Chapter 112 - 112 111 A Causal Relationship Thanks to the Alliance Leader Loneliness is not Equal to Solitude

112: Chapter 111 A Causal Relationship (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Loneliness is not Equal to Solitude) 112: Chapter 111 A Causal Relationship (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Loneliness is not Equal to Solitude) An Jing closed his eyes. “I understand.” A moment later, he opened his eyes, already calm, “We must first take care of the matters at hand before we can think about the future.” Considering things that cannot be done now was pointless. An Jing steadied his mind and, after calming down by running the “Tranquil Sword Manual,” he began to evaluate his current state. In terms of assets, everything was fine. The items he bought from the Black Market were all intact, except for a sub-drone of the Six Qi Lotus Platform that was damaged just now. Physically, An Jing initially tested his strength by using a strand of Taibai Fiend Qi. During the aftermath of the explosion, he used four strands to protect himself. Then, during the subsequent shockwaves, he spent another two, utilizing a total of seven strands. He had thirteen strands in total, leaving him with six. Among these, one strand was Origin Qi, which he could not use carelessly, leaving five strands of Taibai Fiend Qi available. Since An Jing was fundamentally a cultivator with “Essence Qi like a river,” it was difficult for him to refine essence into qi. His Spirit Qi recovery rate was not fast; even holding Jade Cutting Steel, it would take more than a quarter of an hour to condense a strand. These five strands of Fiend Qi represented all the power An Jing could utilize in the short term. Of course, he also had the Sword Box and the spear. However, after seeing the complete set of Spiritual Instrument Grade armor of the Fengdu Guards, An Jing could almost conclude that even if the Chongming Sword Box could slightly damage the armor, it definitely couldn’t handle these fully equipped combatants. His equipment was only good for dealing with those from Embracing the Void who lacked a bulletproof poncho. In the Tianyuan Realm, he was merely a member of an elite gang. He should count himself lucky if he could escape alive from the aftermath of a battle between the powerful. “Also prepare the Qi Boosting Pills,” the Sword Spirit reminded. “They can temporarily boost your Blood Qi, restore your Essence and physical strength, and enhance your force. Combined with the sharpness of Taibai Fiend Qi, the lethal power will be quite astonishing.” “Alright,” An Jing didn’t say much else and placed the small porcelain bottle he carried in a more accessible outer pocket for easy access at any moment. After finishing all these preparations, the sounds of combat from below had gradually diminished. It seemed that victory was about to be decided, but it was unclear whether the Black Market or the Fengdu Guards would be the ultimate victor. However, An Jing did not feel reassured about this because the Fengdu Guards were likely to be the victors. If the Fengdu Guards won, they would definitely carry out a thorough search and inspection of the entire Black Market. His current location was too conspicuous; he had to find a hidden spot to hide. Once more, An Jing began to control the drone, the tiny lotus seed flying through the air. The two Purple Mansion cultivators were still battling in the sky, and there was no need to observe them. He directed the drone into the third layer and deeper into the lower levels of the Black Market. After making sure there were no people around, he started moving. His target was none other than the mineral material shop, “Mount Xiao Zhe,” from which he had previously bought the Jade Cutting Steel. Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mount Xiao Zhe was located a bit outward from the center of the third layer. The storefront wasn’t very conspicuous and had a storeroom, making it a good hiding place. Besides, Mount Xiao Zhe was also, as far as An Jing knew, the place with the most ‘wealth’. Even if the shop clerks had escaped with the most precious minerals at the first sign of trouble, what remained would still be of great use to An Jing. For a cultivator of the Taibai Luminous Godly Ban, minerals were always in demand. Having made his decision, An Jing, having packed up, began to move silently towards Mount Xiao Zhe. But when he actually arrived at Mount Xiao Zhe, he discovered that his prior reconnaissance was not perfect. For there, someone was still alive. The shop’s door had collapsed, forming an ‘入’ shaped entrance, and the surrounding dome was also somewhat unstable. The corridor outside the shop appeared to have been burned, covered with the marks of smoke and fire. Through the gaps in the debris, one could barely see the nearly looted store. Amidst this wreckage, devoid of any signs of life, even a thief would not want to approach. It was only after entering this wreckage that An Jing heard a faint breathing sound. “There’s actually a living person?” An Jing was shocked and sharply turned his head towards the source of the sound—he was not surprised that Mount Xiao Zhe had been looted, as in the world of cultivators a mineral shop was more luxurious than a mortal’s gold shop. He was just a step late, but he hadn’t expected someone to have survived. This was also a flaw in the sub-drone; if not close enough, it couldn’t hear such faint breathing. Taking out a flashlight, An Jing shone it towards the source of the breathing. It was someone he knew. Lying on the ground beside him, a female cultivator, who had warmly welcomed him when he first arrived at the Black Market, despite An Jing never seeing her face; her hairstyle and figure matched. She had been shot through the neck, the bullet grazing the back of her head and a mix of red blood