《A Thought Through Eternity》 Chapter 1 - Bai Xiaochun Chapter 1 --- Bai Xiaochun. Mt. Maor was located in the Donglin Mountain Range. At the foot of Mt. Maor, there was a small vige, known for its simple and rustic country life. The people here mainly relied on agriculture, as they werepletely isted from the rest of the world. It was early in the morning. At the entrance of the vige, all the vigers had gathered. They seemed to be sending off a boy, who was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. The boy looked rather frail, but this was masked by his gentle demeanor. He was dressed inmon blue robes that had faded from overwashing, but these robes, when coupled with his well-kept appearance, made him look smart and spirited. The boys name was Bai Xiaochun. Family and friends, I will soon leave on my journey to cultivate immortality, but I really cant bear to part with all of you. The boys face was filled with reluctance, as his polite speech left people with an even deeper impression of his innocence. Around him, the vigers looked anxiously at each other. None of them wanted to let this young man leave either. Xiaochun, your parents passed away too early... Youre really such a good child! Dont you want to live an immortal life anymore? If you be an immortal, youll live for a very, very long time. Go! Every chick must leave their nest and fly away someday. A gray-haired old man said, as he walked out of the crowd. When he called Xiaochun a good child, he briefly paused. Once youre on the outside, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, you must persevere! Move on and hold your head high! Once you walk out of this vige, you should never turn back, because your future lies in front of you. The old man kindly shared his wisdom, as he pped the boy on his shoulder. Immortality Bai Xiaochun straightened his shoulders, as determination started to appear in his eyes. Under the encouraging gazes of the old man and the surrounding vigers, he nodded his head resolutely. He took ast good look at all of his friends and family who surrounded him, before he turned and then resolutely strode out of his vige. As the boys figure disappeared into the distance, one by one, the vigers became wrought by emotions. Their sad expresssions were reced by happy and joyful ones. Even the kind-hearted and gracious old man was trembling all over, as even tears started rolling down his wrinkled face. Bless the heavens! That bastard has finally Finally left our vige! Whoever told him that an immortal has been seen in this area, youve helped our vige take a giant leap forward! That bastard finally left! My poor chickens What a pity! just because he hated the crowing, that bastard used some sneaky method to instigate a group of children to eat everyst chicken in this vige. Today is the start of a new year! From the small vige, the sounds of loud cheering emanated. Someone had even brought out their drums and happily drummed away. Outside of the vige walls, Bai Xiaochun had not yet walked very far, before he heard the sound of drums and wild cheersing from the direction of the vige. A weird look crossed Bai Xiaochuns face, as he came to a standstill and coughed. Then, apanied by the sound of the drums in the distance, he walked along the mountain trail and entered Mt. Maor. Although Mt. Maor couldnt be considered tall, it was covered in a dense foliage. Even in the early morning sunlight, his eyes could only make out a mass of dark shadows amidst the heavy silence. ording to Er Gou, when he was being chased here by a wild boar a few days ago, he saw an immortal fly past... As he followed the winding trail, Bai Xiaochuns heart thumped wildly. Out of the blue, a rustling noise came from the bushes beside him, as if a wild boar was hiding there. The noise was too sudden and Bai Xiaochun, who was already tightly wound with paranoia, instantly felt a chill run down his spine. W-Who the hell is over there? Reaching into his bag with his right hand, Bai Xiaochun rapidly retrieved four axes and six wooden knives. However, these weapons still didnt give him a secure feeling, so he also took out a small ck incense stick from within his robes and held it tightly in his fist. Donte out! Dont even think abouting out! Ive got axes and wooden knives! The incense stick in my hand can even produce thunderbolts and summon immortals to help me. If you dare toe out, you are doomed to die! Bai Xiaochun shouted with a shaky voice. Stumbling over his own feet, he gathered his weapons in his arms and scurried away along the mountain road. His weapons jingled loudly as, one by one, they ttered on the ground behind him. Perhaps scared away by his words, the rustling noises soon stopped. No wild beast emerged from the foliage. Bai Xiaochuns face had turned deathly pale. He wiped the perspiration from his brows and thought about giving up on the rest of his climb. But as he looked at the incense stick that his parents had entrusted to him before they had died, he felt conflicted. It was rumoured, that once upon a time, his ancestors had rescued a fallen immortal by chance. Before departing, the immortal had left them this incense stick in return for their goodwill and promised them that hed ept one of Bais descendants as his disciple. As long as the incense stick was lit, the immortal would arrive. Up untill now, Bai Xiaochun had lit the incense stick over ten times, but the immortal had never shown up. He had begun to wonder whether the immortal would reallye, or if he had long forgotten his promise. This time, the reason he had finally made his mind up to light the stick, even though there was not much incense left, was because he had been told that some vigers had witnessed an immortal flying through the sky several days ago. That was the reason why he hade here. He believed, that if he was closer to the immortal, then perhaps the immortal would be able to sense him. Bai Xiaochun hesitated briefly, before he grit his teeth. He was determined to keep climbing up the mountain. Fortunately, the mountain was not very high and it wasnt long before he arrived at the top of Mt. Maor, panting heavily. Standing there, he emotionally gazed at the vige beneath him, before looking back at the ck fingernail-sized piece of incense stick in the center of his palm. The incense stick had been lit many times and only a small bit remained. Its been three years. My parents, please endow me with your blessings! This time, it has to work! Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath and carefully lit thest piece of the incense stick. Immediately, a violent gale rose around him. In the blink of an eye, ck clouds gathered above his head and streaks of lightning shed across the sky. The loud explosions of thunder even threatened to deafen him. What a noise! What power! Bao Xiaochuns entire body trembled, as he felt like he would be struck dead by the lightning at any moment. He couldnt help but want to extinguish the incense with his saliva, but with difficulty, he managed to stifle his desire. In the past three years, I have lit this incense stick for a total of twelve times. This is the thirteenth time. This time, I must hold on. Xiaochun isnt scared and wont be killed by a thunderbolt Probably... Bai Xiaochun recalled all that had happened in the past three years. With the exception of this time, he had lit the incense twelve times already. But even though each time had been apanied by such frightening thunder and lightning, not once had the immortal appeared in front of him. He, who was terrified of death, had always put out the incense stick with his saliva right away. It was a little strange that, although the incense stick looked extraordinary, in reality, it was easily put out upon contact with water. Waiting amidst the horrifying sounds of the thunder, Bai Xiaochun fearfully trembled. Suddenly, not far away from him, a rainbow streak rapidly shot in his direction. Cloaked in the rainbow light was an borately dressed middle-aged man, whose appearance was reminiscent of a celestial being. Despite this, he looked thoroughly exhausted and if you looked close enough, you could even see the fatigue in his expression. Im going to see exactly what kind of person this is. Just how can he keep lighting the incense stick non-stop for three years?! Whenever he thought about his experience over the past three years, the middle-aged man felt rather annoyed. Three years ago, he had sensed the smell of the incense which he had gifted to others back when he was still trapped in the spirit form. He remembered the kindness that he had been shown when he was in the mortal world. So he had flown over immediately, looking for the person who lit the incense stick. ording to his calctions, he wouldve reached his destination very quickly. But unexpectedly, the moment he began to follow the smell, it disappeared immediately without a trace. If it happened only once, hed be fine with it. But over the past three years, this had happened a grand total of twelve times. Every time, he was interrupted in the midst of his hopeful search and had to return empty-handed. This had troubled him for three years already So this time, when he finally saw Mt. Maor and Bai Xiaochun, who was standing on its peak, from a distance, he was extremely irritated. He quickly flew to the mountain top. With a wave of his hands, what was left of the stick of incense was snuffed out. Instantly, the thunder stopped. Bai Xiaochun was briefly stunned, before he raised his head and noticed the middle-aged man standing beside him. ...Immortal? Bai Xiaochun opened his mouth cautiously. He was not quite certain of the mans identity and he even secretly hid an axe behind his back. I am Li Qinghou. Are you a descendant of the Bai family? The middle-aged immortals eyes shed like lightning. Disregarding the axe behind Bai Xiaochuns back, he looked the boy up and down with a measuring gaze. Li Qinghous anger abated when he saw the young mans delicate features, which looked like his old friends. What was more, was that it seemed that he was also fairly intelligent. Yes, Im the descendant of the Bai family, Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun blinked, as he spoke softly. Although he was a little frightened, he still managed to straighten his back. So tell me, this stick of incense, why have you lit it non-stop for the past three years? The middle-aged cultivators tone was nd, as he asked the one question that had kept him restless for the past three years. When Bai Xiaochun heard this question, his mind raced furiously. He stered on a mask of sadness as he gazed longingly at the remote vige at the foot of the mountain. This humble descendant is a person who truly understands the value of rtionships. I was unwilling to part with my dear vigers. Every time I lit the incense, theyd beg for me to stay. Just like today, you can even still hear that theyre devastated by my departure. The middle-aged immortal briefly stared at him. This reason, he had never considered it before. His temper calmed even further. Just from these words alone, it seemed that the character of this youth wasnt all that bad. But when his gaze fell on the vige, he arbituarily used his senses to scan the small settlement. When he heard the sound of the vigers, who were beating their drums and cheering at the departure of the bastard, his expression turned ugly again, as he started to feel his head hurt. As he inspected the seemingly naive and obedient Bai Xiaochun, who looked like he couldnt harm a fly, he instantly understood, that in reality, this youth was rotten from head to toe. Tell me the truth! The middle-aged immortal red at him and loudly roared. These words made Bai Xiaochun almost faint from terror. Dont me me! me your lousy incense stick! Every time I lit it, it would start thundering. I was almost killed by the lightning on multiple asions. To have survived this for thirteen times, its already a small miracle! Bai Xiaochun said pathetically. The middle-aged immortal looked at Bai Xiaochun, not knowing what to say. ...Since youre afraid of some simple lightning, why did you still push yourself to light it so many times? The middle-aged immortal slowly asked. Im afraid of death! However, I heard you can be an immortal through training. I want to live forever! Bai Xiaochun bitterly said. The middle-aged immortal was at a loss for words yet again. But on second thought, perhaps this young mans persistence was at leastmendable. If he was trained harshly in a Sect, perhaps his attitude could be changed for the better. After shortly deliberating, the middle-aged man spread his flowing sleeves out, which gathered around Bai Xiaochun. Soon after, they dissolved into a streak of rainbow light, that shot towards the horizon. Come with me. To where? Oh god, its too high When Bai Xiaochun realised he was flying in the sky, his face instantly turned pale. When he looked down and saw the gaping abyss below, he was so frightened that he even threw his axe away and clung to the immortals thigh. The middle-aged man looked down at his leg and impatiently spoke. To the Spirit River Sect! Chapter 2 - Burning Stoves Kitchen Chapter 2: Burning Stoves Kitchen The Spirit River Sect was located in the Eastern Forest continent, in an area surrounding one of the Tong Tian Rivers lower branches. Sprawled across both the north and south river banks, with a history of over ten thousand years, it was feared but respected across the world. Eight towering mountains swathed in swirling misty in a line beside the Tong Tian River. Four on the northern bank, three on the southern bank, and in the middle of the Tong Tian River protruded the most majestic mountain peak of them all. Half of the mountain was covered entirely in dazzling white snow. The mountaintop could barely be seen because of its sheer height. What could be seen though, was that the bottom half of the mountain had been hollowed out, allowing the golden waters of the river to rush through this opening. The cliff-faces on both sides of the crevice towered over the violent current like a bridge. At that moment, a streak of rainbow light soared rapidly over the southern side of the Spirit River Sect. Wrapped in the shifting rainbow were the middle-aged cultivator Li Qinghou and Bai Xiaochun. Even as the rainbow streak disappeared into the Handyman District located beneath the third mountain, Bai Xiaochuns screams of terror could still be faintly heard. Bai Xiaochun was scared to death as he flew with Li Qinghou, dangling above countless lofty mountains. His body overtaken by uncontroble terror, he had almost released his grip on the cultivators thigh multiple times. In his adrenaline, the scenery in front of him was but a blur. When his vision finally cleared, he had already arrived outside an ordinary-looking loft. As he touched the earth once more with trembling legs, he looked around him. Comparing this environment to his vige was likeparing Heaven and Earth. It was as though he had entered a whole new world. Beside the attic in front of him protruded a huge boulder. Three characters were masterfully written on its surface in lively and vigorous calligraphic strokes: The Handyman Department. A woman whose face was thickly dotted with pock-marks, had been sitting beside the stone. She stood up instantly when she spotted Li Qinghou, then politely saluted to him. Send this kid to the Burning Stoves Kitchen, said Li Qinghou, without even sparing a nce towards Bai Xiaochun. He turned around, once again transforming into a rainbow streak, and flew off into the distance. Upon hearing the words Burning Stoves Kitchen, the pock-marked womans face momentarily nked. Sweeping her measuring gaze across Bai Xiaochun, she wordlessly handed him one of the fabric bags that had been prepared for every sect worker before expressionlessly listing all the basic rules of the sect to Bai Xiaochun. As the pair ventured out of the attic, they passed by various intricately designed patios and countless other pavilions, constructed with simplistic elegance. The road was paved with azure quartz and the air was suffused with the gentle, refreshing aroma of flowers and fresh herbs. It was as though they had stepped into the realm of the gods. As Bai Xiaochun appreciated the exquisite environment, the anxiety that had filled his heart earlier dissipated. What a nice ce... This is so much better than my vige. murmured Bai Xiaochun, the anticipation clear in his eyes. The further he walked, the more beautiful the surrounding environment became. When he even saw a few delicate beauties walk past, he instantly felt endeared to this wonderful ce. A short whileter, Bai Xiaochun became even happier. Because at the end of the road in front of him was a seven-story crystal building shining with a radiant light. Overhead, a dozen cranes, the epitome of elegance, soared past. Sister, have we arrived? asked Bai Xiaochun in excitement. Hmm, over there. The pock-marked woman replied ndly, her expression remained emotionless even as she pointed a finger towards the end of a side path. As Bai Xiaochun looked in that direction with a heart full of anticipation, his entire body turned as stiff as a block of ice. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and stared harder, but the scene that greeted him remained the same. That small side path was strewn with cracked earth and broken gstones. The surrounding areay in a state of disrepair, with straw houses scattered everywhere. From within a few of those straw huts emanated a strong stench Bai Xiaochun felt like crying, but was unable to shed a tear. Grasping desperately for hisst strand of hope, he turned towards the pock-marked woman with an imploring face. Sister, you must have pointed in the wrong direction... No. The womans response was curt as she stepped onto the small trail. Hearing that, all of Bai Xiaochuns fantasies instantly shattered. He could only follow after the pock-marked woman with a bitter face. They had not walked long before he spotted the end of the the shoddily-constructed path, where there were a few huge ck pots darting about. Upon closer inspection, he realised that underneath each of those pots was a huge obese man. All of them looked like irreparable gluttons; it seemed that the moment you poked one of them, nothing but oil would ooze out of the pores of his skin. They were iparably, abnormally fat. Especially the one who had been standing beside a cottage -- he was a massive, bulging mountain of meat. Bai Xiaochun feared that at any moment, he would explode. Surrounded by hundreds of huge pots filled with rice, these fat men had been pouring water into them to soften the grains. Sensing that someone had arrived, the fattest man looked up. The moment he spotted the pock-markeddy, that mountain of meats expression instantly lit up, and an overjoyed grin appeared on his face. Carrying argedle, he ran straight towards the pair, causing the earth to shake under his mass as his rolls of fat trembled and rippled with the sudden movement. Bai Xiaochun stared at the scene in disbelief, subconsciously feeling the urge to look for an axe. This morning, when I heard the magpies sing, I wondered what good fortune would happen today. So its because youvee to visit! My dear Sister, could it be that youve had a change of heart and noticed my many talents? Lets take advantage of this prosperous day. You and me, lets get together. The fat mountains eyes shone with perverted thoughts as he yelled emotionally while running. Im just delivering this kid to your Burning Stoves Kitchen. And now that hes here, goodbye! After the pock-marked woman saw the mountain of fat, her expression instantly turned ugly. Her irritation was clear as she rapidly retreated. Bai Xiaochun inhaled sharply. He had observed the pock-marked women during their short trip together, and he finally reached a conclusion: her appearance must have been painted by a ghost! Just what kind of taste did that fat man have? How could he be so horny when faced with such a woman?! Even before Bai Xiaochun hadpleted this thought, the mountain of meat had already arrived before him, huffing and puffing. With his bulk, he blocked the sun entirely as his shadow covered Bai Xiaochun. As he raised his head to stare at the mountain of meat whose rolls of fat were still quivering, Bai Xiaochun swallowed nervously. In his life, he had never seen such a fat man! The enormous man pitifully tore his eyes away from the spot where the pock-marked woman had been standing and nced at Bai Xiaochun. Whoo, so we have a new guy here. Kid, to take the ce of Xu Baocai who was arranged to join our kitchen, youve got some background. said the fat man. Brother, my...my humble name is Bai Xiaochun. Under the pressure exerted by the sheer bulk of the other man, Bai Xiaochun subconsciously took a few steps back. Bai Xiaochun? Hm... your skin is white and your body is small and delicate Good, good! Your name suits my tastes perfectly, the fat man said as his eyes lit up. When he patted Bai Xiaochuns bony shoulder, the boy nearly copsed to the ground. [TL: Bai Xiaochuns name directly trantes into small, white, pure.] Brother, may I ask for your name? Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes and shot a disdainful re at the wall of wobbling fat before him. In his mind, he was already thinking of ways to mock the fat man using his name. My name is Zhang Fatso One, and thats Yellow Fatso Two and ck Fatso Three the fat man chuckled. As he heard these names, Bai Xiaochun instantly lost his desire to y with their names. He could not help but marvel in shock at just how appropriate those names were. As for you, we will call you Bai Nine from now onHmm, but little Brother, youre way too skinny! At this rate, youllpletely humiliate our Burning Stoves Kitchen! But dont worry too much, in less a year, I promise that you will be just as plump as the rest of us. Then, we shall gift you the name of White Fatso Nine, said Zhang Fatso One as he patted his chest, causing his gtinous body to wobble madly. When he heard the three words White Fatso Nine, Bai Xiaochuns face looked like he had swallowed a bitter lemon. Since you are now our ninth Brother, well treat you exactly like one of our own. Our Burning Stoves Kitchen has this pot carrying tradition. See this ck pot behind my back? This, This is the king of all pots! Look at this beauty -- top-quality iron, engraved with the magical mes of the Earth...Compared to the rice cooked in an ordinary pot, the spirit rice boiled with this pot has a far, far superior taste. You must also choose a pot. Only when you carry it on your back will you truly look fierce and glorious! Zhang Fatso One boasted as he smacked the pot on his back. Senior Brother, can Inot carry the pot? said Bai Xiaochun quickly after he pictured himself carrying a huge ck pot on top of his head. He nced furtively at the pot strapped to Zhang Fatso Ones back and it suddenly urred to him that perhaps, everyone in the Burning Stoves Kitchen walked around with a pot day after day. Of course not! Pot-carrying has been a long-standing tradition of our Burning Stoves Kitchen! In the future, when youve entered the main sect, as long as other people see this pot behind your back, theyll know that youre from the Burning Stoves Kitchen! No one will dare to bully you, for our Burning Stoves Kitchen holds great power! Zhang Fatso One winked at Bai Xiaochun. Before Bai Xiaochun could even get a word in, the fat man had already dragged him to the back of the straw hut. Behind the hut, thousands of huge pots were piled one on top of another. Most of them were covered by a thickyer of dust as it was immediately clear that no one had been here for a long time. Ninth Brother, choose a pot here and lets go cook. If the rice is burnt, then the other Brothers will never stopining, Zhang Fatso One gave a parting shout. He then turned around to join the other fat men in darting around the hundreds of pots again. Bai Xiaochun sighed loudly as he stared forlornly at row after row of pots. As he contemted over which one he should choose, he suddenly noticed that in a corner, there was a pot half-buried beneath arge pile. This pot was somewhat special. Instead of being round, it was oval-shaped which made it looked less like a pot and more like a turtle shell. On the surface of this pot, upon closer inspection, a faintly visible carved pattern could be seen. Eh? Bai Xiaochuns eyes suddenly lit up. Hurrying over to the pot, he crouched down and inspected it carefully. Pulling the pot out from under the pile, he scrutinised it further, before a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Even when he was young, he had always adored turtles because the turtle was a symbol of longevity. And the reason he hade to seek immortality, was precisely because he thirsted for a long life. So today, the moment heid his eyes upon this turtleshell-shaped pot, to him, it had already be a lucky omen that would grant him great fortune. As he lifted the pot out of the storage hut, Zhang Fatso One spotted him from a distance. With hisdle still in hand, the fat man hurriedly wobbled over. Ninth Brother, out of all the pots, why did you choose this one? This pot had been left there for god knows how many years. Since it resembles a turtleshell, nobody has ever used it or chosen to carry it on his back, thisAre you sure you want this pot? Zhang Fatso One absent-mindedly patted his stomach as he advised kindly. Im sure, Ill take this pot, said Bai Xiaochun determinedly. The more he examined this pot, the more he liked it. Zhang Fatso One urged him to rethink his decision once more but when he saw that Bai Xiaochun had already firmly made up his mind, he shot the youngster a weird look before giving up and falling silent. After arranging a straw hut for Bai Xiaochun to live in, Fatty One went back to cooking. By now, the sky had already turned orange, the tell-tale sign of dusk. In his straw hut, Bai Xiaochun turned the turtleshell pot which he had been given over and over in his hands, carefully observing the shape of the pot. As the fading sunlight hit the steel, he traced the dozens of lines running along the back of the pot, forming a pattern. These lines had faded to the extent that there were invisible unless you were exceptionally observant. With all his heart, he believed that this pot was special. Only after carefully cing the pot on the stove, did he begin examining the interior of the hut he had been assigned. The interior of the hut was simple -- a small bed, a set of table and chair, and an ordinary bronze mirror hanging on the wall. As Bai Xiaochun inspected his room, a beam of purple light shed across the surface of the ordinary-looking pot behind him and immediately disappeared. To Bai Xiaochun, too much had happened in a single day. Today, even though he had finally arrived at this world of the immortals that he had dreamed about for so long, his mind was still filled with confusion. He took a deep breath and a look of anticipation appeared on his face. I want to be immortal! Bai Xiao Chun sat down and took out the fabric bag that the pock-marked woman had given him earlier. Inside the bag was a single pill, a wooden sword, a piece of incense along with the uniform and badge of the Odd-jobs department. Thest item within the bag was a bamboo scroll, with a few small letters written on the cover. Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, Qi Condensation Manual. [Editors Note: Qi is a branch of inner energy, directly tranted as flow of air andmonly known as chakra.] As dusk faded into twilight, the Burning Stoves Kitchen was suddenly filled a mad bustle of activity. Bai Xiaochun sat in his room, the bamboo scroll on hisp. His eyes were filled with desire. He hade in search of longevity and he was now holding the gates to immortality right in his palms! He took a few deep breaths and flipped the scroll open. Immediately, Bai Xiaochuns eyes shone brightly with excitement. There were three pictures printed in the bamboo scroll. ording to the exnation written below, the foundation of this Cauldron Maniption Technique was separated into two parts - Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment. And this Purple Cauldron method contained ten levels which corresponded to the ten degrees of Qi Condensation. When a cultivator rises to the first level, they would be able to manipte small external objects with their Qi as though manipting their own arms and legs. When they reach the third level, they would be able to control objects less than half the weight of a cauldron, and when they reach the sixth level, the weight of the object which they could control would rise to more than half the weight of a cauldron. When they reached the ninth level of cultivation, they could control objects as heavy as an entire cauldron. Finally, when they came full circle and achieved the peak level of cultivation, they could easily manipte objects that as heavy as two entire cauldrons. But this bamboo scroll only disyed the way to achieve the first three levels, with no information touching on the subject of the higher levels. Furthermore, in order to train in this Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, cultivators were required to use a special breathing method. Bai Xiaochun focused his mind and adjusted his breathing. Closing his eyes, he positioned his body ording to the first picture in the scroll. However, hested a mere three breaths before his entire body became sore, so sore that he couldnt help but yelp in pain. Just how was he going to hold such a demented pose? While using a breathing method that deprived him of air, no less? Too damn hard! What the hell! It says that while holding this pose, Im supposed to feel a stream of energy flowing through my body. Well, apart from pain, I feel nothing else! Absolutely nothing!ined Bai Xiaochun. But still, his thirst for immortality was too strong. Gritting his teeth, he readied his body and tried again. Over and over again, he stumbled along, trying to practice the first pose. But even as night fell, he was still unable to sense even a single strand of energy in his body. He was unaware that even the most talented cultivator would need at least a month to finally sense their energy while practicing this Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique without external help. So in just these few short hours, it would have been impossible for him to feel any form of energy. At this point, his body felt like it had been fed through a grinder. Bai Xiaochun stretched widely. Just as he was about to stand up to wash his face, a sudden loudmotion burst from outside his door. Bai Xiaochun stuck his head out of the window and instantly saw a scrawny young man standing outside the front gate of the Burning Stoves Kitchen, with a ghastly expression on his ashen face. I am Xu Baocai! Which bastard took my ce?! Get your ass out here! Chapter 3 - The Six Lines of Wisdom Chapter 3 - The Six Lines of Wisdom The moment Bai Xiaochun stuck his head out, he was instantly spotted by the scrawny teenager. When the teenagers gazended on Bai Xiaochuns face, his temper red up. The person who stole my ce must have been you! It wasnt me! It was already far toote for Bai Xiaochun to retract his head, so he hurriedly fixed his face into a mask of innocence. Bullshit! Youre so skinny and your head is tiny. Youre obviously new here! Xu Baocai clenched his fist tightly as he red at Bao Xiaochun. It really has nothing to do with me Bai Xiaochun muttered softly. When he saw that Xu Baocai was about to explode from his rage, he felt a little sorry for the guy. I dont give a fuck. Three days from now. The southern slope of the Main Sect. You and me, well have a death match. If you win, Ill tolerate this nonsense. If you lose, then youll hand your position over to me. Xu Baocai spoke loudly. From within his robes, he retrieved a challenge letter written in blood and tossed it at the window in front of Bai Xiaochun. On the letter was a dense mess of countless crimson promises of blood-soaked death. Bai Xiaochun stared nkly at the bloody letter, before reading the numerous blood-soaked characters. He could feel the killing intent rising from the letter and was actually quite frightened, especially after recollecting that the other party had talked about a death match. Bai Xiaochun inhaled sharply. Dear Brother, is this really so important that you would use your own blood to write so many characters? It mustve been so painful. Important?! I was scrimping and saving day after day to gather seven years of spirit pebbles. Seven years! Seven whole fucking years!! And only after honorably handing them over to the Deacon, did I manage to secure entrance to this Burning Stove Kitchen. Only to be blocked by you! We cant both work here. Three days from now. Either you die or I live! Xu Baocai was nearly hysterical, as he ground his teeth. Well, theres no way Im showing up. Bai Xiaochun gingerly pinched the edge of the bloody letter between his fingers and tossed it out of the window. Youuu! Xu Baocai was about to explode when he felt the ground shake and a mountain shift towards him. Without him realising, Zhang Fatso One had already appeared, ring at Xu Baocai with a frosty gaze. Bai Nine, go and scrub the bowls with your Second Brother. As for you, dont