novelapdf Chapter 20 A Fateful Encounter
Chapter 20 A Fateful Encounter
Shen Li's mind stirred slightly, and his consciousness sank into his sea of knowledge, where ancient and simple characters emerged:
[The divination result has been updated].
Today's divination result: Minor good fortune.
[Suitable for: bathing, marriage, and welcoming new family members].
[Avoid: Praying for blessings, opening a business].
[Divination] The rumors you orchestrated have deepened the misunderstanding between Sect Master Luo Tianxing and Elder Pang Tianjue.
Luo Tianxing rejected Pang Tianjue's suggestion that Pang Sicheng and Duanmu Yao become Daoist partners.
Elder Pang was extremely dissatisfied with Pang Sicheng and ordered him to be confined to his quarters for three months.
Looking at today's divination, Shen Li smiled and felt reassured: the effect was even better than expected.
It's also thanks to the fact that the sect leader and Elder Pang already harbored resentment towards each other. If they had been united and investigated thoroughly, it would have inevitably affected the miscellaneous servants' hall.
When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat will also suffer; I think it will be difficult to remain unscathed.
Now that Pang Sicheng is under house arrest for three months, it couldn't be better.
Months later, time had passed, and he would never remember me, this insignificant handyman disciple.
......
In the days that followed, the Heavenly Demon Sect returned to its former order and peace.
The gag order issued by the higher authorities acted like an invisible shackle, bringing public discussion about Pang Sicheng to an abrupt halt.
However, public opinion can be devastating, and repeated slander can destroy even the strongest bones.
Those once sensational rumors had already sown seeds of suspicion in the hearts of many disciples.
Is Pang Sicheng truly innocent?
Everyone has their own judgment.
After this battle, Pang Sicheng became much more low-key in his actions within the inner sect. When many female disciples saw him, although they still bowed respectfully, their eyes inevitably showed more distance and vigilance.
Shen Li's life has returned to its usual rhythm.
He diligently tended the spiritual fields during the day and practiced asceticism at night.
Thanks to the spirit stones he had accumulated and Wei Dachuan's pills, he had no shortage of resources and his cultivation level steadily improved.
In his dealings with others, he became increasingly cautious. When he went out, he would use the "Turtle Breathing and Qi Concealing Technique" to maintain his cultivation at the second level of the Qi Refining stage, so as to avoid attracting unnecessary attention due to his rapid progress.
Time passed quietly and peacefully, and three months went by in the blink of an eye.
During this period, Shen Li once again handed over a batch of high-quality Spirit Gathering Grass and received a reward of ten low-grade spirit stones.
Deacon Liu Jincai looked at the increasingly composed young man before him, who remained indifferent to him, his face gloomy, yet he was helpless.
Time has passed, and Shen Li no longer takes his difficult behavior to heart.
......
As dawn broke, Shen Li awoke from her meditation.
Since encountering a series of extremely ominous divination results, he has been diligently cultivating in the herb garden, and a hundred days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Currently, his cultivation level is stable at the third level of Qi Refining, and he is steadily progressing towards the fourth level.
During this period, the divination results were updated daily, mostly indicating minor good or bad fortune, but no significant opportunities or dangers were encountered.
Shen Li wasn't in a hurry. The path of cultivation was long, and he could proceed step by step.
Today, as usual, he immersed his consciousness into his sea of consciousness to check the divination results for the day.
A flash of golden light, and ancient characters appeared as promised:
[The divination result has been updated].
Today's divination result: Very auspicious.
[Suitable for: trading, planting, and animal husbandry].
[Taboos: Hanging plaques, shaving heads].
[The divination text reads: At noon today, you went to the market to replenish your elixirs and purchased a spirit beast with good potential.]
Shen Li's heart skipped a beat: a spirit beast?
This opportunity made him somewhat hesitant.
In the world of cultivation, a spirit beast with potential, if properly nurtured, can greatly enhance one's combat power.
Some sects even specialize in breeding spirit beasts, either for sale or for their own use.
Especially for those from families and sects specializing in cultivation, carrying rare and powerful spirit beasts is often a symbol of their status.
But everything has its advantages and disadvantages.
Raising spirit beasts also consumes resources, even more than the cultivation cost of a cultivator.
Spirit beasts and demon beasts share the same origin; many were originally domesticated demon beasts.
Although the demon race has strong talents, their growth is relatively long. To quickly improve their combat power, they must invest a huge amount of spirit stones, pills, and spiritual materials.
Shen Li was just a servant, barely able to maintain his own cultivation resources, let alone have the spare capacity to raise a spirit beast.
However, he only hesitated for a moment before his eyes hardened.
Now that the opportunity has arrived, we must seize it.
Just like that book "Nine Revolutions Evergreen Skill" back then, if he had missed it because of hesitation, he would probably still be struggling at the first level of Qi Refining now.
Furthermore, those deemed "having good potential" by the daily divination system must be extraordinary.
Let's go take a look first. If we really can't afford to keep it, then we can sell it.
As noon approached, Shen Li left the herb garden and headed straight for the market.
Stepping into Bixia Peak once again, the market was still bustling with activity.
The bluestone streets were bustling with people, and disciples were selling their wares at stalls everywhere.
It has everything: ritual implements, elixirs, talismans, spiritual materials, and more.
Shen Li was already very familiar with this place. He crossed the main street and headed straight for the north corner, where a special area for trading spirit beasts was set up.
The depths of Yunwu Mountain are shrouded in mist and fog year-round, filled with swamps and poisonous miasma, making it a harsh environment that few cultivators venture into.
But that place is a paradise for monsters.
Daring disciples often venture deep into the area for training. If they can capture a high-quality monster and bring it back to the market to sell, becoming rich overnight is not a dream.
Of course, even more people died inside.
The Heavenly Demon Sect is not a sect specializing in beast taming, so there aren't many stalls in the spirit beast area.
At this time, only five spirit beasts were available for sale.
Shen Li's gaze swept over them one by one.
The first one was a giant blue wolf the size of a calf, with dark green eyes, a majestic appearance, and a faint spiritual light flowing around its body.
This beast is called the Azure Moon Demon Wolf, and its strength is equivalent to the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Although its potential is average, it is exceptionally fierce and suitable as a war beast.
The second one was a small black snake about a foot long.
The black scales are fine and smooth, shimmering with a dark light. The blood-red tongue flickers, revealing two blue fangs, sending chills down one's spine.
According to the stall owner, this snake is called the Black-Scaled Serpent. It is quite powerful when it grows up and has extremely strong venom, making it a powerful tool for ambushes and sneak attacks.
The third one was a blue lizard, entirely azure, with a good appearance, but its potential was average.
There was also a two-foot-long crimson centipede with a hundred wriggling legs and a shiny, oily carapace. It had excellent defense and attack capabilities and great potential.
This centipede is very likely the mythical beast mentioned in the divination.
But Shen Li's gaze fell on the fifth spirit beast.
It was a little tiger.
It was completely different from the previous ferocious monsters.
This little tiger has gold, black, and white fur. The "king" character on its forehead is not yet fully formed. It is only the size of a domestic dog. It has a tiger-like face and a cute, adorable appearance.
It was surrounded by female disciples, all of them with bright eyes, chattering away.
"So cute!"
"How much is this little tiger?"
"Oh my, look at it! It can even roll over onto its back, it's so affectionate!"
Sure enough, even though these female disciples were cultivators, they were powerless against the cute kitten.
The stall owner, a male disciple in his thirties, was secretly pleased to see so many people watching. He said, "Don't underestimate this little thing just because it's only a mortal beast now. Four of us died when we were trying to catch it."