Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

His time was precious; he needed to refine elixirs, draw talismans, improve his cultivation, and prepare for the surprise attack three months later. He didn't have time to care about someone who was courting death.

At midnight, the hustle and bustle of the market fell completely silent.

Xu Yuan had just finished circulating his cultivation technique for one cycle, and the spiritual energy in his dantian had become even more concentrated. He was only one step away from reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The familiar system notification sounded in my mind right on time.

[Ding! Today's intelligence has been updated.] [White Intelligence: Three days later, at 5 PM, the Black Wind Stronghold's raiders will ambush Zhou Chengxian at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. They will set up a third-tier trapping formation at the pavilion, sealing off all escape routes. Any rogue cultivators present will be affected, suffering heavy casualties.]

Xu Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the words that appeared before him, without the slightest surprise in his eyes.

Just as he had expected.

The Black Wind Stronghold not only wanted to kill Zhou Chengxian, but also to use this siege to establish their authority, seize the inheritance, and even plunder the belongings of the rogue cultivators present. A third-order trapping formation could even trap a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, let alone a group of low-level rogue cultivators.

Going there would mean a slim chance of survival.

Xu Yuan waved his hand casually, and the writing in front of him vanished without a trace. He didn't even think about it anymore; he simply turned over, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

Three days later, he only needed to stay inside the house. Once the gate was opened, no matter how chaotic things were outside, it would have nothing to do with him.

For the next two days, the entire Qingya Village was abuzz with news that Black Wind Stronghold was going to kill Zhou Chengxian.

The seasoned, independent cultivators in the market, those with even a modicum of experience, all advised Zhou Chengxian to quickly hide, either seeking protection from the Zhao family or temporarily leaving the market to avoid trouble. The bandits of Black Wind Stronghold were men of their word; they never made empty promises.

But Zhou Chengxian had long since drifted off into oblivion.

Instead of hiding, he cursed back at everyone who tried to persuade him, telling everyone that those people were jealous of his spirit wine business and couldn't stand to see him doing well, so they deliberately used Black Wind Village to scare him.

"Aren't they just a few bandits who robbed and plundered? They think they can make me hide?" In the main hall of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Zhou Chengxian, with Liu Yue'er in his arms, stood with one foot on a bench, holding a jar of spirit wine in his hand, and shouted loudly at the rogue cultivators who had gathered around, "I now have the inheritance of spirit wine, and I can have as many spirit stones as I want. In another six months, I'll break through to the Foundation Establishment stage! A few Tribulation cultivators are nothing, they've come, I'll just use them to consecrate my sword!"

A group of sycophantic cultivators around him quickly joined in the flattery, shouting "Boss Zhou is mighty!" and "Brother Zhou is awesome!" making Zhou Chengxian's face glow with pride, and his tail was practically wagging in the air.

Liu Yue'er nestled in his arms, her face full of adoration, her voice sweet and soft enough for everyone around to hear: "Brother Zhou is so capable, what are a few Tribulation cultivators? Besides, we're in the market, with the Zhao family's protective array, would they dare to rush in and kill people? I think those people are just jealous of Brother Zhou and are deliberately making up lies to scare people."

Her words struck a chord with Zhou Chengxian.

In his life, what he hated most was being looked down upon, and what he craved most was being admired. Back in the village, everyone fawned over Xu Yuan, and he could only follow behind as a lackey. Now, he wanted to show everyone in the entire town that he, Zhou Chengxian, was a hundred times better than Xu Yuan!

"Well said!" Zhou Chengxian slammed his hand on the table and laughed heartily. "Three days from now, at dusk, I'll be hosting a banquet at Zuixianlou, ten tables in total! I want to see if those tribulation cultivators dare to come! Whoever dares, I'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Everyone could see that Zhou Chengxian had completely lost his mind. Knowing full well that Black Wind Stronghold wanted to kill him, he not only didn't hide, but also held a banquet at Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Wasn't he just blatantly handing himself over for a kill?

Several fellow villagers who knew him well tried to persuade him further, but he cursed them out and wouldn't even let them in the door.

Looking at Zhou Chengxian's triumphant appearance, Liu Yue'er's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.

She didn't care about Black Wind Stronghold or anything like that. All she knew was that Zhou Chengxian was now her backer. If Zhou Chengxian chickened out and ran away, he would become a laughing stock in the market, and she, the future "Madam Zhou," would also be ridiculed.

Only when Zhou Chengxian is more assertive and successful can she rise in status and wealth.

Little did she know that what she was offering up wasn't some powerful backer, but a cauldron of boiling oil, and she herself was standing right next to it.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

At dusk, as the sun sets, its golden-red afterglow spills onto the bluestone pavement of Qingyafang, bathing the bustling market in a warm glow.

At the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, it was the liveliest time. Zhou Chengxian had booked the entire second floor and set up ten tables full of wine, entertaining all the independent cultivators and fellow villagers he knew in the market, as well as a group of idle people who usually fawned over him.

On each table were his brewed spirit wines and expensive spirit dishes. A single meal would cost nearly ten spirit stones, an astonishingly extravagant display of wealth.

At the head of the table, Zhou Chengxian, dressed in a brand-new brocade robe and wearing three or four storage rings on his hands, was holding a wine cup and clinking glasses with the people who had gathered around him. He was in high spirits and his face was flushed.

Liu Yue'er sat beside him, wearing a light green dress and a silver hairpin in her hair. She smiled radiantly and poured wine for Zhou Chengxian from time to time, receiving envious glances from the female cultivators around her. Her vanity reached its peak.

"Gentlemen!" Zhou Chengxian slammed his hand on the table after downing a cup of wine, stood up, and shouted to the people in the room, "Today, I, Zhou, have hosted this feast for two reasons: first, to thank all of you brothers for your support, and second, to show you that I, Zhou, am not afraid of any Black Wind Stronghold! Those ruthless killers are nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs in my eyes!"

The room was immediately filled with applause and cheers, and the atmosphere became extremely lively.

But just then—a muffled, loud bang suddenly echoed from all around the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

A pale black spiritual energy barrier instantly rose from all directions, like an airtight iron barrel, completely enveloping the entire Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Doors and windows were sealed shut instantly, leaving not a single gap.

The third-tier trapping formation is activated instantly!

The noise in the room came to an abrupt halt, and everyone's face turned pale instantly.

The smile on Zhou Chengxian's face froze instantly, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a "clang" and shattered into pieces.

"Who?! Who the hell dares to set up an array in the market?!" He roared fiercely, but his voice was weak. He drew his magic sword from his waist, but his hand trembled uncontrollably.

Just then, the door of Zuixianlou was kicked open.

A dozen or so cultivators dressed in black with their faces covered by black cloths, carrying sharp blades, filed in. The leader was a one-eyed giant with a powerful aura of spiritual energy, clearly at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Blood was still dripping from the ghost-headed saber in his hand. He was none other than Black Fiend, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold.