Immortal Reincarnation Tribulation

Chapter 96 Soaring Status

"Hehe, is this fake? I don't know what those old guys in Qingzhou were thinking, actually venturing deep into the core area of ​​the Dark Forest."

They were unlucky enough to encounter a group of transformed magical beasts there. To be precise, once magical beasts transform, they should be called demonic cultivators.

This group of demonic cultivators seemed to be conducting some kind of particularly important sacrificial ritual. However, the intrusion of those old guys from Qingzhou inexplicably disrupted the demonic ritual, which immediately angered the monsters in the Dark Forest.

Among that group of demonic cultivators were two beings comparable to those in the late Nascent Soul stage. Led by these two, they launched a frenzied massacre against the group from Qingzhou, chasing them all the way out of the Dark Forest.

Even Wanzhou, which borders the Dark Forest, suffered. Several small kingdoms within its territory that are close to the Dark Forest were completely wiped out by that group of angry demonic cultivators before they reluctantly retreated.

As a result, most of the people from Qingzhou were seriously injured, especially the Kongsang Sect, which suffered the most severe damage. Fellow Daoist Gu died on the spot, and Fairy Lingluo fell directly to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm. In the end, she naturally met a tragic end of being killed and robbed of her treasures.

Fellow Daoist Li of the Illusion Cloud Sect was thorough in his actions. Before he even returned, he ordered his disciples to join forces with the Burial Ghost Sect to launch a sneak attack, taking over the Empty Mulberry Sect and three other minor sects. He even annexed the entire Fire Feather Kingdom into the Hengshui Kingdom.

The burly man chuckled and recounted the events that had transpired in the Dark Forest involving the group of Nascent Soul cultivators from Qingzhou, his words tinged with schadenfreude.

"This matter will probably spread throughout the entire Nine Provinces soon. After all, for hundreds of years, there has never been a case of a Nascent Soul cultivator dying in battle on the Nine Provinces." The woman in yellow said thoughtfully, her eyes flashing.

"That's for sure. Once you reach the Nascent Soul realm, how could you possibly perish so easily? Unless your lifespan runs out, if a Nascent Soul expert is no match for his opponent in a battle and is focused on running away, who can stop him?" The big man nodded in agreement.

"However, these things don't concern us much. It's just that we've lost a branch alliance. I have an important matter to attend to. Could you please speak to Fellow Daoist Tang of Qixia Sect and make some arrangements for Du Fan?"

The woman in yellow immediately stood up, and before the burly man could say anything, her figure blurred and disappeared from the spot.

The burly man stared at the spot where the woman had disappeared, slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected her to leave so decisively. He then gave a wry smile and vanished from the hall as well.

……

Unaware that he had been deified, Du Fan was taken to a VIP room in the Alliance headquarters.

He didn't immediately start drawing up the blueprints for the experimental equipment. Instead, he rested for a day. After all, this was Vice Alliance Leader Xiao's idea, so he didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to bed and fell fast asleep before evening.

He didn't get up until noon the next day. No one came to disturb him during this time, so he rested very well. Sitting on the bed, Du Fan suddenly remembered something, straightened his clothes slightly, and walked out of the guest room.

In less than an hour, he returned to his room with a joyful expression. This time, his Qiankun Ring contained a batch of spirit stones and a pill.

It turned out that he had just gone to the Hall of Offerings of the Seven Star Alliance, where he used the Seven Star Alliance's offering token to receive fifteen mid-grade spirit stones and one Bright Moon Pill.

However, he did not accept the magic weapon, since he had no use for it at the moment. If he carried it with him, it might bring him to his death. He understood the principle that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

Fifteen mid-grade spirit stones are equivalent to 1,500 low-grade spirit stones. This is the monthly spirit stone salary for those who hold official positions and elders in the Seven Star Merchant Alliance. The Bright Moon Pill is said to be a pill that can only be taken by those who have reached the Golden Core stage. It is a pill that enhances cultivation, so it is very expensive.

Although he cannot take the Bright Moon Pill now, he plans to study its ingredients in the future, so he took it with him.

As long as the experimental equipment is up to par, and with the various experiments conducted recently, not having the pill formula isn't a big problem for Du Fan now; as long as he has the pills, that's enough.

In the following days, Du Fan stopped being idle and began to concentrate on drawing instrument blueprints, explaining in detail the volume, weight, and material of each component. In addition, he also described some related matters, covering every aspect.

Three days later, Du Fan finally took a satisfied look at the blueprints in his hand and had them delivered to Vice Alliance Leader Xiao. After that, he began to take Qi Refining Oil and start cultivating.

The next morning, just as Du Fan had converted a drop of Qi-refining oil into magical power and was considering whether to continue cultivating, a polite male voice came from outside the door.

"Lord Du, my name is Qiao Jiangnan. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to meet me?"

"Qiao Jiangnan? Could it be Elder Qiao who guided me and Manager Mo that day!" Du Fan's heart skipped a beat. Based on the other party's voice and name, he naturally made a connection and quickly got up to greet him.

