57: Chapter 57 Crisis

Taihe Market, Talisman Shop.

On this day, Chen Changqing emerged from seclusion. Over the past three years, although his cultivation had only increased by one layer, his combat power was much stronger than before.

Moreover, in recent years, he had tried to Cultivate Foundation Establishment level Spells. With his spiritual power, he could fully support the consumption of Foundation Establishment Spells.

Although Foundation Establishment Spells were extremely difficult to practice, he finally succeeded in mastering it. To be honest, this Spell was actually an advanced version of the Azure Wood Finger. It was just that the Foundation Establishment level Azure Wood Finger possessed a trace of thunder might, and at the Foundation Establishment level, it could condense one hundred and eight paths of Azure Thunder.

Every single path of Azure Thunder was equivalent to a full-force strike from a First Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Ever since he mastered this move, he could essentially suppress a First Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator with his strength as a Spell Cultivator.

Besides this, his greatest progress over the years was in Artifact Refining. Now, he was already a First Grade Top-Tier Artifact Refiner, and the First Grade Top-Tier Magical Artifacts he refined with his own hands alone numbered up to five.

As for Talisman crafting, in these three years, he had spent quite a few Spirit Stones to auction for the refining method of a Second Grade Low Grade Talisman. This Talisman was named the ice crystal talisman. When this Talisman was activated, it could freeze everything around it, with an affected range reaching up to fifty zhang. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators would find it unbearable if they took this Talisman head-on while completely unprepared.

The success rate of refining this Talisman had already reached sixty percent, so he was now considered a Second Grade Low Grade Talisman Master.

Three years passed neither quickly nor slowly. Now, he was only twenty years old. Fourteen years had passed since he began to Cultivate, and he himself had grown from a child who had just stepped into the Immortal Realm back then to the point where even the Family needed to rely on him now.

However, having said that, in these past two months, the Yun Family seemed to have stopped making trouble altogether. Previously, a batch of people would come to cause trouble almost every period of time, making the Chen Family's income fall short of their expenses here in the Taihe Market. He had originally thought about withdrawing back to Qinghe County if things really didn't work out, but these days nothing else had happened, which was truly strange.

Without thinking further, Chen Changqing was planning to go to the Yuxu Sect to visit Li Qingling.

The Yuxu Sect was within the direct jurisdiction of Cang Prefecture. The entire direct jurisdiction of Cang Prefecture had a radius of over ten thousand li, and if the subordinate prefectures and counties were added, its scope would be even larger.

Taihe Prefecture belonged to the most marginal area in Cang Prefecture, about more than ten thousand li away from Cang City.

For this distance, with his current cultivation, assuming he ensured his spiritual power was always sufficient while maintaining the speed of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Perfection, flying for three hours every day would take at least a month to arrive.

Coincidentally, these past few days, entrusted by the Family, he needed to take five hundred Spirit Stones to give to Li Qingling, so he could handle it all at once.

Chen Changqing gave instructions on some matters and immediately set off towards Cang Prefecture.

After he left, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator slowly picked up a teacup with a very helpless expression.

"To actually need me, personally, to deal with a Qi Refining Cultivator—could the Third Elder's head have been kicked by a donkey?"

After speaking, she drank the spiritual tea in one gulp and then got up to pursue him.

...

Above a dense forest, a streak of azure escape light rapidly shuttled across. This person was none other than Chen Changqing. He had already left the Taihe Market for a full half-month. Along the way this half-month, it had been very quiet, but he did not feel anything was amiss, just blindly heading towards his destination.

Suddenly, he stopped, his expression carrying an unnatural look, and he shouted loudly, "Fellow Daoist has been chasing me all the way. If you have anything to say, you can manifest yourself and talk."

In the nearby dense forest, a figure appeared under a tree.

"This brat actually discovered me. No wonder the Third Elder called me here; this Divine Sense perception has at least reached the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment." She looked at the young man floating in mid-air, sighing inwardly in her heart.

"Hehe! Brat, I didn't expect you to actually discover me. But it's not a big problem; I will send you on your way."

In Chen Changqing's eyes, a middle-aged Cultivator in white robes slowly rose into the air from the dense forest.

Without a word of agreement, before Chen Changqing could figure out the situation, that Cultivator launched a sneak attack.

Horror appeared on Chen Changqing's face, and he immediately took out several ice crystal talismans and struck towards the opponent.

Boom!

Several explosion sounds rang out, and the sky was frozen by countless ice crystals, then rapidly falling towards the ground.

"Middle Stage Foundation Establishment? You are? People of the Yun Family!" Chen Changqing sensed the opponent's terrifying aura and recognized the opponent's origin from the cloud patterns on her clothes.

"So what if you know? Your Chen Family overestimates yourselves; if you offend our Yun Family, don't even think about having an easy time." Yun Nangu wore a playful smirk at the corner of her mouth, but inwardly she felt somewhat surprised. Although that move just now was only a casual strike from her, a Qi Refining Cultivator actually blocked it, making her find it somewhat unbelievable.

Hearing this, Chen Changqing did not continue saying much. Today, the other party coming here was nothing more than to execute him. Since the other party was unwilling to spare the Chen Family, he would not sit and wait for death either.

Thinking of this, Chen Changqing took the initiative to launch an attack. Under his control, the Second Grade Magical Artifacts inside his Storage Pouch immediately flew out. Among them, under his waving, the Second Grade Low Grade Magical Artifact Azure Flood Dragon Banner caused two azure flood dragon phantoms to suddenly fly out from within, subsequently attacking Yun Nangu.

Another Second Grade Low Grade Magical Artifact, the Heavenly Fallen Shield, blocked in front of him to deal with the opponent's counterattack at any time.

Besides this, he also took out a few ice crystal talismans for unexpected needs.

Watching the opponent casually take out several Second Grade Magical Artifacts, Yun Nangu sighed in admiration inwardly. A Qi Refining Cultivator actually had so many Second Grade Magical Artifacts; no wonder he could defeat Han Lingjun. Presumably, the person in front of her was one of those top Prodigies capable of fighting across realms. If an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator had come today, let alone executing Chen Changqing, whether they could keep the opponent behind would be hard to say.

Looking at the battle array in front of her, Yun Nangu was not afraid in the slightest. With a casual spear-shaped Magical Artifact, she was able to pin down the two flood dragon phantoms.

She wore a disdainful expression. What a pity; if these flood dragon phantoms were relatively complete, perhaps she would be wary by a few points, but they were merely two incomplete phantoms, which truly could not threaten her.

Watching the two flood dragons being casually pinned down by the opponent, Chen Changqing's expression immediately became somewhat ugly. Although he had quite a few trump cards, most of them had little effect when facing a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Yun Nangu sneered, "Brat, to be able to make even this humble one take you three parts seriously, you are already proud enough. Reincarnate into a good womb in your next life." After speaking, she immediately rushed towards Chen Changqing, her hands continuously forming hand seals, and Spell after Spell struck towards Chen Changqing. Chen Changqing immediately drove the Heavenly Fallen Shield to block.

Bang bang bang!

Countless Spells fell, beating the light of the Heavenly Fallen Shield to rapidly dim.

Blood stained the corners of Chen Changqing's mouth, and a wry smile appeared on his face. As expected, blocking a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still too forced. If not for his First Grade Top-Tier Physical Body, he would have lost his life long ago under the shock of the Spells.

"Hmm? You're still not dead after this? I want to see just how long you can hold on." Yun Nangu continued to form hand seals; this bit of attack consumed only a drop in the bucket of her spiritual power.

Watching Chen Changqing persist for such a long time, she grew increasingly curious about what secrets the opponent possessed on his body.