Chapter 486: Imposing Manner |
In order to hire Qin Hongying as a temporary guest elder, Taiyi Sect had to pay a considerable price. While stationed at Grand Lion Ridge, Qin Hongying required a Third Rank spirit vein to sustain her daily cultivation and ensure that her Cultivation Base wouldn't greatly decline.
Taiyi Sect had to provide a substantial amount of cultivation resources to the Qin Family, including tens of thousands of lower-grade spirit stones and various other minerals and spiritual herbs. Considering Taiyi Sect's current financial situation, it was challenging to provide everything at once.
Fortunately, Qin Hongying was reasonable and agreed to receive staggered payments from Taiyi Sect, alleviating the immediate burden. The most crucial term in the agreement was that after Qin Hongying's death during meditation, Meng Zhang and Luo Ye Daoist Master should protect the Qin Family's heritage and prevent its extinction at the hands of their enemies.
Taiyi Sect was a relatively unknown small sect situated far away in the Endless Sea of Sand, and Meng Zhang was still a newcomer to the core ranks. Qin Hongying didn't place too much hope in Meng Zhang; instead, she relied more on Luo Ye Daoist Master.
As a Gold Core Daoist Master with origins in the Jiuqu League, Qin Hongying was familiar with forces like the black market and the Dark Alliance. She knew that Luo Ye Daoist Master had an extraordinary background and formidable strength. As long as Luo Ye Daoist Master agreed to help, safeguarding the Qin Family wouldn't be a problem.
However, Luo Ye Daoist Master couldn't stay at Grand Lion Ridge for an extended period. Meng Zhang truly needed Qin Hongying's Gold Core combat power. Thus, Luo Ye Daoist Master promised Qin Hongying that in the future, if the Qin Family encountered insurmountable difficulties, she would personally step in to assist them.
By agreeing to this condition, Luo Ye Daoist Master had done Meng Zhang a great favor, and once again, he owed her a huge debt of gratitude. With the terms settled, all three of them pledged to uphold the agreement through a soul oath.
Afterward, Luo Ye Daoist Master hurriedly left Demon Wind Gobi and returned to the Jiuqu League.
During the agreement, Qin Hongying emphasized that she was only helping Meng Zhang deal with demonic beasts and had no intention of getting involved in the entanglements within the Cultivation World. Meng Zhang understood Qin Hongying's thoughts well. As her time was limited, she didn't want to create unnecessary troubles and leave future problems for the Qin Family.
Since he had invested so much to secure Qin Hongying as a guest elder for thirty years, Meng Zhang intended to make the most of her and at least recover his investment.
After Qin Hongying settled the affairs of the Qin Family at Grand Lion Ridge, Meng Zhang took her with him to the area outside Yachao.
It had been quite some time since Gu Yue Huaidie and Luo Ye Daoist Master appeared. Since Meng Zhang appeared alone outside Yachao, it had been a while.
While Dark Crow Demon General remained calm and composed, Poison Sand Demon General was becoming impatient. Unlike Dark Crow Demon General, Poison Sand Demon General wasn't as patient and had been staying in Yachao for quite some time.
It decided to go out and probe the strength of human cultivators in the area.
Although it wasn't particularly fast, Poison Sand Demon General had made adequate preparations. It believed it could retreat safely even if faced with two or three human Gold Core cultivators.
As luck would have it, just as Poison Sand Demon General left Yachao and headed toward Grand Lion Ridge, Meng Zhang and Qin Hongying happened to arrive.
As the employer had paid a high price to hire her, Qin Hongying wanted to show her abilities and prove that she was indeed worth the price. Even before getting close to Poison Sand Demon General, she boldly released her aura.
Being a peak Gold Core cultivator in the early stage, Qin Hongying's cultivation base was only slightly lower than Gu Yue Huaidie's. Although they were both female cultivators, Qin Hongying was not as reserved as Gu Yue Huaidie.
From the displayed aura alone, Qin Hongying's strength seemed to surpass Gu Yue Huaidie's in every aspect. Faced with a powerful aura from an unknown human Gold Core expert, Poison Sand Demon General didn't hesitate and quickly fled back to Yachao, eluding Meng Zhang's pursuit.
Meng Zhang looked at Qin Hongying with a smile that wasn't entirely genuine, understanding her intentions well. As Qin Hongying's remaining lifespan was short, each battle with a cultivator of the same level would consume a significant amount of her spiritual energy. If she spent too much energy and couldn't recover in time, it would greatly affect her remaining lifespan. In such a situation, Qin Hongying tried to avoid direct confrontations with opponents of the same level whenever possible.
Releasing her aura and intimidating her enemies to retreat became a practical way to avoid unnecessary battles.
Meng Zhang couldn't demand much from a senior with limited lifespan, nor could he force her into anything. He simply noted this in his mind and resolved to train a new Gold Core Daoist Master for Taiyi Sect as soon as possible.
Hiring external help at such a high price wasn't ideal, especially when they couldn't rely on them during critical moments.
However, cultivating new talents couldn't be rushed either.
While there were several possibilities for Taiyi Sect's next generation to break through to the Gold Core stage, they still required sufficient time to grow.
The three Guardian Spirit Generals weren't dependable either, at least not for now.
After the defeat in Demon Wind Gobi, Northern Desert Qi Family had withdrawn entirely to their stronghold, retreating completely after suffering casualties, including the death and severe injury of their two Gold Core Daoist Masters, and countless other casualties among their cultivators.
Even if Flying Swan Sect were to free up their hands, they could easily wipe out Northern Desert Qi Family. However, Meng Zhang was wary of the presence of Qi Mingyuan True Monarch, who stood behind Northern Desert Qi Family. A Primordial Spirit True Monarch could exert influence on Gold Core sects in various ways, and given Taiyi Sect's current strength, they couldn't afford to offend such a powerful figure.
Since attacking Northern Desert Qi Family wasn't a feasible option, Taiyi Sect had to hold its ground firmly in Demon Wind Gobi. To some extent, Taiyi Sect had become a barrier, helping Flying Swan Sect fend off threats from Demon Wind Gobi.
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