A sudden chill surged through Lin Xuankong, his heart filled with surprise and suspicion. Could the important matter the Young Lady mentioned be this pearl? Why does this pearl give me such an intense feeling of oppression and danger?
Seeing his tense expression, Lii Xiaolan couldn't help but smile, her eyes curving into crescents. "Seeing your reaction, you must have never seen one before! This kind of pearl is called a Demon Pearl. It forms after a powerful Demon is slain. However, the Demon Pearl I am holding has been processed through a special refining method, dispersing over ninety-nine percent of the Demon Qi. So, even a Martial Cultivator at the first layer of Transcendence can use it without worrying about being assimilated by demonic power!"
This is the Demon Pearl formed after a Demon's death?
Lin Xuankong was stunned. Of course, he had heard of Demons. Outside Great Marsh Prefecture City, Demons often roamed, preying on humans. Ordinary people were defenseless against them. Therefore, each prefecture, city, and town of the Great Xia Dynasty had many Martial Cultivators guarding them to prevent Demons from rampaging.
As for Demon Pearls... It was said that only exceptionally powerful Demons, upon being slain, had an extremely low likelihood of forming a Demon Pearl!
Regular Demons were already terrifying beings; killing powerful enough ones to obtain a Demon Pearl was far from easy!
Therefore, Demon Pearls were considered quite rare. Coupled with their multiple uses, it was said that each was highly valuable!
His predecessor had only occasionally heard whispered rumors about Demon Pearls; he had never expected to see such a precious item with his own eyes.
The value of this Demon Pearl... it could probably buy more than a hundred thousand steamed buns... My Young Lady actually possesses such a precious Demon Pearl! Could she already be strong enough to slay powerful Demons?
Lin Xuankong's face was full of doubt.
"This pearl is called the Manluo Demon Pearl and has mysterious properties. As long as you channel Qi Blood into it, it will activate its effects! In the coming days, I'll let you use it. If you encounter any solitary foes, activate it, and it will surely keep you safe! Unless the opponent is a master at the Sixth Layer of Transcendence, they won't be able to break through the pearl's effects!"
After finishing, Lii Xiaolan handed the pearl to Lin Xuankong.
Lin Xuankong showed surprise on his face. "Keep me safe? Your strength is so great, wouldn't I be safe with you... No, are you leaving this place?"
Lii Xiaolan placed the pearl by his hand and lightly bit her lip. "Yes, I do need to leave for a while—ten days at the soonest, half a month at the latest! That's why I am giving you this pearl. While you have already reached the Early Stage of the first layer of Transcendence and your strength far surpasses regular Martial Cultivators, Great Marsh Prefecture City has many experts. This pearl can ensure your safety should any unexpected situation arise. Additionally, here are over thirty silver taels and the formula for Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup, with detailed instructions on its preparation and brewing. The first layer of Transcendence is a crucial period for Martial Cultivators to lay their foundation. This silver is for buying medicinal herbs, enough to support your cultivation for ten days. I'll probably be back by then!"
Leaving... isn't there any way you can stay?
Lin Xuankong had the words at the tip of his tongue but didn't voice them.
The Young Lady explained things so thoroughly; she had clearly planned this well in advance!
Thinking this, his face showed a hint of sadness as he spoke, "Will it be dangerous for you to go alone? Can I come with you?"
The Young Lady, before leaving, gifted him such a precious Demon Pearl, left silver taels, and also left the Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup's formula… it couldn't help but make him worry.
Seeing the melancholy and reluctance on his face, a trace of gentleness flickered in Lii Xiaolan's eyes, though she waved her hand nonchalantly. "All right, all right, no need to show such reluctance. You're a grown man! How could I be in danger? In Great Marsh Prefecture City, among the thousands of Martial Cultivators, few can match me except for those old monsters and the old witch of the Huang Family. If even I were to face danger on an outing, then no one in Great Marsh Prefecture would dare leave the city!"
