The night of the eleventh day.
Jiang Maodian called a few people over to gather and explained the current situation.
He and Ai Yinian had no gains, only receiving a few scattered bits of fortune. As for the real fortune, they hadnât seen any, let alone obtained.
Ai Yinian added,
"Itâs not just us, disciples from other sects seem to be in the same situation."
Jiang Maodian said worriedly,
"Moreover, thereâs no sign of any change. If this continues for thirty days, then the qualification for this Peach Blossom Spring is truly wasted."
Fan Wubing said,
"Manman and I are the same. No gain."
Fu Manman nodded without speaking.
Off to the side, Luo Qingyao leaned against the window, staring blankly at the night outside.
Jiang Maodian asked,
"What about you, Junior Sister Qingyao?"
Luo Qingyao shook her head, frowning deeply,
"I canât find it."
Jiang Maodian was surprised,
"You came specifically for the Peach Blossom Spring, and still youâve gained nothing?"
Luo Qingyao joined the Eternal Immortal Sect for the Peach Blossom Spring, and this was no secret. Although she hadnât actively disclosed her "mission," she hadnât deliberately concealed it either.
"Itâs very strange."
"Strange how?"
Luo Qingyao lifted her head to look at the full moon in the sky,
"From what I understand, the fortune in the Peach Blossom Spring is transformed from a wisp of the Dao Ancestorâs purple qi, randomly distributed throughout the land. Although it doesnât show characteristics directly, it should never be this hidden. So hidden that we canât find it at all... The Peach Blossom Spring we see, itâs more like... thereâs absolutely no fortune. Could it be, the fortune was taken by someone early? Or is it not yet born?"
Jiang Maodian was perplexed,
"But the Daoist from Wangxian Pavilion said that the fortune matures before the land opens. Taken early by someone? That... doesnât make much sense either."
Fan Wubing was deep in thought.
Taken early by someone?
He recalled slaying the Umbrella Demon, eradicating its karmic forces and gaining a portion of fortune.
Could it be... the fortune in the Peach Blossom Spring was harvested by those monsters?
Thinking of this, he asked,
"Junior Sister, in the previous Peach Blossom Spring, aside from the natives, was there anything else?"
Luo Qingyao thought for a moment and said,
"The predecessor of the Peach Blossom Spring was Nanlai City, a remote mortal town seldom visited by cultivators. After it transformed into a blessed land, in order to ensure the fortune wasnât taken in advance, any details regarding cultivation were intentionally erased."
Upon hearing this, Fan Wubing exchanged a glance with Fu Manman.
It seemed likely that the fortune had indeed been taken early.
Luo Qingyao noticed their exchange and asked,
"What is it? Do you have any thoughts?"
Fan Wubing thought for a moment and said,
"Actually, during these days in the city, Manman and I discovered... monsters."
"Monsters?" Jiang Maodian was stunned.
Luo Qingyao furrowed her brow,
"Really! I had thought about this before, but never encountered it, so I wasnât sure. Senior Brother, Senior Sister Manman, what kinds of monsters did you encounter?"
Fan Wubing briefly recounted the incident in the shanty area.
It wasnât exactly something that needed to be hidden. After all, up until now, they still hadnât found a way to deal with the Evil Qi.
However, he didnât mention the fortune he came across.
Luo Qingyao pondered for a moment,
"Given the nature of the Peach Blossom Spring, it should be impossible for monsters to appear. Now that they have, it must mean somethingâs gone wrong. Perhaps the fortune was really taken by the native growing monsters."
Fan Wubing said,
"Itâs possible that they obtained the fortune, allowing them to transform into monsters."
"That explanation is more fitting." Luo Qingyao nodded, "But, fortune is intended for the Cultivation Realm, as a gift from the Dao Ancestor out of compassion for peopleâs difficult cultivation... Why would ordinary people in the city gain it?"
"That remains unclear; who knows whatâs happening with this Peach Blossom Spring."
"Could it be..." Luo Qingyao lowered her head, half of her face disappearing into the darkness.
On her face, shadowed by light and dark, her expression was uncertain.
"What is it, Junior Sister Qingyao?" Jiang Maodian asked.
Luo Qingyao snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head,
"Nothing."
Returning to the topic of the shanty area.
Jiang Maodian said,
"Considering Junior Brother Wubing and Junior Sister Manmanâs experiences, that hut area is a place we canât easily set foot in. Just passing by is fine, but if we deliberately search there, we will surely run into Evil Qi. For mortals, running into Evil Qi might cause illness at best and sudden death at worst. For cultivators, lightly, it might pollute the dantian; severely, it could destroy oneâs foundation. We currently have no way to counter Evil Qi, so we shouldnât take the risk."