with a trace of green liquid slowly seeping out. She had almost lost all signs of life. The ‘Life-Healing Talisman’ she clutched tightly in her hand preserved her last bit of consciousness, allowing her to breathe with all her might and sustain her life. She sensed An Jing’s entry, her pupils which had already spread instinctively converged, looking at him with despair mixed with pleading. “She is about to die,” the Sword Spirit whispered, “the Life-Healing Talisman is ten times more expensive than the Healing Talisman, offering the purest Life Essence that can even heal internal organ damage. However, her Six Yang Leader has been severely damaged. By now, unless a cultivator specializing in ‘Life of Green Wood’ takes action, her death is certain.” “Actually, the reason she has survived until now is that she has a part of the Evergreen Wood implanted in her, preserving her last trace of Yuan Qi.” “I can’t save you.” Exhaling, An Jing approached the shop attendant, and said flatly, having seen too many corpses: “I have no medicine on me, nor do I have a Healing Talisman. I can only watch you die.” “But I can give you a quick end. Or rather, is there anything you want to say? You must have something you want to do, struggling so hard to stay alive.” The shop attendant slightly raised her head, the desire and pleading in her eyes gradually faded. She was not young, and even cultivators could see the signs of yearlong labor on her. Her sea-blue eyes, whether from a special lineage or a Pupil Skill, swept over An Jing’s body. At that moment, she suddenly gripped the Life-Healing Talisman in her hand with her last strength and pushed out her remaining Yuan Qi, saying, “Fellow Daoist, I am a laughingstock, blatantly knowing of my impending death, yet still struggling to beg for life.” “What’s funny about that? Until the very last moment, I too would struggle to survive.” An Jing slightly shook his head. Seeing her intention to sit up, he helped her slowly straighten up, sitting cross-legged on the ground—only then did An Jing notice the two bullet wounds on her chest and abdomen. Her body was sturdy; the bullets had not passed through her. As she sat cross-legged, the female cultivator took a deep breath, circulated her Complete Circuit, and her face suddenly flushed an unnatural rosy color, clearly a final flicker of vitality. Before her death, temporarily regaining her strength, she took out a silver-white card from her bosom and handed it to An Jing, “This is a Nameless Good Deeds Card. With this card, you can withdraw 7,655 Good Deeds from a bank affiliated with the Lianshan Group. It’s my smuggling savings over the years.” “There are also some weapons at the counter, which you can take for yourself.” “I can’t guarantee I’ll survive either,” An Jing furrowed his brows, took the card, and said honestly, “Even if I survive, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to do anything for you—I really don’t need the money.” “I know. You are the boy who sold the Airy Stones the day before yesterday.” The female cultivator forced a smile; she had recognized An Jing’s true identity from the start. “You aren’t short of money. I also know that both of us may have a hard time escaping this calamity… but if.” With that, she took off her personal information terminal, a watch. Under the transmission of her thoughts through the chip, a map emerged: “This is the emergency escape route held jointly by our company and a few partners, which might still be usable… If you can make it out, if you are willing, if… anyway, it’s impossible for me, but I can only hope if.” “If you can, tell my son… tell him, his mom is going on a business trip…” As she spoke, the female cultivator’s head slowly drooped, her voice growing fainter, increasingly jumbled and disordered: “He does not know I work in the Black Market, he thinks I’m at the Mount Xiao Zhe headquarters… he’s about your age… he’s academically excellent, has scholarships… successful and famous…” “Don’t delay… he will become a great person, I believe…” “Sorry, I’ve been lying, I…” Murmuring, her voice gradually faded away. She died. Sigh. An Jing silently sighed, taking the watch from the female cultivator’s hand; it contained her contacts and her home address. Looking complexly at the silver-white card and the map in his hand, he muttered, “Another sequence of cause and effect.” “She didn’t have hope in you,” the Sword Spirit fell silent for a while and then spoke directly and sharply, mercilessly, “She just thought that if she didn’t offer up her possessions willingly, you would search her body, leaving her undignified. And since you are about her child’s age, she felt pity for you and loathed herself.” “This cause and effect have nothing to do with you. You’re just a projection of her own child to her, and you don’t need to take it.” “I understand.” And after a pause, An Jing turned and walked deeper into the Mount Xiao Zhe shop, tucking the card into his pocket: “But don’t I also have projections?” “My mother… how is she now?” “Meeting is fate itself, and since I’ve taken the money, I ought to do something.” “Avoiding disaster is not possible.” Saying so, An Jing smiled rather freely, “But if I can survive… Subdue Evil.” “Can’t I even manage a simple message?” The Sword Spirit did not respond, only a hint of approval transmitted. If An Jing would change his mind with just a slight hindrance from His words, His words would be meaningless. Not to mention, as the Immortal Sword of Subdue Demons and Exorcise Evil, although He would provide advice cold and sharp as a sword, He preferred to see cultivators uphold a heart pledging to ‘vow to subdue demons and protect the peace of the world.’ Not wasting time, An Jing picked up a flashlight and searched through the materials in the cabinet. Although An Jing held no hopes, he still found an unexpected gain.