Chapter Twenty-Six: The Transformation of Spirit Stones

“Could these people… could they really be here for Li Fusheng?” Wang Changsheng asked uncertainly.

If he hadn’t seen the Spirit Vacuity Stone, Wang Changsheng would never have thought such a thing. But upon recognizing it, his mind instantly linked it to Li Fusheng, though he still wasn’t sure whether these people had truly come for him.

“No way, absolutely not. Li Fusheng can’t possibly have that kind of nerve!” Wang Changsheng immediately dismissed his own suspicion.

By his estimation, Li Fusheng hadn’t come to Chengtian Realm as a refugee, but neither could he be so bold as to make a move on the Cloud Palace Peak!

After pondering for a while, Wang Changsheng simply ruled Li Fusheng out. In his mind, Li Fusheng was unreliable—he might run small trades, but he would never dare target Cloud Palace Peak.

“Still, after the verification, I should ask for a spell technique. That’s exactly what I lack!” Wang Changsheng resolved inwardly.

As for spirit stones, he needed those desperately as well. By his own calculations, any cultivator in the Chengtian Realm who wished to break the shackles of the Open Vein level would need at least ten or twenty thousand spirit stones—there was simply no other way.

The problem was, Cloud Palace Peak wasn’t foolish; they’d never give out tens of thousands of spirit stones. It would be wiser to ask for a practical spell technique—precisely what he needed most.

“Senior Brother!”

Just as Wang Changsheng was deep in thought, Fang Qing’s voice drifted over. Judging by Fang Qing’s rather frail tone, escorting the Fourth Prince back had clearly been no simple matter.

“Did you run into assassins?” Wang Changsheng asked at once.

“Yes,” Fang Qing nodded. “But they were all innate martial artists. I killed them.”

Wang Changsheng’s brows furrowed immediately.

“It wasn’t the eldest prince?” he asked, puzzled.

“It was the Assassin’s Tower,” Fang Qing replied.

Wang Changsheng nodded and did not press further. It had little to do with him, and with his intellect, he quickly surmised that this move likely hadn’t come directly from the eldest prince. Or if he had acted, it was indirectly, perhaps by hiring the Assassin’s Tower.

After all, the eldest prince had cultivators at the third layer of the Open Vein level at his side. If he had made a direct move, the Fourth Prince would never have survived.

“They say brothers unite to fight tigers, fathers and sons go into battle together,” Wang Changsheng sighed. “Power is truly a dangerous thing.”

Fang Qing nodded as well.

Then, Wang Changsheng explained to Fang Qing the origins of Cloud Palace Peak and the details of the current verification process.

“Could it… could it really be Senior Li?” Fang Qing asked softly, nerves evident in his voice.

Clearly, he and Wang Changsheng were thinking along the same lines.

Wang Changsheng shook his head. “I don’t know, but it seems unlikely.”

“Come, let’s go for the verification. Whether you want a spell technique or spirit stones, make up your mind,” Wang Changsheng said.

Fang Qing nodded. “A spell technique. I’m no longer in the martial artist ranks, and without cultivator methods of defense, I can only cultivate slowly. Spell techniques are rare opportunities.”

Wang Changsheng’s expression showed approval; Fang Qing’s choice was indeed wise.

They waited for almost three hours before their turn finally came.

The cultivators of Cloud Palace Peak showed no particular reaction when they saw Wang Changsheng and Fang Qing. Even the head female cultivator, who had personally invited Wang Changsheng, didn’t spare him a second glance. To them, Wang Changsheng and Fang Qing were hardly worth noticing.

Fang Qing stood before Wang Changsheng, placing both hands on the Spirit Vacuity Stone. Instantly, he felt a pull—but Wang Changsheng had already explained this to him, so Fang Qing was mentally prepared. Otherwise, he would have withdrawn his hands at once.

After a few moments, Fang Qing withdrew his hands. The Spirit Vacuity Stone showed no change, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then it was Wang Changsheng’s turn.

He, too, placed both hands on the stone, and immediately felt a powerful suction. In just a few moments, he sensed he had lost about a tenth of his true energy.

“Hm?”

One of the maidens attending the stone looked at it with a puzzled expression; her questioning sound drew the attention of several other Cloud Palace Peak experts.

Even Wang Changsheng’s expression changed.

With every other cultivator, the Spirit Vacuity Stone had shown no reaction after absorbing their true energy—its brilliance remained unchanged. But after drawing in Wang Changsheng’s energy, a gray light appeared within it, and even the shifting radiance inside dimmed slightly.

