BXBX NOVEL Chapter 447: 448 The Essence of Enduring
But now, the aura of the altar had inexplicably vanished, throwing him into disarray.
Looking at the two before him, with expressions that were smiles yet not smiles, a bad premonition welled up inside him.
“Heh, it seems you haven’t checked the borderlands, to make such a rookie mistake.”
The old beggar clicked his tongue in wonder.
“Hmph, it’s not his fault. Seeing Ling Xue’er attacking must have thrown him into confusion,”
Song Que also said with a cold laugh.
“What do you mean, you know about the altar!”
“You old coot, it was you who hid my altar!”
In an instant, Mei Changqing realized what was at the heart of the matter. Only the old beggar had seen him communicate with the altar. Since the other party was free, it was natural to go and check, and it seemed that this old thing had made off with the altar.
“Heh, you guessed wrong. Your altar indeed was taken away, but it was not taken by the old beggar, but by Young Master Li.”
The old beggar cackled strangely, looking exceedingly smug.
“It’s that kid; Huazi and the bathhouse were his doing. I heard he has some connections with Elder Tianji, so it must have been him who led Ling Xue’er here. To think that I, the City Lord, scarcely gave the mastermind behind all this a second glance!”
In Mei Changqing’s eyes flickered a hatred as he said this through clenched teeth.
“Heh, you’ve learned too late. Now that the overall situation has been decided, it’s time to eliminate the cancer of the borderlands.”
The old beggar spoke nonchalantly, his gaze shifting to the group of Transcendence Tribulation Stage experts still clashing in the void, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.
“Old Song, make your move, let’s end this farce!”
At the same time, deep within the borderlands.
A white-clothed youth was walking slowly, feeling an unaccountable twist of conflict in his heart with the terrifying pressure coming from behind him.
“Damn it, I’ve wasted a bunch of Attribute Points!”
“Such an intense clash, even the Immortal Spirit Qi is erupting. Just a slight touch would have been a sure million Attribute Points. What a pity, you can’t have the best of both worlds!”
The white-clothed youth was none other than Li Xiaobai, who came to the borderlands for no other reason but to retrieve the Hellfire.
At this moment, Li Xiaobai was holding a copy of the Immortal Spirit Daily, which featured recent tracking reports by Elder Tianji on the affairs of the borderlands.
With the sensational news of Ling Xue’er attacking the borderlands, sales of the Immortal Spirit Daily still reached their peak, and it was estimated that Elder Tianji’s future reports on the distribution of Immortal Spirit Qi might not even surpass today’s sales numbers.
The reason was nothing else but the sheer impact of this event.
Upon learning that the Kingdom of Women and the main battlefield of the borderlands had fully engaged in warfare, the Second Leader of Aolai Country in the Eastern Sea was the first to set off for the borderlands in an attempt to quell the conflict, followed by the ancestors of the three Great Sects in Central Province, including Fire Qilin Cave and Devil Cloud Cave, who also departed.
Although there were no significant moves from the Western Desert, rumors had it that Master Xuan Ku hadn’t been seen in the Thousand Buddha Kingdom for some time, clearly indicating that he too had headed to the borderlands.
So many powerhouses gathering was unprecedented, a grand assembly was about to unfold where the fates would intertwine.
In comparison, the ending of Ling Xue’er and Mei Changqing’s struggle was not merely a conclusion but the beginning of a new one. The power struggle among the leaders was just starting.
“I must retrieve the Hellfire first; otherwise, once all the powerhouses arrive, there won’t be a chance to retrieve it.”
Li Xiaobai hastened his actions as powerful figures from all directions gathered, every move on the frontier was within their control, and not even Hellfire could escape their Dharma Eye. Presuming that he could scrape up some Attribute Points, he chose to first reclaim the Hellfire.
As long as he took a beating, he could acquire Attribute Points, but finding another place like the depths of the borderlands, where he could burn at will, was not easy.
Moreover, once all the heavyweights arrived, conflicts were bound to arise as they tested each other’s strength, which would also present a great opportunity to swipe Attribute Points – and a safer one at that.
The flames had already covered a significant area, yet the Flesh Mountains deep inside were too formidable. The fire merely cloaked their surfaces, blazing fiercely without being able to incinerate them completely.
His fingers touched the Hellfire, beginning the reclamation process.
Numbers on the System panel shot up straightforwardly.
[Current coverage area: five hundred and fifty meters…]
[Current coverage area: six hundred and ten meters…]
[Current coverage area: six hundred and fifty meters…]
[Hellfire (Divine Level skill) current coverage area: eight hundred and one meters.]
Due to the limited time, the increase in the Hellfire area was only nearly three hundred meters, but this was already a significant leap.
One should know that as one progressed further, the resources required for each upgrade were exponentially greater; this three-hundred-meter increase alone saved nearly ten million top-grade Spirit Stones worth of resources.
He flipped his wrist, took out a copy of the Immortal Spirit Daily, placed Spirit Stones, and summoned Elder Tianji.
“Senior, how have the sales of the Immortal Spirit Daily been recently?”
Li Xiaobai asked with a smile.
“That’s unquestionable, it’s on fire. The Immortal Spirit Daily has become the best-selling product in the history of the Mainland, second to none. In the future, Tianji Zi will surely leave his mark in history!”
“Furthermore, the newly introduced Frontier section has significantly increased its audience. The readership multiplies geometrically with each issue, and the onslaught of submissions is unending!”
“For all of this, we must thank young friend Li for your substantial support!”
Excited by the topic of the Immortal Spirit Daily, Elder Tianji seemed euphoric.
He almost wanted to worship Li Xiaobai; the man was indeed his God of Wealth. Effortlessly, he could create major news; with just a few words, he could lead the entire Mainland’s arrangements. Truly a marketing genius!
“Hehe, that’s good to hear. Do you happen to know which experts have arrived this time and where they currently are?”
Li Xiaobai got to the point.
“It is just as the Immortal Spirit Daily reported – I have always adhered to a truthful reporting style, without any omissions,”
said Elder Tianji.
“May I know where these people are right now?”
Li Xiaobai continued to inquire, this being his most pressing concern.
“Hehe, young friend Li, you need not worry about that. That bunch has been around long enough to be shrewd as can be; they’re masters at laying low because, with age, their fear of death is no trifling matter. Apart from the Vice Leader of the Eastern Sea, no one will rush to the battleground to face unknown dangers.”
“The Second Leader of the Aolai Country from the Eastern Sea will arrive at the battleground first, followed by the allied arrival of other clans,”
explained Elder Tianji slowly. He understood the old ancestors of various clans very well; aged and in seclusion for too long, they sought a chance for breakthroughs. Even those who were once spectacular would be worn down to become beings driven by the fear of death.
For them, not only did they need to guard against the terrifying creatures of the borderlands, but they also needed to be vigilant of disputes among themselves, avoiding capsizing in the gutter.
So, the essence of the art of surviving: either none would arrive, or all would arrive together.