Chapter 425: Chapter 393: Teleportation Tower

Zhao Lin looked at the Communication Talisman, his heart skipping a beat in surprise.

This message was from Red Tail Island, and the sender’s name was Chu Hongtian.

Chu Hongtian was the Island Master of Red Tail Island, a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator. ’Why would he be writing to me?’

Zhao Lin thanked the messenger, turned, and went back to his room. He broke the seal and read the message carefully.

In the message, Chu Hongtian first expressed his gratitude to Zhao Lin. Killing fourteen Earth Dark Sect cultivators had dealt a severe blow to their arrogance—a truly gratifying act.

However, it had also provoked the Earth Dark Sect’s frenzied retaliation.

In recent months, the Earth Dark Sect had dispatched many powerful experts into Yongdeng Ansha.

After several vicious battles, the Chenghua Sect had suffered considerable losses, and as a result, fewer and fewer cultivators were willing to accept missions to Red Tail Island.

The Earth Dark Sect was using this opportunity to sneak into the Chenghua Sect’s pearl beaches and probe their mechanisms.

Chu Hongtian worried that if this continued, the Earth Dark Sect would find a way to crack their defenses. Then, they could set up their own mechanisms in their place, slowly turning the pearl beaches into Earth Dark Sect territory.

The two pearl beaches they had lost before were eroded away little by little in this exact manner.

At the end of the message, Chu Hongtian expressed his hope that Zhao Lin would come to Red Tail Island again to suppress the Earth Dark Sect’s incursions.

As for compensation, he said not to worry—he could offer a threefold reward!

Chu Hongtian guaranteed this on his honor as the Island Master, swearing he would not go back on his word.

"A threefold reward!"

Zhao Lin sucked in a sharp breath, gasping aloud.

He had to admit the reward was incredibly generous and tempting.

But the hidden dangers were also immense!

Before Qingchi died, he had released a Fish Eye Talisman that recorded the battle. The Earth Dark Sect would surely have a way to find out the truth.

’I killed fourteen of their cultivators all by myself. Given the Earth Dark Sect’s vindictive nature, they’ll never let this go.’

’They’ve probably already laid a trap, just waiting for me to take the bait.’

’Although I have my special echolocation-like ability that allows me to detect enemies in advance, the world of cultivation has countless forms of magic. Similar spells aren’t rare, and there’s no guarantee I won’t encounter someone with hearing even stronger than mine!’

’As they say, for every strength, there’s a counter, and even the best swimmers can drown. I can’t make that kind of mistake.’

And there was the most crucial point: he hadn’t yet broken through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and couldn’t use perfection-level magic. What if he ran into an enemy who had perfected both Water Moon Slash and Fubo Skill?

Zhao Lin could understand why Chu Hongtian had invited him.

Although the Chenghua Sect was powerful and had numerous cultivators, it had to face enemies from all directions—north, south, east, and west.

The Earth Dark Sect was in a much better position; they only had to focus on dealing with the Chenghua Sect.

And Red Tail Island wasn’t the only territory the two sects were fighting over.

This was the benefit of having powerful magic. Even though the sect was filled with experts, some missions could only be carried out by Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

Zhao Lin laid out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and carefully wrote a reply.

He thanked Chu Hongtian for his high regard and politely explained that he was at a critical juncture in his cultivation and could not get away at the moment. He assured him that as soon as he made a breakthrough, he would definitely head to Red Tail Island.

This reply was partly out of common courtesy. After all, the other party was a Purple Mansion cultivator who governed a region; it was always wise to foster good relations.

On the other hand, he also felt that this mission was very suitable for him. If the opportunity arose, he still wanted to return to Red Tail Island.

A single mission that could provide enough resources for a year of cultivation was hard to come by.

Of course, the prerequisite was ensuring his safety, and the time wasn’t right yet.

It was a rest day, so he didn’t have to attend lectures at the Spirit Dao Institute. After writing the letter, Zhao Lin headed out.

The post station for sending letters was on Songyu Peak, not far from the marketplace.

As Zhao Lin passed through the marketplace, he bought a Communication Talisman.

There were many kinds of Communication Talismans, with prices ranging from twenty to two hundred Spirit Coins. The difference lay in their flight speed and range.

Red Tail Island was an island over a thousand li away. Zhao Lin bought a one-hundred-Spirit-Coin Communication Talisman to ensure the letter would arrive promptly.

There was actually a cheaper option: sharing a single Communication Talisman with other letters, making several transfers along the way, and then having them split up and sent out near their final destinations.

The downside was that it was very slow; sending a letter this way would take seven or eight days.

’When writing to a Purple Mansion cultivator, I shouldn’t be stingy with this bit of money.’

Upon reaching the peak, Zhao Lin saw a tall Communication Tower in the distance.

The tower was seven stories high, containing a large communication Array that constantly emitted waves of Spiritual Power.