This change lasted only half a breath, after which the stone returned to normal.

Of course, the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators noticed this, and all frowned.

“Senior Sister… what’s this about?” they asked the leading female cultivator, uncertainty on their faces.

She studied Wang Changsheng, who felt his heart tighten. He was absolutely certain he had not stolen anything from Cloud Palace Peak—of that he was sure. As for the stone’s change, he had no idea what had caused it.

“No, it’s not him,” the woman pronounced after a moment’s thought. “It should be a blue light, persistent and unwavering.”

“Then… what does this mean?” another cultivator asked at once.

“It seems this friend here has an especially deep foundation, and his true energy is rather unusual in nature. That’s likely what caused the stone’s reaction,” she said. “He’s not the thief.”

At her words, Wang Changsheng’s anxiety finally eased.

He knew he wasn’t a thief, but the Spirit Vacuity Stone’s odd reaction had truly made him nervous. Thank goodness the lead female cultivator believed it was merely due to his true energy’s nature—he could only be grateful for such luck.

“What will this friend choose?” she asked him.

“A spell technique,” Wang Changsheng replied without hesitation.

“Very well, go wait over there,” she told him. “Your foundation and refinement far exceed your peers.”

Wang Changsheng nodded awkwardly.

He was well aware of what she meant—he’d only recently noticed it himself. For example, when Fang Qing cultivated, he could absorb far more from the same spirit stone than Wang Changsheng ever could.

Yet in terms of true energy reserves, Fang Qing couldn’t begin to compare. At the same Open Vein first layer, Wang Changsheng estimated his own true energy was at least five times greater than Fang Qing’s.

An astonishing figure indeed.

After much study, Wang Changsheng could only attribute this anomaly to the Longevity Art he practiced.

“It’s rare for Senior Sister to praise anyone,” one of the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators laughed.

The others chuckled as well, oblivious to the flicker of doubt that crossed the lead woman’s eyes.

“What kind of technique could result in such a foundation…” she wondered.

Wang Changsheng, of course, couldn’t hear the laughter and speculation of the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators. By now, he had crossed to the other side of the terrace and saw Fang Qing already seated cross-legged on the ground. Not only Fang Qing, but all the other cultivators who had finished the process were also sitting cross-legged.

“They’re all comprehending saber intent…” Wang Changsheng muttered. “Anyone not studying saber techniques won’t gain much, but for those who are, this is a tremendous opportunity.”

Wang Changsheng could only sigh with regret—for he possessed no saber techniques at all, and aside from the Longevity Art, he knew no other spells, just a few martial artists’ basic moves.

Fang Qing sat with eyes tightly shut. Wang Changsheng could only sit beside him, quietly circulating his energy to recover.

It took a full day and a half for all present to complete the verification.

Once it was done, the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators atop the high platform appeared deep in thought. Their faces were veiled, making it impossible to read their expressions.

“Senior Sister, all have been checked. No sign,” one of them reported gravely.

The lead woman nodded.

“Did he come?” she asked.

“No,” another replied. “We’ve been searching for him constantly. A month ago, we heard he appeared in the Tiger Guard Empire, but by the time we arrived, he’d already vanished.”

“I suspect he knows we’re hunting him.”

“In that case, there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance the Spirit Vacuity Stone is on him!” another of the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators declared. “When we catch that thief, I’ll be sure he pays dearly!”

“You won’t be able to defeat him,” the lead woman said. “Senior Sister originally meant to come herself, but had to turn back midway. If she’d been here, we might have pursued him directly.”

“Hmph!”

The others could only snort in frustration.

“Hmm? Did I just hear you say you were going after someone?”

Just then, a faint voice drifted through the gathering. It was so weak that for a moment, people thought they’d imagined it.

“Who? Who’s disturbing my cultivation again? I was so close to an insight—twice now, I’ve been interrupted!”

“It can’t be the Cloud Palace Peak people again, can it?”

“No, wait—that’s a man’s voice. There are no men among the Cloud Palace Peak seniors…”

Everyone, interrupted by the faint voice, wore looks of annoyance. Still, with Cloud Palace Peak’s experts present and this terrace built by them, none dared act out and could only wait for the cultivators’ response.

Many Cloud Palace Peak disciples also looked puzzled. Everyone present knew the sect’s reputation and standing—there certainly were no male cultivators in their upper ranks.

But Wang Changsheng, upon hearing the voice, looked especially confused. It sounded extremely familiar to him.

“That… that sounds just like Li Fusheng…” Wang Changsheng said in a low voice.