With that, she got up and walked towards the stairs, rubbing her stomach at the stairway. "Make lunch. I'm about to head out and want to eat my fill!"
Lin Xuankong watched her back, frowning. "Then I'll buy a few pounds of smoked meat and some side dishes. Normally, we'd skimp, but now that you're leaving, we should have a proper meal!"
Soon, the nimble Lin Xuankong returned with the food. The two of them sat at the table to eat as usual, but the atmosphere was different from their customary warmth. Lin Xuankong ate a few bites silently, about to speak, when Lii Xiaolan also looked up at him. "Another thing, activating the Manluo Demon Pearl greatly consumes Qi Blood. One portion of Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup provides enough Qi Blood to activate it for only about three breaths. You are currently only at the first layer of Transcendence and have insufficient Qi Blood. Therefore, don't activate it for too long, or you risk draining your Qi Blood, which would harm your foundation."
Lin Xuankong replied, "I understand!"
I am completely different from an ordinary first-layer Transcendence cultivator! My Life Plate has the mysterious function of storing a large amount of Qi Blood; my current Qi Blood Amount is estimated to be more than ten times that of a typical first-layer Transcendence cultivator! Even if the Manluo Demon Pearl consumes a lot of Qi Blood, I shouldn't have to worry about depletion. Still, this Demon Pearl is incredibly valuable; I definitely can't use it casually, or others might covet it!
Lii Xiaolan added, "Remember to keep the Demon Pearl close at hand! Although Great Marsh Prefecture City appears peaceful, various gang conflicts and Martial Arts Clan disputes abound. While I'm away, try not to go out much!"
Lin Xuankong nodded and continued eating silently. I had a stomach full of things I wanted to say to her, like telling her to be careful. But before I could say anything, she started instructing me instead!
A moment later, Lii Xiaolan set down her bowl and chopsticks. "I'll be back in about ten days!"
Soon after, the air around him vibrated slightly. Lin Xuankong quickly looked up, only to find that the neatly placed bowl and chopsticks were all that remained. His Young Lady had already disappeared!
In the backyard of the old small building, Lin Xuankong had been practicing the Spiritual Crane Finger for nearly four hours until he was more than half exhausted and finally stopped.
Both the Pine Heart Method and the Cangsong Posture must not be over-practiced; otherwise, they would severely drain Heart Spirit and Qi Blood. However, the Spiritual Crane Finger, being an offensive combat routine, could be practiced for extra rounds without issue!
He practiced so diligently, partly to prevent his mind from wandering when things were quiet.
The Young Lady's many kindnesses and affection towards him over the past tens of days—even a blockhead would have felt them! Now that she was clearly off to do something somewhat dangerous, how could he possibly not worry!
On the other hand, he aimed to quickly enhance his combat capabilities.
The Young Lady didn't invite me to go with her out of the city. One reason is my strength; if my strength isn't enough and I insist on going, I'd just be a burden! If my strength were sufficient, would I still need to worry about not being able to help the Young Lady in similar situations in the future?
Moreover, Although I'm not entirely certain that Zhang Wu and Ma Xiong are targeting me, improving my strength is always the right decision. After all, Zhang Wu is at the Late Stage of the first layer and commands nearly a hundred battle-hardened elite Gang Members. The Manluo Demon Pearl is only effective against a single opponent, and with the Young Lady gone, if Zhang Wu truly decides to target me, it will be very dangerous; open attacks might be dodged, but defending against hidden schemes will be difficult...
Resting beside an Old Willow Tree, Lin Xuankong directed his concentration inwardly, examining the progress on the Pine Crane Longevity Technique.
The Young Lady had mentioned that advancing to the next Realm of the Pine Skill was much harder than the Entry Level. She had said he might need to practice for three or four years, or even five or six, before he could cultivate the Pine Skill to the next Realm! Thinking about all this, and looking at the information in his mind, Lin Xuankong slightly shook his head. How could cultivating to the next Realm possibly take four or five years?