Chapter 167: Blocking My Butcher's Blade
Seeing that he himself was about to be punished, Fu Miao was both shocked and angry. He didn't dare to target Chongxuan Chuliang, but looked around: "My Four Seas Merchant Alliance is the number one trading house in the State of Qi! I am a first-class steward of the Alliance! Who dares to touch me?"
Thud!
The sound of military boots stomping on the ground.
Several sounds merged into one.
The generals in the tent all stepped forward!
Fu Miao's threat was completely useless in the Autumn Slaughter Army's commander's tent. Making threats in front of Chongxuan Chuliang was also a complete manifestation of his loss of composure.
Not to mention that every general was eager to try, Chongxuan Sheng was the first to step forward and bow directly: "Grand Marshal! This humble one requests permission!"
Chongxuan Chuliang merely raised his hand, indicating approval.
Chongxuan Sheng rose straight up and faced Fu Miao directly, immediately stirring up the latter's surging Dao essence.
"Chongxuan Sheng!" Fu Miao gritted his teeth and shouted.
It seemed like it would be a spectacular battle between a Tenglong realm cultivator and an Inner Fane realm cultivator.
But Chongxuan Sheng only casually drew a blade from the waist of a nearby general, without gathering even a bit of Dao essence, and his steps were even somewhat unsteady.
His fat body could be described as struggling with every step as he walked lightly toward the person.
"The military order has been given. Even if it means destroying mountains and overturning seas, it cannot be changed. I have no choice but to do this."
He lightly flicked the long blade.
"You can run, you can flee, you can even resist. But..."
He said: "Think about the consequences."
Chongxuan Sheng's voice was not loud, like ordinary casual conversation, but very clear.
"Especially since you are an Inner Fane realm powerhouse, and I only recently opened the Heaven-Earth Gate. When you resist, be careful not to accidentally kill me."
And as he walked so slowly toward Fu Miao, this period of time was enough for a transcendent cultivator of Fu Miao's realm to flee out of the commander's tent hundreds of times.
Especially since Chongxuan Chuliang was leaning lazily on the commander's seat, showing no intention of interfering at all. Even if he resisted, the Butcher would not take action at this moment.
But for some reason.
Even Fu Miao himself couldn't explain why, his feet seemed to have grown roots, and he couldn't pull them free!
Clearly he had endless strength, yet it seemed like he couldn't use it.
Clearly he had the combat power to destroy mountains and fill seas, but it had inexplicably vanished.
In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Chongxuan Sheng walked over, walked over...
Clack, clack, clack.
The sound of boots striking the ground.
This sound finally reached its end, and the person's fat figure was right in front of him.
And then...
A very clean slash of the blade, an ear flew off with blood!
After covering the wound, Fu Miao seemed to wake from a great dream, only then feeling the pain.
"Hiss!"
He sucked in a cold breath, then stumbled a few times before he could stand steady.
Although the Treasure Gathering Commerce had caught up later. But at least for now, the number one trading house in the State of Qi in name was still the Four Seas Merchant Alliance.
Such a large-scale trading organization, with only twelve first-class stewards, and Fu Miao was among them.
In terms of status, he was only below the honorary stewards and the Alliance Leader. In terms of actual power, he was even heavier than the honorary stewards.
When had he ever encountered such humiliation as today? When had he ever been treated like this?
To have one's ear cut off in front of everyone!
But apart from the cold breath he sucked in, Fu Miao couldn't make any other sound. In the Butcher's commander's tent, it was as if he had lost even the strength to speak.
Chongxuan Chuliang raised his hand again, indicating that he could leave now.
Chongxuan Sheng flicked his wrist, and the borrowed long blade shot back into its sheath with a whoosh.
Then he personally lifted the tent flap and said: "Please."
Fu Miao, covering his wounded ear, walked out in a daze. He only heard Chongxuan Sheng say beside him: "Remember to send someone to collect the corpse in three days."