scream so loudly in this kind of ce. Go and y somewhere else. Zhang Fatso One pped his hand dismissively, creating gusts of wind. Xu Baocais expression changed as he retreated several steps. He seemed to want to say something, but restrained himself after seeing Zhang Fatso One. He could only shoot a final poisonous re at Bai Xiaochun, before reluctantly leaving. As Bai Xiaochun thought about his situation, he felt that Xu Baocais parting gaze was quite sinister. For the next few days at least, he should probably y it safe. He decided to avoid stepping out of the Burning Stove Kitchen, unless it was absolutely necessary. As long as he remained here, that guy wouldnt dare to enter. As the days passed peacefully, Bai Xiaochun began to get used to the the working life at the Burning Stove Kitchen. During the night, he would train his Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique. However, it was a pity that his progress was so slow that even now, he was unable to practice this technique beyond four breaths at a time, causing Bai Xiaochun plenty of distress. This night, as he trained, he suddenly heard sounds of loud excited cheering from the fat Brothers of the Burning Stove Kitchening from outside his window. Close the gates! Close the gates! Yellow Fatso Two, quickly shut the gates! ck Fatso Three, hurry up and check if theres anyone spying on us! Bai Xiaochun was slightly stunned. This time, he had learned his lesson -- he wouldnt peek out from his window, but through a gap in the door. From his narrow vantage point, he could see that the fat men outside were iparably lively, as they sprinted frantically around the yard, as though harbouring a huge secret. Soon, the front gates of the Burning Stove Kitchen were tightly shut and someone had executed a technique that apparently filled the surroundings with a thinyer of fog, adding even more mystery to the shadowy figures of these few fatties. Bai Xiaochun stared at them for quite a while, before noticing that the fat men were no longer darting about, but rather secretively huddling in front of a straw hut. Even through the fog, he was still easily able to identify Zhang Fatso Ones hulking figure, who seemed as though he was muttering something under his breath. Bai Xiaochun reasoned that the less he knew about this secretive event, the better it was for him. So he retreated a few steps and pretended that he had seen nothing. But at this moment, he heard Zhang Fatso Ones call out to him. Fatso Nine, youve already seen everything. Why dont you hurry up ande out? His voice wasnt loud, but it carried a heavy pressure. Bai Xiaochun blinked a few times before he put on a mask of obedience. Looking as though he couldnt harm a hair on anyones head, he walked out of his hut. The moment he neared the scene, Zhang Fatso One grabbed and swept Bai Xiaochun beside him. As Bai Xiaochun huddled together with a few other fat men, he instantly detected a unique smell. When it entered his nostrils, it dissolved into numerous currents of warmth that assimted into his entire body. Looking around, the people beside him all disyed expressions offortable bliss. Bai Xiaochun also felt refreshed. He saw that in Zhang Fatso Ones palm, there was a Lingzhi Mushroom the size of a babys head. As this mushroom glowed softly with a crystalline light, he could tell from a single nce that this was no ordinary item. Ninth Brother,e. Take a bite. Zhang Fatso One grunted. He nced at Bai Xiaochun as he tossed the mushroom over. Ah? Bai Xiaochun looked down at the Lingzhi Mushroom, then looked up at the fat Brothers around him. As he noticed Bai Xiaochuns hesitation, Zhang Fatso One instantly became mad. The expression on his face implied If you dont eat it, then youll never hear the end of it from me. It was not just him. The others brothers around him, Yellow Fatso Two, ck Fatso Three and so on, had simr expressions on their faces as they red at Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This kind of priceless, treasured Lingzhi Mushroom had been tossed to him like it was a chicken drumstick and now he was being forced to take a bite of it, if he didnt want be scolded. This was something that he had only dreamed of. It was the first time such a fortunate event had happened to him. Bai Xiaochuns heart beat wildly. Gritting his teeth, he received the offered mushroom and violently took a huge bite. The flesh of the mushroom melted the moment it entered his mouth, assimting into his body. The bliss that he felt was countless times stronger than before, to the extent that Bai Xiaochuns face had flushed red with pleasure. Good, now that weve eaten the Hundred Year Old Lingzhi Mushroom that Elder Sun requested to be ced in his soup, we have truly be our own people. Zhang Fatso Ones expression was filled with satisfaction, as he also bit off a small portion of the mushroom before passing it on to the next fatty. Very quickly, bite after bite, the outer rim of the Lingzhi Mushroom had been eaten. A furtive smile appeared on Bai Xiaochuns face. With a chuckle, he instantly understood that these men were all in cahoots with each other. Since the other Brothers had eaten until such obesity without anyplications, this kind of wild gluttony must be safe. No wonder Xu Baocai had given him a challenge letter with so many characters written in blood Brother, this Lingzhi Mushroom is too delicious. My whole body feels warm. Bai Xiaochun licked his lips, greedily looking at Zhang Fatso One. Hearing this, Zhang Fatso Ones eyes lit up as heughed heartily. From within his robes he retrieved a piece of Solomons Seal[1] and tossed it to Bai Xiao Chun. Little Brother, now you know how great this ce is. Your senior has not lied to you. Eat up, there is still more toe! Bai Xiaochuns eyes sparkled as he took another huge bite. Just as he finished swallowing, Zhang Fatso One retrieved a stalk of orchid. This orchid had a golden yellow colour and its fragrance spread in all directions. This time, there was no longer any need for Zhang Fatso One to speak. Bai Xiaochun quickly bit into the orchid. Bursts of sweet and sour vours filled his mouth and pleasure rushed throughout his body. Immediately after, Zhang Fatso One once again took out a red coloured spirit fruit. The fruits flesh was almost sickeningly sweet. Within the fruit, a strand of energy slowly revolved. Thereafter, be it mushrooms, medicine, spirit fruits or orchids, Bai Xiaochun had taken a bite of everything, just like the other fatties. He had eaten till his head was spinning, as though he was drunk. His body was bloated with heat as wisps of smoke were even given off from the top of his head. He felt like his waist had expanded by at least a few centimeters. As he continued to eat, Zhang Fatso One and the other fat men all softened their gazes. In the end, they were all patting their stomachs while chortling with a hint of conspiracy in theirughter. In a drunken stupor, Bai Xiaochun spread out his arms and legs. His palmnded on the stomach of Zhang Fatso One, his leg hitting the ground next to him as he began tough loudly like the rest of the fatties. The other houses in this Handyman department have thought of all kinds of schemes to grasp the title of Outer Sect disciples. But we, in order to throw away the title of Outer Sect disciples have simrlye up with all kinds of ideas. Whod want to be an Outer Sect disciple? This ce is too amazing! Zhang Fatso One crowed proudly. The more he looked at Bai Xiaochun, the better his mood became. He took out a piece of ginseng, its top bearing numerous rings. The countless whiskers of ginseng roots tangled together into a mess, a clear testament to its old age. Ninth brother, each of us have long since cultivated enough to be Outer Sect disciples. But we need to hide that fact. See this? This is a Hundred Year Old Ginseng. To fight for the opportunity to have even a nibble, the Outer Sect disciples would even break their skulls. Look at us though. Zhang Fatso One plucked a strand of ginseng root and tossed it into his mouth, chewing noisily. After he had swallowed it, he tossed the rest of the ginseng to Bai Xiaochun. Brother, Im full...This time, I really cant eat anymore Bai Xiaochuns gaze was unfocused and distant. He had truly eaten too much. But even as he spoke, Zhang Fatso One stuffed a piece of ginseng root into his mouth. Ninth Brother, youre too skinny! If you go out like this, what kind of girl in the main sect would fancy you? The people here who are popr are all people who are round and glorious like your Brothers! Come, eat We have a popr saying here in our Burning Stove Kitchen -- Better to die hungry on a stove, than to fight for glory in the Outer Sect. Yeah, yeah, well all be going to die hungry here. Yeah All die hungry... When he heard the popr saying, Bai Xiaochun patted his stomach and burped. The other fatties had all startedughing, as they felt that this Bao Xiaochun was bing more and more adorable. Today, we rejoice. Ninth Brother, let me impart to you an important piece of knowledge. When we, the Burning Stove Kitchen, eat, we eat with discretion. Theres a saying that I want you to remember: Eat the corners of the Lingzhi But do not touch the stem Cut meat with a heavy hand To remove bone leave three-tenths For Lingzhi porridge add more water And a small cup of wine to blend. These six lines of wisdom are lessons that our ancestors, from many generations ago, have learned. As long as you eat ordingly, nothing bad will befall you. Alright, all of you can leave now. Todays supper is over. Those Outer Sect disciples are still waiting for their soup. Zhang Fatso One said as he began to pour rice soup into numerous bowls. Bao Xiaochun was in a daze, as those six lines of wisdom filled his brain. As he looked at the fatties who were busy scooping rice soup and then looked at the rows of bowls, he burped and squatted down to pick up an empty bowl. After careful inspection, his lips cracked into a smile. Brother, this bowl isnt that great. After Zhang Fatso One and the rest heard him, they looked towards Bai Xiaochun, their expressions full of curiosity. All of you, look at this bowl. It doesnt seem to be big but actually can hold a lot of food. Why dont we change it so that it looks big but in fact can only hold very little? For example, maybe we can make the bottom of the bowl...a little thicker? Bai Xiaochun said with a smile, his face the very picture of angelic innocence. Zhang Fatso One momentarily nked. A feeling of immense epiphany struck him, as his rolls of fat slowly began to quiver and his eyes began to shine brightly. The other fatties had all sped up their breathing, the fat on their bodies wobbling. - Pa! - Zhang Fatso One suddenly pped his thigh, threw his head backwards andughed towards the sky. Great, great, GREAT! This idea can be immortalized! Itll bring huge prosperity to future generations of this Burning Stove Kitchen! Ninth Brother, from your innocent appearance, I didnt think that youll be this full of rotten ideas! Haha! With your personality, youve been destined to work in our Burning Stove Kitchen! ---- [1]: A Solomon Seal is a herb thats used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve internal cirction. TL: The eating scenes remind me of a certain hi cooking anime Chapter 4 - Spirit Refinement Chapter 4 Spirit Refinement Everyone was delighted. When they looked at Bai Xiaochun, their adoration for him had peaked. Not only was he a cute kid, but his stomach was also full of rotten ideas. So Zhang Fatso One made the decision to reward Bai Xiaochun with a grain of rice that he stuffed into the boys hand. With an overjoyed grin on his face, Bai Xiaochun dazedly stumbled back to his room. Before he had even climbed onto his bed, the spiritual energy in his body that had umted from consuming those countless treasures of heaven and earth, had already exploded. His mind nked as he copsed onto the floor and began snoring as he fell asleep straightaway. Bai Xiaochun slept unusually well. The next dawn, when Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes feeling refreshed, he looked down to find that he had be one round fatter. His whole body was sticky, covered with ayer of ck filth. He hurriedly went out to wash himself clean. When Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties who were busily preparing breakfast saw Bai Xiaochuns appearance, they all began to chortle withughter. Ninth brother, that filth is the dirt within your body. After it has been removed, your cultivation will be much smoother. These few days, we dont need your help. Afterwards, you can start doing chores. That grain of rice is a very useful. Remember to eat it quickly; itll degrade if you leave it for too long. Bai Xiaochun replied with a resolute nod and hurried back to his bedroom. He soon came out his room with a turtle-shaped pot on his back. After washing it carefully, he carried it back to the room and put it on the stove. The spirit rice he held in his palm was translucent and glowing softly, almost as small as the tip of a little finger. A tantalizing fragrance that emanated from the spirit rice filled the room. Ah, the food that immortals eat...Truly out of the ordinary. Bai Xiaochu was thoroughly amazed by the rice as he quickly put several chunks of wood into the stove. As soon as the wood was lit, a st of scorching heat forced Bai Xiaochun several steps back. He gazed at the mes, eximing in wonder. The fire is definitely special too. Not only is it abnormally fierce, the temperature is also much higher than those back in the vige. Bai Xiaochun nced again at the wood inside the stove, concluding that the wood was also not ordinary. At that moment, as the mes burned even higher, Bai Xiaochun was shocked to see that the first line on the surface of the turtle-shell pot started to light up, from bottom to top. Secondster, the whole line was shining brightly. Bai Xiaochun fixed his eyes on the bright lines, his mouth agape. Suddenly, he pped his thigh. I knew it! This is a treasure; its definitely superior to those pots that my brothers have. As Bai Xiaochun realized just how extraordinary his pot was, he swiftly threw the spirit rice inside. As he sat beside the stove and waited, he picked up the bamboo scroll containing Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique and began to train ording the movement and breathing method indicated by the first picture. Even as he just began to cultivate, Bai Xiaochuns eyes widened. He realised that the posture that had been so difficult for himst time, was now actually very natural, without even a trace of pain. Even the breathing method no longer suffocated him; On the contrary, it was in fact veryfortable now. Especially with regards to the time he could hold the pose for -- he clearly remembered that previously, he could only sustain for a maximum of three to four breaths. But now, even after more than seven breaths, his body still did not feel sore. Restraining his excitement, Bai Xiaochun calmed himself down in order to continue his cultivation. After his thirtieth breath, when he began to feel his body starting to ache slightly, a flow of Qi suddenly rose from inside his body. The Qi was ice cold as it rapidly swam within his inner body. Even though it didntplete its cycle before it vanished, Bai Xiaochun was still so excited that he bounced up and down in celebration. Theres Qi! Haha! Theres Qi now! Bai Xiaochun was wild with glee as he paced within his room. He thought about all the treasures of heaven and earth that he had eatenst night and deeply regretted not eating more. No wonder Brother Zhang told me that hed rather die hungry on a stove than to go out and fight. This kind of good fortune wouldnt be avable to Outer Sect disciples. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly sat down as he began to cultivate again. This time, as Bai Xiaochun cultivated following the breathing method and posture indicated by the first level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, he got to the sixtieth breath. At this point, a flow of qi approximately two times stronger than the previous one, burst from inside him, trickling away within his inner body like rivulets of water. Now, that he had experienced it, Bai Xiaochun hurriedly positioned his body ording to the picture in the manual, silently thinking about the routes of Qi flow in his body. Soon after, the Qi inside Bai Xiaochun began to flow ording to the routes he had imagined. As he held the stance simr to the one shown in the first diagram, he felt numerous strands of cold Qi emitting from every part of his body, assimting into the flow of Qi like droplets of water, causing the flow to be bigger and bigger. Eventually, the flow of Qi umted into a stream as itpleted a cycle within Bai Xiaochun. His entire body jerked and as though a storm cloud had gathered in his mind, a p of thunder could be heard. A light and nimble sensation that Bai Xiaochun had never experienced before instantly surfaced within his body as clumps of dirt oozed endlessly from every sweat pore. Unlike his previous efforts where the stream of Qi would disappear, this time it stayed even after his cultivation as it flowed freely and gently throughout his body. Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes to find that his sight had be clearer and his brain could process things faster. Even his body clearly felt more light and rxed. Thissting flow of Qi, its the indication that Ive reached the first level of Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, which also represents the first level of Qi Condensation. Bai Xiaochun revelled in his ecstasy before he rushed out of the room to take another shower. When the fat Brothers saw him, they smiled knowingly. Towards the fact that Bai Xiaochun had so quickly attained the first level of cultivation, they were startled, but they also understood the origins of that speed. Returning to his room, Bai Xiaochun took a few deep breaths before he picked the bamboo scroll and inspected it closely. Once the first level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique has been mastered, I can begin to manipte certain objects without touching them. This is truly a technique of the Immortals. Bai Xiaochuns sparkled as he mimicked the simple hand gesture depicted on the manual and pointed to the table beside him. Instantly, he felt the small stream in his body flow towards his index finger, like an unbridled horse, before leaving his fingertip. It was as though an invisible line had formed between his fingertip and the table. Unfortunately, the moment the line connected the two, it became unstable and shattered with a crack. It took quite a while for Bai Xiaochun to recover from the shock; he raised his slightly paled face and started pondering. After careful analysis, he figured out that maybe he should give up the desk and choose something smaller instead. He pulled out a wooden sword, though he didnt know what kind of wood this was made of, when he weighed the sword in hand, he was sure it was heavy. Confidently, he raised one finger of his right hand. With a slight vibration, the sword slowly floated in the air. Nevertheless, when it rose to as high as one cun [1], it suddenly dropped off to the ground. Bai Xiaochun was not a quitter, so he tried numerous times passionately. Fortunately, progress was made step by step. The height rose from one cun to ten cun, twenty cun, thirty cunHe practiced relentlessly throughout the night until dawn. Providence never let down a man who had tried his best. Finally, he sessfully maintained the sword at a certain height and was able to make it float horizontally. Although the sword moved rather slowly and couldnt turn around, it was a great achievement given that Bai Xiaochun had just begun learning. At the very least, it would not fall again. From now on, Im one of those immortals! Bai Xiaochun stood there arrogantly. He put his left hand behind, and waved his raised right hand in the air, directing the movements of the close by wooden sword, which was flying back and forth staggeringly. After ying with the wooden sword for a long time, Bai Xiaochun discovered that his flow of qi was not as stable as before, so he stopped. When he was about to go back to cultivation, he caught scent of the alluring aroma that continually wafted from the pot. He raised his head and realized that the spirit rice was still stewing in the pot. So he dashed in front of the pot and opened the lid. Suddenly, a rich, delicious smell filled Bai Xiaochun nostrils. Strangely, there was a ring silver line on the spirit rice! Bai Xiaochun stared at that mesmerizing silver line, and after several minutes, he found the color had faded to dark silver. Out of curiosity, he took out the spirit rice from the pot and scrutinized in his hands. I bet I have seen this line somewhere else Bai Xiaochun pondered. Looking down at the stove, he found all the wood was burned out to ashes. The line on the surface of the pot darkened itself as well. Instantly, Bai Xiaochun discovered that the line on the spirit rice and the pot was the same! Putting aside all his suspicions, Bai Xiaochun hid the cooked spirit rice into a hip-pocket, in case he caught any unknown disease by eating this rice. After thinking deeply, he went out and joined his fatty brothers. Time flowed as per usual, and in a blink, half a month at hassed, In this half a month, Bai Xiaochuns cultivation had paused again as his spiritual energy increased very slowly. But even so, he had found out that when other people were cooking the Spirit rice, there wouldnt be any traces of silver lines. Gradually, Bai Xiaochun concluded that both his spirit rice and the pot were weird. Several dayster, ck Fatso Three went out to purchase materials. Bai Xiaochun seized this opportunity and slipped into the Four Seas House, where handymen were allowed to learn some rudimentary knowledge about immortal cultivation. Bai Xiaochun concealed his excitement on his way back to his room, and he took out the spirit rice as soon as he arrived. He observed the silver line in rapt attention, soon, an unconceivable expression emerged from his face. All immortal cultivators have to go through three refinements, namely: medicine refinement, weapon refinement, and spirit refinement! Bai Xiaochunpared the silver line on the spirit rice with the illustrative pictures in the ssic record books in the Four Seas House, and he found that they were incredibly simr Spirit refinement! After a while, Bai Xiaochun eximed. Spirit refinement was unique way of cultivation that forcefully injected the energies of heaven and earth in objects. By recing the divine order of things and strengthening the objects through stealing that energy, be it Dan medicine, herbal medicine or treasures, they could all be enhanced through Spirit Refinement. Since this method went against thews of nature, there was only a certain probability of sess. But if you seeded, the objects potential would bergely increased. But if you failed, under the pressure of the energies of heaven and earth, the object would be turned into trash. The most incredible part in spirit refinement was that the object was allowed to indefinitely repeat the refinement process as long as it didnt drop. If an objected, for instance, was cultivated for ten times, it would obtain earthshaking improvements. The rarer the object, the more terrifying the repeated spirit refinements were. Unfortunately, the more time you cultivated on the same objects, the more slim its chance to sess would be. Even for those masters of spirit refinement, they would be extremely cautious in making their decision for a repeated cultivation. After all, once it failed, all the previous efforts would be in vain. ording to the ssic record book, the most valued treasure of the Spirit River Sect was the Heavens Edge Sword, which was cultivated for ten times in spirit refinement! Bai Xiaochun swallowed. He turned around and stared at the pot and the silver line. He was so confused, yet at the same time excited, as if his heart would jump out of his chest. At this moment, Bai Xiaochun confirmed that the pot was the answer to all his confusions, especially the silver line on the spirit rice. After some pausing to ponder, Bai Xiaochun gnashed his teeth, determined to decipher the mystery otherwise he would not be able to fall asleep. Knowing the uniqueness of his pot, he decided to keep the secret to himself. Afraid of being spotted, Bai Xiaochun waited until midnight to examine the pot. As he approached the pot, he took out the wooden sword and threw it into the pot, just as he did with the spirit rice. ... [1] cun: a unit of length, about 1/3 decimeters. Chapter 5 - If I lose my life, what am I going to do then? Chapter 5 - If I lose my life, what am I going to do then? The wooden swordnded in the pot, but there didnt seem to be any special changes. Bai Xiaochun hummed softly under his breath as he expectantly opened his eyes wide, his watchful gaze fixed on the sword. But even after waiting for a long time, in the end, there was still nothing strange that happened. Bai Xiaochun thought for a while, ncing at the patterns on the back of the turtle-shell pot before gazing at the wooden cinders in the stove. He seemed to suddenly have an epiphany, as he turned and left the room. Soon after, he returned with a few blocks of the wood that he had previously used, sped in his hands. In the Burning Stoves Kitchen, this wood could not be considered anything special, but he still went to find Zhang Fatso One to ask for some. As he lit the wooden blocks, Bai Xiaochun instantly saw the first line of pattern on the turtleshell pot begin to glow brilliantly again.The hearthfire burned furiously before slowly starting to extinguish. Bai Xiaochun started to ponder other ideas when suddenly, the wooden sword inside the pot began to shine with a blinding silver light. Bai Xiaochun retreated a few steps. Before long, the blinding light died down, and he could immediately feel a powerful energy wafting out from within the pot. He took a deep breath, and cautiously crept closer. He saw that on the wooden sword, within the pot, streaks of blindingly bright silver lines had appeared, just like on the Spirit Rice. Those lines slowly darkened, before finally fading away into a dark silver colour. The entire body of the sword felt slightly different from before. Although the material was still wood, it seemed to radiate with a sharpness characteristic of metallic gold. Bai Xiaochuns eyes lit up as he bent forward and carefully picked up the wooden sword. It felt slightly heavier. When he brought it closer, he could even feel a sharp coldness emanating from the de. Sess! This wooden sword has sessfully been refined once. Bai Xiaochun was wildly gleeful, as he sped the wooden sword tightly; so in love with it he couldnt bear to let go. He looked at that pot again as he thought about how he could hide the item, before finally deciding that he should just leave it where it was. The more casually he treated it, the less people would be likely to notice. For the spirit rice, that problem was easily solved by eating it. But since this wooden sword would be easily seen by other people, Bai Xiaochun contemted about covering it up under some misceneous items, which would hopefully weaken the brilliant rays of the spirit lines. After he made his decision, he got up and groomed himself before walking out of the straw hut, acting as though nothing had happened. Some dayster, as night fell, he brushed the multicoloured secretions that he had collected from the Burning Stove Kitchen over the past few days onto the wooden sword, turning it into an ugly stter of colour. As he messed around with the substances, he noticed that the glowing spirit lines had indeedrgely been covered up and were no longer immediately obvious. Only then did he nod his head in satisfaction. In the following days, Bai Xiaochun had adapted to the life in the Burning Stoves Kitchen like a fish to water. He had be very close with his senior Brothers, and was nowpletely familiar with the kitchen chores, especially with the different mes that were needed to cook different types of spirit food. He could even separate the mes by their colour so he now understood that previously, the wood beneath his turtleshell pot had been fire of Colour One. In particr, because Zhang Fatso One liked Bai Xiaochun a lot, he took good care of the youngster. In a few months, just like Zhang Fatso One had promised before, Bai Xiaochuns life in the kitchen had slowly fattened him up. Currently, he was no longer the stick-like figure who had entered the Sect. His whole body had gained severalyers of fat and hisplexion had turned even more fair, giving him an even deeper impression of being harmless, as though he was inching closer towards the name Bai Fatso Nine. With regards to the added supper, till today he had experienced it a few more times. But what troubled Bai Xiaochun was that although his weight had inted rapidly, his cultivation had begun to slow down. In the end, he had decided to simply not think about it and spent day after day eating and drinking with his Brothers. It was a life of glorious freedom. From Zhang Fatso One he had heard plenty of stories of the incidents happening within the Sect over these few months, and had gained a certain degree of understanding towards the members of the Spirit River Sect. He knew that the Sect was divided into disciples of the Inner Sect and disciples of the Outer Sect. Those in the Handyman Department that were able to train until the third level of Qi Condensation, were able to pass a mountain peaks entrance cultivation test. If they were able to seed further, then they could enter the realm of cultivation and be disciples of the Outer Sect. Only those who were sessfully able to enter the Outer Sect could be considered to have stepped into the gates of the Spirit River Sect. But this was equivalent to a mere fish trying to jump through a dragons gate. Because each peaks entrance examination only admitted the top three scorers every month, the number of people who could sessfully test into the Outer Sect were fixed. This day, it had originally been Fatso Seven who was supposed to go down the mountain to search for materials, but he had been dyed due to various circumstances so with a wave of his hand, Zhang Fatso One ordered Bai Xiaochun to climb down in his stead. Bai Xiaochun hesitated briefly -- it had been several months since he hadst seen Xu Baocai so it should probably be quite safe to go out now. But still, in a fit of nervousness, he retrieved six vegetable knives and put on fiveyers of leather coats. He looked entirely like a walking ball. Still feeling unsafe, Bai Xiaochun found a sturdy pot and strapped it onto his back. Only now was he confident in his safety, as he swaggered out of the Burning Stoves Kitchen and waddled down the mountain. As he wandered along the quartz-paved road of the Sect, Bai Xiaochun gazed at the beautiful and exquisite buildings surrounding him. A deep sense of superiority filled him as his spirits soared. The days fly by, my life is like a dream. I, Bai Xiaochun, from birth till now, have cultivated for numerous months. Reminiscing at the distant memories of my vige back then, I am filled with rue... hemented to himself. His hands were sped behind his back, seven to eight vegetable knives hung at his waist, a ck pot carried on his back and his body swathed in severalyers of leather. He looked like a ragged leather ball. As he walked, he passed by plenty of handymen who shot him questioning sidelong nces. In particr, there were a few female disciples who after seeing Bai Xiaochun, were so tickled by his appearance they covered their mouths to giggle softly. Theirughter was like the sound of bells, clear and musical. Bai Xiaochuns round face turned slightly red, as he felt rather mighty. He coughed drily, puffed out his chest and continued onwards. Not long after that, before he had even walked out of the Handyman District of the third peak, he suddenly saw quite a number of handymen in the distance with excited looks on their faces, quickly running in one direction. That was where the mountain trail of the third peak was located, usually a favourite spot of the Outer Sect disciples. Slowly, more and more handymen started excitedly rushing in that direction. Bai Xiaochun stood there, momentarily shocked before he hurriedly grabbed a frail youngster from the crowd who was passing by. Fellow Disciple, whats happening? Whys everyone running over there? Bai Xiaochun asked curiously. An annoyed expression had appeared on the face of the youth whom he had grabbed. But when he saw therge ck pot strapped on Bai Xiaochuns back, admiration could be seen in his eyes as his expression softened. Oh, so its a Disciple of the Burning Stoves Kitchen. You should also go have a look. Ive heard that the pride of the outer sect, Zhou Yu and Zhang Yide are battling each other at the training ground down the mountain. The two of them seem to have some personal vendetta against each other, and Ive heard that both are already at the sixth level of Qi-condensation. This kind of event is something I have to see no matter what. Maybe I can learn something which will be to my advantage. The youngster exined before he