Chapter 38 Your Ruins Have Been Stolen
[Lan Yue: The Second Elder once crafted a magical artifact called the Stinking Spirit-Suppressing Scroll. It is said that once released, the stench it emits can spread over a hundred miles, even draining the spiritual energy of that area.]
[Lan Yue: It's said that he once used the Second Banner to knock out a demon general and a group of demon soldiers with its stench. The scene was truly chaotic and filled with an overwhelming stench, yet the Second Elder remained unmoved. So, is this what talent is?]
…
"Second Elder, when the demon soldiers and generals invaded the plains, you wiped out hundreds of miles of mortals and cultivators in that battle. Could it be that you used this technique?" The head of the Spirit Weapon Hall suddenly remembered this matter and couldn't help but ask through telepathy.
Second Elder: "..."
What else could he say, that it was true? Then wouldn't he lose face, just like the fifth brother?
If I had known, I wouldn't have provoked Lan Yue; I might have been able to preserve my reputation for life.
"Ahem, although the name'Stinky Banner' isn't very pleasant, it is indeed very useful and is a rare spiritual artifact," the Second Elder had no choice but to explain.
In reality, the villain in his heart was already in tears.
The wind howls, the south is cold; perhaps he will never return!
…
[Lan Yue: However, it seems there's a reason for all of this. The Second Elder was actually cursed in his early years!]
The Second Elder, who had just been planning to flee, was taken aback. Had he been cursed before?
When did this happen? How come he doesn't know?
The elements beside him also subconsciously extended their spiritual senses, quietly circling around the Second Elder, but they couldn't see anything.
Element: Second Elder, do you remember who cursed you?
The Second Elder, who heard the telepathic message, was also completely bewildered. He didn't even know he was under a curse, so how could he possibly remember anyone?
Element: This kind of curse technique must have originated from the Western Regions. The Western Regions are far from here; they are skilled in poisons and mysterious curse techniques.
The Second Elder frowned deeply. He hadn't encountered many cultivators from the Western Regions, and the only one he frequently contacted was the female cultivator he had met in the ruins.
However, privately he was unwilling to believe that this person had cast a curse on him, after all, he had once saved the other person's life.
But thinking about it carefully, it seems that when he first encountered this situation, it was after meeting that person...
Thinking about this, the Second Elder felt an even greater heart attack.
…
[Lan Yue: I see. This curse is actually a chain curse. So some experts tried to cover it up with other curses to cancel each other out, but they accidentally left behind some aftereffects.]
…
The second elder breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out he had been overthinking things. The cultivator hadn't harmed him; on the contrary, he had saved him.
However, the aftereffects are rather complicated...
…
[Lan Yue: Although it is said to offset the curse, how can it be completely eliminated? If it is not resolved, it will probably relapse under certain conditions. At that time, the Second Elder will probably become a monster that is neither human nor ghost.]
After all, this curse was planted when the Second Elder was born, and after hundreds of years, it has become a powerful force.
No wonder the Second Elder never appeared when the Southern Spirit Sect went to the Southern Region battlefield to provide assistance in the original story. He probably wasn't guarding the Southern Spirit Sect, but rather his curse had malfunctioned again.
This aftereffect is actually quite easy to cure; just use Rootless Powder, and it's guaranteed to be a cure! This Rootless Powder requires Rootless Fruit and Star Flower ground into powder. Rootless Powder comes from the Northern Region, where this rootless herb has a chance of growing in the endless deserts.
It's so far away, I can't possibly go there! Sigh, maybe...
Huh, there are some on Lingyue Peak! I'll sneak into Master's back garden another day and dig one up, then slip it into a tea bag and send it to the Second Elder.
The Second Elder, who was chasing after someone: "..."
You really are a filial and good apprentice!
He had to admit he was quite touched. It was rare that this guy would actually think of him and try to break the curse!
So this curse was planted when I was a child? No wonder it was so difficult to deal with; even the Supreme Elder didn't notice it.
Fortunately, someone intervened in secret, and Lan Yue also provided a solution.
otherwise...
The Second Elder couldn't even imagine the consequences.
If only this guy would be less gossipy, now he's so afraid to go out.
Fortunately, there weren't many people on Lingyue Peak, so not many disciples would hear Lanyue's thoughts; otherwise, she would have no chance of preserving her reputation.
However, before he could exhale, he saw several furtive disciples sitting on branches in the forest behind Lan Yue, holding up leaves and curiously staring in their direction.
It's alright, it's alright, it's just these few disciples.
Before the Second Elder's smile had faded, he saw many fresh mounds of earth on the ground in the forest, and several heads with clods of earth on top of them popped up again.
?????
Not only that, but there were also many people lying in the nearby stream. If the Second Elder hadn't been highly skilled and extremely sensitive to auras, he probably wouldn't have been able to detect them.
Are all of them so idle? I thought the silence around Lingyue Peak was because these people realized the importance of cultivation and went to meditate diligently. Who knew they were all so good at hiding?
I refuse to believe these people can hide under my feet.
He had just stomped his foot when he heard a shout from below. A pair of eyes opened from the mound of earth below, and upon seeing him, they were clearly terrified and vanished in a flash.
Second Elder: "..."
Take a deep breath, take a deep breath, you absolutely mustn't get angry!
"Second Elder, Rootless Powder is easy to obtain; Elder Guangji has some. But Star Flower is no ordinary material. This kind of spiritual herb usually only appears in ruins, and it must be a newly discovered ruin." The Spirit Hall Master secretly transmitted his voice.
Generally speaking, the places where these disciples go out to train are mostly ruins or secret realms. Whether it is a ruin or a secret realm, they are divided into levels. High-level materials such as Star Flower mostly appear in high-level ruins.
"There's nothing I can do. High-level ruins haven't appeared in the Southern Region for a long time. I'll have to go to the Southern Region battlefield and ask around. Maybe someone there has any in stock." The Second Elder was still quite concerned about the curse on him.
Moreover, he couldn't understand why the people from the Western Regions would curse him.
The Western Regions and the Southern Regions are separated by the Endless Sea, and there is no direct teleportation array between them, so few cultivators come from the other side.
The Second Elder was deep in thought here, while the inner voices continued over there.
…
[Lan Yue: Wow, it seems the Second Elder isn't chasing us much anymore, I've escaped again! Where did I just see that? Right, the Star Flower.]
Starflowers are easy to find; they'll appear on Jue Ling Island near the Nanling Sect in about half a month, right? In the original story, the appearance of new ruins on Jue Ling Island happened around this time.
However, the original story ran into some trouble. The discovery of the ruins was suppressed, and someone even secretly colluded with the Qing Shi Sect. This matter wasn't discovered by the Nan Ling Sect until three years later. By then, most of the precious spiritual herbs had already been harvested, and even one of the inheritances had been obtained by others. It's quite a pity.
The elders and disciples behind them: "!!!!"
New ruins have appeared near their Nanling Sect! You should know that places that can be called ruins are either the residences of powerful beings above the Nascent Soul stage or ancient remnant spaces.
Regardless of the type, the contents inside are extremely precious!
Moreover, this ruin appears on Jueling Island, which is within the sect's sphere of influence and is so close. In the future, this ruin will become the sect's treasure!
No sect can come and question it!
However, this ruin was secretly hidden by others, which infuriated everyone.
Who is it? Who is it?
The Azure Stone Sect, is it? They'll remember this!