The original repairer

Chapter 219 Return to the Poison Pond

The Poison Pond Immortal City was in a state of depression. Although there were many shops and stores open to welcome customers, there were very few monks walking on the streets.

The situation in the shops was even worse. Only the shopkeepers or clerks stood at the door, looking out to see if there were any cultivators coming to the Fairy City Avenue to do business.

Shi Chen walked out of the teleportation array and went all the way to the north gate of the Poison Pond Fairy City. Along the way, he only met a dozen or so walking cultivators.

Shi Chen stood at the north gate of the Poison Pond Fairy City and looked back. This once prosperous fairy city was now filled with a desolate atmosphere.

The buildings on both sides of the street are still tall and magnificent, but the closed doors and windows and the deserted atmosphere make people feel deeply lonely.

Those once bustling pubs and teahouses are now deserted, their signs swaying gently in the wind, as if telling of their past glory.

The tables and chairs in the store were neatly arranged but covered in dust. The guys leaned listlessly against the wall, their eyes full of confusion and helplessness.

The square of the Immortal City, once a bustling place for monks to mingle and trade, was now deserted. Weeds grew in the cracks between the stone slabs, and occasionally a few birds alighted before quickly flying away, as if unwilling to linger in this deserted place.

The monks guarding the walls of Poison Pond Immortal City seemed somewhat languid. They leaned against the wall, their gazes vacant, as if anticipating some change. The flags on the walls fluttered feebly in the wind, their once vibrant colors dimmed.

Shi Chen sighed softly, feeling a mixture of emotion. He didn't know why this fairy city had become so desolate, but he could sense the stark contrast between its former prosperity and its current desolation.

He shook his head, turned and left, leaving the Poison Pond Fairy City alone in silence.

Arriving at the entrance of the Thousand Poison Pond, there was only one cultivator in the middle stage of Qi training who was listing to buy spiritual objects.

The mist in the Thousand Poison Pond is a little thinner than it was ten years ago. Perhaps it is because Liang Ruyan and the others were practicing in the secret realm of animal skins, which affected the conversion of spiritual energy.

The number of monks searching for treasure is already scarce. After experiencing two strange phenomena and being sealed off and looted by the Qianjue Sect, the monks are complaining bitterly. Those monks who are able to leave have already fled to the Poison Pond Immortal City.

Even if it had been plundered twice by the Qianjue Sect, it shouldn't be this desolate.

The spiritual objects produced by the Thousand Poison Pond have always been of great value to cultivators below the Golden Core Stage.

It is normal for the number of monks in the Poison Pond Immortal City to decrease, but the Thousand Poison Pond should not be almost empty.

Approaching the cultivator who had listed the treasure for the acquisition, Shi Chen asked with a smile, "Excuse me, fellow Taoist, why is there almost no one looking for treasure in the Thousand Poison Pond?"

The Qi Cultivator took a look at the cultivator in front of him and realized he couldn't tell his level of cultivation. He then said respectfully, "Fellow Daoist, I believe you haven't been here in the past ten years. Ever since the two strange phenomena appeared in the Thousand Poison Pond, the Poison Pond Immortal City has been sealed off. After the seal was lifted, the cultivators left the area one after another."

"I know all this. I came here ten years ago and it wasn't so desolate. But now, ten years later, the scene is really shocking." Shi Chen said puzzledly with a look of doubt in his eyes.

"Originally, there were still some cultivators traveling between the Immortal City and the Thousand Poison Pond. In the past three years, for some unknown reason, the Thousand Pond has almost stopped producing spiritual objects. Now, there are only some cultivators who are trying their luck and occasionally come and go. I have saved up enough money for the trip and am about to leave this place." The Qi-cultivating cultivator said truthfully with regret in his heart.

Standing outside the entrance of the animal skin cave, Shi Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, and his spiritual sense sensed the restriction formation at the cave entrance.

With his current level of cultivation and attainments in formation, breaking the formation would be a piece of cake, but he crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to see with great interest who had set up the forbidden formation here.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Ling Feifei arrived at the Thousand Poison Pond, her expression tense yet barely concealed. She gasped when she saw her arrangement being triggered by the cultivator before her.

The spiritual mark left by the formation was gently wrapped by the cultivator in front of her with spiritual power and placed in the palm of her hand. She frowned and carefully used her spiritual sense to sense it, but could only sense a vague cultivation level.

Shi Chen suddenly clenched his palm into a fist. With a "bang", the spiritual mark on his palm instantly shattered and dissipated. He raised the corner of his mouth and said teasingly, "City Lord Ling, long time no see."

"Who are you?" Ling Feifei looked at the unfamiliar cultivator. She seemed to recognize the voice, but she couldn't. She said in surprise, "Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I don't know when we've ever met before."

Shi Chen was slightly surprised, then he laughed at himself when he remembered how easy it was for him to be so.

His cultivation has reached the second level of the Spirit Transformation Realm. Even if he faces a cultivator in the Fusion Realm, he can still fight against them. There is no need to be so cautious.

Shi Chen waved his hands, removing the disguise spell and restoring his original appearance. He smiled and said, "City Lord Ling, do you still remember now?"

Ling Feifei took a closer look, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on her face: "So it's Fellow Daoist Shi Chen! I haven't seen him for many years, and you have reached such a realm. It's really amazing!"

