Chapter 400: Empty-handed
When Su Hao and Feng Ling returned to Qianfeng Assembly, the old Uncle Yu had already come back and was leisurely sitting behind the counter drinking tea.
Seeing Su Hao and Feng Ling, he kindly smiled and said, “Nephew! The message you delivered, I have already reported to Elder Wu Shan. Elder Wu Shan had already known about this through other channels, so you can rest assured.”
Feng Ling struggled to force a smile on her face. The two disciples who had been stationed at Qilou Peak were already dead, how could she feel at ease?
Feng Ling said, “Uncle Yu, the two senior brothers stationed at Qilou Peak have already died.”
The Uncle Yu’s face stiffened, and he suddenly stood up anxiously, “What did you say?”
Feng Ling said, “After we exchanged the secret scroll here, we immediately went to Qilou Peak, only to unexpectedly find the body of a disciple from the Yun lineage, suspected to be one of the stationed disciples, so we immediately came back to report.”
Uncle Yu said, “Only the body of one disciple?”
Feng Ling shook her head, “We also found a severed finger in another location, along with a blood-stained robe from the Yun lineage. Both stationed disciples at Qilou Peak are missing, it’s likely a bad omen!”
Uncle Yu immediately jumped up, furrowing his brows and pacing in circles.
Feng Ling reminded him, “Hurry to report to the Elder of Wu Shan.”
The Uncle Yu sighed, “Elder Wu Shan is currently in seclusion, I can’t see anyone!”
After thinking for a moment, the Uncle Yu made a decision and shouted, “Yumu, immediately retrieve my token and summon all the disciples from the thirty-eight peaks. Be careful in your recent actions, don’t be careless.”
A young female disciple appeared, “Understood, Master!”
Uncle Yu continued, “Yujie, immediately go to Huangtou Ridge and report the situation here, let the disciples of Huangtou Ridge be more vigilant!”
Another female disciple, who looked exactly like the first one, slowly appeared, “Understood, Master.”
These two female disciples turned out to be twins! And both are in the Golden Core Realm!
This old man actually took in a pair of twin disciples!
Uncle Yu waved his hand, “Be careful on the way, don’t be reckless. If anything seems wrong, flee immediately. Go!”
The news Feng Ling reported earlier, combined with the inexplicable deaths of the two disciples, made Uncle Yu have a bad feeling. Perhaps, those who targeted the Yunzhong Valley wouldn’t wait until the entire sect changed defenses before taking action, but for some unknown reason, they acted early.
In this way, the disciples stationed everywhere would be in danger.
After Yumu and Yujie left, Uncle Yu said, “During this time, the two nephews should not leave Qianfeng Assembly. I will recall all the disciples around the Yunzhong Valley to ensure safety, and we’ll wait until Elder Wu Shan comes out of seclusion to discuss further.”
Feng Ling didn’t want to go out at this time either. She felt it was safer to stay here, so she nodded and said, “Alright, thank you, Master Uncle!”
The Uncle Yu waved his hand and went back to his room.
…
Su Hao and Feng Ling wandered around the market.
After encountering the tragic deaths of two fellow disciples, Feng Ling deeply felt her own weakness and became increasingly uneasy. After wandering for a while, she asked Su Hao, “Feng Wei, what materials do you need to refine the Universal Knife? Will it be expensive?”
She urgently needed a powerful artifact for self-defense, but her pockets were empty. Many of the displayed artifact materials on the street were almost beyond her affordability, and she felt bitter for a moment.
Su Hao also looked around curiously and replied, “If Master wants me to refine the Universal Sword, there were some leftovers from the previous knife refinement. It’s enough to make a Universal Sword! There’s no need for Master to buy anything else.”
Feng Ling couldn’t believe it for a moment, “Really?”
Su Hao said, “Do I look like I’m lying to you?”
He was currently abundant in materials, even having several large boxes of spirit stones, making him quite wealthy!
Feng Ling became excited immediately, her face slightly flushed, “Can the Universal Sword you refine deal with Golden Core cultivators like you did a few days ago?”
Su Hao said, “That’s not certain!”