hurried off, afraid that he would miss the show if he were to bete. Feeling very curious, Bai Xiaochun also ran in that direction withrge steps, following the crowd. It wasnt long before he exited the Handyman District, arriving at the foot of the third mountain peak. There, he saw an enormous towering stage. This tall stage was about a thousand feet wide. Around the stage congregated numerous handymen. There were even a number of figures amidst the surrounding mountains, dressed in borate attire; these were the Outer Sect disciples who had alsoe to spectate. On the stage, there stood two youths who wore equally intricately designed robes. One youths face was scarred while the other was as pale as jade. Their figures intersected each other multiple times, as loud rumbles like rolling thunder swept outwards. These two people were both cloaked in a mystical shing light. In front of the scarred youth was a small g, which fluttered despite theck of wind. As though it was being manipted by an invisible hand, it formed a fog-tiger that roared loudly, the sheer volume shaking the ground. The youth with the jadeplexion, on the other hand, darted back and forth on the battleground. With an small azure dagger he shed the air, leaving multiple spirit trails that nimbly shot outwards. Bai Xiaochun watched with wide eyes as he took a deep breath. He was capable of manipting his wooden sword but his measly skills were iparable to that jadeplexioned youth. The two people were merciless in their attacks, their killing intent suffused the air to the extent that their lives had been in danger numerous times. Multiple wounds littered their bodies. Although there were no severe injuries, it still presented a chilling sight. This was the first time that Bai Xiaochun witnessed a battle between cultivators. It waspletely different from what he had envisioned; this kind of viciousness and hostility was enough to make his heart pound wildly in fear. To cultivate immortality...Isnt it so that one can live forever? Whats with all this fighting and killing? If I lose my life, what I am I going to do then Bai Xiaochun swallowed nervously. When he saw the g that belonged to the scarred youth transform into the fog-tiger and leap fiercely towards the other guy, as though it wanted to devour him in one bite, Bao Xiaochun mopped the perspiration on his brow. To him, the outside world was too dangerous! Returning to the Burning Stoves Kitchen was still the safest route. Making his decision, he started to retreat rapidly, but just as he took his first steps back, a loud bellow came from not far away. Bai Xiaochun!! Bai Xiaochun turned around and instantly spotted the person who had initially written him a challenge letter in blood. With a demonic grin on his face, Xu Baocai rushed towards him, holding a wooden sword in front of him that glowed with an unusual light, obviously not something that a level one cultivator could beat. At that moment, he sliced an arc in the air, exerting a rtively strong spiritual pressure, as he sprinted straight towards Bai Xiaochun. When Bai Xiaochun saw the wooden sword descend, his pupils contracted as he instantly felt that his life was in severe danger. He wants to kill me! When his brain finally processed that though, he let out a sharp scream of terror, and ran away as fast as he could. Murder! Murder! This loud scream could be heard by all the handymen around him. Surprised by the suddenmotion, one by one they turned to watch the scene unfold. Even Zhou Yu and Zhang Yide who had been crossing swords on the tall stage had momentarily paused their battle. This was testament to just how loud the sound waves were. Even Xu Baocai himself was frightened by the scream. He had only yelled the other guys name and ran towards him. His sword hadnt even touched the guy, but Bai Xiaochuns agonised wail sounded like he had just been run through by the sword. Bai Xiaochun, if youre so powerful then stop running! Xu Baocais expression turned ghastly, his hatred so strong it made the roots of his teeth itch. He chased rapidly after Bai Xiaochun. If I had any sort of power, Ill have killed you long ago! Do you think Ill still be fucking running away? Help! Murder! Murder! Bai Xiaochun wailed as he only increased his speed. As this scene unfolded, on the peak of this mountain, there was a hanging pavilion. In the pavilion, two cultivators sat opposite each other, one middle-aged and the other elderly, as they yed a game of chess. The middle-aged man was Li Qinghou, The old man who sat opposite him had a head full of white hair, a rosy face, his eyes shining with brilliance. He was clearly not an ordinary person. As he scanned the foot of the mountain, he began tough. Qinghou, this doll that youve brought here, he is rather interesting. For the Sect Leader tough upon seeing him, that boys character must be further strengthened through training. Li Qinghou said as he shook his head. cing down a chess piece, he felt pangs of a headache. Those children in the Burning Stoves Kitchen are all very prideful. For this boy to have be so close to them, its not easy. The old man stroked his beard, his eyes shining with amusement. ... TL: What if I lost my life? Ive heard that people die when they are killed. Chapter 6 - His Spiritual Energy Has Affected his Brain Chapter 6 - His Spiritual Energy Has Affected his Brain At the bottom of the third mountain peak, Bai Xiaochuns terrified wails had an almost musical quality to them, as each consecutive cry echoed around the mountain range, attracting questioning looks from numerous other handymen. You could clearly see Bai Xiaochuns plump round figure, with a big ck pot strapped to his back and swathed under seven to eightyers of leather jackets, sprinting down the mountain with all his might. In fact, if you looked from a distance, you probably couldnt see Bai Xiaochuns figure but you could definitely spot therge ck pot scrambling across the ground like a beetle. The seven or so knives that dangled from Bai Xiaochuns waist knocked against each other as he ran, making noisy ding dang sounds. Murder, help! I dont want to die Bai Xiaochun yelled loudly as he ran faster and faster. Behind him, Xu Baocais expression was livid. His eyes shone with a strong killing intent, his heart filled with anxiety and fury. The entire way as he chased after Bai Xiaochun, themotion attracted many surrounding handymen. Xu Baocai was worried that it would attract the attention of the Deacon. He started to get somewhat desperate. Stop screaming, damn you. Cant you be less noisy? Why the hell are you screaming, shut up! Xu Baocai roared angrily as he ground his teeth. With a sharp gesture, instantly the wooden sword by his side red with light. His speed became fractionally faster as he flew forwards, straight towards Bai Xiaochun. With a loud Peng! his wooden sword knocked against the ck pot on Bai Xiaochuns back. While an echoing Gongg resounded, Bai Xiaochun had suffered no harm as he continued to run for his life. Xu Baocai grit his teeth violently. The ck pot that was strapped onto Bai Xiaochuns back blocked more than half of his body, leaving him with no ce to strike. Unwilling to give up, he set off in hot pursuit once more. The two people, one in front and one behind, scurried back and forth endlessly in the Handymen District. This guys carrying a pot but he still runs so fast! Xu Baocai gasped for breath as he watched Bai Xiaochuns shadow disappear in the distance, feeling more and more dissatisfied. He was a level two cultivator, but even though he had exhausted all his strength like a baby sucking milk, he still could not catch up with Bai Xiaochun who was sprinting away like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on. In the blink of an eye, Bai Xiaochun saw the side path leading to the Burning Stoves Kitchen. His eyes filled with emotion. He felt like he had seen his home, as he almost began to cry hot tears. Brother, help me! Theres a murderer! Bai Xiaochun yelled loudly. He ran into the Burning Stove Kitchen, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. When Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties heard the wretched high-pitched cry, they were startled. Immediately, they walked outside. Brother, save me. Xu Baocai wants to kill me, I almost lost my life back there. Bai Xiaochun hastily hid before Zhang Fatso Ones body. Xu Baocai? When Zhang Fatso One heard him, his eyes shed. He looked around but was unable to see even a shadow. Opening his mouth to speak, he finally noticed Xu Baocais figure in the far distance, huffing and puffing as he ran towards them. Bai Xiaochun had also noticed Xu Baocais figure and felt somewhat suspicious. Eh, why is he running so slowly? Zhang Fatso One nced down at Bai Xiaochun before he looked back up to see the heavily gasping Xu Baocai who had just arrived. The meat on his face trembled. Xu Baocai had chased him here with much difficulty. The moment he neared the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he could hear Bai Xiaochuns suspicious words. As those words entered his ear, he only felt a furious rage trapped in his chest. As though his whole person exploded, he roared loudly. Waving his right hand, the wooden sword beside him shot out with a Whooosh, embedding itself directly into arge tree. Baaang! The tree shook, as arge hole where the sword had passed through, appeared. Bai Xiaochun, I will never forgive you! Xu Baocais eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Bai Xiaochun with a death re. He then nced at Zhang Fatso Ones hulking figure before he turned around and hatefully stomped away. Bai Xiaochuns heart thumped wildly. He peeked at the hole in the tree and then at the hysterical Xu Baocai. He swallowed hard as a sense of unease rose in his heart. As Zhang Fatso One gazed at Xu Baocais retreating figure, a fierce look shed briefly across his face. He turned around and patted Bai Xiaochuns shoulder. Ninth Brother, have no fear. This Xu Baocai might have a little bit of background but if he dares to show up again, we Brothers will beat him till his legs are broken! At this point, Zhang Fatso Ones tone changed. Nheless, Ninth Brother, if you can avoid going out for these few days, then its best that you stay in your room. I can see that youve already lost weight. This Brother will fix that. It just so happens that in a few days time, Elder Zhou is celebrating another ten years of age! (TL: The word used here for ten years is . Its a special birthday celebrated when one reaches 70, 80 etc. years of age) Bai Xiaochun nodded absentmindedly, his gaze all the while fixed on the tree Xu Baocai had run through with his sword. Even when he returned to the Burning Stoves Kitchen with his Brothers, Bai Xiaochun sat in his room deep in thought. The more he pondered, the less secure he felt. His opponents wooden sword had managed to pierce a hole in a tree. If it had been his body, he would have died a tortured death without leaving even an intact corpse. This wont do, unless I n to spend my whole life in this Burning Stoves Kitchen. Otherwise, once I step outside and he catches me, what am I going to do then The image of Xu Baocais scathing and poisonous parting re just wouldnt leave Bai Xioachuns mind. I came here to seek immortality. I cant die now The perturbation that came with ack of safety had caused blood vessels to pop up in Bai Xiaochuns eyes. A good long whileter, he grit his teeth violently. Fuck, I give up! No matter what, Im still scared! Bai Xiaochun saw red. His personality could be described as scared of death, but a better way to put it was severe paranoia. This experience he had suffered today had greatly motivated him. The stubbornness in his personality red up. I want to cultivate! I want to be strong!! Bai Xiaochun breathed heavily as he made his decision. Immediately, he took the bamboo scroll containing Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique. He inspected the second diagram and began to train with bloodshot eyes. Although he was scared of death, he possessed a streak of viciousness. Or else he would not have persisted in lighting the incense stick so many times even though he had been terrified of being struck by lightning. Now, he had brought out this vicious streak. He followed the posture on the second diagram and held on with all his might. Usually he could only hold the pose for around ten breaths, but today he had persisted to fifteen. Although his body ached all over and perspiration continuously dripped from his brow, the determination in Bai Xiaochuns eyes had still not faded. In fact he had even managed to persist till twenty breaths and then thirty breaths. The flow of Qi in his body had rapidly doubled in size. ck dots clouded his vision as he suddenly exhaled after holding his breath for a long while. But he only allowed himself to rx for a brief moment before he began to cultivate again. He trained in silence throughout the night. Two days passed, then three days, four days For five consecutive days, apart from attending to his bodily needs, Bai Xiaochun had not exited his room at all. This kind of dry training was difficult to endure for an amateur cultivator but the thought of giving up had not even crossed his mind. Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties were shocked by Bai Xiaochuns cultivation. It must be said that the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique was definitely not easy. In theory, learning it was simple but when the postures of each level were held for a prolonged period of time, it would result in indescribable pain. To persist in this technique required huge amounts of willpower. The ordinary handymen in the Sect had all only trained for a couple of days before giving up. But they had watched Bai Xiaochun train for half a month. When the fatties came over to observe him, the Bai Xiaochun they saw was vastly different from the impression they had of him from several months ago. His clothes were creased and his hair was messy. His eyes popped with blood vessels. His whole person looked extremely fatigued but he was still diligent in his training. No matter how much pain he suffered, he still refused to stop. Even his body had clearly slimmed down several rounds. The spiritual authority that radiated from his inner body had greatly increased as it moved endlessly towards thepletion of the first level of cultivation. It was as though he had taken all the treasures of heaven and earth stored in his fat and through drastic measures, trained until their essence had assimted and be part of his body. As a result, his body had be much sturdier than that of an ordinary person. Ninth Brother, take a break. Every day, every night, youve been training for more than a month now. Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties hurriedly tried to persuade him. But when Bai Xiaochun lifted his head, they only saw the determination shining in his eyes. That kind of stubbornness caused their hearts to be greatly moved. As time continued to pass, in the blink of an eye Bai Xiaochun had already cultivated for an entire month. During this month, his fervour had greatly shocked the other fatties. To put it in Zhang Fatso Ones words, Bai Xiaochun wasnt so much cultivating as he was gambling with his life! After this bout of intense training, the time that Bai Xiaochun could hold the second posture for, had also surpassed one hundred breaths and reached one hundred and fifty! The spiritual Qi that flowed within him was no longer a narrow stream. It had evidently be much wider. As another month passed, Zhang Fatso One and the fatties were all greatly rmed. They were terrified that one day, Bai Xiaochun would train himself to death. When they had finally made up their minds to destroy Xu Baocai, a loud rumble was heard from Bai Xiaochuns room. As the rumble echoed, a spiritual pressure, characteristic of the second level of Qi-condensation, had immediately erupted from Bai Xiaochuns location. It spread outwards in a circle with a radius of thirty meters, instantly alerting the fatties. They lifted their heads to stare in that direction, as their expressions changed one by one. Little Brother has finally broken through! The second level of Qi-condensation! Although our Burning Stoves Kitchen asionally has added suppers, but to reach the second level of Qi condensation in less than half a year, thats very seldom seen! Back when I reached the second level of Qi condensation, I used an entire years worth of time Just as Zhang Fatso One and the other fatsos began toment, the door to Bai Xiaochuns room opened with a creak. His face full of exhaustion, his clothes in tatters but his eyes shining with vigour, Bai Xiaochun stepped out. Just as the fatties wanted to greet him, they saw Bai Xiaochuns body waver before he nimbly leapt onto the fence surrounding the kitchen yard. sping his hands behind his back, he stood there. His head was lifted high as he proudly surveyed his surroudings with a deep expression, looking like a expert seeking solitude. What is he doing standing there? He looks strange Little Brother, has he...entered the mes and be a demon? Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties looked at each other. [TL: ߻ħ, walking into mes and bing a demon refers to a kind of insanity born from obsessive training. Also known as Kundalini psychosis.) Just as they were beginning to be suspicious of Bai Xiaochuns appearance, they heard Bai Xiaochun deliberately speak in an archaic fashion, as he stood on the fence. Xu Baocai, born in the Handymen District of the Spirit River sect. His peerless pride and illustrious glory, no one beneath this heaven shall deny. His cultivation has reached a shocking second level of Qi-condensation. But I am also of the second level! This battle between him and me is an even match. Our names may spread to all corners of the Earth and stir the Sects. But it is unavoidable that this battle be smeared with blood and scattered with broken bones...Nay! This battle is of utmost importance. I must continue my cultivation! When he finished speaking, Bai Xiaochun contemtively gazed into the distance. With a swirl of his short sleeves, he once again returned into his room, closing the door with a Peng! One by one, the fatties swallowed their saliva. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do for a long while. Finally, ck Fatso Three ventured. Could it be that we have fed Little Brother something wrong? Its over! Its over, Little Brothers spiritual energy has affected his brain; he has cultivated to insanity...We must not provoke him! Yellow Fatso Twos entire body shuddered as he spoke with certainty. -------------------------------------------------------- XianxiaWorld Sincerely Recruiting Trantors http://.xianxiaworld/recruitment/ Chapter 7 - The Turtleshell Recognises Its Master Chapter 7 - The Turtleshell Recognises Its Master In the following days, whenever Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties saw Bai Xiaochuns straw hut, all of them became cautious. Ever since Bai Xiaochun had suddenly broken through the second level of Qi-Condensation and conducted his monologue, his cultivation inside the room had once again started. In the room, Bai Xiaochun wiped the sweat on his forehead. He was naked from head to toe. He was tolerating the intense pain, and gritting his teeth as he worked hard to imitate the posture portrayed in the third picture. The Qi channel within his body was no longer the size of a stream. It had quickly grown into a small river that coursed through his body. Each time his Qipleted one cirction around the channel, a Ka ka sound could be hearding from his body. His initially round figure had already slimmed down to the extent that he was even skinnier than he had been when he had first entered the Burning Stove Kitchen. Bursts of energy were stored in his body. As he continued to persist in his cultivation, all the skin and flesh on his stick-thin figure seemed to be jumping lightly. If you listened carefully, you could even hear the faint beating of his heart reverberating around the room. More and more spiritual pressure was continuously being condensed within his inner body. The feeling of bing more powerful with every second, with every day, gave Bai Xiaochun even more motivation. Thissted until numerous dayster, when a sharp pain suddenly pierced Bai Xiaochuns body. This kind of excruciating agony was more intense than the pain he had suffered previously and he had no choice but to give up. Panting heavily, Bai Xiaochuns eyes were bloodshot. He had a strong feeling that his body could not support this kind of training for much longer. Although his body would automatically absorb natural energy from his surroundings during his cultivation, it clearly could not keep up with the amount of energy he was consuming. Moreover, the Burning Stove Kitchens added suppers only happened by luck; they were certainly not an everyday urrence. After all, when other people trained in the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, it was only once in several days. Even the most diligent ones only trained for a maximum of once a day. Here, he had cultivated endlessly every day, every night, every hour, every second. No need to mention Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties, even if the Main Sect disciples were made aware of this feat, they would be bbergasted. But, even after cultivating to this level, Bai Xiaochun still did not feel safe. His personality was such that he yearned hotly for security, so he retrieved the Spirit rice that he had refined and hid previously. After he had inspected the grain that wasid in his hand, he used a normal pot to cook the rice. As the spiritual energy wafted out from the pot, he did not hesitate to immediately devour the rice. The Spirit rice melted immediately after entering his month, bing a rich source of spiritual energy. This energy was multiple times more than that of ordinary Spirit rice; in fact, the strength of the energy was entirely on two different levels. With a loud rumble, the energy in his body began to surge like a galloping horse. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly began to cultivate, positioning his body as shown in the third picture while he adjusted his breathing. Just like that, deep in the night, half a monthter, Bai Xiaochuns body shuddered violently. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that his cultivation had already unknowingly broken through the second level of Qi condensation and entered the third level of Qi condensation. This kind of change instantly caused Bai Xiaochun plenty of wild glee. His eyes exposed his enthusiasm as heughed loudly. He inspected his body and noticed that the Qi channel within his body hadpletely changed from a mere stream into a small river. This small river of Qi flowed rapidly within him, its speed much, much faster than before. In fact, with just a thought, the spiritual energy in his body would instantly swim to the ce in his body he envisioned. The third level of Qi-condensation! This Spirit rice that has been refined once is really extraordinary! Bai Xiaochun stood up and licked his lips. He was determined to refine a few more grains of spirit rice but he could feel that his Qi channel was still rather swollen. He recalled the introduction he had read in the bamboo scroll and realised that he needed to allow his body some time to adjust, so for the time being, he could not continue his cultivation. Quelling his initial desire, he paced around inside his room, appearing rather smug. But very quickly, his footsteps paused as his gazended on the outside world through the panes of his window. Even though it was midnight, by borrowing the light of the moon, he could see therge tree by the side-path outside the Burning Stoves Kitchen. This still wont do. Xu Baocais wooden sword seems to have something unusual about it. Even if Ive reached the third level of Qi condensation, I still cant guarantee my safety! Bai Xiaochun furrowed his brows. After contemting for a second, he nced at the colourful wooden sword thaty beside him and then at that pot in his room. If I can refine this sword twice, then perhaps I can be more secure. He immediately came to a decision as he walked out of his room and retrieved some spirit wood. After he finished his preparations, on that particr night, Bai Xiaochun stood beside that mysterious pot and lit the timber. When he saw the pattern light up, he threw the wooden sword into the pot. But this time, he waited for a very long time without any noticeable reaction. Bai Xiaochun frowned as he inspected the pattern on the pot before discovering that the wood beneath the pot had already burnt to ashes. He hummed softly, once again stepping outside to retrieve more spirit wood. But even after a few times of doing this, no matter how brilliantly the fire burned, there was still nothing happening to the wooden sword. These are all blocks of wood that produce One Colour me. Perhaps the temperature is not high enough. If I require more heatTwo Colour me? As he pondered this, Bai Xiaochun walked out of his door and once again returned with a block of purple coloured wood in his hands. There werent many blocks of wood of this type left in the Burning Stoves Kitchen anymore, so Bai Xiaochun only managed to find one piece. When he lit the wood under the pot, mes instantly appeared. These mes were made of two different colours. This was the much higher levelled Two Colour me! The moment the Two Colour me appeared, the second line on turtleshell pot instantly shed. But then the Two Colour me rapidly dimmed, as though all its fiery energy had been sucked away. Not long after, by the time the Two Colour me hadpletely burnt into nothing but ashes, the second line of the turtle-shell pot had already lit up. Sess! Bai Xiaochuns eyes shone brightly as he quickly ced the wooden sword into the pot. Immediately, the silver light began to shine dazzlingly bright. The time it took was many more breaths longer than when he had refined it the first time. He watched as the light was about to dim but abruptly, the silver rays burst outwards violently, straight towards Bai Xiaochun. This change was too sudden and Bai Xiaochun did not have time to react. His vision turned white. Rapidly, an indescribable icy cold sensation, like an iceberg, melted into Bai Xiaochuns body. To his dismay, he found that he was unable to obstruct this feeling at all. He could only watch nkly as the stream of icy coldness forced its way through his inner body. His entire face instantly turned deathly pale. As his vision blurred, he felt as though something had been sucked out from within him and assimted with the interior of the turtle-shell pot. Only then did the silver light dissipate. The wooden sword that appeared at the bottom of the pot had be even sharper than before, as though looking at it was enough for your eyes to be pierced. Although the swords appearance remained ragged and splotched with various colours, the patterns that had appeared on the wood had already changed. If the colourful substances were wiped away, the dazzling starlight that the pattern glowed with, could clearly be seen. This sword had already been fundamentally changed. At around the same time the wooden sword appeared, in the skies above the Southern bank of the Spirit River Sect, rumbles of rolling thunder began to echo, as though the heavens itself was roaring with fury. It shocked multiple cultivators of the Spirit River Sect. Fortunately, the thunder disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. When the sound of thunder had echoed, a second silver line appeared on the body of the wooden sword, shing multiple times before darkening and disappearing beneath the coloured substances. Bai Xiaochun refused to look at the wooden sword. His expression was uncertain as he retreated a few steps. His body felt weak. After some time, he finally recovered his senses but just thinking about the sensation he had experienced just now was enough to send chills of lingering fear into his heart. What exactly was sucked out from inside me His perturbed gaze fell on the bronze mirror hanging by the door. After deliberately scanning his image up and down, he rubbed his eyes. He inspected his reflection once more as he stood there, bbergasted as a wooden chicken. On the forehead of his reflection inside the mirror, there was an extra strand of white hair. And although his appearance hadnt changed, he somehow felt that he had be one year older. My lifespan!! Bai Xiaochun whispered to himself in a daze. What had been extracted from me just now, was my lifespan. Mymy He felt like crying but no tears fell from his eyes. His objective when he hade to cultivate had been to live forever but till today, he had not only failed to aplish that, he even had his lifespan shortened by a year. To him, this was truly an enormous blow. Ive made a lossTo think that I, Bai Xiaochun, who have lived in safety for a small half of my life, would also have times when I make missteps He stood there nkly, a bitter smile on his face. After he had calmed down, he lifted his head to stare at the turtle-shell pot. But as an odd expression slowly appeared on his face, he could faintly sense that after his lifespan had been sucked away, there was now a connection between him and the turtle-shell pot. It was as though he could now control the pot. An idea came to his mind as he lifted his right hand and pointed at the pot. Instantly, the turtle-shell pot shed with ck light as it instantly shrunk in size. It shot towards Bai Xiaochun. In the blink of an eye, it had disappeared into his fingertip. Bai Xiaochun was astonished as he stood up abruptly and took a few steps back. He looked down at his finger then back at the empty stove. ThisThis He pointed his right hand at the floor again. With a burst of ck light and a loud Peng! sound, the pot appeared again. Bai Xiaochun tried a few more times consecutively. From his expression, it was unclear if he was happy or sad, as there were both traces of joy and mncholy. Finally, he even let out a sigh. Although I can now store the pot in my inner body, the price I paid was a year of my life. No matter how I think about it, its still a loss for me. In the afternoon of the second day, Bai Xiaochun was contemting how he could make up for the year of life that had been sucked from him. Suddenly, he abruptly raised his head as he sensed that outside the Burning Stoves Kitchen, there were seven to eight figures galloping towards him. The Bai Xiaochun with level one Qi-condensation would not have been able to sense them. But right now, with his level three Qi-condensation, he instantly felt that there were seven to eight figures, and the one who was leading them was Xu Baocai. At the same time, Xu Baocais voice, full of hatred, abruptly carried over. Bai Xiaochun, you might have Brothers willing to protect you but so do I, Xu Baocai! Today, the vendetta between you and I, its time to conclude it! -------------------------------------------------------- XianxiaWorld Sincerely Recruiting Trantors http://.xianxiaworld/recruitment/ Chapter 8 - I’ll Fight It Out With You! Chapter 8: Ill Fight It Out With You! Bai Xiaochun hurriedly stood up as he saw Xu Baocai walking towards him. He came here so quickly Bai Xiaochun murmured with hesitation in his eyes. Although he had done all kinds of preparation during this short half a year, he still felt that he was not ready. Originally, he had thought that he could ensure his own safety when he reached the fourth level of Qi Condensation. However, Xu Baocai had note alone. He had even brought seven to eightpanions, and Bai Xiaochun knew he had to face them. He grit his teeth resolutely. Screw it! He breathed deeply. Bai Xiaochun nervously pushed the door open, and slowly walked out wearing seven to eight leather coats while carrying the pot that he had used to boil the spirit rice on his back. Almost at the same time, Zhang Fatso One and a few others had reached the front gate of the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they hadrge knives anddles held in their hands, aggressively staring at Xu Baocai and those people that hade along with him. I was wondering what would happen today when I heard the crow caw this morning. It turns out that a group of bastards from the Administrative Department, who know nothing but squeeze fellow sect disciples, came to mess with our Burning Stoves Kitchen! Zhang Fatso One yelled after a scornful snort. Standing there, Zhang Fatso Ones body looked like a small hill as his voice resounded in surrounding area like roaring thunder. Zhang Fatso One! Others may fear your Burning Stoves Kitchen, but we, the Administrative Department people, dont give a shit about you! Our brother Xuined tearfully to us about his grievances. We came here today, because we have the right to do so! How dare you stand against us?! All of the seven to eight people that hade along with Xu Baocai had proud and scornful faces. Although they were all wearing handymen uniforms, the distinct character, Administration, was clearly written on each of the cuffs of their sleeves, dering the Administrative Departments rights and the special status of these people. Among them was a powerful man, who was born as sturdy as a