Chapter 290 - Fragile Friendship

The following day, Xiao Chen, Huangfu Xin’er, and Xiaoyue were led into the upper level of the Violet Illusory Lands. Just as he stepped into the mystic domain, Xiao Chen could immediately feel the richness of the robust Spiritual Qi swirling around him. He was no longer in a dark cavern from which he had come from, but in an open field of a beautiful paradise.

The glorious expanse of grasses that stretched far out of view, bedecked with lush trees and red blossoms while the rolling mountains and hills hemmed in the horizons took every breath out of Xiao Chen. A mystic domain of such size could only be possible with no expense spared, all thanks to the power and time contributed by countless conjurers in the past.

The rich Spiritual Qi could only come from an Earth Spiritual Meridian; one that undoubtedly belonged to Tianyuan City. But to ensure that the spiritual energies from the Spiritual Meridian were not drained beyond capacity, the Violet Illusory Lands were only opened once every decade.

“Junior Brother Xiao! Come here!”

There he saw, Yu Yifeng, Mu Shaoai and a couple of others sitting under a strong oak that looked as if it was reaching for the sky. They had first wanted to come together with him, but Xiao Chen declined, citing some business to attend to, so he came later.

Xiao Chen went over to them and immediately felt a surge of Spiritual Qi churning in the air around him. It was almost as rich as what he once felt at the Mystic Cyan Mountain, if not stronger. “No wonder everyone had improved so greatly,” he mused.

“Ah, you’re here, Junior Brother Xiao,” Qingyu and Zhou Li nodded amicably to him.

“Well, we have him to thank for,” Zhou Li remarked, grinning, “Otherwise we would not have been qualified to be allowed here, heh heh heh.”

“You are too kind, Senior Brother Zhou,” Xiao Chen smiled and said. He looked at Li Muxue and Luo Shangyan and sensed that they were on the verge of another breakthrough. With a few more words of greetings to his companions, he retreated to a corner and sat down, beginning to meditate himself.

But they were hardly alone in this mystic domain. There were also students from the Fallen Immortals Sect and the Divine Mist Sect, in addition to several kinsmen of Clan Su, all of whom had occupied one of the hills to the east, which was richest and strongest with Spiritual Qi.

With the students of the Fallen Immortals Sect and the kinsmen of Clan Su sharing the crest of the hill, all that was left was only the foot of the hill, which the disciples of the Divine Mist Sect grudgingly settled themselves at. But with Huangfu Xin’er return, whom even those of the Fallen Immortals Sect feared, the members of Heartless Palace were allowed a small place at the top of the knoll.

With only his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen immediately knew that the Spiritual Qi under this oak tree was slightly paler in contrast to that of the hill. But it was enough for him and his companions and he had no intention of provoking another conflict.

But he was intrigued to know that Xiaoyue was not vying for the hill too, although her power and strength could easily ensure her a safe spot up there.

Instead, she was roaming around the mystic domain as if she was searching for something. Xiao Chen’s eyes narrowed instinctively, remembering about their excursion to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City. She seemed to be interested in the Earth Spiritual Meridian of Mu Luo then. “Was she eyeing this Spiritual Meridian of Tianyuan City this time?”

At the seventh bell when the sun was setting, the two Elders watching the entrance came into the mystic domain. Everyone got up from their meditation and made ready to leave. The Illusory Lands were only opened for twelve hours each day and no one was allowed inside except during opening hours.

Everyone shuffled out the entrance and found themselves in the grottos beneath the rear of the Jade Terrace Mountain. “Heaven’s sakes, can’t you just allow us in for the night too? Do we have to go in and out every day?” A few began grumbling reluctantly.

There was Qin Shaoyang of the Xianyong Sect and Han Moyang of the Order of the Countless Blades among many. They had failed to qualify for the best ten groups in the tournament, so they were only allowed to enter the mid-tiered mystic domains to train, while many others were ushered into the lower-tiered domains. That would explain the jealous and envious glances thrown at Xiao Chen and his companions who had just emerged from the entrance of the highest levels of the Illusory Lands.

Ten days passed swiftly, Xiao Chen was close to breaking through the Ninth Level of the Core Forming Realm. But with only twenty days left, there was hardly any chance for him to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, unless by the use of medicines and pills to help expedite his training. Doubt grew within him as he began to wonder if he had overestimated himself.

On the other hand, his meditation in the highest level of the Illusory Lands had given him an understanding of the terrain in the mystic domain. He had discovered a spring 1,500 meters to the north of the large oak tree. The spring also served as an outlet for the Spiritual Qi deposits in the vicinity, but everyone who trained there merely sat near the pond and no one had stepped into the water.

There was another outlet more than 5 kilometers to the west where there was a forest. Xiao Chen could feel the richness of the Spiritual Qi from the other side of the forest, but the woods was guarded by magical barriers that impeded anyone from traversing it.

Xiao Chen had tried many a time to undo the magical barrier there, but he was always stopped by acolytes of the League who were watching that area.

On this day, Xiao Chen brought Zhiluan with him. With hopes that Zhiluan would be able to help distract the acolytes, he would try to break the magic there to enter that forest. But he would first have to quietly slip Zhiluan into the mystic domain with him. Then again, in spite of rules forbidding unauthorized entry of people, there were no specific rules against bringing pets, Xiao Chen mused.