Shi Chen cupped his hands and said, "City Lord Ling, you are too kind. We have certainly endured many hardships along the way. However, the current situation at the Thousand Poison Pond is truly puzzling."

Ling Feifei sighed softly, "It's a long story. Ever since those two strange phenomena, the spiritual veins of the Thousand Poison Pond seem to have been greatly affected, and the output of spiritual objects has greatly decreased. It was also because of my greed that I sealed off the city and searched for loot, causing the independent cultivators to leave, and cultivators from other sects no longer dared to visit."

Shi Chen frowned slightly and asked in a cold voice, "Then what is this forbidden formation?"

"I've discovered some clues about this cave, and I've set up a forbidden formation. I want to..." Ling Feifei didn't finish her words. Suddenly, she looked at Shi Chen with a look of fear in her eyes, and her voice became a little trembling: "Shi... Fellow Daoist Shi, could it be that person?"

Ling Feifei recognized herself as the person who sealed off the city and searched for her over twenty years ago and obtained the opportunity to enter the Thousand Poison Pond.

Now that she has cultivated enough to protect herself, instead of letting her dwell on this secret cave, it would be better to take her in to have a look. If there is no treasure or opportunity, she will probably give up the idea of coming here.

"I can take you to see the secret realm that City Lord Ling has been thinking about. I have taken away all the spiritual objects and treasures in this secret realm, leaving only some private belongings and inscriptions of the cave owner's deeds." Shi Chen said.

Ling Feifei looked at him in surprise, her face full of confusion and resistance.

There seemed to be a voice echoing in my heart: No, he must want to lure me into the secret realm and then kill me to silence me.

No cultivator has ever shared his secret realm with me. Even my master came here to explore it personally and asked me to hand over the treasures I obtained from the vision.

Looking at Ling Feifei's face full of disbelief, Shi Chen smiled bitterly and said in a cold voice, "Believe it or not, I'm only giving you this one chance. Come with me and take a look. From now on, this will be my private secret cave. Anyone who peeks in again will be killed without mercy."

"This is still the territory of Qianjue Sect. Do you want to take away the Thousand Poison Pond?" Ling Feifei's mind raced, and she used the sect's backing to put pressure on Shi Chen.

Ling Feifei was apprehensive. On the one hand, she was filled with fear of Shi Chen. Shi Chen's strength was beyond her comprehension, and the aura he exuded alone made her feel immensely pressured.

She knew very well that if she disobeyed Shi Chen, she would most likely be killed. This fear followed her like a shadow, causing her heart to beat faster involuntarily.

However, on the other hand, the temptation of the secret place attracted her like a magnet.

She recalled her previous speculations and longings about that secret realm, imagining the precious treasures and powerful inheritances that might be hidden within. It was an irresistible temptation, causing a constant struggle between her reason and fear.

She considered various possibilities in her mind, trying to find a way that could satisfy her curiosity about the secret realm while ensuring her own safety.

She was afraid that Shi Chen would really harm her in the secret realm, but she was unwilling to give up this opportunity that she might never encounter again in her lifetime.

This contradictory psychology made her hesitant, and her eyes showed a complicated look.

After a long moment of contemplation, Shi Chen saw through Ling Feifei's thoughts and suddenly burst out laughing: "Haha! If you insist on thinking that way, that's fine. In the world of cultivation, it's all about the survival of the fittest. When I was at a low level of cultivation, wasn't I also hunted and bullied everywhere?"

"Are you going to fight the entire sect alone?" Ling Feifei was shocked when she heard Shi Chen's words.

"A sect? It's nothing more than a community of shared interests." Shi Chen scoffed. "With sufficient cultivation, one can dominate everything. You belong to a family and a sect, so you should understand this much better than I do."

Ling Feifei's eyes dodged, revealing a hint of fatigue and helplessness. If she hadn't been ostracized, she wouldn't have been arranged to the immortal city on the border of the sect. All these things were very consistent with what he said.

Taking advantage of Ling Feifei's daze, Shi Chen formed seals with his hands and the formation flag flew out. In a moment, a faint light emerged from the animal skin cave.

"Do you want to come with me?" Shi Chen said, walking into the dimly lit entrance.

When they arrived at the wooden house, Liang Ruyan and the other two had already left, and a jade slip was placed in front of the wooden sign.

Shi Chen picked it up and was about to check the jade slip when he saw Ling Feifei following him. After thinking for a while, he decided to use his spiritual power to activate the contents of the jade slip and make it appear.

"My husband, after years of hard training, we have reached a level where we can advance. We can't wait for you to return, so we will go out and advance our cultivation first, and then go to the sect to find you. If you come back, please come to the sect to find us! We miss you so much!..."

Shi Chen did not reveal some of the ambiguous content that followed.

"Look, this is what the cave looks like. There are spiritual medicines, spiritual fruits, and a wooden house. You have seen the wooden sign and know what's inside the wooden house. I have never been in there. Is the value of this place worth considering?" Shi Chen said, turning and walking towards the exit of the cave.

Ling Feifei frowned, but still followed Shi Chen towards the exit.

The formation flag was retracted, the entrance disappeared, Shi Chen floated up, and came to the misty entrance of the Thousand Poison Pond.

The monks who purchased the spiritual objects have already left, and the entrance to the water mist is deserted, with only Shi Chen and the other person who just appeared.