bear, was releasing a spiritual pressure that only those of the third level of Qi-condensation could release; his eyes shone with a frosty light as he stared at Zhang Fatso One,pletely ignoring the rest of the people who were standing beside Zhang Fatso One. Bullshit! Did you just say that you were right for chasing and attempting to kill my brother, Bai Xiaochun?! Zhang Fatso One yelled and sneered while shaking his right fist in the air. Apanying his outburst, therge ck pot that he was carrying on his back flew into the air and released a powerful aura, causing the opposing groups facial expressions to change. As for the strong man, his pupils shrunk as he made an odd hand gesture; at the same time, a small g rose into the air and sprayed out clouds of dense mist. From within the mist, a stream of faint bestial roars could be heard. Right at that moment, amidst the rattling of swords and bows, Xu Baocai immediately saw Bai Xiaochun, who was walking out of his straw hut. Suddenly, all kinds of grudges and hatred gushed in his heart, making him roar in anger. Bai Xiaochun!! While shouting, Xu Baocai abruptly darted out and raised his right hand, waving it in the air. Suddenly, a wooden sword flew out from his sleeve with a swishing sound. The expressions of Zhang Fatso One and the others immediately changed. They immediately rose up to intercept Xu Baocai but the strong man from the Administrative Department instantly blocked their paths with a mocking smile. At exactly the same moment when Xu Baocai had yelled out and darted towards Bai Xiaochun, Bai Xiaochuns eyes turned red, and he shouted out as well. Xu Baocai, you have pushed me too far! Today we shall fight!!! Bai Xiaochuns heart was beating like a drum. He had never fought against anybody in his whole life before, not to mention a fight against a true cultivator. Bai Xiaochun was now nervous to the point of going mad. As he growled aloud in attempt to boost his own courage, his cultivation of the third-level Qi Condensation suddenly bursted out. Bai Xiaochun forcibly injected all the Qi that was contained in his body with all his strength into the wooden sword that he was holding in his hand, before controlling it and pointing its tip at Xu Baocai. The wooden sword emitted a buzz as two silver patterns that were hidden on the multicoloured swords surface shed slightly, doubling the wooden swords size in the blink of an eye before emitting a cold, powerful light. Suddenly, the wooden sword shot straight towards Xu Baocai. The wooden sword darted so fast and released such a powerful aura that it deeply shocked Zhang Fatso One and the people from the Administrative Department. More astonishingly, the power released from the sword quickly dispersed and shrouded the surrounding area. Everyone stopped fighting as they looked at Bai Xiaochun. Before Xu Baocai had even sprinted near Bai Xiaochun, he had already been startled by the overwhelming atmosphere Bai Xiaochun had released. This Bai Xiaochun in front of him was nothing like the Bai Xiaochun that he remembered from a few months ago. He seemed like apletely different person! The desperate and vicious expression on Bai Xiaochuns face made Xu Baocais heartbeat quicken. Immediately after that, Xu Baocai opened his eyes widely, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing. Bai Xiaochuns wooden sword was flying towards him so swiftly that it seemed to turn into a stream of white light. The power that was being released from the sword was shocking. He had only seen such power when he watched fights between Outer Sect disciples. Xu Baocai was suddenly frightened to the extent that even his blood seemed to have frozen. With a thunderous bang, Bai Xiaochuns wooden sword directly shed against Xu Baocais wooden sword. Xu Baocais wooden sword instantly quivered, before cracking inch by inch from the sword tip, seemingly unable to resist the power of Bai Xiaochuns sword. Within a blink of an eye, Xu Baocais wooden sword hadpletely shattered into countless pieces that scattered into the air. Bai Xiaochuns wooden sword did not pause for even a second; it continued its flight directly towards Xu Baocais body. Xu Baocais spirit had almost left his body from sheer terror as he threw his body to the side to dodge as fast as he could, barely avoiding being run through by the sword. The wooden sword shed by right above Xu Baocais shoulder before piercing into a towering tree nearby. Half of the tree blew up with a massive boom before directly falling onto the ground, blowing up arge cloud of dust into the air. At the same moment, Xu Baocai rapidly stepped back with big steps. He let out a high-pitched scream as blood spurted out from his right arm. Bai Xiaochun had not yet honed his skill with object maniption, otherwise, Xu Baocais body would have been torn apart! Third-level of Qi Condensation, no, thats impossible! Impossible! Xu Baocai yelled. When he looked at Bai Xiaochun, his face was filled with fear, as if he had seen a ghost. To inject such arge amount of Qi into a wooden sword would require at least a cultivation of the third level of Qi Condensation. No matter how hard he tried, he could not believe that it had only taken Bai Xiaochun a few months to improve this much. He could not ept this. It was like he was having a nightmare. Not to mention Xu Baocai, everyone else was gasping in shock at Bai Xiaochuns disy of his object maniption. When they recovered, all of them had an extremely serious expression on their faces. Honing spiritual energy into an edge, before dispersing the sword light outwards. Only when a cultivator has mastered the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption technique to the extent that he can easily lift a heavy object as though lifting a feather, can this magical effect be achieved. The strong man of the Supervision Department inhaled deeply. When he stared at Bai Xiaochun, his eyes exposed a hint of caution. Even the supervisors were bbergasted, not to mention Zhang Fatso One and the others. One by one, they gazed at Bai Xiaochun, their expressions all filled with great shock. They were already aware of the fact that Bai Xiaochun had achieved the third level of Qi condensation. But the dispersing of sword light and the doubling in size of the sword body - this was the first time they saw what Bai Xiaochun was capable of. Even Bai Xiaochun himself was shocked by the power of his wooden sword. He stared nkly at the fallen tree. Then, as he saw Xu Baocai tremble with a deathly pale face, he abruptly threw his head back andughed out loud towards the sky. Xu Baocai! So youre actually this weak! Take this! Bai Xiaochun yelled in excitement. When he realised that he was much more powerful than Xu Baocai, his energy levels surged. With a wildugh, he rushed straight at Xu Baocai. Xu Baocais body trembled under Bai Xiaochuns gaze. Seeing Bai Xiaochun cackle while darting towards him, Xu Baocai was instantly terrified. He rolled and crawled on the ground, scrambling to get away. However, he had only taken a few steps before Bai Xiaochun had caught up to him. Looking at Xu Baocai, Bai Xiaochun recalled the scenes where he was being chased and attacked. At this moment, all of the efforts he had made to improve himself during these few months shed in his mind; all of these bitter experiences had now turned into power. He raised his foot high and threw a heavy kick towards Xu Baocai. I''ll show you the consequences of trying to kill me! Bai Xiaochun clenched his right hand into a fist as he punched Xu Baocais eye with all his strength. Xu Baocai howled in pain as he fell to the ground. He tried to fight back, but he was only at the second level of Qi Condensation. In the face of Bai Xiaochuns power, he had no means to defend himself at all. Now that youve pissed me off, Ill let you know that this young master is not a pushover!! Bai Xiaochun leapt into the air then fiercely stompedon Xu Baocais body. He gnashed his teeth as he kicked and punched Xu Baocai ceaselessly, eliciting continuous agonised wails. The loud thuds spread in all directions. Whether it were the sturdy men from the Administrative Department or Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties, everyone was nowpletely stunned. They stared at the violently beaten Xu Baocai and then at Bai Xiaochun who had be more and more excited with every blow and trembled deep inside their hearts. Xu Baocais tears were already gushing out. The feeling that he had been wronged had already reached its peak . He couldnt believe that Bai Xiaochun had be this powerful within just a couple of months. Especially his godly ability wield something heavy as though it was light, that was not something a cultivator could easily achieve without practicing for years. In his eyes, Bai Xiaochun had clearlye from an impressive background and was this powerful right from the start. But because his personality was contemptible and shameless, he had put on a facade of weakness. What was even worse was that his acting had been so real, even Xu Baocai himself had bought it. As he thought this, grief flowed from his heart and anger rushed to his head, causing him to pass out Seeing Xu Baocai pass out, Bai Xiaochun patted his clothes clean. He stood over Xu Baocai, and raised his right hand. His wooden sword instantly flew into his hands. He then put the wooden sword back into the cuff of his sleeve and made a calm and bored face, trying very hard to hide the excitement in his eyes. The strong man from the Administrative Department took a deep nce at Bai Xiaochun, with an embarrassed expression on his face, then cupped his own hands together towards Bai Xiaochun. Brother Bai, you have hidden your real power so well. We admire you, we truly do, The man said ndly. He then turned around, took his people, carried Xu Baocai who had fainted, and left without any hesitation. After they had left, Zhang Fatso One and the others gathered around Bai Xiaochun, and looked at him with smiles on their faces. After all, the Administrative Departments people were outsiders to them, and they had witnessed all of the effort that Bai Xiaochun had put in during this small half a year. After this fight, all of them were now admiring Bao Xiaochun for his determination. Not bad kid! You definitely didnt put in all that effort in vain during those six months! Zhang Fatso One said while pping Bai Xiaochuns shoulder. Of course! When I put my heart into something, even I am scared of my own prowess! Bai Xiaochun said as he raised his head proudly like a cocky young rooster. His proud expression made Zhang Fatso One and the others burst intoughter once again. ED note: Wield something heavy as though it was light is exactly the same as in CD. It actually refers to how something heavy can move swiftly and agilely despite its bulk and weight. Chapter 9 - Life-prolonging Pill Chapter 9: Life-prolonging Pill Time passed by swiftly, like a white pony''s shadow shing across a crevice. A month passed, the cold winds slowly started to blow across the Spirit River Sect through the Tong Tian River, and the autumn leaves began to fall from their trees, Bai Xiaochun suddenly realized that he had been living in the Spirit River Sect for a year. He had been through so much during this year. He had gone from just being an ordinary person to a cultivator, and had even reached the third level of Qi Condensation. He had also ended the series of conflicts that had started because of his new position at the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Xu Baocai never showed up in front of the Burning Stoves Kitchens main gate again. When Bai Xiaochun went downhill to purchase daily supplies for the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he once nced at Xu Baocai from afar. After noticing him, Xu Baocai hurriedly fled away from the area. It seemed that Xu Baocai waspletely frightened of Bai Xiaochun. Nevertheless, Bai Xiaochun often pulled a long face during the past month. He silently sighed in his head, but didnt talk to Zhang Fatso One and the others. He constantly felt helpless. A year of my life Bai Xiaochun murmured while gazing at the tree not far away from him. The trees leaves had already turned yellow, falling to the ground as the wind blew. I am just like this tree and those falling leaves are that year of my life Bai Xiaochun instantly fell into depression while thinking of this. During the past month, he had tried everything to replenish and nourish his body. However, the strand of white hair near his forehead still hadnt turned ck. He had also consulted with Zhang Fatso One and the others about this in an indirect manner, and learned that in the world of cultivators, life replenishing methods did indeed exist. But they either had certain limitations or they were as rare as phoenix feathers and Qilin horns. Gradually, he became more and more anxious. He started to gain a habit of either skipping meals or binge eating. As a result, his face started to be sickly and pale. However, just when he was about to give up and ept the fact that he had lost a year of his life, he stumbled upon something. It was a normal afternoon. He was going downhill again to purchase daily supplies when he suddenly stopped walking, stood under the third mountain peak, and stared at the gigantic monument that had been standing under the peak. He gradually started to feel breathless. At the Southern Bank of the Spirit River Sect, every peak had a monument standing under it. These monuments were covered with lines of characters which were shing brightly. From time to time, these characters flowed on the monuments surfaces like water streams, then got reced by other lines of characters. This was the spot where the Spirit River Sects cultivators epted missions from the sect. All of Spirit River Sects disciples needed toplete missions given by the sect, in order to gain spirit stones and contribution points for their cultivation. Contribution points were especially important. Whether it was for viewing the sects manuals, ess to Daoist magic, normal housing or usage of those special cultivating grounds, almost every single activity in the sect would require contribution points. In some ways, contribution points were even more precious than spirit stones. Currently, quite a lot of outer disciples were standing near the mission-monument under the third peak, their eyes fixed on the monument. asionally, some of them would choose missions from the monument before immediately walking up to a middle-aged cultivator who had been sitting under it with his legs crossed. They would then politely talk to him in low voices. Some handymen were also standing in the crowd beside the monument. Compared to those outer disciples who were wearing cyan cloaks that had patterns of clouds and water streams, the lower status of these handymen could clearly be seen from their clothes. Amongst all of the missions that were given by the Spirit River Sect, only certain missions that were required to be assigned to Main Sect disciples would not show in these monuments. As for other missions, both outer disciples and handymen could freely choose. Some handymen, who had been striving vigorously to improve themselves, saw the mission-monument as the first step for them to gain a higher status. Bai Xiaochun had been standing there for about twenty minutes, staring at a line of shing characters in the middle of the mission-monuments. His facial expression was constantly changing. Hesitation could be seen in his eyes. Life-prolonging pillnever thought that this kind of medicine exists in the sect. Judging by the name of it, this kind of medicine seems to be able to extend ones lifespan Bai Xiaochun murmured. He muttered to himself and pondered for quite a while, before he finally decided to finally walk up to the middle-aged cultivator beside the monument. This cultivator was currently surrounded by quite a number of outer disciples, all of whom chose to disregard Bai Xiaochun when they had noticed his advent. Due to the difference in status between them and Bai Xiaochun, they did not even want to throw him a nce. When the number of people surrounding the middle-aged cultivator had been reduced, Bai Xiaochun walked forward, cupped his hands, pulled on an adorable and innocent mask, then saluted the man. Good afternoon, Senior Brother. The middle-aged cultivator raised his head, took a look at Bai Xiaochun, then slightly nodded but didnt say anything. Senior Brother, there is a mission that asks to search for a few herbal medicines, and the mission-taker can turn it in for a life-prolonging pill. Can this pill truly enhance ones lifespan? Bai Xiaochun asked in a hurry. After all, this was rted to his life. Life-prolonging pillhmm, there is indeed such a mission, and this pill is indeed able to prolong life for one year. However, the use of this kind of pill has quite a lot of limitations. It is only effective on cultivators under fifth-level of Qi Condensation; and it will only work once, after that, taking anymore wont have any effect. Although its precious, it can only prolong your life for one year so its not that useful. The middle-aged cultivator saw that Bai Xiaochun seemed like a good kid, so he kindly told him what he knew. Usually, this kind of pill is only used by Main Sect disciples to pull their elder family members back from the brink of death, quite expensive though. Are you going to take this mission? Bai Xiaochun raised his head and took a nce at the monument, then he nodded to the man. The middle-aged cultivator raised his right arm and pointed his finger at the monument. Following this movement, the lines of characters for this mission instantly stopped shing, turning grey in the process. At the same time, a jade slip appeared in his hand. He then threw the jade slip to Bai Xiaochun. Cyan-spirit leaves, earth-dragon fruits, stone-worms sloughs, these three medicinal materials can be traded for one life-prolonging pill. The middle-aged cultivator said ndly. He then turned to the other outer disciples and started introducing missions to them, never speaking to Bai Xiaochun again. Bai Xiaochun held the jade slip in his hand and left. His head was filled with the words: life prolonging pill. Slowly, his eyes began to show determination. I must find all these medicinal materials and trade them for that pill, in order to recover my lost year of life. With extreme determination, Bai Xiaochun directly went to the Four Seas House, looked around in some databases that were allowed for handymen use. Eventually, he found the information he was looking for. The cyan-spirit leaf was a herbal medicine that could only be found in the habitats of migratory spirit birds. This kind of bird lived in flocks, and a single one of them had the same amount of Qi as a cultivator in the second-level of Qi Condensation. It was not easy to catch this kind of bird, so their prices had always been high. As for the earth-dragon fruit and stone-worms slough, the Four Seas House didnt seem to have any records on them. Bai Xiaochun touched his own pocket, then left with a bitter smile. He asked Fatso One and the others about these two kinds of medicinal materials after he got back to the Burning Stoves Kitchen; it turned out that none of them had heard of the earth-dragon fruit, but ck Fatso Three knew about the stone-worms slough. The stone-worms slough was actually obtained when a type of spirit worm called the stone worm shed its skin. It was said that the stone-worms slough was iparably hard, strangely heavy and very rare at the south bank. At the north bank, because most of the Daoist magic that north bank cultivators practiced were in the animal-control category, some of them were able to produce the stone-worms slough. However, although both the south and north banks belong to the Spirit River Sect, they were separated by the main peak. Unless he became one of those Main Sect disciples, Bai Xiaochun couldnt possibly get the qualifications to walk onto the main peak and travel between the south and north banks. What did you ask about these medicine materials for? You cant eat them anyway. And, the prices in the lower south bank market are incredibly high. Zhang Fatso One said in a surprised tone while patting his belly . Bai Xiaochuns eyes suddenly shone when he heard the word market. He briefly exined to Fatso One, before he darted out, running towards the base of the hill. He had been working in the Burning Stoves Kitchen for a year. Although during this year, he had only gone out of the sects front gate a few times, he knew that there was a market located right outside the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Stalls in the market were mostly opened by the families of Main Sect Disciples, and offered special services for Sect Disciples. Some of them were even directly owned by Main Sect Disciples. Year after year, the scale of the market had been expanding. Normally, when Bai Xiaochun needed to purchase daily supplies for the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he woulde here. Bai Xiaochun started looking around the area, especially those herbal medicine shops. However, after he got back to the Burning Stoves Kitchen, his eyebrows were furrowed and he couldnt stop sighing in his head. So unfair. Especially the earth-dragon fruit. Its nothing but the fruit of a nt that grows underground, how can it be that expensive?! Bai Xiaochunined in his heart. He helplessly realised that with what he currently had, he could never get that life-prolonging pill. He did not care about money. Compared to his life, he didnt even care about how much money he had to spend. The problem was that he didnt have that much money on him. Apart from himself, he only knew the few brothers he had been working with well enough to borrow money. Sadly, even though those few were very knowledgeable, their pockets were as empty as his; none of them could be richer than him. As for the spirit food in the Burning Stoves Kitchen, while they could sneakily eat and no one would notice, if he ever tried to sell them, the horribly strict supervisors of the Administrative Department couldnt possibly let him off. Bai Xiaochun had been thinking over and over again, but couldnte up with a good money-making method except to sell his Spirit refinement materials. However, he felt ufortable doing so. He had been thinking very hard for a couple of days. One day, when he was sitting in his room with his legs crossed, in the middle of cultivation, he suddenly heard a the sound of a bell, which resounded across the entire sect. This ring wasnt loud at all and had disappeared quickly. Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes calmly. He wasnt surprised when he heard the bell ring. Actually, ever since he came to the Spirit River Sect, he could hear this sound every single month. Long ago, he had learned from Zhang Fatso One that it meant that today was the day the mountain peaks entrance tests opened to handymen. Today is when handymen will have the opportunity to be outer disciples. If one wanted to go from a handyman to an outer sect disciple, he or she must first possess the third-level Qi Condensation. Secondly, he or she must choose the entrance test of the peak they wished to join. Although the test was only to walk up a set of stairs that stretched to the mountaintop, it was enchanted with some kind of magical power, and could make people have an extremely hard time even taking a single step forward. If one could walk up to the mountain top through the stairs, that person would gain the opportunity to be an outer disciple. However, the positions in the outer sect were limited; therefore, each peak would only allow the first three handymen who passed the test by climbing the stairs to join their peak in the outer sect. This was to select the best of the best. The Spirit River Sect had a lot of handymen; the number of handymen in the South Bank alone was over ten thousand. Therefore, thepetition in every single test was intense. People in the Burning Stoves Kitchen had always held the same attitude towards this kind of tests; they would rather starve or burn to death thanpete with all the other handymen. So, every month when the test began, they were always scornfully watching from the sides. Bai Xiaochun closed his eyes again before suddenly re-opening them. A strange expression shed across his pupils for a short moment, before being reced by surprise. He had gradually developed an idea in his mind. He stood up, walked around the room, and carefully considered every angle of this idea. Soon after, his face was filled with happiness. This will work! He pushed open the door and called Zhang Fatso One and the others, who had been discussing which unlucky handyman would be an outer disciple this time, and gathered them into a corner. Brothers, I have came up with a great money-making method! Please help me, and we will share the wealth together! Bai Xiaochun excitedly said after licking his own lips. He was staring at Zhang Fatso One and the others with a pair of shining eyes. This wasnt the first time that Zhang Fatso One and the others saw him like this. Earlier, when Bai Xiaochun suggested that they thicken the bottom of the bowls, which greatly benefited the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he looked exactly like this. Therefore, Zhang Fatso One and the others instantly showed interest in Bai Xiaochuns idea. Bai Fatso Nine, what idea do you have? To be honest, all of us are poor as well. Its all because of that damn Administrative Department! Otherwise, if we could sell a little bit of our stuff, we would be so rich! Zhang Fatso One said as he patted Bai Xiaochuns shoulder. His eyes were shining with anticipation. Chapter 10 - Brother, Wait Up! Chapter 10: Brother, Wait Up! Bai Xiaochun noticed his fellow fatsos staring at him. Their small eyes were shining like spirit stones; especially Zhang Fatso One, whose eyes seemed like they would even spurt out mes. Bai Xiaochun coughed dryly, feeling a bit proud. Brother, you see, every month, the three mountain peaks of our Spirit River Sect would have an outer sect Promotional Examinationt, allowing handymen like us an opportunity to be outer disciples, right? Bai Xiaochun said as he raised his adorable face. No matter how you looked at him, Bai Xiaochun seemed like an iparably cute and nice kid. However, the sects will only select the best of the best. Therefore, no matter how many people take the monthly test, each peak will only select the top three, right? Bai Xiaochun said after licking his lips as his eyes began to shine brightly. After Bai Xiaochun spoke, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three seemed to have understood what he was thinking. Apart from them, none of the others had any idea about what Bai Xiaochun was trying to say. You mean Zhang Fatso One said while staring at Bai Xiaochun. Gradually, his eyes began to shine brightly. With our level of cultivation, we could easily im all three positions at each peak Bai Xiaochun nced at the few Brothers who had been standing beside him as he continued speaking. Every single one of them had reached the third level of Qi Condensation, especially Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three, who had already reached the peak of the third level. If they hadnt been intentionally suppressing their cultivation all this time, so they could keep a low profile and remain in the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they would have long since broken through to the next level. So, if we join all three tests, we could get to the mountaintop ahead of the others, monopolize the first three ces, and then sell those positions to other test-takers! Bai Xiaochun said while staring at Fatso One and the others. Zhang Fatso Ones body trembled when he heard Bai Xiaochun. Too damn immoral He inhaled deeply, then fiercely pped his thigh. His pupils shined with a dazzling radiance that had never been seen before. This n was notplicated, on the contrary it was simple! One just had to change their line of thought and they could easily think of it! Zhang Fatso One felt enlightened by Bai Xiaochuns words, his head was filled with wisdom, as if a brand new gate had been opened in front of him. He couldnt help butugh out loud. This method is extremely immoral, haha! ck Fatso Three yelled, fiercely stomping his foot on the ground. Either due to of bashfulness or excitement, his face was blushing red. The other fatsos had now realised what Bai Xiaochun meant. They started breathing rapidly and could feel their blood boiling. When they looked at Bai Xiaochun, their eyes were filled with admiration. This will work, lets do it! Fxxk their grandmothers! Those bastards from the Administrative Office screwed us over for so many years that were poor to the point of dying! Now that 9th Brother is here, lets get our revenge! Everyone immediately became excited and began discussing details about the n until they all felt that the n was perfect. When they had ironed out all the details for the next month, Zhang Fatso One happily patted his belly and yelled out. Tonight, well eat even more! Cheerful and boisterous sounds came from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. The following month, all nine fatsos were extremely motivated and worked very hard to ensure the sess of their n. They were even cultivating! All that was left was to wait for the day to arrive. Finally, the day hade. It was early in the morning and the sun was shining brightly. Under the three peaks of the Spirit River Sect, an unprecedented scene was taking ce - at the entrance of each test, three humongous ck pots could be clearly seen from afar. Upon closer inspection, a fatso could be seen under each pot, with his head held high, giving off an extraordinarily mighty vibe. These were the nine people from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. They were the first batch of handymen to arrive at the entrance to the tests of each three mountain peaks. ording to their previous arrangements, they had evenly separated into three groups. Each group consisted of three people, and would take on a single trial. At this moment, arge number of handymen were arriving at the location from all directions, each of them hopeful and tense. Some of them had failed many times already, while others were first timers, their faces disying both anxiety and anticipation. They were hoping that they could have a sudden rise to prominence here, going from handymen to outer sect disciples. As they moved closer to the entrance gates of each peak, all of them saw the fatsos from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Burning Stoves Kitchen? Why are they here? Ive been a handyman for nine years and have taken this test no less than thirty times, but this is the first time Ive seen people from Burning Stoves Kitchen here As these handymen arrived and noticed the appearance of the Burning Stoves Kitchens people, they contacted their friends and found out that the Burning Stoves Kitchens fatsos had shown up under all of the three mountain peaks; after which, all of them immediately went berserk. Something big is going on! The Burning Stoves Kitchens people intend to be outer sect disciples, how is this even possible? Facing the shocked faces of the other handymen and hearing their discussions, Bai Xiaochun, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three, calmly stood under the third mountain peak,pletely disregarding all of the discussion about them. It was as if their minds were one with the universe. They focused on the entrance of each path. In their eyes, this was not a trial at all, this was a road that had been paved with shining spirit stones. Bai Xiaochuns expression was especially serious, his eyes fixated on the entrance. Soon, a person gracefully floated down from each of the three mountain peaks. The one who had descended from the mountain peak that Bai Xiaochun chose was a middle-aged man, who exuded an atmosphere simr to that of an Immortal. The moment he arrived at the trial, he saw the body of Zhang Fatso One, who looked like a mountain of meat. As his gaze scanned past Bai Xiaochun and the fatsos, this man who was the elder in-charge of the entrance test, immediately felt surprised. Did the sun rise from the west today? Usually, the Burning Stoves Kitchens people would rather die than be outer sect disciples. Why have theye today? He couldnt help but give them a few more nces before his gaze revealed an encouraging look. Then, with a wave of his sleeves, he began talking in a resonant voice. The outer sect Promotional Examinations, begin! After he spoke, a gong rang out, its sound echoing throughout the entire sect. At the same time, a beam of light shed across the entrance of the path, swiftly opening the gates. The instant the entrance opened, Zhang Fatso One, who was wearing a look of determination on his face, breathed deeply, and took off like a gust of wind, running up the mountain like he was being chased by a horde of furious wild beasts. Starting right after Zhang Fatso One, ck Fatso Threes eyes shone with a fierce light. He ran like as though trying to snatch away his position in the trials, was akin to someone trying to take his life. The third one to start running was Bai Xiaochun. He ran even faster, leaping high into