Even Jiang Maodian, a seventh-layer Golden Core sword cultivator, had no way to deal with Evil Qi, meaning others likely wouldnât either.
Fan Wubing thought for a moment,
"Could we possibly start from the demons?"
Jiang Maodian asked,
"What insights does Junior Brother Wubing have?"
"Since weâve learned that fortunes might be acquired by demons. If there is a way to find the demon and then kill it, could we then... grasp the fortune?"
"Finding a way to locate the demon... The disciples of sect influence usually carry a demon-revealing mirror. But since Nanlai City is densely populated, checking one by one isnât realistic."
Thatâs what they say.
Fan Wubing also tried using the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill to sense "demon qi," but if the demon deliberately concealed its qi and blended in with the chaotic crowd, it would be hard to discern.
At this moment, Ai Yinian said,
"I have an idea."
Everyone looked at him,
"What idea?"
Ai Yinian was tall, fair-skinned, with a baby face that looked quite endearing. He said,
"To be honest, I actually have a âSpirit Attraction Physique.â"
"Spirit Attraction Physique?"
"The Spirit Attraction Physique enhances cultivation, making it easier to gather qi. But it gathers not only celestial qi but also demon qi, yin qi, and others... So, to demons, I am a great supplement." Ai Yinian sighed, "Due to this physique, I have always attracted various demons and spirits since I was young. My family spent a fortune to get a protective talisman that masked the attracting qi in my blood, allowing me to live peacefully."
He looked at everyone,
"If I remove that protective talisman, demons will certainly be drawn. In this regard, I am quite confident."
"But wouldnât that place Junior Brother Yinian in danger?" Jiang Maodian hesitated greatly. As a senior disciple, he was responsible for his juniors and sisters.
Ai Yinian gritted his teeth,
"Itâs not easy to come to the Peach Blossom Spring; this might be the only opportunity in our lifetime. Shouldnât we give it our all? If we achieve nothing, I will regret it for life. Thinking about it, born with the Spirit Attraction Physique, Iâm destined to be entangled with demons."
Jiang Maodian sighed,
"Alright."
"Demons are more likely to appear at night. Moreover, at night, there are fewer people and the qi is not complex, so the attracting qi of my Spirit Attraction Physique is clearer. So, itâs best for us to act at night."
"Junior Brother Wubing, Junior Sister Manman, Junior Sister Qingyao, what are your thoughts?"
Luo Qingyao looked conflicted,
"I... will not go with you. I have other things to do."
Jiang Maodian nodded,
"Alright. We understand."
Fan Wubing said,
"Thereâs more than one demon in the city. Can we handle it alone?"
He recalled the previous Umbrella Demon, which was only defeated using strategy and combining the strength of two people.
Just one Umbrella Demon was so hard to deal with; if many demons are attracted...
Ai Yinian said,
"If thatâs our only option, why not... spread a message saying weâve found where the fortune appears and let others come to fight over it? How about that?"
Jiang Maodian said,
"But if you remove your protective talisman, revealing the attracting qi, demons will undoubtedly attack us first. Wouldnât that let others reap the benefits? Plus, other sect disciples clearly band together to deliberately avoid us from the Eternal Immortal Sect. Openly collaborating with them seems extremely difficult."
The plan fell into a dilemma again.
Fan Wubing furrowed his brows, thought for a while, and said,
"Junior Brother Yinian, your Spirit Attraction Physique has some kind of qi in your blood that attracts demons, right?"
"Yes."
"I... can cook celestial food. How about I try to incorporate the qi in your blood that attracts demons into celestial food and use the food to lure them?"
"Is that even possible?" Jiang Maodian and Ai Yinian were both flabbergasted.
"Celestial food essentially also involves the manipulation and integration of various âqiâ."
"Then, letâs try," Ai Yinian said, using his celestial qi to force a wisp of blood from his fingertip, coagulating it into a cluster, and handing it to Fan Wubing.
At that moment, facing Ai Yinianâs blood,
Fan Wubing felt an intense desire rising in his heart,
["Tongue Lust" stirred!]
["Tongue Lust" stirred!]
["Tongue Lust" stirred!]
He quickly activated the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill to suppress the restless "Tongue Lust," while reminding himself internally,
"Damn, what am I thinking? Youâre not a demon! Endure it!"