Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 918: Picking Chestnuts from the Fire

Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Lu Mengnan gave a slight nod, acknowledging the others.

Nie Shengyun was a member of the City Lord’s Mansion, serving the mansion for several generations.

His loyalty was impeccable, which was why the matters concerning the plane’s origin were entrusted to him, to go with Pan Qingwu to the Boundless Sea.

Naturally, some courtesy was to be extended to members of the City Lord’s Mansion.

“I was just looking for you. Do you know that Yan Ming’an has caused a great disaster by killing a guard from my Sky Resonance Court?” Fu Yongxiao took a step forward, speaking in a deep voice.

The aura of a peak Sun Moon Realm cultivator pressed down on Nie Shengyun, causing his face to turn pale as he involuntarily took a few steps back.

Fu Yongxiao glanced at Nie Shengyun and withdrew his aura.

“Miss Lu, Senior Fu, I came here precisely to capture Yan Ming’an.”

With Fu Yongxiao retracting his aura, Nie Shengyun felt his body lighten and let out a breath of relief.

As a mid-level Sun Moon Realm cultivator, facing a peak-level Sun Moon Realm cultivator, the difference was too great. If Fu Yongxiao truly wanted to act, Nie Shengyun wouldn’t even have the chance to escape.

Of course, with the backing of the City Lord’s Mansion, Fu Yongxiao wouldn’t actually make a move against him.

“Oh? It seems you’ve already noticed the problem. Please elaborate,” Fu Yongxiao said with a slight frown.

“Yan Ming’an’s abrupt departure from the Boundless Sea plane is suspicious, which is why I pursued him,” Nie Shengyun briefly explained the situation.

Leaving the Boundless Sea plane itself wasn’t a major issue, but leaving without reason was highly problematic.

Nie Shengyun wasn’t worried about any issues with the origin of the Boundless Sea plane. After all, the City Lord’s attention was focused here, and if any strong figures appeared in the Boundless Sea, the City Lord would definitely be informed in advance.

Nie Shengyun pursued the matter because Yan Ming’an’s problem reflected his own failure; he couldn’t just act as if nothing had happened.

“Has Ming’an been incited by someone? Is there another force interfering?”

Lu Mengnan’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing Nie Shengyun’s words.

“Yan Ming’an is already dead. His soul token shattered an hour ago,” Nie Shengyun shook his head.

Previously, he had seen Yan Ming’an in Sky Sea City and hadn’t expected there to be real problems.

According to intelligence in Sky Sea City, Yan Ming’an had arrived in Lingxi City, but his soul token was detected as shattered on the way.

All Sun Moon Realm cultivators heading to the Boundless Sea had their soul tokens managed by Nie Shengyun.

“Ming’an is dead?” Lu Mengnan was momentarily stunned.

Even though there had been suspicions before, learning that Yan Ming’an had indeed died was difficult for Lu Mengnan to accept.

“So what are you planning now? I searched around Lingxi City but couldn’t find anyone,” Fu Yongxiao’s brows were tightly knitted.

“I have invited a friend to help.”

As soon as Nie Shengyun finished speaking, a figure emerged from the teleportation array leading to Sky Sea City.

The person, seeing Nie Shengyun, quickly walked over.

“Sorry for the delay; I hope you can understand!”

Tao Meng bowed to Nie Shengyun and then saw Lu Mengnan and Fu Yongxiao, quickly bowing again.

In Sky Sea City, there wasn’t a Sun Moon Realm cultivator who didn’t recognize the second young miss of the Sky Resonance Court.

Chen Fei stood by, watching Tao Meng, with information about the person flashing through his mind.

In the mid-level Sun Moon Realm, Tao Meng’s techniques were related to divination and tracking.

Though not comparable to Pan Qingwu’s divination skills, Tao Meng was considered among the best in this aspect in Sky Sea City.

The Dao of causality and the art of divination were extremely difficult, and without special talent, even entering the field was nearly impossible.

That was why Pan Qingwu, despite being a mid-level Sun Moon Realm cultivator, could be accepted as a direct disciple of the City Lord, becoming one of the Sixth Stage Emperor Realm’s personal disciples.

Fu Yongxiao glanced at Lu Mengnan, seeking her opinion on whether to wait here for the results or return to Sky Sea City first.

With Tao Meng here to track, there was a chance they might find some clues.

“I’m a bit tired; let’s return to the mansion,” Lu Mengnan said, her interest waning as she headed towards the teleportation array.

With Yan Ming’an dead, any further developments in the matter were no longer significant to Lu Mengnan.

“Any updates, please make sure they are sent to the Sky Resonance Court,” Fu Yongxiao instructed Nie Shengyun.

“Rest assured, Senior Fu, any news will be promptly reported to the Sky Resonance Court,” Nie Shengyun replied with a bow.

Fu Yongxiao nodded; with a guard from the Sky Resonance Court dead, it was only right to investigate thoroughly.

Chen Fei gave a nod to Nie Shengyun and Tao Meng before following Lu Mengnan and Fu Yongxiao.

Nie Shengyun and Tao Meng nodded slightly, not paying much attention to the ordinary guard from the Sky Resonance Court.