the air like a rabbit as he darted outwards. His head was filled with thoughts about the Life-prolonging Pill. As soon as the other participants noticed they were gone, all three of them were already on the stairs, going forward as fast as they possibly could. At this time, other handymen finally realised what happened. Their facial expressions changed and all of them rushed towards the pathway one after another while gritting their teeth. They tried their best to catch up. This wasn''t the only mountain peak with such an urrence, the other mountain peaks were exactly the same. Running right at the front were the fatsos from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Under the third peak, which was named Scented Cloud Peak, on the trial path, Bai Xiaochun and the others were running like the wind. They were very far ahead of thepetition. However, they gradually slowed down as the pressure being emitted by the path increased. They felt like their bodies were being crushed under heavy weights. Bai Xiaochun looked back, and saw that there were seven or eight people right behind him. He started to feel worried, as if his Life-Prolonging pill was going to be taken away from him. Snatching my Life-prolonging Pill is the same as taking my life! He held his breath as his face became redder and redder. All of his Qi rapidly burst out of his body, more than doubling his speed and propelling him forward like a boar that had its tail stepped on. This allowed him to overtake both ck Fatso Three and Zhang Fatso One. At the same time, ck Fatso Three also let out a great roar and with an unknown method, his speed instantly skyrocketed, allowing him to overtake Zhang Fatso One and catch up to Bai Xiaochun. Seeing Bai Xiaochun and ck Fatso Three about to disappear from his sight, Zhang Fatso One started to worry. He took a deep breath. Then his fat, meaty body quickly and visibly shrunk, as if he had suddenly burned out his body fat. Simultaneously, his speed suddenly shot up as well. Soon, he had caught up with ck Fatso Three and Bai Xiaochun. The three of them then sped up once again together, only leaving puffs of dirt behind them. The other handymen who had been running behind them were all shocked by their performances. Soon, their faces began to reveal expressions of hopelessness. They couldnt ept this. They had done their best but no matter how hard they tried, they couldnt catch up to Bai Xiaochun and the other two fatsos. Some of them with bad tempers had even started cursing. Those bastards should die! They must be on aphrodisiacs! Otherwise they couldnt possibly run this fast! After the time it took to burn a stick of incense passed, Bai Xiaochun who had been running in the first ce arrived at the mountaintop. He saw two outer sect disciples standing at the end of the path, waiting to admit the first three handymen. Congrattions Bro- Seeing Bai Xiaochun arrive, the two outer sect disciples standing at the end of the path smiled slightly at him. They only had time to speak two words before their eyes widened because of what happened next. They saw Bai Xiaochun suddenly pause, take another few steps forwards, then abruptly stop again. He was only one step away from the the end of the stairs, where the exit of the path was located. He looked at the two outer sect disciples standing in front of him, and the two outer sect disciples stared back at him. Bai Xiaochun let out a cute smile, then turned his body around. Stop! Bai Xiaochun shouted as he turned around and raised his arms. Followed by his voice, ck Fatso Three and Zhang Fatso One who had been out of breath and closely following behind him suddenly stopped. All three of them stood right in front of the exit of the path, quickly gasping for air, looking at each other, and suddenly bursting into joyousughter. The two outer sect disciple who were standing beside them near the exit of the path nced at each other, seemingly unable to understand what was wrong with them. They started to wonder if the brains of these three handymen were damaged. They had alreadye this far, but they just stopped right in front of the exit, instead of finishing the test. Three junior Brothers, you are the first three to arrive, you can nowe over. As long as you walk past this path, the three of you will gain positions of outer sect disciples forpleting this test. One of the outer sect disciples kindly said. Outer sect disciples? Who would want to be outer sect disciples?! Zhang Fatso One said while waving his hand carelessly before sitting down on the ground along with ck Fatso Three. The two of them looked like two meat-hills,pletely blocking the exit of the path. Bai Xiaochun sat down in front of the two of them, raised his chin with a face filled with proudness, while expecting other handymen toe. What? You dont want to be outer sect disciples? Then what are you doing here? Whats wrong with you?! The two outer sect disciples were annoyed. Bai Xiaochun and hispanions turned deaf ears to the two outer sect disciples words, all of them focusing their small eyes on the path. In the time it took to burn another incense stick, they finally saw another handyman who had a face that was as long as a horses. That handyman was panting like a buffalo, slowly approaching through the stairs that were located far away from the exit. The horse-faced handyman sighed when he saw Bai Xiaochun and the other two, his eyes showing hints of frustration. This was the ninth test that he had taken, and the closest he had been to passing. However, he had encountered the Burning Stoves Kitchen. When this handyman, whose face was filled with both frustration and anger, was about to turn around and give up, Bai Xiaochun hurriedly stood up and started yelling. Brother, wait up! Come here,e here! Thinking about it, I cant bear to leave the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Therefore, I just decided that Im not going to be an outer sect disciple, so, this position The horse-faced handyman was dumbfounded for a very short while, then his eyes instantly shone. Chapter 11 - Hou Xiaomei He was saved! This was the first thought that popped up in the horse-faced handymans head when he heard Bai Xiaochuns words. However, he hesitated when he saw the two meat-hills standing behind Bai Xiaochun with malicious grins on their faces. You Bai Xiaochuns cute and tender face was now filled with a bright smile. He seemed like a person who wouldnt even hurt a fly. He took a few steps forward, patted the horse-faced handymans shoulder, grinned and said. Congrattions, Brother! Youre about to be an outer sect disciple. Just like a fish leaping through the dragons gate, you will soar from here, making rapid improvements. Your future is absolutely limitless! However, your junior Brother here spent so much effort toe this far, do you mind giving me a little reward for my efforts? The handymans horse-like face immediately darkened. If he had not understood Bai Xiaochuns meaning by now, his decades of life experience would have been in vain. He nced at Bai Xiaochun then looked at Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three, his facial expression constantly changing. He was quickly measuring the gains and losses, considering whether or not Bai Xiachuns offer was worth it. Soon, the horse-faced handyman gnashed his teeth. Indeed, he was unwilling to give up this opportunity, not because he had to wait for another month, but because he didnt know if he could make it next month. Who knows? Next time he might encounterpetitors better than him again. Not to mention that the three standing in front of him would probably take the next test too. Most importantly, he longed to be one of the outer sect disciples, and the best opportunity was now right in front of him. He abruptly stomped his feet against the ground. How much do you want?! said the horse-faced handyman while gnashing his teeth. Not much, not much. Its just that I spent many months preparing for this test, so Ill just take twenty spirt stones. Bai Xiaochun was enraptured, he hurriedly gave an exorbitant price. The horse-faced handymans heart instantly quivered when he heard this price. Waving his hand, he was preparing to say no, but before he could open his mouth, Bai Xiaochun began to speak once more. I wasnt being greedy, look at the three of us, you cant justpensate only me. My Big Brother and Third Brother starved themselves for the sake of this test! Regarding this, Bai Xiaochun didnt lie. By rushing all the way up to the mountain top, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three had indeed lost quite a bit of weight in order to raise their speeds. The horse-faced handyman took a nce at the two fatsos, and started cursing in his heart. He then negotiated with Bai Xiaochun for awhile before they finally settled on the price of sixteen spirit stones. Bearing great heartache, the horse-faced handyman threw a small bag to Bai Xiaochun, his face filled with unwillingness. Are you satisfied now? said the horse-faced handyman with a hoarse voice. Were good. Dear Brother, please wait by the side. We will open the exit after the other two lucky handymen show up. Bai Xiaochun said happily as he threw the small bag that contained spirit stones to Zhang Fatso One. When he heard that they would wait for another two handymen toe, the horse-faced handymans face screamed schadenfreude. His facial expression wasplicated, like he was hoping that others would feel as bad as he did. Meanwhile, when the two outer sect disciples standing beside the exit saw what had happened in front of them, their eyes widened in disbelief. Whatwhat are you doing?! How dare you sell the outer sect disciple positions! The two outer sect disciples instantly yelled out in harsh and deep voices. Why are you yelling? We have climbed up here and are too tired to continue, so we decided to let others go ahead of us. Whats wrong with that? And since we have worked so hard, our dear Brother rewarded us for all of our efforts. Again, whats wrong with that? said Zhang Fatso One. He was happily counting the spirit stones when he became offended by the two disciples words. He turned his head and threw them a vicious re. His words rendered the two outer sect disciples speechless. They didnt know how to refute him. At the same time, seven to eight handymen were struggling to move forward through the stairs of the exam path, their heavy gasping was akin to rolling thunder. At the front of the group was a half-naked sturdy-looking man ariound thirty years old, walking towards the mountaintop step by step. Seeing hime, Bai Xiaochuns eyes suddenly shone, and he hurriedly walked up to the man. This Brother here, youre a bitte. But my Brother abruptly decided to give up on bing an outer sect disciple, do you want his ce? The sturdy man paused for a second. After hearing Bai Xiaochuns words, and seeing all the people on the mountaintop, he instantly realised what was happening around here. He gave out a scorn-filled snort. How dare you little bastards to ckmail an old-timer?! Screw off! growled the sturdy man. He suddenly waved his right arm in the air, releasing spirit pressure indicative of the peak of third-level Qi Condensation. Bai Xiaochun yelped as he stepped back. Big Brother! Almost as soon as Bai Xiaochun let out those two words, a huge meat-hill came crashing from the heavens. The sturdy mans face instantly turned purple. He looked up in shock. Apanied by a roaring sound, a huge meat-hill heavily crashed onto his body. From beneath Zhang Fatso Ones body, the sturdy man screamed. Zhang Fatso One straight up sat on top of the poor mans body. After struggling for a while, the man failed to extricate himself from underneath Zhang Fatso Ones body. If his constitution wasnt so strong and robust, he would have long since run out of air and fainted. When the seven to eight handymen who were following closely behind the sturdy man saw what happened to him, all of them were stunned and began to feel fear creeping in their hearts. The two outer sect disciples beside the exit were standing there nky, staring at the poor sturdy man whose body was nearly bent out of shape and crushed by Zhang Fatso Ones weight. They couldnt help but feel sympathy in their hearts. Big Brother, we have an audience. Bai Xiaochun, who stood beside Zhang Fatso One, said in a low voice as an idea popped into his mind. Zhang Fatso One had been working together with Bai Xiaochun for a whole year so he instantly got Bai Xiaochuns point. He immediately red at the man, then raised his huge, hammer-like fists and began throwing punches at the sturdy man under his body, creating thunderous booms. Trying to freeload off this fat master? You have guts! yelled Zhang Fatso One while throwing another heavy punch down at the man. We Brothers have spent so much effort getting up here since we were ning to be outer sect disciples. But now that we have given up, and kindly offered the ce to you, is it too much for you to give us somepensation?! Fxxk your grandmother! How dare you refuse our kindness?! While yelling, Zhang Fatso One didnt just punch that man, but also lifted up his body and dropped it onto the man again. Letting out another series of screams, the sturdy man was nearly squished to death. When he saw Zhang Fatso One stand up again, his face instantly showed pure terror. He immediately thrust out an arm holding a small bag with all his remaining strength, while shouting. Illpensate you! Zhang Fatso One paused, then hurriedly stood up before helping the sturdy man to his feet. He grabbed the small bag from the mans hand and peered into it. His face was instantly filled with happiness. He then faced the man, grinning from ear-to-ear, and gently patted the dirt off the sturdy mans clothes. Haha, good Brother. Why didnt you just do so earlier? Come,e,e, wait over there, just one more handyman, then well open the way. The sturdy mans heart was now filled with endless grievance, but he did not darein. He could only carry a sour face and go stand beside the horse-faced handyman. Unlike him, the horse-faced handyman seemed to feel a lot better after seeing what happened to the sturdy man. He felt that he had been very wise earlier. Big Brother, youre too damn good! said Bai Xiaochun whileughing. He was so happy that his face looked looked like a blooming flower; he felt even happier when he saw that all of those handymen who had followed behind the sturdy man were now stunned, and staring at Zhang Fatso One in great fright. Zhang Fatso One proudly and slowly walked back to the front of the exit before he sat down, blocking the exit once again. The two outer sect disciples standing outside the exit speechlessly looked at each other. They thought that these three people were out of line before, for ckmailing the other test-taker, but now, they felt that what they did before was actually pretty nice. TheytheyHow could they rob other test-takers?! Thats daylight robbery! yelled the two of them in anger. Deep down in their hearts, they felt more jealousy than anger as they med themselves for not thinking of this brilliant idea. Contrary to the two of them who were having all kinds ofplicated feelings, were the seven to eight handymen who came right after the sturdy man. They saw what happened to the sturdy man from beginning to end which had left them all stunned. However, a different kind of glow had gradually appeared on their faces. Most of them were unlikely to have ever be outer sect disciples. However, what was happening now seemed tooffer them an opportunity.... Brothers, now we only have one ce left. So how about this, whoever can offer the highest price will get this ce! Bai Xiaochun was a cunning kid. When he saw the expressions of the surrounding handymen, he immediately said so. His voice was shrill, and echoed throughout the surrounding area, triggering the excitement of those handymen. The sound of their heavy breathing instantly grew louder. The glow that had appeared on the few handymen faces immediately grew brighter and brighter. Their hearts beat faster and faster, as the thought of joining the outer sect filled their minds. Ten spirit stones! Eleven! This ce is mine! I offer fifteen! Within a short while, the shouts of bidding filled the air, as one faded and another rose. Bai Xiaochun and the other two fatsos were thrilled by these bids. However, these bids that went into the two outer sect disciples ears were equivalent to oil poured onto a fire. They could tolerate the ckmailing, even the robbery, but right now, those three were actually running an auction here. Their minds churned chaotically, just like a stormy sea. They felt that this was ridiculous and unfair. They had finally realised that the most hideous one amongst the three of them was not Zhang Fatso One but the seemingly nice and innocent Bai Xiaochun! Too immoral! Too shameless! yelled one of the two outer sect disciples while gnashing his teeth. Be it because of rage or jealousy, his eyes turned red. He turned around in flurry, intending to inform the sect about this. The bidding had been going on for quite a while. However, Bai Xiaochun was dissatisfied with the current bids and yelled out again. My Brothers, please hurry! Dont waste too much time, or others will catch up. To the other handymen in our department, this is a great opportunity that they would even trade their lives for! Once he let out these words, a girls excited voice suddenly came from the test-path behind the crowd. I, Hou Xiaomei, offer you thirty spirit stones! Ie from a cultivators family. Thest thing weck is spirit stones! Dont you dare bid against me! The owner of this voice was a young girl who had white, tender skin, and a slim body, looking pure and innocent. She was currently climbing the stairs while heavily panting. Zhang Fatso One seemed dumbstruck when he saw this pretty young girl. He attempted to say something, but soon choked his words back. However, he could not resist taking a nce at Bai Xiaochun. Following Hou Xiaomeis bid, the others who had been bidding up against each other immediately started raising their bids. At the end, Hou Xiaomei, who imed that she came from a cultivators family had offered a price so high that made the horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man feel like their hearts leaped out of their chests. They immediately felt that what they gave Bai Xiaochun was at a bargain price. Soon after, Hou Xiaomei puffed out her well-developed chest and proudly walked out from the crowd. She nced at the handymen behind her with disdain before taking the final step, along with the horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man who introduced himself as Mr. Wolf, hencepleting the exam. Bai Xiaochun cupped his hands and deeply bowed to the three of them. Congrattions, my Brothers and Sister, you are the fishes who have leap the dragons gate. You will all rise to greatness! The horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man stood on top of the mountain peak, in a trance. Although they had sessfully be outer sect disciples, they were not as happy as they thought they would be. With Bai Xiaochuns words still lingering in their ears, they nced at each other, and let out bitter smiles. Only Hou Xiaomei, who had bought her ce with an unbelievably high price, was ecstatic at the moment. Her beautiful and delicate face was flushed. I never thought that I, Hou Xiaomei, would have this kind of great luck! thought Hou Xiaomei proudly. Chapter 12 - On the Wooden Fence Chapter 12 - On the Wooden Fence The Outer Sect Promotion Exam held for the handymen was thus over. Zhang Fatso One stared at Hou Xiaomeis back until she disappeared in the distance towards the mountaintop. He stroked his fat chin with a meaningful look on his face. Hm, so white, so little, so pure he said as he shot a measuring nce at Bai Xiaochun beside him. (ED Note: So white, so little, so pure is a reference to MCs name which directly trantes to white, little, pure) Also staring at Hou Xiaomeis receding figure, Bai Xiaochun felt a mix of veryplicated emotions. Especially when he heard Zhang Fatso Ones words and sensed his gaze, Bai Xiaochun couldnt help but shout loudly. Stop looking at me! Seeing Bai Xiaochuns agitation, Zhang Fatso One chortled loudly, before taking out a bag of spirit stones to change the subject. Come! Come! Come! See how many spirit stones weve got! Its awesome. Haha, such a brilliant idea. Whats the point in counting them? The number will always be the same, Bai Xiaochun snorted. Ninth Brother, you dont understand. What we see are spirit stones but what we are actually counting are our lives. Surprised by Zhang Fatso Ones sentimental words which contained profound insights on life, Bai Xiaochun followed him in counting the spirit stones. After a while, he felt extremely bored so he threw the bag back to Zhang Fatso One. Right at this moment, the pathway shed brightly. Everyones vision blurred. When everything became clear again, they were already at the foot of the mountain. The middle-aged elder, who had previously opened the pathway, shook his head after looking at Bai Xiaochun and the two other fatsos oddly. Ignoring them for the moment, he decided that it was better to ask the main sect to deal with things rted to the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Bai Xiaochun and the two fatsos felt a little bit nervous at first, but nothing happened. All three of them exchanged nces, coughed, and made a beeline for the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Zhang Fatso One counted the number of spirit stones again and again on the way back to the Burning Stoves Kitchen. All the other fatsos had already returned, each of them looking very happy and satisfied. After receiving his own share, Bai Xiaochun casually left his Brothers and went into his straw hut. What he pursued was immortality. He wouldnt havee up with such an idea to gain spirit stones, had it not been for the Life-Prolonging Pill. Everything he had done previously was so that he could afford the herbal medicine. At night, no one in the Burning Stoves Kitchen slept soundly. Since all of them, especially Zhang Fatso One, had suddenly be so wealthy, they were extremely excited. Recalling their bygone days of poverty, everyone was emotional and couldnt sleep in anticipation of the bright and beautiful future. Meanwhile, Bai Xiaochun was also sleepless throughout the night, thinking about the Life-Prolonging Pill. The following day, Burning Stoves Kitchens actions traveled swiftly between the handymen on the southern bank of the Spirit River Sect. In the end, everyone found out about it. Have you heard? The Burning Stoves Kitchen did something big. They are insane. Heavens, to do something like this! To sell the positions of outer sect disciples! Thats too much. Why didnt I think about it? I have heard earlier that everyone in the Burning Stoves Kitchen has serious backing. They all have powerful supporters in the main sect. Otherwise, they wouldnt have such an appalling feast every day. Everyone in the Handyman Department was gossiping about the Burning Stoves Kitchen throughout the day. The Burning Stoves Kitchen maintained a low profile for a couple days. All of them hardly went out alone. At dusk a few dayster, Bai Xiaochun was pouring rice soup into the huge bowls with thick bottoms. All of a sudden, his ears picked up the echoes of footsteps from the road outside. Everyone from the Burning Stoves Kitchen,e out! The Administrative Department has an order to investigate the event concerning the entrance pathway! a cold voice suddenly called out, as the main gate of the Burning Stoves Kitchen was kicked open. The gates burst open. Dozens of handymen in Administrative Department uniform swarmed in. The first intruder among them was the heavily-built sturdy guy who had stood up for Xu Baocai. I was wondering why I heard the crow caw again this morning. It turns out to be because you, Chen Fei, havee again. Zhang Fatso One and Bai Xiaochun exchanged nces, feigning ignorance as to why Chen Fei was here. Together with the other fatties, the two of them calmly looked at those from the Administrative Department, who were approaching them aggressively. Chen Fei sneered, but when he took a closer look at Zhang Fatso One and Bai Xiaochun, he furrowed his brows slightly. It was really strange that these people in the Burning Stoves Kitchen were so calm. He was rather excited on the way here, thinking that he finally had the upper hand against the Burning Stoves Kitchen. He wanted to destroy the Burning Stoves Kitchen this time and put the longtime fighting between the two departments to an end once and for all. They are pretending to be calm. Chen Fei sneered with slight viciousness in his eyes and threateningly opened his mouth. Burning Stoves Kitchen, I have a question for you. Did the nine of you take part in the Promotion Examination which is aimed at recruiting outer sect disciples a few days ago? Yes, we did. Zhang Fatso One said with a smile. Good, as long as you admit in taking part. Take them away! Without any more words, Chen Fei pointed at them with his right hand. More than ten handymen from the Administrative Department swiftly spread out from behind him with iron chains in hand; it seemed that they were going to bind those from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Looking at this scene, Bai Xiaochun said with smile. Your Administrative Department is really tyrannical to restrain us from being outer sect disciples! Youre really overstepping your jurisdiction! Looking at Bai Xiaochun, Chen Fei remembered the scene when he manipted his sword, so he waved his hand to stop his associates. He stared at Bai Xiaochun and narrowed his eyes. Brother Bai, since you prevent us from taking you away, then I have to ask you another question. You, the Burning Stoves Kitchen, blocked the exit of the test and sold the entrance positions to the public, is that right? If you dared to do it, why dont you dare to admit it? Of course, we admit that we did it. Bai Xiaochun was quite calm and nodded with an obedient expression. He pointed at Zhang Fatso One and said. They did it as well. Thats right, we all did. So? Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties all admitted andughed. Chen Feis expression suddenly changed when he heard their words, he never thought that those fatsos from the Burning Stoves Kitchen would admit it so openly. He had expected that only after a long and difficult battle of wits would the fatsos finally have no choice but to concede. He felt things were rather suspicious as a foreboding feeling surfaced in his heart. So without further ado, he bellowed in a low voice. Great, great, great. Since you admitted it, then theres no need for anymore questions. Follow me to the Law Enforcement Agency. Whoever dares to resist will be expelled from the sect! While talking, Chen Fei leapt up and dashed towards Bai Xiaochun. His associates all sped towards him as well. At this moment, Bai Xiaochun suddenly raised his right hand. With a curt gesture, a ray of light from a sword shot outwards from his sleeve. The colorful wooden sword flew out immediately. It whooshed past the people of the Burning Stoves Kitchen and Administrative Department. The cold light of the de frightened Chen Fei, halting his footsteps, an awful expression appeared on his face. Bai Xiaochun, you dare oppose us? Brother Chen, your Administrative Department has the right to question us, but who gives you the right to apprehend us Hn. You have already admitted that you have broken thew of the Sect, so of course I have the right to apprehend you? Could you tell me whichw I have broken? Bai Xiaochun asked him and squinted. Zhang Fatso One and the others also squinted and gazed at Chen Fei with sneers on their faces. You sold the positions of bing outer sect disciples. This means that you have broken thew of Chen Fei suddenly stopped talking. His facial expression abruptly changed as cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He realized in shock that there was no suchw in the Sect that forbid selling the promotional cements for outer sect disciples to others After all, it was rare for anyone to think of this method. Even if someone did, they wouldnt dare to execute it. Why are you sweating, Brother Chen? Please tell us exactly whichw weve broken. If we didnt break thew, isnt it Brother Chen who wants to punish us illegally by deceiving the Law Enforcement Agency? Brother Chen, you have broken thew in Volume 9 Article 11. ording to thew, you must be punished severely! Bai Xiaochun revealed an astonished expression and made a detailed analysis with an increasingly loud voice. His inner thoughts were secretly rxed. Bullshit, I At this moment, not only had Chen Feis face turned white, but all the other handymen from the Administrative Department behind him had also realized the problem. Their faces paled immediately. Meanwhile, Zhang Fatso One raised his fists and cracked his knuckles in front of his body with a menacing grin. All the other fatties walked forwards, their eyes shining with a strong killing intent. Chen Fei, of course your Law Enforcement Agency is in charge of vitions of thew. But now you have to think about how you willpensate us for breaking the gate of our Burning Stoves Kitchen which was built by our ancestors! Zhang Fatso One grinned wickedly. The group of fatsos gave off an overwhelming pressure. Since they dared to attempt to block the exits of the test, they were naturally well-prepared for the consequences. They had long since studied thews of the Sect carefully two months ago, when Bai Xiaochun gave his suggestion. This was the reason why they had brazenly done something that seemed so severe. Lets fight! Chen Fei and his associates were frightened by Zhang Fatso Ones towering figure when they heard his words. In the following minutes, loud ping pang sounds of fighting filled the yards. With a swagger, Bai Xiaochun moved to sit on the fence as usual. As he flourished his sleeves and ced his hands behind his back, he looked into the distance with a deep expression on his face, assuming an air of superiority, as if there was no need for him to be concerned with the fight. With a flick of my, Bai Xiaochuns, fingers, the Administrative Departments defeat is imminent Chapter 13 - You can come too! Chapter 13 - You cane too! The conflict between the Burning Stoves Kitchen and Administrative Department had been going on for years. Although there had been many conflicts, they had always managed to prevent the situation from getting too out of hand. The worst that had happened was someone getting wounded. This fight, uring due to the Burning Stoves Kitchens people selling the spots to be an outer sect disciple,sted only about twenty minutes. Suffering from Zhang Fatso One and the others punches and kicks, Chen Fei and the other Administrative Departments people were badly battered. Finally, it ended with each of them giving the Burning Stoves Kitchen some spirit stones topensate for the damage done to the front gate. After issuing numerous threats, they finally departed, feeling extremely grieved. Before leaving, Chen Fei looked back and took a nce at Bai Xiaochun who had been standing on the fence wall and acting like he was cool. He felt his hatred intensify. Ever since Bai Xiaochun had joined the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they had be even more immoral. This fight had caught the attention of the entire Handyman Department. When all the other handymen in the South Bank heard that even the Administrative Department could not deal with the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they became indignant. However, there were a few handymen, like Hou Xiaomei, who felt that the Burning Stoves Kitchen had been extremely astute in creating this opportunity for themselves. Next month, when the Promotion Examination began, the Burning Stoves Kitchens people had once again waited under the mountain peaks, in front of the entrance to the trials. The surrounding handymen were giving them angry res. My Brothers, if you can run faster than us, then you obviously dont need to buy these spots from us. We are only doing this to raise yourpetitiveness, and to help the sect select the best of the best! Zhang Fatso One coughed intentionally as he spoke to other handymen. This method was taught to him by Bai Xiaochun, but when he let these words out just now, all the other handymen gnashed their teeth. When the bell sounded and the entrance to the test paths opened, each and every handyman as well as the Burning Stoves Kitchens people darted forward with everything they had. Those handymen seemed as if they had been preparing topete with the Burning Stoves Kitchens people for a long time. But as they watched the silhouettes of the Burning Stoves Kitchens fatsos vanish from their sights, all of them let out bitter smiles. They were not willing to ept the truth, but could only gnash their teeth and continue onwards. This was somehow exactly as Zhang Fatso One said After sessfully selling the ces of the outer sect disciples once again, the three fatsos were extremely proud and confident. This time, they had thoroughly shocked the entire Handyman Department. Countless handymen were frightened when they heard about this. But those few