"Junior Du Fan greets Elder Qiao!" Du Fan pushed open the door and, upon seeing that the other party was indeed the person he had been looking for, immediately bowed deeply.

"Du Gongfeng, what are you doing? Oh dear, get up quickly!" Qiao Jiangnan was quite surprised to see this and quickly helped Du Fan up.

This action by the other party left Du Fan somewhat puzzled. Isn't this how cultivators of different cultivation levels usually greet each other in the cultivation world?

"Lord Du, it seems you are not very familiar with the rules of our alliance. Let me explain them to you, otherwise you will be laughed at in the future." After his initial surprise, Qiao Jiangnan's face showed a hint of understanding, and he then spoke.

"Oh? I'm grateful to Elder Qiao for enlightening me." Du Fan was taken aback, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Hehe, that's how it is. If what Du Gongfeng thinks is placed in the outside world, it is not wrong. However, the Seven Star Merchant Alliance is ranked according to position. From bottom to top, they are: servant, apprentice, manager, elder and gongfeng, grand elder and grand gongfeng, and vice alliance leader."

Of course, these are just the most basic positions in the Seven Star Merchant Alliance. There are some special positions that Brother Du probably won't be able to access in the short term, so I won't go into detail. Therefore, we are of the same generation, so there's no need for you to show me such a grand gesture.

However, if one meets the Supreme Elder, Vice Leader, or other leaders of the alliance, the proper etiquette must still be observed.

Du Gongfeng must have gained some understanding of the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's status in the Nine Provinces Continent in the past two days. Although this division of status is implemented within the Merchant Alliance, given the Alliance's influence, it is roughly the same even outside the region.

The key is this: if Du Gongfeng interacts with cultivators, sects, or family members from outside the sect in the future, as long as he reveals his identity, he can be on equal footing with powerful cultivators in the Golden Core stage.

"If Elder Du were to bow and scrape before an elder from a minor sect, it would be a disgrace to our alliance." Elder Qiao smiled slightly and explained in detail to Du Fan, ending with a meaningful look on his face.

"I see, thank you for your guidance, Elder Qiao." Du Fan understood immediately, and was also shocked by the strength of the Seven Star Merchant Alliance.

"No need for formalities, Elder Du. I am here today on the orders of Vice Alliance Leader Xiao to escort Brother Du to Qixia Sect," Qiao Jiangnan said with a smile, flicking his paper fan.

"So fast? But my experimental equipment is not yet finished." Du Fan was slightly surprised and said hesitantly.

"Vice Alliance Leader Xiao has considered this matter. She intends for you to set off first so that you can begin your cultivation sooner. Once the experimental equipment is finished, she will send someone to deliver it to you."

Qiao Jiangnan gently fanned himself with a paper fan and spoke slowly and gently.

"I didn't expect Vice Alliance Leader Xiao to be so considerate of me. Then I'll trouble Elder Qiao!" Du Fan's expression shifted, and he nodded politely.

"Alright, let's go now. First, we need to use a large teleportation array to go to Jinling City in Wu Su Kingdom, which is the closest city to Qixia Sect."

Although Qixia Sect is somewhat inferior to Wentian Sect, it is still one of the top three super sects in the Nine Provinces Continent. Its profound foundation is incomparable to that of ordinary large sects...

Qiao Jiangnan smiled gently and, while leading Du Fan, also told him some related stories, treating him with the courtesy of an equal.

An hour later, Du Fan was taken by Qiao Jiangnan to a teleportation hall in the main alliance. A huge teleportation array, hundreds of feet in size, was used. After experiencing some physical discomfort, Du Fan arrived at Jinling City of Wu Su Kingdom, which Qiao Jiangnan had mentioned.

After a short while, Du Fan and his companion left the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's branch in Jinling City and boarded a beast-drawn carriage, heading towards one of the city gates.

Several hours later, Qiao Jiangnan and Du Fan stood on a giant fan high in the sky, shooting away into the distance at a speed of hundreds of feet in an instant, and were faintly visible on He Yinghua's green spirit bamboo raft.

The fan, ten zhang in size, was entirely white and covered with a faint halo that enveloped the two of them, protecting them from the harsh winds.

This fan was transformed from the paper fan that Qiao Jiangnan often played with. Naturally, it was not an ordinary flying magic tool, but a true magic treasure with the function of flying.

The two flew through the air at lightning speed, passing through an endless grassland, a vast hilly area, and a huge lake. Three days later, a continuous mountain range appeared beneath their feet.

This mountain range is covered with endless maple trees. It is not late autumn, but the maple leaves on the mountain are already red, a deep crimson color, like fire, like a sunset glow in the midst of the blazing sun, stunningly beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.

As far as the eye can see, the vast expanse of maple forests and red leaves stretches endlessly into the distance, creating a breathtaking spectacle. It is like a sea of ​​fire raging into the sky, and although the colors are monochromatic, they are incredibly vibrant, as if life itself is burning.