This three-day period was not for him. But for the Four Seas Merchant Alliance Leader.
Chongxuan Chuliang was clearly going to execute these people of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance still held in the military camp, and gave the Alliance Leader three days to use whatever means he wished.
To see if he could block his butcher's blade.
This silent attitude... how incredibly arrogant!
...
...
Whether the people of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance were willing or not, this black pot, they were definitely going to carry.
For Chongxuan Sheng, striking at Chongxuan Zun was something he did with all his might. Since the Four Seas Merchant Alliance had many collaborations with Chongxuan Zun, then whenever there was an opportunity, he would cut off their hands.
Especially since the Four Seas Merchant Alliance had rashly involved itself in the State of Yang, they were already covered in lice. One grab and you'd catch them, and it would be a pity not to.
As for the benefits that could originally be gained from the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, the Treasure Gathering Commerce would deliver ten times that amount.
When the Four Seas Merchant Alliance won the "plague prevention business" in the State of Yang and was triumphant, they certainly never imagined how the people of Treasure Gathering Commerce were secretly rejoicing.
This was itself a trap from the beginning. The Treasure Gathering Commerce never intended to compete, and the frantic frustration after "losing" was merely an act.
The Four Seas Merchant Alliance had worn the title of Qi State's number one trading house for a very long time. The Treasure Gathering Commerce and Chongxuan Sheng hit it off immediately, investing massive resources into Chongxuan Chuliang's army—not because they loved the State of Qi so much. Using this opportunity to beat down the Four Seas Merchant Alliance was the top priority.
After long and painstaking efforts, finally catching up, the Treasure Gathering Commerce began to seek a position commensurate with its actual strength.
This layer of the transaction, Fu Miao did not know before coming, but after returning, he would surely figure it out. However, for a confrontation of this level, it might already be too late.
Whether it was the consistent contempt for the Treasure Gathering Commerce, or the reckless actions this time in the State of Yang, all showed the arrogance of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance.
And this oldest trading organization in the State of Qi, now it was time to pay the price for that arrogance.
One only wonders how many will live, how many will die, and how much blood will flow!
...
...
In Qingyang Town, Jiang Wang was cultivating.
In every spare moment he could squeeze out, he was cultivating.
Although there is often a saying that "cultivation cares not for the length of years," the effort truly spent in it will not let oneself down.
After opening the Heaven-Earth Gate, the Celestial Palace truly seemed to have "pierced the heavens."
At all times, massive amounts of heaven and earth qi surged into the Star River Dao Vortex, and under its scouring, it continuously feedbacked to the physical body.
Naturally, during this process, a large amount of Dao essence was nurtured and produced, the speed incomparable to before.
Before opening the Heaven-Earth Gate, the qi scoured by the Dao vortex relied on the physical body's intake and output. After opening the Heaven-Earth Gate, it was equivalent to the Dao vortex being able to directly communicate with heaven and earth.
Efficiency completely doubled.
That is to say, previously, the nine Star River Dao Vortices produced eighty-one Dao essence per day. Now, they could produce one hundred and sixty-two Dao essence.
After the Star-Serpent Spirit advanced to become the Star-Serpent, its Dao essence intake and output also increased from three to ten, and the quality of the Dao essence itself also became higher.
Moreover, the Star-Serpent was more intelligent. It could now independently intake and output Dao essence, no longer requiring Jiang Wang to control it.
Regarding spirituality, there was a clear example: the Star-Serpent Spirit would often instinctively approach the Nether Candle, possibly attracted by some aura. This required Jiang Wang to secretly restrain it.
But after the Dao Meridian True Spirit advanced to become the Star-Serpent, not only did it not approach the Nether Candle, but it also showed a certain territorial consciousness, attempting to drive away the Nether Candle multiple times. It only settled down after being restrained by Jiang Wang.