fatsos were gigantic and powerful, therefore, everyone could only choke with silent indignant fury. This was never before seen in the entire Burning Stoves Kitchens history. Although within the Handyman Department, the Burning Stoves Kitchen was quite famous in the past, but now its reputation seemed to have reached a new high. Another two months had passed. Every time the test paths opened, the Burning Stoves Kitchens people would get excited and energetically dart towards the test paths. In their eyes, every time the test paths opened, was the day that they would earn themselves another pile of spirit stones. Bai Xiaochun was excited as well. He had umted more and more spirit stones, almost enough to buy those medicine materials that he needed, when another round of tests were about to begin. This morning, Bai Xiaochun, Zhang Fatso One, ck Fatso Three and the other fatsos had woken up very early. The nine of them separated into three groups, and rushed all the way towards the test paths. Bai Xiaochun, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three directly headed to the Scented Clouds Peak. However, when they were rushing towards the test paths, the Administrative Departments people abruptly showed up and started to pick a fight with them for no good reason. The Administrative Departments people had the advantage in terms of number, which allowed this fight tost for quite a while. When the bell sounded, Zhang Fatso One immediately became anxious, and his eyes turned red. Right at this moment, all of the Administrative Departments people turned around and fled. Zhang Fatso One stomped his feet against the ground in anger. However, he didnt have enough time to chase them. Zhang Fatso One, ck Fatso Three and Bai Xiaochun darted towards the test-path of the Scented Clouds Peak in a big hurry. Finally, upon arriving , they discovered that only a few people were still standing outside the entrance. Therefore, they rushed onto the path as fast as they could. Those Administrative Departments bastards! Later when I go back down, Ill call all of our Burning Stoves Kitchens Bothers and tear the entire Administrative Department apart! cursed Zhang Fatso One while heavily gasping. While he was cursing in rage, he went all out; the fat in his body seemed to have started burning, and he continuously shrunk smaller and smaller; along with which, his became faster and faster. Bai Xiaochun was angry as well. With just a few more, he could acquire enough spirit stones to buy the medicinal materials for his mission. He gnashed his teeth hard and doubled his speed; which was already quite fast. All three of them ran as fast as they could, overtaking the other handymen one by one. When they got close to the mountaintop, their faces instantly darkened. This is because they saw that three silhouettes were standing on the mountaintops, very close to the path exit. The one who was standing in the front was Chen Fei, the man from the Administrative Department. Another two strong men standing behind him, they were all in the third-level of Qi Condensation. The three of them stood right in front of the exit; when they noticed the appearances of Bai Xiaochun and the other two fatsos, theyughed out loud one after another. Zhang Fatso One, Bai Xiaochun, yourete! But its fine, we happen to have some spare ces, do you want them? Dirty, shameless, vins! cursed Zhang Fatso One with his teeth gnashing and eyes turning red. Since its not against the rules, if your Burning Stoves Kitchen can do it, then so can our Administrative Department! Haha! From now on, this business belongs to us! yelled Chen Fei. Chen Feis proud and scornful voicended om Bai Xiaochun and the two fatsos ears, Zhang Fatso One was burning with fury. Obviously, the Administrative Department had nned all of this long ago, which was why their people had shown up to block their way. Zhang Fatso One let out a rage-filled roar and prepared tounch an attack on his three opponents. In his mind, this fight was inevitable. Moreover, these kind of things would probably happen again and again in the future. This was akin to robbing spirit stones from him, which threw Zhang Fatso One into a violent rage. ck Fatso Three was as just as angry. However, right when the two of them were about tounch their attacks, an idea quickly came to Bai Xiaochuns mind as he abruptly started talking in a low voice. Big brother, run as fast as you can and push them out past the exit. Wed rather give up on those spirit stones for this one time, than have those people attempt to seize our business in the future! As soon as he said this, Zhang Fatso Ones eyes were instantly filled with wild glee. He increasingly began to feel that Bai Xiaochun just had too many rotten ideas in his head. He threw his head back andughed towards the sky as his body shot outwards. ck Fatso Threes eyes were simrly shining as he chuckled darkly. With a sh, his body moved beside Zhang Fatso One. The test-path was not broad, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three had darted out towards the exit beside each other. They looked like a wall thatpletely blocked the path as they started roaring gales. Their speed was fleetingly quick, in an instant, they reached Chen Fei and his two Brothers. Bai Xiaochun started yelling in a high-pitched voice behind Zhang Fatso One. Chen Fei and the other two who saw theming,unched their attacks without any hesitation; however, no matter how hard they tried, they couldnt beat Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three, who were charging like agitated wild boars; their eyes red with rage. This strike that had beenunched by the two fatsos with all of their strength could make even demons cry. They had rushed all the way and directly crashed into the bodies of Chen Fei and his two Brothers. The three of them instantly stepped backwards; their facial expressions instantly changed into shock, suddenly realising the intention of these two Burning Stoves Kitchens fatsos; their heads started buzzing. If they were in other ces, they could still dodge and counterattack, but in here, no counterattack could help them, on the contrary, to fight back would probably make them step back even quicker. The more steps backwards they took, the more fear their faces showed. They didnt want to be outer sect disciples so soon. Once they joined the outer sect, they would be ordinary disciples instead of the Administrative Departments officers, greatly reducing their benefits... Brother Zhang, please stop! Calm down! We can talk about th- said Chen Fei hurriedly, however, before he could finish his sentence, Bai Xiaochun interrupted him in a shrill voice. Big Brother! Go! Push him to the peak! Hearing Bai Xiaochun, Zhang Fatso One let out another great roar, and doubled his speed once again; so did ck Fatso Three. Once again, the two of them heavily thudded against Chen Fei and his Brothers bodies along with loud booms. One of the strong men who had been standing behind Chen Fei couldnt take the force, and was the first to be sent flying out of the narrow stairs, falling onto the mountain peak. He stood on the peak, wanting to cry butcking tears. At the same time, when the man was bumped out, the other Administrative Offices handyman let out a howl, and took a series of steps backwards, stepping out of the test-path. Standing on the mountain peak beside his Brother, he beat his own chest hard and seemed extremely frustrated. Thest one was Chen Fei. He tried his best, but he eventually got directly forced out with a boom from the narrow path. His eyes thoroughly turned red; standing on the mountain peak, he turned around and stared at Zhang Fatso One with a murderous light in his eyes. Bai! Xiaochun!!! the one he hated most wasnt Fatso One, but Bai Xiaochun, who thought of this vicious idea. At this moment, the two outer sect disciples, who were in charge of admitting new outer sect disciples, saw what just happened. They nced at each other and let out a few dry coughs, took a few steps back and didnt say anything. Standing near the test paths exit, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three arrogantlyughed out loud. Chen Fei, bye bye! Haha, I will never see you again in this Handyman Department, I will miss you! I''m so jealous of you! You have be an outer sect disciple! yelled Zhang Fatso One while pping his own stomach; fat rose and fell on his belly like the waves of the sea. Chen Fei and the two Brothers of his were about to vomit blood, they even wanted to kill these Burning Stoves Kitchens bastards. My three dear Brothers, you dont need to thank us at all! Congrattions, youre the fishes that leapt through the dragons gate, you will all have very bright futures! I, your younger Brother, truly envy you for that. said Bai Xiaochun while raising his chin, his face filled with proudness. However, right after he said those words, a frosty and nd voice abruptly came from the top of the Scented Clouds Peak. No need to be envious, you cane too. Bai Xiaochun quivered when he heard this voice, his eyes instantly showed fright. A great force suddenly came from the mountain peak, directly shrouding Bai Xiaochun, instantly rolled his body up and brought him to the mountain peak. Bai Xiaochun screamed out, grabbed a towering tree beside the test-path, tightly coiled his limbs around the tree trunk, and screamed even louder. Brothers! Help!!! This happened way too fast, before Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three realised what this was about, the tree trunk which was sped by Bai Xiaochun had already been broke with a cracking sound. Bai Xiaochuns body was then directly rolled up to the mountain peak by the force, like a kite but without a line. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man walked out. The man was wearing a light blue robe, giving off a natural air of power and prestige. That was no one else but Li Qinghou Title for chapter 14: Ninth Brother, be careful it could be a trap! Chapter 14 - Ninth Brother, be careful it could be a trap! Chapter 14 - Ninth Brother, be careful it could be a trap! This scene brought Chen Fei and the others great satisfaction. As they looked at Bai Xiaochun, they felt that justice was being served. He had iting. As for the outer sect disciples, hatred could be seen on their faces. They had never felt this kind of emotion towards any handyman before. I dont want to go Bai Xiaochun wailed as he copsed onto the floor. His voice, filled with boundless grievance, was reverberating outwards. It was so strong that anyone who heard him would shed tears. At the same time, after seeing Li Qinghou, Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three hurriedly lowered their heads, preparing to escape while Li Qinghou was not paying attention. Ninth Brother, its not that Big Brother doesnt want to save you, but now that one of Scented Cloud Mountains five ancestors has appeared, other than suffering in the outer sect, there really isnt much you can do anymore. Zhang Fatso One released multiple sighs of despair. However, while lowering his head in preparation for escape, he suddenly heard Li Qinghous voice from behind him. You two, youreing as well. Almost at the same time as when Zhang Fatso One heard those words, an immense force suddenly dragged the two of them towards the mountain. They didnt even have time to grab onto a tree. I dont want to go up that mountain! Id rather starve to death in the Burning Stoves Kitchen than be an outer sect disciple! Zhang Fatso One desperately protested. His wails were so much more intense than Bai Xiaochuns that thetter forgot to continue screaming. ck Fatso Three did not make a sound, but his face was filled with unhappiness. Pouting his lips, he looked at the bottom of the mountain with strong dismay. Shut up! Li Qinghous expression darkened as he listened to Zhang Fatso Ones wailing. At that moment, Bai Xiaochun immediately straightened his posture, his face solemn as he stood to the side, his stance dignified. His handymans demeanor disappeared without a trace; it was as if he had changed into apletely different person. Zhang Fatso One was momentarily nonplussed before he straightened his posture as well. Under that facade however, his heart was still flooded with an ocean of grievance. He didnt know why he was screaming like that, but he immediately scolded himself for it. Zhang Dahai, you will go to Purple Cauldron Mountain. From today onwards, you are an outer sect disciple of Purple Cauldron Mountain. Chen Qingrou, youre going to Green Peak Mountain. Bai Xiaochun, youre staying at Scented Cloud Mountain, and youre going to be an outer sect disciple. Come! Li Qinghou nced at Bai Xiaochun and felt his head throb. All he did was shut himself in for closed-door cultivation, and the moment he came out, he was greeted with the Burning Stoves Kitchen incident. It even reached the ears of the sect elders, who treated it as nothing more than rare entertainment. Punishment never even crossed their minds. Thinking that it would be bad if this continued, Li Qinghou personally came to resolve the issue. After he finished talking, he flourished his sleeves and walked towards the higher peaks of Scented Cloud Mountain, paying no more attention to Chen Fei and the others behind him. Bai Xiaochun was making a bitter face as he sighed, bidding farewell to Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Three. Then, he suddenly remembered something and looked at ck Fatso Three with an odd expression. He uncertainly asked him a question. Third Brothers name is Chen Qingrou? Heh, nice name. It makes you sound like a peerless beauty. ck Fatso Three, feeling depressed, turned and walked away with a grunt. He was headed towards the bottom of the mountain. Whats up with him? Bai Xiaochun asked as he turned to Zhang Fatso One. Shooting Bai Xiaochun a strange look, Zhang Fatso One patted his shoulder and spoke in a heavy tone. Ninth Brother, Ive never told you this before but ck Fatso Three isnt your Brother in truth, she''s your Sister. Zhang Fatso One said, giving a dry cough before hurrying away. Bai Xiaochun just stood there dazed and thunderstruck. He felt as if nothing made sense in this world anymore. S-sister? Bai Xiaochun said breathing deeply for a long while. When he was looking at ck Fatso Threes figure, he heard Li Qinghous ice-cold voice. Youve been talking for too long! Still noting?! Bai Xiaochun hastened his pace as he followed Li Qinghou, his face bitter once more. Every three steps he took, he would look back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen and sigh. As for Li Qinghous identity, Bai Xiaochun had found out long ago that in the sects four peaks and three mountains, Li Qinghou was one of the five ancestors in charge of Scented Cloud Mountain. He held a very high position in the sect. The Scented Cloud Mountain may not seem big, but inside, there are four seasons, with chirping birds and fragrant flowers. It was like and of immortals, and was iparablyrger than what its outer appearance suggested. The exit of the road of trials was actually just a small part of the mountain. Looking at the entirety of the mountain, it was not even close to the peak, and could be considered part of the foot. Along with the Scented Cloud Mountains weather and climate, there was the soothing scent of medicinal herbs that warmed the body. Bai Xiaochun felt great as he hurriedly inhaled deeply, his cultivation which had stagnated at the third level of Qi-Condensation for several months,improved with each breath he took. Li Qinghou, who was walking in front of Bai Xiaochun, did not turn back, but joy could be seen in his gaze. He was pleased with the progress Bai Xiaochun had made in a year. Youd better stop causing trouble after bing an outer sect disciple. Im going back into closed-door cultivation. You need to put in effort as though you are rowing a boat against the current. Otherwise, your cultivation will deteriorate. Li Qinghou said lightly. Bai Xiaochun did not dare to refute his words, so he nodded his head like a good boy. For the cultivation of outer sect disciples, sect resources are just one part. They also need hard work and fortuitous encounters. So, there are many tasks for people toplete in the sect. Later, you should go take a look, and select some of them to temper yourself. Li Qinghou exined. At this point, Bai Xiaochun suddenly felt his heart move, and recalled the time when he was looking through the sect rules. For outer sect disciples, a task was to bepleted once every set period of time. Failure to do so resulted in the position of outer sect disciple being revoked. Bai Xiaochun was pleasantly surprised. However, immediately after he thought of it, Li Qinghou managed to guess what was on his mind. Stop thinking about the sectws. Others may only have their identity as outer sect disciples revoked and turned back into handymen, but if I ever find you cking off, Ill kick you out of the sect and send you back to your vige. Maybe if I remember you in a hundred years, Ill go burn some incense sticks for you. The thought terrified him. Its one thing to be ignorant about the cultivation world and be uninvolved, but for someone like him who had already begun walking the road of immortality, it would crush his hopes and dream of living a long life if he was sent back to the vige. So, he hurriedly pat his chest and swore that he wouldplete the missions without fail. Not long after, a loft could be seen within the clouds at the center of Scented Cloud Mountain. It wasnt big but it was elegant. Through the window, a youth could be seen reading quietly. Sensing a persons presence, the youth raised his head. It was a charming face. Seeing Li Qinghou, he stood up and left the loft to salute him. Disciple greets ancestor. This is Bai Xiaochun. Make the arrangements for him to be an outer sect disciple. Li Qinghou said, ncing at Bai Xiaochun. His body shed and turned into a rainbow, shooting towards the peak of the mountain. With Li Qinghous departure, Bai Xiaochun let out the breath he had been holding. He felt a lot more rxed and the sky seemed bluer. The youth sized up Bai Xiaochun, then suddenlyughed. Youre the Bai Xiaochun who blocked the road of trials of my Scented Cloud Mountain and sold the positions in the past few months? You praise me too much. A trivial thing like this isnt worth mentioning. Bai Xiaochun let out an embarrassedugh. After hearing his words, the youthughed even louder. His eyes shone with interest at this neer. Dropping the subject, the youth led Bai Xiaochun around the mountain, introducing some buildings to him along the way. My Scented Cloud Mountain has a high position in the sect, becausepared to the cultivation of Green Peak Mountain and the techniques of Purple Cauldron Mountain, what my Scented Cloud Mountain is good at is refining medicine. Even in the entire Skybridge River and the four big sects, my Scented Cloud Mountain has an illustrious reputation. Especially the head elder, he is even more renowned, being one of the only two medicine masters in the Donglin Continent. As a result, bing an outer sect disciple of my Scented Cloud Mountain is the same as bing a Spirit Child, so you need to learn knowledge of nts and how to refine medicine. The youth exined in detail as Bai Xiaochun followed him. He led him to receive his outer sect disciple uniform as well as a storage pouch. The space in the bag was small, but it fascinated Bai Xiaochun nheless. After trying it out a few times, he kept it as if it was treasure. What made him happiest was that the sect gave him twenty spirit stones after he became an outer sect disciple. Just a few more stones and he could buy the herbs he needed. Dusk came. After the youths introduction, Bai Xiaochun understood Scented Cloud Mountain better. Later, the youth brought him to a ce called Ten Thousand Medicine Refining Pavillion. Here, he took out a jade tablet. This jade tablet contains information on ten thousand types of herbs. You need to memorize them all before you can exchange it for the second part. Brother Bai, the road to immortality is long, spirit medicine is indispensable to you on this journey, and if you can be a Medicine Master, youll experience a meteoric rise. Spirit Child, Medicine Apprentice, Medicine MasterBrother Bai, how far you go depends on your fate. The youth said with a kind smile. Upon nightfall, they sent Bai Xiaochun to the courtyard the sect arranged for him. Junior Brother Bai, tommorow Im leaving the mountain. I wont be able to apany you to the Scriptures Pavillion, so remember to wake up early tomorrow, and get theter parts of the Purple Cauldron Qi Maniption Technique. Or, you could also choose to practice another technique. Every new outer sect disciple gets one technique for free. If you want more, you will have to pay for them. If theres anything you dont understand in the future, you cane look for me at anytime. My name is Hou Yunfei. I also have to thank you for looking after my little sister a while back. Hou Yunfei smiled, cupped his fists, and swiftly left. Hou Yunfei? Hmm. Bai Xiaochun raised his head after he returned the gesture, and gazed at his figure leaving the ce. After thinking about it, he suddenly remembered a girls figure. Hou Xiaomei! He blinked, feeling like he inadvertently did something good. Eventually, he took a deep breath, turning to look at the courtyard, his eyes showed hints of life, his silhouette was tall and upright under the moonlight. Oh well, being an outer sect disciple doesnt seem that bad! Bai Xiaochun threw out his sleeves, and walked into the courtyard. Chapter 14 (True Title): Third Brother? Third Sister? Chapter 15 - Unending Longevity Technique! Chapter 15 - Unending Longevity Technique! The bright moonlight was shining down on the Scented Cloud Mountain of the Spirit River Sect dispersing both clouds and mist, baring half the mountain. The scene was extremely beautiful. In the middle of its eastern side, at the end of a side path, was a yard an acrerge, surrounded by trees and flowers. It was quite picturesque. A cabin was built in the yard. Within it, all the furniture was made from deep-purple coloured wood, filling the cabin with the faint scent of sandalwood. This house looked much better than any of the Handyman Departments houses. A part of the yard was used as a field, and a well was located in a corner of the yard. At the moment, Bai Xiaochun was basking in the moonlight, surveying the surroundings, his eyes showing satisfaction. Outer sect disciples are officially recognized by the sect as their disciples, naturally they get treated a lot better than handymen. This house is really nice, but, Ive heard from Big Brother that, if we be inner sect disciples, we could live in cavesI wonder what that would look like? murmured Bai Xiaochun as he raised his head to look at the Scented Cloud Mountains peak. Only inner sect disciples were qualified to live in the upper half of the mountain. Soon after, he turned his head,zily stretched his body, and took out a storage bag, then gently patted it. Following this movement, a bottle of round pills and a stick of cyan coloured incense instantly appeared in front of his eyes. Good~ stuff~. Bai Xiaochun couldnt resist fiddling with the storage bag. After a while, He fixed his eyes on the bottle of round pills and the cyan incense. There was a sticker on the bottle, with the words - spirit condensation - written on it, while the cyan incense was embossed with ascending cyan. When he first became a handyman, he had received things like these; after he swallowed those pills, his cultivation showed some slight improvement. Incenses would have the same effect after the user lit them and breathed in their fragrance Its a bit of a waste if I just swallow them like this. Why not save them until after spirit refinement? They can probably help me to break through the higher levels. Bai Xiaochun thought for a bit, then made a decision. At the moment, he didnt have the type of wood that could produce single-coloured me, so he nned to go downhill and get some tomorrow. After thinking up to this point, Bai Xiaochun sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate. He never gave up on cultivating, not even a little bit. Despite his slow progress all this time, he never stopped cultivating. He was doing this to attain immortality, therefore, he was extremely dedicated towards cultivation. The night passed silently, the glow of the sun spilled onto the morning mist and dispersed into beams of multicoloured light, which glimmered like precious gems. Bai Xiaochun, who had cultivated the entire night, felt very energetic after opening his eyes. He put on his outer sect disciples uniform and swiftly left the cabin to head for the Scriptures Pavilion that Brother Hou told him about yesterday. The Scriptures Pavilion was located on the other side of the mountain, far from where he lived. After walking for half an hour, he finally managed to see a tall tower in the distance. Streams of lights were swirling around the tower, along with spiritual pressure which was emitted by the tower,yered on the surrounding area. He saw a lot of outer sect disciples on his way, most of whom seemed to be in a hurry. After sensing that Bai Xiaochun was only at the third level of Qi Condensation, they disregarded him. Bai Xiaochun didnt mind this, but he did start to tread more carefully. All of the outer sect disciples he had passed on the way had a cultivation level higher than his. A few of them had an immeasurable cultivation and were surrounded by other outer sect disciples. Theyughed and talked as they walked past Bai Xiaochun. The closer he got to the Scriptures Pavilion, the more outer sect disciples he saw. When Bai Xiaochun was about to enter the pavilion, a rainbow streak darted over from a far away mountain peak,pped over the Scented Cloud Mountain and then flew away. Within the rainbow streak, a young man was barely visible. He was standing on a wheel which was moving quickly. Its Qian Dajin from the Law Enforcement Department, Brother Qian! Brother Qian is an inner sect disciple that has joined the Law Department. He has be incredibly famous now! Its said that he has already reached the eighth level, which is the Great Circle of Qi Condensation, and with the help of magic treasures, he is able to fly for a short while, so enviable! Bai Xiaochun too, gazed at the rainbow streak with envy until it disappeared from sight, and sighed in his heart. One day, when I have learned how to fly, Ill fly circles around this Scented Cloud Mountain, when this ce is crowded, everyday! he said to himself with determination. He then made his way through the crowd and got into the Scriptures Pavilion. The Scriptures Pavilion tower was gigantic. The first floor was almost empty, only a single table was ced in it. An elderly man was sitting behind the table with his eyes closed and legs crossed. Every disciple who walked past him would put the te that showed their status on the table, and wait until the te gave out light, before politely walking ahead. Bai Xiaochun walked to the elderly man like the others and ced his te on the table. Soon, it shone. Bai Xiaochun hastily picked it up and followed the other Brothers upstairs, to the second floor of the Scriptures Pavilion. Many bookshelves had been ced on the second floor. They containedrge amounts of jade tablets and a few bamboo scrolls. Every single one of them was wrapped up in a faint and soft light, which made the entire second floor seem extraordinary. Not far away from him, was a staircase. Bai Xiaochun looked around first, then walked to it. When he was about to head up, a screen of light suddenly appeared, causing him to bounce back. A young man, with a straight unibrow, who had been reading bamboo scrolls, nced at Bai Xiaochun when he noticed what had happened. Brother, what qualifications do we need to go up to the third floor? Bai Xiaochun acted like a good child and asked curiously. You must be a new disciple. Only disciples at the fifth level of Qi Condensation or above can go up there. said that young man ndly. After which, he stopped talking, looked down and continued reading. Bai Xiaochun, realising that this young man didnt want to be disturbed, gave up on essing the third floor and started to look around the second floor. He randomly chose some jade tablets and bamboo scrolls, then browsed through the many techniques in them. Every single one of them was attractive to him. He especially fancied a fire-rted magic that had been introduced in one of the books. After a short while, he found the jade tablet of the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique that contained the method and pictures corresponding to the cultivation of fourth to eighth level of Qi Condensation. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly grabbed it in his hand and continued walking around. Time passed by quickly and, in the blink of an eye, dusk had arrived. Bai Xiaochun had only finished going through seven areas in the Scriptures Pavilions second floor. By now, only a few people were still in the Scriptures Pavilion. Seven or eight techniques look great while he was still wondering which one to choose, he randomly picked up another bamboo scroll, this one was a bit dpidated. However, after a single nce, Bai Xiaochuns eyes popped out. They were overflowing with excitement and enthusiasm. The Unending Longevity Technique! He took a deep breath, carefully read through the introduction of this technique, and learned that this was a body-cultivation technique, iming to be capable of making whoever reached its pinnacle live forever. His breathing became rapid. After taking another nce at the name of this technique, he made the decision. He was going to choose this technique! The very reason he started cultivating was so that he could to attain immortality, therefore, he instantly felt that this technique was meant for him, and that he was destined to find it. Heughed out loud and took the bamboo scroll before going downstairs. In the first floors hall, the elderly man was still seated behind the table with his eyes closed, just the same as this morning. However, when Bai Xiaochun put the jade tablet for the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique and bamboo scroll containing The Unending Longevity Technique on the table, the elderly man slowly opened his eyes and threw a nce at Bai Xiaochun. This nce made Bai Xiaoxhuns body instantly shake, he felt that this nce was like lightning, making him tremble with fear. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly put on a polite face. Fortunately, the elderly man soon stopped looking at Bai Xiaochun, and instead, took a nce at Bai Xiaochuns identity te. New disciples are allowed to copy the instructions for the first eight levels of the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, as well as one other technique. said the elderly man slowly, in a hoarse voice. While speaking, his eyes were fixed on the bamboo scroll of The Unending Longevity Technique and frowned slightly. Although this technique is described as amazing, only a part of it remains. Additionally, the cultivation of this technique is extremely difficult, it will bring you great pain that no ordinary person can bear. Very few cultivators have choosen this one, and most of them eventually gave up. This book has been burried in the Scriptures Pavilion for a long time, are you sure you want to cultivate it? said the elderly man while looking at Bai Xiaochun. Respected elder, disciple is very sure. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly responded. Hearing the elderly mans words, Bai Xiaochun had a feeling that, the reason this technique had been left in the corner of a bookshelf for so many years, was because it had been waiting for him. When he thought about the words unending longevity, he felt his blood boil. The elderly man stopped trying to advise Bai Xiaochun. He then raised his right hand and waved it in the air; after which, two nk jade slips flew out, and after copying the information, dropped in front of Bai Xiaochun. The elderly man then closed his eyes again, not paying any more attention to Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun took the two jade slips, turned around and left, his eyes filled with anticipation. He went directly back to his cabin. Night had fallen before he returned. In the cabin, Bai Xiaochun sat down cross-legged. After taking a deep breath, he took out the jade slip containing the Unending Longevity Technique and activated his Qi. After his Qi merged with the jade slip, the instructions instantly emerged in his mind. Half an hourter, Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes, as if he was thinking of something. Just as the elderly man had said, the manual for The Unending Longevity Technique was iplete. ording to it, the cultivation method for this technique was divided into two parts. The internal refinement and external refinement. The external refinement wasposed of three chapters: skin, flesh and tendons, while the internal refinement had two chapters: bones and blood. This iplete book only had the cultivation method for the skin, which indeed seemed very difficult; besides, the book also mentioned that the cultivation of this technique would consume great amounts of energy. However, the book had mentioned a few secret techniques which seemed a bit exaggerated; for example, one of them was called throat-crushing grasp, which the book imed to be unbeatable. Bai Xiaochun hesitated for a second, but after looking at the words Unending Longevity, his eyes instantly burned with determination. ording to the manual, he stood up, raised his hands and started smacking every single area on his body. He had an insurmountable desire for immortality, which was stronger than what ordinary people had by hundreds of times. It was the same for cultivation, so he wholeheartedly followed the manuals instructions, and smacked his body during the course of the entire night. Ouch, ouchloose first, then tightouchouchtightthen loose! Bai Xiaochun gritted his teeth while repeating a sentence from the The Unending Longevity Techniques manual. He had been jumping around the yard while constantly screaming, on the verge of tears. In the end, he made up his mind, took his spirit stones, and walked out of the yard, then went down the mountain. He thought that if he was going to train, then why not go down the mountain and buy the medicinal materials instead, and trade them for the life-prolonging pill. That would be much better than just jumping around the yard. Therefore, at the top of Scented Cloud Mountain, many outer sect disciples saw a white and tender young man, who was hopping in a strange manner, rather than walking. He let out strange screams from time to time. From afar, these screams sounded extremely creepyas if Bai Xiaochun was an extremely depraved person having his wedding night. [ED NOTE: RAWs said ** which suggests sexual activity] Ahouchohohahahahah Bai Xiaochun didnt want to make those sounds either, but it was just too painful. It was so painful that even when he didnt move, he still felt that he was being tortured. However, every time he thought about the words unending longevity, he would steel himself and continue. Eventually, he made his way from the mountain top to the market located outside the sects entrance. After he unsteadily acquired enough of the required medicinal materials, he bought some wood that could produce one-coloured me. As for wood that could produce two-coloured me, it was very expensive so, he could only purchase a single piece before using up all his spirit stones. After purchasing everything he needed, he gritted his teeth in pain and went to the mission-monument. There, hepleted the mission that he had taken when he was still a handyman, and obtained a life-prolonging pill. This pill was only the size of a thumbnail, it was all yellow, and emitted a special fragrance. Looking at the round pill, Bai Xiaochun was in so much pain that he couldnt say a single word. Sweat was pouring down his body in streams,pletly drenching him. Gritting his teeth with all his strength, Bai Xiaochun climbed up Scented Cloud Mountains stairs step by a step, leaving a trail of sweat on the road behind him. Quite a few outer sect disciples were shocked after they saw Bai Xiaochun, some of them even showed disgust. After all, the sweaty stench emitted by his body was extremely strong. Even Bai Xiaochun didnt know how he made it back to his courtyard. By the time he arrived at the yard, one step at a time, it was alreadyte at night. As soon as he stepped into his courtyard, he just fell on the ground, and passed out from the pain. During the night, he had been woken up then knocked out by the pain multiple times. At dawn, he opened his eyes and discovered that the pain was gone. This is only an iplete small cycle Bai Xiaochun thought of what was written in the Unending Longevity Techniques manual. A day and a night like this, without passing out, could be counted as aplete small cycle, and it required eighty-one small cycles like this to achieve a small cirction. This was equivalent to reforming the skin. When the skin became tough enough, the cultivator wouldnt feel such great pain. If this technique was easy, anyone could cultivate it, and then everyone would be immortal. The more difficult it is, the more I should continue cultivating it. If I stick with it, I can definitely gain eternal life! Bai Xiaochuns eyes burned with determination. His abnormaly strong obssesion with eternal life could shock anyone. Now that he finally didnt feel any pain from his body, Bai Xiaochun hurriedly took the life-prolonging pill out. After giving it a closer look, he was about to swallow it. However, he suddenly thought of something, looked at the surroundings to make sure that nobody was around, then rushed into his cabin and made a gesture with his right hand; following his gesture, the turtle-shell pot instantly appeared. Just swallowing it would be a waste, I should wait for after the spirit refinement. murmured Bai Xiaochun while licking his own lips. He then took out the two-coloured me wood piece, ced it under the turtle-shell pot, then lit it. The piece of wood started to burn quickly, and in the blink of an eye, became ashes. After which, the two patterns on the surface of the pot lit up. Bai Xiaochun hesitated for a moment, then put the life-prolonging pill into the pot. The instant the pill was put inside, an eye-piercing silver light suddenly gushed out. Bai Xiaochun, having experienced this before, stayed calm as he fixed his eyes on the pot. A short whileter, the silver light dissipated, and in the pot, two silver patterns had appeared on the surface of the life-prolonging pill. The pleasant scent of medicinal materials, far denser than before, was being emitted by the pill. Just by breathing in that fragrance, Bai Xiaochun felt much more energetic than before. What a shame, I couldnt find any wood that produces three-coloured me. Bai Xiaochun grabbed the pill and threw it into his mouth. As soon as it entered his mouth, the pill transformed into heat and diffused into his body. Bai Xiaochun heard a boom from inside his head, then he felt as if his entire body was in an oven, everything inside was zing. He even saw the white hair near his forehead instantly turn back to ck, as if his life-force was being replenished. Quite a whileter, this feeling hadnt weakened at all, on the contrary, it kept growing stronger, to the point where his nose started bleeding. Too much! Bai Xiaochun said as his eyes widely popped out. He hurriedly activated the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique, however, that didnt help at all, because what had been replenished by this pill was life-force, not Qi. More and more blood gushed out of his nose, and the hot stream of life-force inside his body started to expand, making him feel like he had be a balloon which was about to explode. He was instantly frightened. In fact, after this pill went through two spirit refinements, its effects and value were hundreds of times more than what they used to be. Bai Xiaochun was only in the third-level of Qi Condensation, it was impossible for his body to handle the effect of this pill. In this moment of crisis, Bai Xiaochun suddenly thought of The Unending Longevity Technique. He hurriedly leapt up and started smacking his own body with both of his hands using all of his strength. Muffled popping sounds resounded about the room. Along with his movements, he felt that the hot stream inside his body started to cool down. However, he did not dare to stop. After smacking himself for half an hour, he finally felt the hot stream of life-force inside his body dissipate. His entire body was aching to the point where he immediately copsed, panting. However, he felt better than he ever had before. An intense light could be seen shing in his eyes. Although its partially rted to spirit refinement... its still mostly the spirit medicine itself. Spirit medicineis surprisingly miraculoussome can improve Qi, some can prolong the lifeso, there might be one that can make people immortal! thinking of this, Bai Xiaochun became more and more excited as his eyes shone even brighter. The Scented Cloud Mountain is exactly for raising Medicine Masters Im going to be a Medicine Master, and make... an immortality pill! Bai Xiaochun yelled to himself while panting. At this moment, an iparable and unprecedentedly strong interest in spirit pills had grown in his heart. Chapter 16 - Attention To Detail Chapter 16 - Attention To Detail With this goal in mind, Bai Xiaochuny in the courtyard, his body aching and worn out. However, he faintly felt that his skin had hardened substantially. This made him look forward to bing a Medicine Master even more. Havingin in the courtyard for half an hour, the aching in his body receded. Bai Xiaochun sat up and crossed his legs. His eyes shed as he took out the pills and incense he received upon bing an outer sect disciple from his storage pouch. After inspecting them carefully, Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath and nced at his surroundings, before turning around and returning to the cabin. There, he took out the turtle-shell pot. Although these pills can be taken now, after the spirit refinement, they should be enough to let me make a breakthrough from the third level of Qi Condensation to the fourth. Its a pity that the two-coloured firewood is so expensive. The Burning Stoves Kitchen has some, but Im not a handyman over there anymore, so that would be inconvenient. Bai Xiaochun now had a great interest in medicines, so after giving it a thought, he took out a piece of one-coloured firewood without hesitation. Just refining it once is still good! He lit up the firewood which burned with a one-coloured me. Momentster, a single pattern brightly lit up on the turtle-shell pot. Bai Xiaochun opened the medicinal bottle cap and took out the three medicine pills that were the size of dragon eyes. He refined each pill separately. Silver lights shone one after another and soon, three pills with silver patterns appeared in Bai Xiaochuns palm. He had also refined the stick of cyan incense, then looked at the three spirit medicines that had each been refined once, ced in front of him. Bai Xiaochun kneeled down, and after he ced the cyan incense stick in front of him, he picked up the three pills and threw them into his mouth. Bai Xiaochun then imitated the fourth picture in the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique manual and cultivated ordingly. Soon, the Qi in his body began circting. This time, he managed tost noticeably longer. His cultivation base started to increase. Within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the river of Qi inside him began to rapidly flow through his entire body as he began to attack the bottleneck of the fourth level of Qi Condensation. Just a hundred more breaths and I will enter the fourth level of Qi condensation! Bai Xiaochun gritted his teeth as he imitated the actions shown in the fourth picture, which caused his body to curl into a ball. Cracking sounds could be hearding from his entire person as beads of sweat fell to the floor, non-stop. As he started to run out of Qi, he squinted his eyes. Suddenly, Bai Xiaochun opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of Qi at the cyan incense stick. As soon as his Qi hit it, the cyan incense lit up and produced wisps of cyan smoke which resembled snakes. Upon appearing, they creeped straight for Bai Xiaochun, entering his body through his seven apertures and pores, transforming into thick Qi that bolstered the river of Qi inside him. With a boom, a small st wave erupted from Bai Xiaochuns body and spread throughout the cabin before sweeping through the courtyard like a gust of wind. Bai Xiaochuns eyes glinted with joy as heughed. The fourth level of Qi Condensation! He immediately felt the Qi inside him thicken with vigor. As he walked around, his body felt lighter than ever. Looking down, he sawrge amounts of ck filth sticking to his body, and he immediately knew that these were the impurities forced out of his body. Moving his body, he exited his cabin so fast it looked as if he was flying, and did some cleaning in the courtyard. Bai Xiaochun felt refreshed. Making a gesture with his right hand, a wooden sword immediately flew out from his storage pouch like a prismatic rainbow. After manipting the wooden sword and making it fly about in the courtyard, Bai Xiaochun felt even more pleased with himself. Although it was not a sword fit for use at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, but under his control, it possessed a certain killing intent. Spirit refinement would be so much better if I had three-coloured mes, but medicine pills are just as amazing. Bai Xiaochuns interest in spirit medicine had only increased. Whether it was medicinal pills or incense sticks, all were indispensable for cultivation. I have to be a great Medicine Master, refine a Longevity pill, and use spirit refinement on it ten no, a hundred times! Bai Xiaochuns desire to be a Medicine Master intensified from the bottom of his heart. Thinking up to this point, he pat his bag and took out a jade tablet. The jade tablet was given to him by Hou Yunfei when they had gone to the Thousand Herbs Pavilion earlier. It contained the introductions and images of ten thousand types of herbs. This jade tablet was unique, could only be found in Scented Cloud Mountain, and it was required that all Spirit Children memorised it. However, mastering a mere ten thousand types of herbs still wasnt enough. Bai Xiaochun thought about what Hou Yunfei said - only after memorising it could he exchange this jade tablet for the next one. He enthusiastically circted the Qi in his body. Many different herbs were shing through his mind. He only got more and more entranced by it, as if he had opened another door in life. It even described the herbs needed to make the life-prolonging pill. After roughly looking through everything, Bai Xiaochun felt that memorising all the different herbs was not a difficult task. After all, he was someone who was aspiring to be the great Medicine Master that would make a longevity pill. So, his overzealous personality exploded out once more. He wanted to more than just memorise the herbs - he wanted to scrutinize each and every single one of them to the absolute extreme before moving on to the next. Bai Xiaochun madly trained for half a year when he had been threatened by Xu Baocai, and now, before such a grand dream, the same potential burst out from within him. All the images of nts and herbs were all scrutinized in minute detail, to the point where a realistic figure of the herb would form the moment Bai Xiaochun closed his eyes. However, he thought that it was not enough, andmented not having the actual nts... Bai Xiaochun wanted to dissect the herbs to examine them more thoroughly. Unfortunately, he could only closely examine what he had. Be it texture or other minor details, he wouldpletely study them. Still unsatisfied, Bai Xiaochun did not spare even the roots, nor fruits. He studied the herbs as if they were erged an infinite amount of times, excavating them bit by bit. Even after all of that, his heart still could not be put at ease. In the end, Bai Xiaochun had even studied the villus and pores of each herb with that same dogged scrutiny. Time passed quickly and soon, it had been a month since he started his daily training in the fourth level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Maniption Technique. His cultivation base had also be a bit more rxed. At the same time, he didnt stop practicing the Unending Longevity Technique. Every day, Bai Xiaochun endured unspeakable pain, while sprinting back and forth in his courtyard, and memorising the herbs. Currently, he was able to mix the herbs he had studied in his mind. He had already reached the point where he could only explore beyond what was recorded in the jade tablet. (TLC note: raws say running. Most likely his jumping ispleted and the manual told him to run) In addition to this, whenever he was running, he would always stop at the upper right corner of the courtyard. Over there, was a spirit field. In that field, Bai Xiaochun had nted the seeds of ten herbs. (ED note: spirit field is the same as ling field from world of cultivation) The type of herb was known as Spirit Winter Bamboo, and nting it was the task he chose half a month ago at the outer sect disciple mission-monument. He had a hard time finding a mission that was not dangerous. Bai Xiaochun did not dare to take Li Qinghous words lightly. Every half a year outer sect disciples were required toplete at least one mission. Bai Xiaochun would never forget thisw. The mission he chose awarded a substantial amount of contribution points, which would increase along with the products quality. It was simple, but it was also a mission that consumed a great amount of time, requiring no less than three months for a passing grade. The Spirit Winter Bamboos growth could also be hastened using ones Qi too. However, Bai Xiaochun, didnt have time to tend to its growth, so he chose to leave it alone in the spirit field. It grows so slowly. Bai Xiaochun looked at the spirit field with a frown. From the description given in the jade tablet, Bai Xiaochun knew that this herb was extremely dependant on Qi. Without a spirit field rich in Qi, the best way to nurture the herb was to supply it with his own Qi. It should be because the Qi in my courtyards spirit field is too thin, that these Spirit Winter Bamboos grow extremely slowly. Bai Xiaochun squatted down and scooped up a handful of soil from the spirit field as he muttered to himself. What can I do to make the spirit fields Qi richer? Bai Xiaochun thought about it for a while, before his expression suddenly changed. He made a gesture with his right hand, causing the turtle-shell pot to appear. Looking at the pot, then the spirit field, Bai Xiaochuns eyes shined. This pot can refine anything, so. It should be able to refine the soil too, right? thinking about this, Bai Xiaochun immediately became curious. After taking the Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds out from the soil, he immediately dug out arge amount of soil and threw it into the turtle-shell pot. He then took out a piece of one-coloured firewood and lit it. Soon, silver light shed as the soil inside the pot showed the same silver patterns as the previous refinements. Although the light from the refinement was dimmer, the Qi was visibly richer. Bai Xiaochun was instantly filled with delight. Not finding it bothersome at all, he refined more soil and repeated the process for about half an hour. When he had almost used up the one-coloured firewood, the entire spirit field had already been refined once. (ED note: Hour in this story is written as ʱ which is actually 2 hours since the author is using the ancient chinese time measurement, where one day is 12 hours) It was just that, the refined soil was only at the exterior. As for the deeperyers of soil, Bai Xiaochun did not refine them since he did not have enough firewood. This caused the spirit soil to be foundationless and thus unable to maintain that level of richness. As time passed, the field would slowly return to normal. Even though this was the case, the difference between the Qi the spirit field had now and before, was as far apart as heaven and earth. The energy was so rich that the field gave off a stimting fragrance. Bai Xiaochun hurriedly nted the Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds and stood to the side, his eyes never leaving the field. Soon, he saw sprouts popping up at a speed visible to the naked eye. The shoots grew like crazy. With that speed, the sprouts grew into 3 chi tall nts within the blink of an eye. If any disciples specializing in herbs saw this, they would have their breath taken away. After all even if a cultivator used his Qi, it will still be difficult for the Spirit Winter Bamboo to grow so quickly. (ED note: 3 chi is approximately 1m) Besides... in the entire cultivation world, there was no one wasteful enough to refine all that soil just to speed up the growth of ten Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds Even if it was an aplished refining master, they definitely wouldnt do something so wasteful. Seeing that the seeds grew well, Bai Xiaochun was finally satisfied, so he turned around and left them alone. Then, he continued sprinting while studying the herbs recorded on the jade tablet in the courtyard. As the sun set and the sky darkened, the Spirit Winter Bamboo in Bai Xiaochuns spirit field, had already shot up to 3 chi high And it seemed like they were far from reaching their limit. Who knew how big they would have grown by the end of the third month On this same night, Bai Xiaochun put down the jade tablet he had been holding. The ten thousand herbs in there were alreadypletely memorized, down to the smallest detail, with that zealousness of his. He had even noticed some contradictions recorded in the tablet. The first thing Im going to do tomorrow morning is to exchange this for the second jade tablet. I wonder how the Ten Thousand Herbs Pavilion tests the people who want to exchange their tablets. Am I be supposed to recite it by memoryl? Bai Xiaochun lifted his chin, threw out his sleeves, and just when he was about to boast, he had second thoughts. Giving a dry cough, he picked up the jade tablet and continued studying, in fear of the test questions he might have to face tomorrow. Chapter 17 - Little Turtle Chapter 17 - Little Turtle On the dawn of the second day, Bai Xiaochun walked out of his wooden hut early in the morning. He immediately noticed that the spirit bamboo nted in the spirit field had actually grown to half the height of a human. Only after nodding his head in satisfaction did he head out the yard and walk along the mountain trail towards the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. The morning sun rose in the distance, its rays illuminating a distance of tens of thousands of zhang. Mist swum amidst the sunlight like golden koi, an incredibly spectacr sight. Bai Xiaochuns posture was rxed and at ease as he walked forwards without making any stops. Gradually, he began to see many outer sect disciples along his path. Only, since he did not recognise a single one of them, he could not help but miss his Brothers of the Burning Stoves Kitchen. [TL: One zhang is equal to 10 feet.] I wonder how Eldest Brother is doing now, and also ck Fatso Three Bai Xiaochun felt a sense of wistfulness in his heart. By the time the sun had risenpletely, he could see the ten breathtaking stone steles of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion in the far distance. These ten steles were the symbol of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Each stele glowed with a soft blue light. They were at least ten zhang tall and as majestic as a rainbow, as though ten giants with an extraordinarily formidable presence were standing at that spot. On the steles, rows and rows of characters could clearly be seen. They represented the top 100 rankings. However on each stele, there were no names written, only symbols. Each symbol was the mark of a medicine master who was the pride of the outer sect and who had left an awe-inspiring reputation within the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Every medicine master had a mark unique to themselves that they would carve on the spirit medicine that they had satisfactorily refined. Since these medicines would spread through the ages, the marks symbolised glory for the medicine master and were of great importance. That day when Hou Yunfei had brought Bai Xiaochun to this ce, he had introduced it briefly. Now, Bai Xiaochun hade by himself. As he closed in, he read the rankings on the ten stone steles. The most eye-catching one was the first symbol on the stone stele right in front of him. It was an Aquarius symbol! Hou Yunfei had once told Bai Xiaochun that this sk was the symbol of Zhou Xinqi! This name was not new to Bai Xiaochun. When he had still been a handyman, there had been a time when he heard Zhang Fatso One speak about this Zhou Xinqi while hemented and savoured ginseng roots under the moonlight. That girl was originally from an ordinary family. Numerous years ago, a predecessor of the sect had sensed her shockingtent talents and persuaded her to join the sect. After a careful examination of her qualifications, the entire Spirit River Sect had instantly been stirred into a furor. In fact, she possessed the extremely rare flora spirit pulse. Not only was her cultivation speed multiple times faster than a normal person, her potential talent in refining medicine was even greater. Eventually, she had entered the Scented Cloud Mountain and became Li Qinghous only disciple. She was seen as Li Qinghous sessor and one of the medicine masters who would be one of the future pirs of the sect. ording to the rules of the Spirit River Sect, no matter how high a persons qualifications were, they still could not directly be an inner sect disciple. Therefore, this girl, along with the other talents of the other two mountain peaks, had started out as an outer sect disciple in order to hone her skills. Even so, it was the inner sect who granted her supplies for her cultivation. Anyone could understand that it would not be long before this Zhou Xinqi would justifiably be an inner sect disciple. It just so happened that this girl was beautiful enough to move peoples hearts, causing countless male disciples to admire her incessantly. Because of those reasons, her reputation among the disciples of the outer sect was monumental. There was not a single person who had not heard of her. Disciples of the inner sect had already considered her as an a member of the inner sect. Even the traditionalist inner sect approached this girl with fear. As he thought about this, Bai Xiaochun was filled with curiosity towards Zhou Xinqi. He gazed at the stone steles as he walked in arge circle around them, feeling increasingly breathless as he inspected them one by one. This Zhou Xinqi is too powerful! Ten stone steles, yet shes number one on eight of them. The remaining two didnt have her name, but thats probably because she hasntpeted for them! Bao Xiaochun widened his eyes as he scanned the stone steles. At this moment, the disciples surrounding the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion gradually began to increase. Very soon, arge sea of people had gathered. Bai Xiaochun had been searching for the position of the second herb almanac but when he noticed that the number of people here was increasing by the second, he became very curious. He didnt understand why there were so many people here today so he pushed his way to the front. Suddenly, he heard an uproar spread from his surroundings like the waves of an ocean, moving in his direction. Senior Sister Zhou ising! Haha, to be expected, the rumors that have been circting for the past few days are true. Senior Sister Zhou would definitely being here in these few days. Waiting here for so many days is worth it. This time, Senior Sister Zhou is already first in the fifth volume of herbs and the third volume of spirit beasts. This time for sure, shes going to challenge the fourth volume of spirit beasts! As surrounding discussion suddenly surged, the crowd began to squeeze against each other. Bai Xiaochun was trapped inside. Fortunately, his body was not too fat. After being squeezed back and forth, he finally forced his way out of the crowd. He lifted his head to see a long streak of light flying rapidly from a distance. That long streak of light was actually a blue damask. There was a girl dressed in the robes of an outer sect disciple on the damask. Her hair was floating in the wind like strands of silk, her eyes were like the stars and the cold moon. Her beautifulplexion and delicate figure were elegant and refined. In an instant, the streak flew straight towards one of the ten stone steles. Amidst the cheers of the surrounding outer sect disciples, the girlnded. She did not even nce at her surroundings as she seemed to only have eyes for the ten orderly wooden huts lined in a row beneath the stone steles. She picked a hut and walked inside. It was only now that Bai Xiaochun noticed that below each of the ten stone steles, there was a wooden hut. At this moment, apart from the stone stele that the girl had chosen, there were many other people entering and exiting the wooden huts beneath the other steles. Finally Ive seen Senior Sister Zhou again. This time, Senior Sister Zhou will definitely seed in bing number one on the ninth stele--! Senior Sister Zhous goal is the unprecedented feat of taking first ce on all ten steles. Only she can possibly do that. Since shes going to be assessed for the fourth and fifth volume spirit beasts, shes definitely going to be first! While the surrounding disciples rapidly became excited, a frail-looking outer sect disciple standing beside Bai Xiaochun first loudly shouted Good luck, Senior Sister Zhou a few times. Bai Xiaochuntched onto this opportunity to ask him a few questions. Since the disciple was in good spirits, he provided a detailed answer. Bai Xiaochun confirmed that if he wanted to attain the second volume of the herb almanac, he would have to go to the wooden hut beneath the stone stele to be assessed. Only if he seeded could he take the second volume. Hence, he hurriedly began squeezing his way towards the first stone stele. As he closed in with great difficulty, he discovered that this wooden hut was already full. After waiting briefly, when he saw someone walking out of the hut with an air of depression, he immediately stepped into the hut without hesitation. The moment he entered the hut, it was as though the outside noise had beenpletely blocked off. It became extremely quiet. The wooden hut was not big. In the middle of the hut, there was a futon, and in front of the futon, there was a stone stele one size smaller. Following the instructions he had been given outside, Bai Xiaochun knelt on the futon and took out the jade tablet containing the first volume of herbs. The moment it came into contact with the stone, it was instantly absorbed. The stone stele shook slightly before a ray of light diffused outwards. Just now, that fellow Brother said that I need to draw a mark which represents my future medical mastery onto the stone stele now. Bai Xiaochun thought briefly before he chuckled and drew a turtle on the stele. He really liked turtles. Although this drawing of a turtle was rather crooked and looked somewhat ugly, he felt that it was rtively good. The turtle-shaped mark disappeared with a sh. Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath before he focused his concentration, his eyes shing with acuity. Lifting his right hand, he slowly pressed his palm against the stone stele. Almost at the exact moment he touched the stone stele, a loud boom resonated in his mind as his vision blurred. When his sight cleared, his surroundings was no longer the wooden hut, but rather, he was standing in the middle of an empty space. Before Bai Xiaochun even had time to size up his surroundings, a bright light suddenly shed before his eyes. In front of him, there instantly appeared countless medical herbs that enveloped the sky and covered the ground. These herbs were iplete. Rather, they had all been ruthlessly broken apart. Split into more than ten sections, all the fragments had been mixed together. They spread out in a densely-packed mess. Looking around, there were so many fragments that it was impossible to count them all. This was the fear-inducing assessment of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion that terrified the outer sect disciples to the extent that their hair stood on end. All these years, countless people have had their hopes dashed and their spirits shattered by this assessment. This was why, whenever someone entered the first hundred rankings and had their names appear on the stone, it was natural that they would be admired by numerous other people. This was especially so for the tenth position till the first, whose achievements won them well-deserved fame. