Chapter 129: Has no one ever told you not to provoke me?

"Lotus Ridge? You don't mean to tell me it's in the hands of a Golden Core master, do you? Or perhaps a Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Gu Changqing sneered.

However, he made no further move. Although he found the relaxed, sprawled-out posture of Daoist Mi irritating, his grudge against Chen Daoling was far deeper.

"Not a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but a Qi Refining eighth-layer practitioner who happens to possess a petal of the Jade Leaf Golden Lotus. The Jade Leaf Golden Lotus is immensely beneficial even to Foundation Establishment cultivators. While it is only a single petal, it is more than enough for you," Daoist Mi said unhurriedly.

"A Qi Refining eighth-layer practitioner obtaining a Jade Leaf Golden Lotus—isn't that a bit too coincidental?" Gu Changqing raised an eyebrow.

He was familiar with the Jade Leaf Golden Lotus; it was recorded in the "Flesh and Blood Soul Refining Method" as a top-tier celestial treasure for protecting the soul. While it had no effect on Golden Core masters, it was a rare and precious item even for those in the Foundation Establishment stage.

It was not impossible for such an item to fall into the hands of an eighth-layer practitioner; after all, one's destiny is unpredictable. Gu Changqing himself had obtained the "Flesh and Blood Soul Refining Method" while he was still an ordinary person. How many people could boast of such luck? Of course, that destiny was also earned through his own diligent efforts.

However, the fact that Daoist Mi knew about this was rather peculiar.

"Whether it's true or false, you'll know once you find them. I can tell you who has it, but you will owe me a favor, and you are not to disturb me until that favor is repaid," Daoist Mi said with a sly smile.

Gu Changqing pondered for a moment before saying, "Fine! Who has it?"

"Shentu!"

"Where is he?" Gu Changqing asked directly.

Daoist Mi's intention to use him as a blade to kill another was barely hidden. Though he did not know if there was bad blood between Mi and Shentu, Gu Changqing cared little for anything else. As long as Shentu truly held a petal of the Jade Leaf Golden Lotus, nothing else mattered.

"Likely at Cold Spring Valley. He needs the cold springs there to cultivate his technique," Daoist Mi replied.

"It had better be as you say!" Gu Changqing left those words behind and turned to walk away. He then summoned a cultivator: "Do you know where Cold Spring Valley is?"

"It's near Golden Bamboo Mountain..." the cultivator said hastily.

Golden Bamboo Mountain was one of the Nine Mountains and Twelve Ridges; it was known for producing a type of golden bamboo best suited for forging metal-attributed artifacts.

"How many days to get there?" Gu Changqing asked.

"Traveling at full speed, at least three days..."

"Does Shentu often train there?" Gu Changqing asked again.

"You don't even know that? What use are you? Go ask someone else!"

A moment later, after confirming from others that Shentu spent more than half of every month there, he immediately ordered Li Youling to return to the cave dwelling to continue her cultivation. He then grabbed two cultivators: "Lead the way!"

After Gu Changqing departed from Spirit Vulture Peak, another Daoist Mi emerged from the room. With a smirk, he produced a flying talisman, inscribed a message upon it, and watched as it flew away from the peak.

"This can't be blamed on me. I would have preferred not to get involved in these affairs, but since it just happened to cross my path..."

Daoist Mi considered for a moment, then packed his belongings and headed down the mountain to follow them. If those people failed to kill Gu Changqing, he would at least be significantly weakened. He could then intervene personally to finish him off, saving himself the trouble of Gu Changqing coming after him later.

...

In Youxian City, inside a room at the Jade Pavilion, a young man opened the window to receive a flying talisman. After reading its contents, he wore a look of joy and went to knock on a woman's door.

"Miss You, we have news of that brat! He has gone to Cold Spring Valley!"

"Is the information reliable?" The woman surnamed You changed her expression upon hearing this.

"Reliable. He has already departed! He's going to cause trouble for a cultivator named Shentu."

"Oh?" The woman thought to herself. Causing trouble was a ruse; consuming others to cultivate was the real motive!

"What is the strength of this devil?" she asked.

"That is unknown. The letter didn't say."

