Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 723 - Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Crimson Phoenix Bai Luan

Chapter 723: Chapter 723 Crimson Phoenix Bai Luan Chapter 723: Chapter 723 Crimson Phoenix Bai Luan Bai Luan’s question left You Longzi speechless.

Speaking of Reverend You Long, he truly excelled in graceful manipulation. As a cultivator of considerable attainment, especially within the Yinsha Sect, his schemes were numerous, giving off an exceedingly atypical impression.

In simple terms, he was somewhat like Feng Jun, whom he had encountered in Jin City – Zhu Yuefu, the chairman of the triple-doctrine hospital, who practiced both Buddhism and Daoism. Although his own strength was not lacking, he preferred achieving his goals through scheming.

His initial plan for this visit was to try and obtain the Nether Bead without borrowing Spirit Stones from Huang Fu Flawless, at least for the time being.

Of course, his intention wasn’t necessarily to embezzle Feng Jun’s treasure, nor to refrain from speaking to the Tiantong Commerce Alliance. He simply didn’t want to be ridiculed by outsiders for the humiliation of his sect. In truth, if he were willing to ask within his sect, borrowing twenty thousand Spirit Stones would not be difficult.

He also had other ideas in mind, such as probing Feng Jun, among other things.

Thus, even if he managed to enter Feng Jun’s territory today and discuss a transaction, he would certainly digress here and there, and might even attempt to offset the Spirit Stones with some treasures – he had brought some valuable items with him, which could certainly cover the cost of those twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

Of course, bartering items for Spirit Stones would definitely involve some differences in value perception, and it might not be possible to achieve a unanimous agreement.

You Longzi had no fear of trouble; through these exchanges, he wanted to deduce more about Feng Jun.

What Feng Jun needed, what Feng Jun valued, what Feng Jun priced highly, what Feng Jun disdained…

Combining this information would help him gain a clearer understanding of a person, thereby making a comprehensive assessment.

Yes, he didn’t plan to trick Feng Jun in this round of scheming. He just wanted to learn more – as for the next round, that was another story.

Naturally, this round would not go smoothly, which was to be expected.

If you asked him, had he done anything wrong? He didn’t think so. As one of the Four Great Sects, borrowing Spirit Stones from outsiders and being gossiped about would tarnish the image of the Yinsha Sect.

In any case, he was full of schemes and intended to handle things this way – isn’t bargaining a part of doing business?

However, very unfortunately for him, someone who understood him very well had arrived today – Bai Luan!

To understand their relationship, one must first consider the relationship between the Yinsha Sect and the Crimson Phoenix Sect.

Among the Four Great Sects, if any two were incompatible, it was Yinsha and Crimson Phoenix, determined by the very nature of their Cultivation Techniques.

The Crimson Phoenix Sect, the only one among the Four Great Sects dominated by female cultivators, practiced Cultivation Techniques centered around the Crimson Sun. Their Fire System Cultivation Techniques were extremely powerful, with a path characterized by remarkable fierceness.

In contrast, the Yinsha Sect favored Yin Energy-based Cultivation Techniques, and many cultivated substances that nurtured Yin energy within. Yet, they were also laden with intense Yinsha Energy, not just a path of Yin suppleness.

When disciples from these two sects met, their Cultivation Techniques alone were in conflict, not to mention their naturally disagreeable temperaments. It would be strange if no friction arose.

This discord had existed for a long time, to the point where the current heads of both sects were trying to smooth things over. However, grudges accumulated over years were not so easily dissipated.

You Longzi, as a notable figure of the Yinsha Sect, had had numerous confrontations with Crimson Phoenix disciples, often ending in his favor.

Although skilled in scheming, he was fundamentally not averse to hand-to-hand combat.

He was a smart person, well-liked within his sect. When dealing with disciples from other sects, he tended to scheme, but made an exception for the Crimson Phoenix Sect – for a Yinsha disciple, battling a Crimson Phoenix disciple was politically correct.

After winning many times, several cultivators from the Crimson Phoenix Sect wanted to retaliate, though not all could achieve their wish. However, Bai Luan had coincidentally encountered him twice, and each time she utterly defeated him.

So much so that now, You Longzi rarely engaged with the Crimson Phoenix Sect because Bai Luan had declared that not all people from the Yinsha Sect were bad, but someone like You Long deserved to be disciplined – next time, I won’t let him off easy.

This was essentially a clash between the elite disciples of the two sects, but it must be noted that Bai Luan was somewhat stronger than You Long.

As the publicly recognized Golden Core Seed of the Crimson Phoenix Sect, among the nearly thousand Out-of-Dust cultivators of the sect, nearly a hundred were of High-Rank. Yet Bai Luan, being an Intermediate Level of Out-of-Dust, was ranked among the Nine Phoenixes – her potential was astonishing, as was her combat strength.

Both being of Intermediate Out-of-Dust level, but You Longzi at the fourth layer, and Bai Luan at the sixth layer – how could they be equal?

Although Bai Luan was strong in combat, her intellect was equally sharp. Having silently listened for quite some time, she had concluded that You Longzi had likely not brought that many Spirit Stones.

Is it not said that the person who knows you best is your enemy?

Reverend You Long, being her longstanding adversary, of course realized that she had probably guessed his true intention.

So, without admitting whether he had brought Spirit Stones or not, he merely scoffed, “What a coincidence it is, Revered Bai Luan. May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?”

“`

“You’re not qualified to inquire about my whereabouts,” Bai Luan said disdainfully with a cold snort, “Stop beating around the bush, I just have one question for you… do you have enough Spirit Stones?”