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn out, patch together the stalks of spirit herbs. You will be assessed on how many youplete. Begin. An ice-cold voice seemingly without the slightest trace of emotion resonated in the air. This simple? Bai Xiaochun felt that this was inconceivable. After just a sweeping nce, with the extent of his understanding towards the herbs listed in the jade tablet, he picked out fragments of more than a hundred kinds of herbs that he could piece together. He had pondered for quite awhile on this assessment before he came. But now, when he saw what kind of assessment this was, he instantly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. But immediately afterwards, he became anxious again. This wont do. With such an easy assessment, the number that I need in order to pass must be really high. Bai Xiaochun began to panic as he raced for time. Raising his right hand, he pointed ten times in rapid session. Every piece of herb that he pointed towards wouldbine instantly ording to his thoughts. In the blink of an eye, he had assembled two stalks of medical herbs. His hands moved without pause as he pointed again. Without even a moment of respite, numerous fragments flew outwards andbined with simr fragments, forming numerous stalks of herbs. Gradually, more and more stalks of herbs were formed, soon surpassing a hundred. Bai Xiaochuns gaze did not waver. His spirit was entirely focused as he forgot about everything that was happening around him. He only had eyes for those fragments of medical herbs as his hands moved at lightning speed. In a panic and worry that he might fail the assessment, he was totally ruthless at that moment. Blood vessels slowly began to appear in his eyes as his hands moved even faster. One hundred stalks, two hundred stalks, three hundred stalks, five hundred stalks...One thousand stalks! Bai Xiaochuns forehead dripped with sweat. White smoke was even being emitted from the top of his head as the speed of his movements increased. He only needed a single nce at those fragments of herbs to instantly identify what kind of medicine they were. This was because when he was memorising from the jade tablet, he had even memorized them to the point that he wanted to grind those herbs into powder in order to study them further. But since he did not have that option, he could only observe the herbs to their smallest detail, understanding thempletely. If this scene was seen by the outer sect disciples, it could have caused them to inhale sharply with disbelief. In their minds, this assessment could be considered terrifying. But they could not have possibly imagined that what was truly terrifying was Bai Xiaochuns insight towards the ten thousand kinds of herbs in the jade tablet. Time passed. Two thousand stalks, three thousand stalks Bai Xiaochuns eyes were filled with blood vessels as his hands struggled to keep up with the pace of his thoughts. If it werent for his cultivation at the fourth level of Qi-condensation, he would have long since been forced to stop. Since it hade to this degree, Bai Xiaochun did not know whether, he could ultimately pass the exam or not. He could only grit his teeth forcefully and continue to persist. Four thousand stalks, five thousand stalks, six thousand stalks, seven thousand stalks After an unknown amount of time, when there were not many fragments of medicine left, all the medicine suddenly disappeared with a sh. His vision blurred, and when it cleared up, he found that he had already returned to the wooden hut. On the stone stele, there appeared a jade tablet, exactly the same jade tablet containing the first volume of herbs that had assimted with the stele. There was still some left, only so little was left His heart was unsettled. As he picked up his jade tablet and depressedly walked out of the hut, he heard the loud cheers of numerous people outside. Bai Xiaochun raised his head and immediately spotted Zhou Xinqi coincidentally walking out of her hut at the same time. And on the stone stele behind her, the Aquarius mark that represented her name had already appeared at the number one position. Chapter 18 - Manipulating the Atmosphere Chapter 18: Manipting the Atmosphere That was the stele for the fourth volume of spirit beasts, and also the ninth stele that had the Aquarius symbol appear in first ce. Countless cheering and shouting sound suddenly resounded throughout the crowd. Haha! Sister Zhou did it, I told you that Sister Zhou was going to be an unprecedented champion on the steles! Zhou Xinqi truly is a talented girl who possesses the flora spirit pulse! I bet she will have a limitless future! Sister Zhou, were expecting that next time, you will be the first one to achieve the top-ranking on ten steles, and sound the Spirit River Bell, shocking the entire sect! The surrounding outer sect disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion let out cheers one after another. Even though there were those who spread rude remarks while wearing unsightly expressions, their voices were drowned out by the others. In the eyes of these outer sect disciples, Zhou Xinqis status was like the sun during daytime. All of Scented Cloud Peaks outer sect disciples were now seeing her as the representative of the Scented Cloud Mountain. Zhou Xinqi faintly smiled. Although she had always been cold and detached, seeing all these outer sect disciples cheering for her, she couldnt help but feel proud of herself. Seeing her smile, all the outer sect disciples cheered even louder. Bai Xiaochun was also standing in the crowd and looking at Zhou Xinqi with admiration. He silently sighed, then raised his head and took a nce at the stele for the first volume of herbs. After which, he suddenly widened his eyes. After being stunned for a while, he hurriedly took out the jade tablet of the first volume of herbs, and took a closer look at it. He found that apart from the ten thousand herbs of the first volume, there were another ten thousand herbs. He stuck his chest out and raised his head in surprise, his face filled with pride. He was stunned because he saw that on the stele for the first volume of herbs, a good-looking turtle was now positioned right above the Aquarius symbol. No matter how he looked at the stele, Bai Xiaochun felt extremely satisfied. Earlier, he intended to leave. However, he now stood in the crowd, trying very hard to hold in his excitement, prepararing for the surrounding people to cheer and hail him. Sadly, after waiting for a while, everyones attention was still on Zhou Xinqi. No one noticed the change on the stele for the first volume of herbs, even when the people surrounding Zhou Xinqi were starting to to disperse. Seeing this, Bai Xiaochun was ovee by anxiety and suddenly shouted. Look! First ce on the first volume of herbs stele is no longer Sister Zhous anymore! Somebody else took it! So strange. Such a beautiful turtle, who drew it?! Despite the sounds of cheering and hailing, Bai Xiaochuns shrill and high-pitched voice was easily heard. Especially because of its shocking content, many people subconsciously looked at the stele. Soon after, all of their expressions changed, and they immediately eximed. Thus, more and more people heard the exmations and looked at the stele. All of them instantly quivered when they saw the stele and showed disbelieving expressions. Soon, everyone who was on the scene had noticed the change on the stele for the first volume of herbs. Thethe the first stele, someone has actually surpassed Sister Zhou on the first stele! How can this be?! My God! Theres actually someone who could surpass Sister Zhou! That turtle is iparably ugly! Who is this person?! Surprisingly, there are people who canpete with Sister Zhou on the subject of herbs. Something big has happened! This time, Sister Zhou was unable to achieve the top-ranking on nine steles. She is still only the first for eight! The surrounding people instantly fell into an uproar. Their discussions were even louder than the cheers from before. After all, no one could have predicted this, so everyone found this extremely shocking. In the crowd, Bai Xiaochun was so proud of himself that a smile almost bloomed. However, he was worried that if he admitted to beating Zhou Xinqi, no one would believe him. Therefore, he did his best to keep himself fromughing out loud. However, he shouted out in shock like the others from time to time. His voice especially noticeable. Even Bai Xiaochun himself had never thought that he would achieve first ce. At this moment, Zhou Xinqi, who was turning around and preparing to leave, suddenly stopped when she heard the cries of the surrounding people. She then turned around and saw the stele for the first volume of herbs, as well as the turtle which was now positioned at the top. She slightly frowned before rxing her eyebrows again, seemingly disinterested in this change. In her thoughts, the top ce on the stele for the first volume of herbs was achieved when she had just be an outer disciple; she hadnt given her all for this spot back then, not to mention that right now, she waspletely different from years ago. Good, it seems that a talented disciple has emerged from our sect. she said lightly in a condescending voice as her body suddenly shed, darting towards the stele for the first volume of herbs. She thought that she had just barely been surpassed, and all she need to do to regain that position was simply put in a little more effort. Once she moved, all of the surrounding outer sect disciples grew excited. They turned around and fixed their eyes on her. When they saw that Zhou Xinqi walk into the cabin under the stele for the first volume of herbs, their eyes were instantly filled with anticipation. Sister Zhou is going to take her first ce back. The young Brother who has drawn the turtle is good, but, its such a shame that he can only hold the first ce for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn. Thats true. This young Brother can definitely be considered as genius in herbs, but he just had to encounter Sister Zhou. It can only be considered his bad luck. Hearing the words of the surrounding disciples, Bai Xiaochun became nervous. On one hand, he didnt have enough time to match all the pieces together. On the other hand, Zhou Xinqi was so famous, that even he himself, felt that he belonged in second ce. Its fine, Ill just take the second ce. Men shouldnt fight against women. Bai Xiaochun consoled himself and thought about leaving. However, he was unwilling to leave like this, so he stood still, anxiously waiting for what was about to happen next. Soon, the time it took to burn a stick of incense had passed, but the ranking on the stele didnt change. Bai Xiaochuns turtle was still on top. Zhou Xinqi walked out of the cabin with an indifferent face. She was hundred percent confident about taking the first ce back. This time, she had used eighty percent of her abilities andpleted a whole four thousand herbs amongst the ten thousand. In her eyes, this was more than enough to surpass that unknown talented disciple. However, when she walked out of the cabin, she didnt hear a thing. When she looked at the crowd, she found that they had strange expressions on their faces, and quite a lot of them were staring in disbelief. Zhou Xinqi stopped, abruptly raised her head, and looked at the stele. She saw that her Aquarius symbol was still beneath the turtle, which looked uglier the more she stared at it. The entire area was dead silent and every disciple, including Bai Xiaochun was stunned. Soon after, Bai Xiaochun looked at Zhou Xinqi in surprise, then felt that this girl was not only pretty, but alsonot as frightening as he thought. Zhou Xinqis pupils shrank slightly, before quickly returning to normal. This person is indeed talented with herbs. Im now a bit curious about him. said Zhou Xinqi as she turned her body around in a sh and under everyones stares, unexpectedly walked into the cabin once again. This time, Bai Xiaochun did not even consider leaving. He stood in the crowd eagerly awaiting the results. As for the other outer sect disciples, they had stopped talking loudly, instead, they had started discussing in hushed tones. Everyone who saw this unprecedented urrence could not believe their eyes. As they looked at the turtle, they began to feel that it was mysterious. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, this sense of mystery intensified as they saw Zhou Xinqi walk out of the cabin again. The turtlewas still on the top! My god! Who is this?! Bai Xiaochun widely popped out his eyes and shouted, his shrill voice immediately intensified the surrounding disciples excitement. Sister Zhou failed to surpass this person twice, how is this possible?! How many herbs did this personplete?! Did anyone see which Brother went in and took the assessment? The silent crowd was finally unable to supress their excitement, and flew into a frenzy. Zhou Xinqi stood under the stele with a frown on her face. She had done her best just now andpleted nearly six thousand herbs. However, she never thought that even after this, she would still be below that turtle. She narrowed her eyes, coldly snorted, then turned around and walked into that cabin once again, her eyes filled with determination. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Xinqi walked out with an extremely serious expression. She then turned around and walked in again. Another stick of incenseter, she walked out once more, her face was pale but still filled with diligence andpetitiveness. Then, she turned around again. One time, two times, three times, four times All the other cultivators'' breaths grew heavier with each of Zhou Xinqis continuous assessments, until finally, the crowd fellpletely silent again. Simply because, the meaning of this scene was too terrifying. They couldnt even imagine how many herbs the person, who had drawn the turtle, hadpleted, that Zhou Xinqi couldnt surpass him no matter how hard she tried. At this moment, the turtle had left an extremely strong impression on the mind of everyone watching this. Especially when they saw Zhou Xinqi walk out again, her pretty eyes filled with streaks of blood. Everyone couldnt help but deeply gasp in shock. In the crowd, Bai Xiaochun could only cough dryly. He couldnt tell anyone that he was the one who took the first ce. He felt like a cat had been scratching inside his heart, and could only silently cheer in his head. (Ed note: ...felt like a cat had been scratching inside his heart means that Bai Xiaochun really wanted to do something but knows that he shouldn''t) No, I cant stand this. One day, I will find a chance to have the attentions of hundreds of thousands of people, and to tell everyone that the first ce of the stele for the first volume of herb is I, Bai Xiaochun! Bai Xiaochun murmured. Hezily yawned, looked at the sky which was turning dark, and then made a lonely master look. I, Bai Xiaochun, can make Zhou Xinqi vanish with only a flick of my finger said Bai Xiaochun while waving his sleeve. Afterwards, he turned around and proudly walked out of the crowd, before gradually disappearing. While Bai Xiaochun walked away, Zhou Xinqi stood under the stele, gritted her teeth and walked into the cabin again. She was very determined Zhou Xinqi kept trying until the bright moon rose. Her face was full of exhaustion as she stared at the turtle; she never thought that this kind of thing would happen to her. Then, she walked away in silence. After she left, the surrounding people followed suit. That night, the legend of the turtle swept through the entire Scented Cloud Peak. Everyone thought that the matter had concluded. However, after the sun rose on the next day, the disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion saw, to their surprise, Zhou Xinqi continuously challenging the record. She kept rushing into the cabin under the first stele,ing out, failing, and challenging it once again. One day, two days, three days for three whole days, Zhou Xinqi continued in this manner. This pushed the discussions about the mysterious turtle in Scented Cloud Mountain to new heights. Everyone had heard about the mysterious turtle and Zhou Xinqis assessments, even some inner sect disciples. Seven dayster, Zhou Xinqi silently stood under the stele staring at the turtle, her eyes dim for the very first time. During the past seven days, she had challenged the record with everything that she had, performing even better than what she had previously expected, reaching seventy thousand herbs. However, she still failed to surpass this mysterious disciple. Who the hell are you?! Zhou Xinqi murmured. She took a deep breath, gnashed her teeth, turned around, and stopped challenging the test. That turtle had deeply engraved itself in her mind, so much that she couldnt stop thinking about it. Chapter 19 - The Legend Of The Weasel Chapter 19 - The Legend Of The Weasel During his time in Scented Cloud Mountain, Bai Xiaochun, now an outer sect disciple, lived a very rxed andfortable life. Other than his longing for the food back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he was very content with everything else there. At the rate that his cultivation and research on herbs were advancing, Bai Xiaochun felt like he was living life to the fullest. Only, he asionally felt bored since the yard that he lived in was rather isted without anyone he knew living near him. He didnt even have a single person to talk to. Could it be that all cultivators feel this lonely? Bai Xiaochunmented as he raised his head to the sky, old beyond his years as he stood in the courtyard. The fall winds had passed, and the winter flurries had started. On the horizon, snowkes could asionally be seen falling to the ground as the temperature dropped. With the descent of the winter chill, the Spirit Winter Bamboos were growing at a faster rate than in the previous seasons, already surpassing Bai Xiaochuns height. They created the image of spring with their jade-green leaves. It has been more than a month since he took first ce in the assessment. The problem now was that the difficulty of the second examination far exceeded his expectations. The progress of his research had slowed down a bit, but the important thing was that despite Zhou Xinqis failure to take back first ce, Bai Xiaochun felt pressured as he remembered the unassembled herb fragments that were left when the first assessment ended. My reputation must not be surpassed by that littledy, Zhou Xiaoqi. Bai Xiaochun quietly made up his mind to work even harder until he achieved his dream of proudly announcing before ten thousand people that he was the Turtle Medicine Master. It was a dream that had already taken root within his heart. Though he was slower at studying the second book, his Unending Longevity Technique had almost reached a small cirction. Every time Bai Xiaochun trained, the pain reached new heights, but his obsession the words Unending Longevity kept him going until now. Three more days. Three more days, and ording to the Unending Longevity Techniques manual , one small cirction will bepleted, Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and continued sprinting back and forth in the courtyard as he studied herbs. Three days passed quickly. On the dusk of the third day, snowkes floated down from the sky, wrapping the Spirit River Sect in a cloak of silver. Bai Xiaochun was doing his running routine as usual, when suddenly his body trembled violently, making him abruptly stop in his tracks. The throbbing pain in his body vanished as soon as it came. It was followed by sudden bursts of heat which spread throughout his body. When they finally reached the surface, his skin turned as hot as iron fresh out of a furnace. The snow thatnded on his body was instantly evaporated, and transformed into steam before floating up towards the sky. Done! Bai Xiaochuns mouth was dry, and the burning heat was killing him, but he couldnt be happier. He lowered his head and looked at his body, immediately noticing the ck radiance that gradually dispersed as it circled him. Bai Xiaochun poked his arm, and the hardness akin to the skin of a bull made his eyes shine. He stretched his body a bit, feeling an obvious improvement in speed. Excited, he shed forward, appearing a long distance away. This was double his old speed. Seeing this prominent improvement, Bai Xiaochun felt even more pleased with himself. He tested this newfound speed a few more times before he was satisfied. Soon after, Bai Xiaochun continued his cultivation ording to the Unending Longevity Techniques manual. This time it was a training that involved blocking the nose and mouth, using the body to breathe instead. Each breath counted as a small cycle, and he was to do it eighty one times every day, for eighty one days before a cirction waspleted. If he could manage to achieve this,bined with the painful cirction he justpleted, his body would be nearly invincible! Bai Xiaochun tried for quite a while before slowly beginning to understand the method. Standing in the courtyard, he started breathing with only his skin, but just as he barely managed to finish a small cycle, his body had already visibly thinned. At the same time, waves of intense hunger surfaced, causing Bai Xiaochuns stomach to rumble. Ignoring the rumbling sounds, Bai Xiaochun continued his breathing. His body gradually got skinnier. When he finished the fifteenth breath, his body almost looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin. It was as though all the nutrients in his body had been sucked out. However, at this moment, his skin looked even tougher than before. But Bai Xiaochun was at his limits. His head started spinning the moment he opened his eyes his eye whites nearing turning green.This kind of indescribable hunger caused him to feel as though he could swallow an elephant whole, if one appeared in front of him. I cant take it anymore, Im about to starve to death!! Bai Xiaochun swallowed his saliva with difficulty, his vision blurry and his legs wobbly. There wasnt any food around him, except the juicy, green bamboos that looked irresistibly delicious at the moment. He tried to control himself, but the sense of starvation was too much for him. Dashing to the winter spirit bamboos, he took a huge, savage bite. A snapping sound could be heard as he bit off a huge piece, chewing it loudly in his mouth. Bai Xiaochuns expression suddenly twisted as the bitterness of the bamboo hit his tongue, his entire body shivered. Too bitter I want to eat rice At this moment, Bai Xiaochuns desire for the food back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen, was amplified to the extreme. He was hungry. He had never been this hungry in his entire life. At this moment, he had starved till his head felt faint. His eyes turned increasingly green and his breathing was rapid. As his body involuntarily lunged forward, Bai Xiaochun sprinted out of the courtyard. At this moment the Burning Stoves Kitchen was preparing food. After Zhang Fatso One and ck Fatso Threes departure, Yellow Fatso Two became the head of the ce. He was pouring rice soup as a gust of wind blew in, the bowl disappearing from his hand. Under the soup was Bai Xiaochun with his mouth wide open. Ah? Yellow Fatso Two jumped up. The other fatsos were also momentarily stunned. By the time they realized that it was Bai Xiaochun, before they even managed to speak, he had already lifted a huge pot of soup. With eyes burning from hunger, he gulped the entirety of the contents down loudly. Unsatisfied, he plunged his whole head into another pot, finishing the soup inside within seconds. One, two, three gulps Bai Xiaochun took more than a hundred gulps of soup, his body like a ck hole, not feeling full at all. Hungry I cant, Im still starving I need meat! Bai Xiaochun was frantic, sweeping his eyes around, the first thing he saw was the huge mountain-like bodies that belonged to his fatso brothers. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. The fatsos in Burning Stove Kitchen stared at Bai Xiaochun with wide eyes and gaping jaws. They had seen starving people before, but this was on a whole new level. This was not Bai Xiaochun anymore, it was some ghost that had died of starvation. Yellow Fatso Two especially, lost it when he realized the horrible fact that Bai Xiaochun was swallowing his saliva as he stared at him and his brothers with hungry eyes. Immediately backing away, he roared loudly. Fatso Nine, there is spirit food prepared for Elder Zhou in the kitchen! Hearing this, Bai Xiaochun charged into the kitchen with ferocity in his eyes. The fatsos outside all looked at each other before they sucked in a breath. Did you see that? Thats what happens when you be an outer sect disciple. Poor brother, how did he starve to this state? I would sooner be beaten to death than be an outer sect disciple. The other fatsos all made up their mind, pitying the crazed Bai Xiaochun. As he ate, Bai Xiaochun did all he could to control himself from eating more than the edges, remembering the six codes of Burning Stoves Kitchen. He knew that eating all of it would only bring trouble to his brothers. He could never bring himself to do something like that. After finishing the soup and the edges of the meat, Bai Xiaochun wasnt starving as much as before. Feeling his self-control return, he felt like crying but could not shed any tears. He was terrified by the Unending Longevity Techniques training methods. Although the pain had already disappeared, the hunger was enough to drive a man insane. Second Brother Bai Xiaochun looked anxiously at Yellow Fatso Two. Only after seeing that Bai Xiaochun had calmed down did Yellow Fatso Two dare to approach him. Patting his shoulder, he gave him a look of sympathy. Dont worry, little Brother. We can always make more food for Elder Zhou. Look at how hungry you are. Oh doe back next time, you need the nourishment. Upon hearing his words, Bai Xiaochun was touched. Gritting his teeth, he decided againsting here often. Otherwise, with his current condition, there was no guarantee that he wouldnt lose control someday and bankrupt the Burning Stoves Kitchen. As Yellow Fatso Two and the other fatsos bid their farewells, Bai Xiaochun sighed as he climbed up Scented Cloud Mountain. The pleasure andfort he just experienced, dissipated without a trace in an instant, reced by despair and hopelessness. He feared that he would really starve to death someday. I dont know if any disciples have died of starvation in the Spirit River Sect, but I really dont want to be the first one. Bai Xiaochuns face drooped as he thought of ways to solve this starvation problem in the long run. Just then, the sounds of chickens clucking suddenly came from a ce not far away. Upon hearing the clucking, Bai Xiaochun slowly turned his head fixed his gaze in the direction of the clucking noises. His vision had already tunneled, his stomach already rumbling. Chickens Bai Xiaochun looked around, to make sure that no one was watching, before diving into the bushes, as fast as a weasel, disappearing with a whoosh. After a moment, Bai Xiaochun appeared, crouching outside the fences of Scented Cloud Mountains chicken coop. Staring intently at the prideful chickens that walked about with their triple coloured tails. They were as big as baby cows, and Bai Xiaochun was unable to count how many times he gulped. Meat Bai Xiaochunughed. It was an incredibly eerieughter. Chapter 20 - The Floor was Covered with Chicken Feathers Chapter 20: The Floor was Covered with Chicken Feathers The Spirit Tailed Chicken, which had harder feathers and arger bodypared to an ordinary chicken, was born ferocious. An adult Spirit Tailed Chicken wasparable to a cultivator at the second-level of Qi Condensation. This kind of chicken was edible, their eggs were nutritious, their blood as well as their bones were excellent medicinal materials, and their tails could be used as rare fuel to produce three-coloured me. Therefore, Spirit Tailed Chickens were mass reared in all three peaks of the Spirit River Sects South Bank. However, these chickens did not belong to the sect. They were the personal properties of Li Qing Hou and the ancestors of the other two mountains, so only a few disciples were responsible for taking care of these chickens. On the Scented Cloud Mountain, three territories were enclosed for rearing Spirit Tailed Chickens. Bai Xiaochun hunkered in the shrubbery while looking at those Spirit Tailed Chickens. He had never seen a live Spirit Tailed Chicken before, but he had tasted one in the Burning Stoves Kitchen and he knew that this kind of chicken was extremely delicious. He had also heard from Zhang Fatso One that this kind of chicken liked to eat spirit bugs. Eventually, Bai Xiaochuns body shed away. Instead of acting rashly, he chose to go downhill to buy a bag of spirit bugs with his dwindling supply of spirit stones, before returning to his yard. The moment he returned, he felt hungry again. Forcibly repressing his hunger pangs, he searched around, seemingly looking for some materials. Soon after, when his gazended on the Spirit Winter Bamboos, his eyes suddenly lit up. These bamboos had grown to over a zhang tall and were as thick as a fist. Glowing with spirit light, they looked quite extraordinary. (ED note: One zhang is approximately 3.58 meters, or 3.645 yards) Bai Xiaochun hurriedly walked up to those bamboos and circled around them a few times before heughed out loud. Using the herbal knowledge he had acquired, he cut off two sections from the head of a bamboo stalk, which was also the toughest part of the bamboo. As for how to steal the Spirit Tailed Chickens, Bai Xiaochun had his own special way. The most important thing about stealing a chicken was weaseling out. Weaseling out, or escaping the notice of others, was indeed an art. With the two sections of bamboo, Bai Xiaochun quickly made a bamboo-cicada. This was something he had learned from his father when he was little. ording to legends, this kind of bamboo-cicada was a useful tool in catching any fowl, be it chicken or phoenix. He then weaved a rope with the bamboo fibers. After tightening the rope to test its tautness, he tied the bamboo-cicada to it, then darted out under the cover of night. I want to eat chicken! Bai Xiaochuns belly was rumbling, but his eyes were shining with a bright green light. His starvation pushed him to run faster, straight towards the nearest Spirit Tailed Chicken coop. He slowed down when he neared the chicken coop, sneakily approached the fence, and threw the bamboo-cicada with spirit bugs hanging onto it into the chicken coop. Afterwards, he held the rope that had been tied together with the bamboo-cicada and silently waited, while enduring his hunger. A few cabins were built within the yard. Beyond them, were the training grounds and living areas of Outer Sect Disciples. Inside the broad hennery yard, were hundreds of Spirit Tailed Chickens. Most of them were lying on the ground, while others were walking around. asionally, they pompously raised their heads high up in the air. After a short while, a Spirit Tailed Chicken seemed to notice something. It turned around and took a nce at the surrounding area, before approaching the bamboo-cicada. The chicken instantly noticed the spirit bug that had been hung on the bamboo-cicada. As it came closer, it then unconcernedly opened its beak and pecked. But at the exact same moment the chickens beak pecked the spirit bug, it triggered the mechanism. Instantly, the bamboo rod bent by the chickens pull violently sprang apart and ingeniously trapped the beak of this Spirit Tailed Chicken. It forcibly propped the chickens beak open. The Spirit Tailed Chicken tried to make a sound but failed because of the bamboo stuck in its beak. It then tried crushing the bamboo, however, it failed again due to the sturdiness. At the same time, a strong pull came from the shrubbery. No matter how hard the chicken struggled, it could only be dragged to the fence in a quick and silent manner. After that, the rope suddenly shook and lifted the chicken into the air. Bai Xiaochun grabbed the chicken in his hands and gathered the power of his fourth-level Qi Condensation into his palms. Together with his tough skin and great strength, he easily twisted the chickens neck, then threw it into the storage pouch. This series of moves was extremely skilled, as if it had been an old trick that he hadpletely mastered. The entire process had spanned less than thirty breaths, if he hadnt waited for so long, it would have been even quicker. Bai Xiaochun was very excited. He dashed back to his own yard, and soon, a delicious scent came out of his cabin. By the time dawn arrived, the entire chicken had ended up in Bai Xiaochuns stomach. The only things left were feathers and bones covering the floor Having finished the Spirit Tailed Chicken, arge portion of Bai Xiaos great hunger had vanished. He clearly felt that his body had been replenished a bit, and it was filled with warmth, making him feel quitefortable. Even the amount of Qi his body contained had improved slightly. The most obvious improvement was that after he finished that chicken, Bai Xiaochun could operate the Unending Longevity Technique for seven to eight cycles of breathing without pause. Every single breath had brought Bai Xiaochun waves of warmth. It spread all over his body, before gathering on his skin. This made his skin look stronger and tougher, with ck lights shing from time to time. However, if one looked closer, his skin was still as white and tender. This Unending Longevity Technique, first with pain, then starvation. Its indeed not that easy, but its effects are excellent. said Bai Xiaoxhun as he raised his right arm and pulled out the wooden sword, before carefully touching it with the back of his hand. When this wooden sword, which had gone through two spirit refinements, touched Bai Xiaochuns skin, he clearly felt some resistance. He didnt continue, but he was even more convinced that he should keep cultivating the Unending Longevity Technique. ording to the Unending Longevity Technique, the impentrable skin is divided into four stages, which are gold, silver, copper and iron; I am currently at the the basic level, but if I breathe like this for eighty-one daysI will gain an initial sess on the invincible skin. murmured Bai Xiaochun while ncing at the chicken bones on the ground. He had alreadye up with a good n which could help him achieve the final stage of the invincible-skin. (ED note: Er Gen is being realistic with the skin rankings. IRL in terms of hardness, gold