Chapter 49: Opening Blind Boxes

Song Changsheng exerted a bit of effort to slay the two heavily injured Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivators, and the world finally fell into complete silence.

The opponents had clearly come prepared; aside from the magical tools and talismans used in the battle, there was almost nothing else in their Qiankun bags.

Having finished this, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged on the spot and began to regulate his breathing after taking several large gulps of spiritual wine.

Although the process of breaking the formation had not been long, for Song Changsheng, it had truly been a brush with death. He had felt unprecedented pressure while comprehending the formation patterns.

Had it not been for his astonishing comprehension, allowing him to break through his own bottleneck amidst a desperate situation and successfully crack this second-tier formation, he would likely be reincarnating by now.

"Since I began my cultivation, everything has gone smoothly, which has made me arrogant. I thought my movements were concealed, yet I was already within someone else's calculations. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator had intercepted me here today, my life would have been forfeit."

Song Changsheng's heart was filled with relief and lingering fear; he had once again narrowly escaped death by luck.

This incident should serve as a warning. Knowing that he was too prominent and that the Earth Fire Sect was eager to eliminate him, he had still dared to leave the market. He truly did not know how to write the word "death."

*Swish, swish, swish.*

While Song Changsheng was regulating his breath, the horizon began to turn pale. Wisps of dawn pierced through the pitch-black night, descending upon this nameless mountain forest.

Three streaks of light swept in from the horizon. Upon sensing Song Changsheng's aura, the group breathed a sudden sigh of relief.

Song Changsheng opened his eyes to see Wang Wanzhou's relief, Song Luhuai's concern, and Song Luyao's indifference.

"I have troubled my elders to run about on my behalf," Song Changsheng said, understanding the situation the moment he saw them. He stood up and bowed solemnly.

"It is good that you are safe, good that you are safe. Do not be so careless next time; you must prioritize your own safety," Song Luhuai comforted him with a chuckle, stroking his beard.

"Hmph, if there were a next time, we might not even see your intact corpse," Song Luyao lectured, her brows furrowed and her tone icy.

"I shall follow Aunt's teachings. Your nephew will reflect on himself regularly and will certainly not let it happen again."

Song Changsheng had already recognized his mistake. Had he informed the clan elders before his actions, he would never have placed himself in such peril several times.

If not for Niu Dazhuang arriving in time, if not for Wang Wanzhou keeping his word, and if not for the protection of a spiritual tool... no amount of lives would have been enough to pay for his recklessness.

"Hmph, utterly foolish," Song Luyao threw down those cold words before walking aside to identify the deceased members of the Earth Fire Sect.

"Changsheng, don't take your ninth aunt's words to heart. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she actually cares for you more than anyone. She and I secretly descended the mountain six months ago upon learning that Cheng Yufei had arrived at the market, but we refrained from contacting you to avoid alerting the enemy. Who knew that you, kid, would use some method to not only deceive the Earth Fire Sect but even fool our own people? If Du Huating hadn't secretly left the market, we wouldn't have known where you went. We even had a fight with that old ghost of the Chou clan on the way and almost didn't make it. Don't do this again," Song Luhuai said in a low voice, patting Song Changsheng's shoulder.

Only then did Song Changsheng realize that the clan had always had people standing behind him; this entire situation had been brought about by his own series of mishaps.

For a moment, Song Changsheng felt a sting in the corners of his eyes.

"Eh, as long as the person is fine, why talk so much?" Wang Wanzhou, despite having fought a great battle, was still in good spirits.

"If we don't speak, more foolish things will happen. I have confirmed that the one who died is Chu Suiyang, one of the Earth Fire Sect's three second-tier formation masters. Counting Du Huating and Cheng Yufei, who left wounded this time, their losses are significant. Senior Wang, it is time for our families to make a move. Since the Earth Fire Sect does not want peace, we shall grant it to them!" A cold killing intent filled Song Luyao's eyes.

With the Earth Fire Sect's repeated provocations, if they did not take measures, the Song Clan would truly become a joke!

"You are right. The Earth Fire Sect is becoming increasingly shameless; we must teach them a lesson," Wang Wanzhou said, eager to fight the Earth Fire Sect.

His lifespan was running short. After he passed away, the clan would find it increasingly difficult to face the Earth Fire Sect. It was better to strike hard while his old bones could still move, securing a period of stable development for his future descendants.

Song Changsheng's heart shook. A storm was coming...

Upon returning to the market, because Song Changsheng's mission was not yet complete, he remained there. Only after he promised the two that he would not leave the market again did Song Luyao and Song Luhuai return to the clan in peace.

Before leaving, Song Luyao left a communication flying sword, while Song Luhuai left a second-tier low-grade talisman he had drawn himself for protection.

After they returned, the Great Elder issued mobilization orders to the eleven vassal families and two demon-hunting teams. Allies of the Wang and Li clans also mobilized, launching multi-pronged attacks that dealt a heavy blow to the Earth Fire Sect, seizing several of their resource points. This sent shockwaves through the entire Ling Province, forcing the Earth Fire Sect into temporary seclusion...

None of this affected the Liuyun Market; in fact, due to the conflict between the major powers, business in the market actually improved significantly.

Song Changsheng had no extra energy to follow the war news. He was busy consolidating his cultivation. After breaking through to become a second-tier low-grade formation master, many of his previous doubts were suddenly cleared.

He took the opportunity to complete the fragmented formation pattern he had obtained earlier, comprehending a formation called [Heavenly Sun Demon Refinement], which shared the same origin as the [Mystic Sun Astral Array] but was even more exquisite.

By the time he finished all this, a week had passed.

Only then did Song Changsheng have the chance to take stock of his gains from the cave dwelling.

In addition to two jade slips containing inheritances and an anonymous jade medallion, he had also obtained three jade boxes and two jade bottles. What was inside depended on luck.

"Let's start with these two jade bottles."

He first picked up a white jade bottle. As soon as he removed the stopper, a sweet fragrance wafted toward him. Tilting the bottle, he poured out a thumb-sized pink pill.

Song Changsheng brought it to his nose to sniff it, and his expression immediately became strange. "This... seems to be the rumored [Youth Preserving Pill]?"

The [Youth Preserving Pill] was a pill that could keep one's appearance eternal, making it highly sought after by many female cultivators. Because the ingredients were rare, it was seldom seen on the market.

But having this was of little use to him.

"Hmm, I'll save this for Mother. Let's see what's in this one."

He then opened the other purple jade bottle, which contained a second-tier low-grade [Blazing Sun Pill]. A cultivator with a fire spiritual root could use this pill to enhance their cultivation, making it perfect for him.

The gains from the two jade bottles could only be described as mediocre. Now, it remained to be seen if the three jade boxes could provide any surprises.

He opened the blue jade box that he felt most drawn to, and a dazzling light instantly illuminated the entire room...