She kept her focus on the topic of Spirit Stones–a member of the revered Crimson Phoenix Sect would never be swayed by a disciple of the Yinsha Sect.

You Longzi smiled slightly and responded quite naturally, “Spirit Stones might not be as valuable as esoteric treasures, and if Feng Jun insists on receiving Spirit Stones, it’s never too late to borrow from the Tiantong Commercial Alliance.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Fu Wuxia’s expression darkened–what did he think the Tiantong Commercial Alliance was? A place to borrow Spirit Stones when needed and to be discarded when not?

However, she could not yet express her indignation. Many cultivators turned to the Tiantong Commercial Alliance for loans, following the same logic: avoid borrowing if possible, and if borrowing is necessary, do so as little as possible.

Feng Jun heard this and sneered, “Then why not just say you don’t have Spirit Stones? Why beat around the bush about not lacking them… you’re not young anymore, is playing the game of ‘pretending to be rich’ fun for you? You even have the audacity to seize the opportunity to throw a fit. Can you be any more shameless?”

You Longzi dared not bare his teeth at Bai Luan, but Feng Jun’s words were too much for him to bear, “As a mere Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, I’m showing respect for your elders, not fear of you. If you continue to disrespect the Ascended beings, I’ll have to teach you on behalf of your elders!”

His words made the cause and effect crystal clear. In the Cultivation World, the hierarchy and respect for superiors were taken seriously, and disrespect was a major taboo. If he took action based on this, he wouldn’t have to worry too much about retribution from the offender’s masters.

Feng Jun sneered in anticipation of a reply, but Bai Luan was quicker, “Heh, an Ascended being? Don’t disgrace us Ascended cultivators, okay? You obviously have no Spirit Stones but pretend you do. Is it that hard to have a little shame?”

You Longzi could no longer pretend to ignore the situation. Turning his head, he sneered, “I find it curious. Whether the items I carry are valuable hasn’t even been confirmed by the owner, what business is it of the Crimson Phoenix Sect?”

“Planning another sneak attack, are you?” Bai Luan sneered. “I’m just worried you’ll tarnish the reputation of Ascended cultivators.”

Feng Jun felt a twinge in his heart and heightened his alertness, though his face remained expressionless, “I said it before, I just want Spirit Stones.”

You Longzi was indeed harboring intentions to strike unexpectedly, with the excuse that he was “provoked” by the other’s impudence, leading to an “accidental heavy hand.”

However, since Bai Luan had laid his plans bare, it was now inappropriate for him to follow through, so he sneered coldly, “Have you decided without even seeing the treasures I’ve prepared?”

Feng Jun looked at him expressionlessly and spit out two words, “Pauper!”

“Haha,” Bai Luan laughed heartily with delight, “well said, indeed a pauper… Poverty is not to be feared–just earn Spirit Stones diligently. What’s dreadful is not admitting to poverty and instead pretending to be rich, making an utter fool of oneself.”

You Longzi was itching with hatred but truly did not dare to confront Bai Luan head-on, so he gritted his teeth and retorted, “Who would have thought that a prominent member of the Crimson Phoenix Sect would go out of their way to stand up for an unrelated man.”

Due to their cultivation techniques, women of the Crimson Phoenix Sect tend to have fiery temperaments. His words were designed to provoke her into losing her composure.

Bai Luan, however, laughed off his remarks without taking offense, “Haha, I just happen to be looking for some Nether Beads to practice my techniques, and I’m grateful you lacked the funds to purchase them. Otherwise, I’d be troubled to find an excuse to move against you.”

You Longzi turned pale with alarm, “Have you reached the stage of Yin Yang Sharpening?”

Others might not be aware, but the Yinsha Sect understood the Crimson Phoenix Sect’s techniques quite well.

Although the Crimson Phoenix Sect followed the path of the Crimson Sun, in reality, they also had a significant demand for Nether Beads.

The difference lies in the fact that the Yinsha Sect uses Nether Beads to assimilate Yin Energy and increase their cultivation level, whereas the Crimson Phoenix Sect uses the same beads to temper and refine their Yang Energy, strengthening their foundation.

This is one of the reasons why the two sects are irreconcilable–the very treasures used by one sect to enhance cultivation levels were being used by the other as whetstones?

The Yinsha Sect had always taken issue with this, believing there were many methods to temper and refine Yang Energy, not necessitating the exclusive use of Yin Energy.

But the Crimson Phoenix Sect was also infuriated: We know there are many methods, but Nether Beads work best, so should we abandon the most effective technique just for the sake of the Yinsha Sect?

You’re the ones who jacked up the prices of the Nether Beads, making them exorbitantly expensive–is it so hard to pursue straightforward cultivation? Why insist on taking shortcuts?

Just by looking at the demand for Nether Beads, one can understand the inevitability of the intense rivalry between the two sects.

Bai Luan was not about to reveal her cultivation status to You Longzi, and she snorted coldly, “What stage I’ve reached is none of your damn business!”

“Heh,” You Longzi chuckled dismissively, “Even if you want to buy, can you afford it?”

He knew she wasn’t short on Spirit Stones, but the intent to use them for cultivation growth versus for tempering one’s skills was different, as was the degree of importance placed on them. He doubted that she would spend 20,000 Spirit Stones on a Nether Bead.

Why is it said that the Yinsha Sect drove up the prices of Nether Beads? Because for the Yinsha Sect, they are an absolute necessity, and their desire for Nether Beads truly exceeds that of other cultivators.

“How do you know I can’t afford it?” Bai Luan sneered. Then she turned to Feng Jun, “Fellow Daoist, could you bring out a Nether Bead for me to see?”

“`

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.