He waited until noon and he stopped his meditation, getting up to his feet. “What’s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao,” Yu Yifeng asked, his forehead creasing with disapproval, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Xiao Chen chuckled. “I’m going to bring that scaredy-cat in here.”

Yu Yifeng nodded. “Very well then. Come back quickly.” For the past few days, everyone has gotten close to Zhiluan and expected no trouble from him.

“Let us come with you, Master.” Qingluan and Ziyun’er got up too.

“I’m only going to bring a pet in. There’s no reason for you to come with me. As you were,” he told them and moved towards the entrance.

The Elders watching the entrance to the mystic domain were surprised to see him coming out so early, “What are you doing here? Should you not be inside training?”

“Of course. I’ll be just right back.”

The two Elders merely nodded. Being no strangers to Xiao Chen and his notoriety as a person whom troubles and chaos often follow, they decided against antagonizing him.

Xiao Chen went back to his lodgings where he heard shrill squabbling voices from outside.

“YOU! IT MUST BE YOU! YOU GREEDY CAT! HOW COULD YOU DENY!”

“IT’S NOT ME! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME!”

Xiao Chen walked in and saw Murong Xian’er and Zhiluan bickering. “What’s wrong with you two?”

A bristling Murong Xian’er scampered over to him and thrust a finger at Zhiluan angrily. “The greedy cat has eaten all my fruits!”

“NONSENSE! I HAVE NOT EATEN YOUR MAGIC FRUITS!” Zhiluan’s voice thundered lividly.

Xiao Chen frowned at Zhiluan. “Xian’er gives you one from her share every day, you lousy cat. You shouldn’t have stolen from her.”

“D*MNED BOY! EVEN YOU DO NOT TRUST ME? I HAVE JUST SAID THAT I DID NOT STEAL FROM HER!” Zhiluan bellowed, on the verge of tears.

“It can only be you! Even Big Brother says so! To think that you’d even try to deny! Bad cat! Greedy cat! Humph!”

Xiao Chen stroked her hair and consoled her. “All right, all right. It’s fine.” He looked at Zhiluan. “You should have just admitted to eating the fruit. Never mind then. Come with me. I need you somewhere else.”

“I DID NOT STEAL ANYTHING! THERE’S NO WAY I’D DENY STEALING ANYTHING!”

“It must be you! Humph!”

“NO, IT’S NOT!”

“IT MUST BE YOU!”

Feeling nauseous at the squabbling pair, he barked, “ALL RIGHT! ENOUGH! Stop, you lousy cat! Stop bullying Xian’er!”

Zhiluan’s face fumed with rage that it grew red and purple. Its voice trembled with fury, “Very well. I’m leaving! I’ve had enough and I’m not coming back!” It flapped its wings and flew out the window.

“GO! JUST YOU GO AND DON’T EVER COME BACK! I don’t want to see you again!”

But conjurers and spellslingers from everywhere have all flocked to Tianyuan City for the tournament, making it all the more dangerous for Zhiluan to be roaming alone. “Come back, you bloody cat! Do you want to be caught and chopped up as medicine ingredients?!”

“SO BE IT! IT WAS I WHO HAD SAVED YOU, BOY! IT WAS I WHO HAD REVIVED YOU WHEN YOU HAVE FAINTED AT THE SNOWFIELDS OF THE THOUSAND SUMMITS MOUNTAIN! YET THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME! ENOUGH! I’M LEAVING!”

Before Xiao Chen knew it, Zhiluan was already missing.

Xiao Chen sighed with dawning comprehension. “So, it was Zhiluan who had tried to save me when I was gravely injured by the assassins…”

“Humph!” Murong Xian’er grumbled, “What a terrible cat! It was he who had stolen my fruit, yet he dares to deny doing it! How could he be so petty! Especially when I wasn’t really going to punish him!”

Xiao Chen chuckled. “All right now. He is nothing if not an utter scaredy-cat. He’ll be back in a while.”

The sun was shifting in the western skies after four hours, still, Zhiluan was nowhere to be seen. Murong Xian’er gazed into the sky, hoping to find Zhiluan flying back, but to no avail. “The greedy cat’s not back, Big Brother,” she whimpered, “Please go out to find him, Big Brother. I’m getting worried…”

Xiao Chen was equally worried himself. With the next phase of the Immortal’s Sword Assembly in the offing, the streets of Tianyuan City were crammed with conjurers and cultivators from everywhere, including healers. He gave Xian’er a comforting smile. “Very well. Go find Senior Zi Mo if you need anything. But do not run around.” He flew into the sky in a bolt of light and zipped towards downtown.

He went to the busier areas of the city and began asking around if anyone had seen a cat with a lingzhi plant on its head. He was about to enter an apothecary, one of the many he had been asking around, when he saw two youngsters, both clad in robes of red, walking out with packages of herbs while giggling among themselves.

“Heh heh heh! What luck indeed! With this thousand-year-old Spirited Lingzhi, Teacher would be able to brew a Nirvana Pill!”

“Shhhh! Quiet! This is a treasure of a lifetime! We mustn’t let anyone hear us!”

But their whispers did not escape Xiao Chen’s Divine Sense. He chased after them and stopped them.

“WHERE IS IT!”