Chapter 50: Refusal

This item was merely Solidifying Core Grass, an herb that can solidify a cultivator's Golden Core, rendering it indestructible.

A cultivator whose Golden Core is solidified becomes several times stronger in combat than an ordinary Core Formation cultivator. However, because the Golden Core is solidified, they lose the possibility of shattering it to form a Nascent Soul.

While this might be a peerless spiritual medicine for other Core Formation cultivators, for Xu Yang, it was akin to poison.

"Let's go; it was only this," Xu Yang said, shaking his head in disappointment.

He had come here for nothing, gaining no benefit, and even incurring trouble. Xu Yang felt rather depressed.

After exiting the forest, Xu Yang turned to Bai Ningmei. "By the way, where are your remaining clan members? Go find them; I'll take them to the Heavenly Arcanum Sect."

Bai Ningmei's face lit up. "Yes, my lord! The entire Tianwu Prefecture no longer has a place for us, so the remaining members of the Bai clan are hiding in Qizhou."

"Qizhou..." Xu Yang was stunned, then gave a wry smile. It seemed they truly had a connection.

"My lord, is something wrong?" Bai Ningmei asked nervously, observing Xu Yang's increasingly odd expression.

Xu Yang shook his head. "No, it's just a coincidence. I'm also from Qizhou, so we'll head there."

Xu Yang located the remaining members of the Bai clan in a large mountain in Qizhou. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw them. They were utterly miserable.

These individuals, ostensibly high-ranking Core Formation cultivators, now looked like beggars. Their clothes were torn and ragged, and they reeked of sourness. In this state, no one would ever believe them to be cultivators; most would readily agree they were beggars.

"Xiao Mei, you've been gone for over ten days without a word; you scared us to death!" An old man with white hair exclaimed joyfully as Xu Yang and Bai Ningmei approached.

Xu Yang observed him; he possessed late Core Formation cultivation. Though fallen on hard times, a faint aura of superiority still clung to him.

"Uncle, I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you," Bai Ningmei said with a radiant smile.

Just then, the white-haired elder's gaze shifted to Xu Yang. "Who are you, and why are you here?" His eyes darted nervously, like those of a frightened mouse, as he scrutinized Xu Yang.

"Uncle, he's my savior; he saved my life. Without him, you wouldn't see me now. He's here to rescue us," Bai Ningmei hastily explained. Then she turned to Xu Yang and said, "He's my grand-uncle, and he's currently the patriarch of the Bai clan."

Xu Yang nodded and looked behind them, where more than a dozen Core Formation cultivators sat listlessly on the ground, radiating an air of sorrow. Xu Yang assumed these were all the remaining members of the Bai clan.

"Xiao Mei, are you truly telling the truth?" Bai Badiao, the Bai clan patriarch, asked with a wry smile.

"Of course it's true! His name is Xu Yang, and he's incredibly powerful. And that young lady over there is Ling Qingshu, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Arcanum Sect. They've come to rescue us!"

"Uncle, we're saved!" Bai Ningmei exclaimed, brimming with joy.

Bai Badiao glanced at Xu Yang and Ling Qingshu, shook his head, and walked over to Xu Yang. "My lord, thank you for saving Bai Ningmei. However, the trouble our Bai clan faces is significant; it's best not to involve you. Please leave."

Xu Yang raised his eyes and said calmly, "I naturally know what trouble your Bai clan has encountered. Isn't it just the Tianwu Prefecture? What's the big deal?"

Xu Yang's words sounded incredibly light and dismissive, as if he thought nothing of the Heavenly Arcanum Sect. Bai Badiao's jaw dropped, staring at Xu Yang in disbelief.

"Just the Tianwu Prefecture?" He knew that Tianwu Prefecture was an immense region, home to several major sects and countless Nascent Soul cultivators. Yet, Xu Yang had casually remarked, "Isn't it just the Tianwu Prefecture?" His words were unbelievably arrogant.

Then he observed Xu Yang and Ling Qingshu's cultivation. Ling Qingshu was clearly only a Core Formation cultivator. Even in their current destitute state, the Bai clan still had over a dozen Core Formation cultivators. As for Xu Yang's cultivation, he appeared to be merely in the Qi Condensation stage. Of course, Bai Badiao wasn't foolish; he knew Xu Yang's true cultivation wasn't Qi Condensation. However, he believed that no matter how powerful Xu Yang might be, he couldn't possibly be a Nascent Soul cultivator, and offering protection would certainly not suffice.

"Thank you for your kindness, but the Bai clan's affairs are our own to bear. We won't burden others." Although Bai Badiao's attitude was respectful, it was clear he underestimated Xu Yang.

Xu Yang shook his head. "Very well, if that's your decision, then I won't insist." With that, Xu Yang turned and walked away. If they didn't think much of him, he wasn't interested in the trouble either.

Bai Ningmei immediately panicked. She was about to speak, but the next moment, Xu Yang was gone. Her face stiffened. She turned to Bai Badiao. "Uncle, why did you send him away?" Bai Ningmei was almost in tears; she had finally found hope, only to see her uncle personally extinguish it.

"Sigh, you know as well as I do that our Bai clan faces the major powers of the entire Tianwu Prefecture. What good can those two do? It's better not to drag them down." The elder paused, then continued, "Moreover, if we were to follow them and seek their so-called protection, we might only expose our whereabouts and allow the major powers of Tianwu Prefecture to find us. In that case, we would be completely finished."

Bai Ningmei gave a wry smile and then recounted everything she had witnessed while with Xu Yang. After listening, Bai Badiao was dumbfounded. He muttered, "This... they might be ancient seniors at the Cavern Heaven realm."

"To instantly kill a Nascent Soul cultivator, even a late-stage one might not suffice. And as revered seniors, they wouldn't be so foolish as to boast without absolute certainty, would they?"

The entire Bai clan was now completely stunned. After some thought, Bai Badiao said, "Then, go see if you can salvage the situation." Bai Badiao's voice was filled with a lack of confidence as he spoke. For a legendary Cavern Heaven realm expert to offer protection to the Bai clan, which was struggling amidst storms, it was like their ancestral graves were emitting green smoke. Yet, he had refused him. Now, his insides churned with regret.