiang walking in with a burly man.