Communication Talismans, Hongyan Talismans, and Thousand-Mile Talismans would sense these Spiritual Power waves, follow them to the Communication Tower, and then be delivered to the recipients by messengers.

The Chenghua Sect had a Communication Tower in every county, forming a vast network that tightly connected the entire sect.

In Zhao Lin’s opinion, this communication capability was almost comparable to the technology of his previous life.

The post station was on the first floor of the Communication Tower. Its hall was spacious and bright, with messengers constantly coming and going.

Opposite the main entrance was a long counter where four clerks—cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots—sat, attending to cultivators who came to send mail.

The post station handled a large volume of official documents, community newsletters, and private letters every day, sometimes requiring the use of magic.

Cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots didn’t need to spend as much time cultivating as ordinary cultivators, making them well-suited for this kind of long-term desk work.

"Could you help me put a Dharma Seal for Red Tail Island on this letter?"

Zhao Lin walked up to the counter, took out his Communication Talisman, and spoke to one of the clerks.

A Dharma Seal was essentially a rough location coordinate.

A Communication Talisman would fly for over a thousand li. Without a mark, it would just buzz around like a headless fly and head to the nearest Communication Tower before its Spiritual Qi ran out.

"Red Tail Island? That’s so far! Fellow Daoist, have you been there before?"

The clerk attending to Zhao Lin had small eyes and a long, thin face. He asked this out of curiosity.

"That has nothing to do with sending my letter, does it? How much?"

Zhao Lin frowned slightly. ’This guy talks too much,’ he thought. He ignored the question and handed the Communication Talisman over directly.

"Five Spirit Coins."

The long-faced clerk, having been rebuffed, picked up a brush and asked, "Fellow Daoist, your esteemed name, for our records here."

Zhao Lin gave his name and paid the five Spirit Coins.

The long-faced clerk scribbled a few strokes, then stood up. He found a jade Dharma Seal in a gridded cabinet behind him, infused it with Spiritual Power, and pressed it onto the Communication Talisman.

A Spiritual Light flashed, and three large, shimmering characters appeared on the talisman: "Red Tail Island."

"Thank you."

Zhao Lin clasped his hands in a brief salute and walked out of the hall.

Once he reached a secluded spot, he slapped his palm against the Communication Talisman. The talisman instantly transformed into a streak of light, shot high into the sky, and flew off to the southeast.

Zhao Lin watched it until it was completely out of sight before heading back down the mountain.

Back in the post station hall, the long-faced clerk’s expression suddenly changed. He turned to his three colleagues and said, "Ah, nature calls. Can you guys cover for me? I need to step out."

"A lazy mule is always taking a piss."

The clerk sitting next to him cursed with a laugh and waved his hand. "Go on, but be quick. It’s about to get busy."

"Right, I won’t be long!"

The long-faced clerk clutched his stomach and jogged out of the post station, running for more than three li.

He glanced back, and seeing no one following, he slowed his pace, his expression returning to normal.

A short while later, he entered a medicine shop in the marketplace called Harmony Hall.

The shop was quiet, with only a young assistant tidying the shelves. The Shopkeeper, an old man, sat at the counter, engrossed in an account book.

"Shopkeeper, do you sell any life-extending pills?"

The long-faced clerk walked straight to the counter and asked.

"We do, but they’re not cheap. Two hundred Spirit Coins."

The Shopkeeper put down his account book and looked up to answer.

"Will you sell for three Spirit Coins?"

The long-faced clerk met the Shopkeeper’s gaze and pressed on.

"No sale, no sale!"

The Shopkeeper said this while standing up and glancing out the door.

"Relax, I’m alone," the long-faced clerk said in a low voice.

"Caution is the parent of safety. Come in."

The Shopkeeper lifted the curtain to the back room and ushered the long-faced clerk inside.

He then waved his hand, casting a spell that formed a barrier around them, isolating the sound from the outside.

The long-faced clerk waited for the spell to be cast before speaking. "Someone sent a letter to Red Tail Island today."

The Shopkeeper’s eyelid twitched. "What’s his name? What does he look like?"

"Zhao Lin. He’s tall and well-built. Judging by his clothes, he’s a disciple of the Spirit Dao Institute."

"His name is Zhao Lin?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Do you know who he wrote to?"

"How would I know that? The letter is sealed in the talisman. I asked one extra question, and he gave me a dirty look."

"Mm, you did well..."

Not long after, the long-faced clerk walked out of the shop with two hundred Spirit Coins in his robes.

"A man doesn’t get rich without a side income, just as a horse doesn’t get fat without a midnight snack," the long-faced clerk muttered to himself smugly.

He didn’t know what the Shopkeeper wanted with this information, nor did he want to know. As long as there were Spirit Coins to be made, that was all that mattered.

’It’s just revealing a little information, not a big deal.’

’I’m just a cultivator with a Mortal Spirit Root and a meager salary. If I don’t earn a little extra on the side, how can I afford those expensive medicinal pills?’

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