Chapter 131 : Withered Thunder Branch

Chapter 131: Withered Thunder Branch

“Patrolling Formation Envoy, won’t you reconsider?” Xiao Qing’s lips pressed close to Chen Beiwu’s ear, her words carrying a fragrant breath.

She cultivated a Foundation Establishment secret art called Mortal Dust Crossing Heart.

This method used the Seven Emotions as the guide and the Six Desires as the furnace, capable of refining worldly emotions and desires into Bewildering Heart mana, eventually forming the Bewildering Heart Physique.

Those with the Bewildering Heart Physique were naturally endowed with charm. Even without channeling mana, they could subtly and silently confuse one’s divine sense, making her the dream Dao companion in the eyes of cultivators.

Although due to her limited constitution, she had not cultivated Mortal Dust Crossing Heart to perfection,

if she fully activated her Bewildering Heart mana, she could still make an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator willingly bow beneath her skirt.

Though Chen Zi’ang was honored as Patrolling Formation Envoy, he was only an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator—not even Foundation Establishment—so it was hard for him to resist her charm.

As expected, when her words fell, a trace of hesitation flickered in Chen Zi’ang’s eyes.

Sensing this, Lu Lei’s storage ring flashed with spiritual light as he retrieved a jade box and opened it, revealing a one-foot-seven-inch charred, withered branch.

At first glance, this branch seemed ordinary, its surface covered with cracks resembling turtle shells and scorched charcoal, yet it emitted an incredibly dense vitality.

Sweeping it with his divine sense, Chen Beiwu saw faint jade-like luster flowing deep within the cracks of the branch.

This was precisely the Tier Two high-grade spiritual item, Withered Thunder Branch, for which he had posted a bounty at the sect’s Mission Hall.

“There are thirty-six formations encircling Qingsu Island’s Sea-Gathering and Island-Returning Grand Formation. If only three formations have problems, I might be able to deal with them.” Chen Beiwu probed.

From the extent of Lu Lei’s bribery, Qingsu Island’s situation was clearly dire.

Otherwise, Lu Lei wouldn’t have been so anxious to cover things up on the very second day of his appointment.

“There’s no need for Patrolling Envoy to trouble himself. You only need to pretend you saw nothing.” Xiao Qing lifted Chen Beiwu’s right hand, placing it atop her fullness, causing it to slightly deform.

Feeling the soft warmth beneath his fingertips, Chen Beiwu sighed and withdrew his hand. “You’re making this very difficult for me.”

Xiao Qing was momentarily stunned, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

What was going on?

Against a Qi Refining cultivator, her Mortal Dust Crossing Heart technique was not working well.

Could it be that Chen Zi’ang carried a Tier Two defensive spiritual artifact protecting his spirit platform?

Hearing this, Lu Lei turned his gaze toward Yu Pan.

Yu Pan spoke softly. “Senior Brother Chen, if there’s something you want, you can speak up. We can all discuss it.”

Chen Beiwu’s gaze fell on her, making her heart tighten.

“If you want me to stay out of this, it’s simple.” Chen Beiwu smiled, speaking bluntly. “This isn’t enough. I want fifty thousand spirit stones.”

At these words, the entire private room fell silent. Yu Pan and Xiao Qing instinctively looked toward Lu Lei.

What did fifty thousand lower-grade spirit stones mean?

Even the lifetime savings of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would be no more than this.

It was no exaggeration to say that with fifty thousand lower-grade spirit stones, one could even buy a Tier Three Treasure Pill from a sect’s Tier Three alchemist.

This newly appointed Patrolling Formation Envoy’s appetite was far too great!

If Lu Lei chose mutual destruction, Chen Zi’ang might well perish here.

“Filling the sea and building an island runs very deep. We alone can’t handle it, and smoothing things over with those above also requires spirit stones.”

Lu Lei frowned, bargaining. “Fifty thousand is too much. How about twenty-five thousand spirit stones—one more than before?”

“Deal.”

A smile spread across Chen Beiwu’s face as he stretched out both hands, wrapping around the waists of the two Foundation Establishment female cultivators on either side.

Xiao Qing countered, wrapping her arms around Chen Beiwu’s neck.

Yu Pan frowned lightly, but seeing Chen Beiwu’s hand behave properly, she did not resist.

At this, Lu Lei secretly sighed in relief, raising his cup of wine toward Chen Zi’ang.

Unless forced, he truly did not want to imprison, let alone kill, the Patrolling Formation Envoy sent by the sect.

But if Chen Zi’ang had refused to relent, he would have had no choice but to risk everything—killing him and disguising it as an accident.

Even if it was exposed in the end, he could at least drag a genius down with him in death.

“My lord, ten thousand spirit stones is no small number. It will take time to gather. But I have already arranged a private chamber for you.” Lu Lei smiled.

Xiao Qing exhaled sweetly, teasing in a soft voice. “The Qi Refining female cultivators who just danced were all carefully trained by me. Each is still pure, at late-stage Qi Refining. Do any catch your eye, my lord?”

“All twelve?” Chen Beiwu raised his brows.

“All of them.” Xiao Qing smiled.

“One isn’t enough. I want them all.” Chen Beiwu laughed heartily, squeezing Xiao Qing with his palm, making her let out a soft moan.

Hearing this, Yu Pan’s expression remained calm, though disgust welled up inside her.

If it weren’t for the many parasites within the sect disappointing her so much,

she might have abandoned the flood dragon corpse and remained in Mirror Moon Sect to earn enough contribution points to exchange for a Flood Dragon Blood Pill.

“The meal’s about done. I’m already impatient.” Chen Beiwu put down his chopsticks after a few bites, flashing Xiao Qing a wanton smile.

“Please follow me, my lord.” Xiao Qing smiled, leading Chen Beiwu out of the room.

The private chamber immediately held only Lu Lei and Yu Pan.

“Hu…” Lu Lei let out a breath, brows tightly knit.

“The matter is already settled. Why is Shopkeeper Lu still uneasy?” Yu Pan asked curiously.

“If it were truly settled, that would be fine.” Lu Lei looked out the window. “I just fear Chen Zi’ang is playing at false compliance.”

Yu Pan’s heart stirred. “Shopkeeper Lu, you mean—?”

“If not for Xiao Qing’s reminder, I wouldn’t have known this new Patrolling Formation Envoy’s yuan yang remained intact, proving he isn’t truly lustful.” Lu Lei sneered coldly.

“Then what should we do?” Yu Pan frowned slightly.

“No matter. Since he wishes to play false, we’ll turn his scheme back on him.”

At this, Lu Lei’s lips curved upward. “After dual cultivation with Xiao Qing, he and we will be grasshoppers tied on the same rope.”

……

Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, private chamber.

From a warm jade incense burner rose curling smoke. Chen Beiwu lay on the bed, surrounded by beautiful Qi Refining female cultivators serving to undress him.

Xiao Qing’s eyes brimmed with allure as her fingers reached for the sash of her gauzy robe. The garment slid off her shoulders like flowing water, revealing half of her sculpted collarbone and snow-white skin, dazzling Chen Beiwu to dizziness.

“My lord, do you prefer flowers… or softness?” Xiao Qing bent slightly, her chest revealing a deep ravine.

“Play with you*!”

Before the words fully left his mouth, a jade-green formation disk appeared in Chen Beiwu’s hand, erupting with immense power.

Xiao Qing’s pupils shrank. On instinct, she pulled a female cultivator in front of her as a shield, then pointed her fingers at Chen Beiwu, releasing the Tier Two spiritual art [Binding Jade Cold Fingers].

This art was not strong in power, but each of its five fingers could shoot frost force continuously into an opponent’s body, severing their meridians and preventing them from using mana.

“Buzz!”

Yet the formation unfolded even faster.

As silence fell within a hundred-zhang radius, eight colossal bronze gates suddenly rose in Xiao Qing’s vision.

“Heaven turns to Earth, Fire burns Water—Eight Gates open, Heart Demon confounds—this is the Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation!”

Seeing the grand formation suddenly rise, Yu Pan’s expression changed drastically.