Feng Ling said, “Could it be that the Universal Sword you refine for me is a neutered version? Otherwise, I’ll collect some materials! I can sell the ‘Hemp Feather Silk’ and ‘Tempered Bone Card’ in my hands, and I should be able to get some spirit stones.”
What Su Hao didn’t expect was that Feng Ling was willing to sell her two most handy artifacts for the Universal Sword.
Su Hao said, “Don’t worry, Master. Compared to my Universal Knife, the Universal Sword I refine for you is only stronger, not weaker. But whether it can unleash the power of the Universal Sword depends on your understanding of this artifact. It’s not just about the artifact’s strength. To be honest, even if I wield a wooden stick, those guys from the Six Element Golden Gate won’t be able to beat me, even if they’re Golden Core cultivators. Understand?”
Feng Ling shook her head honestly, “I don’t understand.”
Su Hao sighed, “Alright then! If you don’t understand, you don’t understand. I’ll refine the artifact for you first, then write a manual for you to use. How much power it can unleash will depend on you!”
Feng Ling immediately nodded eagerly.
Su Hao thought to himself, “Whether the Universal Knife can unleash its power depends on the various formations I’ve integrated into it. It’s okay if Master doesn’t know how to use it, as long as I write a booklet listing several commonly used formations for you to practice, it should be fine.”
This is like playing a game. As long as you know that casting a powerful spell requires pressing the ‘WWSSAADD…’ keys, as long as you put in the effort to memorize and practice, you can become a kingpin in the cybercafe who can beat everyone on the street.
Su Hao suddenly saw a piece of lotus stone carving and couldn’t help but squat down curiously and ask, “Senior, what is this lotus stone?”
The stall owner was a Golden Core cultivator, looking middle-aged, his age indiscernible. He had a short beard on his chin. Seeing that the two Foundation Establishment cultivators in front of him looked impoverished, he smiled and didn’t drive them away.
He casually explained, “This is an artifact passed down from a long time ago, called the ‘Endless Lotus Platform,’ made from a very special and rare material called Endless Stone. It is said that with a pair of Endless Lotus Platforms, the person holding them can sense each other no matter how far apart they are.”
“I happened to acquire this piece of lotus platform by chance, but unfortunately, there is only one. The other lotus platform that corresponds to it has already been destroyed, which is a pity! However, being able to witness such a legendary object is truly my luck.”
This lotus platform was actually of no great use. For the short-bearded cultivator, it was just a collectible, something pleasant to look at when placed at home.
Now that it was displayed, selling it was fake, but showing it off was real. Of course, if someone was willing to buy it at a high price, he would be willing to part with it. However, he knew that it would be difficult to encounter someone willing to buy it at a high price!
Su Hao became interested, “Can they sense each other no matter how far apart they are? Isn’t that similar to the secret scroll?”
The short-bearded cultivator smiled, “That’s right! It’s similar to the secret scroll! The core material of that secret scroll is made of Endless Stone. You can consider this Endless Lotus Platform as an ancient artifact used to transmit simple signals.”
Su Hao pointed and asked, “Can I take a look at it?”
“Feel free to take a look!” The short-bearded cultivator was very generous. Showing off his possessions was like this. The more others liked his treasures, the happier he felt: I have something you admire, are you jealous? Are you mad?
Moreover, they were only two Foundation Establishment cultivators, they couldn’t stir up much trouble.
With permission granted, Su Hao carefully picked up the Endless Lotus Platform and examined it closely.
The overall lines were graceful and smooth, as if the entire lotus platform had just been plucked from a pond. There were some slight imperfections on the lotus platform, each seeming to contain the baptism of time.
In Su Hao’s eyes, even if you set aside its special material and function, looking at it alone, it was still an extremely exquisite piece of artwork.
Unfortunately, no matter how well it was preserved, such an artwork that witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations would eventually be swallowed by time.
Su Hao asked, “How much does this Endless Lotus Platform sell for, sir?”
Feng Ling was surprised and thought to herself, “Feng Wei is quite the character, empty-handed but still daring to ask for the price!”