As the teleportation array activated, Lu Mengnan and the others vanished from the hall.

“According to the report from the Sky Resonance Court, the imposter Yan Ming’an killed one person and severely injured another outside the city. Let’s head out of the city and investigate,” Nie Shengyun turned to Tao Meng.

Tao Meng nodded in agreement, not refusing.

Though Tao Meng could perform divination, the results were often unsatisfactory unless the target’s cultivation was very weak.

Divination was vast and intricate, with few in Sky Sea City able to master it even slightly.

The more information available, the clearer the final outcome could be. Additionally, the target’s cultivation couldn’t exceed Tao Meng’s level, or the results would be unachievable and could result in backlash.

In the Return to Nothing Realm, Sky Sea City.

In the teleportation hall, a teleportation array lit up, and Lu Mengnan and her group emerged.

Chen Fei sensed a warning from the Indestructible Vision, indicating that the warning level was very low.

Clearly, the matter was confined to the Sun Moon Realm and did not involve higher-level cultivators.

After all, it was just the death of a low-level Sun Moon Realm guard.

Chen Fei followed Lu Mengnan and the others through Sky Sea City, arriving at a large mansion.

He looked up, feeling a tremendous force pressing down, as if trying to pin him to the ground.

This was the Sky Resonance Court, one of the top ten forces in Sky Sea City. If the mansion’s master advanced further, the situation would change dramatically.

Chen Fei retracted his gaze and entered the mansion through a side door he knew well, eventually reaching the room belonging to Chi Chengyuan.

On the way, Chen Fei encountered many guards, all of whom nodded in acknowledgment, and none noticed any flaws.

Sitting in his room, Chen Fei was deep in thought when there was a knock at the door.

He went to open it and found another guard, Shen Huiying, who was somewhat familiar with Chi Chengyuan but had only a casual relationship, with past grievances.

In any organization, there were bound to be rivalries and friction. The guards of the Sky Resonance Court, too, could not avoid conflicts and discord.

“Are you injured?”

Shen Huiying examined Chi Chengyuan and sneered before walking into the room and placing a vial of medicine on the table.

“This is a medicinal pill granted by the Second Young Miss for your recovery.”

Shen Huiying glanced at Chi Chengyuan before turning and leaving the room.

Chen Fei remained expressionless, closing the door and approaching the table. He opened the vial and poured out a pill.

The pill’s medicinal power was entirely contained within, with no scent escaping—a testament to sophisticated alchemy.

Lu Mengnan wouldn’t be concerned with Chi Chengyuan’s injuries; it was likely Fu Yongxiao who provided the pill.

However, it would be presented as a reward from Lu Mengnan.

Chen Fei inspected the pill, found no issues, and swallowed it.

Feeling the medicine’s effects within his body, Chen Fei gradually assessed the situation, using the pill to heal his simulated injuries.

Given the pill’s potency and Chi Chengyuan’s cultivation level, the injuries should recover significantly within seven days if the pill is consumed as planned.

When pretending to be injured, it’s essential to make it convincing and consider the pill’s recovery effects to avoid revealing any flaws.

Chen Fei patiently stayed in the room for seven days, never leaving, and consumed the entire pill.

After seven days, Chen Fei left the room and began moving around the Sky Resonance Court.

The Sky Resonance Court was vast, but guards could only access a few areas when not on duty.

Most areas were off-limits to guards.

Unauthorized access could lead to being killed by hidden personal guards or, at the very least, imprisoned for interrogation.

Chen Fei had no interest in the restricted zones. While he wasn’t the weakest among the Sun Moon Realm cultivators in the mansion, there were many stronger than him.

Chen Fei’s goal was clear: to spend the contribution points Chi Chengyuan had accumulated over more than a hundred years.

Thus, after simulating a partial recovery, Chen Fei headed towards the mansion’s treasure pavilion.

The treasure pavilion was designed for the mansion’s guards and specially recruited guest experts.

Guards below the Sun Moon Realm weren’t hired by the Sky Resonance Court, nor were ordinary servants or maids accepted.

All the mansion’s servants were born and raised within the family, serving for generations to ensure absolute loyalty.

As for guards, the treatment varied greatly from early to late Sun Moon Realm cultivators.

At the peak of the Sun Moon Realm, one could become a guest expert in the Sky Resonance Court.

However, even the peak of the Sun Moon Realm was just the minimum standard for guest experts. Typically, guest experts were at least at the Sixth Stage Rule Integration Realm.

In the human world, the Sixth Stage Rule Integration Realm was considered truly powerful.

The Sky Resonance Court, with its favorable conditions, had recruited eight Sixth Stage Rule Integration Realm experts as guest experts.

These eight Rule Integration Realm experts were attracted not only by the mansion’s conditions but also by the potential of the mansion’s master, who might break through to the pinnacle of the sixth stage and reach the Emperor Realm.

Chen Fei arrived at a lake island in the northern courtyard, where the treasure pavilion was located.

Under the lake’s surface, dangers lurked, and layers of protective arrays covered the area around the pavilion.

If these arrays were triggered, even a peak Sun Moon Realm cultivator would likely be reduced to ashes.

Chen Fei stood on the island, glanced at the five-story treasure pavilion, and then walked inside.