The woman mused that since the boy had not been in Lotus Ridge for long, he should still be familiarizing himself with the area, and his strength would not have increased too drastically. Moreover, she had specifically summoned a ninth-layer Qi Refining expert from her family for this mission. With that expert and her own group, there should be no issues.

She had to capture the boy this time; she could not let him continue to grow. His speed of advancement was so fast it chilled her. If she failed this time, she would have to notify her father. But then she would not receive much of the spoils; the legacy of the Blood Venerable was best kept by one person, cultivated in secret. She did not want to share it, not even with her closest kin.

With that thought, she summoned the others. They had been staying in Youxian City for some time; it was initially fine, but they had grown bored. Upon learning the target's location, they set off in high spirits.

...

"Senior Brother Gu, Cold Spring Valley is just ahead!"

On a hillside, two men were carrying a bamboo pole upon which sat a chair, where Gu Changqing rested with his legs crossed. The three of them had traveled day and night for three days to reach the vicinity of the valley. Once they arrived, the two men nearly collapsed.

Gu Changqing felt that traveling for three days straight was indeed arduous, and even he felt a hint of fatigue, so he decided not to push them further.

"Rest nearby and wait for me!" Gu Changqing grabbed a handful of spirit stones from his storage pouch—a few dozen of them—and tossed them to the two men. One must provide a sweet treat after a blow, otherwise, who would work for you?

"Being able to serve Senior Brother Gu is already our honor; you need not do this!" the two men exclaimed quickly.

"Enough with the nonsense. I have always been fair. Work for me, and you will certainly be rewarded!" Gu Changqing glanced at them.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu!" Seeing this, they stopped refusing and accepted the stones, suddenly feeling that Gu Changqing wasn't so bad after all. Though fierce, he was fair and generous. A genuine desire to pledge their loyalty began to stir in their hearts.

Gu Changqing ignored them and headed straight forward. Crossing the ridge, he saw the valley below. While the surrounding areas were lush with green life—or rather, a place where winter never truly took hold—the valley floor was stark white, covered in a layer of solid ice, with only a few small red flowers swaying in the cold. These were the only plants in the valley.

Gu Changqing had inquired about Cold Spring Valley before arriving; it was a place where almost nothing lived, with temperatures year-round hovering at forty or fifty degrees below zero. The cold emanated from several springs within. The water was extremely cold; it did not freeze while in the pool, but the moment it was drawn out, it turned into solid ice.

Many cultivators had previously thought there might be treasures in the springs and attempted to retrieve them, but the springs were bottomless and grew colder the deeper one went. Even Golden Core masters could not reach the bottom. Over time, people stopped bothering.

The valley was not large. At a glance, Gu Changqing saw a large man sitting in one of the springs, only his head visible. Around him, the cold spring continuously emitted white vapor, which turned into frost and snow shortly after.

That must be Shentu in the spring. Gu Changqing had learned from his companions that Shentu specialized in body refinement. His strength was immense, his physique so hardened that he could nearly withstand magical artifacts. Even ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators could do nothing against him.

However, Gu Changqing scoffed at Shentu's technique. Even if you can withstand magical artifacts, I don't believe you can withstand strong acid. In his view, the Blood Prison was much the same as strong acid. Besides, even if your whole body is hard, are your internal organs just as tough? Can you seal up your rear end too?

Gu Changqing leaped down into the valley and walked toward Shentu. Shentu, sitting in the water, opened his eyes and looked at Gu Changqing.

"Shentu? I heard you have a petal of the Jade Leaf Golden Lotus! Give it to me, and I will spare your life!" Gu Changqing said as he approached.

Upon hearing this, Shentu was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, as if he had heard something ridiculous. He stood up from the spring, and the water on his body evaporated instantly. He stood over two meters tall, his muscles knotted, his blood energy radiating like a furnace—an image of immense, overbearing power.

"Who are you?" Shentu finished laughing and asked as he stepped onto the bank. "I've never heard of someone like you!"

"Never mind, there's no point in knowing your name." Shentu's blood energy erupted again, melting the ice around him. He was enveloped in steam, which kept cycling back into ice crystals. "Has no one ever told you not to provoke me?"