Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 165 - 163: Dong Jianping’s Request (Extra - 4/5 for book friend Polar Bear 2018, as a reward to the Alliance Leader)

Chapter 165: Chapter 163: Dong Jianping’s Request (Extra Chapter 4/5 for book friend Polar Bear 2018, as a reward to the Alliance Leader)

The "Jade Moon Fruit" certainly lives up to its great reputation.

Zhouyang had undergone long-term refinement from the "Qianyang Immortal Light," so he did not have to worry about his body exploding from the spiritual power within the "Jade Moon Fruit." After spending over seventy days refining one "Jade Moon Fruit" completely, his cultivation pleasantly rose to the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment.

However, having broken through twice in less than ten years, especially this time leveraging the power of the "Jade Moon Fruit" to directly enhance a layer of cultivation, Zhouyang distinctly felt a sense of hollowness in his magical power, unlike the solidity gained through long, arduous cultivation in the past.

This gave him a silent warning, deciding not to rely on elixirs for cultivation over the next few years. Instead, he would focus on his own cultivation efforts and the effects of the "Qianyang Immortal Light" to refine and consolidate his magical power before further increasing his cultivation.

At this point, half a month remained of his three-month rest period, and after leaving seclusion, Zhouyang went straight to Dong Jianping to inquire about the "Beast Tide" attacking the city.

However, when he saw Dong Jianping, he was taken aback.

At that moment, Dong Jianping’s left sleeve hung empty—he had clearly become one-armed!

"Brother Zhou mentioned going into seclusion before, which puzzled me, but now seeing Brother Zhou’s cultivation level rise another layer in just two months, it truly is astonishing!"

Dong Jianping looked at Zhouyang, whose cultivation had advanced, with great surprise in his eyes.

He was not just surprised, but thoroughly astonished!

Dong Jianping had noted Zhouyang’s cultivation level before seclusion, seeing no imminent breakthrough, yet now Zhouyang had indeed succeeded. How could this not astonish him?

However, despite his astonishment, Dong Jianping refrained from asking Zhouyang how he managed it. Inquiring about another’s cultivation advancement was a supreme taboo; he would never breach that taboo.

"Merely a stroke of luck, not worth mentioning. Brother Dong, let’s talk about you. How did you lose an arm suddenly?"

Zhouyang waved the matter aside, not wanting to elaborate, and instead queried about Dong Jianping’s loss of an arm.

"Dong lost an arm naturally due to a demon beast. While Fellow Daoist Zhou was in seclusion, I volunteered on the frontlines a few times, but let my guard down, getting ambushed by a Tier Three top-grade demon beast and had to sever my arm to escape!"

As Dong Jianping spoke about losing an arm, his tone grew somber, and his face turned grim.

In the cultivation realm, there were some spiritual objects capable of regenerating limbs, but such items were not something an average Foundation Establishment Cultivator could obtain. Dong Jianping would have to expend his entire fortune to procure such an item; otherwise, he would live as a one-armed man for life, with little hope of advancing his cultivation.

Yet Zhouyang knew that for Dong Jianping, who already planned to retire peacefully and establish his clan, it was better to die than to invest all his assets into buying something to regenerate his arm, so this matter seemed settled as it was.

Not wanting to probe further into this painful matter, Zhouyang immediately diverted the conversation: "I’ve been in seclusion for many days and don’t know the current situation. I hope Brother Dong can enlighten me."

"Dong suspected this was the reason Brother Zhou came by, so let me share what I know."

Dong Jianping nodded and then began to recount to Zhouyang the events of the past two months.

During Zhouyang’s seclusion, although the intervals between "Beast Tide" attacks grew longer, each assault became increasingly fierce, even involving some Tier Four demon beasts clashing with the Purple Mansion Stage cultivators defending the city. As a result, one Purple Mansion Stage cultivator from Zhenyue Immortal City and three Tier Four demon beasts from their side perished.

"Even Purple Mansion Stage cultivators and Tier Four demon beasts have started falling?"

Zhouyang muttered gravely to himself and then humbly asked Dong Jianping, "In your opinion, Brother Dong, when will the intensity of the beast tides abate? Under what circumstances will the City Defense Array be activated?"

"Based on Dong’s experience from the last beast tide, the intensity should peak in one to two months. As for when the City Defense Array will be activated, it’s hard to say. The only certainty is that if the city walls largely fall, the array will certainly activate. Then battles between Golden Core Stage cultivators and Tier Five demon beasts will erupt simultaneously!"

Dong Jianping did not conceal anything and relayed the information he knew.

After speaking, he looked at a contemplative Zhouyang, hesitated, then gritted his teeth and suddenly said, "Dong dares to ask Brother Zhou to agree to one matter."

"Oh, what does Brother Dong wish for Zhouyang to agree to?" Zhouyang snapped back to attention, looking at Dong Jianping with curiosity.

"Dong has two children, now only his son remains. He has slain enough demon beasts and sustained severe injuries. As long as Zhenyue Immortal City stands, he needn’t rejoin the battle. What Dong wishes is for Brother Zhou to look after my son until his Foundation Establishment success, should anything happen to me in the upcoming battles."

Dong Jianping gazed at Zhouyang with pleading eyes, slowly voicing his request.

Even though he hadn’t known Zhouyang for very long, certainly not as long as his previous friendships, he discerned from their interactions that Zhouyang had a good nature and wasn’t short of spirit stones, making him reliable for such an important trust.

Regarding his older friends, also loose cultivators, Dong Jianping truly found it hard to believe any would resist coveting his son’s inherited wealth to truly safeguard him to Foundation Establishment after his (Dong’s) demise.