The Star-Serpent was very "diligent," automatically performing meridian-nourishing and intake/output at least twice daily. This was likely a habit formed from Jiang Wang's persistent morning and evening practices.
Calculating this way, after reaching the Heaven-Piercing realm, Jiang Wang's Celestial Palace produced one hundred and eighty-two Dao essence daily, equivalent to the output of two Dao Essence Stones.
Even if he did nothing all day and simply relied on infusing Dao Essence Stones, he could still make a small fortune.
By now, the morning and evening practices of meridian-nourishing and nurturing Dao essence could be cancelled.
But for Jiang Wang, it was merely a change in the content of his morning and evening practices. Changing from the routine meridian-nourishing and nurturing of Dao essence to exploring the ocean of the torso.
The Sea of the Spine was also called the Celestial Palace, and the Sea of the Torso was also called the Five Vane, with some calling it the Five Fanes Sea, meaning the Five Fanes were all within it.
The Heaven-Earth Islet floated within the Five Fanes Sea. Below was an endless vast ocean, above was endless misty fog. Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if only this island existed. The name "Heaven-Earth Islet" was indeed fitting.
Before truly stepping into this realm, many people would mistake it, thinking that the Five Fane of the Inner Fane realm corresponded to the five internal organs of the human body.
This speculation was incorrect. The Five Fane did indeed have a certain correspondence with the five internal organs, but within the Sea of the Torso, their positions did not correspond.
Not to mention that the boundless Sea of the Torso could not correspond to the physical body's positions at all. Even if one could barely match them, if one sought the Inner Fane based on the position of a certain internal organ, the result would inevitably be getting lost in the Mists of Ignorance.
For example, Jiang Wang could now sense the position of the Divine Ability Seed, which also marked his first Inner Fane. That position was extremely distant within the vast Mists of Ignorance, completely unrelated to the positions of the five internal organs.
For Jiang Wang, it was more like a second beacon outside the Heaven-Earth Islet, allowing him to not get lost in the Mists of Ignorance.
The process of a cultivator exploring the Sea of the Torso was to驾驭 the Tenglong Dao Meridian, exploring and clarifying this world within the Mists of Ignorance.
This world seemed boundless but was actually finite, but it was certainly not an accomplishment for a single day.
Because the Tenglong Dao Meridian could only persist in the Mists of Ignorance for a limited time, varying with the strength of one's own Celestial Palace.
A cultivator must return to the Heaven-Earth Islet before the Tenglong Dao Meridian cannot persist. Otherwise, once the Tenglong Dao Meridian is completely worn away by the Mists of Ignorance, the result would be body perishes and Dao dissolves.
The Heaven-Earth Islet was such an important base camp, and it itself also required massive amounts of Dao essence to support it, otherwise it would gradually sink into the "ocean."
Therefore, although Tenglong realm cultivators could intake and output massive amounts of Dao essence, the amount of Dao essence they could actually use often didn't increase much compared to the Heaven-Piercing realm. This was because they had to expend huge amounts of Dao essence to support the Heaven-Earth Islet.
When cultivators explored the Five Fanes Sea, they needed to remember the route and not get lost. They also needed to measure their own strength and not push themselves.
In short, it was a very dangerous process.
More dangerous than any realm before opening the Heaven-Earth Gate, with constant threat of life and death. Perhaps one practice session would end in silent destruction.
The cultivation world had developed to this point. Cultivators had invented countless methods to ensure safety while exploring the Mists of Ignorance. But no matter which method, none was as useful as a stable "beacon."
Therefore, those cultivators who could already sense the Divine Ability Seed while still in the Tenglong realm were often considered geniuses, not just because of the promise of divine abilities. More importantly, these cultivators could relatively easily advance to the Inner Fane realm.
Of course, now it was just a beacon.
When Jiang Wang finished exploring the Five Fanes Sea, the water would flow and the channel would form, naturally tapping on the door of the Inner Fane.
It would be the Divine Ability.