With this, my demonic cultivation has the potential to reach its peak, Lingtian thought, closing his palm and dissolving the anomaly entirely.
"Someone is approaching your door," the chief commander warned, jerking him back to reality.
"I almost forgot. I am supposed to meet with that old monster tonight," Lingtian muttered, swiftly pulling his awareness out of his sea of consciousness.
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"What kind of formation is this?" the Patriarch of the Eclipsed Sun Sect pondered, observing the Devil Converging Seal glowing faintly on the door to Mo Lingtian's room.
"Senior, come in. I have been expecting you," Mo Lingtian's voice echoed from within. The heavy doors swung wide open on their own.
His aura has already grown stronger, the Patriarch noted silently as he stepped inside.
"Dao You, it is almost time to meet with the founder of the Lunar Region. How is your progress with the bamboo slip?" he asked, taking a seat beside the bed.
"Senior, it truly is as ancient as you said. The inscriptions on it are too obscure. I could not decipher it," Lingtian sighed, shaking his head in feigned sorrow as he handed the slip back.
Who is this brat trying to fool? the Patriarch scoffed internally, watching Lingtian's performance with hidden disgust.
"So there is truly no way to correct my Qi deviation?" the Patriarch pressed, receiving the bamboo slip.
"Although I could not interpret the method on the strip, I did find an alternative solution to your Qi deviation while studying in the library," Lingtian replied, raising his head.
"What did you find?" the Patriarch asked, his curiosity instantly piqued.
"Senior, it is quite a dangerous procedure," Lingtian warned, standing up.
"Just speak. Let me be the one to gauge whether it's risky or not," the Patriarch demanded, leaning forward.
"Alright. Since you insist. For your Qi deviation to be completely erased, your spine meridian... it has to be physically dug out," Lingtian stated coldly, taking a step toward the door.
"What? Excavate my meridian? How is that even possible? Wouldn't I..." the Patriarch gasped in shock.
"Correcting the deviation requires forcibly dispelling the chaotic energy tangled within the meridian. If that is done while it remains inside your body, the resulting energy spill will definitely kill you," Lingtian explained. He kept his back to the Patriarch, a faint, wry smile creeping onto his face.
"How certain are you that this will work?" the Patriarch sighed heavily, realizing he had no other alternative.
"I am ninety-nine percent certain the extraction will be successful. I can also guarantee that I will safely reattach the meridian. It will channel energy as smoothly as if it never left," Lingtian replied, finally turning around.
"You..." the Patriarch stuttered, gritted his teeth angrily, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Why didn't you start with that?" He shook his head and rose to his feet.
"Senior, even if I can put it back, it is still very risky. What if something goes wrong while your spine meridian is fully exposed outside your body?" Lingtian asked, stepping aside to let the old man pass.
"Something like what?" the Patriarch demanded.
"Something like outside interference," Lingtian said smoothly.
"Who else besides the two of us knows about this? If anyone were to interfere, the leak could only come from you," the Patriarch shot back, shutting down the subtle threat.
"Of course. I am overthinking," Lingtian conceded, bowing slightly.
"We will discuss this further after the meeting. Let us hurry before the carriage departs," the Patriarch instructed. He slowly levitated off the floor before swiftly flying into the night sky.
"Yes," Lingtian replied, instantly following suit.
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"For a cultivator at the Vessel Cleansing Stage, your flight speed is quite impressive," the Patriarch noted as they dashed rapidly through the starry night sky.
"This is where we'll be landing," the Patriarch announced, pointing downward toward a massive city gate in front of them.
"What is this place?" Lingtian asked as they slowly landed directly in front of the large city gate.
"This... is the true trade center of the wilderness," the Patriarch replied. He handed a gold-plated plaque to a heavily armored guard, who immediately stepped aside at the sight of it.
"I had no idea the wilderness possessed a hub this vast," Lingtian admitted as he and the Patriarch both donned thick black cloaks before stepping through the threshold.
"Did you not notice our erratic flight pattern? Unless you possess the exact coordinates, no one can ever locate this city," the Patriarch explained, signaling for a carriage.
"Is this the main stronghold of the Lunar Region?" Lingtian asked as he took in the bustling metropolis. It was a stark contrast to the brutal, bloodstained wilderness. The streets brimmed with life and commerce. There were no prying eyes, no overt stealth or killing intent, just cultivators from all walks of life converging to exchange resources.
"This is where the real power of the Lunar Region lies. As the saying goes: there is nothing you cannot find here, so long as you have what the seller desires," the Patriarch said, pulling Lingtian into a waiting carriage.
From the window, Lingtian continued to analyze the immense trade center as they navigated the crowded streets.
"He arranged for us to meet here, in one of the local shops," the Patriarch murmured, pulling his hood lower.
"I assumed we would be the only ones wearing these cloaks when we got here, but nearly every single person here is cloaked," Lingtian noted, turning away from the window.
"It is to protect the customers' identities," the Patriarch explained. "On one hand, you have high-ranking cultivators from the three main factions trading here. If the rogue cultivators knew those arrogant factionists relied on the Lunar Region for resources, they would be laughed to scorn. On the other hand, if anything can be bought here, then no one's life is safe. The cloak conceals your aura, evading spiritual probes in case you secure a valuable artifact."
"The Lunar Region's intelligence network must be incredibly profound with this many people flowing through it," Lingtian deduced, admiring the operational efficiency of the seemingly chaotic city.
"Exactly. Do you think the founder created the Lunar Region because he really cared about the wandering and rogue cultivators? He created it to take advantage of their vast and massive population size, spreading his network into every corner of the wilderness," the Patriarch replied, staring out the window.
"Some even say he has spies in every major powerhouse in the wilderness, including my sect," the Patriarch continued.
"What a calculative man," Lingtian remarked softly.
"He is one of the smartest people I know. The only person I have met who could possibly match his scheming prowess is you and that is just based on my first impression of you," the Patriarch said as he ordered the carriage to halt.
"You had better have brought enough bargaining chips if you want to recruit him. I promised him that this meeting would be worth his time," the Patriarch added.
A waiter wearing a simple apron suddenly approached the carriage, pulling back the carriage drapes to inspect them.
"Is this the place?" Lingtian asked, stepping down and firmly adjusting his black cloak.
"Yes," the Patriarch confirmed. He stepped out and tossed a jade token directly into the waiter's hands.
"Very low profile," Lingtian muttered, glancing up at the worn wooden sign hanging above a humble noodle shop.
"Let us go in," the Patriarch instructed. The waiter, having verified the token, gave a sharp nod and guided them into the shop.