Zhouyang had met Dong Jianping’s son before, knowing he was already at the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation stage and only in his fifties. If Dong Jianping entrusted his overall savings to this son, he could likely purchase at least two Foundation Establishment Pills after the war, making Foundation Establishment feasible.

However, without protection, at his current Qi Cultivation level, it was questionable whether he could secure Dong Jianping’s inheritance post-war.

Recalling Dong Jianping’s assistance, Zhouyang pondered for a moment before nodding, "If Zhouyang survives the coming battle, I will certainly protect Brother Dong’s son during his Foundation Establishment."

Dong Jianping was instantly overjoyed and immediately bent down to bow deeply to Zhouyang, saying, "Thank you, Brother Zhou, for your great kindness. Please accept my bow!"

It’s the selfless love of parents that moves the world. He had rarely begged anyone in his life, but now, for the sake of his son, he had to put down his identity and face to beg!

"No need for this, Brother Dong, please rise quickly."

Zhouyang hurriedly helped Dong Jianping up, deeply moved as well.

Dong Jianping involving his descendants in a dangerous situation was not something he should comment on, but the selfless love he showed for his children was something Zhouyang resonated with deeply, as his parents had also been worried sick for him to reach Foundation Establishment.

After leaving Dong Jianping’s residence, Zhouyang did not return to his cave dwelling immediately but wandered around the city instead.

During his stroll, he discovered that large stores with significant background connections were still operating as usual, and business was quite thriving, with many cultivators coming and going.

However, those small shops without any significant backing were mostly closed, as the shopkeepers were either conscripted to join the city defense or had left Zhenyue Immortal City before the "beast tide" attack.

Seeing this, Zhouyang couldn’t help but fall silent.

The privileged class is pervasive; the shops backed by powerful forces are sheltered by the names of those powers, granting their shopkeepers and staff automatic exemption from conscription unless Zhenyue Immortal City is truly about to fall, in which case these people wouldn’t need to join the battle.

Otherwise, why is everyone eager to join powerful forces and become superior to others?

Shaking his head, Zhouyang lost interest in continuing to stroll and immediately returned to his cave dwelling to resume refining artifacts and improving his refining skills.

Half a month later, Zhouyang appeared once more on the walls of Zhenyue Immortal City.

As soon as he ascended the walls, Zhouyang was taken aback.

Standing atop the wall and gazing outside the city, he saw that the previously dense and seemingly endless "beast tide" army now, at a rough glance, was reduced to just tens of thousands of demon beasts.

Among these tens of thousands of demon beasts, there were at least over two thousand Tier Three demon beasts!

Roar—

With a thunderous roar from a Tier Five tiger beast overseeing the "beast tide" from the rear, the scene of ten thousand beasts charging played out once again.

This time, the "beast tide" assault was no longer led by land demonic beasts with flying beasts held back, but instead, all types of beasts advanced simultaneously.

"The beast tide is launching a full-scale attack!"

A cold, murderous voice suddenly came from behind Zhouyang, and splitting his attention to look, he saw Jia Yunzhen had appeared on the wall without him noticing.

After two battles, this white-haired old man had already conquered the hearts of Zhouyang and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators with his strength and achievements, winning their full respect.

"Be careful, get through this wave, and it’ll be easier afterward!"

For once, this always aloof and nonchalant white-haired old man showed some concern for them.

Perhaps after half a year of fighting, he had come to accept Zhouyang and those who fought alongside him as his comrades.

Zhouyang quickly understood the reason for Jia Yunzhen’s special reminder, as this time, even while still thousands of meters away from the city walls, those Tier Four and Tier Three beasts were already unleashing long-range attack magic, bombarding the cultivators on the walls.

And as Zhouyang and the others were busy dodging and defending against the magical attacks raining down on the walls, the beasts suddenly accelerated their speed by several folds, swiftly charging through the thousands of meters of deadly ground below the city.

"Light and Shadow Transformation, slash!"

On the city wall, a Tier Three Middle Grade demon beast "Flying Cloud Leopard" had just used its talent magic "Cloud Soaring Technique" to step on a cloud and reach the wall, only to be greeted by over a dozen indistinct silver sword lights stabbing at it from all directions, dazzling its eyes, making it impossible to distinguish which sword light was real and which was fake.

So it could only roar angrily and stretch out its claws to swat at the sword lights aiming for its head and neck, only to find the sword lights shattered on impact, revealing themselves as fakes.

Then it felt a searing pain in its rear, a heart-wrenching pain that shot from its rear to its stomach, making its leopard eyes bulge with agony, quickly spewing blood from its mouth as it fell lifelessly to the ground, truly dying with its eyes open.

As for Zhouyang, having dispatched a Tier Three Middle Grade demon beast with a single sword, he didn’t spare another glance at the "Flying Cloud Leopard". With a thought, the "Taiyi Profound Light Sword" burst out of the beast’s belly without a drop of blood and shot towards another beast climbing the wall.

This flying sword, which cost him so many spirit stones, was certainly worth its price. Hua Yuerong did not deceive him; the sword was indeed infused with "Taiyi Essence Gold", a spiritual object that significantly enhances the sharpness of a flying sword, even if it was just a tiny bit at the sword’s tip.

This small incorporation of "Taiyi Essence Gold" allowed the flying sword to easily pierce through the defenses of most beasts below Tier Four, and coupled with the sword’s "Light and Shadow Transformation" divine technique, proved very effective against Tier Three beasts with weak divine sense.

If not for the "Light and Shadow Transformation" technique being usable only once per day, Zhouyang could’ve handled most of the beasts below Tier Three Top Grade strength solely relying on this flying sword.

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